《Tyranny Of Steel》


 Chapter 1: Transmigrating to Another World

    <h4>Chapter 1: Transmigrating to Another World</h4>


    Lt. Julian Weber gazed across the construction project his unit was responsible for. As the U.S. involvement in the war in Afghanistan came to a close, he was stuck building a bridge in the middle of nowhere for some god-forsaken country. If there was one thing he had learned during his four years as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it was unwise to criticize the highmand''s stupidity openly.


    Thus he kept his mouth shut as he and the other officer''s mapped out the construction project while the enlisted personnel was hard at work building the massive bridge that served virtually no purpose whatsoever to U.S. forces who were already fleeing the country inrge numbers. That''s right, "fleeing." Julian may not care for a hellhole like Afghanistan. Still, he considered it a monumental loss to pull out of the country when the Afghan National Army was clearly incapable of contending with the Taliban without U.S. support.


    In his mind, the U.S. had invested over 2.2 trillion dors in the war and thousands of lives, yet before their mission wasplete, they were pulling out. Leaving a fledgling democratic country like Afghanistan, which the US had installed as a puppet state to fend for themselves. This was Iraq and Vietnam all over again, and we all know how that turned out.


    Despite his internal protests over the geopolitical situation, he was d to be out of the region on a personal level. He was much morefortable sitting in the barracks of some base in the homnd ying strategy games, city builders, and agricultural simtors. When he wasn''t working, he yed such games or educated himself on history, philosophy, politics, economics, and old technology.


    After all, he was a fairly educated individual, having graduated at the top of his ss in Civil Engineering from Westpoint. During his youth, he always had a fascination with Engineering. If you gave him a toy, he was more interested in taking it apart and putting it back together than he was ying with it.


    As he grew into adolescence, he had spent most of his time on the web or in a library researching history and how the Industrial and Agricultural revolutions came to be; The significant improvements in technology, and how to replicate them. With a photographic memory and an above-average IQ, he couldmit these things to his permanent memory.


    During his college years, he once more focused on his studies, taking many unnecessary electives; by the time he graduated and entered the armed forces, he was practically a walking textbook of knowledge ranging from liberal arts to technical knowledge. Obviously, this did not do him any favors in the dating scene.


    Largely because this is how he chose to spend his free time, he was quite obviously perpetually single and had no dependents to rely upon him. Not even a house pet, as he considered pawning them off to a rtive while he was deployed a hassle for not only himself but his rtives as well.


    Yet here he was, stuck in the Middle East, engaging in a construction project in a country the U.S Military had already dered its full withdrawal date, which was only a month away. He didn''t understand the brass'' thinking, but it was just another enormous waste of the taxpayers'' money at the end of the day.


    I mean, sure, the Afghan National Army could use the bridge for tactical purposes, but could they seriously not build it themselves? That was obviously a rhetorical question he was asking himself, as he was well aware of the degree ofpetency he could expect from the ANA and was not impressed.


    While he was thinking of such trivial things, he could hear the voices of a few Non-Commissioned Officers joking around in the background, discussing how they intended to celebrate the end of the war. These older men had been in the war far too long and did have a shred of nationalism left in their bodies; as such, they did not care about the loss the country faced in thisnd; they only cared about going home. Not that he could me them.


    Just as one of the NCOs was about to mention their ns, arge explosion went off in the distance, and the whistling sound of a shell in the air could be heard as it headed in Julian''s direction. Only a single thought crossed Julian''s mind as he gazed at the shelling down upon him.


    ''Fuck my life!''


    and with that final thought, his consciousness was engulfed in the st of the explosive shell, as well as the lives of the other officers in the area. He was truly, and utterly dead.


    ...


    Berengar awoke with a shout as his hoarse voice echoed throughout therge stone room. His eyes darting frantically across the area. After careful examination, he realized he was not blown up by an artillery shell but instead lying on a massive bed with a canopy above. Near his bedside was a young girl at the early stage of adolescence gazing at him with fearful eyes. Henrietta was his younger sister; despite her youth, she was already quite pretty, with long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes the color of the sky.


    As he gazed upon the frightened girl, he quickly thought to himself something of significant importance.


    ''Henrietta? Sister? Since when did I have a sister? What is going on? and why was that my first thought upon observing this stranger?''


    Berengar furrowed his brows as he searched his memories; it would appear that in his mind were two sets of memories. One was of the body in which he currently resided in whose identity was Berengar von Kufstein, son of Sieghard von Kufstein and heir to the Barony of Kufstein. He was twenty years old this year.


    The other set of memories belonged to Julian Weber, a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who died tragically in Afghanistan by an attack from the Taliban. Had he received new life? Just what was going on?


    Before he could further question his situation, the young girl named Henrietta held his hand with tears streaming from her beautiful azure eyes.


    "I thought I lost you! Thank God you''re alive big brother!"


    she then followed up her statement with the sign of the cross and a brief prayer in anguage Berengar recognized as Latin.


    Berengar sat back in his bed and continued to ponder about his situation as the memories of Berengar''s life flooded into his head. This world was an Alternate Earth set in the Late Medieval Period. His family''snd was a small Barony set within the borders of the Holy Roman Empire. Though many historical events were simr to the world he once knew, there were still many differences.


    While the timeline of Antiquity was mostly intact, what happened after changed drastically from the world Julian was from. The East-West Schism never urred within the church; as such, the Orthodox and Catholic Churches never drifted apart. Instead, the rtionship between the two churches was rather Cordial, thus the Papacy held even more power than it did within our timeline.


    Because the Byzantines were not considered heretics by the west by the time that the Crusades were dered. When the Holy Land was retaken from the Saracens, it was granted to the Byzantine Empire as they had the most rightful im to thend. Thus The Byzantine Empire remained a powerhouse in the Mediterranean and never suffered the massive losses from the Fourth Crusade, which eventually would lead to its destruction not too far in the future.


    There were many important figures from our timeline that had been reced and many changes within the Holy Roman Empire. For example, in its current state, the Kingdom of Italy and its monarch reigned supreme. The Kingdom of Germany had be a secondary state within the Empire and was on the verge of civil war as the various feudal powers contended for the throne.


    These were just two of the many changes to the timeline. There had been far more than Berengar could count off of the top of his head. If he truly wanted to know the major differences in the timeline, and the power structure of the world he would have to thoroughly research it in his spare time.


    With all these conflicts in his two sets of memories, Julian, or Berengar as he was now known, was beginning to get a headache and rubbed his temples with his fingers. Henrietta, who mistook this action as a sign of illness, immediately stopped her prayer and left the room, saying only one phrase as she rushed out the door. Her fine noble dress fluttering in her escape.


    "I''ll go get the physician!"


    Berengar shuddered as he heard the sentence; from what he knew of Medieval medicine, he was more likely to be harmed by the treatment than cured from what ailed him. However, his throat was dreadfully dry, and he found himself unable to stop his little sister as she fled the scene. Leaving Berengar alone with nothing but his thoughts and an ever-increasing headache...

 Chapter 2: Life as a Barons Heir

    <h4>Chapter 2: Life as a Baron''s Heir</h4>


    Henrietta re-appeared with the court physician not long after she had left. Though she wore an expression that showed a great deal of concern, the physician did not share her empathy. Berengar sat upright in bed, having a difficult time speaking due to how dry his throat was. Evidently, this body had sweat out most of its excess liquid while undergoing a fever. Few thought he would survive the night.


    The Physician carefully examined Berengar and was shocked to see that the young man had recovered from the fever, as there was little hope for his survival previously. Despite being a medieval physician and having virtually no knowledge of practical medicine whatsoever, the man named Ewald showed a degree ofpetency after making his announcement.


    "No need to worry, Lady Henrietta, your brother''s fever has broken, and aside from being particrly parched, he ispletely healthy."


    After saying that, Ewald handed Berengar a ss of water and allowed the young man to drink his fill until his thirst was thoroughly quenched. After finishing the ss and wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Berengar nodded at the physician and thanked him for his service.


    "Thanks, Ewald; I can always count on you in my time of need."


    Internally Berengar''s words were insincere; however, if two lives have taught him anything, it is that it was not wise to voice your condescension aloud. Thus he acted in a civil manner befitting of a Baron''s heir.


    After hearing that her brother was healthy for the first time in a long time, Henrietta smiled ecstatically; this was wondrous news to her. Berengar had always been prone to illness; He was born with a weak constitution and a frail body. Something in which the sedentary lifestyle of a medieval noble only exacerbated.


    His next words startled her as it was a question that was out of her expectations for her big brother.


    "Dear sister, do you mind fetching the servants and instructing them to get the bath ready. I feel as if cleansing the grime from my body would be good for my health."


    The physician snorted at Berengar''s ims. Though baths were not umon for nobles, they certainly weren''t as frequent of an urrence as the modern world. Despite the physician''s reaction, Berengar insisted on his request to his sister.


    Henrietta smiled as she responded to Berengar, "of course, dear brother, I will go and instruct them this second"


    with that said, she had once more left therge stone room that belonged to Berengar and went to do as he had requested. The physician seeing that he was no longer needed, excused himself


    "I shall go and inform your father the Baron that you have recovered..."


    Berengar nodded once more as he wore an indifferent expression


    "You do that."


    with that having been said, Ewald left Berengar to his lonesome. Berengar sighed deeply, looking down and sniffing his clothes that reeked of sweat and filth. After grimacing from the stench, he sighed deeply


    "When I inherit the title, there will be some serious changes around here..."


    He had made up his mind that his first order of business when he came to power would be institutingws across the Barony about basic hygiene, maybe even construct some public bathhouses like the Romans used to have. Whatever was necessary to bring a degree of cleanliness to the people of his territory.


    After getting out of bed and stretching his limbs for a while, he heard a knock on the door, which came from one of the family''s servants.


    "Milord, the bath is ready."


    He quickly opened the door with an over-excited smile on his face, which startled the servant.


    "Lead the way."


    The servant recovered from their shock and nodded as she did as the Baron''s son requested. After a short walk down the hall, Berengar reached the bathroom, where he quickly barred the doors and stripped his clothes.


    He carefully examined his frail body with a sense of dissatisfaction, though not quite emaciated; there was no doubt that his bones were weak and his muscles undeveloped. He would certainly need to change his dietary habits to one rich in protein and calcium. Until he could seed his father and implement the changes that were already brewing in his head, he must first focus on building his body up and maintaining his health.


    Washing away the sweat and filth that had umted on his body throughout his fever was a good first step. As such, he dipped his toe into the wooden bathtub to gauge its temperature before plunging his body inpletely.


    After getting into the tub, Berengar stared at his reflection in the pool of water. He had short golden blonde hair and glistening eyes the color of the sapphire gemstone. His facial features were regal and handsome. His skin was a milky white, something that entuated his regal demeanor. If he had not been such a sack of skin and bones, he would havee across as very princely. Though he may have reincarnated into a weak body, he did not care too much, considering he was very handsome. The body could be refined like steel, but the appearance was set in stone.


    After spending nearly thirty minutes in the bath washing away both the filth on his body and the mental stress that had umted due to the transmigration, he finally stepped out of the tub. He found a set of 15th-century nobleman''s attire prepared for him. It was properly cleaned, which was the most redeeming quality of the clothing.


    After donning the attire, he shifted his attention to his short golden hair. Though he was no hairdresser, at the very least, he could use some of the greasy residue left on the tub to slick his hair back. He would seriously need to invent pomade to get his hair the way he liked it. After styling his hair, he left the bathroom and saw that a servant was waiting for him.


    "Milord, the Baron and Baroness are awaiting you in the dining hall..."


    Berengar nodded with a stoic expression


    "Lead the way."


    the servant bowed concerning his request


    "Yes, milord"


    After traversing the castle for quite some time, Berengar arrived at the Dining Hall where he saw his family was sitting, patiently awaiting his arrival. He quickly took his seat and noticed the meal on the table with various food to choose from. Despite being a lower noble house, the family was still wealthy enough to afford a plethora of food daily.


    After saying grace, Berengar quickly allotted steamed fish, baked chicken, a variety of nuts, and leafy greens, as well as arge ss of milk to his meal. He did not even make eye contact with his family as he filled his te to the brim. He was famished and felt the desire to dig in right away.


    His family gazed upon him with various expressions that he overlooked right away; it was not until he lifted his gaze from his te that he saw their looks of concern. Berengar had already cut a piece of fish and was about to stuff it into his mouth when he saw their gazes. Feeling the awkwardness of the situation, he could not help but inquire.


    "What is it?"


    Sieghard was a tall and robust man with regal facial features, he had short blonde hair, a matching beard, and sky blue eyes. He was also Berengar''s father and the Baron of Kufstein. He gazed at his son with astonishment; until now, the young man who was his heir had been a vegetarian. Yet half of his te was filled with fish and poultry. When asked by his son why he was surprised, he felt the answer was obvious, and as such, he made a gesture towards Berengar''s te.


    Berengar had a perplexed expression spread across his face; after all, he had not fully adjusted to the memories of this body yet.


    "Am I not allowed to eat this?"


    His mother, Gis, a blonde-haired, busty beauty, looked at him with her glistening sapphire eyes in an equally perplexed manner.


    "You''re eating meat?"


    suddenly Berengar understood the meaning behind their confused expressions as he remembered that he was a vegetarian. He was starting to understand why this body he had inherited was in such poor shape.


    Berengar smiled at his beautiful mother and nodded


    "I''ve decided to make some changes in my lifestyle. Starting today, I will eat meat and get some much-needed exercise. I can''t go on living life as a vegetarian wastrel!"


    Arge smile spread across Sieghard''s lips as he heard his son''s promation; for too long, the boy had used his health as an excuse to be idle; it was good that he was finally growing up. He then took his fork and ced arge b of beef on Berengar''s te.


    "Then eat up; you will need a full stomach."


    Berengar smiled and began to feast upon the well-prepared meal. Though sooner orter, he would have to discuss basic hygiene with the kitchen staff. For now, he would devour this meal with noints.


    His younger brother Lambert shared the same physical characteristics as the rest of his family. However, there was a discernable hint of malice in his ocean blue eyes as his gaze set upon Berengar. Though Berengar was unaware of what he had done to upset the youth, he took note of such a gaze and vowed to be cautious around his brother in the future.


    After finishing his meal, Berengar left the dining room in a hurry; he wanted to begin his exercise regimen as quickly as possible. If he worked, diligently he could change this frail body of his into that of a soldier''s within a year or less. Something he intended to get out of the way as quickly as possible.


    As Berengar went for a run along the castle walls, he waspletely unaware of the malicious gaze set upon him from inside one of the tower spires. The gaze belonged to none other than Lambert, who bit his lip as he quietly muttered under his breath.


    "How are you still alive?"

 Chapter 3: Introducing New Technology

    <h4>Chapter 3: Introducing New Technology</h4>


    Berengar continued his exercise routine for some time, taking small breaks to recover when he felt his heart rate rising too high. With aplete and totalck of modern exercise equipment, the tall yet dreadfully skinny young man was forced to exercise the old-fashioned way. This exercise regimen was modeled after the U.S. Army''s PT standards. Albeit scaled down to a capacity in which his frail body and weak heart could handle.


    As he continued to persevere through a task that was incredibly difficult for the feeble body he currently inhabited; Berengar vowed that when he was able, he would draft blueprints for free weights, kettlebells, and a bench press, which he would deliver to the town''s smith and inquire about the feasibility of crafting such items. After all, the technological prowess of this civilization was far from what he would consider being advanced.


    Lambert gazed upon his sickly older brother struggle to improve himself from a tower above the Castle''s courtyard. A frown was spread across his face as his wicked eyes red menacingly at sight. This sudden desire for self-improvement did not bode well for his ns. His anger only outmatched his disbelief.


    After all, Berengar should be dead, the poison that Lambert had used was effective enough to kill a warhorse, yet somehow Berengar was still standing, healthier than ever. All his scheming had gone to waste. The debts he had acquired to assassinate his elder brother remained unpaid, and if he could not be the heir to his father''s title, he would be unable to repay them, which did not bode well for his future.


    However, if he were to attempt to use poison again, it would undoubtedly draw the suspicion of others, something he wished to avoid. If Lambert were to seed his father and achieve his aspirations, he would need to devise a new assassination plot.


    ...


    An hour had passed, and Berengar was no longer capable of exercising. His first order of business was to bathe again and get rid of the sweat and grime umted over his body during his workout. The servants were perplexed as to why he desired to bathe twice in one day but followed his orders.


    After cleansing himself once more, Berengar returned to his room, where he sat at his desk, took out a piece of parchment, and began to design blueprints for several of the early innovations he intended to make to the industry.


    Though Berengar held limited authority within his father''snd, he figured at the very least he could negotiate with his father about the implementation of such technology. If his father asked where he found such blueprints, he could simply say he acquired it from a trader from the far east. After all, simr technologies should exist in China during this time period. The earlier the Barony could mass-produce steel, the better it was for his ns.


    The Barony of Kufstein was set in the Duchy of Austria. Mountains surrounded it, and arge tributary of the Danube river flowed through it, creating fertile valleys. It was exactly because of its geographicyout that the von Kufsteins could maintain their control over the resource-rich region. If not for the natural defensive barrier that surrounded the valley where the people dwelled, then more powerful families within the Empire would surely attempt to seize the region for themselves.


    After some time, Berengar had finished the blueprints for one of the most important inventions in steel production. Without it, the Industrial Revolution in his previous life''s timeline would have never transpired. It was known in his previous life as the "Bessemer Converter" or the "Bessemer Process." Through this process, one could manufacture 3-5 tons of steel in a matter of 20 minutes.


    The Bessemer process essentially functioned by removing impurities in the iron by oxidation. It utilized airflow through the molten material to achieve this. If one lined the interior of the converter with dolomite or limestone, they could produce a greater amount of g as the byproduct, which could be used as a cheap phosphate fertilizer. Thus this technology aided in not only industrialization but also agriculture.


    All of the machineponents could be manufactured by ate medieval society, and either horse or waterwheel could power it. Obviously, as technology advanced, he could improve it to be powered by steam engines. However, that was a distant dream; he needed an early model built for now. High-quality steel was currently a raremodity; with the introduction of the Bessemer process, he could achieve many things with it, the uses for high-quality steel were endless.


    Ultimately Berengar would require a st Furnace to convert iron ore into pig iron which was then converted into steel by the Bessemer process. Though in this day and age, the st Furnace should already be invented. He was certain a resource-rich region like Kufstein would already have one in its local town. If they didn''t, he would simply convince his father to build one alongside the Bessemer Converter. He developed a second set of blueprints for the st Furnace just in case there was not already one present in Kufstein.


    After finishing his blueprints and letting them dry, Berengar picked up the pieces of parchment and carefully held onto them as he approached his father''s study. The sun was just beginning to set as he knocked on the sturdy oak doors. Shortly afterward, he could hear the deep voice of his father''s reply.


    "Come in"


    Berengar took a deep breath and exhaled before entering his father''s study. Inside the room was arge desk where his father sat behind, going over paperwork. A small library within the room covered the walls, mostly filled with books of direct importance to managing the realm''s affairs.


    A small oilmp was lit and sat on the desk, illuminating the increasingly dim room, and more importantly, the parchment on which the Baron was writing upon. Sieghard did not even shift his nce to his son as he focused entirely on his paperwork.


    "This better be important..."


    Berengar cleared his throat and presented the documents to his father, which he had spent most of the afternoon drafting.


    "I''d like you to take a look at these. It is of dire importance to the production of steel within our realm."


    Sieghard paused as he heard his son''s request and ced his quill down upon the desk. He looked at his son with an interrogating gaze as if questioning whether his time would be wasted by looking over the documents. Nevertheless, he grabbed ahold of them and looked them over once or twice before cing them down and sighing.


    "What exactly am I looking at here?"


    Sieghard may have been an efficient statesman and a renowned warrior, but he did not mind engineering. As such, he needed an exnation for the blueprints.


    Berengar gulped down the saliva which had umted in his mouth and began to preach to his father about the beauty of this new invention.


    "Father, with this device, we will be capable of producing vast amounts of high-quality steel in a short period of 20 minutes. Not only that, but the byproduct of this device will be able to act as an efficient fertilizer to increase agricultural production."


    A look of shock appeared across Sieghard''s face as he went over the blueprints one more time. Though he did not fully understand what he was looking at, the prospects in which Berengar boasted about were simply too good to ignore. However, a sudden question appeared in his mind as he voiced his concern.


    "Where did you acquire this?"


    Berengar was expecting such a question, and as such, spun arge tale of how he encountered some traveling merchant from the far east, who had traded the blueprints with Berengar for a small fee. Though his father was skeptical of this im, he had heard the stories of how advanced the far eastern countries were and thus decided to act upon Berengar''s request.


    "Alright, tomorrow I will summon the best engineer in the region; if he can confirm that this technology is legitimate, then I will implement it as quickly as I am able."


    Berengar smiled and bowed to his father respectfully; truthfully, this had gone better than he had thought.


    "Thank you for listening to my request, father."


    With that said, Sieghard picked up his pen and returned to his paperwork


    "If that is all, then you are dismissed."


    Berengar bowed once more to the proud Baron before departing from his room with arge grin spread across his face. The introduction of the Bessemer process and the st Furnace were just the first phases of his ns for modernization. His next goal would be to implement the four-field system and basic irrigation. Something which he would not be able to exin by trading with merchants. Thus, he would have to take time to visit the fields and converse with the peasantry.


    Yet those were his ns for the near future; for now, he intended to rest, his body was aching from the intense exercise he had forced himself through this morning, and it would not get any easier going forward. After stopping by the kitchen for a brief snack, Berengar went back to his room to rest. Before he knew it, he had actually drifted deep into sleep, dreaming about his past and current life and the events that unfolded.

 Chapter 4: A New Day

    <h4>Chapter 4: A New Day</h4>


    The light of dawn shone down through the windows of the Castle''s living quarters and onto Berengar''s face. The moment the rays of the sunlight touched his face, he had awoken from his slumber. Sitting up while rubbing his shoulders, he yawned heavily, still tired from the previous day''s workout. In fact, most of his body was sore. Nevertheless, that did not deter him from what he needed to do.


    Berengar quickly got dressed into some simple loose-fitting clothes and began his daily exercise, whichsted for well over an hour. He was covered in sweat by the time he returned to the castle, and his entire muscr structure was aching. Only after bathing for half an hour did he feelfortable enough to begin today''s work.


    His new attitude had shocked not only his family but also the servants of the Castle. Waking up early, exercising, eating meat, and taking an interest in the realm''s affairs were all things that Berengar had rarely participated in. After his fever broke, he had be an entirely new person in the eyes of those who knew him.


    This perception might not be entirely false, considering there were two sets of memories contained within Berengar''s mind. Though he was unsure if he was still the same person he was before who had simply been enlightened by the memories and knowledge that Julian possessed, or if he was actually Julian inhabiting Berengar''s body.


    None of that truly mattered; after all, as he was concerned, his identity was that of Berengar von Kufstein, and he now had the potential to change his family''snd into an industrial empire with the memories he gained from his near-death experience. Though it would take arge degree of time and effort to achieve, he was now convinced that it was his destiny to lead the Barony of Kufstein into the industrial age.


    Truthfully as heir, he held little authority in the domain and could not keep lying to his father about where he came across such unique inventions; after all, the stubborn old man had not trusted his word and elected to search for an engineer who could verify the functionality of the designs. The man he was searching for had not arrived yet. Thus all Berengar could do was educate himself further on the matters of the realm.


    The young lord had elected to have his meal within the confines of the Castle''s library, where he went over important information regarding the history of the Barony''s finances. He was quickly dismayed by his findings. Despite being such a resource-rich region, the Barons of the von Kufstein family had failed to capitalize on it. He quietly shook his head as he closed the ledger and thought to himself.


    ''This is what happens when you leave a house of warriors to act as all-powerful administrators over a plot ofnd that is nearly 375 square miles in size and contains nearly 20,000 people.


    He knew that they were limited to medieval technology, but despite being a region notable for its iron reserves, they had barely invested in the mining of such a valuable resource. What little that was mined had been sold as ores torge cities throughout the kingdom. There were far better uses for such materials.


    The economyrgely relied on subsistence agriculture; it was well and truly a backward feudal state. Even the nearby town was nothing more than an agricultural vige with no substantial industry whatsoever. He was beginning to get a headache reading about how primitive his family''snds were.


    Just when he was about to curse aloud, he noticed his little sister Henrietta hiding behind one of the bookcases while staring at him from afar. He nearly let out a chuckle as he spotted the girl eying him like a scared rabbit. Evidently, the changes in her older brother''s behavior these past few days were frightening to the young girl. She was beginning to think he had been possessed.


    Taking a sip from his ss of water, Berengar never shifted his attention from the ledgers he was reading. When the young girl thought she was safe from being noticed, he let out a sigh


    "Henrietta, I know you''re there..."


    The young girl flinched upon hearing his words. She had been spotted by her older brother or the demon who had potentially taken his ce. Thus she panicked and scrambled out of the library without saying a word. Berengar chuckled to himself as he saw the girl fleeing the scene; he could only guess what hadpelled her to engage in this behavior. Nevertheless, now was not the time to concern himself with the trivial matters of children.


    He spent much of the day in the library studying everything from the realm''s financial affairs, agricultural and mining output, as well as powers of the region. As a low-ranking member of the nobility, there were powerful lords who ruled over his father. The von Kufsteins were direct vessels to the von Habsburgs who were the rulers of the Duchy of Austria, and the County of Tyrol.


    Evidently, his younger brother Lambert was engaged to one of the daughters from a branch of the Von Habsburg family, which was considered a great honor for the house of von Kufstein. Interestingly enough, despite being the older brother and a fully grown man Berengar remained unmarried and unbetrothed. Largely due to concerns over his health and whether or not he''d live long enough to father a child.


    Berengar didn''t mind such a fate; after all, in his previous life, he was a man who hadpletely and utterly failed to get a girlfriend well into histe twenties. Unless he made himself something of worth, he would fail to acquire a bride in this lifetime too. Though he was not concerned with such a possibility, his search for a bride would be much easier when he finally put on some muscle. By appearance alone, he was positive he could snag a beautiful bride, even if she was nothing but amoner.


    Although, he highly doubted his family would consent over such a union. After all, this was still the feudal age, and nobility did not marrymoners. Berengar set such matters aside for the time being. If he was to choose his own match, he would first need authority and physicality to back up his ims that he was now healthy. Both of which were a long way away from where he currently stood.


    After spending the better half of the day going over the Realm''s affairs, he noticed that the sun had already set and thus decided now would be a good time to inquire about his father''s findings on his designs. Surely he must have inquired to an engineer already. There should be at least one of them serving his father.


    The young lord ced the books back in their rightful ces and left the library, walking down the castle''s corridors until he reached the door to his father''s study. Before he could even knock on it, he could overhear an unpleasant conversation between three men��one of which he recognized to be his father.


    "I don''t care what fancy background Ser Ingbert has; I have been in the field of engineering for over thirty years, and I say the designs are brilliant! They will function exactly as your son has described my liege!"


    A scoff followed the Old Man''s im, followed by what sounded like a much younger voice "Sire, do not listen to this crotchety old man, he''s amoner. He does not have the education in which I have received. I assure you, these designs are nothing more than scribbles from a child who thinks he knows a thing or two about engineering."


    Berengar could already tell by that one statement that the man who had said such a thing about the Bessemer converter was a moron relying on a lofty background to obtain his position. Ultimately his father did not disappoint him; after hearing both of his engineers discuss the designs let out a long sigh before asserting his authority.


    "Ser Ingbert, you may leave us now. I have much to discuss with my head Engineer" Though Alex could not see it, he could guess the expression on the fool''s face right now and smiled with satisfaction. Suddenly, the door swung open, and he was face to face with the man known as Ser Ingbert.


    The man was in histe twenties and had light brown hair in the form of a ponytail with green eyes. He dressed in an overly embellished doublet signaling the wealth he possessed. He was exactly the kind of pampered twat Berengar had expected to see. After examing the ring on his finger, which disyed a boar''s head engraved upon it, Berengar could guess the identity of the man before him.


    The man''s name was Ingbert Heltzer, and he was the son of one of Sieghard''s knights. Just as Berengar had a guess, the man had achieved his position as one of his father''s engineers solely because of his background. Even by this world''s standards, Inberbert''s knowledge of engineering was a joke. A pampered noble like him had no need to pay attention to his studies well enough to bepetent in such a field.


    After seeing the young man, he had just passively ndered, Ingbert''s face turned sour. Thest thing he wanted was to see the Baron''s son standing outside the door, overhearing his discourteous remarks. Nevertheless, the damage had been done, and Berengar merely gazed upon Ingbert like he was looking at a fool.


    After Ingbert stormed off in a fit of rage, Berengar overheard his father''s authoritative voice from behind the door.


    "You may enter."


    Evidently, the old Baron had been aware of his son''s existence outside the study''s door the entire time. Now that Berengar had entered the study, he found himself being gazed at intensely by his father and an old man within histe fifties who he understood to be the head engineer of the Barony.


    With these two authorities staring him down, Berengar could not help but feel nervous as if he was about to be scolded...

 Chapter 5: a Prosperous Friendship is Born

    <h4>Chapter 5: a Prosperous Friendship is Born</h4>


    Berengar stood firmly in front of his father and the head engineer. The two stared at him intensely; their shape gaze could practically prate Berengar''s soul. Especially the shrewd eyes of the old engineer. It was as if his secret had been revealed by being inspected by those old discerning eyes.


    Finally, the tension was eased as a smile broke across the old Engineer''s face as he bowed respectfully to Berengar.


    "Milord, I am Ludwig, a humble servant of your family. Your father asked me here to verify the authenticity of these blueprints."


    Berengar nodded at Ludwig with a dignified visage


    "It is a pleasure to make your acquiantence, Ludwig. I have a feeling we will see a lot of each other very soon."


    though the message was cryptic, Ludwig took the statement as proof of his theory that the designs presented to him by the Baron were not from a merchant from the far east but rather drafted by the idle and infirm heir who was almost universally scorned throughout the court. It would appear the boy was more clever than he had initially estimated.


    Nevertheless, the sly old man did not let his inner thoughts appear upon his face, and instead, he merely graciously returned the young Lord''s words to him.


    "Likewise"


    Seeing that his son and Ludwig had be acquainted, Sieghard smiled; he had a feeling working with the stubborn old engineer would be of great benefit to Berengar''s development. Completely unaware that his son was the true designer of those blueprints. Sieghard decided he would allow the two of them to converse for some time without his presence. He found the subject of engineering to be dreadfully boring and usually just left such matters up to Ludwig to implement as he saw fit.


    "I''m quite busy with managing the realm; I suggest you answer Ludwig''s questions to the best of your abilities."


    Berengar nodded as he replied


    "Yes, father"


    Afterward, Sieghard led the two men out of the study and secluded himself inside. Once sitting at his desk, he opened apartment and took out a wineskin, and began to engage in the age-old tradition of drinking your stress away. After dealing with that fool Ingbert, he needed it.


    Outside the closed door of the study, Berengar found himself alone with Ludwig; as such, he suggested they find a better ce to discuss the important matters before them.


    "How about we go to the library? I will have some servants fetch us some food and wine; I promise to answer all the questions you have to the best of my ability."


    Ludwig nodded his head in approval of Berengar''s suggestion. The boy proved to be more thoughtful than he had given him credit for; he looked forward to inquire about the true origins of those designs.


    After reaching the library and secluding themselves within, they partook of food and wine and discussed trivial matters for the first half-hour. Only after they were sufficiently buzzed did Ludwig ask about his most pressing concern.


    "So tell me the truth, kid, where did those designs reallye from?"


    Berengar chuckled at the old man''s question; he had suspected that the old man had guessed the true nature of the origin of the blueprints.


    "I made them..."


    A serious expression appeared on Ludwig''s face, as Berengar had suspected; the old man was not the least bit surprised to hear it, nor did he find the idea preposterous. However, what came from Berengar''s lips next truly astounded him.


    "Though I surmise you already knew that..."


    Cunning... that was the only word Ludwig could use to describe Berengar at this moment. Was this truly the weak and petty heir everyone had known? Had the boy been hiding his real intelligence all along?


    After taking a long sip from his wine, the old engineer inquired further


    "Do you have any more brilliant designs?"


    Berengar tapped the lip of the chalice thrice and tilted his head to the side as he appeared to enter deep thought. After a moment had gone by, he responded honestly to Ludwig.


    "A few..."


    Ludwig nearly jumped out of his chair in excitement upon hearing the news, there was only one thing the old man truly enjoyed in life, and that was engineering. To think that the boy he and many others had cast aside believing him to be a weak and petty person was actually so brilliant.


    However, before he could get out of his chair, Berengar raised his hand, signaling him to stop.


    "I will give you the designs to implement in the future when they''re necessary. For now, we should focus on building the st furnace and the Bessemer converter."


    Ludwig was perplexed for a moment as to Berengar''s thinking before he realized the greatest concern. New designs were great in theory, but investing in them required significant financial support. Something in which the Barony of Kufsteinpletelycked at the moment. After calming down his heart, he sat back in his seat and put his hands together.


    "So, I assume you have a n?"


    Berengar took a sip from his chalice once more before a grin spread across his lips as he answered Ludwig''s question with one of his own.


    "How much do you think five tons of pure steel ingots are worth?"


    Though he could not do that calction off the top of his head, he knew it would be no small amount. One could even call it a small fortune. But that was just at first; the more steel they produced, the less valuable it would be over time. However, as his thoughts came to such a conclusion, he instantly knew what Berengar''s intent was.


    "You want to sell the first batch and use the profits to invest in mining?"


    The smile on Berengar''s lips continued to curl. Further, his assumptions about the man known as Ludwig were correct. Despite being born amoner, the man had a quick mind and a lifetime of experience in the rted fields to what Berengar wished to aplish. He would be a valuable ally to have in the future.


    "Precisely, once our mines are operating at full capacity, the raw materials thate out of the mountains will be used primarily for our own industrial purposes. Any surplus we may have will be turned into ingots and sold to the Empire for profit."


    Ludwig could not believe his ears; iron in and of itself was a valuable and raremodity that most regions were constantly in need of; steel was much more difficult to produce and was mostly used to craft weapons such as swords or in rare cases armor for the nobility. He could not imagine having a surplus of steel, especially after taking into ount their own needs.


    Nevertheless, Berengar''s ambitions were truly great; he intended to use his family''s resource-rich territory to spring his sphere of influence into an industrial age. All while making a profit from the scraps left behind by selling them at great cost to the Kingdom. It would take years, but he was positive he would see such an era in his lifetime and still have enough time to enjoy it.


    Though he did not reveal the entirety of his ns to Ludwig, as Berengar knew without seeing it for himself, the old man would never be able to dream of a world of industry. Instead, he reached out his arm in a friendly gesture to the old engineer and asked the question on his mind.


    "Will you help me bring this Barony into a new age of industry?"


    Ludwig could hardly believe his ears; the petty and weak lord he had always heard rumors about was asking amoner like himself for help in creating a steel production industry within his family''snd. Even though the boy''s father valued Ludwig''s opinion, the old man was still looked down upon for being a meremoner.


    Yet here, Berengar stood with his hand extended, asking, not ordering him to help him in his endeavors. The old man could not help but feel a small tear welling in his right eye. If only everyone knew how wrong they were about this young Lord. As such, he grasped ahold of Berengar''s hand and shook it firmly.


    "Aye, I could do that."


    With that, a prosperous friendship would be born between a young lord and an old engineer. A duo that together would bring many innovations in the following months, which would yield great prosperity and stability to an otherwise impoverished Barony within a Kingdom filled with turmoil.

 Chapter 6: A Seemingly Civil Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 6: A Seemingly Civil Discussion</h4>


    Within a fertile valley, surrounded by the Alps mountains, lies the inhabited region of the Barony of Kufstein. Arge tributary for the Danube river flowed through the valley, the crisp blue water providing life to all beings within the region. As the light of dawn shown upon the harmonious territory, the rooster''s cries awoken the peasant ss to the beginning of a long day of hard work.


    Though the nobility tended to sleep longer than themon folk in which they presided over, one young lord had risen simultaneously as the peasants to get in his morning exercise. If Berengar wished to ovee his natural infirmity, then he would have to work twice as hard as the average knight in terms of physical fitness, and so he did.


    The night prior, he had already discussed with Ludwig to construct a set of free weights and kettlebells to assist in his daily training. Ludwig was well respected within the local town and had contacts in every trade. Thus he did his new friend a favor and sent the designs to the local cksmith who would craft the exercise equipment at a fair price in which Ludwig was in charge of negotiating.


    Though the equipment had not been constructed yet, as the technology of this feudal world was still far from developed, it would only be a matter of time before Berengar could enhance his strength training further. Nevertheless, he still did all that he could manage with his limited resources.


    After another morning of hard training, Berengar found himself bathing again; his bathing habits were starting to provoke the servants'' curiosity within the Castle. He would bathe once in the morning after his exercise and once before going to sleep at night. He tried to persuade his family to adopt the practice, but they were stubborn people set in their old traditions. Though they would bathe rtively frequently for the time period, they still could not match Berengar''s borderline germophobic tendencies.


    Nevertheless, he hadmanded the entirety of the staff to wash their hands every time they used the restroom or engaged in any activity which might dirty one''s hands. He became known for especially scolding the cooking staff when he found their cleaning habits had not matched his desires. Though the Baron did not chastise Berengar for his behavior, he became concerned about the boy''s newfound habits.


    Henrietta was the only exception in the family; being the obedient little sister, she took up all of Berengar''s hygiene suggestions. She had even begun bathing right before she slept. This made Berengar exceptionally happy, as the likelihood of his little sister catching serious illness was significantly lower if she practiced proper hygiene.


    The more he thought about it, the more he knew he would have to construct public baths. It would take quite some time on his path of industrialization for the entirety of the popce within his family''s domain to be able to afford a private bath. Truly the ancient Romans were far ahead of the medieval period when it came to things like cleanliness.


    Afterpleting his first bath for the day, Berengar styled his hair to the best of his ability; he currentlycked the means to acquire pomade, which in his previous life he had made extensive use of to slick back his hair. He found it to be a dignified appearance, fitting an officer in the military and even better suited to a young lord. For now, he merely made it into a side part with his brush. The next time he visited the town, he would be sure to buy somerd which was the main ingredient for the construction of pomade.


    After styling his hair and dressing in a fashionable outfit currently in style, he set forth to the Dining Hall. Truthfully he preferred the fashion of the 16th century, especially that of the Tudors in Ennd. He would be sure to implement such culture in due time; for now, he would endure the dress of an early 15th-century German nobleman.


    After entering the Dining Hall, he noticed his family was all seated waiting for him; this had be a recent custom as Berengar usually spent quite some time enjoying the bath, a considerable time for a man with memories from 21st century America. Nevertheless, in this filthy era, he never felt morefortable than when he was bathing.


    After sitting down at the table and saying grace, he noticed that Lambert eyed him with malicious intent once more. It was subtle, and if not for two lifetimes'' worth of experience, Berengar would not be privy to such a gaze. Yet it was all too frequent of behavior for Lambert. He would speak gracefully with a smile on his face, all while having eyes filled with hatred and murderous intent.


    Berengar was starting to suspect that the frequency of his illness had something to do with Lambert. It was not umon for siblings to assassinate one another for the inheritance in a time like this. The more he examined Lambert''s behavior, the more he began to question his motives.


    Unfortunately for Berengar, he had been isted from the court and had no real friends among the nobility. Rather, they were all in Lambert''s corner. After all, until recently, Lambert had always been the shining star of the von Kufstein family; he was talented with the sword, rtively intelligent, and highly charismatic. Lambert even managed to win the heart of the Count of Tyrol''s eldest daughter and convince her father to approve of their engagement.


    Berengar could think of half a dozen nobles within the County of Tyrol who would side with Lambert if he requested their help in the assassination of his older brother. The more he thought about it, the more Berengar knew he would have to be careful in the future. He decided to spend some of his time establishing ties with the nobility of the region.


    However, his primary focus was winning the hearts of the people. He was confident that with his ns to advance agriculture and industry, the people would never want to see him reced as their sovereign. While the nobles looked down upon themon folk as if they were mere ves incapable of rising against their masters. Berengar had the memories of Julian, and the history of Julian''s timeline proved that the wrath of themon folk is something all Tyrants should fear. With the military innovations he would bring with his rise to power, the era of knights would be a thing of the past.


    Henrietta stared at Berengar with a hint of caution in her beautiful azure eyes. She was well aware her beloved older brother was acting strangely ever since his fever broke. She had even pondered the feasibility of possession, though he never acted malignantly; the sudden change in his personality had shocked her. Yet despite all of this, she still obeyed his every suggestion. If she were aware of Lambert''s attempt on Berengar''s life, she might murder the poor boy in his sleep. Luckily for the family, his treachery had not been revealed, nor was anyone but Berengar suspicious of Lambert''s behavior.


    As the family ate, Sieghard broke the silence; curious about Berengar''s conversation with Ludwig the night prior; he decided to inquire about it.


    "So Berengar, my boy, how did your discussion with Ludwig gost night?"


    Berengar gracefully ate the grilled fish before him; after wiping his mouth with his napkin, he looked over at his father with a dignified expression as he recounted the events of the night prior.


    "Rest assure, father, the project will break ground as soon as possible. Ludwig needs to gather the necessarybor toplete the task. I fully trust in his abilities."


    Sieghard sighed in relief before a satisfied expression spread across his visage. He was relieved that his son''s sudden change in behavior was not just a whim and was excited about the prospects of this new technology. The news aggrieved only one person within the room, and that was Lambert. The cunning youth quickly put on a mask of innocent confusion as he investigated the details.


    "Project? What project? Is something wonderful happening?"


    Everyone at the table had bought into the innocent facade of the scheming youth. Everyone except Berengar, that is, in his past life, had been cheated by too many frauds and had developed a sixth sense for detecting such falsehoods over time. Though Lambert was a good actor, it was not enough to trick Berengar''s discerning eye. This boy, who was not even sixteen, was truly devious.


    Sieghard was happy that his second son was also interested in the realm''s affairs and was more than happy to share the n to construct the improved st furnace and the Bessemer converter.


    "My son, your elder brother, had brought to my attention some interesting ns for developing the steel industry within our realm. With this new technology, we will be able to develop steel far more efficiently!"


    A look of pride was on Sieghard''s face as he revealed the n Berengar hade up with without a hint of discretion. Thoughmbert smiled at the news, he was internally furious.


    ''Just where did Berengare up with such technology? Why was I not informed of this? Damn it; I have serious ns for the iron ore within my mountains!''


    These were just a few of the thoughts that had crossed the youth''s mind as he stared down his elder brother, who had always been so foolhardy. Though what he did not expect was that Berengar returned his stare with narrowed eyes. The gaze was cold; though not murderous, it had a hint of savagery within it. The eyes of a man who was aware he had been plotted against and would surely return the favor at the first opportunity.


    The sight of which frightened Lambert terribly, these were not the eyes of the carefree and naive older brother he had grown up with. However, before he could investigate further, Berengar had finished his meal and stood up from the table; after wiping his mouth with his napkin, Berengar shifted his gaze from Lambert and put on an equally convincing facade to their father.


    "Father, may I be excused? I have urgent business to attend to with Ludwig."


    A gracious smile spread across Sieghard''s face as he had no idea of the rivalry that was brewing between his two sons.


    "Of course, my son, go. I wish you the best of luck with this endeavor."


    Berengar bowed before leaving the dining room, leaving Lambert and the family with various expressions. Lambert''s right hand, which wielded the dining knife, began to tremble as his mind could not unsee the narrowed eyes of Berengar, which appeared to have seen past his facade and peered deep into his soul. The trembling of his hand did not go unnoticed by the family as his mother, Gis, spoke up with a hint of concern on her face.


    "Lambert, your hand is shaking. Are you alright?"


    Lambert looked down at his hand and noticed it trembling for the first time; as he examined it, the cold sapphire eyes of Berengar once more entered his vision, and his hand instinctively dropped the knife. As he grabbed ahold of his hand to steady himself, he spoke up to assure his family.


    "I''m fine; I''m just feeling a little under the weather, is all. If you would excuse me, I think I''m going to go lie down for a bit."


    After being excused by his family, Lambert gracefully left the dining hall, though when he was no longer in sight, he frantically sprinted to his room andtched the door behind him. After entering therge stone room, he copsed against the door shielding his eyes with his hands muttering under his breath.


    "What devil has possessed my brother to make him aware of my schemes?"


    The trembling youth could not help but feel like his plot to assassinate his older brother had seeded and invited a demon into their midst.

 Chapter 7: A Passion for Engineering

    <h4>Chapter 7: A Passion for Engineering</h4>


    As Berengar left the dining room and his family behind before Lambert''s outburst, he could not witness the scene of his scheming brother scared to the bone. Instead, he had already headed to his room to draft new blueprints. He felt as if Ludwig could be trusted and willing to take the credit for the inventions if he asked. As such, he spent the next hour drafting ns for a Beehive Oven. Which was the best method currently avable for turning Coal into Coke. Something which would prove to be vital in the functioning of the st furnaces.


    After drafting the ns, he quickly left the Castle''s gates and entered the town below. The von Kufstein family''s Castle sat atop arge hill in the center of the town; it was a well-fortified castle that the family had upied for generations. They presided over the Barony with absolute authority. They answered only to their Lieges, the von Habsburgs, who ruled not only the County of Tyrol but also the Duchy of Austria.


    Though at this point, a cadet branch of the Habsburg family ruled over the County of Tyrol, where Innsbruck was their seat of power. The Count of Tyrol had agreed to Lambert''s proposal to marry his eldest daughter. Even Berengar was slightly envious of such a thing. Not only was she a gorgeous young woman who still had time to grow into her natural beauty, but she was also the Count''s daughter, a prestige many young noblemen sought after.


    Berengar had no idea what schemes Lambert had conspired to achieve such a thing. After all, it was unusual for a Count to marry off one of his daughters to a lower nobleman, let alone the second son of a lowly Baron. Nevertheless, the boy had achieved it; even Berengar had to give him props. Lambert was not even sixteen years old, yet he had conned a Count into pledging his daughter''s hand to him.


    Meanwhile, Berengar was single, without the slightest prospect of marriage in mind due to his feeble constitution. Though that would change soon enough, and maybe one day he too could marry a Count''s daughter. As soon as he thought up of such morous ideals, heughed aloud. What was he thinking? He had far more important matters to attend to. Realistically speaking, the likelihood of him pulling off such a thing would be slim, and he''d rather not bother with the politics of the nobility.


    If Berengar could bring prosperity and power to his family''snd through the might of industry and agriculture that was good enough for him, he truly did not care for thevish schemes of the upper nobility. His ambitions stopped at inheriting his birthright and bringing his family''s territory to a better age.


    With his knowledge of military tactics and advanced weaponry, he would be able to defend his borders from any threat, though conquering other regions was easier said than done, and he had no desire to wage wars for the rest of his life. For now, his ambitions had to wait; he had yet to gain any authority over the Barony of Kufstein, and as such, had to make do with what he was capable of.


    After arriving at the door to Ludwig''s shop, he could overhear the old man yelling at someone else within; this was not the first time he had overheard Ludwig''s temper, and if Berengar was guessing correctly, then the voice in which he was arguing with belonged to Ser Ingbert. Something which Berengar dreaded having to deal with. He was not a fan of pompous fools who overestimated their worth. Especially when the reasoning for their hubris was because of some noble title they inherited from their father. Though Ingbert could not directly offend Berengar, it did not prevent him from acting like a jerk to Ludwig.


    As the heated discussion reached a degree of incivility that Berengar could no longer tolerate, he threw open the doors to the shop, making his presence known to all inside. Before the two men could greet him, Berengar barked hismands at Ingbert.


    "Out!"


    A devilish smirk appeared across Ingbert''s face after mistaking Berengar''smand as if it were meant for the lowlymoner beside him.


    "You heard the Young Lord, leave us!"


    Berengar red at Ingbert coldly, he was a man with good control of his temper, but Ingbert''s incapability to read the room thoroughly agitated him.


    "I was referring to you!"


    The wicked smile on Ingbert''s face suddenly turned into a confused expression as he pointed to himself, asking for rification.


    "Me?"


    Berengar red fiercely at Ingbert in silence, as if the young Knight was trying his patience with every second he remained in the room. After a few moments of gawking at Berengar like an idiot, the young Knight finally understood what he had meant and bowed his head respectfully. Though his tone was pleasant, his eyes were furious; he had never been scolded in such a way before; he would remember this humiliation until his dying breath.


    After bowing to Berengar, Ingbert left the shop behind where Ludwig was by himself, scratching the back of his head.


    "You didn''t need to do that..."


    Berengar quickly approached the old man and pped him on the back


    "Nonsense, his presence would only hinder our ns. Besides, I have a new set of blueprints for you."


    Like a child at the candy store, Ludwig''s eyes glowed with excitement; he reached for the blueprints in Berengar''s hands but was taken aback when the young lord withdrew his hand out of reach.


    "Not so fast! I have one condition..."


    Ludwig frowned as he heard the young Lord''s words; for a second, he felt as if he were going to be cheated by Berengar, that is until he heard the condition.


    "I need you to take credit for its invention."


    Ludwig''s mouth nearly fell agape as he heard Berengar''s words; he had never expected the Baron''s son to request him to take the glory for inventing what he knew would most likely be a critical piece in the steel industry.


    After careful deliberation, Ludwig agreed; he did not need to know why Berengar shifted the invention into his hands. After all, it probably included some convoluted court schemes with which he wanted nothing to do with. If his fifty-seven years alive had taught him anything, it''s that it is best to avoid the affairs of noblemen.


    "Alright, that''s fine by me."


    Berengar smiled, partially because the man agreed to his request but also because he had not inquired why he wanted to shift the invention to Ludwig''s name. The man was much more intelligent than a fool like Ingbert would ever be.


    After handing over the blueprint to Ludwig, the man could no longer contain his excitement; a huge beaming smile spread across his face. Inside the blueprint was a series of notes about converting coal into coke and how coke was a more efficient fuel source for the st furnace than charcoal. Luckily for them, the mountains that surrounded the Barony of Kufstein were not just filled with iron but coal as well.


    "You are a genius milord!"


    Berengar smiled at Ludwig''s response. Though he was brilliant in his past life, he was far from what he would consider a genius, but here in this primitive world, he was most likely the most knowledgeable man on the. He was d to see someone appreciated his intellect.


    "So, how quickly can you put those three designs into production?"


    Ludwig scratched his beard at the question; he too desperately desired to make the blueprints into reality; after careful deliberation, he raised a single finger.


    "Give me a month, and I promise you that I will have at least one of each of these designs built within the town!"


    Berengar was pleased with the news; it was much quicker than he had anticipated. He was fairly certain by the look on the old man''s face that he would run himself ragged building these inventions. Nevertheless, Berengar did not stop him; he only left a few words of encouragement.


    "Make sure to take care of yourself; I will drop by every once in a while to check up on your progress. If you need any additional funding, just ask my father about it. I''m sure he will manage to find the funds needed to make this dream of ours a reality. After all, these designs greatly concern the matter of the realm''s future finances."


    Ludwig grinned and gave a thumbs-up to Berengar; he was happy to have a partner who understood his passion for engineering. Even his own son did not express the same degree of excitement for this project as Berengar did.


    "You can count on me, partner!"


    With that said, Berengar excused himself from Ludwig''s workshop. Now that the initial stage of the industry within his ns had been set on the right path, he would focus on expanding the agricultural capabilities of the Barony for the next month. Truly, a Lord''s work is never finished...

 Chapter 8: Four-Field System

    <h4>Chapter 8: Four-Field System</h4>


    After returning from Ludwig''s shop, Berengar spent the rest of his waking hours for the day perfecting agricultural designs. The first improvement he would have to make for the agricultural system of Kufstein would be the four-field System which was instrumental in sustaining arge poption.


    Currently, the three-field system was in use, which essentially operated as a form of crop rotation that left one field empty or fallow and used the other two fields to grow oats, beans, wheat, and rye. The four-field system was a huge advantage that led to the agricultural and industrial revolutions. If this world were left to its own devices, it would be centuries until they naturally developed such a crucial system.


    The four-field system was like it sounded; it had four fields divided into Legumes, Roots, Leafs, and fruit. This allowed for an increase in food production, due to the legumes and roots, the soil would maintain or increase its fertility over time. On top of all of these things, it also allowed for the continued growth of food stock for livestock, allowing them to be bred year-round, as certain roots like turnips and beats were notoriously hardy nts capable of being grown during the winter season.


    Berengar intended to fully implement the four-field system within the next month. Especially considering that after a month from now, he will have ess to a quality phosphate fertilizer which will only increase the yield of his crops. If all went as nned this year, they would be able to have ample food storage. Within a few years, the Barony of Kufstein might even be the breadbasket of Austria.


    After spending time drafting the ns for Agriculture, Berengar noticed that the sun had long since passed, it waste at night now, and it was just about time for him to take a bath and head to bed. After all, he had a lot of work that needed to be done tomorrow. However, just as he was about to ask the servants to prepare a bath for him, Berengar heard a slight knock on his door.


    Cautious that it might be another ploy from his brother Lambert, Berengar inquired about the individual''s identity before opening his door.


    "Who is it?"


    The response surprised him; it was a meek and feminine voice, one that still held the high-pitched tone of a child.


    "It''s me..."


    Berengar immediately recognized the voice to belong to his little sister Henrietta, who had only recently turned ten, thus advancing into the very beginning of adolescence. A warm smile spread across his face as Berengar approached the door and opened it. In the doorway stood a little girl dressed in an extravagant pink night gown and holding onto an old ragdoll that had been in her hands since birth. It was her favorite toy and also her best friend.


    Though the doll had aged poorly, the dress was of exquisite make, and Berengar immediately questioned how his family could afford such frivolities after having inspected the ledgers. It appeared his father was deeply concerned about appearances and wasted money on luxurious clothing.


    Nevertheless, Berengar looked at Henrietta with questionable eyes; it waste at night; she should already be asleep by now. Why was she at his doorway? His paranoia took hold, and he did not leave the room, merely peeking out of the narrowly opened door.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Henrietta held her doll tightly to her chest as a worrisome look spread across her doll-like face.


    "I can''t sleep. Can you tell me a story?"


    Berengar sighed, he had intended to take a bath and then get some sleep, but it appeared his little sister needed him. After all, he was grateful to have a little sister; in his previous life, Berengar or Julian as he was known then was an only child, so he desired to get along with his new siblings. However, Lambert had already made that an impossibility in his case. On the other hand, Henrietta was different; she appeared to have a good rtionship with Berengar. As such, he was more than happy to tell her a story.


    After walking out of the door, he began to take off in the direction of Henrietta''s room. However, he quickly noticed Henrietta had stayed behind in his doorway; confused about her actions, he immediately turned around and asked about it.


    "Henrietta, why are you still standing there?"


    The young girl stiffened up at her big brother''s response and peered down the long corridor with a petrified look on her face.


    "The hallways are scary at night..."


    After seeing her too scared to move, Berengar backtracked to her location and grabbed ahold of her small hand as he led the little girl to her room. Though he could not see it, the girl smiled as she walked down the hallway hand and hand with her big brother. She concluded then and there that she had been overthinking things. He was still the same kind and caring older brother she had always known.


    After arriving at her room, Berengar opened the door and walked the girl to her bed, where he picked her up and tucked her in. For a second, he forgot how frail his body was and struggled dearly to aplish the deed. After tucking the girl into her bed where she wasfortable, Berengar began to spin the tale of Leonidas and the three hundred Spartans who had protected Greece from a Persian Invasion at Thermopye Pass.


    Truthfully he did not know if that was historically urate in this world or not, but it did not matter. It was an interesting story of the heroism and bravery of man regardless of if it were true or not. Only after the girl had fallen asleep did he end his story. Seeing the girl fast asleep, he kissed her on the forehead.


    "Sweet dreams, my dear sister."


    After parting from her room, he immediately informed the servants to prepare a bath for him. After they had finished, he thoroughly enjoyed it before heading back to his quarters and sleeping himself. The night would go by peacefully, the sun would rise, and the rooster would crow awaking the peasant ss, as well as Berengar, who once more engaged in his daily exercise routine.


    After finishing his exercise and taking his morning bath, Berengar had breakfast with his family once more. After finishing his meal, he directly headed to town. He had two purposes in his visit today. One was to form a rtionship with the local farmers, and another was to buyrd and lots of it. He was going to invent pomade even if it killed him; he was sick and tired of parting his hair, he would rather slick it back like he used to do in his past life.


    After reaching the town, Berengar approached the nearest farm, where he saw a man in his thirties operating the plow as he began to make ready for nting. After all, it was early spring, and the time to begin nting had just begun. Berengar took notice of the man who was hard at work and decided to approach him.


    "Excuse me, what is your name?''


    The man saw that Berengar was speaking and looked around to see who he might be speaking to until he realized he was the only one in the vicinity. He carefully lifted a finger and pointed at himself with a jaw slightly ajar, gawking at Berengar as he could not fathom the Baron''s son speaking to a lowly peasant like him.


    "Yes you, how may I refer to you?"


    "Milord, my name is Gunther..."


    Berengar reflected upon the name for a moment and smiled at therge and burly man as heplimented him.


    "Gunther, a strong name, it surely suits you. I am Berengar; it is a pleasure to meet you!"


    Gunther could not believe his ears; the Baron''s son and heir said it was a pleasure to meet him, a lowly peasant? How could this be? He identally voiced his thoughts and immediately winced expecting retaliation.


    "A pleasure to meet me? How?"


    Berengar''s smile froze; he did not realize the peasant ss had so little sense of self-worth. He would clearly have to exin to the man how important his job is.


    "Of course it is a pleasure! I see a man desperately plowing the field in the dawn of spring. Working hard to ensure that the realm has enough food to eat, to survive the winter, and to prosper as a region. I can''t help but feel proud to meet a hardworking individual such as yourself."


    he was not lying; in his previous life, Berengar had seen too many ckers seed in life because of their connections, while hard-working men lived a life of poverty and daily struggle. He could not help but admire a hard-working andpetent man who provided for his family, despite the horrible conditions a medieval peasant endured, which would drive a modern man to suicide.


    After hearing the young lord''s kind words, Gunther was truly shocked; the man''s reputation was well known throughout these parts, even by the peasant ss. Despite this, when meeting him for the first time, Berengar was nothing like what Gunther had expected him to be.


    Berengar could see that Gunther was amazed by his behavior. Thus, he shifted the direction of the conversation in his favor.


    "Tell me, Gunther, have you ever thought of using four fields instead of three?"


    Gunther nearly scoffed at the young lord''s remark, he may be the baron''s son, but he knows nothing of agriculture, something Gunther and his family had been doing for centuries.


    "Milord, with all due respect, if we were to use four fields, then the soil would erode and eventually be useless."


    A smirk appeared on Berengar''s face. This wasn''t just a farmer who learned what his forefather''s taught and did not understand the underlying principles of why it was so. At least in terms of his profession, this was an educated farmer someone who clearly understood why one should not do as Berengar had suggested.


    "If I were to tell you that if you created a four-field rotation separated into the category wheat, turnips, barley, and clover. Would it not solve such a problem."


    He was testing Gunther''s knowledge of his craft; after all, Berengar had no use for fools who did what they were told because that was the tradition. He needed thinkers, men who could grasp ahold of new technologies and implement them on his behalf. Defying all odds, the first farmer he came across was such a man.


    Gunther''s eyes lit up; it was already well known that legumes could enhance the soil of the fields they were nted in. Thus they were already used in the three-field system. However, the more he thought about Berengar''s words, the more he realized the young lord was correct. If they used these four crops as the staple of their agricultural system, they would be able to maintain or possibly increase the fertility of the soil while growing food year-round and sustaining the breeding of livestock throughout the year.


    The poor farmer gazed at Berengar with a new sense of admiration; however, what Berengar said next shocked the man to the core.


    "I see you approve, thene, let us introduce this innovation together."


    Afterward, Berengar dismounted from his horse, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up a hoe where he stood aside Gunther and worked alongside a lowly peasant to introduce the agricultural innovation that would bring the Barony of Kufstein into an agricultural revolution.


    Despite his natural infirmity, he helped plow and seed the field throughout the entire day alongside the poor farmer; by the end of the hard day''s worth ofbor, the four-field system was implemented on this single farm, and Berengar was exhausted beyond his limits. Yet, he was satisfied on a deeply personal level. The life of a pampered noble was ill-suited for a man such as himself. Gunther stared at the young lord in disbelief; nobody in the entire vige, not even his wife nor his kids, would believe he had just plowed and seeded a field alongside the Baron''s son and heir. Thus an unlikely friendship between a lowly peasant farmer and a young lord was born. One which wouldst a lifetime.

 Chapter 9: a Fair Days Wage for a Fair Days Work.

    <h4>Chapter 9: a Fair Day''s Wage for a Fair Day''s Work.</h4>


    After a hard day''s work, Berengar sat down next to the poor farmer known as Gunther and shared a wineskin with the man as he wiped away the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his luxurious doublet. As the two rehydrated, Berengar suddenly remembered his most important reason for entering the fields. As important as advancing the agricultural technology of his family''snd was, there was one matter that truly kept him awake at night.


    "Hey Gunther, do you have about a pound of Lard I may purchase from you?"


    That''s right, Lard! No matter how important advancing the agricultural system of his family''snd was, it was a process that would take many years, possibly even decades, to fulfill truly. Right now, he desperately neededrd to create pomade so he could get his appearance the way he desired. I mean, sure, his family probably hadrd in its kitchen, but the cooks were awfully stingy about the resources he could take out on a whim. If he kept stockpilingrd sooner orter, he would have to exin to his father that he was using it to create a primitive hair gel.


    Only once did he use the greasy residue from his natural grime to fix his hair, and he immediately regretted it; the entire day, he felt grossed out knowing that the sweat and dirt produced by his body were used to style his hair; it was simply unsanitary! After the first day of his transmigration, he opted never to resort to such filthy habits ever again. Thus he had been parting his hair ever since and felt it did not fit of this handsome face he had acquired.


    Gunther had a hard time believing this young lord''s behavior; even now, after helping a lowly peasant like himself plow and seed his fields for the entire day, the Baron''s son was asking to purchaserd off of him instead of outright confiscating it.


    "Milord, all of thisnd belongs to your family; everything I produce belongs to ..."


    Before Gunther could finish his thought, Berengar raised a hand and cut him off. With a dignified expression, Berengar smiled at Gunther and preached his ideology.


    "I''m a strong believer of the saying a fair day''s wage for a fair day''s work. You tell me what you think therd you have put so much effort into producing is worth, and I will pay it."


    Gunther stared at Berengar with an astonished look; he had never met such an enlightened noble before, yet what Berengar said next was like a dreame true for a lowly peasant such as himself.


    "One day, when I rule over thesends, I will pay every man the worth of theirbor, regardless of the ss they were born into."


    A small tear formed in Gunther''s eyes as he heard the pleasant words of Berengar; if this were an ordinary nobleman, he would never believe such an outrageous statement. Yet, Berengar, a man with obvious physical frailty and of noble birth, had stood side by side with him, helping him plow and seed his fields so that together they could introduce a new system of crop rotation. The noble scion did it without demanding for anything in return."


    After considering Berengar''s offer for quite some time raised three of his fingers.


    "Three pfennigs"


    Berengar thought it was a fair price as such, he reached into his doublet and pulled out a small satchel which contained a pouch of small white coins; he pinched three of the small coins with his fingers and pulled them out of the satchel, handing them over to Gunther with a smile on his face.


    Gunther, on the other hand, was staring madly at the three white coins. When he was said "three pfennigs," he referred to the copper pfennigs, not the white ones, which contained at least 50% silver within the metallic mix. These were worth far more than he had asked for.


    After gaping at Berengar like an idiot for a few moments, he finally recovered from his daze and handed them back to the young lord.


    "Milord, when I said three pfennigs, I was referring to the copper ones, not the white ones."


    Berengar looked at Gunther with a look of confusion on his face; in his entire memories, the young nobleman had only ever encountered the white pfennigs. He was entirely unaware that a separate currency with the same name existed and was worth far less.


    After hearing such a thing existed, Berengar couldn''t help but feel disgruntled. He could not believe the currency used in this society was primitive. He would investigate this at once and develop a n to rehash the currency used in this feudal society. He swore even if he had to create his own currency, he would fix this backward system that Kufstein currently used.


    Luckily for him, this would be within his power as the Baron of Kufstein when he seeded his father. Much like during the timeline of his previous life, sometime during the 12th century, the German King was no longer able to enforce the regalia of minting coins. Thus the minting process fell to the authority of every local town and lord. The value of a coin from one barony could be worth more or less than the value from another.


    It was truly a maddening system. However, if you thought the Kingdom of Germany was a mess, then the Holy Roman Empire as a whole was far worse; there was no uniform currency throughout the entirety of its territory. While the Kingdom of Germany and its domains used the pfennig, or penny as it would be tranted to in modern English as the mostmon currency, the same could not be said about the other Kingdoms the Empireprised of.


    Though he may be a baron, at the very least, he could simplify the coinage minted in his territory when he came to power. However, for now, he had to endure the stupidity of such a foolish system. After thinking it through, Berengar folded Gunther''s hand, which currently held the three pfennigs, and smiled.


    "Three pfennigs is three pfennigs as far as I''m concerned. When Ie to power, I will mint new currency; made of solid gold and silver so that its value is absolute."


    It did not take Berengar long toe up with a new system; after all, he had the memories of his past life, and eventually, Germany got its act together and minted pfennigs and marks. Marks were made out of gold, while pfennigs were made out of various materials and eventually lost their value almost entirely.


    However, he would not be foolish enough topromise the integrity of his coinage; as such, he vowed to make all pfennigs made out of silver and all marks made out of gold. In a time like this, with such a small poption, such a currency system would work well domestically and in trade with other regions.


    Gunther eventually came to ept the excessive price and delivered therd in a ceramic jar to Berengar. He couldn''t help but be curious about why Berengar needed a pound ofrd when his family''s kitchen would be filled with it. Once again, Gunther voiced his thoughts aloud, though this time, when he realized what he had done, he only slightly flinched as he was aware of Berengar''s character at this point. After his instinct took hold, he could hear Berenger chuckle at him.


    "You will know when you next see me."


    With that, Berengar ced the jar in one of his horse''s saddlebags and hopped upon it as he waved goodbye to Gunther.


    "I will see you again soon, my friend, but for now, I need to retire for the evening."


    After which, Berengar pped his spurs against the exquisite destrier''s torso and rode off towards the Castle''s gates. By the time he arrived at the gates, the beautiful orange sunset which filled the sky had already begun to fade, along with the light of day. His first order of business was to take a bath as quickly as possible. However, upon entrance, he was immediately greeted by his little sister Henrietta who jumped into his arms and wiped her face against his sweaty torso. A smudge of dirt and grime appeared on the young girl''s face as she looked up to her brother in his arms, pouting as she did so.


    "You''rete... and dirty,"


    she said coldly as she stared daggers at Berengar. It was unlike him toe home sote; not only did he rarely leave the Castel''s walls, but he had never returned in such a pitiful condition before. She could only imagine what trouble he had gotten himself into.


    Berengarughed as he petted the young girl''s head


    "I appreciate you are worrying about me, but I''m fine. I just had some business to take care of.


    Henrietta looked at what Berengar was holding, and her eyes filled with curiosity.


    "What''s that,"


    she eximed as she pointed at the ceramic jar in his hands. Berengar was more than happy to answer his curious little sister


    "Lard"


    The young girl touched her lips with her finger with a questioning gaze; she had not heard the word before and was curious what it meant.


    "Lard?"


    Berengar smirked with a devilish grin; he decided to tease the little loli


    "Pig Fat"


    Immediately Henrietta''s cute face scrunched up as she backed away from her brother with an abhorrent expression.


    "Ew!"


    she cried as she ran away from her precious big brother; as she ran away, Berengarughed to the point where he nearly fell on his knees. The little girl''s expression was just too cute. Suddenly he remembered her face had a smudge of dirt on it, and he hollered at his sister from across the hall


    "Henrietta, take a bath. You''ve got dirt on your face!"


    Thus Berengar had to wait a bit longer for his nightly bath. After all, he was fine with letting his darling little sister take a bath first. As he walked back to his room, he could not help but feel a watchful gaze set upon him. He was certain he was being spied upon but refused to reveal it as that would only cause more trouble. As such, Berengar walked back to his room in an inconspicuous manner, never alerting the spy that he was aware of the presence.


    After reaching the sanctuary of his room, Berengar let out a deep sigh of relief; he would have to be more cautious going forward. It would appear Lambert had set spies upon him to watch his actions. It would not be long before that little bastard attempted to assassinate him again. Berengar refused to die so quickly after being reincarnated. If Lambert wanted to unleash spies upon him, that was fine; two could y that game. Slowly but surely, Berengar was winning the hearts of themon folk, and they were the greatest potential spy force in the world. After all, not a single noble would expect the peasantry to report their activities to someone else.


    Shortly after the event, Berengar took his nightly bath and once more tucked in Henrietta, who was now as clean as a whistle. After telling her a story about the heroes from the history of his previous life, he went back to his own bedroom, where he locked the door behind him andtched the windows. However, he decided to leave the curtains open, which allowed the light of the full moon to shine upon his sleeping body like a guardian angel watching over him.

 Chapter 10: A Verbal Thrashing

    <h4>Chapter 10: A Verbal Thrashing</h4>


    As the light of dawn shone upon Berengar''s regal face, he awoke peacefully. Though his body was sore all over from his previous day''s activities, he still managed to drag himself out of bed. If he kept pushing himself like this, his body might give out on him before he can cure himself of his natural infirmity. Thus he decided to take a day off from excessive exercise. Instead, he spent the early morning converting the jar ofrd he received from Gunther into the pomade he had so dearly desired.


    Using a homemade recipe, which he utilized extensively in his previous life, Berengar had finally seeded in his endeavor. His next course of action was taking his morning bath which was a bit earlier than usual. Afterward, he ced his fingers into the wax-like substance and slicked his hair back with it. After carefully styling his hair, he gazed at himself in the bathroom mirror. Aside from his thin and frail body, he looked very majestic with the new hairstyle.


    His previous attempt using grease residue from the bath to style his hair ended disastrously; it smelled bad, it kept falling out of ce, and it did not meet Berengar''s excessive conditions in the slightest. However, after sessfully inventing pomade, his already exquisite appearance improved further. He was amazed at how much better-looking his current body was than in his previous life. The Golden-Blonde hair, which now shimmered in the light of dawn, the deep sapphire eyes, which appeared as if they had been chiseled out of gemstone, and the milky white skin which every girl dreamed of havingbined perfectly into a princely appearance suiting his noble heritage.


    The only advantage his previous appearance had over his current one was that it had a strong and fit body. However, these things could naturally be improved over time, and he was in no hurry to impress the women of this era. He had many things to aplish before even thinking of getting married, besides the only members of the opposite sex he was remotely close to were his little sister and his mother, at the very least, he would have to be introduced to a proper woman before he could even attempt to woo her.


    After styling his appearance and gazing at himself in the mirror, Berengar had taken the time to get dressed in an opulent ck doublet, with gilded lining, as well as an equally luxurious set of hose, and a pair of ck leather shoes. He sighed heavily as he looked at himself in the mirror onest time; his family truly wasted too much money on maintaining appearances.


    After donning his attire, he left the bath and instinctively headed to the dining room. He was quite early by the standards of his recent routine; as such, he caught his family off guard when he arrived at the dining room, where they were all seated, having a polite conversation as they waited for him to arrive.


    Upon entering the dining room, his family nced over at him with shocked expressions; they were not expecting him to have such a refined appearance. Even Lambert gazed upon Berengar with envy. Sometimes it took a change in hairstyle to reveal the full potential of one''s appearance. Henrietta blushed at her brother''s striking demeanor and looked away; even his mother, Gis''s mouth, hung agape, which she quickly covered with her hand. Sieghard looked upon his son and heir with a gaze of fatherly approval. Finally, the boy he had raised appreciated his taste of the finer things in life. However, he wondered how the little bugger had managed to style his hair in such an imposing manner.


    Seeing his family''s odd expressions, Berengar touched his face with his right hand.


    "What is it? Do I have something on my face?"


    In unison, his family members shook their heads in silence, with various emotions in their awkward gazes. After confirming his appearance was tidy, Berengar sat down at the table across from Lambert and lifted his hands as he prepared for the morning grace. However, his family was too busy examining the change in appearance to notice his posture.


    After a few moments of silence, Berengar looked up at his father


    "Father? Do you not wish to say grace this morning?"


    Having the memories of Julian, Berengar was now a closet atheist. Nevertheless, he still put on the appearance of a devout Catholic because he knew the consequences a man of science would endure in this primitive era. It would take decades, but maybe he could usher in the scientific revolution a bit earlier than in his own timeline if he worked hard at it.


    After snapping out of their trance, his father began to speak his prayer as the family listened. Afterward, the family began to dig into their meal. While cutting apart his pork sausage with his utensils, Berengar overheard Lambert reporting his previous day''s activities to their father.


    "Father, did you know that Berengar spent the whole day plowing the fields with a peasant yesterday?"


    Their father, who was just about to bite into his sausage, gazed over at Berengar with a confused look on his face.


    "You plowed a field?"


    Berengar would not resort to disparaging the friend he had made the previous day to save face among the nobility; as such, he had no shame in his voice as he admitted to his day''s venture.


    "Yes, father, I suppose that''s why I took the day off from my morning exercise; overexerting oneself will have negative effects on the body."


    This confused his father further; why would he take time out of his exercise schedule to plow a field? He could not help but inquire about the details.


    "Any reason in particr?"


    Lambert sneered at Berengar as if he had caused a loss of favor for Berengar with their father. However, the words that came next astounded him.


    "Well, you see, father, I had this brilliant idea about improving crop rotation, however as you know, I am not a farmer, so I sought out a professional''s opinion on my theory. The man turned out to know his craft quite well, and as we got to discuss the feasibility of it, we decided to try it out; and I am a man who leads by example, so I picked up a plow and got to work."''


    Lambert scoffed at this response; how could Berengar develop a new innovation for agriculture all on his lonesome? Clearly, this was a facade his older brother was putting on to turn the situation to his advantage. As such, Lambert immediately questioned Berengar about his so-called innovation. He would catch his older brother in his lie and reveal to everyone that Berengar was a fraud. A wicked sneer curved upon Lambert''s lips as he thought to himself.


    ''Older brother, you are still too naive to y these games with me.''


    After which he voiced his concerns aloud


    "You say you invented an innovation of crop rotation, and what might that be?"


    Berengar stared at Lambert coldly once again, which instinctively caused the teenage boy to shiver. After staring him down, Berengar scoffed at the impertinence of his little brother''s statement.


    "Even if I described it to you in vast detail, you would not be able toprehend it. You do not have a mind for agriculture, little brother."


    Lambert was infuriated by this response; he had not expected his older brother to attack his weak point. It was true that Lambert did not know the first thing about agriculture, nor did he understand engineering. He had only ever heard the phrase crop rotation before; he hadn''t the slightest clue how it functioned. That was not the responsibility of a noble scion like himself.


    Before he could respond to Berengar''s allegations, Berengar had already seized the initiative and addressed their father with a tone of great respect.


    "Father, if you wish to know the details, I won''t hide anything from you, but I fear it might be a waste of our time together as a family, as I''m certain I would only bore the children with the intricate details of crop rotation."


    Lambert was furious at this point. Did Berengar seriously ce him in the same category as Henrietta? As if he was some small child? He was only a few months away from his 16th birthday, which would make him a man in the eyes of God and men. Despite his internal protests, the boy still did not manage to get a word out, as their father, Sieghard, agreed with Berengar''s terms.


    "You''re right, Berengar; there are more important matters to discuss as a family right now; For example, How did you manage to get your hair to look like that?"


    Lambert, who at that moment had stuffed his mouth with a slice of sausage, nearly choked upon it after hearing his father''s words. Berengar was also surprised at his father''s words. The old Baron truly did have a fascination with fashion. Though quickly, a light shed in Berengar''s eyes as he thought of this as an opportunity to coerce his father into engaging in proper hygiene.


    "I''m afraid it won''t work for you, father..."


    Sieghard could practically feel his heartbreak as he heard such words. He could not exin why, but after gazing at his son''s dignified appearance that was better suited to royalty, he needed to know how to make himself look so majestic. Of course, he unwittingly fell into Berengar''s trap.


    "Why not?"


    a sound of panic had entered Sieghard''s voice as he practically stood up from the head of the table after hearing such dire news. Berengar, on the other hand, had to prevent himself from smiling; sometimes, it was too easy to manipte his father into doing his bidding.


    "Because you don''t bathe frequently enough."


    After hearing Berengar''s words, hope surged in the old Baron''s heart. If that were the only problem, then he would bathe just as much as his son if he had to. He didn''t care if people made fun of him for doing so as long as he could have the glistening golden hair of his son. Realizing that his father had thoroughly grabbed onto the bait, Berengar decided to set the hook in and reel in the catch.


    "The product I invented to style my hair this way only works on clean hair, though I promise you even if you work up a sweat, with this solution, your hair will stay intact like mine. Though, you do need to clean it off again at night."


    This wasplete and utter bullshit, but if it meant he could improve the hygiene of another member of his family, so be it. A little white lie like this never hurt anyone. By the time the breakfast had been finished, his entire family, except for Lambert, were convinced of the values of proper hygiene. The Baron had begun to draft ns for the entire servant staff to wash their hands throughout the day regrly. Berengar left the dining room with a giant smile on his face; he was one step closer to introducing a sense of modern hygiene to his family''snds.


    Hopefully, this clean lifestyle would catch on soon enough; he could not help but fear an epidemic breaking out because people were uneducated about disease and filth. For the time being, this was sufficient; after all, the people he regrly contacted would be forced to practice some degree of basic hygiene. His next stop was to visit Gunther; as a member of the peasant ss, the man was instrumental in Berengar''s ns to implement the four-field system across all farms within the Barony of Kufstein.

 Chapter 11: An Unwanted Betrothal

    <h4>Chapter 11: An Unwanted Betrothal</h4>


    Berengar was just about to step out of the Castle when he heard his father''s voice calling out for him.


    "Berengar, do you mind speaking with me in the study real quick?"


    Berengar let out a deep sigh. Apparently, his ns to visit Gunther and use his connections to implement the four-field system would have to wait. Steadily, Berengar strode into his father''s study. As he sat down in the chair in front of his father''s desk, he could see his father staring at him with a curious gaze.


    Berengar knew that look all too well it, however before he could protest, Sieghard let out a heavy sigh much like his own son had done not two minutes prior.


    "Berengar, my son, you''re twenty years old and still unmarried. I understand your reasons; however, a healthy glow returns to your skin with each passing day. It appears that whatever you''ve been doing has been good for your well-being. Now that your childhood infirmity seems to be passing, it''s time to think about finding a wife."


    Berengar repeatedly tapped the armrest on his chair while resting his face on his right fist, a habit which he had developed in his previous life whenever he was sitting down. During these moments, the only sound that could be heard was the clunk of the wooden armrest whenever a finger would strike upon it.


    Within Berengar''s mind, he attempted to find a way to prolong this discussion. He was not ready to be married yet. After all, he had so much work that needed to be done, and courting a woman would take up much of his time that was currently needed elsewhere. However, he could not tell his father such things, seeing as how the young lord''s ambitions were on the borderline of infringing upon his Father''s rights as Baron.


    His father might have a penchant for fashion and luxury, but he was no fool. He could tell Berengar had lofty ns for the realm, but Berengar was still a young man; he would have plenty of time to enact such policies when he inherited the position of Baron. For now, he should find himself a bride and have children, thus continuing the family line.


    Fundamentally Berengar had a 21st-century mindset for this kind of stuff. His n was to get married in his thirties to a beautiful woman ten years younger than himself after he had made a fortune by beginning the industrialization of his family''snd. However, in his estimation, this would take many years to aplish fully.


    One of his biggest concerns was that despite the vast resource-richnds his family held, the poption was sparse, uneducated, and mostly unskilled, seeing as how an overwhelming majority of them were working in the fields. For the time being, he could not take charge of the family''s finances without his father''s approval; as such, he could not implement policies that required substantial investment like public education, which would be vital in creating a new generation of skilledborers in a variety of fields which was truly necessary for an industrial society to thrive.


    Despite being deep in thought, Berengar needed to answer his father. The man was growing impatient, especially since the only thing the old baron could hear for thest few moments was the tapping noise produced by Berengar''s fingers repeatedly pouncing upon the wooden armrest of his chair.


    Just when Sieghard was about to scold Berengar, the young lord sighed as he sounded dejected at his father''s request.


    "Who do you have in mind?"


    A small smile spread across Sieghard''s lips as he gazed upon his son; the boy was finally growing up.


    "You remember your cousin Ad, right? My sister''s third daughter and the daughter of the Count of Steiermark."


    Berengar was revolted at the thought of marrying his cousin. He had nearly forgotten that it was a fairlymon practice in the Medieval period for nobles to marry off their sons and daughters to their siblings'' children. Nevertheless, he kept a straight face as he showed respect to his father''s wishes.


    "Little Ad? I haven''t seen her in ages; how old is she now, thirteen?"


    Sieghard nodded at his son with a smile on his face.


    "She will be turning thirteen this year. I hear she''s blossoming into a stunning young woman."


    Berengar tried not to frown; he had expected an age gap, but this was far too young for him to feelfortable courting; though it may be slightly more normal in these times, his 21st-century mindset made him feel like a groomer just thinking about it. Nevertheless, the more he thought about it, the more the idea appealed to him. Not because he was attracted to his twelve-year-old cousin, but this gave him roughly four years to set his ns into motion before he was married. At most, they''d be engaged in name only, and he could probably find some way to weasel his way out of the betrothal before the girl turned sixteen and he was forced to go through with the act.


    Berengar began to tap his chair once more as he thought about the monumental decision that would affect his entire life. After another few moments, he broke the silence between the two.


    "I would have to meet her first and see what kind of young woman she has be..."


    His father was pleased, though slightly disappointed. He did not fully manage to convince his son to ept the betrothal upon request, but Berengar didn''t fully decline it either. Maybe there was some hope for the young man after all.


    After nodding his head in approval, Sieghard got up from his chair and walked Berengar to the door.


    "I will send a letter to your uncle informing him of your request; you should expect a response within a fortnight."


    Berengar nodded; at the very least, this potential betrothal would buy him some time which he desperately needed. He probably would not appear before the girl for another three months. By that time, there should be some significant gains in his muscle mass, and his appearance would improve greatly. He would feel embarrassed trying to court a girl in his current borderline emaciated form.


    "I''ll leave it up to you, father."


    After getting that business out of the way, Berengar was finally able to leave the Castle and meet up with Gunther to see how he and thend he worked was doing. Gunther had been hard at work, not only tending to the fields but spreading the idea of the four-field system to the other farmers. It had only been a day, but he sessfully managed to convince three of his friends to implement such a system on the fields they tended to. It would appear Berengar did not have much to do in regards to spreading the system. Gunther was well connected with many of the peasant farmers within the Barony of Kufstein.


    All Berengar had to do was sit back and let hispetent underlings spread the industrial and agricultural innovations that he had already set in motion. For the remaining month, he would spend his time and energy increasing his fitness and building rtions with the locals.


    For the remainder of the evening, he would return to the castle, take a bath, and get a good night''s rest. That was the n, of course, but just like the day prior, the moment he entered the Castle''s gates, Henrietta ran up and hugged him, inquiring about his whereabouts.


    "Big brother, where did you run off to this time?"


    A worried expression settled onto the little loli''s face. Berengar could not help but smile at her cuteness and patted her head.


    "I was just visiting the town and getting to know the locals; it''s a Lord''s job to understand the conditions of his people."


    The little girl smiled as she felt her head patted and eventually let go of her hold over her brother.


    "You''re finally in time for dinner! Let''s go eat!"


    She said as he pranced off in the direction of the dining room. Berengar followed after her; as he did so, he noticed the same strange presence he felt the night before. Lambert''s spies were getting sloppier. Just like the prior night, Berengar ignored it and continued to the dining room. Still, he kept a keen eye on the area he suspected the spy to be hiding. He did not want to receive a bolt in the back while he was not paying attention.


    After reaching the dining room with his little sister, Berengar noticed his family already seated. They had not expected him toe home so soon after all his daily routine as of thest few days kept him busy during this hour. Nevertheless, he had arrived on time for once, his mother and father were pleased to see him, but Lambert was clearly not. After sitting at the seat across from Lambert, Berengar gazed at him briefly with an indifferent expression before returning his gaze to the te in front of him. When he suddenly heard his mother''s loving voice call out to him.


    "So, my son, I hear you are finally betrothed?"


    Berengar nearly choked on his food when he heard those words; he looked up to his mother with a shocked expression on his face. It had been merely a few hours since he discussed this with his father, and he had not fully epted the betrothal. How did it suddenly turn into a done deal? Was this a setup from his father all along? Had the old man already negotiated the betrothal by the time they had the discussion?


    Henrietta dropped her fork when she heard those words and looked at Berengar with shock. Her big brother was getting married? She had never even thought of it as possible since he was so much older and still single. Though she was very intimate with her big brother, she by no means had any unhealthy ideas towards him; if anything, she was happy that there was finally someone he could spend the rest of his life with. After the shock vanished, she smiled at Berengar and immediately asked him all kinds of questions.


    "Who is it?"


    "Is she pretty?"


    "Do I know her?"


    Henrietta sent a barrage of questions towards Berengar while still trying toprehend what had transpired behind the scenes. Lambert was equally stunned; he did not believe a single nobleman within the region was remotely interested in setting up an engagement with Berengar. Hell, he had gone through great lengths to prevent it; just who was acting without his knowledge, or the knowledge of the Count of Tyrol for that matter! The boy could not believe somebody within the County of Tyrol would risk angering the Count. After all, the two had been plotting together against Berengar for some time. He never expected a Count of another region to personally arrange a betrothal with the wastrel that was his older brother.


    Berengar, finally snapping out of his shock, red at his father menacingly, his fists curling up as he struggled to contain the urge to strike the old Baron for plotting against him. Nevertheless, he was in no position to do so and calmed himself down, gritting his teeth as he chastised his father for his actions.


    "Father! What did you do!?!"


    Sieghard stared down his errant son; for too long, he had enabled this boy''s idle behavior, the fact that he showed interest in the proposed marriage was good enough reason for him to ept it. He knew in his heart that sooner orter, the boy would ept the proposal, so why would he bother wasting time with an introduction between the two cousins.


    "You seemed interested, so I expedited the process by epting the Count''s terms."


    Berengar was furious, so there really had been terms alreadyid out, and his father gauged Berengar''s level of interest on whether or not he should ept. Berengar was interested, but not for the reasons his father believed. He wanted to meet the girl to know for sure whether or not his ns could seed. It was toote now, he was already betrothed, and there was nothing he could do about it. No longer in the mood to eat, Berengar ripped the napkin off his doublet and tossed it aside as he stormed out of the dining hall. He was no longer in the mood to dine with his family.


    After finishing his bath, he returned to his room, where he fell asleep. He would no longer dwell on things that were out of his control; for now, he had to focus his efforts on getting stronger. It would only take a month or so before his innovations were fully adopted and in ce within the Barony of Kufstein.


    On the other side of the Castle, an oilmp was lit on the desk in the room of Lambert; he was quickly writing a letter to the Count of Tyrol, his future father inw requesting his help in scheming against his brother once more. If his brother should marry and have a son before Lambert could get rid of him, it would be disastrous for their ns. Only after the oil had fully burned from hismp did Lambert put down his quill. Attaching the letter to a carrier pigeon, he sent his wicked schemes into the night sky and towards the Count''s residence at Innsbruck.

 Chapter 12: Production Complete

    <h4>Chapter 12: Production Complete</h4>


    As the month passed by Berengar, found himself spending most of his days exercising, eating healthy, and acquainting himself with his subjects. By now, themon folk of Kufstein was mostly aware of his humble and just nature. He had found himself spending some of his free time helping vigers with personal requests. Every day for lunch, he would dine among themon folk at the local bakery. Under his guiding hand, the local Baker and Butcher teamed up to create a local sandwich shop booming in business.


    Berengar had to admit, inventing the sandwich was one of his best ideas. It was a cheap and healthy option for the vigers to cobble together and eat when they had the chance. The longer time went on, the more he added to the culinary culture of Kufstein. Instructing chefs on making schnitzel, spaetzle, and othermon German foods that were iconic in his previous life but had yet to be invented. It was not simply a matter of advancing technology; he would have to bring a new era of culture with him if he wanted to aplish his goals for thend over which his family governed.


    During this period of time, Berengar had earned the trust of the servants in the castle and the vige folk and had even set up a small spywork within his family''snds. It was used entirely to counter Lambert''s attempts to end his life and usurp his birthright, and as such certainmoners became aware of the Baron''s second son''s true nature. In public, Lambert seemed like a noble and pious man, but the reality was very different.


    Lambert waspletely unaware that his every move had been watched by themon folk he looked down upon and reported to his older brother. He may have the local nobility on his side, but there was only so much they could do when the people protected Berengar. Who would poison his food? If the chefs who admired Berengar''s passion for the culinary arts were the ones who would directly bring the food to the table in an attempt to hear Berengar''s criticisms so that they may learn from him.


    In his past life, Berengar had lived alone for many years and cooked for himself. Over time he had be quite the adequate chef. Though these men who cooked his meals had far more talent than he ever had, theycked the knowledge of recipes and spices that Berengar brought with him from the memories of his past life.


    Every so often Berengar would check up on the progress in which Gunther and Ludwig had made, and he was pleased with the results. The progress on the Beehive Ovens, stfurnace, and Bessmer converter was going smoothly. By the end of the month, they would beplete. The same could be said about the four-field system; with Gunther''s backing and Berengar''s improving reputation, the barony would have a four-field harvest this year.


    While the month came to a close, the young Lord had found himself healthier by the day. No longer was he haunted by the gaunt lines of malnutrition that ravaged his otherwise excellent appearance. The shallow cheeks of his face had filled in nicely and had enhanced his already majestic features. The improvement to his condition was tremendous. It was amazing what a high protein and calcium diet could do for the body. Though he was by no means a bodybuilder and had still maintained a very lean appearance, Berengar was certainly no longer sickly in the slightest. His torso no longer had the haggard appearance of a feeble old man but shined with the vigor of youth. There were even signs of definition in the muscle on his body, and a six-pack steadily began to form.


    His milky white skin maintained its grace, but the unhealthy pale effect had been reced with a healthy glow. Despite these gains, he was still far from the fitness goals that he wished to aplish, yet Berengar was satisfied with his appearance for now. He had finally ovee a lifetime of pestilence and frailty. Perhaps now he could even swing a sword properly, though, with his ns in mind for military innovations, the age of swords and arrows would soon being to an end.


    After finishing his morning bath time, Berengar entered the dining room to eat his morning meal with his beloved family. However, Lambert was noticeably missing from the asion. He had ventured to Innsbruck to visit his fiancee. This allowed Berengar a slight reprieve from the constant battles of intrigue he had secretly been engaging in with his little brother behind the scenes. He was aware that Lambert was cooking up an assassination attempt in the shadows and the likelihood of his visit to Innsbruck involving that purpose was high. If the Count of Tyrol was backing Lambert''s plot to eliminate him, it did not bode well.


    Thus Berengar had no choice; he would have to meet with his fiancee and gain the backing of her father, the Count of Steiermark. It was a task he had been putting off for some time now, primarily out of concern for his appearance. He had not seen Ad since she was a little girl; as such, this meeting would be the first time she had seen his adult appearance, and he had been waiting for satisfactory results. First impressions were key, especially when he really needed to convince the girl''s father that he was not a sickly young man, of mild intellect and idle nature as the rumors had stated. He needed to prove he was healthy, determined, and cunning.


    If he were to be backed by a noble of equal stature, then the Count of Tyrol would have to think twice about assassinating Berengar. As long as Berengar could contain Lambert''s schemes to those dwelling within the Barony of Kufstein, he was positive he could foil any attempt on his life and inheritance. Eventually, though, he would need a more permanent solution to Lambert and his many schemes. Berengar could not very well have someone who intends to kill him live within his domain.


    The conversation at the breakfast table was delightful now that he did not have to worry about Lambert trying to affect his family''s opinion of him. His father was very proud of the results of his training, and his mother could not help but smile every time she saw how healthy her baby boy had be. Henrietta on the other hand was happily enjoying her food without a care in the world.


    Berengar was snacking on a breakfast sandwich made of toasted sourdough bread, sausage, egg, ham, bacon, and cheese. It was one of his favorite breakfasts in his previous life, and it was just as great in this one. His parents did not know where the idea of sandwiches came from, but they also enjoyed the new culinary inventions over the past month. After finishing the sandwich and washing it down with a mug of milk, Berengar discussed his concerns with his father.


    "Father, I do believe it''s time for me to meet with Ad. We''ve been officially betrothed for nearly a month now, and I have yet to see her face."


    Sieghard smiled; he knew his son would be asking about it soon enough; the reason he hadn''t asserted they meet sooner is that he too shared Berengar''s concerns over the boy''s prior appearance, but that was no longer a factor. Truth be told, he had received several letters requesting his son''s appearance, which he had been stalling for time with his replies. However, he could not ignore thest one. Apparently, the little girl got fed up waiting on Berengar to ept her requests for a meeting and had already set out for Kufstein to force an encounter with her betrothed. He had not informed his son of this yet, and he figured now was the perfect time to do so.


    "About that, it would appear your little cousin was too eager to meet you, and she has already set out for Kufstein. She should be arriving tomorrow morning."


    Berengar smiled, he truly had not expected this, but he liked the little girl''s determination. Maybe they could get along after all. However, he was not too sure what he could have inmon with a twelve-year-old girl. Nevertheless, he was pleased to hear the news; he would not have to wait a fortnight to meet the girl, nor would he have to travel all the way to Graz which was the capital of Steiermark and the home to its Count.


    "Good, that fits with my ns for the uing days."


    Sieghard rxed his shoulders and sighed after hearing Berengar''s response; he thought the boy would be displeased with the news. After all, he had reacted so strongly to being engaged that he feared the boy would do something stupid in an attempt to break it off. Nevertheless, his son appeared to have epted the betrothal. Sieghard had no idea that the only reason Berengar epted the idea was that he needed to borrow the Count of Steiermark''s power to interfere with Lambert''s deadly schemes. Berengar still was not pleased with the betrothal, but necessity forced his hand. If he had to court a young girl to ensure his survival, he would do so. Luckily the two wouldn''t be married until the girl was sixteen, an eptable age to Berengar.


    Neither of the two men knew that the girl was ahead of schedule and was already at the border of the Barony; it would not be long before the couple would meet for the first time in many years. Nevertheless, because they had no way of knowing, Berengar went on with his ns for the day. Ludwig should havepleted the project by now, and as such, after finishing his meal and being excused, Berengar went to the town and visited the area where Ludwig had constructed the devices.


    Gazing up at a series of beehive ovens which were already ame cooking the coal mined from the mountains into coke, a wide grin spread across Berengar''s face. As Berenger stood in awe at the small industrial sector that had rapidly sprung up over the past month, Ludwig snuck up behind the young lord and patted him on the shoulder.


    "Milord, as you can see, we havepleted your designs and have already begun the process of creating the first batch of steel!"


    Berengar looked across the small industrial sector built beside the river and saw that the st furnace, which was powered by a water wheel, was already in the production of pig iron. The beehive ovens produced the coke, which was then used to fuel the st furnace to create molten pig iron, which was sent into the Bessemer converter to create steel!


    Everything was flowing like a well-oiled machine; it would not be long until they had produced their first batch of steel, which they could sell to Innsbruck for a small fortune. Once he gained the profits, he would invest them into the mining sector of the small Barony and truly beginrge-scale production of steel.


    Berengar smiled as he pped Ludwig on the back in a friendly gesture


    "Ludwig, my friend, you have really outdone yourself!"


    The two men smiled at each other as they stared in silence watching the operation of the semi-modern industrial sector in which they had created together. Though they had no way of knowing it. On this day in the year of our Lord 1417, the second of April marks the day when Berengar would be known by his enemies as the "Tyrant of Steel"...

 Chapter 13: The Counts Daughter Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 13: The Count''s Daughter Arrives</h4>


    Ad stared outside the windows of her luxurious Carriage, guarded by a retinue of knights belonging to her father. Her golden blonde hair which was tied into twintails, glistened under the sunlight which shone upon her face; enhancing the natural beauty of her dazzling sapphire eyes. Despite being twelve years old, she was nicely filling out the long baby blue dress which she wore. Her perfect hourss figure would only improve further with age. A drop of sweat began to pour down from her milky white shoulders as she fanned herself off with her exquisite hand fan.


    She had traversed arge distance to enter this lowly Barony. Ad von Graz was the third daughter of Count Otto von Graz who was the Count of Steiermark. Against her wishes, she had been betrothed to her sickly elder cousin, which during thest time they met he appeared to be on hisst limb. Somehow Berengar had managed to limp onwards in life until his 20th year.


    She had no idea how such a frail, and unhealthy youth had endured life this long. However, because of this, she was furious with her father who had used her as a way to get a stake in Kufstein''s rich iron mines. As a girl, she was nothing more than a tool for her family to secure alliances, and she was not content with this lot in life.


    Nevertheless, she had to obey her family''s wishes, and as such demanded to meet the man she would eventually be married to. However, to her dismay, her requests to meet with him kept being dyed. For an entire month, she had to endure this behavior until the point where she left her home and traveled across the entire Duchy of Austria to meet with him. From her perspective, the behavior of Berengar and his family was unsightly. Clearly, something was wrong with his health, otherwise, why would his family keep dying his visit. If he was seriously too sick to travel, then she would convince her father to break the betrothal. It was no wonder that Berengar was twenty years old and still unmarried.


    When she entered the Vige of Kufstein she took notice of the smoke rising in the air, and initially thought a fire had broken out. Yet, to her surprise, the peasants rushed towards the smoky area in flocks as if something extraordinary had transpired. Curious as to what could gain the interests of so many of themon folk, the youngdy ordered the driver of her carriage to approach the area to see what themotion was about.


    After stepping out of the carriage and entering the industrial sector which had recently been built, her eyes were not attracted to the strange machinery which was producing the smoke but to that of a tall and handsome young man with slicked-back golden blonde hair, and sapphire eyes which matched her own perfectly. Despite the luxurious clothing he was wearing, the man stood next to an ordinary peasant both of which hadrge smiles on their faces.


    The youngdy had not paid the slightest amount of attention to the peasant next to the handsome young man who she immediately recognized despite the many years since theirst meeting; she spoke her disbelief aloud as her cheeks flushed at the sight of her elder cousin who had grown extremely handsome since shestid eyes upon him.


    "Berengar?"


    Despite voicing her thoughts, she remained unheard by the Baron''s son who was otherwise engaged with the actions of the machinery before him. It did not take long for the Bessemer converted to dump its load of molten steel into the small factory, where it was further processed into ingots. The g, which was produced as a byproduct, was taken away and converted into a phosphate fertilizer under the instructions of Berengar.


    Ad was stuck in a trance and had not heard a word that escaped Berengar''s lips; her body moved on its own as it inched ever closer to Berengar''s presence. Who was still blissfully unaware of the contingent of knights clearing the way for the Count''s daughter.


    "Ludwig, you did not disappoint. With this batch of steel, we can use the profits to get the mines working at full capacity. We should be able to produce an overabundance of steel within a year!"


    However, before Ludwig could respond to Berengar''spliments, the young lord''s attention shifted to the girl approaching him and the knights who protected her. He could not exin why but he felt like he knew this beautiful young girl from somewhere. He immediately noticed the flushed cheeks and entranced gaze she was giving him as she bashfully looked away from Berengar, and into the direction of the ground, she asked him the question that was on her mind.


    "Berengar is that you?"


    Apparently, he did know this young girl, but he could not ce a finger on who it was, he felt it would be improper to ask, but he truly had no choice as he could not fully remember the girl''s identity no matter how much he tried.


    "You are?"


    Ad instantly felt like her heart had grown three sizes upon seeing Berenger and then plummeted into an abyss when he failed to recognize her. This bastard had grown so handsome, and yet he did not manage to recognize her beautiful face? What was wrong with his thick head!?! Despite her inner fury, Ad put a smile upon her face and a graceful act as she bowed before Berengar.


    "It is me Ad, your fiancee"


    Berengar was taken aback, he was not expecting her visit today. He thought for sure his father had told him she would arrive tomorrow. Damn it all, did that sly old fox seriously set him up again!?! He was once more furious at his father, nevertheless, there was nothing he could do about it now. Standing in front of him was his fiancee, who if he was being honest had developed wonderfully, in a few years she would definitely be a knockout.


    Nevertheless, despite her potential beauty, he had no real attraction to her, after all, she was still a young girl, and not yet a woman. However, he smiled after knowing that his fiancee would grow into a stunning woman. After calming himself down, and adjusting to the situation Berengar put on the facade of a proper nobleman.


    Truthfully Berengar had virtually no experience in charming the opposite sex, so he had to rely on his one source of infallible knowledge that exined how to win a young girl''s favor. That source obviously being the many shoujo manga he had read in his previous life. Without any shame, he adopted the mannerisms of a character from some random manga in his memories which just so happened to be a prince.


    "Apologies mydy, I did not recognize you, thest time I saw you, you were but a child. Now you have be an astonishing young woman."


    He cringed internally at his acting, but if there was one thing shoujo manga had taught him, it is that if you wanted to win the favor of a young girl, you had to be handsome and charming; and this was the only way he knew how to act charming. If Berengar wanted this engagement to work, he at least had to make the girl feel like he was interested. It worked like a charm, Ad was fully enamored in Berengar''s handsome appearance and charming act. She hadpletely forgotten the fury she felt not long ago when Berengar failed to recognize her.


    Ludwig watching the cheap romantic disy struggled to contain hisughter while observing the boy''s performance. Luckily for Berengar, this girl was but a child and could easily fall for such falsities. Though the longer he stood there watching, the more he recognized that he was no longer needed and tapped Berengar on the shoulder.


    "You don''t need to worry, milord; I can handle the rest of the production myself; why don''t you take your girl out for a sandwich."


    Berengar gazed at Ludwig with brotherly effection, both men knew that Berengar was more interested in staying and overseeing the production of the steel and g, but he was limited by his noble obligations. Thus Ludwig gave him a reasonable excuse to leave him behind.


    "If you insist, I will leave the matter to you, I thank you for your hard work."


    Ad gazed at Berengar with further interest; despite being a Baron''s son, he treated the peasants almost as if they were equals. She had never heard of such a thing before. Though most nobles would mock him for such behavior, she found the friendly exchange between the two acquaintances to be quite endearing.


    Berengar offered his arm for the youngdy to grab onto, which she epted as the couple walked towards the center of the town with smiles on their faces. During the walk to the sandwich shop Berengar spent the time to say hello to the locals who had passed by, he appeared to be on a first-name basis with many of themoners, and they, of course, referred to him with the proper respect for his position.


    Ad became increasingly curious about Berengar''s rtionship with themoners, they did not fear him, nor were they intimidated by his position. Instead, they willingly walked up and chatted with him, and by extension her. She was not used to such a sociable walk; in her father''s domain, the peasants stayed out of the Count and his family''s way, never making eye contact with them. It was as if she had stepped into a totally different culture.


    One woman had even approached the couple and handed Berengar a rose to give to the youngdy next to him; All of themoners could tell by the way Ad was dressed that she was obviously nobility. Due to the way she was clinging to Berengar, they were most likely engaged; because of this, themon folk treated her with the same dignity and heartfelt respect they gave to Berengar, who had spent so much time helping develop the town over thest month.


    By the time they reached the Sandwich shop, Berengar had approached a woman in her thirties who was at the counter running the store in her husband''s absence. Her name was Helga, and she was the local Baker''s wife. She helped her husband run the bakery and the sandwich shop which was co-owned by the local baker and butcher.


    She saw Berengar walk through the store entrance with a pretty young girl in hand and smiled at the couple.


    "Milord, you honor us with your presence."


    Berengar smiled in return and ordered a meal for himself and Ad.


    "Helga, two of the usual, please."


    Helga immediately got to work as she began to prepare the food, but not before washing her hands; by now, the entire vige was aware of Berengar''s health habits and had begun to adopt his clean ways. After serving up two sandwiches, each paired with a ss of fresh milk, Berengar paid the woman with a white pfennig which was worth more than the entire meal


    "Keep the change,"


    he said as he smiled and took the food and sses over to a table outside the restaurant. Seeing as how it was the middle of spring in the mountains of Austria, the weather was more than eptable to sit outside and dine.


    Ad had not said a word the entire time they were walking; she observed Berengar''s behavior which was far from what she expected from the notoriously idle and petty sickly lord. He was nothing like the rumors had said. Clearly, someone was making up lies about him to ruin his reputation. She would never believe that his personality had changed overnight due to a near-death experience.


    Being a nobledy of high repute, she was confused about the absence of silverware when dining; how exactly was she going to eat this concoction referred to as a sandwich by the locals. Berengar smiled at her as she intensely stared at the food, the charming smile nearly sent her into another daze.


    "What''s wrong? You don''t like it? You haven''t even tried it yet!"


    The youngdy struggled to find her words as she stared at Berengar''s exquisite smiling face. Eventually, she managed to find her tongue.


    "There''s no silverware..."


    Berengar chuckled as he had forgotten about the aversion the nobles had towards the waymoners behaved. Thus he decided to lead by example as he grabbed ahold of the roast chicken sandwich with his hands and bit into it. The look on Ad''s face was priceless; it was as if she was looking at a barbarian; there was no way she would stoop to such uncouth behavior.


    However, after a few moments of watching Berengar eat the sandwich with a satisfied smile on his face, she could no longer resist the temptation to try the food. As such, she held onto the sandwich with her petite hands and took a small nibble out of it. Which nearly caused Berengar to choke on his food fromughter; this girl was too cute. In a way, she reminded him of a slightly older Henrietta.


    The sparkle in Ad''s glistening sapphire eyes lit up as she tasted the sandwich; she had never had something like this before. Truth be told, the culinary arts of the medieval age were severelycking; he had spent great effort teaching the chefs in his castle, as well as the locals, how to make basic dishes from his previous life.


    After a while, she noticed Berengar watching her and felt embarrassed. However, she couldn''t stop eating the sandwich. Only after she finished the entire thing did she question his gaze


    "What are you staring at!?!"


    Berengar chuckled slightly; women, no matter what time they''re in, are still the same.


    "I just thought that you are cute, is all."


    Instantly the girl''s entire face turned red as his voice was yed back in her head repeatedly. She had not expected him to say such a thing. Her brain had practically fried itself thinking about it. Did he have no shame? Though it''s not as if she didn''t like thepliment. Only after the two of them had finished their meal did Berengar bring up the noble obligations that had to be paid.


    "Well, I suppose we should go visit my father so that you can pay your respects. Lord knows he will be outraged by the fact that you entered his territory and failed to pay him respects upon entry."


    This snapped the girl out of her trance as she quickly realized she had failed to follow basic noble etiquette. She nearly pped herself for following her curiosity rather than sticking to the schedule. By the way, Berengar spun it; she might have insulted the Baron''s authority by doing so.


    The little girl had no way of knowing that Berengar was ying a prank on her. Sure, If it were any other noble who entered his father''s dominion and failed to pay respects, the Baron would be furious, but this was his niece and also his son''s fiancee. He would easily forgive her for ying around with Berengar upon arrival, especially since that was what her visit concerned in the first ce. Sieghard would be happy just knowing the two were getting along.


    Nevertheless, the girl began to tremble with fear as she realized the grave sin she hadmitted; she did not know her uncle well, her mother rarely talked about him. She feared there would be a reprisal for her actions. Seeing the terrified expression on the little girl''s face, Berengar grabbed hold of her hand and calmed her down.


    "Hey, there''s no need to be so afraid; I was only joking. My father won''t be mad at you for spending the day with me. Trust me; even if he is angry, I will take the me. Considering I was the one who dragged you to lunch."


    The little girl wiped away the tears that had been forming in her gentle sapphire eyes and sniffled slightly.


    "R.. Really?"


    Berengar nodded; maybe he shouldn''t y jokes like this on children. After all, noble obligations and etiquette were likely a scary thing for a young girl such as her. If she messed up, it could not just affect her well-being but that of her family.


    After wiping the tears from her eyes, Ad got up from her seat and asked Berengar.


    "Well, what are we waiting for?"


    Afterward, the betrothed couple headed towards the Castle, her retinue of knights closely following from a distance. They knew if they had followed their youngdy so closely on her first date, she would be furious; as such, they stayed behind, keeping an eye on her safety from a close enough distance that if trouble showed itself, they could fulfill their duty. Of course, that would never happen in a town that celebrated Berengar as a pir of themunity and not just the Baron''s son.

 Chapter 14: A Fine Evening

    <h4>Chapter 14: A Fine Evening</h4>


    Berengar entered the Castle''s Grand hall while holding Ad''s hand; her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment the entire time as she hid slightly behind Berengar''s back, gazing up at him from behind. She had not expected the day to y out like this. Nevertheless, she was d it did. She would be beside herself if Berengar had truly been as the rumors painted him.


    Sitting upon the seat of power of the realm was Baron Sieghard von Kufstein who had a stern expression on his face. He was not expecting his niece''s visit until tomorrow, yet here she was standing before him. Theseplicated things, he would undoubtedly need to throw a feast this evening to wee a youngdy of her position into his lowly territory. Sieghard was no fool, and he knew why his Brother-in-Law, the Count of Steiermark, had offered this proposal. Despite the Counts hidden intentions, looking down upon Ad, and how she behaved, he could already tell that this was a good match.


    When the Baron''s cold gazended upon Ad, she shivered slightly, which did not go unnoticed. However, with a supporting gesture from Berengar, she fulfilled her noble obligations as she bowed before her Uncle greeting him with respect. After all, it has been quite some time since shest saw the man.


    "Lady Ad von Graz expresses her gratitude for providing hospitality during her visit."


    Berengar bowed before his father as well; despite being the old man''s son, he still had to show respect for his father''s position. Sitting next to Sieghard was his wife Gis who had a much more warm expression on her face than her husband''s. She thoroughly examined her daughter-inw to be. Though she felt as if Ad was a bit young, the mature Baroness still nodded with approval; The girl was truly a young woman befitting her beloved son. Deep down, she felt bad for Lambert, whose fiancee was an entitled and sadistic brat who gained pleasure from humiliating the young boy; such behavior had evolved from the brat''s unearned sense of superiority. It would undoubtedly be a rough marriage for Gis''s second son. However, the feeling she gained from Ad''s behavior gave the doting mother much confidence in her firstborn''s future happiness.


    Truth be told, Berengar would much rather be out working on his ns for the future of industry and agriculture. However, building ties to the nobility was of dire importance to his current diplomatic strategy. He may be safe while in his own territory due to the protection provided by the people. Yet, if he were to travel beyond the borders of Kufstein, he may find himself plotted against by his brother''s allies. Getting on good terms to his betrothed, whose father was a mighty Count, provided him with a level of security necessary to deter those of a simr position.


    Sieghard carefully observed the rtionship between his son and niece. Apparently, the two had spent some time together this afternoon. Though it spat in the face ofmon etiquette, he could forgive the young girl for getting tied up with Berengar. Recently his son had an aura of charisma that he severelycked before. The boy seemed to be far more sociable than in the past. Truly Sieghard did not know what inspired the recent changes in his son''s behavior, but he was grateful for whatever caused it. Now, if only Berengar could get along with the local nobility as he did with themoners.


    Despite the girl''sck of manners, the old Baron would still address the matter as he wanted to gauge the girl''s character. After clearing his throat, Sieghard narrowed his eyes at the young girl. While standing up from his seat of power, he began to speak in a stern voice.


    "It seems you and my son are already acquainted. Tell me, is this why you did not immediatelye and pay respects to me, the sovereign of thisnd?"


    Ad immediately flinched upon hearing her Uncle''s words and looked over at Berengar for help. The minute she did so, Sieghard pounded his fist on the armrest of the chair while his voice raised to a new height.


    "Don''t look away from me while I''m talking to you! Answer the question."


    Tears began to form in the young girl''s eyes which she quickly wiped away, sniffling while she responded to the Baron''s request.


    "I''m s... sorry I didn''t m... mean to."


    Seeing the expression on the poor girl''s face, Berengar could no longer put up with his father''s test. He grabbed ahold of Ad and dragged her into his arms while chastising his father.


    "Father, don''t you think that tone of yours is a bit rude? After all, if anyone is to me, it is me; I was the one who took her out to lunch before meeting you."


    The young girl looked up at Berengar with a sense of warmth in her sapphire eyes; the tears were still streaming down her doll-like face. She was slightly surprised that Berengar had stuck to his word and protected her from his father''s wrath. Until now, there had been a slight hint of suspicion in her heart that he was putting on a facade and that deep down, he really was an idle wastrel like the rumors had said, even if he had be healthy. In the end, Berengar really was as he presented himself. This was true for the most part; despite putting on a charming act based on a generic shoujo character, he more or less spoke from the heart, and his actions around the town had beenpletely genuine.


    Upon seeing his son stand up for the girl he was betrothed to, Sieghard''s stern expression turned into a warm smile as he attempted to cate the girl and his son.


    "I''m sorry, Ad, I was quite rude. I only wanted to gauge your character; I hope you can forgive me."


    The young girl wiped the tears from her eyes which had finally begun to dry, and swallowed her excess saliva. She had slowly begun to understand why the Baron had tested her that way. Clearly, the loving parents wanted to know if Ad would deflect the responsibility onto their son or not. Even though Berengar took the me himself, if she had thrust the responsibility on his shoulders before he could do so, it would have been an enormous act of disrespect to Berengar and his father. Evidently, Sieghard and his wife were very protective of their eldest son.


    After regaining her dignified appearance, the youngdy epted her Uncle''s apology with grace.


    "There''s nothing to apologize for, dear Uncle; you were merely protecting your son and heir."


    After she said that, the smiles on Sieghard and Gis''s faces improved. Further, this youngdy was much better wife material than the bitch they had sold their second son to. In a few months Lambert would be married, and his fate would be sealed. However, there was nothing they could do about it; refusing their liege because they disapproved of his daughter was an unwise y. If the rtionship between those two could improve rtions between their two houses, then so be it. For whatever reason, Lambert did not seem to mind the abuse he suffered at the hands of his fiancee.


    Sieghard stood up from his seat and approached Ad, and greeted her with open arms. "Wee to my humble house; I hope you find your stay to be eptable."


    Knowing that the girl was from a wealthy family, the lowly Baron could not possibly believe that she would be being pleased with the humble lodgings of his domain. He had no way of knowing that the young girl had already fallen in love with the quaint old town where the locals were so friendly, and the culinary culture was unique. Ad was a big fan of the sandwich she had tasted earlier. By the time she dined at the feast in the evening, she would never want to leave the humble Baron''s domain.


    For now, though, the family engaged in small talk, getting caught up on the past few years. Ad was especially interested in how Berengar transitioned from a feeble, idle, and petty young lord to the man he was today. When she found out that the miraculous transformation only began a month ago, she could not believe her ears. Did the man before her seriously spring up after a near-death experience? If Berengar had not confirmed it himself, she would have never believed her aunt and uncle.


    Eventually, the table was set, and the feast had begun. Ad sat next to Berengar, who sat in his usual ce at the table. The only family member who was missing was Lambert, which did not go unnoticed by Ad. When she heard he was visiting his fiancee, she was shocked by the coincidence. She never expected both of the von Kufstein sons to be out with their fiancees simultaneously. Nevertheless, her thoughts towards the missing son disappeared when she smelled the aroma of the food set upon the table by servants.


    Ad had never seen such extravagant cuisine before. Berengar had instructed the chefs to go to all out on their new recipes. Schnitzel, spaetzle, wurst, roden, sauerbraten, all the staples of German cuisine from Berengar''s previous world, were presented on the table. All except one, the one in which Berengar desired as a side dish to his jaeger schnitzel most of all... potato pancakes. Curse his fate for being thrust into this world a century too early for the discovery of potatoes! That is what Berengar initially thought to himself as hemented their absence from his favorite dishes. Still, he was d to be alive. He swore to himself that when he became wealthy, he would hire an exploratory fleet to discover the new world and bring him back potatoes. Screw the Aztecs and their massive gold reserves; he needed potatoes!


    While his family had be ustomed to eating such treasures over the past month, Ad''s eyes were lit with ecstasy as she tasted the gourmet cuisine for the first time in her life. No matter what, when she finally returned home, she had to bring these recipes back with her for her father''s cooking staff! Though she was ecstatic about the delightful food, she still ate with the grace and civility expected of a youngdy in her position.


    After delighting upon the food for the evening, the family finally went their separate ways; Henrietta was tasked with taking Ad to her room. The young girl also insisted on her future sister-inw taking a bath before she went to bed. At first, the youngdy refused as she did not see a reason, but the persistence of a girl younger than herself was not something she could escape. After bathing together in awkward silence, Ad finally got to her room where she could rest. As shey down on her stomach and hugged her pillow in a baby blue nightgown, she could not help but think about Berengar''s actions throughout the day. The girl fell to sleep shortly after with a loving smile on her face.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was burning the midnight oil, hard at work in his room drafting up ns for the expansion of the mines. There was also another matter in which he wanted to address as quickly as possible��the textile industry. Unlike Ad, he was not thinking about the day he had; instead, the young man thought about his ns for the family''s territory. Eventually, after drafting up several documents, and blueprints Berengar snuffed out the oilmp, which provided illumination, and fell to sleep; the only thoughts on his mind were about the wonderful meal he had during the evening and theplete and totalck of potato pancakes! The young lord had no way of knowing that Ad had already fallen head over heels for him.

 Chapter 15: Unimaginable Wealth

    <h4>Chapter 15: Unimaginable Wealth</h4>


    When the light of dawn rose upon the fertile valley, once more Berengar had awoken to begin his daily exercise. Just because he was now a healthy young man did not mean he did not have to maintain said health. He began his routine with a series of pushups, situps, squats, and pull-ups. The exercise equipment he had specially ordered had arrived long ago and was kept firmly in the corner of hisrge stone room. As such, he could aplish most of his objectives without leaving thefort and safety of his own personal space. Nowadays, only his daily run was outside the confines of his bedroom. It was a truly efficient use of time and space.


    Once Berengar had finished his daily exercise, the first course of action he took was that of his morning bath; the young lord refused to spend the day covered in his own sweat. Though by now, everyone in the castle was aware of his bathing habits. It could practically be said that during the thirty minutes before breakfast, the bathroom was reserved for Berengar.


    The young lord was especially excited about today''s bath. For you see, almost a month ago, after Berengar had convinced the family to begin bathing regrly, he realized the need for a more refined bathing area. As such, he sessfully managed to convince his father to break ground on a grand project. During this past month, constant construction had been going on in the corner of the Castle, where a private bathhouse was constructed within the castle walls. Today was the first day after itspletion.


    As Berengar entered the new bathroom, he noticed there were three separate chambers for therge room. The first area was the dressing room, where the upant would dress and undress. The second room was thevatory, in case one needed to use it during bath time; the third area was the actual room where the bathing urred. Arge circr stone bath was fitted in the center of the room and was heated to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This was not just a bath; it was practically a hot tub. Berengar spent a good fifteen minutes soaking his stress away in therge bath in which he could practically swim before finally getting out. Afterward, he dried himself off with a towel and went to the dressing room, where he properly dressed. It was only after he was fully clothed that he decided to style his hair the way he preferred it.


    After confirming his appearance in the mirror, he left the newly designed bathhouse and headed for the dining room, where he met his family and fiancee for breakfast. As he snacked on his favorite breakfast sandwich, he looked over at Ad, who had another ecstatic smile on her face; it would appear that she had fallen in love with the food in this small Barony. When she noticed Berengar''s gaze, she covered her mouth with her napkin as her cheeks flushed. Though before she could speak, Berengar had shifted his attention to his parents.


    "Father, Mother, I must say the new bathhouse is excellent; it was truly a worthy investment."


    When Sieghard heard the word investment, he nearly had a heart attack, that bathhouse cost him a fortune; how would he ever recover from such an expensive luxury. He could not believe he allowed his son to convince him to purchase it. It would take some time for the family to recover from the amount they had spent on themission. Or so he thought, the old Baron waspletely unaware how much steel had been amassed within the past twenty-four hours. Practically all the iron ore that had been stockpiled in the Barony was converted to steel ingots overnight. Berengar only had ns to sell a few tonnes of it. The rest would be used as the basis for his industrial vision.


    When Berengar saw the painful expression his father made, he was quite concerned.


    "Father, you look ill. Are you alright?"


    After recovering, Sieghard red at his son; he swore he would never forgive the boy for the financial loss he tookmissioning that thing.


    "I''m fine; it''s just that the bath you so thoroughly enjoyed this morning cost us a fortune to build. I don''t know how we will recover"


    Berengar did not even take note of his father''s words. At first, he merely bit into a slice of his breakfast sausage nonchntly. It was only after he realized what his father had said that he began tough. Which only caused Sieghard''s enraged gaze to intensify; the man''s face was practically boiling in rage.


    "Is poverty aughing matter to you, Berengar?"


    Ad had not heard the conversation; she was too busy enjoying her food. However, what Berengar said next immediately grabbed her attention.


    "Oh, father, if you knew how many pure steel ingots were sitting in our warehouse right now, you would never say such a thing. At this point, we are sitting on enough wealth to buy the County!"


    Though Berengar''s ims might have been a slight exaggeration, it was by no means a lie. They had significant wealth in terms of raw steel. There were currently two counts trying to marry into the von Kufstein family and ce their potential sons-inw on the seat of power explicitly because they were aware of how much iron ore the region had avable.


    Hell, Ad''s father was willing to sacrifice his daughter''s happiness and marry her to azy, petty, sickly wastrel to get a im to those resources. If the two Counts had known that Berengar had turned the Barony''s current stockpile of iron ore into pure steel ingots overnight, they would be tempted to invade the Barony and seize the wealth for themselves.


    Sieghard''s jaw practically dropped to the floor as he heard this news. He had not been following his son''s industrial and agricultural ventures too carefully. In his opinion, Berengar''s ims were too wild to believe. However, he did have experts confirm there would be no downside in adopting the various ideas. So he decided to take a gamble and see if anything woulde of it. If what Berengar had said was true, then there were dozens of tonnes of steel sitting in his warehouse right now waiting to be sold or processed. The old Baron could hardly believe his ears.


    Ad was equally shocked; she knew her father wanted the iron mines of Kufstein. She was well aware of her father''s intentions to use her to get Berengar, the son and heir, to hand them over to her family when he became Baron, but now her fiancee imed he had turned a warehouse full of iron ore into steel ingots overnight. She was equally in disbelief as Sieghard. If this were true, she would have to write to her father and convince him to change his ns for the future.


    Only Henrietta had a calm expression as she had no idea what any of this information meant for her or her family. Instead, she was excited to hear the new bath was finallyplete. The little girl had an urge to run away from the table and take a bath this instant, though she refrained herself from such udylike behavior.


    Berengar could not stop chuckling. Did his father seriously think that he would coerce him into spending the family''s life savings on a private bathhouse with no n to recuperate their losses? What they would gain from selling a fraction of the steel would be enough to fill their coffers and invest in the mining industry. What steel remained would be used to start a new age of industry.


    After all, steel was an importantponent of his ns for Barony-wide irrigation. Let alone the innovations to other fields of agriculture like the steel plow,bine harvester, the grain elevator, etc. These were all inventions he had nned to make in due time, but they needed arge amount of steel to implement on a Realm-wide scale.


    The young lord estimated that the Barony''s fields would be filled with early forms of mechanized agriculture within a year or two. Which would allow for far fewer farmers, and in turn, create more tradesmen who would be used to fuel his fledgling industry. For now, his focus was on creating steel pipes for irrigation. As long as he had the four-field system, irrigation, and phosphate fertilizer used on every farm, this year''s harvest was sure to be massive.


    Sieghard could hardly believe what he was hearing; he decided to excuse himself from the breakfast and immediately check with Ludwig about the details. He had to see the stockpile of steel with his own eyes to believe it.


    "Apologies, my loving family, but it appears I have some serious business I must attend to. I will see you all at dinner."


    Afterward, the Baron left the dining hall and rushed to the storehouse, keeping the iron ore. Sieghard would spend the rest of the day having Ludwig walk him through the process and exin Berengar''s ideas for how best to make use of such a vast quantity of steel.


    As Sieghard left the dining hall, Ad recovered from her shock and decided to ask Berengar a question of dire importance to her family''s ns.


    "Berengar... What exactly is it that you n to do with so much steel?"


    Berengar smiled at the young girl sitting next to him and patted her head affectionately. He knew why her father had proposed their marriage, and he was not about to give away the key to his family''s sess.


    "First, I intend to sell a portion of the ingots, and use the profits to fill our coffers, and invest in the mining industry to increase industrial productivity. As for the steel that remains afterward, I intend to use it to implement a system of realm-wide irrigation to improve the efficiency of our agricultural production."


    The youngdy had no idea what irrigation was or how it affected agriculture, but it appeared Berengar''s ambitions were purely domestic. He had no desire to build arge army and conquer other regions. He merely wanted to increase profits and crop yields. After listening to the Count''s ambitions of bing the Duke of Austria her entire life, she felt greatly relieved that her future husband was not a power-hungry madman like her father.


    Instead, everything Berengar desired was to increase the quality of life and economic productivity of the people he would one day rule over. She had never before met a single nobleman who was content with his lot in life; everyone she had ever met, including the men in her family, all desired more than what they currently had. Berengar was different; he was fine with being a lowly Baron, as long as his Barony was the most advanced region in the world and could defend their sovereignty.


    She knew now it was best to convince her father to abandon the idea of taking over the mineral rights of the region, as Berengar would put the resources to far better use than her father would. She needed to convince her father to negotiate with Berengar, and Sieghard for that matter, on a fair price for the steel they have already produced. After all, her father would not be satisfied without the iron or steel required to equip his armies.


    Though the matter was of great importance, she felt like spending the rest of the afternoon with Berengar, who had his schedule open due to his father taking up Ludwig''s time. As such, the two took a walk across the town and conversed with themon folk. The second time around, Ad was far more social with the vigers, who began to recognize her as their future Baroness. It was not until dinner when the two had returned from their second date and entered the Castle''s gates.


    Though Berengar was anxious about getting his designs to Ludwig and introduce irrigation as soon as possible, he felt as if a day or two of rest was needed every now and then. Afterall, he never expected his time with Ad to be so delightful. Ad also treasured the time she spent with Berengar. She felt as if she was dreaming, for thest two days had been so peaceful and filled with joy��something she was not ustomed to under the yoke of her father''s tyranny. After dining with her soon-to-be inws, she retired to the new bathhouse, where she finally understood Berengar''s habit of bathing twice a day. As the day''s umtion washed away from her wless skin, she sat in the bath thinking about her recent date with Berengar.


    It was not until a half-hourter when she came out of the bath and saw Berengar at the doorway entrance. Though she was fully dressed in her nightgown, her hair was let down and still wet, and for some reason, this caused her great embarrassment. Thus she fled back to the room she currently upied, avoiding Berengar''s gaze the entire time. It was only after the door was safelytched behind her that she calmed down and realized she still needed to write the letter to her father.


    She spent the remainder of her waking hours writing the letter. What was initially nned to be a request to purchase the steel at a fair price turned into a letter from a young girl gushing about her crush. Only the very end of the letter remotely resembled her initial intentions. As if she hastily added it on after she had written everything on her mind about Berengar. Shortly after itspletion, she handed it off to one of her knights and ordered him to deliver the letter to her father as soon as possible. As soon as the task wasplete, she returned to her bed-chamber, where she fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face.


    Berengar, on the other hand, had spent the remainder of his time bathing and drafting up blueprints for some of his agricultural designs. Though it would be a while before they could be fully implemented, it was best to have the designs drafted as soon as possible. His only regret about today was that he had failed to deliver his designs on irrigation to Ludwig. It did not matter, for he could always do so tomorrow. After all, at least Ad was happy. After finishing his work for the day, Berengar snuffed out the light of his oilmp and crawled into bed, where he restedfortably on his feather mattress for the rest of the night. Tomorrow was an important day in his ns for agricultural advancement.

 Chapter 16: Harsh Mistress

    <h4>Chapter 16: Harsh Mistress</h4>


    Lambert lied shirtless, bound, and prostrate on the floor of his fiancee''s bed-chamber. A peerless beauty with a wless heart-shaped face and silky strawberry blonde hair cascading down her shoulders gazed coldly at her foolish fiance with her sky blue eyes. She was currently in the process of punishing. Her foot pressed his head down into the cold stone floor while her left hand carried a curled whip. Her heavenly bust heaved as she sighed in disappointment at the news of failure in which Lambert had brought her.


    Linde von Habsburg was the eldest daughter of Count Lothar von Habsburg, head of House von Habsburg-Innsbruck which was a cadet branch of House von Habsburg whose main branch were the rulers of the Duchy of Austria. She was sixteen this year and was renowned across the duchy as one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria.


    However, looks were often deceiving; personality-wise, Linde was secretly a sadistic bitch known among a select few as a young woman who broke her toys easily. Yes, her toys, that was how she referred to her suitors, many of which hade and gone over the years as they could not endure the physical and mental abuse which she took pleasure in inflicting upon them. Lambert was just the newest arrival, and though her father had supported his proposal, she did not personally recognize it.


    An intense gaze stared down upon the teenage boy lying prostrate before her as she raised her whip and struck his back; arge cut appeared as it made contact with his flesh. Lambert desperately attempted not to let a painful cry escape his lips; however, he could not resist screaming in agony after another twoshes. Which only further enraged the dominatrix, who pressed his head further into the cold stone floor with the heel of her foot.


    If Lambert gazed up, he would be able to clearly see the beautiful girl''s embroidered white silk panties that lie beneath her sinful baby blue nightgown, which had been purposely designed to show off the girl''s immacte curves. However, it would only further provoke his fiancee if he did so, something he would do his best to avoid.


    After venting her frustration on the youth''s body, she sighed heavily and lowered the whip before bringing Lambert''s face up to meet her own vicious re. Tears streamed from the boy''s eyes as she chastised him for his weakness.


    "It looks like frailty runs in your family; how pathetic..."


    The girl got up from the bed and kicked Lambert back down to the ground as she sat on his back, using him as a stool for her to rest on.


    "You''re useless; you know that?"


    After hearing about Lambert''s attempt on his elder brother''s life which failed spectacrly, she was in a particrly foul mood. Exactly how hard was it to poison a sickly and frail man to death? Somehow not only did Lambert''s attempt fail, but it inspired Berengar to get his act together and began the process of bing healthy. By now, The young lord had ovee his childhood infirmity, thus ruining her and her father''s ns.


    The news was even worse as they found out that the Count of Steiermark had engaged his third and youngest daughter to Berengar, thus giving them a greater stake in Kufstein''s rich iron reserves. If they could not remove Berengar within the next few years and ce Lambert as the sole heir to the Barony, then this engagement was entirely useless for the Counts of Tyrol.


    Lambert struggled to endure the weight of his fiancee, who sat atop his back. Nevertheless, he managed as she continued to scold him. Though at the moment, she was more speaking to herself than anything else.


    "If you want something done right, you''ve got to do it yourself..."


    The heavenly beauty saw her toy gazing up at her and looked at him with disgust. She grabbed ahold of the handle of her whip and shoved it in the boy''s mouth, forcing his head away with a violent thrust.


    "Do not set your filthy gaze upon me, wastrel! You have not earned that right!"


    Lambert averted his gaze as he forced himself to ask the question on his mind.


    "Apologies, mistress, I was just curious about what you said. What is your n exactly?"


    A wicked grin appeared across the immacte visage of the sinister beauty as she gazed down at her favorite toy, sending chills down his spine.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to go back to your home and seduce your brother; then, after he is on his knees begging, I will end his life. Clearly, you can''t be trusted to do this simple task yourself."


    Lambert felt conflicted after hearing such words; his fiancee was going to seduce his brother? Even after enduring all this abuse, Lambert had not even been able to sleep with her yet! The lustful teenage boy was extremely envious of his older brother at the current moment, but as he thought about the pain he was currently facing, his mind shifted to joy instead. If she was like this with her fiancee, how cruel would she be to Berengar when she finally got him on his knees?


    Without awaiting her fiance''s approval, Linde called out in an authoritative tone.


    "Hanz!"


    Immediately the door to the bed-chamber swung open, and a young knight d in full ted armor with a sword slung around his waist entered the room and knelt before the Young Lady, evidently he was well ustomed to the sight before him, as not a hint of surprise could be seen from his expression.


    "Yes, mydy?"


    Linde sat atop Lambert''s back with her arms crossed and an indifferent expression. She did not care for someone as low as a knight. As the privileged daughter of a Count, she even considered Barons to be nothing more than elevated trash, let alone amon knight.


    "Get my shit packed; I''m going to Kufstein."


    Hanz would never disobey an order from the youngdy. He did not want to end up in Lambert''s current position. As such, he obeyed her orders, despite it being a menial task unbefitting of a knight. He was well aware that a servant was a servant in the eyes of the harsh mistress, and there was nothing he could do about that.


    "Your will is mymand!"


    afterward, the knight quickly left the room and went to manage the task set before him. It would be a matter of hours before she set forth on the road to Kufstein with a retinue of knights to protect her and her current boy toy in tow.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Kufstein, Berengar had just finished his daily breakfast and set forth on the task to begin constructing his irrigation system, which was based on a system used in his previous lifemonly referred to as wheel line irrigation. In his previous life, this irrigation system provided water to vast fields across the entirety of the United States of America. With this system in ce, the Barony of Kufstein would efficiently water their many crops without the need for several farmers to water them by hand. Eventually, this would allow for fewer farmers while utilizingrger plots ofnd for growing crops.


    When Berengar entered the industrial district, he saw his friend and partner in the steel industry, Ludwig, currently overseeing steel production. When the old man noticed the young lord approach, he bowed respectfully.


    "Milord, it is wonderful to see you; I have been awaiting your instructions on what to do with all this fine steel we have amassed!"


    Berengar smiled and mocked his friend in a jestful manner


    "Oh? I thought my father visited you yesterday. Did the Baron not have any ns for the resources of his domain?"


    Ludwig scratched his head with an awkward smile on his face as he led Berengar over to the storehouse which currently contained all of the steel, briefly summarizing his discussion with the young lord''s father the day prior.


    "Ultimately, I managed to convince him to let you manage the steel business. He was so shocked by the amount of steel in our stockpile that he had no idea what to do with it all!"


    Berengar chuckled; if he were in his father''s position, he would be a bit overwhelmed as well.


    "A wise move, we''ll sell between 3-5 tonnes of it, I am certain that in these uncertain times, there is bound to be a buyer for that much steel."


    Ludwig scratched his beard while entertaining the thought


    "What about the rest?"


    Berengar had a look of excitement in his eyes as he stretched out the blueprints for his irrigation system. Though it lookedplicated at first nce, Ludwig quickly realized the ingenious nature of the design.


    "This is for watering crops?"


    The old man asked, almost in disbelief that such a thing could exist. Berengar nodded in affirmation of the statement and looked off into the distant fields of Kufstein with a determined expression on his face.


    "Imagine it, all of our fields supplied with water through this system, not a single patch ofnd unquenched."


    Ludwig looked off into the fields, which were filled with farmers slowly watering their crops by hand. He could envision the future quite well, but a concern instantly entered his mind.


    "Won''t that put a lot of farmers out of work?"


    Berengar smiled at Ludwig and grabbed ahold of his shoulder


    "Out of the fields and into the factories! Of course, they will be properlypensated for theirbor."


    After hearing the extent of Berengar''s thought process, Ludwig could not help but share in the feeling of excitement that these blueprints had generated. Truly Berengar had a mind like no other. The fact that he had used the word "factories" proved that the young lord''s ambitions for the steel industry did not end with this one factory they had just built. Ludwig was slowly starting to piece together Berengar''s concept of an industrialized society. The more designs the young lord showed him, the more his understanding of the world changed.


    After chatting a bit more about his ns, Berengar finally allowed Ludwig to work on the irrigation system. It would take a while to produce it, but he figured it could be done in a matter of months. At most, in half a year, the fields of Kufstein would be properly irrigated, ushering in a new age of agriculture. By then, he hoped to have some of his mechanized inventions in production, like thebine harvester, seeder, as well as the steel plow.


    Now that he had aplished his ns for the day Berengar returned to the Castle, it was about time he began making preparations to befriend the local nobility. As such, he went back to his room and began drafting invitations for the minor lords and knights under his father''s vassge, as well as their families. After all, he had an excuse to host a party, he had recently gotten engaged to a fine young woman, and it was time to throw an official celebration and allow the world to know of his intent to marry her.


    Initially, he had reservations about the idea of marrying his cousin; after all, that was not amon thing in his previous life; in American society, it was outright ouwed throughout most of the country. However, Ad proved to be beyond his expectations; he honestly did not have many expectations for the young girl to begin with. At the very least, he figured she would be a noble snob who would chastise him for his friendliness with themoners. Yet, she proved to be a kind-hearted young girl who thus far had appreciated the culture he had begun to foster in Kufstein. Maybe one day soon, he could share his vision for the future of his domain with her.


    Even if something happened and the engagement did not work out, he still needed an excuse to gather his father''s vassals, and this was the best one he coulde up with. By refusing to show, they would not be insulting him, but his father, the Baron. Something the lesser nobles beneath his rule could very well not afford.


    While he was drafting up the letters of invitation, Berengar heard a knock on the door. As such, he ced down his quill into the ink bottle and investigated the disturbance. After opening the door, he was surprised to see Ad with a tray full of snacks and two sses of milk standing in his doorway. With flushed cheeks, the girl asked what was on her mind.


    "Would you like to share a snack with me?"


    After seeing the girl''s cute expression, Berengar could not find it in good consciousness to decline her offer. Thus he parted from the doorway and led the girl to his desk, where he pulled out another chair and set it up next to his workstation. After cing down the tray of Lebkuchen and Pfeffernuss cookies which the castle''s chefs had recently baked for the youngdy, Ad spotted the exercise equipment in the corner of Berengar''s room. Naturally, she inquired about their use.


    "What is that in the corner, back there?"


    Berengar did not even need to nce behind him to know what she was referring to; as such, he snacked on a Lebkuchen cookie and reminisced of his mother''s baking from his previous life. After getting back to reality, he answered the young girl''s question.


    "That''s exercise equipment; it helps build strength."


    The girl had never seen such equipment before, but she immediately lost interest when she heard it was used exercise. As long as she kept her current figure and grew into it properly, she had no desire to do any more exercise than was necessary. Her gemstone-like eyes quickly took notice of the letters in which Berengar was in the process of drafting.


    "What are those for?"


    Berengar washed down the cookie he had just snagged with a sip of milk before getting back to work on his letters.


    "They''re invitations for our engagement ceremony. I figured I might as well invite the local nobility to the asion. After all, I feel they would be more inclined to talk to me with you by my side. Once they get to know the real me, the vicious rumors that have been spread about me will begin to disappear or at the very least reced with less harmful ones."


    Ad looked at Berengar with hearts in her eyes. He was throwing a party to celebrate their engagement? That waspletely unheard of and extremely romantic, at least in her eyes. Berengar was aware that traditional engagements from his previous life and the ceremonies that proceeded them would not be a thing for many decades still. However, what he was unaware of was just how much of an effect this party would have in his fiancee''s opinion of him. The girl got really excited when she heard he was throwing a party and inviting many nobles; she couldn''t wait to see such a splendid asion.


    "So when will this party be taking ce?"


    Berengar answered without dy as he continued to write the invitation letters.


    "About a month or so, I need time to sell some of the steel I have stockpiled to afford the expenses. It won''t be a simple affair."


    As Berengar realized the expense this party would incur, he figured he might as well sell an extra tonne or two to avoid causing his father unecessary heartache. After all, the man loved to spend his money on luxuries but always felt bad about it afterward.


    As such, the couple spent the remainder of the afternoon together enjoying some snacks while discussing the details of the uing party. Pleasantly unaware of the storm heading in their direction, taking the form of a sadistic vixen.

 Chapter 17: Immoral Temptation

    <h4>Chapter 17: Immoral Temptation</h4>


    From the view of the carriage, those dwelling inside could see the Castle of Kufstein in their sights; they had been traveling for nearly a week now and finally arrived at their destination. Inside the luxurious carriage were two individuals in their teenage years��Lambert, and Linde, who had spent the entire journey in silence. Every time Lambert attempted to speak with Linde, he was given a deathly re and a crack of the whip. Eventually, he decided to mind his own business. The only thing that made the trip bearable was knowing that his brother''s life would soone to an end, and he would be next in line for the title of Baron.


    A rider was sent ahead of the caravan to ensure that the von Kufsteins were aware that the Count of Tyrol''s daughter was approaching them. This was to avoid any awkwardness that may arise from randomly showing up in another Noble''s territory. Even if she was traveling with the son of said noble; it would be a huge p to the face of Baron Sieghard if she showed up unannounced. However, she did not write ahead out of fear of giving Berengar time to defend himself against her schemes; if what Lambert said was true, the young man had been slightly more cunning than she was led to believe. She med theck of intelligence entirely upon Lambert and his inability to gauge his own brother''s cleverness.


    If her scheme was to work as nned, she would need to put on an act to entice Berengar into a room alone with her, where she would y with him a bit before ending his life. She wondered what his screams would sound like; would he have the high-pitched tone of his kid brother? or the deep grunts of a man? She was beginning to get aroused, thinking about the pain she would inflict upon her victim.


    As the Carriage arrived in the Castle''s courtyard, the Baron and his family came to greet the count of Tyrol''s daughter. Even Ad had been present to show her respect to Linde''s position, a position in which she was equal. Yet when Linde stepped out of the carriage and gazed upon the family, her cheerful facade nearly cracked when she saw that there was no character fitting Berengar''s description lined up to greet her. Did this bastard seriously not give her any face? Where could he possibly be? This was outrageous. She was his liege''s daughter! She thought about the suffering she would inflict on the feeble man for this slight and managed to keep her facade up as she greeted her hosts.


    "Lady Linde von Habsburg thanks you for your hospitality"


    Personally, she felt sickened showing any form of respect to the Barons who in her eyes were hardly a step abovemoners. Yet, due to her noble obligations, she could not poorly represent her family in front of their vassals.


    Sieghard and his family bowed respectfully to their liege''s daughter, Ad was the only individual to remain standing, and that was because she was of equal status to Linde and would not lower her head to a peer. Sieghard dered in a voice loud enough for the entire courtyard to hear.


    "You honor us with your presence; wee to our humble abode; we hope you find your stay to be adequate."


    Sieghard had said a simr thing to Ad, and Ad seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her stay. Still, like a shrewd man, the old Baron could tell at a single nce that Linde was putting up an act to maintain face and inwardly looked down upon them for their Castle, which was practically destitutepared to thevish Castle her family dwelled in.


    "I''m sure it will be enough."


    The strawberry-blonde-haired vixen said in an indifferent tone. She was too preupied with being upset over Berengar''s absence to be concerned with the inelegant trappings she found herself surrounded with. She could no longer bear the insult and inquired about Berengar''s whereabouts.


    "Your son tells me he has an elder brother, Tell me, where is he right now? Is he not aware of my arrival?"


    And there it was, the uptight, snobbish attitude in which Sieghard and Gis pitied their second son for having to deal with. If they knew what was going on behind the scenes between the couple, they would never allow the marriage to ur. Unfortunately for everyone involved, they were unaware of Lambert''s suffering.


    Sieghard had an awkward expression on his face; Berengar had set out early in the morning, saying something about "installing pipes in a field." He truly did not know where his eldest son was at the moment.


    "I''m afraid I don''t exactly know his whereabouts; he said something about installing pipes in a field and left early in the morning. I apologize on his behalf for his abs..."


    Before Sieghard could finish his sentence, a hand was raised in the air cutting him off. Linde was firmly holding her palm face up at him, informing him to be silent.


    "No need for an apology; I expect to hear it straight from his mouth when I see himter tonight. I assume he will be home in time for the feast?"


    Sieghard had a look of concern on his face; this girl was not easy to please; he had to be sure to lecture Berengar to apologize properly to herter that evening. They could not afford to offend their liege''s family. All he could do was agree to her conditions before leading her into the Castle and showing the youngdy the lodgings she would be staying at during the duration of her visit.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Gunther''s field, Berengar and the townsfolk quickly installed the first set of irrigation pipes. He had received notice from Ludwig early in the morning that he had finished production on a set of irrigation pipes and had enough to fill up a single field. As such, the young lord had rushed out of his quarters and aided in installing them. He worked side by side with the peasants as they connected the wheel line irrigation system across the field.


    After it had been entirely set up, Berengar was given the honors of activating the system; within seconds, water sprinkled from the thin steel wheels, which were stationed every few feet across a long steel pipe that supplied water to the aforementioned wheels.


    Cheers echoed across the field as many vigers had gathered to witness Berengar''stest invention, and it did not disappoint. Gunther and his family practically wiped tears from their eyes as they saw the irrigation functioning properly. This meant he did not need to spend nearly as much energy watering his crops every day. This was truly a great day for his family and the vige.


    After the cheering had settled, Berengar cleared his throat and spoke with an authoritative tone.


    "Citizens of Kufstein, I present to you the Wheel Line Irrigation System! Our industrial sector is currently working on producing many of these devices, enough to fill all the fields of our humble domain! I hope this makes your lives easier in theing days!"


    A thunder of apuse alongside cheering could be heard all the way to the Castle, and it did not go unnoticed. However, now was not the time to celebrate; the true celebration woulde when the harvest came into effect. With all of the recent innovations, it would be an unimaginable yield this year.


    After saying his farewells to the vigers, Berengar returned to the castle. He quickly engaged in his nightly bath after dressing in a particrly exquisite ck velvet doublet in gold brocade and matching breeches. After all, now that he was engaged, he figured he should dress nicer, even if the attire were a bit too gaudy for his tastes.


    However, when he entered the dining room, all eyes were set upon him, something to which he had be ustomed to. However, the nces of Lambert and the stunning woman sitting next to him particrly caught his attention. He had not seenmbert in over half a month; it was no surprise he was acting this way when Berengar''s physical transformation had even stunned his family members who witnessed it in full.


    Though Berengar did not care in the slightest about his vile brother''s opinion, what caught his nce was the heavenly beauty sitting next to Lambert. She had to be the most beautiful young woman he had seen in the entirety of his two lives. Was that Lambert''s fiance? He instantly felt envious of his younger brother and thought to himself.


    ''Fuck what kind of shit luck do I have to get stuck with the 12-year-old cousin when that scheming prick gets an angel like her?"


    Meanwhile, Linde had an even stronger reaction to Berengar''s appearance. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she saw the suave appearance of the healthy young lord in front of her. He was nowhere near what Lambert had described to her. He was fashionable, he was handsome, and most of all, he was tall, unlike his kid brother.


    It took the sadistic vixen all of three seconds to change her scheme from seduction and assassination to seduction and envement. Why the hell should she bother with a little twit like Lambert when the heir of the von Kufstein family was the prize catch. If she could make Berengar her ve, she would be the happiest mistress in the world! Sure Lambert was good-looking and had his boyish charms, but he could notpare to Berengar; she was furious that she had been tricked into an engagement to the second son. She began to wonder why she was constantly given misinformation these days.


    ''Who was the idiot who said that Berengar was a sickly, indolent, wastrel? She would have that fool''s tongue cut out for speaking such nder!''


    The lustful nces exchanged by Berengar and Linde did not go unnoticed by those who were sitting at the dinner table. Lambert''s face was beginning to turn red with fury, while Ad was pouting in silence as she thought to herself.


    ''Just because she has arge chest, that idiot is practically drooling over her! I won''t forgive him for this!''


    Finally, Sieghard had enough of the disy and grunted in displeasure which woke the two strangers out of their trance.


    "Berengar, are you not going to sit down?"


    Berengar immediately recovered his calm and sat down and said grace with the family. He almost lost himself there for a second; he needed to remember that this girl was the fiancee of his little brother. Obviously, she was out to get him. If he fell for her charms, he was truly a dead man, something he did not want to repeat so soon after his previous experience with death.


    While he was calming himself down, the stunning young woman introduced herself.


    "Linda von Habsburg, daughter of Count Lothar von Habsburg, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."


    Deep down, the girl could barely keep a straight face without fawning over Berengar; she had acted too cordially; she was never this pleasant with other people, especially of a lower house like this. She, too, had to get a grip, or else she would fall prey to her own scheme.


    Berengar had no choice but to introduce himself; he tried to behave himself as he could feel the deathly re that Ad was giving him from his left side. In the end, he still sounded too flirtatious as he gave Linde his greeting.


    "Berengar von Kufstein, son of Sieghard von Kufstein, and heir to the Barony of Kufstein, rest assured the pleasure is all mine."


    Linde had no idea why but she coquettishlyughed at his remark. Thus resulting in Henrietta gagging at the disy of immoral affection. She would not let this vixen steal both her big brothers! Something had to be done about this situation.


    Eventually, the awkward atmosphere faded as the food arrived. Linde had a simr reaction as Ad when she first tasted the fine cuisine presented by the chefs. However, hers was far more exaggerated in an attempt to seduce Berengar. Every time she moaned in ecstasy at the taste, Berengar could feel a battle of wills in his mind. As if the angel and devil on his shoulders were advising him on two different paths. Damn this girl; she was too much of a subus for a virgin like him to handle.


    Seeing as the situation was spiraling, Berengar elected to leave the table before he lost himself to temptation. He excused himself early and headed for the bath. While he was fleeing the scene, Linde smiled wickedly; she had decided she would make this man her ve at any cost. Not a toy like all the previous suitors, but a dedicated ve, someone who would serve her for the rest of her life.


    As she watched Berengar''s fine behind walk away from her she devised a devious n to ensnare him; after everyone in the castle had fallen asleep, she would approach Berengar''s room with a gon of wine and two chalices while dressed in her most revealing nightgown. She would persuade him to allow her entry to his bed chambers under the guise of inquiring about his absence earlier in the day. Afterward, she would pour him a drink which would obviously be drugged, not with deadly poison but a powerful aphrodisiac.


    When Berengar could no longer contain his lust and pounced at her, she would subdue him and force him to recognize her as his eternal mistress, his owner, his Countess. Then when he had fully submitted, she would help him relieve himself. After a week, maybe even a month of proper training, she would give her chastity to him and swindle him into breaking their betrothals and getting together by faking a pregnancy.


    It was the perfect n, and it was all supposed to go swimmingly. So when it was finally over, all she could ask herself was, ''how did things end up like this?''

 Chapter 18: Reversal of Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 18: Reversal of Fortune</h4>


    After Berengar had fled the dining scene, he quickly took a cold bath to calm himself down. He could not fall prey to this temptress''s schemes; it would surely mean the death of him. After spending enough time in the bath to cool his bodily reaction, he returned to his room, where he began to draft ns for the steel plow. It was the next step in his irrigation initiative.


    He would work well into the night as per usual. Only after midnight had approached was he disturbed from his work by the knocking sound at his door. He was wary; There was only one person who would possibly disturb him at this hour. Linde was here to plot against him. He would not fall for her advances like he had done earlier that evening, or so he thought.


    After calming his heart, he approached the door and opened it, where he saw Linde''s divine figure in an especially revealing nightgown that should not exist in this time period. Clearly, this was hand-tailored with the purpose of seduction in mind. The gown was baby blue, with white embroidery, and was designed to enhance her natural curves. The femme fatale standing before him wore a seducing smile on her face with a tray that contained two chalices of wine. He could already guess her plot.? Linde''s expression turned sultry as she expressed her desire to enter his bed-chambers


    "Can Ie in? I have something to talk to you about."


    Berengar smiled and yed along to her games; he had already figured out what she was nning and intended to turn it around on her. As such, he opened the door and allowed the young temptress into his room.


    "I don''t see why not"


    After Linde crossed into the room, she ced the drinks down upon his nightstand andy down upon his bed, making sure to spread herself out in a way that showed off her perfectly proportioned body in the best way possible. To a virgin like Berengar, a beautiful young seductress like Linde was the most potent weapon. Berengar almost fell for her charms, but he quickly reminded himself that she was sent to eliminate him, and as such, he forced himself out of his trance.


    Afterward, he sat down next to her on the bed, where he made sure to sit in a manner that revealed his blueprints upon his desk. Though Linde stared at Berengar''s charming appearance with a rising degree of lust, her eyes were quickly drawn to the blueprints, and as such, she swiftly got off the bed and walked over to his desk while inquiring about them.


    "What are these?"


    While Linde had taken the bait, Berengar switched the drink positions so that this would-be assassin would have a taste of her own medicine. Afterward, he grabbed the non-poisoned drink and took a sip, exining the nature of his designs in brief detail.


    "Just some simple agricultural equipment I have designed; it is really nothing important."


    Hearing that it was designed for agriculture, the snobbish noblewoman immediately lost interest and returned to her seat; noticing that Berengar had already taken a drink, a sinister smile spread across her immacte lips as she sat down and took a sip from her own chalice. Completely unaware that Berengar had switched the drinks.


    After she took the first sip, Berengar began to extend the conversation so that she would keep consuming the poisoned wine. As such, he immediately asked about why she had stopped by his quarters.


    "So why are you here, alone, sote at night? Do you not know it is inappropriate?"


    Linde continued to drink from her wine until the whole cup was empty before answering Berengar''s question. However, as she was about to answer his question, she became incredibly dizzy. She could feel her body heat rising, and she struggled to stay sitting on the bed. Despite all of these changes she tried to control herself and answer his questions.


    "I just�� I��"


    The heavenly beauty quickly began to feel her body bing sensitive, to the point where the breeze from the windows blowing upon her skin raised her arousal. Something was terribly wrong; in her fugue-like state, she slowly realized that she had somehow consumed the drugged wine that she had prepared for Berengar.


    Realizing what Berengar had done, Linde grew furious and tried to get up so that she could reprimand him. However, all that she managed to do was fall into Berengar''s arms, where he looked at her with confusion. Linde''s sensitivity was greatly enhanced by the drugged wine, and by simply being touched, she felt her arousal increase. Her wless porcin skin had a great deal of flushing across it while glistening with sweat. Linde was breathing heavily while looking into Berengar''s sapphire eyes with a longing expression.


    Berengar gulped heavily as he came to a sudden realization. This girl had not attempted to poison him. At least not in a lethal sense, instead she spiked his drink with a powerful aphrodisiac. Just what exactly did this little vixen have in mind for tonight? Realizing that this was finally his opportunity to lose his virginity Berengar quickly began to disrobe; after taking off his shirt, the lust in Linde''s body grew to an uncontroble extent as she gazed upon his well-toned figure.


    After removing both of their clothes, Berengar was ready to do the deed. However, he thought of a brilliant n and managed to control his urges for a few moments before he went in for the kill. As such, a devilish smile appeared across his face as he gazed upon Linde''s heavenly figure. Noticing that Berengar was not going through with the act, Linde felt greatly offended and she began to berate him.


    "What are you waiting for? Put it in!"


    Berengar, on the other hand, shook his head as he grabbed ahold of one of her exquisite breasts; the moment he did, the girl climaxed from the mere touch. The act of which shocked Berengar; he could not believe how powerful the drug she consumed was. Nevertheless, it was not enough to relive the girl of her condition, and as such Beregnar began his interrogation.


    "What is Lambert nning by having you do this?"


    Though Linde was drugged and in a state of maximum arousal, she still had a strong will and attempted to resist divulging the information. However, after a little more teasing, she began to sing like a songbird.


    "He wanted me to seduce you and kill you!"


    This answer shocked Berengar. Clearly, this was not a lethal substance; just how exactly did he end up in this scenario. As such, he inquired further about this information.


    "So how exactly did you end up like a bitch in heat?"


    Linde pursed her lips and began to pout; however, as Berengar further toyed with her body, she quickly divulged her shameful n.


    "The moment I saw you, I knew you were the one!"


    Berengar''s jaw fell open. Did this girl seriously confess to him? Was this how a confession was supposed to happen? What was he, some Hentai protagonist!?! Nevertheless, he continued to dig for an answer.


    "What do you mean by the one?"


    By now, Linde was in so much misery from not releasing her pent-up arousal that she no longer had any resistance to Berengar''s questions.


    "My ve! I have toys, but I have never found a proper ve! I wanted to drug you and force you to submit to me!"


    Berengar''s head was quickly filled with a variety of images while he contemted her words. It took him a moment before he realized what kind of girl she was.


    ''Oh shit! She is a hardcore dominatrix�� Wait a second�� This is an opportunity!"


    A wicked grin spread across Berengar''s face as an evil plot filled his head. If he went through with it, there were only two oues. One of them most certainly would be his demise, but to have such a divine young woman to himself, was well worth the risk.


    Linde could no longer contain herself and began to whimper as she began to plead with Berengar.


    "I can not wait any longer; put it in now!"


    Berengar shook his head and teased her some more before giving hismand


    "Beg!"


    The shoe was on the other foot now, and he fully intended to take advantage of the situation. Hearing the words she had said countless times before to other men, Linde began to frown, but she was in no condition to negotiate. As such she quickly began to beg.


    "Please put it in!"


    Berengar shook his head once more and wagged his finger before giving her further instructions.


    "Call me master, and you will get what you want."


    Linde had grown furious; she would never submit to a man. However, the longer she waited, the more unbearable her situation became, especially as Berengar continued to y with her body. Eventually, she submitted to Berengar and voiced the words he wanted to hear.


    "Please put it in me�� Master!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded as he expressed his agreement with her words


    "That''s better."


    Before Linde could chastise him, Berengar jumped into the fray and imed his prize. The two would go at it the entire night before Linde was finally relieved from the effects of the drug. After the light of dawn shone upon their naked figures, Berengar noticed a peculiar sight. His white bedsheets were stained with blood, which meant only one thing. However, before he could react, Linde had dug her teeth into his shoulder; it was not a vicious bite intent to harm. Instead, it was more of an affectionate nibble. Nevertheless, Berengar flicked her on the nose and chastised her.


    "Bad girl!"


    Linde quickly flushed in embarrassment, she waspletely ashamed of herself for her actions from the night before, and she quickly put on her nightgown and rushed out of Berengar''s room, where she headed for her own quarters. Berengar, on the other hand, was smiling with satisfaction in his own room, where he began to speak to himself aloud.


    "Berengar, you finally did it! Hopefully, things won''t be too awkward at the breakfast table��."

 Chapter 19: Your Wish is my Command

    <h4>Chapter 19: Your Wish is my Command</h4>


    When Linde fled Berengar''s bed chambers, she covered her flushed appearance with her hands; she was so embarrassed she wished she could die. Berengar was far from gentle the night before; he had taken a stern and dominant position, not allowing her control over the situation for a single moment. It greatly wounded her pride as a dominatrix to be pinned down and bred like a bitch in heat. The fact that she had given her virginity to Berengar because she was careless was another point of contention in her mind. Though she had entertained herself by humiliating men through physical disys of dominance in the past, she had never engaged in any sexual activities before. For all her bluster, she waspletely inexperienced, until now.


    There was only one way she could forget this humiliation, by taking it out on her current toy. She resolved herself to be especially brutal to Lambertter today. She had no desire to inform anyone, especially her father, about her misfortune. If she did, her reputation as a domineering youngdy would bepletely ruined; after all, she had her chastity taken by a lowly Baron''s son; and she could not possibly lose face like that. Instead, she opted to find a way to get vengeance on Berengar herself. Somehow she would find a way to get even. Or so she told herself. The conflicted state of her subconscious thoughts told a different story.


    ...


    Several hours had passed, and Berengar treated the morning like any other; he had to pretend as if nothing happened. The probability of Linde informing anyone of the deed the two had done the night before was slim; as such, the likelihood of her father finding out about it and demanding he takes responsibility was practically non-existent. He understood Linde''s type; she would not easily inform others of how she had gotten herself drugged and begged a man of Berengar''s position to mate with her. Despite the slim probability, Berengar decided to take several precautions and advance some of the ns he had already been thinking about for some time.


    As such, after exercising and bathing, Berengar drafted blueprints for flintlock muskets and 12-pound cannons. He did not have the time or resources to produce rifled muskets at the moment or percussion locks. Such things required advanced machinery and a chemical stockpile of mercury fulminate, which he was far from achieving at the early stages of his development. He did not even have a single court-alchemist in which he could teach the science of chemistry. As such, there was no one to make such a valuable chemical, and he did not have the time to spend wasting his day away on elementary chemistry.


    Once his blueprints were finished, he rushed the designs over to Ludwig and informed him to create a batch of 100 flintlock muskets and three 12 pound cannons as quickly as possible. Ludwig was concerned with the anxious expression on Berengar''s face and had to ask.


    "These designs are centuries ahead of anything I have seen regarding gunpowder... I have to ask, what could we possibly need these for?"


    Berengar was a gentleman, or so he liked to think. As such, he would never tell anyone what he and Linde had done the night before. Thus he came up with some excuse to convince Ludwig to start the production of weaponry.


    "I n to start a militia; if anything, Kufstein''s defenses are quitex, and I think it would be wise to invest in such a force. Just keep it on a need-to-know basis; I don''t want details about these weapons being leaked."


    To Ludwig, this was a logical request. However, the only problem with it was timing. They were currently in the middle of developing irrigation piping, and as such, it would not be easy to switch over to the production of arms. However, he could tell Berengar was adamant about this, and as such, he acquiesced to the young Lord''s request.


    "I''ll divert some resources from the irrigation assembly line to the production of these weapons you have designed. The workers won''t know what they''re making, so rest assured. "


    That''s right, due to the many pieces of the irrigation system, Berengar had implemented a rudimentary assembly line system to expedite productivity. Thus as long as nobody was aware of the finished product, except for those who could be trusted with the confidential information, then they could feasibly assemble the weapons in secret and arm a peasant militia with them. Training in basic line tactics and operation of simple yet effective weapons could be achieved much quicker than training a swordsman for war.


    Berengar sped Ludwig on the shoulder and thanked him for his service


    "I thank you, my friend, from the bottom of my heart; when the profitse in from the steel ingots, I will be sure to give you a raise!"


    Ludwig humbly shook his head as he conversed with the Young Lord.


    "No thanks is required; I''m just doing what I must for the realm!"


    Berengar released his grip on Ludwig''s shoulder and wiped the sweat from his brow


    "Alright, I''m needed at the castle; inform me when the weapons are fully manufactured."


    Ludwig bowed at Berengar as he departed.


    "Of course, milord."


    with that, Berengar re-entered the castle grounds and found his way to the dining room, where the family was sitting calmly as if they werepletely unaware of Berengar''s scandalous activities he hadmitted the night before. Even Linde seemed to have partially recovered from the debacle and was seated peacefully next to Lambert. It was only when she spotted Berengar did she re menacingly at him. Sure enough, the young temptress would not bend to his will easily, but that was fine; Berengar would enjoy the process.


    After sitting down at the table and eating breakfast with his family and fiancee, he felt the anxiety in the pit of his stomach slowly fade away. However, Linde''s cold sky blue eyes never allowed Berengar out of her sight. As if she was watching him, wary that he might try something then and there. However, when she saw Berengar''s tranquil expression as he ignored herpletely and conversed with his little fiancee as if nothing had happened during the night, she was inwardly outraged.


    ''This bastard won''t even give me the slightest attention after what happenedst night! Was itpletely meaningless to him? How could he treat me this way? I swear on my ancestor''s graves you will bend to my will before the week is done!''


    Unknowingly she had bit her lips and crossed her legs as she examined Berengar''s loving expression towards Ad with fire and fury in her heart. However, there was something else mixed in with her scorn, was that jealousy she felt? How could she possibly be jealous of that little girl? Clearly, her mind was ying tricks on her. After drinking from her chalice, she nearly choked on it when she realized it was wine, the same vor of wine that had caused her to lose herself to lust the night before. Despite it being ordinary wine, she began to feel flustered and dizzy, which did not go unnoticed by the others.


    Gis, with ever the watchful eye, inquired with a concerned tone.


    "Are you okay, My Lady?"


    With flushed cheeks, Linde responded to the curious gazes of the others in the most dignified manner she could.


    "I''m afraid I''ve had too much wine with my breakfast, Lambert can you be a doll and take me to my quarters?"


    Lambert tensed up when he heard those words; he waspletely unaware that Linde had changed her plot attempting to drug and enve Berengarst night; he figured she would at least wait a few weeks before she tried to scheme against the man. After being chastised for his failure, he was certain she would be wise about her attempt to assassinate his brother. Clearly, she just wanted to torture her toy some more at the moment. However, he could not decline as the punishment would only be more severe. Thus he left the table with Linde and dragged the heavenly beauty to her quarters; it wasn''t until she left the dining room where her wary gaze finally dropped its focus on Berengar.


    After entering her room, Linde took out her conflicted emotions on Lambert, who acted as a target for her frustrations. However, what confused Linde most was that she no longer found pleasure in abusing the young boy. Instead, every time she heard the crack of the whip, she could not help but remember the rough treatment she endured the night before, and before long, she found herself aroused by her memories and desiring more. Soon enough, she began to feel a crisis in her identity, a proud dominatrix like herself should not be feeling this way over such memories. Before long, she threw the whip across the room in a fit of rage and screamed at Lambert venting her own conflicted emotions on the poor boy as she did so, instinctively she shouted a set of words designed to hurt him.


    "Get the hell out; I don''t want to see your ugly face for a long time!"


    Lambert was perplexed, the girl had never acted this way before, but after taking hersh multiple times, he bit his tongue and quickly fled the scene while thinking to himself.


    ''Crazy bitch, you are lucky that you are pretty!''


    After Lambert had mmed the door on his way out, Lindetched the lock behind him and crawled up onto her bed as she hugged her knees while staring out the window in deep thought.


    ''What is happening to me? Why am I suddenly like this?''


    Memories of the passionate night she had spent with Berengar filled her head, and the ecstasy she had felt when he had his way with her. She could not help but be incredibly aroused at the thought of being treated in such a way by a strong and domineering man like Berengar.


    Lost in her thoughts, Linde suddenly shook her head to get rid of all the unnecessary notions guing her mind. She would return tonight, However, this time she would be the one to make him beg! Or so she told herself. Her body was far more honest than her mind.


    ...


    At midnight Berengar suddenly heard a knock at his door again; he smiled as he realized his sinister ns might actually be a reality. As such, he put on a stoic facade and opened the door with an indifferent expression.


    "You again? Don''t tell me you are here for more?"


    Linde had prepared an authoritative statement; she had evene with a n so that she could whip Berengar into submission and return to her usual self. However, the moment she stared at him in his doorway with a look as if he did not care the slightest about her, something in her mind broke. She could no longer deny the affection she had for the man; maybe he really was the one, but not her ve, maybe he was her master? She shook her head in indignation and resolved herself to stay strong. While thinking suchplex thoughts, Berengar noticed the whip in her hands and gazed at her coldly before inquiring about her intentions.


    "And just what do you n to do with that?"


    Hearing Berengar''s words immediately broke Linde from her trance; she began to breathe heavily as she knelt before Berengar and presented him her whip, which she had previously used to humiliate half a dozen young noblemen. The moment she did so she cursed herself inwardly


    ''Exactly how is this staying strong?''


    Seeing this action, Berengar was shocked; she broke quicker than he thought she would. He waited for a moment for Linde to exin herself, and finally, she said the words he wanted to hear.


    "Please punish me, master��."


    Linde immediately screamed in agony within the confines of her mind over her mistake, but she could not express it in reality, instead, she slowly followed Berengar and obeyed hismands, like an obedient ve. A wicked grin appeared on Berengar''s face; as such, he led the girl into his room and closed his door, where the resulting sound of the whip''s crack failed to prate the thick stone walls of his quarters. With this action, Linde had confirmed it for herself; a switch was flipped in her brain; she was no longer a sadistic dominatrix but a masochistic ve-girl, and she could not be happier.


    After ying with the whip for a bit, Berengar pulled out a set of ropes he had lying around and bound Linde up. The rest of the night, he would enjoy himself to the fullest with her magnificent body. By the time the sun rose, Linde had absconded from his room like a frightened rabbit once more. Though she had begun the process of submission, there was still a great deal of pride in her heart, and it would take a while for her to surrender herself to Berengar fully.


    Over the course of the next week, Berengar would spend the time of the day overseeing the production of firearms and cannons, as well as the irrigation system and their slow implementation. He had gotten his father''s approval to draft a volunteer militia, which began their training immediately; even though the production of firearms was yet to bepleted, the militia recruits could still drill and practice line tactics and undergo mental conditioning to be a cohesive unit which was important on the field of battle. He modeled his militia''s training after basic training from the US Army, which he had experienced in his previous life.


    He was given full authority of the militia by his father, who saw it as a perfect way for his son to prepare for war and did not think anything else of it in the slightest. As such, the peasants flocked to the ranks of his militia to train in their spare time; after all, who would not want to defend their homes under the leadership of Berengar?


    When he was done with his work for the day, he would spend several hours with Ad inside the castle walls, Linde of course; would purposely provoke Berengar in minor ways during his date time with Ad, then she would return to his chambers at night to be discilplined for her actions. She was slowly but surely bing honest with herself. By the end of the week, her heart and soul had finally submitted to her desires, and by extension, Berengar. As the dawn rose on the first day of the new week, Linde did not flee out of the grasp of Berengar but cuddled closely in his arms, a warm smile on her face as she prodded his chest with her finger.


    "So what now, master?"


    Berengar looked at her in shock. Did she seriously call him Master of her own free will? Normally she would only call him that when she was aroused, and she was clearly in a very calm state at the moment. As such, he decided to rify the matter.


    "Master?"


    He could not help but question the girl. She had a look of confusion on her face as she stared him in the eyes.


    "Yes, that''s what you wanted me to call you when we''re alone. If not, I can call you by whatever it is you desire!"


    Berengar could not help but chuckle; he had finally done it. He had taken an enormous gamble, and if he lost, it could easily have cost him his life. Yet, it turned into the greatest gain in the entirety of his two lives. He honestly expected her to hold onto her stubbornness a bit longer, but she was finally a properly broken-in ve. He had no idea what to say to this. In his past life, and his current one, he was a virgin until a week ago. The way he finally lost his V card was not exactly something you would see in a fairy tale. Still, he lost it to the prettiest girl he had ever seen. A weekter, she was calling him master? How the hell did he aplish this?


    Apparently, Linde was not the only one who changed significantly during this past week. Berengar had grown more confident, more ambitious, and more reckless. After an entire week of rough and kinky intercourse, the girl was truly and utterly loyal to Berengar and Berengar alone. After thinking about the girl''s question for some time in silence, he finally responded.


    "Master is the correct term, as for whates next... I won''t lie to you. It will be very dangerous for you, but if youplete it with satisfactory results, I will reward you with whatever you desire."


    Light sparkled in Linde''s eyes when she heard thest part of Berengar''s sentence as she grabbed ahold of his hand.


    "Anything for you, master!"


    Berengar chuckled, and puller her in close, and whispered in her ear.


    "I want you to spy on your father and my brother for me..."


    He expected her to show some resistance; after all, her training had only gone on for a week, but instead, there was no hesitation in her voice while she returned the whisper as she breathed into his ear.


    "Your wish is mymand."


    With that said, Berengar had gained the most valuable ally in his war of intrigue against his brother Lambert and the Count of Tyrol. They would not be aware that every plot they came up with to conspire against Berengar was secretly leaked to him by the most trusted member of their inner circle until it was toote. Though he would not know it now, one day, Linde would be the director of Berengar''s extensive spywork and his personal concubine. A rtionship in which a dynasty would be built upon...

 Chapter 20: Raising an Army

    <h4>Chapter 20: Raising an Army</h4>


    The sun rose in the clear blue sky above and shone through the open window of the Berengar''s bed-chamber. Illuminating the scene of Berengar cuddling intimately with Linde. It would not be for many more hours before the rest of the Castle awoke and began mbering about. As such, Berengar spent the time ying with his new ve and asking her many of his queries. Some he already knew the answer to and was merely testing her loyalty. When she honestly answered all of his questions, he was satisfied with the results of her training.


    Now that he had begun to trust her loyalty, Berengar had a peculiar interest in a rumor he heard recently. As the daughter of the Count of Tyrol, which was a region dominated by the Habsburg family and bordered the territory of the Duchy of Bavaria, Linde was in a much better position to gather intelligence than Berengar was. He was curious if she was aware of the inner workings of the royal court of Germany.


    Though the title King of Germany and its sovereign territory still existed at this point, it was far from what you would call a unified Kingdom. Currently, the Duke of Luxembourg held the title King of Germany, though, over the centuries, the title had passed through many families'' hands. Berengar had heard rumors about the Kingdom facing a session crisis; when the current King died, there was a high possibility of internal conflict. Yet, he had no details about what was happening at the highest court of his country. However, Linde might know the details. Thus Berengar decided to see what she knew about it.


    "Is it true the Kingdom is on the brink of civil war?"


    Linda looked up at him with a concerned expression and thought to herself


    ''Is the Baron and his family not aware of the current cmity that looms over the kingdom?''


    Having fully epted Berengar as her master, she would not hide anything from the young lord; whatever he wanted to know as long as she knew an answer, she would unhesitantly give it to him.


    "Of course! Why do you think my father is so interested in Kufstein''s iron reserves? He wants to build an army second to none for the uing war."


    Berengar narrowed his eyes at the attractive girl currently pressing her bare chest into his own as she clung to him.


    "What exactly does he need such a powerful army for?"


    A gorgeous smile appeared across the peerless beauty''s face as she swiped the bangs of her strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes. She stared at Berengar with her sky blue pupils expecting a reward for her answer.


    "He wants to be the Duke of Austria; when the main family presses its im to the throne, he will turn on them and seize Vienna as his own."


    Berengar patted the girl''s head softly as if she were a pet andplimented her.


    "Good girl! What else can you tell me about the current session crisis?"


    Linde could not stop smiling as Berengar stroked her red-gold hair with his firm but loving hand; she had no idea that beingplimented by a master was so satisfying. She began to question why she had wasted her time as a dominatrix when being the ve felt so much more rewarding.


    "Currently, the King of Germany is a feeble old man with no rightful heirs. He fathered no sons and only one daughter in his lifetime. The current imants to the throne are his Nephew, the legitimized bastard son of the King''s younger brother, who recently passed. The problem is, even if he is a legitimized bastard, he''s still a bastard, and few people support his im to the throne."


    Berengar nodded at the information; this was valuable intel. He decided to reward the girl by ying with her well-endowed chest. Which startled Linde at first, but her face quickly became flushed as she closed her eyes, enjoying the treatment. However, after Berengar stopped, she realized he was waiting for her to finish her analysis.


    "The second imant to the throne is the Duke of Bavaria; his im essentially relies on the fact that before the House von Luxembourg took over, his House the von Wittelsbachs were the Monarchs."


    The divine seductress stopped her sentence after exining the second imant to the throne of Germany; she clearly wanted to be rewarded for each piece of information. Feeling the intel she provided was worth it, and in good faith, Berengar decided to indulge her as he pressed his lips against her own and twirled their tongues together for a few seconds before releasing. If she wanted to go any further, she would have to finish providing her report.


    Taking the hint, Linde quickly revealed thest bit of information she knew about the ongoing fight for the throne.


    "Lastly, there''s the Duke of Austria; he married the current King''s only daughter and wants to install his teenage son as King of Germany; as you know, my family is merely a Cadet Branch of the von Habsburgs who rule Austria. Thus my father ns to betray them when they march on Munich and seize the Duchy for himself."


    Linde immediately blushed upon revealing thest of her knowledge regarding the current political situation the kingdom was facing. Clearly expecting Berengar to finish what he started with her. However, the next statement that came from Berengar''s mouth immediately triggered the discipline he had brutally installed in the young woman over the past week.


    A wicked smile appeared across Berengar''s face as he saw the girl eying him up, waiting for him to conquer her. He wanted to see how far she had been conditioned at this point. As such, he gave amand in the most authoritative voice he could muster.


    "Beg..."


    The face of the youthful enchantress immediately became beet red as she followed hismand and got on her knees spreading her lower lips for Berengar to see in all of its splendor.


    "Please.... reward me, master!"


    Berengar could contain his lust no longer and spent the remainder of the morning enjoying his new toy to the fullest extent. One could say that the activities they engaged in for the next hour and a half could be considered his morning exercise for the day. It was not until their bodies were filled with sweat that Berengar finally emerged from his room. Linde was instructed to wait until the coast was clear before she rushed back to her room down the hall from his. Once Berengar verified the absence of others, Linde subtly snuck back to her quarters as if the two of them spending the night together had never urred.


    Shortly thereafter, Linde had closed the door behind her, and Berengar''s expression sank to one of deep concern as he thought to himself.


    ''It looks like I''m going to have to further my recruitment efforts...''


    His next choice of action was to enter the bath and wash off the sweat that had umted across his body throughout the night and early morning. Havingpleted his bath and gotten dressed, he exited the private bathhouse his family had built and entered the dining room, where the rest of his family was waiting for him.


    Including Linde and Ad, who were sitting opposite each other across the table. Ad was not pleased with the buxom beauty in front of her; over the past week, this strawberry-blonde-haired bimbo had interrupted all of her dates with Berengar and purposely attempted to provoke him. What could be the reason for Linde to have a conflict with Berengar? Unless, of course, she was acting on Lambert''s behalf.


    Were the two brothers really so estranged that Lambert had to send his fiancee to instigate strife? Ad had begun to realize something the rest of Berengar''s family was blissfully unaware of with only basic conjecture. There was a war of intrigue going on between the two siblings over the inheritance. The more she thought of it as a possibility, the more it began to make sense to her. She decided that she would have to ask Berengar about itter when she had the chance.


    When Berengar sat down at the table next to Ad, he could feel the intense gaze of envying from Linde and began to question whether this ve of his had any sense of self-restraint. He instantly gave the unrivaled bombshell a re signaling for her to act normal; if the rest of his family caught on to their current rtionship, it would not end well for the two of them.


    Once more, Berengar entertained breakfast with his family; nothing of importance happened. Lambertpletely believed that his fiancee still intended on assassinating his older brother and was trying to seduce him. He did not have the slightest clue that the girl of his dreams had beenpletely stolen from him right under his nose by his elder brother.


    After having a pleasant meal free of discord, Berengar departed from the castle and entered the field where his militia was being trained to use firearms and cannons. Their numbers had grown to approximately 250 over the past week, and despite there not being enough muskets and 12 pounders to go around, there had been a great deal of progress in their training. Berengar seriously needed to sell the steel stockpile as soon as possible to get the mines running at full capacity. It would be essential to surviving the uing war.


    A few veteran men-at-arms belonging to Sieghard''s standing army snickered at the pathetic peasants training with their hand cannons. They foolishly mistook the sophisticated musket capable of prating a knight''s full te with ease as the primitive firearm currently in use in a few feudal armies. If they had known that the invention of the musket ushered in the end of the era of Knights and men-at-arms like themselves, they would be filled with despair.


    Each musket was issued its own socket bay, a technology that eliminated the need for pikeman and swordsman. The pike and shot era never had a chance toe to fruition the moment Julian was reincarnated as Berengar. It was not until the 12-pound cannon made a disy that the veteran soldiers began to feel a sense of worry at the arms in use by the peasants.


    The 12-pound cannon Berengar had designed was based on the 19th-century smoothbore Canon busier de 12 or moremonly known in English-speaking circles as the 1857 12-pounder Napoleon, named after Napoleon III whomissioned it in the 19th century. This cannon was light enough to be towed by horses and used as a field gun but fired a heavy enough round to be used effectively in sieges during the era it was designed for. It was capable of firing shell, shot, or solid ball. Judging by theck of chemical industry, it currently only utilized ball and canister shots.


    The primary differences between this piece of artillery and the one used extensively during the American civil war were that it was made out of pure steel, thus making it more robust than its bronze counterpart and that it did not utilize the more advanced friction primer to activate the firing sequence. As was pointed out earlier, Berengar had no chemical manufacturing process right now, and thus theplex chemical sequence needed to manufacture friction primers was unavable. Instead, the cannon utilized the older vent primer and linstock to fire the cannon. It was a slower and less reliable process, but it was still used for centuries before the friction primer was invented, and it was the best option Berengar currently had.


    When the cannons simultaneously roared and fired off rounds of canister shot at the straw targets, which were ced at roughly 400 yards away from the guns, the Men-at-Arms who were previously mocking the peasant militia nearly lost their minds. Hundreds of straw dummies were shredded apart by the canister shot provided by the three cannons. As veterans of multiple wars, they had never witnessed such a destructive weapon before and could hardly believe their eyes.


    Berengar watched his militia form ranks and fired the muskets in their possession effectively. He could not wait until his militia could qualify as a true army. Despite being unarmored, the 250 man militia would soon be capable of providing a line of defense for the secluded mountain Barony against its potential enemies. Berengar wanted to armor them in munitions grade half-te but could not get the approval. His father would never waste the production of armor on what he deemed to be mere peasant levies. If the peasant militia found themselves facing muskets, the armor would be practically useless. However, against armies equipped with bows, crossbows, and hand cannons, the armor Berengar had in mind was more than capable of defending against such threats.


    Munitions grade te was an invention that would normally be invented in the next century; unlike current te armor designs; it was not hand fitted to the individual. Instead, it was mass-produced with the intent of equippingmon soldiers. Berengar would never supply his father''s forces with the technology he created, they did not answer to him, and he felt as if his father would carelessly hand over the weapons for reverse engineering to his lieges. As such, he had to y down how effective the weapons really were when in discussions with his father.


    After aiding in the training of his militia, he returned to the Castle where he saw Ad waiting for him outside his bed-chamber with a letter in her hand. Naturally, his interest was sparked, and as such, he opened his door and allowed the young girl inside.


    "You have something you want to tell me?"


    Ad nodded with a pure smile on her face as she handed the letter to Berengar; it was from her father and concerned about purchasing the steel ingots lying in his storehouse. Berengar was extremely delighted when he saw the price offered and had no reason to negotiate; it was well above what he considered a fair price. Evidently, the Count of Steiermark was also preparing for war. Berengar was so excited by the news that he picked the young belle up in the air and kissed her on the cheek, which instantly caused her to blush. However, before she could protest, Berengar ced her down and patted her head.


    "You just made me a delighted young man! I haven''t even found a potential buyer yet, and you have already done the work for me!"


    Linde may have the appearance of a goddess and was the perfect ve, but she was far from wife material. On the other hand, Ad yed that role perfectly, and Berengar was confident that she, too, would be as gorgeous as Linde one day. Berengar waspletely satisfied with his romantic side of life, all he needed was two girls by his side, any more, and it would be a hassle. He had no desire to be another shitty harem protagonist.


    Berengar spent the rest of the evening walking around the courtyard with Ad;tely, he had been too preupied with training Linde, and he could not afford to neglect the rtionship with his future wife. After a long evening of walking and enjoying the sunset, The two finally parted ways when the sun went down. She was still too young to be involved in Berengar''s nightlife. Luckily he had a properly aged beauty who would do whatever he asked waiting for him in his bed-chamber when he returned. The master and ve spent another night enjoying each other''s warmth, and the rest of the family was none the wiser.

 Chapter 21: Forming a Battalion

    <h4>Chapter 21: Forming a Battalion</h4>


    It had been over a week since Linde first arrived, and as far as Lambert knew she still had not made an attempt at Berengar''s life. In fact, aside from the first night where she flirted with Berengar at dinner, she had made no effort to seduce him afterward. Worse yet, she had actively impeded her attempts to do so by deliberately provoking Berengar when the young lord spent time with his fiancee. Lambert could not begin toprehend the thought process of that crazy bitch he called his mistress.


    Lambert was not a slow kid by any means; he was beginning to piece together that something was not right; after all, Linde had not abused him since the second day of her visit. During that time, she was extremely unstable and forced him out of her room while insulting his appearance. Though he did not enjoy the treatment he received from Linde, the fact that she no longer engaged in such brutality meant one thing, she hadpletely lost interest in her toy, but why? Why would the girl who sadistically took pleasure in his pain until just a week ago; change her attitudepletely overnight. Unless something happened the night of her arrival?


    The more he thought about his beautiful fiancee''s odd behavior, the more he realized that something was going on with her; he just could not quite find out what. He would have no choice but to politely interrogate her when the two were alone. There was still a deep internal fear of the young maiden who had caused many scars upon Lambert''s body and heart.


    Currently, Lambert was sitting across from his older brother at the dining table, who chatted with his 12-year-old fiancee about the delicacy sitting on the table before them. The family was dining upon German Pancakes; Lambert had no idea where these culinary inventions wereing from. Nevertheless, he thoroughly enjoyed the food that had recently appeared on their tables.


    Suddenly Lambert could hear his father''s stern voice question Berengar; the contents of the which shocked Lambert.


    "So Berengar, my son. I hear you have equipped your militia with hand cannons? Do you believe this to believe a wise choice?"


    Berengar nodded his head at his father''s words as he snacked on a piece of breakfast sausage.


    "Of course, father, learning archery or the sword takes an extended period of time to gain the proficiency necessary to be useful on the battlefield. Hand cannons are simple weapons that the peasant forces can effectively use as a line of defense. Their effective range is quite poor, so they''re better suited to defensive positions."


    Berengar had intentionally not corrected his father about the true nature or efficiency of the muskets. If he had done so, his weapons undoubtedly would be confiscated, and the technology leaked to his enemies as such, Berengar emphasized their defensive ability, but not offense.


    Sieghard still had many questions about the weapons used by Berengar''s militia, they were not ordinary hand cannons and artillery, but he trusted his son''s word, as such when he heard they were defensive in use, he lost interest in the muskets; they were best suited to a local militia after all. However, the cannons, on the other hand, he had heard remarkable things about and needed to know if they could be used efficiently in the field.


    "What about those cannons they''re using? I heard they have the remarkable ability to fire many balls at once?"


    Berengar had already prepared an answer for his father; seeing as cannons of the time were mainly static weapons used in sieges, he decided to lie about the mobility of his 12 pounder cannons and highlight that they were exactly the opposite.


    "A strictly defensive weapon, have you seen the size of my designs? They are far toorge and far too heavy to be used effectively on the field or even during a siege. They''re best suited to be mounted on the Castle''s walls and used as a means of defending our home from any potential threat."


    At first, Lambert was concerned about such sophisticated weapons falling into the hands of Berngar and his peasant rabble. Still, when he heard his brother say they were entirely defensive in nature he had no desire to report such useless products to his partner in crime, Count Lothar of Tyrol. The Count needed weapons of war, not weapons of defense. Little did Lambert know that this was all a ploy by Berengar to keep his revolutionary designs as confidential as possible. The likelihood of Lambert or Sieghard having the desire to test the weapons themselves was virtually zero.


    Eventually, the Baron lost interest in the topic as he heard their use was solely for defending their territory; it appears Berengar was truly content with his position as a Baron''s heir and had no loftier ambitions than that. Something in which Sieghard could agree with, minor noblemen like themselves had no ce getting involved in the affairs of the great families.


    The Baron decided he would leave the peasant militia Berengar had founded as defenders of his family''s territory should he ever be called to war again in his lifetime; after all, ording to his son, they were practically useless in an offensive manner.


    Only Berengar was aware of how efficient his forces would be on the field of battle, during a siege, engaging in gueri warfare, and especially defense. Yet, he would never inform anyone of their effective capacity to do so; only when his forces were truly needed would Berengar disy the overwhelming power of steel and shot to this feudal world.


    After finishing breakfast, the family dispersed, and Lambert found time to approach Linde about her recent behavior, something he would utterly regret doing. Berengar had already given her orders to maintain her rtionship with Lambert; she would continue to abuse, punish, and degrade him, though she could not sleep with him, nor did she desire to. When Lambert approached the young temptress and grabbed ahold of her wrist, she instinctively pped him in the face; her wless sky blue eyes contained the fire of a woman''s rage as she scolded her toy for touching her perfect skin without her approval. The sound of the p could be heard throughout the courtyard, which briefly drew the attention of the servants working nearby.


    "How dare you touch me without my permission. Who do you think you are?"


    Linde was furious, and it was not just a facade; only her master could touch her without her consent. Though she no longer held her previous sadistic personality, she was still ordered to abuse the boy, and as such, she would do as her master hadmanded. The violent p left a red handprint on Lambert''s face. Now, this was the mistress he knew and lusted after. The truth is that Lambert despised Linde''s personality, but he could not help but forgive her many transgressions, for, in his eyes, she was the incarnation of physical perfection. Some men would do anything to please a beautiful woman, and Lambert was one of them. As such, he kneeled before her and apologized.


    "I''m sorry, mistress, I did not mean to offend; I just wanted to inquire about your progress with Berengar."


    Linde kept a calm facade. However, she was internally furious that this little punk wanted to assassinate her master. Nevertheless, she had to put her feelings aside and y the part; after all, Berengar had tasked her with spying on Lambert and her Father; he even promised her a reward if she did so sessfully.


    "I have not found the ability to be alone with him; he is very wary of my actions and is always around others when I approach him. He''s far more cunning than you give him credit for."


    Lambert felt his heart stinging. Did this bitch seriouslypliment his ursed brother? She had never done such a thing for him! This was outrageous, but he could not deny the fact that recently his brother had be quite cunning. It would not surprise him if Berengar had be aware of his plot to use Linde to assassinate him. Eventually, Lambert decided to ask Linde for her ns; after all, she was the one who insisted on getting rid of his brother herself.


    "So, what exactly is your n to deal with him?"


    Linde looked at Lambert as if he was a pitiful fool before giving her a response.


    "I will keep approaching him as I have been and improve my attempts at seduction, but if he keeps avoiding being alone with me, we will eventually just have to face the potential reality that your brother is too crafty to be caught in a honeypot."


    A strong frown appeared across Lambert''s face as he heard Lindepliment Berengar once more. It seemed she had begun to admire her prey for avoiding her womanly wiles for so long. Lambert began to wonder if there was something wrong with Berengar''s head, how could a hot-blooded male in the prime of his youth possibly fail to be seduced by a goddess-like Linde? He started to suspect Berengar was a lolicon based upon how he acted towards Ad. If that were the case, it would exin how his brother showed no outward interest towards Linde as the days went on. Only on that first night was there any semnce of lust in Berengar''s gaze towards the immacte young woman.


    As Lambert was deep in thought, he fled an iron grip on his shoulder and a wicked smile from Linde as she whispered in his ear.


    "More importantly, it seems to me that you have gotten unruly after going undisciplined for so long. It appears I will have to teach you a proper lesson for your sins."


    Immediately Lambert''s expressions sank as all the doubts he had about Linde''s recent behavior were washed away at that moment. How could he be so foolish as to believe the sadistic dominatrix had changed her colors so easily? It only became apparent now that she was testing him throughout thest week. To see if he would behave differently on his home turf. The young boy began to question every decision he had made since he returned home as he was dragged off to Linde''s quarters to be punished severely for his actions.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Berengar continued drilling the peasant militia in the fields, which was increasing in numbers by the day; the magnificent weapons Berengar disyed had attracted the attention of themon poption. Those who had survived the battlefield previously as peasant levies could see the age of knightsing to an end as they witnessed the volley fire being followed by an organized bay charge which Berengar hadmanded his troops to enact as they stabbed their bays into the straw dummies.


    Themander gazed at his troops respectfully; with each day, they were progressing closer to a true army. Ludwig had worked overtime to produce enough arms to keep up with the growing demands of the militia. In thest day alone, they received 50 recruits, making their numbers stand at a firm 300. This was practically half the size of his father''s army during a time of war. After all, As a Baron, Sieghard could call upon his vassals to mobilize troops of their own so that he may add their forces to his army.


    Without a doubt, he now had a force the size of a small battalion. Though mostly infantry, there were still a total of three cannons, 1 for every 100 infantry. Albeit a small team of men typically operated cannons, so currently, the ratio was not exact, but it would be soon enough. He looked upon his forces as if they were his own beloved sons, knowing that as long as he did so they would stand by him even unto death. By the time the King had passed and the Kingdom of Germany descended into absolute warfare, he would have an army capable of defending his borders from any threat.


    After all, the likelihood of Berengar marching to the drums of war himself was slim. Sieghard had a passion for such things, and when his liege called upon him to take up arms, he would surely lead the charge. The question on Berengar''s mind was whether or not he could convince his father to appoint him as regent by then. If his ns seeded, he would wield absolute power in his family''s territory for an extended period of time, and he could get many of his more important reformations underway. If his father returned from the conflict alive, he would be weed to apletely transformednd.


    For now, Berengar had many tasks at hand which included but were not limited to raising an army, installing his irrigation system across the fields, selling the steel stockpile to the Count of Steiermark, investing the profits into the mining industry, as well as gaining the support of the local nobility and their entitled offspring. Truly an ambitious man like himself never had time to rest...

 Chapter 22: A Diamond in the Rough

    <h4>Chapter 22: A Diamond in the Rough</h4>


    After observing and instructing the peasant militia, Berengar returned to the vige, for now, their training was done for the day; and the young lord had business to attend to elsewhere. The Baron''s son had to say goodbye temporarily to his fiancee, who would be returning to her homnd with ten tonnes of steel. Five more than Berengar had initially estimated. After all, as his ns became more ambitious, his family needed arger treasury.


    Though the count''s daughter would not be gone for long, she would return with the transport containing the gold and silver bars which were the promised form ofpensation for such a massive stockpile of steel ingots. A small portion of the money gained from the transaction would go towards the engagement ceremony that Berengar had nned; seeing as he was far from beginning preparations for it, he had not sent out the invitations yet. Due to unforeseen circumstances, primarily involving Linde''s arrival and the things that urred afterward. Berengar was far behind schedule on preparing for the party he had promised Ad. Currently, it was his notableck of funds that hindered his progress in that regard.


    After arriving at the Castle, the young Lord approached his fiancee, whose retinue of knights were loading the steel ingots into the convoy which Berengar had prepared for her. He trusted her to keep her father''s side of the bargain intact. The cute girl who was at the cusp of her teenage years yed with her twintails as she waited patiently for Berengar to arrive; when she finally spotted him, she dashed over into his arms and embraced him firmly. She had grown quite fond of her fiance since their initial meeting. After several moments had passed, the young girl let go of her hold over her betrothed and pouted.


    "Are you sure you can''te with me?"


    Berengar chuckled as he patted her silky golden hair; with such a reaction, he truly wished he could travel with her to the girl''s ancestral homnd, but s, he could not. The young lord had many preparations that needed to be made, and unfortunately, he did not have the spare time to go on a brief vacation with his future wife. He spoke from the bottom of the heart as he smiled endearingly at her.


    "I wish I could, yet unfortunately, there are many matters I must attend to here. But fret not; you will be back in no time."


    He tried to assure the young girl that they would not be separated long, as he too had grown quite fond of his young cousin. However, the real trial would be their long-term separation after the engagement ceremony was over, and she was forced to return home. It was not as if she could stay in his family''snds until their wedding. That would not be proper. Truthfully, she had already stayed longer than what was considered eptable in the eyes of society. It was supposed to be a short meeting of a matter of days, yet she had been in her fiance''snds for weeks already.


    The young girl eventually stopped pouting after hearing Berengar''s words and smiled at him gratefully as she said in a hushed tone.


    "Come closer. I want to tell you something."


    Berengar thought nothing of it and leaned over so that he matched the girl''s height. She quickly pecked him on the cheek with her full lips and whispered in his ear.


    "I''ll miss you."


    Afterward, Berengar stared at her in disbelief; he did not think she had the nerve to do such a thing; as he stared at the youngdy, her face became increasingly flushed until the point where she covered her face with her hands and rushed off into her carriage. Berengar instinctively ced his hand on the cheek where she had kissed him as he thought to himself.


    ''This girl is just too cute.''


    As his thoughts began to shift back to the wonderful memories he had made with the Count''s daughter over the past weeks; the convoy began to ride off into the distance, leaving Berengar standing alone in the courtyard as the sunset came to a close. It was only after he could no longer see the carriage which contained his fiancee that Berengar decided to walk back inside and take a bath.


    Berengar sat in therge circr stone pool, the hot water soothing his milky white skin as he washed away the stress umted throughout the day. He waspletely unaware of the creaking of the door and the sound of footsteps approaching. It was not until he felt the soft and bouncy mounds of his lover press against the back of his neck that he realized someone had intruded on his private time. The girl covered his eyes with her hands from behind as she asked in a yful tone.


    "Guess who?"


    Berengar chuckled as he grabbed ahold of the dainty hands and pulled the buxom beauty into the bath with him. Linde was not expecting such behavior and screamed as she sshed into the hot water, her baster skin instantly reddening as the heat began to affect herplexion. After climbing into the young lord''sp and pressing her chest against his, she looked at him while pouting.


    "You got my hair wet!"


    Berengar wrapped his arms around the girl and kissed her; only after a minute had gone by did he break away from her enticing lips.


    "It''s the bath, of course; your hair is going to get wet."


    The young temptress continued to pout as Berengar lectured her, but he paid it no mind. Initially, he was worried somebody might have spotted her sneak in here; after all, people were still wide awake at this hour and roaming across the castle, and thus he could not help but inquire about the girl''s recklessness.


    "Did anyone see you enter here?"


    She shook her head as she buried it into Berengar''s shoulder. Afterward, she pecked him on the opposite cheek that Ad had left her mark and expressed the concerns that were on her mind.


    "There, now there''s no more space for another girl to mark her im!"


    The young lord nearly broke out inughter as he heard such a childish remark from the young woman who had just a week prior boldly tried to seduce and enve him. Was she jealous of his rtionship with Ad? This would not do. Clearly, he had to discipline her further...


    As such, he spent an unusually long and energetic bath with the naked bombshell whoy next to him. It would not be for close to an hour before the couple retreated from the confines of the bathhouse and entered Berengar''s chambers where the real fun began. He spent an entire night further training his ve; after all, her jealousy was unbefitting of a proper ve. It was not her ce to question whether or not her master spent time with another woman.


    By the time the sun rose, the couple was well and truly exhausted. Berengar began to regret his decisions in life as he knew there was still a matter of lifting weights to attend to. Though intercourse was great for cardio, it was far from enough to increase his muscle mass further. After sending his lover back to her chambers, he spent the rest of the morning getting in his old exercise routine, which he had been cking ontely. It did not surprise him that it took him longer than usual toplete his sets after an entire night of lovemaking.


    He would need to fit power naps into his schedule if he continued to behave in this manner at night. Nevertheless, he had plenty of work to do, so after his exercise for the day was concluded, as well as the morning bath, he had once more dined with his family. The meal was uneventful and mainly included small talk. Afterward, Berengar returned to the fledgling industrial district where he checked on the progress of the irrigation pipes. Things were going smoothly, and truthfully all he had to do at this point was wait for production to beplete.


    His workforce was already stretched thin on the production of arms, munitions, and irrigation piping; at this point, there was no way for him to increase their workload to produce more designs. It was not until the irrigation piping was finished that he would see more peasants enter the industrial sector. After all, with the innovation fully fielded, there was no longer a need for so many farmers to water their crops by hand, and they would need a new upation. Most would be delegated to the mines, while others would be working in the factories.


    It was not a morous life, but they would be paid a fair wage under Berengar''s management and be allotted a proper forty-hour workweek with paid vacation time and sick days. It was best not to overwork your employees; if you were foolish enough to do so, you would see decreased productivity. These were lessons that could only be learned through experience; luckily for Berengar, he had the history of 21st century America and the lessons it could teach in the back of his mind thanks to the memories of Julian.


    It seemed that for now, his days would be primarily filled with overseeing the training of his volunteer militia. At least until Ad returned with the fortune, he had obtained for his family through his many efforts. If at all possible, he would request a small portion of the profits for himself to purchase somend to grow x on. With the inventions that dwelled within his mind, he could produce a flourishing textile industry with time and introduce the fashion of the renaissance to his poption, which he vastly preferred over the garments currently in fashion. Anything leftover could be sold for a fair price to the neighboring regions.


    These were all ns for the near future; for now, nothing of significance could be achieved without the wealth to invest in it, which he severelycked at the moment, though within a few weeks, that would no longer be a concern. He supposed he should enjoy the spare time he had avable to him at the moment, but for some reason, if he did not fill his schedule with meaningful and productive activities, he felt like an idle wastrel.


    After checking on the progress of his industrial sector, he returned to the peasant militia, which was currently going over basic formations. Berengar had specifically chosen some veterans from the peasant poption who had served in previous wars as levies to act as the officer ss. They had true experience in the horrors of war. After being personally educated in line infantry tactics by Berengar himself, they had begun to form their own ranks.


    Of course, Berengar oversaw the daily training in tactics as much as possible to correct any errors; after all, these were revolutionary strategies and tactics in which had never been seen before. As such, he needed to lead the growth of his unit personally. His second inmand was actually a knight-errant who had chosen to settle in Kufstein andze about after many years of war. If one were topare his situation to feudal Japan, he was essentially a ronin. A member of the military ss whose lord had perished in battle, and with it his prosperity andnd rights.


    The knight-errant named Eckhard von Hallstatt had lived in Kufstein for nearly five years and essentially lived as a beggar and a drunkard during that duration. It was not until he saw the militia and its unique weaponry and tactics that he decided to clean up his act and make something of his life. He had a keen eye for strategy and tactics, and unlike the other knights and men at arms in Kufstein, he was intelligent enough to realize that Berengar''s militia was the future of warfare.


    As an old and grizzled veteran Eckhard had many insights to which he could contribute. He had approached Berengar earlier in the week and offered the young lord his own rusty sword in fealty. After hearing the old veteran''s story, Berengar appointed him Major of the Battalion and his right-hand man. Berengar had spent many hours of the night writing a military treatise on his vision of the future of warfare and the necessary strategies, tactics, and logistics to conduct it. Eckhard had practically treated this text as a holy book, and the more he read about Berengar''s vision, the more he believed the young lord to be a military genius. Though Berengar was by no means a military genius, as a long-time veteran of various strategy games set in numerous eras and a graduate of Westpoint academy, he could confidently say his skills were at the very least advanced for the time period.


    Eckhard did not disappoint Berengar''s expectations; the man in his mid-forties had quickly grasped everything he was taught and was not simply following the book but effectively improvising when it was called for. If anything, Eckhard was the true military genius. It was a pity that his previous lord did not recognize the knight''s talents in strategy and instead sent him to fight on the front lines. As far as Berengar could tell, it was likely to be a factor in the foolish lord''s death. Truly Eckhard was a diamond in the rough.


    Though the militia was entirely volunteer-based, they still received pay for their training and activity. Essentially they would act in a fashion simr to America''s National Guard in Berengar''s previous life. The men whoprised its ranks would go through basic and specialized training, and after they hadplete it, they would be normal civilians who would meet up on weekends to continue their training. The primary difference is that Berengar wanted his militia training every weekend instead of just once a month. In a time of need, they would be called upon to fulfill their duty and be held to the same standards as a professional force, with the same penalties for desertion or other crimes.


    Berengar treated the men of his militia exceptionally well. He supplied them with proper meals during their training, and soon he would give them proper uniforms. Once his textile industry was up and running, the men would be outfitted in the attire of the Landsnchekts of the 16th century from Berengar''s previous life. The young lord was beginning to develop a mboyant fashion sense, much like his father. For now, the volunteer militia still wore their everyday ensemble, which, truth be told, was not very professional.


    After guiding the battalion''s training for the day, Berengar departed back to the castle where he intended to spend the rest of his waking hours drafting the ns for his soon-to-be textile industry. Time waited for no man, and soon he would acquire the funds to make his dream a reality. Thus he had to work hard and not be tempted by any worldly desires. Of course, after several hours of drafting blueprints Berengar heard a knock on his door and could not resist the temptation to y with his favorite toy for the remainder of the night.

 Chapter 23: A New Plot is Hatched

    <h4>Chapter 23: A New Plot is Hatched</h4>


    A few days had passed without any major urrence. Berengar had found himself getting dreadfully bored as his work schedule appeared to havee to a halt. Due to the trustworthy andpetent people he had ced in implementing his innovations, he had recently acquired an asinine amount of free time. If Ad were still within the confines of his family''s territory, then he would currently be enjoying herpany. Unfortunately, she would not return to Kufstein for a few weeks. As such, Berengar recently found himself training in the art of swordsmanship with his personal retainer Eckhard. The two men were currently sparring with a pair of wooden arming swords. In which Eckhard was thoroughly beating the young lord who had never picked up a sword until a few days ago.


    Swordsmanship was an art that took many years to master, and unlike the flintlock musket required a great deal of physical strength, stamina, and finesse to be adequate. Despite its ageing to an end, Berengar still felt it a necessity to learn how to properly wield a sword. After all, as an officer leading the army that he was creating it was only proper for him to wield a sword and pistol. Though the more he trained in the sword, the more he realized he would probably break the tradition from his old world and just use a musket.


    At the moment Berengar found himself parrying the oing wooden sword currently wielded by Eckhard before unleashing a counterattack of his own. However, just when he was about tond his strike, Eckhard dodged in the nick of time and followed up with a thrust of his own pointing the de directly at Berengar''s neck. Seeing that all was lost Berengar fully surrendered to his instructor


    "I yield."


    With that said The middle-aged man retracted his sword with a smile on his face and ced it back with the others.


    "You''re a quick learner, and you have the potential to be apetent swordsman. It''s just a shame that its era will being to an end so soon."


    Berengar ced his sword alongside Eckhard''s as he sighed heavily in response to the Knight''s words.


    "The true shame is that I was incapable of training with the sword until now."


    The middle-aged knight nodded in agreement to Berengar''s statement; he had be aware of the difficulties Berengar faced throughout his years, particrly about his health. It was a miracle that he overcame such an illness and became the man he is today. This transformation of body and mind is just another part of Berengar''s character, which inspired Eckhard to do his best every day.


    After cing away the swords and stripping out of the training gear they currently equipped, the two men walked together back to the fields, which were being used as a training ground for the militia. The men whoprised the militia''s ranks hade a long way in a short amount of time, but their training was still iplete. It would take close to 90 days in total for the militia to bepetent enough to act as a proper force; after all these men were learning how to use firearms for the first time in their lives.


    Currently, the unit was split up into four infantrypanies with 80 men in each. There was also an Artillery battery trained alongside the infantry, though it was not a full-sized battery. At this point, the battery had three 12 pounder cannons and roughly 40 personnel. It was approximately 1/3 the size of a proper artillery battery. Nevertheless, the numbers of the militia grew with each passing day, and a fourth gun was on the way. What he desired at a bare minimum was a small infantry battalion of 400 soldiers and a full-sized artillery battery. So at the very least, 520 men in his militia and 8 cannons. This was something that was actually quite feasible with his current progress. After all, these were not professional soldiers who would have to give up their day jobs.


    The quota Berengar had set himself for a bare-bones battalion would soon be met, the most difficult part was the manufacture of the cannons; those would take time. Still, it was not as if the war would break out overnight. Though the King was in poor health, he was not in critical condition at the moment. Despite the fact that he could potentially croak at any moment, the likelihood of the old man dying before Berengar had reached his militia goals was slim.


    After overseeing the training of the militia with Eckhard for the afternoon, Berengar returned to the Castle where unbeknownst to him, he found himself being stalked in the shadows. As he passed through the winding corridor of the castle, his pursuer finally revealed herself from the darkness. It was none other than Linde who had a worried expression on her face as she embraced Berengar from behind.


    Not expecting such a thing to ur, Berengar instinctively struggled out of the grasp before realizing who had attacked him. Afterward, he calmed down and epted her tight embrace. Linde whispered in his ear so low that only they could hear the words.


    "Your brother is going to make another attempt on your life soon."


    Immediately Berengar''s expression sank; it was a good thing he had properly trained this girl; here he was walking around carelessly expecting himself to be safe from Lambert''s schemes, and yet the boy had already plotted his death. He was immediately intrigued by the information she provided him.


    "How does he n to do it?"


    Linde revealed Lambert''s secrets without a second of hesitation; she had long since turned on the boy and her father.


    "He has grown tired of my attempts to stall him and has impatiently contacted my father for aid. Apparently, Your father is nning a hunting trip; Lambert and my father have arranged for assassins to lie in wait for you in the mountains. They will appear as brigands, but they will secretly be men at arms under my father''smand."


    Berengar patted the girl''s silky strawberry-blonde hair andforted her. She was aware that Berengar was not much of a fighter and could not defend himself adequately against such a force. As such, she had a distraught expression across her face that soured her natural beauty, and Berengar hated to see such a thing. The young lord grabbed ahold of her chin and kissed her passionately in the empty corridors of therge stone castle. After releasing her, he whispered in her tender ear.


    "You don''t need to worry so much; I''m stronger than I look."


    Linde''s cheeks immediately flushed after Berengar had so brazenly kissed her in the middle of the hallway. Sure there was nobody around, but what if somebody nearby had chanced upon them during their little affair. It was a reckless move on his part, but she could not help but feel excited. The thrill of potentially being discovered was something that made her heart race. However, she realized now was not the moment to engage in her desires with her master. Instead, she bowed respectfully to Berengar, who had noticed theplicated expression on the girl''s face.


    His brain instantly connected the dots as he realized the girl might be developing a new fetish. A wicked smile appeared across the young lord''s face as he pushed the exquisite youngdy against the wall and began to partake of her flesh. Luckily for him, nobody came nearby as the couple engaged in scandalous behavior openly in the middle of the Castle''s corridors. By the time they were finished, the sun had already begun to set, and they realized their absence would soon be noticed; as such, they parted ways until they were capable of meeting up again at dinner.


    This time the atmosphere at the dinner table was quite tense, as Lambert eyed Berengar like a hungry wolf, and Berengar sneered inwardly at the boy like an all-seeing owl. Lambert had no way of knowing that his scheme had already been revealed to his most hated brother, who was already concocting a n to deal with the plot against him. It was not until their father had spoken up that the silence was broken.


    "Berengar, my son, now that you are healthy, and fit I think it is about time I take you on a hunting trip; what do you say?"


    Berengar had an innocent smile on his face, like a kid at the candy store as he expressed his interest in joining up with his father as they explored the mountains which bordered their family''s territory and hunted some wild game.


    "Of course, father, that sounds splendid! Now that I eat meat, I can''t wait to feel what it is like to dine on the flesh of my own kill."


    Despite his innocent facade Berengar was inwardly snickering at his brother Lambert who had bought into the disy and expected his n to function wlessly. On the other hand, Sieghard had no way of knowing the battle of intrigue that was transpiring at this very moment between his two sons; instead, he felt happy knowing that Berengar was so wee to the idea. After all, until recently, Berengar was a vegetarian who had a soft spot for animals. To see the boy so excited about hunting truly brought joy to the Baron''s heart. He may be getting older, and his son may be an adult now, but the two still had the potential to grow closer.


    Lambert was pleased; his brother was falling right into the trap he had prepared. After all, he could no longer sit idly by and allow Linde constantly to fail at seducing his brother. Berengar was either impotent, gay, or a lolicon. That was the conclusion Lambert hade to; if he had known that his gorgeous fiancee he was so proud of had been ravaged openly in the hallway by his brother just an hour earlier, the boy would probably attempt to im Berengar''s life on the spot.


    The young lord had no way of knowing that Berengar had nned to bring a rifle to a sword fight. That''s right, a rifle; in his spare time over the past few days, he had drawn designs for a barrel boring bench and presented them to Ludwig. This invention would be instrumental to the effectiveness of his army.


    Currently, Ludwig was in the process of making a long rifle-style gun that was used effectively by American militias during the revolutionary war in Berengar''s previous life. For now, Berengar''s militia would be equipped with smoothbores; after all, he really could not reveal the effectiveness of the rifled musket without garnering suspicion about such a design. However, if he were alone and separated from his father in the mountains, he could easily kill the assassins from a distance of 200-300 yards with a long rifle. He may be useless in the sword, but in his past life as Julian, he had earned his expert marksman badge during his tenure in the army.


    By the time the hunting trip began, Berengar would be well equipped to deal with the assassins, as long as he spotted them first, that is. If they got close to him for whatever reason, he had specifically designed this rifle to be capable of using a bay, something with which he also had ample experience training in. For now, he just had to act like he had no idea what Lambert was scheming behind his back and go along with the ploy. The two brothers had a pleasant conversation with their father about the finer details of hunting and all Berengar should know about it.


    It was only after dinner that Berengar returned to his quarters to get some work done. Currently, he was drafting designs or keeping track of ledgers, the usual administrative operations he had been engaging in at night ever since his father gave him jurisdiction over the fledgling industrial sector. When he was not signing documents rted to the industry, he oversaw reports of military spending and training. Everything was currently within his budget, and the troops seemed to be progressing well. So there were no immediate concerns he had to deal with there.


    It was not until midnight that he heard the knock on his door that he had grown so ustomed to over thest couple of weeks; this girl was voracious; even after having fun in the middle of the day, she still came for more at night. Well, he supposed he should take a break from reports and relieve a little stress. As such, he spent part of the night training his ve before the couple fell asleep in each other''s arms. It would not be until the crack of dawn where they awoke from their slumber.

 Chapter 24: It is Not a Hunt if You are Properly Sober

    <h4>Chapter 24: It is Not a Hunt if You are Properly Sober</h4>


    Over the next few days, Berengar had made preparations for the hunting trip. While also working on the many other tasks he was currently micromanaging. As usual, everything was progressing smoothly, but he could not increase productivity until the irrigation pipes were fully installed and the mines were working at full capacity. Thus it was mainly just basic administrative operations he was forced to oversee every day, which began to take its toll on Berengar, who desperately needed an escape. He was actually looking forward to the hunting trip, as he would enjoy the fresh air of the mountains and take care of some pesky gnats that were conspiring against him.


    The day they were set to leave the Castle, Berengar had stopped by Ludwig''s shop to pick up his rifle, which should be ready by then. When he walked through the dusty old doors of Ludwig''s shack which was now used as office space for the growing industrial district, he noticed the old man cleaning the rifle''s barrel before a wide smile spread across his lips.


    "So you''ve taken a liking to my newest design, huh?"


    Ludwig quickly snapped to attention as he heard the Young Lord''s voice calling out to him.


    "Milord, it is brilliant; who knew that by cutting grooves into the barrel, you could stabilize the lead ball''s flight through the air, thus achieving a greater degree of uracy?"


    It was a rhetorical question; of course, there was only one mind in this world capable of thinking of such a thing, and that was Berengar''s. Ludwig politely handed the rifle over to Berengar in which he thoroughly inspected. When he saw the proof mark on the barrel showing that it had been properly test-fired, a smile crept upon his regal visage.


    "Ludwig, you''re an artist!"


    Berengar said as he looked up andplimented the old man. By now, he had made hundreds of firearms that were used to equip the militia, yet this was the first rifle the man had ever made, and it was a masterpiece.


    The rifle was chambered in .58 caliber and fired a minie ball projectile, a lead slug that was far more effective than the current lead balls used by his militia. The mini ball was matched specifically to the rifling so that it stabilized better in its flight. Thus giving it a more effective range than the traditional lead ball. With the overwhelming barrel length of the long rifle, matched with the superior minie ball, he felt as if the practical range of uracy on this rifle was greater than the 1861 Springfield Rifled Musket used by Union troops in the American Civil War in his previous life. After sping Ludwig''s shoulder, Berengar thanked him for his service.


    "You have no idea how much this means to me, my friend."


    Ludwig removed Berengar''s hand and remained humble


    "I''m just doing what I should. Make sure to get some proper use out of this thing on your hunting trip, milord. It would be a pity if you failed to kill anything with such a beautiful weapon."


    Berengar smiled at Ludwig and said farewell to his friend; it would be a few days before returning.


    "I''ll be gone for the next few days; make sure to keep an eye on things around here when I''m gone."


    Ludwig chuckled as he parted ways with his friend while reassuring him of hispetence.


    "You do not need to be afraid, milord; everything will be running smoothly by the time you return."


    Afterward, Berengar departed from the shop with a rifle in hand and a belt that contained his bay and cartridge holder for his paper cartridges. Today he had dressed in earthly colors, mostly green and brown, so that he may blend in with the environment better. He did not want the assassins who would be waiting for him in the mountains to spot him before he did them. With Linde''s warning, he could now sessfully stalk the assassins and take them out from hundreds of meters away. The hunted had be the hunter.


    Speaking of Linde as he left the shop and rounded a corner in the vige a pair of dainty hands reached out and grabbed ahold of his waist, as he felt the familiar softness of Linde''s heavenly bust pressed against his back. When he turned around to face her he could see tears in her eyes as she wished him good luck


    "Stay safe out there, I don''t think I could live without you..."


    Berengar nearlyughed at her remark, her training was going wonderfully, she was now a properly broken-in ve who would never betray him. After observing her angelic face with was covered in tears he reached out his index finger and wiped them from her sky blue eyes with his finger before kissing her farewell.


    "I know"


    is all the young lord said as he walked away from his lover with a confident stride; slinging the rifle on his back as he did so.


    Berengar eventually regrouped with his father and a small host of men to apany them. Their journey would be a long one, and thus they needed men to carry supplies with them. Berengar found that he had slung the rifle over his shoulder; a leather sling was attached to the steel sling points that hung beneath the rifle''s stock. After many miles of hiking, Berengar was thankful to whoever came up with such an idea in his previous life. It made long marches far more bearable, and today he had hiked many miles into the mountains.


    The sun had begun to set, and as such, Berengar''s servants had set up the encampment for them. They had finally reached a wooded portion of the mountains, his father''s favorite hunting spot. It had been a long while since Sieghard hadst been here, and he took a moment to enjoy the scenery before passing a wineskin to his son was currently cradling his rifle like it was a newborn babe.


    "Drink; it is not a hunt if you are properly sober."


    Though Berengar wanted to keep his mind sober as he knew there was a dastardly plot to end his life nearby, he couldn''t very well refuse his father. So he took a swig from the wineskin and wiped his lips with his sleeve before returning it to his father.


    Sieghard could not understand his son''s fascination with hand cannons; it was hardly a proper tool for hunting. Yet the youth had brought an evenrger hand cannon out than his previous one. He began to wonder what was so special about the design. Nevertheless, he would not chastise the boy for liking the weapon; he just wished his heir was as good as his second son with the sword.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was thinking of the information Linde reported to him the night before. Lambert''s assassins should be camping out just out of hearing range for the sound of his rifle. Which worked perfectly for Berengar as he had decided that he wouldunch a night raid; seeing as how the full moon was out, there was plenty of illumination for him to pick off his targets, especially if they stood by the fire. When his father finally fell asleep, Berengar would take the high ground and snipe his enemies from above. After he got rid of them, he would search for any evidence among their bodies that could be used against his enemies.


    As such, Berengar spent a lot of time getting his father drunk. It was only after the man could barely stand that Berengar led him back to his tent and tucked the old drunkard in. After leaving his father''s tent behind, Berengar snuck around the campsite and picked up the rifle where he absconded into the night. Along the way, he thered mud in his hair and across his face and hands to blend into the darkness better. It was quite the trek up to the position where he wanted to take control of; however, before he arrived at the outcropping, Berengar had a sudden encounter with someone he was not expecting.


    One of the assassins had left the camp to take a leak, and while Berengar was sneaking past the area, the two came face to face with one another. Though the man could not tell Berengar''s identity, it was not a good idea to allow a witness to their location to live. As such, the man instantly grabbed his sword and swung it out of his scabbard as he attacked Berengar in the dead of night. Berengar had to roll out of the way as he struggled to fix his bay. The fucking rifle wasn''t even loaded yet, nor was the bay attached. As such, he had elected to hide behind a tree while he attached the de to his rifle.


    The man was just about to scream for help from hisrades when he walked by the tree Berengar hid behind and noticed a giant steel spike insert itself into his neck. Instantly feeling the sharp pain of a bay stuck in his throat, the man began to gargle on his own blood as he looked at Berengar in disbelief; since when did this guy have a spear? Berengar removed the bay from the man''s throat and wiped it across his jerkin.


    It had been quite some time since Berengarst killed somebody. He served as an engineer officer in the United States Army in his previous life, but he had found himself engaged inbat on more than one asion. He even managed to kill a Taliban insurgent while he came under fire from their assault. As such, he was no virgin when it came to taking a life. After confirming the men in the camp were unalerted, Berengar snuck up to the position above the campfire where he saw three more assassins sitting in front of the fire and drinking.


    After acquiring his targets, Berengar took out a paper cartridge and bit off its top before pouring its contents into his muzzle and packing it down with the ramrod. Once the round was properly chambered, he pulled back the hammer that contained the flint and aimed down the sights, whichnded on thergest group member, who appeared to be dressed in brigandine armor. The man heartfully chugged down a gon of winepletely unaware that he was in the sniper''s sights. Berengar took a deep breath as he settled the sights on his target and calmly squeezed the trigger. The thunder of the explosion which propelled the minie ball projectile filled the air; having never heard such a sound before, these men at arms turned assassin thought that it had begun raining. After all, they were young upstarts who wanted to prove themself to the count; hand cannons were not thatmon on the battlefield at this point.


    One of the assassins looked back at the man who had an enormous hole in his brigandine breastte with shock, blood spurted from the caved-in hole in the man''s chest as he soon copsed, the others had no idea what had just transpired, but they were beginning to panic.


    As they were freaking out about the loss of their friend, a second thunder went off; this time, the head of one of the assassin''s exploded. Thest survivor instantly hid behind one of the crates lying about the campsite; it had be obvious after the second asion that they were under attack from an unknown enemy and weapon. Unfortunately for the young assassin, he had chosen poorly in regards to cover. After another half, a minute or so had passed, the .58 caliber slug pierced through the wooden crate, and the contents within prating its way through the man''s leg, practically sting his femur in half. He would bleed out shortly thereafter from a damaged femoral artery.


    Just like that, Berengar had imed the lives of the four assassins who were sent after him. After having sent the men to the afterlife, Berengar rushed down to the camp below and scoured it for any evidence that could be used against Lambert or Lothar. Luckily he came across the letter which contained the details of Berengar and Sieghard''s hunting trip. Including the general location in which Sieghard always set up his campsite. It was signed by Lambert and in his handwriting. Berengar nearly broke out inughter upon obtaining this letter; he finally had a key piece of evidence in which he could begin to build a case against Lambert''s assassination attempts.


    Throughout the remainder of the night, Berengar used his time wisely and got rid of any sign pointing towards his bloody deed. He did not want the Count''s men sniffing around and finding out that he had personally dispatched his men at arms to hell. After everything was either buried or burned to ash, Berengar had left the area behind and returned to his own camp night. As if God were looking out for him, the heavens began to weep that night and washed any remaining sign of the skirmish. After a covert investigation, the Count wouldter assume that the men had abandoned their duties and fled Tyrol. He wouldter ce a bounty for their heads, which nobody was ever able to im.


    For the rest of the night, Berengar slept like a baby. He had no second thoughts about murdering those men who were sent to kill him. Not even a tinge of guilt could infect his pure consciousness orck thereof as he enjoyed the sound of the pounding rain outside of his warm tent, which slowly aided him in drifting to sleep. Hisst thought of the night was simply "This fucking hunting trip; I could be ying with Linde right now..."

 Chapter 25: Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 25: Returning Home</h4>


    Throughout the entire venture, Berengar''s absence throughout the camp went entirely unnoticed. By the time Sieghard and the servants awoke, they saw Berengar cleaning his rifle next to the fire. Sieghard could not help but exim in his heart.


    ''This boy is too dutiful; even on a hunting trip, he awakes at the crack of dawn.''


    It had be a habit for Berengar to awake at dawn, in both his previous life and his current one. By now, he was used to running on a few hours of sleep a couple of times a week. In his hands was a ss of water which he had boiled over the campfire to rid it of impurities, at least to the best of his ability. He refused to drink polluted water and had spent the morning purifying arge supply of it. Since coffee had yet to be transported to Europe, he was forced to drink water this early in the morning. He was beginning to consider expanding his territory when he came to power. It would not be easy to establish a trade route from the mountains of Austria to the near east, and if he wanted to retire in luxury one day, he would need coffee.


    Berengar''s ns were simple, work hard for thirty years in establishing an industrial and economic powerhouse in his family''s territory, and then retire in luxury, giving the reigns to a well-educated heir to continue his legacy. As of now, he had no desire to spend the remainder of his adult life at war. Something he had managed to do in his previous life. Of course, life did not always go as nned, and the future was unknown to him. There may be a necessity for him to expand his territory in time.


    As of now, he was still just the son and heir of a lowly Baron, which meant he had no authority to make such decisions even if he desired to do so. Instead, he spent the remainder of the next few days being dragged around by his father hunting stags and collecting the meat. When he finally returned home, he was exhausted and covered in grime. The first thing he wanted to do was take a bath and cleanse himself of the filth he was covered in. Throughout the duration of the hunting trip, he had never revealed the full capabilities of the rifle; despite sessfully hunting a buck of his own, his father was not impressed with the limited range that was disyed, and the exceptional reload time of the rifle.


    The man had a traditional mind and felt that Berengar''s use of what he incorrectly referred to as hand cannons were merely the fascination of youth with the newest technology. If he had known that the previous night Berengar had taken out three targets in a matter of minutes at a distance of 100 yards in the dead of night with his rifle, then he would probably have a heart attack from the shock of such a thing. Unlike an arrow, the rifle which fired a minie ball projectile was fully capable of piercing through a knight''s hardened steel breastte, let alone amon brigandine. Even the muskets fielded by Berengar''s militia were capable of such a feat, albeit at a severely reduced distance.


    There was a reason that during Berengar''s previous life, after the invention of muskets, body armor slowly disappeared frommon use. Even with the advanced manufacturing processes of the renaissance and the surpassing era, the breasttes used by heavy cavalry were only useful against melee weapons and musket fire at long distances. At close range, the steel breasttes used by cuirassiers would be punched through by a musket ball like an arrow through amon tunic.


    If the medieval knights of the current era charged on horseback against a firing line of musketeers, they would be ended up as a bunch of blood-filled sieves, and such a frightening spectacle would be sure to affect the morale of the soldiers behind them. Even Berengar''s militiamen who wielded such terrifying power had no way of knowing how capable their weapons were. After all, it is not as if they tested their guns on straw dummies covered in steel te armor. That would be ludicrously expensive. Only Berengar was aware that his militia was capable of such an incredible achievement.


    After arriving in the vige with his father and the servants who followed them into the mountains, Berengar noticed a familiar sight waving towards him in an alleyway. It was his loyal ve who currently had tears of joy in her eyes that he had safely returned. The entire time he was away the pitiful youngdy was in constant fear that her lord and master whom she had pledged her life to had perished in the ambush set up by her dastardly fiance. When she saw him covered in the dirt and grime of the mountains, she could not help but smile; there was not even a scratch on him. Truly she had worried too much. Without arousing suspicion, Berengar approached the alleyway where she was currently alone; as he finally fell out of sight, Linde rushed over into his embrace and nuzzled her porcin cheek against his chest, dirtying it in the process.


    Berengar epted her embrace as he petted her sleek strawberry blonde hair in an attempt to calm her down. He had only been gone a few days and felt that she was overreacting. Nevertheless, he did not scold her, as he actually felt happy that she cared enough to worry so much about him during his absence. After all their rtionship wasplicated, to say the least. She was his concubine, and brother''s fiancee whom he had forced himself on, and practically brainwashed into being obedient to him. Though he did not feel remorse for such actions, ultimately in Berengar''s mind such actions were justified, and the youngdy deserved her fate.


    After stroking her luscious red-gold hair for several moments Berengar responded kindly to the young woman


    "See, I told you I would be fine"


    Though she still continued to sniffle, the buxom beauty wiped the tears from her eyes and began to smile. Everything turned out fine, and she could not be happier. However, Berengar could not abide the muck that had spread across her doll-like face and heavenly body from their brief intimate moment as such he whispered into the girl''s ear


    "Meet me in the bath"


    The girl nodded her head and smiled as he departed before her. Things would not bode well for the couple if she was caught following him into the bath, as such they had to be extra cautious about how they moved from here on out.


    And with that being said Berengar took off and headed towards the bath. Linde waited a few moments and did as she wasmanded; not long after the young vixen found herself enjoying thepany of her master in the warm water of the bathhouse, which proved to be a worthy investment. By the time the two were finished getting reacquainted with one another, it had already turned into evening. Dinner would soon be approaching, and he knew his father would have his chefs cook their gains during the hunt into avish feast. As such, the two left the confines of the bathhouse and separated; it would not look good if they arrived at the dining room together.


    When Berengar finally entered the Dining room, he saw Lambert with a wicked smile on his face, he was the first to arrive, and the teenage youth was certain he would be enjoying the feast without his older brother this night. However, when he saw the handsome features of his older brother walk into the area, the young boy instantly went pale, with the expression that he was witnessing a ghost. How could it be possible that his brother had survived the ambush he had set in ce?


    Nevertheless, Berengar sat down across from Lambert and snickered at the boy, savoring his distraught expression to the fullest. He was beginning to think he might have be a true sadist after his many nights with Linde, as he now enjoyed the suffering of his enemies on a deeply personal level. The expression on Berengar''s face told Lambert all he needed to know about the fate of the assassins he sent. However, Berengar would never admit to it. If he bragged about killing four assassins, nobody would believe him, and those who did would instantly question how a young man with nobat training whatsoever had managed to defeat four brigands by his lonesome. Eventually, the effectiveness of his rifle would be discovered, and his weapon designs would no belong to him alone.


    Eventually, the rest of the family arrived, and Lambert had heard the tales of his father and brother''s exploits from the Baron himself. Yet, there was not a single mention of the men who were supposed to ambush them.


    ''Is it possible that the Count''s men were unreliable and deserted? Then what was with Berengar''s smug grin earlier?''


    Eventually, Lambert concluded that the men could have deserted and decided to write a letter to Count Lothar informing him of the operation''s failure. Secretly Count Lothar would send a party to investigate thest known coordinates of his men-at-arms ande to the same judgment.


    For now, Berengar could rx and enjoy the new dishes, which used the venison of their hunt as the meat of choice. Berengar savored the taste of venison; truly, it was one of the best meats a man could dine upon. After finishing his meal, he returned to his quarters. He needed to brush up on his history of this world. After all, it had been some time since he read about the many changes in the timeline from the world he once knew, and he would need to be ustomed to his surroundings if he wished to prepare for the uing war.


    Berengar arrived at his chambers and quicklytched the door behind him. He opened up a scroll and spread it across his desk, the oilmp in the corner providing the proper illumination necessary to view it. Truly it was different from his own timeline. The year was 1417, yet the Holy Roman Empire was at the height of its power; on the map in the Center of Europey the Holy Roman Empire, whose borders stretched beyond their peak in 1138 to epass all of Italy aside from the papal states, as well as all of the regions that would one day consist of the Nethends, and Belgium.


    The Empire had also annexed the Teutonic State as a Vassal territory extending into the baltic. The Teutonic State was still a force to be reckoned in its own right, as it was victorious in the battle of Grunwald in this timeline; the victory sparked an extended campaign thatsted five years. During this Campaign, the Teutonic Order had conquered all of the coastal regions of the Baltic from Pomerania to the borders of Find. Though the Teutonic State held the authority of its own Kingdom, it was essentially a theocratic Vassal State of the Empire and a puppet of the Pope; as such, its Grandmaster was not afforded the ability to vote upon the next Emperor, unlike the Kings who presided over the other kingdoms.


    The feudal system of the Holy Roman Empire in this timeline was far more streamlined. Splitting into a very linear vassal system instead of theplex and convoluted semi-autonomous regions of Berengar''s previous life. The Holy Roman Empire wasprised of several kingdoms including the Kingdom of Germany, the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Swiss Confederation, and the Kingdom of Burgundy. The leaders of these territories were Kings in their own right and held varying control over the vassals beneath them, which were split into Duchies. These Dukes ruled over the various Counts whosendprised the territory of the Duchy, and the Counts presided over the Barons, who in turn presided over minor lords and their knights.


    Berengar currently resided in the Barony of Kufstein, a Vassal region of the County of Tyrol, which was a Vassal of the Duchy of Austria, the southernmost Duchy of the Kingdom of Germany. The Duchy of Austria in this timeline was farrger than in Berengar''s previous life at this point in history. The size of the Archduchy of Austria included the Counties of Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg, Carinthia, Trient, Lower Steiermark Karnten, Upper Austria, and Lower Austria, and finally Steiermark which was the region ruled by his fiancee''s father, Count Otto von Graz. Seeing as how Graz was the seat of power of the County and where his family derived its name from.


    Aside from the changes with the Holy Roman Empire and its vassal states, Western Europe, Scandinavia, and the British Isles held the same territory in this timeline as they had in Berengar''s past life. Even the Reconquista was going exactly as it had in the other timeline. The only other major change to the geography of Europe was the Balkans being held by the Byzantine Empire, which had over the centuries since the Crusades to the Holy Land recovered much of its lost territory. Extending from the Balkans, through Greece and Anatolia, all the way into the Levant. Though it has not yet been able to reim its former North African regions, it was currently doing so. Despite it being thete Medieval Ages, Europe had begun to take its ce in the world as a powerhouse. However, they were far from reaching their full potential.


    Berengar gazed at the changes of the map with a growing sense of ambition. He was beginning to get the suspicion that being a Baron was not his destiny; in the back of his mind, the thought of reaching greater heights began to manifest. He did not know what the future held for him, but now was not the time to think about it. He had plenty of work that needed to be done, and much of it could not be aplished until he held absolute control of his family''snds. For now, he had to be patient and y the long game. Soon enough, the Kingdom of Germany would find itself embroiled in civil war, and he had to convince his father to dere him Regent before that happened. The hunting trip had not been aplete and total waste of time; he was capable of stopping his brother''s wicked ns and grow closer to his father. Gaining his father''s trust would be paramount for his ns to acquire power.


    With that being said, Berengar heard a knock on the door and decided to end his studies for the day, He initially thought the knock on his door was most likely going to be Linde, and he could spend some time rxing with his favorite toy. However, when he opened the door, he saw little Henrietta looking up at him with a frightened expression. The young girl held her favorite doll in her hands as she looked up at her big brother with tears in her eyes.


    "Big brother, I had a nightmare. Will, you read me a story?"


    It had been a while since Berengar had told his little sister a bedtime story; after all, he had been upied with other things during the night as ofte. As such, he let out a sigh and pet her silky blonde hair as he led the little girl to her room. Where he spent the next hour telling her the story of the Battle of Castle Itter during the Second World War in his previous life, where German and American forces came together to free prisoners of war from the Waffen-SS days before the end of the conflict had urred. His fantastical telling of Machine guns, tanks, and cannons, as well as the brotherhood forged between former foes, enthralled the little girl who thought her brother was making up such an incredible story. In the end, Henrietta fell asleep from over-excitement, and Berengar kissed her on the forehead before leaving her room and returned to his own quarters.


    When he returned Berengar had found Linde lying naked on his bed, waiting for his arrival with a pouting expression on her lips. Damn this girl; she was just too sinful. The young lord immediately closed the door to his chambers behind him and enjoyed thepany of the beautiful young woman for the night.

 Chapter 26: The Counts Daughter Returns

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Count''s Daughter Returns</h4>


    Days turned to weeks as time flew by; during this time, Berengar had been primarily overseeing the growth of the militia. By now, he had met his minimum infantry goals fourpanies of 100 men each. The Artillery Battery was properly taking shape as well, with 80 men and 5 guns. It would not be long until he had reached his minimum goal, but in his mind, that was not good enough. He now desired a full-sized Battalion and two artillery batteries before the war began.


    Though their training continued, it was done in such a manner that, when observed by outsiders, highlighted the limitations of the weapons. As such, Lambert never once felt the need to report the mass use of hand cannons and field guns to his allies, and Sieghard had no desire to conscript Berengar''s forces into his standing army, which all yed perfectly into the young lord''s hands.


    Berengar was in a perfect mood today, as today was the day in which Ad returned from her trip to her homnd. Not only did he miss thepany of his little fiancee, but he also desired the gold and silver hoard she would bring with her in payment to the ten tonnes of steel he had sold to her father. With it, the next phase of expansion could begin to take ce. Berengar, alongside his family and Linde, had stood outside in their courtyard to greet the youngdy''s arrival.


    After a long while, the banners of house von Graz appeared in the distance. Her family''s coat of arms was a divided field of azure and sable in per bend division. On it, an or swan with argent beak, feet, and eyes was emzoned. It was a truly magnificent and detailed coat of arms, unlike that of the house von Kufstein. Their coat of arms was rudimentary inparison. It consisted of a per bend division in sable and or, with an argent bend across its center. It was remarkably simr to the ck, white, and red shield decal seen on German helmets in World War I and II during Berengar''s previous life; with the exception of the red being reced by gold. Despite House von Graz''s far moreplex design, Berengar felt a certain sense of pride in his own family''s banner. It reminded him of his great grandfather from his previous life, who served in trenches of the Great War as a soldier in the Kaiser''s army. After the German Empire''s copse, his family fled the fathend for greener pastures in America.


    As Berengar reminisced about his past life, Ad''s caravan had arrived inside the courtyard, the moment her luxurious carriage stopped in front of the family, its doors swung open, and the little girl jumped out of the carriage and into Berengar''s arms, wrapping around his waist like a spider monkey. The young lord barely had enough time to stabilize himself as he caught ahold of his fiancee, who pecked him on the cheek with her precious lips.


    "I missed you! Did you miss me?" was the first thing the girl said as she clung to her fiance in front of his family. While the family was stunned by the outburst, Linde had a pouting expression on her face. Now Berengar''s fiancee had arrived, she would have less time with her lord and master to herself. Luckily everyone was too stunned by Ad''s actions to notice Linde''s sulking guise. She would have a hard time exining the look on her face if her fiance had caught wind of it.


    After Berengar had pried himself away from the young girl''s grasp, he asked her the question which was on everyone''s minds.


    "So, is it all here?"


    Ad quickly recovered and realized the degree of affection she had just showed Berengar in public; as such, her cheeks quickly flushed with embarrassment. Nevertheless, like a proper nobledy, she calmed her heart and pointed to the servants carryingrge crates filled with silver and gold. It was not until all of them piled up did she boldly dere


    "My father is a man of his word; the agreed amount of our transaction is in these crates in the form of gold and silver ingots. Count Otto von Graz wishes to express his thanks for supplying such arge amount of steel and looks forward to future cooperation."


    Berengar smiled as he ordered a few of his family''s servants to check the authenticity of the crates. Though he trusted Ad''s words, he was still a cautious man and had each ingot inspected; only after its worth was confirmed was the mass of gold and steel transferred to the treasury. He now had the ability to invest in the textile industry, expand the capacity of the mines, and by extension, his steel surplus, which woulde in handy for the many inventions he had nned. Once the irrigation system was fully in ce, he would have many unemployed farmers who could begin work in the mines or the factories. Things were truly going ording to his ns.


    After Ad''s arrival, the family threw a feast to celebrate her return; she thoroughly enjoyed thevish cuisine she had so desperately missed during her absence. Berengar found the young girl''s appearance as she devoured the food with a satisfied expression on her doll-like face to be incredibly cute. However, Linde could not help but re at her rival. Even if she would never be the wife, Linde still did not like to see Berengar show his young fiancee such a different side of himself that he showed to her. Her menacing gaze did not go unnoticed by Ad; she could not understand why Linde disliked her so much. It must be the fact that the two brothers were feuding; after all, it''s not as if they were currently fighting for the affection of the same man.


    After the meal was over, Berengar immediately got to work; though he wanted to spend the day with Ad, pockets needed to be filled with coins to ensure his engagement ceremony was well supplied, his forces well equipped, and his factories manned. His father would normally handle the investiture into the mines, but the Baron had been delegating more and more responsibility to his son and heir recently. As such, Berengar quickly found himself managing the mines, which worked perfectly for his ns. It also meant that his father was testing him; if he could handle such a monumental task efficiently, he might be able to earn the title Regent. Maybe his father was also aware of the uing war and was beginning to make his preparations.


    For now, Berengar could not know the truth of the matter. Thus he handled his business as best as he could. Supplies were brought in to improve the mines, and blueprints were drafted by mining safety standards and improvements from the industrial era. Thest thing Berengar wanted on his hands was a copsed mine. As such, he practically overhauled the system in ce overnight in which the mines had used for centuries.


    One of these critical inventions was the safetymp which would provide adequate lighting in vtile areas where othermps and candles could be hazardous. Mining was dangerous and backbreaking work; the least Berengar could do was apply safety standards and equipment and an adequate paycheck topensate the workers for the work hazards that may appear. What would really speed up the process of mining was dynamite. Though he knew the chemical equation to create such a thing, hecked a knowledgeable chemist and a production facility to manufacture it. He seriously needed to get his hands on an alchemist which he could personally tutor in chemistry, but unfortunately, there was none within a small region like his family''s.


    However, he decided it was better to have a chemicalboratory he could utilize within his spare time than to have no ability to produce chemicals whatsoever. As such, he put aside a small portion of the mining funds to construct a chemicalboratory and the equipment necessary to outfit it. As long as he requested the funding under the guise of "Misceneous Mining Innovations," his father would approve it. Thus the young lord quickly drafted the ns necessary for such production. Though he had limited spare time nowadays, he needed to produce supplies that required basic chemistry. It was better to have a system in ce before he had a proper chemist than a proper chemist and no means of production.


    While he was in the middle of his work, he heard a knock on his door, which he quickly responded to; after opening the door, he saw his darling little fiancee dressed in a pastel pink velvet gown and a tray of snacks in her hands. She knew her fiance was busy with work, but she still desired to spend some time with him, even if it was just watching him a snack while he was hard at work. Arge German Cheesecake sat on the tray which the young girl had begun to divide up into pieces for the couple to consume.


    After taking a bite from the delicious cheesecake, Berengar could feel a tear forming in his eyes; it was exactly as his mother used to make. After all, it was her recipe that he remembered; nevertheless, he could not help but feel a sense of longing for his old home. He started to wonder how his family reacted to his death. He had been too busy with work and school in his adult life to visit home often. Eventually, he drifted apart from his family; he began toment that he had not spent more time with his parents before he passed. It was a shame he was an only child and had perished in Afghanistan; his parents were sure to regret that he had never produced grandchildren for them. As he began to think about his grieving parents with no grandchildren tofort them, the tears in his eyes began to produce more rapidly, which did not go unnoticed by his loving fiancee, who sat next to him.


    Ad noticed the tears streaming from Berengar''s eyes and tried tofort him; she had no idea what would cause such a strange reaction.


    "What''s wrong? Are you okay?"


    Berengar wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled; he felt ashamed of himself for crying in front of a little girl like Ad.


    "Yeah... I''m fine. The taste brings back memories."


    Ad did not know what memories he could be referring to; as far as she was aware, these recipes were his inventions; they had never been seen before. At this moment, Berengar finally realized he had not answered the girl''s question from when she first returned and looked softly into her eyes as he spoke truthfully with her.


    "I did miss you, Ad; I''m sorry I wasn''t able to say so earlier."


    The youngdy immediately began to blush as she heard his words; she was not expecting him to say such a thing. For the next half hour, she shared the snacks with Berengar, and by the time they were finished, she was satisfied with the small-time she spent with her fiance. She was finally able to figure out if he felt anything during her weeks of absence. The young girl thought that she was lucky to have such a loving fiance; if she knew he was cheating on her with his brother''s fiancee behind her back, she probably would not have such thoughts. However, she did not know, and Berengar intended to keep it that way; it was best not to have your wife find out about your concubine if you could avoid it. Who knows what reprisal he might face if she were to be aware of hisplicated rtionship with Linde. So he continued to lie to his little fiancee, and she continued to believe him.


    After some time, Ad had left Berengar''s chambers, and Berengar focused on his work. All of his ns for the mines and the industry he had drafted were either delivered to Ludwig for implementation or sent to his father''s desk for approval. The engagement ceremony''s ns had been put into action bypetent people beneath his father''smand, and the family''s coffers were filled to the brim. With it, another day''s work hade to an end. He sighed heavily as he sat back in hisfy leather chair and watched the moon in the sky above. Any minute now, Linde would knock on his door and beg for attention, and he would spend the rest of his waking hours disciplining her for being so obviously jealous at Ad''s arrival. It was good to be a noble scion, even if he was merely a Baron''s son...

 Chapter 27: Visiting the Mines

    <h4>Chapter 27: Visiting the Mines</h4>


    As the rise of dawn awoke Berengar from his slumber, he quickly got dressed and left Linde by her lonesome in his quarters as she still slept. Today would be a hectic day for Berengar as he personally visited the mines to oversee their expansion. He did not even have time to work out this morning. For the next couple of weeks, Berengar would be at the mines near the vige of Wildsch?nau. Wildsch?nau was currently under the direct control of one of Sieghard''s Vassals, known as Lord Ulrich von Wildsch?nau; it was a perfect chance to leave a favorable impression on the minor lord and his family. After all, the rumors of Berengar being a petty, indolent, and sickly young lord were still prominent outside of the town of Kufstein and those who have had direct contact with him.


    After grabbing a quick snack in which the chefs woke up early to prepare for his journey, Berengar left his family''s Estate while only leaving a letter to inform them of his absence. He was a man of action, and since he had decided to oversee this venture personally, he would not waste time with parting words, especially since he would only be gone for a few weeks at most. As he stepped into one of his family''s carriages and looked back at the window to his room in the tower up above, he could see Linde''s heavenly figure gazing down at him as she waved goodbye. Evidently, his absence had awoken the beauty from her precious sleep. Berengar''s parting gift to her was the kiss he blew in her direction before stepping into the carriage which swiftly took off from the castle and regrouped with the supply Caravan down in the town below. He would travel for several hours before reaching the Lordship of Wildsch?nau.


    When his Caravan arrived, Berengar stepped out of his carriage to greet Lord Ulrich and his family; he had sent a letter in advance to inform the Lord of his arrival. As the Baron''s son and heir, he still had to follow the proper etiquette when approaching his family''s vassal territory. After stepping out of his carriage, the expressions on the family''s faces went from forcing a gracious smile to deep shock. Berengar had appeared far different from thest time they had met. Though they could not see the extent of his fitness beneath his fine doublet, they could tell that his skin had a healthy glow and that his cheeks were no longer sunken. Evidently, the sickly boy they once knew had recovered from his childhood infirmity.


    Berengar approached Lord Ulrich, who bowed before him; after all, despite his preconceptions about Berengar as a person, the young lord was still the son of the Baron and, as such, held a higher position than him.


    "My Lord, it is a great honor to host your stay at our humble abode."


    Lord Ulrich was a man in his early thirties, and his wife was nearly ten years younger. They were a young couple, and Ulrich had recently acquired the title of Lord from histe father. He was not exceptionally handsome, nor was he sufficiently strong. He was truly an average guy all-around, at least from an aesthetic perspective. The man had mid-length dirty blonde hair and ocean blue eyes with a trimmed beard to match his hair color. His skin was not as fair as Berengar''s, nor was it as tanned as themoners. His wife shared a strikingly simr appearance to Ulrich and Berengar began to wonder if they were rted in some way. In her hands, she held an infant boy, which was the third son of Ulrich. Kneeling next to the couple were another two boys who were in their formative years. The little tykes gazed up at Berengar''s with a sense of wonder. This was the first time they had met a family member of the Baron, and they were well aware of the position he held in the household.


    Berengar motioned for the family to rise as he put on a charming smile


    "You honor me with your kind words, Lord Ulrich. I''m merely here on business and will be spending most of my time at the mines. However, I will not turn down the hospitality you have shown me; be aware that I may otherwise be preupied to be acquainted with your fine household fully."


    Berengar''s words were chosen wisely; he did not wish to offend Lord Ulrich or his House, but he also needed to make it clear that he would be swamped overseeing the expansion of the mines. Thus he would not be able to entertain his hosts properly. On the other hand, Lord Ulrich nearly sighed in relief as he heard those words, thest time he had met Berengar, the young lord had acted like a spoiled brat of lower intellect. He wanted to avoid wasting time with such a wastrel if at all given a chance. However, Ulrich was quite shocked by how Berengar was behaving; it was quite different from his old self.


    Ulrich quickly dismissed his family when Berengar made it clear he wanted to head to the mines as quickly as possible. He personally elected to guide the youth to the mines; if this petty young lord was overseeing the expansion of the mines in which Sieghard had ordered, it was best for him to stay close by and prevent any mishaps. As the two noblemen got into the carriage and departed for the mines, Ulrich could not help but ask about the project.


    "So, what are the ns for expanding the mines?"


    A smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he began a long discussion about the new safety standards which included a more robust support system to prevent mine copses and the safetymp. He also demanded proper work hours and sufficient payment, which the Baron would personally take care of. There was also the ban on childbor in the mines in which Berengar had gotten approval from his father. Eventually, Berengar informed Ulrich that he would be using gunpowder to st certain areas of the mine open, revealing new veins to extract the ore from. Because he did not have dynamite, Berengar had to use gunpowder and lots of it to expand the mining shafts rapidly. It was a risky move, but he was willing to take it. As long as it was done properly, he could mitigate the risks of the mine copsing on the workers. Luckily for him, he had been stockpiling ck powder for use in his militia. He had an overabundance of it which he felt fearful leaving lying around in his own territory. Thus Berengar had opted to bring quite a lot of it with him to aid in sting open the mines.


    After hearing all of Berengar''s ns in great detail, the man could not believe that the petty, dull, and indolent young lord he knew years past hade up with such an extensive n to overhaul the mines. It would take weeks to implement, but if it were done sessfully, the productivity of the mines would skyrocket, especially since Berengar brought with him some of the unemployed farmers to act as the additional workforce. Until Berengar could build steam engines and a proper rail system, he would be forced to relocated families to the territory ruled by Lord Ulrich to increase mining productivity.


    Berengar Also handed the Lord a set of documents that contained all the details of his four field system. He would also supply the Lordship''s fields with enough fertilizer tost the season. However, Berengar had no ns to inform Ulrich about the irrigation system at the moment. Until the fields of Kufstein could properly field the irrigation system itself, he would not lend the knowledge behind its implementation to Ulrich. For now, he wanted to increase crop yields in his Vassal''s territory, and gifting the four-field system to his vassals posed no major disadvantage. Even if Ulrich leaked it to other regions, the increase in food production throughout Europe as a whole was a good thing. His ns to be the breadbasket of Austria would stille true even if everyone else found out about the four-field system, as that was not his only agricultural innovation that would result in massive growth.


    When Ulrich looked over the designs of the four-field system, he could not believe his eyes. He had to ask the question on his mind at that moment.


    "You... you came up with this?"


    Berengar smiled gracefully when he responded to Ulrich.


    "I came up with the theory, but I had some help from a good friend testing it. We won''t know how effective the results are until this year''s harvest. However, I myself and many others are fairly certain there are at the very least no disadvantages to this system."


    The man could not believe what he was hearing; Berengar had gifted him this information without asking for anything in return. This knowledge would greatly affect his crop yields, and in turn, the ie his Land would garner. Why would Berengar give this tremendous knowledge away for free?


    "What do you want in return for this information?"


    Berengar continued to smile as he assured the Lord that there was nothing he wanted from exchanging information.


    "There is nothing I want in return for these designs. The more food we produce in ournds, the better it is for everyone and the fewer farmers we need. The unemployed farmers can then be put to work in the mines. I have great ns for the resources those mines contain, and I will need every hand I can get in producing it."


    Ulrich struggled to believe Berengar was so benevolent; he was truly gifting him this knowledge free of charge, merely so that hismoners were more productive? The Lord had a hard time grasping such a concept, of course, he had no way of knowing how grand Berengar''s ns were for the industrialization of the Barony and its vassal territories. As such, he could hardly think of the need for a massive workforce.


    Ultimately after some time to think for himself, Ulrich epted the ns and promised to have the four-field system and the use of the phosphate fertilizer he had been gifted implemented as soon as possible.


    "I humbly ept the designs and will do my very best to implement them as quickly as I can."


    Berengar smiled graciously at the man''s humble demeanor; Lord Ulrich truly knew his ce in this world. A quality he could not say everyone had. After a long conversation about the ongoing changes in Kufstein, the supply Caravan finally arrived at the mines where they saw a camp set up outside of its entrance. Many of the miners had a difficult time returning to their families with all the work they were required to do, and as such, had built a shantytown outside of the mine''s entrance which the miners referred to as "Miner Vige."


    Berengar found himself disgusted by the conditions these poor peasants were forced to live in and vowed that he would at least make some improvements to their temporary housing. After all, with the forty-hour workweek being introduced as one of Berengar''s many safety and wellness innovations, they would no longer be forced to work until they dropped from exhaustion. After getting out of the carriage in which the two noblemen had ridden, the miners stood at attention as they noticed the arrival of their Lord, who ruled over the territory they found themselves dwelling in. It was sporadic for him to visit the mines, and many men did not react. Berengar, however, was the first to speak.


    "As you were"


    he had many things to handle in the uing weeks and did not have the time to mingle with the locals. Eventually, dozens of men started getting out of the caravan and bringing supplies over to improve the mines. Seeing the handsome and well-dressed men standing next to their lord and givingmands, the miners with moremon sense took it to mean that Berengar was their boss''s boss and swiftly obeyed his orders and got back to work. Only asking each other and the neers about who the man was with the slicked-back golden hair.


    After several hours the miners became used to Berengar givingmands as he stared at a map of the mines and their current excavation process. It would be a long and arduous journey to get these mines up to code. However, Berengar would be damned if he failed to return in time for his engagement ceremony. As such, he once more burnt the midnight oil. It was not until the whistle blew and the miners returned to their shacks did Berengar finally get some rest. He would work as long as the miners did and lead by example. That was always how he had handled things when in a leadership position and would not change now just because he faced the dangers of the mines. Berengar lied down upon in a makeshift cot under a lean-to shelter as he gazed up the moon and stars above, thinking about his past and present life. Eventually, he fell to sleep thinking about the two lovely girls waiting for his return.

 Chapter 28: Cave In

    <h4>Chapter 28: Cave In</h4>


    By the time dawn arrived, Berengar was already awake and hard at work overseeing the mines'' construction. He acted like a true overseer as he issued orders left and right. If one way within the vicinity, he could feel the ground shaking and the sounds of explosions as hemanded the workforce he brought with him to st their way through the solid portions of rock with gunpowder caskets. The debris was rapidly cleared, and support beams were put in ce to prevent a copse. This was how Berengar spent the entirety of his time during the initial week after his arrival. He would personally go into the mining shafts to inspect the progress several times a day at regr intervals.


    Berengar had personally led these men through the current overhaul of the mines and had championed their cause for better working conditions. As such, he felt as if he was safe among these hard-working men, for in their eyes was a level of genuine respect rarely afforded to someone of Berengar''s status by themon people. It was the same gaze the people of Kufstein gave Berengar every time theyid eyes upon him. Berengar felt happy knowing that he had made a positive impact in the people''s lives under his family''s dominion. He did not think for one second that the people whose lives he had improved would turn on him. After all, who would harm their benefactor?


    Ulrich had visited the mines several times throughout the week and was amazed by Berengar''s progress. If things continued as nned, Berengar would be able toplete the project in a total of three weeks, which was slightly over his initial projection. Nevertheless, it gave Berengar ample time to prepare for his uing engagement ceremony, in which he had personally handed Ulrich his invitation. Everything seemed to be going as nned, that is, until three days after the second week of the project had begun. One afternoon while Berengar was going through one of his regr inspections, he was led rather deeply into the mine by the foreman he had ced in charge. Despite this, he initially did not feel any sense of danger; after all, this man was one of many who had directly benefited from Berengar''sbor reformations.


    By the time Berengar had reached the end of the mine shaft, he had begun to feel a bit suspicious. He had not encountered any miners for thest three hundred yards aside from the foreman he traveled with. Aftering to a vtile section of the mine shaft, the supervisor turned around while holding onto his safetymp; the bright me illuminated the eery smile that spread across the man''s lips as he mouthed the words.


    "Your brother Lambert sends his regards."


    As soon as the man said those words, Berengar instantly realized he had been led into a trap. He had been surrounded by allies for far too long and had forgotten a valuable life lesson from his previous life. Greed and avarice will always prevail over good and virtue; as long as the price was right, even the most honorable of men would do the most despicable things. He had no way of knowing it at the time, but this man who under Berengar''s guidance had seen his life, and that of his family''s vastly improved had been paid an extensive sum by Lambert to lead Berengar to his death. Before Berengar could react, the man sprinted behind him towards the exit; a second after passing him by, a st went off, copsing the tunnel upon the young lord, then everything went dark.


    Hours passed before Berengar regained consciousness; he was pinned under a giant stone and had difficulty breathing. His body was aching, and he could feel blood dripping from his forehead. There was no light nor sound, only the feeling of pain reverberating throughout his body. Debris filled the air causing the young lord to choke as he cursed himself for being foolish enough to follow the man alone into the mine shaft.


    "God fucking dammit! This is what I get for trusting people so easily..."


    After venting out his frustration, Berengar attempted to lift the stone that was lying across his chest. Therge stone must have weighed 150 pounds, and under the circumstances, he had a hard time lifting it off of his chest. Luckily for him, he had been using his bench press extensively over the past few months and had made significant gains in that time. Through much effort, he could lift the rock off his chest and slide it to the side. Allowing him ample space to breathe.


    As the young lord looked around to get his bearings straight, he could see very little; however, a few yards away, he could see the light shining through the cavern, which gave him hope. At least there was fresh air circting through the cut-off region. Hopefully, the others would notice he was missing and send a rescue party. The biggest problem he currently faced was that he had nothing to drink, which meant if the search party could not find him within three days, then he was destined to die again, and so shortly after, he had reincarnated in this world. That, of course, was assuming that a search party would be sent after him; after all, if the foreman betrayed him, who''s to say the others weren''t in on it as well. Things were not looking good for Berengar at the moment; as such, he spent the next thirty minutes looking for an escape route. When he found out that he was well and truly trapped, he could only rely on the grace of God for his salvation.


    ...


    The night after Berengar was trapped in the mineshaft, Lambert opened a letter in his chambers addressed to him by Lord Ulrich von Wildsch?nau. The contents of the letter were as followed.


    "Dear Lambert son of Sieghard von Kufstein and the rightful heir to the Barony of Kufstein. With great pleasure, I inform you that your brother has been trapped within a mineshaft and currently has no means of escape. It will only be a matter of days until you are officially recognized as the heir to your family''snds. I congratte you early on seeding your father and gaining the title Baron of Kufstein. I will make sure to be at your wedding in theing months. I trust you know what to do with this letter after you have finished reading it.


    Sincerly, Ulrich von Wildsch?nau"


    After reading the letter, Lambert lit a candle and was about to set it aze when Linde walked through the door to his bed-chamber; seeing what the young boy was about to do; she felt as if something had gone terribly wrong and immediately inquired about the details of histest scheme.


    "Is that a letter from my father?"


    Lambert pulled the letter away from the me and handed it over to Linde with a deeply satisfied smile spread across his lips.


    "Better, it is a letter from the Lord of Wildsch?nau informing me that has taken care of our little problem."


    Linde hardly listened to Lambert''s little narration as she studied the contents of the letter. When she read about Berengar''s precarious situation, she could not prevent herself from breaking into tears, which Lambert immediately noticed. Confused, and suspicious Lambert got up and grabbed approached his fiancee with a concerned facade.


    "What''s wrong? Are you alright?"


    Finally noticing that she was choking back tears with her free hand over her mouth, Lind began to wipe the tears from her eyes and did her best to reim her calmness, despite the wavering of her heart.


    "Yes... Of course, these are tears of joy. We are one step closer to our goal!"


    Lambert though initially suspicious, ended up believing the heavenly beauties act. However, before he could further advance their rtionship, she tossed the letter and pushed Lambert aside.


    "If you''ll excuse me, I need to write to my father about our sess."


    With that said, Linde rushed out the door; it was only after she was out of sight that she began to break out into tears, which crashed down around her as she ran to the only person she knew who could save Berengar, if he was still alive that was.


    ...


    Ludwig stood in his shop, operating the trip hammer as he pounded an ingot of high carbon steel into the form of a sword. Though it had been many years since hest built a sword, it was something he would never forget how to do. The masterpiece''s design he was working on was referred to in Berengar''s many records as a side sword. A design that would usually not be made for the next hundred years, yet due to the many projects Berengar had spent time designing existed solely in the form of blueprints until now. Initially, when Berengar was started learning swordy, he wanted a proper sword designed for himself. Though heter scratched the idea, the designs still existed within the confines of the old engineer''s shop.


    Ludwig and his team of smiths, engineers, and metalworkers had all banded together to create a wedding present for Berengar; though it was years away, they rarely had downtime, so after hours, they would spend a little bit of time each day working on their masterpiece to present the young Lord as a token of their appreciation for everything he had done in their lives. Here in Kufstein, Lambert had no allies among themon poption, and the level of respect they had for Berengar was beyond the means of simple bribery.


    Everything was calm and quiet on this evening, and only Ludwig was currently still in the shop working on the design of the production of the exquisite sword. Just for Berengar, he had made the weapon out of crucible steel; due to Berengar''s innovations, he created a small crucible furnace solely for the production of fine crucible steel to be used in presentation grade swords. Crucible steel was notmon in European countries in either timeline but wasrgely used by eastern civilizations. The variations of which had different names, such as Damascus or wootz steel. Berengar had always mentioned how beautiful crucible steel swords were and had much desired one for himself, even though he felt the sword would soon bergely ceremonial.


    While Ludwig was in the process of creating the sword de, he heard the doors to his shop swing open and immediately looked up at the disturbance. Linde, the heavenly beauty, Lambert''s fiancee, was standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face and a nervous expression as she shouted at Ludwig in a pleading tone.


    "You have to help him! You have to save Berengar!"


    This perplexed Ludwig, as the man had heard on several asions when drinking with Berengar that there was a cabal of nobles conspiring against him to remove him from his inheritance, and it was all lead by Lambert. He could not understand why Lambert''s fiancee would say such a thing and was immediately suspicious. He instantly stopped what he was doing and back away from the girl who had a crazy expression in her eyes.


    "Help him how? Save him from what?"


    Linde struggled to find the words to say and tried to calm herself down. After several seconds she was able to articte her thoughts properly.


    "Lambert, he got the Lord of Wildsch?nau to copse the mines on top of him; he might be dead already..."


    Ludwig could see the genuine look of concern on the beautiful girl''s face and was deeply confused by this. He identally let his thoughts slip through his tongue.


    "You''re Lambert''s fiancee; why do you want to save Berengar?"


    Linde instantly became aware that Ludwig knew about her fiancee''s intent to assassinate Berengar and could note up with an excuse for her actions. As she stared at the old man who was waiting patiently for her answer, she had no choice but to tell the truth; after all, Ludwig was Berengar''s dear friend and could be trusted, right?


    "Because... because I love him!"


    Ludwig heard this and could not help but mumble beneath his breath


    "Fucking Nobles..."


    However, he could tell from the look on her doll-like face that she was telling the truth, and as such, he sighed heavily.


    "Alright, I''ll go gather the boys. If he''s still alive, we''ll save him; if not... well, let''s not think about that."


    With that said, Ludwig rushed off to gather the men and supplies he needed to mount a rescue expedition. If the Lord of Wildsch?nau was on Lambert''s side, then there was no way his own men, the miners, would help in the search for the young lord. He had no hope but to gather as many people as he could as quietly as he could. His first stop was to Eckhard Berengar''s second inmand of the militia. They needed to be rallied and quickly. If Ulrich were really on Lambert''s side, he would not allow excavation to ur, and the rescue force needed an army loyal to Berengar to protect them in case things turned bloody. If he reported this matter to Sieghard, he would need proof to obtain his help; even if he could convince the Baron, it would be a political battle between a Baron and his vassal, by the time help arrived, the young lord would be dead.


    When Eckhard heard the news from Ludwig, he did not hesitate to muster the militia; by midnight, an army of 600 men and 6 cannons were on the march to the Lordship of Wildsch?nau, alongside the hundreds of volunteers whose aim was to rescue Berengar. Just as the young lord was about to lose faith in the bonds he had sewn with themoners, they would reward him in a greater capacity than he could ever ask of them.

 Chapter 29: The Age of Knights has Already Passed

    <h4>Chapter 29: The Age of Knights has Already Passed</h4>


    Under the cover of night, the army in which Berengar had formed rapidly covered the distance between Kufstein and Wildsch?nau; by the time the dawn had arrived, they had upied mining town and detained Ulrich''s workers. The sappers in the field began to construct fortifications surrounding the mining towns; by the end of the day, the makeshift town would resemble a miniature version of fortifications used during the Siege of Petersburg from Berengar''s previous life. The volunteer militia manned the fortifications while others interrogated the workers that had been detained.


    Eckhard personally oversaw this effort. He began by speaking to the workforce Berengar had brought with him, which was far more loyal to the people of Kufstein where they had grown up. However, they were unaware of the assassination plot, but when they heard that Berengar might be stuck in the mines; they quickly revealed the only information they knew. Which was that the foreman had led Berengar into the mines during a routine excavation and that they were oddly ordered to withdraw. Nobody saw Berengar again after that, but arge explosion was heard, which they had assumed was regr construction. When Baerengar''s workers had asked the foreman about their Lord''s whereabouts, the man imed that Berengar had left to visit Lord Ulrich.


    After hearing such information, Eckhard immediately seized the foreman who had already been detained and violently tortured the man for the information regarding the exact location where Berengar had been trapped. After some good ol'' medieval justice, the man sang like a canary, and the rescue operations had begun.


    Meanwhile, Berengar was trapped inside the confines of the copsed shaft. He had no food or water and was slightly injured. It was a miracle that no serious injury had urred; he was slightly concussed and possibly had a broken rib, luckily it had not punctured his lung, or else he would long since have passed from this world. His throat was dry, as he had not quenched his thirst since before the cave-in, and while stuck in the darkness with no way out, he began to be deeply paranoid about the forces conspiring against him. He swore that if he survived this ordeal, he would personallyy siege to Ulrich''s castle and drag him to the dungeons by the throat. There was simply no possibility the Lord of Wildsch?nau was not involved in this attempt on Berengar''s life.


    Shortly after having such thoughts, he had heard a muffled voice behind the rubble, which he could barely recognize as belonging to Ludwig.


    "Milord, can you hear me? Are you alive in there?"


    With a hoarse voice caused by dehydration and breathing in the fumes of the debris, Berengar managed to converse with the man behind the wall.


    "Ludwig? Is that you? How the hell did you find me?"


    Ludwig had an enormous smile spread across his face when he heard that the young lord was still alive. He began to speak awkwardly as he confessed to how he found out about his current predicament.


    "Aye, it''s me... Though I''m not one capable of judging the actions of the nobility such as yourself, your brother''s fiancee erm... revealed your current situation to me as she begged me to save your life."


    Berengar could not help but chuckle but groaned in pain as he did so, he had definitely fractured a rib, and it made breathing difficult andughing agonizing.


    "Dear Lord, do I love that woman! She came through for me once again! I''m seriously going to need to reward her this time!"


    Ludwig could tell by the tone of Berengar''s voice what the young lord was implying and could not help but sigh.


    "It is good to be young..."


    After getting out those words, he decided to inform Berengar of what was transpiring.


    "Just hang on; I''ve got hundreds of the vigers toe to your rescue; you should be out of there in no time."


    Berengar quickly realized the problem with this; there was not the slightest possibility that their actions would go unnoticed by Ulrich; after all, this was hisnd that they were currently standing upon. When the Lord found out that there was an ongoing attempt to rescue the target of his assassination, he would undoubtedly send his army in an attempt to cover his tracks. As such, he began to give orders to Ludwig.


    "Ludwig, my friend, you need to get Eckhard to muster the militia; when the Lord of Wildsch?nau finds out what you are doing, he will surely send his army to eliminate you all."


    Ludwig could not help but chuckle; he knew what Berengar was thinking and had already acted ordingly.


    "Please rest assured, milord, Ser Eckhard, and his men are already here fortifying the position as we speak. All 600 men and 6 guns are currently in a position to defend this mine with their lives"


    ''600 men, and 6 guns? Fucking Christ, I need to give these guys a raise; they are working way too hard!''


    Berengar thought to himself as heid down and waited for rescue. For now, he had no choice but to wait for the excavation to beplete. If Ulrich showed up with his meager army during this time, he would be in for a rude awakening. The might of his militia was not to be underestimated, though the feudal forces of this world were sure to do so.


    ...


    A soldier in the field was in the process of cleaning his musket. This musket was personally designed by Berengar and was named the 1417 Land Pattern Musket, and it was quite an anachronistic design. It utilized a 46-inch barrel much like the infamous "Brown Bess" used by the British Army for a length of time and a simr flintlock design. Yet, the stock was closer in design used by the early doglock muskets utilized by English forces during the English Civil War. As such, the firearm maintained quite the renaissance aesthetic. The primary difference in the design of the stock was that it had been cut off shorter at the end of the barrel to allow for the attachment of a socket bay. The stock also had sling swivels, and each musket was equipped with a leather sling. The 46-inch barrel was bored in a 58 caliber and had iron sights simr to the 1861 Springfield Rifled Muskets used by Union forces during the American Civil War. The reason for these two things was that they were all manufactured with the intent to be rebored and rifled for the use of the .58 caliber Minie ball projectile when the factory could handle such an extensive workload.


    It was truly a unique design blendingponents of three eras of musket development from Berengar''s past life. This was a weapon designed with two purposes in mind waging war in the most efficient manner avable and looking good while doing it. The soldiers who wielded this mighty weapon were using their downtime to clean their muskets and ensure everything was functioning properly. It would not be long before Ulrich, and his armies arrived. Though they had quite the defensive position, as well as a numerical advantage, most of these men had never seen a battlefield before, those who had been in the field were now officers and NCO respectively and formed the veteran backbone necessary to lead their mean properly. Against a professional and experienced force, things might not go so smoothly.


    As the sun began to set, The soldier cleaning his musket pointed into the distance as he saw a scout on horseback riding off towards the Castle.


    "A scout! Where''s the marksman? Take him out now!"


    Berengar had implemented tactics from modern doctrine and installed a designated marksman with a long rifle into each toon to engage targets arger distance. The marksman was already aware of the target and had loaded his rifle in the meantime. When he finally was able to get a shot off, the scout was at a distance of roughly 250 yards, though that was not a problem for the rifle he wielded, which was a replica of the one Berengar had used to take out the assassins during his hunting trip.


    Slowly but surely, the dirty peasant, d in earthly linen clothing, lined up his sights, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger. After a thunderous explosion and a puff of smoke, the minie ball projectile was sent down range and pierced the back of the scout who was riding off to report to his master to inform him about the upation of the mining town. A massive hole appeared in the man''s torso as the minie ball pierced through his brigandine breastte as if it were made of single weave linen. Ultimately, the horse was frightened by the st, and with no concern for the rider which had fallen of its back bleeding out into the dirt below, rode off towards the castle from which it hade.


    When the horse returned without a rider, it immediately invoked suspicion. As such, Ulrich knew something had happened to the scout he sent to oversee the rumors of an upying force at mining town. He had no idea howrge the force was or who it belonged to, but an enemy force had seized thend right under his nose. This was an insult to his authority, and if he could not handle it himself, he would only lose the trust in the Baron who''s son and heir he had just assassinated. His first course of action was to muster his troops. As a lowly Lord, he only had a dozen or so knights under hismand and at most a hundred men at arms; still, his warriors were well experienced, and he had little doubt what he was facing was merely a pack of brigands. When he finally arrived with his army, he was shocked to see many peasants armed with what appeared to be oddly shaped spears. He was unaware of the invention of the musket, or the earlier hand cannon for that matter. It was an especially rare piece of equipment during this time. As such, he vastly underestimated the forces in which Beregar''s allies had brought to aid him.


    Lord Ulrich approached the fortifications and inquired about the identity of the peasant rabble who dared to offend him.


    "I am Lord Ulrich von Wildsch?nau; under whose authority do you trespass on my territory and upy my mines?"


    Eckhard stepped out in front of the defensive line and approached Ulrich; unlike the rest of his troops, he was properly equipped with the munitions grade half-te armor prototype. Adorning his head was a sturmhaube, or burg, a type of helmet that would normally not be developed for the next century or two. Ludwig was able to sneak a few sets into production for the officers and NCOs of the militia. In Eckhard''s hands was a musket with its bay attached, which he rested on the ground as he chatted with Ulrich.


    "I am Ser Eckhard, retainer to Lord Berengar, son and heir of Sieghard von Kufstein, the Baron who presides over thesends. It is under his authority that I am here"


    Ulrich''s face instantly turned ugly; this meant Berengar was still alive and somehow could muster such a force toe to his rescue; things were not going well. Luckily Berengar would only know that Lambert was behind this plot and had no proof of his involvement. As such, Ulrich tried to y it cool; after all, the forces he was up against were practically six times the size of his own, even if they were unarmored peasants armed with sticks and spears; such numbers still posed a threat.


    "As far as I''m aware, Berengar left back towards his home a while ago without paying proper respects. Why would he order you here?"


    Eckhard spit in the general direction of Lord Ulrich, which was an enormous p to his face


    "Cut the crap, my lord; we know you are responsible for the cave in. I suggest youy down your arms and surrender to justice. If you confess to the actions of the real mastermind behind this plot, I promise in the name of my liege, Berengar von Kufstein; you will be granted leniency."


    This response shocked and outraged Ulrich; there was no way of knowing that he was involved in this plot unless Lambert turned on him or someone in his employ did. Though why Sieghard would send this rabble to bring him to justice instead of his own army, Ulrich could not understand. The truth that he was incapable of understanding was this was Berengar''s private militia and was fully capable of bringing down the Lord and his Army; hell, they could eveny siege to his Castle if they wanted to.


    Ulrich threatened Eckhard further in an attempt to strike fear into the hearts of the peasants who followed him.


    "When I return with my levies, I will teach you a thorough lesson in the art of war."


    Eckhard chuckled at Ulrich''sments which thoroughly provoked the lord


    "What''s so funny?"


    Eckhard stared at Ulrich with a look of contempt as he spoke the tant truth.


    "My Lord, you could attack this position with tenfold the numbers you currently possess, and the result would still be the same. If you march on this position only death awaits yourself and those who are foolish enough to follow. If you run and hide in your Castle, I promise that we will follow you, and when we tear down those mighty walls in which you cower behind, I will personally see to it that Berengar is the one who rips you from your seat of power by the throat!"


    Eckhard was clearly the victory in this war of threats that was currently ongoing between a fallen knight and the Lord of Wildsch?nau. The more Eckhard spoke, the more Ulrich was enraged by his words and made foolishments.


    "Really? How do you expect to aplish this without any knights or men at arms?"


    Ulrich felt with this statement; he would make the militiamen under Eckhard''smand back down. Still, when he looked in their eyes, he was shocked to find the same look of determination and disdain Eckhard had so boldly disyed in his presence. Were these peasants mocking him?


    Eckhard''s final words to Ulrich before he retreated was this.


    "If you do not surrender, I swear to show you that the age of Knights has already passed."


    With that statement spoken, Ulrich snorted at the remarks and returned to his holdings. While the excavation for Berengar''s rescue was ongoing, the Lord of Wildsch?nau called upon the peasants in his territory and raised his levies with 1500 men. Even if the cost of the battle was the death of all his levies, he make certain to take Berengar''s life.

 Chapter 30: Symphony of War

    <h4>Chapter 30: Symphony of War</h4>


    It took the entire night for Ulrich to raise his levies and properly equip them with what little equipment he could spare. It''s not like their lives mattered to him in the slightest. Of course, the levies had no idea who they were fighting or why such a significant number of them had been conscripted. Most of them had never held a spear before in their lives. If they had known they were going against Berengar, the son and heir to the Baron of Kufstein, and were essentially acting in open rebellion; they probably would have taken a stand against Lord Ulrich. Unfortunately, they did not know their opponent and merely did what they were told in fear of persecution.


    As the sun rose on the next day, the sound of excavation could be overheard by the forces resting in their trenches. The rescuemen worked day and night to free Berengar, and now they had finally achieved their goal. As the wall of rubble copsed around Berengar and the light of theirmps shone into the room, he shielded his eyes, as his eyes were not adjusted to such brightness. Then he felt a hand sp on his shoulder, and he looked up, barely making out the haggard old face of Ludwig, who was covered in soot.


    "Milord, I''m d to see you''re okay!"


    Berengar began to chuckle and cough from the debris particles which filled the air.


    "Apparently, I''m hard to kill," he said with a wry smile on his face as Ludwig dragged the young lord to his feet and began walking him out of the mine shaft.


    "Aye, now let''s get you to a field medic and see if we can do anything about those injuries of yours."


    After exiting the cave, Berengar saw the hundreds of volunteers and the militiamen cheering for him as if they were watching a general return from triumphant conquest. In either of his two lives, he had never witnessed such a scene before. Maybe he was a little too rash to lose his faith in themon people. Some fresh air did wonders for the rity of his head as he sat down on a stool and had a field medic disinfect his wounds, which stung horribly as the distilled alcohol killed the bacteria that had begun to fester.


    The moment Berengar founded the militia, he was sure to start up a production line for first aid supplies and medic kits that those who became field medics could use to save lives on the battlefield. It was by no means a surgeon''s kit, but it got the job done. He would never send an army to war without medics alongside them to aid the wounded. As such, the medics received both infantry training and basic medical training, or at least to the best that Berengar could remember. He never was trained as a proper medic; he just knew some basic first aid from his time fixing himself up after some scraps in his old life. After all, in his old life, the American health system was atrocious, and he''d sooner suture himself than go to the emergency room and shell out hundreds if not thousands of dors for it. What he learned in his old life he passed on to his field medics so; at the very least, they could save some lives from minor injuries.


    After being treated by the medic, Eckhard approached him, who patted him on the shoulder and informed him of the situation.


    "Lord Ulrich has conspired against you with your brother to bring your demise in these mines. The foreman we captured spilled everything he knew about their plot. Last evening Ulrich approached us and demanded we leave; of course, we refused, and he vowed to return with levies. How should we proceed?"


    Berengar was currently shirtless with many bandages wrapped around him. His body was covered in soot, grime, and dust, which ckened his otherwise wless milky white skin. The pomade in his hair had collected the filth of the cavern, like moths to the me. If one was not familiar with the young lord, they might have mistaken him for someone else. Berengar took a sip of water from the canteen he was provided and exhaled deeply. He felt like his entire mouth was filled with dirt and iron after inhaling the debris particles for the past few days. After gargling the water and spitting out the filth, he looked up at Eckhard with his reply.


    "How should we proceed? We kill them all, of course! Every man who marches on this position is guilty of treason; I do not care if they simply follow orders. Let us show these traitors what happens when they march upon a trench line filled with 600 guns and the brave men who wield them!"


    Berengar shouted hismand loud enough for all the nearby militiamen to hear; once more, the cheering began, but this was not the cheer of men thankful that their lord andmander was safe. This was the cheer of men who were about toy waste to their enemies and who reveled in it. Though when Berengar stood up and raised his hand, silence quickly followed as he began his speech.


    "I look around me, and who I see are not peasants, nor serfs, normoners; but the people of Kufstein, brothers, fathers, and sons. Under my leadership, we have made great progress towards a new era, where a man''s worth is not determined by the ss he was born into, but by the hard work and effort, he puts into hismunity.


    Many of you have been raised from the life of a serf, breaking your back every day in the fields so that you may grow crops for your masters. Now you work in factories and are afforded good wages and proper living conditions.


    The men out there want to take my life, but more importantly, they want to take away the life you have made for yourself, which I have worked alongside you all to implement.


    I ask you not to put your lives on the line for some petty grievance in which I, your lord andmander, have suffered, but to preserve the way of life that we have all built and continue to work towards! Today is the day we stand up to those who would oppose the dawn of a new era, the dawn of the industrial era!"


    Though it was not some epic speech of a lifetime, it was more than enough to rally the men who had begun to question their position in the line of defense and bolster their courage. As soon as Berengar had finished his speech, the enemy''s horn roared in the distance, and with it, an army of 1600 men came marching towards the fortifications. However, by now, the defenders were fully enthralled by the rallying cry of Berengar and would defend this position with their lives if need be. The militiamen rushed to their positions and began to load their muskets, rifles, and cannons.


    Berengar could not stand idly by; and walked over to Eckhard, who was busymanding the forces to their positions.


    "Major Eckhard, I require a musket!"


    Berengar said in an authoritative tone to his second inmand, which baffled the old knight. Berengar had not eaten in days; he barely had enough time to hydrate before the enemy showed up; he was covered in cuts and bruises. He was slightly concussed and had a fractured rib. Yet the filth-covered young lord stood there demanded a musket so he too could join the action. Eckhard, of course, could not help but voice hisints.


    "My Lord, do you really think that''s a good idea?"


    Berengar red at Eckhard with a tyrannical stare as he boldly dered in front of his forces lined against the trenches with their muskets raised.


    "I will not sit idly by while the men under mymand put their lives at risk in the face of the enemy; now tell somebody to fetch me a musket!"


    Eckhard could not help but admire Berengar''s spirit; even in his condition, he chose to fight and die alongside his troops. He was truly a young lord worth following. Before Eckhard could even bark themand, a man came over with a musket and paper cartridge box tied to a belt and presented them to Berengar while kneeling.


    "My Lord, I have acquired what you asked."


    Berengar grabbed ahold of the equipment and attached the belt shortly after. He bit open a paper cartridge and began to reload his weapon; while he was in the process of it, he barked at the soldier who had brought him his weapon.


    "Rise, I do not need every soldier to kneel at me every time they are in my presence; a salute is fine enough. You should have learned this in your basic training."


    The man quickly snapped to attention and saluted


    "Yes, My Lord!"


    Berengar returned the man''s salute before giving himmands


    "Good, now take me to the frontlines. I want to be among the first line that gets a shot at these bastards!"


    The militiaman was assigned to a support unit. He was initially thankful, but after seeing his Lord and Commander''s enthusiasm for battle, he could not help but feel sorrow that he would not get to fight at the front line by the side with the young lord. After leading Berengar to the frontline, the man returned to his support unit with a gloomy expression. Berengar as the highest-ranking officer, had seized directmand of the front line, something in which the troops were pleased.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Ulrich stayed behind his troops with his house guard; he was a cowardly man who refused to get his hands dirty on the field of battle. Alongside the house guard were the knights and men at arms. Essentially the entirety of his professional force. Ulrich''s ns were simple; he would have the peasant levies charge at the enemy''s defenses; after all, theypletely outnumbered Berengar''s militia. When the levies had removed the cavalry traps ced in front of the trench line, his Knights and Men at arms would ride through mining town and ughter Berenagar''s remaining forces.


    While Berengar was covered in dirt, grime, and filth from the mines and had no proper armor, nor even a doublet to wear, Ulrich was covered head to toe in steel te armor in the style which wasmon during this time which wouldter be referred to as the Churburg style. Currently, the visor to his great basc was open as he watched his peasant levies march towards the fortifications. He had very few archers. However, once they were within range, they would rain a volley down upon the unarmored defenders allowing his levies to rush towards the trenches.


    His n was all supposed to go smoothly, it would allow him to defeat Berengar and his militia and cover his tracks sessfully. So when his archers advanced into the 400-yard range, which was still far beyond their capabilities, he did not in the least expect the cannons that were hidden undercover would begin to rain fire upon them. When the six cannons echoed with thunder as the canister shot flew out of their bores and rained upon the archers piercing their gambeson and mail armor as if it were made of tissue paper and scattering their limbs across the field, Ulrich nearly fainted from fright. He had never before witnessed cannons, let alone muskets. Instantly what little archers he had were decimated into piles of mincemeat, their bodies no longer recognizable. The first part of his n waspletely and utterly destroyed.


    However, the cannons did not stop there; they quickly reloaded and fired a second bombardment of canister into the peasant levies, reaping the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, in the process. Their blood flowed onto the fields like a river and fertilized it in the process. At this point, the morale had already been broken among the levies, and they began to panic; even the warhorses of the Knights and Men at Arms began to be frightened. As Lord Ulrich saw his ranks breaking, he swiftlymanded the knights and men at arms to hold the line at any cost.


    "If those peasant bastards start breaking ranks, ride them down! They will move forward or they will face the consequences." The knights and professional soldiers heeded their Lord''smand and rode down their own routing levies. Very quickly, the peasant levies began to understand where they stood and were pushed forward out of fear into the line of fire. Though the cannons continued to sound off, taking the lives of dozens if not hundreds with every step, the levies rushed through it, knowing their only way out was forward and into death. Even Ulrich figured once they got close enough, those frightening thunderous weapons would have no effect.


    ...


    Berengar, on the other hand, was making sure his men did not fire in panic; instead, with each bombardment of the cannons, their morale grew rapidly; many even stared dumbfounded at how effective their weapons were.


    "Hold your fire! Hold your fire! Do not fire until you see the whites in their eyes!"


    This was a phrase Berengar continued to repeat to his musketeers as they held the line with their fingers firmly on the trigger. Despite the cannons sting the ranks of the levies and the hundreds of losses, there were still close to a thousand troops who rushed towards their position. The number was staggering and frightening. Nevertheless, they knew Berengar would not steer them wrong as they waited until they were given themand to fire. Finally, when the first line of Ulrich''s levies were within 25 yards of the trench line, Berengar shouted at the top of his voice.


    "Fire!"


    With that, the echo of close to 500 muskets went off in unison, each musket ball finding its way into the body of an enemy. Limbs were torn apart, holes the size of a fist were punched through chests, and the blood-curdling screams of those unfortunate enough to survive filled the air as the militiamen rapidly reloaded their muskets. By now, the average militiamen could reload their musket within 20 seconds after all were reloaded, including Berengar''s he would give themands of "ready", "aim" and "fire" as the symphony of war continued to rage upon the battlefield.


    Despite losing hundreds of men with each volley, the peasant levies pushed on as their escape route was cut off by Ulrich and his professional soldiers, who by now would not dare move forward. Ulrich finally understood the absurdment Eckhard had made to him the day prior, "The age of knights is already passed," as he gazed upon the horrendous destruction wrought upon his army by Berengar''s volunteer militia. Luckily he was out of range of these crazy weapons; he began to feel as if the wrath of God was reigning upon him as his army copsed and began to route, no longer fearing the men at arms behind them that were essentially acting as sovietmissars and reaping the lives of those who fled.


    Right as Ulrich was about to give themand to retreat, he once more heard the thunder of the cannons and the whistle of the shot in the air, however this time, it was not a canister that was fired, but a solid ball. The 12-pound cannonball flew in his direction and punched through his chest blowing his body apart. The Lord who supported Lambert in his attempt to assassinate Berengar''s life waspletely and utterly dead.


    Berengarughed as he saw the man''s body torn apart by the massive cannonball, as he thought to himself.


    ''Getting shredded by artillery fucking hurts, doesn''t it!?!''


    Instantly conjuring up the scene of his death in his previous life. Nevertheless, Ulrich was now dead, and his forces were routing. The knights and men at arms knew better than to stay in the confines of Kufstein, where they had just acted in rebellion. As such, they took off on their horses, fleeing the Barony and Tyrol altogether. Nobody would ever believe what they imed to have witnessed on that battlefield, and it would be a long time before such a scene resurfaced.


    Meanwhile, Berengar could not get rid of the orchestra of war that had filled his ears throughout the battle; despite the loud cheers of his men celebrating a battle that was won without a single casualty. Berengar had an epiphany, and would one day in the distant future, be quoted saying as follows.


    "It was on that day when 600 men defended their position with their guns thundering in the dawn that the Grim Reaper was conjured. When I saw his ugly face, I recognized that I was not a dealer of steel and textiles but thunder and death. At that moment, I came to a sudden realization about my fate. One day I would be Emperor..."

 Chapter 31: The Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 31: The Aftermath</h4>


    After the battle had urred, there was much cause for celebrating the overwhelming victory gained by the militia forces. Having gotten their first battle out of the way with the new weapons, the menprised of Berengar''s forces were entirely confident of defending their territory from any invading force, and more importantly, in Berengar''smand. The fact that the young Lord stood at the frontlines facing down wave after wave of enemies alongside his troops would be spoken throughout the vigers of Kufstein for months toe.


    Berengar, on the other hand, promised a great celebration after they cleaned up the battlefield; they could not very well allow hundreds of corpses to lie on the fields to rot. As such, after much effort, the Militia had dug a series of mass graves where they buried Ulrich and his forces. Berengar would have difficulty exining his overwhelming victory to his father if he told the whole truth. Despite the desire to brag bout his feats, he decided to lie about the battle andpletely downsize the results. Because the men at arms and knights had by now fled the confines of the Barony of Kufstein, and the peasants who fought against them were round up, lined against the wall, and executed, there were no witnesses to the events that transpired aside from the forces loyal to Berengar, and as long as he gave the order to keep keep the telling of their war stories to what he had instructed there should be no problems with the leaking of how effective his firearms were.


    The story Berengar told to his father about the attempt on his life by Ulrich, the mustering of his forces, how they built the defenses and defended the position from a few hundred peasant levies. The Lord''s professional forces were very different from reality. Berengar spun the events, making it seem like Ulrich was unaware of hand cannons, and foolishly attacked the hill with a few men. The missing peasants were exined by running away from their homes and families in fear of reprisal from the Baron. It was a stretch, but judging by the fact that the knights and men at arms also fled the region, Sieghard had no choice but to believe it. After all, hand cannons were extremely effective against the peasant levies'' light armor orck thereof and frightening to those who were not ustomed to the sound.


    As for the death of Ulrich, Berengar made it seem like a stray shot had pierced his skull when the visor to his helmet was open; with the Lord''s death, his forces copsed and routed. Sieghard sent a team to investigate the fields to confirm this information was true but found no traces of the mass graves and only the small ones Berengar had used to mislead the Baron and his brother Lambert. As far as anyone was aware, the battle was quite small and was set between 200 of Berengar''s militia dug in at the mining town and armed with hand cannons against 300 of Ulrich''s men who fled with the idental death their Lord. After all, in this feudal world, it was considered uneptable to kill a nobleman outright if it could at all be avoided. Men of higher birth were afforded the privilege of ransom. There was no mention of the use of cannons; due to Berengar''s previous misinformation, the cannons were considered to be static weapons andrgely immobile by the uninitiated. Thus he did not want to reveal how effective they really were.


    After Ulrich''s untimely demise, his son and heir, who was only a small child, was named Lord of Wildsch?nau; as he was so young, he needed a regent, which Sieghard ced from a dedicated member of his own court to ensure the loyalty of the young Lord who was now his vassal. He would not allow the grieving widow of the boy''s traitorous father to skew the future Lord''s allegiance to his liege.


    As for the foreman who was captured, he was Berengar''s only viable witness in Lambert''s schemes against him; however, unfortunately, as the man was lead to the dungeons of the Castle of Kufstein, he was shortly thereafter found dead from asphyxiation, it was ruled a suicide as the man had supposedly choked himself to death with the chains that bound him. Berengar, however, knew that this was clearly the work of Lambert and his allies cleaning up their mess. The only witness he had to his brother''s ploy was Linde, and Berengar refused to y that card; she was a valuable spy not only against Lambert but her father as well. He would not expose such a precious asset against his enemies in a rash attempt to expose Lambert''s machinations. It became apparent that his father''s army and the guard had beenpromised. Clearly, there was a faction loyal to Lambert among them, and such a force would need to be purged when Berengar finally came to power.


    It took a long time for Berengar to exin the vtile situation that had urred to his father. By the time he was finally able to wash the dirt and grime off of his filthy body, it waste into the night. His paranoia that he had developed from being trapped in the darkness of the mine shaft for days began to take hold as he sat alone in the bath during the twilight hours. As he heard the door creak open and the light taps of footsteps approach his location, he felt like another assassin was nearing by. When the footsteps finally reached his vicinity, Berengarunched a surprise attack on the would-be assassin, dragging them into the pool of water and pressing their head beneath its surface.


    For whatever reason, it never urred to him that Linde was entering his bath to be with the man she loved. After all, she had been beside herself the past few days as she waited for news of Berengar''s situation. Every day that Berengar was trapped, she was ovee with anxiety and despair, to the point where she could barely maintain the facade of Lambert''s ally. It took a few moments for Berengar to realize he was in the process of drowning his own lover. When he finally came to his senses, he quickly released his hands and allowed the divine beauty to resurface from the filthy bathwater, where she struggled to breathe. Berengar looked upon her with shock and terror, as he had acted upon instinct, and did not recognize what he was doing until after he had harmed Linde.


    The girl''s sky blue eyes were filled with tears as she stared at Berengar in fear; she could not help but ask why she was so severely punished.


    "What the hell! Why would you do that?"


    Berengar, who was in the middle of a panic attack because of his actions, struggled to breathe, which was incredibly painful due to his fractured rib. As such, he grabbed ahold of his side and winced in pain as he struggled to give the girl an exnation.


    "I''m... I''m sorry, I... thought you were an assassin."


    Linde gazed upon the deep sense of dread that was spread across Berengar''s immacte visage and instantly forgave him; she could not imagine the sense of distress and agony that Berengar had suffered while being trapped in the darkness of the mines by his lonesome for days on end, wondering when he would finally enter death''s embrace. As such, she approached him cautiously and wrapped her warm body around his, cing her head on his shoulder.


    "I''m here for you if you want to talk about it..."


    It was only after he felt the warmth and love of Linde''s heavenly body that he began to calm himself down and realize that he was not still in the cavern waiting for death. He was finally home, and though there were enemies in his midst, those who loved and cared for him far outnumbered them. Quickly, the sense of paranoia and dread was changed to one of intense wrath as he gained control of his emotions and began to plot his brother''s downfall. At the moment, he still did not have enough evidence to bring charges against the treasonous little brat. He had been on the defensive for too long against Lambert, and now he would conspire against his own little brother and bring the little bastard to justice. Yes, justice, not vengeance. He could not very well kill his own brother and bebeled a kinyer for the rest of his days.


    If Berengar so desired, he could easily have his little brother assassinated by Linde, though that would not be good for his conscience. Berengar would not stoop so low as to engage in fratricide, at least at the moment. If Lambert truly crossed the line, there was nothing Berengar would not attempt if it meant achieving his goals. Instead, he would target his brother''s allies and cut off Lambert''s support one by one. Aside from the Count of Tyrol, Lambert''s allies werergely among his father''s vassals and the armies that supported them. If he could identify them, he would have a much easier time dispatching them to the afterlife. As such, he began to share his scheme with Linde, who was Berengar''s most valuable asset in the shadow war with his brother.


    "My dear Linde, I have a task for you..."


    Linde had sparkles in her eyes, though she had yet to be rewarded for her previous actions; she knew it was only a matter of time, and with a new task meant an even greater reward. As such, she instantly replied obediently.


    "Yes, master?"


    Berengar narrowed his eyes; within them contained a great sense of wrath and a desire for retribution. He was a man who would show no mercy to his enemies, and this recent attempt on his life had made him particrly vengeful, even if he told himself it was a desire for justice.


    "I want a list of names of every single person who has ever aided my brother in his attempts to gain the inheritance. Who they are, where they live, their weaknesses, and the extent to which they aided him. If someone so much as entertained the idea of taking my life, I want to know about it in exact detail! I trust this is something you can handle?"


    Linde nodded with a deep smile on her face as she cuddled up against Berengar.


    "Anything you require, Master."


    Berengar gazed down at the peerless figure of the gorgeous young woman next to him and smiled deviously.


    "By the way, I need to reward you for saving my life. Do you have any particr desires that I may fulfill?"


    Linde blushed at the words with embarrassment, though deep down she had been waiting for this moment, as such, sat atop hisp and began to make out with him. The remainder of the bath session was filled with sounds that, if overheard by others, would cause a great scandal. Nevertheless, those who dwelled in the castle noticed not a single noise as the couple enjoyed the time they spent together with great passion. By the time the two left the bathhouse, they returned to Berengar''s chambers, where they spent the rest of their waking hours continuing their fun.


    On the other hand, Lambert was wide awake and filled with terror as he hid within the confines of hisrge stone room. The attempt on his brother''s life had failed, and the foreman used his name during the act. If Berengar was unaware of his previous endeavors, then he was certainly aware now. Not only that but one of his greatest allies was now dead, all because the fool carelessly had his visor open. Surely if the visor to his basc were closed, the rocks fired from the hand cannons would have nced off, right?


    Of course, Lambert had no way of knowing the real way in which Ulrich had perished, nor was he aware that the lead balls fired from the musket would have prated the basc either way if fired from an appropriate distance. Instead, Lambert felt he caught an unlucky break; his ns were leaked to Berengar, possibly from someone under hismand. Still, it could have alsoe from one of the many workers Berengar brought with him, who were suspicious of the foreman''s actions. He had no way of knowing how the militia and rescue force arrived so quickly to Berengar''s aid. All of these things contributed to the overwhelming sense of angst he felt deep in his stomach.


    Nevertheless, the worst part was that Lambert now had to fear his brother''s reprisals and with how things have been goingtely, he could not help but be afraid of divine intervention on Berengar''s behalf. Because he was unaware of Berengar''s schemes to target his allies, the teenage boy dreaded an attempt on his own life by his elder brother as an act of retribution. Thus while Berengar was enjoying his time with Lambert''s fiancee, Lambert did not get a wink of sleep as he was too fearful of what might transpire while he slumbered.

 Chapter 32: Recovery

    <h4>Chapter 32: Recovery</h4>


    Ad struggled to fall asleep, a lot had happened in thest few days, and she recently only became aware that her fiance had returned from the Lordship of Wildsch?nau after a botched assassination attempt. Yet other than spending many hours exining the exact situation to his father, Berengar made no attempt to visit her. Instead, he went straight to the bath to cleanse himself of the filth that he had garnered throughout the time in the cavern. Afterward, before she could approach him and check to see how he was feeling, he went to his bed chambers, where he was reportedly resting. The young girl had heard that Berengar was injured and needed rest, but she did not know to what extent; as such, she worried deeply about his health.


    The reality of the situation was Berengar''s full attention during and after the bath had been captured by Linde, who was secretly bedding Ad''s future husband behind the scenes. Nobody was aware of the illicit rtionship between Berengar, and Linde, especially not Ad. She was not the type of girl to ept her future husband to be ying around with other women, even if she was too young to take their ce.


    Eventually, Ad could no longer take the heartache of being incapable of seeing her dearly beloved, who, as far as she was aware, was hospitalized in his room at the moment. As such, she got out of bed and dressed in a whitece nightgown that was appropriate for the time period. It was only after she had tidied her appearance did the youngdy depart from her bed chambers and silently make her way to Berengar''s room. Her actions, if spotted, would surely cause a misunderstanding, and rumors were bound to re. Luckily for everyone involved, nobody had witnessed her depart from her quarters. She quickly found herself in front of Berengar''s door, where her heart began to beat rapidly. She had never visited his room after hours before; she wondered if he was asleep or not. After taking a few moments to calm herself, she lightly knocked on the door.


    ...


    Berengar was in the middle of ying with his favorite toy when he heard a knock on the door; he was in no position to answer it at the moment, as there was a divine beauty "sitting" atop hisp. He could not fathom who would possibly be at his doorstep at this hour aside from Linde. However, he made sure to motion with his hand to Linde to cease her activity and stay silent. After making sure the girl''s lips were sealed, he just about called out to whoever was at the door when he heard a soft feminine voice with which he was all too familiar from behind the door.


    "Berengar, are you awake? Are you okay? I didn''t get to see you when you returned... Can Ie in?"


    Berengar quickly unsheathed himself from Linde and whispered in her ear with a voice so low Ad could not hear it from the other side of the door.


    "Get under the bed, and take your nightgown with you!"


    Linde did not disobey hismands, albeit she was a bit frustrated she didn''t get to finish; she quickly hopped off the bed and grabbed ahold of her nightgown, which was scattered across the stone tile floor. She then crawled under the bed where she barely managed to fit in the crawlspace with her plump behind and buxom chest. Afterward, Berengar quickly put on a pair of trousers and answered the door. Ad was just about to leave when the door swung open. In her hand was an oilmp that illuminated Berengar''s bruised body, which caused Ad to be deeply concerned about his health.


    The youngdy gasped when she saw the condition he was in and instinctively touched his abdomen to check to see if Berengar was okay. Berengar, who was desperately trying to hide his lower region behind the door, could not help but feel awkward as the little girl touched his bruised abs. Eventually, he could no longer contain it and broke the silence between the couple.


    "Ahem... You know you shouldn''t be here at this hour."


    Upon hearing Berengar''s voice, Ad quickly realized what she was doing and retracted her hand away, where she tried to hide her sheepish expression.


    "I could not sleep knowing that you were injured... I wanted to check on your condition."


    Berengar looked at Ad as if she were a little angel. Unlike the vixen who currently lie under his bed which ran him ragged despite his injuries, this youngdy was too stressed to fall asleep knowing that her fiance may be seriously injured. Luckily for her, he was fine, aside from a cracked rib and a few bruises. Personally, he has had had worse and barely noticed the pain except for when heughed or breathed heavily, but he would never admit that to a pretty girl who was concerned about him.


    Berengar smiled, and he exined his situation to the young girl who was kind enough to check up on his condition even if it ruined her reputation.


    "I''m hanging in there; at the very least, it is nothing life-threatening. So you don''t have to worry too much."


    Ad immediately felt relieved that her future husband was not in any danger and smiled endearingly at him.


    "Well, that is good, is there anything I can do to help?"


    Berengar did not want to let the opportunity go to waste; it was a way to gain points with the little girl and tease Linde. As such, he invited the girl inside to his room to talk.


    "Do you minding in? Since you are here, I have some things I want to talk about in regards to our engagement ceremony."


    Ad''s cheeks became flushed as she heard the offer; it waspletely inappropriate for a girl like her to be in a boy''s room after dark. Well, it was inappropriate for her to be alone with a boy in his room, period, but she had already done that several times.


    On the other hand, Linde heard the words "engagement ceremony" and instantly began to scowl as she thought to herself.


    ''Ceremony? What ceremony? Is he throwing a party to celebrate his engagement? Why was I not invited? Why don''t I get one? Why is master making me listen to this? How cruel!''


    Her scowl instantly turned into a pout as she felt left out, she knew she was only his concubine, but it still pained her heart every time she saw Berengar act flirty with his future wife. Luckily for her, Ad refused the offer.


    "I''m sorry, Berengar, I don''t think that would be appropriate... I''ll see you tomorrow!"


    with that said, the little girl in twintails ran off back towards her quarters. It was quite an adorable sight; seeing her run off in embarrassment. Despite that Berengar said his thoughts aloud as he shifted his attention to Linde, who was crawling out from under the bed.


    "Maybe I teased her a bit too much... What do you think?


    When he saw tears starting to form in the girl''s eyes, he could not help butugh to himself.


    "Did I tease you too much too?"


    After he said that, he held the girl in his arms and carried her back to his bed, where he spent his waking hours making it up to the young woman.


    ...


    Before he knew it, a whole month had passed, and Berenger could no longer feel any pain in his ribs. Though he would still try to take it easy for the next two weeks, he was essentially healed from his injuries. During this time, things went as nned. The mines were overhauledpletely and seized by the von Kufstein family in reparations for the attempt on Berengar''s life. The von Wildsch?nau family suffered greatly from the loss of the mines, their professional army, and 1500 peasants, which despite the rumors that they had all died at the skirmish at mining town, nobody had ever found any trace of the mass graves. Berengar was truly a master at hiding bodies.


    Berengar''s exploits were advancing wonderfully; by now, the fields within the vicinity of the town of Kufstein were fully irrigated, His chemicalboratory was up and running, and he began to produce various things within it. Though he stillcked a dedicated team of chemists to work full time on chemistry, he managed to work on some small projects when he found the time. His x farms and textile factory were either fully operational or close topletion. Thebor force of Kufstein had grown quite rapidly after the implementation of irrigation, which allowed Berengar to open up a separate production line for agricultural equipment like the steel plow, thebine harvester, seeder etc. On the other hand, After the skirmish at the mining town, the volunteer militia was on a recruiting spree; they barely had enough time to equip their soldiers properly. By now, Berengar''s artillery battery was full, and he had a total of 800 infantry. He was getting very close to his goals.


    His spywork had produced great results, as Linde was able to uncover a long list of names of those who were in bed with Lambert, and Berengar was currently in the process of figuring out who to conspire against first. Linde had even managed to spread the web that was his informants to the other regions of the Barony of Kufstein. Rumors began to spread of the heroism Berengar showed in the face of death, how he was no longer a sickly lord, and how he was a benevolent lord to his people. This was all due to thework Linde had set up; she wanted to get rid of those filthy rumors regarding her lover as quickly as possible. Though they still prevailed among the nobility, many of whom had met Berengar in the past and had poor first impressions. Themon people were more inclined to believe the rumors Linde spread, how he survived an assassination attempt only to lead a volunteer force of peasants armed with hand cannons to defeat the professional forces of Lord Ulrich von Wildsch?nau. Of course, the rumors she spread were greatly under exaggerated at first; over time, they had evolved to a point where they practically mirrored the truth of the battle.


    Currently, Berengar was observing himself in the bathroom mirror; it had been a little over three months since he had been reincarnated in this world. He started out as a borderline emaciated, sickly youth. Now he had grown firmly into his body, which was well-toned with muscle, and though lean, he looked extraordinarily fit. He figured with the way this body was designed, he would never be as muscr as his past life, but that was fine, considering his princely face would not look wellbined with the hyper-masculine body of a soldier. It would be a damn shame to ruin his regal appearance with the obsession of bing a warrior again. He was not a soldier in this life, but a Nobleman, and one day maybe even an Emperor.


    His ambitions had grown wildly since the battle with Ulrich''s forces. He had no desire to be Holy Roman Emperor. Instead, he had the desire to carve an Empire of his own from the German-Speaking regions. It was still four centuries too early for the German Empire toe into existence, but he would speed up the process in this timeline. As a man of German descent in his previous life, and an Austrian noble in this life, he felt it was his destiny to unite the German people into one cohesive Empire. He was a strong believer in the concept of the nation-state and felt thatplex multi-ethnic, multilingual Empires were a lot more difficult to manage and would eventually be unstable. He did not know why, but seeing his peasant forces crush the feudal army of his enemy awoke something in him, he felt it would be a damn shame to squander his knowledge in a small region like a Barony, after all in all of the strategy games he yed in his old life, he was never content with being in charge of a minor nation.


    For now, those lofty ambitions would have to wait, his engagement ceremony was in a few days, and it would be an exceptional asion. Not only were his father''s vassals and their family''s going to arrive in Kufstein, but also the Count of Steiermark and his family, as well as the Count of Tyrol. Linde forced Berengar''s hand and thus he invited her father to arrive, not because she particrly cared about respecting the alliance his family had forged with her father, but because she wanted an official invitation, rather than just being present. She no longer cared about her father''s ambitions; he was not a man fit to be Duke, let alone King; but in her eyes Berengar was.


    By now, some of the families had already arrived and were lodging in Sieghard''s estate. He was deeply concerned about ack of rooms for guests, and as such, during the past month, he had a special lodging area built for the excessive amounts of families who would be arriving. The areas were essentially Chateus designed by Berengar; they appeared simr to Castles but did not have the defensive structures and were quite luxurious. They could very well afford the expense after the massive sale of steel.


    After Berenger had finished admiring his appearance in the mirror and gotten properly dressed in his opulent attire, he slicked back his hair with pomade and left the bathroom. Today was a new day, and he had many guests to greet alongside Ad. There were also many on the list of his enemies that appeared, and he would do his best toe to know their weaknesses in the following days. Not a single soul who plotted against him would escape his fury.

 Chapter 33: Tea Time

    <h4>Chapter 33: Tea Time</h4>


    Berengar was holding Ad''s hand as he walked side-by-side with her into the dining room, where many of the guests visiting for their engagement ceremony were currently staying and enjoying avish meal. The noblemen and women of various stature could not help themselves fromplimenting the chefs and the fine cuisine they had served to the guests. Of course, it was all of Berengar''s favorites and the culinary knowledge he brought with him from his previous life. Though certain foods were missing from the dishes due to the inability to source them, the main staples of what would be german cooking were all spread out in a feast for the Lord and Ladies to enjoy at their leisure.


    When Berengar entered the room, he was wearing a fine ck velvet doublet with golden embroidery. Worn over the doublet was an exquisite sleeveless ck fur coat. His trousers were matching ck velvet and were well-tailored, and he currently wore knee-high leather riding boots. All of which were recently made. Atop his neck and over his shoulders was a golden chain embellished in ck gemstones. His extravagant attire was recently manufactured in his fledgling textile industry and was in the style of the Tudor era, which had yet to exist in this timeline. To the medieval lords anddies who gathered in the room, his renaissance style attire was new and luxurious. The moment the nobilityid their eyes upon the young Lord and his unique fashion sense, they could not help but feel astonished and envious at the same time. Was this really the sickly and petty young lord they all knew?


    Though they had all heard the rumors of Berengar''s recent transformation, none of them had truly believed it until the moment theyid eyes upon him. Ad, of course, was standing next to him, holding his hand and wearing a Tudor-style dress in the same ck and gold color scheme. Despite her age, she appeared quite ravishing standing next to her betrothed; many of the eligible bachelors instantly became furious that a lowly Baron''s son like Berengar had snatched up such a fine young woman. They could not understand what the Count of Steiermark was thinking, allowing his youngest daughter to be wed to the son of a family of such low nobility. Of course, Otto was not the only count marrying one of his daughters to Sieghard''s sons.


    With the arrival of the Count of Steiermark and the Count of Tyrol came many of their subjects paying respects to their lieges and their attendance at what would normally be a local affair. There were far more nobles at the asion than what was initially projected, and there were many more toe in the following days. From Steiermark and Tyrol, nobles of all positions could be found in Kufstein at the moment. Many of which were not even aware of Berengar''s existence before his engagement to Ad. Still, they did their best to appease him, as they could tell by the presence of two Counts at a celebration that he personally called for, that perhaps one day Berengar would be an important figure in the Duchy of Austria.


    Linde was standing in the crowd next to Lambert as she watched Berengar and Ad arrive in the newly designed fashion with a great deal of envy in her heart. Why had Berengar not presented her with such a fine dress? Obviously, she knew it would not be appropriate for him to do so, and if she waltzed around wearing such a fine dress, her father and fiance would immediately be suspicious of where she had acquired it. Yet the young woman could not prevent such feelings as she gazed upon Berengar and his future bride standing in the middle of the dining hall basking in the glory.


    Just as Berengar had nned, the nobles saw the luxurious new outfits Ad and himself were sporting and could not help but approach the two and inquire about where they purchased such fine clothing. Of course, Berengar revealed that it was designed and manufactured in his family''s territory within the new textile factories he personally owned. If the nobility wanted to purchase the new fashion designs for themselves, they would have to negotiate with him personally. Thus a new, and lucrative trade was born on the spot.


    Through much effort and expense, Berengar had begun to grow x and had imported a great deal of the material alongside silk to produce these designs. Though at the moment, the x was still growing and had yet to be harvested. The factory was fully constructed. However, it was currently operating at minimum capacity, as only a single unit of each of the new inventions was set in therge building. Those inventions include the spinning jenny, the spinning mule, the flying shuttle, and the water frame. Considering his industrial district was built near the river Inn he had ample water power to use in both the steel and textile industries.


    As of now, he could only produce a small quantity of clothing, but it was more than enough to appease the nobles in front of him and their desires to buy the new style of fashion in which Berengar had personally introduced. Though now was not the time to talk business; instead, it was the time to build alliances and conspire against his enemies. Berengar and Ad spent much of the day socializing with the other nobles; in this feudal era, building alliances were important.


    Berengar sat at the head of the table as he associated with the other young nobles, drinking fine chamomile tea as he snacked on apple strudel and lebkuchen cookies. The other nobles of his age were delighted by the delicacies in front of them, which Berengar boasted of being the invention of the local chefs. He would not take credit for too many things, else nobody would believe him.


    A youngdy who was quite attractive could not help but exim in joy as she tasted pfeffernusse for the first time.


    "Ad, you are so lucky; I would be so happy if I could snack on such treats each day."


    Ad could not help but smile at thepliment; the truth was she was quite used to snacking on these things. She had even begun to exercise more to maintain her petite physique; she would never want to be fat and unattractive in Berengar''s eyes. Berengar, on the other hand, goaded the girl on and handed her a slice of cheesecake.


    "Try this; I promise you will love it!"


    The youngdy who had a passion for pfeffernusse tasted the german cheesecake and immediately fell in love with it. Linde was observing Berengar''s behavior while snacking on her favorite foods at the other side of the table. She was not as into sweets as Ad was and preferred the actual meals, like schnitzel. As long as she could get a good jaeger schnitzel with a side of spaetzle and a goodger to go with it, she was satisfied. That just so happened to be Berengar''s favorite meal, too; of course, a crucialponent of the meal was missing, but Linde had no way of knowing it.


    The more Berengar ate his favorite food, the more he missed the potato pancakes and chocte desserts that he grew up with as a staple in his previous life''s household. He desperately wished he could speed up time to send out an expedition to South America and get his hands on cocoa and potatoes. However, patience was a virtue, and whether he liked it or not, he would have to wait until he had enough power, influence, and wealth to sponsor such a voyage. Thus he opted to enjoy the fine cuisine in front of him as he was thankful he could dine on such treasures regrly.


    On the other hand, Lambert was surrounded by his allies, who all began to chat among themselves about theck of a certain Lord who was a core part of the alliance. A young man in which Berengar recognized as Ser Ingbert Heltzer; was currently conversing with Lambert about Ulrich''s absence.


    "Is it true? Was Ulrich killed by a stray projectile fired by a hand cannon in the hands of a peasant?"


    Lambert could not help but furrow his brows and facepalm at such a remark. He had no way of knowing if his brother''s ims were true as nobody could find Ulrich''s body. Officially, Berengar was so disgusted with Ulrich''s behavior that he left his body for the wolves. Though the men beneath Berengar''smand all confirmed the story was true, there was no way of knowing precisely how Ulrich had perished in battle without a body. However, as far as his father was concerned, Berengar spoke the truth, and as such, Ulrich was condemned as a fool who had marched upon an entrenched enemy position and had met his fate at the hands ofdy luck.


    The Lordship of Wildsch?nau was in a rough state at the moment, arge portion of their workforce had disappeared overnight, they had no professional army to call upon in the event of a war, the von Kufsteins seized theirrgest source of ie, and a small child was at the head of the household. The child-lord was present for this ceremony, apanied by his regent, who the von Kufsteins appointed; this said a lot about how the feudal overlords currently viewed the von Wildsch?nau family. Truthfully they got off easypared to others who have attempted something simr in the past. The fact that Ulrich''s family was still in possession of most of theirnds and their lives was a testament to the benevolent nature of Sieghard.


    Still, the result of Ulrich''s attempt on Berengar''s life made many of the other lords and knights in Lambert''s corner hesitant to provide any more support than they already have. If it weren''t for the Count of Tyrol backing Lambert, most of his support would have vanished after Ulrich''s death. Despite supporting Lambert, the Count of Tyrol was absolutely livid at the boy''s repeated failures to get the job done. Looking upon Berengar, how healthy he appeared, how graceful he was when talking with the other Lords and Ladies, and how prosperous his industries were bing, the old Count could not help but feel like he had backed the wrong horse. Who was the idiot who told him that Berengar was a sickly, idle fool!?! If he had known the truth about Berengar sooner, he would have engaged his beloved daughter to him instead. Damn that Lambert for deceiving him!


    However, the more Count Lothar watched Berengar, the more he came to realize that he desperately needed to install Lambert on the throne; even if it were possible for him to switch sides now, he would not do so. Every word Berengar spoke to the other nobles was carefully chosen to present himself in a better light. The young man was cunning, too cunning. It was obvious to Lothar that even if he could marry his beloved daughter to Berengar, the young lord would not be so easily fooled into giving up Kufstein''s iron reserves in which Count Lothar desperately needed to achieve his greater ambitions. What Lothar needed was a pawn, and Lambert fit that role perfectly. The boy was exceptionally eager to give up his family''s most valuable resources so that he could be with the Count''s daughter. It was truly, and utterly pathetic, yet Lothar still agreed to the betrothal of his dearest daughter to the pitiful baron''s son anyway, for he would never be Duke of Austria without Kufstein''s iron reserves.


    As Count Lothar was inspecting Berengar with his discerning eye, so too was Berengar examining Count Lothar. Currently, the Count of Tyrol was the greatest threat to Berengar''s existence. Though the Count''s daughter had fallen under his control, and Berengar could expect to be one step ahead of the Count, and his Brother, the young lord, did not feel safe knowing that such a powerful man was after his life. Nevertheless, he did not disy a hint of his internal hostility towards the Count. As Lambert was discussing with his allies the loss of their partner in crime, one of the youngdies fawning over Berengar brought up the tale of his battle with Ulrich, by now the rumors had spread far and wide and had be greatly exaggerated, the rumor had now be so inted that even his actual aplishment no longer seemed so impressive.


    "Berengar, I heard that you personallymanded an army of 100 men while previously wounded from the attempt on your life against an army led by that dastardly Ulrich who had over 2000 of his own troops! Surely the mad man must have emptied his fields to take your life!"


    Berengar struggled to maintain hisposure as he heard the absurd lengths the rumors had reached; he was good, but not that good! He had to correct this mistake while still making it seem like his feat was grand. Thus he decided to tell the whole truth, of course, to the many observers who were aware of the official numbers what Berengar was about to say would seem like he was conceding ground, to appear humble while still greatly exaggerating the battle.


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to disappoint you; the reality of the situation was that I was facing 1600 men, with 600 of my own. Still, with our hand cannons, we gunned down hundreds of their men before they finally broke ranks and fled like the cowards they were..."


    The girl did not seem disappointed in the slightest. Instead, she had sparkles in her eyes as she heard the exact details of the battle from the man himself. Granted, he did not deny the part of him being grievously injured, despite only having minor injuries and dehydration. On the other hand, Lambert nearly spat out his drink when he heard his brother''s wild im. The way Berengar espoused such a hyperbolic tale was without a hint of dishonesty on his face. Either Berengar was the greatest bullshitter Lambert had ever seen, or he was actually telling the truth. The youth struggled to wrap his head around what was real and what was dishonesty.


    Ultimately the meeting between the various nobles and Berengar was split into two factions sitting across the table as if battle lines were drawn. Those who supported Berengar tended to be of the younger generation, few of which had already seeded their fathers; most were heirs like Berengar or even second sons. The other faction supported Lambert, and most of them were of the older generation, those who were currently in a seat of power and had been for some time. If one were not aware of the deadly war of intrigue fought in the shadows of these two brothers, then they would not understand the full context of the seating arrangement that had urred. Either way, the friendships Berengar made at this table with the younger generation of nobles from across Austria would one day be the backbone of his power base.

 Chapter 34: There is Something Else...

    <h4>Chapter 34: There is Something Else...</h4>


    Throughout the day, Berengar entertained his guests with his fiancee well nearby to make him look good. She was cordial and graceful in every regard, a proper partner to Berengar''s natural charm. The two built quite thesting impression on the nobles who visited the von Kufstein family''s estate. He had begun to make progress in forming alliances with the capable youth of the younger generation. He had no use for an ally who could not pull his own weight as such; Berengar would not waste his time with the indolent and frivolous young lords anddies who could not even count to ten. Sadly it appeared like they were the majority of the noble offspring throughout the realm. He, too, had once been like them, spoiled rotten and never using his brain.


    Most of the people Berengar entertained were either the offspring of Barons or Viscounts from throughout the Counties of Steiermark and Tyrol. They were roughly in the same position as he himself and could provide sufficient support to his ns if he were to build an alliance with them. Sadly there were not too many exceptional members of the lower nobility in this generation, and they mostly clung to the corner forming a small social clique among themselves. Most Barons who were not their direct liege would not give them the time of day due to their low status, let alone Viscounts or Counts and their families.


    Currently, Berengar did not have time to oversee his projects personally; as such, he left them in the capablemands of administrators he ced in charge of them. Ludwig, as per usual, was in charge of his burgeoning industrial sector, Gunther was tasked with implementing his many agricultural innovations, and Eckhard took personalmand of the matters that pertained to the militia. As for the militia, their activities were suspended during the duration of the visitor''s stay. Berengar could not very well have information leaked about the effectiveness of his weapons. Such a thing could prove disastrous to his ns. As such, the militia was given a slight reprieve from the arduous task of basic training.


    Though they had been victorious in a single battle, it was against mostly poorly equipped levies, who foolishly rushed a well-entrenched position, the troops in Berengar''s battalion still had toplete basic and specialized training if they were to be an army fully capable of annihting their enemies in the fields. Though they were far more epting of their training and its methods after personally witnessing the results they had yielded during that fateful day when they ughtered Ulrich''s forces and rescued their Commander. It was a story many of them would be telling their grandkids someday in the distant future.


    The next few days, he would be busy socializing with the nobility visiting for the massive party he was celebrating for Ad. He had arge surprise in mind for the young girl. He decided it was about time to introduce some renaissance era culture, particrly ballroom culture, which would note about naturally for at least another century. Of course, Berengar only knew one dance from his previous life, the waltz, so it might be fairer to say he would be implementing an aspect of early modern culture.


    Berengar did not have time or permission to extend the castle to contain a ballroom; as such, he built a public tform in the town square for the asion. Eventually, he would like to construct a more modern pce that would obviously contain such a necessity and do away with the Castles altogether. After all, once his weapons spread across Europe''s great powers, the mighty stone walls of the medieval era would be obsolete.


    Though he had no ns to sell his weapons to others, it was only a matter of time before they were recovered and reverse-engineered, at least to some extent. It might take years or even decades at the current pace of things, but muskets and cannons would rule the battlefields of Europe far earlier in this timeline than in his old life, and when they did,rge castles would be a thing of the past.


    Lately, Berengar had been drafting ns in his spare time to turn Kufstein into a functioning city; it was a distant dream at this point, but one he intended to make a reality within his lifetime. If he were to achieve his aspirations, he would need a grand city to be his seat of power, and he refused to leave behind his family''snds just because other areas were more developed.


    At the moment, Berengar found himself working on theyout for the proposed City of Kufstein. It waste at night, and his guests had retired for the evening. He had even sent Ad to her room who was exhausted after socializing with the noble families who had arrived early. Currently, an oilmp illuminated therge stone room in which he resided. It was just about midnight, and any moment now, he could expect a knock on his door and a particrly jealous Linde to appear and demand her share of attention for the day. After all, she had to sit in Lambert''s corner and could not converse with her lover throughout the time, all while watching him act lovingly towards Ad.


    Sure enough, the knock came on the door, and when Berengar opened it, he found Linde with an adorable pouting expression as she forced her way into his room and jumped into his embrace. However, before she could kiss Berengar''s lips, he raised a hand and blocked her attempt before sitting down upon the bed and motioning for her to sit next to him. Their nightly fun could wait; he had important matters to discuss with his spymaster. Linde, never one to refuse one of Berengar''s orders, sat down next to him andtched onto his arm, and buried it into her bosom while wearing a wide smile on her face.


    Berengar, who was used to the vixen''s antics by now, did not react in the slightest and merely continued with his train of thought.


    "So your father appears to be displeased with my brother..."


    Linde could not help but chuckle at the statement; it was true that her father was currently furious with Lambert. Not only had he failed once again to assassinate Berengar, but he also managed to cost Lothar a serious amount of raw materials. After all, Ulrich had been digging up more iron than he had reported to his Liege and was selling it on the side to Lothar at a lowered price. It was part of the alliance they had reached. Now that Ulrich was dead and his mines confiscated by Sieghard, he was no longer getting a regr shipment of iron from Kufstein. Thus his ns to equip his armies with the best weapons and armor around had begun toe to a halt. Though the Count could acquire iron from other regions, he had already invested heavily in his alliance with Lambert and wanted a return soon.


    Linde was aware of all of this and could not help butugh at the fact that her lover''s enemies would never be able to aplish their objectives.


    "Father is furious with your little brother. However, that also means he is going to be pressuring Lambert into acting against you again. This time try not to get caught in their trap... I don''t know what I would do without you."


    Berengar noticed the distressed look on the girl''s face and began to pat her head tofort her.


    "I admit that I was carelessst time. I promise you I will not make such a mistake again."


    Linde could not help but smile at the promise he made; there was a fierce look of determination in Berengar''s eyes, which she took as a sign that he would stay true to his words. Afterward, Linde spoke her greatest concern that had been bothering her all day, but she had no way to inform Berengar until now.


    "There is something else..."


    Berengar raised his brow; by the way the beautiful young woman was acting, it was something serious. As such, he poured himself a ss of wine while offering one to the heavenly beauty next to him. However, to his surprise, she refused. Instead of epting the wine, she nced up at him with an unyielding gaze while resting her hand on her abdomen.


    "I am pregnant..."


    It took a moment for those words to register in Berengar''s brain. As he nonchntly took a sip of wine, however, while in the middle of drinking the red wine, he realized what she had said and nearly choked upon it. He stared at her in disbelief as he struggled to understand her words.


    "You are what?"


    Linde turned back to a pouting expression as she saw that Berengar was not as excited as she was; in fact, he was deeply concerned about the whole situation.


    "You heard me! I am pregnant. You are going to be a father."


    Berengar did his best to maintain hisposure as he slowly drank his wine while maintaining a dignified appearance. This was not something he expected; of course, with the way those two had been going at it every night for the past month and a half, it was something he seriously should have anticipated. His brain rapidly thought of a solution; after all, she was not even married to her fiance yet; that alone would be a scandal, but the truth of the matter was her fiance was not the father. If anyone found out about that, her reputation would be ruined for life. Berengar had to prevent that from happening for multiple reasons; chiefly among them is that it would seriously damper his diplomatic rtions if people found out he had been fooling around with his little brother''s betrothed. After several moments of intense thought, he finally came to the best conclusion he could think of.


    "Say it is Lambert''s!"


    He said sternly as he ordered his lover like a domineering master. She was shocked; deep down, she hoped Berengar would officially recognize the child and make it a legitimate bastard. That way, it would have a im to his titles, and she would not have to marry Lambert. Instead, he said something which sounded asinine, and she immediately voiced her concerns.


    "Lambert? Even if I said it was his, he would never believe me. I have never slept with him!"


    Berengar red at the girl menacingly. The thought of his brother touching his lover enraged him to the core; his voice was slightly raised as he chastised her.


    "And you never will!"


    Realizing that he had raised his voice, Berengar calmed himself down and exhaled deeply before putting on a wide smile and touched Linde''s frightened face with his firm but loving palm.


    "You don''t need him to sleep with you to make him think it is his; get him really drunk, strip his clothes off and lie down next to him. When he wakes up in the morning, tell him that the two of you slept together. Make it look convincing, spill some blood on the sheets, so he doesn''t suspect anything."


    Afterward, he kissed his lover for several moments before apologizing.


    "I''m sorry, I know your desires for the future of our child, but I''m in a precarious situation right now. I don''t have the luxury to take responsibility for this at the moment. Maybe one day I can proim to the world that this child is mine and the love we have for each other, but for now, it is not in the cards. Please understand..."


    Linde wiped away a tear that had been forming in her beautiful sky blue eyes. Before nodding in eptance to Berengar''s request.


    "I understand, and I will do what you have asked."


    Afterward, the couple spent the night together in each other''s embrace, celebrating the conception of new life. Completely unaware of the troubles that would follow because of the birth of this child. After all, who could know the distant future?

 Chapter 35: A Night to Remember

    <h4>Chapter 35: A Night to Remember</h4>


    Several days had passed since Berengar initially found out that he would soon be a father, and so far, the couple had not told a soul. Currently, Berengar was having breakfast and entertaining his guests alongside Ad. It was the day of his Engagement Ceremony, and all of the invited nobles had safely arrived in Kufstein. During these past few days, Berengar had schemed with Linde to set up her fiance as the official father to her child. The n would go into effect tonight. Lambert''s 16th birthday was nearly a month away, and she would push for a wedding as quickly as possible to conceal the fact that the pregnancy was out of wedlock. Something in which her father would go through great lengths to hide. If sessful the only people who would be aware of the child''s true lineage were the parents themselves.


    Berengar had be quite the expert in maintaining his social grace among the elites of Austria who were gathered at his family''s estate. By now, all of the undesirable rumors about him had begun to fade in the minds of those at the party; they had be well ustomed to the new and improved Berengar. During this time, Berengar did not stand idly by and merely entertain his guests. He had set in ce several transactions for steel and textiles. Which would bring in quite a fair degree of wealth for his family. These trade agreements would eventually blossom into friendships and perhaps even alliances one day. With each passing day, his father looked more favorably upon him; Berengar was certain that the day until he has officially dered regent of his family''snds was near.


    Currently, he was engaged in discussion with his future father-inw about the state of affairs of his steel-making industry.


    "Rest assured, Count Otto, we are working on improving the production rate of steel. We have already begun to implement a second production line in our industrial district. Before long, we will be able to produce twice the amount of steel that we are currently able to manage."


    Essentially what Berengar meant was that more beehive ovens, st furnaces, and Bessemer converters were currently undergoing production. With the decrease in needed farmhands, many unemployed farmers were actively transitioning to factory work or skilled trades. With each passing day, the Town of Kufstein was transforming from a small agricultural town to an actual city, filled with a wide degree of diversity in professions.


    The count smiled as he heard the news; he would continue to purchase steel from Berengar; after all, the quality and quantity of the steel, Berengar produced far outmatched anyone else he knew of. Though Berengar had ns to use the steel in many aspects, he still sold off the surplus to those interested, and there were plenty who wanted a piece of the pie. The Count now decided to switch to a more personal topic to make sure Berengar was a good match for his youngest daughter.


    "Are you attracted to my daughter?"


    Berengar did not expect such a question. Nevertheless, he could not honestly say that she was too young for him to get excited over. Otherwise, Ad might take it the wrong way, and she was carefully observing his reaction. For some time now, she had been suspecting that Berengar thought of her as a little kid, or even worse, a little sister. He never gazed at her the way she saw him stare at Linde during the night of their first encounter, and that bothered her.


    "She is quite the beautiful youngdy, with many years ahead of her to mature into her body."


    Berengar''s response to Count Otto''s question was satisfactory for the old nobleman, but to Ad, she could tell what he really meant and pouted at the answer as she muttered under her breath.


    "Stupid Berengar..."


    Though nobody had heard her dissatisfied statement, Berengar could tell by the expression on the young girl''s face that she was sulking. It became apparent to him that she had understood his hidden meaning in the statement. Count Otto, on the other hand, nodded his head slowly and epted his words.


    "Good, it is important for a couple to be attracted to one another. I know I certainly would have never married my wife if she was a dog-faced woman."


    Berengar nearlyughed at the statement and the look upon his wife''s face, who was sitting next to the Count as she heard her husband''s words. Count Otto was a slim man well into his forties; he had short golden blonde hair and a clean-shaven face. However, unlike his daughter, he had emerald green eyes. It was the Countess whom Ad had inherited her deep sapphire eyes from. A trait in which wasmonly shared between Berengar and the two of them. After all, Ad''s mother was Berengar''s aunt and had thuse from the same gene pool as Berengar and his family.


    Berengar''s aunt was named Wanda and had married the count many years ago, much like her daughter, she was also quite young when she was betrothed to her husband, and he was considerably older than her. Thus she was in the middle of her thirties, and like all members of Berengar''s family, was quite attractive.


    The family would enjoy their meal and entertain the guests until the mid of the day. Afterward, Berengar sessfully slipped away from the endless number of guests who were at Kufstein with the sole purpose of visiting him. He tried to dpress from the stress of talking to so many unknown people for so many hours. It was not until the start of the feast that Berengar finally re-emerged from his solitude. The feast was held outside in the center of the town, it was a fine spring evening, and a gentle breeze in the air enhanced the wholesome atmosphere.


    There was a gated area that contained a variety of tables and dishes atop them. Many noblemen and women were enjoying their food, wine, and beer as they engaged in conversation. It was not until Berengar stood up from his chair and led Ad over to therge dance floor erected under his orders. He was dressed in a particrly dazzling outfit for the evening, and standing beside him was Ad, who was equallyvishly dressed. Berengar held onto the girl''s hand and asked her a question she was not expecting. In front of the audience, which caused her to be slightly embarrassed.


    "May I have this dance."


    She did not know how to respond and nodded her head in curiosity. As such, Berengar took her up on the dance floor in front of all of the nobles who were watching with inquisitive gazes. Their sight cast upon Berengar and Ad as the couple waltzed together to the music which yed in the background. Though Ad was unaware of the intricacies of the waltz, she quickly caught on as Berengar led her through the paces. As the sun began to set, the two danced together throughout the early night under the illumination of a thousand candles and the full moon above.


    Though the men in the audience initially scoffed at the sight of the couple dancing, the women were instantly inspired by the extraordinary sight and quickly became envious of Ad. Soon enough, they asked their partners to take them up to dance as well. Though they did not know the waltz, they still participated in traditional folk dances of the regions they were from. From the sidelines, peasants gazed upon the various feudal powers of the regions as they engaged in a new tradition with various expressions. Some were envious, others were confused, and a few were just downright disinterested. Though one thing was certain to the townsfolk of Kufstein, Berengar was at it again with his crazy ideas.


    Ad quickly became entranced by Berengar''s wide smile as she danced the night away with him. It was only after a couple of hours of dancing and socializing when the two finally sat down. Many of the couples present continued to dance as the young lord, and his fiancee sat back down at the head table. Lambert had offered to dance with Linde, but she outright refused. If she were going to dance with any man, it would be Berengar; of course, she could not outright say that, so she stated that she thought the whole act was childish.


    Berengar, on the other hand, had just begun his ploy to set up his little brother; as such he brought over a couple of mugs of beer and ordered the servants to keep theming.


    "Come, Lambert, let us drink in celebration of the uing union of your dearest elder brother."


    Lambert''s eyes instantly narrowed as he looked at Berengar with a great deal of suspicion. By now, Berengar was fully aware of the plots against him. Yet he was so cheerfully offering to drink with him in public. What was his angle? Nevertheless, Lambert could not refuse and cautiously took a sip from the beer; when he confirmed it was not poisoned, he began to drink more. After all, thesest couple of days had been extremely tiresome for him, as Count Lothar was constantly berating him for his failures.


    Before long, Lambert finished his drink, as did Berengar, and thus the young lord motioned for two more drinks to be brought to the table as he goaded on his little brother.


    "Care for a friendly wager, little brother?"


    Lambert''s chilling gazended on Berengar as he wiped the beer residue from his mouth before asking what Berengar was implying.


    "What kind of wager?"


    Berengar gulped down the beer in his hand and ced his mug directly next to his first one.


    "It''s simple; we drink; the first man to drop has to run around the courtyard naked at the crack of dawn."


    Lambert scoffed at Berengar''s childish behavior, but he knew his brother was not much of a drinker, which would make this a good chance to embarrass him. Thus Lambert foolishly epted the terms of the gamble and began topete with his brother in the game of drink. The old Berengar may not have been much of a drinker, but as a soldier in his past life, who was often stuck in the barracks with nothing to do, Berengar had be quite the experienced drinker. He had no doubt he would oust Lambert, though whether he won or lost really did not matter to him. Berengar''s primary goal was to get Lambert so wasted he would have no recollection of the night before. In the worst-case scenario, Berengar would have to strip down and run around the castle courtyard at dawn; what was the old saying? He who dares wins?


    As such, the brothers began to drink beer like there was no tomorrow, which did not go unnoticed by the other party-goers who began to cheer them on. As the two engorged themselves on alcohol. Berengar had a calm expression on his face; he was a veteran drinker who could have over a dozen beers and still be able to function properly the next day. Lambert, on the other hand, was far more of a lightweight than he expected. By the time Lambert had reached his sixth beer, he was practically slurring his words. Berengar could not prevent his lips from curling up into a sneer when he saw the sight, which only acted as instigation for Lambert to drink more. By the time they reached 15 beers, Lambert was on the verge of passing out, and Berengar''s cognitive faculties were mostly intact.


    Seeing the state Lambert was in, Linde finally urged the two boys to stop their contest.


    "Let''s call it a draw, shall we boys? It''s gettingte."


    Lambert was thoroughly hammered at this point and could barely form a sentence.


    "Daz... right... Draw?"


    Berengar chuckled lightly before he epted the terms


    "Fine, we will call it a draw. Get some rest, little brother."


    With that, he stood up from his chair and left with Ad towards the castle; he trusted Linde to take care of the rest. Linde, of course, instantly helped up her drunk fiance and dragged him off to his room. Where he quickly passed out, by the time he woke up, he would have a horrible hangover and aplete and totalck of memory of what happened the night before. He would also be facing a serious crisis, as Linde had done exactly as Berengar asked and made it seem like the two of them slept together. When in reality, nothing happened between the couple.


    As for the rest of the nobles who enjoyed the celebration to the fullest, this would be a night they would remember for the rest of their lives. One in which they could not thank Berengar enough for providing. After this night two traditions were born in the Duchy of Austria, throwingvish parties to celebrate one''s engagement, and ballroom dancing...

 Chapter 36: A Difficult Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 36: A Difficult Negotiation</h4>


    Days had passed, and all of the guests who were present for Berengar''s Ceremony had departed. All except for Count Lothar, who was in the middle of a fierce debate with Sieghard about Lambert''s supposed affair with Linde. Strictly speaking, they were not supposed to engage in such behavior before their wedding night, and Linde purposely made it seem like she was pressured into the asion by a drunken and belligerent Lambert. Though nothing actually happened between the two, the only people aware of that fact were Berengar and Linde who used this opportunity to sow division between Lambert and his greatest backer. As far as both families were concerned, Lambert had done the deed with Linde during Berengar''s engagement ceremony, and it would not be long before Linde revealed she was pregnant to the two families. However, there was still some time between now and then.


    Berengar sat in the great hall and listened to the bickering of the two old men as he dined on schnitzel, which the cooks had prepared for him. He washed it down with a gon of beer and enjoyed the scene of Lambert being scolded by the two feudal lords who were furious with his behavior. Linde had done more than Berengar had asked and made it seem like Lambert had practically forced himself on the poor girl; of course, Lambert had no memories of the time he spent with Linde and deeply regretted it. If he really did as she imed, then the worst part of it was that he could not remember what her naked body looked like or how it felt. She had covered herself thoroughly with the sheets when he awoke to the scene and could not a get a good glimpse of her bare figure.


    Linde was standing next to her father with a downcast expression; she was an excellent actor and could y the victim''s part quite well. Lothar was spouting his demands to Sieghard as he pointed his finger at him menacingly.


    "Uneptable! I will not stand for this; I demand some form ofpensation for my daughter''s chastity, which your errant son vited! Just because they are betrothed does not mean he can force himself on my daughter as he pleases!"


    Sieghard was trying to manage the situation and felt deeply embarrassed by Lambert''s actions; though he knew the boy''s rtionship with his fiancee was tense, he had no idea that his prized son would act in such a way after having a few beers.


    "I promise, I will do my best to make this right, but what is it exactly you are asking from me?"


    Lothar was genuinely not too appalled by Lambert''s behavior; in fact, it was doing him a great favor; this gave him cause to demand a portion of Kufstein''s iron reserves. Which he immediately requested.


    "I demand 25 percent of Kufstein''s iron reserves in return for your son''s actions."


    Sieghard was outraged by such a demand that was giving away a massive pile of wealth, especially now that Berengar had managed to find a way to turn all of that iron into steel in an efficient manner. As such, he pounded his fist on the armrest of his seat of power and refused Lothar''s demands.


    "Absolutely not! you are trying to rob me!"


    Count Lothar frowned at the insinuation and retorted properly


    "Rob you? A lowly Baron like you may not be aware of this, but Linde''s chastity has an extreme degree of political significance attached to it as a Count''s daughter. If your Barony were not so rich in minerals, I would have married her off to a Duke!"


    At this point, Berengar had put down his fork and got off his chair while tidying his mouth with his napkin. Afterward, he walked over to the center of the Great Hall, where the two noblemen were bickering. As the man tasked by his father with leading the industrial sector, he had a great deal of say on how its resources were managed. There was not a single possibility that Berengar would allow Lothar to have his way.


    "Pardon me, My Lord, but I don''t believe that such a request is even remotely reasonable. At most, I would be willing to sell you a supply of steel at a discounted price. I will not under any circumstances hand over the resources of my industrial district because of the improper actions of my little brother."


    Lothar was thoroughly outraged by this interruption and the offer. Who did this kid think he was to so boldly interrupt a conversation between two lords?


    "Under whose authority do you gain the power to negotiate with a man of my standing? I''m busy talking to your father, little boy; you''d best go back to eating your meal."


    Berengar chuckled at the vicious response he was given by Count Lothar, who was in all technicality his liege.


    "I''m afraid to say that my father has delegated all responsibility of the mines and steel industry of the region into my hands. If you want to demandpensation in the form of minerals, I''m the one you need to be discussing this with."


    Lothar red menacingly at Berengar; if this were true, he would have a much more difficult time getting what he desired from the von Kufstein family. Sieghard was mostlypliant and was not nearly as cunning as Berengar. Over the past few days, Lothar had observed Berengar and his dealings with the other nobles and discovered that he was an incredibly shrewd young man. Berengar would not crumble under pressure Lothar held as Count and would fight tooth and nail to make sure every aspect of the deal was favorable to his position.


    Lothar walked over to Berengar and stared the young man down, a challenge from which Berengar did not back down. Rather he returned Lothar''s vicious gaze with a smug smile as if no matter what Count Lothar did or said, the negotiations would ultimately be in his favor. This haughty expression further enraged Lothar to the point where he wanted to backhand the arrogant youth.


    "I demand 25 percent I will not leave here until I get it."


    Berengar had struggled to contain hisughter; aggressive negotiations like this would never work on a man like himself. For it to do so, Berengar would have to fear the power in the hands of Count Lothar, and considering that fact that the young Lord could bring forth the power of nearly 1000 guns and unleash it upon the Count''s feudal army, he did not fear, nor respect the meager power in which the proud Count held. As such, he calmly denied Lothar''s demands.


    "Then make yourselffortable because it looks like you''re going to be here for the rest of your life. Do you understand the value of a quarter of our iron reserves when converted into steel?"


    Lothar wanted to throttle the boy for his arrogance. How dare he speak to his liege in such a condescending manner. He would have to teach this boy a valuable lesson.


    "Bah, and I suppose you have the ability to convert such arge amount of iron ore into steel? Do not jest with me, boy. It would take a lifetime to make that much steel!"


    Berengar did not say anything; he just stood there with a satisfied smile on his face. If the Count knew how much steel he was currently in possession of and how much he could produce in one batch, then the man would surely never have suggested such an absurdly high number. Eventually, Berengar broke the awkward silence between the two as he countered the Count''s proposal.


    "Here''s what I can do, as an official apology from the von Kufstein family for my foolish little brother''s unsightly behavior, I will cut the cost of steel sold to your family for the next ten years by 15%. That is the best I can offer you, any more than that, and I will be operating at a loss."


    The brow on Lothar''s forehead began to twitch uncontrobly as he struggled to contain his anger.


    "Operating at a loss? Your brother has stolen my daughter''s chastity, and you''re concerned about operating at a loss?"


    Berengar did not say anything; he just smiled and nodded his head. Truthfully he had not calcted the demands that Lothar would make into his scheme. He figured that his father would pay Lothar a small amount of gold and silver inpensation, which would be the end of it. However, Lothar had made a ridiculous demand that allowed Berengar to take control of the conversation. He now fully intended to make a profit off of framing his little brother.


    Lothar approached Berengar very closely and whispered to him in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    "Do you think your pathetic little Barony could withstand the might of the County of Tyrol if I were to order my bannermen to march upon your house?"


    Though Lothar had boldly threatened Berengar in an attempt to get the youngd to back down, he did not get the result he expected. Instead, Berengar smiled devilishly as he whispered back to the old Count.


    "My Lord, do you think it is wise to send your men to die in Kufstein when your forces will be needed elsewhere soon enough?"


    The Count stood stupefied upon hearing those words. Either this young man was referring to his plots to overthrow the Duke, or he was referring to the uing civil war that everyone with half a brain knew was on the horizon. Either way, he was absolutely right. He could not afford to send the armies beneath his control into Kufstein to punish them over such a small matter. His bluff had been called, and now the old Count had to admit defeat. With great reluctance, he whispered back towards Berengar.


    "I ept your terms on the condition that the price of steel purchased from yournds is reduced by 20%."


    Berengar''s smile was so wide that it had practically taken up the entire lower half of his face at this point; just now, he had been victorious with the negotiation. All that remained was to see how much of a profit margin he could scrape together from this deal.


    "17% and I will cover transportation, take it or leave it that is my final offer..."


    Everyone else was looking at the two who were so close that their faces were practically touching, on the face of Count Lothar was arge scowl; he felt awful not getting what he wanted, but at least he was getting a better deal with Berengar than he was from Ulrich, and better yet it would be steel ingots, not iron ore that would be shipped to him. Though his daughter''s chastity had been vited ahead of her wedding, at the very least, he could gain something from the asion; after all, he still needed Lambert to seed Berengar if he was eventually going to get the resources he needed. If anything, this harsh negotiation served as a reminder that Berengar needed to die if the Count''s ambitions were to be a reality.


    Little did The Count of Tyrol know that this whole scenario was a ploy from Berengar to pin Linde''s pregnancy on Lambert. If Lothar were aware that not only was his daughter''s chastity taken by Berengar long ago but that she was also pregnant with the scoundrel''s bastard child, then he would have had the urge to draw his sword at that moment and drive it through Berengar''s ck heart. But, he did not know, and as such, he pretended to be nice to Berengar as he epted the young lord''s offer.


    "Deal."


    Afterward, Lothar turned away from Berengar and put on an act


    "You drive a hard bargain Berengar von Kufstein; out of the respect that I have for your family, I will agree to your terms. Come Linde; it is about time you return home...


    Berengar nearlyughed at the old man''s poor performance; however, he instantly became aggrieved when he heard thest part of his sentence. There was no way he was going to allow this old bastard to seize his lover from him. However, before he could protest, Linde stood up to her father.


    "I''m not going!"


    Lothar stopped in his tracks as he turned around and red at his errant daughter.


    "What did you just say?"


    Linde was no longer afraid of her father''s fury; now that she had Berengar protecting her, she knew there was nothing her father could do; however, she was also quick-witted and came up with a proper excuse to stay behind and spend her days with the father of her child.


    "You need to have proper representation in whatever deal you just came to an agreement to with Berengar. I will stay behind and protect your interests."


    Count Lothar was initially furious that his daughter wanted to stay behind after everything that had transpired, and also downright confused. However, it turned out that she was looking out for the family''s interests like she always had. Her exnation made perfect sense, and the more he thought about it, the more he did not trust Berengar; somehow, that ggard would screw him over; he could feel it in his bones. With Linde keeping a close eye on the boy, he had nothing to worry about. After all, she was clever enough to keep up with Berengar.


    "Under those circumstances, I will allow you to stay. I will see you at your wedding."


    Linde smiled and bowed to her father like a proper youngdy.


    "Of course, father. I will see you then."


    Afterward, the Count departed from Kufstein, and thus thest guest on Berengar''s list of invitations had left his family''s regions. From now on, Berengar no longer had to entertain the nobility and could get back to his normal schedule. He had many things to take care of in theing days, and he was just happy to have a bit of reprieve.

 Chapter 37: We Will See About That

    <h4>Chapter 37: We Will See About That</h4>


    After Lothar had departed from Kufstein, Berengar exined to his family the deal he had reached with the old Count. They were very pleased with the results, especially Sieghard, who was convinced that Berengar was fit to be his Regent after such a performance. A storm was brewing in the capital of the Kingdom of Germany, and Sieghard feared it would not be long before the war had ravaged thends. Soon enough, he would be called off to battle once more, and when that happened, he would need a capable leader to rule in his stead. Initially, he was nning on cing one of his councilors as regent. However, these past few months, Berengar had transformed into a formidable young lord, one in which he knew would one day make a superior Baron to himself. It was such a pity that he could only allow his son to inherit this humble Barony. Berengar''s potential as a ruler was so much greater than anyone he had ever met.


    As such, Baron Sieghard von Kufstein had finalized the ns to dere his son the Regent of Kufstein; if for whatever reason he was forced to leave the dominion of his ancestors, it would be his son and heir who would have control while he was away. Tomorrow, he would fully dere to the family and his councilors that Berengar was to be Regent. For now, the Baron had to chastise his second son for making such a terrible mistake that, if not for Berengar''s intervention, would have cost the family dearly. Lately, Lambert had been failing Sieghard''s high expectations; if you were to ask him half a year ago which was his favorite son, it would be Lambert. Yet now Berengar was the shining star of the family, and Lambert was an utter disappointment; the roles of his two sons had reversedpletely.


    While Sieghard had a long and difficult conversation with Lambert, Berengar was currently overseeing the drills of his militia, alongside his second inmand, Eckhard. Currently, his troops were equipped in entirely new garb. Berengar had used his textile factories and the imported materials to construct the uniforms of his militia. He had gained quite the eye for fashion ever since he was transmigrated into this world and was surrounded by luxuries. As such, the attire of his peasant militia was that of the Landsknecht, which were elite mercenaries of the 16th-century battlefields from Berengar''s previous life. Their clothing was honestly quite mboyant, but it looked fantastic from Berengar''s perspective. The Landschnekt uniforms were all dyed in the colors of his house, which were ck, and white, and gold. The NCOs and Officers were currently garbed in ckened steel munitions grade half-te armor, with matching burgs and gorgets. Each piece had an intricate brass pattern engraved across the armor.


    Berengar was also properly equipped in the attire, though his outfit was even more garish than the other soldiers. He wore a waffenrock which was essentially a skirt that went over his pantaloons, and instead of a burg, he was equipped with a ckened steel skull cap, with a feathered Landsknecht hat that was dyed in the colors of his uniform and house. Unlike his officers, the trim of his armor was done with gold, showing off the wealth and prestige he had recently acquired, as well as his authority as themander. He also wore a chain maille mantel over his gorget, which was made of ckened steel rings, except for the bottom two rows which were made of brass. All of the men were equipped with the anachronistic-looking 1417 Land Pattern Muskets, and they had their socket bays attached. Roughly 800 Men had been split into sixpanies who were currently training in line tactics.


    For some time now, Berengar had been attempting to get his father to approve the manufacture of armor for his troops; initially, his father was adamant that all armor production be given priority to his standing army. However, the workforce of the arms industry in Kufstein was now muchrger than it was before, and the exact equipment Sieghard requested for his army was fully fielded. Thus Berengar had finally gotten the approval he needed to equip his militia with the armor they desperately required, but that was a very recent event. Aside from the NCOs and Officers, very few men were currently equipped with proper armor. Still, it would not be long before his Army was the most well-equipped force in the world.


    Truth be told, Sieghard was not exactly keen on adapting Berengar''s military innovations, primarily because Berengar deliberately downyed how revolutionary they were, but also because he was quite the traditionalist and believe the use of brigandine, mail, and gambeson for his standing army was a far superior quality than the munitions grade half te, and oundish clothing that Berengar''s forces were currently equipped with. He would be absolutely incorrect, as the armor Berengar''s troops were fielded with was more than enough to sufficiently protect them against any lethal threat on the current battlefields while still being lightweight and maneuverable enough to conduct warfare properly. In fact, due to the quality of the steel Berengar was currently producing, he could manufacture slightly thinner and lighter weight armor than was historically used in the renaissance while still being just as effective in protection.


    As Berengar mustered his forces and walked them through everything from marching drills, firing drills, and anti-cavalry drills. Linde watched from afar with a passionate gaze in her eyes; she was either smart enough or infatuated enough to believe that Berengar''s tactics were revolutionary. After all, she had directly heard from Berengar''s mouth during pillow talk how effective his weapons and tactics were at the Battle of Mining Town. She was too enamored by the spectacr sight of Berengarmanding his troops to notice that Ad had been walking by and noticed her impassioned ogling of Berengar.


    Ad instantly felt something was amiss about Linde''s nces and began to wonder if Linde had feelings for Berengar. After all, the girl treated her own fiance like crap, especially after the recent incident, and had always been giving weird looks to Berengar and herself throughout the past couple of months. Initially, she thought that Linde was on Lambert''s side in whatever conflict the brothers were engaged in, but now she did not know what to think. These were not the nces of a woman studying her enemy but that of a school girl intensely focused on her crush. As such, Ad decided to approach and question the girl who was slightly older but much more developed than herself while she was currently entranced.


    "Magnificent, isn''t he? So much better than his scoundrel of a little brother."


    Linde was caught up in the scene in the field below and did not even register the fact that Ad had approached her; she merely heard the words and responded on instinct.


    "He sure is!"


    Only after Linde had said those words did she recognize that Ad asked the question and that the little girl was testing her. A look of horror spread across the beauty''s face as she realized that she practically just admitted that she preferred Berengar over her own fiance to Berengar''s fiancee. On the other hand, Ad was not pleased; she got the answer she was most afraid of. A frown spread across the cute little girl''s face as she quickly became strict with the teenage temptress standing next to her.


    "I do not care if you admire him from afar; I suppose most girls do but do not approach him. Berengar is my future husband, and I have no intention of letting a harlot like yourself steal him away from me."


    However, the little girl''s attempt to get Linde to withdraw backfiredpletely. The corners of Linde''s lips curved into a devilish smile; she slowly approached Ad with a smug expression on her face and whispered in the girl''s ear.


    "We will see about that."


    Afterward, Linde strutted away confidently as she left little Ad pouting in anger like a small child. Though Linde respected Berengar''s wishes to not inform others of their rtionship, she knew that someday Berengar would recognize their child as his own, and when that day came, if the heavens blessed her with a son, it would be her child and not Ad''s who inherited the Empire that Berengar would one day carve out of thisnd. As such, she was feeling pretty confident in the brief but heated exchange between herself and her lover''s fiancee. Of course, the moment Berengar found out about this lover''s quarrel, she would be punished severely, which also gave her a sense of excitement and anticipation. It had been a while since Berengar had been rough with her; maybe she could finally invoke his ire with this incident.


    Ad, on the other hand, was in an extremely foul mood; Linde''s response could only mean one thing, that seductress was going to try to steal her man. Ad would not let Berengar fall into the Vixen''s trap. After all, though he was a benevolent man, he was still a man and could easily fall for a woman''s wiles. Especially one as gorgeous as Linde. She vowed in her heart never to allow that to happen. Of course, if she were aware that Berengar had long since been involved in an intimate rtionship with Linde, she would probably tear her own heart out. As the thunderous sounds of shots were fired into the straw targets by Berengar and his forces, war was dered in his own backyard without him even being aware. This was not a war that would exist between men and their armies, but two young beautiful woman and their ims on a particrly excellent young man.


    It was only after the militia was done with its daily training that Berengar returned to the vige. He was standing alongside his troops in the town square. He had his family''s cooks work all day to prepare a feast for his soldiers and himself. While the army was mustering in the fields, the chefs were preparing a banquet for the hard-working troops. When Berengar told his chefs that he wanted to prepare a surprise party for his troops who had fought side by side with him at Mining Town, they were more than eager to help pay respects to the many men who had saved their lord''s life. As such, the best dishes they could make were piled into the town square, where the soldiers engorged themselves with food and drank from the endless amount of beer that was poured for them by many young women.


    After a while of drinking and feasting, Berengar tapped on his mug with a spoon, gaining the attention of his soldiers, who all looked upon him with respect. While still in his armor and just with the helm and cap removed, Berengar stood up from his table and began to give a toast to his men.


    "I told you all I would celebrate our magnificent victory over the traitors at Mining Town; unfortunately, my damned noble obligations came up, and I was unable to celebrate with you men properly. Though it has been over a month since we stood side by side on the front lines, I wanted to dedicate this night to you all, the brave men of Kufstein who answered theirmander''s call in a time of need and brought down an army of traitors! Cheers!"


    The town square echoed in cheers as the men celebrated their victory on this fine night. All of which were still in uniform, when the standing army and town guard gazed upon the hundreds of men in the town square in uniform, they began to feel a bit envious, and those who were a part of Lambert''s faction began to feel fearful. Though they initially thought this peasant militia was nothing butmon rabble formed on a young Lord''s whim, they had actually managed to win a battle with zero casualties, which was beyond impressive. As such, Berengar spent the night drinking with his brothers in arms; it was not until 2 AM when Berengar returned to his bed-chamber, where he found Linde waiting patiently naked on his bed.


    Berengar approached his lover and began to caress her body. Thest words he remembered hearing that night came from Linde as she whispered in his ear seductively and with a devilish grin on her face.


    "Master, I''ve been a naughty girl and need to be punished."


    Though he had no way of knowing what she was referring to, he was too drunk to care. Thus he epted his role and bound the girl with ropes as he began to punish her for whatever misdeed she was informing him about. It would not be until the next day that he fully became aware of what Linde had said to Ad and the feud it had started. By then, it was already toote to prevent the girls from fighting with one another for his affection, and he would have to endure the consequences of having two women by his side. Luckily neither of the girls were wicked enough to try to take one another''s lives.

 Chapter 38: A Formal Declaration

    <h4>Chapter 38: A Formal Deration</h4>


    Berengar awoke next to the arms of his beautiful lover and with a splitting headache. He had drunk far too much with the boys the night before, but it was a victory celebration, and thus he felt his actions were justified. As such, he rose from the bed and decided to take things easy today. A day off from extensive exercise would not hurt him in the slightest, though he would never allow such inactivity to be a regr urrence.


    Linde awoke shortly after him and ced her arms around his body as she nibbled on his neck, giving the young man a love bite. It was her way of marking her territory and warding off potential predators of her man. In other words, it was a gift for Ad. Berengarughed at how possessive the girl was this morning and shrugged it off as nonsense. He eventually pushed her down on the bed, thoroughly excited by her actions. He returned the favor and gave Linde a hickey on her graceful and slender neck. As long as she covered it up properly, it would not be a concern.


    The two engaged in some physical intimacy before parting ways for the morning. Now that Linde had a proper excuse to visit Berengar in the day, she would no longer need to avoid him openly. As long as she approached him under the guise of managing her father''s transaction, she could spend time by his side at any point in the day instead of just secretly during the night. Finally, she would have more time with the father of her child. Something she desperately wanted to rub in Ad''s face. Though she knew there was a limit as to the degree to which she could unt her rtionship with Berengar to the little girl, else others might be too suspicious. She had already dered war on Ad and would not back down. Linde knew the little girl was too proud to release the details about their little dispute to the world. As such, she felt confident that she could contain any information regarding this love triangle between the three of them.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of the conflict brewing between his future wife and his lover. Thus he was dumbfounded by the malevolent gazes the two girls gave each other at the breakfast table. He began to think that something may have happened between the youngdies that may have soured their rtionship, and he was not the only one toe to this conclusion. Lambert witnessed their intense rivalry as they gracefully consumed their breakfast, sitting across from one another with fierce gazes. Of course, Lambert did not really care for the reason, as he was sure it was just the trivial matters of women and did not concern himself in the slightest.


    As the two girls feud over Berengar without anyone else''s knowledge, Sieghard decided to break the awkward silence.


    "I am formally requesting the presence of my family and Councilors in the great hall after we finish dining. There is an important announcement I would like to make that regards the safety and prosperity of our family and our realm."


    after saying that, everyone''s attention was shifted to the Baron as he spoke in an authoritative voice; noticing the presence of his future daughters-inw, he decided to address them personally


    "My Ladies, your presence is not required, but if you would like to attend it, you are more than wee to."


    Berengar sighed in relief when he noticed the two women nod at one another with stern expressions. He did not know why the girls were fighting, but he was certain he would find out soon enough. At least for now, the tension was released. Lambert, on the other, appeared visually nervous; if his father was making a formal deration, it must be something important; he began to fear that the favor his father had shown him was beginning to wane and instead be shifted upon his older brother and rival. Whatever this announcement was about, it surely pertained to Berengar''s recent rise in power, which was not good news for him.


    Berengar sat in silence and continued his meal; now that his women were not fighting one another, he felt much more at ease and could finally enjoy his breakfast. However, internally he was quite excited, there was only one thing that he could think of that Sieghard would announce after they finished eating, and if it pertained to his thoughts, then it would be great news for the young lord''s aspirations.


    Shortly after the meal waspleted, the family gathered in the Great Hall; Linde and Ad were still obviously feuding with each other about something. However, their attention was currently drawn to Sieghard, who sat on his seat of power, where his councilors nked him. They were men of great importance who advised the Baron on matters about the realm, even they were not privy to the contents of Sieghard''s announcement.


    After everyone had arrived, Sieghard cleared his voice and spoke in a stern tone.


    "I Sieghard von Kufstein first of my name, Baron of Kufstein hereby dere my firstborn son, and heir Regent. If I must travel from thesends, he is given full authority derived from me to act as Baron in my stead!"


    A wide smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he heard the news, he had been waiting for this deration for a long time, and he had finally proven himself in the eyes of his father as a capable leader. Lambert of course was horrified; this was terrible news for him and his allies. When war finally broke out and Berengar took up his position as Regent, he would have the full judicial authority tounch an investigation into Lambert''s attempts on his life and gather the evidence he needed to execute him. This meant only one thing, Lambert had at most a year to end his brother''s life before the old King croaked, and he was ced into an exceptionally vulnerable position.


    The problem was Berengar had solidified his position in the hearts of many of the surrounding nobles, those who were benefiting from his steel monopoly, and the burgeoning textile trade would obviously back Berengar if he requested their aid. It was now more difficult than ever to plot against Berengar.


    On the other hand, the girls both reacted to the news with satisfied smiles on their faces. This was good news not only for the man they loved but also for themselves, whose positions would be more favorable when Berengar became Regent. Although when they realized that they both had the same satisfied expression on their faces, they immediately shifted back to a feuding state.


    The reactions of the councilors to this monumental announcement were varied. They were all aware of Berengar''s recent transformation and his formidable capability of presiding over the realm. Thus, many of the councilors were excited by the news, as they could not think of a better man to take up the position. However, a quarter of the councilors were backers of Lambert''s attempt to gain power, and thus they were quite miserable at the announcement. If they allowed Berengar toe to power, it would only mean their removal from office at best and their deaths at the worst.


    Henrietta and Gis were both delighted by the news, and Sieghard had a satisfied smile on his face. Though they did not know it, battle lines were immediately drawn when this news was announced, and his two sons would increase the brutality of their war of intrigue. Berengar made sure to keep note of the expressions of the councilors who were either indifferent to the news or outright dismayed. It became immediately apparent that they were either on the fence about the issue or outright supporters of his brother. Thus Berengar figured he would get rid of his Brother''s most immediate backers before taking out any of the other local nobility who supported him. After all, these noblemen who advised his father held significantly more power than those who would answer his call to arms once every blue moon.


    Later that night, Berengar would get his spywork to acquire the materials he would need to manufacture a particr poison that was virtually undetectable In this medieval world. The target of his new ploy would be the Marshal of his father''s forces. The man was clearly the most disturbed by the news and even eyed Lambert for his reaction. Berengar did not doubt within his mind that the Marshal was in bed with Lambert. As themander of his father''s forces, he presented the biggest threat to the security of his Regency and needed to be removed before Berengar seized power.


    However, that was a task forter; after the deration was made, Berengar was congratted by many people, including his future wife and lover. Even Lambert was shocked when Linde approached Berengar immediately after the announcement and fought with Ad over who would pay their respects first. At this moment, Berengar instantly realized what was going on between his two women, and he knew that Linde had said something to Ad to antagonize her. Now her words from the previous night began to make sense, and internally he was furious.


    When the two were in the middle of bickering, Berengar raised his hand, and the two immediately became silent.


    "Ad, you are my fiancee; you may tell me what you wish to say first."


    Linde immediately became flustered as she was denied the right to speak with her lover first. Still, she understood his reasoning and let it slide.


    "Congrattions Berengar! I know you will do your family proud."


    the little girl then eyed Linde with displeasure and whispered in Berengar''s ear


    "I need to talk to you about somethingter."


    Judging by the look on her cute little face, Berengar was certain that she was unaware of the extant of his rtionship with Linde, which was a good thing, but he definitely needed to figure out what had been said between the two.


    He nodded and smiled at his future wife as he held on to her hands


    "Thank you! That means a loting from my fiancee."


    While saying that phrase, he eyed Linde with an expression that said


    "I know what you did, and I''m not happy!"


    Linde immediately flinched when she was the vicious gaze Berengar had given her; she began to think that maybe she should not have openly dered war on Ad so soon. She was definitely going to be punished far worse tonight, which made her dreadfully excited. Of course, she was skilled enough at acting to mask her desire with a look of indifference.


    After Berengar had epted Ad''s respects, he moved on to Linde, who bowed respectfully and said formally.


    "Lord Berengar, I would like to congratte you on yourtest title. I trust you will be a benevolent and efficient regent in the future."


    Lambert was extremely agitated by the sight of his fiancee paying respects to her older brother, but judging by theck of informality in her tone, it was merely her fulfilling her social obligations; as such, he never suspected she was romantically involved with Berengar. Instead, he felt even more sure of his previous thoughts that she was bickering with Ad over something frivolous and thus did not pay any more attention to her actions.


    It went on for some time, but he had to entertain many people paying respects to him; when he was finally done with his noble obligations, he thanked his father for the trust he had ced with him and left the great hall. Ad was in tail following her fiance. When they were finally secluded, he could not prevent himself from asking the little girl what exactly was the nature of her Grievance with Linde.


    "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"


    Ad tried to fake ignorance, as she did not want to discuss her war with the temptress for his affection.


    "I am sure I do not know what you are talking about..."


    Berengarughed at the young girl''s cute face as she tried to pretend like she did not understand his question.


    "Come on; it is obvious that you are fighting with my brother''s fiancee, even my father noticed it, and he isn''t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed when ites social circumstances."


    Ad let out a deep sigh and told Berengar the truth of her encounter with Linde and how she felt about it; needless to say; she was not happy. Berengar was an excellent actor andughed it off as if it was a joke. He really needed to salvage the situation, and he did his best to do so.


    "That''s it? She''s obviously angry with Lambert for his drunken antics and is trying to make him angry by pursuing his older brother. If she really has any intentions to steal me away from you, I''m afraid it''s too little toote. You have nothing to worry about."


    Ad looked at Berengar with a sheepish expression as she asked him with tears forming in her eyes.


    "Really?"


    Berengar, of course, instantly felt intense guilt for lying to his fiancee about the true nature of his rtionship with Linde, but he could not well afford to reveal it at the moment. Granted, he felt justified in his actions and did not feel the slightest guilt for the act of having a lover on the side. However, he did not let any of thoseplex emotions show on his face, as he masked his emotions with a very convincing facade.


    "Of course! Do you think I would throw you avish Engagement Ceremony like I did if I did not have the intention to marry you?"


    His words made sense, and Ad slowly wiped the tears from her eyes. A smile spread across her face before she reached around Berengar''s neck and pecked him on the cheek. Afterward, she ran away in embarrassment, though she had kissed his cheek many times, it was still too much for the little girl to face him afterward. Berengar told the truth when he said thatst part; he had no intention to marry Linde. He had developed her into the perfect mistress, but that did not mean that she was wife material by any means. That was not something that could be cultivated in a woman past a certain age. By the time she was physically mature, she was either a wife material or she was not; or so Berengar believed. The young lord had personally witnessed too many men''s lives ruined in his past life by the full-grown women they tried to change into housewives and the court system which favored the women after they no longer wanted to be married, no matter what atrocious things they may have done during their time of marriage.


    Luckily for him, Divorce was a rare urrence in medieval times; she would essentially need the Pope''s approval. Even then, it would require special circumstances. While adultery was grounds for the dissolution of a marriage, it was a costly process and rarely worked in a woman''s favor. He figured sooner orter he could convince Ad to share him with Linde; the girl was stubborn and prideful but not entirely closed-minded. Of course, he would first need to marry the girl and show her how much he cared for her before even broaching the subject of his lover At the very least, it would be many years before he ever admitted to it, and he would do his damndest to make sure she did not find out until then.


    Thinking about it now, he should probably do his best to get in the good graces of the church; despite being an atheist, he realized how much power the papacy held in this new world; it was far greater than the timeline of his past life. He decided to speak to his priest at the uing Sunday Mass and build a rtionship with the clergy. It would be nice if he could find an open-minded priest, but the likelihood of that happening was very slim. Whatever the case, he would never confess his "sins" to a member of the clergy, especially in an era where the papacy held significant authority.


    Before going to bed, Berengar sent a message to his spywork to acquire the means to produce White Arsenic, a tasteless, odorless, and lethal poison that could be used in a powdered form. When he could properly manufacture this deadly poison, he would use it on his first target. Though it would take some time to acquire the means to create it, thus he could only wait until his first assassination attempt.


    Before Long, Linde showed up in his room with a guilty expression on her face. She willingly submitted herself for discipline, and Berengar spent the rest of his waking hours punishing the young beauty severely for instigating conflict with Ad. Which she, of course, enjoyed to her heart''s content. Though at the moment he had assured Ad he would not pursue Linde, she would only be suspicious from here on out. Nevertheless, Linde had actually been the one to form the love triangle that would one day be the backbone of a great dynasty.

 Chapter 39: Religious Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 39: Religious Ambitions</h4>


    A few days passed, and it was now Sunday. The day in which the people of Kufstein, both high and low, would gather for mass, or liturgy as it was known in this era. Currently, Ad stood outside Berengar''s door with little hope in her heart as she prepared to knock upon it and ask Berengar the same question she had inquired about ever since she first arrived in Kufstein. Unlike Berengar, who was secretly an atheist, Ad was a true believer in the gospel and held the church in high regard. However, every time she approached her fiance to attend the Sunday service together, he always had an excuse as to why he could not go. Thus she was beginning to fear that he was, in fact, a heathen or an apostate which was a condition she could not ept. Today she had fierce determination to drag the man she loved to church and save his potentially damned soul. As such, she sighed heavily before knocking heavily on the door to Berengar''s room in which he was currently exercising.


    "Berengar, will you attend Liturgy with me? It has been quite lonesome without your presence..."


    To her surprise, the door swung open, and Berengar had a smile on his face. Hepletely forgot that he was currently dressed in only his undergarments while his upper body glistened with sweat, the sight of which caused Ad''s face to flush with embarrassment. It took him a moment to realize why she was acting in such a sheepish manner before he realized that her eyes were fixated on his developing abs. He quickly put up a single finger and shut the door while saying.


    "One moment"


    by the time he returned, the young lord was dressed in a white linen undershirt that clung to his sweaty body. This was slightly better, and as such, Ad regained herposure before asking the question on her mind for a second time.


    "Berengar, will you attend the Sunday service with me?"


    She had no intention of letting him y hooky now that he had opened the door. However, what truly shocked her was Berengar''s immediate eptance of his request.


    "Of Course! Today I am quite free, and I would love to attend the liturgy with you."


    This was quite shocking to her; since she arrived, he had never once epted her request to go to church together, but now all of a sudden, he agreed as if it were an ordinary thing for him to do. Was he really just swamped with managing his secr activities this entire time? She only felt foolish for doubting the religious views of her betrothed, whom she held in high regard.


    Berengar sniffed himself before requesting the young girl, who seemed incredibly excited about the fact that he would finally be attending the service with her.


    "Just let me clean myself up a bit, and I will meet you at the Castle''s gates in a quarter of an hour, okay?"


    Ad quickly agreed to his request before chastising him as if she expected him to run away the moment she left his sight.


    "Don''t bete!"


    Berengar nodded and smiled; shortly thereafter, Ad departed, and Berengar''s dropped his facade. Before muttering under his breath


    "I suppose she''s lucky I have ns for the Church."


    Afterward, he grabbed ahold of his attire and headed to the bath, as promised. He would arrive at the Castle''s gates fully clothed in fashionable attire within a fifteen-minute time frame. All the while, Ad had been waiting for him at the entrance with a bright smile on her face. Berengar quickly grabbed ahold of the little girl''s hand and led her to the Church within the vige where the rest of his family was already gathered.


    By the time he arrived, he had noticed that Lambert was there alongside Linde, and Henrietta was grouped up with their parents. Linde had a shocked expression as she saw Berengar attend church for the first time since she had arrived. She was not particrly religious, but she at least pretended like she was. Berengar was usually silent about the topic and avoided the church as if it had been the epicenter of a gue. Still, the heavenly beauty felt quite perturbed as she saw her lover attending church alongside his fiancee. After greeting his family and lover, Berengar walked into the chapel with Ad before standing at attention while the priest went over his sermon. There were not many pews in medieval times, and as such, unless one was old or feeble, they usually stood in the center throughout the entire service.


    As Berengar gazed upon the luxurious trappings of the Chapel he found himself in; he could not help but scoff at the sight. Evidently, the church here was quite wealthy, yet he never saw them out in the field aiding the vigers in any charitable way. He would not doubt it if the head priest himself was embezzling funds to fill his own pockets; after all, the church was mighty, wealthy, and most importantly, corrupt, especially in this timeline. When he scoffed at the sight of how embellished this single church was, it did not go unnoticed by the Deacon, who was a young man currently on thest phase of the path to priesthood. Though the priest himself did not notice Berengar''s reaction, the Deacon could not help but do so.


    After the ceremony was over, Berengar had initially intended to speak with the priest; after all, he wanted to establish some ties with the church. In particr, he was looking for an open-minded priest who may be useful in the future. However, before he could, he was approached by the Deacon, who was quite cordial in his manners.


    "My Lord Berengar, that is your name, correct? I hear many great things from the mouths of the parish about your many deeds. Do you have a minute to talk?"


    Berengar was quite curious why the Deacon would approach him; as such, he took the time out of his busy schedule to see what this supposed holy man had to say. Berengar followed the man to a secluded area, where they began to chat.


    The Deacon was a young man, quite possibly even younger than Berengar. The man had short dirty blonde hair and emerald eyes. he was the third son of a Saxon Count and opted to join the church rather than vie with his siblings to inherit his father''snd. This decision turned out to be a wise choice, considering most of his five brothers met with terrible idents after the young Deacon had left his family behind. As such, he was a man who was not only aware of Berengar''s precarious position but was actively supportive of him; in fact, he was currently a member of Berengar''s vast spywork throughout his family''snds. Even Berengar did not know the identities of all the little birds who reported to his lover about the activities of his enemies.


    The young man was eager to greet the Baron''s son and heir whom he had already aided with great effort in countering Lambert''s schemes. As such, he bowed before Berengar respectfully and said his piece.


    "My Lord, I doubt you are aware of who I am, but I am one of the many members of your web of intrigue, and I know why you are here. You seek to establish ties with the church, is that correct?"


    Berengar was shocked that a deacon would belong to hiswork of agents, and as such, he proceeded with caution. Testing the young Deacon with a question only someone directly reporting to his spymaster would know the answer to.


    "Hmmm, I''m afraid Ad has never mentioned you to me."


    The Deacon was a bright man and knew instantly he was being tested by Berengar; if he were fake, he would most likely nod his head and recognize Ad as his spymaster. Yet, that was not the case. Instead, the young man grinned and gave the correct answer.


    "Funny, I remember speaking to a young woman with strawberry blonde hair and sky blue eyes, not to mention her magnificent bust."


    Berengar''s expression was indifferent, but he was really excited he already had a member of the church working for him in the shadows. As such, he sped the man''s shoulder and apologized for his test.


    "I apologize for my rudeness; it appears you really are a supporter of mine. One can never be too careful these days. What is your name?"


    The man smiled greatly after hearing Berengar apologize for testing him; he truly was a man of character as he had heard.


    "I am Ludolf, a Deacon of this church."


    Berengar walked around the area with Ludolf and picked up a golden chalice; once more, he decided to test the youthful deacon and see if he could be fit into his ns for the future.


    "Tell me, Ludolf, what are your thoughts of the garish embellishment we see around us. Gold crosses, chalices, chandeliers, and even rosaries. Is this not a waste of the church''s funds?"


    Ludolf smiled once more upon hearing Berengar''s views of the Church''s wasteful spending.


    "I could not agree more, my Lord. Unfortunately, the Priest of this chapel and the Bishop of Innsbruck care more about appearances than helping themon folk. Something I have heard that you aplished quite well in our stead. I''m afraid no matter where I go, that seems to be the current status quo of the church. Sucking money away from the people like leeches with promises of salvation in return for their hard-earned coinage. Using it to buildvish chapels like this one. Such wasteful spending if you were to ask me..."


    Berengar''s lips began to curve into a smile. Though this young man may not seem like much, he had the potential to be the Martin Luther of this world. With the right guidance, and support he may very well break the Papacy''s stranglehold over the Kingdoms of Europe. Something which Berengar greatly desired. If his aspirations were to be a reality, then he could not have the Church wield unrestricted power throughout Europe as it currently did. He would need to start a revolution from within, and it just so happened this young Deacon named Ludolf already had some revolutionary ideas. If pushed in the right direction, he could prove to be a powerful ally against the authority of the Church. Thus Berengar decided to act like the devil on the young man''s shoulder and guide him in causing a major schism within Christianity.


    "Ludolf, I share many of the same sympathies; it is the reason I have not been attending servicetely. Would you like to go for a walk? I would very much like to discuss my concerns about the direction the Church is heading in..."


    Ludolf, a wide-eyed and faithful young man concerned with the church''s misconduct, took this seemingly benevolent young man for his word and followed him on a walk. The two would have an exceptionally long discussion about the difference between secr and spiritual authority and the separation of Church and State. By the time the two had finished talking, several hours had passed, and Ludolf felt as if he had been enlightened by Berengar, who acted as if he were a pious man concerned about lesiastical corruption and its effects on the people of Europe. Thus Berengar not only further gained support from Ludolf in his war of intrigue against his brother but also in his future struggle against the Church and their over-reaching power. One thing was certain; this man held great importance for Berengar''s ns to bring an end to the era of the Church''s influence over the secr authority of the German people.


    After sending Ludolf back to the chapel with much to think about, Berengar returned home. Where he dined with his family. Ad was pleased that he went to church with her. Though Linde looked at him strangely; she had many questions about why he went to church and who he spent his afternoon with. Nevertheless, now was not the time for the topic. After sharing a meal with his family, Berengar took a bath and then returned to his quarters, where he further developed the ns for the future City of Kufstein. Shortly thereafter, he heard a knock on his door and opened it to find Linde, who sprung into his arms. Berengar epted her embrace while kicking the door close. After passionately kissing one another for several moments, Linde broke away and finally asked the father of her child the question on her mind.


    "You don''t seem like the type of man to take the gospel seriously... Why did you go to Church?"


    Berengar could not help but chuckle as he sat on his bed and poured himself and his lover some wine. After taking a swig from the chalice, he answered the question honestly.


    "I have ns for the church. I''m not going to lie; I seek to destroy its dominion over thesends and its people by any means necessary. Truly I find the hypocrisy, corruption, and power of the Church in this world to be appalling."


    Linde was quite shocked by his ambitions. The church had held significant authority over Europe for centuries, yet the man she loved imed he wanted to bring that era to a sudden end and implied using force to achieve his goals. Though she was not religious, she understood the church''s significant power; it would not be an easy task.


    "You know, if word got out about your ns, the church would dere you a heretic..."


    Berengar nearly choked on his wine as heughed at Linde''s remark.


    "Let theme; I do not rely on the protection of God. Instead, I trust in the thunder of guns and the men who wield them. Soldiers win wars, not faith, and before long, my army will rival the legendary power of the Kingdom of Heaven!"


    Though he was exaggerating, it was no lie to say that his armies were bing quite well equipped and trained, better than any other force in the current world. Even if they only acted as a militia at the moment, they would be the core of his power when he inherited thisnd. Their numbers swelled by the day, and now that he was producing proper armor alongside their arms, Berengar felt as if his army could easily contend with a force five times their numbers on the field of battle. After all, his weapons were beyond effective against the greatest units of the era, and with the right tactics, he could ovee any foe. With time his weapons would be even more efficient, and by then, nobody could stop him.


    Truthfully religion had its purpose of serving in Berengar''s many ns, but a Church that refused to bend to his will did not. Berengar would make use of scripture and the concept of divinity in his future efforts of propaganda. Though he personally did not believe in such things, he realized that Religion yed an important role in functioning society. As such, he had ns for a reformation of the Church, the extent of which would rely on Ludolf and those who would support his future efforts. As for Catholicism and the pope''s authority over secr affairs, he would never recognize such a thing. This adamant refusal to bend to the will of the church would lead to many conflicts with the papacy in the near future.


    Linde did not know what to say after hearing such a speech; either Berengar was a mad man, or he truly had the capability to change the world. Personally, she did not care if the Church''s power over thesends copsed and supported the rising ambitions of the man beside her. After finishing their wine, the two stripped off theirvish attire and embraced each other in the dark of night. For the rest of their waking hours, they intimately enjoyed each other''spany.

 Chapter 40: Caught in the Act

    <h4>Chapter 40: Caught in the Act</h4>


    Berengar gazed upon the musketeer who stood upon the testing field. In his hands was a small spherical steel device with a fuse sticking out from its top. In his other hand was a slow match in which the soldier used to ignite the fuse. After the sessful ignition, the man lobed the spherical device towards a safe distance and quickly sought refuge behind the provided cover. Within seconds a thunderous explosion urred, and shrapnel was sent in every direction shredding apart the closely packed straw dummies in which it hadnded near.


    After such a shocking scene, the sound of slow pping could be heard from afar as Berengar showed his sign of approval of the new weapon. What was just tested by this brave man was the prototype of a hand grenade. It would not be long before he could field these to his troops inrge numbers and establish grenadiers into his ranks. However, this revolutionary weapon of war was not the most exciting innovation being tested to this day. Eckhard was filled with anticipation as the artillery crew loaded a strange-looking device into the bore of the 1417 Pattern 12 lb cannon. The old knight prayed to the father above in heaven that this device went off without a hitch.


    After a rtively smooth loading of the cannon, the powder was vented, and the cannoneer used the linstock to light the fuse. After a few moments, the familiar roar of the 12 lb cannon echoed into the air. However, what truly astonished those who were fortunate enough to watch this secret testing, was that when the projectilended it exploded upon impact into many fragments, sending shards of steel into all directions. The result of which was far more destructive than the hand grenade, which was tested previously.


    This time a thunder of apuse rose from the bystanders as they watched a new era of artillery being born before their very eyes. Berengar had a wicked smile on his face. He had finally done it; he had created the first explosive shell. Though the solid ball still had its uses; against infantry, nothing was more devastating than explosive shells. In his previous life''s timeline, the explosive shell was not invented until the 16th century. However, the shell he was currently using was modeled after those utilized by the 12 lb Napoleon cannon by Union forces in the American Civil War; it was a far more efficient shell than the earlier designs.


    Eckhard saluted Berengar and congratted him on his newest innovation; with this, their militia was even more fearsome than they were a month ago at the Battle of Mining Town.


    "Commander, let me be the first to congratte you on the sess of this truly revolutionary design! With these shells, our artillery will rule the battlefields."


    Berengar smiled and returned the salute to his second inmand. However, one thing was noticeably missing from his forces, the third branch thatprised all early modern armies for centuries. Cavalry, though he would not be able to raise cavalry for his militia until after he took over his father''s position. Either as a regent or as the Baron himself. Nevertheless, this was truly a monumental asion; with shell and canister being fired out of his 12-pound cannons, he could engage forces farrger than his own on the field of battle.


    As his militia furtherpleted their training and outfitted themselves with better equipment, Berengar believed it would not be long before he could begin his conquest of Germany. It might take a few years for him to seed his father; in his eyes, the Baron of Kufstein was not likely to survive the uing war. By the time the war was over and the various feudal powers of the Kingdom exhausted themselves in bloody conflict, he would rise from the ashes and stake his im with his superior army. By right of conquest, one day, he would be Emperor of the German people!


    After testing the new weapons, Berengar wanted them mass-produced as quickly as possible; as such, he put in priority order, he would have his Artillery trained to use the new shells effectively and would establish the strongest and most elite of his infantry forces into Grenadiers. Of course, all weapons operations were strictly confidential; as such, they would have to use the new testing field Berengar had set up, out of the sight from unwanted eyes.


    After testing the weapons sessfully and giving his new orders, Berengar returned to the Castle, which took a while, seeing as he had to travel from his secret testing facility. When he returned, he saw Ad and Henrietta ying in the castle corridors. They were not too far apart in age and were getting along splendidly. On the other hand, Linde had a tense rtionship with Henrietta; the little girl had good intuition and had a feeling something was going on between Lambert''s fiancee and Berengar. A sense of intuition that the men of the family desperately seemed tock. As such, the little loli constantly ran away from Linde whenever she tried to get along with the family.


    Of course, Linde''s most strained rtionship was with his Berengar''s mother, Gis. Gis was a shrewd and proud Baroness who had long suspected an affair between Berengar and Linde, practically since the first night when Linde arrived at the Castle. However, she saw how Linde treated Lambert and saw this dirty secret as a way to break her second son''s betrothal. If Berengar wanted a lover to hold him over until he married Ad, then she would allow his selfishness, so long as she couldter use it as a means to get rid of the young vixen once and for all.


    Though she was not aware of the fullest extent of Linde''s abuse towards Lambert, she could tell it was at the very least a verbally abusive and unhealthy rtionship. Especially since the night of Berengar and Ad''s engagement ceremony and the alleged actions Lambert had engaged in. The growing closeness between Berengar and Linde under the guise of Count Lothar''s transaction did not ease the Baroness''s animosity toward the young woman. Berengar was aware of how his mother eyed the two of them and had long since known about her suspicions, however as long as his mother did not intervene, he would not say anything to her about his rtionship with his lover. Of course, if Gis were aware that Linde was currently pregnant with Berengar''s child, she would do everything in her power to separate the two of them.


    When Ad saw that Berengar had returned home, she ran over and hugged him; Berengar responded to this by petting her head gently. It was nice having two women withpletely different personalities to care for him. He vowed that he would never give up this lifestyle and neverplicate it further by adding more women to the mix. He cared for both of his women equally, as they both served their own unique roles in his life. After a while, Ad let go of Berengar and asked him the question on her mind.


    "Are you done with work for the day?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded at his little fiancee before noticing Henriettae over to him with a sheepish expression.


    "Big brother, will you y with us?"


    Berengar chuckled lightly as the little loli grabbed ahold of his torso and hugged the other side of him. He thought to himself for a moment and then decided to entertain the two girls, who were currently in the middle of ying an imaginary game. One where Ad was the crown princess, who was captured by an evil witch. Berengar yed the role of the valiant knight as he strode through the castle walls and rescued the princess from the wicked grasp of Henrietta, who acted the part of a wicked witch. Berengar felt quite embarrassed ying such childish games at his age and was thankful that video cameras did not exist at this time. He could not imagine what the inte wouldbel him if this scene were posted on some video-sharing site from his previous life. However, after rescuing the princess and ying the evil witch, Berengar picked up Ad in a princess carry and walked around the castle with her. To his surprise, he got a reward that he was not expecting. When Ad gently pecked him on the lips, her face began to be red with embarrassment and she looked away while in his arms and awkwardly muttered.


    "My Hero..."


    At this point, even Berengar felt embarrassed, as he was not mentally prepared for such a thing. He did not know what to say, so he chose some cheesy one-liner and smiled at Ad and said in a serious tone.


    "I will always protect you, my little princess!"


    The scene was sickening to Linde as she watched in the corner; it was only when Ad''s eyes met her own with a furious stare did the young beauty realize that her little rival had been aware of her presence and that Ad had deliberately done this to mark her territory. Linde thought it was cute that the little girl considered that slight peck on the lips to beconsidered a kiss. Obviously, Linde would have to leave her own mark on Berengarter that night to make up for it.


    After seeing Linde had watched the entirety of his performance, Berengar''s heart immediately imploded. He sincerely hoped nobody was watching what would be considered a potentially illegal activity in his previous life. Yet he was caught in the act by his own lover, he was never going to live this moment down, and he could tell by the smirk on Linde''s face that she was going to hold this moment over his head forever. Berengar attempted to defuse the situation and asked Linde an important question, which immediately received the two little girls'' res.


    "Would you like to join us, Linde?"


    The heavenly beauty immediately scoffed at the idea and red at Ad


    "No thanks Berengar, I''ve long since matured beyond the need to y such childish games. A word of advice, if you keep ying games like this with little girls, people might believe you to be a pervert."


    And with that said, Linde turned around and walked away with a smug expression on her face. Before Ad or Berengar could even form a response, she had already turned the corner and was out of sight. The couple then stared at each other awkwardly as Ad was still in Berengar''s arms. Henrietta, of course, was lying on the floor pretending to have been in, but she still managed to overhear the conversation, and her disdain for Linde grew even greater as a result. After Linde''s departure, there was an awkward silence for a while before Berengar finally let Ad down from his arms. Feeling embarrassed about the whole situation, the young man scratched the back of his head before calling it quits for the evening.


    "I suppose we should end it here... We can y again some other time!"


    Ad nodded; she was also quite embarrassed after Linde''s harsh words. On the other hand, Henrietta was pouting; she wanted to y some more with her big brother and soon-to-be sister-inw. It was rare where she was able to y games with Berengar these days. Nevertheless, she acquiesced to their conditions. Either way, she would hold her elder brother to his word that they would definitely y togetherter.


    Afterward, Berengar dined with his family, it was a civil conversation, and there was less animosity between him and Lambert than usual. Berengar was well aware that Lambert was in the middle of cooking up a conspiracy against him; after all, it had been a while since Berengar was given the title of regent, and Lambert had yet to act. What Lambert did not know is that Berengar was also in the process of conspiring against his brother. His n would not only disrupt Lambert''s plot but actively take out one of the boy''s greatest allies.


    After dinner, Berengar snuck out into the town where he entered his newly built chemicalboratory today. Tonight he wouldplete the production of white arsenic, which would allow him would begin his plot to assassinate his father''s marshal, who was an ardent supporter of Lambert. Of course, he had to confirm such a thing before acting rashly. While some of his spies were acquiring the materials to create arsenic, others were gathering intel about any potential alliance with Lambert. In the process, Berengar uncoveredmbert''s plot to act against Berengar, and frame him and his militia for multiple crimes, and use the marshal as a witness. Unfortunately for the teenage boy, the marshal would soon be very ill and pass away from this world.


    Berengar began tough sadistically as he saw the powdered arsenic that was created overnight. He would give his many spies strict instructions toce the Marshal''s wine with the poison in small doses for the next week; once the man became dreadfully ill, Berengar would increase the dose, effectively ending the man''s life. As far as anyone was concerned the marshal would have fallen ill and passed away from said illness shortly after. Even if someone expected an assassination, nobody would be able to prove it. Just like that, Berengar had taken this war of intrigue to the next level. Lambert would soon enough be left alone, cut off from any support, and when Berengar finally had his scoundrel of a little brother by his lonesome and the authority to pursue justice, then, and only then would he put an end to this war of intrigue once and for all.


    After distributing the poison to his assassins, Berengar quietly returned to the Castle. He made sure that his absence went unnoticed. When he finally returned, he saw the familiar sight of Linde waiting for him. She immediately ran into his arms and kissed him passionately, as if she was trying to remove the mark upon him that Ad had left previously. Just like that, Berengar and Linde spent the remainder of the night enjoying each other''s passionate embrace.

 Chapter 41: Lindes Revelation

    <h4>Chapter 41: Linde''s Revtion</h4>


    A month had passed, and Berengar awoke once more at the crack of dawn. Lying next to him was Linde, who was sprawled about under the sheets, her silky strawberry-blonde hair glistened under the light of the sun. She was still asleep andtely had slept through his morning exercise. She was now roughly two months pregnant at this point, and as such, Berengar allowed her some much-needed rest, as he knew that nobody else in the castle would be up at this hour. However, he quickly got out of bed and started his daily workout. Today was a chest-oriented day, so he used his bench press. Though he recognized that he would never be as physically strong as he was in his past life in this life. Berengar still tended to exercise four to five days a week.


    After spending half an hour lifting various weights, Berengar quietly exited his room and went for his daily run. He liked to run at least ten miles a day during the days of the week he exercised. As such, he ran around the vige in loose-fitting clothes early in the morning when the farmers began to get to work. Due to the recent industrialization of the region, many of themoners had proper working hours and were still resting at this time. Thus the number of people up at this ungodly hour was constantly dwindling. Berengar would wave and say hello to themon folk, but his primary focus was on his run. The only other people who were up at this hour were the militia members in basic training. When theirmander ran by, getting in his morning run, they all saluted him at attention; he returned the salute as he continued to run.


    The fact that the men could see their Lord and Commander up at the same hour, engaging in an exercise routine like themselves, boosted their morale, as well as their trust in Berengar. He was a man who led by example and refused to get any more sleep than his men did. Berengar also never truly had a day off from his work. He was so busy maintaining his region''s industrial, agricultural, and military sectors that he felt like he did more work than his father did. In fact, his father, the Baron, had deliberately pushed an excess of his workload on to Berengar, expecting him to break from the stress. Still, Berengar took it in stride and exceeded his expectations in every way. This was one of the reasons Sieghard gave him the prestigious title of Regent. Berengar thrived when he was busy; he was not a man who could handle idle time well; when Berengar had downtime, he was bored, and he always found something to do when he was bored. Preferably something productive, as such, he worked harder than anyone he knew.


    This was a trait from his previous life, where he had to work hard for everything he owned. His family was not particrly wealthy growing up. Both of his parents worked full-time jobs with excessive overtime. From a young age, he found himself helping around the house to alleviate the stress on his parent''s shoulders. That was one of the reasons he knew all of his family''s cooking recipes by heart. As the son of German immigrants, his youth was filled with German cuisine, and when he reached a certain age, he handled the cooking and cleaning of the house when his parents were at work. By the time he was an adult, he had entered Westpoint, and after graduation, was an officer in the military; as such, he spent much of his downtime looking busy. In his mindset, if you are looking busy, you might as well be productive.


    After finishing his run in roughly an hour and a half, Berengar returned to the castle, where he washed the sweat away from his body in the private bathhouse the family had constructed within their castle. After getting out of his bath, over two and a half hours had gone by since the time he woke up, and he nned to get some work done in his chambers. He returned to his room to find that Linde was still asleep; by now, the servants were wide awake and active throughout the castle; even his family members were out and about. The fact that the young woman was still in his room meant there was a great risk involved with returning to her quarters at this point. Berengar walked over to the bed and got inside with Linde; he decided to tease the girl and caress her bare body until she woke up. She immediately felt him grabbing onto her heavenly bust, and a smile spread across her face as she pretended to sleep. However, when Berengar whispered in her ear.


    "It''s already past 7:30. If you continue to sleep in, my family will find you here..."


    Linde immediately got up and out of bed, while shaking his hands away from her breasts.


    "Master, why didn''t you tell me it was sote already!"


    Berengar chuckled as he watched her get dressed in her nightgown from the night before, with a big grin on his face.


    "You need your sleep, so I decided to let you rest."


    After getting dressed in her nightgown, the girl kissed him on the lips before absconding from his room in secrecy, cautiously returning to her own quarters while making sure nobody was aware she had spent the night with Berengar. If Berengar had not awoken her, she would have surely slept in long enough to cause a scandal. Thankfully her lover was looking out for her.


    After Linde had left his room, Berengar spent the remainder of his morning going through his progress. By now, the formation of second artillery battery was taking precedence over the infantry battalion''s ranks. Most of the new recruits were ced into the second artillery battery, while the arms factory had begun to spam 12 lb cannons. He now had more cannons than cannoneers, which he supposed was a good problem to have. Due to the increase in workforce, he was able to form the second steel production line in half the time of the first, and it was now fully operational. With the increase in productivity of the mines after the von Kufsteins seized them from Ulrich''s family, the steel-making factory could double its output. Any steel that exceeded their production capability was sold at a fair price to the contacts he had made during his engagement ceremony. The armor he designed had been produced in massive numbers for his troops, and a total of 1/4 of this his soldiers were now equipped with munitions grade half-te armor.


    After investing in importing materials and establishing the use of inventions like the spinning mule, he was now able to make clothing for peasants and nobility fetching a fair price while relying mostly on local production. It was only the super luxurious fashion that cost him a pretty penny to make, luckily he was still able to sell them for quite the profit, thus expanding the already filled coffers of the Barony of Kufstein.


    Today was an important day for Berengar; two of his schemes would fullye to fruition this day. Over the past month, the marshal had been slowly poisoned by the young lord''s spies to the point that he was very near death. A slight overdose today would rid the world of one of Lambert''s most powerful allies. Though physicians had checked on the man, ultimately, they could not find out the cause of what ailed him.


    The second scheme was far more important in the long run and woulde to fruition this day. Linde would be informing the family that she was pregnant with Lambert''s child when in all reality, it was Berengar''s. Since the night of Berengar and Ad''s engagement ceremony, she had avoided Lambert as much as possible. The boy had approached her several times requesting that they sleep together, but she kept refusing him. As such, Berengar arrived on time at the breakfast table, where he waited patiently for Linde to break the news. After the family enjoyed their meal for quite some time in peace, the young woman finally dropped the bombshell on the family.


    The girl''s face instantly grew flustered as she spoke her words.


    "I have an important announcement to make..."


    After a slight pause which aroused everyone''s interest, Linde looked at Berengar, then at Lambert, and then back down to the table where her meal wasid out. Finally, she blurted out what she was instructed to say, minus a very critical detail.


    "I''m pregnant..."


    From Berengar''s perspective, the girl noticeably failed to mention it was Lambert''s child, however that did not stop the family from being shocked by the revtion and assuming it was Lambert''s. Though she didn''t explicitly say the child was Lambert''s, the only person who suspected it might be Berengar''s was Gis, who eyed her eldest son curiously. Though Berengar may try to act surprised, Gis knew when her son was lying, and at that moment, she was correctly able to guess that the child was, in truth, Berengar''s, not Lambert''s.


    Lambert was at first in shock when he heard the news. He had to rify the issue.


    "You''re pregnant?"


    Linde nodded in response.


    Sieghard, on the other hand, interrupted and asked his own question


    "It is my son''s?"


    Linde frowned at thement and answered honestly


    "Who else would be the father?"


    With that being said, a smile appeared on both Lambert''s and Sieghard''s faces. They were excited by the news and could not wait to throw a wedding. On the one hand, Lambert was happy because this solidified Linde as his woman; even if she was not sleeping with him, nobody else was either, as such he could be considered the only man to sleep with the gorgeous young woman who was considered one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria. On the other hand, Sieghard was just happy to have a grandchild, which he would hopefully be able to see before he perished. He, too, did not have high expectations for surviving the uing war. The two werepletely unaware that the girl never once directly admitted to Lambert being the father; after all, Sieghard had another son.


    Lambert attempted to hug Linde in response to the news, but the girl pped him across the face in front of his family and shouted at him.


    "Who said I had forgiven you!?!"


    Quickly the young boy sulked back to his seat in silence. Berengar was trying to contain his wicked grin. He had truly grown into the role of a sadist over thest few months, at least when it regarded his enemies. Nothing gave him more joy than watching his nemesis dangle on the hook he had cast for him. Lambert yed along to Berengar''s tune perfectly, and the young lord could not get enough of it. He supposed he had Linde to thank for this juicy scene. By not directly admitted to Lambert being the father, Linde was essentially leaving a door open for Berengar to im the child as his ownter in life. Something in which the young woman was adamant about making a reality. Thus it was Linde''s scheme and not Berengar''s which was cemented in history this day.


    Ad, on the other hand, had never suspected Berengar to be the father. Despite the fact that Linde had openly dered war on the young girl and had by vying for Berengar''s affections as ofte. She had enough faith in her betrothed that he would not do such a thing behind her back. Also, she was aware of Lambert''s supposed misdeed, and the timing for Linde''s pregnancy matched perfectly. In a million years, the little girl would never suspect that Berengar had deliberately framed Lambert to assume the role of the father of his bastard child. As such, a smile spread widely across her face as she felt as if by this news she had already won the war against Linde; after all, there was no way Berengar would be interested in a woman who was pregnant with his brother''s child.


    The conversation around the breakfast table quickly shifted to altering the wedding ns so that it may ur at the soonest date. Lambert''s sixteenth birthday waster this week and he would finally be of the proper age to marry. Though Linde acted as if she was eptable to those terms, she could not wait for the day until her lover eliminated her fiance. She prayed to God above that Berengar may strike down Lambert before her child was born. That way, the child would never have to worry about who its real father was.


    The only person at the table who was not satisfied with this result was Gis. With this news, the Baroness realized that she would never be rid of her future daughter-inw. A young woman she greatly despised. Worse yet, Berengar''s fling with the harlot had resulted in her having great confusion about the actual parentage of her future grandchild. Much like Ad, Gis would never have guessed that this was all a ruse by her eldest son to pin the parentage onto Lambert. After all, she was unaware of the war which her two sons waged in the shadows.


    With this breaking news, the family at the very least pretended to have a pleasant breakfast. Later that day Berengar would finalize another of his schemes to screw over his little brother who had already thrice made an attempt on his life. Berengar was a man who did not easily forgive his enemies, and soon Lambert woulde to feel his older brother''s wrath.

 Chapter 42: Death of a Marshal

    <h4>Chapter 42: Death of a Marshal</h4>


    Lord Friedhelm von Thiersee had served as the Marshal of Kufstein for close to thirty years now. He was a man who was growing older in his years and now had long white hair, a matching beard, and many wrinkles. Despite his old age, the elderly man could still wield a sword inbat andmand his liege''s armies in battle. That is until a week ago when his health took a sudden turn for the worse. His physicians did not know the cause of his illness and attributed it to the frailty of old age. However, today, the same day that Linde announced she was pregnant, the elderly man was lying on his deathbed in his family''s domain in which they had ruled under the fealty of the von Kufsteins for centuries.


    His children were surrounding him and awaiting hisst gasp. Truthfully the man had lived long enough to know when someone was poisoned, and he already had a suspect in mind. However, by the time he realized this fact, it was toote as he was now too frail tomunicate his suspicions Effectively. Currently, His servants attended to his need. However, he was now certain that they were secretly agents of Berengar and had been the ones to administer the poison to him in the first ce. At the moment a servant who had been in his service for the past fifteen years approached him and force-fed the old lord a ss of water which wasced with poison. Since the Marshal was no longer able to drink without assistance, he had no choice but to ept the final dose of the lethal poison. It took a while for the dose of poison to take effect as such; the elderly Lord struggled desperately to make hisst words an usation against the eldest son and heir of the Baron.


    Ultimately the sounds that came out of the Elderly''s lords mouth could not manage to contain a coherent thought. The only understandable word in his deathly babble was the word "Lambert," which immediately caused a hint of concern on his family''s faces. Why would the old man''sst word be the name of the second son of the Baron. However, before they could ask the old man what he meant by using the name, the marshal drew hisst breath and exited this world. Ultimately this left a hint of suspicion on several of the more clever family member''s faces. They would even investigate if Lambert had something to do with the old patriarch''s sudden illness.


    Ironically by trying to get his family to warn Lambert that his brother was the most likely suspect with the Marshal''s untimely death, Lord Friedhelm instead thrust the suspicion onto Lambert, which would ultimately result in his family siding with Berengar in the war for the title of Baron. Of course, at the time, Berengar had no way of knowing that his assassination of the Marshal would provide key evidence in hister attempts to eliminate Lambert as a threat. Thus on that night, the Lordship of Thiersee mourned the loss of the mighty and efficient Lord who had presided over them for decades.


    ...


    By the time Berengar and his family heard the news of Lord Friedhelm''s passing, it was alreadyte into the next day. This was shocking news for Sieghard, who suspected his Marshal to be having a brief bout of illness; he had never expected the elderly Lord to die from what ailed him. As such, Sieghard immediately called for a grand funeral to honor the memory of his loyal Marshal, who had served his family for so many years.


    On the other hand, Lambert was horrified by the news; he had only recently be aware of his ally''s illness and chalked it up to the troubles of the elderly. However, with his passing and Berengar''s smug expression, he knew instantly that his brother had conspired against a key ally in his fight for the inheritance. Without the Marshal on his side, he would have difficulty rallying the town guard against Berengar when his father eventually departed for war. Even if Lambert did not truly understand how efficient Berengar''s militia was; if Lambert acted quickly enough upon their father''s departure, he could seize power and imprison his brother before Berengar''s militia could enter the castle''s gates and secure the young lord''s regency. Which he had been a critical point in Lambert''s ns for the future.


    Without the forces already stationed in the Castle backing him, Lambert now had little chance of achieving such aims. Nor could he form his own militia, as Berengar clearly had won the hearts of themon folk, and rumors had spread around of Lambert''s character being more wicked than he disyed in public. In fact, despite the period of mourning, Sieghard needed to dere a new Marshal. The only problem was there were not many men as experienced as Friedhelm in the ways of war. The position of Marshal was critical for a Lord as they essentiallymanded all forces of the realm in the stead of the feudal lord. However, Sieghard personally enjoyedmanding his forces; under his reign, the Marshal had always been more of an advisor on strategy and tactics. As well as the chief of hisw enforcement. As Sieghard was not expecting to survive the uing war, he had to consider someone capable of advising his son and heir on the matters ofw enforcement and warfare in the future.


    What Sieghard did not know is that Berengar had already found such a capable man to fulfill the role and would eventually rece whoever Sieghard had chosen for the position of Marshal. Currently, Sieghard was in a meeting with Berengar discussing the role of Marshal and who should be appointed. Berengar was surprised that Sieghard was now taking his opinion into ount; it could only mean one thing, Sieghard was preparing for his eventual death on the battlefield and his son and heir''s transition to power. However, he had to confirm such suspicions and thus asked his father outright.


    "Father, I know that there is a storm approaching and that soon thisnd will be embroiled in civil war. Are you not nning to take your Marshal with you into battle?"


    Sieghard gazed solemnly upon his son and heir; he had a suspicion that Berengar''s act of forming a militia was to act as a proper defense for the Barony while he was away at war, which was one of the reasons he would alwayspromise when it came to the expenses of arming the militia.


    "I won''t lie to you, son, what you say is true; shortly, I will be called to war by the Count of Tyrol. I do not anticipateing back from this conflict alive. It may take years, but sooner orter, I will perish on the battlefield fulfilling my duties to our liege. What I want is to put someone capable in charge of Barony''s defenses andw enforcement. Someone who can guide you best on how to defend ournd in my stead."


    Berengar tried not to smile as his suspicions were confirmed; his father knew he was no longer fit to be Baron with how efficient Berengar had proven himself as a ruler. Now that his children were old enough to survive without him, he was looking for a way out. This meant that in a handful of years, Berengar would be Baron and could fully enact his ns to conquer the German-speaking regions. Rather than waiting for his father to die peacefully in his sleep in a few decades. Berengar was ruthless to his enemies, perhaps even cruel, but he was not a psychopath. His father had shown him nothing but benevolence and patience as he grew up, and Berengar had no desire to harm his father to aplish his goals. At most, he would have mustered his forces and force his father to abdicate if his reign went on for too long. With his father''s goal to assign a martial who can aid Berengar, he had no choice to voice the candidate he already had in mind.


    "Father, I know of a man who is perhaps greater material for a Marshal than thete Friedhelm."


    Sieghard looked up from his list of candidates and stared into Berengar''s eyes. He was personally not aware of such a man in his realm.


    "You do?"


    Berengar nodded as he proceeded to make his suggestion.


    "Eckhard, he is an anointed knight and a veteran of many battles. He has quite the mind for strategy and tactics, and I''m certain he can quickly adapt to the role of Law Enforcement. He''s the secondmand of my militia and was instrumental in the defeat of Ulrich''s forces at Mining Town."


    A wide smile spread across Sieghard''s face; it turned out his son had already found a capable Marshal who was loyal to him; this was good news for the realm''s future. As he thought about it, he began to smile more; this essentially meant that Berengar''s militia could be incorporated into the Town Guard and act as a military force, with police duties among the civilians. In Berengar''s previous world, such a force would be referred to as Gendarmerie. It would be quite the efficient force in defending his family''s territory when he was off at war. As such, he immediately epted Berengar''s suggestion.


    "Very well, I will name Eckhard Marshal of the Realm after Friedhelm''s funeral. We will incorporate your militia into the town guard, and it will act as the defensive force of the Barony and as itsw enforcement."


    Berengar was extremely delighted by this news; by eliminating Friedhelm, he had guaranteed that a unit of his forces would be stationed in the Castle and loyal to him. If Lambert attempted to cause trouble upon the start of his Regency it would not end well for his little brother. With a single assassination, Berengar had greatly weakened Lambert and his allies'' ability to harm him. Slowly but surely, the tides were turning in his favor. Soon he would be able to finish this war of intrigue and secure his reign. With Eckhard''s appointment as Marshal, he could root out any supporters of Lambert within the ranks of the town guard and have them expelled from its forces under false charges. Thus ensuring the only armed force within the Barony of Kufstein after Sieghard''s departure was loyal only to Berengar.


    This also would mean that Berengar would now have the authority to raise cavalry forces and add them to his ranks, albeit in small numbers. He believed he would start with a unit of demincers��a type of cavalry that would one day rece the heavily armored knights of this era. The establishment of such a force would have to wait until after Eckhard''s appointment to Marshal, which would take at most a month and a minimum of a fortnight. Nevertheless, things were looking bright for Berengar''s future as his path to power was slowly beginning toe together.


    After conversing with his father about the details of the appointment for some time, Berengar returned to his room, where he began drafting the ns for the establishment of a Demi-Lancerpany, which would be outfitted with Three-Quarter''s munitions grade te armor andnces. After a while, he heard a knock on his door, and when he opened it, he saw Ad standing before him in a beautiful dress in the colors of ck, white, and gold, which were the colors of his house. She looked ravishing in such attire; in her hands was a tray full of cookies and milk. The young girl had quite the sweet tooth.


    "May I enter?"


    Berengar would not deny his future wife entry into his room; as such, he made way for her approach, and the two sat down next to each other while snacking on the treats. Though Berengar enjoyed them, he did not enjoy the sweet deserts quite as much as Ad did. Still, he could not prevent his mind from thinking about chocte. Unfortunately, it would be a long time before he could send an expeditionary force to the Americas to im potatoes and cocoa. Nevertheless, it was one of his greatest goals in this life. The establishment of a colonial Empire in his mind was a necessity. However, the reasoning was more for the wide variety of crops and spices it could bring back and less for the territorial expansion. Nevertheless, when he was able to do so, he fully intended to take advantage of the European powers''ck of knowledge of the rest of the world andy im to territories in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. With the power his armies would wield by then, nobody could stop him.


    To achieve this, he would first need to unite Germany and gain some coastal territories; he wanted major Naval bases in the Baltic, North, and Adriatic Seas. Then he would need to build a mighty Navy to maintain colonial power. Either way, it was many years, if not decades, away from where he currently stood. Nevertheless, he would do everything he could to establish his Empire as the world''s preeminent power. Needless to say, there was a lot of work ahead of the ambitious young lord. For now, he rxed by his young fiancee and dined on cookies while dreaming of conquering the world.

 Chapter 43: Expanding Influence

    <h4>Chapter 43: Expanding Influence</h4>


    While Berengar was conversing with Ad and going over his drafts for establishing a Demi-Lancer Company, Linde was hard at work as the master of Berengar''s intricate spywork. What started as a small group of peasants watching and listening to potential threats and reporting them to Berengar turned into a massive spiderweb that infiltrated every noble house within the Barony of Kufstein under Linde''s management. Say what you want against Berengar''s lover, but she had a brain for intrigue and had been crucial in the war against Lambert and his allies.


    The beautiful young woman divided thework into various cells located in every major inhabited region of the Barony. Throughbined use of couriers, carrier pigeons, direct interaction, smoke signals, and other methods ofmunication, Linde was able to understand everything that was transpiring within the region of Kufstein. Aplex hierarchy was established to allow the freedom of local cells to engage in espionage, propaganda, and assassination at will, without it ever being traced back to Berengar''s doorstep.


    The Hierarchy was as follows, at the top of the organization was Berengar; he was referred to by those who knew of his existence as the Sovereign. Beneath the Sovereign was the Listener, this was Linde''s job. She would listen to Berengar''s orders, if he had any, and ry them to the Speakers, who were the leaders of every cell. The Speakers would then ry these jobs to the Eyes, Ears, Mouths, and Hands. Each was tasked with a different specialty in Intrigue. Eyes and Ears were generally used for Espionage and gathering intelligence. Mouths were used to disseminate misinformation and engage in propaganda efforts, and the Hands were used for practical jobs, primarily being assassination and sabotage. Below all of these were Associates. They were not official members of the organization but were essentially pawns who unwittingly aided Berengar''s spywork. The only members who knew that Berengar was the sovereign were the Listener and the Speakers. The rest were merely led to believe they were acting in the interest of the realm, and as such, if caught and interrogated, could not pin the me on Berengar.


    Currently, Linde was expanding thework throughout the entirety of Tyrol, starting with establishing a cell within Innsbruck. She knew just the person to fill the speaker''s position, someone who could be trusted and waspletely loyal to her. When she wrote the letter to her personal maid informing her of the duties she would be responsible for, the young woman took extra precaution and wrote the letter in a code that only the two would understand. Linde''s maid was actually her little half-sister, a bastard of the family, and her name was Adelheid. If anything, Adelheid was the closest thing Linde had to a friend growing up; after all, Linde''s cold, sadistic, and domineering attitude had kept many people away from her. Those who stuck around were generally guys entranced by her physical beauty, like Lambert. Unfortunately for them, they were never able to win her favor.


    Thus Linde wrote the letter honestly to Adelheid, informing her of everything she had been through in Kufstein and her change in character. The only reason she risked doing so is that she knew Adelheid would support her no matter what she did or who she became. The letter contained some deeply personal information, including that she was currently pregnant with Berengar''s child and had framed Lambert into being perceived as the father. After writing about past events, she concluded the letter asking for Adelheid''s help forming a spywork throughout Innsbruck. There was sufficient pay offered, which was obviously kept off the ledgers, but more importantly, it was a personal request from Adelheid''s big sister and best friend.


    After sending the letter with a confidant to her home in Innsbruck, Linde sat back and sighed as she drank from a ss of purified water in which Berengar had made sure to make plenty of for her consumption. After all, she could not drink alcohol during her pregnancy, and Berengar would never allow her to drink unfiltered water. Linde rubbed her belly as she thought about the child growing inside of her. Every day she prayed it was a son so that he could Inherit Berengar''s position one day. Having full confidence that he would be a King, she wanted her son to be legitimized and seed his father more than anything. Of course, if she knew that Berengar had already nned a wide degree of political reforms for the future, one of which was critical to sessionws, then she would not care so much about whether or not her first child is a boy.


    She figured that Berengar was in his room eating snacks with Ad and talking about his ns right now. She scoffed at the little girl''s sweet tooth and figured that one day it woulde back to bite her. Nevertheless, she wished it was her with Berengar right now. However, she could not very well intrude on their private time; after all, she would have plenty of it for herselfter, and though she waspeting with Ad for Berengar''s affection, she had no ns to monopolize him for herself. She had be quite epting of her role as his lover.


    In the meantime, she was trying on dresses that Berengar had made for her; they were all in the colors of his house, which she took as a sign that he truly thought of her as family. If anyone asked where she acquired them from, she would say she purchased them from Berengar. Nobody needed to know that the Baron''s son and heir showered her with gifts, everything from fine jewelry to exquisite dresses and shoes. Berengar made sure that both his girls were basking the most luxurious of clothing and essories avable.


    She looked in the mirror gauging her appearance and knew that Berengar would be delighted by her stunning beauty. She could not wait to show him how she appeared in the attire he had made for her. However, that would have to wait. For now, she passed the time mixing and matching her outfits and essories until she found the perfect looks for each of them.


    ...


    Berengar was sitting in his room eating snacks with Ad; for whatever reason, the young girl decided to feed him the treats herself. He found the idea to be a bit ridiculous, but thankfully nobody was nearby to see the embarrassing scene. As such, he closed his sapphire eyes and epted the treats his young fiancee fed him. For some reason, he could not help but feel like he had reached the pinnacle of life at this moment. Of course, a momentter, he quickly realized such a thought was absurd, and his fiery ambitions took hold of his mind once more. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the time spent with Ad. Eventually, he had to stop the girl''s actions; unlike her, he could not eat so many sweets without feeling sick to his stomach. Ad pouted after seeing him resist the treats she was trying to force-feed him, but eventually, she epted that he was too old to eat nothing but desert. Berengar, on the other hand, finally had to express his concerns about the young girl''s eating habits.


    "You know it is terrible for your health if you continue eating such arge amount of sweets as you do. You should really eat more meat and grains."


    Once more, the adolescent girl began to pout as she heard his words; the expression on her face was too cute. Berengar could not help but tease her.


    "What if I fed it to you? Would you eat some then?"


    Ad could not help but be flustered by his statement as her cheeks became as red as apples. Eventually, she nodded, and Berengar could not stop himself from chuckling.


    "Wait, right here, I will go get some of my favorite foods, and we will share them, okay?"


    It was not as if Ad did not like the myriad of recipes Berengar had introduced to the world. She preferred the deserts, which as a responsible adult, Berengar could no longer allow her to snack upon them constantly throughout the day. As such, he walked to the kitchen, where he found the chefs hard at work. Upon seeing the young lord approach, they all greeted him.


    "Milord! What brings you to the kitchen?"


    Berengar smiled at the cooks as he saw their eager expressions; he came here with a purpose in mind and soon expressed it.


    "Do you guys have any Pork Roden lying around that I can snack on?"


    A particrly young chef walked over with a te filled with the fabled dish and brought it to him.


    "I had just finished cooking this; it would be an honor for you to taste it."


    Berengar smiled, took a juicy piece from the te, and stuffed it in his mouth, a wide grin spreading across his face.


    "Excellent, it has turned out great! Do you mind if I take the whole te from you?"


    The cook shook his head with an eager smile on his face.


    "Not at all Milord, all of this belongs to you and your family!"


    Berengar quickly epted the te. The only other thing he stopped by for was a gon of beer to wash it down with. Afterward, he walked off toward his personal room after leaving behind a message.


    "You guys are doing an excellent job; keep up the good work!"


    With that, he disappeared into the hallway while the Cooks looked at him with excited expressions. They were justplimented by the man who came up with all these recipes! Clearly, they were doing their jobs correctly.


    Berengar returned to his quarters with a te full of pork rode and a gon of beer in his hands. He proceeded to sit down next to Ad as he picked up a piece with his finger and stuffed it into the little girl''s face.


    "Say ahh!"


    Ad''s face became flushed with embarrassment, but eventually, she closed her eyes and did as she was told.


    "Ahh...."


    eventually, the food entered her mouth, and she could not help but exim in excitement; it was so much tastier when being fed to her by the man she loved.


    Eventually, she devoured the whole thing, and before she knew it, Berengar said something to her, which she didn''t register because he had moved too quickly.


    "You have something on your face, silly girl."


    With that said, Berengar reached out with his index finger and wiped the excess sauce off the rode off her pretty pink lips, and stuck it into his own mouth; after licking his finger for a few moments, one word escaped his lips.


    "Tasty"


    Afterward, he began snacking on a piece himself while Ad nearly passed out from embarrassment. Berengar could not help butugh at her sheepish expression. He decided to tease her a bit more.


    "You want more?"


    Despite her awkwardness, Ad nodded her head while her face was practically the color of a tomato. As such, Berengar repeated the process with the girl, after which she asked him a question that shocked him.


    "Is that beer?"


    Berengar could not help but nod his head; he was quite proud of the beer produced by the vige and practically drank it full time. With his alcohol tolerance, he did not need water. Besides, he needed the calories since he was still trying to bulk up. He eventually asked her the question on his mind.


    "Why do you ask?"


    Ad shifted her eyes left and right before speaking her thoughts.


    "Can I have some?"


    Berengar was in a moral dilemma, though it wasmon for children to drink in this time period, as there was no drinking age. Berengar could not help but have a nagging voice in the back of his head from his 21st-century memories telling him it was illegal to supply minors with alcohol. However, his medieval mindset eventually won the debate, and he extended the gon for Ad to drink from.


    After taking arge gulp of the beer, the more the girl drank, the more her face began to be red with intoxication. She was not used to consuming alcohol, and thus rapidly became drunk. Eventually, Berengar cut her off, but by that point, her small head had begun to bob as she rested it on Berengar''s shoulder. Eventually, she looked up at him with a drunken gaze filled with desire and pressed her lips against his, which startled the young lord. Though it was another childish peck on the lips, the expression on her face led Berengar to believe that he had allowed her to drink too much. Thus he retreated from her grasp. The moment he did so, tears began to form in the adolescent girl''s eyes as she asked the question which concerned her.


    "Do you not like me?" she stated in her drunken state.


    Berengar sat next to her and hugged Ad tightly as he calmed her down.


    "It is not like that; you are just too young right now. In a few years when we are married, I promise we can spend more time together... But for now, I think you should get some sleep." As such, despite the girl''s intoxicated protests, Berengar picked Ad up into a princess carry and dragged her off to her room. After cing her in her bed, the girl quickly passed out, and Berengar could not help but think to himself as he looked upon Ad, who was sprawled out on her bed in a drunken stupor.


    "This girl is too cute..."


    With that being said, he left Ad''s room and returned to his own, where he got back to work on his ns for the Demi-Lancer equipment and tactics; before long, he heard a knock on his door, and he could already guess who it was. When he finally opened the door, he saw Linde wearing one of the many dresses he gave her; she was adorned with thevish jewelry he gifted her and wore a pair of ck leather slippers. She looked at him with a slightly flustered expression and asked him the question that had been on her mind for thest hour and a half.


    "How do I look?"


    Berengar could not help but smile as he pulled her into his arms, shut the door, and kissed her passionately. After over a minute of making out, Berengar broke away and gave her the answer she was hoping for.


    "You''re the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life!"


    Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest from thepliment her lover had given her. Berengar was honest when he said that, in the entirety of his two lives, the only woman he had ever met who came close to her natural beauty was Ad, and she was still a child. Maybe one day she could rival Linde, but for now, the young woman before him was the only woman on his mind.


    After spending an ungodly amount of time undressing Linde, Berengar finally got her onto his bed, where the two spent the night together, enjoying each other''s warm embrace. Despite being already pregnant, Berengar tried his best to give her another child that night. After a night filled with passionate lovemaking, the two finally fell asleep early in the morning. It would not be for several hours before they awoke once more and began their daily routines.

 Chapter 44: Checking in on Things

    <h4>Chapter 44: Checking in on Things</h4>


    Berengar was currently in a sparring session with Eckhard with wooden swords. It had been quite some time since Berengar had first picked up the sword and had incorporated its training into his weekly exercise routine. By now, he was starting to bepetent in swordsmanship, at least from a fundamental level. Though Berengar still vastly preferred the use of a bay, he felt it was still necessary for him to master the fundamentals of swordsmanship. You never know when you might be forced to wield a sword inbat.


    Eckhard cut down with a verticle sh towards Berengar; the young lord quickly parried the blow before swiftly counter-attacking. Ultimately, this action was dodged by Eckhard, who unleashed a flurry of blows that Berengar struggled to keep up with. After a few moments of intense sword fighting, Berengar was tripped to the ground, and Eckhard pointed his sword at the young lord''s vitals. Berengar was at a loss and yielded to his opponent.


    "Damn it... I yield once more."


    Eckhard chuckled as he stripped off his training gear and assisted Bernegar up from the ground; after the two stashed away their equipment, they headed to the kitchen, where Berengar procured a liter of beer for each of the men. As a man of refined tastes from his previous life, Berengar was extremely dissatisfied with the quality of alcohol in this world. Aside from distilling alcohol for medical practices, he had recently begun distilling spirits for regr consumption. In fact, he had recently obtained a plot ofnd from his father to make arge and dedicated brewery with the intent to mass-produce a variety of beers and spirits. The fact that his favorite beers being Doppelbock and Oktoberfest did not exist yet in this world was a damn shame. Unfortunately, it would take him at least a year to brew the first batch of Doppelbock and close to it for Oktoberfest. Thus, for now, he regrly consumed light beer, which wasmon in this world. It was hard to enjoy his favorite meals to the fullest extent without his most treasured alcoholic beverages and the missing dishes that utilized chocte or potatoes. Still, it was eptable for now; he just feared that he would have to wait many years before he could once more taste some of his most favored cuisine that was sadly absent from his meals.


    After sharing a drink, the two men walked down to the training field, where they quickly got dressed in theirbat attire and began to lead the troops forbat drills personally. Berengarmonly carried a flintlock musket, pistol, and a side sword. If he lost the use of his primary weapon for whatever reason, he wanted a backup in case he was in immediate danger. Berengar''s kit was rtively unique; he had a ck leather bandolier that held two flintlock pistols and a sword belt that contained a simple side sword. It was not the elegant sword that wouldter be his wedding gift from Ludwig and his workers. Instead, it was a rudimentary design that worked as an additional sidearm. His belt also contained the cartridge pouch which held his paper cartridges for the musket. When you took into ount his extra garish attire, he easily stood out from the other soldiers in his army, which was both good and bad. It made it easier for his troops to understand where theirmander was, but it also made him a more noticeable target to his enemies.


    Nevertheless, the young Lord stood by his troops and conducted firing practice with them. By now, the earliest troops had graduated basic training and were going through specialized training. The training field was constructed with makeshift buildings and barriers acting as a simted vige for when they were in urbanbat. The grenadiers would clear buildings by lobbing their grenades inside and waiting for the st before storming in with their muskets loaded and ready with bays affixed. Berengar did not care about civilian casualties in a warzone; he only cared about how efficiently his army could handle the task with minimal casualties on his own side. As such, the tactics he used would be deemed excessive and possibly even war crimes in his past life. However, there were no such things in this feudal era, and he was free to conduct warfare as he saw fit.


    Line tactics, anti-cavalry tactics, urban warfare tactics, siege tactics, these were all things he wanted his men well ustomed to. The peaceful days he had lived in were quicklying to an end, though Berengar had not received any recent updates on the King''s status. It would not be long before the German-speaking regions found themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict for the session of the title. It was even quite possible that the war could spread to the other regions of the Holy Roman Empire. Nevertheless, to an ambitious young man like Berengar, this war was an opportunity to seize power. When all was said and done and the war was over, the feudal powers of the German regions would be weakened, and he would have the opportunity to rise like an eagle. As such, the young lord had a cruel smile on his face as he watched his men perform the tasks he required of them with ease. Soon a new era would rise, an era of steel and shot, an era of industry.


    After a long day of arduous training, Berengar returned to the vige where he visited Gunther, who was overseeing his agricultural implementations. When he visited the man''s farm, he saw that all of his advancements had been implemented and that Gunther''s farm, in particr, was extraordinarily prosperous. With the introduction of animal-powered mechanization, the nearby farnds were incorporated under his supervision as their previous workers began to shift to the industrial workforce. So many families working one plot ofnd was no longer necessary. Though these tools had not yet been mass-produced nor had they been outfitted to all of the farms across the vige of Kufstein, the fact that Gunther and hisrge family alone were able to take care of such arge farm was a good sign of the future.


    When Gunther noticed Berengar''s approach, he immediately stood at attention and smiled as he addressed the young lord.


    "Milord, the harvest this year is sure to be bountiful! The livestock is also growing in numbers now that they can be bred year-round!"


    Berengar sped the man on the shoulder as he greeted him. It had been some time since he checked up on his progress in person.


    "It is good to see you, old friend! That is excellent news."


    Gunther smiled and epted Berengar''s greeting


    "So what can I help you with, milord?"


    Berengar smiled and began to walk around the farm, inspecting its progress in person while Gunther followed behind him.


    "Tell me, how is the implementation of the four-field system, phosphate fertilizer, and irrigation going across the Barony''s many farnds?"


    Gunther kept track of the progress throughout the town, and word eventually spread from contact with the other townships and viges within the Barony to Gunther.


    "As far as I know, your innovations are fully implemented here in the town of Kufstein. In the other regions, we have seen the four-field system and fertilizer being used. Though irrigation is on the rise, it will still be a few months before it is used across the board. Many of the unemployed farmers of the other regions are flocking to the town of Kufstein looking for work; as far as I''m aware, they fit in well with locals. Soon enough, this town may be a real city!"


    Berengar smiled upon hearing such news. Clearly, construction was undergoing, and the city development n he had petitioned his father to use was currently going underway. Before long, A new city would appear here in the heart of Kufstein. Berengar had many ns underway to reduce squalor and homelessness. Keeping the city organized was a top priority.


    "That is exactly what I wanted to hear! Now tell me, Gunther, when will we see the new machines implemented into agriculture across the town?"


    Gunther smiled and shared the good news with Berengar


    "Roughly three months milord, and the town''s agriculture will be mechanized as you put it. Maybe a yearter, the rest of the Barony will follow suit."


    Berengar was pleased with this news; hopefully, his Barony would have mechanized agriculture powered by animals by the time the war broke out. If not, at least it would be close to it. He could not be happier with the way things were headed. After speaking with Gunther for a bit about what he had been up to since Berengar''sst visit, the two parted ways for the day. Berengar still had to check up on Ludwig and the industrial sector.


    After returning to the industrial sector, it was apletely different sight from when he wasst there. He now had two steel production lines, an arms factory, an armory, an agricultural equipment factory, and a textile factory. The industrial sector was bustling with hundreds if not thousands of workers who were hard at work producing the products needed to usher in the new age. The machinery used to produce equipment was all water-powered. Wherever necessary assembly lines were in ce to make the creation process smoother. As such, it was quite the operation; Berengar figured there was no city on the with such an advanced industrial sector. The best part is that it was growing by the day.


    When Berengar approached Ludwig''s old shop, which was now his office, he saw the older man was hard at work looking at a set of blueprints Berengar had given him. The office waspletely cluttered with designs, and paperwork was strewn about. Berengar knew the pains of paperwork all too well; after all, he had his nights filled with it. As such, he could empathize with the old man who was so hard at work that he did not notice Berengar''s entry. It was not until Berengar cleared his throat that the man noticed the young lord standing in front of him.


    "Milord!?! I am sorry I did not see you there."


    Ludwig said as he rapidly rose to his feet. However, Berengar quickly signaled that he could sit down, and as such, Ludwig was only halfway out of his seat before he sat back down in his old leather chair.


    "What brings you here, milord?"


    Berengar chuckled and looked over the paperwork Ludwig was currently going over before speaking his thoughts.


    "I am just checking in on things. How are you holding up?"


    Ludwig let out a deep sigh and vented his frustrations to the young lord who he knew would take it in stride.


    "I am fine, just a little overworked is all, though I am sure you are the same way. Of course, I do not have a beautiful young lover to vent all my frustrations on at the end of every night..."


    Berengar could not help butugh at the old man''sments. It was true he released any pent-up emotions through his nightly escapades with Linde, and as such, always woke up refreshed. The same could not be said for everyone else.


    "So, how is it going with my factories?"


    Ludwig quickly smiled with a hint of pride on his face; his hard work was paying off.


    "What was the saying you used before? Everything is running like a well-oiled machine?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard that phrase, it was definitely out of ce in this medieval world. Still, he had been known to use idioms from his past life, which had caused confusion on several asions.


    "That is good to hear; I see a lot of men working here. Are they properly paid and given the necessary rest breaks?"


    Ludwig nodded with a big grin on his face as he answered Berengar''s question.


    "Of course, and they''re quite thankful for it. Many of the new arrivals are men from the other regions of the Barony, and they had expected to have been ved to death here in the factories, like many of the miners used to be before you began to impose your reforms on the realm. Despite the hard work, they are quite happy about their pay and hours, for the most part. Unfortunately, there will always be a few bastardsining about their life no matter how good they have it."


    Berengar nodded at Ludwig''s words; he spoke the truth, you could not please everyone in this world, but at least they were afforded a proper wage, working hours, and safety standards, which is more than could be said about the rest of the world at the moment. The exponential growth of his family''s wealth from all of the business he had made over the past few months has allowed him to increase the workers'' wages and set up performance bonuses. As such, a new middle ss was finally forming in the region of Kufstein. Though it was still in its early stages, the Barony of Kufstein was beginning to shift from the feudal era of nobles and peasants to an industrialized world with a multi-ss structure.


    After having a few drinks like old times with Ludwig and talking about the past, present, and future, Berengar parted ways with his friend and returned to the Castle. Everything was progressing smoothly; now, all he needed was Linde''s report from the spywork she was managing, and he could finally call it a night. The life of an ambitious man was never idle. Berengar bathed before returning to his room; before long, Linde approached as per usual, but before she could pounce into Berengar''s embrace, he stopped her and asked her the question on his mind.


    "So, how are things on your end?"


    She instantly knew what Berengar was referring to and pouted before she sat down next to him. she exhaled deeply and gave him thetest report.


    "Yourwork has prated the entirety of the Barony and the vassals beneath your father. If anything even remotely simr to a plot against you appears, I will know about it. I''ve contacted my half-sister in Innsbruck and instructed her to set up a cell in her area. Before long, we will know everything that transpires in the seat of power of Tyrol. As for Ludolf, he is close to bing a priest, and when he does so, he has orders to do as you have asked. Aside from that, your mouths are currently producing propaganda throughout the region about your exploits and inventions. They''vee up with some interesting stories about how you are blessed by the divinity of Christ with knowledge of the future and will usher in a new era of peace and stability for the German people. I don''t know who came up with that bullshit, but people are eating it up."


    After reporting to Berengar about her activities, she leaned into his chest and whispered in his ear.


    "Have I been a good girl?"


    Berengar smiled and stroked her glossy strawberry-blonde hair before pushing her down upon the bed and whispered back to her.


    "You have been a very good girl, and I think you deserve a reward."


    After which, he spent the remainder of his waking hours with his lover''s warm embrace. He wondered how long this peaceful and plentiful life could go on before the storm arrived. However, as of right now, that was not his concern. He needed to enjoy this time while itsted, one thing was certain his future would be filled with bloodshed, and that was not something he could escape now that he had embarked on the path to power.

 Chapter 45: Lamberts Birthday I

    <h4>Chapter 45: Lambert''s Birthday I</h4>


    Lambert awoke bright and early on this wonderful morning in the middle of July. Today was July 17th, 1417; in other word''s it was the teenage boy''s 16th birthday. Today he would finally be a member of adulthood in this feudal world. His wedding to Linde would be held in a fortnight, and he was not very excited for that day. Currently, his rtionship with Linde was cold, to say the least; she no longer punished him for his mistakes and barely took an interest in him as a person. She often walked right by him as if he did not even exist. On the other hand, she had be increasingly close to his elder brother and rival.


    Ever since her father left the young beauty in charge of managing his transaction with Berengar, she had sought every opportunity to spend time with his brother instead of himself. Now Lambert may be considered quite dense when ites to rtionships with the opposite sex, but even he was beginning to suspect Linde was having an affair with his elder brother. He even began to doubt the parentage of his so-called child. He had never once confronted his fiancee despite his worries as he was too fearful of the truth.


    The more he thought about such things, the more he began to convince himself it was the truth. After all, during hisst attempt on Berengar''s life, somehow the information was leaked to Berengar''s militia that the young lord was in trouble, and they marched in the dead of night to Wildsch?nau to save the bastard''s life. To this day, he still had not caught the scoundrel who was responsible for leaking such information. Nevertheless, he could not bring himself to use Linde of such actions openly; after all, that would essentially be treason against the Count of Tyrol, who was her father. Lambert could not imagine Linde would betray her family for his brother, and thus his suspicions were kept in check.


    Still, he did not keep such thoughts in his head for long; he quickly got dressed as he rose out of his bed and decided to give his fiancee an early surprise. As such, he visited her quarters at the crack of dawn. However, when he knocked on her door, there was no response, which was quite worrisome. Thus he knocked louder and louder, but no matter how hard and loud he pounded on the woman''s door, she did not respond. Lambert found that to be very strange; where could she have gone at such an hour. Truth be told, she enjoyed a very early morning bath with her lover, but Lambert had no way of knowing this. As such, he waited at her door until she responded. Eventually, he saw Linde appear wearing her nightgown from the previous night, while her hair was damp as if she had just been in the bath. Her porcin skin glistened under the light of dawn as it shone through the windows. The heavenly beauty looked at Lambert with shock as he stood outside her door, waiting for her arrival. Just how long had he been there waiting?


    Lambert was furious; where had she been at such an ungodly hour, and why was she wearing her nightgown?


    "Where the hell have you been? I''ve been standing here pounding on your door for thirty minutes!"


    Linde frowned as she noticed the tone Lambert was taking with her, and she coldly snubbed her nose at him before trying to enter her door. However, Lambert grabbed ahold of his fiancee and shoved her against the wall, his eyes filled with rage as he pressed her head firmly against the cold stone doorway.


    "I asked you a question!"


    Linde returned his furious gaze with one of her own, however after a few moments, her murderous gaze faded and she began to smile, which confused Lambert. Until he felt Berengar''s iron grip rip into his shoulder, almost as if he were going to tear out the boy''s vicle, Lambert turned his head around with a horrified expression as he saw Berengar staring at him with a freezing re. When the teenage boy looked into the eyes of his older brother he could feel the cold gaze of death staring back at him. Thus he quickly released his grasp over Linde in fear.


    Berengar was also noticeably damp; however, that was not umon at this hour as Berengar was known to wake up early and exercise heavily. He appeared to be in loose-fitting clothes he normally wore for such an asion. Berengar stilltched onto Lambert''s shoulder and even dug his fingernails deeper into Lambert''s doublet. Inflicting pain on the boy.


    "What do you think you''re doing? Is that any way to treat your fiancee?"


    Berengar''s eyes were cold and expressionless. Yet his voice was thunderous and full of fury. This noticeably enraged tone held a hint of natural authority behind it and reminded Lambert of a Tyrant sentencing a subject to death for an unforgivable crime. Berengar''s eyes showed the indifference he felt towards Lambert''s meaningless life, but his voice carried the weight of a thousand stars. At that moment, Lambert felt like kneeling and begging for forgiveness, but he quickly grabbed ahold of his resolve and talked back to Berengar; after all, one day soon, he would be Baron, and Berengar would be a corpse.


    "She''s my fiancee. I can do what I wish with her"


    however, the moment he spoke those words, Berengar struck the boy with the back of his hand; it was such a violent blow that Lambert felt that he nearly lost a tooth from the impact. Berengar''s icy gaze prated Lambert''s soul, and the tone he now used was enough to awaken everyone who dwelled within this corridor.


    "She is your fiancee, and you will treat her with respect!"


    Before Lambert could make a proper retort, he was struck again by Berengar''s hand, Lambert was outraged that he was treated in such a manner, yet he did not dare say another word at this point. Instead, Berengar looked over to Linde, his tyrannical expression softening as he did so.


    "Linde, are you okay?"


    Lambert noticed that Berengar was incredibly informal with his fiancee, which further ignited the fire within his heart. Yet, he stood there and did nothing. Linde, on the other hand, was flushed with excitement; she had never seen Berengar so angry over the way someone had treated her before. She wanted to jump into his arms at that moment but knew she could not do so for it would be inappropriate. As such, she merely nodded her head and bowed gracefully.


    "I am fine; thank you for your assistance in this matter."


    Berengar nodded and smiled at Linde before turning his attention back to Lambert, where he grabbed ahold of the boy''s hair and shoved his face into the cold stone floor. He decided to give the boy a stern warning; after all, he would not tolerate any violence towards his women.


    "If you so much asy a hand on her again, I swear to our father in heaven that I will grind you up into sausage and feed you to the pigs! Do I make myself clear?"


    Lambert tried to escape from his grasp but could not do so; Berengar had grown quite strong since he had been reincarnated into this world. Noticing Lambert''s defiance, he mmed the boy''s face into the stone floor once more and yelled at him.


    "Do I make myself clear?"


    Lambert nodded his head and hissed through his teeth in an absolute fit of rage.


    "I understand..."


    The ruckus in which this incident caused had awoken Henrietta, who, after exiting her room, witnessed her two brothers engaged in a bloody struggle and Linde standing in the corner sneering at Lambert''s fate. If the little girl did not like Linde before, she despised her now. Thus she approached the scene and tried to coax her two brothers into settling their dispute peacefully.


    "Big brothers... What''s going on?"


    Berengar did not notice Henrietta approaching until now, and after seeing the worried expression on the little loli''s face, he let go of Lambert, dragged him to his feet and patted him off.


    "Nothing much, just some friendly wrestling, right Lambert?"


    Lambert immediately noticed the deathly re Berengar was giving him and agreed to the ludicrous excuse Berengar hade up with on the spot.


    "Absolutely..."


    Though Henrietta was still worried about the overall situation, she noticed that they had decided to act civil in her presence. Thus she approached them further, immediately switching the subject from whatever had caused such a scuffle.


    "Lambert, I want pancakes for breakfast! Can we have pancakes?"


    Though Lambert was a devious prick, he still had a soft spot for his little sister, much like Berengar, and had thus elected to put this feud to rest for now. As such, he smiled and patted Henrietta on the head before agreeing to her request.


    "Sure, Henrietta, whatever you want!"


    Henrietta ran into Lambert''s arms and hugged him while staring down Linde with a look that said


    "I''m watching you!"


    Linde was unphased by the little girl''s provocation as she had seen it many times since her arrival; despite her best efforts, she had proven incapable of building a bond with either of the women of Berengar''s family. Which was unfortunate, but she would not lose any sleep over it. Truly aside from Berengar, it was the women of the von Kufstein family who had the best intuition. Eventually, Ad also left her quarters and saw what was transpiring; though she did not know what had urred, she instinctively felt it was something serious. She would make sure to ask Berengar about itter. After concluding the violent scene, the five of them walked into the dining hall, where they would await the arrival of the Baron and Baroness so that they could begin Lambert''s birthday breakfast.


    Lately, Berengar had been ordering a beer with his breakfast, however today he suspiciously ordered a 2-liter gon of milk to be brought to him. Despite his unusual behavior nobody minded it. While drinking from his morning milk Berengar could tell Lambert was ring at him with a desire for revenge. Still, there was nothing the boy could do about it at this moment. Instead, he made a civil talk with the others. The group pretended as if the awkward scene in the corridor had never transpired.


    Lambert, on the other, was almost entirely certain that Linde was cheating on him with Berengar, but there was nothing he could do about it. Count Lothar would never believe his daughter would conspire against him and would probably have Lambert severely punished for suggesting such a thing. As such, all he could do was be cautious around her in the future. The group chatted for quite some time before the Baron and Baroness arrived; they were quite shocked to see that Berengar was here before them. Usually, he was either exercising or hard at work this early in the morning. Instead, he was sitting here peacefully conversing with the others.


    The Baron and Baroness sat down at the head of the table and ordered the food to be prepared and brought for them. While they waited for the food, they congratted Lambert on his 16th Birthday;ter that night, they would hold aing of age ceremony for their second son. It was sure to be a festive asion, one in which Berengar would take advantage of to cuck his brother to the fullest degree. He had ns to bed Linde in every part of the castle today without anyone knowing, including Lambert''s bed. It was Berengar''s way of saying happy birthday to his diabolical little brother who had already made multiple attempts on his life.


    Eventually, breakfast was served, and as Henrietta had suggested, German pancakes were one of the many delicacies served. Berengar, of course dined entirely on wurst and sauerkraut. He would need a lot of protein if he were going to enjoy Linde to the extent he desired today. Thus he piled his te with nothing but wurst and sauerkraut while drinking yet another giant 2L gon of milk. Though the rest of the family was puzzled by his actions, Linde had an eery suspicion about what he was nning for the uing hours and, for the first time, was slightly excited about Lambert''s birthday.


    Ad looked at Berengar curiously, wondering why his breakfast was so weird.


    "Berengar, are you not going to have anything else?"


    Berengar shook his head and patted the girl''s silky golden blonde hair.


    "Sometimes a man has got to eat his wurst and sauerkraut."


    She did not know what to say, so she merely epted his answer and moved on. As such, Berengar spent over an hour with his family discussing the schedule for the day while they feasted on their fabulous breakfast. Of course, he nned to be absent for most of it and only show up at the end drunk out of his mind. Still, he had prepared a gift for Lambert. The present he had nned for Lambert was the mini balls he had used to kill the boy''s assassins during his hunting trip. While cleaning up the corpses, he made sure to recover the minie balls used to kill his opponents. He also added a fourth one which he had used to hunt a buck. The reason for this was simple it was a symbolic gesture, four used bullets for the four men-at-arms killed during the hunting trip. As long as Lambert thought the fourth bullet came from his assassins, it would intimidate the boy. Essentially Berengar was using violence and intimidation to pursue his political aims. In other words, this was a symbolic act of terror against his enemies.


    This was only the beginning of the day in which Lambert entered adulthood. There were many things toe as Berengar yed mind games with his brother on a day that was supposed to be filled with celebration. Instead, Lambert would only feel dread and terror as his older brother would torment him in more ways than had already urred.

 Chapter 46: Lamberts Birthday II

    <h4>Chapter 46: Lambert''s Birthday II</h4>


    After finishing the extravagant breakfast, Berengar departed from the family; they had many ns to set into ce and a luxurious feast to prepare for theing night. As such, Berengar used this time to enact his n with Linde. He had already enjoyed herpany in the bath. So he met up with Linde in secret on several asions that day in various parts of the castle, where the couple released their carnal desires together.


    While that was going on, Lambert took out his pent-up fury on a training dummy with his longsword. The 16-year-old boy could not believe that today of all days, he had been humiliated in such a manner by his brother. Though he had wanted to keep a close eye on Linde, the sly girl had absconded the moment breakfast was over, and despite his attempts, Lambert ultimately failed to track her down. The image of her perfect porcin skin dripping wet with the bathwater as her nightgown clung tightly to her heavenly curves could not escape his mind. Though it would normally be a pleasant memory to have, the scene that transpired afterward where Berengar was equally damp did nothing but create paranoia as he continued to suspect a rtionship between the two.


    The young lord wanted to get to the bottom of this, though he could not. using Linde without evidence would only create further tension between him and her father. Not to manage the harm it would cause to the fragile rtionship he currently had with his fiancee. Truthfully he did not want to know the truth if it was what he suspected. The boy wanted to tear his own heart out as he shed at the Training dummy''s neck, decapitating it with a perfectly ced strike. In his mind, he envisioned the scene of removing Berengar''s head from his shoulders, and at that moment, he felt cathartic. He swore to himself that sooner orter, he would have his vengeance on his older brother for the pain and suffering that had been inflicted on him this day. Of course, it did not even enter the boy''s mind that he had brought these things upon himself by conspiring against his brother for the inheritance.


    After a long training session, Lambert entered the bath, where he cleansed his milky white skin from the sweat and grime umted throughout the violent disy. As he gazed into his reflection within the pool of water, he could not help but feel inferior in appearance to his older brother; though he had the charm of youth on his side, he did not have the princely features with which Berengar had been blessed. Instead, despite his youth, his face and body were more robust, as he had the characteristics of a knight. Which was attractive in its own right, and many women would prefer such a look. However, his fiancee obviously preferred the regal features of Berengar, which got under the boy''s skin. He dashed the bathwater with his hand causing a ripple to obscure the reflection before getting out of the pool of water and dressing in his attire.


    After getting out of the bath, he visited the kitchen where the chefs were busy baking a massive german cheesecake for the celebration that would urter in the evening. He had no idea that Berengar and Linde were enjoying each other''s embrace in his bed at this moment. Thus he continued to walk around the castle. Lately, he had noticed that the guards inside the Castle had shifted from the usual troops adorned with brigandine and halberds to men garbed in the mboyant attire of Berengar''s militia while carrying their hand cannons. He was unaware that his father had selected Eckhard to be his next marshal, as it had not been publicly announced yet. However, unlike before when Lambertughed at the peasants in their dirty clothes and theirughable hand cannons, their current equipment in which they issued began to intimidate Lambert. The men were clearly garbed in partial te armor with a breastte, backte, gorget, and helmet, which were all made of ckened steel. These guards did not pay the slightest bit of attention to Lambert as he passed by.


    Lambert walked out upon the Castle''s ramparts and saw more of these men acting as sentries upon the Castle''s walls. They were currently in the process of aligning Berengar''s cannons onto the ramparts. These cannons were not the 12 lb field guns used by the militia, but 24 lb siege cannons developed by Berengar and recently put into production with the intent of being static defensive guns mounted on the Castle''s walls. With Eckhard being made the Marshal, even if it was notmon knowledge at the moment, the man had begun to transition the old garrison into Berengar''s training and re-outfitting them with the modern equipment. In truth, the men Lambert saw staffing the castle were the same men that always acted as the garrison; they were just equipped with thetest weapons of Berengar''s design and were being trained in their use. Of course, some of Berengar''s men had reced those who had been purged from the Castle garrison''s ranks for being loyal to Lambert, but most of the troops stationed at Castle Kufstein were the same men who had always been there.


    After traveling across the Castle observing the changes urring, Lambert could not help but feel that Berengar was winning in the war. They were fighting for the session of their father''s title. Lately, his allies were beginning to back out of his ns after the death of Marshal Friedhelm, and hostile forces now surrounded him within his own home. Things were not going well for the youth, who was now in a difficult position. Count Lothar of Tyrol kept pressuring the boy into another assassination attempt on Berengar''s life, but it was bing increasingly difficult to do so. Berengar had won the favor of the people. Thus he could no longer count on them to poison him, the castle guard who was loyal to himself had now been reced by forces loyal to Berengar, and the man had quite possibly won over his fiancee and was using her to spy on him. As long as Berengar remained in Kufstein, it would be challenging to im his life.


    Worse yet, Lambert was now aware that rumors were spreading of Berengar''s divine powers to see the future and that the inventions he had implemented were gifts from God to the people of Germany that would lead them into a new era. Many of themon folk were beginning to treat him like he was some saint. Suddenly Lambert had an epiphany if he could not get the people to turn on Berengar, and the feudal powers were no longer supporting Lambert. There was only one potential ally he could call upon, which had enough power and authority to end Berengar''s life. A devilish smile appeared across Lambert''s face as he realized that this war was far from over. If he could gain the church''s support and use Berengar of heresy, then it did not matter if he was a Baron''s son and heir; the inquisition had the power and authority to deal with any potential heretics, no matter their social status! As such, he quickly rushed to his room to draft a letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck to make usations of Heresy against his elder brother.


    By the time Lambert reached his room, Berengar and Linde had already moved onto another part of the castle to continue their day of debauchery. As such, Lambert was entirely unaware of what had recently transpired in his own bed. He quickly got to his desk and pulled out parchment, a quill, and some ink where he began to draft a letter for a plea of assistance from the Bishop. In this letter, Lambert brought up concerns about Berengar being the embodiment of the seven deadly sins and consorting with witches and demons to gain forbidden knowledge that had allowed him to "invent" these new devices that were being implemented in Kufstein; and how Berengar was spreading sphemy about his divinity. The list of concerns in which Lambert brought up was both extensive and almost entirely fictitious.


    After drafting the letter, he brought it to the local priest of the church within Kufstein. Currently, Deacon Ludolf was working alongside the priest on matters of the lesiarchy. Thus Ludolf, a high-ranking member of Berengar''s spywork and trusted ally, was present When Lambert rushed in to gain the signature of the local priest for his approval of these concerns.


    "Father, I have some concerns about my brother''s erratic behaviortely and have decided to draft a formal inquiry to the Bishop so that we may discover the truth about these matters. I would like you to read about my concerns and give your support."


    The priest smiled when he saw Lambert; the boy was considered a pious and graceful youth worthy of the title of Baron. Unfortunately, he was born the second son and thus would not inherit thends. The priest''s opinion of Berengar was not as high as Lambert''s; after all, Berengar had only shown his face in the church once in the past few months. He was beginning to believe that the young man had be an apostate. When the priest read the letter Lambert had drafted, it was as if his suspicions were confirmed. Without any evidence for the ims in which Lambert had presented, the priest signed away his endorsement on the spot. It would be good for an unfaithful wretch like Berengar to be removed from his position, especially if these concerns turned out to be legitimate. The old priest smiled at Lambert and patted the boy on the shoulder.


    "Lambert, my child, you have always been a faithful servant to the Lord, and I will dly endorse your letter to the Bishop. If what you say is true, there is a dire need for the inquisition to get involved. We can only pray that the devil and his worshippers are routed out from the halls of your ancestors and that the glory of God can be returned to thesends."


    Lambert smiled gracefully and bowed to the Priest


    "Thank you, Father; I knew I could count on your support in these troubling times!"


    Afterward, The priest saw Lambert off as he raced back to the castle to send the letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck. When he returned, he was given an odd stare by Ludolf, who could not help but voice his concerns.


    "Father, you can not possibly believe that a single thing written in that letter was the truth. It is obvious the boy is scheming to take over his brother''s position as heir to the Barony!"


    The priest frowned at Ludolf as he chastised him greatly for his words.


    "Whether it is true or not is of no concern of the Church. If Berengar were to inherit his father''s position, he would use the power in his hands to be rid of the Church''s influence. We cannot allow such ideas to take hold over the people''s minds, especially the nobility who stand to benefit from them. It is better to have a God-fearing Baron like Lambert in charge who will obey the will of the Papacy than a Godless heathen like Berengar who would challenge the authority of the Holy See."


    At that moment, Ludolf knew everything Berengar had said about the Church was true; they were corrupt beyond measure. They were willing to torture a seemingly righteous man to death over nonsensical ims simply because he posed a minor threat to their power. These words by the priest of Kufstein ultimately convinced Ludolf that the Church needed to be reformed. However, he stood there in silence, simply nodding his head at the priest''s words. For now, he would have to warn Berengar of the danger that lies ahead. Ludolf would one daye to realize that this one decision by the authorities of the Church would cause Berengar to view the Papacy as the greatest obstacle in his rise to power and would cause endless bloodshed in the struggle for secr authority.


    After Lambert returned to the Castle, he quickly sent the letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck, though it would take time to approve the inquisition''s interference in Kufstein. Lambert was certain that this action would lead his Brother to his demise. For in his mind, how could a lowly Baron''s heir defy the might of the inquisition? If Lambert knew what his brother would have in store for the church''s forces upon their arrival, he would have soiled himself in fear of the mad lengths to which Berengar was willing to enact to ensure his dominance.

 Chapter 47: Lamberts Birthday III

    <h4>Chapter 47: Lambert''s Birthday III</h4>


    After sessfully sending the letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck, Lambert had a wide smile on his face. His otherwise foul mood had taken a turn for the better as he could finally see an end in sight for his brother. He also wrote another letter informing Count Lothar of Tyrol of his ns to involve the Church in their schemes. By branding Berengar as a Heretic, they would essentially get the entirety of the Christian world to unite against him. Or so they believed, at the very least, the Inquisition would not let the young man go so easily.


    It was not until the evening that Lambert finally left his room where he returned to the Kitchen to see his family gathered around the table with a German Cheesecake produced for him. It was a rtively recent tradition that popped up in the German world, but it was not until Berengar arrived that it had spread to Kufstein. After all, the man wanted an excuse to eat cake. Since it was a tradition that was bound to spread across Europe eventually and had already taken root in some areas of the German-speaking regions, Berengar took it upon himself to introduce it to Kufstein for Lambert''s birthday. It would seem like he was generous; in reality, he just wanted an excuse to cheat on his diet and feast on the delicious cake. It was just a pity that chocte did not exist in Europe yet. Otherwise, he would have had his chefs cook up some German chocte cake, which Berengar was ustomed to having during his childhood birthdays from his previous life.


    Berengar, of course, took the liberty to add the candles himself and start that tradition a few centuries early. It was a birthday, and Berengar would be damned if he did not do it right! It truly did not matter if it was for his greatest enemy; an excuse to start a tradition is an excuse to start a tradition. The family sat around the table and lit the candles, where Berengar stared at his little brother with a gentle smile.


    "Make a wish, Lambert, then blow out the candles!"


    As such, Lambert thought to himself.


    ''Make a wish? I don''t see the point, but whatever, I wish you would drop dead!''


    Afterward, he did what Berengar had said and exhaled deeply onto the candles snuffing their mes in the process. Unfortunately for him, his wish did not be a reality. Afterward, everyone lined up to give the presents they had acquired to Lambert. From his mother Gis, he received a fine doublet manufactured in one of Berengar''s factories. From his father, he received a new steel longsword superior to the one he previously had, as it was made from high-quality, high carbon Bessemer steel. He received a childish drawing of the family from Henrietta, and from Linde, he received nothing... His fiancee had not given him a gift at all; well, technically, she had. He was just not aware of it. Her gift to Lambert was cheating on him with his older brother in his own bed.


    Finally, it was Berengar''s turn, and everyone expected him to give something oundish to Lambert; after all, Berengar was in charge of the industrial sector within the realm. Yet before Berengar gave him the box which contained his present, he said something which unnerved Lambert.


    "My present is a trophy from my hunting trip in which I went on with our father not too long ago. Open it up and see what it is, little brother; I''m sure it will amuse you..."


    When Berengar said those words, he had a devilish grin on his face which gave Lambert a bad feeling about the present within his grasp. His hands began to tremble as he slowly unwrapped the box and looked inside. In the small box were four mini ball projectiles, slightly bent out of shape and stained with blood. It was truly a curious thing. However, the words that came out of Berengar''s words spread terror to every corner of Lambert''s mind.


    "I managed to dig those out of the corpses of my kills. It''s a trophy to the sess of my hunt, and I would like to dedicate such a meaningful part of my past to you, little brother!"


    It was a weird present to give to Lambert on his birthday, and thus it confused everyone except for Lambert, Linde, and Berengar. He kept looking up between the malicious smile on Berengar''s face and down at the blood-stained bullet-like projectiles in his hands. It instantly clicked in his head what Berengar meant. Lambert had sent four assassins to deal with Berengar on the hunt, and there were four bloody pieces of lead in this box. Did that mean that Berengar had killed those men after all? That they had not run away in the first ce? How was that possible? ording to Berengar the hand cannons did not have a very effective range and a long reload speed. How did he manage to get off four shots and perfectly kill all four men? This was very clearly a threat by Berengar to Lambert, and there were only three people in the room who realized exactly what Berengar''s intent was with this gift.


    However, the more Lambert tried to rationalize it, the more he realized Berengar couldn''t kill the men with these lead balls; his brother was probably aware of the fact that Lambert had sent assassins after him and was messing with his mind. It was not as if Berengar could fire his hand cannon at the distance of a longbow; that would be absurd! Thus the sixteen-year-old boy finally calmed himself down and returned Berengar''s gesture with a gracious smile.


    "Thank you, Berengar; I will treasure it always!"


    Berengar smiled back to Lambert and nodded in approval


    "I am sure you will."


    To everyone else in the room, it would appear that the two brothers were quite friendly to one another and were on good terms. Sadly such a thing could not be further from the truth. If they knew that the two boys were fighting tooth and nail to find a way to put one another in the grave, it would surely cause a disturbance. After epting his gifts, Lambertmbert immediately dug into his cheesecake with a satisfied expression. He did not know the genius who invented such a thing, but it was truly a slice of heaven. The family mingled together as they discussed the future while snacking on the cake. Finally, Berengar mentioned something sure to antagonize his little brother.


    "So, little brother, I hear your wedding has been moved up. It should be just around the corner now that you''re an adult, should it not?"


    Gis''s expression instantly stiffened as she stared menacingly at Linde; by now, Linde was used to such nces from the Baroness and could not care less. Lambert, on the other hand, nearly choked on his cake. Berengar was clearly trying to aggravate him, especially now that Lambert had suspicions about Linde''s potential rtionship with his brother. However, this marriage was something he could not back out of now. Not unless he could prove he was not the father of Linde''s child. However, that would be not easy to do, and he did not even know where to begin to do so. Essentially it was her word against his, and her father would never believe that the girl had been impregnated by a man other than her fiance. Of course, she would never admit to such a thing, and as such, he was basically screwed. The girl he once admired as the most beautiful woman in the world was not only an enormous bitch, but quite the slut too! At least in Lambert''s eyes. From Berengar''s perspective, she was an incredibly loyal woman, she was chaste until the night they met, and the only reason things went down the path they had was that she drugged him.


    Eventually, Lambert smiled and hissed between his teeth as he could not think of an escape route.


    "Yes, I look forward to it every day. Isn''t that right, dear?"


    he said as he nced over to Linde, hoping to get a reaction from the girl. Now that they were both 16 years old, she no longer held that seniority over him.


    Linde looked over at Lambert with disgust in her eyes. However, despite her true feelings, she pretended to be kind to Lambert since it was his birthday and his family was around.


    "Of course, I wouldn''t want any other man as my husband!"


    The only person in the room who bought that line was Sieghard; even Ad could tell the young woman''s disgust towards her fiance. It was not that she was a bad actor; it is just that all of the women in the room already had some suspicion about where Linde''s affection truly lied, and Berengar obviously knew her true self better than anyone. Gis truly detested the young woman who her second son was about to marry. If she had the authority, she would have cast the girl out from her home long ago. Hopefully, when Berengar became regent, she could convince him as a mother to use his authority to move Lambert and his detestable wife into one of the estates within the town of Kufstein, which were built for the lodgings of the noblemen who visited for Berengar''s engagement ceremony. Though she suspected that Berengar was having an affair with Linde, surely the boy would end things once the girl had been married to his brother.


    Of course, in reality, Lambert would be excluded from the best parts of marriage as Linde would use her pregnancy as an excuse not to sleep with Lambert and would continue to maintain her distance from him even after marriage. After this morning''s scramble with Berengar, he truly feared his brother would feed him to the pigs if he forced himself upon the girl. The look in Berengar''s eye was inhuman and murderous with intent. He had no doubt Berengar would be so cruel to his own flesh and blood. Especially since they were already both plotting each other''s downfall.


    After a long day of festivities and celebration, the family finally returned to their rooms. As always, Berengar attempted to get some work done before going to bed. He was currently designing public schools to be built in every popted region of the Barony and the schedule in which not only the children but the adult peasants would have to go through to learn their basic education. It was an expensive investment that would take away from the massive productivity he was currently experiencing, but it would be worth it in the long run. An educated popce was a productive popce. Not to mention He would be able to use the public school system to indoctrinate the poption of Kufstein into being loyal to him and his reformist cause.


    Thus among the list of blueprints, he was creating was the printing press, so he could give everyone a copy of the bible to study in their own time, and of course, the education materials they would need to cover as a ss. The only problem he faced was finding educated individuals to teach the masses. Though he was certain that among the contacts he had made during his engagement ceremony, he could find some educated and pampered nobles to act as teachers for a few hours each day. Thus he spent the remainder of his work hours establishing a proper curriculum, designs for school buildings, the printing press, and of course, the education manuals for each student.


    By the time Linde knocked on his door, it was well past midnight; though they were both worn out from theirbined exercise throughout the day, they would still enjoy each other''sfort as they spooned together and fell to sleep in one another''s arms. After all, it had been a pretty exciting day for the couple. In theing days, Linde would begin building a case against Lambert for the man she loved. Time was of the essence and it was best to acquire these things before Berengar became regent, thus he would be able to arrest Lambert the very minute he gained the power of a Baron. However, for now, the two were exhausted from their previous ytime, and simply held onto one another''s loving embrace and fell asleep in each other''s arms. Whatever threats crossed their path in the future the couple would face it together.

 Chapter 48: Gathering Evidence I

    <h4>Chapter 48: Gathering Evidence I</h4>


    Linde sat quietly at a table, enjoying a cup of tea. Currently, she was within the local tea shop that had recently appeared in the town of Kufstein. Sitting in front of her was Ludolf, who was currently dressed in dark robes whose hood concealed his appearance. At the moment, he was informing the spymaster of the information which he had received about Lambert''s newest plot against Berengar. To any onlookers, they were merely a youngdy and young man enjoying tea together. However, the gravity of the topic in which they discussed in hushed voices was immense. Ludolf took a sip from his tea before expressing his concerns to the woman who handled Berengar''s spywork.


    "Lambert has written a letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck, which the Head Priest of Kufstein has sponsored. It contains many usationsbeled against Berengar; the most important charge is that he lies with witches and consorts with demons. When the Bishop reads this letter, he will send for the inquisition to investigate the matters. As far as the inquisition is concerned, you probably are aware that they do not care what the truth is and will try to execute Berengar as a Heretic in order to solidify the Church''s power in the region."


    Linde was shocked when she heard such news. Lambert was truly getting desperate if he tried to rope the church into his schemes. Though after thinking it through, such actions did not surprise her. After all, the boy had been cornered by Berengartely. Many of his allies were beginning to think twice about supporting him any further, and even Linde''s father, the Count of Tyrol, was beginning to think about cutting his losses. If she had not be pregnant, Count Lothar would have dropped his support for Lambert. Aftering to her senses, Linde smiled and thanked the Deacon for the important information he had provided her.


    "Thank you for bringing this to my attention; I will inform the sovereign of Lambert''s schemes. I trust he will have a sufficient answer to the problem when it rears its ugly head. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"


    Ludolf smiled at Linde as there was more good news that the man had for the woman; he took a bite out of the pfeffernusse cookie before continuing with his report.


    "There''s an ally of Lambert''s who is starting to have second thoughts. If we can get to him and convince him to switch sides, he may be able to testify about Lambert''s misdeeds."


    Linde eyed Ludolf cautiously as she thought about his words before speaking up.


    "Who is he? and how did youe by this information?"


    Ludolf chuckled as he sipped from his teacup before responding to Linde''s inquiry.


    "That foolish boy Ser Ingbert has confided with me his transgressions and has sought advice on how to proceed. After the death of Ulrich and Friedhelm, he is beginning to fear the worst. If he finds out that Lambert''s own fiancee is on Berengar''s side, then he will no longer have the confidence to support Lambert and may even turn on him entirely."


    Linde mulled over Ludolf''s suggestion as she took a sip from her ss. It was a risky n; if Ingbert learned where her allegiance truly lied, he could instead report it to Lambert or her father, which would put her in a precarious position. He would need to be silenced and quickly if he were to make such a foolish mistake. Ultimately, she concluded that the potential reward outweighed the risk involved in such a scheme and nodded in approval of Ludolf''s n.


    "Is there anything else I should know?"


    Ludolf did have one more piece of important information to inform the Listener about. As such, he smiled underneath his dark hood, which was unnoticeable by any bystanders, and spilled the details.


    "The von Thiersee family is investigating the Marshal''s death; for whatever reason, Lambert is their biggest suspect. As such, I havemunicated with the speaker of the cell in Thiersee, and he has been using his forces to lead the von Thiersee family to the conclusion that Ulrich''s treason had something to do with Friedhelm''s passing. As such, they have dispatched an Emissary to Wildsch?nau under the guise of diplomatic rtions. I have no idea what such an investigation may yield, but it is something to be wary of."


    Linde finished her tea and snacks before standing up from the table preparing to leave.


    "If that is all, then I have work to do; until we meet again, speaker."


    Ludolf nodded at Linde as she left the Tea Shop. Afterward, he snuck back to the Church, where he continued his work as a Deacon.


    Linde, on the other hand, had many ns to set into motion; with these developments, she may fully be able to obtain the evidence needed to bring charges against Lambert. However, Berengar would never do such a thing so long as his father remained in power. However, the moment the old Baron left for the battlefield leaving Berengar in control of the Barony, he would have what he needed to arrest his brother and bring an end to this feud once and for all.


    For now, the young woman embarked towards the manor of the Heltzer family, where Ser Ingbert was currently residing; she would need to convince him to switch sides if things were to progress the way she had envisioned. As such, she quickly got into a Carriage and traveled across the Barony to thend presided over by Ingbert''s father, a knight in the servitude of Sieghard by the name of Helmer.


    Hopefully, she would be able to return to Kufstein Castle by the end of the day so she could spend the night with her lover and master. She did not wish to spend the night halfway across the region in some lowly manor. Thus she wore a pouting expression as she sat in the Carriage, which traversed thend at a rtively stable pace.

 Chapter 49: Gathering Evidence II

    <h4>Chapter 49: Gathering Evidence II</h4>


    While Linde was off traveling towards the Heltzer Manor, Lord Arnulf von Thiersee was currently standing in Wildsch?nau Castle with his retinue; he had just arrived and was currently paying his respects to the new Lord of Wildsch?nau who just so happened to be a small child. It was a pity that both of these two Lords had lost their fathers so close to one another. Granted, they were under vastly different circumstances, but he could understand the pain the von Wildsch?nau family was currently going through.


    Though the Lord did not bow to the child known as Theobald von Wildsch?nau, he still acted respectfully. After all, they were two Lords of the same status, and as such, there was no need for overbearing formality.


    "Lord Theobald, I offer my condolences in the loss of your father, Ulrich. I havee to pay my respects to your family."


    Theobald was nearly 8 years old; despite this, he had been under strict tutge by his Regent and was aware of the matters urring across the realm.


    "Thank you, Lord Arnulf, that means a lot to me. I also wish to say how sorry I am that your father passed so suddenly. He was truly a staple of the realm. You are free to stay here for the time being, and I will have my servants attend to your every wish. I am happy to see that there are still men of conscience who will not forsake my family for the foolish actions of myte father."


    Arnulf smiled at the ttery. Clearly, the regent had prepared such an borate statement for such a small child as such, Arnulf decided to entertain the regent''s efforts and returned the young boy''spliments.


    "You are wise for your age, and I am happy to see that you have good counsel. I will take you up on your offer and enjoy my stay to the best of my abilities. I thank you for the hospitality you have shown me."


    After exchanging pleasantries, Arnulf was lead to his quarters, where he spent the remainder of the day acting cordially with the family. During the evening, he dined with them and found that the widow of Ulrich was still grieving heavily for her husband''s passing. She had on several asions made treasonous statements ming Berengar for the death of Ulrich and cursing his name. She hadpletely forgotten that she was in the presence of a guest and had let her true feelings about the future Barone forth.


    It was not until it waste at night that he decided to sneak out of his quarters and personally investigate thete Lord Ulrich''s personal study. As such, he quietly sneaked through the corridors of the castle. He was extra cautious about patrols that were ongoing throughout the night. On one asion, he was nearly discovered by a guard who was following his route; if it were not because the man was half asleep, Arnulf would have a difficult time exining his actions. Eventually, he found his way to the location where he desired entry without getting caught in the act.


    After picking the lock, Arnulf snuck inside with a small oilmp in his hand; it was only after the door was properly closed behind him that he lit themp to provide illumination in his search for evidence. After spending several hours searching through every scrap of paper in the office, Arnulf realized that even if Ulrich''s treason was somehow connected to his father''s death like he was led to believe. All evidence of his treacherous actions would have been seized by Sieghard''s forces when they searched for proof of his guilt.


    Or so the man thought; however, after stumbling over a fallen chalice, the man clumsily bumped into the bookcase where a bible fell to the ground. However, when the bible flopped to the ground, it revealed that its contents had been hollowed out, and hidden inside the holy book was a small ck ledger that was unmarked. After flipping through the ledger, Arnulf could not believe his eyes. The book was a secret journal kept by Ulrich with details of his shadowy dealings with Lambert and the Count of Tyrol. Every conversation Ulrich ever had with the two men about their ns to eliminate Berengar was recorded in great detail within this ledger. The reason this book existed must have been as a form of Leverage; if Ulrich were ever caught and left to hang by his sinister partners, he would use this as a means to buy his life.


    Unfortunately, the man had perished on the battlefield, and he was never able to trade such valuable information for his own security. Due to it being hidden in a bible within the bookcase, Sieghard''s men who handled the investigation never even thought to open it. The most important part of this information was that Arnulf''s father was never mentioned in the book. As a loyal son who considered his father the Marshal the personification of justice, Arnolf concluded that Lambert had assassinated his father because his father had discovered the boy''s plot tomit fratricide and usurp the Barony.


    He had to get this ledger to the Baron as quickly as possible if this information was true. However, the more he thought about it, he figured Berengar must be aware of his brother''s attempt on his life. If he handed the ledger over to Berengar to act as evidence against Lambert, Arnulf and his family would most likely be able to reap more rewards. Due to a misconception created out of ignorance of his father''s moral failings, the von Thiersee family would from this day forward be ardent supporters of Berengar and all of his actions.


    After tidying up the study to make it appear as if he were never there, Arnulf snuffed his oilmp and returned to his room, where he carefully read through the entire contents of the ledger he had found. It was truly a damning piece of evidence, one that, whenbined with the in which Berengar''swork had collected, would allow Berengar to build an irond case against Lambert. The Lord had no way of knowing that he would be aiding his father''s killer in his ns to ensure dominion over the realm.

 Chapter 50: Gathering Evidence III

    <h4>Chapter 50: Gathering Evidence III</h4>


    During the time in which Arnulf von Thiersee stayed at the Castle in Wildsch?nau, Linde had visited the humble manor of the Heltzer family. A family of Landed Knights in service to Baron Sieghard and the von Kufstein family. When Lady Linde von Habsburg knocked on the door to the manor, Ser Ingbert was surprised to see her presence. Never in a million years would he imagine that the angel of his heart would knock upon his own door. Yet here she was, appearing before him like a goddess descending from the heavens.


    The young man quickly got ahold of himself and allowed her ess to his home. He immediately prepared some wine for the young woman whom he greatly desired and inquired about her reason for visiting.


    "I must say I am shocked to see you here. Is there a reason, in particr, you havee to my humble abode?"


    Linde looked around to see if anyone else was nearby before asking her question. Her wless porcin skin glistened under the sunlight that shone through the windows.


    "Is anyone else here?"


    Ingbert shook his head as he put down the ss of wine on the table in front of the young enchantress before taking a sip of his own. However, to his dismay, she refused the drink.


    "I am sorry, I am afraid that I am not able to drink right now."


    She immediately motioned to her stomach; at first, he did not understand what she meant, but after a moment, he quickly realized the secret she was trying to tell him. His face immediately became flushed as he understood what she meant. He cursed at Lambert inwardly in his mind for being lucky enough to impregnate such a heavenly beauty. Eventually, he forced himself to put on a smile and hissed through his teeth.


    "Lambert is a lucky man..."


    Linde could not help but smile at the man''s appearance, his envy was incredibly obvious, but surely the young man before her had to know that she was in a league far above his own. After shoving the ss of wine away from herself, Linde began to twist the boy to do her bidding.


    "That''s actually why I''m here... I heard that you are thinking of backing out of Lambert''s plots. Is this true?"


    Though Ingbert did not want to admit his cowardice in front of the woman he lusted after, he had no choice. The way she stared at him sent him into a trance where he could not deny her wishes.


    "... It''s true... So has Lambert sent you here to ensure my loyalty?"


    The thought of how she came to acquire such knowledge did not even cross the dull boy''s mind in the slightest. Instead, Linde used the boy''s affection for her to win him over to Berengar''s cause.


    "Actually, it is quite the opposite."


    Ingbert stared at her with a nk expression; he could not tell in the slightest what she meant by such a thing. Before he knew it, Linde had put her acting skills to work and had begun to form a tear in her eye as she cast a line for Ingbert to bite into.


    "Lambert is an exceptionally cruel man... He has beaten me on many asions. In my despair, I ran into the arms of his brother Berengar, the very man my fiance conspires to kill. I''m in fear for my life as I have begun to suspect that Lambert knows of my rtionship with his brother and will stop at nothing to get revenge. I beg of you, please switch sides, and help Berengar obtain the evidence he needs to lock that monster away!"


    By now, the waterworks were in full effect, and they had begun to cascade down Linde''s divine heart-shaped face. The sight of which instantly enraged Ingbert. He could not ept that Lambert had abused such a kind and caring woman driving her into the arms of someone like Berengar. Though Ingbert was not particrly fond of Berengar, the fact that Lambert wouldy his hands on Linde outraged him, and Linde''s acting was more than enough to convince him to switch sides. As such, he tried to cate the crying woman before him.


    "I promise, I will do everything in my power to make it so that bastard will nevery his hands on you again. With what I know, I can act as a witness against Lambert''s treachery and ensure that he is in no position to harm you or your child!"


    Linde continued to sniffle, but after some time, the tears ended as she questioned Ingbert''s sincereity.


    "Really?"


    Ingbert nodded with a foolish grin on his face as he confirmed his allegiance.


    "Of Course!"


    After hearing that her n was a rousing sess Linde jumped into Ingbert''s arms and hugged the young man tonically as she thanked him for his aid.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much! I knew I could count on you!"


    Ingbert had no way of knowing that he was being manipted by a pretty face and the man behind her. Instead, he enjoyed the brief moment Linde wrapped her arms around him with a satisfied grin on his face. However, the moment was far too short for his liking, and she quickly escaped from his grasp. After doing such a thing, she internally felt like she needed a bath. After recovering his senses, Ingbert voiced his concerns.


    "Do you wish to stay the night? I''m certain I can find some space for you?"


    Linde shook her head and put on a solemn expression.


    "I''m afraid not; if I''m gone for too long, Lambert will begin to suspect I am up to something. I must return to the Castle quickly, or else I will have to suffer his wrath."


    Though Ingbert felt dismayed that her stay was so brief, he was happy just to assist the youngdy and would soon meet with Berengar to discuss Lambert''s downfall. Just like that, Berengar had gained another key piece of evidence in his future efforts to bring justice upon Lambert and his dastardly schemes.


    After leaving the manor, Linde got into her carriage and rode off towards Kufstein Castle; she could not wait to tell her master the good news. Hopefully, he would reward her for the efforts she had to go to. Of course, he also might punish her for hugging another man, even if it was just a friendly gesture. Berengar was quite possessive with his property; either way, she would enjoy the treatment she received from the man she loved.

 Chapter 51: Gathering Evidence IV

    <h4>Chapter 51: Gathering Evidence IV</h4>


    A few days had passed and Berengar was currently sitting at his desk in his room; surrounding him were three people, Linde his lover and ve, Ingbert, formerly a close ally of his brother, now a turncoat, and Arnulf von Thiersee, who was an important vassal to his father. All three of these people could provide the evidence in which Berengar needed to justify the cruel actions he had nned for his brother. A Tyrant could do as he pleased, but to engage in cruelty and be praised for it by his people would require evidence of wrongdoing and well-ced propaganda. He did not wish to be known as another kinyer. Instead, he wanted to be known as the man who was willing to go to great lengths to ensure that justice was acted out against wrongdoers, even if one of those wrongdoers was his own flesh and blood.


    He was currently listening to Arnulf discuss his terms for providing the ledger to Berengar with an indifferent expression on his face.


    "I desire a position on your Council when you take up your position as Regent and certain assurances that Lambert will be dealt with ordingly. I do not wish to see leniency on his behalf because he is your brother."


    Berengar tapped his finger on his desk thrice as he listened to the demands presented to him by the Lord. After sighing heavily, he began to present his counter offer.


    "I assure you that there is no love lost between my brother and me. When he is charged and found guilty, he will be given an appropriate punishment for his crimes. As for the position of Councilor, I am a man who rewards merit; if you can prove yourself to be the most suitable candidate for the position you desire, I have no problems choosing you to fulfill it. However, if someone better appears in time, know that I have no qualms removing you from that position."


    Arnulf stared into Berengar''s icy sapphire eyes and felt intimidated by the pressure he was receiving. Sure enough, Berengar was not an easy man to negotiate with. However, he honestly could not think of a valid retort to Berengar''s counter. As such, he acquiesced to his second demand and returned with a better offer.


    "Fine, but I wantpensation."


    Berengar maintained his indifferent expression as he red at Arnulf; there was no hesitation in his voice as he inquired about the details of such a thing.


    "In what form?"


    Arnulf gulped at the response; he did not explicitly state he wanted money, he merely desiredpensation, and Berengar had caught that immediately. Clearly, the young lord was very shrewd in diplomatic affairs.


    The man looked over at the suit of armor Berengar had lying in the corner of his room with envy in his eyes. Though it was only half-te, it was truly magnificent in design, and he deeply desired a set of his own. A good suit of armor was worth a fortune in this time period, and if he were to march to war alongside Sieghard, he wanted superior protection than the set he currently had.


    "Your factories produce te armor such as that in high quantities, is that correct?"


    Berengar scoffed at Arnulf''s request; he thought too much of Arnulf and assumed the man would want his armies equipped with such magnificent technology; that was a demand which Berengar would never allow toe to fruition.


    "My factories are currently busy producing the equipment necessary to arm my forces; I do not have the means of production to create enough to equip yours."


    Arnulf shook his head and stopped Berengar before he could continue with his train of thought.


    "You misunderstand my intent, My Lord. What I desire is a single set of te armor for myself. Can this be arranged?"


    Berengar was stunned when he heard this request; it was a far more reasonable offer than what he had initially estimated to be Arnulf''s thoughts. Of course, a full set of te armor was an outrageous expense, but that was because of the limited ability of this era to produce steel in high enough quantity to create such a thing. Not to mention the intensivebor required for personal fitting of the armor. However, Berengar had more steel than he knew what to do with at the moment. With the use of advanced manufacturing processes like trip hammers in his factories, thebor would be far less extensive, and as such, far less expensive to manufacture a set of full te armor.


    After careful consideration, Berengar agreed to the terms Arnulf had stated; as such, he rose from his chair and extended his hand to the Lord in front of him.


    "Then, if that is all, I believe we havee to an agreement.."


    The two men shook hands, signaling the dawn of a new alliance united against theirmon enemy. After agreeing to the terms, Arnulf handed over the ledger to Berengar for safekeeping, and Berengar promised Arnulf that he would get his set of armor within a reasonable amount of time. The style of armor in which he would craft for the man would be in that of the famous Maximillian set, which German Knights and Men-at-Arms used during the 16th century of Berengar''s previous life.


    After the two had concluded their negotiations, Berengar turned his focus to Ingbert, who was waiting patiently for his turn to speak. When Berengar motioned for Ingbert to voice his concerns, the man kneeled before him.


    "My Lord, I confess to conspiring against you alongside your brother in the past and openly ask for forgiveness. I offer you my written and verbal testimonies of the wicked deeds I have witnessed Lambert engaging in as my sincerest apologies for my actions."


    The young knight''s actions slightly amused Berengar. He never really cared for Ingbert, but somehow Linde had managed to gain his support in the fight against Lambert. After all, he had punished her severely the night before for hugging him; even if it was an act, he could not allow his ve to touch other men. Though he held no grudge against Ingbert for that scene, as such, he motioned for Ingbert to rise as Berengar gave his decree.


    "Rise Ser Ingbert. I shall spare you under the condition that you stay true to your words and aid me in bringing down my brother."


    Ingbert rose from his kneeling position with a wide smile on his face; he was not doing this for Berengar but for Linde, who desperately needed his help. Or so he thought, the reality is that aside from the one encounter with Lambert in the hallway, he had neverid a hand on her before, nor would he ever again as the boy was so clearly traumatized by Berengar''s threat.


    With these new pieces of evidence and the letter from Lambert''s previous attempt on his life, Berengar now had everything he needed to charge his brother with attempted fratricide and treason. With this evidence in his hands, he could justifiably execute his brother the moment he gained control over the seat of power in Kufstein. Now all he needed to do was wait for his father to march off to war leaving him in control of the Barony.


    Of course, first, he would have to deal with the threat of the inquisition breathing down his neck, but to him, the church and their attempts to intimidate him intopliance were merely child''s y. If the church wanted to provoke a Tyrant then he was happy to y the part. Berengar would soon show his enemies what happens when they conspire against the Tyrant of Steel!

 Chapter 52: No Father Should Have to Execute his Own Child

    <h4>Chapter 52: No Father Should Have to Execute his Own Child</h4>


    Berengar stood in a room alone with his mother, Gis. The Baronness had quite enough of Berengar''s fling with Linde and was currently confronting her eldest son about his misdeeds. She stared up at her son with a look of scorn on her regal face. He was quite a bit taller than her however, this did not prevent her from leering into his gemstone-like sapphire eyes. There was a degree of arrogance in her baby boy''s gaze which caught the mature beauty off guard as she lectured him.


    "Until now, I have put up with your little escapades with that vile woman because I thought you would grow sick of herpany, and I could use it as an excuse to be rid of the vixen once and for all. Now I can see she has dug her ws into both of you two brothers."


    Berengar could not help but chuckle at his mother''s wording; she made it appear as if he was being manipted by Linde when she was actually quite the obedient ve. Thisughter did not ease his mother''s fury as she continued to re at her own errant son.


    "What is so funny?"


    Berengar knew that his mother was furious with his behavior, but he would never allow her to get rid of his favorite toy. As such, a wicked grin spread across his lips as he sneered at his mother''s ferocious disy.


    "Linde does not have her ws dug into me, as you proim. In fact, the situation is quite the opposite. She obeys my every will and whim like an obedient little girl. It was true that she was the one to approach me, but I am the one who dominates in this rtionship. I have no ns to get rid of her anytime soon, as she has proven to be quite the excellent concubine. Plus, as I am sure you have suspected, the child within her is my own."


    He had no problems revealing this information to his mother, the woman had long since suspected this to be the truth, and he knew the woman would never betray him. Blood is thicker than water, and despite her opinion of Linde, she would not disgrace her family''s reputation by making such information public.


    However, Gis''s reaction was out of his expectation; she pped Berengar across his cheek and chastised him for his behavior.


    "Do you have any idea how scandalous your actions are! You have cuckolded your own brother and impregnated his fiancee! He would never forgive you if he were aware of this fact."


    Berengar held his cheek, which had reddened upon impact; he felt humiliated by the strike but could contain his rising anger. After all, he would never harm his own mother. After calming himself down, he exhaled deeply before revealing the truth of Lambert''s schemes to his doting mother.


    "It is a punishment well deserved for the crimes of my seemingly pious little brother..."


    Gis looked at Berengar strangely; by the tone of his voice Lambert had done something unforgivable to him, but she would never imagine that the two brothers were so estranged that they were plotting against one another''s lives.


    "What did he do to you that would require such an extreme act of vengeance?"


    Berengar took a few moments to organize his thoughts as he paced about the room, trying to figure out the best way to inform his mother of his own brother''s outright treasonous actions. After a while, he stopped in the middle of the room and stared at his mother with a somber gaze.


    "He tried to kill me... On three separate asions that I know of, two of which he came incredibly close to seeding."


    Gis was shocked by the news and faltered as she fell to her knees while holding her painful heart. Berengar saw her do so and quickly rushed over to support the woman. There were several minutes of silence between the two as the loving mother thought things through in her head. With this news, many things that were confusing in the past began to make sense. Ultimately she would not just believe Berengar''s words and finally broke the silence when she had managed to recover her resolve.


    "Can you prove this?"


    Berengar nodded his head with a serious expression on his face; his mother knew that the boy was not lying by the look in his eyes. However, she would not believe it until she saw the proof herself. As such, she demanded to see it at once.


    "Show me the evidence!"


    Thus Berengar opened the door and led his mother to his room, where he took out the ledger, the letter, and a written and signed testimony from Ser Ingbert. Berengar had gone through great lengths to hide and secure these items. As such, it took him a while before he could get them into his mother''s hands. These three items contained key authentication about all three attempts Lambert had made on Berengar''s life.


    When his mother read through all of the evidence Berengar hadpiled against his brother, she sat down upon his bed in silence for many minutes. What Berengar had said was true, and the evidence he held in his hands was enough to convict Lambert on the charges of attempted fratricide and treason. It took some time for the woman toe back to her senses before she asked Berengar the most important question on her mind.


    "Why have you not brought this to your father''s attention?"


    Berengar''s expression softened as he looked upon his mother with a great degree of pity and empathy. He could not imagine the pain and suffering she was going through, knowing that her second son had attempted to kill his elder brother not just once or twice, but three times that could be proven. As such, Berengar got down on one knee and held his mother''s trembling hand with his own while gazing into her soft, tear-filled eyes, and voiced his innermost thoughts about the dire question his loving mother had asked.


    "No father should have to execute his own child..."

 Chapter 53: Bring the Boy to me

    <h4>Chapter 53: Bring the Boy to me</h4>


    Gis immediately felt her heart shatter as she heard Berengar''s dire words. She immediately knew what the young man intended to do and was beside herself with the information. Berengar intended to endure Lambert''s attempts on his life until he came to power so that he may spare his father the guilt of sentencing his own son to death for the crimes he hadmitted. She knew Lambert was guilty of heinous crimes, but she could not bear to see him executed as amon criminal. As such, she pleaded with Berengar to spare his brother''s life.


    "Berengar... please... He''s your brother!"


    Berengar shook his head as he rejected his wounded mother''s pleas of mercy.


    "If I allow him to live, he will only make more attempts on my life. He has powerful allies, and they will continue in their efforts to put him on the seat of power in Kufstein. As long as he lives, I am not safe in this world."


    Luckily for Lambert, his mother was quite insistent and had quickly grabbed ahold of her senses and came up with an alternative option that would allow Lambert to continue living while giving up his ims to thend and thus preventing his allies from conspiring against Berengar. She stared at Berengar with a level of determination that Berengar had never seen from the woman before.


    "We will show this information your father, and he will force Lambert to take up the vows of the Teutonic Order. He will spend the rest of his life in a righteous crusade redeeming himself!"


    Berengar wanted to reject this notion, as he knew this could potentially allow Lambert to return to Kufstein with an army of hardened warriors at his back. However, when he saw the desperate look in his mother''s eyes, he could not help but give in. Afterall he still had a great degree of guilt he held from dying in his previous life without gifting his parents with any grandchildren, he could not imagine the grief they had suffered from their only child''s death. He did not want his parents in this life to suffer the same way. Eventually, he sighed heavily and hugged his mother tightly.


    "Fine, we will do it your way..."


    The light of hope returned to Gis''s eyes as she epted her son''s loving squeeze. After a few moments, Berengar let go of his doting mother and picked up the evidence. He would not wait any longer, now that he had changed his ns, the quicker Lambert was expelled from the family, the safer he was. As such, he gathered his witnesses, including Linde. Though It took a few hours for Arnulf and Ingbert to arrive at the Castle in Kufstein; as such, Berengar spent the time with his mother, trying to ease her anxiety.


    After the men had arrived, he marched into his father''s study with his witnesses and evidence in hand and mmed them down upon the Baron''s table, who was busy going over various reports. The old Baron looked up at his son with a confused expression and asked.


    "What is this?"


    Berengar did not beat around the bush; he quickly and efficiently exined his case against Lambert while his father looked over the materials.


    "Over the past few months, I have beenpiling evidence against Lambert and his treasonous activities. On three separate asions, he had made attempts on my life, two of which nearly seeded. He has been aided by the Count of Tyrol and other nobles within this domain. Ingbert was once one of his allies and can bear witness to such deeds. Linde, the eldest daughter of Count Lothar, can also bear witness to her father''s schemes with Lambert to eliminate me, establish Lambert as the future Baron, and concede our family''s vast resources to the Count of Tyrol! As for the death of thete Marshal, Arnulf here has suspicions that his father found out about Lambert''s misdeeds and was permanently silenced by him and his allies!"


    Sieghard was in shock when he saw such information, but the evidence did not lie; eventually after processing this information for several minutes Sieghard came to the conclusion that Lambert was guilty, even his own fiancee had turned against him and her father. The only problem is that he could not understand why. As such, he had to rify with the young woman why she would betray her own family for Berengar''s sake. The old Baron red at Linde furiously as he suspected her of scheming against him and his family; there was arge possibility that this was all the n of Lothar, or so he thought until he asked her for the reasons behind her actions and heard her reply.


    "What do you stand to gain from betraying your father and fiancee?"


    The young woman instantly blushed as Berengar''s father cornered her; she gazed at Berengar for confirmation that she was allowed to speak before exhaling deeply and revealing the contents of her heart.


    "I gain the security of my lover and the father of my child. Your son and heir Berengar..."


    Sieghard seemed to be the only one shocked by this news, as everyone else within the room was already aware of her rtionship with Berengar and the true nature of her child''s parentage. This instantly made the old Baron furious as he began to yell at Linde with all his fury.


    "You slept with both of my sons!?!"


    Linde quickly defended herself as she shook her head and exined her situation.


    "No! I have only ever been with Berengar; the night of his engagement ceremony, he instructed me to frame Lambert as the father to avoid suspicions; I was already pregnant at that point! I merely doused some goat blood on Lambert''s bedding andid down next to him. When he awoke from his drunken stupor I told him that we had slept together, but nothing urred between the two of us. I swear on my life!"


    Sieghard felt himself getting a headache as he heard all of this information; his two sons were scheming against one another behind his back all of this time. One had attempted to murder his older brother and usurp the inheritance, and the other had cuckolded his younger brother and impregnated his fiancee. At least, as far as Sieghard was concerned, Berengar''s actions were far more forgivable considering what the boy had suffered at the hands of Lambert. Eventually, he looked at his loving wife for an exnation on how to deal with this awkward situation that had been forced upon him.


    "What do I do with all of this information?"


    Gis spoke to her husband with a grave tone as shemanded him on how to deal with their errant children.


    "Order Lambert to relinquish his ims to thisnd and to take up the vows of the Teutonic Order where he may redeem himself in the eyes of men and God through righteous crusade! As for Berengar''s actions... conceal it!"


    After much deliberation, Sieghard sighed deeply as he gave his decree


    "Bring the boy to me..."

 Chapter 54: You are no Son of Mine!

    <h4>Chapter 54: You are no Son of Mine!</h4>


    Lambert was in his room while reading a letter from the Bishop of Innsbruck about his request for the inquisition''s interference, which the Vatican epted. Within two weeks, the Inquisition would arrive and help him deal a devastating blow to his ursed elder brother. A wicked smile appeared across the boy''s face as he read the letter. He had finally obtained the victory he desired, or so he thought. Just as he was about to light the evidence in his hands ame with a candle, the door to his bedroom burst open, and the castle''s guards pointed their muskets in the direction of in which he sat with their bay''s affixed.


    Immediately Lambert reacted by trying to finish the job of destroying the evidence, he had no idea why they had barged into his room, but clearly, he was in deep trouble and could not afford for such damning information to existing. When the guards saw his action of potentially destroying evidence, they quickly apprehended the boy before he could seed. Thus obtaining the letter as further evidence of his crimes and the depth of the conspiracy against the von Kufstein family.


    Lambert struggled out of the grasp of the burly soldiers, but it was no use; there were too many of them pinning him down and cing chains around his limbs. As such, he cursed them as his face grew red with fury.


    "What are you bastards doing? Have you forgotten the family in which you serve? I will have your heads for this!"


    Instead, he was roughly dragged up to his feet and was ced before the captain of the guard, who backhanded Lambert violently for his vile tongue.


    "The Baron has ordered us to carry out your arrest under the suspicion of assassination, attempted fratricide, and treason against the realm!"


    Lambert''s heart sank into an endless abyss as he heard those words. He realized at that moment Berengar had been one step ahead of him; for his father to order the boy''s arrest, Berengar must have presented substantial evidence, though he had no idea how that scoundrel had managed to acquire it.


    Lambert merelyshed out verbally at the guards when he was viciously escorted to the Great Hall, where Sieghard, Berengar, and the others were waiting for his arrival.


    "You fucking bastards! When Ie to power, I will have you and your families brutally tortured to death for such treasonous activity!"


    The boy could not ept such an oue had urred to him while he was merely two weeks away from the arrival of the Inquisition and their investigation into Berengar''s heresy. He was so close to winning this war, but instead, he was brought down on the edge of victory. Lambert nearly had a heart attack when he witnessed not only Ser Ingbert but Arnulf and his fiancee Linde standing by Berengar''s side acting as his witnesses. He could not believe that so many of his allies had turned against him, especially that bitch Linde. She truly was having carnal rtions with his brother behind his back! However, he put on a facade and acted as if he was ignorant of the charges he was facing.


    After the guards forced him to kneel in front of his father, the Baron, who stared at him with a look of disgust, the boy desperately attempted to exin his way out of the precarious situation he found himself in.


    "Father, what is the meaning of this?"


    Sieghard red at his second son; the boy was still putting on an act even after all of the evidence that had been umted. The captain of the guard approached Sieghard and handed him the letter they had confiscated from Lambert.


    "My Lord, your son Lambert was in the middle of attempting to destroy evidence of his crimes. If you read the letter, it very clearly states yet another attempt on Berengar''s life by falsifying crimes of Heresy and sphemy and requesting the inquisition''s interference."


    Lambert was immediately frightened when he realized that the guards had caught him red-handed and began to swell up in tears as his father screamed at him with a degree of rage the boy had never witnessed before.


    "You would bring the might of the inquisition down upon my house? My son? Your brother!?! For what? Because you desire my position, which is your brother''s by birthright!?! Do you have any remorse for your deeds whatsoever!?!"


    By now Lambert was putting on a convincing disy of crocodile tears which he choked back as he tried to plead with his father about his innocence.


    "I am being framed! It is Berengar who is the wicked one! He stole my fiancee and now plots to have me removed so he can keep her to himself."


    Sieghard nearly snorted at the boy''s response. Could the boy seriously note up with a better excuse than that? On the other hand, Ad was present to witness the scene and was shocked by the whole development. She had no idea the two brothers'' schemes were this ruthless, and the usation of Berengar stealing Linde was particrly worrisome for her. Linde who noticed the young girl''s presence denied this usation.


    Though she desperately wanted to shove her affair with Berengar in Lambert''s face, the family had already decided to conceal the truth, and thus she could not reveal it in public. Either way, Lambert would be removed from this day forth, and she would no longer have to marry the little ggard. Instead, she denied the usations with a convincing disy as she too conjured tears to make it appear as if she was heartbroken by her fiance''s words.


    "You bastard! I gave you my chastity, and you use me of having an affair with your brother! What kind of woman do you think I am!"


    When Ad heard those words, she sighed in relief; surely Berengar would not do such a horrible thing. Lambert, on the other hand, was on th edge of having an aneurysm from the degree of fury in which had built up inside of him. He struggled desperately in his chains to break free of the guard''s grasp and attack the woman. However, the moment he lunged at her he was brought down by the guardsman and pinned to the ground in front of the woman he once thought he loved. Staring at her with a murderous gaze he spat out a curse upon her.


    "You fucking whore! You not only have an affair with my brother, but you also turn me into my family, and you still have the gall to deny it? I hope there is a special ce in hell for you and your bastard child!"


    Suddenly a loud noise echoed throughout the hall; it was the sound of Sieghard furiously pounding his fist on the armrest of his seat of power before dering his verdict.


    "Enough! Lambert, after seeing the evidence for myself, I Baron Sieghard von Kufstein find you guilty of all charges and convict you of assassination, attempted fratricide, and treason. I hereby disown you from my family and order you to take the vows of the Teutonic Order. Perhaps you can redeem yourself in the eyes of God by spending the rest of your life in a righteous crusade! Guards, have this wicked child taken away to the Teutonic State!"


    With that decree, the guards grabbed ahold of Lambert and dragged him away, kicking and screaming. Thest words spoken by the boy before he was forced out of the great hall were a plea for mercy.


    "Father! Please don''t do this!"


    Unfortunately for the boy Sieghard was too disgusted with his actions and replied mercilessly to this request.


    "You are no son of mine!"

 Chapter 55: A Solemn Vow

    <h4>Chapter 55: A Solemn Vow</h4>


    After The Castle guards had dragged awaymbert, he was ced in a prison wagon and shortly thereafter hauled off to the Teutonic Order, where he would spend the rest of his days redeeming himself in the eyes of the Lord and men. The boy hadmitted heinous deeds and was not only forced to join the Teutonic Order but was thoroughly disowned. This result was mercy considering the ns Berengar had for the treacherous scoundrel. Yet to Lambert, it was a cruel punishment he felt he was undeserving of. As he sat in the back of the wagon looking through the iron bars which caged him. He made a solemn vow to himself and the Lord.


    "I swear to God that one day I will rise through the ranks of the Teutonic Order and one day return to thisnd with an army at my back! I will not rest until those who have betrayed me have paid the price with their blood!"


    Those were thest words Lambert spoke within the confines of his family''snds, shortly after the Carriage faded into the distance and continued on its journey to the Teutonic State in the East.


    As for the family, they dealt with the aftermath in different ways. Henrietta grieved for the loss of her brother and refused to leave her room for weeks on end. She spent her time crying under her covers and managed to survive by having her servants look after her. She could not ept that Lambert hadmitted such crimes and med Linde for her brother''s fate.


    Gis spent this time mostly in the church praying for the Lord''s forgiveness of her son''s misdeeds. To deal with her grief, she had turned to religion, as so many do in times of desperation. The loving mother had always doted on her two sons and could not understand why things had turned out the way they had.


    In his suffering, Sieghard had turned to the bottle as a way tofort himself for the mistakes he made as a father; with the rise of distilled spiritsing from Berengar''s distillery, it was far easier to spend the day drinking your sorrows away. He truly med himself for the way things had turned out. As such, he left the governance of the Barony almost entirely in Berengar''s hands; after all, the boy was a far more capable leader than he could ever be. Though he had not abdicated his position, at this point, the aging man was Baron in name only.


    On the other hand, Linde wrote about the news to her father, informing him that Berengar had won the war of intrigue and there was no longer a point to conspire against him. She came clean to her father about her illicit rtionship with the man he had plotted against and demanded that she stay in Kufstein to act as his mistress. After all, what kind of man would want to marry her now that she was pregnant with someone else''s child? The Count was furious, but there was nothing he could do at this point; ultimately, Linde convinced her father to agree to these terms by ying to his greed. If she maintained her affair with Berengar, then the profitable rtionship between the two houses could continue as it always had, and potentially increase.


    Though Berengar would never forgive his enemies for plotting against him, now was not the time for vengeance. As such, he consolidated his forces and the newfound security he found himself in. He spent the following days improving his militia, implementing agricultural technology, and always expanding his businesses, which had begun to be extremely profitable. With Count Lothar and his allies no longer conspiring against Berengar, he was able to open up the trade of excess materials and products to the men who were once his enemies. Regardless of whether or not their troops were equipped with fine steel armor and weapons, it did not matter to Berengar as such equipment was useless against the power of the musket.


    Besides, theycked the means of production and the knowledge to mass-produce te armor; as such, at most, his enemy''s forces would be mass equipped with brigandine and mail. While effective against swords, arrows, bolts, andnces, it would be useless against a musket ball at a proper distance. Berengar''s greatest advantage was the technological advancement of his forces which increased by the day. He estimated that within a year, he would have the ability to rebore all of his troop''s muskets so that they were rifled and thus far more effective. By then, he would have the capacity to engage the enemy at roughly 300 yards, potentially more considering the barrels on his muskets were 6 inches longer than the Springfield 1861 Rifled Musket in which he had derived the estimated effective range from.


    Ad had be suspicious of Berengar''s potential rtionship with Linde, but she had not investigated it. Instead, she spent her remaining days peacefully with Berengar, trusting that he was not a womanizer like she thought he might be. Soon she would have to return to her family''snds. After all, she did not have an excuse to stay here for so long after the engagement ceremony, and her father was pressuring for her to return. Unlike Linde, who had her father wrapped around her finger, Ad held no authority in that regard, and once she returned, it would be quite some time before she could see the man she loved again.


    Currently, Berengar sat next to Ad in his father''s study, which he had imed to be his own during these past few days, and where he spent most of his waking hours. The girl was apanying him once more while chatting about the future while snacking on cookies and milk.


    "It''s hard to believe it will be 4 years before we are married... Will you visit me for my birthday?"


    Berengar, who was neck-deep in paperwork, overlooked her question and merely nodded as he grunted the phrase, "Uhuh," which instantly got on the little Girl''s nerves. She was acting so adorable and discussing their future as a couple, and all he could think of was paperwork? Thus she decided to test him to see if he was really listening.


    "Now that Lambert is gone, Linde has no father for her child. Would you be willing to take that role?"


    Berengar continued writing and merely replied as if he were on autopilot,pletely unaware of what he had just been asked.


    "Sure, why not?"


    At this point, Ad began to pout. Clearly, Berengar was not paying attention to what she was saying; either that or he was serious about her question, which only provoked her further. As such, the adolescent girl flicked his ear, which managed to gain the young man''s attention.


    "Ad, what the hell?"


    When Berengar noticed the look on his face, he realized he had been caught and felt it was better to apologize for ignoring her than to continue to act like he was listening.


    "I am sorry, truly I am, but I am currently swamped with paperwork. What was it you were saying?"


    Ad merely snorted and walked out of the office while throwing a temper tantrum.


    "Forget it! Clearly, you''re too busy to listen to what I have to say!"


    Berengar felt embarrassed as she strutted out of his room but had too much work to do. As such, he got back to his paperwork. Hopefully, he could finish it by dinner time. At this point, his greatest concern was the arrival of the Inquisition, who would be within Kufstein in a matter of days. If he could not settle things peacefully with the Chruch''s emissaries, there was only one solution.... War!

 Chapter 56: An Entertaining Lecture

    <h4>Chapter 56: An Entertaining Lecture</h4>


    Berengar was currently in a makeshift ssroom temporarily located in the local tavern of the town square. He was currently writing the alphabet down on a ckboard he had created with a piece of chalk. As he went over the sound every letter made and how to read and write them, he gazed upon his ss ofborers who had gathered to begin the process of basic education.


    With the 40 hour workweek in session, there was a healthy amount of spare time for many of theborers of his factories; because of this, Berengar had offered free drinks and meals to whoever was willing toe and learn from him and his staff for a couple of hours each day after work. It had caught on pretty quickly as people could drink light beer, enjoy a nice meal, and educate themselves with brief breaks for socializing in between. Workers, supervisors, and foremen all gathered in the town square as if it were a festive asion.


    Berengar had always found that an entertaining approach to education was far easier to learn from than a boring monotone instructor who sucked all the life out of the information. As such, he made games of learning and gave small prizes like an extra drink or dish to whoever could win his contests. It seemed to be working as themon people were quickly catching on to elementary-levelnguage, mathematics, and science. This was a temporary solution; of course, he intended to build genuine halls of education, and one day even universities. For now, while those things were being constructed and organized, Berengar, Linde, and Ad were teaching themon poption rudimentary knowledge in their spare time. No matter how busy they were, Ad would teach the children from 10 am - 12 pm, Linde would teach the women from 12 pm - 3 pm, and Berengar would teach the Men from 5 pm - 7 pm.


    Berengar was still on the quest to find educated people who had the ability to teach others, but that was a difficult task considering the educated poption was primarily from either the nobility, or the priesthood, neither of which were exactly fond of the idea of teachingmoners how to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. Let alone learn the concept of Science in which Berengar had begun teaching, which was basically outright heresy in the eyes of the Church.


    Berengar was currently teaching a basic sentence on the ckboard and see which of the men in his ss could read it. He scribbled down the German characters for the phrase "A fair day''s wage for a fair day''s work" This was one of the many concepts he was trying to instill in the working man and nobility alike. He truly believed people should be paid the worth of theirbor. After writing down the sentence, he looked upon the crowd and gave them another contest.


    "Whoever can raise their hand first and read the sentence correctly will get another pint!"


    The men all quickly got to work looking over their alphabet sheets and deciphering the sentence. Eventually, a thin young man covered in soot from the furnaces raised his hand before anyone else, and once called upon, answered the question correctly.


    Berengar called out to one of the women working in the tavern


    "Bar wench, get this man a pint of beer!"


    soon enough, an attractive young girl came over and poured the man a pint of beer in which he was happy to ept and quickly drank from the mug. Afterward, Berengar asked a question to the ss to see if they understood what the phrase meant.


    "Now, this sentence is fairly important to every one of you. I believe that a man should be paid an appropriate amount to the worth hisbor."


    Beregar began to stride around the tavern, picked up a liter of beer, and began to drink from it as he continued his lecture of economic philosophy during a rudimentarynguage lesson.


    "As men under my employment, you are afforded payment for yourbor. I also believe that the harder a man works, and the better results he gets, the more he should be paid."


    After saying so, he pointed at a man in the crowd and asked him a question in front of everyone.


    "You, sir, what is your name, and many hours a week do you work if you don''t mind me asking?"


    The man looked around before noticing he was called upon and answered respectfully to Berengar.


    "I am known as Reingard, and I work fifty hours a week milord!"


    Berengar then quickly pointed to another man and asked him the same question.


    "And you? What is your name, and how many hours do you work a week?"


    The man cleared his throat before speaking in an embarrassed tone


    " I am Bruno, and I work Forty, milord..."


    Berengar noticed the anxious expression on the man''s face and smiled gently as heforted the man for his choices.


    "There is nothing wrong with working forty hours a week. In fact, it gives you plenty of time to spend with your family or following your passions. Both are important factors to the quality of a man''s work, and society as a whole."


    After saying this, the man began to smile confidently, even after Berengar said the next piece of his impassioned speech.


    "However, because Reingard works ten hours a week more than you do, he is paid more than you and is more likely to be considered for a raise or a promotion in the future. We all make choices in life; we all have our own priorities. It is up to you to choose the course that would make you most happy."


    Each man in the room carefully contemted Berengar''s words of wisdom as if they were a creed to live by. Ultimately Berngar concluded his lecture with a bit of humor.


    "If you do manage to find the perfect bnce in life, please let me know how you managed it, as I am dreadfullycking in bncing my affairs at the moment..."


    With this being said, the slightly inebriated crowd of workers began tough at Berengar''s self-deprecating sense of humor. They could not imagine a man such as Berengarcking a bnced life; the young man perfectly scheduled every moment of his time and was teaching them because of this. After the workingmen made a few good-natured jabs, Berengar began to chuckle and ended his ss for the day.


    "Alright guys, get out of here and go back to your families, we all need to be up for work tomorrow morning, and missing sleep is detrimental to your health."


    After saying this, every man in the ss came up to thank Berengar for the free lecture, booze, and feed. After a while, they all managed to return home, and Berengar had done the same. He still had much work to do on this night before he could get to sleep. His humorous statement was not a joke; now that he held near-absolute authority in the Barony, he was swamped with work and could barely manage the time to check in on his family, who was currently grieving over Lambert''s crime and sentence. Though the boy had lived, he would never return as a member of their family. Berengar did not have time to worry about such things. Tomorrow the Inquisition would arrive, and he would have to entertain the emissaries of the church. Hopefully, he could resolve this issue peacefully now that Lambert had been dealt with.

 Chapter 57: You will tell him that, yes?

    <h4>Chapter 57: You will tell him that, yes?</h4>


    Berengar sat upon his father''s seat of power as he tapped his armies thrice with his left hand and drank from a chalice of wine in his right. Standing before him was a group of priests garbed in scarlet robes with a golden cross hanging around their neck. These were the men of the inquisition, a group of zealous and sadistic priests who rooted out, tortured, and executed heretics. The number of innocent people they had put to death was immeasurable as they truly did not care about whether or not someone was guilty of the so-called crime of heresy, merely the thrill that came with torturing another human being.


    The men refused to bow to Berengar was currently acting as the Regent of Kufstein and was essentially Baron in all aspects but name. Instead, they stood before Berengar, who took a sip from his golden chalice as he listened to the inquisition as they introduced themselves. Their leader was a short fat man with an obviously balding set of gray hair and a matching mustache. If the sex crimes of the Catholic Church from Berengar''s previous life were to exist in this timeline, then just by first nce, one could assume this man was engaged in such activity. Luckily for Berengar neither Henrietta nor Ad were present, or else he would not be able to contain his wrath at the stubby fat priest''s lecherous gaze. Thinking of such a possibility, Berengar instinctively sneered in disgust at the man as he introduced himself to Berengar in a way thatcked the proper respect afforded to a man of his position. The man spoke with a heavy Spanish ent, immediately telling he was not a German speaker by birth.


    "I am Father Alphonse, and these two are my associates Fathers Antonio and Gilles. We havee at the behest of the local priest and one Lambert von Kufstein to investigate ims of Heresy. I was told that the Baron of Kufstein was a middle-aged man. Who might you be?"


    Berengar could not help but curse to himself inwardly


    ''Fucking Christ, a Spaniard, a Southern-Italian, and Frenchman, of course, there would not be a German in their little tribunal. It seems I won''t be able to y the fellow countryman card.''


    After having such thoughts, Berengar took a sip from his ss as he proimed his authority in front of the unwanted priests who had barged into his home.


    "I am Berengar von Kufstein, son of Sieghard von Kufstein, and acting regent of the Barony of Kufstein while my father has secluded himself in penance. All authority to deal with this matter has been invested in me by my father Baron Sieghard von Kufstein in ordance to thews of Men."


    Berengar made sure to emphasize thatst part, as he was making it abundantly clear to the Inquisition that they had no authority here in his domain. Father Alphonse immediately frowned when he heard this news; this was the worst possible oue. If what Berengar said was true, investigating the ims, and finding the young lord guilty may prove to be difficult. Nevertheless, Father Alphonse proceeded with his task.


    "Tell me where is Lambert von Kufstein? I wish to discuss with him the concerns which he brought to our attention."


    Berengar red at the inquisition leader with a smug expression as he boldly dered Lambert''s fate.


    "Lambert has been convicted of assassination, attempted fratricide, and treason against the Barony of Kufstein. He has been disowned, stripped of his name and titles, and sent to the Teutonic Order where he will spend the rest of his days redeeming himself in the eyes of the Lord."


    The fat and balding priest was stunned by this news. It had only been a matter of weeks since they had be aware of the situation, yet the man in which the Bishop of Innsbruck insisted on backing to maintain the Church''s power in Kufstein was already removed from the equation? How did this happen?


    Father Alphonse now understood why Berengar was calmly sitting on his thrown sneering at him with disgust and disdain; with his key witness convicted and disgraced as a traitor and murderer, his chances of ousting this young man from power was slim. Unless he could find something in a legitimate investigation to prove he was a heretic. Now that was the Church''s only hope. Either that or they could just frame Berengar for the crimes he was used of. As such, the man put on a smile and began tomand Berengar as if he were a mere servant.


    "Before his departure, Lambert had made several bold usations of Heresy within the region; as such, I will require your full cooperation in my investigation."


    The fat priest began to smile wickedly as he waited for Berengar''s answer; all they needed to do was nt some evidence in their investigation and get the local church and its parish to side with them. The inquisition would have enough justification to convict Berengar of Heresy and remove him from power. Whoever took over this minor Barony after his death was not of the Church''s concern so long as they abided by the whims of the Vatican. However, the response Berengar gave Father Alphonse waspletely out of his expectation. Berengar took a sip from his Chalice and ced it down on his armrest before shifting in his seat of power so that he was peering down at the priests below him with a gaze of intimidation.


    "Under whose authority do you dare to investigate such usations in my realm?"


    All three of the priests were shocked as they stared at Berengar with contempt. Father Alphonse could no longer hold back his tongue; he had never witnessed such an impudent young Lord before; as such, he began to flex his backing to Berengar, attempting to intimidate him into allowing his improper investigation.


    "Under the authority of the Holy Father himself!"


    As such, the Priest pulled out arge scroll signed by the Pope; in it were the orders to investigate and purge Kufstein of any heretical thoughts and their believers. However, Berengar was unphased by these remarks and merely continued to gaze down upon the men with domineering and overbearing pressure.


    "Thest time I checked, thesends were ruled over with absolute authority by the Baron of Kufstein, my father who in his absence has appointed me Regent in his stead, to act with all the Authority of the Baron himself. As far as I''m concerned, neither the Pope nor the Vatican has any judicial authority in my family''snds, and you would best return from whence you came before I deem your stay no longer wee."


    The words he spoke were chilling to the bone, and the other two members of the inquisition began to tremble in Berengar''s presence. Only now the priests of the inquisition noticed the ranks of men equipped in half-te armor and armed with what appeared to be a weird mixture of a hand cannon and spear staring at them with indifferent gazes. Berengar had called the most loyal and elite of his men here, the grenadiers, especially for this meeting. Men who had already fought and killed for Berengar at the Battle of Mining Town. Men who would willinglyy down their lives for their Lord and Commander who had brought them and their families up from servitude and into the well-paying jobs of industry.


    Outraged by the outright sphemy in which Berengar spoke, or at least as far as he was concerned, Father Alphonso no longer acted politely to Berengar and tantly threatened him.


    "sphemy! I am warning you, if you do not submit to our Investigation, then we will deem you guilty by default, and we will return with a holy order to raise thisnd of heathens to the ground!"


    This threat against not only Berengar but thend and people under his dominion was thest straw. He was no longer willing to politely negotiate instead he stood up from his chair and stared down at the priests below as he gave hismand to Eckhard, who was currently leading the unit of grenadiers which acted as Berengar''s personal guard at this moment.


    "Vice Commander Eckhard, arrest these men for conspiracy to usurp the Barony of Kufstein."


    There was no hesitation in Eckhard''s voice as he motioned for his men to follow the Regent''s orders.


    "Yes, My Lord, I will do as youmand."


    Quickly, the grenadiers surrounded the Priests and lowered their Bays to aim at the Inquisitors'' chests.


    Father Gilles began to protest immediately as the bays were mere inches away from piercing his heart.


    "I am an emissary of the Holy Father; you cannot do this!"


    Berengar began to step down the stone steps in front of his throne and approach the three men in front of him.


    "Father Alphonse, Father Gilles, by the power invested in me as Regent of Kufstein, afforded to me by my father, Baron Sieghard von Kufstein. I hereby convict you of espionage, sabotage, and usurpation. Henceforth you shall be sentenced to death by firing squad. Men! Take these would-be usurpers out into the courtyard, line them against a wall and shoot them!


    Immediately his troops responded in unison without a hint of disobedience in their collective voices


    "Yes, My Lord!"


    Afterward, the priests of the inquisition were dragged out of the great hall and brought into the courtyard, where the men lined up into a proper firing squad. Berengar dragged Father Antonio over to the window to watch from above as hisrades were executed. The terrified priest begged Berengar to rethink his actions and spare the Inquisitors'' lives.


    "Lord Berengar, if you do this, you will be emunicated and branded a Heretic. The church will consider you an enemy for eternity!"


    Berengar merely looked over at Father Antonio with a look of indifference and raised his hand, signaling the troops to fire their shots. The thunder of gunfire and the smell of smoke filled the air as the priests'' bodies were shredded apart by a dozen musket balls, their blood sttering the stone walls of the Castle Courtyard like a painting of death.


    Antonio looked in horror as his brothers were gunned down by the mighty hand cannons; he was only awoken from his shock when the Iron grip of Berengar grabbed ahold of his shoulder, the young and princely man stared into the eyes of the priest with the ice-cold gaze of a born-killer and responded to his earlier words.


    "When you return to the Vatican inform the Holy Father, that he may have the power to Emunicate me and to brand me a Heretic, but ultimately when I finally perish from this world it is under the Judgement of God, not the Pope that will determine whether or not I enter the Kingdom of Heaven... You will tell him that, yes?"


    Antonio began to tremble in fear as if he had been touched by the cold hands of death and stared into the eyes of the grim reaper himself. After struggling to find his voice, he eventually said nothing and merely nodded at Berengar''s "request."


    From this day forth, Berengar had made a powerful enemy, one who would never forgive him for his actions here on this day. The divide would only grow further as Berengar refused to bend the knee to a corrupt, and bloated church, and the Supreme Pontiff who presided over it.

 Chapter 58: A Stern Warning

    <h4>Chapter 58: A Stern Warning</h4>


    With the death of the inquisition, a gloomy atmosphere had fallen over the Castle of Kufstein. His family was not immediately aware of the fact that Berengar had just pped the Church in its face and denied its authority in his family''snds. Ad was the first to find out about such a thing; having heard the gunshots from outside, she rushed to the Great Hall, where she checked to see if Berengar was uninjured. When she arrived she witnessed the scene of Berengar grasping onto Father Antonio''s shoulder and staring at the priest with a cold and murderous gaze. Ad was unustomed with the ruthless expression on Berengar''s face, for she had never before witnessed his wrath. This was not the gentle smile and loving eyes he showed to his loved ones. Rather it was the callous gaze of a vengeful tyrant who took pleasure in punishing his enemies. She had never seen such a side of Berengar before and as a deeply devout Catholic, Ad was concerned that Berengar had done something unforgivable.


    However, she never would have guessed that Berengar had executed two priests in his courtyard. When she looked out the window to see what had transpired, she was horrified by the bloody mess that remained from the scene of the Inquisitor''s execution. She could not contain her terror and shrieked as she gazed upon the merciless disy of Berengar''s authority. When Berengar heard the screams of his fiancee, he looked over to her in shock; and wondered why was Ad there at this particr moment. This was not something he intended for the young girl to witness. In her dismay, Ad quickly ran over to Berengar and Father Antonio and inquired why such a horrific scene urred.


    "Berengar, what have you done!?!"


    Berengar was well aware of Ad''s extremely religious nature and had never actually talked to her about his views on the subject. After all, he was afraid she would react poorly to his thoughts about the Church. However, he could not lie his way out of this one; he had just executed two emissaries of the Vatican in his own courtyard. As such, he put on a stern expression and scolded the little girl for recklessly making assumptions.


    "The church conspired against me and aided my brother in his attempts to usurp my birthright. These men came here as part of my brother''s final ploy to have me convicted as a heretic and executed. They even threatened to raze my family''snds to the ground when I refused to recognize the legitimacy of their so-called investigation. As such, I had them executed. Isn''t that right, father Antonio?"


    Berengar gave the Inquisitor an oppressive gaze implying that if the Priest did not admit to his crimes, Berengar would have him suffer the same fate as the shredded corpses in the courtyard below. The truth was despite being an excellent torturer, Antonio was a cowardly man who deeply feared death. As such, the inquisitor quickly crumbled and admitted to Ad the crimes of the Church.


    "What Berengar says is correct... Lambert, while sponsored by your Local priest, petitioned the Bishop of Innsbruck to request an investigation from the Inquisition into usations about Berengar''s heretical views. We knew the charges were false but were afraid that Berengar would not follow the will of the Church. Thus, we nned to frame and convict him anyway. Which we would have done if he had allowed us to investigate the charges against him."


    Ad was shocked to hear this news; all her life, she looked up to the Church as a beacon of hope and viewed them as the arbiters of truth. Yet these men had conspired against Berengar to install a puppet onto the seat of power in Kufstein. It was as if the image she had in her mind about a wless church came crumbling down around her as she listened to the wicked priest confess to the crimes he hadmitted. She could tell the man was speaking the truth, even if it was under duress.


    Berengar noticed the stunned expression on the girl''s face and could tell that she was in the middle of an existential crisis, and as such, he walked over to his little fiancee and hugged her while patting her head and whispered his utopian propaganda into her fine ears.


    "My sweet Ad, I know you are faithful, and I respect that, but men rule the Church, and no man is above corruption. As long as you have faith in Christ and follow his teachings, you will be a good Christian woman."


    Father Antonio could not help but mutter the word "sphemy!" under his breath. However, the moment he did so, Berengar stared fiercely at him, and the man instantly shut his trap. After hearing Berengar''s words, Ad wanted to know more of his view of Christianity; however, she realized that he was currently dreadfully busy and decided to contemte his words while praying to the Lord about which path to follow. After thinking it over for a few moments, she looked up at Berengar with her shining sapphire eyes and thanked him for hisfort.


    "Thank you, Berengar; I do not know what I would do without you..."


    Afterward, the girl released herself from his embrace and returned to her room. She had many things to think about and prepare for. She knew Berengar''s actions would invoke the ire of the Church, and as such, she wanted to protect him to the best of her abilities. Thus she began to write a letter to her father, who was currently in his castle in Graz and inform him about the recent events within Kufstein. She would remind him to honor the terms of their alliance with the von Kufstein family if such actions were needed.


    Berengar remained with Father Antonio and continued to exude his authority while in the priest''s presence.


    "If I see you or any other members of your wicked order entering the confines of my family''snds, I will have you and your ilk shot on sight! Is that understood?"


    Father Antonio had nearly soiled himself in fear at this point. He had witnessed the power of the muskets as their volley fire mangled the bodies of his fellow members of the Inquisition. He had no intentions of ever returning to this godlessnd and would make sure to warn the other members of his order to avoid Kufstein at all costs. With his departure, Berengar had seized absolute authority over this Baronyprised of roughly 20,000 people and now reigned supreme.

 Chapter 59: Render unto Caesar

    <h4>Chapter 59: Render unto Caesar</h4>


    After Father Antionio''s departure, word quickly spread around Kufstein of the Church''s actions and plots to usurp the Barony and install a puppet on the seat of power. Mostly thanks to Berengar''s intricate spywork. Gis, who had turned to God during her recent crisis, immediately confronted Berengar about his rash actions. She could not believe that he would so cruelly execute ordained priests of the church. As such, she scolded her eldest son as if he were a small child caught with his hands in the cookie jar.


    "How could you do such a thing? Do you not fear the wrath of God?"


    Berengar merelyughed at herments with a smug grin on his face.


    "If God truly cared about what mankind does on this great Earth, he would not allow his so-called Church to be ruled by murderers, rapists, and thieves."


    The way Berengar spoke about God was indeed sphemous from the eyes of a God-fearing woman like herself. Gis could not believe Berengar viewed the church in such a manner. She further emphasized the seriousness of the situation to her eldest son.


    "You will be emunicated for this, maybe even damned as a Heretic!"


    Berengar looked at his mother with a look of pity as he began making her question her beliefs like the serpent he was.


    "Mother... have you ever actually read the Bible?"


    Gis looked at her son like he was an idiot before proiming


    "Of course not; it is up to the Clergy to decipher God''s word! You should know this Berengar!"


    Berengar merely shook his head as he pulled arge leatherbound book out of his desk, and ced it on the table. It was an urately tranted Bible in the Germannguage. He pushed the bible in the direction of his mother, encouraging her to take a look for herself.


    "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar''s, and unto God the things that are God''s. Matthew 22:21"


    Gis looked at Berengar with a confused expression, but his meaning could not be clearer; he flipped to the page which contained the verse he had quoted, showing his mother the full context. Afterward, he pointed at himself and exined the verse with an indifferent expression on his immacte face.


    "I am the Caesar of thisnd, ording to the words of Christ I hold all authority in this earthly domain we call the Barony of Kufstein. The Church should focus their efforts on spirituality and leave the politics of this world, to the men of this world."


    Gis could hardly believe her ears as she heard Berengar quote scripture and use it in a way to legitimize his ideas of the separation of Church and State. Berengar''s views were extremely contradictory to themon belief of the Catholic Church, which maintained arge degree of political control over the European Kingdoms. Nevertheless, the words he spoke were true, and Gis had no response to them. Seeing that his mother was conflicted, Berengar stood up from his desk and approached his mother, and wrapped his arms around her, showing her the same degree offort he showed Ad not too long ago.


    "Mother, I know you''re worried about me and my safety. I also know you are deeply concerned about my soul after what happened with Lambert. However, I promise you all I am doing is in the best interests of our family and the people of Kufstein."


    Gis epted her son''s loving embrace, and as she looked into his warm expression, her worries about him following the path of Satan began to vanish. He was still the gentle and kind boy she had doted on all of these years. Though his actions may seem extreme, he did them with the safety and security of his family and the people in his mind.


    Berengar knew that his mother was shaken up by Lambert''s true nature and was suspecting him to be equally as despicable deep down inside, and as such, he had to y the part of the loving son. Unlike Lambert, Berengar deeply cared for his family in both his past life and his current one. He spared Lambert because he could not imagine the suffering his family would go through if he had executed the little scoundrel. If Lambert had never conspired against Berengar, then he never would have stolen his fiancee and forced him out of the family.


    However, what Gis did not know is that Berengar truly did have a wicked and ruthless nature. However, he reserved it entirely for his enemies, and at this point, the Catholic Church had be his enemy. By conspiring against him, Berengar viewed them as a threat to his existence and would not rest until their stranglehold over the German people and thends they inhabited was fully liberated. He was willing to do great evil to achieve these goals.


    If one could describe Berengar''s personality, it was practically split in two. He was loving, kind, gentle, and caring for his loved ones. Yet, he was brutal, ruthless, sadistic, and cruel to his enemies. The reason why the people who loved him were so worried about his recent actions was that it was entirely out of the character he had always shown them. However, after hearing Berengar''s exnation, Gis chose to believe in his actions and supported him in his endeavors.


    After all, the rest of the family was currently still processing their grief about Lambert''s removal. Both Henrietta and Sieghard had shut themselves in their rooms, hiding from the world atrge. Right now, the only person Gis could speak to about her feelings was her son and her priest. Though now that she knew the Priest had conspired against her son, she would not be going to church any time soon. Instead, the mature beauty grabbed ahold of the Bible Berengar had given her and decided to spend some time educating herself about the word of God from the source directly. Gis thanked Berengar for understanding her position andforting her before leaving the room.


    "Thank you, Berengar; you have always been and will always be my beloved son."


    With those words said, she departed the room and returned to her quarters to look after her husband, who was currently intoxicated and depressed. Berengar, on the other hand, stayed in his quarters and continued to fulfill his obligations as Regent. It would be a matter of hours before he could have a break and continue to educate themon folk of Kufstein.

 Chapter 60: Combating Misinformation

    <h4>Chapter 60: Combating Misinformation</h4>


    After consulting with his mother about his previous Actions, Berengar arrived at Ludwig''s workshop. Where He greeted his old friend with a quick hug; both men had been swamped with work recently and could immediately feel each other''s growing exhaustion.


    "Ludwig, my old friend, tell me you have some good news?"


    Ludwig chuckled lightly as he heard Berengar''s remarks; he indeed did have good news.


    "Well, My Lord, you picked the most opportune time to pick a fight with the Church! After all the Printing Press machines you invented have long since been implemented and are currently working at full capacity. You just have to say the word, and we will change their production output to help you fight the misinformation the Church is bound to present about you!"


    Berengar pped Ludwig on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.


    "Ludwig, you are a genius!"


    The old man smiled at thepliment and brought Berengar into the factory, which had been constructed explicitly for paper manufacture and printing materials. Water-powered Paper mills were set throughout therge factory. Once processed, they were ced on the printing presses to make the various reading materials Berengar introduced for public education. However, right now, he had a dire need to spread the word of the Church''s sins, and as such, he needed a lot of pamphlets.


    Berengar currently stood in front of all the workers who had gathered before him. By now, they were well aware of the ploys against him by the church, and as such, he did not need to exin the whole situation. Berengar took out a prototype pamphlet he had designed and sent it to the foreman of the factory.


    "I need these made in the thousands so that we can ship them across the German-speaking regions, it is my hope that every literate man may read of the Church''s misdeeds. Can this be done?"


    The foreman of the press was a middle-aged man with short gray hair and a mustache. He was dressed in the new renaissance style peasant attire Berengar had introduced to his poption through his textile factories. His hair was also slicked back with pomade much like Berengars, and his mustache was properly waxed with the material. The man had an ecstatic expression on his face; he was always excited to help the Regent of Kufstein; after all, without the young man''s innovations, he would still be breaking his back tending to a farm somewhere while gaining nothing but the scraps. Now, this man was part of the growing middle-ss and was quite wealthy among themon poption. He owed his sess in life to Berengar and would never forgive the bastards in the church for trying to frame him. As such, he quickly nodded his head and gave Berengar a satisfactory answer.


    "Of course, My Lord, I promise you, by the time the Church hears about what you have done to those damned inquisitors, all of Tyrol and most of Austria will be aware of those bastard''s misdeeds!"


    Berengar smiled and shook the man''s hand with excitement; it was good to have capable people working for him. If this man pulled this off, he might actually have to give the whole factory a raise. However, he made sure to give the man and his crew a fair warning before doing so.


    "Overtime ispletely voluntary; I do not want you guys working so much that you neglect your family and your health. Just know That I will be offering properpensation if you choose to work extra hours! If not, that is entirely up to you, and I respect your choices."


    To Berengar, the people under his rule were part of the people he showed his more gentle side to. These were men, women, and children under his protection as sovereign, and he would not mistreat them if he could avoid it. He genuinely cared for the happiness and well-being of his people, as he too had once been amoner in his previous life. With that said, he bade farewell to the factory workers and returned to his family''s Castles, where Linde quickly greeted him; by the look on her face, she had good news, and as such, Berengar dragged her to his study.


    He sat down on his desk and offered his pregnant lover a seat before asking her about the reason for her excited appearance.


    "Do you want to tell me why you are smiling from ear to ear?"


    Linde was smiling fervently and could not wait to inform the father of her child of the good news she had.


    "I have sessfully established another cell in Innsbruck and Trient! soon enough, the entire Counties of Tyrol and Trient will be under our surveince!"


    Berengar was delighted by the news and rushed out from his desk and kissed the heavenly beauty passionately after hearing the information she provided. It was too early in the day for the couple to fool around, but he could not help himself from doing so after he heard the good news. Eventually, he managed to contain his growing lust and instead sat next to his lover. He wanted to know more about the details of her operations.


    Linde carefully exined how she had contacted trustworthy people and informed them that she wanted to form a spywork, though she did not exin who it was that she was working for when regarding her contact in Trient. Over time, the cells were fully established and were operating independently as per usual. As of right now, Berengar''s ability to disseminate propaganda had greatly expanded beyond his own borders. Pretty soon, themoners of other regions would see him as an ideal candidate for leadership. By the time he began to make his move for his political aspirations, few among themon poption would believe the Church''s lies.


    After spending some quality time with Linde, Berengar dismissed her before returning to the vige. Where he oversaw another day of instruction of basic education for themoners in his realm. He began to wish for the day he did not have to instruct these people himself. Hopefully, he could find somepetent teachers soon.

 Chapter 61: Papal Response

    <h4>Chapter 61: Papal Response</h4>


    The Supreme Pontiff was an elderly man in his early sixties who was of Italian descent. Currently, the man sat upon the Throne as he listened to grave news regarding the arrest and execution of a duo of the Church''s Inquisitors within the Barony of Kufstein. In his hand was a letter written by Berengar; During the time it took for Father Antonio to return to the Vatican to make his report, Berengar had used his printing press to distribute flyers in the Germannguage using the Church of attempting to usurp his family''snds. By now, these propaganda pamphlets had spread throughout all of Tyrol and parts of Bavaria and the other Austrian counties.


    Pope Simeon II rubbed his temples intensely, trying desperately to decrease his growing headache. He had no idea how the young regent had managed to write so many of these pesky things and distributed them so quickly. The Pope exhaled heavily before voicing his thoughts aloud.


    "This boy is certainly bold. I will give him that... You said he had a message for me?"


    Father Antonio was kneeling before the pope. Beside him were several Cardinals who acted as the Holy Father''s advisors. Father Antonio quickly responded to the Pope and began to inform him of Berengar''s message word for word. After the frightening disy of authority Berengar had used to intimidate the priest, father Antonio had engrained the young Regent''s words into the very depths of his mind.


    "Lord Berengar told me that When you return to the Vatican inform the Holy Father, that he may have the power to Emunicate me and to brand me a Heretic, but ultimately when I finally perish from this world it is under the Judgement of God, not the Pope that will determine whether or not I enter the Kingdom of Heaven."


    The Pope''s expression stiffened as he heard these words; Berengar was clearly challenging his authority as the personal representative of God on Earth. The young Lord''s words were essentially daring the Holy Father to act in such a manner and prove how worthless such a punishment was.


    A nearby Cardinal had a furious expression on his face as he could no longer hold back the anger burning in his heart.


    "sphemy! You all heard what Father Antonio said; the boy does not recognize the Authority of the Church! He must be brought to heel, and quickly before such sphemous ideas spread to the rest of the German nobility! God wills it!"


    Half of the Cardinals in the room immediately responded in the same manner


    "God wills it!"


    However, another Cardinal quickly countered the impassioned outcry of the man who called for Berengar''s demise.


    "How do you suppose we do that? He has already stated he does not care if he is emunicated and branded a heretic! All of the Holy orders are currently fighting wars at the moment. The Teutonic Order is fighting in the East against the Rus; the Hospitallers are in North Africa waging Holy War against the Saracens to reim Alexandria for Christendom! The Spanish orders are all waging Reconquista! Even if we could spare the men, how would that look to the other German noblemen? Many of them would certainly rally behind Berengar. If we march into Kufstein now, we will only be justifying his behavior, which is exactly what the boy wants!"


    Quickly the Cardinals began to bicker among themselves like a bunch of children as every one of them spat out a different idea on how to handle the scenario. It had been a long time since any Lord in Europe, especially one with a lowly position like Berengar, had pped the church in the face in such a manner. It was an outright rejection of their power and authority over Christendom and a total humiliation to the Inquisition. Under normal circumstances, the Church would call for a Crusade to wipe out the heresy within Kufstein. However, since all of the surviving Holy Orders were currently expanding Christian influence elsewhere, they could not afford to send an army into the Alps at the moment.


    Eventually, the Holy Father had enough of the infighting among his Cardinals and dered his solution to the issue.


    "Enough! We will emunicate Berengar, brand him a Heretic, and deny his usations against us. Then we will paint the picture that he is a vile, wicked, and sinful man who engages in debauchery on a daily basis. As for invading Kufstein, we will leave that option on the table in case he misbehaves again in the future. Do you really believe the people will obey the rule of a man who the Church hasbeled as a disciple of Satan?"


    The room fell quiet with this deration, those who were thirsty for the Blood of Berengar, and the people of Kufstein quietly calmed themselves and epted the Pope''s words asw. If the boy wanted to be a Tyrant, they would show him that he cannot rule so easily without the support of themon people. Unfortunately for them, they were making a huge mistake, as the local Church in Kufstein was gued with corruption, and like most Churches, embezzled arge portion of the money they received from tithes.


    Under Berengar''s reforms, he had brought a great degree of prosperity to themon people within his domain. Combine this with the fact that the people in his territory were bing literate and reading the Bible independently; there was a growing sense of distrust with the Catholic Church within the Barony of Kufstein. It would not be long before these views spread across Tyrol and, by extension, Austria. After all, Berengar''s spyworks were growing by the day. His views of the Church and its role in society were quite popr among many nobility who were dissatisfied with the Church''s interference with their secr rule over their dynastds.


    As such, by emunicating Berengar, dering him a Heretic, and attempting to sabotage his reputation, the Vatican had unwittingly taken the first step to the Reformation of the Church within the German Speaking regions and the removal of Papal Authority. When Berengar heard the Church''s response to his actions, he was reported to have a wicked grin on his face as if everything was going ording to n.

 Chapter 62: A not so Civil Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 62: A not so Civil Discussion</h4>


    Currently, Linde stood face to face with Ad, the day would soone for Ad to return home, and she was currently in a heated debate with her rival. The little girl had for quite some time had suspicions about Linde and Berengar and their illicit rtionship. However, she had been in denial up until this point. Currently, the two conflicted with the fact that Ad would be returning to her homnd, while Linde would remain in Kufstein, which acted as a thorn in Ad''s side. Constantly reminding her of the possibility that Berengar would sleep with the teenage temptress if she left the two of them alone.


    Lambert''s usations at the scene of his conviction also left asting impression on her. He seemed to be certain that Berengar was the father of Linde''s child, and such Ad had grown quite vicious in the little scuffle between the two girls. Berengar, of course, was not present for the conflict. Otherwise, he would have acted as a mediator and gotten the two of them to calm down. However, since she could not do so, Ad began to raise her voice at Linde in her frustration.


    "What right do you have to stay in Kufstein now that your fiance is gone!?!"


    Linde sneered devilishly at Ad, she knew the little girl was jealous of her, and she was not afraid to shove it in Ad''s adorable little face as she deflected the question.


    "Oh, my Ad, are you perhaps jealous?"


    The very idea that Ad would be jealous, while urate, infuriated her, and she quicklytched onto the bait; she was not an experienced debater, as could be seen by the ease of falling prey to Linde''s trap.


    "Jealous? That''s preposterous. Why would I be envious of you!"


    Linde leaned in close to Ad, showing off her mighty bosom in an act of superiority as she taunted the girl further.


    "Obviously, you are jealous of the fact that I get to stay here by Berengar''s side while you have to go back to Graz. Don''t worry; I will take good care of your fiance while you are away..."


    The strawberry blonde-haired vixen purposely emphasized thest part in great detail as she whispered in Ad''s little ear in an attempt to infuriate her further. Though Linde had epted her role as the lover and that she would never be Berengar''s bride, she still found teasing her master''s little fiancee to be delectable. Of course, if Berengar were here to witness such a scene, he would punish Linde for her actions.


    Ad''s face grew red like a strawberry as she envisioned all kinds of naughty things between Linde and Berengar and immediately felt embarrassed. She began to stammer as she found it difficult to form a sentence in her disrupted state.


    Y... You... You harlot! How dare you!?!"


    Linde''s face was no longer grinning with satisfaction but had turned furious as she gazed at Ad with the intent to p the little bitch. Being referred to as such a term greatly offended Linde and her pride as Berengar''s lover; after all, she had only ever been with one man. Nevertheless, she refrained from backhanding Berengar''s fiancee as she knew he would be genuinely displeased with her actions if she did so. Thus she forced herself to calm down and refute Ad''s harsh words.


    "Oh little Ad, you are quite wrong about that; I have only ever shared my body with one man. I am quite the opposite of what you im..."


    Due to the cryptic nature of Linde''s refutation, Ad could not help but blurt out the question digging at the very essence of her soul.


    "Oh yeah, and who might that be!?!"


    Linde was waiting for this response and ended the argument with another vague answer that was sure to antagonize Ad further; this was her way of punishing the little girl for daring to call her such a wicked term.


    "I''ll leave that up t your imagination."


    With that said, Linde walked away from Ad with a sinister smile on her face; she knew she had won this argument. Of course, Ad was fuming with fury as she watched Linde leave her behind. However, she quickly realized that she had never been able to get the answer from Linde about why she was allowed to stay in Kufstein. She could not help but curse herself after Linde had disappeared.


    "That bitch!"


    On the other hand, Linde had pressing matters to attend to and proceeded to her quarters, where she began tomunicate with her subordinates in the spywork she had helped establish, informing them of boosting propaganda efforts across German-speaking regions. Sooner orter tales of Berengar''s benevolence to his people and the crimes he suffered at the hands of his little brother with the backing of the church would spread by word of mouth through Tyrol and Trient, from there travelers and merchants would spread the stories across the entirety of Greater Germany. These stories of Berengar''s treatment of themon people within his realm would make the Barony of Kufstein, amon destination for refugees when the war finally broke out. Even Linde had no idea how effective these stories would be as they were passed around inns and taverns across thend.


    On the other hand, Ad was ruing the forting day when she would have to return to Graz and was currently spending more time with Berengar; at the moment, she wasining about Linde and wanted an official answer from Berengar on why she was allowed to stay.


    "Berengar, why is Linde allowed to stay now that Lambert is gone and disowned? She''s no longer engaged and has no further ties to this Land!"


    Berengar saw the pouting face of Ad and could not help but pinch her cheeks as he reprimanded her for approaching Linde about such a question.


    "I know you''re jealous, but don''t worry, she has a valid reason to be here. Her father was a backer in my brother''s plots and does not trust I will continue to conduct business in good faith now that his involvement has been revealed. Thus he has decided to leave her here in Kufstein to oversee our trade. Besides, it''s not like she can get married anymore now that she''s pregnant. The least I can do is take care of my ba... brother''s bastard considering that he is no longer around to raise it."


    Berengar almost had a Freudian slip at that moment, and it did not go unnoticed by Ad, who frowned deeply as she heard Berengar proim that he was going to be raising Linde''s child. She cursed that she was still too young to get married; otherwise, it would be her who was pregnant with Berengar''s child at the moment. Such thoughts immediately caused her face to flush red with embarrassment. She quickly stormed out of Berengar''s room in an attempt to hide her shameful thoughts, leaving Berengar staring at the doorway, thinking to himself.


    ''What did I do to upset her now...?''


    The minds of the fairer sex were truly unfathomable to men...

 Chapter 63: Joining the Teutonic Order

    <h4>Chapter 63: Joining the Teutonic Order</h4>


    Currently, Lambert was still within the confines of the prison carriage constructed for his transport to the Teutonic Order. They had traveled for several weeks with a Caravan to Malbork Castle within the Pomerelia region to maintain the transported prisoner''s safety and integrity. Lambert sat in his cage with a nket over his shoulders. The only thing keeping him alive throughout his journey was the idea that he would return home one day and exact vengeance upon his family for what they had done to him.


    The State of the Teutonic Order oftentimes referred to as the Teutonic State, was currently embroiled in a series of wars against the eastern European poptions. Whether they were pagans or eastern orthodox, the fanatical crusaders of the Teutonic order did not care and used whatever excuses they could to justify their wars of conquest. Pomerelia, however, was far closer to the borders of Germany and was merely used as a training ground for recruits. To foster them into the Order and their way of life over time.


    As a Militant Order of the Catholic Church, the Teutonic Knight required all full brothers to take monastic vows. They would be celibate and father no children, nor could they ever marry. If they were noblemen, they would give up all ims to their family''snds. This was a genius act by Gis to spare Lambert''s life while making him no longer a threat to Berengar''s position.


    On the other hand, Lambert saw this as a chance to rise in the ranks of the Teutonic Order and gain enough power to enact vengeance upon the family that had abandoned him. Especially that whore Linde, he would never forgive her for her misdeeds. After all the time and energy he had spent courting her, she threw it all away for his despicable brother. He was utterly disgusted with himself for being such a fool as to think he could be with a girl like Linde and putting up with her degrading acts because of it.


    Not long after having these thoughts, Castle Malbork came into sight, and the sentries of the Teutonic Order rode out to meet with the approaching Caravan. A knight in full te armor, with a white tabard and ck cross emzoned on it, stopped before the carriage and gave hismands.


    "By orders of the Grandmaster, all outsiders are forbidden from traveling beyond this point! State your business or be on your way!"


    The Caravan Guard was not the least bit threatened by the knight and calmly stated his reasons for being in the area.


    "By decree of Sieghard von Kufstein, the Baron of Kufstein. This young man Lambert has been convicted of the crimes of assassination, treason, and attempted fratricide and hereby sentenced to join the Teutonic Order where he may redeem himself in the eyes of God in righteous crusade!"


    Though the Knight''s face could not be seen beneath the visor of his great basc, his exasperated expression could be heard in his voice as he sighed deeply.


    "Another one? Alright... We will escort the Prisoner from henceforth."


    The truth was Crusading was not nearly as popr as it was in the previous centuries; after the French conspired against the Temrs for their wealth and burned them all at the stake as heretics, many people had no desire to suffer a simr fate. Nowadays, the ranks of the Teutonic Order were filled with either convicted criminals, refugees, orphans, or disillusioned noble youth. Despite the sess of the Crusades to the Holy Land within this timeline, the Northern Crusades were not exactly popr in the eyes of the people of Christendom. In many countries, one might even say they were unpopr, especially now that the heathens of the Baltic had mostly been conquered and were in the process of being Germanized, which was a polite way of saying that they were being wiped out entirely and reced by ethnic Germans.


    Regarding the other so-called Holy Crusades, Reconquista was a matter of Iberian pride; as such, the Militant Orders of the region swelled with the ranks of zealous young men who wished to drive the moors from theirnds. However, unless one were particrly hateful of Muslims, they would not venture from another region to join the fight to reim Iberia.


    The ongoing Crusades in North Africa, if you could even call them such a thing, were mostly handled by the might of the Byzantine Empire''s vast army, who wished to reim lost territory in Egypt and Lybia. Despite being Orthodox, the Byzantines and the Orthodox Church were far more cordial in this timeline with Europe and the Vatican. As such, they had gained the support of the Hospitaller order in the efforts to reim North Africa for Christendom. This was far more popr than the Northern Crusades among Catholics and Orthodox alike, as they were reiming lostnd instead of venturing into backwaters and forcefully converting the natives.


    Upon hearing the Knight''s orders, the Caravan guards quickly got down from their Carriages and released the lock on the gates which confined Lambert. Where he was swiftly dragged out of his cell and handed over to the Knights of the Teutonic Order, who carried him off to the Castle of Malbork, this would be thest time the boy saw the Banners of House von Kufstein for some time. He would forever engrave them in his memory as he desired to see them burning along with his homnd.


    After arriving in the Castle, Lambert was led to the recruit''s quarters, where he acquired the attire of an initiate and had his head shaved. For the next few months, his life would be a grueling hell as he toiled and ved away to prove himself worthy of the title of Brother. Luckily for him, he was already apetent swordsman and would quickly make a name for himself among the initiates and the order members alike. After having a simple meal for the evening, he returned to his quarters, where he began to drift into a dee slumber; the thoughts of vengeance were the only thing that would allow him to survive this ordeal.

 Chapter 64: Supplying the Militia

    <h4>Chapter 64: Supplying the Militia</h4>


    Berengar was currently standing in one of his many Nitraries, formed to produce Saltpeter frommon manure. It was the primary ingredient in the creation of gunpowder and was very rare in Europe as a naturally urring substance. However, with the knowledge he gained from his previous life, which was far more advanced than this world, he knew of a way to create it from manure, ash, nt greens, and of course, cow urine. Though this was an extensive process, and as such, he had been relying on the tradeworks throughout to import the material for the use in his militia''s weapons.


    However, after nearly four months of producing the material, his first batch of homegrown saltpeter was about toe to fruition. Since he initially constructed his industrial district, he had set aside an area to produce potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter. These facilities were called nitraries. With an ever-increasing demand for gunpowder, he had expanded his nitraries throughout the industrial sector and even into dedicated plots ofnd outside the burgeoning town.


    Though the process was simple; it took a lot of time toplete; essentially, one would create a waterproof mixture of manure, green nt matter, and ash. From there, they would make sure it was covered in a stable environment with limited sunlight and pour the cow urine on the mixture once a week for three to four months. Eventually, yellow crystals would form, be skimmed out of the mixture, and then ced into a bucket with holes in the bottom with a paper filter. The remainder of the bucket would be filled 3/4s of the way with the leftover pile and have boiling water poured into it until the pile was gone.


    This process would be repeated until all of the saltpeter could be harvested, where it would then be mixed with charcoal and sulfur to make ck powder. Now was finally the day when his armies no longer had to rely on expensive imports of the rare material and could produce it themselves in a constantly growing capacity. Truthfully Berengar pitied the men who had to work in the nitraries at it seemed like a filthy job to him, but it was entirely necessary, and thus they were paid very well for theirbor.


    There was a gaze of pride on Berengar''s face as he saw the results of his efforts and was greatly pleased by them. He congratted the men on their first sessful batch of the substance.


    "Men, you have done an amazing job thesest few months, and I hereby award you all with a 10% raise to your sries. Keep up the excellent work, and more rewards are sure toe!"


    The men who engaged in such dirty work were truly ecstatic when they heard they were given a raise for their performances. All of their hard work had paid off. However, they could not becent and needed to begin preparing the next batch. A continuous supply of the substance was necessary for Berengar to wage war in the most efficient manner possible.


    Thus Berengar left the men to their work as he returned to his other enterprises. Berengar noticed that the men beneath hismand were currently running drills as per usual. There was a constant influx of recruits within the Militia, which acted more as a National Guard than an Army at the moment. Despite, some of the men in his militia being inducted into the Town Guard full time. The majority of them only trained on weekends afterpleting basic and specialized training.


    Currently, his militia had reached his goal of roughly 1000 foot soldiers in 6panies, as well as two full Artillery batteries filled with a total of 12 field guns and 300 men. He was one Artillery battery away from fielding a full Artillery Battalion. A feat which he would desire to achieve shortly. However, it would be some time yet until he could achieve it.


    Berengar had gone through great expense to acquire a sufficient supply of warhorses, something his region was desperatelycking. As such, he currently only had apany of 80 Cavalrymen, though he had initially decided to use Demi-Lancers, ultimately he had changed his mind after he considered the fact that for now, he would be fighting medieval armies, without any significant ess to gunpowder. As such he decided to go with the extremely effective cuirassiers which would be capable of breaking any spear formations with their pistols, before charging them down with their sabers. This elite unit of heavy cavalry was equipped in three quarter''s te armor, with an enclosed burg, and a pair of gauntlets. The weapons they wielded were a pair of pistols, as well as a dussack sword


    Recognizing his dire need for warhorses, Berengar had begun a breeding program for species such as coursers. Still, it would be years before he could see the results in any significant capacity. Thus, for now, all he could do was import the horses to his region at a high cost. Luckily for him, his family was now extraordinarily wealthy due to the steel and textile trades. Many noblemen were willing to pay a premium to get their hands on such arge quantity of steel for use in their armies. Completely unaware that against Berengar''s forces, mass equipping your forces with steel brigandine and te was useless, but then again, they never expected Berengar to have such lofty ambitions.


    After overseeing the militia exercises, Berengar returned to his home, where he sat in his father''s study with a liter of beer in his hands, slowly going over the remaining paperwork for the day. Tomorrow Ad would depart from hisnd, and he would not be able to see his little fiancee''s adorable face for some time. At least he would be able to visit her for her birthday in a few months, speaking of which he should probably have some exquisite jewelry made for her to show his affection. After thinking about such things, he spent the remainder of his nightly work drafting ns for a ludicrously expensive set of jewels for his beloved.

 Chapter 65: Monogamy is for Suckers

    <h4>Chapter 65: Monogamy is for Suckers</h4>


    The day had Arrived, and Berengar was up bright and early, properly dressed to see his little fiancee off from his territory so that she may return home to her homnd. Despite her suspicions about Berengar''s potential affair with Linde, she had been quite happy during these past few months she spent getting to know her fiance. After some serious soul searching over the past few days, she had concluded that even if Berengar had secretly taken Linde as a lover, she would still marry him. She was confident in her ability to keep Berengar by her side, even if he did spend time with Linde. Who knows, maybe when her body finally matured, she would be even more beautiful than Linde; at that point, she could easily monopolize Berengar''s love. Her only fear was that if Berengar was truly the father of Linde''s child, that one day he might legitimize the bastard, and if it were to be born a boy, that bastard boy would be the heir to his titles. As such, she had decided she would do whatever it took to put her own future son on the throne in which Berengar was sure to carve out of this world.


    Truthfully Berengar had been dreadfully busy these past few days and saw very little of either of his women and thus was unaware of the conflicts between them or the resolutions they hade to. However, to see her off, he was here now, and Linde was not present, fearing it might sour the rtionship between her lover and his fiancee, She felt it would be best to be absent. Though she liked teasing Ad, she had no ns to steal her position as the wife. Berengar had made it clear that he intended to marry Ad and that his mind would not be swayed, and Linde hade to ept that.


    Ad stood in front of her luxurious carriage, which was nked by the retinue of knights who had protected her all of this time. They knew better than to get in the way of the youngdy and her fiance. Berengar hugged the little girl before seeing her off. However, the words she whispered into his ear caught him off guard.


    "I want you to know that even if you are with Linde, I will not stop fighting for your love..."


    With that said, the little girl pecked him on his lips with her own before running away from his embrace and into her carriage. Leaving Berengar stunned in silence as the Caravan drifted off. He had a million thoughts racing across his mind as he watched Ad waving at him from the carriage in the distance. Chief among them was simply.


    ''Am I really that bad at hiding my affair?''


    Despite realizing he was not as sly as he thought he was throughout this time, Berengar was happy that despite suspecting his illicit rtionship with Linde, his little fiancee did not give up on marrying him. It would have been an unmitigated disaster if the girl had caught onto his actions and ended things after all of his efforts. As such, a wicked grin spread across his face as he stared into the clear blue sky above and voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "Monogamy is for suckers..."


    Berengar quickly returned to the castle after leaving his parting words for nobody to hear. He was not the type of guy to cultivate a harem; after all, trying to satisfy the emotional needs of more than two women was enough to drive any man to an early grave. However, if he could achieve it, he had more than enough love to spare for two beautifuldies. As such, he was happy that things were progressing in the manner he intended.


    Things were going to be lonely now that Ad was gone, but with Lambert having been exiled and his family already aware of his rtionship with Linde, he no longer had to hide his actions and could openly flirt with Linde and enjoy herpany without having to sneak around all the time. Surely that would be a liberating experience. Apparently, Linde had the same idea, for the moment he entered the Castle''s doors, she jumped into his arms and began kissing him passionately. In between their kissing, Linde asked the question on her mind.


    "So is the little girl gone?"


    Berengar flicked her on her forehead, which interrupted their passionate disy, and chastised his lover.


    "Yes, but curiously she said something to me before she departed. Something unexpected..."


    By the look on his face, Linde knew Ad probably mentioned something about their affair. As such, she acted innocently as if she had no idea what it could be about. As such, Berengar repeated what Ad had told him before narrowing his eyes and interrogating the young beauty.


    "So tell me, what exactly did you say to Ad about us?"


    Linde was caught off guard and blushed lightly as she tried to hide her embarrassment from Berengar; ultimately, she had been caught. After being cornered like this, she had no option but to confess.


    "I may have said something along the lines of I would take good care of your fiance while you are away..."


    Berengar stared at Linde with a tyrannical expression before speaking the words on his mind.


    "You know what this means, right?"


    Linde nodded; though she tried to hide it, she had an excited look in her eyes that told Berengar she had deliberately done this to be punished by him. Even if she enjoyed such a rough disy of dominance, he would do exactly as she desired. As such, he dragged his lover into his room and spent the rest of his day punishing her severely for her actions which could have gone horribly wrong. For the first time in a long time, Berengar took a day off from work and merely spent it ying with his lover; if he were going to live a long and prosperous life, he would need to spend some days in such a manner...

 Chapter 66: Finding a Replacement

    <h4>Chapter 66: Finding a Recement</h4>


    With Ad''s departure, Berengar quickly found himself thrust into his work once more. He had to find an instructor to rece her as the teacher for Kufstein''s children with her absence. Unfortunately, implementing his public education system was proving to be a slower endeavor than initially estimated. Because of this, he was currently interviewing a prospective candidate for the position Ad had left behind.


    The young man in front of him was one of the Children of thete Marshal. Despite being responsible for the assassination of Marshal Friedhelm von Thiersee, Berengar had sessfully shifted the me for the man''s death onto his little brother. Thus gaining the von Thiersee family as a valuable ally. Currently, the second son of the family was sitting before Berengar. At the same time, the young regent conducted a thorough interview on whether or not the man could instruct the region''s children in basic education.


    The first matter of importance was determining whether or not the man understood the basic material. Over this past hour, Berengar had given the young man a basic arithmetic andnguage test, which the man passed with flying colors. Afterward, Berengar gave him the booklets that contained the learning materials that had been distributed to the students to see if he could thoroughly understand its content.


    The young man went by the name of Frederick, and he was rtively average-looking in all aspects. He was a studious and quiet man who perfectly exemplified the ideal of the noble schr. Frederick shared the same dirty blonde hair and emerald eyes as his elder brother. The young man looked at Berengar with a passionate smile as he repeated a part of the Social Studies that contained Berengar''s propaganda.


    "The German people are a distinct ethnic group among the Germanic Peoples who reside within the German-speaking regions of Central Europe. It should be the aim of every German to unify under a single cohesive Empire free from foreign influence. Only by uniting with each other can the German people pursue their destiny of Global Hegemony."


    It was quite honestly a propaganda piece taken from the teachings of a certain regime from Berengar''s previous life, yet if he was going to build an Empire, the Fathend should be united as the core of it. Berengar had distributed a map for visual reference, which contained the regions he wished to incorporate into his future Empire. This map was essentially an exact copy of the idea of a Greater Germany from a certain Austrian Art student, with the addition of the Adriatic Littoral and the Alpine foothills.


    After confirming that Frederick could teach the Children, Berengar approached the man with a smile on his face and shook his hand.


    "It seems you are more than qualified to teach the children; you start tomorrow. I promise you will be paid a fair wage."


    The young man nodded his head in agreement and spoke his inner thoughts."


    "I''m just d to be of service to the realm, My Lord."


    Hearing such words, Berengar decided to celebrate and pulled out a gon of beer while pouring it into two mugs he offered to the young man in front of him.


    "If you know anyone else who would be a good fit for the position, let me know. I want to expand public education across the entirety of the Barony and need qualified instructors."


    Frederick smiled at Berengar and took out a list of names he hade prepared with for this very topic and handed it over to the young Lord. Berengar was perplexed by this action, but he took a sip from his mug of beer while reading over the list of names. Most of the names written on the sheet of paper were from the younger generation of nobility, many of whom he had met at his engagement ceremony.


    Frederick smiled as he shared his thoughts with Berengar


    "Many of the children of the nobility within the realm are fully educated and are inspired by your actions. They want to support you in any way they can, and since they are idling about in their homes wasting their lives away, I figured I could convince a few of them to take up teaching as a way to stem their boredom and be productive."


    Berengar''s smile grew wider as he sped Frederick on the shoulder and thanked the man for making such a list.


    "You have no idea how important this list is to me; I have had a challenging time trying to convince people to take up the position of a teacher. With this list and your aid, I can greatly expedite the process!"


    Frederick grinned as he reveled in thepliments from the young Lord. Now that Lambert was removed, those previously aligned against Berengar were either living in fear of his retribution or trying to suck up to him. Being from the family of one of Berengar''s supporters, Frederick had received substantial benefits due to his elder brother''s service. For starters, he was given priority in the field in which he desired to work. As a studious young man, Frederick was more than willing to teach his knowledge to the children and further his own studies from the materials in which Berengar provided.


    The two men continued to drink and chat for some time about Berengar''s ns for the education of the realm. However, Berengar left out his imperial aspirations; it was evident by the map he had drawn and the propaganda in his social studies curriculum that he desired to be Emperor. Knowing about all of the revolutionary innovations Berengar had invented and his benevolent character, Frederick could not help but support the Young Regent on his quest for power.


    Frederick had no way of knowing it at the moment. Still, one day he would be the Minister of Education for Berengar''s grand Empire, and it was at this moment that Berengar had gained another loyal andpetent supporter. Together the two men would aplish great things on the path to power. Berengar spent the remainder of his allotted time chatting with Frederick and building a valuable friendship, however it would not be long before his duty called and he was forced to get back to work. For a Tyrant there is never a moment of respite in his busy life.

 Chapter 67: Border Conflict

    <h4>Chapter 67: Border Conflict</h4>


    Ingbert was currently overseeing the transport of a shipment of steel and textiles to the Count of Steiermark, who resided in the city of Graz. He had just recently departed from the Barony of Kufstein and he was now sitting at the entrance of the town of Kitzb��hel, the capital of the Barony of Kitzb��hel, which was the Barony whichy directly to the east of Kufstein and shared its border. The moment he hade close to the town of Kitzb��hel while flying the banners of House von Kufstein, he had been stopped by the Town Guard with who he was currently engaged in a fierce debate.


    "Under whose authority do you dare to stop this trading Caravan?"


    The man who had stopped him was dressed in a brigandine breastte and wore an iron basc helmet on his head. He currently had several archers and spearmen nearby holding the Caravan captive. They all looked as if they were ready to unleash their fury at any moment. Clearly they were holding a grudge against the Barony of Kufstein. The man in charge sneered in disdain at Ser Ingbert as he answered the young man''s questions.


    "Under the decree of Baron Guntrum von Kitzb��hel, anyone who enters through the Barony of Kitzb��hel through its western border shall be investigated for Heresy. I hereby order you to stay within the confines of Kitzb��hel until after the investigation isplete. In the meantime, we will be seizing all assets in which your caravan carries as potential evidence. If you a determined to be innocent of the charges, then all items seized shall be returned to you at the time of your departure."


    Ingbert was furious at the tant disregard for his identity andshed out at the guard.


    "This is outrageous!"


    The guard grinned wickedly at Ingbert and lowered his spear threateningly as he proceeded to taunt Ingbert.


    "Any resistance will be considered a recognition of guilt, and thus we will be forced to execute you as a Heretic. I suggest you hand over your weapons peacefully ande with us."


    Though Ingbert wanted to fight his way out, the town guard greatly outnumbered him and his caravan guards; as such, there was not much he could do about the current situation. All he could manage was to inform Berengar''s spywork set up in Kitzb��hel of this matter and have them ry the message to Berengar. As such, he was ced under confinement in the local tavern, where he quickly met up with the bar wench who worked for Berengar in secret and gave her the message. It would not be long before Berengar heard of the egregious actions of the Baron of Kitzb��hel and demanded a response.


    ...


    Berengar sat upon his seat of power where Linde was kneeling before him, informing him of the events that had transpired to Ingbert and his caravan within the Barony fo Kitzb��hel. He mmed his fist on his armrest in a fit of fury and rose from his seat as he yelled at Linde.


    "Preposterous, the Baron of Kitzb��hel has no right to interfere with my trade. Clearly, he''s doing this at the behest of the Church as retaliation for my execution of those fucking inquisitors. That God damn pious cunt, I swear to God I will get back to him for this!"


    Though Berengar was screaming in anger, Linde did not mind; she liked this tyrannical side of Berengar. However, she kept her mouth shut and let him vent his anger. Berengar paced around the Great Hall as he contemted on how to proceed.


    "I want an envoy sent to Kitzb��hel to mediate this grievance. I will not allow my business to be interrupted by that self-righteous prick!"


    Linde frowned in dissatisfaction at Berengar''s inaction and tried to goad him into violence as she approached his side and poked his chest tenderly.


    "Why don''t you send your armies? With the power of your forces, the Baron could not refuse your demands!"


    Berengar knew what she was trying to do and pet her silky strawberry blonde hair before pulling her in close to her.


    "You are a little vixen; you know that? No, I will not resort to violence over such a small matter. Besides, it would be just the justification your father needs to bring his armies down upon me if I did so. I would prefer to avoid war with the entirety of the Tyrolean forces if I could; there are too many of them; at best, I could withstand the siege until they yield, but by then, my businesses would be destroyed, and my people ughtered. I will avoid violence until he gives me a proper Cassus Belli."


    Linde pouted but ultimately epted his decision. Not only was everything he said correct, but he knew that when Berengar made up his mind about something, there was no swaying him. As such, she rested her head on his shoulder and enticed him further.


    "Hopefully, he does something to justify war; it is getting dreadfully boring around here now that I can no longer tease that little fiancee of yours."


    Berengar scoffed at Linde''s reaction, this girl may be a masochist now, but that did not mean the entirety of her sadistic tendencies had disappeared. Clearly, she needed more training. However, he was busy at the moment and could not entertain his little pet; as such, he gave her a task to ease her boredom.


    "I won''t let Gunrtrum get away with this, reach out the cell in hisnd and have my hands burn down Guntrum''s granaries, let him see what happens when he dares to provoke me!"


    With this, Linde smiled mischievously; this was the ruthless and domineering tyrant who had stolen her heart. She was quick to obey hismands and set forth to task the local cell in Kitzb��hel to engage in sabotage against the Barony''s food stores. It would not be long before this conflict escted into an all-out war. When that urred, Berengar would show what the thunder of a dozen 12 lb cannons could to the seemingly mighty walls of Guntrum''s castle. Years in the future, historians woulde to recognize this as Berengar''s first conquest and the beginning point in the rise of the German Empire.

 Chapter 68: Escalation of Force

    <h4>Chapter 68: Esction of Force</h4>


    In the dead of night, under theck of illumination of the new moon, a group of individuals d in dark clothing set forth from the town of Kitzb��hel and began to engage in a sinister plot to burn the local granaries. With this act of sabotage, the people of Kitzb��hel wouldck food stored and be forced to purchase food from their neighbors to survive. Not only was this an act of retaliation from Berengar to Baron Guntrum, but it was also a way to force Guntrum to the bargaining table so that his shipment could be returned.


    As such, the individuals snuck in the darkness of the night around the granaries, which were guarded by a unit of the town guard. However, the men appeared to be half asleep at the moment and were having difficulties staying awake. This was because they had been to the tavern earlier that evening and drank wine mixed with a sedative, which the local tavern workers had provided to them. The entirety of the tavern staff was either directly or indirectly involved with Berengar''s spywork.


    The saboteurs waited another fifteen minutes before the men werepletely unconscious. Afterward, they lit up a few torches they had brought with them and tossed them inside the granary. Before long, the majority of the town''s food stores were lit aze, and the perpetrators had absconded into the night, never to be caught.


    By morning Baron Guntrum von Kitzb��hel was furious; he was not sure how, but this could only be the act of the Regent of the neighboring Barony, who else would have cause and conscious of engaging in such vile behavior. Currently, he sat with his council of advisors, who each had a different view on how to proceed further. His Chancellor was the first to speak his concerns among the group of aging men.


    "This is clearly an act to bring us to the negotiating table; I say weply before things get out of hand. We should return the shipment and allow his traders free passage through ournds under the condition that Kufsteinpensates us for the loss of food stores. It is the only reasonable action!"


    Guntrum''s marshal was of an entirely different opinion; he spat on the ground in disgust of the Chancellor''s opinion on the matter.


    "What we need to do is return this despicable action in kind. If we can torch their granaries, they will be in just as bad a situation as we are. Then they will think twice before provoking us further."


    Quickly the council chamber broke into bickering as none of Baron Guntrum''s advisors could agree on a solution. Ultimately the Baron pounded his fist on the table and made his decision known.


    "We will return this act of sabotage with one of our own. Not only will we burn down his granaries, but we will sabotage his steel factories in which he is so proud of. That way, we will hurt his trade far worse than simply seizing a shipment of steel and textiles!"


    Though many of his advisors recognized that this might lead to an outright deration of war, they could no longer sway their Baron any further. As such, his decree was made, and his saboteurs were set to task. They would sneak into Kufstein in the night and engage in their criminal acts.


    ...


    It was now the dead of night, and once more, a group of ck-clothed and masked individuals was up to no good. However, the shoe was on the other foot this time as these people quickly crossed the Border and rode towards Kufstein under cover of darkness. However, unfortunately for them, Berengar was expecting an act of retaliation and had set his forces in the shadows in at the task to hunt down and eliminate the would-be saboteurs. The moment they step foot into Kufstein, their actions were already being closely monitored by Berengar''s assassins.


    The Town Guard heavily guarded the Industrial district, and as such, the saboteurs could not find a way to enter it unnoticed. Before long, the leader of the group eximed in defeat.


    "This is impossible! Why the hell does he have this ce locked down like it is some fortress?"


    However, an unfamiliar voice came from the shadows, which immediately put him and his team on high alert. However, the origin of the voice waspletely shrouded in the darkness.


    "Because his Majesty Berengar has many secrets to hide, kind of like these"


    Thest thing the would-be saboteurs saw was a sh of blinding light as they heard the thunder of the guns echo in the night; before they could even react, their bodies were torn to shreds by the revolving flintlock pistols of the assassins who had surrounded the saboteurs without their knowledge. These prototype weapons were issued to Berengar''s spies and assassins and were based on the Collier revolving flintlock pistol from his previous life. Immediately the Town guards were alerted and rushed to the sounds of the gunshots with their Muskets loaded and ready forbat. However, when they arrived, they saw the corpses of the saboteurs riddled with musket balls, with no sign of the perpetrators.


    Half an hourter, Berengar was enjoying schnitzel and spaetzle with a nice coldger at the dinner table in which he ate by his lonesome despite it being well past midnight. His family was all asleep, though even if they were awake, it would not matter. Berengar had be ustomed to eating his meals with only Linde to apany him. However, she currently was not present. Unfortunately, Lambert''s actions had devastated his family, and he had not seen Henrietta in weeks. However, ording to her servants, she was still alive and eating the food brought to her. As for his mother, Gis, she had secluded herself alongside Sieghard where they continued to read the bible Berengar had given her to find some answer to the Lord''s n, and by extension, Lambert''s sinful actions.


    At this moment, Linde approached with an excited expression, though the moment she saw Berengar was eating a midnight snack, which just so happened to be her favorite meal, she pouted like a child.


    "You could have told me you were eating; I would have surely joined you!"


    Berengar chuckled as he finished his meal and wiped his mouth with his napkin before draining the remainder of his beer down his gullet. Afterward, he teased Linde with his response.


    "Toote now."


    This caused her to pout further, though eventually, she remember her reason for seeking him out and gave him the good news.


    "Just as you had expected, Guntrum sent men to sabotage the granary and the factories; your hands assassinated them before they could cause any trouble."


    Berengar smiled wickedly as he grabbed Linde and pressed her into his embrace before kissing her passionately.


    "Excellent, everything is going as n; as long as the violence keeps escting, sooner orter, he will give me a valid Cassus Belli for me to dere war on him. Hopefully, I don''t have to wait long..."


    With that said, he dragged his sly lover back to his room and enjoyed the rest of his waking hours training her.

 Chapter 69: Declaration of War

    <h4>Chapter 69: Deration of War</h4>


    Berengar currently sat upon the seat of power within Kufstein, listening to his father''s advisors squabble over trivial matters. He was beginning to gain the desire to blow his own brains out with one of his pistols if this dreadful conversation continued any longer. Throughout the past two weeks, Berengar had been engaging in a war of intrigue with his neighbor the Baron fo Kitzb��hel. What started as a simple seizure of assets under a bogus investigation quickly turned into repeated acts of sabotage with Berengar getting the best of Guntrum in every single encounter. At this point, Berengar was starting to get bored with how easy it was to best Guntrum in the minor war of intrigue they were waging.


    Baron Guntram von Kitzb��hel was a deeply pious man in his forties who was an ardent supporter of the Church. He donated a significant sum to the Vatican each year as a show of his faith. In pursuit of justice on behalf of the church, the man had foolishly been seizing Berengar''s trade caravans and holding them for an extended time, while "investigating" the caravans for any heretical materials. By now, the man was sitting on a significant stockpile of steel and textiles that should have been delivered to their buyers during this time frame. Without the shipment of these supplies, Berengar''s lucrative trade to the East of hisnds was beginning to halt.


    Though on the surface Berengar had attempted to resolve these differences diplomatically, the reality was he was giving significant pressure to his rival behind the scenes. Of course, none of his agent''s actions could be tied to him other than mere spection. Baron Guntrum had initially promised that after the supplies were thoroughly searched, he would allow them to pass through his borders; however, it had been two weeks since the man had first begun seizing his trade caravans, and Berengar was starting to lose his patience on this matter. If he could not resolve the issue soon, then he was sure to suffer heavy financial losses. However, merely seizing his goods and inspecting them was not a proper cause for war, and as such, Berengar could not force Guntrum to return his assets. While spacing out in a daze of boredom, Berengar briefly overheard Eckhard''s shouts as one of Berengar''s spies rushed into the Great Hall and reported the situation to the new Marshal.


    "Baron Guntrum did what? This is clearly an act of war!"


    Berengar, with a look of confusion, as he was unaware of what had transpired and decided to confirm the situation. By the sound of it, it was bound to be good news.


    "What is an act of war?"


    Eckhard respectfully bowed before Berengar and reported the current situation at the border to his liege.


    "My Lord, Baron Guntrum has stated that he will be seizing your supplies indefinitely and donating them to the Church aspensation for the alleged crimes you havemitted against Christendom! He also has begun executing the Caravan Guards, saying that they are heretics without providing any evidence to back his ims!"


    Despite the horrific news, a sadistic grin spread across Berengar''s face as he heard Eckhard''s words. Finally! This was his chance to not only use force buty waste to the pious cunt once and for all! As such, the young Regent gave his decree immediately without any form of hesitation in his tone.


    "Eckhard, call the banners and rally the militia. If Guntrum thinks he can execute men under my protection while robbing me like amon brigand, then he clearly underestimates my power! Aside from the local Garrisons, I want the full military might of Kufstein deployed to the border as quickly as possible!"


    Eckhard quickly pounded his chest in a salute


    "It will be done, My Lord!"


    With that, he quickly departed and began to rally the Barony of Kufstein''s forces. The professional army in which his father had fostered had roughly 1000 men among their ranks, and they would be fighting alongside Berengar''s militia which now numbered over 1300 strong. If the Baron of Kitzb��hel wanted war, then Berengar was more than happy to oblige! As such, Berengar quickly drafted an official deration of war to deliver to Baron Guntrum, which was then rushed to his territory by an official diplomat.


    Though Berengar''s other advisors quickly swarmed around him and attempted to calm him down, in particr, his Chancellor gathered by his side and chastised him for so quickly resorting to violence.


    "My Lord, do you believe it is wise to march upon the Barony of Kitzb��hel, Baron Guntrum has quite arge force of well equipped professional soldiers, and while your father may have outfitted our troops with excellent supplies, that does not mean it will be easy toy siege to his mighty Castle! I beg you to rethink this recklessness and focus on diplomacy!"


    Berengar sneered at his Chancellor with disdain; what purpose did this man have to lecture him on the art of war. However, he refrained from doing anything unwise and merely scolded the man.


    "Falko, I have been robbed of my people''sbor. I will have satisfaction; the entirety of the Barony of Kitzb��hel will more than make up for the assets which have been stolen from me!"


    A look of horror spread across the chancellor''s face as he quickly realized what the young Regent meant by these words.


    "You wouldy im to the Baron''snds?"


    Berengar''s sinister gazended upon Falko and made him shiver in fright, the words the young Regent spoke only furthered the dread in which the chancellor felt at that moment.


    "My dear Chancellor, my father, is getting quite old; what kind of son would I be if I did not make him a Viscount before he passes from this world?"


    Berengar would use this excuse for war as a means to destroy Guntrum''s entire family and incorporate his domain into Kufstein. This would aplish two of Berengar''s ambitions, sending a clear message to his enemies that he should not be provoked; and expanding the borders of his family''s dominion. While Falko gazed upon Berengar with a horrified expression, Berengar marched off to get himself equipped for battle; he would personally lead his forces into the Barony of Kitzb��hel andy waste to their army. The young Regent could not help but think to himself as he dressed for the uing war.


    "Finally... something interesting has happened!"

 Chapter 70: Mustering the Army

    <h4>Chapter 70: Mustering the Army</h4>


    Baron Guntrum von Kitzb��hel was currently sitting on his seat of power in his castle, drinking from a ss of water. The man was currently fasting as a sign of his dedication to the Lord and, as such, chose not to consume anything other than the natural liquid. Kneeling before him was a man from Berengar''s domain that had ridden throughout the night to inform the Baron of Berengar''s decision. The messenger handed the letter over to Baron Guntrum with a concerned expression on his face. He did not know how the Baron would react to being dered war upon and certainly did not want to be executed for delivering such a message.


    Baron Guntrum read through the contents of the letter with a serious frown across his face, which only increased the more he read.


    "Dear, Baron Guntrum von Kitzb��hel


    I have received word that you have uwfully seized my shipment to the Count of Steiermark, and as such, I consider you nothing more than amon Brigand. By stealing from thebor of my people, I am entitled topensation, and as such, I have decided that I will be taking your life, and that of your family, as well as your entire domain as rpense for your uwful actions. Henceforth I Berengar, Regent of the Barony of Kufstein appointed as such by my father Baron Sieghard von Kufstein; openly dere war on the Barony of Kitzb��hel and the House von Kitzb��hel. May God have mercy on your soul, for I will not!


    Sincerely,


    Regent Berengar von Kufstein"


    Baron Guntrum red at Berengar''s messenger with fury as he finished reading the message before thinking aloud.


    "This boy would seriously go to war over something as trivial as seizing a small shipment of steel and textiles? Truly he is the spawn of Satan and must be eliminated for the greater good."


    Afterward, the man stood up from his seat of power and walked down its steps. He was a short and thin man with long graying hair. He was near as thing as Berengar was when he reincarnated into this world. Yet there was a fierce look of determination in his steel-blue eyes as he gazed upon the messenger.


    "You may return to your master and tell him that he is a fool for dering war on me, and I will return the favor by taking his sinful life!"


    The messenger quickly nodded his head and spoke to the enraged Baron.


    "I will do as you have told me, My Lord"


    afterward, the man rushed off back to Berengar''s domain as quickly as he could. On the other hand, Baron Guntrum summoned his marshal, who appeared from behind the corner; he had been listening to the entire conversation from afar. Guntrum quickly gave the Marshal his decree.


    "Rally the troops, let us see what this would be Tyrant is made of, shall we?"


    A wicked grin spread across the Marshal''s face as he replied with excitement.


    "Aye, we shall!"


    As such, Baron Guntrum sat back on his seat and allowed the Marshal to takemand of his forces, where he would meet Berengar''s armies on the field of battle before he could have the ability toy siege to the heart of the Baron''s domain.


    ...


    Berengar was currently sitting on the ground near a burning campfire the full might of his militia had already been deployed to the border throughout the night. They were a force that could rapidly assemble; however, the same could not be said for the rest of his father''s feudal forces and the vassals whomanded them. By now, only half of the Baronies army had arrived. They were mostly equipped with a mixture of brigandine and te while armed primarily with pikes.


    While marching alongside the incredibly advanced forces of Berengar''s militia, the army looked as if it were a mixture of medieval, renaissance, and early modern troops. It was truly a unique army in this world. The camps had been set up on the border between Kufstein and Kitzb��hel, and Berengar was merely waiting for the arrival of the remainder of his forces which should take no longer than a day. As he was camped out at the border, Berengar cleaned the sword in his hand, which was recently created and outfitted to his cuirassiers; it was an example of a 16/17th-century Dussack. Essentially it was the renaissance equivalent of the infamous sabers, which woulde to prominence throughout the cavalry forces of Europe and the Western World during the early modern period.


    In the hands of his Cuirsassiers, it was a deadly weapon and would wreak havoc across the many lightly armored feudal infantry that they were sure to fight against in the uing battle. Eckhard approached Berengar garbed in the renaissance style armor of the militia with his musket slung across his back. He took off his brass-trimmed Burg as he sat down next to Berengar with an eager expression on his face.


    "The remaining forces should be here before nightfall; what are your orders?"


    Berengar nodded in response and began to smile at the news as he gave hismands.


    "Let the men rest; at first light, we March into the enemy''s territory. I want the men to conduct themselves civilly, no raping or raiding, and no unnecessary murder. We will be ruling over these people soon enough, and I don''t want any pointless grudges to be formed. Anyone who conducts themself in such a manner will be sentenced for war crimes and executed by firing squad, am I understood?"


    Eckhard nodded as he heard the words; he was truly getting old. With Berengar''smand and his ethics of how warfare should be conducted, the savage ways of mass looting and **** after a sessful siege would die out soon enough. The dawn of a new age of warfare was on the horizon, and the feudal powers of Europe would either have to rapidly adapt or bend the knee to the rising German Empire. Either way, the Medieval period was on the edge of its lifespan. The two men continued to chat for some time before parting ways for their tents that night. When the dawn rose, the Barony of Kitzb��hel would feel the wrath of a new era knocking down their door.

 Chapter 71: Cavalry Charge

    <h4>Chapter 71: Cavalry Charge</h4>


    The sound of the horn echoed throughout the campsite in which Berengar''s forces had gathered, signaling it to be dawn, thus being time for the troops to rise from their tents. Berengar was already awake and taking care of his horse; it was a solid ck destrier of noble stock. The beast was truly magnificent as its shining obsidian coat glistened under the rays of the rising sun. Berengar had named this horse Erwin after the famous German general from his previous life. The young Regent had spent quite the sum acquiring such a magnificent steed for his warhorse, and as such, he tended to pamper the stallion.


    He quickly attached the steel te barding onto the horse, which was ckened to match his armor and had brass trimming across it. Unlike normal cuirassiers, Berengar had elected to armor his horse appropriately; after all, he did not wish to lose such a majestic creature to the horrors of war. After attaching the armor to the horse, he climbed atop its saddle and waited for the men to muster. They would be marching soon enough into the enemy''s territory and hopefully engage their army on the field of battle.


    Before long, his forces had gathered and loaded their muskets, setting the firing mechanism at half-cock so that they were prepared for battle at a moment''s notice. As for the so-called professionals, they were appropriately equipped with primary pikes and swords as sidearms. The use of the pike was an innovation in which Berengar had equipped the standard infantry of his father''s professional army after he rose to the position of regent. It did not take long for the infantry to be proficient in their use and formations, as it was far simpler to train a group of pikemen than it was to train musketeers, artillerymen, or cuirassiers.


    The armies marched together in the dawn under the banner of House von Kufstein. By the time they countered the enemy forces, they were merely a few kilometers away from the main town within the region; they were sandwiched between two sets of mountains and were in the valley below. However, they were still far from the enemy forces, which allowed Berengar''s army time to get into formation.


    The artillery batteries rapidly set up the guns at an appropriate distance away from the battlefield where the armies were organized upon. The primary target of the Artillery would be the archers and crossbowmen used by the enemy forces; if they could wipe them out before the infantries shed, the casualties on Berengar''s side would be greatly reduced.


    While his artillery got into position and loaded the 12 field guns, Berengar took charge of the Cavalry, a mix of heavily armored Knights and Cuirassiers. There was roughly 110 Cavalry in Berengar''s army, which was farrger than the opposing forces. With 80 Cuirassiers, each armed with a pair of pistols, they had the ability to engage the enemy knights with 160 shots which was far more shots than necessary to eliminate the enemy knights. If fired at close range, it was more than enough to kill the riders or their horses. As such, his cavalry would be taking on the role of hunting down and destroying the enemy knights.


    As for the infantry, they were led by Eckhard and the appropriate officers under hismand. The militia musketeers were an effective force capable of reloading their muskets in a matter of seven seconds; they would approach the enemy forces while nked by the pikeman, and open fire when they were within sufficient range to deal the most damage, then the pikemen would protect them while they reloaded and fired again. If necessary, they could fix their bays and aid the pikemen in melee battle.


    This was the strategy with which Berengar had opted to go with; once his forces were ready for battle, he ordered the march on the enemy position.


    "Forward march!"


    While covered by the echo of the thundering guns and their explosive shells, Berengar personally led the cavalry in a slow trot towards the enemy cavalry; they would begin the full charge once they were in the range of the enemy knights. Luckily his cuirassiers were backed by the veteran knights; considering they were the newest branch of his army and had yet to be tested in battle, it was good to have the knights alongside them under the circumstances.


    Before Berengar could even reach the enemy forces, the explosive shells of the artillery tore the lightly armored ranged forces of his enemy apart. Shrapnel filled the air, while the explosive st shredded bodies, blood, and limbs flew across the field creating a chaotic scene of death. The whistle of the shells in the air was all that could be heard before the detonation imed the lives of their enemies. Already the enemy forces began to panic; they had never witnessed such a terrifying sight before, they thought to themselves that the wrath of God had descended upon them. Luckily the Marshal was a veteran of many battles and quickly rallied his troops.


    "Hold the line! Hold the Line!"


    he called off to the men of his army who were being picked apart by artillery fire. Nevertheless, while saying prayers to themselves, they marched towards the direction of Berengar''s forces. A decision that would ultimately be their downfall.


    When the enemy Knights spotted Berengar''s cavalry rushing towards their position, they began a full-scale charge. With the heavily armored knights on their backs, the trodding of horses in steel barding was enough to install fear into any average soldier. Still, Berengar merely gazed upon them with a sinister smirk as he gave the order to his own cavalry forces.


    "Charge!"


    His Cavalry forces greatly outnumbered the enemy''s, and right when the two forces were about to sh with theirnces, the 80 cuirassiers pulled out their pistols in both hands and pulled back the hammers on their flintlock mechanisms. The sound of 160 pistols going off in unison as their lead balls shredded the armor of the enemy knights was a spectacle to behold. In a single second, all but a few of the enemy knights fell from their horses, their lifeless bodies crashing against the ground like steel coffins. The remaining knights sat in shock upon horseback; however, they werepletely run through by the enemy knights and theirnces, ending their miserable lives before they could even react. Just like that, the battle had begun, and the most elite forces of the enemy were crushed beneath the heel of the Regent of Kufstein.

 Chapter 72: Overwhelming Victory

    <h4>Chapter 72: Overwhelming Victory</h4>


    The thunder of a thousand guns fired in unison echoed throughout the vicinity of the battlefield as the militiamen stood in their line formations a mere twenty feet away from the enemy infantry. The front line kneeled and aimed their muskets, while the second line stood above them with their muskets raised. Instantly the massive amount of lead flying downrange decimated the enemy forces. At best, the infantry of the enemy was equipped with a brigandine breastte. However, such an obsolete piece of equipment could not protect the men wearing it from the devastating effect of the musket.


    As the Militiamen quickly began to reload, the Pikemen standing nearby rushed forward and defended them as they rapidly reloaded their weapons. During the twenty seconds it took to reload, a sturdy pike wall was set up in front of the enemy, who desperately tried to barge through and attack the men behind it. After witnessing the defeat of their cavalry, they had no choice but to go all out. As such, a frenzied charge began as men threw themselves at the pike wall in an attempt to break through.


    A single man d in a mixture of brigandine and te managed to storm past the pike wall with a sword in hand as the men around him were stuck like pigs by the massive length of the pikes. He quickly shed at one of the militiamen who was reloading his weapon. However, before he could finish his attack, the militiamen dropped his activity and lifted his musket into the air with its bay affixed stabbing directly into the open basc of the soldier who dared to attack him instantly piercing through the man''s eye and ending his life.


    Scenes like this appeared across the pike wall; considering the importance of the militiamen and their hand cannons, the enemy''s infantry did everything they could to prevent another volley from being fired off; after all, they doubted these man could quickly reload their weapons. Unfortunately for them, this was a miscalction as most of the lines were fully reloaded and ready to fire again within a matter of seconds.


    Before long, their weapons were once more aimed in the direction of their enemies, many of which had yet to recover from the shock of their front line being torn apart. The pikemen quickly fell behind the line of fire and waited for the second volley to go off. Within seconds the order to fire was given, and with Eckhard''smand, another volley of thunderous gunfire riddled the enemy''s lines. By now, much of the enemy force no longer dared to fight and began to route.


    The enemy Marshal looked in horror as he witnessed his Lord''s glorious army being gunned down in front of his very eyes. He had never before witnessed such an overwhelming defeat. Despite his forces being roughly on par with Berengar''s in terms of numbers, they were quickly overwhelmed by the mysterious weapons in the hands of his enemy''s well-trained soldiers. His knights were dead, his infantry''s ranks were shattered, and what little remained of his archers had already begun to route.


    As such, he quickly gave themand to retreat, as he yelled to whatever troops could still hear him.


    "Fall back! Fall back to the Castle! Retreat!"


    Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as soon after the Marshal had given hismand, Berengar''s decree resounded throughout the air when he arrived with the Cavalry, who instantly crashed into the routing forces, cutting them down in the process. Still, considering he was on horseback the Marshal managed to escape the field of battle where he quickly fled back to the Castle to inform his Liege about the disastrous result of this battle.


    "Give no quarter!"


    With thatmand, the musketeers quickly dropped their reloading process and engaged in a massive bay charge. Nearly 2000 infantry armed with muskets which had their bays affixed and pikes quickly surrounded the routing forces of the enemy and reaped their lives away like wheat to the scythe.


    The horrific disy of the chaotic battlefield was enough to make one''s stomach churn. The enemy forces were quickly encircled and pierced in the weak points in their armor by bay and pike alike. Berengar shed down from horseback with his saber decapitating a soldier who was trying to attack him, he could not help but feel like this was where he was meant to be, leading his forces in a charge against his broken enemies. This was an absolutely humiliating loss to the Barony of Kitzb��hel, whose surviving forces were quickly cut to ribbons.


    After defeating the enemy army, his troops broke out into cheers and celebrations. The enemy army had been annihted, with only a pile of corpses remaining from their ranks. Due to the archers being decimated at the start of the battle, and the heavy cavalry taken out early on, the most serious injury was some minorcerations caused by the brave souls who were lucky enough to get past the pike wall. If this had been arger army he was forced to fight, Berengar was unsure if he would get the same results. However, against an army of equal size, The weapons and tactics Berengar employed were too advanced for his enemy to even contend with.


    The men within the ranks of the professional army were stupefied beyond belief at how effective the muskets were; these were obviously not ordinary hand cannons. If not for the fact that they were veteran soldiers with plenty of experience, they may have failed in their duty to protect the militiamen while they reloaded due to shock.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was impressed with the performance. Once more, his victory was overwhelming. Who in this feudal era could contend with the power of steel and shot? While his troops were cheering, he reloaded his pistols while Eckhard approached him.


    "Congrattions on another overwhelming victory, my Lord!"


    Berengar smiled and epted the gesture before staring down at Eckhard, who stood below his mighty steed.


    "We may have won the battle, but the war is still waging. Get the army on the march; I want a siege camp built outside their Castle walls before dusk!"


    With his orders being given out, the army quickly began to march into the nearby town, where they would begin the lengthy process ofying siege to the enemy''s remaining forces hiding cowardly behind the Castle''s walls.

 Chapter 73: Establishing a Siege Camp

    <h4>Chapter 73: Establishing a Siege Camp</h4>


    The enemy Marshal had made it back to Baron Guntrum and informed him of his massive defeat before the enemy forces had arrived in the town of Kitzbuhel. Baron Guntrum could not believe his ears as he listened to the near fantastical tale of how easily his armies were torn apart by Berengar''s forces and the thunderous weapons they wielded.


    "My liege, Our armies are defeated; the survivors of our forces are few in numbers and have already begun to flee thend. It will not be long before the enemy has us surrounded, and we are besieged! Tell me, sire, what are your orders?"


    Baron Guntrum was still shocked by the news and truly did not know how to react to this situation. The best he could do was hope his walls could withstand the cannon fire of Berengar''s artillery. After all, surely his marshal was exaggerating their effectiveness? After regaining his senses, Guntrum gave his decree.


    "I want every man and child capable of bearing arms atop these castle walls defending it with their lives! If you have to, send the garrison into the vige to gather the forces necessary to achieve this, and do it swiftly before the enemy arrives!"


    For once in his life, the marshal wished his Liege would sue for peace. Unfortunately, he could not voice such concerns as his orders were already given; as such, the man quickly gathered the Castle''s forces and rode into the vige, conscripting anyone capable of bearing arms into their forces to defend the Castle''s walls. It did not matter if they had never used a bow before; simply having the bodies necessary tounch missile fire at the enemy attackers was good enough for the Baron, who had grown desperate after his recent defeat.


    Berengar rode atop the back of his mighty steed as he and his forces marched into the town of Kitzbuhel; the local castley in the hills above, overlooking the valley and the people within it, disying the authority of the mighty overlord of the region. Berengar had no time to spare with securing the township and merely ordered his troops to move through it so they could set up a siege camp within the vicinity of the Castle. Sieges were longsting endeavors, but he figured he could bring down therge stone walls fairly quickly due to his superior firepower. As such, he barkedmands at his troops who heeded hismands.


    "I want a siege camp set up and fully fortified by Dusk! Make sure it is out of the range of enemy missile fire!"


    Eckhard, who was marching inmand of the infantry forces, quickly pounded his breastte as he saluted Berengar while responding to his orders.


    "It will be done, my Lord."


    The local townsfolk who remained after the massive conscription which had just taken ce quickly fled their homes as they saw the army arrive; they were frightful of the potential actions which the enemy forces would take against them now that their own had been defeated in the field of battle. Many women and children wept for the loss of their husbands, fathers, and sons, who were torn to shreds by the overwhelming might of Berengar''s forces. Very few of the Baron''s soldiers had escaped the wrath of their enemy. Those who were lucky enough to survive had begun to flee with their families towards one of the other viges in the Barony. After witnessing the frightening disy of their enemy''s power, they had no hope in rallying behind the Castle walls and sessfully defending against the siege.


    Berengar made sure his men were fully disciplined as they marched through the vige. He had made it abundantly clear to his men beforehand that the people of this region were not to be mistreated, and as long as his watchful eye cast over them, they managed to behave themselves. Whether they would be able to maintain this degree of professionalism during a protracted siege was a different story. Berengar set his siege camp up just out of range of the enemy defenders. However, Berengar''s forces were still in range of attack, and as such, they could sessfully bombard the enemy defenders with cannons and rifles throughout the entire period.


    The effective range was essentially a mere 300 feet, and their longbows had a maximum range of 328 yards. Even the once-mighty steel crossbow had a mere 380 yards of effective range. Inparison, the effective range of Berengar''s cannons was roughly 1618 yards. His Long rifles, while in the hands of effective marksmen, were roughly 500 yards in range. As such, by cing their siege camp roughly 400 yards away from the enemy castle, they were able to effectively attack their enemy from dawn to dusk without a single enemy attack on their forces.


    It took quite some time; however, the Siege Camp was fully set up and effectively fortified by the evening. The guns had been loaded and begun their bombardment; they would not stop until the next morning. The Napoleon-style 12 lb cannon was already a sturdy and robust cannon design in his previous life, mostly made of bronze. However, Berengar''s cannons were made of high-quality steel, and as such, could withstand the pressures of a steady firing rate throughout the night. As such, the Thunder of guns echoed throughout the entirety of the night while the twelve-pound solid steel cannonballs battered the mighty stone walls of the enemy''s castle, slowly chipping away at the enemy''s defenses.


    Those defenders unfortunate enough to get caught in the st were torn apart by the enemy bombardment. Stone shards constantly spat out the areas affected by the continued bombardment and acted as shrapnel against the defending forces. Though it was only 12 guns, they were able to effectively bombard the enemy defenders to the point of suppressing thempletely; even if they were within firing range of the defenders, those who lie behind the castle walls would not be able to cause much harm upon their foes. The might of steel and shot had shown itself as Berengar sat in his tent drinking from a goblet of wine. Tomorrow he would allow the cannoneers to rest and give his enemy a slight reprieve. He would resume his bombardment the following morning.

 Chapter 74: Throw them to the Wolves!

    <h4>Chapter 74: Throw them to the Wolves!</h4>


    The dawn had risen, and Baron Guntrum and his family had not been able to get a wink of sleep. Instead, they were huddled in the great hall listening to the near-constant thunder of guns while shivering in fear. Baron Guntrum''s 2-year-old daughter was particrly frightened by the thunder that echoed throughout the night and held onto her father''s hand firmly.


    "Daddy, I''m scared..."


    The look on Baron Guntrum''s face was not reassuring; after all, in his deration of war, Berengar had promised to show no mercy to Guntrum or his family. If the walls crumbled and the enemy forces rushed into his keep, there was no chance of survival. As such, he had begun to regret his decision to provoke Berengar in the name of the Church. Why was God testing him in such a manner? What had he done to deserve this fate? Those were the questions the pious noblemen asked himself as the echoes of the cannons continued to bombard his castle.


    However, shortly after praying to the Lord, the thunder of the guns had ceased; after waiting nearly half an hour for the bombardment to resume, there was still only silence from his enemies. As if his prayers had been Answered, Guntrum rushed outside to see for himself what was transpiring. After standing atop the walls, which had been greatly diminished by the night of bombardment, he could see the Besieging forces standing idly by in their siege camp below. He could not help but wonder if they had run out of munitions.


    At the next moment, a small lead projectile whizzed past his face, and the thunder of the rifle which had fired it echoed in the distance. He quickly ducked below the ramparts and hid from the enemy fire. Just what kind of weapon was that? Seeing that his men were cowering in fear beneath the protection of the walls, he could not help but empathize with their pain. As such, he quickly returned to the keep, where he hid with his family once more, though the cannons may have stopped the hand cannons in which the enemies used posed a significant threat to anyone stupid enough to expose themselves.


    ...


    Berengar was currently standing in the middle of his siege camp in front of three men who were stripped of their arms and armor and currently wearing nothing more than the gambeson they wore beneath it. These three men were of his father''s forces, and they were currently bound and kneeling in front of him. During the night, these men had abandoned their posts and raided the local town; they had even raped a local teenage girl who was ever so slightly older than Ad, which Berengar found disgusting and unforgivable. However, they did not pull this off on their lonesome. Clearly, there were other people involved. However, only these three men were caught, and they were not willing to rat out their brothers in arms.


    Berengar strode back and forth in front of the men and red menacingly at them. His fury exuded from the very depths of his soul as he lectured the surrounding army, which was forced to bear witness to this scene.


    "I have made my orders very clear, the local poption are not to be harmed, and yet the three of you have disobeyed my orders. You abandoned your posts in the night to engage in raiding, raping, piging, and burning while flying the colors of my family! Do you have any idea how this makes me look, as the Lord and Commander of this army?!"


    Standing next to Berengar was the little girl on which the three men had preyed upon; her family had remained in the region, along with a few of the more stubborn families who did not wish to leave their homes behind. After Berengar had heard about their crimes, he instantly had the men arrested and interrogated. Unfortunately, they were quite resilient and did not rat out any other members of his father''s forces who had acted in a simr manner.


    As such, Berengar was left with no further options and had gathered his army and the vigers alike to witness the uing scene. Berengar spat in disgust on the men bound before him and boldly dered for all to hear.


    "As Regent of the Barony of Kufstein, and Commander of this army, I hereby find you three men guilty of War Crimes and sentence you to death by firing squad. May God have mercy on your souls..."


    As such, Berengar motioned for his militia to drag the three men away to a safe area where they would publically execute the soldiers. While the men were tied up to posts and prepared for their execution, Berengar addressed his armies with a vicious gaze.


    "Any one of you who is guilty of engaging in this activity in the future will be afforded the same punishment! Ie to thesends as a conqueror, but that does not mean my army will act like a bunch of brigands! You will obey my orders, or you will face the consequences!"


    The members of his militia were fully disciplined in the manner in which Berengar desired to conduct war. Against enemy forces, Berengar would allow virtually any use of force. He was also not afraid of civilian casualties if they were caught in a bombardment or assault of an enemy''s position. His ruthlessness in his pursuit of victory could be considered War Crimes by the standards of the 21st Century in which he resided during his past life.


    However, as far as Berengar was concerned, raiding, raping, murdering, and other crimes of the like which deliberately targetted unarmed civilian poptions were absolutely unforgivable, especially when enacted against those he deemed to be children. Unfortunately for him, these things weremon in this feudal era, especially during sieges, and his father''s professional forces did not take his warnings seriously.


    Berengarforted the girl who had been vited by the men in his father''s army as he crouched down and got into her line of sight.


    "I know that no apology I could give you can make up for the crimes that you have endured under my watch. However, I hope you can find sce in the fact that justice has been dealt to the perpetrators..."


    With this said, Berengar returned his attention to the public execution and motioned for it to proceed. The criminals were tied to posts, and a proper firing squad of a dozen men was formed as they raised their muskets. Eckhard personally gave themands that led to the deaths of these men who were guilty of doing nothing more than what was amon urrence in this primitive era.


    "Ready! Aim! Fire!"


    With thestmand given, the thunder of the muskets echoed as their projectiles shredded the bodies of the men who were tied against posts and ended their miserable existence. Many of the soldiers from his father''s army were shocked and outraged at Berengar''s action. Until the moment it transpired they truly believed Berengar was just bluffing in an attempt to scare them into following his ludicrous ideas of civility in warfare.


    Thest orders Berengar gave before the gathered crowd would act as a permanent reminder to the men under hismand as to the ruthlessness Berengar would enact upon those who failed to follow his orders.


    "Throw them to the wolves!"


    With that said, the criminals'' corpses were cut down from the posts and left to rot in the wilderness; under Berengar''s orders, they were not even afforded a proper burial...

 Chapter 75: Suing for Peace

    <h4>Chapter 75: Suing for Peace</h4>


    The remainder of the day was spent intimidating the garrison hiding behind the deteriorating stone walls of the Castle. Berengar had tasked his militia to keep an eye on his father''s professional forces and report any suspicious activity to their NCOs. After the events that transpired during the previous night, Berengar was far more cautious about the behavior of the men beneath hismand. Luckily for him, his message was obvious, and the knights and men-at-arms whoprised of his father''s forces were thoroughly intimidated into following orders. They knew the militia were loyalpletely to Berengar, and they did not have a chance of surviving if they mutinied. As such, the night was far more peaceful than the previous one.


    As for Baron Guntrum and his forces, they continued to hide behind their walls, praying that Berengar''s forces no longer had the capacity to bombard them. Unfortunately for them, when the sun rose the next day, the bombardment continued. The solid steel balls constantly battered the stone walls, and slowly but surely, they began to crumble. It was not until noon when the gates of the Castle were opened, and a man dressed in knightly te armor-wearing the colors of house von Kitzb��hel walked out from the entrance nked by several guards. In his hands was a white g of peace. After noticing this, Berengar ordered his artillery to cease their bombardment, grabbed a white g of his own, and marched with his grenadiers to meet up with the man he presumed to be Baron Guntrum von Kitzb��hel in between the siege camp and the castle.


    When Berengar finally arrived in front of Guntrum, the man sighed heavily, he knew his castle walls would not hold out for long, the damage done to them would already cost a fortune to repair, his armies were defeated, his conscripts did not have the means to defend the Castle any longer, and he was waiting for the end of himself and his family, at least this way he could negotiate with Berengar for the survival of his family.


    "I havee to negotiate the terms of my surrender!"


    Currently, Berengar and his grenadiers stood across from Guntrum and his house guard. The scene of the early modern force, standing across from their medieval counterparts, would be one day be painted brilliantly and be a staple of German Culture. The painting would be titled "When Two Worlds Collide" and would disy the overwhelming might of Berengar''s rise to power. Of course, neither of the two men knew such a thing would ur in the distant future, and as such, they merely conducted themselves appropriately.


    Berengar grinned at Guntrum, though he had stated he would act ruthlessly towards the arrogant Baron and his family during his deration of war, it was all part of his negotiations. After all, the cost of rebuilding the castle and the resistance that woulde to a new dynasty ced in authority by him was not something Berengar wished to deal with. What he wanted was Guntrum''s subservience to subject him and his territory as a vassal state and to raise his family''s status to a Viscounty as such; Berengar spoke with the authority and tyranny of a conqueror who would not ept anything other than an unconditional surrender.


    "State your terms."


    That is all that Berengar said as he looked coldly upon the once mighty Baron. This confused the man, but Guntrum tried to appear as if he was negotiating from a position of strength.


    "I will give you back your steel and textiles. I will also offer youpensation for the cost of this war. In return, I want you and your men to leave thisnd and my family in peace."


    Berengar gazed at Guntrum seriously before breaking out intoughter; after a few moments of awkwardness, he calmed himself down before saying his piece.


    "You must be joking. You realize that if we continue as things are, your walls will copse, and my men will storm your castle. At that point, I really will not spare you or your family''s lives..."


    Guntrum frowned at this response; he did not have a proper retort; he knew he could not effectively defend his keep for much longer. This was an overwhelming victory for Berengar, and Guntrum did not have the means to enforce his demands. As such, he asked Berengar in a slightly agitated tone.


    "What is it that you desire from all of this?"


    Berengar moved closer to Guntrum, which immediately alerted his guards; however, he maintained enough distance to maintain a degree of civility.


    "What is it that I desire, you ask? I want you to ept your position as my family''s vassal; I want to incorporate your territory into Kufstein and for my family''snds to be recognized as Viscounty with all of the status and prestige thates with it. Now I can take thisnd by force, but in my opinion, there has already been enough bloodshed. You have two options; you can return to your castle and wait for your death alongside your family. Or you can submit to my rule and live to maintain yournd under my sovereignty. It is time to choose..."


    With Berengar''s demands having been made, Guntrum was left with an ultimatum, one in which he knew Berengar could fully enforce. Either way, Kitzb��hel would be incorporated into Kufstein; his choice would merely determined whether or not he and his family would live to preside over it. Being backed into a corner by the young Regent, Guntrum had no choice but to ept Berengar''s conditions.


    "Under these terms, I surrender to you... My Lord."


    Berengar smiled as he sped Guntrum on the shoulder as if he were an old friend before saying his piece.


    "Swear fealty unto me, and I will ept your surrender."


    Begrudgingly Guntrum kneeled before Berengar and spoke the Oath of Fealty


    "I Baron Guntrum von Kitzb��hel promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the Viscount of Kufstein, never cause him harm, and will observe my homage to himpletely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."


    With these words spoken, the war that would be known to all in the future as the First Kufstein Border War was concluded, with Berengar and his family ascending to the title of Viscounts and doubling the territory under their dominion. This would be the first of many conquests the Tyrant of Steel would engage in on his path to bing Emperor.

 Chapter 76: Endorsement of Theft

    <h4>Chapter 76: Endorsement of Theft</h4>


    Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Berengar was tasked with incorporating Kitzb��hel into his family''s domain and going through the necessary procedures to dere his father Sieghard as the Viscount of Kufstein. Word quickly spread of Berengar''s rapid conquest of the neighboring Barony, and the other feudal lords were left scratching their heads wondering how Berengar had managed to effectively force the Baron of Kitzb��hel to surrender in under a week. Of course, as per the terms of surrender, Baron Guntrum and his surviving men were incapable of leaking information regarding Berengar''s advanced weapons and tactics to anyone. As such, numerous theories came to be on how Berengar had achieved such a feat.


    Count Lothar, who was Berengar''s liege, was unhappy with the news; with Berengar''s conquest, he had lost a direct Vassal. However, there was not much he could do about the situation as he was aware of his daughter''s rtionship with the young Viscount and had no way to punish him without gaining her disapproval. As a man tightly controlled by his desires to please his daughters, he dreaded such an oue. As such, Count Lothar quickly recognized the results of the war and recognized Sieghard as the Viscount of Kufstein, even if he was currently still officially secluded in penance.


    Berengar was swamped with work; not only did he have to provide properpensation to the families who were affected by his men''s war crimes, but he also had to incorporate many of his agricultural technologies into the newnd. On top of this, he was spreading his propaganda to the people of Kitzb��hel who already had a fairly positive image of him after he executed the criminals in his ranks.


    While Berengar was managing the affairs of two whole Baronies now, Linde was hard at work expanding the spywork. She did not idlyze about while Berengar was off at war; she had made quite some progress in establishing new cells throughout the nearby Counties. She refused to be a pretty face for her man to make love to and instead supported Berengar in the best way she could.


    Currently, she was at the tea shop where she normally conducted business with the local speaker, who just so happened to be Ludolf, the Deacon of the local Church. The man was close to bing a fully ordained priest and was beginning his path to the reformation of the church.


    "So, how is the sovereign?"


    Linde drank from the tea in her cup as she entertained her subordinate''s small talk.


    "He''s doing quite well. However, he is currently swamped overseeing the incorporation of the new territory, and as such, I have been rather lonesome."


    Though Ludolf suspected Berengar and Linde''s rtionship, he really did not inquire about it, as he did not wish to know the personal life of Berengar, who he viewed as aplicated man, one who was blessed by God and destined to lead the German people to a bright future but had a fair share of vices that he felt ufortable with. One thing was certain, Berengar was no saint.


    Ludolf passed over a letter on the table he had copied from the head Priest''s files before speaking in a hushed tone.


    "The Church is officially condemning Berengar''s actions to invade and annex Kitzb��hel. They are calling upon the local lords to form a defensive pact; if he makes another move, he will be beset upon from all sides by his enemies."


    Linde scoffed as she ced down her teacup and looked at the letter in his hands. After reading it, she ced it down with disgust. The Church truly wanted to make things difficult for Berengar. In this letter, the Church openly demanded that the assets seized by Guntrum be handed over to the Church as they had already been promised as such by Guntrum, and as far as they were concerned, legally seized.


    This created an area of conflict with Berengar''s trade routes, as they were encouraging other regions to do the same; it is not as if Berengar had the power to go to war with every region that stole the product of his people''sbor. Linde sighed heavily as she came to an unwanted conclusion about how to resolve these troublesome matters.


    "I suppose I will have to contact that little girl..."


    Ludolf looked at Linde with a gaze of confusion as he heard the irritation in her voice. Though he felt like he should not pry into her business, his curiosity got the better of him.


    "What little girl?"


    Linde snorted in displeasure; she felt uneasy just thinking about it, but now that the Church was instigating theft of Berengar''s supplies, she had no option but to get her father and the father of her rival to work together to counteract the church''s influence.


    "Berengar''s adorable little fiancee... If I can get Ad to convince her father to condemn the church''s actions, two Counts will publicly oppose the Vatican and their open endorsement of theft. The threat of the armies of two counts will be more than enough to dissuade anyone foolish enough to try to seize Berengar''s resources."


    Ludolf nodded in agreement; what she said made sense; he could tell by Linde''s frustrations that she was not particrly fond of Ad, and as such, he felt that his suspicions were confirmed. Nevertheless, he decided to try to mediate their conflict and suggested an alternative option.


    "Why not get Berengar to ask for assistance? That way, she is more likely toply."


    Linde shook her head as she expressed her concerns.


    "Berengar will never ask Ad for help; he''s too proud to ask for her father''s assistance in the matter. This is something that I will have to do personally. I only hope she''s willing to read my letter instead of burning it the moment she sees my family''s seal upon it."


    Ludolf decided to steer away from this conflict among maidens after all and merely drank from his tea; he could tell by that statement alone that the two girls would likely never see eye to eye. Of course, in his eyes, it was obviously Berengar''s fault for being greedy and wanting two beautiful young women by his side. Nevertheless, he somewhat envied Berengar, but as a man dedicated to God, he quickly squashed such notions before getting up from his seat.


    "I will leave the remainder of the task to you. I have to get back to the Church..."


    With that, Ludolf disappeared into the crowd, leaving Linde by her lonesome as she contemted the best words to plead for Ad''s assistance.

 Chapter 77: A Fitting Name

    <h4>Chapter 77: A Fitting Name</h4>


    Berengar currently sat in the dining room; the only two people present for this morning''s breakfast were Berengar and Linde; as usual, his family was still fractured after Lambert''s conviction. Berengar had not seen his father''s or his sister''s face in some time. Though Sieghard was officially dered a Viscount, and his territory had doubled, he was officially in istion for penance. The good news about this was that Berengar could openly flirt with Linde without getting the stink-eye from his fellow family members. As Berengar snacked on a breakfast sandwich, he noticed the blue eyes of his darling little sister peering out from the corner of the entryway.


    Evidently, the little girl was spying on him and Linde; though Berengar wanted to go over and greet her, he feared she would fly back to her room the moment she noticed she was spotted, like a scared little rabbit. As such, he continued to have a civil conversation with Linde about managing the realm''s affairs.


    "Has your father guaranteed safe passage for my trade routes within the County of Tyrol?"


    Linde was gracefully dining on an omelet while she nodded her head; she only began to speak after she had swallowed her bite.


    "Of course, my father will do whatever I tell him to do; he dotes on his daughter''s far too much."


    Berengar smiled and decided to shift the conversation to something more personal. After a few moments of silence, he finally asked in an awkward manner.


    "So... What should we name the Child?"


    This line of questioning instantly piqued Henrietta''s curiosity which was not so subtly listening in on the conversation. On the other hand, Linde wiped her mouth with her napkin before putting a gentle smile on her doll-like face.


    "If it''s a boy, I was thinking of naming him after his father..."


    Berengar smiled sadistically as he responded to her idea while she took a drink from her goblet of water. He could not help but tease his lover when the two of them were alone; even if Henrietta was watching, he did not mind embarrassing the poorss.


    "Oh, so you n on naming him, Lambert?"


    Linde nearly spat out her drink as she heard those words; she struggled to contain the liquid as she swallowed it down. After doing so, her face shifted into a furious re as she scolded Berengar for his behavior.


    "Don''t even joke like that! You know I meant to name him after you!"


    This news was shocking to Henrietta as she listened to Linde admit that her child was Berengar''s; this invoked the inner fury of Henrietta as she already med Linde for Lambert''s exile. Considering she was so young, Henrietta was not told that Lambert had attempted to kill Berengar. Instead, she was told that he voluntarily chose to join the Teutonic Order after changing his heart about his marriage with Linde. She may be young, but Henrietta was no idiot, she suspected something was going on between Berengar and Linde for quite some time, and now that it was confirmed, she was furious at the two of them.


    However, despite the little loli''s inner fury, she continued to listen to the conversation between the scandalous couple. Berengar, of course, was not fond of any of his children being named after him. He did not want a Berengar II chipping away at the Legacy he envisioned himself building in this world. He wanted people in the future to know and revere the name Berengar and immediately associate it with himself, much like they did to the name Alexander which belonged to the world''s greatest conqueror.


    As such, he came up with an alternative, one which was very dear to him as a man who had lived two lives. It was his father''s name from his past life; as such, Berengar looked at Linde with a tender expression and grabbed ahold of her hand as he tried to convince her to name the child after his father from his past life.


    "If it is a boy, how about we name him Hans? That name once belonged to someone very dear to me..."


    Though Linde did not know who Berengart was referring to, by the look on his face, it was a bittersweet memory at best, and as such, she did not pry for information. She did not dislike the name, and as such, quickly agreed.


    "A fitting name! But what if it is a girl?"


    Berengar did not even need to think about it; he would name it after his mother from his previous life if it were a girl.


    "Then we will name her Helga."


    both of these names were eptable to Linde, and as such, she smiled and nodded her head as she epted the terms.


    "That sounds good to me."


    After hearing these things, Henrietta finally revealed herself with a pouting expression; she did not like that Linde was getting all of the attention from Berengar and quickly jumped into hisp while staring down Linde with a furious gaze. Berengar was taken aback by this action as Henrietta had not done such a thing in many years. Thus he felt slightly ufortable as she looked up at him with a pitiful expression.


    "Big Brother, you have note to visit me in so long!"


    Berengar did not know how to react to this; indeed, he did not visit her while she was hiding away in her room and opted to give the little girl some space. However, he was dreadfully busy over the past few weeks managing the entirety of the realm, and as such, had no means to do so. He felt that he had no option but to pet her head and show her some affection, which he did as he chastised the girl for her behavior.


    "You know Ad left, right? She was quite sad that you did not bid your farewells!"


    A distraught expression appeared on Henrietta''s face as she realized she was too depressed to say farewell to her friend and began to m her tiny fists into Berengar''s chest as she threw a childish tantrum.


    "Why didn''t you tell me!"


    Berengar chuckled lightly before restraining the girl,


    "Don''t worry, her birthday ising up soon, and we will go pay her a visit!"


    Henrietta finally calmed down when she heard those words and began to smile for the first time in a long time. Just like that, Berengar spent the rest of his breakfast time doting on his little sister, much to the ire of Linde who sat silently and ate her meal.

 Chapter 78: Lamberts Decision

    <h4>Chapter 78: Lambert''s Decision</h4>


    Lambert was currently in the courtyard of the Castle of Malbork, where he was currently undergoing the brutal training to which the initiates of the Teutonic Order must adhere. Currently, he was sparring with many of his fellow initiates; the young men wielded blunt steel swords against one another as they fearlessly tried to gain the upper hand against their fellow initiates.


    Joining the Teutonic Order was not the honor it had been centuries ago, in the eyes of the public outside of the German-speaking regions, they were seen as warmongers, spreading the views of Catholicism to the neighboring Orthodox Kingdoms by the tip of the spear. An action that greatly strained the rtions between the two pirs of Christianity.


    Currently, the Teutonic Order was in a war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow and, by extension, the Golden Horde, who were the Muscovites feudal overlords. A war in which they were faring quite well, however the need for new troops was constant, and as such, the Teutonic Order had begun taken in criminals as an attempt to fuel their endless Crusades in the North.


    As such, Lambert was engaged in a sparring session with another initiate; the young man was an orphan adopted by the Teutonic Order many years ago and had been training within the castle for quite some time. Though he was talented, Lambert was far superior in the art of swordsmanship and easily bested the man as he dropped him to the floor with a murder stroke. After knocking the man to the ground, Lambert looked upon him with disdain before barking orders.


    "Get up!"


    however, the moment he did so, he felt a thump on the back of his head from the master of arms of the Teutonic Order, who quickly chastised him.


    "Initiate! You do not give orders to your brothers! Nor do you use such force against them in a mere sparring session! As punishment for your actions, you will be cleaning thetrines after your training is over!"


    By now, Lambert knew better than to protest. Despite being a man of Noble birth; none of that truly mattered in the Teutonic Order. To every Knight within this castle, he was considered nothing more than a criminal and a meager initiate who had yet to earn the right to bear the ck cross of the order. As such, Lambert merely nodded before getting back to sparring.


    Throughout the remainder of the session, he vented his frustration onto his sparring partners, resulting in the other young men greatly dissatisfied with Lambert and his unruly behavior. This past month since the boy had begun his exile, he had suffered constant humiliation at the hands of the established knights and had been greatly humbled in his duties. He hated every moment of his time spent here while ming his brother and his ex-fiancee for his current circumstances. The only thing keeping him sane was the thought that one day he would gain his vengeance against those who had wronged him.


    After the sparring session, Lambert began to clean out thetrines, it was an exceptionally filthy and degrading task, but it was a fitting punishment for his behavior. Lately, he had spent a lot of time doing menial tasks such as this. Though he was by far the most talented of the new initiates, his attitude made him unpopr and unlikely to make any new friends any time soon.


    After finishing cleaning thetrines, he was approached by a couple of Knights; the one inmand immediately gave him a summons.


    "You have been summoned to the Great Hall! I suggest you make yourself presentable before you meet the Grand Master..."


    Without allowing him time to reply, the Knights turned around and left; they had fulfilled their duties and no longer cared about what happened to the boy. Whether or not he heeded their advice was entirely up to him, and they had no desire to aid such a disorderly initiate any further than necessary.


    Thus Lambert took a bath and put on a clean set of initiate''s attire before approaching the Great Hall of the mighty Castle. After entering the great hall, he saw the Grand Master standing near the firece, reading a letter contained within his hands. This letter was from the Vatican and informed him of the many alleged misdeeds of Berengar since the young man had taken over the role of Regent in his father''snds.


    When Lambert approached the Grand Master, the man turned around and stared at him intensely in silence. The Grand Master was an older man in his sixties; he waspletely bald, with arge white beard and steel-gray eyes. He wore a set of te armor in the appropriate style of the era with a white tabard on top of it, which had the golden and ck cross of the Grand Master emzoned upon it. The man looked at Lambert with a stern expression as he greeted the boy.


    "So you are the second son who tried to murder his elder brother for the inheritance? It is a pity you failed; your brother has turned into a thorn in the Church''s side; because of that, I just received a request from the Pope to invade your family''snds and annex them as a part of the Teutonic State..."


    Lambert stood in shock as he heard this news, he did not know what events had urred to his brother after he was exiled, but the Inquisition should have arrived by now. However, the fact that the Holy See had requested the Teutonic Order''s intervention meant something extraordinary had happened over the past month. Lambert could not prevent himself from inquiring about the details.


    "What happened?"


    The older man ced down the letter in his hands on his desk and grabbed a chalice filled with wine as he began to drink from it; it was only after he had chugged the entire contents of the ss did he reveal the details of what had transpired.


    "Your Brother has killed two members of the Inquisition. Afterward, he was emunicated and dered a heretic. An action that should make a man think twice before engaging in any further wicked behavior. Yet I just received word that he has uwfully invaded and annexed one of his neighbors, dering his father, a Viscount under the newly established Viscounty of Kufstein. If that were not bad enough, the Baron of Kitzb��hel had promised a substantial degree of raw materials to the Vatican as a gift, your heretic of a brother has now seized those resources, and he refuses to relent on the issue."


    If the Church was good at one thing, it was propaganda, and in an area so far away from Berengar''s influence, the only news about his actions came from the Church. They did their best to paint him as a viinous fiend whose very nature was antagonistic to the Church and their teachings. The Grand Master waspletely unaware of the truth behind these events and, as such, chose to believe his masters'' lies.


    After hearing the events that had urred over the past month in his family''snds, Lambert struggled to find the means to express himself, and in his brief moment of silence the Grand Master closed the distance between the two and gazed at him with a grave expression.


    "At the moment, I do not have the men to spare to fulfill the Pope''s request. However, that will not be an issue within a matter of months, so the question on my mind is simply this. Are you going to continue to throw a tantrum like a small child? Or will you take up the mantle of our Order and enact God''s justice upon your heretical brother and the heathens who support him?"


    Lambert had found himself at a crossroads; if he continued on his current path, the likelihood was that he would not be able to achieve his goals; however, if he started to behave himself and make an actual effort into joining the order, then climbing the ranks would be an easy task for someone like himself, as such Lambert decided to kneel before the Grand Master and pledge his servitude to the Order.


    "I apologize for my actions Grand Master, and henceforth I will make every effort to make up for my mistakes. If God wills it, then one day I hope to be a part of the army which brings the Lord''s judgment upon my wicked brother!"


    As such, on this day, Lambert had truly begun to dedicate his heart and soul to the Teutonic Order and the hope that one day soon they could allow him to gain his vengeance.

 Chapter 79: Infrastructure Initiative

    <h4>Chapter 79: Infrastructure Initiative</h4>


    Currently, Berengar was within the domain of his father''s study finalizing the blueprints for the City he envisioned to be his Capital, the City of Kufstein. He had been hard at work on this project for well over a month at this point, seeing as it was something he mainly worked on in his spare time, he had yet to finish it; until now, that is.


    As the Town of Kufstein became increasingly more urbanized due to Berengar''s agricultural reforms, Berengar found his people suffering from a serious concern. Despite the fact that they were being paid exceptionally well and were no longer bound by thend owned by the feudal lords. Themon people of Kufstein were forced to endure terrible conditions of slums and squalor. Considering Bernegar was the kind of man who despised forcing people into such destitution, he had toe up with a new n to resolve these issues.


    Luckily for him, he held almost absolute power in the region and had a substantial treasury built up from the lucrative steel and textile trade. Considering he had just finished making ns for the City of Kufstein, Berengar decided to put them into action and break ground on the construction of a grand city deserving the title of capital of Kufstein.


    As hebeled it, this grand Infrastructure Initiative was designed to reconstruct the region into a thriving metropolis. The first criticalponent of this initiative was sanitation, where he nned to have city-wide sewers and plumbing where the waste would go through a sewage treatment facility and eventually flow into the local river. There would also be cisterns that could provide fresh and clean water into the homes of every citizen.


    The second criticalponent of this initiative was to build affordable housing inrge apartmentplexes; these apartmentplexes would be built in the traditional half-timber style. If he was going to build a city, it was going to be an aesthetically pleasing city. Of course, each apartment would be outfitted with its own ceramic tub and toilet connected to the city''s plumbing system.


    The thirdponent of this infrastructure initiative was focused on defense. With civil war looming on the horizon, Berengar needed a way to defend his poption properly. He was more than happy to introduce aplex set of city walls based on the star fortress tform of the renaissance and early modern period from his previous life. However, unlike the walls made throughout the history of Berengar''s past life, his would be made out of steel-reinforced concrete, which was a much more resilient construction method than the traditional stone walls that would normallye to be.


    A Star Fortress was essentially what it sounded like. It was a fortress designed in the days of the renaissance tobat cannons'' effectiveness andmonality, which would prove to be the death blow to the old medieval castle designs. Essentially the city would be built out of a polygon split down the middle by the Inn river. At the edges of the wall would be a series of pointed fortifications called bastions that eliminated blind spots and allowed defenders to fire upon besiegers from all angles. Above these bastions would be cavaliers, a raised structure built entirely inside the bastion that acted as a secondary line of defense, allowing more cannons and musketeers to defend the same section of the wall.


    Below the bastions would be a series of ditches filled with water, which was simr to a moat in design, which would make the city virtually impossible toy siege to fully. The design was based upon many years of fortification knowledge that Berengar had gained from his time studying at Westpoint to be an army engineering officer. In this era, no army could sessfullyy siege to such a well-fortified city.


    Fourth and finally, he needed to construct aprehensive set of roads between all the major inhabited regions of his territory and elected for the roman method of road construction. This would certainly be an expensive endeavor. However, he could afford such luxuries, and as such, Berengar had immediately begun the process of constructing his grand city.


    At the moment, Berengar was walking through the town in which he currently presided over on his path to Ludwig''s workshop, which was now his office space within the industrial district. He noticed the filth and squalor his people lived in and could not help but wish to speed up time, so they no longer had to endure these conditions. Luckily for him, his ns wereplete, and he would soon break ground on the project. The people only had to endure these conditions for a little while longer.


    Berengar boldly walked through the doors to Ludwig''s office and began speaking with the old man in the steel factory about the production of galvanized steel piping to construct his plumping system. If the steel was properly submerged in molten zinc, it could create a rtively rust-proofyer which would be essential for the construction of his plumping system.


    "What do you think Ludwig, is it possible?"


    Ludwig stared at the details of Berengar''s ns and felt a headache growing in the back of his skull. The old man sighed heavily as he looked at Berengar like he was a mad man.


    "Is it possible? Absolutely, however, it is going to be incredibly expensive to do this."


    Berengar sped Ludwig on the should and smiled before reassuring his old pal.


    "Don''t worry, I can cover the costs; this is not some venture that will bepleted in a matter of months but will be an ongoing effort over theing years. As long as it is possible, then I don''t care about the cost."


    Ludwig could not help but admire the effort and expense Berengar was willing to go to to ensure better housing and sanitary conditions for his people. Truly there has never been a more benevolent Lord, or so the old man thought. Ludwig could only imagine how hard Bernegar had worked on the budget to ensure his vision of a grand city would be a reality.


    Ludwig sighed and epted Berengar''s enthusiasm for the project.


    "Alright, I''ll get it done; after all, we currently have a surplus of steel that is sitting in a bunch of warehouses waiting for such a grand project. It would be a shame to let it all go to waste."


    Berengar smiled as he thanked Ludwig for his assistance


    "Good, if you will excuse me, I have many different people to contact to begin the construction of this project of mine."


    With that, Berengar left Ludwig behind and contacted the remaining subordinates on his list to begin constructing the grand infrastructure initiative, which wouldter be the basis for how all German Cities would be designed.

 Chapter 80: Revelation of Corruption

    <h4>Chapter 80: Revtion of Corruption</h4>


    Weeks passed and Berengar was, of course, busy overseeing the construction of his grand city and also managing the affairs of the realm atrge. Linde continued to manage her spywork, and Eckhard continued to train the troops. Everything was running smoothly as far as Berengar was concerned.


    In this time nothing major happened, though there were some minor improvements to Berengar''s overall ns. For example, today was the day Ludolf finally became an ordained priest. As such he was kneeling in the church at Innsbruck where the local Bishop conducted his ordination. The ceremony was nothing extravagant, and it was soon over.


    When the Bishop of Innsbruck finished the ceremony he began to speak to Ludolf, having no way of knowing that he was already in Berengar''s camp.


    "Ludolf, I must say you have your work cut out for your working in that godless territory."


    This struck a nerve with Ludolf as thend he was currently residing in was referred to as godless by the Bishop simply because he disagreed with Berengar''s policies. As such he immediately defended it.


    "Godless? What makes you refer to Kufstein as Godless?"


    The Bishop smiled in with a condescending look as he chastised Ludolf for his naivety.


    "Good Ludolf, I know you have sympathies towards the people of the region, but the Regent who currentlymands them is a Heretic, emunicated and damned as such by the Pope himself. Clearly, the people''s souls are suffering under such a wicked tyrant. It is up to you to lead the people of Kufstein to the light of God. Thank goodness we will not have to put up with that heretic for much longer."


    Thest portion of the Bishop''s lecture caught Ludolf by surprise, this meant there was clearly a plot underway against Berengar and as such he decided to dig deeper into the Bishop''s meaning.


    "I''m sorry, I''m afraid I don''t understand what you mean by that? Why will we not have to put up with Berengar much longer?"


    The Bishop thought he was talking to someone on his and the Vatican''s side and as such had no qualms about discussing their conspiracy behind closed doors.


    "Why because of the Teutonic Order of course!"


    Ludolf was visibly confused as he heard the Bishop''s orders, as such he exined the entirety of the situation to Ludolf who listened intently.


    "As you may be aware the Teutonic Order is currently at war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, however, they have a n to wipe the floor with those damned Rus and install the power of the Holy See over their Patriarch. As such within six months to a year, they will be free to bring their wrath down upon the Heretics in Kufstein and annex the territory as an area of the Teutonic State. Surely the control of the territory will return to God''s favored son of the von Kufstein family at that time!"


    Ludolf was shocked, but he clearly understood what the Bishop meant by that, as such he had to ask the question on his mind.


    "Does the Pope know about this?"


    The Bishop merely broke out intoughter thinking that Ludolf was joking before noticing the serious expression on his face.


    "Who do you think requested the aid of the Teutonic Order in this endeavor?"


    If previously Ludolf had any doubts about the extent in which the Catholic Church was rotten they no longer existed. Truly the entire Catholic Church was filled to the brim with corruption, and he could no longer stand by it. Now that he was a properly ordained priest he would take action. He had thought about everything Berengar had told him about the Church and was certain now that everything he said was the truth. When he returned home to Kufstein he would quickly get to an academic disputation of the church and its corruption he would be sure to post it on the door to the Church of Kufstein and have Berengar print it with his printing press so that it could be distributed to all learned readers across the German-speaking regions.


    However, at the moment he was surrounded by enemies and had to y the part of a loyal subject, as such he quickly smiled and nodded to the Bishop''s response


    "Of course, I was merely curious. I hope Berengar gets what he deserves."


    As such the twomunicated for a long while over a few sses ofmunion wine, the revtions he heard from the bishop now that he had be an ordained priest only increased his resolve to publically condemn the church. Embezzlement was the least of the Church''s crimes, they had done truly unspeakable things in the past, and the Bishop let loose all of the details in which he was privy to after having more than his fair share of wine. Loose lips sink ships, and after a few drinks, the Bishop was more than willing to share anything in which Ludolf asked.


    Ludolf quickly came to the realization that The institution he had once looked up to as the beacon of hope in a terrible world was utterly corrupted to the core, and it would take a miracle to save it. Berengar was right all along, though the two had debated over the extent to which the corruption of the church reached, he had always seen Berengar as a benevolent ruler, and kind man to those who deserved it. Ludolf had always justified Berengar''s more ruthless actions as bringing the judgment of heaven onto the wicked, even when the inquisitors were executed he did not bat an eye. Yet now he was fully convinced that Berengar''s ideals were 100% correct and needed to be preached by a proper priest. Little did he know that he was ying exactly into Berengar''s hands.


    Berengar had long since desired to use Ludolf to be the Martin Luther of this world and to usher in the protestant movement. Something which would give Berengar a valid casus belli to seize the territories of the German world for himself after he came to power in Austria. After all the Catholics would never let an openly protestant state exist, and through the might of science and engineering, Berengar would bring down the influence of the Church over the German people and instate his own, one which would serve his interests.

 Chapter 81: Gaining the Counts Support

    <h4>Chapter 81: Gaining the Count''s Support</h4>


    Ad was currently in her room ying with a letter in her hands, debating whether or not she should read its contents. On this letter was the seal of house von Habsburg-Innsbruck and she knew of only one member of that family who would ever write to her. Obviously, this letter contained the words of Linde, though what it contained the young girl did not have the heart to find out. She was fearful it would contain the truth about the parentage of Linde''s child as a way to mock her now that she was away from Berengar''spany.


    After some time, Ad decided to open the letter and, after doing so, read through its contents with an anxious outlook. It was only after she had re-read the letter three times did she fully rx; she realized that she had beenpletely overthinking things and that she should have opened it sooner.


    The letter contained Linde''s plea to unite their families against the Church''s ploys to interfere with Berengar''s trade. It did not contain a single spitefulment by Linde and actually encouraged them to get along. However, there was a certain sentence that made Ad mildly upset. Her sight caught onto it and re-read it constantly for nearly ten minutes, and the passage was as follows.


    "For the man we both love, I see no reason that we can not unite and do our best to aid him in his hour of need."


    Though Linde had always hinted about her feelings towards Berengar, and Ad indeed suspected there was a rtionship between the two, at this point, Linde was outright admitting it in this letter. Ad could not help but sigh and pout as she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand while expressing her thoughts aloud.


    "Why did I have to fall in love with a womanizer like you?"


    There was nobody in the room to hear her, and as such, she merely sat in silence thinking about all the great memories she had made with Berengar over the past few months. She greatly desired to see him again, but unfortunately, her birthday was not for another month. However, despite knowing about Berengar''s actions, she was not angry and instead decided to aid Linde in helping Berengar; as such, she quickly rushed to her father, who was in the middle of his study.


    Count Otto was going over the ledger containing the steel reserves he had amassed from trade with Berengar; at this rate, he would soon be able to supply his armies with the best equipment. Like Sieghard had envisioned, his armies would be equipped mostly with a brigandine and steel te mixture. As such, he was currently signing orders to produce such equipment when he heard a knock on his door. He quickly announced that the door was unlocked.


    "It is open."


    After hearing such words, Ad opened the door and approached her father with a serious expression. Ad was the youngest of Otto''s daughters and the one he doted on the most. If not for the dire need of iron, he never would have engaged his favorite daughter to her once sickly cousin; instead, he would find her a prince. However, the engagement turned out for the best as Berengar proved to be quite the capable young man and had turned a massive amount of iron into steel, which was practically a miracle in this medieval world. The couple also seemed to be greatly fond of one another, so it worked out for the best.


    After Ad arrived in the room, she quickly spouted out her thoughts to her father


    "Berengar is in trouble!"


    This struck a nerve with Otto as he was unaware of such things; in fact, now that Berengar ruled over both Kufstein and Kitzb��hel in his father''s stead, the young man should be doing better than ever, as such he questioned what exactly his precious daughter meant when she said that.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ad was unhesitant as she quickly exined the situation to her father.


    "The Pope has issued a decree openly endorsing the theft of his trade; Berengar does not have a reputation fearsome enough to dissuade his neighbors from engaging in such acts, let alone the territories between ournd and his. If we do not issue a public statement backing him, then I''m afraid we will no longer be able to get the steel we require for the army."


    Count Otto was outraged when he heard this news; he immediately questioned in his own mind as to why he was not informed earlier. After thinking things through he let loose his inner thoughts about the papacy and their constant interference into the secr realm''s affairs.


    "Why is it that the Pope always has to stick his nose into the business of the nobility. This is outrageous. I will immediately publically denounce such a statement and stand by Berengar''s side. I will also encourage my allies to do the same and make it clear what will happen if anyone dares to steal my shipments!"


    Ad was ted by the news and ran up to her father and hugged him with joy.


    "Thanks, daddy!"


    after saying that, she left the man behind in his study alone with his own thoughts. After Ad had disappeared beyond his door, the count pulled out a chalice and a gon of wine and began to drink from it before sighing out loud.


    "Damnit Berengar, I know the Church is full of shit, but you just had to execute two of their fucking inquisitors. I won''t be able to protect you from everything, but this is the least I can do to honor our alliance."


    As such, he quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and his quill. Where he began to draft a public decree of condemnation against the Church and their public endorsement of theft,beling it a vition of the tenmandments and unbing of the Vatican and the Pope who was God''s representative on Earth. After doing so, he had it spread far and wide so that anyone with half a brain could realize that provoking Berengar and his alliances with two Counts was a terrible idea. Ultimately this decision would help lead to the German Schism with the Catholic Church, which was on the horizon.

 Chapter 82: Recruitment Drive

    <h4>Chapter 82: Recruitment Drive</h4>


    Word eventually reached Berengar of the Papacy''s ploy to have him removed from power by the Teutonic Order and to ce his brother Lambert in control after the region had been annexed. After all, Ludolf had immediately contacted Berengar''s burgeoning spywork in Innsbruck and had them send word to Kufstein about such a conspiracy. Berengar knew that sparing his brother woulde back to bite him in the ass, but for the sake of his mother, he had done so. A decision which he deeply regretted at this point. The Teutonic Order was no small force, and with his current armies, he had little chance of defeating them, as such had no choice but to boost his recruitment efforts for his militia. Ultimately he had decided to incorporate the militia and the professional army directly under his father''smand into a united unit, and train them appropriately. As far as his father''s forces when he was called off to war were concerned, Berengar would hire a group of mercenaries to fight alongside the Viscount.


    Aside frompleting his Artillery Battalion and raising arger group of Cuirassiers, Berengar had done little in recruitment. However, with ess to double the poption he once had, he now knew that he had to begin using the Barony of Kitzb��hel and itsrge poption to fill his ranks. But first, he had to make one innovation which he had revised after the sessful campaign against Kitzb��hel.


    As such, Berengar once more visited Ludwig''s office with a new set of blueprints in hand. When he arrived, the old man was quick to greet his Lord.


    "Milord, I was not expecting your visit. Is there anything I can help you with?"


    Berengar did not say a word and merelyid the designs he had drafted on the table for Ludwig to see. It was a new sword design, based entirely on the 1788 British Heavy Cavalry Sword from his past life. If there was one thing that the conflict with Kitzb��hel taught him, it is that the single-edged design of the Dusack was less effective against the heavily armored forces of thete medieval period. As such, he had to rethink the swords used by his cuirassiers, and searching through his memory, he found this gem.


    The de of the sword was 38 inches in length and was had a full edge on one side, with a half-edge on the upper half of the other side. It was a weird mixture of a backsword, and a broadsword, allowing for efficient cuts and thrusts and some more obscure attacks like the reverse sh. The hilt was almost like a basket-hilt, but not quite; with apletely symmetrical guard that covered the entire hand, there was just enough space to allow for the full rotation of the wrist, making it both incredibly versatile and ambidextrous. The de was more than tapered enough to get through the gaps in medieval te armor, and as such, was the superior weapon for his cavalry forces. Luckily his cuirassiers were little in number, and as such, he had not heavily invested into their dusacks.


    Even Ludwig was impressed by the design and asked about Berengar''s intentions.


    "This is?"


    Berengar grinned with pride as he sped Ludwig''s shoulder


    "The new sword for my Cuirassiers!"


    Ludwig could not help but sigh; every time Berengar visited him, it was either for drinks or to produce new designs. Though he had more than enough manpower to do such a thing, especially with the mass implementation of water-powered technology like the trip hammer, it just meant more work on his tter. He was already swamped with all of the production lines he was currently overseeing. After realizing he was merely switching the production of the dusacks to these cavalry swords, he felt as if it really was not as big as a deal as he was making it and thus could not help but ept it.


    "Alright, I''ll see it done. It is a mighty fine de after all..."


    Berengar pped Ludwig on the back beforeplimenting him


    "You always know how to make me happy Ludwig, how about we go out for drinks tonight at the tavern?"


    Ludwig could not help but smile


    "Sure, I''ll be there."


    afterward, Berengar left him behind and went to his paper factory, where he encountered the men hard at work. The head of the factory quickly greeted him.


    "Milord, it is an honor to have you here."


    Berengar was used to the man''s over-enthusiastic attitude at this point and quickly cut to the chase.


    "I need some recruitment fliers for the militia made. Here is the basic design."


    As such, Berengar handed the man a recruitment flier that he had personally designed and left the rest up his factory and the many printing presses they had within it. The foreman quickly responded to Berengar''s request.


    "I will have it done, Milord."


    With that, his spywork would spread his recruitment fliers across Kufstein and Kitzb��hel to act as a means to recruit many volunteers. He would note to realize how effective his propaganda would be untilter than the month when the number of recruits willing to join the militia raised significantly. After all, the people of Kitzb��hel were well aware of how effective his forces were, and now that Berengar ruled over them in his father''s name, much more disillusioned youth were more than happy to join such an elite force. Soon enough, his armies would be substantiallyrger, a force that a mere Viscount would not normally have under hismand.


    Thus Berengar''s militia would soon drastically increase in size; by the time the Teutonic Order invaded his domain, they would be met with a rude awakening as such Berengar spent the rest of his day continuing on his daily tasks of overseeing the many aspects in which he was entrusted as Regent of Kufstein. He seriously began to wonder if his father was still alive. It had been quite some time since the old man went into seclusion, and though Berengar was happy that he was finally able to aplish so much, he was apprehensive about his father''s health. As such, he vowed that he would take some time in the following day to check up on the old man and try to cheer him up. After all, he had been far too busy to maintain his familial affairs as ofte.

 Chapter 83: A Fathers Grief

    <h4>Chapter 83: A Father''s Grief</h4>


    Berengar awoke bright and early once more; with his lover by his side, he could not help but smile at the shining of the dawn upon their gentle embrace. However, now was not the time to entertain his little pet. Instead, he quickly got out of bed and began to begin his daily exercise. Today consisted of mainly cardio; as such, he went for his daily run before engaging in swordy with Eckhard. By now, he was at leastpetent enough with the sword to survive in a fight on the battlefield.


    Today was not a sparring day. Instead, he drilled intensely, getting the proper movement of attacks and defensive positions engrained into his muscle memory; after nearly two hours of learning swordsmanship, Berengar retired to the bath where he cleaned himself before visiting his parents chambers.


    Berengar arrived at the door of his family''s chambers, where he knocked upon it several times before his mother opened the door. She had a look of worry on her face as she nced upon Berengar before dragging him into the room and shutting the door behind. Shocked by his mother''s actions, Berengar could not help but question her motives.


    "Mother, what is going on?"


    Gis did not say much and merely led Berengar to the bedside where his father was resting, it had been over a month since hest saw the man, and his condition had changed for the worse during this time. The old man truly looked as if he had aged ten years, his hair which was starting to grey in the past, had greatly progressed in that matter, and his face was gaunt with malnutrition adding to his age. Evidently, the man had been fasting heavily and repeatedly praying to the Lord for guidance. Yet, all such actions managed to achieve was deal a significant blow to his health; he now looked worse than Berengar did when he first arrived in this world.


    Berengar looked at his father with a great sense of guilt; if the old man was this bad after having exiled his son, then Berengar did not want to imagine his condition if Lambert had been executed for his crimes. As a dutiful son Berengar took responsibility for this and approached Sieghard, lying in a state of depression on his bed. After grabbing hold of his hand, Berengar spoke to his father, informing him of some of the good news that had happened over thest month or so.


    "Father! I want to inform you that you are now a Viscount! Due to a border conflict with Kitzb��hel, I have sessfully conquered them, forced Baron Guntrum into your vassge. As far as Lambert is concerned, I have received news that he fits nicely in the Teutonic Order and will soon take his vows. There is no reason to be suffering so much; the boy will surely redeem himself in the eyes of the Lord soon enough!"


    Berengar did not have the heart to tell his father that he was engaged in a serious conflict with the Church and that he had been emunicated and condemned as a Heretic. Nor did he have the desire to inform the old man that the Teutonic Order nned to march on theirnds within 6 months to a year in an attempt to depose himself as Regent and annex the territory allowing Lambert to rule over it under the Banner of the Teutonic State. If the man heard such terrible news, he might literally die of a broken heart, and Berengar could not bear to witness such a thing.


    Sieghard smiled for the first time in a long time as he heard the news; it brought a brief sense of respite from the crippling guilt he felt for failing his sons as a father. He spoke weakly to Berengar with an affectionate smile.


    "A Viscount, huh? I suppose that is good news for you, my son, soon enough, you will inherit mynds, and you deserve far more than ruling over a lowly Barony like I was able to provide for you. I regret that I will not live to see your wedding..."


    Berengar could not help but tear up as he heard these words; his father had truly given up on life, at the rate he was going, he would not even make it to the war to which he had been so desperately looking forward to. Nor did Berengar believe that Sieghard even cared for such a thing at this point. He tried to give meaning to the old man''s life in any way he could; as such, he thought about Linde''s pregnancy and tried to urge his father to care about that.


    "Father, do not speak in such a manner; you will soon be a grandfather. Do you not wish to wish to gaze upon the sight of your first grandchild after it has been born?"


    With this, Sieghard merely scoffed and returned to his depressed state as he stopped looking at Berengar and returned his gaze to the ceiling of the cold stone room. He voiced his concerns aloud, not caring how Berengar would feel about hearing them.


    "Pfft... A bastard child, the result of which will forever be a reminder of my failure as a parent. One of my sons conspired to murder his elder brother, and the other impregnated his younger brother''s fiancee. What a masterful job I have done raising you boys..."


    Berengar''s n to cheer up his father hadpletely backfired so spectacrly that he had sent his father into a further state of depression; Berengar could understand his father''s grievances with his rtionship with Linde. At this point He was just happy that Sieghard was unaware of how his rtionship with Linde came to be; if the old man was aware that it was the result of yet another plot against his life by Lambert, he might actually die on the spot.


    As such, the young Regent could not help but sigh in response to his father''s state. There was truly nothing he could do; he was not socially adept enough to properlyfort his father through his sense of overwhelming guilt and grief. His one attempt to do so had just managed to make his father feel worse about the whole situation. He may have just caused several weeks to be taken off his father''s life. Berengar needed to find something that could give the old man some hope, and quickly. If not, he feared the reaper would take his father from him far earlier than he should.


    Before leaving the room, Berengar expressed his empathy for his father while choking back the anger he felt at himself for being so socially inept whenforting others about serious issues.


    "Get well soon, father..."


    With that said, Berengar departed from his father''s room with a sense of defeat. He did not know how to fix this situation, and all that he could manage was to throw himself into his work to avoid the sense of despair that had begun to take hold of his heart as he thought about the hopelessness of his father''s current state.

 Chapter 84: Discussing Defense

    <h4>Chapter 84: Discussing Defense</h4>


    After leaving his father''s quarters, Berengar returned to the dining room where he ate breakfast; once more, Linde and Henrietta were at the table; however, this time, the two girls were far more cordial with one another. Berengar did not know what Linde had said to Henrietta, but they appeared to be on better terms than before; at the very least, the little girl no longer seemed to pin the me of Lambert''s exile on Linde.


    While snacking on some wurst, Linde could not help but ask about Berengar''s visit to his father, which put him in a difficult spot, if Henrietta were still secluded, he might be able, to tell the truth of the matter, but with the little loli innocently snacking on breakfast sausage he could not very well inform both of them to the severity of his father''s condition. As such, he merely shrugged his shoulders and said the least dishonest thing he could think of.


    "I have done all that I am able..."


    Though Henrietta was too engrossed in enjoying her breakfast to notice Berengar''s solemn expression, Linde immediately picked up on it and could tell that things were not going well for the von Kufstein family, especially for the head of the household. She felt bitter after seeing that helpless expression on Berengar''s face, knowing full well that if there were nothing he could do, then anything she might attempt would only worsen things. After all, Berengar''s parents did not exactly ept their rtionship, even if they tolerated it.


    As such, she snacked on her breakfast in awkward silence. Berengar, on the other hand, gazed deeply into his gon of milk, which he desperately wished to be wine. However, he had more than enough self-restraint and forcefully deterred himself from resorting to morning drinking as a way to quench his sorrows. He preferred the slightly more healthy alternative of throwing himself into his work. As such, he quickly steered the conversation into a path more favorable for him.


    "The construction of the city walls is underway. Soon enough, Kufstein will be a city like no other, it might take a couple of years to achieve fully, but ultimately the designs I have nned will usher in a new age of security and prosperity for the German people!"


    Linde had witnessed his grand ns and was excited about such a proposition. It was truly an extraordinary design, and she had no idea how Berengar kepting up with such revolutionary ideas. She greatly admired his intellect and his approach to problems. Though she felt he was spending too much money to make themon people''s lives better. The defenses she could understand, but the advanced plumbing system and theplex apartments woulde at great cost, and even if he rented the apartments out at a fair price as he nned, it would take quite some time to recoup his losses.


    As a woman who grew up in the privileged family of the higher nobility and was greatly spoiled in her formative years, some things like snobbery were hardwired into her DNA. As such, Linde could not understand Berengar''s benevolent attitude towards themoners. Though she did not understand it, she did not look down upon it; she figured Berengar''s benevolence to his people was one of his better qualities. If he was apletely ruthless sociopath who only cared for himself, she figured she would never have fallen for him to the depths in which she had.


    Knowing that her lover''s ns were progressing well made Linde feel happy, even if she felt he was spending too much money on the happiness of themoners, as she smiled and congratted Berengar on the current sess of his grand infrastructure initiative.


    "That is excellent news; I can''t wait to witness the City''s defenses once they arepleted. Your designs are impressive, to say the least."


    Henrietta looked up from her te at the couple with a gaze of confusion, she had no idea what Bernegar was nning, nor the ludicrous amount he was spending daily on such ns. She lived a carefree lifepletely devoid of any thoughts regarding the realm''s future and its prosperity. However, the term city and walls brought a minor degree of interest to her; as such, she could not help but question what Berengar was nning. Her azure eyes twinkled with excitement as she questioned her big brother about his supposed ns.


    "What city? Walls? What are you talking about?"


    Berengar could not help but smile at the innocent look on his little sister''s face. It greatly calmed his nerves about the issues with his father''s rapidly deteriorating health. As such, he decided to spoil the girl with information about his extravagant project.


    "I''m currently transforming the town into a full-fledged city; with the increase in urbanization, a lot of the locals live in horrible conditions; as such, I have ns to alleviate those concerns, and build a strong defensive barrier around the city!"


    Though Henrietta did not understand half of the words Berengar had used, she felt as if it was something extraordinary as such; she smiled and congratted Berengar on his progress.


    "Good job!"


    She said while raising her thumb in approval. Though she wouldtere to realize just how effective Berengar''s ns were, it would not be for some time before she came to such a conclusion. For now, the little girl merely enjoyed her food as Berengar and Linde continued their discussion about topics that bored her. After finishing her meal Henrietta looked up at Berengar with a cute expression; considering he was now sitting at the head of the table, it would be considered rude to run off without his permission.


    "Big Brother, may I please be excused?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded, allowing the little loli to flee off to her room to y with her toys. Completely unaware that she was missing a discussion about the construction of monumental advancements in defensive technology that would one daye to dominate the cities of the future German Empire.

 Chapter 85: Have you no Shame?

    <h4>Chapter 85: Have you no Shame?</h4>


    A few days had passed since Berengar visited his father, and he was currently sitting on the seat of power in Kufstein, where a messenger rushed in and handed him an intelligence report. The report contained the joint public denunciation of the Church''s endorsement of theft against Berengar''s trade by Count Lothar of Tyrol and Count Otto of Steiermark. The counts were quite gutsy in their rebuking of the Church. They even went so far as to dere that the Pope was advocating for the people of Austria to break the 7th Commandment, as such this event caused quite a stir in the Christian world, as a promation by the Holy See condemning a Heretic turned into quite the scandal as there were plenty of lords, priests, and bishops who agreed with the two Counts and their joint deration.


    Surprisingly several Orthodox Patriarchs came out and Condemned the Pope, especially the Patriarch of Moscow who''s territory was currently at war with the Teutonic Order, a Catholic military order which had invaded theirnds to convert the Christians within them to the Catholic variety, which was a great point of contention between the Catholic and Orthodox churches at the moment.


    Berengar read the report with a wide grin; he did not know how Ad had heard about this rtively mundane matter, but he was thankful for her support; he waspletely oblivious to the fact that Linde had set this up behind his back, but even if he did know he would not be angry as this only caused a further rift in the Christian world, in which Ludolf would be able to exploit soon enough.


    Speaking of Ludolf, the man was currently working on a schrly paper written about the corruption of the Church and thought it would take some time topile the evidence into a collection of cohesive theses; he had little doubt that soon enough, the Christian world would turn on itself. He began to wonder how his actions would affect the Council of Constance in this timeline.


    As he was going over these details, Linde walked in, saw therge smile on his face, and inquired about the reason for his pleasant mood.


    "What has made you so happy?"


    Berengar chuckled lightly as he ced his paper to the side and turned his attention to his beautiful lover, who by now was starting to show physical signs of pregnancy.


    "Nothing much; I just love seeing my enemies at each other''s throats."


    As his spymaster, he had given her maternity leave as her pregnancy had progressed, and she was mostly resting about enjoying a slothful life. As such, she was unaware of the ongoing schemes in the background. However, when he said such things, she could estimate what had happened, and thus she smiled in return.


    "That is good to hear."


    Instantly a devilish idea began to form in Berenghar''s mind; considering that nobody was around, he motioned for his lover toe over and sit upon hisp; he took pleasure in teasing the girl who was carrying his child. Though her cheeks began to flush in embarrassment, she could not disobey her master''s orders; as such, she sat upon hisp in an awkward disy in the middle of the Great Hall.


    However, as he was blowing on Linde''s ears, his mother just so happened to be walking by and witnessed the affectionate disy where she quickly began to scold Berengar as she marched in his direction.


    "Berengar! Just what is it that you think you are doing on your father''s seat of power?"


    Gis''s shrill voice immediately caused Linde to attempt to hop away from Berengar''s grasp in embarrassment, but the young Regent managed to capture his lover in his arms and keep her in ce, which caused her to looked down at the ground and cover her face. This was truly a mortifying position to be in. Berengar, on the other hand, had a smug expression on his face as he responded to his mother''s Chastisement.


    "Father has ced me in charge of the realm during his absence; as such, I see no reason why I can not rx on this chair while ying around with my lover. Even a Viscount needs a moment of rest now and then..."


    Gis''s gaze immediately narrowed in response to Berengar''s ims, though it was true Berengar was Viscount in everything, but name, that did not mean they should behave in this manner. Especially so boldly dering in the open that he and Linde were lovers, did he not care about his reputation?


    Seeing his mother''s piercing gaze, Berengar could not help but scoff internally as he held his arms tightly around Linde, preventing her from escaping from his clutches. This public disy of affection had really gotten him excited. Nevertheless, he could not do anything at the moment, so he listened to his mother''s lecture with a smug expression on his face.


    "Regardless as to whether or not you can behave in this way, it is simply uneptable! Have you no shame?"


    Berengarughed lightly at his mother''s words which infuriated the woman; if he acted this way as regent, she could not imagine how he would behave when he was officially viscount. However, just when she was about to chastise him further, he let out a bold answer to her question.


    "Evidently not..."


    Berengar truly was shameless, if he really wanted to, he would tie Linde up to a leash and have her kneel before him while he sat on his throne with her leash in hand, but he was not that wicked yet... Nevertheless, his mother would not ept his inappropriate actions any further. As such, she marched up to the seat of power with the intent to p him. Seeing he had gone too far, he let Linde go, where she quickly scurried off while filled with an overwhelming sense of humiliation and shame. Of course, he made sure to voice his thoughts aloud as his mother stopped at the steps just below him.


    "Damn, I love that woman..."


    With that said, Gis looked at him with disgust and stormed off; she could not believe her son had grown into such a womanizer. Berengar, on the other hand, began to stretch, now that he was rxed from the little fun he was able to achieve in this brief moment, he quickly got back to the task at hand. For a man with great ambitions like him, the work was never done.

 Chapter 86: Formation of a Wicked Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 86: Formation of a Wicked Alliance</h4>


    During Linde''s maternity leave, the position of spymaster was temporarily handed over to her bastard half-sister Adelheid, who operated out of Innsbruck. She was the personal maid of Linde, who had since her departure been working at the family estate and directly serving her father, Lothar. She was not exactly fond of her father due to how she had been treated throughout her youth and desperately looked up to Linde as her eldest sister and the only one who seemed to care for her. As such, she was more than eager to spy on her father''s domain for her precious big sister.


    Of course, she was not happy with Berengar for making Linde his lover; Adelheid thought that Linde''s love had blinded her to Berengar''s true nature and that in truth he was an absolute scoundrel, much like her father. However, if supporting him was what Linde wanted, then she wouldply. Even if she believed Linde was deserving of the position of Berengar''s wife and not that little girl from Graz.


    Currently, Adelheid was cleaning her father''s study, where she came across a variety of letters issued that exchanged the details between the Bishop of Innsbruck and her father. Now that Lambert was exiled from the house of Kufstein and sent to the Teutonic order, Lothar''s ns relied entirely on his daughter''s illicit rtionship with Berengar. As such, a rift had grown between him and the Bishop of Innsbruck, who kept insisting on deposing Berengar for the sake of the church. Seeing literally no benefit from this request, Count Lothar had abandoned the Bishop and the church''s pleas. Instead, he sided with Berengar to win his favor and potentially gain an even better deal on the steel trade.


    Adelheid read over all of the information she could gather from the Bishop of Innsbruck and her father''s correspondence and added it to the web of knowledge she had collected. As she was looking over the information, she heard footsteps and a pair of voices approaching, one of which she recognized to be her father''s. Thus she quickly put away the letters in the order she had found them and began to sweep around the office, making herself look busy. By the time her father and the unknown figure arrived in his office, they noticed Lothar''s bastard daughter fulfilling her duties of cleaning the room and felt no suspicion whatsoever. After all, as his personal maid, that was something she ought to be doing.


    The Count did not even mind her presence as he began to speak with a man dressed in the attire of a Bishop, who Adelheid recognized as Bishop Ernest of Innsbruck; the man was morbidly obese and was easily in his sixties; he had a particrly troll-like face, and waspletely bald with a long mustache that looked like a set of walrus tusks which were as white as snow. This fat bastard looked lustfully at Adelheid as she cleaned the office in the background. Noticing his sinful gaze, Lothar snapped at him.


    "Don''t even think about it!"


    considering the fat old man was here to negotiate with the Count of Tyrol about withdrawing his support for Berengar, the man snarled but ultimately retracted his gaze before speaking to Lothar in an obviously fake polite tone.


    "Count Lothar, I''m sure you are aware that by supporting a condemned heretic like Berengar, your very soul is at risk of sharing that same fate as his."


    Lothar pulled out a pair of chalices and then filled them with wine, handing one to the fat old bishop before discussing his terms with the man.


    "Cut to the chase; I do not want to hear any bullshit from you. If you do not give me something of worth, then I will not think about abandoning the boy in favor of your lot."


    The old bishop grimaced as he heard those words; he was well aware of Berengar''s miraculous ability to turn iron into steel, he was also aware of Lothar''s ambitions to be Duke of Austria, and as such, even with the overwhelming wealth of the church he would have to pay a heavy price in order to convince the Count to join his side.


    Adelheid keenly listened to this conversation as she quietly cleaned in the background; neither of the two men was concerned about whether or not she overheard their conversation and the potential conspiracy it may contain. As such, the Bishop quickly spoke his terms he was willing to present to win Lothar''s favor.


    "Very well, what the Church is willing to offer you is the entire Prince-Bisophric of Chur to add to your domain."


    Not only was Count Lothar shocked, but so was Adelheid; this was no small domain owned by the church which bordered the County of Tyrol. It contained many resources and a rtivelyrge poption. If Lothar acquired this, he would be able to increase his wealth and military power vastly. He could not believe the Church was willing to go so far to put down a minor Viscount; as such, he had to rify the issue.


    "You will give me the entire region of Chur?"


    The bishop nodded his head in approval as his next words confirmed his offer.


    "The Holy Father has already approved it; all you have to do is side with us when the time is right and invade Kufstein alongside the Teutonic Order."


    Count Lothar thought about it for several moments; the minerals, wealth, and forces he would gain from Chur would be worth more in total than the trade he had with Berengar. As such, he had no reason to decline, especially when he considered the fact that he despised the boy who had knocked up his favorite daughter. As such, Lothar reached out his hand and cemented the alliance with the Church. Though he would still officially remain on Berengar''s side for the time being, when the time was right, he would turn on the boy Regent and bring order to his territory once more. He did not care who ruled over Kufstein so long as they submitted to him.


    The fat old bishopughed heartfully as he shook the Count''s hand and dered their alliance on the spot.


    "I knew you were a man of great Faith; together, we shall destroy this heretic and prevent his views from spreading across Europe! He has already caused more damage to the faithful than you may realize."


    The truth of the matter was, with the scandal the Vatican had found itself in over the matter of publically endorsing the seizing of Berengar''s assets and the letter of rebuttal the two counts had made against them, Berengar''s poprity was rising among the German nobility, and his views were currently being spread in his propaganda. It would not be long before this Heresy in which the church had officially deemed the Berengar Heresy spread to every corner of the German world. At that time, the church would lose significant power, and as such, they were willing to give up such a huge chunk ofnd to get rid of Berengar as quickly as possible. After all, they did not want the Teutonic Knights to have to face Count Lothar''s forces nor did they wish to engage in an entire crusade just to put down this growing heresy.


    Overhearing this grave threat to Berengar, and more importantly, her dearest sister, Adelheid, was more than happy to report this news to Linde at the first opportunity avable. As such, after witnessing this despicable alliance being formed, she used the first chance she got to leave the office and write a letter to Linde informing her about the threats that had begun to manifest within Innsbruck.

 Chapter 87: Counter Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 87: Counter Conspiracy</h4>


    Linde sat in her quarter''s within the Castle of Kufstein; she received a letter which was written from her sister; in this letter, it described the scene in which Adelheid had witnessed and their father''s treachery. The girl twirled a strand of her strawberry blonde hair in boredom as she read the words. She suspected sooner orter her father would betray her lover; it was only a matter of time before the Church offered him something he could not refuse.


    After reading the words the Letter contained, Linde burned it before leaving her room, seeking out Berengar to inform him of the crucial issue at hand. Before long, she found Berengar in his father''s study reviewing the ledgers on his grand infrastructure initiative. When Linde arrived in the study with a worried expression, he could guess that her sister had reported some troublesome news, and as such, he immediately inquired about the details.


    "Well, don''t keep me waiting..."


    Linde immediately shut the door behind her and informed Berengar of the matters reported to her.


    "The Bishop of Innsbruck has promised my father the Prince-Bisophric of Chur so long as he aids in the invasion of your realm when the timees. He has epted these terms, and thus in doing so, betrayed you."


    Berengar contemted what this meant for a few moments; the Teutonic Order was sure to send arge army to enter hisnds, but with the Count of Tyrol, on the other hand, would at best send a small punitive task force. He had greater ambitions than to gain the city of Chur, and by the time the Teutonic Order could muster a force to attack Kufstein, the Kingdom would either be on the brink of civil war or fully engaged in it. This truly did not change Berengar''s ns all that much. In fact, this could be considered a blessing in disguise; by betraying Berengar and the alliance they had formed, Count Lothar was giving him a justifiable reason to invade his territory as such, Berengar decided at that moment on his ns to usurp the County of Tyrol from Linde''s father. A wicked grin spread across his face as he thought of such things, confusing Linde as that was not the reaction she was anticipating, forcing her to ask why he was behaving so oddly.


    "Why the hell are you smiling? Isn''t this a serious matter?"


    Berengar could not help but further smile at Linde''s response, but ultimately he decided to inform her of the changes to his ns.


    "Actually quite the contrary, this is wonderful news!"


    Linde looked at her lover and master as if he were a lunatic before expressing her doubts.


    "How could this possibly be considered wonderful news?"


    Berengar got up from his seat and approached Linde, where he began to rub her shoulders as he exined the depths of his plots.


    "Your father will at most send a few hundred men to honor the alliance with the Church. The reason being is that he can''t afford to lose many men here in Kufstein, he has already threatened me once, and I easily repelled the bluff by addressing this point. The safety of Kufstein will be secured either way. On the contrary, this gives me a justified reason to march on Innsbruck and usurp his title when he is off at war trying to usurp the Duchy!"


    Linde''s gaze shifted from one of looking at a madman to looking at a genius. She struggled to believe Berengar came up with such a diabolical scheme directly after hearing about the news she thought was disastrous. This was why he was the man she had chosen, gentle but firm to his loved ones while being utterly ruthless to his enemies as a true man should be!


    At this point, Linde had no allegiance to her father, and if Count Lothar realized that his precious daughter hadpletely turned on him, he would do his damned to personally y Berengar for warping her mind to such a degree. Berengar no longer questioned her loyalty; she had proven herself to be absolutely obedient to him on many asions; as such, he merely hugged his favorite pet from behind and stroked her hair.


    However, it was not long before he heard a knock on the door interrupting his fun, as such Berengar ceased his activities and answered the door where he saw the figure of Eckhard; the man immediately realized he was interrupted something by the cold gaze of Berengar, and the flushed expression on Linde''s cheeks. However, since he was already here, he decided to attempt to give his report.


    "My Lord, may I have a minute?"


    Berengar nodded and allowed Eckhard into the room, where he proceeded to sit down before the desk and pour a couple of sses of wine. After taking a sip from the chalice, Berengar motioned for Eckhard to continue.


    "Go on..."


    as such, Eckhard stood at attention with a look of pride on his face.


    "My liege, we have so many recruits joining our forces from the region of Kitzb��hel that we have filled the artillery battalion, as such I require a directive on the where I should focus on the training of the troops next?"


    Berengar thought about it for a moment before he issued his decree.


    "We should focus on establishing a full battalion of Cuirassiers, a minimum of 800 men; any additional men should begin forming the 2nd Infantry Battalion. Send the expense report to me when it is drafted, and I will approve of it."


    After hearing his Lord and Commander''s orders, Eckhard pounded his chest in a salute and marched off after epting the terms


    "Yes, My Lord!"


    Linde looked in shock as she realized that Berengar''s military might would be greatly expanding soon; 800 Cavalrymen was no small amount, even by the standards of a viscount, luckily his poption had doubled recently, and he could afford to draft so many men into his army. Knowing the technological edge in which his forces had, Linde could not help but think that Berengar''s army would soon be the most capable in the world.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was satisfied with the results of his recruitment drive. He was certain that before the Teutonic knights arrived, he would have 2 full battalions of infantry, roughly 2400 men in total, a full battalion of cavalry numbering anywhere between 800-1200 men, and a full artillery battalion numbering a total of 450 men, and 18 field guns. All in all, his army would be capable of defeating whatever force the Teutonic Order brought down upon him, so long as it was not the full army, which he highly doubted they would do considering their position with their neighbors.


    Just like this, a counter conspiracy to the Church''s plots was put in ce to destroy the enemies of Kufstein utterly, and by extension, it''s Regent.

 Chapter 88: Military Reforms

    <h4>Chapter 88: Military Reforms</h4>


    A few days had passed since Berengar had begun plotting against Count Lothar and his backers, which was long enough for his father''s vassals to gather within the Castle of Kufstein. Realizing that he would have topletely reform the military structure now that he was incorporating the professional army with the town militia into a single cohesive force, he had called all of his father''s vassals to Kufstein so that he could directly inform him that he would be removing their feudal rights to raise their own armies. This was a decision which he knew he had to make eventually to modernize the military fully, but as of right now, he knew this would be a bitter pill to swallow for the men who served his father; after all, he was essentially revoking their right to defend their ownnd with their own armies.


    With the men gathered in the Great Hall, Berengar sat upon the seat of power as Viscount in every way but name. The young Regent made his shocking deration to the men who swore allegiance to his family.


    "As of today, I am hereby abolishing the rights of my family''s vassals to raise their own armies and will instead be incorporating them into a single cohesive military under the control of the Viscount of Kufstein where one''s ranking is based entirely upon merit and not birth."


    With this said, the room resounded with the protests of dozens of minor lords and knights. The knights were especially outraged with this decree as by doing away with the feudal traditions of the military, Berengar was essentially depriving them of their purpose in life. Despite the fury of the noblemen, they kept themselves well behaved due to the fact that Berengar was nked by his elite guard, who had been formed from the ranks of his greatest grenadiers. They were prepared for any act of rebellion against their Lord and Commander, and as such, viciously stared down the unruly mob of gentlemen.


    Eventually, Berengar mmed his fist upon his armrest, which instantly quieted the room before he began to speak further.


    "I have invited every one of you here personally to inform you of this decision and to address any concerns you may have. As such, you are free to voice them one at a time in a civil manner!"


    An old knight was the first to approach Berengar and voice his concerns


    "I am a knight, like my father before me, and his father before him. What am I supposed to do now that I can no longer fight for my Lord?"


    Berengar smiled gently at the man, as he knew his concerns all too well and had already prepared a response for such a question.


    "I am sure your expertise in warfare is needed among the ranks of my army, and as such, I will offer you a ce among its ranks. So long as youplete the necessary training, you will receive a position as a Commissioned officer. From there, you may progress in the ranks based upon your ability."


    Though the man wanted to protest further, yet he could tell Berengar would not budge, and as such, he responded to Berengar''s words.


    "I will take it under consideration."


    Afterward, the man returned to the crowd, where a minor Lord rose and voiced his opinion on the matter.


    "If the Army is entirely under yourmand, then who will protect my borders?"


    Berengar once more smiled gently at the man as he expressed how the military would function going forward.


    "Forts will be constructed in each region to ensure proper defense. These forts will be manned by a garrison of soldiers who fall under themand of the Army. These Garrisons will also be in charge of Law Enforcement until a time where a self-sufficient and dedicated police force is established in the region."


    Many of these Lords were familiar with how Berengar had chosen to rule, over thest month or so since he ascended to Regency, Berengar had forced his reforms on his vassals one at a time; it was getting to the point where many of them were thinking of rebelling. Yet right when they were considering such an option, Berengar not only nned to undermine their ability to effectively do so but establish garrisons in their territory, which were manned by soldiers loyal only to him. This was considered absolutely uneptable to many of the Lords shackled by vassge to the von Kufstein family.


    Nevertheless, the Lords had no choice but to ept these terms; after all, they were all aware of how quickly Berengar had put down the Baron of Kitzb��hel''s army, which was farrger than anything they could muster. Many of these knights and Lords were present to witness such a shocking disy of power; it was something they would never forget in their lifetime.


    One by one, the Lords and Knights of Kufstein voiced their concerns, and Berengar addressed each and every one of them with a carefully nned answer. By the time the convention was over, Berengar had received all of their signatures while signing the Military Reforms into Law, thus dealing a mortal blow to the old Feudal System in which he was inching ever closer topletely recing. For now, what settled the noblemen''s minds was that they still had ess to theirnd and would thus be able to live avish lifestyle without having to worry about dying in war. They could leave that to themon people and those foolish enough to glorify such a thing.


    If they knew that Berengar was currently designing Land Reforms that wouldpletely strip them of their ownership over such vast swaths ofnd and redistribute it to the Public and Private sectors, they would have tried to skin him alive then and there, even with his elite guard present. Fortunately for Berengar, these old and bitter men had no knowledge that their feudal authority would soonepletely crashing down upon them. Their roles as nobles would soon be little more than a ceremonial title passed down throughout their family.


    Of course, to ensure there was not an outright rebellion, Berengar was thinking of ways to appease the nobles and maintain some degree of their wealth. However, that was a discussion for another time. For now, Berengar had sessfully enacted his military reforms and would be incorporating all Knights, Men-at-arms, and other professional soldiers into the ranks of what would one day be known as the Imperial Army.

 Chapter 89: Becoming an Arms Dealer

    <h4>Chapter 89: Bing an Arms Dealer</h4>


    With the military reforms in ce, Berengar began incorporating the militia and professional army into one cohesive force. The men were made to swear an oath under pain of death and damnation that they would protect the realm from all foreign and domestic enemies while also swearing their allegiance to the Viscounty and its Commander in Chief, which at this point was Berengar.


    Afterward, roughly 1000 infantry were transferred into the ranks of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Battalions. By doing this, Berengar ensured that the new and possibly disgruntled troops were alongside those that were alreadypletely loyal to him so that they had no chances of turning on him.


    As far as the 30 knights under hismand were concerned, they were transferred into the ranks of the 1st Cuirassier Battalion, which was growing in numbers by the day. The expense in raising Cavalry was far more than that of infantry or artillery, yet it would be worth the amount as far as Berengar was concerned; thus, he had no qualms about funding such an endeavor.


    Though it would take a few months for the new troops to go through basic and specialized training, he was confident by the time the uing war broke out that he would have arge well trained, and well-equipped army that was far greater than any force in the world that was equal in size.


    Every day the arms factory and the armory worked to produce the necessary equipment for Berengar''s army to properly field; as such, he quickly was left with a vast stockpile of the obsolete weapons and armor that kept growing by the day. Eventually, Berengar decided he would sell the equipment to Count Lothar at a discount; considering it was used equipment, and some of it had been especially fitted to certain people, he would never think of gaining full price for it. Nevertheless, it was fully functional equipment and better in quality than basically anything else in the world aside from his own forces.


    Thinking of this idea, he personally wrote the letter to Count Lothar, who was more than interested in the offer and absolutely curious why Berengar would be selling such arge amount of steel te and brigandine. Thus the man made his way to Kufstein as quickly as possible, where he was currently meeting with Berengar in his armory which housed the equipment, where the two noblemen discussed the exact details of the trade.


    Count Lothar was not shy with his questions; he could not think of a reason why Berengar would give up such valuable equipment unless it were faulty.


    "So why are you selling such a vast quantity of steel arms and armor? Do you not need it for yourself?"


    Berengar began tough; he had already nned an excuse for selling his army''s obsolete equipment.


    "I am currently investing in a massive infrastructure initiative, and I need more capital than I am making on the steel and textile trade. I figured my peasant levies did not need such superior equipment. Thus I decided to sell it and equip them with a much cheaper design of the armor."


    Lothar did not even think twice about this answer; it was entirely reasonable, especially since Berengar said this equipment was used to outfit peasant levies. The armorers that Lothar had brought with him began inspecting every piece of equipment to determine if it would hold up. The equipment had only ever seen one battle, and most of the men werepletely untouched in that battle; as such, it was in fantastic condition.


    While his men were inspecting the equipment, Lothar began discussing terms on the sale of such a vast amount of high-quality arms and armor. Everything except for the pikes used in the previous battle was for sale.


    "If my armoires confirm the quality of the equipment, then I would be more than happy to purchase the goods off of your hands; however, because it is used, and much of it will require refitting, I can not offer you full price for the lot."


    Considering the equipment was almost entirely brigandine, with steel helmets, and a small number of steel vambraces, and greaves which were thrown into the mix, the value was quite substantial as the manufacture of such a mass amount of equipment was unheard of at this time as such Count Lothar threw out an enticing offer.


    "I will pay 10 guldens per set of armor as well as a matching weapon."


    The gulden was a gold coin in use for currency, and when considering the price of a steel breastte by itself was worth a little over 4 guldens brand new, as well as the fact that this was mostly used Brigandine, it was a fair price. However, Berengar would milk Count Lothar for every piece of the equipment''s worth and immediately countered his offer with a higher figure.


    "15"


    Count Lothar frowned at this number and countered offered with a new figure.


    "12!"


    Berengar shook his head and negotiated with his final offer while wearing a smug smile on his face.


    "13, and I''ll cover transportation. If you don''t ept, I''m sure the Count of Steiermark would be happy to have such fine equipment for his armies..."


    Berengar had struck a nerve with Count Lothar; after all, the man was well aware that Count Otto was a loyalist to the main Habsburg line and someone he considered to be a future enemy if Berengar sold his equipment to that man, then it would surely make things difficult for him. After all with this equipment, it would greatly diminish his need to buy raw steel and manufacture it himself.


    After careful deliberation, Count Lothar had no choice to ept and cursed at Berengar.


    "Dammit! Alright, I ept your terms!"


    However, although they shook hands and smiled at one another, Lothar was secretly thinking within his mind.


    ''What an idiot, he has no idea the danger that is approaching, and he just sold such valuable equipment to his enemy, leaving his armies in a poor state, the Teutonic Order should be able to wipe his army with ease.''


    Lothar had no way of knowing that this armor he was being sold, which he thought was the pinnacle of equipment in Europe right now, and possibly the world was already considered obsolete in Berengar''s mind and that the young Regent was already in the process of recing it with better equipment for his forces to use.


    Berengar smiled with an arrogant expression as he was all too aware of what Lothar was thinking and could not wait to see the look on his face when his forces were torn asunder by the thunder of Berengar''s guns!


    With this first step, Berengar had entered the arms trade and made a massive profit of a whopping 13,000 guldens or close to it! He would use some of this profit to invest in the arms trade where he would begin to supply all factions of the uing civil war from which he would profit significantly. Only for the factions who bought his equipment toe to the horrific realization that against the might of the flintlock muskets and 12 lb cannons of Berengar''s army, the equipment they had been sold waspletely and utterly useless.

 Chapter 90: Ludolfs Reformation

    <h4>Chapter 90: Ludolf''s Reformation</h4>


    Ludolf had been hard at work on his academic refutation of the church''s corruption and abuse of power. So much so that his manifesto had grown evenrger than Martin Luther''s from Berengar''s previous life. After collecting evidence of the Church''s sins and its wrongful attempts to dominate secr affairs, Ludolfpiled it together in a well-written thesispletely disputing the Church and its insidious actions. He had spent nearly a month gathering what he needed in an attempt to reform the Church for the better. Now that he had finished writing his paper, the priest brought it to Berengar''s attention for review and possible alterations.


    Berengar smiled as he read through the manifesto, which spoke many of his ideals, and unlike Luther, he spent arge amount of time focusing on the necessity for Church and State. From an academic standpoint, the work was solid; from a theological standpoint, it was brilliant. After reading through the whole thing, Berengar ced down the paper and looked at Ludolf, who had been silently waiting in patience for Berengar to finish it as he sat upon the seat of power in Kufstein. After cing down the manifesto with great care, he approached Ludolf and patted the man on the shoulders.


    "My friend, it is a work of brilliance; I am truly inspired after reading it. This must be distributed across the German-speaking regions and Europe as a whole. With my press, it can be mass-produced much like the bibles we have been distributing and spread to the hands of true believers everywhere!"


    Ludolf smiled greatly upon hearing the massive praise he received; he too agreed that the work needed to be spread; as such, he did not hesitate to agree to Berengar''s suggestion of mass producing and distributing it across the German-speaking regions of the world.


    "Thank you, Berengar; I must say I would never have walked this path without your guidance. It is truly an honor to be your friend!"


    Berengar grabbed the paper and ced it in Ludolf''s hands beforeplimenting the man further.


    "The pleasure is all mine; now shall we head to the press and begin the process?"


    Ludolf nodded and agreed to Berengar''s request once more, and as such, Berengar and Ludolf marched down to the press, which was now located within its own factory run by his propaganda department. Berengar''s elite guards nked the two men as they did so. Despite being in the safety of Kufstein, Berengar had made many enemies, and he could never be too careful when it came to his safety.


    The average citizens looked upon the men as they marched into the city under construction and into the industrial district where they entered the press, where the foreman was more than happy to greet them. As always, the man was a boot licker and showered Berengar and his guest inpliments upon arrival.


    "My Lord, it is an absolute pleasure to witness your immacte visage enter the factory! Tell me, how can I help you on this glorious day?"


    Berengar could not help but sneer at the man''s remarks; he was not the kind of man who desired to be around sycophants, never the less the man was good at his job, and as such, Berengar kept him in ce.


    "I need a special production line dedicated to the mass production of this work. Can it be done?"


    The foreman once more put on the air as he continued topliment Berengar, which ultimately looped right back around to a simple agreement.


    "Of course, my Lord, for your benevolence, I can make anything possible. As you know, we have expanded operations quite sessfullytely, and as such, we can easily afford to dedicate full-time production to this work."


    With that said, Berengar motioned for Ludolf to hand it over, after which the priest quickly did so. Berengar looked around the area and noticed that the security wascking for this vital instation. As such, he looked over to the foreman and informed him of his decision.


    "I will attach a security detail around this facility around the clock; it looks like the Garrison needs more forces."


    With the influx of recruits to his army, Berengar established a significant garrison in Kufstein whose full-time job would be to defend the region and act as internal security. Essentially they would be the gendarmerie until he could establish a dedicated police force.


    After saying that, Berengar left while trying to ignore the exaggerated praise from the foreman who could refrain himself from saying such tteries. After Berengar and Ludolf returned to the Castle, he pulled out a pair of goblets before filling them with wine and handing one to Ludolf before saying a toast.


    "To the Reformation, may the Church be purged of its corruption!"


    The two men clinked sses before taking a sip. Ludolf, of course, could not refrain from his excitement.


    "I truly do hope somethinges of my work; I can not sit idly by and allow the Church to be blighted by the amoral bishops and cardinals who turn a blind eye to the teachings of Christ in pursuit of their greed."


    Berengar merely smiled and took a sip from his ss; he knew the possibility of the Catholic Church actually being reformed was very slim; what was most likely to happen from Ludolf''s actions was the Church splitting off and forming the protestant movement. Though such an event would inevitably lead to chaos within the European sphere of influence, Berengar needed that chaos to transition the German world into a scientific and industrious way of thinking.


    As the two men celebrated their achievement, only Berengar was aware of how things would turn out. The future would be filled with endless blood and destruction due to these two men''s actions. Yet, it would allow Berengar to build one of the mightiest Empires in history. An achievement that would one day brand him as the Father of the German Nation. Among his many nicknames for which he would be known, this was the one of which he was most proud.

 Chapter 91: Council of Constance I

    <h4>Chapter 91: Council of Constance I</h4>


    Nearly a month had passed since Ludolf made his public denunciation of the Church, and by then, thousands of copies of his manifesto had spread across the German-speaking regions, priests, bishops, and noblemen alike flocked to his cause sharing their support for his ims. What started as a localized Heresy as it was deemed by the church quickly consumed the German world and caught on like wildfire. The Catholic Church was in a crisis; both the Papacy in Avignon and the Vatican publically dered Ludolf''s Reformation as an extension of the Berengar Heresy, which the Vatican had long since been trying tobat the growing influence.


    Having the support of Berengar the ursed as the Church referred to him actually helped Ludolf''s cause considering many of the German noblemen privately sympathized with his plight. However, now that a properly ordained priest had publically endorsed his ideas which had already begun to spread around Austria, they quickly became openly epted by many seeking to end the Church''s influence over secr affairs.


    It did not take long for the Church to convene a council over this issue, and several of the other issues which gued the Catholic church at the moment, such as the reconciliation of the Papacy and the affairs of the Teutonic Order now that they had thoroughly provoked the Orthodox church with their Crusade of the Rus.


    A group of Cardinals, Bishops, and two men, both dering themself the one true Pope sat in a chapel located within the Bisophric of Constance, a region within the Holy Roman Empire, and what would be considered part of the Kingdom of Germany. Therge group of men was currently in a heated debate, firstly over the issue of the Berengar Heresy, which was now spreading rapidly across the German world, if something were not done soon, then even if they sessfully managed to route out and destroy Berengar the ursed and his regency, they would still not be able to squash this Heresy thoroughly.


    Pope Simeon II, who was the officially recognized Pope of the Vatican, was in an argument with his counterpart from Avignon, who was known by the name of Pope Avilius III. Simeon was the first to speak up about the Berengar Heresy, which was beginning to be a serious issue for everyone in the room.


    "If we do not put an end to this heresy while it is still within its infancy, it might fracture the Church as a whole! Clearly, we must get not only the crusading orders, but the pious noblemen from every Christian kingdom to march into the regions most affected by this sphemy, and put every one of these heretics to the sword!"


    Avilius, on the other hand, could not help but scoff at this notion; it was utterly ludicrous to think that they could get the entirety of Christendom to invade Germany; the German lords would not simply allow an army of foreigners into theirnds to butcher their people. If anything, it would unify the German states and prevent the uing civil war, which the Church desperately wanted to happen to take advantage of the Chaos and gain more power and influence. As such, the other so-called Pope in the room could not refrain from refuting the first one.


    "Tell me, Simeon, how do you n to tell differentiate the believers from the heretics?"


    Simeon did not hesitate to offer his opinion and boldly dered for the whole room to hear.


    "God will know!"


    The implication being that they would kill everyone in the affected areas and leave it up to God to judge their souls. After all, it would not be the first time the Church had done something like this. Several of the high-ranking members of the lesiarchy nodded their heads in approval of this suggestion. In contrast, many others looked in horror at the suggestion of doing such a thing.


    Ultimately the voice of reason came down to a particrly charismatic Cardinal who suggested to all of them a more diplomatic approach.


    "Have either of you actually tried reasoning with the man we call Berengar the ursed? Clearly, the man is an educated individual with a vast knowledge of scripture. Seeing as how before Ludolf even made his usations against us, Berengar had urately tranted the bible into German and began distributing it, along with his own interpretations in a series of pamphlets."


    Both Simeon and Avilius shook their heads; in fact, if anything, Simeon was guilty of constantly escting the conflict; by now, he was familiar with how Berengar reacted to anyone who tried to exert their authority upon him, and clearly, it had negative results. As such, the cardinal continued his speech andid part of the me on the Pope of the Vatican.


    "Simeon, if you took a second to reflect on this matter, you would realize that if you had not endorsed Lambert''s attempt to eliminate his older brother and steel the inheritance, which is rightfully Berengar''s, then none of this would have happened! Every time you try to force your way upon awfully appointed regent, it blows up in your face! A mere youth has outwitted you in every matter you have conspired against him in! Who''s to say he is not going to outwit and defeat you once more when you invade hisnds with the Teutonic Order?"


    After beingmbasted and urately so by a Cardinal under hismand, Pope Simeon II lowered his head in disgrace for all of the bishops and cardinals to see. What the Cardinal had said was true. However, he would be damned if he did not have Berengar pay for the constant humiliation he had suffered, including the one that had just transpired here in the Council of Constance.


    As such, Simeon could not help himself but protest the very notion that the almighty Church should be negotiating with a lowly Regent of a Viscounty.


    "I refuse, as God''s representative here on Earth, I will not bow my head to some lowly Viscount or his ursed son acts as Regent in his stead! I will have satisfaction for the indignant actions of this heretical youth!"


    With that, the Council of Constance was divided on how to proceed on the matter of the Berengar Heresy; some wanted to invade thends in which were affected by it and ughter every living person within them. Some wanted to Negotiate with Berengar to see if he would cease his anti-church propaganda and some secretly sided with Berengar and the points he and Ludolf had made. If anything, Simeon''s reaction to the whole thing, proved that Berengar was right. However, they were too afraid to voice their concerns and, as such, stayed silent. These Bishops and Cardinals who agreed with Berengar and Ludolf would be the backbone of the German Reformation. For now, the Council continued, there were plenty of topics to talk about, and they had yet to conclude how to proceed with Berengar and his views.

 Chapter 92: Council of Constance II

    <h4>Chapter 92: Council of Constance II</h4>


    The figureheads of the lesiarchy debated well into the night about their arguments before concluding the meeting for the evening; after a night of proper rest, they reconvened in an attempt to discuss further the potential solutions to the problems which gued the Catholic Church at the moment.


    Rather than discuss the Berengar Heresy further as they had exhausted so much effort on only to remain entrenched in their own positions, Pope Avilius chugged a chalice of wine before he brought up the growing divide with the Orthodox church over the issues of the Teutonic Order who while favored by the Pope of the Vatican, was not gazed upon fondly by Avilius and the Avignon Papacy. As such, he spoke his thoughts on the matter.


    "The Teutonic order has gone too far by forcefully converting the Orthodox of the East into Catholicism if things progress from where they are now rtions with the Byzantines, as well as their sphere of influence will continue to drop. The support of the Hospitallers in the Byzantine''s efforts to reim North Africa can only stall a permanent rift for so long. Something must be done about this uwful Crusade in which Simeon has sponsored."


    Like a true Frenchman, Avilius who was gulping down wine as if it were water, was not afraid to directly me the crisis at hand as the fault of his rival when in reality the Teutonic Order was an independent State and wasrgely acting on its own without the official endorsement of either papacy. Though Simeon had never outright condemned them, after all, they were still a powerful force he could call upon to enforce his will upon the increasingly secr Lords of the German world; this did not mean that he, in fact, supported them, at least publically.


    This was the main reason the Orthodox had not outrightly schism from the actions of the Teutonic Order, as officially they were a monastic state acting on their own ord without the public endorsement of the church. Avilius was more than happy to tie their actions to Simeon and his so-called Papacy despite knowing this. After hearing these usations, Simeon was outraged and instantly began bickering with his French counterpart.


    "Lies and nder! I have never once endorsed the war against the Orthodox! Those bastards have their own self-sufficient state and have used their power to dere this a Holy War on their own!"


    Simeon was ying right into the hands of Avilius, who was obviously trying to provoke Simeon''s wrath so that he would further make a fool of himself in front of the Cardinals and Bishops who had gathered. It seemed to be working quite well, as even those in Simeon''s camp were quite embarrassed by his actions. Once more, the voice of reason was left to the particrly charismatic Cardinal, who had pretty much been responsible for keeping this entire Council civil throughout thest 24 hours.


    "Simeon, while I understand your reasons for not condemning the Teutonic Order, after all, none of us want a repeat of what happened to the Temrs. I can''t help but ask why you have not withdrawn funding from these Crusades in the North if you are so morally against it? I mean, the Baltic has been thoroughly converted at this point, so what is the purpose of further funding the Teutonic Order''s ongoing conquests of their Orthodox neighbors?"


    Once more, Simeon did not have a proper answer to this; after all, he could not openly admit that he had disdain for the Orthodox church and that he actually supported the actions of the Teutonic Order as they forced Catholocism on their Eastern neighbors. His disdain for the Orthodox was that they refused to recognize his authority as the Vicar of Christ and thus the ruler over all Christians. This was one of the reasons he despised the French at the moment because they boldly dered Avilius to be the one true Pope.


    After silence for a few moments, the charismatic Cardinal once more spoke up, insisting that Simeon answer for his actions.


    "Well? We are all waiting..."


    After another few moments of silence, Simeon came up with what he perceived to be a valid excuse for his actions.


    "The Teutonic Order are the guardians of the faithful in the German-speaking regions; without proper funding, how could they possiblybat the heresies which have begun to spring up from within the Kingdom of Germany and the surrounding regions?"


    Aviliusughed at this response and chastised Simeon for his reasoning.


    "The Teutonic Order has been trying to convert the Orthodox in eastern Europe for decades! Yet, they have received funding from the Vatican the entire time. The heresies popping up in Southern Germany are a recent thing that only transpired these past few months. Do you really think that is a valid excuse for your actions?"


    The charismatic Cardinal sighed in response to these two old men and their ceaseless bickering; Simeon was a control freak who desired to rule the world and had fewer brain cells than a goldfish when he was thoroughly enraged, which more often than not he was in such a state. At the same time, Avilius was an indolent and drunken wastrel who gained pleasure from antagonizing people, especially Simeon. Neither of these two men was fit to call themself God''s representative on Earth. Nevertheless, at the moment, these two fools were the highest authority in the Church; of course, if the Western Schism was ended and one of these two ipetent asshats was recognized universally as Pope in the Catholic world, it would only mean disaster.


    It was bing increasingly obvious to the Cardinals and Bishops present as the conversation went on that the removal of both of these pretenders and the election of a new Pope altogether would be the best path forward. However, nobody was willing to bring up this discussion at the moment in fear of being emunicated for merely suggesting it. Thus despite the obvious inadequacies of both men proiming themselves Pope they would go on to rule over their territories for at least another year before things would progress any further.


    With no viable solutions to the problems at hand, this constant bickering would continue for another week. Ultimately like the previous years, the Council of Constance, which had been ongoing to some degree since 1414, ended in a miserable failure. None of the discussions were met with a proper solution, and all that managed to happen was further division in the Church. Simeon would continue to antagonize Berengar over the following year, and Berengar would continue to spit in his face. For now, just like it had in prior years, the meeting of the lesiarchy known as the Council of Constance had ended with absolutely nothing worthy of note being aplished.

 Chapter 93: Formal Abdication

    <h4>Chapter 93: Formal Abdication</h4>


    Berengar awoke bright and early once more. After getting in his normal exercise routine and taking care of his personal hygiene, he ventured to the Dining Room, where he would arrive at roughly the same time every morning. However, much to his surprise, both his mother and father were already sitting at the head of the Table. In his father''s hands was a list of reports, ledgers, andws Berengar had signed into ce during his father''s absence. There was a serious expression on his father''s face. Berengar assumed the man was going to end his so-called solitary penance and assume the mantle of Viscount. However, what was actually about to transpire would greatly shock him.


    It was not until Henrietta and Linde had arrived that Sieghard ced down the papers from his hands and addressed his family with the concerns he had deeply thought through since he secluded himself from the world atrge. Henrietta was deeply concerned by her father''s haggard appearance. She had not seen the man in quite some time, months even, and he had grown significantly older and frailer in this time period. This was the first time she witnessed the poor condition her father was in; his hair was nowpletely grey while being long, raggedy, and oily, his beard unkempt, and his eyes were sunken.


    She barely even recognized her father, who used to be so filled with life. On the other hand, while looking a bit exhausted, Gis still maintained her beauty, albeit at some expense. Neither of the two siblings'' parents was as vibrant and healthy as they had been before Lambert''s exile. Henrietta quickly voiced her unease.


    "Daddy, are you okay? You look unwell..."


    Sieghard drank from a ss of water before attempting to cate his loving daughter about his failing health.


    "I''m fine, I have just be a little ill, but I assure you I will make it through this."


    Though Henrietta was deeply concerned about the man''s wellbeing, she chose to believe her father''s words. After addressing his daughter''s worries, Sieghard cleared his throat before making an announcement.


    "Berengar, during my absence, you have turned out to be a far better ruler than I could have ever been. Not only have you expanded our territory and power, but you have begun to break ground on the construction of a magnificent city, all while bncing our coffers perfectly. Words can not express how impressed I am by your actions."


    Berengar smiled as he heard thepliments from his father, who had been ruling the Barony of Kufstein for decades. However, the words that followed shocked him deeply.


    "Because of this, it is with a heavy heart that I must announce that I am no longer in the condition to rule thisnd anymore. Thus today, I will formally abdicate in front of my Council and announce you, my only son and heir, as the new Viscount of Kufstein. I am sure you will go on to do great things in the future!"


    Berengar was deeply astounded by these words; out of all the ends to his father''s reign, he never figured the man would voluntarily abdicate and retire; as such, he had many questions for his father and his decision.


    "I am to be the new Viscount? Then Father, what will you do?"


    Sieghard chuckled lightly, which induced a slight cough; he told Berengar of his ns after recovering himself.


    "I will retire to the countryside in a vi, where I will live out the rest of my days in peace. Some fresh air would do wonders for my condition."


    Berengar sighed; this was truly the best end he could ask for his father. The man was now far too frail to go to war, as he had once desired; Hopefully, Sieghard could find some much-needed rest and cure the demons he harbored inside him, which began to manifest after what happened to Lambert.


    He could tell Berengar was struggling with this news and decided tofort him.


    "Do not worry, my son, as I have already stated, you have done wondrously on your own, and I am certain you are destined for great things. I would only be holding you back if I continued to rule thisnd."


    Though Berengar agreed with these words, he felt he would be missing something now that his parents would be moving away. On the other hand, Henrietta was concerned about her future and where she should go and, as such, asked her father like an obedient little daughter.


    "Daddy? What will happen to me?"


    The old Viscount stretched out his hand and grabbed onto his daughter''s in an attempt tofort her as he gave her one final order.


    "You will stay here with your brother and obey his everymand as if he were your father. He will provide for you and eventually find you a good husband to marry. Ipletely trust him in this regard."


    Tears began to stream down Henrietta''s eyes as she nodded her head in agreement. She could not make out the words she wanted to say and instead ran over to her father and hugged him. Linde, of course, was quite happy with the results. Despite the fact that Berengar currently held absolute authority in the territory due to hisrge and powerful army; the nobles were technically sworn in fealty to his father. As such, they had begun to grow quite rebellious with Berengar''s many reforms. The only thing keeping them in check was the overwhelming might of Berengar and his military. With his father''s formal abdication, they would have no excuse to disobey Berengar''s orders and could not create any crazy conspiracy theories to justify the act of open rebellion.


    After discussing things for some time, the family began to eat breakfast together. They did not have many more asions to do so in the future, because of this they took advantage of this moment to enjoy time together as a mostly intact family. When the meal was finally over, Sieghard had gathered his Council in the Great hall where he sat upon the seat of power in Kufstein onest time. By his right-hand side was Berengar, who stood at attention. When every person of political importance within the town of Kufstein had gathered in the room, Sieghard stood up from his chair and made a shocking deration, one which would go on to resound in history as a deciding factor in Berengar''s rapid rise to power.


    Standing boldly in front of the gathered nobles, Sieghard made his decree for all to hear.


    "I Sieghard von Kufstein, first of my name and the current Viscount of Kufstein hereby dere my formal abdication of power, and henceforth transfer my Land, and titles, and wealth to my only son and heir Berengar von Kufstein! All kneel before your new Viscount!"


    With those words being spoken, every person in the hall kneeled before their new sovereign with a great degree of respect. Berengar was now officially the Viscount of Kufstein and would wield his power to a great degree. The changes he would make in the following months would thoroughly transform Kufstein into a semi-modern state and invoke the ire of the Church and Nobles alike.

 Chapter 94: Legal Reforms

    <h4>Chapter 94: Legal Reforms</h4>


    Weeks had passed since Berengar assumed the title of Viscount, and all of his father''s Vassals hade and gone after swearing fealty to the new regime. Berengar, of course, was quite pleased with the results; even the hardcore backers of Lambert had swallowed their pride and knelt before him and kissed his ring. The fact that he did not need to fire a shot to ensure his controversial transition to power was a victory in and of itself.


    Currently, Berengar was in his study going over the codification ofws in Kufstein and overhauling practically everything. The first change he provided was the concept of equal protection under the judicial system to all citizens regardless of ss and gender. This in itself would be quite a point of contention towards the nobles in his territory. Still, as Viscount, and with an overwhelming military force under his directmand, he did not fear any act of insurrection on their part.


    The second major act of reform was the establishment of an innocent until proven guilty system, inspired by the legal system of the country in which he resided in his past life Berengarpletely turned the judicial system on its head with the establishment of proper courts,wyers,w enforcement, and everything else you could think of for a semi-modern judicial system. The new legal codex had gotten rid of several asinine traditions like trial bybat which had actually been a way for people to determine trials within many of the Germanic regions.


    The next major legal reform in which Berengar took care of was establishing a legitive branch of government that represented both the nobility and themoners. To put it simply, the more Berengar expanded, the more work he found himself drowning under, and he needed a dedicated branch of government to handle these affairs for him. As such, he built a system inspired once more by the American legitive branch from his previous life. Essentially his congress had two chambers, much like America; however, it was split between a House of Commons and a House of Lords, much like Britain was in his past life.


    The house ofmons consisted of representatives of themon people who were voted into power by those same people. The House of Lords essentially acted as the Senate from Berengar''s previous life andprised members of the nobility who were voted into power by the nobility. Under this system, there were strict voting requirements. First and foremost, one had to be a citizen of Kufstein; second, they had to be male, thirdly they had to pass a literacy test, and finally, they had to be a full-blooded German which all of his citizens were because this was not exactly an era of globalism. Though Berengar had desired to create a Semi-Constitutional Elective Monarchy in the future which afforded representation to both the nobility and themon poption, he was by no means an egalitarian.


    Much like America, the territory that was currently known as the Viscounty of Kufstein would be split into more localized districts presided over by a simr form of local governance as America from his past life. With towns, town halls, mayors, etc. The districts themselves were ruled over by a Governor who was elected by themoners, and the nobility of the region.


    As far as the executive branch was concerned, the seat of power was ruled by the Viscount, who after Berengar''s death would be elected by the House of Nobles from among the male members of his dynasty. If for whatever reason there were no surviving male members of his dynasty, then the next ruler would be elected from the female members, and she would be required to have a matrilineal marriage with her spouse. This would ensure the power would forever remain in his family''s hands, but hopefully, the mostpetent member of his family would be seeded. If the current Viscount chose to abdicate for whatever reason, he was also allowed one vote to decide who his sessor would be. His position as Viscount held significant authority; like the president from America, he both signed bills intow, held power to pass executive orders, and was themander in chief of the armed forces. The difference primarily being the fact that his position was for life, or until voluntary abdication.


    Of course, Berengar did not forget to explicitly enact a separation of Church and State within these reforms, thoroughly dissolving any influence the Vatican had over secr affairs within the Viscounty of Kufstein. This action would undoubtedly incur the wrath of the Vatican, but what else was new? Berengar was definitely pleased with how stable and efficient he had made things as he nced over the forms for review.


    Obviously, these monumental changes would not go into effect immediately. To ensure everything progressed smoothly, thisw was allotted a time span of five years for theplete transition of power. At the moment, these Legal Reforms were more of a deration of his intentions on how he will proceed with the future of governance. However, these massive legal reforms would eventually be the basis of the Constitution of the German Empire.


    He knew that by reforming the feudal system as early as possible, he could get the people in his territory ustomed to it. If he waited until he had an actual Kingdom or Empire under hismand to implement these reforms, he would surely be fighting rebellions against the nobles for decades toe. Thus, he estimated things would go much more smoothly by starting the transition of power early on and incorporating the regions he woulde to conquer into this process.


    When Linde looked over these Legal Reforms, she was absolutely shocked at his changes; ultimately she beganining about the situation. As a girl who had grown up as a pampered noble, she could not imagine giving up unlimited authority for future stability.


    "So you''re giving up your power just like that?"


    Berengar chuckled and patted his lover''s head as he tried to exin his actions.


    "It is true that with these reforms, I will not hold absolute authority over thends, but then again, when my territories expand into a mighty Empire, I will not have the time to micro-manage every facet of society. Times are changing; when themon people be educated and are given more spare time due to industrialization, they will inevitably demand representation in the government. To deny it would invoke revolution. By taking the first step to ensure the people''s future, and by giving them a degree of representation which they have never seen before, they will see it as an act of divine benevolence and wille to see that my Dynasty is not a bunch of haughty noblemen presiding over them like cattle, but more like a shepherd defending his flock from the wolves."


    Linde waspletely shocked by his vision for the future and the fact that he was willing to give up absolute authority for the sake of creating a stable monarchy ruled by his family for generations. However, when she read about the sessionws, she could not help but smile and cling to him with a vice grip. She interpreted thesews as a way to ce her future son on the throne despite being a bastard, not realizing that although Berengar saw Monarchy as one of the most efficient forms of government, the sessionws currently in ce often managed to put the least effective ruler on the throne which had often resulted in disaster in both this timeline and the one of his previous life. As such his true intentions were that he was trying to mitigate such a result as much as possible.


    Nevertheless, the Viscount and his lover stayed like this for some time, as they discussed the future implications of hisws and his idea for a united German Empire. Berengar was d that he had someone he could discuss his vision with. Until now he had never really discussed his ns for the future with anyone, but with Linde by his side, he felt as if he could say just about anything to her without her stabbing him in the back. Before long, Berengar was forced back to work. Many things required his attention, especially mass recruitment into public education. As usual, there was truly no rest for the weary.

 Chapter 95: Alchemists Arrive in Kufstein

    <h4>Chapter 95: Alchemists Arrive in Kufstein</h4>


    When word of his Legal Reforms spread across thend, it was not just the nobles who were his vassals who had be upset by the news. In fact, pretty much the entirety of the Austrian nobility was outraged by such wild and ambitious ideas. For starters, they were unsure if Berengar actually had the legal authority to do this; technically, Berengar was a Vassal to Count Lothar, who was, in turn, a Vassal to the Duke of Austria. As such, it was entirely unclear if he had the legal authority to do away with the Feudal system in his own territory.


    The second major point of contention was that he was essentially challenging the absolute authority of the Nobility across Europe as a whole when themoners of other territories heard that their counterparts in Kufstein were going to be afforded political representation, and public education in Kufstein, one of two things, was going to happen. They would either abandon thend in which they ved away upon for the sake of their Feudal overlords, or they themselves would demand representation in their territory and thus pave the way to revolution.


    Berengar''s actions had not exactly made him any friends. However, there was really not much they could do about it; rumors of him having the power to conjure thunder and lightning had spread across the German-speaking regions; not only that but Kufstein was a rtively isted and fairly mountainous territory, it would be challenging to invade and would surely cost many lives. Needless to say, his reforms were woefully unpopr among the nobility of this feudal world.


    As time passed and word inevitably spread, Kufstein received many German peasants running away from their masters and seeking a better life in Kufstein. This massive influx in the poption of Kufstein rapidly expanded his workforce and sped up the production of the Grand Infrastructure Initiative, increased the size of his army, and enhanced industrial productivity.


    Of course, the most important group who were attracted to the Viscounty of Kufstein by these bold new legal reforms were a group of fugitives on the run from the Church''s persecution; these fugitives were Alchemists who had invoked the ire of the Church, as men of sciencemonly had done in the past. Knowing that Berengar was branded a Heretic by the Church, and seeing as how he had supposedly enacted legal reforms to separate the church from the political power of the State in his region, these alchemists arrived in Kufstein under cover of the many peasants seeking a better life, which despite the protests of nearby noblemen, Berengar refused to return to their former masters.


    When they arrived in the growing City of Kufstein, the menprised of this small group of alchemists numbering no more than a dozen were amazed by what they saw. The ongoing construction of the city walls set up in strange a star-like pattern, therge apartmentplexes that were being built, the industrial sector which had technology they had never seen before, even the sewage treatment facility which was currently under construction had caught their eye. It was as if these men stepped into and of technological marvels.


    Of course, after sightseeing for some time, they made their way to the Castle''s gates which were guarded by men in strange attire and unknown armor who wielded what appeared to be a hand cannon, but the design was not like anything they had ever seen before. When they approached the guards, they were quickly stopped by the bays affixed to their muskets, with the deep gruff voice of the squad leader giving them amand.


    "Stop right there! The Viscount is not seeing guests at the moment!"


    Fearing the unknown weapons, the group of fugitives quickly did as they weremanded while lowering their hoods, which revealed their faces. The man in front of them all was a tall and regal man who was in his fifties with a finely groomed set of gray hair, a matching mustache, and a monocle; the man quickly introduced himself and stated the urgency of his need to visit the Viscount.


    "I am Aldo von Passau, former court Alchemist for the Duke of Bavaria, and these are my students. Please, I have urgent business to discuss with your Lord!"


    The guards immediately looked at each other and began to discuss whether or not they should allow this group entry into the Castle. After all, Berengar had long since informed his men that if an alchemist ever arrives in his territory, he would very much like to meet them. However, they were also under strict orders not to let people into the Castle at the moment. Ultimately the squad leader decided to make an exception and allow the men to pass; if they were really who they imed to be, Berengar would surely forgive them.


    As such, the group of a dozen schrs were led to the Great hall where Berengar was currently working; their arrival surprised the young Viscount as he stared at the uninvited guests. Before he could inquire about their identities, his guards properly introduced the men.


    "My Lord, I know that you have given us orders not to allow guests into the Castle, but these men im to be alchemists, and as such, I thought you might like to meet them."


    Berengar''s sapphire eyes immediately sparkled with delight as he heard those words, and a smile beamed across his immacte visage. Finally, after many months, he might have a group of dedicated chemists working for him. The mustached man with the monocle quickly introduced himself to Berengar.


    "My Lord, I am Aldo von Passau, former Court Alchemist of the Duke of Bavaria; I have traveled a long way to meet you. I wish to offer my services to you and that of my students."


    Berengar frowned when he heard this, he was quite skeptical about why a Court Alchemist of a Duke would bothering to a lowly ce like Kufstein. As such, he decided to investigate.


    "If what you im is true, then why are you here in my domain instead of at the Court in Bavaria?"


    The man quickly exined his story, which was all toomon for brilliant men in the medieval period. He was studying alchemy when he discovered some new advancement that the Church dered sphemy in their massive ignorance; as such, he was dered a heretic, imprisoned, and his research was stolen. With the aid of hidden supporters in the Duke''s castle, he escaped with his students and had been on the run since. He was quite lucky to escape. Otherwise, he most likely would have been burnt at stake.


    After hearing his story Berengar thought it was usible, but he wanted to confirm the man''s story. As such, he wouldter task his spywork to determine if the man was telling the truth or not; if he were, then Berengar would dly ept his employment. For now, he would provide shelter to the man and his so-called students. If they happened to be enemy agents, he would have no qualms lining them up against a wall to be shot.


    As such, he informed the group of his decision.


    "Until I can verify your identities, I will grant you shelter here in my domain, if your identities are properly verified, I have no qualms about offering you employment as I have a dire need for chemists, as for the consequences if you are lying to me, and seek to do me harm, well I''m sure you can imagine them yourself."


    Aldo bowed gratefully to Berengar; he did not doubt that his identity and that of his students would be confirmed, and as such, had nothing to fear. Thus he thanked the local Viscount for his gesture before being lead away.


    "I thank you for the kindness you have shown my student and me on this day, and I look forward to working for you."


    The only thing Aldo thought was strange was that Berengar had used the term "chemist" instead of "alchemist," maybe he had misheard the young Viscount...


    With the arrival of a dedicated team of alchemists in Kufstein, Berenar would teach them actual chemistry and would be able to aplish many things in which he was currentlycking. As such, he was brimming with excitement; he truly hoped they turned out to be who they imed and that they harbored no evil intent.

 Chapter 96: Adelas Birthday I

    <h4>Chapter 96: Ad''s Birthday I</h4>


    The day was quickly arriving for Ad''s thirteenth birthday, and the excellent set of jewelry in which Berengar had specifically crafted for his little fiancee wasplete. The setprised of a 24k gold ne in the Tudor style from his previous life, with finely cut ck ga gemstones as well as an official engagement ring, made of a matchingposition of materials, and finally, a pair of clip-on earrings, which was also made from gold and ck ga.


    Ultimately when worn by Ad, it would be the most extravagant set of jewels in possibly all of Austria, and Berengar was greatly satisfied with the result of his craftsman. Linde gazed upon the magnificent jewels with a hint of jealousy as she looked at her own, which were exquisite in their own right, but not quite as grand as the set crafted for Ad, which were fit for a Queen or even an Empress.


    She could not stop herself from remarking the grand expense Berengar was making to appease his future wife.


    "I see Ad is getting a costly gift for her birthday..."


    Berengar flicked Linde on his forehead and gave her a strict order


    "Stop being jealous; it is only right that I spoil Ad; after all, she is to be my wife one day... As for you, I already have spoiled you more than enough!"


    Though Linde continued to pout, she could not argue with his words; the sheer capacity of her wardrobe was filled to the brim with magnificent clothing designs and essories in which Berengar had personally designed for her. Now that Berengar''s parents had moved out, Berengar had taken the master bedroom as his own and moved Linde into the quarters with him. She no longer had to sneak around at night to spend time with him. If anything, despite being merely his lover, she was currently living the life of a wealthy Viscount''s wife.


    Ultimately Berengar had one final request of Linde before he departed for Graz, and he knew Linde would not like the decision he hade to. As such, with a heavy heart, he addressed his lover with a serious expression.


    "Linde, I have a favor to ask of you..."


    Linde was immediately aware of his tone and knew it would be something she disliked, but she nodded, signaling that he could continue. Thus Berengar made his request in an authoritative tone.


    "I need you to stay here while I visit Graz. It would be inappropriate of me to arrive at my fiancee''s birthday celebration with my lover in hand. Thus I have decided to leave you behind; promise me you will behave yourself while I am gone."


    Linde had not expected Berengar to leave her behind while he went off to flirt with another woman. Though she knew nothing would happen between the two besides some childish kisses, she was still perturbed by the idea of being left out. Despite this, she knew this was not actually a request but an order, and as such, she obeyed her master''s will, albeit begrudgingly.


    "I will do as youmand."


    Berengar could tell by the expression on the young woman''s face that she was not happy with the news, and as such, he made her promise to lift her spirits.


    "I promise that when I return, I shall make it up to you."


    With this, Linde smiled; she knew she would be able to use his actions as an excuse to monopolize him to herself for a few days, and thus she was instantly amicable to the arrangement. After saying this, Berengar gave her a parting kiss before leaving the Castle and entering his carriage. An entirepany of Cuirassiers was tasked with guarding Berengar as he departed to Graz. Needless to say, he was properly guarded in the event some conspiracy was to take ce.


    After traveling for an uneventful 23 hours, Berengar and his caravan finally arrived at the castle in Graz, which currently acted as the capital of the County of Steiermark, over which the von Graz family presided. He was still a day early, but the von Graz family quickly greeted him as he arrived. Berengar immediately paid his respects to Count Otto von Graz, whom he had not seen since the engagement ceremony.


    "Count Otto, it is an honor for you to receive me like this."


    Count Otto returned his praise to Berengar; he was truly impressed with the boy''s performance; it was not easy to expand the territory of a Barony into that of a Viscounty, and yet he had done it so rapidly that his liege did not have time to interfere. It was truly a remarkable feat; looking at the strange armor and weapons in which Berengar''s "knights" wielded, Otto was immediately filled with curiosity. However, it would be inappropriate for him to ask about the details at such a time. After observing the force, the Count weed Berengar into his home.


    "Viscount Berengar, the honor is all mine. I have heard of your exploits and am deeply impressed with your feats. To think that you would rise to such a level of power and infamy so quickly is quite astounding."


    It had been a matter of months since Berengar had changed his character. Yet, during this time the youth had crushed a rebellion, removed his brother as a threat to his future, seized his neighbor''snds, and ultimately seeded his father.


    Of course, Berengar epted the praise from the count with magnanimity


    "You honor me with your praise, Count Otto."


    the Count merely smiled and grasped Berengar''s shoulder


    "It is well earned, my son."


    After exchanging pleasantries with Otto, Berengar walked over to Ad who was waiting patiently for her turn, after arriving in front of her Berengar began to pet her head as he greeted the girl.


    "Ad, it has been some time since Ist saw you; you have grown even more beautiful in my absence."


    As always, Berengar yed the part of a charmer with his little fiancee, causing her to blush at his words immediately. Despite her reaction, Ad was still quite mad with him about his affair with Linde in which she was almost certain of; as such, she muttered under her breath in a voice so low even Berengar could not hear it.


    "Womanizer"


    Berengar did not hear her properly and tried to rify what she had said


    "What was that? I''m afraid I didn''t hear you."


    The girl quickly snapped out of her daze and returned to her normal cheerful self; after putting on a wide smile, she epted the praise Berengar had given her.


    "I said thank you!"


    After this brief reunion, Berengar entered the von Graz family''s castle, which was significantlyrger and more fortified than his own, where he spent the rest of the evening ying the part of a loving fiancee and a graceful Viscount.

 Chapter 97: Adelas Birthday II

    <h4>Chapter 97: Ad''s Birthday II</h4>


    The next day arrived with Berengar having slept alone in the chambers he was provided; he desperately missed the warmth that Linde''s body had provided him thesest few months; as such, he had difficulty falling asleep. After all, he was ustomed to spooning with his lover during the night, so much so that something felt horribly wrong without it.


    Berengar decided to make today one of his rest days and thus spent his morningzing about in bed; it was not until eleven in the morning where he finally rose from his much-needed rest and got prepared to face the day. As a man who was ustomed to sleeping in until the break of dawn, he was pleased with the long sleep he had gotten, especially after considering how long it took him to fall asleep during the night prior.


    After arising from his bed, Berengar opted to take a bath and was extremely disappointed by the primitive wooden tub with linen cover, which Ad''s family had used; this was undesirable, to say the least. It reminded him of the painful days when he had first reincarnated into this alternate Earth. Needless to say, he made his bath as short as possible as there was simply no way he was going to enjoy himself in such a pitiful excuse for a tub.


    Berengar spent the remainder of his free time getting caught up with Ad, who was deeply concerned about his ongoing conflict with the church; she herself had personally studied Ludolf''s Manifesto and the teachings of Berengar''s Reformation. Though she agreed with most points, she still felt that the Church was not nearly as corrupt as outlined in the paper. Especially now that Berengar was emunicated and condemned as a heretic, she felt it necessary to discuss religion with him now more than ever.


    "Berengar, I worry for your soul; the Pope has condemned you as a Heretic! Do you not worry about the afterlife?''


    Berengar merely smiled as he embraced Ad into a hug, he was d that she was concerned for him, but the truth was he did not believe in such things; at most, he would be reincarnated again as he had already experienced. If not, he would be food for worms, as he had previously thought before his brief experience with death. As for the existence of heaven and hell, he was certain such things did not exist. Nevertheless, he did not admit to it and instead tried tofort the girl with a simr message he had delivered to the Pope in the past.


    "The Pope may have the authority to emunicate me, however when I finally perish from this world and am set before the gates of heaven. Ultimately it is God, not the Pope, who shall determine whether I am worthy or not of entry to the Kingdom of Heaven."


    Though Ad wanted toin, she knew his words were true, or at least ording to the bible. On the other hand, Simeon and many Popes before him would surely try to convince her otherwise. Yet because she had read the bible in which Berengar had urately tranted into German, she was convinced what Berengar spoke was the truth.


    After their intimate moment was over, Ad could overhear her mother looking for her. When she finally found the two of them, they had already separated, and Ad, in particr, was blushing. The Countess had a look of concern on her face but decided not to ask about the question in her mind and instead informed Ad and Berengar that it was dinner time.


    "Quickly, the both of you,e to the dining room. It is time for dinner!"


    Berengar entertained Ad and her family, as well as the other guests who had arrived. He currently sat at the dining table across from Ad, where all of the nobles who had gathered for this asion were present. The food on the table was one of Berengar''s recipes in which he had given Ad as a parting gift when she had departed from his family''snds. After eating such exquisite cuisine, he could not allow her to go back to her house''s rtively nd medieval food.


    As such, there were all kinds of food across the table, ones to which Berengar was well ustomed; however, to many of the nobles who were visiting, this was the first time they had dined on such delicacies and were greatly shocked at the quality of the food. With one particrly fat noble giving hispliments to Count Otto


    "Count Otto, these dishes are delightful; you must share the recipe with me!"


    Count Otto smiled as he drank from his chalice of wine; after finishing his sip, he responded to the noble who was one of his many vassals.


    "I''m sorry, but I do not have the authority to do so; these recipes are a gift from Viscount Berengar and were created in his realm. If you truly wish to obtain them, I am sure he would be willing to sell them to you for a fair price."


    Berengar ever the scrupulous merchant could smell an opportunity he had not thought of before; why did he not think of selling his recipes across the German world? It was absolutely brilliant; he could spread traditional German culture from his old timeline and make a profit while doing it! Even though it would not be nearly as profitable as his steel, textile, and arms trades. He had already nned to expand into the jewelry trade by showing off Ad''s presents in front of the nobility of Steiermark. Yet, the Count had given him another source of revenue that he had not thought of prior.


    The fat noblemen quickly asked Berengar about the details of such a transaction.


    "Viscount Berengar, name your price, and as long as you can fulfill it, I will buy any recipe you have!"


    Berengar smiled, however before he could make his deration, several other noblemen chipped in.


    "Me too!"


    "I also desire such fine recipes!"


    eventually, the whole table had shifted the conversation to business, where Berengar sadly had to put a pin in their ns.


    "We will discuss thister, now is not the time to discuss business."


    Though the noblemen were impatient, they could not deny Berngar''s words and, as such, forced themselves to calm down as they enjoyed the food that was present.


    The remainder of the meal was fairly pleasant as Berengar chatted with the noblemen, and Ad chatted with the noblewomen who were all quite envious of her fiancee. On more than one asion, one of the daughters of the noblemen who were invited approached Berengar in an attempt to win his favor but was quickly shut down by him. Berengar already had two women who fulfilled their roles perfectly, and he did not have the emotional capacity to deal with a third. As such, he made polite conversation with these girls but never once hinted that he was interested.


    Ad, of course, watched him closely, like a vulture, but she found that Berengar did never attempted to flirt with any of the girls who approached him, even some of the more beautiful ones. This greatly pleased her as she began to believe that maybe Berengar was not aplete and total womanizer, though she was still certain he and Linde were an item. As such, for the moment, her fears were dissuaded, and she enjoyed the evening of her Birthday Celebration.

 Chapter 98: Adelas Birthday III

    <h4>Chapter 98: Ad''s Birthday III</h4>


    After finishing the meal, the guests for Ad''s birthday all sat around for a while and discussed things with one another. Shockingly the Duke of Austria had shown up to the asion, alongside several of his children. This greatly showed how favorable Count Otto was in the eyes of the Duke. Duke Wilmar von Habsburg was the current head of the Habsburg Dynasty and the ruler over the entirety of the Duchy of Austria; he was rtively young for a man of his position, being in his mid-thirties, despite this, he already had several children in their teens.


    One of his children who were attending the ceremony was a boy named Conrad, who was slightly younger than Ad and had been friends with her since childhood, where he held a crush on her for the longest period of time. Unfortunately, the girl had been sold off to her cousin by her wretched father for whatever reason. As such, he had to endure the humiliation of seeing the girl he most desired handed over to another man. One who he believed to be quite inferior to himself. Conrad was entirely unaware of Berengar''s recent rise to power and his bold defiance of the Church. He never really kept up with the politics of the realm and instead enjoyed his time with frivolities.


    As such, the boy decided it was time to approach the woman of his desires and see if he could win her over to his side. After all, who would want to marry a sickly fool like Berengar, I mean, there was clearly nobody at the party who remotely resembled the youth''s description, and that meant that the scoundrel had not even bothered to show up to his fiancee''s birthday celebration. Clearly, that must be a point of contention for Ad, which Conrad could use to win her favor.


    "Ad, it has been a long time since west met! I must say you have grown ever more beautiful since then. I heard you were betrothed to your pathetic and sickly cousin; surely you must disagree with such a decision? I mean, after all, a lowly Baron''s son who does not even have the gall to visit his fiancee on the night of her thirteenth birthday is clearly not a match for a woman of your caliber."


    Berengar, on the other hand, watched the disy of the boy ndering him peacefully as he sipped from the wine contained within the golden chalice in his hand and narrowed his gaze upon this little rat who sought to steal his bride from him. Any man who coveted what belonged to him and made a move on it would surely suffer his wrath, no matter what their position may be in life. As such, he became quite hostile to the hyena who sought to steal his lioness and approached the boy with his hand extended in "friendship" as he introduced himself.


    "I am Berengar, Viscount of Kufstein and Ad''s fiance; who might you be?"


    Conrad was shocked when the tall and strong man in front of him introduced himself as Berengar and as a Viscount. Clearly there had to be some sort of mistake? As such, he looked over to his father for support, who merely stared at his own son as if he were looking at an imbecile. Seeing his father was not going to support him in this matter, Conrad decided to take the word of this man iming to be Berengar and reached out his hand to ept the gesture. When he did so, the boy felt as if a vice grip had squeezed his hand; Conrad nearly yelped in pain as Berengar kept a friendly expression on his face while sending a clear message to the little rogue who sought to abscond with his woman. Luckily Conrad had managed to contain himself and responded politely to Berengar, hoping that his background would save him from further pain.


    "I am Conrad von Habsburg, son of Duke Wilmar von Habsburg, and an old friend of Ad''s"


    However, much to the boy''s shock, Berengar did not let go of his vice grip and continued to shake his hand for another few seconds before releasing it. The sheer audacity to continue to threaten the boy after he had already made his superior position clear was something he could not fathom in his naive little brain. Fear instantly filled the boy''s mind as he saw the sinister smile on Berengar''s face and the authoritative look in his eye; despite being in a much lower position than himself, Berengar exuded an aura of domination that did not go unnoticed by the other lords, even Duke Wilmar gazed in curiosity at the foolish disy his son was putting on. As if by the simple fact that Conrad was his son, the boy could steal this man''s fiancee.


    The Duke did not even take Berengar''s actions as a sign of disrespect to himself, merely that the young man was confident in his ability to protect what was his. This was not an act of arrogance but overwhelming conviction. The more he observed Berengar, the more he desired him as a member of his council; despite his young age, Berengar was clearlypetent, to say the least.


    Ultimately Berengar''s little disy of authority was broken up by Ad who noticed that Conrad had been trembling in fright and thus red at Berengar while tugging on his sleeves and pleading with a pouting expression.


    "Berengar, he is just a boy, there is no reason to go this far to intimidate the kid!"


    Ad''s words wounded Conrad''s pride more than anything else could have. At this moment, He finally realized that Ad had never viewed him as a potential partner. With her confirmation, he also realized that the man beside Ad really was Berengar, and he foolishly had attempted to swipe his fiancee away right before his eyes. After realizing the looks, he was receiving, Berengar retracted his tyrannical expression and put on a facade that made him seem like he was joking the whole time, as he tried to justify his actions to Ad, who was still pouting.


    "I was just teasing the kid; there is nothing to worry about, right Conrad?"


    The kid was grasping onto his own hand, which was now sore from Berengar''s tight grip, and stammered as he tried toe back to his senses.


    "Y... Yes, it was all good fun! I have to go now Ad, I will see youter."


    With that, the boy returned to his father to lick his wounds only after suffering a humiliating defeat in front of all the lords anddies of Steiermark. When Conrad finally reached his father, he was chastised for his behavior in the cold and monotone voice that he was so familiar with.


    "You overstepped your bounds, Conrad, that man is formidable, and you openly coveted his future wife. You are lucky he showed you respect for your position."


    Conrad began to throw a tantrum after being scolded by his father, which luckily went unnoticed by the surrounding nobles who were too busy conversing with Berengar and Ad.


    "Showed respect for my position? He hurt my hand!"


    Wilmar merely drank from his chalice with a stoic expression as he continued to lecture his errant son.


    "The fact that he did not break your hand after your pathetic attempt to steal his woman was more than enough respect."


    With these words, Conrad was instantly shut up by his father and sat in the corner in silence, rubbing his sore hands and reflecting upon his actions. Not only was he ever so slightly injured by Berengar, but the girl of his dreams so ruthlessly rejected him, and his father had chastised him for his actions. This was the most degrading day of his life.


    As for Berengar and Ad they did not think twice about the urrence after it had been dealt with. Even if the Duke wanted to pick a fight with him over teaching his son a valuable lesson, he would wee it. Luckily for everyone, the Duke only felt respect for Berengar''s actions; if the young Viscount had groveled when Conrad mentioned that he was the Duke''s son, his estimation of Berengar truly would have plummeted.

 Chapter 99: Adelas Birthday IV

    <h4>Chapter 99: Ad''s Birthday IV</h4>


    After conversing with the guests for nearly an hour, the dessert was brought out, which of course, was a giant German Cheesecake, which was made from Berengar''s recipes. Ad, who had witnessed Lambert''s birthday, had followed Berengar''s tradition and ced thirteen candles on the cake, which we''re currently lit. Before the birthday girl had managed to blow out the candles, Berengar made sure to shout out.


    "Make a wish!"


    After hearing his words, Ad made a wish in which only she would know the details of before blowing the candles out with a simile on her face. At first, many of the nobles were confused by the candles and cake. Still, it seemed fun, and they instantly desired to do it at their future birthday celebrations, especially among the younger generation.


    As for Berengar, he waited for Ad to receive her gifts before giving hisst. She had received many expensive objects, from silk dresses to old literature. However, nothing she received wouldpare to the set of jewels Berengar would give her. After opening all her presents, all that was left was the gifts from her fiance. Many higher noblemen smirked with disdain at Berengar, who only recently achieved status as a Viscount and surely would not be able to afford a proper gift. However, when Ad received his present, which was properly wrapped, she could not wait to open it and see what was inside.


    Anxiety was filled on the faces of everyone in the room, as they wanted to see what kind of humble gift a man who had grown up as a Baron''s son and heir could provide such a high-ss fiancee. However, their eyes turned to shock when they gazed upon the extravagant set of jewelry that was unlike anything the nobility had ever seen before. The look on Ad''s face was priceless when she realized the gems were better than anything that her mother wore. Even the Duke was stunned at the magnificent disy of the polished ck ga and gold jewelry. Of course, Berengar made the set in the colors of his house as a symbol of their future union.


    Before Ad could speak her praise Berengar had pulled the luxurious ring out of the container and bent down on one knee before ced the gilded object upon the young girl''s ring finger. After doing such an action, Berengar spoke to his young fiancee with a genuine smile spread across his lips.


    "Happy Birthday, my sweet Ad; I hope all of your wishese true!"


    Hearing those words, Ad''s face began to flush with embarrassment. During the romantic scene, several feminine shrieks could be heard escaping the lips of some of the more envious young women in the audience. They, too, hoped that one day they could have a fiance as handsome and generous as Berengar.


    Count Otto could not help but approach Berengar and inquire where he had gotten such an elegant set of jewelry; after all his wife was giving him death res over the fact that her youngest daughter now had even better jewelry than herself. Even his other daughters were giving the Count the stink eye; the pettiness of women was something that could not be avoided.


    "Berengar, my son, Where did you get such a majestic set of jewels?"


    A slight smile spread across his lips, just as he had nned, everyone in the room had taken the bait, and now he could expand into the business of jewelry. As such, he boldly proimed the origins of the jewelry for everyone in the room to hear.


    "I had it specially made by the jewelers in my territory, though I was the one to provide them with the basic designs; it was the craftsmen of my industrial district who managed to create such a grand disy of art!"


    The words he spoke sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. Did he seriously design this jewelry? Just like how he designed the clothing in which Ad and her family wore? Immediately everyone wanted to do business with Berengar and the craftsmen in his Viscounty. Even the Duke was surprised; this young man was not just an excellent statesman and a brilliantmander, but an artistic genius!


    Truthfully speaking, Berengar merely copied designs from his previous life and decided to make them with colors he thought looked best: ck and gold. Aside from that, he left the rest up to the true artists of his territory. If he were to try to develop an artistic design on his own, it would be an unmitigated disaster akin to so-called "modern art." He was more of a mind of science, engineering, and tactics than a creative type. Luckily he had a good sense of aesthetics, and photographic memory, so the designs for clothing and essories, which he thought were beautiful from his previous life, were easy to replicate on paper. At the same time, the rest of the work was done by true craftsmen.


    While Berengar was addressing Ad''s father, the now-teenage girl grabbed ahold of his hand, which startled him; when he turned around, she had stood up from her seat and pecked him on the lips for all her father''s vassals to witness. The action was incredibly embarrassing for the young maiden, but she managed to express the words deep in her heart.


    "Thank you..."


    It was tantly obvious by how red the girl''s cheeks were that she was extremely embarrassed by the whole situation; however, what Berengar said next nearly melted her heart.


    "You don''t need to thank me; it is a Husband''s responsibility to look after his Wife."


    With those words spoken by Berengar, Ad was no longer angry at him for being with Linde because no matter what rtionship he had with the young temptress, Linde would never be his wife, and as such, Ad could hold her head high with pride. Thus at that moment, she had finally epted the possibility of Berengar having a lover on the side; after all, she knew deep in her heart that one day Berengar would be a great man, and didn''t all great men have some mistress?

 Chapter 100: A Passionate Speech

    <h4>Chapter 100: A Passionate Speech</h4>


    Nearly six months had passed since Ad''s birthday, and Berengar had long since returned to his home, where he continued to oversee the construction of his city, the transition of power, the expansion of his armies, and of course, the progress of industry. It was now winter, and Berengar stood in the middle of his newly constructed Reichstag, which operated as the chamber for his House of Commons. Seated within the room were the many men who had been deemed intelligent, capable, and charismatic enough to represent the interests of the Common people of Kufstein.


    The Young viscount was giving a powerful speech to the lower house of his legitive Branch about Kufstein''s achievements since his father had voluntarily abdicated, leaving him control of the entire territory.


    "Over the past several months, we all have worked tremendously to enrich further thends in which we call home. Thanks to the Chemistry department, we have been able to refine arge amount of TNT, which has been instrumental in rapidly expanding the operations of the many mines within the Viscounty, which have fueled our growing industries. Bringing us a significant degree of autonomy and wealth!"


    The ears of themoners who were now elected officials of Kufstein''s transitional government listened intensely to Berengar''s impassioned speech, carefully paying attention to each word spoken as if it was being uttered from the voice of God.


    "The mighty walls which shall secure the future of the City of Kufstein have been fully erected, constructed from steel-reinforced concrete blocks; they shall provide safety and security for every citizen who dwells within them for many years!"


    Several of the Congressmen nodded in approval; the investment into the walls was considered of dire importance and had been the first among many rapid changes that havee to the region.


    "As far as defense is concerned, we have amassed three whole infantry battalions, 2 entire artillery battalions, and a full Cuirassier battalion to act as the First Field Army of Kufstein. Forts have been constructed among the inhabited regions of the Viscounty and are fully garrisoned, as is the City, thus adding a great degree of protection to thends and its people! I dare say the City of Kufstein could beid siege to by an army of a hundred thousand men, and we would still be the victors!"


    The House of Commons was all too familiar with the Army''s funding and was fully supportive in the endeavor. Even though the government was originally supposed to be a mixture of the USA and Great Britain from Berengar''s previous life, the Constitution was already redrafted four times to the point where it now greatly resembled the constitution of the German Empire from that timeline. However, the primary differences being in regards to the degree of authority in which the head of state held, which was significantly more than the Kaiser from Berengar''s past life, and the sessionws which remained elective, albeit with more protections in ce to ensure a peaceful transition of power from one Viscount to the next, and to avoid any form of corruption within the electorate. In essence, Berengar still held significant authority as the Viscount and could do practically whatever he wanted as long as it was within reason. In truth, the Parliament acted more as a means to alleviate the heavy burdens of work that Berengar had to endure rather than act as a way to limit Berengar''s authority.


    Berengar continued his fervent speech as he began to transition from the topic of defense to that of housing.


    "Thanks to the ongoing efforts of our construction team, a series of affordable andfortable tenements have been erected to reduce the horrendous conditions in which themon people have had to endure as a result of our rapid increase in poption, and urbanization. With proper plumbing and sanitation, we have significantly reduced the risk of an outbreak of a dangerous disease."


    Every one of the members of parliament had a look of pride on their faces as many of their families were living in these wonderful apartmentplexes, which had sprawled up and reced the slums in which the City had previously been gued with. They continued to listen to Berengar as he moved on to the topic of Agriculture.


    "Our agricultural initiatives have proven to be a resounding sess as the serfs have been liberated, and the farmers who chose to remain in the fields have been given the tools and knowledge necessary to tend to their fields with a minimal amount ofbor while resulting in the greatest yields possible. The harvest this year was multiple timesrger than any in the history of Kufstein! As such, we have stored plenty of grain to sustain our poption for the years toe."


    Thest topic in which Berengar had addressed was the field of public education.


    "Under the Department of Education, schools have begun being constructed in every inhabited region, and we have seen a rapid rise in literacy rates. We will continue to work hard to provide the knowledge and resources that both the young and the old need to seed in the path they choose in life! As such, I implore every one of you to do your best in the uing year as many of these directives are still iplete and will need your assistance. I ask this of you all so that we may turn thisnd we call home into and in which we can all be proud of!"


    With his closing statements, the entire crowd of parliament rose to their feet and erupted in apuse and cheers. Not a single man had stayed seated, as that would be a sign of disrespect to the man who helped transform Kufstein into what it is today.


    While Berengar was basking in the glory of his aplishments, far to the north in the capital of the Kingdom of Germany, the time had finallye. The old monarchid lifeless on his death bed; his reign hade to an end. With his passing, the stability and peace he had brought to the Kingdom of Germany and the many fractured realms that itprised of woulde to a brutal end. When the pretenders who had sought to press their ims to the Throne became aware of this information, the German world would be embroiled in the fires of war. No region was safe now that the King was dead, not even Kufstein...

 Chapter 101: Victory in the East

    <h4>Chapter 101: Victory in the East</h4>


    Lambert currently wielded his longsword with a great disy of skill. He was currently locked inbat against a Muscovite heavy cavalryman on the ramparts of arge stone fortress. Lambert had long since earned his way into the Teutonic Order, and due to the favoritism the Grand Master showed him, he rapidly rose in the ranks. At the moment, he was leading an army of men to breach the walls of the Rus stronghold, which wasid on their path to Moscow. Thesest six months, the Teutonic Order had thrown everything at the Muscovites and was not far from seizing Moscow.


    Just when Lambert thought he had gotten the better of his opponent, the man shed his heavy cavalry saber across Lambert''s great basc; unfortunately for the Muscovite, Lambert was covered from head to toe in steel te and waspletely unphased by the attack. Instead, he managed to catch the Muscovite off guard, and by switching his grip to the de, Lambert couldnd a murder stroke on his opponent''s helmet effectively. After the pommel of his sword connected with the Muscovite''s iron helmet, the man copsed to the ground, where Lambert could get atop him and drive his de through the Muscovite''s iron mail veil; piercing the man''s throat sending him to the afterlife.


    After killing the man, Lambert looked around to see his men had cleared out the enemy position; at this point, the only area left with enemy soldiers would be the keep. Once they had forced their way into the area and cleared out any survivors, the fortress would fall into the hands of the Teutonic State. As such, Lambert rushed to the front of the fray and ordered his troops forward.


    "Take the keep!"


    Leading the way with a sword in hand, Lambert charged towards the keep''s gates, which were barred from the inside. It did not take long for the battering ram to arrive, where Lambert and his forces busted down the door revealing a group of heavily armored elites, d from head to toe in the distinctive Rus mail and te armor. Once the Keep''s door was busted down, a frenzied melee broke out as Teutonic knights and Muscovite elites battled it out to determine who would be the victor. Despite resisting until the veryst man, the Muscovites soon found themselves butchered likemon hogs, leaving the besieged fortress in the hands of the Teutonic Order.


    Days passed while Lambert and his men cleaned the fortress of the signs of battle and reinforced its defenses. Lambert and his army of 2,500 men were left to defend the region. However, before long, the defenders of the recently captured fortress noticed the sight of allied banners flying in the wind. The distinctive white field emzoned with a ck cross could be seen in extraordinary numbers carried by the many iron-d men beneath them. The Grand Master and his army had arrived atst.


    After seeing that the battle was already over, the Grand Master felt impressed by Lambert''s abilities; he was truly an excellentmander, and the older man patted himself on the back for recognizing such talent. The Grand Master quickly rode through the gates of the fortress, where he got off his horse and greeted Lambert.


    "Brother Lambert, I see you sessfully captured this fortress despite being greatly outnumbered!"


    Lambert smiled at the praise from the old man who had aided him greatly during his time with the Teutonic Order. However, he quickly noticed the letter which was in the man''s hands and inquired about it.


    "What is that?"


    The Grand Master handed Lambert the letter and briefly summarized its contents as the boy read it.


    "The King of Germany is dead, and with his death opens an opportunity to get rid of the Berengar Heresy. While the lords of the German realm fight among themselves for the throne, which is nothing more than an honorary title, the Pope has ordered me to send a force to mop up your brother''s mess. Considering we will soon be ending this war, I have decided to dispatch 10,000 men with you at themand to put down your heretic of a brother."


    After hearing those words, Lambert''s eyes glistened with excitement, and a wicked smile formed across his face, it had been nearly 8 months since he had been exiled, and he spent the majority of that time honing his skills inbat. He had never forgiven his family for what they had done, especially Berengar and Linde. He would never forget the humiliation he suffered at their hands; as such, he was more than eager to ept the mission. Thus he knelt before the Grand Master and spoke in a chivalric facade.


    "It would be an honor!"


    Though the Grand Master knew this issue was deeply personal to the boy, he did not care. At the least, Lambert acted piously, and in the end, that was all that really mattered. As such, he motioned for Lambert to rise as the Grand Master led him to the troops in which Lambert would bemanding. Not only were the 2500 men already under hismand among their ranks, but he was given arge number of veterans to take with him. It would take several months for an army to march from the borders of Moscow to Kufstein; during this time, Lambert would greatly look forward to enacting his vengeance upon his brother like he had nned for so long.


    After all, if the Pope supported him in his endeavors to end his brother''s reign, then clearly God must be on his side, or so he thought. Unfortunately for him, Berengar had been rapidly expanding his armies over the past 6 months. Though he might be outnumbered when the Teutonic Order finally arrived with their first invasion, he most certainly would not be outgunned. Thus an army marched back to the fathend with the intent to kill a heretic and butcher the people of hisnds; from there, they would spread across the warring states of Germany andy waste to as many heretics as they possibly could, such as the divine will of Christ!

 Chapter 102: Plans for the Future

    <h4>Chapter 102: ns for the Future</h4>


    After addressing the Reichstag, Berengar returned to his Castle, which he lived in for the time being while his pce was being constructed. He thought deeply about theposition of his transitionary government. Truth be told, the current House of Commons and the House of Lords were not exactlyrge in number, nor were they voted into power. Instead, Bernegar ced those who had proven themselvespetent and understanding of his reforms into the poisition for the time being to act as a form of governance during this transitional period. At the same time, he would spend the next few years educating the poption enough to allow for a proper vote.


    The House of Commons was filled with themoners who already had a basic understanding of reading, writing, and trades. During theter part of the medieval period in which Berengar currently fond himself, towns and cities hadmoners who were not mere serfs and who instead worked in trades within the localmunity, and it was these partially educated people, much like Ludwig, who were appointed to work in his rudimentary "Parliament."


    In reality, the House of Commonsprised a dozen or two people whose current responsibility was to take some of the work off of Berengar''s shoulders and act as a public face of political representation. As for the House of Lords, the men within it were far more educated and responsible for the overwhelming majority of work, at least for the time being. They were mostlyprised of the younger generation of nobility who proved to be more amicable towards Berengar''s revolutionary ideas.


    Technically these actions were legal under Berengar''s so-called Constitution, as he gave the head of state the power to directly appoint people into positions of power, including the parliament, as well as remove them, or even directly dissolve parliament as a whole where he could then appoint whoever he wished for the position, or call for a re-election.


    After returning to the Castle, he quickly found himself hugging Linde and the newborn boy who was within her arms. Linde had recently given birth to a son named Hans, who Berengar had officially recognized as his. However, he had not fully legitimized the child as doing so would provoke Otto into dissolving the engagement he had to Ad, which he could not afford to do. Of course, this was a massive scandal in its own right, and Otto nearly broke the engagement anyway; it was only thanks to Ad and her insistence upon marrying Berengar that it remained in ce.


    After embracing his lover, and his child, Berengar kissed Linde on the lips and asked her the question on his mind.


    "How is my baby doing?"


    Linde gave him a sly look as she cooed the sleeping child before addressing Berengar''s question.


    "Do you mean the child or me?"


    Berengar smirked as he responded to his lover


    "I mean both!"


    Linde smiled gently as she held onto her infant son before handing him over to his father.


    "We''re good, Hans is an extraordinarily healthy young boy, or so Ewald says!"


    Berengar smiled at the news; thest thing he wanted was his firstborn child to suffer from the same degree of frailty and illness that he had endured in his youth. Meanwhile, he thought to himself in the back of his head.


    ''Mother, Father, you finally have a grandchild. It is just a shame you will not be able to meet him!"


    Obviously, he was referring to his parents from his previous life, whom he had left behind with absolutely no grandchildren to speak of. To this day, he deeply regretted how his fate had turned out in his past life, yet there was nothing he could do about that. If he had not died in Afghanistan and transmigrated to this Alternate World, he never would have met Linde or Ad, nor would he be able to achieve the great things he had already aplished in this world. To Berengar, this was only the start of his legacy.


    After holding onto his son for a little bit, he returned the boy to his mother, who had a worried expression on her face, it had nothing to do with the child, and Berengar immediately noticed that. After cing the baby in his crib, Linde began to address the recent news she had received.


    "The King is dead..."


    Berengar was not surprised by this news and was actually quite happy about it; this meant that his ns for conquest could begin soon enough. Of course, the first objective on his list was to seize Innsbruck and dere himself Count of Tyrol; as such, his first question was regarding Linde''s family.


    "When will your father attack Vienna?"


    Linde did not have the slightest bit of guilt as she revealed her father''s ns to her lover as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    "He will march upon Vienna in a week; it should take him at least a fortnight for his army to reach the Capital. By now, the Duke has already begun moving his forces to Bavaria where he will fight with the Wittelsbachs for the title of King."


    Berengar nodded with a stern expression on his face before responding to the information.


    "Then I will march upon Innsbruck in a month; it should be more than enough time for the Count to have begun his siege."


    Linde wrapped her arms around Berengar and kissed him passionately as she conspired with her master against her father and her family.


    "Should I address you as Count Berengar?"


    Berengarughed at the young temptress''s response before flicking her on the nose; she could not wait to have another child. Unfortunately for her, Berengar was adamant about waiting at least six weeks after having her child before they could engage in their usual nightly fun. Seeing as Linde had not yet had her proper period of rest, Berengar easily broke away from her grasp. To avoidplications after the delivery, it was best to wait a while before engaging in such activity. Since Berengar wanted both of his women to live as long as possible, he chose to abstain for the time being. Thus he teased Linde slightly as he responded to her temptation.


    "Not yet, I refuse to use such a title until I have gained it by right of conquest!"


    Of course, by refusing her, Linde began to pout; though Berengar had exined his reasoning for doing so, she still felt lonely without making love to the man she desired. Nevertheless, it was only for a short time longer, and thus the couple got ready for bed. Tomorrow was a day where Berengar would spend mostly with his troops, getting them ready forbat. His forces had grown substantially over thest six months, and he was confident in iming the County of Tyrol for himself and putting down any rebellions that would naturally ur from the Lords who swore fealty to Count Lothar.


    When the time came for Count Lothar to call the banners to war, Berengar would provide him with a force of Mercenaries and a gift of gold to apologize for his absence. Though it would surely infuriate the man, it would undoubtedly be epted. Thus leaving Berengar and his superior armies with the ability to march on Innsbruck. Though he was unaware that an Army of Teutonic Knights was marching towards hisnds, that would not stop his ns froming to fruition. Even if he were aware of their advance, he would still behave in the same way; after all, with the might of his guns, he could bring Tyrol under his control before they even arrived. It was the dawn of a new era, a German era, one where Berengar would crown himself emperor!

 Chapter 103: God With Us!

    <h4>Chapter 103: God With Us!</h4>


    The light of dawn shone through the Castle windows as Berengar was quickly awakened; his child had slept soundly through the night, which was a rare urrence at this point. Because of this, the man was finally able to get a good night''s rest. Seeing as how he would be with the troops today, Berengar did not bother with his morning exercise and instead began to get dressed in his military attire. By now, his armor wasprised of ckened steel three quarter''s te that was gilded in the same gold pattern as his previous set; it came with matching gauntlets.


    The armor set even had an armored codpiece to protect his groin and a pair of matching rondels. Of course, the codpiece was hidden beneath his waffenrock; as such, he did not feel embarrassed for having such a piece of equipment. Berengar also wore a golden sash across his breastte. The ck and gold armor went over his matching Landsknecht attire; he still wore the feathered cap over the ckened steel skull cap. He wore a heavy cavalry sword based upon the British pattern 1788 cavalry sword, tied to his waist by a ck leather sword belt with brass fittings.


    The sword itself had a gold-ted guard and a ck leather grip that was wrapped in gold wire. The de itself was made of Damascus steel imported from the east, it was initially designed to be his wedding gift, but seeing as that was a few years away still, Ludwig had gifted it to him for his birthday, which was in the middle of October.


    After dressing in his attire, he snuck out of his quarters, leaving his sleeping lover and child to continue their rest. He quickly found himself in the kitchen where he was prepared a set of field rations, after which he went to the Castle''s stables and mounted his trusty steed Erwin, where he ced a set of two pistols within the holsters on its saddle.


    After riding out to the field, Berengar met with Eckhard, who was alreadymanding the infantry in their daily drills. The infantry was fully equipped with the ck steel armor and ck and gold Landsknecht attire issued to all of his troops. Nearly a quarter of his troops were equipped with the new 1417/18 Rifled Musket, which had been rebored and rifled to ept the .58 caliber Minie ball projectile. Because of this, part of his infantry now had the ability to engage targets beyond 300 yards. They were formed into their own riflepanies and fought alongside the standard smoothbore musketeers.


    Thebined tactics of rifleman and musketeers would prove to be an effective means ofbat, at least until he could manage to have all of his muskets rebored into the new design. Over the past six months, the army had grown into quite the professional force, with its own officer ss made up of a mixture of knights, nobles, andmoners. Seeing as it was entirely based upon merit, anyone could be an officer with the right education and training. Since he did not have time to set up a full-fledged military academy, Berengar had been making do with selecting rare talents and training them with his vision of early modern warfare.


    Eckhard noticed the Viscount approaching and quickly saluted him. The army which had been mustered quickly did the same. it was only after he returned his salute and gave his orders did the men rx


    "At ease."


    Seeing all his soldiers standing before him, Berengar made sure tomunicate his orders effectively.


    "The King is dead; war will be upon us shortly; I trust you have all been properly trained in the past few months; as such, we will be setting off in a month. At the moment, our target is confidential. However, when the time to marches, you will all be properly informed of our destination. Thus, I want all of you prepared for the eventual day of our conquest! I won''t lie, we will be gone for some time, and many of us may not return. However, for the prosperity of the realm and your families'' continued fortune, we must fight! God with us!"


    Thest part had been a war cry Berengar had stolen from the Germans of his previous life. He had made sure every soldier was aware of this battle cry over the past few months, and the moment he yelled those words into the air, the army of several thousand men echoed by responding with the same chant.


    "God with us!"


    As such, Berengar spent the rest of his day overseeingbat drills while standing alongside Eckhard, who watched the perfect disy of tactics being conducted. Eckhard had a look of concern on his face as he knew of Berengar''s ns, he and the officers were already aware of what was toe, and they had known for quite some time what Berengar''s aspirations were. Eventually, the man voiced his concerns.


    "We have 5,250 men, it is not a bad number, but if we are to conquer the County of Tyrol, we will surely be facing stiff resistance. After seizing Innsbruck, the lords of the Realm will rebel against us. However, many of them and their professional armies will be off with Lothar siege to Vienna; their children will surely raise levies to defy our authority. Our numbers will be stretched thin fighting against every barony and viscounty within the County. By the time Lothar arrives with his armies, we will be fighting several small-scale wars across Tyrol, which will put us in a poor position."


    Berengar chuckled at Eckhard''s concerns before brushing them aside andforting his most talented General by sping his shoulder.


    "My old friend, what you say is true; that is certainly one possibility in which war can result. However, I am not concerned in the slightest; after all, I have an ace in the hole."


    Eckhard quickly realized Berengar was referring to Linde, and he looked at him with an anxious expression.


    "You are going to use her to conspire against her father while he is besieging Vienna?"


    Berengar nodded with a satisfied expression on his face, as always with the slightest direction; Eckhard caught onto his schemes. However, the old knight''s next words were unexpected.


    "That is cruel, even for you."


    However, what Berengar said next greatly shocked Eckhard


    "It was her idea."


    letting out a great sigh, Eckhard admitted defeat before his Lord and General


    "You two are truly made for each other..."


    Though the old Knight had great respect for Berengar, he vastly preferred when Berengar used the might of his armies to disy his dominance on the field of battle, rather than when he schemed behind the scenes to lead his opponents into a trap.


    Nevertheless, Berengar could easily manipte Lothar and his Vassals into falling to his ploys with Linde''s aid. As such, he looked forward to the uing war and the day he could proim himself Count. Berengar gazed at the scene of his army''s drills and grinned at the sight he had a good feeling about the future; if God truly existed, surely he was on Berengar''s side. If not, why else would he be dragged into this world and put into a position of power?

 Chapter 104: Call to Arms!

    <h4>Chapter 104: Call to Arms!</h4>


    Much like Linde had predicted, within a week, Berengar received a letter from Count Lothar informing him to rally his forces and begin the march to war. In the northern parts of Germany, battles were already being waged between the House von Luxembourg with the backing of their allies against the House von Wittelsbach. Duke Wilmar of Austria had already begun his march into Bavaria with the majority of his forces thusunching an attack on the Wittelsbach''s while their main army was away. However, he foolishly trusted Lothar with the defense of the border in which Tyrol shared with southern Bavaria.


    After receiving the summons, Berengar had sent the mercenaries he had already prepared for the asion to rally at Innsbruck, with a chest of silver and a letter informing Lothar of Berengar''s "temporary" absence. Currently, Lothar was standing in the Great Hall of Innsbruck surrounded by the various nobleman who had answered his call to arms where he was reading Berengar''s letter aloud for all to hear.


    "Dear Count Lothar von Habsburg-Innsbruck,


    It is with a heavy heart I must inform you that I am unable to reach the rally point at Innsbruck at this time. Due to severalplications, mostly due to weather, I cannot round up my forces in time to meet up with you and your other Bannerman. As such, I have sent this small force of mercenaries and a trove of silver to act aspensation for my absence. I will rendezvous with you at the location of the target when conditions permit it.


    Sincerely,


    Viscount Berengar von Kufstein"


    The various noblemen who had gathered could not prevent themselves from scoffing at the contents of this letter. Clearly, the young Viscount was a coward, hiding behind his walls while the rest gathered for the future conflict. Many of these men had done business with Berengar and felt a great sense of disdain for the man who helped supply them with the equipment they needed to field their armies. A middle-aged Viscount was first to voice his objection to the matter.


    "Does the boy seriously intend to sit back and wait for the battle to be over before arriving? Apparently, my estimation of the "Mighty Berengar" was greatly exaggerated!"


    The excuse of weather conditions wasughable after all these men lived in Tyrol and suffered the same conditions, yet they had all managed to answer the call to arms. Though some of the Noblemen were happy with Berengar''s absence, he was known to be an excellentmander, and they did not want topete with him when it came to rising in the ranks when Lothar came to power.


    Lothar merely stood in silence for a few moments thinking over the reasoning for Berengar''s actions, yet not once did he suspect that the young Viscount was about to stab him in the back andy siege to his home while he was off at war. Thus he made an equally foolish decision as Duke Wilmar and permitted Berengar''s behavior, as the old Count decided he would permit Berengar to stay in Kufstein until his forces were ready for battle.


    Part of his reasoning for this was that Lothar had vastly underestimated the power of Berengar''s armies. He was unaware of the vast military buildup which Berengar had made over the previous months, nor how well every one of his soldiers was equipped. Firearms were still a rare and primitive design at this point in history and considering Berengar had done an excellent job of hiding the effectiveness of his muskets and cannons, Lothar merely believed he had a few peasant levies equipped with the not so impressive hand cannons.


    On top of this, Lothar had purchased all of the high-quality equipment from Berengar''s professional forces shortly after the war with Kitzb��hel, and due to how busy Berengar had been selling arms and armor to other forces, he did not believe the young Viscount had time to equip his own army properly. Lothar had little need for a bunch of under-equipped levies, this was a more sophisticated era of warfare where smaller armies of professional men at arms fought against one another, the days of massive hordes of peasant levies equipped with hunting spears, and ack of armor was long passed. Thus he made a bold deration in front of all the gathered noblemen


    "Forget Berengar; if he wants to hide behind his castle walls like a coward, then I will allow it; we march to Vienna at first light!"


    The gathered noblemen all nodded with a satisfied expression; without Berengar and his armies, they felt a lot more secure about gaining Lothar''s favor. Though they were entirely unaware of the already strained rtionship between the young Viscount and Count Lothar, thus they were unable to predict the vicious thoughts that Lothar was secretly thinking in the back of his wicked mind


    ''When I am done with Vienna, I wille to root you out of your castle and have you beheaded for this act of treason!''


    Clearly, the target of his vengeance was Berengar; Lothar had never forgiven the boy for spoiling his schemes withmbert, nor had he forgotten the fact that he turned his daughter into an unwed teenage mother. Who would possibly marry his daughter now? He had tried to convince Berengar to take responsibility and marry Linde, but the boy was stubborn about marrying the von Graz girl, and this by itself had made Count Lothar thirst for his blood.


    As such, Lothar spent the remainder of his waking hours going over his ns for dealing with Berengar; after all, by the time the Teutonic Order arrived in Kufstein, Lothar was certain he would be a Duke. By then he could truly gather a great force to crush this little ant who kept invoking his ire. Lothar had no way of knowing that Adelheid had been sniffing through his office while he slept that night, looking for any semnce of a plot against Berengar; on behalf of her sister, she willingly worked with the young Viscount to overthrow her malevolent father.


    During that night, Adelheid found letters from the Papacy informing Lothar that the Teutonic Order had already sent an army of 10,000 soldiers on the warpath to Kufstein and that they would be arriving in a matter of months. The girl rapidly copied the contents of the correspondence and sent it to Linde in the cover of night. Her father and his allies werepletely unaware that his home in Innsbruck was alreadypromised by Berengars vast spywork. These spies would have a role to y in the uing Siege of Innsbruck, which would forever go down in history as a major event of Berengar''s rise to dominance.

 Chapter 105: A Broken Betrothal

    <h4>Chapter 105: A Broken Betrothal</h4>


    Ad von Graz was currently standing in the center of the Great Hall of her family''s house with tears in her eyes as she argued with her elder brother Gerhart von Graz. Gerhart was a young man on the verge of his twenties and, as such, was a couple of years younger than Berengar. Being cousins, the young men shared some striking simrities in appearance; they both had a refined and regal appearance being the personification of the ideal prince charming in the eyes of many young girls. They were both tall and lean while still being muscr, and they both had morous golden blonde hair. However, Gerhart''s hair was much longer than Berengar''s and was not slicked back; Gerhart, however, had his father''s emerald eyes.


    If one were to state what Gerhart''s rtionship with Ad was, it was that of an extremely over-protective big brother, to the point where many wouldbel him a sis-con. He had never been fond of Ad''s engagement to Berengar and had voiced his concerns to his father many times. The grudge between the two cousins goes back well over a decade when they were small children and had only grown over time. Until a year ago, Berengar was considered a sickly, indolent, pompous twit incapable of aplishing anything significant in life. However, when this changed practically overnight, and Berengar started bing exemry, Gerhart greatly approved of his transformation.


    Of course, his approval always coincided with his contempt; after all, he did not want to hand his little sister over to any man, let alone Berengar. As such, it was not long before he began to detest Berengar once more. Berengar had made many bold actions that did not sit well with a devout catholic like Gerhart. Berengar''s open defiance of the church, his spread of heresy, and his execution of the Inquisitors was a far bigger deal to Gerhart than any other members of his family.


    Berengar''s legal reforms which spat in the face of the old nobility, also managed to invoke the ire of the young Regent. Still, all of those paled inparison to Berengar''s most recent revtion, which had crossed Gerhart''s bottom line and made him have a great sense of disdain for his cousin. Berengar''s public deration that Linde''s bastard child was his own son etched a deep sense of hatred into Gerhart''s bones. Yet despite all of this, Ad had continued to support Berengar; Gerhart could not imagine what sorcery Berengar had yed to control his precious little sister''s mind to the point where she had defended his scandalous actions and continued to support the idea of marrying the scoundrel.


    Ultimately, there was nothing he could do about the matter because it was an agreement his father continued to support until now. Gerhart and Ad''s father had recently been called to arms and were marching toward Bavaria with his armies. Leaving Gerhart in charge of his family''snds. As Regent, the first action he decided upon was to rescind the engagement between Berengar and Ad. Something which greatly upset the young teenage girl. Currently, she was pleading with her elder brother to honor the arrangement with tears in her eyes.


    "You can not do this! Just because you are regent does not mean you can go against father''s wishes and end my engagement with Berengar!"


    Enraged by Ad''s insistence on supporting that womanizing rogue who was their cousin, Gerhart screamed from atop the seat of power in Steiermark as he tried to get his little sister to see reason.


    "He has openly cheated on you with his little brother''s fiancee, they have a child together, and yet he still intends to marry you and not the mother of his son! Why can you not see that he is a terrible person! He ispletely and utterly unfit to take your hand in marriage!"


    Ad had never been so angry before in her life, her eldest brother''s insistence on ending her betrothal was an obsession at this point, and she could not understand why he was so consumed with the idea. She curled her little hands into fists as she shouted at the top of her lungs.


    "You are not my father, and you are most certainly not the Count of Steiermark! You have no authority to do such a thing!"


    Gerhart was on the edge of his seat with rage; he could not tell what spell Berengar had cast upon his little sister to make her so rebellious against her own flesh and blood. Then again, Berengar was also her own flesh and blood, but that was far more distant. The important matter at hand was that he had already made his decision, and as Regent, he felt as if it was in his authority to terminate the agreement.


    "It is already done; I have sent a letter to that bastard informing him that he is not getting his hands on my precious little sister! Now I do not want you speaking to that viin ever again. Do you understand me?"


    Ad was so angry at Gerhart that she had blurted out her inner thoughts, which greatly wounded the man''s pride as a borderline sis-con.


    "Fuck you! I wish I did not have a shitty brother like you!"


    With that, Ad stormed off to her room, where sheid face down upon her bed and cried her tears into her pillow. She could not believe her rtionship with Berengar hade to an end just like that. She sincerely hoped that Berengar would not resort to rash actions, like invading her family''snds to take her hand in marriage forcefully. The more she thought about such a possibility, the more she prayed that Berengar would beat some sense into her crazy older brother. As for how Berengar would react to the news that his cousin Gerhart had broken his betrothal to Ad? Only time would tell. After all, he was the type of man who was not afraid to flex his muscle to get what he wanted. Ultimately count Otto''s response to Gerhart''s actions would determine how Berengar reacted to the situation.

 Chapter 106: An act of Provocation

    <h4>Chapter 106: An act of Provocation</h4>


    A few days had passed, and the message from Gerhart had arrived in Berengar''s court as he was making preparations for his invasion of Innsbruck. Berengar instantly read the letter, and a smug grin spread across his face. When Linde saw the look on his face, she knew nothing good coulde from it. However, she would not be doing her job as his spymaster if she did not inquire about the details; as such, she quickly asked about what had made Berengar express such contempt.


    "What happened?"


    Berengar patted Linde on the head as he walked over to where he left his chalice and took arge gulp of the beer contained within.


    "Nothing much, that idiotic sis-con Gerhart has just proimed that as Regent he is nullifying the arrangement in which our father''s had made betrothing Ad to me."


    With this news, Linde was shocked; she did not know of the heated grudge Gerhart held against Berengar, nor did she know that the boy had an unhealthy obsession with his sisters, and as such, could not have predicted that he would behave in this manner. Knowing Berengar''s fiery temperament and his willingness to do anything necessary to protect that which he hasid im to, Linde was afraid to ask what his ns were but in the end, felt it was necessary.


    "So, what do you n to do about it?"


    Berengar chuckled as he calmly drank another sip of the beer from the chalice on the table before eximing his thoughts aloud.


    "That is simple, I will reject his authority on the matter and regard Count Otto''s words as absolute; Gerhart may be a regent, but he does not have the authority to defy the Count''s wishes. He is trying to act like me and failing miserably. During my Regency, my father was not in any condition to make a public appearance. Meanwhile, his father is at war, so unless the man dies, he can easily undo anything Gerhart has done during his tenure as Regent."


    As such, Berengar quickly drafted a letter that would serve as an act of provocation towards Gerhart; the contents of the letter were as follows.


    "Dear Gerhart von Graz,


    My dearest cousin, as a man who has once held a simr position to that in which you currently upy. Allow me to educate you on the folly of your actions and why they arepletely invalid. First and foremost, your power as regentes from the fact that your father, Count Otto von Graz, is the reigning authority within the County of Steiermark. Under his authority, he has granted you the power to protect his interests and manage his affairs while he is fighting our enemies.


    Your justification for breaking my betrothal to your lovely sisteres from the fact that I have taken a lover, which has resulted in a child. Despite this, your father has stated as early as two weeks ago that he would not end the alliance between our two families, which is currently held together by the aforementioned betrothal.


    As such, by dering the nullification of the engagement between Ad and myself, you are openly dering your intentions to vite the interests of the rightful Count of Steiermark and thus act as a usurper. As a sworn ally to your father, who is also my loving uncle, I will be forced by the alliance we hold to liberate the County of Steiermark from your usurpation. As such, I implore you to think twice about your actions before I am forced to march upon your family''snds and depose you!"


    Sincerely,


    Viscount Berengar von Kufstein"


    Linde read the letter in which Berengar had carefully crafted with great astonishment; noticing the look on her face, Berengar inquired why she looked so surprised.


    "What?"


    Linde approached Berengar and sat down in hisp while looking him in the eyes with a solemn expression before asking the question on his mind.


    "You would not really go to war with your cousin over this matter, would you?"


    Berengar, on the other hand, merely smiled and rubbed Linde''s cheek with his hand before replying in a grave tone.


    "I would dly go to war with God himself if he sought to steal either of my women from me!"


    Linde blushed when she heard Berengar''s boastful ims, but seeing the look in his eyes, she knew he was being serious, which made her heart race faster. However, what concerned her most was the interference this would have with his ns to seize the County of Tyrol.


    "If you go to war with Steiermark, what happens to our ns?"


    Seeing the confusion on his lover''s face, Beregar decided to rify his position on the matter.


    "When Gerhart sees my threats, he will act in one of two ways, either he will back down, like the coward he is, or he will call me on my bluff, and I will be forced to march on Steiermark. Knowing my cousin and his weak spine, the threat of an Army at his doorstep while his father is away at war will be more than enough to make him rescind his intentions. If he doesn''t... well, it is not like I said when I would invade hisnds, Tyroles first!"


    In some way, this was a small victory for Linde. Within her mind, Berengar had essentially said that his ns to invade Tyrol and seize her Family''snds for himself; and by extension, she and her child were more important than the betrothal he had to Ad. This is not at all what Berengar meant, but he did not know the intricacies of a woman''s mind for what man could navigate that stormy sea?


    As such, Berengar immediately sent his letter to Gerhart; at the same time, he also sent a letter to Count Otto, who was bound to be in some field in Bavaria, hoping that he could put an end to his son''s impudence before Berengar was forced to act. The letter contained all the necessary information about the ongoing dispute to get his uncle on his side. Either way, regardless of how Otto responded, Berengar would not take action until after he had sessfully imed Tyrol for himself and put down Linde''s father and his loyal vassals.

 Chapter 107: Victory in Bavaria

    <h4>Chapter 107: Victory in Bavaria</h4>


    Count Otto was d in a set of Churburg style te armor, covered from head to toe in abination of te, mail, and gambeson, with a tabard disying his house''s mighty coat of arms. In his hands was a halberd which he used to great effect as he hacked down at the Bavarian defender, a man at arms d in a brigandine chest te over a mail hauberk; he wore a visorless basc as he desperately defended the attacks of the middle-aged lord.


    Otto and his army were currently engaged in a field battle not far from the city of Landshut. Though his troops were outnumbered, he had used superior tactics to surround the Bavarian army in a ssic double envelopment much like the one used by the Carthaginian army at Cannae. As such, the field had turned into a ughter as the Bavarians were pushed together and butchered by the Austrian army. Berengar''s family were renowned as warriors for a reason; this notion extended to his cousins and their families as well.


    Despite Sieghard failing to recognize his son''s disputes; he was well regarded as a great warrior and battlefieldmander, though he had been looking forward to the day he could ride beside his allies in warfare once more, the guilt he felt for his son''s actions, and subsequent exilement made him no longer fit forbat, as such Berengar''s father was not present in this battle beside his brother-inw. Count Otto greatly felt great despair for this urrence; if Sieghard were here, the battle probably would have had fewer losses. Of course, Sieghard was a vassal of Count Lothar and probably would have been stuck defending the Austrian Alps from the Bavarian forces located across the border.


    Nevertheless, Count Otto could not help butment the absence of his brother-inw as he struck down the man at arms in front of him with his mighty halberd. After finishing the man, he moved onto another nearby with his soldiers nking him; the group of heavily armored knights descended upon the Bavarians like the reaper, deflecting their shots with their polearms and heavy steel te armor. Luckily for Otto, he had equipped all of his soldiers, bannermen, and knights with excellent armor from Berengar''s industrial district; because of that, their casualties were substantially lower than the enemy, even before they caught them in a trap.


    The banner of the golden swan flew in the air as the Austrian forces soon overwhelmed what little resistance the enemy could amount. Pressed from all sides, the numbers of the Bavarians quickly dwindled from thousands to hundreds. The enemymander soon found himself surrounded by an army of steel-d warriors cutting down his troops like ribbons. He could not fathom how the Austrians had managed to make such arge supply of brigandine and te armor; the expense was surely outrageous! Nevertheless, Otto and his man quickly cut down the men before them, pressing onward to the Enemymander, who wasmenting his decision to sally forth from the walls and protect the nearby agricultural town from the Austrian raids.


    By now, the Bavarians had lost most of their army, and what few remained kept being smashed against the mighty steel wall of heavily armored men at arms who continued to press them further and further. Spears, Halberds, Polehammers, swords, maces, war hammers all descended upon the rtively poorly equipped Bavarian forces, severing limbs and crushing skulls as the deadly blowsnded upon their foes. Resulting in a sea of blood staining the snow beneath their feet.


    After a long-drawn-out battle, thest Bavarian standing eventually fell to the onught, ending in an overwhelming victory for the Austrians, who had suffered minimal losses due to their well-equipped forces. As his men were cheering in the thousands for the great victory they achieved, Otto raised the visor of his great basc and gazed at the scene of iron-d corpses bleeding onto the snow that covered the ground. The middle-aged count sighed heavily as he mumbled the words.


    "So this is the tyranny of steel? How can the enemy possiblypete with the sheer defense my army possesses?"


    Count Otto was stunned by the performance of his army in this battle; if he was angry at Berengar before for cheating on his daughter and having a bastard son in which he dared to recognize, he could feel the fury no longer. The alliance he had made with House von Kufstein had truly paid off in this battle as he suffered far fewer casualties than he normally would have if he had not invested so heavily in Berengar''s steel and arms trade. The amount of steel in which Berengar was able to produce must be a miracle from God, for the middle-aged Count could not exin it otherwise.


    While his troops cleaned up the battlefield, Otto returned to his camp, where he nned to celebrate his massive victory; however, before he could do so, he was approached by a small party of cuirassiers who flew the banner of House von Kufstein. When Otto gazed upon the intricate pattern of the armor designs Berengar''s forces wore, he could not help but feel that his own magnificent set of te armor was inadequate. Nevertheless, the horses still rode forward and appeared to have greeted the sentries of his war camp. Who quickly pointed in Count Otto''s direction. Evidently, these strangely armored men were here for him; what news could Berengar possibly bring him that was of such importance that he would send men into the frontlines of war?


    When the lead cuirassier rode up next to Count Otto, the man Saluted the Count before speaking.


    "Are you Count Otto von Graz?"


    Count Otto noticed the intricate brass pattern on the officer''s armor and gazed at it with envy. The pattern contrasted perfectly with the ckened steel te and the garish ck, gold, and white clothing that was slightly visible beneath the three-quarter''s te armor. After gazing in awe of the magnificent armor design Count, Otto eventually reimed his senses and nodded. When he did so, the cuirassier handed him a letter with the seal of House von Kufstein upon it; while doing so, the leading officer informed the Count of a brief summary of what had transpired in his absence.


    "Viscount Berengar von Kufstein sends word of the dispute he is having with your son Gerhart and seeks your assistance."


    Upon hearing those words, Otto immediately read the letter; as he did so, his expression became increasingly sour beforementing aloud for all the troops nearby to hear.


    "That fucking idiot..."


    Though this was supposed to be a great victory and a cause for celebration, it was immediately tarnished in the eyes of Count Otto by the foolish actions of his errant son. For some reason, the boy thought that he could do whatever he desired just because he was named Regent. If this is how the boy would reign as his sessor, then Count Otto was greatly concerned about the future of his realm. Count Otto was left with no choice but to send word back to Berengar, assuring him that the arrangement still stood and that he would be strictly admonishing Gerhart for his actions. Thest thing he needed was for Berengar to invade hisnds under the guise of securing liberating Steiermark from a usurper.

 Chapter 108: Marching to War

    <h4>Chapter 108: Marching to War</h4>


    Gerhart looked at the letter in his hands addressed from Berengar with disbelief; he could not believe that the young Viscount was so bold that he would openly threaten to invade the County of Steimermark over the decision to rescind Ad''s engagement. The justification for doing so would be solid enough to prevent anyone froming to Gerhart''s aid, especially in this time of turmoil where nobody would be able to spare the forces to help him retain his regency.


    However, this was not the most abysmal piece of news that he had received; there was also a letter from his father which openly dered Gerhart''s decision to break the betrothal as invalid and demanded that Gerhart relinquish his regency in favor of his younger brother Heimerich. By indulging in his desires to keep Ad away from his wretched cousin, he had cost himself the favor of his father, who now deeply questioned his eldest son''s capability as a ruler.


    This was simply outrageous. However, if he were to burn this letter and defy his father''s demands, Gerhart would truly be acting in rebellion, opening the stage for Berengar to justifiably march his armies on Graz and liberate the people of Steiermark from his territory. This was not something a spineless coward like Gerhart was willing to risk; as such, he admitted defeat and vacated his position as regent. Allowing Heimerich toe to power and immediately dere all of Gerhart''s actions null and void under the authority of Count Otto von Graz.


    ...


    When Berengar received this news, as well as the letter from Otto, he was greatly pleased; he had settled this dispute peacefully while humiliating Gerhart for his unwise decisions; this was enough punishment for trying to get in Berengar''s way. After all, whether or not Gerhart was a pompous fool with an unhealthy obsession for his sisters, he was still family, and as such, Berengar did not truly desire to see his head on a pike. The grudges between Gerhart and himself were notpletely irreconcble, unlike the ones he held with Lambert.


    It had been close to a month since Count Lothar had marched on Vienna, and the man was currently besieging the city. Thus giving Berengar justification to act in open rebellion. Berengar wrote a letter addressing all the Lords and Ladies of Austria and informing them of his intentions. He dered Count Lothar a traitor to the Realm, who took advantage of the current crisis to seize power for himself. As a result, Berengar would act by marching upon Innsbruck and seize the County of Tyrol for himself until a point in time where the Duke of Austria could appoint a loyal sessor to the title. Though of course, Berengar had no ns to relinquish his ims to thends of Tyrol.


    After sending letters to every corner of Austria, Berengar approached his lover and child and said his goodbyes. It would be some time before he returned to Kufstein, as his ns toy siege to Innsbruck and put down the inevitable rebellions that would follow might take a matter of months to achieve, nevertheless, as themander of his forces, it was his duty to stand alongside his troops in battle.


    Berengar kissed Linde passionately as the two hugged each other tightly. After separating from one another, Linde encouraged Berengar to the best of her ability. As his lover, it was her duty to support her man in his ventures. Despite the worried expression on her face, she forced herself to say her goodbyes.


    "Make sure toe home in one piece!"


    Berengar smiled with confidence and petted the woman''s glossy strawberry blonde hair.


    "As long as you stick to the n, I should be back safely in no time!"


    With that said, Berengar kissed his infant son on the forehead before departing from the room. After doing so, he found his trusty steed Erwin in the stables. He mounted the mighty beast before taking off into the snowy mountains of the Austrian Alps, where he would unite with his army before marching onto Innsbruck.


    After meeting up with his army, which was already mustered and d in heavy winter clothing, Berengar rode alongside his officers at the head of the formation. Eckhard was among them, his te armor was shrouded in a heavy fur-lined cloak while wearing a warm winter cap beneath his burg. His army was well equipped for the winter, and due to the extensive roadworks Berengar had built across his territory, they would be able to quickly make their way to the Viscounty of Schwaz, which lie between Innsbruck and Kufstein.


    Riding alongside Eckhard, Berengar decided to ask his Vice Commander about the morale of the troops.


    "So, how are the troops doing? I mean, we are marching to war in the middle of winter..."


    Eckhard smiled as he faced the oing wind, which was filled with a chilling breeze and particles of snow; despite the freezing weather, Berengar had supplied his forces with the necessary equipment to minimize attrition; as such, Eckhard was quite warm, and so were his forces.


    "They are ready and willing toy waste to the enemies of their Lord and Commander. It is a rare sight to see an army marching in the cold with such high spirits. Probably because they all know of the power we hold and that not even the high stone walls of the Castle of Innsbruck can prevent our swift victory!"


    Hearing this news, Berengar felt satisfied; the morale of his troops was high despite the conditions they found themselves in. So much so that they were marching to the beat of a song in which Berengar designed to resemble that of Die Eisenfaust am Lanzenschaft from his previous life. However, this song was edited to remove references to the Teutonic Order and instead reflect the conditions his Army faced. As such, it was a simr but unique piece of art in which thousands of voices joined in unison as they sang along to the lyrics, which Berengar had presented them. To his army, this solemn song that was originally designed in his previous life to represent the duty of the Teutonic Order now acted as a boost to the morale of his personal Army.


    To reach Innsbruck, they would first have to march through the Viscounty of Schwaz. Though the Viscount of Schwaz was fighting alongside Count Lothar in the ongoing siege of Vienna, his only son was currently tasked with presiding over the region during his absence as such there was a possibility that Berengar and his forces would have to face an army of levies in the fields if he wished to pass through the man''s territory. However, that was not of great importance; Berengar''s well-equipped army would easily handle such a meager force, which woulde at the most dy the inevitable.

 Chapter 109: The War for Austria Begins

    <h4>Chapter 109: The War for Austria Begins</h4>


    Currently, Duke Wilmar was alongside his vassals, including Count Otto, who had regrouped with the main army of Austria at Munich to which they were currentlyying siege. They were inside themander''s tent within the siege camp, where they were discussing tactics for the ongoing siege that had already been raging on for a total of fifteen days at this point. While going over preparations for building a tunnel beneath the city walls, a messenger rushed into the tent with dire news in hand.


    "My Liege, I am sorry for the intrusion, but the news is urgent!"


    Seeing the distressed expression on the messenger''s face, Duke Wilmar calmly responded to his uninvited appearance.


    "What news is so grim that you would interrupt my war council?"


    Noticing the unfriendly gazes of the vassals gazing upon him, the messenger instantly gulped his saliva while finding the courage to report the grave situation back in Austria.


    "Count Lothar has led his armies to Vienna where he has taken up arms against you and besieges the city as we speak!"


    Duke Wilmar''s expression turned murderous as he heard the shocking news; he was not expecting someone rted to his family, albeit distantly, to turn on him in such a manner. However, right when the Duke was about to speak, the messenger spoke up once more.


    "There''s more..."


    Duke Wilmarposed himself in a manner befitting a man of his position before giving the messenger an order.


    "Continue..."


    As such, the messenger continued to tell the full content of the news he had received.


    "Viscount Berengar has taken up arms against Count Lothar and is marching his army upon Innsbruck in an attempt to force Count Lothar''s hand to return to Tyrol and defend it."


    The messenger then reported the message Berengar had sent out across Austria, and the frown on Wilmar''s face turned to a wicked grin as he spoke his thoughts aloud.


    "The boy clearly knows Lothar will not turn his forces around and is acting in a way to advance his position, but so be it, if he actually has the might to seize Innsbruck and put down the ensuing rebellion sessfully, I will make him Count. As for Lothar, Otto, you take your army and break his siege. I will reward you dearly if you can bring me the traitor''s head!"


    Count Otto bowed respectfully to Duke Wilmar before epting his request, though it would be difficult as Lothar''s armies outnumbered his own and were equally well equipped; he must perform the duty for the sake of the Duchy and the rightful Duke of Austria!


    "It will be done, my Lord!"


    with that, the stage was set for a series of massive battles within Austria; as such, the Austrians were now severely limited in their ability to advance their im to the throne of Germany. Though it was not as if the other pretenders were in any better of a position. Afterall the entirety of Germany and the regions in the immediate vicininty had be embroiled in conflict since the death of the King.


    ...


    Count Lothar was currently in a simr position as Duke Wilmar, he was currentlyying siege to the City of Vienna, which acted as the capital of the Duchy of Austria, it was the seat of power for the Habsburgs, and as such, he sought to im it for himself. He currently stood within his tent reading the letter from Berengar which dered his open rebellion against Count Lothar, and his official support of Duke Wilmar. In his other hand was a secret letter from Linde. After reading the contents of both letters to his Vassals, he left it up for discussion as to how they will proceed. Throughout the entire conversation, Count Lothar remained calm; luckily, his daughter was on his side, as he thought the love she had for Berengar could not rece the loyalty she had to her family.


    In Linde''s letter, it was written that Berengar was blinded by ambition and had marched a very poorly equipped army onto Innsbruck, leaving Kufsteinpletely defenseless. She added that she would wee her father''s armies with open arms if they were to show up in Kufstein. However, the goal was to take Vienna; after all, if Lothar abandoned it now, he would never get another chance to be Duke and would most likely have to fight a full-fledged civil war with Duke Wilmar the result of which leaned heavily in the favor fo the Duke. However, due to how poorly defended Kufstein appeared from Linde''s description, Lothar could not help but take the bait; as such, he decided on a course of action while his vassals were screaming at each other with how to proceed.


    "Viscount Theodoric, I want you to take a quarter of our army and march on Kufstein, securing the region and my daughter. You should not face any resistance now that she is in charge; we will make sure that bastard Berengar and his loathsome forces have no home to return to!"


    With that said, Theodoric grinned from ear to ear with a wicked smile; he would now be able to ransack Kufstein and seize anything of value for himself; this was also his chance to get close to Linde, who he had desired since she was a little girl, after all, she was considered one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria. As for Berengar''s bastard son, he he nned to drop it from the roof of the Castle. Thus he was more than happy to ept the offer as he bowed before Count Lothar.


    "You can count on me, my lord."


    With that, Count Lothar''s armies were severely weakened overnight as a quarter of them would soon march into a trap Berengar and Linde hade up with,pletely unaware that they would soon be facing impregnable defenses mounted on all sides with 24 lb siege cannons and a garrison armed with muskets. As for Lothar, he had greatly weakened his position,pletely unaware that Count Otto was marching with his full force to lift the traitor''s siege. Whether or not Count Lothar survived the ordeal was determined by how quickly he could take the Castle in Vienna and hold the Duke''s family hostages.


    In a single move, Linde had greatly weakened the position of Berengar''s enemies, all while Berengar and his army were marching through the Alps toy siege to the capital of Tyrol, the city of Innsbruck. One thing was certain the war for Austria had just begun, and it would be a long and brutal war with an unexpected victor. After all, both the Duke of Austria and the Rebel Count were currently in the middle of a siege, where anything could happen, and lives were easily lost.

 Chapter 110: Enemy Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 110: Enemy Ambush</h4>


    Berengar and his forces had arrived in the Viscounty of Schwaz after a few days worth of marching. Obviously, they had made camp throughout the nights. Berengar was trying to lose as few forces as possible to attrition; as such, he had kept his forces far from exhaustion and well-fed, hydrated, and equipped tobat the effects of the cold. To him, every one of his soldiers was a precious member of his society; those lost were not easily reced without hisnd suffering from it. War was necessary for expansion, but he did not want to fight a war without regard to his soldiers'' lives. As such, they marched at a safe pace.


    Berengar was currently on watch for the night, one of the men who were on patrol had gotten too cold, to the point where his health was beginning to suffer, Berengar who was passing by, offered to take his ce, as such the Viscount and Commander of the Army was standing on watch with a group of foot soldiers. Berengar decided to break the ice with the simple infantrymen to who he was standing aside.


    "So... What are your names?"


    The two men looked at each other with odd expressions before answering Berengar''s question as if it wereing from themanding officer and Viscount of Kufstein.


    "My Lord, I am Private Arnwald, and this is Private-First-ss Bardo!"


    Berengar spoke in an informal tone as he addressed the men


    "I am Berengar... Though I suppose you already knew that."


    The two men nodded as they gazed at Berengar in awe. Berengar was more than just their Lord and Commander; he was close to a legend. His childhood infirmity was well known, even among the ranks of his army. Yet, despite all of that, he had risen above such circumstances after twenty long years of suffering, only to be plotted against by his own brother, surviving numerous attempts on his life, including a rebellion by Lord Ulrich where he was able to rise to the position of Regent and crush his neighbor expanding his family''s territory to the level of a Viscounty.


    The two men nearly nodded their heads in silence, afraid to say something that might offend the man they looked up to. However, before the conversation could continue, Berengar spotted what appeared to be a shimmer not far away under the bright full moon in the sky above. He patted Private Arnwald on his shoulder with a grave look on his face andmanded the man with a tone filled with authority, immediately dropping his informal speech as he did so.


    "Private Arnwald, I need you to sound the rms as quickly as possible!"


    Arnwald did not know why Berengar was so serious, but an order was an order, and he would be damned if he failed to fulfill it; the man saluted Berengar by pounding his chest before running off to do as he wasmanded.


    "As youmand, My Lord!"


    After Arnwald ran off, Berengar unsheathed his sword and aimed it in the direction of the darkness ahead. While doing so, he chatted with Bardo.


    "I really hope that musket of yours is loaded; we might need it in a few seconds."


    Though Bardo had not detected anything in the vicinity, he quickly unslung his musket and fixed the bay where he proceeded to cock the action and aim it directly in front of him. Though the man did not know what Berengar had detected, he trusted hismander''s senses, and as such, was prepared to hold the line until the men were ready to defend the camp.


    Shortly after Berengar and Bardo''s actions, the ringing of a bell echoed across the field, which awoke every man in the camp; by ringing the bell three times, it signaled an enemy attack. As such, the men did not even bother equipping their armor; they immediately grabbed their muskets and web gear before heading out of their tents and into the fray.


    When the enemy hiding in the darkness heard the bell ring, they quickly began to rush the camp they had surrounded; knowing that their cover was blown, they sought to rush Berengar and his forces as quickly as possible. Luckily these men were mostly formed of levies and were poorly equipped. When the levies near Berengar''s position rushed upon him and the man next to him, the thunder of Bardo''s musket could be heard across the field as the lead ball shot through the levy''s chest, which was directly in front of him.


    In the darkness of the night, a battle had begun within Berengar''s encampment. The forces left behind in the Viscounty of Schwaz had located Berengar''s camp and decided to attack in the night; Berengar adeptly wielded his sword, having trained in its use for hours every day for the past eight months, he was adept enough in swordy to ovee the advancement of the levies. With a lunging thrust, Berengar pierced through the gambeson shirt of the levy in front of him and into the man''s heart, adeptly avoiding the man''s spear as he did so.


    Berengar and Bardo were quickly pushed back into the camp by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy forces; when they reached a certain point, Berngar heard a voice shout at him.


    "My Lord, get down now!"


    Quickly adapting to the situation, Berengar dragged Bardo down with him into the prone position where a volley of musket fire decimated the front line of the enemy''s forces. Before the enemy levies could react, the musket line kneeled and reloaded their rifles. In contrast, the second line behind them fired another volley over their heads,pletely shredding the lightly armored levies and breaking their morale.


    This action had bought Berengar and Bardo some time to reform their ranks among the men who had just arrived to support them. As such, Berengar dragged Bardo to his feet and rushed behind the firing line, which had already reloaded, and began to fire another volley into the ranks of the enemy forces who were utterly shocked by the unknown weapons in which they were facing. All across the camp, the sound of musket fire and agonizing screams echoed through the night as Berengar, and his men desperately defended against an enemy ambush.


    Despite the fire of the muskets breaking the enemy ranks, a few of the men managed to rush towards Berengar and his unarmored men whose bays were already fixed; as such, they dropped their actions of reloading and began to engage in the fray with the enemy. Luckily for them, the enemy was equipped with spears and was limited to the same degree of thrusts in which Berengar and his forces were, the primary difference being the level of training between Berengar''s professional army and the peasant levies who had seldom stepped foot on a battlefield before this moment.


    Because of the difference in training and the strict military hierarchy in which was established among Berengar''s forces, the men under hismand were quickly able to funnel the enemy''s forces into the small gaps in the camps'' defenses, where they were met with lines of bays easily able to cut them down. By the time the sun rose, the camp scene below was filled with the blood and bodies of the enemy, which was littered across the snow.


    Though Berengar''s army had suffered a little over a hundred casualties, his losses could be considered minimal. On the other hand, the enemy''s forces were nearly annihted; those who had broken ranks and ran into the night were lucky to have survived. One thing was certain, Berengar''s target was no longer Innsbruck; he would firsty siege to the Castle in Schwaz; after seeding in his endeavors, he would annihte the Viscount''s family as an act of retribution on behalf of the soldiers lost in this battle.

 Chapter 111: Memorial Service

    <h4>Chapter 111: Memorial Service</h4>


    After a long night of bloody struggle, Berengar stood at attention before his troops, who were now fully dressed in their battle attire, with their musket''s slung over their backs. Currently, the men thatprised of his army were holding a brief memorial service for the men who died the night before, between 100-200 men had perished in the ambush from the previous night, and while the enemy''s forces were nearly annihted by Berengar''s army; Berengar felt nothing but sorrow for the lives of his fallen soldiers which were lost in the conflict.


    Unlike most Generals, Berengar deeply cared for the lives of the men under his control and tried his best to mitigate losses. Every soldier lost meant that someone from his workforce would have to take their ce, which decreased productivity. War was necessary for the expansion of a State, and thus benefiting the Nation that enforced their demands in the long term. The short-term costs were something every leader must be ustomed to. Still, it was not an easy responsibility to bear. If Berengar had deigned to mind his ce in the world and sit back in Kufstein and peacefully flourish as he had initially nned, then these men most likely would not have lost their lives so early.


    Yet, these lowly ambitions could no longer contain Berengar''s growing desire for power. As a man who had very little in his previous life in terms of authority and wealth, the moment he tasted true power for the first time, his thirst for supremacy became unquenchable. Despite his rtive benevolence whenpared to monarchs of the past, Berengar was still a man. Like all men, he was inherently prone to the corruption brought forth by absolute power. In his old life, there was a saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." While Berengar had grown increasingly malicious towards his potential enemies. He was stillpassionate to his loved ones and those he was responsible for. However, now was a time of war, and he could not give a warm-hearted speech about how great the men who perished the night before were. No, Berengar knew he had to inme his soldier''s desires for vengeance, and as such, the speech he touted as the fallen soldiers wereid to rest was one of fire and fury.


    "I look upon every one of you are standing here before me, and I see men, men who have given up everything to fight the enemies of Kufstein courageously. Please make no mistake, the men who ambushed usst night may have been mere peasants drafted into service to fight against us, but they were still the enemy! They chose to ambush our camp while we slept, and they chose to kill over a hundred of our brothers in arms! These men who have perished have fallen defending theirrades, their officers, and their Lord! Henceforth I decree that the family of any man who dies honorably in battle shall be given exemption from taxes for a duration of time! I am certain that the men who have perished on this day desire but one thing from all of you, and that is to avenge their deaths! So I have decided before we march on Innsbruck, we shally siege to the Castle of Schwaz and route out the man responsible for this attack. I promise to have him and anyone else deemed responsible beheaded, where their heads may be mounted on pikes outside of the ruins of their once-mighty castle! God with us!"


    Having finished his speech, the men gathered before him, numbered in the thousands, all began to chant the battle cry repeatedly.


    "God with us!"


    As they did so, the honor guard fired a volley into the air after the men were fully interned in the graves below. Berengar vowed to build a memorial upon this spot for the men lost in this battle when he finally won this war. Seeing that he had now stoked the mes of vengeance in the hearts of his soldiers, he gave an order to his troops.


    "Now, pack up camp, and set forth for the city of Schwaz! Now is not the time for tears, now is the time for battle! May God show mercy to our enemies, for we will not!"


    With that said, the army began to gather their equipment and pack up the siege camp; within an hour, the army of over 5,000 men was once more on the march; the city of Schwaz was nearby and had invoked the ire of Berengar and his troops. Though Berengar would not harm unarmed civilians, those who resisted his conquest were considered enemybatants and would suffer the same fate as the defenders.


    Nobody expected Berengar toy siege to Schwaz on his way to Innsbruck. Though this would give his enemies time to rally against him, it ultimately would not matter, for the power of steel and shot was not something these feudal armies could easily contend with. It would be quite some time before his advanced weaponry became known to all and even longer before anyone had sessfully replicated it. For the time being, Berengar''s armies would be the most dominant force on the European battlefields.


    Schwaz was merely the first of many battles that would take ce over theing months as Berengar began his conquest of Tyrol. While his armies marched to Schwaz, another army was marching towards Kufstein. Though it would be a couple of weeks before they arrived, their intentions for Kufstein and its people were far viler than anything Berengar had in mind for his enemies.


    As winter raged across the Austrian alps, more than one army was on the march, the war for Austria had already begun, and time was of the essence; luckily for Berengar and his forces, he possessed the power of gunpowder and could easily render the once-mighty walls of Castles to ruin in a matter of days. His 12 lb cannons gave him an enormous advantage when it came to siege warfare��something which he would demonstrate to the world shortly.

 Chapter 112: Agents in the Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 112: Agents in the Shadows</h4>


    Linde sat near her infant child, who was currently sleeping in his crib. Though she had no way of knowing what kind of man her child would eventually grow into, she truly showed unconditional love to the child, so clearly, he would turn out well, would he not? Despite being an infant, the child was born with a full head of strawberry blonde hair like his mother, and his eyes were sapphire like his father''s.


    Linde knew that one day her child would grow to be a great and powerful man like his father, but the extent to which he would aplish remained unknown, for mankind did not possess the power to see the future. As Linde watched over her child, she received a trio of letters; one was addressed from Berengar, oneposed by her half-sister Adelheid, and the final letter was written by her father, Count Lothar.


    She read over the contents of each letter with a smile on her face. Berengar''s letter contained information that he wasying siege to Schwaz after surviving an ambush from the local Regent''s levies. This shift in ns was not important to her as Berengar would most likely have to wipe out the Viscount''s son after seizing Innsbruck anyways as the young man was sure to rebel against Berengar.


    As for the letter from Adelheid expressed a n the girl had hatched to allow Berengar to seize the Castle withoutying siege to it. Adelheid was greatly concerned about the possibility of the walls being brought down and her defenses with it. After all, Linde hadmunicated to her half-sister the effectiveness of Berengar''s cannons. The n was actually brilliant, and as such, Linde wouldter write a letter to Berengar informing him of her sister''s plot so that he could take the Castle at Innsbruck with ease. Thus allowing him the benefit of having fully functional walls while he waited for the enemy to make their move.


    As for the letter by her father contained information regarding the army he was sent to seize Kufstein and how Theodoric was leading it; immediately upon reading that name, Linde''s smile turned into a frown. She could not help but voice her concerns.


    "When that lecherous old fooles to Kufstein, I will make sure he is the first to die from the cannons'' bombardment!"


    She was all too aware of Theodoric''s proclivities; he was a lecherous man particrly attracted to young women and girls. The old man also had a pension for sacking every city heid siege to. Undoubtedly if Linde were actually to let Theodoric into her lover''s city, the man would ransack the city and potentially attempt to force himself upon her. As such, she wanted the garrison to target their explosive shells on his position when his army arrived. After all, it was amon practice to wear a tabard with one''s coat of arms emzoned upon it during this time; he would be easy to scout from among the enemy''s forces.


    Thus Linde spent some time drafting letters to Berengar to ry the information she had received from bothering her sister and father. Once finished, the letter was dispatched with a messenger to ride towards Berengar''s encampment outside of Schwaz, where it would be delivered to him, hopefully before the might of his gunspletely brought the city down.


    After finishing with her letters and spending time watching over her sleeping son Linde got to work, gathering several intelligence operatives beneath hermand. These hands were the best among her saboteurs and assassins; they were equipped with a revolving flintlock pistol based on the collier pattern design from Berengar''s previous life. These weapons were best used outside of the battlefield as the cylinder had to be manually cycled, and the reloading speed was atrocious. However, they were excellent for personal defense and had been specially constructed for use among Berengar''s operatives.


    Linde had begun to address the operatives known as hands as they were gathered before her in secret.


    "I have a task for you all to fulfill, I won''t lie, it will be dangerous, but with advancements in technology over thest six months, particrly in the field of chemistry, you have a much higher chance of returning with your lives!"


    One of the head operatives who, like hisrades, were currently shrouded by a hooded cloak spoke up from among their ranks.


    "What is it that you require of us listener?"


    Linde smirked as she heard her shadowy title before giving her decrees to the well-trained agents of Berengar''s spywork.


    "I need you to infiltrate the various Baronies and Viscounties throughout Tyrol. Your objective is assassination and sabotage. Take out high-profile targets, sabotage the food stores of the cities, as well as strategic positions such as key defensive structures. With the use of TNT, you will have a much greater chance of destroying enemy fortifications. The purpose of these actions is to provoke the enemy Lords into marching upon Kufstein, or Innsbruck where Berengar will have seized soon enough. I want them so infuriated that they will feel that they have no choice to end their misery unless they personally take action against our Liege! Thus allowing Berengar to trap them with his armies."


    The same agent who had spoken up before nodded his head while answering Linde''s assignment with the affirmative.


    "It will be done!"


    With that, the qualified agents of Berengar''s growing spywork were set to the task, as for the remainder of the Viscount''s operatives, they would be assigned to counter-espionage operations within Berengar''snds.


    As such, the war of intrigue that was waged behind the scenes of the war for Tyrol had begun. The other Lords and Ladies of the realm were no longer safe in their own castles against the shadowy agents of Berengar''s vast spywork, as they would soone to find out. Linde felt it was necessary to take action on her man''s half; while Berengar was off at war as the valiantmander, Linde would handle the dirty work within the shadows. Thus to couple expertlyplemented one another when it came to matters of war and intrigue. Soon enough, all of Germany would be caught in their collective web.

 Chapter 113: Siege of Schwaz

    <h4>Chapter 113: Siege of Schwaz</h4>


    Berengar was currently sitting outside the city walls within the confines of his siege camp. He was having breakfast, which consisted of rye crackers, and salted pork. He ate the same food as his soldiers and refused to have special treatment while in the field. As such, he was sitting next to an Officer, an NCO, and an enlisted soldier. The cannons echoed across the field as they continuously bombarded the city walls; one might think a thunderstorm urred if they were not ustomed to such advanced weapons.


    Though the skies above were gloomy, and the cold breeze was filled with falling snow, it was by no means a thunderstorm. The cool breeze whipped across Berengar''s face, which was the only portion of his skin that made direct contact with the air; he was covered from head to toe in thick fur-lined wool clothing like the rest of his troops. Actually, Berengar''s armies attire was far less garish in the winter; with a set of winter boots and gloves, they looked far different than their field equipment that was utilized in more favorable conditions.


    Though they did not look as exquisite as they normally would, they were kept warm by their clothing, and in the end, practicality was far more important than aesthetics when it came to an army''s gear. As such, the men ate their crackers and pork under the falling snow while the explosive shells continued to bombard the city''s thick stone walls. It had already been three days since the siege had begun, and Berengar was confident that the walls would soone crumbling down after all the sections they had been bombarding were already in a miserable state.


    Just when Berengar was about to speak to his soldiers, he overheard the sound of stone crumbling down upon itself and the cheers of his men. Seeing that the wall had copsed Berengar quickly put on his steel skull cap and his feathered hat before marching to the frontlines where his troops had quickly rallied. Finally, they would be able to seize the city, as for the castle''s bombardment, that would still take a few days. With sword in hand, Berengar cried out to his force as he rushed for the shattered section of the wall.


    "Charge!"


    The overwhelming majority of the soldiers in his camp rushed to the broken wall with bays affixed and swords in hand as they resisted the oing missile fire from the archers and crossbowmen above. Luckily for them, their vitals were covered in hardened steel te armor, so as long as they were not shot in the face, they would endure the rain of arrows descending upon them. Berengar''s forces quickly arrived in front of the wall where they formed a firing line and rained musket balls upon the defenders who filled the gaps, the mighty spear wall the garrison of the city had formed quickly copsed under the lead balls which pierced their armor as if it were non-existant, and sent them to the afterlife.


    The defensive line copsed with a single volley and was quickly rushed upon by a sea of bays and swords. Those troops in the rear of Berengar''s formation continued to fire upon the defenders upon the ramparts, rapidly cutting away at the archers'' numbers who desperately tried tobat the tide of ck and gold which forced its way through the gap within the city wall.


    The wall was brought down under concentrated fire from Berengar''s artillery battalion in three sections; each region was undergoing a simr sight. Berengar batted a spear out of his way with the de of his sword before lunging directly into the open basc of the city defender, piercing through the man''s eye and thus his skull ending his miserable existence. He was leading the charge at the center gap within the city''s defenses; slowly but surely, his troops were overwhelming the local garrison.


    Eckhard was leading one of the other locations where he used his rifled musket and bay to outmaneuver a spear that was thrust in his direction before piercing through the man''s mail and gambeson with the lengthy bay, which was shaped perfectly to get through the gaps in the mail hauberk. Like Berengar, he led the forces into battle as the city defenders slowly began retreating. Eventually, the defensive line was broken. Rather than pursue the fleeing garrison to the keep, Berengar''s forces lined up, reloaded, and fired upon the city''s defenders as their backs were turned, instantly gunning them down with no remorse.


    Berengar, Eckhard, and the Commander of the third section all yelled out simrmands to their forces.


    "Give no quarter!"


    As the soldiers of Berengar''s army advanced through the city, they gunned down anyone who was remotely garbed in armor or equipped with a weapon. At the moment, Berengar was leading his forces through the city, where a crossbow bolt was fired out of a window and into his breastte, where it left a mild dent. Enraged by the action, Bernegarmanded a nearby grenadier to lob his grenade through the window; after lighting the fuse, the grenadier did as instructed, and within seconds, the grenade went off, after which Berengar led his forces into the building to clear itpletely.


    When Berengar burst through the door, he witnessed a horrific scene; the crossbowman inside the building was utterly torn apart by the fearsome st and shrapnel of the grenade, but so were what appeared to be the remains of a mother and her two daughters. Evidently, these civilians were hiding in the room where the Crossbowman had taken his position.


    Berengar could not prevent himself from sighing at the scene as he spoke his thoughts aloud while the rest of his soldiers cleared the building.


    "Such is the price of war..."


    Simr scenes could be seen throughout the city, as the archers and crossbowmen took refuge in buildings before firing upon the advancing enemy, which would result in a grenade or two being lobbed into the structure, killing every living thing inside. Though Berengar prohibited the deliberate targeting of civilians, he did not prevent his soldiers from clearing a room with the most effective methods avable, even if it meant the death of innocents.


    As such, the City was rapidly taken, and the city''s defenders either fled to the Castle as thest defense or were killed in the streets. Berengar''s casualties were extremely low due to the high degree of protection the hardened and quenched half-te armor afforded to his soldiers. The cavalry suffered even less than the infantry as they were equipped with Three-quarters te armor, and though dismounted, they took part in the siege as well.


    Soon enough, the city was secured, and all that remained was to bring down the Castle and the noblemen within it cowering behind their walls. As such, the artillery was moved into the city and lined up in a manner to attack the walls of the Castle; within a few days, Schwaz wouldpletely fall to Berengar, and he would show no mercy to the young Lord who acted as Regent. All of this could have been avoided if the foolish boy had just stayed within his city and had not bothered attacking Berengar''s forces as he advanced onto Innsbruck. Ultimately someone had to pay the price for the lives lost in the ambush, and that was left to the Viscount''s son and heir, who ruled in his stead while he was offmitting treason.

 Chapter 114: Absconding into the Night

    <h4>Chapter 114: Absconding into the Night</h4>


    It was a cold winter''s night, and the moon was covered by the clouds in the sky, thus allowing the agents of Berengar''s spywork to engage in sabotage and assassination against the Lords of Tyrol and their forces. At the moment, a spy shrouded in dark clothing maneuvered through the city of Lienz under cover of darkness.


    His goal was to destroy the granary of the city; as such, he began to approach the grain stockpile with a stick of dynamite in hand and a match. As soon as he was within range of the warehouse, which contained much of the city''s food surplus, he lit the match and used it to ignite the fuse of the dynamite which he threw into the building; before the st went off, he had already disappeared into the night.


    As the entire city overheard the loud explosion, its mes engulfed the granary into a smoking fireball; the local garrison quickly reacted to the scene and was dismayed to find that their city''s primary stockpile of food had been sabotaged under their watch. Surely heads would roll for this disaster. The next day the local regent would open an investigation into the incident, but unfortunately for the people of Lienz, they would never find the culprit. This scene was just one of many appearing across Tyrol; under Linde''smands, the war of intrigue had begun.


    ...


    In the city of Meran, another one of Berengar''s agents was currently active; she had been operating in this city for many months, providing intel to Berengar, long before the war began. Recently she acquired orders to assassinate themander of the city garrison. All this time, she had been working as a tavern wench, where she was currently pouring a drink to the target of her objective. The man had frequented the bar regrly so that he could flirt with the woman. After all, she was quite the attractive young woman and had been the object of his desires for some time now. As such, when she was about to walk away, he began to press her for an answer to his long persisting advancements.


    "Hey, sweetheart, what time do you get off tonight? I would love to show you around the city."


    It was by no means the smoothest pickup line, but finally, the woman relented; after all, she nned to take this man''s life today, and what better way than to ept his proposal and go on a date. There would be plenty of opportunities to quietly end the man''s life on such an asion. As such, she put on a pretty facade and smiled at the man before epting his invitation.


    "Shortly after midnight, you can pick me up then."


    The garrisonmander smiled from ear to ear as he heard the woman''s reply. Finally, she had given him a chance! He could not wait for the evening to ur so that he could spend some quality time with the woman he was intensely attracted to.


    After having his drink and meal, the garrisonmander went back to work, but he finished his job before the appointed time. Throughout the hours, the attractive young woman had maintained her position at work until finally, midnight arrived, where she was let free from her job as a tavern wench. After exiting the building, she saw the garrisonmander, dressed in rtively expensive clothes waiting for her to finish. Seeing the man so eager to meet his death, the assassin smiled as she approached him and bound her arm around his.


    "So, where are you taking me?"


    The garrisonmander smiled and led the assassin along the road


    "It is a surprise."


    Though the veteran spy smiled, she remained cautious on the inside; she had no idea if she was potentially walking into a trap. Nevertheless, they soon arrived at their destination, which was a dark alleyway with nobody present. Quickly the garrisonmander''s warm smile turned into a sinister grin as he pushed the woman against the wall and tried to force himself on her. Before long, a group of armored soldiers appeared nearby, numbering four in total, and began to nk themander as the man whispered in her ear.


    "We know you are a spy, but we are going to enjoy your time with you first."


    Realizing that her cover was blown, the spy pulled out her revolving flintlock from her cloak and fired a shot directly into the garrisonmander''s chest, which instantly pierced his heart. The soldiers were shocked to see theirmander copse after the loud gunshot. Still, before they could react, the spy manually shifted the chamber to the next round and fired off another shot piercing the nearest guard''s skull sending him to the afterlife. She managed to fire off a total of five shots in total killing every member of the squad who sought to force themselves upon her.


    The spy moved quickly, the sound of gunfire was sure to attract the garrison, and as such, she fled to her quarters, where she packed up her stuff and quickly abandoned the town before it went into lockdown; she had to escape before the City officials realized that they had been infiltrated. After packing up her gear, the woman rapidly disappeared from the city of Meran, where she had stolen a horse and absconded into the night. Ultimately she would return to Kufstein, where she would be reced by another member of Berengar''s spywork. Nevertheless, she had dealt a significant blow to the city''s defenses as both the Commander and Vicemander were killed in that alleyway, leaving the city without apetentmander. Which would be greatly beneficial in Berengar''s conquest of the region alter on.


    Such was the life of a spy; at one moment, you were safely hidden among the masses. The next you were fleeing for your life, the pretty young woman had expected such an oue and had already prepared for it; by the time the garrison could react, she was already long gone, and they would be more cautious about who they let into their city going forward. Not that such an event would prevent Berengar''swork from infiltrating the city; at most, it simply made it more difficult to do so.

 Chapter 115: Bringing Down the Castle Walls

    <h4>Chapter 115: Bringing Down the Castle Walls</h4>


    The cannons continuously bombarded the walls of the Castle in Schwaz throughout the past few days. While Berengar''s spywork was active in their acts of assassination and sabotage, the young Viscount was busyying siege to the object of his vengeance. Not once had the Regent or the family of the Viscount sued for peace throughout the continuous bombardment, not that Berengar would ept such terms. Still, he found it strange that they had not even attempted to contact the besieging army.


    Nevertheless, the defenders could do nothing but sit by and wait for the walls toe down, as Berengar''s forces had superior range, and if they even tried to poke their heads above the ramparts, they would surely be shot dead. Having estimated the time it would take to bring down the walls, Berengar was now standing at the head of his army, which surrounded the castle, waiting for the moment when the walls came crashing down around their enemies. Just as predicted therge stone walls came crashing down, scattering dust and debris throughout the air, luckily Berengar and his forces were far enough away to be affected.


    Finally, after a few days of bombardment, the Castle walls had fallen. With it, Berengar ordered his troops to advance; as such, the armies of Berengar advanced with their muskets loaded, and bays affixed where a simr scene to what urred a few days prior in the city below unfolded. The musketeers advanced while lobbing grenades into the crowd of men at arms guarding the sections of the castle walls that had fallen; after the grenades had detonated, the firing lines opened fire upon the defenders, sending musket balls passing through their armor and wrecking their lines of defense. It was only after several volleys had been fired into the defenders, that Berenagar''s forces rushed the survivors with their bays and swords.


    Berengar, of course, was once more at the head of his troops, leading them into battle with his sword raised, adeptly dodging and parrying the attacks of the polearms and swords that came his way. The only real threat to his life would be the single-handed blunt weapons in which some of the enemies wielded as such; he made sure to stay on his toes as he thrust the long de of his cavalry sword into the vital areas of his opponent''s body or the gaps in their armor. It would appear that the armies before him were the most heavily equipped of the city defenders, and as such many of them wore brigandine or coat of tes. Thus it took substantial skill to move around their weapons and reap their lives.


    The battlefield became a chaotic mess as bays shed with spears, and gunshots were fired above the heads of the melee and into the ramparts whose sections still held archers and crossbowmen that attempted to repel the invaders. Blood spilled across the snowy ground as it stained the floor red, and bodies rapidly copsed upon it. Having concentrated their fire on three sections of the castle walls as they had done before, Berengar''s forces were invading from all sides, slowly pushing back the castle''s defenders. Before long, they would be forced back to the Keep where the Viscount''s family resided.


    Berengar deflected an oing sword strike from a heavily armored man at arms. Quickly finding himself on the defensive against the superior swordsman Berengar was pushed back to his troops, who quickly came to his aid. As Berenger blocked yet another oing strike, two of his soldiers nked the man-at-arms and simultaneously pierced through the gaps in his armor, one through the armpit and one through the aventail of his basc. Thus the man who had briefly caused Berengar some trouble was quickly cut down by his soldiers.


    Before long, the Castle courtyard was overrun by the ck and gold-d forces of Berengar''s army; all that remained was to burst down the door to the keep of the Castle; rather than get a battering ram Berengar ordered one of his 12 lb cannons to be brought forth, where it was rapidly loaded and fired at the mighty door of the keep which was sted into smithereens by the overwhelming power of the solid cannonball.


    Afterward, his troops rushed into the Castle. They began to gun down any survivors they came across, ultimately finding themselves in the great hall where the Regent and the Viscount''s family was currently huddling together in fear. It turned out that the Regent was not a member of the Viscount''s family as his children were too young to effectively rule, as such one of the Viscount''s advisors was left in charge of the Viscounty of Schwaz and had ordered the attack on Berengar''s camp in the night which had resulted in the city being besieged.


    After finding the wife of the Viscount huddling together with her small children, Berengar found himself with a moral dilemma. Despite the fact that he had sworn to behead the Viscount''s family and ce their heads on pikes; his entire family wasprised of women and children who had nothing to do with the ambush; as such, he came to a decision. Berengar pointed to the man who he believed to be the Regent of Schwaz and addressed him.


    "Are you the Regent?"


    the man nodded his head in fear, he did not know what fate awaited him, but as Regent, he should be afforded some protection; as such, he instantly admitted it. Before he could introduce himself, Berengar gave amand to his troops


    "Have this man executed by firing squad for the public to see!"


    Two soldiers saluted Berengar before following his orders


    "Yes, my Lord!"


    after saying that, they grabbed ahold of the regent and dragged him away, kicking and screaming. The man begged for a reprieve from Berengar''s wrath, but neither he nor his soldiers were listening.


    "I am the Regent; I am a man of noble birth! I am afforded ransom!"


    Yet Berengar did not pay attention to a single word he said; as far as he was concerned, the man was guilty and deserved to pay with his life. After the regent was dragged away, Berengar sheathed his sword and approached the Viscount''s family, where he began to address them.


    "I am Viscount Berengar von Kufstein, your Liege has dered open rebellion against Duke Wilmar of Austria, and I am here to reim thesends in his stead. So long as youply, I assure you no harm wille to you."


    After witnessing how Berengar had disregarded proper etiquette and had the Regent dragged away to be executed, the wife of the Viscount did not dare believe him; nevertheless, there was nothing she could do about the situation thus, she bowed her head in respect, hoping that the young man before her would keep his word.


    "Then we are under your care."


    A satisfied grin spread across Berengar''s immacte face as the Viscountess submitted before his rule; as such, Berengar gave a decree to his soldiers.


    "Keep a Garrison of 800 men here to maintain order, and repair the damage. As of now, the Viscounty of Schwaz is hereby incorporated into my domain. There shall be no harm done to the civilians and prisoners so long as they do not resist, am I understood?"


    In unison, the soldiers within the Great Hall all called out to Berengar


    "Yes, my Lord!"


    Thus Berengar had sessfully captured the Viscount of Schwaz, where his army would rest for a few days before moving onto Innsbruck. This was the first major victory in his conquest of Tyrol, which would prove to be a long and bloody endeavor. Despite this small victory in the Austrian Alps, and the microcosm that was the war for Tyrol, countless battles waged across the German Kingdom that were far more devastating, unfortunately not every army had the discipline in which Berengar''s was instilled with, as such tens of thousands of refugees from across the German-speaking region had begun to make their way to Kufstein in search of a better life.

 Chapter 116: Marching to Innsbruck

    <h4>Chapter 116: Marching to Innsbruck</h4>


    After a sessful siege of Schwaz and its stable upation, Berengar waited a few days for rest and resupply. Now that he had effectively eliminated the enemy forces between Kufstein and Innsbruck, he could establish a stable logisticalwork to supply his war efforts which would go a long way towards establishing dominance in Tyrol. No matter how powerful his army was, if they were cut off from supplies, it would only mean their demise; as such, Berengar and his army waited in Schwarz for a few days to fully resupply their forces and the garrison before moving out.


    During this time, Berengar properly oversaw his forces and ensured they conducted themselves in a civilized manner. Prisoners of war were afforded proper treatment, and the civilians were left to go about their daily lives without harassment. So long as there was no armed resistance, Berengar would tolerate their protests. The moment the citizens took up arms to attack his Garrison, they would be authorized to use lethal force. This point was effectivelymunicated to the native poption, and though there was some civil unrest, it was primarily peaceful.


    Despite Berengar''s reputation for advocating for the wellbeing of themon folk, he was still considered a foreign invader in the Viscounty of Schwaz. As such, there was naturally a degree of resistance to his upation. Nevertheless, it never got out of hand. Therefore Berengar never cracked down upon it during his degree. Sometimes the people needed to vent their frustrations civilly, and Berengar knew this all too well. His orders for the garrison were to build friendly ties with the locals and only use violence to maintain authority as ast resort. It was apletely different upation than normal in this world, and the initial resistance had already begun to die down by the time Berengar left.


    To properly defend the region, Berengar left a small unit of artillery behind, a total of three field guns and the necessary artillerymen needed to operate them. Word surely would have spread by now of his siege of Schwaz, and that would most likely entice his enemies to march upon the City in an attempt to break his siege, unfortunately for his enemies, if they decided to march upon Schwaz, they would be met with a fully captured city with three field guns mounted upon it, and 800 men with muskets defending upon the ramparts.


    Eventually, his forces were fully resupplied, and his army was prepared to march upon Innsbruck; as such, Berengar once more mounted his mighty steed Erwin before standing at the head of the army; he looked upon his army with a smile upon his visage before dering the order they had all been waiting for.


    "Forward March!"


    Thus an army of over 4000 men departed from the city of Schwaz as they set forth for their destination, which was the heart of Tyrol, where they would engage in another fierce battle for dominance of the region. As the army marched, the band''s sounds echoed in the cold winter air, and the men began to sing the lyrics to another marching song. The sight of thousands of soldiers departing through the city gates into the frost-covered Alps as they sang marching songs could be observed by the people of Schwaz as they gazed upon the departing army withplicated expressions.


    In the dead of winter Berengar''s soldiers marched with eager expressions on their faces; the cruelty of war did not dispirit them, rather their overwhelming victories and the might of the weapons and tactics they possessed managed to lift their spirits, knowing that they were able toy siege to a city effectively, and its castle with minimal losses.


    Berengar sang along to the tune that was ying, which was none other than the infamous Erika in which the Wehrmacht had been famous for singing in his previous life. Seeing the pleasant smile on the young Viscount''s face, Eckhard sighed heavily; every time he fought alongside Berengar, the mad man was filled with excitement and eagerness to wage war. He had never witnessed a Lord so eager to fight alongside his troops at the frontlines or theplete and total disregard for the consequences such actions might have. As such, he could not help but ask Berengar what possessed him to behave in such a manner.


    "My Lord, if I may ask, why are you always the first into the fray?"


    Berengar''s pleasant smile switched to a smug one upon hearing those words before speaking his mind.


    "Amander should always lead by example!"


    It was a noble response that made Eckhard look more fondly upon his Lord and Commander. Of course, that was only part of the reason Berengar jumped into the fray at the first opportunity he got. Much like Alexander from the ancient era, Berengar was not only good at warfare but thoroughly enjoyed it. The adrenaline he felt as the arrows and bolts were let loose upon him, the sweet fragrance of gunpowder filling the air as his soldiers fired upon the enemy, and the exhration he felt as he fought for his life against a skilled opponent. These were things that could not be replicated elsewhere in life.


    Truthfully Berengar did not know when he began to take pleasure inbat; it was not something he enjoyed in his past life during his tenure in the US Army. Yet he did not feel guilty for it; after all, Berengar never once proimed himself to be a pious man. In fact, if heaven truly existed then, he knew he would not see its pearly gates. Yet he was not concerned with the afterlife; after all, he had already died once, and all that presented to him was an opportunity to achieve great things in this second life. Thus Berengar did not concern himself with such subjective things as morality, he had a war to win, and if he was going to be waging war, he might as well enjoy himself.


    History would not write about this hidden side of Berengar''s personality, for he and his offspring would ultimately write the history books. Berengar knew that future generations did not look kindly upon warlords, and conquerors, especially those who enjoyed the bloody business of warfare. Instead, the history books would recognize him as a benevolent Monarch who rose to the asion to unite the German-speaking regions in a time of great chaos and civil strife, a man who always looked out for the interests of his people, and most of all, led the German people into a new age of advancement and prosperity.

 Chapter 117: Siege of Vienna

    <h4>Chapter 117: Siege of Vienna</h4>


    At the moment, Count Lothar was currently sitting in his siege camp outside of Vienna. While the defending and opposing forces slung rocks at one another through their trebuchets, Count Lothar was sitting in the rear of his forces, safely watching the progress of the siege from afar. At the moment, the siege towers were once more attempting to get to the walls of the enemy formations; unlike Berengar''s efforts in Tyrol, this was a true medieval siege in every sense of the word. The prevalence of firearms had not yet be widespread in Europe outside of Berengar''s forces. As such, crossbowmen hid behind ramparts and pavise alike as they fired upon each other from a proper engagement distance of over 300 yards.


    Seeing the siege towers heading towards the location, alongside men withdders, the defending forces focused on taking down the invaders. Among the ramparts d in full te armor was Duke Wilmar''s oldest son Gautbehrt who personally led the efforts to defend the city walls. Despite the siege ongoing for weeks, the invading forces were just now starting to make progress on their attempts to get past the mighty walls of Vienna.


    With an arming sword in hand, Gautbehrt stood along the ramparts as an act of morale, the moment those siege towers were within distance to unleash their hordes; he would begin to cut them down. Soon enough the first siege tower dropped its bridge onto the ramparts allowing for Count Lothar''s forces to cross onto the city''s walls swiftly. Instantly Gautbehrt collided with the enemy forces alongside several of his allies. A chaotic melee broke out between the defending and opposing forces on multiple sections of the walls.


    Gautbehrt deflects an oing blow before gripping the de of his sword in a technique referred to as half swording and precisely dug his de into the gaps between the enemy man-at-arms shoulder armor. Though it was not enough to kill the man, it gave him a position of control where he continued to press the man forward and over the edge of the wall, where he swiftly fell to his death. Before Gautbehrt even had time to catch his breath, another attacker rushed towards him with a mace in hand, which he swung desperately at Gautbehrt, whom the attacker recognized to be the enemymander.


    Swiftly evading the attack, Gautbehrt flipped his sword upside down and repeatedly struck the man in the skull with his pommel; after several strikes, the man copsed with his skull bashed in from the blunt force trauma.


    Gautbehrt screamed to his troops over the sound of the ongoing carnage


    "Hold the line! We must defend the walls!"


    As such, the defenders of the city of Vienna struggled with all their might to defend the city walls against the invading force. Unfortunately for the defenders, they were not nearly as well equipped as Count Lothar''s forces. Many of the men within the garrison were wearing the more primitive coat of tes over a mail hauberk and gambeson jacket. Their helmets were primarily open-face bascs with a mail aventail, and their limbs were either left unprotected or protected by abination of the splint and te armor.


    Compared to the man at arms of Lothar''s army, which was covered from head to toe in a mixture of brigandine and te, the defenders had many more exposed areas where they could be gravely wounded or even killed. After several hours of bloody struggle, the defense of the City walls began to copse, and the city''s defenders brave as they were found themselves on the brink of defeat. Ultimately Gautbehrt was forced to give the order to his surviving men.


    "Retreat! Retreat to the Castle!"


    With that, the once valiant defenders of the city fled from the walls and ran back to the Castle for ast line of defense. Leaving the city for the taking of Count Lothar and his forces. Immediately upon taking the walls, the attackers opened the gates and allowed for the rest of the army to enter the city, where abination of looting, ****, and murder began to take ce as the soldiers under Lothar''smand began to sack the city for its worth.


    The heavily armed soldiers killed those who resisted, women and girls were taken from their homes and ravaged by the invading men, and entire city sections were burnt to the ground. It was truly an uncivilized time for warfare, and the once-proud city defenders could only watch from atop the Castle as their city was lit ame from below. Praying to God that some form of relief woulde soon, or else even they would suffer at the hands of Count Lothar.


    Count Lothar gazed upon the scene of his forces raiding the city with a malicious smile; while drinking from a chalice of wine, a messenger came to report the situation from the frontlines.


    "My Liege, the City, has been seized, Gautbehrt and his men have fled to the Castle where they are currently holding on. It will be some time before we can break through its gates and truly im Vienna as our own. What are your orders?"


    Count Lothar said in apletely vicious voice as he gazed upon the messenger.


    "Continue to raid the city; I want to see how long the defenders can withstand the sight of their precious capital being ransacked."


    A sadistic grin appeared on the messenger''s face as he responded to Count Lothar''s orders.


    "As youmand, my Lord!"


    With that said, Lothar continued to gaze upon the fires that began to spread across the city and the screams of the victims of his army. Soon enough, Vienna would be his, the Duke''s family would be his hostages, and he would be able to force the old bastard to abdicate and ce him as the new Duke of Austria. Once that was the case, he would rally his forces and end Berengar''s little rebellion. Everything was going smoothly.


    After arriving within the safety of the Castle''s walls, Gautbehrt cursed loudly as he detached his great basc and hurled it into the corner in a fit of fury.


    "Goddammit!"


    When hismanders saw his reaction, they could not help but ask what they should do now that they were stuck in the City''s Castle.


    "My Lord, what are we going to do now?"


    Gautbehrt sighed heavily in an attempt to calm his nerves; after several moments of deep breathing, he opened his eyes, and with a solemn expression, gave his orders.


    "We will wait until reinforcements arrive; by now, my father is aware of Count Lothar''s betrayal and has sent an army to lift the siege. We have to hold on until then..."


    One of themanders looked at Gautbehrt with aplex expression as he voiced his concerns.


    "What about the city?"


    Gautbehrt covered his face with his steel-d hands before saying what his troops feared the most.


    "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about that now. Hopefully, relief will arrive soon so they can end this madness!"


    Unfortunately for the City of Vienna, Count Otto''s forces had been caught in a blizzard within the Bavarian Alps. They were unable toe to their aid for the foreseeable future. Only time would tell if the Castle of Vienna could hold on long enough for support to arrive or if the family of Duke Wilmar would fall into the hands of the wretched Count Lothar. During the duration of the siege the citizens of Vienna would suffer immensely under the pressure of Count Lothar''s forces, but that was the price of war.

 Chapter 118: Taking the City!

    <h4>Chapter 118: Taking the City!</h4>


    Upon arriving at Innsbruck, Berengar and his army immediately created a proper siege camp, which was well defended and ced out of range of the enemy''s weapons. However, unlike the sieges Berengar had led before, this bombardment was brief, and not concentrated on the weak points in the City''s defense. This act was to maintain the integrity of the walls as there was a far more sinister plot afoot, one which would allow him to take the city without the need to bring down the walls.


    Berengar''s riflemen continued to take shots at the enemy defenders until the sun went down. The enemy defenders were not ustomed to such weapons and figured this was the ordinary tactics employed; as such, they were unaware of Berengar''s true intentions. It was not untilte at night that Berengar had gathered a group of a little over two dozen grenadiers at the edge of the siege camp. These were his most elite forces within his infantry battalions, and they would be following him behind enemy lines soon enough.


    Due to conspiring with Adelheid, the cell of agents contained within the city walls, and even the castle itself, Berengar did not need toy siege to this city in the manner he had previously done. Instead, he and his grenadiers were waiting for a diversion that would be the signal to approach the sally port in the city''s walls, where a spy would personally allow him and a few of his men into the city where they would fight to open the gates so that the rest of his army could invade.


    Eckhard was standing next to Berengar; though he would not be taking part in the operation, he wanted to voice his concerns over the current n in which Berengar was about to take part.


    "My Lord, I really want you to rethink this... Participating in this operation yourself is an enormous risk to not only your own life but the sess of the army."


    Despite his Vice-Commander''sints, Berengar remained undeterred; he would never order his men to undergo such a dangerous operation if he himself was not willing to take the risk. As such, he sped Eckhard on the shoulder and smiled at him, with a gaze filled with confidence.


    "Do not worry, my friend; I promise you, within a matter of minutes, the main gates to the city will be open, and the army will be able to secure the area with minimal casualties! Do not fret, for I will endure, as I always have."


    Eckhard wanted to debate with Berengar further about his actions. However, he did not have the chance to do so, as a massive st when off from within the city and gained the defenders'' attention, who rushed to put out the fire that was spreading. By smuggling TNT into the city and into the hands of his spywork, they were able to sabotage the granary and draw the guards'' notice who would leave the walls rtively undefended.


    Berengar let go of Eckhard''s shoulder and lifted his musket into the air; since he was going into the city with small numbers, he decided to arm himself with a proper musket for this operation and a pair of grenades. He immediately began rushing towards the nearby sally port andmanded his troops to follow.


    "That''s the signal! Go! go! go!"


    With that, the grenadiers alongside theirmander rushed towards the sally port with muskets in hand and bays affixed. As they reached the small gate, Berengar and his men noticed a figure shrouded in ck open the gates, which allowed them ess to the city.


    The figure was a young woman, but one could only tell due to her high voice.


    "Quickly, take the gates! The guards will notice something is a miss soon enough, and will be on alert!"


    With that said, Berengar and his grenadiers rushed to the main city gate, where a few dozen defenders stood watch. Berengar immediately gave the order to lob their grenades.


    "Frag out!"


    A series of grenades were thrown to the enemy''s positions and rolled beneath their feet. The city''s defenders looked cautiously at the strange devices whose fuses were ame for a brief moment before they were engulfed in the explosive st and the shrapnel provided by the steel shell of the device. Not a single man on watch survived the st of the grenades, and the grenadiers quickly took the position of defense as a couple of the men began to open the gate. Noticing another explosion near the gates, apany of the garrison quickly rushed to its direction where they walked straight into a firing line; Berengar gave the order to fire the moment they were within firing range.


    "Fire!"


    with his words, two dozen muskets went off in unison, shredding the steel brigandine armor of thepany of soldiers who advanced. Though it was only enough to kill roughly a dozen or so men and as such plenty of enemies remainder, though they were initially taken aback by the myserious weapons and their destructive power; when they noticed a second volley was not fired, they began their advance once more. As the gate was slowly rising, Berengar and his forces did not bother reloading their muskets. Instead, they lobbed their spare grenades into the crowd, which immediately detonated, tearing the advancingpany to pieces. By the time the second wave of grenades went off, not a single soldier among the enemypany had remained standing.


    Berengar once more gave the order to reload; now that they were out of grenades, they would rely on volley fire and melee to defend the gatehouse until the gates were fully open. It did not take long for another enemy group to arrive, where another volley of musket fire once more gunned them down. However, this time, the gates were open enough for Berengar''s men to rush through, and several dozen more infantrymen rapidly formed ranks and fired upon the oing enemies.


    Before long, his entire army had entered through the gates of the city of Innsbruck and began to hunt down the enemy as they pushed toward the castle. Count Lothar''s son and heir, as well as Linde''s older brother, was in a deep slumber as his city fell around him. Without even the slightest awareness of the ongoing situation, the Castle of Innsbruck was quickly surrounded by Berengar''s forces. Where he would prepare for a simr set of tactics the following night, by the time the Regent became aware that the city had fallen, it would be toote to mount a defense.

 Chapter 119: Negotiating Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 119: Negotiating Surrender</h4>


    By the time the sun rose, the city of Innsbruck was fully in the hands of Berengar; the only part that had yet to fall was the Castle that contained the Count''s family. Berengar intended to capture them and leave their fate to Linde; after all, they were her siblings. Nevertheless, when Liutbert, who was Count Lothar''s son, and Heir, as well as Linde''s older brother, realized that the city was taken within a single night, he could not believe his eyes.


    In a fit of fury, the young man, who was a couple of years older than Linde,shed at his advisors who were trapped within the Castle''s walls alongside him.


    "How did this happen? How was Berengar the ursed able to take the city in a single night?"


    Much like Linde Liutbert had strawberry blonde hair and sky blue eyes. He was quite the dashing figure and was a brilliant mind in his own right. Unfortunately, he had long since been betrayed by his own family and waspletely unaware of this fact. Neither he nor his advisors knew how the Castle had fallen so quickly; when they heard the explosionsst night, they had assumed it was just another bombardment taking ce. They werepletely dumbfounded by the idea that their walls had failed to fulfill their purpose.


    One of Liutbert''s advisors, anky and rat-faced man, nervously spoke his thoughts on the matter.


    "My Lord, we do not know how Berengar took the city, but I assure you he will not be able to enter the Castle so easily!"


    Liutbert scoffed at the man''s reasoning; if Berengar could so easily take the city without anyone realizing how he had achieved it, what would prevent him from using the same tactics to take the Castle. As a result of his anger, Liutbert threw his chalice at the advisor who had spoken up and chastised the man.


    "Berengar is at our doorstep! It is only a matter of time before he takes this Castle! What do you think his men will do to my sisters when they enter the house of my forefathers!?!"


    Liutbert was not a fool; he quickly realized the position he was in and had immediatelye to a decision, though he hated the idea if he wanted to spare himself and his siblings, he would have to negotiate a surrender. Because Berengar was a condemned heretic, Liutbert could not expect him to follow themon etiquette of the battlefield and allow him and his siblings the privilege of ransom. Thus he turned to his advisors and informed them of his monumental decision, which his father would undoubtedly disapprove of.


    "I will meet with Berengar and discuss my terms of surrender, I don''t care what it takes but I will ensure the safety of my family!"


    The advisors looked at Liutbert with shocked expressions, and as such, expressed their concerns.


    "The Count would never allow it! He would rather that you and your siblings fight to the death against this rebel than surrender your family''s home to the enemy!"


    Liutbert was in no mood to argue with his advisors; as such, he walked up to the man who had said such foolish words and backhanded him across the face.


    "I am not my father, and if that ggard would see his children ughtered rather than live to fight another day, then he is truly not worthy of my loyalty!"


    This statement was outright treasonous, but Liutbert would never be put in this position if his father had not schemed to overthrow their rtives and be the Duke of Austria. After disying his authority through violence, the advisors quickly got to work to sue for peace with Berengar.


    ...


    Berengar was currently camped outside the Castle''s walls with his army. They were in the process of loading the cannons; however, right before they could fire the first bombardment, a white g was raised above the Castle''s ramparts, which forced Berengar to stay his hand. Berengar grabbed a white g of his own to symbolize that he and his forces were willing to negotiate peacefully. After both gs were visible the two parties met in between the besieging army and the castle''s defenses.


    Berengar wore a conceited expression on his face as he stood before Liutbert, who was scowling with disfavor. The two men stood before each other with a few guards to ensure their safety; Berengar was quite a bit taller than Liutbert, which got on the young Regent''s nerves. Finally, Berengar broke the silence with a smug remark.


    "Are you going to waste my time, or do you have something to say?"


    Liutbert wanted to make a witty retort but chose to shut his mouth and focus on diplomacy. As such, he quicklyid out his demands.


    "I will surrender Innsbruck to you and the Castle within it so long as you ensure the safety of myself and my siblings!"


    Berengar gazed upon Liutbert''s figure, trying to investigate any clues about the man''s character before responding. After concluding, he inquired about the details.


    "Anything else?"


    Liutbert quickly shook his head with a defeated expression before responding.


    "I may not be the wisest man in the world, but I know I am in no position to make demands. All I ask is for my safety and that of my family."


    Berengar smiled and stuck out his hand in a friendly gesture


    "Very well, under these terms, I ept your surrender, you will be escorted back to Kufstein where your sister is currently residing, you will be kept as my guests until a time where your father either surrenders or perishes upon the battlefield. As for the possession of the title of Count of Tyrol, that shall be up to our liege Duke Wilmar to decide."


    Liutbert frowned as he sighed in defeat eventually he shook Berengar''s hand. Berengar''s guards began to escort the defeated Regent; however, as he was walking away, the strawberry-blonde-haired youth quickly turned around and asked Berengar a question that had always been on his mind.


    "I wonder if you can humor my curiosity for a moment?"


    Berengar, who was about to order his troops to storm the castle, turned around and looked at the man with a curious gaze beforementing.


    "I don''t see why not?"


    Berengar''s troops carefully guarded Liutbert to ensure he did not attempt anything foolish, noticing the restraints he was under, Liutbert swiftly asked his question.


    "As long as I have known my sister Linde she has never once obeyed any orders she has been given; in fact, that Ice Queen has humiliated many powerful young men for the sake of entertainment; how exactly did you get her to obey your orders?"


    Berengarughed at Liutbert''sments; out of all the questions he could have asked, it was about how he could tame Linde? To Berengar, this was quite humorous; after chuckling for a few moments, Berengar smiled and spread his arms in the air before announcing in a voice in which all his troops could hear.


    "How do you tame any woman? By giving her a good tumble!"


    The men under Berengar''smander immediately began tough at theirmander''s remark, and Liutbert was left blushing at the words in which Berengar had spoken. He never expected Berengar to answer his question so boldly; after that, Liutbert was escorted to a temporary holding cell by Berengar''s men, where he and his siblings would stay until they could be safely transported to Kufstein.


    With that out of the way, Berengar now held Innsbruck and Schwaz, as for the remainder of the regions within the County of Tyrol, they were currently suffering sabotage and assassinations left and right, and soon their regents would be so enraged that they would march on Innsbruck to put an end to Berengar''s so-called rebellion. In doing so, they would be ying right into the young Viscount''s hands. As for Count Lothar''s forces that were on their way to Kufstein. They were only a few days from reaching their destination, and when they did so, they would be in for a rude awakening.

 Chapter 120: Bloodbath at Innsbruck I

    <h4>Chapter 120: Bloodbath at Innsbruck I</h4>


    With Innsbruck fully under Berengar''s control and the walls intact, the young Viscount rapidly mounted his cannons on the best positions of the city walls. Unlike the walls of Kufstein, which were expertly designed to prevent any blind spots, the medieval walls of Innsbruck did not allow for proper coverage, especially with as few as 15 field guns, considering he left three of his cannons behind in Schwaz, he was limited in his use of artillery, but that did not matter, the hundreds of rifled muskets among his troops, could make up for theck of defensive artillery. As for the remaining smoothbore muskets, they could be ced through the machictions and effectively counter enemy troops who got too close to the walls.


    Berengar currently stood atop the walls of the city of Innsbruck gazing off into the distance with his spyss, it had been over a week since he had seized Innsbruck, and finally, an army could be seen in the distance. The sabotage and assassinations which targetted the enemy Lords of Tyrol and their domains had been ongoing since the beginning of his campaign. As such, they had caused quite a degree of damage throughout the hostile regions of Tyrol, infuriating the noblemen and regents who ruled over the regions in ce of their Barons and Viscounts who were off engaging in the ongoing siege of Vienna.


    Due to the outrage in which these Regents suffered, they had dispatched whatever armed forces they could muster to attack Innsbruck; after all, they did not believe Berengar''s army would be well equipped to withstand a siege after the losses they must have suffered during two sieges and an ambush. They werepletely unaware that Berengar had taken Innsbruck without much of a fight, and thus his casualties were quite low. Just as Berengar had nned, his enemies would descend upon Innsbruck with their remaining fighting forces, allowing him to take care of them in a single sweep. As for what happened after this battle, Berengar intended to threaten the defiant realms into submission and march upon their weakened garrisons if needed.


    Eckhard approached Berengar and noticed he was gazing into the distance with a spyss; the old veteran figured the enemy was on the horizon and thus asked about the important details.


    "How many are there?"


    Berengar smirked malevolently at the approaching armies before handing the spyss to Eckhard.


    "See for yourself."


    Eckhard took a look into the spyss and frowned. What he saw was over ten thousand peasant levies, supported by a thousand or so men at arms who most likely acted as the keyponents of the garrisons in which protected the cities and towns of their enemies'' realms.


    After putting down the spyss and handing it back to Berengar, Eckhard voiced his opinions.


    "It appears they have drafted cannon fodder from themon people to rush at our defenses. This will be a bloodbath that will surely affect the productivity of Tyrol for years toe."


    Berengar sighed and nodded at Eckhard''s ims, it would undoubtedly be a one-sided massacre that would greatly affect Tyrol''s future, yet to Berengar, it was a price that needed to be paid. Berengar, however, corrected Eckhard as he lectured him about the necessity of the battle.


    "Decades... However, it is a sacrifice that must be made; without demonstrating our overwhelming power here to the Lords of Tyrol, we would be forced toy siege to every city, the casualties would be disastrous not only to our own forces but the local poptions."


    As such, Berengar lifted a nearby red g and waved it in the air; this acted as a signal to the artillery crews to wave their own red gs. Within a matter of seconds, every artillery crew was notified of the need to load their weapons and began to act ordingly. When the soldiers sitting on the ramparts saw the red gs waving in the air, they immediately became alert, recognizing that the enemy army was approaching, and began to load their muskets.


    The defending army waited for a little over an hour before the enemy was within firing range of the artillery pieces. However, the artillery still did not fire; with explosive shells, the 1417 12 lb Cannon could fire at an effective range of 1680 yards with 5 degrees of elevation. However, they had no ns to engage the targets at such a distance. Otherwise, the enemy would surely flee back to their homes long before the defenders had inflicted mass casualties on them.


    Berengar himself had loaded a rifled musket and was standing on the ramparts waiting for the arrival of the enemy. After some time, the enemy army stopped within firing range, in Berengar''s hands, and that of many of his soldiers could reach well over 500 yards with their 1417/18 Rifled Muskets. The reason for this was due to the effectiveness of the mine balls projectile and the long barrel length, which was 6 inches longer than the barrel used by the 1861 Springfield Rifled-Musket, which was utilized by Union forces during the American Civil War from Berengar''s previous life.


    Unaware of the enemy''s effective range, the enemy began setting up their siege camp within range of their rifled muskets and cannons; it was only after they had dropped their defenses and became busy with the hardbor of setting up camp did Berengar signal for the attack to begin.


    "Fire!"


    With those words, over half a dozen cannons and hundreds of rifled muskets went off in unison, unleashing a disastrous wave of explosive shells and lead balls prating deep into the heart of the enemy forces. When the enemymanders gazed upon the thunder of the guns and the carnage that was rained down upon them, they werepletely shocked. Though they had heard Berengar''s army was equipped mostly with hand cannons, they figured the effective firing range was a few yards at best; never in their wildest dreams did they envision such overwhelming destruction wrought upon them as they were building their camp.


    Themanders were quick to act and immediately ordered their men to rush towards the wall withdders in hand; they did not even have the time to build any siege weapons; as such, they could only hope to get over the wall with the use ofdders. Though the intensive fear was in the eyes of the peasant levies who felt as if the hand of God was crushing them beneath his grasp, they mustered the courage and attempted to get close to the wall.


    What resulted next would be a battle that filled the enemy with utter despair, for only death and destruction awaited them now that the battle had begun.

 Chapter 121: Bloodbath at Innsbruck II

    <h4>Chapter 121: Bloodbath at Innsbruck II</h4>


    With the battle having Begun, Berengar rapidly loaded his rifled musket before taking off another shot at the oing attackers; his projectile struck through the abdomen of an oing levy, bursting it apart and sending the man grievously injured onto the ground below where he slowly bled to death. Right after doing so, an arrow was fired upon him from below and nced upon his steel skull cap; if it were just a few inches lower, it would have pierced his eye. Berengar quickly took cover behind the merlons as he began to reload his musket again.


    His troops were operating under the orders of fire at will, and as such, the firing sequence was sporadic, as cannons went off at different times, and muskets followed in suit. Eventually, a group of levies made it to the edges of the walls, where the defenders began pointing their muskets through the machictions and unloading their lead projectiles onto the poor souls below. Now that the enemy was directly below the defenders, the thousands of infantry who still wielded the 1417 Land Pattern Musket, which was smoothbore and thus had limited range, were able to engage the enemy behind the safety of the walls.


    The screams of the enemy filled the air as they were sted apart by cannons and muskets alike. Despite the devastating fire which was rained down upon them, somedders eventually made their way into a position where the defenders closest to them fixed their bays and pierced through the levies'' chests who scaled thedders. Due to ack of armor, the bay thrusts were extremely efficient at piercing through the levies'' chests, and the bodies were kicked down from the ramparts and onto the forces below. Eventually, thedders were pushed back down to the ground below, crushing some of the men in the massive horde that attacked the city''s walls. Surrounded, the defenders rapidly fired their muskets as quickly as they could, each soldier getting off roughly three shots a minute into the pool below.


    Without any way to defend themselves, it had be a turkey shoot. The defenders stayed behind the cover of the merlons and fired into the mob of peasants and men at arms who kept pressing forward, trying to get out of the firing zone of the mighty cannons. Despite the attackers nearest to the wall being within the cannons'' blind spots, they were unfortunately within the line of sight of the musketeers due to the machictions, which provided the ability to fire directly down on the enemies below while being protected by the stone walls. With over 3000 infantry firing 2-3 rounds per minute, the defending forces could fire over 9000 rounds per minute onto the forces below, who numbered roughly 15,000 in total. Though not every projectile hit its mark, it took only a matter of minutes before a sea of corpses had filled below the Castle''s walls.


    The level of chaos and carnage wrought upon the besiegers in such a short time span was unimaginable. The nobles were terrified by the powerful weapons in which Berengar''s forces wielded and had already fled to the edges of the battlefield; their armies were nearly annihted even the heavily armored men at arms could not resist the might of the thunderous weapons in which Berengar and his armies were equipped. These noblemen were the children and vassals of the mighty Barons and Viscounts that had marched off to war with Lothar. They came to the conclusion that Berengar''s rebellion was fated to end in an overwhelming victory. Witnessing death descend upon the battlefield as they had, they finally realized the reason why Berengar was so rapidly able to conquer cities; they highly doubted whether the stone walls of the era could defend against such overwhelming firepower.


    Without realizing they were still within the range of the cannons, themanders gathered what remained of their army and began to discuss among themselves how to proceed. A man in his thirties dressed in full te lifted the visor to his basc and spoke with a voice filled with trepidation.


    "What foul sorcery has Berengar the ursed conjured to produce such devastating weapons? It must be true that he consorts with demons if such destructive power lies in his hands! How could we mere mortals defeat the devil and his representative here on earth!"


    The Lords who had gathered had not gotten a good view of just exactly how their armies were so quickly ughtered; they merely heard the thunder and saw the blood and flesh of their men stter across the battlefield,pletely negating any armor they may have been wearing. It was as if Berengar had created an army of sorcerers and demons. For how could the average soldier possess such dominating force?


    Another Lord agreed with the previous statement and added his own


    "We must flee quickly, or surely we will be devoured by the gates of hell! We must warn others of the demonic power in which Berengar possesses!"


    However, before they could flee in haste, the thunder of 6 guns going off echoed in the air as their explosive shellsnded upon the gathering of nobles and tore them asunder. Berengar smiled wickedly as he gazed through his spyss. In under an hour, the siege had been lifted, and his enemy was torn to shreds; themanders were all dead many of which were the regents of the unconquered regions of Tyrol. This overwhelming bloodbath would allow Berengar to ce a Garrison within Innsbruck and move onto the depleted regions which refused to bend the knee to him and swiftly conquer the rest of Tyrol.


    Eckhard quickly approached Berengar and asked what he wanted to do with the remaining forces still within firing range of the cannons, all of which werepletely shell-shocked after witnessing the deaths of theirmanders andrades in such a short period of time.


    "My Lord, what shall we do with the remaining enemies?"


    Berengar''s lips curved into a wicked grin as he gave his finalmand in defense of Innsbruck.


    "Open the gates and have the Cuirassiers ride them down!"


    Seeing that Berengar had decided to silence the enemy to prevent any word of his advanced weaponry from leaking, Eckhard merely sighed as he saluted by pounding his fist on his breastte.


    "It will be done, My Lord."


    After Berengar''s orders were given to the Battalion of Cuirassiers, who had up until now not been given a chance to disy their might, the roughly 1,200 men mounted their horses before they rode out to butcher the thousand or so men who had already begun to route. The heavy cavalry quickly caught up to the fleeing footmen and cut them down like wheat to the scythe. Not a single besieger had made it out of the battle alive, and Berengar once more disyed the lengths he would go to to ensure his overwhelming victory in this war and all the wars toe. The more Berengar could prolong the spread of urate information about his weapons, the longer he could maintain his overwhelming technological advantage over his enemies.


    While this defense was going on, another battle was taking ce back in the hearnd of the Viscounty of Kufstein. While Berengar was crushing his enemies who marched upon him, Count Lothar''s forces had arrived within Kufstein. If the defense of Innsbruck were considered a bloodbath, then the Siege of Kufstein would be considered a sea of blood.

 Chapter 122: Defense of Kufstein

    <h4>Chapter 122: Defense of Kufstein</h4>


    Theodoric was at the head of his armies; they had marched from Vienna to Kufstein for thest few weeks, while Berengar was engaging in defense of Innsbruck and the bloodbath which would be the result. Theodoric had just arrived in the Viscounty of Kufstein. They were currently in the Barony of Kitzb��hel, where they nned toy siege to Kitzbuhel before marching on the City of Kufstein. However, when they entered the region, they noticed strange forts in the pattern of stars protecting the local viges. As they got close, explosive shells had rained down upon their army battering away at their forces.


    It did not take long before Theodoric and his forces began to panic, wasn''t Kufstein supposed to be open for the taking? Something was amiss, but they could not give up because of this incident as such Theoderic began to rally his forces who were terrified by the mysterious weapons that bombarded their ranks. Theodoric immediately began to order a retreat from the vige in which they had initially wanted to raid; despite having overwhelming numbers, they could not get close to the vige without losing hundreds of men, and as such, Theodoricmanded his troops.


    "Retreat! Fall back to Kufstein. Clearly, Kitzb��hel is loyal to Berengar; we must regroup with Linde and her forces!"


    Though this event was shocking, Theodoric could not fathom the possibility that Linde had betrayed him, and by extension her father, as such he figured it was the act of the local Baron who took his orders from Berengar.


    Explosive shells fired out of 24 lb siege cannons exploded upon impact, the explosive st and shrapnel tearing apart the bodies of the men affected by it. The men were terrified by such destructive power and rapidly retreated towards the direction of Kufstein. With advanced defenses, a single small star fortress could protect the vicinity of the local towns and viges from invaders quite efficiently. If the Army was willing to suffer more losses, they could have eventually taken the town and potentially even the fortress, but their main goal was to seize Kufstein and ransack it. As such they abandoned the idea to raid Kitzb��hel and the surrounding regions, instead, they decided to ce their faith in Linde.


    After marching for several more hours, the Army, whose morale was greatly shaken by the previous events, arrived in the City of Kufstein, where to their surprise, the entire city was surrounded by such impressive fortifications that were simr to those which had wrought destruction upon their forces at the vige they had just fled from. Luckily for them, the cannons did not fire upon sight, convincing Theodoric that his army of 5,000 men was truly wee in the region. However, as he approached the City''s gates, he noticed they remained shut; shortly after. He noticed the distinctive silky strawberry blonde hair of Linde fluttering in the wind on the ramparts above. She was dressed in a ck and gold dress in which Berengar had gifted her that looked like it was from the Tudor Era, which had yet to transpire in this world. The sun glistened on Linde''s porcin skin and illuminated her peerless face creating the illusion of a Goddess protecting the city''s gates.


    Theodoric immediately felt his heart race as he gazed upon the heavenly beauty, and as such, he put on a smile as he requested entry into the city


    "My dear Linde, would you please open the gates so that we may enforce your father''s rule over this rebellious region?"


    However, Linde''s reaction to his words confused the old Viscount; she stared at him with a look of pity mixed with disdain, all while her angelic voice resounded in the air,manding the defenders on the walls to unleash hell.


    "Open fire!"


    The moment Viscount Theodoric heard those words spoken by the young beauty who he greatly desired, his heart sank into an abyss; in the next second, the thunder of a thousand muskets and dozens of 24 lb siege cannons went off, devastating the army of the 5,000 men. Linde quickly scurried off from the battlefield and allowed the men of the garrison to do their work.


    In hisst moment, Theodric realized that he had been tricked, that Linde had betrayed her own father and lured him and his men to Kufstein so that the enemy could weaken Count Lothar''s forces. He hadpletely fallen for the trap, and his Liege was entirely unaware of his daughter''s betrayal. After realizing this, a musket ball pierced through the Viscount''s basc and into his skull where it turned his brain into mush before exiting out the other side of the helmet.


    With the advancement of the star fortress and the men on the walls protecting it, there was not a single area where the enemy could hide; they were quickly torn apart by musket balls, canister shots, and explosive shells. Their limbs littering the battlefield, alongside the remains of their corpses and the sttered meat paste of those unlucky enough to not leave an intact corpse behind.


    Without theirmander, the army quickly fell into chaos; some strayed towards the walls hoping they would be out of the firing line, others routed away and were sted to bits by the cannons. Much like Berengar''s defense of Innsbruck, the Siege of Kufstein, if it could even be referred to as such a thing, was quickly turned into a sea of death. There was nowhere for these men to run within the confines of the Viscounty of Kufstein; every vige was protected by its own star fortress and a small garrison of men to defend it. Toy siege to the city of Kufstein, one would normally have to go through the path of these fortresses and first clear the way. However, if one were foolish enough to be lured into this trap, then they would have no choice but to fight their way out of the path of these forts.


    As such, the men who remained and tried to mount some offense against the city of Kufstein were quickly torn apart by the many muskets which lined the walls. Because the garrisons were not Berengar''s field armies, and as such, were not the cream of the crop, it took them longer to load their weapon, and as such, the ughter was prolonged inparison to the bloodbath at Innsbruck. As for the souls who had routed back the way which they came, they would face fierce resistance from the many forts along the way, most of which had previously been tolerant to their march into the trap that was set for them.


    In the end, not a single soul who had entered Kufstein with the intent to invade was allowed to leave alive. Berengar had left the defense of the homnd up to the garrisonmanders, and they did not disappoint the man. With the trap sprung and the enemy army annihted, a quarter of Lothar''s forces had died within Kufstein, a fact he would not be aware of for some time, one which would ultimately prove to be his undoing. For when Count Otto''s forces finally made it out of the blizzard and into Vienna, a great battle would unfold, one in which Lothar would now be outnumbered due to the heavy losses he suffered here at Kufstein.

 Chapter 123: Refugee Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 123: Refugee Crisis</h4>


    After the battle was over and the area cleaned up, the gates to the city of Kufstein were once more opened, and as such, refugees from across the German-speaking regions began to arrive in Kufstein in search of a better life. Many of these people did not have the ability to bring anything of value with them; as such, they were merely hoping that they would be weed with open arms.


    Word of Berengar''s political reforms brought a great deal of interest among themon folk towards Kufstein; it had be a paradise in the minds of many who had never stepped foot in its territory. While the conditions they would find themselves in were vastly superior to the lives they had before, no doubt a life ofbor awaited them.


    While Berengar was off at war, Linde was left behind to act as regent. This was a shocking revtion to the nobles who currentlyprised of the House of Lords who had been burdened with the task of ushering in Berengar''s vision while he was away. Because Berengar had not found a suitable candidate for Chancellor, which under his system would basically be the man he appointed to act as a sort of Vice-President whose vote would break ties in the House of Lords, and who would act as a temporary leader when Berengar was away, he had appointed the person he trusted most around him as Regent which was of course Linde.


    Currently, Linde was sitting in Berengar''s office space where she was signing bills intows; these bills were drafted specifically to handle the incidents with the growing refugees. Though they had previously had an influx of peasants fleeing their masters and entering Kufstein, it now seemed as if the entire world was fighting for a position within the city or the many towns and viges around. Berengar had previously set up a Department of Immigration that handled identity verification and assignment ofbor to the neers. Currently, Linde was in the act of approved increasing their budget so they could employ more people to handle the ongoing refugee crisis.


    Though the city of Kufstein was designed with rapid growth in mind, she could hardly believe the costs incurred in finding appropriate jobs for these migrants and providing education for themselves and their families. Now that she was no longer pregnant, Linde could enjoy a ss of wine or a mug of beer now and then, and as such, she licked her lips as the delectable taste of red wine slid down her throat.


    It had been weeks since Berengar first departed for his war, and yet she had already begun to desire his return greatly. While she pondered about when her lover would finallye home, the door to the office opened, and Henrietta was standing in the doorway. Throughout the past six months, her rtionship had gradually improved Linde. Though Henrietta would always be on Ad''s side, she became ustomed to the idea of having a nephew, and as such, had been spending much time with the infant Hans, which resulted in some degree of amiability to form between herself and Linde.


    Considering the Castle had be awfully lonely without Berengar or her Parents around, she could only turn to Linde for socializing. Thus, the little loli approached Linde, who was busy signing documents, and inquired about what she was up to.


    "What are you doing?"


    Linde sighed heavily as she put down her quill and smiled at Henrietta before answering her question.


    "I am managing your brother''s affairs for him. With the war, plenty of peasants havee to Kufstein seeking a better life, and as such, I have to expand the department of Immigration and the Department of Education. I also have to put many of them to work in building their own tenements, which of course takes time and money for these unskilled peasants to learn how to handle a job in construction properly."


    Henrietta really did not understand half of what Linde was talking about, but she pretended like she knew as she smiled and continued to chat with the woman she once despised.


    "Anything else?"


    Linde let out a heavy sigh one more and rested her weary head on her fist beforeining about all the work she had to do


    "Due to the war, the arms sales have increased rapidly, thus generating sufficient profit, but I also need to expand the garrisons and raise new field armies for Berengar''s war efforts. Though 5,250 men may seem like a lot, eventually, there will be losses, and those men need to be reced Thus I need to delegate a certain sector of the industrial district solely to producing arms and armor for our own forces. I seriously do not know how your brother manages to do this much work every day; it is exhausting!"


    As such, Linde pulled out a gon of wine and poured more of it into her chalice as she took anotherrge sip from the golden cup. She was well aware of the massive army of Teutonic knights that wasing to their borders, and she needed to rally more troops for Berengar so that when he finished his conquest, he could deal with the Church''s forces. As such, she had begun a period of conscription where all male residents of Kufstein aged 16-20 were forced into military service for an undesignated period of time. This also applied to all migrants who made their way to Kufstein; as such, the numbers of Berengar''s forces were growing rapidly, so much so that the arms factories could not keep up with the demand for the equipment needed to field and train the conscripts.


    Linde''s problems were temporary; once properly distributed to the regions and educated in the trades necessary for their careers, the Viscounty of Kufstein would gain a significant amount of benefits from this poption growth. Luckily they had implemented the four-field system and other agricultural advancements; as such, they had enough to feed the booming poption without relying on imports, at least for now. Deciding she needed to take a break, Linde got up from her desk and walked over to Henrietta before suggesting.


    "How about we go take a nice hot bath? I''m getting sore from sitting in this seat all day."


    Henrietta smiled and nodded while agreeing


    "That sounds fun!"


    as such, the two girls absconded to therge bathhouse constructed in the Castle, where they swam in a heated body of water the size of a small swimming pool. Linde would return to her mountain of paperwork after she had finished a brief period of rxation.

 Chapter 124: Northern Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 124: Northern Surrender</h4>


    Berengar was currently sitting on the seat of power within Innsbruck, kneeling before him were the surviving Lords of Northern Tyrol. Having lost their regents and the overwhelming majority of the forces they could muster in their disastrous attempt to retake Innsbruck, these men were left with little support to defend against Berengar''s invasion. Seeing as how these men were in control of the nearest provinces to Berengar''s forces stationed at Innsbruck, they knew their days were numbered and that Tyrol would soon fall into the hands of Berengar. These rtively wise men had traveled to Innsbruck to officially surrender the North to Berengar, and by extension Duke Wilmar.


    Berengar, who had a smug smile, was resting his face onto his fist while listening to the terms of surrender in which the Lords presented. At the head of the group was an older man with long white hair and a matching beard. He was a Lord who was the sworn vassal of the Baron of Landeck and was the man representing the interests of the dozen or so Northern Lords who had gathered to surrender to Berengar officially. The man kept himself standing with a cane and slowly annunciated his words.


    "Viscount Berengar, on behalf of the Lords of Northern Tyrol, we present the terms of our surrender. First and foremost, we will recognize you as the reigning authority of Tyrol until Duke Wilmar has defeated Count Lothar and decides on whether or not his family will remain in power. In return for this, we want you to leave our realms in peace and not bring your war to our doorstep; enough blood has already been shed resisting your rule. "


    Berengar nodded his head and smiled gracefully at the elderly man


    "I ept this condition, are there any more demands?"


    The elderly Lord nodded as he continued to speak the terms that the nobility of the region hade up with to negotiate their surrender.


    "As you know, we have suffered sabotage to our food storages during this conflict; as such, we would request aid in regards to the crisis we are now facing in ournds."


    Berengar thought for a moment about this, while the harvest this year was exceptional for his territory, it was not to the degree where he could feed the other Viscounties and Baronies, it would be some time before he received such yields, as such, he would be forced to buy the grain at his own expense and transfer it to these Lords. However, if he did not do such a thing, many innocent people would starve to death during the remainder of the winter, and he would be directly responsible for it.


    As such, he decided to bite the bullet and pay the expense to supply these regions. After all, he was waging war to gain territory and poption to aid his growing ambitions. Losing arge chunk of the poption of thends he would conquer from starvation would greatly hinder his future progress. As such, Berengar nodded and agreed to this condition as well.


    "Very well, I will pay for your food stores to be adequately resupplied. Anything else?"


    The older man nodded his head and spoke of hisst condition.


    "If you win this war and sessfully put down Count Lothar''s rebellion, and the Duke decides to appoint Liutbert as his father''s sessor, we request that you honor this arrangement and do not act as a usurper! If you are truly waging war for the sake of restoring Duke Wilmar''s authority to Tyrol, then you will have no problem epting this condition!"


    This put Berengar in a difficult position if he epted this request, and he was not rewarded with the County of Tyrol for his efforts; he would have waged this war in vain, but if he denied this condition, then he was essentially making it publically known that he was actually nothing more than a usurper, and that would further embolden the remaining regions of Tyrol to continue to defy him, which would be disastrous as he did not have enough men toy siege to every city and town in every province of Tyrol. He was relying on a few overwhelming victories at key provinces to force his enemies to the negotiating table. They would be much more likely to do so if they believed Berengar was acting in the interests of Duke Wilmar instead of himself.


    Berengar tapped his finger on the armrest of the chair he was seated in several times beforeing to a decision. After several moments of near-silence, Berengar finally voiced his decision on this condition.


    "I ept... If that is all, then I hereby recognize the surrender of Northern Tyrol."


    Seeing Berengar ept the third and final condition made many of the other noblemen smile; truthfully, aside from the Barons, and Viscounts directly under the vassge of Count Lothar, most of the lesser noblemen who lived in Tyrol were not exactly supportive of Lothar''s rebellion and had merely been following orders. With Berengar epting the final term, they felt that he was sincerely acting as a loyal supporter of the Duke rather than a man who was using the current crisis to usurp the County of Tyrol for his own greed.


    As a result of this surrender, Northern Tyrol was temporarily under Berengar''s control. He nned to be marching upon Southen Tyrol and Trent shortly in order to capture the remaining territory of the County of Tyrol. For now, Berengar had to think of a way to convince Duke Wilmar to revoke the title of Count of Tyrol from the von Habsburg-Innsbruck dynasty and appoint his own dynasty as the future Counts of Tyrol. Little did he know that when Duke Wilmar finally heard the news that Northern Tyrol had surrendered to Berengar after a little over a month ofbat, he would begin to favor Berengar''s abilities greatly and would be far more amicable to the idea of making Berengar and the von Kufstein Dynasty the Counts of Tyrol.


    For now, Berengar was in the process of resupplying his forces and giving them a much-needed rest; it would be at least a week before he would march upon the South. Luckily for him, Linde had already implemented the process of conscription, and soon enough, he would have reinforcements on the way; it would only take two more months for several thousand more men to finish basic training, by then Berengar would be able to rece his losses, and even gain a significant boost to his armies numbers.

 Chapter 125: Adelas Plea

    <h4>Chapter 125: Ad''s Plea</h4>


    Ad was currently within her room reading a letter from Berengar; Despite the fact that Berengar was off at war; he made sure to send letters to his women as often as he could, informing them of his massive victories in Tyrol. The teenage girl twirled one of her golden twintails as shey belly down on her bed with a smile on her face. The news she was reading was excellent; the Northern Lords of Tyrol had all surrendered to Berengar, recognizing him as the current authority in Tyrol, and was providing him with what little support they could manage.


    Ever since her older brother Gerhart had made a fool out of himself and invoked their father''s ire in his failed attempt to demolish the rtionship between Berengar and Ad, the young girl had mostly stayed to herself. Aside from eating meals with the family, she would stay within the confines of her room and repeatedly read the letters Berengar had written to her. She wished she was in Kufstein to provide some aid to the man she loved, but unfortunately, she was in Graz for the time being. Though Vienna was under siege and her father was at war, Graz was in a state of peace, albeit one of vignce.


    Oddly enough, Ad and Linde had been corresponding through a series of letters and had seemingly grown closer. However, there was still a rivalry between the two as they both desired to monopolize Berengar''s attention for themselves; despite this rivalry, there was some form of amiability among the two young women as they both discussed their concerns over Berengar''s safety and desire to be with him again.


    After reading Berengar''stest letter for the third time in the past three days, Ad sighed and voiced her concerns aloud.


    "Stay safe, Berengar..."


    Afterward, she heard a knock on her door and quickly stashed the letter away underneath her mattress before opening the door. In the doorway was her second brother Heimerich; the teenage boy was dressed in a baby blue doublet with a matching jerkin over it. His entire attire was set up in the fashion sense in which Berengar had introduced across the entirety of Austria, which greatly resembled the Tudor style from his previous life. There was a stern look on the handsome youth''s face; his facial features were charmingly robust much like Lambert''s. He truly exemplified the archetype of a young Knight. He was seventeen this year and carried an aura of martial authority. Noticing the expression on Heimerich''s face, Ad instantly became worried about what might have transpired to force the youth into such a state.


    Before Ad could ask what was wrong, Heimerich said in a grave tone


    "Come to the Great Hall; I have news about father to report to the family."


    Ad knew something must have gone wrong if Heimerich forced her to meet up with her family in the great hall. As such, she quickly put on her slippers and followed her older brother to the Great Hall. When she arrived, she noticed the various expressions on her family''s face, especially the anxious look on her mother Wanda''s exquisite visage. The only person who did not appear to be worried among her family was Gerhart, who was rather upset that his position of Regent was stripped away from him and given to his little brother. After Heimerich sat down upon the seat of power in Graz, he cleared his throat before making a deration about the news in which he had received.


    "Father is currently on his way to Vienna, he was trapped in a Blizzard within the Bavarian Alps for the past few weeks, which is why he was out of contact, he has lost a fifth of his forces due to attrition, as such he suspects that he will be vastly outnumbered when he tries to take Vienna back from the traitorous Count Lothar. As for the state of Vienna, the Castle has yet to fall, but the city has beenpletely taken and ravaged by the upying forces. Father expects heavy resistance and has asked for our prayers..."


    Ad''s family immediately broke out into fits of prayer as they frantically prayed for the Lord''s protection for the head of their household. The only member in the room who was not overly concerned about this news was Ad, this was because she was aware of the destruction of a quarter of Count Lothar''s forces at Kufstein. After all, she had already been informed of the events that transpired by Linde. Though her father would have toy siege to Vienna to defeat Lothar, he would have the advantage in numbers even with his losses from attrition.


    War was a dangerous business, and no matter how protected one might seem, anything could happen that might lead to their deaths on the battlefield. Thus the lives of their loved ones who were off fighting in some distant region of Austria were in the hands of the Lord, and they could only pray for his mercy. As a pious girl, Ad joined her family in prayer to the Lord to protect her father, as well as Berengar, as they both continued to fight for their family and nation.


    After being informed of her father''s situation, Ad realized that she had the ability to aid in her father''s siege by asking for support from Kufstein; as such, she returned to her room, where she quickly wrote a letter to Linde informing her of the current situation with Vienna. Due to Berengar''s conquest of Tyrol, Ad doubted whether or not he would be able to receive her request for aid before it was toote; as such, she sent the letter to Linde, who she knew was currently acting as Berengar''s stand-in within Kufstein.


    The letter contained a formal request for material aid to Count Otto''s forces to eliminate Count Lothar and his allies at Vienna. Ad knew that Kufstein was in no position to split its armies and attack Lothar where he was at his strongest; however, she also knew that Kufstein''s agricultural and industrial sectors were greater than any other region in Austria, and as such, she requested logistical support from Kufstein to her father''s siege of Vienna.


    Ad was quite worried; though she and Linde were no longer outright enemies, they were not exactly allies either. She was asking the young woman to act on behalf of her romantic rival to capture or eliminate her own father. Though Linde had already greatly betrayed her father and his schemes, those actions were on behalf of Berengar, who she was deeply in love with, whether or not she would provide logistical support to Count Otto and his forces was yet to be determined.


    After signing the letter with her signature, Ad quickly handed it off to a messenger who would travel across the Duchy of Austria, where he would hand it off to Linde in Kufstein. Hopefully, the young teenage girl could receive Kufstein''s support and greatly enhance her father''s chances of victory and, more importantly, survival.

 Chapter 126: Preparing for an Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 126: Preparing for an Invasion</h4>


    At the moment, Berengar was standing in the Great Hall of Innsbruck surrounded by his Officers; in front of them was arge table with a giant map syed across it; upon thisrge map were wooden figures acting as representations of Berengar, his allies, and his enemies. It had been roughly a month since Berengar first began his campaign to conquer Tyrol. After several overwhelming victories, he now found himself controlling roughly a third of the territory in which he had desired to conquer.


    Since the beginning of the War, when Berengar first left Kufstein, he had put in ce measures to begin conscription, he knew his meager army of a little over 5,000 men was not enough to maintain control of Tyrol in its entirety, and as such had begun a new wave of recruitment designed to adequately train the conscripts in the use of firearms, line tactics, and basicbat maneuvers within a matter of weeks.


    Though it was not the Grand Army of Germany that he had envisioned for the future, his current needs required him to make some sacrifices in the training regimen and the equipment in which the conscripts would use. As such, Berengar had tasked the armories to manufacture the 1417 Land Pattern Musket instead of the more advanced 1417/18 Rifled Musket.


    At the moment, 5,000 conscripts in the form of infantry were waiting in Innsbruck alongside the veteran forces of Berengar''s army. While they waited for their orders Berengar was discussing with his Officers the best path forward into the conquest of Tyrol.


    Berengar moved a set of Infantry figures across the map and into the position of Sterzing, Meran, and ders which were the primary hubs of rebellious forces in Southern Tyrol, before announcing his n for a rapid conquest of his enemies to the men by his side.


    "The n is simple, these three cities are the key centers of resistance to my authority in Tyrol, with the aid of the armies of the Lords who have dered their support for me, we will split our army into threeponents, I will take Sterzing, Eckhard will lead the forces to Meran, and Arnulf willmand the men at ders. In one single swoop, we will bring South Tyrol under our authority before moving onto Trent!"


    Eckhard agreed with the n but also had some concerns; as such, he decided to voice them at the moment.


    "What about our position in North Tyrol? How many men will we leave behind to secure our interests?"


    Berengar smiled; as always, Eckhard did not lose sight of the big picture, so Berengar made a bold deration.


    "500 men in Innsbruck, and 500 in Schwaz, as for the remaining regions in the North, establish 250 man garrisons to secure the loyalty of the Lords who have pledged their support to me."


    Eckhard nodded in agreement; though these were ratherrge garrisons, they would be able to adequately defend the regions from enemy sieges, especially with their technological superiority. Eckhard''s next question was in regards to the artillery Battalion.


    "What about the artillery?"


    Berengar had already developed a n regarding the most efficient use of artillery, and thus he exined his ns to Eckhard.


    "We will split the battalion into three separate batteries; one will go with each army to ensure that there is sufficient firepower at each siege to bring down the walls of the enemies."


    Listening to Berengar''s ns, the Officers of his army,rgelyprised of the Knights and Nobility from Kufstein, had nodded their heads firmly in agreement. If they continued to act as a single army, it might take them months if not years to bring Tyrolpletely under their control, seeing how this campaign was only a smaller part of the Civil War going across Germany at the moment, nobody wanted to spend that much time securing a small region like Tyrol.


    Arnulf, who had been listening to Berengar''s words, had a single thought on his mind, and as such, voiced his concerns.


    "What if Lothar returns from Vienna? It has been well over a month since he first began his siege of Vienna, and he should be close to victory by now."


    Berengar shook his head and responded to Arnulf''s concerns with thetest information he had received.


    "Lothar is busy defending Vienna from Count Otto, whose forces have arrived and begun besieging the city in an attempt to wrest it from Lothar''s grasp. He and his armies will not be returning to Tyrol any time soon, and if they do make it out of Vienna alive, their numbers will greatly be reduced."


    Hearing this news Arnulf, and many of the other officers felt more rxed about Berengar''s ns. This three-pronged operation was nicknamed Operation Trident and would be a deciding factor in Berengar''s victory in the war for Tyrol. As such, Berengar chatted with the officers for some time in great detail about logistics and tactics before finally ending this strategic meeting.


    "Gentlemen, if all of your questions have been answered, then you should get some rest for tomorrow at the break of dawn; we will march upon our enemies! God with us!"


    Immediately upon shouting thatst part, the men all saluted Berengar and shouted the phrase which had be the battle cry of the armies of Kufstein.


    "God with us!"


    After ending the meeting in such a way, the officers returned to their forces to prepare them for theing battle. With this, Berengar returned to his temporary quarters, where he sat down on the bed and sighed heavily into the dimly lit room in which he resided alone.


    "I need to finish this war quickly so I can return to Kufstein and into the loving arms of Linde..."


    After having such a thought, Berengar prepared himself for the night and then went to sleep, thinking not of the violence and brutality that he would soon be enduring, but of his two women, and his infant son. He began to reminisce about the days of the not-so-distant past which were far more peaceful than the ones he currently found himself in. It was hard to believe that he had only been reincarnated into this world less than a year ago.


    He had aplished so much in this small amount of time, especially whenpared to his previous life, whereby the time he was 21, he was still at Westpoint achieving absolutely nothing in his life;ing from a rtively poor background, he had spent his entire youth gaining the knowledge and grades necessary to get an academic schrship so that he could attend a university, ultimately after several life factors Westpoint became his best option, and so he begrudgingly chose to join the military. After graduating, he wasted his life away in the hellhole known as Afghanistan until his final days.


    In this life, Berengar was fortunate enough to be reincarnated into Nobility. After getting his first taste of real power and wealth, Berengar had be incredibly ambitious, no longer desiring to simply industrialize Kufstein and retire in wealth and luxury. Now that he had a chance, he wanted to be like the many great men from history he had read about in his past life. Thinking of past, present, and future, Berengar fell asleep with a smile on his face. His conquest had only just begun!

 Chapter 127: An Awkward Family Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 127: An Awkward Family Reunion</h4>


    The light of dawn shone down onto the burgeoning city of Kufstein; the star-shaped walls that protected the city and its inhabitants were split down the middle as the river Inn flowed through the center of the City. Arge castle rose above the many tenements constructed in the half-timber stylemonly found in the German-speaking regions. Though Berengar had ns to move into a more modern pce, at the moment, the Castel in Kufstein acted as the main residence for Berengar and his family.


    Within the Dining room, Linde sat at the head of the table at the left side, which was the spot reserved for the Viscountess; of course, at the moment, there was no Viscountess of Kufstein since Berengar was unmarried, albeit engaged to Ad. However, since Berengar''s parents abdicated and retired to the countryside, Berengar had allowed Linde to use the seat. Today was a rare asion for the Castle in Kufstein, for it held a rather lively gathering. Just this morning, her siblings arrived from Innsbruck, in which they had been transported to Kufstein under the guise of "Berengar''s protection" in reality, they were under house arrest, and Linde was watching over them.


    Aside from Linde and her siblings, Henrietta sat at the table and was greatly ufortable with the whole situation. Liutbert was sitting in the spot Berengar used to sit at before his reign, which was closest to the seat reserved for the Viscount, which was currently vacant. He could not help himself from staring at Linde with confusion. This was not the sister he had grown up with; there was no coldness nor contempt in her eyes for everything around her. Instead, she wore a gentle smile and gazed upon her family with genuine fondness. It had been many months since shest saw her siblings, and though Linde''s rtionship with her father was strained, to say the least, she was willing to try to get closer to her siblings.


    Eventually, Liutbert had to express his doubts over Linde''s shift in character.


    "Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?"


    In the past, such a rudement would have sent Linde into a fury, but now she merelyughed it off, as she recognized that her personality had changed greatly in thest year. Instead, she replied to Liutbert by asking about his meal.


    "How are you enjoying your meal, Liutbert? Surely the breakfast here in Kufstein is better than anything you have ever had in Innsbruck!"


    Liutbert fell for the sleight of hand and quickly took a bite out of the breakfast sandwich the kitchen staff had prepared before responding to his little sister.


    "It is excellent; I did not know such fine cuisine existed!"


    Linde chuckled at his remark and taunted him for his inexperience with Kufstein''s culinary arts.


    "If you think this is good, wait until you have had dinner! You will never want to leave this ce."


    As Liutbert and Linde discussed the meal Adelheid was ring at Linde, she could not believe the changes in her precious big sister''s personality over the past year. It was too dramatic, just what sorcery had Berengar cast to make her once proud and domineering big sister transform into such a sorry state. However, she did not wish to make a scene and, as such, kept her thoughts to herself.


    Eventually, Linde''s little brother Herman interrupted the ongoing conversation and steered it into deep waters; he was scowling at his two older siblings and scolded his big sister, who he had once looked up to, for herck of loyalty to the family.


    "I can not believe you betrayed our father! All for that traitor Berengar, who as we speak is currently ravaging our family''snds in an attempt to steal away father''s rightful title!"


    Herman was roughly the age of Ad; he had just entered his teenage years and was filled with intense rage every time he thought about his older brother''s surrender at Innsbruck and his older sister''s outright betrayal. After all, Linde not only slept with the traitor Berengar but had actively plotted against their family in support of Berengar''s ambitions; to him, his sister''s actions werepletely unforgivable.


    Linde red menacingly at Herman; the boy clearly did not understand how wrathful Berengar could be; luckily for him and his siblings, they were all allowed to live peacefully in Kufstein under house arrest, where they could dine on the greatest food and live in absolute luxury while the war waged on.


    Seeing his elder sister''s fury, which he was all too familiar with, a cold sweat broke out on Herman''s forehead as he shivered at the thought of what Linde might do to him for speaking ill of her lover. He immediately shifted his nce back to the te where he ate the omelet in front of him. Linde, however, would not let such an usation slide by, and as such, she addressed Herman''s statement.


    "Why would I ever support father and his damned obsession with bing Duke? Since when had father ever paid the slightest bit of attention to us kids! Our entire lives, he has neglected us to pursue his dreams of being Duke of Austria, all because he has an inferiorityplex about being part of the branch family and not the main Habsburg line. If you ask me, he deserves to lose his head for his treasonous actions. Berengar is not a traitor. Instead, he is the only one of Father''s major vassals who has enough of a conscience to act against father''s illegitimate rebellion!"


    Though Linde''s words were harsh, they were also true, at least regarding the parts about her father. Count Lothar considered all of his children as disposable pawns whose sole purpose was to advance his ambitions. He was never much of a fatherly figure to his children, which is one of the reasons why Linde had turned out so poorly before she met Berengar. Though Linde was spoiled growing up, it was only a way for Lothar to coerce her into acting in his treasonous plots. The reason Count Lothar was so enraged about Berengar and Linde''s affair was twofold firstly the man saw Berengar as nothing more than low nobility unworthy of mixing with his family''s prestigious blood. Secondly, Berengar had not only taken his daughter''s chastity but also impregnated her, thus taking away the ability to make a powerful political alliance through marriage.


    Though Herman wanted to defend his father''s actions, he really could not find the words to do so. Instead, he sat in silence like a child who his mother had just caught with his hand in the cookie jar. There was a rift between Linde''s family at the moment; this was due to the results of her actions and that of their fathers. As such, they continued the remainder of their meal in silence; this little family reunion turned out to be more awkward than any of them had realized. While Berengar was off at war, Linde was now tasked with not only looking after the affairs of the realm but also keeping a watchful eye on her family, ultimately the only member of her family who waspletely on her side as her little half-sister Adelheid.

 Chapter 128: Blood in the Snow

    <h4>Chapter 128: Blood in the Snow</h4>


    At the moment Berengar and his army were crossing into the Southern portion of Tyrol, his armies had recently split and headed in separate directions, and he was now inmand of a force numbering roughly 5,000 men in total, half of which were his own forces. The other half of the armyprised levies from the southern Lordships, which supported Berengar''s campaign to put down Lothar''s rebellion and re-capture Tyrol from the traitorous lords who openly defied the authority of Duke Wilmar.


    Unlike Berengar''s army, which was filled with the most veteran members of his infantry and cavalry units. The peasant levies were poorly equipped, and many of them had never seen a battle in their lives. At most, they would act as cannon fodder for Berengar''s forces; their role would be to soak up the enemy''s missile fire while his troops gunned down the hostiles. At the moment, it waste in the morning but not quite yet noon, the wind was still, and all that could be heard were the sounds of thousands of feet marching to the beat of the drums as the infantrymen sang another one of Berengar''s marching songs.


    After crossing through the frosty crags of the alps, Berengar''s forces finally found themselves in a position overlooking the city of Sterzing in the distance. However, to their surprise, they also saw an army marching towards them. It would appear that the enemy had opted to sally forth into the field in an attempt to intercept Berengar''s forces and eliminate them before they entered the boundaries of the city. As such, Berengar shouted for his troops to hear.


    "Form ranks!"


    Hismands were passed onto the Officers and the NCOs before finally reaching the enlisted personnel. With thismand, the veteran forces of Berengar''s army formed lines and began to load their weapons. The artillery battery also began to take an elevated position above the field below where the enemy army was marching. The cavalry did their jobs and took positions on the nks, where they would soon be rushing the enemy army. There was no cavalry to speak of in the enemy''s forces; in fact, much like everywhere else in Tyrol at the moment, the professional forces were all gathered with Lothar in Vienna, leaving behind small garrisons andrge groups of levies to defend their homes.


    There were a few noblemen and knights, but they quickly dismounted from their horses the moment they saw the overwhelming number of cavalry Berengar had brought with them. As such, the Cuirassiers of Berengars ranks slowly began to trod off at the enemy position while his infantry prepared their muskets. The levies at the moment were used to protect the nks of Berengar''s line infantry. With this formation rapidly assembled Berengars forces began to march slowly and uniformly towards the enemy army, the cavalry already beginning their charge.


    As the cavalry charged towards the enemy, the thunder of the 12 lb cannons resounded in the distance as explosive shells wereunched upon the enemy forces. The explosive st and the shrapnel from the shells battered the enemy forces. Quickly turning the lightly armored levies into chunks of flesh and meat paste. Limbs were scattered, heads rolled, and blood stained the snow below. However, there was only one battery able to fire upon the enemy. As such, the numbers of the enemy forces who were affected by the barrage were significantly less than in Berengar''s previous battles.


    Berengar was naturally at the head of the cavalry and quickly pulled both of his pistols from Erwin''s saddle; it was already loaded and prepared to fire; all that needed to be done was cocking the flintlock action, which Berengar and his Cuirassiers did in unison. The enemy had a few archers with them and began to fire on the steel-d horses of Berengar''s cuirassiers, at this period in history, barding was still an effective way to protect your horse, and as such, Berengar had spent a great sum of money armoring the horses of his cavalry, after all, they cost him a fortune to purchase, it would be a shame if they died so easily on the battlefield.


    The arrows loosed upon his cavalry as arge volley fell from the sky as if they were raindrops, yet to the dismay of the enemy''s forces, the arrows failed to gravely injure neither the horses nor the cuirassiers. Instead, the three-quarter''s te armor and the steel te barding covered the majority of the cavalry''s body, deflected the bolts as if a padded arrow was hitting them. If anything a few arrows found their way into the gaps in the armor, but these were not vital areas, and as such did little more than inflict pain upon the riders and their horses.


    As such, the enemy levies quickly raised their spears, anticipating a sh from the heavily armored Cavalry forces, however before such a situation could ur, the horses strafed out of the direction of the spear walls and galloped to the side. While the horses maneuvered in this way, the hundreds of Cuirassiers pulled on the triggers of their two pistols and aimed down the enemy at point-nk range.


    As the hundreds of pistols went off, they quickly cut through what meager defenses the levies were equipped with and shredded the bodies of the men who made contact with the lead balls. Blood-curdling screams filled the air as the blood of the levies sshed upon theirrades. After firing their shots, the cuirassiers quickly stowed away their pistols and unsheathed their heavy cavalry swords as they rerouted their horses into a full-scale charge.


    By now, the enemy ranks, which wasprised of mostly greenhorn levies, were filled with terror and dread as they were pushed forward by the somewhat more veteran forces behind them into the meat grinder. They could not help but think to themselves that the weapons in which Berengar and his army wielded were some form of vile sorcery gained by consorting with the devil''s minions. These were an uneducated and superstitious bunch, and the propaganda the Church put out about Berengar filled their fearful minds as they walked ever closer to the enemy formations.


    When the musketeers finally got within firing range, they formed a proper firing squad with the first column kneeling and the second holding their rifles above the heads of their kneelingrades. The Officers gave the orders to fire, which resulted in over a thousand lead projectiles flying down range and into the bodies of the levies advancing upon them.


    With a single volley, the hostile peasant levies were quickly overwhelmed by Berengar''s technological superiority, many of which had begun to break ranks and flee back to the city. As for the brave souls who remained and continued to fight Berengar''s forces, they were quickly cut down by another volley of fire before even reaching their enemies.


    Unlike previous battles, Berengar did not immediately give chase. Instead, he raised his fists and gave the opposite order.


    "Halt!"


    With that, his forces came to a sudden stop. The levies of Berengar''s forces were thanking god that their lords were wise enough to join forces with Berengar, for if it were them who had marched upon such an army, they too would be lying dead in the snow. After gazing upon the violent remains of the battlefield, Berengar noticed a sea of corpses whose blood had drained out onto the snow below. The grim sight had left those uninitiated among Berengar''s ranks feeling sick to their stomachs.


    After standing in the cold gazing upon the grizzly scene, one of the Lords who had backed Berengar finally snapped out of his daze, the scenes of the battle that had just been waged consumed his sense of reason for quite some time. Now that his mind had returned to him, he asked Berengar about the routing enemies.


    "Should we not pursue them?"


    Berengar merely shook his head and pointed his blood-stained sword at the piles of hundreds of corpses thaty scattered across the frost-covered ground before speaking the thoughts on his mind. A wicked grin was on his face as he revealed the details of his n.


    "They have already paid a great price for rebelling against us; when the survivors return to the city and inform the garrison of what they have witnessed here today, how do you think that will affect the morale of the defenders? When we finallyy siege to this city and unleash the power of our guns upon it, do you think they will still have the will to fight?"


    With that said, the lords who had backed Berengar instantly thought what would have happened to them if they had chosen to stand with Lothar against Berengar, and they shivered at the chilling thought. Surely their cities would be next. Luckily for them, they had chosen to back the right horse.


    Without allowing the lords time to respond to his remarks, Berengar raised his sword in the air andmanded the army behind him.


    "I want a siege camp built before sundown! Forward March!"


    With that, the army that had suffered few casualties in this battle began to march upon the City of Sterzing, where they wouldy siege to it for the next few days. Though Berengar had no way of knowing how his other two armies were faring, he had a feeling that they were in a simr position to him right now. As such, he smiled as he rode on horseback into the vicinity of the City of Sterzing.

 Chapter 129: Establishing Camp at Sterzing

    <h4>Chapter 129: Establishing Camp at Sterzing</h4>


    Berengar sat atop his trusty steed Erwin, the muscr ck destrier gantly trodded at the front of the Army in which Berengar was currently leading. Aside from the thousands of infantry he had at his back, the man also led a few thousand levies raised from the Lords and Regents of the portion of Southern Tyrol in which supported Berengar and his campaign. Beside him were themanders of these mostly levy-based units; they were d in knightly armor in the design fitting for the time period.


    This army was one of three which had begun to march on three critical regions, which acted as the centers of rebellion against Duke Wilmar within the region of Tyrol. Byying siege to these areas, Berengar would effectively bring Southern Tyrol under his control in one fell swoop. As such, Berengar smiled as the men in his army sang along to the marching song Erika from his previous life; it had be one of the favorites of the men in his army.


    The levies and noblemen who were marching aside Berengar and his army were quite confused about the chipper nature of Berengar''s soldiers. The veterans of Berengar''s army knew that thus far casualties had been low among their forces, and now they had a bunch of levies to soak up the enemy''s arrows and bolts. Thus they were in a perfect mood; as for the conscripts who recently joined the army, they were following their seniors'' lead.


    Before long, Berengar''s forces had arrived at the city of Sterzing and once more made camp outside of the enemy''s range of fire but well within their own. Though he only had three cannons in this army, as he had split up the battalion among the three armies, if concentrated on one wall, it would be more than enough to open a gap for his forces to charge through.


    The cannoneers, who at this point were well ustomed toying siege, had quickly set up the guns behind some defensive barriers and began to fire off at the city''s walls. When the thunder of the guns echoed into the evening sky, the many levies became frightened, not knowing how to react to such a thing. Seeing the distraught expressions on the faces of the levies, the veterans and conscripts of Berengar''s army all began tough at the men and the pathetic looks on their faces.


    If these levies looked like they were about to shit bricks, they could only imagine the faces of the enemies currently bombarded with explosive shells. Berengar decided to take a moment toment on the situation.


    "Is there anything more beautiful than the echo of an artillery battery and the smell of gunpowder amid a cold winter''s sunset?"


    He was speaking to his officers and the lords who had gathered to support him. If Eckhard were here at the moment, he would probably sigh and think to himself that Berengar was enjoying himself a little too much in this campaign of his. As for the other officers under Berengar''smand, they all gazed off into the sunset much like Berengar had and took a moment to listen to the thunder of guns and the screams of the bombarded among the beautiful scenery.


    One of his officers spoke up to Berengar and his twisted idea of beauty


    "My Lord... I think you should lie down; you are clearly unwell..."


    Berengar merely chuckled at the man''sments and smiled as he inhaled deeply, enjoying the scene before his eyes. After snapping back to reality after several moments, Berengar gave the officers their orders.


    "Well, what are you all standing around and waiting for? Make sure the camp is properly established, and the sentries are set to schedule!" We don''t want a repeat of what happened in Schwaz, do we?"


    Fearing the bacsh of their Lord and Commander, the officers quickly got to task assembling the siege camp. Under the sunset, thousands of ck and gold tents were quickly set up, with a series of trenches supported by sandbags and barbed wire established around the perimeter. Guard towers were on all sides to keep a watchful eye on the potential arrival of enemies.


    Berengar had failed to use a trench system outside of Schwaz, which was a mistake on his part. By digging a semi-modern trench system around the encampment, he was capable of providing a vastly superior line of defense against oing attackers, which could fully make use of the several hundred rifled muskets in his army and their range advantage.


    As the sun faded away and the moon reced it in the sky above, Berengar decided to take the first watch. Thus he grabbed ahold of a musket, loaded it, and climbed into the trench system where several sentries were keeping watch. Seeing their Lord and Commander jump in the hole with them, these new conscripts were quite shocked. They�� expected Berengar to be in somerge tent, with a fire going and maybe even a woman by his side. Yet here he was, taking up the first watch in the trenches alongside them.


    Berengar gazed into the distance as he looked upon the city''s walls, which were under a near-constant bombardment. It would take a few days for the walls toe down, and when they did, resistance in the South woulde to a swift end as long as the other sieges were also sessful. Though with his tactics, and the enemy''sck of understanding towards them, he did not fear defeat in this war.


    It would be quite sometime before the other European powers would begin fielding firearms en masse. However, his victory in this war would certainly spark the development of such sophisticated weapons. Due to Berengar''s influence on this timeline''s events, the matchlock woulde into existence far earlier than it had in his past life.


    When it did, Berengar would finally be facing some stiffer resistance from his opponents, but for now, the advantages that firearms presented were too great for his enemies to ovee. Military historians would study Berengar''s campaign in Tyrol for generations toe. This war in which Berengar fought would symbolize the end of an era, as soon the entire world realized that the age of knights and chivalry had long passed. The era of steel and shot had just begun!

 Chapter 130: Right of Conquest

    <h4>Chapter 130: Right of Conquest</h4>


    Berengar spent the first shift of the night on watch, protecting the barriers of the camp as a sentry within the trenches. The use of a trench line supported by sandbags and barbed wire was an invention that would normally not exist until thete 19th century. However, with his past life''s memory as abat engineer, Berengar developed such a defensive system with ease.


    Barbed wire had been used extensively in his fields to keep cattle and other domesticated livestock within the boundaries of the grazingnd allotted to them. However, after the ambush on his previous encampment in Schwaz, Berengar quickly learned to utilize trench tactics. When he was resupplying in Innsbruck, he ordered a barbed wire shipment to his army.


    The sappers in his army spent some time constructing suchplex fortifications. Still, in the end, the encampment was so well defended that the likelihood they would suffer significant casualties from an enemy ambush was extremely low. Luckily for them, after seeing the odd defenses of the camp, the enemy did not bother to send a force to test it; it was already terrifying enough to suffer the explosive bombardment of the 12 lb cannons.


    After staying on the watch for the first shift, Berengar returned to his tent and slept until the dawn, where he was among the first of his troops to awaken in the morning. Though he did not have ess to coffee at the moment, he fully intended to establish a trade with the Byzantine empire in exchange for coffee when his territory grew to a significant enough degree that he could trade with Empire to the East with ease.


    As for now, Berengar and his troops primarily relied on their own natural ability to awaken and stay awake. When the morning came, the armies gathered in the trenches, and those with the 1417/18 Rifled Muskets fired off shots at the defenders on the wall with a fair degree ofpetency. Though not every shot imed the defenders'' lives, enough of them hit their mark to permanently scare the garrison of Sterzing to keep their heads down.


    While his troops utilized their advanced weapons to intimidate the enemy forces, Berengar was in discussion with his officers over his ns for the ongoing war effort. Like normal, Berengar drank from a pitcher of light beer as he continued his discussion about the operation to his officers and the Lords inmand of the many units of levies thatprised their ranks.


    "It will take another day or two before the walles down; as such, we will continue to bombard it regrly; when the wall finally crumbles, we will send the levies into the fray while the line infantry will be kept behind and fire upon the defenders on the wall. The Cavalry will stay and protect the encampment until a time arises where the enemy has been pushed back."


    Though the lords who had shown their support to Berengar were perturbed by the fact that their levies would be used to storm the gap, they could not very well decline. As for Berengar''s officers, they were more concerned about the sess of Operation Trident as a whole, and as such, one of them voiced their concerns.


    "What about Eckhard and Arnulf''s armies? How are they faring?"


    Berengar slid the wooden pieces which represented the allied forces into position outside of the city walls of ders and Meran and addressed the Officer''s question.


    "I have recently received notice that Arnulf and Eckhard''s armies have begun toy siege to the rebellious cities. Within a week, the majority of the resistance in the South wille to an end, and we will be able to march on the Prince-Bisophric of Trent, thus ending the rebellion within Tyrol once and for all!"


    The push into Trent would require the unification of his three armies. With his ambitions to conquer the region, Berengar was taking advantage of the rebellion in Tyrol to seize thend in its entirety, even what would be considered Italian regions in the 21st century. Trent was not technically part of the County of Tyrol; they were, in fact, an independent Prince-Bishopric and recognized as Church territory.


    Due to the conflicts between Berengar and the Chruch, Berengar had fully intended to conquer the region and incorporate it into his territory. Especially since the Bishop of Trent had openly dered his support for the Tyrolean rebels, simply out of spite for Berengar. By doing so, the Church had given Berengar an excuse to invade The Prince-Bishopric of Trent and thus unite the entirety of Tyrol under his authority; since Berengar was given this opportunity, he did not intend to waste it.


    His ns to march on Trent did not sit well with the other Lords who considered it an uwful annexation of lesiastical territory. One of the Lords even spoke his mind on the matter, which visibly upset Berengar.


    "You intend to march on an lesiastical principality? Under what grounds do you dare to usurp the territory of the Church?"


    Berengar stared coldly at the old and pious noblemen who had sided with Berengar out of support of Duke Wilmar, despite his religious objections to the heretic known by the church as Berengar the ursed. The look in Berengar''s eyes disyed his murderous intent; rather than justify his actions through the legal jargon, Berengar took a more daring approach.


    "The Church has already dered war upon me! Therefore Trent will be mine by right of conquest! Since I have the might to seize their territory, I will do so, and if the Bishop of Trent has anyints, he can say it directly to my face before I have him ced in front of a firing squad!"


    The fact that the Church had sent the Teutonic Order on a mission to invade Berengar''snds and usurp his authority was already considered a deration of war by the young Viscount''s standards; as such, he did not fear invading their nearbynds and capturing them for himself.


    As for the allied Lords, they could tell by the look in Berengar''s eyes that he was entirely serious about conquering Trent and that he would not be persuaded otherwise. Though they disagreed with his actions, they were far too frightened by the weapons his army possessed. Thus they were intimidated into backing down and following orders; though they secretly prayed that they would not be emunicated for following Berengar''s orders.


    After concluding his thoughts and informing his Officers of how to proceed, Berengar dismissed the men and allowed them to spend their free time as they wished. There was not much to do outside of maintaining order and waiting for the wall to crumble down. Thus Berengar used this time to write to Linde and Ad. Informing him of his progress and that his war would swiftlye to an end.


    As the cannons roared and the muskets echoed throughout the day, Berengar found himself in a tranquil mood, soon enough, the walls woulde crumbling down, and his forces would invade the city. By then, the defenders would either surrender the castle to him in fear of retribution, or a massacre would unfold. Either way, Berengar would be happy with the results. As for Eckhard and Arnulf, their armies were simr inying siege to the enemy while staying in their camps. While the war in Tyrol progressed rapidly, the remainder of the conflicts in the German regions were bogged down in long sieges and bloody field battles.


    Only Berengar and his use of superior technology and tactics could so quickly win a war. As for the rest of Germany, Berengar reckoned it would be years before the conflict was over, and he fully intended to spend a fair portion of his time securing his power and advancing his new territory once he officially conquered Tyrol and established himself as a legitimate Count.

 Chapter 131: Trapped within Vienna

    <h4>Chapter 131: Trapped within Vienna</h4>


    While Berengar and his armies were at war in Southern Tyrol, Count Lothar was surrounded by his enemies. At the moment Lothar and his armies were sandwiched in between Count Otto''s forces who besieged the city, and the Castle''s garrison who valiantly continued to defend the Castle''s walls against Lothar''s onught.


    Worse yet, right before he was trapped within the confines of the city, he was informed that his army that was sent to Kufstein had beenpletely obliterated. Though, he did not know the extent to which Berengar had put down his rebellion within his home territory, for if he did, the man would truly lose all hope of survival.


    As such, Count Lothar was currently surrounded by his vassals who had traveled with him to Vienna, where they were engaged in a discussion about how to move forward. They were not in a good position; Count Otto''s armies though depleted by attrition, still greatly outnumbered his own forces now that they had lost a quarter of their army in Kufstein and had been fighting a siege for over a month.


    As the Noblemen spoke about their situation, blood-curdling screams erupted from the walls, as the defenders continued to die by the dozens defending their position within the city, thus adding a great degree of intimidation to the hearts of the noblemen who had followed their liege seemingly into the gates of hell itself. One such nobleman was addressing the gathering of Lords as he voiced his opinions about their options.


    "It has be increasingly clear that there are only two options, stay within the city and continue toy siege to the Castle while simultaneously protecting the city walls! If we can seed, we can use the Duke''s family as hostages to negotiate Otto''s surrender! The only other option is to sally forth in a desperate attempt to break through the besieging forces and make our way back to Tyrol, where we can hold our ground against the Duke''s forces when he returns from his conquest of Bavaria!"


    After saying this, the gathering erupted into chaos as two factions were formed those who supported staying in Vienna and fighting for what they had worked so hard to achieve, and those who wanted to return to Tyrol and resist Wilmar''s rule as they conserved their strength. Of course, those who wanted to return to Tyrol had no way of knowing that by the time they arrived, it would be in Berengar''s hands, and key cities would be staffed withrge garrisons of men, with their walls armed with cannons.


    Count Lothar was entirely unwilling to give up on Vienna; he knew in his heart that if they fought their way out of this mess and returned to Innsbruck to lick their wounds, they will have lost the war, they might be able to survive for a few years in a desperate struggle against the Duke''s forces, but in the end, they would be brought to ruin. Their families would pay the price for their defiance.


    Eventually, the Count raised his hand to silence his Lords, and only after their arguments hadpletely ceased did he voice his decision.


    "I will not concede defeat! I will not retire to Tyrol and live out the rest of my days fighting a defensive war against the Duke and his Armies! We will take Vienna, or we will die trying! If we abandon our siege, only death and destruction await our households. Tell the men at the city wall to defend it with their lives, as for the siege of the Castle, double our efforts. We must not fail!"


    When Lothar announced his decision, a variety of expressions appeared on the faces of the Vassals loyal to him; some of them were beginning to regret their decision to back his efforts to im the Duchy of Austria for himself. Many of them wondered how Berengar was faring in his reconquest of Tyrol; if he had managed to take Innsbruck during this time, then there was no point to continue this war any further.


    Ultimately every Lord who was present for the siege agreed with Lothar; they would remain trapped in the city until a point where the enemy forces were exhausted, or until they had taken the Castle, where they would then use the Duke''s family as hostages to enforce their demands. It was a risky option, but Lothar was right; if they returned to Tyrol and ended their campaign, ultimately, only death would await them and their families.


    As such, the siege of Vienna continued, with Lothar''s armies trapped between enemy forces, fighting a two-front battle. With the arrival of Otto''s forces, the Castle''s defenders became emboldened, and their copsing morale had been restored to its peak. If they could hold out just a little longer, Lothar''s army would copse, and they would be saved. For now, it was a battle of will to see who''s lines would break first.


    As such, Gautbehrt, the son and heir of Duke Wilmar, gazed from the ramparts above down onto the city below with a smile on his face. Soon enough, this battle woulde to an end, and at the moment, it was heavily in his favor. The young Regent wished he could see the look on Lothar''s face when he realized he was trapped within the city, with no way out.


    Just now, he noticed the increase in the intensity of the siege of his family''s castle and therefore began sliding his visor down to protect his face from the oing missile fire. The young man shook his head as he voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "It appears that Count Lothar has realized he is running out of time!"


    As such, Gautbehrt unsheathed his sword and raised it in the air as he shouted to the defenders with a heroic speech of defense.


    "Men, you have all worked hard this past month to ensure the Castle of your liege, the rightful Duke of Austria, and his family remain unharmed. Over the course of the next few days, Lothar will throw everything he has at us, but we can not allow this Castle to fall! For if the Castle falls, the suffering of the citizens of this city will be in vain! Hold the line! Hold the line as if your very soul depended upon it!"


    With these words spoken, the defenders rallied behind the Commander of their forces. They screamed into the air, allowing all of the anxiety and misery they had endured over thest month to escape from the confines of their hearts. With this speech, a new sense of zealotry was formed among the defenders, which would hopefully allow them to endure through the hardship that would follow and sessfully defend their position until Count Lothar''s forces were broken by Otto''s. With these events, the Siege of Vienna had reached its climax and would soon being to an end; who won the battle was solely determined by the Castle''s garrison and their will to continue defending its mighty stone walls.

 Chapter 132: The Counts Heir Submits

    <h4>Chapter 132: The Count''s Heir Submits</h4>


    While Berengar was engaging in Operation Trident, and Otto wasying siege to Vienna to liberate its poption from Lothar''s tyranny. Linde was resting in Kufstein presiding over Berengar''s reforms. Through the conquest of Schwaz and Innsbruck, she had begun incorporating it into Kufstein''s jurisdiction, and though she did not allow for conscription of the people in the region yet. Infrastructure projects and agricultural overhauls were underway; the sooner she got them under construction, the sooner the profits would show themself.


    The people of Kufstein enjoyed their lives during this time of chaos as they were well insted from the violence and the bloodshed that was appearing across the German world at this time. However, many young men decided to fulfill their patriotic duty and volunteered for military service. Of course, the volunteers were only a small percentage of the troops being raised to not only aid in Berengar''s campaign but ensure the defense and stability of the entirety of Tyrol, which Berengar would soon conquer. As such, thousands of young men were currently undergoing basic training, where they would then enter specialized training in the field they were most suited for.


    After receiving the first batch of conscripts in Innsbruck, Berengar instructed Linde to continue specialized training. With infantry being the main focus, followed by artillery, and then the Cavalry. Berengar currently had an entire Cavalry Battalion under hismand and because the unit had suffered limited casualties during the war; it was more than enough to deter the cavalry forces of any potential army that he woulde across for the time being.


    At the moment, the newest batch of recruits had begun their basic training and were going through basic PT to get them into fighting shape quickly. Pushups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, runs, etc., became a daily exercise for the men who had been forced into service. Basic marches and formations were also drilled into their heads. They also practiced how to operate their weapons efficiently, as a set of drills were created to quickly instill the loading procedure of the muskets into the muscle memory of the men who wielded them.


    As such, the Military bases used to house and train recruits were overflowing with thousands of young men who had just entered the armed forces. Some of them had been here for weeks and would soon ship out to their stations across Tyrol, whether that was in the form of a field army or acting as a garrison.


    As for the Officers, the surviving knights and noblemen of the captured regions were incorporated into Berengar''s army and were effectively trained to fulfill the position of his Officer ss. Seeing as how they went from being Lords and Knights to Officers, there was an initial degree of defiance by the Cadets. Still, when they came to realize how effectively organized Berengar''s semi-modern army was, they quickly changed their tune.


    There was a degree of civility and respect afforded to Officers much like that of a Knight or Noblemen, and as such, they quickly found themselves at home within the Officer ss. Granted, it was a meritocratic force, and they would not be afforded the position due to their birth; they would still have to graduate from the so-called "Military Academy" and climbed through the ranks through a disy ofpetency. Yet, at the moment, there were few if anymoners among the Officer ss, so for the time being it had essentially been turned into a position held by the nobility within Berengar''s military hierarchy. After all, fewmoners were educated enough to lead soldiers into battle properly.


    While the conscripts continued their training, Linde was reading the news she had received from Ad about their fathers'' battle in Vienna. The likelihood of her father surviving the siege was slim, but there was a chance the weasel could escape and return to Innsbruck. While she was reading the letter in Berengar''s office, the door opened to reveal her brother Liutbert who she had not seen since the awkward family reunion they had a few days prior. After appearing in her office, Liutbert noticed the look on his little Sister''s face and began to question what she was reading.


    "Is the letter important?"


    After realizing that she had been smiling wickedly, Linde ced down the letter for Liutbert to read.


    "Father is trapped in Vienna, and Berengar has begun toy siege to the key centers of resistance within Southern Tyrol. It is only a matter of time Before Father loses the war; I suggest you find out where your loyalties lie before it is over. After all, Berengar is ruthless when ites to dealing with his enemies..."


    Seeing the letters Linde had provided Liutbert, which contained great intelligence about the ongoing war efforts, Liutbert could notprehend why Linde would allow him to see such valuable information and voiced his concerns aloud.


    "Why did you allow me to read this?"


    Linde merelyughed lightly at his question and rested her beautiful face onto the palm of her hand while stared at Liutbert with a gaze filled with familial affection.


    "Because you are my brother Liutbert, and I do not want to see you end up like father. So I am giving you the option to make an informed choice. Either bend the knee to Berengar and recognize him as the Count of Tyrol by Right of Conquest. Or support Father, and side with his failing rebellion, though if you publically voice your support for father, when he finally loses, you will be sure to suffer as a traitor. "


    Thus an important decision was thrust upon Liutbert; he could either show his loyalty to his father, condemn Berengar as a heretic and traitor, and reject his ims to the County of Tyrol, which by the looks of it will not end well for him. Or he could submit to Berengar''s authority and throw away his family''s position as Counts. Before he made his choice, Liutbert had one final question to ask Linde about her lover''s ns for the future.


    "If I do as you ask, what bes the position of our family?"


    Linde stretched her back into the soft leather chair and grinned with afortable smile as she informed Liutbert of Berengar''s decision.


    "We will obviously lose status as Counts for a while, but Berengar''s ambitions don''t lie at simply being a count, nor does he wish to be a Duke as our father desires. When Berengar finally unites the German Speaking regions into a single cohesive Empire, he will need talented and loyal men to fill the positions in his government. At the moment, his political reforms are in a stage of infancy, but I will let you in on a little secret. It will not matter which noble title you have in theing years, at least not as much as it does now. By gaining the favor of the future Emperor and proving yourself as apetent and loyal subject, that is how you will gain political and economic power in the future."


    When Liutbert heard the height of Berengar''s ambitions from his sister''s mouth, he could hardly believe it. Still, he could hardly consider himself a skeptic when thinking about how quickly Tyrol has fallen into Berengar''s hands. If the man could seize Tyrol with an army in the thousands, what could he do with an army in the tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands? So long as Berengar managed to keep himself alive and in power, he could aplish his vision.


    Thinking about the position he stood and that of his family, excluding their rebellious father, Liutbert sighed heavily and nodded his head as he decided the important crossroads he had found himself in.


    "Alright, I will support Berengar in any way you need me to. From the intelligence you have shown to me, Father is doomed to fail in his war, and Tyrol will soon fall into Berengar''s hands. It will be doubtful for the Duke to trust the governance of Tyrol to our family after Father''s actions, so I hereby submit to Berengar''s authority..."


    Linde smiled devilishly as she heard her brother relent, and she rose from her seat to pat the young man on his back.


    "You have chosen well, brother."


    with this, Berengar''s ascension to Count of Tyrol could no longer be argued if the heir to Lothar was willing to relinquish his im in favor of Berengar. Unknowingly Berengar had gained a valuable ally in his future wars; after all, Liutbert was a wise and intelligent young man. One who would prove instrumental to Berengar''s future gains.

 Chapter 133: Storming the Gap

    <h4>Chapter 133: Storming the Gap</h4>


    It waste into the fourth morning of the siege of Sterzing when the wall finally came crumbling down to the ground, yet unlike previous sieges where the musketeers would rush into the fray and open fire on the enemy before running them down with their bays in a great melee. The rifled musketeers fired their shots from the safety of the trenches, continuing to engage the defending archers who stood on the ramparts. As for the force that rushed the now giant gap in the wall, it was the levies. Poorly trained and equipped but fearful of the musketeers behind their ranks, the levies boldly charged the enemy garrison under the protective fire of the rifled musketeers from afar. As for the many more smoothbore musketeers, they continued to hold their position until it was time for them to advance.


    Bodies fell from the ramparts as the archers revealed themselves to fire upon those who prated the now giant hole within the wall. Spears were thrust into the torsos of the levies from both sides. It was a levy vs. levy fight at the moment, as very few men at arms were left behind in Tyrol. Blood spilled across the floor, and bodies soon filled up the gap. Without using firearms to break the line of defense, it quickly turned into a stalemate as the enemy defenders plugged the hole funneling the levies in a few at a time.


    When Berengar saw the stalemate begin to transpire, he raised a small g and waved it, signaling the levies to pull back and the smoothbore musketeers to advance. The rifled musketeers fired from their defensive positions while the cannons bombarded the ramparts allowing the smoothbore musketeers to advance with sufficient covering fire. Eventually, the allied levies that supported Berengar''s forces had withdrawn, allowing the musketeers to form a firing squad in the gap and rain a volley down upon the forces defending the hole. After the volley gunned down the front row of defenders, The grenadiers advanced and lobbed their grenades into the gap between the walls.


    The explosion of several dozen grenades filled the gap where the explosive st and the shrapnel tore the defenders to pieces. Afterward, the Grenadiers and Line infantry pulled back, allowing the levies to once more charge the now concussed and injured defenders. This time Berengar sat back in the camp and enjoyed the show; while the battle continued to wage on, Berengar spoke to the Lords next to him who had brought the levies.


    "Your levies have provided more support than you realize; they are dealing quite a degree of damage to the enemy forces."


    The Lords merely scoffed at Berengar''s remark; he was obviously using the levies to wear the enemy down and save the lives of his own men. Of course, any general worth their salt would use such a tactic; after all, it cost a great sum to arm, train, and supply Berengar''s forces. He would preserve their lives as best as possible, and until now, Berengar still considered the levies as allied forces, not belonging to his own authority; as such, he did not care for their lives like he did that of his own men.


    The course of the battle continued in such a manner for quite some time. Every time the battle reached a stalemate, the grenadiers and line infantry would break it, allowing the allied levies to continue their advance. Unlike previous sieges where he had three entrances to divert the enemies attention to, allowing him to advance into the city rapidly, he now had to fight several thousand defenders in one single gap as such; the battle waged well into the night before Berengar pulled back his forces to the siege camp.


    Under the continuous bombardment of Berengar''s artillery, the battle for the city had reached a stalemate. In total, over a thousand men had perished this day, but for Berengar, even his allied levies suffered significantly fewer casualties than the enemy; after all, they were protected by covering fire and gained significant ground against the enemy forces who filled the gap between the walls. Berengar''s goal was to repeat this tactic the following day; if the city''s defenders still had the will to fight, that was.


    Berengar, of course, was suspecting the city''s garrison to surrender; the levies who were raised to fight against Berengar had suffered significant casualties both in the field battle before and throughout the duration of the siege. Unless they all wished to die fighting, there would be some form of defection that would transpire this night.


    As Berengar had guessed, several hundred defenders opened the gates to the city and raised the white g after a couple of hours. Under cover of darkness, Berengar''s troops were ordered to march into the city and restrain the defenders. Though this action had been done without the knowledge of the local lord, ultimately, the defenders felt the price to pay to secure their Lord''s power was too great. Thus Berengar was weed in by the defenders who threw their weapons away and saluted him and his army with respect reserved for Conquering Heroes. While the Lord slept in ignorance throughout the night in his Castle, the city was swiftly secured by Berengar and his army.


    The surrendered levies were treated as prisoners of war and were afforded proper lodgings and humane treatment by Berengar''s army, which thoroughly surprised the Lords beneath hismand. One of them decided to inquire about Berengar''s behavior as they rode upon their horse''s backs throughout the city, which was being secured by their troops.


    "Why are you treating the defenders with such dignity?"


    Berengar looked ahead into the darkness of the city and saw that the enemy forces were being tied up and lead to containment; now that they had surrendered, he would make sure no harm befell them. With a smile on his face, he replied to the Lord''s inquiry.


    "They have surrendered and voluntarily disarmed themselves; they pose no threat and clearly no hostile intentions. As long as they do not pose a danger to myself or my troops, I will treat them with the dignity that soldiers should be afforded. After all, their bravery in the face of overwhelming odds should bemended, for theysted far longer against my forces than I had initially estimated. Only a savage would cut down a defenseless man!"


    Berengar may be willing to give no quarter to enemies who had begun to flee in the face of his overwhelming might. Still, to a force who had properly surrendered and thrown themself at his mercy, only their leaders would pay the price for rising against him. The average soldier who was following orders could not be med for the actions of his superiors. This was how a civilized man conducted himself in the art of war.


    After saying his piece the Lords who allied themselves with Berengar began to see him in a new light, he was not as ruthless of a conqueror as they had initially thought. Instead, he had some insights into warfare that could change the way in which such a thing was conducted within the civilized world. To the feudal Lords of a barbaric era, this idea of treating the disarmedbatants of the enemy with dignity was a new and bold concept, one which Berengar and his forces would be renowned for as he waged his many wars of conquest.

 Chapter 134: Victory in Meran

    <h4>Chapter 134: Victory in Meran</h4>


    Eckhard stood in the middle of the siege camp in which he had prepared outside the city of Meran. He was currently wearing his ckened munition''s half-te armor with brass trim, over his winter clothing. A German-style burg was adorned atop his head, protecting his skull from potential harm. The three ridges that formed at the top of the helmet were trimmed with brass, as were the edges of the helmet.


    The veteran Knight, who now acted as Berengar''s Field Marshal scowled as he watched the ongoing siege of Meran. Due to an increase in distance whenpared to Sterzing it took him an extra day to arrive at his target with his army. Unlike Berengar, he did not engage in a field battle before setting up the siege, as such his army was well rested for the campaign to take the South.


    While Berengar had developed a taste for the gruesome nature of warfare, Eckhard was quite honestly tired of it. He had seen too much death in his life, and the fertile fields of a hundred battlefields being turned into a barren wastnd scorched by the fires of war, and the blood of battle were etched into his permanent memory. However, as a Knight whose only skills were in the art of war, he had no other option in life but to fight until the day of his death.


    Hearing the blood-curdling screams of the enemy defenders who were gunned down by the rifled musketeers in his army, many of which had be talented marksmen by this point in the campaign, he could not help but sigh and shake his head as he mumbled his inner thoughts under his breath.


    "So much unnecessary death. They should just surrender, their defeat is inevitable..."


    Despite the grizzled veteran''s views of the conflict, the enemy persisted with all of their being in defending against the technologically advanced forces of Eckhard''s army. Much Like Berengar, the army in which he had been tasked withmanding was filled with a mix of veterans, conscripts, and levies. Many of the surviving veterans in this conflict would go on to be NCOs, and even Officers within Berengar''s future Imperial Army, but for now they merely hunkered down in the trenches and fired upon the enemy from a distance which was out of reach from the longbows, and crossbows of the feudal garrison in which they were facing off against.


    It was after making this observation that the wall finally came crumbling down, after a few days ofying siege to Meran, victory was within his grasp, Eckhard began to wonder if Berengar and Arnolf had already conquered their cities. Nevertheless, now was not the time for that, as such Eckhard grabbed ahold of his loaded musket and ordered his troops to prepare to storm the gap. Eckhard took a different approach to the battle than Berengar did, he bombarded the gaps within the wall with explosive shells, making sure to deal massive damage to whatever men were foolish enough to stay near the gap.


    After bombarding the location for some time, the enemy was afraid to protect it, as such, they had managed to stay quite a distance away from the area, when Eckhard finally called for the bombardment to stop, the gap was rushed by the nearby musketeers and levies who ran into the city and began their ughter. No matter how mighty of defense was initially nned, under the fire of muskets, whose nks were covered by the levies the city quickly fell into the hands of Eckhard.


    As one of Berengar''s Generals, Eckhard had made sure to enforce Berengar''s rules about the treatment of civilians and POWs, any man who willingly surrendered to Eckhard and his army was treated with a degree of dignity, and under the watchful gaze of Eckhard''s forces who had Berengar''s rules of war drilled into their heads, the levies were prevented from acting out and causing a scene. After all of the enemies were rounded up as prisoners of war, and the civilians were ounted for Eckhard gave the order to begin the bombardment of the Castle.


    Unfortunately for Eckhard the enemy Regent was stubborn and refused to surrender, as such the bombardment continued for several days more before the walls came crumbling down. Wanting to end the battle as quickly as possible Eckhard ordered his grenadiers into position to open fire on the enemy forces before lobbing their grenades into the gap. Amon tactic utilized by grenadiers, after causing significant death and destruction to the enemy defense, a great melee had broken out as levies, conscripts and veterans shed with the enemy garrison. The castle was protected by the elites left behind in Meran andprised of heavily armored troops resembling men at arms.


    Eckhard stayed in the back of the army and watched as his forces slowly captured the courtyard before bashing down the Castle''s doors with a battering ram, where they marched inside with their muskets loaded, bays affixed, and spears in hand. What followed was a ughter of every man who resisted until finally, they entered the Grand Hall where the regent was standing firmly in defiance of Eckhard''s army.


    When Eckhard forced his way to the front and saw the proud Regent he could not help but sigh in his heart. This man was clearly willing to die rather than admit defeat. The Regent noticing the respect given to Eckhard realized the possibility that he was themander of this army, as such he asked in confusion as to the location of Berengar.


    "You are much too old to be Berengar the ursed, who are you? and where is the Heretic whoys siege to mynds?


    Eckhard noticed the usage of the phrase "mynds" despite being a mere Regent which suggested the man undoubtedly had an overinted sense of pride. As such he sighed and introduced his rank and name to the Regent who acted in power as the Lord of this region was off in Vienna fighting Lothar''s war.


    "I am Field Marshal Eckhard von Hallstatt, Berengar''s leading General, he has tasked me withying siege to this city and as such, I have full authority to ept your surrender!"


    With the massive growth of Berengar''s armies, he had begun to implement a proper rank system in his army, which was equivalent to a modern military''s, unlike America in Berengar''s past life, he used the rank Field Marshal to give to Eckhard as the highest-ranking General of all of his armies.


    The stubborn Lord looked at Eckhard as if he was joking, and once more inquired about Berengar''s whereabouts.


    "Where exactly is Berengar if he is notying siege to my grand city?"


    Eckhard once more noticed the usage of the term "my" when referring to the city, and if it was not obvious before, it became apparent now to everyone in the room that this Regent was not only stubborn but incredibly arrogant, thinking that the leader of the Loyalist forces in Tyrol woulde to Meran himself, as such Eckhard grinned and informed the man of his true value.


    "Berengar is currentlyying siege to Sterzing and has asked me to take Meran in his absence. Now that the City belongs to us, and the Castle has been secured I highly suggest you surrender, if not I will imprison you by force."


    At this point it did not matter if the regent surrendered or not, the city was Eckhard''s and by extension Berengar''s, the Regent''s willingness to ept defeat was irrelevant. Yet shockingly without an army to protect him, or the will of the people to stand up for him, the Regent still refused to admit that he had lost, and instead chastised Eckhard.


    "I will never surrender this City so long as I draw breath, when Lothar and my liege return they will drive you into the depths of hell, and I will be greatly rewarded for my loyalty!"


    Seeing the stubbornness of this Regent had turned into stupidity at this point Eckhard merely sighed and gave his troops an order.


    "Arrest this man, and put him in solitary confinement. I do not want him influencing the prisoners to rebel against our rule here!"


    With that said the soldiers pounded their chests in a salute and obeyed hismands.


    "Yes sir!"


    After saying that they quickly locked up the man in chains, despite his best attempts to struggle, and dragged him off to the dungeon kicking and screaming.


    "I can not wait to see how Duke Lothar ughters you traitors like pigs! You will all be damned to the afterlife for following that heretic into hell!"


    With those words said the troops did not react in the slightest, as far as they were concerned Berengar was a man who had proven himself time and again worth following, no matter what the Church might say, he was a righteous man, who had practically be a Warrior Saint in their eyes. Of course, they had no way of knowing that in the distant future after Berengar''s passing there would be an enormous debate among the leaders of the Church of Germany as to whether or not Berengar should be canonized as a Warrior Saint.


    With the Regent locked away, and the city''s defenders defeated the battle for Meran had resulted in a victory for Eckhard, the first of many that woulde from the first Field Marshal of Berengar''s armies.

 Chapter 135: Successful Operation and a New Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 135: Sessful Operation and a New Invasion</h4>


    At the moment, Berengar was standing in the middle of the Grand Hall of Sterzing; after a well-fought siege, the enemy had conceded and was kneeling before him. With the copse in the defenses of the city the night prior, it did not take long for the cowardly Regent within to surrender the Castle and the City to Berengar, a few bombardments on the castle''s walls, and he quickly flew the white g, scurrying for Berengar''s favor.


    With Sterzing and Meran won, all that remained in operation Trident was the fall of ders, and news of victory in that area would soon follow. As such Berengar was smiling at the defeated Regent, which happened to be one of the Brothers of the Baron who ruled over this area. Though the man was trusted with the region''s defense by his elder brother, he had utterly failed in that regard.


    The resistance in the South hade crashing down around the might of Berengar''s army, and few ces still harbored ill sentiments towards Berengar''s campaign, at least openly that is. At the moment, Berengar was speaking with the Regent, who was kneeling before him like a loyal subject.


    "I will not punish you for your brother''s defiance. Since you have surrendered willingly, you will be afforded the same respect I treat all of my prisoners of war. However, Sterzing is under my authority until the rule ofw is restored within Tyrol. "


    The Regent was sweating buckets as he kneeled before Berengar, not willing to look into the young man''s ferocious gaze. He had never seen a siege ended so quickly before, nor had he witnessed such destruction. The rapid speed in which Berengar seized control of Sterzing was unprecedented, well, unless you count his other conquests. Truly the tactics of European warfare would change when the feudal lords of the continent eventually came to know the effectiveness of his weapons.


    As such, the man kept his head bent low as he thanked Berengar for his mercy


    "My Lord, I thank you on behalf of myself and my family for sparing my life!"


    The church had taken advantage of Berengar''s conquest to spread rumors about alleged wicked acts of his army and himself. Despite conducting themselves with a degree of civility notmonly found in this medieval age, his army was branded as demon worshiping murderers, rapists, and cannibals by the Church. As such, the fear in the Regent''s eyes was understandable, he was clearly a fool who believed everything the Church told him, and Berengar had no use for such fools in his County.


    That''s right, his County, as far as Berengar was concerned, there was only one way for this war to end up, with him being rewarded with the title of County of Tyrol. Though at the moment he was unaware of Liutbert''s decision to aid him in this regard, Berengar was still confident he would get what he wanted. Thus he looked at the Regent in front of him with disgust as the man was led away to his imprisonment.


    Afterward, Berengar sat down on the seat of power in Sterzing and gave his orders.


    "Prepare to rest here, and leave a garrison of 500 men, we will prepare our forces for a push into the Prince-Bishopric of Trent when we have mustered our strength. For now, enjoy yourselves, but make sure to follow the rules I have set forth; if I find anyone who dares to ****, raid, murder, cause unnecessary harm to the civilians, and prisoners I will have them ced before a firing squad do I make myself clear?"


    With that said the voices of the soldiers under Berengar''smand who had gathered in the Great Hall of Sterzing voiced their support in unison.


    "Yes, my Lord!"


    Afterward, his forces departed, and Berengar was given a reprieve from the endless violence and bloodshed that had been going on since the beginning of his war. He initially nned to march on the Prince-Bishopric of Trent in another month; this would give him time to gather troops, and solidify his position. With many armed garrisons stationed throughout Tyrol enforcing his will upon the local Lords.


    After all, for the many changes he had nned to the structure of society, the rebellion was inevitable, and he wanted his troops in ce to counteract any revolution that might arise from the noblemen who were disgruntled by his changes to their feudal powers. Thus he intended to begin the constructions of small star forts in the conquered regions and house them with garrisons of local men until the day where he incorporated the entirety of Tyrol into his political, economic, industrial, and agricultural reforms.


    After a few days of rest, a messenger came to Berengar and handed him a series of letters, which different people wrote, but each contained important information for his war efforts. The first came from Linde which imed to have convinced her older brother Liutpert to support him in his bid for the title of Count of Tyrol; in fact, the man openly denounced his father and his actions during Berengar''s siege of Sterzing.


    The next two letters were from Arnulf and Eckhard, informing Berengar that they had seized control of their targets and that Operation Trident had be an enormous sess. Berengar now held the key centers of resistance to his authority in Southern Tyrol; with it, the remaining Rebel regions would fall into Berengar''s hands in weeks.


    The next letter was the most important report he had received, and it was written by Ad, informing him that Lothar was surrounded in Vienna, with no way out, and the siege her father was engaging in to remove the traitor Lothar was going quite well. It would not be long until Lothar was captured by Duke Wilmar''s forces and was executed. When Berengar read this news, he realized he would have to push forward his timetables. If he could not capture Trent by the time Lothar''s rebellion ended, then the Duke would surely not allow him to invade Trent without a proper justification openly.


    At the moment, that justification was the fact that the Prince-Bishop of Trent had openly dered support for Lothar''s rebellion and had even supplied them. Realizing that Berengar no longer had the luxury to wait for reinforcements, he quickly wrote a pair of letters and sent them with a messenger off to Arnulf and Eckhard. The letters contained their further orders; Arnulf and Eckhard would leave garrisons behind and march on the regions that wouldter be known as Riva and Pergine Valsugana. As for Berengar and his forces, they would march on the city of Trent. They simply did not have the time to wait for reinforcements.


    After sending the letters, Bernegar quickly gathered his officers, where they were confused by the unscheduled meeting but were eager to listen to Berengar''smand. As such, Berengar cut to the chase and informed his troops of his monumental decision.


    "The traitor Lothar is about to fall to Count Otto''s forces. It is a matter of weeks at this point..."


    With this said, the room resounded in apuse, this meant that soon enough, the war would be over, and they could return home. However, Berengar shocked them by raising his hand and having them hold their apuse; he pointed in the direction of the map in front of them, whichnded directly on the Prince-Bishopric of Trent. Berengar had a fierce and determined gaze in his eyes as he gave his decree.


    "Because of this, we will have to act quickly if we wish to end the Rebellion in its entirety; as you all know, the Prince-Bishop of Trent has been supplying our enemies. If we do not invade them now, we will allow the authorities in Trent to get away with the blood on their hands. As such, I hereby dere that tomorrow morning, our forces aside from a small garrison of 250 men, designed to maintain order in the region, will march upon Trent, where we will capture the region within the next few weeks and incorporate it into the County of Tyrol!"


    The Officers were shocked at first by this news; however, when thinking of the potential rewards they could gain by seizing Trent, their eyes glistened with greed. With the new territory under his control, Berengar would need to appoint noblemen of higher regard to run it for him. Since positions in his political and military structure were basedrgely upon merit, the more capable one proved themselves as a leader in the uing conflict, the better their chances to be a Baron or a Viscount.


    Thus the passion for this invasion was far greater than that of the conquest of Tyrol, and every man desired to do their part to gain a prestigious position and untold wealth from the annexation of Trent. As for Berengar, he was excited by the fact that he could finally deal a great blow to the Church, who he had already made his enemies. If they think the Teutonic Order will be enough to wipe him out in a few months, they were sadly mistaken. With his orders being given, the Officers quickly ryed them to their troops, and Berengar took a sip of wine as he gazed at the map of this world. Further strengthening the resolve he had to be an unrivaled Emperor, the conquest of Tyrol and Trent was only the beginning!

 Chapter 136: You Really Know how to Force my Hand

    <h4>Chapter 136: You Really Know how to Force my Hand</h4>


    While Berengar had begun to march his armies into the Prince-Bishopric of Trent, Duke Wilmar was engaged with the enemy Bavarians at Munich, his siege wassting longer than he had anticipated, but it was going smooth enough. The main Bavarian armies were up in the north fighting against the regions under von Luxembourg''s influence. For Eastern Germany, they were fighting among themselves for petty reasons. There was not a single region of Germany that was not embroiled in some form of warfare at the moment; only small towns could escape the wrath of passing armies if they were lucky; most weren''t.


    Duke Wilmar was reading a report about Berengar''s recent activities. In under two months, he had subjugated the Northern and Southern regions of Tyrol and had marched on Trent with the intent of annexing the territory through the right of conquest. Berengar''s actions greatly enraged the Church, who had demanded Duke Wilmar do something about his lowly vassal. The truth was, at the moment, Berengar was not directly a Vassal of Duke Wilmar but Count Lothar. By supporting Duke Wilmar in his war against Lothar, Berengar was technically breaking his responsibilities as a vassal to Lothar and was actually acting in treason against his direct liege.


    At the moment, Duke Wilmar was very pleased with Berengar''s actions; despite being a lowly Viscount, the young man had somehow gathered enough forces to rapidly retake Tyrol from the defending Garrisons and the Lords and Regents who ruled over the area. However, what shocked him the most was that Lothar''s son and heir, Liutbert, openly denounced his father and sided in support of Berengar, swearing loyalty to the man that was his family''s vassal. By swearing his loyalty to Berengar, Liutbert had essentially given up on his im for Tyrol, which put Duke Wilmar in a difficult position.


    The Duke of Austria grinned as he chuckled andmented to himself


    "You really know how to force my hand, do you not, Berengar?"


    Honestly, Duke Wilmar was impressed by Berengar''s capabilities and wanted the man on his side, especially with the efficiency in which he engaged in warfare; Despite the fact that he did not know Berengar''s secret to swift victory; he still desired the man to be his Marshal. However, since Berengar was someone else''s vassal, he could not do so; as such, Duke Wilmar was convinced that making Berengar Count of Tyrol was in his best interest at the moment and had thuse to a conclusion.


    He would even allow Berengar to keep Trent and incorporate it into his domain. Surely that would be enough to satisfy the ambitions of a man who was born a lowly Baron''s son. Of course, if Wilmar knew what Berengar intended to do over the uing years, he would have refused to give Berengar any greater authority. However, there was no magic in this world; if the gods of mankind existed, they surely did not show their presence. As such, there was no way to urately predict the future or understand the exact thoughts in someone''s head.


    Beside Wilmar was one of his Commanders, the Count of Salzburg; his name was Walfried von Salzburg, who was shocked by the statement the Duke had made, as such, he quickly questioned his leige on what he meant.


    "Apologizes for my liege, but how exactly has Berengar forced your hand?"


    Normally a Count like Walfried would not be familiar with some lowly Viscount from another County. Still, he had heard many things about Berengar, the young man who was quite famous in Austria and several nearby German regions like Bavaria. When Walfried received the Duke''s reply the Count could not help but look at Berengar with even higher praise.


    "Berengar has seized nearly all of Tyrol and has currently marched on the Prince-Bishopric of Trent in an attempt to annex it from the Church."


    This was shocking news; after all, it had been less than two months since Berengar first took up arms against Count Lothar, and during that entire time the Duke''s army had been stuckying siege to Munich, he began to wonder just how did the young Viscount manage to capture such a vast swath of territory so rapidly? Count Walfried could hardly believe his ears and, as such, had to verify the information.


    "What did you say?"


    Duke Wilmar red at Walfried in response to his questioning tone and made what he had previously said clear.


    "You heard me..."


    Wilfried did not know how to react to such information; immediately, his mind thought the Duke was reading misinformation, and as such, he asked about its authenticity.


    "Has this intelligence been verified?"


    To Walfried''s surprise, Duke Wilmar smiled and nodded; neither of them knew how exactly Berengar had managed to seize Tyrol so quickly, but they knew that it was an extraordinary feat; as such, they could not help but praise the young Viscount in their hearts. The only question that remained in Walfried''s mind was what they should do with such a talentedmander.


    "What will you do with him if he is victorious in Trent?"


    Duke Wilmar continued to smile as he announced his ns to his trusted friend.


    "I intend to make him Count of Tyrol and allow his annexation to take ce."


    At first, this news greatly shocked Walfried. However, he understood Wilmar''s intentions; Berengar was talented in not just military matters but economic and industrial ones as well. If they could gain his favor and put him to work for the good of the realm, Austria would soar to new heights never before seen in this world. Unfortunately, the two scheming noblemen had made one minor miscalction, and that was the fact that Berengar''s ambitions did not stop at being a Count. Thus he would never be content putting his innovations to use for another sovereign.


    However, these men had no way of knowing the depth of Berengar''s goals nor the height of his pride. When the time finally came, Berengar would refuse to serve on Wilmar''s council and instead develop Tyrol into a booming industry and agricultural district. While the war for Germany waged on, Berengar would elect to protect his newnds and cultivate them, allowing the chaos that the conflict caused to spread to every corner of Germany, every corner but his own. Only when things were at their worst would he have the ability to rise from the ashes of the old world and present a new alternative.


    As such, they continued to scheme as to how they would get into Berengar''s good graces, and by doing so, they yed directly into the young Viscount''s hands. For Berengar would never ept the yoke of servitude beneath another being, his pride as a man would never allow it.

 Chapter 137: Invasion of Trent

    <h4>Chapter 137: Invasion of Trent</h4>


    The Invasion of Trent was swift and sudden; the three-prong assault on Trent, Riva, and Pergine Valsugana caught the Prince-Bishoppletely off guard. Berengar gave no warning when he invaded Trent; as far as he was concerned, he was already at war with the region when they decided to supply his enemies. Due to theck of notice, the Prince Bishop did not have time to raise an army in defense, not even the ability to form levies.


    As such, he was currently surrounded in the City of Trent by Berengar''s armies; as for the other key areas of assault, they could hardly even be considered cities; if anything, they were towns with a single castle. Both Eckhard and Arnulf would be able to take their regions and march on the final area with a significant poption before Beregnar had evenpleted his siege of Trent.


    This was a lightning war fought with limited time. Berengar had to capture the key regions before Lothar was defeated in Vienna. As such, he had ordered a constant bombardment of the enemy fortifications. While a siege camp was constructed, it was rushed into production, as Berengar did not fear the Bishops armies, who were all hiding cowardly behind therge city walls. It was not as if it mattered though, Berengar concentrated the artillery bombardments on a specific section of the wall and felt he could bring it down very quickly.


    As usual, Berengar''s forces had fired their muskets upon the defenders on the ramparts; those who survived the initial attack began to realize that by looking over the merlons, they were asking for death. As such, the entirety of the bombardment was rather peaceful, with only a few shots being taken every so often whenever a defender was foolish enough to stick his head out from under the protective cover.


    ...


    The Prince-Bishop of Trent was livid, his territory was under siege from Berengar the ursed and his demonic hordes; he waspletely and utterly trapped within the confines of his territory. The Bishop''s name was Ludger, and he could not think of a worse fate than being trapped inside his city walls waiting for Berengar to bring the wrath of Satan upon him. Obviously, he was not one of the Bishops within the Catholic Church who supported Berengar''s ideals and had used much of his power and authority to demonize the young Viscount publically.


    Ludger was in the middle of screaming at his Garrison''smander, who was heavily armored in the equipment a proper man at arms would have from the era.


    "What do you mean the men on the ramparts do not have the ability to return fire? Just what kind of weapons is the enemy using?"


    Themander of the garrison was utterly frightened; he had seen too many of his men gunned down by the thunderous weapons in which the enemy forces wielded. Though he recognized the possibility of the arms being used as hand cannons, he could not believe the range they were capable of. It was beyond imagination to suggest such a weapon was capable of engaging targets at over 400 yards.


    "I believe they are hand cannons, but your Lordship, I do not understand how these weapons are capable of such range; they have a greater range of effect than even our steel crossbows!"


    The Prince-Bishop of Trent could only gnash his teeth in rage as he continued to hear the echoing thunder of the 12 lb cannons wreaking havoc upon his walls. Fearing the worst, he asked the question on his mind.


    "What about the walls? Will they withstand the fire of the cannons?"


    The garrisonmander shook his head with a worrisome expression on his face when he told the truth.


    "They will at mostst another day, your Lordship please, let me get you out of the city, you can take refuge in the Vatican until a force can be mustered to take back yournd!"


    Ludger was outraged at the idea of fleeing hisnds and leaving it in control of Berengar the ursed, but his garrisonmander was right; if he stayed here, the Heretic might have him executed as a disy of force against the Church. Ludgerpletely refused to die at themand of Berengar, and he also needed to supply the Vatican with intel he had gathered about Berengar''s weapons. Whether they believed him or not, the hand cannons in Berengar''s hands were far more effective than anything else seen at the time and were a great threat to any army of the era.


    As such, Ludger sighed heavily before epting the Commander''s suggestion


    "Fine... We will do it your way; make sure you and your men buy me some time!"


    With those words spoken, the Garrisonmander nodded his head and saluted to the Prince-Bishop.


    "We will die defending this holynd from the heathens at our gates!"


    With that said, a n was put into ce for the Pince Bishop of Trent to abscond into the night and flee towards the Vatican. Hopefully, Berengar''s forces would be unable to capture him.


    ...


    Night fell, and Berengar''s bombardment continued into the night; to provide a distraction for the Prince-Bishop''s escape, the enemy defenders sallied out of the sally port and rushed into Berengar''s trench line. Ultimately the enemy was spotted before they were even 250 yards away from the camp; as such, Berengar and his men awoke from the sound of the watchtower''s bell and rushed into their equipment. This time they would not be foolish enough to leave their armor behind; as such, it took them a few minutes to get fully equipped.


    During this time, the muskets from the sentries within the trenches had been going off echoing into the night as the minie ball and musket ball projectiles shredded the oing attackers. Though the trenches had been rushed, there was still barbed wire in ce and earthen fortifications designed to protect the soldiers within the trenches.


    By the time Berengar arrived at the scene, a pile of corpses stacked atop the trenches adding a secondary barrier for the defenders to get through, the zealotry in which they had attacked the defensive trench line was something Berengar had not witnessed in quite some time. Truly religion was a powerful force that couldpel men to disregard their lives, but Berengar did not know why they decided to act this way. Berengar disregarded the thought as he rushed into the trenches with a musket that had its bay affixed in hand and aimed the weapon at the oing attackers.


    After getting a target in sight, he squeezed the trigger of the firearm, causing the hammer which contained the flint to fall onto the pan below and spark, thus igniting the ck powder contained within the pan, which propelled the minie ball down range and into the chest of a man at arms no more than 10 feet in front of him. The bullet-like projectile easily pierced through the man''s coat of tes creating a massive hole in his chest where his heart used to lie intact. Not allowing time for the soldiers to rush forward, Berngar quickly reloaded his musket alongside his soldiers as fast as he could.


    The enemy soldiers rushed into the Trench line but were caught in barbed wire, which tangled around their armor and caught them in ce long enough for the defenders to reload and fire into the ensnared enemy forces. Blood sttered across the trench line as limbs were torn apart by the impact, and gaping holes filled the enemy''s abdomens and chests. Eventually, enough bodies piled up over the barbed wire allowing the enemy to get into the trench line where Berengar and his forces began to fight within the trenches with swords, bays, spears, and clubs.


    The trench warfare became a chaotic field as soldiers from Berengar''s army shed with the men at arms, using every method they could think of to defeat their enemy. However, as time went on, it became increasingly apparent that the enemy forces were outnumbered and out-armed. The enemy forces suffered heavy casualties, as the bays of Berengar''s army were the perfect size and length to pierce through the gaps in the enemy armor. Seeing as how most of them wore mail aventails as a form of throat defense, Berengar''s soldiers quickly made that the target of their bay thrusts which easily pierced through the interlocked iron rings and into the throats of their opponents, ending their lives.


    As for Berengar''s forces, aside from the levies, each was equipped with sufficient steel te protection for their torso, thighs, neck, and head. Aside from the face or the armpits, it would prove virtually impossible to deal a lethal blow to his forces with a piercing or shing weapon. Thus, most of Berengar''s fatalities resulted from blunt trauma to the head, but this was a minimal number.


    By dawn, the Sun had risen, and Berengar was victorious. However, it would only be after Berengar had seized the city that he would realize that the Prince-Bishop had fled hisnds, leaving them ripe for the taking. Despite defeating the sallying forces, a few hundred men were still defending behind the walls who refused to surrender the city. As such, the Siege would go on for several more days while Berengar''s allies fought their own battles for the Prince-Bishopric of Trent.

 Chapter 138: Are There any Questions?

    <h4>Chapter 138: Are There any Questions?</h4>


    A couple of days had passed since the battle in the trenches, and Berengar was growing anxious; he did not yet know when Lothar would fall, and he was trying to rush his campaign as quickly as possible. Eventually, the wall came crumbling down, and when it did, he ordered a full storming of the city. Covered by artillery fire and continuous volleys of the rifled muskets. Line infantry and levies alike rushed into the gap into the wall, using whatever methods avable to them to take the city.


    Despite the fierce assault, the defenders of the city of Trent were undeterred; though the Prince-Bishop had sessfully fled, it was their duty to defend the city with their lives; hopefully, if they did so, they could enter the gates of heaven. After all, in the eyes of the city''s defenders, they were fighting against a horde of heathens who sought to bring down Christiandom. Religion was a powerful tool, and the weak-minded were easilypelled to die by the propaganda of the Church.


    Yet despite the zealotry of the forces who gave up their lives to defend against the besiegers, they quickly realized that they were vastly outnumbered. Levies crashed with man at arms, and line infantry fired their muskets in concentrated volleys onto the enemy positions. Blood and guts spilled across the snowy streets as the defending garrison was pushed further and further back into the city.


    Those more cowardly hostiles would hide in the homes of civilians, which Berengar would immediately order their clearing. Not willing to risk the lives of his soldiers, a grenade or two were lobbed into the room before busting down the door, usually resulting in not only the death of the defender but also the civilians who cowered in their homes.


    As the battle raged on, the Lords who had submitted to Berengar''s authority saw the tactics Berengar was using and were quite confused; they knew Berengar had an order not to kill unarmed civilians needlessly. Yet, here, his troops were lobbing explosives into the rooms which clearly contained such people. As such, they inquired to Berengar why he was breaking his own rules of war.


    Berengar''s stared stoically onto the battlefield, alongside the Lords of the levies who entered the city alongside him. Violence, blood, and despair quickly spread to every corner of the city, enemies'' lives were taken, and many civilians were caught in the crossfire. As Berengar gazed upon the sight, he continued his lecture on the art of war for all the nearby noblemen to hear.


    "My rules of war can be summed up in a single phrase. Victory at any cost! If civilians are caught in the crossfire between twobatants, then so be it. If civilians were to take up arms and rise against me in the act of rebellion, I would take 10 heads for every rebel to prove a point. Kneel before me, or die those are your two choices."


    With those words spoken, the Lords who had submitted to Berengar felt chills down their spines. However, before they could protest, Berengar began to continue his speech.


    "For example, say there is a vige, and within this vige, there is a garrison of enemy soldiers or a group of rebels who have taken up arms against me, but also in the vige, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of unarmed civilians who may or may not express support for the hostile forces. I have no qualms ordering a bombardment of the town and razing it to the ground to ensure the destruction of my enemies, especially if it will spare the lives of my soldiers."


    Berengar''s concept of warfare stemmed from the fact that he was well educated on the history of warfare and tactics, as well as the fact that in his previous life, he had witnessed many young men in the service of the American Armed Forces losing their lives in Afghanistan where they might have been spared if the Pentagon was not so concerned about civilian casualties. As long as a region resisted the rule of the upying nation, in Berengar''s eyes, it was considered an active warzone, and whatever cruelty was needed to bring the war to an end waspletely justified.


    The battle continued to wage on, but this time Berengar was not at the front lines. Instead, he lectured the nobles about his vision of warfare and which extents were justifiable and unjustifiable in the pursuit of victory. As such, Berengar decided to move onto the actions he had restricted.


    "As long as there is resistance in a region, it is a war zone, and any measure necessary to achieve a swift victory is justifiable. However, if the enemy surrenders, they should be afforded proper dignity unless, of course, they are rebels, rebellions can not be tolerated, and a brutal show of force is necessary to crush the spirit of those who believe in their cause. As for the civilians in the region, once the fighting has ended, no harm should be brought to them, for at that point, you have sessfully conquered the region, and they are now your subjects. There are exceptions to this, but that revolves around a series of political actions, mainly regarding colonialism, and I will not get into theplexity of that topic at this moment."


    As Berengar brought his rant to a close, the Lords gazed upon the city, which was lit aze by explosives. Whenbined with the corpses of the enemy soldiers, and the civilians caught in the crossfire whose blood flowed into the snow-covered streets, created an image of armageddon. When witnessing such destruction, and death Berengar turned around to face the Lords with a chilling smile on his otherwise immacte visage before asking them the question on his mind.


    "Are there any questions?"


    The several Lords who had submitted to Berengar''s authority and allied with him to crush the Southern Rebellion shook their heads in silence, with a look of horror spread across their faces. For a man to be smiling in the face of such a chaotic scene, only a monster would be able to do such a thing. Or so they thought, though Berengar was happy that his ns were progressing, internally, he could not help but sigh to himself at the needless loss of life. If his enemies were not so stubborn and surrendered the city to him the moment the walls came down, the region''s citizens would not have suffered to such a degree.


    Of course, the Lords had no way of knowing what Berengar was thinking inside thebyrinth that was his mind, and as such, they felt an overwhelming sense of dread, inspiring them to never take up arms against the man in front of them, for in their minds Berngar was a demon in the flesh of a man.

 Chapter 139: Lothars Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 139: Lothar''s Defeat</h4>


    It had been over a week since the Siege of Trent, and the entire region fell into Berengar''s hands, but to Count Lothar, who was trapped in Vienna with no way out, he had no way of knowing that he hadpletely lost the home front. At this point, he was desperate to escape the city and flee towards his home, where he nned to rally the local forces and defend Innsbruck until every man, woman, and child had expended their lives in its defense. He would do whatever was necessary to ensure his own survival for as long as possible.


    Count Otto''s forces had broken through the gates, and the City was once more thrust into chaos as Otto and his men began fighting their way through the battle-worn soldiers of Lothar''s army or what remained of it. Count Lothar, at the moment, was battling with a knight under Otto''smand who was d in full steel te armor; the two men were both simrly equipped. However, Lothar was at a disadvantage. At the moment, he only had a longsword in his hands which was not the most effective weapon against a Knight encased in full te. As for the Knight held a halberd in his hands and had a sword sheathed on his waist.


    Lothar wielded his sword with excellent skill, deflecting the oing blows of the polearm and rushing forward, trying to get into the gaps between the enemy armor. However, the Knight was equally adept and had a significant advantage in reach. Before Lothar knew it, he found himself being pushed back by the Knights advance; luckily for him, some of his nearby men rushed forward to aid him. However, when they arrived to help their Lord, they soon realized that he had disappeared; The moment the men hade to his aid and began to distract the Knight, Lothar ran off in the opposite direction in a desperate attempt to flee from the city.


    Lothar did not have time to disguise himself, war was waging around him, and enemy forces could capture him at any moment. Thankfully the Chaos provided some anonymity in the crowd, though he wore a tabard over his breastte which signified his house, there were many other Lords and Knights each bearing their own Coat of Arms. As such, the man took advantage of the Chaos and fled to the Eastern Gate, which, as far he knew, was still under his force''s control. However, the man did not get far, as he was sprinting in the direction of the Gate Cavalry began to ride into the City. These Knights andncers on horseback belonged to Count Otto; riding at the front of the group was the loyal Count himself. They noticed a heavily armed man bearing Lothar''s coat of arms running away.


    Though it could not be seen beneath his great basc''s visor, Otto was grinning with excitement he had finally found the traitor, and if he could be captured alive, the battle would end sooner. Thus Otto and his Knights quickly rode down any resistance in the way and rapidly caught up to Lothar. Before the traitorous Count could regroup with his forces at the Eastern Gate, he was surrounded by Otto and his heavily armored Knights.


    Otto did not allow for a single gap for the traitor to escape and confirm the man''s identity; he called out to him.


    "Running away, are you? In the face of defeat, you do not have the courage to face your own death in glorious battle! For a traitor, you are quite pathetic!"


    Lothar was resigned to his fate; steel-d horses and knights surrounded him. There was no path to victory nor escape. He could merely sigh and face captivity; ifdy luck were on his side, he would be able to escape from his predicament, though he feared this was not the case. As such, he did not respond to Otto''s insults. Instead, he admitted his defeat.


    "I know when I am beaten, well yed, Otto. I did not expect you to ovee my defenses so quickly. You can rest assured knowing that I was never capable of prating the Castle''s defenses. As far as I am aware, the Duke''s family is safe and sound."


    Beneath the visor of his great basc, Count Otto sneered in disgust at the man before him, a man he once considered his own hubris now brought down his rival as such; Otto expressed his contempt for Lothar he ordered his arrest.


    "You should have been content with your lot in life! Men arrest this traitor!"


    With his weapon no longer in his hands, and the heavily armored knights cautiously approaching Lothar, he quickly restrained the man and cuffed him into iron shackles. They then removed his helmet to stare at the man so bold as to revolt against his liege during a time of crisis. However, what revealed itself was a haggard man, driven to exhaustion by the war he started. Lothar was merely a shadow of his former self at this point, and his appearance showed it.


    Otto then brought him before the fighting armies and blew a horn which gathered everyone''s attention. Lothar''s forces quickly saw that their liege had been captured and knew they were defeated; there was no longer a purpose in fighting. Lothar''s Rebellion and the War in Tyrol were over! As such, Count Otto boldly dered for all the men to hear.


    "I have captured your Liege, surrender now, and hand over the other traitorous Lords, and you will be allowed to return to your homes peacefully!"


    The various noblemen who had followed Lothar into battle were frightened at this news and looked around anxiously; through the open face bascs and the kettle helmets of the man at arms, they could see in their eyes the desire to betray their masters. As such, a skirmish quickly ensued, and Lothar''s forces turned on their masters in an attempt to save their own hides. Very quickly, the ringleaders of Lothar''s rebellion were either killed in thest stand against their own forces or brought forward to Count Otto, where the remainder of Lothar''s forces surrendered their arms willingly.


    Count Otto fully intended to bring these captives to Duke Wilmar at Munich, where they would be punished ordingly by their rightful Liege. He did not want to take the credit for ending the rebellion, because after all, it was his future son-inw who had done the majority of the work. By rapidly conquering Tyrol, Berengar cut off any form of support or reinforcements in which Lothar might receive on his quest to be Duke of Austria. This was not Berengar''s only noteworthy feat, for the young Viscount had also managed to send significant material aid to Otto''s forces as heid siege to Lothar''s defenses. If not for this aid, he would not have been able to so swiftly retake the city, which was the Duke''s seat of power. The impression of his future son-inw grew exponentially in Otto''s heart, and he had at this point practically forgiven Berengar''s infidelity.


    As the Siege of Vienna ended and the traitors captured, so too did the War in Austria. For now, Austria would find some semnce of peace in the uing months. With the entire German world at war and the conflict spreading to the rest of the Empire, it would only be a matter of time before violence found its way back into the Duchy of Austria. When that happened, Berengar''s position would be in a far better position to confront any army which entered thends of Austria.

 Chapter 140: A Heros Welcome

    <h4>Chapter 140: A Hero''s Wee</h4>


    Berengar''s army or what remained of it had been marching since he sessfully annexed the Prince-Bishopric of Trent into the County of Tyrol. It had been weeks at this point, and he could finally see the City of Kufstein and its impregnable defenses on the horizon. It had been over two months since he first began his campaign, and he had achieved an overwhelming victory against the rebellious forces.


    A warm smile appeared on the handsome youth''s face as he gazed upon his homnd with delight, muttering the words on his mind beneath his breath as he sat atop his war steed, which had proven to be an excellentpanion during thest two months of his life.


    "We are finally home..."


    Berengar''s losses in the war were quite low; less than 1,000 men on his side had perished in the conflict; as for the levies that were allied with him, their number was a bit higher. Still, he did not count them among his own casualties, as they were technically not his forces at the moment. As for the Army behind his back, it was less than half of what he had invaded Trent with; the region was givenmand by Arnulf temporarily until a time in which the rebellion had officially ended. As for Eckhard, he was in charge of South Tyrol and its garrisons.


    The spirit of resistance was still within the hearts of many citizens who Berengar had conquered in this time, but at the moment, they did not act upon it. Once the war was officially over, Eckhard, Arnulf, and the forces left behind in the region would remain there until a more permanent garrisonprised of locals who had properly been indoctrinated into his army was established.


    It had been two months since he felt his lover''s warm embrace, or since he saw the dazzling sapphire eyes of his baby boy, and Berengar had missed them greatly as such when he rode into the City, which was currently covered in snow, he had arge smile on his face. When Berengar and his forces entered the city of Kufstein, the citizens of the city lined up across the streets, weing the return of their Liege as a conquering Hero. Cheers echoed across the city as Berengar rode at the front of his army, dressed in his garishly decorated ckened steel te armor.


    Berengar had thought to himself as he smiled and waved at his subjects


    ''So this is a hero''s wee? It is truly fitting...''


    To the citizens of Kufstein, Berengar had aplished the unthinkable; he spread the glory of their territory and captured the entirety of the County Tyrol and its neighbor, the Prince-Bisophric of Trent, from their enemies in a span of two months. Though many of his men had died in the conflict, Berengar would keep his promise and exempt their families from taxes for a duration of time. However, the people of Kufstein did not know about this promise yet.


    After riding through the streets of Kufstein, Berengar dismissed his armies; they could return home to their loved ones for the time being; after all, they had more than earned it. It was only after his army fully gathered into ranks and fully Saluted Berengar at Kufstein Castle''s steps that he understood the extent of their loyalty. Such a performance was not asked of them, yet they took it upon themselves to salute their Lord and Commander, who had to lead them against unthinkable odds and into an overwhelming victory.


    Berengar returned their salute before marching into the Castle''s gates. The moment Berengar stepped through the gates of his castle, he was practically mowed over by Linde, who rushed into his arms like a charging bull. Luckily for him, he was capable of standing his ground and epted her embrace. Her family, as well as Henrietta, had gathered nearby and witnessed the loving reunion. Berengar began to greet Linde


    "Did you miss..."


    Before he could even finish his sentence, Berengar''s lover had pressed her lips against his own and parted them with her tongue in a passionate disy of affection. Her siblings were quite shocked by her boldness and watched in embarrassment for some time as the two continued to fondle one another openly; it was only when Berengar reached for Linde''s substantial breasts did that someone decided to spoke up.


    Liutbert grunted to signal to the couple that they hadpany, and we were quickly getting out of hand. Realizing that her siblings were watching, Linde quickly retracted herself from Berengar''s embrace and looked down with embarrassment, her cheeks werepletely flushed at this point, and she could not help but be ashamed of her actions.


    Berengar, on the other hand, smiled and licked his lips before greeting Linde and the others.


    "So I guess that''s a yes?"


    Afterward, he quickly grabbed ahold of Linde''s waist and dragged her over to the others. Linde''s siblings each had a different expression on their faces, Adelheid considered Berengar to be a womanizer taking advantage of her big sister, but she knew he was capable of achieving great things and had helped topple her father''s dastardly ns; as such, she was conflicted with how to treat the man in front of her.


    Liutbert had already chosen to submit to Berengar and gracefully weed the man that would be the next Count of Tyrol. He had already received news of Lothar''s defeat at Vienna. After bing aware of his father''s defeat, Liutbert finally realized that he had made the right choice in supporting Berengar. As for Herman, he was acting like a stubborn little brat, greatly scowling at the man who had rebelled against his father. the little misfit could not help but me Berengar for the defeat and captivity of his father.


    Linde also had one other sibling, a little sister, roughly Henrietta''s age, and this girl was named Minna, and she was rather weing to Berengar. Minna had grown close to Henrietta throughout the past month of "captivity" in Kufstein, and Henrietta had filled her ears with stories of Berengar and his gant acts. Berengar did not even need to sway the little girl to his side, as she had already developed the image of Berengar being a knight in shining armor; from how Henrietta talked about his past, he seemed like some form of Prince-Charming. As such, she was happy to finally see the man she admired, and his good looks did not disappoint.


    Henrietta, of course, was beaming with a smile on her face as her elder brother returned home alive. With her parents retiring to the countryside and Lambert exiled, Berengar was her only family left, and she greatly dreaded some misfortune that might befall him. In her hands was the baby Hans, which she spent a great deal of time looking after, considering in his absence Linde was forced to deal with the civil affairs of Kufstein.


    Seeing his infant son in Henrietta''s hands, Berengar walked over to her and grabbed ahold of his child.


    "Hans... Your father has returned!"


    With that, Berengar held onto his child, surrounded by loved ones and allies. He feltpletely safe for the first time in what appeared to him like a lifetime of war. As such, a grand feast was thrown that night to celebrate his return, and he had begun to invite his friends throughout Kufstein to partake in it.


    During the extravagant meal, which tasted like ambrosia straight from the mouth of God after having eaten nothing but bread and salted pork for two months, Berengar forced himself to stop stuffing his face and made a victory toast. Everyone expected him to say something valiant, something bold, or a deration of future prospects. Instead, Berengar merely lifted his ss and said the somber words that had gued his mind since thebat began.


    "To our fallen warriors! May they forever rest in peace!"


    The serious toast brought the excited audience out of their celebratory mood and forced them back to reality; every victory was paved with the blood of the dead and those brave men who fought on the front lines. The fact that Berengar had used that as a toast undoubtedly killed the mood, but it also achieved the effect he was hoping for; it reminded everyone around him of the price of victory.

 Chapter 141: Lothars Demise

    <h4>Chapter 141: Lothar''s Demise</h4>


    Weeks passed, and while Berengar was limating to the peaceful environment of Kufstein after having been at war for so long. Count Lothar and his rebel supporters were being dragged to Munich, which had recently been captured by Duke Wilmar, where they waited for Count Otto''s return before marching on Landshut.


    Inside a carriage designed to hold prisoners, Lothar sat in the corner, his back resting against the cold iron bars as he struggled for warmth. The ice-cold air of winter permeated between the gaps of the iron bars and sucked the heat from his body. Beside him were his vassals who had supported him in his rebellion, or at least the few who survived the disastrous siege of Vienna. Lothar''s face had not changed since his capture; he had been scowling ever since, thinking over what he could have done to achieve victory.


    As he stared into space, he overheard the knight''s tasked with escorting his prison carriage, mocking him.


    "The mighty Count Lothar, look at him now. Defeated at Vienna, having hisnds usurped by an upstart Viscount, even his own Son and heir denounced him and his actions. Pathetic..."


    These words stirred Lothar from his stupor; he had not been aware of what happened outside of Vienna as he and his forces were trapped inside the city walls during the majority of Berengar''s conquest of Tyrol. He quickly rose from his seated and climbed over to the area where the guards were talking, peering at them. However, the t of a sword quickly smacked upon his hands as he grasped ahold of the iron bars, forcing him back into the cage.


    This action instantly provoked theughter of the Knights as they mocked the pitiful position the once-mighty Count Lothar had fallen to. However, Lothar did not care about that; he needed to know what happened to his home. As such, he quickly asked the Knights about the information.


    "What you said... Is it true?"


    The Knights nodded and grinned as they chastised Lothar for his failure; they were all too happy to provide him with the information about what happened to his home while he was trapped in Vienna.


    "Some people are calling Berengar a War-Saint. The man led a small army of 5,000 men and conquered all of Tyrol and the nearby Prince-Bishopric of Trent in a little over two months. Innsbruck was the second ce to fall to him. After capturing your family and dragging them back to Kufstein, your son Liutbert denounced you and your treachery; he even pledged his loyalty to Berengar, going so far as to proim him a man worthy of your title! Your own family thinks of you as nothing more than a backstabbing scoundrel!"


    Naturally, the rumors had inted Berengar''s victory; if not for the conscripts which added 5,000 men to his armies and the thousands of levies who fought beside him, he would not have so rapidly seized the territory. However, it was still quite the feat, one which was mostly achieved through superior firepower.


    Lothar was shocked by this news and struggled toe to terms with it. The incessant mocking which followedpletely went unnoticed by the traitorous Count. Instead, he sunk back into the corner of his cell and began to piece together what had lead to his downfall. In a masterful move by Berengar, his own daughter turned against him, luring a quarter of his army to their certain deaths. Where Berengar then waged a lightning war in Tyrol, cutting off all support from arriving in Vienna which was practically on the other side of the Duchy. By being over-eager, and over-ambitious Lothar had left himselfpletely shut off from his allies back in his own territory and left them to fend for themselves against a powerful foe. With no support, and arge chunk of his forces missing, Otto was able to trap him and defeat his forces with ease.


    Count Lothar sighed heavily; he fully realized the faults he had made in this war. They stemmed from abination of being a poor father, underestimating his enemies, and immediately going for the enemy capital without establishing a supply line. Only now he realized why Berengar had sold him such high-quality equipment for such a fair price. Because Berengar had already outfitted his own soldiers with some form of armor and weaponry far superior to what he was selling. Berengar had outmaneuvered him at every turn. The worst part of it all was that Count Lothar was not even mad; what he felt was overwhelming respect for how Berengar had yed him since the beginning.


    After reflecting on his life choices in silence for some time, the Carriage finally pulled into the city square of Munich, where a tform was constructed in the middle of the area, soldiers and civilians alike had gathered to witness the event, and upon seeing the tform, Lothar instantly realized what awaited him. He and his allies would be beheaded publically for all to witness. The moment the carriage stopped, the other Lords within the cell began to panic and struggle, yet they were all pulled out one at a time by the Knights and brought up to the tform. Though they were not able to see the results, everyone knew what was happening, and as such, they did everything they could to escape. All except for Lothar, who sat in his corner with cold, dead eyes. He had already epted what was toe.


    Over an hour passed, and finally, he was all that remained within the carriage; when the guards came to escort him, he did not even resist in the slightest. He wobbled onto the tform with a defeated expression and gazed upon the crowd who jeered him and threw produce and cow pies at him. By the time he reached the chopping block, he was already covered in filth, not that he was in pristine condition before.


    Standing in the crowd was Duke Wilmar, who was fully armored and surrounded by his House Guard; a chilling smile was on his face as he stared into Count Lothar''s lifeless eyes as the man was ced headfirst onto the chopping block.


    Finally, Count Otto began reading his charges, who announced his crimes to the realm and his sentence.


    "Count Lothar, For the crimes of rebelling against your Liege andying siege to hisnds in an attempt to usurp his position, you are hereby found guilty and sentenced to death! You and your family''snds and titles are hereby forfeit, where they shall be henceforth be granted to Viscount Berengar von Kufstein and his family for perpetuity. May God have mercy on your soul!"


    Hearing thatst part, a bitter smile formed on Lothar''s face as he stared into Duke Wilmar''s eyes. In the end, Lothar had lost everything, and the young Viscount, who started as a Baron''s son, who Lothar once believed to be a sickly fool, had inherited his position. It was truly a fitting end. Thest thing Lothar saw as the executioner''s de came swinging down upon his neck was the sight of a violent crowd cursing him to damnation and the shocked expression on Wilmar''s face when he realized that Lothar was smiling.


    Afterward, everything faded ck for Count Lothar, and his head was separated from his shoulders; his blood pooled out from the gaping hole in his neck where his head once belonged. The rebellion was over, Berengar had won, and was now officially dered a Count. Lothar would forever be remembered as a stepping stone on Berengar''s rise to power.

 Chapter 142: Consolidation of Power

    <h4>Chapter 142: Consolidation of Power</h4>


    News quickly spread of County Lothar''s execution and the forfeiture of hisnds in favor of Berengar and his Dynasty. In the year since Berengar had been reincarnated into this world, he had gone from a lowly Baron''s son to the Count of Tyrol. The young man was quite satisfied with his aplishments, and despite his grand ambitions to unify the German-speaking regions, he knew these ns could not be rushed. As such, while the rest of Germany was at war, Berengar was tasked by Duke Wilmar to protect Tyrol from potential enemy advances through the Bavarian alps, which he was more than happy to do.


    Now was the time for expansion, not just in military matters but industrial, agricultural, and educational sectors as well. Thus Berengar was hard at work putting through a series of executive orders, which allowed him to bypass the rudimentary parliament he had constructed. As per usual, the parliamentary system was more symbolic than it was practical. Their practical purpose was to decrease the workload on Berengar''s shoulders, while symbolically, they represented the people''s interests.


    The first matter of business was to change the capital of Tyrol to Kufstein; with a stroke of a quill, the city that had been the political and economic center of the region for centuries had been shifted to Berengar''s homnd. As for Industrial expansion, it was time to create a second Industrial city. Innsbruck was perfect for the role; it was nearby and maintained by a loyal member of what he considered to be his family; after all, Liutbert was his lover''s brother. Thus he was practically an inw.


    Berengar had made Liutbert the Viscount of Innsbruck and his Chancellor, at least until a time where he could expand his power and make the man a proper Count like he was born to be. As such, he tasked the man with leading the charge to reform Innsbruck''s, defenses, industry, and agriculture. As for military concerns, Berengar had begun to spread his military reforms across the entire region; due to the number of men who had died in the civil war, there were not many men-at-arms left to oppose him, and those that remained would not have the guts to do so.


    Though the Lords of Tyrol were greatly outraged by the military reforms which stripped their feudal powers to raise their own forces, there was not much they could do as their armies were exhausted, and they knew the power Berengar had in his hands. As such young men of military age began being conscripted across the region and sent to Bernegar''s training facilities to be indoctrinated into his military, they would undergo political indoctrination as a part of their training. It was a system designed to break down the old identity of the feudal regions among his forces, enforce the idea of a German Nation, and ensure loyalty to Berengar and his Dynasty.


    Once the lords had time to lick their wounds, they would undoubtedly prepare for rebellion; after all, the stripping of certain parts of their feudal powers was not a popr reform, even among the nobility of his own region. Though the local nobles of Kufstein hade to ept these reforms, the rest of the Tyrolean noblemen would not be so easily persuaded. Not only did Berengar have to prepare to put down a future rebellion, but he also had to prepare for the Teutonic invasion that is currently marching towards his borders.


    Speaking of which, Linde had a report in her hands, which she ced on Berengar''s desk. With Berengar''s return, she had resumed her position as his spymaster, but in reality, she spent most of her time looking after their child. However, at the moment, the child was with Henrietta while she informed Berengar of thetest news regarding the Teutonic Army marching on their borders.


    "They have doubled their numbers through their marches. The moment they entered German territories, they began forcefully conscripted levies from the regions they passed by. Considering the majority of the Holy Roman Empire was in chaos at the moment, nobody has been able to stop them from doing so. Though the levies are not well equipped, they can be used as cannon fodder to overrun our numbers. At the rate we are currently going, we will be able to field a small division of between 10,000 - 15,000 men when they reach our borders. However, that will be less than half of the Teutonic Army''s numbers by the time they enter Tyrol. Unless we resort to drafting men from the garrisons, it will be a tough battle."


    Berengar contemted Linde''s words carefully; the Teutonic Army started with 10,000 men. Still, now they were at roughly 20,000 men with several more months of marching before they reached Tyrol; at the rate of their expansion, they will easily have 30,000 men by the time they arrived at his borders. However, if he transferred men from the garrisons he stationed across Tyrol, he would be inviting the Lords of Tyrol to take advantage of the crisis against him and start a rebellion, forcing him into a two-war front. He could never allow this to happen.


    There were two options on Berengar''s hands, lure the enemy into Kufstein, where he could use the near-imprable city walls to his advantage, or confront them in a field battle while being heavily outnumbered. Such a battle would be massive and would undoubtedly result in meleebat. Berengar''s greatest advantage would be to field rifled muskets inrge numbers and wear down the enemy forces at a distance with gunfire and artillery shells before they finally shed. As such, he came to a decision and announced his n to Linde.


    "If we withdraw forces from our garrisons to increase our field army, the result would be an unmitigated disaster. Therefore I will confront the Teutonic Army in the field with as many men as we can muster."


    Though Linde feared this would be the option Berengar would take, deep down, she knew he would never hide behind Kufstein''s walls while the Teutonic Order ravaged hisnd. She merely sighed as she listened to Berengar as he exined his ns.


    "I will increase the conversion and production of 1417/18 Rifled Muskets and will seek to draw the enemy forces to an area whose terrain gives me an advantage. With this, we have a much higher chance of defeating the enemy. Inform the spies to continue monitoring the Teutonic forces; I want to know about any potential growth as quickly as possible."


    Linde nodded her head in response and smiled


    "Of course, master, anything for you!"


    With that said, Linde was dismissed, and Berengar returned to the pile of work on his hands. After returning to a mountain of paperwork, he greatly missed the days of battle where he was free to act as he pleased. Nevertheless, a Count''s work was never finished, and Tyrol greatly needed agricultural industrial, and economic reforms. As such, he quickly got back to signing executive orders that would one day transform Tyrol into the seat of power of the future German Empire.

 Chapter 143: It is Only Natural for Siblings to Share

    <h4>Chapter 143: It is Only Natural for Siblings to Share</h4>


    In Graz, Ad currently sat at her desk reading a letter in her hands which Berengar wrote. As usual, it expressed his desire to meet up with his young fiancee, and of course, he boasted about his achievements in battle. The fact that Berengar had be a Count greatly pleased the teenage youth. It meant that she would be a Countess, much like her mother once she married Berengar. Though she knew Berengar was destined for great things, she had no idea that she would be Empress of a unified German Empire one day. As such, she was content with Berengar''s gains and knew he was most likely dreadfully busy consolidating his power.


    Ad was not aware that the Teutonic Order was marching on Tyrol and had no worries about Berengar''s immediate future. He was home, and he was safe, and that was all that mattered to the young girl. She had greatly desired to visit Kufstein, but in a time such as this that was filled with chaos and uncertainty, the roads to her fiance''s home would not be safe. Thus despite her protests, she was locked away in the Castle of Graz under her family''s orders.


    As far as she was aware, her father, Count Otto, had marched with Duke Wilmar''s forces onto Landshut after capturing Munich, which was the seat of the Duke of Bavaria''s power. The war in Bavaria had entered a new stage of intensity as the Duke of Bavaria was outraged by the fact that his home had been seized. Luckily for him, his family had fled the city before it was fully captured and were staying with a loyal Lord in a safer region of his territory. However, despite this, the Duke of Bavaria marched half of his forces from the North back into Bavaria to halt the advance of the Austrian host which had invaded hisnds.


    To Ad, the war was inconsequential as, aside from some fighting in Tyrol, and Vienna it had not yet spread to the borders of Austria. Even if it had, Berengar''s mighty army was essentially the home defenders while the Duke was off fighting with his main army in Bavaria. If Graz were to evere under siege, Berengar would surelye to her rescue.


    After thinking about her situation, Ad wrote a letter back to Berengar congratting him on his gains and impressive victory. She also expressed her desire to see him again but exined her current circumstances that prevented such a reunion. By the time she had finished writing it, the message was nothing more than a love letter that resembled that which was written by a young girl to her crush.


    However, shortly after finishing writing her love letter to her fiance, Ad heard a knock on her door, which startled her, spilling her ink container all over the letter and thoroughly ruining it. She was greatly displeased by this event but had no way of controlling it; as such, she rapidly cleaned up the mess before storming over to the door with a pouting expression on her face.


    After opening the door, Ad noticed her eldest sister standing in the doorway. She was roughly the age of Berengar and had long since been married to the son of another Count within Austria; in fact, the young woman known as Ava von Salzburg had not been to her family''s home in quite some time and was quite excited to see her youngest sister and how much she had grown. After all, she lived with her husband and three children in Salzburg, Austria, where she was married to the Count''s eldest son.


    Seeing how much Ad had grown over the years, the beautiful and busty woman that was Ad''s older sister quickly grabbed ahold over the little girl and squeezed her tightly with a wide grin on her face.


    "Little Ad, you have grown so much!"


    Ad struggled to get out of her eldest sister''s grasp, but unfortunately, she could not break free from the tight grip that epassed her and nearly suffocated as her tiny heart-shaped face was stuffed into Ava''s massive cleavage.


    It was only after Ad ended her resistance to the hug that the tall and curvy woman finally released her grasp. Afterward, Ad backed away from her overly affectionate big sister and pouted, which quickly led to Ava noticing that something was going on in the background. She quickly deduced that there was an ink-stained sheet of paper, and when ava noticed the look on Ad''s face, she quickly smiled sinisterly and began to tease her little sister.


    "Ad, were you perhaps writing a love letter? I heard that you have gotten yourself quite the capable fiance!"


    Ad''s face cute face quickly flushed with embarrassment as she immediately denied the allegations in the most obvious attempt to cover up her actions.


    "Of course not! Why would I write such a thing?!"


    Seeing her little sister acting so sheepishly, Ava licked her lips like a wolf gazing at its prey and advanced closer to Ad before whispering in her ear


    "I heard he is really handsome. Do you mind if I have a taste?"


    Ava was not genuinely interested in Berengar as she was happily married. Her husband was decent-looking enough and came from a high noble family, whereas Berengar was merely an upstart. Despite this, Ava could not resist the urge to tease Ad and make her angry. Ad, of course, instantly fell into Ava''s trap and behaved exactly as the sly woman had expected; she pushed Ava away and began yelling at her while throwing a little tantrum.


    "Absolutely not! You are disgusting! Why would you even suggest something like that!?!


    Seeing that Ad had reacted so adorably to her joke, Ava went in for the kill; she just loved the cute expression on Ad''s face when she was angry.


    "Why not? We are siblings; after all, it is only natural for us to share! After all, I heard that fiance of yours already has a mistress, so clearly, you are not against the idea of sharing your man..."


    This touched on Ad''s reverse scale, she was fine sharing Berengar with Linde since the two young women hade to some degree of an arrangement, but she absolutely would never allow her big sister toy im to her man. Of course, if Ad knew that Ava was teasing her, and in reality, looked down on her for marrying a man from a family of such low nobility, she would only be more infuriated as such her response to Ava''s provocation was far more civil than it could have been.


    "Get out of my room Ava; I have no interest in having this conversation with you and your filthy mind!"


    Thus Ad struggled to push her eldest sister out of her room which continued to tease Ad on her way out.


    "Oh,e on!"


    "You are being unfair!"


    "Just one bite!"


    and with thatst remark, Ava was forced out of her room, and the door was mmed behind her. While Ad was fuming inside her quarters, sitting with her back to the door and her face resting on her knees. Ava was smiling in excitement on the opposite side of the thick wooden door; after all, her little sister was just too cute when provoked in such a manner!


    .

 Chapter 144: Construction of Monuments

    <h4>Chapter 144: Construction of Monuments</h4>


    With a rtively stable peace encapsting the mountainous region of Tyrol following Berengar''s conquest, the young Count took the time to establish the construction of several monuments since his return. Each monument was crafted for different aspects of propaganda. The first of these monuments to be constructed was intended to represent the personal glory and authority of Berengar von Kufstein. The monument was constructed on a simr scale and design to that of the Hermannsdenkmal statue from Germany in Berengar''s previous life.


    The monument was ced on a hill above the city of Kufstein, which overlooked its region as an eternal guardian. Therge statue was meticulously crafted out of bronze to represent Berengar''s figure perfectly. The statue itself was designed with Berengar mounted upon his trusty steed Erwin, though the horse itselfcked his barding, and Berengar was dressed in his exquisite three quarter''s te armor. With a pair of cavalry boots that went up to the knees of his Landschneckt like attire, the statue was designed without Berengar''s waffenrock, his iron skull cap, and feathered cap. In one hand, Berengar held his 1417 Heavy Cavalry saber and pointed it in the direction of the city of Rome.


    The position of the statue, and especially that of its sword, was a twofold statement. First and foremost, brandishing his sword towards Rome represented the ancient Germanic people''s struggle against the Roman Empire. The second meaning behind it was a sign of resistance towards the Papacy and its corruption. As well as a provocation towards Berengar''s personal enemy, being Pope Simeon II


    Nearly a month had passed since Berengar returned from Tyrol, and during that time, the construction of this grand monument was finished; when it was finallyplete, Berengar stood before the symbol and smiled. It was truly a magnificent piece of art and showed that the level of craftsmanship of his people was beginning to advance to the era of the renaissance. After all, Berengar had inspired his people to take up the arts; however, he himself could never teach art as he was woefully inept at the subject; he could at least create a society that allowed artisans and craftsmen to explore the depths of their talent. The fact that the statue was so grand proved that he had made the right decision to spend a small portion of the treasury to subsidize artists and craftsmen with great potential.


    Standing next to Berengar gazing upon the magnificent disy was Linde, who was holding her child in her hands; she gazed between the immacte facial features of her lover, and that of his statue and praised the work.


    "It looks exactly like you!"


    Berengar''s grin could not get any wider, for so long this medieval world was devoid of any form of advanced art, since the copse of the Roman Empire, the art of the European world had suffered greatly, regressing to aughable point, and yet for the first time in centuries a grand creation had taken ce in Europe that was on par with the major works of ssical antiquity!? He could not contain the excitement he had for the other monuments being constructed; if his personal statue turned out this well, then the others should be even more grandiose!


    After staring at his own statue, Berengar finally responded to Linde''s im with a nod.


    "It is marvelous; I did not expect it to turn out so well. Truly the talent I have fostered over the past few months has been worth it!"


    Berengar was not exaggerating about taking some degree of credit for the project; after all, it was his vision that hade into reality, and without his economic support, the artists of his territory would not be able to afford to improve their skills full time. Though Berengarcked the ability to create art itself, his mind was filled with creative ideas that could be expanded upon and turned into masterpieces when exined to a proper artisan.


    Berengar would never take full credit for the masterpiece; in his eyes, he supplied a basic outline of the project, and the funding needed to achieve it, which he believed to be a minimal contribution, the credit of such a magnificent monument and the glory that came with it was left entirely in the hands of the artisans and craftsmen who brought it into this world.


    The lead designer of the statue walked over to Berengar and noticed the Count''s wide grin; as such, he was greatly pleased to see that Berengar enjoyed the piece. However, he still felt like asking if it turned out as Berengar had wished as such, he voiced his thoughts.


    "I hope it is to your liking, your excellency!"


    Berengar immediately snapped back to reality after being entranced by the monument, went up to the project lead, and happily shook his hand.


    "Gech, you and your team have really outdone yourselves. It is truly inspiring; this monument will stand as a testament to the power of our people for centuries toe!"


    Though the man named Gech knew that the statue was more rted to Berengar''s personal prestige and the authority of his Dynasty, it was still great to hear such praise. In truth, this was not the only project Gech was working on; he was also overseeing the construction of the monument dedicated to those who had fallen in Schwaz, which was being constructed on the site of the Ambush in which Berengar and his forces had suffered on that cold winter''s night. As such, the man discussed the progress with the other monument with which he was tasked.


    "I am d to hear that your excellency is pleased! I want to inform you that the Monument to the fallen soldiers at Schwaz is fully under construction and will be finished in a few months."


    Due to the muchrger scale of the monument in Schwaz, Berengar was pleased with the timeframe. However, he did not have the time to enjoy the statue any longer. He was needed back in Kufstein. As such, the young Count addressed the artisan before departing.


    "Excellent! keep up the good work. I expect great things from you. However, I am needed elsewhere, so I am afraid we must save the rest of this conversation for another time. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors."


    With that said, Berengar and Linde left the monument and enjoyed their stroll back to the Castle in Kufstein. He had a lot of work to do when he returned, and as such, he enjoyed the brief time he had with his lover before he threw himself back into an endless pile of paperwork. The Teutonic Order was rapidly advancing onto Kufstein, and it would be within the borders of Tyrol shortly. At this point, Berengar had at most two months before they arrived, and preparations needed to be made as such Berengar would be extremely busy in theing months.

 Chapter 145: God Wills It!

    <h4>Chapter 145: God Wills It!</h4>


    An army bearing the legendary white field with the ck cross upon it marched through the town of Suhl; the Teutonic Order was close to the region of Bavaria. After making their stop in Suhl, and resupplying the army would advanced forwards through the Bavarian Alps and into Tyrol, where they would raze Berengar''snds to the ground. Or at least that was the n. Currently, the Teutonic Order was conscripting as many men from the town as possible into their army. Young or old, as long as they were capable of bearing arms, they were stripped from the towns the Teutonic Army visited and ced into their ranks as levies.


    In the middle of the town, a scene disyed itself as a thirteen-year-old boy was dragged away from his mother''s arms and lined up into the ranks of the new levies. The mother begged with tears to knights who had snatched her child, yet for all her effort, the woman was only rewarded with a swift kick to the stomach, dropping her to her knees as she bawled in misery. Across this town and every vige, the Teutonic Order hade across simr scenes such as this had be the norm. The ruthlessness of the Teutonic Army under Lambert''smand knew no bounds, and they were even willing to ughter the families of those who refused to join the service of their great crusade.


    Though this vige was different than the others in which they previously passed. As the cruelty of the Teutonic Order was disyed for the vigers to see, some of them began to gather. The townsfolk quickly formed a mob that began to berate the Teutonic soldiers who had forcefully taken their sons and fathers away from them. What started as a peaceful protest quickly resulted in a full-scale riot. The townsfolk began to push and shove the soldiers of the Teutonic Order and throw produce and filth in their directions.


    Things were beginning to spiral out of control when Lambert arrived on horseback; seeing the lowly peasants dare to defy his orders, Lambert got off of his horse and took off his great basc revealing his charming face for all to see. The solution to this problem was simple; he would preach how it was the will of God for the men of this vige to embark on a holy crusade to put down the Heretics in Tyrol. Berengar''s reformation had already begun to spread rapidly; words of Berengar''s rapid conquest of Tyrol had spread quickly and had been taken as a sign of divine retribution against the traitor Lothar. However, Lambert was more concerned with bringing down his brother and ending his rise to power than he was with fulfilling the duties of his task to end the Berengar Heresy in its entirety.


    As such, he took a diplomatic approach and approached the angry mob, attempting to cate them with a sermon.


    "Citizens of Suhl, I understand yourints, but our Order is on a mission from the Pope himself! We require the assistance of every man and youth capable of bearing arms to bring down the wretched Berengar Heresy which has begun to fester in thesends. Only by cutting off the head of the serpent known as Berengar the ursed can the will of God be restored to thesends."


    Lambert did not know that many of the townsfolk were what wouldter be known as German Reformists, and they held Berengar in high regard. As such, a courageous young man who appeared to be a wealthy merchant or the son of one stood before the crowd and began to defend Berengar in front of the Teutonic Order, who had been tasked with his elimination.


    "Who are you to dere Berengar a Heretic? I have read the bible, which he has tranted into ournguage, and given the ability for all men, regardless of their birth, the ability toprehend the word of God! Not a single one of his views and that of the Priest Ludolf goes against the teachings of Christ as is written in the scripture. If anything, it is the Pope who is the heretic, as many of the ims of the Catholic Church are not written in the word of the apostles or Christ himself! Berengar is a pious and enlightened man who acts against the corruption of the lesiarchy, and for that, you all wish to silence him! Have you no guilt?"


    As the man spoke, the entirety of the mob began to agree with him and further chastised the Teutonic Order for their actions; if anything, they were even more outraged now that they knew the intentions of this army and were unwilling to stand by and do nothing when such arge army was tasked with hunting down the head of their reformation! Quickly things got out of hand, and Lambert was not handling it well. Hearing the vigers take Berengar''s side enraged him to his very core. How could Berengar''s influence reach so far that these filthy peasants were willing to defy the authority of the Teutonic Order and, by extension, the papacy! This was outrageous!? As Lambert was fuming with anger, a small child threw a cow pie in his face and shouted at him.


    "Go away, you evil men!"


    With this action, something snapped in Lambert''s mind, and he instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword where he quickly unsheathed the de sword in a smooth chopping motion; he cut off the head of the child who was no older than eight. The head of the child slowly rolled on the floor as blood sprayed onto Lambert''s white tabard. A loud shriek filled the air, which belonged to the child''s mother, who just witnessed her own son get decapitated before her eyes.


    Horrified and enraged by Lambert''s actions, the mob quickly shed with the soldiers of the Teutonic Order; they were no longer thinking rationally and had decided in the heat of the moment to enact justice on these heavily armed and well-trained soldiers. Seeing that the mob had taken up arms against him, Lambert sneered in disdain and gave the order above the crowd''s shouts to the men under hismand.


    "This vige is filled with heretics, kill them all and burn the town to ashes! God wills it!"


    Despite witnessing theirmanding officer murder a child in cold blood, not a single one of the fanatic soldiers of the Teutonic Order cared, for, in their minds, the little boy was a heretic and deserved his fate. Instead, they all raised their weapons and began to massacre the townsfolk. Their victims could see the fierce zealotry contained within their eyes as the crusaders screamed their war chant over and over again.


    "God wills it!"


    With that, the entire poption of Suhl was massacred, their town was burned to the ground, and the perpetrators confiscated their grain and livestock. By morning there would not be a single soul left alive within the confines of the once proud town; only blood and ash would remain.

 Chapter 146: Grand Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 146: Grand Ambitions</h4>


    The snow on the ground began to melt as spring had begun to arrive; throughout Berengar''s winter campaign, he had dealt with many difficulties, but as the breath of life filled the air around him, he felt as if he was embarking upon a new world. In front of him was a small vige within the borders of the Viscounty of Kufstein. It was one of the many small viges throughout his homnd. Around this vige, which housed a few hundred people, were the steel-reinforced concrete brick walls in the formation of a star fortress simr to those surrounding Kufstein.


    Throughout his war for Tyrol, Linde did not disappoint Berengar. As the person responsible for maintaining Berengar''s ns while he was away; she had overseen the construction of Star fortresses around the Viscounty of Kufstein, and after many months nearly all of them wereplete. The value of these mighty bastions and the cannons mounted upon them could not be underestimated. After all, they had yed a critical role in the defense of Kufstein against Lothar''s forces.


    Beside Berengar was one of the men in charge of these construction efforts, and he gazed at the structure with a proud gleam in his eyes. As such, he could not prevent himself frommenting on the powerful defenses of such a small and seemingly insignificant agricultural vige.


    "Magnificient, is it not?"


    Berengar nodded with approval as he took in the sight of the structurte. While the vige itself was protected by the mighty start fortress, which apany of soldiers garrisoned, the agricultural fields were outside the walls, creating a beautiful scene of nted fields and fortification. Berengar''s ambitions did not end with Kufstein; he intended to construct these mighty fortresses around every major inhabited region within Tyrol, forming the mountainous County into the hearnd of his future German Empire.


    The expense would be great, but with the increase in territory he had gained and the plethora of natural resources, he could afford to build it. Berengar rode into the town on horseback surrounded by a group of Cuirassiers who acted as his personal guard for the moment. It was a small agricultural town, yet its walls made it seem like an important fortress. The locals peacefully coexisted with the garrison tasked with defending them, oftentimes offering them food and water as they stood guard among the ramparts of the mighty concrete walls.


    When the local vigers noticed that the man riding through their vige was the Count of Tyrol himself, they instantly cleared a path for him out of respect. Many young women began to gossip among themselves as they were able to witness the majestic appearance of the infamous Berengar first-hand. Among the poption of the Viscounty of Kufstein, Berengar had be quite the legend. His rise to power and defiance of the corruption of the Church had begun being spread by wandering minstrels. Though these bardic epics greatly exaggerated his achievements, they quickly captured the imagination of themon popce, acting as a source of inspiration in their daily lives.


    However, despite the good light in which he was depicted in these songs, few were bold enough to approach Berengar as he was a man of great importance and power, and to offend him would surely mean one''s demise, or so they believed. Berengar noticed this trend, and for the first time, began to realize that a sense of respect for his character had been fostered among his people. Still, it existed alongside an intense feeling of fear toward''s his power and prestige. The two emotions co-existed perfectly to create a harmonious bnce within the minds of his citizens.


    To be both feared and respected was a bnce few had ever achieved in life, and yet that was what Berengar had begun to cultivate in the wake of his overwhelming victories. After reaching the town center, Berengar dismounted from his horse and looked around at the environment. Despite having a garrison of 120 infantry, and an artillery battery, the walls were designed so that such a small force could easily defend the vige long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Though it may take years, or possibly even decades to achieve, one day Tyrol would be filled with such fortifications, making it virtually impossible for the armies of this world to dethrone Berengar in his seat of power.


    Berengar knew that the more territory he conquered, the more he would have to spend time and effort introducing his reforms; in his lifetime, he would be lucky to industrialize the entirety of his future Empire; in fact, the likelihood was that he would leave behind a legacy of industrialization for his sessors to aplish. Nevertheless, Berengar would make sure that in this life, he would unite the German-speaking regions into a single Empire and conquer enough colonies overseas to secure German hegemony for centuries toe.


    As Berengar gazed upon this beautiful agricultural town, which was just one of many throughout Tyrol. It may not have seemed like it would y a keyponent in his ns, but the fortifications that surrounded this vige and one day the majority of Tyrol would give him the internal stability needed to focus his efforts on conquest for years toe. After looking at the degree of security that allowed the people of this town to live in a happy and carefree environment, despite a massive war going on, Berengar realized that the expense of expanding this project to epass all of the inhabited regions of Tyrol was well worth it.


    Without such a powerful defensework, these vigers who went about their daily tasks with a friendly smile might be subjected to the horrors of war. A reality in which Berengar thought was far too cruel for the good people of his realm. As such, Berengar looked over at the architect who had lead the construction project for this town, and instructed him to do the inconceivable.


    "I want more viges like this, as many as you and the other architects can build! I want Tyrol to be a symbol of my power! I do not care the degree of funding and manpower you will need to aplish this, just make sure that you do not cut any corners in the process."


    The architect looked at Berengar as if he was a mad man; the expense to build a star fortress like this was no minor sum; to build these across all of Tyrol would easily cost a fortune. Nevertheless, Berengar was adamant, and despite the expense, he knew he could pay for it. This war across Germany was bound tost for years, and where there is war, there is profit to be made. With the new industrial sector of Innsbruck nearingpletion Berengar would have double the industrial power and could supply all the factions of this war with arms and armor necessary to maintain their armies.


    After seeing the daring expression in Berengar''s eyes that appeared as if he was challenging the heavens with his ambitions, the architect gulped the saliva which had umted in his mouth and bowed his head respectfully to the young Count.


    "Your Excellency, I will do as youmand!"


    With this, Berengar''s ns to transform the entirety of the County of Tyrol into an imprable mountainous enve had begun. Though it would take years, possibly even decades toplete, by the end of this ambitious initiative, one day in the distant future, the people of Tyrol would live in the most secure region of the world.

 Chapter 147: Contact with the Byzantines

    <h4>Chapter 147: Contact with the Byzantines</h4>


    A man with short dark hair in the form of a caesar cut and emerald green eyes sat within the confines of his luxurious carriage. He was in histe twenties and quite handsome, so much so that he could give Berengar a run for his money. He had the regal features of a Roman patrician, and he worevish silk robes in the style that wasmon among the upper echelon of the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire. Even though the German realm was currently in a state of total war, he had traveled across Europe for many months in an attempt to gain an audience with the man known as Berengar von Kufstein.


    Berengar had long since made use of the tradeworks throughout Europe and the Mediterranean to acquire silk from the Byzantine Empire to fulfill the demands for his textile industry. However, his name did not carry much weight in the eastern world. After all, even now as a Count, he was not a significant figure in the world''s affairs.


    His most well-known quality was being dered as a heretic by the Catholic Church. Though the Orthodox Church was a separate branch of Christianity from the Catholics, they were still quite amicable with their western brothers in this timeline. As such, being dered a heretic by the Catholic church practically carried over to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Yet, the man in the carriage did not care about such details. Instead, he had a business proposal for Berengar in which he believed the young Count could not refuse.


    The man arriving in Kufstein shortly was a powerful nobleman who held the equivalent position of a Duke in the Byzantine aristocracy. Supposedly, Arethas Maniakes could trace his lineage to one of the greatest Roman Emperors of all time, Aurelian. A man who was so profound, he quite possibly could have prevented the copse of the Roman Empire if the treacherous Praetorian Guard had not assassinated him before his work was finished.


    Arethas was in his own right an exemry statesman and General, having personally led the charge into Egypt in years prior. He secured a foothold in the war against the Mamluke Sultanate, which currently held control over the region. However, despite his impressive victories that had allowed the Byzantines to acquire their advantage in Egypt, he could not believe the rumors he had heard about Berengar.


    If Berengar knew a powerful Strategos of the Byzantine Empire wasing to meet him, he would have prepared a feast; after all, such a position was far higher than he currently held. Yet, the man decided to show up unannounced to test Berengar and his character. A nobleman from another regioning into your territory unannounced was a sign of disrespect, and this was not unknown to Arethas.


    However, when the manid his eyes on the intricate defenses of the City of Kufstein, he could not help but be impressed. Such mighty walls wereparable to the Theodosian walls of Constantinople, no... they might even be superior in defensive capabilities. After arriving at the checkpoint of the city''s gates. Arethas noticed that the garrison was all wearing a degree of te armor and carrying strange weapons slung across their backs.


    Though he did not know how these weapons functioned and were less impressed with them, his attention was drawn to the impressive armor the troops wore, just how wealthy was Berengar to equip all of his troops in te armor! Even if it only covered their torso, back, neck, thighs, and head. It was enough to protect the vital points of their bodies without limiting mobility. The garrison allowed him to pass after hearing the man was a powerful representative from the Byzantine Empire. As such, his carriage and escort quickly rode into the city of Kufstein, which was filled with tenements, homes, shops, and all kinds of wonders. It was no longer a small agricultural town but a full-fledged city, though much of it was still undergoing construction.


    Despite being attracted by the nature of the City, which was much smaller than Constantinople, yet still was grand in its own right. The Strategos made his way towards the Castle, where the Castle''s guards abruptly stopped him. Arethas stepped out of the carriage and exined his reasoning for visiting. He spoke in German with a thick Greek ent, which did not go unnoticed by the sentries.


    "I am Strategos Arethas Maniakes from the Byzantine Empire; I havee to discuss a business transition with the Count of this region."


    Confused with the man''s identity, the guards did not react at first. However, the man seemed to be dressed in luxurious clothing and possibly have a high standing in the Byzantine Empire. As such, they decided to let him pass, but only after confiscating the weapons from him and his guard. Berengar had be quite cautious ever since he took ahold of Tyrol; he would not allow armed visitors in his presence in fear that they might try to assassinate him after all his reforms were bing quite unpopr among the nobility within Tyrol.


    Arethas quickly agreed to these demands and had his guards disarm themselves before entering the Castle''s gates. When Arethas entered the Castle, he was not overly impressed; after all, his pce was far more luxurious; of course, he did not know that the Castle was only temporary living for Berengar at this point, while his grand pce, which was loosely based on the Sch?nbrunn Pce from his previous life was being constructed.


    After entering the Great Hall, Arethas witnessed Berengar sitting upon his seat of power, with his head resting on his fist. The young Count was currently dressed in luxurious velvet attire in his house''s ck and gold color scheme. The clothing was, of course, based on Tudor fashion, and he even had a fur-lined sleeveless cloak over his exquisite doublet. A pair of jewels hung from his neck where were made of gold and ck ga.


    While sitting upon his seat of power, Berengar exuded a sense of natural authority, so much so that even Arethas, who held a far more prestigious position, could tell that Berengar was not a man to be trifled with. Before Arethas could introduce himself to the fearsome Count, Berengar noticed the man''s approach into his Great Hall and gazed upon the man with a stoic expression while expressing his thoughts.


    "Who are you, and why should I care?"


    Berengar was quite perturbed that his rest had been interrupted by an unknown man from the East. Berengar had been hard at work all day long, and his seat of power was one of the few ces he could just sit back and allow his mind a proper recovery. Despite his minor irritation, he could immediately tell by the fashion in which the man wore that he was someone of great importance, yet he had arrived within Berengar''s territory, in his home without announcing himself. The level of disrespect shown could not be understated.


    Seeing how Berengar reacted, Arethas was quite shocked; the young Count gazed upon him as if he was nothing of worth, and this was quite entertaining to the mighty Strategos. As such, he boldly proimed his position within his own society and his intention for arriving.


    "I am Strategos Arethas Maniakes; I have traveled far from the borders of the Byzantine Emperor to seek an audience with your Excellency. I have a business proposal that you may be interested in."


    Despite the rudeness in which the man had shown, Berengar was quite interested in two things. The man was essentially a Duke within the mighty Byzantine Empire, and he had a business proposal for him. However, despite his interest, Berengar decided to return this man''s kindness with an equally rude gesture.


    "I am intrigued. However, I am currently busy and will need some time to prepare;e back in three days..."


    Ultimately Berengar decided to snub the man; for the time being, the level of disrespect he was shown had to be paid in kind before he could move forward. It was petty, but if he epted this disrespect, it meant that any nobleman of higher birth could walk over him. As such, he decided to show his authority and sent the man back to the City Below. In the meantime, Berengar had intended to verify this man''s identity by inquiring about the so-called Strategos Arethas Maniakes through his trade connections.


    Though Arethas wanted to protest, the ring sapphire eyes which belonged to the young Count sent shivers down his spine. After all, he was disarmed and standing in his great hall which was surrounded by a group of armed men. As such Arethas yed it safe and decided to return to the City and rest for a few days before returning. One his way out of the Castle a wide grin appeared across them man''s face as he expressed his thoughts aloud.


    "Well yed..."

 Chapter 148: Entertaining the Byzantines I

    <h4>Chapter 148: Entertaining the Byzantines I</h4>


    Throughout the next couple of days, Arethas spent his time going throughout the City of Kufstein and learning about its rapid progress. To think that less than a year ago, Kufstein could at most be considered an agricultural town. Though many regions of the City were still undergoing construction, the fact that the walls had been constructed and decent housing was provided for the area''s citizens was astonishing to a man like Arethas.


    The city''s overallyout was constructed in a way that not only took security status in mind but also made certain districts in ce that allowed for organized living. By far, the Industrial District was thergest of these districts, and yet the Trade district was a close second. The greatest part of Kufstein''s design is that the walls extended far beyond the currently inhabited regions of the city, allowing for the potential of tens of thousands of more inhabitants to dwell within the city in the future. Of course, another series of walls could always be constructed, if the City grew beyond its current limits.


    Though the Industrial district wasrgely closed off to visitors, seeing such a vast quantity of smoke in the air led Arethas to believe that there was most definitely a massive industrial output created in this city. Though, of course, he would not believe the amount of steel produced every month in Kufstein if he were to hear the exact amount.


    Arethas had initiallye to Kufstein to secure an exclusive trade agreement with silk; after all, his personal territory grew vast quantities of the material, and he knew Berengar was expending a great sum to acquire it. However, seeing how well equipped Berengar''s garrison was, Arethas believed he might be able to import a great deal of iron into the Empire from Tyrol, which would greatly aid the forces of the empire. He had no way of knowing that the ckened half-te armor in which Berengar''s forces wore was actually made out of quenched and tempered steel. After three days, the Byzantine nobleman returned to Berengar''s castle and once more stood before him in the Great Hall. Berengar was the first to make conversation.


    "I am Count Berengar von Kufstein; you are here in my territory and have arrived unannounced, be grateful for my benevolence, for I have granted you an audience despite the disrespect you have shown me."


    Just because Arethas was a man with a position simr to that of a Duke did not mean that Berengar would back down; as such, he decided to emphasize that this meeting was solely due to his good nature and forgiveness. However, Arethas did not seem phased by Berengar''s posturing and reintroduced himself with a great deal of confidence.


    "I am Strategos Arethas Maniakes. I have traveled a great distance to establish trade with your region. I know that you have a great desire for silk, and I have arge supply of such a material that I am willing to trade. I promise you that if you make me your exclusive trading partner in this regard, I will give you a decent discount on the materials and will be able to fulfill your demand. I have even brought arge quantity of raw silk for you to browse and see if its quality is up to your standards."


    Berengar smiled upon hearing the news that the other party had arge amount of silk to sell; acquiring silk for his ever-increasing textile industry''s demands was bing more difficult, incurring a rising expense and a lower profit margin. As such, he was more than happy to negotiate on a price with the man. Thus Berengar got up from his seat and walked down the steps from the tform where his seat of power was ced upon before standing in front of the man face to face.


    Berengar was quite a deal taller than Arethas, and as such, he was able to look down upon the man with a smug expression on his face. After arriving before the man, Berengar began to negotiate as he paced around Arethas.


    "Assuming you can fulfill your words and satisfy the ever-growing demand for silk, I will be willing to deal exclusively with you under the conditions that I receive a fifteen percent discount. However, I would very much like to see your product before Ie to any agreement."


    To Berengar, this was a reasonable request; after all, he would be buying in vast quantities and wanted a bulk discount, and such a discount was more than reasonable from the standards of his previous life. Of course, he was willing to negotiate a minimum of ten percent off. However, what surprised him was that Arethas immediately agreed to his terms.


    "Such terms are eptable to me; if you would like to browse my wares, we can go to the trade district in your city where I have left my supplies under the protection of my house guard."


    Thus Berengar motioned for a group of his guards standing by to follow him and Arethas into the City below, where they walked around for a bit, capturing the attention of the citizens who began to gossip about the scene. There were many rumors to be made about avishly dressed eastern man conversing with Berengar, the Count of Tyrol.


    Berengar was well ustomed to such chatter, it was amon urrence for the locals to gossip about him whenever he would take a stroll through the city, and as such, paid it no mind. Eventually, Arethas and Berengar reached his carts, which contained a massive supply of raw silk cloth. Berengar carefully inspected the material to see any obvious ws; after a lengthy period of time, he finally smiled and nodded his hand.


    "If you can supply this quantity and quality of silk at regr intervals, I believe we can agree."


    Arethas returned Berengar''s smile and stated with confidence that he would be able to meet his demands.


    "I can supply all of this and more every month. My merchant fleet can travel from Ionia to the Adriatic Sea, where they will then travel by caravan into Kufstein. As long as proper protection is provided for them when they enter through Austria, they will certainly arrive in Kufstein within that period of time."


    Berengar was instantly happy with this news. Finally, he could expand the trade of the more luxurious textiles and for a decent markup. His profit margins would increase with this deal, and he was pleased with it. After shaking the man''s hand, Berengar invited Arethas to share a meal with him in his Castle.


    "How about you stay in my Castle for dinner tonight, I promise you, that you will not regret the fine Cuisine of Tyrol!"


    After hearing the young Count''s offer, Arethas nodded his head in agreement. After all, the more friendly he became with Berengar, the more likely he could get his hands on some of his iron. As such, the shipment of silk was brought to Berengar''s textile factories, where it would be converted into velvet and designed into fashionable clothing. Gold exchanged hands between the Strategos and the young Count. Eventually, they returned to the Castle to share a meal to celebrate the new lucrative trade between their two territories. Unknowingly this trade agreement would have important effects on the future of this world and the rtionship between the Rising German Empire and the Byzantines to the East.

 Chapter 149: Entertaining the Byzantines II

    <h4>Chapter 149: Entertaining the Byzantines II</h4>


    A small feast was thrown within the confines of the Castel of Kufstein. Sitting at the head of the Table was Berengar, and by his side was Linde. At the table near Linde''s position was Henrietta. The only other people present at the table were Arethas and a variety of Byzantine merchants and noblemen who traveled with his Caravan, these men were allowed to dine at the table this night as a show of friendship to the Byzantines. Berengar was quite pleased that the Byzantine Empire maintained significant control over the Mediterranean in this timeline. In contrast, during his past life, they were on the brink of destruction at this point in history. This made establishing trade with the east much easier than dealing with a powerful Muslim Empire.


    Even though the Byzantines were Orthodox, they were much more amicable in this world to the Catholics in the west than they were in their previous life, and as such, the two men were able to get along quite well. Especially because Berengar was secretly an atheist and had no ns to discriminate based upon what religion someone might adhere to. For the rest of the medieval world, this open-mindedness was umon, to say the least.


    Arethas and the Merchants were dining on a variety of German cuisine, which Berengar had long since introduced into Kufstein and by now had spread across Austria and into Bavaria. The Byzantines were far more culturally advanced than their western counterparts due to them being the surviving remnant of the ancient Roman Empire. Because of this, They were quite shocked that such a high level of culinary talent was avable in a remote region like Tyrol.? Seeing the satisfied expression on Arethas'' face as he dug into the veal schnitzel, Berengar could not prevent himself from asking about the man''s opinion.


    "So, what do you think about Tyrolean cuisine?"


    After being asked such a question, Arethas slowly chewed on the food and savored its taste before washing it down with a doppelbock beer. Since Berengar first established his breweries, the first batch of doppelbock beer had recently been released. As a beer connoisseur, Berengar was quite pleased with the result. It was apparent by the look on the Byzantine nobleman''s face that he was not the only one who enjoyed the hearty taste of the strong German beer.? It was only after several moments had passed and Arethas had time to enjoy the serving he had just devoured that he was able to answer Berengar''s question.


    "Truly, it is sublime. I have not had such a fantastic foreign meal in years. Thest time I had such an exquisite dish from a foreign country was when I visited India!"


    Growing up in a globalized world from his previous life, Berengar was quite ustomed to eastern-style foods. He was a big fan of curry from various countries, including India; as such, his mouth salivated thinking about having a curried rice dish. Berengar had once experimented with eating curried rice with torti chips in his previous life, acting as if the rice dish was a dip. It turned out to be quite tasty; at least in his opinion, of course, everyone else thought he was a weirdo for doing such a thing.


    Thinking about such memories, Berengar could not wait for the point where he acquired some coastal territory to build a great fleet that could sail across Asia and acquire the spices necessary to recreate some of his favorite dishes from the continent. However, he was stuck in andlocked region for now, and unless he expanded through force or coercion, he would not be able to acquire such valuable territory. Both of those options took time to prepare for.


    Arethas had his eyes on Linde for quite some time now; after all, she was an exceptional beauty, and as such, he could not stop himself from praising her.


    "Berengar, your wife is among the gorgeous women I have ever seen. You are a lucky man."


    Hearing herself be referred to as Berengar''s wife, Linde began to blush as she shifted her attention to the food on the table. Berengar chuckled at Arethas''ment. However, he did not intend to spoil Linde''s fun, and as such, did not rify that she was, in fact, his lover, not his wife.


    "Linde is the mother of my child and thepanion of my heart; as you say, I am truly a lucky man to have her by my side."


    Seeing as how Berengar did not correct Arethas, Linde decided to y the part of a dutiful wife and made her stance clear.


    "Berengar is the only man I will ever love; it is I who am grateful to be afforded the privilege to live by his side."


    Seeing the genuine expression on the exquisite young woman''s face, Arethas mistook them for a happy newlywed couple and decided to shift the topic to something more important.


    "Berengar, I do not intend to be rude, so forgive me if I am out of ce, but I noticed a great deal of smoke rising from your industrial sector. I have also noticed your men are all equipped in te armor. If you could humor my curiosity, just how much iron is produced in this city?"


    With this question being raised, Berengar chuckled once more, though this time it was a bit more noticeable, and as such, Arethas frowned before asking Berengar.


    "What is so funny?"


    A proud smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he began to correct the man.


    "It is not iron in which my army is equipped with, but steel! My industrial sector produces a massive output of steel every month; the exact amount would shock you. Let''s just say that I have more steel than I know what to do with at the moment."


    This was not an exaggeration in the slightest with the new territory gained in his conquests and the city of Innsbruck being industrialized, Berengar was producing thousands of tonnes of steel every month, and despite using the steel in his many construction projects, which ranged from building fortifications, sewage treatment centers, roads, etc. as well as its extensive use in his arms industry, which supplied not only his own forces with the advanced equipment they wielded but also the medieval arms and armor of his allies. Berengar still had quite the surplus, albeit the more ambitious his ns became, the more the surplus dwindled.


    Hearing this information, Arethas instantly became excited by the news. Though he could not fathom how, if Berengar truly possed the ability to create such a terrifying amount of steel, then clearly he could buy some of the raw materials for his own armies. As such, he began to ponder about the feasibility of such a deal.


    "Is it possible for me to purchase some of your surplus?"


    A smirk spread across Berengar''s lips as he heard those words. Not only could he produce arms and armor for the factions fighting for Germany, but with this opportunity, he could partially supply the Byzantine armies who were fighting in Egypt. If negotiated properly, he could increase the business of his arms trade without putting his own position in danger. After all, no matter what type of armor he produced for the Byzantines, it would never stop his muskets, especially not the rifled muskets that utilized mini balls. Thus Berengar had no fear of trading arms and armor to the east.


    Seeing that Berengar was talking about business at the dinner table, the other Merchants instantly became enlightened by the idea of purchasing some steel to be brought back to the Empire for resale. As such, Berengar found himself bombarded with offers; however, before it could get too chaotic, he raised his hand, signaling the men to behave themselves.


    "We are enjoying a meal right now; there will be plenty of time to discuss business opportunities in the uing days. Take this time to savor the dishes on the table, and think about what offers you wish to present me."


    What Berengar said was true; they had gotten ahead of themselves after the excitement they felt upon hearing that Berengar had a vast surplus of steel. After all, it was a tough material to make in this era, and only ever in small quantities. If Berengar truly possed such a stockpile of the valuable material, they would be willing to go to great lengths to secure a trade agreement with the young Count.


    As such, the remainder of the dinner was spent discussing less important matters and the ongoing events of the world. For a region embroiled in warfare, Tyrol was remarkably secure for the moment. Thus while the rest of Germany suffered through the hardships of war, Berengar entertained a host of Byzantine Merchants and noblemen from the East.

 Chapter 150: Marvels of Industry I

    <h4>Chapter 150: Marvels of Industry I</h4>


    After the feast was over, Berengar saw his guests off to the quarters they were staying in his city. He had made quite an impression on these Byzantine noblemen and merchants, and in the following days, would make sure to negotiate proper trade agreements with every one of them. The more contacts he made in the East, the better his business would be. After reiming much of their lost territories since the Crusades had begun, The Byzantine Empire was wealthy, far more than a region like Germany; after all, they were in the center of trade between the West and the East.


    Though the Byzantines had to repel Saracen invasions a couple of times a decade, for the most part, their power was stable, and Berengar saw an opportunity in building rtions with them. As such, he made sure to take care of his guests during this feast. After sending the men off, he returned to his Castle, where he sat down and had a ss of wine alongside his beautiful young lover. The wine was a gift from the Byzantine Empire and was of significant quality, thus Berengar wanted to have a taste of it.


    After swirling the wine around in his chalice and inhaling the thick aroma, Berengar sipped upon the fine alcohol before nodding his head in approval.


    "The Byzantines sure know how to make a good wine..."


    On the other hand, Linde had some questions on her mind and was not afraid to speak of them; as such, she quickly asked Berengar about his intentions.


    "You sure seem to be treating these men from the east quite well. Do you intend to establish an arms trade with the Byzantines?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before exining his ns.


    "The Eastern half of the Roman Empire was always its wealthiest region, with much of theirnds reimed the Byzantines have amassed quite a fortune over the previous centuries. Due to being near the Saracens, they are constantly under threat of invasion and spend arge amount of wealth on their military. Now that they know I have a substantial supply of steel, when they return to the East and spread the news of this, the Generals of the Byzantine armies will be begging me to supply their forces with high-quality equipment."


    Berengar estimated that the Byzantines would most likely be victorious in their ongoing war with Egypt and reap great spoils from the region, further increasing their wealth. As such, he intended to get on their good side and make as much money from their wars as possible. Wars were a profitable business to those who had the means to take advantage of them. Linde carefully observed Berengar''s estimation before nodding her head in agreement; what Berengar said was most likely true, and getting in the good graces of the Byzantine Empire provided substantial benefits. As such, sheplimented him on his schemes.


    "You really think everything through, don''t you?"


    Berengar chuckled as he took a swig from his ss of wine before responding.


    "Not everything, but I try to be a few steps ahead of my potential rivals. Make no mistake, in the future, when I have united my German Empire, the Byzantines will be a rival for global hegemony, at the rate they are expanding, they could be a threat if rtions are not properly maintained."


    Luckily for Berengar, he knew about the new world and the resource-rich regions of Africa, most of which were sparsely popted and posed no major threat to an advanced army like his own. After unifying his Empire, he would take advantage of his knowledge andy im to the best regions in the world for colonization. By the time the Byzantine Empire and the other powers realized the value of these regions, the critical areas would already be under German sovereignty.


    Linde saw the proud expression on Berengar''s face but could not read his mind, and as such, did not know what he was smirking about. However, she knew when it came to Berengar and his ambitions that it was best not to overstep her bounds, and as such, she decided to switch the topic.


    "So, will you be showing the merchants your steel stockpile?"


    Snapping back to reality from Linde''s words, Berengar quickly nodded his head in response and smiled once more.


    "Of course! They need to know just how much I can produce so that they can brag to the Empire about my steel surplus. The greater the surplus, therger the interest the Empire will have for my steel. I will show them the extent of my people''sbor tomorrow; it will be sure to leave asting impression on these merchants and noblemen from the East."


    With that said, the two lovers quickly finished their wine before returning to their bed chambers, where they embraced each other passionately for many hours into the long night. After the sun rose in the morning, Berengar got up and began his daily routine. It was well past noon when he finally met with Arethas and the others in the city below.


    After meeting up with Arethas, Berengar patted the man on the back with a wide grin on his face.


    "Come! Let me show you the extent of my industry!"


    Hearing these words, a sh of greed filled the eyes of the merchants from the east who surrounded Berengar like a flock of hungry buzzards. Berengar knew what they were thinking about from the gleam in their pupils; unfortunately for them, he would not allow them to see the machinery used to create such a massive stockpile of steel, only the results of production.


    As such, Berengar led the men through the industrial district of Kufstein, whose secrets were heavily guarded by the garrison; only properly authorized personnel was allowed through the gates, but since these men traveled with Berengar, they were easily able to pass by the strict security. After all, Berengar owned this entire city.


    Berengar made sure to give the men a tour of the industrial district outside of the critical areas of development; as such, the armories and arms factories were the first he showed. Of course, he showed the factories which explicitly produced equipment for export, not the manufacture of his own supplies. Seeing such arge warehouse filled with hundreds of employees working in well-organized assembly lines to create sets of brigandine and te armor, the Byzantine merchants were shocked by the size of the operation. Berengar smiled smugly at the expressions on their faces before introducing the area.


    "This is the armory, where we manufacture brigandine and te armor for export to our customers. Of course, if you desire a different armor style, we could also manufacture that for you. From my understanding, the Byzantine army uses a mixture of mail and mirror-pattern armor, and I would be more than happy to craft such equipment if an agreement can be reached."


    Mirror-pattern armor was a style of armor used by eastern forces; it consisted of a group of interlocking iron tes, usually in the form of circles and squares which protected the torso; these tes were grouped together by rivetted mail rings. Generally speaking, the mirror pattern armor was worn over a mail hauberk. Berengar produced very little mail armor because it was a time-consuming practice, far more so than brigandine and te. He would honestly prefer to introduce this western style of equipment to the Byzantine forces, but that was not his decision to make.


    Seeing the grand scale of equipment production, Arethas felt the need to ask about where such supplies would be sold off to.


    "Just who is your customer for such arge supply of equipment?"


    Berengar smiled and did not hide that this equipment was custom ordered and paid for by the Duke of Austria and his vassals.


    "Myrgest customer at the moment is Count Otto of Steiermark. However, Duke Wilmar has recently begun cing orders for his personal armies as well. Luckily for him, he came into arge supply of weapons and armor from thete Count Lothar and his armies; due to the size and speed of my Industry, he has given me the task of repairing and outfitting the equipment for his purposes. However, a lot of this is also new production; as the war goes on, the demand for more equipment expands."


    The sight of the armory left asting impression on Arethas, and he could hardly believe his eyes. Of course, when the Byzantine noblemen and merchants arrived at their next destination, they would be equally shocked by the scale of industry in which Berengar had fostered in Kufstein. If the mighty Strategos knew that Kufsatein was just one of Berengar''s industrial cities and that Innsbruck had been developing its own industrial sector, he would truly lose his mind in astonishment.

 Chapter 151: Marvels of Industry II

    <h4>Chapter 151: Marvels of Industry II</h4>


    After showing the Byzantine noblemen and merchants the armory, Berengar quickly walked into the next area of the industrial sector which housed the arms factory; there were two of such facilities in Kufstein, much like the armories they had been split into production for local forces, and production of arms for export. The export arms factory was also manned by many workers, who utilized trip hammers and other water-powered machinery to pound the steel ingots into the shapes of swords, spears, war hammers, polearms, arrowheads, etc.


    Arethas witnessed the final process of creating a halberd in the hands of one of the workers, it was stacked neatly onto a pallet filled with hundreds of other halberds which wouldter be inspected for quality control, and only after the shipment was fully inspected, and tested would they be shipped out to their customers. Berengar knew the importance of quality control, and as such, he did his best to maintain the quality of his equipment. Each piece of equipment approved for export was given a proof mark shaped like the letter K, symbolizing that it had been manufactured and received approval for shipment within the factories of Kufstein. This process, of course, was also used on the equipment for his own forces, but that was not important at the moment. Berengar began to introduce the facility to the merchants as if he was a standard tour guide who had repeated this phrase a hundred times before.


    "This is the arms factory used to produce weapons from the steel manufactured in the city. Each piece of equipment, much like the armor in our armories, is inspected for quality before it is shipped out to our customers. If it fails to meet our standards, it is recycled into the steel nts and manufactured into something new. I have stringent guidelines about quality control to ensure that each piece of equipment manufactured in our factories is truly fit for the stresses of battle."


    The idea of strict quality control was something Bernegar had taken from his previous life and was not generally used in this timeline, at least not to the degree to which he had implemented it. Seeing such a massive stockpile of weapons being loaded onto wooden pallets, the byzantine merchants and noblemen were practically salivating at sight. They all wanted to get their hands on the arms in front of them, where they could be sold in the Empire for arge profit or used to outfit their own troops.


    Berengar had yet to show the actual warehouse which housed his steel surplus, but he had already captured the interests of the men from the East. From the looks in their eyes, he could tell they would spread this news across the Empire, and Berengar would gain various new customers. Arethas, in particr, could not wait to return home and inform the department in charge of procuring equipment for the army about such a massive opportunity. After all, the Byzantine Empire was a highlyplex imperial bureaucracy; a general could not just outfit his troops with new equipment out of nowhere; it first had to be approved by the bureaucrats in charge of logistics.


    After showing off the armory and arms factory, Berengar finally dragged the men over to the warehouse which housed the steel surplus; after opening it up and disying the full might of his industrial capacity, the merchants and noblemen were absolutely shocked. The warehouse was roughly 5,000 sq feet and contained piles of steel ingots stacked to the roof. The amount of steel in this facility was in the thousands of tons. This was the surplus that had been gathered after months of production from the Bessemer converters.


    Seeing the sight before him, Arethas'' eyes nearly fell out of his sockets; his jaw dropped to the point where it nearly unhinged itself. He could not fathom so much steel in one ce. Steel was a scarcemodity, and yet Berengar had produced such a vast quantity of it. He could not understand why so much steel was needed. After all, the idea of using steel in structures was not something that had been invented outside of Berengar''s domain. The steel ingots themselves were sorted into different areas based upon theirposition and purpose. Structural steel, armor steel, weapon steels, tool steels, and galvanized steel ingots were properly organized in their own sections. If one were not familiar with this organization, one would think that all the steel was the same.


    After confirming that they were looking at reality, the Byzantine merchants and noblemen recovered their senses and instantly began thinking about taking advantage of this. The merchants, in particr, wanted to resale this steel for an exorbitant price and instantly began making offers to Berengar. One fat and bald man, in particr, approached Berengar with a smile on his face as if the young Count was his benefactor.


    "Count Berengar, what would it take for me to acquire a small amount of this steel to bring back with me to the Empire?"


    Seeing the way the man was looking at him made Berengar ufortable. However, he knew the value of the steel and the man''s ns. As such, he made a figure he felt was appropriate.


    "I will ept one pound of silver for every ton of steel you wish to buy."


    This number was quite high, considering 150 lbs of iron could be sold in Ennd for 4 shillings, each shilling being roughly 1/20 a pound of silver. However, this was not iron but readily manufactured steel, and Berengar held a monopoly on it. There was nowhere else in the world the man would be able to get such a vast quantity of steel. For reference, in the modern world from Berengar''s past life, one ton of steel ingots was worth anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 US Dors, whereas one Avoirdupois Pound of silver was worth roughly 345 US Dors. However, silver was much scarcer in this time period, and as such, its inherent worth was much higher than 21st Century America, but then again, so was steel.


    The smiling face of the fat merchant quickly receded to a scowl as he heard Berengar''s offer. It was quite arge sum of money, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he could charge an even greater price when he resold it, as for the time being, he would be one of the few men capable of bringing such a vast quantity of steel back to the Empire. However, the man still tried to negotiate the price with Berengar.


    "How about 1/2 a pound of silver?"


    However, Berengar shook his head in refusal and rified his position


    "One pound of silver for one ton of steel. That is my offer."


    Everyone in the room knew that Berengar had a monopoly on such a high quantity of steel, and he could dictate the price as he pleased, even if these merchants were unwilling to pay the price, someone would, and as such, Berengar took full advantage of that to pressure these merchants. Eventually, they gritted their teeth and bought arge steel supply to bring back to the Empire. Of course, they did not have such a vast quantity of silver on them, and as such, they would have to go back to the Empire, get the silver, and then return to Kufstein toplete the transaction. However, such a trip was worth it when the profit they could make from the steel was massive.


    After concluding the initial transaction, Berengarpleted the tour of his industrial district and captured the interests of the Byzantine merchants and noblemen; they had no idea how Berengar had managed to aplish it as he kept them away from the Bessemer converters. Still, he had such arge stockpile of steel. If they were his neighbors, they would be tempted to invade. However, due to the distance between the Empire and Tyrol, it was not something they could easily do. As such, the Byzantines spent some time in Tyrol getting ustomed to Berengar before returning to the Empire, though they would be back shortly with plenty of silver to trade for Berengar''s steel.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was rather happy about the deals he had made; he had secured a new market, and with it, another fortune. For now, he went back to preparing his armies for the uing war with the Teutonic Order, as well as overseeing the construction of his star fortresses and monuments. The work of a Tyrant was neverplete.

 Chapter 152: Show Him No Mercy!

    <h4>Chapter 152: Show Him No Mercy!</h4>


    Nearly two months had passed since Berengar concluded his business with the Byzantines, and since then, another shipment of silk had entered Kufstein as promised. During this time period, the other merchants eager to get their hands on some of Berengar''s steel had made their round trip with enough silver to make Berengar an even more wealthy man. However, the most important part of what had happened during this time was the Teutonic Order''s progress by crossing through Bavaria. They would soon reach the Bavarian alps, where they would enter into Tyrol, and Berengar intended toy a trap for them within the narrow passages of the mighty mountain range.


    Berengar was once more tasked with the responsibility to go to war; however, this time, it would be a far shorter campaign. At the moment, he was dressed in his exquisite armor, which had once more changed to fit battle conditions. He wore a three quarter''s ckened steel te harness; however, under the armor was a backend steel mail hauberk with brass rings on the bottomyers of the sleeves; over his hands were an exquisite pair of 16th-century style te gauntlets whose fingers were segmented and were ckened while sharing the elegant gold pattern that was on his armor. Over his cuirass, he wore a matching gold sash and a ck sword belt with gold fittings that contained his majestic heavy cavalry saber.


    He no longer wore the signature waffenrock in the past, and his armored codpiece was on full disy over his ck and gold Landschneckt style trousers. The armored codpiece matched the pattern on the rest of his armor. For footwear, he wore a pair of cavalry boots that folded at his knees; as for his helmet, he had switched from the skullcap and the feathered cap to a more traditional German-style burg, which had three rims atop its skull instead of the usual one. Of course, it was embellished with the same intricate gold pattern on the rest of his armor.


    Seeing her lover geared up for war again, Linde could not help but frown; her strawberry blonde hair was now much longer and overflowed past her shoulders, her bangs were straight, and a strand of her hair was tied over the back of her long red-gold curtain. If anything, with this new hairstyle, she was even more beautiful than before. She held the baby Hans in her hands as she pouted at Berengar, who was leaving her so quickly after returning from the war in Tyrol.


    Berengar closed the distance between her and himself and brought her into his metallic embrace before kissing her passionately; after releasing his grasp, Linde spoke the words in her heart.


    "Show him no mercy!"


    Berengar nodded with a serious expression on his face; he had already made the mistake of allowing Lambert to live, which had brought serious consequences. An army of over 30,000 men was at his doorstep, with his scoundrel of a little brother at its head. Though he had roughly half the amount of men, he would be riding into battle to meet Lambert and end this sibling rivalry once and for all.


    After bidding farewell to his lover and child, Berengar walked out into his Castle''s courtyard, where he mounted his mighty steed Erwin and prepared to meet up with his army, which was already assembled within the city gates of Kufstein. After meeting up with his army at the rallying point, Berengar noticed the magnificence of his army. Many of the veterans had been recalled from their positions as garrisons and reced with the recruits. After all, having veterans in his army to maintain order and discipline was crucial to victory, especially against an army asrge as Lambert''s.


    Standing before Berengar were roughly 15,000 men, 10,000 of which were infantry, all d in the brilliant disy of ck, gold, and white attire, with ckened steel half-te armor and burgs. As for the NCOs, their armor was lined with a simple brass trimming, and the Officers had a more embellished brass trimming on their armor which allowed his ranks to identify the men in charge and follow their orders quickly. Roughly half of the infantry were equipped with the 1417/18 Rifled Musket; the others still used the standard 1417 Land Pattern Musket, smoothbore. As for the remaining 5,000 men, it was a mix of Cuirassiers and Artillery.


    Whenpared to the army of Lambert''s, which, aside from 10,000 men, was filled with mere peasant levies, Berengar''s forces were far more impressive. With this sight, Berengar began to get the feeling that his vision for a grand army that would put Napoleon''s elite forces to shame was beginning to take shape.


    After arriving at the head of the formation, Berengar gave the order to his men, who were waiting patiently.


    "Forward March!"


    with that dered, Berengar''s army was once more on the march to war. The citizens of Kufstein gathered on both sides of the marching army to show their support, fully realizing that many of these young men would not be returning. As such, flowers wereid at the army''s feet that began to march towards the Bavarian Alps.


    Riding alongside Berengar was his Field Marshal Eckhard von Hallstatt; he was the one who devised the n to meet the Teutonic Army in the mountains and ambush them. With the superior range and the treacherous terrain, Berengar and his forces would be able to take full advantage of the situation and inflict mass casualties on the enemy before they were able to sh with his forces in meleebat. The more enemies that could be killed at the range, the better. Berengar, of course, was still apprehensive about the n considering how vastly outnumbered they were; as such, he voiced his concerns to Eckhard.


    "Are you sure about this? If they enter through a different region, we will be leaving our nks open."


    Eckhard put on a solemn expression as he assured Berengar of his n''s sess.


    "Munich has fallen into the hands of Duke Otto; unless he wants to sh with the Austrian armies, Lambert will have to circumvent them; they will go through Swabia, specifically through Oberstdorf, to reach Tyrol. Rest assured, our scouts have already reported seeing them in the area. When they enter the mountains, we will be lying in wait for them; there will be no escape."


    Hearing how confident Eckhard was, Berengar let out a sigh of relief. Despite being a decent strategist and tactician himself, Eckhard was the true prodigy in the art of war, and if the Field Marshal was so certain of this battle''s oue, then Berengar had nothing to fear. As such, the young Count continued on his journey. With this, Berengar and his army would soon meet the Teutonic Army in brutal conflict; ever since Berengar opted to spare Lambert''s life, he knew the decision woulde back to bite him in the rear, and the chickens have finallye home to roost. Only blood could resolve this sibling conflict that had been brewing for so long.

 Chapter 153: Ambushing the Teutonic Order

    <h4>Chapter 153: Ambushing the Teutonic Order</h4>


    After marching for a few days, Berengar and his Army arrived at the passage in Oberstdorf that led into Tyrol. Due to the ongoing war in Germany, specifically with the Austrian conquest of Bavaria, the Teutonic Knights were forced to take a narrow and more treacherous path on the western region of Bavaria, which was part of the proud Duchy of Swabia. As Berengar entered the mountainous path with a rtively narrow ravine, he ordered his troops to set up their artillery higher than the pass below.


    Hiding among the treeline of the mountains side Berengar''s troopsy in wait, ready to ambush Lambert''s forces. They had received information from their scouts that Lambert and his forces would be walking into the trap they had set within a matter of hours. As such, Berengar kept careful watch over the mountain pass where his troops had set themselves up in a position to trap Lambert and his armies.


    There would be no escape from the encirclement they had set up, and Berengar could not forgive Lambert for the transgressions he had made against him. Berengar had spared Lambert''s life at the behest of his mother and given him a chance to redeem himself. However,mbert did not appreciate his mercy and decided to spit in his face by marching an army into Berengar''snds. This could not be tolerated. There would be no mercy shown to the enemy today.


    Before long, Berengar could hear the march of an army of Teutonic soldiers singing their Catholic Hymns. The white banners with the infamous ck cross of the Teutonic Order were waving in the background as they marched through the narrow pass. Seeing the enemy before them, Berengar''s troops prepared their rifles as they hid behind the tall trees, using them as cover. Only when the enemy was fully trapped in the encirclement did Berengar''s troops begin to fire. The distance between Berengar''s armies and Lambert''s were a few hundred meters, easy enough for the thousands of rifled musketeers to rain fire down on the unsuspecting Teutonic Order. The critical targets were the knights and man at arms under Lambert''smand, so the initial volley was centered on the well-armored forces who would prove more difficult to kill in meleebat.


    Lambert, who was riding at the head of the army, was shocked when he heard the explosive gunfire echo into the air; instantly, thousands of musket shots were fired, causing chaos, death, and destruction upon his ranks. Lambert waspletely caught in a crossfire by both sides of the mountains; the effect of the musket balls tearing through his knights and men at arms was devastating. Though Lambert was unharmed, his horse was hit by one of the minie balls and tumbled to the ground.


    By the time Lambert had recovered from his position on the ground, the second wave of musket shots had fired off, shredding his armies once more. Realizing that these were the weapons of Berengar and that he had walked right into his brother''s trap, Lambert boldly dered his armies to charge to the treeline where the enemy was hiding. As soon as the Teutonic Order made their way to the tree line, they began to be battered by the dozens of cannons ced in the mountains above, firing on the foothills below with their explosive shells. Yet Lambert paid no heed to them and instead rallied his forces.


    "Into the forest! They would never fire upon their own lines!"


    As such, the tens of thousands of levies were pushed forward by the remaining members of the Teutonic Order, who were not ughtered in the initial volley. Despite being well equipped with rifled muskets, 300+ meter targets were still a difficulty for many of the soldiers equipped with such technology, and many of the projectiles missed their mark. As such, there were still thousands of heavily armed Teutonic soldiers marching into the forest to engage Berengar''s forces in meleebat. Berengar had yet to deploy the Cavalry. Instead, they would act as the units that would encircle Lambert''s forces if they attempted to flee the ravine; as such, he calmly sat atop Erwin''s saddle and waited for the battle to turn interesting.


    After suffering thousands of casualties in the initial fighting, Lambert remained undeterred, he had over 30,000 men at his back, and it became quickly apparent that Berengar had at most 10,000 men under hismand, if he could close the distance, he would win by the sheer volume of numbers, or so he hoped. As such, Lambert quickly advanced towards the enemy, unafraid of the oing projectiles as he led his troops into battle. Whether he was simply lucky or blessed by God, Lambert arrived at the enemy lines in the forests screaming at the top of his lungs the battle cry of so many crusaders.


    "God wills it!"


    However, what he was met with was the battle cry of Berengar''s soldiers as they rushed towards him and his armies with bays affixed.


    "God with us!"


    The two chants of the armies perfectly contrasted their worldview as a grand melee began to unfold. Despite Lambert''s overwhelming numbers, Berengar''s forces hadpletely encircled them and began to push them back into the ravine. After all, many of Lambert''s army were forcefully conscripted levies, and hundreds if not thousands of them had already broken ranks the moment they came under fire. They were simple peasants, and seeing such death and destruction, which resulted from thunderous echoes, they could not help but fear they were being punished by God''s wrath and thus fled for their lives.


    Despite the fleeing levies, many of them remained, and as such, Berengar''s forces were still greatly outnumbered. Thus the two armies shed against one another in a valley between the Bavarian Alps on the border of Austria. The blood and chaos that followed would prove to be an inspiration for the future artists of this world. The only men who remained calm during this sea of bloodshed were Berengar and Eckhard, who gazed upon the battle from afar, watching the Teutonic Order y right into their hands.

 Chapter 154: My Dear Brother

    <h4>Chapter 154: My Dear Brother</h4>


    As the Teutonic Order and Berengar''s Army shed in the field below, Berengar gazed upon the bloody scene with a smirk. Everything was going ording to n. Berengar investigated the melee below through a spyss, desperately searching for Lambert''s location, unfortunately for him, Lambert was d in a full set of te armor, and his great basc''s visor was down; as such, it was not easy to spot him in the chaotic scene.


    Lambert, on the other hand, was currently engaging inbat against one of Berengar''s infantrymen; as the soldier thrust his bay at Lambert''s direct, the boy swiftly dodged the strike and lunged with his longsword piercing through the gap in the man''s helmet and into his eyes, killing him on the spot. Lambert had trained his whole life in the art ofbat, and though bay training was much simpler than the sword against a true master, it was too easy to cut down Berengar''s professional army.


    The surviving knights of the order''s army surrounded Lambert, and they engaged in brutalbat with Berengar''s soldiers. When grouped together, they made an easy target for the grenadiers, one of which lobbed a grenade into the mix that detonated shortly after. Shredding the nearby knights and forcing the others to redirect their efforts into protecting their nks. Lambert was too busy inbat to realize that the explosive st had torn the visor of his helmet, revealing his face, which was spotted from afar by Berengar and his spyss. A wicked grin appeared on Berengar''s face as he spotted Lambert from a great distance.


    "There you are, little brother! It is time to pay for your sins!"


    After putting away his spyss, Berengar unsheathed his heavy cavalry sword and pulled out one of the pistols from his saddle Before dering to his cavalry forces in a loud shout.


    "God with us!"


    The infamous battle cry was the signal for the charge, as such thousands of cuirassiers began to descend on the encircled Teutonic order from both sides of the ravine. Before long, a new wave of gunfire was unleashed by the pistols in their hands as they charged into the fray. The stray bullets went in many directions; due to the chaotic situation, it was unknown whether or not any of Berengar''s forces were injured or killed by friendly fire. However, the attack was effective in breaking open a path into the melee.


    After crashing into the wall of steel, which was the Teutonic Order''s forces, the cavalry began to cut their way through the massive horde of enemies. Berengar was leading his forces straight to Lambert, who was busy fighting off the ranks of Berengar''s grenadiers, who were a far more elite group of soldiers than the standard line infantry, and as such, presented a greater challenge for him and his knights.


    However, Before Berengar could reach Lambert, the chaos of battle affected his trajectory. While he was rushing towards his brother on horseback, a lucky spear thrust through the gaps in Erwin''s armor and pierced itself into the horse''s hide, gravely injuring the mighty beast. Berengar fell to the ground amidst the chaos and found himself surrounded by the spearman, where he quickly deflected the oing blow into his breastte, which he knew would prevent its advance, and used this time to stab the 38-inch de of his Damascus steel sword into the crusader''s eye socket.


    Berengar certainly had a reach advantage as his single-handed sword was greater in de length than most longswords; as such, he adeptly moved from his position after killing the man and shed into the poorly guarded torso of a levy who got in his path. Seeing the target of his ire was only a few yards in front of him, Berengar shouted out above the chaotic sounds of battle in a voice so loud it would even garner Lambert''s attention whose longsword was currently bound with the bay of a grenadier.


    "Lambert! I''vee for your head!"


    Noticing the voice of his brother taunting him in the distance, Lambert quickly unbound from the Grenadier''s bay and stuck his de through the man''s face before gazing over at Berengar, who stood a few yards away next to his dead horse.


    Lambert instantly charged at his older brother while calling out to him


    "Today, you will die by my de Berengar! Why could you not just die peacefully in your sleep from the poison? Instead, you have taken everything from me!"


    Berengar grinned wickedly as he shed with Lambert''s longsword; what the boy said was true, Berengar had taken everything from him, but in his eyes, it was the price to pay for plotting against him so many times. As such, he felt no guilt for his actions. Lambert quickly shed at Berengar, which the garishly outfitted Count parried; Berengar counter-attacked with a lunge which Lambert swiftly dodged. Finally, the lessons of swordsmanship in which Bernegar had so painstakingly engaged in every day for thest year were beginning to show their effects.


    As the battle waged around these twomanders, Lambert and Berengar danced with their swords. However, after a while, it soon became apparent that despite the advantages Berengar''s sword had over a traditional longsword, he was not nearly skilled enough to keep up with Lambert. Eventually, a vertical sh passed through Berengar''s defense, and right under the protection of his Burg grazing past his right eye, cutting through the soft tissue and spilling his blood on the ground. Berengar reeled in pain as the sting of the cut electrified his brain.


    Despite losing his vision in his dominant eye, Berengar desperately tried to raise his sword in defense. Instead, the sword was quickly disarmed from his hand, and he was kicked by Lambert''s steel-d foot onto the ground, lying against the corpse of his once-proud destrier.


    "Sixteen years! Sixteen years I have had to watch you make a fool of yourself and our family. The sheer damage you did to the von Kufstein name throughout your life through your childish fits of anger and indolent behavior was enough to set back our family''s prestige by generations! Can you honestly me me for wanting to kill you and take your position! I would never have imagined that I would have actually seeded on my first attempt and invite a demon into our midst."


    Hearing thest few words of Lambert''s monologue made Berengar break out in uncontrolledughter; despite losing sight in his right eye and bleeding profusely from the wound, Berengar could not contain himself. Seeing his older brother seemingly lose his sanity in the moment before his death, Lambert instinctively lowered his defenses and questioned Berengar for his odd behavior.


    "What is so funny?"


    Berengar stoppedughing and red at Lambert like a demon mocking a mortal for being foolish enough to believe that they had cornered him. As his lips curled up into a sinister sneer, Berengar spoke in a chilling tone to Lambert.


    "Oh, my dear brother... You have no idea how right you are!"


    With that, Berengar quickly grabbed the remaining pistol from Erwin''s saddle and cocked the hammer while pointing it at Lambert''s chest, which was not three feet away. Berengar was only a second faster than Lambert as the boy reacted to Berengar''s actions by lifting his sword into the air with a killing blow. The thunder of the flintlock pistol exploded into the air as the musket ball within left the barrel''s chamber and flew point-nk into Lambert''s breastte before passing through it and into the youth''s heart. Lambert''s sh came down upon Berengar, but due to the damage dealt by the musket ball to the young Teutonic Knight, the trajectory of the sword was altered and shed into the steel armor that was atop Erwin''s corpse beforembert himself fell to the ground bleeding out from his wounded heart.


    Berengar used this opportunity to mber to his feet before grabbing ahold of his sword; due to the damage inflicted upon his right eye and the difference in depth perception, it took him a few attempts to get ahold of it. Afterward, Berengar walked over to his brother and gazed upon him as he slowly bled to death. In the process he removed the boy''s helmet before saying something Lambert would never expect.


    "I really have to thank you, Lambert; if you had not poisoned this body to the brink of death, I might not have been able to enter this world. For that, you have my sincerest gratitude. However, the moment I came into this world, there was only one of two ways this would end. With my death or yours, and unfortunately for you, the entity you brought into this Earth is beyond yourprehension. A bit of advice from one who has already pierced the veil. Try to do better in your next life!"


    After hearing these words, life finally faded from Lambert''s eyes as he entered the void. Whether or not he would be reincarnated, Berengar did not know; after all, even after experiencing death, Berengar saw neither heaven nor hell; he simply awoke in another body. It waspletely unknown to him if that was everyone''s fate or a one-time thing. Lambert had passed from this world in a state of total fear and confusion. He genuinely died believing that Berengar was possessed by a demon, one in which he had personally brought into the world. Berengar on the other hand had merely spoken the truth, albeit in a deliberately vague way to mess with Lambert''s mind onest time.

 Chapter 155: Cut Off His Head!

    <h4>Chapter 155: Cut Off His Head!</h4>


    Despite Lambert''s death, the battle continued to wage on. Of course, in the middle of the chaos and bloodshed, nobody noticed that themander of the Teutonic Ordery dead on the ground, not at first at least. However, the surrounding Teutonic knights and grenadiers quickly realized that theirmanders were missing and gazed over to see Berengar wounded in one eye, staring down at his brother''s corpse. You would think that the sight of theirmander dying would weaken the crusader''s resolve. However, it only enhanced it. The Heretic had killed his own brother; that was a grave sin, and as such, their zealotry took hold of them as they began to make their way to Berengar to avenge the loss of theirmander.


    However, the Grenadiers quickly halted the knight''s advance to put their bays in their path and formed a wall between the enemy and theirmander. A fierce sh broke out between Berengar''s grenadiers and the Knights of the Teutonic Order; despite the Knight''s being d head to toe in te armor, they soon found themselves being gunned down by a few of the rifled musketeers who stayed in the treeline and sniped the enemy targets from afar. These men were Berengar''s marksman and would one day be his Jaeger Corps. For now, they pelted the heavily armored knights with lead projectiles while they shed with the Grenadiers.


    Eventually, the melee seemed to turn in favor of Berengar''s army; after all, theirmander was dead, and at this point, Berengar and his army had ughtered the majority of the Knights and Men at Arms. As for the levies, they no longer had the resolve to fight. As such entire ranks of levies dropped their weapons as they realized they were greatly outmatched by the skill of Berengar''s line infantry and their bays. Noticing the decrease in Knights and Men at Arms, Berengar shouted to the chaotic battlefield as loud as possible.


    "Any levy who turns on the Teutonic Order will be spared the death in which I have reserved for them!"


    Berengar''s officers and NCOs quickly rid this news across the melee to the point where most of the Levies had taken up arms against the men who forced them into this deadly conflict. There was no love lost between the levies and the Teutonic Order, and given the option, they would dly backstab the Knights and Men at arms who forced them out of their homes and away from their families into this ughter.


    Despite being surrounded by Berengar''s forces and subjected to the treason of their levies, the Teutonic Order''s zealotry was to bemended as they fought to thest man, taking as many enemies as they could with them. For a crusader surrendering to a heretic was worse than death, and these men exemplified that ideal. Before long, the Teutonic Order''s army waspletely wiped out down to thest man, yet the damage done to Berengar''s forces was immense. He had lost well over 2000 men in the conflict; after all, the heavily armored knights had an enormous advantage in meleebat.


    After the battle was over, Eckhard approached Berengar, whose wounds were being treated by a field medic. It stung like hell, but the distilled alcohol disinfected the wound to his right eye, and series of linen bandages were wrapped around it. For now, that was the best treatment he could receive. Seeing Berengar was rather calm about the whole situation, Eckhard asked him an important question on his mind.


    "What should we do with the remains of your brother?"


    Berengar thought about it for a few moments before a wicked idea formed in his head. Berengar''s own arrogance had gotten the better of him in this conflict; he had charged towards his brother''s position expecting to kill him easily; in the end, the price of his victory was that of his dominant eye and the life of his trusted steed. He needed a memento mori, a symbol to remind him that no matter what he aplishes in life, he is only human and that death is inevitable. As such, he gave Eckhard a barbaric decree, one which made the man question the sanity of his Lord and Commander.


    "Cut off his head and bring it to me; I will have his skull turned into a golden chalice! As for the rest of his body? Bury it in the mass grave with the rest of these foolish crusaders!"


    Eckhard was immediately taken back by the notion; such a thing was not umon during the Dark Ages; However, the idea of decapitating someone and turning their skull into a drinking cup was a savage and barbaric notion during this time period. Still, the veteran Knight knew better than to disobey one of Berengar''smands. As such, he ordered some of the more unstable men in the army to perform the evil deed.


    As for the levies they gathered before Berengar, after all, they were captured by Berengar''s troops after the conflict was over and awaited his orders. Though he promised to spare them if they fought for him, one could never know if the young Count would keep his word. Seeing the destitute peasants forced into the armies of the Teutonic Order andpelled to fight against him, Berengar felt a great deal of pity for them, and as such, he rose from his seat. The bloody bandage over his right eye marred his otherwise charismatic appearance. Berengar gave amand for all of the levies to hear.


    "I hold no ill will towards any of you; you all were forced against your will to fight against me and were dragged away from your families without your consent. Yet despite this, you have given me aid in this conflict, and as such I will reward you. Go home, and spread the word of my merciful and righteous actions."


    With that said, the surviving levies of the Teutonic Order''s army were freed and allowed to return to their homes, though some of them were not as lucky as the others. Many of them were wounded and would die of infection on their path back to their homes. However, Berengar had limited medical supplies, and he was far from a saint. The fact that he had spared their lives despite taking up arms against him was in itself mercy. After all, these men were not his enemies; if they were, he would never allow them to see the light of another day. For Berengar had learned a valuable lesson about showing mercy to one''s enemies, a mistake he would never repeat so long as he drew breath in this world.

 Chapter 156: Recovery

    <h4>Chapter 156: Recovery</h4>


    At the moment, Berengar was sitting in his castle, having his eye looked over by his court physician Ewald. It had been a few days since his return from the battlefield, and his injury was well maintained due to the disinfectants used on it. Despite the horrendous nature of medieval medicine, the man seemed to be somewhatpetent, having trained in his earlier years in the Byzantine Empire; he had ess to many of the more enlightened views of medicine from the ssical era and the golden age of Im. As such, he carefully observed Berengar''s right eye, which had a vertical sh through it. Though the cut was not deep enough to kill, it had severed his retina and potentially the optical nerve. Of course, Ewald did not know such advanced information; after observing it, he made his diagnosis.


    "The eye itself will heal, albeit heavily scarred but you will never be able to see from it again. I suggest you get yourself ustomed to life with only half of your vision before you go on any further campaigns."


    Receiving this news made Berengar frown with discontent; as for Linde, she was nearby holding her lover''s hand throughout the process. She was more anxious about the results than Berengar himself was. Ultimately Berengar sighed heavily before expressing his views on the matter.


    "Such is the price of my arrogance..."


    Ever since he had be wounded, Berengar greatly reflected on his prior actions. Despite knowing the danger, and the ability of his brother''s swordsmanship, Berengar rushed into the fray, truly believing he could contend with Lambert after only a year''s worth of training. After all, he had been overwhelmingly victorious in all his previous conflicts; how could this one possibly be any different? Such hubris had cost him dearly. The price of Berengar''s victory over the Teutonic Order was steep; he lost roughly 3,000 men in the battle, his faithful steed Erwin, as well as the function of his dominant eye. After hearing what Ewald had to say, Berengar dismissed him where he was left alone with Linde, who ced a fresh bandage covered in a basic antibiotic ointment.


    Since the day that the Alchemists arrived in Kufstein and began learning Chemistry, Berengar had ced them in charge of more than just creating TNT; in fact, arge amount of the chemicals they produced thanks to Berengar''s future knowledge was for medical purposes. Such as neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin, which were antibiotics used in over-the-counter antibiotic ointment in Berengar''s previous life. The worst part of an injury like this was its potential to be infected; as such, Berengar had taken great preventative measures with repeated disinfectants and antibiotic ointment. If his wound were to be infected, the possibility of death was high, and as such, he wished to avoid such an oue so early in life.


    After cing the ointment-covered bandage over Berengar''s wounded eye, Berengar began tough bitterly as he decided to use his self-deprecating sense of humor to ovee the awkward silence.


    "I always thought I would look good with an eyepatch..."


    This caused Linde to chuckle as she hugged Berengar tightly and nodded while trying tofort him.


    "If anything, it will add to your regal appearance!"


    After saying those two remarks, the couple returned to awkward silence, where they sat still in the bedroom for a while. While Linde was greatly concerned about Berengar''s injury, she was just grateful that he was still alive; after all, if the de prated a little deeper into his eye, it could have killed him. Though she knew injury and death were possible on the battlefield, Berengar had always returned home in one piece in his previous campaigns. Because of this, there was a natural inclination to disregard the possibility. Yet here he was permanently injured from the battlefield; it caused her to be thankful that her man had survived, and as such, she desired tofort him in his time of need. Berengar, however, saw this as a humbling experience, something from which he could learn a valuable lesson. After all, he still had one eye; thus, he could still function normally once he recovered.


    For the time being, Berengar would go through a phase of recovery; he would leave the realm''s governance up to his Chancellor Liutbert and the rudimentary parliamentary system he had in ce. At the moment, Berengar had two concerns, one of which regarded the construction of his new chalice. For the time being, he had no ns to inform Henrietta that Lambert hade to Tyrol to cause him harm. Instead, he would fabricate a letter from the Teutonic Order "informing" the von Kufstein family of Lambert''s death in a righteous crusade. His retired parents and little sister did not need to know of Lambert''s actions or the fact that his skull had be Berengar''s favorite drinking cup.


    The other concern was the construction of an exquisite eyepatch; as such, he began to design a ck velvet eyepatch with golden embroidery that was sure to match his regal appearance perfectly. After it wasplete, he sent the design to his tailors, who handcrafted the piece for him. The construction of his chalice and eyepatch took a few days, and by the time Berengar received them, he was quite happy with the results.


    The skull chalice was hollowed out and dipped in gold, ck ga gemstones were encrusted below the lip of the cup, and at the bottom of the stand which protruded from the stem of the skull seamlessly, as if the entire piece was not actually made from a human skull, but carved out of a block of gold itself. The craftsmanship was of the highest quality, and Berengar was pleased with the result.


    As for the eyepatch, it was exactly how he had envisioned and was also a work of art. The eyepatch was an essory that covered his hideously wounded eye, which had already begun to mend itself; within a few weeks, the gash in the eye itself would be restored, but there would definitely be a scarred pupil and iris. As for the rest of the scar, parts of it were still visible above and below the eyepatch, which Berengar felt gave him a dignified appearance.? Overall the wound did not take away from his appearance; if anything, it made him more striking and authoritative; Berengar was quite pleased with how it turned out. If he were wounded anywhere else on the face, his devilishly good looks would be affected.


    Linde, who was nearby, witnessed Berengar inspecting himself in the mirror and giggled as she watched the man she loved trying on his eyepatch as if he was a teenage girl getting ready for a date. Noticing that his actions had been observed without his notice, Berengar decided to joke about the whole situation.


    "You are going to have to give me some notice in the future when you sneak up on me like that; my peripheral vision is not as great as it used to be..."


    Hearing Berengar joke about his condition so casually made Linde feel less mncholy about his injury; Berengar had quickly epted his fate and vowed to learn from the experience. Yet, Linde had spent thest few days sulking, as if she were the one wounded. After all, she felt as if what happened to Berengar also happened to her; as such, Berengar had spent most of his recoveryforting Linde, despite being the one injured himself. The hearts of women were aplex entity, and Berengar did his best to navigate its stormy seas. Yet, now that Berengar was disying a smile on his face for the first time since his injury, Linde began to feel her spirit being lifted as well; as such, she began to smile warmly as she responded to Berengar''s remarks.


    "I will consider that. How is your eye doing?"


    Berengar smiled as he looked at himself in the mirror


    "It will be fine; it just needs a few more weeks of healing."


    as such, Berengar removed his eyepatch and reced it with a clean bandage. For now, the eyepatch would have to wait; despite how great it looked, healing was a greater priority than aesthetics.


    Ultimately weeks went by, and Berengar had not informed Ad of his injury. Until he was fully healed, he would not worry the girl; after all, she might do something foolish like abscond from the safety of her family''s castle and travel the roads by her lonesome to Kufstein during this dangerous era of civil strife. As such, he spent a great deal of time with Linde and their child Hans. Berengar was greatly pleased by the time he spent during the weeks of his recovery, as he was usually so dreadfully busy that he could not spend as much time with his family as he desired.


    The time he spent with his family was filled with bliss, and quite honestly, he was thankful for the reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the life of a Tyrant. Things progressed smoothly in the realm, but ultimately he would have to cut his vacation short as the after-effects of the battle with the Teutonic Order were far greater than he had initially estimated.

 Chapter 157: Storm in the East

    <h4>Chapter 157: Storm in the East</h4>


    Weeks had gone by, and Berengar had fully recovered, however at the other end of Europe in the east, the Teutonic Order was still attempting to umte its gains in the war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and yet, the Grand Master was currently reading a report in regards to the Battle of Oberstdorf in which Lambert fought with Berengar. The man was greatly frowning as he read the contents. One of his most promising talents, being Lambert was dead, and 10,000 men with him. The results were disastrous; he was not expecting Berengar to field such arge and powerful army in such a short time. Then again, he was also not expecting Bernegar to be the Count of Tyrol by the time Lambert''s armies arrived. Too many things had happened between the time Lambert marched to war and the event of the battle itself.


    The result of the battle was a significant loss to the Teutonic Order, 10,000 men were no small number, and he was counting on many of those men to return and bolster their ranks to defend their territory. Now that the news of their defeat had spread, the Golden Horde, the sovereigns over the Grand Duchy of Moscow, had begun to move their armies to liberate the territory in which the Teutonic Order had annexed their conquest. There was no mistake; at any moment they could be facing the might of the great Khanate, a war they could have been better off dealing with if they still had the 10,000 Crusaders who embarked with Lambert.


    Not only was the East unstable, but the Grand-Master was now facing pressure by the Papacy to raise another army and invade Germany once more; the Crusade to end Berengar''s Heresy had just begun in the eyes of Pope Simeon II. Yet the Grand-Master had no intention of doing such things. If they could not defend their recently conquered regions, then what was the point of marching into the warzone known as Germany. In fact, Lambert was lucky not to get into conflict with the German armies currently fighting for the vacant throne.


    The messenger in which the Pope had sent to deliver his demands to the Grand Master was standing before him impatiently as he watched the Teutonic Leader read through the reports of what had transpired, as well as the Vatican''s demands. Eventually, the messenger could contain his eagerness no longer and asked what the Grand Master intended to do about the situation.


    "The Pope demands a response to your Order''s loss in Oberstdorf. Berengar''s victory will only further embolden the heretics who flock to his cause. If he can defy the might of the Papacy without punishment, then why can''t they? So what do you intend to do about this?"


    The Grand Master red at the Messanger viciously before responding.


    "I have already done enough. If Berengar could defeat an army of thirty thousand men with half that amount, then it means he is not an opponent I can underestimate!"


    The messenger was shocked that the Grand Master would praise Berengar''s ability despite suffering massive losses against him. So much so that he foolishly condemned the Grand Master for his views.


    "Youpliment a condemned Heretic? I am beginning to question your faith and that of your Order!"


    Hearing these words, the Grand Master turned around and grabbed the messenger of the Vatican by the throat with his hand and mmed him into the stone wall before chastising him.


    "Listen here, you pompous twit, Tyrol is a mountainous region in which Berengar holds all of the advantages as the defender! The man has acquired a vast fortune, has he not? Who is to say that he is not using that fortune to construct defenses across its entirety, making it even more difficult to conquer? Do you fools in the Vatican have any idea what is going on in the Count''s territory? I sent 10,000 battle-hardened veterans into Tyrol because you fools told me he was not a threat to worry about, and they are all dead now!"


    The priest who acted as the messenger of the Vatican was so frightened by the fury of the Grand Master that he began to soil his tunic, which caused the Grand Master to release him in disgust. Afterward, he turned away, no longer facing the messenger before giving his decree.


    "Return to the Vatican and ask his Holiness what he desires most of the Teutonic Order, to convert the Orthodox regions of the east to his domain, or to crush the Heresy that has spread throughout the German-speaking regions? Because I can not fulfill both of his requests at the same time!"


    With this said, the Priest from the Vatican fled the Grand Master''s chambers and quickly left the Castle of Malbork, where he intended to report back to Pope Simeon II as quickly as possible. After the messenger departed, the Grandmaster sighed as he gazed into his firece and let out his thoughts.


    "A Storm is brewing in the East, and I do not have the time or resources to wage war against the various German powers. If the Pope is foolish enough to send me to Tyrol, then the East will be lost forever."


    Shortly after saying that, an Ordermander walked into his chambers with a report in his hands and announced his presence.


    "Grand Master, may I have a moment of your time?"


    The elderly leader of the Teutonic Order sighed before nodding his head, signaling for themander to continue.


    "The Golden Horde is on the move; they areying siege to Moscow as we speak."


    With this news his worst fears had been realized, the Grand Master responded to this information by sighing heavily before pulling out a gon of wine and filling it into two chalices, one for himself and the other for the Commander. After handing off one of the cups to the other man, he took a sip from his ss before expressing his thoughts.


    "So it begins..."


    If what the Teutonic Commander had reported was true, the Order would have a difficult road ahead as they tried to defend the East from the Golden Horde''s invasion. Now that they were down 10,000 men, it would not be an easy feat. On top of this new invasion from the East, they were currently fighting a war with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; their troops were stretched thin enough as it was. Yet Simeon still wanted him to waste time and effort on Tyrol.


    Judging from the expansion rate of Berengar''s forces, it would not be long before such a war would be unwinnable for the Catholics; the Berengar Heresy was likely to flourish in Germany as its tenants were appealing to the nobility andmon folk alike. Now that the Golden Horde had invaded, it was no longer his concern; the Papacy would have to find some other fool to wage that war. If only those French bastards had not dismantled the Temr Order, maybe they could have been the ones to bring the Church''s justice to Berengar.


    All of these thoughts swirled in the mind of the Grand Master as he silently drank from his cup; when he was finished with the wine within, he tossed the chalice aside and instructed the Commander of his orders.


    "Alert the men; we ride for the East. Hopefully, the armies we have stationed there can hold off the enemy long enough for our reinforcements?"


    After hearing this order, the Commander was confused and, as such, attempted to rify the issue at hand.


    "And the Berengar Heresy?"


    The Grand Master grabbed ahold of his sword belt and tied it around his waist as he casually dismissed the issue.


    "Let someone else deal with it; we have bled enough."


    With that said, the Teutonic Orderpletely disregarded the events in Oberstdorf and the defeat of Lambert and his army; after all, they had far more pressing concerns to attend to. As such, The Grand Master had begun to muster the forces in the Westernmost region of the Teutonic State, the war in the East had begun, and they had limited time to make it before they were overwhelmed. It did not take long before The forces at Malbork had gathered and began to ride off into the East; the other armies of the Teutonic State would be mustered along the way. The Teutonic War against the Golden Horde had just begun, buying Berengar some much-needed time to build up his defenses.


    When Pope Simeon II heard that the Teutonic Order had snubbed him and marched to the East, he would be greatly infuriated; to enact his vengeance upon Berengar, he would need a new army to fight against him. Unfortunately for him, all of the Catholic Military Orders were currently undergoing some form of warfare, and the Byzantines to the East had already begun to form friendly ties with Berengar. As such safety, and security for the people of Tyrol had been secured for the time being. Something in which Berengar would take full advantage of to bring his vision of a fortified Tyrol into reality. When the Catholic Church could muster an armyrge enough to invade Tyrol, the region would be one giant self-sustaining fortress.

 Chapter 158: If You Want Peace, Prepare For War

    <h4>Chapter 158: If You Want Peace, Prepare For War</h4>


    A month had passed since the battle with the Teutonic Order in Oberstdorf, and Berengar had spent much of this time as a much-needed vacation. His eye was fully healed aside from the fact that he was blind within it, and no longer presented a danger to his life; as such, he wore the luxurious eyepatch he had created over the heavily scarred tissue. Oveing the loss of an eye was not an easy task, and he needed to teach himself how to shoot and fight effectively with what used to be considered his off-hand. As such, when he was not hard at work managing the realm''s affairs, he was adapting to his circumstances.


    After being healed, he wrote a letter to Ad informing her of what had transpired and the injury in which he had suffered, though he assured her he was fully healed, and despite losing sight in his dominant eye, he was doing quite well for himself. He made sure to emphasize the need for her to stay safe in these troubled times, and as such, he implied to her not to do anything rash due to his injury. Before long Berengar found himself looking at construction blueprints.


    After the battle with Lambert, several men had suffered grievous injuries so much so that their bodies could not be identified, which reminded Berengar of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in his previous life, Berengar decided to have a monument simr to that constructed within Kufstein to represent all of the unidentifiable soldiers who had perished in his wars, as well as those who might one day go missing in action.


    This was yet another of his many monuments that were undergoing construction. He had the wealth to splurge, so he felt it necessary to create a culture that honored their soldiers as early as possible. One day Germany would be united under a sense of militarism much like Prussia had done to the German Empire in his previous life''s timeline.


    When Berengar met with the House of Lords to discuss his new monuments, they were happy to see him. Since his injury, he had seldom left his Castle, and many of them were worried about his condition. After all, he had only left a bastard son behind, who was not legitimized... yet. When they saw the eyepatch on his face, they knew that he had suffered a permanent injury, and as such, took a moment of silence tomemorate his loss.


    Nevertheless, Berengar quickly managed to convince the noblemen to take action, and as such, he disyed his ns for a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for all to see; the design was essentially a rip off of the American one, with the same words carved upon it, albeit slightly altered to fit his needs.


    "Here lies in honored glory a German Soldier, known but to God."


    One of the bodies of a soldier killed in the Battle of Oberstdorf who was unrecognizable would be interred within, and it would be a Grand Ceremony for all of Kufstein to be invited to attend. The cost of this monument would be significantly lower than therge bronze statues dedicated to different aspects of society that were currently undergoing production, such as the military, thebor force, and the agricultural force. It was a much more simplistic design, but it was because of this simplistic design that it was a beautiful monument in its own right.


    Seeing the depiction of the monument and its cost-effectiveness, the House of Lords held a vote for approval, which was merely a formality''s sake at this point since Berengar''s word was still thew in Tyrol, despite the drafting of a Constitution. At the end of the day, a Constitution was a piece of paper whose principles were only enforced through military might.


    Considering the Military was a branch indoctrinated with loyalty towards Berengar and the von Kufstein Dynasty, more so than the State itself, Berengar, in practice, wielded near-absolute authority. Especially when the House of Commons and House of Lords were stacked with members, Berengar approved of. After all, as the Head of State, he reserved the right to dismiss anyone in parliament and rece them with someone he saw fit.


    On paper, Tyrol was a Semi-Constitutional Elective County, and as far as the people believed, this was true. In reality, it currently acted more like a dictatorship, albeit with an intricate and meritocratic bureaucracy. Berengar did not just appoint yesman to their positions; they had to have been capable in their own right so that he may delegate responsibilities; he simply appointed capable men who were loyal to him, and at the moment, they were few and far between, as such both the House of Commons and House of Lords were a fraction of the size they were intended to be.


    However, there were noints about the establishment of this monument, and it was met with a unanimous vote by both chambers of parliament. After the vote was over, Arnulf, who was currently a member of the House of Lords, approached Berengar to check on his physical and mental health.


    "Your Excellency, I was wondering how are you holding up?"


    Berengar smiled and sped Arnulf on the shoulder in a friendly gesture.


    "I am doing well, despite losing the sight in my right eye. You could say I am quickly adapting to my circumstances, even if it is a bit tedious using my off hand for everything."


    Arnulf smiled when he heard the good news and began to make small talk with Berengar about current events.


    "Your Excellency, have you heard about the recent events in the East?"


    Berengar had been on vacation until recently and had not yet heard about what had happened. As such, he gazed at Arnulf with an inquisitive gaze and asked about what he was referring to.


    "I''m afraid I am unaware; why did something important happen?"


    Arnulf was sure that Bernegar had spent thest month spending quality time with his family, and in his opinion, the young Count deserved a break for once; the man was practically working himself to death every day. As such, he was not shocked to know that Berengar was not informed of the current happenings in Eastern Europe. Thus he elected to inform him.


    "The Golden Horde has attacked the Teutonic State, and in response, the Order has marched their armies to the East in an attempt to hold onto the territory they have gained against the Muscovites. It appears the loss of Lambert and his men has greatly affected their fighting capability."


    Berengar chuckled lightly when he heard this before expressing his views.


    "Good, that ought to keep them busy for some time. It gives us a much-needed reprieve so that we can focus on constructing our defenses and implementing our industrial and agricultural reforms."


    Arnulf agreed wholeheartedly with this statement, and as such, he began to question Berengar''s ns for the future; after all, Berengar had not shared with many people his vision for a unified German Empire, and he could not help but notice the monument said, "German Soldier" instead of "Tyrolean Soldier."


    "So tell me, what do you think Duke Wilmar''s chances of winning this war is?"


    Berengar scoffed at the idea before saying the objective truth or what he thought it to be.


    "I do not bother specting about the future, Lord Arnulf, for the future is malleable from what we do here and now. However, I have a suspicion that the ultimate winner of this chaotic era will be a man that the higher nobility least expects. Someone who will take advantage of the weakened factions towards the end of the war to be the victor."


    Hearing Berengar''s thoughts on the matter left Arnulf with a lot of spection. However, Berengar had not outright admitted it. It sounded to Arnulf like the young Count had lofty ambitions, and something deep inside his mind told him it was entirely usible for Berengar to achieve these things. After all, the young man went from being Baron''s son and heir to a Count in roughly a year.


    He had stood beside Berengar as he went through this monumental transition and knew now that Tyrol''s security was ensured, Berengar would undoubtedly focus on rebuilding the army and constructing defenses across the region. If the peace in Tyrol couldst, Berengar would ultimately be in such a position towards the end of the war, one in which he could reap the spoils.


    Of course, as Berengar had stated earlier, time was malleable, and the future was uncertain, it might be possible for an event to ur in the near future which could drag Berengar into this massive conflict far earlier than he expected. Or things could go exactly how Berengar nned. The only entity who could know the future was God, assuming he really existed.


    As such, Berengar stayed with the house of Lords for the rest of his day''s work, overseeing his ns for military expansion and defensive spending. The budget he had outlined perfectly took into ount all of their current assets and the potential for future growth with the trade to the Byzantine Empire. Peace is always temporary, and Berengar nned to take full advantage of the time he had. As the old Roman adage stated, Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum, in trantion If you want peace, prepare for war.

 Chapter 159: Council of Kufstein

    <h4>Chapter 159: Council of Kufstein</h4>


    With the Teutonic Order''s defeat in Oberstdorf, Berengar''s fame had increased exponentially. The fact that he resisted such a massive army and dealt a devastating blow to the Crusaders who invaded Germany at the behest of the Pope to put down the so-called Berengar Heresy had emboldened Berengar''s followers.


    The town of Suhl and the destruction wrought upon it by the Papacy''s forces became a symbol of resistance against Papal Authority. As a result, noblemen and clergy alike flocked to Kufstein to discuss the details of the German Reformation and how to proceed. While Berengar entertained these delegates inside his Great Hall, he merely sat upon his seat of power with his skull chalice in his hands, drinking from wine as he listened to the Noblemen and Clergy squabble over the direction in which this Reformist movement should take.


    At the moment, there was a significant figure of the Catholic Church present, and that was the old and wise Cardinal who had tried to mend the divide in the Catholic Church at the meeting of the Council of Constance the year before. After seeing what Simeon and his French counterpart had done to the Catholic Church, the old Cardinal decided to throw his lot in with Berengar. At the moment, he was closely observing Berengar''s actions. He was quite shocked to see that Berengar was allowing the discussion to take its course naturally, rather than enforcing his views onto everyone else.


    While the Prince-Bishop of Chur and the Count of Vorarlberg were debating over the degree to which the Church should Separate themselves, Berengar watched calmly as if all his ns were going smoothly. Eventually, the Prince-Bishop of Chur made a bold deration for the entire Council to hear.


    "I will dly give up my authority over Chur in favor of a like-minded nobleman! The Church should focus on the spiritual affairs of God, and not the mortal affairs of men!"


    With this said, a smirk spread across Berengar''s lips as he witnessed the sceneing to fruition. A powerful Prince-Bishop would take the lead and dissolve the Church''s authority over the Region of Chur, one of his neighbors, in favor of a German-speaking reformist nobleman. It was certainly a bold deration. Nevertheless, this would be the key to conquering the Swiss Confederacy and incorporating it into his Empire in the future, and as such, Berengar was very pleased.


    However, that was a plot for another time; now, he needed to solidify the foundation for his reformation.? Ultimately the topic of the separation of Church and State was practically universally agreed upon by the people in the room, and the reason for the debate was more of a border squabble between Chur and Vorarlberg than it was religious. Thus when the men continued to argue over such irrelevant things Berengar grunted in displeasure which instantly silenced the two parties. After which the subject of the Council moved onto the next point of contention.


    The next item on the menu was the question of Clerical celibacy which sparked an enormous debate. After all, there were plenty of sex scandals in the Church, even during the medieval period. However, Berengar knew exactly what maintaining celibacy could lead to and was against such a point. While the people were arguing over which option their reformist movement should take, Berengar spoke up for the first time during the meeting. The moment he did so, everyone stood in silence, listening to his words, which were not his own, but those from the gospel.


    "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in thetter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, andmanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-5."


    When the room heard these words, they knew exactly what Berengar meant; the gospel states that actions such as celibacy and refusing to eat meat as well as some of the other Catholic practices were against the teachings of the Apostles and Christ Himself. In particr, the old cardinal, who had been waiting for Berengar''s input, was shocked when he heard Berengar quote the Bible so perfectly, even memorizing the exact verse. Finally, the old man spoke up as well.


    "I agree with Berengar, if we are to take the words of Christ and the Apostles as the basis for the reformation, then prohibiting the marriage of the clergy, and forcing them to take vows of celibacy is against the teachings of Christ and should not be enforced."


    Hearing both Berengar, who was at the head of the Reformation, and a high-ranking member of the current Church both agree on the matter, those who doubted the validity of such as concept before now found themselves nodding their heads in approval. For on the topic of spirituality, who could argue with the words of the Gospel?


    Berengar nodded at the Cardinal, whom he had been aware was watching him closely this entire time. Truthfully Berengar did not know if the man was an infiltrator of the Papacy or if he was as irritated with the Church''s behavior as Berengar was. However, with his endorsement on this matter, he began to suspect the man was genuinely pious and cared more for the teachings of Christ than the power of the Papacy. A trait that was exceptionally rare in a man of his position during this era.


    After concluding that topic, it came down to another important aspect of Christian reformation, which was salvation and how it was achieved. One of the priests present, an elderly man with a lengthy white beard, made his opinion on the matter known.


    "Through a life of good works and faith in God is the path in which one enter''s the gates of heaven!"


    However, another priest was in firm disagreement over this regard and voiced his concern.


    "The bible teaches us that it is through faith in Christ alone that one achieves eternal life!"


    The two priests began to butt heads, which was amon urrence in any religious discussion, and as such, Berengar voiced his opinion on the matter


    "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9"


    after saying this, Berengar once more was able to garner the attention of everyone present. As such, he quickly followed his thought.


    "It is through the bible, not the traditions of the Catholic church which our reformation should be based upon, and because the bible teaches us that only through faith in Christ shall we enter through the Gates of Heaven, then it must be so!"


    Through Berengar''s interruption, these two issues were eventually settled into an agreement; through faith, one gains salvation, not action, and the fact that religious truth stems from the bible, not the teachings of the Catholic Church. After giving such information, the final argument for the basis of their reformation came down to the Eucharist, and Berengar personally did not care in the slightest for this issue. As a closet Athiest, how the Reformists viewed the Eucharist ormunion as some branches of Christianity referred to it in his previous life had absolutely no bearing on his political authority.


    As such, the men present argued among themselves until finally it was agreed upon that the Eucharist represented both the body and blood of Christ, but also the bread and wine. With all of these major points of contention ironed out, the First Council of the German Reformist Church was concluded and though there would be moreter in life. The split in the Catholic Church, which had been prevented for so long in this timeline, finally urred; with the endorsement of the wise Cardinal who formerly sat upon the Council of Constance, German Reformism hade into existence, bringing a further degree of civil strife to Germany as Reformists and Catholics would soon begin to split the already fragile duchies apart.


    The wise Cardinal was aware the entire time of what Berengar''s ns were. After the meeting was over and the Reformation had been decided, he approached Berengar to talk with him about his ns for the future personally. Seeing the wise old mane to him directly, Berengar felt cautious at first and raised his hand, signaling the old man to maintain his distance.


    "Cardinal, is there something I can help you with?"


    The Cardinal smiled amicably at Berengar, though behind his kind smile was a face filled with a degree of wariness simr in level to Berengar; as such, he began to speak to the man who he knew was bound to change the world.


    "I must say I am impressed..."


    Finding the cryptic message, amusing Berengar decided to take the bait.


    "With?"


    The man stood several feet away from Berengar, who was currently seated in his position of power. As such, there was ample space to prevent any threat; of course, Berengar''s guards were on watch and would have no problem ying the Cardinal if he made a move on Berengar''s life. Luckily for everyone in the room, he had no such intentions.


    "In my many years, I have met Kings, and Emperors, and plenty of them. Yet none of them have had the ability to influence the Church as you have. Within a single year, you have climbed from the position of a Lowly Baron''s son to that of an influential Count whose arms and armor are sold to every corner of Germany, supplying the factions who vie for the Vacant throne. Yet during this time, you also manage to inspire a schism in the Church, the likes which I fear we have never seen before. Tell me truthfully, Berengar, are you an Angel sent here by God to liberate us from the shackles of the Church''s corruption, or are you a Demon whose sole purpose is to benefit from the chaos and destruction that you leave in your wake?"


    Berengar studied the man''s words carefully; he knew very well that the old Cardinal was not literally asking if he was an Angel or a Demon, but which side his character reflected. Berengar yed withmbert''s skull for a few moments with his fingers before taking a sip out of its contents. Afterward, he exhaled deeply. After careful consideration, Berengar had decided to tell the old man the truth; after all, he could tell by the way in which he had voiced the question that he had already seen through Berengar''s ns.


    "Can''t I be both?"


    The Old cardinal''s smile never disappeared, and instead, he turned around and walked away, saying his thoughts on the matter before walking out the door. After all, he had received a satisfying answer to his question.


    "Well-yed..."

 Chapter 160: Proclamation of the Reformation

    <h4>Chapter 160: Promation of the Reformation</h4>


    In the corner of the great hall of Berengar''s castle, Ludolf stayed standing; he had sat through and watched the entirety of the Council of Kufstein take ce. As an important figurehead of the reformation, he had been privy to the meeting between the various noblemen and clergy members who supported his and Berengar''s endeavors. Though he seldom spoke, his words had carried great weight.


    Having witnessed the conversation between the Cardinal and Berengar, Ludolf took the opportunity to approach his old friend, who had helped him on his path to enlightenment. When Berengar was sitting alone on his seat of power, Ludolf approached and began to express his thoughts on the principles of what would soon be known as the German Reformation.


    "Your excellency, you should know that the Church''s response will be one of sheer brutality, with the Cardinal turning his back on the Catholic Church and endorsing our ideas, there will be no shortage of chaos that follows..."


    Berengar gazed at the priest who had been instrumental in spreading the message of the reformation with a solemn expression on his face.


    "Great change in society will always lead to conflict between those who are too stubborn to advance with the new age. From the moment we began to challenge papal authority, it was inevitable that blood would be spilled. However, this brings opportunity; the more the Catholics seek to oppress us, the easier it will be to drive them from the Germannds!"


    Ludolf sighed heavily at the thought; he knew at the moment Catholics and Reformists could not peacefully coexist; he also knew that Berengar nned to take advantage of the ensuing violence to establish himself as a major power within the European realms. However, Ludolf was a pious man and did not care which secr leader sat upon the Throne of Germany so long as the ruler was friendly towards the reformation.


    The young priest admitted he was quite lucky; Berengar and his armies afforded him protection, and as such, the Church had no real ability to punish him for his alleged heretical beliefs without a full-scale invasion of Tyrol, which at the moment would prove difficult for them, due to the numerous conflicts the existing Holy Orders continued to wage.


    Ultimately Ludolf found himself in agreement with Berengar''s words. However, he still expressed his concern.


    "Germany is already in a state of turmoil; this schism in the Church will undoubtedly cause more conflict. The Duchies will fracture as Lords turn on one another over usations of heresy and corruption. Do you notment the loss of life that will ur?"


    Berengar nodded his head at Ludolf''s words and offered his own views on the matter.


    "Did you forget what happened to Suhl? If we do not gain significant support for our cause, countless people will be murdered by the Church in an attempt to suppress our views. Only by uniting together and forming a block of like-minded Noblemen and Clergy can we withstand the might of the Catholic Church and spread our views! Yes, lives will be lost in this conflict, but think about how many voices will be snuffed out if we sit back and do nothing!"


    After hearing these words, and being reminded of what the Teutonic Order had done to the Town of Suhl, even a pious man like Ludolf struggled to contain his rage. Such an outrageous action was all toomon for Crusaders, especially in the middle east. Yet to do it to your fellow Christians over a simple difference of opinion, Ludolf found that unforgivable. As such, he clenched his fists and found his resolve to weather the tide that would soon be arriving. After several moments of contemtion, he responded to Berengar''s words.


    "I understand... I will do what I must to spread the word of our reformation!"


    Seeing Ludolf had agreed, Berengar smiled and rose from his seat before walking over to Ludolf and sped him on the shoulders in a friendly gesture.


    "It is up to us to liberate the German people from the shackles of the Church!"


    Ludolf nodded at Berengar''s words and smiled before responding.


    "Indeed!"


    With that, the two men had begun the Protestant Reformation a hundred years in advance of which would naturally ur within this timeline without Berengar''s intervention. The next day the public announcement of the German Reformist Church was dered, with Tyrol being its seat of influence. However, the regions upied by Reformist Lords and clergy did not stop there; it spread into portions of Chur, Vorarlberg, Salzburg, K?rnten, Upper Bavaria, and Swabia well. Southern Germany and Eastern Switzend had be a hot zone of Reformist thought and teachings. Many of the local Lords and middle nobility shared their interests and protected their people from the wrath of the Catholic Church and their followers.


    ...


    Of course, when news of this Schism spread to the Vatican, Pope Simeon II nearly had an aneurysm from the sheer degree of rage he felt. He instantly began to curse at his Cardinals upon hearing that arge swath of Southern Germany and Eastern Switzend had basically dered open rebellion against his authority. He could no longer deny that the influence of Berengar and Ludolf had spread beyond his imagination. It was time to settle the dispute with the so-called Papacy of Avignon, for if the Catholic Church were not united, they would not be able to quash this Heresy, and the Church would be permanently in a state of schism.


    As such, Pope Simeon got down from his throne and approached one of his subordinates. The expression on his face was one of utter fury as he bellowed his orders at the man.


    "Contact that French Bastard, and let him know that I''m calling for the Council of Constance to meet earlier than anticipated. This Heresy is too important to wait any longer!"


    However, the meeting spot of the Council of Constance would have to change from the Bisophric of Constance to a new venue; after all, Germany was now a hotbed of religious and civil conflict. They would not be safe within its borders; as such, the final Council of Constance would be moved to neutral ground in Cordoba, Spain, in this timeline.


    The subordinate quickly bowed his head to the Pope and agreed immediately to his demands.


    "Of course, your holiness!"


    With that, subordinate had rushed to fulfill his task leaving Pope Simeon II fuming in anger at the thought of Berengar''s influence over Southern Germany, which had spread like wildfire since the Pope had first heard of the young man less than a year ago. He did not know how Berengar had managed to achieve such things, yet it was bing clear that if Simeon was the representative of God on Earth, Berengar was Satan''s representative. Or at least in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Berengar the ursed had caused too much damage to Catholic Influence over Southern Germany, and his views would only spread further now that they had received legitimacy in the eyes of high-ranking Clergymen and Nobility.


    Simeon Scoffed at the idea and voiced his inner thoughts aloud for all nearby to hear.


    "Church of the German Reformation?! What nonsense is this? These heretics will pay for their sins one way or another; I swear by the Heavenly Father that I will personally see and end to this farce!"


    Despite this solemn vow, Simeon would have a difficult time doing so, as the reconciliation between the Papacy of the Vatican and the Papacy of Avignon at the uing Council of Constance, or as it would be known in the future as the Council of Cordoba, would prove to be a challenge to his authority as Pope. After all, he intended to mend the schism between Avignon and the Vatican, and this would require some form of agreement toe into ce about who was the one true Pope.


    The Council of Kufstein and the following Promation of the German Reformation would forever alter the history in this timeline. Years of bloodshed and destruction would follow this development. However, in the end, these events would lead to further schisms in the Church. The Protestant Reformation had begun, and pandora''s box had been opened. Despite the Catholic Church''s best efforts, they would never be able to hold onto the absurd amount of Power they had sustained throughout these past centuries; Berengar had made sure of that.


    Ironically the Papacy had brought this upon themselves. If the Church had left Berengar alone, he never would have started this conflict so early in his lifetime. Initially, he had nned to live out a life of peace as a lowly Baron and bring wealth and prosperity to his people. However, Lambert''s actions and those of his allies in the Church had forced his hand, as Berengar umted more power, so too did his ambitions and enemies grow, and when the Church reached out its hand to swat him away like a mosquito, he bit down into it and inflicted a dangerous disease upon it.


    Thus, they had created a powerful enemy by trying to get rid of a seemingly insignificant Baron''s son in an isted region within Tyrol. One who would forever liberate the German people from the Shackles of the Catholic Church and the immense corruption that sustained it.

 Chapter 161: The Council of Cordoba I

    <h4>Chapter 161: The Council of Cordoba I</h4>


    Enough time had passed since the Promation of the German Reformation, to the point where the authorities of the Catholic Church, or at least those who were still loyal to it, had gathered in Cordoba at its famous Cathedral. There they began to squabble about the ongoing events that were of pressing concern. Berengar''s Reformation was far more popr than they had initially estimated, especially after the revtion of the Church''s infinite corruption and crimes by Ludolf. As such, this was the most important concern in which they discussed at the gathering.


    Simeon, as always, had started the meeting by shouting at anyone who opposed him. Though he called this meeting ahead of schedule to address the German Reformation and the Schism between the Papacy in Avignon and the Vatican, he was not a diplomatic man. He was currently engaged in a debate with the Pope of Avignon, Avilius III, over what should be done about the matter.


    "If we do not mend our differences, this heresy being called the German Reformation will sweep across Christendom like a gue!"


    However, Avilius was in disagreement after all Berengar hadbeled it the German reformation. After thest meeting, the French Pope had gathered quite a bit of information on Berengar. As far as he could tell, Berengar''s ambitions solelyy within the German-speaking regions. Thus he did not ept the notion that this Reformation was designed for anything more than Germany. Thus he was certain to voice his opinion on the matter.


    "Berengar and his pet priest Ludolf havebeled this the German Reformation. Why should I care what those savages to the East believe? The Holy Roman Empire is your puppet, not mine!"


    Avilius, as always, was drinking from an entire gon of wine while making his opinion well heard. Though he was not as abrasive as Simeon, he was equally short-sighted, not realizing that allowing the German Reformation to fester could allow newer branches of Christianity to pop up and further challenge Papal Authority. These two men were both proiming themselves to be the central figure of authority for all of Christendom, and as such, were constantly at one another''s throats.


    Simeon, as always, was flushed with rage; his face was practically the color of a tomato as he shouted at Avilius once more.


    "Not your problem! The souls of every German are at risk to this heresy. Do you not care about their salvation?"


    Avilius merely smirked smugly in response to Simeon''s usations. He could not very well admit his utter contempt for the German people; after all, such a deration would be unbefitting of a man who proimed himself Pope. However, he could not reject the im in good conscience, as doing so wouldpromise his beliefs. This action, of course, further enraged Simeon, who struggled to contain his growing wrath.


    Seeing the direction in which the meeting was heading toward one of the Cardinals present immediately raised a major concern. After all, the voice of reason who normally convinced these two to behave themselves was no longer present, for he had switched sides and joined the German Reformation.


    "Cardinal Engelbert is no longer with us, and as such, we should take time to consider the consequences of having a Cardinal join this heresy known as the German Reformation."


    Seeing that the discussion was switched in another direction, the two Popes decided to put aside their differences for the time being and address this concern. Avilius'' reaction was quite extraordinary.


    "We should capture all of the German Cardinals and interrogate them to find out whether or not they have sympathies for this Heresy! It is the only way to ensure that more of them do not flock to this so-called Reformation."


    Simeon, on the other hand, was once more outraged over Avilius''s ideas. Though the Italian Monarch led the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Germany had always been an important factor in the Empire''s stability; for many centuries, the German monarchs ruled the Empire. With the ongoing civil and religious crisis in Germany, the power and authority of the Holy Roman Emperor had diminished. In Simeon''s view, if they were to discriminate against the German Cardinals who have shown no sign of heresy, then they would be driving more people into the German Reformation, thus weakening the authority of not only the Vatican but also the Holy Roman Empire.


    Of course, the only person who would benefit from such an oue would be Avilius, the Pope of Avignon, whose influence greatly stretched to the Kingdom of France, which had a long-standing rivalry with Germany for many centuries. As such, Simeon quickly responded to this idea with contempt.


    "You would like that wouldn''t you, Avilius? The only person who could benefit from the resulting chaos that would ensue would be you!"


    Avilius, of course, was drinking from his gon of wine when he denied the usations against him.


    "I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, Simeon."


    The result of this brief exchange caused the entire council to result in chaos as the cardinals and bishops who gathered all began to scream at each other and hurl insults. Eventually, a loud whistling noise appeared across the room, instantly silencing all of the banter. When the cardinals and bishops searched for who was responsible for the noise, they noticed a Cardinal scowling at all of them as if they were a bunch of bratty children. After staring down the crowd of clergymen for some time, the Cardinal finally voiced his opinion on the matter.


    "It has be increasingly clear to me that neither Avilius nor Simeon are fit to be Pope; thus, what I propose is simple. Both of you, two imbeciles, step down from your positions and allow us all to elect a single new Pope, one who is actually capable ofbatting the crisis in which we find ourselves!"


    Avilius and Simeon immediately protested this option. However, they found little support in the room.


    "Absolutely not!"


    "Who are you calling an imbecile?"


    Yet, not a single voice defended them among the crowd; the two men finally realized that their support had dwindled. Last year this council was split into two sides that supported either of the two potential Popes. However, now, after the debacle that had urred during this timeframe and their petty squabbling, not a single clergyman within the room was in support of either of these prospective Popes. The Cardinal who voiced this option stared menacingly at the two self-proimed Popes and chastised them like children.


    "Engelbert joined the Reformist movement because he was sick and tired of dealing with you idiots and felt that the Reformist movement provided a better alternative. If neither of you is willing to abdicate, then you leave us with no choice. We will elect a new Pope and dere both of your positions invalid, which will only further increase the vtility of the situation we find ourselves in. For once in your lives, you two should do what is best for the Church and not your own selfish ambitions!"


    After such a verbal thrashing, both Simeon and Avillius looked at each other with helpless expressions; ultimately, Avillius was the first to speak.


    "I voluntarily abdicate my position as head of the Papacy of Avignon and hereby dere my support to the election of a new unified Pope!"


    With Avillius abdication, all that remained was Simeon. As such, the entire Council of Cordoba stared at him with intimidating eyes before finally the man broke from the pressure and bent to their will.


    "I, too, abdicate my position."


    With that, the two former Popes sat down in their seats and admitted defeat. They may be a pair of ipetent fools. Still, even they could realize when theycked support if they refused to abdicate, they would be forced by the lesiarchy out of their positions and wander the world as Self-Proimed Popes with no real power or authority. It was best to remove themselves and still maintain some degree of authority within a unified Catholic Church.


    Thus, the College of Cardinals would hold an election in the uing month, where a single Pope would be elected and ced inmand of the Catholic Church for years toe. Whether or not this Pope would be morepetent than Simeon and Avilius were yet to be known, but it was a good start on the path to recovery. Though they solved one of the major issues of contention, Two major issues presented themselves, which needed to be thoroughly discussed. The ongoing German Reformation and the Teutonic State''s war with the Golden Horde. As such, the Council had only begun to solve the current crisis the Catholic Church was going through.


    While the Council of Cordoba was ongoing, Berengar and his allies in the German Reformation had made great ns to secure the regions in which their movement had taken a foothold. Tyrol, of course, was as secure as a region could be in this chaotic age, yet Berengar''s neighbors would need some assistance, and the young Count was more than happy to capitalize on such a venture.

 Chapter 162: Council of Cordoba II

    <h4>Chapter 162: Council of Cordoba II</h4>


    Many of the Cardinals and Bishops had gathered within the Cathedral of Cordoba to discuss the many problems currently guing the Catholic Church. Though they had finally found a solution to mend the old Western Schism that had been ongoing for close to half a century, there were still two major issues that presented themselves. Chief among them was the ongoing German Reformation, which had spread beyond their control. To the Southern regions of Germany. As such, the various Cardinals and Bishops were discussing how to move forward. With Simeon and Avillius removed from power, the conversation was far more cordial between the various factions of the Church.


    At the moment, the answer which everyone had agreed to was military force. However, the military orders of the Catholic church were all busy fighting external enemies at the moment, and thest group of Crusaders, which was tasked with eliminating Berengar and purging Tyrol of heretics, was ughtered in battle by Berengar''s forces. As for the Vatican, they were aware that Berengar was using advanced weapons within his army. One man, in particr, acted as a second-hand witness to this information. That was the Prince-Bishop of Trent, whosends were annexed by Berengar during his winter campaign to seize Tyrol.


    The Prince-Bishop spoke with an intense hatred for Berengar about the issues at hand and how it would not be an easy task to route out the Reformists who have mostly formed within the mountainous territory of the Alps.


    "The weapons in which Berengar''s infantry use have the capacity to kill a man at over 400 yards; they prate through te armor with ease and leave an untreatable hole in the victim''s bodies! These are no mere hand cannons but something else entirely! The average soldier is equipped with te armor that covers their vital areas, and is virtually imprable by man''s weapons! If we are to march on the Alps, we would need a massive force, one in which is armed with the hand cannon in vast numbers!"


    The surrounding clergymen listened to this Prince-Bishop''s rant, and many of them did not believe their ears. After all, how could such a weapon possibly exist? Nevertheless, what came next shocked them further.


    "He employs cannons, whose cannonballs explode upon impact, killing multiple men within the st zone! These cannons are highly maneuverable and far more destructive than anything we have seen before! I know not how he obtained these advanced weapons, but we can not win by sheer numbers. After all, the Teutonic Order tried these tactics, and they were trapped in the mountains where the heretics mercilessly ughtered them!


    The more the Prince-Bishop ranted and raved about the spectacr performance of Berengar''s weapons and the armies who wielded them, the more clergymen within the meeting began to disregard his words as pure fiction. At a point, a rtively fat and loathsome Cardinal raised his head and began to insult the Prince-Bishop.


    "I suppose you personally witnessed these weapons in use?"


    This question immediately made the Prince-Bishop of Trent frown; after all, he had not witnessed the battle that had taken ce; instead, he was hiding like a coward in his Cathedral before fleeing the city while his soldiers sacrificed themselves. Ultimately he had to admit to the fact that this was all second-hand information from his garrisonmander.


    "I am afraid not; however, this information was reported to me by my garrisonmander before he and his men distracted the heretics long enough for me to escape to the Vatican to deliver the news!"


    Several of the attending members of the council of Cordoba began to scoff at the Prince-Bishop of Trent''s words. Clearly, the Prince-Bishop believed the wild tales of a frightened soldier, or so many of the council members believed. Ultimately few decided to take the Prince-Bishop''s warning seriously. After all, they severelycked the manpower to invade Southern Germany in the first ce. That is, of course, until one of the Cardinals proposed an opportunity.


    "Why don''t we call for a Crusade to wipe out the heretics in Germany? It has worked before. Even if they are as well-armed as the Prince-Bishop ims, what can they possibly do against an army of a hundred thousand men who have taken up the cross? Surely we can sponsor such a vast army, by calling upon the Lords and Knights of Europe to defend Christendom from this vile sphemy? Do we really need to wait for the existing holy orders to finish their wars when we can create new ones?"


    These were all excellent questions, which could easily be answered, after all, it had been quite some time since a Pope had dered a Crusade, and due to the sess of the previous Crusades in this world, the idea was quite popr and would undoubtedly draw in a lot of potential troops to invade Southern Germany with. After a bit of discussion, this was how the Council of Cordoba chose to deal with Berengar and the Reformist movement.


    Unfortunately for the future Crusaders, by the time they could fully prepare such a massive force for the invasion, years would have passed, and Tyrol would be a self-sustaining stronghold. Berengar would be more than ready for such a force. However, how could these men possibly know the future? As such, after figuring out how to deal with the German Reformation, they moved on to thest topic at hand. One of the participating Cardinals brought up the matter of the Teutonic State and the crisis they were currently facing.


    "The Teutonic Order has angered the Golden Horde by waging war against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which is their protectorate; they are currently facing a crisis the likes we have not seen in decades. If we aid them, we will only be furthering the rift forming with the Eastern Orthodox Church. How shall we proceed?"


    Instantly the opinion of the participating clergymen was divided, some supported the Teutonic Order, and others believed they should never have been attacking the Orthodox to begin with. As such, they quickly devolved into an argument about this issue. One of the Bishops attending voiced his support for the Teutonic Order and their conquests of the East.


    "The Teutonic Order is the bulwark of Christiandom in the East; they must not fall to these heathens! I say we supply them with the funding and equipment necessary to win the war at their doorsteps!"


    However, a Cardinal instantly voiced his objection to this matter.


    "Preposterous, we should never have been involved with the Teutonic Order''s war in the first ce. If Simeon had not supported them in their efforts, they never would have had the ability to take over the Muscovites. Now more than ever, we need to rely on our allies to the East. The German Reformation will be causing a lot of troubles in the future, and we will need the support of the Orthodox short if we seek to end it swiftly!"


    Without a Pope in the audience, there was no way to move forward with the ideas presented unless all parties agreed; they could easily agree on a Crusade to crush the German Reformation, but supporting the Teutonic Order during their crisis in which they brought upon themselves? That was a point of contention between the various factions of the Church. As such, the men continued to squabble amongst themselves over this one issue for a week before concluding that they would provide material aid to the Teutonic Order, but they would not provide any troops or economic support.


    The Teutonic Order was left on its own to fight the enemies in which it had created, at least for the most part. After all, the Church was more concerned with putting down the German Reformation, which posed a far greater threat than the Golden Horde. If this were the army of Genghis Khan from centuries prior, then maybe there would be a need for concern. However, at the moment, Berengar was a far greater threat for the Church, and they needed time and resources to prepare for a great Crusade against him and his followers.


    Berengar, of course, anticipated this move by the Church, and he had no qualms building a sufficient force in the meantime to deal with the threat the Crusaders would pose shortly. However, for now, he was fairly rxed as he focused his efforts on what he had been doing since his return from the campaign in Tyrol. Building his army and defenses while maintaining his trade with the various factions who wanted his arms and armor.


    As for the Reformation''s ce in this world? It was not so easily diminished; word had spread that the German Reformation had begun, and plenty of people saw it as an opportunity to take back power from the Church, something in which most secr rulers had desired for some time. Even if they did not necessarily agree with the teachings of the German Reformation themselves, the idea of getting rid of the Church''s influence over secr affairs was attractive enough to join in with the Reformist Movement as such Berengar''s allies grew in numbers, which would be useful in the uing war with the Catholic Church.


    Ultimately the Council of Cordoba ended in what could be considered a monumental sess for the Catholic Church, the Western Schism had been mended, and a n was in ce to deal with the German Reformation, as for the Teutonic State, they were left to their own devices for the most part. Thus the Catholic Church had addressed the ongoing crises from which it was currently suffering. However, in the end, this would not be enough to stop the growing tide of the German Reformation and Berengar''s rise to power.

 Chapter 163: Catfight

    <h4>Chapter 163: Catfight</h4>


    The light of the sun shone down upon Ad''s room and through her ss window, illuminating her doll-like face as she slept beneath her covers. It was well past dawn, and yet the young girl still slept; after all, she was still growing and, as such, needed her beauty rest. After a short period of struggling to adjust to the light which beamed upon her, she began to pout before opening her deep sapphire eyes and gazing at her window with contempt.


    Now that she was awake, she decided to get out from under her covers, where she wore a frilly white nightgown; as per most of her clothing, Berengar designed it with bothfort and aesthetic in mind. The soft silk material dangled loosely from the growing curves of her adolescent body. After stretching for a little bit, she decided to go about her morning basic hygiene rituals such as bathing, brushing her teeth, and flossing before finally dressing in her exquisite attire based on Tudor and Elizabethan clothing patterns from Berengar''s past life.


    After getting dressed in her daily attire, she progressed to the dining hall where her family was gathering to eat breakfast; ever since her sister Ava had arrived in Graz, Ad had been doing her best to stay away from the woman, after all despite being siblings the two got along about as well as cats and dogs. For whatever reason, the Count of Salzburg''s son and heir was spending his time in Graz with his wife and three children. Though Ad did not understand why this was the case, after all, Salzburg was safe enough, and the excuse of being on vacation visiting Ava''s family had long since grown suspicious.


    Despite Ad''s growing concerns over her eldest sister''s stay, she still tried to y nice with the young woman, and as such, the two sat across from one another at the dining table, where the two began to mince words. Ava was, as always, the perpetrator of their little disputes, and as such, decided to bully her cute little sister.


    "Ad, I heard your fiance was bold enough to dere his heresy as a reformation! I wonder what will happen to him when the Pope finally deres a crusade to deal with the trouble he has caused; I worry for your safety, after all, you are engaged to the man that the Church refers to as Berengar the ursed!"


    Immediately the women went straight for the heart, knowing that Ad''s rtionship with Berengar was her most vulnerable point. However, since their first dispute, Ad had grown wiser and noticed that her eldest sister somonly targetted Berengar with her words in an attempt to rile her up as such, Ad was as calm as a pond''s surface as she rebutted Ava''s taunt.


    "Any force the Vatican sends into Tyrol will end up the same as thest group of fools who entered Berengar''s domain in an attempt to remove him from power."


    She was quite obviously referring to the ughter of the Teutonic Order''s army, which marched into Berengar''snds; the result of that battle was well known among the Lords and Ladies of the German-speaking regions. However, Ava knew something that most did not know; after all, her husband was the son and heir to the Count of Salzburg, and his father''s spywork was extensive. As such, she further taunted Ad with her attacks on Berengar''s character.


    "Poor sweet little Lambert, I heard Berengar used some vile sorcery to kill that poor boy in battle; what kind of ck-hearted man murders his own little brother?"


    Though Ad tried to stay calm, hearing her sisterpliment Lambert while insulting Berengar''s character was enough to invoke ire in her heart.; Ava dared to act like Lambert was a saint, despite knowing of his past deeds. However, this was exactly how the Church was behaving about the issue. Every since Lambert''s death, he had be a martyr in the eyes of Catholics and a stain on Berengar''s reputation.


    Every wicked deed the boy had evermitted was wiped away from his past by the powerful propagandawork of the Church; the Catholic church depicted him as an exceptionally pious man who voluntarily gave up his inheritance to serve the Teutonic Order. Where he was deployed to bring his brother, a condemned heretic, to justice. However, as the two fought on the battlefield, Berengar blinded Lambert with some vile sorcery before stabbing him in the back.


    This was the tale in which the Catholic church told the world about Lambert and Berengar''s duel within the battlefield of Oberstdorf. Obviously, it waspletely fabricated, but unlike Ad, who now thought of herself as a reformist due to Berengar''s influence, Ava was a devout Catholic much like the rest of her family and chose to further propagate this story, despite knowing its falsehood in a deliberate attempt to mess with Ad. Hearing such provoking words Ad could not control herself and immediatelyshed out at Ava, who had seeded in her aim.


    "You know full well that Lambert was a devious little scoundrel who on multiple asions tried to murder Berengar! What was his punishment for such actions? He was disowned and sent to the Teutonic Order to redeem himself, where he used the first opportunity he could get to try to get revenge on Berengar for being merciful; if you ask me, Berengar should have cut off his head, to begin with, it would have saved everyone some trouble!"


    Ava smiled devilishly as she witnessed Ad fuming with anger, to the point where her cheeks were puffing like a chipmunk and were slightly flushed; in Ava''s eyes, it was adorable. After seeing such a sight, of course, Ava could not resist and further poured salt on the wound.


    "I suppose that is the excuse he told you after stealing Lambert''s fiancee and impregnating her, right?"


    Ad continued to fume in anger, but she did not lose control of her emotions. Instead, she forced herself to calm down before addressing Ava''sst point. For the past few months, ever since Ava arrived, she had continuously beaten Ad in any argument solely because she would bring up this point after being sorely defeated in the previous rounds of engagement and cause Ad to throw a tantrum. However, not this time, Ad had finally figured out how to beat Ava this time around, and she threw her words right back into her face.


    "So what if Berengar has a lover? He is a great man, and plenty of great men have had multiple women by their side throughout history! If your husband was half as aplished as Berengar, he too could take a lover, and I doubt you would mind!"


    These wordspletely baffled Ava and attacked her weakest point. She knew her husband was not nearly as aplished as Berengar, nor would he ever achieve half of the things Berengar had in life. Aside froming from a powerful family and being slightly good looking, her husband was a rtively dull and unambitious man. The fact that her youngest sister managed to get someone like Berengar as a fiance had greatly invoked her ire, and it was her reason for picking on Ad all of the time.


    While Ava had an ugly expression on her face, Ad was smirking smugly at her, oh how the tables have turned. As for her husband, who was slightly older than ava herself and was named Wolfgang von Salzburg, it took him a few moments to realize that Ad had essentially implied he was a loser. During that time, Avashed out at Ad as she pounded the table with her fists extremely uncivilly.


    "You think you are better than me because your fiance is extremely handsome, has never been defeated in battle, and is absurdly wealthy? How dare you!?!"


    Ad was delighted at the moment, ever since Ava had first arrived, she had continued to lose these daily catfights, but now the shoe was on the other foot. Apparently, Ava was a very sore loser. As such, Ad merely scoffed at Ava and told her the words she was told every time she erupted at Ava in the past.


    "We will discuss thister when you calm down."


    If Ava''s expression was ugly before, it was now outright hideous, she wanted to pounce at Ad on the spot, but she knew she could not do so; after all, such behavior was udylike, and she had an image to maintain. As such, she quickly dug into the food on her te while grumbling under her breath. Of course, it was at this moment Wolfgang finally realized that maybe there was a slight possibility that Ad had just insulted him, and as such, he whispered in Ava''s ear asking about it.


    "Did she just call me a loser?"


    Ava nearly snapped at her husband''s response; not only was he dull enough not to realize that he was insulted, but he had the nerve to ask her about it in front of the perpetrator; she really wishes she was married off to someone more like Berengar. Though she looked down on Berengar for being born into low nobility, the more he aplished, the more Ava became jealous of Ad. After all, who cares about whether someone is born into low nobility or not when they go from being a baron''s son and heir to a Count mighty enough to flip the bird to the Vatican in under a year?


    After this little catfight was over, the family''s breakfast continued in awkward silence; the only one satisfied with the results of this meal was Ad; she had won a great moral victory today against her sister. Ad believed it was doubtful that Ava would mock Berengar further now that her weakness was exposed. As such, she enjoyed the thick German Pancakes on her te with delight.

 Chapter 164: Death of a Duke

    <h4>Chapter 164: Death of a Duke</h4>


    For the past few months, Duke Wilmar of Austria has been in the process of conquering Bavaria. However, despite his initial progress, he currently found himself in a stalemate with the armies of Bavaria, which have returned from their campaign in Northern Germany to reim thend in which they had lost to Austria. Despite the advantages the Austrians initially had in this war, they now found themselves struggling to maintain the ground they had conquered.


    The Bavarians had made great gains in Northern Germany, pursuing their im for the vacant throne, however after realizing that the Austrians had stolen their Capital, they were forced to withdraw from their holdings and leave it to reconquest by the House of Luxembourg and their allies. As such, they were in a furious state as they gazed across the battlefield to see the Dastardly Austrians who had attacked them while they were pursuing their ambitions.


    The two Dukes led their respective armies with Duke Wilmar von Habsburg in control of his personal forces and those of his vassals. Duke Dietger von Wittelsbach was in charge of the Bavarian army. Seeing as how nearly all of the two Duke''s forces were gathered for this event, this would be the single most important battle of the war in Southern Germany to decide who would reign supreme, Austria or Bavaria. The battle ultimately would take ce outside the city of Passau in Eastern Bavaria. Duke Wilmar was currently discussing the ns for the grand battle which was about to take ce with his vassals, who weremanders in his army.


    "Count Otto, my old friend, I wish for you tomand the rear-guard, make sure that our nks hold the line against any potential attack, especially that of Cavalry."


    Seeing that he was not tasked with leading the Vanguard, Otto frowned, however despite his objections, he agreed to the Duke''s orders and voiced his support.


    "I will do as youmand your grace."


    Duke Wilmar was, of course, pleased with this result, as for the nextment from the Duke, it surprised nobody.


    "Count Walfried von Salzburg, you are tasked with leading the Vanguard!"


    Walfried pounded his chest as he saluted his liege while responding to his orders.


    "You honor me, your grace!"


    With those two positions taken care of, Duke Wilmar moved on to his overall strategy.


    "While Walfried advances with the Vanguard, I will lead the cavalry which we will split into two units and circle around the enemy''s lines where we shall attack them from the rear of their nks. Once the nks are crushed, the Bavarians will have to fall back and reinforce their lines; as they do so, the Vanguard will rush in and cut them down before they manage to do so."


    It was a simple enough strategy and had worked numerous times before; as such, none of the Lords who were present had anyints about the tactics they would use to defeat the Bavarians. Thest remark the Duke made was about his archers.


    "The Archers will be ced atop both of these hills on both sides of the battlefield, where they will rain missiles down upon our foes."


    After these words were stated, all of the Lords who witnessed this conversation nodded in agreement. Shortly thereafter, they were all set to the task, and the battle had begun. The Archers took their positions on the hilltop and began to rain their arrows down upon the enemy forces, just as nned.


    However, unfortunately, it appeared as if the Bavarians were just as well equipped as the Austrians; as such, the arrows werergely deflected off of the heavily armored infantry of the enemy. The fact that the Bavarians were so well equipped was shocking to the Austrians, seeing as how the Austrian Lords had spent a fortune on Berengar''s arms and armor preparing for this war. Despite this fact, the Bavarians seemed to be equally well equipped, at least for the most part, which began to fill the Lords of Austria with doubt over Berengar''s loyalty.


    Nevertheless, now was not the time to worry about such concerns, and though the arrows could not pierce the brigandine or te, they easily slid into the gaps in the enemy armor when fired in a volley numbering in the thousands. There were still many wounds inflicted on the Bavarian troops before they arrived inbat with the Austrian infantry. Still, it was strange that there was no sign of Bavarian Archers or Crossbowmen deployed to the battlefield, which filled Count Otto with angst as hemanded the rear guard, watching the battle from afar.


    The moment the two feudal armies made contact with one another, blood and death began to spray about the fertile grasnd that was the battlefield. Corpses littered the field as the steel-d armies shed with one another like an enormous metallic tidal wave. As the battle continued to rage, Duke Wilmar finally found an opening for his cavalry, and as such, he began his charge; just like in the battle n, the heavily armored knights mounted on horseback broke into to units and went around the vanguard of the enemy army where they proceeded to attack their nks from the rear. With theirnces couched, and the force of the horse''s charge, even high-quality steel te armor could be damaged by such a powerful blow.


    As such, the heavily armored Knights of Austria led by Duke Wilmar crashed into the enemy nks, driving theirnces through their chests and ending their lives. Quickly the Bavarian nks began to crumble, and the n seemed to be working perfectly. However, unlike Duke Wilmar had estimated, the moment the enemy nks crumbled, the men began to route and fled into the distance. Seeing this as an opportunity for victory, Duke Wilmar charged ahead of his infantry and into the routing forces.


    However, this turned out to be a grave mistake, as the enemy forces were pulling a ssic feigned retreat. By the time the Knights of Austria arrived in front of their enemies, they were encircled by thousands of crossbowmen and archers who unleashed a massive volley from 360 degrees around the Austrian Knights. Though the bolts of the crossbows could not prate the toughness of the steel-te armor, they could get into the gaps between them, causing injuries to the Knights and Nobleman who were encapsted, as well as their trusty steeds.


    Before long, the entire contingent of Knights who had broken the Bavarian nks found themselves dismounted as the continuous volley fire had gravely injured their horses; many of them were wounded or had even perished in the attack by the crossbowman. After all, the te armor of the time was not as advanced as what Bernegar equipped his cavalry with. Many Knights wore mail aventails for throat protection, rather than gorget or great basc, which allotted some degree of steel te throat protection. Thus the crossbow bolts of the heavy steel crossbows were capable of piercing through the mail aventail and into their throats.


    Duke Wilmar and his surviving Knights quickly recovered from the attack. However, they soon found themselves surrounded by the enemy infantry, and they were a long way off from their own army. As such, a vicious struggle appeared as the Knights of Austria battled to the death with the men at arms of Bavaria, where the Bavarian Knights were located Wilmar did not know. Though the Austrian Knights were afforded greater protection and had better skill than the Bavarian men at arms, they were severely outnumbered. They quickly found their ranks dwindling as they were surrounded on all sides and ruthlessly battered by the Bavarian forces.


    Duke Wilmar stood side by side with his Knights and Vassals, who had followed him into death as he parried an oing spear thrust and lunged towards the soldier''s face with his longsword, piercing through the man''s skull and ending his life. However, he shortly thereafter received a crossbow bolt in the crook of his elbow, which pierced through the gap beneath his te armor and through the mail and gambeson which protected it. With a massive bolt piercing through his elbow, he no longer had the ability to wield his longsword with his dominant arm and thus resorted to using the weapon one-handed with his off-hand.


    Count Otto gazed in horror at the sight of the Austrian Knights being rapidly cut down by the enemy forces, yet there was nothing he could do. He was tasked with protecting the rear guard, and he was far too distant from his Lieges position to provide any aid. All he could do was watch as the ranks of the Austrian Knights slowly dwindled in a desperate struggle to wait for the Austrian Infantry to arrive at their aid.


    However, right when the Austrian infantry was about to intervene, the Bavarian Cavalry rushed upon their loose and disorganized ranks, which was the result of panic, and began to halt their advance. Duke Dieter was at the head of the ranks of his Cavalry as theynced through the Austrian Vanguard as if they were cutting through cream cheese. Thest thing Duke Wilmar saw before he was viciously struck upon the back of his helm with a mighty Warhammer was the devastation wrought upon his forces by the Bavarian Army. He quickly copsed to his knees from the impact, where he was once more struck by the Warhammer, ending his life.


    As for the fate of Count Walfried von Salzburg, he had either perished in the Conflict or been captured alive; to Count Otto, such a thing did not matter at the moment. Despite being his daughter''s father-inw, Otto had no ns to stay behind and rescue the man. As such, he quickly ordered his troops to withdraw from the battlefield, for the Austrian army had already lost.


    With this one battle, the Fate of Austria had seemingly been sealed, the Duke was dead, and his armies were routed. Those few who survived and remained free from bondage were the members of the rear guard who watched their armies cut to pieces. When all appeared to be lost, they fled the battle scene and headed back to their homes in Austria. After all, someone had to defend the homnd from the massive Bavarian invasion of Austria that would soon follow.

 Chapter 165: Preparing for an Enemy Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 165: Preparing for an Enemy Invasion</h4>


    Nearly a week had passed from the fateful battle in which the Austrian Army under themand of Duke Wilmar was horrendously defeated by the Bavarians. Count Otto had maintained his army''s march back to Graz, where he intended to defend his home and family until death. As for the result of the battle, Count Otto had dispatched messengers and carrier pigeons to all corners of Austria, informing the realm of their Liege''s death and the results of the catastrophic battle.


    When Berengar finally received the news, he was sitting on his seat of power, with Linde on hisp, where he was in the process of teasing her. He indeed had no shame as he continued to grope her exquisitely proportioned figure through her velvet dress, which caused her to flush with arousal. Truthfully this entire public disy of intimacy was her idea, and Berengar was her Lord, and Master would not decline an opportunity to show off his dominance; as such, The young Count entertained himself with the voluptuous body of his lover. That is until a messenger came rushing into the Great Hall and witnessed the erotic scene.


    Upon witnessing the intruder, Linde quickly became overwhelmed with embarrassment and hid her charming face with her hands. Nevertheless, Berengar continued to y with her ample bosom despite the new arrival. While behaving so shamelessly in public, Berengar shouted at the messenger who had just arrived.


    "Do you have something important to tell me? If not, get out! as you can see, I am currently preupied."


    Not knowing how to react to the bold scene in front of him, the messenger stammered as he tried to discuss the letter which had arrived, containing the seal of House von Graz.


    "Y.. your excellency, Count Otto von Graz sends an urgent message, I am here to deliver it!"


    Berengar''s hand, which wastched to one of Linde''srge breasts, immediately stopped what it was doing and released its grip. Shortly thereafter, a sigh escaped from his lips as he demanded the messenger pass the letter to him.


    "Hand it over!"


    The messenger quickly bowed before walking up to Berengar and Linde, where he handed it to the young Count whose arm was still wrapped firmly around his lover''s waist, preventing her from fleeing the scene. After the man handed Berengar the letter, he quickly absconded from the spot; after all, watching Berengar openly y with Linde on his seat of power was not something to which one would normally stick around to see.


    It was only after the man had left that Linde released her hands from blocking her gorgeous face, where she began to pout. She truly only had herself to me, as she was the one who suggested such an open disy of intimacy. Nevertheless, she still felt Berengar had gone too far by not immediately stopping his actions with the arrival of a third party.


    Ignoring Linde''s cute reactions, Berengar opened up the letter and read its contents, which caused his eyes to spread open with shock before settling into a grave expression. Seeing his reaction, Linde could not help but pry into his business; after all, she was his spymaster, and as such, she quickly voiced her concerns.


    "I know that look... Something serious has happened, has it not?"


    Berengar nodded his head before announcing the results of the Battle outside Passau.


    "The Duke is dead, his army was crushed in Passau, only Count Otto and his forces have returned from the battlefield. The Lords of Austria are either dead or captured. I''m sorry, love, but I have more important things to attend to at the moment; I will have to y with you again some other time..."


    Linde once more began to pout as Berengar forced her up from hisp and began to head to his study. They had only just begun their fun, and yet already he was leaving. She began to believe that such news always presented itself at the worst timing. She sighed to herself as she watched Berengar leave the scene. However, it could not be helped; he had to make preparations for the likelihood of a Bavarian invasion into Tyrol; as such, she decided she would spend her free time feeding her child.


    Berengar, on the other hand, quickly got to work; though star forts had begun construction across Tyrol, he had always made a priority on the construction of forts in the border regions and within Kufstein. As such, the borders were adequately defended, at least in terms of fortifications. However, he now needed to transfer more forces to their garrisons after all the Bavarians were likely to invade through Tyrol with at least one army.


    By now, Eckhard had already returned to Berengar''s court, as his Field Marshal, Berengar liked to have him nearby to advise on strategies and tactics. As such, Berengar quickly called for Eckhard to meet him in his study, where the man arrived in a timely manner. Initially, Eckhard thought Berengar wanted to have a mid-day drink; after all, the two men had be close friends throughout the vast amount of time they spent together; however, after noticing the grave expression on Berengar''s face, Eckhard''s professionalism immediately took over.


    "Your excellency, what has happened?"


    Berengar immediately ryed the news he had be privy to.


    "The Duke is dead, and the Austrian host was shattered, only a few thousand troops made it out of the battle, and they returned to Graz with Count Otto. Vienna is left poorly defended after Lothar''s rebellion, and it will not stand for long if the Bavarians decide to invade!"


    Hearing such disastrous news, Eckhard frowned; by now, he knew where Berengar was headed with this train of thought; as such, he asked Berengar the question on his mind.


    "Yet you do not n to provide relief to the new Duke?"


    Berengar grinned as he heard Eckhard''s response; the man knew him too well.


    "Of course not, though the Bavarians may send an army into Vienna, they will undoubtedly also send one into ournds as well; after all, Tyrol exists along the southern border of Bavaria, and I doubt they n to leave us out of their conquests. We must properly defend ourselves!"


    Eckhard nodded; the situation of the Duchy of Austria did not bode too well. However, as the Count of Tyrol, Berengar''s first and foremost responsibility was to protect his ownnds, which was the wisest course of action in such uncertain times. However, an idea popped into Eckhard''s head as he thought about what would happen to Austria.


    "What if the armies march on Steiermark? Will you leave your little fiancee to her fate?"


    Berengar scoffed at Eckhard''s suggestion and immediately retorted


    "If those Bavarian bastards dare to think aboutying a hand on Ad, I will bring the might of steel and shot upon their feudal armies! I will never allow harm toe to a single strand upon either of my women''s heads!"


    Eckhard stared at the conviction in Berengar''s eyes and knew the young Count was serious. Despite Steiermark being a rather distant County of Austria, at least rtive to Tyrol. The grizzled veteran did not doubt for a second that Berengar would break any siege that took ce in Graz and forcefully take his fiancee with him back to Kufstein, where she would be safe. With that in mind, the man had decided on the best course of actions in which Berengar''s army would take and pointed to the map of Tyrol.


    "We will split the field army into two forces; as you know, we have mostly replenished our losses from the battle with the Teutonic Order, and as such, our numbers are back to their peak. 7,500 men will march up to Reutte with Arnolf as theirmander, where they will be stationed as a rapid-response force to any invasion through our Northwest Borders. As for the other 7,500 men they will be stationed in Kitzb��hel, where I will lead them. If the Bavarians even dare to attack our North-Eastern border, I will crush them! As for any attacks on our allies in Steiermark, we will be able to more swiftly get to their aid by having our troops stationed in Kitzb��hel."


    It was a good n, and Berengar immediately agreed with it. As such, heplimented Eckhard before ordering him to put it into action as soon as possible.


    "Excellent work Marshal Eckhard! With this strategy, we should be able to defend our borders from any incursion adequately! Ry this information to the army and have it enacted as quickly as you can!"


    Eckhard nodded with a smile on his face before saluting Berengar


    "Of course, your excellency! I will dispatch the army at once!"


    Afterward, the man exited from Berengar''s office and began to enact the ns promptly. Berengar''s defenses were rather solid, and though most of the star forts were still under construction and would be for years toe, the border defenses were at least partiallypleted. As such, he did not fear the Bavarians seizing hisnd.

 Chapter 166: The Way is Blocked

    <h4>Chapter 166: The Way is Blocked</h4>


    Rain poured down upon the mountainous borders of Tyrol and Bavaria. At the moment, an army of Bavarians was on the march. At the head of the military was a Count who was quite upset about his current task. For the most part, he and the men of his army were proud members of the German Reformation, and Duke Dietger had tasked them to invade the hearnd of their movement. Not only was Tyrol an important ce in the hearts of German Reformists, but it also housed two of their leaders; that being Berengar and Ludolf. As such, very few men in the army were eager to fulfill this task.


    On more than one asion, this Count by the name of Siegmund had considered outright insubordination. Yet, here he was at the borders between his homnd, and the capital of the reformation, debating whether or not he should go through with his orders. However, the closer his troops approached Tyrol, the more they were able to notice that a fortress was constructed in the area, one whose design was unlike anything Siegmund had ever seen before. It was in the shape of a star and flew the coat of arms of House von Kufstein. It was a fortress constructed by Berengar to protect the routes into hisnds.


    Siegmund decided to halt his advance when faced with such a mighty fortress, which was visibly defended by rtively massive cannons and hundreds of men armed with what he perceived to be hand cannons. He was no fool, and he could tell by the design of the fortress that if he were to attempt to take it over, it would be a long and bloody battle. Not only were his men vulnerable to fire from all directions, but there were no blind spots to take advantage of. If rumors were to be believed, the hand cannons in which the defenders were equipped were devastating weapons.


    When faced with such a challenge, Siegmund only had three options; first and foremost, he could withdraw from the region and find another route into Tyrol, one he hoped would not be as heavily defended. The second option was for him to disregard his losses and attack the fortress in an attempt to force his way into Tyrol. His third and final option was to give up on the idea of attacking the region, and set up camp on the edge of the border, and act like he was doing something, hoping that his liege would not realize he had sat still and done nothing. After all, neither he nor his men were too keen on the idea of attacking Tyrol.


    Count Siegmund von Augsburg took a few moments to contemte his options when one of hismanders approached him.


    "Your excellency, the path forward is blocked by the strange fortress; I fear as if it will be a difficult task to invade Tyrol."


    Count Siegmund immediately felt a headache looking at the situation before him. If he did not advance into Tyrol, he would bebeled an oath breaker, and after the war was over, Duke Dietger would surelye for him and potentially his family. As such, he mustered his courage and ordered the Army to advance on the fortress.


    "Prepare toy siege to the fortress! We have our orders!"


    While giving out themand to his army, Siegmund told himself in the back of his mind.


    ''May God have mercy on my soul.''


    As such, a siege camp was prepared, and within a few hours of preparations, the Bavarian army began to attack the Star Fortress. Men at arms rushed towards the fortress curtains, hoping that the solid portion of the wall would provide a steady tform to raise theirdders. However, the moment they came within engagement distance, the several hundred soldiers of Berengar''s army who were garrisoned at the fort unleashed the 24 lb siege cannons onto the invaders. The explosive shells tore the besiegers asunder long before they made it to the wall section, which was their goal.


    Limbs were hewn from the victims of the st, and blood sttered across the grassy mountain pass. Yet this did not stop the dozens of cannons mounted on the fortress walls from firing in the direction of the invaders. The thundering echoes of the guns filled the air alongside the blood-curdling screams of the invaders. Though the defenders only numbered in the hundreds, the fortress was so well designed that even with their 1417 Land Pattern Smoothbore muskets, they were capable of causing massive devastation to the enemy forces.


    By the time the third volley of cannon fire went off, the besiegers had fled back to their siege camp, which was unbeknownst to them well within the range of the mighty 24 lb cannons. However, the defenders did not attack the encampment. Instead, they halted their fire and allowed the enemy to retreat. The goal was not to annihte the enemy force as quickly as possible; if they did such a thing, Duke Dietger would take one of two actions, he would either abandon Tyrol altogether until he had sessfully taken all of Austria excluding Tyrol, or he would send a massive invasion far more significant than the current force in retaliation. Neither of which was appealing to Berengar; as such, the young Count of Tyrol had tasked his defenders to wage a war of attrition.


    If Berengar''s forces could keep these tens of thousands of men bogged down outside their borders indefinitely, Duke Dietger would surely continue to send reinforcements and supplies to ensure the offensive against Tyrol continued. This would significantly weaken their attack on the remainder of Austria and divide his armies, allowing the Austrian lords a decent chance to fight back. However, Count Siegmund had no way of knowing Berengar''s ns and was simply in awe of the weapons that his opponents fielded. Thus he stood with his mouth agape after watching his army copse so quickly against the mighty star fortress. The man was so shocked by the disastrous result of the brief engagement that he identally voiced his thoughts aloud for all the nearby men to hear.


    "God is on their side, for how can man build such destructive weapons without divine intervention?"


    These words weakened the already low morale of the troops, many of which were Reformists, and had no desire to attack the hearnd of their religion. After saying these words, one of themanders under Siegmund voiced his concerns.


    "If God is on their side, then how do we fulfill our orders?"


    It was only at this moment that Siegmund realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud, and as such, quickly came up with a scheme to avoid further conflict while making it seem like he was actively participating in an attempt to seize Tyrol.


    "Write to Duke Dietgar, tell him the Northwest passages into Tyrol are blocked by mighty fortresses, and we need reinforcements if we are to achieve our objective. He will either send us aid, which will give us a period of reprieve, or he will ignore our pleas, and we will have our justification to sit back and do nothing."


    Hearing their liege''s orders, themanders all agreed that it was the best course of action and immediately set to task. As for the defenders in the fortress, not a single man was wounded in the conflict, and as such, they were sitting back and rxing; after all, they had ess to plenty of supplies and relieving forces. Theoretically, they could stay and guard the Northwest borders of Tyrol indefinitely. While the besiegers lived in an exposed and muddy siege camp, the defenders stayed in fine barracks to shelter them from the elements, which allowed them a sense offort as they guarded the borders of Tyrol.


    The stalemate at the Tyrolean border had just begun, and this star fortress was not the only one facing a simr situation, to the Northeast near the edges of Kitzb��hel, the defenders were also facing a simr problem, after all the attempted invasion into Tyrol was a two-prong offensive designed to encapste the region swiftly. However, in its initial advancement, it had beenpletely halted. When Duke Dietger finally found out that his troops could not prate Tyrolean territory, he would be shocked that his strategy had failed so miserably. However, the sunk cost facy was a severe issue of the human psyche, and the old Duke would surely continue to send aid towards the besiegers of Tyrol at his own army''s expense.


    As for the rest of the invasion of Austria, aside from Vorarlberg, the remainder of the Austrian counties were not as lucky as Tyrol to have its natural defensive Barriers, and as such, would fare far worse in the ongoing invasion. As the war progressed, Tyrol would be the symbol of Austrian resistance against Bavarian upation, and Berengar would gain recognition as the leader of said resistance. As for now, the Bavarian invasion had just begun, and as such, no County had yet fallen to the enemy. While the attempts to invade Tyrol had been halted in their initial advance, Berengar was sleeping peacefully in the arms of his lover.

 Chapter 167: Henriettas Concerns

    <h4>Chapter 167: Henrietta''s Concerns</h4>


    The light of dawn shone into Berengar''s room, exposing the scene of the young Count and his lover entangled in each other''s arms. As per usual, this was the signal for Berengar to awaken; as for Linde, she would continue to sleep for some time. The days of her waking up early to sneak back to her temporary quarters were long passed. These days, Everyone knew of her rtionship with Berengar, and she openly slept in his room; as such, she could sleep in as long as she wanted, and Berengar neverined.


    Thus Berengar skillfully climbed out of bed, without awakening Linde, and got dressed in his athletic attire. As per usual, his morning was filled with a five-mile run, followed by lifting weights and sword practice. When he was finally done with all of those things, hours had passed, and he had entered the bath to get rid of all the sweat on his body. When he opened the door to the tub and entered the pool of water, he found Linde already enjoying herself within. Arge smile appeared on her face as Berengar sat down alongside her and enjoyed the steaming water. After a prolonged workout, soaking in a hot tub was something that Berengar hade to enjoy immensely.


    After fooling around in the tub with Linde for some time, the couple left the bath and tidied up their appearance while fulfilling daily hygiene like brushing their teeth and flossing. Afterward, they got dressed and headed to the dining room, where they shared a meal. As per usual, the only other person present at the table was Henrietta, who had long since grown ustomed to Linde being present, and though their rtionship had improved, she still supported Ad in her little rivalry with Linde. Ad of course had not been back to Kufstein since she left so many months ago.


    Berengar had yet to inform Henrietta of Lambert''s death at his hands in the Battle of Oberstdorf; of course, when he did finally tell her of such an important matter, it would be an entirely fabricated story about the boy dying in the glorious crusade against the Golden Horde. After all, Henrietta had always cared for both of her brothers, and she was still not fully aware of the evil in which Lambert had done in his life. Being a young child, it seemed unfair to Berengar to reveal to the girl the truth behind Lambert''s misdeeds and the cause of his death. Thus he chose to allow his little sister to remember Lambert in a good light, at least until she was old enough to properly understand the depth of his actions and his wicked character.? As such, Berengar drank out of the skull chalice, which was fashioned from his little brother''s skull, while talking to Henrietta about how she spent her time recently.


    "So Henrietta, how have you beentely? I have been so preupied with work that I have been unable to check up on you."


    Henrietta had been attending sses at one of the public institutions which had been set up in the City of Kufstein to educate the young generations; after all, if she stayed cooped up in the Castle of Kufstein with no contact with children her age, she was bound to have some issues properly socializingter in life. Thus Henrietta had a giant smile on her face as she devoured the delectable omelet on her te. The omelet itself was filled with spinach and cheese and had be one of the girl''s favorite breakfast dishes. However, the moment she heard this, her expression soured slightly which did not go unnoticed by Berengar and Linde.


    "I am fine..."


    Henrietta was a rather shy girl, and as such, she did not like revealing too much about her personal life. However, Berengar was persistent and made sure to pry into the girl''s life; as such, he asked another question.


    "Are you enjoying school? Does everyone treat you well?"


    Henrietta nodded as she snacked more on her breakfast; she did not say much other than


    "mhmm"


    Despite her answer, Berengar did not believe that to be the case; after all, he knew his little sister reasonably well and, as such, became deeply concerned. It was not simply a matter of being shy; ever since Berengar got his eyepatch and began drinking from a skull chalice, he had an aura of intimidation around him, which made Henrietta subconsciously afraid of him. As such, she acted as an obedient littlemb and merely nodded her head and answered Berengar''s questions.


    Noticing such behavior, Linde put a gentle smile on her face and questioned the girl on Berengar''s behalf. She was a far less frightening character in Henrietta''s eyes, and as such, the girl was more open to talking to her.


    "It is okay; why don''t you tell me if you have any concerns?"


    Henrietta''s gaze switched between Berengar and Linde for a few moments before she finally opened up about her problems with her school life. Due to being cooped up in the castle most of her life, Henriettas was, as previously mentioned, a timid girl, and as such, she did not know how to interact well with others. Berengar''s worst fears about her upbringing had already be realized, and as such, Henrietta revealed her difficulties at school.


    "I don''t have any friends..."


    With this information revealed, Berengar was not entirely surprised; he had deliberately put her in his public education program so she could socialize and be ustomed to themon popce, but she was still the Count''s little sister, there was a natural air of intimidation that surrounded her, at least as far as the ordinary people were concerned. The parents probably instructed their kids not to do anything to upset her; whenbined with her naturally shy and docile personality, she most likely sat alone in a ss all day and simply went over her school work.


    It seemed Berengar''s guesses were correct as Linde further questioned the young girl.


    "Well, have you tried talking to anyone in your ss?"


    Henrietta merely shook her head in response to this question, causing Linde to put on a warm smile once more.


    "Well, maybe you should try it out?"


    Henrietta''s response was quick and filled with dejection.


    "It won''t matter..."


    Linde tried to dig to the root of the problem, and as such, further questioned Henrietta''s response.


    "Why not?"


    Henrietta''s expression turned gloomy, which was rather adorable on her cute little face, at least as far as Berengar was concerned; however, she muttered in a hushed voice


    "Because I am the Count''s little sister..."


    Though she was quiet, therge dining room was virtually silent aside from her voice, and Berengar and Linde both heard herint. Now it was Berengar''s turn to cheer her up, and he finally voiced his opinion on the matter.


    "It sounds to me like the other kids might be a little bit intimidated by your position, I''m willing to bet you don''t voluntarily interact with any of them, and you simply sit there in ss with an indifferent expression on your face. Am I right?"


    Berengar knew his sister all too well, and he had guessed correctly; Henrietta squeezed her favorite doll that she carried with her everywhere into her arms and pouted, Berengar was right on the money, and she felt like she was being scolded. However, what he said next gave her some hope.


    "Why don''t you try introducing yourself to your ssmates? I know you are shy, but if you make a sincere effort, they might stop thinking of you as a little ice princess who should not be offended and instead treat you as part of the ss. I am sure the girls in your ss would love to talk about your cute dresses!"


    Hearing this, Henrietta continued to pout until finally, she uttered a single phrase.


    "I doubt that..."


    Berengarughed at the little loli''s cute expression and decided to counter her words.


    "Is that so? Then what are the girls in your ss interested in talking about?"


    Henrietta''s face slightly flushed as she recalled the subject the girls in her ss were constantly talking about and immediately looked away from Berengar, which deeply confused him. As for Linde, she had a general idea of what the popr topic was among the little girls of Kufstein and merely smiled as Berengar tried to wrap his head around it. After a few seconds of contemtion, Berengar could not figure it out and promptly asked again.


    "Henrietta, what are the girls in your ss interested in?"


    Hearing the authoritative voice of the Count speaking to her in such a forceful manner, Henrietta nearly jumped out of her seat from fright. However, she merely turned her head to look back between Berengar and Linde before muttering a single word.


    "You..."


    Berengar did not believe he heard correctly, and as such, he asked her one more time.


    "I''m sorry, what was that?"


    Henrietta was already thoroughly embarrassed by the conversation and shouted out what she had said in a fit.


    "You! The girls in my ss always talk about you!"


    Now it was Berengar''s turn to be embarrassed; this was not exactly a demographic he wanted to be popr with; as such, he turned to Linde looking for advice, who was merely smirking at his misfortune before teasing him.


    "My oh my, to believe my man is so popr with little girls!"


    Hearing that phrase, Berengar immediately wished he was a turtle so that he could hide in his shell. It was indeed something he had never expected in life. Though he was popr among the women of Kufstein, for many reasons, chiefly among them were his good looks, his charismatic personality, and the fact that he had achieved so much in life despite being only twenty-one years old. He never thought the girls Henrietta''s age would be talking about him as if he was some form of prince charming. As such, Berengar merely cleared his throat before putting on a professional act and began giving Henrietta some advice.


    "Well, you should fit right in then! I mean, after all, who knows more about me than my precious little sister? Surely you must know some juicy details that the girls of your ss will be interested in? Use that as an icebreaker, and then try to find somemon interests."


    Lindeughed faintly at Berengar''s reaction; despite being embarrassed by the situation, he still managed to turn it around in Henrietta''s favor. After pondering about it for a moment, Henrietta realized Berengar was right; if the girls in her ss all treated her brother like he was a dashing prince, then she could talk about him to gather their interest, and from there, they could talk about other things. As such, she no longer felt embarrassed and smiled gratefully at Berengar.


    "Thanks, big brother!"


    Despite his more intimidating appearance nowadays, he was still the kind and caring big brother she had grown up with, which made Henrietta happy. Now that she had a way to make friends at school, Henrietta and the others enjoyed the rest of their meal in peace. As for Berengar, he was cursing his luck for being so popr with girls of all ages. Thest thing he needed was another reason for Linde to tease him, and she would indeed never allow him to live this down...

 Chapter 168: Constructing the Grand Cathedral

    <h4>Chapter 168: Constructing the Grand Cathedral</h4>


    While Berengar was enjoying a peaceful life in Tyrol, the Bavarian invasion had spread to the other corners of Austria. Luckily for Berengar, his position was secure for the moment; as such, he spent his time overseeing the usual activities. After finishing his breakfast with Linde and Henrietta, which had taken an unusual turn, Berengar had moved onto the main highlight of his day, which was presenting the architectural designs of his newest project to his favorite architect. With the German Reformation in full effect, Berengar wanted a symbol of his movement. As such He decided to make a Grand Cathedral in Kufstein to represent the new era of Christianity.


    While Berengar was far from an artist, he still could draw some rudimentary architectural blueprints. The style he had in mind was that of the German Renaissance. Berengar had already begun implementing such designs across Kufstein for all of his major architectural projects, for example, his grand pce, which was primarily based upon the designs of the Schloss Johannisburg from his previous life. As such, he was currently in a meeting with his favorite Architect who had been overseeing a lot of his projects within Kufstein, the man''s name was Burkhard, and he was a refugee who had fled to Kufstein during the early days of the war in Germany, where Berengar immediately noticed his talents and put him to work. At the moment the two men discussing the details of the Grand Cathedral with each other as they went over the designs. Burkhard being the first to voice his opinion.


    "As usual, your excellency, you know how to build a basic blueprint, but arepletelycking in creativity. I am afraid to say you are without any form of artistic talent."


    Burkhard was a man in his early fifties. He was an unusually blunt man; even to someone of Berengar''s position, he was not afraid of voicing his true thoughts, which Berengar honestly enjoyed. Berengar was constantly surrounded by too many sycophants who told him exactly what he wanted to hear and not the reality he needed to hear. As such, Berengar merelyughed at the older man''sment and expressed his concerns.


    "Yeah yeah... I know I am not meant to be an artist; the question is, can you make something magnificent with the designs I have presented you?"


    The older man with long overflowing grey hair and steel blue eyes began to contemte for a few moments while rubbing his bare chin before sighing.


    "It will take a lot of work to fix your mistakes, but I promise you, by the time I am done with this Grand Cathedral of yours, it will put anything the Vatican has to shame!"


    Berengar chuckled upon hearing the man''s confidence and patted him on the back as he brought the topic to interior design.


    "For the interior, I was thinking stained ss windows; I have a soft spot for such things."


    Burkhard snorted when he heard those words before interjecting his opinion on the matter.


    "Of course you want stained ss windows; everyone wants stained ss windows in their Cathedrals! Far be it from me to question your excellency''s brilliant mind!"


    Burkhard was bitter about the topic, though Berengar did not know why, and frankly, he did not care so long as his vision was brought to life. Thus Berengar switched the topic to the time frame it would take toplete it.


    "How long will it take to be finished?"


    Burkhard immediately scoffed at Berengar''s remarks; the young count was always rushing him on his projects; despite the vast wealth and resources at his disposal, it was not like the man could pull a miracle andplete such arge project overnight, despite his inner monologue Burkhard gave his best estimate.


    "Considering you have me running around the clock building your Pce, and now I have this damn Cathedral on top of it, it will take at least two years! You are lucky you pay me so well and allow me the freedom to express my creativity with these designs, or else I would have quit long ago!"


    Berengar was not the slightest bit upset by the level of informality in which the Architect spoke to him; in fact, it was pretty refreshing listening to someone who did not bow and express meaningless ttery in everyment they made. As such Berengar let the man''s seemingly foul attitude slide. In reality, Burkhard was very passionate about his work and was d to have the near-unlimited resources at his disposal which Berengar provided him to design and construct so many grand projects. Not to mention the freedom in which he was allowed to tinker with the rudimentary designs Berengar had provided him thus giving him the opportunity to turn them into true masterpieces.


    Burkhard was right about one thing, though it might take two years at the earliest toplete, it would be far grander than anything the Vatican had at the moment, and as such, the man was immensely proud to stick it to those old fools who had denied him his dreams when he was a young man. The Vatican once hired Burkhard to construct a project for them. However, the Cardinals in charge of the project micromanaged every step of his creative process, and in his opinion, ruined the final result. As such, he was d to see those old bastards get a taste of their own medicine. Berengar, on the other hand, was a much more convenient employer; as long as the result was fantastic, the young Count could care less if it stuck faithfully to his original design.


    This was how Berengar outsourced all of his creative ideas, especially in the textile industry. Those with more artistic talent than himself were allowed to be creative with the basic concept he presented, resulting in styles based upon the clothing of the renaissance from his previous life. However, maybe not 100% historically correct, nevertheless, they still ended up looking fantastic and selling well, and those two things were all that mattered in the end.


    After hearing that it would take at least two years to finish construction, Berengar was pleased; it usually would take years, maybe even decades, to construct such an extensive project. However, Berengar had introduced essential materials that significantly reduced construction speed and increased structural integrity over the traditional form of masonry. That was of course structural steel and concrete. With these two materials, his construction crews could create grand projects such as this Cathedral in a far shorter time frame, with greatly enhanced sturdiness, especially whenpared to the traditional methods. If one knew what they were doing, they could make a steel-reinforced concrete building look as attractive as any other building. As such, Berengar made use of these advanced construction materials to build his city rapidly as well as his defenses.


    Despite being pleased with the estimated time frame, Berengar liked to mess with the older man; considering Burkhard''s naturally crotchety attitude, Berengar put on an authoritative facade and said in a stern voice.


    "That is too long; it needs to be constructed in half that time!"


    Upon hearing such an impossible task, Burkhard nearly had an aneurysm as arge vein protruded from his forehead while he was seething with anger. However, before long, Berengar broke out intoughter after seeing the older man''s twisted expression, and Burkhard instantly realized that Berengar was screwing with his head. As such, he forced himself to calm down and responded to Berengar''s jest.


    "You know you are not half as funny as you think you are, right?"


    Berengar, however, had a great smile across his lips; the look on Burkhard''s face just now was priceless. After all, Burkhard was one of the few people he knew who he could joke around with like this. With others, Berengar had to maintain his prestigious appearance, yet Burkhard was different, he did not care in the slightest for the face of the nobility, and as such, Berengar could be himself around the older man.


    Of course, Burkhard also found Berengar to be one of the more tolerable members of the Nobility he had met. While the man was a member of the lower nobility, he was always looked down on for his lowly status, and as such, never cared for the noblemen and women whomissioned his work. However, he respected Berengar to a degree, Berengar was born to a lower noble house, a mere Baron''s son, and yet in under a year, he made himself a Count. This was not an easy feat in this medieval world. After ying his prank on Burkhard, Berengar noticed what time it was and realized he had to be at a strategy meeting in a few moments, and as such, he let Burkhard get back to work.


    "Well, Burkhard, as always, it has been a pleasure, but I am afraid I am needed elsewhere; I will let you get back to your work!"


    Burkhard snorted when he heard this and responded in a cold manner


    "Just make sure I am paid properly!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this response and walked away, leaving a rhetorical question in his wake.


    "Have I ever failed in that regard?"


    With that, Burkhard was left with a basic outline for Berengar''s Grand Cathedral, and he had a lot of work to do on revising the design into a proper blueprint before he could begin construction. Of course, this Cathedral was not the only project he had to work on, after all the Pce was still under construction, thus the man had his work cut out for him. However, he was pretty happy with his ce in Kufstein and had no ns to leave; as such, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work on the new project presented to him. In the distant future, Kufstein would be considered not only the seat of Imperial Power of Germany but also the religious center of the German Reformation, mainly in part to the efforts of Burkhard.

 Chapter 169: Catfight II

    <h4>Chapter 169: Catfight II</h4>


    While the Bavarians were halted at the Tyrolean border, the same could not be said for the rest of the Duchy of Austria, at the moment the Duke of Bavaria''s forces wereying siege to Salzburg, the Count of the region was missing in action, nobody knew if he was alive for dead after the battle in Passau, and his eldest son was currently staying within Graz with his wife and three children. The defense of the County of Salzburg was left to the second son of Count, who was slightly more intelligent than Wolfgang but was by no means a genius, let alone a master of military strategy. As such, the region was in dire straits while it faced the Bavarian forces.


    Wolfgang''s younger brother Adelbrand opted to give his troops the orders to stay within their castles, and fortresses challenging the Bavarians to fight them where they had the advantage. On paper, this might seem like a good idea; however, in reality, this left the towns and viges that provided the food to the Castels, Cities, and Fortressespletely defenseless, resulting in the raiding, raping, and burning of Salzburg''smon poption by the invasive Bavarians. Of course, Wolfgang had no way of knowing what was going on in his family''s territory, nor did he really care. After Otto arrived with his armies and secured Steiermark, the fearful man opted to stay with his inws, allowing thends that should be under his protection to burn in the fires of war.


    This, of course, infuriated Ava as she had yet another dispute with her little sister. Since theirst catfight, Ad had been increasingly winning the little battles she had with Ava to the point where Ava would rather stay in the Castle in Salzburg than continue to be insulted in this manner. However, once more, Ava decided to provoke a fight with Ad now that she had nowhere else to return to. At the moment, the two women were standing in the Grand Hall fighting over, well frankly, nothing of importance.


    "I am just saying, where is Berengar when we need him the most? He supposedly has an army capable of wiping out 30,000 men of the Teutonic Order, and yet he hides in his mountainous territory like a coward! If he is as great as a man as you im, he should be leading the charge against the Bavarians, and yet Salzburg bleeds while he sits back and does nothing!"


    Ad pouted after hearing her eldest sister nder Berengar once more and quickly countered her remark.


    "Berengar is the Count of Tyrol, and as such he is currently protecting hisnds from the invasion of the Bavarians; ording to our father, he haspletely halted the enemy''s advance into Tyrol and is currently maintaining his field armies in the event that the Bavarians break past his fortifications! He is doing far more for his family''snds and the people within it than your cowardly husband!"


    Now that Ad knew her sister''s weakness, she made every remark a stake to the heart, which greatly wounded Ava''s pride, and in all reality, she was correct. Rather than deal with his own enemies, Wolfgang hid in Graz under the protection of Otto''s armies while hisnds were torched and his people massacred by the Bavarians. Of course, even if he did show up to counter the enemy, there was not much an inbred durd like Wolfgang could do about the situation. Still, Ava was greatly dissatisfied with her husband''s behavior, and of course, Ad took advantage of that.


    Ava was scowling at Ad''s remark, yet she quickly offered a retort; after all, much like Ad, she was privy to Otto''s intelligence about the situation in Austria. However, Berengar had taken borderline paranoid lengths to remove spies and scouts of other powers from his territory; with his vast intelligentwork, a part of it was dedicated solely to counterintelligence, and as such, gaining information on the events in Tyrol was quite difficult. Mostly they had to go with the intercepted messages they took from the Bavarians.


    "ording to father''s reports, Berengar is sitting back in Kufstein enjoying himself with his lover and bastard child while his armies defend his borders, just how exactly are those the actions of a Great Man as you proim him to be?"


    Ava had a point, Berengar was not currently at the frontlines as he had always been in the past, but the reason for this was simple. His army was a well-oiled machine, and the garrisons were explicitly trained to defend their star fortresses in the most effective means possible; theirmanding officers were battle-hardened veterans from Berengar''s campaign in Tyrol and knew full well how to siege a fortress and how to defend one.


    There would be no purpose other than morale for Berengar to stay at one of his defending forts. The men were already in high spirits due to the exceptional conditions they found themselves in and the minimal losses they suffered. No matter how many times the enemy rushed at the star fortresses, thebination of rifled and smoothbore muskets alongside the 24 lb cannons was enough to quickly repel any attempted invasion. When one could repel an invasion in under an hour and spend the rest of the day ying cards and drinking tea while munching on biscuits and cookies, there was not a lot of anxiety to be had.


    If Berengar was going to enjoy luxuries while his soldiers were defending the borders, then he sure as hell was going to make sure his troops maintained some degree of luxury as well. Thus cookies, biscuits, tea, and other luxury items were shipped to his troops at the border to enjoy themselves with while they weren''t in battle. There was no army in the world aside from Berengar''s who could so thoroughly enjoy a siege in such a manner. Of course, due to the constant letters, Berengar had written to Ad, she was thoroughly informed of such matters, and as such, she was well prepared for such an attack by Ava.


    "Hmmph, you really arecking in intelligence. Berengar may be in Kufstein, but his armies are well supplied and even have luxuries such as properly constructed tenements for shelter, cookies, biscuits, tea, as well as meat and eggs for meals. The only reason Berengar himself is not present on the front lines of defense is that it would serve no purpose. His armies are fully capable of defending his borders without him, and he makes sure they enjoy a simr level of luxury as himself while they are doing so!"


    Being thoroughly defeated in the current war for words, Ava was once more showing an ugly expression; she could not confirm nor deny whether or not Ad was telling the truth, and as such, she was quite perturbed by this. Just how exactly did Ad know so much more about the situation in Tyrol than she did? Ava honestly did not believe that Berengar cared so much for Ad that he would constantly write to her informing her of his progress and daily life. I mean, after all the man had taken a lover to enjoy his time with while Ad was stuck in Graz, just how much could he care for the girl? Nevertheless, Ava recovered from her poor attitude and once more began to sling mud in Berengar''s direction.


    "If he has such an easy time defending his borders, then why does he not send his field armies into Salzburg to liberate the region and end the people''s suffering?"


    Ava had a smug smile on her face as she asked this question, believing she had caught Ad in a corner. Nevertheless, she did not expect Ad to respond in the manner in which she did. The young adolescent girl smiled with a look of pity on her face for Ava. Clearly, the woman had nothing but boobs for brains; the answer to this question was so obvious Ad felt embarrassed to point it out to her older sister. Nevertheless, Ad masterfully executed her retort by looking at Ava as if she were a simpleton before stating the reason.


    "Because Salzburg is not Berengar''s responsibility; it is your husband''s..."


    The moment Ava heard those words, she felt as if her mind had imploded. Despite just a few moments ago believing she had cornered her little sister in this little argument they were having, Ad had so masterfully evaded her vicious strike and dealt a deathly verbal blow of her own. Realizing that she had been defeated, Ava had a hard time controlling her emotions; with every fiber of her being, she wanted to w Ad''s cute doll-like face off. Yet, she resisted the temptation to do so and instead snorted before walking away from her little sister. Ava absolutely refused to engage in this little debate any further.


    Ad, on the other hand, was entirely satisfied with the result of this entirely meaningless debate, she had once more beaten her eldest sister in a war for words, and though this may seem pointless to logical and rational individuals such as men, to a young woman such as herself, this was a great moral victory.

 Chapter 170: The Progress of Civlization

    <h4>Chapter 170: The Progress of Civlization</h4>


    Weeks had passed since the Bavarians first invaded Austria, and though their advance into Tyrol was halted at its borders, the war continued to spread to the rest of Austria. From Salzburg to Karnten, and even into Upper and Lower Austria, the fires of war consumed the Duchy of Austria. At the moment, only Tyrol and its western neighbor Vorarlberg were primarily left untouched by the conflict. The only reason Vorarlberg had not fallen yet, was because Berengar had sent troops to their aid; he could not allow himself to be cut off from the rest of the world, and as such, had spent some effort repelling Bavarian troops from Vorarlberg.


    Tyrol was utterly cut off from the eastern half of Austria. If Berengar wanted to aid the Count of Steiermark, his uncle, and ally, his army would need to advance through Bavarian-upied territory. It would indeed be a difficult task, but Berengar would have no choice but to do so if the city of Graz were indeed in danger. After all, he would never allow harm toe to Ad. There was an even more significant concern that had reached Berengar''s attention. The Bavarians hadrgely isted Tyrol. Because of that, Berengar could only trade with his partners in Italy, and by extension, the trade routes from the Italian Penins into the near east. As far as his German trade routes were concerned, they were utterly blocked by the Bavarian invasion of Austria.


    While Berengar was still making a significant profit from his trade with Italy, and the Byzantine Empire, many of his customers no longer had ess to his products. As such, he saw his earnings decrease significantly. At the moment, the young Count was thinking of establishing trade with the remainder of Germany. Spread out in front of him was arge map of Europe; if Berengar wished to continue supplying the other German regions with steel and textiles, then he needed to maintain security in Tyrol and the county of Vorarlberg, which sat on his western border.


    After observing the map for some time, Berengar realized the only way to re-establish trade with Northern Germany was to bring his supplies westward through Vorarlberg and the Swiss Confederacy, where they would travel north into Wurttemberg. From there, his products could once more spread across Germany. Due to the ongoing conflict within the German-speaking regions, Berengar would need to safeguard his trade caravans with armed forces.


    Aftering up with this new trade route, Berengar set the task into motion and dispatched his orders to the necessary units who would conduct the trade operation. Now that he had concluded that job, he sat back in his soft leather chair within his study and sighed heavily before taking a sip from the wine contained in his skull chalice. Shortly after that, Berengar heard a knock on his door, and he immediately responded.


    "Come in"


    with that, therge wooden door creaked open to reveal Linde''s beautiful figure, who was holding the baby Hans in her arms. The tiny red-gold-haired infant had a curious expression on his face as he peered at his father with his deep sapphire eyes. Linde had been spending time with Hans whenever she had the opportunity; she was quite the doting mother. After Linde approached Berengar with their son in her arms, she began to speak to Berengar with a severe expression. She was here for business, and for whatever reason, had brought their infant child with her. The heavenly beauty quickly got to the point as she ryed the information she had received from Berengar''s spywork.


    "The Bavarians will be assaulting Vienna soon. The city will not be able to hold out for long. Judging by Duke Dietger''s fearsome reputation, he will eliminate any potential rivals to his authority over Austria, which means that thete Duke Wilmar''s children will most likely be executed after the Bavarians have taken the city."


    Berengar contemted Linde''s words as he stared at her with his one good eye. Obviously, Linde did not juste here to inform him of this matter, and knowing his lover well enough, Berengar assumed she hade up with a n to benefit the two of them; as such, he asked about it.


    "So, what is your n?"


    A pretty smile spread across Linde''s immacte visage as she heard Berengar''s words; the man honestly did know her too well. As such, she quickly got to the point.


    "We have agents in the Castle of Vienna who are currently on standby; when the Castle falls, we will take advantage of the chaos to smuggle Duke Wilmar''s youngest son, Conrad out, and into Kufstein. Where we will then coerce him into naming you Regent and creating a Government in exile where you can begin a reconquest of Austria after your forces are fully prepared."


    Berengar was shocked by the n Linde had presented him; it was unexpected and brilliant. Berengar had initially nned to sit back and gain Tyrol''s independence through the conflict before invading Austria at ater date to im the title of Duke for himself, but this was an even better n for his ascension to power. Of course, there was only one question on his mind about the whole situation, which he was quick to inquire about.


    "After we have retaken Austria, and I am dered Regent, what do we do with Conrad?"


    A wicked grin spread across Linde''s lips as she had already thought about this n and had prepared ordingly.


    "We let the boy act as a puppet for a few years while we solidify our gains, and then we begin poisoning him in small doses until he bes gravely ill and passes from this world, leaving you the Regent of Austria with full authority to assume the mantle of Duke!"


    Hearing Linde''s devious plot brought tingles to Berengar''s spine as an equally sinister smile spreads across his face. This was a vastly superior n than the one he hade up with and was far more likely to quell any potential rebellion against his rule. After all, with this, he gained some form of legitimacy to his im of the title Duke of Austria when he finally seeded. Indeed Linde''s mind was far better at scheming than Berengar''s, which was one of the reasons she was such an effective spymaster. After hearing her devious plot, Berengar got up from his seat and embraced his lover and child before whispering in Linde''s ear.


    "You are a devious little vixen, did you know that?"


    After hearing Berengar''s words, Linde began to blush; those words were not intended as an insult but apliment, and she was well aware of that fact. Having said those words, Berengar let go of Linde and walked away with his hands sped behind his back.


    "I approve of your n. Make sure preparations are in ce to evacuate Conrad the moment the opportunity presents itself!"


    Linde obediently nodded before departing with Hans in hand.


    "Of course, master, I will not fail you!"


    Berengar smiled and sat down after Linde had left his study. He proceeded to pull out a gon of wine and top off his skull chalice before taking a sip from it and staring out his window. Opportunities presented themselves when one least expected them. With Linde''s plot, he would be able to secure the position of Duke of Austria more efficiently and though it might be a few years before he had the title; in practicality, it would only be a few months before he held the power of the position.


    Despite the ruthless n to seize power, Berengar did feel pity for Conrad, soon the boy would be thest living member of a powerful Dynasty from his previous life, and he would not live long enough to continue said Dynasty, it could be said that Berengar''s interference in this world''s timeline had brought the end of the Habsburg Dynasty before it even reached the zenith of its power. However, he was not deeply concerned about such a thing; after all, the Habsburgs in this world would be nothing more than a stepping stone on his own Dynasty''s rise to power.


    With Linde busy preparing for this grand scheme of hers, Berengar himself realized that he could no longer sit idly by; as such, he quickly began drafting orders for further conscription. By the time the Bavarians had conquered most of Austria, Berengar would need a muchrger force to deal with them. Luckily it would take months before Austria finally yielded to Bavarian upation, and that gave Berengar enough time to train another division.


    Luckily for him, the poption to provide such arge number of troops was not much of an issue; with the increase in refugeesing to Tyrol and the size of the native poption, Berengar had more than enough men to draft into service, something which could only be achieved because of his agricultural reforms. Without such reforms, most men would have to be in the fields to produce food, yet now they could be drafted and trained to be soldiers. Such was the progress of civilization.

 Chapter 171: We Could Just Surrender...

    <h4>Chapter 171: We Could Just Surrender...</h4>


    While Linde was setting her ns into motion, Berengar had begun another round of conscription. With the time it took to train recruits, he could have another division when Austria finally fell to the Bavarians. The Army of Tyrol was a well-oiled machine at this point, with arge batch of veterans acting as Non-Commissioned and Commissioned Officers; their experience from Berengar''s previous campaigns allowed them to maintain control of the many new conscripts who formed the majority of the new units which were appearing.? Infantry and Artillery had been prioritized in recruitment, as for the Cuirassiers and other forms of Cavalry such as the Lancers in which Berengar was fostering, they were costly to train and maintain, and as such had taken a backseat.


    By now, 3/4s of all of Berengar''s forces were equipped with the 1417/18 Rifled Musket, allowing a massive range advantage on the battlefield and during sieges alike. Because of this Berengar had decreed the 1417 Land Pattern Musket, which was smoothbore to be halted in production, and the existing Muskets were to be converted into Rifled Muskets. When Berengar finally marched to war in an attempt to reim Austria, all his troops would be equipped with Rifled Muskets.


    Aside from Line Infantry, units of Grenadiers were fostered by the more talented conscripts and were utilized as shock troops. Berengar had also begun forming Jaeger Companiesprised of lightly armored soldiers with special rifles designed for long-distance shooting. These rifles were based on the Whitworth rifle from the American Civil War during Berengar''s past life. The primary difference is that they utilized a flintlock system instead of a percussion cap system. These precision rifles employed specials hexagonal bullets in a .451 caliber and were capable of an effective range from 800 - 1,000 yards. The Jaeger Companies would be used as marksmen on the battlefield and would precisely execute high-profile targets, such as enemymanders.


    These Jaeger units were dressed in Green and ck Landsknecht clothing and wore very little in terms of armor; after all, they were engaging targets at such a distance they seldom needed the protection afforded by armor. The Jaeger recruits were handpicked from the most capable shooters and trained explicitly in marksmanship. They would indeed have a fearsome reputation on the battlefield when they were finally deployed.


    ...


    While Berengar''s forces improved in size and strength, the battle at the borders of Tyrol was still ongoing. Reinforcements had arrived to Count Siegmund''s forces, and he was now forced once more to march on the walls of the Star fortress. His medieval soldiers boldly held onto their weapons as they charged at the walls of the mighty fort in front of them. Trepidation filled every step, as those who had been present to witness the bloody spectacle of thest charge were all too aware of what awaited them.


    Nevertheless, the men were pushed forward towards the steel-reinforced concrete walls in which the Tyrolean forces were garrisoned. After advancing towards their objective, the thunder of the cannons mounted on the walls began to echo in the air, and the explosive shells rained down upon the invaders who prayed for their survival. However, if God truly existed, he was far from merciful; after the first barrage of cannon shellsnded into the enemy''s formation, they exploded upon impact and sent shrapnel in all directions. The st itself was deadly. However, the shrapnel caused absolute carnage, which tore its way through the gaps in the Bavarian soldiers'' armor and wreaked havoc across the battlefield.


    This was only the first volley, as such the cannons were rapidly reloaded before being fired once more. Meanwhile, the defenders of the garrison began firing their rifled muskets at the enemy when they appeared within range. Therge .58 caliber lead bullets tore through the brigandine and te armor of the attackers, rendering their defensive equipment practically useless. Blood spilled with every sessful hit, and bodies fell to the floor.


    Despite this, the Bavarians continued to advance, hoping to get to the fortress and raise theirdders. Yet such a thing never urred as they were quickly torn to shreds by the defender''s mighty weapons. It did not take long before the survivors began to route back to their siege camp once more. Despite the reinforcements received from the Duke, Count Siegmund''s army had once more failed to reach the sturdy walls of the star fortress. Filled with fury from the recent defeat the? Count began to curse to himself as he witnessed the bloody spectacle unfold.


    "I can''t even build a God damn trebuchet without it being sted to shreds by those wretched cannons! How the hell am I supposed to take this fortress!?!"


    Themanders of his army were circled around him, and every one of them could feel the Count''s pain. Duke Dietger of Bavaria had ordered the man to invade Tyrol from the Northwest, and despite his best efforts, he could not even get close to the fortress which blocked his path. Every time he attempted to do so, his men would be torn asunder by the powerful weapons in which the defenders possessed. It was not simply a matter of explosive power but the exceptional range in which the defenders held. Archers and Crossbowmen did not stand a chance to get a shot off before getting gunned down by the rifled muskets.


    Due to the range of the cannons, Count Siegmund could not advance siege weapons into a position without them getting torn apart by the guns above. Trying to invade Tyrol was a nightmare for Count Siegmund, especially since he was morally against the idea, to begin with. Was this God''s punishment for daring to march on the center of the Reformation? This was a question Count Siegmund had asked himself many times since he first arrived at the Tyrolean border.


    Nevertheless, Duke Dietger would not ept failure; the rest of Austria had been invaded, so why were he and the other Commander who took a position in the Northeast having such a hard time advancing into Tyrol. No matter how Siegmund tried to inform Dietgar of Berengar''s weapons, it was of no use; one would have to personally witness their destructive power to believe their effects, for they were something that had never been seen before in this feudal world.? Eventually one of Siegmund''smanders voiced a suggestion on how to proceed.


    "Why don''t we just wait for Duke Dietger to conquer the rest of Austria before we attempt to attack again. Morale is shaking, and there is no point sending more men to the ughter. Before long, we will have a mutiny on our hands. It is simply impossible to enter through Tyrol through the borders of Bavaria..."


    What the man said was the most reasonable course of action for the Bavarians at the Tyrolean border. Any further attacks would be a waste of lives. Since they could not enter through the border with Bavaria, they would have to wait for Dietger to march on Tyrol from Salzburg, which could only happen after the eastern portion of Austria was taken.


    Of course, Siegmund was fearful that if he took this approach, his liege would punish him severely for his "cowardice" as such, he was hesitant to adopt such a strategy. Thus he tried to encourage possible alternatives from hismanders.


    "Is there any other ideas on how to break through this fortress that has blocked our path?"


    After a few moments of silence, one of the othermanders decided to voice his idea, despite knowing it would probably be rejected.


    "We could just surrender..."


    The moment he said this, all eyes stared at him as if he were an imbecile; as such, he quickly coughed before exining himself further.


    "There are probably less than 500 men in that garrison, and Berengar has these forts all over the border, assuming his entire army is equipped with such terrifying weapons. Do we really believe Duke Dietger can win this war? Is it not better to surrender to Berengar''s armies now and be treated with dignity? I hear he is quite merciful to those who surrender willingly."


    After exining himself thoroughly, the othermanders present began to take his idea as a realistic suggestion. They had already lost thousands of men in their multiple attempts at the wall without injuring any of the defenders; even in a field battle, the weapons the Tyroleans used would be disastrous to fight against. Maybe the man had a point?


    After a heated debate, Siegmund had finallye to a decision. He would no longer waste the lives of his men trying to invade Tyrol, it was a pointless endeavor, but he also would not surrender to Berengar until he knew who would win the war as such he gave hismands.


    "We will sit back and do nothing until we can see who a clear winner of this war is. If Dietger''s armies begin to pressure Berengar''s, we willunch another offensive; if they are soundly defeated, we will surrender to Berengar. Does anyone disagree with this approach?"


    After having a vote, the result was unanimous; the army at the Northwest Border of Tyrol would no longer actively engage in this conflict, giving Berengar and his forces some reprieve.

 Chapter 172: Fields of Steiermark

    <h4>Chapter 172: Fields of Steiermark</h4>


    In the fields of Steiermark, near the border of Salzburg, two armies had met. On the side of the Austrians, Count Otto was facing off against the Bavarians who had the gall to enter hisnds. Though the nearby regions were set aze from the ongoing invasion, Steiermark had been one of the few Counties capable of defending itself for the time being. The reason for this was simple, Count Otto and his armies escaped from the fields of Passau primarily intact, and as such, he had the most significant remaining professional force within the entirety of Austria. Outside of Berengar''s army, that is. As such, the man was able topetently defend his territory, though that did not stop the Bavarians from trying to force him into submission.


    While the battle waged, Count Otto found himself dismounted and engaging with the enemy forces in meleebat. While he did so, a few bolts flew past the Count''s face which was covered in a great basc, one of these bolts even directly collided with his throat te. however, it was effortlessly deflected by the sturdy steel helmet. Like most of his army''s equipment, the armor Count Otto was equipped had been provided by the man''s nephew. Berengar had not cut corners when creating Count Otto''s te armor, and though it was not as advanced as the designs of full te armor in which Berengar had ess, it was made with the finest materials and by the greatest craftsmen of his realm. As such, Count Otto was adequately protected against the enemy''s missile fire.


    After his armor deflected the oing bolts with ease, Count Otto found himself engaging in a swordfight with a rtively well-equipped man at arms. Wielding his longsword with excellent skill, Otto quickly disarmed the enemy opponent before gripping the de of his sword in a technique that is is referred to as half swording, where he drove the tip of the de into the gaps in the enemy''s armor. The opponent grunted in pain as his shoulder was pierced, and Otto followed up with a murder stroke, smashing the pommel of his sword against the opponent''s helmet, acting as a makeshift mace. After a few mighty swings, the enemy copsed, his skull thoroughly crushed by Otto''s onught.


    After ending his opponent''s miserable existence, Otto gazed upon the battlefield and noticed that the tide had begun to turn in his favor. Though the Bavarians were more significant in number, Otto was an experiencedmander and easily outmaneuvered the hostile army. While he was engaging the enemy forces as themander of the vanguard, His cavalry which was led by one of his vassals had passed beyond the enemy''s nks and smashed into them with theirnces like an unstoppable tidal wave; in doing so, the cavalry broke the enemy formation and forced them to regroup. This was the strategy Duke Wilmar had attempted to use at Passau. However, this time, it worked as intended. Mainly because the Bavarians were not prepared for another feigned retreat, with their nks smashed and the survivors beginning to route, the enemy lines quickly began to crumble.


    Noticing that the battle had begun to shift in his favor, Otto continued his onught of the men in front of him with fierce determination. Surrounded by a group of disarmed knights, the courageous Count charged towards the enemy like an enraged tiger. Not all men at arms of the Bavarian army were equipped head to toe in brigandine and te, and as such, the sword was still quite the effective weapon. With great finesse, Otto swiftly dodged an oing strike before lunging with his de into the enemy''s thigh, piercing through the femoral artery and causing the man to bleed out on the spot in rapid fashion. However, the Count did not have time to breathe as he was quickly rushed by another enemy, who immediately bound Otto''s sword with his own. As the two were caught in a struggle, an oingncer pierced through the backte of the enemy, aiding Otto in his conflict.


    Sweat began to pool on Otto''s forehead as he continued to exert his energy in the heat of battle; the Bavarian forces started to retreat after a while. Even though the enemy was routing, Otto did not pursue them. He feared he would fall into a trap simr to thete Duke Wilmar; as such, the surviving Bavarians fled back into Salzburg, which was primarily upied by the Bavarians. By winning this battle, Otto had secured the County of Steiermark for a bit longer; however, if the Bavarians kept persisting in their attempts to invade his territory, sooner orter, his armies would falter.


    Gazing at the losses on both sides, Otto began toment the deaths of those brave soldiers who fought for their homnd. What he needed now was the aid of an ally. Unfortunately, most of his supporters were significantly weakened by the horrific loss at Passau and were themselves struggling to maintain their territory. The only one who was able to help the man was Berengar, and Otto did not fully trust his nephew. While Berengar had supplied Otto''s forces with a great deal of equipment and resources, it became increasingly apparent that the young Count of Tyrol had no intentions to intervene in the war and merely sit it out in his well-defended territory.


    What was even more suspicious was that the Bavarians were all equipped with a simr level of equipment that the Austrians were using. This led Otto to believe that Berengar was supplying both sides of the conflict as a war profiteer. The fact that the only action Berengar had taken during this conflict was defending his borders and that of his western neighbor further filled Otto''s doubts of his nephew''s loyalty. Though Berengar seemed to care for Otto''s youngest daughter Ad unless the Bavarians threatened her life, Berengar was unlikely to aid Otto, and the man knew it.


    However, Otto also knew that Berengar was a man driven by self-interest. If that were the case, if he wanted to acquire his Nephew''s help, precisely that of his armies, he would need to develop some incentive for him to do so. These were the issues Count Otto thought about as his soldiers began to clean up the battlefield. Eventually, one of the Count''smander''s approached him and handed him a letter.


    "My liege, there is a letter for you which contains the seal of the von Habsburg dynasty."


    Count Otto sighed heavily as he grabbed ahold of the letter and began to read its contents; he could already guess what information the letter contained. After reading the letter, Otto tore it up and cast the shredded remains into the wind. The action, of course, shocked hismander, and the man could not help but voice his concerns.


    "Your excellency... What is it?"


    Count Otto stared into the distance towards the direction of Vienna with a solemn expression before answering the man''s question.


    "Vienna is under siege once more, and Wilmar''s heir requests our aid."


    After receiving such news, the Count''s actions further confused themander, and as such, he asked the question on his mind.


    "And we are not providing it?"


    Count Otto then stared grimly into themander''s eyes before making his stance clear.


    "With what army? The survivors of this battle need to defend Steiermark from further incursion; we do not have the men to spare if we wish to break the Siege of Vienna. I have already done enough for the Habsburgs; I need to think of my own family''s safety."


    Though themander was initially shocked, he also understood Otto''s thoughts on the matter. This was a war Austria was now fated to lose, and the Count of Steiermark had to think about his family''s future. To prevent the most losses to his territory, he would have to abandon the Habsburgs to their fate. Of course, neither of the men had any idea that by doing this, they were ying into Berengar''s plot to topple the Habsburg dynasty and ce himself as Duke in the uing years.


    After cleaning up the battlefield and scavenging the equipment from the corpses that were buried in mass graves, the armies of Count Otto began to return to Graz, where they would rest, until a time where they were needed to defend their borders once more. Unfortunately for the von Graz family, they were not located in the mountainous region of Tyrol. As such, they were not afforded the natural barrier in which the Alps provided Berengar. Thus they would have to meet the enemy in the field every time they presented themselves.


    Thus with the Battle beingpleted and the von Graz family rejection of the Habsburg''s request for aid, the war in Austria began to advance towards Berengar''s interests. For now, Steiermark would remain free from Bavarian influence, but whether they could endure the tides of war long enough to be a part of Berengar''s resistance to Bavarian authority was yet to be determined.

 Chapter 173: War Council I

    <h4>Chapter 173: War Council I</h4>


    Berengar was currently standing in the middle of his Great Hall; he was posing for a painter who had shown exceptional talent over thest few months, so much so that Berengar hadmissioned this painter to paint a portrait of himself. The first of many toe. It was no secret that Berengar was an incredibly vain man; he cared greatly for his appearance and those around him. There was a reason he outfitted his forces in the shy attire of the Landschnekts from his previous life. He secretly wondered if he had inherited this from his father in this life or if he had developed it over time.


    After all, in his previous life, Berengar was an exceptionally average-looking man; his great attracting feature was the body he had put a lot of effort into developing into that of a warrior''s. His face, however, was nothing special, and though it was not ugly, it was certainly not attractive either. However, after reincarnating into this life, he found himself in the body of an exceptionally handsome young man. If one went from average to a 10/10, it made sense for them to be slightly obsessed with their appearance.


    At the moment, the young Count stood dressed in his armor. The three-quarter''s te armor was made out of ckened steel, with exquisite gold embellishments. The pauldrons were perfectly sloped over the gaps in the armor to the point where rondels were unneeded. His gauntlets allowed ess to the individual fingers, and he currently held onto the grip of his heavy cavalry sword, which was slung across his waist and sitting within its sheath.


    His free hand rested on his equally embellished open face burg, which sat on a nearby end table. Berengar''s facial expression was cold, and indifferent which went perfectly with his gilded ck velvet eyepatch, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The portrait itself was from the waist up, and as such, the armor which protected his thighs and groin were not visible.


    In the audience watching the painter disy, Berengar''s majestic appearance with excellent skill was Linde, who greatly admired the process. Berengar had promised that if it turned out as well as he thought it would, then he wouldmission one of Linde as well. As such, she was pretty excited as she saw the portrait slowly take shape. The painting was of far more excellent quality than the average medieval period painting. Berengar was far from an artist, but he knew how to exin how to use basic principles from his past life. After all, he had taken a few painting sses in high school as an elective. So he was able to help the artists in Kufstein advance their skills so that their paintings would be more lifelike.


    As the painting nearedpletion, it significantly resembled other portraits from the renaissance period from Berengar''s past life. It was quite the magnificent work, and the painter would never have acquired such skills without Berengar''s instruction and the funds that the young count provided artists in Kufstein to pursue their passions. After the work waspleted, the young painter showed Berengar the end product; as Berengar witnessed the creation with his own eyes, arge smile spread across his face as he handed the man a pouch filled with gold coins beforeplimenting the artist.


    "As always, your paintings never cease to amaze me! Well done,d!"


    It was pretty awkward for Berengar to refer to the young man as ad; after all, he was only twenty-one, and the artist was of a simr age to him. Nevertheless, one does not question what the Count calls you, and the man merely smiled at thepliments he was given, and more importantly, the pouch he received, which was filled with gold coins.


    Berengar then ced his steel-d arm around the man''s back and instructed him on his next task.


    "Go and rest; you have earned it! Whenever you feel the tingle of creativity in the back of your mind once more, return to my Castle and paint a portrait of my beautiful lover."


    The young man merely nodded at Berengar''s request and left the room, where Linde was waiting in the background for the two men toplete their transaction. She had a lovely grin on her face as she looked at the portrait before expressing her opinion.


    "It looks phenomenal; who knew art could be so beautiful!"


    Berengar merely chuckled as he began to strip his armor off of himself, which Linde immediately took notice of and assisted in the process. While they were in the process of taking off his equipment, Berengar voiced his opinion on the piece.


    "The artist was lucky that I am so handsome; if I were an average man, the piece would not be as inspiring!"


    Linde merely rolled her eyes at the sight of Berengarplimenting himself yet again; she was well aware of his sense of vanity, still, that honestly did not make her think any less of him. After all, she was first attracted to him because of his appearance; she chuckled as she thought how foolish she was for trying to drug and enve Berengar when they first met. Though things did not turn out as she had intended to that night, she was far happier with the actual result.


    Thinking about their first night together made Linde incredibly aroused, and after she finished stripping off Berengar''s armor, she pressed her ample breasts into her lover''s chest in an attempt to seduce him. Noticing Linde''s longing gaze, Berengar chuckled; he had no idea what she was thinking about to bring on this sudden change, but she was seriously too tempting; it was no wonder he fell for her charms when they first met. Nevertheless, he was much too busy to satisfy her at the moment. The portrait was just one of his many responsibilities on his daily list. Before he could fool around with his lover, he had to take care of the realm; as such, he flicked the girl on the nose as she tried to seduce him with her beautiful figure.


    "Be patient; I am swamped with work at the moment. However, I promise I will satisfy youter tonight!"


    Linde began to pout when Berengar rejected her, but she knew that he always kept his word, and as such, she put on a sultry smile as she kissed him passionately; it was only after she released herself did she say thements on her mind.


    "I will hold you to that promise!"


    Afterward, Linde fled from Berengar''s sight, leaving him behind in the room by himself. Berengar merely licked his lips as he said to himself aloud.


    "I am going to make her pay for that..."


    Now that his portrait was finished, Berengar had plenty of other matters to attend to. So did Linde; as the master of Berengar''s spywork, she quickly got to workpiling information on Berengar''s enemies, expanding the web that covered Southern Germany. Soon enough, Berengar''s agents would be in every corner of the Holy Roman Empire, collecting information and waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    As for Berengar, he had a meeting to attend to, where he would be consulting with several officers in his army about the ongoing war in Austria. Though now was not the time to strike, preparations were in progress for the critical moment when Vienna fell, and Conrad was extracted to Kufstein where he could set up an Austrian government in exile. If even one cog in the machine that was his army failed to fulfill its duty, Berengar could lose everything in this uing ploy.


    With this in mind, Berengar got changed into his civilian clothing and visited the building constructed to act as the headquarters of his department of defense. When he arrived in the war room, Berengar noticed that several officers were waiting for him inside it, and they quickly jumped into Salutes as Berengar made his presence known. Berengar, of course, returned the salutes before giving themand.


    "At ease"


    Where the officers slightly rxed their position. Afterward, Berengar and the officers in the war room sat down in the chairs that were provided for them, where Berengar began to start the meeting.


    "First and foremost, how are the 2,500 troops I sent to Vorarlberg doing?"


    One of the officers who bore the rank of General quickly announced the status of the operation to defend the Western borders of Austria.


    "Your Excellency, the Count of Vorarlberg, is grateful for the troops we have sent, and under themand of the officer in charge, they have done an excellent job in repelling the advance of the Bavarians. By now, the Bavarian army which attacked the region has beenpletely pushed out,rgely in part to our forces. However, the Count of Vorarlberg and his armies should also bemended for their sess."


    Berengar nodded in approval at this news before addressing his next concern.


    "So the region has been secured for our trade caravans to pass through?"


    The General quickly responded in the affirmative


    "That is correct, your Excellency!"


    Berengar smiled when he heard those words; now that the western front was secure, Berengar did not have to worry about fighting on two sides when he finally got involved in the war for Austria. As such, he began to address the border crisis.


    "How about the border forts? How are they holding up?"


    Another man bearing the rank of Colonel quickly informed Berengar about the ongoing conflict at the border as he spread a map across the table and ced a few mini-figures that represented the forces involved in the battle.


    "The Northwest garrison haspletely halted the advance of the Bavarians; after trying to attack numerous forts, they have given uppletely and are simply maintaining their presence at the border. As for the Northeast Border, the Bavarians are still concentrating their efforts to break through the defense. However, they are making no progress due to the construction of the star forts in the area and how well defended they are; the enemy army usually routes after a few artillery barrages. We have yet to suffer a single casualty, well aside from some minor wounds."


    Berengar smiled and nodded at this news, ultimately. For the time being, Tyrol was secure; as such, Berengar decided to inform his officers of his uing ns, for they could not adequately prepare themselves if they were unaware. As such, Berengar deeply thought about the words he would use next, as they were of critical importance to his future ns. Thus the officers in the war room were left in silence as they waited for their Liege and Commander to give his passionate speech on the future of the War in Austria, one which would one day be recorded in history as a symbol of Berengar''s rise to power.

 Chapter 174: War Council II

    <h4>Chapter 174: War Council II</h4>


    The silence permeated throughout the stale air of the war room for some time before Berengar finally voiced his concerns over the uing period with an impassioned speech.


    "Gentlemen, we are at the dawn of a new era! The invasion from the Bavarians has brought us an unforeseen opportunity. Vienna is under siege, and the Habsburg Dynasty is nearing its end. If we take advantage of this upheaval to rescue the youngest member of the Dynasty from the predicament he finds himself in; we will be able to benefit from this crisis and establish a government in exile, with our County at the center of the resistance! Imagine a new Austria with Tyrol at the core of its power! For this vision of the future to be a reality, I need every one of you to seize this opportunity that lies before us! For a Greater Austria!"


    Every man within the war room of the headquarters of the Department of Defense was an ambitious man, at least to the point that they were eager to follow Berengar in his future conquests, not a single one of them were displeased with this n that would allow their liege to usurp the Duchy of Austria in the future. As such, when Berengar finished his speech, it was met with the battle cry of the Tyrolean Army from all of the officers present.


    "God with us!"


    Seeing the officers pound their chests in a unified salute and scream the battle cry of his army, Berengar was pleased; it would appear that the core of his officers had taken his side in the uing conflict. Though Berengar did not doubt their loyalty, he was an exceptionally cautious man and had to prepare for the event that he would be betrayed; as such, he was closely examining every member of his staff before nodded his head in approval.? After witnessing the scene of his officerse to terms with his n, Berengar pointed towards Vienna on the map before sharing his and Linde''s n with the high-ranking officers who made up the core of his military hierarchy.


    "Our agents have long since infiltrated Vienna''s Castle when the City falls and the Castle with it, we predict that Duke Dietger of Bavaria will butcher any potential rivals to his im over Bavaria, and as such we will smuggle Conrad out of the Castle of Vienna where we will coerce him into making myself Regent, while we work towards restoring the Habsburg Dynasty to power over Austria. In name only, of course, the real power behind the Throne will be me as Regent, and by extension all of you as Officers in my Army. You all do not need to worry about this operation''s sess as it is left to the Department of Intelligence; as for your jobs, it will be to ensure that our forces are prepared and amassed at our Eastern border for the three-prong invasion through Salzburg, K?rnten, and Upper Austria! After we have seized those regions, we will rally with the forces of Steiermark and march on the Bavarians in Lower Austria, which will allow us to seize Vienna, and dere our war a victory."


    Hearing Berengar''s n for invading Eastern Austria and reiming it, the Officers were all impressed. By the time they were able to invade Bavarian-upied Austria, they would have roughly 30,000 men. They would be able to split their army into three Divisions of 10,000 Men each to advance on the three locations, each Division would have enough firepower to sessfully defeat any army they mighte across.


    The strategy itself was nned by Berengar, considering Eckhard was currently overseeing the forces stationed in Kitzb��hel, the young Count had to design the operation entirely by himself, and as an avid strategy gamer from his past life, he was more than capable of devising an invasion n such as this. The officersprised of the core of his military hierarchy all agreed with the strategy, and though a few of them added some minor inputs, the invasion n was mainlyplete. As such, after a thorough discussion, the Officers were eventually dismissed, and Berengar found himself alone in the war room staring at the map. One day soon, Austria would be his, and his ns for unifying Germany into a Greater German Empire would be one step closer to reality.


    After looking over his battle ns one more time, Berengar rolled up the map and stashed it away, where he then left the headquarters of the department of defense and returned to his Castle, where Linde and Henrietta were waiting patiently for him to attend dinner. The moment Berengar sat down at the head of the table, he overheard Linde''s feminine voice call out to him.


    "So, how did the War Council go?"


    Upon hearing these words Berengar smirked, before tussling Linde''s silky red-gold hair. Afterward, he took a sip out of the doppelbock beer, filled in his skull chalice before responding.


    "You do not need to worry so much; everything is going ording to the n. Soon enough, we will rule thisnd."


    Henrietta, of course, had no idea what the young couple was conspiring about this time, nor did she care. Instead, she spoke up voluntarily for the first time in a while with a broad smile on her face.


    "I made a friend today!"


    Hearing Henrietta openly dere such a thing brought a great sense of surprise to both Berengar and Linde, who had not expected her to make a friend so quickly after they had given her advice. They thought it would take a while before Henrietta would leave herfort zone and approach the other girls in her ss. As such, Berengar immediately took a sip from his chalice before replying to Henrietta.


    "I am d to hear it, so who is this little friend of yours?"


    Henrietta was all too eager to announce her friend''s name and how they met; as such, she quickly began to spit out the events of what happened as rapidly as machine gunfire. Not that such a thing existed in this world.


    "Her name is Charlotte, and she is the daughter of one of the soldiers in your army! We met at lunch when I overheard her talking about how her father always brags about your victories in battle and how he was a part of them! So I told her you were not always the boldmander you are today and how you used to be a sickly, foolish boy! She was eager to hear about your past, so we talked throughout the lunch period about how you used to be and how you changed!"


    Berengar nearly choked on his beer when he overheard Henrietta informing her friends of his embarrassing past, Linde. On the other hand, she was smirking at Berengar''s misfortune and began to encourage Henrietta to continue with her behavior.


    "That''s good, Henrietta; I remember when I first heard of your brother years ago, the rumors that were flowing about then was that he would not live to be twenty, and he spent most of his days idling about and throwing childish tantrums every time something did not go his way..."


    Berengar red at Linde when she reminded him of the original host of his current body; every time he looked back on those memories, he began to cringe at the old Berengar''s immature behavior and dull mindset. If he had not reincarnated in this body, that fool would have ended up dying anyway, and Berengar would never be able to achieve anything significant in life. Luckily for him, he was able to reinvent his image through many difficulties, that is.? As such, the younger generation was utterly unaware of his original reputation, despite it roughly being a year since his massive change in behavior.


    After listening to the two girls criticize his past, Berengar coughed a little before addressing Henrietta''s conversation about him with her friend Charlotte.


    "Henrietta, my dear sister..."


    Henrietta perked up her head like a bit of meerkat when she heard Berengar address her in such a manner.


    "Yes?"


    Berengar took another sip from his beer before finishing his train of thought; the whole scenario vexed him.


    "If you love me as your brother, you will do best not to remind people of my embarrassing past..."


    Linde chuckled as she witnessed Berengar''s pained expression; as for Henrietta, she was confused; after all, Berengar was the one who encouraged her to talk about information most people did not know about him to the other girls in an attempt to make friends. However, she quickly realized she might have wounded Berengar''s pride as the Count of Tyrol and began to pout before nodding her head in agreement.


    "Okay, I will only say the good things about your past from now on!"


    Seeing that Henrietta had agreed to his request, Berengar smiled gratefully before reaching across the table and patting Henrietta''s little head while praising her.


    "Good girl!"


    This action, of course, brought a gentle smile to Henrietta''s face as she basked in the affection of her dearest older brother. Linde, of course, would not miss the opportunity to make fun of Berengar and quickly muttered under her breath.


    "Lolicon..."


    This statement instantly disrupted Berengar''s actions and brought a frown to his face. As such, he withdrew his hand from Henrietta''s glossy golden blonde hair before awkwardly digging into his meal. After which Henrietta began to pout at Linde for disrupting her moment, the meal continued in awkward silence as the trio enjoyed the gourmet cuisine made for them by the talented chefs of Berengar''s Castle.

 Chapter 175: A Normal Day for the Count of Tyrol

    <h4>Chapter 175: A Normal Day for the Count of Tyrol</h4>


    After dining with Linde and Henrietta, Berengar was finally able to rx, as such he sat in front of the firece as the evening came and went, drinking wine from his skull chalice, the more he drank, the more intoxicated he became until finally, he started speaking to his goblet as if he were speaking to his brother himself.


    "Lambert, my little brother, why do you hate me to such a degree that you must attempt to end my life and usurp my title?"


    Though Berengar had roughly heard about the reason for Lambert''s actions during their duel at Obserdoft and could slightly sympathize with him, after all, if he was in the boy''s position and had an older brother like Berengar from before his reincarnation, he too would have plotted against such a fool. Yet to Berengar, Lambert''s actions were unforgivable, mainly because he continued to engage in such behavior after Berengar had proven himself capable of leading the House to greater power and prosperity.


    Obviously, the chalice made from Lambert''s skull did not reply to Berengar''s question. Meanwhile, Linde had walked in and observed Berengar''s drunken conversation with the inanimate object, and as such, she quickly approached him and grabbed the chalice from his hands as he attempted to take another swig.


    "I think you have had enough, master..."


    Gazing at Linde''s worried expression and the look in which the skull chalice was giving him, Berengar merely chuckled before allowing Linde to snatch his goblet away from his grasp; the young Count voiced his support for his lover''s actions as he struggled to get to his feet while leaning on Linde for support.


    "You are probably right..."


    After finding his bnce, Berengar slowly followed Linde to their room, where she helped him get undressed and into bed, shortly thereafter she followed suit. Berengar was too drunk to fulfill his promise earlier in the day, and because of that, the young beauty pouted. Nevertheless, she foundfort in the act of cuddling in the arms of her lover as the two drifted to sleep. Before long the light of dawn shone through the window, and Berengar awoke from his drunken stupor, miraculously he did not have a hangover which he was thankful to Dionysus for such a result. Hemonly found himself thanking the old pagan gods whenever something good happened to him rted to their mastery. It was a lighthearted joke, and obviously something he kept to himself. As an atheist, he did not truly believe in his jests.


    However, when he gazed at the unsatisfied expression on Linde''s sleeping face, he realized that he had failed to fulfill his promise. As such a wicked smile appeared on his face as a sinister plot formed in his mind. However, before he could begin to enact such a thing, Berengar heard the infant cries of Hans in the other room, and Linde''s maternal instincts took over with her sky blue eyes instantly opening and her head is rising from her pillow.


    Seeing her bare body glistening in the light of dawn, Berengar wanted to pounce on the mother of his child then and there. Still, unfortunately for him, she was too focused on their son and his cries as such; she quickly got out of bed and dressed in her nightgown before leaving Berengar to pout like a child who had just been denied his favorite toy. Seeing that he no longer had the opportunity to fool around with Linde this morning, Berengar too got out of bed and dressed in his loose-fitting athletic attire before beginning his daily routine.


    After doing his morning run, pushups, situps, squats, and pullups, Berengar began lifting weights before training in swordsmanship. Now that his right eye was no longer usable, hisbat prowess was greatly diminished, especially since he had been forced to retrain himself in using his off-hand. After all, without the use of his dominant eye, to oversee the use of his dominant hand, fighting with his right hand was merely asking for trouble. As such, he was once more thoroughly thrashed in his sparring session with one of the Knights under hismand.


    However, Berengar was a persistent man, and he would not give up until he was once more adequate in using the sword. However, he would not be leading any charges on the battlefield until then and would merely stay at the rear and allow his soldiers to fight for him. The idea of which greatly wounded his pride as he thought about it. Nevertheless, that was the price to pay for his arrogance. As such, he spent his bath time greatly reflecting on the foolish actions of his past, the results of which were brought upon by his growing ego.


    After getting out of his bath and fulfilling his other basic hygiene requirements, Berengar ate breakfast with his family. Ultimately the meal was uneventful, and nothing of importance was discussed; as such, Berengar soon found himself thrust into his work where he mainly oversaw the approval of budget concerns enacted by the House of Lords. Now that he had capable and loyal men leading the charge in his reforms, Berengar had little to micromanage and thus had a muchrger degree of spare time than he had in the past when he had to lead the efforts in every small thing.


    Eventually, a peculiar file found its way to his desk, which was for the approval of the appointment of a member of the House of Lords, a man with which Berengar had spent much time in the past, buttely had left to his own devices. Gunther, the reputable farmer who had helped him implement his agricultural reforms in their early stages, was voted into the House of Commons by the standard poption capable of voting, which was still very few at this point in time. He had greatly embraced education and spent a significant degree of his spare time educating himself on various topics. Seeing that he passed the test that was established to determine one''s ability to vote and the other exam that determined one''s ability to hold a position of political office, Berengar had noints in approving his appointment.


    During one of the previous amendments to the Constitution of Tyrol, Berengar had amended his constitutional powers to allow the ability to ept a nominee onto the House of Lords and the House of Commons to reside with the Head of State. Even though the ordinary people and the Lords could vote on their representatives, assuming that they had passed the minimum standard of education to do so, and the other constitutional requirements, it was still not a guarantee that elected person would fulfill the position, ultimately the power to choose who represented the people still rested with Berengar.


    For example, he would never approve someone into a position of power who was antagonistic to his and his family''s interests. Nor would he support someone with a track record of sheer ipetency or corruption. Sometimes the people did not know what was best for Society, and it was at that point a Monarch must step in to prevent the foolishness of said people from harming the Nation.


    However, Berengar had noints with Gunther. The man was quite intelligent for someone born into the position of a serf. He had also proven hispetency in the initial stages of Berengar''s agricultural reforms. Now that he was fairly educated, he was the perfect representative for themon people; As such, Berengar quickly signed his approval to the document before moving on to the next candidate.


    After getting through a list of potential candidates to fill the vacant seats in both parliamentary branches, Berengar had rejected over 75% of them. Mainly due to theck of ability they had demonstrated in their respective fields. As such, the Parliamentary system was stillrgely unfilled. Yet, it was beginning to take shape, and as such, Berengar''s workload thoroughly decreased with each passing day. Still, Berengar had plenty of documents to read through and sign, and as such, he spent the rest of his day doing such a thing.


    By the time he had finished with his day''s work, it was well past the dinner hour. He had once more missed the asion to dine with his family. Nevertheless, Berengar quickly got up from his seat, in which he had been sitting in all day for the most part, and headed to the kitchen for a meal. Where he dined by his lonesome before returning to his room. Much to his surprise, Linde was waiting for him,pletely naked and lying on his bed with a lustful smile on her face while showing off her alluring figure. Berengar quickly shut the door behind him as he entered the room, and Linde beckoned for him to join her as she stated the words.


    "It is time to fulfill your promise!"


    An eager smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he stripped out of his luxurious clothing and pounced on his lover; he had been waiting for this all day. The couple spent the rest of their waking hours making love, where Berengar was exceptionally careful not to get her pregnant. After all, they already had one child, and Linde was still young, with many years of fertility toe. It was best not to rush such things. With this, Berengar ended endured a typical day in his routine as the Count of Tyrol.

 Chapter 176: Selling Armor to the Byzantines

    <h4>Chapter 176: Selling Armor to the Byzantines</h4>


    While Berengar''s armies were maintaining the situation at the border, Berengar himself was able to thoroughly enjoy the peaceful nature brought about by the stability of hisnds. Though several of the other Lords of Tyrol in which he had subjugated in his conquests were primarily upset by the many reforms he had forced upon them, due to his careful deployment of troops in every central region, they had little power to rebel against him. Most of them, of course, was wise enough not to take such an action while the Bavarians ravaged the rest of Austria. Berengar may be a Tyrant who stripped them of several of their feudal powers, but he provided a stable and economically efficient realm in a time of chaos and destruction. As such, the benefits they gained from Berengar''s economic ventures outweighed the disadvantages they gained by surrendering their authority to raise their own troops.


    In fact, with Berengar''s military reforms, creating a centralized army under hismand, the individual Lords of his realm were spared the expense of training and outfitting such troops. Though these soldiers who Garrisoned their cities were fanatically loyal to Berengar, they had not caused any problems for the authority of his vassals, aside from reminding them to follow thews in which Berengar had enacted. Theplex Imperial Style bureaucracy which Berengar had put into effect throughout Tyrol had greatly diminished the amount of time these Lords needed to work on governing their realms, allowing them to maintain avish lifestyle filled with far more leisure than before. The younger nobility greatly appreciated Berengar''s political reforms, as they had far less work to do and could enjoy themselves with their vast fortunes.


    The critical positions of nobility, such as Viscounts and Barons was filled mainly with Berengar''s generation; after all, most of their parents had taken part in Lothar''s rebellion and ended up with a simr fate to thete Count. At first, many of them greatly despised Berengar and med him for the result. However, Berengar was crafty, and he showed off the wealth generated from the industrial districts in the cities of Kufstein and Innsbruck to lure these young noblemen to his cause. If they proved their loyalty and put aside their foolish beliefs, they too could gain the approval for an industrial district in their region. Ultimately whether or not Berengar was to me for their parents'' deaths quickly became an afterthought in the minds of many of these young noblemen when they realized the vast fortune that could be gained by following Berengar.


    Peace reigned over Tyrol while most of the German-Speaking regions were bleeding in constant conflict; because of this, Berengar''s trade flourished internally and with his trading partners in Italy and the Byzantine Empire. At the moment, Berengar was hosting a feast for Arethas, who brought him some great news from the Empire in the East. It had been several months since hest saw his most significant trading partner. As far as Berengar was aware, the man was in the process of convincing the Empire to outsource a portion of their equipment to Berengar''s factories. Finally, the Strategos of Ionia had brought him the news in which Berengar wanted to hear.


    "The Emperor has finally agreed to my request; we expect a third of our army''s equipment to be manufactured here in Kufstein; I assume your facilities can handle such arge request?"


    Berengar chuckled as he drank from his skull chalice before answering the man''s question.


    "Of course! It will not be a problem."


    Arethas was happy to hear such a thing as he toasted his chalice of wine to Berengar and their uing business venture.


    "To our collective fortune! May it be a long and fruitful rtionship!"


    Berengar lifted his goblet in the toast before drinking from it once more. The fact that Berengar was now drinking from an exquisite skull chalice and had an eyepatch did not go unnoticed by the Byzantine nobleman who awkwardly brought up the subject.


    "So... I can''t help but notice the skull chalice and the eyepatch. Is there something I should know about?"


    Berengar quickly put down his knife and fork when he heard those words; his expression became stern as he closely observed the skull of his little brother, which had been turned into an extravagant drinking cup. Eventually, a sinister smile spread across his face as he told the man the truth of the matter.


    "Someone close to me sought to do me harm; after they had made numerous attempts on my life and were exiled from my domain, they returned with an army to usurp my position. During the battle, that person took the sight from my right eye, for that I killed them and seized their skull as a trophy; I decided to turn it into a drinking cup so that I always remember that even the closest members of your friends and family can betray you, and the price that is paid for being merciful..."


    Berengar''s chilling words permeated the air and were quickly followed by silence; Linde was the only person aware of who Berengar was referring to; Henrietta was blissfully unaware that the skull chalice in which Berengar always drank from was that of her other brother. Naturally, she was not informed of Lambert''s death nor his treasonous actions. As such, she assumed it was someone else. As for Arethas, he was greatly disturbed that the chalice was an actual human skull dipped in gold and not some monstrous work of art. Such barbarism was uneptable in the Empire to the East, yet the Count of Tyrol looked upon the skull chalice with a sense of pride; such a thing was genuinely unthinkable for civilized people. Despite his inner protests, Arethas knew that his business rtionship with Tyrol was worth more than his internal disgust; as such, he quietly calmed himself before responding to Berengar''s tale.


    "I see..."


    With that said, Berengar shifted the conversation to that of business and began to inquire about the order''s details.


    "Tell me, what style of armor will I be creating for your Empire''s forces?"


    Seeing that the topic was shifted from its previous grim nature, Arethas quickly addressed Berengar''s question.


    "I believe you referred to it as mirror-pattern armor. As long as you can make thoseplex pieces, we can handle the rest of the production, such as the mail armor that goes underneath it."


    This was a simple enough request, and Berengar would be happy to fulfill it; mail took longer to manufacture anyways and was hardly worth the efforts of his industry; as such, he was pleased with such news. Thus Berengar quickly addressed his next concern.


    "Will you need us to manufacture Helmets or arms?"


    Arethas shook his head before answering.


    "Unfortunately, all I was able to get approval for was the production of the mirror-pattern breasttes and its pauldrons. As such, that is those are the only pieces of equipment we require you to manufacture."


    Berengar nodded in approval; it was much simpler to divert a production line to a single piece of equipment, and as such, he was more than happy to manufacture it, after all, it was an expensive piece of armor to produce, and doing so in massive numbers would allow him substantial profit. As such, he replied to Arethas'' request in the affirmative.


    "Fine by me, the price is negotiable, but suchplex pieces will require a significant production line to beid down for it; as such, my initial offer is 15 Hyperpyrons per piece."


    The Hyperpyron was a gold coin in use by the Byzantine Empire during itster days of Berengar''s past life. In that timeline, it was gradually debased to the point of worthlessness; however, in this timeline, the Byzantine Empire was still powerful, wealthy, andrgely stable. As such, the currency maintained its value of roughly 20.5 carats or 4.1 grams of gold. It was by no means a small sum, but then again, Berengar''s armor would be of substantially better quality than the iron products the Byzantines currently used.


    Arethas'' face twitched as he heard such arge number, luckily Berengar prefaced his statement with the phrase "the price is negotiable" as such, he began to haggle with the young Count sitting before him as he dined on his schnitzel.


    "ten Hyperpyrons!"


    Berengar shook his head as he counter-offered


    "fourteen"


    the two noblemen haggled over minute details until finally, a price of 12 Hyperpyrons per armor set consisting of a breastte and pauldrons. Berengar was satisfied with the result, but Arethas was clenching his teeth; this would cost the Empire a significant amount, but it would be well worth the price, and as such, he finally epted the oue. After the two men concluded their negotiations over the cost of the equipment, they shared a meal and continued to enjoy the peace that was afforded to the region of Tyrol. Now that Arethas acted as the importer to Berengar''s equipment within the Byzantine Empire, he gained some degree of profit. The two noblemen from very different regions of the world were now intertwined in the arms, and textile trades, which acted as a huge source of ie for both parties.


    With the business negotiations concluded, the two parties enjoyed the remainder of the meal, engaging in casual conversation about what the two had been up to over the past few months since theyst met. Obviously, Berengar made sure to stay away from the topic of his battle with the Teutonic Order, as his savagery in that event seemed to cause great difort to the Nobleman from the East, then again Berengar was a German, a descendent of the barbarians who sacked Rome and destroyed its Empire. The idea that a Roman from the East and an intensely nationalistic German who took pride in his ancestor''s aplishments could form such an amicable rtionship was entertaining to Berengar. Despite this, Berengar was aware that such a rtionship was vital to his ns. Thus he tried his best not to pour salt on the grave of the Western Roman Empire.

 Chapter 177: School Days

    <h4>Chapter 177: School Days</h4>


    At the moment Henrietta was currently in ss, silently listening to the teacher exin basic arithmetic, in the ssroom around her were a bunch of female students her own age. Under Berengar''s public education system he had separated it by Gender in order to avoid any unnecessary distractions, especially among those who might be entering their adolescent years. This way he was also able to design the curriculum in a way that catered to the ways in which boys and girls tended to study. As such this was an all-girls school, with only female instructors. The woman in charge of teaching basic mathematics was a noblewoman who had at Berengar''s request filled the position, after all, there was not much for a woman of her status in life to do, and it felt good to aid in the development of the next generation.


    Charlotte was sitting next to Henrietta and was struggling with the basic concepts, she was by no means a prodigy when it came to math, but she had a fairly creative mind, unlike Henrietta who''s mind greatly resembled Berengar''s in so far that it functioned well with mathematics, and critical thinking. After the basic instruction was concluded the girls were split into groups to work on the problems where Henrietta and Charlotte grouped up together with a third girl who was nearby. The problem was a simple product of multiplication. However, the other girls were struggling with the concept, as such Henrietta showed the multiplication table Berengar had designed and informed them as to her understanding as to how it worked.


    "2 x 2 = 4, because it is the addition of two, twos. However, 2 x 3 = 6, because it is the addition of three twos, and so on and so forth."


    Charlotte, on the other hand, was incredibly frustrated, it was basic mathematics, and yet she was already struggling, one could tell she was not destined to be an engineer or anything which utilized a great deal of math. Instead, she had drawn a picture of a bird, which for her age andck of proper education was quite eptable. She of course drew it on the back of her worksheet, which caused Henrietta to lecture the girl.


    "Of course you are not going to understand it if you keep drawing on the back of your worksheets instead of paying attention to the lecture!"


    On the other hand, the other girl in the group perfectly understood Henrietta''s exnation and thanked her for the help.


    "Thank Henrietta, you are always a great help!"


    This caused Henrietta to smile, she never knew it would be so fun to interact with people of her same age. If it was not for Berengar insisting she go to school, and interact with the other girls she probably would have been sheltered alone in the Castle her entire life. As such she responded to the girl''spliment


    "It is no problem!"


    seeing Henrietta and the other girl get along so well Charlotte began to pout. She was quite a cute girl with a dirty blonde ponytail, and mint green eyes. Thoughpared to Henrietta her appearance was severelycking, after all, she was dressed in a peasant gown,pared to Henrietta''s luxurious noble attire. By the expression on her face, she greatly desired to monopolize Henrietta to herself. Of course, the young girl quickly found a way out of work and began to ask Henrietta questions about her older brother.


    "Henrietta tell us another tale about Berengar!? I heard that he has an eyepatch now that looks super cool!"


    The moment Charlotte brought up such a topic all of the girls in the ss began to listen in to Henrietta and the tale she would tell this time. They hadpletely forgotten about the lesson n and were attracted by the stories of the dashing young Count of Tyrol. Remembering what her brother had told her, Henrietta decided to tell a story from Berengar''s past that was not super embarrassing.


    "Hmm... Where should I begin, I suppose you could say that Berengar was always sickly growing up, ever since he was a small child, yet despite that he tried not to let his frail nature get in the way of living his life. For example when I was five, and he was roughly fifteen at the time. Some older kids among the nobility began to bully me, they had stolen my doll and tossed it up into a tree. When Berengar found out about it he decided to climb the tree and get the doll himself, despite being incredibly weak. He initially fell down from the tree after only managing to climb a few steps. However, he was determined, and as such, despite not having the strength to climb the tree himself, he found adder and used it to scale the tree and get my doll back. Afterward, he told me that if I was ever bullied again, toe to get him, and he would give the girls a scolding."


    Charlotte''s eyes began to glitter in excitement when she heard the chivalric actions of Berengar helping his beloved little sister, she could not help but ask the question on her mind.


    "What happened next?"


    Henrietta instantly realized the remainder of the story was not favorable to Berengar''s prestigious image, but the entire ss was staring at her with curiosity, and as such her resistance immediately copsed and she revealed the embarrassing details.


    "Erm... The girls returned and bullied me again, so I did as my big brother instructed and went to get his help. After he chastised them for their behavior the older girls... well... they beat him up..."


    The cute and innocent expression on Henrietta''s face when she revealed another embarrassing secret of Berengar''s made the girls in the ss instantly break out inughter. Even the teacher began to chuckle when she heard about this side of the man often referred to as "Berengar the Indomitable" by his supporters. To think the man who ruled over the region with supreme authority, and dominance was so pitiful in the past, was truly an entertaining thought.


    Henrietta continued her story for a brief bit longer as she addressed the ss.


    "After that, I learned that I should not rely on Berengar when I needed to teach someone a lesson, instead I went to my other brother Lambert... Though I guess that is no longer the case..."


    The girls were curious about Lambert as most of them had not heard the name before, this sparked curiosity among Henrietta''s ssmates as they began to daydream about who Lambert was. Surely if he was the stronger of the two brothers then he would be a renowned warrior, thus one of the girls quickly asked about Lambert.


    "Who is Lambert? Where is he now?"


    Henrietta''s expression sunk, though her family did not explicitly tell her that Lambert had done something horribly wrong, she was not foolish enough to believe he was innocent. She knew Lambert must have done some unspeakable act to be exiled from her family, she just did not know what exactly had transpired. Thus, a gloomy expression appeared on her face as she went silent. The teacher noticed the sullen expression on the girl''s face and immediately tried to redirect the girls'' attention so that they would focus on their work and give Henrietta some reprieve. Though she was not aware of Lambert''s fate, she knew it could not be something good by the way Henrietta looked when he was mentioned.


    "Come on girls, pay attention, and get your work done!"


    The ssroom full of young girls all began to moan in displeasure, but they eventually did what they were told and got back to work. Charlotte whispered to Henrietta while they were going over their worksheets


    "That was really funny! Your big brother is the best!"


    To which Henrietta blushed in embarrassment, she knew full well that she should not be revealing such info to the girls in her ss. However, they all seemed so interested in the story, and as such she could not prevent herself from leaking the information. As such, she felt slightly guilty for her actions, but not enough to prevent her from doing it again. Henrietta quickly buried herself in her work, and it would not be until lunch period where she was vocal about Berengar''s embarrassing past once more.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Berengar''s office, the young Count felt a sudden itch in his nose, and before he knew it he had sneezed loudly, enough so that if one were nearby they might think it was a st of thunder. After doing so he rubbed his nose and instantly said his thoughts aloud.


    "Who is talking shit about me?"


    Berengar had no way of knowing that Henrietta had revealed another embarrassing event from his past, for if he did he would surely grab ahold of her puffy little cheeks and pull on them until she was red in the face. However, being unaware of Henrietta''s revealing his embarrassing secrets for social clout, he quickly got back to work on approving budgetary concerns.

 Chapter 178: Escaping from Vienna

    <h4>Chapter 178: Escaping from Vienna</h4>


    Weeks had passed since the siege of Vienna had begun, and the army of the Bavarians had already breached the city''s gates. They were close to aplishing what Lothar had failed to achieve during his life, and that was to capture the City of Vienna and overthrow the main Habsburg line. Duke Dietger smiled from afar as his battering ram smashed into the gates of the city''s castle. Soon enough, he will be the reigning authority in Austria and unite the Austro-Bavarian Kingdom; he would no longer be a mere Duke but a proper King! At least that was his ambition in life, and he was close to seeing it to fruition.


    As the battering ram battered open the sturdy gates, the remaining defenders did their best to persist, but eventually, the gate fell. With it, an army of Bavarians charged into the Castle seeking to im it for themselves and round up thete Duke Wilmar''s family so that they could be properly dealt with. The sh of steel resounded throughout the stale air of the castle''s walls. Though Duke Dietger was not leading the charge against the invaders himself, the same could not be said for Gautbehrt, who bravely defended his family home until hisst dying breath.


    The young Duke, who had yet to be appropriately recognized for his title, courageously fought against a Knight of Bavaria, as the two men wielded their swords with excellent skill in a fantastic disy of medieval might. Surrounding them were the soldiers of both sides thrashing about in a grand melee, trying to gain the upper hand in the conflict. As their swords bound against one another, Gautbehrt unleashed a vicious backhand with his steel-d fist, which smacked against the Knight''s pig-faced basc; Though the damage was not severe; it bought Gautbehrt enough time to redirect his de into the gaps in the enemy''s shoulder, which was not adequately protected by a rondel. As such, the knight staggered from the tempered high carbon steel which founds its way piercing through the mail armor, the gambeson beneath it, and finally his flesh.


    However, at this moment, Gautherbert was struck by the attack of a nearby opponent, which merely nced off of his mighty steel armor. Despite this, such a blow forced him to redirect his energy to defend against a second opponent; as such, the Knight who had his shoulder pierced was allowed reprieve as another soldier took his ce in the front line. Gautbehrt and his allies quickly found themselves on the backstep, slowly receding into the hallway, while their numbers dwindled to the exceptional disy of violence.


    While the Bavarians slowly made their way into the castle, the young boy Conrad was hiding in his room, scared witless from the ongoing events. His father had recently perished, and the city had fallen, his family''s enemies hade to take their lives, and as a male of the family, his fate was sealed. Though his sisters might be spared and wed off to members of the von Wittelsbach family, he was a threat, and he knew with Duke Dietger''s reputation he would for sure be destined to die. However, as the boy started to lose his mind to the sound of the echoing screams in the hall, he felt a hand grab ahold of him and drag him from his hiding spot.? The boy was in no condition to observe his surroundings and quickly began to struggle as he struck the person who had grabbed ahold of him, screaming for his life.


    "No! I don''t want to die! Please spare me!"


    However, the result was not what he was expecting as he felt a dainty and feminine hand p him across the face, which dragged him to his senses. In front of him, sping onto his arm, was one of his maids, who went by the name of Elma. She stared at him fiercely, with a degree of determination in which he had not witnessed before. She quickly threw a set of peasant clothing to Conrad and ordered him in a stern voice.


    "Get dressed in these! Do it quickly if you want to live!"


    Hearing there was hope for survival, the boy quickly stripped himself and got into the clothes; despite the fact that there was a pretty woman in front of him after he was dressed in such clothing, Elma pulled a hood over his head and gave him further orders.


    "Come with me!"


    She quickly dragged him away by the arm as the two absconded from the Castle into a secret corridor that led into the city below. Conrad, of course, was greatly confused by the sudden changes in events and began to ask the questions on his mind.


    "Where are we going?"


    However, Elma merely red at him and gave him further orders


    "Don''t ask questions, and stay silent."


    Conrad may have been an entitled brat and a fool, but he was at least capable of understanding the situation he was in at the moment, and as such, he nodded and obeyed Elma''s orders. After the duo exited the secret tunnel, they entered the city below, where they began to act like a pair of peasants stuck in the city. As they slowly navigated the chaotic scene which disyed itself in the town, they were eventually stopped at the City''s gates, where they were interrogated by the men at arms who were left to guard the city''s entrances and make sure that nobody of significance escaped the town.? Unlike Lothar''s army, the Bavarians conducted themselves with some form of dignity. As such, they were not going around looting, raping, and burning the city to the ground, at least not yet. The guard on duty quickly halted. The duo soon noticed the team approaching the gate and bellowed hismands at them.


    "Halt! Nobody is allowed to leave the city; you must return to your homes!"


    Elma had already prepared an excuse beforehand and held onto forged identification papers to allow her ess through the city''s gates. As such, she quickly reached into her cloak and received a letter, which contained the seal of Count Siegmund of Bavaria; the letter notified that she was a spy set in ce by the Bavarian Count at the request of Duke Dietger, and she had urgent business to report to her liege, it appeared to have the proper mark of Count Siegmund, and as such, the Guard epted it as appropriate identification. He had no way of knowing that it was a counterfeit made by Berengar after his spies intercepted one of Count Siegmund''s letters. They hadrgely replicated the Count''s handwriting and seal through great effort, at least so much so that someone who was not overly familiar with such a thing would believe it. However, the guard was concerned about the young boy who was beside the woman iming to be a spy, and as such, he quickly interrogated her about his identity.


    "Who is the boy? Why is he with you?"


    Elma looked over at Conrad with a nce that said "y along" before putting on a flirtatious smile and began to approach the guard in a seduction attempt.


    "Who this? This is just my slow little brother; he does not know how to speak. He was sent with me as part of my cover. He is not important. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you allowed us to pass; after all, my Liege is expecting me. Since we are both in service to Duke Dietger to some extent, I am sure we will cross paths in the future, and when we do, I would owe you one..."


    Elma was a rtively attractive woman in herte twenties, and as such, the man quickly bought into her charms before giving the order to his troops to let her pass.


    "Open the gates; these two work for Count Siegmund; they have proper authorization!"


    After the gates were fully opened, allowing the duo to pass, Elma put on a sultry facade and kissed the man on his cheek, which was on full disy from his open face basc.


    "Until we meet again..."


    With that said, Elma and Conrad escaped outside of the confines of the city, and when they were far enough away, they changed directions from the main road where they entered the nearby woods. Luckily for Elma, she had long since prepared an escape route, as were her orders from Linde, and she would be meeting with another agent of Berengar''s Department of Intelligence, who would be waiting outside the city gates with a wagon to carry the group off to the borders of Kufstein.? As such, Elma and Conrad quickly regrouped with the other Agent of Berengar''s vast spywork, where he was sitting on a wagon which was seated for two people, the back of the wagon was filled with straw, and Elma quickly gave Conrad another demand.


    "Hide in the straw, we will be safe when we get to our destination!"


    However, at this moment, Conrad could no longer contain his curiosity, and of course, his concerns for his safety. As such, he ripped his hand away from the woman''s grasp and began to shout at her.


    "Not until I get some information! For example, Who are you people, and why are you helping me?"


    Elma sighed as she witnessed the fit in which Conrad was throwing, they did not have time for this, but she knew with the way Conrad was acting, he was liable to flee in the other direction and get himself killed if she did not tell the truth, as such she quickly exined her reasoning for her actions.


    "We are going to Kufstein, Count Berengar has asked us to escort you to his realm so that you may be safe."


    Conrad was shocked by this news, he thought for sure he had thoroughly outraged Berengar at Ad''s birthday celebration, and yet the man had gone through the trouble to escort him to safety. He was beginning to reevaluate the man who his father had praised so much in the past. Then again, his father was also wary of Berengar''s rise to power and had frequently spoken about the man with caution in his voice. Conrad did not know how to act at this moment. However, another thought quickly appeared in his mind, and he could not help but ask.


    "What about my siblings?"


    Elma quickly shook her head as she urged Conrad to get into the back of the wagon and hide in the straw.


    "We don''t have time for this, quickly do what I say, the Duke could realize you are missing at every minute, and if he sends out a search for us, we will be caught. If you care about your own life, you will do as I say and get in the straw!"


    Though Conrad was confused and slightly concerned about Berengar''s objectives, ultimately, he was more concerned about his safety than that of his siblings and did what he was instructed, jumping into the back of the Caravan where he hid in the straw. With that, the group escaped from the city of Vienna during the cover of darkness, entirely without Duke Dietger or his army realizing that thete Duke Wilmar''s youngest son was missing.

 Chapter 179: The Fall of Vienna

    <h4>Chapter 179: The Fall of Vienna</h4>


    As Conrad and Elma escaped into the Night, Gautbehrt was currently fighting a losing battle, as he defied Duke Dietger''s army with every fiber of his being. However, the longer he defended his family''s castle, the more of his men fell to the meat grinder. As such corpses had begun to stack within the halls of the castle of Vienna, their blood flowing onto its cold stone floors. With every loss, Gautbehrt and his allies found themselves closer to the precipice. The young duke desperately swung at one of Dietger''s knights with his longsword in his hands, however, he immediately felt a blunt object m into the back of his helmet, which knocked him out cold. When he finally regained consciousness, he found himself sitting in the Great Hall, gathered together and bound among his siblings. Due to the impact on his skull, he did not initially realize that Conrad was missing from the group.


    Duke Dietger quickly entered the scene, and when he saw that Gautbehrt was bound and tied alongside his family, a wicked smile appeared on his face as he began to mock the man before him.


    "I must say your struggle was brave, yet foolish. You should have just surrendered your home and title to me the moment your father died in battle!"


    Gautbehrt red at Dietger with disgust; his only response to the man''s provocation was spitting in his general direction, which caused a great sense of outrage to dwell within the Duke of Bavaria. In response to this insult Dietger quickly snapped his fingers, and as he did so, one of his men at arms struck Gautbehrt with his steel-d fist, knocking several of the young man''s teeth loose. However, all that managed to aplish was provoke a greater stare of enmity from Gautbehrt, who continued to defy Diterger. Thus Dietger once more tried to insult the young Duke, who had only recently inherited his father''s position.


    "You and your family belong to me; if you do not submit, I will exterminate the male line from your bloodline and marry your sisters off to my sons and grandsons. Your Dynasty will forever perish from this world."


    Though Gautbehrt was at first resilient to Dietger''s threats, when he heard that his family line would be extinguished forever, he grimaced as he began to contemte his actions; Dietger was every bit as ruthless as the rumors had presented him. However, what came next was out of either of the two men''s expectations. One of Dietger''s knights approached the scene and proimed news that shocked not only Dietger but everyone present.


    "Your Grace, Wilmar''s youngest son, has escaped the confines of the Castle. We have no idea where he is at the moment."


    Hearing this piece of information, Gautbehrt grinned at Dietger with a mocking expression and began to taunt the man who had conquered his home.


    "Conrad must be long gone; you will never find him; even if you execute me and those of my brothers who are present, you will never be the legitimate ruler of Austria so long as my youngest brother still draws breath! Go ahead and do your worst, but one day Austria will be independent and ruled by the Habsburgs once more!"


    This insult stung Dietger like a thousand wasps. As a result, the Duke of Bavaria furiously backhanded the basc of the Knight who had informed him of such a thing; of course, he was not wearing his gauntlets and nearly broke his hand from the impact, which put a painful expression on the man''s face thus causing Gautbehrt tough at the man''s misery��seeing Gautbehrt''s mocking expression Duke Dietger finally snapped and gave his men an order.


    "Drag this bastard and his brothers out to the Courtyard and behead them; as for Conrad, I want a search party sent out to find him. I fail to believe that he has escaped beyond the city''s gates!"


    Despite these orders, Gautbehrt showed no sign of dismay. Instead, he epted his fate, knowing that there was still one heir left to his Dynasty. Though the boy was a spoiled brat and still quite naive, he had plenty of years to grow into a great man, and as such, Gautbehrt died with a smile on his face believing that Conrad would one day avenge him and their family. As for Dietger, he spent the remainder of the night searching every corner of the city for Conrad; however, when the dawn finally rose, he came to the realization that the boy was nowhere to be found in the city and had secretly escaped. Seeing that this was the case, Dietger flew into a fit of fury and demanded to find the culprit who had beenx on their duties and allowed such a vital pawn to escape the city unnoticed.


    Eventually, the guards who Elma had tricked were brought before Dietgar bound and chained, where they were deeply confused about what they had done wrong. As such, Dietger made it abundantly clear as he asked them for the truth as to what had transpired several hours before.


    "Did you allow anyone to exit the gates you were entrusted to protect?"


    Not knowing the trouble he had caused, the man at arms who had given the order to open the gates quickly nodded his head and told the man of the information that he knew.


    "One of Siegmund''s spies requested to leave; she had a young boy in tow with her who she said was her little brother!"


    Dietger immediately became suspicious of this news and inquired about it further.


    "This woman, how do you know she was one of Siegmund''s spies?"


    The guard quickly coughed up the details of what had happened.


    "She bore a letter with his seal, which informed me of her identity; in the letter, it stated that she was acting under your orders!"


    Dietger was so thoroughly enraged by this news that he could feel his brain was about to explode; as such, he forced himself to calm down. After a few death breaths, he ordered his knights to take care of the men who had failed their duties.


    "Behead these men and ce their heads on spikes so that all may remember the price of failing to fulfill their orders. As for Siegmund, I will take care of him when I get the chance."


    Dietger was already suspicious of Siegmund''s loyalty, especially after his inactivity at the Tyrolean border and his constant request for reinforcements. He had already nned to punish the man for failing to fulfill his orders to advance into Tyrol, however now it would appear that the man had schemed against him. This was simply intolerable. Thus Berengar had inadvertently shifted the me for Conrad''s escape onto the man who was currently besieging his borders. Though Berengar was crafty, he never expected Dietger actually to believe the excuse he came up with himself.


    With time being of the essence, Dietger quickly gave orders to several of his knights.


    "Hunt down that bastard who has escaped and bring me his head. He is heading to Siegmund''s territory! Go now!"


    Dietger had given the orders to follow a trail that did not exist; as such several of his Knights would be sent on a wild goose chase in their attempts to track down Conrad and bring back his skull, thus allowing him and Berengar''s agents to sessfully exfiltrate back to Tyrol. When Dietger finally found out that Conrad had made it to the safety of the borders of Tyrol and into Berengar''s clutches, he would lose his mind over the issue. However, for now, he suspected Siegmund was the culprit and was so enraged he could not even piece together who the real mastermind was.


    As for Conrad and the others, their wagon had sessfully joined up with a trade caravan headed towards Kufstein''s direction. After all, the area had be the center of trade within Southern Germany, even during this time of widespread warfare. As such, they seamlessly blended in with the other merchants, who had no way of knowing they were harboring the target which the Duke of Bavaria and their armies were pursuing. Thus, Conrad, Elma, and the other Agent were able to enjoy the journey to Kufstein peacefully; after all, any trade which intended to enter Berengar''snds was protected sufficiently with proper caravan guards, but also with the understanding that if they were to be attacked, Berengar would bring the full might of his army on anyone who was foolish enough to do such a thing, a fear that was burned into the minds of any would-be profiteers after the war with Kitzb��hel.


    Thus Berengar''s ns for the future were in full effect; with Conrad rescued and the remainder of the male line of the Habsburg Dynasty executed, there was nothing to block his ascension as he fought for power within Austria. All that remained was to convince Conrad to name Berengar regent and retake the Duchy with fire and fury. Both of which Berengar was fully capable of aplishing.

 Chapter 180: Visiting Graz I

    <h4>Chapter 180: Visiting Graz I</h4>


    As Conrad, Elma, and the other agent slowly made their way to Kufstein and the sanctuary it provided. Berengar was on his way to Graz, where he had nned to meet with his Uncle and discuss his ns for the future. Albeit not to their fullest extent, after all, poisoning Conrad after assuming the position of Regent was not exactly something he wanted to be public knowledge.


    However, Berengar also had a far more critical goal at the moment, and that was to meet with Ad; it had been many months since he wasst able to see her cute little face, and he was beginning to wonder how much she had grown in this time. Thus, in all reality, the meeting with Otto was a cover so that he could spend some time with his cute little fiancee. For this meeting, he had left Linde behind in Kufstein; after all, he was pretty sure that Count Otto would disapprove of him bringing his lover and bastard son to the meeting.


    As Berengar and his Caravan approached the city of Graz, they could tell that it had seen better days. Despite the fact that the city of Graz had not been besieged; the mes of war had ravaged many of the surrounding areas, which provided it with supplies, and as such, the people were struggling to feed themselves. When the city guards noticed the banners of House von Kufstein flying in the wind, they quickly went to inform their Liege that Count Berengar of Tyrol had arrived. Of course, Count Otto was already aware that Berengar would be traveling to Kufstein; Berengar had made sure to inform him of his visit, as such, he was weed into the city with open arms.


    Before long, he and his caravan had reached the castle, where he stepped out of the Carriage and greeted Count Otto at the footsteps of his castle. The man had an amiable smile on his face as he weed his nephew and future son-inw.


    "Berengar, my boy, it is good to see you. How is your father doing?"


    Berengar smiled as he returned his Uncle''s greeting.


    "Though I have not had the time to visit my parents, I have received regr reports from the staff who tends to their needs, and they seem to be adjusting quite well to life in the countryside. Naturally, they are sufficiently protected from the potential invasion which tries to break into mynds as we speak. "


    Hearing this news Count Otto and his wife Wanda smiled; it was good to hear that their rtives were doing well. As for Ad, she was standing in line with her other siblings, ready to greet Berengar; however, before she could do so, Ava stepped forward with a sultry smile on her face and began to analyze Berengar''s appearance from head to toe. She was deeply filled with regret that she was not engaged to her cousin when they were younger. Though he was sickly in the past, he had grown into an exceptionally handsome man and was far more fit to be her husband. The moment the woman stepped forward, she embraced Berengar as if she had seen her long-lost lover. She made sure to press her ample bosom, which was even mightier than Linde''s, into his chest; this was an act of provocation to mess with Ad''s head; as she did so, the young woman cupped Berengar''s face into her hands and gave her greeting to Berengar.


    "Dearest me, is that you, Berengar? You have grown so handsome over the years; I remember that you could not even stomach meat when you were so sickly! Surely times have changed."


    Berengar did not fall for her tricks; he quickly spotted the upset appearance on Ad''s face and could guess Ava was using him to torment her little sister. Berengar promptly released himself from Ava''s grip and hardly paid her any attention at all. After all, Ava''s breasts may berger than Linde''s, but Linde''s had a better shape and firmness; he could quickly tell such a thing just from having the woman press up against him. Instead, he merely epted her greeting with a nod before pushing her aside to visit Ad.


    The act greatly infuriated Ava, she thought she could use her figure to seduce Berengar and thus cause Ad some mental anguish, yet it turned out the man had no interest in her. Was he a lolicon? Of course, she had no way of knowing that Berengar was not easily impressed by Ava''s attempts after being with Linde for so long. After approaching Ad, Berengar wrapped his arms around the girl and openly dered his affection for her, which caused her face to flush in embarrassment.


    "My sweet little Ad, I have missed you so much!"


    When Berengar hugged the girl, he made sure to check up on her development, and as such, he noticed that her chest had grown a bitrger from thest time he had seen her, which greatly pleased him for he was not, in fact, a lolicon. Of course, he would not reveal such thoughts, nor his unscrupulous actions, and instead, he merely presented himself as someone who missed his fiancee a great deal.


    Aftertching onto Ad for quite some time, she nearly passed out from embarrassment before she was finally able to address the man she loved. Eventually, she found her voice, but she stuttered as she tried to present her jumbled thoughts.


    "m... me too!"


    ultimately she ended up muttering the phrase, and Berengar decided to tease his little fiancee by letting go of her and acting as if she had not heard what he said; in the process, he created some distance to allow her to state it clearly for everyone.


    "I''m sorry I did not hear you. Could you repeat that?"


    Ava immediately noticed the mind games Berengar was ying with her little sister and found Berengar''s character toplement her own, thus making her frown in jealousy. Ad struggled with the embarrassing situation she found herself in, and eventually, she just blurted out her thoughts.


    "I said I missed you too, okay!"


    Afterward, she immediately began to pout, which caused Berengar to chuckle; Ad was just too cute when she was upset. Seeing the young couple getting along so well, Count Otto was incredibly pleased; it appeared as if Berengar still treated Ad well despite his infidelities; as for the Countess, she was even happier at the sight of Berengar and Ad''s little "dispute" to her it was a sign that they were meant for each other. However, she red at Ava and her attempts to seduce Berengar; even if it was meant only as a means to provoke Ad, the young woman had gone too far. Luckily Berengar had seen through her actions and merely chose not to entertain such illicit behavior.


    After saying their initial greetings, Count Otto made a suggestion.


    "Berengar, you must be weary from your journey; how about we all sit down at the table and discuss your journey over a feast?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded while holding Ad''s hand before replying.


    "Lead the way."


    With that, the group of nobles entered the castle and approached the dining hall, where they sat down in their respective seats. Ava''s husband Wolfgang had witnessed her overly affectionate disy when she greeted Berengar. As such was not happy with her performance, yet he was too dull to realize that it was not an earnest seduction attempt, but just a means to irritate her little sister; as such, he did not say much during the initial portion of the meal. As for Berengar, he dined upon the delicacies which Ad had brought back the recipes from Kufstein. The chefs in this castle were every bit as talented as the ones in his own, and as such, he thoroughly enjoyed the meal presented to him. As for the beer, it was still the standard light beer brewed everywhere in Europe; it was not the grandiose doppelbock or Oktoberfest beers in which he had brewed in his domain. However, it was enough to satisfy his thirst.


    While sitting at the table, enjoying his meal Count Otto began to discuss with Berengar about his trip from Kufstein to Steiermark; after all, to get to the Count''s territory, he had to pass through Bavarian upied territory.


    "So, how was your journey? I hope it was not exceptionally dangerous..."


    Berengar shook his head as he dug into the beef roden sitting on his te before answering the question.


    "Not exceptionally so, there was an attack on my caravan, but with the firepower I brought with me, the Bavarians were easily repelled. There''s a reason I brought so many troops with me; it seems that Salzburg haspletely fallen to the Bavarians, or at least to the degree that the roads and the forts between them are under Bavarian upation, whoever the Count of that region is, has surely failed in his duties."


    Berengar was aware that Ava''s husband was the Count of Salzburg and was actively taking a jab at him; in his opinion, it was utterly disgraceful for the man to stay hiding in Graz while his brother was left to fend for the region in which Wolfgang was responsible for. As such Berengar was not afraid to insult the man directly to his face. As for Wolfgang, he was scowling at the remark. However, everyone else present at the table agreed with Berengar''s statement, even if Wolfgang was too dull to realize it. Instead, the manshed out at Berengar and used one of Ava''s talking points that she had always used to scold Ad.


    "If your army is so capable, why have you not brought stability to all of Austria. Instead, you hide in Tyrol like a coward!"


    Berengar smirked as he heard such a poorly thought-out response, he was more than happy to spar with this man verbally. Wolfgang was clearly out of his league; as such, Berengar responded in a condescending tone as if he was educating a moron about the art of war.


    "My troops are needed to protect my borders from constant invasion; even though I am working overtime to draft new troops, these things take time; I can''t just create an army out of thin air. Do not worry, boy; I will have won this war by the year''s end."


    Berengar, being several years younger than Wolfgang, called him "boy," which greatly outraged the man. However, Wolfgang could not think of a retort to such a well-thought-out statement. Instead, he merely gnashed his teeth and epted his loss. Ava was outright disgusted with her husband''s stupidity for fighting with Berengar in a war of words; after all, the man was well renowned for his quick wit. As for Ad, she was chuckling while sitting next to Berengar; the whole situation was funny to her. After this brief exchange of insults, the dust had settled, and Berengar was able to enjoy a fine meal with his fiancee; he would discuss his ns with Otto at ater date. As for Wolfgang, Berengar was more interested in conversing with his little brother about the matters at hand. The man in front of him was a durd who would only screw up any job Berengar gave him. Thus the evening went by, and Berengar was content with his first night in Graz.

 Chapter 181: Visiting Graz II

    <h4>Chapter 181: Visiting Graz II</h4>


    After dining with his inws, Berengar took a bath before entering the room he was provided. It was down the hall from Ad''s and Ava''s. However, he had no intention to visit either of them in the night. Ad was too young for his interest, and Ava, well, he did not desire her, though he was wary that the woman might pull something in his sleep; as such, he made sure totch the doors and windows to his room thoroughly. One could never be too careful. If Berengar were in the modern era, he would probably search his room for bugs before resting, but this was the medieval world; such sophisticated technology did not exist at this time. As such, he was able to sleep the night away without concern.


    By the time Dawn rose, Berengar had naturally awakened, after all his body was used to waking up at such an hour; despite this, he was left with nothing to do as he had no major work concerns while he was in Graz, and most of his exercise equipment was at home. As such, he decided to do a small workout, where he did his usual routine of pushups, situps, and squats. As for his pullups, he would not be able to do such a thing as hecked a proper pullup bar. As such, he skipped it for the day and went on a run around the city, though he dressed as a peasant to avoid any trickery that might ur on his journey.


    After his journey was over, he returned to the castle where he intended to take a bath, however the moment he opened the door to the bathroom; he noticed that there was a figure already inside the tub, her massive chest was on full disy as she scrubbed herself with soap, her long blonde hair was wet, and slung over her delicate shoulders that appeared as if they were sculpted out of jade. Berengar immediately recognized the chest before him to be Ava''s, and he stared at it for several seconds beforeing to his senses. By the time he came back to reality, he saw that Ava''s pretty face was flushed with embarrassment and her mouth agape; she looked like she was about to scream, and as such, Berengar quickly shut the door and hid behind it.


    Ava immediately sunk into her tub with embarrassment after Berengar shut the door; she had utterly forgotten to scream, and she did not realize that she had forgotten totch the door. As such, she was struggling to cope with what had just happened. Berengar, on the other hand, briskly walked away as if nothing had happened, with a smile on his face. As he was doing so, he thought to himself.


    ''That one is being saved to the memory banks...''


    Afterward, he arrived in his room and waited until a time where he felt as if Ava would have left the tub, which was a safe thirty minutes. After waiting, he returned to the bath where he knocked on the door; when there was no sound, he entered, stripped, and began his bath. It was an exceptionally long bath as he vividly thought about the scene he had witnessed not long before; in times like this, he was d he had a photographic memory.


    After getting out of the tub, Berengar returned to his room, where Ava was waiting for him, sitting on his bed, fully clothed and embarrassed. Berengar had no desire to do anything to her, and as such, he merely sat down in the chair across the room from her. He left the door open in case she tried anything. After sitting in the chair, Ava squirmed around for a few moments before she asked the question on his mind.


    "How much did you see?"


    Berengar yed the part of an idiot and tried to dodge the awkward situation that presented itself.


    "Not much; the steam blocked my sight. I suppose that''s a good thing..."


    Berengar''s words stung Ava''s pride as a woman, the way hemunicated hisst sentence made it sound as if he was not the least bit interested in her. As such, she began to pout before expressing her thoughts.


    "Why am I not good enough for you?"


    Berengarughed when he heard this statement and made it clear where he stood on the issue.


    "You are my fiancee''s sister and are already married with three kids. Sorry Cousin, but I have no interest in your body. Maybe if you were a few years younger and still pure, but that ship sailed a long time ago. This awkward situation is entirely on you for not locking the door while you were bathing."


    Hearing Berengar''s harsh words, Ava began to grind her teeth; Berengar had outright admitted she was used goods, and he had no interest in such a thing. Not only had he walked in on her bathing, but he also had the nerve to insult her afterward. She quickly realized that he was the worst kind of person. As such, she got up from her chair and walked towards the door before asking one more time.


    "You really did not see anything?"


    Berengar nodded his head with a nk expression; by now, he was a master at lying to women, and as such, Ava snubbed him before walking out the door leaving behind the words.


    "Your loss..."


    Berengar, of course,ughed the moment she was out of earshot; he had to admit Ava did have a great chest, but Linde''s was better, size was not everything when it came to judging such a topic; as such, he released a sigh and voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "I just dodged a bullet with that one..."


    Thest thing Berengar needed was to be entangled with another man''s wife. Especially if she already had children, he may be susceptible to beautiful women, but he was not entirely brainless. As such, after calming himself down, he left his room and headed to the dining table, where he joined up with the others for breakfast.


    Sitting at the breakfast table was Count Otto, his wife Wanda, Ava, her husband, and her three children, as well as the remainder of Ad''s siblings. Ad was also present and saved a seat for Berengar, which Berengar was more than happy to take advantage of. After sitting next to his little fiancee, Berengar tussled her hair as he greeted her.


    "How did you sleepst night?"


    Seeing the charming look on Berengar''s face, Ad smiled and responded to his question.


    "I slept well enough."


    Berengar nodded his head in approval. It was only after he had said his greetings to Ad that he noticed Ava staring at him with a sense of overwhelming fury, which did not go unnoticed by the other people seated at the table. However, they chalked it up to Ava being pissy about how he snubbed her the day before; after all, she was pretty well known for being petty.


    Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Ava was exceptionally so, not only did Berengar catch a glimpse of her naked body, which if she was honest with herself did not bother her so much whenpared to to the fact that Berengar once more treated her liked her value as a woman was worthless. As such, she was furious with Berengar; she could not understand why he would react in such a way to her curvaceous body. As such, the atmosphere at the table was quite tense as Ava continued to stare at Berengar as if she wanted to set him aze with her mind.


    Berengar, on the other hand, was quite entertained by this, but he genuinely had no interest in Ava; as such, he spent his time at the dinner table pandering to Ad, which only further increased the wrath in Ava''s heart. Berengar was talking to Ad and noticed she was wearing the colors of his house, with the jewelry he had provided to her for her birthday.


    "You look good in those colors, Ad!"


    Though he wasplimenting her, there was also a political statement behind his intent. However, Ava merely pouted, though she had been able to get her hands on some of Berengar''s fashions designs, it was never as good as what Ad was able to get her hands on. The reason for this was simple. Berengar reserved the best clothing designs, made from the finest materials for his two women; everyone else had to get their hands on clothing and essories that were still better than anything else on the market, but not quite the quality Berengar gifted to his women. As such, Ava continued to behave like a jaded lover to Berengar, and he ignored her. Wolfgang eventually caught on to the looks which she was giving Berengar and began to chastise his wife in a low enough voice that it could not be overheard by the others present at the table.


    "Quit ring at him like that! You look as if he has stolen your innocence!"


    Wolfgang knew that such a thing had never urred, but it was still infuriating to see his wife gaze at another man with such passion, even if it was mostly fury. The only people who seemed to sense that something had happened between the two were the Count and Countess; who quickly made a mental note to find out just what had happened between Berengar and their eldest daughter. They may be willing to sell Ad to Berengar for a political alliance that benefitted them. However, they would be damned if they would allow the young Count to do to Ava what he did to Linde; of course, they had no idea that the reason Ava was so furious was that Berengar had rejected her advances. As such, the breakfast continued with a great deal of drama at the table, which Berengar would only be able to relieve himself from when it was finally finished. As for the meeting with Count Otto that wouldeter in the day.

 Chapter 182: Taking Advantage of a Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 182: Taking Advantage of a Crisis</h4>


    After Berengar shared an awkward meal with his iws, he and Count Otto finally moved into the old Count''s study, where they couldmunicate about the issues at hand. Count Otto was aware that Berengar was primarily here to see Ad, but officially the young Count was in Graz to discuss business; as such, the two men quickly got to the issues at hand, with Count Otto taking the lead.


    "So Count Berengar, tell me what is so important that you would cross a battlefield just to speak with me in person?"


    Berengar smiled at the way his uncle addressed him, in a formal setting such as this, referring to Berengar by his noble title was a way to show respect to his position; Berengar followed in a suit when he gave his reply.


    "Count Otto, I am here to address the ongoing crisis in the borders of Austria, by now the Bavarians have taken Vienna, and upyrge portions of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, and K?rnten, the only three Counties left that are remotely intact are that of our regions, and Vorarlberg. As such, I havee to request your assistance in resisting Bavarian Tyranny."


    Count Otto narrowed his eyes at Berengar, he was not yet aware that Vienna had fallen, nor the consequences it had; after all, he did not have a spy in the Duke''s Court. Thus he was unaware of what had recently transpired. As such, he attempted to rify his confusion.


    "Since when did Vienna fall?"


    Berengar was aware that his uncle was in the dark of the recent developments in the war for Austria. As such, he quickly informed the mighty Count of the information that he was privy to.


    "The Castle of Vienna fell a few days ago. If everything has gone as nned, then my agents were able to smuggle out one of thete Duke Wilmar''s heirs before the rest were executed, thus sparing the main Habsburg line from the brutality of Duke Dietger. When he arrives in Kufstein, I n to establish a government in exile so that we may fully resist the oppression that Duke Dietger and his army of Bavarians bring forth!"


    Count Otto noticed that Berengar was sure of the oue, despite not providing any substantial evidence; thus he questioned him further.


    "Do you have any evidence of these ims?"


    In response to this, Bernegar merely chuckled before responding to his Uncle''s interrogation, he was confident enough in his spywork that they had seeded in their endeavors. After all, he was traveling to Graz while they were at work rescuing Conrad from the Bavarians, so he had no way to know for certain if everything went ording to n.


    "Admittedly at the moment I amcking in evidence, however, I am confident in the ability of my underlings. In the uing days, I am certain that my ims will be public knowledge. So until you can confirm my words for yourself, why don''t we act as if they are the truth, and n ordingly?"


    Though Count Otto was uncertain about whether or not Berengar''s ims were true, the sheer confidence the young man had to make ns based on the assumption that everything had gone ording to his desires was enough to convince Otto that the likelihood of such an oue was high. As such he sighed in response to this news and voice his innermost thoughts.


    "So my worst fears have be realized. Tell me which of Wilmar''s heirs did you rescue?"


    Berengar smirked as he revealed the name of the heir that he had specifically chosen to save from the Bavarians'' wrath.


    "Conrad..."


    Immediately Count Otto''s face twisted as he heard those words; he was well aware that Conrad was by no means fit to rule the Duchy of Austria. As a wise man, he could already guess what Berengar was nning; as such, he immediately began to protest.


    "You saved the youngest and leastpetent of Wilmar''s heirs so that he can be your puppet while you possess the real power behind the throne?"


    Berengar did not deny the charges. Instead, his lips curved into a sinister smile before he professed his guilt to the man who questioned him.


    "I am afraid that I am, in fact, guilty of the charges youy before me. However, let us be brutally honest with ourselves here. Do you genuinely believe that in the entire realm, there is anyone that is more fit to lead our Duchy than myself during these darkest of days?"


    Count Otto had a hard time believing that Berengar would outright admit to his schemes, but it appeared as if the young Count was unafraid of the consequences in doing so; after all, he knew that his uncle would not reveal his plots, nor side against him.


    The two men were rted by blood. They also shared a simr goal: to reunite Austria; if Otto opposed Berengar''s wishes, he would create a civil war between the Austrian nobility who remained free from Bavarian upation.


    In such an event were to ur, Otto knew that Berengar would ultimately be the victor and would likely seed in his efforts to repel the Bavarian invaders. Either way, Berengar would install a puppet on the ducal throne of Austria and im power for himself.? Resisting such an inevitable oue was an act of futility.


    Thus Count Otto sighed heavily before epting the result; he recognized that by not seizing the opportunity to break the Bavarian siege of Vienna, he had yed right into Berengar''s hands, allowing the young man to usurp the power of the Duchy for himself.


    Indeed his nephew was an ambitious and cruel man. Nevertheless, by marrying his youngest daughter off to Berengar, Otto ensured that his Dynasty would also rise alongside that of the von Kufstein''s. As such, Otto had no ns to spoil his young nephew''s endeavors. After agreeing with Berengar''s schemes, he quickly asked the question on his mind.


    "So, what is it that you need of me?"


    Berengar once more grinned as he heard the result, the look in his eye was that of an evil mastermind who was pleased that his ambitions were progressing smoothly. Thus, he answered Otto''s thoughts without dy.


    "It is simple; I need you to endorse me openly; I fear that despite my stern warning, Conrad might still be a bit upset over the fact that I am engaged to the woman he fancies. What I need of you, the father of the said woman is to help convince Conrad that I am the best choice for the position of regent. There is little doubt in my mind that he will try to select you to fulfill that role, even if it is out of spite."


    Count Otto nodded his head in agreement; Berengar''s concerns were a likely oue if left to their natural events. If that were the case he would do his best to convince the spoiled brat that Berengar was the best man for the job; however, another worry instantly appeared in Otto''s mind as he thought about Berengar''s schemes. Thus he voiced his concerns.


    "What about the Count of Vorarlberg? Surely he would be a potential candidate for the position."


    However, Berengar''s reaction surprised Count Otto as the young man merelyughed at his worries before replying with an arrogant expression.


    "Do not worry, the Count of Vorarlberg owes me a significant debt for sending troops to his aid; there is also the fact that so long as my armies are on his soil defending hisnds, he will never oppose my wishes. The consequences of doing so would be dire, to say the least..."


    Count Otto was not a foolish man; he immediately realized the threat that Berengar hid behind his words. If the Count of Vorarlberg were to vie for the position of regent, Berengar would turn his armies defending the borders of Vorarlberg to attacking its capital.


    The middle-aged Count instantly realized that allowing Berengar''s troops military ess to hisnds was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they were powerful enough to defeat any potential invading force and could be a great ally. However, in the very next minute, they could be enemies and deal far more damage to hisnds than any other army in the world.


    After realizing this, Otto nodded his head in agreement and said no more; he would do as Berengar wished. After all, so long as Ad was set to marry Berengar, they would remain allies, and Berengar was a powerful ally to have.


    After thinking about Ad''s position, Otto immediately remembered his concerns from breakfast. He quickly began to shift the subject so that he could find out the exact nature of Berengar''s rtionship with Ava.


    "So now that we have that settled, I have a question I would like to ask you if you do not mind?"


    Berengar was caught off guard by this and raised his eyebrows in response, realizing it had nothing to do with his ns, his curiosity was peaked, and thus, he entertained Otto''s questioning.


    "Go ahead; I have nothing to hide."


    After receiving his nephew''s approval to interrogate, Otto quickly asked the question on his mind.


    "What exactly happened between you and Ava, for her to be behaving so strangely this morning while we were eating breakfast?"


    Berengar immediately broke out intoughter when he heard such ament; Otto was not like his own father; he had a critical eye for social issues and quickly noticed something was amiss; however, the man was overthinking it, because of such confusion Berengar decided to rify the issue before it turned into something serious.


    "Trust me, Uncle, I am not interested in Ava; this is a misunderstanding. She forgot to lock the door to the bath, and I identally walked in on her; of course, I immediately retreated when I saw such a thing. However, sheter came to find me in my room and attempted to seduce me, where I thoroughly rejected her. She is in a poor mood because I implied I had no interest in a used woman."


    A giant scowl formed on Otto''s face; if one looked closely, one could even see a vein appearing on his forehead. Though he was not Angry for the reasons Berengar thought, it was only when the man revealed the reason for his fury in the form of a question did Berengar thoroughly understand why his uncle was so upset.


    "She did what?"


    Berengar had anticipated the man being enraged at him for walking in on his daughter while she was bathing, but instead, he was more concerned with his eldest daughter''s actions. Thus Berengar decided to add fuel to the fire to punish Ava for acting so arrogantly.


    "She tried to seduce me. Honestly, I don''t believe she has any interest in me personally. Instead, I think she is jealous of the rtionship between Ad and myself and is simply trying to create drama. For a woman who is married and has three children, she acts like a child..."


    After hearing this news, Otto sat down in the chair next to him; he needed a breather; why was it that so many of his children were trying to vex him into an early grave? After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Otto quickly replied to Berengar.


    "Thank you for being honest with me; I will take care of this matter so that she does not cause you or her sister any further insult."


    Afterward, the man walked out of the room in a fit of fury. Berengar merely grinned at the sight while thinking to himself.


    ''You have brought this upon yourself Ava, if you were not such a harlot trying to seduce your sister''s fiance, you would not be in such a position.''


    Thus Berengar and Otto''s meeting for future events had concluded; all that was left for Berengar''s visit to Graz was to spend time with his darling little fiancee.

 Chapter 183: You are the perfect wife, did you know that?

    <h4>Chapter 183: You are the perfect wife, did you know that?</h4>


    After finishing his meeting with Count Otto, Berengar found that he now had unlimited free time; as such, he quickly searched for Ad, where he intended to spend the day ying around with her. He rarely had as much free time as he did while on this diplomatic visit; thus, he intended to make the most of it.


    After crossing through the hallways looking for Ad, Berengar soon found himself face to face with Wolfgang, who did not have the most pleasant expression on his face. Instead, he stared at Berengar with an intense gaze of fury, as if his heart contained the fires of Tartarus in its depths. Berengar could tell by the look on his face that Ava had said something; as such, he met Wolfgang''s furious gaze with a condescending smirk.


    Wolfgang, however, noticed Berengar''s expression and immediately assumed it meant his guilt as he approached Berengar and tried totch onto his cor, however before he could do so, Berengar had grabbed ahold of the man''s wrist and put him into a wristlock which forced the man onto his knees as he winced in pain.


    Though Berengar was by no means a seasoned grappler, he had gone through basicbative training in the Army during his past life, and as such knew a few tricks, he could use to subdue an opponent. As Berengar applied pressure to the lock that he firmly grasped onto, he began to chastise the man for his violent attempts.


    "You know Wolfgang; it is not polite to assault your superiors for no reason; you should learn your ce!"


    On the other hand, Wolfgang verbally struck back at Berengar, especially over his ims of superiority; if anything, in Wolfgang''s eyes, he was superior because he was born into the position of Count, instead of being an upstart taking advantage of the crisis in the realm.


    "Superior? Don''t make meugh! You are nothing but a lowly Baron who has risen through the ranks by profiting from the war which ravages ournds!"


    Berengar''s tongue was as sharp as always; if anything, the words he spoke next hurt the man who was struggling in his grasp far more from the pressure from the wrist lock.


    "And yet, I am capable of defending mynds, where you hide in your wife''s homnd, allowing your brother to fight your war for you. Now, why don''t you tell me the reason that would cause a man in your position to attack me the moment you saw my charming face?"


    Wolfgang felt no desire to exin his rage to Berengar, a man he deemed to be a lecherous, amoral tyrant. Thus he responded with vulgarity.


    "Go fuck yourself!"


    After hearing this stereotypical response, Berengar sighed beforepleting the wrist lock, where he broke the man''s wrist without any mercy. Berengar had learned his lesson about showingpassion to those who sought to do him harm; as such, he was ruthless with how he decided to handle the situation.


    After a loud cracking noise emanated through the cold stone hallway, followed by the wailing that sounded as if it came from a wounded pig Berengar released the man and allowed him to wallow in his tears on the tile below. Berengar gazed coldly at the current Count of Salzburg before giving the man a warning.


    "I shall remember your attempt to do me harm on this day. When I finally liberate yournds from the Bavarians, I will make sure it is your brother and not you who is named Count of Salzburg. If youe at me again, you will find yourself buried six feet under, in an unmarked grave! Do not test me..."


    With that brief exchange, Berengar walked away from the man whoy in the fetal position while clutching his broken wrist. Berengar thought nothing of his cruelty; after all, a man like Wolfgang was neither clever nor powerful enough to pose any harm to him. If anything, he had been lenient with his response to the man''s violent actions. A broken wrist was by no means a severe injury and would heal itself in time.


    While Berengar exited the scene with confidence, the Castle guards quickly responded to the sounds of Wolfgang''s wailing and dragged him off to the Court Physician. Meanwhile, Berengar continued on his journey to locate Ad, and when he finally found the girl, he noticed she was wearing a white and golden gown while ying the harp.


    Dressed in such extravagant attire, with a serene expression affixed on her face as she closed her eyes and strung the chord of the harp, almost made Berengar believe that she was, in fact, an angel, not a human. Nevertheless, he knew such a thing could not be the case and nearly stood by and waited for the young teenage girl to finish her rendition of the song that she was currently ying.


    Ad was utterly unaware that Berengar had arrived and was leaning on a pir listening to the sound of her music, and as such continued for a while before halting, where she released a short sigh of breath before opening her eyes and seeing her fiance gazing at her with a smile filled with admiration, and respect.


    The young petite beauty with golden hair and gemstone-like sapphire eyes quickly began to flush in embarrassment as she realized her fiance had been listening to her the entire time; however, what came next shocked her. As Berengar slowly started to p before escting into full apuse. The words that followed continued to add to her embarrassment.


    "I must confess I am rather embarrassed as your fiance. To think that you had such talent in the art of music, and I was unaware for all this time. I must say I doubt even an angel in heaven could perform in such a manner!"


    Ad could barely look at Berengar while in such a flustered state; her cheeks were as red as roses as she heard his praise. It had been so long since she hadst seen Berengar before he arrived in Graz that she was greatly concerned about him, now seeing him with an eyepatch, she realized that he had suffered in her absence while she stayed locked up in the Castel of Graz like some form of fairy tale princess.


    Thus Ad rose from her seat before slowly approaching Berengar; when she arrived before him, she reached up and wrapped her palms around his face while staring into his one good eye with a worried expression on her face.


    "You have suffered dearly during my absence, haven''t you?"


    Berengar wanted to bluff his way through her statement, but in truth, life had be rather difficult since he lost the use of his right eye. As the young girl gazed at him with empathy andpassion, he finally lost control of his tough facade and smiled bitterly as a gloomy expression took hold of his scarred yet, handsome visage, doing so, he nodded, which confirmed to Ad her suspicions.


    Thus she hugged onto Berengar tightly in an attempt to cheer him up before gazing up at him with an adorable yet inquisitive gaze.


    "Can I see it?"


    Berengar instantly knew what she was referring to, and as such, he quickly released her grip before cing his hands on his eyepatch and slowly lifting it off of his head. Though his right eye was closed, it eventually opened, revealing an intact but scarred eye. The ugly gash that had initially been there during the early days of the injury was reced with a verticle scar that connected the gap between the scarred portions above and below his eye.


    Ad had held her breath throughout the slow reveal, but now that she was looking at Berengar''s injury, she realized it was not as hideous as she had thought it would be; as such, she released her breath before attempting to cheer Berengar up byplimenting the look.


    "It is not ugly like I expected it to be; I think it gives your charming appearance the character of a battle-hardened veteran!"


    Berengar chuckled bitterly in response to her words before revealing his innermost thoughts.


    "It is not the appearance that bothers me; it is how difficult it has be to function normally. I still can''t ride to the forefront of the battlefield like I used to. Instead, I must allow mymanders to lead my troops into battle while I sit back from afar like a coward. Tell me, Ad, how can I be a great man who inspires men to follow him into battle if I am incapable of doing such a thing?"


    Ad finally understood what had been eating at her fiance this entire time; Berengar was the type of man to lead by example. At the moment, war was raging at his borders, but instead of leading the charge, he was sitting back in Kufstein eating luxurious food while drinking the best beer and wine.


    Despite this, his forces had to endure the onught of an enemy determined to bring down his realm. To Berengar, there was nothing worse in this era, where battles were primarily fought in close proximity than hiding far from the warzone allowing your troops to fight in your stead. To him, it was the act of a coward, and as such, he had felt that he was cowardly in his actions.


    After overhearing Berengar''s concerns about his current position, Ad put on a bright smile as she informed Berengar of what she genuinely thought about him.


    "What makes you great is not only tied to your victories on the battlefield or how you lead your men into the fray. Rather it is inrge part due to the expense you have gone to ensure that your people benefit from your conquests and the wealth you gain."


    Ad took a brief pause topile her thoughts and then continued her rant about Berengar and how she and many of his supporters viewed him.


    "What you have done to Kufstein, what you are doing to Tyrol, and potentially one day even all of Austria is something no other man in this era can achieve.? So you have suffered a minor setback, did you not tell me that Alexander suffered multiple mortal wounds, and yet he always recovered to lead his troops into further glory?"


    Eventually, she finished her speech with words of encouragement to Berengar, ones that he would forever remember inside the depths of his heart.


    "You will recover from this, and when you do, all of your enemies shall remember the bravery and fortitude that you use to rally your troops to victory!"


    Having heard Ad speak of him in such an honorable light, Berengar instantly felt like the weight that had been secretly hanging from his heart had finally released its hold over him. As such, he thanked Ad by hugging her tight into his embrace and kissing her on the forehead beforeplimenting her.


    "You are the perfect wife, did you know that??"


    This response immediately caused Ad to blush as she quickly nced around to see if anyone was watching the romantic disy; after realizing that nobody else was nearby, she finally rxed and enjoyed the moment.

 Chapter 184: I shot myself in the foot there, didnt I?

    <h4>Chapter 184: I shot myself in the foot there, didn''t I?</h4>


    Unfortunately, the romantic moment between Ad and Berengar did notst long. Soon after it began, Ava came rushing into the room; she was practically steaming from the fury within her heart. If looks could kill then, Berengar would be a dead man.


    Seeing the deadly re in her eyes, Berengar immediately began to smirk in the same condescending manner he had done to Wolfgang shortly before breaking his wrist. The young woman quickly ran up to Berengar and ced her finger in his chest before scolding him like a child who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.


    "You! What did you do!?! Why did you break my husband''s wrist!?!"


    Berengar merelyughed at Ava while Ad gazed in confusion at the two; after taking his time to enjoy the moment, Berengar finally responded to Ava with a question of his own.


    "What exactly did you tell your husband that would make him so enraged to the point where he deliberately searched for me so that he could assault me?"


    Ava quickly realized what had transpired. She exaggerated the events from earlier in the morning to her husband, going so far as to use Berengar of picking the lock to her bath so that he could peep on her. Afterward, Wolfgang was thoroughly outraged by Berengar''s alleged behavior and sought vengeance on behalf of his wife, which resulted in the current situation. However, before Ava could spin this event further in her favor, Berengar broke the silence and added a statement to his question.


    "Next time, you should pick a better attack dog; your husband is a worthless fool."


    Berengar grabbed ahold of Ad''s hand and began to lead her into the corridor when Ava shouted out from a distance.


    "You think you can peep on me in the bath, and there won''t be consequences? I wonder what your fiancee thinks of your actions!"


    Ad was quite startled by these usations and looked at Berengar with cautious eyes; though she wanted to believe he would not do such a thing, he had cheated on her with Linde in the past. She knew that her sister was an attractive young woman and could easily catch Berengar''s glimpse.


    Seeing Ad staring at him in such a manner, Berengar''s ire was thoroughly provoked by Ava; rather than tolerate her words, and try to exin his actions civilly, he walked up to the woman and backhanded her across the face before responding to her usations.


    "Harlot! First, you try to seduce me, then when I reject your offer, you sick your hound on me! Now you nder my reputation! Because you are my cousin, I will be lenient, but this is your final warning,e at me again, and I will make sure that you and your husband share the same unmarked grave, now get out of my sight!"


    Ava was furious, not only at Berengar but also at Ad, who stared at her with a look of pity; after hearing Berengar''s words, Ad was smart enough to piece together what happened; after all, she knew enough about both Berengar''s and Ava''s character to urately guess what had transpired to cause all of this drama. She would not be surprised if her sister Ava had purposely left her bath unlocked so that Berengar might stumble into it.


    Ava was rubbing her cheek, which was now red from the strike she had received from Berengar, she had never been treated in such a manner before, and as such, she did not know how to react. On the one hand, she wanted to skin Berengar alive. However, the more rational part of her brain told her that was simply impossible; her husband was neither clever enough nor powerful enough to harm the young Count of Tyrol.


    Thus her actions revolved around fleeing the scene with tears in her eyes andining to her father. However, Ava was utterly unaware that her father was already mindful of her attempts to cook up drama needlessly, and as such, was already intending to give her a thorough scolding.


    After Ava fled the scene, Ad began to pout at Berengar, and when he turned around to look at her, he noticed he was not entirely off the hook yet. Before he could protest his innocence, Ad caught him off guard with a question.


    "Peeping on my sister while she is in the bath, huh?"


    Berengar instantly felt awkward from the usation and attempted to defend himself.


    "In my defense, she left the door unlocked; I merely entered the bath after realizing it was unlocked; how was I supposed to know she was bathing inside."


    On the other hand, Ad was more curious about how much he had seen and thus inquired about it.


    "How much did you see...


    Berengar decided the best course of action was to tell a half-truth. Obviously, he could not allow the girl to know that he found her sister attractive, but if sheter found out that he lied to her about seeing her half-naked, she would surely be outraged.


    "Only her bare chest... However, it was not nearly as magnificent as Linde''s, and as such, I was not tempted by it!"


    Ad reacted in a way that Berengar had not expected; the young girl was trembling with anger when she realized that Berengar''s first instinct was topare her sister''s chest with Linde''s. Not only that, but he had the nerve to brag about Linde''s chest being superior. Did that not mean that when Ad herself finally grew into her full figure that she too would not be as good as Linde?


    Thus Ad instantly shouted at her fiance before storming off to her quarters.


    "Berengar! You big dummy!"


    It took Berengar a few moments to realize his mistake before he caught onto exactly what had angered the little girl. After it finally registered in his brain, he ced his palm on his forehead and sighed heavily as he spoke to himself alone in the room which contained the harp.


    "I shot myself in the foot there, didn''t I?"


    ...


    While Ad was off pouting alone in her room, Avained to her father about Berengar''s alleged misdeeds.


    "Daddy, he peeped on me in the bath, and when my husband confronted him, the scoundrel had the nerve to break his wrist! Do something about this!"


    Ultimately Ava felt like she could get what she wanted by exploiting the drama she had created, and that was to break Berengar''s and Ad''s betrothal. After all, she was incredibly jealous that her youngest sister was engaged to Berengar, considering he was so much more aplished than her husband. It filled her with fury to know that Ad had snagged a better man than her.


    However, Otto was not an idiot, he knew his children''s personalities, and Ava was among the worst he had raised, a spoiled brat of low cunning who needlessly caused drama to entertain herself. Thus he stared at her with a stoic expression as he voiced his discontent.


    "Cut the crap Ava, do you honestly expect me to believe Berengar is the one at fault here? Since you have returned to this Castle with that idiot husband of yours and your three children, you have done nothing but stir up trouble with Ad. I have permitted your childish tirades long enough; for Christ''s sake, you are a Countess and a mother; think of your position before you go around trying to seduce your sister''s fiance!"


    Ava was stunned. Berengar had gotten to her father first and had told his side of the story, which was essentially the truth of the matter. She began to pout at her father and plead with him.


    "Daddy, please! "


    However, the Count shook his head before reprimanding his daughter once more.


    "Do you have any idea who you decided to provoke? Berengar is a vicious and cruel man to those who seek to do him harm. Do you have the slightest clue about what happened to Lambert after the boy crossed him?"


    Ava quickly crossed her arms and said in an undeserved smug voice


    "He initially sent the boy to the Teutonic Order, where he returned with an army and was killed in battle!"


    Otto stood up from his seat and crowded his daughter in the act of intimidation before telling her the truth of the matter.


    "That is the official story; however, what you probably have not heard is that after Berengar personally killed his little brother in the heat of battle, he had Lambert''s skull removed and turned into a golden chalice which he uses to drink from every day!"


    A look of horror spread across Ava''s face as she heard the message; the German people had not engaged in such barbarism since the Dark Ages. Yet, Berengar had resurrected such a savage tradition and with his brother as the victim. Only now did the young woman begin toprehend the monster whose tail she had stepped on.


    Seeing her daughter suddenly realizing his intent, Otto continued on his efforts to frighten her out of messing with Berengar in the future.


    "Tell me, Ava, if the man is willing to engage in such savage cruelty to his brother, what do you think he will do to his cousin and her idiot of a husband? That man will one day be the Duke of Austria, is riling up your little sister worth making such a monumental enemy?"


    Ava was instantly reminded of Berengar''s parting threat and felt a shiver down her spine, forcing her to sit down in the chair next to her as she thoroughly contemted her actions. It was only then she realized the end of her father''s sentence.


    "What do you mean he will be the Duke?"


    Count Otto merely shook his head and informed his daughter slightly of the ongoing political battle in Austria.


    "Duke Wilmar is dead, and so are his living heirs. Vienna has fallen, Berengar has already made a ploy to im the title of Duke after he drives the Bavarians from ournds, and make no mistake, he has the power to do so! You should apologize to Berengar and your sister before an irreconcble grudge is formed."


    Realizing the grave mistake she had made, Ava quickly became covered in a cold sweat and silently made a vow in her heart that even if she had to sell her body to Berengar to repair their rtionship, she would resolve this conflict no matter what the cost.


    Of course, Berengar had no ns for such a thing; now that he had two loyal women by his side, he did not need a third. He had always said two women was the perfect number for a man to have. The only way he would entertain the idea for a third was if it meant forming a critical alliance with a powerful Nation. Instead, it would take some time for him to find a way to exploit Ava and her husband''s apology in a way that benefitted his interests.

 Chapter 185: Sweet Dreams!

    <h4>Chapter 185: Sweet Dreams!</h4>


    After the drama that unfolded during his stay at Graz, Berengar found himself in an awkward position; Ad was not speaking to him at the moment due to severalplicated reasons that Berengar was too dull in social matters to properlyprehend.


    As Berengar was thinking over this problem he had no way out of, he heard a knock on his door. As such, he cautiously opened the door and peered out from the crack in it. In the doorway was Ad, who was still dressed in her white and gold attire from earlier.


    She had a pouting look on her face, though it no longer contained the fury of a woman scorned, and as such, Berengar rxed his guard a little while opening the door slowly. As soon as the door opened most slightly, Ad pushed her way into the room and sat down on the bed with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out.? After a long and awkward silence, Berengar was the first to broach the subject; he decided to bite the bullet and apologize.


    "I am sorry if I offended you; I should not have mentioned Linde''s figure when defending my actions..."


    Berengar stared at Ad for a few moments with a puppy dog look in his eyes before the young girl finally spoke.


    "Do you honestly think I am mad about the fact that you mentioned Linde''s near-perfect body?"


    Berengar looked at Ad with confusion; he had no idea why she was upset if it was not because he mentioned her rival. However, those were not the words that came out of his mouth. Instead, he merely questioned her phrasing.


    "Near perfect?"


    This immediately caused Ad to pout again, and she quickly scolded Berengar.


    "Don''t push it!"


    Seeing her mood quickly sour, Berengar decided it would be best to shut his trap and thus took his scolding from his future wife as a man. Ad, of course, was more than happy to do so; as such, she started her lecture by asking Berengar a simple question that he did not expect.


    "Berengar, you don''t have the slightest clue why I am angry, do you?"


    Berengar shook his head; at this point, it was better, to be honest with his fiancee and so he acted ordingly. Seeing his reaction, Ad sighed before loosening her posture and copsing on the bed, where she sprawled out on it before expressing her long andplex thought process.


    "At first I was angry because you said you werepletely untempted by Ava''s body because Linde''s body was better, I had time to think about why that was, and I eventually concluded that I was worried about the future; when I finally grow into my full figure, which is most likely going to turn out like the rest of the women in our family, that you would not be interested in me in the slightest, because you have Linde..."


    Berengar listened to Ad''sints closely and realized that this was a concern that he never even considered to be a possibility; however, before he could address her worries, she sat up from the bed and crossed her legs while resting her cut doll-like face on her hand where she proceeded to re menacingly at Berengar. Immediately her tone shifted from understanding to wrathful, which caused the hair on Berengar''s neck to spike up.


    "Then I realized that such a thing was simply impossible. Though Linde''s body is perfectly proportioned, so are many of the women in our family! Ava used to have an even better body than she has now before she had her three kids, so clearly, it was not that you found her unattractive, as I know you like a full-figured woman! When I realized that, I knew that you lied to me because you were afraid to tell me the truth, that my sister''s body aroused you! I''m right, aren''t I?"


    A thirteen-year-old girl was lecturing Berengar about finding her elder sister attractive; Ad of course was right on the money; Berengar lied to her to defend his actions. As such, he was sitting on his knees with his head bent like a small child being lectured by his mother for starting a fire in the living room. After Berengar''s silence filled the room, Ad snapped at him.


    "Well, aren''t I?"


    Berengar quickly nodded his head in affirmation without saying a word, which Ad found to be unbefitting of the infamous Tyrant of Steel, so much so that sheughed before making fun of him.


    "Why are you so afraid? It is not like I''m going to have you beheaded..."


    Berengar, of course, took a few moments to collect his thoughts before he let out a defeated sigh.


    "After screwing up with Linde, I feel like I have been walking on thin ice around you as if I am one more mistake away from you leaving me, and I am terrified of such a thing. So I lied about finding your sister attractive because I felt if you found out the truth, you would think I am a lecherous fool and abandon me."


    After hearing Berengar tell her the truth about how he felt, which is all she ever longed for, tears began to form in Ad''s eyes. She had no idea that he felt like he was walking on eggshells the entire time he was around her, and such words pulled on her heartstrings.


    Ad got down from the bed and kneeled next to Berengar, which alerted him; however, in the next moment, before he could react. The teenage girl grabbed ahold of his head and stuffed it in herp. After doing so, she looked away from Berengar, trying not to show off how embarrassed she was. Where she muttered in a low voice that was just loud enough for Berengar to hear correctly.


    "Dummy! I would never leave you!"


    Berengar fought to prevent a smile from appearing on his face, but it was a losing battle. As an avid fan of anime and manga in his previous life, he had always desired the fabledp pillow, but even after living two lives, he had yet to have such a thing ur to him until now.


    While Berengar rested his head in Ad''sp, she began to stroke his silky golden hair,pletely undeterred by the grease that coated her fingers as she did so. The two sat like that for some time, to the point where Berengar nearly fell asleep.


    Unfortunately, the endearing scene came to an end when another knock appeared on the door. The familiar voice behind the door belonged to Ava, who hade to make amends with Berengar.


    "Berengar, are you in there? I havee to apologize for my actions..."


    Both Berengar and Ad were scowling the moment they realized who the knock belonged to, this little vixen had caused so much trouble between the two of them in such a short time, and here she was ruining their reunion.


    However, Berengar decided to get up from his rxed position and head for the door where he opened it, much to the chagrin of Ad, who pouted where she was kneeling. After opening the door, he was scowling at Ava which immediately frightened her, especially after the conversation she had with her father.


    However, Ava swallowed her pride and immediately bowed her head in reverence before apologizing.


    "I am truly sorry for what I did; I hope that you can forgive my husband and me for our actions!"


    Berengar merely scoffed at her reaction; she picked a horrible time to apologize, all she managed to do was torment him further by interrupting his heavenlyp pillow! At this moment, Ava noticed Ad was in his room, and she recognized that she might have been interrupting something important. Especially when she considered the way the two looked at her.


    However, she was already here and had spoiled the mood, so she might as well get this over with; as such, Berengar looked at her indifferently before sighing heavily.


    "Whatever, we are family, so I will let it slide just this once, but you and your husband owe me for being so benevolent!"


    Hearing Berengar''smand instantly sent shivers down Ava''s spine as she recollected herself before nodding in agreement to Berengar.


    "Sure, whatever we can do to help, we will dly repay this favor!"


    After agreeing, Berengar shooed the woman away; he no longer wanted to be around her.


    "If that is all, leave us!"


    Seeing that Ad was giving her a deathly re, and Berengar was no different, Ava quickly bowed before running off into the distance. After doing so, Berengar shut the door and returned to Ad, where he had a smile on his face, before asking Ad the question on his mind.


    "Now... where were we?"


    Upon witnessing the grin on Berengar''s face, Ad''s cheeks flushed in embarrassment before she muttered.


    "Just this once!"


    Seeing that the girl had epted, Berengar immediately hopped back into thep pillow, where he quickly fell asleep. After dozing off, Ad merely stared down at his sleeping face lovingly before kissing him on the forehead.


    "Sweet dreams!"

 Chapter 186: An Important Announcement During a Lovely Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 186: An Important Announcement During a Lovely Dinner</h4>


    Several hours had passed, and Berengar awoke to the soft sensation of the silk dress that covered Ad''s thighs, even she had fallen asleep during this time as he rested in herp pillow. However, it was merely a power nap and not an actual night''s rest; as such, Berengar continued to enjoy himself until the moment his fiancee awoke from her slumber.


    After a few moments, Ad quietly opened her eyes, where Berengar pretended to be still asleep, realizing that it was nearing time for dinner; Ad began to pet her future husband''s golden hair with a smile on her face.


    "Wake up, sleepyhead! It is almost time for dinner."


    Being already awake, Berengar was smiling at the loving gesture of Ad before he pretended to wake up slowly. He honestly wished he could enjoy this moment a little longer. However, all good things muste to an end. Thus Berengar rose from thep pillow and rubbed his eyes.


    "How long was I out for?"


    Ad, who was also asleep, shook her head as she revealed what she knew.


    "I don''t know, I also fell asleep, but it must have been a few hours; look at the sun; it has already begun to set!"


    Berengar and Ad immediately shifted their view towards the window, which revealed a beautiful sky filled with fluffy clouds; it appeared to be the perfect blend of orange and blue. The sight of which instantly spurred feelings of romance in every couple who stared at its brilliance together, Berengar and Ad were no exception.


    However, they could not enjoy its beauty for long, shortly after, they heard a knock at the door, followed by one of the servants announcing that the time for dinner had arrived.


    "Berengar, it is dinner time; Count Otto has requested your presence."


    Hearing such news, Berengar got up from his position on the ground and offered a helping hand to Ad. The adolescent girl quicklytched onto it, where Berengar dragged the girl from her knees and into his arms before petting her on the head.


    "I suppose it is time to eat."


    Ad stuffed her head into Berengar''s chest before muttering in a low voice.


    "yeah..."


    Afterward, Berengar opened the door, and the servant was already gone; as such, he and Ad inched towards the dining hall while holding hands. When they finally arrived, they realized that they were thest to do so, and as such, quickly sat down in their seats so that the meal no longer waited upon them.


    After being brought the dishes for the night, the group said the Lord''s prayer before dining into their meals. Otto was aware of the trouble that Ava had caused, but he was not yet aware that she had adequately apologized. As for Wolfgang, he red menacingly at Berengar, and yet Berengar paid no heed to his malicious gaze.


    Ava was quite worried; even though Berengar had imed he epted her apology, she had no idea what kind of favor he may ask of her in the future; because of her fear of the unknown, she seldom looked toward''s Berengar and Ad''s direction.


    As for Berengar and Ad, they were smiling happily, like a loving couple on their honeymoon. They had squashed their rtionship problems before they turned into something serious, and as such, were in exceptionally high spirits on this fine evening.


    The Countess noticed Ad''s good mood and quicklymented on it, with a charming smile on her face.


    "You two seem to be unusually happy this evening. Did something happen between you two?"


    Count Otto was also quite curious; as far as he was aware earlier in the day, Ava had seemed to cause a severe rift between the young couple, but now they were chatting and giggling like a couple of teenage brats who were in love for the first time in their lives.? Well, he supposed for Ad that was most certainly the case, Berengar on the other hand, not so much.


    Most curious of all was the eldest son and heir of Count Otto, Gerhart, who had since Berengar''s arrival gone out of his way to avoid the man. After all, he had caused quite the controversy when he tried to break Berengar and Ad''s betrothal, so much so that he was no longer on speaking terms with his youngest sister.


    Ultimately Ad was the one who spoke up about her current state of affection for her future husband.


    "You could say Berengar and I havee to an understanding..."


    The teenage girl knew how to leave things cryptic; it was a great way to infuriate Gerhart and Ava. She was not above causing some trouble of her own, which caused Count Otto to frown. He knew Ad was now striking back at her siblings. However, he did not me her for doing so; after all, she had previously been put in a difficult position by the two of them.


    Gerhart scowled when he heard this; he still did not approve of his lecherous, and cruel cousin grooming his lovely little sister. However, it was not his decision to make, and his father had already made that abundantly clear.


    As for Ad''s other brother, Heimerich, he was smiling at the whole affair. He greatly admired Berengar''s aplishments and supported creating a longsting rtionship with his cousin, especially since he knew of Berengar''s reforms, and was hoping that when the young man became Duke, he would allow noble houses to implement such sessionws if they so wished, which would enable him to contend for the session of his father, with his foolish brother Gerhart. Thus Heimerich was the first toment on Ad''s statement.


    "Whatever it is, I am d to see you two getting along so well. I wish the two of you great happiness in your future!"


    Gerhart and Ava snarled at this response, but Count Otto and his wife Wanda were pleased by Heimmerich''sments. The boy looked more and more like sessor material; it was just a shame that he was the second son instead of the first. Heimerich was not as cruel as Lambert and would never make an attempt on his brother''s life, but he would undoubtedly do his best to usurp his position in any other way.


    Berengar was smiling as he dug into his meal, with a smile on his charming face. He was incredibly pleased that he could enjoy such a level of cooking, even across the Duchy. His cultural changes were beginning to affect more than just Tyrol. After washing it down with some light beer, he decided to make an announcement. As such, he gathered everyone''s attention by nging his spoon on his chalice.


    After everyone gazed over at him, Berengar smiled gracefully before letting everyone know his decision.


    "I have decided to announce it here, but I will be departing tomorrow morning, back to Tyrol. Though I am incredibly thankful for the hospitality you have shown me and the time that I have spent with you all. I have many important matters to attend to, and unfortunately, I can''t dwell here any longer. I just wanted to thank you all for allowing me to stay here these past few days!"


    When Ad heard this, she began to pout; after all, she and Berengar had just settled their differences and were starting to spend time together. However, she understood Berengar had many matters to oversee, and as such, she could not monopolize him.


    As for Count Otto, he was aware of the ns Berengar had in ce; in a few days, Conrad would be arriving in Kufstein, and Berengar needed to be there to greet the boy and cement his power. After Berengar made an announcement, Otto made one of his own.


    "I will also be traveling with Berengar to Kufstein; there is a matter of great importance that he and I must attend to. Ad, if you would like toe with us, you may. As for who is in charge during my absence, I will pass that responsibility to Gerhart. Do not disappoint me likest time!"


    The expressions around the table varied greatly. Ad was pleased, as she not only got to spend more time with Berengar, but she could finally see his baby boy with her own eyes. Despite herself not being the mother, she felt a great desire to see what his offspring would look like and to get close to him early on.


    As for Gerhart, he was exceptionally thrilled that he was being given another chance; he had thoroughly screwed up hisst stint as Regent, so much that his position was stripped and given to Heimerich during the remaining duration.


    Heimerich on the other hand was scowling; he was confident that he would be left inmand the next time his father departed for an extended period. Yet, the position was given to his elder brother once more. He supposed he would be the one tasked with leading the armies, which was fair; after all, he was far more capable in that regard than Gerhart.


    Ava and her husband were d that Berengar would be departing; his presence was a constant reminder of his Tyranny and the ever-increasing fear they felt for their actions. Ava had informed Wolfgang not to annoy further Berengar and the reasons for doing so. He may be dull, but he was also a coward and knew when to fear the mighty.


    Ultimately Berengar smiled at this result; not only would he be able to spend more time with Ad, but Otto was personally visiting Kufstein to greet Conrad and form the resistance against the Bavarian upation of Austria. Three Counts would meet in Kufstein where they would convince Conrad to dere Berengar as Regent, then he would possess all the authority of a Duke.


    First, he would drive the Bavarians from Austria; then, he would implement his reforms across the entire Duchy while building a great navy! After all, with all of Austria under hismand, he would finally have ess to the Adriatic Sea, and by extension the Mediterranean. Once this goal was achieved Berengar could finally send expeditions to the new world! Soon enough, his life''s goal of gaining potatoes would be a reality!

 Chapter 187: Returning to Kufstein

    <h4>Chapter 187: Returning to Kufstein</h4>


    The evening came and went, and Berengar ultimately returned to the room provided for him where he retired for the night. After sleeping well, he awoke early in the morning and began making preparations for the journey to Kufstein.


    It was not long before he was standing outside the Castle in its courtyard, waiting for Ad and Otto to arrive. Eventually, Ad and Otto presented themselves, where they greeted Berengar. They had already said their farewells to their family, as it would be a while before they returned. Otto was the first to voice his concerns over the journey.


    "Berengar, are you certain that we will be safe traveling through Salzburg and into Kufstein?"


    Hearing Otto voice his worries, Berengar nearly chuckled; he had with him a sufficient amount of Cuirassiers and Mounted Infantry who he had explicitly raised to guard his caravan. He had been spending an enormous expensetely purchasing as many warhorses as possible from various parts of Europe.


    While His cavalry was made up of primarily Cuirassiers and Lancers, he still made efforts to raise Mounted Infantry for rapid excursions or protecting him during his travels. Thus at present, his forces were sufficient to pierce through the County of Salzburg with little effort.


    As such, Berengar informed Count Otto of his certainty.


    "Do not worry, uncle, my Cuirassiers and Mounted infantry are more than enough to defeat any force that is foolish enough to attack us on our route to Kufstein. We will be perfectly safe."


    Hearing Berengar''s confidence on the issue greatly dissuaded his concerns, and such he nodded his head in agreement.


    "I hope you are right..."


    With that said, Count Otto was the first to step into the Carriage that Berengar had provided. After her father had done so, Ad approached Berengar and wrapped her arms around his neck before pecking him on the cheek.


    It had been so long since she had been in Kufstein, and she was filled with anticipation, she had dreamed of revisiting, ever since she read the letters of Berengar''s construction efforts. After kissing Berengar on the cheek, the teenage girl blushed before grabbing onto his hand.


    "Shall we go?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded before dragging his future wife into the carriage, where he then gave the order to depart. Thus the caravan of armed guards and Berengar''s host were effectively on the march as they began to leave the City of Graz. At an average speed of fifteen miles per hour, it would take the caravan roughly fourteen hours to reach their destination. During this time, Ad and Berengar flirted for the most part, which made Count Otto deeply ufortable.


    ...


    After a little over fourteen hours had passed, Berengar and his caravan arrived at the borders of the city of Kufstein. Their journey was uneventful, as the Bavarians upying Salzburg had already learned their lesson from thest time they targeted Berengar''s caravan and thus kept their distance in fear of once more sustaining massive casualties.


    Seeing the great walls of the city of Kufstein in the distance, Ad peeked her head out the window with awe. Such marvelous structures did not exist during herst visit to the region. She had read in great detail about Berengar''s infrastructure projects from his letters. Still, upon witnessing them with her own eyes, she felt as if even the legendary Theodosian walls of Constantinople could notpare.


    Even Count Otto stared with amazement at the grand structures; he was specifically drawn to the grey bricks used in their construction and inquired about theirposition.


    "Berengar, just what exactly are these walls made out of?"


    Berengar had an arrogant smile on his face as he described the materials the walls were constructed with while exuding an overwhelming aura of pride.


    "Well, for starters, we take cinder blocks, which are semi-hollow bricks made out of concrete. From there, we fill the gaps with structural steel reinforcing bars or rebar for short. Then after the cinder blocks are properly reinforced, we pour more cement inside the gaps to seal them shut, and secure the rebar within. The steel-reinforced bricks are then stacked together until the proper thickness of the walls is achieved. This is just a summary of how we build such structures. In reality, it is far moreplex. However, as you can see, the walls are shorter and far thicker than ordinary castle walls. This is to maintain structural integrity if my enemies were to bring cannon fire onto my city. Something that traditional walls have proven to be weak against during my campaigns."


    Count Otto was trying to register everything that Berengar had said while gazing in awe at the fortifications surrounding Kufstein''s city. He quickly realized anyone who decided tounch an attack on such a well-defended city was merely asking for their death.


    Soon enough, the caravan entered the city gates, which opened upon seeing the banners of House von Kufstein flying above the approaching caravan. With it, Berengar and his guests entered into a city the likes they had never seen before.


    While the outer areas closest to the walls were currently unupied, the closer they approached the center, the more they saw magnificent tenements and houses constructed in the half-timber style. There was no sign of filth in the streets as each building had its internal plumbing, which flowed to a sewage treatment nt outside of the city, then pumped into the nearby river Inn.


    However, what captured Ad''s sight were the massive projects that were either undergoing construction or alreadypleted. Such as the Grand Cathedral, the Grand Pce, and the parliamentary buildings. These buildings were all made in a unique architectural style that had yet to enter this world. They were beautifulpared to the other structures of the era and easily caught Ad''s interest.


    It had been over half a year since she wasst in Kufstein, and yet it had changed so much. It was genuinely unfathomable how quickly Berengar had built his city. Still, he relied on arge workforce and the advanced technologies of structural steel and concrete to build the city so rapidly.


    Even the gorgeous half-timbered tenements and homes were built using concrete instead of more traditional materials, especially for their foundations. Of course, the concrete was covered in sto to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Thus the buildings hardly looked any different from the more traditional buildings built in such a style across Germany.


    It was only after entering the city square where Ad saw the monument dedicated to Berengar overlooking the city from the hill above it. She could not help but gasp as she saw the massive bronze statue of her fiance on horseback, fully dressed in armor and raising his sword in the air. Berengar saw the adorable expression on her face and immediately asked her the question on his mind.


    "Magnificient, isn''t it?"


    Ad was so shocked at the level of craftsmanship that she had no words and merely nodded with her mouth agape. Seeing Ad''s reaction, he was more than happy with the expense he had paid for such a thing.


    On the other hand, Count Otto was deeply envious of the city Berengar had created; it appeared to be a fitting ce for the Capital of an Empire, he had no words, for how much he desired Graz to be rebuilt in such a fashion. In the end, he could only sigh in defeat; Berengar''s wealth and knowledge were too much for an older man like him topete with.


    After traversing through the city, they finally crossed the river and ended up in the castle courtyard where Linde and Henrietta were waiting for his arrival. Henrietta was holding Hans in her arms, which Berengar instantly realized the reason when he saw it.


    As such, he stepped out of the carriage intending to inform Linde to behave herself in the presence of Ad and her father, but he was a moment too slow; before he could even get off the steps, Linde had jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately, forcing her tongue through his lips, while hanging her arms his neck. She used her natural assets to press into Berengar''s chest and tried to suck the air out of his lungs.


    Only when Ad and Count Otto followed Berengar out of the carriage did Linde realize she had made a mistake. The way Ad red at her instantly sent shivers down her spine, and thus she quickly released her hold over Berengar before turning away in embarrassment.


    On the other hand, Otto was observing his daughter''s reaction to Berengar openly disying his affection for another woman; Despite the fact that Ad had said she was okay with it; she had never personally witnessed her fiance be intimate with another woman. Surprisingly she handled it quite well.


    It was only after Linde recovered her senses did she properly greet Berengar.


    "I missed you so much, darling!


    Ad''s brow instantly raised as she heard the pet name that Linde used when referring to Berengar. Of course, if Linde were in private with Berengar, she would use the term "master" when addressing her lover, but shemonly referred to him as dear or darling in public. Hearing the two were so familiar, Ad began to pout.


    Linde noticed this and quickly shifted her attention to Ad, who greeted her in a friendly manner.


    "It has been a long time, little Ad; I look forward to your stay; we have much to talk about."


    Though they had been corresponding with letters to one another, the two had not had a proper discussion on how to divide Berengar''s attention face to face, and thus they would need to negotiate appropriately as such; Ad put on a smile and nodded at Linde''s statement.


    "We sure do..."


    Berengar could tell the situation was tense and, as such tried to lighten the mood.


    "We can talk about these things further when we are inside."


    Before his daughter could break out into a fight with Linde over Berengar''s affection, Count Otto agreed to his nephew''s suggestion and hurried his daughter along. Such a conversation was better to be had behind closed doors.


    "I agree,e, Ad, let us get settled into our lodgings."


    Though Ad did not want to leave Berengar''spany too soon, she realized Linde deserved some alone time with the man, and thus she nodded before following her father into the Castle while the servants brought in their luggage.


    As for Henrietta, she followed Ad inside and began to chat with her; she still held onto the infant Hans, which Ad was more than happy to spend time with. After all, this was Berengar''s son, and as such, she felt some form of connection to the boy, even if he was not her child.


    Seeing that the two were alone, Linde embraced Berengar before tracing her finger around his well-toned chest.


    "Now that we have some time to ourselves, what should we do?"


    Berengar chuckled and petted her head before whispering in her ear


    "I know a few things we can do..."


    With that, the couple fled to the bedroom to get reacquainted while Ad and her father settled into the lodgings that they were provided for their duration in Kufstein. Soon enough, Berengar would be marching to war once more, and he wanted to spend as much time with his two women as possible.

 Chapter 188: Settling In

    <h4>Chapter 188: Settling In</h4>


    After Berengar and Linde were properly reacquainted, they redressed themselves and left their chambers, where they proceeded to greet Ad and Otto. Otto was chatting with Liutbert, who was Berengar''s chancellor and had traveled to Kufstein, the seat of power in Tyrol, to conduct Berengar''s affairs while he was away.


    Ad was hanging out with Henrietta and Hans, ying with the infant child in his room. Seeing Ad look so affectionately at Hans as if he were her own child brought a smile to Linde''s lips. She was frightened over the possibility that Ad would hate her child and try to get rid of him. Yet, instead, she was treating the boy as a member of her own family.


    Berengar watched as Linde walked over to her little boy and picked him up, and clutched the boy to her mighty bosom. Seeing his two women and his little sister get along so well pleased Berengar; it was an endearing sight to behold. Thus Berengar merely watched the show for some time.


    After a while, Hans was put to bed, and Berengar brought the girls away from the room so that he could adequately sleep. Ad had a giant smile on her face as she conversed with Linde about her child.


    "Hans is so cute! He has Berengar''s eyes and your hair; he is so perfect!"


    Linde smiled at Ad''spliment and hugged Ad tightly as if they were sisters.


    "I bet when you and Berengar have your own son, he will turn out just like his father!"


    Berengar did not want to ruin the moment, but seeing Ad''s cheeks flushed with embarrassment from thepliment while nearly suffocating in Linde''s mighty cleavage was too funny of a scene. He struggled to prevent himself fromughing at the way the two girls were behaving. Nevertheless, through superior willpower, he maintained hisposure and merely smiled endearingly at them.


    At this moment, Linde noticed something peculiar and grabbed ahold of Ad''s chest to confirm her suspicion, which caused the girl''s face to flush to a new degree as she broke away from Linde''s grasp and covered her growing bust with her arms. Linde had a wicked grin on her face as she openly proimed her findings.


    "Ad, you have grown! We should take a bath together andpare sizes!"


    Feeling embarrassed by such a discovery, Ad wanted to hide in a corner; however, with Berengar watching, she refused to back down and thus surprisingly made a bold statement of her own as she proudly disyed her chest to Linde.


    "You just watch; one day, I will be bigger than you!"


    Lindeughed lightly at the young girls'' challenge and approached her closely before whispering in her ear.


    "Maybe, but that will take years, and until you grow up, Berengar is all mine!"


    Ad immediately began to pout as she heard Linde''s words; she knew exactly what Linde meant and was greatly envious of her. However, she was underaged, and there was nothing she could do about that; all she could do was sulk in defeat.


    Berengar had seen enough and awkwardly coughed before dering his next move.


    "You all enjoy yourselves; I''m going to go find Count Otto and see what he is up to."


    With that, he quickly fled before the girls could keep him; if he had to witness their rowdy actions any longer, he might very well lose his mind. Thus Berengar wandered through the Castle until he found Liutbert and Otto in the dining hall sampling the beer Berengar''s breweries had produced.


    Berengar quickly sat down at the head of the table and ordered one of the nearby servants.


    "Fetch me my chalice and a gon of doppelbock beer!"


    The servant did not dare disobey the mighty Count of Tyrol and quickly nodded before going off to do as instructed. Liutbert and Otto could tell Berengar was flustered and were instantly interested in what had happened; ultimately, otto was the first to ask.


    "So, how are the girls?"


    Berengar sighed deeply before being brutally honest in his reply.


    "They are about to take a bath so that they canpare sizes..."


    Count Otto and Liutbert were already sufficiently intoxicated at this point and gazed at each other before returning their sights to Berengar. Liutbert was the first to speak his mind.


    "Tsk... Lucky bastard!"


    Count Otto, on the other hand, immediately broke out intoughter before expressing his thoughts.


    "That daughter of mine, she acts all high and mighty, but in reality, she is on quite good terms with your lover, isn''t she? It seems that I have nothing to worry about! Don''t worry, Berengar; if she is anything like her sisters, she will grow up to have a body that is equal to that redhairedss of yours!"


    Berengar was quite shocked that Count Otto was speaking in such a way about his daughter; then again, he had never witnessed the man drunk before. Clearly, He could not handle his liquor, and for a beer, the Doppelbock that they were drinking was quite strong, with eight percent alcohol content.


    Eventually, the servant arrived with Berengar''s skull chalice and a gon of his favorite wine, which Berengar unhesitantly poured into his goblet before taking a swig. This was the first time Count Otto and Viscount Liutbert witnessed what Berengar had done to Lambert''s skull and were quite shocked by the results.


    Though the chalice was made from the skull of another human being, it was dipped in gold and encrusted in finely cut ck ga, the shaft of the chalice that one used to grip was perfectly embedded in the bottom of the skull, as if the entire piece was carved out of one solid block of gold. They hardly believed such barbarity could be so sophisticated.


    As Berengar drank from the skull chalice, he noticed the looks he was given, and Count Otto was the first to voice his thoughts aloud.


    "Is that... you know?"


    Berengar nodded his head silently with an indifferent expression on his face. After he did so, Liutbert was the next one to speak.


    "Does your family know?"


    Berengar shook his head in response before gulping down the remainder of the contents in his beer, he quickly poured more into his chalice before responding.


    "As far as they''re aware that little bastard is still alive and fighting the Golden Horde, I have been meaning to fabricate a letter from the Teutonic Order informing them of his glorious death. I would rather spare my family the pain of knowing that cunt came back to Kufstein in an attempt to kill us all..."


    Count Otto nodded his head in approval; if he were in a simr situation, he would probably lie to his family to spare their feelings as well. After all, the revtion of Lambert''s initial actions sent Sieghard into a state of acute depression, so much so that he left Berengar in charge of the realm until the old Viscount finally surrendered his position. He could only imagine the pain his brother-inw would go through, knowing that his son returned with an army for revenge.


    After thinking it through, the older Count decided to change the subject to something less grim and instead asked about the uing ns.


    "So when will Conrad arrive?"


    Berengar pondered about it for a moment before giving a rough estimate he had received.


    "It could be as early as tomorrow, but it could also be at thetest in three days. It honestly depends on how many stops the trade Caravan he is hiding in makes before they arrive in Kufstein."


    Count Otto nodded and looked at the dark beer that filled his goblet before nodding in approval.


    "Good, I would not mind a few more days of drinking such a hearty beer; how did youe up with this?"


    Berengar chuckled; he too was fond of the beer they were currently drinking, and as such, he gave the Count some optimistic news.


    "I can give you the recipe for it, but it can take up to a year before such a beer is ready to drink."


    Count Otto''s eyes instantly shined when he heard the news, and he nearly pounced at Berengar before calming himself down and reseating himself.


    "Name your price!"


    Unexpectedly Berengar merely shook his head in response and gave the man the best news he had heard in weeks.


    "Consider it a gift; just make sure to treat me to some of the finished product the next time I find myself in your territory!"


    Count Otto gave Berengar a thumbs up with a giant smile on his face.


    "Deal!"


    Liutbert, on the other hand, was already in the process of brewing his own batch of the tasty beer. After all, Berengar had already begun to export his cuisine and brewery recipes across the entirety of Tyrol. As such, he did not need the recipe; he merely smiled at Otto; luckily, this man was Berengar''s rtive and could thus acquire some benefits such as this for free.


    Thus Berengar and the other two men spent the remainder of their night drinking and talking about important matters of the realm. Meanwhile, Ad and Linde were currently in the bath, negotiating how best to divide Berengar''s attention. All the while, Conrad inched closed to Kufstein, and when he finally arrived, Berengar would quickly find himself forced into the throes of war once more; after all, peace was never eternal.

 Chapter 189: Bombard

    <h4>Chapter 189: Bombard</h4>


    While Berengar and the others were settling into Kufstein after their long journey, Eckhard was busy acting as themander of the border forces stationed at Kitzb��hel; he had been overseeing the defense of the northeastern borders of Tyrol since he was first deployed to the region. Unlike the Northwest front, which had devolved into a stalemate, where the attackers refused to advance.


    Themander of the Northeast Bavarian Army constantly threw men at the walls of the Star Fortress. However, no matter what they attempted to do, it ultimately met in failure. At the moment, Eckhard was inside one of the buildings constructed inside the fort that acted as an HQ for the officers who manned its garrison.


    Currently, Eckhard was conversing with the officers under hismand about the constant threat outside their border. A well-armored officer dressed in a three-quarter te was the first to speak up about the current situation.


    "If they keep attacking at such a pace, we will eventually run out of munitions. The next resupply from Kufstein is still a week out. Someone needs to inform Berengar that we are running out of munitions and to expedite the delivery!"


    By now, thousands of bodies lie riddled with bullets, and shrapnel outside the fort, rotting in the area strictlybeled by the enemy army as the "kill zone." Anything that entered the area would be battered by musket fire and artillery barrages. It was indeed a nightmare to get past.


    Eckhard nodded his head in agreement as he took a sip from his mug, which was filled with beer. If there was one thing Berengar had made sure while he was recovering from his injury and attending to matters of the state, it was that his troops were well supplied with high-quality rations. It was only after the grizzled veteran had quenched his parched throat with the delectable taste of Oktoberfest beer that he began to speak his piece.


    "We will send a carrier pigeon to Kufstein to ensure that the shipment of our munitions and other supplies will be expedited. As for the situation at the border itself, how are we doing?"


    Another officer, who was roughly the same age as Eckhard and had been a Knight of Kufstein for many years, quickly began his ount of the ongoing efforts to defend the border.


    "A patrol recently caught a unit of men at arms no greater than 250 trying to cross through the mountains and into Kufstein. They were most likely tasked with sabotage. However, they were effectively gunned down by our patrols before they could do any damage. As for the walls themselves, they are holding. The enemy cannot harm our fortress, at least not at the moment!"


    Eckhard nodded in silence. Aside from running low on supplies, there was not much to worry about when it came to the defense of the Northeast border of Tyrol. However, for whatever reason, Eckhard felt a nagging suspicion in the back of his mind that the Bavarians were going to try something drastic. Thus he gave his officers an order before concluding the meeting.


    "Double the nightly watch and the ongoing patrols; I do not want any Bavarians slipping past our border!"


    The officers all saluted Eckhard by pounding their steel breasttes with their fists before answering in the affirmative.


    "Yes, sir!"


    with that, Eckhard turned his back on them and gave one final order for the night.


    "Dismissed!"


    Hearing their orders, the men finally departed from the fort''s HQ and were set upon their tasks. As for Eckhard, he stared at the map in front of him and pondered about the actions that the Bavarians might take. The number of men they threw at his wall was unbelievable; despite setback after setback, they still attacked at regr intervals. They were doing this in an attempt to lower his guard, but he did not know what for.


    Ultimately Eckhard sighed before he decided to give up on predicting the enemy''s n; he would never be able to guess what devious plot the Bavarians were up to; he would do best to adapt when such a scheme reared its ugly head. As such, he left the HQ and entered his quarters, where he climbed into his cot and slept peacefully for the night.


    ...


    Hours had passed, and it was roughly midnight; the new moon in the sky provided excellent cover for the Bavarian''stest plot to break through the mighty star fortress. Since they could not pierce through its defenses during the day, they had been wasting men''s lives over the past few weeks at regr intervals to lower the guard of their opponent.


    Now the time hade for them to unleash the plot that they had long since nned for. Under the cover of darkness, Bavarian soldiers slowly moved the horses into position, keeping the creatures calm to the best of their ability.


    The carts the horses dragged behind them carriedrge, iron tubes, which resembled primitive cannons. However, unlike the 12 and 24 lb artillery that Berengar''s forces used, these massive cannons firedrge stone balls that were bigger than most men''s torsos.


    Slowly but surely, the devices known as Bombards made their way into firing position where they were set up, entirely shrouded by theck of illumination which this particr night provided. During the loading process, one of therge stone balls fell from the cannon''s mouth and crashed on the ground, creating a loud thud.


    One of the soldiers instantly scolded the man who had screwed up the loading procedure in a hushed tone.


    "Fool! You are going to alert the Tyroleans!"


    However, after several seconds, it became apparent that the guards on the walls nearby did not notice themotion. As such, the men sighed before restarting the loading procedure. In total, there were three of these monumental devices. It was all that Duke Dietger could afford; he had not even brought such masterpieces to Vienna. Yet here at the Borders of Tyrol against a small star fortress, the Bavarians were forced to unleash their mightiest weapon.


    Eventually, the Cannons were lit, and after several seconds a loud thunderous noise echoed in the air before the massive stone cannonballs found their way into the fortress walls. The Bavarian army began to cheer outside the walls as they believed such a small bombardment was fully capable of dealing significant damage to the Tyrolean walls.


    However, when the dust settled, all that such a thing managed to aplish was alert the Tyrolean defenders, who rapidly climbed to their positions where they began to load their 24 lb siege cannons and aim them at the bombards. When the Bavarianmander gazed at the wall sections only to realize that they were still mostly intact his jaw dropped.


    The man had no way of knowing that the low and thick walls of a star fortress were explicitly designed to mitigate the destructive power of cannons. Since these walls were made of steel-reinforced concrete bricks, they were far more resilient than anything outside Tyrol.


    Eckhard quickly rushed out of bed and entered the scene, where he saw his men rapidly loading the 24 lb guns mounted on the walls. When he arrived, they quickly stopped what they were doing and saluted the man before waiting for the Field Marshal to speak.


    Eckhard quickly assessed the damage before a wicked grin formed on his face.


    "Show these fools what real artillery bombardment looks like!"


    The Tyrolean defenders quickly responded with a salute and the battle cry they were so well known for.


    "God with us!"


    Afterward, the 24 lb cannons that were mounted in the direction of the bombards were fired, and a dozen of 24 lb explosive shellsnded upon the bombards, destroying the devices and shredding the fools who had marched right into the kill zone.


    However, the battle did not end there, as the cannons were rapidly reloaded and fired once more, this time aimed at the siege camp the Bavarians had foolishly erected within firing range of the mighty artillery that Berengar''s forces possessed.


    Until now, they had been fighting a war of attrition, but Eckhard was fully aware of Berengar''s ongoing ns and had decided to wipe out the army who approached the Northeastern border on this night. He was thoroughly outraged that the fools would bring cannons against him. As such, he wanted to teach the Bavarians a valuable lesson about who the true master of artillery was!


    Thus the Tyrolean defenders retaliated and began to bombard the Enemy encampment throughout the entirety of the night. Blood-curdling screams filled the air, alongside the sounds of explosions detonating upon the enemy position. As the enemymander gazed upon the destruction of his encampment, he quickly saw a projectile heading straight for him and cursed under his breath.


    "God damn it..."


    with that, the shellnded on top of him, and the explosive st engulfed his figure, rendering him into nothing more than mincemeat. The thunderous echoes of a dozen cannons would continue to fire off throughout the night, long after the Bavarian Army had been utterly destroyed.

 Chapter 190: Dreadfully Hungover

    <h4>Chapter 190: Dreadfully Hungover</h4>


    During the night that Eckhard had obliterated the Bavarian army tasked with assaulting the Northeast border, Berengar had gotten quite intoxicated conversing with Duke Otto and Liutbert, so much so that Ad was currently scowling at her father, ming him for Berengar''s current state.


    "Father, why are you such a poor influence on Berengar! He should not be drinking so much!"


    Berengar was entertained by the fact that he was not scolded for his actions, but his future wife hadid the me entirely on her father. It just showed that Count Otto must have had a habit of overdrinking.


    As for Liutbert, he was also being given the scornful look of a displeased young woman by his younger sister. She knew that Berengar was expecting an important guest to arrive, possibly within the next day. Thus, she was displeased by Berengar''s actions; however, she held her brother responsible considering he too had drinking problems.


    Berengar was usually a responsible drinker; he liked the taste of beer and had a high tolerance to alcohol. Thus he was rarely exceptionally drunk, nor was he often hungover. However, the three men were in terrible condition at the moment.


    While Linde and Ad had an important conversation in the bath, these men had been drinking, and they had consumed no small amount from the way it appeared. Ultimately Linde voiced her concerns as well.


    "Liutbert, as Chancellor, you should know better than to drink to such excess, especially taking into consideration that you roped Berengar into your mess!"


    Berengar was enjoying the sight of the two men getting scolded; however, as Count, he had to protect the reputation of his subordinates. Thus he began to speak. However, the moment he did so, his words started to slur, despite himself not recognizing such a thing.


    "Lin..d... I''m erm... fine! I''m fine! I can still... drink!"


    Seeing that Berengar could no longerplete a proper sentence, Linde simply walked over to him and grabbed ahold of his shoulder, helping him up from his chair.


    "Darling, it is time to get some rest. There is an important guest who might be arriving tomorrow, and you need to be in proper shape!"


    Though Berengar wanted to deny that he was drunk, the moment he stepped up, he began to wobble, and eventually, his legs gave out from under him, causing him to fall over onto Linde, dragging her onto the floor with him.


    The way that Berengar hadnded was with his face pressed into Linde''s substantial bust, which caused quite the scene. The two other drunk men began to cheer for Berengar, with Count Otto being the first topliment him.


    "That''s my boy!"


    The moment Ad heard her father say such an outrageous thing, sheshed out at him verbally.


    "Father! Don''t encourage such uncouth behavior!"


    As for Liutbert, he began pouring another drink as he cheered for Berengar


    "Show my sister who is boss!"


    Hearing such words, Linde instantly became furious at her brother and gave him a chilling stare which immediately silenced the man. As for Berengar, he was in no condition to get up and merely nuzzled his head further into Linde''s mighty cleavage. He waspletely unaware of what he said next.


    "So soft..."


    Linde quickly realized that Berengar was attempting to use her breasts as a pillow and immediately began to blush in embarrassment.


    "Darling, not in public..."


    Seeing that Linde was starting to be excited from the humiliating disy, Ad instantly became sickened by the inappropriate scene in front of her. She quickly stormed over to Berengar''s side, where she proceeded to help him up and off of Linde.


    It was only after both women supported Berengar that he was dragged off and into his quarters. After reaching his room, the two girls helped him onto the bed, where Linde wiped the sweat from her brow; she was not used to such heavy lifting.


    "Thanks, Ad; I will take it from here!"


    Realizing what the young woman was talking about, Ad instantly began to blush and nodded her head. Though she was curious, she knew it was inappropriate for her to stay any further, and thus she quickly fled the scene.


    It was only after Ad shut the doors behind her that Linde began to lick her lips in excitement. She quickly stripped him of his clothes and then her own before climbing into bed with her lover, where she dragged his face over to her bare chest before stroking his hair lightly.


    Berengar, who was barely conscious, instantly noticed the softness and once more used Linde''s chest as a pillow; now that they were alone, Linde did not care how Berengar used her body; as such, she clutched her lover to her breast as if she was feeding her child and quickly fell asleep alongside him.


    ...


    Hours passed, and the light of dawn rose in the sky, yet Berengar was still sleeping; it was unusual for him to slumber for such an extended period. However, after drinking to the excessive degree that he had done the night before, he managed to sleep in until noon.


    When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that he was being held tightly to Linde''s chest, who was asleep next to him; unlike Berengar, Linde could sleep in as long as she desired, even while sober. Since she had no inclination to end this harmonious scene so early, she continued to rest alongside her lover.


    The beautiful young woman opened her eyes and taunted Berengar after he had finally forced himself out of her cleavage.


    "You sure had funst night!"


    Berengar had no recollection of the night before. Instead, his head was pounding as if it was repeatedly mmed with a four-pound sledge. Thus he struggled to regain his rity as he listened to Linde''s provocation. After concluding the events that transpired the previous night, he ultimately decided to ask the woman.


    "Ugh, what the hell did I dost night?"


    Linde merely crossed her arms and sneered at him with pity


    "You drank a lot, and then you continued to drink until finally, you could no longer stand. Ad and I had to drag you back to our room. If I had known that by leaving you alone with my idiot brother, and Ad''s alcoholic father that you would drink to the point of passing out, I wouldn''t have spent so long in the bath with Ad..."


    Berengar''s memories were starting to return to him, to the point where he remembered several embarrassing scenes from the night before. Eventually, he got out of his bed and put on his luxurious clothes, where Linde followed suit, the entire time, she had a mocking expression on her face. She could tell by the way he was behaving that he was in severe pain at the moment, and she felt it was well deserved for acting like an idiot.


    Eventually, Linde had to help Berengar get dressed because despite resting for a solid twelve hours, he still felt dizzy from the amount he had drunk the night prior. After some time, the couple made their way to the dining hall, where Count Otto and Liutbert were sitting with equally miserable expressions. Luckily they too were severelycking in their mental faculties and could hardly remember how foolish they had acted the night before.


    Berengar sat down at the table and immediately made a request to the staff who attended to his needs.


    "Bring me a pitcher of milk!"


    The servant looked at him with an odd expression before confirming


    "A whole pitcher? Are you sure you would not like to start with a chalice?"


    Berengar held his head in the palm of both of his hands as he lightly raked his fingers across his eye and eyepatch before confirming his request.


    "Yes, a whole pitcher, you can forget the damn chalice!"


    The servant was shocked at how Berengar snapped at her. Usually, he was so friendly. He must have had quite the nightst night. Berengar seldom got drunk to the point of being hungover, but he turned exceptionally impatient and nasty when such a thing urred. Thus the servant quickly went to the kitchen to fetch a milk pitcher before returning and handing it to Berengar, where she proceeded to inquire about her next task.


    "Does your excellency require anything further?"


    Berengar did not even need to think about it and quickly gave his response.


    "Toast, over-easy eggs, and a side of bacon. Make it quick!"


    The servant quickly nodded before running off to the kitchen to inform them of Berengar''s request. Berengar''s hangover cure usually consisted of coffee with milk in it, toast, and eggs, and some form of meat. However, at the moment, he did not have ess to coffee; it would be some time before such a thing naturally made its way into Europe. At the moment, he greatly desired to sail an expedition around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Horn of Africa, where he could colonize Ethiopia so he could seize their massive coffee forests for himself.


    As for the rest of the people present at the table, they were either as miserable as he was, or they were gloating at the foolishness of men. Regardless, Berengar had important matters to attend to on this day, and he desperately needed to shape up before Conrad''s potential arrival.

 Chapter 191: Conrads Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 191: Conrad''s Arrival</h4>


    The trade caravan that Elma, Conrad, and the other agent were hiding within finally pulled up to the city walls of Kufstein. Conrad gazed out from the back of the wagon and onto the magnificent city walls. Though they were not as tall as conventional castle walls, they were far thicker and designed in a way that he had never seen before.


    Despite the glory of Kufstein''s mighty city walls, Conrad was by no means an architect or even knowledgeable in tactics. Thus the boy did not have an overwhelming sense of inspiration for their brilliant design. Instead, he looked mockingly at the short walls, believing they would be easy to scale over withdders.


    Of course, this was not the case, as the wide moat surrounding the walls, making it nearly impossible to do so while exposing any would-be attackers to fire from every angle. Despite this reality, Conrad was blissfully unaware of such a thing, and as such, looked at Berengar''s mighty city walls with contempt.


    However, one of the merchants traveling with the caravan quickly eximed upon seeing the walls


    "Boy, you should do well to remember that these walls are mightier than they appear. In all of my life, I have never seen nor heard of such arge army repelled so quickly by the defenders."


    he had been present in Kufstein during Theodoric''s invasion. The sight of what remained of the man''s army would never leave his memories, and as such, he had decided to voice his thoughts on the matter after noticing the expression on Conrad''s face.


    Conrad was unaware of what had happened during the war for Tyrol, and as such, was utterly ignorant of the fate of thete Viscount Theodoric. Instead, he merely thought the ordinary merchant was exaggerating. Thus he dismissed the man''s imspletely.


    After arriving at the gates, the city''s garrison inspected every caravan to see if they carried dangerous materials or enemy agents. After getting to the wagon, which contained Conrad, Elma handed a document to the City Guards, where they immediately waved them through. Much to the surprise of the rest of the caravan, who was stuck in the process of being vetted.


    Conrad was not surprised as he knew that Elma worked for Berengar and must have had some means to enter the city directly. However, when he finally entered the city walls and got to the habited region, the boy became astonished by what he saw.


    The sprawling tenements, therge chateaus, the construction of the grand projects, all of these things were a sight which Conrad had not expected upon entering the city, which was not much more than a typical town but a year ago.


    After taking in the sights, Conrad was eventually led to the Castle where Bernegar currently resided. As he stepped off the wagon, he was immediately greeted by Berengar, Count Otto, and Count Audegar of Vorarlberg, who had arrived in Kufstein not long before Conrad himself.? These three men were the leaders of the few counties which remainedpletely unupied by the Bavarians.


    Upon stepping off the wagon, Berengar instantly greeted Conrad with a degree of respect that the boy had previously not been afforded.


    "Your Grace, I apologize for the amodations you suffered through as you traveled to mynds, but I hope you can understand the need for secrecy."


    Considering Conrad was thest remaining heir of thete Duke Wilmar, Berengar had to at the very least put on a facade of respect, especially if he wanted to win Conrad over to his side, and appoint him the Regent.


    Though Conrad was upset due to the conditions he had found himself in thest few days, he was just thankful to be alive. Thus he dusted himself off before approaching Berengar and the other Counts while making demands.


    "I need to bathe and bring me a change of clothes while you are at it, something befitting a man of my position! We will talk after I have made myself presentable."


    Berengar smiled and nodded before allowing the boy ess to his Castle. He struggled to contain hisughter when the twelve-year-old child proimed himself a man. Luckily Berengar had a solid poker face and merely acquiesced to the boy''s demands.


    "Of course, your grace, you will find my amodations most fitting."


    Thus Conrad was led to the bath where he cleaned himself from the filth umted on his body over thest few days before changing into a luxurious set of attire fit for a Duke that Berengar had long since prepared for Conrad from his textile factories. After doing so, they met up in the Dining room, where Berengar brought out his finest cuisine to treat the boy.


    Linde, Ad, and Henrietta were not present for the meeting at the dining table; aside from the three counts, only Liutbert was present as Chancellor of Tyrol. As the group dined on their lunch, Otto began to voice his concerns to Conrad.


    "Your Grace, I assume you are aware that the Bavarians have captured Vienna, your brothers have all been executed, and your sisters have been taken away by Dietger to be married off to his sons. You are thest remaining heir of your father. This means you are now officially the Duke of Austria and potentially thest remaining heir to the Kingdom of Germany, considering yourte mother was the King''s only daughter."


    Conrad was too busy stuffing his face with the delicious meal presented to him as if he had not eaten in days, which was far from the case. However, all he managed to eat was bread and beer during his travels, and as such, he was d to have some meat in front of him finally. Even though the boy had not answered Count Otto, the man did not hesitate to continue his train of thought.


    "Considering you are still underage, you will require a Regent to act on your behalf, and I rmend Count Berengar for the position. He has proven to be an exceptional battlefieldmander and efficient statesman. With him aiding you with your responsibilities, we will be sure to recover thend stolen from us by those dastardly Bavarians!"


    Hearing this, Conrad immediately looked up from his te and stared at the lords in front of him for a few moments before a devious plot formed in his head. Now that he was Duke, he could make any demands he wanted. Thus he quickly set forth his conditions.


    "You are saying I am Duke now, is that correct?"


    Count Otto nodded his head silently in agreement. Thus a wicked grin curved upon Conrad''s lips as he stated his demands.


    "Good! If that is the case, you will break Ad''s betrothal to Berengar and engage her to me! It would be best for a woman like Ad to marry someone of my prestige instead of a lowly Count like Berengar!"


    Hearing this ludicrous ultimatum, Otto clenched his fists and teeth in rage, noticing how he was appearing Berengar patted the man on his shoulder infort; however, what followed surprised everyone present for the meeting, rather than being visibly outraged, Berengar put a pleasant smile on his face and began to negotiate with the small boy, despite being the true power within the room.


    "Conrad, It is best to give up on your obsession with my fiancee and find someone more suited for your position. You are now the Duke of Austria, and if you decide to press your im, potentially one day you could be the King of Germany, you should marry a princess, not a lowly countess as you have previously referred to the status that Ad has."


    Conrad was shocked when he heard this; it is true that he greatly desired Ad to be his bride, but what Berengar said had resonated with him, he was now a Duke and potentially one day could be a King; he really should marry a princess of another Kingdom, and allow Ad and Berengar to remain in their lowly position.


    Besides, even if Berengar did be his Regent, one day he would be old enough to need one no longer, and at that moment, he could use his authority to force Berengar to give his wife to him for entertainment. Or so Conrad thought, in reality, Berengar had ns to get rid of the boy before that day could ever be a reality.? However, Conrad did not know this, and with these thoughts in his head, he instantly agreed to Berengar''s suggestion.


    "Very well, I will do as you suggest; you can forget about my earlier request. As for my Regent, I suppose Berengar has shown that he can fulfill such a position. Thus I will consider it as an option for the time being. I will announce who I have decided to be my Regent after getting ustomed to the current situation that has urred in mynds."


    While Conrad presented such an amicable tone, in his mind, he was secretly thinking to himself.


    ''Even if I ampelled to make you my Regent, one day your fiancee will be mine! You just wait, Berengar; I will show you who is truly worthy of being with such a woman.''


    Berengar could easily guess what the foolish boy was thinking, and while Conrad was scheming in his head to steal Ad from him, Berengar was thinking in his mind.


    ''Fat chance, kiddo, you will be dead before you even turn sixteen. Enjoy your few years left as my puppet...''


    As such, the two noblemen plotted against one another, all while smiling as if they were the greatest of friends and allies. The sight of which sent chills down the spines of the other three noblemen who were present, who could easily guess what both Berengar and Conrad were thinking behind their friendly facades.

 Chapter 192: Conrads Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 192: Conrad''s Ambitions</h4>


    With Conrad in Kufstein, Berengar felt assured that his rise to power was secure. Thus he spent the remainder of his day visiting Ludwig''s office. The man was currently busy overseeing production, it had been a while since Berengarst popped by to say hello, and there was a particr reason for him to do so this time.


    Berengar had devised a much smaller, flintlock revolver based on the old pepperbox revolvers; the previous pattern was toorge to be kept well hidden by his agents across enemynds, and he had wanted to fix that issue. Thus he stopped by Ludwig''s office unannounced.


    Berengar quickly knocked on the door, and a few seconds passed before Ludwig opened it. Seeing his old friend for the first time in a long time, a broad smile appeared on Ludwig''s face before he immediately realized that Berengar had a set of blueprints in his hands.


    "Oh, of course... Your excellency is here to give me more work! You couldn''t bother to stop by for a drink every once in a while like the old days, huh?"


    Berengar chuckled at Ludwig''s response before forcing his way into the room andying out his blueprints for the old craftsman to witness; as he did so, he responded to the older man''s jest.


    "I am afraid with two women and a County to run; I do not have much time to visit you; I''m sorry, my old friend!"


    Ludwig immediately thought about Berengar''s current lifestyle and understood his pain. Thus he pulled out a pair of mugs sitting in the corner of the room before filling them with beer; he handed one to Berengar while taking a sip of the malty liquid himself before getting down to business.


    "What is it you have brought me this time?"


    Berengar pointed at the design before him and said with a prideful smile on his face.


    "I call it the pepperbox revolver, the old revolving flintlocks which my agents use are much toorge to be properly concealed. Thus I thought of these weapons for use. Granted, their range is inferior to the other models, but as a personal defense weapon, they are more than enough firepower!"


    Ludwig took a nce at the blueprints before nodding in approval


    "As always, you do not disappoint with your designs."


    The two men took a few gulps from their beers before discussing more matters of business. Berengar was the first to ask about his production capabilities.


    "So, how is production going?"


    Ludwig looked at Berengar as if he were an idiot; that question was broad to say the least and had many answers he could potentially say. As such, he asked for rification.


    "Your excellency, which production line are you talking about in particr?"


    Berengar smiled before finishing off the beer in his mug; he only began to answer after Ludwig had refilled it.


    "The Byzantine armor."


    Hearing what Berengar was asking about, Ludwig scratched his beard slightly before answering to his best ability.


    "It is going as nned, luckily the new industrial district in Innsbruck is operating at full capacity, so they have been able to alleviate the pressure on our shoulders. As per usual, the Byzantine armor will be readily avable when the time for shipment has arrived. Why are you nning a visit to the Empire?"


    After hearing Ludwig''s question, Berengar was shocked; he indeed nned to visit the Empire, but only after he had won his war and made himself Duke, he was still a long way away from achieving such things. Thus merely shook his head as he responded to Ludwig''s inquiry.


    "Not at the moment, if I am to travel to the Empire, I need more prestige, or else they will try to walk all over me. One day though, I would like to see the city of Constantinople for myself."


    Ludwig nodded his head in agreement; he too longed to city the legendary city for himself. However, he did not have the gall to ask Berengar to take him along for the journey when he finally went. Thus he merely toasted Berengar with his mug.


    "To your future sess, may those imperial bastards bow before your prestige!"


    Hearing such a bold toast, Berengar merely chuckled before drinking the remainder of the contents in his mug. Afterward, he began to ask Ludwig about various questions; the two men talked for some time before Berengar bade farewell and returned to the Castle.


    After entering the Castle, he was immediately notified by one of his servants that Conrad had called for a meeting in his study, and thus Berengar quickly strode towards it. When he opened the door, he saw the little brat sitting in his chair, surrounded by the other Counts, who gazed at him with worried expressions on their faces.


    Berengar''s face twitched when he saw the boy in his chair, this was Berengar''s personal study, and the brat treated it as if it had belonged to him. However, for now, Berengar had to suppress his ire and put on a respectful facade. As such, he bowed gracefully before greeting Conrad.


    "Your Grace, I came as soon as I heard. What is so important that you must call a meeting at such an hour?"


    Conrad had a smirk on his face as he began to interrogate Berengar about his ns for reconquest.


    "Count Berengar, exactly how long will it take you to raise an army to recapture mynds?"


    Berengar could tell this little brat was trying to push him into the war ahead of schedule. Clearly, The boy was impatient and did not want to sit around in Kufstein for long. However, Berengar had no ns to march until his armies were powerful enough to sweep through the Bavarian forces, and as such, he merely smiled before giving the number he had in mind.


    "Three more months and a sufficient number of men should be finished with their training. By then, we can march on Salzburg, where we will liberate it from the Bavarians. The n from there is to seize the County of K?rnten before marching on Upper and Lower Austria."


    A frown immediately appeared on Conrad''s face as he heard these words; he did not desire to stay in Kufstein for three whole months doing nothing but waiting for troops to be raised. As such, he asked the question on his mind.


    "How many men do you have avable at the moment?"


    Berengar struggled to maintain his respectful facade as he answered the boy''s inquiry.


    "Aside from the men necessary to maintain the garrisons in Tyrol, I can field at most 20,000 men at the moment."


    Before Berengar could protest what he knew that Conrad was thinking, the boy interrupted him by asking Count Otto the same question.


    "How many men do you have avable at the moment Count Otto?"


    Count Otto frowned while being asked such a question. However, he eventually answered.


    "Roughly half that amount"


    Berengar not only had one of thergest counties in all of Austria, primarily after he conquered Trent and incorporated it into hisnds but also due to his growing mechanized agriculture, he could field significantly more troops than others of the same level of status. As for the Count of Vorarlberg had the lowest number of troops, as his County was much smaller than the regions held by the other two men. Conrad quickly asked the same question to which he responded.


    "I can spare at most 5,000 men."


    Conrad then looked at Berengar with an impatient expression on his face as he began to question Berengar''s determination.


    "You are telling me, a seasoned and heraldedmander like yourself will be incapable of taking Austria with 35,000 men? Maybe I need to name a more experienced battlefieldmander, like Count Otto as my Regent after all."


    Hearing this, Berengar began to frown; this boy was starting to push his limits. Nevertheless, he kept his wits about him and thoroughly lectured the boy who would be Duke about the reality of warfare.


    "Your Grace, it is a possibility to win with such a small amount of troops. However, the Bavarians will be back with a vengeance, and we will have suffered substantial losses. In my honest opinion, we should wait three months for my next division to be properly trained and outfitted before we begin our campaign. With 45,000 - 50,000 men in total, we will stand a much better chance of winning this war with minimal casualties. I urge you to be patient; wars are not won overnight!"


    The other counts quickly nodded in agreement to Berengar''s terms and attempted to convince the boy to listen to reason; Otto was the first to speak on Berengar''s behalf.


    "Your Grace, listen to Berengar''s council; he knows what he is talking about."


    After hearing Berengar''s reasoning and Otto''s support, Conrad knew he was not going to get his wish, and as such, exhaled deeply in disappointment before epting the terms.


    "Three months! Not a moment longer! As soon as your troops are ready, I want them deployed!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded as he finally convinced Conrad to go with his n. Conrad''s following words brought an even greater smile to the young Count''s lips.


    "With this understanding, I hereby name you Berengar, Count of Tyrol as my Regent, until the day Ie of age!"


    With this, Berengar had finally gotten what he wished for, and Conrad had unwittingly sealed his fate. It would not be long before Berengar and his armies marched to war, and when they did, the Bavarians would learn first hand the might of steel and shot!

 Chapter 193: You Will Be Home Before the Leaves Fall From the Trees

    <h4>Chapter 193: You Will Be Home Before the Leaves Fall From the Trees</h4>


    Three months passed as quickly as they came, and Berengar was ready to march to war. During this time, Ad returned to Steiermark with her father, where Otto defended his borders. Albeit the two Counts came to an agreement and Berengar began to support Otto with food aid at a discounted price. After all, Otto''s people were suffering from the constant raids on theirnds, and Berengar could alleviate that suffering for a fee.


    It had been over a year since Berengar was first reincarnated into this world, and he had already aplished a great deal during this time. As for what Berengar was currently upied with, at the moment, he was once more outfitted for war, standing Before Linde, who was holding onto their infant child, the baby boy was growing by the day. Henrietta was also gathered to send her brother off to war.


    During this time, Berengar had be ustomed to losing his vision in his dominant eye and was now ready to fight once more, albeit he would no longer be themander once he was brazenly fighting on the front lines. However, at least he would still be on the battlefieldmanding his troops.


    Linde had a worried expression on her face, thest time Berengar had left for war; he had lost an eye and nearly his life; now he was going to face such danger again. It greatly pained her to see her lover risk his life on the battlefield. As such, she kissed Berengar passionately before muttering under her breath.


    "I will pray for you!"


    Berengar chuckled at this remark. Linde was never an exceptionally religious woman, but for him, she was willing to pray to God for his safe return; he found this to be cute. As for Henrietta, she hugged her big brother before making him promise her a solemn vow.


    "Come back in one piece this time!"


    Berengarughed at the girl''s sheepish expression before he tussled her silky golden hair; after doing so, he agreed to her conditions.


    "I promise, I will be back safe and sound!"


    After saying such a thing, he departed from his home. It had been too long since he had smelled the gunpowder in the air, and now he was eager to face the enemy who had dared to intrude upon hisnds.


    As for Conrad, he had stayed behind in Kufstein, ever under the watchful eye of Linde and Berengar''s house guard. With Berengar''s departure, Conrad would be guarded closely to make sure he didn''t try anything malicious.


    Berengar mounted his new steed, the brave beast was opposite in appearance of his old horse Erwin, as its coat and mane were entirely white. Though this mighty destrier had been purchased at a great sum, Berengar still profoundlymented the loss of his old Warhorse and vowed never again to make such a costly mistake.


    After mounting the bold white stallion, which was d in its own set of ckend steel te barding, with magnificent brass trimming, Berengar rode off out of the Castle and regrouped with his army in the streets.


    This was thest of his forces to rendezvous with Eckhard and the rest of his army in Kitzb��hel. Once the army was on the march, it would split into two, with the more significant portion of the military staying with Berengar as he marched on Salzburg.


    As for the smaller portion, they would regroup with Count Otto''s forces in Steiermark before marching on K?rnten. Berengar sat at the head of the army, with his burg over his head, marching amid summer; he began to hum along to the marching song that the military behind him was singing.


    After a few hours, the army reached the eastern border of Kitzb��hel, where they proceeded to get settled into the tents surrounding the border fortress. Berengar quickly got off his mount and approached Eckhard, who had long since defended the Northeast border from the invading Bavarians. Still, he was left in control of the region to ensure no other army came to attack.


    Seeing his Lord and Commander approach him, Eckhard quickly pounded his chest in a salute before addressing his old friend, that he had not seen for some time.


    "Your excellency!"


    Berengar chuckled when he saw Eckhard being serious and pped the man''s backte with his leather-covered palm.


    "It is good to see you, Eckhard; it has been quite a while!"


    Eckhard smiled, seeing that Berengar was back to his old self, even after such a grievous injury. Thus he responded to Berengars informal approach in an equallyid-back manner.


    "It is just a damn shame we will be leaving each other''spany so shortly after reuniting."


    A wide grin spread across Berengar''s face as he looked off into the distance with his good eye. He was gazing towards the direction of Vienna, by re-conquering the capital of the Duchy he would soon establish himself and his Dynasty as the main power of Austria.


    "Worry not, Eckhard, if we do our jobs right, this war will end soon enough."


    After reuniting with his Field Marshal, and his other General Arnulf; Berengar had opted to gather his high-ranking officers on a hill in front of the Borderfort that his army was upying, there was not enough space for the total amount of his troops to stay within the Fort''s walls, so many of them were gathered in tents outside of the fortress.


    As the high-ranking officers gathered Around Berengar, he quickly addressed them, as he tried to encourage them with a speech fit for the situation.


    "It has been a while since west marched to war, and though many of you have been defending our borders, others have been enjoying the stability that we have brought to ournds. However, as you all know, the price of freedom is paid with the blood and bodies of those willing to defend it.


    Suppose we wish to continue our existence as the overlords of our region without interference from a foreign power. In that case, we must fight, not for ourselves or our families but all of Austria! For though we are all Tyroleans, we are, more importantly, Austrians! Our brothers and sisters in the other regions have bled and starved while we have hidden behind our borders allowing it to happen!


    Now our actions were not without good reason, as we needed time to build up an armyrge and powerful enough to defeat the enemy, or else we would end up just like our neighbors. Yet that does not forgive the fact that that we have chosen to hide in our well-fortified mountainous terrain.


    Yet no longer! Tomorrow we march to war to liberate Austria from the upation of our enemies! The Bavarians seek to press im over us all and rule us under their rules and their customs! I reject it, for Austria shall forever remain in the hands of the Austrians! I promise you, if you all do your part in this uing conflict you will be home before the leaves fall from the trees! God with us!


    Right before Berengar had finished thest part of his speech, he drew his sword and pointed it northward into the night sky before shouting the battle cry that his armies had be renowned for. The moment he did so, the officers who had gathered to witness his word all withdrew their swords and pointed them into the sky before also screaming the Tyrolean battle cry.


    "God with us!"


    After chanting those words a few more times, Berengar finally silenced the crowd and addressed his officers.


    "Now, go rest, for tomorrow we march to war!"


    After hearing Berengar''s orders, the high-ranking officers all began to head towards their quarters, where they all rested for the night. Berengar, on the other hand, had a private drink with Eckhard; he would finally reveal his schemes to be Duke to his most trusted General.


    Eckhard knew something was suspicious from the start; after hearing that Conrad was saved by Berengar and brought to Kufstein for safety, he knew Berengar was plotting something serious; though he did not know what.


    Berengar brought two mugs of beer over to the table where Eckhard was sitting hat before he sat down. After doing so, he handed a mug to Eckhard and began to drink from his own. It was only after the two had tasted the beer that Berengar began to address Eckhard with a grave expression.


    "I will be Duke of Austria soon enough."


    Eckhard merelyughed as he heard these words; Berengar''s ambitions were never satisfied; as such, he began to ask Berengar what his n was.


    "How do you n to do that? Last I checked, Conrad was the Duke..."


    Berengar was utterly frank with Eckhard, and as such, he told the truth.


    "After I have won that boy''s wars for him, I will continue to be his Regent; during this time, he will be slowly poisoned until the point of severe illness, it may be years, but before that boy turns sixteen, he will croak. Leaving me as Regent in a position to sweep in and usurp his title."


    Eckhard gazed at Berengar with a shocked expression on his face. Before leaning in and whispering to him


    "You are going to poison a child?"


    Berengar merely took a drink from his mug before answering Eckhard''s question.


    "It is either that or I will be forced to start a civil war."


    Eckhard looked at Berengar with a sense of disdain before asking Berengar another question.


    "You want to be Duke so badly that you would kill an innocent child?"


    Berengar shook his head and looked sternly at Eckhard before he began to lecture him.


    "The boy covets my fiancee; the moment he gains any real authority by bing a Duke, he will demand I hand her over to him; by that point, Ad will be my wife, and I will refuse to do so. He will try to have me killed for resisting his orders, and I will raise an army to fight him."


    Eckhard could not believe Berengar was willing to throw the Duchy into another Chaotic war all for a woman; as such, he tried to reason with Berengar since this was the justification Berengar had used for his actions, Eckhard would be sure to offer an alternative solution.


    "You could just give the girl over to the boy; after all, you already have Linde, just marry her and legitimize your child!"


    Berengar shook his head while taking another sip; after doing so, Eckhard grew furious and pounded his fist on the table before screaming at Berengar.


    "Give me one good reason not to!"


    Berengar red at the man fiercely before answering him


    "Because I love her!"


    hearing this, Eckhard scoffed; seeing that the man was displeased with his ns, Berengar decided to pose a philosophical question.


    "Eckhard, with all your infinite wisdom, exin to me why it is more righteous to have thousands of men die on the battlefield than it is to poison a single child?"


    With those words, Eckhard stared at Berengar with disbelief. He honestly did not know how to answer that question. Berengar decided to add salt to the wound as he further pressed Eckhard, he pointed to the door while doing so.


    "Why do the lives of those men not matter as much as Conrad''s? Whether it is to secure Ad''s hand in marriage or fulfill my great ambitions, it truly does not matter. If I can spare the life of a single one of my soldiers by poisoning Conrad, then I will do it! You would to best to remember where your loyalties lie. It is not just to me, but the men, women, and children beneath my rule, and if I can spare them the pain of war by engaging in a bit of evil, then I will dly do so."


    Eckhard drained the mug of beer down his gullet before pouring another one, where he proceeded to consume its contents rapidly. It was only after he had chugged three beers and wiped the foam from his beard that he decided to say his final thoughts on the matter.


    "You are right! I am sorry, I find it a bit cruel to poison a child, but you are right, as always. Even if you were willing to give up on Ad, put aside your ambitions, by allowing Conrad to be Duke that would only bring disaster to ournds, that boy is not fit to rule our people, but you are!"


    Hearing Eckhard finally agreed to his ns, Berengar smiled and patted him on the back.


    "Go get some rest, old friend; we will be marching to war at dawn."


    With that said, Eckhard smiled before departing, leaving Berengar by his lonesome. It was only after Eckhard was long gone that Berengar began to think thought about the actions he would have to take before reaching the heights of his ambition. In doing so, his lips turned into a sinister smile before voicing his thoughts aloud.


    "For the path that I walk upon, poisoning a child is but a drop in the well. Oh, my dear friend Eckhard, I am destined to do far worse in the future. Yet, in the end, by doing so, I shall establish global hegemony for my Dynasty!"

 Chapter 194: Lightning War

    <h4>Chapter 194: Lightning War</h4>


    The following day Berengar and his armies packed up their supplies and began to march, an army of 30,000 men,prised of three divisions of ten thousand men each. Was fielded to fight this campaign that Berengar had decided to name the Lightning War. The Divisions were split into four brigades in total, two infantry, one cavalry, and one artillery.


    The Artillery Brigades contained roughly 3,000 - 4,000 men in and total and up to 70 field guns in each. The amount of explosive firepower that a single Artillery Brigade wielded was in itself enough to bring down any armed force that dared to get in its path. Especially whenplemented by the Infantry Brigades.


    As for the Infantry Brigades, they held 3,000 - 5,000 men in each brigade, and these units consisted of various units, ranging from Line Infantry, Grenadiers, Jaegers, and even Light Infantry. Obviously, there were other units within, like Medics and Sappers. It was a well-oiled machine designed with a single purpose, absolute annihtion of the enemy.


    The Cavalry brigades, on the other hand, were much smaller in size. They were filled with 2,000 men and their horses per brigade. As for the units within these Brigades, there were also split into different groups, such as Cuirassiers, Demi-Lancers, and Hussars. There were also units of Dragoons and Mounted Infantry, but they were smaller in number, as their purpose was more specialized.


    The expense that Berengar had to pay to not only train these troops but maintain them was significant. If one counted the sheer cost he paid to acquire the horses to ride; it was enough to bankrupt most Counties in the European world. However, Berengar was very wealthy after the monumental sess of his diverse economy and could afford to bear such an expense.


    This massive force was followed by the medieval army of the County of Vorarlberg, who were allpletely shocked by the size of Berengar''s army, and the equipment they used; there was likely no other army in the world as grand as his. They felt inadequate when they gazed upon the ckened steel te and extravagant clothing beneath it that the Tyrolean forces wielded.


    The n was for two divisions to follow Berengar to Salzburg, where he would meet the Bavarians in the field and retake the castles and cities they had seized. With such arge force that contained an absurd degree of firepower. Berengar could easily swamp the entire County within a matter of weeks, at most a month.


    The other army would be led by Eckhard and Count Audegar and would consist of one of Berengar''s divisions, supported by the 5,000 men of Audegar''s military. They would attack the County of K?rnten, where Count Otto and his 10,00 men would reinforce them. They wouldunch an attack from both sides of the County and meet in the middle after dispelling the Bavarians from the region.


    After both regions were secured, Berengar would march his army on Lower Austria and Vienna, and Eckhard and his allies would march on upper Austria. From there, any Bavarians who remained in the other counties would be quickly defeated, thus restoring Austrian control over their territory.


    This was the invasion n, and Berengar felt he had enough men and firepower toplete it. Thus he met up with Eckhard and Audegar at a crossroads which would take them in a separate direction. The three men sat on horseback as Berengar said his farewells.


    "The next time I see the two of you, I will have taken Vienna! I look forward to the day we can all meet again!"


    Eckhard nodded at Berengar before saluting onest time.


    "Your Excellency, I will do as you have instructed to the best of my abilities!"


    Berengar nodded with a smile on his face before responding to Eckhard''s ims.


    "I am sure that you will not disappoint me. Until we meet again, Ser Eckhard, Count Audegar."


    After saying such a thing, Berengar and Eckhard''s forces separated. Where Berengar slowly made his way to the County of Salzburg. By the time he arrived in the region, he had noticed that the viges that he passed by had all been looted, many of them were abandoned entirely.


    The devastation brought to the Austriannds was horrifying, bodies of men, women, and children were hewn about, and many of the women had appeared to have been thoroughly used by the men of the Bavarian armies before their deaths.


    Berengar and his army eventually made their way through the border town and towards the first Castle on their path, which was supposed to protect the vigers; it was currently undergoing a siege by the Bavarian Armies, who had not yet noticed Berengar and his own army''s approach. As such, Berengar instantly gave an order to his army.


    "Get into formation, and ready the cannons to fire! Infantry, prepare your muskets, cavalry, be on alert!"


    Berengar had two divisions under hismand; he currently had 140 12 lb field cannons in his ranks which were rapidly put into position and loaded.? Before long, tens of thousands of infantry loaded their rifled muskets and formed ranks.


    By the time they were entirely in formation, the Bavarians had just noticed their approach and began to panic; such arge army had crossed the Tyrolean border and encountered them during a siege, it was as if theye across a poisonous snake as they were crapping in the woods.


    They had no idea how to react to the situation before them. Still, seeing the army hundreds of meters away, with over a hundred cannons being rapidly loaded, many of the men instantly began praying to God for their salvation.


    These prayers were cut short as the thundering echo of 140 cannons firing at once filled the air while the shells fell from the sky and pounded the besieging army. The massive ranks of line infantry and grenadiers advanced towards their effective range so that they too could batter the enemy, while the jaegers fired from a distance of roughly eight hundred meters.


    Thousands of besieging Bavarians were shredded by the explosive sts and shrapnel of the cannon fire, only for the survivors to be mercilessly gunned down at a distance by the muskets. This besieging army was notrge and held only about 5,000 men in total; it did not take more than a few cannon and musket volleys to mercilessly tear the siege camp and its forces apart instantly.


    Limbs were scattered across the ground, and blood pooled in the grass as the defenders of the Castle gazed on with horror at the scene that had just transpired. Such overwhelming power was inconceivable, and Berengar did not even need to unleash his cavalry.


    The Lord of the Castle sat atop his ramparts looking at the simple yet dignified banners of the von Kufstein family and thanked God for his salvation; he was in a crisis having no idea how he would be able to defend his territory against the besiegers effectively. Yet, in his hour of need, the Tyroleans finally arrived from beyond the border and liberated him and his people from the injustice of the Bavarian upation of Salzburg.


    There were still plenty of regions within Salzburg that were holding out, hoping for a savior; the same could be said across all of Austria; though it had been months since the Bavarians invaded, they could not bring down the enemy''s walls as quickly as Berengar could. Thus they were forced to besiege every Castle and City slowly. The Bavarian invasion of Austria was a prolonged process that was intended to take months, if not years, toplete.


    Now that Berengar had arrived with 140 cannons, he would be able to bring down a city''s walls within a day, it was an army the likes the world had never seen before, and Berengar had deliberately waited until he had three divisions before marching to war because he wanted his campaign to be another overwhelming victory.


    With the power in his hands, a mere Duke would not be capable of defeating him in battle. To counteract Berengar''s hundreds of cannons and thousands of infantry equipped with mostly rifled muskets, there would need to be an army 2-3 times the size of his own, and only a Kingdom could muster such a force.


    After defeating the besieging army of 5,000 men as easily as cutting through the grass, Berengar did not bother approaching the Castle''s gates; many more battles like this needed to be fought, and as such, he quickly gave another order to his troops.


    "Regroup, and prepare to march!"


    After spending a considerable amount of time getting back into marching formation, the army once more began to set out on its destination; they intended to fight their way until they had liberated the Capital of Salzburg, which was currently under siege, Wolfgang''s brother valiantly defended the region, while the man who is supposed to be the current Count of the area hid within his wife''s family''s estate.


    As such, Berengar would encounter many minor skirmishes like this on his way to liberate the capital. They all ended just as quickly and in just as brutal of a fashion. Wherever his army marched, they reaped thousands of Bavarians lives. Any fool who ced themselves in between him, and the main Bavarian army in the County of Salzburg, would be rapidly gunned down by Berengar''s troops.


    This Lightning War or Blitzkrieg as Berengar had dubbed it, named after the German strategy in the early days of WWII from his past life, was highly influential in cutting off the enemy; not only did Berengar practice this tactic in Salzburg, but Eckhard also simrlymanded his armies in K?rnten.


    Berengar was not exaggerating in the slightest when he stated in his speech that he and his men would be home before the leaves fell from the trees. Though it was a reference to Kaiser Wilhelm II''s speech to his troops before the start of the Great War in his previous life, he entirely meant those words and knew he was fully capable of making them a reality. As such, the war waged on, and Berengar would soon be the power behind the Austrian throne.

 Chapter 195: The Hunter has Become the Hunted

    195 The Hunter has Be the Hunted


    The Tyrolean army was on the march, Berengar leading his two divisions in the fields of Salzburg was currently at the head of his majestic army. Every soldier who served alongside him was d in ckened steel te armor, with the ck, gold, and white attire beneath it.Some wore half-te, while others were equipped with the three-quarter te armor.


    The Nonmissioned andmissioned officers stood out from the regr enlisted personnel. Their armor was trimmed with brass to show off their prestige and to indicate to the individual troops who were leading their units. Though they might be greater targets for the enemy, with the protection their armor provided them, they seldom had to fear a deathly blow at range.


    At the moment, Berengar and his forces had set up an encampment in the field. Berengar spoke to General Arnulf and several of his high-ranking officers about the current situation in the County of Salzburg. Arnulf was the first to bring new information to light.


    "Our scouts have reported that the Bavarians have begun to flee from their posts. We are not exactly sure of the reasoning, but they may have figured out our advantage in this conflict and are attempting to mitigate casualties.In their hasty retreat, they have begun to torch every vige theye across. They massacre the people, burn the fields, and ughter the livestock. The Bavarians are determined to halt our advance by any means necessary!"


    Berengar immediately frowned when he heard this report; this was scorched earth tactics, a strategy which Berengar personally despised. The principle was simple, as the Bavarians withdrew, they would destroy any possible resource that Berengar and his forces could take advantage of, forcing the Tyrolean army to slow down their advance. An army that could not eat could not function.


    Luckily Berengar had anticipated this use of tactics and had long-established supply Caravans to follow his army in the rear. His forces protected these caravans and would continuously bring much-needed resources such as food, water, and munitions from Tyrol to the front lines. Logistics are the key to victory, and Berengar had no ns of advancing beyond his means of resupply.


    After hearing this report, he gave amand to his officers.


    "Make sure supplies are being properly rationed; I don''t want to see any waste of the products that the men consume. As for our advancement into Salzburg, we can only slow down and wait for the supply caravans to catch up. The Jagers are skilled in wilderness knowledge, set them to the task of foraging and hunting any food that they can acquire!"


    Hearing the Count''s orders, the officers quickly pounded their breasttes in salute before responding.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After saying that, they were set to the task, and the army began to fulfill his orders. As for Berengar, he stayed at his post with Arnulf by his side; the man had been a valuable ally and formidable General during the past and was once more alongside him. Berengar valued his advice and quickly began to ask the man his opinions on what the Bavarians were nning.


    "Tell me, General, do you think the Bavarians are plotting an ambush for us?"


    Arnulf nodded his head before expressing his opinion.


    "It is what I would do. By now, the Bavarians should realize that they are facing overwhelming firepower. Thus they don''t stand a chance fighting against us in an open field or within a siege. The best they can do is engage in skirmishing tactics to try to prevent our advance long enough for them to muster the forces necessary to overwhelm our armies with sheer numbers."


    Berengar''s face contorted into a worried expression as he began to anticipate the Bavarian''s next move.


    "Halt our advance, and make sure our supply lines are properly protected. I fear they will try to cut us off from our logisticalwork; in doing so, they will attempt to wear us down with attrition; I will not have my men starving in the field while cut off from support from the homnd. It is better to move with caution than to walk into a trap."


    Arnulf nodded in approval with this line of thinking and began to make his suggestions.


    "We should split off some Grenadier units and set them to the task of searching for and destroying the enemy skirmishers and their encampments. I find it hard to believe the Bavarians are fleeing from the region entirely; they are probably waiting in ambush for our forces." Berengar nodded in agreement before adding to the suggestion.


    "I want the Dragoons and Mounted Infantry tasked with protecting the supply caravans; they should have more than enough firepower to deter any potential ambush while still maintaining the mobility necessary to keep up with the caravans."


    Arnulf quickly made a mental note of the orders he had received; he would soon ry these tasks to the necessary units. The Tyrolean army was powerful primarily because of its superior training and equipment but also the diversity of the troops they employed.


    With the specialized training that specific units underwent, they could perform these deeds that they would soon bemanded to fulfill with excellent efficiency. Thus Berengar indeed did not have to be too worried about what dangers might approach them in this ongoing conflict with the Bavarians. After giving Arnulf his orders, Berengar parted ways with Arnulf for the night and immediately proceeded to his tent, where he slept peacefully. As for the units and their new orders, they quickly began to deploy to fulfill them.


    During the middle of the night, the Grenadiers tasked with search and destroyed missions advanced beyond the primary host, determined to find any Bavarian forces waiting for them. In doing so, a battalion was sent out in total and split into six individualpanies where they canvassed the territory ahead of them. If one of thepanies were to make contact with the enemy ambushers, the otherpanies would be alerted by the sound of gunfire and advance upon the position, encircling the enemy ambushers and taking their lives.


    At the moment, onepany of grenadiers had made the first contact with the enemy; as such, they quietly hit in the tree line as they pulled back the hammers of their flintlocks. The Bavarians had not yet noticed that the Grenadiers were in range, and they were sitting by a fire enjoying themselves.


    They had seen that the Tyrolean army had halted their advance, and so they were waiting patiently in the perfect position for an ambush. After the muskets were loaded and aimed at a distance of a hundred yards, The Captain in charge of thepany gave his order loud enough for the men nearby to hear.


    "Fire!"


    immediately the thunder of a hundred and twenty muskets went off, echoing in the distance. The moment they did so, the lead projectiles fired from their muzzles found their way into the enemy ranks. Torsos were shredding, with gaping holes the size of golf balls appearing through the enemy''s breasttes.


    The less fortunate victims had their limbs severed by the rounds and were thrashing about on the ground screaming in agony. The sh of the fired volley instantly lit up the area, and the surviving members of the ambushing troop realized they were surrounded. Several dozen Bavarian men at arms were killed on the spot, and even more, were wounded. Yet whenpared to the size of the ambushing troop, this was not much. However, what followed instantly sent fear down the spines of the Bavarian skirmishers as they heard a battle cry filled the air around them as if over a thousand voices screamed the powerful words in unison.


    "God with us!"


    Shortly afterward, the Tyrolean grenadiers converged on the enemy position. They were alerted by the sounds of gunfire and the sight of the muzzle shes. Where they quickly formed ranks and fired off their shots at the Bavarian ambushers.


    Gunfire echoed in the air, and the advancing Bavarian skirmishers were rapidly cut down as they attempted to approach the lines of grenadiers. The scene quickly turned chaotic as more men had their lives snuffed out by a single minie ball projectile piercing through their chests. Others gurgled on their own blood for a period of time before finally leaving this world.


    Before the Bavarians even got a chance to unleash their swords upon the Tyrolean forces, steel balls were lit and thrown into the ranks of the enemy, where they quickly exploded, sending shrapnel and body parts flying through the air. Though the Grenadiers were outnumbered, the Bavarians began to panic, trying to find a way to break out of the encirclement. However, all they managed to do was run into a wall of bays that were ready to engage in meleebat. The long triangr bays were thrust into the gaps of the men at arms armor, creating devastating wounds, which would be very difficult to patch up assuming they were able to survive the onught. Eventually, the Bavarians finally managed to muster a resistance and shed headfirst with the grenadiers who had encircled them. Despite this courageousst stand, the damage had already been dealt to the Bavarian skirmisher''s ranks, and they found themselves quickly being pushed back. By now, a sea of corpses and blood had filled the floor, and the Tyrolean Grenadiers were advancing over the bodies and into the fray.


    With each thrust of the bay, a Bavarian was either wounded or killed. Slowly but surely, the Bavarian Ambushers had dwindled to a few hundred men whose backs were pressed against each other as over a thousand bays pierced at them from all sides. Before long, the surviving Bavarians cast their weapons aside and shouted at the top of their lungs.


    "Yield! I yield!"


    With a deration of surrender, the Tyrolean grenadiers ceased their violence and quickly rounded up the survivors for interrogation. With a little over a hundred captives, they could easily find out the whereabouts of the remaining ambushes and potentially the ns that the Bavarian army was resorting to. Thus the Tyrolean forces marched their prisoners back to the Tyrolean encampment, where they would be interrogated for every piece of information that they harbored in their minds.


    While Berengar slept, his grenadiers had mercilessly hunted down the first of the Bavarian Ambushes set in ce and captured a few hundred prisoners whose intelligence would be critical in the fight ahead. As such, the tactics he had put in ce earlier that day had already born fruit, and Berengar would have a much swifter conquest of Salzburg than he had initially estimated.

 Chapter 196: Battle in K?rnten

    <h4>Chapter 196: Battle in K?rnten</h4>


    While Berengar and his forces were bogged down and slowly advancing through Salzburg due to the tactics employed by the Bavarians, Eckhard had a much easier time fighting the enemy, for they had not resorted to such underhanded tactics to defeat him. Thus at the moment, he was currently engaged in a field battle with the enemy.


    Eckhard had deployed Audegar''s forces to protect the nks of his infantry while they marched in their lines into engagement distance. As for his cavalry, they were waiting on standby for their orders to charge.


    At the moment, Eckhard''s 70 field guns were in position and had just begun their bombardment upon the enemy army, which was between 5,000 - 7,000 men strong. As the cannons echoed into the air and the explosive shells repeatedly pounded the enemy lines, the Bavarians did not panic. Instead, they marched faithfully into the fire and towards the Tyrolean ranks.


    As for Eckhard, he was at the front lines, with his sword in hand, which was also based upon the 1877 British Heavy Cavalry sword; it had be the basis for all swords wielded in the Tyrolean army. The de bnced perfectly in his hands as he continued to march orderly by his troops.


    Arrows and bolts fell upon the marching soldiers in volleys, but the Tyroleans did not fear their sting, for their armor would protect their vitals. Because of how resilient their defenses were, they were undeterred by the minor flesh wounds which umted on their bodies as they continued to march at an orderly pace.


    Only when the enemy was at a distance of roughly three hundred yards did Eckhard give hismand to his line of infantry with the authoritative voice of a veteran Field Marshal Eckhard raised his sword and pointed it at the enemy as he bellowed for all his men to hear.


    "Present Arms!"


    The moment he did so, the soldiers who held their loaded rifled muskets lowered the weapons into a position where Eckhard once more gave amand. The front rank instantly knelt while the rear column pointed their rifled muskets above their heads.


    "Take Aim!"


    After doing so, his words were ryed to the thousands of infantry among his ranks by the various officers and NCOs within earshot. When he finally felt that the enemy was within an eptable range, he gave the finalmand.


    "Fire!"


    In doing so, thousands of muskets went off in unison, at the distance of three hundred yards. Where they spit lead out of their shing muzzles, apanied by the roar of gunfire, which instantly echoed across the battlefield.


    The moment the muskets went off, thousands of .58 caliber Minie ball projectiles went downrange. They crashed into their targets, shredding apart the steel body armor in which many of the enemy troops were equipped as if it were nothing more than wet toilet tissue.


    Blood sttered, and bones splintered as the lead projectiles made their way past the enemy''s defenses and into their flesh, oftening out the other side of the steel armor. Instantly thousands of men copsed to the ground, either gravely wounded or dead upon impact.


    The Bavarian vanguard was shattered in a moment, and the surviving veterans among their ranks began to panic. Yet this was not the end, as another artillery barrage began to pound the Bavarian ranks while the Tyroleans reloaded their weapons.


    As for the troops from Vorarlberg, they were stunned by the sight of such destruction. The might in which the Tyroleans possessed was unfathomable, and it was at this moment they remembered that this was merely a third of the forces that Berengar had under hismand. Such an army was more than capable of sweeping across Austria and reiming thend themselves; they felt as if they were merely present to witness the carnage.


    Blood-curdling screams filled the air alongside the thunder as the Tyrolean forces finished reloading before the same series ofmands were ordered. However, at this point, the Bavarianmander could no longer withstand the sight of his troops routing and thus ordered his cavalry to charge.


    The heavily armored knights of Bavaria, alongside mounted men at arms, rushed towards the Tyrolean infantry with anticipation; thus far, none of Berengar''s armies had been defeated inbat, with the cavalry charge, they truly believed they could change the tide of this battle.


    Eckhard immediately noticed the cavalry beginning their attack and gave another order to his soldiers, which was quickly ryed in fashion by the numerous officers and NCOs among their ranks.


    "Square formation!"


    Upon ordering thismand, the soldiers in Eckhard''s army quickly began to form ranks in the form of a hollow square. They did so in rapid speed, proving that they had drilled this formation, time and again throughout the months of their training, to such proficiency that they were capable of doing so under the pressure of pursuing cavalry.


    After forming into squares, with their bays affixed, the Tyrolean infantry waited for the Cavalry approach until they were within 30 yards; only then would they fire for maximum damage. Despite the superior range of their rifled muskets over traditional smoothbore muskets, they still would be the most effective while firing by rank against the approaching cavalry at a close distance.


    While the Tyroleans formed such ranks, the rtively undisciplined Vorarlberg infantry quickly fled the oing cavalry and ran behind the massive squares that had appeared on the battlefield. Confused by the strange formation, the Bavarians charged straight into the line of fire, where after reaching the thirty-yard range, the individualmanders in charge of each formation began to give orders to fire based upon the nearest rank.


    The moment they did so, the destructive power of the .58 caliber lead projectiles in the form of Minie balls shredded through the steel te armor and barding of the knights and their horses, instantly dropping the cavalry bold enough to attack. Some riders survived as their horses fell before them, yet the Tyroleans'' disciplined ranks were unphased, never once breaking formation.


    To break ranks was to face certain death; these were the words their drill instructors had beaten into their heads throughout the many months of training the men had undergone to be fully recognized as soldiers. As such, the Tyroleans stood in their ranks, reloading before firing on the next cavalry attempted Cavalry charge, which was met with equally disastrous results.


    All the while, Eckhard was within the hollow area of the formation alongside several officers; as a man with a sword, his usefulness in this formation was nothing more than being amanding voice. Thus he spat outmands as the cavalry continued to charge at the formation, hoping to break through with superior numbers.


    "Left nk fire!"


    "Right, nk fire!"


    "Center column fire!"


    The veteran field marshal continued to dere his orders. While the men beneath hismand followed them to the letter; before long, the cavalry was eliminated, with those few surviving members having fled the scene during the second attack. They could not believe that their heavily armored knights were useless in the face of the absurd Tyrolean weapons.


    Seeing their knights being broken, the Bavarian forces were filled with trepidation. Yet, their worries were far from resolved, as the artillery brigade continued to batter their ranks, no matter how far they fled. However, suddenly the artillery battery stopped, and for a brief moment, they felt reprieve. That is before they noticed the Tyrolean Cavalry dashing down the hillside and towards their broken ranks!


    Berengar''s rules were simple, so long as an enemy did not surrender, they were fair game and were to be given no quarter, even if they were running with their tail between their legs. Thus, the Tyrolean Cavalry, a mix of Cuirassiers, Demi-Lancers, and Hussars, rushed down the mountainside and into the routing enemies, showing no mercy to the fleeing Bavarians.


    The Bavarian Commander, who had taken part in the initial Bavarian cavalry charge,y on the ground, with his dead horse lying on top of him, slowly crushing his internal organs. He bled from the mouth, yet this was not visible due to the helmet on his head obscuring such a scene.


    The battle was over, and though Eckhard ordered his troops to keep their wits about him, he and members of his line infantry approached the body trapped beneath the horse and lifted the helm from his head, revealing a horrifically scarred appearance of a man who had seen many battles.


    Eckhard gazed at the man with respect before asking him a question.


    "Are you the Bavarian Commander?"


    Struggling to breathe, the Bavarianmander coughed up blood before answering Eckhard


    "Yes..."


    Eckhard felt pity for the man and the situation he was in and, as such, decided to show mercy; thus, he asked the man the final question on his mind.


    "Do you regreting to Austria?"


    The Bavarian Commander chuckled as he gurgled on his blood before spitting it out of his mouth and onto the ground.


    "With every fiber of my being!"


    with that said, Eckhard pulled out his pistol, cocked the hammer, and pulled the trigger, sending a musket ball into themander''s head, giving him a quick death. Afterward, he spoke the words on his mind aloud for all of his men to hear.


    "May God have mercy on his soul..."


    The first battle in K?rnten was an overwhelming Victory for the Tyroleans, and they had drastically cut down the numbers of the Bavarian forces within the region. It would appear that the war for K?rnten would be much smoother than the one in Salzburg.

 Chapter 197: Crushing an Insurgency

    <h4>Chapter 197: Crushing an Insurgency</h4>


    During the past few days, Berengar''s advance into Salzburg had been reduced. With the constant need to send out advanced parties on a series of search and destroy missions for enemy skirmishers, the Tyrolean host was forced to march through Salzburg at a slow but steady pace.


    Because of this, Berengar had be impatient, and it was only due to the constant advice of Arnulf that he did not make a rash action like marching through Salzburg undeterred by the idea of ambush, which would surely result in more casualties than it was worth.


    Thus at the moment, Berengar found himself within the encampment that his army had made in the field, with a significant degree of spare time. His army''s hierarchy was so well implemented that he honestly did not have much to do on the campaign as Commander in Chief, as the officer ss was more than capable of fulfilling their daily duties without his interference.


    Berengar found himself whittling wood for entertainment, and as such, was in the middle of carving a wooden figure which greatly resembled that of his lover Linde. Though his artistic skills werecking, the crude figure disyed the woman''s natural curves in great detail. It was not a bad piece of work, considering his rtively poor art skills.


    It was at this moment that the ps to his tent parted, and Anrulf forcefully entered, seeing that his Lord and Commander was in the process of making a wood statue of what appeared to be a full-figured woman, Arnulf wisely chose not to question it, and instead reported the news that he had received.


    "Your excellency, I have a report to make."


    Berengar did not bother cing down the wooden figure that he was still in the process of carving. Instead, he continued to do so while listening to Arnulf''s words. As such, he nonchntly approved Arnulf''s request to inform him of the matters at hand.


    "Go ahead..."


    Seeing that Berengar was more interested in his sculpture than the important news he had to share, Arnulf quickly sighed before starting the report with a phrase that would be sure to grab Berengar''s attention.


    "We have gained some viable intelligence from the captives!"


    Hearing this news, Berengar''s ears perked up, and he immediately stopped his activity. Instead, he ced the half-finished wooden sculpture on the stand next to him and the knife with it before shifting his full attention to Arnulf, where he responded to this news with a great deal of curiosity.


    "Go on..."


    Seeing that Berengar''s interest was fully captured, Arnulf smiled before fulfilling the rest of his report; as such, he ced the map in his hand down onto a nearby table in Berengar''s tent and spread it out where it disyed several marks on specific positions in the nearby hills and forests.


    "These are the locations of the enemy Ambushes within the nearby area; our scouts have determined the information to be urate!"


    Hearing this news, Berengar quickly got up from his seat, where he proceeded to the table where the map was disyed and carefully observed it, with a broad smile on his face. Now that he knew the enemy positions, he could easily bombard them with the overwhelming firepower of his 140 cannons.


    After seeing this information, Berengar quickly gave his orders to Arnulf for the army to fulfill. He pointed at the different locations and ordered a bold attack on them.


    "Move an artillery battalion to each of these positions, supported by a battalion of infantry. I want these damned skirmishers sufficiently bombarded before we surround them with our line infantry! Only after they have suffered the barrage of our shells will our infantry move in and mop of what remains of them!"


    Hearing Berengar''s orders, Arnulf quickly saluted the man by pounding his breastte with his fist.


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Afterward, the General left the tent and quickly got the orders into action. Though Berengar wanted to participate in the operation, he was forced to stay behind with the primary host. As such, he sighed heavily before pouring himself a chalice of beer. Where he quickly drained its contents.


    As for the operation itself, the Tyrolean forces who were ordered to partake in the attack quickly moved off to their positions; the amount of firepower Berengar had ordered to bring down upon the skirmishers was overkill. Yet, Berengar wanted to put the fear of God in the Bavarians, and what better way than to massacre their forces which lie in wait for his army.


    As such, the locations that the skirmishers hid were quickly surrounded by Berengar''s artillery and infantry. At all four areas, there were hundreds if not thousands of Bavarian ambushers gathered, hiding, and waiting for the main Tyrolean force to pass by so that they could converge on the enemy and surprise them with a rapid assault.


    Unfortunately for the Bavarians, they had been betrayed by the captives, and thus without realizing it quickly came under the assault of artillery, whose roars echoed in the air like the thunder of God. The explosive shellsnded upon the position of the Bavarian skirmishers exploding upon impact and sending shrapnel throughout the air.


    The 12 lb steel ball, which was utilized as the host of the explosive, contained enough shrapnel to gravely wound or even kill those unfortunate to be caught in its range. The shards of steel were flying out at such speed that they were fully capable of prating through the less solid armor like brigandine. As for the full te armor, it was partially resistant to the shrapnel. However, the explosive st itself was more than capable of killing the men caught within its lethal range.


    Most of the men at arms of the Bavarian army were not fully equipped in te armor, maybe a breastte and a helmet, but there were plenty of gaps in their armor, and as such, the shrapnel easily pierced through those gaps and into the flesh of the men unfortunate enough to be hit by it.


    The bombardment did not stop with a single volley. The men who had survived the initial onught only had roughly half a minute to get their thoughts in order before another volley was fired from the 18 field guns present at each location. Thunder echoed in the air, and what immediately followed was death and destruction.


    The Bavarian men at arms wept and wailed as theirrades were sted apart, and the artillery fire sufficiently injured them. Yet despite their attempts to rally forth and advance on their attackers, 18 shells repeatedly bombarded their location every 30 seconds like clockwork.


    Corpses littered the forests and hills where the Bavarians had gathered, blood pooled into a small pond, and limbs were scattered across the area. The armor the Bavarians wore was scrapped and hewn across thend, along with the bodies that equipped it. Shields, swords, and spears were cast aside and mangled by the explosive st of the 12-pound shells which bombarded the area.


    It was as if death himself had descended on thend. Unfortunately, for those lucky enough to escape the bombardment, they quickly realized they were surrounded as they walked right into the musket fire of the Tyrolean forces. Their brief moment of hope for survival was met with a lead projectile piercing through their breasttes and leaving a massive hole in their chests.


    With the first wave of Bavarians utterly decimated by the artillery bombardment, and the second gunned down by the muskets, the Tyroleans rapidly reloaded their weapons as more men desperately tried to escape the encirclement.


    However, their fates were sealed the moment their locations were revealed to the Tyroleans. Though the artillery bombardment continued to focus on the center of the encirclement, sting apart those unfortunate enough to get caught within its shockwave. The majority of the Bavarians had now rushed out of the forests and hills they upied and into the Tyrolean infantry, who were well prepared for their attacks.


    In doing so, another volley was fired from the line infantry, which shredded the bodies of the men at arms, equipped chiefly with melee weapons, the few archers in their ranks who were still alive had opted to stay from afarunch their missiles into the Tyrolean forces. However, it was far less effective than they had imagined.


    Only a tiny number of Tyroleans were killed and wounded by the arrows and bolts that fell in their direction. The rest unleashed their bays on the men at arms, who rushed to their positions in a desperate attempt to break through and flee the scene. Yet the Tyroleans were well prepared for such a reality, and thus the bays thrust into the gaps in the enemy''s armor, piercing the limbs and bodies of the Bavarians and spilling their blood and guts onto the field.


    This chaotic scene of absolute brutality showed itself throughout the four regions that harbored the Bavarian units. No man could escape the encirclement that the Tyroleans had captured them in. As for the Archers, they were quickly picked off by the Jaegers who stayed in the distance of over five hundred yards and expertly shot their foes with their hexagonal bullets, piercing through the brigandine and gambeson of the Bavarian archers and crossbowman.


    With this assault, the Tyroleans had single-handedly brought down the threat that loomed over their heads for the past few days, one that had slowed their advance. The course of the war for Salzburg had shifted in a matter of hours, and those who were fortunate enough to survive the carnage found themselves captured and interrogated for information.


    With the insurgency crushed and his supply lines secured, Berengar could once more swiftly march onto Salzburg and meet the main Bavarian force preparing for his eventual arrival. The war for the County of Salzburg would be decided in arge-scale battle between roughly 20,000 Tyroleans and 5,000 Bavarians. Berengar was sure that the conflict would be a one-sided massacre.


    Berengar''s army was already of considerable size for the era, far more than a Count like himself should have. On the other hand, the Duke of Bavaria had paid a significant expense in raising such arge army of his own to march on Austria; it had a fair amount of levies, mercenaries, and men at arms among its ranks.


    In total, the Bavarians had roughly 50,000 men in the region at the start of the conflict. With Berengar''s and Eckhard''s multiple victories, both at the border conflicts and in their ongoing invasions, the Bavarians now had had less than half of that remaining. Salzburg was considered an area of critical importance, and thus Duke Dietger had invested a fair amount of troops into the region; most of them were now either dead or captured.


    Thus Battle of Salzburg was a fight that Berengar was greatly anticipating. For if he could disy his overwhelming might in Salzburg, it might intimidate the future Bavarian armies to surrender at the sight of his forces. At least he hoped for such an oue, though he recognized the possibility of such a thing was slim. Nevertheless, he intended to wipe the floor with the Bavarian army waiting for him at his destination.

 Chapter 198: An Unexpected Welcome

    <h4>Chapter 198: An Unexpected Wee</h4>


    With the skirmishers defeated, Berengar and his army were once more on the march, and it did not take them long to arrive at the city of Salzburg. However, when they arrived, they noticed that the Bavarian forces had already fled the scene, there was not a single sight of an ongoing siege effort, and the camp they left behind appeared as if it was quickly abandoned.


    Berengar was quite disappointed at the sight, seeing how he wanted to crush the Bavarian army and spread fear among their ranks. However, it would appear that they were already greatly intimidated, and as such, had fled the region in its entirety, leaving it in the hands of the Austrians.


    Though Berengar had wanted to pursue the retreating Bavarians, he also had business to discuss with Wolfgang''s little brother. The man had valiantly defended Salzburg to the best of his efforts, and such Berengar approached the city gates with his guards. The banners of House Von Kufstein were flying behind him as he neared his destination.


    When the city garrison noticed the massive army approach their gates, they were filled with trepidation; however, when they noticed the friendly banners that the approaching forces flew, their concern rapidly dwindled. As Berengar approached the gates, they were opened for his arrival, where he was greeted upon entry by the garrison''smander.


    "Count Berengar, we were not expecting your arrival; I now understand why the Bavarians so rapidly abandoned the siege against such overwhelming numbers; it is no surprise that they would flee for their lives!"


    Berengar smiled as he returned thepliment.


    "Even if I were not on my way to aid you, I feel as if the brave men of Salzburg would be capable of repelling the enemy forces. Tell me, is it possible for me to meet with Adelbrand? I have much to discuss with the man."


    Seeing that the Count of Tyrol was here on urgent business, themander of the garrison dared not to hold him any longer and swiftly led Berengar to the Castle where he and his men entered its gates and proceeded to the great hall where Adelbrand, Wolfgang''s little brother was currently acting as the authority within the region.


    The man was not expecting Berengar''s arrival. However, the moment he saw Berengar''s charming appearance, he knew then and there why the Bavarians had so suddenly fled the area. How could such a small forcepare to the might of Berengar and his Grand Tyrolean Army? As such, he extended his hand in greeting to Berengar as the two noblemen quickly approached one another.


    "Count Berengar, I must say I am d to see your appearance; I was beginning to fear you that you had decided to stay within your domain and wait out this war."


    Berengar smiled as he heard such a remark and responded with a well-crafted statement.


    "Unfortunately for the Bavarians, I decided to use my defenses to buy some time so that I could draft arge army, capable of fully annihting the enemy and driving them out of ournds!"


    Hearing this, Adelbrand immediately understood why Berengar had stayed out of the conflict for so many months; in the long term, such a strategy was bound to be sessful, though he had no idea how vast of an Army Berengar had produced during this timeframe. As such, he immediately questioned Berengar on the size of his forces.


    "Tell me, your excellency, just howrge of an Army are we talking about here?"


    Upon hearing this question, Berengar''s lips curved into a smug grin where he proimed the size of his army with forced humility.


    "Oh, not much, only 30,000 men."


    Adelbrand nodded his head and responded to Berengar


    "30,000 men, not much indeed... wait a second, you have thirty thousand soldiers!"


    The young nobleman was quite shocked by this figure, such arge army was something a Duchy or even a Kingdom could draft, but he had never heard of a County having such arge army before. Maybe Lothar, but that was because he had spent a vast fortune acquiring many mercenaries. Upon seeing the man''s expression Berengar of course, smiled at him and nodded his head before exining his n.


    "I have sent 10,000 of them with my Field Marshal Eckhard into K?rnten where he alongside the Count of Vorarlberg will regroup with Count Otto of Steiermark and forcefully seize the region. Afterward, we will march upon Upper and Lower Austria, where we will forcefully drive the remaining Bavarians out of ournds!"


    Adelbrand could hardly believe Berengar''s words, and then he came to a sudden realization which he was pretty fearful to ask. Nevertheless, he summoned his courage and spoke his mind.


    "So that means you have 20,000 men sitting outside of my city right now?"


    Berengar nodded his head in response to this question, and Adelbrand instantly felt his knees give out from under him; he slowly staggered over to his seat, where he sat down. He was incredibly thankful to God that Berengar was on his side, for he could never resist such a massive army.


    Berengar, however, wanted to switch the conversation from talks about his battle ns to his long-term political goals and, as such, immediately altered the course of the conversation.


    "So, Adelbrand, I have met your brother Wolfgang..."


    Adelbrand instantly became enraged at the mention of his brother; his eyes contained the fury of his soul, and he began to grit his teeth in anger. As such, he quietly snarled before putting on a pleasant facade and asking Berengar about his encounter with the fool.


    "Tell me, what is your opinion of my dearest brother?"


    Seeing the forced expression on Adelbrand''s face, Berengar struggled to contain hisughter; ultimately, he decided to stride back and forth in front of the man before telling him the truth.


    "Honestly, he is an imbecile and a coward. I am much more impressed with your actions to defend yournds. Albeit leaving the people to their fate was not the best idea, but I know you could not contend with the Bavarians in the field, and thus your actions were the best of a bad situation. If you had met them in the field, you would have been soundly defeated, and Salzburg would have truly fallen to the enemy."


    Seeing the pained expression on Berengar''s face, Adelbrand instantly began to fear the results of his actions and thus asked Berengar about what had happened in the County while he and the other Lords of the realm hid behind theirrge stone walls.


    "How bad is it?"


    Berengar clicked his tongue before responding.


    "Tsk... Most of the viges I havee across were massacred and burnt to the ground; not even the fields or livestock were spared..."


    Adelbrand immediately felt great remorse for this fact and mmed his fist upon the armrest of his seat of power while clenching his teeth. He could not believe the Bavarians would be so cruel as to do such a thing. Thus he cried out at the top of his lungs!


    "Those bastards!"


    There was not much the man could do to calm his nerves, but releasing his pent-up anxiety through violent expression was the best he could manage. Seeing the man''s twisted guise, Berengar knew that Adelbrand was a man who cared more about hisnd and the people in it than Wolfgang. Thus he was more likely to favor Berengar''s reforms, and as such, Berengar wanted him as an ally. Aftering to such a realization Berengar quickly proposed a n that would benefit both of them.


    "It is not your fault, the majority of your father''s forces were lost in Passau, and your brother hid with the remainder of your elite units in Steiermark. You were left with a bunch of levies and greenhorns to protect yournds. You did your best to protect the cities and the fortresses of your territory. If anyone should be med for this disaster, it is your brother Wolfgang!"


    Hearing Berengar shift the me for the disaster that had befallen Salzburg onto his brother made Adelbrand more amicable to the words that came next; as such, he perked up his ears and listened to Berengar''s plot.


    "Go on..."


    Berengar smiled wickedly when he realized that he had gained the man''s attention, and thus he dered his intent.


    "I have been named Regent of Duke Conrad of Austria, when we have retaken thesends, I will hold your older brother responsible for the events that have transpired here in Salzburg and will proim him as having failed to fulfill his vassal duties. I will strip him of his title and hand it over to you."


    Adelbrand was shocked by this information, he was unaware that a government in exile had been set up in Kufstein, but hearing it brought him a sense of hope for the future. If he could seed histe father, instead of his foolish and ipetent older brother, then maybe he could restore Salzburg to its former state. However, he knew such a thing would note without a price, and thus he inquired about Berengar''s intentions.


    "And what pray tell, do you receive from such a thing?"


    Berengar once more smiled as he heard the man take the bait and thus borated further on his ns for the future.


    "Well, for starters, I get apetent subordinate, but more importantly, I will need your support at ater date. In the uing years, I have many reforms in mind to help establish Austria as a serious power, and with that in mind, I will need a man of your position to back them without question. So long as you support my future endeavors, the position of Count of Salzburg will be yours..."


    Adelbrand thought deeply on the matter for a few moments; however, ultimately, he agreed to Berengar''s request, and thus shook his hand, sealing the deal.


    "Alright, I will agree to your conditions. Whatever you need from me, you shall have it!"


    Hearing the man ept his terms caused Berengar to grin with anticipation; soon enough, Austria would be his, and he could then focus on unifying the German Empire! Everything was going ording to his ns.

 Chapter 199: Victory in K?rnten

    <h4>Chapter 199: Victory in K?rnten</h4>


    After establishing an alliance with Adelbrand von Salzburg, Berengar pursued the remnants of the Bavarian forces that remained within the County of Salzburg. It took him a span of two weeks to thoroughly mop up the Bavarian remnants before he wasplete with his conquest of the region.


    During this time, Eckhard had engaged in various small-scale battles against the Bavarian forces, who until now had upied the County of K?rnten. Much like in Salzburg, the Bavarians were quickly crushed; however, since Salzburg was cut off, they had nowhere to retreat. The Bavarian''s only option was to hide behind the stone walls of the central city in the region, which was genfurt.


    Thus Eckhard had pursued them and was now in the position of setting up a siege camp outside of the city. Much like Berengar had done during thetter days of his campaign in Tyrol, a trench line that was supported with barbed wire and sandbags surrounded the encampment. The 70 cannons were ced within them and continued to batter several critical sections of therge stone walls.


    One hundred forty shells pounded the stone walls of the city of genfurt every minute, rapidly deteriorating their condition. At the current rate of fire, it would be less than 24 hours before the City walls crumbled, leaving the defending Bavarians open to the musket fire of the Tyrolean forces. Thus Eckhard was watching from afar as the stone walls were chipped at one shell at a time.


    The Tyroleans stayed in the trenches, providing them with superior protection as they waited for the enemy walls to crumble down. Minute after minute, hour after hour, the repeated shelling of the city echoed in the distance, and the soldiers observed the sight of stones splitting apart from the walls in and outside of the city.


    Eckhard was enjoying a ss of tea in hismand tent when he finally heard the loud crumbling of the walls; as such, he quickly finished his serving before cing his helmet on his head and entering the fray. Outside of the city, with the walls having crumbled in six major sections on all sides of the town, the Tyroleans and their allies had marched over the trench line and into the battle as they began to chant their warcry which echoed through the air.


    "God with us! God with us! God with us!"


    The Tyrolean army shouted the phrase repeatedly as if they were in a mad trance; even their allies began to join in after a while. The sight of roughly 25,000 men outside the city walls, chanting the battle cry in unison frightened the Bavarian defenders to the core. However, they knew now that there was no retreat; they either defended the city or died in the process; those were their only two options.


    As such, the battle had begun, and the Tyroleans unleashed musket fire on the defending lines that stood at the gaps in between the city walls. After a few volleys, the Tyroleans fixed their bays and allowed the Vorarlberg and Steiermark forces to charge into the fray. For now, the Tyroleans would have to focus on the defenders atop the ramparts.


    The siege quickly became chaotic as the Austrian army forced their way into the gaps of the city walls and over the blood-stained corpses of the men who had fallen victim to the musket fire. Medieval forces shed among each other as the Austrian soldiers valiantly fought to reim the city of genfurt from the Bavarian upiers.


    Eckhard gazed from afar with his spyss as he saw the heavily armored Steiermark infantry act as the vanguard, the courageous men pushed their way into the fray and began to use their blunt and ded weapons to sh and hack at their foes in a gruesome disy of violence.


    Count Otto personally led the charge wielding a Warhammer in his hand, which he used to smash against the helmet of a nearby opponent; the deadly blow crunched the steel helmet beneath it and fractured the opponents'' skull leaving him dead on the spot.


    On the other side of the city was Cout Audegar, who wielded a longsword. The two Counts valiantly led their forces into battle from opposite directions as they cut away at the Bavarian points dwelled within the city. Audegar parried and oing sword thrust before adeptly counter-attacking with a lunge through the opponent''s mail aventail, piercing the man''s throat and ending his life.


    The chaotic scene of the ongoing siege was caught by Eckhard''s spyss, who grinned at the sight. Soon enough, victory would be theirs. As for the Tyrolean forces they managed to stay back from the front lines and repeatedly fired their shots towards the enemies in the ramparts above whenever an opportunity presented itself. Any Bavarian who was foolish enough to poke his head over the merlons was quickly gunned down.


    Eventually, the Bavarians were overwhelmed by the onught and pushed further and further into the city. The Austrians had now secured the gates of the city, as well as the walls beside them. With that in mind, Eckhard ordered the Tyrolean infantry to barge into the city. Now was the time for the Tyrolean line Infantry and Grenadiers to shine.


    As such, the Tyrolean infantry rushed into the city, forming firing lines, and gunning down the fleeing Bavarians who desperately dashed to the center of the city in hope of some kind of reinforcement. The volleys rapidly shot down the Bavarian soldiers, and their bodies were cast aside in the street, bleeding out onto the roads.


    Eckhard had personally entered the fray, marching into the city like a conquering General; the veteran Field Marshal had an aura of authority around him that was second only to Berengar''s. Yet the young Count was not present at this battle, and thus it was Eckhard''s charisma that carried the Austrian forces to victory.


    As the Bavarians fled closer and closer to the center of the city, they were finally surrounded by the Austrians on all sides; if the Tyroleans desired, they could unleash a volley from 360 degrees and annihte the enemy. However, Eckhard smelled a chance for profit and quickly ordered his troops as he entered the scene.


    "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!"


    Seeing that the Austrians had held their position but could ughter them at any moment, the Bavarian Commander called out to the man who had given the orders.


    "Are you the leader of this army?"


    Eckhard merely nodded at the Commander as he held his sword within his hand.


    "I advise you to surrender; it would be pointless to lose any more of your men in this vein struggle of yours!"


    The enemymander merely opened up the visor of his helmet and spat on the ground.


    "You are nothing more than a minion of Berengar the ursed that makes you a servant of the devil!"


    Hearing these words, Eckhard frowned; it would appear that the enemymander was a pious man who took his orders from the Pope. The new Pope had dered that anyone who surrenders to a Heretic shall be doomed to eternal damnation. To a true believer like the enemymander, he would rather die than risk his soul by surrendering to those he perceived to be Heretics.


    Seeing that the man was not going to surrender, Eckhard merely sighed before giving a dreadful order to his soldiers who had gathered around the Bavarians with their muskets pointed in the direction.


    "Open fire!"


    with that, a volley was fired from all angles, shredding apart the remaining Bavarian troops. Not a single member of the defending army had survived the siege. Seeing such pointless death, Eckhard could not prevent himself fromining.


    "Pious fool! I hope you burn for eternity for leading your men to such a cruel fate!"


    As for Otto and Audegar, who witnessed the ruthless execution of the surviving Bavarians, they felt no pity. These men had invaded theirnds and set the Duchy ame; death was well deserved in their eyes; Otto approached Eckhard and sped the man on the soldier.


    "You gave them a chance; that is all that matters. They got off lightly for what they have done to thesends..."


    Eckhard merely shrugged theforting hand aside as he looked into the sky and off into the direction of Bavaria. He knew that after Austria had been reimed, Bavaria would be Berengar''s next target; soon enough, justice would be brought against the enemies of Austria. As for how it was handled, Eckhard could only guess what Berengar would do to the Bavarians after he conquered them.


    The siege of genfurt was over, and K?rnten, for the most part, was secured; several weeks had passed since the beginning of their campaign, and many lives were lost, precisely that of the Bavarians. Now Eckhard would leave behind a garrison to control thesends and march into Steiermark, where he would march through the safety of its grounds and into Upper Austria. As for Berengar, he and his massive army would march on Vienna and route out Duke Dietger and end his upation of Austria once and for all.

 Chapter 200: Assassinating an Enemy General

    <h4>Chapter 200: Assassinating an Enemy General</h4>


    During Berengar and Eckhard''s dual advancement upon the upied regions of the Duchy of Austria, Linde had set Berengar''s spywork to task with assassination and sabotage once more. At the moment, the same young female agent who had assassinated the Garrisonmander at Meran was currently operating within the City of Vienna; she was just one of Berengar''s many agents stationed within the Capital of the Duchy.


    She had recently received a coded message that imed Berengar had been sessful in his campaign for Salzburg and would soon be marching his massive army into Lower Austria and, by extension, the City of Vienna. As such, she had been tasked by Linde to make preparations for his arrival.


    At the moment, the young and beautiful agent was clutching onto the concealed handgun in her pocket, which was a pepperbox revolver. The device could fire seven shots in a short period and would be instrumental to her ns.


    The woman was currently dressed as amon man, with her breasts bound by cloth to hide their size. She wore a hood over her head and had wrapped her long hair around her face tying it so that it looked like a beard at first nce.


    Her task was a simple assassination; Since the sessful capture of Vienna, Duke Dietger had returned to Northern Bavaria to fight against the House of Luxembourg and their allies in the North. In doing so, he has left a promising General in his stead; she was targeting his lead General, who at the moment was taking a walk through the city. As she approached the man from afar, she began to overhear the General conversing with another nobleman.


    "Count Siegmund has been cleared of all suspicion; it has been revealed that Count Berengar of Tyrol had smuggled the Habsburg boy into his territory. The foolish child has dered himself the rightful Duke of Austria and has ced Count Berengar as his Regent.


    The General talked to the Nobleman immediately scoffed as he heard such news and proudly dered his opinion.


    "Count Berengar? Berengar the ursed, as the Catholics call him, the Reformists refer to him as Berengar the Indomitable or Berengar the Conqueror; he has many nicknames. One thing is sure he remains undefeated in battle and has arge army.


    Out of all the men sent to Salzburg, 5,000 men are the only ones to return from the region alive, even less from K?rnten. They say he alone has an army of 30,000 men at his back; you are renowned for being an able strategist. Tell me how this is remotely possible?"


    The General sighed heavily before revealing his thoughts on the matter; it was something that he had thought about a great deal as the war continued to wage.


    "Berengar had roughly 15,000 men in his field army when we first invaded Austria; this is not including the garrisons that he has fortified with hundreds of men each. In a few months, he has raised an extra 15,000 doubling his armies. He has a significant amount of wealth and heaven-defying industrial capabilities. As such, he can outfit every one of those men with proper equipment.


    On top of this, his forces utilize some revolutionary form of hand cannon, which no surviving examples have been recovered; as such, we don''t know how they function or how effective they are. By equipping his soldiers entirely with these weapons, he must have created a revolutionary set of tactics for them to work correctly. Thus there is no natural way of knowing how to counter them without trial and error. It is no wonder he continues to thwart our best efforts to stop his advance.


    If the rumors are true about the might his army possesses, then invading Austria was a mistake; in my humble opinion, we should retreat to Bavaria until we can learn how to counter the advanced weapons and tactics he uses in his army. Yet, his grace Duke Dietger is determined to hold onto thisnd. Thus we have no choice but to defend it with our lives."


    The General was greatly troubled by Berengar''s rapid conquest of the Duchy; he had conquered critical areas and was now marching on the capital, as for the most southern Counties of Austria, the Bavarians had yet to make much progress in their upation and had forced their troops to withdraw towards Vienna to face off against Berengar''s incursion with their full might.


    The female agent pretended like she was sweeping a nearby floor and listened intently to the conversation; if she could kill this General, the Bavarian forces in Austria would greatly suffer, and the reconquest of the region would be significantly affected. Thus she continued to act normal as the two Bavarian noblemen carried on their conversation, with the other Nobleman stating his opinions on the matter.


    "We can''t withdraw, but we also do not have enough men to defend Upper Austria; if I were you, I would pull out of the region and focus on defending Vienna; hopefully, with these walls as our support, we can defend the region well enough."


    The General, however, sighed and shook his head.


    "The longer Berengar''s armies are split, the better chance we have to defend our territory. If the other 25,000 men from his forces and that of his allies regroup with him, we will be facing an army of roughly 45,000 men; by then, we will have no chance to defend the city. We will make our final stand here in Vienna, and if we fail... well, then hopefully, Dietger can learn from our mistakes and use the knowledge gained from this catastrophe to further defend against Berengar and his army in the future."


    The two men sighed in defeat, fully realizing that they were not able to fulfill the orders they were given; if the opportunity presented itself, they would dly surrender and be ransomed back to Bavaria, for now, all they could do was wait, for Berengar''s arrival, and prepare for the best of their ability.


    Unfortunately for the two noblemen, there was an assassin in the midst, and they had no idea that their conversation was being overheard. The female agent no longer desired to hear the conversation as it began to shift to banter; as such, she checked her pepperbox revolver to make sure it was loaded correctly and drew the hammer back before approaching the two men.


    Before they had time to react, the spy pulled the revolver out of her pocket, pointed it square nk at the General and the Nobleman''s chests, and fired two shots rapidly into their breasttes. They could not even withdraw their swords before their hearts had been pierced by the lead balls contained within the revolver.


    Now that the sound of gunfire was overheard, The woman fled into the distance, leaving the two men to bleed out on the street corner with a look of shock in their eyes. Until now, they had no idea that Berengar still had spies in the city.


    Thest thoughts on the General''s mind as his consciousness faded into the eternal abyss was one of deep regret; though it was brief, he had finally witnessed the exchange of one of Berengar''s weapons. Unfortunately, he would be dead before he could report the information to Duke Dietger, and as such, shame was the only thing he felt right before he died.


    As for the Agent, she swiftly left the scene, where she untied her hair around her face and changed her attire into something more feminine. Not a single soul expected a woman was the one who had assassinated the General, and thus she was spared the pain of relocating once more. Instead, she would continue in her efforts to Sabotage the Bavarians in theing days as Berengar slowly approached the Capital of Austria.


    For now, she wrote a coded message and sent it off with a carrier pigeon, where it would travel to Kufstein, and inform Linde that the operation was a sess, the General and one of hismanders were dead, leaving Vienna in a power vacuum, as at the moment the various Bavarianmanders within the city would now be preupied with fighting among themselves for a position fo control.


    With this one action, this spy had brought down the stability of the Bavarian''s defense in Vienna; whoever seeded the General in takingmand would surely not be as promising a talent, and as such, would most likely ruin the security��allowing Berengar an easier time in reconquering the capital. As for the towns, cities, and Castles in upper Austria, they too were undergoing events of sabotage which greatly infuriated the Bavarian soldiers upying the regions, and lowered their morale.


    Berengar had long used his intelligence agents as both an offensive weapon, and a defensive shield. His ruthlessness in targeting key personnel for assassination and the sabotage of critical resources was one of his ways of iming an advantage over his opponents. Unfortunately for them, Austria had long since been trapped in his web of intrigue. Thus he was always in a position of control during his campaign. This massive advantage was all thanks to the efforts of Linde, for if Berengar had to micromanage his Spwork himself, it would not nearly be this sophisticated.

 Chapter 201: Causing Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 201: Causing Trouble</h4>


    While Berengar was preparing to invade Lower Austria and march on Vienna, Linde was back in Kufstein looking after the family, including herself, Henrietta, and Hans. She was also keeping a close eye on Conrad, who had begun to act out; the longer the war went on, the more impatient the boy became.


    At the moment, Conrad, Henrietta, and Linde were sitting at the dining table enjoying breakfast. As an act of disrespect to Berengar and to assert his authority while the man was away, Conrad sat in Berengar''s spot next to Linde, which caused the woman tosh out at the youth instantly.


    "Conrad, that seat is reserved for the head of this household and belongs to the Count of Tyrol! You should show some respect to people''s positions and sit elsewhere!"


    Despite Linde''s protests, Conrad responded with a sharp tongue as he verbally attacked Linde in an attempt to shut her up.


    "If this seat is reserved for the Count of Tyrol, then the seat you are seated in should be reserved for the Countess. Tell me, are you the Countess of Tyrol? Or are you merely the Count''s mistress?"


    At this point, Linde was outright furious at Conrad''s behavior and stood up from her seat before pping him across the face. The moment she did so, Conrad stared at her in disbelief before attempting to protest.


    "What do you think you are-"


    However, before he could finish his statement, Linde had pped him once again. The moment she did so, Conrad raised from his seat with his fists curled and yelled at Linde,


    "I am the Duke!"


    The strawberry-blonde-haired youthful beauty with the appearance of a goddess merely smirked smugly at Conrad before chastising him.


    "Then act like one!"


    This statement irritated Conrad''s nerves, and he raised his hand in an attempt to strike Linde for her actions, yet there was no fear in her eyes. Instead, a steel-d handtched ahold of Conrad''s arm, preventing him from swinging his fist.


    The boy quickly looked over and noticed a tall and strong man ring at him with his denim blue eyes. The man had a musket slung around his shoulder and wore a ckened steel three-quarters te armor set, with a german style three ridge burg. He was one of Berengar''s house guards and was tasked with protecting the young Count''s family from any potential harm.


    Thus the moment Conrad took an aggressive stance, the guard acted and approached the young Duke before he could pounce on the woman. The boy who would be Duke nearly wet his pants when he gazed into the fierce eyes of the house guard, who tightly clenched onto his wrist. The guard spoke in a stern tone as he began to lecture the boy.


    "Your Grace, her excellency is correct. That seat belongs to Count Berengar, and you would do well to remember that..."


    After being lectured so thoroughly by the intimidating guard, Conrad lowered his head and clicked his tongue before leaving the table and storming off to the quarter''s he was provided. After he was out of earshot, the guard looked over to Linde and fulfilled his duty by inquiring about her condition.


    "Are you okay, My Lady?"


    Linde smiled gracefully and nodded before responding to the man who hade to her aid.


    "Yes, thank you for your assistance."


    the guard smiled and bowed respectfully to Linde


    "I am merely fulfilling my duty."


    With that said, he returned to his post and began to watch over Linde and Henrietta as they continued their meal. Conrad would have to go hungry for the time being. Conrad, had ran off to his room, and on the way there, he walked past a door that had two armed guards in front of it. Many rooms in this castle were off-limit to the boy Duke, as Berengar did not want him messing around with his stuff.


    This room, in particr, was Hans''s room, where the infant child was protected around the clock by Berengar''s most elite guards. Thinking about Berengar and Linde''s bastard child, Hans muttered under his breath.


    "This asshole has Ad as his fiancee, and yet he so tantly allows that woman to upy her seat; what an ass! If I were engaged to Ad, I would treat her far better!"


    Though he said it quietly, his words did not go unnoticed by the guards. They took note of Conrad''s discontent. Such hostility towards their Lord and Lady needed to be taken seriously, and they wouldter report Conrad''s outburst to the Commander of the house guard when they were relievedter in the day.


    As for Conrad, he returned to his room for a while, though eventually, he left the confines of his quarters and entered the Great Hall, where he gazed from afar at Linde and a Byzantine Nobleman discussing business with one another.


    It was not Arethas who had arrived this time, but a man under his employ who represented his interests in Berengar''s current trade agreements. This man was named Andronikos, and he was responsible for making sure the shipments of silk arrived in Kufstein within the agreed period. Thus, he was epting payment from Linde, whose servants carried arge chest out for him to inspect.


    Andronikos made small talk with Linde as his servants inspected the supplied amount of silver coins to ensure that it reached the formal agreement.


    "Tell your husband that my liege looks forward to doing business with all of Austria after he returns from this war. The Empire greatly values its trade agreements with the Count of Tyrol."


    Linde smiled gratefully at Andronikos''pliments before responding on her own


    "I will be sure to inform him!"


    however, shortly after saying that, Conrad approached the scene and interrupted, resulting in Linde''s menacing re.


    "Why wait for Berengar to return? I am the Duke of Austria; if you want to discuss trade agreements within mynd, you can do it with me!"


    Andronikos looked over at the boy and closely observed him beforeing to a decision. He quickly snubbed Conrad and returned his attention to Linde.


    "As I was saying, my Liege greatly appreciates the business between Tyrol and the Empire; your husband should visit Constantinople when he gets the chance."


    Outraged that he had been overlooked, Conrad quickly revealed Linde''s status in the household in a fit of fury. Surely this would embarrass the woman, he thought to himself before speaking his piece.


    "Linde is not Berengar''s wife; she is merely his mistress. She does not hold such a valuable position, and you should not be conducting trade with a woman of her status!"


    Andronikos was shocked by this news, though neither Berengar nor Linde had outright said they were married; they also never denied the charge, thus questioning Linde on this reality.


    "Is what the boy says true?"


    Rather than be embarrassed about the truth or outraged by the usation, as Conrad had expected, Linde put on a smile and acted with perfect grace. She bowed respectfully to the Byzantine nobleman as she offered her apologies for misleading him.


    "I apologize if there is a misunderstanding; while it is true that I am not Berengar''s legal wife, and he is engaged to another woman, I do consider myself his wife in a deeply spiritual sense. Thus I never corrected you or your liege when referred to as his wife..."


    Conrad was shocked by Linde''s behavior, it wentpletely against the n he had in mind to get revenge on her for pping him twice this morning, and instead, Andronikos merely chuckled lightly at Linde''s response before addressing her.


    "Then Berengar is a lucky man to have a woman such as yourself so dedicated to him, despite not being hiswful wife; it is truly inspiring! Well, regardless of your actual position in the household, I will not look down on you; after all, you have been tasked by Berengar to oversee the matter of our trade while he is away and you have proven yourself rtivelypetent in that regard."


    A gorgeous smile spread across Linde''s immacte lips as she thanked the man for thepliment.


    "I appreciate it; I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your understanding!"


    After the Byzantine servants had confirmed that the proper amount was in the chest, Andronikos bid farewell to Linde whilepletely ignoring Conrad.


    "Well, your excellency, I must bid you farewell, it is a long journey back to the Empire, and I have to prepare the next shipment!"


    Linde nodded and smiled as she led the man to the entrance of the Castle.


    "I will pray for your safe travels! Tell your liege when you see him that we greatly appreciate the business and will continue to invest in the Empire!"


    After hearing this, Andronikos smiled and left the Castle. As for Linde, the moment the doors were shut, she approached Conrad with a chilling smile before lecturing him.


    "When I am speaking to guests with matters of importance, you would be wise to be a good little boy and stay far away from matters of the State. Do you understand?"


    Conrad did not know why but he felt his spine tingle when he saw such a frightening yet, beautiful smile. He immediately became wary of Linde; the boy''s impression of the young woman immediately changed from a brainless bimbo to a dangerous femme fatale. He thus became frightened of Berengar''s lover and understood deeply that he should not provoke her in the future.


    Thus all he could do was bow his head to the terrifying presence in front of him and return to his room in shame. Linde, on the other hand, had been significantly perturbed by the boy''s actions and nned to poison him ahead of time; she refused to allow this brat to live a second longer than necessary. After all his antics had already be tiresome, she could not imagine living with such things for another three years.

 Chapter 202: Troubles at the Byzantine Court

    <h4>Chapter 202: Troubles at the Byzantine Court</h4>


    While Berengar was fighting in Austria, events that would impact Berengar''s future were urring on the other side of the Christian World. In the east within the ancient city of Constantinople, Arethas Maniakes was kneeling within the Royal Pce before the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. He was questioning the man about a particr area of interest.


    Emperor Vetranis Piologos was the current Emperor of the Byzantine Empire; his ancestors had ruled over the Eastern Roman Empire for over a hundred years. He was in his early forties and already had a gray head of hair with a matching beard. The stress of overseeing the war with the Mamluke Sultanate, which reached a stalemate, had aged him drastically these past ten years.


    However, for the first time in a long time, there was hope to turn the tides of war to his favor. Recently there had been developments in an obscure part of Europe, where the Count of Tyrol had developed an advanced industry and sold special equipment for a fair price to the Empire''s forces.


    Emperor Vetranis had no idea how Berengar von Kufstein had managed to create such a massive stockpile of high-quality steel, and yet he had personally witnessed the results. The enormous output that Berengar''s factories were able to produce Mirror-Pattern armor was the likes that the Emperor had never seen before, and he had greatly desired to see Berengar''s facilities for himself.


    However, he could not very well travel to Kufstein, and thus he had to hear the details from his Strategos of Ionia, Arethas Maniakes, who had just entered the pce at the Emperor''s request. Thus the two men were face to face within the Pce of Constantinople for the sole reason as to inquire about Berengar''s production capabilities.


    Strategos Arethas, it has been a while since I havest seen you. How have you been?"


    Arethas was permitted to stand, and as such, he rose from his kneeling position as the Emperor approached him. It had been some time since hest saw the Emperor face-to-face, and thus he was incredibly thankful for the current opportunity.


    The young Strategos grinned before returning the Emperor''s greeting.


    "I have been well since thest time we spoke; how are you faring, your majesty?"


    The two men were quite friendly with one another as Emperor Vetranis immediately beganining about his life.


    "I have been better; for starters, my daughter grows more beautiful by the day, her charm has managed to attract the attention of suitors across not only the Christian world but the Imic world as well. I swear the number of princes she has declined over the past year must be in the dozens. She seems to have high ambitions for her future husband and won''t listen to my suggestions! Raising a daughter is too much of a hassle for this old heart of mine to bear!"


    Arethas immediately began tough at the Emperor''sment and tried to cheer him up.


    "You are not that old, your majesty; you are only forty-three!"


    However, the Emperor merely scoffed before chastising Arethas


    "If I were amoner, I would be close to death by now!"


    Hearing such a response, Arethas began tough before patting the Emperor on the back.


    "Well, then we are lucky you are not, in fact, amoner!"


    As the two men walked through the pce and continued their conversation, Emperor Vetranis eventually brought up the topic he wanted to discuss.


    "Arethas I wanted to discuss with you about your visit to Kufstein. Tell me, how is that upstart Count capable of producing so much steel?"


    Arethas sighed heavily as he shook his head, his brte hair glimmered under the light of the sun, as he cast a downtrodden expression before speaking.


    "I genuinely wish I could tell you, but I was not allowed to see how he produced the steel, merely the facilities he used to transform it into arms and armor. It was a level of production I had never seen before. Even our national armories can notpare to the efficiency that the Tyroleans are capable of. "


    The Emperor sighed when he heard this news; he began to speak in a regretful tone.


    "Well, that is a shame; I was hoping we could learn something from the Count of Tyrol. I hear he is currently involved in a war for control of Austria. Do you know how that is going?"


    Arethas kept close contact with Berengar; after all, the trade they shared was very lucrative for both parties. With the war for Austria going on, the man was greatly concerned about Berengar''s safety. Thus he nodded his head and informed the Emperor a bit of what he knew.


    "Berengar''s armies are far better equipped than any force I have seen. When I was visiting, his city guards were equipped with te armor that covered their heads, necks, torsos, and thighs. They also wielded strange hand cannon variants which were of an unknown design. If his boasts are true and all of his troops are equipped to such a degree, then the likelihood of him winning this war is huge. He also appeared to have mounted dozens of cannons on his city walls. So he seems to be capable of mass-producing such devastating weapons as well."


    Emperor Vetranis was shocked when he heard such information, and thus he quickly asked Arethas about a new possibility that had formed in his mind.


    "Tell me, Arethas, is it possible to purchase such equipment?"


    Arethas shook his head and sighed once more; there was not much he could do about this matter; Berengar seemed keen to have a monopoly on such technology. Thus he answered truthfully to the Emperor.


    "As far as I am aware, Count Berengar intends to hold onto such an advantage at any cost. I doubt he would be willing to sell such valuable technology in fear of it being reverse-engineered. One would either have to defeat his forces in battle and scavenge their weapons, or they would have to pay a great sum that was worth such risky trade. I do not foresee myself being able to convince him to sell us such weapons or the armor."


    However, the Emperor was adamant about this issue and did not take Arethas'' word at face value and instead insisted upon broaching the subject with Berengar.


    "Could you at least try to purchase such weapons when you next see the Count of Tyrol? I hear his weapons have a devastating effect, rendering even te armor useless! To have such an advantage over our enemies would aid in the ongoing efforts to restore our Empire."


    Just as the Emperor was about to conclude his business with the Strategos of Ionia, a beautiful young girl appeared as she walked down the gildest staircase of the pce. She was dressed in avish purple silk dress with a bold golden pattern. She wore gold jewelry encrusted with amethyst across her neck, wrists, and waist.


    The girl was no older than fifteen and had long chocte hair tied up into an elegant ponytail. Her eyes were mint green in color, and her skin was as white as milk, despite her Greco-roman Heritage. Though she was not as busty as Linde or Ad''s sisters, she was, in fact, perfectly proportioned, and her silk dress clung to her exquisite curves.


    As she descended from the staircase, she had a scowl on her face. Something was upsetting this angelic beauty from the east. She instantly began to criticize the Emperor when she noticed his presence.


    "Father! How can you engage me to the Prince of France? Aubry is so feminine that he is practically a woman! I won''t stand for it!"


    The Byzantine Emperor sighed heavily while looking at Arethas with a look that expressed his thoughts, those being, "See what I mean?"


    By now, he had attempted to engage his daughter to over a dozen princes from various countries across the world, and she had aint about every one of them. Sooner orter, the Princess would say something along the lines of "I would rather kill myself than marry that man," thus forcing the Emperor to acquiesce to her demands.


    This time he decided to put his foot down and enforce his will; after all, he was Emperor, and sooner orter, she would have to find a husband. Thus he put on a calm and gentle facade as he tried to coerce his girl into marrying the effeminate Frenchman.


    "Honoria my only daughter, Aubry is the epitome of Western Chivarly; he is also the Heir to the French Throne. You will be a Queen if you marry him. It will also guarantee a powerful alliance for our Dynasty!"


    However, the beautiful Princess, Honoria, refused to listen to her father''s glib tongue and instead scoffed before make a rather rude retort.


    "Queen of France!?! You have to be kidding me! Who would want to be Queen of a backwater Kingdom like that? How much are they paying you to sell me off as if I were mere cattle?"


    Seeing the reaction on her father''s face, she knew she had hit the nail on the head. He had for sure been paid a significant sum to sell her off to the prince of France. A man she was almost certain was a homosexual. If not, he was the girliest looking straight man she had ever seen. As such, she was more adamant about refusing this marriage proposal than any other before. However, she had already cried wolf enough times that her father would no longer allow her to refuse.


    This time it was the Emperor who scowled in response to Honoria''s strong words. Thus he began to chastise her as he made it abundantly clear she would be wed off to the future King of France.


    "Enough is enough; you have turned down so many other candidates that this is myst option. You are my daughter and the Princess of the Empire. You will do what you are told!"


    After hearing these words, tears began to fill in the girl''s mint-colored eyes before she ran back upstairs in a fit of rage. However, before she left, she made sure to scream a set of hurtful words to her father.


    "I hate you!"


    After she was gone, the Emperor let out a heavy sigh and sat down at the nearest seat. He was getting too old to deal with his daughter''s childish behavior. Thus he looked at Arethas and shifted the topic back to Tyrol.


    "I am getting too old for this; promise me you will at least attempt to purchase Count Berengar''s weapons the next time you see him!"


    Having witnessed such a disy just now, Arethas was in no mood to decline the Emperor and as such nodded his head. A wry smile appeared on the Emperor''s face before dismissing Arethas


    "Good... Good, well, I must scold my errant daughter. I will entrust this task to your capable hands. Until we meet again, Arethas."


    Arethas quickly bowed with respect before departing; as he did so, he left behind a weary old Emperor and a delinquent Princess to further argue about their petty squables.

 Chapter 203: East-West Relations

    <h4>Chapter 203: East-West Rtions</h4>


    While the war in Austria raged on, the Byzantines were not the only ones paying close attention to the conflict. The Catholic Church and the new Pope were watching the events with keen interest. The sessor to Simeon and Avillius was a wise and intelligent man who now went by the name Lucius whopletely disagreed with his predecessors'' approach when dealing with the so-called Berengar Heresy.


    However, the German Reformation had already dered its separation from the Catholic Church, and there was not much more he could do now other than an attempt to squash it through military force. Negotiations would have been a significant first step, but the time for talking was already too far gone.


    With the Teutonic Order busy with its fight in the east against the Golden Horde, and the Knights Hospitaller fighting in North Africa against the Mamluke Sultanate, he was left with no option other than to create new Military Orders and recruit from the ranks of the European Knighthood to put down the rising influence of the German Reformation.


    Though he had yet to outright call for a new crusade to deal with this issue, he was currently in the process of establishing new Military Orders tobat the threat of Berengar the ursed and his heresy. At the moment, arge group of Welsh Knights was standing in front of the new Pope, their surcoat was green with a red maltese cross upon it, and they were being christened as the first members of the Order of the Red Dragon.


    The King of Ennd was an avid supporter of the Catholic Church and its ongoing efforts to crush the Berengar Heresy. Many knights from Wales were particrly attracted to the idea of taking up a new crusade against the German duchies and driving the Berengar Heresy into extinction. Thus at the moment, five hundred different Knights from across Wales were gathered in the Vatican kneeling before the Pope.? Pope Julius spoke a chant in Latin before announcing to the Knights gathered before him.


    "Rise Knights of the Red Dragon!"


    After saying such a thing, the Knights rose from their kneeling position and stood firmly in front of the Pope, as his newest Military Order. They waited silently for the Pope to give his speech.


    "As a Monastic Order of Knights, your goal will be to recruit as many followers as you can in theing years from Ennd; we will need your expertise in the war that is toe! The Berengar Heresy can not be allowed to thrive! Go forth, and raise your strength; when the time is necessary, I shall call upon you for crusade!"


    The Knights saluted the Pope before shouting the Latin phrase


    "Deus Vult!"


    after doing so, they left the Vatican. They began their extended return home to Wales, where they would spend the next few years gathering their strength to March on Austria and the other regions of Germany which the Berengar Heresy has afflicted.


    As the Crusaders left the building, Pope Lucius copsed back into his papal throne and sighed heavily; he waspletely and utterly exhausted. However, there was more on his menu to prepare for, and when his secretary approached him, he merely asked the question on his mind.


    "How many is that now?"


    The secretary held up a pair of primitive eyesses to his face before peering into the ledger; after doing so, he proudly dered.


    "That would be the fifth Military Order you have approved of since assuming your position your holiness."


    Pope Lucius began to rub his temples to ease his growing headache before voicing his unfiltered opinion aloud.


    "That idiot Simeon has left me with an enormous mess to clean up. That moron must have terrible timing to pick a fight with a Count while all of the Military Orders are at war!"


    The secretary immediately began to correct the Pope as he pushed the spectacles further upon his nose.


    "To be fair, your holiness, Berengar was just a Baron''s Regent when he killed the inquisitors that were sent to deal with him."


    Lucius immediately began to roll his eyes at his assistant when he voiced hisints.


    "Oh yes, silly me, how could I possibly forget the fact that we sent assassins to eliminate Berengar von Kufstein, the rightful heir of Kufstein because we were afraid that he might resist the Church''s influence In Kufstein! It is almost as if sending those damned inquisitors provoked him into taking such drastic measures. Am I the only sane person left in the Vatican?"


    The secretary did not know how to respond; he was aware that Lucius med his predecessors for the problems at hand, but what he just said was borderline heresy. After all the words Lucius spoke made it seem like it was entirely the Church''s fault that Berengar caused such a massive divide. As such, the secretary chose to ignore the Pope''sments and instead focus on the next issue at hand.


    "Your holiness, the Patriarch of Constantinople, has just arrived and is waiting for you outside. Should I bring him in?"


    Pope Lucius looked at the secretary as if he were an absolute durd before asking him a rhetorical question.


    "What do you think?"


    Seeing the displeased look in the Pope''s eyes, the secretary quickly hurried off to bring the Patriarch into the chambers. After a few moments, he returned with avishly dressed priest who was the leading authority of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The man did not bow before the Pope and instead spoke formally to Lucius.


    "Congrattions on the promotion Lucius. It has been a while since west met."


    Lucius stood up and approached the patriarch with a friendly gesture before speaking to the man on friendly terms.


    "It is good to see you, Petrus; I must say these are dire times we find ourselves in."


    However, as Lucius approached the man named Petrus, the Patriarch backed away and snubbed Lucius'' good gesture while adding insult to injury with his harsh words.


    "These are dire times you find yourself in. Though I may disagree with the German Reformation, and frankly, I find them to be heretics. Count Berengar has provided great assistance to the Empire, and for that, we will not get involved in your affair."


    Lucius had a worried expression on his face as he asked the Patriarch of Constantinople about his concerns.


    "You mean to tell me you will not aid us? After all the west has done to support the reconquest of your Empire? Our knights still bleed for you in Egypt!"


    However, Petrus merely chuckled at the Pope''s response.


    "Funny, thest time I checked, one of your precious military orders went about ughtering their way through Moscow, which was filled with the people of our denomination. Yet, the Pope did nothing to stop them. I will be frank with you, Lucius, we do not have military orders as you do, so the Orthodox Church can not provide you military assistance, you would have to request it from the Emperor, and he is keen on establishing ties with Count Berengar, so your chances are slim."


    Lucius immediately felt his headache grow three timesrger as he heard this news; he thought to himself for a few minutes as he once more rubbed his temples beforeing up with an idea.


    "Well, can you at least release a statement referring to the German Reformation as heretics? Or possibly help us fund new Military Orders?"


    Petrus was blunt with his rejection with further infuriated the new Pope.


    "Can I? Yes. Will I? No. Such acts would only antagonize Berengar, who is at the head of the German Reformation, and I don''t know about you but, frankly, I do not want such a man as my enemy, nor do I wish to incur the Emperor''s wrath by souring rtions between the two of them. You are on your own Lucius, at most, I can pray for your sess."


    Lucius could hardly believe his ears, he was hoping for some kind of support from the Church in the east, yet they had so tantly rejected him; prayers? What good were prayers? He needed iron and flesh if he wanted to get rid of these heretics who had begun to infest Christendom. Since when had prayers won battles?


    After hearing Petrus''s response, Lucius''s expression soured, and he began to shift the topic to other concerns.


    "I see; well, I hope you enjoy your stay in the Vatican for the time being. Make sure to bring my regards to the Emperor the next time you see him."


    Petrus nodded before responding.


    "I will do so."


    After these words were stated, the Patriarch of Constantinople left the building and proceeded onto some leisurely business. As for Pope Lucius, he had returned to his papal throne, where slumped into itsfort and ced his head into his hands before screaming intensely into them. Just why was it that nothing seemed to be going his way? Did God genuinely favor the German Reformation? These were the thoughts he considered as his mind slowly drifted into space.


    The Orthodox Church''s rejection to aid the Catholic Church in any way as they attempted to deal with Berengar and his German Reformation would be a great point of contention between the West and Eastern Churches. It would also unwittingly foster rtions between Berengar and the Byzantine Empire.

 Chapter 204: The Fields of Vienna

    <h4>Chapter 204: The Fields of Vienna</h4>


    Berengar was mounted on his trusty steed as he gazed off into the distance. In his field of view were the borders of Lower Austria and his final destination in this conflict. While Eckhardid siege to every corner of Upper Austria currently upied by the Bavarians, Berengar would march on Vienna with nearly 20,000 men.


    Berengar vowed that after he finally won this war, he would do two things immediately, develop a new weapon, and start building a great navy. Though Conrad might protest his every action, ultimately, as Regent, he had the power to aplish these things. Besides, Conrad would live another few years at best.


    As such, he greatly desired to finish this war and focus on consolidating his territorial gains as quickly as possible. To Berengar, war was a means to settle disputes and acquire territory; the more critical aspect was the development of thend after the fighting had ceased. As a visionary, he had grand ns to construct an Empire that wouldst a thousand years.


    For now, he needed to take Austria and establish his dominion over the region, and that was precisely what he nned to do. With the death of the enemy General at the hands of Berengar''s assassin, a nobleman had taken his ce and decided that the best course of action to stop Berengar''s siege of Vienna was simple, they would sally forth and deal with his army once and for all. They would use the citizens of Vienna as human shields.


    Thus as Berengar and his army entered Lower Austria, they saw arge force gathered, close to thirty thousand in total. The citizens of Vienna had been conscripted by the Bavarians and armed with anything that could remotely be used as a weapon. They were ced in the vanguard so that they could soak up the bullets of Berengar''s forces, allowing their main troops to survive the initial onught and close the distance.


    Seeing the enemy formation, Berengar began to frown, he would prefer not to ughter over 10,000 of Austria''s citizens, but this would be not easy to avoid. The Bavarian forces were behind the vanguard of Austria''smon folk and nudged them forward with their spears, bills, and des. This was not a good situation. As such, Berengar contemted for a few moments beforeing up with a course of action. Thus he rode towards his Artillery units and gave hismands.


    "Ready your guns, and aim towards the rear of the enemy formation. I want the levies to remain as unharmed as possible. We will break their rearguard and allow the citizens of Vienna to flee!"


    Hearing their Lord and Commander''s orders, the Artillery officers quickly set to the task of ordering the Artillery regiment to unhitch their cannons and deploy them in position. They were raised to a specific elevation to act as howitzers where the shells would be fired into an arc andnd at the rear of the Bavarian formation, sparing as many levies live as possible.


    This was a tactic they had yet to employ on the battlefield. Thus the Bavarians were not expecting such a thing as such Berengar left the artillery to their own devices and rode to the front of the infantry formation where he began to shout his orders to the infantry.


    "Try your best not to harm the levies, when the guns go off and batter the Bavarian ranks, allow the Levies to disperse before firing upon the remaining Bavarian troops, those are most likely the civilians of Vienna, and we should not harm our people if we can avoid it! God with us!"


    The soldiers under Berengar''smand all began to shout their infamous war cry in unison.


    "God with us! God with us! God with us!"


    Afterward, Berengar raised his sword and gave anothermand.


    "Foward march!"


    Under the thunder of cannon fire, the Tyrolean infantry began to march towards the enemy position. The Bavarians sneered as they figured Berengar had decided to eliminate the citizen levies at the front of the formation. However, when the shells fell from the sky andnded among their ranks, the Bavarian forces quickly began to panic.


    They were not expecting the shells tond behind their vanguard and devastate their ranks,pletely disregarding the n they had made. Two hundred eighty shells were fired every minute into the Bavarian formations, and their order quickly began to copse. Blood, steel, and bone flew in every direction as the Tyrolean artillery battered the infantry lines.


    Seeing that the Bavarians were in a state of panic, the citizens who were drafted into service of the Bavarians quickly began to flee the battlefield. Some were caught and stabbed by the men behind them, but most could escape the ughter. Now that Berengar had bought the citizens of Vienna enough time to run, he began to lead the cavalry in a charge on the enemy position.


    While he led the cavalry to attack the Bavarian nks, his line infantry had begun to form ranks and fire upon the Bavarians who charged at their formations. Seeing their ns hade to ruin, the Bavarianmander ordered a full-scale charge; he intended to overwhelm the Tyrolean infantry before they could deal too much damage with their superior firepower.


    As such, the Minie Ball projectiles fired out of the muzzles of their rifled muskets and into the ranks of the enemy. Piercing through their breasttes and dropping them where they stood, yet this did not stop the charge of the Bavarian men at arms, they knew their only chance was to engage in close-quartersbat with the enemy, and thus they ran as quickly as they could into the line of fire, hoping the bullets missed them and allowed them to attack the enemy.


    The Tyrolean forces fired off only a few volleys before they could engage in meleebat with the Bavarians. As such, bays and spears began to sh among each other in a chaotic disy of violence. While this was ongoing, Berengar was riding his mighty steed quickly, leading a charge of cuirassiers,ncers, and hussars who had all prepared to sh with the nks of the enemy formation.


    The Bavarian infantry quickly raised their spears and other polearms in response to the oing cavalry charge, which would typically be enough to deter the horses, however, just when they were within firing distance, Berengar and his cuirassiers raised their pistols where they proceeded to fire into the spear wall, battered the lines with musket balls, and iming the lives of hundreds if not thousands of men.


    The Hussars had fired their carbines from a distance into the ranks and dealt a great deal of damage to the enemy formation. There were hardly any spears raised at this point, and the cavalry unleashed their swords andnces onto the Bavarian nks crushing through their lines in the process.


    Berengar unleashed his heavy cavalry saber into the enemy infantry before him; while parrying an oing blow, he made a thrust directly into the opponent''s eye, iming his life in the process. His new steed was heavily armored and surrounded by hundreds of other horses who crashed into the enemy formation. Thus both he and his horse were rtively safe, as they trampled the enemy infantry and ruthlessly cut them into ribbons.


    The Bavarianmander gazed upon the battlefield with fury in his heart as he realized that his nks had been crushed, allowing the Tyrolean infantry to fill the gaps, and encircle the remaining troops. As such, he made a rash decision and fled the battlefield and back to Vienna. The majority of their army had been lost in this battle, and though it was still ongoing, he refused to be captured alive.


    While the Bavarianmander was fleeing the battlefield, Berengar was leading the charge as he shed down at an archer''s neck, which was left uncovered, decapitating the man in the process. Berengar''s heavy cavalry sword was fully capable of lopping off heads from horseback and yet had a fine enough point to pierce through most armor.


    The exhration he felt as he once more engaged on the battlefield filled Berengar''s heart with joy; what was the point of life he could not obtain such an adrenaline rush! Warfare was like a drug to him, and he could not get enough of it. The feeling of risking his life in pursuit of higher glory, the adrenaline and endorphins that flooded his system and made him feel like a living god, this was what it meant to be alive.


    As such, he did not fear the possibility of death as he parried a spear''s thrust with his sword and stabbed his de into the gaps in the opponent''s helmet, lodging the cold steel edge into the enemy''s skull before ripping it out and shing at anotherbatant.


    As the cavalry converged on the Bavarian lines and trampled across their ranks, the Tyrolean infantry gained the upper hand in the grand melee and quickly cut down the Bavarians. Bays thrust into the weak points in the enemy''s armor, spilling blood and bile across the field.


    As the massacre unfolded, the Bavarian forces began to route. Berengar took advantage of and led his cavalry to run them down, Lances thrust through the backs of the enemy, and swords pierced through their mail armor and into their hearts. Many of the Bavarian soldiers were not equipped with backtes, so it was a vulnerable area that had been exposed in their hasty retreat.


    Thus the cavalry had an easy time ying those who fled the scene. As the Tyrolean cavalry mopped up the routers, the main force of the Bavarian army struggled to maintain their defense. Yet, when the grenadiers lobbed their grenades behind the Bavarian formation, they could no longer hold the line and quickly copsed as the explosion rocked them to their core.


    The grenades exploded one after another, devastating the defensive position the Bavarians had set up, and in the end, those who survived the st were run through with bays. The result of the battle was aplete and total ughter. Though Berengar''s army had suffered casualties, it paled inparison to the losses the Bavarians sustained on this day.


    With this victory, Berengar was one step away from iming Vienna and ending the Bavarian upation of Austria. Though the war would not be over, after all, the fight for Austria was just one of many ongoing conflicts in the greater war for Germany.


    During this war that was bound to take years to finish, Berengar would use his power to expand his territory vastly ande out as the man on top. Conquering Vienna and be Duke of Austria was just the start of his grand ambition.

 Chapter 205: The Bavarians Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 205: The Bavarians Surrender</h4>


    After the battle in the fields outside of the city of Vienna, the Bavarian General who led the forces in Austria was no longer eager to fight Berengar and the overwhelming power of his armies, for to do so meant certain death. While Berengar marched every closer to Vienna''s gates, the Bavarian General was discussing with his remainingmanders as to the best course of action.


    A group of Bavarian noblemen was currently bickering about their options; one man, in particr, was tall and robust and voiced his thoughts in a boisterous manner.


    "We must defend the Capital with everything we have! We have bled too much to ept defeat! If Vienna is to fall back into the control of the Austrians, then we shall make sure the enemymander dies with us!"


    However, after speaking his passionate speech, the Lord found that not a single person within the room agreed with his opinion; instead, he was instantly chastised by another nobleman who appeared to be the exact opposite of the tall, strong Lord in appearance. This feeble and meek Viscount quickly retorted


    "Have you gone mad? Our army is defeated, we have even pulled out all of our forces from the southern Counties for this battle, and Berengar''s ungodly weapons thoroughly smashed us! This is a war that can not be won! I suggest we surrender; Berengar is known to show mercy to those who willingly submit to his will; it is the best course to escape with our lives!"


    However, the other nobleman was fearful of the consequences of such actions and, as such, pointed out his concerns at the first opportunity.


    "Do you believe Duke Dietger will be merciful if we surrender Vienna and pull out all of our forces from Austriannds? He will be outraged that we so thoroughly screwed up his conquest! Either way, we will face certain death; it is better to go out fighting!"


    The two noblemen continued to bicker among themselves as the current General of all Bavarian forces within Austria listened to the opinions of his variousmanders while entranced in deep thought. He did not know the best course of action, but the odds of survival were much higher by retreating. They had already lost far too many men to hold onto Austria, even if they sessfully defended Vienna.


    Eventually, the debate reached the point where the two noblemen were about to sh with one another, and thus the Bavarian General spoke up about the decision he had made.


    "Raise the white g; when Berengar arrives in Vienna, I will negotiate safe passage for all Bavarians within Austriannds, back to Bavaria. The war is lost, and I will take full responsibility for our surrender!"


    Hearing that the General would ept the me for their monumental loss, the other noblemen instantly sighed in relief. As such they were much more amicable to the idea of retreating to Bavaria; with that said the meeting was concluded, and themanders set the task for the few defenders left in the city to raise the white g.


    ...


    It took Berengar a few days to arrive at Vienna after his victory outside the city, mainly because he had to round up all of the equipment and bodies of his dead soldiers. Berengar would never leave such valuable technology to be scavenged and reverse engineered; as such, he spent the time to recover what was lost after every battle. More importantly, he regained his own soldier''s bodies so that they could be afforded a proper burial back in Tyrol.


    After arriving at the gates of Vienna, Berengar was quite shocked to see the white g was raised. His overwhelming performance on the battlefield and his assassinations of the enemymanders had frightened the Bavarians to the point of negotiating surrender. Of course, Berengar would never allow a white peace; he would force the Bavarian General to sign a heavily punitive peace agreement that would force severe stiptions upon the Bavarians for their crimes against the Austrian people.


    If Duke Dietger did not ept such terms that his General would sign, it would give Berengar yet another valid Cassus Belli to invade Bavaria when he was ready to do so. Of course, it would be a few years before he could secure his reign in Austria and stabilize the situation; he was also expecting some Papal bacsh in theing years in response to his rapid rise to power. Thus he would not further expand his territory until all internal and external problems had been dealt with.


    Berengar quickly gave an order to Arnulf as he gazed upon the white g flying brilliantly into the clear blue sky above the mighty city walls of Vienna.


    "Fetch me, my white g, we will force these Bavarians to pay an exorbitant price for their crimes in Austria. It is time for some aggressive negotiations."


    Arnulf quickly nodded and gave the order for the troops to fetch the white g; after doing so, it was brought to Berengar, where he held it and rode out with his host, which consisted of himself, Arnulf, several of hismanders, and the necessary troops to secure his safety, all of which were battle-hardened grenadiers.


    Seeing that Berengar and his host were riding out with a white g, the gates of Vienna opened, and the Bavarian General rode out with his host, where they would meet the Tyrolean forces in the middle ground between Berengar''s army and the city defenders.


    After reaching a middle ground, the two parties stuck their white gs into the ground and began negotiating the Bavarians'' terms of surrender. The Bavarian General was the first to speak his mind upon seeing Berengar in the flesh.


    "I am Count Kuonrat von? Roth, I assume you are the fabled Count Berengar von Kufstein?"


    Berengar smiled as he nodded his head before responding to the man''s question.


    "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."


    Berengar''s tone was overtly sarcastic, to the point where Kuonrat merely rolled his eyes upon hearing it and began to dere his intentions.


    "As Marshal of the Bavarian forces in Austria, I hereby dere my intent to surrender to you Count Berengar von Kufstein under the conditions that all Bavarian soldiers left in Austriannds be allowed safe passage back to our homnd!"


    Berengar''s lips began to curl wickedly as he heard this, and he thus began his intense negotiation.


    "I will allow that under the condition that reparations are paid for the damages dealt to Austria by your armies and that the realm of Bavaria and its reigning authority swear by God not to invade ournds for at least another five years!"


    The General''s face scrunched as he heard these terms; he did not have the authority to establish these concessions on his own fully, they would have to be brought to Duke Dietger to do so, but being aware of Berengar''s personality if he did not ept some concessions, then he and his men would not be allowed to return home alive. Thus the most he could do was agree to these terms and hoped the Duke Dietger honored them. As such, the man sighed heavily before addressing the point of reparations.


    "How much do you desire to be paid?"


    Hearing the man so easily ept Berengar''s terms and begin to negotiate a price, Berengar knew the man was desperate to return to Bavaria and thus started with an absurd figure.


    "A hundred tons of silver, I believe that is a price well worth the damage you have caused to Austria! You can pay it in installments over five years if necessary."


    Berengar''s whole intent was not to receive payment or secure a peace agreement but to give him an overwhelming justification for his future invasion of Bavaria. Though the damage destruction wrought upon Austria was in itself justification enough, he did not want to appear as a warmonger so early in his rise to power and thus needed to look like he was responding to a broken treaty rather than as an act of conquest.


    When the Bavarian General heard such an unreasonable demand, his jaw nearly dropped; there was no way Bavaria could afford such reparations, a hundred tons was 200,000 pounds. That weight in silver was an astronomical figure. As such, he quickly began to debate with Berengar over the figure he cited.


    "At most, we can afford 10 tons; 100 is simply being unreasonable!"


    Berengar scoffed at the man''s negotiation tactic and instead criticized him.


    "You have butchered Austria''s poption and devastated hernds through scorched earth tactics; the amount of time and money it will take to repair the damage is close to the figure I have mentioned. You will either agree to my terms, or I willy siege to this city and every fort your people still upy, killing every Bavarian Ie across!"


    Berengar''s voice had risen to a state filled with fury, and thus his tone had greatly frightened the Bavarian General; this was the oue he feared the most. There were still thousands of Bavarians left in Austria, and they had already lost most of the 50,000 men sent into the region. Such a loss was monumental in this era, as it significantly depleted Bavaria''s ability to raise ie. Thus after careful consideration, the General nodded his head and sighed deeply.


    "Alright, under these terms I Count Kuonrat von Roth surrender to you, Count Berengar von Kufstein."


    Both men knew in their hearts that this agreement would not be honored and that war would eventually break out again, but what this managed to do was secure the Bavarians safety back to their homnd to focus on their enemies to the North and buy Berengar enough time to stabilize his rule across Austria. Thus they were both happy with the arrangement.


    After hearing the man ept his terms, Berengar smiled before dering the war to be officially over.


    "Very well, you have at most three months to fully retreat from Austriannds; if you remain any longer, we will consider the treaty to be vited, and the fighting will resume. I promise you, if such an asion were to happen, not a single Bavarian within Austria would survive my wrath!"


    Kuonrat nodded his head in agreement and pledged Berengar


    "I promise you; there will be no Bavarians remaining within Austria''s borders by the withdrawal date you have given."


    After hearing this, Berengar smiled before saying onest thing.


    "Good, I will leave you to your lonesome; for the time being, you must have many things to manage if you are to withdraw from Austria. Farewell"


    Throughout this entire exchange, a scribe had written down the treaty, and received signatures from both men, when it was fully signed into an agreement, Berengar departed from the field, with his copy of the agreement in his hands.


    As for the Bavarian General, he put on a facade and smiled at Berengar as he left the field and returned to his army. It was only after Berengar had exited earshot that Kuonrat voiced his concerns to his nearbymanders.


    "Prepare for a full withdraw from Austria; I want every Bavarian soldier who still holds breath to retreat from thesends as quickly as possible!"


    One of themanders had a worried expression on his face before asking the obvious question on his mind.


    "What do we tell his Grace?"


    Kuonrat sighed heavily before giving the order.


    "For now... tell him nothing; we will inform him of our surrender only after we have fully withdrawn."


    With those words said, the Bavarians began to prepare for a full retreat, one that would signify the ending of the war within Austria. Berengar and his allies had been victorious, and the young Count of Tyrol had fulfilled his promise to end the war before the leaves fell from the trees.

 Chapter 206: Dinner With the Strategos of Ionia

    <h4>Chapter 206: Dinner With the Strategos of Ionia</h4>


    Since the signing of the treaty a few weeks had passed and Berengar had returned to Tyrol, Eckhard and the others were notified of the treaty and halted their advance into Upper Austria; In contrast, Berengar returned home, Eckhard would remain within the region with a small army of 5,000 men to ensure the peaceful withdrawal of the Bavarians. As for the rest of the soldiers, they too returned with Berengar back to their homes.


    Though Vienna had been secured, Berengar had no ns to move into the city and oversee Conrad. Thus he had made a decree temporarily shifting the capital of Austria from Vienna to Kufstein; his justification for doing so was that Vienna had been extensively damaged during the war and would need time to repair itself before it could function as the capital of Austria.


    For the time being, Conrad stayed in Kufstein, under the constant control of Berengar; with each passing day, the boy Duke became more of a puppet. He had no backers, while Berengar was considered the man who liberated Austria from Bavarian upation and thus had gained many supporters among the nobility of the Duchy.


    Everyone knew that Berengar was the proper authority in the region, yet few dared to oppose him despite that. They had grown to fear his military might and the extent to which his spywork had infiltrated every corner of the Duchy. Nobody was safe from Berengar''s reach within the confines of Austria.


    Berengar had begun his transition of power from Count to Duke. However, it would still take several years to aplish this fully; thus, at the moment, he was preupied with other concerns, such as entertaining his guests from the Byzantine Empire.


    Strategos Arethas Maniakes had opted to visit Kufstein once more now that Austria was safe to travel to and thus was sitting at Berengar''s dinner table, where Berengar, Linde, Conrad, and Henrietta were eating alongside the nobleman from the East.


    Arethas had important business to discuss with Berengar, especially considering the Emperor had tasked him to inquire about the procurement of firearms.? As such, he attempted to broach the subject over a fine meal after Berengar had consumed a few chalices worth of beer.


    Berengar was interested in small talk at the start of the conversation and thus casually asked about the Emperor and his current condition.


    "So Arethas, my friend, how is the Emperor doing?"


    Arethas thoroughly enjoyed the food on his te, as he thought about the answer, eventually after washing down the pichelsteiner that he had as a side to his pork schnitzel, and spaetzle with a strongger, the man opened up about some details revolving around the Emperor.


    "The Emperor is a little bit stressed currently, but aside from that, he is good."


    Hearing that the Emperor was stressed piqued Berengar''s natural curiosity, and thus he continued on this line of dialogue.


    "Why is the Emperor stressed? Is it anything serious?"


    Hearing the concern in Berengar''s voice, Arethas quickly dashed any thoughts of turmoil that Berengar might be having about the Emperor''s life and promptly revealed the well-known secret.


    "Oh, it is nothing substantial; his daughter Princess Honoria is just being a hassle again. Her father had engaged her to the Crown Prince of France, and she has no interest in marrying the man. In her own words, she refers to him as an effeminate homosexual who ispletelycking in ambition. Thus, she feels like Aubry de Valois is among the worst avable out of all the matches that could be made. However, she truly has herself to me, her father has tried setting her up with over a dozen matches before this, and she has refused them all."


    Hearing this, Berengar began to chuckle to himself; he made a snarkyment about the French Prince as he did so.


    "Why am I not surprised?"


    hearing this, Arethas was confused and thus questioned Berengar''sment.


    "Why are you not surprised about what?"


    Feeling that he had caused a misunderstanding, Berengar decided to rify himself after drinking from his skull chalice.


    "I just find it fitting that the Crown Prince of France is an effeminate homosexual, is all..."


    Hearing Berengar''s words, Linde immediately broke out intoughter. Even in this era, or should one say especially in this era, the intense grudge bore between Germans and Frenchmen was noughing matter. Thus Berengar took the opportunity to make fun of Crown Prince when the opportunity was presented to him.


    Conrad, on the other hand, was scowling. Not once had the important nobleman from the East bothered to talk to him or even acknowledge him despite being the Duke. The young boy struggled to contain his inner fury as Berengar and Arethas chatted as if they were men of equal standing.


    Henrietta was confused, as she was too innocent to know what an effeminate homosexual was, and thus did not understand Berengar''s snide remarks. Therefore she merely focused on eating her meal, like the adorable little loli she was.


    When Arethas heard Berengar''s remarks, he also found it quite funny, as he was well aware of the stereotype that the Germans thought of when it came to the French. Thus he made a joke of his own.


    "I doubt you would be saying such a bold thing if you were standing face to face with the youth; I hear he is quite the capable swordsman."


    Berengar, on the other hand,ughed at thisment and pointed to his eye as proof of his feats in battle.


    "Thest Capable swordsman I dueled with took my right eye. However, I managed to take his life. I do not fear a petty French Prince. I would dly tell him to his face what I think of him. If he has a problem with it, he can taste the might of my flintlock pistol!"


    Hearing Berengar mentions his firearms brought a sense of delight to Arethas'' face; the conversation had naturally steered in this direction, thus allowing him to inquire about purchasing such weapons. As such, he took advantage of this opportunity and asked the question on his mind.


    "Speaking of which, the Emperor had personally requested that I inquire about the possibility of buying such weapons from you. I know it is a longshot, but is there any way you can sell me a few of these so-called flintlocks?"


    Berengar immediately shook his head in denial, which instantly brought down Arethas'' spirits; however, the words that came next shocked the man, as he was not expecting them.


    "I cannot sell you flintlocks; that is simply uneptable. However, I do have a prototype design that I can build for you. I call it the Arkebuse; it may not be as exceptional as my weapons, but I promise you that it is better than anything else you will find in the world!"


    For some time now, Berengar had considered selling the primitive matchlock arquebus to his friends in the East in an attempt to curry their favor further. The reasons for this were twofold; first and foremost, such a weapon did not pose a significant threat to his forces. It was heavy, albeit portable, and had minimal range; it was also significantly less potent than a musket and could not pierce through his soldier''s armor with a single shot.


    The other reason was more important than this. With his rapid expansion of power, one could certainly say his advanced weaponry was primarily responsible for this. Thus it would not be long before an interest in firearms became the norm, and other countries attempted to replicate his sess. One could say Berengar had sped up the interest and development of firearms from its natural course.


    Other countries might have been already experimenting with improvements over the hand cannon because of the might that Berengar''s armies disyed. Thus he wanted to take advantage of this to introduce the Arquebus as the standard arm for his potential allies, allowing him to umte great wealth with its trade and expanding Byzantine power so that he would not have to worry about some form of Imic incursion into Europe as the Ottomans had done following the fall of Constantinople in his old life''s timeline.


    Hearing that Berengar was willing to sell the Empire some form of advanced firearm, even if it was not as advanced as his own army''s weapons, immediately piqued Arethas''s interest, and thus he was more than happy to negotiate its purchase as he had been given the authority to do so by the Emperor. However, when he was about to inquire about procuring such weapons, Conrad quickly interrupted by throwing a tantrum.


    "Absolutely not! I will never allow you to sell such dangerous weapons to other regions! What if the Byzantines turned on us with our weapons."


    Hearing the young boy finally speak, Berengar and Linde alike red at him with murderous intent, which immediately shut the kid up, this greatly enraged Conrad. However, Berengar''s following words further added insult to injury.


    "Don''t worry about the kid; he has no authority on the matter, I would dly sell you the Arkebuse, and we can further negotiate the price at ater time. I would prefer to manufacture a few of the weapons and demonstrate to you their capabilities before we agree."


    Arethas smiled and nodded; this was a reasonable request, mainly because he could negotiate a fairer price when he was more informed about their capabilities. Berengar was genuinely generous to allow such a disy before negotiationsmenced.


    As for Conrad, he began to throw a tantrum and immediately questioned Berengar''s ims.


    "No authority? I am the Duke of Austria! How dare you im I have no authority!"


    Berengar, however, clicked his tongue before chastising Conrad about the issue.


    "Your Grace, with all due respect, I said that you have no authority on this matter, which you do not. These weapons are property of the County of Tyrol, not the Duchy of Austria. As the inventor of the weapons and the Count of Tyrol, I have the final say as to whether or not I intend to sell such weapons."


    Hearing this, Conrad was stupefied; he honestly did not have a response to such words. Once more, he was outwitted by Berengar, to a point where he could no longer refute the man''s logic. Thus he merely began to pout like a spoiled brat, no longer causing any trouble.


    After Conrad''s little tantrum, Berengar returned to the topic at hand.


    "I apologize for the interruption; as I was saying, you are more than wee to stay in Kufstein for the time being until I can manufacture a few test samples so that I can demonstrate to you what a unit armed with such weapons are capable of. From there, we can negotiate a good price for the weapons and how many you wish to purchase."


    Arethas quickly agreed to these terms and nodded his head before responding


    "It is no problem; I would be d to stay in Kufstein for the time being; I am sure when I return to the Empire with your weapons, the Emperor will be pleased by the results."


    With negotiations for the trade of the Arkebus halted, the group of noblemen and women returned to their meal and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Tomorrow Berengar would ce for an order of thirty Arkebus. He would then have a few of his soldiers test them on the mirror pattern armormonly issued to the Byzantines and their enemies.

 Chapter 207: An Unexpected Invention

    <h4>Chapter 207: An Unexpected Invention</h4>


    After the dinner, Berengar took a bath with his lover before the two of them returned to their bed chambers. As per usual, after returning from the battlefield, they spent a fair amount of time making love every night for weeks on end. Eventually, the couple fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    By the time the sun rose in the Morning, Bernegar once more engaged in his standard morning routine. Lately, Linde had been joining him for a portion of the exercise, ever since she had given birth to Hans, she had begun to put effort into losing the baby weight, and once more, she was in pristine condition, though that did not mean for one moment that she would stop her daily routine.


    After finishing their exercise, the couple took a bath together before eating breakfast; when they were finished, they went their separate ways for the day. Berengar had to visit Ludwig and ce an order for the Arkebuse to sell to the Byzantines soon enough.


    As for Linde, she had to manage the Spywork and collect intelligence on specific issues at hand. Now more than ever, she was filled with work, as her efforts were critical to stabilizing Berengar''s rise to power. However, that was a tale for another time.


    Berengar quickly descended from the Castle and entered the burgeoning city below, nked by his House guards. When he neared Ludwig''s office, he motioned for them to stay behind before entering the facility and knocking on the old man''s quarters.


    After knocking a couple of times, Ludwig opened the door; he looked more haggard than usual as if he had spent an entire three days straight working on some unknown project. When the man saw Berengar smiling while standing at his entrance, he rubbed his eyes a few times to see if he was witnessing reality. After realizing what he saw was indeed the truth, he eximed with shock.


    "You excellency!?! I was just about to send word that I have something to show you, quicklye in,e in!"


    Seeing the excited look on Ludwig''s weary face, Berengar could not help but be amused, and as such, he walked inside the office only to realize it was cluttered with scraps of paper that looked like blueprint designs. Thus his curiosity was instantly piqued.


    "Tell me, Ludwig, what is so important that you must forsake sleep?"


    Ludwig was too excited to answer Berengar''s question immediately, and thus he rummaged through a variety of blueprints on his desk before finding the right one. After grabbing ahold of it, he threw the other papers off the desk and spread the file across the surface so that Berengar could witness his newest creation.


    When Berengar gazed upon the blueprints, he waspletely and utterly shocked. He knew exactly what this weapon was and was astounded that someone could design such a thing in this era. Ludwig had taken Berengar''s concepts, and with further education, and experimentation had designed a puckle gun by himself.


    The puckle gun was a weapon from Berengar''s previous life; only two were ever manufactured. However, for the time it was designed, it was practically a machine gun. It was a flintlock artillery piece that used a revolving cylinder that could carry six to eleven loaded shots and fired at a rate of nine rounds per minute. One might not think that is a lot, but in an era where it took 30 seconds or more to reload a standard cannon and 20 seconds or more to reload a single musket, that was an enormous advantage.


    Most importantly it could be loaded with a solid ball, or a form of canister shot that contained a total of 16 musket balls per round. Allowing Berengar''s armies tounch musket balls into infantry formations at a decent distance, with a much higher rate of fire than the traditional canister shot used in his cannons.


    Berengar was stunned that Ludwig could design such a marvel of weapons engineering and gazed upon the man with newfound respect. Seeing how Berengar was staring at him, Ludwig decided to exin his creation and how he came to invent it.


    "Your excellency, while you were at war, I got dreadfully drunk and had a sudden bout of inspiration. After sobering up the next day, I thought about my idea and realized it was entirely feasible. My thought process is, what if I could design a cannon that functioned simrly to your revolving flintlocks! I call it the Schmidt Gun after my family name! What do you think?"


    Berengar was at a loss for words; this weapon was something that should not exist in this timeline, only someone like himself who had reincarnated into the world with future knowledge should be able to devise such an advanced piece of weaponry, and yet, Ludwig had invented it from scratch loosely based upon the principles of existing equipment that Berengar had developed. It was truly astounding.


    Berengar could not be more proud of the man he ced in charge of his industrial district and smiled fervently at Ludwig before pping him on the shoulder.


    "Ludwig, my friend, you just earned a Knighthood!"


    Hearing Berengar''s words, Ludwig was shocked; he knew with Berengar''s political and military reforms that Knights were quickly bing a ceremonial position of lower nobility, but never in a million years did he think such a prestigious reward would fall into his hands. By now, Ludwig was extraordinarily wealthy as the head of Kufstein''s industrial district, but he could not buy a noble title.


    In particr, Berengar intended to introduce the Bar rank for members of themon people who exceptionally served his state. Thus they were ranked higher than Knights but below standard Lords. Until now, Berengar had not found amoner worthy of such a title, but with this game-changing invention by Ludwig, he would finally be able to introduce it to his noble hierarchy.


    Hearing such praise from his liege, tears began to swell in the old man''s eyes as he thanked Berengar for the reward.


    "Your excellency, thank you!"


    Berngar merely shook his head and responded to Berengar''s appreciation.


    "Do not thank me; you have earned it yourself! Your merit is second to none among themon poption!"


    After taking a few moments to collect himself, Ludwig finally realized that Berengar came here for a different reason, and thus he began to inquire about the details.


    "Your excellency, why are you here?"


    It was only now that Berengar remembered his original intentions for arriving, and as such, he carefully ced Ludwig''s blueprints into the man''s hands before putting his own upon the desk.


    "The design is much simpler than the flintlock and not as effective. However, I hope that this Arkebuse can be produced so that I can sell them to the Byzantine Army!"


    Seeing such a simplistic design on the table, Ludwig eagerly grinned before asking the thought on his mind.


    "How many do you need and when?"


    Berengar did not hesitate to dere his demand.


    "Preferably thirty, and as soon as possible. I need to demonstrate their effectiveness to the Byzantine representative."


    Ludwig scratched his beard for a moment while thinking about how long it would take. Eventually, he answered Berengar''s question with a toothy smile.


    "Give me a week; I need to set up a new production line for these Arkebuse as you call it; by then, we should be able to produce them regrly."


    Berengar smiled and nodded before returning to the blueprints Ludwig had made.


    "Set up a production line for the Schmidt Guns as well; I want as many as you can field. These weapons will be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield!"


    Seeing how eager Berengar was to implement these new weapons he developed brought a smile to the old man''s face, and he quickly gave Berengar a thumbs up before proudly proiming.


    "Leave it to me! I will be happy to produce as many as I can; I hope that they may bring glory to our realm!"


    Thus Berengar gave onest piece of advice.


    "Get some rest, Ludwig; you deserve it; everything else is secondary to your health."


    Hearing that Berengar cared about his condition Ludwig almost broke out into tears; however, he managed to choke them back before responding with a wide grin.


    "Don''t worry, your excellency; I will get some sleep after I have given the orders to set up the production lines."


    Berengar nodded before proceeding out the door. He still had several things to go over throughout the rest of the day. Namely, he had to visit Ludolf and check to see the progress of his reformation. He had been at war too long and had not focused enough attention on the spread of his new religion.


    As he walked towards the local Chapel, Berengar began to wonder if any of his other exceptional subordinates would surprise him with significant innovations; only time would tell. One sure thing was that Ludwig was an outstanding engineer for the times he found himself in, and Bernegar fully intended to help the man on his path.


    Unfortunately, Ludwig was already an old man and would most likely not serve him for too many additional years. Thus the need for public education and the fostering of exceptional individuals were more important than ever in Berengar''s mind.

 Chapter 208: Meeting With Ludolf

    <h4>Chapter 208: Meeting With Ludolf</h4>


    After meeting up with Ludwig and discussing the new designs, Berengar proceeded to the local chapel with his guards following behind. While the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein was under construction, the local chapel had been seized from the Catholic Church and was being used by Ludolf to preach the gospel and the words of Berengar''s reformation.


    When Berengar arrived in the chapel, he noticed service was currently underway, and thus he watched from the back of the church while listening to Ludolf''s sermon. The sermon was about the separation of Church and State, and therefore he was quoting Matthew 22:15-22 as he preached to the crowd who had gathered.


    "Then went the Pharisees and took counsel on how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us, therefore, What thinkest thou? Is itwful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?


    Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar''s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar''s; and unto God the things that are God''s. When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left him, and went their way."


    Ludolf then continued to interpret the words in a way that spread Berengar''s message.


    "Thus, in Christ''s own words, we are to obey thews of the Kingdoms of Men while owing our souls to the Father in heaven!"


    The sermon went on for some time before the people of Kufstein were finally dismissed. Eventually, after some time, all that remained in the Chapel were Ludolf and Berengar, and seeing the man who had led him to enlightenment standing with a grin on his face in his church, Ludolf could not help but smile.


    Berengar quickly walked over to the man and patted him on the back.


    "That was an excellent sermon, my friend; you are truly fit to lead our reformation!"


    However, Ludolf decided to tease Berengar as he was cleaning up some of the leftover mess from the gathering.


    "I have not seen your face around these partstely; I was beginning to think that you had lost your faith."


    Berengar, however, chuckled at these words and shook his head.


    "Not in the slightest, I have merely been too busy overseeing the realm and waging wars against those who would harm us. I try to make it when I can, but the work of a Count is never truly finished."


    Ludolf sneered at Berengar''sment and posed a question to him


    "The work of a Count or a Duke?"


    Berengar once moreughed at Ludolf''s jest before making a joke of his own.


    "Careful, those words are treasonous; if you let the little brat hear you say that, he is liable to have your head cut off!"


    When Ludolf heard this, he could not contain hisughter and snickered at the remark.


    "Yeah? Tell me, Berengar, without your approval who would obey the Habsburg Boy? Everyone knows it is you who truly holds power in Austria. Conrad is just your puppet."


    Berengar did not deny the charges against him and merely smiled innocently before switching the subject.


    "So, how is the reformation progressing?"


    Upon hearing Berengar dodging his statement, Ludolf took the hint and began to talk about business.


    "It is going well;rge swaths of Bavaria are being converted, despite the war they held against you. Especially in the Swabian region, it has also spread into Baden, Wurttemburg, and the Swiss Confederation. The reformation is making progress in the East, all the way into Dresden. As far as the Southern portion of the German-speaking regions goes, we have established a foothold."


    Berengar was delighted upon hearing this news and congratted his friend.


    "That is good! Well done, this is all thanks to you and your efforts!"


    However, Ludolf did not seem too happy, and Berengar immediately noticed that; thus, he inquired about the details.


    "What''s wrong?"


    To this question, Ludolf sighed heavily before voicing his concerns.


    "In the North, our people are being persecuted, the Catholics still hold arge control of public opinion, and our followers are burned at stake. It is truly maddening the lengths they will go to silence us."


    Though Berengar put on a solemn expression as if he were reflecting about such matters with a heavy heart. In reality, he was incredibly excited by this news; such actions gave him a Cassus Belli to march into the North after he had unified Southern Germany in theing years. The longer this persecution in the Northern German-speaking regions persisted, the better his chances of having a just cause for dering war on the North.


    Inadvertently by persecuting the Reformists in Northern Germany, the Catholics had given Berengar a reason to invade when he was finally ready to do so. However, he could not very well admit this, and thus he pretended as if he was overwhelmed with grief.


    "Truly it is madness as you have proimed, the fact that the Catholics would murder those who interpret the word of God differently shows how corrupt they are. They do not care about salvation but maintaining control over the people."


    Berengar''s words reached an ord with Ludolf, and he wholeheartedly agreed. Thus he nodded his head and spoke the words Berengar wanted to hear.


    "Promise me that when you be powerful enough, you will march on the North and liberate our brothers and sisters in Christ from the sinful corruption of the Catholic Church!"


    Berengar put on a facade as if he was shocked about such a statement and pretended to be hesitant.


    "I don''t know about this..."


    However, Ludwig was adamant and thus shook Berengar slightly


    "Berengar! Promise me! You must save our people!"


    Finally, after a few moments, Berengar seemingly relented and sighed heavily as if he were deeply conflicted about the issue.


    "Okay, I promise you that when I have enough power, I will invade the Northern German States and rid them of the horrific influence of the Catholic Church..."


    Seeing Berengar agree to Ludolf''s plight, the Priest smiled before patting Berengar on the back.


    "Do not fret, my friend; we are merely acting in the interest to protect our people from the wickedness of the Vatican! How could God scorn such a war?"


    Berengar finally smiled and nodded his head in approval of Ludolf''s words. The man never ceased to disappoint him. Thus he decided to switch the topic to something else.


    "Do you require any additional funding? Just let me know how much you need, and I will dly donate it to the church!"


    Ludolf began to chuckle as he heard these words, and he began to chastise Berengar.


    "You are already building a Great Cathedral to rival that of the Notre Dame! How could I possibly ask for more money from your coffers?


    However, Berengar shook his head after hearing this response and informed Ludolf of his opinion.


    "For the work of the Reformation, you just need to ask, and I will dly fund anything you require so long as I am able!"


    Ludolf was more adamant than Berengar realized and rejected his offer.


    "I thank you for all you have done, Berengar, but we receive enough funding from all of the Noblemen who support our reformation; you do not have to spend so much..."


    This news brought a smile to his face; the more Lords who contributed to the reformation, the better, and the Reformist Church was now making enough money to stand on its own without his support. At least for the most part. Thus Berengar finally relented on his offer.


    "Okay, just let me know if you ever need anything, and if it is in my power, I will be more than happy to assist you."


    With that said, Ludolf smiled and nodded.


    "Certainly, remember to keep your promise. When the timees, you must liberate our brothers and sisters to the North!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard that before posing a rhetorical question.


    "Have I ever reneged on my promises, my dear friend?"


    With that said, Berengar bid Ludolf farewell and began to return to the Castle. He took a pleasant stroll observing the progress of his City of Kufstein when he did so. Though he had built many structures out of concrete and steel, he knew one day he would have to rebuild many of them to ensure their structural stability for a thousand years. After all, he could not build the foundation of his Empire off of structural materials that at moststed 100 years.


    Concrete and steel were cheap to produce and quick to turn into structures. Still, the cost of that was longevity, and as such, Berengar made a vow when he looked at his grand designs being rapidly built that he would reconstruct them with stone and cement within his lifetime. For if his culturally significant buildings could notst the test of time, how could his Empire?

 Chapter 209: Testing the Arkebuse

    <h4>Chapter 209: Testing the Arkebuse</h4>


    A week had passed since Berengar''s meetings with Ludwig and Ludolf. During this time, Ludwig had fully set up a small-scale production line for the arkebuse firearms intended to be sold to the Byzantines.


    His troops who were assigned to demonstrate the effectiveness of the weapons had spent some time getting ustomed to the different actions, but for the most part, the loading procedure was the same.


    As such, Arethas and Berengar were now standing in the audience of one of his testing fields. In the center of the field, there were straw targets set up where they were equipped with mirror pattern armor to represent the soldiers of the Mamluke Sultanate, the current enemies of the Empire.


    Seeing Berengar''s troops rapidly load the arkebuse firearms in a span of a little over 20 seconds brought a question to Arethas''s mind, and thus he voiced his concerns.


    "If it takes so long to reload, how would I protect my troops from the enemy closing the distance and entering into meleebat?"


    Arethas was unaware of the existence of bays, and Berengar did not n on selling this technology. Thus he smiled as he responded to the Strategos of Ionia''s questions.


    "Ideally, you would have a unit of pikemen alongside them to keep the enemy soldiers at bay while your arkebusiers reload their weapons. Once they are loaded and prepared to fire, you would pull your pikeman back to prevent friendly fire. After the volley has been unleashed, you would repeat the process."


    Hearing this strategy, Arethas could envision it in his mind and nodded his head in approval; he could not wait to see the effects of these arkebuses. Thus after loading the weapons, the soldiers who were test firing the equipment aimed the firearms at their targets roughly 20 yards away.


    The arkebuse that Berengar designed was shorter and lighter weight than the longer barreled variants; there were two reasons for this. The first one being that he hated the idea of using forks to act as a support to fire the weapon appropriately.


    The second one being a shorter barrel created less velocity and thus posed a significantly lower threat to his forces. After all, the higher the speed of the projectile, the more likely the weapons were to pierce through his own troops'' armor.? The troops began to unleash their volley with amand by the officer who led the small toon of soldiers numbering thirty in total.


    "Fire!"


    Upon uttering the order, thunder echoed in the air, and the thirty arquebus balls were sent downrange, most of which found their targets and pierced through the mirror style armor that the Empire''s enemies were equipped with.


    After the weapons were fired, they were checked for function before being put back on the weapons rack where they wouldter be cleaned, and after negotiations, hopefully, be sold to the Byzantine Empire as the first batch of such weapons.


    Seeing the disy from afar was a marvelous sight, and Arethas had a broad smile on his face like a kid on Christmas. After the area was deemed safe for inspection, Berengar posed a question to Arethas.


    "Would you like to inspect the damage up close?"


    Arethas was instantly intrigued by this offer and silently nodded his head before standing up and following Berengar down to the field below, where the straw dummies were resting, most of which were knocked over by the impact of the arkebuse balls and had to be reset to standing position.


    Upon closer inspection, the arkebuse balls had thoroughly prated past the mirror pattern armor, into the straw dummy, and out the other side of the armor. It was indeed an effective weapon against the popr armor patterns of the period.


    Arethas was surprised by the efficiency of the weapons and no longer needed convincing in regards to purchasing the equipment. Thus he began the negotiations for the acquirement of such weapons.


    "I am thoroughly convinced such weapons are superior to anything else I have seen, aside from maybe the weapons your forces use. Tell me, Berengar, what price would you desire for these magnificent firearms?"


    Berengar hade up with a n in the past week to get the most advantages out of the Byzantine Empire''s vast tradework with the East while simultaneously appearing generous. Thus he decided to put on a facade about intensely thinking over the matter before expressing his idea.


    "Normally, I would charge five hyperpyrons per arquebus, but under certain conditions, I could make a deal and give you a twenty percent discount."


    Arethas immediately took the bait upon hearing such an offer existed.


    "What conditions might those be?"


    Berengar put on a graceful smile as he answered Arethas'' question.


    "Since we have be such good friends, I will ce a 20% discount on each Arkebuse sold to the Empire, under the condition that you sell me saltpeter at an equally discounted price."


    Berengar''s nitraries were having difficulty keeping up with the demand of saltpeter that he needed to fuel his armies. Knowing that the Byzantines had ess to an ample and cheap supply of saltpeter from their trades with India, Berengar wanted to take advantage of this to get ahold of vast quantities of the material for a low price.


    Even with the 20% discount, he would still be making a fortune off of the Arkebuse trade, and in doing so, would be able to invest a fraction of it into cheap saltpeter. This would allow him to continue the rapid growth of his armies and supply them with the gunpowder they needed to dominate the European battlefields.


    After careful deliberation, Arethas spoke his thoughts on the matter


    "I can agree to such terms, but in return for the discount, I would like the Empire to take priority in the sale of such firearms."


    Arethas began to wonder if he was too greedy with his demands, but to his surprise, Berengar smiled and nodded his head before replying.


    "That is not a problem. So long as we can produce these weapons, I can agree to have the Empire take priority in their purchase."


    With this, an agreement had been made, and the two men shook hands before drafting up a formal trade agreement, one that they both signed with their signatures and seals of their houses. Afterward, Berengar posed an invitation to Arethas.


    "It is gettingte. Would you like to dine with my family and me tonight?"


    Arethas saw no reason to refuse, especially since the cuisine cooked by Berengar''s chefs was always delicious. Thus, he nodded his head in agreement before responding.


    "It would be an honor."


    With that said, the two men returned to Berengar''s castle, where they sat down at the dining table. Linde, as per usual, took her ce next to Berengar, and Henrietta sat across from her. As for Arethas, he sat across from Berengar and Conrad next to him.


    The boy had grown quite irritable over thest week, as Arethas, an essential dignitary from the East, paid no attention to him, despite Conrad officially being the Duke of Austria. Thus he was visibly scowling while sitting at the table. An action that did not go unnoticed by the others sitting at the table.


    Berengar ignored the boy; Conrad was already being slowly poisoned and would finally croak within a few years without anyone being the wiser. Thus he just had to manage the kid''s outbursts for the time being before he could seize the title of Duke for himself.


    Arethas also ignored the boy as he was well aware of who the real power in Austria was. Thus he decided to ask Berengar about his ns for the future. Despite the actual Duke of Austria sitting right next to him.


    "So, Berengar, now that you have driven the Bavarians from yournds and established a rtive peace. What do you intend to do in this time?"


    Berengar drank the beer from his skull chalice before responding to the nobleman from the East.


    "Despite being victorious,rge swaths of Austria were negatively impacted by the invasion, entire viges massacred, fields destroyed, and livestock butchered. It will take a substantial effort to recover from such a pyrrhic victory. I will spend the next few years stabilizing the region to the best of my ability and bringing vast fortune to my people."


    Seeing that Berengar had no immediate ns for future conquest, Arethas sighed in relief; at the rate, Berengar''s power was growing, one day he could potentially be a threat to the Empire, and it was better to foster a friendly rtionship with the man than to make an enemy out of him. Such an approach would undoubtedly take time.


    As such, Arethas drank from his chalice before asking another question on his mind.


    "I hear you are trying to implement many economic, military, and agricultural reforms. Do you not fear an uprising by the nobility of Austria? Or greater yet a grand coalition of your neighbors?"


    However, Berengar''s answer greatly surpassed his imaginations; Berengar had a calm, maybe even cruel smile on his face as he drank from his skull chalice. After wiping his mouth with his napkin, he responded as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.


    "Of course! Those stuck in their traditions will never fully embrace my reforms; they will inevitably scheme against me; in fact, many of the noblemen throughout not only Austria but also Tyrol are currently nning such a thing as we speak. Yet, I do not fear rebellion. Instead, I wee it, for a great purge is needed to usher in the new era, and when my enemies finally bear their fangs I will be well prepared for it."


    Arethas and Conrad alike were shocked by this answer, Berengar was fully expecting a rebellion, or possibly two, and he was already preparing for such an eventuality. The man clearly had foresight, but what was even more frightening was that he had stated he weed the rebellion so that he would be able to purge the malcontents in his society.


    After hearing such a bold statement, Arethas felt like he should not question the mind of a Tyrant and quickly got back to eating his food; Conrad, on the other hand, looked as pale as a ghost, as if he finally realized he had appointed a monster as his regent, one that he had no power to stop.


    As for Linde and Henrietta, they were merely enjoying their meal, as if Berengar''s words were the most natural thing in the world; they were well ustomed to his promations of his grand ambitions and the cruelty he would go through to achieve them. Thus the dinner went on in awkward silence for some time before finallying to an end.


    Arethas would soon return to the Empire with the first batch of arkebuse firearms, and Berengar would greatly profit from it. As for the future, it was in the hands of God; if one believed in such a thing, that is.

 Chapter 210: Introducing New Military Innovations

    <h4>Chapter 210: Introducing New Military Innovations</h4>


    Another few weeks had passed, and Arethas had long since left to return to his home in Ionia; of course, he would first report to the Emperor about his visit and his sess in acquiring firearms. Yet that was a story for another time.


    At the moment, Berengar was in the testing facility once more, where he was observing the introduction of two new key pieces of equipment. Ones that would drastically change the results of the battlefield once again.


    Since Ludwig had designed the Schmidt gun, which greatly resembled the Puckle Gun from his previous life, he had spent a great deal of time and effort bringing it to reality. At the moment, three of such weapons were lined up in the testing field, with multiple cylinders loaded with either solid ball or shot.


    The Schmidt guns were mounted on carriages that could be dragged by horses, much like a standard artillery piece. Thus allowing for excellent mobility of the weapons on the battlefield. This immediately caught the eyes of the artillery officers present, who by now had all engaged in battle at some point.


    Soon these weapons would be demonstrating their capabilities to Berengar and many of his artillery officers who had gathered. Berengar was about to hold a speech, and Ludwig was standing next to him; this speech would do two things.


    It would introduce Ludwig as the inventor of the Schmidt gun and establish him as a new rank ofndless nobility. Thus the charismatic young count spoke with a great deal of passion for the man in front of him, who was also a great friend.


    "I have gathered you all here today to witness the birth of a mighty weapon, one that would not exist without the brilliant mind of this man standing before you. Most of you should be aware of his identity; he is Ludwig Schmidt; without his efforts, none of you would be equipped with the weapons you use in the field!


    He is the director of Kufstein''s industrial sector, and now he has invented a weapon that will change the course of the battlefield; what you see before you is known as the Schmidt Gun, named in honor of its creator!


    It is a revolving artillery piece with the ability to fire nine rounds per minute! Either solid ball or a shotprised of 16 musket balls! Its effective range is 75 yards, with its maximum range being 200! Now let us witness how effective this weapon truly is!"


    Upon hearing this impassioned speech, a series of apuse erupted from the audience of Officers who had gathered to witness the destructive power of the new weapon. An enemy formation of 100 straw targets was set up at 75 yards, each equipped with brigandine breasttes that simted an enemy formation. The moment Berengar gave the order, the three guns began to fire their volley.


    The first volley fired by the Schmidt Guns was filled with solid balls, and a total of 27 rounds were fired in a single minute; therge balls devastated the enemy formation, as they tore through not only one opponent but sometimes the target behind them as well.


    However, the demonstration was not finished with that. Instead, the cylinders were rapidly reced with ones filled with canisters, and before long, another volley was fired off; each canister contained 16 musket balls that flew downrange into the targets and shredding them apart, a total of 9 canisters were fired per the three guns in the span of one minute resulting in a whopping 432 musket balls being fired into the enemy formation during that small time frame.


    The resulting devastation of the simted enemy formation was shocking even to the veteran artillery officers who had waged many battles. They could only imagine the effects such a weapon would have on the battlefield when used alongside standard cannons. It was indeed an astonishing degree of destruction that these so-called Schmidt guns wrought upon the armored straw targets.


    After the demonstration was finished and the straw targets were thoroughly scrapped. Berengar noticed his officers were staring in silence for some time. Eventually, a single officer began to p, and before long, it transformed into thunderous apuse.


    So much so that Berengar had to calm the men down before saying his other piece of important news.


    "Due to the great extent that Ludwig Schmidt has served our great County, I hereby anoint him as Bar for his exceptional service to the County of Tyrol! For those of you wondering, Bar is a new hereditary rank ofndless nobility who shall be henceforth be appointed from themon people who have aplished exemry service to the County. For those of you present who are nobles do not fret, for it is the lowest tier of nobility!"


    The news that Berengar dered just now was shocking to the people present, especially considering the officer ss was almost entirely filled with Knights and Nobleman at the moment. Thus they were conflicted over the matter. However, Berengar did state that they werendless nobility, and at the bottom of the hierarchy therefore such a thing was somewhat eptable to the old nobility.


    Despite their concerns over the issue, they still apuded Ludwig on his promotion, and the old man shared his usual toothy grin in response. He was now a member of the nobility, even if he was at the bottom of the hierarchy.


    However, Berengar did not stop the presentation here; he had another critical invention to add to his military, one that Ludwig had helped produce; it was a rtively simple design and thus could be employed in mass numbers.


    However, this presentation was meant for the infantry officers, and thus he dismissed the Artillery officers before approaching the other test field where his infantry officers had already gathered. On the field was a toon of Grenadiers, who appeared to be holding the standard 1417/18 Rifled Musket that was issued to the majority of Berengar''s infantry.


    However, what shocked them was that their cartridge boxes were open, and in them were no longer the standard-issue paper cartridge but a wooden cartridge; this invention was based upon the Japanese Hayago from Berengar''s previous life and essentially sped up the reloading process. Thus Berengar boldly dered its effects to the infantry Officers who were gathered and observing the strange new devices.


    "This is the quick loading tube; it will rece the use of paper cartridges in our service. It is made of wood and contains a Minie ball projectile and the gunpowder inside of it! This device allows the gunpowder and projectile to be loaded in a single motion, thus allowing a far quicker reload speed! Instead of firing two rounds in a minute, your soldiers will be firing five!"


    The Grenadiers present had spent thest few weeks getting ustomed to the device and by now were exceptionally proficient in its use. As such, they rapidly reloaded their first shot. In doing so, they ced the wooded tube to the bore of the rifled musket and then jammed its ramrod inside of it; with this act, the gunpowder and bullet were filled into the musket in a single motion.


    After doing so, they quickly cocked their rifles, aimed at the targets downrange, and fired. Within seconds the toon of grenadiers reloaded their muskets and fired again. This rate of fire peaked at five rounds in a single minute, thus thoroughly shredding the enemy formation in front of them at a hundred yards.


    The infantry officers who were gathered for this demonstration were just as shocked at its disy as the artillery officers were for the Schmidt gun. This small wooden tubr device would change the way they waged war. It would make Berengar''s armies far more lethal than the enemy forces, even if the enemy got their hands on some primitive firearms.


    Thus a roar of apuse echoed throughout the testing field as the infantry officers pped to their heart''s content. They would now be able to fire many more projectiles downrange at the enemy forces before having to engage in meleebat; such a device was genuinely revolutionary.


    Berengar himself was impressed with the speed and efficiency that his grenadiers utilized such devices with; if his entire army could be trained to be so efficient in their use, nobody in this world would be able to challenge him onnd. Thus he too apuded the soldiers who had been used in the demonstration.


    Berengar could see the rise of his future Grand Army with the new military inventions, all he needed now was a matching Grand Navy, something he nned to begin construction on shortly. For now, in the following months, his troops would be adequately trained in the use of the quick loading tubes, which would be referred to as tubes in the future for simplicity.


    Berengar''s grand ambitions were slowly but surely starting to be a reality, and thus he looked upon the new military innovations with pride. He truly believed the weapons his army currently wielded would establish his dynasty''s dominance for years toe��something he greatly anticipated.

 Chapter 211: Designing the Linde-Class Ship of the Line

    <h4>Chapter 211: Designing the Linde-ss Ship of the Line</h4>


    For thest three days, and nights Berengar had been locked away in his study. So much so that the only thing he had to consume was tea. Considering he could not easily get his hands on coffee, he was left with tea to stimte his mind and keep him from falling asleep.


    Yet, now after all his hard work, it had finally paid off. Sitting before him on his desk was aprehensive schematic for arge first-rate ship of the line. It was a massive beast, that had a total of three decks, and could house a total of 130 cannons on it. Each cannon would be a new ss of naval artillery, and that would be the 32 lb Cannon.


    The ship itself was basically a carbon copy of the USS Pennsylvania with some small changes to it. Due to ack of the material known as sisal that only grew in the new world. Berengar had to improvise and rece the sails and ropes with hemp.


    As for the shell of the ship itself, it was covered in a thin sheet of Zinc. Not as an armoredyer, but to protect the ship from wood-eating parasites that dwelled within the ocean. The reason for this was simple, it would save on maintenance costs, and ensure the longevity of the vessels that were built.


    How Berengar knew of these designs? Well, that could be exined by his brief visit to the US Naval academy in his previous life. He was visiting a friend during vacation, well more like an acquaintance.


    Berengar did not have many friends in his previous life, but he had plenty of acquaintances. This acquaintance had grown up on the same street as Berengar or Julian as he was known then. Eventually, they both joined the military, Julian had joined the Army, and this acquaintance whose name was Derek had joined the Navy.


    During one summer break, Julian was invited out to the Naval Academy by Derek to spend some time with him, his stay onlysted a week, but during this time he spent it almost exclusively in the library studying the history of shipbuilding in the vast archives.


    What started out as a friendly invitation, quickly turned into a week of extensive study, as Derek decided to go partying during this time period, and Julian was not exactly the most skilled wing-man, thus like most times, he hung out with other people he was quickly abandoned to his own devices. Not desiring to endure the humiliation of being alone at a party, he opted to stay in the library and study for his stay at the Naval Academy.


    Apparently, that experience that Berengar frowned upon became a blessing in disguise because it provided him with the knowledge on how to build ships from a variety of eras. Berengar nned to draft two sses of ships for his future navy, the first of which was the monumental 130 guns first-rate ship of the line that he referred to as the Linde-ss.


    The reason for him naming it this was simply because Berengar was a man of culture. He decided to name his ship sses after his two women, and of course the first of each ss would be named after them as well. The reason for making the bigger ship named after Linde instead of Ad who was his future wife ultimately came down to the disparity in bust size between the two girls.


    Even if Ad''s family were fairly busty, he somehow had a nagging suspicion that Ad would have a B-cup-sized chest at best that whenpared to Linde''s D-Cup-sized breasts, the answer was obvious as to which ship should be named after which girl.


    Eventually, Berengar heard a knock on the door after admiring his blueprints, and he quickly answered with a casual phrase.


    "It is open."


    With that said Linde walked into the room, and noticed that Berengar''s usual charming appearance looked exhausted, he had deep bags under his eyes that showed he had been awake for some time. Though she knew he was working on something important and was currently undergoing about of inspiration and thus she did not intervene in his 72-hour marathon of drafting blueprints.


    The young beauty quickly approached the desk where Berengar was seated gazing passionately at the schematics with arge smile on his face. Thus she quickly asked about the designs as she tried to sneak a peak.


    "What is this? Linde-ss Ship of the Line? Oh, darling! You are naming a ship after me?"


    Linde was so happy she quickly grabbed ahold of Berengar and stuffed his face into her perfectly shaped D-cup breasts. The softness of the feeling made Berengar want to sleep, yet he still had to add the finishing touches to his project, as such he forced himself to stay awake.


    He was too tired to voice his thoughts properly thus he just nodded his head slowly and released the sound


    "mhmm"


    Seeing that her man was so tired Linde instantly began to pout before dragging him from his seat, he had been up far too long and was in no state to continue working, though Berengar attempted to resist he was much too weary to do so and thus found himself quickly being dragged out of his study and towards his bedroom where Linde chastised him.


    "Though I am happy you named such a magnificent ship after me, I am more furious that you put your health at risk! You seriously needed to get some rest. You can finish the projectter!"


    She knew Berengar well enough to know what he was thinking at this moment, and thus she forced him to get some sleep. As such Linde stripped herself, and Berengar and climbed into bed with him, before resting his head on her nakedp while she sat up in the bed, against the fluffy feather pillows. Berengar fell asleep to the sensation of Linde''s soft thighs, and the sigh of two mountains hovering over his head. Thest thought on his mind before drifting into unconsciousness was as follows.


    "Life is good!"


    Berengar slept for a total of twenty-one hours, and when he awoke he was in the same position he had fallen asleep, and Linde was staring down at him with a warm smile. He did not know how long he had slept for and thus casually asked after yawning heavily and wiping his eyes.


    "How long was I out for?"


    Linde pondered about it for a few moments while cing one of her dainty fingers on her luscious lips before smile and responding to him.


    "About twenty-one hours?"


    Berengar was shocked by this figure, it had been a while since he pulled such a long streak of staying awake, but he was more shocked that he woke up in the same position. As such he asked the second question on his mind


    "You stayed here the whole time?"


    Hearing this Linde giggled lightly before stroking Berengar''s golden hair.


    "No silly, Unlike a certain someone I don''t have the luxury to sleep for twenty-one hours straight. I got back into bed about an hour ago..."


    Hearing this Berengar smiled before nuzzling his head against Linde''s thighs, the soft, sensation was far better than Ad''s slender legs, though he would never say that to Ad''s face. Seeing that Berengar was about to fall back to sleep Linde decided to reveal some important news to garner his attention.


    "By the way... Did you request a shipbuilder from Venice? He arrived something like twelve hours ago, saying that the Count of Tyrol requested his presence. I told him you were sleeping and to wait, but he is growing rather impatient."


    Hearing this Berengar''s eyes immediately snapped open and he began to groan.


    "Ugghh! Fine I will get up!"


    With that said he slowly rose from Linde''sp and got out of bed where Linde helped him get dressed, after doing so she put on her own attire. Now that the two were fully upright for the day Berengar walked into his great hall where the shipbuilder known as Evio Azzopardi was waiting rather impatiently for his arrival.


    The man was striding around the room with a scowl on his face, and when he noticed Berengar''s arrival he instantly began to shout at him.


    "Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting? Who do you think you are to make me the great Evio Azzopardi wait for so long?"


    Evio was not only a shipbuilder, but he was one of the best in Venice, however, he was not loyal to the City or its republic, he simply desired to build the greatest ships, and get paid a great sum to do so.


    Berengar had enticed the man by iming he had designed a new vessel, one that was greater than anything the Vian Republic had at its disposal and offered a great deal of gold for the man toe work for him, and build his fleet in the Adriatic sea.


    Seeing the man so visibly upset Berengar put on a graceful facade and apologized profusely to the man.


    "My sincerest apologies for dying our visit for so long. I had spent a total of three days and three nights ensuring that the schematics to the ship were perfect, and as such when I finally got some rest, I slept for a long time. You must be weary from your travels,e join me at my dining table and we will discuss the details of our cooperation."


    Hearing that he was going to get a free meal out of this debacle greatly lessened Evio''s wrath, and thus he epted Berengar''s invitation. It would be nice to see what kind of cuisine the man from a backward region like Tyrol could offer him. Thus the two left the great hall and headed towards the dining room. Where they would have a long discussion about the possibility of building a Grand Navy for Berengar in theing years.

 Chapter 212: Meeting with the Shipbuilder

    <h4>Chapter 212: Meeting with the Shipbuilder</h4>


    The two men entered the Dining Hall of Berengar''s Castle, where they quickly sat down for breakfast. Berengar fully intended to disy his Counties culinary arts and thus had ordered a variety of dishes, both breakfast, and dinner to be brought to the table.


    Since Evio was an Italian, Bernegar knew he most likely wanted wine, so he brought forth a fortified wine that he had developed. It used the local wine production as a basis and added distilled liquor to it. The man instantly tasted the alcohol and nearly jumped with delight; it was intense but had excellent vor and was unlike any wine he had encountered before.


    Evio immediately asked about the wine.


    "What is this? I have never had such a wine before?"


    Berengar chuckled lightly before briefly exining the origin of the wine.


    "I don''t have a name for it yet, but it is a specialty we make in Southern Tyrol. I enjoy the taste."


    The man instantly frowned; as a wine connoisseur, he wanted more details about its production, but Berengar was unwilling to share such secrets. Instead, he used it as further enticement to draw the man over to his side.


    "If you work for me, you can drink as much of this as your heart desires!"


    Evio''s amber eyes shed when he heard this, and he began to stroke his brown beard. The man was in his early thirties and had spent his life building ships, like his forefathers. He was exceptionally talented at it. However, it would take more than just good wine to convince him to work for Berengar, and thus he immediately put on a slick demeanor.


    "Bah, it will take more than good wine to convince me to work for you!"


    Hearing this, Berengar merely smiled especially when he saw the first round of dishes being brought out, as he replied to the man with a smug expression on his face.


    "I think you will soon enough realize the benefits of working for me; for now, let us enjoy the meal in front of us."


    On the table were a group of appetizers, different kinds of bread, cheeses, and sausage tters wereid out for the man to partake of and which each bite Berengar could see the light of excitement glimmer in his eyes. Despite his initial reservations, he quickly began topliment Berengar for his hospitality.


    "For a bunch of Germans, your people know how to cook very well..."


    Berengar chuckled upon hearing this and epted the man''spliment.


    "Well, thank you, my chefs work hard every day to provide the best meals for me, my family, and my guests to dine upon. Such cuisine is slowly starting to spread across the rest of Austria."


    Hearing this news, Evio started to desire to work for Berengar more and more, but he quickly pressed the concern to the back of his mind; it would take more than good wine and food to convince him to work for a man. Thus he quickly brought up the matter ofpensation as the next round of food was brought out.


    "Though I admit the food and wine you have presented is of excellent quality, I am more concerned with two things that will determine whether or not I settle in Austria and work for you. Compensation, but more importantly, these so-called ships of the line you spoke about with such passion in your letters!"


    Seeing that the man was rather impatient in discussing business, Berengar decided he might as well get it over with and began to negotiate with the man. Berengar was bold, and he needed apetent shipbuilder who could construct his Navy for many years toe; as such, he let out an offer that nearly made the man''s eyes jump out of his sockets.


    "I will double what the Vians are paying you and give you a noble title. With a sizeable estate in any region of Austria that you desire. As for my ship design, once we are finished with the meal, I will dly show you what I have been working on..."


    The Vians were paying the man arge sum, and Berengar knew it; his spies had infiltrated the Vian republic to find out about this information. However, with all of his current enterprises, and the new one he had recently established, he could afford such an expense.


    After all the cost of building his Navy itself was going to be an astronomical figure, he might as well pay a hefty price for apetent underling. Of course, when Ezio heard this, he nearly choked on the piece of schnitzel he was eating from.


    Not only would he be presented with arge sum of money, but also a noble title, and an Estate, this was too good of an offer to pass up.? Yet, even this did not fully sway the man; most importantly, he would have to look at the ship designs that Berengar had prepared. Thus he quickly finished his meal, to the point where Berengar still had half a te left.


    Nevertheless, seeing how impatient they were to see his ship designs, Berengar sighed before standing up and wiping his mouth with his napkin. After doing so, he began to convey his thoughts to Evio.


    "If you would follow me, I would be more than happy to show you the design I havee up with for the first andrgest ss of ships I intend to build. Hearing the termrgest got the man''s hopes up. If it were anything bigger than the Carracks he had been building, he would greatly enjoy his new work."


    With that, the two men left the Dining Room and entered Berengar''s Study, where he showed the blueprint to Evio. The moment the man saw such a monumental ship, he scoffed, however before he could express his thoughts that Berengar was out of his mind, he once more looked it over and noticed that shockingly such a ship could feasibly be built! It would need a massive and dedicated shipyard and take years to construct, but it could be done.


    The ship was titled, SMS Linde. The SMS stood for the German Spelling of "His Majesty''s Ship." The man could not believe his eyes and stood still and in awe for several moments, going over every detail of theplex set of schematics. It was only after an hour of the intense study had passed that the man put down the blueprints and snapped his attention over to Berengar, who was staring at him with a smug grin the entire time.


    "When do we get started?"


    Berengar''s smile increased when he heard this, and he began to inform the man of the process.


    "It will take roughly a year to construct the shipyard I have in mind; the first of these shipyards will be built in Trieste, others will follow in P and Fiume. During the time it takes to build these shipyards, I will be mass-producing pre-manufactured parts so that once the shipyards arepleted, we can immediately use an assembly line to construct the ships in a rapid process."


    Hearing this, Evio was excited; he could see that Berengar''s shipyards would soon be able to produce many of these ships in quick session if he nned toe to fruition. Despite only looking at one ship''s design and overhearing Berengar''s ns for the future, the man was wise enough to know that Austria would quickly be the premier maritime power in the world within a decade.


    The idea that he would be the one to usher in such a sudden change to the world''s power structure brought tingles to the man''s spine. He was excited just thinking about it. He quickly reached out his hand and said to Berengar with a joyful expression on his face.


    "I look forward to it! I will move to Trieste as soon as I am able and help oversee the construction of the shipyards. Rest assured, your vision for a Grand Austrian Navy will be a reality in just a few years!"


    Hearing this, Berengar was filled with excitement; he had taken the first step into establishing himself as a major Naval Power. He could already envision the vast fleets of his future German Empire dominating the world''s major trade routes and destroying any enemy foolish enough to try to block his path to world hegemony.


    As such, he quicklytched onto the man''s hand and shook it fervently with an equally joyous smile on his face. He could tell this would be a lucrative partnership and was d to have another capable subordinate under his area of influence.


    Despite making such a monumental decision on behalf of the Duchy of Austria, Conrad was left utterly unaware that Berengar intended to build a massive fleet and challenge the Vians, Genoans, and other Mediterranean powers for maritime dominance.


    If the boy had known, he would have thrown a tantrum, believing Berengar to be foolish, for how could they possibly construct a powerful enough Navy in such a short period to counter the principal naval powers of the world?


    Luckily for Berengar, he was smart enough to keep the young Duke out of the loop. As Regent of Austria, he had full authority to enact thesews while Conrad remained a child. Luckily for Austria, Conrad had no authority, or else the boy would undoubtedly lead them to ruin.

 Chapter 213: Trapped in a Cage

    <h4>Chapter 213: Trapped in a Cage</h4>


    Throughout the weeks since Arethas'' visit, he traveled across the Meditteranean and got back to Constantinople. At a certain point, the man was struck in the Adriatic sea due to an ongoing storm and thus had just now made his way back with the first arms shipment.


    At the moment, Arethas was once more in the Pce of Constantinople, informing Emperor Vetranis about his exploits. The two had gathered in the courtyard outside the pce''s walls, where they walked around the beautiful gardens throughout the area.


    Unbeknownst to the two individuals, Princess Honoria was nearby ying with her pet falcon. She was trapped inside the pce from a young age, like a bird in its cage. Her onlypanion throughout this time was her pet falcon, who she had named Heraclius after the great Emperor. At the moment, she was stroking the feathers on the majestic bird''s head while the creature perched on her forearm.


    A gorgeous smile spread across the young beauty''s face as she yed with her pet; she began topliment the bird.


    "Oh Heraclius, you have been such a good friend to me all these years. Despite this, our time together grows ever closer to an unjust end. For I fear I will not be able to bring you with me to France where I will be sold off to the Crown Prince as if I were mere cattle. Only you care enough to listen to myints..."


    The bird was by no means stupid; it could tell the pretty girl that was his master was deeply troubled about something important; as such, it nuzzled its head into her own in an attempt tofort her.


    While Honoria was ying with her falcon, she overheard a conversation being held nearby; with nothing else going on she decided to eavesdrop out of curiosity. After all, any topic her father and one of his greatest generals were discussing would surely stem her overwhelming boredom.


    The Emperor Vetranis was smiling as he asked Arethas the question he had been longing to hear.


    "So tell me, good Arethas, have you procured the weapons from the West?"


    With an excited smile, Arethas nodded his head and confidently proimed his sess.


    "I had managed to do so, though they are not the same weapons that Berengar''s forces were equipped with when they crushed the Bavarian invaders. They are still far more advanced than anything else that exists in the known world!"


    The Emperor smiled as he nodded with approval before addressing the issue at hand.


    "Good! I will set some men to task with reverse-engineering these mighty weapons. However, that may take some time to aplish, so until then, I want you to procure as many of these Arkebuses as you possibly can get your hands on. The war in Egypt depends on it!"


    Arethas quickly bowed his head in respect and responded to the Emperor''s request.


    "I will do so at the first opportunity!"


    Honoria, who was listening nearby, began to pout, she initially thought this conversation would be interesting, but it was just a discussion about a mere arms trade. How impressive could these weapons be? As she was about to get up from her seat and walk away, she heard the topic shift to something more interesting.


    The Emperor scratched his beard before asking the question on his mind.


    "Tell me the truth Arethas, is what they say about Count Berengar true? Is he the true power behind the Duchy of Austria?"


    Arethas sighed heavily before expressing his opinion on the matter.


    "Without a doubt, despite only being twenty-one this year, Berengar has risen from the position of a lowly Baron''s son to the power behind the Ducal Throne of Austria. The current Duke is nothing more than a young boy whose entire existence can be described as a puppet of Berengar. From thest conversation I had with Berengar, I get the feeling he intends to usurp the position shortly and establish himself as the Duke of Austria."


    Honoria was instantly intrigued by this conversation; she had never heard of this Count Berengar, but if what the Strategos said was true, he was an ambitious and clever man to be able to rise to such a prominent position despite his lowly birth and young age. Thus she listened in closely to the conversation, trying to hear every word.


    The Emperor responded to Arethas'' ims with a slight nod of his head before expressing his approval.


    "Truly a talented young man, it is a shame he has made enemies out of most of Europe, the Catholic Church has dered him a heretic for his reformist ideology, in a way it closely resembles that of Jan Hus, the situation in Bohemia has be vtile, and now Austria is following in its footsteps under Berengar''s direction. I fear the Catholics will try to have him executed. Do you think Berengar has the power to resist such an attempt?"


    Arethas thought about this subject for a few moments before finally giving his response.


    "If he continues to expand his military power like he has been doing so? Yes, even if the Pope calls for a new crusade against him and his adherents, he will crush any army that enters hisnds. The weapons he has sold us are terrifying, and supposedly the firearms issued to all of his infantry are even more impressive.


    It is no wonder he routed the Bavarian forces in a little over a month. I would not be surprised if Berengar used the Papal response to his actions as an excuse to annex his neighbors and create a new Kingdom located in central Europe.


    Given a few years to consolidate the power that he has gained over Austria, he will soon have an army that will be entirely unmatched, and I assure you his ambitions do not end with Austria. Mark my words, one day Berengar will be a King."


    Hearing these words, Honoria gasped; after doing so, she quickly covered her mouth in fear of her being found out by her father. She did not expect the infamous Strategos of Ionia to praise a stranger from the West so highly. Primarily since until now, she had never heard of this Count Berengar. However, Arethas'' words quickly filled Honoria''s young mind with images of the young Count of Tyrol as a heroic conqueror on par with the likes of Trajan or Caesar.


    Honoria had never met Berengar; she had no idea what he looked like, nor did she even know his surname. Yet just from this conversation, an image of Berengar formed in Honoria''s head, and asting impression was built.


    Finally, she had found a powerful and ambitious man to chase after. Even if she was already engaged to the Crown Prince of France, she had no intentions of marrying such a man and would rather chase after someone like this Count Berengar she had just heard about.


    If only she had a way to contact him, thus Honoria began to sulk when she realized that the thoughts she had just now about chasing after Berengar was an impossibility. As long as she was trapped in the pce, she would never be able to meet the man and see if he lived up to the hype.


    As such, she quickly sat down onto the bench nearby and once more began to speak to Heraclius, her pet falcon. The young beauty sighed heavily as she did so.


    "Oh Heraclius, what am I to do? There is no way for me to contact this Berengar, but if I don''t contact him, I will be forced to marry that twink, Aubry. Can my life get any worse?"


    Heraclius gazed at Honoria with a curious gaze before taking off into the air and flying away. The bird had be hungry and thus had gone out to hunt. Leaving Honoria by her lonesome as she thought about the issues she faced. As such, Honoria pouted as she expressed the thoughts on her mind.


    "Stupid bird!"


    As for Arethas and the Emperor, they continued to stroll throughout the garden and discuss various topics; they had long since passed from Honoria''s earshot. Thus she could no longer eavesdrop on their discussion.


    Vetranis had no knowledge that his daughter had overheard his conversation with Arethas and in doing so taken a fancy to this Berengar from the West. For if he did, he would most certainly try to end such a fascination before it could turn into an infatuation. Thest thing he needed was a scandal about his errant daughter running away with some Duke from the West.


    Instead, his conversation with Arethas shifted from the topic of Berengar to the war with the Egyptians; with the new weapons acquired from Berengar, his forces would have to be trained in its use, Arethas had informed the Emperor of the pike and shot strategy Berengar had briefly suggested.


    Thus, the men had to design a new set of tactics for their armies to overwhelm the Mamluke Sultanate with. With this, they hoped to reim the long-lost territories of North Africa and incorporate them into their mighty Empire.

 Chapter 214: Establishing the Navy

    <h4>Chapter 214: Establishing the Navy</h4>


    At the moment, Berengar was sitting in his study, overseeing reports on his desk. There were several notes of importance he had to go over. Many of these were focused on the procurement of resources for his vessels.


    To aplish this, Berengar had sent trade representatives to the Kalmar Union in Scandinavia in an attempt to garner an ample supply of oak timber. The reason for this was simple, Norway would be a massive stockpile of such material, and presently there was little demand for it. Thus he could acquire his shipbuilding materials at a low expense.


    As for the procurement of hemp to use for his sails, and rope Berengar had already begun growing the product alongside x for some time. Thus he did not need to spend too much money when it came to acquiring the amount he was missing from his current stockpile.


    Berengar needed a powerful fleet of at least three ships if he would send an expedition to the new world. These ships would require thousands of sailors, and he could not purchase such a vast workforce.


    Instead, he was at this moment officially signing intow the establishment of the Austrian Navy and had decided to purchase a few carracks from Venice to act as training vessels. They would be docked in Trieste, where he would funnel recruits over to the region to train as sailors.


    He severelycked in sailors for his territory. The Duchy of Austria, despite holding a coastline in the southern tip of K?rnten, an area that belonged to Slovenia and Croatia in his past life, had never bothered developing a Navy. Instead, they merely had trading vessels and fishing boats.


    Thus Berengar desired to hire some professionals, and in doing so, looked towards veterans of the Vian Navy to act as instructors to his new sailors. The expenses for the construction of his Navy were growing by the day, but they had to be made. Without a powerful Navy, his future German Empire would never be able to maintain control over its colonies that would be vital to the sess of his Dynasty.


    On top of all of this, Berengar had to design a basic training program for the Navy; luckily, he had a little bit of knowledge of the U.S. Navy''s basic training program from his previous life; after all, he had an acquaintance who was an officer in the Navy, and they wouldmonly chat about the differences between Army and Navy life.


    Many hours passed, and eventually, Berengar had finished all of the necessary tasks to start the foundation of the Austrian Navy. After thest stroke of his quill was signed, he let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his leather chair while stretching his muscles before expressing his thoughts aloud.


    "The work of a Duke is never finished."


    After finishing his work for the day, Berengar left his study and entered the dining hall, where he found Linde and Conrad in another conflict. The sight of which instantly brought a sense of fatigue to Berengar. He could not wait for this little brat to croak finally, but it could not be too sudden. Otherwise, the me would surely fall on his shoulders, and the other nobles of Austria would be up in arms against him.


    Linde was furious. Conrad had said something that had visibly upset her, and she quickly pped Conrad across the face once more before yelling at him.


    "You little brat! Who do you think you are? How dare you call me that!"


    Conrad''s outbursts were bing more frequent, and Linde was usually the one who had to put up with his crap. However, the following words that came out of his mouth invoked Linde''s ire and Berengar''s.


    "You fucking whore! Just because you are sleeping with Berengar doesn''t mean you get toy a hand on me!"


    Conrad''s fists were curled as if he were ready to strike, and the guards were once more moving into position to separate the two; however, when they noticed Berengar''s slow approach with a murderous re in his one good eye, they immediately backed down. The Count wanted to handle this himself.


    Just when Conrad was about to pounce on Linde, he felt an arm wrap around his little neck, and as it did so, it quickly began to cut off the supply of oxygen to his brain. Berengar had put the 12-year-old child in a rear-naked choke so tight that within a matter of seconds, the boy passed out. As he did so, Berengar slowly let the kid fall to the ground before releasing the chokehold.


    Linde gazed at Berengar with a cruel smile on her luscious lips; she loved it when her man took charge of the situation and hindered those who insulted her or did her harm. This was not the first time he had taken action to protect her against a violent male. She instantly got shbacks to the time Berengar beat his little brother for his actions.


    It only took a few seconds for Conrad to regain consciousness, and when he did, he awoke with a fright; he had no idea where he was or what had happened; when his mind finally adjusted to his surroundings, he saw Berengar and Linde passionately kissing in front of him. Conrad did not know that Berengar had just choked him and instead red furiously at Linde who was the initial target of his fury.


    Upon seeing the boy''s gaze, Berengar stopped his public disy of affection and put on a terrifying expression as he red down at Conrad. Berengar slowly kneeled in front of the kid and grabbed him by the throat with his hand, squeezing it tightly, but not tight enough to suffocate thed. Afterward, he coldly stated a bold threat.


    "If I hear you insulting my woman or see you getting violent with her again. I will end you..."


    Conrad put on a tough facade, despite the intense fear he felt in his heart before scoffing at Berengar''s words.


    "Is that a threat?"


    Berengar, however coldly shook his head before responding


    "It is a promise!"


    With that, Berengar stood back up and walked over to the guards in the room who witnessed the entire disy; he patted the man on the shoulder who was about to aid Linde before his interruption and said with a smile on his face.


    "The Duke is tired; escort him to his room so that he can get some much-needed rest..."


    Hearing this, a pair of guards marched over to Conrad and lifted him off the floor, where they then responded with the term.


    "Your Grace..." before escorting the boy to his room. All the while, Conrad threw a tantrum.


    "Let me go! Imand you! I am not tired; God damn it!"


    After he was no longer visible and his screams could no longer be heard, Linde giggled slightly before getting in a snide remark.


    "The Duke is tired? Really? That was your best excuse?"


    Berengarughed alongside his lover as he wrapped his arms around her and dragged her into his embrace.


    "It worked, didn''t it?"


    After saying that, the couple resumed their passionate disy of affection for a few moments; they became ever closer to engaging in carnal rtions in the middle of the dining hall, that is, of course, until Berengar spotted Henrietta was sitting at her spot at the dining table with a sheepish expression on her face.


    The entire time she was sitting quietly in her spot observing the situation, and now that Berengar was so passionately kissing Linde''s breasts, she did not know how to react as such, Berengar froze into ce before awkwardly addressing his little sister.


    "Oh, Henrietta... I didn''t see you there."


    hearing this, Linde immediately began to blush; she had utterly forgotten Henrietta was present and had lost herself in the moment. As such, she quietly pulled up her dress which had slightly slid down her body while Berengar was toying with her.


    After doing so, she quickly recovered herself and sat in her seat. Henrietta was frozen in ce as if she had just seen a ghost. She had no idea how to react to the scene in front of her, and thus she just began to stare into her te awkwardly.


    Luckily not long after, the servants arrived, and with them, the food was prepared for Berengar and his family. This scene broke up the awkward silence that had permeated the air��allowing Berengar and Linde to recover from their embarrassing disy just moments earlier.


    Thus Berengar enjoyed a lovely meal with his family, all while dreaming about the day he can finally dine on his glorious potato pancakes, as well as consume Bauernfr��hst��ck for breakfast. Both of these things needed potatoes that could only be obtained from the new world. If not for the risks that involved hiring foreign sailors to explore the aforementioned region, he would have dly done so by now.


    However, the new world and its discovery were of vital strategic importance to his future Empire. Thus he would never allow it to be revealed until after he had already begun to seize the most resource-richnds. These were the thoughts that flowed through Berengar''s mind as he dined in silence with his family.

 Chapter 215: Conrads Misdeeds

    <h4>Chapter 215: Conrad''s Misdeeds</h4>


    After being pped by Linde, and choked out by Berengar. Conrad was forced to return to his room, where he was locked inside for the remainder of the night. Eventually, he fell to sleep, but by the time morning came and he was released from his quarters, he was still fuming with anger over the events that had urred during the previous night.


    Conrad had no say in how his Duchy was being run, Berengar did not inform him of the matters of importance that the man was constantly working on, and as such, Conrad had a lot of free time. However, he was locked away in the Castle of Kufstein without any ability to escape. After all, Berengar did not want the boy causing trouble.


    Thus with no authority and no way to entertain himself, the boy became increasingly bitter. As time passed, he eventually found himself bored out of his mind and had begun to behave in childish antics. Yet, those childish antics were always met with a firm p by Linde. Eventually, those childish antics turned to thoughts of wicked acts.


    At the moment, Conrad was walking through the Courtyard, trying to think of a way to get revenge on Linde for how she had always treated him. Eventually, he came across a peculiar sight. Linde was currently putting out multiple saucers filled with milk, and there were a total of three cats who came rushing over to greet her.


    The beautiful young woman had a gorgeous smile as she happily petted the cats before allowing them to have some of the milk. Linde was exceptionally fond of cats and had recently taken in a few strays. She made sure that they were given fresh milk from the farm every day.


    Berengar had allowed this for three reasons, firstly it made Linde happy, and seeing her happy made him happy. Secondly, he was a cat lover, and as such, he also enjoyed theirpany. Thirdly, Cats were excellent at hunting pests, and the castle had more than enough rodents running around that needed to be taken care of.


    After feeding the Cats, Linde said goodbye and quickly returned to her work as a spymaster; she would be backter that evening to feed the cute little creatures more milk. Seeing the gracious smile on Linde''s face as she was around her new pets brought a wicked idea to Conrad''s mind.


    He may not be able to harm Linde; after all, the guards protected Berengar and his loved ones around the clock, but he could hurt what she cared about. Thus the devious little cunt vowed thatter in the day when the patrols had begun to switch shifts, he would sneak into the Courtyard and murder the three cats. Such a thing would surely upset the young woman who had so thoroughly invoked his ire.


    After hatching such a vicious plot, Conrad returned to his room, where he began to make preparations. First, he needed a knife, and as such, he headed towards the kitchen where he nned to fetch one.


    Thus as Conrad entered the kitchen, he immediately began to behave suspiciously; the kitchen staff all began to question him with their gazes until finally, the boy demanded ess to what he desired.


    "I need a knife!"


    The kitchen staff looked at one another for a few moments before the head chef inquired about the reasoning.


    "Why do you need a knife?"


    The kitchen staff asking questions immediately caught Conrad off guard; seeing how he never had a servant question his orders, he instantly became outraged and began to rebuke the chef.


    "Because I am the Duke, and I ordered you to give me one! Now hand it over!"


    The head chef had a look of concern in his eyes as he struggled with the decision. On the one hand, he knew the kid was up to something, and if Conrad did something horrible with a knife he provided, then he would be held responsible.


    On the other hand, the boy was right, he was technically the Duke, and though he had no real authority, as amoner, he could not very well deny the Duke''s orders, or else it would expose Berengar''s charade.? Considering the two options, the chef thought it was unlikely that Conrad would do anything too vile and thus handed him a kitchen knife before warning the kid.


    "Your Grace, this object is dangerous; I suggest you be careful with it!"


    Conrad instantly ignored the chef''sments and did not even bother thanking the man. Instead, he immediately returned to his room, where he yed with the knife; he could already imagine the look on Linde''s face after he cut her cats'' throats. He longed to see the woman wailing with tears in her eyes like a hysterical bitch.


    These wicked thoughts are what kept him entertained until the time arrived. After he noticed the patrols would be switching shifts soon and that the window of opportunity was near, Conrad quietly snuck out of his room and rushed through the hallways as he tried to act normal. Though the more he did so, the more suspicious he appeared.


    While walking through the hallways, Conrad hid the knife under his tunic as he carefully pressed forward. Eventually, he ran into a servant girl and knocked her over. Rather than help her up, he red at her menacingly, and the girl quickly ran away in fear. Unfortunately for him, this was right in front of the Courtyard, where the cats were housed.


    However, the boy was not smart enough to realize he had just created a witness who could testify that he was in the vicinity, and thus he proceeded towards the structure that was constructed to act as a house for the cats. When he approached, the little furballs instantly walked out of their home and greeted him while purring. Everyone in the Castle treated them with exceptional care, knowing they were Linde''s pets, and thus they were used to everyone being kind.


    The naive little cats did not have the slightest clue of the evil intent that Conrad had. Thus when the three cats approached to sniff him, he unleashed his de and cut their throats, killing them instantly. Their blood spilled across the cold stone floor of the Courtyard and onto his tunic. However, he did not notice this.


    In his wicked mind, merely cutting their throats was not enough to indeed disturb Linde; as such, he quickly proceeded to decapitate the creatures and leave their heads mounted on sticks outside their home, with their bodies mangled below. After he had concluded this brutal and cruel act to a trio of innocent cats, the boy fled back to his room with a knife in hand. Utterly unaware that he left a trail of blood in his wake.


    Conrad was by no means a criminal mastermind, and despite believing he had easily gotten away with such actions, he had left multiple pieces of evidence in his wake, with even a witness seeing him shortly before the action happened. Luckily nobody saw him on the way back to his room, or else he could have gotten spooked and killed one of Berengar''s servants.


    Not long after Conrad returned to his room, a horrific shriek echoed across the Castle; it was so loud that even Berengar heard it in his study. He instantly recognized that the voice belonged to Linde, so Berengar quickly rushed to the scene with his sword in hand. However, before he arrived, his guards had beaten him to the area and began to secure the crime scene.


    By the time Berengar had entered the Courtyard to see what had happened, the House guards were keeping the scene in check, and Linde was sobbing like a mother who had just witnessed her children''s deaths. Nobody dared to approach her when she was in such an unstable condition. Well, nobody other than Berengar. The moment he saw his lover sobbing in such a manner, he dropped ahold of his sword and rushed over to her, holding the weeping beauty in his arms in an attempt tofort her.


    Gazing at the brutal scene before him, Berengar did not believe this to be an attack on Linde but one on himself. To him, it was clear that this was a veiled threat from one of his political opponents. Stating, "If I can get to your pets, then I can get to your loved ones." Thus as Berengar tried tofort Linde, he began shouting orders to the nearby guards.


    "Lockdown the Castle nobody gets in or out until we find out who is responsible for this! As for the rest of you, begin an investigation into this immediately; I want to know who would dare to engage in such a barbaric disy within my territory!"


    The guards immediately responded to Berengar''s orders by pounding their chests in salute and screaming at the top of their lungs.


    "Yes, your excellency!"


    With that said, the men quickly got to task and began to lock down the castle, quarantine the area, and search for any potential clues. All while Berengar held onto his weeping lover,forting her to the best of his ability, in doing so, he made a solemn vow.


    "When I find whoever is responsible for this, I will make sure they pay with their blood!"

 Chapter 216: A Lovers Fury

    <h4>Chapter 216: A Lover''s Fury</h4>


    After Conrad''s horrific actions, the Castle was entirely on lockdown. Like Berengar had ordered, nobody was allowed in or out of the Castle, and the castle garrison immediately was put to task in looking for every clue avable. While Berengar and his forces were piecing together what had happened, Conrad had fled to his room where he was currently hiding behind his door, breathing heavily.


    The adrenaline and excitement that filled his veins aftermitting such a heinous act and getting away with it filled his mind with joy. Adrenaline and endorphins pumped through his blood in a way that he had never felt before.


    He could get used to this. Or so he thought. However, when he appeared in front of the mirror, he noticed his clothes and hands were stained with blood, and he was still holding onto the murder weapon. He immediately began to panic and stripped his clothes before wrapping them around the murder weapon and tossing it out his window.


    Conrad was not exactly the smoothest criminal; not only had he left a massive trail pointing in his direction, but he tossed even more crucial evidence such as the murder weapon and his blood-stained noble clothing outside the window, directly into the bushes below. With the way he had handled this act of cruelty, it was only a matter of time before Berengar found out he did the deed.


    Of course, he had no way of knowing this, and thus he grinned in the mirror; he could not wait to kill something else that Linde loved, but the only thing she loved other than those cats was Berengar, Henrietta, and Hans. It would not be easy to inflict harm upon either of those three individuals.


    Berengar had for some time suspected Conrad might do something to his son, and thus he had the infant''s room constantly under lockdown; only he, Henrietta, and Linde were allowed into the room. Since bing a father, he had grown paranoid and did not even trust his staff to take care of his infant son.


    As for Henrietta, there was no way Conrad could harm her; the little girl was incredibly skittish and would never get near enough to Conrad for him to hurt her; even then, guards followed her around the clock to ensure her safety. If Conrad even attempted to harm the girl, a bay wall would be ced in front of him, and he would be killed on the spot.


    Thus, for now, he had to wait until Linde found something else she loved, then Conrad would make sure to torment her by taking it away! He could already feel the excitement of doing such a thing. It was just a shame he did not get to see Linde''s disturbed face, but her scream was enough for him to enjoy; it reyed itself in his mind on repeat, thinking about such things brought a wicked grin to his face.


    As for Berengar, while his forces led an investigation, he had personally buried the three cats that were Linde''s dear pets and brought his lover into the bath, where he scrubbed her clean. She was incredibly distraught by the barbaric disy that somebody had made out of her pets, and she could not stop sobbing.


    Berengar was in the middle offorting her in this crisis as she held him close and stroked her silky strawberry blonde hair.


    "I swear I will find whoever did this and end their miserable existence!"


    Berengar was not exactly the best atforting others; the best he could do was be there for Linde and promise to avenge the cats. Though Linde was sobbing, she managed to make out a phrase.


    "Why... why would someone do this? What did I do to deserve this?"


    Berengar instantly grabbed ahold of the girl and wrapped her into his embrace as he tried tofort her once more.


    "This is not your fault; if anything, it is mine. I have made too many enemies, somehow they must have gotten to someone in the Castle, and this is their way of warning me! When I find out who plotted this, I will raise their Castle to the ground and butcher their family in front of their eyes!"


    Berengar was thoroughly outraged; this act had pressed on three of his reverse scales. First off, it challenged his authority and control over his own home. He would not sleep easily at night knowing that his enemies could so easily aplish something like this.


    Secondly, this was a threat to him, and his loved ones and Berengar did not tolerate threats. To do something like this meant someone was confident enough in their ability that they believed Berengar could not harm them even if he found out their identity, and for that degree of arrogance, he could not abide by it.


    Thirdly, and most importantly, the son of a bitch responsible for this savage act had crossed the line in the worst way possible, he had made one of his women cry, and for that, the penalty was death. Berengar did not care who was responsible for making Linde scream; they would face the full might of his wrath!


    After a while, the couple finally got out of the bath, where Berengar sent Linde to their room; he also got Henrietta to sleep alongside her. The room was under constant guard by his most elite and loyal units. Men who had served beside him in many battles, and would risk their lives to protect him and his family, men who would never betray him.


    After settling these affairs, Berengar sat on his seat of power, where he consumed copious amounts of alcohol, he would sit here until the perpetrator was revealed, and then he would have his vengeance.? An entire night passed before all the evidence was gathered, the head chef, the maid in the hallway, as well as the blood trail, and the blood-stained clothing wrapped around the murder weapon.


    All of these things had been gathered before Berengar while he drank from his skull chalice with an ice-cold expression on his face. The Captain of his guard approached Berengar after bringing the evidence before him and began to make his usation.


    "Your excellency, all signs point to Conrad being the perpetrator; there is a blood trail leading to his room. We found his tunic stained in blood and wrapped around the weapon that was used in the killing in a bush below his window. We even have an eyewitness reporting that they saw him enter the courtyard shortly before the crime. The head chef and his entire staff can also testify that Conrad has ordered him to give up a knife earlier in the day without exining the reason for it."


    At this point, Berengar was consumed with rage; however, his rationality told him he couldn''t very well kill the legitimate Duke for murdering a few house pets. Nevertheless, something needed to be done, and as such, Berengar asked the question on his mind.


    "Where is the boy now?"


    The Captain of the guard quickly offered his knowledge in response to his lord''s request.


    "He is currently contained within his room; we have guards posted outside the door to ensure he does not escape. What do you want us to do with the young Duke, your excellency?"


    Berengar thought about it for a few moments before making a shocking deration.


    "Nothing... I will speak to the boy myself. As for the rest of you, swear upon pain of death that you will not reveal the contents of this conversation."


    After seeing the murderous re in Berengar''s eyes, everyone in the room who had witnessed the conversation pledged a vow of eternal silence on the matter.


    "I swear by the pain of death that I will never reveal the contents of the conversation that has taken ce here."


    Afterward, Berengar signaled for the people to be dismissed. He then sighed heavily before getting up off his chair and strolling towards Conrad''s quarters. When he finally arrived, the guards saluted him, and Berengar gave hismand.


    "Open it!"


    with that, the guards nodded and opened the door that led to Conrad''s room; they were about to follow him in when Berengar raised his hand and halted them.


    "Stay outside, and make sure nobody enters."


    One of the guards immediately protested the decision


    "Your excellency, I don''t think this is a good idea..."


    Yet all he got in return for his warning was a hateful gaze that burned with the fury of a thousand suns; upon seeing that, he quickly shut his trap and did as he was told. Afterward, Berengar proceeded into the room and closed the door behind him,tching it in ce.


    Upon entering, Berengar saw Conrad staring at him with a nervous expression. He did not realize how he managed to get caught so soon. Berengar was as cold as ice and slowly approached the window where he opened it, allowing the cold breeze of the summer dawn to waft upon him.


    After a few moments of silence, he leaned on the wall next to the window and crossed his arms before breaking the silence.


    "Conrad, enlighten me if you will because I am dreadfully confused... Are you so arrogant that you believed even after figuring out who was responsible for such a heinous crime that I would not punish you? Or are you simply the most unbelievably stupid criminal in the history of mankind? Did you really believe I would not find out you did it?"


    Conrad immediately yed dumb and looked away from Berengar as he did so.


    "I have no idea what you are talking about..."


    With this, Berengar sighed before raising his tone to that of an oppressive Tyrant.


    "There is a blood trail that leads directly to your room, your tunic soaked in the blood of the victims was found wrapped around the murder weapon in the bushes below your window, and there were eyewitnesses who can put you within the vicinity of the crime scene shortly before it happened.


    On top of all of that, my entire kitchen staff can testify that you showed up and took the murder weapon from their hands. So cut that act, and answer my questions. Why on Earth would you do such a thing? Are you that unsatisfied with the way I am managing the realm that you must resort to threatening me by killing my lover''s pets?"


    Realizing that he had been caught red-handed, Conrad began tough until finally, he asked a question to Berengar that he did not expect.


    "Do you have such a glorious image of yourself that you believe I did this to threaten you? This has nothing to do with you, Berengar!"


    Berengar was astonished when he heard this; he could not think of another reason why the boy would behave in such a vile manner, and as such, Berengar inquired about the boy''s reasoning.


    "Then why?"


    Conrad immediately gritted his teeth and ground them in a fury before screaming at the top of his lungs.


    "To teach that bitch a lesson!"


    Hearing that the target of Conrad''s attack was not himself but his lover, Berengar''s mind immediately became engulfed in fury. He could no longer contain his anger as it quickly consumed all rational thought. If there was one thing that could destroy his logic and reason, it was someone targeting his loved ones.


    He was fair game, but those he cared about were strictly off-limits. Despite his devouring rage, he looked at Conrad with a cold and indifferent expression, leading one to believe he was perfectly calm. In doing so, here turned his attention to the light of dawn that slowly began to reveal itself, and as such, he beckoned Conrad over to his side.


    "Conrad,e here. I want to show you something..."


    Conrad was confused as to why Berengar was so calm, but in his naivety, he did not feel a hint of danger, for Berengar would never kill him off so abruptly. After all, if he had a sudden unexinable death, it would cause the other lords of Austria to rise against him. As such, he humored Berengar and walked next to him, standing in front of the open window, gazing upon the beautiful sunrise.


    After arriving next to Berengar, the young Count of Tyrol began to speak to Conrad in a chilling tone.


    "Conrad... Tell me something. Do you know what the punishment is for harming my loved ones?"


    Conrad immediately shifted his gaze from the sunrise to Berengar''s calm and stoic look before putting on a shit-eating grin; he was extremely confident Berengar would not kill him and as such arrogantly challenged Berengar.


    "No, what?"


    At that moment, a murderous aura erupted from Berengar and disyed itself through his eyes; the moment it did so, Berengar revealed the penalty for Conrad''s crimes.


    "Death!"


    before Conrad could even react to this statement, Berengar had pushed him over the windowpane, and the boy fell headfirst into the stone courtyard below. The moment his head came into contact with the hard surface, he died on the spot. Conrad was truly and utterly dead, and with his death, the mighty Habsburg Dynasty was brought to an end.


    As for Berengar, he gazed coldly upon the scene of his crime for but a moment before leaving Conrad''s chambers with an apathetic expression on his face and a murderous glint in his eyes.

 Chapter 217: Preparation is the Key to Survival

    <h4>Chapter 217: Preparation is the Key to Survival</h4>


    Down on the ground below Conrad''s room was the shattered body of a young boy; this boy was the Duke of Austria, that is until moments prior. The servants of the Castle of Kufstein quickly gathered around the corpse and gazed with horror. Though they were aware that this boy was a puppet of Berengar, they could not imagine what events had led to his death.


    Quickly the guards gathered and began to secure the scene. Berengar, of course, was long out of sight; he had murdered the boy by defenestrating him, and in doing so, covered his tracks quite well. Not a single soul had seen Berengar in the window with Conrad, and only his most loyal men knew that he had visited the boy during the hour of his death.


    Thus while the guards secured the scene, Berengar was sitting on his seat of power, staring off into space. He had a momentarypse in judgment after hearing that Conrad had murdered Linde''s pets specifically to cause the young woman mental anguish and had thrown the boy out of the window and to his untimely demise.


    However, by now, Berengar''s rity had returned, and he realized his actions were not only rash but also foolish. With Conrad''s death, he had to move up his ns for usurpation by several years. The boy was supposed to die a slow poisoned death that appeared to be a natural illness. Yet now he lies sttered on the stone floor of his Castle courtyard.


    This would undoubtedly cause the Nobles of Austria to view Berengar with suspicion, and that was the best-case scenario. The moment Berengar revealed Conrad''s death to the rest of the realm, he would potentially face open rebellion. He could undoubtedly manage with his current armies but the results of such a conflict would certainly dy his reforms by arge degree.


    Austria still had yet to recover from the war with the Bavarians, and now a few monthster, they were once more on the brink of war. Though rebellion against his rule by the higher nobility was a certainty, he had yet to fully prepare for a quick and thorough war with the other nobles. Berengar deeply pondered his next step.


    Considering only the people in the Castle of Kufstein knew of Conrad''s death, Berengar would try to conceal such a thing as long as he possibly could. At most, he could buy himself a few weeks. How he utilized this brief period would be of critical importance in securing his authority over Austria. However, before he could do anything rted to that, he needed an excuse for Conrad''s death.


    While he was thinking about such an Oue, Linde arrived in front of him; her eyes were red and puffy from a long night of crying. Despite this, she had a stern look on her face, she knew that by now, Berengar should have some idea who the culprit was behind the death of her beloved pets, and thus she quickly asked him the thought on her mind.


    "Did you find the culprit?"


    Berengar, who until now was in deep thought reflecting on his actions and the future events that they had spurred, suddenly noticed his beautiful lover standing before him and nodded his head in silence.


    Linde bit her lips as she was afraid to ask the perpetrator''s identity, but ultimately she felt she needed to know who was responsible for such a heinous act if she were to gain closure; thus, she steeled her resolved and asked the question.


    "Who was it?"


    Berengar sighed heavily before revealing the identity of the criminal.


    "Conrad..."


    Hearing this news, a look of disgust and hatredbined itself upon Linde''s immacte heart-shaped face before she finally snapped.


    "That bastard! Where is he now!?! I want to punish him severely!"


    However, Berengar''s following words shocked herpletely


    "Dead..."


    A series ofplex emotions overwhelmed the heavenly beauty at this moment; she had no idea how to react to this news. On the one hand, she was d that justice had been dealt to the sadistic brat for his vile actions.


    However, she knew the consequences such a thing could have; as such, she never actually nned to kill him when she heard that the young Duke was responsible for the deaths of her pets. Without realizing it, Linde became increasingly concerned and spat out the question on her mind.


    "What did you do?"


    Berengar looked around his Great Hall for a few moments, inspecting to see if anyone was listening in before he finally revealed what had transpired moments ago.


    "I don''t know; It is all a blur. Initially, I intended to scold him, maybe even beat him severely for his actions. However, when he told me that the reason for his wicked deeds was for the sole purpose of causing you anguish, something just snapped in my mind. The next thing I knew, Conrad was falling out the window headfirst into the courtyard below."


    Seeing theplicated expression on Berengar''s face, Linde quickly approached him and kneeled before him, grabbing ahold of his hand and bringing it to her heart. She understood that his love for her and overwhelming desire to protect her had caused him to lose control of his actions and murder the boy.


    She, too, would likely do such a thing if their roles were reversed.? Rather than allow Berengar to reflect on his actions and further stress about them, Linde shifted the topic to something more productive.


    "What now?"


    With this said, Berengar looked into his lover''s sky blue eyes with a solemn expression before revealing the intentions that he hade up with in his mind.


    "We conceal his death for as long as possible; during this time, we prepare for war and have our troops armed and ready to march on the other Counties. I need you to gather intelligence, on the other Counts, from Voralberg to the Kustend. I need to know who will challenge my usurpation and who will bend the knee. As for his cause of death? We will say it was a suicide. Without a proper investigation, nobody will know what has happened here on this day."


    Linde quickly nodded; she still had a gloomy expression as she was still troubled by the deaths of her furry little pets, but she knew now was not the time to grieve; work needed to be done. They were in a period of critical importance; one mistake and all of their ambitions woulde crashing down around them. Thus she did not have time to mourn her precious pets. After thinking about it for a few moments, the woman spoke her mind.


    "I will get it done as quickly as possible. By the time the news is leaked, we will know who are our enemies and who are our allies!"


    Seeing the woman he so dearly loved put aside her emotions for the greater good put a bitter smile on Berengar''s face as he caressed his lover''s glossy strawberry-blonde hair before hugging her tightly.


    "I promise when this is all over, I will give you a period of reprieve where you can properly deal with your loss. I know how much you cared for those cats. I swear I will never allow something like this to happen again."


    Though Berengar could not see her face, he could tell that the tears Linde had worked so hard to choke back had begun to flood down her exquisite face; she quicklytched onto Berengar and cried to her heart''s content for the next few minutes. Afterward, she wiped them from her eyes before thanking Berengar.


    "Thank you, and I promise I will have aprehensive report on your desk by the end of the week!"


    Berengar did not keep Linde any longer; he, too, had many matters to attend to in the uing days. For starters, he needed to write a series of official derations of Conrad''s demise and his usurpation of the boy''s title. Of course, he would only release it after everything was in ce for the transition of power in Austria.


    Thus Berengar and Linde quickly got to work on preparing for the unknown future. Though it was entirely possible that the other Counts would respect his rise to power and bend the knee peacefully, Berengar was not a man who believed such a thing was likely. To him, it was better to be prepared for the oue of the war, even if it didn''t happen, than it was to hope for the best and leave himself vulnerable.


    Berengar had an idea in his head of how this war would y out, but he needed to know for sure. Thus he had set Linde to task to find out who his enemies were. However, Berengar was pretty confident that Count Otto, who ruled over Steiermark, Count Audeger, who ruled over Vorarlberg, and Count Adelbrand, who under Berengar''s direction, had reced his brother Wolfgang as the Count of Salzburg would be aligned with him.


    As for the Counties of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, K?rnten, Krain, and the Kustend? Berengar did not know how they would react to Conrad''s death or who they would side with. Thus he needed to prepare himself for the possibility of a Civil War.

 Chapter 218: Surprise Visit

    <h4>Chapter 218: Surprise Visit</h4>


    While Berengar and Linde were preparing for the possibility of another war, the Byzantine Princess had an important guest visit her. Though At the moment, Honoria was entertaining herself in the courtyard with her pet Eagle Heraclius, utterly unaware that her fiance was about to see her.


    Since Honoria was five, she raised the eastern imperial eagle as her pet, and it was quite honestly her only friend. She was the only daughter of the current Byzantine Emperor, and to say her rtionship with her brothers was strained could be considered an understatement.


    Since a young age, she had been heavily sheltered by her parents, to the point where she had never even left the pce or its grounds. The only men she had met outside of her family were either her father''s subordinates or the various suitors that had heard of her legendary beauty and traveled a long way to meet her.


    Despite this, she found every man who attempted to gain her hand in marriage to be genuinely insufferable. Thus she had rejected them all ruthlessly, to the point where she was now fifteen and close to the age of marriage without a fiance. That is until rtively recently where her father had, against her wishes, engaged her to the Crown Prince of France.


    Honoria wore a pretty smile and giggled as she yed with her pet eagle. Its majestic wingspan revealed itself as it took off into the sky and hovered in the air, like a watchful guardian of its friend and master. However, seeing an unknown man approach Honoria''s vicinity, the eagle instantly dived down and got in the man''s path.


    This man was Aubry de Valois, the Crown Prince of France and Honoria''s fiance. He had traveled a great distance to meet the gorgeous young princess whom he was engaged to. However, the moment Honoria saw the man in front of her, a frown instantly spread across her exquisite face, and she merely snubbed the man.


    Aubry was by no means a masculine man, even though he was said to be a talented warrior. The young man was overtly feminine not just in his facial features but also in the shape of his body. He was petite, slender, lean, and had the skin of a woman. He had long center-parted dirty blonde hair that went down to his waist and emerald green eyes. If one did not know his identity, they might mistake him for a woman upon first nce.


    This was one of the reasons Honoria was not fond of the man; another was that he was a well-known pillow biter. Despite the Catholic Church''s and society as a whole''s intolerance for homosexuality, it still existed. Sometimes, there were instances of men like Aubry who, despite being infamous for such proclivities, held high positions and were not subjected to the harassment of the Church.


    Seeing his fiance in front of him and an eagle blocking his path, Aubry put on a pretty smile as he maintained his distance, the sight of which instantly disgusted Honoria to the core of her being. Afterward, Aubry spoke in a voice so feminine it was virtually indistinguishable from a woman''s.


    "Honoria! I am so happy to meet you finally! I am Prince Aubrey de Valois of the Kingdom of France! Daddy said you were beautiful; it appears he was not lying; how do you make your skin so pale? It is gorgeous! I wish I had skin as fair as yours."


    The man did not even try to hide the fact that he was not the slightest bit interested in Honoria as a woman. The way heplimented her was as if he was another girl seeking beauty tips. Honoria was convinced that if cross-dressing were not a severe offense in Europe, this man would undoubtedly walk around in women''s clothes, and nobody would be any the wiser about his actual gender.


    As such, Honoria merely snubbed the man and lifted her arm before shouting amand.


    "Heraclius,e!" With that, the eastern imperial eagle flew down onto her forearm and perched upon it, where the young princess proceeded to walk away from her fiance without paying him the slightest bit of attention.


    Seeing his fiancee flee in the opposite direction, the young man attempted to approach Honoria. However, the moment he got close to her, the eagle known as Heraclius, quickly syed its wings and cawed at the French Prince.


    Though Aubry was a battle-hardened knight, the overprotective nature of the eagle sent a shiver down his spine as he could very clearly feel its killing intent. He immediately became aware that with the eagle protecting Honoria, he would have no way to approach her and aplish the goal his father had set for him, which was to gain her favor.


    After all, the Kingdom of France needed a powerful ally. It was currently engaged in a war with Ennd. Their neighbor to the East was presently embroiled in a civil war, with a notably problematic individual rising to power amid the Chaos. If France wanted to maintain its dominance over European affairs, they would need to cultivate an alliance with the major power of the Mediterranean, and that was the Byzantine Empire.


    However, before he could even begin to aplish such a task, the princess had snubbed him as if he were nothing more than ordinary refuse. Aubry quickly let out a sigh, and seeing that he was the only one around, he promptly began to pout as he expressed his thoughts.


    "If only I could marry one of her brothers, it is much easier to seduce a man than it is to befriend a woman, and no man can resist my charms!"


    After leaving Aubry behind with his thoughts, Honoria ran into the pce with Heraclius attached to her arm before leading him up to her room, where she quickly shut it behind her. Afterward, the eagle flew over to a perching post and rested upon it while gazing at his master with a mocking expression.


    The eagle was brilliant and was essentially making fun of the fact that Honoria would be forced to marry someone who was more woman than a man. Seeing the shit-eating grin on Hercalius'' face, Honoria tossed a pillow at the bird before chastising it.


    "What are youughing at!?!"


    Heraclius, of course, dodged the attack andnded on the bed in front of Honoria, where she was sprawled out and pouting. She clutched another one of her silk-covered pillows and began to scream into it at the top of her lungs. Of course, the sound was muffled, and nobody but her and Heraclius could hear such a thing.


    After releasing her pent-up frustrations, Honoria felt a little bit better about the whole situation, and she began to think aloud, as she so often did when she was alone.


    "Am I destined to be sold off to the sissy French Prince and live out the rest of my days as a trophy wife for that fairy?"


    Honoria instantly began to bite her luscious pink lips as she continued to pout over the situation she was in.


    "Won''t somebody save me from this marriage?"


    At that moment, she heard a knock on the door and the worried tone of a familiar voice came from the outside.


    "Princess, are you in here? I heard that you ran off from the meeting with your fiance. Are you alright?"


    Honoria instantly began to pout once more before yelling at the door.


    "Go away!"


    She knew exactly who was behind the door, and she did not feel like talking to him at the moment. The man standing behind the door was Arethas, and he heavily sighed when he heard these words before acquiescing to the princess''s demands.


    "As you wish, your highness."


    shortly after saying these words, Honoria realized something; she was curious about the conversation that Arethas had with her father not long ago in the royal gardens and thus quickly ran to the door and opened itstch. The act of which surprised Arethas and her subsequent actions further confused him.


    Honoria blushed lightly and looked away from Arethas before muttering in a low tone.


    "Come in... I have some questions to ask you!"


    Hearing that he was wee, he took the princess up on his offer and entered her room, where he quickly sat down on one of her chairs. The princess herself sat down on the bed and stared awkwardly at the man who had acted as an Uncle to her growing up.


    Arethas was one of the Emperor''s best generals and was a close personal friend of the family. Though he had been away on campaigns for thest few years, hemonly acted as a confidant for the princess during her childhood since she did not have any friends other than her pet eagle.


    After a few moments of silence, Honoria finally cleared her throat and spoke the question on her mind.


    "I want to ask you about the man named Berengar..."


    Arethas was even further confused when he heard this question; just where had the girl heard that name before? and why was she interested in a lowly Count from across the sea? Nevertheless, since she had asked, he had no choice but to answer to the best of his ability.


    "What do you want to know about him?"


    Hearing that Arethas was willing to answer her questions, Honoria became quite flustered; she had not thought through the questions she wanted to ask, and so she took a few moments to consider before the first question came to her mind.


    "What is he like?"


    Arethas thought about this question for a few minutes before giving an honest evaluation of the man.


    "Berengar is a ruthless and ambitious man who will do whatever it takes and offend whoever he desires so long as he is capable of achieving his goals..."


    Hearing this, Honoria was about to lose interest; though she wanted to be the wife of an ambitious and capable man, she did not care for cruelty. However, before she could entirely give up on the subject, Arethas continued his evaluation.


    "Despite this, he is exceptionally benevolent to his friends, family, and the people under his protection. Every time I return to the city he has built, the people seem happier and wealthier than they were prior. He has spent a significant expense on building walls that rival our Theodosian walls around his city to protect his people and has even developed an enhanced system of plumbing and waste disposal to ensure the health of his citizens.


    From the interactions I have seen with his family, he seems to care deeply about their safety, health, and happiness. If I had to evaluate the man, I would say he is kindhearted and charitable to his allies but ruthless and tyrannical to his enemies. He will stop at no lengths to protect his loved ones, no matter how vile the actions may be or how powerful the enemies he may make. Berengar von Kufstein is undoubtedly a formidable man, one who is destined for greatness... Assuming he lives long enough to achieve it."


    Hearing Arethas, the mighty General of the Byzantine Empire, so thoroughlypliment the man further fueled Honoria''s sense of wonder in Berengar. Arge twinkle appeared in her mint green eyes as she blurted out the next question on her mind.


    "Is he handsome?"


    Arethas was taken aback by the statement, though he never wanted to admit it; Berengar was exceptionally handsome and charming; those two aspects added to his natural charisma. Something that Arethas greatly envied about the man.


    However, when the princess was the one to ask him the question, he had no choice but to answer honestly. He nodded his head in agreement rather than waste words describing Berengar''s appearance.


    Hearing that Berengar was handsome on top of his exceptional character made Honoria even more interested in the man. Thus thest question was one of critical importance to her. Thus she began to blush lightly as she poked her index fingers into one another without looking Arethas in the eyes.


    "Is he married?"


    It took Arethas a while, but he finally understood why this girl was asking about Berengar; as such, he began to chuckle before giving her an honest answer.


    "I wouldn''t get my hopes up if I were you, my dear princess. Not only is he engaged to a very caring young woman, but he also has a lover on the side who is equally exceptional. Her beauty is not inferior to your own; they also have a child together. I am sorry to say, but it would never work out between you and him.


    Even if Berengar is a valued trading partner of the Empire, and one day bes the ruler of significant power. Your father will never allow you to be a mere concubine, and I doubt Berengar will break his marriage to the girl he is set to marry. I hate to say it, Honoria, but you have to face the facts. You are now engaged to the crown prince of France, and despite your objections, that isn''t going to change."


    Hearing this news, Honoria''s fragile heart nearly imploded, she felt like she had found the perfectpanion, but he was already engaged and had a lover, which means there was likely no ce for her in his life. On top of that, Arethas had reminded her of her dreaded betrothal. As such, her expression immediately soured, and she nodded her head with lifeless eyes.


    Seeing the state of the princess''s depression, Arethas felt his heartbreak, but there was nothing he could do about such a thing. As such, he decided to leave her be to have some time to think to herself. After leaving her room and shutting the door behind him, Honoria slowly broke into tears. She would spend the rest of the day moping about her future.

 Chapter 219: Quelling a Rebellion Before it Begins

    <h4>Chapter 219: Quelling a Rebellion Before it Begins</h4>


    The illumination of high noon gleamed through the windows of Berengar''s study, and with it,nded upon his handsome figure. The young Count had a calm expression as he sipped from his tea. In front of him were two people reporting the news he had been waiting for. One of these individuals was his lover Linde, and the other was his close friend and Field Marshal Eckhard.


    As Berengar enjoyed the vor of the chamomile tea, Linde spread a report across his desk; its contents revealed the general attitudes of the noblemen of Austria and how they would react to the news of Conrad''s demise and Berengar''s deration of usurpation.


    As Berengar read through its contents, Linde announced the general summary of what the report contained.


    "As you have expected, Count Audeger, Count Otto, and Count Adelbrand will support you. Their views are simple, to struggle against you is an act of suicide. Besides that, there is a consensus by these Counts and their Vassals that despite losing power in the forms of feudal armies, the economic benefits of tying their dynasties to positions of control over your businesses far outweigh the losses they will suffer because of your reforms."


    Berengar nodded in approval when he heard this and continued to read the report; while he did so, Linde furthermented on it.


    "Upper and Lower Austria will stay out of the conflict entirely. Our spies have reported that while the Count of those Upper Austria is not favorable towards you or your rise to power, his Vassals support your reforms, and without their aid, the Count will not have the armies to rebel against you. As for Lower Austria, as you know it is the crownd ruled by Conrad, with his death it has fallen directly into your hands. As such you will see no resistance in the Northern portion of Austria.


    Berengar flipped through the pages while drinking from his tea, nodding in silence. The report was thorough and included far more details than Linde was summarizing; as such, he took the time to read through it while his lover continued to report her findings.


    "The regions that are sure to rebel against you when you proim yourself Duke are the Counties of K?rnten, Krain, and Kustend. In other words, the southern regions of Austria. The Counts of those regions are greatly repulsed by your rapid ascension to power and consider you nothing more than a jumped-up Baron. Aside from K?rnten, the other two counties did not personally witness the might of your forces in battle, and as such genuinely believe they might have a chance to stand against you."


    While he heard this, Berengar smiled wickedly as he broached the subject with Eckhard, who was standing nearby silently listening to the report.


    "Tell me, Field Marshal, how would you handle the situation?"


    Eckhard scratched his beard for a few moments while he pondered about the information he had received beforeing up with a solution.


    "If I were you, I would deploy a few thousand troops to the southern counties under the guise of internal security. After all, since the Bavarian withdrawal, there has been a severe problem with brigands and highwaymen throughout south Austria. The local Lords may be unhappy about it, but you are the Regent of Austria, and as far as they know, Conrad is still alive.


    By showing overwhelming force and upying the regions in the name of internal security, you can squash any form of rebellion before it even begins. The advantage we have is that nobody outside of Kufstein castle is aware of Conrad''s death, and before you reveal this card, they can not do anything to rebel.


    When you finally announce Conrad''s death and that you will be usurping the position of Duke, they will not have the means to fight you, as you will already have upied their cities and ports��ensuring your rule over the regions.


    They might try to foster an insurgency among the local poption, but this can be counteracted by introducing your agricultural and industrial reforms; in doing so, themon poption will see their daily lives improve and will be less likely to rebel in favor of the local nobility who treat them as ves. There will be some bloodshed, but it will be minimal, and your reign as Duke over all of Austria will be secured."


    Hearing this, Berengar began to tap his fingers on his desk repeatedly for a few moments; this was usible and was a great way to prevent unnecessary bloodshed in his ascension to the status of a Duke. However, this action n failed to remove the Counts in power, who would surely continue to scheme against him. Thus Berengar asked the question on his mind.


    "If we do this, we will not be able to eliminate the disgruntled noblemen who will do their best to resist my reforms for years toe. How do you suggest we deal with them?"


    Before Eckhard could speak up, Linde immediately voiced her opinion on the matter.


    "You do not need to worry about this; I have a n in mind that would allow us to be rid of their treachery permanently while making your ascension of power seem legitimate. As you know, my family is the major Cadet Branch of the main Habsburg line. With Conrad''s death, my brother Liutbert is the next in line to inherit the Duchy.


    By luring the rebellious Lords to Innsbruck under the guise of a mutiny against your regency, we can gather every nobleman who seeks to defy your rule in one ce, where my brother will raise an army against you. After a small battle, he will concede defeat and transfer surrender his im to the Duchy of Austria in favor of you. In doing so, the mutinous Lords will be rounded up and executed for their treasonous activities.


    My brother will be spared as a benevolent action on your part and will be removed from the position of Chancellor as punishment for his alleged betrayal but still allowed to rule over Innsbruck. As for the rebellious Lords'' sessors they can be persuaded to toe the line."


    Linde made sure to emphasize the word persuaded; it would not be done civilly, bribery, skullduggery, even threats could all be used to make sure the sessors of these noblemen would do as they were told. Was it corrupt? Sure, however, sometimes underhanded tactics were necessary to achieve his goals, and Berengar understood this.


    Hearing his lovere up with such a dastardly plot, a wicked grin spread across Berengar''s lips as he nodded his head with approval. He took another sip from his tea before revealing the thoughts on his mind.


    "Alright, I approve of this n. I want all critical areas of the potentially rebellious counties secure before I reveal the news. You two have your work cut out for you, and I expect it aplished promptly!"


    Eckhard saluted Berengar and responded in the affirmative


    "Yes, your excellency!"


    As for Linde, she put on a sultry smile before seductively responding to Berengar.


    "Anything for you, lover..."


    After hearing his two subordinates agree to this n of action, Berengar leaned back in his chair and gave one more order.


    "Dismissed!"


    Hearing this, Linde quickly got to the task; while Eckhard stayed behind, noticing that his Field Marshal was still in the room, Berengar asked the man for his reasoning.


    "Is something the matter?"


    Eckhard had aplicated expression on his face. He did not know the whole truth of Conrad''s death, but he suspected it was not a suicide as Berengar had proimed to the Castle''s staff; as such, he closed the door before approaching Berengar, who was sitting calmly in his leather seat.


    "Your excellency, I would like to know the truth about what happened with Conrad... I suspect there is more to the story than a simple suicide, and if you did have a hand in this, itpletely goes against the long-term n that you had in ce.


    Hearing Eckhard''s concerns, Berengar quickly ced his head in the palm of his hand and sighed before revealing the truth of the matter to his loyal Field Marshal, albeit with some exaggeration.


    "The boy targetted Linde; he killed her pets in an attempt to cause her mental anguish. Not only did he kill them, but he mounted their heads on sticks outside of their home. If he was so wicked that he would murder three innocent cats to harm Linde, what about Hans? Would the brat target my son next? I do not believe he had not thought of such a thing, and as such, I could not take the risk. So I threw him out his window."


    Eckhard was shocked about hearing this news; he had no idea that Conrad had be so vile during his stay in Kufstein. As such, he let out arge sigh before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "If I were in your position, I too would have done such a thing. To think the little brat was so far gone. It is good that he is finally dead; now we can make some real progress in Austria. Alright, I understand the reasoning for your actions now; I had thought you might have be impatient and rushed your rise to power, and for my assumption, I apologize.


    After all, it is a man''s responsibility to protect his family from all threats. You are correct to assume he would try to harm your family next; even if he did not have such thoughts at the time, he was working up to it. Thank you for being honest with me."


    Berengar smiled when Eckhard agreed with his actions; after the brief argument they had over the act of poisoning the boy, he was beginning to suspect that Eckhard might be too soft for the path that Berengar trod upon. Yet, Eckhard''s response had alleviated his concerns for the time being as such; Berengar stood up and sped the man''s shoulder while looking into his eyes before speaking the words on his mind.


    "It is no problem, my friend. Now go forth and set the army to the task."


    Eckhard nodded and smiled at Berengar''s response shortly after he departed and began to fulfill his n to secure the title of Duke for Berengar. With this strategy in mind, Berengar''s transition to power would be stable, and his enemies within his domain would be dealt with ordingly.

 Chapter 220: The Brigand Act

    <h4>Chapter 220: The Brigand Act</h4>


    The following day Berengar proimed the realm of Austria as he passed a controversialw into effect within the entirety of the domain. Thisw was known as the Brigand Act, and by the time the southern Lords realized it was nothing more than a ruse it would be toote.


    "I, Count Berengar von Kufstein, Regent of the Duchy of Austria hereby dere the signing of the Brigand Act intow. Under this act, the soldiers of the Austrian Army, currentlyprised of the various units from Tyrol, will be stationed throughout the Counties of Austria to ensure that the plethora of brigands, bandits, highwaymen, and other ruffians who have appeared within our realm since the destruction brought upon it by the Bavarian upation shall be brought to justice!"


    With that said, the Austrian Army, which was simply the Tyrolean Army rebranded under Berengar''s regency, was immediately deployed to the regions most afflicted with brigands, that being the counties most likely to rebel against Berengar''s transition to power.


    Willehelm Krieger stared at the notice in his hands as he rode on horseback towards the region known as Kustend. This region which was also known as the Austrian Littoral was critical to Berengar''s ns to develop a Grand Navy.


    Willehelm was a young man ofmon descent; his father was a man-at-arms like his father before him. He was one of the first men to join Berengar''s Army; back during the days when it was considered a militia. He was one of the few members of the Officer ss toe frommon birth. Through his actions in Bernegar''s various campaigns, he had risen to the rank of Captain and was currently leading an effort to eliminate out a group of Brigands who had been upying a vige.


    The unit he was inmand of was mounted infantry, and they had be at the forefront of the fight against the Brigands in southern Austria. Due to their rapid mobility and exceptional firepower, mounted infantry was one of the most deployed units tobat the ruffians who had been causing trouble for the south. As for the rest of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery units they upied the cities, towns, and ports of southern Austria. Their total numbers were within the thousands.


    Willehelm and hispany of soldiers approached the vige and noticed that a crude barrier had been set up around it. The brigands who had taken over the town had been using it as their hideout. Seeing that they were still a safe distance away, the troops dismounted before proceeding on foot.


    At the moment, an extensive fog filled the air, making it very difficult to see a few yards in front of one''s location. Thus they went unnoticed by the brigands who were currently enjoying the dawn by drinking, feasting, and abusing the women and girls of the vige that they had upied. The few men stationed in the poorly constructed watchtowers had no idea that apany of soldiers was advancing onto their position.


    The mounted infantry got on top of a hill overlooking the settlement, where a soldier took out his spyss and surveyed the area; he quickly noticed that there were only half a dozen men on guard. As for the others, it was impossible to know their numbers. However, these ruffians were poorly equipped and could easily be handled. Thus the soldiers began to load their rifled muskets before approaching the palisade on the north side.


    After approaching the area, the sappers embedded with thepany began to ce TNT along with three positions, where they quickly fell back to a safe distance before detonating the explosivepound. A booming echo went off, and the north side of the barrier was turned into shrapnel, as such Willehelm gave the order to fire upon the dizzy and confused ruffians who acted as guards.


    Immediately dozens of rifled muskets went off at the six targets, and the minie ball projectiles quickly prated through the flesh of the brigands. Large holes appeared in their chests and abdomens as blood sprayed in the air and onto the ground below.


    Those who had fired their muskets quickly began to reload, and due to the use of the quick loading tubes they had been provided with, it was a much swifter process than it had been previously. As such, thepany of soldiers was fully loaded in a matter of seconds.


    Hearing the explosive st and the sound of firearms being shot off, the brigands who hid within the settlement quickly began to flee from the buildings they were in; they knew their lives were in peril because the Austrian Army was here to deal with them, and they had no intention of sticking around to fight it out.


    However, the moment they got into the open, Willehelm gave another order to his soldiers.


    "pick your targets and fire at will!"


    Thus while perched on the hill above, thepany of soldiers fired their rifled muskets into the vige below, targeting any man who wielded a weapon in their hands. Before long, those cowardly enough to flee the town were all gunned down, and Willehelm blew his whistle signaling the men to fix bays and charge into the settlement.


    While the Austrian soldiers charged into the vige with bays affixed, they immediately came into contact with another wave of brigands, and unleashed their fire upon them, before running them through with their bays.


    After a brief and bloody scene, most of the bandits were killed and the brigand leader revealed himself. He had a young woman as a hostage and held a de to her throat as he began to make his demands to the Austrian soldiers who had encircled him.


    "Not a step closer! I''m warning you; I will cut this bitches throat!"


    Seeing the brigand so close to killing the hostage, Willehelm quickly gave amand to his forces.


    "Halt!"


    As the soldiers surrounded the man, Willehelm began to negotiate.


    "Surrender willingly! Do not pointlessly shed any more blood!"


    However, the man began tough and chastise Willehelm for his bold words.


    "Surrender? Fuck off! You will just execute me! I want a horse and enough food and water for three days! if you don''t hand it over to me, I will kill this cunt here, and now I swear to God!"


    Seeing that the situation had turned sour, Willehelm immediately backed off and ordered his troops to fulfill the request.


    "Do what he says! Quickly!"


    However, as he did so, he gave a stern look to the soldier who rushed by and grabbed ahold of him before whispering in the man''s ear.


    "Bring my horse..."


    The man quickly nodded, and as such ran off to the directions where the horses were hitched. Momentster the soldier returned with Willehelm''s horse and handed it off to the Captain. Captain Willehelm immediately took control of the reins, and behind the cover of the horse, reached into the holster thaty on the horse''s saddle and grabbed ahold of his flintlock pistol, where he quietly cocked the lever.


    After doing so, he brought the horse over to the brigand leader and handed the man the reins. Where the man began tough and mock Willehelm for his submissive attitude.


    "Good! Good! Be a good little soldier..."


    As the man hopped onto the horse, he quickly dragged the woman up into hisp, despite her kicking and screaming, and grinned at Captian Willehelm while doing so.


    "You have helped me a lot; I''ll make sure to free thess after I have had fun with her."


    Right before the man was could snap the reins and ride off into the dawn. The sound of gunfire echoed, and a musket ball pierced through the back of the brigand leader''s skull and out the other side. His corpse immediately fell off the horse and onto the ground, where Captain Willehelm could be seen with a smoking pistol a few feet away. Luckily for him, his gun was rifled, and such a shot was easy enough to make without harming the women.


    Afterward, he gave anothermand.


    "Clean up the vige, and make sure any other brigands who are hiding in the area are killed on the spot; there is no mercy for such viins!"


    With that said, thepany of soldiers got to task and investigated the vige, where they found a few more brigands hiding among the peasants. After discovering these men, they were arrested, lined up against the wall, and summarily executed. This was only one vige, but Scenes like this disyed themselves throughout the entire southern portion of Austria.


    These actions were merely a cover Berengar used to hide his true intent. Only a tiny portion of the troops sent to the south was used for hunting down the brigands. In reality, Berengar needed less than a thousand men to aplish these tasks.


    Yet instead, he had sent thousands of soldiers into the southern Counties, where he began to house his troops within his enemies'' borders.? The vast majority of the soldiers upied the cities, towns, and ports where Berengar intended to use these forces to instantly squash any rebellion that might take ce.


    When the Counts of Southern Austria realized that Conrad was dead, they would already be fully upied by arge armed force��preventing them from revolting against Berengar''s rule. Of course, Berengar had other ns in mind for those who resisted his authority, and while the Brigand Act was underway, Berengar began to plot against those who would resist his ascension to power.

 Chapter 221: Setting a Trap

    <h4>Chapter 221: Setting a Trap</h4>


    While the Brigand Act was ongoing in the southern counties of Austria, Berengar began to make a move against the rebellious Counts and their viinous vassals. At the moment, Liutbert was sitting on the seat of his power in Innsbruck, reading a letter. The letter was addressed to him by his devious little sister, who just so happened to be the lover of Count Berengar.


    The contents of the letters were a viinous plot devised to eliminate the potential enemies of Berengar while securing the legitimacy needed to ascend to the position of Duke. Liutbert held a unique position in the feudal hierarchy of Austria; with the main Habsburg line destroyed, he was the closest living male heir to the title of Duke. As such, he presented a unique obstacle in Berengar''s rise to power.


    Liutbert was deathly afraid of Berengar; after all, he had witnessed the impable might of the man''s army and knew he had no chance contending for the Ducal Throne. On top of that, he was pretty confident his sister would poison him if he dared to act rebelliously against the upstart from Kufstein. Thus he had taken argely obedient position in regards to Berengar and his rule over Tyrol.


    The hope was that the man could gain some benefits for himself and his family by being loyal. So far, it had proven to be a lucrative course of action with Innsbruck bing the second industrial city of Tyrol; the wealth generated from such a massive business essentially went into his pocket. In contrast, the remainder was paid in tax to Berengar.


    Not only that, but the man had been appointed as Chancellor, essentially making him the second ruler over the region, at least in theory. Most of his work was just being delegated tasks Berengar felt he was capable of performingpetently. Considering all of these things, Liutbert let out arge sigh before voicing his concerns aloud.


    "This is going to be exceptionally difficult to pull off."


    After reading his sister''s letter, he lit it ame by using a candle; after doing so, he blew the candle out before getting to work on the task he had been instructed with. Liutbert immediately began to write letters to the noblemen of Austria who were more likely to rebel against Berengar; this included the ones in Tyrol who were upset with Berengar''s reforms.


    The letters were a request for a meeting in Innsbruck to discuss the future of the realm. These letters contained sensitive information leaked to the Liutbert by his sister Linde to persuade the disgruntled noblemen to appear in the city.


    The letter asserted Berengar was a murderer and a usurper who conspired to seize the Ducal Throne of Austria and that with Conrad''s passing, Liutbert was the legitimate sessor. For the other noblemen, especially the ones upset by Berengar''s rapid rise to power and his political reforms, which limited their feudal powers, Liutbert was a far better alternative for the position of Duke.


    After sending out the letters, Liutbert waited for the response, and within a matter of weeks, a date was settled for a meeting of the disgruntled noblemen, where they would arrive in Innsbruck. During this time, Berengar''s armies sessfully upied the rebellious regions with his armies under the guise of the Brigand Act.


    Thus preventing them from rising in rebellion, their only path forward to war would be gathering in Innsbruck and using the forces seemingly designated to the Chancellor''s control to resist Berengar''s Tyranny. In reality, these were just mercenaries that Liutbert had purchased with Berengar''s backing. The actual Garrison of the region would never dare to fight against Berengar''s rule as they had been thoroughly indoctrinated by the time they graduated from basic training.


    As the weeks passed, the extraordinary meeting was held within Innsbruck, and Liutbert was sitting in his great hall surrounded by the lords anddies who were naturally resilient to Berengar''s ascension and the reforms that came with it. Most of the noblemen and women were of the older generation, as the young Lords and Ladies of Austria were more inclined to believe in Berengar''s reforms.


    An elderly Count who presided over the County of Kustend was the first to voice his concerns. He was obese, bald, and had a puffy white beard. He instantly began to speak as he strutted around the great hall floor with a cane in his hand.


    "If the news is urate, and Conrad is dead, then that means that Berengar has already stationed his troops in ournds to prevent a rebellion! Such a devious plot could only be devised by such a low-born member of the nobility.


    What is worse, he has seized control of thend on my coastal regions so that he may begin the construction of his shipyards! Does he seek to challenge the Vians and Genoans at sea? Bah, he is merely asking for trouble.


    It has be increasingly apparent that if we do not stand against Berengar now when his armies are stretched thin, then we will never have a chance to remove him from power! I do not know about all of you, but I refuse to go quietly into the night! There must be war!"


    Hearing the old count''s speech, many other noblemen nodded their heads in agreement; Berengar was a threat to their power. If Conrad was genuinely dead, and the man was making a ploy to be Duke, it was better to fight against him now before he indeed secured his reign.


    Liutbert yed the part of a puppet perfectly and began to stoke the ire of noblemen and divert attention away from his loyalties.


    "Berengar has seized my rightful position as Count of Tyrol; in doing so, he has enacted many reforms throughout the region which have consistently eaten away at the powers and rights of the nobility. If left unchecked, who is to say when there is nothing to distinguish our noble bloodlines from the filthymoners!


    I have been given authority over the forces here in Innsbruck; Berengar has foolishly ced his trust in me, believing myself to be a whipped dog at hismand. We will use these forces to march on Kufstein, and in doing so, force his armies that upy yournds to withdraw, allowing us to raise our forces in rebellion further! The question is, who here will pledge their loyalty to me and take up arms against Berengar the Usurper?"


    With this said, the hall immediately resounded in uproar as the rebellious nobleman stumbled over one another to proim their loyalty to the man they considered the rightful Duke of Austria. The old fat man was the loudest of the noblemen who were gathered.


    "I, Count Berhtolf von Trieste, hereby dere my support and loyalty to the one true Duke of Austria, Liutbert von Habsburg!"


    What followed were the cries of several other essential noblemen.


    "I Count Edelstein von genfurt hereby pledge my life and loyalty to Liutbert von Habsburg, the Duke of Austria!"


    "I Count Fridebraht von Laibach hereby offer my support to the Duke of Austria, Liutbert von Habsburg!"


    With the three Counts of the south dering their open support for Liutbert, the other Lords who had gathered quickly pledged their loyalty to Liutbert and his rebellion. In doing so, they had sealed their fates, for they never expected that this gathering was nothing more than a ruse set up by Berengar and his lover to gather his political rivals into one location.


    After the Lords gathered in Innsbruck dered their loyalty to Liutbert and their intent to rebel against Berengar and his regency. Liutbert made a proclomation.


    "I ept all of your loyalty, and upon my honor, I promise to lead a force together with the rest of you onto Kufstein! We will strike while Berengar the Usurper is unprepared and quickly put an end to his illegitimate reign!"''


    With this said, cheers began to erupt in the crowd. The nobles who had gathered swore that they would follow Liutbert into battle, with the forces stationed in Innsbruck, they felt that they would be fully capable of deposing Berengar and his tyranny, utterly unaware that they were walking into a trap.


    As such, the following days were spent preparing for war, with Innsbruck''s industrial output focused to a small degree on creating arms and armor for the nobles who had gathered, considering they were unable to bring their equipment with them.


    Of course, they were delighted with the advanced designs of the full te armor that Innsbruck''s factories were capable of producing, and while equipped with such fierce armor, felt as if they were invincible in their quest to overthrow a tyrant.


    Thus all of the ns were in ce for a decisive showdown that would eliminate Berengar''s enemies and make it appear as if the transfer of power was legitimate. Soon enough, the two armies would sh in the fields outside Kufstein, the result of which was yet to be seen.

 Chapter 222: Running Away from Home

    <h4>Chapter 222: Running Away from Home</h4>


    While Berengar was preparing for war in an attempt to crush the rebellious nobles of Austria and solidify his power, the Byzantine Emperor was throwing a banquet; the feast had been prepared for the French Prince.


    Thetter had elected to stay within the borders of the Empire for the time being. It was now his seventeenth birthday, and as such, Emperor Vetranis had prepared a massive celebration for his future son-inw.


    Despite Honoria''s protests, she had been dragged from her room and forced to sit beside her effeminate fiance. However, she refused to interact with the young man and pouted silently as she dug into her meal with a distressed expression.


    Despite Aubry''s best efforts to win Honoria''s favor, the young woman refused to associate with him remotely. This had begun to make thingsplicated for the Byzantine Emperor and the French Host. After all, this young couple was set to wed in a few months, and they were not even on speaking terms.


    Ultimately Aubry had given up on being friendly to Honoria and had begun to flirt with one of her brothers, the man in question he was trying to get on more familiar terms with was roughly Berengar''s age. Like Berengar, he had proven himself a capablemander despite his young age and was an officer in Arethas'' army.


    The man''s name was Decentius; he had short chocte hair and deep emerald eyes. Unlike Honoria, his skin had an oliveplexion. He was also reasonably tall, at least ording to the standards of his people, and had an athletic frame, which was stacked with muscles. One could see the outline of his muscle from his purple and gold tunic that wrapped itself around his torso.


    His exceptionally masculine appearance was something that Aubry greatly admired, and as such, he was more than happy to charm the man or attempt to do so. Thus while Honoria ignored her fiance, the boy flirted with another man in the middle of her presence.


    "What''s your name, handsome?"


    At the moment, Aubry was resting his feminine face on his dainty hand while wearing a pretty smile, one that should not usually belong to a young man such as himself. The sight immediately made Decentius ufortable; as such, he looked away from the pretty boy before responding.


    "Decentius..."


    Immediately a look of joy appeared on Aubry''s face as he tried to advance the conversation further.


    "That is a strong name, truly worthy of a sturdy man such as yourself. Tell me, Decentius, are you a soldier?"


    Hearing thispliment, Decentius began to have a look of pride on his face as he boldly dered his feats.


    "I am not just a mere soldier, but Tourmarches, second only to the great Strategos Arethas Maniakes!"


    Aubry had no idea what a Tourmaches was, but he knew it was some form of a high-ranking officer. In the army of a Strategos, the Tourmaches was the next level ofmand directly below the position of Strategos. Thus Decentius had quite the position and had served extensively in the war for Egypt, which had made its way to Alexandria at this point.


    Aubry pretended to care about his exploits and covered his mouth, gaping in feigned shock beforeplimenting Decentius further.


    "I had no idea you were such a strong and capablemander! Do you mind giving me some adviceter, in private perhaps?"


    Honoria was forced to witness the sight of her elder brother openly flirting with another man, and it made her stomach churn. It was pretty obvious to her what Aubry wanted. However, men often fell for a pretty face, even if it was attached to a boy, and thus Decentius was foolishly walking right into a trap. Honoria could no longer withstand the sight and instantly began to chastise Decentius.


    "Brother, please restrain yourself. It is okay if you want to flirt with men in private, but this is a public asion, and I am quite embarrassed to be your sister at this moment."


    The moment Honoria made herment, Decentius realized what angle Aubry was ying and immediately freed himself from the boy''s charm; in doing so, he coughed before saying.


    "It is not like that, Honoria, right Aubry?"


    Aubry red at Honoria as he pouted; the girl just had to ruin his fun. He was beginning to understand why the previous men he had been in a rtionship with preferred hispany over their wives. As such, he immediately began to respond to Honoria, now that he believed he had her attention.


    "Are you perhaps jealous that I am giving your brother more attention than you?"


    However, Honoria merely scoffed and began to ignore the boy once more.


    The sight of Aubrey with his second-oldest son and Honoria tantly pointing it out greatly enraged Emperor Vetranis. Truthfully he did not want to engage his daughter with a young man like Aubry, but at this point, he had little choice, France would prove to be a powerful ally, and it was not like there was a man; his little princess would approve of.


    She was far too picky when choosing a man, and Vetranis was well aware of her extensive criteria. In his eyes, it was unrealistic to find a man who met the conditions of being ambitious, strong, and domineering while still being kind,passionate, and gentle. Let alone the standards for physical appearance the girl had.


    If such a man existed where he could bridge the duality of overwhelming strength and benevolence, Vetranis believed he most certainly wouldn''t be single. Thus he felt Honoria was living in a fantasy if she thought she could find such a man to marry.


    As such, Vetranis decided to put his foot down and instantly began to bark at Honoria''s improper behavior.


    "Honoria! If you can''t behave yourself at this banquet, then why don''t you remove yourself and go back to your room where you can reflect on your actions! As punishment for your unbing attitude, you will go hungry for the night!"


    Honoria immediately began to protest this decision; in her mind, she had done nothing wrong. As such, she pounded her dainty fists on the table with a furious expression on her face.


    "But father-"


    However, before she could finish her train of thought, Vetranis stood up from his chair and pointed towards the exit.


    "No buts! Go to your room, and stay in there until you can decide to stop acting like a spoiled brat and behave in a manner of a woman fitting of your position!"


    Getting scolded so harshly, especially while in public, immediately made Honoria''s mint green eyes fill with tears, and as such, she rushed to her room. She could notprehend why she was being punished in such a manner. She merely pointed out the illicit behavior between her foolish brother and her queer fiance. Why was she the bad guy?


    As such, she quickly entered her room and mmed the door behind her beforetching it shut. She spent half an hour crying in her bed before wiping the tears from her eyes and gritting her teeth. If this is what her future entailed, to the point where she would be wed off to a feminine boy who engaged in carnal rtions with other men while she had to watch from the side in disgust, then she would prefer to run away from it all.


    But where would she go? She had no money, no supplies, and no allies to speak of. Hell, she had never even been outside the pce before. The girl quickly tossed aside the scrolls on her desk in a fit of fury, and in doing so, a map rolled itself across the surface, revealing the contents within. The map of Europe was remarkably detailed, showing the duchies and the individual counties thatprised them.


    The moment the map sprawled open, it caught her attention, looking at the Duchy of Austria on the map in front of her instantly reminded the young woman of the image of Berengar that she had conjured in her head some time ago, giving her a brief bit of hope amid the despair that had consumed her heart. This suddenly gave her an idea, maybe, just maybe, if she traveled to Austria and met with Count Berengar, she could prevent her horrible fate.


    However, she only had a vague idea of where Berengar lived, as Arethas had not explicitly stated where Berengar was Count. Luckily for her, there was a hint in his full name. She quickly ced her finger on the map of Austria before speaking her thoughts aloud.


    "If I remember correctly, the surnames of German nobles are named after the area their rule originated from; if so, that means Berengar is from Kufstein? But where is such a location?"


    Curiosity had overwhelmed the young woman at this point, and she quickly went to her unique bookcases, where she promptly retrieved her as. It contained a variety of mapsprising of the known world, and as such, she scoured through her resources to find the location of Kufstein.


    Though the information in the as wasrgely outdated, it was enough to give her a rough estimate of the journey she had in mind. One thing was sure; if she stayed in Constantinople, she would indeed be forced to marry Aubry. After all, her sixteenth birthday was just around the corner, and as such, she had very little time before she was sold off like amon mule.


    After mapping out her journey, Honoria decided her route. She would hire a ship to take her from the Bosphorus to the ck sea, where she would then take a riverboat across the Danube and into the borders of Austria.


    She would continue her journey across the Danube and into the river Inn where she would enter Kufstein. It was a long journey, and she knew it would be dangerous. However, she refused to stay in Constantinople and awaited her miserable fate.


    The only concern she had was what she would use for payment; however, after searching around for something of value, she noticed her jewelry bin which contained many precious stones and metals. As such, she grabbed ahold other her jewelry box and stuffed it into a sack where she ced spare clothes and other necessities.


    Heraclius, her pet eagle, noticed her actions and quickly approached the girl with a curious expression. Seeing the curious gaze of her best and only friend, Honoria quickly announced the decision she hade to.


    "We are running away, Heraclius; I can''t stay in this pce any longer. I would rather die than marry a twink like Aubry!"


    The eagle was smart enough to understand her words and nodded his head in response, climbing atop the girl''s shoulder. The eagle would watch over her throughout her voyage like a guardian angel, ensuring no harm came to her throughout the perilous journey she was about to embark upon.


    After seeing the eagle follow her, Honoria smiled and petted its head with a single finger.


    "I can always count on you, Heraclius."


    After saying that, the eagle screeched in response, and Honoria finished packing her luggage; after doing so, she decided to make a rope out of her bedsheets and curtains. She proceeded to tie the rope from her bed frame, where she carefully climbed out of her window.


    Before climbing out of the window Honoria had managed to toss her luggage into the bushes below. After finding solid footing, she dashed off out of the pce''s grounds and towards the harbor of the city. Hopefully, the young princess could charter a voyage before her family found out about her disappearance.

 Chapter 223: Crushing the Rebellion

    <h4>Chapter 223: Crushing the Rebellion</h4>


    Weeks had passed since the meeting in Innsbruck and the establishment of the rebellion against Berengear''s regency. Letters had been constructed and sent across the realm making usations of Conrad''s death and Berengar''s attempt to usurp the position of Duke from the rightful imant Liutbert.


    As Berengar had anticipated, his allies immediately began to back his ims; as for the regions of Upper and Lower Austria, one was technically the crownd ruled by Conrad, who was deceased and thus under Berengar''s control. The other was led by a Count who was smart enough not to get involved in this conflict; his realm had already bled too much under Bavarian upation.


    Thus Austria was officially at war once more; however, despite the advance of the rebellion''s army into Kufstein Berengar did not pull his forces from the rebellious territories. Instead, he used the troops there to establish control over the region and take hold of the sessors of the rebellious noblemen.


    When the Rebel Army finally made its way into Kufstein, Berengar met it in the field with his own. The mercenaries used to fight Berengar were roughly 5,000 in total and had been a substantial expense for Liutbert; most came from the Swiss Confederacy and were battle-hardened warriors. They did not fear the fabled might of the Tyrolean Army, mainly due to their ignorance of the weapons and tactics employed by Berengar''s forces.


    As for Berengar, he brought a force of 5,000 men of his own. As far as the enemy could see, there was no cavalry in sight. Instead, it wasprised of various infantry and artillery units. The artillery was a mixture of his 1417 12 lb Cannons and his Schmidt Guns. Enough of the new weapons had been built since their invention that Berengar could field an entire battery with such weapons.


    This would be the first major battle that demonstrated the effectiveness of his Schmidt guns and the quick loading tubes that his forces were now equipped with. The moment the Rebellious armies entered the fray, Berengar ordered his artillery to fire off a few light barrages and for his infantry to wait to fire their muskets until the enemy was within the hundred-yard range.


    The reason for this was simple, he wanted an overwhelming victory, and the best way to achieve this was to allow his six puckle guns to fire their canister shot at the enemy and quickly wipe the floor with the army, for that they needed to be within the 75-yard range in order to be most effective.


    As such, his cannons fired shells into the mix of the enemy, but they had great resolve and discipline. Thus, they marched through the artillery fire and towards Berengar''s army, who had held their position near the puckle guns ced between their ranks.


    Despite the explosive shells ravaging the enemy''s ranks, they were few. Thus the Swiss mercenaries Liutbert had paid for prayed to God above as they marched within formation directly into the oing fire.


    When the archers finally reached engagement distance, they began to fire a volley of arrows upon the Tyrolean soldiers, and yet despite this, the Tyroleans stood firm, their superior armor deflected many of the oing blows, there were no mortal wounds inflicted upon them as they merely stood still with determination.


    While the Swiss mercenaries marched, the old and fat Count of Kustend twirled his beard between his fingers as heughed at the sight of the battlefield.


    "It appears the effectiveness of Berengar''s weapons has been greatly exaggerated! I feel confident that the armies of Innsbruck will be fully capable of defeating the armies of that Tyrant Berengar."


    Hearing this, several of the nearby lords agreed with the Count''sments. As for Liutbert, he merely smiled bitterly while thinking to himself.


    ''these fools have no idea what they have gotten themselves into...''


    Shortly after the Count''s remarks, the swiss mercenaries advanced into engagement distance, and this is where Berengar''s armies disyed their full might. The moment the Rebels ranks moved beyond the 100-yard point, the Tyrolean infantry formed ranks and began to fire a volley into the formations of the Swiss mercenaries.


    The moment they did so, thousands of minie balls flew forth and pierced through the mighty brigandine and te armor of the swiss mercenaries and tore apart their flesh beneath it. Blood sttered into the field, and limbs were scattered from the impact. Blood-curdling screams immediately filled the air, and the Swiss began to fear the results of these strange thunderous weapons.


    However, before they could even think of retreating, a second volley had been fired by the Tyrolean infantrymen, who had rapidly reloaded their rifled muskets with their quick loading tubes. Yet that was not the worst of it; the first round of shots fired from the six Schmidt guns instantly found their way through the iron and steel armor of the Swiss Mercenaries and into their torsos and limbs, further adding to the carnage.


    A total of 96 musket balls were fired from the first volley of the Schmidt guns alongside the thousands of mine balls fired from the muskets. Yet that was not the end of it, as the Muskets were rapidly reloaded, and the Schmidt guns had quickly fired their next round of shot into the enemy lines.


    Over 20,000 rounds had been fired downrange within a matter of minutes. This was the result of thebined use of the rifled muskets, quick tubes, and the Schmidt guns��thoroughly shredding the lines of the Swiss mercenaries and the archers behind them. Not a single man had survived the onught of the Tyrolean forces. Before the enemy could even reach melee distance, they had been thoroughly shredded by Berengar''s armies.


    Even Berengar himself was surprised by the ughter that had unfolded; the bodies of the Swiss Mercenaries looked as if they were steel sieves filled with blood. Each body contained multiple projectiles. It was an absolute massacre, the likes that even Berengar had not expected.


    As for the Rebel lord, they gazed at the carnage inflicted upon their forces in such a short period with overwhelming dread. Just like this, their army had been so thoroughly defeated! They could not imagine what would happen to their troops if they could unite with the forces in theirnds!


    The fat Count dropped his riding crop before instantly screaming in terror, "Retreat! We can''t allow Berengar''s forces to capture us!"


    However, before any of the Lords could do so, they noticed Cavalry appear from within the tree line that surrounded the battlefield; Berengar had kept apany of cuirassiers nearby to quickly encircle the rebellious Lords moment the battle had turned in Berengar''s favor. As such, the enemy Lords promptly found themselves surrounded.


    The fat Count immediately tried to negotiate with the Cavalry


    "We surren-"


    However, before he could finish the words, the cuirassiers raised their pistols and fired them into the formation of encircled Lords shredding everyst rebel in the act. Their bodies quickly fell off their horses, turned into the same bloody sieves as the mercenaries in the fields below. As for Liutbert, he had silently moved out of the way and merged into the ranks of the Cuirassiers without the other lords being aware. Thus he was spared their fate.


    Shortly after, Berengar''s forces began to mop up the battlefield, and Liutbert was brought to Berengar; as the official leader of this rebellion, he had to surrender, and as such, he quickly found himself kneeling before Berengar, who gazed at him with a degree of arrogance in his sapphire eye. Liutbert promptly tossed out the words he was expected to say.


    "I Viscount Liutbert von Habsburg, hereby dere my unconditional surrender to Count Berengar von Kufstein, in doing so I relinquish my ims to the title of Duke of Austria in favor of his Grace Berengar von Kufstein, long may he reign!"


    With this said, Berengar smiled before tapping Liutbert on the shoulder; in doing so, he voiced his firstmand as the official Duke of Austria.


    "Rise..."


    With this, Liutbert rose to his feet, where Berengar quickly reprimanded him.


    "Viscount Liutbert von Habsburg, as Chancellor of my Realm, you have incited a rebellion against me, and for that, there is a strict punishment. I hereby relieve you of your position as Chancellor and order you to return to Innsbruck, where you will continue to rule over the area as Viscount."


    From the start of this plot, Liutbert was aware that he would lose his position as Chancellor, but to be honest, he was pretty relieved. The jobprised entirely of him being delegated a massive amount of work from Berengar; it had begun to stockpile to an unreasonable degree.


    Now that Berengar was the Duke of Austria, he could not imagine the sheer amount of paperwork he would be forced to do. Thus retiring to Innsbruck and living out the rest of his days as a pampered noble was a far better option to him. As such, he responded with a warm smile on his face.


    "Yes, your Grace."


    With this, the most rebellious of the Lords of Austria was defeated in a single battle; their deaths allowed their sessors to take charge, who would be strongarmed by Berengar''s forces that upied theirnds into obeying his rule. Berengar was now the undisputed Duke of Austria, and with it, had gained a considerable amount of power and prestige. Yet to an ambitious man like Berengar, this was not enough.


    As for his immediate concerns, his goal was to consolidate his power and work through diplomacy to elevate the status of Austria from a Duchy into a Kingdom, allowing Berengar to proim himself King. This would take a while to aplish, and Berengar was in no hurry. Thus after defeating the rebellious Lords in battle, Berengar returned to Kufstein to stabilize Austria and, by extension, his rule.

 Chapter 224: Honorias Journey Part I

    <h4>Chapter 224: Honoria''s Journey Part I</h4>


    After absconding into the night, Honoria quickly proceeded towards the harbor with the intent to charter a ship through the Bosphorus and into the ck sea. However, as she walked through the streets, it became increasingly apparent that all kinds of eyes were drawn to her figure. She failed to remain inconspicuous despite her best efforts to cover up her identity by wearing a mint green face veil that had golden embroidery.


    There were four reasons for this, for starters she was an exceptional beauty, and the mystique of the veil only added to that. Secondly, she wore extraordinarilyvish mint green clothing that was embroidered in gold. Such attire was umon even among the aristocracy. Thirdly she had an eastern imperial eagle perched on her shoulder, andstly, she gazed upon every sight with a sense of wonder, as if she had been locked up her entire life, never being able to see the city herself.


    Because of these factors, she attracted a great deal of attention, so much so that it would be easy to discover her whereabouts when her family noticed her absence. However, Honoria seemed blissfully unaware of the attention she was gathering and thus continued to prance about throughout the city of Constantinople.


    As Honoria was walking through the city, the girl quickly got lost and found herself in a dark alley, where a group of street rats approached her. These men were impoverished and wore lustful gazes as they saw the beautiful noblewoman approach them. Seeing a group of strangers in front of her, with hostile nces, Honoria tried to evade them, but as she passed by, one of them grabbed ahold of her arm and forced her to stop.


    "Hey, prettydy, how about you stay here with us? I promise that we will show you a good time..."


    Honoria''s first instinct was to call the guards, but as she was about to do so, she realized that such an action would only reveal her identity. Surely once the guards realized she was the princess they would force her to return to the pce, which was a result she could not allow. As such, she began to pull her arm away, in doing so alerting Heraclius to the danger.


    Before she could make a sound, Heraclius jumped off of her shoulder and dug his talons into the eyes of the man who held onto her wrist. The majestic eagle could quickly tell these men meant to do his master harm and thus lept to her defense.


    Talons instantly sunk into the thug''s eyes, blinding him in the act. The man screamed in pain as he tried to wrestle the eagle off of his head, but that only made it worse. Eventually, the man''s eyeballs were ripped entirely out of his head. Hisrades immediately took off in fear; after all, the eagle had given them a nce that stated its intentions. If they stayed around, they too would be maimed.


    After pecking the man''s skull a few times with his mighty beak, Heraclius left the man to wallow in pain on the ground, forever blinded due to his actions. Seeing Heraclius leap to her defense in such a heroic manner, Honoria praised her pet.


    "Good boy Heraclius!''


    Upon hearing this, the eagle merely screeched and cleaned off his talons with his tongue before hopping back onto her shoulder. Afterward, Honoria and Heraclius quickly fled the scene, eventually finding their way down the streets. She was truly lost within the confines of the city of Constantinople. Her escape was not going as brilliantly as she had nned.


    After walking around in circles for a while Honoria noticed a rundown building in front of her that had a lot of people surrounding it. Realizing she needed to ask for directions the princess quickly approach the building, and when Honoria entered the building she quickly found it filled with women and men dressed in skimpy attire. One of the nearly half-naked women approached Honoria and quickly greeted her. She was rather average-looking, but due to her excessive makeup, she could pass as attractive.


    "Wee to the Jewel of Constantinople, where all your fantasies cane true for a price! Tell me, do you prefer men or women?"


    Honoria had no idea that she had just walked into a brothel and was greatly confused by the question; as such, she attempted to figure out where she was.


    "I am sorry, I don''t quite understand. I''m looking for the harbor. Can you help point me in the right direction?"


    The prostitute gazed at Honoria up and down for a few moments while examining the strange girl before her. The woman had a sharp sense of intuition and could almost immediately tell that Honoria was an aristocratic girl who had run away from home. Thus the prostitute took pity and gave her some advice.


    "Girl, you should return home. The City of Constantinople can be a dangerous ce at night. I suggest running back to your vi before your parents send a search party for you."


    Honoria was shocked, she could not fathom how this woman had known she ran away from home, but she instantly began to plead with her to keep it a secret.


    "Please don''t tell anyone! If father finds out I ran away from home; I will never be able to escape from the pce again!"


    The prostitute was greatly shocked when she heard this. She had assumed that Honoria was just a regr noblewoman, but using the word Pce meant there was only one identity of the young woman before her; as such, she blurted out in great surprise.


    "Princess Honoria!?!"


    The moment she did so, the attention of everyone within earshot quickly gathered towards Honoria''s direction. Honoria, of course, acted out of instinct and covered the prostitutes'' mouth with her hands.


    "Shhh! Quiet!"


    After a few moments, Honoria released her hands, and the woman made an awkwardugh.


    "Oh, of course, you aren''t Princess Honoria! How could the princess leave the pce? Everyone knows the Emperor keeps her locked up for protection."


    After making such aughable excuse, the nearby gazes lost interest and drifted away, leaving the woman to sigh in relief. She made sure nobody was paying attention to the two of them before she grabbed ahold of Honoria''s wrist and led her to a secluded area.


    "Come with me!"


    After arriving in a room reserved for illicit activities, the prostitute shut the door and began to question Honoria instantly.


    "Are you really princess Honoria?"


    Though Honoria''s expression could not be seen beneath her veil, it was apparent she was in a rather depressed state. Eventually, she nodded her head in agreement. As such, the prostitute sighed before asking another question that was on her mind


    "What on God''s green earth possessed you into running away from home?"


    Honoria shuffled around for a few moments with an embarrassed expression before exining her situation. After nearly half an hour of telling her story, the prostitute sighed once more before scolding her.


    "So let me get this straight... You are engaged to the French crown prince. Still, because he is queer, you want to run away from home, and flee to Austria so that you can hide in the region hoping that this Count Berengar, who you have never met before, and who has two women by his side already, is enough of a yboy that he would not mind insulting the Byzantine and French royal families by taking you into his little harem? Do you have any idea how insane that is!?!"


    Honoria merely pouted when the prostitute chastised her; she did not expect the woman to question her sanity. Thus Honoria began to pout like a small child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar before muttering under her breath.


    "It is the best option I could think of..."


    The prostitute began to sigh once more as she tried to understand Honoria''s thoughts, apparently being locked up in your home with no contact with the outside world was enough to rid one of theirmon sense. After thinking about it for a few moments, she felt sympathy for the foolish girl and decided to give her a helping hand.


    "Are you sure you would rather kill yourself than marry that Prince?"


    Honoria had not left out the lengths she would go to to avoid marrying Aubry when she spun her tale; as such, she nodded her head with firm determination in her eyes, which caused the prostitute to further feel pity for the girl. It was as if she were a caged bird finally figuring out she could fly, and as such, somethingpelled the woman to help Honoria.


    "I am probably going to regret this, but my brother owns a merchant''s vessel; he has been bringing goods through the ck sea and into the Danube for some time now. Though he has never gone as far as Austria, he will take you to your destination for the right price.


    We haven''t talked in a while; you could say he disapproves of my line of work. However, I can lead you to him and help you secure passage. Come with me; I will make sure you make it to the harbor safely."


    After saying that, Honoria felt tears stream down her eyes, this was the first time someone had helped her without wanting anything in return, and as such, she thanked the woman from the bottom of her heart.


    "Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"


    The prostitute merely shook her head and patted Honoria on her shoulder.


    "Just pray that this Count Berengar is foolish enough to take you in. If he has even the slightest amount ofmon sense, he will ship you back to Constantinople the moment you arrive in his court."


    Hearing this, Honoria''s heart nearly faltered; however, she quickly got ahold of her resolve; she had alreadye this far; she might as well see this through. She prayed in her heart that Berengar was the man she believed him to be.


    Thus the prostitute and the princess left the brothel and headed towards the harbor where they would meet up with a merchant''s vessel and the Captain of it in the hopes that the princess could escape the cage her family had built for her.

 Chapter 225: Balancing the Budget

    <h4>Chapter 225: Bncing the Budget</h4>


    With the rebellion crushed, Berengar had secured his rise to power. As the official Duke of Austria, Berengar now set his armies to protect the borders from possible incursion, and of course, assist with internal security. With this, Berengar had established an era of peace and stability in Austria where he could sessfully implement his reforms with little resistance.


    As such, the young Duke was currently sitting in his office reviewing expense reports drafted by his House of Lords. At the moment the greatest matter of his military expenses was the expansion of the Navy. As for the Army, Berengar had halted its conscription and maintained its current size. In a time of peace, he allowed for voluntary recruitment only. As such, it required far fewer funds than it previously had.


    As for the expenses that were delegated to conscription in the army, they were now set to fuel his Agricultural reforms across all of Austria. At the moment, the Agricultural and Educational sectors were the two most significant portions of his newly established peace-time budget.


    By focusing on creating a self-sustaining, mechanized agricultural system across thend and increasing the education of the standard poption, Berengar would theoretically be able to drastically improve his workforce and the draftable portion of his society.


    At the moment, Berengar''s focus was to implement the four-field system, irrigation piping, and phosphate fertilizer across the realm. Though Tyrol had begun to develop such strategies to a wide margin, the rest of Austria undoubtedlycked agricultural reform. Thus Berengar started with the most simple focus. Mass implementation of mechanization would have to wait a few years for the system to catch up.


    While Berengar was hard at work, he heard a knock on his door, and as such, he quickly responded.


    "Come in"


    to nobody''s surprise, the person who had visited Berengar during his work was none other than Linde. As usual, she was ravishing, and at the moment, she was wearing a sky blue dress with white embroidery. This dress was in the typical fashion style that Berengar had introduced to the realm. It was primarily based on Tudor and Elizabethan-style dresses from his previous life.


    However, the curious part about all of this was Linde''s extravagant jewelry; it was white-gold with sky blue diamonds embellished within it. White gold was not a naturally urring material; it had to be created by mixing yellow gold and other materials like nickel, silver, or padium. As such Berengar had introduced thevish substance into his jewelry industry as a way to rece silver and increase the demand. After all, such luxuries could only be found in Austria at the moment.


    As for the magnificent jewels, they were the exceptionally rare blue diamonds and Berengar had paid a significant expense to import these precious gemstones from India via his Byzantine trade contacts in order to provide Linde with a set of Jewels fitting for an Empress.


    The dress and the gems paired with her sky blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair perfectly. As such, Berengar was quite shocked at her appearance when she arrived in his room, so much so that his jaw dropped.


    This was the first time she had shown the new set of jewels since she had received them, and Berengar was more than impressed. He had every desire to get out of his seat and make love to the woman then and there, but he was not an animal who lived on pure base instinct, and thus he calmed himself before putting such notions aside.


    "Love, is there something on your mind?"


    Linde did not answer. Instead, she slowly approached the desk where she sat upon it. After enticing Berengar by showing off her mighty cleavage, she pped his head with a file in her hands that he had not noticed before teasing him.


    "Darling, where are you looking? My eyes are up here!"


    Seeing that the girl was toying with him, Berengar began to chuckle before grabbing ahold of the file and reading into it. The document requested an increase in funding towards Foreign Aid. However, both Berengar and Linde knew what this request was really for.


    Foreign Aid was the expenditure report that Berengar filed for all of his Intelligence expenditures. The reason for this was simple; his spywork officially did not exist, even though everyone knew he had one. To fund thiswork, he needed a front. Otherwise, there would be a giant gap in the ounting of his government spending which would immediately draw suspicion by any potential onlookers.


    Thus Berengar opted to allocate a particr portion of the national budget into "Foreign Aid." Of course, all of these resources went to funding the recruitment, training, deployment, and other resources Berengar''s intelligence Agents needed. Berengar quickly signed the request for funds before handing it back to Linde with a smile on his face; after doing so, he made a request of his beautiful young lover while giving her a document of his own.


    "Sweetheart, I need you to do something for me. It is time to reform the crude spywork we have developed into a full-scale intelligence department. This is a list of the basic structure that shall be established, and you can make any changes to it that you see fit."


    The structure was loosely based on a diagram he had once seen online of the CIA''s basic system in his previous life. Linde''s official rank and title would be Director of Intelligence, and she could fill the ranks with anyone she saw fit for the positions avable. The other important feature of this structural overhaul was the establishment of a training facility for new agents.


    Linde looked at the design and nodded her head before agreeing to Berengar''s request.


    "It might take a while, but I assure you, it will be done in at most two years."


    Berengar smiled and nodded at this; the overhaul he was asking for was to create a semi-modern intelligence agency in the medieval era; it was not an easy task to aplish. However, he trusted Linde waspetent enough to fulfill the mission and merely pet her head before responding.


    "I know you can do it!"


    Linde immediately had ideas to modify the structure to allow for two sub-departments, internal and external intelligence, and adjust the system so these two groups can regrlymunicate.


    Linde was a prodigy when it came to intrigue, and thus Berengar left theplete product to her imagination. After all, this area of governance was not Berengar''s strong point, he had an outline from his previous life, and that was it.


    With that said, Linde was about to leave the room and get to work when Berengar held her up.


    "Oh, by the way, I have a present for you!"


    Linde quickly turned around and looked at Berengar with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. However, when she saw Berengar grab the present from beneath the table, her sky blue eyes grew wide with excitement, and tears instantly began to form within them.


    In Berengar''s hand was a tiny ck kitten with golden eyes. It was precious, and Berengar brought it over to Linde before cing it in her hands.


    "I found this little girl on the streetside and figured it was about time you got yourself another pet. I hope you don''t mind. I promise this time I will allow no harm toe to it!"


    Linde immediately began to pet the little kitten with tears flooding down her cheeks and a broad smile on her face as she hugged it dearly before speaking to it in a soft tone.


    "Hey, there little pretty kitty! What should I name you?"


    Berengar thought about it for a moment beforeing up with a name he felt was appropriate.


    "How about Nightshade?"


    Linde gave him a stern look beforementing on his naming proclivities


    "After the poison? Seriously? You are terrible at picking out names!"


    After gazing at the cat with affection and rubbing its chin, Linde came up with a name.


    "I am going to call you Midnight after your beautiful dark coat!"


    Seeing that Linde was happy, Berengar smiled, and after doing so, his lover hugged him with the kitten ced on her shoulder. As Linde hugged Berengar tightly, she thanked him from the bottom of her heart.


    "Thank you!"


    Berengar began to pet her glossy strawberry-blonde hair as she thanked him and nodded his head.


    "Anything for you..."


    After saying that, Linde released Berengar and took her new kitten out of his office. She had much work to get to; aside from looking after Hans and her new pet, she also had to work on overhauling and expanding the intelligencework, and thus she had little time to spare. She would properly thank Berengar for this giftter at night when the couple had finished their daily work.


    As for Berengar, he returned to his desk, where he continued to approve the national budget. For the time being, he had many reforms to enact. While signing documents all he could think of was how happy he was to be reincarnated into this alternate world. If he had not died in Afghanistan in his previous life, he likely would have spent the rest of his life alone and in the military.


    Yet now he had everything he could ever ask for, and yet it was not enough. The fires of his ambitions had been stoked, and there was no rest for a man such as himself. Thus he would work tirelessly in the uing days to advance the Duchy of Austria into a new era.


    The age of industry was on the horizon, and he had only just begun to breach its surface. However, before the Industrial Revolution could ur within hisnds, the Agricultural revolution had to take shape. Thus, for the time being, he was once more focused on Agriculture.

 Chapter 226: Honorias Journey Part II

    <h4>Chapter 226: Honoria''s Journey Part II</h4>


    During the night that Honoria had escaped, she had stumbled across a prostitute who had taken pity on her. Despite taking an enormous risk, the woman promised to lead Honoria to the harbor and help her fulfill her wish. That wish was to escape her marriage to the effeminate prince of France and visit Austria, where she might finally get a chance to meet the man who could potentially be her destined partner.


    With the prostitute''s guidance, it did not take long for the two to arrive at the harbor where a merchant''s galley was docked. It was a decent size ship and was fully capable of crossing through rivers like the Danube. After boarding onto the vessel, the duo noticed a man resting on its bow, where he had a book ced over his head and arge jug of wine near his feet.


    However, as soon as Honoria and the prostitute saw the man sleeping on his ship beneath the starry sky above, the woman who had apanied Honoria kicked the man in the shin and chastised him as she did so.


    "Agnellus, wake the fuck up!"


    After receiving the impact from the woman''s kick and hearing her shrill voice as she screamed at him, the man was instantly startled; as he awoke, the book fell from his face and onto the deck of the ship. The moment he looked over, he could see his little sister, whom he had not spoken to for some time, ring at him as if he was some form of scum for simply resting during the night.


    The man struggled to break free from his intoxicated state and began to rub his temples before he fully realized what was going on.


    "Melissa? It has been some time... To what do I owe the displeasure?"


    At this moment, the man noticed the beautiful young girl next to Melissa, and a lecherous grin appeared on his face. However, after seeing the look on his face, Melissa snapped at him.


    "Wipe that disgusting expression off your ugly mug; she isn''t some piece of street meat you can buy for the night! This is a noblewoman seeking passage to Austria, and you should show her some respect!"


    When Agnellus heard that Honoria was a noblewoman, he quickly cleaned up his act and bowed his head while apologizing.


    "Apologies, my Lady, it is just that with thepany that Melissa tends to keep; I assumed you were in the same profession..."


    Agnellus was smart enough to realize what would happen if he dared toy his hands on a noblewoman and quickly got his act together. He might be a drunk and a lecher, but he wasn''t a fool. Honoria merely nodded in response without saying anything. She was warned on the way over by Melissa that the less she said, the better.


    Agnellus just realized that Melissa said this young girl wanted to travel to Austria and immediately became suspicious. As such, he voiced his concerns.


    "Austria? That is a long journey; even if you paid me to take you there, I would first have to know why. There is no way a noblewoman like yourself would hire a mere jewelry merchant like me to take you to a foreign country, especially without an escort. Just what kind of trouble have you brought to my doorstep, Melissa?"


    Melissa folded her arms before criticizing Agnellus once more; she knew the man would never risk smuggling the princess out of the Empire; the risk was far too significant. Thus, she made up a half-truth about her identity.


    "Shees from a minor noble household, and they want to marry her off to some queer. So she''s running away; if you know what is good for you, you will keep your mouth shut!"


    Hearing this, Agnellus began to scratch his bare chin. This was aplicated situation he found himself in. However, when Honoria reached into her satchel and pulled out arge gold bracelet encrusted with diamonds, the man''s natural greed instantly took hold.


    Honoria struggled to find her voice amid her anxious state before speaking.


    "I... I don''t have any money, but I can pay you in fine Jewelry, is this enough?"


    Seeing such a high-quality piece of Jewelry, the merchant immediately gazed back and forth between Honoria and his sister with a nce of suspicion before questioning Melissa''s statement.


    "A minor noble household, huh? There is more going on here..."


    Honoria had a worried look in her eyes as she stared at Melissa with a pleading gaze. After seeing how desperate the girl was, the merchant known as Agnellus sighed heavily before deciding.


    "Fine... I''ll take her, but it is only because I am headed in that direction anyway. There is a lot of business to be had in that part of the world nowadays. Supposedly there is a booming jewelry market in Kufstein with designs that people have never seen before. Come aboard; you can stay in the captain''s quarters; I guess I will live with the crew for the next couple of months."


    Honoria quickly thanked the man before stepping aboard


    "Thank you!"


    afterward, she began to walk towards the captain''s cabin. However, before she could do so, she ran back and grabbed ahold of Melissa where she hugged her as if she were a dear friend while thanking her.


    "Thank you, truly from the bottom of my heart; I thank you for everything you have done for me. I promise never to forget your kindness so long as I draw breath!"


    Melissa''s cheeks began to flush as she heard such appreciation, and she immediately pried the princess off of her before responding.


    "I am just helping out a kindred spirit; go, get on the ship and make yourself ready for the voyage. Onest piece of advice is to try to hide in the captain''s quarters for as long as possible. The crew members are not to be trusted."


    Honoria looked at Melissa with a questioning gaze; she did not know what the woman meant by that. However, she quickly nodded and smiled before saying her farewells.


    "Goodbye Melissa, I hope one day we may meet again!"


    after doing so, Honoria entered the Captains'' cabin, where sheid down on the bed while Heraclius perched on the desk, keeping a watchful eye over his master. Outside of the house, Agnellus began to interrogate his sister for the truth. He had many suspicions and needed to know the level of risk he was taking by smuggling the girl out of the Empire.


    "Who is she? What kind of shit have you gotten yourself into?"


    Melissa immediately tried to dodge the question.


    "I told you she is a minor noble-"


    However, before she could finish her sentence, Agnellus cut her off.


    "Bullshit! Did you forget that I am a merchant who specializes in trading fine Jewelry? The bracelet that she showed me is worth a fortune! At the very least, she would have to be the daughter of a very wealthy Strategos to afford such a thing. Tell me what I am dealing with and the level of risk I am taking for smuggling her out of the Empire!"


    After thinking about it for a few moments, Melissa sighed before revealing the truth.


    "She''s Princess Honoria, and she is trying to escape a marriage. That part was genuine; she has told me she would rather die than marry that pillow-biter of a prince she is engaged to. You have to protect her, Agnellus! At least so long as she is on your ship...


    She has no idea how the real world works! She ran away from home to flee to Austria, hoping to meet with the Count of Tyrol because she had heard a few good stories about him and thinks he is some kind of prince charming! She has never even met the man!"


    Agnellus could instantly feel a headache forming in his head, and as such, he ced his forehead in the palm of his hands before quietly scolding his sister.


    " Jesus fucking Christ! You want me to smuggle the fucking princess of the Empire out of its borders? Have you gone mad!?! Do you have any idea what the pce guard will do to you when they find out you helped her escape? You will be lucky if all you get is a quick beheading! Why the hell would you help her?"


    Melissa began to pout for a few moments before revealing her reasoning.


    "Part of it is because I feel pity for her..."


    Agnellus eyed his sister carefully before asking her for the remainder of her reasoning.


    "And the other part?"


    Melissa immediately stamped her feet in protest before blurting out her actual reason for helping Honoria.


    "Just once, I would like to see a girl not get screwed over by her family. Is that too much to ask?"


    Agnellus was conflicted when he heard this; He was well aware of the reasoning for why Melissa worked as a prostitute, and it essentially had to do with their parents. He rarely spoke to his sister, not because of her profession but because he could not very well look her in the eye after knowing that he had done nothing to stop her fate. As such, he sighed heavily before acquiescing to the request of his little sister.


    "Fine, I will take her to Kufstein, and as long as she is on my ship, you have my word I will protect her. However, once she is in Kufstein, she is on her own. I suggest you get the hell out of the city before people realize she is missing! She is not exactly inconspicuous; she has bound to have left a trail to your doorstep!"


    Melissa nearly jumped for joy as shetched onto her elder brother and hugged him dearly. Shortly after realizing what she had done, she let go and coughed to avoid the awkward atmosphere that had taken ce.


    "Thanks! I''ll owe you one!"


    Agnellus, on the other hand, merely scoffed as he responded to her statement.


    "You can repay me by staying safe, seriously get out of town! Go to Athens! or Antioch, but whatever you do, do not stay in Constantinople!"


    Melissa nodded her head and smiled before departing. After she left, Agnellus sighed before thinking to himself.


    "Fuck me; I am too kindhearted in my old age..."


    By the standards of the medieval era, he was, in fact, reasonably old; he was currently in his mid-thirties, and he had seen too much in this life to be considered young. Despite this, he still had a good nature and thus agreed to help Honoria. Partly because of the wealth he would gain from doing so, but more importantly, he too felt bad for the girl.


    As such, Agnellus quickly got to work rounding up his crew and preparing to set sail. After realizing who he was smuggling out of the city, he had no desire to stay within its borders longer than necessary. After an hour of preparation, the ship cast off, and for the time being, the crew was unaware that a beautiful young girl was staying in the captain''s quarters.


    It would be a long journey to Kufstein, with many stops on the way. During this time, Honoria was bound to have some adventures of her own; when she finally reached Kufstein, she would be shocked to find out that Berengar had risen from the position of a Count to that of a Duke in such a short time. Perhaps Berengar would have elevated his title to a King by then; the future was uncertain.


    By the time the imperial family of the Byzantine Empire realized that Honoria was missing, she would be long gone, and their only clue which was Melissa would have long since disappeared. Where she ended up, nobody knew. However one thing was sure, she would be better off there than if she had stayed in the confines of Constantinople.

 Chapter 227: Introducing Womens Undergarments

    <h4>Chapter 227: Introducing Women''s Undergarments</h4>


    The sun shone through the windows of Berengar''s castle and into the dining room where Berengar, Linde, and Henrietta had gathered for breakfast. After sitting in their chairs and waiting for the food to arrive, Berengar noticed that Linde was rubbing her back, and out of concern for her health, he began to ask about it.


    "Are you alright?"


    Linde gazed up at Berengar and immediately responded with a forced smile on her face.


    "I am fine; it is just sometimes I get backaches. I wonder why..."


    Berengar immediately noticed the two bulbous mounds protruding from her chest and the cleavage they presented in the dress she wore. It did not take long for him to understand his lover''s plight, and as he did so, he pped himself on the forehead before eximing.


    "Of course! I don''t know why I didn''t think of it before! Linde, you just gave me a wonderful idea!"


    As such, Berengar immediately got up from the table and took off towards his study. Linde knew better than to interrupt her man when he had acquired inspiration. She smiled as Berengar ran away and rested her exquisite face in the palm of her hand as she gazed at Berengar from afar.


    Several hours passed since then, and despite not having Breakfast, Berengar was fully satisfied with himself. In this time, he had devised an entire sketchbook filled with various designs for women''s undergarments. He did not know why he had not thought of such a thing earlier.


    Not only did modern underwear provide ample support to women''s breasts, but it also looked incredibly sexy, and Berengar had greatly desired to see Linde in his new designs. Of course, there was also profit to be made, but deep down, all Berengar cared about was seeing Linde dressed in modern underwear.


    Afterpleting his designs, he rushed them down to the garment district, where he presented the schematics to the head of his women''s fashion sector. As per most decent fashion designers, the director of development for women''s fashion in Kufstein was a man. After flipping through the sketchbook with a stoic expression, the man finally ced the book down and gazed at Berengar with a curious expression.


    Seeing this, Berengar thought he might have gone a little too far with some of the designs and asked nervously.


    "Well, what do you think?"


    The man finally broke out into a wide smile beforeplimenting Berengar.


    "Your Grace, you are a genius!"


    Hearing the manpliment him in such a manner made Berengar far more confident in the designs he had construed. Because he was a virgin in his past life, Berengar had not seen too many women in their underwear, at least not in person. He was mainly going off of his knowledge from hentai, pornography, and of course, inte searches from pure curiosity.


    However, now that he had been reincarnated into a new world with a gorgeous lover by his side, he could finally realize his dreams of having a beautiful girl wear such erotic finery for his pleasure. In the end, is that not what all men desired?


    By now, his mind had long since given up on the idea of these creations being created for the sole purpose of helping women and instead had embraced its inner pervert. Of course, he would never let this show on his face, and instead, he smiled at the man he had tasked to create women''s clothing.


    "I see that you are a man of culture as well..."


    The man instantlyughed at Berengar''sment. Despite being a fashion designer, he was one hundred percent heterosexual and a bit of a yboy. He could not wait until he could get every woman in the city dressed in such undergarments.


    However, he quickly got to the task at hand.


    "So I am guessing you will need some of these for the voluptuous lover of yours, and you will want them quickly, am I right?"


    Berengar had felt a sense of kinship with this man since he first introduced his takes on Berengar''s initial designs of Tudor and Elizabethan style clothing. The man had a penchant for aesthetics just like himself and knew what made women look good as such; Berengar nodded with a smile on his face.


    That was all the signal the fashion designer needed before flipping through Berengar''s sketchbook, where hended on a particr design. It was a pushup bra made of ck silk and had a golden floralce pattern; the panties matched in style and color. After cing his finger above the design, he eximed his honest opinion out loud.


    "I believe your woman will look fantastic in these; just give me her measurements, and I will have them made by the end of the day!"


    Berengar smiled as he boldly proimed Linde''s measurements with a hint of pride on his face.


    "33D-22-33"


    The man''s draw nearly dropped when he heard this; the only thing he was capable of saying in response to such a thing was the phrase.


    "God damn..."


    After daydreaming for a bit, he snapped out of it and gave Berengar a quick salute.


    "I will have it done in a few hours where I will deliver it to your castle!"


    Hearing this, Berengar smiled and began to chat with the man about the finer points of fashion for some time. It was not until evening where the garments were entirely crafted, and he was able to return to the castle with his new gift for Linde in hand. As such, he returned to the court, eager to see what Linde would look like in elegant underwear.


    After arriving in the Castle, Berengar immediately began to search for Linde. It took him a while due to the size of the ce; he began to wonder how difficult it would be to locate his family when they finally moved into his Grand Pce.


    Linde was currently breastfeeding Hans, and when Berengar witnesses the sight, he gazed at her with an envious expression. Seeing Berengar standing in the doorway looking at her with a jealous gaze, Linde began to giggle before taunting the father of her child.


    "When he is finished, you can have your fill if you want!"


    Hearing such a bold suggestion, even Berengar felt embarrassed, and as such, his cheeks began to flush, and Linde noticed it. However, he quickly calmed himself and fired back at her shameless suggestion with a naughty retort.


    "If you are offering, then don''t me me for partaking!"


    Hearing Bernegar''s response caused Linde to flush with embarrassment; every time she yed these word games with Berengar, it usually resulted in her being defeated. She was quick-witted, bold, and sometimes shameless. However, whenpared to Berengar and his dirty mind, she could neverpete.? After a few moments, she finished up what she was doing and put Hans back in his crib before walking over to Berengar with a sultry smile on her face.


    "So tell me, what has gotten you so riled up today?"


    Berengar had a smile on his face as he pulled out a paper bag that contained his gift to Linde. He dangled it in front of her as bait before whispering in her ear.


    "Let''s go back to our room; I have a gift for you."


    Linde could tell that it was something personal, and as such, she quietly nodded before holding onto Berengar''s hand and following him back to the bedroom. After the door was shut and the curtains were closed, he revealed the contents of the bag.


    Linde stared at it for a few moments with a vague idea of what it was for, but she had never seen such shy undergarments before. As such, Berengar sat back on the side of the bed with his legs crossed and his head is resting on his fist while smiling.


    "Go ahead, try them on!"


    Linde blushed but considering they were in private and this was amand from her master; she had no choice but to obey. As such, she slowly began to strip off her clothing until only her bare skin remained. Seeing how excited Berengar was, she showed off her divine physique in all its glory before slowly putting on the new panties made of the softest silk.


    After dressing in the bottoms, she tried to attach the bra but had difficulty with the hooks on the back. As such, she swiped her hair to the side before asking Berengar to assist her.


    "A little help?"


    Berengar never thought he would be able to do such a thing, and as such, he leaped at the opportunity; unfortunately for him, he struggled a little bit before he finally got them in ce. After Linde''s undergarments were fully attached, he asked her the question on his mind.


    "So? How does it feel?"


    Linde moved around a little bit to get a feel for the design before smiling.


    "Much better!"


    As such, she walked over to Berengar and began to kiss him passionately, which only further increased his arousal. However, before they got down to business, he moved her over to the bedroom mirror and disyed her beauty to herself.


    "You truly are the most beautiful woman I have ever met; you know that?"


    Hearing such sweet words, Linde could no longer hold herself back and pushed Berengar on the bed where the two began to make love. By the time they had finished, it waste into the night. Thus this was the ending to the day that Berengar introduced modern women''s undergarments to the poption of Austria.

 Chapter 228: Developing the Hand Cannon

    <h4>Chapter 228: Developing the Hand Cannon</h4>


    While Berengar was taking advantage of this era of peace and stability that he had established to implement his agricultural and educational reforms, his enemies were on the move. In the county of Caernarfonshire within Wales, a group of Knights was gathered.


    They were covered head to toe in Churburg pattern te armor and wore a white and green tabard with a red maltese cross emzoned upon it. These Knights were recently established as one of the new military orders of the Catholic Church. They were known as the Order of the Red Dragon.


    The Order of the red dragon made Caernarfonshire their home and began constructing a mighty castle near the coastline. With near-unlimited funding by the Catholic church to raise their forces, the Order of the Red Dragon had spared no expense in building their fortress.


    Currently, an exceptionally tall man who stood well over six feet and six inches was standing next to a man of average height; in doing so, he appeared to dwarf him. This tall man was d in iron te armor from head to toe, in the style that was popr in the region.


    This man was none other than the Grand Master Gwythyr Bowell, he was standing next to a rtively talented cksmith who was introducing him to the progress he had made to the task he was assigned.


    The cksmith was eager to show off what he had aplished and led the tall knight into his workshop, where he had two long poles, each of which had a long metal tube at the end. This tube acted as the barrel of the weapon.


    It was an exceptionally crude and primitive firearm, but it was a firearm nheless. As such, the Grand Master picked up one of the weapons and observed it for a few moments before asking the question on his mind.


    "This is the legendary hand cannon?"


    The cksmith nodded his head with an excited expression on his face.


    "I purchased one from a trader who imed he acquired it from a group in Bohemia. Afterward, I reverse engineered it and manufactured a few of them on my own. Would you like to see how it functions?"


    The Grand Master had a stoic expression on his sturdy and scarred face. He merely nodded silently, indicating to the cksmith to present the weapon. After doing so the man grabbed a spare sheet of iron that had the same thickness as amon breastte and dragged it out to the courtyard.


    The cksmith ced the iron sheet in front of a hay bale before walking away ten steps, where he began the loading procedure of the hand cannon. The loading of a hand cannon was simr to any other muzzleloading firearm. Albeit far less streamlined.


    One would load the powder into the small tube at the end of the stick that acted as a barrel with their powder sk, where they would then add the projectile followed by some form of cloth wadding. After doing so they would pack it down with a stick. Yes, a stick, not a ramrod, these weapons had yet to develop a self-contained ramrod, so they used a separate stick to pack down the powder and projectile.


    The firing sequence waspletely different fromter designs, though. Simr to the flintlock and earlier firearm designs, one would put a bit of powder on the pan. However, that is where the simrities ended.


    On this weapon, there was no such thing as a trigger, so what the hand-gunner would have to do is hold the stick under their armpit and use their free hand to light the powder with a slow-burning match. That would then ignite the powder in the weapon and send the projectile flying.


    As such, this sequence took a significant amount of time, nearly a minute, to do so. The projectile that was used was nothing more than small rock, instead of a lead or iron ball, because of this it did not achieve as much uracy as the weapon was capable of, not that it was capable of much.


    After firing the weapon, the projectilepletely missed the target where the cksmith began to curse under his breath.


    "Mother fucker!"


    After venting his frustrations, the cksmith began the reloading process once more, where he missed his target for a second time. It was only after firing a total of three times that the stone projectile hit its target and bust through the iron te. The moment it did so, the cksmith began to cheer aloud.


    "Haha!"


    Witnessing theckluster performance of the fabled hand cannon that Berengar''s forces had used to triumph over the Teutonic Order, the Grand Master immediately felt something was amiss. Even inrge numbers, such a pathetic weapon could not possibly turn the tides of war.


    Its reload speed was too long, its uracy was terrible, and its effective range wasughable. As such, he immediately interrogated the cksmith about his concerns.


    "Are you certain that this is a hand cannon?"


    The cksmith could tell the Grand Master was not pleased and as such he nodded his head with a certain expression.


    "Yes, this is a hand cannon. Supposedly there are simr designs across all of Europe, but nothing too different. If you field it inrge numbers it can be effective even at close range. Thergest problem with such a tactic is acquiring the saltpeter necessary to create gunpowder. The Byzantines are able to get it for cheap from India, but unless you can establish a trade route all the way to the Empire, good luck maintaining arge force of hand-gunners."


    Hearing this the man was even more uncertain of how his enemy had acquired so many of these weapons and was able to maintain the necessary gunpowder to supply his armies. He had no way of knowing that arge portion of Berengar''s supply of saltpeter came from his own nitraries, as for the rest it was now purchased from the Byzantines with the rtionship he had set up with the Empire.


    At the behest of the Catholic Church, the various military orders were required to begin experimentation with hand cannons but creating something more effective than the current technology would take years, maybe even decades to achieve.


    Reflecting upon his orders, Gwythyr sighed in response to the information he had received. Either the reports of Berengar''s weapons were inurate, or Berengar had apletely different design of firearms altogether. If it were not for the Vatican''s support there would be no way for the Order of the Red Dragon to field these primitive hand cannons, let alone something greater.


    Gwythyr coldly looked into the cksmith''s eyes and spoke in a stern tone, in doing so intimidating the man who began to shake.


    "I want at least a hundred of these built as quickly as you are able. As for the gunpowder, we will use the church''s influence to procure it."


    The cksmith slowly nodded his head as he responded to the Grand Master''s request.


    "I promise you that I will have them done in a few months'' worths of time!"


    If Grand Master Gwythyr knew the amount of Muskets Berengar could produce within a few months, he would genuinely lose all hope of winning the uing Crusade that the Catholic Church had nned for the German Reformation, or the Berengar Heresy as they continued to refer to it as.


    With that said, the Grand Master quickly got back to work to oversee the construction of their Order''s first castle. As for the production of Hand Cannons, it was not only the Catholic Church interested in researching and developing such weapons.


    After Berengar''s overwhelming victory against the Bavarians who invaded Austria, all of Europe had begun to spend as many resources as possible on the research and development of handheld firearms.


    Even to the more stubborn Kingdoms like France, it had be increasingly apparent that the era of Knights wasing to an end. If they could not adapt to the circumstances they found themselves in, they would no longer maintain their power.


    Berengar had inadvertently sparked a new arms race among all of the European powers. The notions of who could build the best handheld firearm and who could field the most of them had begun to consume the minds of the European Monarchs and Feudal Lords as they rushed whatever asinine design they could develop into production in an attempt to have the slightest advantage over theirpetitors.


    Even if Berengar were aware of such a thing, it would be centuries before the people of this world were capable of developing anything remotely simr to what his troops currently fielded. Despite the fact that there were exceptional geniuses in every era, Berengar''s technology was too advanced for the early 15th century topete with.


    Nevertheless, the rapid development of hand cannons in this timeline as a result of Berengar''s interference could prove some difficulty to his armed forces. At the very least, it could make sieges more difficult for Berengar to win with minimal casualties. When he finally learned of this arms race that he had inspired, Berengar would be forced to do something about it.

 Chapter 229: Advancements in Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 229: Advancements in Medicine</h4>


    In the Chemistry department of Kufstein, the lead chemist Aldo von Passau had just made a significant discovery. Something that Berengar had previously hinted to but in no way exined in detail. Upon discovering such a thing, the man began to question how Berengar could know this reality. He was starting to believe that God sent Berengar to lead humanity into a new golden age.


    This significant discovery was basic Germ Theory. As part of Berengar''s chemistry department, which the young Duke had spent a considerable sum to construct, microscopes were included within the facility''s tools. In Berengar''s past life, he was an engineer, not a biologist, or a chemist.


    However, to graduate from university, he had to have a fundamental knowledge of these subjects. Because of this, he had taught the men in his current chemistry department the basic level of knowledge that pertained to chemistry.


    However, these men, especially Aldo, were exceptionally brilliant and eager to learn; as such, they quickly adapted to Berengar''s teachings and tested them to see themselves if what Berengar had taught them was pure truth. Of course, Berengar had also taught them the basics of science, such as the scientific method.


    While Berengar insisted on creating certain chemicals for medical production like disinfectant alcohol and certain antibiotics used in what was considered over-the-counter antibiotic cream in his previous life, he did not exin how these things functioned. Instead, he said with a wry smile on his face.


    "You''re the chemist; figure it out!"


    The arrogant expression on the young Duke''s face as if he knew more about the subject than a man who had spent a lifetime studying the mysteries of the world like Aldo so thoroughly outraged the chemist that he sought to prove Berengar wrong by using his methods against him.


    In the end, Aldo had made a particr discovery by using a microscope on a sample of blood from an infected cattle, and that was the existence of bacteria and how some bacteria can cause disease. This discovery caused a great deal of shock within Aldo''s mind, and he immediately wanted to replicate this infection on some of the field mice he had gathered.


    As such, Aldo would spend the next few weeks cultivating harmful bacteria and infected field mice, where he would use the antibacterial cream on one group while not using it on another to see if he had discovered the function of Berengar''s so-called "Antibacterial cream."


    In the meantime, Aldo would begin to draft a report on his findings, where he would then hand it to Berengar personally and see the reaction on the man''s face. Thus Aldo spent hours writing his conclusions into a somewhat schrly thesis. After finishing it and allowing it to dry, it waste at night, and as such, Aldo waited until morning to report his findings.


    ...


    While Aldo was advancing his knowledge on chemistry, and basic germ theory, Ewald, who was Berengar''s court physician, was permitted by Berengar to study basic anatomy. As such, he had been granted the ability to conduct research on the corpses of several of the dead enemy soldiers Berengar had brought back from the battlefield.


    Every time Ewald cut into a cadaver, and examine not only the anatomy that a human wasprised of but also the cause of death of the enemy soldier the man, he was shocked to find his discoveries.


    It was not just anatomy that the physician was allowed to practice; he too experimented with microscopes on the blood of humans, both alive and dead, and that of animals. Berengar was more than happy to point the man in the direction that he was most needed in.


    As such, the man began to make progress in the fields of surgery and blood transfusions. Through the continued experimentation of both life and deceased human blood, and with proper direction from Berengar and his knowledge from his past life, Ewald had also made a breakthrough in one of the fields he was studying.


    That breakthrough was the existence of different blood types. He had determined that there were a total of three blood types, A, B, and C, as hebeled them. However, he could not rule out the possibility of a fourth. As such, he would continue in his research endeavors in the future, but for now, he wanted to report his findings to Berengar as quickly as possible.


    If the young Duke was impressed by his performance, he might get more funding and staff to continue his research. As such, after cleaning up hisboratory, he headed towards Berengar''s office with great haste. Interestingly enough, he would arrive at Berengar''s study at the same time as Aldo.


    ...


    When Berengar''s Court Physician and the head of his Chemistry department burst into his door unannounced, he could tell something significant had happened. When he saw the two men mbering among one another to report their findings first, Berengar raised a hand, signaling them to calm themselves before speaking.


    "Aldo, you go first."


    With this, the man smugly smirked at Ewald before reporting his findings.


    "Your Grace, I believe you will be pleased to know that I finally solved the question I asked you long ago?"


    Berengar smiled upon hearing this, as he was well aware of what Aldo had been studying for some time and thus motioned for the man to continue, as he set down his report upon Berengar''s desk that pertained to his understanding of basic germ theory, and as Berengar read through it, his smile became even broader. While Berengar was reading through his report, Aldo began to speak the results of his experiments aloud.


    "Your Grace, I do not know how you were aware of this, but it has be clear to me that you know far more than you let on. The more I experimented with the blood of infected beings, the more I found proof of these so-called bacteria and the ability for them to cause sickness in humans and animals.


    I am currently experimenting on a few field mice as to the effectiveness of the antibacterial cream you have ordered me to make, and I promise we will see results shortly. However, I have a feeling you already know how the results will turn out. Thus I decided to report my findings before that study waspleted."


    Berengar merely smiled at Aldo beforeplimenting the man.


    "You truly are a genius, Aldo; I am beyond impressed with your results in so little time. Continue your good work, and I might be able to give you a few new chemicalpounds soon for you to work with! I will also reward you for your findings. Name what it is you desire, and so long as it is within my ability, I will grant it to you."


    Aldo bowed respectfully to Berengar before making his request


    "If it is not too much trouble, I would like you to send me a fresh bash of young and educated minds so I can help mold them into future Chemists!"


    Berengar thought about it for a few moments before responding.


    "As soon as I have a group of potential candidates, I will send them your way; you have my word."


    With this, Aldo smiled before thanking Berengar


    "Thank you, your grace!"


    With that, Berengar turned his attention to Ewald, where he began to ask the man what was on his mind.


    "Did you have something to report to me as well, Ewald?"


    The physician smiled before announcing his results.


    "I, too, have made a significant discovery! By experimenting with human blood, I have found several different blood types; they are determined by the presence orck thereof of specific antigens in the blood. I currently have seen three of these so-called blood types, A, B, and C!


    A has the A antigen in the red blood cell and the B antibody in the sma! B has the B antigen in the red blood cell and the A antibody in the sma! C has neither A nor B antigens in the blood cells, but both A and B antibodies in the sma!"


    After hearing this, Berengar immediately understood C to the O blood group from his previous life, and thus he decided to dere it as such.


    "Should C be called O because there are zero antigens in the blood cells?"


    The man thought about it for a few moments before nodding his head in agreement.


    "That makes sense."


    As with Aldo, all of these scientific terms that the man used were presented by Berengar when he aided them in their studies; without it, they would have no idea what to look for. Under Berengar''s guidance, these two men had made significant breakthroughs in the areas of medicine, and Berengar could not be more proud.? As such, Berengar''s smile was about asrge as it could be when he praised Ewald.


    "Well done, Ewald, I too shall grant you a reward for your efforts; tell me what it is you desire?"


    The man nodded his head in excitement upon hearing this and made his terms known.


    "As with Aldo, I too desire more staffing, but I would also ask for more funding as well."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement when he heard this and epted the request.


    "Done, I will approve of more funding to the scientific fields and split it between your two departments; as for the request for additional staff, I will make the same promise I made with Aldo. As soon as proper candidates present themselves, I will send them your way immediately!"


    With this, the two men were exceptionally thankful to Berengar and bowed their heads with respect before departing. After they were long gone from Bernegar''s presence, the young Duke pulled out a ss and poured some of the distilled spirits he had been manufacturing into it where he took a sip before sighing heavily, as Berengar did so he expressed the thoughts on his mind aloud.


    "Everything is progressing smoothly."


    These scientific breakthroughs were just the beginning; he could not wait until the day his people had proper medical care that was not reliant on the backward ways of medieval understanding. This was a significant first step into establishing an era of scientific thinking, especially in medicine!

 Chapter 230: Selecting a Deputy Director

    <h4>Chapter 230: Selecting a Deputy Director</h4>


    Within the city of Kufstein, Linde was currently sitting in her favorite tea shop. This time she was sitting alongside a specific female agent who had been instrumental in the victories of Meran and Vienna during Berengar''s past campaigns.


    Since Berengar had ordered Linde to restructure the intelligence agency into something more modern instead of the primitive method they had been using, she needed a proper Deputy Director, and there was nobody better in her mind than the young woman sitting before her.


    Linde had a brilliant mind and was a natural prodigy when it came to intrigue, but there was one area she severelycked in regards to, and that was field experience. The woman before her had proven capable in not only the art of assassination but sabotage as well.


    She had a quick mind and could think critically even while under stress. She had proven fully capable of escaping vtile situations and establishing a proper recement without the need to go up thedder ofmand.


    Without her efforts in the field, Berengar''s campaigns might have slowed down. Despite the fact that his army''s firepower was overwhelming; the removal of specific vital figures and the sabotage of enemy supplies, equipment, and fortification were needed for a swift victory.


    This woman''s name was Hemma, and she was a Kufstein native. She had grown up in the area as an orphan roaming the streets. The skills she gained in surviving her childhood allowed her to be a capable field agent. Now she would be tasked with helping Linde preside over an appropriate intelligence agency instead of a meager medieval spywork.


    The two young women sitting across from one another was quite the sight to behold. The female field agent was considered beautiful by most men''s standards; however, when sitting next to Linde, who was considered one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria, even she felt discouraged in her looks.


    While sipping from her tea, Linde noticed that Hemma had a dissatisfied expression on her face, and she was not afraid to inquire about the reasoning. As such, she put on a pretty smile that sessfully managed to charm the young woman before asking the question on her mind.


    "Is something the matter?"


    Hemma was by no means a lesbian, but even she could not help but admire Linde''s natural beauty and charming personality. As such, she merely sighed before admitting defeat.


    "It is nothing serious; I just realized I can''tpete with you..."


    It took Linde a moment to realize what the woman was talking about; when she did notice, she merely giggled before responding.


    "Oh sweetheart, there is no reason topare yourself with me. You are beautiful in your own way!"


    Hemma instantly began to blush when she heard thepliment; as such, she quickly distracted herself by throwing herself into her work. It was amon habit of hers to do so when she felt ufortable.


    "So why am I here? Is there something you need from me?"


    Seeing that the young woman had broached the subject, Linde pulled out a luxurious purse that she carried along with her. The bag was made out of fine ck leather and utilized gold fastenings. Thetch itself was gold and studded with diamonds in the shape of a heart, and the strap that it was carried by was a golden chain.


    The leather purse had a delicate diamond pattern embossed atop the surface. Seeing such an elegant handbag, Hemma immediately gazed upon it with envy.? However, after retrieving a few documents, Linde stashed the purse away below the table before handing the young woman the papers.


    The woman quickly nced at the title, which read as follows.


    "Austrian Intelligence Agency"


    Seeing such words written on the paper, the woman immediately asked Linde what the documents pertained to.


    "What is this?"


    Linde merely smiled with a charming appearance before announcing Berengar''s n.


    "We are going under a restructure in an attempt to make things more efficient. These documents contain the details; I want you to read through them thoroughly and then burn them. I will be forward with you, Hemma; I need a talented field agent with a quick mind to act as my second inmand.


    You have proven yourself among the greatest of my field agents, and I think it is about time you receive a promotion worthy of your efforts. What do you say? Will you be my Deputy Director?"


    Hemma quickly nced through the documents, trying to understand the duties of her position. The new job was much more demanding, but it was also far less dangerous and had much higher pay and amodations. As such, she was quickly enticed by the offer presented to her.


    However, she honestly did not believe she was qualified for such a position and, as such, asked the question on her mind.


    "Why me? Surely others are more qualified, who have more leadership experience?"


    Upon hearing this, Linde raised two fingers before answering the woman''s question with a serious expression.


    "I have two reasons; first and foremost, I need someone who is acquainted with the field and who can properly direct the field agents in their endeavors; it is an area I am severelycking. As far as leadership experience goes, others are more qualified in that regard butck your knowledge of the conditions of the field."


    After saying this, Linde allowed Hemma to respond, and as such, the young woman asked the question on her mind.


    "And your second reason?"


    After hearing this, Linde sighed and rested her pretty face in the palm of her head while staring out the window before answering.


    "I needed a woman to fulfill the role; if I spent most of my day in thepany of another man Berengar is likely to have him lined up against the wall and shot out of jealousy..."


    Hearing this, Hemma assumed Linde was joking and began to giggle; however, the cold gaze Linde gave her before responding sent chills down the woman''s spine.


    "I''m not joking..."


    After saying this, there was a long and awkward silence, that is, of course, until Linde began to stretch her back while yawning; after doing so, she revealed the rest of her thoughts.


    "Seeing as how that is the case, you are by far the most qualified to fulfill the position. If anyone has the gall toin, send them to me, and I will exin why you have the position in full detail. It would be entertaining to see the look on their faces when I ask them how they feel about being executed due to Berengar''s jealous nature."


    Saying this, Linde immediately began to giggle with a charming smile on her face, to the point where Hemma was concerned about Linde''s state of mind considering that she could find something so horrible to be entertaining.? After joking around for a few minutes, Linde asked Hemma about her decision.


    "So what do you say? Do you want the position or not?"


    Hemma thought about it clearly for a few moments, nodding her head in agreement before formally dering her intent.


    "I ept!"


    With that said, Linde smiled once more before taking a sip from her tea; after doing so, she responded to Hemma.


    "Good, take those documents home and read them thoroughly; after doing so, burn them. I don''t want any evidence of our department existing."


    As such, Linde began to get up from her seat and grabbed ahold of her luxurious hand bag where she picked out a few silver coins and ced them on the table aspensation for the tea and cookies. After doing so, she closed the purse and slung it around her shoulder.


    The ck and gold bag matched perfectly with her exquisite dress that was in the same color scheme, so much so that every man in the shop had their eyes on Linde throughout the entirety of her conversation with Hemma.


    She was like a goddess to the men of Kufstein, and just like a goddess; she was utterly untouchable; after all, she was the Duke''s woman, and everyone knew it.? Seeing as Linde was about to leave, Hemma called out to her and asked the question on her mind.


    "What do you intend to do now?"


    Linde thought about it for a few moments before putting on a sultry smile and boldly announcing in front of the entire tea shop.


    "I am going to go satisfy my man!"


    The moment Hemma heard this, she nearly dropped her jaw; she could notprehend how Linde could say something so shameless in a public setting like this. Nor could she understand how Linde got so much work done while living in the Castle with Berengar. If this is how they spent their days, it was a wonder that the spywork had grown to its current extent.


    It was at this moment she had a sudden realization, was this position she had just gained nothing more than a way to relieve some of the pressure on Linde''s so that the young enchantress could spend more time with Berengar? Hemma immediately began toment her decision, but it was toote now she was unofficially the Deputy Director of the Austrian Intelligence Agency, which officially did not exist.


    With that said, Linde returned to the castle where she made good on her promise, immediately distracting Berengar from his ongoing work and dragging him to the bedroom for a little bit of mutual stress relief. As usual, the young couple was going at it like rabbits; by now, Berengar had learned his lesson and was smart enough to y it safe and not knock up Linde for a second time.

 Chapter 231: Honorias Journey Part III

    <h4>Chapter 231: Honoria''s Journey Part III</h4>


    It had been close to a week since Honoria and the galley she was on first departed from Constantinople; they quickly passed through the Bosphorus and into the ck sea. During this time, she stayed entirely in the captain''s quarters, where she was allotted as her personal space by Agnellus.


    The manmonly brought her and her pet eagle, Heraclius, food, and water to sustain themselves. Honoria did not have much to do during this time, so she merely entertained herself by daydreaming about what it would be like when she finally arrived in Kufstein and met with Berengar face to face.


    She was like a young girl who had her first crush; though she never met the man, she could already envision what he looked like. She imagined Berengar to have blonde hair and blue eyes as she mistakingly believed that all Germans had.


    However, the image in her head was slightly different from the real Berengar. Her imagination of Berengar was not scarred from battle andcked the eyepatch. He also had shoulder-length hair that was center-parted and was not quite as handsome as the actual man.


    She would be greatly surprised when she finally met the real Berengar and realized he was even better looking than she thought he would be. Nevertheless, in her mind, she imagined all kinds of scenarios. Maybe he would leave his two women and marry her instead. Or perhaps he would do something scandalous like add her to his harem.


    She began to blush as she imagined the thought of a lowly count keeping an imperial princess like her in his harem; it was simply too outrageous for her inexperienced mind to handle; as such, she quickly shook her head and stuffed it face-first into her pillow.


    Heraclius merely gazed at the girl like she were an idiot and screeched in response. Hearing his voice made Honoria look out from above her pillow and red at the bird. It was clear that she had taken offense to whatever the bird had said.


    Whether Honoria understood the eagle''s words or simply was so well ustomed with the bird that she knew his general intent by the pitch of his screech, the fact remained that she was not pleased with what Heraclius had said, and as such, she chastised him.


    "I am not! You should mind your words Heraclius!"


    However, her fun was quickly interrupted by a knock on the door and the voice of Agnellus behind it.


    "Can Ie in?"


    Honoria rushed over to the door and slightly cracked it open while peering outside. Seeing the friendly gaze of Agnellus, she let out a sigh of relief before asking the question on her mind.


    "What is it?"


    Agnellus instantly began to scratch his chin as he informed the princess of the journey''s current progress.


    "We are about to pass through the Empire''s borders at the ck Sea and enter the Danube. When we reach the first major town in Wachia, we will be stopping for supplies and trade. If you wish, you can stretch your legs then and get some fresh air. If you do want to wander into the town, I suggest you stay close by my side. You never know who is out to harm you."


    Agnellus''s sister had reminded him to watch out for Honoria, and as such, he did not intend to let any harm befall the naive and innocent young girl. If something happened to her on his watch, the Byzantine Imperial Family would massacre his entire family in the act of vengeance if they were ever to find out.


    After hearing this, a pretty smile formed itself on Honoria''s pink lips. She was excited to get out of this cabin and see the world. As such, she quickly nodded her head and expressed her desire to get off the ship when they arrived.


    "I look forward to it; I promise I won''t cause any trouble!"


    Having heard this, Agnellus sighed before muttering beneath his breath.


    "Don''t make promises you can''t keep..."


    Of course, Honoria did not hear what he said, and as such, Agnellus departed without incident. Agnellus was a practical man, and having Honoria on the ship was already an enormous risk, but bringing her into a town in Wachia, she was bound to cause trouble. Nevertheless, he couldn''t just keep her locked up for the entire journey. That would be inhumane.


    Honoria quickly closed the door after Agnellus left and had a broad smile on her face; she could finally see what the world looked like! She could hardly contain her excitement and instantly began to tell Heraclius of the good news. Of course, as an Eagle, he had excellent hearing and had already figured out the details from the conversation at the doorway.


    That did not prevent Honoria from repeating it, though.


    "Heraclius! We are finally going to get to some solid ground! I can''t wait to mingle with the local Wachians; I wonder what they are like?"


    Heraclius merely rolled his eyes at the naive girl; he could already feel a headache taking over; he would be forced to protect her from wicked men once more, or so the proud eagle thought within its mind.


    An hourter, the ship docked in a medium-sized river town along the Danube in Wachia. This town was called Br? and was the main harbor of Wachia. After docking on the ship, Agnellus knocked on the cabin''s door, where Honoria quickly opened it with a wide grin on her face.


    Seeing the young princess was so pretty and naive, Agnellus threw a set of less luxurious clothing in her direction that featured a shawl. After doing so, he said in a severe tone.


    "Wear this, and keep your face covered at all times; I don''t want any trouble to ur because of your appearance."


    Hearing this, Honoria was perplexed; after all, she waspletely unaware of the degree of beauty she naturally possessed. If she were to walk around uncovered, it would surely attract attention.


    Despite the question in her heart, she was obedient and shut the door, where she quickly changed out of hervish attire and into something much more modest. She quickly covered her head and face with the shawl before revealing herself outside the cabin''s entrance.


    The shawl resembled that of a catholic headscarf, and whenbined with a face veil, perfectly covered up the girl''s natural beauty, aside from her glimmering mint green eyes. Seeing she was covered correctly, Agnellus began to escort her off the ship.


    In doing so, the rest of the crew gazed upon Honoria with curious expressions, they knew there was a VIP staying within the captain''s cabin, but they had no idea it was a woman. Some of them had more wicked thoughts in their heads, and others were merely curious, but the way Agnellus red at his crew immediately halted any inappropriate ideas that the men might be scheming.


    As they entered the town, Heraclius took off into the air, watching Honoria from above like a guardian angel. He felt cramped within the cabin since they left Constantinople and needed to spread his wings for a bit. However, he never let Honoria out of his vignt gaze.


    As for Agnellus, he made sure the young girl stayed close by so that she didn''t get herself into any trouble. While his crew was out purchasing the necessary supplies for the journey, and others were paying a visit to the local brothels, Agnellus was stuck babysitting the young princess.


    Eventually, the young princess spotted a store that caught her interest. It was a local tailor. She had a great interest in seeing the local designs that Wachian women wore; she was so excited she ran ahead from Agnellus.


    Upon seeing this, the man almost called out to her before realizing that he did not know what to call her, he very well couldn''t call her by her first name, but if he used her honorific, it would immediately alert people to her position.


    Thus all he could do was chase after Honoria as she rushed towards the tailors. However, before Honoria could enter the building, she ran into a well-dressed man and fell onto her butt; as she looked up, she saw a young man with shoulder-length jet ck hair and amber eyes re at her with a sense of fury in his eyes.


    However, when he noticed Honoria''s wless mint green eyes beneath her headdress, his furious gaze disappeared. And a wicked smile appeared on his face. This young man was a mighty Boyar of Wachia, a high-ranking nobleman, and he was quite the handsome individual.


    Because of this, he was particrly lecherous, and he had enough experience to instantly realize the excellent shape of Honoria''s body hidden beneath her clothing. Seeing how she was dressed as a peasant woman, the Boyar began to take advantage of the situation and scolded the girl in front of him.


    "Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you ruined my expensive coat! I demand payment!"


    It was only then that Honoria realized that the mud from the streets had sshed onto the man''s coat, and seeing as how she had no money, she did not know how to react to this. As such, she lowered her head and apologized.


    "I am sorry, but I don''t have any money to repay you for the damage I have caused."


    Hearing this, the Boyar was even more confident that the girl was an impoverished peasant, and thus he began to lick his lips as he imagined what form of beauty this girl was hiding behind her veil. The Boyar instantly wrapped his arm around the women''s neck and dragged her close while squeezing her chest before whispering in her ear.


    "I know a way you can repay me..."


    Feeling the man grab at her chest, Honoria immediately flinched and pped the man in the face before making some distance between herself and the mighty Boyar. The moment she did, so she cursed at him.


    "How dare you touch me!"


    After being pped by the woman he believed to be a peasant, the man felt his inner fury rising, and thus he pulled out his sword on his belt and began screaming at Honoria.


    "You filthy peasant whore! You dare toy a hand on my wless face; I will have your head!"


    The moment he charged at Honoria, Hercalus swept down from the sky above with a screech of fury; he had looked away for no more than a minute to catch a nearby rabbit, and yet Honoria had already gotten herself into trouble.


    The eagle bravely rushed towards the defense of the princess, where his talons dug into the young man''s sword hand, tearing through flesh and bone alike, forcing the man to drop the de. Coincidentally this also happened to be the hand the man had used to assault Honoria.


    The young man screamed in agony as he tried to shake Heraclius away, but the more he did, the more damage was dealt with his hand.? In this day and age, the damage done to the muscles in hand was enough to make sure that the Boyar never again wielded a sword.


    As such, the blood quickly flowed onto the ground before Heraclius released the man''s hand, where he flew back onto Honoria''s shoulder and screeched fearsomely at the wounded Boyar. The fury in Heraclius'' gaze was enough to intimidate the fool who began to soil his pants. If Heraclius wanted to, he could have imed the young man''s life.


    The crowd that had gathered stood in shock as they witnessed a member of the local nobility get so thoroughly defeated by the eagle. Even Agnellus was amazed at the lengths the bird would go to to protect the girl.


    Though he immediately snapped out of his shock, he quickly arrived before dragging Honoria and the bird away. After such an incident with a member of the local nobility, it was best to get out of dodge as quickly as possible. Thus, Honoria was led back to the ship while Agnellus scolded her along the way.


    "Goddammit! I fucking told you to stay nearby! This was exactly the kind of shit I was trying to prevent!"


    On the other hand, Honoria was pouting; she was shocked and dismayed over the sexual assault that the local nobleman had done to her out of nowhere and instantly became bitter about it. If she were still within the borders of the Byzantine Empire, she would have revealed her identity to have the man executed for such a heinous act.


    She made a mental note of this and vowed never to suffer such humiliation again in the future. After returning to the ship, Honoriay down upon her bed with a depressed expression on her face. She thought a great deal as to what had happened and immediately asked a question to Heraclius.


    "Count Berengar won''t be such a scandalous individual, will he?"


    The proud eagle merely gazed at Honoria with a frustrated expression, this girl could not help but get into trouble, and once more, he had risked his life to help her out. As such, he merely squawked at Honoria before shifting his head away as if he were ignoring her, causing the young girl to sink further into depression.


    As for Agnellus, he made sure nobody had seen them enter the ship and tried to round up his men as quickly as possible. Because of this incident, they would have to finish their resupply at the next town. Thus before the Boyar could retaliate, the galley had departed and traveled further down the Danube. Hopefully, they would not have to deal with the consequences of the scene that had just transpired.

 Chapter 232: Blessed With an Exceptional Child

    <h4>Chapter 232: Blessed With an Exceptional Child</h4>


    While Bernegar''s agricultural reforms were slowly but surely being implemented across the realm, the man was presented with a great sense of difficulty. Soon it would be Ad''s fourteenth birthday, and he had no idea what to get the girl.


    Though the betrothed couple did not live together, that did not mean that Berengar did not shower his little fiancee with presents. He would send her dresses, shoes, jewelry, and fashionable essories that were fit for an empress every chance he got.


    Of course, Ad''s birthday was not the only one Berengar had to prepare for, Linde''s birthday was shortly after hers, and just like Ad, he showered her withvish gifts whenever he got the chance. He truly spoiled his two women to a degree that a normal Duke was incapable of.


    Ad''s birthday was on September 9th, while Linde''s was on October 15th; they were a little over a month apart. As for Berengar, his birthday was December 21st. However, he frankly did not care about his birthday; it just became another day of the year after a certain point.


    Until he could get his hands on the precious substance known as chocte, Berengar was quite disappointed with his birthday as he could not continue his yearly tradition of eating tripleyer German Chocte Cake, which to him was a disaster.


    However, that was not important at the moment; what was important was getting Ad a proper gift for her birthday. He could easily shop for Linde; he would simply have his tailor make her a luxurious, and more importantly, sexy lingerie set; however, for someone like Ad, that was not exactly something he could do without feeling like a creep.


    As such, he was in a serious debate with his mind while sitting in his chair drinking from his skull chalice that was filled with beer. He was pretty troubled over the issue; he could not just give her some more meaningless jewelry or clothing. It had to be something exceptional, something the girl did not usually receive from him.


    It was at this moment he thought of something interesting, something he had not considered before. What if he bought her a new horse? Something exotic that cost a fortune to import. What if he bought her a white Arabian?


    To him, this idea was perfect, he never bought either of his women horses, and he knew that Ad was fond of the creatures. Linde loved cats, but Ad loved horses. Upon thinking about such a brilliant, he immediately got to task writing a letter to his old friend Arethas from the Byzantine Empire. If there were anyone Berengar knew that could get him a white Arabian in time for Ad''s birthday, it would be the Strategos of Ionia.


    After drafting the letter, he quickly had it sent out with a proper messenger party. It was times like this that Berengar seriously missed the modern world and its advancedmunication methods. After sending out his request Berengar returned to his office where he let out a heavy sigh before breaking out the distilled spirits.


    When it came to hard liquor Berengar had opted for making whiskey, and though this batch was not aged to any serious extent, it was enough to help calm his nerves. Berengar began to reflect upon the past year and a half of his life. So much had happened in this time that he rarely had a moment like this to rx. He was fortunate to be alive, let alone making it as far as he had.


    He still had no idea how he had reincarnated into this world, but he began to consider that perhaps it was some form of Diety''s work, yet if that were so, what could be their motive in doing so? These were the ideas that Berengar stressed about within his spare time.


    He was so busy thinking all day long that he did not know how to shut it off, so to calm down, he thought about things that could not be proven and merely spected about them as a mental exercise. At the very least, it kept his mind healthy.


    Berengar had spent so much time in his studytely that it had be second nature toe to this room and sit down, even if he had nothing to do. Linde had begun to joke around about how he spent more time with his study''s leatherbound chair than he did with her.


    Speak of the devil, and he shall appear; the moment Berengar thought about his lover, he heard a knock on his door, where he quickly answered it.


    "Come in"


    after doing so, Linde appeared dressed in another sky blue dress. When she was not wearing the colors of his house, she tended to enjoy dressing in sky blue and white, as it brought out her beautiful eyes. Seeing his handsome lover standing in front of him with a happy smile on her face, Berengar was confused; thus he asked about it.


    "What has got you so happy!"


    Linde approached Berengar and grabbed ahold of his hands, and began to drag him away without exnation. Curious as to what had gotten the woman so excited, he allowed her to do so before long. He was swiftly dragged to Hans'' room by the woman he loved, where she opened the door to reveal the small child standing on his two legs and walking over to Henrietta, who was nearby and smiling. Berengar was not too surprised when he saw this; after all, it was about time for the child to walk.


    However, what came next greatly surprised him; the baby boy saw his father enter the room and ran over to him as fast as he could while saying, "Dadda! Mama!" This stunned Berengar; the child still had some ways to go before they should naturally be able to form words. Yet, he clearly stated the terms that were usually a child''s first words at around twelve months old. Seeing such a strange urrence Berengar could not contain his thoughts and let them slip from his tongue.


    "Holy shit!"


    Linde immediately red at Berengar when he used profanity in front of their infant son, and he instantly shut his trap. Hans was close to nine months old at this point; after all, he had been born at the very end of thest year, and it was not yet September. Despite this, he was walking quite effortlessly and already talking to some degree.


    Berengar could not help but believe the kid was some form of genius, and he quickly stared at Linde with confusion. The way he looked at Linde made her ufortable, and she awkwardly inquired about his gaze.


    "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"


    Berengar did not hide what he was thinking and quickly revealed his thoughts.


    "What kind of super genes does your family have?"


    Linde, of course, had no idea what gics was and thus was deeply perplexed by Berengar''s question. As such, she expressed her confusion.


    "Genes?"


    Berengar merely shook his head and dismissed the idea


    "Never mind, it is not important..."


    He knew the kid did not get the intelligence from his family. While his family was above average in intelligence, with some just breaking the barrier to enter Mensa, there were no legitimate geniuses in his family, at least in the ssical sense.


    Of course, the moment he thought about that, he realized this body did not have the same gicposition as his original body. While pondering about such things Berengar had to admit that he did not know much about the von Kufstein lineage aside from the fact that they were a House of Warriors.


    The kid might have got his intellect from Berengar''s genes, truthfully he did not know the answer, but if the child turned out to be as intelligent as Berengar thought he would be based upon the signs avable to him at present, then it was a good indicator that Hans might be an exemry candidate for seeding himself in the future.


    The kid eventually ran over to Berengar, where the young Duke picked the boy up and tousled his strawberry-blonde hair. Berengar stared lovingly at his child before looking him into the eyes and saying something profound.


    "My child, one day you will be a greater man than I!"


    the way Hans looked at Berengar seemed like he understood what Berengar meant. However, Berengar merely hugged his son before giving him back to his mother. It would still be a long time before Hans was able to show off his true potential, but Berengar had great faith in the child.


    It was nice to know that if nurtured properly, the Empire Berengar believed he would forge one day would be in good hands after his passing. Even if one of his other children turned out to be a better fit for the Monarch''s position, Hans could still y a pivotal role in the advancement and development of the Empire.


    This was something Bernegar sincerely believed, and he was d that he had been blessed with such an exceptional child. Whether it was his genes or Linde''s that produced such a child did not matter. After all, the two of them were bound to have several more children over the uing years. If it did turn out to be his own, then maybe his kids with Ad would inherit such traits as well. Only time would tell...

 Chapter 233: The Hussite Representatives Arrive

    <h4>Chapter 233: The Hussite Representatives Arrive</h4>


    After a long journey from Bohemia to Kufstein, a group of men dressed inmon clothing approached the city gates of Kufstein. From afar, these men gazed upon the mighty star-shaped walls of Kufstein with awe. Such fortifications proved that their leaders had made the right choice in contacting the man behind the German Reformation.


    Within the Kingdom of Bohemia, civil conflict was brewing, inspired by the great reformer Jan Hus. Both the nobility andmon people within the region were up in arms against the Catholic Church for many of the same reasons that Southern Germany was.


    With the unjust execution of Jan Hus in 1415, a group of his followers referred to by the term Hussites had begun to grow violent in the wake of his death. In Berengar''s previous life, a war broke out in the Kingdom of Bohemia between the Hussites and the Catholic Church in the year 1420.


    However, Berengar''s intervention in this timeline and the rise of his German Reformation had sparked more significant conflict from the Hussites. Thetter had grown emboldened by Berengar''s sess in his battles against the Catholic forces.


    By now, Bohemia was on the verge of civil war. Thus these men, acting as representatives of the Hussite movement, hade to Kufstein, the center of the German Reformation seeking aid from the mighty Duke Berengar.


    As such, these men waited in the long line that had gathered to enter the city of Kufstein. Berengar had implemented strict security measures to avoid infiltration by potentially hostile groups and individuals.


    Because of this, every man, woman, and child that sought to enter the city had to undergo an inspection. All arms were required to be deposited with the garrison and would only be returned once the visitors left the town.


    After waiting for some time, the men were hailed by the guards signaling that they may approach. The guard observed the men who were garbed in rtivelymon attire and immediately assumed they were refugees.


    "If you wish to seek refuge within the City of Kufstein, you must fill out an application. I can give you a pass that will allow you to enter the city, where you will be led to the Department of Immigration. They will determine if you meet the criteria to migrate to Austria."


    However, the man in charge of the group of diplomats immediately shook his head upon hearing this and dered his actual intent for entering the city.


    "We are not here to seek refuge. Instead, we seek an audience with the Duke. Wee from the Kingdom of Bohemia and have important matters to discuss with the man known as Duke Berengar the Reformer!"


    The city guard immediately sighed heavily before giving the standard response to everyone who sought to meet with the Duke.


    "There is currently a three-month wait for an audience with the Duke. Unless you represent a powerful foreign interest, the most I can do is allow you ess to the city so that you may wait your turn patiently."


    Due to Berengar''s position and poprity, many people from all walks of life wanted to meet with him. So much so that a waiting list had been established, at the moment, it was backlogged up to three months in total.


    Berengar was an incredibly busy man, and he could not afford topromise his work to meet with every person who desired an audience with him. Unless it were some powerful foreign entity, then they would be forced to wait until Berengar''s schedule was free.


    Upon hearing this, the Hussite diplomats frowned; they had not intended to reveal their identity until they met with Berengar. However, it would appear they were forced to do so early in order to meet with the young Duke in a timely manner. Thus the man who led these diplomats removed his hood and revealed his entire appearance before speaking his thoughts.


    "I am Lud��k v��?ek; I represent the interests of the Hussite Reformation within the Kingdom of Bohemia; as a fellow reformist, I believe your Duke will want to hear what we have to say. I would greatly appreciate it if you could ry our message to the man."


    Hearing that the man was a representative of another Chrisitan Reformist movement, the guard immediately asked for verification of their identities.


    "Do you have anything that can prove your ims? If not, you will be forced to wait like the rest of the visitors."


    Lud��k immediately pulled out a letter that contained the seal of a Lord from Bohemia known as Alexej Ka?par as proof of his identity. Alexej Ka?par was a man known far and wide as a leader of the Hussite Movement, or one of the many groups itprised of. After observing this the guard recognized its validity and parted ways for the diplomats to enter the city. Before doing so, he said his piece.


    "I will inform his Grace, Berengar von Kufstein, of your arrival. You can wait within the city until someone leads you towards the castle."


    The Hussite diplomats immediately bowed their heads respectfully and thanked the guard.


    "You have our thanks!"


    with this, they were moved into the city, where they awaited their meeting with Berengar.


    ...


    Berengar was sitting on his ducal throne, openly ying with Linde in a rather inappropriate manner. He tended to grope the woman of his desires in public every so often to establish his dominance. It was quite honestly one of the more primitive instincts of his mind, but it paid an important part in letting his subjects know not to covet what was his.


    By now, Linde was flushed with embarrassment, but this public disy of affection while sitting on Berengar''sp had made her dreadfully excited; she was starting to exhibit traits of an exhibitionist due to Berengar''s thorough training. Even though nobody was around to see her, the idea that someone could walk in on them during their intimate acts was enough to get her aroused.


    Of course, it was at this moment one of Berengar''s guards walked in and saw that Berengar had reached through Linde''s dress and was firmly grasping ahold of one of her bountiful breasts with his left hand. Seeing that someone had intruded upon his fun, Berengar sighed before expressing his annoyance.


    "What is it? Can''t you see that I am busy?"


    Hearing this, Linde looked around and saw that the guard was trying his best not to stare at thescivious act, she immediately began to blush heavily, but Berengar did not stop groping her, which caused a slight moan to escape her lips. This only caused her to be further embarrassed.


    The guard pretending like he had not seen anything; after all, Linde was still fully clothed; it was just that Berengar''s left hand had reached through the upper portion of her dress. After looking away from the two lovers, the guard announced his reason for stopping by.


    "Your Grace, there are a group of people who have arrived that im to represent the Hussite Movement from Bohemia. They are requesting an audience with you; they say it is a matter of dire importance!"


    Hearing this, Berengar''s left hand immediately retracted Linde''s bosom, where he licked the milk off of his fingers. One might call Berengar a pervert for his tastes, but since Linde began to develop breast milk he had greatly enjoyed drinking the substance, typically directly from the source. After all, in his mind, there were few better sources of protein and calcium than his lover''s breast milk.


    After doing such a lewd act, he responded with an authoritative tone as if he waspletely unphased by his own actions.


    "Bring them here; I very much desire to meet with these men."


    After giving hismands, the guard saluted before leaving the area to fetch the diplomats. Even though Berengar and Linde were alone again, he did not resume his lecherous acts and instead addressed his lover with a gentle tone.


    "Looks like we will have to wait a bit longer before we can finish what we started; you can take care of yourself in the meantime, right?"


    Linde immediately blushed upon hearing this and nodded while looking away in embarrassment as she departed from the great hall and returned to the bedroom, where she would y with herself for the time being.


    As for Berengar, he had guests to entertain, and as such, sat in a manner that hid his excitement. There was nothing worse in his mind than getting cock-blocked right when things were about to get interesting.


    Berengar waited for some time for the Hussite diplomats to arrive; he was rather intrigued by this. Though he figured sooner orter they woulde to greet him; he assumed it would be after the war had already begun. Yet, they were already present in his court, which meant that clearly, he had an impact on this timeline.


    His intelligence that pertained to Bohemia was rather slim. Still, he would make sure to take advantage of the Hussite wars and annex the German-speaking regions into his territory. After all, the Sudetend was in Berengar''s mind rightful German y, and if he were to unify the German Empire in the future, he would need thesends as his own.


    Thus he began to hatch a scheme on how best to take advantage of the war in Bohemia for his personal gains, without directly getting involved in the war itself. After all, now that he had an era of peace to establish his hegemony, he intended to take full advantage of it.

 Chapter 234: Negotiations With the Hussites

    <h4>Chapter 234: Negotiations With the Hussites</h4>


    After some time, the Hussite representatives arrived in Berengar''s great hall and kneeled before him with great respect. Not only was Berengar a mighty Duke, but in the eyes of the Hussites, he was a man inspired by the teachings of Jan Hus, and as such, a brother in arms against the oppression of the Catholic Church.


    The man in charge of the diplomats quickly introduced himself as not to keep Berengar waiting.


    "I am Lud��k v��?ek, a humble servant of the Count Alexej Ka?par leader of the Ka?parian sect of the Hussite Movement!"


    Berengar had not heard of the Ka?parian sect from his previous life. Then again, as far as he was aware, few important figures of the era from his past life existed in this timeline so it was only natural for some things to be changed.


    Lud��k was a rtively short man; despite this, he was solidly built and had a set of long brown hair, with a matching beard. His eyes were the color of amber, and he had a scar across his left cheek, adding some notion that the man was battle-tested.


    The other two men who nked Lud��k wore their hoods and concealed their identities, though Berengar did not challenge them to reveal themselves; after all, they were a religious movement wanted by the Church as heretics he could sympathize with their desire to hide their faces.


    Berengar quickly addressed the men who had entered his great hall


    "I am Duke Berengar von Kufstein, as one of the founders of the German Reformation; I wee you as brothers in arms. Though I am curious as to why you have made the journey from Bohemia to my humble abode."


    Berengar had a rough idea of what they were here for, but if what they desired was what he thought it would be, he would, unfortunately, have to decline them. However, he made it appear as if he was genuinely confused, thus giving them the ability to exin themselves.


    Lud��k did not shy from the topic at hand and quickly addressed his reason for being in Kufstein.


    "Bohemia is on the brink of war; just recently in Prague, seven members of the city council were defenestrated! The King of Bohemia has sided with the Vatican and seeks to suppress our movement. We havee asking for assistance from the man who so thoroughly defeated the mighty Teutonic Order."


    Berengar was slightly surprised, it was only 1418, yet Prague''s first defenestration was moved up by roughly a year. This meant that what the delegate had said was likely to be true. It would not be long before Bohemia plunged into civil war, and the Hussite wars had fully begun. However, Berengar began to rest his head on his right fist as he made his stance clear.


    "If you seek for me to invade Bohemia with my forces, I am afraid I am going to have to disappoint you."


    After saying this, Lud��k''s face turned grim, and he immediately asked about the concerns on his mind.


    "Why not? Did you not just say we are brothers in arms? Will you truly abandon us in our time of need?"


    Berengar knew this would be brought up, and as such, he immediately replied with his reasoning.


    "I have spent thest year at war with my enemies. The Bavarians have ravaged thends that are now under my authority during their upation. Now that I am Duke and have established a sense of peace and stability within Austria, I cannot afford to march off to war once more so quickly.


    During this era of peace, I need to take advantage of this time to stabilize my reign and rebuild what has been destroyed. I can not spare the troops while there is an ongoing war just outside my borders that could invade mynds at any moment.


    You are like brothers to me, but my people are like my children, and thus I need to look after them first. I hope you can understand."


    Hearing this reasoning, Lud��k bowed his head; what Berengar said made sense, the rest of Germany was embroiled in a bloody civil war, with only Austria maintaining a peaceful existence, and it had cost them dearly to do so. Berengar''sndy in ruins in many areas, and he needed time and effort to rebuild after the Bavarian upation.


    However, before the man could admit his defeat, Berengar''s serious expression turned to a warm smile and revealed some degree of hope to the Hussite representative.


    "However, just because I can not spare troops does not mean I can''t send you some form of military aid!"


    After hearing this, the three men who had gathered looked up at Berengar with surprise; they did not know what form of assistance Berengar could aid them with. Before they could ask, Berengar continued on his train of thought.


    "I can supply you with firearms, cannons, gunpowder, and military advisors. It is the most aid I can afford to give you at the moment."


    Berengar''s n was simple; he would provide the weapons and training to the Hussites to ovee the Bohemian Crown and their Catholic supporters. However, Berengar had no ns to arm the Hussites with arkebuses or 12 lb steel cannons. Instead, he nned to open up a separate production line in Vienna to make primitive cast-iron cannons and provide hand cannons to the Hussites.


    Though Berengar had sold the far more advanced arkebuse to the Byzantines, his reasoning for doing was simply because his allies'' interests to the East would not sh with his own for some time. Thus he did not have to worry about fighting a war with them.


    However, if he armed the Hussites with Arkebuses and more advanced cannons when then the time came for him to demandpensation in the form of the Sudentend and they refused to do so, he would be facing a force of pike and shot, rather than ate medieval army, which itself could pose some difficulties to ovee.


    Of course, the Hussites had no idea what he would demand inpensation for his military aid and thus were rather excited by the prospect of being armed by Berengar''s factories. However, Lud��k was a cautious man and knew such exceptional assistance would note without a price; thus, he asked Berengar to rify what he desired.


    "That is more than enough to help us win this uing war, but I fear we will not be able to repay you for your kindness adequately, so I must ask, what is it that you desire in return for such gracious support?"


    Berengar was a shrewd diplomat and knew that the more the Hussites were in debt to him, the more likely they would be to acquiesce to his demands peacefully. As such, he responded to this question by essentially kicking the can down the road.


    "Do not fret, my friend; we can discuss payment for the military aid I provide you after you win your war and are in a better position to repay me for my kindness. For now, know that you have my support so long as it remains within the boundaries of the terms that I have provided."


    Though Lud��k was not happy with this answer, he did not press the issue; right now, the Hussites needed to worry about obtaining Berengar''s aid, and any form of payment that Berengar might demand could always be done in installments within the future.


    Or so he hoped, he never would have thought that Berengar would demand the annexation of the regions referred to as the Sudentend. Thus the representative epted Berengar''s terms.


    "I thank you for your support; when can we expect your aid if you don''t mind me asking?"


    Berengar was quick to reply to this, as he had already calcted the time needed in his head.


    "If I wish to send aid to your forces rapidly, then I will need to establish an industrial district in one of the cities closer to the Bohemian border; for that, I will need time. Give me three months at the maximum, and I promise you shall receive your first shipment of arms.


    As for the military advisors, I can send them immediately to aid you in your preparations for the war."


    Lud��k smiled when he heard this news and bowed his head with respect once more.


    "I thank you on behalf of all Hussites, your Grace!"


    With this, negotiations with the Hussites over support for their uing war were secured. For the time being, Berengar gained an ally to take the attention off of himself and the German Reformation. By starting the Hussite Wars, the Catholic Church and its military orders would have one more war to fight before calling for a Crusade against the German Reformation.


    In doing so, Berengar allowed himself time to prepare for the eventual day where he would be forced to fight the European armies at his doorsteps. A crusade was noughing matter, and Berengar fully intended to expand his defenses, troops, and even his navy by that such an event urred. Luckily for him, he happened to be reborn in the era where the Hussite wars were about to transpire.

 Chapter 235: The Search for the Missing Princess

    <h4>Chapter 235: The Search for the Missing Princess</h4>


    After Honoria''s disappearance, the Imperial family of the Byzantine Empire was in a state of panic. Especially the Emperor, with his daughter missing, it meant that his alliance to France was in shambles. The French King held Emperor Vetranis responsible for his daughter''s disappearance. He stated that if she were not found within a specific time, the de Valois dynasty would consider the betrothal broken.


    Emperor Vetranis was currently sitting on his throne nibbling at his fingernails, a bad habit he had picked up during his youth that hemonly resorted to when he was anxious. His daughter was missing, without the slightest clue as to her whereabouts. The French Prince Aubry had returned home bringing news of the reason for her disappearance, thus causing the French Monarchy to make excessive demands of the Emperor aspensation.


    If the Emperor could not find his daughter soon, the betrothal would be broken, and so too would the military and economic alliance between the two countries. As such, he was in aplete and total state of panic. Vetranis let out his frustration by cursing his daughter in the middle of his throne room.


    "You fucking bitch! You better be alive and unspoiled, or I swear to God I will march through the gates of hell to discipline you!"


    It was at that moment Honoria''s older brother Decentius entered the room. He held onto a prostitute from the same brothel that Melissa had previously worked at. The investigation into Honoria''s disappearance had led to the brothel, and this woman had seen Melissa leaving with the girl.


    From the looks of it, she had been roughed up by Decentius and his soldiers; there were many bruises on her face and across her body. Decentius tossed the woman to the floor as he began to yell at her.


    "Tell the Emperor what you told me!"


    Hearing the screaming voice of Decenitus, the woman instinctively flinched before stumbling over her words.


    "Basilia... The Princess... The princess came into the brothel and then left with Basilia. That is all I know!"


    Emperor Vetranis immediately pounded the armrest of his throne before raising his voice at the woman.


    "Who is this, Basilia? Where is she from? Does she have any family in the city? Where can I find her?"


    The woman began to curl back in fear. However, she was swiftly kicked by Decentius repeatedly until she begged for mercy.


    "I don''t know! I don''t even know if Basilia is her real name. Lots of girls at the brothel use false names! She never talked about herself or her family. I honestly don''t know anything about her other than she worked at the brothel. Maybe some of her clients might know the truth, but I don''t!"


    This Basilia was none other than Melissa; Melissa was a bright young woman, at least in the streetwise ways; she changed her name for work and even wore a wig; Thus her actual appearance was unknown. Now that she had left the city, it would be impossible to find out about her real identity.


    The Emperor and his goons werepletely back to square one; the intelligence that the prostitute had provided was practically useless. All they knew was that Honoria entered a brothel and left with ady of the night.


    Vetranis was furious that his daughter was missing, and he had no viable information about her whereabouts. Thus he quicklyshed out at the woman kneeling beneath him.


    "Get this whore out of my sight!"


    With that, the guards dragged the woman out of the room and kicked her out of the pce. As for Decentius, he kneeled before his father and made a solemn vow.


    "I promise I will find the bitch, and bring her back to you!"


    Hearing this, Emperor Vetranis tossed his goblet at his son, which smacked the young prince in the face and poured wine all over his body. After doing so, the Emperor quickly chastised his son.


    "Don''t you talk about your sister that way! She may have run away and caused us immense trouble, but she is still your sister and a member of this imperial dynasty!"


    Decentius had heard his father call Honoria the same term not long before, and yet he was being so thoroughly humiliated for repeating the Emperor''s words? Decentius gritted his teeth in rage, despite this, he choked back the vile words he had nned for his father and forced himself to be calm. He realized that nobody in his family was thinking straight at the moment. Thus despite the Emperor''s outburst, the second prince of the Empire epted the punishment.


    While this was ongoing, Arethas had walked into the room; he was fully garbed in his grand armor and knelt before the Emperor next to Decentius. After doing so, he quickly announced his reason for visiting.


    "Your majesty, I know these are hard times, and I do not wish to add to your concerns, but I have dire news from the city of Alexandria. The Mamlukes have retaken the city and driven our forces out past the Suez. I know your daughter is missing, and you grieve for her absence. Yet, if you do not send aid to our forces in Egypt, all of our work from these past few years will go to waste!"


    Hearing this news, Vetranis nearly chipped a tooth from the intense grinding he had begun. After listening to Arethas'' words, he knew he had no choice.


    "Arethas you have been a good friend, and I greatly value the assistance you have provided in the search for Honoria. I understand your desire to stay behind in Constantinople and continue the search for my missing daughter.


    Yet, I am afraid only you and your army, which is now equipped with the weapons you have purchased from the west, can change the tides of war. Thus it is with a heavy heart I must order you to sail your armies south and crush the Mamluke Sultanate once and for all!"


    Hearing this, Arethas was dismayed; he genuinely wanted to find Honoria as quickly as possible before something horrible happened to her. Yet, at the same time, he understood the Emperor''s reasoning and did not protest. He merely nodded silently before standing up and cupping his hands with a silent prayer. After doing so, he began to address the Emperor.


    "I pray to God in Heaven that you can find the princess before she gets herself into trouble. I swear on my life and honor that I will do everything in my power to retake what we have lost in North Africa and send the Saracens back to hell where they were birthed!"


    Hearing this, a bitter smile formed on Vetranis face; without his excellent friend Arethas to aid him during this crisis, he did not know how he would manage to hold on. Yet, he knew only Arethas'' army would be able to crush the enemy in Egypt. Thus it was with a heavy heart that he sent his greatest friend and ally off to war once more.


    "I pray for your victory, good Arethas, go with haste and reim the long-lostnds of our mighty Empire!"


    After hearing this, Arethas saluted the Emperor with a grim expression on his face. After doing so, he turned and walked out of the building. Seeing that hismanding officer was just ordered to war, Decentius quickly followed in pursuit; however, he stopped at the entrance, where Arethas ced a hand on his shoulder.


    "Decentius, you must stay here with your father!"


    Decentius immediately felt taken aback and began to question Arethas'' orders.


    "What? Why? Am I not your Tourmarches!?!"


    Arethas sighed heavily beforeforting the youth.


    "You are and are by far the greatest of the officers beneath mymand. However, you are also your father''s son, and the Emperor needs you and your assistance now more than ever. I fear what will be of him if he does not find your sister soon. God forbid something horrible happens to the poor girl."


    Decentius wanted to protest this decision, but he could see that Arethas had made up his mind, and as such, he removed the mighty Strategos'' hand from his shoulders before looking him in the eye with a serious gaze as he made a solemn vow.


    "I promise, whether my sister is alive or dead, I will find her, and I will bring her home!"


    Hearing this, Arethas smiled; he knew that under Decentius''mand, the search for Honoria would be underpetent leadership; in doing so, he could worry less as he focused on his conquest of North Africa. After hearing this, the man turned away from the second prince and marched towards the harbor.


    He had a long journey ahead and a war to win. It would not be easy, but with the advantage of the arkebuse andbined with the pike and shot strategy he had devised, inrge part due to Berengar''s assistance, he would be able to ovee the tremendous odds before him.


    As such, the search for the missing princess would continue; despite having no leads towards her whereabouts, the Byzantine Imperial Family would spend a significant expense and effort looking for Honoria. They would never guess that she was on her way to a distant country solely because she had heard good things about a certain Austrian nobleman.

 Chapter 236: Honorias Journey Part IV

    <h4>Chapter 236: Honoria''s Journey Part IV</h4>


    After the debacle in the main harbor of Wachia in the town known as Br?, Honoria had confined herself to her room. After being touched inappropriately by one of the local Boyars who threatened to take her life for resisting, the young and naive girl had much to think about. As such, she was stuck in her room with nobody forpany except for Heraclius, who until recently had been ignoring her as punishment for her actions.


    The galley traveled at roughly 3 knots during cruising speed, in other words, approximately 3.5 miles per hour. As such, it was a long and slow journey to Austria. The distance between Br? and Kufstein itself was roughly 1,008 miles. Assuming the crew rowed for 12 hours a day, it would take them approximately 24 days to arrive in Kufstein.


    Honoria had been trapped in the cabin for a total of seven days at this point, and the crew had just begun to leave the borders of Wachia and enter Hungary. She was greatly vexed by the boredom she had to suffer in the room. However, she neverined; after all, Agnellus was nice enough to help her out, despite knowing her position, for which she was thankful.


    Heraclius wasmonly let out from the cabin so that he could fly about and catch prey. As such, he was in a perfect mood. After all, he flew at a speed of roughly 50 miles per hour; no matter how long it took him to catch prey, he could easily catch up with the ship.


    While Heraclius was enjoying himself, Honoria honestly had nothing to do except think about her life and daydream about what it would be like when she arrived in Kufstein. After encountering the Boyar, she realized that there were people in this world were not good-natured.


    As the princess thought about this she realized that there was a possibility that Berengar was also a wicked man. However, she instantly put such thoughts aside because Arethas had assured her that Berengar was benevolent and kind to his loved ones, and that gave her hope for the future. Still, there was a nagging suspicion that she would merely be trading one cage for another once she arrived in Kufstein.


    Despite the horrible situation, she found herself in a while in Br?, the brief period she spent running about as free as an eagle was enough to fill her with wonder. She didn''t want to be another caged bird; now that she had spread her wings and learned to fly, she wanted to know more about life. The Boyar''s actions had spurred something inside Honoria, a belief that she should be self-sufficient, after all, if not for Heraclius'' intervention she could have been in danger back in Br?.


    However, to do such a thing in this world was not easy. Especially for a woman, thus she hoped that when she finally arrived in Kufstein. Berengar would provide her with the safety and security necessary to allow her to grow as a person. She did not wish to spend her life in Kufstein the way she had done while in Constantinople, which was confined inside the Royal Pce for her whole life as nothing more than a pretty face.


    Thinking about this, Honoria concluded that she could be utilizing her time aboard this ship in a more constructive manner. After all, there was much she could learn from these sailors. Thus the runaway princess exited the cabin after putting on her shawl and walked around the ship for a bit before making her way to the helm where Agnellus was currently located.


    Agnellus was currently steering the ship and noticed that the princess had arrived. Thus he put on a friendly smile as he began to chat with her.


    "Your majesty, I was beginning to wonder when you would finally leave your seclusion. I hope nothing too serious happened back there in Br?."


    Honoria gazed into the night sky above for a few moments in silence before voicing the concerns on her mind.


    "I''ve had a long time to think, and I have decided I don''t want to be a bird in a cage anymore. I want to be an eagle that soars in the sky. So there was something I was wondering that you might be able to help me with?"


    Hearing this bold statement, Agnellus was uncertain where this was headed; however, since the princess had asked him for help, he could not very well turn her down. Thus he begrudgingly inquired what it was she needed help with.


    "Whatever you require of me, if I can fulfill it, I swear to do so."


    With this, a pretty smile formed on Honoria''s luscious pink lips before she nodded her head in excitement. After doing so, her expression shifted to a pleading gaze as she made her request known.


    "Teach me to sail!"


    This was not a request that Agnellus was expecting, and thus it took a while for it to register in his brain. When he finally realized what the princess was asking him, he broke out intoughter. This reaction was not what Honoria expected, and thus she began to pout.


    Seeing the cute look on Honoria''s face, Agnellus eventually stoppedughing and agreed to her terms.


    "If it is something so simple, I would be happy to teach you to sail. But we have less than 20 days to go over everything, so the most I can give you is a crash course."


    To Honoria, this was good enough, and thus a charming smile formed on her lips as she thanked the jewelry merchant.


    "Thank you!"


    With that said, Agnellus spent the remainder of the night on the Danube teaching the princess of the Byzantine Empire how to sail a galley. The galley was not much of a sailing ship; it was more like a massive rowboat, so there were not too many things he could teach her about sailing on such a vessel.


    Still, Honoria went to sleep when the dawn rose with a satisfied smile on her face. There was not much to do while onboard the vessel, but at least she could learn some valuable skills on the way to Kufstein. She slept for a total of eight hours before waking up.


    When she finally opened her eyes, she noticed that Heraculies was sitting next to her, watching over her as she slept. As such, the princess rubbed her eyes before stroking the eagle''s glistening feathers.


    "Good morning Heraclius!"


    the mighty eagle cawed in response to the treatment he received. Shortly after ying with the bird Honoria heard a knock on the door, and a familiar voice followed.


    "Your Majesty, are you in there? You have been asleep for some time. I have something for you to eat."


    When Honoria heard this she quickly rushed to the door and opened it to see Agnellus'' smiling face. In his hand was a bowl of meat porridge. There was also a wineskin alongside it. Honoria happily took ahold of the meal and thanked the man for his kindness.


    "Thank you, Agnellus; I will make sure not to waste a drop!"


    For whatever reason seeing the princess happy made Agnellus happy. He had no way of knowing it, but he was starting to get attached to the beautiful young princess from the Empire. As for Honoria, she had no lingering feelings for the man; to her, he was at best a friend. After handing Honoria her food, Agnellus thought of something and spoke his mind.


    "We will be docking in Gy?r soon; why don''t I show you how we dock the ship?"


    Hearing this, a broad smile appeared on Honoria''s face as she questioned the reality.


    "Really?"


    Agnellus merely smiled and nodded in silence. Hearing this news Honoria had an excited expression on her face. She was eager to learn more about the functions of the ship and thus she decided to devour her meal as quickly as possible so that she could learn the docking procedure.


    "I should eat this while it is still warm... I''ll be out momentarily, don''t dock without me!"


    Afterward, Honoria shut the door behind her, and Agnellus began tough at the girl''s over-eager nature. To him, it was just simple docking; there was not much to be excited about. However, to Honoria, the most mundane actions seem to hold significant meaning, and thus she took joy in everything she learned how to do. It was refreshing to have such a level of optimism around.


    Honoria ate the beef porridge and drank from the wineskin. To her dismay, it was not filled with wine but with water instead. Because of this, she began to pout as she hastily ate her meal. Heraclius noticing that there was food nearby immediately jumped by Honoria''s side and stole the piece of cooked beef that was on her fork before he gulped it down for himself.


    The act of which shocked Honoria, she was visibly outraged by the bird''s actions instantly began to chastise her pet eagle.


    "Heraclius shoo! This is my food! Get your own!"


    To this, Heraclius responded by snagging another piece of her meat from Honoria''s bowl and quickly devoured it with a smug expression on his face. The look in his eyes was asking Honoria a simple question.


    "Who is going to stop me?"


    Thus the gauntlet had beenin, and a contest was held between a princess and an eagle to see who could eat the meat in the porridge-filled bowl the quickest. If anyone else were to witness the sight, they would either be greatly entertained or deeply confused. One thing was sure this bird was brilliant.

 Chapter 237: Revising Ship Designs

    <h4>Chapter 237: Revising Ship Designs</h4>


    Berengar was currently within his study, sitting at his chair, and drafting new blueprints for a series of vessels he wanted to construct for his Navy. He had been at this for many hours and once more was what one would call sleep-deprived.


    While the Linde-ss Ship of the Line was the pinnacle of naval vessels, at least in those powered by the sail, it was pretty frankly overkill and would require a lot of resources, particrly that of oak. Such vessels were an enormous expense, and he could only build a few of them before venturing to the Americas.


    To put it simply, he had realized that the construction of such vessels was a waste of his limited resources, at least until he had begun colonization. As a recement, Berengar was currently drafting ns for a 38 gun fifth-rate frigate that would be the standard warship for his fleet in the Meditteranean.


    The frigate was a fast and maneuverable single-deck ship. In the Meditteranean with its little wind, at least whenpared to the Antic, such ships would be far more helpful in securing his power. They would also be fully capable of traversing to the new world and protecting Berengar''s interests abroad.


    These 38 gun fifth-rate frigates would be armed with a total of thirty-eight 32 lb cannons and a few Schmidt guns on their swivels. With a fleet of these ships, there would be nobody who could challenge his authority in the Mediterranean.


    However, it was not simply frigates that he was designing, but also a clipper for trade and transport. The clipper was a high-speed and long-range vessel. So much so that it did not even need to be armed because there was no ship in this world that could catch it in pursuit.


    Thus they were the perfect design for merchant vessels and would allow him to rapidly exchange goods between his colonies and the fathend in the future when he had a massive Colonial Empire. For the time being, these two ship designs would allow him to rule the Mediterranean and rapidly engage in trade with the various powers in the region.


    Berengar had shifted the design of the zinc-ted hull to that of galvanized steel and made it slightly thicker to protect against enemy cannon fire. These galvanized steel ted hulls would be properlycquered with a baseyer of ck paint and a white stripe over the gun deck. Overall the ships would be highly effective in protecting against enemy fire and wood-eating parasites alike, thus increasing the vessels'' lifespan and decreasing maintenance costs.


    As for his Linde-ss Ship of the Line, it would be shelved until a time where he had the means to produce such mighty vessels inrge numbers. Though it may disappoint Evio, the man was also practical, and as such, he would indeed be convinced to focus production on Frigates and Clippers.


    After finishing the blueprints for his new ships, Berengar quickly got to work on designing Naval uniforms. As per usual, he focused on renaissance-era designs for the clothing. In particr, he was inspired by the outfits worn by the old English privateers known as Sea Dogs during the Elizabethan era from his past life. The uniforms were designed in the colors of ck, charcoal, and gold.


    Now there was only one more thing to take care of, and this was of vital importance. A Naval g to fly would symbolize that his vessels were from the Duchy of Austria. At this point, the idea of Naval and national gs were, for the most part, non-existent.


    Berengar had thought about this for quite some time and had a rudimentary idea in his head. Now that he was a Duke, he thoroughly nned to change his coat of arms, and as such, he designed that first. Previously his coat of arms was reasonably simple; it was per bend sinister with the colors of ck and gold. There was also a white bend in the center separating the two factions.


    Now that he was a duke, he intended on making something more borate. Thus he created a white field with a ck eagle in the center. This eagle wore a gold crown and had a golden beak with a red tongue and white eyes. The eagle''s wingspan had a visible golden ridge, and in the center of its body was his family''s old coat of arms. The eagle''s feet and talons were also in gold.


    After designing the new coat of arms, Berengar designed his naval g, which would one day be the basis for his national g. It was a Prussianized g with a white center and a thin ck bar on the top and bottom. However, unlike the Prussian g, there was also a thin goldyer below that. In the white center, there was his new coat of arms within it.


    In the future, every Austrian ship, whether it be a military vessel or merchant''s vessel, would fly this g or some variant of it. It would symbolize that they were from the Duchy of Austria and were protected by its powerful Navy. Any attack on an Austrian vessel would be considered by Berengar an act of war.


    With the ship, designs finished, his Naval uniforms, his new coat of arms, and his naval g Berengar had one primary task left. He had to think of a name for the frigate and its ss. He thought deeply on this issue and decided to name the frigate after himself. The Berengar-ss Frigate. As for the clippers, they were not a warship, and thus he did not feel the need to give them a ss designation.


    After taking care of business, Berengar leaned back in his chair and stretched his upper body while yawning. He had been in this seat for quite some time, and as such, desired to stretch his legs. Thus he rose from his seat and began to send the new designs to their respective builders.


    The naval uniform designs would go to the garment district in Kufstein. At the same time, the ship blueprints would be sent to Trieste, where Evio was currently located, and working on building Berengar''s mighty shipyards.


    Berengar had already written a letter to the shipbuilder about his reasoning for why he would need to transition the work to the construction of frigates and clippers instead of the mighty ships of the line he had initially designed.


    He would attach this letter to the blueprints and send it with an armed caravan to Trieste so that his rivals could not intercept the critical schematics and steal it. He attached great importance to the construction of his Navy, and had no intentions of leaking his ship designs to other nations.


    After sending out the designs to the people responsible for making them a reality, Berengar entered his great hall, where he sat down on his ducal throne. It was at this moment that Linde entered the room with their young child in her arms. Hans was growing by the day, and not just in size, but brain capacity too.


    The boy, who was not even a year old yet, had begun to speak more words than just "mamma and dadda," which thoroughly convinced Berengar that this child would be a genius. As Linde approached Berengar, their son reached out for his father and struggled within his mother''s grasp.


    Seeing this, Berengar smiled and took the boy from his mother''s arms before cing him on hisp. This caused Linde to pout in jealousy as she always considered that to be her seat, especially while Berengar was on this ducal throne.


    Seeing the look on his lover''s face, Berengar smiled wickedly before teasing her.


    "Why Linde, my dear, are you perhaps jealous?"


    Linde, of course, looked the other way and pouted even further, refusing to acknowledge Berengar''s words with a response. Hans looked at his mother and father and had a glimpse of understanding in his eyes. Thus he reached back out towards his mother and spoke to her.


    "Mamma! mamma!"


    With this, Linde grabbed ahold of Hans from Berengar''s grasp and then sat on Berengar''sp herself with a satisfied expression; in doing so, she petted Hans'' strawberry-blonde hair, which matched her own and praised her son.


    "My baby boy is so caring and understanding!"


    Berengar smirked at this but eyed the boy cautiously; this kid was too smart for his good. Somehow, he recognized that his mother was jealous that he was sitting on his father''sp and created apromise.


    This degree of intelligence was terrifying when one considered that Hans was not even a year old yet. This just reinforced Berengar''s belief that the boy was destined for great things.


    After sitting on his ducal throne for a while, Berengar grew tired; after all, he had burnt the midnight oiling up with his designs and thus decided to get some rest. He made sure to kiss his lover and child on the cheek before sitting up, forcing them to stand with him.


    "I am going to go get some rest; I will see you twoter."


    With that, Berengar departed to his bed chambers, where he fell asleep. As for Linde and Hans, they would continue their day as usual.

 Chapter 238: Honorias Journey Part V

    <h4>Chapter 238: Honoria''s Journey Part V</h4>


    While the galley pulled into the town of Gy?r, Honoria assisted in docking as she helped tie the ship off to the dock. In doing so, she felt a great sense of aplishment. It was a simple and mundane task, yet it was the first time she had done something like this.


    The pretty smile on her face as she assisted the crew in docking the ship brought an atmosphere of optimism and happiness to the people aboard the vessel that they had not felt in some time. After docking in the town, Agnellus approached Honoria and gave her instructions.


    "This time, make sure to stay by my side. I don''t want a repeat of what happened while we were in Wachia."


    Honoria''s smile faded, and she nodded her head with a solemn expression. After doing so, she followed Angellus into the town. Heraclius was flying overhead once more, watching over the girl, this time, the eagle made a mental note not to chase after prey while the princess was wandering about.


    Agnellus led Honoria into the town, where they began to shop for supplies. Throughout the time she had spent locked away in the captain''s cabin, Honoria had time to think for herself. She realized if she immediately revealed her identity to Berengar, he would likely ship her back to Constantinople.


    The man might be a brilliantmander with a powerful army. However, he would not be able to face the pressure of the Empire by himself. Thus she had opted to look for something to disguise her appearance and identity. While she and Agnellus were walking through the town, she noticed a little shop.


    This shop sold beauty products to women, and Honoria thought it would be an excellent ce to check for something she could use to disguise her appearance. As such, she tugged ahold of Agnellus''s arm and spoke to him.


    "I want to check out that store; maybe they have something useful for me. Seeing it was a woman''s beauty store, Agnellus sighed before tagging along with Honoria.


    When Honoria entered the store, she was shocked to find the young woman who was selling the beauty products had sleek white hair that glistened as if it were oiled. She was pretty but in no waypared to the natural beauty that Honoria had.


    Seeing the woman''s hair, brows, andshes as white as snow, Honoria quickly asked the woman how she managed to do such a thing.


    "Excuse me? I was wondering, how did you get your hair like that?"


    Hearing a pretty young girl like Honoria question her about the fashion trend she was trying to start, the woman smiled before answering Honoria''s with a proud expression on her face.


    "It is all thanks to this product right here!"


    As she said that the woman pulled out a can of pomade manufactured by Berengar''s industry. Berengar had long since decided to sell the product for extra profit, and throughout the river trade on the Danube, some of his creations had made their way into Hungary.


    After showing off the fine wax-like substance, the woman continued her train of thought.


    "I had a brilliant idea to mix the fine white powder with the wax-like substance, and in the end, it created the brilliant snow-white hair you see on my head! It is just a damn shame most women are not interested in this style! Though I would suggest giving it a try, with your natural pale skin and mint green eyes, I am sure it would enhance your beauty!"


    Hearing this, Honoria quickly decided to buy a bit of both the fine white starch powder and the pomade. As such, she looked at Agnellus with puppy dog eyes signaling she wanted the items, and the man had no choice but to give in.


    Thus, he handed the woman the coins necessary to purchase the products. After doing so, the woman made another offer.


    "If you want your hair to be as white as mine for five extra coins, I can help you through the process!"


    Hearing this, Honoria instantly agreed, and thus she sat down in a chair where the woman walked her through how to treat her hair so that it was a snow-white color with a silky texture. By the time they had finished treating Honoria''s hair, brow, andshes, she looked like a different person.


    Though her face was the same, the vast difference between her previous chocte-colored hair and her now snow-white hair was substantial. With her ashen skin and mint green eyes, the white hairplimented her natural features better than her natural hair color.


    After witnessing the transformation, Agnellus was shocked; he could not believe the young girl could be even more beautiful than she was prior. Though few people had seen Honoria in her life as a princess, it was still better to be safe than sorry, and thus her new disguise, while simple, had a significant effect.


    Honoria saw the expression on Agnellus''s face and smiled with her pretty pink lips before asking the man the question on her mind.


    "Well, how do I look?"


    The traveling jewelry merchant and sailor struggled to find the words topliment the young girl in front of him. However, after careful deliberation, he eventually came up with the phrase.


    "simply divine"


    Hearing such an incrediblepliment, Honoria began to blush, her naturally pale skin flushed with a slight pinkish tone,plimenting her new snow-white hair perfectly. The woman who had helped treat Honoria''s hair began to pout; her most recent customer had outshone her beauty by a wide margin.


    However, there was hope in her heart that Honoria could inspire her fashion trend, which should not naturally exist in this era. Without Berengar''s interference by creating and selling pomade, powdering hair would note into existence for some time. This was just another effect that Berengar unknowingly had on the timeline.


    After paying the woman for her help, Agnellus and Honoria left the shop and entered the streets. Now that Honoria had a disguise, she no longer cared about covering her appearance, and her beauty attracted many eyes. Despite this, nobody would ever guess that she was the princess of the Byzantine Empire.


    Despite the young beauty walking through the streets showing her stunning appearance, not a single man approached her. This was due to Agnellus'' escort, he was a tall and strong man by nature and naturally intimidated anyone who thought to interact with the young beauty by his side. Thus she walked through the crowd with a gorgeous smile on her face, attracting the nces of all men and boys alike.


    Of course, Honoria herself was unaware of the lustful gazes that were cast her way and thus continued without a care in the world. Throughout the rest of the day at the town, Honoria followed Agnellus around, where he purchased the necessary supplies for the remainder of the journey. He even sold a few jewelry pieces to some of the local noblewomen, making a bit of a profit.


    Before long, he and Honoria returned to the ship; the crew was still busy venturing through the town going about their business. Well, aside from the many ves who rowed the vessel, that is, they were bound to the ship. When Honoria was alone with Agnellus, she began to thank him for paying for her disguise.


    "Thank you, Agnellus. Not just for paying for the products I wanted, but for everything you have done for me up until this point."


    Agents merely scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before responding to the princess.


    "It is no problem; after all, you are the princess of the Empire. It is what I should be doing."


    However, to this response, Honoria merely shook her head. She had decided to hide her identity, and thus she could no longer have Agnellus referring to her by her real name or her title; therefore, she began to inform the man of her intent.


    "I am no longer the princess of the Empire, I ran away from home, and I have no ns on going back. From now on, you should refer to me as Valeria; I think it is best if is use a pseudonym in the future."


    Hearing this, Agnellus was shocked and immediately asked the question on his mind.


    "What about Count Berengar? Are you not going to reveal your identity when you arrive in Kufstein?"


    To this, Honoria responded with a wry smile on her face before revealing her ns for the future.


    "If I reveal my identity to Count Berengar immediately, he will most certainly ship me back to Constantinople, or at the very least inform my family that I am in Kufstein and keep me there until they arrive to transport me back to the Pce.


    Instead, I will let him believe I am Valeria Zonara, a noblewoman from Antioch. After I have managed to make him fall head over heels for me, I will reveal my true identity. After all, a rtionship built upon lies cannot stand for long."


    Hearing this, Agnellus was surprised how much the young girl had thought through her future since they departed from Constantinople. He had to say that she was maturing emotionally with each passing day, and that was a good sign. He, too, feared Berengar''s response when he found out the runaway princess had fled to his territory.


    As such, Agnellus patted the girl on the head and smiled at her before saying the words on his mind.


    "I think that is a smart idea; I pray that your dreamse true."


    After saying that, Agnellus removed his hand and looked up at the moon in the sky beforementing once more.


    "It is gettingte; I think you should get some rest. We still have a long ways to go before we reach Kufstein."


    Hearing this, Honoria smiled and nodded before leaving towards the allotted quarters. While doing so she made sure to thank Agnellus once more.


    "Thanks again! I appreciate it!"


    As she said this, Heraclius swept down from the sky andnded on her shoulder, where the two of them departed for their quarters. The eagle was not the least bit surprised that Honoria had changed her hair color and merely cawed at her while nodding his head in approval.


    Thest thing Agnellus heard the princess say before entering the cabin was the young girl talking to her pet.


    "Thanks, Heraclius!"


    With this, Agnellus merely shook his head and looked up at the moon once more before saying his thoughts aloud.


    "That girl is just too cute..."

 Chapter 239: Lamberts Official Death I

    <h4>Chapter 239: Lambert''s Official Death I</h4>


    Since the death of Lambert, Berengar had hidden it from his family. The reason being he was afraid of the effect such news would have on his loved ones. More importantly, he did not want them to figure out that he had personally killed his brother in battle and imed his skull as a drinking cup. This barbaric act was Berengar''s final revenge on his little brother for the boy''s wicked actions.


    However, he could not keep the secret forever, and thus Berengar had been hatching a scheme to inform his mother, father, and little sister of Lambert''s death. He had just been too busy up until this point to do so.


    However, with his schedule free for the next few days, Berengar knew the time hade to announce Lambert''s death and allow his family to have a good image of their lost loved one in their hearts and minds.? As such, he had recently sent out a summons to his parents so that they may appear in Kufstein.


    It was on this day that they had finally arrived, and when they did so, they were amazed to see the changes that had urred to their once humble Barony. Thest time they were in Kufstein, it was little more than an agricultural town. Now it was a thriving city, protected by mighty walls made of steel-reinforced concrete bricks.


    The sturdy star-shaped walls that bore dozens of cannons facing in all directions were an intimidating sight to the couple who had never thought that Kufstein would grow so rapidly in the year since their departure.


    Like all visitors, they had to wait in line until the city guards could vet them; Sieghard was quite impatient as he waited within his carriage. Eventually, he and his wife arrived at the city gates, where the guards gged them down.


    The guard overseeing their arrival was a refugee from Saxony and had fled to Kufstein with his family during the initial outbreak of the war. Having no skills to speak of, he could only enlist in the Army and hope for a spot in the garrison which he was lucky to receive.


    Because of this, the man was entirely unfamiliar with Berengar''s parents and did not immediately recognize them. Thus he uttered the words he had said a hundred times on this day alone as if he were speaking to anymoner who wished to enter the city.


    "State your names and your purpose for visiting the city of Kufstein."


    While Sieghard had waited impatiently up to this point, he quickly began to scowl when the guards of the territory he once ruled did not even recognize his identity. Thus he proudly dered his position.


    "I am Sieghard von Kufstein, father of Berengar von Kufstein! This is my wife Gis von Kufstein, mother of Berengar von Kufstein."


    Hearing this, the guard''s eyes opened with shock; he was not aware that Berengar''s parents were still alive; His first instinct was to allow them to pass quickly. However, as a diligent guard, he knew he could not allow someone into the city just because they imed to be rted to the Duke; therefore, he quickly gave them an order.


    "Wait right here while I get someone to verify your identities..."


    After saying that, he left the area; shortly after that, he returned with a man equipped with brass-trimmed ckened te armor; this man was an officer in the ranks of the garrison. The moment he arrived and noticed the former Baron and Baronness sitting in their carriage at the gates with an impatient expression, the man quickly pped the grunt who had made Berengar''s parents wait upside his helmet before bowing respectfully to Sieghard and Gis.


    "Apologies, your Grace, some of the members of the garrison are new to Kufstein and are unaware of your identities... You can quickly head to the Castle; I will make sure you are unobstructed on your journey."


    This officer was a veteran of Kufstein''s forces, dating back to when Sieghard ruled over the region. Thus he knew the appearance of his old liege like the back of his hand. On the other hand, Sieghard was greatly bewildered when he was referred to by the honorific "your Grace" and quickly questioned the term as if his hearing had failed him.


    "Your Grace?"


    Sieghard and his wife were unaware of just how much progress Berengar had made in the past year; after all, they had retired to the countryside and maintained a peaceful life, they did not bother to check in on the current affairs of the realm.


    The officer looked befuddled; it took him a few moments to realize that the couple was unaware of the changes made to Kufstein and all of Austria during their seclusion, and thus he merely smiled before saying.


    "It appears your son has many things to inform you about. Wee home!"


    with that, Sieghard nodded in confusion before ordering the servant who drove his carriage to press forward.


    "To the Castle, it appears there is much I have to speak about with my son..."


    With this, the carriage rode forward and up to the Castle, where Sieghard and his wife departed; at the gates, Berengar, Linde, Henrietta, and Hans were present to greet the couple. Gis stiffened when she Berengar''s appearance; the scar was above and below the eyepatch that covered his right eye made her feel a sense of overwhelming dread.


    As such, Gis quickly walked over to Berengar and grabbed his face into her hands.


    "My poor baby! Who did this to you?"


    Berengar felt awkward as he heard this and coughed as he released himself from his mother''s grasp.


    "I was injured on the battlefield, but rest assured, I am fine."


    Though Gis did not believe that Berengar was fine after being blinded in one eye, she epted his words; for the time being, Berengar did not want to talk about it. Thus she quickly looked over at Henrietta, where she hugged her little daughter.


    "My sweet Henrietta! It has been so long, and you have grown so much during this time!"


    Henrietta was sheepish as usual and was silent as her mother grabbed ahold of her. After embracing her darling little daughter for a while, Gis turned her gaze to Linde, where she stared at her coldly. That is until she saw the child in her arms; at that moment, the former Baronness''s icy demeanor immediately melted, and tears of joy began to form in her eyes as her maternal instincts took over. She quickly reached out to Hans, where Linde begrudgingly handed her son over to his grandmother.


    "Is this my grandson?"


    Linde nodded with a warm smile on her face before dering her thoughts.


    "Yes, his name is Hans! He is an incredibly gifted child!"


    Berengar smiled when he saw his father and mother for the first time in a year. Thest time he had seen his father, the man was lean and worn; to put it simply, he was a husk of his former self. Yet during this past year, he had filled out his muscr body once more, and though he had aged quite a bit since Berengar first reincarnated into this world, the man had a healthy aura about him, as if he had recovered his lost vigor.


    Berengar approached his parents with a broad smile on his face.


    "Father, Mother, it is great to see you; I am d to see that you are both healthy! I wish it were under better circumstances that I could summon you."


    Berengar had been deliberately vague about the reason for requesting their appearance in Kufstein, and when he said these words, a hint of worry shed across his father''s face. On the other hand, his mother was too enamored with her grandson to notice Berengar''s words and had approached Linde, where she took Hans into her arms and spoiled the child.


    Having seen this Berengar sighed before leading his parents into the Castle.


    "I am sure you are both tired and would like some rest; please follow me to the Dining Hall; I will have some food prepared for you.


    Sieghard and Gis nodded and followed Berengar and the rest of the family into the Dining Hall, where they shared a pleasant meal. After it was over, Berengar tapped Linde on the shoulder and spoke his mind.


    "Linde, why don''t you take Henrietta, my mother, and Hans away for a bit? I am sure you all have some catching up to do."


    Linde immediately understood Berengar''s intent; as such, she nodded politely before leading Gis and the others to a different section of the Castle.


    "If you will follow me..."


    Though Gis was hesitant to leave her husband and son, Sieghard silently nodded, signaling her to follow Linde and their daughter. Once they had disappeared from earshot, Berengar asked his father a simple question to break the ice.


    "Should I get you something to drink? We have made significant progress with alcoholic beverages; I am sure that you will love whiskey."


    Hearing this, Sieghard nodded, and Berengar brought out a pair of sses where he poured the precious substance into them before handing one to his father. Berengar proceeded to take a sip before expressing his thoughts to his father.


    "I see you have a lot of questions on your mind. You don''t need to be so hesitant; ask away."


    Hearing this, Sieghard took a sip from the whiskey; in doing so, he began to cough up a storm; he had no idea that the liquid would have such a burning sensation. He had taken a big gulp and immediately began to regret it. After doing so, his cheeks began to flush, and he could feel his head spinning.


    Berengar chuckled at sight, and after a few moments, Sieghard collected his thoughts before asking the first question on his mind.


    "I was referred to by the term "your Grace" when entering the city. Since when do I hold such a prestigious position?"


    Berengar''s joyful expression came to a halt, and a solemn gaze was cast upon his father before answering the question.


    "Truthfully, it was not too long ago. To make a long story short; The Austrian armies were defeated in Bavaria, where Duke Wilmar died in battle. After crushing our armies, the Bavarian troops marched into ournds, where they raped, piged, and burned arge chunk of it. In the process, they sessfullyid siege to Vienna, where they executed Wilmar''s sons and married off his daughters to God knows who.


    Only Conrad escaped, where he fled to mynds. In the process, I was named Regent and helped him take back the Duchy from Bavarian control; however, shortly after, the boy fell into a deep depression and took his own life, leaving me to clean up the mess. Some nobles rebelled, which I put down with ease, and Liutbert, the closest male rtive of thete Duke Wilmar, acquiesced his im to the Duchy onto me."


    After summarizing the recent events, Berengar took a sip from his whiskey once more while waiting for his father to register the news. Sieghard was in shock; all of these things had happened to Austria while he was living a peaceful life in seclusion. He had no idea how Berengar had so adeptly moved his way up the feudal hierarchy from Viscount to Duke in such a small time frame. For the first time in his long life, he began to fear his son.

 Chapter 240: Lamberts Official Death II

    <h4>Chapter 240: Lambert''s Official Death II</h4>


    Sieghard stared at his son in silence for a few moments; during this time, all he did was slowly drink down the ss of whiskey. It was only after he had finished its contents that he began to speak the thoughts on his mind.


    "When you were but a child, I did not believe you would live to be an adult. After all, you were so sickly back then. Because of this fact, I had focused all of my efforts on raising Lambert to be my sessor. I left you to the life of azy wastrel, and if I am honest, I did not care; because I was sure that you would die before reaching the age of majority.


    Despite this, you limped on, for years, engaging in pointless frivolities and smearing my family name. Yet, I tolerated it because I kept telling myself soon enough you would be dead, and Lambert would be my heir. When you fell ill a little over a year and a half ago, I assumed that was it, that you would be dead and in the grave and no longer be a ck mark on my family''s history.


    Yet once more, you surprised me. You crawled your way out of the grave and brought yourself back to life. In the days that followed, you became apletely different person, driven, intelligent, and capable. It was as if you were not even my son anymore.


    Within half a year, you had brought great wealth and sess to Kufstein, the likes I had never anticipated. A year from then, you are now the Duke of Austria. To say that I was wrong about you is an understatement.


    While I thought Lambert was a worthy sessor, it turned out that I was blind to his shorings; rather than wait for you to naturally enter the grave, he poisoned you and made multiple other attempts on your life when you started showing yourself as a worthy member of this Dynasty.


    The guilt I had for being a poor father to you and your brother forced me to concede my title andnds to you, and I now know that decision was the most excellent choice I have ever made in my life. With this in mind, I want you to be honest with me, for no matter what you tell me; I will be able to handle it. So allow me to ask you the question on my mind... Lambert is dead, isn''t he?"


    Having listened to this long-winded speech, Berengar felt his emotions fluctuate throughout the entirety of it; he had initially nned to tell his father that Lambert died gloriously in battle defending Christendom from its enemies. Still, after seeing the gaze in his father''s blue eyes, he knew he could not lie to the man, and thus he opted to drink from his ss. Once he had finished the contents and had a mental buzz from the alcohol, he opened his mouth and revealed the truth.


    "Lambert has been dead for some time now... The fool marched an army on ournds in an attempt to end my life and that of my family. So I marched an army of my own to meet him at Oberstdorf, where it turned into a chaotic ughter. That knave took my eye from me, and in doing so, he paid the price with his life."


    Sieghard frowned when he heard this. However, his expression did not sink into despair, merely one of understanding. After sighing heavily, the man signaled for Berengar to fill up his ss, where Berengar proceeded to pour another round for himself and his father. The two men drank in silence for some time before Sieghard opened his mouth.


    "I''m sorry, Berengar..."


    Hearing this, Berengar was stunned he was not expecting such a reaction from his father to the news of his son''s death. As such, Berengar decided to rify his confusion.


    "About?"


    Sieghard had a grave expression as he continued his train of thought.


    "For everything. If I were a better father to the two of you, you would not have been forced into such a situation. It pains me to know that the grudge between you two brothers was so great that Lambert sought to kill you even after a chance at redemption. If I were a better man, I could have prevented everything bad that has happened to you."


    Berengar merely drank from his ss in silence for a few moments before responding. When he did so, he had a severe expression on his face.


    "You don''t need to apologize; everything that has transpired in my life has made me who I am; without Lambert''s attempts on my life, I would not be the man I am today. I fear to think about the life I would live if I had never awoken from my naivety."


    Berenger then pointed to his eyepatch with a stern expression on his face and began to continue his speech.


    "This is a permanent reminder that I should never show mercy to my enemies. It is because I had a soft heart that I spared Lambert at my mother''s request. I will never make that mistake again."


    Hearing this, Sieghard could tell that Berengar had been through a lot, and the extensive campaigns he had fought had hardened his resolve. The man before him was not the same son he knew a year ago when he left Kufstein to seek a life of leisure and seclusion.


    Sieghard could hardly recognize his son, but he was curious about what Berengar was thinking and how grand his ambitions were, and thus the former Baron drank from his ss once more. Finishing its contents, he motioned for Berengar to fill it up, where the young Duke poured more whiskey into both of their cups. After doing so, Sieghard asked the following question on his mind.


    "So is being Duke enough for you? Or do you desire to be King?"


    When he heard this, Berengar decided to reveal some of his ns to his father. There were a few reasons for this; first and foremost, the man was family, and if Berengar''s status was elevated, so too was his.


    Second, the older man had retired and given Berengar his realm. Thus even if he was against Berengar''s ns, there was nothing he could do. Thirdly Berengar did not n to reveal everything about his grand ambitions, only what woulde next.? With this in mind, Berengar responded to his father''s question with a smug expression on his face.


    "For now, I will consolidate the gains that I have acquired throughout the past year. I will implement my reforms, expand the Army, and establish a Grand Navy. When the timees that Austria is capable of standing on its own, I will dere myself King of Austria.


    If the Emperor refuses to elevate my status from a lowly Duke to a full-fledged King, I will wage war for my independence. No matter how many soldiers the Empire brings to battle, I will be victorious. In the end, I will be King, whether it is done peacefully or through bloodshed; it is inevitable."


    Hearing this, Sieghard was surprised that his son had such grand ambitions, to the point where he was willing to go to war for the right to call himself King. Then again, he understood that Berengar had the means to do so. After all, the man had retaken Austria from Bavarian upation while at the same time preventing an invasion into Tyrol.


    A wide smile appeared on Sieghard''s face as he thought about such a future; in doing so, he let his thoughts escape from his lips.


    "My son... The King of Austria! To think that you would reach such great heights in this life. Do not disappoint me, my boy!"


    With this, the father and son broke out intoughter as they switched to beer. Berengar spent the night introducing his father to all kinds of alcohol that he had made. From fortified wine to heavy beers and distilled spirits. While drinking Sieghard gave his son one final piece of advice.


    "My son, do not tell your mother or your sister the truth about Lambert''s death. It would break their fragile hearts."


    Berengar nodded silently towards Sieghard''s words. If it were not for his father being so forthright about the topic, he would have lied to him as well. With that said, Berenga drank more from the chalice in his hands. This golden chalice was not the usual skull chalice he drank from. He felt that it would be inappropriate to drink from Lambert''s skull in front of his father. Thus he had prepared a different goblet.


    Later into the night, Berengar''s other family members returned; by the looks on their faces, they had an exciting conversation, much like Berengar had with his father. However, the way Gis and Linde were getting along was a good sign to Berengar. It would appear that they were able to hash out their difficulties.


    Thus with his family''s arrival, Berengar garnered their attention by nging a spoon onto his golden chalice; after the others had turned their attention towards him, he began to speak the words he had prepared long ago.


    "Mother, Henrietta, I have an announcement to make. There is no easy way to say this, so I will juste out and say it. Lambert is dead; I have received word from the Grand Master of the Teutonic order that he has died gloriously on the battlefield defending the east from the heathens of the Golden Horde."


    Gis dropped the cup in her hands in shock upon hearing this, and Henrietta began to tear up. Sieghard grabbed ahold of his wife''s hands tofort her in this time. The two women broke out into tears as they mourned Lambert''s death, leaving Berengar, Sieghard, and Linde as the only ones aware of the truth.


    Berengar had concocted this statement so that his mother and sister would still look fondly on Lambert, even though he had continued to tread upon the path of evil well until his death. In reality, there was no redemption for Lambert; he had died in an attempt to murder his brother and ex-fiancee. If there was an afterlife, only eternal hellfire awaited him. Then again, if hell really existed the two brothers would surely be united one day.

 Chapter 241: Salt and Glass

    <h4>Chapter 241: Salt and ss</h4>


    Now that Berengar hadplete control of Austria, he had ess to the Mediterranean via Istria. This presented a valuable opportunity to expand his business into two major areas. ss and Salt production.


    The man was hard at work drafting factory blueprints to create facilities in Istria to mass-produce such materials. The first object on his list of designs was what was once called the ss cone in his previous life. An invention used in Ennd during the 18th Century for making ss.


    Due to technological limitations, such as ack of electricity Berengar was incapable of using modern techniques like float ss to manufacture ample ss supplies. Thus he had to dig back further into his memory to make a ss industry from scratch.


    If Berengar wanted to outpete the Vians in the ss trade, who at this point were the major ss producers of the world, then he needed a superior product. Luckily he knew of an invention from thete 17th Century that made Ennd the world''s top ss merchant.


    This invention was known as Lead ss in the modern era, also known as Crystal ss due to its superb rity. This ss was invented by adding a minimum of 24 percent lead(II) oxide to the mixture. With this technique, Berengar could create a superior ss qualitypared to the Vians and slowly take over the market.


    However, drinking from lead ss could be harmful, and lead was a valuable resource in the production of munitions. Thus Berengar had opted to rece the Lead(II) oxide with Zinc Oxide instead. This created a simr level of rity within the ss, but it was lighter weight and safe to drink from.


    Berengar had an overabundance of Zinc due to its content within his mines and those of the Lords underneath his rule. Thus he was more than happy to make ss this way. Berengar intended to produce such materials in ss cone factories, where after its production, it would be manufactured into various objects.


    A ss cone furnace was powered by coal and had arge central furnace surrounded by smaller furnaces to ensure that the ss did not cool off quickly. Within the center of this formation was a work area for the ssblowers to shape the ss into the final product.


    He intended to build arge factory containing several of these ss cone furnaces where he could produce a sufficient amount of ss. By doing this Berengar nned to dominate the ss trade and add another industry to his portfolio.


    On the other hand, the saltworks would be much easier; all he needed to do was create arge salt evaporation pond, also known as a salt pan. Essentially, all that was required was to create a shallow area where seawater is trapped and left to evaporate in the sun.


    After the water was evaporated and the salt remainedborers could quickly gather it, where it would then be treated and purified into proper edible salt. The Byproducts left over would be valuable chemicals that can be used elsewhere in Berengar''s industry.


    If he could set up several of these saltworks across Istria, he could gain ess to arge amount of salt and thus help him gain ess to the salt trade. Though he would not be able to dominate the industry like the others he had entered into, it would still add another means of revenue to his pockets which would aid him in the long run.


    After spending half a day designing these things, Berengar ventured to the Parliamentary building that contained the House of Lords. Though it was merely a formal procedure, he needed their approval to begin the production of the two trades he had in mind.


    The moment he entered the House of Lords, the various men he had assigned to the task or were voted in by other members of the nobility all stood up from their seats as a sign of respect. It was not every day Berengar ventured into Parliament; usually, it was over something important that he wanted voted upon right away when he did so.


    Thus when Bernegar stood at the podium, all of the men gathered were waiting patiently for the words he began to speak. After getting his files in order, Berengar cleared his throat before addressing the members of the nobility.


    "My Lords, I havee here today to introduce a set of the legiture that needs your approval. In essence, I will be entering our Duchy into the ss and salt trades. I require your consent to construct various facilities within the province of Istria that will provide us with arge amount of the two materials.


    "With my production methods, we can enter the ss trade and eventually dominate the market due to the rity and quality of the ss produced. The wealth that is afforded to the Vians via their stranglehold over the market shall shift to us!"


    When the Lords heard this, they began to debate among themselves. One of them raised a serious concern over the matter of getting into the ss trade, especially after hearing Berengar''s ambitions to dominate the market.


    "With all due respect, your Grace, do you think it is wise to steal the ss market from the Vians? It will surely invoke their ire; we might even potentially be faced with war because of this!"


    Berengar was calm and collected when he heard this information; the Vians were not a threat to him. In this timeline, the Republic of Venice, much like the one in Genoa, were vassals of Italy''s Kingdom and, by extension, the Holy Roman Empire. They maintained a significant degree of autonomy, much like otherrger states within the Empire, such as Austria. Thus Berengar boldly dered his stance on the issue.


    "If the Vians are bold enough to dere war on us over a bit ofpetition in the ss trade, then I will march on their capital with the full force of my army and force them into subjugation. As for their Navy, when I have constructed my fleet, I willy it to waste!


    However, I doubt they have the gall to dere war on us so rapidly. By the time they realize they have lost the market, we will already be in a dominant position. Thus we have nothing to fear from angering the Vians!"


    Berengar was not afraid of war or making enemies; after all, he had spit in the face of the Vatican and caused a Reformation in Germany, which had made all of his neighbors except for Bohemia hostile towards him.


    The only thing keeping his enemies from invading Austria was the fear of a defeat; after Berengar crushed the Teutonic Order and the Bavarian Army, few were bold enough to venture in to Austria until they could figure out countermeasures to his terrifying weapons.


    Hearing his bold stance on the issue, the other Lords mainly were persuaded; after all, many of them had marched to war alongside Berengar and knew though boastful, he was not arrogant. They did have the means to defeat Venice, as for his ims about the Naval power they were creating? Well, in their eyes, it was yet to be seen how effective Berengar''s fleet would be.


    Thus after some deliberation, the House of Lords unanimously approved of the measures. Gaining dominance in the ss market would bring an absurd degree of wealth to Austria, and thus the potential gains far outweighed the potential risks.


    With his ns approved, Berengar stayed around and discussed some of the other topics of interest. Though many minor things were discussed, ultimately, it was all rtively insignificant, and thus, Berengar returned to the Castle in Kufstein after some time.


    Legitingws was up to the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and Berengar would for the most part not get involved in such affairs until it was ced on his desk where he could either sign it intow, revise the bill and send it back to the House of Lords for approval, or veto it. A fairly streamlined process gave him significant control over the Duchy while still taking the weight off of his shoulders of micromanaging every detail.


    After returning to his home, Berengar had a meal with his family and then took a bath with Linde before returning to his room. After closing the door, Linde quicklytched onto Berengar and began to kiss him passionately while the two began to undress.


    After doing so, Linde made a request of Berengar that he was not expecting.


    "Would it be too much to ask, to give Hans a little brother or sister?"


    Hearing this, a wide smirk filled Berengar''s immacte visage as he responded by pressing Linde down on the bed and having his way with her. Initially, he nned to wait a while to produce more children, but he would not refuse his lover since she was asking for it. As such, Berengar spent arge portion of the night trying to impregnate his lover once more.


    Thus Berengar ended the day with a wide grin on his face. Whatever future troubles may appear, he would answer them with firm resolve.

 Chapter 242: The Princess Arrives I

    <h4>Chapter 242: The Princess Arrives I</h4>


    Nearly a month had passed since Honoria first entered the Danube, and with it, she had finally arrived in Kufstein. Since her adventure in Hungary, she had spent much time on the ship learning to sail and going over the Germannguage with the trantor that Agnellus had brought with him. When she was not on the boat learning to sail, sleeping, or learning the Germannguage, she was venturing through the viges they passed through, talking to locals, and experiencing life.


    By now she was fairly proficient in the use of the German Language, though she would still have a tough time holding an extended conversation without the trantor. Despite this, she was fairly certain she could stillmunicate with Berengar when she arrived, after all the two of them were nobility, and thus should know Latin.


    Now that she had finally arrived in Kufstein, she made sure to dress in her prestigious apparel before venturing towards the castle with Agnellus in tow. Over the past month, she had devised a n to get on Berengar''s good side and had discussed it at length with Agnellus. Her goal was simple; she would approach Berengar under the guise of being a noblewoman from Antioch named Valeria Zonara, seeking to establish trade with Berengar regarding jewelry.


    After all, Austrian jewelry was starting to be popr in the market due to its high quality and new materials such as white gold. It had be highly desirable for the nobility among the Danube river to purchase. This has initially been Agnellus'' reason foring to Kufstein. Thus this little scheme of hers did not require anything extra of Agnellus other than for him to y along with her little ruse.


    The galley pulled into the river Inn, which separated Kufstein''s city and parked at a port designed for river merchants. The moment the ship came to a stop, Heraclius flew off from Honoria''s shoulder and into the sky above. Where he was headed to, Honoria did not know. Regardless he would sure to be back soon enough. Thus Agnellus and Honoria followed suit and stepped off the vessel, where Agnellus gave Honoria a stern warning.


    "Alright, I am going to go register with the dockworker, stay here, and don''t get yourself into any trouble."


    The moment Agnellus said this, Honoria rolled her eyes before back-sassing him.


    "I know the drill; we have done this a dozen times already!"


    Agnellus merelyughed at Honoria''s attitude before departing to do as he said he would. As for Heraclius, he had flown high into the sky well above the river where hended on the pane of an open window. This window belonged to Berengar and was the window to his study within his castle where he was currently sitting.


    The moment the birdnded on his window, Berengar looked over and was shocked. He knew this bird to be an eastern imperial eagle, yet they were not found in Austria. Kufstein was well out of the bird''s range. He could understand if it was a golden eagle, but this bird from the eastern Mediterranean should not be here in the Alps.


    As such, Berengar''s natural curiosity came over him, and he slowly approached the majestic eagle, where he lifted out his hand for it to sniff. In doing so, Heraclius gave Berengar a curious sight as he began to talk to the bird.


    "Hey there, little fellow, what are you doing here so far from home?"


    The bird instantly recognized Berengar''s status by the extravagant attire and the fact that he was in the castle''s study. Thus he knew this man was likely Honoria''s target and decided to provide some assistance to his master.


    The bird was quite surprised to see the man while taking a routine flight and had thus approached Berengar of his own free will to gauge his character. Seeing that Berengar did not shoo him away, and was instead friendly, left a good impression on the eagle.


    However, Berengar''s words that came next greatly shocked it. Berengar had been staring in the eagle''s eyes this entire time; while he was observing Heraclius, he recognized that the eagle was also sizing him up, and thus heughed at this.


    "My my, aren''t you quite the intelligent bird. Tell me have I gained your trust yet?"


    Very few humans ever spoke to Heraclius as if he could understand them, only Honoria did so, and Berengar had quickly found out the bird''s intellect. Thus Heraclius was just as curious with Berengar as he was with him.


    "Tell me, my feathered friend, are you here on your own? Or did someone bring you here? I find it hard to believe a mighty eagle like you would venture this far into the alps on your own ord."


    Hearing this, Heraclius merely cawed before flying out the window and down towards the docks. Seeing where the bird was headed Berengar chuckled, and shook his head before saying his thoughts aloud.


    "Alright... I''ll bite!"


    Thus Berengar quickly gathered his medallion cape and slung it over his right side before cing his cavalier hat upon his head. Afterward, he promptly departed from the castle and followed the bird down to the Docks. Heraclius had made sure to hover in the air and guide Berengar towards Honoria, who was waiting patiently by the ship she had arrived on.


    After a short journey through the streets of Kufstein, Berengar found his way down to the docks, where he saw Heracliusnd upon the shoulder of a gorgeous young woman. This woman had white hair, brows, andshes. While having pale skin and mint green eyes, she appeared to be a beautiful albino at first nce, and this immediately caught Berengar''s interest as he gulped the saliva down his throat.


    When Heracliusnded upon Honoria''s shoulder, an elegant and pretty smile spread across her perfect face as she petted the eagle on the head while addressing him.


    "Heraclius? Where have you been? We have only just arrived, and you already wandered off!"


    Heraclius cawed in response to this and pointed his head toward Berengar, who had just arrived in front of the beautiful princess. It was not until this moment that Honoria had noticed Berengar''s presence and was taken back by his handsome demeanor.


    There could only be one man in Kufstein dressed sovishly and having such a perfect appearance in her mind. While dressed in his ck and gold Elizabethan attire, with a Cavalier hat, the embellished eyepatch added to his striking figure, rather than take away from it. As such, Honoria was attracted to Berengar to the same degree he was to her.


    Berengar put on a charming facade before creating a subject to talk about with the attractive young woman standing in front of him. He decided to speak in Latin for one simple reason. He could tell by the woman''s attire that she was from the Byzantine Empire, and though Greek had reced Latin as the primarynguage of the Empire, she would surely know Latin as a noblewoman.


    Berengar''s Latin was a little rusty, but as a nobleman in the Holy Roman Empire, he spoke it to a degree. Thus, he was able tomunicate with the woman effectively.


    "Heraclius, huh? A fitting name for a majestic creature like the eastern imperial eagle! Emperor Heraclius was a great man to depose the despot Phocas and lead his armies to victory against the Sassanids to the East."


    As Berengar said this, he prayed that his knowledge of Byzantine history in his previous life was the same as it was in this timeline. Luckily for him, he appeared correct because the girl covered her mouth in shock as she heard this. She had no idea that the Count from Kufstein would be so well educated in her own people''s history.


    Honoria was also surprised that Berengar''s Latin was fluent. Though he spoke in the Church''s dialect, it was still surprising to see a German nobleman pronounce the tongue that she and her ancestors spoke with such proficiency. The girl was greatly enamored by her first impression of the man in front of her. Having seen that Honoria was thoroughly ensnared by his charms Berengar took the time to introduce himself.


    "Apologies, mydy, I should have introduced myself first. I am Berengar von Kufstein, Duke of Austria. Might I have the honor of knowing your name?"


    It took Honoria a few moments to process her thoughts; when the princess heard Berengar refer to himself as a Duke, her heart fluttered for a moment. However, eventually, she managed to calm her beating heart before responding with what she had nned to say for some time now.


    "I am Valeria Zonara; I am but a minor noblewoman from Antioch here to engage in the jewelry trade with Kufstein, your gems are legendary, and I would very much like to sell them in the Empire!"


    Hearing this, Berengar sighed heavily within his mind while thinking to himself.


    ''If only she were a princess...''


    After hearing Honoria was a minor noblewoman and not a princess, he had lost interest; despite her exceptional beauty that was on par with Linde''s and Ad''s, Berengar had told himself he would not take in another girl unless there were significant benefits tied to it, like an alliance with a foreign Kingdom.


    Thus Honoria had unknowingly shot her initial chances into wooing Berengar in the foot without realizing it. Instead, Berengar controlled his animal instincts and shifted Honoria to the back of his mind into the category known as "strictly business."


    Thus he no longer gazed at her lustfully and instead put on a friendly smile as he addressed her business concerns.


    "Well, you are not wrong; we have the finest gems and jewelry here in Kufstein. I would be more than happy to negotiate with you about a trading agreement. How about youe back with me to the castle, and we can have a discussion about this over a hot meal?"


    Honoria noticed the shift in Berengar''s gaze as she stated her identity and felt as if she had somehow said something that displeased him, but she could not tell what.? Ever being the wise bird, Heraclius realized that Honoria had ruined Berengar''s initial impression of her and lightly pecked at her cheek, trying to warn her that she was friend-zoning herself.


    Unfortunately, he could not speak the human tongue and could not inform the princess of her mistake. Thus Honoria merely shrugged the eagle off of her as she proceeded to bow gracefully to Berengar.


    "It would be my pleasure!"


    Hearing this, Berengar smiled and led her back to his castle. He had no idea that this Lady Valeria was Princess Honoria in disguise, and by now, he had mostly lost interest in trying to snatch her for himself.


    On the other hand, Honoria had other ns; she fully intended to win Berengar''s favor, especially now that she had seen him in person and was intensely infatuated with him. Thus an awkward Lunch was about to ur between Berengar, Linde, and Honoria, as the trio introduced themselves over a meal.


    Of course, Honoria had utterly forgotten that she had promised to wait for Agnellus behind at the dock, and thus this would greatly outrage the man when he found out he had been left behind so that the princess could dine with the Duke. However, he was registering the boat with the dockmaster for the time being and was unaware that Honoria had left with Berengar.

 Chapter 243: The Princess Arrives II

    <h4>Chapter 243: The Princess Arrives II</h4>


    After arriving in the castle with a new, young, beautiful woman tied around his arm, Linde was unhappy, to say the least; she could not take her eyes off of Berengar for a single moment without him chasing after the next prettiest girl in the room.


    Before Berengar even exined the situation to her, he had himself, Honoria, and Linde sit down at the dining table, where the best food in Kufstein was prepared for them. While they waited, Linde stared furiously at Berengar, and this did not go unnoticed by Honoria.


    However, Honoria saw Linde aspetition in the war for Berengar''s affection; the only question on her mind was whether or not Linde was Berengar''s fiancee or his mistress. As such, she casually approached the conversation byplimenting Linde to Berengar.


    "Your Grace, your wife is lovely; you must be quite proud."


    Linde was no fool; she immediately understood Honoria intended to inquire about her identity, and thus she responded on Berengar''s behalf, like a lioness protecting her alpha from an unknown stray.


    "Our marriage is a happy one; we even have a child together, a beautiful baby boy named Hans!"


    After hearing about Hans, Honoria instantly knew Linde''s identity; she was the lover Arethas had told her about. However, she was confused about why she lied and said they were married when they weren''t. As such, she posed the question to Berengar.


    "I am sorry, I heard you were engaged, but I did not know you were married; when did you two get married?"


    Knowing that Linde was the lover and not the fiancee, Honoria felt she had a greater chance of securing a spot in Berengar''s heart and quickly shot back at Linde''s bluff. Which caused Linde to be visibly outraged. She thought to herself


    ''Whoever this bitch is, she has done her homework.''


    Berengar instantly knew that the two girls were fighting, but there was not a whole lot he could do to stop it, and thus the best thing a man should do in this scenario was rify the issue at hand before it spiraled further out of control, while at the same time cating his lover with affection.


    "Linde is not officially my wife, but if I could have two wives, she would be one of them. She is my lover, the mother of my child, and my partner. We consider ourselves bound by our souls, so in a way, you could say that we are married right honey?"


    Linde instantly rolled her eyes at Berengar; he was not usually the diplomatic type, the fact that he was approaching this little feud as a mediator meant he had some interest in the girl, or so she thought.


    Honoria, on the other hand, acted as if she was shocked about the news. Though she knew Berengar had two women in his life, she felt the need to criticize him; if his fiancee was as beautiful as Linde, wasn''t he just being a bit too selfish? As such, she let her jabs fly. Of course, it was all dealt with a sultry smile and a seducing voice.


    "Why Berengar? I did not know you were that kind of man? Tell me, if you already have two women, then why not three? or four?"


    To this, Berengar scoffed as he quickly drank from his skull chalice. He was well aware of the res he was receiving from Linde at this moment, and thus he decided to approach thisndmine without setting it off.


    "My love life is alreadyplicated enough... The only way I would entertain adding a third woman into my life would be if she was a Princess of a powerful foreign Kingdom. That way, I could gain something from the massive headache I would receive, such as a political alliance."


    With this, Honoria instantly realized why Berengar stopped looking at her with passion when she told him she wasn''t a princess. She could only imagine the trouble he must have by making two women happy. A third would be a nightmare, but she was undeterred; after all, she was, in fact, a princess.


    Heraclius heard this and started cawing in a manner that resembledughter. He did this while giving Honoria a gaze that disyed his thoughts for everyone to see. Those being something along the lines of


    ''See! You should have been honest from the start!''


    However, Honoria would not so quickly reveal her status as a princess. Instead, she inquired about Berengar''s intentions and thus asked him another question.


    "I have a hypothetical question for you. If you don''t mind answering?"


    To this, Berengar merely nodded his head before replying.


    "Go ahead, as long as it is not something too personal, I do not mind answering your questions, Valeria."


    With this, Honoria put on a pretty smile and rested her gorgeous face in the palm of her hand while staring at Berengar with a longing gaze.


    "Suppose a Princess runs away from her marriage and shows up on your doorstep because she had heard legends about you and was fascinated with the idea of being with you instead of her pillow-biter of a fiance. What would you do?"


    To this, Berengar chuckled and responded with a sly response of his own


    "This pillow-biter wouldn''t happen to be the Crown Prince of France, would he?"


    Honoria''s surprised expression told Berengar all he needed to know about the identity of this girl. After all, he had a conversation with Arethas about Honoria being upset because she had a gay fiancee.


    Now Berengar had not suspected Honoria until the moment she brought up this hypothetical. The reason it so quickly clicked in his mind was twofold. One, he seriously doubted there were more than a single openly homosexual prince in all of Europe.


    Secondly, he had heard from Arethas that Honoria was a beauty no less gorgeous than Linde. Considering Linde was in the top one percent of women he had seen in the entirety of his two lives, he felt it was improbable that this woman would bring up a hypothetical that so perfectly described Honoria''s situation while being as beautiful as the princess was said to be.


    At the moment, it was only a suspicion, and Berengar had no definitive proof that the young girl in front of him was Princess Honoria, but all signs pointed to it. She was roughly the same age as Honoria; she came from the Byzantine Empire, she was as beautiful as Honoria was said to be, and she just so happened to describe a so-called hypothetical that matched Honoria''s situation perfectly.


    Then again, as far as Berengar knew, Honoria was still within the Empire, thus unless he could confirm her disappearance, he would not be able to say with certainty that the woman before him was Princess Honoria.


    So rather than out the girl, he merely responded with a non-answer. As such, he put a sly smile on his face before answering Honoria''s question.


    "That would depend."


    Honoria was still recovering from her shock that Berengar knew about her engagement, so it took her a few moments to adequately address Berengar''s statement.


    "Depend on what?"


    To this question, Berengar took a drink from his skull chalice before responding.


    "It depends on whether or not I live up to the hype. So let me ask you a hypothetical question of my own. Let''s say you are this hypothetical princess who has run away from her marriage and her home toe to visit me to see if I am her dearest Prince-Charming. From what you have observed about me until now, do I match the image you had in your head?"


    In response to this question, Honoria quickly drank from her chalice before answering Berengar''s question.


    "It is too early to tell..."


    To this, Berengar merely chuckled while Linde eyed Berengar and Honoria''s actions closely. She could easily tell what mind games Berengar was ying with this so-called Valeria Zonara. After all, Linde had a mind for intrigue, and if Berengar could guess her identity so too could Linde; she was also privy to the conversation with Arethas about Honoria''s dissatisfaction with her betrothal.


    This created a deep sense of worry in Linde''s heart, not because Berengar might fall for the princess, she was already willing to share with Ad, and a third girl wouldn''t hurt. It was because if this girl was Princess Honoria, then she had just brought trouble to their doorstep. The kind of trouble that Berengar might not be able to get out of, and nothing worried Linde more than her lover and her son''s safety.


    Linde knew she would have to investigate the real identity of this young woman who presented herself as Valeria Zonara, though it would be difficult. After all, Her intelligencework did not reach the Byzantine Empire, and if Honoria indeed ran away from home, it would be a tight-lipped secret.


    The damage such a scandal would cause to the prestige of the Emperor, and his Dynasty was noughing matter. If the Emperor could not properly control his own family, how could he possibly control an Empire with any degree ofpetency?


    Of course, Honoria had no way of knowing that Berengar and Linde would dig into her background, it might take some time and effort, but with enough elbow grease, they could very well find out the truth of the matter, and when they did; hopefully Honoria had entrenched herself into Berengar''s heart by then. Else she would be shipped back to the Empire to await her fate.


    Thus the conversation at Lunch would continue for some time; after all, they had only just begun to break the ice with one another.

 Chapter 244: The Princess Arrives III

    <h4>Chapter 244: The Princess Arrives III</h4>


    While Honoria was visiting Bernegar for lunch at his Castle, Agnellus eventually returned from the dockworker with whom he registered his arrival. Of course, he had to pay a fee for using the dock, but that was not an issue for the veteran merchant.


    What was an enormous issue was that the moment he returned to his galley, the Princess he had been tasked with protecting by his sister was nowhere to be seen. This caused an immediate sense of panic to fill in the man''s gut.


    Though he technically said he would help her until she arrived in Kufstein, he had at least wanted to make sure the young woman made it to the Castle okay. After all, if she was going to be meeting with Berengar, he too wanted to meet with the man so that he could negotiate ess to Berengar''s jewelry trade.


    Both he and Honoria agreed beforehand that he would apany her and pretend to be her servant, which would allow him to negotiate with Berengar for the jewelry business while maintaining the girl''s cover.


    Yet before he had the opportunity to take advantage of that, the girl just up and disappeared on him. Thus Agnellus began to search around the city of Kufstein for Honoria quite frantically. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her on his watch.


    As for Honoria, she was currently eating lunch with Berengar and Linde. It was utterly unknown to her that her cover was already blown, at least enough to warrant a full-scale investigation into her identity.


    As such, she was enjoying her time getting to know Berengar, who was more than happy to oblige the girl he thought may very well be the Byzantine Princess. To Berengar, it was better to keep the girl he suspected to be the Princess of the Empire by his side and provide her safety and security in hisnds until he could verify her identity.


    The reason for this was simple. If Valeria turned out to be Honoria, and he turned her away on the suspicion that she was the Princess. The Byzantine Empire could me him for any misfortune that might befall her after he had kicked her out of his domain.


    After all, the more Berngar talked to Honoria, the more he realized she was just a naive girl who had only recentlye to know the cruelties of the world. For example, at this moment, Honoria did the unthinkable. She asked Berengar about a serious matter that a person would typically avoid discussing in their first meeting with someone who had a noticeable disability.


    "So tell me, Berengar, how is it that you got yourself that fashionable eyepatch."


    The food had yet to arrive when Honoria asked this question, which meant that they had been speaking to one another for less than half an hour; hearing this question Berengar put on a bitter smile as he tried to deflect the painful memories of how he nearly lost his life in battle.


    "Let''s just say I was wounded in battle, and we should leave it at that."


    Though Berengar often reflected on his mistakes, as that was the only way to learn from them. He did not enjoy others learning of them; as such, his propagandawork had spun quite the tale about how Berengar found himself surrounded by multiple Teutonic Knights and, through sheer force of will, and overwhelming skill managed to ovee the odds, losing his eye in the process.


    In truth, in a moment of recklessness, Berengar charged beyond his lines and into the fray where he lost his trusty steed and suffered a grievous injury in singlebat against his brother before blowing the kid away with a pistol.


    Despite this unttering truth, the battle at Oberstdorf was too chaotic for anyone to witness how Berengar was indeed injured, so he used his injury to paint a picture of invincibility in the face of immeasurable odds. After all, if anyone could pull off such a feat, it was surely Berengar.


    Despite having made up such a story to conceal his costly mistake, Berengar did not feel like lying to the girl about how he was injured and thus tried to kick the can down the road to inform her at ater date. That is, Should they ever grow close enough for him to reveal the humiliating truth of his injury.


    However, Honoria didn''t seem to take the hint and continued to press about the issue.


    "You lost it in battle? That is fascinating! Who were you fighting? Do you still have the eye, or is itpletely removed? Can I see it?"


    Meanwhile, Heraclius merely shook his head at Honoria''s response and looked at her as if she were an idiot. If an eagle like him could tell Berengar did not want to talk about the issue, why could this girl not see it?


    As such, the mighty eagle began to peck at Honoria''s face lightly, it was not enough to break her skin, but it was his way of saying that she was making a mistake. Honoria reacted by shoving Heraclius to the side, and the eagle rolled his eyes in response. With an expression on his face that said


    "It is your funeral."


    Luckily for Berengar, a distraction came in the form of food, and as such, an excited expression appeared on his face as he announced its arrival.


    "I am afraid we will have to discuss this some other time. The food has arrived; I hope it is to your liking!"


    Honoria took one look at the food on her te and thought it was rtively simple, at least when considering the fine byzantine cuisine she was used to. However, the moment she bit into the pork schnitzel, she felt as if her tastebuds had entered heaven, and she could not help but moan in pleasure.


    After eating a few bites of the food in front of her, Honoria eximed her thoughts aloud having alreadypletely forgotten about her question.


    "I had no idea Austrian cuisine was so delicious!"


    To this, Berengar smiled proudly before responding to herment.


    "Well, I am d you enjoy it; my chefs work very hard to prepare the best cuisine for myself and my guests to dine on."


    At this point, Honoria had begun digging into her food,pletely forgetting the reason she was officially in Kufstein, to begin with. That is until Berengar brought it to her attention.


    "I suppose we should get down to business now that the food has arrived. How much of my jewelry can I expect you to purchase, and what is the price you offer for it?"


    The moment she heard this, Honoria dropped her fork in shock and began to panic as she voiced her thoughts aloud.


    "Agnellus!"


    Berengar and Linde were confused by her actions. As such, Berengar tried to figure out what she was talking about.


    "I am sorry, who?"


    It was at this moment Honoria realized she had made a scene and calmly collected herself before speaking.


    "Agnellus... he is erm my subordinate, he handles the business affairs. I identally left him at the docks..."


    Berengar desperately wanted to facepalm at the girl''s remarks. Honoria had spent all this effort to create a cover story, and in the end, she left behind a critical asset at the docks, one that could seemingly verify her identity in the event there were some suspicions. Berengar did not know who this Agnellus was or what his rtionship with the girl was, but he figured it could not be anything good.


    Now that Honoria was in Berengar''snds, she was under his protection, and as such he wanted to get to the bottom of this. If Agnellus had done anything inappropriate to this girl during their travels, he would be severely punished.


    As such, the young Duke pped his hands, and a couple of guards stationed nearby walked over to him. As they did so, they saluted their liege by pounding their breasttes and standing at attention before Berengar gave them their orders.


    "Search for this Agnellus from the Byzantine Empire within the city, and bring him to me. He is probably looking for the girl as we speak, so it should not be too hard to find him."


    With that said, the guards yelled in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your grace!"


    After doing so, they immediately departed from the Castle and formed a search party to find Agnellus. While Berengar, Linde, and Honoria waited. Berengar began to ask a question of his own to the girl.


    "So tell me, Valeria, what is Antioch like?"


    Honoria had no response to this question; she had never been to Antioch, nor had she ever had anyone describe what the city was like to her. She could probably imagine a fake answer, but it would be easily discovered if Berengar looked into it. As such, she gave a vague answer trying to deflect the question.


    "Oh, you know, it is just like any other city in the Empire..."


    To this, Berengar smiled and nodded his head politely while saying a typical response.


    "Of course"


    however, herck of knowledge of the city she imed to be from only further convinced Berengar that the girl in front of him was, in fact, Princess Honoria. Only a girl locked up her entire life would use a major city of the Empire as her backstory and not know the first thing about it.


    Linde was also cautiously watching the scene, and though Honoria did not realize her lies had been seen through, Heraclius sure noticed it. However, despite being on alert, he did not sense any hostility from Berengar and Linde, only pity.


    Heraclius had an excellent judge of human character; something told him that Berengar was not the kind of man that would cause unnecessary harm to Honoria, even if deep down the eagle could tell that Berengar was by no means a kind-hearted man.


    As such, the trio began to make pleasant conversation over the meal, waiting for Agnellus to arrive so they could continue this grand charade that everyone in the room was aware was an enormous lie. It would be some time until Agnellus was found, and by the time he arrived, all of the food would have been consumed by the people sitting at the table.

 Chapter 245: Getting Down to Business

    <h4>Chapter 245: Getting Down to Business</h4>


    By the time Agnellus arrived at the Castle, Berengar and the others were long since finished with the meal and had been making small talk. At the moment, Berengar was sipping tea out of a porcin teacup that his ceramics industry had created. It was painted with the depiction of the battle at Oberstdorf.


    Berengarmonly sold porcin tea sets that depicted his various deeds, inspired by the old greek vases that showed the legends and myths of their mythology. They were pretty popr among the nobility of Austria due to their high quality and visually appealing aesthetics.


    Agnellus was out of breath when he walked in and saw Honoria with a broad smile on her face carelessly chatting away with the Duke of Austria. He had spent thest hour or so searching all over the ce for her, only for the town guards to grab him and escort him to the Castle without exnation. As such, he quickly called out to her.


    "Lady Valeria, you had me worried sick!"


    The man had be ustomed to calling the Princess by her alter ego for some time now and had no trouble doing so. Berengar was not surprised by this in the slightest and merely had his servants open up a ce at the table for Agnellus.


    "Agnellus, I presume? You must be starving, sit, and I will have some food brought to you as we dine on dessert."


    Seeing that the Princess was safe and sound while appearing to get along quite well with the target of her affections, the worry that had built up in Agnellus'' heart began to subside. As such, he did as he was instructed and sat down at the table, where a chalice of wine was quickly poured for him.


    Only after the man had taken a sip from the chalice did Berengar begin to address business concerns.


    "I have heard from Lady Valeria that you are the one in charge of business matters; I am quite curious what is your rtionship with the young Lady?"


    Agnellus looked over at Honoria and slowly examined her for a moment; he was unaware of what she had said about him towards Berengar, so he decided to y it safe and answer vaguely.


    "Your Grace, I am just a humble servant who has a mind for business. The Lady wanted to visit you personally as a show of good faith, and thus I brought her here."


    Berengar nodded his head at the man, though behind his warm facade, he was slowly examining Honoria''s reaction to his statement. As such, he decided to continue the conversation.


    "So tell me, what exactly is your proposal to get involved with my jewelry business."


    Hearing that Bernegar had shifted onto the topic of he had been waiting or, a broad smile appeared across Agnellus'' face as he made his proposal.


    "I can ferry your fine jewelry to a new market throughout the Empire; for this, I would like to split the profits gained from the trade fifty-fifty."


    Hearing this, a sly smile formed across Berengar''s lips as he began to make a counteroffer.


    "If it is merely ferrying my goods to the East and selling them, I believe a fifty-fifty split is a bit unfair for me. After all, I have to incur the costs of acquiring the materials and paying for thebor of the jewelry''s construction. Before long, I will have a trade fleet of my own that is capable of sailing across the Mediterranean; tell me why would I need you?"


    To this, Agnellus was not discouraged. Instead, he presented his reasoning


    "If you wish to trade in the Empire as a foreigner, you will have to pay tariffs. You will also have to go through weaving a tradework in the East from scratch. With me, you can bypass the tariffs and make use of my extensive trade routes that cover the entirety of the Empire!"


    After hearing this, Berengar thought about it for a few moments. Tariffs would be a minor problem but trying to ess the Empire''s tradeworks as a foreigner, especially as a German, was not the simplest of tasks.


    After all, there was still some prejudice in the Empire towards his kind for destroying the Western Empire centuries ago and iming to be the legitimate sessors of Rome in the form of the Holy Roman Empire.


    After careful consideration, Berengar decided to negotiate further


    "I will agree that you make a persuasive argument, but fifty-fifty is out of the question, As the producer of the supplies, I will take a seventy-five percent cut, and you will take twenty-five."


    Despite the massive profit this could yield for both parties, Agnellus was not content with such terms, and thus he counteroffered with a more bnced offer.


    "sixty-forty, that is as low as I can go. I still have to grease the palms of imperial officials to avoid the importation tariff."


    Berengar found this eptable and nodded his head with a smile on his face before reaching out his hands to ept the terms.


    "Very well, sixty-forty it is; I will have a contract drafted where we will both sign. Seeing as we both have a witness, you do not have a problem with such a thing, do you?"


    Agnellus smiled amicably at the terms Berengar presented and responded to his question.


    "Not at all; it sounds fair to me."


    At this moment, another thought appeared in his mind, and it pertained to the girl sitting next to him. Thus he quickly hatched another scheme as he made one more request of Berengar.


    "By the way, could you help me out with a situation I am in?"


    Hearing this, Berengar frowned; he could tell exactly where this was heading, and as such, carefully eyed Honoria with his peripheral vision before responding to Agnellus.


    "It would entirely depend on what is requested of me."


    Seeing Berengar''s expression and tone shift, Agnellus knew to pawn the girl off onto him would be an uphill battle, but he had to do so for Honoria''s sake. Thus he mustered the courage to make his demands to the mighty Duke sitting in front of him.


    "The Lady Valeria''s home life is somewhat vtile at the moment, and for her safety, I would like her to stay here in Kufstein under your protection far from the troubles in the East. Do you think you can keep her here for the time being as a representative of my interests?"


    Hearing this, Linde began to scowl, which did not go unnoticed by Honoria. Since her arrival, Linde had been feuding with the runaway Princess over her attempts to get close to Berengar, and Berengar had maintained his distance because of this. Thus Honoria was worried Berengar would send her away; if he did so, she did not have a backup n.


    Berengar was a wise man and immediately pointed out the w in Agnellus''s request with a snide remark.


    "But Agnellus, you stated earlier that you were a mere servant of the Lady Valeria, what gives you the right to appoint a noblewoman such as herself as your representative?"


    Hearing Berengar''s response Agnellus knew he had overyed his hand and had to think of an excuse quickly. As such, he made up a lie on the spot hoping Berengar would buy it.


    "The truth is that I hold a fairly prestigious position within the Zonara household, and I do have the authority to negotiate such a thing. What do you say? You would be doing me a solid, and in return, I can go sixty-five - thirty-five."


    Agnellusmented the loss he would be taking in profits, but at this point, he had grown too attached to Honoria to allow her to roam the streets of the world like a wayward vagabond. Thus he was willing to take a loss to ensure her safety.


    After all, Berengar seemed like he was fully capable of protecting the Princess. Agnellus could see he was interested in Honoria despite the Duke''s hesitation, which was a good sign. Thus he felt like she would be safe in Kufstein and was willing to take a minor cut to ensure the girl''s security. Melissa would never forgive him if he put profits over the Princess''s safety.


    Berengar sighed heavily as he took a sip from his tea. After a long period of silence, he made his decision known.


    "Fine... If it is just keeping her safe for a while, I don''t see why not. Especially since you are kind enough to increase my share in return."


    The moment Berengar said this, Honoria was delighted and filled with excitement, while Linde stared at Berengar with a scornful expression. There were two reasons for this, one she did not yet approve of Honoria as a candidate for one of Berengar''s wives. After all, there was a high possibility the girl was lying about her identity and thus could not be trusted.


    Secondly, if she was really who Linde and Berengar suspected her to be, Berengar was bringing trouble upon their doorstep if he epted this girl into his care. This was what worried Linde the most. Berengar may be powerful, but to contend with the Byzantine Empire was not something he was fully capable of at this moment.


    Could he defend their borders from a possible Byzantine incursion? Quite likely, but the Byzantine navy could make trade exceptionally difficult with Austria, and in doing so, stagnate their economy. Such an oue would be disastrous for Berengar''s restoration efforts.


    Berengar could not deploy his troops to the Mediterranean, and thus what was most likely to ur was aplete blockade on Austrian ports in Istria. Of course, this was the worst-case scenario and entirely depended on if the Byzantines found out about Honoria''s location and decided to me Berengar for her disappearance.


    To Berengar, on the other hand, he was much more worried about sending the girl away without protection. If she was truly princess Honoria and he dismissed her from his care, and some harm came to her. When the Byzantines found out about such an event, they could me him for the incident. Thus he decided to keep her under his protection until he could verify her identity.


    If she turned out to be the Princess of the Byzantine Empire, he would contact Arethas, informing him of the Princess''s location, and tell him to bring a caravan to escort the Princess back home.


    Thus, while Honoria was happy she found a ce to stay, Berengar was already scheming to find out her real identity and how to defuse the timebomb that her arrival had potentially be.


    After agreeing to Agnellus'' terms, the man smiled and thanked Berengar from the bottom of his heart.


    "You have my eternal gratitude, your Grace!"


    Berengar put on a friendly smile and nodded. With this, business was concluded, and for the time being, Honoria was allowed to stay within the Castle of Kufstein.

 Chapter 246: Glory to the Empire

    <h4>Chapter 246: Glory to the Empire</h4>


    Over a month had passed since Honoria''s disappearance, and despite the Byzantine imperial family''s best efforts, they hadpletely and utterly failed to locate the girl. They were beginning to fear for the worst.


    While the Emperor was struggling to deal with the fallout of his daughter''s reckless behavior, Arethas was marching an army into Egypt. They had set sail from Ionia not long ago, and they arrived in Egypt not far from what remained of the territory of the Byzantine''s decades-long conflict of invading the region.


    Despite the Byzantines'' best efforts, the Mamluke sultanate still held control of Egypt, Cyrene, and most of North Africa. Thus leaving the Byzantine Empire in a never-ending war for reiming lost territory. If not for the vast wealth gained from the Levant and the trade routes connected to the Mediterranean, the Byzantines would have had to give up this conflict long ago.


    However, today was different; today, Arethas marched with an army of 15,000 men; these men were equipped with matchlock arkebuse firearms and pikes. Through Berengar''s intervention in the timeline, the arkebuse, or arquebus, had be a reality far earlier than in his past life, and he had sold them in great numbers to the Byzantines while aiding them in the development of pike and shot formations.


    The reason for this was simple, Berengar intended for the Byzantines to be a great power in the East and act not only as a bulwark in defense of the Muslim world but as an Ally he could rely upon to aid him against his enemies.


    Berengar had thoroughly outraged the Catholic world with his reformation, and in doing so, created many hostile states surrounding his borders. If he did not foster a powerful alliance with the East, he would undoubtedly be fighting a coalition of the European powers by himself. After spending a lifetime at war, he would surely end up like Napoleon.


    Thus in order to ensure that he would have a powerful ally, Berengar intended to restore the lost glory of Rome to fight alongside him against his enemies. Today was the first day that the Byzantine Empire showed off its newfound military might against the Saracens who sought to destroy her.


    Arethas sat on horseback at the rear of his formation, protected by his guards. In the field, the Byzantine army equipped with their mirror pattern armor held their arkebuses and pikes in their hands as the Mamluke forces gathered on the other side of the sands.


    Arethas had spent a significant degree of time, effort, and expense arming and training his army in the new weapons and tactics. Initially, he had desired to spend more time getting acquainted with their use, but unfortunately, Alexandria had fallen, and he was forced to move his forces to retake what was lost before their training wasplete.


    Unlike the Hussites, Berengar had not provided the Byzantines with any primitive form of field artillery. Thus at the moment, they were merely organized into arkebuse, pike, and cavalry units. The Mamluke army was a traditional medieval formation and was quite confused when they saw the formations and weapons wielded by the Byzantines.


    Nevertheless, the battle had begun as the Mamlukes began to march into battle; seeing this, Arethas ordered his armies to meet the enemy in battle; soon, the troops would sh in the center of the field, where they would fight to the death to determine a winner. Eventually, the armies began to close the gap where Arethas shouted hismands, which the officers and NCOs rid among the rank and file of the soldiers.


    "Hold your ground! Hold your ground until you see the whites in their eyes!"


    This was a phrase Berengar had given Arethas as the basis of when his troops should fire their weapons. Berengar had long since surpassed the need for such tactics with his rifled muskets. Still, for a smoothbore arkebuse, the effective range was limited, and to gain the most effective use of their weapons, they would have to fire upon their enemies when they were at extremely close range.


    The Byzantines held their ground for some time. However, many of the men in their army did not have the discipline and strength of will to hold on until their enemy was mere feet away. Thus when the enemy drew near one by one, they would fire their shots, often missing their targets in the initial charge.


    Though Arethas tried to control this, it created a ripple effect; pretty soon, the entire line had fired, and though many of their shots had hit their mark, cutting down the enemy infantry, the impact they had was not as destructive as it could have been.


    After the rounds were fired, Arethas was forced to deploy the pikemen to protect his infantry as they reloaded. Thus the Mamluke soldiers quickly found themselves skewered at the end of the 20 foot long weapons.


    By the time the Mamluke''s had gotten past the pike wall, the Byzantine arkebusiers had fully reloaded and fired a second volley. This time the effect was far more devastating to the enemy line. Seeing his forces being rapidly cut down by the Byzantine firearms, the Mamluke general instantly ordered his cavalry to charge.


    Thus the heavily armored Mamluke Cavalry rushed towards the Byzantine lines, and yet as they drew near, the pikes were lowered in their direction, causing the horses to buck wild in fright and flee in the other direction. Many of their riders had been cast from their horses onto the sand below as a result.


    Others found themselves incapable of controlling their mighty steeds until they had reached a point where they were safe from the enemy pike wall��seeing this, Arethas merely smirked. The battle was beginning to head in his favor.


    Though the Mamluke forces outnumbered them, thebined force of pike and shot was well beyond this Medieval era''s capabilities. Though it was not as effective as Berengar''s tactics, it was more than enough to crush the armies of the Mamluke Sultanate.


    Arethas watched the sight of the battlefield with glee as the Mamluke forces began to route; quickly saying a prayer to God, he rallied his cavalry forces and began to charge the frightened Saracens. The Byzantine Cataphracts rushed down the hillside and into the fray, where they collided with the routing enemy while wielding theirnces, skewering them upon impact and sending their souls to the afterlife.


    The result of this battle was an overwhelming victory in favor of the Byzantine Empire. After cleaning up the battlefield, Arethas stood along with his ranks of men, where he began to chastise them for firing their first volley early.


    "All of you are soldiers of the Empire, and yet you have failed in your duty. If not for the overwhelming advantage of our weapons and tactics, we could have lost this battle today.


    Why? Because many of you were frightened by the enemy charge and fired your first shot out of fear, missing your targets entirely as you did so! I expect more of the men beneath mymand, and thus during the rest of this campaign, I want you all to perform much better than you did today.


    If every one of you can get to the point where you follow mymands to the letter, then this campaign will be an overwhelming victory for our armies! Glory to the Empire!"


    After hearing Arethas'' speech, the men of his army all began to salute him and yell their battle cry.


    "Glory to the Empire!"


    In doing so, Arethas looked fondly upon his men. They had suffered very few casualties this day, and though the Mamluke army had routed inrge numbers, likely to return in the future for further conflict. This battle was an overwhelming sess, one that inspired Arethas. While armed with these weapons and tactics, maybe, just maybe, the Empire could reim its former glory.


    Arethas had one man to thank for this victory, his trading partner and friend to the West; he did not know what Berengar had nned for the future, but he was certain that one day the man would surely be a mighty King, and after this battle, he felt great regret for not trying to convince the Emperor to marry his only daughter off to such an outstanding young man.


    Then again, Berengar was already happily engaged, and Arethas doubted he could convince him to ept Honoria as hiswful wife and instead turn his fiancee into another concubine. As for the Emperor, Arethas knew the man was too stubborn to make his only daughter the concubine of some King from the West. Thus it was simply not meant to be.


    As he thought about this, Arethas began to wonder about what had happened to the Princess. Had she been found during the time he was away? Was she even alive? He would never guess that the girl had run off to Kufstein because of a few goodments he had made about Berengar.


    These were the thoughts that gued Arethas'' mind as he campaigned to restore the Empire''s borders in North Africa. This was just one battle of many to ur with the Mamluke Sultanate. Only time could tell if the Empire was to restore its former glory.

 Chapter 247: Saying Good-bye

    <h4>Chapter 247: Saying Good-bye</h4>


    Days had passed since Honoria had arrived in Kufstein, and it was now time to say farewell to her friend Agnellus; unlike Honoria, the man could not stay in Kufstein for long. He had a business that he had to conduct, and after settling the deal with Berengar, he had to be on his way.


    At the moment, Honoria was at the docks of Kufstein, surrounded by a few of Berengar''s guards. She was sending Agnellus off as the man returned to the borders of the Byzantine Empire. In Honoria''s hands was the jewelry she had snatched from her room before running away from home; it was the payment she had promised Agnellus for taking her to Kufstein.


    She quietly handed the jewelry over to Agnellus with a bitter smile on her face; during their journey together, she had grown quite fond of the older merchant, not to the point of romance but strictly as friends. As such, she was sad to see him go.


    "Here you go, Agnellus, as promised, this is payment for taking me to Kufstein. You and your sister have my eternal gratitude. I pray that I have not caused you too much trouble in assisting me."


    Though Honoria was naive due to being locked away her entire life, she had seen some of the evil of the world and knew if Melissa or Agnellus were caught for their crimes of assisting Honoria in her escape, they would likely be executed, and as such she greatly dreaded this possibility.


    However, Agnellus'' actions shocked Honoria as he pushed the small box filled with jewelry back into Honoria''s hands and returned her bitter smile with a friendly one.


    "Keep it... Truly the honor of assisting you in your journey was payment enough. Besides, I was going to go to Kufstein anyway, and thanks to you, I was able to establish a rather favorable trade deal with the Duke."


    Hearing this, a small tear began to form in one of Honoria''s mint green eyes. Agnellus and Melissa had taken such a huge risk for her, and in the end, they wanted nothing in return. They were truly good people; as such, she ran up and hugged the man and thanked him for his assistance.


    "Thank you so much!"


    Agnellus blushed in response to this as he eventually broke free from the girls'' grasp. After doing so, he gave her some solid advice.


    "Be careful around Berengar; he is a very sly and cunning man; his lover also appears to have a sharp wit. They may not be as good as people as you think they are. I am sure they already have begun to suspect that you are lying to them about your identity.


    If you genuinely want to make the Duke yours, you will have to settle for being another one of his women. I could tell at first nce that he was not the kind of man to give up his treasures in return for another prize of equal or slightly greater value.


    Whatever you do, please do not reveal your identity before you are confident he has fallen for you. If you do, he is liable to inform your family; after all, the moment he finds out who you are, he will be knowingly harboring a runaway princess, which is a severe crime in the eyes of your family."


    Hearing this, Honoria began to wipe the tears from her eyes, and a determined expression took over her wless face as she nodded at Agnellus'' advice before responding to it.


    "I will take what you have said to heart."


    Honoria was impressed with Berengar, but she, too, sensed some form of danger from the man. Thus she was not yet sure if she was the man she wanted to give herself to. Nevertheless, she would use this time to learn more about the man and herself.


    It would be quite some time before Berengar found out her true identity. If Berengar disappointed her in any way, she would move along in her life; after all, she did not n to be a bird in yet another cage.


    Hearing Honoria takes his advice to heart, Agnellus pet her glossy white hair before saying his goodbyes.


    "Well, I trust you to take care of yourself. I must be going now; not only do I have to unload these jewels, but I also have to search for my sister, who should surely be in hiding right now. I pray that we may meet again, your highness!"


    With that, Agnellus bowed before stepping onto his galley. The ship quickly set sail, leaving Honoria in the harbor, watching her friend depart. Heraclius was flying in the sky following the vessel to make sure it had reached the river well enough; he would return in a few hours after he was satisfied with the results.


    Honoria was not like Conrad; Berengar had no intentions of leaving her confined in the Castle; she was free to roam the city so long as she had a proper escort. The escort''s job was simply there to protect Honoria. As for collecting information on her, there were plenty of spies in Kufstein under Berengar''smand who could silently track her movements.


    After Honoria''s arrival, Linde had quickly set her spies to task with infiltrating the Byzantine Empire and collecting information on two people, Princess Honoria, and the identity she was using while in Kufstein, Valeria Zonara.


    However, it would be some time before her spies even arrived in Constantinople and Antioch, let alone began to gather intelligence. Thus, for now, all Berengar and Linde could do was watch the girls'' interactions in Kufstein.


    With Agnellus'' departure, Honoria had some free time on her hands, so she decided to spend it walking around Kufstein and getting acquainted with the locals. The fact that Berengar''s guard protected her meant she was essential to the Duke, and as such, nobody threatened to make a move on her as she walked through the city.


    The city of Kufstein was beginning to look like an early-modern city; it had small andrge shops located in the trade district. Some of these shops were owned by the nobility, others by Bernegar''s dynasty, and the growing middle ss owned a few. As such, she visited a clothing shop to witness the beautiful Austrian fashion she had seen Linde wearing.


    Despite her luxurious silk clothes, she was fascinated with the designs that had appeared in Kufstein and began trying on dresses in the shop; these dresses were made for themon folk, and yet they still had some degree of embroidery on their bodices. The noblewomen typically had their dresses hand-tailored by unique shops dedicated solely to upper-ss fashion.


    Thus, after getting acquainted with themon folk''s fashion, she entered one of thergest noble fashion stores, where she saw exquisite and detailed dresses that were like works of art.


    While Berengar had implemented modern women''s underwear, he was also a big fan of the corset. They were nowmonly worn by women of all statuses with their dresses; when Honoria saw that several of the women in the shop looked abnormally busty, she was surprised; she had no idea what a corset was or how it helped with a woman''s figure.


    Seeing the beautiful young woman dressed in foreign attire enter the store, the shop clerk quickly came over to Honoria and began to inquire what kind of fashion she was interested in.


    "I apologize if thises off strange, but you are as beautiful as a Princess! I think you would look wondrous in some of the dresses our shop has to offer? I suggest this lovely mint green and gold dress that is exclusive to our shops; it will go perfect with your eyes."


    Honoria was immediately overwhelmed by the shop clerk. Still, before she could respond, she was thrust into the changing room and quickly measured all over her body by the tailor, which she felt significantly vited her privacy. As such, she immediately began to blush.


    After doing so, the tailor, who was a woman, formed a smile on her face as she proimed Honoria''s measurements aloud.


    "30C-20-30, not bad! Do not worry; I will have a dress fit for you in no time."


    The shop''s clerks and tailors did not bother to see if the woman could pay the ridiculous price for the high-end fashion. After all, she was protected by Berengar''s guards, and if that were the case, even if she couldn''t pay, they could always bill the Castle for the expense. Berengar was known to pay a fair price for his fiancee''s and lover''s dresses, and because of this, nearly every tailor in the city had desired to make a dress for one of his women.


    After some time, Honoria walked out of the stall in a mint green dress with gold embroidery in the Elizabethan fashion style from Berengar''s previous life. Due to the corset she was wearing, she felt incredibly ufortable at first, and yet it highlighted her already perfect figure, making her look far more desirable.


    As she approached the counter with an awkward smile, she informed the clerk that all she could pay with was jewelry.


    "erm... I don''t have any of the local currency on me; I can only pay with jewelry, is that alright?"


    Though Honoria was ufortable with being forced into this situation, she loved how the dress looked on her and did not want to leave it behind. However, the clerk merely smiled at her and informed her it was hers to take.


    "Do not worry about that; if you are close to Berengar, he will properlypensate us. Just make sure to tell everyone where you got the lovely dress!"


    With this, Honoria nodded and departed with her bodyguards. After doing so, she headed back towards the Castle; she did not know why but she wanted to get Berengar''s approval of her new dress as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 248: Dreams of the Future

    <h4>Chapter 248: Dreams of the Future</h4>


    Honoria quickly returned to the Castle with a desire to show off her new dress to Berengar. However, she was not familiar with theyout and promptly got lost. By sheer chance, she ended up at Berengar''s study, where he was currently working on approving Naval expenses and drafting new ship designs. A powerful Navy was a versatile Navy, and while Berengar''s shipyards were being constructed, he would draw many different blueprints for future vessels.


    Berengar was drafting a 20 gun Sloop of War based upon the USS Boston, which wasmissioned in 1825 during his previous life. It was a fast, and agile single-deck ship armed with twenty 24 lb cannons.


    While drafting the blueprints, Berengar heard a knock on the door and assumed it was Linde as she was usually the one who visited him during the day. As such, he said with a smile on his face.


    "Babe, you know it''s open. Do you need to knock?"


    Upon hearing this, Honoria began to flush as she slowly opened the door and revealed her gorgeous figure in her new dazzling dress. Berengar was quite shocked when he saw this and scratched his head with an awkward expression when he saw it was not Linde in his doorway.


    "Lady Valeria, I am sorry I mistook you for someone else. Is there something I can help you with?"


    Honoria meekly entered the room as she responded to Berengar''sment.


    "Not really, I was just curious, is all; I haven''t seen your face in a few days and wanted to know what you were up to..."


    After doing so, the princess twirled around in her new dress, giving Berengar the hint toment on it. Berengar had to admit she did look perfect in the dress, but he had a nagging suspicion that he would be the one ending up paying for it. So instead ofplimenting her as she wanted, he merely asked the question on his mind.


    "How much did that dress cost me?"


    Hearing this, Honoria began to pout; she had not gotten the response that she desired and quietly muttered under her breath.


    "I don''t know."


    Berengar found this to be adorable, and as such, he smiled before giving the girl what she wanted.


    "Well, whatever it cost, it was worth it. It looks perfect on you."


    After hearing this, Honoria blushed and smiled before she began to sit down in the chair in front of Berengar''s desk. As she did so Berengar ced his quill down before covering the ship blueprints with his Naval expense reports. He did not want such sensitive information being leaked, and as such, he began informing the girl of his more boring actions these past few days so that she would lose interest.


    "As for what I am up to, I am merely attending to matters of the State; as a Duke, I have a lot of work cut out for me; for the most part, it is rather boring."


    Honoria merely nodded her head, disinterested as she heard this. However, she read the bold words at the top of Berengar''s paper; her understanding of the Germannguage was rudimentary, but she could still read the word "Naval"; as someone deeply fascinated with sailing, she was curious about this and thus asked.


    "Naval expenses? Am I reading that right? I didn''t know that Austria had a Navy..."


    Hearing this, Berengar''s pleasant smile turned sour as he tried to conceal what he was up to. The building of a Grand Austrian Navy was crucial to his ns, and at the moment, he was trying to hide his dreams for as long as possible.


    As such, he tried to dissuade the girl in front of him from prying into his business.


    "Lady Valeria, I know you are naturally curious, but it is not polite to pry into the business of someone else''s territory. I will forgive you for the moment, but I hope you do not try to entangle yourself with my affairs any further."


    Hearing this, Honoria began to pout as she responded to Berengar''s words.


    "I am sorry, I am just interested in sailing, is all; I got excited when I saw the word Naval. I promise I won''t look at your documents in the future."


    Hearing this, Berengar was curious and thus asked Honoria the question on his mind.


    "You are interested in sailing, huh? Is that your dream? To sail across the Mediterranean as free as an eagle with nothing but the salty wind of the sea to keep youpany?"


    Honoria began to contemte Berengar''s words for a few moments, before responding honestly.


    "Truthfully, I do not know; I have never had the luxury to think about what my dreams for the future are. I suppose you could say I am still finding that out..."


    Hearing this Berengar began to feel pity for the girl, however, the next question she asked him shocked him.


    "What about you? What are your dreams?"


    This was a question Berengarmonly thought about, and as such, he put on a pleasant smile as he informed Honoria about his ambitions for life.


    "At first, I wanted nothing more than to inherit my family''snds and spend a good thirty years or so bettering the lives of my people, and by extension my family and myself, before retiring to some vi near ake to live the rest of my days in peace."


    Hearing this, Honoria was curious; it seemed like a noble goal. However, she noticed he prefaced the statement with the term at first, and as such, she was curious about what he thought; as such, she inquired further about it.


    "And now?"


    Berengar sighed before his expression turned solemn; as it did so, he revealed the heights of his ambitions.


    "The world is a cruel and unforgiving ce; I learned that pretty early on in life. If I can do a little evil to achieve great things, then I will do so. I yearn for the unification of my people, and I don''t simply mean the Austrians, but all Germans.


    Those who speak the Germannguage and have some form of German culture should be united in a single Empire to thrive and determine their destiny free of foreign interference. Everybody else contending for the title of "King of Germany" is doing so in pursuit of their vain glory.


    I know I can do better, and in doing so, I can better the lives of all German people, even if ites at the expense of other cultures and ethnic groups. Thus I will fight trying to achieve this and even die in pursuit of my dream if necessary.


    A dream is something you should pursue even if everyone else says it is impossible, something you are willing to kill and die to achieve. When you finally feel such overwhelming passion for something, you know that you have found your purpose in life, or so it is my belief.


    History will either remember me as the world''s greatest viin or Germany''s greatest hero. Either way, I do not care, so long as I can aplish my dream."


    Hearing Berengar speaks so passionately about his dreams inspired Honoria to find what she cared about so deeply. As such, she asked Berengar for guidance on the issue.


    "What do you think my purpose is?"


    Berengar sighed heavily and shook his head before responding.


    "That is for you to find out, but if you are fascinated by sailing, it might be a good ce to start. For now, I can hire a few sailors to teach you how to sail a riverboat; if you end up falling in love with it, I can always send you to Istria in the future, where I am establishing a Naval Academy."


    Honoria was touched when she heard this and instantly ced her hands on her heart as she listened to Berengar''s kind words. She quickly followed up by asking Berengar the thoughts on her mind.


    "You would do this for me?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded as he said so.


    "Sure, why not? You are here under my protection for the time being. You might as well learn a thing or two while you can."


    Tears began to form in Honoria''s mint eyes, and she could no longer control her overwhelming emotions; she knew it would be no small cost for Berengar to hire sailors to teach her how to sail, and yet despite barely knowing her, he was willing to go so far to help her find out her dreams in life.


    She could barely contain her happiness, and as such, she quicklytched onto Berengar and hugged him tightly while whimpering in his chest.


    "Thank you!"


    Berengar did not know what exactly this girl had been through to be so happy over what to him was such a little favor. However, he decided to let the girl cry herself out into his doublet and merely patted her head as she did so.


    Of course, the moment Honoriatched onto him, Berengar could see the sky blue eyes of Linde staring at him with a murderous re in the doorway. This sight immediately sent shivers down Berengar''s spine, and though he tried to jump up from his seat, he was held down by the whimpering princess.


    Linde did not bother entering the room, Berengar had already seen her displeased appearance in the doorway, and that alone was enough to send a message to him. When she finally left, Berengar sighed deeply before thinking in his mind.


    ''I am going to pay for thister...''

 Chapter 249: A Jealous Lover

    <h4>Chapter 249: A Jealous Lover</h4>


    After having his little discussion with Honoria, Berengar sent her away from his office, iming that he had work to do. She was happy to oblige and thus left Berengar alone in the room. Not long after Linde arrived and appeared rather upset, the moment she closed the door behind her, Berengar knew he was in trouble.


    Linde stood before Berengar''s desk while staring him down; after a few moments of awkward silence, she sighed before sitting down and resting her pretty face on the palm of her hand before speaking.


    "I can''t leave you alone with the girl, can I?"


    Berengar had a worried expression on his face, he was well aware of how dangerous Linde could be when she was upset, and though it was a misunderstanding, she would not easily believe him. Thus he tried to exin his innocence to his lover.


    "I swear I am innocent, I simply did her a favor, and shetched onto me like a leech; how was I supposed to know she is so clingy?"


    Linde''s sky blue eyes stared at Berengar with a curious gaze before she asked the question on her mind.


    "You did her a favor, huh? What might that be?"


    Berengar had nothing to hide, and as such, he exined the conversation he had with Honoria.


    "I merely told that since she was interested in sailing, I could hire someone to teach her how to sail a riverboat properly. If she was interested further, I could always send her to the Naval Academy I am building sometime in the future."


    Linde had a hard time believing Berengar''s words; after all, the girl was clinging to him so tightly, and thus she narrowed her gaze at Berengar to see if he was lying. Though Berengar was nervous, he was innocent of any foul y, and as such, he returned Linde''s re with one of grit.


    Seeing how Berengar wasn''t lying, Linde sighed before giving him a friendly warning.


    "Don''t let that little vixen dig her ws into your heart; if she turns out to be the Byzantine Princess, it could only bring trouble..."


    Berengar nodded his head in response as if he understood Linde''s message. Though in reality, he had begun to reconsider his options regarding this so-called "Lady Valeria." If the girl was Princess Honoria, then several paths presented themselves on how to proceed.


    Linde was no fool the moment she saw Berengar nod his head, the look in his eyes shed from being genuine to being deceitful, and thus she red at him before demanding answers from him.


    "Just what is it that you are thinking in that scheming mind of yours?"


    When Berengar heard that Linde had already discovered he was plotting something, he smiled bitterly before revealing this thought.


    "I can''t hide anything from you, can I? Fine, I will tell you my schemes."


    Hearing this, Berengar poured himself and his lover a drink as they began to chat about his ns. He ran a chalice of fortified wine for himself, but since he and Linde aimed to have another child, he poured her a cup filled with water.


    "Let''s say that the girl is Princess Honoria; aside from appeasing the Byzantines and preventing a diplomatic crisis, what can we possibly gain from shipping her back to the Empire?"


    When Linde heard this, she thought about it for a few moments and answered her question.


    "We could potentially gain their gratitude, further increasing the amount of trade we have with them? Isn''t that enough?"


    When Berengar heard this, he wagged his finger and clicked his tongue.


    "Tsk tsk tsk... You are thinking too small, my dear. If she is the Princess and has fallen for me, why not take advantage of this and have a son with her? If I do this, my Dynasty gains a im to the Byzantine Empire, a weak im sure, but enough to depose the next Emperor if he proves hostile to us."


    Linde looked at Berengar as if she were speaking to a madman before expressing the thoughts on her mind.


    "That is a little risky. If the Byzantines find out we are harboring their runaway Princess with the intent for you to make her into another one of your consorts, they will surely take action against us!"


    To this, Berengar leaned back in his chair and smiled before speaking his opinion on the matter.


    "By the time they can take any practical action against us aside from severing trade, our Army and Navy will be greater than theirs. It will take years for them to conquer North Africa, assuming they ever find out that we harbor the Princess.


    How many people know what she looks like? How many of them are here in Kufstein? Only Arethas would be able to reveal her identity, but she can easily be hidden from him. Sure there is a significant risk, but there is an even greater reward.


    Even if they do paint a picture of her and use it as a bounty for her safe return, let''s be honest, how many people will recognize her? The artistic talent of people these days is not exactly lifelike. Not like the artists I have fostered here in Kufstein!


    Of course, all of this relies on the fact that she is the Princess. If she is who she ims she is, then I have no interest in the girl, and you can rest easy."


    After hearing this, Linde sighed before looking deeply into Berengar''s eyes and asking the question on her mind.


    "So you don''t have feelings for her?"


    Berengar smiled with a wide grin on his face while leaning back into his chair; as usual, he was tantly honest with his lover on how he felt about the other women around him.


    "At the moment, no, I am simply nning for the future. However, if she proves to be Princess Honoria and my nse to fruition, which is to say I do not fall for the girl? After all, her innocence is quite charming, and I have more than enough love to give to three women..."


    To this, Linde scoffed; it was hard enough bncing things with Ad; if a third girl entered the picture into their alreadyplex rtionship, she knew she would have a headache. Despite this, she also knew that once Berengar had set his mind to something, it was impossible to convince him otherwise.


    As such, she took ahold of the chalice she was provided and quickly downed its contents, carefully making sure not to spill a single drop of the water within before responding to Berengar''s audacious ims.


    "I hope you know what you are doing..."


    Before Linde could get up and walk away, Berengar spoke again, instantly gluing her attention to the words he spoke.


    "Of course, there is another option avable. I could always marry the girl and seal an alliance with the Byzantine Empire. Though this would require effective diplomacy, and at the very least, I would have to elevate my status to that of a King, in order to gain the Emperor''s approval."


    Hearing this, Linde was shocked and immediately began to stare at Berengar as if he were a scoundrel.


    "You would break your betrothal to Ad for this woman you barely know!?!"


    To this insinuation, Berengar feigned offense as he rified his thoughts to his lover.


    "Why Linde, I am offended that you would suggest such a thing; you know how much I love my little fiancee. Of course not, but who is to say I am limited to one wife? As King, I could easily enact Polygyny.


    After all, with my new sessionws, it will not be an issue for the future of the Kingdom, and if the reformists have a problem with it, I can always justify it with the fact that Abraham had multiple wives."


    Hearing this, Linde stared at Berengar with shock for a few moments before expressing the thoughts on her mind.


    "You have truly thought through everything, haven''t you?"


    To this, Berengar nodded his head with a smug grin on his face before answering in the most arrogant way possible.


    "Someone has to, do they not?"


    After hearing this, Linde smiled before departing, though after she left, that smile quickly shifted to a frown. She was not happy about this new arrival or Berengar''s ns for her. As such, she quickly got to work writing a letter to Ad to inform her about the appearance of a new rival in theirplicated rtionship.


    Perhaps together, the two girls could convince Berengar not to go through with such a thing. Of course, Berengar had no idea that his two women would begin to scheme behind his back to prevent Honoria from entering his little harem.


    After all, he was much too busy overseeing the management of the Duchy of Austria and implementing a series of reforms that would change the political and legalndscape of the realm for the foreseeable future.


    Under his guidance, the Industrial Age would soon be forced upon Austria. If he wanted his territory to enter the new era peacefully, significant changes would have to be drafted to his rudimentary constitution and transitional government.

 Chapter 250: More Constitutional Reforms

    <h4>Chapter 250: More Constitutional Reforms</h4>


    A new day had arrived, and with it, Berengar had found himself thrust headfirst into work and approving his reforms. The first order of business was redrafting his Constitution so that it could apply to the entirety of the Duchy. As the Duke of Austria who had just put down the rebellion of his most disloyal subjects not long ago. Berengar was in a unique position to overhaul his territory.


    As such, he was currently in the process of fixing some of the errors of his Constitution that he had previously established. For example, he was moving away from the House of Commons and House of Lords to implement a more streamlined bicameral legition partially based upon the early days of the United States Constitution from his past life.


    A House of Representatives was established as the lower house of his bicameral legiture. These representatives would be voted in by those people who met the qualifications to vote. Such as German men of upstanding character and proven intellect.


    The second department of his legiture was the Senate which was voted in by the County Legitures. Much like America, the House of Representatives would be determined by the total poption, while the Senate would have two individuals per State or in this case, County as Senators.


    These representatives and senators had a term limit of four years. If deemed ipetent, corrupt, or any other number of charges could be removed by the executive and reced with a person of his choosing until the next election.


    The House and Senate worked was simr to that of the United States but functioned in a more streamlined manner. Those would first introduce a bill, which would be sent to the Senate for retirement or eptance when passed by a majority vote.


    From there, it would be given to the Duke where he could either sign it intow, revise it to his wishes and then send it back to the Senate for approval once more, or veto it.


    Unlike the American Constitution, there was no overriding of a Duke''s Veto, though the bill could still be reintroduced through the legitive process. However, a veto was usually considered a firm stance by the Duke that he did not desire such aw.


    The so-called House of Lords would be repurposed as the Duke''s Council, which essentially acted as a cab. Their responsibility would be to help lead Berengar''s reforms while serving under him. The Duke''s council could be appointed and dismissed at any time ording to the reigning Duke''s determination.


    Part of the Duke''s Council''s responsibilities were selecting a sessor to the Duke in the event that the Duke had passed away without appointing a sessor himself. The process to this was voting upon eligible members of the von Kufstein Dynasty for the position. Whoever had the most votes was chosen.


    This was a fail-safe, established so that the mostpetent sessor would be chosen in the event that the Duke was to pass away before selecting the best candidate from his Dynasty to rece him. The Duke''s Council would only choose the sessor in very limited circumstances.


    The Executive Branch of government was ruled by the Duke at a federal level, as for a State and Local level, the reigning Noble of the territory would act as governor. They would still need to introduce a localized form of government such as a State Legiture, and Court System, to aid them in their reign.


    The nobility who ruled over their territories were allowed to continue to do so as governors, though the sessionws that applied to the Duke were also applied to all Governors. This was to ensure the mostpetent person was selected as the Governor of their region.


    Of course, each Duke had executive powers, which allowed them to pass legition without the approval of the federal and county legitures. However, these could just as quickly be repealed by the next Duke. This was to ensure the political power of Berengar and his descendants so that they did not just be another powerless figurehead.


    With the Legitive, and Executive branches refined, the Judicial branch was further borated and based upon the American Republic from Berengar''s previous life. With a supreme court, which determined what was legal based upon the Constitution.


    As with all judges, these supreme court justices were appointed by the Duke and served for life. However, if the Duke determined that they had failed to fulfill their duties ording to thew and instead operated on some form of personal agenda, he could have them removed and reced.


    This Constitutional system allowed for some semnce of freedom while still retaining significant control of the government in the hands of Berengar and his Dynasty. In doing so, he created a Semi-Constitutional Monarchy; as in practice, Berengar still had the power to effectively make any decision he pleased and could stack the government in his favor.


    He also maintained a strict stance of a small, intelligent electorateprised of full-bloodedw-abiding German males, preventing any foreign influence in his elections as the non-german minority had no voting rights whatsoever. Thus maintaining the idea of a united German fathend for years toe.


    Of course, he once more allowed a transitional period of ten years where he still ruled as an absolute monarch. This transitional period could be further extended by the Duke if deemed necessary. This way, he could slowly assimte his territory into his new style of government.


    After drafting these constitutional reforms, Berengar sighed heavily; he had spent a lot of time and effort revising his Constitution. It would also likely change in the future when he went from Duke to King, to Emperor. For now, this was the best effort he could put forth.


    With this, Linde arrived in his room and ced a gon of beer on Berengar''s desk, and in her own hands was a goblet filled with milk. She took a look at the reforms and noticed the exhausted expression on her lover''s face. After doing so, she sighed beforementing on Berengar''s work.


    "You do realize that when word of this gets out, the neighboring Duchies and Kingdoms will be even more upset with you than they currently are. You are single-handedly overhauling centuries of governance into something new which greatly strips away the nobility''s power."


    To this, Berengarughed as he grabbed ahold of Linde''s perfectly shaped face before expressing his views on the matters at hand.


    "Sure, the nobility loses their ability to draft troops, issue their currency, and own all of thends. However, they will still act as de facto governors of their territory and will have more wealth than before when my reforms go into ce.


    At the moment most noblemen gain their wealth by taxing poor peasants. With the industrial age upon us, businesses will boom, and goods will be sold. Themon people will grow wealthier and afford nice houses, which the currency they use to purchase thend to build those houses upon will go into the hands of the nobility, who currently own thatnd.


    It is not like I am taking all of thends of nobles away from them. They will still have vast swaths of territory, and they will more than make up the loss ofnd with shares in the businesses that are bound to sprawl across Austria in theing years.


    The nobles may not hold all of the wealth of the Duchy in their hands, but they will be wealthier than they were before, and that is all that matters. When the neighboring Kingdoms realize that our realm''s nobility is more affluent than they are, they will grow envious and spiteful.


    They mightsh out against us, but we have the power of industry on our side, and their feudal armies have already proven not to be the match of my professional army."


    Hearing Berengar''s long-winded speech about the forting age, Linde grew wide-eyed as she imagined what it would be like. She greatly admired Berengar''s vision for the future and the lengths he was willing to go to to achieve it.


    Thus she wrapped her arms around her lover, and gazed at thetest draft of the Constitution, and asked another question that was on her mind.


    "In the end, all the power rests in your hands, doesn''t it? Everything else is just a ruse to appease themoners and the nobles. ording to this Constitution, you can pretty much rece anyone you don''t like in the government with someone who supports you."


    To this, Berengar smiled and took a sip from his beer; after doing so, he thought about it deeply for some time before responding.


    "The average person can''t be trusted with any semnce of political power. Even if I were to make my poption fully literate, the masses would never understand the inner workings of government. They inevitably will vote into power people who promise to give them the most benefits at the expense of the Nation.


    With that, corruption will take hold of society, and the Nation will slowly decline into total copse. Only by maintaining an educated and intelligent electorate can a Republican-style government genuinely thrive. However, the more literate people be, the more they will ultimately want representation.


    Thus if I try to hold onto all the power like a Despot, there will inevitably be a revolution. Creating asting Empire is built uponpromise. With this, I hope to make a longsting system where our descendants maintain power, and those intelligent enough to understand how the government works are cated with appropriate representation of their interests."


    Hearing this, Linde nodded her head, and a sly smile appeared on her face.


    "In other words, the Duke knows best, right?"


    To this, Berengar chuckled before responding.


    "I suppose you could say that��."


    Thus with this, the Constitution of the Duchy of Austria was drafted, in a system that somewhat resembled a limited republic, while still giving significant control to the nobility and the Duke.


    Berengar had carefully drafted a constitution that he felt limited the negative effects of constitutional republics, and monarchies alike while still maintaining a significant degree of control for himself, and his Dynasty.

 Chapter 251: Adelas Concerns

    <h4>Chapter 251: Ad''s Concerns</h4>


    Within the city of Graz, deep inside the belly of its Castle, was a young woman in the middle of her adolescent years. This girl was Ad von Graz the fianc��e of the infamous Duke Berengar von Kufstein. While Berengar was beginning to introduce a series of legal reforms that would shock the European world, his fianc��e was reading a letter written to her by her rival in love.


    This rival was none other than Linde von Habsburg. With the arrival of Princess Honoria, Linde felt a significant threat to her position and thought it was necessary to inform Ad about the situation since Berengar had purposely neglected to mention the appearance of a new potential rival.


    This letter did not openly entail the secret that Linde suspected this young woman from the east to be the lost Princess of the East. Instead, it merely introduced her as a young maiden lying about her identity and trying to get close to Berengar.


    However, as Ad read the contents, her expression began to sink. She was well aware of the rtionship between Berengar and Linde at this point; after all, it wasmon knowledge. She had evene to terms with the idea of Berengar taking a lover on the side and had convinced herself that great men were capable of doing such a thing.


    However, news of a foreign beauty from the east who was potentially lying about her identity while trying to capture Berengar''s attention was something Ad did not take lightly. Judging by the contents of the letter, Ad figured there was more to the story.


    If Linde was worried about this new arrival to the point where she would write a letter to Ad, it was a fairly serious situation. Ady down upon her bed as she read the contents of the letter with a pouting face. She instantly voiced her discontent with the situation.


    "Berengar, you dummy!"


    Ad had a quick wit, and she instantly looked closer at the letter; perhaps something that she missed would exin Linde''s worry more adequately. After studying the letter, Ad found it was written in code; if she could write down the first letter of every third word, it formed an expression of its own.


    She quickly began to decipher the content, and after writing it down on a separate piece of paper, two words stuck out like a sore thumb.


    "Princess Honoria"


    Ad was not too familiar with the royal court of the Byzantine Empire, and as such, was utterly unaware of who Princess Honoria was. Still, the fact that this young maiden from the east had the title of Princess could only mean one thing. Ad''s position as the primary wife was being threatened.


    After all, if Berengar were to add a Princess to his collection of beautiful young women, then indeed it made sense for him to marry her instead, especially if she came from a powerful kingdom. With this news, the young girl was beginning to nibble on her thumbs in anxiety.


    After careful consideration, she realized that her fourteenth birthday was around the corner, and she would have to have a conversation with Berengar about this when he finally arrived. As such, she wrote a letter to Linde thanking her for informing her of these matters and requesting her presence at her birthday so the two of them could confront Berengar about this issue together.


    After writing the letter, Ad heard a knock on her door. As such, she quickly walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the voluptuous figure of her eldest sister Ava, who by now had a worrisome expression on her face.


    Since Berengar''s reconquest of Austria, Ava''s husband Wolfgang had been deposed as count of Salzburg and reced by his younger brother at Berengar''s behest. Despite her and her husband''s apologies for their actions while Berengar stayed in Graz, the man had gone through with his threat. He thoroughly removed Wolfgang from any position of authority, he did so while Conrad was still alive, and he was the Regent of Austria.


    Since then, Wolfgang and Ava had permanently moved to Graz at the behest of the new Count of Salzburg; after all, the man could never forgive his older brother for forsaking their homnd and fleeing Steiermark while Salzburg was embroiled in warfare.


    Since then, Ava and her husband had be humbled, and with Ad being the fianc��e of the new Duke of Austria, Ava no longer found her for the daily conflict. Instead, she had begun to grovel at Ad''s feet so that the young girl might convince her future husband to restore Wolfgang''s position.


    Thus after Ad saw Ava in her doorway, she began to sigh and shake her head as she asked Ava the question on her mind.


    "What now, Ava? I am a little bit busy!"


    Ava could tell that Ad was distressed, which was unusual for the little girl who was usually so full of life; as such, she instantly saw it as a way to curry favor with her younger sister. Thus Ava put on a worried fa?ade and returned Ad''s question with one of her own.


    "Little Ad, is everything alright? You look quite upset��."


    Though Ad knew what games Ava was ying, she honestly didn''t care, as it would be nice to vent her frustrations to someone. As such, she opened the door all the way and allowed Ava into the room before she sat down on her bed and hugged her pillow.


    "A Princess is visiting Berengar, and I am afraid he will try to marry her instead��."


    Ava was quite shocked by this; when she had tried to seduce Berengar, he paid no attention to her natural charms. Thus she was also quite upset when she heard some other woman had begun to attempt totch onto her little sister''s beloved fianc��.


    However, she hid her inner fury and tried to console Ad instead


    "A princess, huh? What Princess? Do you know her name and what Kingdom she is from?"


    Hearing this, Ad merely shook her head before responding to her sister as she stared at the floor.


    "I have never heard of her before. Do you know who Princess Honoria is?"


    Ava had to think about it for a few moments before a light sparkled in her eyes, and she remembered where she had heard the name.


    "Where did you hear that Princess Honoria had visited Berengar? That should not be possible; as far as I know, there is only one Princess by that name, the Imperial Princess of the Byzantine Empire, supposedly she is quite the beauty.


    However, she has been locked up in the pce her entire life and is restricted from interacting with outsiders. There is no possible way she has visited Kufstein to see Berengar, her father the Emperor wouldn''t allow it!"


    Hearing this, Ad''s eyes lit up, and the dread she felt began to fade away; she might have been reading too much into the letter. Still, the odds of a hidden message like what she had found by pure coincidence were entirely non-existent.


    As such, she decided to show Ava the letter, and after exining to her how she found out about the Princess''s name, a scowl formed on Ava''s face as she tried to think through what this meant. Eventually, Ava came to a conclusion and began to suggest what she thought the message conveyed to her little sister.


    "In the actual letter, it appears as if this girl is going by the name Valeria Zonara, and she ims she is from Antioch. However, Linde suspects she is lying about her identity. The hidden message might be the guess she has about her identity.


    I highly doubt that it is princess Honoria, unless, of course, she ran away from home to visit Berengar, but that''s impossible, right? I mean, how would she even know who Berengar is? Let alone how could she get to Kufstein by herself? This has to be some form of mistake."


    Ad nodded at Ava''sment; it made sense. However, she also knew Linde''s character well enough to know that she would never panic like this and send Ad an encrypted message with a suspected identity unless she was positive about her conclusion. Thus her sister''sments did little to calm Ad''s nerves, despite the sound logic.


    After a few moments of thinking things through, Ad realized there was no point worrying about such a thing. She would have to confront Berengar when he arrived for her birthday. It was not far away, and she could wait patiently for an answer until then.


    Seeing Ad cheer up, Ava began to ask her the question that was actually on her mind.


    "Now that you are in a better mood, can you ask your fianc�� to restore Wolfgang''s position for me!"


    Hearing this, Ad merely rolled her eyes and began to push Ava out of her room.


    "Get out of my room Ava!"


    Despite Ava''s protests, she eventually found herself on the other side of the door pouting. This was the thirteenth time she had asked Ad today, and as per usual, she was rejected. She would have to find some other way to convince the girl to talk to her fiance about the issue at hand.

 Chapter 252: Berengar and Honoria

    <h4>Chapter 252: Berengar and Honoria</h4>


    While Berengar was in the middle of his usual office work, Honoria patiently waited outside his study. Even though she was allowed to move within the City of Kufstein freely, she mainly had stayed inside the Castle, waiting for opportune moments to approach the man that had caught her interest.


    Because Berengar was constantly guarded by Linde''s watchful gaze Honoria had few opportunities to get to know Berengar very well.? Berengar had not responded well to her advances up to this point. At least not as well as she had hoped.


    She was beginning to doubt her charm; after all, Berengar already had Linde, a woman so beautiful she was dubbed one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria. Even Honoria had begun to doubt her charms when inparison to Berengar''s lover.


    Nevertheless, she was undeterred, so long as she was staying in Kufstein, she wanted to find out more about Berengar and determine whether or not he was indeed fit to be her man. Thus she was waiting outside his study door, so she could "conveniently" run into him, giving her an excuse to ask him to lunch.


    After several hours of waiting around the Castle, Berengar finally receded from his seclusion. When he did, Honoria immediately began to walk by and attempted to bump into him casually; however, she somehow ended up tripping over the air and fell to the ground. Luckily as she was falling, Berengar reacted and grabbed ahold of her, steadying the young princess on her feet as he did so.


    Berengar gazed worriedly into Honoria''s mint green pupil''s as he asked the question on his mind.


    "Are you okay?"


    Honoria began to blush as she stared into Berengar''s one good eye, his charming face gazing at her with worry-filled her heart with feelings she was uncertain about. Thus she looked away and pulled herself from his grasp, standing on her own two feet.


    "I am fine..."


    Seeing her embarrassed, Berengarughed and nodded his head as he expressed his thoughts.


    "Good... That''s good!"


    After saying this, Berengar began to depart, it was about lunchtime, and every day he would meet up with Linde at this time to share a meal. It was what you could call their daily date. However, the moment he began to walk away, Honoria started to panic and quickly grabbed ahold of his puffy sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.


    After doing so, Berengar looked behind him to see what was obstructing his journey to see Honoria''s cheeks flushed as red as can be, her eyes fixed to the ground in front of her as she did so. She was holding onto her chest with her free hand and seemed to have difficulty getting the words out.


    After a few moments of Berengar staring at her, Honoria finally managed to work up the courage in her heart and quickly voiced her thoughts.


    "Will you have lunch with me?"


    Berengar thought about this for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders and agreeing to her request.


    "Sure, why not?"


    He ate lunch with Linde every day; she would not be too upset if he missed a day, would she? Upon hearing this, Honoria''s eyes lighted up in response, filled with excitement; she quickly grabbed ahold of Berengar''s hands, her heart fluttering as she did so.


    "Do you mean it?"


    To this, Berengar was taken aback ever so slightly. However, he did not reveal it on his handsome face, and instead, he patted the girl on the head and nodded his head before responding.


    "Of course!"


    Honoria nearly passed out from excitement upon hearing this. Nevertheless, she quickly got a hold of herself and exined the date she had nned during the previous night. She had stayed upte thinking about it.


    "I thought we could go to one of the sandwich shops in Kufstein, I have never tried such food before, and I felt as if it would be exciting!"


    To this, Berengar nodded his head in agreement; it was good to eat a sandwich every once in a while; after all, he dined exclusively on top quality German cuisine while living in the Castle. As such, he responded to her idea positively.


    "An excellent idea, I know just the ce; if you would follow me, I would be more than happy to escort you."


    With that, Berengar offered his arm, where Honoria quicklytched onto it with a happy grin on her face. Afterward, Berengar led her out of the Castle and into the City below. Of course, on the way, he picked up an escort of his guards who closely trailed behind them, watching with careful eyes for any attempt on their sovereign''s life.


    After entering the City, Berengar led Honoria through the streets until they arrived at the old sandwich shop that Berengar had previously taken Ad to during their first date. The City had grown exponentially since then, and thus Berengar felt great nostalgia looking back on what was merely a year ago a small agricultural town.


    As Berengar entered the sandwich shop, he noticed there was an extensive line. Because Berengar frequently visited the shop in the past, it had be quite the popr destination within the town. The owners even purchased ahold of the nearby buildings and rebuilt the shop into a muchrger and more delicate destination that employed over a dozen employees.


    There was outside dining avable for those who desired it, and due to it being the end of summer in the alps, it was the perfect time to do so. Who knew when Berengar would have another chance at such a thing.


    As they entered the sandwich shop, the line quickly parted for the Duke and the pretty girl on his arm. The people in line instantly began toment about the unknown women attached to Berengar.


    It wasmonly known that the Duke had both Ad and Linde, yet the white-haired beautytched onto him with a loving smile was an unknown entity for the people of Kufstein. Immediately men began to gaze at the Duke with envy and sigh to themselves. They instantly admitted defeat whenparing themselves to Berengar.


    Helga was quite surprised to see Berengar arrive, as he had not been to her shop for some time. It is not as if Berengar did not desire to do so; it is simply a matter of not having the time. If Honoria had not approached him for a date, he would not have likelye to this ce any time soon. As such, the woman had a pleasant smile on her face as she greeted the man who was not long ago a Baron''s son.


    "Your Grace! It is good to see you are doing well! It has been some time; who is this lovely maiden so lovingly attached to your arm?"


    Upon hearing that, Honoria could see the gazes of those around her narrowing with curiosity as they too wondered just what kind of girl Berengar had picked up now. The young girl''s pale face instantly began to flush as he heard the grown woman speak. In response to this, Berengar smiled as he introduced Honoria by the pseudonym she had given him.


    "This is Lady Valeria; she is from the Byzantine Empire and is here in Kufstein for trade. I am simply treating her to some of the local delicacies."


    Though Berengar did not introduce her as yet another of his girls, the bystanders refused to believe that Berengar had no intentions of making such a beautiful young maiden a member of his Ducal Harem. After all, he was well renowned as a shameless lecher by the men of Kufstein, on that they all greatly envied.


    Helga nodded as she heard this; she too suspected something more serious between the couple, but if Berengar did not want to publicly announce her rtionship to the girl, it was far from her position to inquire. Thus she asked a far more appropriate question.


    What can I get you, your grace?"


    Berengar immediately responded with what he had on his mind; after all, such food was new to Honoria.


    "I would like a basket from of Bierocks and two pitchers of fresh milk."


    Hearing this, Helga nodded her head and responded with a smile


    "Coming right up!"


    After doing so, Berengar took a few silver pfennigs from his coin pouch and handed them over to the woman, where she immediately began to decline.


    "Your grace, you do not have to pay! It would be rude for me to ask that of you!"


    However, Berengar merelyughed at the woman''s response and joked about it.


    "How do you stay in business?"


    To this, the mature woman blushed, and Berengar forced the coins into her hands.


    "I can''t have you and your employees working for free just because I am the Duke; you deserve to get paid for your services."


    With that, he walked away with Honoria by his side, where they sat at the outside dining area while waiting for their food.

 Chapter 253: Berengar and Honoria II

    <h4>Chapter 253: Berengar and Honoria II</h4>


    Eventually, the food arrived; it was a tray filled with bierocks and two bottles of fresh milk. The bierock was a Volga-German dish from his past life. In other words, it originated from a group of German immigrants who had moved to Russia during the 18th century with the purpose of farming Russian Land. This urred during Berengar''s past life.


    They were allowed to maintain their own culture, and as such, some very unique cuisines originated from the Volga-Germans. Berengar could partially trace his ancestry back to these people and had plenty of their recipes within his brain.


    The bierock was a roll stuffed with hamburger meat and cabbage. It may not sound like much, but to Berengar, it was delicious, and it was easy to make. The delicacy had be quite popr as a lunch food within Kufstein and was beginning to spread to the rest of Austria.


    After sitting in awkward silence while eating the food for some time, Berengar finally tried to create a conversation with Honoria, and so he asked something simple about her background. Even though she was lying to him, the girl was not very good at it, and he knew anything he inquired about regarding her past would most likely be urate.


    "So, Lady Valeria, tell me about yourself. Do you have any siblings?"


    After hearing this, Honoria was snapped out of her daze and caught off guard. She had not thought too deeply about her background and thus opted to be honest; after all, she did not know how to make up a lie on the spot.


    "I have three brothers, all of them older than me��."


    Berengar nodded his head at this, though she had no way of knowing he was asking simple questions based on what he knew about the Byzantine Royal Family''s makeup, and what she had just said acted as another confirmation of his suspicions.


    "What is your rtionship with your brothers? Do you get along at all?"


    Hearing this, Honoria went silent and began to fidget with her hands, not knowing how to respond. She thought about what to say next deeply before responding once more with the truth. After all, she was growing more fond of Berengar by the day, and it was better, to be honest about small stuff like this than make up apletely fabricated background about herself and have to exin her real pastter on. Thus she sighed before entertaining Berengar''s thoughts.


    "I would not say we get along, but we certainly aren''t on bad terms either. Growing up, they mainly left me alone, my father was pretty strict since I was his only daughter, and he made it well known to my siblings that I was special. They looked out for me, but honestly, I think deep down they were deeply envious of how pampered I was."


    Berengar nodded his head as he listened to her story; by the look on Honoria''s face, she did not want to speak of her past anymore at the moment. However, Honoria''s following words shifted the conversation out of his favor.


    "What about you? Is Henrietta your only sibling?"


    Berengar could tell the girl was honest with him, and as such, he decided to do so as well; his fists began to curl as he reflected upon the past; while doing so, he spoke in a grave tone.


    "I had a brother��."


    After hearing this, Honoria was naturally curious and thus asked the question on her mind.


    "Had?"


    To this, Berengar sighed heavily before admitting the truth


    "He tried to kill me multiple times; you could say he was envious of me, in so far that he wanted what was naturally mine by right. For this, he was disowned and sent to the Teutonic Order."


    Honoria could tell there was more to this story and thus asked about this once more.


    "And then?"


    Berengar''s eyes shifted over to Honoria''s as he witnessed the inquisitive gaze in her eyes. However, he ultimately decided not to reveal the result of Lambert''s death, at least not at the moment, and thus, he calmly replied to her with a determined expression.


    "That is a tale for another time��."


    Honoria quickly realized that Berengar wanted to shift the conversation. As such, she asked another question about him; after all, her curiosity about the man would not be fulfilled with a single query.


    "So I heard from some people around town that all of these magnificent changes that have urred in Austria over the past year are solely because of you. Where did you get all of these ideas from?"


    Berengar smiled andughed as Honoriamented on this; he decided to mess around with the girl and leaned in ss to her before whispering.


    "Do you know what reincarnation is?"


    Surprisingly to this, Honoria nodded her head.


    "One of my brothers once talked to me about it; he heard about it from some merchant from the far east; it is supposedly the idea that when you die you are born into the body of another person, right? What does that have to do with your ideas?"


    Berengar nodded his head while he continued to tease the girl.


    "Suppose I were to say I was reincarnated, from the distant future, in a world far more advanced from this one. What would you say?"


    Surprisingly the girl did not call him crazy or think he was joking; instead, she took it seriously and looked at Berengar with disbelief. She quickly blurted out the thought on her mind.


    "Are you serious?"


    With this, Berengar knew he had revealed something he shouldn''t have. If the girl believed him, that could create some troubles, and as such, he quickly shook his head and denied the reality.


    "No, I was just joking, Valeria. You shouldn''t takements like this so seriously."


    To this, Honora chuckled awkwardly before responding to Berengar.


    "Of course! I knew that!"


    After saying so Honoria began to pout; she did not enjoy being made fun of, especially by Berengar. Noticing that she was displeased, Berengar made up some story about how he came to understand these things.


    "There''s a lot of good information in old books. You''d be surprised what you can find in them. I took their ideas, thought about them for a while, and deduced the things I created. Without those whoid the groundwork before me, I never would have been able to dream up of what I know."


    Honoria bought this line immediately; it sounded far more feasible than being reincarnated into the past from the distant future. Seeing that Berengar was supposedly honest with her, she began to lighten up. Berengar, of course, took advantage of this to push the conversation back towards Honoria.


    "So now that I have told you something interesting about me, why don''t you tell me something interesting about yourself?"


    Honoria froze to this; she did not have anything interesting to say about herself, for she genuinely believed that besides being the princess of the Byzantine Empire, there was nothing remotely interesting about her.


    As such, her expression suddenly turned downcast, and Berengar began to change the subject.


    "So these bierocks are pretty good, aren''t they?"


    The moment Honoria heard Berengar voluntarily change the subject because of her sadness, she felt touched and put a smile on her face while sniffling back the tear that had formed in her eye.


    "Yeah, they''re perfect. I can''t believe your people eat such delicacies daily."


    With the simplicity of the meal and the burgeoning middle ss, such food was rtively inexpensive, healthy, and exceptionally filling, especially when paired with a ss of milk. As such, the bierock had be a standard item in the hands of those who could afford it.


    Honoria shifted the conversation to another question on her mind as she ate from her meal.


    "So I hear you weren''t always this amazing. Some people even refer to you as apletely different person than you were two years ago. However, nobody ever borates, as if they are afraid to speak about it. So I have to ask, what were you like when you were younger?"


    Berengar chuckled lightly at this answer; he was not afraid of his past before his reincarnation, so he answered honestly.


    "Honestly? I was a weak,zy fool who tended to throw a tantrum whenever something didn''t go his own way. Though I am not proud of it, I have thrown more than my fair share of chalices at people because they insulted me. I am amazed I lived as long as I did because of how much of a pompous ass I was."


    Honoria was shocked when she heard this;pared to the man sitting before her, she simply could not believe Berengar was once such a man. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked about it.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, what changed?"


    Berengar sighed heavily as he looked away towards the mountains in the distance with a bitter smile on his face. As if he was reminiscing about something serious, after doing so he responded in a grave tone.


    "Somebody close to me poisoned me, I survived it, and I suppose you could say being on the brink of death, I realized how much I had wasted my life and desired to turn it around. I am amazed at the man I have be in such a short time..."


    Hearing this, Honoria''s mouth fell agape; however, she was rtively sharp and quickly pieced two and two together despite being naive. She had an awkward expression on her face as she asked her next question.


    "Was the person who poisoned you your brother?"


    To this question, Berengar sighed as he stood up from his seat and reached out his hand towards Honoria with a bitter smile.


    "It is gettingte; I will have to answer that question some other time..."


    She noticed that Berengar did not want to talk about such a painful topic any longer; thus Honoria grabbed hold of his hand where he proceeded to lift the princess to her feet. After doing so, the two walked back towards the Castle, gazing at each other with affection as they held onto each other''s hands like a loving couple.

 Chapter 254: Appeasing Two Women I

    <h4>Chapter 254: Appeasing Two Women I</h4>


    While Berengar was off at lunch with Honoria, Linde had been left behind. The beautiful young lover of the Duke was sitting in the middle of the dining hall in her seat gazing at Berengar''s empty spot with a downcast expression. Her doll-like face was resting in her dainty hands as she blew out her mouth, trying to lift her bangs with her breath.


    She was dreadfully bored and did not know what was taking Berengar so long. For the past few months, Berengar and Linde had synced their lunch schedules so that they could enjoy a meal together every day as a couple. Yet, for whatever reason, the man which her heart yearned for was not present.


    There was nothing Linde could do about this, and thus she waited patiently like a loyal dog. After well over an hour, the doors to the Castle opened, and Berengar entered the scene. Though he had no intent to go to the Dining Room, Linde quickly found her way to the entrance.


    When she noticed that Berengar was holding hands with another woman other than Ad, she instantly began to frown. She gave Berengar the chilling stare of someone about tomit murder. The moment Bernegar witnessed this perilous gaze, chills were sent down his spine, and he instantly reacted by ripping his hand away from Honoria.


    This caused the teenage Princess to pout. No matter what, she could not seem to get one over on Linde. The two young women red at each other with vicious intent for several moments before Bernegar broke the silence.


    "Sweetheart, what are you doing waiting around at this hour? Should you not be at work?"


    The moment Linde heard this, her attention snapped from Honoria to Berengar, and she immediately began to pout; in doing so, she turned her head to the side, not even dignifying her lover with a nce. At this moment, Berengar knew that Linde was truly angry with him, and thus he began to apologize.


    "I''m sorry, Valeria approached me first and asked me to apany her; you understand, don''t you?"


    With this, Linde still did not look in his eye; she was genuinely furious at her lover at this point. Though she was aware Berengar intended to make the girl a concubine or another wife, she honestly did not care.


    She was most upset that Berengar was willing to enact Polygamy because this little vixen was quite possibly a princess and not because he loved herself enough to make her a proper bride. Berengar was not wise enough to notice the underlying reason for Linde''s fury, and thus Linde did not ept his apology.


    Honoria saw this as an opportunity to take Berengar for herself, and she ran up to Berengar and grabbed ahold of his arm, burrowing it deep within her cleavage, in doing so intended to make Berengar aware that she too was well developed.


    The sight of this nearly made Linde''s eyes pop out, and she instantly began to frown. However, before she could discuss her dissatisfaction, Honoria began to insult her.


    "Linde, you are rather unfair to Berengar; all he did was listen to a small request of mine; I mean, it is not like you had lunch ns already. For all you know, we were merely discussing business. There is no reason to be so jealous!"


    The moment Linde heard herself be called Jealous, she wanted to grab ahold of Honoria and strangle her; this little brat was taking things too far. However, she managed to contain her fury and instead approached Honoria and questioned her story.


    "Were you discussing Business?"


    Berengar tried to interrupt, but Linde merely lifted her hand and shooshed him. In response, Honoria put on a pretty smile and spoke the words that she knew targetted Linde''s insecurities.


    "Of course not! We were discussing our wedding ns!"


    Upon hearing this, Linde nearly started swinging. Meanwhile, Honoria stuck out her tongue at the already outraged Linde while Berengar tried to soothe her. By the time he turned his head around, Honoria had begun the act of innocence.


    Though Berengar had not seen the act, judging by Linde''s sour expression, Honoria had done yet another thing to provoke his lover. As such, he began to be slightly perturbed by the girl''s childish behavior and began to raise his voice as he addressed her.


    "That''s enough, Valeria; you are taking this joke too far!"


    Hearing this, Valeria was shocked she had never been scolded before in such a way and felt heartbroken; it was only a small joke, but Berengar had raised his voice, the authoritative voice of a male who had been scorned was not something a sheltered princess-like Honoria had ever witnessed before, and thus she slowly began to break out into tears.


    Before the waterworks could fully erupt, she ran off to her room like a spoiled child. When she was finally out of earshot, Linde merely crossed her arms and looked away from Berengar while pouting. While doing so, she muttered under her breath.


    "Shouldn''t you go check up on her? A spoiled brat like her has probably never had a man raise his voice to her before."


    Seeing the way Linde was looking at him broke Berengar''s heart, and instead, he grabbed ahold of her hands and gave hismand to Linde.


    "Look at me!"


    Linde was startled, but she refused to break to Berengar''smand; when Berengar saw this, he raised his voice to Linde just like he had done to Honoria. While doing so, he yanked her into his embrace and grabbed ahold of her pouting cheeks.


    "Linde, I said, look at me!"


    Hearing this, Linde''s training was triggered, and she obediently looked at Berengar, who had an affectionate smile on his face. Rather than being angry, the gaze in his eyes was filled with love, as such stuffed her head into his chest and gently stroked her silky strawberry-blond hair while whispering in her ear.


    "I think I understand why you are angry... You are mad because I said I intend to enact Polygamy to marry her and create an alliance with the Byzantine Empire, aren''t you? My silly girl, do you think that I would ever leave you out of such a thing?


    Of course, I intend to Marry you first. I have had this idea for quite some time; you deserve a proper wedding and the title of my wife; even if you aren''t the Empress of the Empire that I will one day forge, you will still be my wife!"


    Hearing this, tears began to stream down Linde''s exquisite face; she was significantly wounded when Berengar said he intended to marry Honoria and had failed to mention her fate. For too long, she had desired to be with Berengar more than as just a lover, but due to Berengar''s affection towards Ad, she knew she could never fulfill such a ce in his life.


    When he had stated he might one day enact Polygamy, she was ecstatic but worried at the same time since Berengar did not explicitly state that he would marry her as well; instead, he mentioned Honoria as a potential candidate for a second wife.


    Hearing this Berengar express his intent to marry Linde made her happier than anything else Berengar could have stated at this moment. After tugging on Berengar''s cor with an embarrassed expression, Linde whispered to him in a voice so low he almost couldn''t hear it.


    "I love you!"


    Before Berengar could respond, she vited his tongue with her own and pressed him against the wall. Berengar was shocked at first but immediately took control of the situation while reversing their positions.


    The two began to fondle each other in the middle of the hallway until Linde sighed heavily and pushed Berengar away. This act immensely confused the man. As such, he expressed his doubt towards Linde''s actions.


    "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"


    Linde sighed again before expressing the thoughts on her mind.


    "No, it''s not that. As much as I want this, I know that little girl is crying up a storm in her room, and I think it would be best that you talk to her before she bes entrenched in depression. We can always have our funter tonight."


    At this, Berengar began to chuckle lightly, and Linde shot him a re.


    "What is so funny?"


    Berengar wiped a small tear from his eye before shaking his head and speaking his mind.


    "To think you cared so much about the Princess that you would give up sex so that I canfort her when she is dejected. It is funny; it is!"


    This greatly outraged Linde, and she began to blush once more before pushing Berengar in the direction of Honoria''s room.


    "If you don''t leave now, I really will have you here and now! Go!"


    Berengar merelyughed his way down the hall, which made Linde even more furious; once he was out of earshot, Linde sighed once more before a beautiful smile spread across her face.


    "Why did I have to fall in love with such a yboy?"


    Berengar, on the other hand, walked towards Honoria''s quarters and knocked on her door; after a few moments, all he could hear was sobbing, and thus he knocked once more. After doing so a second time, a meek voice could be heard from the other side.


    "Come in..."

 Chapter 255: Appeasing Two Women II

    <h4>Chapter 255: Appeasing Two Women II</h4>


    After Berengar had opened the door, he noticed that Honoria was wiping tears from her eyes while trying to put on a calm facade. She was distraught from the scolding Berengar had given her, and despite this, Berengar did not pity her.


    Frankly, he found the girl to be spoiled, and he wondered how on Earth she was raised. Berengar was not the type to tolerate a woman''s shit if she stepped over the line, and as such, he had no intention to apologize.


    Honoria looked at Berengar from the corner of her eye, refusing to stare directly into his cold gaze. After a while, Berengar sat down next to her on his bed and began to lecture the girl about her behavior, albeit in a much gentler tone.


    "You do realize you were out of line back there. I don''t know what kind of conflict you have with Linde, but you should not purposely antagonize the girl."


    To this, Honoria began to pout without responding. She was greatly displeased that Berengar hade to lecture her instead of apologizing. However, she did not make her thoughts known. Instead, she sulked in silence. Berengar knew full well what she was thinking and borated on his thoughts.


    "I am not going to apologize to you for raising my voice. From what I understand, you have been pampered and spoiled your entire life, and the fact that you expect me to get on my knees and profess my guilt is a sign that you were poorly raised growing up.


    As long as you are under my care, I will properly discipline you when you step out of line, something your father should have done a long time ago."


    When Honoria heard this, she began to frown bitterly; her entire life, she had been doted upon by her father, and it was part of the reason why she acted like such an entitled brat. However, Berengar would not tolerate that behavior; if this girl was Princess Honoria, she needed to be molded into a proper youngdy.


    The fact that Berengar had to be a father figure to this naive, pampered princess was exhausting in its own right, but since her father had utterly failed in that regard, Berengar supposed he could step up to the role.


    Eventually, Honoria looked over at Berengar with a sheepish expression, hearing Berengar so boldly dere that he would take care of her bad habits left a favorable impression upon her. The young princess fiddled with her fingers for a few moments before expressing her thoughts.


    "I am sorry... You spend so much time with Linde and give her so much attention; seeing her jealous for once made me want to boast."


    Berengar immediately responded to this with a stern tone.


    "I am not the one you should be apologizing to. What you said to Linde was vile and mean-spirited. You intentionally targetted her insecurities in an attempt to hurt her, and I will not tolerate such behavior. If you continue to act in such a manner, I will have no choice but to send you back to the Empire."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria instantly froze, and tears began to fill in her eyes as a pleading expression took hold of her wless face. The princesstched onto Berengar''s hands and began to beg for forgiveness.


    "Anything but that! Please, I will do better! Do not send me back home!"


    Hearing this, Berengar began to chuckle; the look on the girl''s face was priceless, and as such, he flicked her on the forehead before responding.


    "Then you better go apologize to Linde and hope she epts it. Ultimately it is up to her whether or not you are allowed to stay in Kufstein."


    Of course, Berengar did not mean such a thing, but Honoria had no way of knowing this. Thus she quickly got up from the bed and ran out of the room, looking for Linde. Leaving Berengar by his lonesome in the quarters the princess was staying in, he began to sigh and express his thoughts.


    "I should have stuck with two women; bncing a trio of bitches will be the death of me..."


    After saying this, Berengar began to dust himself off as he stood up from his seat and looked towards the entrance that Honoria had run past not long ago. A wry smile appeared on his face as he voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "Well, it is toote now, I don''t know how she managed to do it, but that little brat has somehow managed to burrow her way into my heart. Hopefully, something good cane from this..."


    Berengar moved for the door, where he followed Honoria''s steps until he arrived at a scene of the girl prostrating herself before Linde as she apologized for her previous actions. Linde was snickering as she gazed at the princess, lowering herself to a simple concubine.


    "I am sorry for my cruel words and childish actions. I promise I will behave myself in the future!"


    After listening to Honoria''s apology, Linde feigned indifference for some time; this caused a sense of worry to fill Honoria''s heart. However, the girl waited with her head bowed until Linde forgave her.


    After a few minutes of awkward silence, Linde sighed heavily before resting her forehead in the palm of her hand.


    "Fine... I ept your apology. However, if you purposely try to invoke my ire in the future, I will surely have you shipped back to Antioch!"


    Honoria felt chills down her spine as she heard this, and as such, she quickly raised herself from her kneeling position and nodded her head. Afterward, she said nothing more. Meanwhile, Linde ignored the young princess and went over to Berengar, wrapping her arms around his back and pressing her mighty bosom against his chest. As she did so, the young beauty whispered in Berengar''s ears.


    "Why don''t we leave this little brat be and go enjoy ourselves?"


    A devilish smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he grabbed ahold of Linde''s plump behind in front of Honoria; this was the punishment that Honoria deserved for her actions; it was now her time to be jealous.


    Of course, it did not quite work as Berengar had nned, as the couple''s flirtatious actions made Honoria flush with embarrassment and cover her eyes. She was far too young and innocent to be witnessing the intimate disy between Berengar and Linde as they vited each other''s mouths with their tongues.


    After making out for a few moments, Berengar took Linde''s hand and led her away towards their bed chambers; as the two left the room, Linde smirked at Honoria and blew her a kiss before departing with her lover.


    It would be some time before the two returned from their joint exercise. After doing so, they noticed Honoria sitting in the dining room with a flustered expression. The girl was too embarrassed to move from her seat and was staring off into space.


    Seeing how it had been well over an hour, and the girl was still shocked by his lecherous behavior, Berengar decided to y a prank on the girl. Thus he snuck up behind her and whispered in the girl''s ear, snapping her out of her daze as he did so.


    "Are you perhaps jealous?"


    Feeling the warmth of Berengar''s breath on her ivory ear, the girl quickly jumped out of her seat and gazed at Berengar like a frightened rabbit in front of a big bad wolf. Seeing the defensive look on her face was outright adorable, and as such, Berengar merely shook his head before responding to the girl.


    "I am only joking, Valeria; you do not need to be so terrified. Sit, enjoy some food and wine."


    Hearing this, Honoria began to settle her racing heart and sat in her chair while Berengar and Linde sat beside one another at the head of the table. Eventually, Henrietta arrived and sat in her spot as well.


    Thus Berengar drank from his skull chalice once more; after taking a sip, he exhaled heavily before peeking over at Honoria, who still seemed to be a bit flushed from the passionate disy he had shown her with Linde. Thus he used this opportunity to inform the girl of the uing events.


    "Valeria, the sailor I have hired to teach you will arrive in Kufstein tomorrow. It would be best to awaken bright and early to receive your training. I do not want my kindness to go to waste."


    After hearing this, Honoria''s appearance began to return to normal, and she nodded her head slowly and silently. It had taken some time for her to get ustomed to the sight of Berengar and Linde kissing passionately in the open. Despite being inexperienced; she knew enough to understand what Berengar and Linde had gotten up to after leaving her behind.


    In a way, she felt defeated by Linde once more. Though she was interested in Berengar, it was not until she saw him locked in another young woman''s embrace that she began to understand her feelings for the man.


    Inside her heart was a mix of emotions she was trying to work through, and as such, she merely ate her meal in silence while the other three members sitting at the table discussed various topics. She began to ponder the possibility that the reason she was jealous of the attention that Berengar showed Linde was that she had fallen for the man.


    After eating her meal, Honoria returned to her room, where she prepared herself for sleep. While waiting for her weariness to overtake her, she had thought long and hard about whatplex emotions she had felt throughout the day.

 Chapter 256: Honorias Request

    <h4>Chapter 256: Honoria''s Request</h4>


    Today was the day that the sailing instructor from Venice had arrived in Kufstein to teach Honoria how to sail. Honoria had awoken bright and early to begin her instruction and had not taken Berengar''s kindness for granted.


    She was currently learning to sail a Caravel, a simple sailing vessel used by most nations in the Mediterranean. Berengar had already purchased a few of these vessels for teaching his naval draftees how to sail, and as such, he had more than one avable for her to train with.


    Today was a special day for Honoria; Berengar took the day off from work to observe her progress and see if she was using the time and resources he had given her wisely. To his surprise, she was already partially knowledgeable in the art of sailing.


    Even though her instructor was not pleased with teaching a woman how to sail, he neverined; after all, he was being paid an absurd amount of money to teach this young maiden to sail. Instead, he did his best to equip Honoria with the knowledge necessary to do such a thing as such.


    Berengar stood next to Heraclius, who was perched on a post next to him, as the two of them observed Honoria''s actions. The pretty smile on her face was one of genuine happiness as she began to rig the sails as instructed.


    Seeing this, Berengar and Heraclius both looked at each other before gazing back upon Honoria. The moment their eyes made contact, there was a slight nod of their heads, as if they were thinking the same thing. Which was


    ''this girl is too precious.''


    After sailing down the Danube for a bit and back to Kufstein, Berengar, Honoria, and Heraclius departed the vessel where Berengar handed the instructor a sack filled with silver coins before thanking the man.


    "Thank you for this, I know about your reservations, but you have helped me a lot."


    The man quickly snatched the pouch from Berengar''s hands, where he began to count the coins to ensure the proper amount that was agreed to was still there. After doing so, he spat in the river before addressing Berengar''s statement.


    "I don''t like it; a pretty young thing from her should not be sailing; she should be at home making babies. However, you are the Duke of Austria, and if this is what you like to do with your ythings, far be it from me toin��."


    Hearing this, Berengar merely scoffed; he could not care less what this sailor thought of him. He was simply a means to an end. After confirming the payment, the sailor departed to the City of Kufstein for the day. Like every night, he would spend the silver he gained from Berengar on wine and wenches.


    As for Berengar, he escorted Honoria back to the Castle as he began to ask her about her day.


    "I see you are not wasting my charity; that is good. Tell me, now that you have some experience sailing, how do you feel about it?"


    Honoria thought about Berengar''s questions for a few moments before responding with a bitter smile.


    "I enjoy it. However, something feels off. It is not like when I was sailing with Agnellus��."


    Berengar thought about this for a few moments as he began to address her concerns.


    "I can think of two potential reasons for that. First, you have feelings for Agnellus, and you were more interested in spending time with Agnellus than you were sailing."


    Hearing this, Honoria began tough at Berengar''s spection before teasing him.


    "Why, Duke Berengar, are you perhaps jealous of my rtionship with Agnellus?"


    To this, Berengar scoffed before replying


    "You greatly overestimate your importance."


    When Honoria heard this, she instantly pouted, and the two walked in awkward silence for a while. After they had walked for a few minutes, she asked Berengar about the second possibility he had mentioned.


    "What was your second idea?"


    Berengar seemed to be knowledgeable and worldly. As such, Honoria highly valued his opinion. After hearing the princess''s question, Berengar scratched his chin for a few moments before saying the second thought he had on her reasoning for not enjoying sailing as much as she used to.


    "The second reason could be that the thing you loved most about sailing was the freedom you experienced, and because I have you in a controlled setting as you learn how to sail, you feel as if that liberty you once felt is missing."


    The moment Berengar said this, Honoria''s eyes shed, and she looked at Berengar with aplicated expression; after doing so, she smiled bitterly and revealed some of her past to Berengar,pletely forgetting her cover story as she did so.


    "You are right�� Growing up, I was never allowed to leave the Pce. My father was strict and overprotective and did not even allow me to associate with other nobles my age. Though he doted on me for the most part, the reality is that the onlypany I had was my siblings, and they all treated me like a doll in a sshouse.


    I used to gaze down from my window into the harbor every night as the sun began to set, imagining what life would be like if I were just to run away and hop on a ship sailing to parts unknown��going on a grand adventure, discovering newnds, and meeting new people!


    When my father tried to marry me off to the various princes, I was too shy to talk with them. Of course, I was too proud to admit that and merely told myself that they were toozy, skinny, fat, ugly, unambitious, drunk, or any other excuse I could think of to justify in my mind that I was too good for them. As such, I rejected every suitor ever brought to me, resulting in me being betrothed to the worst of them all��."


    Hearing the girl''s story, Berengar was fully convinced that she was Princess Honoria, as her background was the same as what he knew about the princess from the Eastern Empire; not only that, but she had used a term like Pce to describe her family home instead of Vi which was an obvious indicator of her real identity.


    However, Berengar did not spoil the moment and merely decided to pet the girl on the head andfort her. This caused Honoria to look up at Berengar in shock, where she saw his charming smile before he said the words.


    "I am sorry you had to go through that; it must have been terrible�� I too know what it is like to live a life of loneliness, without a single friend to call my own."


    Berengar was genuine when he said this; in his past life, he had spent most of it alone, both of his parents worked all day, and he was forced to endure a life of solitude in an empty house. When he was at school, he was always reading some books, thus causing the other kids to ignore him often.


    From the day he was born until he died, he did not have a true friend, merely a string of acquaintances that came and went from his life as time passed. At one point, he, too, had put on a confident fa?ade.


    In doing so, he convinced himself that he was better than everyone else and that no woman was good enough for him. Because of this, he could partially understand Honoria''s feelings about her lonely past, as he experienced a simr childhood.


    Hearing Berengar expresses his sympathy as a kindred soul; a tear began to form in Honoria''s eye, which Berengar quickly wiped away with his finger and grabbed ahold of the girl forcing her into his embrace as he stroked her silky white hair while speaking words offort.


    "Don''t cry; you have something that I never had!"


    Honoria began to sniffle as she looked up at Berengar''s gleaming sapphire eyes with curiosity in her minty orbs before asking Berengar what he meant.


    "What''s that?"


    Berengar then nced up at Heraclius, who was flying in the sky above, watching over his master like a guardian angel. While doing so, Berengar spoke his words.


    "You have a loyalpanion in Heraclius; at the very least, that gives you an advantage I never had��."


    Hearing this, Honoria began to break out inughter; it was true; she was incredibly blessed to have such an intelligent and caring pet. The more sheughed, the more her sorrow in her heart began to fade until finally there was silence.


    After two stopped outside the Castle''s gates, Honoria looked back at Berengar with a gentle smile on her face before making a request of him.


    "Promise me something, will you?"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar merely smiled and nodded his head before responding, not expecting it to be anything serious.


    "Sure, what is it?"


    After getting Berengar''s assurance, Honoria spoke her conscience


    "When you next find yourself troubled by your lonesome past, seek me out, and talk to me about it. In return, I promise to tell you everything there is to know about me."


    Berengar was stunned about this; however, before he could respond to Honoria''s request, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. As she did so, her cheeks began to flush as she boldly announced her feelings.


    "I think I am starting to fall for you."


    With that, Honoria ran off into the Castle, too embarrassed to face Berengar any longer. Berengar merely stood in the doorway to his Castle while stunned, utterly unaware that Linde had seen the entire disy from the tower above the courtyard with a frown on her face.

 Chapter 257: Legal Reforms

    <h4>Chapter 257: Legal Reforms</h4>


    After getting a good night''s sleep, Berengar awoke the next day, and after having his morning tea, he immediately thrust himself into his work. For starters, he had begun to refine the legal system of the Duchy of Austria. Berengar was of the mindset that crime could not be tolerated, whether from the perspective of thew or within amunity.


    To Berengar, the level of crime that existed within amunity was whatever the people within it were willing to tolerate. He nned to expand legal reforms and included propaganda to inspiremunities to report crimes to their nearest official.


    As such, he was in the process of designingprehensive legal reforms. Though crime in itself was rare in Tyrol and especially within the city of Kufstein, it had begun to be widespread throughout much of Austria, and not just minor offenses either.


    The devastation caused in the wake of the Bavarian upation resulted in thousands of peasants fleeing to the cities'' sanctuary. In their desperation, these peasants turned to crime to survive, which in turn lead to the creations of Criminal Syndicates that had begun to pop up across the more impoverished regions of Austria.


    Because of this, Berengar had started his legal reforms with strict countermeasures to Organized Crime. Any person convicted of a crime who was determined to be associated with a Criminal Syndicate recognized by the Department of Intelligence''s Internal Service was to be sentenced to death by firing squad.


    The Criminal Syndicates were still in their infancy. Thus they had yet to entrench themselves in the critical sectors of society. Berengar fully intended to route them out and destroy them from the roots to the stem. He refused to allow businesses and politics to tie themselves to criminal syndicates like in his previous life.


    Thus even if someonemitted a non-violent misdemeanor like fraud or theft, so long as they had ties to any known Criminal Syndicate, they would be sentenced to death. It was cruel, but Berengar had seen the rise of Narco States in his past life and desired to end such a possibility before it had a chance to be a reality.


    Gangsters were the first among the people who would be sentenced to death under this new system; other heinous crimes such as Murder, Kidnapping, and Rape were also deemed worthy of such a punishment.


    As for Child Molesters, Berengar had a special hell intentionally designed for them; they would be castrated and then sentenced to indentured servitude. They would engage in hardbor for the remainder of their miserable existence. If they dropped dead from over-exhaustion, Berengar did not care; that was just one less mouth to feed.


    To make his stance clear, a strict federal age of consent was applied at the age of 16; any adult caught having sexual rtions with a minor would be tried as a child molester, and if convicted, sentenced to the punishment mentioned above.


    Every other violent crime had a sentence varying from 3 years to life in prison, depending on the severity of the crime. Berengar intended to constructbor camps to act as the prisons in his society.


    The convicted criminals would pay off their debt to society with physicalbor, usually in the form of dangerous jobs that provided significant risks to the civilian poption or monumental projects like canals and road building.


    There was a three-strike rule in ce for this system when it came to felonies of all kinds. If convicted three times of a felony, they would be sentenced to death, just like the gangsters, murderers, kidnappers, and rapists.


    In this court system, if one were sentenced to death, they would be allowed a single appeal to the courts. In doing so, the crime would be re-investigated, and if the criminal were found innocent of the crime, they would be released from their sentence.


    However, if determined guilty after a single appeal, they would immediately be executed by firing squad. Berengar had seen taxpayers'' money wasted on keeping criminals who were clearly guilty but awaiting their seventh appeal alive during his past life.


    To him, a second chance at a trial was fair enough; after that, if they were still determined to be guilty, there was no point keeping such monsters alive; it was an absolute waste of resources. For Berengar, mismanagement of the finite resources on this Earth was a grave sin, and he had no desire to provide food and water to a criminal while it could be given to a starving child instead.


    As for non-violent crime, it would entirely depend on the crime that had beenmitted. For example, if one were to be convicted of theft, they would lose the hand they used to steal the item. Others included imprisonment for a limited duration, assuming they survived the backbreaking work given to prisoners. They would either fear going back to such a hell or be a repeat offender, thus adding to their three strikes.


    Anyone convicted of a felony was illegible to vote in the future. As such, they were also losing their say in how society was run, assuming they met the qualifications to be a member of the electorate in the first ce.


    Though the system was harsh, it also had its fair points. For example, it was based on the American principle of "Innocent until proven guilty," and the burden of proving guilt fell upon the prosecutor. The determination of guilt was left up to a jury of the suspect''s peers.


    Berengar also dered the need for public defenders and the need to pay these public defenders well so that it is considered a desirable position by talentedwyers. Like all of the other reforms Berengar had begun to make, a date as set for transition, which was twenty-five years, this date could be renewed if there were not enough Lawyers that existed to fulfill the needs of the criminal justice system.


    Thew enforcement system would be partially based on the United States of America from Berengar''s previous life. Small towns and viges would fall under the jurisdiction of Sheriffs that were local to theirmunity. There would also be State, and Federal agencies, including a dedicated department of border guards. Ensuring the migration of people into Austria was through a legal and safe manner.


    As for cities andrger towns would have dedicated police departmentsprised of volunteers; these had to be Austrian citizens who did not possess a criminal background. They were authorized to use lethal force in self-defense and in scenarios where a perpetrator was fleeing the scene of their crime.


    Torturing criminals for a confession, or intelligence was ouwed, so long as they were Austrian citizens. While advanced interrogation methods were legal to be used on foreign agents, and criminals, the more barbaric practices were ouwed altogether.


    To outfit these upstanding men of thew, Berengar would supply them with breasttes, gorgets, burgs, and revolving flintlock pistols; these pistols were rifled for greater uracy and fired a smaller caliber variant of the mine ball for more significant effect.


    They also had a rifled flintlock cavalry carbine; this carbine could have a bay affixed if necessary. These officers would be trained in the skills needed to fulfill their duties to the best of their ability, including horseback riding.


    Unlike the Grand Army of Austria that wore ck and gold Landsknecht attire beneath their armor, these police officers wore blue and ck Landsknecht attire beneath their ckened steel cuirasses. NCOs and Officers armor was trimmed with a mirror polish that slightly resembled silver.


    The reason for this was twofold; firstly, it was to protect the officers from potentially violent criminals. More importantly, it was established so that it was easy to distinguishw enforcement from military officials.


    Until now, Berengar''s cities were garrisoned by military personnel who also acted asw enforcement agents. Because of this, there was a feeling of oppression in the air of many of the regions whose lords had previously rebelled against his rule. By establishing dedicated police forces from among the locals, he attempted to appease the masses by allowing them to be policed by their own people.


    Berengar had worked the budget around to fund all of this, and due to his business that would soon start production, Berengar knew he could easily afford it. He had to stamp out the new wave of crime as quickly and efficiently as possible; until suchw enforcement agencies could be drafted, the garrisons would have to fulfill their duties ording to the newws.


    Berengar did not need prisons, butbor? One could never have too much of that as such dedicated prisons like those that existed in his past life would practically be nonexistent in his State. However, detention centers for those awaiting trial would be constructed shortly.


    Compared to the medieval ideas of justice, this system was the fairest and most righteous treatment of suspects and criminals that anyone had ever imagined. Though many from Berengar''s past life wouldbel it as cruel and inhumane, it was a significant step forward in progress.


    Besides, those people did not exist in this world. As for those from the future of this timeline hopefully, they would one day look back, and be intelligent enough to realize that everything Berengar did was to modernize the medieval German world. Sometimes harsh methods were necessary to do so.

 Chapter 258: Venetian Response

    <h4>Chapter 258: Vian Response</h4>


    Weeks had passed since Berengar had begun production on the first ss factory, and at the moment, it was partially functional. Using Agnellus'' trade connections, Berengar had started selling the new crystal ss in limited quantities to the wealthy noblemen of the Byzantine Empire.


    His n was simple, create a demand for his luxurious ss products and then increase production at a rate capable of overtaking Vian business. The crystal ss had be extensively popr in the east after the first batch was sold at a high price.


    As Berengar eyed the Republic of Venice''s ss monopoly, they too had begun to observe his actions, especially regarding the shipyards being constructed in the region known as Istria. The construction of threerge shipyards farrger than the ones which Venice owned was of great concern to the Vians.


    In response to this, the Vian Doge sat in his office surrounded by members of his Admiralty. These Admirals were the greatest of his Naval Commanders, and they had gathered to discuss the potential rise of a Grand Austrian Navy and the threat such a thing posed to Venice.


    One of the Admirals stepped forward and immediately presented a sizeable transparent ss bowl. This absurdly clear ss was shocking to the president, and he gazed upon it with wonder as he pondered where such a marvel hade from.


    The Doge was a position simr to that of President from the United States of America in Berengar''s previous life; he was the de facto head of State for the Vian Republic, which was a vassal state in this timeline of the Kingdom of Italy.


    With the unification of Italy in this timeline and their current Monarch being the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the Vian Republic and the Genoans were allowed certain autonomy in regards to how their local governments functioned. If anything, they were closer to protectorates than they were to Vassals.


    The Vian Doge was shocked when he saw such high-quality, transparent ss and began to question his eyes.


    "Is this ss? Who created such a masterpiece?"


    Without hesitation, the Admiral responded to the Doge''s statement with a frown on his face.


    "That would be the Austrians��."


    While the Doge initially smiled, his face immediately turned sour when he heard this news. This immacte crystal ss was a threat to Vian dominance of the market, and as such he had to make sure his ears were not lying to him.


    "Are you telling me that bastard Berengar has created such pristine ssware? Does he seek to seize our monopoly on the ss trade?"


    The Admirals looked at each other silently before the head Admiral ced a document on the Doge''s desk with a grim look in his eye before summarizing its contents.


    "That is not all; there are reports that he is building three shipyards, far more significant than our own. We can''t even fathom what kind of monstrous vessels he seeks to create within them, but needless to say, it does not bode well for us.


    If Berengar seeks to challenge not only our monopoly on the ss trade but also our authority on the sea, then we can not simply stand by and allow him to build a Navy capable ofpeting with us! Something must be done!"


    After hearing the Head Admiral''s concerns, the Doge nodded his head. However, he was not as concerned as the admirals, for how could Berengar challenge their might?


    They had hundreds of naval vessels; some of them were even armed with bronze cannons; it would take years for Berengar to build a navy capable of challenging the Vian Republic, or so he believed. As such, he was much calmer than the men gathered in his room.


    "I understand your concerns. However, we can''t just take action against the Austrians, our Navy might be superior to theirs, but their Army could easily invade ournds and cause us serious trouble. We should wait and observe.


    At least until we know what kinds of ships Berengar is manufacturing, there is no way he will be able topete with us, it will take him years to build enough ships to challenge our authority. Even if he were to somehow use the methods we have achieved to rapidly produce vessels. It is not something to be worried about, we can always dere war on him and sink his ships before he can produce enough to be a threat.


    For now, we should focus on building our Army and strengthening our ties with the Emperor; if all of Italy unites behind us, there is no way for Berengar to defeat us in a war. For now, we should bribe pirates to seize the ss he seeks to sell across the Mediterranean."


    Hearing this, the Naval officers gathered had awkward expressions on their faces, which spurred the Doge to question their nces.


    "What is it? Is there something I am missing?"


    One of the Admirals who was standing at attention immediately presented his report.


    "It would appear that Berengar is currently trading what little ssware he has produced so far to the Byzantines, using their merchant''s vessels. If it were revealed that we were sponsoring pirates to rob Byzantine ships, it could ignite a conflict with the Empire to the east!"


    When the Doge of Venice heard this, his expression sank. Even if it was a slight possibility, they could not risk a war with the Byzantines; after all, that was one of their most significant trading partners. As such, he was left at a loss in how to handle the scenario he was facing.


    This crystal ss was infinitely superior to the quality of ss they produced in Venice and could quite easily put them out of the ss business, which was one of their biggest trades. The blow to their economy that such a thing could cause would be disastrous.


    Berengar had risen to power too quickly for anyone to predict what he was fully capable of urately. It seemed like every time the man''s name was mentioned, he had either achieved another overwhelming victory in warfare or invented something new that was worth a fortune.


    To many observers, the rise of Austria as the preeminent German State was a certainty, however, if they were allowed to possess a powerful Navy and Merchant fleet on top of their overwhelming Army. Then they were destined to rise to a status that could rival the greatest Kingdoms and Empires within Europe and the Mediterranean; such a thing could not be allowed, especially since Austria had be the heart of the German Reformation.


    As such, the Doge of Venice came up with only one solution to halt the progress of Austria.


    "Contact the Pope, and offer him our unlimited support in his uing crusade against the Berengar Heresy. Berengar von Kufstein must die!"


    Since infiltrating Kufstein and assassinating Berengar was not an option due to Berengar''s effective counter-espionagework, the only solution was to throw the weight of the Catholic world against him and pray that he fell.


    As such, the Admiralty saluted as they announced their support for the Vian Doge''s decision.


    "Yes, your Eminence!"


    With this, all Admirals except for one, the Head Admiral, had left the building and begun to prepare for the uing conflict. The Admiral who remained looked at the Doge with a grim expression on his face before asking the question on his mind.


    "I hear he has cannons capable ofunching explosive projectiles. Do you think he will mount such fearsome weapons on his vessels?"


    In response to this the Doge was silent, the confident facade he had shown the other Admirals instantly crumbled. As such he reached for a ss out of his cab and began to pour the wine.


    This ss had a deep blue color and was not exactly the most transparent material. After pouring wine into the blue ss, the man handed it to his Admiral before pouring another drink into the crystal ss Berengar had created.


    After carefully observing the merlot liquid within the container, the Doge began to frown. He could quite easily see the deep red color of his wine, and this infuriated the man. After seething in rage for a few moments, the Doge finally answered the Admiral''s question.


    "Without a doubt, I have no idea what kind of effect such mighty weapons will have on our ships, but it most certainly will be disastrous. Even if he manages to create a few dozen vessels armed with those weapons, it could cause us some trouble.


    Thus in response to this threat, I want our Armada expanded. I want a total of 1,000 naval vessels, each armed with a minimum of four guns created within the next five years! I don''t care how you have to do it; just make it happen!"


    To this, the Admiral sighed, at the moment the Vian Navy had between 300 and 400 ships. If they were to gain a total of 1,000 in five years, they would have to produce over 600 ships in that time. It was simply outrageous, yet he would try his best. As such, he responded by saluting the Doge.


    "Yes, your eminence!"


    After doing so, the Doge merely sneered before uttering his next word.


    "Dismissed!"


    Afterward, the Admiral left the office of the Doge, where the man was left to his lonesome. He quickly downed the contents of his ss before swiping it off his desk in a fit of rage, shattering the perfect piece into thousands of tiny shards.


    After doing so, the Doge began to curse in the air.


    "Make no mistake Duke Berengar von Kufstein; I will make you regret sticking your nose in my business!"

 Chapter 259: Fourteenth Birthday I

    <h4>Chapter 259: Fourteenth Birthday I</h4>


    Weeks had passed, and finally, Ad''s birthday was nearing the corner as such Berengar had already left the Castle in Kufstein. Much to his surprise, Linde was invited toe with him; he supposed his two women were beginning to get along, which was a good sign.


    He had no idea that the reason for this was because the two women had conspired behind his back to meet up and convince him together to end his newly formed rtionship with Honoria. As such, he was in a good mood as he sat in his carriage, which drew him closer to Graz, with his arm wrapped around his lover, holding her tightly.


    Linde was frowning heavily at the moment; despite the affection Berengar was showing her, there was an unwanted person in this carriage, and it was not Henrietta. Though the little girl was also present, the person who had so thoroughly ruined the mood was none other than Honoria.


    To be Frank, Berengar did not trust the girl by her lonesome; she was a spoiled, entitled brat, and though he was beginning to take measures to correct this behavior, he had ultimately decided to take her with him to Ad''s birthday, rather than allow her to cause trouble in Kufstein while he was absent.


    Even though Honoria had apologized for her rude behavior, Linde was still unhappy with the girl''s presence. Though she was aware that Berengar''s intentions for the girl mainly were political at this point, she was still worried that Berengar might fall for the young, naive princess.


    Thus there was an awkward silence in the carriage as Berengar, and hispanions waited to arrive in Graz. After most of the day had passed, the caravan finally arrived in Graz, and they were not the only visitors.


    Count Otto held an esteemed position in Berengar''s government; he was on the Duke''s Council and, as Count, was the de facto governor of Steiermark. This was thanks to his daughter, Ad, who was Berengar''s fiancee. However, Otto had made a name for himself in Berengar''s campaign against the Bavarian upation and, as such, was held in high esteem by the other Counts.


    As Berengar and his carriage entered the Castle''s courtyard, they were greeted by Count Otto and his family. Berengar was the first to step out of the carriage, followed by Linde, then Henrietta, and finally Honoria.


    Ad needed one nce to tell that this beautiful young girl was herpetition and highly likely to be Princess Honoria. Ava, who was well aware of Ad''s grievance, had a wide smirk on her face; she could tell instantly that the girl harbored feelings for Berengar by the way she nced at him.


    Count Otto also noticed this and felt slighted; Berengar had not just brought his lover but another young woman to his fiancee''s birthday celebration. Regardless of this, Bernegar approached the Count and greeted him.


    "Uncle! It is good to see that you are still in such good health."


    Count Otto merely nodded, his gaze never shifting from Honoria''s presence. Henrietta, on the other hand, sheepishly greeted her uncle.


    "Uncle..."


    The little girl hid behind Berengar as she said this; she was shy by nature, and though she had begun to make friends, often at the expense of her brother''s reputation. She was still nervous around unfamiliar people; after all, Count Otto was seldom a part of her life.? Finally, Count Otto could not contain his curiosity and asked the question on his mind.


    "Who might this beautiful young woman be?"


    To this, Berengar nced over at Honoria before returning his gaze to his uncle. He smiled while answering his question.


    "This is Lady Valeria; she is from the Byzantine Empire and is a guest at my court for the time being. I did not trust her to behave herself by her lonesome in Kufstein, so I brought her along with me."


    This was the truth of the matter, but for some reason, Count Otto expected there to be more to their rtionship than this. As for Honoria, she pouted when she heard this; she was not necessarily a troublemaker, aside from getting on Linde''s nerves for the fun of it.


    However, after being threatened with removal from Berengar''s court, she had halted such actions in fear that Berengar would go through with his threat and ship her back to the Byzantine Empire. As such, she had been behaving herself for thest few days. Honoria greeted Count Otto by bowing respectfully.


    "I thank you for your hospitality, Count Otto."


    To this, Otto merely nodded before shifting his attention back to Berengar


    "Wee to my home, your Grace; I trust that my daughter''s birthday celebration will be to your liking!"


    Berengar nodded when he heard this and followed Count Otto and his family inside. While doing so, he approached his little fiancee and grabbed ahold of her hand. However, to this, she merely ripped it away from his grasp and pouted.


    She was already displeased that Berengar had taken a liking to yet another girl, yet he had the gall to bring her to her birthday celebration? To this, Ad felt insulted. Seeing that his fiancee was upset, Berengar sighed heavily before expressing the thoughts on his mind.


    "You look beautiful, Ad; it has been some time since west met. Did you miss me?"


    Ad pouted in silence, not bothering to speak with Berengar. After seeing both Linde and Honoria clinging onto her fiance, Ad had grown quite self-conscious. Not only in regards to her position in Berengar''s life but also in terms of her appearance.


    Though she was still growing, she felt as if her charm did not match that of an exotic princess from the East like Honoria, nor did it match the sex appeal of a buxom beauty like Linde. As such, she simply sulked for the time being.


    Eventually, Berengar was led to his quarters, where Linde was separated and given her room. It would be disrespectful to Count Otto and his daughter for Berengar to have carnal rtions with his lover while under their roof.


    After a while, Linde regrouped with Ad and hugged the girl before stuffing her into her bust, nearly suffocating the girl in the process as she stroked Ad''s golden hair.


    "Oh sweet little Ad, I understand how you feel; if you need to cry, let it all out. I am here for you!"


    An unlikely alliance had formed between Linde and Ad, who were usually at each other''s throats. For the time being, they were united against Honoria in this awkward trio that had been formed around the man they loved.


    As women, they naturally neededfort when they were upset. Thus they provided it for one another. Ad began to break down in tears as she tried to break free of Linde''srge bust and sobbed heavily while expressing her thoughts.


    "I didn''t expect him to bring the girl here! I am so envious!"


    To this, Linde sighed as she tried tofort Ad


    "Berengar doesn''t love the girl, at least not yet. He sees her as a political tool to be used against those he deems his enemies. For whatever reason, he is confident he will be fighting France in the future and wants to do everything in his power to break the alliance between them and the Byzantine Empire.


    Besides, now more than ever, he needs a powerful ally, and as such, he will likely enact Polygamy to marry the three of us. Despite this, he wants to make you Empress, so that should show you how much he cares for you and your position as first among his future wives!"


    Upon hearing this Ad began to wipe the tears from her eyes as she slowly sniffled. After she had calmed herself down, she questioned the legitimacy of what Linde had just said.


    "Really?"


    Ad did not know how to feel about this, her worries about her spot as the wife being taken had be realized, in the sense that Berengar intended to be a Polygamous Monarch, but she still held the position of his Empress, and first wife, which meant that Berengar still had feelings for her.


    Linde nodded her head and smiled as she stroked Ad''s hair. To this, Ad replied with a bitter smile as she came to a sudden realization.


    "There''s no convincing him otherwise, is there?"


    Upon hearing this, Linde''s smile also turned bitter as she shook her head. Though the two had initially conspired to bring an end to Berengar''s budding rtionship with Honoria, Linde had realized during the time since then that Berengar would not be dissuaded because he knew that neither Linde nor Ad were willing to leave him over such an issue.


    Thus, instead of convincing Berengar otherwise, Linde decided to convince Ad that it was simply not worth the effort and that Berengar still considered her first among his women. After all, Linde had gotten what she wanted in all of this, she would one day be an official wife of Berengar, and that was enough for her.


    Seeing the look on Linde''s face, Ad sighed before she broke away from Linde''s grasp and expressed her eptance of the predicament she found herself in.


    "Fine... I ept it, but that does not mean I will not fight for his affection!"

 Chapter 260: Fourteenth Birthday II

    <h4>Chapter 260: Fourteenth Birthday II</h4>


    While Linde and Ad wereforting each other, Berengar was preparing for the uing celebration. The gift he had gotten Ad was a white Arabian Stallion, it was quite costly to obtain, but it was well worth the price.


    While he was making sure the gift was ready for its new master, Honoria yed with Heraclius, who she had brought along for the journey. The mighty eagle flew outside the courtyard where Honoria yed about, waiting for the celebration to begin.


    As such, the day passed before the guests had fully gathered, and night had begun to descend upon the city of Graz. As it did so, the various nobles of Austria gathered for the birthday celebration of the future Duchess of Austria.


    Berengar was nked on all sides by three beautiful women as he stood at the center of attention. Ad wastched onto Berengar''s right arm, while Linde was clutching the left in between her mighty bosom. Honoria was behind him slung around his shoulder. The three girls were greatly intoxicated by the drinks provided at the party, and as such, they openly fought for Berengar''s attention.


    Though many of the men envied Berengar for the love of three beautiful young women, he was having a hard time maintaining hisposure. The three girls began to fight among themselves over his affection the moment the alcohol had entered their bloodstream, thus he was trying his best not to chastise them for their unruly behavior.


    Ad put on doll-like expressions as she began to rest her head onto Berengar''s chest. Her face was flushed red from the wine she had drunk, and she began to speak slowly.


    "Berengar... I can''t wait for our wedding!"


    To this, Berengar petted the girl''s silky golden hair before nodding his head silently. He felt like if any words escaped his lips, he would not maintain the calm facade he had created. These three girls were clinging to him like cats to catnip, and he was not even able to drink away his difort.


    Count Otto merelyughed as he drank with his wife Wanda; though he was initially unsure about Berengar''s little harem, he now felt great joy watching the young Duke''s displeasure; it was undeniable that he was not happy with it the way the girls were behaving.


    As such, Otto merely sighed before addressing the curious sight.


    "Well, all I can say is his grace brought this upon himself. He should not have been so greedy!"


    To this, Wanda smiled; seeing her husband in such a good mood about the awkward scenario disying itself was a good sign. It was so ufortable that none of the nearby nobles approached Berengar or the girls and maintained their distance whilementing among themselves.


    Linde forced Berengar''s hands onto her breasts as she boldly disyed her feelings. When she was intoxicated, it wasmon for her to forget her manners and act on impulse.


    "Darling, I missed you in bedst night. Maybe tonight we can have some fun?"


    Berengar immediately withdrew his hand and looked away; when he did so, he noticed that Ad was pouting, like usual, the girl could not handle Linde''s suggestivements. One could tell by looking at her that she was incredibly envious.


    Of course, what came next shocked Berengar, he felt a slight nibble on his neck, and when he went to address it, he noticed that Honoria had sunk her teeth into him ever so slightly out of jealousy. Even though it was harmless, Berengar would not tolerate such violent action, and as such, he quickly shoved Honoria off of him and flicked her on the nose.


    "Behave yourself, missy, or I swear to God I will drag you back to Kufstein myself and put you on the first boat back to the Empire!"


    Seeing Honoria scolded so fiercely, the other two girls began tough at her misfortune, and Berengar felt degraded. Though he was not the slightest bit embarrassed, he had since grown used to suchrge social gatherings and was ustomed to the way people stared at him.


    Honoria, of course, began to pout, and her adorable face as she did so caused many young men in the audience to clench their fists with envy. The three most beautiful women in the room were all clinging to one man, openly disying their affection for him.


    It was enough to drive any sane man insane, yet Berengar calmly reacted to this before deciding he had enough of the girls and their actions. Thus he nged his ss before making an announcement.


    "I have an announcement to make, though I wanted this to beter in the night; I figured now is as good enough time as any. I will show off the splendid gift that I have gotten my future wife for her fourteenth birthday."


    After saying this, the servants left the room before shortly returning while leading a solid white Arabian stallion by the reigns. Its saddle was made of the finest ck leather and the nket of the finest silk. The metallicponents were made of gold, and it contrasted with the white fur of the mighty beast perfectly.


    Upon seeing this, Ad nearly lost control of the crystal ss in her hand provided by Berengar. However, she maintained a firm grip and merely covered her gaping mouth with her free hand.


    After doing so, she ran up to the horse and began to pet it while staring deep into its dark eyes. The moment the rider and horse met their eyes together, they knew that fate had bound them together. As such, Ad hugged the horse before deciding on a name for it.


    "I will call you Siegfried! After the dragon yer!"


    Hearing this, Berengar smiled; Ad seemed to have a simr naming convention to him. After ying around with the horse for a while, Ad jumped into Berengar''s arms and pecked him on the lips as a token of her gratitude.


    "Thank you, Berengar; I love him!"


    Berengar merely took a drink from the ss of wine he had procured while Ad was ying with her horse and smiled before making a joke.


    "Hopefully not as much as me, right?"


    In response to this, Ad merely smiled and stayed in silence. Afterward, the horse was led out of the Great Hall and back to its stables, where it would be resting from then on. Berengar, on the other hand, began to chat with Linde while the rest of the gifts were brought in.


    Ad revealed their contents like a kid on Christmas and thanked everyone for their support. However, nothing triumphed the mighty stallion from the east that Berengar had procured for his little fiancee.


    After Ad had opened her presents, she found a way to sneak off with Berengar to the balcony, where the two began to talk alone. Berengar sighed heavily as he drank from his ss, waiting for Ad to ask the question on her mind.


    After a few more sips of wine, Ad finally managed to get the courage to ask her future husband about her concerns.


    "Do you love her?"


    To this, Berengar made a snide remark


    "Which one?"


    Ad began to pout once more as Berengar was being purposely obtuse. She did not want to ask the question outright. Nevertheless, Berengar forced her to say it.


    "Honoria!"


    When Berengar heard this, he nearly spat out his drink. However, he managed to choke it down and regained hisposure before responding to Ad.


    "Linde told you, did she?"


    It only took Berengar a moment to figure out that Linde was responsible for Ad knowing the truth behind Honoria''s identity. As such, he ced down his ss and looked off into the full moon in the sky above before answering honestly.


    "At the moment, no, at least not to any severe extent. I will admit that I find her attractive, and sometimes she can be charming. That is when she isn''t acting like a spoiled brat. What is important is that she has already begun to fall for me.


    I have no intentions to rush a rtionship with our little runaway princess. I will take things slow and build a rtionship with her step by step. After all, she has a part to y in my grand ambitions.


    Whether she finds her way into my heart as anything more than a passing fancy is up to her efforts to improve herself. Regardless of how I feel about her, that does not change what I have to do. An alliance with the Empire is too valuable to give up over personal feelings or ack of them."


    While she was hearing this Ad sighed before grabbing ahold of Berengar''s hand and holding onto it firmly. After doing so, she looked him in the eyes with a solemn gaze before announcing the words she had in her heart.


    "Even if you be a Polygamous Scoundrel, I will support you until the end. Just promise me that I will be your first wife and that you will never leave me!"


    Seeing the sincere gaze that Ad was giving him, Berengar grabbed ahold of her and dragged the girl into his embrace before wiping a tear from her eyes. As he did so, he whispered in Ad''s little ear.


    "I swear on my life that I will never leave you!"


    With that said, Berengar kissed the girl on the lips before releasing his hold over her. After doing so, he lifted his ss of wine and drank its remaining contents. The remainder of the night was spent in celebration, and Berengar would depart for his territory within the next day after all the work of a Duke was never finished.

 Chapter 261: The War in Bohemia Begins

    <h4>Chapter 261: The War in Bohemia Begins</h4>


    Three months had passed since Ad''s fourteenth birthday, while Berengar was within Kufstein overseeing the reconstruction of Austria after the devastation wrought upon it by Bavarian upation. The war for Bohemia had finally begun.


    After months of being supplied and trained by Austria and its industrial might, the Hussite forces had begun their attack on the Bohemian crown, which had fervently rejected their demands. Currently, the Hussites were split between two major factions, the moderates and the radicals.


    During Berengar''s past life, the moderates had betrayed the radicals and ended the Hussite wars, causing the Catholic Church to achieve victory. In this timeline, Berengar had no intentions of supplying the moderates or sending advisors to them.


    A Hussite Bohemia would be a decent ally to have in his back pocket. Thus Berengar intended to aid them in any way he could short of full-scale military intervention. That is unless it waspletely necessary. Eckhard and a group of Berengar''s officers were standing alongside the sub-faction of the Radicals known as the Ka?parians.


    The Ka?parians did not exist in Berengar''s previous life. Still, in this timeline, they had be a powerful force with Berengar''s aid and had already won a total of three battles since the war had begun. The leader of the Ka?parian Sect was a nobleman by the name of Alexej Ka?par.


    The man was young, a few years older than Berengar but not by many. He was also handsome and charismatic, and it was these qualities that helped him gain the favor of so many other noblemen and knights to support his cause.


    Currently, the man was dressed in aplete set of te armor, with the Ka?parian banner draped over his torso in the form of a tabard. He was pointing at a map stretched out upon the table. Tiny figures were in ce to represent the various armies of the ongoing conflict.


    Eckhard was standing nearby; he was dressed in a set of brigandine and te armor. The reason for this was simple, to avoid a diplomatic crisis, Berengar had openly taken a neutral stance in the Hussite Wars; due to how noticeable his nation''s arms and armor were, it would be unwise for his military advisors to walk around in the equipment of the Grand Army of Austria.


    Thus they wore the attire afforded to average Hussite men at arms. Only the officers of the armies they supported knew that these men were a means of Austrian support. As Alexej spoke about his battle n, Eckhard slowly watched while scratching his grey beard.


    "We will use our wagon forts to block the pass of the Catholic troops in this narrow valley. As they march upon our hand gunners protected within the wagons, Our cannons will rain fire upon them from above.


    A spear wall will protect the wagon forts. Once the enemy has engaged our defensive line, we will encircle them with our cavalry and sh against them on both sides, ensuring our victory."


    Though the Hussites had been victorious so far, the reality was that Berengar fully intended for this war to take years. The reason for this was two-fold; for starters, the conflict in Bohemia diverted the Church''s attention from Austria, buying Berengar time to not only expand his Grand Army but establish a Grand Navy as well.


    Secondly, the longer the Hussites fought, the more in debt they would be to Berengar. When the war was finally over, Berengar wanted the Hussites to be so indebted to him that they would be forced to cede the Sudetend to Austria as payment.


    Thus Eckhard did not offer any advice to the current n, as it was good enough to ensure victory against the Catholic armies. Instead, he merely observed the map of Bohemia, which had been divided up into Hussite-controlled territories, and Catholic-upied regions.


    The Sudetend was under Hussite control; the reason for this was quite simple. Thesends were predominantly German in linguistic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Because they were so close to Austria and were German themselves, they had been influenced by the German Reformation that Berengar and Ludolf had started.


    Thus when the war broke out, they immediately threw in their support to the Hussite factions, as the Hussites were in many ways simr to the teachings of the German Reformation. As for the rest of the Bohemiannds, they were stillrgely under the control of the Bohemian Crown and their Catholic supporters.


    Noticing that Ludolf was quietly observing the map, Alexej quickly voiced his concerns to the Austrian Field Marshal.


    "Marshal von Hallstatt, what do you think of the strategy as it has been presented?"


    To this, Eckhard looked around at the various Hussite knights and noblemen who had gathered and gave a nod of approval.


    "It should work just fine. I have nothing to add at the moment."


    Though Eckhard and his officers had assisted in training, tactics, and strategy,tely, they had taken a more background role and allowed the Hussites to proceed on their own. Alexej thought it meant that they would soon no longer be needed; he had no way of knowing that it was part of Berengar''s n to extend the conflict.


    As such, the youngmander smiled and nodded his head. Hearing Eckhard''s approval of the n brought him great joy. If Eckhard was appointed as the highestmander of Berengar''s forces, then Alexej believed he must be a capable man, and thus he highly valued the man''s opinion.


    After observing the map for a while, Eckhard finally spotted an area that the Hussites were likely to lose, and as such, he walked over to the map and pointed his finger at the location.


    "If the enemy is allowed to move unchecked in this region, they will conquer thends held by the Taborites. It is necessary to send reinforcements to secure the region. I suggest sending a contingent of 2,500 men to assist our allies."


    Hearing this, Alexej nodded his head in agreement; losing ground at this stage in the war would be detrimental to the cause. He moved two figures that represented 2,500 men into the region that Eckhard had pointed out.


    This left a finite number of men that the Ka?parians could field to win the uing battle, but even then, themander was confident in his ability to achieve victory. As such, Alexej asked for the opinion of men gathered at his strategy meeting.


    "Does anybody else have any suggestions?"


    After several moments of silence, Alexej sighed before giving hismand.


    "Dismissed."


    With that, everyone began to leave themand tent; as Eckhard departed, Alexej called out to him.


    "If you don''t mind, Marshal, I would like to have a word with you in private."


    Upon hearing this Eckhard stopped in his tracks before turning around and facing the youngmander with a stern expression on his lips. After ring at themander for a few moments, he asked the question on his mind.


    "What can I help you with, Commander?"


    Alexej poured two chalices of wine before he responded; he handed one of them to Eckhard before taking a drink from his goblet.


    "Could you ry my request for further material support from his Grace, Duke Berengar von Kufstein? If we are to win this war, we will need more hand cannons and armor than are currently fielded."


    Hearing this, Eckhard smiled slightly before nodding his head


    "Of course, I am sure that his Grace will have no problems transporting more supplies into Ka?pariannds. I will send a letter to him with haste. Is there anything else I can help you with?"


    Alexej once more drank from his chalice before responding to Eckhard''s question.


    "An opinion would be nice."


    Upon hearing this Eckhard decided to partake of the wine and took a small sip as he did so before responding.


    "On what exactly?"


    A solemn gaze filled Alexej''s eyes as he spoke the thoughts on his mind.


    "What are our chances of winning this war?"


    Eckhard pondered for a few moments before expressing his opinion on the matter.


    "With his Grace Berengar''s support, 75% though it will likely be a long and brutal conflict. Without such backing, your odds are significantly lower. If necessary Berengar is likely to intervene in the war with his own Army, establishing a friendly state on his Eastern Border is critical for long-term stability.


    However, he would only do so if you and your allies fall into a state of total copse. So I would not count on overt military support any time soon. You can rest assured knowing that you are very likely to win this war with the help of our advisors and the supplies we give you. My advice is to be patient; wars are not won overnight."


    Alexej reflected on this significantly and ultimately decided he would need some more time to consider his future. Thus he dismissed Eckhard with a single statement.


    "I thank you for your advice; you can leave now."


    After hearing that, Eckhard saluted the man before departing from his tent. He still had plenty of things to do, and Austria''s request for further support was at the top of his list. As such, He wrote a letter to Berengar on behalf of the Ka?parians asking for additional material aid.


    This would be just one of many times the Hussites came begging Berengar for more support in their war. With each shipment of arms, Berengar gave them, they would be indebted to Austria, and in doing so, fall further into Berengar''s trap.

 Chapter 262: Battle at the Eastern Border

    <h4>Chapter 262: Battle at the Eastern Border</h4>


    Months had passed and while wars waged in Bohemia, and North Africa, Eastern Europe was far from peaceful. Seeing that the Rus and the Golden Horde had begun to invade the Teutonic State, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth decided to avenge their loss at Grunwald and had joined the fray.


    After their defeat in Grunwald and the increase in the Teutonic State''s power, the Kingdom of Pnd and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania had unified into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth decades earlier than in Berengar''s previous life.


    The reason for this was simple, the Teutonic State was a growing threat, and by uniting their two countries they could gain an advantage against theirmon foe. As such the Teutonic State found itself surrounded by hostile forces, all of them held considerable power.


    At the moment, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was considered one of the great powers of Eastern Europe. With the coalition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Golden Horde, and the various Rus states, the Teutonic Order was now facing an overwhelming threat.


    The Order had already lost all of the territory gained from its war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow and had been forced back to their initial borders where they were currently holding the line against overwhelming odds.


    The choice to withdraw from the newly conquered regions and defend the hearnd was not taken lightly by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. He knew that his forces would be unable to keep ahold of thends they had previously gained and thus opted to make a strategic withdrawal.


    He hoped to sue for peace with the other powers by giving up their gains in their previous war. Instead, Pnd-Lithuania joined the war and was hellbent on the Teutonic State''s destruction. At the moment, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order was standing on a castle''s ramparts on the State''s eastern border.


    In the field below was a coalition of forces waving the banners of their nations and individual feudalnds. The army was well over 50,000 strong,pared to the 10,000 defenders the Teutonic Order had managed to scramble together to defend the gateway into their territory.


    The man instantly cursed under his breath as he gazed upon the massive horde that had gathered outside the Castle.


    "Damn that fool, Simeon! If he were not obsessed with getting revenge on Berengar the ursed, I wouldn''t have lost so many troops in Oberstdorf! With those 10,000 men, this could have been prevented!"


    The Teutonic State was on the precipice and besieged on all sides. Whether they would continue to survive as an independent State or faceplete and total copse was up to him. To this, the Grand Master merely sighed as he voiced the thoughts on his mind.


    "Thest Grand Master of the Teutonic Order? I don''t know whether tough or cry."


    Luckily for him, none of the men beneath hismand were around to hear his doubts. It would indeed harm morale if the word were to spread how doomed the Grand Master felt inside.


    The siege had yet to begin truly. Instead, the army had gathered outside the gates with the intent to intimidate the defenders behind its mighty walls. Of course, to an army of Catholic Fanatics like the Teutonic Order, such a thing would never ur.


    Even if they had begun to fill their ranks with criminals topensate for their losses, the indoctrination that urred during initiation hadpletely brainwashed these criminals into soldiers of Christ, who feared no death.


    Thus the intimidation tactics had not achieved the effect desired by the besieging forces. At the moment, the besieging troops were in the middle of constructing trebuchets in the field. These weapons would be used to bombard the Castle for the foreseeable future.


    Of course, trebuchets were constructed below the walls by the Teutonic Order, and upon seeing the enemy siege weapons being constructed, the Grand Master yelled at his men below the ramparts.


    "Prepare to fire into the enemy formation! I want those trebuchets knocked out before they can do some real damage!"


    With thismand, the siege had finally begun, and as such, the Teutonic Order instantly began loading the trebuchets with jars filled with pitch; these jars would be lighted before being tossed at the enemy trebuchets which were under construction. The hope was they could eliminate the enemy''s siege weapons before they could be built appropriately.


    The numerous trebuchets within the Castle began to toss their burning pitch jars over the walls and enemy formations. The first volley fired utterly missed their targets and insteadnded on soldiers in the field, lighting them ame and spreading the tar-like substance across their ranks.


    With this, the Grand Master lowered the visor on his helmet and ordered the archers to fire upon the enemy infantry.


    "Knock! Draw! Loose!"


    With thesemands, a volley of thousands of arrows began to fill the sky and rain down on the opponents below, blocking out the sun as it did so, at least to some degree. Despite this, the attackers did not move their position, most of them raised their shields, and others were directly affected by the volley.


    Arrows and Bolts made their way into the bodies of dozens of men; some of them died on the spot, others slowly fell to the ground and began to bleed out. Many were utterly unaffected as their armor had blocked the projectiles from achieving their goals.


    As arrows and bolts wereunched on the coalition forces below, the attackers returned fire upon the Teutonic Order''s soldiers and loosed their arrows upon the men stationed on the ramparts. It was significantly more difficult to hit an archer hiding behind a merlon than it was to rain arrows on opponents standing in the field.


    As such, the defenders were primarily protected by the Castle''s mighty walls as they continued to reap the lives of the enemy forces with their volley fire. While the arrows fell upon the attackers, the Teutonic Order had finished reloading the trebuchets andunched another volley at their targets.


    This time one of the pitch jars hadnded on its target, and its me instantly began to engulf the enemy trebuchet, which was nearingpletion. Slowly but surely, the burning pitch began to turn the wooden siege device into ash.


    The engineers nearby who were unlucky enough to be covered in the ming tar-like substance screamed in agony as the mes engulfed their bodies. Despite this, nobody moved to help them, and soon they fell to their deaths.


    Under the missile fire of the Teutonic Order, the General of the Golden Horde gave his Order from atop his horse.


    "Raise thedders!"


    With that, men from all coalition nations began to rush towards the wall while carryingdders with them. The intent was to scale the walls and fight the defenders atop the ramparts. While thesedders were moving into position, the Polish-Lithuanianmander gave his decree.


    "Release the battering ram!"


    Upon hearing this, the Polish-Lithuanian Forces in the vanguard immediately began pushing the battering ram into formation. The ram was wheeled and covered with fortifications to protect against missile fire. The heavily armored infantry used to push the device was rtively safe from the Defender''s actions.


    However, when the Battering ram finally got into position, the Defenders immediately unleashed a cauldron of burning pitch onto the enemy below; though the men operating the battering ram were directly protected from the substance, it slowly began to eat away at their covering.


    Eventually, the coalition soldiers were left without protection from the missile fire. More importantly, the next wave of the burning pitch left them roasted alive in their armor as the enmed viscous substance coated them.


    When the Teutonic Grand Master gazed upon the sight of the enemy battering ram being destroyed, he smiled beneath his visor and yelled at the enemy, who could neither hear him nor understand him.


    "Enemies of God! I Swear to the heavens that you will break your army taking this Castle! Though I may die, I will enter the Kingdom of Heaven smiling knowing that the Teutonic State survives!"


    When the defenders heard these words from their Grand Master, they were overtaken with zeal and roared the battle cry of all crusaders into the air as they fought for their very survival.


    "God wills it!"


    The chant of the Crusaders while they desperately defended their Castle on their Eastern Border echoed into the air as the coalition forces attempted to break through the Teutonic Order''s defenses. In doing so, the enemy forces fully understood the determination of the enemy they were facing and knew full well that this war would be a long and bloody one.


    This was merely the first day of the siege at the Eastern Border, and it wouldst for many more. The brave German soldiers of Christ held onto their territory, fighting and dying for their belief against an army they deemed to be heathens.


    The results of this battle would not be known to the world atrge for some time. Ultimately the Teutonic Order would be defeated, and their Grand Master killed in battle. The loss the Teutonic Order suffered at the Eastern Border would open the flood gates for the coalition to invade theirnds. Within a year''s time, the Teutonic State would find itself in shambles, barely holding on to what littlend they had left.

 Chapter 263: Requesting Artillery

    <h4>Chapter 263: Requesting Artillery</h4>


    Months had passed since the Teutonic Order began its battle at the Eastern Border. On the other side of the world in Egypt, Arethas had pushed the Mamlukes back to Alexandria, seizing the city of Alexandria was of significant cultural importance to the Byzantine Empire. After losing it, the Emperor had personally sent his most excellent General to reim it. The rest of the territory would have to follow the recapture of the ancient city.


    Arethas and his army were currently stuck outside the city of Alexandria, the siege had been going on for two weeks by now, and Arethas was starting to be impatient. What he needed was superior artillery.


    However, he was armed with a few small bronze cannons. Because of this, he could not regrly bombard the city; instead, he had to maintain these cannons in fear that they might rupture from overload.


    Because of this, the siege was going much slower than it usually would. After his first battle with the Mamluke''s Arethas realized the need for field artillery; after all, Berengar''s forces had beenrgely sessful because of this. As such, he desired to get his hands on some field guns and use them to bring down these walls.


    Since the first battle to recapture Egypt after centuries of being in the hands of other Empires, Arethas had sent word back to Andronikos, who was living in Constantinople, ordering the man to travel to Kufstein and negotiate with Berengar for the purchase of cannons.


    Today Andronikos finally arrived within Kufstein, and as Berengar was eating breakfast with his family and guests, a servant approached him and whispered in his ear. After doing so, the man ced down his silverware and wiped his mouth with his napkin.


    Afterward, he stood up from the table abruptly and alerted Linde and Honoria as to the presence of the Byzantine envoy.


    "It would appear that Andronikos is here to discuss business. Lady Valeria, I do not want any confusion to ur from your presence, so I would humbly request that you sequester yourself in your room for the time being."


    Honoria quickly understood Berengar''s intent, she had started to suspect that Berengar knew her identity, and as such, she nodded and smiled before departing.


    "Of course, anything for you, your grace."


    With this, Honoria fled to her chambers and hid from the Byzantine Envoy, though she did not know who Andronikos was, as she had nevere into contact with Arethas'' subordinates. She was aware of the difficulties if the envoy from the Empire learned that she was hiding in Kufstein under a false identity.


    After Honoria had vanished without a trace, Berengar ordered one of his servants to take her te away and clean up the table.


    "Get rid of Valeria''s dishes, and make it seem like she was never here, and quickly!"


    Hearing this, the servants immediately bussed Honoria''s spot while Berengar entered the Great Hall, where the man named Andronikos was waiting patiently. As for Linde, she stayed in the Dining Hall with Henrietta and continued her meal. The moment Berengar saw the man, he opened his arms wide and approached the man giving him a friendly hug.


    "Andronikos, my friend, it has been some time since Ist saw you. Tell me, what is so important that you must travel all this way to Kufstein?"


    Andronikos epted the friendly embrace before the two men distanced themselves from one another. After doing so, he informed Berengar of his reason for visiting.


    "My friend, thest time we saw each other, you were merely a Count, now you are a mighty Duke. I am genuinely impressed with your growth. As for why I am here, The reason is strictly business.? the Strategos wishes for me to negotiate the purchase of artillery. I know you won''t sell us the magnificent guns you use in warfare, but indeed you can create something fitting for our Empire to use against our enemies?"


    Hearing this, Berengar scratched his chin for a few moments; if he wanted a powerful ally in the East, he would need to arm them with some form of artillery that was better than what was currently wielded by the feudal world.


    After thinking about it for a few moments, he got a brilliant idea, and as such, he sped Andronikos'' shoulder with a friendly smile on his face.


    "I have a design in mind, but it has yet to be put into production. I promise you it will be more advanced than anything used by your enemies. However, these things are not easy to produce. I will need to set up an entirely new production line. For rapid transportation, I? will need to establish it within a city closer to the Empire. It will take me some time to aplish this."


    The design Berengar had in mind was none other than the Falc, an early cannon design from the renaissance that was used extensively by the European powers. It was slim, rtively lightweight, made of cast iron, and fired a one-pound projectile. It was also capable of firing grapeshot if necessary, grapeshot being a far more primitive version of the canister shot that Berengar fired from his artillery.


    This would be an enormous benefit in field battles against the Empire''s enemies. Still, if Berengar went to war with the Byzantines, it would prove to be entirely ineffective against his 12 lb cannons. With this, Berengar could advance his allies to the East and curry their favor.


    Andronikos was incredibly excited when he heard this news, and as such, he bowed respectfully to the young Duke of Austria.


    "You have my gratitude; tell me how much such weapons would cost?"


    To this, Berengar began to act casually as he swiped his hand to the side.


    "Think nothing of it; I understand you are in a bitter campaign to reim your lost territory. I will gift the first batch of cannons to you as a token of my friendship, and if you require more, I will provide as many as you need.


    As for their cost, you do not need to worry about such a thing; I am sure the wealth you gain from Egypt and Cyrene will be more than enough to cover the matter of debt you will owe me after your campaign is finished.


    If you so desire, we can outfit your troops with as many arkebuses, pikes, and armor they need to aplish this objective as well, under the same conditions, of course."


    To the Empire, this could be considered an enormous favor. Though the Empire was wealthy, affording to outfit an army with new and modern equipment was a hefty price, something they could not easily do while engaged in a war with the Mamluke sultanate.


    At most, they could buy a few batches at a time, but Berengar was offering to fully equip their army with modern equipment effectively for free, at least for the time being. When they finally won the campaign and gained the territories of Egypt and Cyrene, the Empire would be basking in more wealth than they had in the past 800 years.


    By then, they could quickly repay the debt they owed Berengar in one giant payment. It was an attractive offer, but Andronikos did not have the power to negotiate such a monumental decision. As such, he quickly began to address Berengar''s rmendation.


    "I will have to ask the higher-ups about this. I do not have the power to make such a decision."


    Berengar merely smiled and nodded as he heard this and responded in a friendly tone.


    "I understand, do convey my message to your superiors with haste. In the meantime, I will begin the construction of the production line and begin to produce the weapons. If you do refuse my kindness, we can always sell the cannons and equipment to you upfront!"


    Berengar''s kind words held a hidden meaning; by saying they would be refusing his kindness, he was implying that it would harm diplomatic rtions with Austria; after all, it would be seen as an insult by Berengar. This minor threat wasced into his otherwise kind words, and though Andronikos did not realize it, the Emperor surely will when he heard these words.


    Though Berengar would make a vast sum trading these weapons to the Byzantines, he could care less about this, if the Byzantines were to ept his offer, there was only one thing Bernegar would ask for as payment for their massive debt that would umte throughout their war with the Mamluke Sultanate, and that was Princess Honoria''s hand in marriage.


    The desire for a swift victory in North Africa after decades of battling a stalemate with their enemies would hopefully be enough for Andronikos and Arethas to convince the Emperor to agree to Berengar''s terms, and in doing so, they would fall straight into his trap.


    Berengar could consider the weapons and armor he provided to the Byzantine Empire''s massive army as the dowry for Honoria, and the debt would be squared the moment they got married. To him, this was the perfect way to establish a long-term alliance with the Byzantine Empire while also cementing his Dynasty''s im to the Empire as a whole.


    More importantly, this would break the alliance between France and the Byzantine Empire. This was Berengar''s true objective with his ns regarding Honoria. France was a neighbor that a united Germany was destined to sh with in the future.


    If Berengar did not wish to fight a two-front war, he would need to break the alliance the French had with the Byzantines; this was critical to his ns for the future. Germany had always suffered due to its geographical position as the center of Europe in his past life. Many wars had been lost because they were forced to fight on two fronts.


    By establishing an alliance with the great power in the East, Berengar could ensure his nk was secured to focus on his future enemies in the west. Thus while Andronikos left the Castle of Kufstein and began the long journey back to the Empire, Berengar was smiling. If all went as nned, he would have dealt a significant blow to his future enemies without anyone even realizing it.

 Chapter 264: The Holy Maiden of France

    <h4>Chapter 264: The Holy Maiden of France</h4>


    Time flew by once more; throughout the months, while Berengar was using the period of peace he had established in Austria to turn his Duchy into a significant power, France found itself engulfed in war. For decades the English had been attempting to invade the Kingdom of France in a bid for control of the French Throne.


    Ennd has seized considerable gains within the past year, and with each passing day, more Frenchnd fell to the English invaders. When Aubry returned from the Byzantine Empire, he was sent off to war against the English by his father, King Gilles de Valois.


    At the moment, the effeminate Prince was d from head to toe in steel te armor, unlike in Austria where steel was a shared resource, in France, it was a raremodity, and to outfit a man in a full suit of armorprised of the material was a great expense.


    Due to his tabard being sullied earlier in the day, Aubrycked the colors that distinguished him as a member of the Royal Family. If anything, he looked like amon man-at-arms. As such, few men in either Army were aware of his identity.


    Aubry was taking part in his first battle. Though a legendary swordsman, he was by no means an experienced soldier, and as such, was quite nervous about the conflict. Currently, He was acting under themand of the Duke of Burgundy while the French forces fought against the English in a field within the Duchy of Burgundy.


    In Berengar''s previous life, the Duchy of Burgundy would betray the French Throne and side with the English in the next year. Of course, this had happened after the French royal Heir assassinated the Duke. In this timeline, such a thing may not ur; after all, Aubry was the Heir and was an entirely different person from the Crown Prince during Berengar''s previous life.


    Aubry fought fiercely beside the Duke of Burgundy as the man advanced his forces against the English lines. As a petite and effeminate young man, Aubrycked physical strength, especiallypared to the veteran English Knights he was facing. Thus he had to make up for hisck of power with his sword skills.


    He was currently protected by a great basc, which blocked his pretty face; his honey blonde hair flowed out the back of the helmed, creating the image in the minds of the English and French alike that he was a female warrior leading the charge against their enemies. His dainty feminine figure, d in the slim armor, did not help resolve this confusion.


    The English longbowman fired upon the French Knights as they charged into the fray, atop their mounts. At the moment, Aubry was equipped with ance and couched it under his arm as he rammed the tip of the weapon into the breastte of an English knight, skewering the man upon impact.


    The heavily armored cavalry of both forces shed into one another, sending Knights and Lords to their deaths. Perhaps it was God''s will, but the effeminate Prince managed to survive the charge, and so too did the Duke of Burgundy.


    As both armies struggled in a battle of life and Death, Aubry was unseated from his horse by ance, and though it did not kill him, it surely dented his breastte and broke one or more of his ribs.


    Gasping for breath, a tear formed in the young Prince''s eyes beneath the visor of his great basc as he struggled to breathe. The pain was unbearable, yet despite this, he slowly rose to his feet, where he unleashed his longsword from his sheath and used it to dodge an oing blow from an English man-at-arms.


    After deflecting the blow, Aubry spun his de around, gripping the cold steel by the hand and using the pommel to strike his opponent''s iron helmet, caving it in and crushing the man''s skull as he did so.


    A sharp pain, like a knife digging into his abdomen, dug its way through Aubry''s ribcage; with each movement, he felt as if he were going to pass out. Despite this, the young Prince continued to struggle on the battlefield.


    If he did not fight, he would surely die this day; thus, he twisted his sword around so that he was once more wielding it by the hilt and pierced through the gambeson armor of a nearby English soldier.


    With the young Prince surrounded by the chaos of war, the Duke of Burgundy led the Army and began to encircle his position; he could not allow the Crown Prince to die on his watch. Slowly, but surely the tides of battle began to change in favor of the French Army, and eventually, Aubry was relived by the courageous Knights and Men At Arms of France who had caught up to him and allowed him a short reprieve from the battle.


    Aubry winced in pain as he clutched the dented portion of his breastte; afterward, he was slowly led away from the battlefield by some nearby Knights who were concerned for his safety. Aubry was forced to retreat to the encampment while his soldiers fought without him.


    The field physician stripped Aubry of his armor and clothes before examining the rib cage, where he shared the news with the boy.


    "Three of your ribs are fractured; you will recover in time. However, for now, I advise you to stay clear of the battlefield. One wrong move, and you could get yourself killed."


    After hearing this, Aubry nodded before covering himself with a silk robe. The material was rare in France, but due to trade from some traveling Austrian merchants, the boy could get such a luxury, and he wore it whenever he got the chance.


    The Prince clutched his side and winced in pain as he moved around. Shortly after that, the ps to the tent opened to reveal the Duke of Burgundy with a grave expression on his face, the man was covered in the blood of his enemies, but he did not appear to be harmed in the slightest.


    When the physician had begun to examine him, the young Duke, who was no older than twenty-six, pushed him aside before barging over to Aubry while wrapping the young Prince in his bloodstained embrace.


    "Thank God you are alright! I don''t know what I would do without you!"


    After saying this, the man began to vite the Prince''s tongue with his own; despite this act of passion, the Prince did not turn away and instead epted the gift. It was a little-known secret that the Duke of Burgundy and the French Prince were in an illicit rtionship.


    Though the Duke was married and had three children, the moment he firstid eyes on Aubry, he fell in love, and thus for the past three years, Aubry had been in a rtionship with the Duke of Burgundy.


    Of course, the Duke of Burgundy was just one of Aubry''s many lovers, he was a rather promiscuous young man, and thus he had more than one man by his side. He was even in a scandalous affair with several of his Knights.


    The Duke of Burgundy had no way of knowing this. Thus he thought that Prince Aubry was loyal only to him.? After their little intimate disy, Aubry wiped the blood from the Duke''s face before putting on a gentle smile and asking the question on his mind.


    "Did we win?''


    To this, the Duke chuckled lightly before nodding his head.


    "Would I be here if we hadn''t?"


    Though this was good news, it was far too early to celebrate; the English invasion was not something to be taken lightly. The French had been fighting the English for decades, and yet the war was still entirely unresolved.


    With this said, the couple maintained silence for some time. Eventually, the Duke of Burgundy spoke his views on the conflict that embroiled the Kingdom of France.


    "This war is far from over. However, this victory is a good start. With our Holy Maiden leading the charge, the morale of our forces is stronger than ever!"


    Aubry was confused when he heard these words and spoke softly, as he was attempting to limit the amount of pain he felt from his broken ribs.


    "Holy Maiden?"


    The Duke of Burgundy removed the gauntlet from his hand and wiped the bangs out of Aubry''s eyes. In doing so, he whispered into the young man''s ear.


    "That''s what our troops are calling you! They saw your honey hair and petite figure as you bravely charged the English Knights. Without your tabard, the men have begun to think that you are a woman. This is why they are calling you the Holy Maiden.


    Rumors have already spread of your feat in battle, and the men are specting about your origins. Some are even saying that you are a young woman of low birth chosen by God to lead the French to victory in our hour of need. If you ask me, it is a nickname fitting of your divine beauty!"


    Upon hearing this, Aubry began to blush as he looked to the side, not willing to gaze into the eyes of his lover. He was far from pious; in fact, one could call him the personification of lust. Despite this, he had been given such a beautiful nickname.


    After a while, the effeminate Prince began to giggle like a girl; to him, it was the greatest joke he had ever heard. However, for the sake of morale, he would continue to present the image of a pious young woman; after all, what France needed now more than ever was a symbol to rally behind.


    Thus the lustful trap that was the Crown Prince of France had be the Joan of Arc of this world, while in reality behaving far more simr to the ancient Roman Emperor gabalus. Of course, the promiscuous character of the so-called "Holy Maiden" would never be revealed to the public atrge, nor would his identity as the Prince of France.


    The war would continue to wage for some time; who would win the Hundred Years War in this timeline had yet to be determined. Though with Berengar''s intervention in this world''s affairs, anything was possible. For now, the French would continue to fight against the English, as they had for decades.

 Chapter 265: The Holy Roman Emperor Joins the Fray

    <h4>Chapter 265: The Holy Roman Emperor Joins the Fray</h4>


    Within the Kingdom of Italy, in the city of Florence, there lies the Holy Roman Emperor, who was also the King of Italy. Sitting upon his mighty throne, within his pce, the middle-aged man of Italian descent gazed upon his ministers who reported the situation across the Empire.


    One of the ministers was a tall andnky man with a narrow face and arge hooked nose; he had a dark, unkempt beard that made him look particrly hideous. The man was dressed in silk robes imported from the Byzantine Empire. Currently, He held a document in his hands that he read from to the Emperor.


    "The German-Speaking regions are embroiled in a war for the title "King of Germany," so far Duke Wilmar and the main Habsburg line has been eradicated, and with their deaths, so too has their im ended.


    The man who seized power in Austria is a young upstart by the name of Berengar von Kufstein. As you may be aware, he ismonly referred to as Berengar, "the ursed." The man is a kinyer, womanizer, heretic and has been emunicated by the previous Pope Simeon II.


    With his rise to power, the German Reformation spread from Southern Germany into the neighboring German Duchies. Saxony and the Rhinnd, in particr, are being converted at a rapid rate."


    Upon hearing this information, the Holy Roman Emperor, a man by the name of Balsamo Corsini, began to frown. As a devout Catholic, and a man with close ties to the current Pope, the Holy Roman Emperor, dreaded the idea of the Berengar heresy spreading throughout the realm.? However, the man contained his rage and spurred the minister to continue reporting.


    "Go on..."


    Noticing the Emperor''s fury, the minister gulped down the saliva umted in his throat before continuing his report.


    "The other two imants for the title, as you know, are Duke Dietger of Bavaria and the legitimized bastard nephew of the previous King''s brother. His name is Manifred von Luxembourg, if I am not mistaken. Manifred is the head of the Duchy of Luxembourg; he and his allies have begun to invade Southern Germany.


    With the losses the Bavarians suffered in Austria, Dietger''s forces are significantly weakened, and he is currently relying on his allies in Saxony and Wuttermurg to press his ims. Duke Berengar seems to be biding his time; he is either disinterested in the title or is amassing an army and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Intelligence supports thetter of these two oues as the most likely possibility.


    The Vians have reported that Berengar is constructing threerge shipyards; they specte he intends to create a powerful navy to project strength across the Mediterranean. Though at this time, it is unknown whether these shipyards are designed for the construction of a trade fleet or an Armada."


    Upon hearing thest part of this news, The Emperor''s frowning face worsened to an ugly state. It was bing apparent that if Berengar was left to his own devices, he could prove to be a troublesome opponent in the future.


    Still, there was not much he could do about such a thing, short of trying to revoke Berengar''s title of Duke, which would force him into a war with the Austrians; there was no way for the Emperor to enforce his will on Berengar, and the Austrian people.


    Despite the Holy Roman Empire being more streamlined within its political structure in this timeline, it still suffered from the same faults of feudalism when it came to the centralization of power. The fact that there were limitednds within the crown''s direct control meant that Balsamo would have a difficult time raising the forces necessary to invade Austria.


    Though he could rely on armies from Italy to answer his call to arms, the Germans were in the middle of a civil war, and so was Bohemia. The only other vassals he could call upon with anyrge force was the leader of the Swiss Confederation, and he was a man known for minding his own business.


    The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was left with a headache, as he had no idea how to stem the growing tide that was the Duchy of Austria. Seeing that the Emperor was silent for an extended time, the minister began to speak of his reports again.


    "The armies of Luxembourg and their allies have marched into Bavaria; after several battles back and forth between the von Wittelsbachs and the von Luxembourgs, it has turned into a stalemate, with the northeastern border of Bavaria under Luxembourg upation.


    Only time will tell how long this conflict willst, and who will be victorious is still unknown. The war will likely continue for years without a clear victor. Unless we want to personally get involved, and dere the next King of Germany of our choosing, then I suggest we leave it be, and let the Germans settle their disputes by themselves."


    The Holy Roman Emperor nodded in agreement to this stance; he had no desire to waste his armies on the infighting of the German people. Instead, he was more interested in suppressing Berengar and Austria as best as possible. As such, he asked the question on his mind.


    "What is the status of the Pope''s attempts to rally enough forces for a new Crusade against Berengar and his heresy?"


    As he was asked this question, the minister began to frown and spoke gently, knowing that his following words would greatly upset the Emperor.


    "The Pope has his attention divided to Bohemia at the moment. The outbreak of the Hussite Heresy and their war to overthrow the Bohemian Crown is a more immediate threat whenpared to that of Berengar and his Heresy.


    As such, the timeline established to prepare an army to invade Austria has been dyed; instead, what few forces the Vatican has gathered will be marching on Bohemia first. Though Berengar has taken a neutral stance in the war, our spies report seeing arge number of hand cannons and cannons in the arms of the Hussite forces.


    The number that they wield is far more than they should generally be equipped with. Thus it is believed these weapons are manufactured in Vienna and transported into Hussitends. However, none of this can be proven, as Berengar''s agents are highly effective at counter-espionage. As such, whatever is urring in Austriannds is unknown to us at the moment."


    This news was enough to get the Emperor to grind his teeth; it seemed as if this entire report presented to him was nothing but bad news. As such, the Emperor began tosh out at his ministers.


    "Is there any good news at all! Do any of you have a single idea on how to suppress Berengar and his rapid growth? Before long, that boy will be challenging my authority as Emperor! Something needs to be done about this, and until the Crusade is called, military conflict is not an option!"


    The various ministers who were gathered all began to nce at one another in awkward silence. That is until one of the ministers began to speak up.


    "We could impose taxes and tariffs upon Austria and their goods. This way, the Austrian economy will suffer, and Berengar "the ursed" will have a difficult time funding the expansion of his military?"


    When the Emperor heard this, he began to smile; this was a good idea, however just as he was about to give the decree to ce unfair taxes on Austria, another one of his ministers spoke up.


    "Are you an idiot? First off, if we were to impose taxes strictly on Austrian goods, it woulde across as the Emperor bullying one of his vassals, which Berengar could use to breed conflict among the other Vassals.


    That is the best-case scenario; the worst-case scenario is Berengar could outright refuse to pay such taxes, forcing us with two options, lower our heads in humiliation, or invade Austria and fight a war that we are not prepared for!"


    The moment the Emperor heard this, all the joy that had momentarily filled his heart dissipated, as the minister who rained on his parade had made a valid counter-argument against such an option. Thus once more, Balsamo and his ministers were scratching their heads trying to figure out a course of action.


    Ultimately, the ugly minister with the unkempt beard spoke up with the best option that the Imperial Crown had at the moment.


    "If we wish to suppress Berengar''s growth without giving him a Cassus Belli, there is only one option. We must sabotage his industry; in doing so, we can maintain usible deniability while still crippling his means to arm himself.


    The difficulty lies with getting our agents into Austria without being detected by Berengar''s robust spywork. For starters, he is only epting immigrants of German descent into Austria, leaving our options of spies solely from the Swiss Confederation.


    We will have to actively wage a war of intrigue against Austria and build up enough of awork to infiltrate into his industrial cities. Doing so could take months, if not years, to aplish any results and would surely be costly. However, it is the best option avable to us at the moment, aside from outright war."


    After hearing this, the gathered ministers began to mutter among themselves before agreeing to this proposition unanimously; as such, the Emperor grinned from ear to ear, showing off his sickly yellow teeth as he did so. Afterward, he began to bellow inughter before calming himself to a degree necessary to give his decree.


    "So be it! Berengar, I would like to see how you prevent my agents from sabotaging your industry and crippling your economy!"


    Thus the Italian Kingdom and the Imperial Dynasty had begun to throw their weight into the fray; by sabotaging Berengar''s factories, he would not only cripple Berengar''s economy but also weaken the Byzantine Empire to the East who the Emperor had long since had a rivalry over with in regards to who was the true sessor of Rome.


    Of course, getting past Linde''s inquisitive gaze and that of Austria''s intelligence agency is much easier said than done. After all, they had begun to rapidly expand across Germany and into Northern Italy since they had started their reforms. What would follow would be a long and bloody shadow conflict between the Duke of Austria and the Holy Roman Emperor.

 Chapter 266: A Year Goes By

    <h4>Chapter 266: A Year Goes By</h4>


    A year had passed since Ad''s birthday, and while the world changed around him Berengar had been living in Kufstein, overseeing the reconstruction of the Duchy of Austria. The war with the Bavarians had left much of thend ravaged, and it was through great effort that the fields began to be restored, and the people returned to rebuild their homes with assistance from the State that Berengar had been establishing.


    Over the past year, Berengar had focused on four critical areas of development; agriculture, industry, infrastructure, and the Military. In regards to agriculture, over the past year, the fields were resewn, much to the help of the mechanized seeders that Berengar had begun to employ across the realm.


    The use of the steel plow and the mechanical seeder had greatly aided in the amount of farnd that could be utilized while the fields were worked by significantly less poption than was needed before. The four-field system was implemented throughout the realm, semi-modern irrigation was constructed across the fields, advanced fertilizers had begun to be employed, and selective breeding was introduced to livestock.


    Due to the massive amount of animal power needed to utilizebine harvesters, Berengar had spent a significant sum acquiring farm horses and mules to power these devices. In the end, he felt that this would be an essential investment as thebine harvesterbined the criticalponents of grain harvest such as reaping, threshing, gathering, and winnowing into a single process.


    With this invention, the work of thousands of farmers could be done by a handful of men. The only downside was that eachbined harvester required 20 or more beasts of burden. To Berengar, it was well worth the price; the thousands of farmers who would typically be working in the fields doing all of these functions were now reced by a single machine and a few men to operate it.


    The men who were previously employed in the fields could be put to work in industry, construction, mining, the Military, or any other number of jobs needed in a semi-modern society. They could also undergo public education and further add to Berengar''s scientificwork.


    The Agriculture of Austria had made a significant process towards the early 19th century from Berengar''s previous life. Within a decade, every field of Austria would be fully mechanized while utilizing advanced irrigation and fertilizers.


    The towns and cities destroyed or damaged during the Bavarian upation had undergone reconstruction under Berengar''s infrastructure initiative. It was a process that might take a decade, or possibly two. Still, in the future, every city and central town of Austria would be made to a simr degree of security and sanitation that Kufstein now found itself in.


    Roads were being constructed across Austria to connect the major cities and towns of the realm. Roads were an essential feature formerce, and Berengar intended to make sure that his roads stretched across the entire Duchy.


    As for the industry, several critical industrial cities had begun to pop up aside from Kufstein. Innsbruck had long since been established as an Industrial city; within it, the arms and armor Berengar manufactured for the Byzantine Empire were mass-produced.


    Arkubuses, pikes, falcs, and mirror pattern armor were mass-produced there and supplied to the Byzantine Empire under the agreement to be paid for in the future, after their conquests. The Emperor had agreed to Berengar''s terms and unknowingly fallen into a debt trap.


    As for Vienna, it had begun the production of even earlier arms and armor, which could be sold to any medieval army Berengar chose. They focused on the production of brigandine armor, hand cannons, primitive medieval cannons, and any number of other medieval weaponry. Most of which was being given as military aid to the Hussites, under the terms that they would pay for it in the future, creating a sizable debt among the Hussite forces.


    Within Istria, the ss and salt industries had greatly expanded over the past year, and Berengar had stolen arge portion of the market from the Vians, much to their ire. Berengar had more than once received an unfriendly letter from the Vian Doge demanding he cease production of his superior ss.


    Of course, being the terrible aggressive, and arrogant man that he was, Berengar''s response to the Vian''s outrage was to politely tell them to go pound sand. This had worsened the rtions between Venice and Austria to the point of a Naval Arms race.


    As for Berengar''s Cathedral, and Grand Pce, he had decided not to go with concrete and steel construction; as such, he had the buildings entirely rebuilt from scratch in the form of more traditional materials such as granite and mortar.


    In particr, Berengar had used his chemistry department to formte modern type M mortar, the most robust and most durable type of mortar in existence within Berengar''s previous life. It was also much quicker to set into stone, and as such, despite the traditional materials, the production rate of these structures was still more significant than that of the era.


    He would prefer that his cultural monumentsst the test of time. Thus, it would be many years before he moved into a Pce befitting an Emperor; then again, it would be many years before he became an Emperor, or so he thought.


    During this era of peace, Berengar had also begun to reconstruct the City Walls of Kufstein with Granite and type M mortar. Though the reinforced concrete walls allowed a greater level of protection against threats such as cannons, Berengar wanted his city walls tost the test of time, like that of the Theodosian walls of Constantinople.


    One day when people looked back upon the City of Kufstein, Berengar wanted these walls to be in ce as a sign of his wealth and power during his reign. Thus construction efforts across the realm were being made with more traditional materials, and the fortifications that Berengar had built with concrete and steel were being reced and recycled. Austria held more than enough wealth to undertake such ventures, and Berengar knew it.


    However, out of all of Bernegar''s exploits over the past year, the most important was finished, and that was the construction of the shipyards. Berengar had poured an enormous amount of manpower and resources into the rapid construction of his three shipyards, and since then, they had beenpleted.


    Two of his ports in Trieste and P were currently producing Berengar-ss Frigates at an unprecedented rate. Due to the prefabricated parts that Berengar had made during thest year, he had enough stockpiled in warehouses near those shipyards to construct dozens of vessels. With the assembly lines in ce, Berengar had already built five frigates toprise his First fleet.


    As for Fiume, the shipyard in that region had dedicated its production to manufacturing Berengar''s merchant fleet,prised of clippers. Though they had yet to set sail and bring his goods across the Meditteranean, it was only a matter of time before Austrians goods were sold around the sea.


    The Grand Army of Austria had expanded to 50,000 men at this point, half of which were volunteers. The Army paid well, and conscription would be mandatory the moment they went to war again. As such, many young men joined its ranks to prove their loyalty to the new Regime, which had already begun to lift the peasants out of poverty.


    Berengar''s forces were equipped with the 1417/18 Rifled Musket, triangr bays, and quick loading tubes. The artilleryprised 1417 12 lb Cannons, but they were also equipped with 1418 Schmidt Guns. There was no need for a dedicated howitzer since the 1417 12 lb Cannon could act as a field gun and a howitzer.


    As for the Cavalry, they were split into Cuirassiers, Lancers, Dragoons, and Hussars. Out of all the units of Berengar''s Army, he had the least amount of Cavalry. Horses were expensive to purchase and maintain, and frankly, he did not need a massive amount of Cavalry; his infantry was already so effective that Cavalry was overkill.


    A year''s worth of progress had been achieved, and it was no small amount. If things continued to progress in such a manner, Berengar would soon be able to proim himself King of Austria and stand on his own.


    Though he still desired to expand his wealth, influence, and power before that happened. After all, the moment he did so, there was a potential for war to break out; and Berengar was rather enjoying the progress he was making at the moment.


    Thus, for now, he would continue to develop hisnd until no army could challenge him. Border forts were still being constructed, and they would need to be finished before he ever thought about fighting a war for independence against the Holy Roman Empire.


    Thus at the moment, Berengar was sitting in his study, enjoying a sip of fortified wine as he gazed at the documents in his hands that described all of the progress that had been made in a single year. Money kept flowing into his treasury, and he spent a great deal of it to invest in his country.


    Now that his First Fleet and his merchant fleet were constructed, he would begin his expansion into the Mediterranean and its trade. If he could sell his goods to every Kingdom with a shoreline, he would be sure to make a vast fortune.? Thus his immediate n for the future was to expand his tradework, even if it angered those around him.

 Chapter 267: Honorias Diary

    <h4>Chapter 267: Honoria''s Diary</h4>


    The giant oak doors of the bedroom shut behind the white-haired Princess, where she proceeded totch them. Honoria had a broad smile on her pretty face, she had just returned home after a long journey, and she had big ns for tomorrow. The young woman held her chest as she thought about tomorrow; she could feel butterflies within her heart.


    After taking a few moments to calm herself, Honoria pulled out arge, leatherbound book from within her pouch. This book was chestnut in color and had a strap around it that was secured with a lock. After reaching further into her bag and finding the key, she unlocked it before cing it down upon her desk that had gathered dust in her absence.


    After unbuckling the book, the Princess gazed upon its contents. Since her arrival in Kufstein over a year ago, she had begun to keep a diary that contained her daily events. As such, she began to flip through the pages reading through her past experiences while living under Berengar''s roof.


    Some of these made her smile, and others made her frown; it had been quite the emotional journey while staying in Kufstein. After flipping through the initial pages, she found herself reading about her experience shortly after Ad''s fourteenth birthday party. The journal entry read as follows.


    September 10th, 1418. I awoke in the morning to find myself with a splitting headache. I had far too much wine to drinkst night. I don''t remember my actions from the night prior, but Berengar began ring at me since the moment he first saw me.


    I had a rxed breakfast alongside Berengar and the other guests who stayed within the Castle of Graz, which I vomited up shortly after; note to self greasy food does not settle well with a hungover stomach.


    Later in the afternoon, Berengar visited me and chastised me for my behavior the night before. Though I do not remember behaving in such a manner, I was slightly violent with him out of jealousy towards the attention he showed to the other girls. It serves him right; he doesn''t notice me enough! Am I not worthy of his praise?


    Upon reading this entry, Honoria smiled bitterly, to think even back then, she was having problems with her rtionship with Berengar. Not wanting to dwell on the topic, she quickly flipped through her pages to find the following passage of interest.


    October 5th, 1418. I have been learning to sail for some time now and have gotten quite good at it! Berengar has even promised to take me to Istria in the summer so that I can learn to sail on the sea! I am so excited I can hardly wait!


    After going through my daily sailing training, Berengar has given me a new task; he wants me to learn how to shoot and wield a sword to defend myself properly. I am not sure how good I will be at the task, but it makes sense. After all, some of the sailors have been eying me with ill intent.


    If not for fear of what Berengar might do to them, I dread the idea of what might happen to me. Luckily Berengar wields enough respect that they seem to contain their lecherous nature. Then again, is it respect or fear that drives these men to behave themselves? I suppose I should ask around and see what the people under Berengar''s rule think of him.


    Honoria fondly gazed upon this specific entry; it was one of the many moments Berengar had shown that he cared for the girl. However, the good times hadsted for such a short period. The beautiful young Princess shook her head of such thoughts before flipping the page and moving on to the following central point in her diary.


    October 15th, 1418. Today is Linde''s birthday, and Berengar has spent the entire day with Linde and their son Hans. The little tyke is so adorable; I wonder if I can have a son as cute as him one day. Wouldn''t it be great if he looked like Berengar? What am I saying?


    It is now past noon, and Berengar has barely spoken to me; instead, he and Linde have spent thest few hours locked away in their room. I think they are having sex; I don''t know why but that makes me so jealous! I know I shouldn''t be thinking such things, but every time I walk by their room and hear Linde''s pleasurable moans, I can''t help but think what it would be like if I were in her position!


    Evening came, and at dinner, Linde announced she was pregnant, not only to Berengar but all of the guests who came to visit. Her birthday is a big deal since she is Berengar''s lover; even Ad and her family arrived. I am certain that his little fiancee appeared just as envious as I was when she heard the news. Berengar seemed so happy that it made me bitter. I wonder how he would react if I were to carry his child?


    After reading this, Honoria began to smile bitterly as she quickly flipped the page, looking for another entry to read. The more she read, the more she hade to regret her actions that had led to her current predicament. As such, she read the next entry with tears in her eyes as she struggled to prevent them from dropping onto the diary and staining the page and its contents.


    November 23rd, 1418. Today is my birthday, and I celebrated it alone. I don''t know why I did not tell anyone about it. Maybe because I feared that such information could lead to Berengar figuring out my identity.


    If he learned that I am the Princess of the Byzantine Empire would he send me home? I don''t know if I would be able to live without the support he has given me. To go back home and marry that gay prince, I think I would rather die.


    Honoria quickly flipped the page after reading that; she was delighted that she was still in Kufstein, despite everything that had happened; as such, there was no point dwelling on the past. The following few pages contained nothing of significance, and as such, the girl flipped to another entry of interest.


    December 25th, 1418. Today is Christmas; a few days ago was Berengar''s birthday, and though there was arge celebration, nothing of interest happened. Even though the Houseprises nothing more than Berengar, Henrietta, Linde, Hans, and Myself, I had a wonderful time.


    I even managed to spend some alone time with Berengar; it seems that the days where he interacts with me are starting to be less frequent. I think he is trying to distance himself from me but I don''t know why. What have I done to upset him to such a degree? For this new year, I will give even more effort to gain his affection!


    After reading this, Honoria began to skip a lot of entries beforending upon one filled with tears and ink smudges. She was pretty emotional when she wrote this; as such, she took a deep breath before reading the contents, fully aware of what it contained.


    February 2nd, 1419. I had a massive fight with Berengar today; I don''t even know why we were arguing. He has been so distanttely that it is breaking my heart. I tried to tell him how I felt, but it just came out wrong.


    I ended up saying some profoundly personal and hurtful things. At the end of it, he simply red at me with eyes of fury that I did not know he possessed. Afterward, he sent me to my room to think over my actions. Where did it all go wrong? Is this my fault for not being honest with him?


    After reading this, Honoria sighed and skipped through multiple entries. The rtionship between her and Berengar only seemed to get worse as she flipped through the pages until shended on yet another tear-stained entry.


    June 6th, 1419. Berengar has canceled our trip to Istria, and by canceled, I mean he has chosen not to go with me. Instead, he is tasking my protection to his guards. It seems he wants little to do with me at the moment. I don''t know what is causing this rift, but I suspect it is my fault.


    I need some fresh air and a new perspective. Being cooped up in Kufstein all this time is starting to get to my head. This trip will be good for me; even if Berengar is noting, it should give me some time to think about everything that has gone wrong this past year.


    After reading this, Honoria smiled for a moment reflecting on the beautiful memories she made on the journey she had taken; she flipped the page and found her smile continuing to grow as she wrote about her trip abroad.


    July 27th, 1419. It has been almost a month since Ist saw Berengar, and I have made it to the shores of Aragon. The freedom of the sea and the experience I have gained by interacting with various cultures have given me time to understand myself and why my rtionship with Berengar is so toxic.


    Berengar doesn''t trust me, I have been lying about my identity for some time, and he knows. There is no other exnation. However, this is not his fault; it is mine, and mine alone. My insecurities, jealousy, and lies are what have created this rift between us.


    I do not doubt that Berengar''s child with Linde is already born, and he is probably delighted right now. It would be rude of me to barge in at such a time of happiness. So I have decided to write him a few letters, informing him of my journey and progress. Even though I know the guards he has tasked to protect me have been already notifying him, I feel it would be best if he heard from me directly.


    What we need now is space, so I will continue to write to him, and I will stay on my journey across the Mediterranean until I am ready to tell him the truth. Who knows what I might find!


    The following entry that Honoria flipped to was stained with her blood. After reading through it, a smile formed on her face, and she reflected upon that fateful day that had filled her with dreams and determination.


    September 3rd, 1419. Pirates have attacked my ship; luckily, the guards assigned to me could defend our vessel. So much so that we managed to board the pirate''s ship and wipe them out! I was forced to take up arms during the conflict and have sustained minor injuries.


    I have never felt so alive before! We plundered the pirate''s cargo and stole the Caravel they used! It is mine now; I have my own ship! Maybe I will form a crew of my own and sail across the sea, targeting pirates and brigands for their ill-gotten gains!


    I must thank Berengar for all the training he provided to me; I likely would have died in the conflict if not for him. I think I am ready to return home. Home? Is Kufstein my home now? I don''t even know the answer to that anymore; all I understand is that I have matured on this journey and now know what I want in this life.


    After reading this, Honoria turned the page; this entry was nk; she had not journaled since the moment she decided to return home. Now that she was in Kufstein, she felt it was the perfect time to get her thoughts into ce. As such she dipped her quill into ink before writing the newest passage to her diary.


    September 15th, 1419. Over a year has passed since I first arrived in Kufstein; I can honestly say that even though there were times where I was miserable, it was a far better experience than being locked up in Constantinople.


    I did not have the chance to meet with Berengar long enough to express my thoughts to him upon my return. However, he seemed to be generally happy that I was back. Considering we left on such bad terms, I was slightly afraid he would still be mad at me.


    A little break is all that we needed, and some time to clear our heads. However, I am ready now; I will tell him everything there is to know about me tomorrow. I will be frank about who I am, where Ie from, what I have be under his tutge, and what it is I desire in life.


    To be honest, I am quite frightened, but I will no longer live in fear of rejection; if Berengar epts me, it will be for who I am! I am no longer that scared little Princess locked away in her father''s pce. I am a sailor, an adventurer, and if Berengar thinks he can keep me locked up in his castle, like an obedient little princess, he is dead wrong.


    The worst thing that could happen is Berengar rejects me; if he does, I will pay him back for his kindness with the wealth I have gained from the pirates and set sail for unknown destinations. I have no idea what crew I will form or how I will go about it, yet I know in my heart that adventure and glory wait for me!


    After writing this, Honoria allowed the ink to settle before closing the diary and locking it shut. After doing so, she ced it within her underwear drawer andy down on her bed. She would need a good night''s rest if she were to talk with Berengar tomorrow about everything she hade to realize over these past few months.

 Chapter 268: Honorias Confession

    <h4>Chapter 268: Honoria''s Confession</h4>


    Berengar was within his study, it had been a year since Ad''s birthday, and he had made significant progress in this time. At the moment, he was drafting a new form of Naval Law, one that would prove vital to the uing war with the Vians.


    There was no doubt about it, rtions with the Republic of Venice had deteriorated to the point where war was inevitable, and frankly, Berengar did not have enough ships built yet tobat the threat of the Vian Navy.


    Thus he had a peculiar idea from his previous life in mind tobat the Vian menace. As he drafted this legition, he began to think about a particr candidate on his mind to fulfill the role. A bitter smile formed on his face as he reflected on his poor rtionship with Honoria.


    The past year his rtionship with the girl had been strained. A year ago, she imed she would tell him her identity, but the day never came, and the more he waited for the girl to be honest with him, the more his patience wore thin.


    If not for the trip Honoria had taken, Berengar probably would have done something reckless. However, when she returned after several months of absence, he felt as if the thing that had been missing from his life was finally fulfilled.


    He knew now that he had feelings for the girl, even if their rtionship was by no means healthy; he just wished the girl would reveal what he had long since found out about her. Though it was difficult, Berengar used his spies to procure the intel that the Princess had run away and was presumed dead.


    Throughout the past year, Berengar''s spies worked hard to track Honoria''s previous journey through the ck Sea and the Danube to Kufstein. Despite knowing the truth, Berengar had still waited for the young Princess to reveal her past on her own terms.


    The constant lies and the insecure jealousy she had shown when Berengar was with other women were part of why they had drifted so far apart. As Berengar thought about this, he drank from his skull chalice.


    Shortly after taking a sip of the fortified wine, he heard a knock on his door, and as such, he got up and opened it to find Honoria standing in his doorway with a flustered expression. Before Berengar could say a word, she grabbed ahold of him and kissed him on the lips passionately.


    Though startled, Berengar epted the gift and instead took charge as he showed the inexperienced Princess how the art of kissing was done correctly. After a few moments of intimacy, Honoria broke apart from Berengar; she was fully blushing at this point and muttered beneath her breath in embarrassment.


    "I love you..."


    Though Berengar wanted to tease the girl, he decided not to and instead led her into his study, where the two sat down across from each other. He could tell that this was a much-needed conversation and decided to be serious about it.


    Berengar poured Honoria a ss filled with the fortified wine and handed it to her before sipping on his own. The two of them drank in silence for some time before Berengar broke it.


    "I suppose you have something you want to say?''


    To this, Honoria responded; she took a deep breath before uttering the first thought on her mind.


    "I haven''t been entirely honest with you. My name is not Valeria, it is Honoria, and I am the Princess of the Byzantine Empire."


    After saying this, Berengar merely stared at her with a stoic expression, which got on the Princess''s nerves; she began to pout. Honoria had expected that Berengar would have a far greater reaction to such news; however, the way he was looking at her as if he did not care in the slightest irritated her, thus she began to voice her frustrations.


    "Well? What do you think?"


    Berengar ced his skull chalice on the table before revealing his thoughts to the young Princess.


    "I know, In fact, I have known for quite some time. If I am being honest, I have been waiting for you to tell me, but you just never did, even after promising you would do so. I suppose that is one of the reasons why I grew so distant to you; I don''t like being lied to by a girl I happen to fancy."


    Honoria was slightly shocked, though she had suspected Berengar knew the truth about her identity on more than one asion. She had always rejected such notions. Instead, she always thought that he was angry about her for lying about other things.


    After calming herself down by drinking more of the wine, she eventually began to speak her piece.


    "I have feelings for you, Berengar, even if we did not start on the right foot. However, I won''t lie to you; I don''t intend to stay trapped in Kufstein Castle for the rest of my life. I want to go out and explore the world and go on adventures.


    You asked me a year ago what my dreams were, and I havee to realize it. When I was gone, my ship was targeted by pirates; due to your guard''s assistance, we were able to repel them and even seize their assets. It was truly exhrating; for the first time in my life, I felt truly alive!


    I want a ship and crew of my own; I want to sail the sea and plunder the vessels of those who deserve it! However, I also want a safe ce to call home, and a man to hold me andfort me after Ie back from a long journey at sea. I want that man to be you, but if you are intent on keeping me locked up as you n for Linde and Ad, I can''t see myself agreeing to that."


    Hearing this, Berengar''s lips curled into a smirk, the look on his face greatly dissatisfied Honoria, that is until the reason for it was revealed. Berengar handed the piece of paper he had been working on earlier in the day to Honoria while remainingpletely silent.


    When Honoria gazed at the document in her hands she was baffled.


    "What is this?"


    Berengar leaned back in his seat before exining the details to the young Princess.


    "It is a letter of marque and reprisal. Essentially I am looking for experienced sailors to attack and capture the vessels of the nations that I am at war with. You may not be aware of this, but conflict is brewing with the Vians, and it won''t be long before a fight breaks out.


    I am not ready for this war; they have hundreds of Vessels and are cranking out their Caravels at a much faster rate than I can construct my frigates. So I need people like you, sailors who seek adventure and glory to work for me, and take care of my enemy, whether that be their naval or merchant fleets.


    It sounds to me like the perfect job for you, do you agree?"


    Upon hearing this, Honoria looked at Berengar with a gaze filled with affection and confusion; as such, she wanted to rify what Berengar had just said.


    "You want me to be a pirate?"


    Berengar shook his head and corrected her instantly. To him, there was a distinction between amon pirate and what he was asking her to be.


    "Privateer, essentially it is the same thing, but you have the protection of the Ducal Crown of Austria. You will fly my g on your vessel and have the full legal authority to attack my enemies. However, you are forbidden from attacking neutral parties; if you do so, you will be branded a Pirate and suffer the same fate."


    Honoria was shocked when she heard this. Such an idea did not exist until now, yet Berengar had essentially legalized piracy, at least to the extent of attacking his enemies. Which was more than enough to earn a fortune; if a war broke out with the Vians, one could be exceptionally wealthy by attacking their shipping vessels.?However, what Berengar said next shocked her even more.


    "As for a ship, I wanted it to be a secret, but I have begun the construction of a sloop of war for you as a birthday gift, I know it is still a few months away, but I assure you this 18 gun vessel is far superior to that silly Caravel you have captured from those pirates."


    Honoria gazed at Berengar with further astonishment; she instantly wanted to rify the issue at hand.


    "You know about my Caravel?"


    To this, Berengar simply smirked as he responded in a haughty tone.


    "Of course! Remember, my guards watched you the entire time; nothing on your journey happened that I don''t know about. I protect my women, and I can''t protect them if I don''t know what trouble they might be in. As you can see, I am very supportive of your dreams, you cane and go from Kufstein as you please, and I will be here for you when you desire to see me. However, I have two conditions for all of this..."


    Thest part of Berengar''s statement invoked Honoria''s natural curiosity; as such, she asked the question on her mind.


    "And that is?"


    Berengar began to sip from his chalice, finishing the fortified wine in the process; after wiping his mouth with a napkin, he informed Honoria of his condition.


    "As you are probably aware, I am a very jealous lover. As long as you promise to stay loyal to me, I will be more than happy to give you everything you desire. Of course, I would prefer if your crew was entirelyprised of women. I would not be able to sleep at night worrying about your safety surrounded by a bunch of scoundrels.


    As long as you agree to these terms, I will be more than happy to fund your adventures and give you all the support you need to achieve your dreams. So how about it, do you swear to be loyal to me as my woman and take up a crew of only women?"


    Upon hearing this, Honoria began to giggle; After a while, she sighed heavily before calming herself down.


    "You are such a hypocrite..."


    To this, Berengar merely smiled before expressing his views


    "Aren''t we all?"


    Honoria smiled and walked around Berengar''s desk before sitting on hisp and kissing him passionately once more. After releasing herself from his grasp, she nodded her head and spoke her mind.


    "Consider this my promise to you!"


    Afterward, she began to strip Berengar''s clothes while he removed her own. Before long, the two were enjoying the warmth of each other''s bodies. As Berengar took Honoria''s virginity, he gazed down at sight with a smile on his face before speaking his thoughts.


    "It is good to be the Duke!"

 Chapter 269: Plans for Independence

    <h4>Chapter 269: ns for Independence</h4>


    After spending the night with Honoria, much to the ire of Linde, Berengar had sessfully cemented his rtionship with the young Princess of the Byzantine Empire; as for his ns for her identity as a privateer, he decided it would be best for her to keep up the ruse of Valeria Zoanara.


    Berengar had even helped her create a convincing persona that others would not look into, the days of Lady Valeria of Antioch were long gone. Now Honoria pretended to be Valeria Zonara, an Orphan from Constantinople who grew up as a captive of pirates.


    For the next few days, Berengar had spent much time with Honoria. Now that they were a couple, he wanted to show her some love. As such he spent a great deal of time with the girl, going on dates, and taking her to bed.


    After a few days, Berengar got back to work; he had more important things to worry about. Thus while Berengar was working on expanding his navy topete with the arms race that had appeared with the Vians, Honoria was set to task recruiting an all-female crew.


    She had decided to promise wealth and glory to young women and girls who were down on their luck, orphans, prostitutes, bar wenches, any number of ordinary women who dreamed of a better life than what they currently had.


    As for Berengar, he was currently sitting in his study once more; while Linde was sitting in front of him with a scowl on her face. She was well aware of what Berengar and Honoria had gotten up to in the past few days, and she was displeased.


    Until now, she had Berengar entirely to herself, and though she knew eventually Berengar would marry Ad and sleep with her, she wanted to hold onto the fact that she was Berengar''s only partner for a bit longer.


    Seeing that his lover was upset over theck of attention he had given her over the past few days, Berengar began to tease the young woman.


    "You know, dear; you could always join us... Nobody is preventing you from climbing into bed with Honoria and myself..."


    By now, Linde thought there was no shameless thing Berengar could say that would make her embarrassed. However, when she thought of such a scenario, her mind went nk, and her porcin cheeks began to flush red with embarrassment.


    Seeing Linde was pondering the decision, Berengar merely chuckled before shifting the topic. Eventually, she woulde around to the idea. Out of all of the girls Berengar had by his side, Linde was by far the most open to new ideas.


    Even though he had not spent any intimate time with Ad and had just recently gotten to know Honoria in such a sense; he knew enough about their personalities that Linde would be the easiest to coax into group sex.? For now, he ced the document in front of Linde and smiled devilishly.


    "Your sister Adelheid has proven exceptional in counter-intelligence. The Emperor''s agents have attempted to infiltrate Innsbruck and sabotage the factories. Luckily she caught them before they could do any damage, and they have been interrogated extensively, confessing to their crimes.


    I will have them publically speak of their crimes and pin the me onto the Emperor and thus erode the confidence his vassals have in him. If he is willing to sabotage my factories out of fear of my rapid growth, then it has be apparent that the Emperor is my enemy.? A war for independence is inevitable, and I need to know that our Agents are up to the task."


    Linde looked at the report. Briefly, she was already aware of the issue as the Director of Intelligence and thus gave an honest situation report.


    "The Department of Intelligence has extended into Northern Italy, including Florence, where the Emperor resides. We can easily strike at him within his home territory. The real question is whether our armies are ready for war. I know you have 50,000 soldiers at the moment, nearly half a dozen vessels, and enough sailors and marines to arm them.


    But a war for independence against the Holy Roman Empire would drag the Italians and the Swiss into the conflict. We have no allies; what exactly is the timeframe for this war of yours?"


    To this, Berengar rose from his seat and walked over to the window, where he looked out upon the city he had created. After gazing into the distance for a few moments, he made his stance clear.


    "It is not as simple as you make it seem. When the war in Bohemia ends, the entire Catholic world will shift its attention onto us regardless of who wins. When they do so we will be beset by all sides by enemies, and few allies to call upon.


    To ensure our victory in the uing Crusade; My n is twofold. First and foremost, we can take a preemptive strike against the Italians, and by extension, the Swiss. We can wage war for independence against the Holy Roman Empire where we will destroy the Vian and Genoan Navies while crushing the Italian and Swiss armies in battle.


    If they are weakened before the Crusade is dered, we will have dealt with our two closest adversaries and have given ourselves a fighting chance..."


    After hearing this, Linde straightened her back and put down her wine cup. She provided her earnest attention to Berengar before asking the question on her mind.


    "What is the second part?"


    Berengar sighed as he heard this and pressed his forehead into his palm. Seeing that her lover was visibly stressed, Linde rose from her seat and approached Berengar''s back, where she began to rub his shoulders. While she was doing so, Berengar stated the second part of his n.


    "As for the second portion, I will not lie; it is going to be difficult; as you know I am far from a skilled diplomat, and this n requires effective diplomacy. Essentially we would need to secure alliances with the enemies of my enemies.


    In particr, I have my eyes on Iberia. Despite the ongoing Reconquista, the Catholic Iberians are a fiercely zealous people and would indeed send an Army into Austria. To ensure that they are preupied, I will have to travel to Granada and gain the support of the Moors who live there.


    This has its downsides, as such an action will only further justify the activities of the Vatican when they dere a Crusade against me, at least in the minds of the Catholics. Openly supporting the Moors against Reconquista will indeed invoke the ire of the Iberians.


    However, the benefits of this action are not just a matter of keeping the Catholic Iberians upied; building an alliance with the Emirate of Granada, who is inhabiting the Strait of Gibraltar, is crucial to my ns. As I will have a friendly nation in charge of the ess to the Antic."


    When Linde heard this, she was confused, she had no idea why Berengar would care about ess to the Antic, but she did not pay more than a second''s worth of attention to such a thing. Instead, she nodded her head in agreement.


    What Berengar said had made sense to her. Berengar was always a big-picture kind of man; he constantly plotted ten steps ahead of himself. While Linde was thinking of the short-term consequences of a war with the Emperor, Berengar was already nning for the uing Crusade, which they both knew loomed over Austria and Southern Germany as a whole.


    Linde ceased rubbing Berengar''s back as he turned around and faced her, cupping her beautiful face in his hands as he soothed her worries.


    "You asked me what the timeframe for my war for independence is? Within a year, I intend to have a Navyrge enough to contend with Italy. By then, my Army will have grown significantly more, and I will not have to fear thebined might of the Swiss and Italian forces.


    After we have crushed the Emperor and his allies, I will dere myself King of Austria, and in doing so, secure my independence. When that is over, I can hold my head high as I marry you, three girls, knowing that I am the sovereign of my realm."


    Hearing Berengar speak of his grand ambitions always made Linde excited; few men would have the courage to stare down the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in a war of intrigue, while preparing for a full-scale military conflict.


    Such boldness was attractive to Linde and affirmed her choice of partner. Even if she had to share Berengar with others, she did not mind; after all, Linde was convinced that one-day Berengar would be a figure remembered for all of history. In her eyes, it was better to be one of several wives that belonged to an extraordinary man than the single wife of a great man.


    With that said, Berengar had much to n for and little time to do it. As such, he dismissed Linde before getting back to work; he would have his fun with herter in the night. As for Honoria, she was free to join the fun, though whether she would do so was another story.

 Chapter 270: Preparing for a Journey

    <h4>Chapter 270: Preparing for a Journey</h4>


    The Emirate of Granada, thest Muslim Kingdom in Europe; In Berengar''s past life, fell to the Spanish in 1492; with the fall of Granada and having gained ess to the Strait of Gibraltar, the Spanish hired explorers to set sail for parts unknown.


    The results of this were the fact that a man named Christopher Columbus rediscovered the Americas after such knowledge was lost following Leif Erikson''s expedition to Vind. This discovery resulted in the expansion of European power and plenty of previously unknown resources finding their way into Europe.


    However, in this timeline, the year is currently 1419, and the Emirate of Granda is still standing. Compared to its Catholic neighbors, it has been dramatically weakened from centuries of warfare. Despite this, things were about to change for the tiny Muslim Kingdom on the southern edge of Iberia.


    Berengar had great ns in ce for Granada. To put it simply the mighty Duke of Austria needed allies, and to him, the enemy of his enemy was his friend. Considering how zealous the Iberian Catholics were, it only made sense to make use of their longeststing enemy. As such, Berengar had prepared a trade envoy with his new merchant fleets over the past few months, making waves within the Emirate.


    His intent was simple, establish diplomatic ties to the Emirate of Granada and arm them with sufficient weaponry. The purpose was to distract the Iberian Catholics when the time came for the Crusade against the German Reformation.


    After months of working hard to get the attention of the Grenada royal family, Berengar had finally caught their interest. At the moment, Berengar was seated on his Ducal Throne, where he read the letter in his hands.


    This letter was from Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl, the current Sultan of the Emirate of Granada. This document addressed the desire to meet with Berengar in person, and upon reading its contents, a delighted smile formed on Berengar''s lips.


    After months of hard work, he had finally gotten the invitation that he craved. As such, he was eager to set sail as quickly as possible. Due to the diplomatic nature of the visit, Berengar would not be taking one of his frigates on his journey to the Emirate of Granada.


    Instead, he would employ one of the many full-masted clippers he had designed for his merchant fleet. Such a ship was faster than any warship and would allow Berengar to safely reach the Iberian coastline even if he were pursued by hostile vessels.


    After reading the letter Berengar raised from his seat, he knew his faults in regards to diplomacy. He was an incredibly prideful man who did not tolerate ultimatums or threats. To such things his usual response was violence. Due to hisck of ability in regards to diplomacy, he desired to bring someone along with him who could effectively nullify his naturally brazen attitude.


    From what he knew, there was only one person he trusted to convey his best intent calmly and effectively. As such, he headed to his study, where he took out a piece of parchment and wrote a letter to a fifteen-year-old girl whom he had been neglecting for far too long.


    The letter was addressed to Ad, and for the first time, Berengar nned to use her natural talents. As such, he sent the letter to his young fiancee informing her of the desire to take her with him to the Emirate of Granada to aid him in his diplomatic efforts.


    It was also an excuse to spend some time with the woman who would be first among his wives. He quickly sent a letter exining his circumstances and the desire to meet with her in Trieste, where he nned to sail with her to Granada.


    After doing so, he immediately began to prepare for his excursion. The first matter of business was informing his two lovers of his departure. As such, he quickly left to find them; after searching around the castle for some time, Berengar found Honoria and Linde in his newborn daughter''s room.


    The two young women were ying with Hans and his little sister, who Linde had given birth to a couple of months prior. The little girl had a simr appearance to Hans, in so far that she had pale skin, strawberry blonde hair, and sapphire eyes.


    The infant child was no older than two months and was being exceptionally doted upon by both Linde and Honoria; as for Hans, he had begun to act up because he was not getting the attention from his mother that he had previously acquired.


    Hans had grown not only in body but in mind throughout this past year, he was over two years old now, and he was already beginning to read and write. He could speak in simple sentences and had disyed exceptional intelligence.


    So much so that Berengar was beginning to question whether or not the boy was reincarnated like himself. However, he highly doubted such a thing for one simple reason. Despite the boy''s high intelligence, he still behaved like a small child; he showed no sign of maturity and wisdom that a child with the memories of a past life would typically have.


    So unless this kid was the reincarnation of an evil mastermind who decided to behave like a small child to blend in, then the likelihood of him being a transmigrator was slim. Still ever being the cautious man, Berengar kept a close eye on Hans and his behavior while he was able to do so.


    After standing in the doorway for a few moments in silence, his two beautiful lovers finally noticed Berengar''s presence and beckoned him over to their side. However, the young duke merely shook his head before responding with his intentions.


    "I will be journeying to the Emirate of Granada for a diplomatic visit. I will be gone for some time; I just wanted to let you know. "


    Linde nodded her head as she heard this; she was aware of Berengar''s n to ally with Granada and was well prepared for his leave of absence. Honoria, on the other hand, stood up from her spot with sparkling eyes.


    "When do we set sail?"


    She had assumed that she would be tagging along, considering that she was an experienced sailor by now. However, Berengar merely shook his head before responding to Honoria''sments.


    "I am not taking you with me. Though you have begun to improve your acting skills, it is far too risky for you to follow me to Granada. If the Sultan were to find out about your identity, it could cause problems. For now, you should focus on finding your crew members. I promise I won''t be gone for long."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria began to pout in silence. She felt that Berengar was leaving too soon after mending the rift between them; especially after they had finally be an official couple. Nevertheless, she felt pleased knowing that no other woman would be apanying him, utterly unaware that Berengar intended to drag Ad along with him.


    After informing the two young women about his ns, Linde was the one to bring up a critical point of contention.


    "So if you are leaving tomorrow, then who will you spend yourst night with before your trip?"


    Honoria was also curious about this, and both of the girls gazed at Berengar with pleading nces. Upon seeing this, Berengar began to chuckle as he approached the two women and grabbed ahold of them each with one arm before dragging them into his embrace where he made sure to grab ahold of their bountiful breasts.


    "Is it too much to ask for both?"


    Linde began to blush and cast her nce to the side as she heard this; as for Honoria, she shoved Berengar away and crossed her arms before pouting. It would appear the girl would need more convincing before Berengar could coax her into a threesome.? When faced with such difficulties, Berengar gave his decree.


    "I guess I will have to go with Linde then; sweetheart, put the kids to bed, and then we can go have our fun."


    After saying this, Linde began to do as instructed, and Honoria scurried off in disgust. She was leaving Berengar and Linde behind with their two kids. As Berengar watched Honoria''s fine behind pass through the door, he called out to her.


    "You know where to find us if you change your mind!"


    However, Honoria said nothing in response to this and rushed towards her quarters. As for Berengar and Linde, they put their kids to bed before absconding to the bedroom, where the couple had their usual fun.


    The next day, Berengar would travel to Istria to meet with Ad and set sail towards the Iberian coast. He had plenty of work cut out for him if he wanted to seed in establishing an alliance with the Sultan.


    One thing was sure; he could finally spend some quality time with his future wife. He was ashamed that he could not spend as much time with Ad whenpared to the degree he spent with his lovers. Thus he looked forward to the uing diplomatic visit to the Emirate of Granada and hoped that Ad would too.

 Chapter 271: Arriving in Granada

    <h4>Chapter 271: Arriving in Granada</h4>


    The clear blue skies shone above the province of Istria. Within the city of Trieste, Berengar stood at the port. In front of him was arge three-masted clipper. This ship was a transport vessel Berengar used to sell his wares across the Mediterranean over thest couple of months.


    Though Berengar intended to create a massive Royal Clipper for his family''s travel in the near future, it was secondary to the concerns of establishing a Naval Armada and arge trade fleet. All he could do for now was to use one of his standard trading vessels that had beenpleted as his means of transport.


    Despite the fact that Berengar was inching ever closer to his dreams to discover the new world in this timeline, it would still be a few months before he was fully prepared for such a venture. Thus, Berengar intended to construct arge and powerful fleet before he ventured westward into unknown parts. At the moment, Berengar was working towards his other goal of independence by establishing an alliance with the Emirate of Granada.


    Not only were the moors who inhabited the region instrumental in distracting Iberian Catholics from joining in on the uing crusade against Berengar and his Duchy, but by providing them with sufficient arms to protect themselves against their Catholic neighbors, Berengar could dy the Reconquista.? With this, Berengar could prevent Spain and Portugal from bing significant rivals in the colonization of the new world.


    After gazing upon the mighty vessel with a sense of admiration, Berengar felt a pair of dainty arms wrap around him; these, of course, belonged to his future bride Ad. The young girl had grown immensely in the past few years since Berengar first arrived in this world.


    Though she was not as busty as Honoria or Linde, she had developed into a stunning young woman. Ad had a solid B-Cup-sized chest and a petite stature. She was slim, and in a way, Berengar found this quite appealing. If one were to have a harem of women, it would be ideal to have some variety.


    Ad was dressed in a sapphire blue dress with golden ents. The jewelry she wore was a mix of fine gold and sapphires, which highlighted her matching eyes perfectly. She still wore her twin-tail hairstyle, and Berengar found this to be quite adorable.


    After taking in the breathtaking image of his young fiancee, Berengar smiled before greeting the young woman.


    "You have truly be a gorgeous young woman Ad; I can hardly wait until the day we are married."


    Throughout these past few years, Ad had worked hard to be someone who could aid Berengar in his work as a Head of State. Thus she had be quite efficient in Diplomacy and Administration. Berengar was aware of her growth in these aspects and had personally requested her for this diplomatic visit to Granada.


    When Ad heard Berengar''s kind words, she bowed respectfully before responding with a formal greeting. After all, they were still in public, and thus she felt it inappropriate to refer to Berengar by his first name.


    "You honor me, your grace!"


    After their initial greeting was over, Berengar grabbed ahold of Ad and hugged her; he did not care for formal etiquette, especially when it was with one of the girls he loved. Ad, on the other hand, began to flush red with embarrassment, but she did not pull herself out of Berengar''s grasp; after all, she craved his attention, and now she was finally receiving it without any form of interference.


    After holding onto Ad for some time, Berengar whispered in her ear.


    "It''s been too long..."


    The couple shared the intimate moment for a few moments before Berengar finally broke away and got down to business.


    "Well, are you ready to depart?"


    To this, Ad nodded her head silently before her servants began to carry her luggage onto the vessel. Berengar walked alongside Ad while holding her little hand in his own as they stepped onto the ship that would transport them to Granada.


    After stepping onto the vessel, Berengar led Ad below deck where her quarters were awaiting her; while the two of them were on board the ship, the captain''s quarters were allotted to Berengar, and the first mate''s cabin was given to Ad.


    These cabins wererge enough to host a queen-sized bed within them; as for the ship''s captain, he stayed in one of the other cabins, and so too did his officers. After settling in, the boat began to depart. Berengar stayed within the saloon alongside Ad for the time being, where they continued to catch up on the events since theirst meeting, which was not long ago on her fifteenth birthday.


    Days would pass before they finally arrived in Granada; due to the unrivaled speed of the clippers, the journey from Istria to Iberia was substantially shorter than if they took one of the more contemporary vessels like the carrack or caravel.


    When the three-masted clipper finally docked at the port city of Motril, they did not stay long. Instead, they immediately got into a caravan and rode up to the capital city of Granada, where the Sultan and his family resided.


    After several days of travel, Berengar and his host arrived at the Granadan Royal Court, where the Sultan weed him with open arms. The man was even younger than Berengar, from his appearance, he was no older than neen.


    Hasan had recently inherited his position from histe father. He had a handsome clean-shaven face with lightly tanned skin and shoulder-length dark hair. The young man also had eyes the color of chocte.


    As the Sultan of Granada, Hasan was an ethnic Berber. Medieval Europeans used the term moor to describe a group of people from North Africa mainlyprised of a mix of Arabs and Berbers, and to a limited extent, their sub-Saharan African ves and mercenaries that were primarily taken from the areas that would be known in Berengar''s previous life as Mali, and Niger.


    Upon seeing the extravagantly dressed Duke of Austria enter through his Pce Gates, the man who ruled over the Emirate of Granada greeted Berengar in a traditional Imic fashion.


    "As-Sam-ikum, oh great Duke of Austria!"


    Though the man spoke in Arabic, Berengar had a trantor nearby, however much to the surprise of everyone present, Berengar returned his greeting with an appropriate response.


    "Wa-ikum-Sam, mighty Sultan of Granada."


    Due to Berengar''s tenure in Afghanistan, he knew a bit of the Arabic tongue. Despite the fact that Arabic was a minoritynguage in Afghanistan, Berengar had spent many of his years there learning thenguage.


    The reason was that it was a moremon tongue throughout the world than Pashtun or Dari, and thus after his service, he could potentially bring it into his professional life. Though it was a far more modern variant than the version spoken in Medieval Iberia; he could still vaguely get his words across.


    Ad was also surprised that Berengar seemed to know how to speak Arabic, at least to some degree, and gazed curiously at her fiance as he addressed the Sultan as if he were a long-lost friend.


    "When I received your invitation to visit your Royal Pce, I was quite excited. I think there is much our two peoples can aplish if we work together."


    Upon hearing this, Hasan began to chuckle and nodded his head


    "I look forward to discussing our people''s future together. Tell me, who is this beautiful young woman next to you?"


    Berengar grabbed ahold of Ad''s shoulder in response to the Sultan''s words and dragged her in close to him before dering her position in his life.


    "This is Ad von Graz, daughter of Marquess Otto von Graz and my fiancee. We will be married next year."


    The Sultan nodded his head as he heard this before responding to Berengar''s ims.


    "You are truly a lucky man, Duke Berengar; I also have a beautiful bride; it would appear that we have more inmon than I initially thought."


    After saying this, the Sultan personally led Berengar, Ad, and their host into his pce, introducing the magnificent structures and grandoise furnishings along the way. After a while, they stopped at the dining hall, where a meal was being prepared.


    "Come, sit, enjoy Dinner with my family and me; you must be starving after such a long journey."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar did not refuse, and as such, he nodded politely before pulling out Ad''s seat, allowing her to sit down at the table gracefully, where he then sat next to her. Before long, Berengar and his host as well as the Royal Family of Granada had gathered in the dining hall to share a meal.


    This would be the first of many discussions that would ur during Berengar''s visit to Granda. With Ad by his side, Berengar was confident ining to an agreement that would be beneficial to both himself and the Emirate of Granada. Though whether such an alliance would ur was yet to be seen.


    ---


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 Chapter 272: Negotiations with the Sultan of Granada

    <h4>Chapter 272: Negotiations with the Sultan of Granada</h4>


    Berengar and Ad sat at the Sultan of Granada''s table, enjoying food that was unique to the culture. Berengar had never tasted such delicacies before, and as an avid foodie, he was enjoying it to his heart''s content.


    On the other hand, Ad was slightly worried at the gazes she was receiving from some of the more traditional members of Hasan''s dynasty. The unwee looks afforded to her resulted from Berengar''s refusal to force his young fiancee to wear a hijab; it was a matter of principle to him.


    Hasan was far more secr than many of the people in Granada, and because of this, he had allowed Ad to walk around freely in his territory without some form of face covering. In his eyes, she was a Christian woman and a diplomat, and it would be rude of him to force such traditions on foreigners like the Austrian host.


    Thisck of devotion to the traditions and the Imic faith was a point of contention among many other members of Hasan''s dynasty, and they had begun to plot in the shadows against the young Sultan.


    Though alcohol was not served at the feast, Berengar enjoyed himself nheless. He took a break from the roastedmb to discuss matters of importance between himself and Hasan. After all, a banquet was an excellent opportunity to discuss business.


    "Tell me, your majesty, what is the current situation like with your neighbors? I have heard that the Iberian Catholics are attempting to conquer Granada. All I hear is Catholic propaganda about how it is a matter of time before Granada is reimed for Christendom, so I would like to hear your opinion about the ongoing war efforts."


    While Berengar spoke in German, his words were tranted to Hasan by a trantor hired by the Royal Court of Granda for this special asion. Likewise, Berengar himself had a trantor to convert the Arabic words of the Sultan into German so that he could adequately understand them.


    The differences between modern Arabic and Medieval Arabic were too significant for Berengar to ovee; after all, he was not even fluent in the modern dialect.? Thus the conversation between the two men was carried on by the duo of trantors that both parties had hired.


    Hasan was willing to meet with Berengar because he was aware of the German Reformation that Berengar had spurred and that he was enemies with the Catholic faith; in a way, they held simr positions.


    Surrounded by hostile neighbors, relying on their means to defend their territory, they would be natural allies if they weren''t so far apart. However, Hasan was not willing to reveal theplete difficulty he was facing against the Catholics of Castille, Aragon, and Portugal.


    The reasons for this were rtively simple; for starters, he was currently negotiating an agreement with Berengar. The benefits he could obtain were purely based upon the show of force he could provide. In reality, his position was rtively poor, barely holding onto the territory he currently had.


    However, he would never reveal this, and as such, the young Sultan proudly dered his armies'' capability.


    "Despite being surrounded by enemies on all sides, we are holding out well enough. This is a war against our faith, and the soldiers of Granada will never fall so long as they have faith in Ah!"


    Berengar nodded when he heard this; he knew that the Sultan would never ept Christian soldiers on hisnd as military aid. However, Berengar did not n to do such a thing, as it would be an open deration of war against the Catholic world; instead, he touched upon the weakness of Granada that he knew they were facing.


    "That is good to hear; I would be beside myself if your mighty Kingdom fell against those self-righteous Catholics. Tell me, how are your logistics? Are you able to properly supply your soldiers with food, water, and arms? If not, I would be more than happy to provide material support for your cause."


    When the members of Hasan''s dynasty heard this, they were surprised. Berengar may not be a Catholic, but he was still Christian; the idea of a Christian ruler aiding the Muslim Kingdom against other Christians was practically unheard of; at least when it came to European affairs.


    The Sultan began to discuss among his advisors such a possibility before asking for rification. After several moments of discussion where Berengar and Ad were merely eating their meal in peace, Hasan began to ask some of the questions on his mind.


    "You would provide us material aid? In what way?"


    A smirk began to curve itself upon Berengar''s lips when he heard this, the Sultan had taken the bait, and as such, he could start to negotiate on his terms.


    "I can provide arms, armor, and even food. You will not need to worry about supplies taking months to arrive; my transport ships are the fastest in the world and can sail from Trieste to Motril within a matter of days."


    The Granadan host was shocked to hear this, such speeds were unheard of in this period, yet it was confirmed that they had arrived in Granada rtively quickly. As such, the Sultan contemted upon this for a few moments before asking another one of his questions.


    "When you say arms, what exactly would you be willing to provide us with?"


    Berengar drank from the chalice that was filled with water, quenching his parched throat and washing down the roastedmb before responding to this particr question. His answer, if agreed upon, would change the bnce of power within Iberia. After taking his sweet time to respond, Berengar wiped his mouth with the napkin before doing so.


    "I can provide you with pikes and arkebuse firearms for your infantry; in terms of artillery, I can assist you with falc cannons; these are weapons of my invention that fire a one-pound cannonball.


    Despite its small size, it can bring down a castle wall far quicker than traditional siege methods if used inrge numbers or repeated barrages. If necessary, I can even send some of my officers to advise you on the tactics and strategies needed to wield such weapons properly."


    While the two men were conversing their negotiations, Ad was observing; she watched the reactions of the other members of the Sultan''s dynasty. Though it went unnoticed by both Berengar and Hasan, the worried expressions on their faces did not get by Ad''s sharp gaze.


    She could instantly tell that something was going on behind the scenes of the Sultan''s family, and whatever it could be, it did not bode well for Berengar and his ns. As such, she decided she would properly inform Berengar of these issues when they were alone.


    Ultimately the Sultan decided to halt the negotiations; for now, such a substantial promise of support would have to be thoroughly considered; after all, the man was sharp and was not desperate enough to ept such lofty conditions without thinking it through. Thus he announced his decision while maintaining the dignity of a Sultan.


    "Your words intrigue me, but I will need some time to consider your offer; in the meantime, feel free to treat my home as if it were your own. I look forward to our further discussions on this matter."


    Berengar smiled and nodded before taking a drink from his chalice. He knew he would not reach an agreement at the first discussion. Thus he was well prepared for this. The shifty gazes of Hasan''s family did not go unnoticed by Berengar. However, he assumed they were simply nervous about dealing with an infidel, and thus he let it pass for now.


    After finishing the meal, Berengar, Ad, and their host were led to the quarters allotted to them during their stay. Upon entering his room and lying down on the bed, Berengar heard a knock on his door. He quickly got up from his short rest before opening it, where he noticed Ad standing with a worried expression.


    "Can Ie in?"


    Berengar thought about it for a moment before silently nodding his head and allowing the girl entry to his room. After doing so, he shut the door and sat down on his bed, where he beckoned his future wife to sit by his side.


    Ad followed as instructed, and after a few moments of silence, she revealed the thoughts on her mind to Berengar.


    "Something is going on with the Sultan''s family. I may not be as talented in the affairs of intrigue as Linde, but I can tell they are plotting something behind the Sultan''s back. If you wish to secure this Alliance with Granada, it would be wise to investigate this conspiracy silently.


    If they n to assassinate Hasan, then you need to prevent it by any means necessary. Not only is this likely to foster a friendship between you and the Sultan, but it will also secure his power in the region."


    Berengar was shocked when he heard this; however, he noticed their nervous expressions; though he did not even think of such a possibility, thinking back upon their looks disdain when the Sultan entertained Berengar''s idea of support, it started to make sense.


    Luckily for him, Berengar had brought several members of his intelligence agency; the reason for this was simple, Linde wanted to keep an eye on him if he did something foolish like flirt with the princess of Granada.


    However, the Sultan''s sister was wrapped head to toe in a burka, and Berengar could not lust for her. As such, Berengar and Ad had begun to intertwine themselves with the affairs of the Royal Granadan Court and would soon be involved in a grand conspiracy, one whose plot had yet to be revealed.


    ---


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 Chapter 273: Conspiring Against the Sultan

    <h4>Chapter 273: Conspiring Against the Sultan</h4>


    Late into the night, there was a secret gathering of high-ranking officials within the Emirate of Granada. The Sultan''s brother and several advisors were gathered in a part of the Castle where they discussed their treasonous thoughts in hushed voices.


    Yusuf Al-Fadl was the younger brother of the Sultan; however, in his mind, his conspiracy that he had established was not a matter of session; it was a matter of faith. As a religious fundamentalist, he had seen both his elder brother and his father before him spiral into damnation by secr rule.


    The fact that Hasan entertained the idea of military aid from an infidel while feasting on pork and drinking wine in his spare time was bad enough; however, the Sultan had allowed Ad, a woman, to walk around uncovered, in his eyes, it was simply disgraceful, and the Sultan''sck of faith had gone too far.


    As such, he was quietly conversing with his co-conspirators in a hidden passage within the Castle of Granada. Beside him was the Marshal of the Realm, the Spymaster, and the spiritual advisor who happened to be a high-ranking Imam.


    Their reason for the gathering was simple; now that a foreign Christian ruler was staying within the Castle, they had finally found a scapegoat to pin their plot to assassinate the Sultan on. This scapegoat also acted as the perfect way to establish a theocratic caliphate within the territory of Granada.


    Yusuf was the first to voice his concerns to his fellow conspirators.


    "Hasan must die! In particr, he must die while this infidel of a Duke stays within our territory. If we can me him as the assassin, then we can rally the faithful against the idea of Christian intervention in ournds and establish our Caliphate once and for all!"


    The Imam was the next to voice his discontent with the current situation.


    "The Sultan has gone too far, he allows a woman to walk around freely without escort, and she is even left uncovered; such sphemy can not be tolerated! We must remove Hasan as quickly as possible!"


    The other conspirators nodded their heads in agreement upon hearing this. All of these men were a part of the Imic Fundamentalist faction. They were willing to die to see the secrism they viewed as cancer upon their realm thoroughly removed from society.


    Ultimately, the Spymaster came up with the first n to assassinate the current Sultan of Granada; in his hands was a vial of clear liquid; it was an odorless and tasteless poison that Berengar had once used on his father''s Marshal.


    "This is a lethal concentration of the poison known as arsenic; if we put it in Hasan''s wine, he will never know that he devoured it. After he is dead, we can me the poisoning on this Duke Berengar from Austria! We won''t need to fabricate too much evidence; after all, the people will easily buy the idea of a Christian assassinating the Sultan!"


    On the other hand, the Marshal disagreed with this point, why assassinate the Sultan with poison when they can get one of the house guards to kill him. As such, he voiced his disapproval of this n immediately and offered a counter solution.


    "Poison has a chance of failure; a loyal soldier with a de is more likely to seed. We should utilize one of the members of the House Guard who swears loyalty to the faith to kill the Sultan, then nt the bloodied de among Berengar''s possessions. This way, there is irrefutable "proof" that the Duke of Austria is responsible for the Sultan''s death!"


    Upon hearing two potential options for assassination, the leaders of the conspiracy began to fight among themselves to determine the most effective solution to their current predicament. While these men bickered among themselves, they werepletely unaware that they were being observed by a pair of icy blue eyes not far away.


    After Berengar and Ad finished their chat, Berengar immediately set his agents to task with infiltrating the Castle and spying on the most likely suspects of the conspiracy. After dressing in all ck and waiting for the night, the agents began to blend in with the dimly lit corridors and sessfully followed the conspirators to their meeting ce.


    The men who nned to assassinate the Sultan had no way of knowing that everything they said was observed and documented by this Austrian agent. While this agent watched the conspirators, the men involved continued to fight among themselves until they reached a decision. Yusuf was the one to finalize the decision, and as such, spoke with authority on the matter.


    "We will use poison to eliminate the Sultan silently; then we will nt a vial of the substance among Berengar''s belongings. He will bepletely unaware that we are framing him and will make the perfect scapegoat. Tomorrow night, at the negotiations, we will enact our n. The royal cupbearer will be alerted of our decision and will spike Hasan''s drink with the poison."


    Despite the earlier disagreement, all of the men present nodded their heads in affirmation of the plot to assassinate the Sultan and, shortly after that, departed from the scene of their conspiracy. It was only after they all had left that the agent scurried back to Berengar''s quarters, triple-checking along the way to make sure he was not observed.


    After the coast was clear, he knocked on Berengar''s door in a specific way that symbolized he was a member of Berengar''s Intelligence Agency. He then slid the document that he had written recording the Conspirators'' conversation underneath the door.


    Afterward, the man disappeared into the darkness and returned to his quarters; his actions werepletely unnoticed by the Conspirators. As Berengar read the information, he had a smile on his face before lighting the note ame with a candle.


    If things turned for the worst, he did not n to have written evidence of the conspiracy to assassinate the Sultan, even if it were in the form of recording the actual conspirator''s conversation. Thus Berengar hatched a n to spend the next day alongside Hasan and closely watched him to make sure that none of the assassination plots that had been hatched against him came to fruition.


    Granada was crucial to his ns for the future, and he could not allow it to fall into a state of Imic fundamentalism. At this moment, he began to hatch a goal to investigate and reveal the conspiracy between the Sultan''s brother and several of his councilmen. By doing so, he hoped to gain the favor of the Sultan and forge an alliance between the two.


    After thinking of his n, Berengar went to sleep; for the first time in a long time, he was utterly alone at night, making him quite irritable. Eventually, the dawn rose, and Berengar was up bright and early; as usual, he was awake long before the members of his house were.


    Thus he got out of bed and decided to go for a walk. He traversed the Castle''s grounds before stumbling upon Hasan awake and hard at work in his study. Interestingly enough, the man had the same habits as Berengar, awakening early and getting to work as soon as possible.


    As such, Berengar knocked on his door, which altered the man to his presence. The moment he looked up and gazed upon Berengar''s figure with a look of confusion on his face, he inquired about it.


    "Duke Berengar, what are you doing up so early? Did you not sleep well? Was there something wrong with your amodations? If they are not to your liking, I can have them changed immediately!"


    To this, Berengar merely shook his head before responding to the young Sultan with a smile on his face.


    "On the contrary, I was quite pleased with the room I was provided with; it was extremelyfortable. I wake up at this time every day, where I usually get some exercise in before getting straight to work."


    Upon hearing this, a smile formed across Hasan''s face as he got up from his seat and greeted his guest.


    "We truly do have much inmon."


    In response to this, Berengar nodded his head before asking the Sultan the question on his mind.


    "Would you like to join me? I know a few exercises that are great for your health; like I always say, "a healthy body creates a healthy mind!"


    Thinking about it for a few moments, Hasan eventually smiled and nodded before speaking his thoughts.


    "Sure, I was not involved in anything too important anyways."


    The Duke of Austria and the Sultan of Granada went for a run; afterward, they began to do pushups, situps, squats, and pullups. By the time they were done with the morning exercise, Hasan was exhausted and in dire need of something to eat. Berengar and Hasan sat down at the breakfast table, covered in sweat, waiting for the morning meal to arrive.


    With this small action, they had taken the first step to friendship.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 274: Assembling a Crew I

    <h4>Chapter 274: Assembling a Crew I</h4>


    While Berengar and Ad were away at the Royal Court of Granada, Honoria was tasked with another objective. To put it simply, the runaway princess turned Privateer Queen was in the middle of searching for a crew.


    At the moment, she was within the City of Kufstein; as per usual, she was nked by Berengar''s guards and protected from any possible threat. The beautiful white-haired princess was no longer dressed in some extravagant noblewoman''s dress.


    Instead, she was dressed in something loosely resembling the naval uniforms Berengar had provided to his sailors. His sailors were dressed like the old Elizabethan Seadogs from his previous life. However, Berengar had custom-designed uniforms for Honoria and her crew rather than have them outright cross-dress.


    When designing Honoria''s privateer attire, Berengar wanted something lightweight,fy, and easy to move around in. Ultimately, what he created for her was a pair of slim ck velvet breeches with minor golden embellishment and a couple of thigh-high ck leather boots.


    For her upper attire, she wore a charcoal gray silk shirt with a ck velvet jerkin that was designed for the female body; this jerkin was slightly embellished with golden embroidery. Honoria did not feel like wearing a hat most of the time, but it would be a matching cavalier hat when she did.


    Honoria also wore a ck leather baldric that contained a frog for her sword scabbard to be attached to and a holster that held her four-shot repeating flintlock, which was based upon the Belton Flintlock action from Berengar''s previous life.


    These weapons were an enormous expense to produce, but Berengar had opted to outfit her and her crew with such expensive and effective weaponry for Honoria''s safety. After all, if they ever found themselves in close quarter''sbat with men, they would be at a severe disadvantage. Thus he felt the need to equip them with multi-shot weapons.


    While Honoria was walking through the city of Kufstein, she noticed a young girl slightly younger than herself being forced to sweep outside a run-down shop. The girl had a pitiful look in her eye, and at the moment, there were a series of screams going on within the shop.


    From one nce, Honoria could tell this girl was in some trouble and thus opted to approach her. However, despite doing so, the girl refused to look up from the ground as she swept. That is until the door mmed open, and a young man in extravagant attire walked out with a slip of paper in his hands.


    This young man had a smug grin on his face as he boldly announced to the girl in front of him the fate that awaited her.


    "Your parents have decided to pay off their debt to me by selling you into my service."


    However, after saying this, the girl refused to do as she was told and continued to sweep outside the shop. She was aware that so long as the Duke''s guard were nearby, no harm coulde to her, even from the hands of a nobleman.


    The man had not seen Honoria or her guards. Instead, he was too focused on the young and cute girl who had taken his fancy. When the girl did not go willingly with him, the man resorted to violence. Hetched upon her wrist and tried to force her away.? Immediately the young girl resisted, and for doing so, the man pped her across the face and began to raise his voice at the girl.


    "You belong to me now! You are nothing more than a ve that I have purchased for my amusement, and you will do what you are told!"


    When Honoria heard this, she began to frown and instantly approached the man. She was greatly displeased with this scene. For starters, Berengar had outright banned very; it was illegal and carried a punishment of twenty-five years to life.


    There were many reasons for this, but to put it simply, Berengar wanted to avoid the centuries of domestic issues that followed American very in his previous life. Thus by holding what was little more than a very contract in his hands and boldly dering that the young woman belonged to him, he wasmitting a serious offense.


    Secondly, Honoria was against the idea of treating women as nothing more than ves; after all, she had been lucky with Berengar, who allowed her a much greater degree of freedom than women of the period were typically allowed. Thus when she approached the man, she was far from in a diplomatic mood. Without even addressing the man, she ordered her guards at once.


    "Guards, arrest this man! He has openly stated that he is engaging in very, and Duke Berengar has made his stance on such immoral acts abundantly clear!"


    The moment the young nobleman heard this, he turned around with shock in his eyes. He had not even noticed Honoria or the guards nearby. By now, everyone in Kufstein was aware that Berengar had taken a white-haired beauty from the Byzantine Empire as a lover. As one of Berengar''s women, Honoria held the authority to order her guards to act in such a manner.


    The man immediately tried to dere his innocence. However, the guards grabbed hold of the man and sequestered him.


    "You don''t understand! This is not very! It is a simple business transaction; the girl will work off her parent''s debt to me until it is fully repaid!"


    However, Honoria was not buying hisme excuse and instead looked at the contract given to her by one of the guards who had seized it from the young nobleman. After reading it thoroughly, Honoria stated the conditions of the contract.


    "In return for absolving the Schneider family of their debt owed to Oswald von Fieberbrunn, Landolf Schneider agrees to sell his daughter Elfrun into the service of Oswald von Fieberbrunn in perpetuity... A lifetime of service to a master that sounds like very to me!"


    The man''s eyes shrank as he heard this. This deal was supposed to be silent and secret, yet by chance, one of Berengar''s lovers was walking by with her guards and witnessed the whole thing. He could be facing a minimum period of twenty-five years in abor camp while, the maximum sentence carried for very was life imprisonment, which meant that he would be forced to work in back-breakingbor until he died.


    Despite his Noble Status, under Berengar''s legal reforms, he was not afforded any special treatment regarding thew; as such, the man was terrified of the oue and began to panic. However, he was restrained well by the nearby guards who awaited the arrival of thew enforcement officers to take the man into custody. With no other options, the man began screaming at the young girl he had attempted to buy in a fit of fury.


    "You bitch! You better pray I never escape! For if I do, you will die a bloody death!"


    There were several eyewitnesses to this man''s response, and he had foolishly just stated intent to murder the victim of his crime. Thus, to make an example of him and all potential vers. Berengar''s courts would eventually use this as an excuse to throw the book at the man and keep him in abor camp until the day he died.


    Though the man''s family would protest these actions, there was nothing they could do in response to the overwhelming power Berengar held. After all, they were a minor noble family climbing the socialdder due to the wealth they gained from owning a few small businesses in Kufstein.


    After the man was dragged away in chains by thew enforcement agents, Honoria approached the young girl named Elfrun, who was in tears. She was thankful that her life had been spared from a horrific experience of sexual very.


    However, she alsomented the fact that her family was willing to condemn her to such a cruel fate due to their debt to the minor nobleman. With no options, the girl began to despair, and Honoria knew this to be the case. As such, she presented a viable alternative to the girl.


    "You are a free woman now, and thus the choice of what you do in the future is up to you, but if I were you, I wouldn''t want to stay with a family who so easily sold me into very either."


    As Elfrun wept, she spoke the thoughts on her mind to the beautiful andforting young woman next to her.


    "I have nowhere else to go, but I can never look at my parents the same way after this!"


    With a gentle smile on her face, Honoria sped the girl''s shoulder, causing her to look up at her with shock. Honoria proceeded to drag the girl into her arms and hugged her while stroking her long dirty blonde hair.


    "If you have nowhere else to go, then you can join me. I am putting together a crew to set sail across the Mediterranean; adventure and glory await. Are you up to the task?"


    Upon hearing this, Elfrun had a glimmer in her eyes; the offer enticed her, and as such, she swallowed her tears before nodding with firm resolve. Such a fate was better than lying around in Kufstein waiting to be sold off to another man.


    "Aye..."


    With that said, Honoria had gotten her first crew member, she just needed a few dozen more, and she would have a full-sized crew to man her future Sloop of War. Of course, training these wenches to be an effective Privateer Crew was another story entirely.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 275: Conspiring against the Conspirators

    <h4>Chapter 275: Conspiring against the Conspirators</h4>


    After eating breakfast with the Sultan of Granada, Berengar took his morning bath. Though the bathhouse in the Castle of Granada was better than most, it still failed topare to the borate design that Berengar had made for himself.


    However, it was enough to get the job done, and after finishing his bath, Berengar got dressed in his extravagant attire before regrouping with Ad. The young woman looked visibly stressed as if she had been contemting what actions to take during the entirety of her sleep.


    Nevertheless, Berengar grabbed ahold of his little fiancee and shoved her into his arms as he stroked her silky golden hair. The girl had just left her quarters before running into Berengar, and as such, she was curious about the intelligence Berengar could collect in the previous night.


    As such, she looked around cautiously to make sure nobody else was nearby before asking the question in her mind in a calm voice.


    "What did you find out?"


    Berengar nuzzled his cheek against her to put on a show of affection. If anyone were secretly watching their moves, they would think the two were embracing each other like a couple usually did. After getting close to her ears, he whispered to his little fiancee.


    "It is worse than we thought, Yusuf the younger brother of Hasan, and at least three of his ministers are involved in a plot to assassinate the Sultan and pin the me onto us. They intend to create a theocratic Caliphate here in Grenada."


    Though Ad was shocked to hear this, she yed the part of a fiancee who was being doted on by her future husband, and as such, she did not make any facial expressions to indicate her true feelings.


    "When do they n to do it?"


    Berengar danced around with Ad slightly as he kissed her forehead before speaking further about the ns.


    "Tonight at Dinner, they intend to poison Hasan''s drink. The cupbearer is part of the conspiracy. I have already dispatched my agents to gather more intelligence; we can not allow this to unfold."


    After saying this, Berengar broke away from the long hug and held onto Ad''s hand tightly while acting as if they were not just conspiring.


    "Well, my love, I think it is time for you to get some breakfast. I have already eaten with the Sultan, but I will apany you anyway."


    With this, Ad nodded and followed Berengar to the Dining Hall, where the rest of Hasan''s dynasty were busy eating breakfast. As for Berengar, he silently observed the discussions that were taking ce at the table.


    After a while, the meal was over, and Ad and Berengar were free to return to their business. Berengar searched for the Sultan and eventually found him in his study once more. As such, Berengar decided to investigate whether Hasan knew he was being conspired against. Thus, he shut the door behind him as he began to question the young Sultan in a not too obvious way.


    Berengar had brought his trantor with him, though the topic they would be discussing was confidential, the man who Berengar used as a trantor was from his own court, and was someone Berengar could trust with critical information. As such he began to speak with Hasan while his words were tranted into Arabic.


    "Pardon me if it is not my ce, but I get the feeling that some of your ministers are not exactly wee to the idea of me staying here..."


    When Hasan heard this, he began to frown, not over Berengar''s choice of words, but because Berengar was correct when he said that; as such, he sighed heavily before resting his face in his hands. It was only after a few moments that Hasan began to speak.


    "My brother is a deeply religious person and is foolish enough to believe that the Imams should run the state. I do not know where he got such beliefs.


    What I know is that he is deeply disturbed by our family''s more secr nature as rulers. Thus, he has been conspiring with my more fanatical advisors for some time. I fear eventually they will make an attempt on my life.


    I am sorry to trouble you with such things. I suppose you also must have a hard time at home; after all, you are one of the figureheads of the German Reformation, and there must be diehard Catholics who surround and scheme against you..."


    Berengar sat in front of the man and took out a sk from his pocket and took a sip from it. The Sultan eyed the sk thoughtfully as Berengar did so; seeing the hopeful expression on the man''s face, Berengar plugged the sk and tossed it over to him before exining its contents.


    "It is a fortified wine; we make it in Southern Tyrol. It has be one of my favorite drinks."


    The man quickly took off the sk''s cap before smelling it; after doing so, he had a taste; when he did so, his eyes began to shine with excitement before he took another swig. After drinking his fill, he handed the sk back to Berengar, which was half empty, and Berengar merely chuckled in response.


    "You like it, huh?"


    To this, the Sultan nodded his head before sighing heavily.


    "It is a damn shame I can''t drink openly; the more faithful of my followers would be disgruntled if they saw me doing such a thing..."


    In response to this, Berengar took another swig before addressing the Sultan''s previous concerns.


    "I can''t say I had issues with fanatical Catholics in my ranks. I did a thorough purge of such people during my rise to power. They were removed from their positions of power and reced with like-minded people.


    If what you say is true, the Fanatics in your Court are already plotting your death. I would be careful if I were you; anyone who remotely disfavors your secr nature could be a threat. Tell me, who in your Court would youbel as a fanatic?"


    Hasan thought about it for a few moments before he came to a sudden realization. Among all of the members of his Court, few looked fondly upon his secr rule; most of them were religious fundamentalists. As such, he quickly began to write down a list of potential suspects and their upations.


    Among the members listed were his brother, most of his advisors, his cupbearer, his cooks, and even two of his wives. He began to be filled with paranoia as he thought about these people as potential assassins.


    Eventually, Hasan looked up at Berengar with a look of panic in his eyes, which slowly began to turn into a look of terror.


    "What do I do? Any one of these people who are close to me could be a potential assassin!?!"


    Berengar''s lips began to curve into a wicked smile as he began to fill the Young Sultan with ideas of tyranny. As such, he took a sip from the sk once more before speaking the thoughts on his mind.


    "Anyone, no matter what their rtion to you, who is a potential threat should be removed from any position where they could endanger your life. Your cupbearer, for example, I see you have listed him as a potential threat. What if tonight is the night he slips poison into your chalice?


    Several of your cooks are listed as well; they could easily poison your food without you realizing it. Your Marshal? He can rally religious fundamentalists in your army to attack you personally. The captain of your house guard? He can turn them against you at any time.


    What you need to do is remove these people immediately while surrounding yourself with allies. I do not mean to suggest surrounding yourself with sycophants who tell you what you want to hear; they are equally dangerous. You need people to support you, people who share your vision.


    There must be some people in your Court who believe in your cause. I find it hard to believe that your father could rule for so long as a secr ruler without being assassinated if everyone in this Kingdom is a religious fundamentalist like you have surrounded yourself with.


    You should make a list of your loyal followers, men who would kill and die for you, and have them remove every person on this list tonight at dinner. If necessary, do not be afraid to shed blood. Do not partake of the food or drink until you have secured your position. That is my suggestion."


    Hasan took Berengar''s words to heart but did not immediately proceed to implement them into action; instead, he looked at Berengar with a gaze of confusion before asking the question on his mind.


    "Why are you willing to help me to such a degree, we barely know each other, and wee from two different worlds."


    Berengar''s expression sank to one of pure coldness as he addressed the young Sultan over his concerns.


    "I have seen men of every denomination kill and die in the name of their religion. These men should never be afforded a position of power; it only brings death and destruction to every poor soul caught in their wake.


    Though I have not known you for long, I can tell you are a man capable of bringing your people into a new golden age, one where a man isn''t persecuted by the faithful because he views the world through a different lens than religion.


    The path to power is filled with the corpses of your enemies. If you do not have the stomach to do what is necessary, then one day, the enemies surrounding you will seed in iming your life. You asked why I was helping you? You could say it is because I would rather not see the potential of a great man snuffed out by religious fanatics."


    With this said, Berengar raised from his seat and approached the door; it was only after he had grasped upon the knob and began to open it that he revealed thest part of his train of thought.


    "For the record, I killed my brother when he made an attempt on my life; if only I had done it sooner, I might have saved myself from the loss of my right eye. Learn from my mistake, and spare yourself some suffering..."


    After leaving behind his message, Berengar left the Sultan''s study and allowed the young man to dwell upon their discussion. Whether or not Hasan would be able to survive the night depended entirely upon how he proceeded with the information Berengar provided him.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 276: Purging the Opposition

    <h4>Chapter 276: Purging the Opposition</h4>


    The time had finallye; once more, Hasan had thrown a giant feast to celebrate the arrival of his guests from the East. Those guests, of course, were Berengar and his host. At the same time, Hasan sat at the head of the table with his first wife and his family gathering beside him. Yusuf sat at the other end of the table with his allies nearby.


    Berengar and his host were caught between two factions vying for power in the middle of the table. He did not know whether or not Hasan had taken their conversation seriously, but either way, he would be in for a good show tonight.


    Berengar had decided to take a gamble and allow the young Sultan to grow as a ruler. Thus aside from having his guard nearby to protect the lives of Ad and himself, Berengar nned to sit back and watch the show.


    He was not nervous in the slightest. However, Ad was having a difficult time sitting still. She was filled with anxiety and feared the potential of the Sultan being poisoned, and she and Berengar taking the me.


    Seeing his fiancee getting fidgety, Berengar grabbed ahold of her hand and whispered to her with a voice filled with confidence.


    "Rx... Everything is going to be fine."


    Upon feeling the warmth of Berengar''s hand, Ad began to calm down; she closed her eyes and took a deep breath while gripping Berengar''s hand tightly. As time passed, the food was eventually brought to the table, where Berengar and Ad waited for the Muslims to say their prayers.


    After that was over, Berengar eyed Hasan with hidden intent; while doing so, the cupbearer was beginning to pour Hasan''s wine. Though Berengar had not outright said that the chalice would be poisoned, he heavily implied it. Thus, he hoped that the young Sultan would not be foolish enough to take a drink from it.


    After catching Berengar''s gaze, Hasan nodded in return which signaled to Berengar that everything was going to be okay. Seeing this, Berengar began to rx his grip on Ad''s hand slightly. Instead, he began to drink from the fruit juice which was poured for their consumption.


    He knew his ss would not be poisoned; after all, he was the scapegoat the conspirators intended to implicate in their crime. Thus he took a heavy swig before cing the chalice down. After doing so, Hasan tapped his goblet with a spoon gaining everyone''s attention before giving a speech.


    "I would like to make a toast to our guests from Austria. I see great things happening between our two realms shortly. They have journeyed a long way to help us in our time of need, and as such, I would like to personally thank Duke Berengar for the assistance he has provided me during his stay."


    When these words were spoken, Yusuf and his allies looked at each other with troubled gazes; they did not know precisely what Hasan was referring to. However, it did not matter; in the end, Hasan would still be poisoned, and Berengar would take the me, or so they thought. After saying his piece, Hasan lifted his ss in the air and said the final words of his toast.


    "To a new golden age!"


    Berengar quickly raised his ss and replied before drinking its contents. As for Hasan, he did not take a drink from the ss and instead ced it on the table, still filled to the brim. In doing so, Yusuf and his allies became rmed; Hasan was supposed to drink the fruit juiceced with arsenic, yet he had not done so.?As such, Yusuf began to put on the facade of a concerned brother as he asked Hasan the question on his mind.


    "Dearest brother, is your stomach upset? Why do you not drink after your toast?"


    To this, Hasan merely sneered as he pushed the ss across the table, sliding it over to Yusuf without spilling a drop. After doing so, he gazed at Yusuf with an intimidating re.


    "Brother, prove your loyalty to me and drink from this chalice. After all, if you truly supported me, you would be happy to make sure that I am not about to be poisoned, would you not?"


    The moment Hasan said this, Yusuf''s eyes opened wide in shock, as did his allies. Yusuf began to protest as he tried not to drink from the chalice that he knew was poisoned.


    "I would not dare drink from the Sultan''s prized chalice. It would be disrespectful."


    In response to this, Hasan smiled cruelly and spoke his mind.


    "I am afraid I am going to have to insist."


    Immediately after saying this, the young Sultan snapped his fingers; in doing so, the house Guard who were present immediately restrained Yusuf and his allies at the table, as well as the cupbearer who poisoned the drink.


    While Yusuf struggled desperately from the grasp of the house guards who held him in ce, one of the men loyal to Hasan had a wicked smile on his face as he picked up the poisoned chalice and forced its contents down Yusuf''s throat.


    Within seconds Yusuf began to foam at the mouth as he broke out into seizures, eventually passing away on the spot. Upon seeing this, the women present started to shriek in horror, including Ad, who was sitting next to Berengar. Berengar, of course, was enjoying the sight as if it were the most entertaining show he had ever watched.


    After Yusuf''s body copsed onto the floor, Hasan gave a new decree to the guards present who were loyal to him.


    "My brother tried to poison me! The men who sit next to him conspired against my life so that they could usurp my position! Kill them all!"


    With this said, the house guards unleashed their des as they began to ughter the religious fanatics whoprised Hasan''s royal court. Immediately a spear was thrust through the back of the marshal where it protruded through his chest. Blood spilled onto the table as the spymaster gazed in horror at the sight, however before he could react his jugr, and carotid arteries were cut open by another man loyal to the Sultan.


    As this was going on, Berengar''s guards surrounded him and Ad forming a wall of steel around their master and his fiancee to protect them from the chaos. They wielded their muskets with bays affixed in all directions, prepared to kill anyone who decided to harm them.


    As for Hasan, he sat down at the table and began to dig into the food; seeing the banquet host taking the first bite, Berengar followed suit. In the middle of the bloodshed, two rulers partook of the meat on the table as if the gruesome sight did not cause the slightest bit of difort.


    Before long, the guards had cleared the dining hall and had begun to spread through every corner of the castle, killing everyone on the list of names that Hasan had written as a potential assassin within his court. Sounds of steel shing with steel resounded as the royal guard began to fight among themselves.


    Those loyal to Hasan had been alerted of this event beforehand and were adequately armed and prepared for the ughter. Yusuf and his allies had no way of knowing that Hasan had the guards loyal to them taken off duty for the night and reced with those loyal to himself. After all, chainmail veils covered all of their faces.


    After ughtering the opposition at the dinner table, the loyal guards proceeded to the rest quarters of the disloyal guards and began to kill them in their sleep. Some had woken up due to the sounds of chaos and prepared themselves, but it was not enough to spare their lives.


    While Berengar dined upon the roastedmb, hemented on the vor as if the bloodbath transpiring around them was non-existent.


    "I will tell you one thing,mb is the king of all meats, and your chefs know how to prepare it wonderfully!"


    Hasan sighed upon hearing this before responding with a dejected expression.


    "It is a pity most of my kitchen staff are going to be purged tonight..."


    Berengar merely nodded his head upon hearing this and responding in an equally depressing voice.


    "It is a pity indeed..."


    Ad was in the middle of her seat, freaking out; she had never seen such violence and brutality. It was shocking for her; as she began to panic, Berengar grabbed ahold of her hand and tried to calm her down.


    "Rx, sweetheart; everything will be fine!"


    Ad unknowingly began to scream at Berengar as she raised from her seat.


    "Fine? How can you call this fine!?! How are you so calm in a situation like this?" How can you still eat despite all this bloodshed! I think I am going to be sick..."


    After saying this, Ad leaned over and hurled up the contents of her stomach; the sights and smells were too much for her fragile mind to handle. Berengar deeply regretted bringing her along; such a sight was something he never wanted her to witness.


    Berengar sat Ad down next to him and began to rub her shoulders as heforted her. Her gaze was affixed on the floor below, too frightened to look up at the savage disy that surrounded her.


    "If I had known things would end up like this, I would have never brought you here, Ad; I am truly sorry. However, I am a man who has fought on the front lines of war; this is trivial topared to what I have witnessed."


    While he wasforting Ad, one of Hasan''s wives pulled out a dagger from her dress and charged at the young Sultan. However, before she could reach him with her de, one of Berengar''s guards lowered his musket and fired a golf ball-sized hole through her chest, killing her on the spot.


    A few of the other guards immediately lowered their rifled muskets as well, presenting a threat to the Sultan''s other wives. Upon seeing this, Hasan was shocked he knew some of his wives were among the opposition, but he never thought they would dare kill him. As such, he wiped the sweat from his brow before addressing Berengar.


    "Thanks... If not for your warning, or your men, I would have died tonight."


    Berengar shook his head; he was stillforting Ad when he spoke to Hasan and thus was rtively calm about the whole thing.


    "Not a problem... So I have to ask what happens now?"


    As the screams of the ughter continued in the background, Hasan began to speak of his ns for the future.


    "In the uing days, I will purge the opposition from my army when only men loyal to me remain among its ranks; we can discuss the military aid you offered. I owe you my life, and a military alliance between our two kingdoms is the least I can do to repay you."


    While listening to Hasan''s ns, Berengar poured some of his fortified wine into his chalice; after Hasan and was finished speaking, he lifted the goblet in the air and spoke the words.


    "A sam ikum."


    In response to this, Hasan raised his new chalice as well before responding with the phrase


    "Wa-ikum-Sam"


    the purges of the Kingdom of Granda would go on for a few more days. Thousands of conspirators from every facet of society and those loyal to them would be ughtered by Hasan as he solidified his power as the Sultan of Granada. After all, not all of the religious fundamentalists who wanted Hasan removed were stationed in Granada.


    By the end of this event, Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl would reign supreme in the Emirate of Granada, and in doing so, provided Berengar with a valuable ally in Iberia. With Berengar''s interference, the era of Secr Rule in Granada had truly begun.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 277: You are Right, it is Not Meant to Be

    <h4>Chapter 277: You are Right, it is Not Meant to Be</h4>


    A week had passed since the fateful night where Berengar convinced Hasan to purge his Kingdom of the faction of religious fanatics who intended to overthrow his legitimate and secr government in favor of a theocratic Caliphate.


    During this time, Berengarforted Ad over the overwhelming stress and anxiety she felt during the purge. As a show of thanks to Berengar''s support, Hasan had given Berengar a beachside Vi off the coast of Gibraltar. This beachside house was delivered in perpetuity to the von Kufstein Dynasty as a show of friendship.


    While Hasan was busy purging the remaining opposition forces within his Kingdom, Berengar watched Ad y on the beach while sipping on a ss filled with fortified wine. For the first time since Berengar had transmigrated to this world, he was finally able to see a pretty girl in a bikini. That''s right, knowing that he would be traveling to Iberia, Berengar purposely had a bikini made for Ad.


    Because Berengar had yet to develop the process for creating nylon and other synthetic materials, Berengar could only resort to using natural fibers like Hemp. Hemp was breathable and dried quickly; as such, it was a good substitute for nylon when making swimwear. In fact, he was wearing modern-style swim trunks fashioned from the material.


    The fresh air of the Mediterraneanbined with the fun of the beach had begun to lift Ad''s spirit after the brutal ughter she had witnessed. Considering that arge chunk of the beach was reserved for Berengar and his Dynasty''s private use, there was not another person visible for several hundred meters.


    Ad''s bikini was sapphire in color like her eyes, and she was pretty embarrassed while wearing such little clothing. However, Berengar had assured her it was only natural to wear light clothing on a beach, and considering she did not know any better; she decided to trust him. Which speaking from a modern perspective, this was the truth.


    Besides, even if she could not admit it, it was exciting to be alone with Berengar and catch his fancy without any other girls interfering for once. As such, she began to construct a sandcastle on the beach while Berengar watched her with joy.


    It was not until some timeter that Berengar''s fun was interrupted by a messenger on Horseback. He had ridden from Granada to give Berengar a letter. As Berengar opened the letter and read its contents, his smile began to fade, and he nodded at the rider before sending him back to his master. Berengar quickly approached Ad informing her of the business at hand.


    "Looks like our little vacation is over. Now is the time to return to Granda and discuss the terms of our newfound alliance with the Sultan."


    Upon Hearing this, Ad''s eye began to show panic, and Berengar understood why, after witnessing such a horrific scene, Ad had no desire to go back to Granada; the very thought of it could induce panic attacks. As such, he hugged the girl who was beginning to breathe heavily and stroked her golden hair.


    "It is fine, you can stay here and enjoy the beach, but I have to go. I will make sure some of my guards stay behind to protect you."


    Despite Berengar''s kindness, Ad shook her head and steeled her resolve. She responded to Berengar with a look of great determination in her eyes.


    "I will not be your burden! You asked me toe with you to ensure that your diplomatic efforts seed. Even though I can''t do much, I can still make sure you remain calm if things get heated. So despite my misgivings, I will apany you; after all, I am your wife!"


    Berengar''s jaw nearly fell agape as he heard this; all he could think of in his mind was one simple phrase.


    "This girl is too cute!"


    With that, he picked Ad up and carried her princess style back to the manor, where they began to separate so that they could change into the appropriate attire. After doing so, they stepped out of the Castle and entered the carriage prepared for them by the Sultan.


    After traveling for a few days, they finally arrived in Granada, where Ad had difficulty stepping out of the carriage and into the Castle. Berengar grasped onto her shaking hand as he led her into the Castle; thankfully, any sign of the massacre that had previously taken ce here was thoroughly cleaned up, as if it had never happened, allowing Ad to breathe easily.


    After traversing through the Castle into the Sultan''s great hall Berengar and Ad stood before the Sultan of Granada, who stood up from his seat and approached Berengar while smiling. Hasan grabbed ahold of Berengar and hugged him as if he were a long-lost brother; after a few seconds, he let go of his grasp and began to speak to Berengar about what had happened over thest week.


    "My friend! It is great to see you; I can assure you that the fanatics who oppose my rule have been eliminated, there is no threat to my power left within my Emirate, and it is all thanks to your advice. If I did not have you to guide me, I would have been killed on that dreadful night.?I hope the vi was to your liking?"


    In response to this, Berengar smiled and sped the man''s shoulder as he nodded his head with a smile on his face.


    "It was wonderful; you have a beautiful country, I and I look forward to spending much of my future at the Vi you have provided my family and me!"


    Hasan smiled and nodded as he spoke to Berengar.


    "Excellent! Excellent! I knew you would enjoy it; again, I am so sorry you had to witness that barbaric disy. I assure you, I am taking every precaution to appoint loyal andpetent subjects as you have advised. Now we can discuss matters of State without the interference of those fanatics!"


    Berengar walked by Hasan''s side, and Ad followed behind the two men as they chatted. Berengar fully announced his ns for the future of their two States.


    "I will be frank with you, Hasan; within a year, I intend to be fully independent of the Holy Roman Empire, establishing the Kingdom of Austria. The Emperor plots against me, and I can no longer remain loyal to a man who would try to sabotage my people''s wealth and happiness over religious differences.


    More than anything, I need an ally, someone dependable, someone like-minded, and someone with the potential to grow alongside me. I suggestprehensive trade agreements between our two kingdoms to expand our wealth further, but more importantly, a powerful military alliance between our two States.


    I can supply you with arms, armor, and munitions at a discounted price and even provide you with military advisors for five years so that your troops can be fully equipped with the knowledge and resources to defeat your enemies.


    In return, all that I ask is that if I evere into a situation where I am incapable of defending my borders by myself, that you aid me. In return for this, I promise to do the same for you, my friend."


    When Hasan heard this, he was pretty shocked. Berengar was making quite arge request of the Sultan. However, the Sultan also knew that Berengar''s armies were among the best in Europe. As such, he was interested in the offer and thus voiced his concerns on the matter.


    "When you say you will provide me with arms, armor, and munitions, I assume you are not referring to the ones that your army utilizes."


    Berengar began to chuckle as he heard this and responded honestly.


    "You would be correct; I won''t lie to you; I intend to maintain the stranglehold I have over advanced military technology. However, what I can do is provide you with the arms, armor, munitions, and tactics I have sold to the Byzantines."


    Hasan''s interest grew further when he heard this. What Berengar had offered him was a far better deal than what Berengar gave the Hussites. While Berengar officially had no ties to the Hussites, Hasan was not foolish enough to believe Berengar was innocent of what he proimed himself regarding the war in Bohemia.


    The fact that Berengar was willing to provide the same level of assistance to Hasan that he offered to the Byzantines proved that the young Duke was sincere about the alliance with Granada. After all, the Byzantines had begun to make significant advances into Egypt and Lybia throughout thest year, mainly due to Berengar''s equipment.


    After hearing this, Hasan sighed and voiced his concerns over the arrangement.


    "Normally, an alliance like this is sealed with marriage..."


    Before Berengar could allow Hasan to finish the statement, he interjected.


    "Don''t even think about it. I already have three women; if I add another one, I am almost certain at least one of my girls will kill me in my sleep!"


    Hasan began to chuckle at this response and gazed over at Ad, who was pouting silently to Berengar''s words. There was no denying it; the fury in her eyes showed that two other girls were already her limit as the main wife. Ad outright refused to allow Berengar to take in some Moorish whore as yet another bride to be.


    Seeing the terrifying look on Ad''s cute little face, Hasan sped Berengar''s shoulder and sighed.


    "You have my sympathies, my friend; I too know what it is like to have one of your wives make an attempt on your life. Fine, forget what I said; since I owe you my life, this request of aprehensive alliance between our two realms is a small thing to ask. We will draft a mutually beneficial treaty for our people, and I will be more than happy to sign it! It is just a shame..."


    Berengar was smiling throughout Hasan''s response, but when he heard thatst part, it made him instinctively curious, and as such, Berengar asked the question on his mind.


    "What is?"


    Hasan chuckled as he heard this before replying.


    "My little sister is quite beautiful and in need of a husband. Oh well, I guess it is not meant to be..."


    Hearing this, Berengar nearly cursed under his breath, but he felt the murderous gaze of Ad watching over his every move and thus sighed instead.


    "You are right; it is not meant to be..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 278: The Kings Sorrows

    <h4>Chapter 278: The King''s Sorrows</h4>


    Aubry was back at the Pce in Paris; his father, King Gilles de Valois of France, was currently in the process of scolding the errant Prince. For the past year, Aubry had been fighting alongside one of his lovers, the Duke of Burgundy, against the English invasion.


    Rumors began to spread of the Holy Maiden of France, and they had inspired a fighting spirit within the French people. As such, the French had started to make significant gains; that is until now. The Duke of Burgundy had made a shocking announcement on this day. He would be seceding from France and pledging his support to the English Crown.


    Few knew the actual reason for him doing so, and it had begun to cause spection within the French Royal Court as to why the Duke would suddenly turn sides despite the French beginning to gain the upper hand in the conflict.


    The reason for this was quite simple, the Duke of Burgundy found out that Prince Aubry was cheating on him with a total of four other lovers, feeling betrayed and outraged that the young man he had pledged his love to was such a filthy slut, the Duke of Burgundy dered open rebellion against the French Crown.


    Because of this, France had once more begun to enter into a state of defeat, as they were now being attacked on both sides by their enemies, splitting their armies in two tobat the new threat from within.


    Gilles was one of the few men aware of the reasoning for the Duke of Burgundy''s betrayal, and he only had one person he could me. That being His errant son who liked to dress up as a woman and get rammed by other men. Seeing his son kneeling before him, who looked prettier than his daughter, caused Gilles to spit upon the youth in disgust.


    "Your degeneracy truly knows no bounds, my son. I would have thought that you learned your lesson by now, but you can''t behave yourself, can you?"


    Aubry had a calm expression; he had been in this situation many times before, and as such, was well aware that his father''s punishment would never be too severe. Thus he merely sat there stoically waiting for his father''s critique of his behavior to end.


    "Do you not have anything to say for yourself? Are you not sorry for the damage your actions have caused? The lives that have been lost? Do you have any idea what you have done to this Kingdom!?!"


    With each question the King asked, his tone of voice grew more furious, and so too did it be louder. Still, Aubry did not speak a word while being scolded in such an outrageous manner. Sibi, on the other hand, gazed at Aubry from the other side of the chamber. She was Aubry''s elder sister and the only Princess of France.


    Though nobody knew it, it was precisely her fault that Aubry turned into a crossdressing freak. She had always been envious of Aubry''s natural beauty, even when they were children, and as such, she had spent a great deal of time dressing Aubry up in girl''s clothes and putting makeup on him.


    Eventually, such behavior influenced the boy into the young man he had be. Even she was amazed at the body count Aubry had behind him. Princess Sibi was by no means pure, despite being unmarried, but she was far from as experienced as Aubry was.


    Such a thing was another point of contention in her heart, as more than once, guys she wanted to get with passed her by so they could sleep with her crossdressing little brother. After all of this, Aubry was somehowbeled the Holy Maiden of France and caused such a huge fiasco.


    She was both impressed and envious of Aubry''s talents in attracting men. As such, she merely sat by and watched with glee as her younger brother was scolded for his lecherous actions that had led to the Duke of Burgundy acting in rebellion.


    Eventually, the King sighed heavily before calming himself down. He rested his head within his hands beforeing to a decision.


    "I have no choice but to send you to the frontlines again, you will bring back the head of your former lover, or you will never be allowed to return to this Pce. Do I make myself understood?"


    Aubry snickered as he heard this lenient sentence for his crimes and responded to his father like an obedient child.


    "Yes, daddy..."


    The King''s skin instantly crawled when he heard this; every time his son referred to him in such a manner, it made him want to cut his own ears off. Aubry needed to be taught a proper lesson, but he simply did not have the heart to be so cruel.


    Aubry raised from his position and left the Great Hall, leaving the King alone with his only daughter. Sibi immediately began to chastise her father for being so lenient with Aubry.


    "Tsk...tsk...tsk... The King of France is being lenient on his children once again. Do you ever wonder if that''s the reason we all turned out so sinful?"


    The moment she said this, the King''s expression worsened as he heard his equally as disappointing daughter enter the fray. As such, he responded with a weary face.


    "Sibi, my only daughter, don''t you have something better to do? For example, you could be skinning a puppy or pushing a baker''s son into the oven at this very moment. Anything other than giving this old man even greater heartache."


    Sibi immediately began to protest as she heard this


    "Ughh, You push the baker''s son into an oven one time, and you never live it down! No father, I do not have anything better to do at the moment besides watch you p Aubry on the wrist for causing the Duke of Burgundy to rebel against you!"


    The King immediately began to fire back at Sibi''s response as he began to chastise her as well.


    "Don''t even get started with me, youngdy! You have caused your fair share of internal rebellion! Remember the time you caused the Duchy of Aquitaine to side with the English because you nailed the Duke''s scrotum to his bedframe!"


    As Sibi heard this, she began to giggle wickedly; she hadpletely forgotten about the incident and began to mock the events.


    "Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Of course, it was his fault, he told me I couldn''t make him cry in bed, and I took that as a challenge!"


    The King of France began to sigh once more as he heard his daughter''s reasoning for her actions. Sometimes he swore that God was punishing him by giving him, such wicked children. Aubry was a lustful crossdresser, and Sibe was a violent psychopath. His other two children were not much better, one was azy glutton, and the other was a greedy coward.


    He could swear that if he ended up having seven children, they would each be the personification of at least one of the seven deadly sins. He had no idea how his children turned out so horrible; maybe Sibi was right, perhaps he was a terrible father who allowed them to get away with too much mischief.


    As he thought about such things, Sibi began tough once more before speaking the thoughts on her mind.


    "Do you actually trust Aubry to lead an army against the Duke of Burgundy? I mean, he will probably just end up sleeping with all of his Knights. To think that the legendary Holy Maiden of France is nothing more than a perverted prince! It is hrious, isn''t it?"


    At this point, the King had suffered enough of his daughter''s torment and got up from his seat before pping her across the face.


    "Get out of my sight!"


    In response to this, Sibi snarled at the King as if she were some wild beast before turning away and walking towards her room, leaving the King of France alone on his throne, thinking about how he had managed to screw up so much as a father, and as a King.


    Aside from his wayward children, there were several other things that the King had beenmenting as ofte. The war against Ennd would not be ending any time soon, and none of his children were up to the task of leading the armies against the invaders. His most excellent General had just turned against him because of his son''s scandalous actions, and now he was left with a war on Three fronts.


    The English invaded from the North and the Southwest, and now he had to fight the Burgundians in the Southeast. Things did not look like they could get much worse. He knew that when the English King heard about thistest betrayal, he would beughing up a storm at the misery and humiliation that the French Royal Dynasty had suffered on this day.


    As such, the French King had turned to his most recent pastime, the method that most depressed people used to get through the day. Thus the French King poured himself a chalice filled with wine and began to drink his sorrows away.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 279: Alliance of Gibraltar

    <h4>Chapter 279: Alliance of Gibraltar</h4>


    At the moment, Berengar and Hasan were sitting across from each other in the middle of the Vi that had been given to Berengar. The two men had a scribe draft up a copy of the alliance agreement that was to take effect between the two Realms.


    Berengar and Hasan sat for several hours and debated the uses and stiptions added to the treaty. By the time the sun began to set, the document was drafted in its final state and was fully agreed on between the two parties. After several re-readings to ensure that everything was one hundred percent correct, the two men signed it into effect.


    This was more than a mutual defensive pact; what the two rulers signed wouldter be known as the Alliance of Gibraltar. This treaty stipted several essential factors, one of them guaranteeing independence between the two realms.


    The other portions of the treaty included a mutual defense pact, and aprehensive trade agreement, to ensure the prosperity of both nations. After it was signed intow, Berengar had done the unthinkable. A Christian Duke had established a long-term alliance with a Muslim Emirate.


    As part of the trade agreement, Berengar would supply the Emirate of Granada with arms, armor, and munitions at a discounted price of 25%. It was a better deal than he was giving the Byzantines, and though Hasan was not aware of this, he did suspect it.


    Berengar''s reasoning for this was simple, the Byzantine Empire was mighty enough without his weapons and could be a bulwark against his enemies. Inparison, Granada was pretty weak, and as such, Berengar had to bolster their strength as quickly as possible if they were going to prove to be a menace to their Catholic neighbors when the time for it was needed.


    After signing the defensive pact, Berengar pulled out a bottle of fortified wine and opened it on the spot, pouring it into a pair of crystal sses. Though Hasan had previously seen such prominent ssware in the market, as Berengar had already begun trading in Granada, he did not own a set himself.


    After swirling the red liquid in his cup for a few moments, Berengar sniffed the aroma that the alcoholic beverage provided before taking a sip from it. He swirled it around his tongue for a few moments before swallowing it and exhaling as he did so.


    "Wine does not get better than this..."


    Hasan began to drink from his ss simrly; he seemed to enjoy the product. As he swallowed from the cup''s contents, he exhaled before eximing the thoughts in his mind.


    "I trust that this wine will be included in our trade agreement."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar broke out intoughter and made a jest towards his new friend.


    "Of course! Though I doubt it will sell well in Granada. After all, it is forbidden in your holy book to drink alcohol."


    Hasan also began to chuckle as he heard Berengar''sment. However, he knew that there were still plenty of men who drank wine, and as such, he decided to inform Berengar of this.


    "That is true, and most people adhere to such strict principles. However, there are still quite a few among us who love the taste of wine. I assure you, those noblemen who care for such things will pay a premium to get their hands on this."


    After hearing this, Berengar nodded before drinking from his ss once more; after he finished sipping on the fortified wine, he agreed to sell the product in Granada.


    "Well, if that is the case, I will have no problem selling you this wine. Of course, I have plenty of other types of alcohol if you are interested, some are even stronger than this...:


    After Hasan heard this, his eyes nearly jumped out of his sockets; this was already stronger than any drink he had ever tasted, at least in terms of alcohol content. He had trouble believing Berengar''s words.


    However, the next moment Berengar pulled out a small bottle filled with an amber substance; it was some of the whiskey he had been distilling in Kufstein for some time now. After pouring the beverage into a small shot ss, he downed it in one go. Berengar proceeded to directly pour another one for Hasan with a cruel smile on his face.


    However, Hasan did not know what Berengar was nning and instead was looking at Berengar as if he were an idiot. When he saw the minuscule amount of liquid Bernegar had provided him, he could not help but be offended.


    "My friend, is this a joke, or are you just being stingy?"


    As Berengar heard this, he had a wicked grin on his face as he challenged Hasan to drink it whole.


    "If you can drink everything in that small ss in one go without choking, I will give you five whole bottles for free; how about that?"


    Seeing Berengar just downed the contents of the small ss as if it were nothing, Hasan felt pretty confident, and as such, he smiled at Berengar before grabbing ahold of the shot ss and dumping the contents down his throat.


    The moment he did, he instantly regretted it as he felt all of the cells in his mouth immediately dehydrate. As Hasan choked on the liquid for several moments, Berengarughed and pped in the background.


    While the two men were having a foolish bet, Ad was down on the beach below, ying with the crabs on the beach. Berengar asionally watched her do so, and he was not the only one. Hasan was surprised that she was wearing so little clothing.


    After all, she was dressed in the hemp bikini Berengar had made for her, and as such, the young Sultan was attracted to her. Noticing his Hasan''s gaze, Berengar snapped him out of it with a sharp response.


    "Don''t even think about it..."


    Hearing the chilling tone in Berengar''s voice, the slightly intoxicated Sultan realized he had done wrong and apologized.


    "I am sorry, it must be the alcohol; that is some wildly strong shit! Still, I have to ask, why do you let your woman dress in so little clothing?"


    Berengar merelyughed at thisment as he responded to Hasan''s inquiry.


    "Because I enjoy the sight. Also, she''s on the beach. What else is she supposed to wear? There are few better sights in this world than a pretty girl in a bikini!"


    Hasan had no idea what a bikini was, but he could guess by the context of Berengar''s statement that it was the item of clothing that Ad was wearing. As such, he thought of a brilliant idea.


    "How much for these bikinis? I want some for my wives!"


    Berengar chuckled in response to this; few men could resist the allure of a pretty girl in a bikini; as such, Berengar decided to do Hasan a favor.


    "Send me your wives'' measurements, and I will be happy to get a few of them made for your women. I will send them with the next shipment to Granda for no extra charge."


    Hasan immediately began to smile as he decided to drink more whiskey. He could already imagine what his beautiful wives would look like in such little attire.


    After drinking for a while longer, Berengar and Ad began to see Hasan off. The man was reasonably intoxicated at this point and looked at Berengar with fondness.


    "Until we meet again, my friend, it is just a shame you have to return to your home so soon!"


    Berengar nodded and sighed.


    "I enjoyed the time we spent together; I look forward to your future visit to my homnd. When you arrive, I can show off all of our cuisines; I am sure you will enjoy it."


    With that said, Hasan got into his carriage and began his journey back to his home in Granada. As for Berengar and Ad, they would be sailing back to Kufstein in the following morning. As such, Berengar wanted to spend a little bit more time with his fiancee.


    Berengar grabbed ahold of Ad''s dainty hand and led her down to the beach. Where the couple walked along the soft sand barefoot while gazing up at the moon and the stars above, Berengar had a lot to say on his mind to the girl before they returned home, and would not see each other for some time, thus Berengar immediately stopped turned around, and looked Ad in the eyes while conveying his thoughts.


    "I am sorry..."


    Ad was slightly confused when she heard this, and as such, she asked for rification.


    "For what?"


    Berengar sighed heavily before revealing the regrets he had contained deep within his heart since the first time he cheated on his little fiancee.


    "For starters, I am sorry I am such a piece of shit. We were engaged and set to be a happy couple, and like every rtionship I have ever had with another person, I had to fuck it up. I couldn''t keep my urges to myself, and I slept with Linde, then I lied to you repeatedly about it.


    When my lies were finally exposed, you stuck beside me, and I ended up repaying your kindness by taking in another girl before I ever had the chance to be with you. I know it doesn''t change anything; I have to take responsibility for my actions after all. I just wanted you to know that I am sorry for treating you so poorly and forcing you to go along with my selfish desires."


    Ad looked at Berengar with aplicated gaze; she took this statement as Berengar''s way of admitting he had already slept with Honoria, which she did not know about until now. As such, she looked away from Berengar before asking the question on her mind.


    "Berengar, be honest with me; why did you take me on this trip? You seemed to have handled everything on your own the entire time..."


    Berengar sighed before gazing off into the moonlight; after doing so for a few moments, he smiled bitterly before revealing his thought process on the matter.


    "I wanted to spend some quality time with you. Since you departed from Kufstein, I have not spent as much time with you as I would have liked. I honestly had no idea we would be caught in a conspiracy and have to witness such horrific scenes. I am sorry for that as well; if I had known such a thing would have happened, I never would have brought you here."


    Ad sighed heavily before lying down on the beach and staring up at the stars. Berengar took the hint andy down next to her, where Ad grabbed ahold of his hand and said with a bitter smile on her face.


    "One more year... Just one more year, and we can finally get married..."


    Berengar could see the tiny tear forming in the girl''s sapphire eyes as she said this, and as such, he forced a smile upon his face as he spoke the truth.


    "I look forward to it!"


    After saying that, the couple had a long conversation on the beach; What exactly was said on that fateful night has been lost to history. However, one thing was certain the rtionship between Ad and Bernegar improved afterward.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 280: Gods Gift to the World

    <h4>Chapter 280: God''s Gift to the World</h4>


    Weeks had passed since Berengar returned to Kufstein, and during this time, he had been focused on expanding his naval capacity. Compared to the Vian Arsenal, he stillcked output, even though he had three shipyards equal in scale, if not more significant.


    The reason for this was simple, ack of experience on the part of the workers who created the ships from the prefabricatedponents. The Vians had centuries of experience building vessels, and as such, they could crank out a single ship every day.


    Whether or not they could manufacture the cannons necessary to equip these vessels was another story. After all, they were using rtively small-bore primitive bronze cannons at this point. Bronze is a much rarer material than Iron, and of course, more expensive. The Vian warships alsocked broadside cannons, with their armaments exclusively being located at the fore and aft positions.


    Compared to the Vian Arsenal, Berengar''s shipyards in Trieste and P, dedicated to Naval Armament, were only capable of producing one ship every four days. However, these ships were fifth-rate frigates with a total of forty-four 24 lb cannons on board. As such, his Navy began to expand rapidly in terms of the number of vessels avable, and thus Berengar had to boost recruitment efforts towards his Navy.


    As for his Merchant fleet, it was also growing rapidly, with one clipper being built every three days. While Naval power was necessary to secure his dominion over the region, a properly established merchant fleet was necessary to establish trade across the Mediterranean.


    At the moment, Berengar''s Grand Army was 50,000 strong and was the most well-equipped and trained army in all of Europe. However, his Navy severelyckedparison, with only 10,000 recruits over the past year, which was barely enough to field 45 vessels.


    At the moment, Berengar was in the middle of implementing an essential resource to his Naval Vessels. He was honestly surprised that he had not thought of such a thing before. His vessels were currently using inferior hemp rope, and he was nning to improve it with superior man rope when he reached the Philipines, much like how the Spanish had done in his previous life.


    However, Berengar came to a sudden realization that he had a far more valuable resource and a vast stockpile of it that could be utilized in the manufacture of rope for sailing vessels. This material was, of course, high carbon steel.


    Beginning in the 1830s of Berengar''s previous life, steel wire rope had started to rece the traditional man rope used by most sailing vessels. The reason for this was that steel wire rope was superior in strength, durability, and flexibilitypared to textile rope.


    Due to the advancements in steel-making technology and the massive supply the Europeans were able to produce during this time; they used such materials to improve the rigging of their sailing vessels.


    As such, Berengar had begun to ce an order to construct high carbon galvanized steel wire where it would be converted into ropes for sailing and rece the existing hemp ropes that were used on what few vessels Berengar had avable.


    It was best to make these innovations as early as possible. As such, Berengar had begun to implement them for all new vessels in the future; he also nned to convert the ropes on the existing ships as quickly as he could manage.


    After drafting the designs and sending them to his industrial district within Trieste via a courier, Berengar sat back and rxed in his dining hall. Just when he was about to sip some tea, he received some shocking news from one of his servants who had appeared before him.


    "Your grace, Sir Andronikos of the Byzantine Empire is here to speak with you..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar sighed before getting up from his seat and approaching the great hall, leaving behind his tea in the process. When Berengar arrived, the man from the east had a broad smile on his face as he greeted the young Duke of Austria.


    "Your grace, it is good to see that you are well!"


    Berengar put on a smile as he greeted the man who had long since be his primary means of trade with the East since Arethas had be engaged in his campaign for North Africa.


    "And you as well, my friend, tell me how is the war effort going in Egypt and Lybia?"


    Andronikos sighed as he heard this question and revealed the results of the ongoing campaign.


    "For the most part, it is going well; we have seized a quarter of Egypt and Libya and are currently expanding forward. However, the Knights Hospitaller, who has supported us for some time, has begun to withdraw.


    Those fanatics realized that we were being supplied by Austria and immediately became offended. Stating it was either you or them, we chose your support. Seeing as your weapons are superior to the men they provide for the war effort."


    Berengar chuckled at thisment before shifting the conversation to the issue at hand.


    "Tell me, Andronikos, why are you here in Kufstein?"


    The Byzantine man smiled before pulling out a ceramic jar; he revealed the contents within after opening it. Berengar was shocked when he saw what was inside the container. Small dark brown beans that Berengar instantly recognized.


    The young Duke''s eyes grew wide with excitement when he saw what was in front of him; as such, he grabbed ahold of one of the beans and sniffed it to make sure he was not dreaming. What Andronikos had brought him was something he had desired since he arrived in this world; it was none other than coffee!


    As such, Berengar immediately inquired about where Andronikos had gotten such a thing.


    "Tell me, my friend, where did you get this?"


    Andronikos was surprised that Berengar asked where he obtained the coffee beans, not what they were; nevertheless, he began to inform Berengar of his recent discovery.


    "Not long ago, I was invited to Ethiopia by one of the local noblemen; when I arrived, I was served this bitter tea, except it wasn''t tea, and it provided substantial benefits such as an increase in energy and focus. The Ethiopians exined to me that this is God''s gift to the world, and they call it coffee!


    Naturally, I bought an ample supply of it, and the first thing I thought of when I returned home was the potential that such a product has. While we in the Empire have ess to the trade routes in the Mediterranean, it would be difficult for us to sell the substance further into Europe.


    As such, I thought of a trading partner with a significant deal of reach further ind, and immediately your name came to mind.? Allow me to brew a drink for you to see for yourself how excellent this product is. If you enjoy it and think it has as much potential as I do, we can discuss importing it into Kufstein, where you can resell it to the rest of Europe!"


    Berengar naturally epted his offer and led the man to the kitchen, where he ground the beans into a fine powder before boiling water and adding it through the filter to create a cup of coffee. Berengar tasted the bitter ck substance with a smile on his face while nodding his head.


    "It is wonderful, but don''t you think it would taste better with something added to it? Maybe some milk and sugar?"


    Andronikos had not thought about this, and as such, was interested in the topic. Therefore Berengar made a mixture of the coffee with milk and sugar added to it before handing a cup to Andronikos. After the man sipped from the ceramic cup, his eyes widened, and a giant smile formed on his face.


    "This tastes so much better than the coffee by itself! Your grace, you are a genius!"


    After hearing this, Berengar merely smiled in silence and drank from his cup of coffee. Finally, he had acquired one of the many things he missed from his previous life in the twenty-first century.? After the two men had drunk their fair share of coffee, Berengar began to speak to Andronikos about his decision.


    "I will buy as much of the material as you can give me, and I would be more than happy to sell it across Austria and the neighboring regions. Considering yourck in trade routes to the North, the two of usbined can sell this fine substance across all of Europe and make a major profit off of it!"


    After hearing this, Andronikos smiled; the remaining details about what the cost was for importing the coffee and what Berengar would resell it at was negotiated over a breakfast, where Berengar and Andronikos introduced coffee to Linde, Honoria, and Henrietta, all three of which fell in love with the drink.


    With milk and sugar added to the mix, coffee would be a desirablemodity within Europe in due time; both Austria and the Byzantine Empire would make a fortune off of the monopoly they would establish over the substance. After all, few in Europe had contact with Ethiopia and were unaware of where the strange drink originated from.


    Berengar was delighted to know that by supplying the Byzantines with arms in this timeline, they were capable of recapturingrge swaths of Egypt and Lybia, where they immediately took advantage of the newly gained territory to send trade expeditions into Africa, in doing so bringing Coffee to Europe over a century earlier than it had been done in his previous life''s history.


    ---


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 Chapter 281: War of Attrition

    <h4>Chapter 281: War of Attrition</h4>


    Eckhard gazed upon the remains of the battlefield; corpses littered the valley, belonging to both sides of the conflict in the thousands. Hussites and Catholics alike lie dead for the sake of their religious convictions. The battle was bloody and brutal, yet in the end, the Hussites had won.


    During thisst year of conflict, the violence that had urred in Bohemia was on a scale truly fitting of a religious civil war. Eckhard as the chief military advisor tasked with providing support to the Hussites, had witnessed the cruelty of man at its full scale, and for what? Minor religious differences? The sheer level of savagerymitted by both sides of the conflict was enough for a man to question his faith.


    Did God genuinely desire such death and destruction in his name? Probably not, but if the idea of such actions reviled him, why did he permit it? These were thoughts going through the field marshal''s head as he stood by his lonesome, observing the despair that resulted from the chaotic battle. Eckhard sighed heavily as he voiced his innermost thoughts on the issue.


    "I have seen enough of death and destruction in my lifetime..."


    Despite saying this, the veteran Field Marshal would continue his duties serving as Berengar''s lead General, for war was an inevitable result of man''s actions. It was also the only thing the man was any good at.


    After praying for the souls of the fallen, Eckhard returned to the other officers of the Grand Army of Austria who had apanied him during the Hussite campaign. Berengar''s strategy had been to stall the conflict for as long as possible and dragged as many Catholics to their deaths to dy the uing crusade against the Berengar Heresy.


    Eckhard did not disappoint on this matter; he advised the Hussites to slow down their forces and consolidate their gains over the past year. As such, the Hussites had lessnd than they could have seized. However, thesends were well fortified and defended.


    Several months ago, the pope dered a Crusade against the Hussites because they were bing increasingly close to overall victory. As such, the Crusading Orders of the world had gathered what few men they could spare to put down the Hussite Heresy before they could cause any further damage.


    Among these Catholic military orders was the Bohemian Order of the Dragon, which had made a name for itself for the sheer acts of brutality they engaged in against the Hussites, and especially the people who supported them.


    At the moment, the banner of the Ordery tattered and broken alongside the thousands of corpses of their fallen soldiers. The Hussite force had thoroughly crushed thetter under the guidance of Eckhard and his military advisors.


    Eckhard gazed upon the once proud banner of the Chivalric Order who had lost their lives in battle, particrly that of the Grand Master whose lifeless eyes gazed towards the heavens as blood dripped from his mouth onto his beard.


    In this single battle, the main force of the Order of the Dragon was crushed, snuffed out before they could make a name for themselves like the outstanding orders established centuries ago. Despite this, Eckhard knew this would not be the end of Bohemian Knights.


    The Order of the Dragon was not to be confused with the Welsh Order of the Red Dragon, which the Vatican recently established to counteract the Berengar Heresy. This was a much older Chivalric Order found in Bohemia, Hungary, and Wachia.


    They would return in time with more significant numbers to attack the Hussites; Eckhard was sure of this. After taking onest nce at the blood and bile that filled the field, Eckhard shifted his attention to his officers nearby before speaking to them with a voice filled with determination.


    "This is just one of many battles that await us; this war will not end any time soon. Steel yourselves, for we have much work to do."


    After saying that, Eckhard approached themand tent where Alexej and the other Hussite leaders were gathered. Having stepped inside the dwelling, the Hussite leaders nced over at Eckhard. They held much respect for the Austrian Field Marshal; after all, if not for him and his officers, they could have suffered substantially more casualties throughout this war.


    The leaders of the Hussites who were standing in the tent were encircled around a table filled with a map of Bohemia and the forces that represented both sides. Under Eckhard''s guidance, the Hussites had taken a firm defensive stance, and as such, mainly was engaging in battles within their provinces.


    At the moment, the Hussites held four out of seven provinces of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Through their best efforts and the advice of Eckhard, the Hussites had gained significant ground. This battle that had just urred was fought in the fields of Plze��, where the Hussites had defeated an army of Catholic soldiers.


    Plze�� was a region owned by one of the Hussite factions, and the Kasparians had responded to their aid after a Catholic army was spotted in theirnds. Through much hardship, a victory was achieved defending the ground, but it came at high costs.


    Ultimately, the Kasparian armies arrived and drove their enemies out, ughtering all who dared to attack the peasants of Plze�� and their farms. Alexej, who had personally led his forces into the fray, was currently disying thetest report from his scouts about the enemy''s movements.


    "The main force of the Order of the Dragon has been defeated; they will probably crawl back to Hungary to lick their wounds until they can fight once more. However, news from the other side of the world is troublesome. The Hospitallers have cut off support from the Byzantine armies in Egypt and Libya.


    They have withdrawn from their Crusade in North Africa and pledged support to the Catholics in Bohemia. As such, tens of thousands of crusaders now march towards ournds. The army is meant for a single purpose, to destroy our movement and massacre every man, woman, and child they deem to be a heretic!"


    Eckhard observed the map closely, with the Hospitaller Knights entering the fray; this meant things would be difficult. They were arge and prestigious order and were also battle-hardened from the decades of warfare in North Africa. He would have to readjust his strategy if such a quantity of Crusaders were to pour into the war.


    The veteran field Marshal approached the map and began to shift the pieces around without permission from the others. He moved several wooden pieces that represented Hussite troops into positions near the borders and the various fortifications that guarded them. After doing so, he spoke with determination and authority.


    "The Hospitallers have entered Bohemia, which means we will be fighting thousands if not tens of thousands of more men. To put it simply, gaining any further ground is unlikely; what we need to do is defend our borders to the best of our ability and wear down the Catholic''s numbers through attrition.


    As of now, we are fighting a defensive war! Our best course of action is to maintain the ground we have gained while sending operatives into the enemy territory to sabotage their fields and food stockpiles. It may take months or even years, but sooner orter, the enemy will break their backs against our defenses and starve into submission!"


    There was not a single voice of disagreement at the conference. The Hussitemanders were all well aware that the arrival of the hospitallers represented a shift in the bnce of power, and as such, fighting on these terms was their best solution.


    The war in Bohemia began to take a turn for the worse; the Hussites decided to engage in a series of protracted sieges while meeting the enemy in the fields of their territory to protect their citizens. The Catholics, overzealous and eager for vengeance, would slowly use their newfound strength to push into Hussitends.


    When this war of attrition waged, the Hussites would further import weapons, munitions, and food from Austria, racking up an enormous debt. Therger the debt, the morend Berengar would demand as a form of repayment.


    The silver mines of Bohemia were a valuable resource, and as Berengar''s economy grew, it also began to stagnate due to ack of currency. Thus, he needed the mines in Bohemia to stimte his Nation''s growth until he could start his colonization of the new world and Africa.


    Unknowingly the Hussites had begun to trap themselves in debt to Austria, in doing so sealing their fates. Berengar had not only sent his advisors to aid the Hussites but to ensure that the Hussites incurred more significant debt, One that could only be repaid with valuablend.


    If the Hussites refused to surrender Bohemia to Austria after the war, Berengar would use the debt as a valid casus belli to take what he wanted. To him, the war in Bohemia was of great importance to funding his future campaigns to unify the German people.


    ---


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 Chapter 282: Reuniting with an Old Friend

    <h4>Chapter 282: Reuniting with an Old Friend</h4>


    Since Honoria''s escape from Constantinople, Melissa had been staying in Antioch under the name of Vist Melodia. Throughout this entire time, the Byzantine Royal family was unable to determine her real identity or that she had aided Honoria in her escape.


    As such, she made a life for herself in Antioch. Having been given a second chance at life, Melissa did not go back to whoring herself out for a living. Instead, she eventually found herself married to a hardworking carpenter in the city.


    Initially, she had spent her days in bliss, her marriage was a happy one at first, and she loved the man who had taken her in when she was down on her luck. However, happiness never trulysts, and as such, Melissa''s husband soon found himself drafted into the armed forces to fight in North Africa.


    The meager pay that the man earned in the armies of the Byzantine Empire was sent back to Melissa in Antioch; however, this stipend was barely enough to survive. As such, her life was filled with hardship as she struggled to maintain her lifestyle.


    Things turned for the worse as the young woman finally received news that her husband had died in battle; in return, she received nothing other than a body to bury, and with her little savings, she could not afford a proper funeral.


    Thus in the act of desperation, she had taken out a loan from some unsavory merchants and used it to cover her husband''s funeral expenses. Before long, the loan sharks hade to im the debt she owed, and when they found out that she could not pay it, they attempted to force her into prostitution once more to clear the debt that she owed.


    However, Melissa had promised that she would never degrade herself in such a manner ever again; as such, she packed up what little belongings she could take and made her way out of Antioch, heading to the one ce where she knew anyone who could remotely help her.


    After months of traveling, Melissa had finally arrived in Kufstein. The moment she entered the city''s gates, the woman was astounded that such a magnificent city had been developed in the middle of Austria. A ce that was not long ago considered a backwater by the Byzantines.


    She could hardly believe her eyes as she walked through the city with her pack slung around her back. The City of Kufstein was unlike anything she thought it would be; it even could be said to rival some of the cities of the Empire.


    After searching around some of the local shops in the trade district Melissa spotted the location where she intended to visit. Luckily for her, she could immediately tell her destination because the castle was built upon a hill overlooking the city. After traveling through the city''s streets observing all kinds of exciting sights, Melissa finally arrived at the castle''s gates.


    However, when she finally reached her destination, she was blocked by the Castle Garrison, who prevented her entry into the mighty fortress where the Duke Resided.


    "Hold it right there! The Duke is currently not seeing any visitors, so unless you have an invitation, you are not allowed into the castle!"


    The moment Melissa heard this, she began to frown; she had been through so much and traveled so far that she felt it was a bit anti-climatic to be denied entry just like this. However, she could not easily get past the garrison, and as such, she began to sigh before turning around. Maybe if she were lucky, she could run into Honoria on the street someday.


    Whether it was divine intervention or just random chance, Honoria had been out in the city meeting with her newest acquisitions to her crew and had just begun to return to the castle. Thest time Honoria saw the woman known as melissa, she wore a wig and extensive makeup, despite this, the princess could easily identify the woman as they walked past each other


    As such, Honoria stopped in her tracks and grabbed ahold of the woman''s wrist, scaring her in the process, yet the next moment when Honoria called out her name, the woman realized who it was who had grabbed her and began to calm herself.


    "Melissa, is that you? What are you doing here in Kufstein?"


    After saying that, Honoria brought the woman into a friendly hug before releasing her. Melissa was quite shocked that she had managed to run into Honoria out of pure chance and struggled to gain herposure.? Eventually, she calmed herself down before voicing her concerns to the young Princess she had helped run away from home.


    "Honoria, I need your help..."


    Seeing the troubled look in Melissa''s eyes, Honoria became worried and grabbed ahold of the woman''s hand before dragging her towards the castle with a pretty smile on her face.


    "Whatever kind of trouble you are in, I am sure that Berengar can help you!"


    When the guards saw the girl return, they were about to lower their rifles in a threatening gesture; however, they immediately pounded their chests in salute to the Duke''s lover when they noticed Honoria was by her side.


    "Lady Valeria, I am sorry we did not know this woman was your friend! I apologize on behalf of myself and my subordinates for any rudeness we might have shown her..."


    Honoria paid no mind to the guard''s statements; in her eyes, they were doing their job, keeping away the rabble and threats to the safety of those who dwelled within. As such, she smiled when responding to the men who guarded the castle''s gates.


    "Think nothing of it! I am certain you were fulfilling the task his grace has given you!"


    Seeing the cheery smile on the Princess''s face was enough to melt even the most stoic man''s icy heart. If there was one thing the guards in Kufstein castle liked to chat about, it was thepetition between the two goddesses who stayed by Berengar''s side and which of the two women were better.


    As such, the guards were just happy to have a conversation with such an angelic beauty and merely nodded their heads in silence, allowing Honoria and Melissa to enter the castle''s gates. After entering the structure, Honoria took Melissa to the dining hall, where she ordered the kitchen staff to prepare something for the woman to eat and drink.


    The two women sat in silence for some time before the food arrived, and they finally began to discuss the issue at hand. After taking a few bites of the delicious food, Melissa began to break out into tears as she confessed her faults to the Princess.


    "I am sorry, Honoria, I just had nowhere else to go!"


    Honoria instantly began tofort the woman by rubbing her back; the two of them discussed the events that Melissa had been through in the past year in length for some time. Afterward, Honoria responded to Melissa with a gentle tone.


    "If you need a ce to stay, I am sure I can get Berengar to arrange a ce for you; if you need a job, there is plenty of work avable here in Kufstein! If you need the training to fulfill the job of your desires, that can be provided to you as well. You do not need to worry anymore; here in Kufstein, even women can work if they need to!"


    What Honoria had said was true; Women were able to work in Kufstein. However, they were encouraged to get married, stay home, and raise families. The reason for this was simple, Berengar needed massive poption growth if he intended to colonize the new world and Africa. There were only so many people in all German-Speaking regions; the number was likely less than 10 million in total.


    However, Berengar recognized that there were women in situations where they too needed to work to provide for their families or themselves. As such, Berengar had allowed women to work in various fields, albeit segregated from the male workforce.


    When Melissa heard this, she stopped crying and looked at Honoria with a careful gaze. She could hardly believe it. However, the earnest look in Honoria''s mint green eyes told the woman all she needed to know about this, and as such, she hugged Honoria before thanking her.


    "Thank you! I will appreciate any help you can provide!"


    Honoria had reunited with an old friend, and Melissa would begin working in Kufstein soon enough, in a career that did not degrade her, which was all she ever wanted. The two women continued to chat for some time, as Honoria told Melissa all about what had happened during her stay in Kufstein and how she had fallen in love with Berengar.


    Melissa was happy to see that life had worked out well for Honoria, and thus the two women became closer; despite this being the second time they had met, they already felt as if they had been friends for life.


    ---


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 Chapter 283: Fertility Incentives

    <h4>Chapter 283: Fertility Incentives</h4>


    Once more, Berengar was in his study, which was where he spent most of his waking hours when he was at home. He was drafting a piece of legition designed to encourage fertility among the Austrian poption. The reason for him doing so was because he was looking toward''s the future.


    Within the uing decades, Berengar had intended to conquer and colonizerge swaths ofnd across the world and inhabit it with German citizens. However, the German poption at this time was low, it was at most between ten to fifteen million people, and due to the ongoing conflict, those numbers dwindled by the day.


    As such, Berengar had established severalws designed to create strong families that could raise multiple children. First and foremost, Bernegar established both paid paternity and maternity leave. To Berengar, the physical and mental health of the next generation was a critical concern. Berengar had based severalws on the Scandinavian countries from his past life, who had some of the best welfarews on the books.


    Parents of a child were entitled to up to 480 days of paid leave to raise a newborn child. Of course, this was the maximum based on specific requirements; a typical two-parent household was likely to get 240 days of paid leave.


    Berengar''s otherws to help raise fertility rates included a monthly stipend for every child a family had to help with childcare costs and what Berengar liked to refer to as a child starter pack. This starter pack was based upon what the Finnish government provided expecting mothers in his previous life.


    The state provided this child starter pack to every expecting mother, which included a crib with a mattress, clothes, diapers, hygiene products, a sleeping bag, and outdoor gear. It also had a few small toys and a propaganda book for the parents to read to the children, which contained whitewashed children''s stories of Berengar''s conquests and goals.


    Several sanitary measures were required byw that was put into ce during childbirth, especially regarding washing one''s hands and sterilizing tools used in the process. Berengar wanted to lower the child mortality rate to the best of his ability and had devisedws and procedures to achieve this goal.


    After thisprehensive reform was signed intow under his executive powers, Berengar decided to rx for the time being. He already had two children, a son and a daughter with Linde, and it would not be long before Honoria came around to the idea of having children.


    However, Berengar wanted to prevent that until after he married Ad and had a child with her. He felt terrible for the girl alwaysing inst ce among his women, and as such, was willing to wait for some time with Honoria.


    Another reason for this was a matter of legitimacy; until Berengar married Ad as his first wife, he could not enact polygamy for himself as the ruler of his realm and therefore could not marry either Linde or Ad as his other wives.


    Thus at the moment, Linde''s children were nothing more than bastards; Berengar would have to wait another year before he married their mother and legitimized them. Reflecting upon this Berengar decided to pour himself a ss of fortified wine, immediately drinking its contents before pouring himself another.


    As he did so, he heard a knock on his door and knew it could only be one of two people; as such, he sighed heavily before responding.


    "It''s open!"


    After the door opened, Honoria revealed herself, and in tow was a woman Berengar had not met before. However, at first nce, the two women appeared to be close. The moment Honoria entered the room, she put on a pleading expression as she asked her lover for a favor.


    "Berengar, this is Melissa; she helped me escape from Constantinople and has fallen on some rough times. She has recently arrived in Kufstein and has no ce to stay, nor any currency leftover from her journey. Could you help her out?"


    After hearing this, Berengar took a sip from his skull chalice once more before reaching into his desk and pulling out a token, where he proceeded to hand it over to Honoria. This token had the new ducal arms of Berengar''s house carved into it and symbolized his authority.? After handing this token over to his lover, Berengar sighed before responding to her request.


    "Show that to thendlord of whatever tenement she desires to move into, and also to whatever employer she seeks to work for. The treasury will pay out any costs rued during her moving expenses. It is the least I can do for a friend of yours who aided you on your journey."


    Melissa was shocked when she heard this. However, Honoria''s actions startled her even more as the princess ran up to Berengar and hugged him before nting a kiss on his lips. Afterward, she responded in an affectionate tone.


    "Thanks, Daddy!"


    Berengar cringed when he heard this; for whatever reason, Honoria had begun to call him this after they started dating. It was pretty embarrassing for Berengar, but he supposed it was not too inurate. In a way, he provided for Honoria and looked after her as a father figure that she could look up to over thisst year.


    Of course, the moment Honoria realized she had called Berengar by his pet name in front of Melissa, she began to flush with embarrassment. She had forgotten entirely that Melissa was present and said something shameful in front of her friend.


    If Linde called Berengar by the title "Master" in private, and Honoria referred to him as "Daddy," then Berengar dreaded the idea of what embarrassing pet name Ad would give him after they were finally married.


    Berengar did not show it upon his face; as a ruler, he had to be dignified in all situations, and since they were not alone, he had a stoic expression on his face as he flicked Honoria on the forehead before chastising her.


    "Behave yourself while we havepany!"


    When Honoria heard this, she bowed her head, too embarrassed to look her lover or her friend in the eyes. After a few moments of silence, Berengar gave Honoria an order.


    "You''ve taken up enough of my time; go find your friend a ce to stay and a job so that she can sustain herself! While you are at it, find yourself the rest of your crew members."


    Honoria nodded before thanking Berengar one final time with a kiss on the cheek; afterward, she left with Melissa in tow, leaving Berengar by his lonesome. Though not for long, as Linde appeared shortly after and began to mock him.


    "Daddy? Wow, I did not know you were into that kind of thing..."


    She had been hiding in the shadows outside the door to his study the entire time, and as such, heard the conversation. Berengar smiled before grabbing ahold of his other lover and pulling her into hisp.


    "Funny, I don''t remember giving you permission to mock me?"


    When Linde heard this, her training took over, and she instantly bowed her head in remorse before ying along to Berengar''s games.


    "I am sorry, Master, please forgive this rude ve for not knowing her ce..."


    As Berengar heard this, he began to chuckle before pushing Linde off of hisp, he knew what she wanted, but he was far too busy to entertain her desires. As such, he pped her on her perfect behind before giving her amand.


    "I am far too busy to entertain you right now; go y with yourself; I promise that tonight you can have me as much as you want!"


    In response to this, Linde began to pout, but she did not make a fuss. Instead, she smiled beforementing on Berengar''s remarks.


    "I am going to hold you to that!"


    With that said, she disappeared from Berengar''s sight, leaving him alone in his study with nothing but a mountain of paperwork to get through. Gazing upon therge stack of paperwork in front of him, Berengar sighed heavily before pulling another document from the pile and beginning to read through it. He sighed to himself as he voiced his discontent with his current lot in life.


    "Some people say peace is a desirable state, and for the people, I assume it is; to me, it is nothing but paperwork, and paperwork is dreadfully boring!"


    As such, Berengar continued to fulfill his daily work well into the night, burning the midnight oil as per usual. It was well past midnight by the time he was able to fulfill his promise to Linde. Luckily for him, he had the stamina of a horse and could perform as long as Linde needed.


    By morning Berengar was dreadfully exhausted and decided for once in his life to sleep in. As such, it would not be until past noon when he finally awoke from his slumber and was forced to resume his work.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 284: Appointing an Admiral

    <h4>Chapter 284: Appointing an Admiral</h4>


    The sun shined down upon the Adriatic sea; off the coast of Trieste, there were a total of ten frigates lined up. These ships were among thergest avable in Europe, and each held forty-four 24 lb cannons onboard. These ships were none other than the Berengar-ss Frigates that had been manufactured since the shipyards had finished construction.


    These ships were crewed by hundreds if not thousands of men; among them were various officers. Many of whom had shown a tacit understanding of naval doctrine and tactics since the establishment of the Navy.


    Berengar had spared no expense in raising sailors, marines, and officers alike in the construction of his Navy. He had even begun construction of a Naval Academy in Trieste. Though for the time being the Officers underwent the same crash course of warfare and doctrine that their counterparts in the army went over. The difference was that the curriculum was specially tailored for the Navy.


    Among the ranks of these fine officers was a minor Austrian nobleman by the name of Emmerich von L?tzing. This man had proven time and again his capability in learning and employing naval doctrine. So much so that he had caught Berengar''s eye.


    The Duchy of Austria held a rtivelyrge territory, and as such, there were plenty of talented individuals within the realm; some of them had potential in areas that had yet to be established. Emmerich was one of these men.


    Until recently, there was no such thing as an Austrian Navy, and as such, the man had no idea the degree of natural talent he had for Naval Warfare. However, after enlisting in the Austrian Navy and going through basic training as well as Officer school, none stood out as much as Emmerich had.


    One could say that Emmerich had the same level of potential in the field of Naval Warfare that Eckhard had on thend. The difference was that Emmerich was considerably younger than Eckhard and less experienced.


    Berengar gazed at the sailors and officers gathered for this asion and smiled upon them. These men were the first among his Naval personnel, and as such, they would form the backbone of his vision for a Grand Armada.? As he stood there smiling before his soldiers, Berengar began to clear his throat before addressing the men in uniform.


    "I stand before each, and every one of you humbled as I admire the spirit that has driven you to the lengths you have achieved this day. These few vessels that have been constructed are just the beginning of your journey as members of the Austrian Navy.


    In the uing years, we will expand the number of vessels under our control and the size of them as well. These Frigates are just a sample of the advancements in Naval technology that havee to be under my reign.


    Before long, there will be no force on this great Earth that can stand against you! The amount of firepower you all have avable to you at the moment pales inparison to what you will wield in the future!


    Today is a joyous asion as it marks the establishment of the First Austrian Fleet that will be stationed here in Trieste. With the establishment of the First Fleet, there needs to be a man tomand it, and though all of the officers among your ranks have proven yourselves capable in your own right. Ultimately the position of Admiral has fallen to one man in particr.


    Emmerich von L?tzing, step forward!"


    The moment Berengar made this decree, the man in question did as he was ordered and stood before Berengar. He was dressed in the typical uniform afforded to an officer in Berengar''s Navy. The colors, in particr, were ck, charcoal and gold.


    Whenpared to Eckhard, he was considerably younger; Emmerich was in his early thirties; he was a tall and fit man with a robust bone structure that showed itself in his face. He had short brown hair and a matching beard.


    The man stood at attention, saluting Berengar as he waited for the Duke to convey his thoughts. As such, Berengar began to express his reasoning for selecting Emmerich as the Admiral of his Navy.


    "Emmerich von L?tzing, out of all of my Naval Officers, you have stood out as the most exceptional. Your talent for Naval Warfare and your understanding of the tactics I have presented in your learning material has shocked me.


    I believe it is no exaggeration to say that youmand the respect of the sailors and officers alike, and as such, I see no reason not to present you with the rank of Admiral."


    After saying this, Berengar presented the man with a ceremonial sword. This ceremonial sword was also functional and had been designed around the sword that his army used. The hilt was protected by the same intricate guard based upon the British 1788 Heavy Cavalry sword from his previous life.


    However, there was one considerable difference; the de was based upon the US 1860 Naval Cuss from Berengar''s past life. Unlike the sword utilized by the army, this weapon had a single-edged, curved de.


    This de was made out of Damascus steel imported from the east, while the hilt was constructed of ck leather, wrapped in a gold wire; the guard itself was made from brass. This sword was the symbol of the Admiral''s authority, and as such, the man unsheathed the de and inspected it in front of his sailors.


    After doing so, a round of apuse erupted, with Berengar himself congratting the man on his rise to such a prominent position. Berengar ced his hand on the man''s shoulder after sheathed the sword and stowed it away. With a gentle smile on his face, Berengar spoke to the man in a soothing tone.


    "I expect great things from you, Emmerich. The world is vast and filled with unfathomable depths. It is your job to conquer the oceans in the name of Austria. The road ahead is a difficult one, but with my backing, I am certain that you will rise to the asion and make our Nation proud!


    Having heard this, Emmerich nodded his head with a stoic expression and expressed his thanks.


    "Thank you, your grace. I shall remember the kindness you have shown me this day."


    However, Berengar responded unexpectedly as he shook his head and lectured the man.


    "Don''t thank me, thank your effort and your God-given talent. You have earned this!"


    After saying this, a band began to y the song "Kameraden auf See." It was a German Naval song from his previous life and had a rtively upbeat sound; as such, Berengar thought it was perfect for this asion and had given the sheet music to the Naval band to y at the ceremony.


    As the band yed the song, a small parade began to celebrate the asion. As such, Berengar stood next to Emmerich as the two men watched the disy of festivities. Emmerich had no idea that Berengar had prepared such an excessive event for what he thought was just a minor asion.


    Berengar had a ir for extravagance, and a Naval Parade could very quickly be used as a propaganda piece. As such, he had decided to make proper use of this asion to disy the brilliance of the Austrian Navy.


    The Austrian Banners and g that Berengar had created were being waved in the parade, and the people of Trieste had gathered to witness the event. Sailors, Soldiers, and Citizens alike had begun to watch on the sides as the Austrian Naval personnel celebrated the asion.


    At the head of the parade watching over the event were Berengar and Emmerich. Despite the festivities and the loud sounds it produced, Berengar managed to lean over and whisper to his new Admiral.


    "Magnificent, isn''t it? Just wait until you see what I have in store for the future of the Navy."


    While Emmerich knew that Berengar intended to expand the Navy substantially, he had no idea that Berengar intended to be the world''s supreme Naval Power, much like Britain had managed to aplish in his past life.


    To Berengar, his future German Empire would need a powerful Navy to maintain control over its many colonies. As such, he intended to create thergest and most powerful Navy in the world. Besides, with his current technological capabilities, it would be generations before the rest of the world caught up to the present might of his vessels.


    By then, the German Navy could be filled with ironds; whether or not Bernegar would be able to live long enough to see such a future was another story. After all, producing an industrial society powered by steam engines was a far-off goal and was not easily achieved in a single lifetime.


    Thus Berengar watched on with a broad smile as the Naval parade continued, envisioning the future of his Grand Armada within his mind and the dominance he believed it would have over the world. He had learned from his previous life''s history. He knew for Germany to be the pre-eminent global power, it would need the ability to project force around the globe, and the only way to do that was with a powerful Navy!


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 285: Advancing into Southern Egypt

    <h4>Chapter 285: Advancing into Southern Egypt</h4>


    Arethas stood on a hilltop above his army. He had achieved much in his campaign to reconquer North Africa for the Byzantine Empire throughout thest year. With the overwhelming support the Empire''s forces had received from Austria in the form of material aid, the Byzantine soldiers were now a significant force, armed in the era of pike shot.


    The Falc cannons proved exceptionally effective against the enemy fortifications. However, it took longer to bring down a castle wall with the 1 pound cannonballspared to the 12 lb explosive shells that Berengar utilized. If repeatedly fired at a concentrated area, it was still enough to bring down a wall far quicker than the traditional methods avable.


    With the Northernmost regions of Egypt and Lybia captured from the Mamluke Sultanate, Arethas had taken a defensive stance while waiting for reinforcements from the Empire. The reason for this was simple; he wanted more men by his side as he pushed into the fertilends of the Nile and conquered the remainder of Egypt.


    Egypt was once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire; because of this, it was a strategic location, and whoever controlled it was sure to see significant prosperity. Arethas was ordered not to return to Constantinople until all of Egypt and Lybia had been reimed.


    Today was the day his reinforcements had arrived, d in mirror-pattern armor, and armed with pikes and firearms; they presented a significant threat to the Mamluke Sultanate, who had failed to counter the new tactics devised by Berengar and given to the Empire.


    Arethas had achieved endless victories against his enemies in Egypt. He was confident that with the arrival of thousands of new soldiers, he could push into the rest of Egypt and seize it in its entirety within the following year.


    He was currently observing his armies beginning to march south; in total, there were 25,000 men in his army. This was thergest army that the Byzantines had fielded in thest twenty years, and there was only one man to thank for this.


    Duke Berengar von Kufstein, without his support, these troops would be nothing more than peasant levies with little to no armor, and at best, spears in their hands. However, thanks to Berengar''s material aid, and military advisors, the Byzantine Army had rapidly expanded into a professional force, armed with weapons and armor second only to the Grand Austrian Army.


    Though Arethas knew the rising debt that the Empire had owed to the man in question, it was to a startling degree and was beginning to weigh on his conscience. Though they could afford to repay it with the recapture of Egypt and Lybia, it would undoubtedly cost them arge chunk of their spoils.


    Arethas sighed heavily as he regretted his life decisions; if only he had attempted to convince the Emperor to marry Honoria off to Berengar, things might not have ended this way. The Byzantine Royal family had given up searching for Honoria, dering the lost princess dead, and holding a massive state funeral for the girl.


    Arethas was forced to stay in North Africa and thus could not even attend the funeral of his goddaughter. Because of this, he had been desperate to achieve results in the shortest timespan possible so that he could return to Constantinople and pay his respects to the missing princess.


    However, now he did not have time to think about that. Instead, he climbed onto his mount and rode off towards his army, whose presence was growing distant as they marched into the sands of Egypt.


    Before long, Arethas caught up with his soldiers, who had marched for some time; after doing so, he spoke with his officers. However, shortly after that, a rider came forth and reported the situation ahead.


    "The Mamlukes have blocked the way ahead! We must prepare for battle!"


    With this, Arethas sighed before nodding his head. As such, he began to give out orders for the Byzantine forces to prepare their ranks. By now, the Byzantine soldiers, for the most part, were veterans, and the recruits were merged into the ranks of the veteran soldiers so that they would have the proper support they needed to be effective inbat.


    After forming their lines, the Byzantines began to advance into the fray while in formation. The army marched for a few more miles before the Byzantine forces came across the armies of the Mamluke sultanate. Despite being defeated at every turn, the Mamlukes still bravely fought on.


    Though their Empire existed further westward, Egypt and Lybia were the core of their nation; without it, they would quickly be a shadow of their former power. As such, they had begun using any means necessary tobat the growing tide of the Byzantine forces.


    The Falc cannons were set up in the background and began to pelt the Mamluke army with their 1 lb cannonballs. Though they were nonexplosive, the fact that these solid metal balls rained down upon them, and tore their way through the mamluke torsos caused a great deal of panic, and confusion among the ranks of the Mamluke Army.


    Under the cover of cannon fire and without fear in their eyes, the Byzantine soldiers moved forward until they could see the whites in their enemy''s eyes. While marching arrows rained down upon them, and yet they did not falter while being pelted by the projectiles.


    For the most part, their vitals were protected by the armor provided by Austria, and as such, few deaths urred as they kept marching under their orders. Any greenhorn soldier who began to panic was quickly deterred from doing anything stupid by the veterans in their ranks.


    Eventually, the Byzantines were close enough to fire off effective shots; as such, they lowered their arkebuses and aimed before firing off a volley into the ranks of the Mamluke sultanate, who charged at them in an attempt to break their line of fire.


    In doing so, the Mamluke forces ran headfirst into a field of lead balls, smashing through their defenses and prating their bodies, sending blood, bone, and sinew in every direction. The moment the arkebusiers fired their shots, they began to reload, whereas the nearby pikeman began to advance and deter the Mamluke soldiers.


    Even though the Mamlukes had gathered every man and boy that could bear arms within a hundred-mile radius, the vast majority of their troops were simply peasants conscripted into fighting; the moment the first volley was fired, these levies began to break ranks and flee.


    Only a few thousand Mamluke veterans remained behind; however,pared to the 25,000 byzantine solid armies, their might wasughable. This was not the first time the mamlukes had gotten desperate and gathered everyone they possibly could to act as a meat shield to soak up the projectiles used by the Byzantine Arkebusiers.


    The Byzantines needed little more than another volley to shred the remaining Mamluke forces to pieces. After all, they were vastly outnumbered and outgunned by the Byzantine Army. The battle was already over before it could reach its zenith, with the mamlukes suffering another humiliating defeat. Seeing yet another victory Arethas gazed upon the death and destruction and gave his troops an order.


    "Tend to the wounded and prepare to march within three hours!"


    Aside from superficial arrow wounds and a few unlucky souls who had been caught in the throat with Mamluke projectiles, the majority of the Byzantine forces were unscathed in this battle. Mainly because they were fighting against a small number of Mamluke troops, most of them were just conscripts given at best a spear and thrown into the meat grinder.


    The fact that the mamlukes had begun to resort to such tactics was proof that this war would notst much longer. The majority of the Mamluke''s troops were crushed in the early battles; now, they could only rely on human wave tactics in an attempt to overrun the Byzantine lines.


    With this small victory, the path towards Southern Egypt was wide open, and Arethas intended to take full advantage of this. As such, his forces had spent three hours resting before they were back on the march.


    Berengar wouldter receive word of Arethas'' efforts in North Africa. The rapid rate that the Byzantine General conquered his enemies''nds was shocking to Berengar. As such, he would have to readjust his timeframe for independence. If the Byzantines won the war before dering themselves King, they would undoubtedly repay the debt they owed him with the spoils gained from their conquests.


    If this were to happen, Bernegar would lose his opportunity to coerce them into giving him Honoria''s hand in marriage. If there was one thing Berengar needed, it was a long-term alliance with the Byzantines, and the only way he could achieve this was through marriage. Though the Byzantines had no way of knowing this, their actions in North Africa would soon have a significant effect on European politics as a whole.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 286: Anti-Piracy Operations

    <h4>Chapter 286: Anti-Piracy Operations</h4>


    Emmerich was in the process of taking out the Austrian First Fleet for its maiden voyage. This fleetprised of ten Berengar-ss Frigates, these frigates had a crewplement of 450 men each, as well as 55 marines on board. Needless to say, it was among the finest fleets in existence, and would soon be ying a pivotal role in the establishment of Austrian power in the Mediterranean.


    It was supposed to be a standard patrol mission off the coastline of the Duchy of Austria. However, the moment these ships set sail, they quickly noticed a peculiar scene. A clipper waving the g of Austria was in the process of being pursued by three caravels. Though the clipper was far faster than the caravels chasing after it and would eventually escape, it did not mean that the Admiral would leave suchwlessness unpunished.


    Assuming that this was the act of pirates, Admiral Emmerich gave themand to pursue the pirates and end their actions. As such, the ten frigates began to sail at an exceptional speed of 13 knots, whenpared to the 8 knots that the Caravels were traveling at, the frigates quickly caught up to the would-be pirates.


    The massive forty-four gun frigates formed into a line and presented their broadside cannons at the pirates, who had nearly shat their pants in fear of the gigantic vessels that had appeared before them so suddenly.


    During this era, broadside cannons were nonexistent on European vessels, as such Berengar''s ships held an enormous advantage in terms of firepower. At best, these small caravels had two guns, one in the fore and the other in the ship''s aft. As such, the vessel desperately tried to turn their boats around to fire onto the ten frigates that hard surrounded them on both sides.


    However, the next moment the SMS Berengar, the first of its ss, and the current gship of Admiral Emmerich opened fire with the guns on its starboard side, the Pirates'' hopes vanished. The thunder of the guns echoed into the air as the shells fired out of the massive steel cannons, exploding upon impact, and sting the Caravel to smithereens, along with the crew on board.


    Explosive shells were deadly weapons to a wooden ship, which is the main reason why ironds were developed in Berengar''s previous life, specifically to counteract the existence of cannons capable of firing explosive shells from the 1850s onward.


    Seeing one of their allies taken out in a single barrage from a single ship, the deckhand of the other caravels immediately tried to raise the white g. Still, a few other vessels unleashed a barrage of their guns before they could do so, sting the small 75 foot long caravels into pieces.


    Whatever was on board these pirates'' ships were either blown apart or sunk to the depths of the Adriatic sea. Little did Emmerich know that the Vian Republic secretly hired these pirates to harass Berengar''s shipping. However, they had achieved virtually no sess.


    The clippers were too fast for the caravels topete. A Caravel was capable of at most 8 knots of speed, whereas the clipper''s top rate maxed out over 22 knots. There was simply no way for the vessels of the era to catch Berengar''s merchant ships.


    While Emmerich continued his patrol, a nearby Vian vessel and its crew that had observed the disy of prowess by the ten frigates were stunned into silence. The Captain on board the vessel watching the swift destruction of the pirates was at a loss for words. Cold sweat poured from the man''s brow as he thought back to the near-instant destruction the Austrian vessels had caused to the small pirate fleet.


    It was only after several minutes did someone finally voice a thought on the matter. It was one of the officers under the Captain''smand.


    "Captain... What do we do about this?"


    The Captain had an urge to strip off his uniform and jump into the Adriatic sea. Knowing that the Doge wanted to go to war against such terrifying power and that the Austrians were pumping out ships like this every week stripped away any semnce of bravery the man thought he had.


    Within a year, the Austrians would potentially have hundreds of these vessels. Hell, even if they only managed to create 50 of those damned things, the Vian Navy would be in for a world of hurt. Not only was there a significant speed advantage that the Frigates held, but the firepower on a single one of the Austrian ships was more than enough to take on a fleet of their own.


    As such, the Captain swallowed his saliva and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down before responding to the officer''s question.


    "Set a course for Venice, we must alert the Admiralty of this news as soon as possible."


    With that said the Vian Naval vessel immediately changed course and began to head back to Venice. When they finally arrived the Head Admiral was already in the middle of a conversation with a Doge, rather than wait around for the head of state, and the foremost Admiral to finish their discussion, the Captain decided to risk his position and barged into the door after arguing with the secretary.


    The moment the Captain entered the room, the Doge and Admiral red at him with fury, the Vian head of state immediately began to chastise the Captain.


    "What do you think you are doing barging into the middle of my office? Who permitted you to do such a thing!"


    However, the Captain could not care less about proper etiquette at this moment and instantly began to inform the two men of the terrifying sight he had witnessed.


    "Your serenity, Admiral, I apologize for the intrusion, but I have urgent news from the Adriatic sea that you must be aware of; it has to do with the pirates we have hired to attack Austrian shipping!"


    The Doge began to curse under his breath as he heard this


    "Useless fucking pirates! What the hell am I paying them for!?! Go on, spit it out!"


    Not willing to waste a second, the Captain immediately reported what he and his crew had witnessed and the overwhelming destructive power of a single frigate used by the Austrian Navy. After a lengthy discussion, the Captain was dismissed, leaving the Head Admiral and the Doge with grim expressions as they stood in silence by themselves.


    They had a hard time believing the Captain''s reports and had even questioned the man''s sanity as he told the horrific tale of the Pirates'' untimely demise. Ultimately the Doge posed a question to the Admiral.


    "Do you think he was telling the truth?"


    The Admiral scratched his chin for a bit before sighing


    "I believe that he believes that he was telling the truth..."


    The Doge looked at the Admiral with a questioning gaze as he heard this and asked for rification.


    "meaning?"


    After careful consideration, the Admiralid out what he believed to be a more likely scenario.


    "What the Captain says is too unrealistic. Even with the alleged industrial prowess of Austria, to make ten ships, each armed with dozens of cannons, that is capable of firing projectiles that explode upon impact is unlikely.


    I mean, I have heard reports of his army using such technology, but this is mostly from second-hand information and is probably just a propaganda tactic the Austrians are using to mislead us about their actual military capabilities.


    I don''t doubt that the Pirate ships were destroyed, but by a single vessel with a single bombardment? Preposterous! Unless I can personally witness such a thing, I refuse to believe in such a fantasy.


    No, I think it is far more likely that the Austrians have constructed a new kind of vessel capable of having cannons on the broadside, and all ten of the ships opened fire on the three pirate vessels simultaneously.


    At most, they have five cannons on each side, which is not something we need to worry about; after all, we nned for unexpected circumstances such as this, and we are producing a new warship every day.


    Assuming Bernegar isn''t foolish enough to attack us, we will have our thousand ships in under three years. By then, it does not matter how many of these ships the Austrians have; they will be outnumbered!"


    After hearing this estimation, the Doge began to calm down and think about the circumstances more rationally. The Admiral was right; such firepower on a vessel was not just outrageous; it was downright otherworldly.


    Unless Berengar had received divine inspiration from the Lord Almighty himself, there was no way he could design such monstrous vessels. As such, the valuable intelligence that the Captain reported was disregarded as the rantings of a coward.


    Little did the Vian Admiralty realize that every word the Captain had spoken wasplete and utter truth because the Doge and Head Admiral had disregarded the Captains testimony, they would be in for a world of hurt the day they were unfortunate enough to enter a war with Austria, and the Tyrant of Steel.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 287: Troubles at the Vatican

    <h4>Chapter 287: Troubles at the Vatican</h4>


    Deep within the Vatican, a meeting was held between the Holy Father and the Holy Roman Emperor. Pope Julius and Emperor Balsamo discussed their difficulties over the past year and how to proceed forward. Emperor Balsamo was the first to voice his discontent with the rapid growth that Austria had been blessed with since Berengar had seized control of the Duchy.


    "Berengar''s power grows by the day; I have received concerning reports about a visit to Granada. Supposedly the heretic is consulting with the Moorish Sultan, we do not know what objective Berengar had or what form of agreement the two men came to, but there is little doubt in my mind that it does not bode well for our faith."


    When Pope Julius heard this, he sneered in disdain as he cursed Berengar for his actions.


    "Fucking heretic! Of course, he would lie with the Moorish dogs! May Berengar''s soul be cast into the furthest pit of hell for his treason against Christendom!"


    While Julius continued to throw out profanity regarding Berengar''s association with the Emirate of Granada, Balsamo had more pressing concerns about the issue and interrupted the Pope and his vile behavior.


    "Your Holiness, we have bigger concerns. If Austria and Granada are to ally, it threatens the Church''s position in Iberia. If Berengar chooses to arm the Moors like he has done the Byzantines, it means we might see a new Caliphate form in Iberia; the rebirth of Al-Andalus is not something we can afford, not after the progress we have made over the centuries!"


    This notion immediately snapped Julius from his rant and calmed his senses; he gazed at Emperor Balsamo with a vicious re in his eyes as he coldly stated his intentions regarding Iberia.


    "I will contact the Iberian Kings and pressure them into unifying against the Moorish Menace. Suppose the Emirate of Granada is to receive military aid by Bernegar the ursed and his Grand Austrian Army. In that case, it means that Reconquista is going to be very bloody real soon."


    After hearing this, Balsamo nodded at the Pope''s statement. It was certainly in Portugal, Castille, and Aragon''s best interest to unite against the new threat that had presented itself. As such, not only would the pope pressure Iberian unification but so too would the Holy Roman Emperor.


    As for the other issues the Church was facing, Balsamo began toin about what was transpiring within his borders.


    "Your Holiness, the Berengar Heresy has spread from Southern Germany into the Rhinnd and the East German states. The heretic known as Ludolf has personally taken up a mission to convert the locals of the Rhinnd, and he has fallen under the protection of the local lords who tolerate his beliefs.


    If left unchecked, Germany as a whole will soon fall to the Berengar Heresy, and we will see ourselves without one of the pirs of the Catholic world!"


    Pope Julius frowned when he heard this news. Whether it was Iberia or Germany, things were looking grim for the Catholic faith in those regions, and as such, the Pope decided to intervene on this matter.


    "I will send in the inquisition to exterminate these heretics. I don''t care if entire viges have to be massacred; the situation in Germany is now beyond redemption. As for you, as Emperor, you need to dere the Berengar Heresy uwful and that all adherents will face the penalty of death upon discovery. Use your forces to suppress them if need be!"


    Upon hearing this, the Holy Roman Emperor smiled wickedly before responding; there was a murderous glint in his eye as he did so.


    "Yes, your holiness! The blood of everyst Heretic in Germany shall be spilled in the name of God!"


    With the ns established to deal with the difficulties the Church was facing in both Iberia and Germany, another critical issue had begun to surface as Julius started to discuss how to deal with the Hussites.


    "The Hussites have entrenched themselves in their territory; they are no longer fighting an offensive war. Instead, they seek to defend what they have gained and desire to drag out this conflict as long as possible. Despite the intervention of the Hospitallers, the war has only be more bloody, and our side continues to suffer casualties.


    Though we can''t prove that Berengar is providing the Hussites with their weapons, it is bing increasingly apparent that Austria is supporting them. There is not much we can do to cut Austrian support since the Hussites and the Austrians share a border.


    In response to this, I intend to rally support from Hungary and the Polish-Lithuanianmonwealth. I will send word to the Hungarian and Polish Kings and request their assistance in the war for Bohemia. We have to end this war quickly; the more time we spend fighting in Bohemia, the more Berengar has time to prepare himself for the uing crusade against him!"


    Balsamo immediately began to interject on this matter and voice his concerns.


    "The Polish-Lithuanianmonwealth is currently engaged in a war with the Teutonic-State, though the Teutonic Order is on the verge of copse, they aren''t likely to send aid to our forces in Bohemia so long as the Teutonic Order still draws breath."


    When the Pope heard this, he sighed heavily before voicing his opinion.


    "You are right, but it does not hurt to ask for their aid. At the very least, they can provide material support to the Bohemian Crown!"


    After the two men thoroughly discussed this matter, they turned their attention to something of greater importance: the growing divide with the Eastern World. Despite abandoning the Teutonic Order in their time of need, the rtionship between the Orthodox Church and the Vatican worsened.


    Part of this was due to Berengar''s interference. The Byzantine Emperor was growing more and more reliant on Austrian support when it came to his war for the reconquest of Egypt and Lybia. As such, the Orthodox Church had been crippled in terms of showing any form of support to their Catholic brothers to the west when it came to the subject of the Berengar Heresy.


    Because of thisck of support, more than a few cardinals of the Catholic Church were condemning the Patriarch of Constantinople for doing nothing as the Berengar Heresy had begun to spread like wildfire across Germany. With the arrival of the Hussite Wars in Bohemia, Catholic influence began to wane across Europe.


    There were even rumors of an English reformist movement starting to appear within the British Isles. Without the support of the other major branch of Christianity, the Catholics had grown bitter and had begun tosh out verbally at their Orthodox counterparts.


    With this in mind, the Orthodox Church had sent a letter to Pope Julius requesting that he condemn his Cardinals and Bishops, who had begun referring to the Orthodox Church as the "devil''s minions." This put Julius in a bind. If he condemned his supporters for criticizing the Orthodox''s weak stance on the Berengar Heresy, he would only be furthering discontent in his ranks.


    As such, the Pope wanted an opinion from the Holy Roman Emperor on the matter and thus asked the question on his mind.


    "What should be done about the Orthodox Church?"


    Balsamo was by no means a fan of the Orthodox Church or the Byzantine Empire for that matter. Since the formation of the Holy Roman Empire, the two Empires had fought for legitimacy in terms of who was the actual sessor of ancient Rome.


    Now that he had a chance to destabilize the rtionship between the Byzantine Emperor and the Orthodox Church, the Holy Roman Emperor intended to take full advantage of it. As such, a cruel smirk appeared on the corners of his lips as he offered his advice to deal with the situation.


    "The Patriarch of Constantinople is a coward who bows to the Byzantine Emperor, and the Emperor is a man already influenced by Berengar''s wicked ways. You should never condemn the faithful for pointing out that our eastern brothers are tainted! There is only one reasonable response to the current predicament.


    You must force the Patriarch of Constantinople to condemn the Byzantine Emperor for aiding and abetting a condemned Heretic! Inform them that they aremitting a grave sin by sitting by and allowing the Byzantine Royal family to associate themselves with the Devil''s personal representative on this Earth! If they refuse to do so, condemn the Patriarch as a Heretic as well!


    After hearing this, the Pope thought about Balsamo''s words for some time before he ultimately agreed with them.


    "Very well, I will pressure the Patriarch of Constantinople to denounce the Byzantine Emperor for his crimes. If they refuse to do so, I will not hold back my discontent. Berengar''s strength relies on his trade with the East; if the Byzantines continue engaging in such heresy, they must be condemned!"


    With this said, the rtions between the Catholic and Orthodox churches were about to take a turn for the worse, all because of Berengar''s influence. Despite sticking together for centuries longer than in Berengar''s previous life, the two pirs of the Christian world were on the edge of a full-scale schism.


    After all, was said and done, the Vatican hade up with several ways to counteract Berengar''s activities in Europe. It would not be long before more proxy wars between the Catholic Church, Berengar began to appear. The Hussite wars were just the beginning.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 288: Reforming the Granadan Army

    <h4>Chapter 288: Reforming the Granadan Army</h4>


    The sun held high in the clear blue sky above the Andalusian Hills. In the valley between the mounds was an army standing and drilling within the formation. These were the men of the Granadan Royal Army, and excited expressions were on their faces as they donned their new attire and wielded their most recent acquisition.


    Like the Byzantine Army, the Granadan Army was now equipped with mirror pattern armor, arkebuse firearms, and pikes. If anything, the Granadan forces with their newest armor began to resemble the Ottoman forces from the 16th century of Berengar''s previous life.


    Within the Ranks of the Granadan troops were a series of Officers dressed in the ck and gold attire afforded to the Grand Army of Austria. These men were instructing the Granadan troops on the knowledge and tactics of how to wield their new weapons with efficiency.


    Standing on the hilltop above, under the protection of an awning, stood Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl and Viscount Arnulf von Thiersee. Since Berengar''s rise to the position of Duke, Arnulf, Berengar''s other most capable General, had been rewarded with the position of the Viscount of Trent.


    With Berengar overseeing the Duchy of Austria, the loyal nobleman and General of Berengar''s Grand Army had been sent to supervise the training of the Granadan Royal Army. While entertaining his guest, Hasan poured himself a ss of the fortified wine that he had purchased in bulk from Berengar''s wineries. As he did so, he poured another for Arnulf. However, the man declined it with a stern expression.


    "Apologies, Sultan, but I am on duty, and it is forbidden to drink while in such a position."


    Hearing this, Hasan smiled bitterly; the level of discipline that Berengar''s troops held was to a degree he had never seen before, and as such, his respect for Berengar raised even more. After hearing this, the young Sultan took a sip from his ss before responding to Arnulf.


    "Tell me, General, how is his Grace Berengar at the moment?"


    Arnulf did not break his focus as he observed the Granadan troops form ranks before firing their arkebuses at the targets. While keeping the soldiers'' actions below, he answered the Sultan''s question with a bit of annoyance in his voice.


    "He''s busy. The Duke works harder than anyone I know; I swear if it weren''t for his beautiful lovers who take care of his stress every night, he probably would have blown his brains out by now..."


    Hasanughed when he heard this and merely sipped from his drink with a smug grin on his face. He too knew the pleasures of being surrounded by beautiful wives, and though Berengar had yet to marry his women, the young Sultan did not doubt that the man would eventually do so. As such, he sighed with desperation before responding to Arnulf''s ims.


    "I offered to marry my beautiful older sister off to him, but he declined. His wives appear to be the jealous type. By that little blonde girl''s expression, I could tell that she was far from willing to allow such a thing. It is a pity, my dear Yasmin is already twenty-five, and yet I still have not found a man for her to marry.


    Though I have not given up on Berengar, it is clear to me that he intends to engage in polygamy, and I greatly desire to be brothers with the man! Besides, he only has three wives so far, right? In my country, a man is allowed up to four wives, so there is still hope for the two of them!"


    Arnulf shook his head in silence when he heard this; after one visit to a Muslim country, Berengar had practically gone native. It was one thing for him to have one wife and several mistresses, but to entertain the idea of polygamy as a Christian? That was asking for trouble, and for whatever reason, Berengar enjoyed antagonizing those around him.


    As such, Arnulf returned his attention to the Granadan troops below. The pikeman had begun to take the ce of the arkebusiers who reloaded their weapons. Due to the technological limitations of the matchlock design, these Arkebuse firearms took up to a minute to prepare the next volley;pared to the Austrian flintlocks with quick loading tubes, the difference in reload speed was quite vast.


    In Berengar''s previous life, it took weeks to train pikemen and arquebusiers; however, Berengar had a higher standard than the early modern armies. As such, he taught his troops for much longer.


    As for his allies, Berengar expected the same discipline level; as such, he had his officers train them ording to his standards. It would not be long before the Granadans could field a muchrger and well-trained force than their enemies nearby.


    Part of the reason why firearms were destined to rece the traditional bows and crossbows was due to the short amount of time it took to train someone in their use effectively. At the same time, one would have to spend their whole lives to master a bow effectively.


    Learning how to wield a firearm within formation took weeks of training. The same could be said about pikes whenpared to more traditional melee weapons. Even though the Arqkebuse had limited rangepared to Austria''s Rifled Muskets, or even the bows of the era, the number of arkebusiers that could be trained in a short period greatly outnumbered the alternative.


    With this in mind, Arnulf watched the Granadans undergo their training and could witness the results within a short time frame. After just a few weeks, they were beginning to resemble a proper army, at least in ordance with the stringent standards of Austria.


    As for Hasan, he was greatly impressed by the weapons wielded by his troops and now understood why Berengar was able to rise to power so rapidly. These weapons were revolutionary and could undoubtedly change the tides of war.


    With Berengar''s support, the rise of a new Al-Andalus was highly likely, and Hasan had grand ambitions for the Iberian Penins. Seeing that the dreams of his forefathers now had the potential to be a reality, the Sultan asked the question he was most concerned about.


    "How long until they are ready forbat? When my neighbors find out about the aid you have provided me, they will without question invade mynds."


    Arnulf scratched his chin and rolled his head to the side as he thought about the question; The only sound that could be overheard was the echo of the falc cannons firing in the distance. After several moments of ambiance, Arnulf lifted two fingers as he addressed the Sultan''s concerns.


    "Two weeks, and your troops will be prepared to face whatever challenges the Catholic armies will throw at them. As long as yourmanders arepetent in the tactics we have provided them, the Iberian Kings will be kneeling before you, begging for mercy in a matter of years."


    Upon hearing this, Hasan lifted his chalice and took a swig from it, smiling as he did so. After drinking from his goblet, he stared at his troops mustered below with a grin curved upon his lips, releasing the thoughts held deep within his mind.


    "This is just the beginning, soon I will have a Grand Army of my own, and it is all thanks to Berengar..."


    With that said, the troops continued to train in the field below while the Austrian advisers corrected any faults in their efforts; when the new wave of Reconquista found itself at Granada''s gates, they would be more than prepared to handle such a frightful event.


    In doing so, Berengar would find the pressure he faced from the Catholic Church alleviated as the Moors and Iberians began a new wave of warfare that would consume the penins in fire and blood. Who would remain at the end of such a brutal conflict? Only time will tell.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 289: Formation of the Iberian Union

    <h4>Chapter 289: Formation of the Iberian Union</h4>


    While Granada was preparing for the inevitable war with its neighbors, the Iberian Catholic Monarchs had been summoned to a meeting at the Vatican. The Pope had purposely asked for their attendance, and as exceptional members of the faith, they had not disobeyed hismands.


    The Kings of Portugal, Castile, and Aragon were gathered in a room with the Pope. It had been some time since these men had been in the same room, and they had a feeling they knew what this was about.? As such, Pope Julius was the first to speak as he addressed the men who had gathered.


    "My children, I must thank you for traveling all of this way to the Holy See, we find ourselves in grave times, and it is with a heavy heart that I must request something important of every one of you."


    The three Iberian Kings nodded their heads in silence as they waited for the Pope to speak his peace; after doing so, the Pope sighed heavily before revealing the Holy Roman Empire''s intelligence about Berengar''s actions in Iberia.


    "You should all be aware of the heretic known as Berengar the ursed. We do not know what evil intentions he has, but the man visited Granada and met with the Sultan. We fear he may be plotting to arm the Moors with his demonic devices! If we do not act now, then your Kingdoms are in grave danger of being overrun! I implore the three of you to join together and fight against the Moorish menace!"


    This news came as a shock to the three Kings of Iberia; they were not aware that Berengar had met with the Sultan of Granada, nor that he was in the process of arming and training them for war. However, if such a thing was true, it did indeed threaten the stability of the region; as such, the three men began to bicker among themselves for the best course of action.


    As the King of the most extensive Kingdom of Iberia, King Fransisco de Trast��mara of the Kingdom of Castile was the first to voice his support for the Pope''s words.


    "I agree with His Holiness; if we do not join together to fight against the Moors, then we will be opening ourselves up to future troubles. This must end now! For too long, the Muslim filth has upied ournds!"


    King Felipe de Trast��mara of the Kingdom of Aragon was the next to speak on the matter, as such he cleared his throat before speaking in an authoritative tone.


    "And who will lead this supposed alliance of ours? I do not know about you, but I do not trust King Fransisco not to stab me in the back when this is all over!"


    The two Kings were cousins, and as such, had a bitter rivalry as they both intended to take over each other''s kingdoms. Thus, without an outside enemy''s interference, it was unlikely for the two men toe together and unify their forces.? The moment Felipe made this im, Fransisco nearly jumped out of his chair as he raised his voice at his cousin.


    "How dare you im such a thing about my character! I''ll have you know that my honor is renowned across the globe! To insinuate that I would betray you if anything resembles your character greater than my own!"


    Before the two Kings could lunge at each other over the words that had been spoken, the Pope interrupted by clearing his throat. The moment he did so, the two men shrank back into their seats as if they were schoolchildren being scolded by their teacher.


    "We have greater concerns than your petty squabbles. I suggest the two of you look at the big picture. If the Granadans are armed and trained by the Austrians, then only bying together and uniting your armies against them do you stand a chance of survival! Look at yourselves closely, and ask yourselves if your disputes are worth the destruction of your kingdom!?!"


    After saying this, the two Kings nced at one another before quickly looking away. As for the King of Portugal, he enjoyed the sight of the two men bickering; it was not every day that he could witness such a spectacr sight.


    King Luiz de Avis was the current Monarch of Portugal and had sustained his territory despite the ongoing conflicts with his neighbors. One of the ways he had managed to do this was by ying the Castilian and Aragonian thrones against one another so that the focus was off of his realm.


    Though he did not desire to see a union between Castile and Aragon, he had to admit that the threat that an Austro-Granadan alliance posed was significant, especially since he had be aware of the swift vessels known as clippers Berengar had used to transport goods across the Mediterranean rapidly.


    If Austrian Naval vessels were half as fast as his merchant fleet, they posed a significant threat in warfare. As such, the Portuguese King was much more open to the idea of cooperation against the Austro-Granadan alliance.? Thus the man spoke with some civility as he began to discuss the potential, albeit temporary union of their three countries.


    "Without a doubt, if we leave the Austro-Granadan alliance to its own devices, they will eventually attack us. We should strike swiftly while the Granadan troops are still unprepared for the event of war. A temporary alliance between our three countries is the most efficient means to achieve victory.


    If you two have a problem with the potential of each other leading said alliance, then why don''t I take the position? Compared to the two of you, I have no interest in either of your realms and if one of you were to betray the other, I could support the wronged party. These terms are fair, are they not?"


    Hearing this, the other two monarchs frowned; though they knew what Luiz said was reasonable, they were having troublesing to terms with such an arrangement. Portugal was an outsider; though they were Iberian, they had begun to split from the Castilians and Aragonians culturally.


    However, at the same time, it was because they were an outsider that the Portuguese might be the fittest to lead the alliance of the three countries. As such, Fransisco was the first to agree to these terms.


    "Very well, though I want you to know that this alliance is temporary; as soon as the Granadans are defeated, I will immediately withdraw my support!"


    Upon hearing this, Felipe became outraged and immediately threw his support behind the Portuguese, not wanting his cousin to gain the upper hand.


    "I, too, support this alliance under the same terms and conditions as Castile!"


    With that said, the three Iberian Kings hade to an arrangement, and Pope Julius smiled amicably at the result. Truthfully he did not care which of these fools led the alliance, only that it was formed to deal with the Grenadans, and by extension, the Austrians with them.? After seeing the results, the Pope dered what would shock the Catholic World when it was released to Europe atrge.


    "Very well, then it is under these terms that I announce the formation of the Iberian Union, led by the Crown of Portugal. Until the Moorish menace is defeated and driven from the Iberian penins, you three Kings will do your best to eliminate them! God wills it!"


    Immediately the three Iberian Kings chanted back the Pope''s words.


    "God Wills It!"


    With that said, the Iberian Union was formed and would face off in a proxy war against the Granadans. In doing so, the conflict between Austria and the Papacy had begun to take a more sinister turn. The winner of the fight for Iberia would determine the future of the world in many ways.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 290: Preparing to Visit the Kalmar Union

    <h4>Chapter 290: Preparing to Visit the Kalmar Union</h4>


    As the war for Iberia began to erupt between Granada and the newly established Iberian Union, Berengar sat back and expanded his naval forces. At the moment, the most critical area he wascking in was Naval Power, and as such, he had further focused his efforts in that regard.


    With the expansion of his naval might, the increase in demand for Oak became a reality as such, Berengar had begun to rely on imports from the Kalmar Union to sustain his growth. With the rise in trade between the Duchy of Austria and the Kalmar Union, the beliefs of the German Reformation began to spread to Scandinavia, in particr Sweden.


    In its own form, a new Reformist movement had begun to appear in the region. With it, calls for aid to Austria were made by many Reformist noblemen within the Kingdom. As such, Berengar, who was sitting on his Ducal throne, began to read a letter with the seal of the Scandinavian Monarch embossed upon it.


    The letter expressed interest in Reformist views and a willingness to discuss matters of importance between the two leaders. Berengar read the letter with aplicated expression on his face. Though Sweden was a majorponent of the Protestant revolution in his previous life, it was still a century too early for them to ept such beliefs.


    Yet, due to his intervention, not only Sweden but all of Scandinavia had begun to be affected by Reformist thought. Unlike in Germany or Bohemia, the Reformist movement appeared to be peaceful in the North. Truthfully Berengar was in awe over such results, and as such, he was pretty cautious in the way he decided to handle this information.


    After all, unlike the Byzantine Empire and the Emirate of Granada, one day, if all went as nned, then Berengar would share a border with the Scandinavians, and the idea of the conflicts resulting because of this was not a slim possibility.


    As such, Berengar began to tap his armrest repeatedly as he thought about how to proceed with this invitation. While doing so, Honoria came into the room and spotted Berengar deep in thought. On her shoulder was her trusty eagle Heraclius who, as usual, gazed at Berengar with a watchful eye.


    Heraclius was no fool, he knew that Berengar and Honoria were now in a rtionship, and because of that, he was exceptionally cautious around the man; the eagle''s job was to protect his master, and as such, he refused to allow a yboy like Berengar to break Honoria''s heart.


    Thus when Honoria approached Bernegar with a happy face, the eagle screeched at Berengar with hostility. Upon doing so, Berengar simply stared down the bird with a smile on his face. Ever since he had first bedded the princess, the eagle had be quite aggressive with him.


    Nevertheless, Berengar did not think much of it and smiled amicably at the girl and herpanion as she leaped into his arms and greeted him.


    "Berengar! What are you doing here sitting on your throne by your lonesome?"


    Upon hearing this, Bernegar sighed and handed the letter over to Honoria, allowing her to see the invitation in his hands after she read through the contents of the letter, a shocked expression formed on her lips.


    The fact that a monarch of a powerful region like the Kalmar Union had invited him to stay in its capital and discuss matters of religion and trade was a big step forward; as such, she was delighted to see that Berengar was finally making friends.


    "I''m impressed! First the Granadans, now the Scandinavians! You are beginning to make some allies!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar nodded his head and sighed before expressing the thoughts on his mind.


    "So, do you want to sail with me up to Copenhagen?"


    Upon hearing this, a broad smile formed across Honoria''s lips as she grabbed ahold of Berengar and hugged him once more.


    "Of course!"


    After Berengar had missed their tripst year, Honoria fell into a deep depression; even though they finally became a couple, Berengar had taken Ad with him to his diplomatic visit to Granada shortly after, which had considerably gotten on her nerves.


    Now that she could finally have some alone time with Berengar, she would not miss the opportunity; as such, she immediately released her hold over Berengar and scurried off while informing him of her intentions.


    "I''ll go pack right away!"


    With that said, the young princess ran off to her room where she would begin to pack for her journey; as she did so, Heraclius'' gaze never left Berengar''s sight until he exited the room while perched upon Honoria''s shoulder.


    After the two of them disappeared, Berengar chuckled to himself as he began to drink from his skull chalice. While doing so, Linde appeared before him with a scowl on her face.


    "You''re leaving so soon? Didn''t you visit Granada a few months ago?"


    In response, Berengar raised from his seat and grabbed ahold of his woman before dragging her into his embrace. As he did so, he fondledrge breasts and well her plump bottom while kissing her passionately in the process.


    Linde was incredibly excited by these actions and began to flush with embarrassment. Seeing this, Berengar grabbed ahold of her hand and led her over to his throne, where he sat down and positioned his lover on top of him.


    Linde looked around the room nervously, fearing being caught in the act, but as she did so, Berengar grabbed ahold of her chin and redirected her gaze into his deep sapphire eyes before speaking his mind.


    "I will only be gone for a few weeks, and I need you to look after the kids. When I get back, I promise I won''t leave your side for at least a week; you can have me all to yourself!"


    Upon Hearing this, Linde began to lick her lover''s fingers as she moved the ps of her dress aside and positioned herself above Berengar''s crotch. She was so excited that she no longer cared if she was seen, and as such, she allowed Berengar to enter inside of her.


    As Linde began to make love to her man upon his throne, she moaned in pleasure while grasping ahold of Berengar''srge hand. After a few moments, she expressed her thoughts to the young Duke of Austria. However, all she could get out between her moans were two words.


    "Swear it!"


    Berengar began to chuckle as he reversed their positions before answering the young woman''s request while staring into her beautiful sky blue eyes.


    "I swear to God that what I say is true when I return from Scandinavia; you can have me all to yourself for as much as you can handle!"


    After saying this, the couple enjoyed themselves for some time; luckily for Linde, nobody had decided to intrude upon their shameless actions, and before long, Berengar was ready to depart with Honoria by his side.


    After saying goodbye to his lover, and his children Berengar, Honoria, and Heraclius departed for Denmark to meet with the King of the Kalmar Union. Throughout the entire journey, Berengar would simrly treat Honoria to how he had just treated Linde in his throne room.


    After all, what was the point of having two women if you could not enjoy them both?


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 291: Arriving in the Kalmar Union

    <h4>Chapter 291: Arriving in the Kalmar Union</h4>


    Just like his Journey to Granada, Berengar had taken a Clipper with him to the Kalmar Union. Throughout the journey, Berengar and Honoria had spent most of it within the cabin. The couple made up for lost time in their own way.


    By the time they arrived in Copenhagen, the capital of the Kalmar Union, Berengar and Honoria were almostpletely drained of energy; they had spent so much time in bed that they were in dire need of some coffee or some protein.


    As such, Berengar and Honoria were quite thankful when they arrived at the King''s estate, where he greeted them with open arms. Berengar was initially cautious about such a meeting. Still, despite his worries, the King genuinely seemed to embrace the idea of Reformation, or at the very least tolerate it within his Kingdom.


    The Kalmar King was a man in histe thirties with a long flowing golden beard and matching hair. His eyes were a pastel blue, and he had quite arge gut. This man was a glutton, as he weighed more than a man his size should.? Nevertheless, the man known as King Alvar quickly greeted Berengar with a pleasant smile on his face.


    "Duke Berengar of Austria, your reputation proceeds you! Wee to my humble abode! I look forward to speaking with you over theing days."


    Seeing the white-haired beauty standing next to Berengar, who was dressed in a mint green gown with golden embroidery, and a fur coat draped over it. The King''s eyes instantly widened; this young woman was among the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and as such, he greatly desired her. However, the moment he gazed at her with lustful intent, Heraclius, who was perched upon her shoulder, screeched at him with hostility.


    Thus the King was started; upon seeing this, Berengar chuckled slightly before giving the King of Scandinavia a fair warning.


    "I wouldn''t get any ideas if I were you; that bird is over-protective of the Lady Valeria..."


    As usual, Berengar used Honoria''s disguise as a cover; since he was bringing her along as his plus one, he had decided to use one of the girl''s aliases. Of course, Honoria now had two aliases; one was an ordinary orphan and a privateer who was known as "Valeria Zonara," and the other was the Lady "Valeria Melodia," which was a more enhanced version of her initial alias.


    Until Bernegar could marry the girl as his third wife, he had to be careful about her real identity. Since he was bringing her along with him on his journey to the Kalmar Union, he had to develop a new noble identity for her; as such, he and the princess spent some time on their journey overhauling her alias.


    Luckily Scandinavia was so far away from the Byzantine Empire that there was no way to confirm her identity quickly. Thus the King instantly began to greet the woman known as Lady "Valeria."


    "Apologies if I offended your pet, my Lady, it won''t happen again."


    To this, Berengar struggled to contain himself from snickering; as such, he grabbed ahold of Honoria''s waist and dragged her into his embrace.


    "The Lady Valeria is my lover, so I would advise you not to get any unhealthy thoughts about her..."


    The intent was clear; Berengar was making a stance immediately to avoid any necessary drama; of course, the King of the Kalmar Union noticed this and immediately backed off. He had no desire to pick a fight with Austria, especially over a woman.


    Thus he let go of his thoughts regarding Honoria and helped Berengar and his host move into his Castle. It was now close to wintertime, and it was dreadfully cold in Denmark. Thus Berengar and his subordinates were appropriately dressed in fine furs.


    After getting settled into the same room Honoria and Berengar prepared themselves for the feast that was about to transpire. As such, they approached the Dining Hall where arge group of people was sitting. Catholics, Reformists, and Noblemen all gathered in the Dining Hall to greet Berengar.


    Upon seeing this, Berengar was quite entertained by the idea of Catholics and Reformists sitting at the same table sharing bread while the rest of the Christian world was at war over their minor differences. When Berengar sat down at the table next to Honoria, they all began to say grace.


    After that was finished, they dug into their meal, where the head of the local Reformist Church began to speak to Berengar as if he were a legendary figure.


    "Your Grace, I must profess that I am a huge fan of your work; spreading the gospel to all of the people of Germany was a bold move, and I admire your bravery."


    As for the Catholics, they had rather sour expressions. Under the decree of the King of the Kalmar Union, all Christian faiths were tolerated, The King may be a glutton, but he had seen what was happening in Germany and Bohemia and dreaded the idea of such a thing happening within his own realm.


    Because of this, he had enactedw of religious tolerance and enforced peace between the burgeoning reformist faction and the Catholic Church within Scandinavia. Thus the Catholics were in a difficult position at the table, as they could not openly make a move against the man known as Berengar, "the ursed."


    Upon hearing this, Bernegar nodded towards the reformist and addressed his concerns.


    "I believe it is essential for the average person to read the word of God and understand it within its entirety. There are many things the Catholic Church preaches that are based on the tradition founded upon pagan beliefs, rather than the word of Christ!"


    Though the Catholics wanted to jump up in response to thisment, the King eyed them carefully with an authoritative gaze; as such, they calmed themselves and ate from the food provided at the table.


    Seeing the Catholics behaving themselves, Berengar decided to bring up the topic in his mind as he addressed everyone at the table.


    "Seeing Catholics and Reformists sharing a meal so peacefully is precisely the vision I had when I started my reformist movement. Unfortunately in Germany, and Bohemia, the Vatican holds too much power and sought to destroy us.


    I am d to see that you, King Alvar have such firm control over yournds that you can allow the peaceful co-existence of our two beliefs systems."


    On the one hand, this was apliment to King Alvar and the Kalmar Union; on the other hand, it was an insult to the Catholics, implying that they hold too much power over thews of man and that secr rule was more important.


    Nevertheless, both King Alvar and his Reformist members of his Court were happy to hear Berengar''spliment, and as such, King Alvar began to speak to Berengar.


    "You honor me, oh mighty Duke of Austria; I have heard of your exploits; in the taverns, they sing songs about you as if you were some ancient folk hero. The man whomands thunder! That is what some of the bards are referring to you as."


    Berengar chuckled at this remark before responding.


    "I im no such thing, I simplymand thousands of men with thousands of guns, and their echo merely resembles thunder."


    After hearing this, King Alvar began tough, so much so that he began to choke on the food he was eating. The moment he did so, the people in the room began to panic; before long, the man was keeled over, trying his hardest to breathe.


    Luckily Berengar was in the room and immediately sprang to action where he got behind the man and used the Heimlich maneuver he had learned during his duration in the army in his previous life.


    After a few attempts, the King spat out the chunk of meat lodged in his throat and gasped for air. It took the King a few moments to realize what had happened; after doing so, he got up from his feet and patted Berengar on the back.


    "I owe you my life!"


    To this, Berengar merely shrugged his hand off and replied calmly.


    "It was nothing; I know you would have done the same..."


    Despite knowing for a fact that Alvar was incapable of doing such a thing, Berengar''s humble attitude in the act of heroism left a favorable impression on the Scandinavian nobility who had gathered at the table.


    With that said, King Alvar returned to his seat, where he began to make a toast before drinking from his chalice.


    "To asting friendship with Austria!"


    Afterward, the people of the Court began to drink away their shock and chat among themselves. Though Berengar knew he would not be able to easily establish a military alliance with the Kalmar Union, this coincidental event was enough to help secure him in their good graces. At the very least, he would not have to worry about an invasion from the North for the time being.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 292: Fishing and Diplomacy

    <h4>Chapter 292: Fishing and Diplomacy</h4>


    Berengar awoke bright and early on the cold near winter''s morning; he was lying naked in a feather bed covered in bear fur; Honoria''s beautiful bare figure was lying next to him. She was wrapped lovingly around him as if she was utterly unwilling to let him out of her sight, even in her sleep.


    As for Heraclius, he was sitting perched on the stand Honoria had brought with her for the pet eagle, giving Berengar the stink eye. The more Heraclius stared at Berengar with his master, the more protective he felt.


    Regardless Berengar returned the Eagle''s fierce stare with a wicked smile; after doing so, he grabbed ahold of Honoria''s sizeable bust and squeezed it softly before kissing her on the lips. The girl quickly awoke after feeling this and stared into Bernegar''s sapphire eyes.


    He was not wearing his eyepatch at the moment, and as such, she was able to see his scarred pupil, along with his perfectly intact one, which she rarely got to see. Despite the grievous injury, she was not in the least bit frightened; if anything, in her mind, it added to Berengar''s character.


    As such, she cupped his face lovingly as she pushed him down onto the bed and began to kiss him passionately upon the neck. Before long, the two were going at it once more, and Heraclius had decided to shield his eyes with his wing.


    Since he was trapped in this room with a closed window, there was no way for him to escape the scene; as such, he did his best to avoid it. The entire journey had been like this, and he was beginning to get annoyed with the young couple.


    After some time, Honoria and Bernegar got dressed, where they greeted the King and his family at the dining table for breakfast. After the previous night, King Alvar and Berengar had gotten along quite well, both men had a penchant for drinking, and Berengar had saved his life.


    However, Berengar asked for nothing in return, insisting that he was merely doing the right thing and that righteous action should not be repaid as a favor. The reason for this was quite simple, in front of the Scandinavian Reformists, they would see this as proof of Berengar''s supposed true nature, despite the Catholic Church''s nder.


    As for the Catholic Church, they could not use the event to smear his name, and thus Berengar had bought himself some good publicity in the eyes of the Scandinavian people.


    Truthfully Berengar did not want a military alliance with the Kalmar Union. He was confident there would be some conflicts with them in the future over the Schleswig-Holstein question.? Thus what Berengar wanted in this visit was to establish a beneficial trade agreement between the two realms and a non-aggression pact.


    His goal with this breakfast was to enhance further his rtions with the Royal Family of the Kalmar Union. Thus Berengar was seated next to Honoria as they dined upon the simple food. It was mainly rye bread, cabbage, and salted pork.


    As Berengar ate the food, he inquired about the King''s ns for the day.


    "So, King Alvar, tell me, what do you have nned for today?"


    Seeing as how King Alvar was entertaining a vital guest, he decided to do something recreational, and as such, he stared at Berengar across the table with a fat grin on his face.


    "I was thinking of going fishing. Would you like to tag along?"


    Without a second''s hesitation, Berengar nodded his head and epted the offer.


    "If you are offering, then I would be happy to ept."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria instantly began to tug on Berengar''s sleeve with a pouting expression. She did not want to be left alone with the Royal family and a contingent of guards. Nevertheless, Berengar needed to secure his goals in this visit, and as such, he had to leave her behind. After all, fishing was a task where men could bond, and a woman''s presence would ruin it.


    As such, Alvar''s house and Berengar''s host enjoyed a simple breakfast filled with eptable banter; it was not until that afternoon where Berengar and King Alvar departed from the Castle and approached the docks of Copenhagen, where they began to cast out the lines of their fishing rods and angle for a meal.


    Though the medieval fishing rod was different than the gear Berengar was ustomed to in the 21st century from his past life, he quickly adapted to it and before long was sitting back and waiting for a bite.


    As he did so, he reached into his fur coat and pulled out a wineskin where he began to drink from it; after doing so, he wiped off the lid before handing it over to King Alvar. Alvar nodded at Berengar as he took a sip from the wineskin; after doing so, he handed it right back to Berengar.


    As the two men sipped on fortified wine while fishing off the coast of Copenhagen, Berengar eventually broke the silence and asked the question on his mind.


    "Can I ask you something, your Highness?"


    Hearing Berengar speak in such a severe tone made the King curious, and as such, he nodded his head silently, giving Berengar permission to ask his question.


    "What do you intend to do when the Pope finally deres a Crusade on the German Reformation?"


    By now, the wineskin had made its way back into Alvar''s hand, and as such, he took a big gulp before responding to the question with another question.


    "What do you think I should do about it?"


    It was apparent the man was testing Berengar. The man was all too aware of the stories of Bernegar''s conquests. He knew that so long as the Catholic Church held significant power, the two factions would fight each other until one managed to gain dominance.


    He also knew Berengar did not n to sit back in Austria quietly and most likely had grand ambitions. As such, he was curious if Berengar would call in a favor for saving his life now that they were in private. However, Berengar''s answer was not what he expected. Instead, Berengar spoke clearly and confidently as he outlined exactly how he thought the future events would unfold.


    "Honestly, it is in the best interest of you and your people not to get involved, you have already promoted tolerance of Christian faiths in yournd, if you choose one side, you will only be inviting internal chaos, and I have no desire to see the Kalmar Union tear itself apart from internal strife."


    Berengar could have further borated about the strength of his army versus that of the crusaders. Instead, he chose to keep it short and straightforward, in doing so, nudging towards the idea of a non-aggression pact.


    As such, the response from King Alvar was one of surprise; truthfully, he had spent the previous nightmenting the debt he owed Berengar after his life was saved, as he did not want to get involved with the Crusade. As such, he began to speak to Berengar with caution as he attempted to rify the issue at hand.


    "You don''t want me to send troops to your aid?"


    In response to this question, Berengar merely shook his head as he answered honestly.


    "Rather than ask for your support, I would prefer you make your stance known to the world that you have no intent to get involved. Sign a Non-Aggression pact between our two realms, and I can sleep easy knowing that an invasion from the Far North is not a possibility."


    Upon hearing this, King Alvar sighed heavily; he felt as if a great weight on his heart had been released; as such, he nodded his head and ced out his hand to shake upon the agreement.


    "Deal!"


    With that said, the two men shook hands, agreeing not to attack each other in the near future. Shortly after that, Berengar''s line began to bob, and he immediately began angling for the fish. After a brief struggle, Berengar was able to real it in. The two men smiled as they gazed upon the size of the fish that Berengar had caught. It was a North Sea cod, and its size was about 100 lbs and was close to five feet in size.


    Upon seeing this, Alvar was amazed; Among all of the cod, he had ever seen fished from the shore this was one of the biggest. As such, the two men were eager to have the fish gutted and cooked so that they could eat it.


    Thus, the two men returned to the Castle to draft an official non-aggression pact between Austria and the Kalmar Union. By doing this Berengar ensured that no man from Scandinavia would enter his realm during the next Crusade. If they did so, they would be punished to the fullest extent of thew.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 293: I Can Die Happy Now

    <h4>Chapter 293: I Can Die Happy Now</h4>


    Several weeks had passed since Berengar first visited the Kalmar Union. The day after returning from his fishing trip with King Alvar, Berengar and the Scandinavian king signed a non-aggression pact between Austria and the Kalmar Union into effect.


    The two men also signed aprehensive trade agreement designed to bring wealth to both countries via open trade of raw materials. As such, Berengar was able to acquire raw materials like timber and furs at a reasonable price.


    After returning home, Berengar found himself fulfilling his promise to his dear lover. Linde monopolized a week''s worth of Bernegar''s time, refusing to allow him to work during that period. As such, he spent the days with his beautiful young lover. When they weren''t making love, they were spending time as a family with their children.


    During this time, Honoria had spent it training the crew she was raising, and as such, rarely saw Berengar. After all, she was well aware of the promise he had made to Linde and had no ns to intrude upon them.


    Before Berengar knew it, his birthday had arrived, and with it, winter had officially begun. Today was December 21st, 1420, and it was Berengar''s twenty-fourth birthday. As such, numerous guests had arrived to celebrate it, and though Berengar wanted to keep the attendance to a minimum, he could not very well decline those who had shown up.


    To Berengar, a birthday was just any other day, and he had never really cared for it; after all, he had spent the overwhelming majority of his birthdays in his past life alone and thus felt ufortable having so many people over celebrating what to him was just an average day.


    After being surrounded by various guests for some time, Berengar finally managed to escape their grasp as he went to his balcony, where he began to smoke some hemp. Berengar had long since cultivated the material for the textile industry, but now and then, when his nerves were in a wreck, he would smoke some hemp.


    Unlike cannabis, hemp flower contained a shallow content of THC, and as such, he did not get high. However, it did have arge amount of CBD, and thus it aided with rxation. As long as there was no tobo for him to smoke, hemp was pretty much the best way for him to calm his nerves.


    Eventually, his smoking session came to a halt when Ad appeared behind Berengar and wrapped her hands over his eyes. The moment she did, she asked the question on her mind with a pretty smile on her face.


    "Guess who?"


    The moment Berengar heard this, a smile appeared on his face as he put out the Hemp cigarette; he then grabbed ahold of Ad''s dainty hands before answering her question.


    "Ad, I know it''s you..."


    Because Berengar had not yed along with the young woman''s games, she immediately let go of him and began to pout. The moment Berengar saw this, he thought it was adorable and petted her silky golden hair in response.


    This only caused Ad to pout further as she was still being treated as a child, despite her growth over thest few years. After seeing this, Berengar extended his hand out as he looked back inside at the party that was taking ce in the ballroom. In doing so, he asked Ad the question she most likely wanted to hear.


    "Would you care for a dance?"


    After hearing this, all of Ad''s discontent flew out the window, and she immediately began to smile as she grasped ahold of Berengar''s hand, where he led her to the dance floor. Though it had been a while since they hadst danced, Berengar did not forget the movements and began to waltz with his fiancee as the crowd of guests watched.


    As usual, Berengar had stolen the show with his graceful appearance and a beautiful girl by his side, and thus all eyes had drawn themselves to him and his young fiancee. As for Linde and Honoria, they watched with enviable expressions. The two women hatched a n in their minds at the same time and began tomunicate with one another in secret.


    The moment Berengar had finished his dance with Ad, both Linde and Honoria approached him; despite his exhaustion from the event, Berengar could see the keen interest in their eyes and reached out his hand towards Linde where he began to dance with her for some time.


    The guests gazed upon Berengar and his lover withplicated expressions. Berengar''s affair with Linde was well known to the Austrian nobility at this point, after all, he had two children with the girl, and despite this scandal, there were few brave enough to rebuke it openly.


    However, what truly shocked them was that after Berengar had danced with both Ad and Linde, he took Honoria''s hand and waltzed with her as well. Few people outside of Kufstein knew of Berengar''s newest acquisition, and as such, they were pretty surprised to see that Berengar had potentially taken another lover.


    After all, the way the two looked at each other was as passionate as the others. As such, a new rumor would begin to spread as the nobility of Austria attempted to inquire about the identity of the young white-haired woman who was by Berengar''s side.


    Eventually, the dancing ended, and Berengar opened his presents; it was primarilyvish gifts that Berengar had no use for. Nevertheless, he thanked every one of the guests who provided them before moving on to the cake.


    Soon the celebration came to an end, and the guests who had visited Kufstein had departed from the castle, their goal being to spend the night in the lodgings provided for them within Kufstein city. Ad and her family stayed behind and were granted ess to the castle.


    After spending some time drinking with Marquess Otto, who Berengar had promoted from a Count to his current position after rising to power, Berengar returned to his quarters where a surprise present was waiting for him.


    Upon entering his bed-chambers, he noticed two beautiful young women dressed in a nearly matching pair of translucent silk negligees. Linde''s exceptionally curvy body showed through the sky blue material, revealing her perky pink nipples beneath them.


    As for Honoria, she was dressed in the same garment but in the color of mint green to match her own eyes. Unlike Linde, who was quite amorous by nature, Honoria was blushing profusely as she held onto Linde''s hand for encouragement.


    The two had arranged that their gift for Berengar would be something special, and as such, they decided to present themselves for his enjoyment on his birthday night. The moment Berengar saw the two gorgeous girls dressed in such enticing attire, all of his exhaustion umted throughout the day vanished from his body, and he shut the door behind him.


    As he approached the bed, Linde took the lead and was the first to speak as she got up and began to disrobe Berengar.


    "Master, this is your gift for tonight; please make use of your ve however you see fit!"


    Honoria struggled to speak the lustful thoughts she had prepared in her head to entice Berengar; after she approached Berengar to help Linde disrobe him, the young duke grabbed ahold of her plump bottom and squeezed it, which caused her to lose her thought process.? After a few seconds, she calmed herself, despite her flushed appearance, and spoke her mind.


    "Daddy, show me your love; Linde and I are prepared to satisfy you in whatever way you desire tonight!"


    Berengar struggled to contain his growing lust, and after he was fully undressed, pushed the two girls on the bed and pounced on them like a tiger in heat. He would spend the entire night making love to his two women; it was only after the dawn had risen and the three of them were covered in sweat, among other bodily fluids, that they fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    As Berengar began to pass out, one final thought appeared on his mind.


    "I can die happy now..."


    He had no way of knowing it, but this event had strengthened the bonds between the three of them. Eventually, such a scene would be routine for Berengar and his lovers. At the moment, he was thoroughly enjoying his peaceful life. However, peace neversted for long, and soon enough, Austria would be thrust into another war.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 294: Assembling a Crew II

    <h4>Chapter 294: Assembling a Crew II</h4>


    Since Berengar''s birthday, a total of three months had passed, and it was now the early months of 1421; throughout these past few months, Honoria had worked on assembling a crew from the wayward women of not only Austria but the nearby regions as well. Germans, Italians, Moors, and Serbs had gathered among the ranks of her privateer crew and trained efficiently in the art of sailing.


    At the moment, Berengar was standing before Honoria, who was dressed in her privateer Captain''s attire. He was the only free man allowed onboard the 20 gun sloop of war which Honoria had named the "Honoria''s Revenge" after herself. Though few knew her actual identity, and as such, it was presumed to be named after the missing Byzantine Princess.


    Berengar had brought a few weapons crates with him on board, where he then opened them to reveal the contents hidden within. When the woman around him gazed at the weapons, they were not surprised. Honoria had promised that Berengar would provide them with firearms; however, when he exined the function of the guns, they were shocked to hear it.


    "These are the 1421 Repeating Rifled Muskets. They are capable of firing 30-60 rounds a minute and are appropriately rifled. They utilize the .58 caliber minie ball projectile, and I assure you are lethal out to three hundred yards, even if your opponent is armored in full te."


    Berengar had to look out for Honoria, and since her entire crew wasprised of women, he ensured she was adequately equipped to defeat men in battle. As such, he created a series of firearms based upon the Jennings rifle from his previous life.


    The Jennings rifle was a percussion cap rifle that used superposed loads to rapidly fire multiple shots from a single barrel in a short amount of time. Due to theck of mercury fulminate, Berengar had altered the design to a flintlock action.


    The Jennings rifle that the 1421 Repeating Rifled Musket was based on consists of a single barrel and lock, which could fire twenty charges in two seconds per charge. The rifle utilized a sliding lock and multiple touchholes simr to earlier designs.


    The firearm also utilized a mechanism for automatically priming the pan of the lock. In simpler terms, this was a flintlock repeating rifle, whereby simply cocking the gun and pulling the trigger up to twenty rounds could be fired off down rage rapidly.


    Berengar also designed pistols based upon this principle as sidearms for the women to wield; essentially, they would be able to effectively engage any man inbat without the need to draw des. The reason for this was because they could simply fire over twenty rounds without ever needing to reload their weapons.


    With this in mind, Berengar decided to demonstrate the weapons as he handed Honoria the first repeating flintlock; she had long since been trained in their use. As such, the princess began to teach her privateers how to load the weapons before she tested them on a series of targets set up on the shore.


    The moment Honoria cocked the flintlock action and fired at a distance of a hundred yards, the minie ball projectile struck through the steel breastte that was adorned atop the straw target and sted through the other side with ease.


    Before anyone had time to react, she cocked the action again and fired another precise shot towards the next target. She repeated this a total of twenty times, hitting most of the dummies in the process. One could say under Berengar''s supervision; she had be an excellent marksman; after all, there were few things hotter than a woman who knew how to handle a gun.


    After smoking her targets, Honoria turned around with a broad smile and asked Berengar the question on her mind.


    "Did I do good, daddy?"


    At this point, she was so used to calling Berengar by that term that it did not even cross her mind that all of her crew members were present to witness it. Berengar, on the other hand, was still not entirely on board with the whole thing and, as such, cleared his throat before responding.


    "You did well..."


    After hearing this, Honoria smiled before jumping off the bow and into Berengar''s arms before kissing his cheek. All of her crewmembers were stunned by Honoria''s actions, they had no idea that Honoria had such a rtionship with the Duke of Austria, but they suddenly understood why they were permitted to engage in such a deadly profession.


    The only member among the crew who knew what kind of rtionship Honoria had with Berengar was Melissa. Thetter had given up the life of a peaceful employee of a textile factory to join Honoria''s privateering crew. If the princess was going to go out on adventures and get herself in trouble, Melissa wanted to be by her side to help.


    After this embarrassing disy of affection, Berengar began handing out the weapons and training the women in their use; this would be their next goal now that they were semi-experienced sailors. As such, the operation of the repeating muskets and cannons was the next step in the training of this wayward crew of wenches.


    While Honoria was training the women, Elfrun, in particr, was messing with something far more sinister. She had been educated in Berengar''s public education system and had always been interested in chemistry. Thus she had begun experimenting with explosives ever since she joined Honoria''s crew.


    Despite being in her early teens, one could say the young girl had be quite obsessed with the explosives such as grenades. As such, she was ying with one of those same explosives when Berengar walked over to her.


    After doing so, she looked up at him with a murderous glint in her eyes, which Berengar found to be quite odd. However, the girl''s following words exined her reasoning perfectly.


    "Go away... womanizer."


    In Elfrun''s eyes, there was little difference between Berengar and the lower nobleman who tried to purchase her. They were both the same, lecherous men who abused their wealth and power to get what they wanted; as such, she had no interest in talking to Berengar.


    Upon hearing this, Berengar chuckled and nodded his head before walking away; the only thing he said to the girl before departing were the words.


    "You''re not wrong..."


    Afterward, he left the girl who was ying with grenades to her own devices. Hopefully, she wouldn''t do something stupid and irresponsible with those explosives. As such, Berengar returned to Honoria and began to flirt with her; while he did this, Elfrun''s gaze did not escape his trail, and she immediately bit her lip upon seeing the way Honoria acted around the young Duke.


    Berengar spent the day getting to know Honoria''s various crew members that she had rallied together, and by the end of it, he was quite pleased with the results. At the very least, he could trust these women around his lover.


    Though they did not appear like much, this crew would soon be notorious on the Mediterannean sea, and their actions would inspire many young men to take up arms in privateering on behalf of the Crown of Austria.


    Honoria would be the first to usher in a new era of Naval Warfare, one that Berengar greatly anticipated. As Honoria and her crew of salty wenches began to transition into the life of privateering, other events were transpiring across the world, but those are tales for another time.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 295: Marching on Cairo

    <h4>Chapter 295: Marching on Cairo</h4>


    Months had passed since Honoria assembled her crew, and now on the other edge of the Mediterranean in thends of Pharaohs and Kings, Arethas was in the process of humbling the Mamluk Sultanate.


    With the military aid provided to him by the Duchy of Austria, the Byzantine forces stationed in North Africa had made substantial progress, so much so that they were now outside Cairo''s gates.


    Despite the stable walls built around the proud city, the thunder of dozens of falcs could be overheard by the residents within those walls. With every volley, the city began to shake, and the one-pound cannon balls chipped away at the stone fortifications that had protected the civilians within it for generations.


    If Cario were seized, then the rest of the Egyptian province would fall shortly after. The Mamluke''sst bastion in the easternmost region of the Mediterranean was on the verge of copse. As such, Its defenders desperately fired arrows down upon the Byzantine troops.


    Unlike Berengar''s forces, which were armored over their vital regions with quenched and hardened high carbon steel te armor, the troops of the Byzantine Empire were armored primarily in mild steel mirror-pattern armor, over a mail hauberk.


    Because of this, there were still some significant gaps in their protection. Thus the arrows and bolts fired by the Mamluke archers were capable of finding their way through those gaps and, as a result, significantly injured the Byzantine Soldiers, if not outright killing them.


    Currently, Arethas was standing at the rear of the siege camp that had been set up, watching his artillerymen fire the falc cannons, while his arkebusiers resisted the enemy''s fire. Those brave byzantine soldiers unleashed their destructive volleys upon the enemy defenders while being pelted with arrows and bolts.


    As the Byzantine arkebusiers fired upon the defenders, their projectiles made their way up onto the ramparts. Those Mamlukes unfortunate to be hit by the volley found their armor shredded, and their lives lost. Blood sttered across the battlefield as the number of deaths began to skyrocket.


    After several hours of heated conflict, the bombardments ceased, and the soldiers of both sides returned to their quarters. For the Byzantines, they had set up a standard medieval siege camp outside the city''s gates.


    Inside this camp, Arethas chastised his artillery officers; due to the cast iron material that these guns were made of, they could not sustain a continuous bombardment, unlike the high carbon steel that Berengar had fashioned his cannons from.


    They needed time to cool down, or else they would risk a rupture in the bore. Thus the siege had been progressing slower than he initially wanted it to. Who was to take the me for such a thing? Naturally, it fell to the artillery officers.


    "Howe those walls are still standing? It has been nearly a week since we have begun our bombardment, and yet to my surprise; we are still standing out here in the desert with our thumbs up our asses! Bring down those walls, or else!"


    The Artillery officers looked at one another with confused expressions. They did not dare reveal that Decentius, who was the second Prince of the Empire, and Arethas'' right-hand man had ordered them to sustain a bombardment long enough to draw the defenders'' attention.


    The reason for this was shrouded in conspiracy, and Arethas was unaware of it, as such, he continued to chastise the artillery officers.


    "I swear if that wall is not brought down by tomorrow morning, your heads will be--"


    During mid-sentence, Arethas cut his words short as the ground had begun to quake, and with it, an eruption had urred. This was no simple earthquake; soon, the fortifications around the City of Cairo began to crumble.


    Walls and watchtowers began to fall to the ground as the very foundation they were built upon sted itself apart. It was as if hell itself had decided to sprout from within the cities. The screams of the defending soldiers and the citizens within echoed in the air as a giant explosive st filled the air.


    Arethas watched this horrific sight in shock as he gazed upon the destruction wrought upon the city of Cairo; before long, he could overhear Prince Decentius, who was his second inmand, and godson cheering in the distance as he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    "For the Empire!"


    with his chant, all of the soldiers in the Byzantine camp began to cheer with him. As Arethas looked around the battlefield and the destruction that was wrought upon it, there was little time before the Byzantines rallied behind Decentius and charged into the ruins of the city.


    With the Prince leading the charge, the Byzantines rushed past the broken walls and began to stick their pikes in the flesh of any man unfortunate enough to be still breathing after such a catastrophic event.


    Blood began to fill the streets of Cairo as the Byzantine soldiers imed the lives of every soul within its gates. No man, woman, or child was spared the ughter that Decentius had ordered. Such a thing had never urred under Arethas'' watch, and as such, the brave Strategos instantly tried to stop the senseless murder.


    However, before the man could do so, he found himself beset on all sides by his soldiers, who had lowered their pikes in his direction. These men had been under his care for years, and yet now they were preventing him from stopping Decentius''s merciless butchering of the city.


    Arethas, the great Strategos of Ionia andmander of the Emperor''s armies in North Africa, had no way of knowing that Prince Decentius had gone behind his back and had ordered a tunnel to be built beneath the city where it was filled with explosive casks along its foundation.


    When this task was finallypleted, one of the explosive barrels was lit ame and before long exploded, resulting in a chain reaction that tore the city to pieces. Why did Decentius do this? It was because he wanted the glory of conquering thest vestige of Mamluke power in Egypt for himself.


    After having failed to locate the runaway Princesses'' whereabouts, Decentius had been mired in disgrace and shunned by his father. He knew that the only way to redeem himself was to im a great military victory on his own.


    With this action, Cairo had fallen, and the prestige that came with it entered the young Prince''s grasp. By doing so, Decentius had made a name for himself as the Conqueror of Egypt and would likely convince many of his father''s supporters to aid him in his war for session against his elder brother.


    Arethas was held at bay for some time until not a single living Mamluke was present within the city; only after all life had been snuffed out of existence did Decentius appear before the pike wall that had surrounded the mighty Strategos.


    When Arethas gazed upon his godson, all he could see was malice in the boy''s eyes. Arethas knew not what Decentius''s intentions were, as such he decided to interrogate the boy for his treacherous actions.


    "Decentius! This was your n? Do you realize what you have done? The Mamlukes will never forgive the blood you have shed this day!"


    As Decentius heard this, his expression became downcast as he spoke the words that weighed on his heart.


    "I will mourn your loss, Arethas; you were like a father to me; if it were not for that bitch Honoria and her antics, I would not have to resort to this! Forgive me, my friend!"


    With that said, Decentius grabbed ahold of a nearby pike and thrust it through the neck of the Strategos of Ionia, where Arethas began to choke on his blood. As he did so, Decentius retrieved the weapon and held onto Arethas, gazing into his eyes as the man''s soul slowly departed from this world.


    Not once did Arethas ever expect that he would be betrayed by the young man he thought of as his son. In the end, the mighty Strategos of Ionia, who was supposed to reconquer North Africa, with the weapons Berengar had provided him.


    The man who was supposed to use his friendship with Berengar to create an alliance between Austria and Byzantium was reported to have died in battle during the early days of the war. The conquest of Egypt and Lybia would be known to history as a feat achieved by Decentius Piologos.


    What effect these events would have on the rtions between the Duchy of Austria and the Byzantine Emperor would remain to be seen. One thing was certain; if Honoria were ever to be aware of the betrayal that her brother had done unto thete Strategos of Ionia, she would stop at nothing to have his head.


    ---


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 Chapter 296: Invasion of Murcia

    <h4>Chapter 296: Invasion of Murcia</h4>


    Months had gone by since the conflict in Iberia had reignited. At the moment, Hasan was at the head of his army, backed by Arnulf and his other officers who acted in an advisory capacity to the Granadan forces.


    In front of their army of 15,000 men was an army of 20,000 Iberians. This army was just one of the many units at the disposal of Granada''s enemies.? As for the troops at Hasan''smand, this was the maximum amount of soldiers he could field at the moment.


    Hasan had boldly taken an offensive stance in this conflict after months of defending his borders; as such, he was attacking a region owned by Castile known as Murcia. This region was on the borders of his Emirate and once belonged to the Moors.


    Due to centuries of Reconquista, the Moors had been continuously pushed back from thend they had conquered in Iberia to the point that now the Emirate of Granada was all that remained. Before Berengar endorsed the Sultan, it appeared as if the moors would be pushed out of the region entirely.


    Yet now, with the military aid that had been given to them, they were able to hold their ground for the time being. As such, Hasan had taken advantage of the situation to press into Murcia. With General Arnulf nearby, Hasan felt the need to ask the Austrian the question on his mind.


    "What do you think of our chances?"


    To this, Arnulf scratched his chin before responding.


    "If your army fulfills their duty to the standards we have trained them in, I''d say there''s at least a 60% chance of victory..."


    This figure did not make Hasan very hopeful, however, it was best not to dwell on such things; as such, he sighed heavily before giving his officers their orders.


    "Prepare the cannons to fire, tell the arkebusiers to load their weapons, and begin their march. The pikeman shall protect their nks, as for the Cavalry form on me!"


    At this point, Hasan unsheathed his ivory and gold-hilted Damascus steel shamshir and raised it into the air as he began to trod forth with his Cavalry. The heavily armored Granadan horsemen started their descent from the hilltop above as the falc cannons began to open fire on the Iberian Union''s forces.


    The one-pound cannonballs flew at great speed into the ranks of the enemy forces, shattering through their shields and armor and sending those unfortunate enough to get hit by them directly into the afterlife.


    In response to this, the Catholic Knights immediately began their charge at the infantry; however, the pikes were lowered, scaring the horses to run amok. When they got near, the massive pike wall several Knights were thrown off their steeds and onto the ground below where the pikes were thrust into them.


    Some of the Knights were unfortunate enough to have gaps in their armor pierced, and as such were wounded, or possibly killed as their blood oozed onto the field below. Other''s simply got up from the ground and tried to break through the pike wall.


    However, when they did so, the arkebusiers who had been holding their shots opened fire on the knights and men at arms in front of them, sending their lead projectiles through their torsos and helmets and iming their lives in the hundreds.


    Many of the soldiers missed their shots, and after the volley had been fired, they began to reload their weapons, first by taking off the lit match and holding it to the side, then by opening one of the twelve apostles that hung from their bandolier, these so-called apostles contained the powder and shot necessary to load the arkebuse firearms.


    They then poured the apostle''s contents down the barrel beforepacting the powder and shot into the barrel with their ramrods. After finishing that step, they had ced the ramrod back in its socket before raising the gun, where they poured some powder from their sk into the pan. After doing so, they put the match back on the lock and cocked it back into action before presenting their arms at the enemy.


    The entire process took close to a minute for the Granadan troops toplete, and while they had done so, they were being protected by the ranks of pikeman who rushed into the fray and kept the enemy at bay.


    The battle raged on, and the Pikemen withdrew from the front allowing the Arkebusiers to aim their weapons and fire another shot into the mix. With the Catholic Knights sorely defeated, the Granadan Cavalry struck at the rear of the Iberian formation.


    Under Hasan''s leadership, the Cavalry had circled the enemy troops and attacked from the rear, causing chaos and devastation among their ranks. Thences and swords utilized by the Granadan Cavalry as they attacked the hostile soldiers pierced through their weak spots and imed their lives, spilling blood and bile onto the field in the process.


    As Hasan was riding on horseback, a cannonball whizzed past his head, nearly iming his life; the moment it did so, the young Sultan almost pissed his pants in fear. Nevertheless, he calmed himself and pressed on as his soldiers trampled through the Granadans ranks.


    Seeing that the Cavalry had now gotten in range of the friendly cannons, Arnful waved a small g signaling the Artillery to cease their attack. As such, they immediatelyplied with their orders and waited for the battle to resolve itself.


    Arnulf was smirking as he gazed upon the field, the medieval forces of the Iberian Union were not ready for the era of pike and shot, and the victories that had been achieved up until this point was proof of such a thing.


    Arnulf had no idea how Berengar hade up with such viable strategies, but he was there when Bernegar''s armies made use of them during the war with Kitzb��hel; it had been a little over three years since that minor border war, and yet in that time so much had happened.


    The young Viscount could hardly believe how far he hade in this time, and it was all thanks to one man, even if that man was a filthy degenerate who used the German Reformation as an excuse to absolve himself of his actions in the public eye.


    As such, a wry smile appeared on the man''s face as he reflected on his past. While he was doing this, the Iberian forces had begun to route, and thus, Arnulf snapped to attention, waving a g in the air signaling the Granadan troops to halt.


    Eventually, the message was spread, and the Granadans ceased their pursuit of the Iberian Union''s army. Though this was not a victory that caused significant casualties to the enemies, it had severely weakened their morale and, more importantly, opened up their path to controlling the province.


    With the battle over, Arnulf rode down with his officers into the field alongside the Grandan troops who had begun to clean up the battlefield, taking anything of value from the fallen Iberian forces and leaving the rest for the crows to feast upon.


    After arriving in front of Hasan, Arnulf decided to give the man congrattions for his victory.


    "Your Eminence, Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl, I congratte you for your victory on this day. Let this be a reminder to the Catholic scum who dare to invade yournds that even a wolf that has been backed into a corner still has teeth!"


    Upon hearing this, Hasan, whose armor was stained in the blood of his enemies, began tough.


    "Well said, my Austrian friend. However, now is not the time to celebrate; first, we must win this war!"


    With that said, the war in Iberia had begun to escte, as the Granadan forces would soon seize control of Murcia and make further conquests into Catholic territory; the battle here in the Murcian ins was the first of the Emirates of Granada''s offensive campaign against their enemies.


    ---


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 Chapter 297: Minting New Currency

    <h4>Chapter 297: Minting New Currency</h4>


    Now that Berengar had established supreme reign over the Duchy of Austria and had begun the process of incorporating the silver and gold mines from throughout the Austrian alps, he decided it was now time to introduce a national currency.


    Gold was severely limited at this time. Until he could gain the vast wealth of a region like Mexico, or South Africa, he had no means to acquire a substantial sum of the coveted material as such, Berengar had decided to keep with the silver standard.


    The most significant problem that the Austrian economy had faced up until this point was that the currency''s production waspletely localized. The size and quality of the currency entirely depended on regional rulers, and as such, it was horribly debased.


    Thus Berengar had opted to revitalize the Austrian coinage and in the process make it the universal standard for trade in all of Europe, especially now that his trade reached most corners of the Mediterranean.


    Thus, with the stroke of a pen, Berengar utilized his executive authority to establish the Coinage Act of 1420. With this, he intended to create a stable centralized currency in the hands of the Austrian Government, and by Austrian Government, he meant himself.


    This so-called Austrian Thaler was minted with his visage on the front and the Austiran Reichsadler, or Double-Eagle on the back. It had a finely made reeded edge and was quite aesthetically pleasing.


    The silver thaler was made of 99.9% fine silver; it weighed one troy ounce and had a diameter of 1.5 inches, with a thickness of 0.13 inches. This silver coin was exceptional whenpared to the previous currency used within the Duchy of Austria or that which is currently used around the world.


    To apany this Austrian Thaler, which would act as his silver standard, Berengar also minted a gold coin of a simr design to go along with it; this would scarcely be used in anything other than transactions of significant sizes, as its value was toorge.


    This golden coin was named the Austrian Gulden and shared the aesthetic design of the Thaler, the primary difference being it was made out of 99.9% or 24ct gold and was in slightly different dimensions. While it still weighs one troy ounce and has a diameter of 1.5 inches, its thickness was smaller than the Austrian Thaler, with a thickness of 0.08 inches.


    Berengar wanted a robust currency for his realm, and as such, he had decided that pure coinage, free of debasement was the best option. Thus, he had begun to put the massive stockpiles of gold and silver he had umted over the years into producing these two coins.


    After establishing the new currency, Berengar also enacted anotherw which was the Banking Act of 1420. In this act, he founded a national Bank which was open to citizens of all social standing; this bank could be used to hold currency and distribute loans, among other things.


    With these two economic reforms being established, Berengar could im that control of the nation''s economy was thoroughly centralized in the hands of his Dynasty. As such, a broad smile was on his face as he gazed at the silver and gold coins that were in his hands.


    While he gazed at the coins that disyed his appearance without the eye injury, he was pretty pleased with the way they had turned out. They did not appear like the poor depictions one could find on most medieval coins and instead looked semi-lifelike, much like a modern coin.


    The process used to create these coins was quite advanced; Berengar utilized the rolling press machine from his previous life. This device used two cylindrical dies that impressed designs on bullion which rolled between them. Once this bullion was imprinted and rolled, the coins were then punched out from the material with a water-powered hammer.


    Because of this process, most of the coins were rtively uniform and virtually indistinguishable from one another. The actual presentation of the image on the coins was also exceptionally higher than the old hammer coins that other countries were currently using.


    While Berengar was admiring the set of coins in front of him; he was utterly unaware that Honoria had slipped into the room. She ever so slightly nudged the door open and slid into the room on her knees, which was below the sight of Berengar''s desk.


    As such, she crawled over to Berengar with a wicked smile carved upon her luscious lips. There was only one purpose for so stealthily entering the room, and that was to scare Berengar.


    The young princess eventually rounded the corner of the desk on Berengar''s right side, which was the side of his wounded eye, before silently standing up behind Berengar; when the young Duke least expected it, the girl pounced on him with a hug, shocking him in the process.


    Berengar''s first instinct was to smack the girl; however, he ever so slightly managed to refrain from doing he noticed the culprit was Honoria. As such, he grabbed ahold of her perfect pale cheeks and slightly pulled on them while chastising the young princess as if she were an errant child.


    "You nearly gave me a heart attack! What the hell were you thinking!?!"


    Seeing that Berengar was not as entertained as she was, Honoria began to pout in response to the scolding she had received. She just wanted to y a prank on Berengar; there was no reason for him to overreact so much.? As such, the sly little vixen decided to shift the topic to avoid an apology.


    "So, what are those coins for?"


    Berengar, who was too enamored with the coins he had produced, quickly fell for Honoria''s trick and began to lecture her on his new currency.


    "This is the new centralized Austrian currency. In the future, this silver coin will be the staple of our economy. It is made purely out of silver, so its value is substantially higher than the previously issued coins."


    When Honoria heard this, she was quite surprised; even the Byzantine currency was extensively debased. Thus Berengar''s ambitions to create a pure silver coin were ambitious. However, she had a rough estimate of the wealth Berengar had amassed in terms of silver and gold after expanding into and monopolizing so many businesses; if anyone could do such a thing, it would be him.


    Honoria grabbed ahold of one of the gold coins from Berengar''s grasp and closely observed its features. She then realized that the technology Berengar was using to make these coins must be exceptionally advanced, as the coins were nearly identical to one another. The presentation of his face was exceptional by current standards.


    Seeing his handsome visage embossed on a coin made Honoria excited so she kissed him on the cheek before whispering in his ear.


    "As long as these coins exist, people will remember how handsome you were! That is an impressive feat if you ask me..."


    Berengar chuckled at this before he shooed the girl away from him; he did not have time for her games at the moment.


    "Honoria, sweetheart, I am busy with work. I will y with you and Lindeter; go do something productive!"


    With that said, Honoria began to pout once more as Berengar had not taken the bait; however, she eventually said nothing and blew Berengar off; it was his loss if he did not want to fool around, as such, she went out looking for Linde, maybe Berengar''s other lover was doing something interesting that she could join in on.


    Thus, Berengar was left by his lonesome as he finished off the paperwork regarding his economic overhauls. After many hours of administrative work, Berengar finallypleted his workload for the day and sighed heavily after he hadpleted it. Only one thought escaped from his lips as he rested his weary head in his hands.


    "I need to get somebody to do all of this paperwork for me..."


    With that having been said, Berengar got up from his seat and sought out his two lovers, he needed to blow off some steam, and now that he was finished with his work, it was the perfect time to do so.


    ---


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 Chapter 298: Operation Thunder

    <h4>Chapter 298: Operation Thunder</h4>


    Gunshots echoed in the air as the small iron projectiles flew forth from the hand cannons and into the torso of the advancing knights who charged on foot at the defensive position. This attack resulted in several heavily armored knights losing their lives as the projectiles pierced through their armor at close range, turning them into bloody sieves.


    Due to the introduction of barbed wire in the Bohemian conflict as means of Austrian aid, horses found it challenging to navigate the treacherous terrain. The Catholic Knights were forced to attack the Hussite positions on foot more often than not, leading them to walk into a wave of crossbow bolts and gunfire.


    Close to two years had passed since the Hussite Wars had begun. During this time the Hussites had found themselves on the defensive. Still, due to the Austrian forces'' creative tactics and advanced technology, they could hold the line sessfully and slowly deplete the alliance of Catholic parties who advanced upon them.


    These Knights were from the Pnd-Lithuanianmonwealth; after defeating the Teutonic State and seizing its territory, the Polish Knights answered the Pope''s call to arms and marched on Bohemia.


    After a swift victory over the Teutonic State, resulting in a small enve of Teutonic Knights to exist in a fraction of its previous territory, the Polish Knights believed that sweeping up the Hussite heretics would be a simple matter.


    They were mistaken, as they met the stiffest resistance they had evere across; by now, they had poured thousands of knights and men at arms into the field and lost almost all of them. If things continued this way, defeat was inevitable. As such, the Catholic forces were scratching their heads, thinking of a way to prate the Hussite territory; thus far, no significant gains had been made.


    After gunning down the newest wave of crusaders, the Hussites began to reload their firearms, nearby was Eckhard, who stood at the frontlines of this war, overseeing the static defenses that had been made to counteract the Catholic invasion.


    Eckhard estimated that it would not be long before Berengar entered a war with the Holy Roman Empire for his independence; as such, he needed to continue his efforts here in Bohemia to distract the Catholic forces for some time yet.


    With that in mind, the Crusaders began to charge at the static positions once more; as they did so, Eckhard instructed the men nearby to hold their fire.


    "Hold! Hold your fire!"


    Many of the men were aware of the current n and began to have wicked grins as they imagined the result of the trap that had beenin for the catholic armies who rushed towards their position.


    Somewhere between the Crusader''s encampment and the stone fortress established at the border of Hussite territory was a deep ditch that had been dug; to get to the defense, one would have to cross over this ditch.


    This ditch was not a moat as it was dug much further out than the fortress''s walls; in fact, it had been used as a line of cover for the crusaders before they advanced on the Hussite''s position. Until now, the catholicmanders considered the Hussite officers to be grossly ipetent for creating such a defensive position for their enemies.


    Because of this, the crusaders had begun to rely on this ditch to block the initial volley of the Hussite handgunners and then charge at their position while they were reloading. At this point, it was second nature for the Catholics to do so; once more, the crusaders jumped into the ditch.


    This was their most considerable charge yet, with thousands of soldiers entering the trench line; they did not realize that several thousand pounds of TNT provided by the Austrian military were embedded within this trench system. The Hussites had been waiting for them to make such a massive mistake.


    After close to ten thousand soldiers entered the trench system, they waited for the Hussites to unload their initial volley before charging. However, the volley never came. Instead, they could hear the voice of the Hussitemander, who in this case was Eckhard scream his orders at the top of his lungs.


    "Now!"


    The moment Eckhard said this, the detonators to the TNT were initiated and, in doing so causing a massive explosion to erupt within the trench line, instantly engulfing thousands of crusaders in the resulting explosive st. Fire and smoke filled the air surrounding the trench line as the mes spread to every soul unfortunate enough to survive the vicious attack.


    Blood-curdling screams echoed in the distance as blood, bone, and sinew were scattered about. It was a truly horrific sight to behold; however, before the Hussites could calm their stomachs, the whistle blew signaling their duty to charge, and as such, thousands of Hussites exited their fortifications and ran over the trench line filled with burnt corpses and the ash of those consumed in the explosion.


    With bills, spears, swords, hand cannons, and crossbows in hand, the Hussites charged into the Crusader''s encampment where few of their soldiers remained, terrified by the sight of the massive explosion as if the gates to hell themselves had opened on the battlefield.


    Before these crusaders could react, the Hussites were upon them, bringing with them the judgment of heaven as they descended upon the catholic forces who remained within the camp. Thunderous sts of hand cannons echoed in the air as their projectiles pelted the surviving crusaders.


    Bolts followed alongside the iron projectiles of the hand cannons creating a massive disy of violence; after the initial volley had been fired, the meleebatants charged into the fray, skewering the disoriented crusaders with their weapons in a ughter so brutal that only the devil could enjoy such a sight.


    During the ensuing violence, Eckhard, alongside his attache of military advisors, stayed within the fortress, observing the sight with a bitter expression. The veteran field marshal could not help but sigh in defeat as he watched the bloody scene.


    "So much death, and for what? A difference of opinion over the word of God? Such a pointless waste of lives..."


    The more Eckhard waged this religious war, the more exhausted he felt inside. If not for the orders he was given by Berengar, he would have left his role as the chief military advisor to the Hussites long ago.


    In his eyes, Berengar''s wars were somewhat justifiable; after all, the man had been suppressed by many forces and was fighting back against them. His goal of unifying the German people into a single coherent Empire was also noble and worth fighting for.


    However, this war was fought simply over religious differences, and tens of thousands of men had already died in the conflict. Was the Pope so blinded by power that he would allow such a thing to happen? The more the Catholics resisted the Hussite Reformation, the more Eckhard was convinced that their creator did not design mankind with peace in mind.


    This war had been exhausting both mentally and spiritually for the Field Marshal of Austria, and he knew the moment it was over, he would likely be defending his homnd from the same degree of nonsensical bloodshed.


    Thus as Operation Thunder came to a close, Eckhard could not help but desire to have a drink as quickly as possible; in doing so he hoped to forget the diforting thoughts that gued his mind. Despite the state of despair he felt for the ongoing conflict in Bohemia, the war would continue to wage on.


    However, with this victory, the Hussite forces had crushed the vanguard of the Catholic troops who attempted to invade their territory, and thus the roles were now reversed; the next stage of the Bohemian Conflict would soon begin as the Hussite armies started their advance into Catholic held territory.


    ---


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 Chapter 299: Declaration of Independence

    <h4>Chapter 299: Deration of Independence</h4>


    Months had passed since Berengar''s birthday, and it was now July 17th, 1421. This day would forever be remembered in German History within this world as a critical day in Berengar''s schemes to unite the German people into a single cohesive Empire.


    At the moment, Berengar had gathered together all of the significant noblemen, and the political representatives of the Duchy of Austria, whether they bemon man or nobility. The gathering in the Castle of Kufstein was quite lively, as many of these men were from vastly different social standings.


    Nheless, they were not informed why they were summoned and were impatiently waiting upon Berengar''s arrival. As a man with a taste for ir, he had decided to be fashionablete to this important meeting.


    An hour had passed after all of the representatives arrived before Berengar personally disyed himself. He was dressed in the most luxurious attire he had, set in the colors of his house; his renaissance style clothing had an elegant dalmatian fur overcoat over it as he strode up to his Ducal throne and sat upon it authoritatively.


    After sitting there in silence for a few moments, waiting for the voices to calm down, Berengar finally voiced his intent for gathering so many important figures to his abode. However, the manner that he performed it was different than anyone was expecting.


    "Guards, bring in the prisoner!"


    With that decree, the heavily armored soldiers of Berengar''s personal guard left the room before dragging a swiss man who was bound and chained. Evidently, The man had been interrogated quite ruthlessly, as there were signs of physical abuse on his person.


    After being tossed in front of Berengar''s feet and forced to kneel by the nearby guards, Berengar stared at the man with a cruel smile upon his face before giving him an order.


    "Tell these men who have gathered here on this day what you have confessed to me!"


    The swiss man had dirty blonde hair and dark eyes. His hair was unkempt, and his appearance haggard; he gazed around at the various Austrian men of different social statuses with confusion, trying to understand what was about to ur.


    However, Berengar grew impatient and mmed his fist on his armrest, alerting the man to his fury. As such, the man immediately began to dere his guilt and the reason for his imprisonment.


    "I am a spy sent by Emperor Balsamo Corsini with the intent to sabotage Austrian development. Mypatriots and I were caught red-handed in the act by the Austrian Department of Intelligence, and at this moment, I confess to the sins I havemitted of my own free will."


    The moment the Swiss man said these words, the crowd began to erupt in debate.


    "The Emperor seeks to cripple Austria? For what purpose!"


    "This is an attack on our entire Nation and must be met with recourse!"


    "Damned Italians, always butting their heads into Austrian affairs, I say we give them a taste of their own medicine!"


    Various voices of contention erupted in the Great Hall of Kufstein; however, after a while, Berengar tapped his armrest loudly, instantly calming the men who had gathered.


    "Order! I want order in my great hall! If you have any questions, direct them to the prisoner one at a time!"


    As such, the men began to calm themselves. Marquess Otto holding an essential position in Berengar''s Council was the first to address his concerns to the Swiss agent.


    "Why would the Emperor do such a thing to our Duchy? We have not provoked him in any way!"


    The swiss agent immediately looked over at Berengar, who gave him a silent murderous re; this nce was enough to inform the spy of the penalty he would face for lying. As the chills invaded the prisoner''s spine, he immediately confessed what he knew about the matter.


    "The Emperor fears the rapid growth of Austria and is terrified of the prospect that Berengar might challenge him and his authority. As such, he has sent hundreds of agents into Austria with the intent to sabotage your industry.


    However, your industrial districts are heavily guarded, and we had no way to infiltrate them; as such most of us have failed in our tasks!"


    Upon hearing this, the Austrian representatives became thoroughly enraged; the Emperor had vited the terms of vassge. As far as the men gathered in the great hall were concerned, this was an act of war. As such, they began to erupt with fury in response to these ims.


    One political representative ofmon birth was the first to protest the Emperor''s actions.


    "Bastard! There must be war!"


    Immediately after he spoke, a minor nobleman followed with an even more vicious response.


    "If they seek to destroy Austria, we should show them the power of Austrian steel! I would like to see who dares to bully us now that our military prowess is unrivaled in all of Europe! I volunteer to lead an incursion into Northern Italy to drive this false Emperor from his throne of lies!"


    After this was said, an argument broke out between the politicians and noblemen within the chamber.


    "You! You are but a small Baron and have no prior military experience; what gives you the right to lead an army! I am a colonel in the armed forces and a Viscount; I should be the one to lead the army to victory against the Empire!"


    The two noblemen began to verbally spar with one another until Berengar once more pounded his armrest, signaling them all to calm themselves. After this action, the room fell deathly silent as Berengar, with a stoic gaze on his face that expressed the personification of a sovereign monarch, made his official deration of Independence.


    "In response to these scandalous actions by the Holy Roman Emperor who has betrayed the rights of vassge, I hereby dere the Independence of our realm and the formation of the Kingdom of Austria! I Berengar von Kufstein first of my name, and rightful sovereign of Austria decree that henceforth I shall be the monarch of Austria and all of its people as granted to me by right of conquest, and the support of the Lord almighty!"


    After saying this, Marquess Otto stood at attention as he saluted Berengar with a gaze of firm determination on his face.


    "Hail to the King!"


    The moment he did so, the various politicians and noblemen gathered in the great hall responded in the same manner without hesitation. These men immediately formed ranks and pounded their chests in salute as they repeated the words spoken by Marquess Otto.


    "Hail to the King!"


    Upon seeing this, a cruel smile curved upon Berengar''s lips; he felt it was inappropriate to hail to himself, and as such, a wicked idea formed in his mind as he chanted the following words while saluting his subordinates.


    "Hail Victory!"


    With those words stated, the men present formally drafted a deration of Independence and the formation of the Austrian Kingdom. As such, they handed the letter to the Swiss spy and informed him to give their regards to the Emperor.


    On this day, Austria had be an Independent Kingdom, in doing so, brought war to its doorstep that would soon shatter the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire. After all, the loss of Austria was not only a blow to the face of the Holy Roman Emperor but his treasury as well, one that he could ill afford.


    ---


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 Chapter 300: Thousands of Feet March to the Beat

    <h4>Chapter 300: Thousands of Feet March to the Beat</h4>


    Captain Arnwald was a soldier who had been among Berengar''s forces since the very beginning. He was present at the battle in Schwaz, where the enemy had ambushed Berengar''s forces during Berengar''s Campaign for Tyrol.


    During that time He was only a private; despite this, he had survived in Berengar''s various campaigns until now and eventuallypleted officer school. As a man ofmon birth, he had risen through the ranks of Berengar''s meritocratic system and be a full-fledged captain.


    At the moment, he led a Grenadierpany, which was the highest honor among infantry officers. For the past few years, hispany was tasked with protecting the Austrian borders on the edge of Bavaria.


    Due to the peace agreement with Duke Dietger of Bavaria, there had been little more than a few skirmishes with brigands trying to enter Austria from the chaotic region of Bavaria. Aside from that, his job was mainly facilitating the temporary housing of German Refugees from the North.


    However, overnight, his peaceful world was shattered, as the leaders of Austria dered their independence from the Holy Roman Empire and the formation of the Kingdom of Austria. Such a decree was a bold p to the Emperor''s face and the German Dukes.


    As a grenadierpany, his unit was fully mustered from their rxed position and had begun shipping off to the Italian border. Though news had not yet arrived in the rest of the world about Austrian independence, King Berengar was not wasting time when it came to deploying his troops.


    Every soldier he could get to the Swiss and Italian borders was an advantage in the uing days of the conflict. At the moment Arnwald clutched the dog tags in his hand with a downcast expression on his visage.


    Though he had personally survived Berengar''s wars, hisrade Bardo who fought alongside him for so many years had unfortunately perished in battle. As such, the Captain never forgot the loss of the man who hade to be his best friend during their tenure in Berengar''s armed forces.


    After nearly three years of peace, the Austrian armies were on the march again, and Arnwald prayed that he might live to see the future of his homnd and the glory he knew awaited it. If there was oneforting thought, it was the fact that King Berengar would once more be leading their armies into battle.


    The man reflected on the past, and how at one point, he had fought side by side with a man who was now King; the very idea filled him with pride, as a warrior and as an Austrian. As he thought about such things Captain Arnwald marched alongside his soldiers to the songs of the marching band as they made their way from the Bavarian border to the Italian Alps.


    At a marching speed of 3.4 miles per hour, it would take them roughly 82 hours to reach the Italian border. However, there would need to be stops along the way, so it would take them approximately a week to arrive at their destination.


    By the time the Emperor received word of the Austrians Deration of Independence, Berengar would already have an army had amassed at his enemy''s borders. As for the Navy of Austria, the sly young King had already begun to sail his forces towards the Vian coast. However, that was a story for another time.


    As the soldiers marched towards Italy, they came across a small vige within Austria; like most viges, this one was protected by a nearby garrison; upon seeing the men of Austria go to war, the women and children came out from their homes andid flowers down in the street.


    Despite none of the men in this unit being from this vige, the people of Austria showed respect for its warriors who fought for their sovereignty. As such, the men in uniform gazed upon the vigers with solemn expressions.


    None of them knew if they would survive the uing war, and thus they gazed upon many of the pretty young girls withment in their hearts. Some of these soldiers were married with children, others were single, but these soldiers reflected on the lives they would live should they survive the remainder of the duration of their service.


    Eventually, thepany of grenadiers stopped outside of this vige and made camp for the night. They were not the only unit marching towards the Italian border, and as such, Arnwald approached his superior officer, who was smoking some hemp in the form of a cigarette.


    Berengar was not the only one who had formed a habit of calming himself with the properties of the miraculous flower; considering it did not cause a high effect, Berengar had begun processing a portion of his hemp flowers into cigarettes to distribute to his soldiers after all without tobo, something would be needed to calm their nerves, and alcohol was forbidden in the field.


    Berengar was a massive fan of hemp; it was a miraculous material that could make several sustainable products, such as paper. Due to the benefits of hemp Berengar had begun to grow more of the substance to make paper rather than cut down trees. As such, not only were the cigarettes filled with hemp, but they were rolled with hemp-based papers.


    When Arnwald entered themand tent and saw the colonel smoking, he immediately saluted. However much to his surprise, the Colonelcked any form of formality and merely handed Arnwald one of his cigarettes.


    Upon seeing this Arnwald grabbed ahold of the hemp cigarette and lit it with a match before smoking the substance. As he did so, his nerves calmed, and he began to report to hismanding officer.


    "Colonel, the troops, have finished setting up the camp and are preparing for rest, food has been distributed, and sentries are on watch. Any man who attempts to desert will be captured and put before a firing squad."


    After hearing this, the Colonel nodded. He was an old Knight, from the days of Sieghard''s rule, and under Berengar, had seen the transformation of medieval warfare into the form of semi-modern war. As such, he was not surprised in the slightest that Berengar would be bold enough to dere himself King of Austria.


    Because Austria''s military was among thergest in all of Europe and was undoubtedly the best armed and trained among them, there was no longer a need to be a part of the so-called Holy Roman Empire.


    As such, the man took a deep puff before releasing it; after doing so, he sighed heavily as he spoke to Arnwald with aplicated expression.


    "75,000 men marching to the drums of war, have you ever seen anything like it, Captain Arnwald?"


    Arnwald was surprised to hear the Colonel speak in such a manner; as such, he contemted on his words. Over the past year, Berengar''s main focus in military matters was expanding the Navy, but that did not mean he neglected the army.


    Austria could project 75,000 men onto the battlefield; however, that was not the total size of the army, as garrisons existed across every city and district within Austria, enough to defend their borders while the Grand Army was at war. After reflecting upon this Arnwald responded to the Colonel''s question with another question.


    "What do you think our chances of winning are?"


    To this, the middle-aged man chuckled before responding with a confident glint in his steel-blue eyes.


    "Unless that King of ours suddenly returns to the form of the sickly, foolish, andzy brat he once was, I''d say the odds are heavily in our favor."


    Arnwald had nearly forgotten the rumors that gued Berengar in his youth; after all, the man had proven them wrong in so many ways, it was not something one usually thought of when they heard the name Berengar von Kufstein, not anymore, that is.


    However, as a Knight in Sieghard''s service, the Colonel seemed to know the reality of the situation and, as such, began to scoff as he reflected on the past.


    "If you were to tell me five years ago that Berengar von Kufstein would rise to the position of King of Austria within my lifetime, I would assume you were possessed. How that boy managed to change his destiny in such a short period, I will never know."


    Upon hearing this, Arnwald was naturally curious and thus asked the question on his mind.


    "Were the old rumors true?"


    In response to this, the Colonel silently nodded with a bitter expression on his face; he knew talking about such things in any detail would only bring him trouble, and as such, he no longer dwelled upon it; instead, he gave Arnwald his orders.


    "Get some rest while you still can; this march of ours is about to be thest peaceful days you see for a while."


    With that said, Arnwald saluted the Colonel before departing towards his tent; he spent the rest of his waking hours reflecting on what the Colonel had said; with this, the Captain''s admiration for Berengar grew considerably more significant. After all, to go from a weak, petty, and indolent wastrel to the King of Austria in just a few years was beyond impressive; it was practically otherworldly.


    ---


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 Chapter 301: Pre-emptive Strike

    <h4>Chapter 301: Pre-emptive Strike</h4>


    While Berengar''s armies were marching towards the Swiss and Italian borders that Austria shared with the two realms, his Navy was on a more important mission, one that Berengar had learned from the Imperial Japanese Navy in his previous life.


    In Berengar''s previous life, Pearl Harbor was a term that every American citizen knew by the time they were out of elementary school; it was a degree of defeat and humiliation that the United States had never suffered before on its homefront.


    As such, Berengar fully intended to learn from the Pre-emptive strike the Japanese had taken against their rivals and utilize the same tactics to eradicate the fleets of his enemies. The young Austrian King who had yet to be coronated? fully intended to take advantage of the time it took for the Holy Roman Emperor to receive his deration of Independence by striking at the heart of their Naval support.


    With this in mind, Berengar had tasked his Admiral to immediately sail the fleet to the Italian coast, where Berengar intended to attack the Vian and Genoan fleets while they were docked in the harbor.


    Admiral Emmerich was at the helm of the SMS Berengar, the first in the ss of the 75 fifth-rate frigates constructed over thest year. By now, the Grand Austrian Navy had a total of 40,000 men among its ranks. Among these men, 33,750 were on board the ships as sailors, officers, or marines.


    The Armada of 75 frigates had a total of 3,300 twenty-four-pound cannons capable ofunching explosives shells. The sheer degree of firepower that these ships possessed was unfathomable for this day and age.


    As such, Admiral Emmerich had split the fleet into two groups; the main fleet wouldprise 38 frigates that would sail to the coast of Venice. The other group would consist of 37 vessels that would sail around the Italian Penins and strike at Genoa''s harbors.


    After nearly 14 hours of sailing at a speed of 13 knots, the main fleet had arrived at the Vian Coastline in the dead of night. Undercover of darkness, the Austrian fleet had snuck its way into the Vian Harbor without incident.


    At the moment, Emmerich was standing upon the helm of his ship, giving out a brief overview of the operation details to his Officers. Every officer within the fleet was already aware of the attack n, and as such, this was just a quick summary while the enlisted men got to work making preparations.


    "We will set anchor here, 2,000 yards away from the coastline. Now that we are within range of the enemy''s harbors, we will load our cannons and fire upon them, devastating the ships within the city. After annihting both civilian and military vessels, we will turn our shells onto the harbor itself, destroying Venice''s ability to receive and deploy ships.


    After we have destroyed the harbor, our guns will target the shipyards, making Venice utterly incapable of producing new vessels for the war effort. When the arsenal is in ruins, we will turn our cannons onto the Castle itself, wiping out themand structure of the city.


    Any remaining shells will be fired into the industrial district of Venice. I want the Vians to remember the price of conspiring against Austria. Let this forever be known as the day Austria struck first!"


    With that said, the officers responded in the affirmative after they had received their orders.


    "Aye, Admiral!"


    After this, they quickly set about their tasks and began to load the 836 cannons facing the city of Venice. After all of the cannons were loaded among the 38 vessels, Emmerich grinned wickedly as he gave the order by shouting to the crew members of his ship.


    "Fire!"


    With those words, the cannons on the ship''s side pointing towards the harbor immediately erupted as the explosive shells were sent from thousands of yards away onto the ports where most of the Vian naval vessels were currently docked.


    The moment the SMS Berengar began to fire its cannons, the 37 other ships nearby unloaded their barrage onto the same target. Because the Vians'' vessels were treated with tar on their nks and ropes to preserve the materials, they were highly susceptible to fire.


    As such, when the explosive shells impacted the hundreds of ships docked in the harbor, the fires rapidly spread from the affected vessels to every ship in the port. Civilian and military vessels alike were lit aze, and those unfortunate enough to be on those vessels were either engulfed in the explosive st or were burnt alive by the rapidly spreading mes.


    However, the bombardment did not stop with a single barrage as the cannons were rapidly reloaded and fired a second barrage onto the harbor; not only did Emmerich n to eradicate every single vessel docked at Venice, but he also nned outright to devastate the very foundations of the port itself.


    Thus the City bells began to ring as another barrage of cannon fire drowned out its tone with their thunderous echoes. It was as if hell itself had reared its ugly head upon the Vians as the residents of the city of Venice gazed in horror at their mighty harbor, and the arsenal used to construct their fleet became engulfed firey explosions.


    Because the swiss agent who was sent to deliver the message to the Holy Roman Emperor was not granted a horse and had to travel on foot to the capital of the Empire, Berengar had struck first and eradicated the majority of the Vian Navy.


    However, that was not the greatest insult to the Vians; the fact that Berengar''s Naval forces had continued their bombardment onto the port, the shipyards, and the factories; the sea-faring city was in an absolute state of humiliation the like they had never suffered.


    Despite this, Emmerichmanded the sailors to load the cannons and fire their barrages onto the city. While doing so, the Admiralughed like a maniac as he roared along with the thunderous echoes that resounded from the hundreds of guns.


    "Henceforth, this shall be my anthem!"


    Despite his bold words, they wentpletely unnoticed by his crew as they werepleted drowned out by the sound of the guns firing onto the city.


    While Emmerich was immersed in the sight of the attack, the Vian citizens who had survived the onught scrambled to put out the mes that had spread across their city. Despite their best efforts, the mes continued to spread, consuming life and property in the process.


    The sheer level of destruction that Emmerich had unleashed upon the city of Venice and its poption was enough to be tried as a war criminal in Berengar''s previous life; Despite this, Berengar would not punish the man; in fact, he might even give the man amendation for his actions here on this night.


    It was only after half of the city was a smoldering ruin did the fleet finally run out of shells, and as such, they reeled in their anchors and set sail into the rising dawn back to the coast of Austria. Within a single night, Berengar''s most significant rival on the Mediterranean had been brought to ruin.


    A year''s worth of progress in building thergest Armada in the world was sted to the depths of the Adriatic sea overnight. It would take decades for the Vians to recover from this humiliation, and they would never forget what the Austrians had done this day.


    Though not all of the Vian Navy''s ships were present during the attack, the overwhelming majority of them were, thus significantly leveling the ying field in the number of vessels Austria would have to fight at sea.


    Though Venice was not the only target of the Austrian Navy, after all, Genoa would soon suffer a simr fate. With hundreds of ships at the Holy Roman Emperor''smand destroyed in a matter of days, the Empire would quickly find its most significant advantage against Austria snuffed out of existence before the war had even officially begun.


    As such, the first battle of the War for Austrian Independence was a rousing sess. By the time Emperor Balsamo Corsini heard of this news, he would be severely weakened in his ability to wage war against the Kingdom of Austria.


    ---


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 Chapter 302: Daily life in Austria

    <h4>Chapter 302: Daily life in Austria</h4>


    As the War for Austrian independence began and the soldiers marched to war, the overwhelming majority of Austrians were rtively unphased by the conflict at their borders. They were confident enough in their new King and his Armies to defend theirnds; after all, he had driven Bavaria''s previous incursion from Austria''s borders so rapidly.


    Now Berengar''s army was more significant than ever, and thest few years of peace saw a massive military buildup in internal fortifications and garrisons. Despite Austria''s neighbors being at war, it had never made its way into the citizens'' daily lives, at least not since Berengar rose to power.


    As such, in the district of Kufstein, one man, in particr, was enjoying his daily life. The farming innovations that he had helped Berengar implement early on had paid off in the long run. His farm was now fully mechanized by Berengar''s machinery, and it was among the first to do so.


    As such, he and hisrge family could operate thousands of acres of farnd by themselves. Gunther had used the wealth he gained from Berengar''s innovations to purchase more and more farnd. To the point where he was not only growing agricultural products but also arge amount of hemp.


    Hemp had be an essential resource in Berengar''s newly established Kingdom of Austria; it was a versatile material that could be used in many aspects of daily life, including building resources and paper.


    Due to environmental concerns over implementing the Industrial Revolutions several centuries earlier than in his previous life, Berengar had begun to slowly implement sustainable materials, such as hemp concrete, hemp paper, hemp clothing, and many other innovative uses for the fibrous material.


    As far as hemp wood goes, Berengar would have to wait until he had ess to soybeans, as the material used an eco-friendly soy-based adhesive to glue the nt fibers together in the form of hardwood. Otherwise, he would have already begun experimenting with the wood-alternative in the form of sailing vessels.


    Due to the demand for the fibrous material, Gunther had be quite wealthy, and he was currently within the City of Kufstein''s new expanded industrial district negotiating with a representative of Berengar''s government for the right to lease a plot ofnd in Kufstein owned by Berengar for the purpose of opening a hemp-based paper factory.


    With the King away at war, the task fell to a knight''s son known as Ingbert, who Berengar had previously used to establish a case against Lambert after the boy had attempted to assassinate Berengar on multiple asions.


    Since the Kitzb��hel Border War, Ingbert has taken a step back from military affairs and focused on financial matters regarding Berengar''s government. After being captured by the Baron of Kitzb��hel and fearing for his life, the cowardly knight''s son decided to return to civil affairs.


    Though his talent as an engineer was garbage, his knowledge of financial affairs proved to be the proper ce for him in life, and as such, Berengar tasked him with leasing portions of hisnd to would-be business owners.


    At the moment, Ingbert and Gunther were meeting at the plot ofnd that Gunther wished to lease from Berengar. The two men were gazing around therge tract ofnd that was sufficient to fit a 5,000 sq ft warehouse.


    After inspecting the plot for some time, Gunther smiled and nodded at Ingbert, who observed his actions; as he did so, he boldly dered his intent.


    "I will take it; how much is the rent?"


    Ingbert calcted the value based on the square feet of the property and then smiled before revealing five fingers. When he did so, Gunther was surprised at first and had to confirm his thoughts.


    "five Thalers?"


    Ingbert began tough; he continued doing so for several minutes before shaking his head and responding with a stoic expression.


    "five Guldens."


    Gunther gasped as he heard this news, five Guldens was no small sum for monthly rent, but when he thought about the prime real estate and the fact that it was one of the few plots left in Kufstein that could amodate the factory that he desired to build, the farmer ultimately agreed to the price stated.


    "Deal."


    With this, Gunther reached into a pouch he had brought with him and pulled out five golden coins, each one of them bearing the visage of Berengar on one side, with his coat of arms on the other. With this transactionpleted, Ingbert smiled before informing Gunther of the terms for his lease.


    "Fees are due on the first of the month; since you are leasing industrial territory, the factory has to fulfill environmental regtions; during its construction process, a government advisor will be assigned to you at your expense to make sure everything is up to code.


    After everything checks out, you will be permitted to purchase thend at a discount after five years of sessful development. Are these terms eptable?"


    Gunther was already aware of the terms for leasing the property from Berengar. As such, he nodded his head in approval; afterward, Ingbert handed over a ledger before confirming the agreement.


    "Sign here, and you will be able to begin construction of your factory immediately."


    As such, Gunther read over the lease conditions thoroughly before he took ahold of the quill and ink provided to him and wrote down his signature. As an educated man in Kufstein and a member of the House of Representatives, he was more than capable of reading and writing.


    After he finished doing so, he handed the ledger back to Ingbert, who gave Gunther a small seal before exining its function.


    "This seal proves you are a factory owner here in the Industrial district; present this to the guards upon entry, and they will give you priority for entering the area. Other than that, if you don''t have any questions for me, our business here is concluded. I hope that you can achieve sess with this lot."


    With that said, Ingbert walked off the lot, leaving Gunther alone to stare at the vacant property. He was well prepared for the cost it would take to build a solid factory here on this plot ofnd, knowing after he had done so that he would make an even greater fortune for his family.


    Though he may not be nobility, one day soon he might be wealthier than all of the snobbish noblemen who had looked down upon him his entire life, and he only had one man to thank for such an opportunity; King Berengar von Kufstein, without the young monarch''s political and economic reforms a man born a lowly peasant like Gunther would be forced to work the fields his entire life.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he believe that such change woulde to Kufstein within his lifetime, let alone the whole of Austria. Because of the heights he had risen to, he had grown quite popr among themon people of Kufstein. Thus he was chosen as a representative for the government due to this rising poprity.


    He hoped to work hard in the future, as a politician, as a farmer, as a factory owner, and as a father for the benefit of all people within the City of Kufstein and Austria as a whole. As such, the journey of this once lowly peasant was far from over; how far he would climb into this brave new world that Berengar was forging, only time would tell.


    ---


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    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 303: Forward March!

    <h4>Chapter 303: Forward March!</h4>


    The light of dawn shone upon the southern border of Austria, within the alps of Tyrol, in the Viscounty of Trent, Berengar stood upon a hill observing his army that was gathered below. A total of 50,000 men, armed in the unique quenched and hardened high carbon ckened steel half-te armor, stood in the valley overlooked by their King.


    Under the King''s orders, the army had been split into twoponents, the Italian Invasion Force, which consisted of 50,000 men, while the Swiss Invasion Force consisted of 25,000 men. Berengar intended to use this war as an excuse to annex the Swiss Confederation. As such, he left the invasion of the Swiss Confederation to apetent General among his ranks.


    At the moment, Berengar wore his signature gilded three quarter''s te armor with a cavalier style cloak made from dalmatian fur draped across his left shoulder. The troops gathered below gazed upon his immacte visage as he began to give his speech.


    "Men of Austria! The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire has engaged in attempted sabotage of our factories; in doing so, he has vited the rights bestowed upon us as vassals. Thus I, King Berengar, first of my name, have formally dered our independence from the Holy Roman Empire.


    Today you stand as the Royal Army of Austria as we march into thends of the oppressor who has sought to hamper our progress towards the new dawn! I will not lie to you, the road will be bloody, but in the end, our people shall be free to pursue their destiny, as a great power in Europe!


    God with us!"


    The moment Berengar said his battle cry while saluting the 50,000 men standing below his teau, all they began to chant the words in unison, echoing into the dawn while returning the salute to their King.


    "God with us! God with us! God with us!"


    Such was the sight on the Austro-Italian border as Berengar''s men prepared for an invasion into their enemy''s homnd. Afterward, Berengar gave the order to his troops.


    "Forward March!"


    It had been some time since Berengar''s Deration of Independence reached the Emperor, and even longer since his pre-emptive strike on Venice and Genoa, as such war was inevitable. Berengar had mustered his forces at his enemy''s border far quicker than the Italians could rally their own troops.


    Thus, the Austrians entered Italy without confrontation. As the soldiers began to march, Berengar mounted his trusty steed and soon found himself marching at the front of his army. The sight of 50,000 men entering northern Italy would be terrifying to anyone who witnessed such a thing.


    Such a massive army was rare in Europe during this time frame, especially considering how well equipped and trained the Royal Austrian Army was. The Austrians marched for some time before they encountered any form of resistance.


    The first target of Berengar''s campaign against the Holy Roman Empire would be the city of Verona; after all, it was the nearest major city to the Trent border. It took a few days for Berengar to reach the ancient town; however, when they did, they noticed that the walls were well manned.


    The local nobleman had been preparing for Berengar''s arrival by fortifying the city and abandoning the towns and viges to Austrian cruelty, utterly unaware that Berengar did not need to ransack such locations.


    After all, his logisticalwork spread to every corner of Austria. When considering the small distance between Trent and Verona, Berengar left the vigers in between the two cities untouched by the savagery of war.


    When the Royal Austrian Army arrived at the gates of Verona, they instantly began constructing a proper siege camp. With the introduction of Schmidt guns, Berengar chose to mount them on the trench lines that he established outside his base with the intent to effectively use the rapid-firing firearms, capable of utilizing canister shots to repel anyone suicidal enough to charge at his defenses.


    Aside from the Schmidt guns acting as defense of the encampment, 1417 12-pounder cannons were also ced under the protection of the trench line while raised in an elevation necessary to fire over it. With this elevation, the cannons would still be able to efficiently target the city''s walls.


    The beauty of the M1857 12-pounder Napoleon that Berengar had based his artillery off of was that it was versatile enough to act as both a field gun and a howitzer; it was more than capable enough to sessfully fire arced shots at his enemy''s defenses.


    However, Berengar did not immediately begin his bombardment; in fact, he wanted to wait until the next day to start his assault; after all, he had all the time in the world and would prefer that his soldiers received some proper rest before engaging in a siege.


    Instead, after the siege camp was effectively set up, Berengar began distributing rations, which as per usual, was a wheat porridge-based dish, it was filled with beef, onions, and mushrooms. It was not much, but it was enough to feed the soldiers and was rtively easy to prepare.


    After eating alongside his soldiers, Berengar retired to his tent, where he began to strip his armor before climbing into bed; as he did so, a particr memory shed in his head. It was the moment he said goodbye to his two lovers and his children, as well as his younger sister.


    Berengar was d in his armor as he hugged his young son Hans; though the boy was only three years old, he gazed at Berengar with an understanding expression. The only words the boy said to his father as he prepared to march to war were


    "Be safe, father."


    As for Helga, she was still too young to speak and was in Linde''s arms, who once more had a worried expression on her face; as Berengar kissed his infant daughter on her forehead, Linde spoke the words on her mind.


    "I will pray for you!"


    For some reason, Berengar found this funny and chuckled lightly as he dragged the beautiful young woman into his arms. Linde was far from devout; however, if there was one time she prayed to the Lord God almighty with any sense of sincerity, it was when her man went off to war.? After he embraced his lover, he kissed her passionately before saying his departing words.


    "I love you."


    Linde responded in kind before letting go of Berengar''s grasp.


    "I love you too!"


    With that said, Berengar turned to Henrietta, where he patted her on the head. The girl instantly hugged him. Over the past few years, she had begun to grow into a beautiful young adolescent girl. Berengar would soon have to think about finding her a fiance. However, such thoughts were interrupted as the girl began to cry into Berengar''s steel-ted chest.


    "Be safe, dearest brother!"


    In response to this, Berengar hugged his little sister before replying to her.


    "I promise I will return safe and sound."


    After a few moments, Berengar forced himself out of Henrietta''s grasp as he walked over to Honoria and grasped ahold of her hand before walking out the door of the building. He said his goodbyes to her as they approached the river port of Kufstein. Honoria had a far more critical job while Berengar was at war, leading her crew of salty wenches as they raided the Italian shipping vessels.


    As such, Berengar kissed her goodbye at the entrance to her ship in front of all her crew members, Elfrun in particr looked away in disgust as she saw Honoria fall for such a yboy once more. After making out with the gorgeous young princess, Berengar said the exact words that he left Linde with.


    "I Love you, Honoria."


    In return, Honoria put on a smug smile before responding to Berengar''s words with a snarky remark.


    "I know!"


    After saying that, Honoria hopped out of Berengar''s arms and onto her sloop of war, where she immediately began to depart; as the ship started to sail down the river Inn Berengar called out to her onest time.


    "Be careful!"


    In response, Honoria smiled and blew a kiss to Berengar; it was only after the ship was out of sight that Berengar reunited with his army and departed for war. After reflecting upon the recent past, Berengar soon found himself asleep with a broad smile on his face.


    He would not awaken until the dawn of the next day, and when he did, it was to the sound of an artillery barrage going off. With such a thunderous noise acting as his rm clock, Berengar knew that the Siege of Verona had begun.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 304: Gaining a Foothold in the Swiss Confederation

    <h4>Chapter 304: Gaining a Foothold in the Swiss Confederation</h4>


    With the invasion of Italy underway, Berengar''s efforts to conquer and annex the Swiss Confederation in his war for Independence had also begun. Under themand of General Adelbrand von Salzburg, the Austrian armies had marched into thends of their enemies with a total of 25,000 men.


    Adelbrand was promoted to the rank of General in thest few years of Austria''s peacetime and military expansion. He had proven apetentmander during the defense of Salzburg from the Bavarian upation of Austria.


    He also was loosely rted to Berengar as the brother-inw of Berengar''s cousin Ava. After Berengar had liberated Austria from the Bavarians, the man immediately enlisted in the Austrian Army during Berengar''s brief regency over Austria.


    He had eventually gone through officer school and risen in the ranks quickly due to his natural talent as a militarymander. This was his first major campaign as he marched the 25,000 man army into the Swiss Confederation with the intent of conquest.


    At the moment, the artillery was in the process of being set up, as Adelbrand''s soldiers loaded their weapons with quick loading tubes. Upon their invasion, they swiftly met a force of swiss soldiers within the mountainous terrain.


    However, as the Austrians were preparing for battle, Adelbrand was surprised to see a white g being flown by a representative of the Swiss forces flying the banner of the local noblemen within the province of Chur.


    Chur had long since been a home of the German Reformist movement. When they saw the Austrian banners flying with the invasion force, the Count of Chur immediately began to negotiate his defection.


    If Berengar was fighting a war for Independence against the Holy Roman Emperor, it was his duty as a devout reformist to aid that rebellion in any way he could. The Count of Chur, who only recently gained his position from the Arch-Bishop of Chur, who had vacated after converting to the Reformist religion, approached Adelbrand with his visor risen and a smile on his face.


    The man rode on horseback where he met Adelbrand in front of his Army, utterly fearless of what the Austrians might do to him; The Count of Chur quickly dered his intentions as he greeted the Austrian General.


    "I am Count Rayner von Chur, ruler of this territory. As a devout Reformist, I hereby surrender the County of Chur to Austria in the name of God and King Berengar! You are free to use my County as a base of operations for your war effort!"


    When Adelbrand heard this, he was instantly shocked; he was not a devout Reformist, nor did he have any loyalty to the Catholic Church; he respected military might, which was why he followed Berengar so passionately.


    To see a Count so willingly surrender in the name of religious simrities was astonishing. As such, it took General Adelbrand several moments to find the words to speak. Eventually, he smiled before reaching his hand out as a friendly gesture.


    "I, General Adelbrand von Salzburg, formally ept your surrender. If your Army would disarm yourselves, it would be most appreciated."


    Quite honestly, Adelbrand found the whole scenario hard to believe, and as such, he refused to fall into any trap. To his surprise Count, Rayner rode back to his Army and gave them the orders he had received from Adelbrand, where the entire Army threw their arms away and stripped their armor.


    After doing so, they knelt before the Austrian overlords as a sign of their submission. The Austrian soldiers were just as shocked as Adelbrand as they witnessed such a sight. Either this was the most borate ruse they had ever seen, or these Swiss soldiers were seriously devout Reformists.


    With these two options in mind, Adelbrand proceeded with caution as he addressed the disarmed swiss soldiers.


    "I ept your surrender and henceforth announce the annexation of the County of Chur into the Kingdom of Austria on behalf of His Majesty King Berengar von Kufstein. If you serve your new monarch honorably, I can assure you that the nobles among you may maintain your status within your new lives!"


    As Wolgang said this, the Swiss soldiers stood up in unison and saluted as they utilized the Austrian Battle Cry in response as an affirmation of their submission.


    "God with us!"


    With that said, the Chur soldiers led the Austrians towards their fortresses, where they immediately came under the upation of the Royal Austrian Army. As the armies settled in, Adelbrand gathered intelligence of the Swiss Confederation and its military capabilities from Count Rayner.


    "So tell me, what is the strength of the Swiss Armies? How many men will we be facing? Where are they located? What tactics will they be utilizing?"


    With this said, Count Rayner led the Austrian General into the war room, where he immediately pointed out the positions on the map of the Swiss Armies.


    "Aside from us in Chur, the Swiss Confederation has roughly 25,000 men at their disposal. These are mostly men at arms and knights that are simrly equipped to the mercenaries that Berengar defeated during the brief rebellion, those treacherous noblemen raised against him.


    Most of the armies are currently being gathered in Zurich up here; when they have rallied together, they will march on our position; my suggestion is to wait patiently and crush the main Army in defense of Chur. Then after they are utterly decimated, you will have free reign to conquer the small garrisons that litter the various major cities across the realm.


    Once those swiss cities are defeated, the rest of thend will surrender with a simple show of force. What do you think?"


    Although Adelbrand thought the n was a good idea, he could not fully trust the Count of Chur and his men, who had fully surrendered; as such, he shook his head beforeing up with a different attack n.


    "You and your men will stay here and guard the border to Austria; I will lead my army to attack the enemy directly."


    Count Rayner could immediately tell that Adelbrand did not trust him, and he did not me him. Surrendering to annexation without a fight was unheard of. However, he was a true believer in the reformist cause.


    Rayner believed that an independent homnd should be established for the movement, and as such, the man was more than happy to join his neighbors in Austria with who he shared a border as part of this envisioned Reformist Homnd.


    Thus he sighed heavily before agreeing to Adelbrand''s n; trust could not be built overnight; all he could do was loyally abide by hismands and protect the Austrian Border. With that said, the Austrian troops began to rest before they would depart the next day.


    Ever the cautiousmander, Adelbrand left his troops on watch over the region and had given them specific instructions to be on the lookout for the Chur soldiers'' potential treachery. Despite expecting such a thing, it never manifested, and the Austrian soldiers were allowed a reprieve.


    With this, Austria had gained a foothold in the Swiss Confederation without firing a single shot. When the news finally spread to the Swiss Confederation about Chur''s betrayal, it would be far toote, as the Austrians would already be at their doorsteps.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 305: A New Era of Naval Warfare

    <h4>Chapter 305: A New Era of Naval Warfare</h4>


    While Berengar was invading Northern Italy andying siege to Verona, Adelbrand was marching his soldiers towards Zurich, where the Swiss army gathered. As for Honoria, she had already set sail from Kufstein and entered the Mediterannean via the ck sea.


    She and her crew of salty wenches were prepared for their first encounter of Naval Warfare, their target? Any sailing vessels that were flying the banners of a Holy Roman Empire state. Coincidentally enough, the moment they sailed into the Aegean sea, they saw a ship flying the g of Venice.


    While most of the Vian Naval and Merchant fleets were decimated within the pre-emptive strike Emmerich had engaged in; there were still vessels already at sea that were spared their destruction. This merchant caravel which had recently departed from Constantinopole was one of those ships.


    The 18 lb long guns featured on the Sloop of War known as "Honoria''s Revenge" were not equipped with explosive shells; the reason for this was simple, such weapons were far too effective on wooden ships and would sink any form of loot to the depths of the sea.


    As such, Honoria''s cannons were supplied with 18 lb cannonballs and chain shots, designed to take out the masts of any sea-faring vessel and cripple their ability to sail, and this was precisely the munitions Honoria ordered her crew to load into the cannons.


    "Load the chain shot and prepare to fire upon the target when we get in range; I want as many of the sailors taken alive as possible!"


    The Sloop of war traveling roughly twice the speed of the Caravel quickly closed the distance. Judging by the Austrian g that was being flown on its back, the Vian sailors knew that their luck had run out.


    With this in mind, the crew began to pray to God as they began to load their bows and crossbows. However, Honoria''s vessel was far from the range of such primitive weapons, and she quickly pulled up to the Caravel''s port side, where she gave amand to her cannoneers.


    "Open fire!"


    With that said, the ten cannons on the port side opened fire as the linked cannonballs twirled through the air targeting the small Caravel. Even though some of the chained shots missed their targets, more than enough had sessfully hit the masts and, in doing so, crippled the vessel''s sailing capability, leaving the Vian Caravel and its crew stranded in the water.


    Upon seeing this, Honoria''s crewmates quickly began to load their 1421 Repeating Rifled Flintlocks as they aimed the weapons in the direction of the Vian sailors. The moment the Sloop approached the derelict Caravel, the Vians began to fire their bows and crossbows upon Honoria and her crew.


    Seeing the bolts and arrows fly in her direction Honoria who was currently equipped in a half-te breastte and with Heraclius perched on her shoulder, gave themand to her crew to engage the enemy.


    "Open fire!"


    with thismand, the wenches aboard Honoria''s ship aimed their rifles, cocked back the actions, and fired their first shots. There were roughly twenty-five Vian sailors on board the Caravel. On the other hand, Honoria had over double that amount, who unleashed their fury on the hostile Vians.


    A volley of lead bullets flew into the Vian sailors and prated their flesh, spilling blood across the ship and into the sea below. More than one of these men fell lifeless into the depths of the Aegean sea as the projectiles ripped through their hearts and skulls.


    After the first volley had taken ce, the Vians immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered; as such, the girls among Honoria''s crew re-cocked their weapons before cautiously boarding the Vian vessel. As they did so, they immediately bound the Vian sailors; their Captain began to spew profanities at Honoria as she crossed over to the ship.


    "You fucking bitches! Do you have any idea who you are messing with? When the Doge finds out that you have attacked our ship, he will send the might of the Vian Navy after you! You will not be able to escape the wrath of Venice!"


    The moment he said this, the women who now held these men captive began tough; they were already aware of the fate of the Vian fleet before they even set sail, as for the Vian Captain, he had been at sea for too long. He waspletely unaware of what had transpired; as such, he and his crew looked confused as they saw the women mocking them.


    Honoria backhanded the man fiercely before kneeling before him and exining what the women found so funny.


    "The Vian Navy is lying at the depths of the Adriatic sea. The Royal Austrian Navy sunk it along with half of your precious city weeks ago. All that''s left are a few stragglers, and before long, they too will be mopped up. As for you and all the other merchant ships like you, you are fair game!"


    The moment she said this, the Captain spat on her pretty face and responded with another insult.


    "You''re a fucking lying cunt! There''s no way the Grand Armada of Venice could be destroyed so easily!"


    In response to this insult to her integrity, Honoria coldly pulled out her pistol, cocked back the hammer, and shot the Captain in the head. Maybe it was because of Berengar''s influence, but the young Byzantine princess did not hesitate in the slightest to murder this man who had done nothing more than insulting her.


    Heraclius stared at Honoria with a look that conveyed his thoughts, which could be surmised with the phrase.


    "Was that necessary?"


    Honoria ignored the eagle''s re; as she did so, she wiped the spit from her face with her glove and kicked the corpse of the Vian Captain into the sea. After this was done, another hostage could not prevent himself from cursing the young princess.


    "Fucking pirates!"


    When Honoria heard this, she gazed fiercely at the man, instantly shutting him up. As she did so, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a paper signed by the Berengar. She had a smug smile on her face as she educated the man about his ignorance.


    "Privateer actually, this here is a letter of marque and reprisal from King Berengar von Kufstein of Austria, signifying that my crew and I can attack enemy shipping and naval vessels. In doing so, we are allowed to keep any loot we mighte across.


    As for the rest of you, you are hostages; we will take you back to Trieste where you will be ransomed off, to whatever remains of your precious Vian Republic..."


    With that said, Honoria snapped at herpatriots as she bellowed her orders.


    "Lock them up in the brig, and transfer whatever treasure this vessel carries onto our own. We''re going hunting!"


    With this said, the privateers got to work. While all of this was going on, Elfrun had carried on a small crate filled with sticks of dynamite; as she ced it down on the deck, Honoria looked at her curiously before asking the question on her mind.


    "Elfrun, what are you doing?"


    To this, the young teenage girl smiled brightly before picking up one of the sticks of dynamite and holding a lighter that had been manufactured in Austria next to it.


    "I''m going to blow this ship up!"


    The cute and excited expression on the girl''s face did not match the violent words she had uttered; as such, Honoria was quite taken aback at first; however, after a few moments, Honoria began to break out inughter; this caused Elfrun to pout in response.


    After calming herself down, Honoria walked over and hugged Elfrun tightly before responding to her im.


    "Just make sure to do it after we have safely exited the vessel!"


    Elfrun began to blush at the affectionate disy. However, eventually, she embraced Honoria''s gesture and closed her eyes while enjoying the moment. After a few seconds had passed, Honoria let go when she noticed Melissa had arrived.


    Melissa did not bother to question the scene in front of her and instead reported the crew''s findings to Honoria.


    "We hit the jackpot, aside from some chests filled with hyperpyrons! We''ve got purple dye, loads of silk and cotton too! We also got some Indian spices and some rare animal skins; evidently, they were on their way back from trading with Constantinople!"


    When Honoria heard this, a pretty smile curved upon her luscious pink lips, she was delighted to know that their first take was so bountiful. As such, she asked the question on her mind.


    "Is everything transferred over?"


    In response to this, Melissa nodded silently; as such, Honoriamanded her crew.


    "Everyone! Please get back to the ship; we are departing; after everyone was safely aboard and the vessel had begun to leave, Honoria tapped Elfrun''s shoulder and smiled as she nodded silently; this was the queue the girl needed to start the fireworks.


    With a cruel smile on the girl''s cute face, the pyromaniac lit the stick of TNT in her hands before tossing it onboard the freshly ransacked Caravel; the explosivepoundnded perfectly in the stack of dynamite, where the fuse slowly began to consume itself.


    After Honoria''s Revenge had made its way to a safe distance, the stick of TNT detonated, causing a chain reaction with the other explosives, effectively blowing the small Caravel to smithereens.


    As the explosion sted the Caravel apart amid the Aegean sea, the crew of pirates gazed upon their victory with awe. They could hardly believe what they had just done; this crew of wenches had ushered in a new era of naval warfare.


    There was only one person to thank for such a thing, and that was King Berengar von Kufstein of Austria; without his support to Honoria, these young women would never be able to feel the rush of adrenaline they had felt this day, nor would they ever see such wealth in their hands.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 306: Cat Fight III

    <h4>Chapter 306: Cat Fight III</h4>


    While Berengar was away at war, one man was in Kufstein working exceptionally hard to cover for the King''s absence; this man was Chancellor Otto von Graz. After the debacle with Liutbert, Berengar had selected someone else to act as Chancellor.


    However, this man had utterly failed to live up to the task. Thus when Berengar promoted his Uncle and soon-to-be father-inw to Marquess, he also gave him the position of Chancellor, which in Berengar''s Kingdom was equivalent to the Vice President.


    Otto had been working at home in Graz during his tenure as Chancellor until now; after all, there was not much work that needed to be done in such a position. Now that Berengar was off at war, it was the Chancellor''s job to rule in his stead.


    Thus Otto had traveled to Kufstein with Ad in tow and was currently living within a chateau built within the city. Every day Ad would visit the Castle of Kufstein, where she would interact with her rival Linde. She also yed with her dear friend and cousin Henrietta, who had just begun to enter into her teenage years.


    At the moment Ad was in a meeting with Linde, the two young women were having a serious discussion now that they were alone for the first time in a long time. Ad had a calm expression on her face as she began to chastise Linde for her behavior that resulted in another child before Ad herself could marry her fiance.


    "You couldn''t help yourself, could you? You just had to convince Berengar into giving you another child so soon, even though you knew there were still some years before he and I got married.


    That''s selfish of you; you know that, right? I still have months before I can marry my fiance, and in the meantime, he has given you his lover two children. Do you have any idea how envious that makes me?


    How long will this warst? What if he doesn''te home for a year or two? If that is the case, then by the time I get married to him, your children will already be five and three. How is that fair to me?"


    In response to this line of questioning, Linde held her head high; she was exceptionally proud of her rtionship with Berengar and felt no guilt for her actions. Seeing the smug grin on Linde''s exquisite face, Ad sighed in defeat before cing her forehead in the palm of her hand; she sounded exhausted as she admitted defeat.


    "Whatever, that''s in the past; what I need to worry about now is Honoria; just how much have the two of them been sleeping together? Do I need to worry about another bastard child being born before my own?"


    The term bastard greatly pained Linde; however, she kept it to herself. Instead, a wicked smile curved itself upon the angelic beauty''s lips as she thought of the question Ad asked; as such, Linde decided to punish the little fiancee for her cruel remarks.


    This did not go unnoticed by the shrewd girl, who confused Linde''s smug expression as a sign that she knew something important. As such, a cold gaze spread across Ad''s sapphire blue eyes as she red at Linde with a stern expression.


    "What aren''t you telling me?"


    Linde was aware of how many nights Berengar had spent with Honoria. Since his birthday nearly half a year ago, the man had been demanding that his two women share his bed with him at the same time; as such, there was not an intimate moment between Berengar and Honoria that the veteran spymaster was unaware of, at least in recent history.


    With this in mind, Linde decided to y with Berengar''s fiancee, who she thought of as nothing more than a naive little girl, seeing Ad''s reaction to the debauchery that Berengar engaged in with his two lovers every night would at the very least be entertaining to the young woman.


    "I wouldn''t worry about that if I were you, Berengar hasn''t done anything that could get the girl pregnant."


    This answer confused Ad, as she was still young and innocent and was unaware that three people could share a bed, or how one could have sex without the risk of pregnancy. All she knew about procreation was the small details her parents had informed her of, which was nothing more than basic biology.


    As such, the young fiancee asked the question on her mind in a fit of fury.


    "How could you possibly know that?!"


    Upon hearing this, Linde simply smiled before approaching the girl and whispering in her ear the grotesque details about how she and Honoria would service Berengar every night. Before long, Ad''s cute face was flushed red with embarrassment. No matter how much Linde said, she could not pull herself away out of curiosity.


    After Linde had spent a few minutes exining her usual nightly y with her master, she broke away from the girl with a satisfied expression. The Embarrassed and shocked appearance of Ad was too cute, and Linde intended to enjoy every second of it.


    It took Ad a few moments to find the words to rebuke Linde. At first, she stammered over herself before gradually forming the words to chastise the vixen in front of her.


    "y... y... you pervert! You''re sick; there''s no way Berengar would do such a thing! You have to be lying!"


    However, Linde giggled in response to Ad''s innocent reactions; to her, this was the best form of revenge for what the little girl had said about her children earlier. As such, she responded to Ad in an amorous tone.


    "I am sure that after your wedding night, he will pressure you into joining the fun; I can''t wait until I see the day, little sister..."


    The moment Ad heard those words, she began to pout and reject Linde''s statement; there was no way she could ever conceive of the idea of sleeping with Berengar along with his two lovers. It was simply out of the question!


    "I will never do such a thing, even if Berengar asks it of me! That''s just wrong; for so many reasons, how can you possibly live so sinfully? Are you not afraid that God will punish you? To think you would drag Berengar down into such filth with you!"


    Thisment only made Lindeugh even more; this statement was just too funny to her; as such, sheughed so hard that she nearly copsed. After over thirty seconds ofughing, the young woman finally began to calm down and wiped the tears from her eyes.


    Ad, of course, was furious at this response and had grit her teeth while curling her fists as she struggled to contain her inner wrath when she asked about Linde''s outrageous reaction.


    "What''s so funny?"


    To this, Linde sighed before informing Ad of the reality.


    "It was not me who suggested such a thing, to begin with..."


    Ad found this shocking; if it was not Linde, it could only be Honoria. However, Ad did not immediately pin the me on the young princess. Instead, she asked the identity of the pervert who first thought up such wicked behavior.


    "Then who was it?"


    Linde struggled to contain herughter as she anticipated Ad''s expression when she heard this next piece of information.


    "Well, Berengar had joked around about the idea a few times to me, but it was ultimately Honoria who came up with the n to give him such a birthday gift. I had my reservations at first, but it was quite an enjoyable experience. I am sure you will join us soon enough. After all, I can tell that you are curious no matter how much you protest."


    After saying that, Linde walked past Ad, tapping her on the shoulder before leaving the room in silence. In doing so, she left Ad alone with nothing but her imagination about such a situation where she, Linde, Honoria, and Berengar all embraced one another.


    The more Ad thought about it, the more her mind went numb until she finally shook herself out of her stupor. At that moment, the little fiancee made a solemn vow to herself as she cursed Linde beneath her breath.


    "I will never allow such a thing to happen; just you watch bitch!"


    After saying this, Ad too left the room; however, unlike Linde, who had left in style, Ad had gone out in a tantrum; she could not believe Berengar had fallen to such depravity. As such, she made it her mission to bring Bernegar back into the light. Whether she would teach the man, she loved the error of his ways or fall to the depravity she resented was yet to be seen.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 307: Excessive Plunder

    <h4>Chapter 307: Excessive Plunder</h4>


    After having sessfully raided the Vian merchant vessel, Honoria and her crew had begun to set sail for Trieste. Austria did not have much coastline at the moment, and Trieste had formed the central trading hub.


    It was also the city with thergest harbor, as it held Austria''s most significant shipyard. The haul that the crew of Honoria''s Revenge had achieved was substantial. Not only did they manage to loot the wealth the merchants had gained from their recent trade with Byzantine Merchants, but they also got ahold of the expensive items they were bringing back to Venice.


    On top of this, they got several prisoners to ransom back to Venice. If Venice refused to pay for their ransom, they would sell them to vers within Constantinople for profit. Either way, there was money to be made with the captives.


    At the moment, Honoria was enjoying the beer Berengar had given to her; it was the standard drink prepared onboard the Vessel. In the middle of her Captain''s quarters, she was lying on her plushy feather mattress, which was covered with silk sheets.


    She immensely enjoyed the freedom of the seas, and she could not thank Berengar enough for fulfilling her dreams. The only thing she regretted was that her lover was off at war while she returned to his borders. If not for that, she might stop by Kufstein to engage in some fun with Berengar and Linde.


    However, Honoria''s thoughts did notst long as she overheard a knock on her door; as such, she rose from her bed and walked over to the door. After opening it, she saw that Elfrun was standing at the entrance with an excited expression on her face. Before Honoria could inquire about it, Elfrun blurted out her news.


    "Captain, we have spotted a Genoan Vessel! It appears to be a Carrack! What are your orders?"


    Hearing that such arge merchant vessel was nearby brought a smile to Honoria''s face as she immediately ced her beer upon her cupboard and grabbed ahold of her baldric, which contained her pistols and her sword.


    After slinging it over her shoulder, Honoria put on the cavalier hat Berengar had given her and smiled before giving her orders.


    "We''re going to pige it, of course!"


    With this, Elfrun''s excitement grew even further as she grabbed ahold of two grenades from her belt and rubbed them with anticipation.


    "I can''t wait to use these bad boys!"


    Seeing such a cute expression on the young adolescent girl''s face as she talked about violence brought a smile to Honoria''s own immacte visage. As such, she grabbed ahold of the girl and stuffed her into her bosom before eximing.


    "Oh, my sweet little Elfrun, you are just too adorable!"


    Elfrun did not deny the hug and nuzzled against Honoria''s chest like a cute little kitten with a smile on her face. After a few moments, Honoria released the girl before dragging her up to the ship''s deck as she began to shout her orders to her crew of salty wenches.


    "Prepare for battle! We are taking this Carrack!"


    With that said, the girls onboard began to cheer as they loaded their weapons. Before long, the Sloop of War that was Honorai''s privateering Vessel caught up with the Genoan Carrack. With this in mind, Honoria immediately gave the order when they had sessfully entered the firing range.


    "Fire at will!"


    The moment Honoria gave thismand, the 18 lb long guns opened fire on the carrack with their solid shot. They did not intend to cripple or blow up this ship, a carrack was a mighty vessel capable of journeying from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, and as such, it was worth a fortune. If they could capture the Vessel and repair it, they could sell it to the Byzantines or Granadans for a substantial sum.


    With this in mind, the cannons fired their solid cannonballs into the enemy vessel. Before the Genoans could even react, they found themselves being sted apart. After the first volley of 10 cannonballs was propelled at the target, Honoria''s crew rapidly began to reload the guns before once more firing the projectiles.


    With each cannonball, a bit more of the carrack was chipped away, and the Genoan sailors were forced to bilge the rising water within their Vessel. This was an issue Honoria''s ship did not have due to the water-tight seal created from the galvanized steel-ted hull.


    The Carrack was nearly defenseless from the cannon fire forced upon it by Honoria''s Vessel; after all, it utterlycked in offensive weapons, aside from a few crossbows utilized by the sailors.


    The roughly 50 sailors aboard the Genoan Vessel fired their crossbows at the enemy, but Honoria and her girls were well protected by the cover the ship''s hull provided. As such, the Women onboard Honoria''s Revenge fired their repeating flintlocks at the enemy sailors.


    The rate of fire, the effective range, and the damage these weapons were capable of was vastly superior to the crossbows used by the Genoan sailors. Before long, half of the Genoan sailors were dead, and they had begun to raise the white g.


    After this action waspleted, they disarmed themselves, and Honoria''s crew lowered the nks, where they quickly boarded the Vessel. After doing so they began to restrain the surviving Genoan sailors. The crew of the Carrack was surprised to see that the pirates who attacked them were all women.


    As such, the Captain of the Vessel began to bark at thesses who had attacked his ship.


    "Which one of you bitches in charge?"


    The moment he said this, Honoria appeared before him with a cruel smirk on her face. She kicked the man in the gut in response to his statement before informing him of her status.


    "I am Captain Valeria Zonara, Privateer licensed by the Kingdom of Austria tobat the enemies of his Majesty King Berengar; you will show me some respect!"


    The man had just begun to recover from the violent reaction when he spat on the ground before further cursing the woman.


    "Fucking Austrians! They''ve now got women doing their dirty work; you fucking barbarians should learn your ce!''


    Honoria red viciously at the Captain of the Genoan Vessel, these sailors had no respect for women or Berengar''s people, and as such, they needed to be taught a lesson; thus, a devilish idea formed in the princess''s mind as she barked her orders.


    "Elfrun!"


    With this, the little girl immediately jumped up from her spot and saluted Honoria.


    "Yes, Captain?"


    A wicked grin formed across Honoria''s immacte visage as she asked Elfrun the question on her mind.


    "Do you think you have a grenade that can fit in this man''s mouth?"


    Elfrun went from shock to a state of excitement as she matched Honoria''s malicious smile before fumbling in her pockets. As she did so, she found a small steel ball filled with explosive powder and a fuse.


    The moment she pulled out the small explosive device, the little girl leaped with joy as she walked? over to the Genoan Captain and forced the grenade in his mouth with the fuse sticking out.? After doing so, she gazed at Honoria, who nodded at her in response. Upon seeing this, Elfrun lit the fuse with her lighter before backing off from the st zone.


    The Captain''s eyes opened wide as he tried to scream for help, but it was no use, the grenade was lodged between his jaw, and he could not quickly spit it out, nor could his cries for help reach the ears of hispatriots who were bound nearby. Witnessing such a horrific sight, the Genoan sailors began to scream for Honoria to stop


    "Mercy! Show him mercy, please!"


    Luckily the fuse was a slow-lit match. Otherwise, the man''s head would have exploded by now; as such, Honoria nced over at Elfrun before asking the question on her mind.


    "What do you think? Should we show mercy?"


    With this, the little girl began to pout; she wanted to see the sight of the man''s head explode, purely for scientific reasons, of course. However, after thinking about it, the girl thought it might be a bit too cruel and pulled the grenade out of the man''s mouth before tossing it into the sea.


    After doing so, Elfrun realized that the man had quite literally pissed his pants in fear, and as such, the girl was disgusted before walking back to Honoria''s side. It took the Genoan Captain a few moments toe back to his senses before he gazed up at Honoria as if she were the devil.


    As he stared at the foreign beauty, a malicious smile spread across her visage before she leaned in and whispered to him.


    "Call me a bitch again, and I promise you the next time I will go through with it, do you understand?"


    The Genoan Captain had shivers down his spine as he nodded silently towards the demonic woman in front of him. Afterward, Honoria called out to her crew.


    "You know the drill, put them in the brig, and plunder the vessel, whatever we can''t take leave on the ship, after all, we''re sailing this baby to port!"


    With that said, the girls quickly got to work, locking up the prisoners and distributing the goods; before long, the two ships were sailed side by side by Honoria''s crew on their journey to Trieste. The gains they made on this day were substantial; one thing was sure, Honoria and her crew would be eating well tonight.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 308: The Holy Roman Empire Responds

    <h4>Chapter 308: The Holy Roman Empire Responds</h4>


    Within the city of Florence, the Doges of Venice and Genoa were kneeling before the Holy Roman Emperor. Emperor Balsamo Corsini was beyond livid after the pre-emptive strike Berengar had engaged in on his two most powerful vassals.


    The destruction of the majority of the Genoan and Vian navies was a massive blow to Imperial power, not just in the war against Austria but across the Mediterranean as a whole. Besides this, Berengar had openly licensed pirates, or privateers as he referred to them to attack what little shipping remained of Empire.


    With this in mind, the Emperor had called his two subordinates to the current capital of the Empire with the intent of seeing how this crisis they were suffering could be salvaged. The Vian Doge was the first to speak his mind.


    "Three-fourths of my Navy was destroyed in the attack on my harbor, along with well over half of my merchant fleet! The attack hasid waste to the pier itself; as such, Venice can no longer ept trade by sea without a port!


    If that were not bad enough, our shipyards were annihted, and our factories have been reduced to rubble. Because of this, we cannot build new ships for God knows how long!"


    The Vian Doge''s face was flushed with anger, and his fists were curled as he shouted these words at the Emperor. The attack was swift and unexpected; Berengar had purposely sent the swiss agent without a horse to deliver the news of Austria''s Independence to the Emperor.


    With the time it took the man to reach Florence, Berengar had engaged in pre-emptive strikes on Venice and Genoa and amassed an army at the Italian borders. The aftermath of these attacks had severely reduced the Empire''s ability to fight on the seas.


    The Genoan Doge was not in any better condition; despite this, unlike his Vian counterpart, he remained calm and collected as he informed the Emperor of Genoa''s losses.


    "We are in a simr situation; eighty percent of our Armada now lies at the bottom of the Ligurian Sea, our harbor is non-existent, and our ability to manufacture new ships has been crippled. We don''t even possess the ability to repair the ships that remain. I must say, your Majesty, we are poorly equipped to face the Austrian Navy at sea."


    The Emperor frowned as he heard this and tapped his armrest repeatedly as the noise echoed in the otherwise silent throne room. He could not believe that such an attack had urred; not only that, but the Austrians were nowying siege to Verona as he spoke to his Vassals.? Eventually, the Emperor collected his thoughts before asking the question on his mind.


    "How many ships do we still have?"


    The Genoan and Vian Doges looked at one another before the Genoan Doge answered the Emperor''s question.


    "Less than three hundred, your majesty..."


    The Emperor sighed when he heard this; if this was the case, then the Empire as a whole had between three hundred and four hundred ships left avable forbat. The losses they had suffered in Berengar''s sneak attacks were an unmitigated disaster.? As such, the Emperor asked the following question on his mind


    "How many ships do the Austrians have at their disposal?"


    The Vian Doge was the one to speak as he gave a rough estimate of the Austrian Naval Power.


    "In there Navy? About seventy-five. However, there also appears to be a half-dozen of these so-called privateers attacking any Imperial merchant vessel they can get their hands on. So it is closer to 80 in total. The problem is the Austrian ships arerger and carry far more cannons on board; we don''t know the exact number, but they should have thousands of cannons on their eighty or so ships."


    The Emperor gripped his armrest tightly when he heard this report; he gritted his teeth as he struggled to contain his inner fury. Eventually, he calmed himself down before inquiring about information on the firepower that their remaining fleet possessed.


    "And pray tell, how many cannons do we have onboard our vessels?"


    The Vian and Genoan Doges looked at one another with fear in their eyes, the two men were terrified to answer the question; ultimately, the Genaon Doge mustered the courage to reveal the truth of the matter to the already agitated Emperor.


    "Less than 1500 in total. The Austrians may have fewer vessels than we do, but their firepower and speed are vastly superior to ours. To engage them in direct conflict is suicidal."


    This was not the news the Emperor wanted to hear. However, it was real, and he was forced to deal with it; as such, the Emperor sighed heavily as he ced his face in the palm of his hands while struggling toe up with a solution for the crisis they were facing.


    "What are the odds of us being able to attack their shipping? If we can return the favor and cripple their economy, then surely we might be able to turn the tides of war around?"


    In response to this question, the Vian Doge was far from calm on this matter as he immediately objected to the notion''s feasibility.


    "Impossible! The Austrian merchant vessels travel at an incredible speed; they are capable of close to three times the speed of our ships. There is no feasible method that we can use to pursue them effectively."


    When Balsamo heard this, he began to grind his teeth in discontent; it appeared as if he were out of options at this point. However, he outright refused to abandon the Naval aspect of warfare with the Austrians, and as such, he began to ask for suggestions from the two Naval experts in the room.


    "Tell me then, how do you suggest we most effectively utilize our remaining naval power?''


    With this said, the Genoan Doge immediately presented what he believed to be the most efficient use of their ships.


    "We should use our remaining naval vessels as escorts to our merchant ships. With such arge number of warships protecting our trading fleet, the Austrian pirates will have to think twice about attacking them."


    Having heard this, the Vian Doge nodded as he voiced support for the proposed n.


    "If we can not protect our merchants, then our economy will crumble, and we will not be able to sustain the war effort against Austria. I support my Genoan counterpart''s n of action."


    It was quite possibly the first time these two men had agreed on anything, and as such, the Emperor was quite surprised. Thus, he sighed heavily before making a decision.


    "We will do as you suggest then; I would like to see how daring these privateers are when a naval escort protects our merchant fleet!"


    After this was said, the two Doges nodded their heads in firm resolve; they would immediately ry the orders to their remaining warships to protect merchant convoys at all costs. As such, the Emperor dismissed his two Vassals so they could make the appropriate preparations.


    As for the Emperor, he sighed heavily as he thought about the numerous problems with the war for Austrian Independence. While he was sulking in his thoughts, a General came into the fray and handed the Emperor a report from the battlefield in the Swiss Confederation.


    The moment the Emperor finished reading the report, he tore it apart in a fit of rage as he chastised his General heavily.


    "The County of Chur has surrendered without a fight? What lunacy is this!?!"


    The General bowed his head respectfully as he tried to appease the enraged Emperor.


    "Your Majesty, the County of Chur is a hotbed of reformist thought; it does not surprise me in the least that they would defect to Berengar''s cause. If this is the case in Chur, it could prove to be a potential reality in other parts of the Empire that have begun to embrace the German Reformation."


    The Emperor struggled to maintain his dignity as he heard this observation and ultimately failed to do so as heshed out as his General.


    "These damned Heretics! The fact that you refer to them as Reformists shows where your loyalties truly lie! Get out of my sight before I have you executed!"


    The General was shocked to see the Emperor behave in such a manner; he was utterly unaware of the conversation that had just taken ce and had no way of knowing that the poor news he brought to the Emperor was just the icing on the cake.


    Despite his reservations over his mistreatment, he merely bowed respectfully in response to the Emperor''s request. With his departure, the General left behind the words.


    "As youmand, your majesty..."


    In the end, the Emperor was left alone, seething in his enraged state, as his world began to copse around him.? The truth of the matter was, with half of the Empire already embroiled in a state of conflict, the Emperor was not ready to fight a war with Austria.


    The Italians had yet to muster their army in its entirety, and 50,000 Austrians were alreadyying siege to Verona.? By the time the Italians could rally their forces tobat the threat, half of Northern Italy was likely to be taken by the Royal Austrian Army.


    The Emperor may be quick to anger, but he knew well enough that if he met the Austrians in the field, only death awaited him and his men. With this in mind, the Emperor began to construct a plot to slow down the Austrian advance and buy him the time necessary to build an armyrge enough to counter the Austrian invasion of Italy.


    ---


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 Chapter 309: For King and Fatherland!

    <h4>Chapter 309: For King and Fathend!</h4>


    Berengar awoke to the thunderous echos of cannon fire from among his encampment. The weapons went off the moment the sun rose in the sky above the city of Verona. In his army of 50,000 men, Berengar had three entire brigades dedicated to Artillery that was a total of 12,000 men and 210 field guns.


    If one were to take his entire army into consideration, Berengar had a total of five Artillery Brigades, two of which were currently located in the Swiss Confederation along with Adelbrand and the rest of his forces. Out of 75,000 men, 20,000 of them were dedicated to artillery. With the remaining 55,000 being a mix of infantry and cavalry.


    That meant that Berengar had a total of 350 artillery pieces in his entire army, most of these being 1417 12 lb Cannons. With these 210 cannons fielded in Berengar''s current army, which had a rate of fire of 1 round per minute, he was capable of bombarding a region with 12,600 explosive shells in an hour.


    As such, the city walls of Verona fell before the poption dwelling within had even consumed breakfast. As the northern wall crumbled to the ground from the hellish bombardment, Berengar stood among his forces, d in his gilded ck three quarter''s te armor.? He held his burg under his arm as he addressed his soldiers gathered in the field.


    "Men of Austria! We have many goals, here in Italy, and that is not simply to force the Emperor to recognize the Independence of the fathend! With this war, we have been granted an opportunity, for the expansion of our people''s wealth and prosperity.


    In this city, and every city like it here in Northern Italy, lies a trove of wealth, that few countries have ever amassed. There is gold, there is silver, and we will take it all! Now my rules of war still apply, to each and every one of you.


    However, what I ask of you, here today, in Verona, is to plunder every item of value from this city, and bring it back to Austria! We will smelt the silver, and gold, into our currency, and stimte the growth of our economy, which has already begun to stagnate!


    Anyone who tries to stop you in your actions is to be considered an adversary, and should be treated as such! God with us!"


    The moment Berengar finished his passionate speech the army of 50,000 soldiers gathered around him began chanting their warcry.


    "God with us!" "God with us!" "God with us!"


    After saying this Berengar ced his burg on his head and unsheathed his sword before leading the charge into the rubble that once was the city''s Northern Wall. As he charged into the fray, he noticed the few thousand defenders gathered among the rubble, preparing toy down their lives in defense of the city, and the people within it.


    As such Berengar halted and allowed his soldiers to form ranks, where a battalion of Grenadiers fired their shots into the crowd. The moment they did so the lead projectiles found their way downrange and into the men who had gathered before them, piercing through their iron armor as if it were a knife passing through butter, and with it turning their armor into bloody sieves.


    For good measure, the Grenadiers followed the volley by lobbing their grenades at the enemy, after 1000 grenades went of those were left standing were either blown apart along with their fallenrades or rendered in a condition unfit for battle.


    In a matter of seconds, the only thing that stood in the Austrians way was sorely defeated. In response to this the battalion who had fired their shots reloaded their weapons, as the other infantry battalions rushed into the fray.


    Berengar stood back among his grenadiers as he allowed them to reload their weapons in a matter of seconds with their quick loading tubes. After doing so they advanced over the piles of mutted corpses and into the City of Verona where the chaotic scene disyed itself.


    While Bernegar''s troops were disciplined thoroughly, to the point where killing or raping civilians was strictly off-limits, they had been ordered to ransack the city, and as such, they behaved like a horde of barbarians.


    Kicking down doors, and tearing the houses apart looking for anything of value. Those few citizens who dared to resist found themselves gunned down, or ran through with a bay. in this chaotic time, the denizens of Verona found themselves gazing in horror as their city was torn apart by a horde of Austrian soldiers.


    Berengar personally led his troops to the area he knew to be stashed with the most significant amount of wealth, and that was the city''s cathedral. When he kicked down the door to the church, the priests and citizens who had taken refuge inside gazed upon the Austrians with horror, as if they were the same barbarians who tore Rome apparent centuries ago.


    The priest immediately approached Berengar and got in his path as he entered the building, holding a cross in his face and proiming the cathedral to be unassable.


    "This is holy ground, you devils can not be here, turn back or face the wrath of God!"


    Upon this priests'' neck was a golden crucifix worth a substantial sum and as such Berengar gazed at the men with a wicked smile before grabbing ahold of him by the ne. As he did so he stared into the priest''s eyes before mocking him.


    "Rx, I''m not here for your worthless lives, only the wealth you church hordes away."


    With this said Berengar ripped the golden crucifix from the Priests neck before knocking him out with a solid punch. The steel gauntlet on Berengar''s hand aided in the desired effect. As the priest tumbled to the ground Berengar caught ahold of him, to make sure he did not crack his skull on the wooden pews, and gentlyid him to the ground.


    As he did so the crowd of civilians shrieked in horror, however, Berengar simply ignored them beforemanding his grenadiers to strip the Cathedral of its wealth.


    "Take everything of value, and leave the people be unless they make an attempt on your life do no harm unto them."


    With this said the Austrian soldiers began to tear down the crucifixes, stash away the chalices, and even tore down the golden statue of christ himself, before carrying it away. After everything of value from the church had been seized, Berengar and his troops left the cathedral in a bare state, with the civilians inside bawling like children.


    It did not take an army of 50,000 men long to ransack everything of worth within the city of Verona, and they had turned the city upside down in the process. After acquiring every small piece of gold and silver, and transferring it into a giant pile outside the city Berengar stood before his troops and gazed upon the wealth that Verona had stashed away.


    An avaricious smirk was spread upon the young monarch''s face as he witnessed the spoils of war. Yet, it was not enough, the true prize was in the city of Florence, for therey an exceptionally wealthy family of bankers, who had the fortune to rival even Berengar.


    This family was not yet nobility, and yet they held enough wealth to finance Berengar''s enemies, that being the entirety of the Catholic Church. Berengar''s true goal in this war was not something as simple as independence, it was to strip away every bit of gold and silver the Medici had stashed away, and cripple the Vatican''s ability to finance a crusade against him.


    Austrian Independence and the establishment of a separate Northern Italian Kingdom as a Protectorate beneath his suzerainty was secondary to acquiring the vast fortune of the Medicis. However, those were ns for the near future, for now, Berengar had other thoughts in mind.


    As such he gave yet another impassioned speech to his troops as they gazed upon the wealth they had acquired from Venice with greed.


    "Any man among you who has through a moment of weakness stashed away some spoils gained in this battle step forward and add it to the pile, and I will grant you impunity! I know the hearts of men, I too have the instinct to hoard this pile of gold away in some corner of Austria, never allowing it to see the light of day!


    Yet, I am strong enough in my conviction to utilize every speck of wealth we have gained here on this day, and in our future campaign in Italy for one single purpose! The minting of currency! I will not lie to you, our Kingdom faces economic stagnation, there is not enough gold and silver to go around, to fill the pockets of the people of Austria who work every day for a better future!


    This wealth is intended not for my personal fortune, but for the prosperity of all Austrians! So, those among you who have stashed away some of the gains you have found within this city, I implore you once more to step forward, and add it to the pile if not for yourselves, than for the good of Kingdom!"


    There was silence for some time until one man, in particr, walked forward. This man was Captain Arnwald, he was a man respected by the soldiers under hismand, as Berengar had said in a moment of weakness he had stashed away a small pouch filled with gold coins within his belt''s contianers.


    After the man had emptied the pouch of coins into the vast pile, it did not take long before more men followed suit, and emptied their hidden wealth onto the pile, before long over half the army had done so until not a single missing piece of treasure remained in the hands of his soldiers.


    As Berengar saw this, he nodded his head and smiled upon his men, in doing so he made them a solemn vow.


    "For your loyalty, and faith in your fathend, I will make you a promise here on this day, every single piece of this treasure shall be used to invest in the future of the Kingdom of Austria, with it you, and your families shall see greater heights of prosperity, make no mistake, you all shall see your fair share of the spoils we gain in this war!"


    After saying this Arnwald saluted Berengar and voiced his chant.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    After saying so, the entire army repeated these words in unison.


    After this speech was over, Berengar had every piece of treasure that was pooled in the pile recorded, and then sent a convoy of 5,000 men to ensure its safe return to the Royal Treasury of Austria.


    Berengar would stay true to his vow, and use the vast stockpile of gold and silver, by smelting it down into the pure currency he had established.? In doing so he was able to temporarily stall the stagnation issues his economy was currently facing, and do so bring greater prosperity to all of Austria.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 310: Selling Stolen Goods

    <h4>Chapter 310: Selling Stolen Goods</h4>


    After Honoria and her Crew had attacked and ransacked two Imperial vessels, they immediately made their way to the port of Trieste. Trieste quickly became a significant trading hub within Austria, as it was the realm''srgest harbor.


    After several days of sailing, Honoria and her Crew finally arrived within the city, where they intended to sell the goods they had captured for a fair price. As such, Honoria, with Melissa and Elfrun by her side, stepped off of the vessel and began to search the marketce for an appropriate buyer.


    The rest of her Crew were waiting onboard the vessels guarding the prisoners and waiting for their pay so that they could get in a little R&R. After strolling through the markets of Trieste for some time, Honoria came across a textile trader.


    The Granadan merchant was stunned to see a group of women dressed in pants and d with weapon belts walking around in the Trieste market. His first instinct was to ignore the three women, fortunately for him, they began to approach the merchant, and as such, he let out a sigh before putting on a friendly facade.


    "How can I help you?"


    With this in mind, Honoria took out two shipping manifests that she had captured from the Imperial vessels.


    "We have these goods to sell; I am sure you might be interested in our wares."


    The Merchant looked through the items listed on the manifests. Initially, he had a dull expression however when he gazed across their contents his dark eyes quickly shined with avarice. The goods on this manifest were of the highest quality of Byzantine Silk and Indian Cotton.


    It was not easy for a merchant from Granadan like him to get ahold of such items, and as such, he was greatly interested in bringing the materials back to the Emirate to sell for a profit. Of course, silk and cotton were not the only things that caught his interest; the purple dye was the most attractive of all the goods that the women had to offer.


    After thinking about it for a few moments, the Merchant began to inquire about the origins of such fine materials.


    "Where did you get such exquisite items?"


    If these goods were stolen, it could cause quite some difficulty to the man, and judging by the attire these women were dressed in, they likely weren''t merchants. However, to the man''s surprise, Honoria pulled out a letter and handed it to the man.


    This piece of parchment was the letter of marque and reprisal that Berengar had signed, permitting Honoria to engage in piracy against the Kingdom of Austria''s enemies. By now, the term "Privateer" had be quite notorious among the merchants of the Mediterranean. Berengar''s introduction of Privateering was an action heavily criticized by various states who had coastlines within the region.


    Despite these protests, many merchants were willing to purchase such wares as they could be resold at a substantially higher rate in their home countries. As such, the Merchant was far from reluctant to buy the goods; if anything, it was in his favor that these women had found him to fence their ill-gotten gains. After thinking about it for some time, the man raised two fingers to name his price for the goods.


    "I will pay ten thousand Austrian Thalers for the Cotton and Silk, as for the purple dye, I am greatly interested in it, but the cost is negotiable."


    Upon hearing the Merchant''s offer, Honoria discussed the costs with her crew members.


    "I think it is a good deal, that is a substantial sum, and is slightly below market value. After all, the Merchant has to resell the goods to make a profit. As for the purple dye, we have five pounds of the substance, and the dye is worth three times its weight in gold; as such, we should demand Guldens in exchange for it!"


    Melissa nodded her head in agreement, the Gulden was used forrge transactions such as this, and they highly doubted the Merchant had 107,143 Austrian Thalers lying around. As such, she quickly agreed to Honoria''s proposal.


    "I agree, the Gulden is better to trade with; the amount of dye we have is worth roughly 1,530 Austrian Guldens! This is a fortune! We should ask for 1500, so he can still make a decent profit!"


    Elfrun was primarily left out of the conversation; as such, Honoria and Melissa agreed to pose their offer to the Granadan Merchant. Honoria put on a confident facade as she did so.


    "My offer is 1,500 Guldens! If you don''t like it, I am sure that other Merchants would kill for the opportunity to buy such a stockpile of purple dye for the price I have offered!"


    The Merchant knew the market value of such a precious substance, and it could be sold for an even greater price in Granada than here in Austria; after all rtions between Granada and Byzantium wereplicated to say the least, as such trade between the two Nations had suffered greatly over the years.


    "Very well, if you would transfer the materials to my vessel, I will meet you there with the promised sum. It is a pleasure doing business with you girls."


    After saying this, the man gave them the information on the location to meet up, and Honoria and the others returned to their ship, where they began to gather the resources for the trade.


    Just by selling the textiles and dye, they had gained a substantial profit. If deposited into the National Bank of Austria, they could withdraw the amount of value from the Austrian Guldens in their Thaler equivalent, roughly 490 Austrian Thalers per Austrian Gulden.


    Before long, the members of Honoria''s Crew handed over the goods in exchange for several chests filled with Austrian Thalers and Guldens. After carefully calcting the goods and checking to see if there were any counterfeits, Honoria epted the transaction.


    After returning to the Sloop of War known as Honoria''s revenge, the Crew gathered around the multiple chests filled with therge silver and gold coins. They could not believe their eyes, as they gazed upon the pile of wealth.


    The wealth sitting before them was enough to buy a manor for several of the crew members and retire peacefully. However, greed was a natural human instinct. After seeing how much fortune they had gained without suffering any casualties, not a single woman among Honoria''s Crew desired to retire after a mere two battles.


    Silver and gold had an unnatural effect on the human mind; men and women alike would be willing to stab their siblings in the back for more of the substance. However, rather than turn on each other, these women desired to raid the merchants of the Holy Roman Empire. Reflecting upon her own internal desire to do so, Honoria decided to give a speech to her crew.


    "We will be distributing the wealth we have gained to each member of the crew in equal shares. We are all one family onboard Honoria''s Revenge, and thus we will share our fortune equally!


    You may do what you wish when ites to your wealth. However, I will be depositing my share into the National Bank of Austria under an ount in my name, and I advise you to do the same. It is far safer under the protection of the Austrian Crown than it is hidden away in some far corner of the world!"


    After saying this, not a single woman among the gathered crew members could disagree with Honoria''s words. They were privateers licensed by the Austrian Crown and afforded legal protection in that regard. They were no mere pirates; thus they did not have to worry about their assets being seized by the government.


    Before long, Honoria and her Crew had sold all of their goods, including the Carrack they had gained from the Genoan Merchants, amassing a substantial fortune on their first run. With this in mind, Honoria kept her word and divided the shares equally among her crew members. This was the result of the first of many piges that the wenches of Honoria''s Revenge would engage in during the Austrian War for Independence.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 311: The Italians Strike Back

    <h4>Chapter 311: The Italians Strike Back</h4>


    While Berengar was marching onto his next target, which was the city of Mn, his supply routes were being maintained by the 5,000 soldiers who had transferred the treasure hoard gained from ransacking Verona.


    These men were dedicated to ensuring that the main Army was well supplied and that any spoils were transported back to the Royal Treasury in Kufstein. However, due to the nature of their mission, they swiftly became targeted by the Italian forces.


    Because the Italians could not contend with Austria in the field, they had begun to resort to skirmishing tactics against their enemy''s scouting regiments. Since this was the way that they had chosen to engage in warfare, Berengar had devised a series of search and destroy tactics to hunt down the ambushers in advance of his march.


    As for the logisticalwork, Berengar had increased the number of soldiers among their ranks from 5,000 to 5,500, adding a few scouts with them to ensure that the path ahead was secure. At the moment, this force of soldiers was led by the Colonel, who was Captain Arnwald''s superior officer, with Arnwald''s grenadier unit acting as the central offensive unit within their ranks.


    Currently, this supply Caravan was in the middle of their encampment, within the fields between the Italian Alps and Mn. It was early morning, and the men had just woken up; they were in the process of tearing down the camp so that they could begin their long march to Mn, where Berengar''s main Army was sure to be located.


    Captain Arnwald was sharing a hemp cigarette between himself and the Colonel as they discussed their ns over a map within themand tent.


    "Our supply route should lead us safely to the frontlines where we can resupply King Berengar and his forces. The scouts have spotted ahead, and they have assured us that there are no traps or ambushesid out within our path. Give it another day or two, and we should have arrived at our destination without incident."


    Arnwald, on the other hand, was not convinced; things had been quiet since they had begun their journey back to the frontlines. Over a week had passed since the Siege of Verona, and during this time, they had traveled to Kufstein and back.


    Yet not once had they encountered an enemy ambush or any attempt at it. It was mind-boggling; after all, the best tactic the Italians coulde up with to slow down the Austrian advance was ambushing smaller units detached from the main Austrian Army.


    Despite being separated from the main force and tasked with the essential job of maintaining the supply routes into Italy, the Italians had seemingly ignored their intrusion; it was almost as if they were watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike while the Austrians least expected it.


    This made Arnwald quite paranoid, as he was confident the Italians would have targeted the Austrian Logistical Network. Regardless, neither the Scouts nor the Intelligence Agency had informed them of any nearby hostiles.


    As Arnwald and the Colonel discussed their ns for the remainder of their journey, an unarmored Italian Knight dressed in simple attire was located in the distance, overlooking the Austrian encampment from the hilltops above.


    The Italian Crown had be aware of the infiltration into Northern Italy by Berengar''s spywork. In response to this threat, the Italians had adopted apelling tactic; they had begun to shed their arms and armor and travel under the guise of refugee and merchant caravans; after all, their armor was practically useless in the face of Austria''s wonder weapons.


    The difference between these caravans and actual refugee groups was that they wereprised of the battled hardened soldiers of Italy and their hidden arms, which were needed to ambush the Austrian Armies. They had even brought women and children along with them to make things convincing, not fearing what would happen to the poor souls once the battle had erupted.


    After carefully observing the Austrian encampment and the soldiers within it for some time, the Italian Knight rode his horse back to his unit, where he informed hismanding officers of what he had discovered. Since the Austrians were in the middle of tearing down their camp, it was the perfect time to ambush them.


    Before long, this so-called Refugee convoy approached the Austrian forces, who were in the middle of preparing to move out; because of this, there were only a few men on guard, and as such, it took some time before the Italian caravan was spotted between the hillsides of the Mnese ins.


    When the Austrians finally realized that an unknown caravan was approaching, the guards lowered their weapons towards the approaching strangers. However, before they could utter theirmands, the men on horseback within the Italian forces unleashed their des and charged towards the guards, piercing through their open-face helmets and reaping their lives.


    The moment the Cavalry charged into the encampment, arge group of the Italian soldiers split off and began to swarm the Austrian soldiers before they could grab ahold of their weapons to retaliate. As the Italian men-at-arms charged towards the Austrian soldiers, arrows and bolts had begun to fly into the encampment.


    The camp quickly found itself wholly overrun with the Italian soldiers who began to butcher the Austrian soldiers that struggled to equip themselves in an attempt to counter the well-nned ambush. While chaos erupted in the camp, a soldier rushed into themand tent, informing the Colonel and Captain Arnwald of the enemy ambush.


    "Sir, we are under attack!"


    Both the Colonel and Captain Arnwald gazed at each other with confusion; just where did the enemy soldierse from? Despite their questions, both Officers knew now was not the time to ask, but instead, firm action was needed to be taken if they wished to survive the enemy ambush. With this in mind, the Colonel and Captain Arnwald burst from themand tent and began to rally their troops for battle.


    "Form ranks! Grab your muskets and form ranks, dammit!"


    Hearing the confident voice of theirmanding officer pierce through the air was enough to snap the nearby soldiers into their senses, where their reflexes as battle-hardened veterans immediately took over. Now was the time for the extensive training they had been put through to truly reveal itself.


    The soldiers rushed into their tents, where they retrieved their? 1417/18 Rifled Muskets, along with their web gear that contained their munitions. Before long, the Austrians began to form ranks while firing upon the so-called refugees who had snuck into their encampment.


    Thousands of Austrians had now armed themselves with their muskets and began to effectively counter the Italian assault. As they rapidly reloaded their weapons and fired a second volley, the Italian forces were quickly cut to ribbons.


    As the battle continued to wage, Arnwald rallied his Grenadiers, who fulfilled their purpose as the shock troops of the Austrian Army. Without fear, they began to load their muskets and fire into the mob of Italian Soldiers; after doing so, they lit their grenades and lobbed them into the fray.


    Once the grenades had exploded, killing hundreds of Italians in the process, they fixed their bays. Where the fearless Grenadiers charged at the concussed soldiers of the Italian Army, skewering them with the triangr steel des, causing mortal wounds that were impossible to stitch up��leaving the Italians to bleed out in a pool of their bodily fluids.


    While this was going on, a few dozen Italian Knights recovered muskets from the fallen Austrian soldiers. After doing so, they immediately mounted their horses and fled into the distance; the moment they did so, the remaining Italian soldiers took notice and began to retreat, providing cover to the Knights as they escaped from the chaotic battlefield.


    The tides of war rapidly shifted in the Austrians favor; as the Austrians regained their footing, the Italian ambushers were quickly ughtered like a bunch of stray dogs. The battle had ended as soon as it had begun with an overwhelming victory for the Austrian soldiers.


    Unfortunately, the Knights had gotten away with a few dozen muskets, which they would undoubtedly bring back the Empire''s engineers. One thing was sure; such a result would have far-reaching consequences about the leaking of technology and the advancements that Berengar''s enemies would soone to possess.


    The days of overwhelming technological dominance would quicklye to an end. If Berengar did not innovate his armies further, he would soon bebating forces with a simr military capacity to his own.


    ---


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 Chapter 312: Fall of Zurich

    <h4>Chapter 312: Fall of Zurich</h4>


    While the Austrian supply caravan had suffered many losses on their journey to the city of Mn due to the enemy ambush, Adelbrand had been marching towards the rally point of the Swiss forces within the city of Zurich. Until now, the Swiss had not tasted the power of steel and shot, and as such, they were fairly arrogant.


    Aside from the Mercenaries who were wiped out during Berengar''s rise to power, the Swiss had not be aware of the effectiveness of Berengar''s weaponry and refused to believe that the Austrians had be superior to their mighty forces.


    As such, there was a degree of arrogance among the Swiss armies gathered in Zurich as they witnessed the Austrian soldiers d in their ck and gold equipment arriving outside their city''s borders.


    Themander of the Swiss forces gathered in Zurich was the Duke of Zurich; he was the current head of the Swiss Confederation and was a man of renowned power within the alpine state as he gazed upon the gathering Austrian army below his ramparts, a smug smile formed on his face. As he boldly dered the city''s impregnability.


    "I don''t care what wonder weapons these Austrians have allegedly created; they will not be able to prate through the mighty walls of my city!-"


    However, the moment the man said this, the echo of the 1417 12 lb artillery pieces roared through the air as the shells whistled by and detonated upon the mighty stone walls of the city. In a fit of cosmic irony, the section of the wall that the Duke of Zurich was standing upon was struck by one of these shells; the explosive impact crushed the ramparts and sent him spiraling below to his death.


    With each barrage fired, the stone walls were rapidly chipped away as the explosive sts engulfed the material that they wereprised of. With 140 cannons unleashing hell upon the cities walls, it was only a matter of hours before they were brought to rubble, much to the chagrin of the Swiss Defenders.


    As the Austrian soldiers came pouring over the rubble that was once the mighty walls of the city, deemed impregnable by the Duke of Zurich, the Swiss could hardly believe the sight. In such a short period, the city walls were brought to ruin, and the enemy had rushed into the fray; with their bays affixed, they formed ranks and fired on the stunned Swiss defenders.


    Adelbrand gazed upon his army from afar as they advanced into the city and engaged in battle with the Swiss soldiers who had gathered within its gates. Unfortunately, they arrived early and were battling only half of the troops the Swiss Confederation could manage to field.


    Without a shadow of a doubt, Zurich would fall on this day, and with it, half of the Swiss Army. With this in mind, Adelbrand approached the front lines of the battle, where he witnessed the Austrian soldiers gunning down the Swiss spearmen who rushed towards the Austrian lines.


    They had not been informed that human wave tactics did not affect the Austrian army; as the Swiss stepped every closer to the Austrian lines, smoke filled the air, and thunder echoed in the distance as thousands of guns went off in unison, shredding through the armor of the Swiss soldiers like a knife through butter, and tearing apart their internal organs.


    Blood and bone scattered across the battlefield with each volley, creating panic among the Swiss forces; in the height of their hubris, they had not believed for a moment that the Austrian weapons could so easily pierce through their high-quality armor.


    The Duke of Zurich was now buried beneath the rubble of the wall he was standing on, his head squashed like a melon as the giant piece of stone debris reced where his skull once was. He had not survived the initial barrage and therefore could not rally the city''s defenders behind him.


    With their chain ofmand broken, it did not take long for the Swiss soldiers to break ranks and flee from the city''s rear gates, struggling to break through at the expense of theirrade''s lives. Unlike in Italy, the n was not to raid and plunder the cities of Switzend for their worth.


    Instead, it was a matter of conquest and annexation. Thus while Swiss Soldiers fled the city rapidly, the Austrians secured the critical areas while leaving the civilians to their own devices. After a few hours, the battle hade to a close, and all resistance within the once-mighty city of Zurich had fallen.


    The Austrian g was slowly raised above its walls as Adelbrand gazed upon the setting sun with a stoic expression. While gazing off into the distance, his second inmand approached him and ryed the information that he had received.


    "Out of the 10,000 soldiers of the swiss army who were stationed in Zurich, over half of them were killed in battle. As for our casualties, less than 1,000 men were wounded or killed in action. What are the ns for the deceased?"


    Adelbrand sighed before shifting his attention from the beautiful sunset towards his executive officer.


    "Bring the Austrians back to the fathend and have them buried in the national cemetery. As for the Swiss soldiers, bury them most fittingly. We are here to rule over these people, and thus we should not make a mockery of their dead."


    The officer nodded his head in response to these orders; while he did so, he prepared to leave before remembering he had a note in his pocket that had arrived from the Italian front. With this in mind, he retrieved the letter and read its contents to General Adelbrand.


    "The supply Caravan tasked with providing logistical support to Berengar''s Army has been ambushed; they suffered minimal casualties, and a few dozen muskets were looted. Berengar has advised all forces that the enemy may disguise themselves as refugees or merchants and that we should remain vignt. It would appear the enemy has realized that they can not contend with us in the field and thus are utilizing some unconventional tactics."


    After hearing this, Adelbrand sighed heavily before giving his orders to the officer.


    "Double the protection of our logisticalwork, and ry these orders to the officers in charge. I don''t want any mishaps here on our campaign. If the Italians have adopted such tactics, it is only a matter of time before the Swiss do as well."


    After hearing this, the officer saluted General Adelbrand before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, sir!"


    General Adelbrand returned the man''s salute before giving him onest order for the day.


    "Dismissed!"


    With that having been said, the officer left the area where Adelbrand was standing, and the General was left by his lonesome, gazing off into the beautiful sunset that filled the sky with a unique blend of orange and purple light.


    Only one thought escaped the man''s lips as he reflected on this new information he received.


    "Looks like things won''t be so boring after all..."


    With these events, the war for Austrian independence had taken a new turn, the days of significant field battles and human wave tactics would soone to an end, as the Italian and Swiss forces would engage in unconventional warfare against the numerically and technologically superior forces of the Royal Austrian Army.


    The Austrian upation and annexation of Switzend would be a long and brutal conflict, as the non-German poption was sure to retaliate against the forces who presided over them with an Iron fist.


    Berengar had no use of those who did not toe the line, and rebellion could not be tolerated. Despite the Austrian conquest of Zurich, the war for Switzend had only just begun. Whether General Adelbrand could adapt to the new tactics employed by the enemy had yet to be seen.


    ---


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 Chapter 313: Keelhauled

    <h4>Chapter 313: Keelhauled</h4>


    Among the Crew of Honoria''s revenge, oness, in particr, stood out among the primarily European crew. This woman was named Nazeeha el-Fahmy; she was a woman from the Mamluke Sultanate who had made her way to Austria as a ve sometime earlier in her life.


    However, due to Berengar''s legal reforms that ouwed very within the Kingdom of Austria, Nazeeha soon found herself essible and incapable of working. After all, she was both a woman and a minority, and she was not afforded the privileges that the normal Austrians received.


    With nowhere to go in life, she had ended up selling her body to sustain herself within the city of Kufstein; after all, a foreign beauty was a highly desirable object by many of the patrons who visited the brothel where she had previously worked.


    Nazeeha was out purchasing supplies on one fateful day when she came across Princess Honoria, who had introduced herself as Valeria Zonara. The two ended up chatting for some time before the runaway princess gave Nazeeha an offer, one where she could live a life of freedom and fortune.


    After carefully considering the offer, Nazeeha had joined Valeria''s Crew. She did not mind that Valeria was a Byzantine, despite their two peoples being bitter enemies for centuries; after all, it was not like she was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy who was responsible for the numerous invasions into her people''snds.


    Or so she thought, and as such, she had been enjoying her time as a member of Honoria''s Crew. However, the more she utilized the weapons provided to her by the Austrian Crown, the more she became convinced that such weapons needed to be smuggled into her homnd so that they could be used to repel the Byzantine invaders.


    Due to Austria''s military aid, most of Egypt and Lybia had fallen to the Byzantines. With it, the most economic regions of her homnd had fallen to their bitter enemies. As a profoundly patriotic woman, Nazeeha desired to aid her people in whatever way she could.


    Thus while the Crew of Honoria''s Revenge was docked in the city of Benghazi to sell the loot they had acquired from the vessels they had recently ransacked, Nazeeha was undertaking another mission. Hidden beneath her cloak was one of the 1421 Repeating Flintlocks that Berengar had designed for Honoria''s use.


    She was secretly heading to a ndestine meeting between herself and a representative of the Mamluke Sultanate. Unbeknownst to her, she had been followed by a mysterious agent in the shadows.


    For over a year now, Linde''s spywork had expanded to Byzantium and the Mamluke Sultanate; with the opening of trade routes across the Mediterraneanrgely in part to Berengar''s naval expansion, opportunities for embedding agents across the coastal regions of the sea presented themselves.


    Never one to miss an opportunity, Linde had taken this chance to expand and strengthen her spywork. As such, a small cell of Austria''s intelligence agency was located in Benghazi and had be aware of this meetup. They had quickly identified the target and followed her to the meeting, where she was now standing face to face with a member of the Mamluke military.


    The man was a high-ranking official tasked by the Sultan to procure the advanced weaponry that the woman imed she hade across. As he stood in front of Nazeeha, he asked the question on his mind.


    "Do you have what you have promised to bring?"


    Nazeeha nodded her head silently before revealing the repeating flintlock. The moment the officer gazed upon the weapon, he knew it was not something remotely simr to the arquebuses in use by the Byzantine Forces.


    As such, he reached out and grabbed ahold of the weapon, pointing it into the air and cocking the action back before firing. The shot flew into the air, and after it had done so, he cocked the flintlock back and fired again.


    After several uses of the weapon, the officer nodded his head with an excited grin curved upon his lips. He handed the gun off to a subordinate before taking out a small chest filled with gold coins, which he handed over to Nazeeha.


    "Your service to the Sultanate is greatly appreciated, a small reward on behalf of the Sultan as proof of his gratitude."


    Nazeeha eyes widened as she saw this wealth and quickly grasped ahold of it before stashing it away beneath her cloak; she bowed her head respectfully before departing from the meeting area.


    The young Arab woman was utterly unaware that after she had left earshot, the officer and his assistant were assassinated by the Austrian agents. The weapon was recovered, and Honoria had been informed of the woman''s betrayal.


    As such, when Nazeeha finally returned to the vessel after spending her newfound wealth on frivolities, she found Honoria and the Crew gathered before her, armed and ready to restrain her.


    Nazeeha knew not what she had done to invoke their ire, but she knew she was in trouble; however, before she could escape, one of the girls hit her on the back of the head with the stock of her firearm, knocking thess outpletely.


    When she finally came to, she was tied up with steel wire rope and lined against the ship''s edge. Nazeeha had no idea that her treachery had been revealed and attempted to plead with Honoria.


    "Captian? What are you doing? Let me go; I have done nothing wrong!"


    However, in response, Honoria simply sneered in disgust before retrieving the repeating flintlock that Nazeeha had sold to the Sultanate. The weapon had the same proof mark and the serial number of the musket she had handed over to the Sultanate, and after observing this, the Arab beauty''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Seeing Nazeeha''s expression, a sadistic grin curved itself upon Honoria''s immacte lips as she asked the question on her mind.


    "Do you deny that you have sold the weapons afforded to you by the Austrian Crown to its enemies?"


    After hearing this question, Nazeeha looked away; she knew there was nothing she could say to prove her innocence; evidently, the Agents of the Austrian Crown had found out about her betrayal, and they had the evidence to prove it.


    As such, the woman epted her fate, though she had no way of knowing just how cruel the punishment for her crimes was. With the evidence presented before the crew and ack of denial for the crimes, Honoria dered Nazeeha''s guilt for all of the crew to witness.


    "Nazeeha el-Fahmy, for supplying the rivals of the Austrian Crown with the advanced weapons his Majesty''s generosity has afforded us, you have not only betrayed this crew but endangered the lives of every one of your sisters who you have fought beside. For the crime of treason and mutiny, there is only one punishment. I sentence you to be keelhauled! May God have mercy on your soul!"


    With this decree uttered, the steel wire rope bindings were looped beneath the vessel before Nazeeha was tossed into the Meditteranean; as the ship sailed through the sea, Nazeeha was slowly dragged along the keel of the vessel. Multiplecerations umted on her back as she was violently forced across the sharp steel-ted keel; whether the woman bled out in the water or drowned was uncertain.


    However, what was undeniable was that Nazeeha had died a miserable death for her actions against the crew, and more importantly, the Crown of Austria. If Berengar''s agents were not already in Benghazi spying on the Sultanate for the Byzantine Empire; then, the likelihood of Berengar''s rivals reversing engineering such advanced weaponry within the next ten years was high.


    Luckily for Austria, their intelligencework had spread across the Mediterranean and was able to intercept such valuable technology before it fell into the wrong hands. With the increase in trade to the regions of the Mediterranean, Berengar was able to easily infiltrate the societies that shared the sea, to what degree depended entirely on the area his Agents had entered.


    With this in mind, Honoria sighed heavily as she returned to her Captain''s quarters with a bottle of whiskey in her hands. It was never easy to punish someone you thought of us as a friend after they had betrayed you.? As such, the runaway princess began to sulk alone in her room; as she drank from the whiskey bottle, she expressed the thoughts on her mind.


    "Berengar, I miss you... When will you return home?"


    Honoria was utterly unaware that Elfrun had been listening to herints from the other side of her door, with an ugly expression on her otherwise cute face. The fact that Honoria thought of Berengar in such times greatly annoyed the adolescent girl. As such, she refused to stand by and listen to Honoria''s words; instead, she departed from the corridor in silence. Nobody ever was aware that she had been eavesdropping on the Captain.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


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 Chapter 314: Formation of the National Militia

    <h4>Chapter 314: Formation of the National Militia</h4>


    While Berengar was off at war, Chancellor Otto von Graz was running the state in his absence. While there were a few garrisons located throughout the Kingdom, the fear of invasion from foreign powers had begun to infect the minds of a small portion of the popce.


    In response to this, Count Otto devised an idea and presented it before the Reichstag. This idea was loosely based upon some of the drunken ramblings Otto had engaged with between himself and King Berengar in the days before the war.


    Otto was an efficient statesman who was entirely capable of being inspired by Berengar''s half-brained intoxicated ideas and turning them into a practical reality. At this moment, the Chancellor of Austria was standing within the Reichstag, speaking his mind to the congressman who was gathered within.


    As a representative of the people, Gunther was among the crowd of men elected by people of all social standings to represent the people''s interests. As such, he was privy to the ideas presented by the Chancellor as he spoke with passion.


    "Months ago, I discussed with King Berengar, about a matter of critical importance to the safety and security of the Kingdom of Austria. We spoke about the possibility to form a National Guard. A registered and well-regted group of civilians who undergo military training on weekends, and act as an extension of the pre-existing Armed Forces.


    The purpose of this National Guard is to ensure that the Austrian people are sufficiently armed and trained to defend their life and property in the event that foreigners were to invade our country. Today, I have given every one of you a copy of my proposed n for the Austrian National Guard.


    All able-bodied men between the ages of sixteen to twenty will be required to undergo weekly training based upon military standards, including physical fitness, firearms training, and tactics.? Of course, these men will be appropriatelypensated for the time spent training in the militia.


    W this said, I will leave this proposed bill for all of you to look over and discuss, however now more than ever, I think it is pertinent that we make sure that Austria is well protected from all internal and external threats."


    With these words spoken, the Chancellor left the podium and returned to his chateau in Kufstein, where he began to rx until an agreement could be made between the legiture and himself. He had nothing to do while the Reichstag debated among themselves, and as such he enjoyed a nice cup of coffee.


    While Otto was enjoying his free time with leisure, Gunther was in the middle of looking over the proposal. It was by no means a poor idea, and he knew that Austria had the capability to supply the militia with the weapons necessary for their objectives. As such, he was in favor of the idea of establishing a National Militia.


    After all, the garrisons spread throughout Austria were not enough to protect the fields and the vige folk from a potential invasion. With this in mind, he looked over at the other representatives in a fierce debate with one another.


    Many of them had sons that were within the age group listed and feared their children being forced to take up arms to defend the Nation should ite under attack. Gunther decided he would do his best to convince the Reichstag to agree to Chancellor Otto''s terms.


    The man shivered in anxiety as he approached the podium and tried to gain the attention of the arguing representatives.


    "Excuse me..."


    However, his actions wentpletely unnoticed; as such, he decided to steal his resolve and speak with some force behind his tone.


    "Quiet down!"


    When Gunther shouted these words at the top of his lungs, everyone finally noticed that someone was standing at the podium and was intrigued as such; Gunther cleared his throat before speaking in an authoritative voice.


    "Some of you may not be aware of who I am, but my name is Gunther; I am a representative selected by the people of Kufstein to represent their interests. I know many of those among youe from noble upbringing, but allow me to tell you who I am.


    Until four years ago, I was amon serf; I tended to the fields in the name of my masters, the von Kufstein family. When I first met King Berengar, he was a frail, sickly youth, but he had a dream. A dream of a self-sustaining Kufstein where the people were appropriatelypensated for theirbor.


    It is a dream that any man, regardless of their upbringing, could achieve in life whatever they desired based upon their merit! At first, I thought he was just an idealistic youth, but I have seen the town I grew up in transform into a marvelous city over thesest four years.


    Berengar von Kufstein conquered Tyrol after Count Lothar betrayed Duke Wilmar through the hard work of better men than me. To my surprise, the man who once toiled a field beside me was now the Count of Tyrol, and with it, he brought the same innovations that had led his Barony to Prosperity to the entirety of the County.


    Yet that was not enough; as the Bavarians invaded, Berengar led the men of Tyrol to retake Austria as a whole. Unfortunately, the Duke and his line had passed away in its entirety shortly after, and Berengar was named the new Duke.


    We have had a stable peace throughout these past two years, allowing us to grow in wealth and prosperity. King Berengar has done the unthinkable; he has created a world where a lowly farmer like myself can own mynd and operate it entirely with my family. The wealth I have gained from this has allowed me to buy morend and expand upon that.


    I now have a factory under construction that will be producing paper from the products I grow. Four years ago, I could never imagine such a fate, but this is the reality we all see. Without Berengar, and the brave men who haveid down their lives to pave the way for this future, I would not be where I am today; I likely would have starved to death alongside my family in a particrly harsh winter.


    So, I think it is the duty of all men, capable of bearing arms, to at the very least provide ast line of defense for our Homnd. While our soldiers are away at war securing our independence, the responsibility to protect our homes, our family''s, our businesses, and most importantly, our Nation should fall to every able-bodied man in Austria!


    I, for one, support the move for a National Guard, and I hope that every one of you will reflect upon what you have gained from the sacrifice of young men who have fought and died to achieve what we have all gained under Berengar''s leadership. That is all I have to say..."


    With this impassioned speech, Gunther stepped down from the podium and returned to his seat; as he did so, he heard a slow p, which began to spread; before long, the entire room was filled with apuse. After he did so, the House Leader stood up at the podium and began to cast a vote.


    "All in favor of the establishment of a National Militia as proposed by Chancellor Otto von Graz?"


    After Gunther''s speech, those who had reservations about the bill were silenced and even showed their support for the idea. The decision was ultimately unanimous, and after the Reichstag passed it, it would be sent to the Senate, where they would vote upon it. It was only after it was approved in the Senate that it would be sent to the Chancellor''s office, wherein Berengar''s absence, he had the authority to sign it intow.


    The Militia Act of 1421 would be the first significant piece of legition passed entirely by the fledgling Semi-Constitutional government that Berengar had established. While he was away at war, the capable hands he had left Austria''s governance to begin the progress of creating a society where martial training at a young age would one day be considered the norm.


    ---


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 Chapter 315: The Princess of Granada

    <h4>Chapter 315: The Princess of Granada</h4>


    While the war for Austria''s Independence was ongoing within the Kingdom of Italy and the Swiss Confederation, another battle was beginning to intensify as the Granadans fought against the Iberian Union. Due to Austrian military aid, the Granadan forces had multiplied and were rtively well trained, at leastpared to their enemies.


    While Hasan''s soldiers were engaged in a bloody conflict at his borders defending thest vestige of Al-Andalus. He was busy entertaining himself with women and wine.


    At the moment, Hasan was back at his pce in Granada. Unlike Berengar, he had no desire to lead from the front lines; the few battles he waged were enough tost him a lifetime. Instead, he left the war effort to hismanders with the aid of the Austrian military advisors.


    The young Sultan enjoyed himself on a sofa while his wives attended to his needs, feeding him a bowl of grapes while he sipped on his fortified wine. During Hasan''s purge, Berengar''s guards had killed one of his wives who attempted to take his life, and he had eliminated another who was loyal to the fundamentalist faction.


    As such, the young sultan currently had no more than two wives. Despite this, he was looking to expand his harem.? However, he would not ept just any woman, he wanted a harem of beautiful young women to take care of his needs as Berengar had obtained.


    While basking in hedonism, a gorgeous young woman approached the young Sultan.? This woman was quite tall and had an exceptionally curvy figure, one could say her measurements hit the perfect ratio, and her bust was even more significant than Linde''s. Her tan skin glistened with sweat from the heat of the arid climate that surrounded the city of Granada.


    This woman was dressed in a traditional silk kaftan style dress dyed purple and had golden embroidery on it; she wore a matching face veil made of sheer silk, giving it a semi-translucent appearance.


    Her dark hair was tied up into a ponytail, and her glistening amber eyes were enough to intoxicate any man who gazed upon the vivid gemstones that were her irises.


    This woman was not one of Hasan''s wives. Instead, it was his older sister Yasmin; when she saw her little brotherzing about with his wives, instead of leading his armies, she crossed her arms beneath her heavy bosom and began to chastise the young Sultan as if he were a mere child.


    "My my, What do I see here? If it isn''t my sweet little brother, here you arezing about in Granada while you send your soldiers to die on the frontlines against our enemies. If I didn''t know any better, I would say that you are afraid of battle..."


    When the princess said this, the wives of the Sultan red at her viciously; they were aware of the way she pampered her little brother and were also jealous of her natural beauty. Despite their skimpy attire resembling that of a belly dancer, they still could not captivate a man''s interest while Yasmin was in the room. Sensing their hostility, Yasmin smiled cruelly beneath her veil before shooing the pesky vixens away.


    "If you don''t mind, I have some proper business to discuss with my little brother..."


    Though Hasan''s wives continued to re at her, Hasan ultimately sighed before dismissing his women.


    "Go! As Yasmin has said, we have a business to discuss."


    With this said, the two wives begrudgingly left the room; It was only after Yasmin made sure the two women were out of earshot, that she further began to condemn Hasan''s actions.


    "Honestly, little brother, I know there are no women at the front lines, but as Sultan, it is your job to inspire your troops on the field of battle, even if you do not directly participate! I can hardly think of a Monarch who actually stands toe to toe with his soldiers on the frontlines.


    If word gets out that you retreated from the war effort so that you could bask in the arms of your wives, what will your soldiers think of you? Would they consider you a Sultan worth dying for?"


    As Hasan heard these harsh words, his expression sank; after doing so, he stretched out his body on the couch and yawned in exhaustion.


    "I''m just not fit for warfare; I nearly died in thest battle I fought, I almost had my head taken off by one of my cannons! I''ve decided to leave war to the men best suited for it. Besides, with the Austrian''s support, there''s no way we can lose this war!"


    Seeing Hasan''s rxedposure, Yasmin sighed before sitting down next to him, stroking his dark hair, which matched her own as she pampered the young Sultan like he were a mere child. As she did so, she offered words of wisdom.


    "I only criticize you because I care about you. You rely on your allies too much and not enough on your own power. What if the Austrians have ill intentions towards our Emirate? After all, they are Christian, and though they may be Reformists, that does not mean the centuries of hatred between our people can be eroded so easily..."


    Despite her warning, Hasan did not seem concerned. Instead, he shifted his attention and gazed into his sister''s gorgeous amber eyes with a look of affection on his face.


    "That won''t happen, I know that Berengar intends to use us as a means to stall the Catholic Church, but we need him if we wish to survive this turbulent era. So I have decided, the next time I see him, I will do my best to convince him to take your hand in marriage and cement this fragile alliance of ours for the foreseeable future."


    The moment Yasmin heard her brother''s ns for her, she withdrew her hand and in shock and looked the other way as she struggled toe up with the words to convince him otherwise.


    "Hasan..."


    However, before she could finish those words, Hasan raised his hand to silence her before speaking over her thoughts.


    "Yas, you just turned twenty-six in June; you are well past the age of marriage; if you do not get married soon, you will never have a husband or a family. The only reason you aren''t married already is because our father doted on you too much and was never able to find a man he approved of for his precious little daughter."


    The Granadan princess continued to stare away as she lightly murmured the words.


    "What... what if he says no?"


    In response to this, Hasan grabbed ahold of Yasmin''s veiled face and dragged it over into his sightline as he responded with a severe expression.


    "I will not allow him to say no; he''s already discussed the desire to have multiple wives, and if he doesn''t respect our alliance enough to take my beautiful sister as his bride, then he can consider it over.


    Obviously, I won''t pressure him so seriously at first. The next time I see him, I will float the idea and judge his general reaction. Then I''ll continue to pester him until he says yes."


    Yasmin began to sigh heavily upon hearing this before shaking her head, which was still grasped by Hasan''s firm hand.


    "Dearest brother, you have actually thought something through for once in your life..."


    Hasan feigned offense as he pulled his hand back and began to criticize his elder sister''s choice of words.


    "What do you mean for once in my life? I think things through all the time!"


    With that said, Yasmin began to giggle before she grabbed ahold f Hasan''s head and stuffed it into her bosom while stroking his hair while speaking to him in a condescending tone.


    "Of course you do!"


    being treated like a child once more, Hasan began to pout. No matter how old he grew, his sister would continue to treat him in such a manner. Thus he sighed heavily as he enjoyed the embrace. After a while, Yasmin released him before approaching the exit.


    As she did so, the gorgeous princess called out to her little brother once more with a stern gaze hidden beneath her veil.


    "You would do well to remember that you are the Sultan of Granada and that your soldiers need you..."


    With those words spoken, the beautiful Granadan Princess departed from the room, leaving the young Sultan to himself as he grinned with a smug expression on his face. Afterward, he picked up the bottle of wine that he had obtained from trade with Austria and began to pour its contents into a crystal ss, where he swirled the red liquid around before taking a sip from it.


    After doing so, he exhaled deeply before he thought aloud.


    "I wonder how Berengar will react when he sees my beautiful sister for the first time..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 316: Battle of the Andalusian Plains

    <h4>Chapter 316: Battle of the Andalusian ins</h4>


    Since the victory and seizure of the province known as Murcia, the Granadans have been busy defending their borders from the Iberian Union''s attacks. They were not as well prepared for a full-scale invasion of Iberia as they thought they were.


    The first few battles they fought showed a severeck of discipline in their rankspared to Berengar''s troops. The reason for this was simple, the Austrian military attache had not drilled the Granadans as hard as they would their own troops, nor did they put them through specialized training.


    As such, after Hasan had returned to Granada to engage in hedonistic activity, the Royal Granadan Army was left in the hands of General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is, who was far morepetent on military matters than the young Sultan.


    This General was a middle-aged man and was currently engaged in a conversation with General Arnulf of the Royal Austrian Army. It had been roughly a year since hest saw his home in Kufstein, and despite this, he was not weary in the slightest.


    At the moment, the two Generals were conversing with each other as they rode their horses next to each other in the middle of the formation, under the protection of thousands of Granadan troops.


    "So Hasan abandons his army so that he can go engorge himself in women and wine? Leaving us to look after his army, that has got to sting a little, does it not? My dear friend."


    In response to this, General Ziyad merelyughed before responding to Arnulf''s jest.


    "Certainly not; I am actually d that the Sultan has left the war effort in my hands. Don''t get me wrong, he is a decent administrator, but a wet nket would make a bettermander in terms of strategy and warfare.


    The Sultan is liable to get himself killed out here; it is better for him to be the face of the recruitment efforts back home than to be the man leading the charge."


    Before Arnulf could respond to this statement, he noticed a rider in the distance; this man wore the standard mirror pattern and mail armor that most of the Granadan troops were equipped with. As such, he was allowed to pass into the army, where he immediately strode up to themand.


    "Permission to speak, sir!"


    Judging by the frantic expression on the soldier''s face, Ziyad knew the news must be urgent; as such, he nodded his head in silence, bracing himself for the information he suspected would ruin his mood.


    "There''s an enemy army numbering roughly 20,000 heading in this direction. They are approximately ten miles out!"


    As soon as he heard this, Ziyad began to give his orders to the troops in his army.


    "Get in formation, and prepare for battle. Load your weapons; I do not want you firing your weapons until you see the whites in their eyes!"


    This phrase was how the Austrians had drilled the Granadan troops to utilize their primitive arkebuse firearms in the most efficient manner. Whether or not they were capable of maintaining such a high degree of discipline was another story entirely.


    As such, the Granadan troops, whether they were infantry, artillery, or cavalry quickly began to load their weapons with the means avable to them; after doing so, they began to form ranks and wait for the enemy to arrive.


    After a few hours, the enemy forces arrived, and when they did, they were shocked to see the Granadan Army waiting for them. The Iberian Army wasprised mostly of the Crusader Order known as the Order of Ctrava, but there were also a few Iberian Union units among their ranks from Castille.


    These soldiers had be increasingly aware of the advantages and limitations of the Granadan weapons. As such, they instantly began to charge the arkebusiers suicidally, hoping to sh with them before they could reload their guns.


    While the Iberian troops began to recklessly charge at the Granadan forces, the Granadan artillery began to fire their grapeshot at the enemy lines via their Falc cannons. Numerous projectiles filled the air and sted into the enemy ranks causing massive casualties on the Iberian forces.


    Whether it was faith in God or fearlessness in death, the Iberians were not deterred. Instead, they madly charged into the line of fire without any regard for their safety. When Arnulf saw this, he became quite concerned, the Iberians vastly outnumbered the Granadan troops, and the Granadan weapons required a far longer duration of time to reload than the weapons of the Royal Austrian Army.


    As the enemy line began closing in, several Grenadan arkebusiers started to fire their weapons in trepidation, which caused a chain reaction from the soldiers as others instantly opened fire despite not hearing an order to do so.


    Though some of these shots found their marks, piercing through the enemy''s armor and into their flesh, most of them utterly failed to do so. This action forced Ziyad to shout his orders at his troops which were ryed across the army by the other officers and NCOs.


    "Hold your fire! Hold your fucking fire!"


    Despite these orders, more rounds fired off until a point where roughly half of the soldiers still had loaded weapons, forcing them into a dangerous position. While the other half began reloading their guns as fast as they could, the Iberian troops had finally reached the front lines of the army.


    In doing so, they rushed straight into a volley unleashed by the half of the soldiers who had contained their shot. While this volley was effective in devastating the enemy lines, it did not have nearly as significant an effect as possible.


    As such, the Pikemen took their ce and began to battle with the enemy. However, as the battle waged on the Granadan army started to suffer losses. There were too many Iberians for their army to handle effectively.


    It would be another story if the soldiers had maintained the proper discipline and fired when they weremanded. However, the reality was a different story, and roughly 5,000 arkebusiers had missed their targets during the initial chaos of the battle. Before long, the pikemen could no longer contain the Iberian infantry, and they began to break ranks, and flee the battlefield.


    Cutting down the Moorish soldiers with fantical hatred, the Catholic forces began screaming in their native tongue a series of battle cries that sent chills down the Granadan armies spines.


    "Death to all Moors! God wills it!" "Granada must burn!"


    Before long, the Granadan lines began to crumble, and the soldiers started to route. Though General Ziyad attempted to rally his forces behind him, the effort was in vain; Arnulf grabbed the man by the soldier and gazed into his dark eyes with a stern expression.


    "The battle is lost; give the order to retreat, or we will die here!"


    Ziyad clenched his teeth and fists in fury as he witnessed his army break ranks and flee the battlefield. However, there was nothing to do about it now; as such, he followed Arnulf''s advice.


    "Retreat! All units fall back!"


    As the few remaining Granadan soldiers heard this, they slung their Arkebuses over their shoulders and began to retreat from the advancing army. On the other side of the battlefield, the Ctrava Commander was eager to pursue the enemy and give them no quarter. As he was just about to give themand to annihte the enemy, he felt a firm hand grip the armor on his shoulder.


    As such, the man turned around to see the true mastermind behind this attack; it was a Duke under the employ of the King of Castille; the man red at the Crusader Commander before shaking his head.


    "Let them go..."


    When the Crusader heard these words, he was outraged and immediately protested.


    "But your Grace! If we do not pursue them, they will regroup and be an even greater threat to our existence!"


    However, the Duke remained unconvinced and simply gazed toward the direction that all of the Granadan soldiers were fleeing.


    "If we pursue them, we may be walking into a trap. I would rather have them regroup and crush them again than march my men to a meaningless death. You should be thankful; without my advice, this victory would not have been possible..."


    After saying this, the Duke released his grip over the Crusader and strode his horse forward,manding all Iberian soldiers to stop.


    "Halt! We shall go no further! Scavenge the enemy''s weapons! We shall bring some of these back to Castille so that we may figure out how they function. As for the rest, arm yourselves with them, and be acquainted in their use. The Granadans no longer have an authority on advanced armaments!"


    With these words said, the Catholic Iberian soldiers began to cheer. They had aplished a great victory here on this day, and with it, acquired the means to reverse engineer the Arkebuse; perhaps such a thing would turn the tides of war in their favor. After all, the resurrection of Al Andalus was something the Catholics could not allow to take ce.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 317: Arming Brigands

    <h4>Chapter 317: Arming Brigands</h4>


    Months had passed since Operation Thunder proved to be an initial sess; the Hussites had advanced well into loyalist territory during this time. So much so that the Catholic armies were now on the backfoot.


    As a result of this civil disobedience began to break out all over the realm, which quickly turned to riots. The result of this was a spike in crime; bands of brigands had begun to appear all over Bohemia, acting as a scourge upon the local popce.


    While Eckhard was busy acting as the chief military advisor to the various Hussite sects, Agents of the Austrian Crown had begun to supply various brigand groups with the weapons they needed to cause even greater chaos.


    The shipment of arms hade straight from Vienna and passed through Eckhard''s area of operations; as such, he tasked one of the Field Agents embedded with his unit to take charge of the delivery. At the moment, this Agent was standing in front of the leader of one of the most fearsome Brigand gangs within the borders of Prague.


    The Hussites would soon be marching on this territory; with this in mind, Eckhard devised a n that involved the Brigands'' armament, with the intent to distract the loyalist forces. The Agent dispatched to supply these criminals was currently standing in a forest outside of a vige that lies within the boundaries of the city of Prague.


    The man in front of the Agent went by the name Radovan Dohnal; he was a particrly rowdy individual who was a convicted criminal willing to use violence to achieve his goals. As such, he and his gang of brigands were ideal candidates to arm with hand cannons.


    With this in mind, the Agent and his fellow operatives dressed like lowly Bohemian peasants entered into the back of their wagon before pulling out a few wooden crates. After using a crowbar to pry them open, the primitive hand cannons revealed themselves. The Agent, whose identity was shrouded by a hood, pulled the firearms out from the container and handed them over to Radovan and his men. As he did so, he spoke in a perfect Bohemian ent.


    "These are the standard hand cannons that have been retrieved from defeated Hussites; you load the gun powder through the barrel, followed by the projectile, where you then pack it down with a stick. After doing so, you put a bit of powder in the pan, where you ignite it with a slow-burning match. "


    As the Agent was saying this, he was demonstrating the use of the weapon. After reaching the end of the loading process that took roughly a minute, a loud echo resounded in the forest as the gun discharged its projectile, which embedded itself into arge tree approximately three meters away.


    After sessfully testing the weapon, the other agents went back into the wagon and pulled out several more crates filled with hand cannons, as well as a few casks; some were filled with gunpowder, others were filled with projectiles such as iron balls.


    Having witnessed the destructive nature of the weapon, and the rtively simple loading process, a wide grin appeared on Radovan''s face. The man was missing several of his teeth, which resulted from the number of bar fights he had been in during his lifetime. The man pulled out a pouch filled with coins minted by the local lord; he prepared to pay a hefty price.


    "How much do I owe you?"


    In response to this, the Agent merely shook his head before responding.


    "Consider it a gift from the Bohemian Crown, just promise me that when the Hussite forces move onto Prague, you and your band of thieves will provide one hell of a distraction to those damned heretics..."


    Radovan chuckled slightly as he heard this before reaching out his hand in agreement.


    "Aye, it will be one hell of an asion!"


    After saying this, the Agent and the brigand captain shook hands. The deal was sealed with this, and the Austrian agents departed from the town; this was just one of the many gangs of criminals and thieves they intended to arm in the uing days.


    As such, they departed from the borders of Prague and journeyed to the next town on their list of objectives. After the Austrians had left, one of the members of Radovan''s gang approached him with a worried expression on his face as he asked the question on his mind.


    "Are we really going to aid the Crown? We are all wanted men! Who is to say if they use this as an excuse to round us all up and execute us?"


    In response to this, Radovan spat on the ground before handing the hand cannon over to the minion who asked such a stupid question.


    "I promised them I would simply make a distraction against the Hussites; I don''t n to do anything more than that. With these weapons, we will intimidate merchants and townsfolk into giving us whatever we want! I say that''s a reasonable price to pay for such destructive power."


    After hearing this, the brigands who followed Radovan felt a sense of ease, they did not desire to see the Hussites win the war, but they also did not wish for this chaotic era to end so soon. There was profit to be made for cutthroats like themselves during times of war, and the best way to do so was to rob towns, caravans, and refugees. Luckily for them, the Austrians had provided them the means to do so more effectively.


    Unfortunately for them, they were utterly unaware that agents of the Austrian Crown had supplied them. Instead, they believed it was Bohemia who had given them the weapons. Thus when Bohemia''s armies finally captured them, they would bepletely and utterly confused as to why they were being executed for acting on behalf of the Bohemian Crown.


    Meanwhile, in the supply wagon that had begun to depart, another agent pulled down her hood to reveal her pretty face; as she did so, she began to question her team leader for the actions they had taken on this day.


    "Why are we providing these weapons to a bunch of thieves and murderers? Has the Marshal gone mad? Such actions will surely cause significant harm to the Bohemian people!"


    When the lead field agent heard these questions, he merely snorted in response; there was silence for some time before he revealed his thoughts on the matter.


    "It is no secret that our hand cannons have begun to find their ways into the hands of the Bohemian Crown''s forces and that of their crusader allies. After all, they have been captured in battle from the corpses of the fallen Hussite soldiers.


    I don''t speak for Marshal Eckhard, but he is likely thinking that by leaking these weapons to criminals, such actions can be med on the corruption of the Bohemian Crown, which is why we introduced ourselves as their agents. This can be used in propaganda efforts to rally the people against Bohemia and her allies.


    Such a result would be disastrous; people have already begun to riot in response to the food shortages and the excessive demands of the loyalist factions. When the people hear that corrupt agents of the Crown have distributed weapons to brigands for pay, they will take up whatever means they can to outright resist Bohemia and her allies.


    When this urs it will split our enemy''s attention from our allies'' attacks and force them to fight a two-war front against the Hussites and the Bohemian popce. By the time the wares to an end, the Bohemian people will wee Berengar''s troops as a means to provide stability to their lives."


    Upon hearing this, the female Agent began to pout; Marshal Eckhard was willing to cause such harm to the people of Bohemia in order to inspire greater chaos within the realm than was already present; it was simply madness in her eyes.


    However, she was an agent of the Bohemian Crown, lifted from the status of a lowly orphan to serve the state, thus despite her reservations, she would fulfill her duty to the fullest of her ability. After all, without Berengar, and his reforms, she likely would have died long ago.


    She owed her life to the Austrian Crown and would never even think of disobeying Marshal Eckhard because she found his actions immoral. Austria was at war and surrounded by enemies; they did not have the luxury to fight a war in a fair and just manner.


    The actions of the Austrian agents within Bohemia would ignite a fire in the heart of the Bohemian popce against their King and his allies. Before long resistance from groups of all different ideologies would spread across the realm, causing an even greater degree of conflict than already seen. This would create the perfect storm for Berengar to usurp power when he finally managed to secure his victory over the Empire.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 318: East-West Schism

    <h4>Chapter 318: East-West Schism</h4>


    Deep within the center of Constantinople, the Byzantine Emperor sat on his throne with a downcast expression. The man was on the verge of tears, but he could not allow himself to be seen crying as Emperor. As such, he steeled his resolve and continued to read the letter in his hands written by his son Decentius.


    Arethas was dead, ording to his second son; the man had died inbat against the Mamluke forces early on in the campaign. Since then, Decentius had been leading the Byzantine troops to victory in North Africa.


    The news of the death of a man who was more of a brother to Emperor Vetranis than his siblings was a great shock to the man. With the Strategos'' death, many things became uncertain. Especially in regards to their rtions to the West.


    News had spread to Constantinople about Austria''s war for independence, which appeared to favor the self-proimed King Berengar von Kufstein. The Byzantines had not taken a stance on the conflict. Instead, they stayed utterly neutral.


    After all, Berengar was thergest supplier of arms and armor to the Byzantine Empire. Though they had begun to have sess in replicating the Arkebuse, most of their weapons still came from Austria. Meanwhile, rtions with the Holy Roman Empire were tenable at best.


    This was not the only reason for staying neutral in Austria''s war for Independence.? There was a matter of significant debt that the Byzantine Crown had towards Austria due to the agreement made about unlimited arms support.


    Arethas was the mastermind of all dealings with the upstart King in the West.? Without him, it would be challenging to maintain the friendly rtionship that the Byzantines had with their debtor. If he sent the wrong diplomat to negotiate further, it could spell ruin to the Empire''s finances.


    Losing his closest aid and confidant, who was the godfather to his children, was one thing. Yet, the ramifications such an urrence had was enough to cripple the Emperor with anxiety. On top of this, such a tragedy urred shortly after his daughter''s disappearance and presumed death.


    The only good news that Vetranis had heard within thest year or so was that his son had salvaged the situation and had rapidly begun to reconquer Egypt and Lybia. Before long, the entirety of those two regions would fall into the Byzantine Empire''s hands, and they would be able to repay the massive debt that had umted with Austria.


    With this in mind, the aging Byzantine Emperor sighed heavily; now that his alliance with France had crumbled, his next best option was an Independent Austria; if Arethas was still around, Vetranis was sure the man would advise him to establish friendly ties to the young King.


    If only Honoria was still alive, Emperor Vetranis might consider betrothing her to the upstart King from Austria to cement an alliance between their two realms. Of course, that was assuming Berengar was willing to break his betrothal to his cousin. Honoria was an Imperial Princess, and he would not tolerate her being a concubine.


    Austria had proven itself a military and economic power like no other, even now the staple currency of international trade had begun to shift to the Austrian Thaler, so much so that some Merchants who visited the Empire had started to ept the Austrian currency as the sole means of coinage for their products.


    If the Austrians were indeed to be independent and annex the Swiss Confederation as they have proimed, the future was bright for the fledgling Kingdom; as such, the Emperor was at a crossroads.


    For some time now, there had been significant pressure from the Vatican on the Orthodox Church to support them in their efforts tobat Berengar''s alleged heresy. To the point that the Patriarch had been visiting Vetranis daily, insisting on cutting off trade with the self-proimed Kingdom to the West.


    As Vetranis was thinking of such matters, the Patriarch of Constantinople appeared before him in his great hall. When Vetranis saw this, he sighed heavily before speaking his thoughts allowed.


    "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Tell me, Petrus, just what have youe to ask of me this time? If it is about cutting ties with Austria, my answer remains the same."


    When Petrus heard this response, he frowned; the rtions between the Vatican and Constantinople were beginning to deteriorate rapidly; the more the Emperor stalled on giving him a reply, the worse the situation became. If he did not provide the Vatican with what they wanted soon, a full-scale schism was bound to ur over the issue of the Berengar Heresy.


    With this in mind, the old Patriarch of Constantinople began to address the Emperor in a dignified fashion.


    "Your majesty, a representative of the Vatican, has arrived, and given us a request if we do not publically denounce Duke Berengar von Kufstein and his heresy, as well as provide mary aid to the Vatican for their uing crusade against him, then the results will be an outright schism.


    The Vatican will denounce your majesty and me as Heretics and condemn us to Hell for eternity; we will be forced to do the same in response. There will be no mending this bridge. You must choose a path as Emperor of the Romans! Do we stand with the Vatican as we have for centuries, or do we embrace the German Reformation as a legitimate branch of Christianity?"


    In response to this, Vetranis tapped his armrest repeatedly as he thought about how best to handle this situation that had presented itself. Ultimately, he could not afford to denounce Berengar; the man held too much debt against him.


    With his licensing of privateers, Austria could easily cripple the trade of the Empire if they reneged on that deal. Just like they had done to the Holy Roman Empire, the might of the Austrian Navy was not to be underestimated.


    Though thebined might of the catholic world might be enough to bring down Berengar''s Grand Army, it would be years before they could fully mobilize their forces, and by then, Berengar''s army may have grown triple in size, it would be capable of holding its own.


    After careful consideration, Vetranis stood up from his golden throne before responding with a firm tone.


    "Inform Pope Lucius that the Empire stands with King Berengar and the Kingdom of Austria. Tell that fool that under the deration of the Emperor of Byzantium and the Patriarch of Constantinople, the German Reformation is at this moment considered a legitimate branch of Christianity!"


    When Petrus heard this, he sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples in an attempt to cure his growing headache. While he knew that Austria''s wealth and power were multiplying at a rapid rate, openly supporting them, and their so-called German Reformation would undoubtedly mean war with the western world. Such a thing could prove disastrous. Nevertheless, he was willing to follow Emperor Vetranis''s decision on the matter and, as such, bowed before the Emperor respectfully.


    "Yes, your majesty, I will ry your words to the Vatican. Hopefully, they won''t react too harshly to our decision, but I fear this will create a rift between us that will never be mended."


    In response to this, Vetranis simply sat down upon his throne once more and rested his face in his hands; as he did so, he made one morement about how he perceived the future.


    "With the rise of the German Reformation and others like it throughout Europe, the days of Papal dominance havee to an end. They are too foolish to realize that their crusade will be the end of Catholic authority as we know it. I do not care for Berengar or his religious beliefs; I am merely choosing the winning side..."


    With that said, the Patriarch of Constantinople was dismissed, and Vetranis was left by his lonesome once more as he began to sulk in depression over the loss of hisrade.


    "Oh, Arethas... Surely if you were still alive, you would council me on such a course of action, would you not?"


    With Arethas gone, the Emperor''s confidence in ruling his Empire effectively had crumbled; without the support of the mighty Strategos and his charisma, Vetranis would begin to second guess his every decision.


    With the choices made by the Byzantine Emperor, and his subservient Patriarch on this day, the East-West schism had finally urred. The year 1421 AD in this world, would forever mark the divide between the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches.


    The reasons surrounding this schism were entirely the result of Berengar''s effects on the timeline; had he never risen to power, and challenged Papal authority, the likelihood of such a divide urring would be slim. Thus proving once more that Berengar''s existence in this world had forever changed its course of destiny.


    What effect this schism would have on Byzantine growth and prosperity had yet to be seen. However, one thing was sure. Such actions were bound to breed conflict between the Rus and their neighbors in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Even Berengar could not predict the rapid changes that would ur in Eastern Europe because of his actions.


    ---


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 Chapter 319: Dietgers Intentions

    <h4>Chapter 319: Dietger''s Intentions</h4>


    While Berengar invaded Italy and the Swiss Confederation, the ongoing war in Germany had never ceased its activities. Duke Dietger was currently in a dilemma. Over the years, he hadpensated for his losses in Austria by fielding peasant levies to make up for the numbers of troops in during his botched upation of his southern neighbor.


    For over two years now, the Bavarian Duke had been at war with his northern Neighbors and relying on his levies and allied troops to keep the Luxembourgs at bay. To refrain from paying Berengar the reparations he owed the Austrian people, the Duke had sent an envoy saying he would not be able to meet his payments and instead would pay in one lump sum at the end agreed time frame.


    Dietger had no intentions to pay Berengar, or the Austrian people such an unreasonable amount of money, reparations for actions taken during warfare? Just what kind of stiption was that? It was simply being unreasonable.


    Nevertheless, his General had agreed to the terms and entirely withdrew Bavarian troops from Austrian soil in the designated timeframe. By doing this, he had bought Bavaria five years of peace with their rapidly expanding southern neighbor.


    At the moment the Bavarian Duke was sitting in his castle within Munich, surrounded by his ministers, one topic of contention seemed to invoke the ire of everyone present. One of his ministers was practically spitting as he shouted his views on the issue at hand.


    "Berengar can not be allowed to achieve Independence. By iming himself King of Austria, he deres himself independent of the rightful King of Germany, our liege Duke Dietger! Austria is a vassal of Germany first and foremost, and every Duke of the German realm should oppose this. Upon hearing this another man spoke up in an equally furious state.


    "The Austrians have gotten too full of themselves, what gives them the right to dere themselves as an independent Kingdom?" I say we establish a temporary truce with the Luxembourgs and march on Austria, showing this upstart King his ce in this world! The fact that a lowly Baron''s son could rise to such a prestigious position is an insult to every prominent nobleman within the German Speaking regions!"


    Having heard this asinine statement Duke Dietger mmed his fist on his armest in a fit of fury, as he did so he gathered the attention of all of his Councilors who were present in his Great Hall. Dietger gazed furiously at those around him as if he were looking at a bunch of idiots, after doing so he spoke abruptly and loudly as he chastised the minister for his stupidity.


    "Nobody gives Berengar the right to dere himself King, he takes it by force! While we have weakened our armies with years of conflict over a meaningless title with no genuine authority, Berengar has centralized power over his State while expanding his military and economic might.


    For Christ''s sake! Our merchants have begun utilizing Austrian currency because it is so pure! Inparison, the money of our realm is given to the individual lords to mint and is debased to such a point that it would take tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of our pfennigs to ount for one of their thalers!


    If we were to win this war, and Austria was still subservient to our rule, what kind of joke would I be as the alleged "King of Germany? Might is right! Berengar has the power to dere himself King; hell, the man is winning a war with the Empire to establish his ability to do so! Which one of you has the confidence to dere ourselves independent of the Emperor in Florence?


    If any of you think we should align ourselves with the Luxembourgs and march on Austria, you should remove yourselves from this council and put forth your resignation; I do not need the counsel of such fools!"


    This statement was undoubtedly a harsh one. However, it made a valid point, and that was the idea of marching on Austria being absurd; if one wanted to know how well that would turn out, they just needed to turn back the clock two years to theirst attempt at such a thing.


    The minister who had proposed such an idea a few minutes before had an ugly expression on his face, however, he remained silent as he stormed out of the room. After his departure, Dietger gazed upon his council with an equally vicious stare as he expressed his following thoughts.


    "Does anyone else have any other bright ideas?"


    For some time, there was an awkward silence in the room as the councilors struggled toe up with a suggestion on how to deal with the growing power of Austria as well as the stalemate that had been ying itself out on the frontlines of war with the Luxembourgs.


    After a while, one of the men present began to speak up; he was the Marshal of the realm and knew how to resolve the situation with their enemies to the North.


    "What if we used the money we are supposed to pay Berengar to hire mercenaries to fight the Luxembourgs and their allies? At the moment, we are not even pulling our weight in the war effort; if we don''t find a solution to our troop problems soon, then our allies will begin to feel pressured and withdraw their support."


    After saying this, the councilors present began to debate over the credibility of such an idea. First, the initial minister to speak up voiced his concerns over the issue.


    "If Berengar were to find out about the wealth, we have been hiding away, and that we spent it on mercenaries, he could see this as a provocation and march his troops into ournds. We would not be able tost the winter if he managed to do such a thing!"


    While he made a valid point, neither Duke Dietger nor the Marshal was rmed about such a possibility. Before they could exin why that was the case; another minister dismissed the man''s concerns for them.


    "Berengar is in the middle of a war with His Majesty Balsamo Corsini and his Swiss allies. It will take some time before he is able to march troops into ournds; even then, his armies will surely be battle-worn from their efforts in those two theaters. We don''t have to worry about such a possibility; what we do have to worry about is the fact that if we don''t find a way to field more troops, our allies will abandon us."


    Though the minister who had his concerns about angering the Austrians was not entirely convinced, he also could not argue against this point. As such, he kept silent about any further objections he might have. After a bit more discussion, the n of action was epted by Duke Dietger, and thus he made a bold deration.


    "Send forth the word to all of the freepanies that I will pay a handsome amount of gold to whoever fights for Bavaria! I want this stalemate to be broken by Spring so that we may advance upon Northern Germany!"


    After that was said, Duke Dietger dismissed his councilors with only his Marshal remaining behind; the two men had one severe issue to talk about that Dietger did not want the other councilors to hear. After everyone else was out of each shot, the Duke of Bavaria closed the door behind them, sighing heavily before speaking.


    "If we do not do something about Berengar''s rise to power, in less than three years, we will be facing an army that we can not contend with. These Mercenaries of yours better win this conflict for the Crown of Germany before then, or else we will have neither the troops nor the wealth to contend against Austria!"


    In response to this the Marshal grinned confidently as he assured the Duke of their future sess.


    "Not to worry, your Grace, with the addition of these mercenaries to our armies, I haveplete confidence in being able to break this stalemate by Spring and marching upon the enemy''s capital within two years. By then, you can take all of Germany for yourself, and in doing so, raise an army that can contend with Austria! Berengar von Kufstein will pay for humiliating Bavaria!"


    After hearing this, a wicked grin formed on Duke Dietger''s face; he could not forgive the young upstart from the south for crushing his armies so thoroughly. There was only one response for such audacity, and that was war.


    While Berengar fought with the Emperor and his forces for Independence, the other German Duchies began to conspire against him, after all by dering Austria to be an Independent Kingdom; Berengar had essentially pped the rest of the German nobility in the face. For such a thing, war was the only oue; little did they know that is exactly what Berengar desired.


    ---


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 Chapter 320: Cultural Reforms

    <h4>Chapter 320: Cultural Reforms</h4>


    Within the heart of the City of Kufstein lies a grand castle which was the home to the von Kufstein family. Inside its cold stone halls, there was a small stage set up, where over a hundred patrons had gathered to watch the disy. Ad gazed upon the audience from behind the curtains with an overwhelming sense of excitement and anxiety within her beating heart.


    For years now, Ad had been surprised with every visit to Kufstein; the first time she had entered the region, it was nothing more than a small agricultural town. Yet now, it had grown into a massive city and was expanding with each day.


    However, despite the city''s massive growth, it wascking in several areas, at least in Ad''s honest opinion. Though Berengar had long since begun sponsoring artists, actors, and musicians for the sake of funding some culture within Austria, the capital city of the Kingdom was severelycking in venues for these creative types to disy their talent.


    With this in mind, the fifteen-year-old girl sat down at the seat, in the center of the stage that had been set up within Castle Kufstein. She had decided that while her fiance was away fighting a war for her Nation''s independence, that she would begin the process of advancing culture within the City of Kufstein, hoping for it to spread to Austria as a whole.


    The crowd gathered before her was filled with over a hundred men and women, primarily from among the ranks of the local nobility. They gazed in silence at the beautiful young girl as she began to y a song she had created to express the difficulties surrounding her rtionship with the man she loved.


    In particr, this song revolved around the sorrow she felt while he was away at war, leaving her behind to wait for his safe return. The sad song echoed in the venue''s air, filling the noblemen and women withplicated emotions as they listened to the young girl pluck away at the strings of her instrument like an angel who wept from the heavens.


    While Ad was ying the harp with masterful talent, a pretty young woman stood beside her and sang the lyrics that Ad had written. This woman was a talented singer from themon popce who was among the many musicians Berengar had sponsored during these past few years; her exquisite alto voice flowed perfectly with Ad''s instrumentals as she pronounced each word without fault.


    Her tone of voice perfectly expressed the lonesome lyrics that Ad had written, filling the audience with the same sense of abandonment that the girl felt every time she thought of Berengar and how far away he was from her embrace.


    Before long, the song came to an end, and silence prevailed amongst the audience before they broke out in thunderous apuse. Several more eager crowd members cheered for the artists who had performed such a beautiful and touching song.


    After the small concert was over, Ad and the singer began to speak to the gathered crowd. They entertained their guests for some time with graceful smiles before they had all departed, leaving Ad and the singer by themselves gazing upon the stage reluctantly.


    One could say that this small concert was a resounding sess, and neither Ad nor the singer desired to let it go so quickly. Despite this, the two women eventually looked each other in the eyes with a simr sense of excitement. The singer soon approached Ad and hugged her tightly before thanking her.


    "Thank you for this opportunity! You have no idea how much it means to me! With this, I might finally be able to make a living off of my music and no longer mooch off of your fiance''s generosity!"


    Ad put on a pretty smile as she nodded her head before responding to the woman''s praise.


    "With your talent, that won''t be an issue; the problem is that there simply isn''t much in terms of venues for musicians such as yourself; I will speak to my father about this and see if we can construct a grand concert hall so that all musicians within Kufstein can make an appropriate living, and share their work with the people!"


    After hearing this, the young woman nodded her head and smiled before responding to Ad''s im.


    "That would be wonderful; if your father doesn''t want to approve of it, we can only wait until King Berengar returns; I am certain he will listen to your advice on the matter! Thank you for doing this for us; though the King has provided living expenses for all of the artists, actors, and musicians within the city, it would be great if we could survive on our own..."


    When Ad heard this, she nodded in silence; she too was a talented musician; however, unlike the ones who Berengar''s supported, she was a noblewoman of the highest caliber and was destined to marry the King of Austria. As such, she could not make a professional career out of ying her harp.


    Eventually, the singer noticed the time on the clock and realized that she had to return home; as such, she hugged Ad and expressed her thanks one more time before departing from the venue.


    "Thanks again! I appreciate the opportunity!"


    After saying this, the young woman left Ad by her lonesome, where the adolescent girl stared once more at the stage with a bitter smile; she hoped one day all major cities in Austria would have a venue for artists to disy their talent.


    With this in mind, the young beauty left the venue and departed towards Berengar''s study, where her father was surely hard at work. It would be best to discuss her ideas with the Chancellor of Austria as soon as possible.


    As such, when she arrived at the door, Ad steeled her resolve before knocking on the door thrice. Immediately after she did so, Ad heard the familiar voice of her father from behind the door, calling out to her.


    "You may enter."


    Upon hearing this, Ad opened the door where her father Otto gazed upon her fondly. His little girl had grown up so fast, just a few years ago, she was merely a small child, but now she was a beautiful young woman. Soon enough, she would be married to Berengar and be the Queen of Austria. With this in mind, he asked Ad for the reason she had intruded upon his work.


    "What can I help you with, baby girl?"


    Ad took a deep breath before exhaling, calming the nerves in her heart as she expressed her desire to begin a cultural shift within the Kingdom of Austria to her father, the Chancellor.


    "I havee to you to make a request, not just on my behalf, but for all of the people of Kufstein. I think it would be best if we began construction on some locations for the artists, actors, and musicians that Berengar has sponsored over the years to disy their talent in exchange forpensation.


    I was considering constructing a series of grand venues, such as a concert hall, a theater, and an art gallery. I think it would be suitable for the people of Kufstein to spend some of their hard-earned money on entertainment and culture. We could even aid the local chefs by having them provide some form of food and drink for the guests, for a small fee, of course."


    When Otto heard this, he was pretty shocked. He had not even thought of this as a possibility, nor had Berengar expressed his long-term ns for financially supporting the artists, actors, and musicians within Austria. After all, a fair degree of expense was going towards paying these creative types a living wage so that they can continue to develop their skills.


    Otto thought about it for a few moments before a warm smile broke out on his face; the benefits of such venues were numerous. Not only could it act as a means of entertainment to appease the masses, but it could also be used as a way to spread Austrian propaganda to the people of the Nation.


    On top of these two things, it would create another form of revenue to stimte the economy. Thus the Chancellor was entirely on board with his daughter''s ideas. As such, Otto nodded his head and agreed to Ad''s terms.


    "That is a splendid idea! I will begin drafting the ns immediately; tomorrow, I will meet with the architects to discuss the feasibility of building such structures. When Berengar returns from the war, he will be extremely pleased with the results, and more importantly, he will be grateful for your contributions."


    Ad smiled when she heard this; for too long now, she had done very little to support her man, after all this time she finally discovered a way to do so. Ad desired to be the face of Austria''s cultural reforms and be the architect behind them. With this in mind, she bowed gracefully to her father before departing.


    "Thank you, father; if there is nothing else to discuss, I will return to my quarters for now."


    After hearing this, Otto appropriately dismissed his youngest daughter. Afterward, he immediately began to draft up the necessary paperwork to fund the aforementioned cultural exhibits. With the influx of Italian silver and gold transported to the Royal Austrian Treasury, there was no need to worry about the expenses for such things.


    ---


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 Chapter 321: Austrian Ghosts

    <h4>Chapter 321: Austrian Ghosts</h4>


    Within the valleys beneath the Italian Alps, the Italian Army had begun to resort to unconventional tactics. The Italianmanders hade to recognize that there was no conceivable way to win a field battle with the Royal Austrian Army.


    As such, they had begun resorting to gueri warfare, utilizing skirmishers dressed as peasants, vigers, refugees, and merchants to attack the Royal Austrian Army via ambushes. As a result, Berengar had slowed his march to Mn and instead sent out his Jaegers to hunt down and destroy the Italian gueris.


    These Jaegers were an elite unit of marksmen and skirmishers armed with the 1419 Jaeger Rifle, which was based upon the Whitworth rifle from Bernegar''s previous life. These weapons were capable of engaging targets out to 1000 yards and, thus far in Berengar''s service, acted as snipers hidden behind enemy lines.


    However, they were more than simple marksmen, seeing as most of these men came from a hunting background, they were skilled trackers, scouts, and light infantry. The Jaegers were also fully capable of sustaining themselves in the field. As such the Jaeger Corps were among Berengar''s most elite units, and thus he equipped them in such a manner.


    While initially dressed in green and ck Landschnekt style clothing, this fashion proved to be widely ineffective in the field. As such, Berengar had recently begun experimenting with rudimentary camouge patterns.


    Unlike his primary units, which were designed to attack in formations, this specialized unit of skirmishers was intended to blend in with their environments and take out high-profile targets from long range.


    As such, Berengar had opted for a far more modern approach to their uniforms. Rather than the shy Landsknecht pattern attire of Austria''s regrs, the Jaeger units fielded uniforms that were a mix of WWI and WW2 German uniforms from Berengar''s previous life. The base attire was a standard m43 pattern uniform in the color of feldgrau. These men would wear a splinter camouge smock over their field jackets and a matching m43 field cap.


    They were also equipped with a more modern style helmet based upon the m38 stahlhelm used by German paratroopers in WWII. This stahlhelm was painted like the breastte and had a wire around wit which contained various forms of fabric to act as faux foliage.


    These Jaegers wore hardened and quenched high carbon steel breasttes based upon WWI German trench armor designs. However, they had been modified to make it easier to shoulder a rifle and were lighter weight with improved mobility. These breasttes were hand-painted in earthly colors by the soldiers who wielded them, in a pattern simr to that seen on old German M38 Fallschirmj?ger Stahlhelms from WWII in Berengar''s previous life.


    Over these breasttes was a brown leather webbing in the form used by Imperial German Soldiers during the Great War within Berengar''s past life. The primary difference was that this web gear was made out of dark brown leather, and was designed to carry their quick loading tubes as well as other tools like bays, canteens, and spades. Their boots were also made of the same dark brown leather.


    Whenpared to the renaissance style uniforms fielded by Berengar''s regr troops, these Jaeger''s were far more modern in appearance and were very hard to spot when adequately concealed. As such, they were the perfect unit to hunt down and destroy the Italian Skirmishers.


    At the moment, a Captain of a Jaeger Company was crouched within a tree line, observing a group of potentially hostile targets in the distance.? This officer was named Andreas Jaeger; Like so many of the men in this elite unit, he was a hunter before being drafted into the Austrian Army during Berengar''s previous campaigns. For some time now, he had fought among Berengar''s forces and was one of the first to be trained into the role of a Jaeger.


    With ample experience in unconventional warfare, he was the ideal candidate to lead the more veteran Jaegers in the hunt for the Italian Guerris. While he and his soldiers quietly marched through the Italian Alps, they spotted a trade caravan roughly 500 yards in front of them.


    Captain Andreas motioned for his troops to hold their position and conceal themselves; as they did so, he pulled out a pair of binocrs from his webbing and began to observe the Caravan''s movements. What he saw confirmed his suspicions; this alleged merchant caravan wasprised entirely of rtively young men.


    These men appeared to have weapons within their wagons, such as crossbows, longbows, and rudimentary hand cannons. At the moment, they were gathered around a fire drinking wine and feasting on a fresh game that they had hunted.


    Andreas ced his binocrs within his webbing before unslinging his rifle. After doing so, he cocked the flintlock action on his weapon, where he began to adjust his iron sights so that they were set to the appropriate distance.


    While he was doing this, his soldiers took note of his actions and prepared to take their shots. After Andreas lined up his sights upon his target, he gave the order to his nearby troops in a hushed tone.


    "Fire at will!"


    With this said, Andreas squeezed the trigger on his rifle, where the flint struck the pan and ignited the gunpowder contained within, sending the hexagonal projectile down range and into the torso of a man who was barkingmands at the rest of the Italian Skirmishers.


    The 1419 Jaeger Rifle had a muzzle velocity of roughly 1200 feet per second, thus breaking the sound barrier. As such, the hexagonal-shaped bullet struck the target before he could even hear the sound of gunfire go off.


    Shortly after the echo of gunfire was heard in the distance, the Italian soldiers began to panic; this was because the man''s torso was sted apart by the .451 projectile before they could even hear the crack of gunfire.


    Before long, more thunderous echoes could be heard in the distance, which followed the deaths of theirrades. With this in mind, the Italians broke free from their shock and began to take cover behind their wagons.


    When Andreas saw this, he motioned for his troops to nk the enemy position. Two smaller groups of Jaegers immediately broke off from the main force and approached both sides of the enemy encampment.


    One Italian soldier reached into the wagon where he grabbed ahold of a longbow contained within and a quiver of arrows. However, before he could get back behind cover, he was shot through the gut by Andreas who was hidden in the distance.


    The man instantly fell to the ground while grasping ahold of his punctured gut. He struggled to hand off the weapon and its ammunition to a nearby soldier as the life faded from his eyes. The Italians were shocked by the recent development; aside from the muzzle sh, and the following smoke plume; they could not make out the slightest semnce of the enemy''s figure.


    At a distance of 500 plus yards, the camouge pattern uniforms considerably broke up the silhouette of the Austrian Jaegers who continued to maneuver and fire upon the Italian Skirmishers from the treeline on the hills above.


    Eventually, one of the Italian soldiers managed to get ahold of a bow and randomly fired into the distance near where one of the muzzle shes went off; however, the Jaeger was far out of range of the primitive weapon and remained utterly unscathed.


    Instead, such actions brought the fury of the soldier who was targetted, and his next shot prated right through the forehead of the Italian soldier who had dared to fire upon his location. Before long, the Austrian Jaegers had nked the Italian Skirmishers on all sides and set up a crossfire where the remaining Italian soldiers were gunned down, like the dregs they were.


    After it was confirmed that all of the Italian skirmishers dressed as traders were killed in battle, the Jaeger''s approached the encampment to search for anything of value, whether that was intelligence or simply supplies.


    A few Jaegers were put on guard while the remainder ransacked the camp until finally, an exciting find was made by one of the Austrian soldiers. The man who found the piece of parchment quickly brought it over to Andreas, where heid it out on the ground.


    Thisrge piece of parchment contained the deployment of all Italian scouts and skirmishers within the region. It was a valuable piece of intelligence; when Andreas saw this, he grabbed ahold of the man''s shoulder and grinned emphatically.


    "Private Mueller, you have done well! With this, we know the general locations of our enemies and can quickly ambush them. I want you and your squad to copy down this information and ry it back to the main force!"


    The young soldier quickly saluted Captain Andreas before following his orders. With this piece of information, the Austrian Army would have an easy time cleaning up the Italian Soldiers who sought to hamper their advance through unconventional warfare.


    While thispany of Jaegers had engaged in an ambush on the enemy skirmishers, others like them were fighting throughout the Northern Italian Front, advancing upon the Italians while hiding within the terrain like a unite of specters, reaping lives while moving unseen. As soon as the information of the enemy''s whereabouts was spread to the other units, a ughter the likes the Italians had not expected would ur.


    The invention of camouge would y an important role in Austria''s future sess with the many conflicts they would engage in. The Italians woulde to refer to the Jaegers by the nickname "Fantasmi Austriaci," in other words, "Austrian Ghosts."


    ---


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 Chapter 322: Battle of the Adriatic

    <h4>Chapter 322: Battle of the Adriatic</h4>


    While Berengar''s Jaeger Corps was in the process of hunting down and eliminating the Italian Skirmishers who had embedded themselves along Berengar''s path to Mn, Grand Admiral Emmerich had begun the single most decisive Naval Battle of the Austrian War for Independence.


    A massive force of several hundred Italian Warships had gathered; their goal was simple. To cause as much damage to the Royal Austrian Navy as possible. Unfortunately for them, the size of the Austrian Armada had been growing as the weeks passed by, and the Austrians now he over eighty Berengar ss Frigates at theirmand.


    Meanwhile, the cities of Venice and Genoa had been devastated to the point where they were incapable of producing new vessels. After the Privateers and Austrian fleets had begun sinking the Imperial trade convoys, the Emperor was left with only one option on the sea, and that was to trigger arge-scale naval battle and hope that God favored him.


    As such, 80 Frigates flying the Austrian g had gathered in the Adriatic sea, across from them was what remained of the Imperial Navy, a mix of galleys, carracks, and caravels, most of which were armed with less than five cannons on board.


    Grand Admiral Emmerich was at the lead vessel, the SMS Berengar, where he stood upon the bow, gazing at the hostile fleet in the distance through his binocrs; From what he could gather as he observed the enemy vessels, they were loading what few cannons they had with whatever they could arm them with.


    Emmerich had a smug grin on his face as he gazed at the enemy armada; his Executive Officer noticed his expression and sighed heavily before asking the question on his mind.


    "Sir, what are your orders?"


    In response to this, Emmerich stowed away his binocrs before addressing the Executive Officer''s concerns.


    "Have the fleet load the guns; we are going to sail in between their fleet and tear them apart!"


    In response to this, the Executive Officer sighed once more before epting his orders.


    "As youmand Admiral"


    After saying this he immediately proceeded to inform the fleet of their tasks. It did not take long for the fleet to be fully armed and prepped for battle, as such, They immediately began to sail towards the Imperial Armada.


    When the Imperial Admiral saw this, he thought that the Austrians must have gone mad; after all, they were sailing right into the trajectory of their cannons. As such, he made a jest to his executive Officer as he witnessed the Austrian frigates closing in on them.


    "It appears the Austrian Admiral has lost his mind, well, I am d to see that they are making this easy for us!"


    When the executive officer heard this, he began to chuckle before asking the question on his mind.


    "Your orders, Admiral?"


    In response to this, a wide grin appeared on the Admiral''s face before letting his decision be known to all.


    "Open fire when they approach; I''d like to see how their ships survive the barrage of ourbined might!"


    After saying this, the Imperial fleet prepared themselves for the uing battle. Though the Imperial Admiral''s mood was rxed, the same could not be said about his sailors. Many of them had heard rumors about the effectiveness of the Austrian weapons and spent what they viewed to be theirst minutes praying to God for salvation.


    Before long the Austrian vessels got into range of the Imperial Armada''s primitive cannons, When the Imperial Admiral noticed this he gave themand


    "Open fire"


    Upon hearing this, the gunners lit the first set of guns where they were quickly fired off at the swiftly approaching Frigates. As the few cannons mounted on the galley fired onto the bow of the SMS Berengar, something happened that outright shocked the Imperial Admiral; the bow of the Austrian Frigate deflected the cannonball.


    Due to the thinyer of steel ting covering the hull of the Austrian Vessels, they were well defended against basic cannonballs, and as such, it would take more than a few of them to pierce through the hulls of the Berengar ss Frigates.


    When the Admiral saw this. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he quickly began to panic. After all, he knew their weakness was that they had far fewer guns than the Austrian vessels and that once the Frigates reached their broadside range, they would bepletely defenseless. As such he called out to his sailors to take swift action.


    "Quickly reload and fire! Fire at will!"


    As such, the hundreds of Imperial ships began to fire their three-pound cannons at the oing vessels; however, the solid balls fired from these primitive bronze cannons were far from enough to inflict severe damage onto the Austrian Frigates.


    The most damage that the frigates had suffered was from a few of these projectilesnding upon their wooden decks and causing minor destruction. Before long, the agile steel-ted ships made their way in between the Imperial Vessels, where Emmerich gazed at the enemy Admiral with a wicked grin on his face before giving the ultimatemand.


    "All guns fire!"


    The moment thismand was driven all 3520 explosive shells wereunched from their cannons onboard the 80 frigates, where they were propelled into the ranks of the hundreds of Imperial Vessels. The moment these shells impacted, they exploded, causing massive devastation to the tar-treated wooden ships.


    Those who weren''t immediately sted into smithereens were quickly engulfed in the resulting mes of the hundreds if not thousands of small explosions. The Imperial Admiral, who was so confident not thirty minutes prior, could only gaze in horror for a brief second before dozens of cannonballs impacted upon his war galley, instantaneously blowing the vessel apart, and he along with it.


    However, Emmerich was not satisfied with the results, as the enemy Armaday torn asunder and engulfed in mes on the Adriatic sea. There were still a few partially intact vessels, and as such, he gave an order.


    "Reload all guns and fire once more!"


    Despite such an action beingplete and total overkill, the ships within the fleet soon heard themand and, as such, reloaded their guns. The few sailors who had survived the initial volley gazed in horror to witness the grim reaper descend upon them and im their souls. The moment the second volley was fired onto what few ships remained partially intact, the fiery explosions filled the air and engulfed what remained of the imperial fleet.


    Emmerich gazed with a wicked grin on his face as he broke out into madughter; with the overwhelming technological advantage of the explosive shells and the 24 lb cannons capable of firing them, his fleet would be utterly unchallenged on the world''s oceans for years toe.


    He was amazed that Berengar could invent such unique Naval Technology and was d to be the First Grand Admiral of the Royal Austrian Navy. As such, he turned around to boldly dere their victory over the Empire in this war.


    "Men, we have done it! In a matter of minutes, we have single-handedly brought down one of thergest powers on the Mediterranean; with the overwhelming advantage of our ships, nobody in this world can challenge our might on the seas. It is a dawn of a new age; the era of Austrian dominance is upon us! You all have witnessed this historical moment with your very eyes. For King and Fathend!"


    The moment Emmerich said these words, the crew aboard the SMS Berengar shouted at the top of their lungs in response.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    The more they repeated this phrase, the more the nearby ships joined in, as the chant began to spread across the whole Austrian fleet like a virus. Tens of thousands of voices could be overheard in the middle of the Adriatic Sea, among the burning wreckage of the Imperial Armada as they chanted over and over again the words that had be one of several battle cries among Austria''s Grand Military.


    With this Victory, Austria had defeated any armed support the Holy Roman Empire could provide as an escort to their remaining merchant vessels, meaning that privateers and pirates alike were now free to raid the Imperial shipping without fear of recourse from the Holy Roman Empire.


    When news of this victory eventually spread to the other powers of the Mediterranean, it would begin a new Naval Arms race. The bnce of power in the western world had shifted overnight, and Austria now imed to be the region''s most supreme power.


    Only by experimentation and construction of new vessels could the other powers hope to contend with the Austrian Navy. For now, the Austrian sailors who had taken part in the brief but historic battle decided to sail back to port and celebrate their overwhelming victory.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 323: Advancements in Munitions Technology

    <h4>Chapter 323: Advancements in Munitions Technology</h4>


    Aldo von Passau stared at the substance in his hands with a cautious expression upon his face, almost as if he were afraid that the slightest movement would cause the petri dish in his hands to blow up in his face. The substance contained within the ss was none other than Mercury Fulminate, an explosivepound mostmonly found within munitions such as percussion caps during Berengar''s past life.


    The middle-aged Chemist gazed fondly at the substance; after years of experimentation, he and his team had finally created a chemicalpound that could be used to enhance Berengar''s military might.


    While Berengar''s enemies had begun the lengthy process of reverse engineering matchlock and flintlock weapons captured in warfare, it could be said that Austria had now reached a crucial point in arms development due to the efforts of the Kufstein Chemistry Department.


    It had been close to three years since the Chemist found himself fleeing the church''s wrath into the then Viscounty of Kufstein. As Berengar''s borders expanded, so too did the number of Alchemists who were forced into Kufstein''sbs to learn the science of Chemistry.


    With more Chemists appearing among Aldo''s ranks, they had begun to experiment in many different directions within the field of chemistry; one of these directions was research into explosivepounds.


    After years of study, they had finally created mercury fulminate, which Berengar himself was incapable of doing. Though Berengar had a photographic memory filled with many important inventions from his past life, his knowledge of Chemistry was basic, to say the least.


    As such, the young King had left the development of chemicalpounds to the men best suited to the task, and that was Aldo von Passau and his Department of Chemistry. Aldo was quite excited about this new discovery.


    The mere thought of his newest invention brought a smile like no other to the man''s face. His subordinates stared at his curious expression from afar, thinking that the man had gone mad.? After a few moments of awkward silence, Aldo von Passau announced the results.


    "We have finally done it! We have created mercury fulminate! What we need to do now is create as much of thispound as possible so that by the time King Berengar returns from his war for independence, we may surprise him!"


    When the man''s subordinates heard this, they immediately began to frown; they were already overworked as it was, now they had to produce a stockpile of this newpound? It would appear that Aldo wanted to work his men to an early grave.? Despite their reservations, they did as they were instructed and began to prepare another batch. It would be well over 12 hours before they were finally afforded any form of rest.


    While the chemists of Austria were busy mass-producing mercury fulminate, Aldo had brought a sample of the substance with him to a man who was quite renowned within the city of Kufstein. Bar Ludwig Schmidt had be an exceptionally wealthy man since Berengar''s rise to power. Though he was getting on in the years, he continued to work in the industrial sector, overseeing Kufstein''s massive industry.


    Ludwig, at the moment, was preparing his son Jakob to take over his role within the next five to ten years; after all, he nned to retire when he reached an appropriate age and leave his work in the hands of his eldest son, who he knew would serve Berengar faithfully.


    While he was in his office, with his son, the older man heard a knock on his door, as such he immediately got out of his chair and walked over to it, where he was surprised to see the head of Berengar''s chemistry department standing in his doorway with a vial that was filled with a fine white powder.


    Immediately Ludwig''s cheerful expression began to sink when he saw the dapper older man gazing at him with contempt. The contrast between the two men was quite substantial; Aldo was tall and refined in appearance, with a clean and elegant sense of attire.


    While Ludwig was short and ragged, dressed in a cksmith''s apron that was covered in filth. Even his skin had oil, and soot spread across it. Ludwig gritted his teeth as he asked the question on his mind to the gentleman standing before him; as he spoke, it was not in the friendliest tone of voice.


    "What are you doing here, Aldo?"


    Aldo''s expression was filled with smugness as he responded to Ludwig''s question.


    "My department has just finished making something incredible; I brought a sample over for you to test. Be careful, I know it is difficult for a simple man like you to understand, but this is a hazardous explosivepound.


    When Ludwig heard these words, his natural prejudice towards Aldo immediately flew out the window, instead, his curiosity had reced any inner fury that may have been dwelling within him. Ludwig carefully grabbed ahold of the mercury fulminate and gazed upon it with keen interest. He could not help but ask another question of the man who was his bitter rival.


    "Tell me, Aldo, what exactly do you want me to do with this?"


    Aldo''s arrogant expression never shifted as he spoke to Ludwig as if he were an inferior.


    "You''re the engineer; it is your job to design new weapons for Berengar''s forces to use. Figure out how to use thispound most effectively! Make it quick, too; we have no idea how much longer King Berengar''s war for independence willst."


    Ludwig took a deep breath as he calmed himself; he never enjoyed spending time with Aldo; the man acted so high and mighty around him, all because he was born to a much more prestigious position; Aldo was one of the many older men in Austria who still treated the nobility as if they were superior to themon folk in every way. After Ludwig had reached a state of mind where he could deal with Aldo''s taunts, he responded to the man''s outrageous demands.


    "I will manage to make something by the time that our King returns from the battlefield, but Aldo, I will need more than just this tiny vial if my experiments are going to be sessful. Are you certain that those chemists of yours are up to the task to produce the amount that I will require?"


    In response, Aldo merely scoffed as he held his head high, with a haughty expression on his lips.


    "You can rest assured, Ludwig; my Chemists will be able to produce more than enough to satisfy your so-called experiments. Just make sure you produce good results with the mercury fulminate that I will be providing you. I want Berengar toe home and see the contributions that my department has made with a proper demonstration."


    After saying this, Aldo did not wait for a response; he simply departed from the factory with a look of disgust on his face. Though he knew Ludwig had provided much aid to Berengar''s rise to power, he could not understand why the King would promote such an uncouth man to any form of nobility.


    After Aldo had departed, Ludwig sighed heavily before returning to his son, who was sitting patiently observing the conversation. He ced the mercury fulminate in a safe location beforementing on the experience.


    "That guy is such a pompous ass! Never mind that... Do you have any good ideas on how to use this stuff, boy?"


    Jakob thought about the matter for some time before he was suddenly reminded of a seriousint that his father had always mentioned regarding the existing flintlock mechanism. As such, he quickly got to action and searched amidst the piles of papers stacked throughout the office until he found what he was looking for.


    The young man cleared the table with a wide grin on his face and pointed at the rifle design that Ludwig had been attempting to create for some time now, the purpose behind this rifle was to solve the issues regarding weatherproofing that the flintlock action had by nature and to increase the rate of fire of the average soldier.


    "Father, the criticalponent of your rifle design that has been missing was a means to ignite the paper cartridge once it sealed within the chamber, correct? Well, what if we filled a small metallic cup with the explosive Aldo had given us and encased it within the paper cartridge?


    I mean, we don''t know how this explosive works yet, but with some experimentation, we might be able to make this work!"


    Ludwig was shocked; until now, he hadpletely given up on the needle rifle design that he was experimenting with, but what his son had said was entirely feasible. With that in mind, the father and son immediately got to work, as they would begin to revise the blueprints and experiment with the explosive powder.


    Though the two men had no way of knowing it, they were about to invent an essential piece of military technology that Berengar had been nning for some time now. One that would allow Austria to remain dominant in a world where its enemies had begun to reverse engineer its current weapons.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 324: Surrounded by the Enemy I

    <h4>Chapter 324: Surrounded by the Enemy I</h4>


    Captain Andreas Jaeger rapidly loaded his quick loading tube into his 1419 Jaeger rifle''s muzzle. After finishing this task, he affixed his bay upon his rifle and prepared for the next wave of attack. He was surrounded and outnumbered while running low on munitions. If something did not change soon, he and hispany of elite light infantry would quickly be defeated.


    Recently he and hispany of Jaegers had been deployed to the front lines to hunt down and destroy the various Italian skirmishers that had popped up on the field of battle. With the superior range and camouged equipment, these brave men had led the charge in the ongoing campaign against Austria''s enemies within Northern Italy.


    The Jaeger Corps had taken up the role of the Royal Austrian Army''s premier light infantry as they advanced beyond their main force and hunted down all potential obstacles on their journey. After discovering the locations of the Italian Skirmishers by sheer coincidence, they had begun an extensive campaign to clear the path towards the city of Mn.


    Unfortunately, the Italians realized their information was leaked after the Jaeger Corp several minor skirmishes between the Italian ambushers and the Austrian Jaegers. Because of this, the Italians had responded by sessfully encircling Andreas'' Company while forcing them into defending their position within a small vige against a couple of thousand Italian soldiers.


    At the moment, the Austrian Jaegers were holed up inside an agricultural vige that lies within the vicinity of Mn. During their brief period of respite, they had used their time wisely gathering whatever resources they could find within the town to create a makeshift barricade in an attempt to funnel the Italian Soldiers into their line of fire.


    As Andreas finished loading his Jaeger Rifle, he popped his head out from behind cover, aimed down its sights at the charging Italian Horde, and fired his projectile straight into the torso of one of the Italian men at arms.


    The hexagonal bullet pierced through the man''s breastte as if it were made of butter before blowing out his insides. Blood flew into the air. However, Andreas did not enjoy the sight. Instead, he ducked behind cover once more and rapidly began to reload his weapon.


    While this was going on, all of his men were using a simr strategy. However, in between shots, arrows would rain down upon Andreas, and his forces, one of these arrows fell upon Andreas'' camouged steel helmet, getting stuck within theting and faux foliage contained within.


    Luckily for him and his men, their armor was vastly superior to the primitive weapons used by the Italians, and they could easily resist the attacks; with this in mind, Andreas finished loading his rifle before aiming down its sights at the next attacker.


    The moment he pulled the trigger, the hammer of his action fell, and the flint sparked the gunpowder propelling the hexagonal bullet downrange and into the torso of the man who was no more than five meters away.


    After doing so, Andreas did not load his rifle and instead prepared himself for the enemy charge. Before long, the soldiers under hismand had also prepared their bays and thrust them towards the oing Italian soldiers, piercing through their mail and gambeson armor and into their vital organs.


    The Italians were funneled into the gaps between the makeshift barricades, a few men at a time while facing the bays of a dozen or more Austrian. After well over a hundred Italian soldiers, the wall began to break apart, and Andreas was forced to retreat. As such, he gave themand to his soldiers while gritting his teeth in defeat.


    "Fall back to the secondary line!"


    With this said, his soldiers who were still standing against the onught abandoned the first barricade, where they advanced back towards the second line of defense constructed within the vige. As Andreas and his soldiers crossed back to the secondary objective, the defenders behind it opened fire upon the rampaging Italians, where the Austrian Jaegers quickly began to reload their rifles and fire a second volley.


    Andreas seriously wished at this moment that he had a Schmidt gun nearby to help deal with the massive numbers they were fighting against. They were too far ahead of the main army to gain support, and the closest units nearby were other Jaegerpanies who were most likely unaware of their ongoing predicament.


    As his men were firing upon the nearby enemies, he noticed that one of his soldiers was carrying a pouch filled with several grenades, the moment Andreas saw this, he ran over and questioned the man.


    "Where the hell did you get these? We''re not grenadiers!"


    The soldier was so focused on fighting the battle that he forgot he was carrying grenades with him, as such a wide grin appeared on his face as he took ahold of one of the primitive steel grenades and lit its fuse before tossing it into the Italian mob.? As it exploded, the device sent shrapnel in all directions, iming the lives of the nearby Italian soldiers. When the soldier saw this, he began to cheer before answering Andreas'' question.


    "I had forgotten I had these little bastards! I won them in a card game with some grenadiers; I suppose we''re just lucky that highmand hasn''t begun to crack down on inter-unit gambling yet!"


    As he said this, the soldier began to distribute the grenades to the nearby Austrian Jaegers, who lit them and tossed them into the fray, sting the Italian army apart, causing massive casualties to the enemy forces. After the vanguard of the Italian ranks was utterly decimated by volley fire and the grenades, the remaining Italian soldiers fled from the vige and back into the field where theirmander was gathered.


    Andreas sighed in relief; the Austrians had sessfully defended against another wave, but how much longer they could hold out was another question entirely. As such, he quickly gave his orders to the men gathered beside him in the vige.


    "Rebuild the front line! Attend to the wounded and prepare for the next wave; all we can do is wait and hope for reinforcements to arrive!"


    Though Andreas severely doubted that aid would arrive. This was already the third wave of attack that they had repelled, and there was no sign of reinforcements on the horizon. They had no way to signal back to the main camp, and enemies had surrounded them on all sides. Things were looking grim for the Captain and hispany of Jaegers.


    Before long, the Austrian soldiers had refortified their position; there would be no grenades for this next wave, and they had no artillery support. Many of the men were beginning to run low on munitions; as such, they would not easily defend their position.


    Andreas waited, with his rifle loaded, and flintlock action cocked back; before long, the next wave showed themselves, so he gave his troops themand to open fire.


    "Fire at will!"


    With this said, Andreas squeezed the trigger of his Jaeger Rifle and sent the hexagonal bullet down range and into the torso of the enemy soldier; in doing so, the man dropped to the ground struggling on hisst breath.


    After this volley was fired, Andreas and his soldiers quickly reloaded their rifles before firing another round of shots down range and into the crowd of Italians. While Andreas was preparing his next load, a crossbow bolt flew past him and into the eye socket of the soldier behind him, killing him instantly.


    Andreas did not have time toment the soldier''s death. Instead, he finished loading his weapon before aiming his rifle and firing another shot at the enemy formation. Bullets were sent downrange, and arrows were returned upon his position, pelting his soldiers with the projectiles.


    Some died, some were wounded, and others were entirely unscathed by the grace of God. It did not take long for the Italian soldiers to arrive at the barricade, where they struggled to break through; a few men at a time were able to squeeze through the gap where the Austrian Jaegers pierced through their armor''s weak points with their triangr bays, inflicting death on the men unfortunate enough to break through their defenses.


    Some of the Austrian Jagers had resorted to sharpening their spades and began using them as blunt instruments as they cracked the Italian soldiers over their steel helmets, causing concussions and even death to ur among their ranks.


    The battle was bloody, and both sides suffered losses as the Italians struggled to seize the ground where the Jaegers had upied; if they could not get rid of these Ghosts, their army would suffer throughout this entire war. The thousands of Italians that were present threw everything they had at the Jaegers'' makeshift defenses.


    However, in the end, by sheer force of will, they were repelled once more, falling back to their encampment. The night was beginning to fall upon thend, and with it, the sounds of gunshots and death throes came to a halt.


    Andreas did not know what the Italians had nned for the next assault, but if things continued as they had until now, defeat was inevitable, and that was something he was unwilling to allow. The Austrian Captain would have toe up with an innovative idea if he wanted to defeat the Italians who had encircled the lightly fortified vige.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 325: Surrounded by the Enemy II

    <h4>Chapter 325: Surrounded by the Enemy II</h4>


    Night soon descended as the sky was filled with darkness, and the stench of death permeated the small farming vige where Andreas and his men had set up their line of defense. They were surrounded by an army of over a thousand Italian Soldiers, and they had less than a hundred able-bodied men at their disposal.


    The Austrian Jaegers were running low on munitions, and most of them were wounded to some degree. One thing was sure; if they remained within this vige, it would be their grave. Andreas was having a serious discussion with his two Lieutenants as they tried toe up with some n to survive.


    One of the men in question had his helmet in one of his hands and his rifle slung over his shoulder. His face was covered in dirt as he presented an idea to the other two officers.


    "We have only one option; we mustunch a night raid and kill as many of their men while they sleep. We do not have enough cartridges left to sustain ourselves against another assault."


    However, the other officer was against this idea; it was risky and most certainly would result in the deaths of their soldiers; as such, he began to offer his own n of action.


    "That will never work, there are too many of them, all that will do is get our soldiers killed, what we need to do is flee under cover of darkness, there''s less than a hundred of us left, I say we pick up our gear, we build some stretchers, and we get our brothers out of here before we all meet our demise!"


    Immediately the first Lieutenant argued against this point; there were too many valuable supplies they would be leaving behind for the enemy to scavenge if they left the field of battle.


    "You are saying that we abandon the corpses of our brothers? What about the equipment they have, their painted breasttes and helmets, their camouge uniforms? Their Jaeger rifles!?! If such valuable equipment falls into the Italians hands, it will be used against us in the future!"


    In response to this, the other officer snickered beforementing on the worst-case scenario.


    "If we all die here, they will have 120 jaeger rifles and camouge uniforms to use against us in the future. Do you want to give the Italians such firepower?"


    After hearing this, the officer who suggested a night raid gritted his teeth before bowing his head in defeat. A night raid against such arge force would not allow them to achieve victory. If they attempted such a suicidal move, they would be caught before they could kill even a hundred of the Italian soldiers.


    At this moment, a feminine voice revealed itself from the shadows, Startling the three officers as they pulled out their weapons.


    "Might I make a suggestion?"


    After posing the question, an above-average-looking woman revealed herself from behind a nearby hay bale. Andreas'' two officers pointed their weapons in her direction while shoutingmands.


    "Don''t move!"


    "Identify yourself!"


    Seeing the frightened expressions on the officer''s faces, the woman sighed heavily before reaching into her bust and pulling out a special badge.


    "Agent Artke Lientz, Austrian Royal Intelligence. Now can you put down those rifles before you identally blow a hole through my torso?"


    Andreas sighed heavily before motioning his two officers to lower their weapons; after doing so, he asked the question on his mind.


    "What exactly is one of his majesty''s spies doing in an insignificant farming vige like this?"


    Artke frowned before responding to Andreas'' question in a deflective manner.


    "I am afraid that is ssified; however, what I can tell you, is that if you insist on running away, there is no possibility of you making it out alive. You are surrounded, and they are expecting you to make a break for it; I know I would if I was in their position..."


    Upon hearing this, Andreas frowned, he expected it would be a bloody battle if they attempted to escape, but if the enemy were anticipating them to do so, it would only lead to a massacre. As such, he relented and asked Artke what she had on her mind.


    "What''s the n?"


    A sadistic smile spread across the female agent''s face as she revealed her dastardly plot to defeat the enemy.


    "It''s simple, you have an entire vige filled with hostages, release them all, and I will sneak into the Italian Camp amid the chaos, in the process I will poison their food and water supply. Tomorrow morning they will all be so sick that they won''t be able to resist, and you can sweep into their encampment and kill them all."


    Andreas thought about it for a few moments before he sighed in defeat.


    "Very well, we will go with your n; I will go round up the civilians; when we cut them loose, you will have your opportunity."


    In response, the girl nodded; afterward, she was bound up in rope and carried off to where the other civilians were being held. Before long, Andreas soldiers had gathered the civilians in the middle of the vige, where he began to speak to them in an authoritative tone of voice.


    "Tomorrow morning, the Italians will attack this vige, and they will ughter everyone within it to ensure our deaths. Let it be known that I Captain Andreas Jaeger, in service of his Majesty King Berengar von Kufstein, am a merciful man; as such, I hereby release you! Go forth to your masters and seek their protection!"


    With that said, the Jaegers walked behind the vigers and cut their bindings; as they did so, the Vigers immediately fled from their homes and into the direction of the Italian Camp, utterly unaware that there was a spy embedded in their ranks.? After they were out of sight, one of Andreas'' lieutenants approached him while lighting a hemp cigarette.


    "Do you think she can seed?"


    In response to this, Andreas shrugged his shoulders before responding.


    "I have no idea, but she is right; her option is the best hope we have..."


    While the Austrian Jaegers prepared themselves for battle, Artke had sessfully infiltrated the Italian Camp. The Commander of the Italian forces was shocked to see that all of the vigers were still alive and even more surprised to see that the Austrians had cut them loose.


    This made him wary, he did not know what the Austrian Captain had hidden up his sleeve, and as such, he sent a few of his forces to go scout out the vige, while the rest of his soldiers sought to prepare amodations for the vigers who were now embedded within their Camp.


    As for Artke, she had already found her way into the water supply, where she took out a pouch full of white powder; this was the arsenic that Berengar somonly employed in his assassinations.


    Her real reason for being in this vige was that she had botched an assassination attempt against the Duke of Mn and fled from the nearby city. While she had escaped her pursuers, she soon found herself trapped in the vige while the Jaegers fought for their very survival.


    After spiking the water containers with the poison, she soon made her way to the butcher''s tent and the grain storage, where she spread the toxin to the wheat and meat supply. After doing so, she double-checked to see if she had been followed before making her way to where the rest of the refugees were located within the Camp, where she began to blend in perfectly.


    With this, the Austrians had ensured their victory, as such many hours passed before the sun rose in the sky above, it was only after it was well past ten in the morning that the Austrian Jaeger''s advanced into the Italian encampment.


    While the Jaegers cautiously approached the area, they soon realized that the Italian soldiers and civilians alike were sick to their stomachs, and too feeble even to stand.? With this in mind, Andreas smiled before giving his orders to his troops.


    "Kill every soldier youe across, as for the civilians, leave them be!"


    With this said, a ughter began to unfold within the Italian encampment as men too weak to defend themselves were stabbed to death by the thrusts of the Austrian bays. Thousands of men met their end at the hands of the Austrian Ghosts that the Italians had just the day before pushed to the brink of death.


    When the massacre was finished, Artke revealed herself to the Austrian soldiers; they were surprised to see that someone was not affected by the poison which had been inflicted upon the Italian soldiers and civilians. After all, Andreas did not reveal the entire nature of his n to his troops.


    the identities of Berengar''s agents were a highly regarded secret.? As such, Artke did not reveal her information to the wholepany and instead saluted to the Captain as she made her request.


    "Captain, I am afraid that I require extraction. My cover has been blown, and I must confess that I have failed in my duties. I have to inform his majesty of this information as quickly as possible!"


    Though the Austrian soldiers did not know who this woman was, to salute the Captain in such a manner and make such a request meant that she was most likely tied to Austrian Intelligence. As such, they did notment on the situation at hand. Instead, they merely allowed theirmanding officer to handle it.


    With her so publically asking for extraction in front of his men, Andreas had no option but to do so; the Agents of Austrian Royal Intelligence were highly regarded and could control military units if necessary.


    If he declined her offer, she would simply order him to do so in front of his troops, which would be a significant blow to his prestige. The fact that she had made a request in front of his soldiers was a sign of respect. With this in mind, he nodded his head with a stoic expression before agreeing to her terms.


    "Alright, I will escort you back to the main force. However, we will be taking my route, is that understood?"


    Artke saw no fault with these conditions, and as such, nodded her head in silence; as she did so, Andreas gave his orders to his troops.


    "Men, recover the bodies of our fallen brothers and whatever supplies you can gather; I want you all ready to depart by noon. Do I make myself clear?"


    Without hesitation, the soldiers all cried out in unison.


    "Yes, sir!"


    With that said, the battle hade to a close, and the Austrians did as they were instructed. While the other Jaeger units continued to battle the Italian Skirmishers, Andreas and his men would be extracting the female agent back to the safety of the main host.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 326: Near Effortless Victory

    <h4>Chapter 326: Near Effortless Victory</h4>


    Days had passed since the Company of Jaegers led by Captain Andreas reached the main force and informed Berengar of their troubles. Berengar had a long conversation with the female agent about her failed mission before dispatching her on another ssified operation.


    Eventually, the Jaeger Corps returned with minimal losses from their operation; having cleared the entire path forward, Berengar and his army marched onto the city of Mn, where they were now outside its gates.


    A siege camp was rapidly constructed in the same fashion that Berengar usually established; an extensive trench line was based around the encampment, surrounded by barbed wire. Embedded within this trench line were the Cannons and Schmidt guns that bombarded the city and defended the camp.


    Observation towers were set up, with snipers atop them, giving the Austrian army a select view of their surroundings and the ability to react to any threat that might appear. The thousands of tents were used to house the soldiers and their supplies within the center of the trench line.


    Though the siege camp was established, Berengar had not yet ordered the bombardment of the city. Instead, he was within hismand tent, overgoing the strategy of how the Austrians intended to take the city in the most efficient manner possible.


    Surrounding Berengar was his highest-ranking officers, each onemanding arge section of his forces. Among them was the Colonel tasked with leading his elite Jaeger Corps, who, unlike the rest of the soldiers that were dressed in renaissance style armor and attire, was d in rtively modern equipment.


    Spread out on the table before the officers and their King was a map of the city; Berengar had marked the various gatehouses in the town and had begun to address his General, who was tasked with leading the Artillery Brigades.


    "I want the cannons fixed on these gatehouses, I want the gates turned into splinters, and the entire gatehouse brought to ruin. Once the gatehouses have crumbled, our armies will charge into the city and ughter any resistance they mighte across!"


    When the artillery General heard this, he saluted Berengar before responding to his strategy.


    "It will be done, your majesty!"


    As Berengar heard this, he smiled before addressing the officer in charge of the infantry brigades.


    "After the artillery has brought down the gates, I need your men to prate the gaps as quickly as possible; I want this city picked clean by sunset. There is no reason to prolong this siege; the longer we stay here, the longer the enemy has time to prepare for our advance."


    The infantry General quickly responded to Berengar''s concerns in the same manner as the artillery General; after doing so, Berengar began to address the Colonel of the Jaeger Corps.


    "As for you, I want you and your soldiers to gather what supplies you need and prepare to move out at a moment''s notice. I want the path towards Parma cleared before we even begin our march forward. We have spent far too much time already bogged down here in Mn."


    When the Jaeger Colonel heard this, he nodded his head in response before uttering his eptance of Berengar''s terms.


    "Don''t worry, your majesty, we Jaegers are the spearhead of the Royal Austrian Army; I promise you won''t see a single skirmisher on your journey to Parma!"


    As Berengar heard this, he smiled and nodded before dismissing his officers.


    "Alright, you all know your ns, quickly set to the task; I want our troops prepared to move out before nightfall!"


    When Berengar said this, all of the gathered officers quickly saluted him before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After saying this, they all exited the tent before preparing their troops for battle. As for Berengar, he pulled out a golden chalice and poured some fortified wine within it before taking a sip for himself. Thanks to his influence, the world was rapidly changing, and he knew it would not be long before his enemies began to adapt to his weapons.


    Sieges would not always be this easy, and as such, he had to savor the swift victories while still managing to achieve them. When he returned from this war, he desperately needed to begin the industrialization process of Austria; he had already advanced to the limits of pre-industrial society. If he wanted to maintain his dominance, the era of steel and steam would need to ur.


    As he was thinking about such things, the cannons began to echo in the distance as they unleashed their fury onto the gatehouses of the City of Mn; with his current prowess, Berengar estimated that at most it would take an hour before the city gates were brought to ruin and his soldiers could swarm the city like an army of locusts.


    As such, Berengar spent the remaining time of the bombardment within hismand tent, overgoing his ns. The longer this war dragged out, the less beneficial it was for Berengar; he needed to quickly make his way to Bologna. However, there were several small cities in between, such as Parma, which he needed to pass through first.


    After doing so, he would head to Florence to capture the Medici''s wealth and bring down the Imperial Crown. If things kept going as nned, this war would take at mostst a few months. As Berengar was making these ns, an officer arrived within the tent, where he informed Berengar of their progress.


    "Your majesty, the gates have crumbled, and our soldiers have begun to advance into the city!"


    As Berengar heard this, he smiled before grabbing ahold of his burg and cing it upon his head. An army of roughly 50,000 men was rushing into the city and ransacking it for its worth; it would be a matter of hours before they began to depart. As such Berengar intended to enjoy the sights and take a stroll through the city. With this in mind, he informed the officer of his decision.


    "Gather my guard; I will be entering the city..."


    The officer nodded before departing from the tent; his guard was already established when Berengar entered the camp a few minutester. Most of these men were among their respective units'' elites and had formed a rudimentary protection unit for some time now.


    When Berengar saw this, he realized that he was now a King and needed a dedicated unit to protect himself and his family; he decided that after this war was over, he would establish a proper Royal Guard.


    After gazing fondly upon his soldiers, Berengar mounted his steed where the unit tasked with his protection followed suit; after seeing that the team was prepared to enter the city, Berengar called out hismands.


    "Forward march!"


    With this said, the King of Austria and his Guard marched into the burning city as conquerors. As they passed through the gatehouse that was now nothing more than splinters and debris, Berengar noticed the pile of corpses, which mainly consisted of the Italian Defenders. The rear echelon of his forces was already piling the bodies up into wagons so they could be properly disposed of.


    The scent of smoke and blood filled the air as Berengar advanced further into the city; what he saw was his troops looting everything of value and restraining the citizens so that they could not resist.? It became increasingly clear that the level of resistance Berengar''s army faced after entering the city was practically non-existent. Aside from a few hundred Italian Defenders held up within the City''s Castle, the rest of Mn had already surrendered peacefully.


    The city''s citizens gazed upon Berengar with a mix of awe, and hatred, as they saw the legendary figure in the flesh, striding forth on horseback as if conquering their city, was as natural as breathing air.


    In just a few hours, the once-mighty city of Mn had fallen, and its riches plundered by the Austrian invaders. Despite this, no citizens chose to resist; they were well aware of the futility of fighting against the Royal Austrian Army.


    News of the defeat of Verona had already spread across Northern Italy, as well as the disastrous defeat in the Adriatic that sent the remainder of their navy to the depths of the Mediterranean. In the eyes of many Italian citizens, this war was already over, and the Empire had lost.


    Despite this, the Emperor did not offer terms of surrender, nor would Berengar ept them, not until he had seized Florence and taken the vast fortune of the Medicis for himself. In doing so, he would cripple his most giant enemy financially, and that was the Catholic Church.


    With this in mind, the City of Mn fell in a near-effortless victory for the Austrian Royal Army; what could have taken days of brutal conflictsted a mere matter of hours. This would not be thest time Berengar ransacked a city in such a manner; after all, the will of the Italian people to fight against such an overwhelming foe who wanted nothing more than independence was waning by the day.


    ---


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 Chapter 327: One Last Act of Desperation

    <h4>Chapter 327: One Last Act of Desperation</h4>


    Emperor Balsamo Corsini was sitting upon his imperial throne within the City of Florence, news of Mn''s fall had just reached his ears, and he could hardly believe it. If it were noting from a trusted source, the man would never dare to believe such shocking words.


    The Holy Roman Emperor swallowed the saliva built up in his throat before asking the question on his mind to the General standing before him.


    "Can you repeat what you just said for me?"


    Upon being asked this question, the General did not hesitate to respond with the words he had just spoken moments before. He sighed with defeat as he announced the grim news that he had only recently received.


    "Mn has fallen; it took the Austrian Army roughly an hour to prate the city''s defenses. Afterward, resistance to the Austrian invaders ended as swiftly as it had begun. ording to reports, the Austrians have been ransacking the wealth of our Northernmost cities. Anything of value that can be taken has been stripped from the local popce, leaving the poption poor and destitute."


    With this rification, the Emperor rested his head in his hands as he gazed at the floor with a panicked expression; he could seldom believe Mn had fallen so quickly, especially after he dispatched forces to hamper the Austrian advance.? As such, he promptly asked about the status of his skirmishers.


    "What about the troops we have set in the field? How many of them remain to slow down the Austrian Army?"


    The General who had given the Emperor his report cleared his throat before speaking up about the status of their skirmishers.


    "We have lost contact with the forces who were supposed to halt the Austrian advance; my guess is the Austrians found a way to hunt them down. Thest message we received from any of our units in the field is a bit cryptic..."


    The Emperor frowned as he heard this; in fact, he was quite afraid to ask, but he knew it was his duty to do so as such Balsamo masked his internal trepidation with a facade of confidence as he asked the General for his report.


    "What were the contents of the message?"


    The General once more did not hesitate to present the evidence; as such, he looked at the message written down with what appeared to be the blood of the man who had written it before speaking up.


    "There are only two words... Austrian Ghosts"


    Balsamo was a deeply religious and superstitious man. As such, his prior confident facade came crumbling down as soon as he heard the phrase. The Emperor immediately stood up from his seat with an expression filled with dread before breaking out into a mad outburst.


    "What sorcery is this? Berengar can control the souls of the damned! Is that what my soldiers mean to tell me! How can we defeat such evil!?!"


    While the Emperor was having a mental breakdown, the General cleared his throat and tried to present a reasonable alternative to his liege as such, he responded with a firm resolve.


    "I don''t believe the soldiers meant literal ghosts; I think what the report means is that Austria has hidden units that move in the shadows and swiftly attack our forces while remaining unseen. These alleged ghosts are a serious threat and need to be treated as such."


    Upon hearing a reasonable exnation, the Emperor copsed in his seat as he sighed heavily in relief; it took him a moment or two to calm his nerves, after all the manner that the Austrians had managed to advance through his territory was already border lining the supernatural.


    The Emperor spent the next two moments reflecting on his options. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the possibility of victory in this war was practically non-existent. His Navy was utterly decimated and lied at the bottom of the Mediterranean.


    His trade fleet was being piged by abination of Berengar''s privateers and foreign pirates with impunity, and as such, the economy had suffered severely. Without a proper navy, his trade woulde grinding to a halt soon enough.


    As for the Swiss front, it was a lost cause; half of the Nation had already fallen after the defeat at Zurich. The Swiss leaders were now convening to negotiate their surrender to Adelbrand and his Army of 25,000 Austrians.


    Balsamo swore that if he were capable, he would march his armies into the Swiss Confederation and remind them who they were subject to. However, he could not do this, he had suffered serious losses against Berengar''s Army, and the Austrians had cut off any route into the Swiss Confederation.


    While all of this was happening, Berengar''s main force was plowing straight through Lombardy and would soon enough be at his gates. Though the Emperor''s forces had captured some weapons from Berengar''s Army, it would be years before they could adequately reverse engineer such advanced weaponry; without a doubt, the war would be over long before then.


    Thus the Holy Roman Emperor was left with two options, surrender and expect leniency, or fight in ast stand against the Austrian Army. The Emperor was too proud to bow his head to some lowly Baron who proimed himself King. No, there was only one way for this conflict to end; he would rather die than admit defeat to an upstart like Berengar.


    Emperor Balsamo Corsini quickly rose from his seat and dusted off his attire before reiming his determination. After doing so, he boldly dered to his General his final n for turning this war around.


    "General, gather every man and child that can bear arms within our remaining territory. Equip them with whatever weapons you can find, and bring them to Florence! If Berengar wants to defeat me, he will have to take the city from an army of over a hundred thousand men!"


    The General sighed when he heard this; bringing such arge army to Florence would deplete their food reserves; even if the Royal Austrian Army were to be defeated at Florence, the capital would starve by the time winter arrived.


    The war was already lost, and yet the Emperor was too proud to admit defeat. Nevertheless, the General had his orders and nodded his head before responding in the affirmative.


    "I will do what you ask, but your Majesty, as your General, I feel I must advise you against such a drastic measure. Regardless of whether we win or lose this battle, this war as a whole will be the end of the Holy Roman Empire!


    Even if we manage to repel the Austrians, our armies will be devastated, and our economy will be in ruin. If we genuinely undergo such a disastrous option, we will no longer have the ability to project enough strength to control our vassals, and one by one, they will follow in the path of Austria..."


    However, despite this advice, the Emperor was undeterred from his course of action; either Austria would break its back against the walls of Florence, or the Empire would crumble, however, the dignity of the Emperor would never falter, as such Balsamo Corsini red at his General before responding.


    "Your opinion is noted, but you will do what I ask, or I will find a General who will..."


    After hearing that the Emperor was set on this suicidal path, the General sighed heavily before nodding his head. The future was bleak for the Empire, but he supposed all good things muste to an end. After all, the vassals that made up the Holy Roman Empire werergely autonomous, to begin with.? With this in mind, the General steeled his resolve before responding to the Emperor''s demands.


    "Very well, you shall have your army, but when the Empire begins to fall apart, let it be known that I advised against this course of action."


    The Emperor said nothing and allowed the General to depart in silence. Instead, he sat down upon his throne once more and took arge swig from his chalice filled with wine. The man continued to drink until the contents within the ss were entirely within the confines of his stomach.


    The Emperor had faith that Berengar would not so quickly seize the Capital of the Empire with such arge force of defenders. Even if most of them were nothing more than peasant levies, bodies were bodies, and Berengar''s power could be overwhelmed eventually.


    As such, while Berengar rapidly began to advance upon the city of Parma, the Empire had started withdrawing all of its forces within the field and the garrisons which guarded the northern towns to Florence. As for Southern Italy, they too were tasked with bringing forth troops to defend Florence from the Austrian invasion.


    The Battle of Florence would be the determining battle in this war for Austrian Independence; whether or not the Empire would crumble in defeat was mere spection at this point. After all, the union of the various Imperial States was still beneficial to most of its members. One thing was sure, though, this battle would have long-reaching effects on the power structure of the European continent.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 328: Developing the Needle Rifle

    <h4>Chapter 328: Developing the Needle Rifle</h4>


    Ludwig stood on the range contained within the weapons testing facility that lies outside the boundaries of Kufstein City. In his hand was a prototype that he had been working on for some time now. Due to the advancements in chemical technology such as Mercury Fulimanate and the creation of percussion caps Ludwig had finally been able toplete his design.


    The working title for this weapon was the Schmidt Needle Rifle; the reason for this name was the fact that this single shot, bolt action rifle, used a long needle to prate through the end of a paper cartridge, where it would strike the percussion cap embedded within and thus ignite the powder propelling the bullet downrange.


    The rifle was equipped with a 33.66-inch barrel that utilized the same polygonal rifling that the 1419 Jaeger Rifles were equipped with; it also used the .451 lead alloy projectile. Unlike the hexagonal bullets issued to the Jaeger Rifles, this Needle Rifle utilized a cylindrical projectile of a more traditional design.


    The sights on this gun were adder-style iron sight that graduated from 100 to 1600 yards, though truthfully, that maximum range was being optimistic. Unlike needle rifle designs from Berengar''s previous life, this rifle was manufactured with durability and reliability in mind, and as such, it utilized a reinforce locking system, and a more robust needle, that was easily receable from the rear of the action in the event that it became damaged.


    Overall, its appearance resembled the Mauser Model 1871 from Berengar''s previous life. Ludwig had designed a new de-style bay that was simr to the 1871/84 pattern bay from Berengar''s past life. The most significant difference between the Mauser 1871, and the Schmidt Needle Rifle, was that this was not a centerfire weapon, but a needle gun.


    Ludwig loaded the hand-rolled paper cartridge into the chamber before shutting the bolt; after he did so, he aimed down the sights at a hundred yards before pulling the trigger. The needle on the bolt pierced through the rear of the paper cartridge and struck the percussion cap, igniting the powder and sending the .451 lead alloy projectile down range and into the target.


    As for the rest of the paper cartridge, it was blown out the bore of the rifle; the moment Ludwig fired the cartridge, he cycled the action to the rear, where he ced another cartridge in the chamber before firing at the target once more. It was another solid hit; after doing so, he continued this for a total of 12 rounds in a single minute.


    The garrison who were watching him test out this new rifle were amazed by its fire rate. However, they were uncertain of its effective range, and due to Ludwig being a poor shot, he had not hit all of his targets.


    With this in mind, a man walked over to Ludwig; he was not wearing the standard army uniform. Instead, he was dressed in the feldgrau uniform used by the Jaeger corps. This man was using crutches as he approached Ludwig.


    Evidently this young soldier was wounded in battle and sent home to recover; he just so happened to be hanging out with one of his friends from the Garrison when Ludwig showed up to test-fire his new weapon.


    The Jaeger was blown away by the rate of fire of the weapon. However, he was not impressed with the uracy, being the expert marksman that he was, he deduced it was most likely due to ack of proper training from the man who wielded it, and as such, he decided to volunteer for the position to test the gun after seeing it was safe to operate.


    "My Lord, Corporal Lach Wickten at your service! It would be my honor to test this rifle for you to see how effective its range is! That is if you do not mind an old Jaeger like myself doing so..."


    Ludwig looked over at the man and noticed he was dressed in a military uniform unlike one he had ever seen before, it was sleek andcking the noticeable embellishment that most of Berengar''s troops used.


    Despite Ludwig''sck of formality with the uniform, the old man recognized the silver oakleaf pin on the man''s field cap which designated him as a member of the Royal Austrian Jaeger Corps; it was a crime to reproduce the pin and use it without authorization.


    As such, the man before him was either a member of Berengar''s elite forces or a fraud risking a criminal sentence. Ludwig was betting on the former of those two possibilities and nodded his head with a stoic expression.


    "Not at all; show me what you Jaeger''s are capable of!"


    The soldier smiled and sat down at the bench rest before grabbing ahold of the Needle Rifle and cing a paper cartridge in its chamber just as Ludwig had done prior; he then adjusted its iron sights from 100 yards to 1000 yards, a shot he was usually capable of pulling off with his Jaeger Rifle under ideal conditions.


    He gauged the wind in the air before squeezing the trigger, sending the projectile downrange at a steel target that was sitting out at roughly 1000 yards, the audible ping of the lead crashing against steel resounded throughout the testing field and signaled to everyone present that the Jaeger had hit his mark.


    This was a phenomenal feat for the average soldiers of the garrison; most troops in the Austrian Army were unaware of just how proficient the Jaegers were at long-rangebat; they had never witnessed them in battle due to them being a force deployed far ahead of the traditional battlefield.


    After pulling the trigger and sending the round downrange, the Jaeger immediately cycled the bolt back to the rear and put another paper cartridge lying on the table into the chamber before sending the bolt home. After doing so, he aimed down at another target 1200 yards downrange and adjusted his sights topensate for the difference in distance.


    Having made his calctions, the young soldier pulled the trigger, and once more, an audible ping resounded throughout the range. This action of two shots in under ten seconds sessfully hitting targets at such a distance shocked the crowd of soldiers even more.


    After the Jaeger had followed up with a third shot at 1500 yards that also sessfully hit its target, he cycled the bolt back to clear the weapon, not that it needed to do so, before chuckling to himself. As he did so, he cried out at the top of his lungs.


    "Wonderful, simply wonderful! I need one of these for when I go back to the field; how much do you want for it?"


    However, Ludwig shook his head as he informed the young soldier about the reality of the weapon.


    "This is just a prototype; the final product will have to be approved by the King for service in the Army. You will have to wait until then..."


    Despite Ludwig declining his offer the Jaeger was persistent and made a sizeable offer


    "If you can make another one of these for me, I will pay two, no three Guldens! I know plenty of myrades who would do the same!"


    Ludwig was tempted to take the soldier up on his offer, but the weapon still hadn''t been thoroughly tested yet, and he didn''t want the man to lose his life due to a malfunction; as such, he declined once more.


    "Once I figure out the kinks in the rifle and improve it, I will be happy to sell you one if you really can''t wait until they be standard issue."


    The soldier frowned in response to this, but he understood that Ludwig had good intentions; as such, he agreed to the man''s terms.


    "Alright, don''t keep me waiting too long; in a few weeks, I will be back in the field, and I would feel a hell of a lot safer with this rifle as my primary weapon than the current issue Jaeger Rifle!"


    Ludwig scratched the back of his head as he responded to the soldier''s eagerness to purchase his rifle.


    "I will see what I can do. Hopefully, I can have a functional variant made for you to use in the field by then."


    After saying this, the Jaeger thanked Ludwig before picking up his crutches and heading off from the testing facility; he had a broad smile spread across his face like a kid on Christmas; such an excellent weapon solved his biggestints about the currently issued muzzleloading rifles.


    As for Ludwig, he sighed in relief after the overly-excited soldier was gone before picking up his prototype rifle and bringing it back to the shop, so far everything seemed like it functioned properly, but he was going to need to stress test the weapon over theing days to make sure there were no serious issues with it.


    However, for the prototype, the weapon was beyond functional, and that made him happy. He could not wait until King Berengar could finally witness the rifle that the old man had designed entirely by himself. He could already anticipate themendation he would get for creating such a revolutionary type of weapon.


    With that said, Ludwig returned to the state-run armory that he managed, where he began to manufacture more paper cartridges to test the rifle in the uing days. By the time Berengar marched on Florence, there would be thousands of these Schmidt Needle Rifles in the hands of Berengar''s most elite forces.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 329: The Swiss Confederation Surrenders

    <h4>Chapter 329: The Swiss Confederation Surrenders</h4>


    In the City of Geneva on the other side of the Swiss Confederation from where the Royal Austrian Army currently upied, various high-ranking noblemen were gathered to discuss the reality of the war they were facing.


    These men in their entirety spoke the Germannguage and were considerably closer to the Austrians ethnically than they were to their Italian masters. As vassals of the Holy Roman Empire, they held a high degree of autonomy. With this in mind, they decided to exercise their right to negotiate their surrender to the Kingdom of Austria.


    Adelbrand von Salzburg, General of the Austrian Army, tasked with invading the Swiss Confederation, had sent his demands to the remaining leaders of the Swiss Confederation. The terms that Adelbrand had made were simple; the Austrian Army would only yield their conquest if the Swiss Confederation in its entirety agreed to annexation by the Austrian Crown, where it would be reformed as the Grand Duchy of Switzend.


    The Grand Duchy of Switzend would effectively be a Vassal State of the Kingdom of Austria and would be subject to allws as established in the Austrian Constitution. To the Lords of the Swiss Confederation, this was not an appealing prospect. They would be giving up the degree of autonomy they had maintained under the Holy Roman Emperor in favor of a strong centralized government under the authority of a single Monarch.


    Not only that, but they would be forced to usher in the military, political, economic, agricultural, and industrial reforms that Berengar had established in Austria; thus, these men would be losing a significant degree of political and military power. This thought specifically caused one of the more prominent noblemen. They had gathered for this meeting to be quite irritated as he presented his case against surrendering to the Austrian Crown.


    "The upstart Berengar von Kufstein has gone too far with his demands! He expects us to kneel before him and beg him for mercy!?! Never! We should fight until ourst breaths against this annexation; it is a humiliation to the Swiss people!"


    This Count was not the only one who felt this way, as several members of the nobility immediately expressed support for this viewpoint.


    "Hear, hear!"


    "Aye, fuck Austria and their young King!"


    "Death before dishonor!"


    However, a few of the noblemen present were not entirely against the idea of annexation. These men were reformists, or at the very least, the poption they ruled over was primarilyprised of reformists. As such, they had a responsibility to hold up the other side of the argument.


    One of these men was a Count, the Count of Fribourg, and he was close personal friends with Count Rayner von Chur, who had surrendered to the Austrian Crown during the initial invasion. He understood better than anyone the reasons for doing so; as such, he presented an alternative to the more boisterous members of the Swiss High Nobility.


    "It is in my opinion that these demands are not unreasonable; while Austria will hold more control over ournds than the Empire, it has be increasingly apparent that we are witnessing the rise of a new power with the Kingdom of Austria, one that might unify the German world into a single cohesive Empire! Before long, Florence will fall, and with it, the dignity of the Imperial Crown!


    Under Austrian reign, we will be as wealthy and prosperous as they have be! The age of Feudalism and Knights ising to an end; if we do not embrace this new era, we will be left behind in the darkness guing ournds! If we refuse the Austrians terms, they will conquer us, and when they do, they will rece every one of us with an Austrian Noblemen of their choosing!


    We share many ethnic and cultural aspects with the Austrians, far more than the Italians. It is in the best interest of the Swiss People and its nobility to kneel before the Austrian Crown!"


    When the men gathered heard this, they fell silent; what the Count said made sense; they did not have the military capacity to continue a war with the Austrians for much longer. If they chose to do so, they would only invoke the ire of the Austrian Crown, which would surely result in them losing all of their power and authority over theirnds, if not their lives altogether.


    Despite this reality, many men were reluctant to hand over their long-held power to the Kingdom of Austria and its centralized government. As such, they began proposing new ideas to maintain their autonomy.


    "Could we not negotiate with the Austrians about receiving the same degree of autonomy that we have under the Empire? After all, their demands of total surrender are a bit insulting. Surely the Austrian King can understand our grievances?


    However, those in favor of surrendering knew this was not likely and immediately dismissed this idea.


    "With what power can we make such demands of King Berengar? The Austrians respect nothing other than the power of one''s military might. They have made it clear that they want to incorporate us into their Kingdom, under theirws.


    I can understand why, to them, we are backward and primitive people! With their advanced agricultural systems, they can feed their people a minimum of three meals a day, while ours are severely malnourished.


    Such a thing has a significant impact on prosperity, productivity, and poption growth. As noblemen, if we surrender, we might be losing a substantial degree of power, but we would be making up for it in the fortune our houses will gain!


    This is the reality we are facing, a new era is upon us, and we can either submit to the winds of change or be blown away by them! If any of you wish to decline the terms presented to us, then so be it! However, I know that I will personally surrender to the Austrians, guaranteeing my family''s future in the process! This is an unwinnable war, and you all know it!"


    The words spoken by this man had a significant effect on the other noblemen present; they quickly began to realize that even if a few of them resisted until the end, others among their ranks would surrender on their terms. This caused all confidence in a united resistance against the Austrian incursion to copse instantly.


    Those members of the Swiss Nobility who moments prior were yelling to resist Austria at all costs now had downcast expressions as they gazed at theirpatriots who were ready to kneel before the Austrian Crown as their new master.


    The Swiss confederation had be a hotbed of the German Reformation. They knew that the people they presided over were already sick and tired of fighting a war with the homnd of their faith on behalf of the Catholic Emperor.


    With this in mind, a vote was now held between the various Swiss Noblemen who had gathered in this meeting. An older nobleman who had remained silent until now was the first to speak up.


    "All in favor of surrendering to the Austrian Crown under the terms they have presented?"


    Over three fourth''s of the nobility within the room voted in favor of this agreement. The older man immediately noticed that a few men remained utterly silent in response to this vote. As such, he once more spoke up by proposing the second option.


    "All in favor of resisting the Austrian Crown until ourst dying breath?"


    Despite the unwillingness of one-fourth of the noblemen to surrender, there wasplete and utter silence regarding this vote. Those who once wished to resist were now abstaining. With this in mind, the older man sighed before making the decision known.


    "Three-fourths are in favor of surrendering, and one-fourth are abstaining, the decision is final, we will surrender to the Austrian Crown under the terms they have presented, and allow the full annexation of the Swiss Confederation. From henceforth, we shall be known as the Grand Duchy of Switzend, with the Grand Duke to be chosen by our liege, the King of Austria, his majesty Berengar von Kufstein!"


    The moment these words were spoken, only silence filled the air. Even those ready to surrender were not entirely eager to see the changes that woulde to Switzend in theing years. After all, to give up the degree of autonomy they had, to be a State of the Kingdom of Austria was not something to be taken lightly.


    However, despite their reluctance, one thing was certain, the Swiss theater of the Austrian war for independence was over, and aside from a small upying force left behind with the intent to establish control over the newly formed Grand Duchy of Switzend, the remaining troops would be pouring into the Italian theater to support the main Army in their attempt toy siege Florence.


    With the Emperor''sst stand on the horizon, Berengar would need every soldier he could muster in his attempt to siege a city filled with belligerents. It was bound to be a brutal and bloody conflict, and the 20,000 soldiers who would be arriving from thend formerly known as the Swiss Confederation was sure to aid in Austria''s chances of victory.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 330: Returning to Service

    <h4>Chapter 330: Returning to Service</h4>


    Corporal Lach Wickten sat in the back of a supply wagon that was headed to the frontlines. The new and improved Schmidt Needle Rifle was in his hands that Ludwig had improved after thorough and rigorous stress testing. The young man cleaned the rifle with great care while dressed in his camouge smock and field cap, with his helmet lying beside him.


    This supply convoy not only brought forth much-needed supplies to the frontlines but reinforcements to rece the soldiers who were wounded or killed in battle. Some of these men, like Lach, were returning to the frontlines after being injured themselves.


    The young Corporal could not wait to show off his new prototype rifle to the soldiers in his unit. As such, he was eager to regroup with them. By now, Berengar and his army had advanced beyond the City of Mn after stealing its treasures and was on its route to the small city of Parma, whichy between them and Bologna.


    Any minute now, he would approach Berengar''s army, where he would likely regroup with at least one of the Jaeger units that were nearby. While the Italians had pulled back the majority of their soldiers to reinforce the city of Florence in a desperatest stand against the might of the Royal Austrian Army, they had kept some small amount of troops in the field in an attempt to slow down the Austrian advance to buy the main Italian army some much needed time.


    When Lach finally saw the tents of the Austrian encampment appear in the distance, he slung his rifle over his shoulder and ced his helmet upon his head before rushing towards the camp. The young Corporal waved at the supply convoy as he departed.


    When Lach arrived, he was surprised to see that hispany was currently resting in the encampment and not out in the field; he quickly approached Captain Andreas Jaeger as he saluted the man with respect.


    "Corporal Lach Wickten reporting for duty sir!"


    Captain Jaeger returned Lach''s salute before responding.


    "At ease Corporal, I hope you are well rested because we will be deploying to the front lines shortly."


    After saying this, the Captain noticed the rifle slung on Lach''s shoulder was vastly different from the muzzle loading Jaeger rifles that were currently issued to the Jaeger corps and could not help but inquire about it.


    "Corporal, what is that, and where did you get it?"


    The moment Lach heard this, he unslung the weapon and presented it to hismanding officer.


    "This is called a Needle Rifle; while I was away, Ludwig invented it. This particr rifle is a second prototype, but Ludwig has assured me it is free from any potentially harmful malfunctions. It has the same degree of uracy as our currently issued rifles but is capable of firing 12 rounds a minute!"


    When Andreas heard this, he was shocked that such a weapon existed, and as such, he wanted to see a demonstration; however, firing a gun while in camp was explicitly forbidden, and thus he would have to wait to see how well the rifle functioned until it could be demonstrated in the field.


    As such, the man sighed before giving the Corporal his orders


    "get back to your squad; I am sure they will be happy to see you have made a full recovery..."


    Lach saluted Captain Andreas once more before replying in the affirmative


    "Yes, sir!"


    After Andreas saluted the young man back, Lach returned to his tent, where he met with his fellow soldiers. As for Andreas, he immediately began to search for hismanding officer to inform him of this new weapon. Eventually, he found Colonel Dietrich von Lienz in a meeting with King Berengar von Kufstein within the Command tent.


    Knowing his ce, the man patiently waited by the tenside until his superior officer departed; however, when Dietrich finally exited the tent, he was alongside Berengar, who looked at the young Captain with confusion. Seeing the King in front of him, Captain Andreas immediately saluted to him.


    "Your Majesty, Captain Andreas Jaeger, reporting to his superior officer about some information received from a soldier returning to service after medical leave."


    Berengar was curious as to what valuable intel a returning soldier could have and, as such, spoke up before Colonel Dietrich could respond.


    "Speak, if this is something so valuable that you would await by the tent side for your CO, then you are free to discuss it with me."


    Captain Andreas looked over to his Commanding Officer to see if he had permission. Meanwhile, the aging Colonel gazed at Andreas as if he were an idiot and silently nodded his head. As such, Captain Andreas no longer hesitated to speak his mind.


    "One of my soldiers, Corporal Lach Wickten has returned with a Prototype weapon he has purchased from Bar Ludwig; he calls it a Needle Rifle and says it is capable of firing a projectile out to a simr distance that our Jaeger rifles are capable of with more than twice the rate of fire!"


    When Berengar heard this, he was shocked; the only needle rifles he knew of were the Dryse and Chassepot from his previous life, and theycked in terms of long-range firepowerpared to the Whitworth rifle that he had based his Jaeger rifles upon.


    Not only that, but as far as he was aware, they did not yet have mercury fulminate to manufacture percussion caps; as such, he was pretty skeptical of this im. Thus he responded with a hint of curiosity in his tone.


    "Did the soldier call it a needle rifle?"


    When Berengar asked this, the Captain looked at him with confusion in his eyes before nodding his head. Was it possible that Berengar knew about Ludwig''s designs? Then again, he was the King, so it made sense if he knew about experimental weapons that were shrouded in secrecy.


    The moment Bernegar witnessed the man''s nod, his expression turned serious as he spoke with an authoritative tone befitting a monarch.


    "Take me to this man right away!"


    Andreas led both Berengar and Colonel Dietrich to the tent where Lach and his squad were resting. The moment Captain Andreas arrived, the men jumped to attention, saluting theirmanding officer. However, they were shocked to see the Colonel of the Jaeger Corps and the monarch himself standing behind their Captain.


    Before any of the soldiers could get a word out, Berengar immediately said his decree.


    "Which one of you is Corporal Lach Wickten?


    Lach was astonished to find that the King of Austria himself hade searching for him; as such, he proudly presented himself to Berengar with his chest puffed out.


    "Corporal Lach Wickten at your service, your majesty!"


    After hearing this, Berengar inspected the man closely; noticing that there was nothing out of the ordinary, he quickly cut to the chase.


    "Show me the rifle you have brought with you!"


    Lach did not hesitate to do so as he retrieved the needle rifle and checked to see if it was clear before handing it over to Berengar with the bolt open. The Royal Austrian Army had always stressed firearms safety as a priority in the training of the recruits. As such, a soldier would be punished severely if they did not first check to see if a weapon was clear before handing it over to someone else.


    Berengar closely inspected the rifle and noticed that it greatly resembled a Mauser Model 1871 from his past life, except instead of a single-shot centerfire rifle, it was a needle-fired rifle. The gun''s needle was easily receable if it was damaged, much like on the final design of the Dreyse Rifle that was added to the weapon variant in 1874.


    Berengar gazed down the bore and inspected it to see whether it had traditional or polygonal rifling. To his surprise, Ludwig had gone the extra mile with these rifles and improved the rifling just like how the current issued Jaeger Rifles utilized.? After closely observing the rifle, Berengar ced one of his hands out and ordered the soldier.


    "Give me one of the cartridges."


    When the man heard this, he rushed over to his cot, where he retrieved a paper cartridge from his web gear which contained the cylindrical .451 Whitworth style projectile. When Berengar saw this, a wry smile appeared on his face as he expressed his thoughts aloud.


    "Ludwig, you are a genius..."


    Without any guidance, Ludwig had done the unthinkable; he had manufactured a needle rifle from scratch, centuries ahead of its natural time. Having never shot a needle rifle before, Berengar was eager to test out the weapon, and as such, he swiftly walked out of the tent, where the others nearby pursued him.


    After leaving the confines of the camp, Berengar gave amand to his soldiers.


    "Set up a target 1000 yards out; I want to test this rifle."


    The soldiers received their orders and ced a wooden bucket out at a thousand yards before returning to Berengar''s side. Berengar immediately dialed in the sights so that they were at the appropriate distance, where he proceeded to shoulder the rifle in his left arm and gaze with his one good eye down the iron sights.


    After acquiring his target, he inhaled deeply while holding his breath before squeezing the trigger; the moment he did so, the needle impacted the percussion cap and ignited the powder contained within, sending the projectile downrange at over 1300 feet per second where it struck its target, knocking the bucket into the air.


    The moment he did so, Berengar exhaled deeply and cocked the action back before handing the rifle back to Corporal Lach with a broad smile on his face. He was pleased with the performance of the rifle and could not contain his joy; as such, he grabbed ahold of Colonel Dietrich before giving him an order.


    "Send word to Ludwig; I want him to produce as many as these rifles as he is able; before we march on Florence, I want your entire Jaeger Corps outfitted with these weapons!"


    With this said, Dietrich immediately saluted Berengar and responded in the affirmative.


    "At once, your majesty!"


    With this, Berengar gazed into the distance at the bucket he had just shot with a warm smile curved upon his lips. It would not be long before Ludwig could create rifled breechloaders and cap and ball revolvers with a bit of assistance. Once more, a new era of warfare had just begun thanks to Berengar''s intervention in the timeline.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 331: Cat Fight IV Part I

    <h4>Chapter 331: Cat Fight IV Part I</h4>


    With the remainder of the Imperial fleet demolished at the Battle of the Adriatic, privateers, and pirates had free reign of attacking Imperial shipping. Honoria and her crew of salty wenches had made quite the fortune in attacking Imperial vessels and pirate ships.


    Currently, severalrge wooden chests were lying about within the master bedroom of the Castle in Kufstein. These wooden chests disyed the vast wealth that Honoria had personally umted during her travels.


    These chests were filled with Austrian Thalers and Guldens, and arge amount of them had spilled onto the bed where two beautiful young women lie naked, cuddling up to one another surrounded by wealth. These women were Linde and Honoria.


    The two girls had long since gotten used to the feel of each other''s bodies due to the many nights they had spent engaging in nightly debauchery with Berengar. The King of Austria had more than once joked about how he would kill them if they cheated on him with another man, but entertaining each other was eptable.


    After months without the touch of their man, the two had finally given in to their base instincts and entertained the idea that had been embedded in their brains by Berengar''s sick sense of humor. The two women had just finished their fun and were now rxing on the bed together.


    Eventually, Honoria got up and began to dress; she could not stay in Kufstein forever, there was plenty of other loot to be had, and she was too embarrassed to look at Linde in the eye at the moment. However, Linde had no problem staring at the princess''s voluptuous body, as he did so Linde immediately noticed that Honoria was having difficulty dressing in her undergarments, especially the bra.


    Eventually, Honoria ripped the straps on her brassiere as she tried to force it on. She was immediately cursing as she did so.


    "Goddammit!"


    When Linde saw this she ced her hand over her mouth and giggled as she teased the young princess.


    "Honoria, have you grown recently? I thought I noticed a difference in size earlier, but looking at you now, I think my suspicions have been confirmed."


    Honoria nced over at Linde, who stilly naked on the bed, where her cheeks immediately began to flush with embarrassment as Linde stared herein the eyes with an amorous gaze; rather than admit she needed to purchase new undergarments, she insteadshed out at her rival.


    "Oh, like you''re one to talk, Linde, what size are those cow udders of yours now? There''s no way those things are still Ds!"


    Linde crossed her arms under her breasts and showed them off to Honoria as if they were her crown jewels. With a sultry smile on her face, she responded to the young princess.


    "I''ll have you know they are now Es! Why are you so flushed? Do you desire to have a taste of mommy''s milk?"


    Honoria''s face went from embarrassed to disgusted as she heard Linde say this, partially because she knew that just a few minutes prior, she had been sucking the milk from Linde''s chest as if she were her babe. Apparently, Berengar was not the only one who enjoyed the taste of Linde''s milk. Reflecting upon this, Honoria looked away and deflected the question.


    "I need new underwear. Do you want to go shopping with me?"


    Linde immediately got up from her seat and approached Honoria with a wicked smile on her face; the young spymaster had just thought of a brilliant idea. As such, she nodded her head while grabbing ahold of Honoria and dragging her into her embrace before whispering in her ear.


    "I think the little wife has also grown a bit. Wouldn''t it be fun to show the main wife just what she''speting with?"


    It was no secret that Ad and Linde''s rtionship was tumultuous, to say the least; Linde much preferred thepany of Honoria, and as such, she desired to create an alliance with her against their biggestpetition which was little Ad.


    Honoria instantly understood Linde''s intention; she responded with an equally malicious grin carved upon her immacte lips.


    "I think that''s a splendid idea!"


    As such, the two women began to kiss like Berengar had encouraged them to do many times while he shared his bed with the two girls. After breaking apart, Linde started to get dressed alongside Honoria. After they were fully clothed in the luxurious dresses that Berengar had purchased for them the twodies gathered a pouch filled with coins that were spread about and walked down the staircase in an attempt to find Ad.


    As per usual, the little Queen-to-be was ying the harp-like a wless little angel. The very sight of her innocent appearance caused both Linde and Honoria to seethe internally. However, they masked their displeasure with friendly facades as they both approached Ad.


    The moment the girl saw her two rivals approach with friendly smiles on their faces, she knew they were up to no good. As such, she ceased ying the harp and immediately scowled at the two wenches while she inquired about their reason for bothering her.


    "What do you two want?"


    Ad had recently turned sixteen, and she was counting down the days for Berengar to return from his war so that they could get married. Even though she tolerated Berengar''s sexual activities with the two vixens before her, she was not exactly on the best terms with either Linde or Honoria.


    She had some history with Linde, and as such, she was friendlier to her than she was to the Byzantine princess who showed up in Berengar''s life and stole his heart out of nowhere. The unholy alliance between spymaster and pirate queen was something Ad hade to dread.


    Though she did not know what Linde and Honoria got up to while Berengar was away, she knew at the very least they were close enough to service the young King together. Something Ad greatly disapproved of.


    Seeing the young fiancee ring at the two of them brought a sadistic grin to Linde and Honoria''s pretty faces as they made their request to Ad. Linde was the first to speak as she had a better rtionship with the girl.


    "It is nothing much, Ad; we seemed to have outgrown our undergarments and intend to go shopping; we were wondering if you wanted to join us? After all, as Berengar''s women, it is our duty to bond together!"


    These words caused Ad to grit her teeth, she had recently bumped up to a C cup and felt that she could nowpete with Honoria and Linde, but apparently, the two women were also growing still. She immediatelyshed out to Linde about her massive breasts to cover her own insecurities.


    "What are you, some kind of milk cow? How the hell are you still growing?"


    Honoria began to giggle; she had asked a simr question just a few minutes prior. On the other hand, Linde feigned offense to Ad''sments; as if she were a perfect actress, Linde began to break out in tears as she manipted Ad intoing along with them.


    "There''s no reason to say such mean words, little Ad, I just wanted to spend some quality time with you, and here you are making fun of my appearance. Do you have any idea how that feels?"


    Ad sighed heavily as she heard this; she knew for a fact that Linde was pretending to hurt; after all, the woman had a hide as tough as steel, and yet, she still found herself swayed by Linde''s charade.


    "Fine, against my better judgment, I will go with you two. However, you better not y any tricks on me!"


    In response, Linde quickly grabbed ahold of the girl and stuffed her into her bust as she petted her head.


    "You mean it! Yay!"


    After doing so, she released Ad and grabbed ahold of her hand before leading her to out of the castle and into the City below. The trio of beautiful young women was headed to a local clothing store that catered specifically to the upper-ss women of Austria. It was a shop owned and operated entirely by women.


    There they could get a proper measurement of their bodies without fearing Berengar doing something drastic like outright executing the tailor for touching them. As Linde and Honoria escorted the little Queen into town, Ad could not help but regret her decision.


    She knew that someway, somehow, these two bitches were going to mess with her; she just did not know what exactly they had up their sleeves. Meanwhile, Linde and Honoria were grinning at one another; they could not wait to see the look on Ad''s face when the two of them came out from the dressing room clothed in nothing but wedding lingerie.


    They hoped it would show the little Queen just what she was going up against in their future polygamous marriage with Berengar. Whether their n would work or backfire spectacrly had yet to be seen. Thus while Berengar was waging war against his enemies for the sake of independence, his future wives were having a war of their own.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 332: Cat Fight IV Part II

    <h4>Chapter 332: Cat Fight IV Part II</h4>


    Linde and Honoria held onto Ad''s hand as they dragged her through the entrance of the store embedded within the wealthiest area of Kufstein''s trade district. The closer one got to the Upper-ss neighborhoods near the trade district; the more luxurious the shops became and the higher their prices.


    At the top of the trade district, just a stone''s throw away from the city''s wealthiest neighborhood, was a rtivelyrge clothing shop. This shop catered exclusively to the upper-ss women of Austria, moremonly than not noblewomen. It was run by the younger sister of the previous Duke of Austria, and as such, the store was named "The Habsburg''s Boutique."


    As one of thest surviving members of the main Habsburg line, Duke Wilmar''s younger sister Lyse had moved to Kufstein after the fall of Vienna during the Bavarian upation. She was a middle-aged woman who was quite beautiful despite her age.


    Lyse was a widow without any children and had only managed to survive the von Wittelsbach''s attack because she lived at her family''s original residence in Habsburg, Switzend, at the time of Duke Wilmar''s invasion of Austria.


    When she heard of her family''s demise, she nearly died of grief, however news reached her of Conrad''s survival, and thus she made her way to Kufstein to look after her young nephew. Unfortunately, by the time she arrived, Berengar had killed the little brat by pushing him out a window.


    However, Lyse had no clue about the true origins of Conrad''s death. Instead, she believed the stories that the boy had killed himself. Choosing to believe that the new Duke and current King of Austria was not the kind of man his enemies painted him as.


    While in Kufstein, Lyse fell in love with the fashion designs that Berengar hade up with and used what little wealth remained of her family''s assets to buy a shop. She exclusively dealt with products created by Berengar''s garment factories.


    Since opening her shop, she had amassed quite a small fortune and saw many young beautiful women buy her products. However, none were as beautiful as the three women who entered her store on this day.


    While Linde and Honoria had visited this shop in the past, Ad, who lived in Graz until recently, had never entered the store. As such, Lyse, who was sipping out of a cup of coffee and gazing at the returning guests, was quite shocked to see a living angel such as Ad enter her shop. Among the other two women next to her, Lyse knew that the young blonde girl with twintails would one day be the most beautiful of them all.


    Being well acquainted with both Linde, and Honoria the mature beauty graciously approached Berengar''s lovers with the intent to inquire about who this little angel was.


    "Linde, Honoria, it has been some time. I am d to see you have returned to my humble shop. Tell me, who is this gorgeous young woman alongside you?"


    The moment Linde and Honoria heard the old women refer to Ad in such a manner, they felt their stomachs churn; this was not exactly what they had in mind when they brought the girl here. Nevertheless, Linde put on a friendly facade as she introduced Ad to the shopkeeper.


    "This is Lady Ad von Graz; she is King Berengar''s fiancee; they will soon be getting married; as such, we havee to help her pick out some bridal lingerie!"


    The moment Linde said this, Ad gazed at her with a shocked expression; she was not informed of such a thing; she thought they were simply there to buy regr underwear; as such, her ivory cheeks began to flush red with embarrassment.


    Lyse was a wise, cunning old fox, and she could immediately tell that Ad was surrounded by two wolves who wanted to eat her up. Linde and Honoria may think they were good actors, butpared to Lyse, who had grown up in the Habsburg royal court, they were simply greenhorns when it came to such affairs.


    Seeing that the future Queen of her country was in a rivalry with two formidable beauties, Lyse decided to give the little angel a helping hand. As such, she grabbed ahold of Ad and dragged her away from the other two girls while putting on aforting smile.


    "Come, child, let us find something that will bring out your inner beauty. By the time I am done with you, your husband will be happy to call you his bride!"


    Ad could not resist and was instantly whisked away to a changing booth, the moment she and Lyse were gone from sight, Linde scowled, and Honoria bit her lip; the Byzantine princess was the first to protest the result of the n.


    "I didn''t think the old hag would screw us over like this!"


    Linde, on the other hand, simply snorted in response.


    "Hmph, it doesn''t matter how much help she gets from Lyse; that little girl still can''tpete with us in terms of physique..."


    While Linde and Honoria were waiting their turn, Ad was stripped naked and covered up in embarrassment. As for Lyse, she closely observed the girl''s wless skin and perky pink nipples. Though she was perfectly straight, even she felt the desire to gobble the young bride up.


    However, she was a professional, so she quickly pulled out a measuring tape before getting down Ad''s details.


    "32C-21-32, you, my dear, are an absolute angel. Your fiance is one lucky man; you are perfect in every way!"


    Ad immediately began to pout in response to the results. She was the smallest member of her family and the smallest among Berengar''s wives; she did not care what the older woman had to say; nothing could make her feel worse about her physique.


    The mature beauty noticed Ad''s crumbling self-image and immediately decided to repair it, as such, the woman took matters into her own hands and spanked Ad on her soft bottom, snapping the girl out of her daze. Ad gazed at Lyse''s eyes with fury embedded in her own; however, what the woman said next shook her to her core.


    "You think just because those bitches out there are bigger than you, that you are somehow lesser than them? Trust me, sweetheart, bigger is not always better; when your man sees you on his wedding night, I promise you the only thing he will be thinking about is you. Those two whores are his mistresses, and nothing more, you are the Queen, and you need to show them their ce!"


    Ad was shocked to hear the woman speak to her in such a way, so much so that she gritted her teeth before expressing her thoughts.


    "They''re not just his mistresses; Berengar is going to enact polygamy; he will take them as his second and third wives..."


    Lyse was quite shocked to hear this. However, she knew that Berengar was not an ordinary man, and as such, she chuckled lightly before responding to Ad''s concerns.


    "Has he told you that you will be his first wife? His Queen?"


    Ad gazed up at the woman and nodded her head slowly; in response to this Lyse grabbed onto her shoulder and gave her a thumbs up.


    "That''s good, it means you''re his number one, and those bitches know it. That''s why they dragged you here, to make you feel bad about yourself. How about we show them who''s really in charge?"


    Ad tilted her head in confusion before asking for rification.


    "What did you have in mind?"


    The mature beauty whispered her n in Ad''s ear, causing the little Queen-to-be to flush in embarrassment, however despite this reaction, she still nodded her head with firm resolve.


    "Okay, let''s do it!"


    With this said, Lyse left the changing room and handed a slip of paper off to one of her subordinates. After doing so, she approached Linde and Honoria before asking the two girls.


    "Who is next?"


    Linde stepped forward before Honoria could jump at the opportunity and was dragged to the next changing room. Honoria began to pout. However, she instantly became furious when Linde looked behind and stuck out her tongue at the young princess.


    Linde was quickly stuffed into the dressing room and disrobed; Lyse was shocked to see how much Linde had grown since herst visit and could not contain her thoughts.


    "Good God, woman! What the hell are you eating to grow so much at your age?"


    Linde had a smug expression on her face as she asked the mature shopkeeper the thought on her mind.


    "What are my measurements?"


    Though Linde had guessed that she probably had E-cup-sized breasts by now, she wanted to know precisely how splendid her figure was. Lyse did not hold back the information and quickly replied to Linde''s requests; even if she lied to the young vixen, it was only a matter of time before she found out. The Director of Austrian Intelligence''s web of information was no joke.


    "34E-22-34"


    a smug grin appeared on Linde''s face as she quicklymanded the mature beauty to get her something to wear


    "Fetch me some bridal lingerie; it won''t be long before I have my own wedding, you know!"


    Though Lyse wanted to say something to Linde, she chose not to and instead walked out of the changing room before handing another subordinate a slip of paper. After doing so, she grabbed ahold of Honoria and dragged her into yet another changing room before going through the same routine.


    "33D-22-33, you''re the same as Linde was a year ago. You three girls, I swear to God. Your man is either blessed by the Lord to snag up you three beauties, or the devil curses him. Only time will tell."


    Honoria was far more pleasant than Linde and made a polite request of the old shopkeeper.


    "Can you please fetch me some bridal lingerie?"


    After hearing this, Lyse sighed and nodded her head. Afterward, she left the changing room and handed a slip of paper off to yet another subordinate. Before long, her three aides arrived with three sets of bridal lingerie from the store, two of them were the same design, but one was slightly different in nature.


    The three sets consisted of acey bra,cey panties,cey garter belt, andcey stockings. However, the one reserved for Ad was far more attractive than the other two; if angels were to wear lingerie, they would wear what the woman had prepared for the future Queen. As such, the woman handed the three sets to the three girls through their changing rooms, and eventually, they all walked out simultaneously.


    Linde and Honoria were feeling pretty confident with themselves, and as such, they strutted out with style. Meanwhile, Ad was covering herself up as she walked out with red cheeks. Seeing the other two girls dressed in their beautiful attire made Ad want to die on the spot. She lost confidence after seeing Linde''s massive bust heaving out of her pure whitecey push-up bra, with her perfectly toned plump ass disyed through her enticing g-string, which was covered by acey garter belt.


    Honoria was dressed in a simr set of attire. Though her measurements were slightly smaller, her porcin skin and white hair blended perfectly with the outfit, creating an exceptionally breathtaking scene.


    Almost ready to admit defeat at the two subi standing before her, Ad had a downcast expression with a small tear forming in her eye. However, at the next moment, she looked over and saw Lyse with an encouraging gaze, the moment she saw this, she remembered what the woman said.


    She was the Queen and the primary wife and as such, she had to hold her head high; thus, her meek posture swiftly turned into one of majestic authority, and when she showed off her assets, the other two girls were shocked to see just how beautiful Ad was.


    The primary difference between the lingerie worn by Ad and that worn by the other two girls was that Ad''s was translucent, showing off her perfect ivory skin, her wless pastel pink nipples, and pristine pastel pink slit. The moment Linde saw this, she knew she was defeated; while she and Honoria shared a simr skin tone to Ad, the girl simply looked like a living angel whenbined with her golden blonde hair and sapphire eyes.


    As such, Linde and Honoria struggled to contain their rising anger, they had never expected their n to crush Ad''s self-image to backfire so spectacrly. With a little beauty like her as the main wife, Berengar would surely lose interest in them, at least to some extent. The two women would no longer have a monopoly over the man they loved, and they knew Ad was too much of a prude to share the wealth so to speak.


    Given a few years when Ad fully matured, she was likely to be the most beautiful out of all of them, and that stung. Seeing the expressions on Linde and Honoria''s faces, as if they had just witnessed their pet being murdered in front of them, filled Ad with pride; she had finally beaten these two harlots at their own game!


    With this in mind, the girls quickly got changed back into their old attire and did not speak a word to one another as they scrambled to buy enough new underwear tost the test of time. Their shopping spree quickly became a battle to acquire the sexiest wardrobe to appease their man and his tastes. While the War for Austrian Independence was sooning to its climax, the war for Berengar''s heart was far from over.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 333: Are you interested now?

    <h4>Chapter 333: Are you interested now?</h4>


    Linde was sitting within her favorite tea shop, which had begun to sell the remarkable substance of coffee; sitting across from her was a man from the East that she knew pretty well. A downcast expression was on the man''s face as he shifted his eyes to his surroundings, making sure that he had not been followed.


    After realizing that the ce Linde had chosen to discuss critical matters was secure, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. Following this, Andronikos took a sip from his coffee mug before revealing the thoughts that had gued his mind over the past few weeks.


    "Arethas is dead..."


    Linde, who was about to take a sip from her coffee, immediately paused as she heard this; she was well aware of the tragic fate of the once-mighty Strategos of Ionia; after all, her intelligencework had sprawled across the Mediterranean and into the heart of Constantinople.? She wore apassionate expression on her stunning face as she began to speak to the man across from her.


    "I am sorry for your loss, but these things happen in warfare; it is because of this that I pray for the safety of my husband every day."


    Andronikos was aware that Linde and Berengar were not married, and as such, he rolled his eyes at Linde''s words before leaning in close and exining his suspicions.


    "He didn''t die on the battlefield like your agents have reported; he was murdered in cold blood by his troops!"


    Linde had already taken a sip of her drink when Andronikos said this; the moment she heard such a shocking revtion, she began to choke on the creamy brown liquid. It took a few moments for the stunning beauty to recover herposure; as she did so, she whispered to the man across from her in a hushed tone.


    "Do you have proof of this?"


    Andronikos sighed and shook his head before revealing his cards.


    "No, only the word from a loyal soldier who ims to have witnessed the event, however before I could get my hands on him and find out the truth of the matter, he disappeared. Whoever killed Arethas is someone with great power in the Empire and does not want the truth of his death to be revealed."


    Linde sighed heavily as she heard this; if what Andronikos said was true, there would be some difficulties with their rtions to the East in the uing future, as such, she took a bite out of the pfeffernusse cookie that was sitting on her napkin before washing it down with coffee. After doing so, she began to inquire about Andronikos'' reason for visiting.


    "Let me guess; you want my agents to investigate the death of Arethas?"


    Andronikos nodded his head in silence; as usual, this beautiful young woman was two steps ahead of him; when Linde saw his response, she put on a stoic expression as she began to negotiate with the man.


    "What does the Austrian Crown have to gain from such an action? If what you say is true, then somebody powerful, somebody with close ties to the Imperial Family, is responsible for Arethas'' death.


    As outsiders, if our investigation is discovered, we could easily be framed for his death; at the very least, whoever is behind this horrendous act would make sure that rtions between Austria and Byzantium weaken because of this. Do you even have a suspect in mind?"


    Andronikos struggled toe up with a response to this question. Eventually, he only said one word, the man''s identity, who he believed to be the perpetrator.


    "Decentius..."


    When Linde heard this, she was pretty surprised; after all, as far as the intelligence she received showed, all of the Emperor''s children were extremely close with Arethas, especially Decentius. If the second prince was responsible for the Strategos'' death, that meant something serious had to have urred. With this in mind, Linde naturally began to investigate Andronikos'' ims.


    "Why would Decentius betray Arethas? As far as I know, the man was practically a father to the Second Prince."


    When Andronikos heard this, he immediately began to back up his ims with his reasoning.


    "Decentius was tasked with finding the missing Princess; after he failed to do so, he fell from the good graces of his father, and by extension, those who were backing him in his attempt to gain the throne.


    If he could not locate a simple runaway, then how could he properly run the Empire? Or so was the thought of the people backing him. He needed a grand achievement to recover the losses that Honoria had caused him, and as such, he took credit for the North African Campaign; the only way to do so was to kill off Arethas, take Cairo for himself, and rewrite the narrative!"


    When Linde heard this, she stared at Andronikos with disbelief; such a n was quite foolish, after all, there would undoubtedly be witnesses to Decentius'' betrayal, but then again, when she took into ount all of the foolishness that Lambert had engaged in with his attempt to depose Berengar she began to realize that maybe second sons were simply idiotic by nature.? She contemted these words for some time before revealing her thoughts on the matter.


    "Let''s say that all of this is true, and Decentius is as big as a fuckup as Lambert; you still haven''t answered the most important question of all."


    Andronikos looked at Linde with confusion as the woman calmly took a sip from her coffee cup. When Linde saw this, she sighed before repeating her question from earlier.


    "What does Austria stand to gain from investigating Arethas'' death?"


    When Andronikos heard this question repeated, he felt quite wounded; he had always thought of Linde and Berengar as friends of Arethas and his household. He never expected the woman before him to act so coldly in response to the news he had brought her. As such, he sighed heavily before once more checking his surroundings to see if anyone was listening in on them; after confirming that nobody could hear them, he leaned over and whispered in Linde''s ear.


    "I know you are harboring the Princess. I also know that Berengar has taken quite a liking to her. Tell me, is she pregnant yet?"


    When Linde heard this, she was shocked to the core. After all, she and her Intelligence Agency had gone through great lengths to cover up any information regarding Honoria''s identity. However, Linde was a professional, and as such, she maintained a calm facade as she responded, despite her heart beating rapidly.


    "I have no idea what you are talking about..."


    In response to this, Andronikos leaned back in his chair with a broad smile on his face. Though Linde was convincing, to the point that he almost believed it himself, he was on good authority that the Byzantine Princess was one of Berengar''s lovers. As such, he demonstrated his knowledge thoroughly.


    "White hair, pale skin, mint green eyes, gorgeous appearance. She''s going by the name Valeria Zonara now. Or is it Valeria Melodia? After all, maintaining the appearance of a pirate queen and a Byzantine noblewoman is not something that can be done with a single identity."


    When Linde heard this, she knew that Andronikos was not simply bluffing; as such, she inquired about his source of knowledge.


    "How did you know?"


    Andronikos chuckled as he heard this before responding to Linde''s question.


    "You are not the only one with an extensive spywork, Sweetheart. I''ll admit you covered your tracks well; I almost didn''t believe it at first, if it weren''t for the fact that Arethas had written me a letter about his regrets regarding the Princess, informing me of the conversation he had with her thest time he saw her, then I would have never suspected you, and Berengar to be involved."


    When Linde heard this, she sighed heavily before admitting defeat; as such, she inquired about Andronikos'' intentions.


    "So you intend to ckmail us into supporting your cause?"


    When Andronikos heard this, he was genuinely offended; as such, he put down his coffee and sat up straight as he revealed his offer to Linde.


    "The thought honestly never crossed my mind; I am not your enemy Linde, you should know that by now. What I offer you is something mutually beneficial to our two realms. There are men in the Empire, powerful men, who are not fond of either Decentius or his older brother Alexius.


    Don''t even get me started on the youngest of the Emperor''s sons. In the simplest terms, he is a lustful drunk who is more interested in hedonism than ruling the Empire. He would turn the pce into his personal brothel and bring an era of decline upon Byzantium. With this in mind, my supporters seek an alternative option for the session crisis we currently face. "


    When Linde heard this, she scoffed at Andronikos'' statement.


    "So what? They want to put Honoria on the throne?"


    In response to this, Andronikos shook his head and revealed his true intentions.


    "Not even close, but the son of the King of Austria and the only Byzantine Princess? That is an appealing concept to my new master. You may not realize it, but your so-called husband has caught the attention of the entire world.


    Annexing the Swiss Confederation? Allying with Granada? Creating a bunch of proxy wars so that the Church has its hands full? Those are some bold moves. We have been watching the West''s wars for some time now; the dominance Austria disys under Berengar''s rule is unreal. If left unchecked, I would not be surprised if a new Empire forms in the West, rivaling that of Rome.


    What your husband does in Europe is of no concern to our Empire, and my backers want to make asting alliance with your man. After all, we are sure that our two realms are better off as partners than as enemies. Of course, the faction backing the other two Candidates views Austria as a threat, especially now that it has a powerful navy; they will stop at nothing to prevent your rapid growth.


    With the help of the men behind me, we can convince the Emperor to make Honoria one of Berengar''s wives; after all, his intentions of legalizing Polygamy have be quite apparent. When she gives birth to a son, he will rule the East one day, while Berengar''s heir will rule the West.


    By helping us investigate Arethas'' death, you also help your husband create a powerful ally. As for what you personally gain from this, isn''t it obvious? You gain the upper hand in the war for your husband''s affection. What do you say? Are you interested now?


    Linde thought about it for several moments in silence as she gracefully sipped down the rest of her coffee. After careful consideration, she made ad decision, as such a pretty smile formed on her have as she dered her intentions.


    "Alright, I''ll y along..."


    ---


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 Chapter 334: Papal Woes

    <h4>Chapter 334: Papal Woes</h4>


    Deep within the halls of the Vatican, Pope Julius was sitting upon his papal throne. As he did so, he held his head within his hands. The man was so thoroughly enraged that he felt like he was about to suffer an aneurysm. The war between the Holy Roman Empire and the newfound Kingdom of Austria had turned into an enormous disaster.


    To calm his nerves, Julius breathed in and exhaled a few times; as he did so, he made a snarkyment about his current condition.


    "So this is how Valentinian felt right before he died?"


    This was a reference to the ancient Roman Emperor who had gotten so irritated that he suffered a stroke and thus quite literally died of anger. No matter how much the Pope tried to calm his nerves, he could not help but think of the setbacks that the Church was currently facing due to Berengar''s rapid rise to power.


    The Italians were swiftly being pushed back to Florence, which was the seat of Imperial Power, and the Swiss Confederation had surrendered, bing annexed by the Austrians in the process. Due to this fact, between ten and twenty thousand Austrians would be heading to the Italian theater of war to crush the Italian Army thoroughly.


    The pir of Papal military power was the might that the Holy Roman Empire possessed. Only now did the Pope realize the mistakes that he had made when the Hussite Wars broke out. He should have sent the Catholic Armies into Austria the moment he was able to do so and route out the avatar of Satan that was King Berengar von Kufstein.


    King? What gave him the right to call himself that the Pope did not crown him, and as such, Julius did not recognize the legitimacy of Berengar''s newfound title. Regardless of this alleged illegitimacy, Julius could not deny that Berengar had truly outyed him.


    Berengar had done the unthinkable and used his neighbors and allies as a proxy to hamper the Catholic Kingdoms and their military might. In doing so, he had pretended to be at peace but instead was preparing an Army the likes the world had never seen before.


    Not just an Army, but a powerful enough Navy to challenge the Holy Roman Empire and its vassal states on the Mediterranean. Before the Italians could even respond to Berengar''s Navy, the demon had sent his Armada to eradicate the majority of their fleet. This attack wasunched without warning as the vessels were docked in their two most important port cities, crippling the massive fleet they had built up in preparation for the war.


    All of these things made the Vicar of Christ, of all people, question his faith in the Lord God almighty. Was Berengar not the serpent in the flesh? Was he actually an envoy of God''s will sent to deliver Christendom from the corruption that had consumed the Roman Catholic Church?


    If not, then how could Berengar triumph against his enemies over and over again without suffering? Such thoughts gued the mind of the new Pope, who had to inherit the mess his predecessor created.


    "Damn you, Simeon! Damn you to the depths of hell! What kind of monster have you provoked against our faith!"


    Julius could not help but curse the previous Pope who was forced to vacate his position after the disaster he had caused in the German Realm. While the Germans ughtered one another for a meaningless title, Bohemia was in an even worse state.


    With each passing day, the Hussites gained further ground within Bohemia. Somehow, recently captured Hussite arms had made their way into the hands of murderers and thieves, causing the Bohemian people to lose faith in their King.


    "Radek, what the hell are you doing!?! King of Bohemia, and yet you can''t prevent your soldiers from selling captured rebel arms to a bunch of brigands! Bah, you don''t deserve your title."


    Despite being alone, Julius could not prevent himself from venting his frustrations in the darkness surrounding him. If one were to enter the chambers, they would see a lonely old Pope sitting on his throne in the dark, cursing at people who were hundreds or even thousands of miles away.


    If there was one good thing that had happened during this time, it was the fact that the Emirate of Granada had recently been suffering setbacks in their war with the Iberian Union, that, and the fact that various designs of the so-called Arkebuse and Musket had been captured by the Papacy''s allies, and thus brought to them for reverse-engineering.


    Indeed God was testing his patience, but it would all be worth it when they finally managed to figure out how Berengar''s weapons worked. Once they did, they could gather together a grand army of Crusaders the likes the world had never seen before and march on Austria with the weapons that Berengar had created.


    It was not just matchlocks and flintlocks that the Church had acquired, but Falcs too. Compared to Berengar''s defenses, such cannons were severely obsolete; it did not change the fact that they finally had ess to more sophisticated artillery. Maybe they could even produce a gun based upon the one-pounder falc that was scaled up in size?


    Undoubtedly Berengar had received the visions of such designs from Satan himself! Despite the demonic origins of these devices, the Church had no choice but to employ them against their greatest enemy, for if they continued to attack Austria in the same manner that they had been conducting warfare, there was only one oue; utter defeat!


    Like it or not, Berengar was right when he said the era of Knights and Chivalry hade to an end. If only they could get their hands on one of Berengar''s vessels, maybe they could figure out how such things functioned and then be able to reproduce it. Unfortunately, such an oue was unlikely to ur.


    As the Pope was dwelling upon such possibilities, a Cardinal entered the great hall, where he immediately approached Julius with a letter in his hand.


    "Your holiness, we have received word from the Patriarch of Constantinople!"


    When Julius heard this, he looked up from the ground where he had been staring at and into the eyes of the Cardinal. As he did so, he scoffed before insulting his equal to the East.


    "So that coward finally responds to our demands! It took him long enough; tell me what exactly is the response that Petrus has given us?"


    The Cardinal shifted his feet in anxiety while gazing down at the stone floor; after a few moments of silence, Julius raised his voice before giving him amand.


    "Speak!"


    Upon hearing the anger in the Pope''s voice, the Cardinal instantly blurted out the words contained in the letter.


    "The Patriarch of Constantinople has dered that the Orthodox Church will not be sending us aid in our efforts to crush the Berengar Heresy and has openly dered the so-called German Reformation as a legitimate branch of Christianity. By decree of Emperor Vetranis, the Byzantine Empire expresses support for the Kingdom of Austria and recognizes its legitimacy..."


    The moment the Holy Father heard this, he felt as if his brain were about to explode; he stood there in silence for a few moments as his face twitched with wrath. Never in a million years did he think that his allies in the east would stab him in the back like this.? After well over a minute had passed, the Pope broke out into a fit of rage as he cursed the Patriarch of Constantinople.


    "Emunicated! That damn bastard and the entire Orthodox Church is henceforth emunicated and damned to the depths of hell for all eternity! Fucking Apostates! If you side with Heretics, then you shall be treated as such!"


    The Cardinal was surprised by this response, and he quite honestly felt it was unjustifiable. However, he held his tongue. Knowing the stress that the Pope had been going through with the difficulties the Church was facing at the moment was enough to convince the Cardinal from invoking the Holy Father''s ire any further.? As such, he bowed his head and responded obediently to the Vicar of Christ


    "I will prepare a public announcement. If you are going through with this, then a schism between our two Churches is unavoidable. I hope you have thought this through..."


    With this said, the Cardinal swiftly left the room fearing retaliation for his words, leaving the Pope Alone in the dark, who once more sat upon his throne. After the Cardinal had left and silence prevailed within the Great Hall of the Vatican, the Pope began to grind his teeth before cursing once more.


    "Berengar von Kufstein, if you had known your ce and submitted to the Church, you may have been spared, however for what you have done and what you will do, you can never be forgiven. Even if it is the death of me, I will bring you to your knees and restore the authority of the Vatican over Christendom!"


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 335: Ghost Town

    <h4>Chapter 335: Ghost Town</h4>


    Nearly a month had passed since the swift victory in Mn, and Berengar''s army had waited for reinforcement and resupply before marching on the City of Parma. At the moment, the Jaeger Corps had a few hundred men issued with the new Schmidt Needle Rifle, though the ratio of men armed with the Needle Rifle and the traditional muzzleloading Jaeger Rifle was roughly 1:3


    As for the rest of Berengar''s army, they were still outfitted with the 1417/18 Rifled Muskets. However,pared to the enemy they were facing, such weapons were more than enough to massacre any army they would encounter.


    The Jaeger Corps had done their jobs and led the way to Parma; in doing so, they encountered little resistance. It became increasingly apparent that the Italian soldiers still in the field had begun to disobey their orders and flee from the lost cause that was their war with Austria.


    At the moment, the City of Parma could be seen in the distance. However, something was noticeablycking in Berengar''s mind as he gazed through his binocrs into the distance. Upon the city walls, as far as he could tell, there were no defenders stationed on the ramparts.


    This was quite shocking, as every City was supposed to have a garrison defending it, especially in times of war. Yet, the more he observed the walls, the more he found them vacant of any form of military presence. With this in mind,? Berengar gave an order to his Colonel Dietrich of the Jaeger Corps.


    "Send a few of your men to scale the walls and see what they can find out about the current situation within the City. Have your other men cover them from the tree line!"


    With this said, Dietrich nodded his head before giving his most elite troops the orders. Some might consider this a suicide mission, but Berengar did not want to walk into a trap. As for the rest of his army, they immediately became alert and fixed their bays in preparation for the event of an ambush.


    Corporal Lach and his squad were the ones deployed to scale the wall; despite having the assurance that they were being protected by the elite marksmen of the Jaeger Corps, they still felt a sense of gut-wrenching anxiety as they rapidly approached the walls.


    However, by the time they arrived at the base of the City''s defenses, they had not been fired upon by the defenders or theck thereof. Therefore, they quickly pulled out their grappling hooks tied to hemp rope and tossed them onto the ramparts above.


    After checking to see if the rope was secure, the men slung their rifles over their backs before climbing up the rope and onto the ramparts above. The moment they did so, they quickly equipped their weapons and searched for any sign of hostility; however, they were utterly and genuinely alone atop these walls, which greatly confused the small squad of Jaegers. As such, the squad leader immediately gave the order to his soldiers.


    "Pull out your binocrs and survey the city; see what you can find!"


    With thismand given, the squad of Jaeger''s did as instructed; however, when they looked down at the City below, they were shocked at what they saw. There was not the slightest sight of upation within the City. Throughout the entirety of Parma, there was not a living soul to be found.


    It was as if the residents of the City had just abandoned it overnight, which was shocking to the soldiers. After inspecting the town within the walls for some time, the Squad Leader issued anothermand.


    "We will repel down the walls and open the gates, be cautious; this might be a trap!"


    The various soldiers beneath the Squad Leader''smand, including Corporal Lach, nodded their heads before doing as instructed. After reaching the ground, they unslung their rifles once more and performed a proper sweep of the street leading to the gate.


    Despite this, they indeed found nobody within the City''s walls. As such, they suffered no resistance when they finally opened the Gates. When the gates opened and the Jaeger soldiers within waved the g of Austria, Berengar was deeply concerned.


    Not a single gunshot had echoed in the distance as the men entered the City. Despite this, the city gates were opened effortlessly, and his Jaegers appeared utterly unharmed. Berengar could not fathom what game the Italians were ying, but considering this, he decided to investigate. With this in mind, he gave amand to his officers, who ryed his orders throughout his massive army.


    "We will enter the City''s gates, but be on alert; this may very well be a trap!"


    After hearing their orders, the Austrian Host advanced into the abandoned City in an attempt to thoroughly investigate just what was going on. After approaching the City Gates, Berengar began to speak with his Jaegers, who were the first to enter the scene.


    "Status report!"


    Immediately the Squad leader saluted the King before reporting what he knew about the current situation.


    "Your Majesty, we have observed the city for some time with our binocrs to find not a single trace of habitation, either everyone is quietly hiding within the walls of the city, or it has beenpletely abandoned!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar was shocked; even for a small city like this, it would take some time and effort to withdraw every living being from within and relocate them entirely. Though they had waited roughly a month for reinforcements to arrive, it still seemed unlikely that every citizen had fled the City in such a period of time as such Berengar gave his decree to the army.


    "Tear this city apart; I want to find out what has happened here; remember, this still might be a trap!"


    With this in mind, the Austrian soldiers began to kick down every door in the City where they searched for people, wealth, or clues as to what had transpired. Because the City had been rapidly evacuated, many things of value were left behind, and as such, Berengar and his army could acquire some degree of wealth to bring back to Austria.


    However, the most crucial form of intelligence came from a letter left within a house. Berengar''s spies upied this small structure. In doing so, they were forced to vacate the City with the rest of the civilians. Before they did so, they left a letter to inform the Royal Austrian Army when they arrived as to what had transpired within the City and others like it across Northern Italy.


    The Emperor had made a decree that all cities and viges on the path to Florence must be evacuated, where its people would seek refuge within the capital''s mighty walls. The reality behind this decree was that Emperor Balsamo Corsini intended to arm every citizen capable of bearing arms to fight against the Austrian invaders.


    A wicked smile curved itself upon Berengar''s lips as he read the contents of the letter. He could not help but voice his thoughts aloud in a voice so low that only he could hear it.


    "So, you seek to follow the fate of Carthage? Do you desire for me to exhaust my army as I spend months or years at a time trying to force my way through every corner of your capital in an attempt to route you out and secure victory?


    Sadly you have made a grave error... No, my dear Emperor! I have much grander ns in mind for the City of Florence. If God truly exists, then I do not doubt that he will judge me severely for what I am about to do.


    Unfortunately, you have left me no choice. I will not send my army into a meaningless death. However, I assure you, your City will be the grave of every soul contained within! You have brought this upon yourself!"


    With that said, Berengar pulled out his lighter and lit the letter ame. After doing so, he waited for his army to gather the wealth left within the City of Parma''s walls. Once they were finished, he sent a small convoy to deliver the goods to Austria''s treasury.


    As for the rest of his Army, Berengar had chosen a course of action and decided to march directly onto Florence. The war wasing to an end, and Berengar chose to waste no further time sacking the cities within his path; after all, the fortune of the Medicis was far greater than anything he could gain from within the walls Bologna.


    As for how he would choose to deal with the City of Florence, only time would tell. However, one thing was sure; he would not allow his soldiers to march into the Capital of the Empire and engage in a brutal struggle to take every corner of the City from the fierce resistance of the Italians.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 336: Siege of Florence Part I

    <h4>Chapter 336: Siege of Florence Part I</h4>


    Since Berengar and his Army had departed from Parma, over a month had passed, various siege camps were set up encircling the City of Florence where the Emperor and the Medicis resided. The Austrian''s encampment greatly resembled an borate trench line straight out of the pictures from the Great War during Berengar''s previous life.


    During this time, nobody was allowed to enter the city. However, Berengar had sessfully exfiltrated his agents trapped in the town. It took some effort, but they were retrieved from their position without incident before the Austrian bombardment had begun.


    After retrieving his agents, The Royal Austrian Army''s cannons fired off shells at an arc,nding over the city walls and into the city, bombarding the inhabitants within. With the hundreds of thousands of people who had evacuated to the town of Florence, Berengar knew it was a matter of months before their food supply dwindled and the people began to starve.


    While the siege of Florence continued; back in Kufstein, the war industry had spent day and night producing as many Needle Rifles and their paper cartridges as possible to supply the Austrian war effort, as such thousands of these rifles were now in the hands of the frontline soldiers who rested in the mud as their extravagant ckened steel armor was coated with the substance, covering their armor and attire in an earthly brown.


    For the past three days, it had been raining non-stop; for the rear echelon soldiers who were still issued the flintlock rifles, they could only keep their weapons dry under the thatched coverings of the vast trench line. As for the men with Needle Rifles, they stayed in the front lines, ready to fire on any potential targets that might sally forth and attack their ranks.


    Despite the weeks of constant bombardment, the city still stood, resisting Berengar''s armies until the bitter end. As such, Berengar had taken a rxed approach and had begun writing letters back home to his loved ones. It was a way to entertain himself during this protracted siege.


    The echoes of hundreds of cannons continued to go off as Berengar wrote with his ink and quill to his beloved Ad, who he knew to be staying in Kufstein. The years had gone by since he was first engaged to the girl, and she was now of the proper age to marry.


    With this in mind, Berengar wrote to his little fiancee, expressing his desire to return home from the field and finally take her hand in marriage. She was his fiancee, his Queen, and the first among his wives, and nothing could change that fact.


    While he was writing a love letter to his woman, a knock on the roof of his in-ground quarters resounded throughout the room. Berengar looked over to see one of his officers, d in the renaissance style attire, standing at attention.


    Berengar, dressed in an equally garish fashion, albeit covered in dried mud, stood from his seat and returned the salute to the soldier. The moment he did so, the Officer began giving his report.


    "Your Majesty, the bombardments are continuing as nned; by now, half of the city should be in ruin. I believe it is only a matter of time before they surrender!"


    Despite this report, Berengar did not seem optimistic; on three separate asions, the enemy army had rushed their trench line over the past month. The result was aplete and utter ughter of the Italian forces.


    With the rtively rapid-firing Needle rifles capable of functioning even in adverse conditions, the one advantage that the Italians would typically have over the Flintlock firearms have was now moot. However, the number of needle rifles among his ranks was still significantly less than his entire infantry. As such, the Italians had at times inflicted casualties upon Berengar''s ranks by the sheer volume of bodies they were able to field.


    Generally speaking, they would attack during days like this. Days where the weather prevented the bulk of Berengar''s forces from firing their weapons. They would appear in the tens of thousands and overwhelm Berengar''s ranks through reckless charges.


    While the man was giving his report, a bell rang throughout the trench line; this bell signaled the enemy attack. As such, Berengar quickly grabbed ahold of his helmet before cing it upon his head. After doing so, he grabbed his needle rifle and loaded a cartridge in its chamber.


    Once he wasplete with his actions, he gave a smug look to the Officer who had moments ago predicted the Italians surrender before making a wise-ass remark.


    "You were saying, Colonel?"


    The expression on the man''s face turned sour as he heard Berengar''s words; he truly believed the Italians would realize that the cause was lost and would surrender. Unfortunately for him, that was not the case, and now they were being thrust headfirst into another battle.


    With this in mind, Berengar exited his quarters and climbed up into the muddy trench, where he began to rush towards the area of conflict. For Berengar, this was most likely thest opportunity he had to fight a battle with rtive safety.


    After all, the Austrian weapons were so advanced that Berengar could fight on the frontlines with mitigated risk to his safety. As such, he decided to spend onest hurrah on the battlefield before bing amander who forever sat at the rear of battle.


    Having arrived at the frontlines, Berengar and the soldiers around him lowered their weapons and aimed at the oing Italians. Likest time, there were well over twenty thousand men and adolescent boys charging at the Austrian trench, utterly devoid of armor and at most held a spear in their hands.


    Berengar did not know what propaganda the Emperor had filled in the heads of his people to have them fight without regard to their lives. However, it truly did not matter. At the end of the day, these men and boys alike were enemies, and they had to be dealt with. The Italian attacks always came in the form of waves, targeting specific trench lines; as such, the thousands of Austrians capable of firing in the raining weather were spread out and vastly outnumbered.


    The moment Berengar spotted an Italian man at a distance of roughly a thousand yards, he squeezed the trigger on his needle rifle, sending a projectile downrange and into his bare chest, sting it apart.


    The men gazed in horror as he was shot at such a distance before falling to the ground lifeless. Before the body had even hit the ground, Berengar reloaded his needle rifle by pulling the bolt up and back, where he instantly ced a paper cartridge within the chamber before mming the bolt home.


    While he was doing this, several other of his soldiers fired their weapons into the ranks of the oing enemy. If it were not for the barbed wire in the field halting the Italian Advance, they would have reached the front lines by now.


    Thousands of guns echoed at the front line as hundreds of Austrian soldiers from the other trench positions rushed towards Berengar and his troops for reinforcement. While reinforcements struggled to arrive, Berengar once more fired his rifle towards the enemy as the .451 caliber projectile pierced through the skull of a boy no older than fourteen.


    Berengar rapidly chambered his next round; however, when he pulled the trigger, all that could be heard was an audible click. With paper cartridges, the malfunction rate was roughly one out of every fourteen rounds; as such, he pulled back the bolt before reaching for his clearing rod, which was attached beneath the barre. After getting ahold of the device, he stuck it down the bore of the rifle and knocked the faulty cartridge loose.


    Having done so, Berengar put the clearing rod back in its ce before reaching into his web gear, where he retrieved another paper cartridge and chambered it into the rifle, where he pushed the bolt forward. After doing so, he aimed and fired another round, only to miss his target by a mere inch.


    The lead alloy projectile embedded itself in the man''s shoulder rather than his torso. Though painful, it was not a mortal blow. Before long, the Italian Army had suffered massive casualties, as half of their forces were gunned down during their suicidal charge, but this did not deter their actions. Instead, they ran into the trench line where the Austrian soldiers unleashed their bays onto the enemy.


    Luckily for the Austrian soldiers, these enemies were mere peasant levies quickly drafted intobat at a moment''s notice, they had no armor, and thus the Austrian de-style bays easily pierced through their torsos, sending them to the afterlife.


    Berengar himself quickly caught an oing spear and redirected it with his rifle before lunging forward and piercing his bay through the man''s heart. After seeing the life fade from the man''s eyes, the young King ruthlessly ripped it out and attacked the next hostile.


    This battle continued until eventually the Italian Army of nearly 20,000 men was repelled; as the survivors ran back towards the rtive safety of the city''s walls, they were gunned down by Berengar''s men who fired upon their retreat, iming the lives of nearly all of the men who attempted the suicidal charge.


    Seeing that they were victorious, Berengar let out a sigh of relief before clearing his rifle and taking off his helmet, resting his slicked-backed golden hair against the muddy wall of the trench. Combat was truly and utterly exhausting. Despite being victorious in thisrge skirmish, the Siege of Florence was far from over.


    As Berengar rested against the wall of the trench line, with rain falling heavily upon his handsome face, he could not help but think of his ns for the future after this war was over. When he had finally defeated the Empire and gained his independence, he would usher in the early stages of the age of Steam. He had honestly waited long enough.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 337: Siege of Florence Part II

    <h4>Chapter 337: Siege of Florence Part II</h4>


    After that day where Berengar and his Army had fought off the Italian Charge, things went back to their usual pacing. The rain finally dispersed, and soon the muddied trenches dried up, allowing the Austrian soldiers still issued flintlock rifles to use their weapons properly.


    Rain was reced with snow as winter soon fell upon the city of Florence, and thus the Austrian Army was now dressed in its winter clothing, who were struggling with each day to endure the cold and harsh life of sustaining arge term siege while living in a trench.


    Another month had passed, and during this time frame, the Italians had seldom made an advance; despite this, the Austrian Army continued to shell the city every day for several hours at a time. If not for Berengar''s established supply routes, and the empty cities behind him, he would have had a hard time maintaining the number of shells needed to bombard the town.


    The thunder of the guns echoed off as the hundreds of cannons alternated fire, ensuring that a battery was fired nearly every second during the time frame Berengar had set for bombardments. Seeing how the artillery pieces were elevated at varying degrees, the projectiles flew over the walls and into the city below. The citizens within Florence found their homes destroyed, and their lives were taken during this process.


    In fact, by now, Berengars army had fired hundreds of thousands of shells into the city. He was beginning to wonder if there was anyone left alive within Florence. After all, it had been some time since the Italians had rushed his position. If not for the roughly three years spent preparing for this war, Berengar likely would have run out of munitions ages ago.


    At the moment, Berengar was within the rearmost region of the trench line, where his quarters were built into the ground. He was shaving, as it was now light enough out for him to do so. The straight razor cut at the hairs growing on his face and neck as he began to break out intoughter.


    If one were to observe him, it would appear as if he had gone mad. Still, Berengar was currently reminded of an incident from a particr science fiction franchise from his previous life where soldiers bombarded a city for years after everyone inside was long dead.


    Having nearly cut his throat whileughing at this prospect, Berengar quickly calmed himself and finished the task at hand; after doing so, he decided he would check to see if anyone was alive within Florence. As such, he cleaned himself up before grabbing ahold of his burg, where he ced it upon his head. He then grabbed his needle rifle and exited his quarters, where he entered the trenches.


    Within the trenches, it became apparent that the men within had endured quite a bit of difficulty over this past two months of siege warfare. However, it was nothingpared to the poor souls who suffered through the great war from his previous life. After all, Berengar''s Army was not subject to bombardment by the city''s defenders.


    Eventually, Berengar made his way to the mess constructed for his General officers to dine in. Seeing them eating their morning supply of breakfast brought a smile to Berengar''s face; the moment they saw the King arrive, they jumped up from their seats and saluted him, where Berengar immediately responded with themand.


    "At ease."


    After the men rxed, Berengar approached the General tasked with leading his five artillery Brigades and began to discuss his newest n.


    "I think it is about time to bring down the walls. Have your brigade within our trench line focus their fire on the Northern wall until it crumbles; I''d like to see if there is anyone left alive in the city."


    After hearing this order, the General nodded before responding.


    "Yes, your majesty! I will ry your orders immediately!"


    With that said, Berengar nodded in approval, thus dismissing the man where he ran off to inform the Artillery units of their new orders. Shortly after that, the bombardment had begun once more, as the shells whistled in the air and exploded onto the northern wall. While this Barrage had begun, Berengar had given the infantry Generals new orders as well.


    "Prepare our soldiers; we are entering the city. The time hase to conclude this war and secure our independence. For glory and fathend! God with us!"


    After hearing this, the infantry Generals jumped up in response as they saluted Berengar.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    Afterward, Berengar dismissed them, where they began to muster the Army that had spent thest two months living in the trenches, waiting for this very moment. After roughly an hour, the northern wall had copsed, and with it, the city of Florence, or what remained of it, was revealed.


    Berengar stood at the front of his Army with his sword drawn as he gave a brief but rousing speech.


    "Let today forever be known as the day that Austria gained its independence from the Empire! Whatever difficulties you may face, know that Austria stands behind you! God with us!"


    Thousands of men instantly echoed the Austrian battle cry as they began to advance. The sight of tens of thousands of Austrian soldiers emerging from the trenches with their rifles in hand and their bays affixed as they charged towards the ruined city was indeed one to behold.


    Berengar allowed the Army to pass him by as he took a rear position in the Army; the days of him charging into the front lines of war had long since passed. Though he might take an offensive role in the trenches, he would no longer be the first to storm a city.


    Thus he followed the Army from the rear as they breached through the gap between the northern walls only to see a scale of death and destruction he had never witnessed before. After months of bombardment and hundreds of thousands of shells dropped into the city, few buildings were left standing.


    Most of Florence had been crumbled into debris, and the people within the city walls were either torn apart by the explosive shells or crushed to death by the copsed buildings. Month-old corpses littered the streets as they festered and rotted.


    Berengar now understood why the Italians had not sent a force to attack his line in weeks. The reason was simple; there was no one left to send. Despite the utter destruction brought upon the city of Florence, Berengar''s Army was as always professional. As such, they cautiously cleared the streets while marching upon the Imperial Pce, and more importantly, the Medici bank.


    Every so often, the soldiers of the Royal Austrian Army would clear through debris and find a few citizens hiding within their cers, assuming their house had one. Many of them had long since died of starvation; others had managed to survive, potentially through drastic measures. However, these shell-shocked survivors offered no resistance to the Army that had brought death upon theirnds.


    Berengar personally led his troops into the now ravaged Medici Bank; not a single soul was left alive within the structure, though it had been hit by shells and copsed in some areas; by the grace of God, it had mostly survived the massive bombardment that Berengar had unleashed upon the city.


    Berengar slowly walked through the halls of the bank with a calm and collected expression on his face. He was nked by his Grenadiers, who guarded him cautiously. Eventually, he reached the vault where the Medici fortune was contained, where his soldiers used TNT to breach the entrance.


    After entering the vault, Berengar gazed upon the massive hoard of gold and silver coins stacked as high as the ceiling. Berengar never imagined the Medici wealth to be so grand; gazing upon such a vast stockpile of gold and silver flipped a switch in Berengar''s brain.


    Gold was a substance like no other;pared to the material strengths of steel, it was a far less practical metal. However, the effect it had on a man''s mind was like no other. Seeing such a massive pile of gold coins gathered in one ce that was potentially greater than his fortune made Berengar break out in madughter. After nearly a minute ofughter, Berengar began to cough heavily before calming himself down; after doing so, he uttered a few words.


    "To think that the Medici wealth was so much more than I was led to believe... Truly, it is a fortune to rival that of Mansa Musa, and now it is all mine! With this wealth, I can transform the Austrian economy into the greatest the world has ever seen!"


    Seeing the manic expression on Berengar''s face and the words he had spoken filled his guard with a slight sense of trepidation; however, eventually, Berengar recovered before giving out his orders to the Grenadiers.


    "Guard this treasure trove; once we have finished securing the city, we will haul it all back to Kufstein, where it will be melted down and reminted into our currency!"


    With this said, the vast fortune of the Medici Family had found its way into the hands of the von Kufstein Dynasty, and by extension, the Kingdom of Austria. With this Wealth, Berengar would use it to stimte his economy and break the stagnation that it had begun to suffer due to the limited quantities of the precious metals that he severelycked until now.


    Though Berengar was unaware of what fate awaited the Medici family, whether they were killed off from the bombardment or fled the city, leaving their fortune behind, it did not matter. One thing was certain The vast wealth of the Medici Bank that had once funded the Catholic Church was now acquired by their greatest enemy. Due to this fact, the church''s ability to wage war against Berengar was crippled for years toe, buying him several years of much-needed peace to industrialize his Kingdom and its military.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 338: The Holy Roman Empire Surrenders

    <h4>Chapter 338: The Holy Roman Empire Surrenders</h4>


    After securing the Medici Bank and its vast fortune, Berengar personally led his troops to the crumbling Imperial Pce, which was Emperor Balsamo Corsini''s personal home within the City of Florence. Much like the Medici Bank, only parts of the building were copsed; however, it remained intact for the most part.


    The Austrian artillery was more trained than Berengar had initially thought; In contrast, he had given them instructions to spare the Medici Bank and the Imperial Pce. He never thought they would manage to achieve it.


    Nearly everything within the City had beenpletely obliterated, with few exceptions. Berengar was quite impressed with how effective his artillery was, despite its primitive nature. He could only imagine the destruction he could cause if he were equipped with more modern equipment like rifled breech-loading cannons.


    Berengar thought about this as he strolled through the ruins of Florence. The roads, the houses, the public baths, the cultural icons, everything within the City had been smashed into ruin by the overwhelming bombardment of artillery shells that Berengar hadunched onto the City over the past couple of months.


    So much so that Berengar felt saddened, not for the loss of life, but the destruction of history that had urred in such an ancient and magnificent City. Though he was not a historian by trade in his past life, he was highly knowledgeable on the subject and had a passion for it. To see his war cause such devastation to the City that was supposed to y a prominent role in the Renaissance nearly brought a tear to the young Monarch''s eye as he marched ever closer to the Pce.


    Eventually, Berengar reached the crumbling steps of the dpidated Imperial Pce; upon closer inspection, it seemed to be in a very fragile state, so much so that he felt it could copse at any moment. With this in mind, he sent his soldiers in to investigate the building before he entered.


    If the Emperor were wise, he would have fled to the wine cer, as that was his best chance of survival; as such, Berengar''s troops quickly advanced through the building, making sure each room was clear of potential hostiles.


    They did not find a single living soul within the upper levels, though there were a few corpses of guards and servants that the copsed parts of the building had crushed. Yet, none resembled the description of the Emperor.


    Eventually, Berengar''s soldiers found the entrance to the cer; it was a long staircase that led some ways underground; as such, the unit sent a soldier out to inform Berengar of their discovery. The young soldier was d in the basic ckened te armor, with the shy attire beneath it. However, it had been thoroughly stained with grime from the months of trench warfare that the man had endured, and as such, His uniform looked as if it would blend in with the mud.


    "Your Majesty, the building is clear, aside from the cer. With your permission, we will breach its entrance and see if we can find any sign of the Emperor and his family."


    Berengar silently nodded his head as he followed the soldier back inside, where he gave the order to the Veteran Grenadiers who made up his Bodyguard.


    "If the Emperor and his family are still breathing, I want them captured Alive. As for any other survivors? Do whatever you feel to be necessary!"


    After saying this, an entire squad of grenadiers went down the staircase. Shortly after, Berengar began his descent, where along the way, he heard gunshots resound from the cer below. With this in mind, he quickly made his way into the basement, where he found the Emperor and his family cowered in the corner, theirst bodyguards lying dead on the ground, bleeding from the bullet wounds that tore their chests apart. They were shot dead by the Austrian Grenadiers. As such, Berengar quickly asked for a status report from the squad leader.


    "What happened here?"


    The Grandier instantly saluted Berengar before describing the events that had transpired mere moments before.


    "We came into the room as we were ordered; immediately upon entering, the guards rushed at us with their des, so we gunned them down! Do not worry, your majesty the Emperor and his family has been spared."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar remained silent as he nodded in affirmation of the Grenadier''s actions; after doing so, he slowly approached the Emperor, who was kneeling while shivering in fright like a small child. Berengar proceeded to stand in front of the man with a wicked grin on his face. Every word uttered by Berengar came from a position of overwhelming strength as if he were bullying the weak.


    "Emperor Balsamo Corsini, I must say, this is the first time meeting you in person, and yet I am dreadfully underwhelmed. I thought for sure a man of your position would have the courage to stand before me, yet here you are kneeling like a cowardly child.


    Allow me to make things simple for you, Your armies are broken, your capital is in ruins, and your wealth now belongs to me. You have nothing left! This is the result of your actions and yours alone! My demands are simple, the Kingdom of Austria shall henceforth be an Independent Nation, and the Empire will recognize its legitimacy. You shall also recognize Austria''s annexation of the Swiss Confederation.


    Everything North of Rome and Sardinia shall henceforth be the Kingdom of Lombardy and will be established as a protectorate beneath the suzerainty of Austria where they will provide a tribute to their new masters in the form of currency and raw materials. They shall be allowed a standing army of no more than 10,000 soldiers to act solely as a means of Defense.


    Malta will be ceded to Austria, where all current residents will be evacuated from the ind and returned to the Italian Maind. As for the rest of Italy, it will remain in the hands of you and your Dynasty, and you are free to do as you wish with it, under the stiption that your Empire refrains from attacking my Kingdom for the next five years.


    You are to pay us reparations in the form of Gold and Silver worth a total of 1,000,000 Austrian Guldens. This, of course, is on top of the wealth we have seized from the Medici Bank and the cities we have since plundered. I expect this to be paid to Austria within a hundred years."


    The demands that Berengar had made were excessive. For instance, the reparations alone would ount for over 30 tons of gold. In Berengar''s past life that would be worth over a billion US Dors, with a limited amount of Gold in Europe in 1421, the sheer volume of payments Berengar was asking from the Holy Roman Empire was enough to ensure that the Empire was in debt to Austria for a hundred years or more!


    However, despite the insane demands that Berengar had forced upon him, the Emperor was in no position to reject them. His army was utterly annihted, and his capital was in ruins. If he resisted, the only thing that would happen would be his death; one way or another, Berengar would get what he wanted.


    As such, the once-mighty Holy Roman Emperor nodded his head in defeat, agreeing to the terms presented. At this moment, the Holy Roman Empire had officially surrendered to the Kingdom of Austria. The War for Austrian Independence was over, and with it, significant changes were about to ur within Europe.


    However, at the moment Berengar could not care about such matters; his attention was needed elsewhere. As such, he and his troops departed from the Pce; in a few days, he would sign an official peace treaty with the Emperor where all of his terms would be written in the contract.


    Berengar returned to the Medici Bank and watched as his troops began to haul the substantial amount of gold and silver out of the bank and into supply wagons; it would take weeks, possibly even months to transport all of this wealth back to the Austrian National Treasury in Kufstein. As such, Berengar would leave behind an army of 25,000 men within the ruined City of Florence to ensure that the gold and silver were sessfully transported back to Austria.


    While Berengar''s soldiers spent the next few months ensuring the assets gained in the warpleted their journey, the young Monarch would depart for Kufstein immediately after the treaty was signed. With the war over, The young King had essential matters of State to attend to.


    Austria had gained a sizeable amount ofnd and wealth from this conflict. Berengar had also crippled the financial backing of his greatest enemy and ensured that his southern rivals could not attack him for a period of five years.


    With these gains, Berengar fully intended to utilize the time and resources he had acquired in this war to bring forth the fires of industry. When he finally returned from Florence, a new age would await the young Monarch. The era of Steam and Steel was about to descend upon the newly found Kingdom of Austria.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 339: Reunited at Last

    <h4>Chapter 339: Reunited at Last</h4>


    The War of Austrian Independence finally ended, and to nobody''s surprise, The Kingdom of Austria was overwhelmingly victorious. After the siege of Florence that left hundreds of thousands of Italians dead, Berengar sessfully signed a peace treaty in the ruined city.


    Those few who were fortunate enough to survive the bombardment would have to deal with Austrian upation until the total wealth of the Medici Family was transferred back to the Austrian Royal Treasury.


    As for Berengar, he returned home immediately after the peace treaty was signed between himself and the Holy Roman Emperor. Today was the day he returned to the city of Kufstein, and when he and his soldiers entered the town, they were shocked to see that arge ceremony had been organized in the streets to wee the Heroes of Austria back to the Capital.


    Berengar waved to the crowd on horseback as he stood at the front of the formation, leading them through the city''s gates and into the walls. Women from all walks of life had gathered to toss flowers at the feet of the returning veterans who had given their all for a free and independent Austria.


    Eventually, Berengar''s army or at least those souls who came from Kufstein reached the city''s center, where they broke ranks and returned to their homes. As for Berengar, he approached the walls of the newly constructed Royal Pce of Austria.


    After several years of construction and several iterations in designs, the new home for Berengar and his family was finally finished. The result was a massive pce based upon the creation of the Sch?nbrunn Pce from Berengar''s previous life.


    Over the past few years, Berengar''s grand architectural designs had shifted from the style of the renaissance in nature to that of Baroque. This included not only his Pce but also the Grand Cathedral that was nearlyplete.


    In Berengar''s past life, Baroque Architecture was created in the early 17th Century by the Catholic Church in an attempt tobat the growing reformation. Berengar thus decided that in this life, he would use the Catholic Church''s tactics against them.


    Thus all of his major Architectural feats, such as his Pce and the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein, and Ad''s efforts to introduce cultural centers such as concert halls and art galleries were now being constructed in the Baroque style.


    After gazing upon his finished mighty Pce, a smile appeared on Berengar''s lips as he passed through the gates handled by a unit of his grenadiers and pressed onwards into the Pce Grounds.


    After arriving at the fountain in the front of the yard, Berengar noticed Honoria was sitting upon its edge, skimming the surface with her hands; she was not dressed in her usual practical attire. Instead, she was clothed in a mint green and gold dress. She was dolled up in a decent amount of makeup which highlighted her natural beauty.


    Heraclius, her pet eagle, was perched upon the Princesses shoulder and red at Berengar as he entered the scene. When Berengar saw one of his women who he had had not been with for some time, he hopped down from his mount and approached the girl who had not yet noticed his presence.


    It was only after Heraclius cawed at Berengar that Honoria shifted her attention from the magnificent fountain to that of her lover, who was standing a few feet away from her. She was well aware that Berengar would be arriving home today and thus had waited for him in the pce gardens for well over an hour.


    After seeing her man, d in his armor, returning home from the war as a conquering hero, Honoria could not contain her pent-up desire and rushed into Berengar''s arms, where she immediately nted a kiss upon his lips.


    Unlike Linde and Ad, Berengar had worried about Honoria''s safety while she was away. However, she was unaware, he had spies embedded on her ship who constantly watched over her, and as such, Berengar was always aware of the battles she had fought and the effect she had on the war effort.


    Despite her immense sess in the art of privateering, Berengar never stopped worrying about Honoria''s safety. With this in mind, he eagerly epted her embrace as he began groping at her chest, shoving his hand through the exposed portion of her dress and wrapping it around her substantial bosom. Honoria did not resist in the slightest.


    Meanwhile, Heraclius hopped off Honoria''s shoulder and perched himself upon the fountain, where he shifted his gaze from the passionate disy that the couple was engaging in. At this moment, Berengar noticed Honoria''s breasts were bigger than they used to be, and as such, he whispered in her ears the following words.


    "You have grown since ourst encounter; I can''t wait to see what you look like under that dress!"


    Though Honoria was eager to show off her improved figure, she was unfortunately not able to do so as after Berengar had said these words, the couple who were immersed in each other''s presence heard a sound from a mere few feet away.


    "Ahem..."


    This immediately caused Berengar and Honoria to break up their intimate gestures and search for the origins of the sound. Ad and Linde were standing nearby where Berengar''s little fiancee was pouting with her arms crossed, while his other lover smiled with a sultry expression. She, too, wanted to join in on Berengar and Honoria''s fun. Unfortunately, Ad was present, so she would not have the ability to do so.


    Noticing his two other women standing nearby, Berengar shamelessly walked over to Ad and picked her up in the air, swinging her around before nting a kiss on her luscious pink lips. After cing her down, he said the words he knew she wanted to hear the most.


    "Ad! I missed you so much!"


    Though Ad was still furious that Honoria was the first to greet Berengar upon his arrival, she was no longer mad at him for allowing himself to be taken advantage of. After seeing the cute expression on Ad''s face, he patted her head before walking over to Linde, who was biting her lip in jealousy.


    He immediately grabbed ahold of her and tucked her into his embrace; However, it was far fromfortable due to the massive amount of steel that covered his upper body; still, Linde enjoyed the hug, where Berengar nted one hand on her plump bottom before kissing her as well.


    It was only after this that Berengar noticed Henrietta was standing nearby; she was dressed in a pastel pink dress with gold ents and was staring at Berengar with a sheepish expression; despite being nearly fourteen at the moment, the girl was still shy, even around her brother.


    As such, Berengar let go of Linde and patted Henrietta''s head before hugging her. As he did so, Henrietta flushed with embarrassment before whispering in a voice so low Berengar almost didn''t hear it.


    "Wee home, big brother..."


    After releasing Henrietta, a broad smile spread upon Berengar''s lips as he gazed off into the distance at the massive Pce that had been constructed for himself and his family. As such, he made a suggestion to the four young women around him.


    "Shall we head inside? I very much wish to get out of this clunky attire and witness my new home for myself!"


    The four girls all nodded their heads silently before they followed Berengar into the house. Heraclius stayed out in the garden as he watched the small party depart for the building; he shook his head as he did so before taking off in flight. Where he would go and what he would do while his master socialized with her lover and rivals would remain unknown.


    When Berengar and the girls finally entered the Pce, they reacted with different expressions; However, the girls had been living in the exquisite Pce for a few weeks now; it was Berengar''s first time witnessing such a grand disy of luxury in person.


    He had seen pictures on the inte of various European pces in his past life but never had he stepped foot inside one of the magnificent abodes himself. Now he had one of his own, and it was indeed everything he expected it to be. The level of detail that went into its construction did not go unnoticed.


    As such, he spent some time searching every corner of the mega-structure before finally making his way to his room, where he stripped out of his armor and put on some morefortable attire. After months of brutal warfare, he was finally reunited with his loved ones, and he fully intended to enjoy the moment. After dressing in somefortable clothing he spent the rest of the day with his lovers and his sister.


    As for what urred in the night, that was left between Honoria, Linde, and Berengar. Despite being of age, Ad chose to wait for her wedding night until she gave her chastity to the man she loved. To a religious girl like her, some things were sacred.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 340: Coronation of a King Part I

    <h4>Chapter 340: Coronation of a King Part I</h4>


    Nearly a fortnight had passed since Berengar had returned home from the War for Austrian Independence. After securing aplete and total victory over the Empire, Berengar and his armies hadpletely shocked the European world with their brutal efficiency during the conflict.


    Not only did Bernegar secure a wless victory on Land, but he even managed to annihte the massive armada that belonged to the Kingdom of Italy and its vassal states on the sea. However, Berengar did not care about the reputation of cruelty he had gained after his immense sess during the war.


    Instead, he spent thest few weeks preparing for a significant asion, one that would mark the beginning of a new Age in Austria and its Vassal State. The coronation ceremony of King Berengar von Kufstein was finally at hand, and Berengar had invited every prominent nobleman in the Kingdom of Austria and his allies from the East and West.


    As the weeks passed, his visitors had arrived in the hundreds, and now the day for his ceremony hade. At the moment, Berengar was entertaining his guests in the Great Hall of his new Royal Pce. The degree of luxury within Berengar''s new abode put every other Monarch''s home in the western world to shame.


    Berengar drank from a chalice filled with fortified wine to entertain his friend and ally Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl. They had traveled from Granada to attend the coronation ceremony of his partner to the east.


    At the two Monarchs'' sides were a string of beautiful young women; Berengar was nked by his lovers and younger sister. On Hasan''s peripheral were his two wives and his older sister Yasmin. They were all dressed in the formal attire of their countries and quite luxurious clothing at that.? Hasan was the first to speak as he introduced his gorgeous older sister to Berengar.


    "My friend, it is good to see that you are finally a Monarch in your own right; you are truly deserving of such a position. Allow me to introduce my beautiful older sister Princess Yasmin Al-Fadl. I believe I have mentioned her to you in the past, yes?"


    Berengar was stunned when he saw the woman standing before him; she was dressed in a Tyrian purple kaftan embellished with gold embroidery; she also wore a matching face veil that was translucent as such Berengar could roughly see the outlines of the woman''s pretty face.


    While enamored with the foreign beauty, Berengar did not notice Ad and Linde ring at him with murderous intent; as such, he grabbed ahold of the woman''s hand and kissed it before speaking to the woman.


    "Princess, it is an honor to make your acquaintance."


    The foreign beauty smiled beneath her veil before Berengar released his grip over her hand. She, too, was quite attracted to the Austrian King. She had heard much from Hasan about his ally to the East, and until now, she had hardly believed her brother''s words.


    While Ad and Linde were ring daggers at Berengar from behind, Honoria observed the color of the woman''s dress. The young Princess from Byzantium was quite enamored with the Tyrian Purple kaftan; after all, she had acquired and sold an ample supply of the expensive dye for a small fortune.


    For some time, she had some difficulties with the hair powder treatment that she had been using to disguise her appearance; to put it simply, it was not the most resilient form of masking when it came to water. However, seeing the beautiful color in front of her, Honoria suddenly got a brilliant idea about dying her hair with such a luxurious substance.


    After all, she was in actuality royalty and had garnered the nickname of Pirate Queen by the enemies of Austria during her tenure as a privateer. Would it not make sense for her to dye her naturally chocte hair to a deep Tyrian purple? Unlike the other girls, she honestly did not care that Berengar''s eye had been gazing upon the massive bosom of the foreign beauty who was in their presence.


    However, the awkward scene of Berengar''s first meeting with the Princess of Granada abruptly came to an end as Emperor Vetranis of the Byzantine Empire made his way through the Great Hall to greet the soon-to-be-crowned King of Austria.


    After stepping into the fray, the Emperor of Byzantium boldly approached Berengar as a fellow monarch, but more importantly as a man whose realm was deeply in debt to Berengar. Thus he put on a respectful appearance as he greeted Berengar.


    "King Berengar von Kufstein, I have wanted to meet your acquaintance for some time now. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Emperor Vetranis Piologos of the Byzantine-"


    However, the man''s words were instantly cut short as he gazed upon the white hair beauty standing next to Berengar. Though the young woman''s hair color was different, and she was more physically mature, there was no mistaking it; this woman was his long-lost daughter, who had until now been believed to be dead. As such, the proud Emperor of the East began to break out into tears as his voice cracked.


    "Honoria!?! Is that you?"


    This sudden revtion shocked the Court as they gazed over at the white-haired beauty from Byzantium, who they all knew by the moniker of "Valeria Zonara, the Pirate Queen of Austria."


    Honoria''s angelic face seemed shocked as she saw her father standing before her; the man did not appear to be vengeful in the slightest as he gazed upon his runaway daughter. Instead, he seemed to be filled with disbelief.


    As such, she struggled to find the words, fearful that her father would drag her back to Constantinople. Berengar, of course, feigned ignorance to this fact. It was best not to reveal that he knew of Honoria''s identity this entire time. As such, he stood by silently with a shocked expression, despite being the architect behind this father-daughter reunion.


    Berengar had specifically invited the Byzantine Emperor for two reasons; one was that the appearance of the Eastern Emperor at Berengar''s Coronation spoke volumes about the legitimacy of his title. Secondly, it was now time to advance his ns with the Byzantine Empire as a long-term ally.


    After all, Berengar had be aware of Linde''s agreement with Andronikos and his mysterious backers. Thus he was not afraid of making his y. After several moments of silence, Honoria rushed over to her father and gave him a big hug.


    "Father! I did not expect to see you here..."


    The entire Great Hall was silent as they heard this news; straight from the Pirate Queen''s mouth, she had admitted to the fact that she was the runaway Byzantine Princess. Vetranis struggled to cope with this news as he grasped ahold of his errant daughter. It took him a few moments toe to his senses before he asked the flurry of questions on his mind.


    "Are you alright? Why are you here in Kufstein? Did anything happen to you?"


    After hearing this, Honoria broke away from her father''s grasp, where she put on a friendly smile before assuring him that she was ok.


    "I''m alright father, without King Berengar''s kindness, I would be dead, or worse by now..."


    Hearing this news snapped Vetranis back to reality, and he instantly made his way over to the Austrian King with a look of fury on his face.


    "You bastard! You kept my daughter here this entire time, and you did not once notify me that she was alive! Just what are you nning!?!"


    However, before Vetranis could take a swing at Berengar, his arm was dragged away by a pleading Honoria. She could instantly tell by the shocked facade that Berengar and the others were putting on that they nned to deny knowing her true identity. As such, she quickly yed the part.


    "You''re wrong, father; King Berengar was ignorant of my true identity. I told him I was a noblewoman from Antioch! All he has done is show me kindness!"


    While Honoria yed the part well, only one man in the crowd was unconvinced of her charade, and that was a particrly powerful nobleman from the Byzantine Empire. Though Berengar had no way of knowing it, this man was one of the backers of Andronikos. He had journeyed with the Emperor to Kufstein to assure that the scheme to ce Berengar and Honoria''s son on the Byzantine Throne went smoothly. As such, he quickly came to Honoria''s defense as he approached the enraged Emperor.


    "Your Majesty, I know you are currently conflicted, but think about this rationally. I mean, just look at King Berengar; he seems just as baffled as you are about this whole situation. I suggest we discuss these matters in private after the Coronation has ended; after all, you are making a scene..."


    After hearing the advice from his counsel, Vetranis looked around. Where he saw that the entire attention of the Great Hall had been shifted to him, and his outburst, as such, the Emperor coughed before speaking to Honoria in a more friendly tone.


    "I expect a proper response from you about what has happened since you foolishly decided to run away and what exactly the nature of the rtionship is between you and this man!"


    With that said, the Emperor withdrew from Berengar''s presence and left the Great Hall; for now, he needed some time to think things through, and the advice of his counsel would y a role in how he treated this new information.? The mysterious noblemen who calmed the Emperor''s wrath approached Berengar before bowing respectfully.


    "I apologize for the Emperor''s behavior; since Arethas'' untimely death, he has been a bit on edge. I hope you can forgive him for his violent outburst on this special day of yours."


    With that said, Berengar nodded his head in silence while observing the man closely. After seeing the King of Austria''s reaction, the mysterious nobleman raised his head before departing.


    "If you will excuse me, I believe it is my job to counsel the Emperor when he is distressed. I assure you, whatever is the nature of your rtionship with our princess, I will ensure that the Emperor epts it."


    After saying this, the man followed after the enraged Emperor of Byzantium, leaving Berengar and Honoria in a confused state. Honoria gazed at Berengar with tears forming in her eyes, that began to stream down her perfect ivory cheeks. It was at this moment Berengar realized that he had not informed her of Arethas'' demise.? With this in mind, the girl choked on her words as she attempted to find out for certain.


    "Ar... Arethas is dead?"


    In response to this Berengar grabbed ahold of Honoria and tucked her head into his chest while stroking her silky white hair. As he did so he apologized to her profusely.


    "I am so sorry, I thought you knew..."


    As such Honoria spent the next thirty minutes staining Berengar''s luxurious attire with her tears. Throughout this entire time, Berengarforted the princess on the loss of her Godfather. The beginning of the day of his coronation had not gone as nned.


    ---


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    /user?u=7947078


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 Chapter 341: Coronation of a King Part II

    <h4>Chapter 341: Coronation of a King Part II</h4>


    While Emperor Vetranis was calming his nerves in the courtyard of the Royal Pce of Austria, Berengar wasforting Honoria after she had learned the troubling news of Arethas'' death. Hetched onto the beautiful young woman like amprey as he stroked her silky white hair. While he did so, he whispered into the Princess''s ear.


    "Don''t worry; everything will be fine. I promise that I will convince your father to allow us to be together!"


    Honoria looked up at Berengar with an appreciative nce. Without Berengar here tofort her, she had no idea how she would handle the news of Arethas'' death. Aside from Heraclius, her godfather was her only friend growing up, hearing that he had passed away while still being so young shook the girl to her core.


    It was only after Berengar had helped calm the princess''s nerves that the young King addressed the crowd of nobility who had gathered to witness his coronation with a calm and confident tone.


    "I apologize for the scene just now; we will be moving onto the Coronation shortly, so I suggest you take your fill of food and wine before it is no longer being distributed."


    After saying this, Berengar returned his attention to the people who were gathered by his side. Marquess Otto von Graz, who was the father of Ad had also approached Berengar during this time and began to speak to him.


    "Your Majesty, I have to ask, will everything be alright between you and our allies to the East? It appears that Princess Honoria''s presence has now be known to everyone present..."


    Berengar smiled in response to this and nodded his head before addressing his Chancellor''s concerns.


    "Everything will be fine Otto, after my coronation, I intend to have a long discussion with the Byzantine Emperor about the future of our two realms. For now, you should enjoy yourself; the Ceremony will begin soon enough."


    After seeing the confident expression on Berengar''s face, Otto felt somewhat relieved. The King knew what he was doing, even if it may not have seemed that way from the initial encounter. As such, he nodded his head and smiled before responding to Berengar''s remarks.


    "I will do as you suggested."


    With that said, Marquess Otto took his leave and began to mingle with the other guests. Before long, the Emperor returned to the event after some thorough convincing from the mysterious nobleman from the east.


    After doing so, Berengar instructed the food and wine to be taken back to the kitchen, and the Ceremony had begun. Ludolf, who was the head of the Reformist Church, held onto a purple pillow with golden embroidery; upon this pillow was a crown fit for a King. This Crown was gold with ck ga gemstones embedded within its surface and contained a ck velvet lining.


    As such, Berengar spoke towards the crowd that had gathered to witness this asion with an authoritative voice as he said the words that would be etched into history.


    "I King Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name hereby dere that I am crowned by God, not by the Church as my power is divine in nature! It is under his will that no man alive or deadmands me on this great Earth, for I answer solely to the Lord God almighty!"


    After saying this short, but precise speech Berengar grabbed ahold of the gilded Crown and ced it on his head. The moment he did so, Marquess Otto von Graz, the Chancellor of Austria, ordered every Austrian man, woman, and child present.


    "Kneel before your King!"


    The moment he said this, the entire crowd gathered, aside from the diplomats of foreign Kingdoms kneeled before Berengar and bowed their heads in respect to the man that would one day lead Austria to boundless glory.


    When Berengar saw this, a smug smile carved itself upon his wless face, he had waited years for this day, and it had finallye true. Though the road to the Crown wasplete, the road to power had only just begun.


    His ambitions were far more significant than simply being King of Austria and Switzend. He nned many conquests in the years toe and had already begun to draft the documents necessary to fund expeditions across the world in search ofnds with valuable resources ripe for colonization.


    However, for now, such things were still unachievable. As a matter of principle, he had several tasks at hand that prevented such actions. Firstly, Berengar had to take care of his rtions with the Empire to the East. Then he would have to marry his darling fiancee and sire some offspring; after that, he would have to begin the process of industrialization. It was not until Berengar had achieved the results he desired that he would fund an expedition to the new world and start his wars of unification.


    Berengar kept this fact in mind as he spent the rest of the day entertaining his guests, many of which had traveled across Austria and Europe itself to witness the monumental asion. After spending several hours mingling with the noblemen and women of the western world, Berengar finally ended the Coronation Ceremony.


    After the hundreds of guests had dispersed from his pce, the young Monarch took his first steps on his long journey towards unification. As such, Berengar approached the Emperor and his counsel with a pleasant smile on his face.


    The two men had waited silently until this moment, knowing that there were important matters that needed to be discussed between their two realms. Now that the Coronation ceremony waspleted, Berengar was required to mend the temporary rift between himself and the Byzantines. As such, he approached the Emperor of the East with a friendly smile before expressing his thoughts.


    "I apologize for the wait Emperor Vetranis; I believe that you and I have some important matters to discuss; if you and your friend would follow me to somece more private, I would very much like to have a conversation with you."


    The Byzantine Emperor eyed Berengar with suspicion. However, the mysterious Byzantine nobleman by his side nodded his head in approval, signaling to the Emperor that it would be eptable to do so; as such, Emperor Vetranis and his counsel followed Berengar to his study where Honoria was already waiting for their discussion.


    She had a nervous smile on her otherwise perfect face as she witnessed her lover and father enter the room together; she knew this discussion would seal her fate; either she could continue to live with Berengar and enjoy the life of a privateer, or she would be dragged back to Constantinople and be forced to marry some prince where she would live her life in servitude.


    Regardless of the risks, she trusted Berengar with every fiber of his being to properly negotiate with her father about a potential marriage between herself and her lover. It was with this in mind that she greeted her estranged father with a pleasant but forced smile.


    "Father, it is good to see that you are still in exceptional health."


    Vetranis did not respond to this and merely snubbed his daughter; only after the doors were sealed and, absolute privacy was ensured did Emperor Vetranis speak his mind about the whole ordeal.


    "Tell me, King Berengar, how long has my daughter been living with you?"


    Berengar saw no reason to lie about such a thing, and as such, he quickly revealed the information.


    "I suppose it has been roughly two years now? Maybe longer..."


    Emperor Vetranis nodded his head before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "I must thank you for keeping her safe during this time. However, I am still confused about the nature of your rtionship with my daughter. I understand that you already have a fiancee, and your wedding is set not long from now. So tell me, what intentions do you have for my daughter, now that you know she is the Princess of the Byzantine Empire?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this question; for years now, he had been trying to think of a way to convince the Emperor to allow him to marry Honoria as his third wife, and now that the time hade, he refused to let the chance slip from his grasp. As such, he quickly grabbed ahold of Honoria''s hand before bringing it to his lips, where he kissed it in an intimate disy. After doing so, he revealed his thoughts to the Emperor, who was standing in shock.


    "The fact that Valeria is the missing Princess Honoria does not change how I feel about her. The truth is we are in love and have been for some time. If anything, this presents an opportunity, one that could guarantee the prosperity of our two realms for years toe..."


    Vetranis instantly frowned when he heard this; his worst fears had been realized; Berengar was nothing more than a womanizer who had taken his only daughter as a member of his harem. He had heard rumors that Berengar kept several mistresses by his side, but he never suspected that his daughter was one of them until now. As such, he was naturally inclined to reject any offer that Berengar was about to present.


    However, before he could refuse to listen to such absurdity, the mysterious nobleman apanying the Byzantine Emperor immediately spoke out with a friendly tone.


    "Do tell, King Berengar, what kind of arrangement did you have in mind?"


    After hearing this, a smug smile etched itself upon Berengar''s immacte features as he revealed the plot he had in mind ever since Honoria''s arrival in Kufstein.


    "Well, that is quite simple; I intend to Marry Honoria as my third wife; in doing so, I will absolve your Empire of all debts that you currently hold to the Austrian Crown and establish an alliance between our two realms for the foreseeable future. So tell me, Emperor Vetranis? Are you willing to marry your daughter to a German King?"


    The room was utterly silent as the young Monarch spoke these words to the Emperor from the East. Berengar''s offer was simply outrageous, as such, it took some time for the man to calm his nerves. What came next would be an intense negotiation that would alter the course of the world''s history for the foreseeable future.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 342: Aggressive Negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 342: Aggressive Negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor</h4>


    Berengar stared down Vetranis with a gaze of utter confidence; the Byzantine Emperor was visibly shaking from the rage building up within himself. This minor nobleman from the west who had risen to the status of a King had won his only daughter''s heart and most likely taken her virtue with it. This was a massive blow to the prestige of the Byzantine Imperial Family; after all, Berengar may be the most powerful man in Europe at the moment, but he was still of a lesser pedigree.


    As such, those who hade from dynasties that had ruled over Kingdoms and Empires for centuries still tended to look down upon him as nothing more than an upstart. Vetranis was one of these men. Austria may be exceptionally wealthy and hold supreme martial powerpared to its neighbors, but it was a rising star.


    Meanwhile, Constantinople had been the gem of the east since the days of Rome. Such past glories blinded Vetranis with hubris when dealing with this upstart King of the West. Especially when considering this young monarch had just tantly stated he wanted to take Honoria as his third wife.


    Vetranis gazed at his errant daughter''s flushed appearance as the girl heard Berengar''s words, and noticed that Honoria was utterly entranced with the Austrian King. To think that his daughter would fall head over heels for a filthy German was an insult to the Emperor''s allegedly pure Roman heritage.


    The German States hade a long way in terms of advancement and civilization since the days of their barbarian ancestors. Despite this, the stigma surrounding the Germans as savage and brutal people never entirely faded from the perspective of the Byzantines.


    After all, the Greco-Roman poption of the Eastern Empire still imed a lineage to the Ancient Romans, or at the very least, the nobility did so. With all of this in mind, the Emperor nearly erupted at Berengar and his ims; however, Vetranis choked back his anger and behaved with semi-civil conduct as he addressed Berengar''s conditions.


    "Bah, you think you can marry my daughter as your third wife? I know you may not be Catholic, but surely the German Reformation does not allow polygamy!?!"


    In response to this, the smug grin on Berengar''s face failed to vanish as he boldly addressed the Emperor''s first point of contention.


    "The German Reformation and its adherents believe what I tell them to believe. If you were to actually study the word of God, and go back to the Old Testament, then you would see proof of polygamy as amon practice among the Heavenly Father''s most favored children. As for the new testament, only a few verses mention polygamy, and it is strictly regarding members of the clergy.


    As for whether or not is it is culturallypatible with the German way of life, the ancestors of my people practiced polygamy in a limited capacity. Usually, it was only men of great status who took multiple wives, but we live in different times, and I see no reason amon man cannot take up more than one bride if he can provide for them and his children with them."


    Vetranis did not know how to refute Berengar''s ims when it came to his arguments; he was neither a biblical schr nor a historian capable of presenting counter-evidence. As such, he merely resorted to childish insults in regards to Berengar''s heritage.


    "Your ancestors were nothing more than filthy barbarians!"


    When Honoria heard this, she frowned beforementing on her father''s rude remarks.


    "Father! How-"


    However, before she could finish her statement, Berengar smiled cruelly and responded with a witty retort.


    "And your ancestors were a bunch of wicked degenerates, but I suppose both of our people havee a long way in terms of civilization. I would ask you to refrain from insulting my heritage. After all, soon enough, your grandchildren will share it."


    Vetranis nearly snapped when he heard thest part of Berengar''s remark. However, the mysterious nobleman nearby attempted to calm the Emperor''s nerves as he whispered in his ear some words that only the two men could hear. After hearing the advice of his minister, Vetranis calmly responded to Berengar''c ims with a forced smile on his face.


    "You truly believe that, don''t you?"


    The smug grin spread across Berengar''s face never faded, as it only increased in size every time he heard the Emperor speak, this did not go unnoticed by his guests, and it only acted as a means to stoke the fire in Vetranis'' heart.


    Berengar did not respond to this question, at least not verbally; he merely nodded his head in silence, knowing that such an action would further provoke the Emperor. His assumptions proved correct as Vetranis practically had steaming out of his ears as he continued to press Berengar on his ims.


    "Tell me, King Berengar, why are you so positive that I will agree to allow you to marry my daughter?"


    In response to this, Berengar raised four of his fingers before calmly responding to the Emperor''s question.


    "There are four reasons why I know for a fact that you will wed your daughter to me. Firstly, now that your alliance with France has faltered due to Honoria''s disappearance, you need a powerful ally to the west. I can provide a far more stable alliance than my pathetic neighbor to the west.


    Secondly, I have already taken your daughter''s chastity, which means finding an alternative option for her to marry will be nigh impossible, especially when your other options hear that it is the mighty King Berengar who has taken the girl''s first time.


    Thirdly, you do not have the power topel me to give her up, and I am more than willing to wage war for her hand in marriage, but of course, that would be myst option, and I would greatly prefer a peacefully alternative."


    After saying this, silence prevailed in the room; the only sound that could be heard was the grinding of the Emperor''s teeth as he struggled toe to terms with Berengar''s words. It was only after a few moments where the minister who had apanied Vetranis spoke up on the matter.


    "You mention four reasons for why the Emperor will give in to your demands; what is the final one?"


    In response to this, Berengar''s smile finally disappeared as a grave expression appeared across his pristine face. As he did so, an oppressive aura filled the room as Berengar spoke with the authority of a Tyrant.


    "Lastly, you owe me a substantial debt, one that would be difficult to pay even with your newly acquired territory. I would be more than happy to forgive a sizable portion of that ount in return for the Princess''s hand in marriage. You can consider it the bride price."


    When the minister heard thisst remark, he knew that Berengar had negotiated his terms masterfully; the young monarch had started with three solid, albeit harsh justifications for why he would get his way, only to end with an option that greatly favored the other party.


    As such, the mysterious minister began to whisper his council into the Emperor''s ear. A marriage with Honoria greatly favored the minister''s faction and was one of their most important goals. He could consider it the fortune of heaven for himself being picked to apany the Emperor on this journey to Kufstein.


    As such, he did everything he could to convince the Emperor to ept Berengar''s terms, especially since Berengar was using debt-trap diplomacy to seal the deal.? The Emperor and his minister conversed in hushed tones for several minutes until they finally returned to the negotiating table, where Berengar and Honoria sat in silence. The Emperor made one final demand before ending the negotiations.


    "It would appear that you have made a convincing argument; my minister seems to support your decision. However, I have a single point of contention that I think needs to be addressed. My daughter is an Imperial Princess, while your other brides-to-be are far lower ranked in the noble hierarchy. Make my daughter your first wife and thewful Queen of Austria, and I will ept your demands."


    The Emperor saw this as a reasonable request and did not expect Berengar to refuse. However, as Berengar had stated, he held all the cards in this negotiation, and he would not relent on the issue.


    "I refuse... Honoria will be my third wife, and that is final."


    Vetranis nearly jumped out of his seat as he heard such a brash remark. However, he looked over at his minister''s gaze before gritting his teeth and asking politely why Berengar would refuse such a demand.


    "Why? It is a perfectly reasonable request!"


    Berengar merely chuckled as he allowed Honoria to speak for the first time in the negotiation.


    "Ask your daughter how she feels about ruling as the primary Queen of Austria..."


    When Vetranis looked over at Honoria, he was surprised to see she waspletely unphased by Berengar''s remarks. As such, Honoria expressed her desires to her father openly and clearly.


    "I have no intention to rule as the High Queen beside Berengar. It is a task I am not suited to; Ad is a far better candidate for such a position. Berengar has given me the freedom to live my life as I see fit, and the affairs of the court are dreadful, to say the least."


    Before Vetranis could respond, Berengar opted to inform Vetranis of the format he had decided to make for his polygamous structure.


    "Your daughter will have the official title of Queen, which means she is a secondary wife. There will only be one High Queen of Austria who rules by my side, and that is my fiancee Ad von Graz. In exchange for this, I offer a matrilineal marriage so that Honoria''s children are members of your dynasty.


    An alliance will be established between our two Realms, one that I am sure willst the test of time, and I am willing to absolve you and your Empire of 75% of its debt. As for the payment of the remainder 25%, it can be negotiated at ater date.


    So what do you say? Do you agree to my terms?"


    Vetranis asked Honoria onest question to his only daughter beforeing to a decision.


    "Is this really what you want, Honoria?"


    In response to this, Honoria nodded her head with a beautiful smile on her face before answering her father''s inquiry.


    "More than anything!"


    The Emperor sighed heavily before nodding his head.


    "Very well. I agree to betrothed my daughter to you, King Berengar; you have truly left me with no other option. I must say, you truly know how to get what you want..."


    Berengar responded to the Emperor''s words with a genuine smile on his face.


    "Thank you, Emperor Vetranis, or should I call you father-inw?"


    However, Vetranis shook his head and stood up when he heard this. He said one final word before departing the room.


    "That wasn''t meant to be apliment..."


    After saying this, Vetranis left his daughter and her new fiance alone in the room; he had a massive headache after the aggressive negotiations he had just dealt with. As for Berengar, he immediately began to make out with Honoria after her father left. What the two would get up two while alone in the Royal Pce''s study only they would know.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 343: Discussing Military Intervention in Granada

    <h4>Chapter 343: Discussing Military Intervention in Granada</h4>


    After sessfully negotiating his future marriage to Honoria, Berengar returned to the great hall of his royal pce, where another guest was sitting and drinking, surrounded by his two wives and his beautiful sister. This guest was none other than Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl.


    Though nearly all of the guests had long since vanished from the scene, Hasan had stayed behind to ask a favor of Berengar. When Berengar saw the man sitting next to the three beauties, he decided to sit alongside them. As he did so, Hasan made a toast in Berengar''s honor.


    "To King Berengar, long may he reign!"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this and took a sip from the chalice filled with the fortified wine. After doing so, he gazed over at Yasmin, who he could tell was an astounding beauty. Berengar decided to check out the young woman and was highly impressed with the Moorish princess''s divine physique. However, before Berengar could finish inspecting the woman, he heard Hasan''s voice call out to him.


    "So, you are interested in my sister after all?"


    Berengar snapped back to attention after hearing this and sighed before responding.


    "I''d be lying if I said she was not beautiful. However, I have enough women at the moment, and I''m pretty sure they will castrate me in my sleep if I were to take in another."


    When Berengar said this, Yasmin looked at him with a sad nce; she had grown quite fond of Berengar during her brief stay in Kufstein, even though they had rarelymunicated. Berengar''s exquisite appearance and natural charisma had taken ahold of the girl''s affections. Despite Berengar''s words, Hasan remained undeterred and made one final remark.


    "I am certain you wille around to the idea sooner orter..."


    After saying this, he nced over at his sister and his wives beforementing.


    "girls, if you will excuse us, I have some important matters to discuss with my friend."


    After saying this, Yasmin nodded and led her little brother''s wives from the scene. After the women disappeared, Hasan looked around to ensure that he and Berengar were truly alone. It was only after he confirmed such a thing did his confident facade begin to crack.


    "Berengar, I need your help; the war with the Iberian Union is not going as nned; they have defeated my armies on multiple asions and captured many of the weapons you have sold me. They have already retaken thend I have seized in this conflict and have begun to push into the heart of my Kingdom. You said in our alliance that you would guarantee our independence! I havee to ask for you to honor your words..."


    Berengar took a sip from his chalice before sighing heavily. He had just finished a war and did not want to engage in another. Though he did not desire to go to war so quickly after returning home, certain events were unavoidable.


    Thus Berengar began to hatch a n, one where he could utilize General Arnulf to oversee the war effort in his stead. If things still did not turn out well, only then would he take up the mantle. With this in mind, Berengar tapped the armrest on the sofa thrice before responding to Hasan''s remarks.


    "How the hell did you manage to fuck up this badly? I gave you arms, training, and advisors, and you still could not lead your men to victory?"


    Hasan had a downcast expression as he stared at the ground, too afraid to look Berengar in the eye. Noticing his ally''s behavior, Berengar sighed once more before speaking up on the matter.


    "I suppose I should not be too hard on you..."


    As soon as Berengar said this, Hasan looked up at him with surprise on his face. However, Berengar ignored this and continued his train of thought.


    "Truthfully, even with the advantages I have given you, I did not believe you would win this conflict by yourself. There are too many factors working against you. You are vastly outnumbered by your enemies and surrounded but the south.


    Youck the means to produce the arms and munitions that your Army is equipped with and thus rely heavily on imports to sustain your military. You alsock the means to conscript arge number of forces without it adversely affecting your economy.


    I knew this day woulde; I just did not expect it to be so soon. Alright, I will send 10,000 men from my Army to intervene on your behalf. However, I will need a few months to field them, we have just gotten out of our war for independence, and my Army needs time to lick their wounds.


    I assume you can hold out for half a year; after all, it takes the Iberians a couple of months to sessfully siege a single castle, let alone a city. If you canst six months, I promise you my armies will ensure your victory in this conflict. Who knows, we might even see a restoration of Al-Andalus..."


    Hasan knew it would take some time for Berengar to deploy his forces, but he did not expect half a year. Nevertheless, the young Sultan knew there was no chance of convincing Berengar to send his troops early; after all, the reputation of the Austrian King was one of overwhelming dominance. With this in mind, he sighed once more before responding to Berengar''s remarks.


    "Very well, I will hold the line until your forces can appear. I hope your Army does not arrive toote."


    When Berengar heard this remark, he smiled and grasped ahold of Hasan''s shoulder beforeforting the man.


    "Do not worry, my friend; by the time my forces arrive in Granada, not even an army of 100,000 men will be able to defeat our alliance!"


    Hasan had little faith in Berengar''s bold ims, but he knew that Berengar''s Army tended to annihte any hostile force they came across. As such, he was not entirely without hope. Little did he know of Berengar''s newest weapons, nor the weapons he nned to build during the allotted timeframe.


    The Age of Industry would soon be upon Austria, and Berengar nned to upgrade his artillery within the next few months. The needle rifle itself was a massive advantage over his enemies, but Berengar needed rifled breech-loaders.


    As such, Berengar nned to use the next six months to industrialize as much of his Kingdom as he could while mass equipping his Army with the new weapons and tactics needed to annihte his enemies. With this in mind, Berengar finished his wine before cing the chalice on the table; as he did so, he gave the Moorish Sultan a bit of friendly advice before departing.


    "Have faith, my friend; you have chosen your friends wisely; now is the time to put some trust into our alliance. Before long, the Catholic Church and its minions will crumble beneath our feet; their days of supremacy areing to an end. A new world awaits on the horizon, and we will stand at the top of it."


    After saying this, Berengar departed from the room, leaving Hasan to drink by himself; he had much to think about; if what Berengar said was true, he may be a powerful monarch within the Iberian penins one day, not just a minor yer.


    The very idea that Al-Andalus could see a resurgence brought a bitter smile to the man''s face as he drank from his cup of wine. After a while, his sister returned, where she began to inquire about the contents of his meeting with the King of Austria. She noticed theplicated expression on her brother''s face and dragged his head into her mighty bust. Where she proceeded to stroke Hasan''s chocte hair whileforting him.


    "That bad, huh?"


    Hasan continued to drink from his chalice before responding to his older sister.


    "He wants us to hold on for six more months; after that, he will send an army to intervene on our behalf. I don''t know if he wants us to be desperate and sink more money into his weapons trade, thus increasing our debt to him. Or if he genuinely needs the six months to prepare his forces."


    Yasmin thought about theplexity of the topic for several moments before responding to her little brother.


    "He just got out of a war for independence; his troops are likely weary of battle and need time to rest. He also needs to manufacture new munitions for his army; I heard about what he did to Florence; they say he bombarded the city for two months,unching hundreds of thousands of shells onto the town, leaving it entirely in ruin.


    I don''t know about you, but that requires a lot of firepower; his artillery is probably drained of resources and needs to recover. He is only asking for six months to prepare for intervention into our conflict, which means he must be confident in his manufacturing capabilities. Have faith, brother; we will win this war!"


    After hearing his sister''s words of wisdom, Hasan thanked her before departing; he and his family were provided rooms within the Royal Pce during their stay in Kufstein. As such, he dusted himself off and returned to his room, where he began to sleep.


    ---


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 Chapter 344: Industry and Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 344: Industry and Conspiracy</h4>


    Days passed, and with it, all of Berengar''s guests returned to their homes. Berengar had sessfully crowned himself King, pledged his support to Granada in their ongoing conflict with their neighbors, and negotiated with the Byzantine Emperor for Honoria''s hand in marriage.


    With those things out of the way, Berengar now had a long list of tasks that needed to be taken care of. First and foremost, Berengar was required to prepare for his wedding with Ad; now that he was home from war and she was of age, it was time for such a merry asion. However, not much preparation was needed on Berengar''s part as he had already nned the wedding years in advance. As such, he left the remaining ns to Ad and her underlings.


    While the preparations were beingpleted, Berengar quickly set himself to task with an important objective. Now that he had bought himself a few years of peace, he would make sure to take full advantage of the situation.


    The time hade; the era of steam and steel awaited him. While Berengar had no ns to change his methods of steel production, for the time being, it was bing increasingly clear that he had advanced to the pinnacle of what a pre-industrial society could muster. With this in mind, Berengar had a single thought in his head as he began to scribble out blueprints for an important tool that could be used to increase production by a wide margin.


    Though Berengar desired to create Steam Engines, he realized he would first need a more efficient means of riveting if he were to begin the mass implementation of steam-based machinery. The first item he intended to invent for his new industrial age was essential to Austria''s industrialization.


    The Pneumatic rivet gun was a device that utilizedpressed air to propel a rivet into the targeted area after the operators pressed the trigger.? Without something like weldinging into existence, Berengar would need rivets to manufacture his machinery; as such, he figured the most efficient means would be this simple but effective tool. Thus, he began to draft ns to set up a facility to makepressed air cans so that the rivet guns could always be functional.


    After spending many hours drafting up the necessary ns for producing these tools, Berengar had finally finished his task. As he reclined in his office chair and sighed, he noticed a warm ceramic mug touch his cheek.


    Looking over towards the origins of this strange phenomenon, Berengar saw his future wife, Ad staring at him with a gorgeous smile on her doll-like face. In her hands was a cup of coffee brewed for Berengar''s consumption.


    Seeing that Ad was in a good mood, the young monarch smiled before epting the gift. After taking a sip from the mug, Berengarplimented the pretty young woman who had instantly sat in hisp.


    "Well, Ad, I must say, you do know how to brew a cup of coffee!"


    Ad nodded silently while staring at the various ns Berengar had drafted on the table. It was not just Pneumatic rivet guns and their production facilities; there were also designs for more advancedthes that used peddle-driven power to operate. The precision needed to create steam engines, advanced artillery, and superior rifles could be achieved with this invention.


    When the young woman noticed these ns, she could not contain her curiosity and immediately inquired about their uses.


    "Berengar? What are these blueprints for?"


    The young monarch wrapped his arm around his loving fiancee and ced his mug of coffee down upon his desk. After doing so, he fidgeted through the papers and began to exin their uses to Ad.


    "I have decided to begin the process of industrialization, which means we will be manufacturing more advanced machines and the means to power them. This will increase productivity and lead to the rapid development of technology. To do this, I am creating a few tools that will be extremely helpful in the early stages."


    Though Ad did not have the faintest idea of how these tools functioned, the summary Berengar had given her was enough for her to understand their intended purpose. As such she smiled, before sipping from her cup of coffee. As she did so, Berengar stroked her silky golden hair while drinking from his mug.


    The couple stayed in silence for some time before Ad finally lifted herself from Berengar''sp. After doing so, she departed with the empty cups of coffee in her hands, where she would proceed to bring them back to the kitchen for cleaning.


    As for Berengar, he decided that he had done enough work for the day and followed Ad out of his study with his ns in hand. After reaching a certain point in his pce, he noticed one of his servants and handed the man the papers with strict instructions.


    "Bring these to Ludwig in the Industrial district; he will know what to do with them. If he has any questions, he can visit the pce personally."


    After saying this, the servant bowed respectfully before disappearing from Berengar''s sight. With the servant gone, Berengar entered the dining room, where he began to drink beer. As he sat in silence for some time, Linde approached him with a dossier in her hands. The information contained inside of it was ssified intelligence that her field agents within France had received.


    After tossing the folder to Berengar, she sat down next to him with a sultry smile on her face; as she did so, she leaned towards Berengar and whispered in his ear.


    "There''s some important information about the Crown Prince of France in there; you might want to take a look."


    After saying that, Linde ordered a ss of wine for herself, where she began to drink while Berengar researched the document. His spies had retrieved some valuable intel; the illicit rtionship between Prince Aubry of France and his various lovers was contained within the dossier. When Berengar saw this, he immediately halted his attempt to drink his beer and ced it down on the counter.


    After doing so, he looked over at Linde, who was still smiling at him before asking the question on his mind.


    "Is this confirmed?"


    Linde did not respond vocally. Instead, she silently nodded her head. As she did so, Berengar flipped through the pages once more before a smile spread across his face. As he did so, a curious thought crossed his mind.


    So the Joan of Arc of this world is nothing more than a slutty twink, and the French Prince at that? So much for a feminist icon...


    After thinking this, Berengar began to contemte the best way to use this information. After all, a united France that lie upon his eventual western border was not something Berengar desired; as such, he instantly began to scheme a way to balkanize the region into smaller, weaker, independent Duchies and Kingdoms.


    When Linde saw the devious smile on her lover''s lips, she immediately questioned him about his intentions.


    "So tell me? What''s the n? You seem to have thought of something..."


    When Berengar heard this, he handed the dossier back to Linde; as he did so, he took a sip from his beer. Only after he finished, did he begin to speak about the conspiracy he had started to hatch within his mind.


    "I think it is about time we get involved in France''s little war. I want our agents to contact the French and English Crowns. Supply both sides with firearms, and the munitions necessary to use them. As for the Duke of Burgundy, supply his uprising as well. With this, I will ensure that their war wages on for decades toe. In the end, there will no longer be a unified France sitting on my future borders."


    When Linde heard this, she was pretty shocked and asked for rification on the issue at hand.


    "You want to dismantle the Kingdom of France?"


    After hearing this, Berengar took a sip from his beer once more before answering his lover''s question. A wicked grin etched itself upon his immacte visage as he did so.


    "Indeed..."


    Upon hearing this, Linde smiled before approaching Berengar; as she did so, she began to kiss him passionately; it was only after a few minutes of making out, did the couple part ways in silence. Linde would ry the King''s orders to her field agents, and Berengar would continue to drink by his lonesome. The conspiracy to undermine the authority of the French Crown had just begun.


    ---


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 Chapter 345: Declaration of a Crusade

    <h4>Chapter 345: Deration of a Crusade</h4>


    Pope Julius was standing upon the balcony of his Pce within the Vatican. Tens of thousands of his supporters were gathered in the holy city to listen to the Vicar of Christ''s decree. For many of the rulers of Christendom, what he was about to say came as no surprise.? Yet to themon people, his words were shocking, to say the least.


    The Holy Father gazed at the massive crowd gathered before him as he uttered the words from his mouth; the speech he gave would not be expected of God''s representative on Earth. Instead, his tone was filled with vitriol and hatred.


    "Berengar the ursed! I am confident this is a name that every one of you gathered here today is familiar with. If I am the Vicar of Christ, then this man, the self-proimed King of Austria, is the Avatar of Satan!


    Through vile sorcery, he has conjured technology that has been destructive not only to the warriors of Christ but the citizens of Christendom! I am sure you are all familiar with the fate of Florence, for Berengar and his Army of Apostates have thoroughly destroyed the city! In the process, they mercilessly ughtered everyone gathered within it by conjuring the fires of hell upon the faithful!


    This was no simple act of war but a criminal act against all of God''s children on this Earth! Thus in response to this crime against humanity, I hereby dere a Crusade against the Kingdom of Austria and the Berengar Heresy as a whole! I call upon every faithful Christian to take arms against this demonic scion and his heretical followers! For so long as Berengar the ursed is allowed to remain in a position of power, the souls of every Christian are at the risk of damnation! God wills it!"


    The moment the Pope said these words, the crowd of tens of thousands of Catholics began to chant the final words in unison.


    "God wills it! God wills it! God wills it!"


    The sight of which brought a wicked grin to Pope Julius'' aging face; after witnessing the mob gathered before him, he knew that he would have an army capable of invading Austria within a few years. As such, he gave one final decree to the gathered crowd before departing towards the interior of his Pce.


    "Go now, and make your preparations; it will be some time before the Armies of Christ are capable of waging war against the hellspawn that is the Army of Austria but make no mistake, we will muster the entire might of the Christian world against our foes!"


    Having said this, Julius returned to the interior of his Pce, where he was immediately confronted by a variety of Cardinals who had watched his speech from inside. Among them was a man known for being against Julius'' predecessor''s harsh actions against Berengar.


    "Your Holiness, dering a Crusade against King Berengar is unwise. You know as well as I that the Austrian Army has seized the assets of the Medici Bank, and in doing so, left us destitute. We don''t have the funds to build an army capable of such a thing!"


    In response to this, Pope Julius spat on the ground before lecturing the Cardinal for his remarks.


    "King Berengar, is it? Funny, I don''t remember cing a Crown on the man''s head. If I were you, I would be cautious about the words I choose, for legitimizing the Avatar of Satan is in itself an act of heresy!"


    When the Cardinal heard this, his mouth dropped agape before questioning the Pope''s sanity.


    "You don''t honestly believe the words from your speech, do you? Berengar can''t possibly be the incarnation of Satan. I will admit he is a powerful adversary of the Church, but to think that he is some Hellspawn is truly insanity!"


    Upon hearing his sanity questioned, Julius backhanded the Cardinal with his ring hand, leaving a bloody lip on the man who had so brazenly rebuked his words.


    "You think it is such an impossibility? Then Exin to me where he gets the technology he has created! The man is either the greatest genius in history, or he has struck an ord with the devil! There is no other conceivable exnation! He is a lowly baron''s son, and yet he has advanced Austria in agriculture, industry, weaponry, maritime technology, and every other metric I can think of beyond the scopes of what we know to be reality!"


    The Cardinal wiped his bloody lip and hung his head in silence; he had no retort to the Pope''s words. Certainly, there was something strange about the man known as Berengar the ursed; despite his humble origins, he had single-handedly led Austria to be the most advanced Kingdom on the.


    Berengar also seemed to be profoundly knowledgeable about scripture despite having no background with the clergy. He was so educated on the word of God that it was enough to trante the entire Bible into German and distribute it across his realm.


    This had proven to be a great point of contention for the Catholic Church as many of their traditions and teachings had no biblical basis. Ultimately the Cardinal switched the topic. It was clear that Julius was enraged by the oue of the Austrian War of Independence; as such, the Cardinal attempted to inquire about how the Pope intended to fund the Crusade.


    "Your Holiness, with all due respect, you have called this Crusade too early; we have lost our most essential financial supporters! Without the backing of the Medici Bank, it will take years to gather the funds to create an army capable of storming Austria! How do you even n to do this?


    Julius gazed at the Cardinal with contempt; in his eyes, this man was not suited towards matters of the State. As such, the Pope outlined his n perfectly so that even a simpleton could understand his reasoning.


    "There are two reasons for calling this Crusade, years in advance of the actual invasion. First and most importantly, it gives us a reason to sell indulgences to the people en masse. Catholics from all walks of life will be lining up to provide us with their gold and silver in exchange for a few years off purgatory. We can quickly gather the necessary funds in at most two years by doing this.


    Secondly, by dering a Crusade against Austria and the Berengar Heresy, we are making it known that they are enemies of Christendom, as many such Kingdoms will be hesitant to trade with Berengar in the future. Though he will still have trade with the Muslims and the Orthodox, the overwhelming majority of his tradeworks throughout Europe wille to a grinding halt!"


    However, the Cardinal was not convinced by the Pope''s ns; he knew that by now, the Austrian Thaler and Gulden had be amon currency in international trade. It would not be easy to persuade Austria''s neighbors to halt their transactions with Berengar simply because he was an enemy of the Vatican.


    Despite his reservations, the Cardinal chose to keep silent on the issue; he was starting to realize that it was highly likely that the Crusaders would lose this war, and in doing so, end the days of Papal supremacy in Europe. After all, Berengar remained undefeated in battle, and it was only a matter of time before he unleashed some ungodly weapon that would render their numberspletely useless.


    As such, he sighed heavily before nodding his head; in doing so, he epted his fate and that of the Catholic Church. With leadership like Simeon and Julius, it was only a matter of time before the era of Papal power came to an end. With this in mind, he put on an agreeable facade and spoke to Julius as if everything the man had said was inevitable.


    "Thank you for exining your reasoning to me. Your holiness is, as always, well informed on these matters, and I look forward to the day we bring God''s wrath upon this Heretic and his followers. If you will excuse me, I have things I must attend to."


    Julius nodded his head. Finally, he managed to talk some sense into this naysayer who had always spoken out against any direct action against Berengar and his Heresy. Little did he know that the Cardinal had utterly lost faith in the Papacy''s ability to win this war and nned to defect to the German Reformation at the first opportunity.


    As such, Julius had a malicious smile upon his lips as he thought about what he would do to Berengar after he got his hands on the young monarch. Berengar had caused too much trouble for the Papacy, because of this, the punishment would be severe. Of course, such a fate could only be achieved if he and his crusaders were victorious in their future attempt to dethrone Berengar.


    Whether the Catholic Church and all its might were capable of such a feat remained to be seen. While the Catholic Church began its attempt to gain the funds necessary to raise a feudal army with a size capable of invading Austria. Berengar had started the process of industrialization; by the time the Catholic Armies and their Allies invaded his realm, they would be fighting against a far more modern force than the world had previously seen.


    ---


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 Chapter 346: Double Proposal

    <h4>Chapter 346: Double Proposal</h4>


    While the Papacy had openly dered its intent to wage a Crusade against the Kingdom of Austria and the regions affected by the German Reformation, Berengar was rxing in his new Royal Pce. Even though the Pce was primarily based on Sch?nbrunn Pce from his previous life, there were a few changes.


    For example, In the center of the massiveplex, an additional floor was added to the structure; this small story was a penthouse that acted as Berengar''s harem room. This Harem room had all of the luxuries needed for Berengar and his women to enjoy themselves in their usual hedonist behavior.


    An opulent Bedroom was the main area, where it held arge mattress capable of fitting up to five people. This mattress had a silk canopy to hide its inhabitants'' amorous activities from the outside world.


    Outside of the bedroom was a small bar area filled with all kinds of alcohol for Berengar and his women to enjoy. This was the region of Berengar''s Pce that he spent the most significant amount of his time in outside of his study.


    Aside from the bar, there was amon area where a round tabley in the center. Atop this table was an exquisitely crafted hookah that sat in the middle. This hookah had four hoses so that multiple people could smoke from the device at the same time. Berengar usually smoked a mix of herbal shisha and locally cultivated hash from the device after a long day''s work to help him rx.


    Finally, there was a substantial private bathhouse built within the Penthouse Suite. This bathhouse was practically the size of a small swimming pool and was capable of containing multiple people. More often than not, Berengar would bathe with his beauties inside this bathhouse.


    For security reasons, this area did not act as the Royal Bedchamber. Instead, it was just a luxurious area for Berengar and his future wives to enjoy themselves in debauchery. Of course, Ad refused to step foot in the room, at least for the time being.


    At the moment, Berengar, Linde, and Honoria were gathered around the hookah, smoking cannabis from the device. Berengar himself took a long hit where he inhaled the smoke for some time before letting out a puff into the air.


    Honoria looked quite different from her usual appearance; after revealing her identity to the Austrian Court during Berengar''s coronation, she had decided to dye her hair Tyrian purple, which matched her pale skin, and mint eyes perfectly. She was dressed in a luxurious Tyrian purple and gold silk dress in the style of the Byzantine nobility.


    She had an intoxicated expression on her face; much like Berengar, she had been partaking of the drug for over an hour now; as such, she had begun to space outpletely. In doing so, she tilted her head and rested it on Berengar''s shoulder.? As she entered an entirely different realm within her mind, she asked the question that had been bugging her for some time.


    "What do you n to do about this Crusade? You just got out of a war, and now the Catholics want to drag you into another..."


    Berengar began to chuckle when he heard this; as he did so, he wrapped his arm around Honoria and kissed her on the forehead. After doing so, he began to lie back upon the plushy pillows that surrounded the hookah area. As Berengar enjoyed thefort he found himself in, he revealed his innermost thoughts on the subject without realizing how honest he was being.


    "I''ll sit back and wait. After seizing the Medici''s fortune, the Vatican is beyond destitute. It will take years for them to gather the funds from their followers to afford an army capable of marching into Austria. By then, my Army will be equipped with weapons that willpletely negate their numerical advantages. It will be a ughter the likes this world has never seen before. In the end, I will be victorious and will finally be able to explore the new world!"


    Linde and Honoria looked over at Berengar with confused expressions; in his stoned state, Berengar had identally revealed the existence of the New World to his two lovers. Linde, not taking Berengar''s words seriously, began to make fun of him.


    "What new world? How high are you?"


    In response to this, Berengar began to chuckle as heughed off his mistake as if it was symbolic in nature.


    "Not as high as I could be. Clearly, I was referring to the new world I will usher in, one free of the Church''s influence, where science and reason prevail instead of faith and superstition.? Obviously, I was not talking about a vastndmass on the other side of the Antic Ocean; how could I possibly know such a thing exists?"


    With this said, Linde put her luscious lips against the hookah hose and dook a long draw; after a while, she puffed out the smoke contained within her lungs and began to giggle at Berengar''sment.


    "If such a thing truly existed, wouldn''t we know it by now?"


    After saying this, the trio began to break out intoughter. Berengar, of course, wasughing more fervently than his two women; after all, he knew that such a ce existed, and the ignorance of the old world was trulyughablepared to his modern knowledge.


    Honoria began to take a significant hit from the hookah; while she did so, Berengar moved close to Linde and began to make out with her. The sight of which made Honoria dreadfully jealous. As such, shepleted her hit before grasping hold of Berengar and shifting his attention to her gem-like mint green eyes.


    She then began to kiss Berengar passionately while Linde took a puff from the smoking device sitting on the table. After a passionate disy, Honoria released her grip over Berengar and said the words on her mind.


    "I love you!"


    Berengar grasped ahold of the girl''s cheeks as he looked into her eyes and responded to her promation with his innermost feelings with a snarky grin on his face.


    "I know."


    This response immediately made Honoria puff her cheeks as she pouted in silence. Seeing the adorable look on his lover''s face reminded Berengar of something important that he hadpletely forgotten about. As such, he got up from his seat and swayed across the room towards the bar area. As he did so, he called out to the two girls sitting in themon area.


    "I just remembered that I have something special for the two of you..."


    After rummaging through the bar for some time, Berengar found two small cases where he brought them over to his two women. After sitting between them, he grabbed ahold of Linde''s hand before cing a white gold and sky blue topaz ring on her finger. As he did so, he stared into Linde''s sky blue eyes before asking the question on his mind.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask for some time now, but Linde von Habsburg, will you marry me?"


    Linde was stunned when she heard these words, she knew Berengar had mentioned polygamy in the past, but she did not think he would go through with it; after all, the cultural bacsh from such a thing would by no means be slight. However, she did not care about any of that at the moment and merely stared at the luxurious ring on her finger as tears flowed from her eyes.


    The beautiful young woman who had grown up as a Count''s daughter nodded her head as she struggled to find the words to ept. After a while, shetched onto Berengar and kissed him passionately before answering with a sultry smile.


    "I thought you would never ask!"


    Honoria, who had witnessed the entire disy, merely stared at Berengar and Linde while pouting. Even though Berengar had negotiated with her father for her hand in marriage, she had not received such a heartwarming proposal.


    However, her disappointment soon ended as Berengar opened up another container that contained an equally luxurious golden ring fitted with a mint green gemstone known in the modern era as tourmaline. Berengar quickly ced it upon Honoria''s finger, where he smiled at her and revealed the difficulty he had gone through to source the gemstone.


    "I want you two to know just how difficult it was for me to acquire these gemstones. I had to establish trading ties to the Timurid Empire in the east. These stones are very precious and cost me a considerable amount of coin to get my hands on. If not for Honoria''s old friend Agnellus, I would not have managed to acquire them."


    Having heard the lengths, Berengar went to acquire the stones for their engagement rings; the two girls nearly broke out into tears as they grasped ahold of Berengar and began taking turns kissing him.


    After a while, Berengar and the girls began to strip off their clothes where they proceeded to enter therge canopy bed that existed within the penthouse. It did not take long for the trio to begin their amorous activities. They would spend the next two hours enjoying the warmth of each other bodies.


    Berengar had sessfully managed to propose to two women shortly before his marriage to Ad took ce. While his enemies were beginning the many preparations necessary to invade Austria, Berengar was enjoying the moment of peace to the best of his abilities.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 347: An Awkward Family Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 347: An Awkward Family Dinner</h4>


    Having spent the evening getting high and drunk with two of his women and then engaging in intercourse, Berengar found the fatigue he felt from months of endless battle slowly wash away. To Berengar, war was an exhrating activity, but if it went on for too long, it was capable of causing great anxiety and anguish.


    After having fun with two of his women, Berengar rose from his bed and entered the bath, where they joined shortly after. Immediately he threw off his towel and entered into the steaming water; as he did so, Honoria and Linde grabbed ahold of him and began to wash every part of his body with their own.


    While this was ongoing, Berengar was drinking from a ss filled with beer; any semnce of his previously heightened nerves vanished under the exceptional service his girls provided to him. After a while, Linde, Honoria, and himself got out of the bath and dressed in nothing more than silk robes, where they proceeded to head down from the harem room and into the dining room where Ad, Henrietta, Hans, and Helga were currently sitting.


    When Linde saw her two children sitting in their high seats, she walked over to them and picked them up, where she ced them on herp. After doing so, she lowered her robe and began to breastfeed the two small children.


    The sight of which greatly unnerved Ad, who gazed at the sight with a look of disgust on her face. She could not help herself frommenting on the issue.


    "Ahem... Linde, we are at the dinner table. Can you please cover yourself up?"


    Linde, wearing a pleasant smile, did not give into Ad''s provocation and merely responded with a snarky tone.


    "What? Can''t I feed my babies? What would you suggest they eat?"


    Berengar, who was sitting in between the two women, and their argument refused toment on the situation at hand. Though Hans was already three years old, he was still breastfeeding, which Berengar thought to be unusual but not entirely umon from his modern sensibilities; however, sooner orter, he would need to talk with Linde about weaning the kid and introducing cow milk into his diet.


    However, at the moment, he simply did not want to get involved in this conversation and, as such, began to shift his attention to his son, who was growing more by the day. After finishing his session with Linde, Hans was ced back into his seat by Berengar, where he began to dine on schnitzel and K?sesp?tzle.


    As the boy happily dined on his meal Berengar began to speak with his son; after all, it had been some time since he had a conversation with the little tyke.


    "So Hans, I understand you have already begun your elementary education, and at such a young age too. Truly, one day you will be an inspiration for the Austrian people. Are there any questions you might have that I might be able to help with?"


    Upon hearing this, Hans looked up from his te and at the multiple women surrounding Berengar before asking the question bothering him for some time now.


    "Tell me the truth, father, am I a bastard?"


    When Berengar heard this, he dropped his fork onto his te, sending a nging sound resounding throughout the dining hall. Everyone present at the table looked at Hans with shocked expressions. Being the birth mother of Hans, Linde had her maternal instincts kick into overdrive and was the first to inquire about the origin of Han''s question.


    "Hans! Where did you hear such a thing?"


    The boy refused to look his mother in the eye as he admitted to how he had heard the term.


    "I read about it in one of the books in a library, if a child is born to parents that are not married, then he is a bastard and is not able to inherit his father''s position. Does that mean that despite being the firstborn, I won''t be able to follow in father''s footsteps?"


    Linde looked at Hans with a gaze over overwhelmingpassion; she felt terrible for Hans having such questions on his mind at his young age. After feeling bad for her son, she threw Ad a wicked nce while thinking to herself.


    If it weren''t for this woman, my son would not have to think so lowly of himself!


    Berengar, on the other hand, drank from his skull chalice filled with beer before answering the question to the best of his ability. Due to his son''s hyper-intelligence, he was able to converse more generally with the child. However, he still left out specific information to avoid creating an awkward scene.


    "Well, you see, my son, technically, you are a bastard as your mother, and I are not yet married. However, the book you are reading is old and outdated. Thews of session are no longer as such. I have made it, so the mostpetent of my children can take my position after my death. One day soon, I will marry your mother, and you will be a legitimate member of my Dynasty.


    When that happens, you will be eligible to seed in my throne if you meet the criteria as an efficient leader. Of course, if you desire such a thing, then you must work hard because I will have many children, and only the fittest to rule shall be King."


    When Hans heard this answer, he was further confused; he inquired further about the issue at hand with an innocent expression on his face.


    "I thought you were going to marry Miss Ad? How are you also going to marry Mommy?"


    Berengar could feel the leering gazes of all three of his women set upon him as he struggled toe up with an answer to satisfy them all. As for Henrietta, she was silently eating her meal, trying to avoid getting involved in her brother''s affairs. In her eyes, he had made his bed and now had to lie in it.


    Ad was not precisely in the best of moods; she was entirely aware of the degree of hedonism that Berengar was engaging in with his two lovers upstairs for the past few hours. Though she disapproved of excessive drinking, drug use, and group sex. She also knew that Berengar had juste home from the horrors of war and needed a way to rx.


    Of course, the real issue bothering her was that Honoria and Linde were now wearing their engagement rings, a tradition that Berengar had started with herself. She felt it was wildly inappropriate for Berengar to propose to the two women before she was married.


    Thus Ad was staring at Berengar with a gaze filled with fury; However, she had forced herself to remain calm and wait for Berengar''s exnation for such things. Now that her fiancee''s son, who she also thought of as her own, broached such a question, she was more than curious to find out about the answer.? Berengar, of course, shrugged off the vicious gazes he was getting from his girls and began to exin theplexity of his rtionship with them to his young son.


    "You see, Hans, in the days of our ancestors, it was not umon for men of great wealth and power to have multiple wives. Though with the introduction of Catholicism, we epted many foreign practices. One of these changes was thew that men could only have one wife. It is my intention as King of Austria to bring back the ways of our forefathers. So you can think of Ad and Honoria as your other mommies..."


    The expressions on the girls'' faces differed; for Linde and Honoria, they were happy with the result, and as such, they gazed lovingly at Berengar. However, Ad reacted far more poorly; she was greatly displeased that Berengar had neglected to mention her position as the first wife. She was also upset that her children would have topete with Hans to seed their father in the future. As such, she red intensely at Berengar with the fury of a woman scorned.


    While this silent battle between Berengar''s harem was ongoing, Hans thought about his father''s answer for a few moments before he blurted out the first thought that came to his mind.


    "Does that mean I get to have milk from my other mommies too!?!"


    When Ad heard this, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning and quickly flushed in embarrassment, looking away from Hans'' innocently excited expression. Berengar, on the other hand, nearly choked on his food as he struggled to maintain hisposure. Linde broke out inughter; she had never even thought of the idea that her son would be as big as a yboy as his father until now. As for Honoria, she gazed at the kid as if he were the cutest child in the world; thus, she hatched a devilish plot as she began to tease Hans.


    "Sure, kiddo,e over to mommy Honoria!"


    When Hans heard this, he nearly jumped out of his seat at the opportunity he was presented, but Berengar stopped him before he was able to reach Honoria''s open embrace.


    "Hans, you''ve already eaten; we can talk about thister."


    the young boy began to frown as he heard this and was about to object to his father. However, Berengar raised his hand, signaling the boy to be silent, and thus he began to pout in his chair at the cruelty of it all.


    Henrietta was gazing at the whole scenario with an amused expression as she continued to eat in silence. She knew for a fact that this was a conversation she did not want to get involved in, and as such, she drank from her wine ss while watching Berengar slowly navigate through the minefield he had created.


    The family ate in awkward silence for the rest of the dinner; However, Hans had many more questions about Berengar and his three mothers; despite this, his father had seemed to be ufortable and unwilling to discuss it further. As such, he would have to wait for ater date before he could inquire further about theplex nature of Berengar''s harem.


    ---


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    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 348: Industrial Innovations

    <h4>Chapter 348: Industrial Innovations</h4>


    At the moment, Berengar was standing in Ludwig''s workshop looking at what is arguably the most important invention that he had introduced thus far. Sitting in front of Berengar was a piece of technology that was critical to the industrial age.


    This essential feat of engineering was the steam engine. The steam engine was a machine that operated using water and coal to produce steam; the steam created was then used to push a piston back and forth. This pushing force could then be used for work by attaching a connecting rod and flywheel.


    With this piece of engineering, trains could be built, oil could be pumped, workshops could be powered, canals could be easily dredged, fields could be plowed without beasts of burden, etc. The limitations for such technology were far fewer than what he currently used to power his Kingdom''s industry.


    When Berengar saw the device standing in front of him, he sped Ludwig on the shoulder and gave the man a thumbs up while smiling from ear to ear.


    "Ludwig, my friend, you have truly outdone yourself this time. With this invention and all those that follow its principles, we will rule this world!"


    Ludwig chuckled when he heard this exaggerated remark and shook off Berengar''s grip beforementing on Berengar''s words.


    "My friend, without your designs, this never would have been possible! So what will you use this for?"


    In response to this, Berengar walked over to the machine and activated it.? Before long, it began to power up, and as it did, exhaust began to fill the air; after a few moments, Berengar deactivated the device before expressing his immediate ns for the future.


    "Well, for starters, we are going to be upgrading all of our factories to operate with machines powered by these devices. After we do this, the amount ofbor we will need will vastly decrease. We will be able to produce all of our products with increased precision and efficiency.


    I want to upgrade the Arms factories first. I will be giving you a list of designs for weapons production equipment that operate under steam power. When you have upgraded your facilities, let me know, and I will give you some new blueprints to work with. We have a few years before the Crusaders invade, and I want my armies prepared for it!"


    Ludwig nodded his head in agreement with Berengar''s vision for the future. Though he was proud of his needle rifle, it would appear that Berengar was one step ahead of him. However, Berengar''s following words caught him by surprise.


    "Continue to manufacture the needle rifles to the best of your ability during this transition. We will likely be going to war again within the next six months. So I want all of our troops fielded with those weapons. You have no idea how much they helped in the final days of our War for Independence."


    Ludwig immediately began to salute Berengar before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your Majesty!"


    After saying this, Berengarid out a series of blueprints for use in his arms factories.? He had been working on these designs in his spare time for many years. Among these ns were advancedthes, steam hammers, cold hammer-forging machines, among many other designs needed to make the arms and munitions for Austria''s army.


    Ludwig looked over all these ns in shock; he honestly did not know how Berengar continued to produce new technology every year, each one more advanced than thest. Despite his natural curiosity, he knew not to ask such a question and instead nodded his head as he studied the blueprints; while doing so, hemented on the ability to renovate their weapons and munitions factories.


    "Give me a few months, and I will have all of Kufstein''s military factories outfitted with such machinery. By the time you send your armies to war, they will be equipped with whatever new equipment you instruct me to produce!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled and patted the older man on his back; after doing so, he changed the subject to something more casual.


    "So, how about we go get a drink to celebrate? It has been a while since I have had the time to discuss matters of life with you."


    In response to this Ludwig chuckled, before sighing heavily; after doing so, he shook his head; this action caught Berengar off guard, however after hearing the words that followed, Berengar felt bitter.


    "Apologies, your majesty, but I have way too much work to handle. I am getting on in years, and I need to make sure my son can rece me when I decide to retire. After all, you need someonepetent to manage your arms industry after I am long dead, and unfortunately, most of my management team is not up to the task."


    Wen Berengar heard this. He smiled bitterly; too many of his friends were substantially older than himself. Not only was Ludwig considerably older than the young Monarch, but his Field Marshal Eckhard was also starting to age.


    Out of all of his friends, they were two of the closest. When they finally retired or passed away, Berengar would be left without the support of the two capable men by his side.? However, Berengar did not want to dwell on such a future and smiled before responding to Ludwig''sments.


    "Alright, we will have to drink together some other time. I look forward to your progress; if you have any questions, please send word to the Pce. I will try to make time out of my busy schedule to aid you in your endeavors."


    After hearing this, Ludwig nodded before responding to the young Monarch.


    "I wish you all the best, your majesty..."


    With this said, Berengar departed from the Industrial District of Kufstein and headed back to his Pce. Now that the steam engine was created, there were many other areas of industry that needed upgrading. Thus he immediately entered his study and began to search through the various blueprints he had developed over the years in his spare time.


    After delving through his study''s files as if it were abyrinth, Berengar finally came across two critical blueprints that he had drafted some time ago. The steam-powered loom was the first essentialponent of his soon-to-be-established mechanized textile industry.


    Whenbined with the self-acting mule, Berengar would vastly reduce the number of workers needed to manufacture textiles of all kinds. These employees could then be used in other required jobs within his newly industrialized society.


    Berengar gazed upon these ns with a wide smile on his face. For now, he simply needed to know where they were located. He had no intentions to immediately hand these blueprints over to his garment district, after all, it would be some time before his arms factories were modernized, and the number of steam engines he could field in the near future was small. Thus he had to prioritize which sectors would be mechanized first.


    Berengar knew it would take months before Kufstein''s weapons factories were fully mechanized and years before all of Austria followed its path. It was only after the former had been achieved that he intended to introduce these blueprints to his textile sector.


    With this in mind, Berengar put his designs away in a safe and memorable ce before departing from his study. The moment he did, so he saw Ad standing outside the door with a tray of cookies and milk in her hands. Berengar was surprised to see the young maiden at his study sote into the evening; despite his concerns, he immediately allowed her inside. It was clear that she had something on her mind to discuss.


    After sitting back down at his desk, Berengar made space for the tray of the desert, where he instantly began to snack on a ginger snap. As he did so, hemented on Ad''s arrival.


    "What brings you to my study at this hour?"


    Ad sat down next to Berengar and stared him in the eyes before uttering the words.


    "We need to talk..."


    Berengar swallowed the bit of cookie he had bitten into and drained it down with a gulp of milk before asking the question on his mind.


    "What about?"


    As Ad heard this, she instantly became fidgety as she yed with her fingers. After doing so for several moments, she decided it would be best to blurt out her concerns and get it over with.


    "Did you buy engagement rings for Linde and Honoria?"


    When Berengar heard this, he instantly became aware of what Ad was afraid of, and as such, grasped ahold of her dainty hands and looked into her deep sapphire eyes before nodding his head silently. After a few moments of silence, he began to exin his reasoning.


    "The truth is, during the night of my coronation, I negotiated my marriage to Honoria with her father. Seeing that she and I are now officially engaged, I thought it was inappropriate for her to walk around without a symbol of our union."


    Ad bit her lip ever so slightly as she heard this before nodding her head. She understood the reasons for doing so, though she wasn''t happy about it. In her mind, The Byzantine Emperor discovering Honoria''s presence forced Berengar to negotiate for their engagement. However, she still had her doubts about the situation at hand, and as such, asked the second thought she had on her mind.


    "What about Linde? You gave her one too?"


    In response to this, Berengar scratched the back of his neck and told Ad the truth of the matter behind his decision to do so.


    "Since I had decided that I was going to give Honoria a ring, I knew that I added to give Linde one as well. After all, she is my second wife and the mother of my children. It would break her heart if I only got Honoria an engagement ring."


    After saying this, Berengar grabbed ahold of Ad and shoved her into his embrace. While doing so, he stroked her golden hair gently before reassuring her of the position she held in his heart.


    "You don''t need to worry so much, my little Ad. You will always be my main wife. In a matter of days, we will be married, and you will be the High Queen of Austria, and when we do, I promise to spend our entire wedding night with you alone. By the time I marry Linde and Honoria as my second and third wives, we will already be man and wife for several months."


    After hearing this, Ad began to smile; she liked the idea of lording this fact over her rivals'' heads for a few months. As such, she wrapped her arms around Berengar''s neck and began to kiss him passionately. It was only after several moments did Ad break apart from Berengar''s loving embrace, where she spoke in a yful tone.


    "Okay... Since you said it, I am going to hold you to your words!"


    Berengar smiled in response to his fiancee''s determination before responding in an equally spirited tone.


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way!"


    After saying that, Ad picked up the tray she had arrived with and left Berengar by his lonesome. Though she wanted to spend the night with him, she had made a promise to herself that she would only do so after they had gotten married. Besides, she had gotten the reassurance that she had needed.


    Though Berengar had no way of knowing it, his words on this night would inspire Ad to take a more assertive approach to his other wives. As Berengar had said, Ad would be his primary wife, and she decided it was about time to act like it.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 349: Redesigning the Fashion of Austria

    <h4>Chapter 349: Redesigning the Fashion of Austria</h4>


    Berengar sat at his desk within his study; at the moment, he was drawing designs for a new era of fashion for his people. With his Nation advancing into the Industrial Age, Berengar wanted an appropriate sense of style for not only his civilians and the nobility but his military as well.


    The puffy and superfluous attire of the renaissance, while aesthetically pleasing, was not nearly as functional as the designs he was hard at work at creating. Most importantly, he wanted a more modern attire for his uing wedding to his loving bride-to-be.


    With this in mind, Berengar chose the Late Victorian and the Edwardian Eras of fashion as a basis for his new clothing style. Thus he was bringing a type of clothing and culture to Germany that was centuries more advanced than it currently had.


    Suits, ties, dress shirts, and shoes would be the norm within his society for men. At the same time, the women would wear far more modern dresses than what was currently avable. As for the nobility, they would wear a clothing style simr to that of the European Nobility from the 1870s to 1918.


    For the military Uniforms, he had decided to base them off the uniforms used by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian war of his previous life, with a few minor adjustments. The tunic was cut in the form of an M35 Waffenrock where its colors were changed to ck, with a dark grey cor and matching sleeve cuffs. If one was a high enough rank white rectangles would appear on the dark grey cors, and cuffs that would contain a golden rank insignia.


    Secondly, the Uniforms utilized a standard-issue high carbon, quenched, and hardened steel cuirass based upon those used by 19th-century Cuirassiers from Berengar''s previous life. These cuirasses were also painted ck with a superiorcquer. The only Soldiers not issued these cuirasses were the ones in artillery or support roles.


    Seeing as how Berengar''s new artillery he nned to create and implement once his industry had reached the capability had such an exceptional range that his enemies could never harm them, it was a waste of resources to equip them with such unnecessary protective gear.


    Thirdly, the Pickelhaube style helmets that his soldiers would be wearing were made of high carbon quenched and hardened steel, painted ck, and had brass ents. On the front of the helmet beneath the brass spike was a brass double-headed eagle. The material it was made of ensured superior protection of his soldier''s heads against the style of weapons they would be going up against.


    As for the Navy, they would be issued uniforms based upon those used by the Imperial German Navy in the years leading up to the Great War. The primary difference was that they would follow the same color scheme as the Royal Austrian Army.


    Now that he had established new military uniforms, Berengar began to create a series of medals and orders of merit for the men who served in his military to earn through exemry means of service to the state. Particrly in the field ofbat.


    The first medal on his list would be the Iron Cross, a medal from his previous life, the German equivalent of the US Medal of Honor. Berengar nned to establish several grades, the Second ss, the First ss, The Knight''s Cross, the Grand Cross, and the Star of the Grand Cross.


    Other medals he began to design included what he would refer to as the Austrian Wound Medal, an award based upon the idea behind the American Purple Heart. It was awarded for courageously shedding blood on the field of battle in the name of the Fathend. In other words, any member of the Austrian Armed Forces who were wounded or killed inbat would receive this medal.


    This medal was in the form of a golden medallion, with Berengar''s personage imprinted upon the center of it. The ribbon itself was rectangr and ck, with multiple gold stripes that had white edges.


    He also intended to design two other awards that were simr in purpose but awarded differently based upon whether one was amissioned officer or an NCO/enlisted soldier. This would be the Austrian Military Merit Cross; and the Austrian Military Merit Order. These awards would be awarded to soldiers who proved their bravery and merit in the field of battle.


    The Military Merit Cross was based upon the Prussian Military Merit Cross from Berengar''s previous life. It was the highest award of bravery for nonmissioned officers and enlisted soldiers. It was also known as the Golden Military Merit Cross to distinguish it from the Military Honor Medal, which was an inferior medal awarded for bravery and valor.


    The Order was based upon the Pour le M��rite, moremonly known as the Blue Max, from Berengar''s past life. In essence, it was the highest military honor awarded to Commissioned Officers within the Austrian Royal Military. As for the physical award, there were some differences from the Blue Max; for example, the ribbon was ck with gold stripes, instead of ck with silver stripes


    At the top of the medal was a golden oakleaf with crossed swords. Below that was the maltese cross which was white instead of blue, and itcked the golden engraving of the words Pour le M��rite upon it. In between the golden edges of the white maltese cross were a series of golden double-headed eagles, rather than the single-headed ones on the Blue Max from his past life.


    Berengar also intended to establish a new Chivalric Order for his Kingdom, based upon one that the Habsburgs had created in his previous life. This Chivalric Order would be known as the Order of Saint George and would be awarded to outstanding soldiers who have proven their loyalty and valor on the field of battle.


    Other military honors were established based upon various achievements in battle or support roles. However, Berengar''s criteria for being awarded these medals and orders were rtively strictpared to many of the awards from his previous life.


    It was considered a great honor to be awarded a medal rather than something given out for a particr chore fulfilled in the barracks, and only those who truly earned them would receive such a thing.


    After spending nearly half a day designing various clothing, uniforms, and essories, Berengar dispatched the ns to his garment district and his armory to begin production as soon as possible.


    Before his wedding, Berengar wanted these clothing designs made for him and his bride. As for what followed afterward, he nned to begin a massive military parade where he would award the veterans of his army with the decorations they had earned in his various campaigns over the years.


    Afterpleting this task, Berengar returned to his Pce, where Linde immediately greeted him. Berengar walked over to his lover and hugged her, and she immediately began to kiss him passionately. After several moments Berengar released himself from her grip where he started to ask the question on his mind.


    "Where are the kids?"


    Linde had a sly smile on her face as she revealed what she had done.


    "I sent them to bed early."


    Berengar was astonished by this and immediately followed up with an interrogation.


    "Why? Did the boy do something?"


    Linde shook her head in response to this question as she wrapped her arms around Berengar''s neck; she whispered in his ear with a seductive voice.


    "No, I just didn''t want them to interrupt us!"


    After saying this, she began to kiss him once more; as things progressed, Berengar found himself pulling up Linde''s dress and rubbing her thigh with his hand, moving his hand to herher regions. It was not until the couple heard a distinctive sound from behind them that they broke apart. It was the sound of a young woman coughing.


    "Ahem..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar turned around to see Ad staring at the two of them with a murderous gaze. As she did so, she immediately began to interrupt Berengar and Linde''s session with an assertive voice.


    "Linde, If you don''t mind, I have important matters to discuss with my fiancee."


    Linde stared curiously at the young woman who was not behaving like her usual self; in fact, there was not a hint of hesitation in her voice. Instead, she was staring at her with a cold and domineering gaze. Linde decided to tease the girl by grabbing ahold of Berengar''s lower region and retorting to her.


    "I do mind, Berengar and I were in the middle of something equally important! Why don''t you run along and y with your dolls, little girl."


    However, to Linde''s surprise, Ad did not budge in the slightest. Instead, she stared at Berengar with a chilling gaze and began to address him instead.


    "Darling, would you please inform your mistress that your wife is speaking and that she should hold her venomous tongue."


    Berengar realized he was put in an awkward situation; he had told Ad the night before that she was his primary wife and would always be the most important of his women. She was most likely testing him to see if that were true; as such, he was forced to let go of Linde, where he sighed heavily before addressing his lover.


    "Linde, I''m sorry, it appears that it must be something rather important; we can have our funter."


    Linde stared at Berengar with a questionable gaze; he had never been one to back down just because Ad was upset, yet now he was so quickly abiding by her wishes. Just what had happened between the two for him to give in so easily? Ultimately, she knew it was unwise to push the issue further. As such, she kissed Berengar on the cheek before departing; as she did so, she left him with a parting phrase.


    "I will be waiting for you in the bedroom tonight!"


    After Linde''s departure, Berengar immediately switched his attention to Ad, ring at him with an oppressive stare while having her arms crossed. It was only after Ad was confident that Linde was out of earshot that she dropped her tough facade and jumped into Berengar''s embrace before kissing him intensely.


    This wasn''t one of her previous childish pecks on the lips but a far more adult kiss. After some time had passed, she broke apart from Berengar before recovering her elegant demeanor. As she did so, her cheeks flushed red. Berengar knew she wanted more but was holding herself back; as such, he changed the topic by asking the question on his mind.


    "So... What did you need me for?"


    Ad immediately recognized why she had first set out to find him and recovered from her lustful trance before asking the question on her mind.


    "I was wondering when my wedding dress will be ready. Our wedding is only a few days from now!"


    In response to this, Berengar smiled before revealing the changes he had just made.


    "Do not worry, my dear, I have just sent new designs to the garment district; you and I will have custom-made attire for the asion, I promise you, that you will be the most beautiful woman in the entire Cathedral on the day of our wedding!"


    After hearing this, a broad smile appeared on Ad''s face before she kissed Berengar on the cheek where Linde had left her mark; after doing so, she hugged him fervently before revealing the thoughts on her mind.


    "I look forward to it!"


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 350: The Royal Wedding Part I

    <h4>Chapter 350: The Royal Wedding Part I</h4>


    Days had passed since Berengar began to draft up new designs for fashion, and as they passed, his wedding rapidly approached. Eventually, the day of his marriage to Ad had arrived. This was a day he had been looking forward to for close to five years now. It just so happened to be the day of Christmas Eve.


    Snow was falling outside of the Grand Cathedral where Berengar now stood within. All eyes were gazing upon him as he was dressed in far more exquisite attire than that of anyone else. He was equipped with a luxurious new style of fashion that made every man in the room seethe with envy.


    Berengar was dressed in a white tunic based upon his military uniforms, the difference being the colors being reversed. The tunic was white with gold embroidery; on the cor and cuffs, this took the form of oak leaves. The trimming of the tunic was golden, with golden buttons in a single line down the middle.


    Atop his shoulders were a pair of golden epaulets, with a golden shoulder cord on his right side, he also wore a golden sash. This sash was the symbol of the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint George, a Chivalric Order of Austria that he had recently established. It was considered one of the highest military honors, one that he had awarded himself for his various means of valor on the battlefield.


    The sash had a medal tied to the end in the form of a white maltese cross with golden edges. In the center of this cross was a ck circle; in this circle was a golden symbol of Saint George ying the dragon from horseback.


    Two breast stars on the left side of his tunic were pinned vertically to the jacket. The top star belonged to the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, while the Bottom Star belonged to the First ss of the Order of Saint George. It looked nearly identical to the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, but instead of the Iron Cross in the center, there was the Maltese Cross of the Order of Saint George.


    Above these two breast stars were two horizontal medals; these medals were awarded for some of Berengar''s other feats in the battle. For example, on the right side was the Austrian Wound Medal, on the left side was the medal that apanied the sash for the First ss of the Order of Saint George.


    Hanging from his cor were two exceptional medals. One was the Austrian Military Merit Order, which was the single highest honor of bravery a Commissioned Officer could receive. The other was a Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. Both of their ribbons were concealed beneath the cor itself.


    Over his right eye was a new eyepatch; it was ck with a golden lining much like thest one. However, in the center was an Iron Cross, unlike the previous filigree. He felt that this new eyepatch gave him a more militaristic appearance.


    He wore a golden sash belt across his waist, followed by a pair of white trousers that were perfectly straight in design. These trousers had a golden stripe on the sides of the pant legs. At the same time, he wore a pair of knee-high, polished ck leather officer boots.


    His hair, as usual, was slicked back with pomade and glistened under the light of day shining through the stained ss windows of the cathedral. In a way, Berengar was the physical incarnation of regal authority as he stood at the altar waiting for his bride to arrive with a pleasant smile on his face.


    At the head of the Altar was Ludolf, the German Reformist Church; he was dressed in white and gold vestments that were almost as embellished as Berengar''s attire. Ludolf was a modest man and felt slightly out of ce wearing such luxurious clothing.


    Beside these two men was the best man of Berengar, who Berengar had a difficult time choosing. Because Eckhard was off at war in Bohemia, Arnulf was also at war in Granada. Berengar had slim picking in terms of friends to choose from. Usually, he would choose one of therades he had shed blood and tears with on the battlefield to apany him on this day. Yet, he was severelycking in that regard at the moment.


    As such, the man standing next to him was none other than Ludwig Schmidt, a man who had helped Berengar usher in all of his technological reforms and had earned himself a rank of minor nobility. The man was dressed in victorian style civilian formal wear. He had also groomed his hair and beard so much so that Berengar could hardly contain hisughter.


    It was not that Ludwig looked goofy; on quite the contrary, he looked exceptional for his age. He was Kaiser Franz Joseph I''s spitting image from Berengar''s previous life. It was just that Berengar could never picture the older man so well-groomed and looking like a proper member of the aristocracy.


    To avoidughing at Ludwig''s appearance Berengar began to gaze around the magnificent baroque-style cathedral created within Kufstein. After several years of development, the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein was finallypleted, and it was beautiful beyondprehension. It truly put any Catholic ce of worship to shame. It was also the perfect ce to host Berengar and Ad''s wedding.


    In the crowd within the front row seats were Ad''s and Berengar''s families and the other significant noblemen of the Kingdom of Austria and the various monarchs of other Kingdoms who hade to visit. Due to the recent crusade dered against Berengar by the Pope, the only diplomats who had bothered to visit were either Reformist, Muslim, or Orthodox.


    After some time, the doors to the cathedral opened, and Ad von Graz and her father, Chancellor Otto von Graz; he was holding onto her arm as he walked the young bride down the aisle to give away her husband. The sound of the traditional music that Berengar had introduced into his society yed in the background.


    A veil covered Ad''s face, but one look at her exquisite dress made Berengar''s heart pump rapidly. It was an ivory silk dress with a floral pattern on it. The sleeves went from the top of the wrist until the bottom of the shoulder. The young woman''s neckline was visible through a thinyer of gossamer which ended at the neck where a choker-like cor of floral pattern silk wrapped around her graceful neck.


    The bodice itself was cut in a v-neck pattern, which had an exceptionally frillyyer that extended to the sleeves. Below the torso was an extravagant pleated skirt embroidered in the same floral pattern as the rest of the dress. Though Berengar could not see it due to the length of the dress, Ad was wearing white leather slippers, and of course, her bridal lingerie underneath.


    After arriving at the altar, Ad noticed that her bridesmaids were none other than Linde, Honoria, and her two sisters, who though stunning, paled inparison to the beauty Ad herself was exuding on this day. As such, she smirked beneath her veil as she thought about how she had beaten Berengar''s lovers on the day of her wedding.


    After stepping up at the altar, Ludolf began his speech. After some time, Ludolf finally got to the vows where Berengar was the first to speak the traditional Catholic Vows from his previous life. He felt it was best to steal from Catholics when he could to add further insult to injury.


    Not that the Catholics of this world would know what he was doing. Still, it was a moral victory for himself. As such, Berengar smiled as he grasped ahold of Ad''s dainty hands before speaking the word''s from his memory.


    "I, Berengar von Kufstein, take you, Ad von Graz, to be mywfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."


    After Berengar had said his vows, Ad said her own, virtually identical aside from a few minor differences.


    "I, Ad von Graz, take you, Berengar von Kufstein, to be mywfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."


    Having said this, Ludolf Looked at Berengar with a smile on his face before saying the words that would seal Berengar and Ad in marriage for life.


    "You may now kiss the bride."


    With this said, Berengar lifted Ad''s veil and grabbed ahold of her before kissing her passionately. As he did so, the crowd that had gathered erupted into cheers. While Berengar was kissing Ad, a single train of thought crossed his mind.


    I did it, mom and dad! Your son has finally gotten married, if only you were here to see it...


    Berengar referred to his parents from his previous life back when he was known as Julian Webber. Luckily for him, the parents of his current life were here to witness the event, and they were gazing at him with proud smiles on their faces.


    Ad herself had a pretty smile on her exquisite face as her heath thumped spectacrly. She clutched onto Berengar''s hand tightly as she asked the question on her mind in a timid voice.


    "So what now?"


    Berengar gazed down at his loving wife with a cheery smile as he replied to her question with great anticipation in his heart.


    "Now we host the reception!"


    ---


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 Chapter 351: The Royal Wedding Part II

    <h4>Chapter 351: The Royal Wedding Part II</h4>


    After the wedding ceremony was held within the confines of the Grand Cathedral, Berengar, Ad, and the hundreds of guests retired to the Pce for the Reception, in the ballroom of the Royal Pce, there was a ce set for dancing, where Berengar and Ad were currently waltzing in the middle of the dance floor.


    In Berengar''s past life, it was a tradition of Germany for the Groom and Bride to waltz, followed by the bride dancing with her father and the groom dancing with his mother. This was a tradition Berengar had already established in Austria, and as such, he was currently waltzing with his new bride. As he did so, Ad began to speak to him with a loving smile stered on her doll-like face.


    "Berengar, my love, you look so handsome in your current attire. Your regal appearance is befitting of a man of your position!"


    Berengar continued to smile as he danced with his wife; in doing so, he returned herpliment.


    "Ad, my darling, you are breathtaking, I knew you would look exceptional in that dress, but you are the personification of the ancient goddess of beauty and love, Frija."


    Though Ad was a devout woman and frowned upon paganism, she could not help but blush at Berengar''s remarkablement. As such, she leaned in and kissed him as they waltzed the night away.


    Shortly after doing so, the song ended, and Ad began to dance with her father, while Berengar danced with his mother, Gis.? As he did so, his mother could not help butment on his appearance just like Ad had done so.


    "My son, when you were young, I never believed you would live to see the day of your wedding. I must admit I am quite proud as your mother to say that you have grown to be an exceptionally handsome young man. If only your brother were here to see this..."


    When Gis said, this Berengar began to frown and look away from her sight. Though she was aware of Lambert''s death, Berengar and his father Sieghard had decided to hide the truth of the exact details behind Lambert''s demise to spare her some heartache.


    As such, Berengar had never revealed the truth behind his injury that served as a permanent reminder of his brother''s betrayal.? With this in mind, he began to switch the subject to something more lighthearted.


    "Mother, I thank you for all the support you have given me throughout these years. I know I haven''t been the best son, but I assure you that I have done everything for the sake of our family and the Austrian people! If there is anything you need from me, feel free to let me know, and if it is within my power, I shall grant it to you."


    In response to this, Gis chuckled before hugging her son. As she did so, she made a joke about his position.


    "It''s good to know that I have the King of Austria supporting me! Very well, if I ever have anything I need of you, I will not hesitate to ask, though I do have one question in mind."


    Berengar smiled and nodded to his mother''s request before responding.


    "Go ahead, as long as it is not a State Secret, I will not hide anything from my mother."


    Seeing how the King had given her the permission she needed, Gis began to ask the question that weighed heavy on her heart ever since she first arrived at the new Royal Pce.


    "What will be of the old castle? Now that you have a new and luxurious home, what are your ns for the seat of your ancestors?"


    Berengar rxed the moment he heard the question; at first, he thought it was something serious, but it just turned out to be something as simple as this. As such, he quickly ryed his thoughts on the matter.


    "It will be preserved for generations toe, as a museum about our family''s history. Do not worry, mother, I will never allow our family home to be torn down!"


    Upon hearing this, Gis let out a sigh of relief; knowing her son''s rather industrious and pragmatic nature, she was afraid that he would have the castle removed in favor of some new project. It was good to know that Berengar still valued his roots, despite climbing far above the position of his ancestors.


    Shortly after this conversation, the dance concluded, and Berengar reunited with Ad as they approached the dining table. As he did so, his father came to him before sping his shoulder. The man did not age as severely as thest time Berengar had seen him; in fact, he seemed to be in exceptional health. He had even seen to put on a few pounds of muscle.? Sieghard had a proud smile on his face as he congratted his son on the monumental asion.


    "My son, to believe that you would live long enough to marry, it is truly the happiest day of my life. On top of that, you are now a King respected by your people and feared by your enemies. If someone were to tell me such an oue was your destiny just five years ago, I never would have believed it. Yet here we stand, words can not express how proud I am of you, Berengar."


    After saying this to Berengar, Sieghard approached Ad, where he hugged his niece beforeplimenting her.


    "Oh, little Ad, you have grown to be such a beautiful young woman. When I first told Berengar about his marriage to you, he was deeply concerned about being engaged to such a young girl. Time has a way of solving all of life''s problems. I am d that you stuck with my son, despite his lecherous nature."


    Ad put on a graceful smile as she curtsied before her Uncle and Father-in-Law before expressing her thanks for hispliments.


    "Thank you, Uncle; Berengar may be a bit of a yboy, but he is the man I love, and I assure you, I will put his lovers in their ce so that they remember their position in the hierarchy."


    When Sieghard heard this, he began to chuckle as he gazed at his son and his lovely bride; as he did so, he expressed his approval.


    "You two are a great couple. Alright, I will allow you to be; it is time to eat after all!"


    As Sieghard had said, It was a time for celebration, and as such, a massive amount of food had been prepared. Growing up in a German family, Berengar had seen and learned how to make many dishes from the fathend. He had also witnessed his cousins'' weddings and was aware of what was traditionally served at a German wedding.


    With this in mind, Berengar had a variety of dishes served in the feast to the hundreds of people who had gathered in his dining hall to celebrate his marriage to Ad; the first course was a traditional German soup known as Hochzeitssuppe. Itprised beef shank, carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, spaetzle noodles, and egg dumplings.


    Alongside the soup, a noodle dish known as Hochzeitsnudeln was served as part of the first course. This dish was of Prussian origin and had meatballs, capers, and cream sauce over whole egg-vored noodles.


    The second course of the meal was Tafelspitz which was tender beef boiled in vegetable sud. Berengar had it served with K?sesp?tzle and Leberkn?del as side dishes. These two dishes were the German equivalent of mac and cheese and beef liver dumplings. All of these dishes were served with abination of coffee and wine. As such, the festivities were quite exceptional.


    Berengar and Ad sat at the head of the table, this was natural as Berengar was the King of Austria, and now Ad was the Queen. As such, they entertained their guests as they drank their wine and dined on the delicious food that had been prepared. Sitting on Ad''s side were her parents and siblings, and by Berengar''s side were his own family.


    Further down the table were Berengar''s lovers and his children, as well as the foreign dignitaries and high-ranking Austrian Noblemen. Such as the Grand Duke of Switzend, a position afforded to the previous Count of Chur, the man known as Rayner von Chur, who had previously sided with Berengar upon his army''s invasion of the Swiss Confederation.


    Linde and Honoria were quite perturbed that they were forced to sit so far away from Berengar. Despite this, they behaved themselves as they did not want to invoke their lover''s ire. As such, the meal at the Reception continued rtively peacefully as the people present enjoyed the exceptional Austrian Cuisine that Berengar had introduced to his realm from the memories of his previous life.


    For Berengar, the wedding reception was progressing smoothly, the guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Ad seemed perfectly happy with the result. In his mind, it was indeed the perfect wedding. The meal had just begun, and with it, Berengar would be forced to entertain hundreds of his guests.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 352: The Royal Wedding Part III

    <h4>Chapter 352: The Royal Wedding Part III</h4>


    At the head of the dinner table, Berengar sat alongside Ad. A position that had until rtively recently been reserved for Linde. However, now that Berengar was married, it was appropriate for his wife to sit next to him and not his lover.


    Berengar and Ad were the primary attraction of the hundreds of dinner guests who had gathered to celebrate their marriage. Among his guests were his two most powerful allies, Emperor Vetranis Piologos of the Byzantine Empire and Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl of the Emirate of Granada. These two men had been staying in Kufstein since Berengar''s coronation Ceremony, which was only a matter of weeks prior.


    Though Vetranis was unhappy that Berengar had married Ad before his daughter, his rage had settled down after witnessing the beautiful ceremony and dining on the exceptional cuisine. He was beginning to believe that Ad made a perfect Queen for Berengar.


    Maybe it was because the couple was rted by blood and shared many physical simrities, such as the golden blonde hair, the sapphire eyes, and the pale skin. Whatever it was, Vetranis greatly approved of Berengar and Ad''s marriage.


    He was also astonished by the stature and luxury of the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein and the Austrian Royal Pce.? With this in mind, the Emperor of the East began topliment the Austrian King for what he had aplished in such a short period.


    "King Berengar, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with the city of Kufstein and all that you have aplished in under five years. I look forward to the future that you create here in Austria. Allow me to congratte you on your wedding to your stunning young bride; if your children are half as exceptional as you, then I am certain your Kingdom will flourish for generations toe!"


    In response, Berengar lifted his ss chalice, which was filled with wine, and took a sip; after doing so, he made a bold deration to the Emperor from the east.


    "Emperor Vetranis, I thank you for your kind words, but I am only just beginning on my journey as a ruler; within five years, the Kingdom of Austria will be transformed into a marvel of industry. So much so that you will feel as if you have walked into a new world entirely. Mark my words, the Glory of Austria will be unrivaled within a single generation."


    When vetranis heard this, he smiled before responding to Berengar''s ims; though he believed Berengar was being grandiose in his statement, he decided to y along with his ims. If such a thing were to ur, then the Emperor would admit defeat and submit to Berengar as the supreme power of the west.


    "I look forward to seeing such a sight!"


    As for Hasan, he was deeply concerned about his Nation''s ongoing war. He had no idea what Berengar''s ns were for military intervention in his conflict with his catholic neighbors, but he felt as if it were taking too long.


    It had only been a matter of weeks since he discussed such a thing with Berengar, and with each passing day, he felt a growing sense of dread.? Despite this, he performed a graceful act befitting a man of his position as he congratted Berengar on his marriage to Ad.


    "King Berengar, I must say that your wife is breathtaking; she is every bit as beautiful as my sister Yasmin. You are a lucky man, and I look forward to working with you further in the future."


    Berengar nodded his head in response to Hasan''spliments as he dined on the meal set before him. At the moment, he was working on the first course, whichprised of soup and noodles. He immensely enjoyed the cuisine as he gobbled it down with the manners befitting of a King.


    Ad sat next to him and had a wide grin on her face as if she were a kid who had just been given candy. Though in the past, she had always had preferred deserts over dinner. With age, she was beginning to find that food other than sweets could be equally delectable.


    As such, she snacked on the food as if it were the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. Berengar noticed the happy grin on her face and smiled in response. It was good to see the girl was warming up to food other than sweets.


    The dinner went on for some time as Berengar and Ad entertained their guests until finally all meal courses were finished, and the desert was brought forth. This dessert was a giant wedding cake in the form of the traditional Baumkuchen. This cake was made on a spit and was aplex process to bake. It was finished in a sugar ze and was more than enough to satisfy the guests.


    As such, Berengar and Ad got up from their seats and cut the cake together; after doing so, they fed each other the first bites from their forks. Berengar and Ad gazed at each other passionately as they did so, so much so that Linde and Honoria, who were watching the scene, grew green with envy.


    Despite this, Berengar did not take notice; after all, tonight was entirely for Ad. His other women could wait until their wedding nights to feel such bliss. As for Berengar, he sat down in his seat with his slice, alongside his wife, as the rest of the cake was divided up and handed out to the guests.


    Ad, in particr, was delighted by the taste of the cake as she moaned in pleasure with each bite. Though she was starting to enjoy food other than sweets, it would appear that her sweet tooth was not disappearing any time soon. Berengar didn''t mind this; if anything, he found it to be adorable.


    As such, Berengar and Ad continued to eat the cake alongside one another and chat about their ns for the future. Before long, the clock had struck midnight, and Berengar''s guests began to depart. Berengar himself noticed that Ad was quite flustered and dizzy from the amount of wine she had drunk on her wedding night, and as such, he grabbed ahold of her and carried her to the Royal Bedchambers as if she were a princess.


    After arriving in the room that would belong to the two of them in the future, Berengar began to strip; as he did so, Ad stared at his chiseled body in awe. Her cheeks grew even redder as she stared at her husband''s naked body. It was the first time in her life she had seen such a thing, and after a few moments of observation, Berengar walked over to his wife where he began to kiss her on the lips; as he did so, he stripped her of her wedding gown.


    It was not until she was entirely in the lingerie that Berengar stared at her with a shocked expression. He could not describe his young wife as anything other than angelic. Ad grew increasingly embarrassed as Berengar stared at her for some time; as he did so, he grew stiff, which caused great shock to the girl. Eventually, she knelt before Berengar and closely examined his lower shaft before asking the question on her mind.


    "Is it supposed to be this big?"


    Berengar chuckled with amusement before confirming his wife''s suspicions.


    "You could say I am blessed."


    Ad was hesitant to touch it, but she mustered her resolve and began to service her husband after a while. Before long, Berengar found himself grunting in pleasure as Ad stroked his rod. Where she proceeded to lick it eventually the young Queen began to suck upon Berengar''s shaft as if it were the tastiest lollipop. However, her lips did not get far, after all, she was not ustomed to having such arge object in her little mouth.


    Eventually, Berengar could take it no longer and lifted his wife into the air before lying her down on the bed; as he did so, he pulled down her panties and positioned himself at the entrance of her wet cave. A hint of fear-filled Ad''s eyes, as she was uncertain if such a thing could fit inside her. Upon seeing this reaction, Berengar kissed his wife upon the lips passionately before reassuring her with his kind words.


    "Don''t worry; I''ll be gentle..."


    With this said, Ad nodded silently while biting her lip. It was her wedding night, and she knew she had to consummate her marriage with Berengar to achieve her ce as the main wife. As such, she allowed Berengar to take the lead as he slowly inserted his shaft inside of her. As he did so, he kissed his beautiful young wife with passion as they twirled their tongues together.


    Blood flowed onto the sheets, signaling that Ad''s chastity had been taken. As he did so, Berengar halted his advance before grabbing ahold of Ad''s doll-like face and asking her the question on his mind.


    "Is it painful?"


    To his surprise, Ad shook her head softly and leaned in to kiss Berengar further. After doing so she whispered in his ear


    "Maybe it is because of the wine, but it''s less painful than I thought it would be."


    With this said the couple began to move their hips into one another. Berengar matched Ad''s pacing making sure not to cause her any significant pain in the process.


    He continued the intensity until Ad was finally brought to orgasm; as she climaxed, so too did Berengar release his seed inside of her. In doing so, he had taken the first step towards conception. Whether or not their love would bear fruit this night had yet to be seen.


    After finishing their first experience as man and wife, Ad grabbed ahold of Berengar''s face and kissed him once more before expressing her deepest thoughts.


    "That was amazing... I have waited so long for this day."


    Berengar responded with a gentle smile as he stroked his wife''s silky golden hair before expressing his desires.


    "You are now my woman... no... my Queen!"


    Ad gazed softly at her husband until he asked the question on his mind.


    "So... Shall we go again?"


    With this said, Ad had finally realized the beast she had married and was thankful that there were other women to share her burden for the first time in her life. Despite this, Berengar and Ad continued their actions well for several hours. After all they had a lot of time to make up for.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 353: Discussing Plans for the Future

    <h4>Chapter 353: Discussing ns for the Future</h4>


    Having spent his wedding night with his new wife, Berengar awoketer than he usually would. After all, he had his fill of food and wine the night before and was in the mood to sleep in. It was not until roughly noon that he awoke to see Ad still asleep by his side.


    The young woman was still tired from their joint exercise the night before. As such, Berengar kissed her on the forehead before rising from his bed and getting dressed. He decided to take the day off from his usual fitness regimen and instead approached the dining hall for his morning coffee and breakfast.


    As he sat down at the table, he saw Honoria and Linde sitting alongside Henrietta and Berengar''s two children. It would appear that they had been waiting some time for his arrival. His two lovers immediately began to inquire about Berengar''s night with Ad with wicked grins on their lips. Linde, who was gracefully sipping on a cup of coffee, was the first to speak about this issue.


    "So, how is the little Queen doing? I hope you weren''t too rough with her."


    Berengar chuckled as he sat down at the table; shortly after that, a mug of coffee was brought over, prepared in just the way he liked it. He began to speak about his previous night''s conquest with a gaze of pride as he drank from the cup.


    "It could not have gone better. She and I are verypatible; maybe it is because we''re rted? Who knows... anyway, you might have somepetition going forward. After all, Ad is now mywful wife, and though she may be inexperienced, she is a quick learner."


    An enviable expression formed on Linde''s face as she lightly bit down upon her exquisite lips. The truth was that she did not sleep well the night before. It was the first time in a long time that Berengar was home and yet not sleeping by her side. One could say she was dreadfully ufortable. At this moment, a brilliant idea appeared in her head, and as such, A mocking smile appeared on Linde''s lips as she began to tease her lover.


    "That is fine by me; Honoria and I had a girls'' night, it would appear you aren''t needed to have a good time."


    Berengar gazed up from his coffee mug and into the eyes of Linde as he tried to determine whether or not she was telling the truth. Although he had said in the past that if he were gone and Linde ever felt horny, she and Honoria should entertain themselves, he had never actually expected them to do so. It wasn''t until he looked at Honoria''s confused expression that he knew Linde was bluffing. As such, a wicked smile appeared on his face as he called his lover''s bluff.


    "Really? Then I guess I will spend the next week with my wife; after all, I wouldn''t want to spoil your girls'' nights."


    Linde began to panic internally; seeing as her attempt to make Berengar jealous had backfired spectacrly, she quickly thought of a solution to the problem at hand. As such, Linde grabbed ahold of her lover''s hand before whispering in his ear.


    "You are more than wee to join us next time, master..."


    Berengar chuckled in response to this and fired back in a flirtatious manner.


    "Oh? But then it wouldn''t be a girl''s night, would it?"


    Honoria, who watched Linde and Berengar battle each other with their wits, smiled silently as she drank from her coffee. After witnessing Linde''s tortured expression, Honoria couldn''t help but get involved in the affair and quickly began to side with Berengar on the matter.


    "I honestly don''t know what Linde is talking about; I slept in the harem roomst night by myself. Maybe she got a little too drunk and hooked up with some random girl at the party, thinking it was me. As you already know, I am always willing to share you, daddy!"


    Linde could hardly believe her ears, Honoria and her were supposed to have an alliance against Ad, and yet the bitch had just stabbed her in the back so ruthlessly. As such, she red daggers towards the treacherous princess, who simply stuck out her tongue in response.


    Seeing how the conversation was starting to get out of hand, Berengar decided to end the whole charade and epted Honoria''s request.


    "Sure, Just don''t let Ad find out; you know how much of a prude she is."


    The moment Berengar said this, he heard a voice call out to him from behind and instantly felt a chill go down his spine.


    "Oh, I''m a prude, am I? Just what exactly is it that you three are hiding behind my back?"


    Henrietta, who was watching the conversation, remained silent once more. She was old enough now to know what Berengar and his harem were fighting about, and as such, she merely smiled as she enjoyed her coffee and her meal. Berengar had dug his own grave by having three women by his side, and now he had to lie in it.


    Berengar immediately turned around to see Ad standing behind him with her arms crossed and a pouting expression on her face. He had no idea that she had woken up and snuck up behind him. As such, she smiled awkwardly as he attempted to calm his young wife.


    "It is nothing sweetheart, Linde and Honoria were just telling me how they entertained themselves during our wedding night..."


    The moment Ad heard this, several thoughts came to her mind, and she instantly began to flush with embarrassment. Berengar''s words had worked like a charm because she immediately decided to switch the topic.


    "So, what are your ns now that we are married?"


    After saying this, she sat down at the head of the table, next to her husband, who was just d to see that she had voluntarily changed the conversation to something more productive; as such, Berengar smiled as he drank from his mug once more. After doing so, he began to speak about his ambitions.


    "Well, now that I have bought our Kingdom some time of peace, I intend to take advantage of it. Industrialization is the path I am bringing forward; with that in mind, I n to build railways across Austria and Switzend.


    I will set forth a decree looking for thebor necessary to produce a vastwork of railways across our Kingdom so that supplies and troops can be rapidly transported to every corner of our realm. It will take several years, but I have no doubt that it will ultimately be sessful."


    With this said, Ad stared at him with a curious expression; she had no idea what a railway was or what it was used for. As such, she instantly began to question Berengar about the function of such a device.


    "What exactly is this railway you speak of?"


    Berengar smirked as he took a sip from his mug once more before speaking about the details of his ns.


    "A railway is basically what you might call a metallic road; on this road, a lotive which is a steam-powered device, is used to drag train cars across the railway at high speeds. These train cars can carry supplies or people, allowing rapid transport across the Kingdom.


    With this system traveling from Kufstein to Vienna, or Zurich, or Trieste can take a matter of hours instead of days. Thus, we won''t need to build long canals connecting the River Inn to the Adriatic Sea. With a railroad, we will quickly transfer goods and people from our ports in the Adriatic across the entire Kingdom, thus stimting our trade.


    Of course, from a defensive standpoint, it is also exceptional, as the construction of railroads will allow us to send troops and supplies to any corner of the Kingdom in a mere span of hours. No matter where we might be invaded, reinforcements can rapidly arrive."


    Honoria was the most excited of all to hear about this; no longer would she have to take the route of the ck sea to return to Kufstein, she had meant to speak with Berengar about the construction of canals to make her life easier, but this seemed like an even better n. As such, she could not prevent herself from doubting Berengar''s words.


    "You can actually make something like this?"


    Berengar nodded towards his lover with a smile on his face before responding in the affirmative.


    "Absolutely! It will be expensive and require a lot of effort, but it can be done. Luckily for us, we just acquired the Medici fortune and can easily afford such an expense. I have decided that the first section of the railway will travel from Kufstein to Trieste. To connect the Capital to our major port city."


    Ad was equally as happy as Honoria to hear about such ns. If the railway truly connected all significant areas of the Kingdom of Austria, she could visit her family far more frequently in the future. As such, she had a broad smile on her face as she heard of Berengar''s ambitions. If he was going to work so hard for the Kingdom, and its people, then she too had to help in any way she could.


    With this in mind, she began to think about ns for improving the culture within Austria. As she did so, a couple of tes were brought to the table by the servants. These tes contained the breakfasts Berengar had ordered for himself and Ad. After the food arrived, Ad said a short prayer before Berengar and herself began to dig into their food.


    As they devoured their food like a couple of ravenous wolves, Berengar thought of ways to begin the construction of his railways. He wanted them to be fully operational when the crusaders invaded hisnds. As such, he spent the rest of the meal in rtive silence.


    ---


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 Chapter 354: Demonstrating the Rifled Breach Loader

    <h4>Chapter 354: Demonstrating the Rifled Breach Loader</h4>


    Roughly a month had passed since Berengar''s wedding. With it, Ludwig''s workshop was fully updated with the steam-powered, precision engineering equipment that Berengar had designed and begun to introduce across Austria.


    This did not mean that the entire industrial district of Kufstein was updated, in fact, it still had several months to go before such a feat could be achieved, but it did mean that Ludwig could get to work on some prototype weapons that Berengar had rmended for use in the armed forces.


    For Austria to truly dominate on the battlefield, more modern artillery was desperately needed, especially since Berengar had begun to fear that his current artillery was dreadfully obsoletepared with his infantry''s weapons.


    As such, Berengar had designed a horizontal sliding block rifled breech loader loosely based upon the designs used by the German army in thetter portion of the 19th century. For now, this was the best his factories could manage to produce, as anything further would require an advanced recoil mechanism that his factories were simply incapable of making at this point.


    Over the past month, Ludwig had endured substantial difficulties in producing and refining the prototype that Berengar had designed; however, with the help of his team of Engineers, and Berengar''s support, the man had finally managed to create several rifled horizontal sliding block artillery pieces capable of undergoing field testing.


    At the moment, Berengar and a few of his Generals were gathered at the testing ground, where they witnessed the artillery crew load one of the weapons from the rear. While the crew was busy doing so, Ludwig stood in front of the gathered military officials dressed in formal attire, with the same groomed appearance he had during Berengar''s wedding. He began to make a speech as the weapon was rapidly loaded, his voice brimming with confidence.


    "What you see before you is the newest innovation in field artillery! This weapon utilizes a 75x200mmR separate loading cased charge shell filled with TNT. It canunch this projectile up to five miles in the distance, with far greater lethality than the primitive ordinance used by our current muzzle-loading cannons!


    In a minute, you will see this weapon tested! With it, I hope to show you the new era of firepower that our soldiers will wield on the battlefield to bring greater glory to our King and Fathend! Without further ado, feast your eyes on the brilliance of my newest invention!"


    After saying this, Ludwig sat down next to Berengar, who tapped him on the shoulder and nodded.


    "That was an excellent speech, my friend!"


    Ludwig smiled as he heard this before shifting his attention ahead to the weapon on disy. He had gone through exceptional lengths to ensure these weapons were correctly manufactured. Without the precision instruments that Berengar had introduced, he would never have been able to create such aplex piece of engineering.


    After a few moments, the artillery team yelled theirmands as they pulled thenyard attached to the operating mechanism. The moment they did so, a roaring thunder filled the air as the projectile wasunched into the distance.


    Approximately five miles out, the shellnded and exploded upon roughly five straw targets contained within sets of full te armor. After the shell exploded, not a single salvageable piece of the armor or the dummies themselves remained.


    Berengar and his advisors gazed through their binocrs and witnessed the sight of the explosion, the moment the shell had impacted the targets, Berengar cried out in joy.


    "Wonderful!"


    However, the show had not finished there; the artillery crew immediately withdrew the spent casing before loading a separate shell. After doing so, they fired the shell, whichnded only a few feet away from theirst st; whatever had remained of the targets was unguled in a fiery explosion.


    It did not end there; the artillery team repeated this process eight more times, for a total of 10 shells fired in one minute from a single artillery piece. Such speed, power, and rangepletely shattered the Generals'' expectations as this one cannon had proven capable of outperforming an entire battery of their current issued artillery.


    Though this was just a simple demonstration, Ludwig hoped to convince the Generals of the Army to immediately begin extensive field testing of the weapon. As such, he crossed his fingers as Berengar discussed with his Generals about the testing and procurement of such weapons.


    Berengar approached his Generals with his arms stretched out in excitement; as he did so, he spoke informally with the men under hismand.


    "What did I tell you? It is an absolute game changer! With these weapons, we can sell off our old artillery to our allies for a substantial sum, and if they have the nerve to bite the hand that feeds them, we can destroy their artillery with our own before they can even leave a scratch on our army! We have hundreds of the old Model 1417 12 pounders lying around that would fetch a high price from our allies! What do you think? Should we begin rigorous field testing of these new weapons?"


    The Generals could not get over their shock by just how effective a single artillery piece of this new design was. If they sessfully reced all 350 of their current artillery pieces with this new design, no alliance in the world could stop their advance. The very idea of their infantry being equipped entirely with needle rifles and their artillery fitted with the new rifled breech-loaders filled the Generals with excitement and ambition.


    With this in mind, not a single General declined the idea of immediately beginning field testing of the weapons. As such, they nodded their heads with eager smiles on their faces beforeplimenting Berengar and Ludwig for their efforts.


    "Your Majesty, as always, the weapons you and Lord Ludwige up with are exceptional. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we are excited to begin field testing of these magnificent weapons immediately."


    Berengar sped his hands together with a broad smile on his face when he heard this and expressed his agreement.


    "Wonderful! Very well, I will allow the Department of Defense to begin the process of testing the weapons; if they prove suitable to field conditions, we will then ce an order to begin recing our obsolete muzzleloaders! Gentlemen, it is the dawn of a new era, and we are leading it!"


    After saying this, Berengar turned his attention to Ludwig, where he approached his old friend with a smile on his face.


    "Come, Ludwig, let us go for a drink; I feel like celebrating the asion and discussing some of my ideas with you!"


    Ludwig did not deny the King''s request, and as such, he followed him into the city of Kufstein, where the two men entered a local pub. The new Fashion designs that Berengar had begun to implement hadn''t entirely overtaken Kufstein yet. Berengar and Ludwig were exceptionally well dressedpared to themonborers who still dressed inrgely renaissance attire that dwelled within the pub.


    Berengar was currently d in his full military dress uniform, simr to his wedding attire but in ck, with a dark grey cor and sleeve cuffs that were filled with golden embroidery. Every other medal and order he had on his wedding uniform was the same on his military uniform. As such, he stuck out like a sore thumb when he entered the tavern.


    Despite this, not a single person in the room looked at him with a sign of greed or envy. When the King entered the pub, more than half of the men jumped up and saluted him. Many of these men had either served in the military or were currently serving in the military, and as such, were well ustomed to doing such a thing whenever they were in the King''s presence.


    Berengar motioned for the men to be at ease before he sat down at the bar, where he ordered two fingers of whiskey for both himself and Ludwig. As well as a liter of beer to chase it down with. After doing so, he immediately began to discuss some of the arms developments he wanted to introduce in the uing years with Ludwig.


    "So Ludwig, what do you think about metallic cartridges?"


    The moment Ludwig heard Berengar say this, he was pretty shocked. As such, he lowered his voice before answering the King''s question with one of his own.


    "How did you know I have been working on metallic cartridges?"


    Berengar merely chuckled as he heard this and downed the whole two fingers of whiskey in a single go. After doing so, he took a sip of his beer before speaking his thoughts.


    "You came up with the needle rifle on your own; logically, the next progression is to build a bolt action rifle that is capable of using metallic cartridges. Or am I assuming too much?"


    Ludwig was stunned when he heard this; it was exactly as Berengar had said; the moment hepleted the needle rifle, he wanted to rece the paper cartridge due to its inherent disadvantages. However, despite tinkering with the idea of metallic cartridges in his free time, he had not been able to produce a reliable version. Thus Ludwig asked with suspicion on his mind as he dared to utter the words.


    "You know the solution, don''t you?"


    Berengar merely smiled as he drank from his beer, not revealing the truth behind the matter. However, his silence was enough for Ludwig toprehend the answer, and as such, the older man sighed heavily before asking Berengar the question he had been dwelling on for years.


    "So tell me, my King, how do you know so much about... well, everything?"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this before deciding to tease his old friend. As he did so, he leaned in and whispered to Ludwig the truth of the matter.


    "Would you believe me if I told you I was from the future?"


    Ludwig thought about it for a few moments and chuckled before responding to Berengar''s wild im.


    "I don''t know if you''re actually telling me the truth or just messing with me. However, I know one thing that is a better exnation than anything I have been able toe up with to exin your unworldly knowledge..."


    Berengar chuckled as he heard Ludwig''s response; after doing so, he patted the man on the back before saying.


    "Regardless as to how I know these things, I''ll help you out with your metallic cartridge problem, send me your designs when you get the chance, and I will dly assist you with how I think they can be improved."


    After hearing this, Ludwig nodded with a smile on his face. Whether Berengar was telling the truth, or he was a man who had sold his soul to the devil for unlimited knowledge. It honestly did not matter; at the end of the day, Berengar''s reforms immensely helped the people living in Austria, and to Ludwig, that was the most important thing of all.


    ---


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 Chapter 355: Doomed to Obsolescence

    <h4>Chapter 355: Doomed to Obsolescence</h4>


    Berengar had been dreadfully busy with work over the past month, particrly in overseeing the beginning phases of his industrialization process, so much so that he had even begun to forsake his duties as a husband and father.


    At this moment, he was sitting in his study, overseeing the expense reports for the initial startup costs of constructing a railroad. It was well within his expectations, and as such, he quickly signed his approval on the document with his fountain pen.


    At this moment, he heard a knock on his door; as such, he instinctively called out to the person behind it.


    "It''s open."


    After saying this, the door creaked open to reveal his newlywed wife, who was standing before him with a tter filled with food and a mug of beer. Before Berengar realized it, noon had approached, and lunchtime had arrived with it.


    After seeing his beautiful young bride standing before him holding a te filled with sausage, k?sesp?tzle, and schnitzel Berengar''s fatigue began to wash away as he stood up from his seat and greeted his woman.


    "Ad, is it lunchtime already? I''m sorry I should have met you in the dining hall; I have just been so busy with work."


    Adid the food tray down upon Berengar''s desk and forced herself upon hisp. As she did so, she ced a finger on Berengar''s lips silencing him from speaking. She looked into his deep sapphire eyes that she herself had inmon before telling the thoughts on her mind.


    "I understand you have been busy managing the realm; there is no need to apologize. Without you, I fear to think what Austria would have be. At the very least, allow me to assist you in any way I can. After all, your work is necessary, but skipping meals is bad for your health."


    Berengar smiled as Ad lifted the liter mug of beer and brought it to his lips, in doing so forcing him to drink from the heartyger contained within. After he did so, he began to continue his work while Ad continued to feed him from the te of food. He was careful not to damage the documents with the fine Austrian cuisine residue.


    As he continued to focus on his work while taking short breaks to eat Ad''s food, his young wife noticed the documents on the table and the amount of Guldens Berengar was spending on the process of industrializing his nation as such, her mouth gaped in shock before asking the question on her mind.


    "Can we afford such expenditures?"


    Berengar chuckled before assuring the young woman that they could indeed afford the expense.


    "Not to worry, my love, with the assets we have seized from Italy during our War for Independence and the ie we receive from all of our businesses, the Austrian Crown can easily afford the expenditure. Besides, this is an investment into the future of our realm. These railways will provide significant economic and tactical advantages over our rivals."


    Ad rxed when she heard Berengar''s assurance, and after doing so, fed him a spoon filled with the delicious cheesy dish known as k?sesp?tzle; after doing so, she helped her husband wash it down with a sip of beer.


    After finishing approving the distribution of funds to the construction of the railroad, Berengar began to take a look at the metallic cartridge design that Ludwig had struggled to create. The base material for the cartridge was copper, and the older man had attempted to embed a percussion cap in the rear.


    Berengar instantly saw the faults with such a design and quickly began to draw the necessary modifications to make a proper metallic cartridge for use in firearms. Though Berengar could introduce smokeless powder, it would take some time to begin producing such a thing, and he currently had a massive stockpile of ck powder built up.


    With this in mind, Berengar began to redesign the cartridge around a reliable and proven ck powder cartridge from his previous life. He began to draft the dimensions based upon the .45-70 govt used by the American armed forces in thetter half of the 19th century.


    The bullet itself was a solid piece of lead and its diameter was .458 in or 11.6 mm. The cartridge itself was made of brass, which was more reliable than the copper cartridge that Ludwig had designed. The casing''s neck was .480 in or 12.2mm in diameter, with a base diameter of 5.05 inches or 12.8mm.


    The rim at the bottom of the cartridge was .608 in or 15.4mm in diameter as for the thickness of the edge; it was 0.70 in or 1.8mm; as for the length of the casing, it was 2.105 in or 53.5mm. For a rifle to properly stabilize the flight of this projectile, it would need a 1-20 rifling, which meant that for everyplete revolution that the bullet twisted within the barrel, 20 inches were required to achieve it.


    Ad watched in shock as Berengar was hard at work. Before her very eyes, he began utterly overhauling the rudimentary metallic cartridge that Ludwig had devised. Finally, he began to create the most critical point of a functioning metallic cartridge from memory as if it were second nature.


    When Berengar began to create the centerfire primer seemingly from scratch, hemented that he had no idea how to create a more modern Lead Styphnate explosivepound, which was required to make non-corrosive primers. He substituted the mixture with the far more primitive and cheaper to produce mercury fulminate that his chemists had already created and utilized in the current percussion cap production.


    A centerfire primer was something that took decades for Europeans to discover in Berengar''s previous life. Still, because Berengar was an engineer and a firearms fanatic in his earlier life, he was well aware of how to manufacture such a thing.


    The centerfire primer he designed was a small cup embedded within the cartridge''s rear. It utilized mercury fulminate as the charge to ignite the ck powder contained in the casing. This effect was achieved by using a firing pin to strike the primer, which would cause the mercury fulminate to spark, thus igniting the ck powder and propelling the projectile through the barrel of the rifle and downrange into the target.


    After Berengar had finished designing a reliable and functional cartridge, he sat back in his seat and reflected on his previous life with a smile. His family was far from wealthy in his earlier life, and as such, they tended to utilize any firearm they could get their hands on for cheap. One of these rifles was an old Springfield trapdoor rifle.


    His father in his past life had purchased the firearm for a few hundred bucks at a pawn shop and had taken Julian hunting with the rifle numerous times. They even hand-loaded their cartridges to use in the gun; as such, Berengar was familiar with all the details needed to make the cartridge reliable and functional.


    Ad immediately inquired about the designs she had seen Berengar design out of thin air, based solely on a n given to him; she had no idea how Berengar had taken a rudimentary concept and improved it effortlessly as if such a thing was natural.


    "Berengar, what is this I am looking at right now?"


    Berengar looked over at Ad with an awkward smile; he had been so immersed in recreating the .45-70 that he had utterly forgotten his wife was sitting on hisp watching him work. As such, he began to pet her pretty head before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "This is the invention that will allow our Kingdom to reign supreme over our rivals for centuries. Now all I need to do is design a rifle capable of utilizing it. Of course, I will do such a thing at ater date. It is a pity..."


    Ad instantly looked up at Berengar with confusion as she heard thest part of Berengar''s exnation.


    "What is?"


    A smug smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he began to exin his thought process.


    "Ludwig did an exceptional job creating the needle rifle, and I fear it will only see two conflicts before it is ultimately reced by a superior design of my own making. It is such a waste..."


    In response to this, Ad giggled innocently. She found it cute how Berengar thought so seriously upon such a meaningless topic and began to console her man over his regrets.


    "Well, if it helped you win two wars, then it wasn''t a waste, was it?"


    Berengar smiled bitterly as he heard this; it would appear the needle rifle was doomed to rapid obsolescence in both of his lives. Though it had served as the primary weapon of the Prussian Army for a few decades, in his past life, it was ultimately reced by the superior Mauser 1871 and its metallic cartridge not long after it had helped win a major war. It would appear that such a fate awaited his needle rifle in this timeline.


    Berengar figured he would not be able to mass-produce the new cartridge or the rifle he would have to design around it before his Army intervened in Granada. The Schmidt Needle Rifle would only serve in partial capacity towards the Austrian War for Independence and total capacity in the Austrian Intervention in the Reconquista.


    With this in mind, Berengar sat up from his chair and began to stretch his legs, forcing Ad off of hisp as he did so. After moving around for a bit, he kissed Ad on the lips while hugging her. As he did so, he thanked her for her assistance.


    "Thank you, Ad, for bringing me food; without it, I likely would have worked until I starved."


    Ad smiled graciously as she epted Berengar''s thanks


    "No thanks is required; I am your wife; it is my job to look after you."


    After saying this, Ad grabbed ahold of the food tray and followed Berengar out of his study. Berengar needed a break from work after putting in so much effort, and he intended to entertain himself with his new wife.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


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 Chapter 356: Hussite Victory

    <h4>Chapter 356: Hussite Victory</h4>


    Eckhard stood within the Great Hall of the Royal Pce within the city of Prague. The halls were stained with the blood of the Bohemian loyalists and their allied forces. Their corpses littered the ground and had already begun to rot. The de of the Austrian field marshal was coated with the sanguine liquid of life.


    Though he had not personally in King Radek of Bohemia, Eckhard had done his fair share of bloodshed in the battle that led to such a result. Standing atop the Bohemian King''s lifeless body was none other than Alexej Kaspar, a man revered by the radical Hussite Sects as a War Saint of their faith.


    With Berengar''s assistance, the Kasparian''s and the other Hussite armies had waged a long and bloody war against the Bohemian Crown and their Catholic Allies. However, it was not until Austrian Agents posing as servants of the Bohemian Crown distributed weapons to criminals and brigands that themon people began to take arms against their masters.


    With the support of themon people, the Hussite forces steamrolled over the Catholic Armies and brought their vengeance upon the Church for their crimes against Jan Hus and his followers. For the first time in centuries, the Catholic Church had lost a Crusade.


    Alexej stared at the bloodstained golden crown lying upon the fractured skull of the once-mighty Behomeian King for several seconds, debating what to do with it. Though the radical Hussites revered him, the moderate factions of his faith viewed him as a fanatic and a war criminal. Not to mention the many Catholics who lived within Bohemia that had not supported him and his cause.


    Even a significant minority of ethnic Germans followed the teachings of Berengar and his German Reformation; one thing was sure the Kingdom of Bohemia was far from united. If he were to ce this crown upon his head, it would only invite greater chaos.


    Yet without a strong leader, Bohemia would be nothing more than a puppet state of their powerful neighbor to the Southwest. Austria was a behemoth that could swallow Bhoemia whole; by a single decree, the Royal Army of Austria could march onto Bohemia and wipe away years of blood, sweat, and tears that the Bohemian people had shed for a proper reformist state.


    As such, the man was at a crossroads, should he allow someone else, someone more unifying, to be King of Bohemia, or should he im the position for himself and negotiate the terms of repayment of their debt to Austria from a ce of authority, in doing so creating long term social strife.


    Before he could make a decision, a few heavily armored men entered the scene; they were flying the banners of a Hussite Nobleman by the name of Valdemar Zukal; among the moderate Hussites, he was the most renowned.


    Upon seeing Alexej standing above the bloodied corpse of the Bohemian King, eying his crown with avarice, Valdemar refused to stand by and began to approach the radical Hussites while nked by his soldiers. As he did so, he rested his hand upon the hilt of his de, eying the radicals with suspicion.


    "Alexej, you did not think that I would allow you to ce that crown upon your head, thus naming yourself King of Bohemia, did you? You have butchered thousands of Bohemian citizens in the name of your fanaticism, and thus you must answer for your crimes!"


    As Valdemar said this, Alexej''s followers unsheathed their des in a show of force; as they did so, they stared down the moderate nobleman with fierce expressions. Just like how the moderates would never allow a radical to sit upon the throne, so too would they never permit a moderate to rule as King.


    As for Eckhard, he and his Austrian troops were caught in the middle of these two armed groups. Thus the aging Field Marshal immediately attempted to appease both sides ande to apromise before they began killing each other over minor differences of opinion.


    "Gentlemen, stow your des! We have won the war, and that is all that matters for now. As for who bes King, it can be decided upon at ater date by all factions involved in this great victory that we have achieved together!"


    Alexej and Valdemar gazed at each other with murderous intent; even after Eckhard''s plea of reason, they still felt the urge to cut each other''s throats on the spot. In Alexej''s eyes, the moderates had done too little for the cause, allowing him and his forces to suffer as the vanguard in the war against the Catholics.


    While the radicals fought, the moderates hugged the sidelines, waiting for a clear victor to emerge. As such, the radical leader would never allow an opportunistic man like Valdemar to seize the Bohemian crown, not after all the blood he and hisrades had shed to achieve this victory.


    Seeing that tensions were only increasing, Eckhard yed his final card to make the two men see reason, and as such, he sighed heavily before speaking in a grave tone.


    "Word of your victory has already been sent to King Berengar; imagine his surprise when he pays a visit to the Bohemian Court and sees that you fools have begun ying each other over your slight differences. Stow your des or face the wrath of your benefactor!"


    If it were years ago when the war had begun, such a threat would have been seen as a joke by the two sides facing off against each other. However, after news had reached Bohemia of Berengar''s absolute victory over the Holy Roman Empire, nobody present was foolish enough to take Eckhard''s warning lightly.


    The Radicals were the first to back down as Alexej sheathed his de; the moment he did so, his men followed suit. He and the radicals owed Berengar a far more outstanding debt than the moderates. For it was them who Berengar had sent the majority of his aid to.


    As for Valdemar, he clutched his de intensely as he struggled toe to terms with the oue. Was he going to sit idly by and allow the Austrians to y kingmaker over their realm? Despite his unwillingness to do so, the man ultimately epted the futility of his situation. If the Austrians could wipe out the Italians and Swiss in a matter of months, what could they do to a divided and battle-worn Bohemia?


    As such, the man quickly did as the Austrian Field Marshalmanded him and stowed his de. Upon doing so, a sour expression formed on his face. He could not imagine the consequences that would befall their realm for allowing Berengar von Kufstein to act as the judge regarding the question of Bohemian Session.


    However, his hands were tied, and as such, Valdemar spat on the ground before departing; as he did so, he left a passing message.


    "This is not the end, Alexej; you will answer for your crimes against Bohemia and her people; I swear to God I will make you pay!"


    After Valdemar and his cronies had left, Alexej let out a sigh of relief before thanking Eckhard for his support.


    "Thank you, Marshal Eckhard; I owe you and your King a great deal. What is it that your master has nned for us going forward?"


    Eckhard sighed as he dwelled upon the question; he did not know what Berengar intended for Bohemia, years had passed since hest spoke to the man in person, and Eckhard did not doubt that the young monarch''s ambitions had grown once more. As such, he could not honestly answer the question. Instead, his response was cryptic.


    "I honestly do not know what Berengar''s intentions are for Bohemia; I am sure that he will ask a great deal of you and your people for repayment. I suggest that you remember that he is not the minor noblemen you first approached years ago.


    I give you this warning as a friend and apanion who has fought along your side for years. Do not underestimate the man known as Berengar von Kufstein; he is as cunning as he is cruel, and he will find a way to extract the most significant value from yournds, a value that you yourself may not even be aware of.


    Most of all, be aware that he is not afraid to use war and violence as a means of diplomacy. If he threatens you during negotiations, do not take it lightly, as he has the means to be back up his ims. While you have spent thest few years waging a brutal war, he has spent it by consolidating his power and advancing his army to unimaginable lengths. I do not know to what degree the Austrian Military has advanced in my absence, but I assure you it is beyond your capabilities.


    If you keep all of this in mind, I am sure you will be able to mitigate the damage done to your people during what is toe. Only ruin awaits you if you choose to ignore my advice and cling to your pride. This is all I can say as your friend, for my loyalty is to Berengar and his Kingdom. Good luck, for you and your people, will need it..."


    With this said, Eckhard did not wait for a response; he quickly fled the scene with his men following in tail. They had much to prepare for; with a Hussite victory in Bohemia, the timeline was forever altered, and Berengar intended to take full advantage of it for the benefit of his realm.


    ---


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    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 357: Military Parade

    <h4>Chapter 357: Military Parade</h4>


    Berengar gazed upon thousands of his Infantry gathered before him marching in the streets. Most of these soldiers were standard Infantry. However, there were grenadiers mixed within their ranks. These men were dressed in the newest military uniforms and equipped with the most modern weapons that Berengar and his engineers had devised. They were d in the distinctly victorian style uniform that Berengar had designed from head to toe.


    On their head was a ck steel pickelhaube helmet, with brass ents in the form of a double-headed eagle and a brass spike. Their tunics were ck with gold trimming and had a single line of brass buttons from the neck down.


    However, this tunic was concealed by a thick wool greatcoat in the pattern used by German Soldiers in the Great War of Berengar''s past life. The primary difference being it was ck. Over this Greatcoat was a cuirass made of quenched and hardened high carbon steel and painted in the same ckcquer applied to their helmets.


    Atop this cuirass was the standard-issue ck leather webbing that contained the paper cartridges utilized in the Infantry''s needle rifles. As well as a few other forms of essential equipment such as their bay sheaths and their field spades.


    The pants were rich ck wool, with a gold stripe on the sides, the legs were tucked into their knee-high ck leather infantry boots. Overall it was a clean and crisp uniform devised for a more modern military. Since Berengar had begun the process of industrialization, he had introduced new attire for his Kingdom, both in the military and civilian sectors.


    These men marched in parade formation, with their rifles unslung and held within their shoulders. These needle rifles were unloaded. However, their bays were affixed. The crowds of Kufstein were gathered to witness the thousands of soldiers march through the streets to show off the pride of Austria, which was her military.


    Today was a special asion, as it was now January, and with a new year, Berengar decided that it was time to introduce the medals and awards to all of the soldiers who had fought in his wars over the past few years. Without their aid, Berengar would never have been able to achieve everything he had aplished in such a short time.


    As such, tens of thousands of soldiers marched through the streets of Kufstein in the dead of winter, many of which were veterans of the armed forces who had retired and now served in the reserves.


    Berengar was dressed in a greatcoat. However, it was open to reveal the luxurious general uniform and its awards beneath. Like all of the men present, he wore a pair of ck leather gloves to protect his hands from the cold of the Austrian Alps.


    He stood on a stage built above the Parade, where the soldiers who had proved themselves in battle would be called up one by one to receive their rewards. He was surrounded by his newly established Royal Guard, dressed in specialty uniforms. Their uniforms had the colors reversed; they were white with gold trimming and had a single line of brass buttons from the neck down. Atop this tunic was a gilded cuirass, matched by a gilded steel pickelhaube helmet atop their heads.


    The Royal Guard was selected from the most elite, battle-hardened, and loyal of Berengar''s armed forces. Many of them had served in either the Jaeger Corps or the Grenadiers. However, others belonged to his cavalry units, such as the Cuirassiers and the Hussars.


    Regardless they were the most suited to protecting Berengar and the Royal Family. As such, they stood by stoically as they guarded their King against any potential violent outburst during the festivities.


    After the Infantry had passed by the location and circled to present themselves before the stage, the Artillery marched through the streets, with their field guns in tow by the horses that belonged to their units.


    Their uniforms were simr to the Infantry, with a slight difference; instead of a spike on the top of their pickelhaube helmets, they had a brass ball affixed to a brass shaft. They also did not wear the steel cuirass as it was simply unnecessary for the Artillery to wear body armor. Though they had no way of knowing it, the new rifled breech-loading cannons were undergoing rigorous military testing before they could be approved for use in the field.


    Once these wonder weapons made their way to the field, the Artillery would be so far removed from any form of danger against their medieval foes that it was simply a waste of resources to equip them with body armor.


    After the Artillery marched through the Parade and regrouped behind the Infantry, standing in front of the stage, the Cavalry made their way through. There were various forms of Cavalry present. The Cuirassiers were the heavy Cavalry; they wore ck and gold cavalry uniforms in the style of the Prussian Cuirassiers from the Franco-Prussian war of Berengar''s past life. They had ck steel breasttes and cuirassier style pickelhaube helmets.


    As for the Hussars, they were dressed in a uniform simr to the legendary "Death''s Head Hussars" utilized by Prussia during Berengar''s previous life. However, their uniforms were ck and gold instead of ck and silver. Like the Cuirassiers, they were outfitted with more modern cavalry sabers instead of the older Heavy Cavalry Swords that Berengar had previously equipped his Cavalry with.


    The Uns followed after the Hussars had marched through the streets on horseback; these were modernized versions of Berengar''s olderncers. They were also dressed in a military uniform based upon the old Prussian 1870s Un uniform. Of course, it shared the same color scheme as the rest of Berengar''s Army.


    After the magnificent disy of Berengar''s modernized military had proudly marched through the streets. Berengar finally broke his silence and spoke to all of the men gathered before him.


    "Over thest few years, all of you present have followed me into battle. Since the beginning, some of you have been with me, and others have joined my Army as I gained more power. We have lost many of our brothers in arms inbat against our enemies, yet we now stand an independent Kingdom, more significant than any force in all of the Western World.


    It was due to your sacrifices on the field of battle that we have achieved everything that we have aplished. As such, today is a day for all of you, and thus I have decided to give out awards to all of those who have proven themselves and their courage on the field of battle!


    For every soldier wounded or killed in the conflicts since the battle of mining town so many years ago. I will be awarding them the Austrian Wound Medal, a symbol of the price they have paid for their King and fathend!


    Now, as I call your names,e forward, and I will give you the awards that I have deemed your service history worthy of!"


    Berengar started by calling up the highest echelon of Generals and officers present. Those currently embedded in his proxy wars as military advisors would be given their awardster when they returned to Kufstein.


    After getting through the General Officers and those directly below them, Berengar finally made his way to the regr officer ss.


    "Captain Arnwald Gerwig, step forward, please!"


    Arnwald was surprised to hear his name being called; Despite the fact that he had worked his way up from an enlisted position to that of a full-fledged Grenadier Captain. He had not expected himself to be given any significant form of award.


    When he finally arrived in front of the King, his heart was palpitating. However, the words Berengar spoke next shocked him to the core.


    "It has been some time since Ist saw your face. I was beside myself when I heard your friend Bardo had passed away; I am ashamed to admit that it was only after I researched my casualty reports for this ceremony that I realized that one of the men who so bravely stood by my side during that first ambush had passed away in a previous war."


    Arnwald struggled to find the words to express his thoughts; he could not understand how Berengar managed to remember his face and name after so many years had passed since that fateful day. The man struggled to choke back the tears forming in his eyes as he listened to Berengar''s decree to the crowd.


    "For your bravery in protecting your King on the night of the ambush of our forces outside of Schwaz during the war for Tyrol, fighting bravely on the frontlines during the war against Bavarian upation, and your acts of gantry while leading our grenadiers to protect our supply lines during the War for Independence, I at hereby grant you, Captain Arnwald Gerwig, the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, the Military Merit Order, and the Fourth ss Order of Saint George!"


    After saying this, Berengar opened a small container containing the two fabled medals. The first was worth more in prestige than the US Medal of Honor, the second was the most distinguished military honor that Berengar could award, and the third established Arnwald as a Knight of the Austrian Crown.


    Berengar proceeded to hang the ck, white, and gold ribbons containing the Iron Cross and the Military Merit Order around Arnwald''s neck before pinning the white and ck, and gold maltese cross of the Order of Saint George onto his chest.


    After doing so, he shook Arnwald''s hand before saluting the soldier, just as he had done to all of the officers who hade before him. Arnwald responded with his salute before returning to the crowd of gathered soldiers, who began to cheer for him. All citizens gathered outside the venue roared in apuse for Arnwald''s award.


    The ceremony continued for several Hours as Berengar handed out awards to all the men he felt had deserved them. These medals and awards varied greatly based upon an individual''s performance.


    Among these men were soldiers who had proven their bravery on the field of battle, such as Captain Andreas Jaeger, whose actions as a Jaeger Captain led to the swift elimination of Italian Skrimishers during the War for Independence earned him a First ss Iron Cross as well as Captain Willehelm Krieger whose efforts to put down Brigands in Austria following Berengar''s brief Regency over Conrad had earned him the Second ss Iron Cross.


    After many hours, the night fell upon Kufstein, and Berengar dismissed the Parade. Among the soldiers of his Army, thousands had been awarded honors, most of which were the Austrian Wound Medal. The event itself was a rousing sess, as it increased public interest in the military and was utilized as a propaganda tool in the papers to celebrate Austrian dominance.


    This would be the first of many Military Parades that Berengar would arrange during his tenure as a Monarch. The first Generation of Austrian Soldiers had finally been recognized for their efforts on the field of battle, and thus morale was at an all-time high. In the future foreign countries would begin to adopt simr ideas of military awards to inspire their troops to achieve greater glory. However, for now, it was something unique to Austrian military culture.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 358: Preparing for Intervention in Bohemia

    <h4>Chapter 358: Preparing for Intervention in Bohemia</h4>


    After the military parade had been finished, Berengar was alerted that the War in Bohemia hade to an end, and just as he expected, the various Hussite sects could not agree on who the next King would be.


    He began to chuckle to himself as he read the letter written by Eckhard that was currently in his hands. Of course, it would turn out this way. Did Eckhard expect a bunch of religious fanatics to have a n for after they had overthrown the legitimate monarchy?


    King Radek of Bohemia was dead, so too were his male heirs. Prague was in a disastrous state, and the various Hussite sects had turned on one another in an attempt to put their representatives on the vacant Throne.


    If not for Berengar''s fearsome reputation being utilized by Eckhard to pressure the various factions into maintaining civil ties, then a new war would have broken out between the victorious Hussites. After spending years backing the various Hussite sects in their war to overthrow the Catholic monarchy, now was the time toy im to the Bohemian Crown.


    Eckhard had openly invited him into Bohemia, and as such, Berengar would show up with an army at his back. With the Austrian Royal Army behind him, the various factions vying for the Bohemian Crown would have to take him seriously.


    As such, Berengar got up from his seat within his study and ventured to the headquarters of the Austrian Royal Army located within the city of Kufstein. After entering the building, the various soldiers who worked as administrative personnel saluted their King as he made his way to the General''s chambers.


    After entering the room, Berengar saw multiple of his General''s gathered. They were discussing the trials of the new field cannons. However, when they saw the King enter the room, they immediately halted their discussion and saluted him in the more modern fashion he had recently implemented among his ranks.? After doing so, Berengar returned their gesture before answering the questions he knew they had on their minds.


    "The war for Bohemia is over; the Hussites are victorious!"


    After saying this, the Generals began to break out into cheers; however, shortly thereafter, Berengar raised his hand, signaling them to be silent. After doing so, he spoke up once more about the current situation.


    "The various Hussite sects are ready to turn on themselves in an attempt to put a member of their faction on the Throne. The situation is vtile, and I fear it is necessary to intervene before the Kingdom of Bohemia descends into further chaos. I want 10,000 men gathered and ready to deploy to Bohemia within 72 hours. I will personally lead them; after all, it has been some time since I havest seen my good friend Eckhard."


    The Generals immediately began to nod their heads as they received their order, not a single man among their ranks was willing to anger the King. As such, they quickly began to ry the orders to muster a small division of soldiers capable of stabilizing the situation within the neighboring Kingdom.


    Berengar knew the likelihood of violence urring after the Austrian Royal Army arrived in Bohemia was slim. This was merely a show of force. Thus he returned to the Pce where he began to prepare for his journey.


    As Berengar was getting his supplies in order within the royal bed chambers, Honoria snuck up behind him and pounced on him, pinning him to the bed in the process. She had a pouting expression as she gazed upon her lover with a sense of dread.


    "You''re leaving so soon? It has only been a month since you returned home, and you have spent most of it with Ad!"


    Berengar chuckled as he tried to get up from under the young princess. However, she refused to relent and continued to put pressure upon him. With hisbatives training from his previous life, the young King could easily escape the princess''s mount.


    Still, he decided to endure the gesture and instead grabbed Honoria and brought her mouth into his own. Where he began to kiss her passionately. After a few moments, he let her go with a wicked grin on his face. He began to tease the young woman as he removed himself from under her grasp.


    "Does that make you feel better?"


    However, Honoria did not relent. Instead, she continued to pout as she looked away from her lover. Berengar had not spent nearly enough time with the girl since his marriage to Ad, and she was starting to feel left out. Now all of a sudden, he was going off to God knows where, as such, she would not forgive him so easily.? Instead, she merely began to question Berengar about his ns.


    "Where are you going now?"


    Berengar smiled as he heard his lover slowly begin to open up; as such, he began to inform her of the ongoing crisis in the neighboring Kingdom.


    "The war for Bohemia is over. However, the Hussites are dumber than I thought; every faction among their ranks is currently vying to put their representative on the Bohemian Throne. The only reason blood has yet to be shed is because Eckhard had mentioned that I would be arriving to settle the dispute.


    It would appear my neighbors have be afraid of me; as such, I am given a perfect opportunity to im the Bohemian Crown for myself and annex it into my domain. Who will dare to oppose me after all the pain and suffering the Hussites have caused upon the Bohemian Kingdom?"


    After hearing Berengar''s exnation, Honoria began to break out intoughter, which was not the reaction Berengar was expecting; as such, he gazed at her with confusion before asking the question on his mind.


    "What is so funny?"


    In response to this, Honoria wiped a tear from her eye before pouncing on Berengar once more, hugging him tightly as she whispered into his ear.


    "A year ago, my man was a lowly Duke; soon he will have two crowns! I knew I chose correctly when I decided to run away from home and into your arms; I dread to think what my life would be without you..."


    Berengar smiled as he spent some time in the arms of his lover; the two of them rested there for some time before Berengar finally got up from the bed. He needed to inform the remainder of his family that he would be departing for a short while, and as such, he looked over at Honoria once more beforementing on her career path.


    "Enjoy the peace while itsts; in a few months, we will be forced to intervene on Granada''s behalf; when that happens, I want you and your crew to begin raiding the vessels of the Catholic Iberian Kingdoms. Speaking of which, go visit Ludwig while I''m gone, and inform him to equip your girls with some needle rifles; your current weapons are obsolete."


    Honoria smiled as she heard this and nodded her head. After doing so, she hugged Berengar from behind onest time before thanking him for his support.


    "Thanks for all your help..."


    Berengar chuckled as he patted the girl''s head before forcing himself out of her grip.


    "Alright, I''ve got to go inform the others. I won''t be leaving for another three days, so you and Linde should meet me in the Harem roomter; I''m sure we can find some way to entertain ourselves for the next few days."


    After saying this, Berengar left Honoria alone in the bedroom when he sought out his other family members. Interestingly enough, he found them all gathered within Helga''s room, ying with his young daughter. As Berengar witnessed the wholesome sight, a broad smile appeared on his face.? After watching in silence for a while, he finally announced his entrance.


    "Ahem... I have an announcement to make."


    After saying this, everyone within the room gazed over at Berengar with shock; they had no idea how long he had been standing there, all of them except for one. Hans was aware of Berengar''s presence the entire time; he chose not to say anything as he continued to read from a book about Alexander the Great. After Berengar had gotten their attention, he announced his ns for the uing days.


    "In three days, I will be Embarking for Bohemia, the situation there is at a critical point, if I y my cards right, I can gain control over the region and all the wealth within it. I won''t be gone for long; I just wanted to warn you."


    Ad immediately rose from her seat and approached Berengar with a worried expression. As for Linde as the Director of Austrian Royal Intelligence, she had be aware of this matter at roughly the same time as Berengar; as such, she already expected this result. Thus she stood back with her son and daughter as Berengar consoled Ad.


    Berengar held his young wife within his embrace as he stroked her silky hair. She was not in the greatest mood after figuring out her husband was leaving so soon after their wedding. As such, she asked the first question on her mind while giving Berengar a stern gaze.


    "When will you be back?"


    In response to this, Berengar decided to be honest.


    "It will likely be a fortnight, a month at most. I have to stabilize the situation and bring it under my control. As soon as I am able, I promise I will return to your arms."


    After saying this, Berengar began to kiss Ad; only after several moments had passed that he released himself from her grip. After doing so, he approached Linde and whispered something in her ear that caused her to blush.


    Though Ad noticed this, she decided not to inquire about it. Berengar was likely going to find himself in danger again, and she had been monopolizing his time since their marriage; as such, she decided to let Berengar have some fun with his other future wives.


    Berengar and Linde left Ad and Henrietta alone with their two kids as they absconded to the harem room where Honoria was waiting for them. As for what the trio would get up together, that was something only they would know.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 359: The Man with Two Crowns

    <h4>Chapter 359: The Man with Two Crowns</h4>


    Over a week had passed, and Berengar had set out with a division of 10,000 men. This specialized unit was equipped with Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery. While the Rifled Breech Loaders were currently undergoing field testing, Berengar would have to make do with his traditional muzzleloading smoothbore cannons.


    However, the young monarch did not expect an actual war to break out. After all, the threat of this task force and its willingness to use violence to pursue Berengar''s goals would be more than enough to deter any idea of resistance.


    Like a Conquerorying im to a city, Berengar rode atop his trusty steed in his full dress uniform. The gazes of envy from the battle-worn Hussite soldiers as they saw such a crisp and elegant uniform affixed on Berengar''s exemry visage did not go unnoticed by the young King.


    Ultimately the area set for discussion regarding the new Monarch of Bohemia was established within the royal castle in Prague. As such, Berengar marched up its steps with his royal guard in tow, without the slightest hint of hesitation or fear in his eye. Instead, an oppressive aura exuded from his figure, filling anyone who witnessed it with dread and trepidation.


    After bursting through the doors of the castle and entering the Great Hall where the various factions were engaged in a brutal argument about who should be King, Berengar ignored their shouts, walked past the crowd, and sat upon the Bohemian Throne as if it were the most natural thing for him to do.


    After doing so, he crossed one leg over the other and rested his face on his fist with a smug expression. It was only after several moments of silence had passed that Berengar made his decree known to all of the men present.


    "All who seek toy im to the Bohemian Crown step forward and present your cases, I Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name, and King of Austria will hear your words and choose the most fitting to sit upon this throne."


    The moment Berengar said this, the room was filled with shock; Berengar did not hide his intent in the slightest; he had brazenly stated that he would choose the next King of Bohemia as such, Valdemar was the first among the candidates to object to the notion of having a foreigner choose their King.


    "Who do you think you are, toe into this Great Hall, seat yourself upon the Throne that belongs to our people, and dere that you shall be the man who determines our King?!"


    Berengar''s smug expression faltered as he heard the man so brazenly question his judgment; in response to this, the young monarch snapped his fingers, the very next moment, a Rifle was lowered, and the echo of gunfire resounded throughout the chamber. Valdemar, the favored candidate of the Hussite Moderates, stared in shock as blood began to pour from his chest.


    He could not believe that in a single moment, his life had been stripped away by the bullet of one of Berengar''s Royal Guards. The surprised expression on the man''s face was hisst reaction before he copsed dead on the floor. The various factions vying for the Bohemian Crown instantly began to panic; however, the doors were sealed shut and blocked by Berengar''s royal guards. As such, there was no escape to be had.


    Seeing that he had garnered everyone''s attention, Berengar rose from his seat and gazed sternly upon the men who had gathered before him; as he did so, he began to project the full authority that belonged to him as the only monarch in the room.


    "Who am I? I am the man with an army of 10,000 men capable of shelling this city into oblivion. You would be wise to obey mymands, for the lives of you and everyone who remains within this wretched city exists solely because of my decision. I will not ask again; all of you whoy im to the Bohemian Crown step forward and present your case. Only the man in this room most fit to rule shall be given the authority to act as King!"


    After seeing what Berengar had done to Valdemar, not a single man was willing to step forward; after all, it was bing increasingly clear to the men who wanted to rule what Berengar''s n was. To step forward was to face certain death. As such only silence prevailed in the room for some time.? Eventually, Berengar broke the silence by spitting upon the ground before him in disgust. As he did so, he spoke, his wordsced with venom as he chewed out the men gathered in the hall.


    "Pathetic... Truly, and utterly pathetic. I know there are men among your ranks who wish to be King, and yet here you stand utterly silent, in fear of what I might do to you. If you do not dare to step forward and press your im in the face of overwhelming authority, then what right do any of you have to rule as King!?!


    What I see before me are a bunch of cowards from all walks of life. Religious fanatics, opportunistic noblemen, and war profiteers that is what you all are! If any one of you were to be given the title King of Bohemia, you would lead thesends to ruin in a matter of years. It is bing increasingly apparent to me the solution to this problem. Since none of you are worthy of being King, then the burden of governance must fall to me!"


    After saying this speech, Berengar walked over to the bloodstained crown thaty on the floor of the Great Hall, where he picked it up and ced it on his head. After doing so, he sat down once more upon the throne and gave hismand to the various men who had sacrificed everything in their brutal war, only to have the prize stolen before their very eyes.


    "I Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name, and King of Austria hereby usurp the Kingdom of Bohemia for myself and my dynasty to rule in perpetuity."


    After saying this, Eckhard, who had watched the whole thing, stepped forward and stood by Berengar''s right side, where he gave an order to all of the men present.


    "Kneel before your new King!"


    Though he disapproved of Berengar''s way of handling the matter of session, after all, he had fought and bled alongside most of the men present for the past few years, ultimately his loyalty was to Berengar, and if his King wished to usurp the Kingdom of Bohemia, then he must follow those orders.


    Seeing how Eckhard had fallen in line, all hope of resistance within the eyes of the various Hussite Sects and their leaders were thoroughly tarnished; one by one, they knelt before Berengar and proimed their loyalty to the man with two crowns. In the end, only one man was left standing, gazing at Eckhard with a degree of shock and humiliation.


    Alexej Kaspar thought that he could negotiate with Berengar about repayment of the Hussite''s debt to the Austrian crown, yet the discussion had never even urred. The Austrian monarch had strolled into the Great Hall and had proimed himself King without the slightest bit of debate over the matter.


    In the end, he only had himself to me, for he too had not stepped forward when asked by Berengar to present his case for ruling over the Kingdom. After witnessing Valdemar''s sudden demise, he was petrified with fear like the other men present.


    It took him a moment to notice that all eyes were gazing upon him, the fierce leader of the Hussite Radicals, who had shed the blood of tens of thousands of lives in pursuit of overthrowing King Radek, and his Catholic backers. If he, too, bent the knee, then the hopes of an Independent Bohemia would be thoroughly crushed.


    In the end, Alexej stepped forward and made his decision; after standing in front of Berengar, who gazed upon him with an arrogant expression, he, too, bent the knee to his new monarch. After all, if what Berengar had said was true, then the city was surrounded by the most powerful military in the world, and resistance was futile.


    Having seen the various leaders of Bohemia kneel before him, a cruel smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he sealed the fate of the Kingdom to the east.


    "Very well, if there are no objections, then my first act as King of Bohemia is to rebuild this realm, the damages your people have suffered over the past few years are substantial, and thus to reconstruct this Nation from the bottom up, I will be moving in tens of thousands of German workers to aid in the restoration efforts. As for the family of the previous monarch, are there any surviving members?"


    Alexej gazed up at Berengar with a conflicted expression; he did not know what Berengar intended to do with the remaining members of the previous ruling dynasty. As such, he was hesitant to reveal their status. However, before he could decide, another nobleman present quickly dered the reality of the situation.


    "King Radek''s wife and youngest daughter are still alive, your majesty! As for the rest of his family, they were killed in the sacking of the city..."


    The moment the nobleman said this, he received res from all the Bohemian men present. However, When Berengar heard this, a satisfied smile curved upon his lips before revealing his intentions.


    "Very well, bring them to me. I would like to have a word with them. Let it be known that the survivors of the Previous Monarch''s family are henceforth under my protection; any harm that has been done to them will be strictly punished! Go forth and do as Imand!"


    After saying this, the Hussite representatives left the castle, leaving Berengar alone with Eckhard and his royal guard. As such, a friendly smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he embraced his closest friend, who he had not seen in years.


    "Eckhard, my friend, it has been too long. I am thoroughly impressed with what you aplished here; when you return to Kufstein, I will award you with the highest honors for your achievements!"


    A bitter smile revealed itself upon Eckhard''s haggard face; he appeared as if he had aged ten years since thest time Berengar saw him; after a few moments of silence, he sighed before revealing his thoughts on what had transpired.


    "With a single shot, you have annexed a neighboring Kingdom; I must admit I never thought you would waltz in here and ce yourself upon the throne. I honestly believed you would establish one of those men as King of Bohemia to act as a puppet."


    Berengar chuckled before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "None of those men were fit to rule, I had initially nned to do as you believed, yet they all stood there petrified in fear, not willing to take the final step necessary to im the throne. Such weakness can not be present in a ruler, even if he is nothing more than a puppet. Come, let us celebrate this great victory!"


    With that said, Berengar left the great hall with Eckhard and made their way to the Dining Hall, where he and the veteran Field Marshal began to catch up on lost time. Before long, the former Queen and Princess of Bohemia would be brought before Berengar, where their fate would be left to his decision.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 360: An Audience with the King

    <h4>Chapter 360: An Audience with the King</h4>


    Nearly thirty minutes had passed since Berengar and Eckhard began to drink beer within the castle''s Dining Hall in Prague. Berengar had spent this time informing the man of Austria''s changes over thest few years. Since Eckhard had been deployed to Bohemia to act as a military advisor to the Hussites, there had been substantial advancements among all facets of life within the Fathend.


    Eckhard himself was shocked by the new fashion trends and military equipment that the men who had followed Berengar to Bohemia were equipped with. It had only been roughly five years since he had first met Berengar, and yet during that timeframe, the young man had risen from the position of a lowly baron''s son to the King of Austria and Bohemia.


    He also had advanced Austria''s technological levels to a degree nobody would ever have believed. The fathend was at the pinnacle of a pre-industrial society and just beginning to advance into the age of industry. Ultimately Eckhard sighed heavily before revealing his biggest regret of staying in Bohemia all this time.


    "It is a damn shame that I missed your wedding. It is a sight I have always wanted to see."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and patted the grizzled veteran on the back before revealing his ns for the future.


    "Don''t be so down; you will still be able to witness at least two more Royal Weddings."


    Eckhard was confused when he heard these words; as such, he began to ask for rification on the issue.


    "What do you mean? Is Ad not in good health? Do you n to divorce her? You''re going to need to exin this to me!"


    Seeing how flustered Eckhard had be only further encouraged Berengar tough at his state; after a few moments of fun, Berengar fully revealed what he intended to do in terms of marriage.


    "Nothing of the sort, my dear friend; I intend to legalize Polygamy. A man can have up to five wives in the Kingdom of Austria. That will be thew of thend shortly!"


    Eckhard was shocked when he heard this; he had no idea that Berengar had strayed so far from the path of traditionalism and instead asked the first question on his mind.


    "Are you serious? You''re willing to enact Polygamy so that you can marry that mistress of yours and legitimize your bastard?"


    Berengar chuckled in response to this; he took a sip of his beer before answering Eckhard''s question.


    "Not just that, I also have an engagement to the Princess of the Byzantine Empire; a lot has happened since you left, my friend. What can I say? I can''t turn away a pretty girl in need!"


    Eckhard immediately began to rest his forehead in the palm of his hand as he heard this. He could not believe Berengar was willing to drastically overhaul the social fabric of Austria to amodate his lust.


    Before he could vocalize his disagreement with Berengar''s decision, their chat was interrupted by the sight of a stunning and mature beauty who was in her forties. This woman was the former Queen of Bohemia.


    She had a petite and slim figure with a rtively small bust. Despite that fact, her proportions were perfect, and she appeared to have aged like fine wine. She did not look a day over thirty. She had long blonde hair and shining blue eyes.


    She was dressed in a burgundy dress with gold trimming in the typical style among the higher nobility within the Kingdom of Bohemia during this time. She exuded an aura of regal authority despite the death of her husband and the fact that she was standing before a usurper.


    However, it was not this stunning woman that Berengar was attracted to; it was instead the doll-like girl standing hiding behind her. Berengar only got a glimpse of the girl, but it was enough to capture his attention.


    The girl behind the Queen was at the cusp of adolescence. However, the part that drew Berengar''s gaze was that this girl was had heterochromia. Having two different eye colors was a rarity among humans, and Berengar was intrigued by this development. Though the girl was young, she was as cute as a doll.


    The girl had pale skin, with long and wavy blonde hair. Her eyebrows andshes matched her hair color perfectly. As for her eyes, one was a solid sapphire, while the other was the color of a wless emerald. Berengar was sure that in a few years'' time when this girl physically matured she would undoubtedly be a knockout.


    When the sun hit the girl''s hair just right, Berengar could swear that there was a slightly pinkish hue to it. This girl had a slender and petite build, much like her mother, despite this, he found it to be fitting, as it matched her cute appearance. She was dressed in a white and pink dress fitting for a girl of her position.


    The duo approached Berengar as he sat at the head of their table; while the mother stood proudly with the grace befitting a Queen, the daughter hid behind her before being ruthlessly pulled in front by her mother. It was only after she was on full disy, that the girl attempted to kneel before Berengar. However, the moment she did so, she was viciously pped across the face by her mother, who instantly chastised the poor girl.


    "Veronika Brezinova! You do not kneel before this usurper! You only kneel before one man, your father, Radek Brezinova, King of Bohemia!"


    The young girl held her cheek which was red with the print of her mother''s palm. She choked back the tears in her eyes after her mother had struck her in front of the man who would decide their fates. As such, she attempted to plead her innocence to the woman who had given birth to her.


    "But I-"


    However, before she could finish her thought, she was pped again; when she did so, Berengar raised from his seat and shouted at the duo. He could not contain his rage after seeing such a pretty young girl so viciously struck by her parent.


    "Enough! I did not have you dragged before me so you could abuse your daughter, introduce yourselves properly; you are standing before the King of Austria and Bohemia!"


    The girl known as Veronika gazed at Berengar with confusion; nobody, not even her father, had stood up for her against her mother''s abuse. Yet a stranger and the man who had usurped her family''s birthright had just done so.? On the other hand, Dagmar snubbed her nose at Berengar; it was only after his royal guards began closing in on the duo that the woman finally introduced herself.


    "I am Queen Dagmar Brezinova, wife of King Radek. This is my daughter Princess Veronika Brezinova! You may be the King of Austria, but the title of King of Bohemia belongs to my husband and his sons!"


    Berengar was uncertain if the woman was unaware of her family''s fate or if she was being obstinate for the sake of it. As such, he responded to her with a smug grin on his face as he appeared in front of the woman, staring down at her with the oppressive aura of a tyrant.


    "Tell me, Queen Dagmar, where is your husband now? What about your sons? I would very much like to meet them..."


    Dagmar knew the truth about the fate of her husband and children; the fact that she and her freak of a daughter were the sole survivors of the Bohemian royal family was something that she dreaded to the core of her being. Out of all of her children, the one she despised more than anything ended up surviving alongside her.


    The moment Berengar''s chilling gaze stared into Dagmar''s deep blue eyes, her confident facade shattered. The former Queen immediately began to back away from Berengar in fear of what he might do to her; after all, he had named himself King of Bohemia, which meant that he had forced the various sects vying for the throne into submission.


    As she imagined all kinds of wicked scenarios that Berengar might force upon her, the man in question shifted his attention to her pitiful daughter. The moment he did so, she was greatly relieved; after all, Dagmar did not care what cruel fate awaited Veronika.


    As Veronika saw the usurper approach her with an authoritative gaze, she, too, was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. However, unlike her mother, she did not back away. Instead, she was paralyzed in fear as she stood there shivering. The moment Berengar softlyid his hands upon her red cheek, Veronika instinctively flinched, gazing at Berengar like a scared rabbit caught by a hungry wolf.


    However, Berengar''s gaze immediately softened as he stared at her with a solemn look in his one good eye. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he reassured the girl that he was not the monster she was led to believe.


    "Do not be afraid, I mean you no harm; you and your mother are now under my protection. I swear that I will not allow you to suffer any injury in the future. Even your mother will not be able toy a hand on you without my permission. You are my ward, and as such, I will look after you from this day forward."


    The moment Berengar said these kind words to the young Princess broke out into tears. Berengar had no idea what kind of inner demons she had been fighting until now, but from the way her mother treated her, he could make an educated guess. It was not umon for people with heterochromia to be treated harshly in society.


    As such, Berengar held onto the girl as she poured out all of the emotions that she had bottled up over the years into his tunic. Since she was born, nobody had ever been so kind to her as Berengar had this day.? As for Eckhard, he had sat in silence as he witnessed the entire disy; he gazed at Berengar''s actions and sighed heavily while muttering under his breath.


    "You really can''t turn away a pretty girl in need, can you?"


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 361: Good Riddance

    <h4>Chapter 361: Good Riddance</h4>


    The Bohemian Princess known as Veronika continued to weep into Berengar''s tunic for some time as the young Monarch consoled her. While this was ongoing, Dagmar, the former Queen of Bohemia, red at her daughter and Berengar with an intense fury.


    What Berengar had just proimed greatly diminished her perceived rights as the mother of Veronika, and more importantly, as Queen of Bohemia. She refused to believe that her time as royalty hade to an end, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary.


    However, with Berengar''s royal guard eying her closely, she could not make a move on the man who had usurped power in her family''snds. As such, she was forced to watch the intimate disy between Berengar and Veronika while stewing in her hatred.


    Veronika had wept for nearly thirty minutes; by the end of it, she had no tears left to cry despite her sorrowful state. Berengar had consoled the girl during this entire time. He could only imagine the horrors she was forced to endure as a person with heterochromia in the medieval period.


    As such, he took pity on her; after all, there was a special ce in his heart for pretty and broken things.? After a while, Berengar began to wipe the now dried-up tears from the girl''s eyes before reassuring her that she was safe under his protection.


    "Veronika, was it? Do not worry; you will not suffer abuse or humiliation so long as you are my ward. If anyone dares to do so, they will be strictly punished."


    When Berengar said this, his gaze shifted from Veronika to her mother with a chilling stare that warned the harsh woman. Evidently, she understood Berengar''s intent because her vicious re immediately faltered as she sumbed to the oppressive presence of the Austrian King.


    After saying this, Berengar attempted to break away from Veronika''s grasp; however, she quickly gripped his sleeve with a frightened expression. She had someone to confide in for the first time in her life, and she was afraid to let him go.? As such, she summoned the courage deep within herself to ask the young monarch the question that resounded throughout her mind.


    "What will happen to me now?"


    Berengar instantly gazed down upon the girl who wastched onto his sleeve like amprey, utterly refusing to let him go. A warm expression appeared on his face as he petted the girl''s head before reassuring her that he would not leave her behind in Prague.


    "You are now my ward, which means I will bring you back to Kufstein, where I will look after you until youe of age, after which I will marry you off to a man fitting to be your husband."


    Veronika grimaced when she heard thest part; she truly feared what kind of depraved man would want to marry a freak like her. However, she bit her tongue in silence and nodded her head slowly. After a while, her silence was interrupted by her mother''s shrieks.


    "You can not take my daughter away from me without somepensation! The damage you and your ilk have caused to my realm is something you must pay for!"


    Berengar immediately feltpelled to backhand the woman, just what position did she think she was in? Her very survival was because Berengar was merciful towards women and children. He immediately approached the former Queen with a grave expression in his eye.


    Being a tall man himself, he towered over the petite woman, so much so that she was deathly frightened by the sight of the enraged King from the west. Berengar raised his hand in the air, prepared to strike the woman, which caused her to flinch instinctively. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Berengar lowered his hand before shouting at the woman and her arrogance.


    "Just who do you think you are to make such demands of me? Your Husband is dead; your sons have shared his fate. The army of Bohemia is decimated, and it is solely because of my good graces that you stand here capable of making such outrageous statements. You no longer have any authority here, and it is time you learned your ce. In the words of the ancient Romans, Vae Victis!"


    Veronika gazed at Berengar with shock; nobody she knew ever had the gall to stand up to her mother before; not even her father would speak to her in such a bold manner. However, Berengar''s following statement startled her even more and immediately caused her to blush.


    "If not for the sake of your precious daughter, who you have so brazenly tormented in front of me, then I would have been far crueler in the way I have handled your insolence! Be grateful that I have stayed my hand; however, dare to provoke my ire further, and I will not be so kind in the future!"


    Veronika hid behind Berengar, though he was a stranger he had done the unthinkable and shielded her from her mother''s abuse. This fact had made the young girl instinctively trust him. Upon seeing Berengar defend her monstrous daughter so brazenly; Dagmar could no longer contain her fury and disgust thus she began tosh out at Berengar verbally.


    "You find my freak of a daughter to be precious? What kind of sick pervert are you!?! It is true what they say; you must be the devil incarnate to find a monster like her to be attractive!"


    The moment the woman said this, Berengar could no longer contain the urge to p her; as such, he viciously backhanded her across the face causing her to fall to the ground, in doing so shocking everyone present, especially Veronika. Berengar immediately closed the distance between himself and the former Queen before stomping his foot lightly on her head, pressing her skull to the stone floor. As he did so, a vicious expression filled his otherwise handsome face.


    "I believe I said there would be strict punishment for abusing the girl, did I not? To think you would have the gall to insult your daughter in such a relentless manner, even after I had proimed she was under my protection. You truly do not value your life, do you bitch?"


    After several moments Berengar released his boot from the woman''s face; as he did so, he did not gaze upon her even once, for the former Queen was unworthy of such a thing. Instead, he gave an order to the young Bohemian Princess.


    "Veronika, Come, it is about time that we return home. I am certain that you will find Kufstein to your liking."


    After saying this, Berengar began to depart without looking back upon the Queen who had been so thoroughly disgraced in front of everyone present. Veronika gazed once upon her mother with fear of how she might retaliate against her for Berengar''s actions. However, under the overwhelming pressure of Berengar''s royal guards, she stayed her hand and merely red at her daughter with a hate-filled gaze.


    Upon seeing this, Veronika immediately ran after Berengar, seeking the safety that she felt he had provided. She quicklytched onto his sleeve with her pale hand as they walked out towards the courtyard of the Castle where his mounty in wait for him. Eckhard and the Royal Guard followed Berengar into the courtyard, where the veteran Field Marshal protested Berengar''s hasty retreat.


    "Your highness, the situation in Bohemia is still vtile. Though the Hussites have begrudgingly epted your rule, the other Bohemian nobleman may still find fault with your promation. Even then, there is no way of knowing when treachery will follow from the men who knelt before you! Returning to Kufstein so early will have disastrous effects."


    In response to his objection, Berengar turned around and stared at Eckhard with a warm gaze; as he did so, he reached out and grasped the man''s shoulder before giving him yet another order.


    "Marshal von Hallstatt, I hereby give you fullmand of the 10,000 men I have brought with me. You are granted authority to act as you see fit. You have one goal, bring stability to the region; I do not care how you manage to do it, but the Lords of Bohemia must submit to my rule within one year, or I will bring the full might of the Austrian military down upon them! I have full faith that you will seed in this endeavor, and when the Bohemian noblemen have surrendered their arms and recognized my sovereignty, you will be allowed to return home."


    Though Eckhard was weary of battle, and wanted to return home to Kufstein, he knew that Berengar would not trust any other man with this vital task; as such, he immediately saluted Berengar and obeyed hismands.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After saying this, Berengar gazed upon his friend onest time before departing; after seeing the poor state of his armor, Berengar chuckled before saying farewell to his friend.


    "I will make sure to send a new uniform with all of the awards you have earned over the years attached to it after all your current attire is dreadfully outdated."


    With that said, Berengar mounted his trusty steed, where he immediately grabbed ahold of Veronika and dragged her into hisp. His journey back to Kufstein would be a short one, with the 10,000 men left behind in Bohemia; only his royal guard would be entrusted to his protection. However, luckily for him, the journey would be uneventful.


    Veronika gazed upon the home that she had grown up in onest time as Berengar, and his host began to depart from the city of Prague; the only thought on her mind was a single phrase.


    "Good riddance..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 362: An Awkward Return

    <h4>Chapter 362: An Awkward Return</h4>


    Several days had passed since Berengar, and his host had begun their journey. Throughout the entire trip from Bohemia to Austria, Veronika had sat in front of Berengar on his horse. She had personally witnessed the vast difference in agricultural technology and military fortifications between her former Kingdom and Berengar''s.


    Star forts were constructed on Berengar''s borders, allowing for good defense; these forts were staffed by many cannons and small garrisons of a couple of hundred men each. Regr patrols were sent out between the various fortresses to ensure safe borders.


    Upon entry into Austria, the young princess noticed the vast fields operated by very few men. However, these men utilized advanced horse-powered machines the likes she had never seen before to tend to their crops. Strange metal pipes existed throughout the fields that provided water to the nts that grew in abundance. So much so that Veronika truly believed that God had blessed Austria.


    As they passed through towns and cities, the exceptional baroque Architecture that had begun to prop up across all of Austria during Berengar''s reign truly astounded the girl. The people were dressed in luxurious clothing,rgely still in the previous style Berengar had implemented, where they seemed to be perfectly healthy. Very few, if any, citizens were malnourished, unlike the poor masses toiling the fields in Bohemia.


    As they continued their journey, Veronika asked more and more about how Austria had managed to develop to such a state, and Berengar was not afraid to exaggerate his tales of how far he hade as a Ruler. The more she listened to Berengar''s marvelous adventures, the more she came to respect him and feel safe by his side.


    Finally, after several days of travel, Berengar and his host arrived within Kufstein; out of all the cities she had seen up until this point, it was by far the most advanced. The smoke of the burgeoning industry filled the air, but not to the point where it would harm one''s health. The hemp fields growing outside the city soaked up more than their fair share of carbon in the air.


    The Capital of Austria was the most advanced and prosperous of all the regions of the Kingdom, and for the first time in her life, Veronika had seen what an industrialized city could look like. However, most impressive were the significant monuments and constructs in the city forever glorifying Berengar and his achievements.


    From the personal statue of Berengar overlooking the city to the luxurious Grand Cathedral to the Royal Pce of Austria, feats of supreme art and architecture ruled over the city and its uniquely Austrianndscape.


    The advanced plumbing systems used in Kufstein that had begun to spread to the rest of the realm meant that there was very little waste or refuse in the street. After all, littering was a misdemeanor, one with harsh penalties.


    Eventually, Berengar made his way to the Royal Pce, where his family was ready to meet him. However, when his girls saw the strange foreign beauty in hisp, they immediately began to scowl. Ad was the first among them to directly inquire about the nature of Berengar''s rtionship with the girl who appeared even younger than she was.


    "Darling, I don''t mean to take away from your triumphant return, but who exactly is that girl sitting in yourp?"


    Veronika immediately began to hide her face in fear after seeing the less than weing expressions on Berengar''s womens'' faces; she did so by retreating into Berengar''s chest, which had be her safe ce. This only further created a misunderstanding in the minds of Berengar''s wife and lovers.


    Berengar had an awkward smile on his face as he tried to ease the tension that was rapidly increasing among his family''s faces. Ultimately, Hans made the situation worse; with an excited expression on his face, he gazed up at the young princess and blurted out his thoughts on the matter.


    "Did father bring home another mommy!?!"


    Veronika instantly looked up at Berengar''s awkward expression with a questioning gaze. Just what exactly did this kid mean by "another mommy"? As for Ad, Linde, and Honoria, they gazed at Hans with frightening expressions, instantly shutting the boy up.? Seeing how the situation was only getting worse, Berengar immediately proimed his innocence and attempted to control the damage that had already been dealt.


    "This is Princess Veronika Brezinova from the Kingdom of Bohemia; from this day forward, she is my ward!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar''s trio immediately red at him, giving him further pressure, however after seeing the startled expression on the girl''s doll-like face, they immediately began to gaze at each other with suspicion. As if they had somehowmunicated telepathically, they unanimously came to a decision and sighed before speaking at Berengar in unison.


    "Fine, but make no mistake, we will be keeping an eye on her!"


    Though Berengar''s harem might be cautious about the new arrival of a pretty young girl, at the end of the day, they knew Berengar was not a lolicon, and as such, they came to the conclusion that she could stay. Upon seeing that his girls had calmed down, Berengar got off from his seat; while cing Veronika on the ground, he petted the girl''s hair as he introduced her to his family.


    "Veronika, this lovely little blonde is my wife, Ad. This charming redhead is my spymaster and mother of my two children Linde. As for this purple-haired vixen, she is the princess of the Byzantine Empire and my lover. The girl who is roughly your age, hiding in the back, is my little sister Henrietta, I think you two will get along just fine, and this little rascal who can''t seem to keep his mouth shut is my son. Hans."


    Veronika gazed at Berengar intently for a few moments with a curious expression; after a few moments of silence, she innocently asked the question on her mind.


    "Your majesty, are you some kind of yboy?"


    Berengar chuckled awkwardly as he heard this; he did not expect a girl her age to ask such a question. As such, he had a hard time looking into her eyes as he cautiously dismissed her usation.


    "I don''t think it is appropriate to discuss such a thing with a girl your age..."


    The moment he said this, Veronika began to pout in silence. As for Berengar''s girls, they began to flush with embarrassment and refused toment on the matter. Noticing the ufortable atmosphere, Henrietta approached Veronika and grabbed her hand with a friendly smile.


    "So you''re going to be living with us from now on, huh? Allow me to give you a tour of the pce; I am sure you will love it here."


    After Henrietta walked off with Veronika and Hans in tow, Berengar was left alone with his three women, who were staring at him with vicious gazes while crossing their arms. Berengar knew at this moment that he had fucked up by bringing another chick into the hen house. As such, he immediately began to switch the conversation to something else.


    "So... How were things while I was gone?"


    Despite his attempt to do change the topic, the girls weren''t buying it, and Linde immediately shifted the conversation back to the matter at hand.


    "So... you disappear for over a week on short notice so that you can seize the Kingdom of Bohemia, and youe back with a princess in your arms? Why am I not surprised?"


    Berengar sighed when he found out that his attempt to change the conversation had failed and immediately defended himself. He spent some time telling the girls everything that had happened during his absence, and after it was over, both Ad and Honoria were practically in tears.


    They could only imagine the pain and suffering Veronika had gone through in her life.? As for Linde, she was less perturbed than before, but she was pretty obstinate; she maintained a stern expression, only saying one phrase before returning to the Castle.


    "I''ll look into the little bitch''s background for myself. If she even thinks about harming a hair on your head, I will have her eliminated!"


    After everything was said and done, Berengar let out a sigh of relief; at the very least, he had managed to convince two out of three of his girls to ept Veronika as a ward of his house. As for Linde, he knew she woulde around eventually. After all, it was not as if he had ns to marry the girl as his fourth wife; after all, she was way too young to capture his interest.


    However, Berengar immediately considered the idea of betrothing the girl to his son Hans when he got the chance. Though she may be something like seven years older than the boy, ultimately, it was her position as thest Princess of Bohemia that made the idea appealing.


    Berengar was sure that even Linde would eventually approve of the idea; after all, if Veronika married Hans them, he would inherit the Kingdom of Bohemia from Berengar after he retired or passed away. In this way, the boy''s future as a monarch was guaranteed even if he did not inherit the main title as King of Austria. As such, he had great hopes for this girl he had picked up by random chance.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 363: Getting Involved in the Hundred Years War

    <h4>Chapter 363: Getting Involved in the Hundred Years'' War</h4>


    Deep within the city of Paris sat the French Monarch King Gilles de Valois, who was currently sitting upon his throne, entertaining a diplomatic delegation from the Kingdom of Austria. Berengar had finally begun to make his move within the Kingdom of France, and the French Crown was only one faction in his plot to destabilize the region even further.


    Though Gilles had no way of knowing what Berengar''s true intentions were, and as such, he begrudgingly epted the Austrian delegation who currently stood before him. Standing by the right side of the French Monarch was his son Prince Aubry de Valois, who had returned from the war effort after much pleading to his father. As per usual, the French King never followed through with disciplining his errant children.


    On the left side of Gilles was his daughter Princess Sibi de Valois. A young woman is known for her cruel and vicious nature. She had caused more than a few diplomatic crises due to her rotten behavior. The two royal offspring watched with bored expressions as the Austrian delegation presented themselves to the French King.


    Baron Ludecke von D��rnstein was tasked with leading Austrian Intelligence''s efforts to undermine the Kingdom of France. As such, he acted as the chief diplomat to the French Crown. In doing so, he hoped to gain their trust while his other operatives worked to supply France''s rivals.


    "Your Majesty, King Gilles de Valois, I am Baron Ludecke von D��rnstein, diplomat of his Majesty King Berengar von Kufstein. My liege has tasked me with aiding you in your efforts to crush the infernal rebellion of the Duke of Burgundy, as well as repel the English invasion. Thus I havee bearing gifts."


    The moment Berengar von Kufstein came up, Aubry''s interest was sparked, whereas King Gilles instantly grew sour; he could not contain his wrath any longer and immediately began to shout at Ludecke.


    "Your master sends gifts after he has stolen my son''s bride? What form ofpensation can he possibly offer me that will everpare to the alliance I have lost! You are lucky I even epted your delegation considering your liege is a known Heretic, who has invoked the ire of the Holy Father! Do you realize there is a crusade dered against your Kingdom? I should have you locked up for even stepping foot in my realm!"


    Sibi gazed over at Aubry with a mocking expression; she knew her brother never intended to marry and most likely did everything he could to force the Princess of the Byzantine Empire to run away during his visit.


    Aubry, on the other hand, was practically licking his lips in excitement; he had heard rumors of Berengar''s handsome appearance and courage in battle. As such, he grew dreadfully excited thinking about the man who had risen from the ranks of lesser nobility to the status of a full-fledged Monarch through his own sheer will.


    The moment Sibi saw her brother''s lust-filled expression, she immediately became disgusted as she knew exactly what the little slut was thinking about. As such, she returned her gaze to the show on disy in front of her.


    Ludecke did not panic in response to the King''s outburst. Instead, he motioned for his delegates to bring forth one of the wooden crates stacked behind him; after doing so, they pulled out a steel crowbar where they pried open the crate to reveal what was contained within. Inside therge wooden box were several dozen matchlock arkebuses.


    The arkebuse was a weapon utilized by Berengar allies and had even begun limited production within the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Granada. Several hundred examples had even been captured by the Iberian Union who was close to reverse-engineering the final product. The Catholic Church had received a small portion of these captured weapons and were themselves close to production.


    If the fact that all sides of the war were equipped with arkebuses ever came into question, Berengar could point to any number of countries as a potential supplier of France''s rivals. Though the countries would deny it, there would be virtually no way to prove that they weren''t responsible. Thus giving Berengar and the Kingdom of Austria usible deniability.


    The moment the weapons were revealed, Aubry jumped with joy and ran over to the crate, where he immediately picked up one of the firearms and aimed down its bore. The moment he did this, Gilles ced his head within his palm; his son''s over-eager actions had thoroughly ruined any position of authority he, as King of France, had in this negotiation.


    As Aubry aimed down the bore of the arkebuse, he pointed it in the direction of his sister with a broad smile on his face, where he immediately pulled the trigger, making a "pow" motion with his feminine pink lips. When Sibi saw this, she pouted andined to her father.


    "Father, Aubry is pretending to shoot me! Do something about this!"


    Gilles sighed heavily and began to rebuke his son for his childish behavior.


    "Aubry, knock it off and stow that weapon away; it is not a toy!"


    Aubry immediately began to pout as he ced the weapon back in a pile, where he returned to his spot by his father''s right side. He was incredibly excited about the prospects of cooperating with Austria, and as such, made his opinion known despite his father''s reluctance to ept the gift.


    "I heard King Berengar is exceptionally handsome and has the vigor to entertain three women! He is truly a man among men; I would very much like to meet him!"


    Gilles''s jaw dropped when he heard his son so tantly praise the enemy of the Catholic world within his court. He was well aware of his son''s sexuality, but he could not believe the boy was potentially entertaining the thought of hooking up with the Austrian King. As such, Gilles immediately tried to shut down the conversation. Yet before he could, Sibi made her statement.


    "I heard that King Berengar personally leads his troops into battle and is always in the thick ofbat! He must surely have a love for violence if that is the case; I too would also like to meet the man and see if he lives up to the hype..."


    Having been utterly betrayed by his contemptible children, Gilles''s expression sank into defeat as he leaned back in his chair and sighed, waiting for the Austrian delegation to respond. Ludecke took advantage of the situation, clearing his throat before speaking on the matter.


    "King Berengar is busy maintaining the realm, and as such, he won''t be able to make a personal visit to Paris any time soon. However, I will be sure to send your regards to him. As for these firearms, they are a gift; there are three hundred of them in total. Use them however you see fit. If you require more, my liege would be more than happy to assist your armies, for a nominal fee, of course."


    Gilles raised his brow as he heard this; if Berengar were willing to supply military aid to France, it would be helpful in his war against Ennd and the uprising in Burgundy. However, it also meant he would be taking assistance from a heretical Kingdom, invoking the ire of the Catholic Church.


    There were advantages and disadvantages to each side of the argument, and he would have to consider his options for some time before making a decision. The French Monarch rose from his seat and spoke to the Austrian delegation.


    "Very well, I will ept your gift, as for any future assistance in our war effort, it will have to wait until after Berengar''s troubles with the Church have been resolved. I am not willing to step on the tail of the Holy See to gain some minor military assistance."


    Ludecke smiled as he bowed his head in modesty to the French Monarch.


    "Of Course, your Majesty, if that is all, then we will be departing back to the Fathend; if you ever desire to discuss terms further, you and your family are always wee in Kufstein."


    With this said, the Austrian delegation began to depart, and King Gilles began to discuss the matter with his children and his ministers.


    "Damned Austrians, forcing me to ept such a troublesome gift; if it weren''t for your actions, Aubry, I could have denied them!"


    However, when the French King looked around to scold his errant son, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, Aubry had followed the Austrian delegation to the docks, where he whispered a personal message into the ear of Baron Ludecke von D��rnstein.


    "Tell his majesty King Berengar von Kufstein that if he ever grows tired of that foolish princess, I''d be more than happy to entertain him!"


    Ludecke was shocked when he heard this; however, as a member of Austrian Royal Intelligence, he managed to keep a calm facade as he smiled and nodded towards the French Prince before responding with respect.


    "I will be sure to inform the King of your words..."


    When Aubry heard this, his eyes sparkled with anticipation before he began to skip back to the Castle. His father would surely scold him, considering he went missing at such a crucial moment. Yet, he did not care about that; he was more interested in contacting King Berengar than being yelled at by his father.


    Having begrudgingly promised to convey the French Prince''s words to Berengar, Ludecke sighed heavily before stepping onto his vessel, where it began to depart for Trieste. It would be a long journey back home, but ultimately their objective had seeded; Ludecke was quite sure that once the rivals of France got their hands on firearms, the French would be begging Berengar for military support; it was only a matter of time.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 364: Hatching a Devilish Plot

    <h4>Chapter 364: Hatching a Devilish Plot</h4>


    Days had passed since Berengar first returned from the Kingdom of Bohemia with its former Princess in tow. Though the girl found a friend in Henrietta, she could not help but notice the intense res that she received from Berengar''s harem every time she came into eye contact with them.


    Because of this, she had grown frightened and stayed primarily within her quarters; though Berengar wanted to help, he found himself buried under paperwork that had amassed itself while in his absence. On top of that, he was confident any involvement with the girl''s matters was sure to invoke the ire of the women who surrounded him, and as such, he opted to give Veronika some space for the time being.


    While Veronika was slowly adapting to her new life in Kufstein, Linde had begun to investigate her background; due to the extensivework of Austrian Spies established within Bohemia during its civil war, she was quickly able to gather all kinds of information about the young Princess''s personal life. Berengar''s suspicions were confirmed; the girl was mistreated by her family and locked away from the public eye to ensure that the superstitious peasants did not try to murder the poor girl.


    Though Linde felt pity for Veronika, she did not yet ept her existence within the royal pce. As such, the veteran spymaster made sure every action the Bohemian Princess took was closely watched. After all, Veronika was an unknown variable, and Linde feared those most of all.


    As for Ad, she spent this time supporting her husband in any way she could, primarily by bringing him his meals while he worked day and night to ovee the seemingly insurmountable degree of paperwork that he was forced to contend with. If there was one thing Berengar despised most in this world, it was paperwork.


    Honoria had opted toze about within the confines of the royal pce; she and her crew were currently enjoying the era of peace Austria found itself in. Unless they wanted to break faith with the Austrian Crown and take up piracy, there was not much work to be had.


    However, they had made a fortune during the war with the Empire, and as such, the women who made up Honoria''s crew were more than happy to spend some of that wealth on themselves and enjoy the moment of peace in luxury.


    After nearly a week had passed, Berengar emerged from his study with bags under his eyes. He was beyond exhausted; after spending almost every waking hour going through various documents, Berengar had finally finished his paperwork. In doing so, he made his way to the bath, where he would wash away the sweat and grime that had umted on his body over the past few days.


    It was a testament to Berengar''s tenacity as a ruler that he would forsake his health for a few days at a time to ensure that he aplished the most amount of work possible. If not for Ad and her efforts, he likely would have died of dehydration by now.


    When Berengar finally arrived within the bath, he noticed a peculiar scene. Ad was currently within therge pool floating in its center, oblivious to his arrival. Her hair, usually contained within twintails, was loose and flowed down to her hips like a river of honey as it soaked in the steaming bathwater.? This gave Berengar a wicked idea as he silently entered the pool-sized tub, where he sunk beneath its surface and swam up to Ad''s naked body from below.


    After a few moments, he emerged from beneath its surface andtched onto Ad''s waist like a Kraken swallowing a ship, where he proceeded to drag her beneath the pool''s surface. The young Queen immediately began to panic until she stared at her husband''s excited expression, where she proceeded to flick him on the nose, forcing the couple to rise to the surface.


    Berengar could not contain hisughter as he gazed upon his beautiful young wife with his one good eye. On the other hand, Ad was furious and pouted; she had every desire to p her man across the face for his practical joke.


    After a while, she sighed and swam over to Berengar, where she pressed her naked chest against his, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. Her anger subsided, and with it, Berengar''s exhaustion seemed to vanish.? After releasing from each other''s embrace, Ad wore a warm smile as she asked her husband the question on her mind.


    "So, I assume you are done with your work?"


    In response to this, Berengar yawned before nodding his head; he did not even want to think about paperwork at the moment; the very idea rekindled his physical exhaustion.


    "For the time being, but there is always more paperwork to be had."


    Ad began to giggle as she heard this before swimming back to the edge of the pool and sitting upon its steps; as she did so, she beckoned Berengar over to her side, who was more than happy to oblige. After arriving near his wife, Ad reached for the body wash, where she began to rub it upon her bare chest before pressing herself against his back. While cleaning his back sensually, the young Queen began to admonish her husband for hisck of self-care.


    "I know you''re busy with work, but you really shouldn''t forget to groom yourself; you''re filthy! Let me take care of you..."


    Berengar, of course, did not refuse such exemry treatment, and as such, sat back and rxed as his wife washed every corner of his body. After seeing that Berengar had grown excited, Ad reached for his shaft and began to stroke it softly. A wicked grin appeared on the young monarch''s face as he began to tease his beautiful bride.


    "You naughty girl, what do you think you''re doing in the bath?"


    In response to this, Ad rolled her eyes before gripping his rod even tighter as she did so; she whispered in his ear from behind.


    "You think I don''t know what you and the others get up to during your baths? A wife must aid her husband, so sit there quietly and let me relieve you of some stress."


    Berengar did not know what hade over Ad; she was not usually this authoritative, but he did not dislike this part of her, and as such, he sat quietly as she stroked his shaft up and down with increased intensity. The oily body washbined with her small and soft hands brought intense pleasure to the young King.


    Eventually, Ad began kissing Berengar on the neck as she pressed her bare breasts against his back. The more stroked, the closer Berengar reached a climax, that is until the doors to the bath opened, and two other women appeared.


    The moment Honoria and Linde appeared naked within the bathroom, they witnessed the intimate scene between Berengar and his wife, forcing him to ejacte into the air and the pool below. Berengar breathed heavily as a wicked smile appeared on Honoria''s face. She instantly teased the young couple as she entered the steaming water.


    "Why Ad, I had no idea you and Berengar got up to such raunchy behavior while you were in the bath! To think the prudish Queen of Austria would be giving her husband a handjob as he bathed, it is truly scandalous!"


    Ad instantly began to frown; just when things started to get exciting between her and her husband, the others had to arrive and ruin her fun. As such, she stuck closely to Berengar as Honoria approached, like a lioness protecting her territory in the face of a ravenous hyena.? As for Berengar, he saw this as an opportune moment for some bonding between himself and his three women. Thus when Linde finally joined the bath, a wide smirk appeared on his face.


    "Well, why don''t we all continue where Ad and I left off?"


    However, when Berengar suggested this, Ad sighed with disgust and got out of the tub. She had no desire to engage in such debauchery alongside Berengar and his lovers. The moment she exited the pool, she nced back at Berengar with a stern gaze and muttered her words of contempt.


    "You have fun by yourselves; if you need me, I will be eating breakfast!"


    After saying this, she disappeared from the bathroom and proceeded to get dressed. As for Berengar, he was left alone with his two lovers; however, seeing Ad''s disappointed expression, he was no longer in the mood for fun. As such, he, too, sighed and raised from the bath. When he did so, Linde immediately called out to him.


    "Wait! Where are you going!?!"


    Berengar gazed back upon his lovers, who appeared as if they had lost all hope and smiled bitterly before expressing the thoughts in his mind.


    "I''m going to go calm Ad down; it wouldn''t be right to enjoy myself while she''s in a bitter mood; after all, we were in the middle of something..."


    Linde and Honoria both began to pout when they heard this. However, it did not change Berengar''s mind, and thus he left the bath and followed Ad to the Dining Hall where he hoped to gain her favor.? After both Berengar and Ad were gone, Linde finally spoke, with a bitter tone in her voice as she began to hatch a wicked scheme.


    "We need to find a way to get that bitch to join us. Otherwise, Berengar will continue to choose her over us!"


    Honoria immediately began to frown upon hearing this and voiced her concerns over the matter.


    "How! She''s a prude, and you know it! There''s no way we can convince her to have a foursome!"


    Upon hearing this, a wicked smile formed upon Linde''s perfect lips as she remembered an important event of her past; as such, she leaned in close to the Byzantine Princess and prefaced her scheme with a single question.


    "Did I ever tell you how Berengar and I first made love?"


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 365: Legalizing Polygamy

    <h4>Chapter 365: Legalizing Polygamy</h4>


    Currently, Berengar was within the chambers of the Reichstag, making his case as to why polygamy should be legal. Against the wishes of hundreds of Austrian members of Congress, he championed the cause that he desperately believed in.


    After weeks of being married to Ad, he felt that an appropriate amount of time had passed for him to push forward with his n. As such, he began to speak passionately to the members of the Reichstag about his views on the subject.


    "You ask why I think one man should have many wives? If you think about it, the reason is quite simple: fertility rates. If every German man were to take multiple wives, our nation''s birth rates would vastly increase. A new era is upon us, and soon our people will spread across the world and im its vast territory for ourselves!


    In order to fill thesends, we must have arger poption. Currently, our great Kingdom holds control over Switzend, but there is a significant minority within thosends that are not German. As such, every German man must help spread his seed and Germanize the non-German poption of our Kingdom!


    This includes Bohemia, which I have recently seized control over; I wish for the Bohemian poption to speak ournguage and embrace our great culture within four generations! Thus I propose that every German man will be allowed up to fivewful wedded wives, while a woman can only have one husband!"


    After saying this, one member of parliament immediately began to debate with Berengar about a crucial point


    "What about the offspring of these non-German women! The constitution clearly states that only full-blooded Germans can be citizens of our realm. What do you propose to do with the children of these marriages?"


    Berengar smiled as he began to address the question


    "An excellent question, the solution is simple, the offspring will remain permanent residents until a point where their descendants have at least three German grandparents. They will be excluded from inheritancews and will not have any of the political privileges that the German people are afforded within our Kingdom!"


    The chamber immediately began to erupt in outrage as they fiercely debated with Berengar over the issue. Berengar had the power to pass thisw regardless of how they felt. Still, he felt the need to maintain the appearance that the people had some form of representation and thus continued to debate with them about the legalization of polygamy.


    Little did Berengar know that while he was hard at work to legalize polygamy, Linde and Honoria had begun to act behind the scenes to get Ad to join their little sisterhood. For too long, the young Queen had ignored their desires to share Berengar, and as such, they were forced to take drastic measures.


    With this in mind, Linde had abused her control over Austrian Royal Intelligence to spike Ad''s drink with the same drug that she had attempted to use on Berengar so many years ago. As Ad drank from her ss of wine, waiting for Berengar to return from the Reichstag, she suddenly began to feel dreadfully dizzy and hot all over. Her knees began to buckle before she copsed to the floor.


    As she did so, she saw Linde and Honoria enter the room with wicked grins on their faces; instantly, the young Queen began to fear for her life as sheshed out verbally at her aggressors.


    "What did you two bitches do to me!?!"


    Linde, however, knelt before Ad and instantly began to kiss her, which made the young Queen''s cheeks flush red with embarrassment; after pulling their tongues apart, Linde started to tease Ad.


    "Don''t worry, you won''t die, trust me; by the time we''re done with you, you''re going to feel like you are in heaven!"


    After saying this, Linde and Honoria began to drag Ad to the Harem room, where they proceeded to lock the doors behind them. After doing so, they began to strip her of hercey sapphire dress, where they gazed upon her undergarments with excited expressions.


    Ad was currently wearing a ckcey bra with a matching thong and garter belt. Ad had no control over herself as her hands reached for her dripping wet cave, desperately trying to put out the fire in her loins.


    After seeing this enticing sight Linde and Honoria stripped the queenpletely naked, and they began to follow suit. After they were all undressed they pinned Ad onto the bed, where Honoria sat upon the Queen''s pretty face, forcing her to lick her slit. While Honoria was enjoying herself, Linde began to have her fun. She began to tease Ad''s lower region with her tongue before sliding her finger inside it. She continued this until Ad had climaxed all over her face.


    However, it did not end there; the duo continued their assault on the Queen until she was utterly spent. After a few hours of sexual torture, Ad began toe down from the effects of the drug and red murderously at the two naked women lying next to her. She instantly began to curse them out. However, she did not be violent.


    "You fucking cunts! How dare you soil me like this? I am now forever tainted, thanks to you! How will I ever enter Heaven''s gates after what you have done to me!"


    Linde immediately began to giggle when she heard Ad''s naivements, which got on the Queen''s nerves considerably. She continued to stare daggers at the older woman when interrogating her.


    "What is so funny!?!"


    Linde chuckled for a bit longer before revealing the truth behind Berengar''s beliefs. In doing so, she shattered Ad''s lofty ideals revolving around the man she had married.


    "I find it funny, you''re so religious, and yet Berengar despises that crap. Why do you think he''s fighting a war with the Catholic Church? Because he wants them to have no authority over how he governs his realm.


    The most significant point of Berengar''s reformation is the separation of Church and State; everything else is just there to appease the fanatics who flock to his cause. You act all high and mighty, but you married a man who is at the very least indifferent to religion and at most despises everything about it! To Berengar, religion is just a tool to manipte people into doing what he wants."


    Ad was taken aback when she heard this. While she knew Berengar was always uneasy whenever she discussed the Lord''s n with him; she had never guessed that Berengar was an outright non-believer, who created the reformation as a way to manipte Christians into giving up their power over society.


    She instantly began to hug her knees to her chest as her image of Berengar being chosen by Christ to lead the German people to greater prosperity began to fade from her mind. In its ce, a new idea began to take form one of a Godless Heathen and a brutal Tyrant who enforced his will on the world.


    As soon as she imagined this new image of her husband within her mind, she was shocked to find that she was not disgusted; in fact, she was quite the opposite. Ad was now more aroused than she had ever been in her entire life, and this did not go unnoticed by the girls next to her, who gazed at her slippery slit with shock.


    Linde realized that the drug''s effects should no longer be in Ad''s system, yet this realistic depiction of Berengar brought the young Queen great excitement. As such, she smiled before teasing Ad once more by whispering in her ear.


    "If you thought that felt amazing, wait until you share Berengar with us."


    Ad began to flush in embarrassment as she thought about what she was just forced to do and how much better it could feel by adding Berengar into the mix; she instantly began to reject the idea as she shook her head in embarrassment.


    "No, I couldn''t! It is wrong!"


    Linde sighed before hugging Ad and stroking her silky golden hair; as she did so, she seemingly tried tofort the girl, while in reality, manipting her into doing her bidding.


    "One way or another, Berengar is going to enjoy his time with Honoria and me; you might as well be a part of that. After all, how do you think it makes him feel knowing that he''s enjoying himself with us while you''re pouting by your lonesome. You know he intends to marry all of us, right? Why should we be constantly fighting for his attention when we can share his love?"


    The three of them sat in silence for some time before Ad came to a decision. Berengar had no way of knowing it, but while he was arguing for the legalization of polygamy, his three women hade to a tacit understanding about the nature of their polygamous rtionship, one which would greatly shock him when he returned home to find all three of them ready to worship him together.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 366: Every Mans Dream

    <h4>Chapter 366: Every Man''s Dream</h4>


    After returning home from a long and fierce debate over legalizing polygamy, Berengar was excited beyond his normal means. He had just engaged in an intense discussion, where Berengar was forced to pull out solid reasoning, religious, historical, and cultural precedent, as well as general charisma to convince the Reichstag to acquiesce to his demands.


    In the end, he seeded in convincing Congress; now, all that was needed was for the bill to enter the ranks of the Senate, where it would then be sent to his desk for approval. At this moment, he was beginning to understand the need to hold a constitutional convention to further refine the process that he had devised to reduce the workload on his shoulders.


    However, now was the time for celebration; as such, he returned to the Pce, where he was shocked to see that only two people were there to greet him. Henrietta and Veronika were present, yet his three wives were nowhere to be seen as such; Berengar hugged his little sister before inquiring about the whereabouts of his women.


    "Henrietta, it is good to see you; tell me, where are the others?"


    Henrietta immediately began to blush as she thought about the sight she had seen earlier in the day. She had witnessed Linde and Honoria carry Ad up the stairs and into the harem room; as such, she did not withhold the information from her beloved big brother.


    "Erm... I think they''re all in the harem room!"


    Berengar was shocked to hear this, as Ad had never stepped foot in the room where hemonly engaged in amorous adventures with his two lovers. As such, he kissed the girl on the forehead before setting off to the harem room.


    Upon reaching the doors to his favorite room in the Pce, Berengar noticed that the doors were closed but not unlocked; as such, he quietly opened the door and began to investigate. Smoke filled the air, signaling to him that Linde and Honoria had been smoking his hookah without him, yet despite this, he did not see any of the women within the room.


    It wasn''t until he entered the bedroom and saw his three women lying naked and stoned on the bed that Berengar finally began to put together what had transpired. However, before he could ask just what exactly the three girls were up to when he was gone, they pounced on him, dragging him onto the bed, and stripping off his clothes.


    It was only after Berengary naked and on the bed surrounded by three beauties that he realized what was going on; he was about to speak up when Linde shoved a ss pipe in his mouth and lit it, forcing Berengar to smoke the hash that was within. After taking a significant hit, he began to rx and not worry about what came next.


    Ad, Linde, and Honoria gathered near his crotch as they began to lick it together as if it was the tastiest treat on Earth. Ad took the lead and began to take it down her throat as Linde pressed her head down upon his enormous shaft. While this was happening, Honoria began to intertwine her tongue together with Berengar''s.


    He had no idea how or why this was happening, but he was just happy that it was. After Ad began to gag on the massive rod in her mouth, Linde took over where she took it down her throat until she reached the base of Berengar''s member. As she did so, Ad switched to licking his sack beneath it.


    The three girls switched roles for some time until finally, Berenger released his seed all over their angelic faces. Despite having just finished, he was still eager to go, and as such, the girls immediately presented their backsides for him to choose who he wanted the most. For Berengar, the choice was obvious, whoever was in the middle, which just so happened to be Ad.


    As such, he eagerly inserted his shaft into her lower lips and began to grind his hips against hers. As he did so, he used both of his hands to tease the other girl''s insides. While this was happening the girls began to lick the spunk off of each other''s faces. Once they were as clean as a whistle they began to kiss. Berengar pulled it out before pushing his shaft inside of Linde, which caused her to moan in pleasure.


    As usual, Berengar was much rougher with Linde; as he thrust intensely inside her hole repeatedly, he grasped ahold of her throat with one firm hand and dragged her face over to his lips, where he began to kiss her passionately.


    Honoria dragged Ad atop her as that was going on, where they began to interlock their legs and rub their slits together. Berengar watched the sight as he continued to y with Linde for some time. Before long, he could feel himself getting close to the finish, and as such, he pulled out of Linde before dragging Honoria off of his wife, where he immediately forced his massive shaft inside of her.


    He continued to thrust his hips into hers as Ad sat down upon Honoria''s face forcing her to lick her slit. Ad herself reached up toward Linde, who was lying in front of her, and began to eat her out. The group continued like this for some time until Berengar climaxed inside the depths of Honoria''s womb.


    After the past few weeks of sex with his wife, Berengar was confident that if Ad wasn''t pregnant by now, then she was infertile, which meant that it was now Honoria''s turn to carry his child. As such, he chose her forst. If he yed his cards right, he might be able to knock up all three of his girls at the same time.


    After Berengar pulled out of Honoria, he gazed at his three girls whose lust seemed to match his own; as such, he could not help but ask just what exactly caused them to be in such a state.


    "What the hell happened to you girls while I was gone? It''s as if you''re all in heat, and Ad is here with us!"


    At this moment, Berengar noticed arge vial in the corner of the empty room. It was three-quarters empty with a clear liquid which Berengar assumed to be some kind of drug. Not willing to lose to the girls in a contest of endurance he quickly downed the contents of the vial, where he immediately felt an intense heat in his loans,pelling his instinctive desire to breed.? As such, he grabbed ahold of Linde, who was giggling, and shoved her face down onto his shaft, forcing her to suck upon it. As he did so, he began to yell at her.


    "Oh, you fucking bitch, you have done it now. I finally figured out what is going on!"


    After Berengar said, this Linde released her mouth from his shaft with a lust-filled gaze as she admitted to her crime.


    "I spiked our drinks; punish me, master!"


    As Berengar heard this, he thrust his rod into her throat once more as he began to spank her fiercely, leaving a red handprint behind with each p of the cheek. Ad instantly crawled over to Berengar and began to kiss him as he punished Linde. It wasn''t until Linde''s makeup was running from tears and saliva that had umted on her face that Berengar released his hold over her head.


    After doing so, he flipped her around and took her from behind, where Ad and Honoria linked up to the same position that Honoria was in moments before. Before long, Berengar was thrusting inside Linde with all the fury his hips could manage. After doing so for several minutes, he released his side deep within her womb, just like he had done to Honoria not long prior.


    After going through all of this, Berengar was still not finished; as the drug was still in his system, he continued to breed his three wives for the rest of the night. It was not until morning rose and the group was covered in bodily fluids that Berengar realized the long-term consequences of a polygamous rtionship. If this was what every night was going to be like, then he was sure he would not live past thirty; after all with such strenuous activity, his heart wouldn''t be able tost.


    After thinking about this, he rose from the bed and gazed upon the mess he and his girls had created; it was times like this he was d that he had servants to clean his quarters for him; while what he had engaged in during the previous night was every man''s dream, the aftermath was indeed every man''s nightmare.


    Berengar soon left the bedroom and entered the bath, where he had a serious conversation with himself. Afterst night the odds of all three of his girls being pregnant were seriously high, and as such, he decided it was better to have the weddings to Linde and Honoria before it was visible.


    Thus it would appear that Berengar would have some nning to do over the next few weeks. He was sure he would marry Linde within the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein; as for Honoria, it might be best to have the wedding within the Hagia Sophia since it was a matrilineal marriage.


    While Berengar''s girls slept, the young monarch was busy preparing his ns for the uing weddings within his mind. A King''s work was never finished, especially one as ambitious as Berengar.


    ---


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    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 367: The Morning After

    <h4>Chapter 367: The Morning After</h4>


    Having bathed after an intense night of love-making with his brides, Berengar returned to his regr workout regimen, which he used to maintain his chiseled yet lean physique. Only after he had finished did he return to the bath once more to clean himself of the sweat and grime umted throughout his exercise.


    After having two baths in one morning, Berengar visited his Dining hall, where he saw his three women waiting for him alongside the rest of his family. Unlike what Berengar expected, the air was not awkward by any means; in fact, his three girls appeared to be rtively cordial. So much so that it was frightening to Berengar, who was used to walking around eggshells in order to avoid a catfight.


    Ad smiled as she drank from her coffee cup; as usual, her hair was tied up into twintails, which gave her a cutesy appearance. She was smiling while engaging in casual conversation with both Linde and Honoria.


    Henrietta was watching the scene with an equally unnerved expression that Berengar had sted upon his face; in the two siblings'' minds, something wasn''t right. Never before had they seen the three women get along so well together.


    As Berengar sat down at his spot, all three of his women cornered him and kissed him one at a time before sitting back down in their respective seats; this was something that Berengar had never expected to happen. Usually, the moment one of the girls showed their affection, the other two would instantly begin to pout orsh out in anger. Finally, Henrietta could no longer hold her tongue and instantly questioned Berengar about the behavior change in the trio.


    "What exactly happened between the four of youst night?"


    The moment the young girl said this, Berengar began to choke on his coffee; it was not something he wished to reveal to a fourteen-year-old girl. As such, he remained silent on the matter until Linde spoke up in a teasing tone.


    "We merely enjoyed each others''pany; you''re too young to understand."


    Despite Linde''s words, Henrietta immediately understood what had happened between Berengar and his women, causing her to immediately flush in embarrassment. As for Berengar, he continued to drink from his coffee in silence. This was not andmine he wanted to step upon.


    Eventually, the food arrived, and Berengar began to feast upon his breakfast while watching his family interact in a manner he was not ustomed to. It was as if he had stepped into the twilight zone; he was amazed over the fact that one night of group sex had drastically changed his girls'' perspectives on the family dynamic.


    However, no matter how enlightened they may have felt when together,petition between women was an instinct, and it did not take long before such a thing reared its ugly head. In an attempt to assert her dominance over the other two women, Ad had climbed into Berengar''sp and begun to spoonfeed him his scrambled eggs.


    "Open wide, darling!"


    Though Berengar felt like refusing the request, ultimately, he surrendered; it was better not to spoil Ad''s moment, and as such, he munched on his scrambled eggs from the spoon that Ad provided.


    In response to Ad''s actions, Linde approached his side and presented him with a ss of milk. She, too, followed Ad''s lead and whispered in his ear something suggestive.


    "Does master desire some of mommy''s milk?"


    Whether or not the milk in the ss was cow milk or Linde''s brew, Berengar did not know the answer. However, upon seeing Linde''s frightening gaze, he quickly took a sip to wash down the eggs. As such, he began to alternate between the eggs being spoonfed from Ad and the ss of milk given to him by Linde. As for Honoria, she had a sly idea of her own; the young princess immediately put on a childish facade and made of a request of Berengar.


    "Daddy, feed me!"


    The moment she said this, the eyes of everyone at the table grew wide. However, her pleading face was too cute for Berengar to pass up; as such, he grabbed a spoonful of her food and stuffed it into her mouth, where the Byzantine princess immediately began to smile in bliss.


    Though the girls were acting more cordial with one another, theirpetition was as intense as ever. It had simply simmered down to a point where it had be friendly rather than hostile. Regardless, Berengar was beginning to enjoy the Kingly treatment he was receiving from his three beautiful women.


    Meanwhile, Hans watched Berengar''s pleasant experience with a smile on his face; it was good for his father to get such loving attention from his mommies. Unknowingly, this public disy of affection began to paint a picture in Hans'' mind about how a man''s love life should be and would significantly affect his romantic life when he finally came of age.


    Of course, Berengar had no way of knowing that this very moment would inspire Hans to be an even bigger yboy than he was when the boy reached his adolescent years. After finishing his breakfast, the girls continued to smother Berengar with attention. Eventually, Berengar began to feel suffocated and found a chance to escape, where he fled to his study, sealing the door behind him as he did so.


    He immediately sighed as he sank into his leather desk chair, where he pulled out a bottle of whiskey he had stashed away within his desk and poured himself two fingers. As he drank from the alcoholic substance, he began to mutter under his breath.


    "These girls are going to be the death of me..."


    After saying this, he pulled out a folder from atop his workstation and dug through its contents. It was a status report of the field testing of the new rifled breechloader; a few problems had been raised during their testing, where they were immediately corrected by Ludwig and his crack team of engineers.


    After fixing these issues, they were sent back to the testing facility, where they continued to go through their trials. So far, nearly 10,000 shells had been fired through the guns under varying conditions, and the report concluded that they were ready for approval.


    All that was needed was Berengar''s signature. As such, he immediately signed the document and sat it atop a pile of folders that a servant wouldter take to the various departments required to finalize the process.


    Soon, Berengar would rece his aging, smooth bore muzzle loading cannons with rifled breechloaders. As such, he sat back in his chair and pondered what he should do with the old artillery pieces. Immediately he pulled out another sheet of paper and began to draft a new document.


    This document approved the refurbishing of the reced guns and their sale to Austria''s allies after all his new artillery pieces would make the twelve pounderspletely obsolete on the field of battle. As for the remainder of the smoothbore cannons, they would be given to the reserves.


    While reflecting upon the current state of global affairs, It was bing dreadfully obvious that his enemies would be able to replicate matchlocks in a matter of years, maybe even make their own musket variants. Unlike the flintlock mechanism that required spring steel to make the trigger function, the earlier matchlock design did not require such advanced metallurgy.


    His spies had already reported that the Iberian Union and the Catholic Church were working on reverse-engineering the arkebuse. With this in mind, Berengar began to draft a new form, requiring the manufacturer of matchlock muskets for the use of sale to Austria''s allies; it was about time he upgraded the equipment of Granada and the Byzantines.


    As for the actual design of the matchlock musket, he would leave that up to Ludwig, considering what he could make in his own spare time these days; such a primitive firearm would be a walk in the park for the old man to create.


    Time was running short; soon enough, Berengar would have to send a force to intervene in the ongoing Reconquista, all while advancing his industry at home. While the railway was under construction and the arms factories were being outfitted with the newest machinery, the other forms of his enterprise weregging behind.


    However, for now, there was nothing he could do about that, new steam engines needed to be created to mechanize his other industries. For the time being, he could only sit back and wait until his manufacturing cities caught up to the newest technological innovations.


    Berengar sat back in his chair and rxed for a few moments thinking about the future; he had five months to prepare for war in Granada, and at most, five years to prepare for the Crusade against him. He wondered if he would fully industrialize his territory between now and then.


    While reflecting upon this, Berengar began to rest his eyes; he would fall asleep shortly after, concluding his day early. After all, he had gotten very little sleep throughout the past week, especially the night before. When he finally awoke, it would bete into the evening.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 368: Pistols and Pianos

    <h4>Chapter 368: Pistols and Pianos</h4>


    Now that Berengar had sessfully created metallic cartridges, his first order of business was to produce a sidearm for the cavalry, officers, and rear-echelon personnel to use. For starters, the flintlock pistols that they were currently issued were beyond obsoletepared to the other weapons being given to the Austrian Royal Army.


    Frankly, Berengar did not trust his current issue flintlock pistol to protect his life anymore; even if he was going to be taking less of a frontline role from now on, he still wanted a multi-shot weapon to defend himself should the need arise.


    As such, Berengar quickly got to work designing the weapon. Considering he had already designed the .38 Special cartridge and had even begun production of it, now was the perfect time to introduce a proper Service Revolver.


    In truth, the revolver Berengar had in mind was one that he had purchased in his previous life. He did note from a wealthy family during that time, nor was he particrly affluent in his adulthood. As such, he mostly relied on purchasing obscure, surplus weapons. One of these weapons was a revolver that he was quite intimate with.


    The revolver design that he had in mind was based upon the Swiss 1929 Ordnance Revolver from his past life, which itself was an improvement on the original 1882 Design. The primary difference between this and the ones used by the Swiss during Berengar''s previous life was that this version was scaled up to use the .38 Spc cartridge. Berengar used this impressive double-action revolver design as the basis for what he would refer to as the 1422 Service Revolver.


    After designing this Service Revolver, Berengar realized it would not be suited to concealed carry. Thus, he developed a snub nose J-Frame Revolver based on the Smith and Wesson Model 36 for covert operatives such as his field agents. He designated this small revolver as the 1422 Agency Revolver.


    After designing two different revolvers, Berengar sent the blueprints off to Ludwig to manufacture a few weapons for military and police trials. He wanted these revolvers fielded as quickly as possible so that if he ever found himself cornered on the battlefield, he would have an efficient means to defend himself other than his sword, that is.


    After sending these blueprints off to the necessary departments, Berengar decided to rest from his work. As such, he began drifting through the royal pce, searching for someone to entertain himself with.


    After a while, he found Ad ying a new instrument he had already invented in this timeline. Berengar was far from a musician, and as such, it took some severe trial and error to recreate the string instruments from his past life.


    Among these musical instruments were the piano, violin, cello, guitar, etc. Though he had no idea how to y such instruments, Ad, ever being the musical prodigy, quickly adapted to the new devices and fell in love with them.


    At the moment, Ad was ying a grand piano, and as usual, she was heavily invested in her work, failing to notice Berengar''s approach. Berengar sat back and listened to his little angel perform a song that was deeply touching to the soul.


    While he was hard at work establishing the industrial age within Kufstein and all of Austria. He had delegated a significant responsibility of cultural works to Ad, who seemed to have a knack for such things.


    He made sure that she never worked too hard and enjoyed her personal hobbies. One of those activities was her work as a musician. Currently, Ad was dressed in a pastel blue dress with white frills around the chest, sleeves, and hem. This dress was modeled after fashion trendsmon in the Edwardian era of his past life.


    Berengar listened to the sound in awe; he had always loved the piano but could never afford one himself, and as such, he deeplymented the fact that he had never learned how to y such a beautiful and elegant instrument. After Ad had finished her song, she heard slight apuse, which greatly shocked her.


    She was truly touched when she looked over to see her husband smiling at her, with a small tear growing in his one good eye. Of course, Berengar did not simply p and quickly walked up to the girl, where he expressed his genuine opinion.


    "Wonderful, whenever I hear you y an instrument, it truly makes me appreciate the fact that I am still alive and not dead rotting within some desert in some god-forsaken corner of the world."


    Ad chuckled in response to Berengar''s praise; she had no idea he was referring to his unfortunate demise within his past life. As such, she motioned for Berengar to sit down next to her, where he happily obliged. After doing so, shemented on Berengar''s inability to y the instruments he had created.


    "How is it that you can make such a wonderful instrument but not have the faintest clue as to how to y it?"


    Berengar chuckled in response to this before responding to Ad''s question.


    "I suppose I have a mind for engineering, but not for art. Besides, I was never lucky enough to be given the privilege of owning an instrument..."


    Ad was surprised when she heard this and immediately asked for rification.


    "Your family never had instruments in your household?"


    Berengar immediately realized he had slipped up and was once more referring to his past life, and as such, immediately corrected his statement.


    "What I meant to say was I never had a teacher who could get through to me..."


    Ad giggled when she heard this; after doing so, she began to instruct Berengar to follow her lead.


    "Hold out your hands like this!"


    As such, she slowly began to introduce Berengar to all of the piano''s keys and the positions he needed to ce his fingers to y the instrument properly. After several hours of learning, Berengar finally let out a sigh of exhaustion; he had no idea that learning how to y the piano was so tricky.


    However, Ad had a pretty smile on her face; it was not every day that her friends and family took an interest in her hobbies; Berengar had spent an ungodly amount of money fostering the arts and even used his magnificent brain to conjure up new instruments for her to y. Now he took time out of his busy schedule to sit with her and learn how to y the piano.


    The very thought made her heartbeat rapidly; as such, shetched onto Berengar and rested her head on his shoulder as he continued to push through the lesson. Berengar noticed this but refused to ruin the moment with some snarky remark, and thus he continued to misy the piano until his hands grew too tired to continue.


    After doing so, Ad raised her head from his shoulder and kissed him on the lips, twirling her tongue around his own as she did so. It was not until they were interrupted by Henrietta at the doorway that they stopped their disy of affection.


    Henrietta stared at them with a stoic expression as she announced her presence by knocking on the open door. By now, walking in on her brother making out with one of his lovers was something she had grown ustomed to. Of course, the moment she knocked and interrupted their little session, Ad grew flushed with embarrassment.


    Berengar gazed up at Henrietta and asked the question on his mind in the calmest facade he could muster; after all, he was not exactly pleased that he and Ad were interrupted when things were going so smoothly.


    "Henrietta, my dear sister, what is the matter?"


    Henrietta immediately pointed at the old grandfather clock in the corner of the room and muttered a single word.


    "Dinner"


    After doing so, she left Berengar and Ad alone, where they picked themselves up and acted as nothing had happened between the two of them. Berengar quickly presented his hand to Ad with a handsome smile as he asked the question on his mind.


    "Well, shall we go?"


    Ad returned his smile with one of her own and a silent nod before grasping ahold of his hand and following his lead to the Dining Area. By the time they arrived, the others were present and waiting for the head of the household to arrive.


    They would enjoy a fine meal together as a family during the peaceful days that the Kingdom of Austria was facing. Before long, war would erupt once more, and Berengar intended to enjoy every moment of serenity that he could get his hands on.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 369: Further Educational Reforms

    <h4>Chapter 369: Further Educational Reforms</h4>


    A few weeks had passed since the day that Berengar had legalized polygamy within the Kingdom of Austria. The legalization of polygamy came as a great shock to the people of Austria, and many traditionalists were entirely against the idea. As such, they had gathered in the streets to make theirints known to the Crown.


    However, these peaceful protests were quickly snuffed out; while Berengar could have used overwhelming force to crush the voices of dissent, he decided on a more subtle method. He had empowered a countermovement of young men and women who embraced the lifestyle to kick the old farts out of the streets and shame them for being unpatriotic.


    The motto used in the propaganda to enforce Berengar''s will within the minds of the people was ripped straight from the bible and had be the chant of the young couples who had embraced this neww. Over time, it became merged with another slogan rising in poprity among polygamists.


    "The Earth belongs to the German People! Be fruitful and multiply!"


    The poption growth of Austria since Berengar first seized control of it as a Duke had rapidly increased. With abination of mechanized agriculture, the four-field system, and advanced fertilizers, more food was being produced than ever before. It allowed themon people to provide for many children.


    Whenbined with the government''s medical reforms and fertility incentives, the infant mortality rate was down to an all-time low. As such, there was a baby boom in Austria the likes the world had never seen before.


    After all of this, Berengar had legalized Polygamy and utilized a manifest destiny form of propaganda to whip the Austrian people into a sense of zealous nationalism, to the point where it was considered a patriotic duty for a man to have multiple wives and create many German children among them.


    With these reforms, Berengar knew that it was only a matter of time before he ran out of teachers to provide education to this new Generation of Austrian children. With this in mind, he began to sign intow significant reforms to the Austrian Department of Education. Berengar had revised his federal department of education to provide a unified curriculum throughout his realm and hire new teachers at an attractive rate.


    After roughly three years of public education in Austria, manymon people had be literate and capable of performing the basic arithmetic; Berengar intended to instruct this educated poption further to be the teachers of the next generation.


    Berengar had begun to modify the three stages of education for the youth in Austria. Starting in Elementary school, children would now learn basic German, Math, Science, History, and Civic Responsibility.


    When they entered Middle School, Boys and Girls would be split into separate courses. Boys would begin Physical Training and Military Courses as additional sses loosely based upon the American JROTC program from Berengar''s past life.


    As for Girls, they would begin something akin to Home Economics, where they would learn to be good wives and mothers. They would also have their separate Physical Training; of course, not only were the sses separated by sex, but so were the instructors.


    In High School, the preexisting sses would be expanded upon. Math would turn into Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus. At the same time, science would be split into Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.


    For the Boys, they would begin two additional sses: Firearms Qualification and Combatives. A system of hand-to-handbat based upon the US Combatives Program that Berengar had learned during his tenure in the army within his past life. Boys could also choose several electives, such as Metals ss, Woodshop, masonry, etc., providing basic trade skills to the next generation of Austrian workers.


    The girls would continue in Home economics and would have specialty electives like cooking, sewing, and other skills necessary to make good homemakers. After all, Berengar did not intend for women to work unless they were forced to provide for themselves.


    On top of this, Berengar had decided it was about time to create a University; as such, he set aside part of the budget to create three new Universities. One was the Austrian Royal Military Academy, a ce where young men who had graduated from primary education with exceptional grades could receive a fully funded higher education under the condition that they would serve in the Austrian Royal Army for a minimum of eight years.


    In a way, the Royal Military Academy was Berengar''s version of Westpoint, and it was primarily modeled after the University he had graduated from in his previous life. It would be located within the city of Vienna. When one graduated from the Royal Military Academy, they would automatically be instilled with the rank of Second Lieutenant and be a Commissioned Officer in the Austrian Royal Army.


    The second University was the Austrian Royal Naval Academy; it was essentially the same as the Austrian Royal Military Academy, except designed with Naval Officers in mind. This University would be located in Malta, where a Naval Base was currently under construction. After seizing Malta as part of his victory in the Austrian War for Independence, Berengar began to create a giant Naval Colony upon the small ind.


    With these Military Academies, anyone who was granted the Order of Saint George was awarded the right for their children to attend either of the Universities. It was one of the perks of being awarded the highest military honor in Austria.


    The third University was none other than Kufstein University, a State-Funded University where the elite among the civilian academics would go to get a higher education. It did not matter what one''s social ss was in this University; as long as one received high enough marks, they were allowed entry inside its grand halls, where they would be given one of the best educations in the Country.


    After Berengar had finished drafting the many, many ns required to overhaul his education system and ensure that future generations were equipped with the knowledge necessary to maintain and advance the civilization he would leave behind. He sat back in his chair and sighed.


    The moment he did so, he noticed that Ad had crept inside his study and was standing beside him with a warm cup of coffee in her hands. As usual, she was always there to assist him in whatever way she could manage.


    Berengar gratefully epted the gift and began to sip upon the drink, which provided a much-needed boost to his depleted energy reserves. After he did so, he thanked his young wife from the bottom of his heart.


    "Thank you, Ad; things have been much easier ever since we got married. I don''t know how I ever managed to get all of this work done without you."


    Ad smiled and sat down upon Berengar''sp as he drank from his coffee; she immediately rested her head on his chest, where she responded with a slight nod. Despite thepetitive nature of her rtionship with Berengar''s other girls, she had never been happier than she was now.?At this moment, she revealed some information that Berengar had already suspected to be the case.


    "Berengar, my love..."


    Berengar looked down from his mug of coffee and into the deep sapphire eyes of his young wife, who was staring at him with a solemn expression. He smiled softly as he petted her head before encouraging her to continue her train of thought.


    "Yes, dear?"


    Ad yed with Berengar''s chest by prodding it a few times before revealing the thoughts on her mind.


    "I''m pregnant..."


    In response to this, Berengar smiled and kissed his angelic wife passionately; he had honestly begun to worry that Ad was infertile; after all, it had been over a month since they first got married, and she had not informed him about such a matter.


    Berengar could feel his heart beating rapidly as he thought about what this meant; though he already had two children with Linde, he had yet to have one with Ad, the current Queen of Austria. When he finally married both Linde and Honoria, Ad would be the High Queen, and as such, it would be dreadfully awkward if she did not at the very least have a child on the way before then.


    After making out for some time, Berengar released his tongue from Ad''s with a broad smile on his face. After doing so, he smiled and petted her golden silk hair as he said the words he knew that she wanted to hear.


    "I will pray that it is an exceptional boy worthy of inheriting my throne."


    Ad giggled before revealing her thoughts on the matter.


    "Funny, I don''t believe I have ever seen you pray before..."


    The moment Berengar heard this, he stared at her with a questioning gaze, he knew she was a devout reformist, but there was a deep-seated implication in her tone as she said this. Before he could ask what she meant by her words, she kissed him on the lips one more time before revealing her truest desire.


    "I swear, before we pass away from this world, I will save your soul Berengar. If it is thest thing I do, I will make sure that you forever reside in paradise with me."


    With this said, she got up from Berengar''sp and left the study, leaving Berengar filled with a bunch of questions about how he had managed to slip up around her. She was aware that he was not a true believer; despite this, she did not seem upset; instead, she appeared delighted as if the fact that Berengar was an atheist gave her a goal to look forward to.


    For the first time in a long time, Berengar dwelled upon the nature of the divine force that had brought him into this world. If God and Heaven truly existed, then how did he manage to reincarnate into this world after his previous life''s untimely demise. Why would a holy and righteous being like God give a sinful man like himself a second chance at life in a world where his knowledge and expertise could lead him to be a Tyrant?


    Ultimately Berengar could not reach a conclusion, for what mortal could understand the mind of a divine being? As such, he sighed heavily before a smirk appeared on his lips. As he did so, he muttered something in a voice so low only he could hear it.


    "Good luck with that!"


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 370: Triple Pregnancy

    <h4>Chapter 370: Triple Pregnancy</h4>


    Afterpleting his Educational Reforms, Berengar left his study, where he instantly ran into Linde and Honoria, who both were standing outside of his door. It would appear they were having difficulties finding the courage to speak as the two women would not meet his gaze. Curious as to the issue, Berengar decided to lighten the mood by making a joke.


    "Let me guess; you''re both pregnant?"


    Hearing Berengar so tantly says what they were struggling to speak about shocked both Linde and Honoria, who rushed up to Berengar and grabbed ahold of him seeking answers for how he could be aware of such a thing.


    "How did you know!?!"


    Berengar, who was genuinely shocked to see that his jest was urate, immediately inquired for rification on the issue; he honestly could not believe that Ad, Linde, and Honoria would find out they were pregnant on the same day. As such, he scoffed at the girl''s ims before speaking the thoughts on his mind.


    "You can''t be serious..."


    The two young women looked at each other before silently nodding their heads at Berengar; the sparkle in their eyes hinted that they were intensely judging his reaction. Upon seeing that they were serious, Berengar''s expression sank; though he was aware of just how much fun he had been having with his three women, he honestly did not expect a scenario where the trio was pregnant at the same time.


    Judging by his timing, Ad was probably a few weeks further along than the other girls and had either just found out about it or was struggling to broach the subject with him until today. Berengar found it hard to believe that he had been shooting nks for a few weeks before the first night he spent with all three of them.


    Nevertheless, the reality was that all three of his women were currently pregnant, which meant that his life was about to be a lot more interesting; by interesting, he meant miserable. He could only imagine the difficulties he would face by living with three pregnant women, all siring his offspring.


    Though Berengar could feel a headache looming over him, he did not let his grim outlook appear on his face; instead, he expressed great excitement to the girls who would soon be mothers. As such, he grabbed ahold of both of them and dragged them into his embrace, where he kissed them one at a time with an ted expression on his face. He spoke confidently as he was secretlymenting the next nine months of his life.


    "That''s wonderful!"


    Though Honoria bought his facade, Linde was far more shrewd and instantly picked up some of the small cues he left behind when he was acting; as such, she quickly withdrew from his kiss and questioned her lover in a severe tone.


    "Are you not excited? This will be our third child; for some reason, you seem less sincere than when I informed you I was pregnant with Hans and Helga!"


    It was only now that Honoria began to realize that Berengar had been faking his excitement, and as such, she immediately began to pout. Berengar had been found out, and as such, he carefully navigated around the minefield that was the girls'' emotions.


    "I''m excited; truly I am; I''m d we will be able to increase the size of our family; it is just that I am worried, is all."


    When Berengar said, this Linde and Honoria looked at each other with confusion before asking for rification on what he had just said.


    "Worried about what?"


    When Berengar heard the two girls once more speak in unison, his excited facade crumbled, and a dejected expression filled his handsome face.


    "I''ll level with you; Ad has also informed me that she is pregnant, and so I am worried that something might happen to you girls, and I will be left alone in this world looking after our kids by myself."


    Truthfully, Berengar was confident that nothing bad would happen to his wives or the children they bore. Instead, he was more concerned about the living hell his life was about to be; regardless, he could not very well admit that, or the girls would p him.


    As such, he went with the more safe approach to exin hisck of excitement. Luckily for him, Linde and Honoria had both bought this line and immediately began to hug him; the two girlsforted their lover, assuring him that there was nothing to worry about.


    "Don''t worry, nothing bad will happen to the children or us..."


    Linde, who had already been through two healthy childbirths, knew that she would be okay, as, for the other two girls, she secretly prayed for their safety. Though she was not an exceptionally religious woman, she would find herself in prayer in times of doubt or fear, especially for those she cared about.


    As for Berengar, he ced his faith in himself and his medical reforms, though they were far from the efficiency of the 21st Century; the effectiveness of the doctors in his realm increased with each passing day, as men like Eawald continued their research into the field of medicine.


    By now, minor surgeries were starting to bemonce, and blood types had been thoroughly researched, resulting in blood transfusions. Germ theory itself wasrgely epted by Austrian scientists and doctors thanks to the efforts of Berengar''s chemistry department.


    Austrian medicine was already above and beyond anything else that existed in this medieval world. With Berengar''s limited understanding of anatomy, biology, and chemistry which was no more than any other college graduate in the field of engineering would understand; he had significantly increased the knowledge of medical professionals, who themselves further researched into their respective fields with the tools that Berengar had provided them.


    This pool of educated and zealous professionals allowed Berengar to be confident about preventing any severeplications during the pregnancy of his three wives. God? Who was he? Some old man living in the clouds who was given credit for everything, despite doing nothing. It was Berengar and his Scientific Revolution that was to thank for the low infant mortality rate.


    Despite these thoughts, Berengar simply epted the loving embrace of his two lovers; he would never allow anything to happen to them; if God existed and decided to steal his brides away from him, then Berengar would find a way to wage war against heaven to reim them.


    Berengar smiled as he thought about the future; though the next nine months might be a living hell for him as a man, he would ultimately endure it. It was with this in mind that he grabbed ahold of Linde''s and Honoria''s hands and led them to the dining room. It was time for dinner, and Berengar intended to eat his fill.


    Before long, Berengar arrived in the Dining hall, where he sat down next to his wife. Honoria was exceptionally clingy and refused to leave his side; as such, she sat in hisp and clung to him while he fed her; for whatever reason, she enjoyed being spoiled in such a manner. The very act angered the other two women by his side, but before they couldment on the matter, Berengar spoke up.


    "Well, since all three of you are pregnant, I suppose we should host the weddings as quickly as possible; after all, it is better to not cause controversy over the legitimacy of these children."


    When Berengar said this, Henrietta dropped her spoon from her mouth, whichnded upon her porcin te, creating a loud nking sound. Although she was aware of what Berengar and his women got up to in their spare time, she was astounded that he had managed to impregnate all three of them at once.


    On the other hand, Ad looked at the other two young women in shock; she could not believe they were also with children. As such, she began to pout, which did not go unnoticed by Berengar''s trained eye. He, of course, smiled awkwardly at the whole situation while thinking to himself.


    Mom... Dad... if you''re watching me from above, I''m not going to lie; I think I bit off more than I can chew...


    Berengar was referring to his parents from his past life, he did not know how transmigration worked, or if there was a heaven, but it was moments like this that he liked to think his parents, who had given up everything to provide for him, could see where he was at now.


    Would they be excited about having a bunch of grandchildren, or would they admonish him for being a no-good yboy? Berengar already knew the answer to that question within his own heart. His mother would undoubtedly chastise him for his behavior, but she would surely love his grandchildren and his wives. At the same time, his father would be giving him a high five while sharing a drink and a cigar with him.


    Thus Berengar gazed upon his new family with a loving expression as he drank from his beer and dined upon his food. He reflected on all of his life choices during both his past and this current one. Undoubtedly, his life here in this medieval world was superior to that of his first attempt.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 371: Negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 371: Negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor</h4>


    Weeks passed as Berengar, and his newest brides began to n for their weddings. As this was going on, Honoria had personally sent an invitation to her father and the rest of her family to visit Kufstein in an attempt to get to know Berengar better. There was also another matter that Berengar wanted to discuss with the Byzantine Emperor, one revolving around the debt that he owed Berengar.


    While Berengar had absolved the man of a sizeable chunk of his debt, there remained arge portion of it, at least 25%, and that was worth billions of US Dors from the Modern World. While the War in North Africa continued in the Byzantine''s favor, and newnd was acquired every day, one ce in particr greatly interested Berengar.


    As such, he had asked Honoria to invite her family out early so that Berengar could get to know them better and negotiate for the acquirement of a particr strip ofnd that was crucial for Berengar''s ns. With this in mind, Berengar dressed in his most extravagant uniform, with all of his military des emzoned upon it for the meeting that was currently taking ce between the King of Austria and the Byzantine Emperor.


    Vetranis gazed at Berengar, who held his daughter''s hand with a loving smile on his face. Despite he feeling sick to his stomach while relenting to Berengar''s previous demands. The rise in Austria''s prowess was something he could no longer ignore; in fact, he was grateful that he could sessfully wed Honoria off to a man whose power rivaled his own.


    After having spent a considerable amount of time to cool down, and listen to the advice of some of his most prominent counsel, Vetranis hade to realize that having Austria as an ally was a far better option than having France as one. Though Austria would face some difficulties in theing days, Vetranis truly believed that together they could ovee the might of the Catholic Church.


    Berengar began the conversation by pulling out a map and cing it on the table; on this map was one specific strip ofnd highlighted; thisnd was nothing other than a useless desert. However, the part that interested Berengar was that thisnd was the Suez Canal in his past life. Something Berengar was greatly interested in building in this timeline.? After gazing at the map for several minutes, Vetranis was unsure what Berengar was requesting of him and asked for rification.


    "What is it? You''ve highlighted a barren, useless area. Am I missing something?"


    Berengar kept a calm facade as he began his negotiating terms.


    "Give me thisnd, and I will consider all of your debt absolved."


    Though the deal sounded too good to be true, Vetranis had no intention of giving a single inch ofnd conquered with the blood of his people to a foreign country, and as such, he frowned before making his intentions clear.


    "I do not care if you are marrying my daughter; I will never yield Byzantine soil to a foreign power."


    However, Berengar immediately began to wag his finger and click his tongue upon hearing Berengar''s response.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk... I am not asking for you to give thisnd to Austria; by all means, it should remain a part of your Empire and thus subject to yourws and taxes. I am asking you to give me thisnd personally; with it, I will build a canal from the Mediterranean to the red sea and open up a trade route to Asia. You will be able to set up a port and collect taxes on all goods that flow through, and I will have ess to the eastern trade routes."


    When Berengar said this, both Honoria and Vetranis gazed at him in shock; the idea dumbfounded them. The manpower needed to build such a thing was no small amount. Though Austria''s workforce had increased vastly over the years, it was no easy means to ship tens of thousands of workers into the area. As such, Vetranis scoffed at Berengar''s idealism before trying to inform him of the impossibility of fulfilling such a grand feat.


    "Impossible, it would take decades, and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of workers to aplish such a thing, you would be wasting your time. The expense for building such a thing would be worth more than the debt I still owe you."


    However, Berengar was not dissuaded; in fact, he leaned back in his chair and cast an arm around Honoria''s shoulder as he rxed. After doing so, a smug smile appeared on his face as he presented yet another audacious im.


    "I will build it in 10 years or less. What isn''t sted to bits by dynamite will be dredged by machines. I will not need tens of thousands of men; I won''t even need thousands of men. In ten years, this canal will be built, and with it, the trade will flow from the Iberian Penins to the East China Sea. You, as Emperor of the Byzantine Empire who rules over thosends, will be able to ce a tax on any goodsing in or out of the canal, and people will still use it as the primary trade route."


    Though Vetranis did not know what dynamite was or could even conceive of the machines, Berengar spoke of. The confidence in the Austrian King''s tone and the glint in his eye thoroughly convinced the man. As such, he began to think upon this magnificent concept that Berengar proposed as if it were actually possible and what benefits it could provide to himself. Ultimately Vetranis sighed heavily before nodding his head in agreement.


    "I must be crazy for even considering this, but very well I will ept your proposal; I will give you 15 years building this canal that you have so admirably boasted about, and if you cannotplete it within that timeframe, I will consider your objective unachievable and will reim thosends for the Byzantine Crown."


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled before shaking the Emperor''s hands; as he did so, he joked about the situation.


    "Ten years was my maximum estimate; I could likely do it in less given enough resources. However, I''ll ept your terms of fifteen years. Within a year, I will begin construction on it; for now, let us rx and enjoy the uing wedding. Speaking of, I think your daughter has something she wants to tell you..."


    Berengar immediately grabbed a chalice from the table and filled it with fortified wine as Honoria stared at him in disbelief; she had wanted to inform her family of her pregnancy after she was married. Still, Berengar just had to force her hand. She honestly could not believe she was getting married to such a scoundrel; however, at the next moment, she sighed heavily and calmed her nerves before revealing the thought on her mind.


    "Father, I''m pregnant..."


    The moment Vetranis heard this, he was dumbfounded. Despite knowing that Berengar had already taken the girl''s chastity; he didn''t expect her to be pregnant already; as such, he looked at Berengar, who had a shit-eating grin on his face, and back at Honoria, who had a worrisome expression multiple times before breaking out in tears.


    "I''m going to be a grandfather!?!"


    After saying this, he grabbed ahold of his only daughter and hugged her tightly, which greatly astonished Honoria, she had only been embraced by her father once in her entire life, and that was when she was a young child. The raw emotions on the man''s face had even shocked Berengar; he never suspected the Byzantine Emperor to get so emotional about such a thing.


    Honoria smiled and nodded her head as she broke away from her father''s tight grip, where the man immediately wiped the tears from his eyes and recovered the grace of an Emperor as he did so; he looked back at Berengar with a sudden glimpse of understanding.


    "So that''s why you set the wedding so close to your original one?"


    Berengar chuckled and nodded as he answered the Emperor''s question


    "Yeah... She''s not the only one pregnant, they all are, so I figured what the hell? I might as well have the weddings before it bes visible. After all, I wouldn''t want people to question the legitimacy of our offspring."


    Vetranis shook his head and smiled as heplimented Berengar for the first time since they had initially met.


    "I truly envy your youth..."


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled once more before cracking a snarky remark.


    "Want to change ces?"


    The moment he said this, the Emperor broke out inughter, and Honoria red at Berengar with a murderous gaze; as such, Berengar wrapped his arm around her once more and kissed the young princess on the cheek before making a snarkyment.


    "Come on, babe, don''t stare at me like that; it was a joke!"


    Despite his justification for the inappropriatement, Honoria continued to pout, and as such, Vetranis sighed heavily beforementing on their rtionship.


    "I can tell that you two have a great rtionship; I look forward to whates of it!"


    In response to this, Berengar raised his chalice in the air with a smirk on his face as a pseudo-toast before taking another sip of the fortified wine contained within. Thus he spent the remainder of the day with Honoria and her father, getting to know the man that would soon be his father-inw. As for how the rest of Honoria''s family interacted with Berengar, that is a tale for another time.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 372: Dinner with the Byzantine Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 372: Dinner with the Byzantine Emperor</h4>


    While the preparations for the uing weddings to both Linde and Honoria were being fulfilled, the Byzantine Emperor Vetranis Piologos and his family were seated at Berengar''s table, enjoying a feast that had been prepared for Austria''s guests from the East.


    An alliance between the Kingdom of Austria and the Byzantine Empire had been negotiated due to the uing marriage between Berengar and Honoria. Despite this fact, tonight was the first time that Berengar had entertained his young fiancee''s family. Aside from Vetranis himself, he was meeting the members of Honoria''s family for the first time.


    Sitting beside the Byzantine Emperor was his wife, Empress Olympia Piologos, who was exceptionally beautiful in her own right. She looked like a mature version of her daughter, aside from the purple-dyed hair that Honoria had. Berengar was quite pleased with this, as it meant that when Honoria was her mother''s age, she''d still be an exceptional beauty.


    However, unlike Honoria, the Empress was utterly expressionless, almost as if she had aplete and utter disregard for her host and future son-inw. Sitting beside the Empress was the eldest son of the Emperor and his Wife. Quintus Piologos was one of the candidates being propped up by the various factions within the Empire for a session of the Imperial Throne.


    Overall he was a wise and charismatic individual; in fact, there was a reason he was considered the favorite in the ongoing session dispute. If not for the fact that he was somewhat of a pacifist, and the fears surrounding his meek attitude on foreign policy, Andronikos and his faction might have pledged their support to him.


    Decentius, on the other hand, was not present for this asion. In fact, he was currently within North Africa, continuing the campaign Arethas had started. As the second prince, he was the other primary candidate. He was a renownedmander and hawkish in foreign policy, which gained the support of many of the more battle-crazed supports of the Emperor. However, in the eyes of Andronikos and his allies, the man simply had no mind for anything other than warfare. He would undoubtedly plunge Byzantium into debt and despair if he inherited the Throne.


    Sitting beside Quintus and across from Henrietta was a young man, roughly Ad''s age, who was Honoria''s younger brother Aurelius Piologos; he had a charming appearance and a glib tongue; however,,, he was essentially the Byzantine equivalent of Berengar prior to his reincarnation. An indolent, childish drunk who had no leadership skills whatsoever. The only difference between him and Berengar before he had been gifted with the memories of Julian Weber was that Aurelius was also a massive lecher who screwed anyone he could.


    This was immediately apparent to Berengar, especially when the boy started flirting with his little sister. Despite the fact that Berengar had yet to find a proper fiance for Henrietta, he knew in his heart that Aurelius would be a terrible choice. As such, he kept a close eye on the boy and his actions; if he so much asid a hand on Henrietta or any of his Brides, he would have it removed.


    Eventually, Quintus spoke up and struck a conversation about trade with Berengar; as a skilled administrator, the man was quite astute to matters of state, business, and development. As such, he was quite interested in the project he witnessed being constructed on during his travel from Trieste to Kufstein.


    "King Berengar, I do apologize if I am speaking out of turn, but I am quite curious. On my journey to your Capital, I witnessed something peculiar; your peasants appeared to be constructing some form of the massive mound from Kufstein to Trieste. On top of this mound, they appear to be bolting steel into the ground! I was wondering if you could enlighten me on what purpose this serves?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this remark. The mounds that Quintus was the railway that was currently under construction. Even if Berengar exined how the railway functioned, the Byzantines could not replicate it, so he decided to be to entertain Quintus'' curiosity.


    "Firstly, allow me to correct you; those are not peasants, as I have liberated themon people from serfdom. They are citizens of my Kingdom who are being paid a living wage for their work. Secondly, those are not mounds but the foundation of something great that, in a few years, will allow rapid transit across my realm.


    Not only will people be able to travel across all of Austria, Switzend, and Bohemia, but various supplies will also be able to be transported across the realm. Including weapons and munitions that will ensure reinforcements and resupply to the border guard will be rapidly avable in the event of some form of foreign incursion into mynds."


    Quintus'' interest was further peaked upon hearing this. Initially, he thought the construction of the so-called mounds was some form of tribute to the primitive ancestors of the Austrian people. However, now that he was aware of its true purpose, he desperately wanted one of his own. As such, he inquired about its construction.


    "Tell me, King Berengar, is it possible to build one of these devices in the Empire? If so, how much would it cost?"


    Honoria instantly eyed Berengar with curiosity; she did not know how he would respond to this. Of course, Berengar immediately declined the offer. He was more than happy, uplifting Byzantium ahead of their rivals; yet, he would never usher them into the Industrial age like he was doing for Germany.


    "I apologize, Quintus, but the construction of the railway is a massive undertaking that requires a substantial degree of high carbon steel and advanced manufacturing equipment. I am unable to sell the tooling and resources necessary to construct such a thing to the Empire. In addition to this, the expense I am paying to undertake this initiative is no small sum, and it simply would not be profitable for me to help you build one across your vast Empire."


    While Berengar and Quintus were discussing business Aurelius was busy flirting with Henrietta, which did not go unnoticed by Berengar or his women. Aurelius put on a charming smile as he attempted to converse with the shy princess of Austria.


    "So, your name is Henrietta? That is a beautiful name. Tell me, Henrietta, what is your favorite type of wine?"


    Henrietta, who had always been shy around strangers, found it challenging to speak in the presence of the Imperial family of the Byzantine Empire; as such, she quietly muttered a phrase that nobody besides herself could hear. After saying this, thezy Prince immediately asked for rification on what she had said.


    "I''m sorry, what was that? I couldn''t hear you."


    In response, Henrietta slightly raised her voice which was still quiet but just enough for Aurelius to hear.


    "I don''t drink wine..."


    After hearing this, a charming smile appeared on the boy''s face as he hatched an idea which he thought was brilliant. As such, he handed his cup over to Henrietta and encouraged her to drink from his chalice; his true intentions were far from generous.


    "Well, there is a first time for everything; here, have some of my wine; I have to say I am growing quite fond of Austria''s drinks."


    Henrietta struggled to deal with the situation presented to her. She didn''t enjoy the taste of wine, and she had seen what overindulging in the substance led to, especially in regards to Berengar and his women.


    As such, she was hesitant to ept the Prince''s offer. However, she also knew it would be rude to decline. Thus she slowly reached her hands out to grasp the chalice when she overheard an oppressive voice call out to her, immediately causing her to flinch.


    "Henrietta! While it may be a special asion, you did not ask permission from me, your King, as to whether or not I would permit you to drink wine."


    Aurelius immediately red at Berengar with wicked intent in his eye, which did not go unnoticed by the Austrian King. It took one moment for Berengar to correctly guess what this boy''s n was for his sister, and as such, the wrath inside him began to boil to the breaking point.


    This scoundrel nned to get his precious little sister drunk and take advantage of her. Berengar would have him lined up in front of a firing squad if he were not a Prince of the Byzantine Empire. The Austrian monarch? was not the only one who noticed the boy''s intent, both Vetranis and his wife were ring at their son, so much so that the Empress spoke for the first time since she had sat down at Berengar''s table.


    "Aurelius, behave yourself!"


    The pure look of disdain the woman had for her son was something Berengar had not seen in a mother''s eyes before, at least not when gazing upon their child. The moment Aurelius realized that his plot had been revealed, he? immediately began to defend his actions, despite knowing that his mother had seen through them.


    "Mother, I was only offering the girl a drink; how was I supposed to know that King Berengar was so strict about drinking wine?"


    Emperor Vetranis was struggling to contain his fury; if it were any other monarch''s table they were sitting at, he would not care if his son had outright drugged a princess. However, Berengar was different. The Kingdom of Austria was a rapidly rising power that was capable of dominating bothnd and sea. It was only a matter of time before they eclipsed the Byzantine Empire in terms of international influence.


    Angering Berengar was not the same as provoking a King of another realm. The very idea that his son would so tantly try to take advantage of Berengar''s bloodline made the Emperor seethe with rage and instinctively want to beg for forgiveness, for he knew Berengar was a cruel man who did as he pleased.


    The only reason Berengar had not done something drastic to the boy was that he was Honoria''s brother. Without Honoria by his side, Berengar indeed would have had the Byzantine Prince executed, or at the very least, removed one of his limbs. In doing so, a war would break out with the Byzantine Empire. Luckily for everyone involved, Berengar was forced to calm his wrath and deal with this situation rationally.


    Ultimately Berengar gazed at the boy with murderous intent; as he did so, an oppressive aura filled the air; eventually, Berengar took a bite from his jaeger schnitzel before cing his fork down in a seemingly calm manner. Despite his appearance on the outside, everyone present knew that Berengar was far from rxed. After washing down the schnitzel with a swig of beer, Berengar finally broke his silence.


    "Aurelius, if I catch you so much as ncing at my sister, or any of the women under my protection with a lustful gaze, I will have you castrated and throw your manhood to the pigs. This is your only warning; test my patience again, and see what happens!"


    After saying this, Berengar began to ignore the boy and once more dig into his meal. Utter silence prevailed in the room; the only sound that could be heard was that of Berengar using his utensils to cut into the b of meat before him. As such, the remainder of the banquet was rtively quiet, for nobody dared to further provoke the ire of the man known as the Tyrant of Steel.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 373: The Second Royal Wedding

    <h4>Chapter 373: The Second Royal Wedding</h4>


    The day had finally arrived for Berengar to marry one of his two lovers and officially make her hiswfully wedded bride. As Linde was the second wife in the harem''s hierarchy, she would be the first to be married.


    After this day was over, Berengar would have a week to spend with his new bride before sailing off to Constantinople where he would marry Honoria within the halls of the legendary Hagia Sophia. If it weren''t for the importance that the Byzantines ced on Honoria''s wedding, Berengar likely would have married both Linde and Honoria at the same time.


    However, because of the Byzantine Emperor''s request for his daughter''s wedding to be held within thend of her birth, Berengar had ced Linde''s marriage first and Honoria''s shortly after. With this in mind, he would have today revolve entirely around Linde.


    The guests had arrived for both brides, and unfortunately for Linde, her parents were long deceased; as such, she indeed had nobody to walk her down the aisle. Thus Berengar had arranged for her brother Liutbert to handle that part of the ceremony.


    Once more, Berengar was garbed in his luxurious white military uniform, fully decorated in the various army des he had awarded himself for his courageous efforts on the battlefield as he stood at the altar for the second time in as many months. Standing beside him was none other than Ludolf, who was in a not-so-pleasant mood.


    He was not a fan of Berengar''s new polygamyw, but Berengar had cited solid biblical justification for such a thing, mainly quoting the old testament. As such, he had resolved himself to endure Austria''s newws and wed Berengar to his other wives.


    If Ad''s wedding gown was considered modest in design, then Linde''s wedding dress was revealing to say the least. Linde had explicitly worked with the tailors to design her dress in a manner that showed off her upper assets.


    As such, there were no sleeves on the dress. Instead, its bodice was cut in a v neck style that heavily emphasized her unique bust and the impressive degree of cleavage she was showing off. The lower half of the dress was a pleated hoopskirt. Her baster skin practically glowed as the sunlight entered through the stained ss windows and showed down upon her entrance.


    Linde had spent a great deal of effort on her hair; it was not in its usual style. Instead, her long strawberry-blonde locks were artificially curled and swept off to one side like that of an early 20th-century starlet from Berengar''s past life.


    Berengar gazed at her in silence, struggling to keep his jaw intact as he fawned upon the elegant beauty of his long-term lover. He had never expected that a simple change in hairstyle would so thoroughly change the image of the woman who had taken his virginity.


    Typically Linde was beautiful, but in a far less morous way than she appeared today. It was as if Berengar''s sight had been wholly stolen, and the only thing he could see was his gorgeous bride walking down the aisle.


    This time Eckhard was granted a reprieve from his duties in Bohemia and was allowed to return to Kufstein to take part in the ceremony as Berengar''s best man. The General stood in the standard ck, white, and gold dress uniform that the Austrian Generals now wore for formal asions.


    He wore many of the same medals that Berengar had awarded himself for his actions inbat, and as such, aside from the color differences, the Uniforms were quite simr. After all King Berengar, and Marshal Eckhard had done more for the Austrian war efforts than any other officers in the entire Military.


    As for Linde''s bridesmaids, they included Ad and Honoria as well as Linde''s half-sister Adelheid, who had been working as a field agent in Austrian Royal Intelligence. She specialized in counter-espionage, and thus she spent most of her time within the borders of Austria, hunting other nations'' spies.


    Berengar''s father and mother were sitting in the front row gazing upon their son having a second wedding, to a second wife, nearly two months after marrying the first one. There was a glimpse of pride in his father''s eyes while his mother was ring at him with an otherwise happy expression stered on her face.


    If it weren''t for the vindictive nature of her stare, Berengar would think she was wholly epting of his polygamous lifestyle; funnily enough, his parent''s sentiments in this life mirrored what he believed those of his past life would have at this moment.


    Berengar and Linde''s two children Hans and Helga, were seated in the front row as they watched their father marry their mother with pride. Helga was too young to know what was going on and did not have the superior intellect of her elder brother; as such, she was smiling while remaining quiet.


    Eventually, Linde reached the altar standing across from Berengar, where Ludolf once more began the speech nearly identical to what he had said within this very Cathedral almost two months prior.


    "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and women in holy matrimony.


    King Berengar von Kufstein, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, tofort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health? for as long as you both shall live?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in response to this before saying the words on his mind.


    "I do."


    Ludolf then shifted his gaze over to Linde as he began to address her in a simr manner that he had just done to Berengar.


    "Linde von Habsburg, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, tofort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"


    Just as Berengar had done, Linde smiled warmly and nodded her head before responding to the question.


    "I do."


    Ludolf then began to speak once more as he first addressed the groom.


    "Repeat after me


    I, Berengar von Kufstein, take you, Linde von Habsburg, to be mywfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."


    Berengar immediately repeated the words with perfect artiction before Ludolf repeated a simr phrase to Linde, where she quickly responded with the following vows.


    "I, Linde von Habsburg, take you, Berengar von Kufstein, to be mywfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."


    The rings were brought forward, where Ludolf immediately asked Berengar to ce one of them on Linde''s finger while repeating the following.


    "I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love."


    After doing this, Linde followed the same process and repeated the exact phrase. Berengar and Linde then joined hands with broad smiles on their faces. After seeing this, Ludolf grinned before dering for the entire audience to hear.


    "By the power vested in me under thews of the Kingdom of Austria, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride."


    After hearing this, Berengar grabbed ahold of Linde''s wless face and buried his lips into her own, sliding his tongue into her mouth and twirling it around hers as he did so. After a passionate kiss, he broke away from her while holding her hand, the young couple smiling emphatically as they basked in the audience''s overwhelming apuse.


    After the ceremony was over, Berengar and his second wife returned to the pce and his guests, where they once more participated in a massive reception. As the primary wife and now High Queen of Austria, Ad was present throughout the whole wedding.


    Surprisingly enough to the many spectators, the High Queen seemed epting of the whole asion; even though Berengar was paying more attention to Linde than herself. Nheless, he still paid heed to his first wife, in doing so creating an atmosphere that polygamy was quite wholesome, despite what the naysayers might preach.


    Berengar had skipped the dance with the parents at the reception for Linde''s sake. After all, both of her parents were deceased; instead, he waltzed with her for the entire duration. After prancing around for some time, Berengar and Linde sat at the head of the table where the meal was prepared. On his right side was Ad, while Linde sat on his left.


    It was quite a peculiar sight to the guests who were gathered, as polygamy had not been legal in the German-speaking regions for centuries. Despite this, Berengar had shown to all the traditionalists among his guests that there was indeed nothing wicked or sinful about the asion.


    The traditionalist''s biggestint about the whole asion would be Linde''s rather revealing dress, as it was the only thing they could remotely find fault with. Aside from that, the wedding reception went as smoothly as the previous one, and before long, Berengar and Linde found themselves alone in bed with one another, where they spent the remainder of their waking hours making love once more. A perfect conclusion to an otherwise perfect day.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 374: Just Another Day in Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 374: Just Another Day in Paradise</h4>


    Unlike Berengar''s usual routine, today, he had awoken muchter than normal. In fact, by the time he had managed to pry his eyes open and stare at the ceiling above, it was well past afternoon. The night prior, he had married Linde as his second wife, and even though she was already pregnant, the young couple had desperately struggled against biology to add yet another child into the mix.


    Ultimately their efforts were futile. However, it did result in a highly pleasurable experience, one that Berengar would remember for the rest of his life. Unlike Ad, whose first time was taken on her wedding night, Berengar and Linde had been ustomed to one another''s bodies for years now. As such, they knew just what made each other tick.


    Despite the fact that she had already having given birth to two children, Berengar never once got sick of making love to Linde, and the proof of this was the number of times he climaxed inside of her on their wedding night. This morning he was feeling not only fatigued but physically drained as well.


    When he finally shifted his view over to where Linde should be sleeping, he noticed that she was not within his bed. Was she seriously in better shape than he was? He could hardly believe this; however, at the very next moment, he heard the door open and saw Linde, dressed in nothing but a sky blue silk robe, carrying a te filled with a cheese and spinach omelet with a side of bacon and sausage.


    Berengar gazed at the te with a famished expression on his face. Despite having a massive meal the night before, he was practically starving at the moment. However, right before he dug in, he noticed something was missing, and as such, Berengar instantly asked the question on his mind.


    "Where is the milk?"


    Upon hearing this, Linde had a sultry smile spread across her immacte lips, where she ced the tray down on the bed before loosening her robe to reveal her substantial bust. Berengar immediately noticed the cor that she wore around her graceful neck. As such, Linde prostrated herself before Berengar as she made an indecent request of him.


    "If master desires, he can drink from my breast..."


    Berengar honestly did not know what to say; for whatever reason, Linde had developed a breastfeeding fetish; he inwardly told himself that he could not be med for such behavior, while in reality, it was likely his fault.


    After submitting herself before him like a proper ve, Berengar would not refuse the offer. As such, he lied back in bed and dragged his newlywed wife upon hisp, where he began to breastfeed from her bountiful bosom while eating from the tray of food she had brought to him.


    By the end of the experience, Berengar had a wide grin on his face, he knew he was a bit perverted, but he honestly didn''t care. He was a King, and a King could do as he damn well pleased, especially if they had the power and wealth to back their actions.


    After finishing his meal, Berengar rose out of bed, where Linde gave him a morning kiss; as she did so, she slowly began to get dressed. Like Berengar, she was too exhausted from the previous night''s activities to go for a morning round. As such, she decided to defuse the tension by making a joke.


    "It is going to be dreadfully boring for the next nine months, no hookah, no alcohol, whatever shall you do?"


    Berengar also began to get dressed as he chuckled in response to Linde''s remark.


    "I don''t know; maybe I''ll start a war; war is always fun!"


    Linde did not seem to find his joke funny; in fact, she was practically scowling at Berengar as he said this. Instead ofughing, she immediately wrapped her arms around him and held her head tightly to his bare chest before revealing her thoughts on the matter.


    "Don''t joke like that... I am always worried sick whenever you march off to war; I can''t imagine what I''d do if anything happened to you..."


    Berengar immediately kissed the girl''s forehead while hugging her back; as he did so, he smiled before responding to her ims.


    "You don''t need to worry so much; times have changed... We are now entering a new era of industry, and with it, machines beyond your wildest dreams wille into existence. Over these next few years of peace, I will create weapons so advanced that even if my enemies outnumber me ten to one, my army will be able to ughter them with minimal effort.


    When the crusaders arrive at our borders, we will have an army the likes this world has never seen before. We will effortlessly sweep aside the Catholic Church and use the crusade as an excuse to conquer the German realms and unite our people into a single cohesive Empire under our Dynasty."


    In response to this, Linde chuckled lightly; she was amazed at the level of ambition Berengar had. She had grown up around ambitious men like her father. Yet Berengar''s aspirations soared above them all, and unlike the others, he had the means to achieve it.


    If she hadn''t rashly tried to drug Berengar the night they had firstid eyes upon one another, she wondered what cruel fate she would have followed. She would likely be dead like her father and Lambert. In her mind, even if it did not end the way she had nned, it was the most excellent decision she had ever made in her entire life.


    After assuring Linde that he would be alright, the couple proceeded down the stairs, where Ad and Honoria were waiting for the two of them. Ad had a smug expression on her face while Honoria was pouting. She was incredibly envious of Linde for having her wedding first.


    Noticing she was in an unpleasant mood, Berengar approached the young princess from the east and picked her up into the air before kissing her. After doing so, he ced her back down onto the ground, pping her rear.


    In doing so, Honoria began to flush with embarrassment. However, she did not dislike the treatment, and as such, she kept her mouth shut rather than berate Berengar for his actions. Seeing that he had uplifted her spirits, Berengar decided to lighten the mood further with a joke.


    "You''re next, princess!"


    Honoria immediately knew what he was referring to, and it wasn''t simply the wedding. As such, she looked away from Berengar and bit her lip slightly; she was greatly anticipating her wedding night where she would be all alone with Berengar, much like Ad and Linde had been on theirs.


    After entertaining his girls for a bit, Berengar returned to his study, where he saw a file waiting on his desk. The file contained information regarding the construction of two prototype weapons based upon the revolver designs he had sent to Ludwig.


    One full-sized 1422 Service Revolver and one snub nose 1422 Agency Revolver had been created. The documents listed that the weapons had seeded in a basic test of function and would be submitted for further testing by the Department of Defense, as well as the cartridges they were chambered for.


    This brought a smile to Berengar''s face; despite the fact that pistols were rarely used inbat, at least inparison to other weapons; they were excellent personal defense weapons for officers and rear echelon troops. As such, he looked forward to the continued testing of these weapons.


    After seeing that weapons testing was going well, Berengar looked through his other documents to find the report of the progress in constructing the new artillery pieces. With his current production rate, The Austrian Royal Army could field a new piece every week. As for the munitions they utilized, they could produce a fair degree of shells.


    It would appear that he would be able to rece the majority, if not all, of his current 1417 12 lb Field Guns by the time the crusade arrived, leaving the Fathend in safe hands. The units that received the first of these new artillery pieces would be the battery with the most experience inbat.


    As Berengar gazed through the various documents on his desk, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Things were progressing smoothly; Kufstein''s Armory would be fully equipped with the newest machinery in a matter of months. With it, Berengar would start using steam engines to help industrialize his other industries.


    Upon seeing this, Berengar sat back and rxed within his recliner as he thought about how far he hade during these past five years. Within the next five years, thend beneath his rule would undergo a massive shift and be the world''s foremost power. He began to wonder how long it would take him to fully industrialize the Fathend after his wars of unification were finished.


    Truly, his work was never finished; as such, he snapped out of his daze and began going over the paperwork that had piled itself upon his desk. He unsealed his fountain pen and began singing his name onto the documents with a smile on his face. As he did so, he could not help but express his thoughts aloud.


    "Just another day in paradise..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 375: Fall of the Teutonic State

    <h4>Chapter 375: Fall of the Teutonic State</h4>


    Deep within the region known as Pomerania stood thest vestiges of the Teutonic State. For years they had given their all to hold out against the coalition forces of Pnd-Lithuania, the various Rus states, and the Golden Horde.


    In the Castle of Marienburg, also known as Malbork, thest surviving leaders of the Teutonic Order stood gathered around a table. Their expressions were grim as they came to a realization. The war was lost, and the tiny remaining territory they clutched to would soon fall to their enemies.


    The armies of the German states were busily embroiled in a war with one another and could not assist the predominantly German Military Order. As such, they were left with onest option to ensure the survival of their Order, even if it went against every instinct they had as Catholics.


    The current Grand Master was named Hennek von Rotenburg; he was a Count from lower Saxony who had dedicated his life to the Teutonic Order. If not for the crisis that the Order currently faced, he would have never risen to such a renowned position within it.


    After the death of the previous Grand Master in defense of the easternmost portion of the Teutonic State, various men had risen to his position only to martyr themselves in the battle against the Order''s enemies. Currently, the Teutonic Order was a Rump State holding on to a fraction of their former territory in the west.


    One of his Commanders by the name of Ebert Reimers had just uttered the unthinkable, and as such, there was a stern expression on Hennek''s face as he spoke the words on his mind.


    "Can you repeat what you just said?"


    The room was silent as the various heads of state red at the man; despite this, he remained confident in his proposition and thus reuttered his n without the slightest bit of hesitation in his voice.


    "We should submit to the Kingdom of Austria and be reformists. King Berengar is the only one with the power and wealth to help us survive! If we were to be annexed by the Austrian Kingdom and convert to the German Reformation, our Order could very well survive!"


    A year ago, if Ebert had suggested this, he would immediately be burned at stake. Yet, now circumstances were different. The Teutonic State was on the verge of copse, and their enemies were at the gates. It was because of this that the various Heads of State entertained his proposition, even if none openly dered support.


    To many of the members of the Teutonic Order, the Kingdom of Austria, and the German Reformation, which had spread like wildfire across the German States, was something that the Catholic Church could not prevail against. Its attempt to engage in a crusade against them was sure to end bloody.


    As such, the room was in silence for several moments as every man present began to consider the option as a valid alternative; after all, if they continued as they were, the Teutonic Order would be annihted. Despite this being their only chance to survive as a Chivalric Order, various council members were reluctant to ept such a proposition. Eventually, one man broke the silence.


    "What you are saying is Heresy! If we submit ourselves to Austria and its so-called King, we will be forced to convert to the Berengar Heresy! As such, we will be full-fledged Heretics! I, for one, would rather die in battle against the enemies of the Church than convert to Heresy to save my skin!"


    Three other men instantly nodded their heads in agreement with this assertion. It was bing increasingly clear that the surviving leaders of the Teutonic Order were split on this issue. Other men immediately began to side with the Commander who had suggested the action.


    "Our enemies are at the gates! If we do not submit to the Austrian Crown, we will be annihted! This is the only way for our Order and centuries of tradition to survive!"


    Instantly the chamber began to erupt in furious debate as the two sides began to bicker. The Grand Master watched with a wary expression as he saw what remained of his Order tearing itself apart. If things continued in such a manner, there would not be an order to preserve, for the members would have destroyed themselves in the face of extinction.? Ultimately the man sighed heavily as he came to a decision; after doing so, he yelled at the top of his lungs so that the foolish men around him would stop bickering.


    "Silence! I havee to a decision!"


    After saying this, the chamber became so quiet that not even a mouse could be heard scurrying in the background. All council members that made up the remaining leaders of the Order stared at Grand Master von Rotenburg withplicated expressions. What he said next would either save the Order or doom it to extinction. After gazing upon the men gathered before him, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order made his decree.


    "We will send word to King Berengar of Austria, informing him that we are willing to submit to his authority and be annexed by his Kingdom in exchange for protection against our enemies! Anything else can be left up to negotiations!"


    The moment he said these words, the council was split in two. Many had a relieved expression, but others were scowling. Some even tore off their regalia and barged out of the room, signaling that they had abandoned the Order then and there. They would genuinely rather die than embrace any perceived heresy.


    After making his deration known to the surviving leaders of the Order, Hennek dismissed his council as they went about their business. Whether or not the Order would survive came down to the negotiations that he would personally make with King Berengar von Kufstein.


    Eventually, only the Grand Master and the Commander who had suggested such a drastic course of action remained within the Council Chambers, where they began to speak in secrecy. Hennek proceeded to pour two chalices of wine before handing one over to the Ebert. As he did so, he began to thank the man.


    "My friend, I thank you for presenting this argument to the Council on my behalf; if I had been the one to say it, then we would truly be doomed as a brotherhood..."


    After saying this, he took a swig from his chalice while the Commander did the same. After wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Ebert began to question their next course of action.


    "So what now? Surely half of the Order will defect because of this announcement!"


    The Grand Master spat on the floor before expressing his discontent with the fanatics among their ranks.


    "Let those Catholic Bastards run away to their deaths. The German Reformation is not just about the urate representation of the word of Christ; it is about something far grander. The German Reformation is about unifying the German people under one religion and one Empire. Make no mistake, we are a German Order, and a new Empire is rising in Austria.


    The days of the Holy Roman Empire and the dominance of the Catholic Church areing to an end. In its ce, a German Empire will rise that will dominate the politics of our world for centuries toe. This is not the end of our Order; instead, it is the dawn of a new golden era! Besides, I think you are underestimating how many of our brothers have been reading Ludolf''s thesis in secret."


    A grin appeared on the Ebert''s face as he heard this; after a while, he broke his silence on the matter and asked the next question on his mind.


    "So you will be going to Kufstein then?"


    The Grand Master nodded in response to this. After doing so, he approached Ebert andid a hand upon his shoulder before whispering to him.


    "Indeed, while I am away, I am going to need you to oversee the transition here in Marienburg. Hold the line, and make sure the Catholics among our ranks don''t do anything foolish that will jeopardize our annexation."


    After hearing his orders, the Commander nodded his head before responding affirmatively.


    "You can rest easy; the Order will be in good hands. I will make sure that we have a peaceful and stable transition while you are away!"


    After hearing this, Hennek smiled before finishing the rest of his wine. After doing so, he departed from the council chambers, leaving behind one final phrase to his Commander Ebert, who would be in charge of the Teutonic Order while he was away.


    "I have faith in your abilities, my friend, do not disappoint me!"


    With this said, a letter was drafted and sent to Kufstein informing Berengar of the Teutonic Order''s intentions. The Teutonic Order that had stood for centuries and was a symbol of German Nationalism in Berengar''s previous life was at the precipice. It was now up to the young King of Austria''s whim as to whether or not they would survive.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 376: Plans for the Future of France

    <h4>Chapter 376: ns for the Future of France</h4>


    Within the royal pce of Austria, Berengar sat upon his throne. Standing before him was none other than Ludecke von D��rnstein, his Ambassador to France, and the man tasked with the efforts of Austrian Royal Intelligence to interfere with the Hundred Years'' War.


    At the moment, Austria sought to supply the French Crown with arms against their rivals publically. This would further drag the de Valois dynasty''s name into the mud. Associating with Berengar and his heretical Kingdom had be a strict taboo ever since the Crusade was dered. To the Catholic poption of France, epting arms from a heretic would never be eptable, thus allowing Berengar''s agents to foster dissent against the Crown.


    Ludecke had returned from his journey to the Kingdom of France with the intent to inform Berengar of the progress he had made. As such, he knelt before his King with a solemn gaze as he announced the slow progress he was making.


    "Your majesty, King Gilles de Valois appeared to be hesitant to ept your gifts. He likely will not make use of such weapons unless he bes desperate enough to do so."


    Berengar frowned when he heard this, where he then shifted his attention to Linde, who was sitting obediently in hisp, with her head resting against his chest. He began to stroke her silky strawberry blonde hair as he pressed her for an answer.


    "What is the progress that the Iberians are making in reverse-engineering the captured Arkebuses?"


    Linde instantly gazed up at Berengar with her sky blue eyes while prodding his chest with her fingers; she began to whisper in his ears the secrets that her agents in Catholic Iberia had uncovered.


    "It is slow but steady; they have been dedicating all their resources to reproducing it. They should soon have a functional prototype; though it will be crude and made of cast iron, it will be the basis for future developments in firearms technology."


    Berengar nodded his head with a smile on his face; after doing so, he asked her another question regarding his enemy''s progress on reverse-engineering his technology.


    "What about the Catholic Church? The Italians seized some of my army''s flintlock rifles. Is there any progress in that regard?"


    Linde immediately shook her head as she heard this before responding to the question.


    "It is too advanced; the spring steel required to create the action is beyond Italy or the Papacy''s ability to recreate. It will be decades before they make any form of progress on reverse engineering your rifled muskets."


    Berengar smiled even more fiercely as he heard this report and petted Linde''s head in response, which caused her to close her eyes in joy and enjoy the warmth of her husband as she clung to him. After hearing this report, Berengar made a decree.


    "When the Iberians have begun to produce the arkebuse in considerable numbers, I want you and your agents to supply the enemies of the French Crown with simr designs. Pretend that you are agents of the Iberian Kingdoms, giving aid to the English, Aquitaine, and Burgundian forces.


    When the enemies of France have begun to utilize firearms on the field of battle, King Gilles will beg me for assistance, and when he does, he will be a known coborator with a heretic. Causing the French people to mistrust his dynasty greatly."


    Ludecke bowed in response to Berengar''s orders in the affirmative.


    "It will be done, your Majesty!"


    After saying this, Berengar eyed the man with curiosity; there seemed to be aplicated expression on his face. As if he had something to say but was afraid it might offend him. As such, Berengar pressed the man for the truth.


    "Is there something else you wish to tell me, Ludecke?"


    Upon hearing this, Ludecke''s bones practically jumped out of his skin. However, he managed to calm his nerves before responding to Berengar''s line of questioning.


    "It is nothing important, your majesty; it is just that the Crown Prince of France informed me to give you a message on his behalf..."


    Berengar instinctively chuckled when he heard this; he could not get over the fact that the Joan of Arc of this timeline was a slutty trap who just so happened to be the Prince of France. As such, he was immediately curious about what that boy could have to say to him.


    "I''m listening..."


    Ludecke instantly shifted his gaze to his surroundings to make sure that Princess Honoria was nowhere to be found; it was only after he had confirmed her absence that he dared to repeat the words that Aubry had spoken to him.


    "Prince Aubry de Valois has requested that I tell you the following. In his exact words, he has said that if you ever grow tired of the foolish princess, he would be more than happy to entertain you..."


    When Berengar and Linde heard these words, they were shocked, especially Berengar. He had never even met this Prince, and yet the boy was already trying to seduce him. Just what crazy level of pervert was he?


    It took a few moments for Berengar to realize precisely what the French Prince was trying to tell him; the more he came to a proper understanding, the more his expression began to shift from confused to disgust, ultimately resulting in a state that expressed the horror he felt deep inside.? Linde immediately found his expression to be cute, and as such, she began to tease him with a vindictive smile on her face.


    "Well, aren''t you popr? Not only have you managed to charm a princess into your bed, but even a prince is lining up for a chance to satisfy you..."


    The moment Berengar heard his wife tease him in such a manner, he felt like he was going to throw up. The very idea of sleeping with the French Prince filled him with an overwhelming sense of revulsion. As such, it took him a moment to regain the dignity a monarch should have.? After settling his stomach, Berengar gazed sternly upon his ambassador before questioning him further.


    "Is that all?"


    Having seen theplicated series of expressions on Berengar''s face when he heard this news, Ludecke decided it would be unwise to discuss the interest that Princess Sibi had shown towards meeting him and nodded his head in silence.


    Seeing that there was nothing left to report, Berengar dismissed Ludecke; it was only after the man had disappeared from his great hall that Berengar began to rx; after taking a moment to himself, Berengar flicked Linde on the nose before chastising her.


    "That was not funny! You made my stomach churn with your naughty thoughts!"


    Linde did not pout. Instead, she wore a sultry smile as she began to kiss him on the neck; in doing so, she whispered into his ear with a seductive voice.


    "Allow me to make it up to you!"


    However, Berengar was dreadfully busy and did not have the time to y with his wife; as such, he pressed the palm of his hand against his wife''s face while slowly pushing her away. As he did so, he began to scold her once more.


    "Linde, be a good girl, I have a lot of work to do, and your enticement is getting in the way of that. I will satisfy youter in the evening."


    This remark instantly caused Linde to pout as she stood up from Berengar''sp and began to walk away. Eventually, she looked back at her husband and stuck out her tongue before getting back to work herself.


    As for Berengar, He sat upon this throne in contemtion; his ns for France wouldst decades and could not be rushed; he had only begun his preparations to fracture the unified Kingdom. As for his other business, things were progressing slowly but steadily as he industrialized Austria.


    As for what the young King did next, he had to draft more ns for new technology critical to his growing infrastructure. His primitive factories were already introducing steam power and advanced machine tooling.


    However, the process was slower than he desired it to be. As such, he began to draft copies of his ns for steam engines and the advanced machinery currently being implemented throughout Kufstein''s industrial sector.


    He intended to send these blueprints with armed convoys to the cities across Austria such as Innsbruck, Vienna, Graz, and Trieste that were primarily responsible for his current industrial output, where he would empower local nobles and wealthy merchants to invest in factories of their own that utilize such technology to rapidly produce the goods that his society had begun to rely upon.


    Austria was on the verge of bing an Industrial Power, and despite its vast wealth, it was not good for long-term stability if all of the major industries were controlled by the government. By sending the blueprints to trusted noblemen and merchants, Berengar would create private enterprises resulting inpetition between Austrianpanies, thus fostering innovation in his market.


    It was about time that the people of Austria began using the education that Berengar had been giving them for something other than being cogs in the machine. Berengar hoped that by aiding in the development of privatepanies, he could gain some unrecognized talent, capable of leading Austria into its future beneath his rule.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 377: Establishing the Bohemian Royal Army

    <h4>Chapter 377: Establishing the Bohemian Royal Army</h4>


    Berengar was sitting upon his leather recliner within the sanctity of his study. Within these walls, he was rtively free from all of the stresses of the outside world, even if he was surrounded by piles of paperwork that never seemed to end.


    As much as Berengar hated doing paperwork, it had be such amon routine throughout his tenure as a ruler that it was one of the few ways he could rx nowadays. As the days passed since his wedding to Linde, Honoria had grown rather impatient for her own ceremony that was on the horizon.


    Quite honestly, Berengar did not know what to make of it, the girl had begun to throw some childish tirades over the simplest things, the brief moment of sisterhood that existed between Berengar''s harem was unraveling at the seams, and with it, his peaceful days wereing to an end.


    These girls were roughly a month pregnant, maybe less, and they were already driving him insane. As the days passed, he spent more and more time in his study, burning off his stress by overindulging in the endless horde of paperwork that continuously found itself lying upon his desk.


    At the moment, he was overlooking Eckhard''s report on the current political situation within the Kingdom of Bohemia. After years of bloodshed at the hands of the Hussites, corruption at the hands of the previous monarch, and the ongoing misconduct of the Catholic Church; the Bohemian people were fed up with all factions present within the realm, and many, especially the ethnic Germans of the Sudetend had begun to embrace Berengar and his Regime.


    As such, the Hussite Radicals, Moderates, and the remaining Catholic Loyalists had all lost any form of support from themon people. These men and their factions had been neutered without the people backing them. Any form of resistance that sprang up following Berengar''s seizure of the Crown was quickly put down by Eckhard and the army of battle-hardened Austrian veterans who apanied him.


    Under the provisional government established by Berengar in the wake of his ascension to the position of King of Bohemia, agricultural reforms had begun to be implemented across the realm. Though it would take many months, perhaps even years, to see the effects of such measures, undoubtedly, food would soon enough no longer be an issue for the average Bohemian.


    On top of this, tens of thousands of young German men from Austria poured into the realm, iming Bohemian wives and beginning work on reconstructing the infrastructure of the war-torn kingdom. Things were starting to get back to normal; however, there was one serious issue that Berengar needed to address.


    He could not reasonably station his Austrian troops within the Kingdom for an extending period of time without his rule being seen as a foreign upation. After all, Bohemia had not been annexed by the Kingdom of Austria. Instead, it remained a part of the Holy Roman Empire for the time being.


    Interestingly enough, this meant that Berengar, as King of Bohemia, was now a Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, making him have a significant degree of influence over who the next Holy Roman Emperor would be, assuming the Empire still existed by the time of Balsamo Corsini''s death.


    With this in mind, Berengar needed to establish a local force capable of defending its borders but loyal to himself. Berengar began to draft a Royal Decree as King of Bohemia. Much like what had been done in Austria, Berengar would soon dere the right to levy troops by individual noblemen revoked. In its ce, a national and professional Army would form.


    Knights and Noblemen were free to enlist, and upon graduating from the same Officer Training Program that existed in Austria for the time being, they would be granted amission. As for what arms this Bohemian Royal Army would be equipped with. Berengar had a solution to this problem.


    Warehouses were filled with muskets, and 12 lb field guns, that were beginning to be reced in service by the newer Needle Rifles and Breech Loading Cannons. With each passing day, Berengar''s stockpile of arms grew, and though he had sold some of these weapons to his allies, such as the Granadan Royal Guard and the Byzantine Balkan Army, there were still tens of thousands of muskets stockpiled, and dozens of cannons.


    Most of his cannons had not even been reced yet; with each passing week, more and more field guns were being reced and added to the stockpile. As for the Schmidt Guns? They were already retired from service within the Austrian Royal Army in its entirety, Berengar had a proper recement in mind for these weapons, but with the rate of fire and practical range of his needle rifles, the Schmidt gun was now dreadfully obsolete.


    There was quite the stockpile of now obsolete weapons that Berengar could field among his Bohemian Army. The guns and the armor issued to Austrian troops in the past were lying around, gathering dust. Until a point where Berengar could fully annex Bohemia as part of his growing realm, it would have to remain a separate entity, with a different military under hismand.


    After signing the documents formally establishing the Bohemian Royal Army, Berengar sat back within his seat and began to rest his weary eye. At this point, he noticed a knock on his door, and he immediately froze in his spot.


    The odds were that this was one of his women,ing toin about how the other two were treating her. Upon realizing this, Berengar regained hisposure and immediately lept beneath his desk, hoping desperately that he would not be found.


    Instead, much to his surprise, when the door crept open, the sound of light footsteps could be heard. Whoever these belonged to was far smaller than any of his women, and as such, a guess immediately filled his mind. Ultimately his estimation was confirmed when he heard a soft voice appear within earshot.


    "King Berengar? Are you here?"


    Berengar immediately popped up from his desk, mming his head underneath it as he did so. When he finally regained his stature, he rubbed his cranium and winced in pain. Standing before him was little Veronika, who gazed at him with her mismatched eyes, filled with suspicion.


    "King Berengar, why were you hiding under your desk?"


    Berengar immediatelyughed off the assertion that he, the mighty King of Austria, could be hiding beneath his desk and grabbed ahold of his pen with a broad smile on his face.


    "I wasn''t hiding; I merely dropped my pen and was retrieving it. Tell me, Veronika, why are you here in my study?"


    Veronika was intelligent enough to realize that Berengar was full of shit despite his reasonable defense. Nevertheless, she did note here to use him of hiding like a coward; she came here to ask Berengar a question that was on her mind. As such, she walked over to Berengar and gazed at him with her tiny, blue, and green eyes, and proceeded to inquire about the state of her home country.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, how is Bohemia faring? I''ve seen so many incredible things during my brief tenure here within Austria that I am concerned for the well-being of my people."


    Berengar sighed as he once more sat down upon his leatherbound reclining chair. He poured himself a drink in his infamous skull chalice as he did so. He had long since delegated this cup explicitly for personal drinking within his study; after all, it was not exactly what one would call the most civilized piece of art. After taking a sip from the fortified wine, he ced the chalice upon his desk before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "It is recovering, but the wounds of war take time to heal. Bohemia is in a rough state after years of bloodshed, and now I have to rebuild it. It may take years, but I promise you, one day within your lifetime, when you finally return to thend of your birth, it will be far grander than you remember."


    Veronika smiled as she heard this, maybe it was because of the wealth and happiness she had witnessed throughout the ordinary people of Austria, but the little girl had faith that Berengar would be able to live up to his ims.


    However, her next question came as a shock to Berengar; the girl had only been with him for a month max, and yet she seemed to be impatient.


    "So, have you decided who my future husband will be?"


    Berengar instantly choked on his wine as he heard this, to listen to a ten-year-old girl so tantly speak about the prospect of marriage was something Berengar would never be ustomed to no matter how long he lived within this medieval world.


    As such, he shook his head as he deflected the issue


    "I''m sorry, Veronika, I''ve been much too busy toe to a proper conclusion on the matter. Besides, you''re still young; you should enjoy your youth before thinking about such serious matters. It will probably be years before I find you a proper match, so enjoy your time here in Kufstein while you can."


    Veronika began to pout as she heard this; truth be told, she was more worried about who Berengar might marry her off to than anything else regarding her personal life. Thest thing she wanted was to be married to some old pervert. However, ultimately she nodded her head and ran up to Berengar, where shetched onto his side like a bit ofmprey, thanking him for the hospitality he had shown her thus far.


    "Thank you, King Berengar, you have been most kind, and I look forward to the years where I shall live under your roof!"


    Berengar had a bitter smile on his face; this girl was far too formal. Nevertheless, he quickly detached himself from her grasp and responded appropriately before shooing her from his study.


    "You are most wee, Princess Veronika, now. If you don''t mind, I have some work to do, so please enjoy yourself. I''m sure Hans and Helga could use a proper ymate..."


    In response to this, Veronika smiled and curtseyed as she had been taught to do by Henrietta during her stay in Kufstein; after doing so, she left Berengar in his study. Where he proceeded to fill his chalice once more, he sighed heavily as he partook of the fortified wine before expressing his thoughts aloud.


    "In six years, I wonder what the rtionship between her and Hans will be. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly, and I can marry her off to my son. After all, I wouldn''t mind having a cute daughter-inw like her..."


    After saying this, Berengar quickly got back to work, for the Kingdom would not run itself.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 378: You Reap What You Sow, Big Brother

    <h4>Chapter 378: You Reap What You Sow, Big Brother</h4>


    Out of all the empires in history, the Romans were one of Berengar''s favorite. What they aplished inspired numerous men to achieve a level of greatness simr to their own, yet few had ever seeded in matching the glory of the Roman Empire.


    The Byzantines were technically the surviving Eastern half of the Roman Empire after being split in two by Diocletian during the formation of his tetrarchy. In reality, by this point in history, the Byzantines were far more Greek than Roman.


    Despite this, they still referred to themselves as Romans and touted the ancient lineage of Rome as their own. Much of its nobility spoke Latin as a secondarynguage, which was the primary reason why Berengar was able tomunicate with Honoria during their first meeting so effectively.


    In fact, by now, Berengar was fluent in threenguages, German, Arabic, and Latin; if one included the modern English from his past life, then four, but that was anguage only he could speak within this world.


    The difference betweente medieval English and thenguage Berengar spoke was so vast that if he dared to converse in the modern tongue to any Englishman of the era, neither of the two would remotely understand each other.


    With this knowledge of the threenguages, Berengar was able tomunicate effectively with his allies. At the moment, Berengar was on board a Clipper, not just any clipper; this was the Royal Clipper, Berengar had designed the ship based on some pictures he had seen on the inte of a cruise ship in his previous life.


    This clipper was different than any other ship currently employed by Berengar''s maritime forces. Its hull was entirely made of steel; it had five masts and 42 sails in total, with a fully rigged sail n. Though Berengar had wanted to retrofit it with a triple expansion steam engine, as well four scotch boilers, the reality of the situation was that he did not have the means to manufacture suchrge and powerful maritime equipment; at least for the time being.


    As such, this giant steel monster of a ship acted as the personal vessel of King Berengar von Kufstein. It had taken months at the Shipyard in P to create this vessel and was being worked on during the entirety of Austria''s war for independence until rtively recently.


    The ship had a length of 442 feet, which was two feet longer than thergest of the Ming Treasure Ships, officially making it thergest ship in the history of the world up until this point. While it was not armed, it was virtually impervious to any potential enemy attack because of its all-steel construction and the marines stationed onboard.


    To make sure it was not attacked, an escort of five frigates nked the sides of the ship; the sight of such monstrous vessels, whenpared with the ships of the time, was a testament to Austrian maritime supremacy.


    Berengar currently sat within the dining hall of the massive vessel; it was outfitted in the most luxurious furniture that his industry could devise. He sat next to his two wives, his fiancee, and his little sister as they shared drinks and dined upon the finest seafood.


    Berengar had been eating his favorite seafood dish from his previous life; ironically, in this world, a German King introduced the modern Italian food known as alfredo, and with it, he had his chefs mix crab into the dish creating a delectable, creamy, seafood noodle dish.


    It was so vastly different from any of the other cooking that the girls had tasted until this point that they initially had reservations about eating it. However, when they tasted the creamy noodle dish, they instantly fell in love with it. Especially Honoria, who already loved the taste of crab. She had a broad smile on her face as she ate the crab-filled alfredo.


    A noodle ended up sticking to the side of her cheek; it was so tempting that Berengar could not hold himself back. Instead, he instantly dove in and licked the noodle from her cheek before devouring it.


    This inevitably caused Honoria to chastise him for his inherent greed.


    "Hey! That was mine!"


    However, in the next moment, before Berengar could properly tease the girl, Linde had plunged her fork into Honoria''s bowl and stole a huge chunk of the delicacy, further causing the young princess to pout.


    Because they were journeying to the Byzantine Empire for the young Princesses'' marriage, the other two girls in Berengar''s harem had begun to gang up on her and tease her in every possible way they could.


    Luckily for Berengar, this was the most cordial the girls had been in nearly a week. He was happy to see they were getting along once more. Honoria appeared to be in a better mood as the day of her wedding drew ever closer.


    Berengar swore that if he was stuck on this ship with the three girls, and they were still bickering over the slightest details, then he would hurl himself into the sea and pray for the mercy of the ancient god Poseidon.


    Of course, this would inevitably result in him cursing Poseidon for hisplete and utterck of mercy as he drowned in the depths of the Mediterranean. Still, it was a better fate than being stuck on a ship with three moody pregnant women.


    Of course, Henrietta noticed the rtively gleeful expression Berengar had on his fate as his girls yfully fought over food. Obviously, She could not let this stand; after all, there was no way she could reasonably allow her brother to be happy with the small harem he had created.


    Considering Henrietta had entered her teenage years, she had been quite mischievoustely, using any chance she could to make Berengar''s life a living hell, usually by instigating a fight between his three wives.


    As such, the young Princess of Austria, who grew more beautiful by the day, put on an innocent expression as she looked at her brother with hopeful eyes while asking a question that was sure to stir the pot.


    "Big brother?"


    Berengar, who could never find fault with his darling little sister, remainedpletely unaware that she was responsible for a significant degree of the agony he had been suffering through over the past week; as such, he quickly yed into her hands as he asked the young teenage girl what was on her mind.


    "Yes, Henrietta?"


    Seeing how her brother had taken the bait, Henrietta quickly asked the question she knew would cause his girls to briefly unite against him.


    "Who do you think is prettier? Me or your wives?"


    Berengar did not even sense the questionable gazes upon him as he took a bite from his alfredo before responding with the answer Henrietta knew he would say.


    "You, of course, everyone knows that my darling little sister is the prettiest girl in the world!"


    The moment he said this, his three women stared at him in disbelief; they could hardly believe that he had just uttered such words in front of them. Henrietta, of course, put on a joyful smile as she pped her hands. Completely satisfied with the looks her brother was getting. After doing so, she walked over to Berengar''s seat and hugged him tightly.


    "Big brother is the best!"


    After doing so, she returned to her seat, waiting for Berengar to notice the ferocious res he was receiving from his three women. It took him a second to see, but when he did, he finally realized that Henrietta had set him up.


    Before he could chastise her for pulling the prank, Honoria stood up from her seat with a furious appearance. She began to curse out Berengar for hisments as she did so.


    "If you find your sister to be so pretty, why don''t you marry her instead!"


    After saying this, she ran off; however, before Berengar could chase after her to settle this foolish dispute, Linde and Ad hadtched on to his shoulders with an increasingly tight grip. Berengar could feel as if his bones were shattering beneath their grasp as they began to condemn him for his words.


    "Master... I''d like to have a word with you..."


    "Darling, I know we may be somewhat rted, but lusting after your sister is a grave sin..."


    Obviously, Berengar was not attracted to his sister in such a way; he was merely entertaining Henrietta''s whims like he usually did, and deep down, his women knew it. Still, to see him dismiss them without hesitation and side with the younger girl had greatly invoked their ire.


    As such, Berengar gazed at his little sister with a pleading gaze, in return for this, she merely smirked at him before drinking the contents from his wine ss, after doing so, she ced the chalice on the table before walking by, as she did so she whispered something in his ear that the others did not catch.


    "You reap what you sow, big brother..."


    Thus Berengar spent the rest of his journey to Constantinople atoning for his sins.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 379: A Lesson in Obedience

    <h4>Chapter 379: A Lesson in Obedience</h4>


    Berengar sat within the dining hall, his eyebrows were beginning to twitch, and there was a thoroughly exhausting expression stered on his face; for the past thirty minutes, he had been listening to Ad and Linde chew him out because he dared to say that Henrietta was prettiest of them all.


    He did not remember a single word that either of his two women had stated. Instead, he was quite upset over the fact that Henrietta was purposely making his love life a living hell. After dwelling upon such a matter for some time, he had finallye to a rather important conclusion about his behavior.


    With this in mind, he hadpletely lost his patience. He responded by kicking an empty chair over before standing up in a fit of fury. He gazed down upon his two women with a chilling gaze as they continued to criticize him.


    "That''s enough!"


    The moment Berengar shouted at them in such a manner, the two women immediately silenced themselves and gazed at one another with trepidation in their eyes. Berengar had seldom spoken to them in such a manner before; as such, they were visibly frightened as the young man began to exclude his authority as King.


    "It has be clear to me now that I have allowed all four of you far too much freedom! You two especially, where do you derive the authority to speak to me in such a hostile manner? You both know damn well that I have no such intents towards my sister and merely appeased her whims. Yet here you stand chastising me with such fury as if I had cheated on you! It is absurd, and it stops now!"


    Linde immediately began to protest Berengar''s rtively urate assessment.


    "But-"


    However, before she could even utter a second word, Berengar had raised his hand and lightly but firmly backhanded her across the cheek. By doing this, the young King had gotten his point entirely across as Linde''s conditioning immediately took over. The young beauty immediately knelt before him and lowered her head in silence as she took her husband''s scolding passively and obediently.


    "Do not talk back to me when I am scolding you! You will speak when you are spoken to!"


    Berengar''s re immediately shifted over to Ad, who was so frightened by Berengar''s change of character that she had copsed to her knees. Seeing both women kneeling before him, Berengar lifted the chair he had kicked over and sat upon it with one leg bent over the other while resting his handsome face on his fist. After gettingfortable, Berengar immediately chastised the two women for their behavior.


    "Now that I see you both have be obedient, allow me to educate you on the boundaries of our rtionship. First and foremost, you do not get to dictate what I do, what I say, or who I decide to talk to. If I want to drag a fourth girl into this rtionship, I will damn well do so! Your jealousy is unttering to say the least...


    As for my second point of contention, where did you get the idea that you have the right to inflict violence upon me? Digging your nails into my shoulder? Tsk tsk tsk, you are undoubtedly lucky only one of you just got pped. If any of you girls every your hand on me again, or each other for that matter, I will not be afraid to respond in kind."


    As Berengar spoke, Linde gazed at him with a sense of arousal; it had been far too long since he hadst been this violent and forceful with her. As such, she gazed at him from her kneeling position with lust in her eyes, which did not go unnoticed by the young King.


    On the other hand, Ad had never been treated in such a manner before, and for whatever reason, she had gotten the idea that she could walk all over Berengar. It was only now, after witnessing the wrath of her husband firsthand, that she understood the fear that his name invoked in the hearts of his enemies.


    The young woman was paralyzed in terror as she gazed upon the oppressive appearance of the man she knew and loved. Until now, she had never truly believed the rumors of Berengar''s cruelty. After all, he had never treated her in such a manner, nor had she witnessed him behave so cruelly to anyone else.


    Yet now, she had be dreadfully aware that the rumors of how Berengar behaved when he was provoked were very real. She realized now that she had thoroughly stepped on the beast''s tail and awoken the monster from his slumber. While Ad may be terrified, she was also profoundly entranced by the tyrannical aura that Berengar was exuding and in no way hated him for it.


    Upon seeing the two women had be exceptionally submissive, Berengar decided to reward them for their behavior; as such, he leaned over from his position and ced a palm on the cheek of each of the girls while giving them a stern but loving gaze.


    The moment the warmth of his firm hands touched the girls'' cheeks, they instantly began to nuzzle up to it as they closed their eyes and epted his control over the situation. It was as if the petty squabbles they had until now had disappeared entirely from the depths of their hearts.? Berengar let out a sigh of relief now that the girls were behaving themselves before speaking up.


    "Go fetch the others; I want to have a word with them as well. I''ll give you thirty minutes to drag their ass back here; if you do not show up by then, I will severely punish the both of you!"


    Immedietaly, the girls raised from the position and set off to find Honoria and Henrietta, both of which were in the confines of their rooms. Berengar had long since summoned the servers over to fill a ss of wine for him. By the time they arrived, he was already finished with two of them, and they only had a minute to spare.


    Honoria had a pouting expression on her face; she was still somewhat upset from Berengar''sment. As for Henrietta, the moment she stood before Berengar, she could tell that he was not his usual kind persona. Instead, his tyrannical alter ego had taken over, which was something she deeply feared.


    As such, the girl instantly dropped to her knees and began to plead with Berengar, which greatly shocked Honoria, as she had not expected such a thing to ur.


    "I''m sorry, Big Brother, I shouldn''t have yed such a trick. It was wrong of me; please don''t punish me!"


    Berengar was rather amused with Henrietta''s performance, as he had never once disciplined her for her actions. He realized now that was a mistake, and as such, a cruel smile appeared on his face as he asked the girl a question that had been bothering him for some time.


    "My dear Henrietta, I must have been blind not to notice it, but these past few weeks since I have gotten married, you are the one at fault for causing these three bitches to bicker, are you not?"


    The moment Berengar used such a word to refer to his women, Honoria began to scowl, and right as she was about to protest being called such a foul term, her mouth was covered by Linde, who whispered in her ear.


    "Shhh... Master is speaking!"


    Henrietta broke out into tears; the dread within her had wholly overwhelmed her senses as she nodded to Berengar. She had no idea what he had nned for her, but she knew how he treated people who invoked his ire. As such, she immediately confessed to her sins by nodding her head while sobbing.


    Berengar immediately reached out his hand to the girl with a smile on his face, which caught her by surprise; she foolishly believed he had so easily forgiven her and grasped ahold of his hand. Unfortunately for her, she was immediatelytched onto by Berengar''s grip, and pulled into hisp, where heid her down bottom up.


    Linde immediately knew what Berengar was about to do to the girl and began pout; she was pretty upset that she was not receiving the same treatment. The very next sound was a loud p and the painful cries of Henrietta as Berengar spanked the girl for her punishment in front of his three wives.


    Honoria looked in shock at the wicked grin on Berengar''s face as he swatted Henrietta''s bottom repeatedly until he had concluded a total of ten spankings. After doing so, he pushed the girl off hisp, who was filled with tears, and admonished her for her actions.


    "Go to your room, and reflect on your actions. You would be wise to remember this unless you want it to happen again!"


    Henrietta immediately ran out of the room, holding onto her visibly red bottom. She could not believe she had been tortured in such a manner. After she was gone, Berengar gazed at his three wives before calling out to Linde, who looked dreadfully aroused.


    "Linde, you''re next!"


    Linde immediately walked over and presented her bare bottom for Berengar to spank; unlike Henrietta, who Berengar had spanked over her dress, Linde wanted skin-to-skin contact. After pulling down her panties andying on Berengar''sp with her dress folded up, Linde had an amorous smile on her face as she said the words.


    "Yes, master!"


    Berengar was not even the slightest bit perplexed, as he had personally engrained such masochistic nature into Linde''s mind. As such, he sighed heavily as he thought how this was more of a reward than punishment. Nevertheless, he gave her the same ten spankings he had given Henrietta.


    Throughout the entire time, Linde had a pleased expression on her face and moaned in pleasure as Berengar swatted her behind; after it was over, she raised from hisp and walked over next to Honoria, holding the girl in ce while teasing her.


    "I believe it''s your turn!"


    Honoria began to panic, but Linde had pushed her forward and into Berengar''s grasp. The next few minutes would be filled with the screams of both Honoria and Ad. He would follow the same treatment that Berengar had inflicted on the other two girls.


    After it was over and all of his wives'' bottoms were as red as an apple, Berengar once more began to chastise the trio.


    "Now, in the future, I don''t want any more nonsense out of you girls; if you act out in the future, prepare to be treated even more harshly. After saying this, Berengar raised from his seat and finished his ss of wine, where he gave one final order before departing.


    "Ad, Linde, be a doll and inform Princess Honoria of the terms we have agreed to."


    After saying this, Berengar left the room and returned to his bedroom. Though he had no idea how this night would change the dynamic between him and his harem, he was sure it would be for the better. After all, he had be far toox with how he had treated them. It was time for his wives to understand their ce in this world, which was beneath him.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 380: Arriving in Constantinople

    <h4>Chapter 380: Arriving in Constantinople</h4>


    Days had passed, and the Royal Clipper had arrived within the boundaries of the City of Constantinople. The moment such a massive vessel came within the city''s vicinity, it had caused a greatmotion. Until now, nobody had ever seen such an enormous ship before. It was frankly defying what the people of the Byzantine Empire knew about shipbuilding.


    Naturally, only one person within the Meditteranean could build such a massive vessel. With this in mind, Emperor Vetranis and his family personally traveled to the docks to meet Berengar and his host. However, the ports in Constantinople were notrge enough to amodate such arge ship, as such Berengar and his host used several of the rowboats on board to reach the docks, while the clipper was anchored further out at sea.


    Berengar was first to step on the docks, and as he did so, Emperor Vetrnais went up and shook his hand with an excited expression on his face.


    "King Berengar, it is a pleasure to have you within my city. I hope your journey went without difficulties?"


    Immediately after saying this, Honoria appeared and stood next to Berengar. After that fateful night where Berengar had disciplined her and the others, she was now far more submissive to her man��standing quietly by his side andtching onto his hand with a smile on her face. Berengar smiled in return when she approached and immediately answered her father''s words.


    "There were some minor difficulties, but nothing I couldn''t handle, right, Honoria?"


    Honoria immediately flinched when hearing this; the pain she had felt in her buttocks after Berengar had so viciously spanked her still resounded within her mind every time she thought about the incident. As such, she quickly and obediently nodded her head in response to Berengar''s question.


    "As Berengar has said, it was nothing we couldn''t handle."


    Vetranis smiled as he heard this while waiting for the rest of Berengar''s host to depart from their rowboats. After all, had gathered, they began to reacquaint themselves with Honoria''s family. Interestingly enough, there was one man present Berengar did not recognize; by process of elimination, he quickly surmised that this man who was roughly his age was none other than the second Prince Decentius.


    Decentius red at his sister with overwhelming hatred; if not for this girl and her actions, he would not have been forced into the corner that had caused his treasonous actions. While Honoria was hiding in Austria, getting railed by this Barbarian King, he had butchered his godfather and mentor in pursuit of power.


    However, worst of all was the idea that his bloodline was being soiled by the descendent of barbarians who had destroyed the Western half of the ancient Empire centuries ago. It was because of this that he was far from courteous when he was given a chance to speak to Berengar face to face.


    "So you are the barbarian who is fucking my bitch of a sister. Congratz, I hope she at least has tight pussy, because that is about the only thing that can make up for the trouble she will inevitably cause you!"


    Berengar was astonished that a member of the Imperial Dynasty would speak in such an offensive manner to a foreign dignitary. He was not the only one who was enraged by Decentius''s actions; the boy''s father immediately raised his hand and struck the prince across the face, causing his lip to bleed as he began to chastise him.


    "How dare you speak of your sister that way!?! You call King Berengar a barbarian and yet speak in such a foul manner while greeting a foreign dignitary? You have spent too much time aroundmon foot soldiers, so much so that you have forgotten your etiquette as a prince of the Empire!"


    Decentius gazed at his father with fury; he could not fathom that the Emperor would strike his son in front of a Barbarian King from the West. In his eyes, It was simply disgraceful for Romans to lower their heads to the savage Germans.? Apparently, Decentius had not received the memo that the Kingdom of Austria was now every bit the Byzantine Empire''s equal, if not superior. Either that or he was too proud to admit it.


    Berengar instead had a calm expression on his face. He immediately began to respond to Decentiu''s uncouth statement with the dignity of a monarch.


    "I am a barbarian, am I? Well, maybe you should treat this barbarian with some respect. After all, it is my Kingdom that manufactures the weapons you have used to achieve your victory in North Africa."


    While Berengar knew the truth about what had transpired in Cairo, he decided it would be wise not to reveal his hand and thus provoke Decentius into doing something stupid. At the same time, they stayed within the confines of the Imperial Pce. After all, Berengar did not want to spend his wedding looking over his shoulder for a potential assassination attempt.


    Decentius'' expression turned ugly when he heard this retort; he had never expected Berengar to respond in such a manner. Based upon his prejudices about the German people, he assumed Berengar would immediately slug him for his vulgarity.


    Honoria, on the other hand, was not the slightest bit enraged by Decentius'' behavior; throughout her entire life, she was never close with her siblings and was aware that her second brother had long since despised her. The fact that she ran away clearly did not help matters.


    Seeing that the atmosphere was bing tense, Vetranis tried immediately began to shift the conversation to the task at hand.


    "Well then, King Berengar, if you and your host are ready, we will be departing for the pce now."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled and nodded before he led his family and his royal guards towards the Castle. Though the guards appeared unarmed, they each wielded a 1422 Snub-Nose Agency Revolver in their pockets, as well as several dozen rounds of ammunition. They were also were equipped with a boot knife.


    Though the weapons were still in the middle of testing as prototypes, Berengar was well aware of their capabilities and thoroughly trusted that Ludwig''s manufacturing capabilities. As such, he had ordered a few of them built prior to this assion. With this, his guards would have everything they needed to protect him and his family.


    Eventually, the Austrian host reached the pce, where they were led to their rooms. Ad, Linde, and Henrietta received their own personal rooms, which were each protected by a unit of the Austrian Royal Guard. At the same time, Berengar would be spending his time in Constantinople within Honoria''s old bed chambers.


    The moment he and the Princess entered her old quarters. She threw herself onto the bed while her pet eagle Heraclius flew over and perched upon his old post. There was a look of joy on the duo''s faces as they reminisced about the past.


    Eventually, Honoria''s joyous smile turned into a bitter one as she turned around and gazed upon her room. After a while, she finally broke her silence and revealed the thoughts on her mind.


    "Everything is exactly the same as I left it..."


    Berengar instinctively sat down next to the young Princess and began tofort her; though he knew a bit about her past, she rarely spoke about it, and as such, he was now fully aware of everything she had to endure. Though he was not the greatest atforting people when they were feeling down, he tried his best.


    "I''m here if you want to talk about it."


    On the other hand, Honoria merely nodded in silence as she rested her head on Berengar''s chest. They liked that for some time until a wicked smile appeared on Berengar''s face; he decided to tease the girl about her punishment from a few nights prior.


    "How are your buttocks feeling?"


    Honoria immediately blushed and looked away from Berengar''s one good eye. She was embarrassed every time she thought about what happened that night. Especially the look of pleasure on Linde''s face when it was her turn. She could not understand how the girl''s brain worked, considering that there was nothing pleasurable about the experience in her own mind.


    Berengar immediately began to chuckle as he forced her to look in his eye; after he did so, his gaze turned solemn as he expressed the thoughts on his mind.


    "You know I only did that because I care, right? You girls were out of control, and if I let it continue that way, someone was bound to get hurt. You should remember to behave yourself in the future and not allow your jealousy to take over."


    Honoria silently nodded as she heard Berengar speak; she was not mad at him in the slightest; in fact, she was happy that he had taken control of the situation. After her punishment, she had a long time to think about her actions over the past month and realized that her jealousy and that of the others were reaching a breaking point.


    It was like Berengar had said if he allowed his women to behave in such a manner for much longer, one of them was bound to hurt the others, or even worse, they might harm the man they loved out of sheer jealousy.


    Upon seeing that Honoria had a glimpse of understanding in her eyes, Berengar gently kissed her on the lips for a few moments. After breaking apart, he said the words contained deep within his heart.


    "I love you..."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria threw away her reservations and pounced on top of Berengar, where she began to kiss him passionately; between her breaths, she managed to mutter the words.


    "I love you too!"


    What followed afterward only Berengar, Honoria, and Heraclius would know.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 381: Reflecting on the Past

    <h4>Chapter 381: Reflecting on the Past</h4>


    The day after Berengar arrived in Constantinople, he arose bright and early. He immediately noticed Honoria was not lying next to his side, which made him curious. As such, he spent some time getting ready for his day. Luckily for him, the Byzantines had arge bathhouse within their pce simr in size and grandeur to his own.


    After spending some time cleaning the sweat and grime from his body that had umted during his journey across the Mediterranean sea, Berengar decided to take a walk through the pce gardens. After all, the Byzantines, much like their Roman ancestors, were quite well known for their unique garden culture.


    While walking through the immacte gardens of the Byzantine Imperial Pce, Berengar noticed a peculiar sight. Honoria was dressed in a byzantine style gown that matched her Tyrian purple hair as she sat upon the side of therge fountain with Heraclius perched upon her forearm.


    The beautiful princess had a broad smile on her face as she gazed upon the gardens that she had grown up within and reminisced of the past. Upon noticing her lover enter the area, she beckoned him to sit with her, which Berengar was more than happy to do.? After sitting down next to Honoria on the edge of the magnificent fountain, Berengar began toment on Honoria''s cheery state.


    "You seem to be in a rather good mood, and here I thought you wouldment the idea of returning to the home you once described as a cage."


    Honoria''s warm smile immediately turned into a bitter one. It was amazing what nostalgia could do to someone''s memories. The moment the young princess heard this, she immediately began to reflect on the truth of the matter.? However, in the end, her bitter smile reformed into a gentle and pretty one as she began to reflect upon everything that had happened since she ran away.


    "Though I was a prisoner trapped within the pce, I never saw any hardship during my youth. One could say my life was ideal aside from the fact that I was to be married off to a gay prince from a faraway Kingdom."


    Berengar instantly felt chills go down his spine as he heard this; that same prince had already expressed his intent to seduce him; however, after thinking about it for a few moments, Berengar got a brilliant idea and decided to tease Honoria a bit.


    "Prince Aubry was it? Did you know that he of all people sent me a flirtatious message?"


    Honoria''s smile instantly vanished when she heard this and was reced with a look of fury. She could not believe that the little slut not only tried to trap her brother but was now attempting to seduce her fiance. As such, she curled her tiny fists as she cursed the boy out.


    "That fucking harlot, I swear to God if I ever see him again, I''ll put a bullet in his brain! Please tell me you''re not interested in such a thing!?!"


    Berengar chuckled as he saw the enraged state Honoria had entered and proceeded to wrap his arm around her before expressing his thoughts on the matter.


    "No matter how pretty Prince Aubry maybe, he is still a guy, and I have no interest in anything other than women. You can rx; I was frankly disgusted when I heard his message."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria sighed heavily in relief; she could not imagine Berengar falling into the hands of another man; the very idea made her skin crawl. As such, she leaned in close, which caused Heraclius tounch off of her forearm and fly into the sky above the couple. Where he began to circle the ancient city in search of prey.


    After a while, Berengar gazed around at the pce gardens and expressed his opinion on them to the young princess he was soon to marry.


    "I''m impressed; these gardens are magnificent! I think I will have to have a word with my gardener... Clearly, I need to do some redesigning of my own."


    Honoria instantly began to giggle when she heard her lover say this. After visiting her childhood home, Berengar''s takeaway was topete with the Byzantine imperial family in gardening.? Berengar had no idea why she wasughing and immediately began to question what had caused such a state.


    "What is so funny?"


    Honoria calmed herself down upon hearing this before beginning to speak her thoughts on the matter.


    "Nothing, I just love that about you. If you see someone who has something better than what you possess, your first instinct isn''t to steal or destroy it but topete with them by making something of your own that is far grander. It is this very attitude that makes me believe one day soon Austria will be a Kingdom that stands above all others."


    Berengar was struck with awe as he heard thisment; until now, he had never believed that he had such qualities. But it was true; if he envied someone else for what they possessed, his immediate desire was to create something more significant.


    It took a remarkable man to look at magnificence and desire to create something even grander. Most men would have the desire to steal or destroy what they did not possess. After hearing that Honoria had such a high opinion of him, Berengar was curious; he had never really thought about what made his girls love him. Instead, he just epted it.? As such, he instantly began to inquire further about Honoria''s opinion of him.


    "Really? what else do you love about me?"


    Honoria put a warm smile on her face as she began to list the qualities she found attractive in Berengar.


    "For starters, you are strong and ambitious. You do what you want and to hell with the consequences, for you have faith in your power that you may be able to ovee any obstacle you may face. Such confidence is a rarity among men."


    Berengar smiled when he heard this; he became increasingly interested in Honoria''s views of him and thus goaded her on.


    "What else?"


    Honoria immediately ced a finger on her chin as she began to reflect on the question, which Berengar found to be adorable. After a moment of thinking, she smiled once more as she bridged the distance between her and Berengar while resting her head upon his shoulder.


    "You are kind to those who you love and are responsible for. The amount of time and money you spend on making sure your family and your people are happy and well off is something I have never seen before."


    Berengar immediately cracked a joke about such an essential part of his character.


    "I hope I''m not too kind, or else my enemies will walk all over us..."


    Honoria immediately began to pout as she heard Berengar''s remark; she knew he was aware of precisely what she meant, but seeing as the man was purposely being obstinate, she began to address the next point of his character that she loved.


    "I said you were kind to your loved ones and the people under your protection. If you were kind to everyone, I would think you were a fool and wouldn''t even bother to be with you. It is the cruelty you show to your enemies that I have immense respect for.


    You have shown time and again that the lives of your peoplee first. The way you conduct warfare is brutal and vicious, but it achieves a swift victory so that your soldiers and their families suffer to the slightest degree possible.


    You genuinely care for the lives of the men beneath yourmand and do whatever you can to minimize their losses while providing appropriate benefits to them and their families after they have been wounded or killed in battle."


    After saying this, a warm and gentle smile appeared on Honoria''s face as she stared into Berengar''s deep sapphire eyes before adding one finalment to her rant.


    "I could spend all day talking about the qualities that make you great, but I think what I have said is more than enough to describe why I and the others love you so much. It is not just us; your people admire you, even if your enemies despise you, never forget that!"


    Berengar was shocked when he heard such a long-winded speech about his good qualities. Though he generally did not think or even care about what people thought about him, On more than one assion, his curiosity had gotten the better of him, forcing him to ask for rification on why his women loved him, and they repeatedly responded with simr answers. Was this truly how people viewed his character?


    He had to admit that he had never imagined himself as the person Honoria and the others described him to be. Generally, he thought of himself as a selfish and vicious bastard who did whatever was necessary to achieve his goals. Most of what he had achieved in this life, if not everything, was due to his own selfish desires. But, that begged the question, is it the intent behind his actions that mattered, or was it the result?


    Berengar reflected deeply upon this question as he continued to chat with Honoria in the gardens of the Byzantine Imperial Pce. It would be a matter of days before their wedding took ce, and Berengar intended to spend as much time as possible with his young bride before it took ce.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 382: Retaking Cordoba

    <h4>Chapter 382: Retaking Cordoba</h4>


    Gunshots and cannon fire echoed in the air as the Granadan Royal Army pounded the walls of Cordoba. For the first time in centuries, the Moorish armies of Iberia had begun an attempt to reim the crown jewel of Al-Andalus. Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl, General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is of the Granadan Royal Army, and General Arnulf von Thiersee of the Austrian Royal Army were standing at the army''s rear.


    Through a desperate attempt to divert the attention of the Iberian Union''s armies from the homnd, Hasan had decided toy siege to the city of Cordoba. Surprisingly, the hail mary attempt to sneak an army through Andalusia and into the vicinity of Cordoba went as nned.


    While most of his army was equipped with the inferior Arkebuse matchlock firearms and primitive falc cannons, the Emirate''s shock troops, known as the Granadan Royal Guard, were issued surplus weapons from the Royal Austrian Army.


    The rifled muskets and 1417 12 lb Field Guns were being employed in a limited capacity. Despite the small numbers of such weapons, they proved to be exceptional in the field. As Arnulf gazed through his binocrs at the ongoing siege, he noticed the massive amount of damage being dealt to the walls by thebined explosive shells of the twelve-pounders and the one-pound solid shot used by the Falc cannons.? Upon seeing the progress being made, Arnulf began to smile as he addressed the Sultan and his top General with a proud smile on his face.


    "What did I tell you? These new weapons are vastly superior to what your forces currently are equipped with. Within a matter of hours, these walls will falter, and the city will be returned to Moorish hands atst!"


    Hasan had a pleasant grin on his face; he had followed his sister''s advice and returned to the battlefield to increase morale. As for whether or not he would lead from the frontlines, that was not something a man of his caliber was willing to risk.


    Nevertheless, with the Sultan among their ranks, the Granadan forces had a boosted sense of morale as they recklessly charged past the Iberian missile fire and pelted the defenders with arkebuse balls. After gazing upon the battlefield for some time, Hasan began to speak to Arnulf as if he were an old friend.


    "My friend, you must tell your master that I appreciate the continued support, though I fear it is not enough. Though we may be able to retake Cordoba after all of these years, I fear we will not be able to hold on to it! At least not until reinforcements from Austria arrive!"


    While the generals were conversing in the rear, the Granadan Royal Guard stood back roughly three hundred yards away from the ramparts and opened fire upon the defenders standing behind the merlons for protection.


    The moment the Catholic Iberians raised their heads, a lead minie ball projectile would make its way into their skull, sttering blood and gray matter across their vicinity. The Catholic soldiers were terrified of the power and distance that such weapons could achieve.


    To prate through their iron helmets at three hundred yards was a feat the arkebuse could not possibly achieve. As such, they were incredibly fearful of the new weapons that the Granadans were fielding and quickly began to cower behind the ramparts, too afraid to stick their heads out from behind cover.


    Much like Arnulf had predicted, after several hours of bombardment, the walls finally crumbled, and the moment they fell, a grand melee began to break out between the Granadan pikeman and the Iberian defenders.


    The g of Castille flew above the city of Cordoba as the Catholic warriors began to defend their town with all their might. Though the pike was not the most effective weapon for sieges, its length was quickly able to pass through the breach and cause damage to the city''s defenders at a rtively safe distance.


    However, undoubtedly, the Granadan Royal Guard would lead the charge with their flintlock rifled muskets and bays when it came to urban warfare. Both sides struggled to gain ground at the destroyed section of the city''s once-mighty walls for the time being.


    Hasan borrowed Arnulf''s binocrs and gazed at the sight of the battlefield with joy in his eyes. He could not believe that they had brought down the wall so quickly; it had only taken them a few days to achieve this magnificent feat. As such, he had faith in Ah that his forces would prevail on this day.? With this in mind, he began to thank Arnulf once more for the weapons and tactics he and King Berengar had provided his forces with.


    "I must say, what we have achieved here this day, could not easily be aplished without the support of our good friends in Austria! After this war is over, I will be sure to throw a grand feast for you and all the soldiers who have helped us achieve victory!"


    Arnulf had a severe expression as he heard this; in his eyes, Hasan was not what he would refer to as a man capable of thinking long term. This entire siege was a mistake from the Austrian General''s perspective.


    Moving their primary force out of a defensive position to draw the attention of the central Iberian Army was a poor decision. He decided to provide some advice to the Sultan of Granada; he did this by addressing his concerns over the current state of affairs with a friendly tone.


    "Though this is indeed a great victory until reinforcements arrive from Austria, we will not be able to hold the city. We have been defending our borders for some time, but our enemies'' numbers grow each day while our forces dwindle.


    If we stay here, we will be cut off from supplies, and reinforcements, forced to defend the city until ourst dying breath. I suggest after taking the town and annihting the enemy, we abandon Cordoba and begin a gueri campaign until the Austrian Expeditionary Force arrives."


    General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is nodded his head in agreement with Arnulf''s words and quickly spoke up in his defense.


    "I agree with General Arnulf; we simply cannot defend our borders as our enemies continue to outnumber us. Nor can we hold the city of Cordoba; we must massacre the enemy forces here and make a swift retreat.


    I will take most of the army and hold the line within our borders; Arnulf should follow his n and lead the Granadan Royal Guard on a guerri campaign to slow down the enemy''s advance. After all, the Royal Guard is well trained in riding and is equipped with the best weapons. It would make the most sense to use them for this operation."


    After hearing his general approve of Arnulf''s n, Hasan smiled and nodded his head in agreement. If this were a proposal that both men agreed upon, then he would heed their advice. As such, he sped both men on the shoulders as he gave his consent to carry out such an operation.


    "Very well, I shall leave this war in your capable hands; when this battle is over, I will return to Granada. I look forward to seeing the results of your campaign!"


    As the Sultan said these words, the banners of Granada were raised above the city walls, and the bloodcurdling screams of battle came to an end; in its ce, loud cheers echoed in the distance, signaling the Moorish victory. For the first time in centuries, Cordoba, the Jewel of Al-Andalus, was returned to the hands of its Moorish masters.


    Though the celebration would be brief, as Hasan and the other officers in his attache descended into the city and witnessed the bloodshed that had urred, corpses of both sides littered the city''s streets. Blood formed a small river as it flowed throughout the city.


    Eventually, Hasan took an advantageous position within the city and began to speak to his troops about their victory, and the ns settled only a few moments prior.


    "Men! Today is a great day for the Emirate of Granada. We have retaken the Jewel of our people! However, we do not have the means to hold it, so we must abandon it! We will bury our dead and return to our borders to defend the hearnd of Granada against those who would seek to destroy us.


    While this is going on, the Grandan Royal Guard shall be led by our allies from Austria, who will undergo a campaign to slow down our enemies'' advance and weaken their resolve! Glory to Granada! Glory to Al-Andalus!"


    As Hasan said these words, the crowd of battle-hardened soldiers dressed in mirror pattern armor began to chant back his final words. In doing so, securing their victory. After finishing their gathering, the Granadan soldiers executed all of the Iberian soldiers who had surrendered before burying their own fallen warriors.


    After these actions werepleted, they ransacked the city for its supplies and headed off in the opposite direction back to their homnd. After making it to the halfway marker, the Granadan Royal Guard followed Arnulf and his attache on a separate path. Henceforth, until a time when the Austrian Expeditionary Force could arrive, He and his small army of elite soldiers would harass the Iberian Union worse than a colony of fleas living on a dog''s back.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 383: The Byzantine Royal Wedding

    <h4>Chapter 383: The Byzantine Royal Wedding</h4>


    While the war for Granada entered a new stage, Berengar and his host were within Constantinople. Finally, the day hade for his wedding to Princess Honoria. As such, Berengar sat on horseback within the courtyard of the Imperial Pce, where he and Honoria would ride through the streets with a convoy until they reached the Hagia Sophia.


    A medieval wedding ceremony was different from the modern ones Berengar had implemented within his Kingdom. As such, he waited patiently until Honoria arrived. After a few minutes had passed, the Princess descended from the staircase with her bridesmaids and family in tow.


    She was dressed in an borate silk dress in Tyrian purple with gold embellishment. The jewelry that crested her dress was in mint green gemstones, which matched her eyes perfectly. For this special assion, Honoria had washed the dye from her hair and was currently back to her natural brte state.


    Though Berengar generally preferred blondes and redheads to brtes, he made an exception for Honoria as she looked divine in her natural state. As such, he sat upon horseback with a proud stare where he immediately began toplement his bride as he gazed upon her exceptional figure.


    "Honoria, my dear, your beauty is matched only by that of the ancient Goddess Venus."


    In response to this, Honoria began to blush as she tried to hide her excited smile, despiteplimenting her in a way only a pagan would. She was happy to hear her groom was enticed by her appearance.


    Following this, Berengar reached out his hand and pulled the Princess up onto his horse behind him, where shetched her arms around his waist and nustled her head into his back. The couple began to stride forth throughout the city''s streets as themon people of Byzantium gathered on the sides, tossing flower petals into the air to celebrate the marriage of their Princess.


    As the convoy continued to press through the streets, Berengar smiled and waved alongside Honoria to the gathered masses, further imprinting an honorable impression on the people who had gathered. If they knew that their precious Princess was no longer a virgin and the debauchery that she had gotten up to with her fiance, they would probably be cursing her at this moment.


    Of course, they had no way of knowing such a thing; as such, they shouted their cheers and celebrations for the monumental assion. Before long Berengar, and Honoria ended up in front of the Hagia Sophia, where they dismounted from their horses. Emperor Vetranis led Honoria to its gates, whereas Eckhard followed by Berengar''s side as he strode forth with authority and dignity.


    After approaching the gates of the Grand Cathedral, the Patriarch of Constantinople was there to greet the young couple and lead the procession. As such, he began by speaking in Latin as he blessed the rings provided for the ceremony.


    After reciting the blessings, and a few bible passages, the Patriarch held the rings in his hands while pressing Berengar and Honoria''s heads against each other three times. After he had finished this aspect of the tradition, he began to ce the rings on the bride and groom''s right hands before swapping them a total of three times. This tradition supposedly signified that one''s weakness would bepensated by the strengths of the other.


    After blessing the rings, the Patriarch led Berengar, Honoria, and the guests inside the Hagia Sophia; as Berengar gazed upon the magnificent Cathedral in its original state, he could not help but gasp at the beauty of it. Though he had created his own Grand Cathedral to rival any in the world, the sight of such a majestic and historically significant part of Christendom was indeed an inspiration to behold.


    Eventually, Berengar and Honoria were led to the altar, where two candles were lit and handed to the young couple. As such, the bride and groom grasped ahold of the candles with their left hand. As they stood there holding their candles with their left hands, the Patriarch joined their right hands together in unison, where the young couple would continue to hold hands until the wedding was over.


    Seeing that the couple had done as instructed, Eckhard brought forth two crowns made of wreaths; these wreaths were joined together by a white ribbon, where they were ced upon Berengar and Honoria''s heads by the Patriarch himself. After doing this, he began to swap the crowns thrice, much like he had done the rings a few moments prior.


    Having done this, the Patriarch began to quote scripture once more, though Berengar did not pay attention to any of it. Instead, he fondly gazed upon his beautiful bride with a smile on his lips as the ceremony continued. Eventually, after finishing his long-winded sermon, the priest brought forth a single cup filled with grape juice.


    Because the Patriarch was made aware of Honoria''s condition, he secretly swapped the traditional wine with a non-alcoholic beverage. He then proceeded to feed it to Berengar first and immediately after to Honoria, where they each took three sips from the chalice.


    After drinking from the cup, the Patriarch led Berengar and Honoria around the altar three times on which a bible and cross rested upon. Afterpleting this, the Patriarch first addressed Berengar with a parting blessing.


    "Be thou magnified O Bridegroom, as Abraham, and blessed as Isaac and multiply as Jacob. Walk in peace and work in righteousness, as themandments of God."


    Berengar nodded when he turned this, and after doing so, the Patriarch shifted his attention to Honoria, where he spoke a different blessing.


    "And thou O Bride, be though magnified as Sarah, d as Reba and multiply like unto Rachel, rejoicing in thine own husband, fulfilling the conditions of thew, for so it is well pleasing unto God."


    After saying all of this, a smile broke out on the Patriarch''s face where he said the ancient Greek words


    "Na zisete."


    Upon saying this, the ceremony was over, and Berengar had officially married his third bride, the beautiful Princess of the Byzantine Empire. Havingpleted this portion of the wedding, Berengar and Honoria walked out to the greetings of each guest before circling back to the pce, where the reception was to be held.


    Having returned to the Byzantine Imperial Pce, Berengar and Honoria sat at the table where the feast was held. While enjoying his time with Honoria, he gazed over towards his other two wives, who had less than excited expressions. Ad was pouting, and Linde was staring daggers at Honoria.


    He could not understand the way these women thought, they fought during the day as if they were mortal rivals, but at night they were so quick to gather together to please him. One thing was certain within Berengar''s mind, no matter how displeased they were with the wedding, neither of them would act up.


    There were two reasons for this conclusion, the first being that they were shown the same degree of respect at their weddings by Honoria. The second was that Berengar would severely discipline them if they so much as began to make a scene.? As such, the evening was rtively uneventful in the form of unnecessary drama.


    Berengar drank from his wine ss as he gazed over at his new father-inw. He had many things to discuss with the Byzantine Emperor about the future of their two realms. As such he put on a cheery expression as he addressed Vetranis.


    "Emperor Vetranis, I would like to have a word with you."


    Upon hearing this, Vetranis, who was already two and a half bottles deep into his wine, shook his head with a smile on his face as he tried to correct Berengar.


    "Please, now that you have married my daughter, you are my son byw; call me father!"


    Berengar nced over at his own father, who was present at the ceremony, to see if that was even remotely eptable. Oddly enough, Sieghard had a massive grin on his face. Never in his life did he believe his firstborn son would aplish so much, and in the end, marry the Princess of the greatest power within the Mediterranean.


    While Sieghard was happy, Gis was giving Berengar the same re she had given him when he married Linde; though she was wearing a pretty smile, there was nothing but malice contained behind it. She could not believe that her son was such a hedonistic yboy.


    Berengar ignored his mother''s vicious stare, and instead focused upon his father''s expression. Upon seeing that his father was okay with Emperor Vetranis''s suggestion, Berengar sighed before addressing his father-inw in such a manner.


    "Father, I was going to discuss something important with you, but it would appear that you have had too much to drink. We can continue this conversation tomorrow. I am sure you will be interested in my proposal."


    Vetranis merely nodded his head in silence as he listened to Berengar''s words; he was indeed far too intoxicated to possibly be able to have a conversation about something as essential as agricultural reform. As such, Berengar returned his attention to Honoria, who had the prettiest smile upon her immacte lips. It was finally her turn to marry Berengar, and she enjoyed every second of it.


    After a while, the ceremony ended, and Berengar returned to Honoria''s bed-chambers alongside his wife. Where they proceeded to consummate their marriage; Berengar and Honoria spent much of the night making love. It was not until well past midnight that the couple passed out from exhaustion.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 384: A Byzantine Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 384: A Byzantine Breakfast</h4>


    The day after Berengar''s wedding to Honoria, he woke up next to the young Byzantine Princess with a smile. Honoria was still asleep, and Berengar decided to y a little prank on her. He immediately began to spoon with the girl as he groped her sizeable breasts while kissing her neck.


    Eventually, she awoke from her slumber and looked over at her husband. His eyepatch was removed, revealing the heavily scarred sapphire blue eye usually concealed beneath it. Seeing the wound he had received in battle, she carefully caressed his handsome face while kissing him passionately.


    With this in mind, Berengar began to insert his member inside her tight, slippery hole, which instantly caused the princess to moan in pleasure. Eventually, Berengar sped up his movements, where he pushed Honoria''s face down into the pillow while ravaging her from behind. To Berengar, this was where the fun began.


    After ying around with his wife for a solid hour, the couple eventually got dressed and entered the dining hall, where everyone was gathered eating breakfast. Berengar and Honoria sat down at the table and immediately noticed their stares.


    Evidently, Honoria was quite the squealer because everyone at the table had awkward expressions on their faces as if they were aware of what the couple had been doing for thest hour or so. Though Berengar didn''t mind it, his bride indeed began to blush when she came to realize that she was responsible for the tense atmosphere.


    Eventually, Berengar broke the silence by pulling out a leatherbound book and sliding it across the table towards the Emperor. Vetranis was immediately curious as he saw Berengar''s actions and instantly inquired about the details.


    "What is this?"


    Berengar scoffed as he drank from the coffee that was presented to him before answering the Emperor''s expression with a smug grin on his face.


    "That is everything you need to know about how to feed your people properly. The four-field system, how to produce advanced fertilizers, the means to construct irrigation piping from copper, and a few modest improvements to your tools such as the steel plow; you can consider it my wedding gift."


    The men and women present at the table stared at Berengar in disbelief, none more so than Quintus, as the Prince most renowned for sessful administration, this leatherbound book was worth more to him than any other text in the world.


    Yet Berengar just handed it over as if it was an ordinary object. Despite how it appeared, this book contained critical information regarding the technology and knowledge behind the agricultural revolution. Berengar wasn''t simply handing it over as a wedding gift, but as a means to strengthen the Empire.


    With the backing of the mysterious tertiary faction, whose aim was to ce his and Honoria''s future son on the throne. Berengar wanted his child to inherit a wealthy and stable Empire. The construction of the Suez Canal and the advanced agricultural methods Berengar was providing the current Emperor was done so with this potential future in mind.


    As for other technology such as superior iron and steel-making techniques, Berengar had no ns to yield those to anyone. After all, his ability to produce vast quantities of high-quality steel gave him a severe military advantage over everyone else in the world.


    Vetranis flipped through the book with an astonished expression on his face. Though he didn''t understand much of what was stated in the text, he knew people within the Empire who could adequatelyprehend it. As such, he was eager to begin implementing such advanced technologies as soon as he possibly could.


    With a warm smile on his face, the Emperor began to joke around with Berengar as if they had been friends for a long time.


    "I''m d to see our alliance is bearing fruit already. If I had known that uniting our two households in matrimony would be so beneficial, I never would have betrothed Honoria to that feminine Prince from France."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria immediately red at her father; thest thing she wanted to be reminded of was the fact that she was once engaged to that little twink. However, she was not the only one in a foul mood. Decentius could not stop eying Berengar and Honoria with hatred. He med Honoria for his treacherous actions, and now that he knew she was alive and safe, he would not allow her to go unpunished.


    After dealing with an entire day dedicated to a marriage he deemed a blight upon his bloodline and the sounds of his sister getting railed by a Barbarian King from the west this morning, Decentius was on the verge of exploding.


    Noticing the second Prince''s foul expression, Berengar could roughly guess what was on his mind, and as such, he decided to provoke the man further. With this in mind, he took a sip from his coffee before bluntly revealing Honoria''s little secret to the rest of her family.


    "So... Honoria is pregnant..."


    This news shocked the entire family, except for Vetranis, who was well aware of this fact. Honoria began to pout as she gazed at her husband with a furious expression; she could not believe that he would reveal this fact the morning after their wedding.


    However, none took it worse than Decentius; upon hearing this news, he choked on the coffee he had taken a sip from; Berengar had intentionally timed the moment of his statement for when the Prince was at his most vulnerable.


    After struggling to swallow the remnants of the coffee stuck within his throat, the man quickly began to erupt in a fury; no longer capable of containing his growing wrath Decentius pounded his fist upon the table before screaming at the people he deemed responsible for this atrocity.


    "Our noble heritage, which dates back to the glory of Rome, has been forever stained by the blood of a filthy German! You should be ashamed of yourself, you filthy slut! Running away from our glorious Pce to go lie with a dog from Germania!"


    Vetranis immediately rose from his seat and was about to chastise his son for his remarks when Berengar calmly expressed his thoughts on the matter with a smug grin on his face.


    "Oh, I am a dog now? I''d say that is woefully inurate; if youpare the German people to any animal, I''d say a Wolf is more urate. Wild, cunning, and ferocious but fiercely loyal to their own. I have tolerated your insults to my woman once out of respect for your position, but I will not do so a second time!"


    The moment Berengar said this, Decentius gazed at him with a haughty expression before speaking the thoughts on his mind.


    "Oh yeah? What are you going to do about-"


    Before the Prince was capable of finishing his sentence, Berengar threw a shovel punch directly across the table and into Decentius'' liver. When taking into ount Berengar''s physique and his adequate knowledge of hand to handbat from his army days, the second prince of the Byzantine Empire immediately grimaced in pain as he stumbled backward losing control of his legs and toppling over his chair as he copsed to the ground.


    To add insult to injury, Berengar picked up the Prince''s te, which contained his breakfast, and tossed its contents onto Decentius as heid sprawled out on the ground gasping for air. After doing so, a wicked grin appeared upon Berengar''s lips as he uttered the final words to conclude the dispute.


    "Clean yourself up; you are a fucking disgrace!"


    After saying this, Berengar sat back down in his seat and took another sip from his coffee as if the violent disy had never urred in the first ce. The look of contempt on his face for the second Prince did not go unnoticed by the rest of the table.


    Even Vetranis was shocked by his actions, but it was not like he could say anything about it. Decentius was woefully out of line, not only as a Prince representing the Empire to its newest and most powerful ally but also as a man. He had to admit if any man had such words to him and his wife, he probably would have reacted violently as well.


    Not a single member of the table got up and helped Decentius, the Empress herself, who was the mother to the man, did not lift a single finger and continued to drink from her coffee as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Quintus gazed at his brother with a smug expression; it was good to see his rival for power get what he deserved. If anything, this event made the first prince more agreeable to Berengar.


    It took a few moments, but ultimately Decentius struggled to his feet, where he immediately barged out of the room, unwilling to say or do anything to further add to the humiliation he had suffered. As for Honoria, she gazed at her brother with a weary expression. She knew he was far too prideful to let this matter go quietly.


    As such, she immediately whispered something to Berengar which nobody else had heard. After doing so, Berengar nodded his head before motioning to one of his guards standing nearby. When the soldier approached, Berengar whispered new orders to the man.


    "Double the protection around my family; if necessary, use some of the marines on board the Clipper."


    Having received his orders, the soldier immediately saluted his King before rying the message to the appropriate troops. After all, Berengar would take no chances of vengeance upon himself or his family for putting an asshole in his ce.? With all of this, the breakfast continued in awkward silence; what was supposed to be a happy assion was thoroughly tarnished by Decentius and his misced pride.


    ---


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 Chapter 385: An Unexpected Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 385: An Unexpected Meeting</h4>


    After the morning where Berengar had put Decentius in his ce, he continued to enjoy his meal, even if it turned to awkward silence. However, after it was over, Berengar was left much to himself. As such, he mainly stayed by Honoria''s side, spending a significant degree of time with her. After all, he had done the same thing with his previous marriages.


    After a while, Berengar found himself alone in the Byzantine Gardens admiring the scenery. While he was rxing in this beautiful ce, someone he was not expecting approached him. The man was dressed invish attire and was evidently very high up within the Byzantine Aristocracy.


    Though Berengar noticed the man''s approach, he chose to say nothing and instead waited to see what would transpire. While Berengar was standing quietly at ease in front of the fountain, the man stopped thirty paces behind him and immediately began to speak in a calm and friendly manner.


    "King Berengar of Austria, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance atst; I do believe I was not able to introduce myself at your coronation ceremony properly. I am Strategos Padius Angelus, ruler over the Balkans and General of its Army. I must admit I have taken great interest in your rise to power."


    Berengar smiled before turning around to face the man. The man was practically fifty years old, which would make him an Elder in this day and age; yet, he appeared to be in exceptional health. He had a long grey beard and matching hair.


    Though his face was weathered with age, it was also scarred heavily from battle, giving the man the dignified appearance of a soldier. Upon seeing that the man was a Strategos and over the region closest to his Kingdom, Berengar immediately became interested and began to question the man.


    "So tell me, Padius, which faction do you belong to? Who do you wish to see seed the Emperor?"


    As Padius heard this, he smiled before telling a long tale about how he decided who to support.


    "My entire life, I have spent in service to the Empire, ruling my family''s dominion and striking fear into the hearts of our enemies. I cared not for the politics of the pce, only in fulfilling my duty. Others have tried countless times to involve me in their conspiracies, yet to no avail.


    I humbly admit, though I have achieved much in my tenure as a Strategos, it fails topare to the mighty Arethas Maniakes. I have always considered myself his greatest rival, even if he never thought of me as such.


    Though he was my rival, I never despised him; when I heard of his death in Egypt, I was beside myself; it was as if I had lost all meaning in life. That is until I identally discovered a little detail about his death. As you may be aware, I believe Decentius is responsible for the end of my old friend.


    After learning the truth of the matter, I instantly became furious and even attempted to persuade Quintus of his brother''s betrayal. Yet the boycks any sense of fury; when he told me he would not bring this matter to his father''s attention until I had received absolute proof of his brother''s misdeeds, I knew then and there that the Empire was doomed.


    For the first time in my life, I realized why the older men of the court fought and killed behind the scenes to ce the candidate of their choice on the throne. Though Quintus is a great administrator and can lead the Empire to future prosperity, he is a coward and a pacifist. His refusal to engage in violence would be the end of our Empire.


    Decentius, on the other hand, is the exact opposite; he has martial prowess and a mind for warfare, yet he has not a single thought within his mind dedicated to anything other than bloodshed. His solution to all problems is to fight someone else. After his betrayal was revealed to me, I knew he, too, was not a viable candidate for the throne.


    As for Aurelius, the boy is beyond useless and is too far gone to mold into a proper ruler. He has neither the wit of Quintus nor the strength of Decentius yetprises all of their worst qualities. Cowardly, treacherous, quick to anger, and stubborn as a mule. Luckily he is more interested in drinking wine and fornicating with women than ruling the Empire.


    As for Honoria, she is a woman, and I would never be able to convince the old fools who operate behind the scenes that she is remotely capable of ruling the Empire. When I heard of her disappearance, I initially did not care in the slightest; after all, she was a young, naive girl who had been locked up her entire life, how could such a person preside over our realm?


    Yet after concluding that her brothers were all failures, my only hope for the future of this Empire would be in her progeny. Unfortunately, she was dered dead after being missing for two years. Imagine my shock when I uncovered the truth that she was in Kufstein and was the lover of the young Duke of Austria.


    A man born to a line of lowly Barons had risen from his minor position through cunning and military prowess to be a Duke. A man who was not afraid to fight on the front lines of war and was winning a war for independence against the second strongest power in the West, the Holy Roman Empire.


    I began to think that maybe, just maybe, the son between this King of Austria and the sole Princess of Byzantium might be worthy to rule our Empire. After all, if your future son is half as talented as you are, he is already vastly superior to any other potential heirs to the throne.


    With this in mind, I quietly got to work on building a new faction. I made use of the many contacts I had made over the years and acquired the man from the Empire closest to you, aside from Arethas himself. It was rtively easy; I just had to inform him of the actual reason for his master''s death.


    After that, he was more than eager to approach your spymaster and convince her to aid our cause. You asked which faction I belong to; the answer is simple, I am the mastermind behind the mysterious section that supports you. So tell me, King Berengar von Kufstein, after spending time with the Imperial Family, what are your opinions on the three princes?"


    Berengar listened to the elder''s long tale with great interest; in the end, he hade to the same conclusion as the man before him. None of the three Princes were worthy of ruling the mighty Byzantine Empire, and as such, Berengar smiled and nodded before responding to the man''s praise.


    "I agree with you; all three of them are pathetic and unworthy. You were correct to ce your hopes in my bloodline, for I guarantee you that my son with Honoria will be raised as a proper ruler. By the time the Emperor croaks, my son will be the best candidate from the Piologos Dynasty to rule your Empire!"


    Padius smiled when he heard this response; after doing so, he asked the second question on his mind, one which he believed was necessary.


    "Allow me to ask the question if you don''t mind? Have you thought of a name for this child?"


    Berengar smiled with a smug expression as he gazed upon the elderly Strategos standing before him; with confidence, he boldly dered the name he had long sincee up with for his firstborn son with Honoria.


    "There is only one man in Greco-Roman history, fit for my son to be named after. Mark my words, Alexandros Piologos will be the greatest Emperor in the history of your realm, a true sessor to his namesake."


    Upon hearing this, Padius smiled and nodded his head before revealing his thoughts on the choice of name for a child who was not even born.


    "A truly fitting name; I only hope he will live up to your ims."


    With this said, the Strategos of the Balkans left the gardens in silence. He had many matters to attend to now that he was certain Berengar was on board with his ns for the Empire. As for Berengar, he was happy about two things in particr. Firstly, the people that were backing him and his ns to ce his future son on the Byzantine Throne were not some minor figures.


    As for the second reason, he was quite pleased knowing the man in charge of the Balkan Army, who would be the first toe to his aid in the uing crusade, was someone who could be considered an ally.


    As such, Berengar began to sing in Latin to the lyrics of a famous grunge song from his past life as he walked through the gardens by his lonesome. It was about time for him to return to the loving arms of his newest wife.


    ---


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 Chapter 386: Preparing for War against the Eastern Coalition

    <h4>Chapter 386: Preparing for War against the Eastern Coalition</h4>


    Days came and went as Berengar enjoyed his week within the City of Constantinople. He had spent the majority of this time in the loving arms of his newest wife, where the newlywed couple shared practically all of their time together.


    After the conflict with Decentius on that fateful morning, the proud prince had not made a move on Berengar or anyone who had traveled with him. Instead, Hergely kept his distance from the Austrian host as a whole.


    Berengar had grown suspicious of his actions but chose not to make a move himself; he decided that he wouldter dispatch field agents to keep an eye on Decentius and investigate the faction supporting him for the session of the Byzantine Throne.


    Eventually, the day came for Berengar to depart, and he returned to Kufstein with his family in tow. The return trip was far less eventful than the journey to Constantinople as such, Berengar and his family arrived in the capital of their Kingdom without incident.


    Oddly enough, Berengar was not given any time of reprieve, for the moment he stepped in the door of his study, there was a massive pile of paperwork sitting upon his desk. Atop this pile of documents was a letter with the seal of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.


    As Berengar read the contents of the text, a wicked smile curved upon his lips. He had not suspected the Teutonic Order toe crawling to him begging for his protection. He was greatly interested in the prospect, but of course, was wary.


    After all, he would be sending the First Division of his Army into Granada soon enough; as such, it would incur a great expense to create a conflict with the massive Coalition who were at the gates of what remained of the Teutonic State.


    With this in mind, he immediately requested a nearby servant to fetch his field Marshal for him. Eckhard had recently returned from the Bohemian Front and was even the best man at his wedding to Honoria. As such, Berengar knew he was within a reasonable distance.


    After waiting roughly an hour, the veteran field Marshal of Austria stood before his King. Both men were in full-service dress as they began to speak within the personal study of the King of Austria. Berengar handed the letter over to Eckhard and allowed him time to read through its contents.


    Eckhard''s expression shifted from severe to grave after reading through the text; after doing so, he handed it back to Berengar with a stern expression on his face. Berengar was grinning from ear to ear as he asked for his Field Marshal''s opinion.


    "So Eckhard, what do you think? Can we annex the Teutonic State and protect it from its enemies to the east?"


    Eckhard felt exhausted; he knew exactly where this was heading. He just got back from one war, and now his King was about to ship him off to settle another. Even though he wanted to deny Berengar''s wishes, as a man loyal to his King, he gave his honest opinion on the feasibility of the matter.


    "Can we? Yes, Though it will require a substantial investment. Should we? I don''t think it is worth it. Allow me to ask a question, what exactly are your ns for the Teutonic Order, your majesty?"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this question and pointed to one of the stars pinned upon his chest.


    "It is simple; I will annex the territory of the Teutonic State and empower the local nobility. I will reform the Teutonic Order from a Catholic Military Order to a Prussian Chivalric Order!"


    Eckhard was immediately confused as he heard this and immediately asked for rification.


    "Prussian?"


    Berengar nodded in response to this before answering the field Marshal''s question.


    "I will elevate what remains of the Teutonic State to the Grand Duchy of Prussia for the time being. After we have united Germany underneath my rule, I willbine it with Brandenburg and raise its status to that of a Kingdom."


    After hearing this, Eckhard sighed heavily; indeed, Berengar''s ambitions were never-ending; from what the King had stated, it became evident that he wanted to create a Federal Monarchy where Austria and, by extension, his Dynasty ruled above all other German States as the Emperors. As such, Eckhard immediately relented and asked for Berengar''s n.


    "So what exactly did you have in mind for this annexation? Hennek has appeared to leave the terms deliberately vague. It is clear that he intends to negotiate for as many benefits as possible."


    Berengar immediately turned away from Eckhard upon hearing this and stood before the window gazing out upon the gorgeous Tyrolean scenery as he stood at ease. After a while, he began to speak of his plot.


    "I don''t intend to negotiate with the Teutonic Order, they have expressed interest in annexation, so I will march the Second Division into theirnds, where I will personally ept their servitude. Tell me, Eckhard, what is the progress on the Bohemian Royal Army?"


    Eckhard sighed heavily once more before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "They haven''t been in training long; it will still be a few months before the first batch of recruits is ready forbat. Why, what do you have in mind for them?"


    Berengar''s lips curved into a wicked smile as he revealed his intent for the Bohemain Forces beneath hismand.


    "It is simple; if the Coalition does not halt their advance, then we will smash their Army with our forces. If they relent, then we will use thebined force of the Second Division and the Royal Bohemian Army to reim the German-speaking regions currently upied by the Eastern Coalition. I will not rest until we have retaken Konigsburg!"


    Eckhard immediately understood Berengar''s intent. He would use the fresh Bohemian recruits as the cannon fodder, while the more veteran and elite Austrians would act as shock troops in this conflict. Upon seeing the level of understanding in Eckhard''s eyes, Berengar immediately asked the question on his mind.


    "Tell me, Eckhard, have the new field uniforms been properly distributed? ck and gold may make excellent dress uniforms but are less than ideal forbat. It is too.... shy."


    Eckhard nodded his head silently; the field uniforms had been prepared and distributed to every soldier within the ranks of the Royal Austrian Army. Berengar smiled in response to Eckhard''s answer; after doing so, he began to issue a new order.


    "Very well, when the Second Division has been properly equipped with our newest weapons, I will march them to Marienburg, where I will ept the Teutonic State''s request of annexation. Until that time, make sure the men are fully prepared. If you will excuse me, I must have a meeting with the Director of Royal Intelligence about this. I want our agents to be in the field well ahead of our advance."


    After saying this, Eckhard saluted his King before departing from the room. Afterward, Berengar had Linde brought to him, who was exceptionally happy to see him. She immediately tried to kiss him. However, Berengar pushed her away with a stern re in his eyes.


    The young beauty immediately began to pout as her husband shoved away her attempt to show her affection. However, Berengar continued to re at her as he calmly exined his reasoning for doing so.


    "Linde, I called you here to discuss important matters of State, not to fool around. The fact that we are standing in my office is proof of this. So let''s get down to business. I need you to deploy some of your field agents to the Teutonic State and the Eastern Coalition."


    Having heard the severe matter at hand Linde immediately stepped out of her role as a loving wife and into that of the Director of Intelligence; in an instant, the affectionate expression she was giving her husband shifted to that of a quiet professional. She could easily separate business and pleasure, and Berengar admired that most about her. As such, her tone shifted to severity as she immediately asked for rification on the details.


    "Are we going to war again?"


    Berengar nodded silently with a stoic expression. The moment he did so, Linde knew that things were about to get serious. As such, she quickly asked for further instructions.


    "What do you need my agents to do exactly?"


    Having heard this, Berengar leaned in close and began to whisper his plot into his wife''s tender ears.


    "For now, I want your agents to gather intelligence, assassinate priority targets, and sabotage the Eastern Coalition''s efforts to conquer what remains of the Teutonic State. To put it simply, I need you to buy me time in whatever way you deem appropriate. It will be a few months before I can deploy the Second Division to the east, and in that time, I do not want the Teutonic State to fall.


    After my forces have arrived and annexed the Teutonic State, I fear that the Coalition may be a bit hesitant to step on our tail. As such, I will need your Agents to provoke a conflict with them in a way that makes them appear to be the aggressors. Once we are in open war with the Coalition, I will do the rest."


    After hearing her orders, Linde nodded her head and saluted Berengar as if she were one of his soldiers. She then boldly dered her eptance of the tasks bequeathed to her.


    "It will be done, your majesty!"


    After saying this, Linde wasted no time; she immediately departed from Berengar''s office and entered the Headquarters of Austrian Royal Intelligence, where she ryed her orders. Berengar now had two wars he would be fighting in the near future. As such, he smiled while pouring himself a ss of wine within his Skull Chalice. After taking a slight sip from the drink, he exhaled deeply beforementing to himself on the situation.


    "It looks like the Needle Rifle will see yet another conflict! Good, I wouldn''t want it to be reced without serving its purpose!"


    ---


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 Chapter 387: Halting the Iberian Advance

    <h4>Chapter 387: Halting the Iberian Advance</h4>


    Arnulf gazed into the distance; what he saw was the glimmer of an army''s iron armor. Roughly three hundred yards away, on the fields of Andalusia marched well over 10,000 Iberian Catholics. However, they were dreadfully unaware that within firing range were two hundred and fifty members of the Granadan Royal Guard.


    Why were they unaware, you might ask? The reason was quite simple, Arnulf had instructed the men beneath hismand to paint their armor and clothing with mud.? While the Granadan Royal Guard was equipped with mirror pattern armor protecting their vitals, underneath it was a series of green tunics that represented the colors of Al-Andalus. The tunics and armor worn over it were now stained in the earthy tones of the mud, creating a decent enough camouge.


    This was not the first enemy unit they had ambushed since their gueri war had begun, but it was most definitely thergest. Due to the overwhelming numbers of the Iberian Union, they had split off into smaller armies, besieging towns, cities, and castles in a rapid conquest of thend.


    Arnulf had decided tobat this threat by splitting his own small and elite force into multiple cells, whose objectives were to cause sabotage to the Iberian Armies and assassinate their leaders. Open conflict was strictly forbidden. These cells acted as mounted infantry which formed a web around Northern Granada.


    If one cell was in danger, it could quickly be supported by another nearby via the use of smoke signals. The current n that Arnulf was engaging in was simple, wait until the Granadan host was in firing range and target the leadership.


    Interestingly enough, they had finally caught themselves a big fish. The Army in front of them appeared to belong to none other than Duke Lorenzo de Benavente, the same man who had worked alongside the order of Ctrava to defeat the Granadan Royal Army in battle quite some time ago.


    If not for his efforts, then the likelihood of the Iberian Union acquiring arkebuses and falcs would be pretty low.? For all the lives lost in the Battle of the Andalusian ins, this was now Arnulf''s time to get his vengeance. As such, he ordered his men to prepare their weapons.


    "Load your weapons if they aren''t already, and prepare to fire on my mark. See that bastard with the de Benavente coat of arms? My guess is that''s the Duke, so aim your sights on him and the nearby officers!"


    As such, the men cocked their rifled muskets and aimed the sights downrange at the targets lying before them. The Iberians were now roughly 200 yards away from the hidden force of Granadan gueris, and it was at this moment that Arnulf gave hismand.


    "Open fire!"


    With that said, his soldiers pulled the trigger, and with it, the echo of gunfire resounded in the air as the minie ball projectiles were propelled downrange and into the bodies of the enemy. Blood instantly sttered across the ins, and the Iberians soldiers immediately began to react to the ambush.


    Though not all of the projectiles had hit their targets, it was enough to take out several officers, and most importantly, the man dressed in the colors of house de Benavente. He had multiple gunshot wounds through his torso; the likelihood of surviving was practically nonexistent.


    After firing their first shots, the Granadans ran off from their positions and unhitched their horses hidden in a ditch below, where they rode off into the desert. Though the Iberian Knights immediately pursued, they were ultimately left behind by the unarmored horses in use by the Granadan Royal Guard.


    As Arnulf and the Granadans escaped, a man-at-arms dressed in te armor without a surcoat quickly approached the man assumed to be Duke Lorenzo de Benavente. The man-at-arms quickly unfastened the basc of the man who was bleeding out to reveal the face hidden behind the helmet. Unfortunately for Granada and its soldiers, he was not Lorenzo de Benavente, the man most hated by the soldiers of the Granadan Army.


    As the men-at-arms saw this, he quickly took off his helmet to reveal that he was none other than Duke Lorenzo de Benavente in the flesh. In doing so, he touched his forehead to that of the dying man and began to speak to him in aforting tone.


    "My dear friend, I thank you for your sacrifice! I promise you that I will not allow these damned Moors to get away with what they have done! I will drive every one of them from thesends, and it is all thanks to you!"


    Knowing that the Granadans were targeting high-ranking officers in the Iberian Union''s armies with hit and run tactics, Lorenzo had urately predicted that Arnulf and his men would sooner orter make an attempt on his life. As such, he had dressed as an ordinary man-at-arms and allowed another to take his ce as a decoy.


    He was on the lookout the entire time for an enemy ambush, but never did he expect that the Granadans would blend themselves in with the terrain. The very idea terrified the Duke to the core of his being. If they had to be on the lookout for potential assassins within every bush, tree, and ditch, it was going to be a long and strenuous campaign.


    As such, the man decided he would need to devise a series of tactics to counteract this new style of warfare that the Granadans had begun to engage in. An army on the march could not easily blend in with their surroundings; the very slightest of movements would instantly give away their position to a well-trained eye.


    While Duke Lorenzo began to think of new tactics to deal with the Granadan Gueris, Arnulf led his soldiers out of enemy range and into a small encampment set up in a valley set a fair distance apart from the nearest cells.


    There were no tents or any other noticeable print of their presence.? Instead, the lodgings were built from thend itself, with primitive lean-to shelters being the standard form of covering. They made sure to make in-ground fires that concealed their presence to cook whatever they managed to hunt throughout thend.


    After arriving in the camp and dismounting from their horses, Arnulf gathered the men together as heid out a map, which had many markings upon it, primarily enemy and allied positions, as well as ongoing areas of conflict.


    As he read over the map, he made several markings signaling the movement of the roughly 10,000 men they had encountered and the location they were likely to strike at. After doing so, he rolled up the map. Where he then tied it to the leg of one of the Falcons employed by their unit as a means ofmunication. This intelligence was sent back to General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is, whose forcesprised the primary defensive army within the borders of the Emirate of Granada.


    The mission of the men under Arnulf''smand was not just to engage in gueri warfare but to act as reconnaissance, reporting the movements and numbers of the enemy units. Having fulfilled this duty, Arnulf sighed heavily as he took off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow. After doing so, he began to speak his thoughts on the ongoing conflict to one of the Austrian Officers beneath hismand.


    "I wonder if the First Division will be enough to handle the Iberian advance. Every day fanatical Catholics arrive in Iberia to join the Reconquista. Their numbers grow by the day while ours dwindle. It is only a matter of time before we are defeated. I pray that his majesty''s reinforcements arrive swiftly."


    The Austrian Officer quickly grasped Arnulf''s shoulder and reassured him about their future victory.


    "Do not fret; you know as well as I do how a single division is organized. It''s established with the intent to wage war independently if necessary. Three Infantry Brigades will arrive, apanied by a single Cavalry Brigade and an Artillery Brigade, That''s roughly 25,000 men.


    I also hear they will be equipped with some mysterious new weapons; supposedly, some of these new rifles were highly effective in the war for independence. I do not doubt that when the First Division arrives, we will eradicate the Iberian Union once and for all and establish a powerful ally in the west!"


    Upon hearing this reassurance, Arnulf began to feel much better about his position; if they could continue their actions and hold off the Iberian Advance for just a few more months, then victory was assured. He could not wait to see what magnificent new weapons King Berengar had provided the First Division with.


    As such, the two men began to devise new ns for their next offensive. Their web of guerri cells was sure to cause a massive headache for the Iberian Commanders and the Crusader Orders who supported them. Whether or not they could hold off the Iberian Advance until Austrian Reinforcements arrived had yet to be seen.


    ---


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 Chapter 388: Locomotives and Weapons

    <h4>Chapter 388: Lotives and Weapons</h4>


    While the war for Granada increased in intensity, Berengar was at home swamped with the business of industrializing the Kingdom of Austria. At the moment, he was viewing the reports on the progress of his railroad, which was being constructed between the capital and the Kingdom''s prominent port city.


    At roughly 292? miles in total length, the railway was nearingpletion after months of strenuous effort by theborers who opted to build such an important invention. Berengar had made sure to pay anyone remotely associated with constructing the railroad a special bonus. Thus driving the desire for skilled workers to aid in its development.


    The first railway would be constructed in Austria by the end of spring, after which Berengar could begin expanding it to all corners of his kingdom. With this in mind, Berengar started designing a proper lotive to drive his train cars.


    Berengar had chosen a specific lotive from the memories of his past life as the basis for all future steam-powered lotives. This was the Union Pacific Big Boy, thergest steam-powered lotive ever built in his past life.


    This lotive was powerful, reliable, and durable. Frankly, Berengar intended for these behemoths of the industry to carry both freight and passengers throughout the confines of his future Empire for decades toe. He also spent time designing various rail cars designed for different purposes.


    In his past life, it took six years for the Americans to construct the transcontinental railway; considering he was dealing with a substantially smaller amount ofnd, he knew that he could build a railway across his current domain within the five years he estimated it would take for the Crusaders to march on his territory.


    Berengar was not just limiting his railway map to his current territory. He was designing a rigid structure across all of thends he desired to conquer in the future, from Konigsburg in the east to nders in the west and finally the Adriatic Littoral in the South. Berengar spent hours designing a massive railway system to ensure that what he envisioned would one day be the Fathend of his future Empire would be thoroughly connected.


    After god knows how many hours, Berengar was finally interrupted from his task by the sound of a knock on the door. It was not the standard soft-handed knock usually apanied by one of his women. Instead, it was the firm knock that only a man could produce.


    As such, Berengar''s interest was immediately caught, unless it were something urgent, or someone of significance, his guards would rarely allow anyone to gain entry into his Pce, let alone his study.? With this, Berengar immediately called out to whoever was behind the door.


    "It''s open."


    When the door creaked open, it revealed none other than the Bar, and close friend of the King,? Ludwig Schmidt. The short older man was carrying a wooden disy case in his hands which immediately captured Berengar''s interest. The older man quickly approached his King with a smile stered on his face beforeying the container on his desk.


    "Your Majesty, Ie bearing gifts. As you know, the 1422 Service Revolver has been undergoing field tests for some time now. Well, I am happy to announce that just now it has been approved for use inbat. As such, I am here to give you the first revolver off of the production line so that you may be able to properly safeguard your body in the field. "


    Berengar gazed upon the service revolver within the case with a glimmer of joy in his sapphire eye. Not only was it a functional weapon but it was also a work of beauty in his opinion. This firearm was based upon the Swiss 1929 Ordnance Revolver used by the Swiss Army during Berengar''s previous life. Functionally, the design was an improved version of the Swiss 1882 Ordnance revolver, which meant it was a gate-loading, double-action pistol that utilized an Abadie system.


    Upon seeing this exceptional weapon, Berengar grasped ahold of the revolver and held it carefully in his hands. In his left hand, he felt the checkered grip swell in the palm of his hands. The grip was solid and sized well enough that even a man with rtivelyrge-sized hands like himself could easily grasp ahold of it.


    Berengar then opened the loading gate with his right hand, which disabled the hammer, allowing him to press the trigger, thus cycling the cylinder in a safe state. After confirming that it waspletely unloaded, he closed the loading gate, reactivating the hammer. Afterward, he aimed down the weapon''s sight in a safe direction before pulling back the hammer with his left thumb. After he had done this he lightly squeezed the trigger with his left index finger, thus dry firing the gun.


    The single-action trigger pull was crisp and smooth, bringing a wide grin to Bernengar''s lips; he then lowered the weapon and opened its loading gate before cing it within its fine ck leather holster, which was provided alongside the firearm. After doing all of this, he returned his gaze to Ludwig as heplimented the man and his workers for their efforts.


    "Wonderful! Simply wonderful! My friend, you never fail to amaze me with your abilities! You and your workers should be proud of yourselves; I look forward to how quickly you can outfit the First Division with such exceptional sidearms."


    Ludwig smiled as he heard the Kingpliment his work. Truth be told, he had some difficulty working with the designs Berengar had presented, but in the end, he was able to create the weapon that Berengar had desired. As such, he shook his head before humbling himself in front of the King.


    "It was nothing, your majesty; I merely used the blueprints you designed and made adjustments where necessary. Truly, you are the one who deserves the credit foring up with the design of such a beautiful weapon."


    Berengar chuckled in response to this before cing his hand on the older man''s shoulder; as he did so, he gazed over at another exciting piece presented within the case. After noticing the sword lying next to the revolver, Berengar was astonished. As such, he quickly grabbed ahold of the handle and swung the sword in a safe direction.


    After a few twirls, he gazed upon the Damascus steel de with a wide grin on his face. The de was in a shape reminiscent of the 1889 Prussian Infantry Officer''s sword. As for the hilt, its design was based upon the 1869 Austrian Cavalry Officer''s Sword but with what he presumed to be a white gold ting over the steel material; there were also some minor adjustments to disy the Crest of Austria from this world. It had a white gold silk sword knot attached to the bottom, representing his status as an Officer in the Austrian Royal Army.


    Overall the sword was a functional piece of art, and Berengar greatly admired Ludwig''s talent in creating weapons of all kinds. After ying around with it for a bit, Berengar sheathed the sword in a ck leather sheath with white gold fittings attached to a Sam Browne pattern belt. This greatly pleased Berengar, and as such, heplicated the craftsman once more.


    "Ludwig, my friend, you have truly mastered your art!"


    The older man smiled in response to this while bowing his head in humility. As he had stated earlier, if not for Berengar providing the designs, it would have taken him a long time to develop such weapons. He would likely die before his work could bepleted. However, he was d that the King thought so highly of him. As such, he decided to take the opportunity to ask for Berengar''s aid on a particr project of his son''s.


    "Your majesty, if you don''t mind me asking, my son has been busy with a certain project, and I think he could use your help when you get the opportunity to do so. I a much too busy overseeing the arms factory here in Kufstein, so I have delegated Research and Development to my son and a team of talented engineers, mostlyprised of those from the younger generation. If you can find the time, they would appreciate your input on this new weapon."


    Berengar thought about it for a moment before sighing heavily as he responded to the request.


    "If I can find the time, I will certainly aid in whatever way I can. After all, I look forward to working with your son for many years. However, I am dreadfully busy, and my schedule is full for some time. If I can manage to escape the mountains of paperwork you see before you, I''ll swing by and see if I can assist."


    Ludwig smiled and bowed with respect before thanking the King for his benevolence.


    "Thank you, your majesty! That is the most I can ask for. If there is nothing else I can help you with, then I will be on my way."


    After saying this, Berengar nodded his head, dismissing his Chief Engineer; after doing so, he sat back down at his desk and gazed at his newest weapons. He looked forward to testing out their effectiveness personally whenever he got the chance.


    ---


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    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 389: Designing the Electric Telegraph

    <h4>Chapter 389: Designing the Electric Telegraph</h4>


    Over the past few years, since Berengar first began to introduce modern chemistry to the alchemists who had gathered in Kufstein, they had managed to produce a significant degree of a great variety of chemicals. So much so that a portion of the industrial district was dedicated to chemical engineering.


    The chemistry Labs had grown in size and staff as more alchemists fled from the german regions to Austria in search of a better life. When these alchemists arrived in Kufstein, they were properly instructed in the field of chemistry and inspired to give up on their primitive notions of gold conversion and immortality.


    For the most part, Berengar allowed the chemists the freedom to make their own discoveries; due to this academic liberation, these brilliant minds could rapidly advance the field of chemistry. In doing so, they managed to discover and create many of the chemicals necessary for advancing into the Industrial Age.


    At the moment, Berengar was talking to Aldo von Passau, the lead chemist in the Kingdom of Austria, who was proud of his newest research. As Berengar stared at thistest invention, he was in a state ofplete and utter shock; the only word he could use to describe Aldo and his team of chemists was "genius."


    Sitting in front of him was a very primitive form of the Alkaline battery. This battery was something akin to the early Edison-Lnde Cell. It utilized a negative zinc electrode and a copper-oxide positive electrode with a potassium hydroxide electrolyte.


    At this point, Berengar was seriously considering creating some form of award to give to his scientists who achieved terrific feats like this. After having observed the battery, Berengar sighed heavily before revealing the thoughts on his mind.


    "Aldo, my friend... You have just cured one of the major causes of my incessant headache!"


    Aldo''s brow began to twitch as he heard this, he honestly did not know how to react to such a statement, nevertheless, he was d he could help. As such, he bowed respectfully before showing his thanks for Berengar''s so-called praise.


    "You honor me, your majesty."


    Berengar may have been exaggerating, rather than enduring literal headache he had long since suffered in a figurative sense as he worried about therge probability of train collisions that would inevitably result without some form of long-distancemunication. With this battery, he could now invent the electrical telegraph, and begin construction of telegraph stations, and wires across his railway.


    With this in mind, he was incredibly pleased with the results of the Chemists within the Kufstein Chemistry Department. It took some time but he managed to reorganize his thoughts to congratte the man and his team on their efforts in a suitable manner.


    "Aldo von Passau, for your exemry service to the Kingdom of Austria and its Royal Family, I promise that I will devise an award for your contributions to the field of chemistry. I have long since ignored the effort of the scientificmunity, and it is time to rectify that!"


    As Aldo heard these words he began to smile gracefully, as a vain man, this was a far more appropriate response to all the hard work he and his team had put forth throughout the past few years. Though Berengar may have given them the basic knowledge behind the science of chemistry, it was ultimately their efforts that lead to the discovery of the chemicals that had be the backbone of the Austrian Industry. Thus, he bowed respectfully and properly thanked the King for his remarks.


    "Your Majesty, words can not express my gratitude for your kind words!"


    Berengar gazed at Aldo with exhaustion; this guy had never given up an opportunity to kiss his ass; if Aldo had not excelled in his career, then Berengar would probably never speak to the man as he had a disdain for yesmen. Nevertheless, he could not deny Aldo''s contributions, and because of this, he chose to converse with him a bit longer. Eventually, the chief chemist left the Pce and returned to his department.


    It would take a good while before enough of these batteries could be produced to ensure a constant supply of power to his future telegraphwork, but when that happened Berengar and his Army would be able to rapidlymunicate across his realm, which was helpful beyond measure.


    If his Borders were to be attacked at any point, he could have a telegraph sent asking for reinforcements, and immediately men could be shipped onto train cars with their supplies where they would be rapidly sent to the frontlines.


    Whenpared to his enemies, who were still using messengers and carrier pigeons as a means ofmunication, Berengar would have a massive advantage during defensive operations. After reflecting upon this for a few minutes, Berengar got to work making ns for the first telegraph, which would use this new Proto-Alkaline battery as its power source.


    An electrical telegraph was a rtively simple design whenpared to more modern advancements in long-distancemunication. Fundamentally it was operated by using morse code, which utilized a series of dots and lines for each letter of the alphabet.


    It achieved this using an electroma, a battery, the morse key, and a long wire referred to as a cable. The morse key was attached to the battery''s positive node via a cable, while the negative terminal was connected to the ground. From the morse key, the cable attached itself to the electroma and the base. An Armature was joined on the same tform as the electroma and was operated by arge spring.


    When assembled, one just needed to use the morse key to send messages through the cable to another destination. Hence the need for telegraph wires to be built over long distances, much like telephone wires were done in the 20th century. As for the wireless telegraph, that would require radio waves, and Berengar did not yet have the means to produce them, for now, the electric telegraph would suit his needs.


    Now that Berengar had the means to create a battery, all he needed was to make some rudimentary electromas, which he had all of the materials necessary to build. A primitive electroma consisted of little more than an iron core, with a copper wire coiled around it and connected to a battery. Thus he did not have to worry about procuring the supplies necessary to build such things.


    With the blueprints for the first telegraphpleted, Berengar decided to begin the construction of telegraph wires and stations alongside his railways and within the rail stations. As for the telegraphs themselves, they would have to be slowly implemented over time. After all, it would take a while to set up a new battery factory.


    Ultimately it was likely to take years for this project to bepleted. Still, Berengar was confident that by the time his enemies invaded his country, he would have railways and telegraph stations connecting his Kingdom, thus allowing him a severe technological advantage over the crusaders in terms of long-rangemunication.


    Having finished his work for the day, Berengar immediately departed from his study, where he soon found his son Hans searching through the hallways in a suspicious manner. Curious as to what the boy was looking Berengar walked over to his son and immediately inquired about his actions.


    "Hans, what are you up to?"


    The young boy immediately smiled upon seeing his father; he did not hesitate to announce what exactly he was doing that made him look so suspicious.


    "I''m looking for Veronika; we are ying hide and seek!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled; Although there was an age difference of roughly five or six years between the two kids, it seemed like they were getting along quite well. There was no doubt that Veronika had minimal options for ymates within the Royal Pce. As such, she had begun hanging out with Hans, and the even younger Helga, acting almost like a big sister to the two.


    Berengar immediately noticed a nearby table covered by a tablecloth; while he talked to Hans, the tablecloth moved ever so slightly. Considering the windows were sealed, and there was no breeze within the Pce, Berengar knew that was most likely where the young girl was hiding. With this in mind, he knelt next to his young son and whispered in his ear.


    "She''s hiding under the table in the hallway..."


    A smug grin appeared on Hans''s face as he heard this information and silently nodded his head as a form of acknowledgment. After doing so, he calmly walked over to the table before lifting the cloth, revealing the young girl hidden beneath. She immediately began to pout and protest her discovery!


    "How did you know!?!"


    Hans did not give up the fact that his old man had revealed her location to him. Instead, he crossed his arms with a conceited expression on his face. As he did so, he spoke proudly, in an arrogant manner that only a young prince like himself could pull off.


    "Are you questioning my superior German intellect? It was quite obvious that a Bohemian like yourself would hide under the table like amon rat!"


    Berengar''s smile immediately sank into an awkward expression; he did not know where the boy learned such racial-based taunts. Still, such haughty words caused Veronika to pout even further. Upon seeing this, Berengar attempted to mediate the conflict and thus pressed his hand upon his son''s shoulder before scolding him.


    "Hans, it is inappropriate to say such things. Veronika is your friend; you should save such remarks for your enemies. There is no reason to humiliate the poor girl. Besides, it is now her turn to hunt you down, and when she inevitably finds you, perhaps she will taunt you in a simr manner."


    The young boy immediately knew what his father was saying and nodded his head in agreement. Though he did not apologize to the former Bohemian Princess for his remarks, he had made up his mind that he would no longer verbally abuse the girl in the future. After all, his father was right; he should treat his allies with dignity while humiliating his enemies.


    Upon seeing that the two kids were getting along once more, Berengar departed from the scene leaving the children to their games. He had much to prepare for; After all, things would undoubtedly be more lively within the Pce in a few months.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 390: Stick Grenades and Guncotton

    <h4>Chapter 390: Stick Grenades and Guncotton</h4>


    The sun shone through the ss windows of arge conference room within the Industrial District of the city of Kufstein. Various men dressed in work clothes were gathered around the table, stained with the various fluids that an engineer wouldmonly encounter. At the head of this table was a familiar young man, the eldest son of the legendary engineer Ludwig Schmidt.


    Jakob was designing a new weapon, and the men surrounding him were the Research and Development team assigned to the Austrian National Armory. Usually, Ludwig would be at this meeting, but the man was getting on in years and had many other tasks to work on. With this in mind, he ced his eldest son as the head of the Research and Development department.


    At the moment, Jakob and his engineers were working together to design a recement for the old cast iron grenades that were essentially nothing more than a hollow iron ball filled with ck powder and utilized a slow-burning match to detonate.


    While the mighty King of Austria, Berengar von Kufstein, hadid the groundwork for the development of arms and munitions, a certain amount of responsibility had fallen to these men, and it was with this in mind that they fervently worked to live up to the standards of their respective positions.


    The rudimentary design on the table was akin to a Stielhandgranate or stick grenade from Berengar''s past life. Much like the Chinese variant of the stick grenade from the 20th century, they had opted to use TNT as the explosivepound contained within. However, where they were struggling to finalize the design was in regards to the ignition system; for the time being, they could not think of a way to ignite the grenade safely.


    Right when they were about to give up on the design altogether, a knock resounded throughout the room, which originated from the doors of the conference room. Shortly after this, the doors crept open to reveal the elegant figure of the young King of Austria.


    Upon seeing their Monarch enter the room, the engineers all became dead silent, as they were not expecting his arrival and did not know how to react appropriately. Berengar had a dignified expression on his face as he exined his reasoning for stopping by.


    "Apologies if I am interrupting your little meeting, but Ludwig informed me that you guys might need some assistance on whatever it is you are designing. I have an hour or two to spare, and as such, I decided to drop by."


    After hearing this, Jakob swallowed the saliva pooled in his mouth before responding to his King''s remarks.


    "It would be an honor for his majesty to aid us with our newest design."


    Having said this, the young engineer sprawled out the paper, which contained the details of the prototype grenade on it. Berengar nced at it for a few moments with an amused expression. He found it interesting how these engineers had begun to put together something he was already nning to introduce in the near future.


    After looking over the device, he instantly realized what they were struggling with and quickly grabbed ahold of a nearby fountain pen, where he began to make alterations to the ignition system. The stick grenade was not an exceptionallyplicated device, and truth be told, these men werepletely overthinking this particrponent.


    The actual method from his previous life was rtively crude; unlike other designs, it did not use something akin to a percussion cap to ignite the explosivepound. Instead, it had a sheet steel cylinder embedded within the top of the handle, which was connected to the detonator. A pull cord ran throughout the entire length of the hollow wooden handle and protruded from below.


    With this method, one only needed to pull the drawstring; this would drag a rough steel rod through the igniter within, where the abrasion from contact with the steel rod would cause the fuse to ignite; after this was achieved, it would take roughly four and a half seconds for the burning fuse to reach the explosive filling where it would then detonate.


    After making this minor adjustment to the grenade, Berengar made a few other minor additions to the design, such as a clip so that the grenades could easily be attached to a soldier''s belt. When it wasplete, he showed it off to the engineers with a smug expression on his face.


    "I believe this has resolved the difficulties you were having, has it not?"


    After seeing thepleted design, the Engineers stared in awe at their King. In a matter of minutes, he had resolved the issues that they had spent weeks wrapping their minds around. Just what kind of intellect did this man have? Havingpleted the basic Stick Grenade Design, Berengar stood up from his seat and walked towards the doors, leaving behind one final phrase before he departed.


    "You should be proud of yourselves; you have designed an effective grenade to rece the dreadfully outdated devices currently in use by our grenadiers. With this, you have increased the degree of firepower that an average Landwehr can be equipped with. Your only problem was that you were overthinking the ignition system; sometimes, a crude method like this is exactly what is needed."


    After saying this, he left the Engineers to themselves; the manufacture and initial testing of these weapons would be left up to the men in this room. After the grenades had proven safe for handling, they would be sent to the Department of Defense for extensive testing under field conditions. After being approved for use inbat, they would be sent to the army.


    Berengar, on the other hand, had done his part and was quite pleased with the results. He saw this as a huge step forward on the path to self-sufficiency; after all, he was not immortal, and the day he died, his Empire would have to maintain and expand upon everything he had built.


    With this thought, Berengar had another matter of importance enter his mind. While the implementation of the Stick Grenade was essential to the efficiency of his soldiers, there was another and arguably more critical invention that Berengar had to consider implementing as soon as possible.


    Having realized this, Berengar immediately began to stride towards the Chemistry Department, after arriving at his destination, all of the men within its halls immediately halted what they were doing and paid their respects to the young Monarch. Berengar was not in the mood for ttery and immediately inquired about the whereabouts of a specific chemist.


    "Can any of you tell me where Aldo is?"


    The moment he said those words, he heard a voice he was all too familiar with call out to him. As usual, the man behind the voice began to speak with endless praise.


    "Do my ears deceive me? Is that the King of Austria here to visit me personally? What have I done to deserve such an honor?"


    Berengar''s brow began to twitch as he heard Aldo''s usual adtion; this man truly never gave up an opportunity to kiss ass. However, Berengar quickly recovered from his impatience and regained the dignity of a monarch as he yed along.


    "My dear friend Aldo, I had a sudden epiphany and thought to myself, who better to confirm the results of my spection than the chief chemist of my Kingdom?"


    Aldo immediately began to tter Berengar further while simultaneously getting to the point.


    "Oh, King Berengar, I am truly unworthy of your attention. However, I would be more than happy to entertain another one of your brilliant ideas, show me what exactly you had in mind!"


    Having heard this, Berengar wasted no time; he immediately grabbed ahold of the nearby ckboard and began writing out the general form for nitrocellulose, the criticalponent in smokeless powder.


    Nitrocellulose was essentially little more than cellulose treated with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acid. In fact, For some time now, the Kufstein Chemistry department has been experimenting with cellulose developed from the fiber of hemp. As such, they had a small stockpile of the material lying around.


    In Berengar''s past life, cotton was the primary material used to create cellulose, hence the nickname "guncotton" after all, as much as 90% of the nt could be converted into the material. However, cotton could not grow within Austria''s borders; thus, hemp was a decent alternative. While hemp may only generate up to 70% of the material known as cellulose, one could grow three times as much hemp as cotton on a single acre.


    After looking over the form for a few moments, Aldo and his Chemists immediately gazed in shock at Berengar; However, they could not confirm the results at the moment; such a form could theoretically prove to be valid. Having provided the chemists with the recipe for Nitrocellulose, Berengar then began to depart from the Kufstein Chemistry Department, leaving behind a single phrase as he did so.


    "I''ll leave you to your work..."


    It was only after his figure had vanished from sight that the chemists immediately began to work on the creation of smokeless powder. There would be a fully detailed report on their findings ced upon Berengar''s desk within two weeks.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 391: High Times

    <h4>Chapter 391: High Times</h4>


    Berengarid against a sofa in his penthouse dressed in only his underwear; the thinly spun hemp fibers that took the form of a pair of boxer briefs left little to the imagination. He was currently sitting atop a cushion, smoking a mixture of hashish and herbal shisha out of his finely crafted hookah.


    Sitting across from him was none other than his little sister Henrietta, who had no top on aside from her bra; below the belt, she still wore a skirt, albeit a rtively short one, knee-high socks, and a pair of whitece panties which matched her upper garment.


    On her pretty face was an expression that was a mix of embarrassment and intoxication. As Berengar gazed upon his little sister''s inappropriate appearance, a brief moment of rity entered his otherwise stoned mind; immediately, he looked around to see what was going on, as he did not remember how he had entered this strange situation.


    From what he could observe, alcohol, drugs, and a deck of cards were involved. For whatever reason, his kingly attire was strewn across the floor in a mixture of whatever garments Henrietta was wearing before taking them off.? His gaze immediately returned to the hazy azure eyes of his little sister, where he asked the question on his mind.


    "Wait a second... What exactly are we doing right now?"


    Henrietta immediately began to hup as a brief sense of rity returned to her azure eyes. However, it was snuffed out in the next moment as she took a sip from the beer in front of her. As she re-entered her fugue-like state, she began to chuckle before informing Berengar just what exactly they had gotten up to while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.


    "Duh! We''re ying poker, remember? Now, are you going to y your hand or not?"


    Berengar nodded his head in silence as he fumbled around with his cards. As he did so, he instinctively took another hit from the hookah; after all, it was not as if more hash would harm his cognitive abilities any further, right?


    After inhaling the substance and spewing out a puff of smoke that was briefly contained within his lungs, it suddenly hit him. There was a reason he was sitting here ying strip poker with Henrietta instead of his girls, and it was pretty obvious when he thought about it.


    However, the moment those thoughts crossed his mind, another question presented itself sidetracking him from the main point. Why exactly was he ying strip poker with his little sister? Wouldn''t regr poker have sufficed? As he worked his brain around why exactly this was happening, he instinctively showed his hand with a smug smile on his face.


    "Four of a Kind!"


    The moment Henrietta heard this, she began to pout before cing her cards down upon the table; it was a three of a kind, which meant Berengar had won this round. Now that they had finished that, Berengar instantly began to take a sip from his beer and try to get back to his train of thought.


    However, what came next surprised Berengar as Henrietta slowly removed one of her knee-high socks before throwing it at his head, where itnded perfectly. After she had done so, she crossed her arms and pouted. This scene immediately reminded Berengar of his initial train of thought. As such, he finally managed to ask the question on his mind.


    "Henrietta, my dear sister, can you exin to me why we''re ying strip poker?"


    Henrietta''s expression immediately changed as she began to ask for rification on what Berengar had said.


    "Strip Poker? What''s that? I thought this was how you yed poker?''


    Berengar was immediately enraged when he heard this; he could not possibly fathom where she had gotten such an outrageous idea; as such, he immediately began to inquire about the bastard who was tainting his precious little sister''s pure mind.


    "What kind of sick pervert told you that!?!"


    A dumbfounded expression etched itself across the girl''s face as she stared at her older brother in disbelief; it took her a few moments, but eventually, her bewildered expression shifted to one of embarrassment and finally white-hot rage. Afterward, she informed Berengar of just who the sick pervert was who taught her how to y strip poker.


    "You did!!! I knew this was not normal! Stupid brother!"


    After saying this, she instantly tried to stand up, but when she did, she lost control of her legs due to how much alcohol and cannabis she had consumed. The teenage girl immediately facented on top of her elder brother with an exceptionally flushed appearance.


    Berengar could not tell if she wanted to hit him or run away, but one thing was sure, he had done something foolish. When Berengar tried to lift his sister off of him, he identally grabbed somewhere that he shouldn''t have, which caused the girl to react violently by slugging him in the face before struggling to her feet, where she somehow managed to shuffle away from the penthouse.


    As Berengar was lying dazed and confused, he entered a state of epiphany and recalled all of the events that had led up to this point. It was an average spring morning, yet he had a day off for once in his busy life. As such his only desire was to sit around, rx, and do nothing.


    However, as usual, his three wives wanted him to do something with them. Ultimately he was dragged around the city for half of the day doing various stupid tasks, like shopping. Seriously, why go out shopping when he could have a servant buy all of the items the girls wanted and bring them back to the pce? Nevertheless, by the time he finally got home Henrietta had a smug expression on her pretty face and openly taunted him.


    Feeling enraged by his sister''s mocking behavior, Berengar felt like making her pay for her actions. As such, he coerced her into entering the harem room, where he introduced her to hash and alcohol while partaking of the substances himself. At some point, he pulled out a deck of cards and convinced her to y strip poker, hoping to humiliate the girl and teach her a valuable lesson about insulting her big brother.


    However, it backfired when he got so stoned that he could not remember what he was doing or why. He supposed it was a good thing the game ended before it got any worse; after all, he was on the losing side and was left with only one item of clothing still attached to his body. Ifdy luck had not blessed him with a good hand on thatst round, he would have ended up humiliating himself instead.


    Berengar sighed heavily as he thought about all that had transpired. Of course, one thing was certain in this whole mess; he had to find another way to punish Henrietta; after all, she had just struck the King, and that was simply uneptable.


    It was with this in mind that he crawled to his knees, where he continued to struggle to his feet. After a while, he managed to stand where he slowly and carefully walked down the stairs. Upon reaching the lower level, he followed the trail that he suspected Henrietta had wandered off to.


    He did not know how much time had passed from the moment Henrietta ran off to when he finally found her. However, when he did, she was lying face down and curled up on her mattress, where she was likely passed out. This created the perfect opportunity for Berengar to punish his little sister for her previous actions.


    However, the closer he approached, the more he heard a slight whimper. Initially, Berengar thought the girl was crying, thus causing him to doubt his actions, yet in the very next moment, that whimper turned to a moan, followed by a single phrase.


    "Big Brother!"


    Having heard this, Berengar could only think of one thing that Henrietta was doing and found himself in an incredibly awkward situation. It took him a few moments to regain his thoughts, and when he did, he proceeded to slowly and quietly abscond from the scene. Before long, he found himself hidden away inside the harem room, where he began to freak out.


    He tried to convince himself in his mind that he must be misunderstanding the situation, or maybe he heard wrong. After all, he was as high as a kite at the moment and could barely stand. Hell, for all he knew in reality, he was passed out and dreaming about all of this. Then again, what would that say about his subconscious if he were to actually fantasize about such things in his sleep?


    Berengar knew only one thing to be true in his mind right now, and thus he quietly expressed that single thought.


    "I need a drink..."


    After saying this, he wobbled over to the Counter, where he poured himself two fingers of whiskey before sitting down where this craziness had all begun. He was starting to seriously consider finding a proper husband for his little sister. If what he had just witnessed was real, she would need to spend some time with a man unrted to her.


    As Berengar thought about what to do about this whole debacle, he slowly drifted into sleep, forgetting all of the foolish things that he had done during the high times he shared with his sister. When the young King finally woke up the next day, he would not remember any of this.


    ---


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 Chapter 392: Naval Innovations

    <h4>Chapter 392: Naval Innovations</h4>


    With the experimentation of new grenades and smokeless powder underway, the introduction of the 1422 Service Revolver, and the use of the 1422 7.5 cm Field Gun, Berengar had found that his arms development was sufficient in ordance with his five-year n if you consider the equipment that would be fielded to his Army.


    However, another matter needed to be attended to; while his Army was rushing headfirst into the Industrial Age, his Navy was still operating with Frigates powered by Sails. Berengar had invested a substantial cost into these mighty vessels, but already their time wasing to an end, at least in service to his Royal Navy.


    The Berengar-ss Frigates still had many years left of service before they needed retrofitting. Austria could quite easily sell the ones they had manufactured to their allies after recing them with something more modern.


    Berengar gazed at the documents piled on his desk with a bitter smile. He honestly had no idea that by the time he had managed to gain the capacity to makerge Ships of the Line, he would already have the ability to manufacture something superior for his use.


    As such, the blueprint of the Linde-ss Ship of the Line he had designed years ago was now utterly useless. Perhaps he would rename the vessel and sell it to his allies in Granada and Byzantium at a future date.


    For the time being, Berengar needed to invent new ships, designs that were far more worthy of being named after his wives. With the current rate of steel production and the industrialization of his major cities underway, it was only a matter of time before he could produce all-steel steam-powered vessels.


    With this in mind, Berengar thought of developing ships that could be improved upon through retrofitster when new technology was invented. At the moment, the best power source he could design within the next five years would be a vertical triple-expansion steam engine that utilized water-tube boilers.


    A triple-expansion steam engine was apound steam engine where the steam was divided into three separate stages. In essence, the steam would build up in a high-pressure cylinder before losing pressure and exhausting directly into two morerge-volume low-pressure cylinders where it extracted more energy from the steam.


    As for the high-pressure water tube boiler, it functioned by circting water in tubes heated externally by the fire, fuel such as coal burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas and boiling water in the steam-generating lines.


    With this in mind, a bunch of ship designs he had read about during his brief time in the libraries of the US Naval Academy came to mind. Everything from ironds to light cruisers and even early battleships. The fundamental question that came to Berengar''s mind revolved entirely around the nature of how he would utilize his vessels and the enemies he might face.


    Though giant battleships such as dreadnoughts were beautiful weapons of war, ultimately, he was in an era where at most, his Navy would be facing wooden sailing ships with a few muzzle-loading cannons. To build a dreadnought in this medieval era would be utterly ridiculous to even think about. The number of resources required to construct such a massive beast was no small sum.


    His current frigates were already more than enough to decimate any naval power in the world. They could even be used for decades to guarantee Naval Dominance. However, there were some drawbacks to such designs.


    A wooden sailing vessel was far more likely to sink than a steam-powered steel warship on the high seas. It was also entirely reliant on the wind and was much slower than several of the designs he could think of.


    Berengar''s purpose for building a powerful Navy was not to dominate the Mediterranean like he was currently doing but to secure a vast global Empire that he would one day establish. To fulfill this, his vessels needed to be swift and sturdy.


    With this in mind, Berengar finally realized the exact ssification of the vessels he would need to achieve his goals in the most efficient manner. The Light Cruiser was wholly armored while being rtivelypact. This meant that the ship required a much smaller crewplement to operate while having speeds well over 20 knots.


    Berengar searched through his memory to find the perfect ship to create to fulfill this role. Ultimately he stumbled upon a design that utilized the technology he had in mind, with rtively decent armor, armament, and most importantly, speed.


    The K?nigsberg ss Cruiser of 1905 from Berengar''s past life was essentially the pinnacle of Light Cruisers that utilized the Triple Expansion Steam Engine and Water tube boilers. It had two engines, two screw propellers, and 11 boilers. It was capable of a speed of 23 knots and had a decent size crewplement of 14 officers and 308 Enlisted men.


    It utilized ten 10.5 cm guns and two 45 cm Torpedo Tubes. At the moment, Berengar did not have reliable torpedo technology, so he would construct the vessels with the tubes, but he would not outfit them with such weapons until a time where they could be built.


    As for the armor on the vessel has 80mm thick steel across its deck and 100mm of steel protecting its conning tower. The ship had a length of 115.3m, a beam of 13.2m, and a draft of 5.29m. The vessel itself was capable of a range of 5,750 nautical miles before it had to resupply on coal.


    Berengar intended to call this vessel the Ad ss Cruiser and did not intend for it to go into production immediately; after all, it would be years before his port cities could update their facilities with enough advanced manufacturing equipment to create such a steel behemoth. Yet by the time he defeated the Crusaders in five years and began his wars of unification, he believed that he would be able to begin construction of such monstrous ships.


    Berengar hoped that he would be able to set sail to the new world and begin his colonization efforts by his early thirties. He could only imagine the looks on the native''s faces when the German Army showed up in Light Cruisers, armed with bolt action rifles and heavy machine guns. The very idea made him chuckle, such a thing would truly be utterly unfair, but then again, nothing about life was fair.


    Reflecting upon this notion, he began to take a sip from his cup of coffee; one thing was certain, he would be the first white man to step foot on the new world in this timeline. That was something he greatly desired to achieve. As he thought of such things, something dawned upon him, he would need new cargo ships and troop-carrying vessels, and he had the perfect design in mind.


    During the Second World War of Berengar''s past life, the United States had built thousands of Cargo ships known simply as "Liberty Ships." These ships brought an unprecedented amount of supplies across the Antic to aid the allied powers. At one point, several hundred of the boats were even modified for use as emergency troop transports.


    Berengar decided to name the ship ssification as Dominion, as its purpose was to secure Germany''s dominion over its future Global Empire. The ship was, of course, made entirely out of steel, thus making it impervious to all weapons used by foreign naval powers within the current era. It was powered by a single triple-expansion steam engine and a single propulsion screw. The original utilized two oil-fired boilers, but Berengar could very easily swap those out for water-tube boilers.


    It had a discement of 14,474 tons and a cargo capacity of 10,856 t. The ship was capable of a range of 20,000 nautical miles making it easily capable of traversing throughout the globe with a single refueling session. It had a length of 134.57m, a beam of 17.3m, and a draft of 8.5m.


    As for armament, the original had a 4-inch gun on the stern and aft, which Berengar could rece with a 10.5 cm naval gun of his design. Thus making this cargo ship more than capable of annihting any hostile vessel foolish enough to attempt to wrestle control over it.


    Having designed the first two vessels responsible for his future expansion as a global Empire, Berengar was incredibly pleased with himself. After putting the blueprints aside forter use, he began to get back to work. As a monarch, he had much work to fulfill, and thus he was as busy as ever.


    With a heavy sigh, Berengar rxed in his leather recliner before taking off the cap of his fountain pen. He began to write his signature on the approval of several documents pertaining to the spending required to outfit the factories in the various cities across his Kingdom. Luckily for him, he had acquired the Medici fortune during his war of independence and could easily fund the industrialization process of his realm.


    ---


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 Chapter 393: Improvements in Food Production and Preservation

    <h4>Chapter 393: Improvements in Food Production and Preservation</h4>


    Over a month had passed since Berengar had drafted his ns to improve his Naval Armament over the next few years; however, he had not been focusing on military matters throughout this period. Instead, he had begun inventing certain critical pieces of machinery for food production.


    With the development of the steam engine, mechanized factories were starting to be a reality, and with it, food production would undoubtedly be affected. Until now, it took substantial effort to make bread, which was the staple of the diets for most people. However, with the ns Berengar had drafted over thisst month, the struggles in manufacturing bread would be a thing of the past.


    In the middle of the Kufstein Industrial district, an enormous warehouse was constructed in years past but was never filled until rtively recently. When Berengar first created his industrial district, he designed it with future factories in mind; many of these empty warehouses were now being filled with equipment and employees.


    This warehouse, in particr, was converted into a bread factory. The machinery that Berengar had so painstakingly manufactured over the past month was now in ce. A steam engine connected itself to hemp belts which hung from the rafters and attached themselves to the equipment within the factory thus powering the devices.


    One of these critical pieces of equipment was a mechanical kneading machine. The fundamental principle of the device was that it was designed with hand cranking in mind, where employees would fill the bowl with water and flour, and from there, they would crank the device until the dough was kneaded correctly.


    Once kneaded, the machine would then cut out a portion and fill a baking pan which would follow on a conveyor belt until it reached the oven. After it was fully baked, it would then be removed by a baker, who would then use a device to cleanly cut the loaf into slices where It would be packaged and shipped to the market.


    However, with the invention of the steam engine, the hemp belts could be attached to the handle, and the steam engine would power the device without the need for a human to crank it. As such, the cost of bread was about to decrease substantially, allowing people to spend more of their hard-earned money on other items.


    Gunther gazed upon the efficiency of the Bread factory with a satisfied smile on his face. Since he had opened his hemp paper factory many months ago, he had gained significant profits and had begun to invest in other business ventures, such as Kufstein''s first bread factory. In fact, the waxed paper used to package the bread came from his other factories.


    Standing next to him was the first health inspector of the newly established Federal Administration of Food and Safety, also known as the FAFS. It was the job of government bureaucrats like this man to ensure that the various food processing nts across Austria followed proper protocols to ensure a clean and healthy product was delivered to the markets.


    The man had just finished his search through the factory and was signing off on a document with his fountain pen.? With a smile on his face, Gunther, who was once nothing more than a lowly serf, asked the government bureaucrat the question on his mind.


    "So? How did we do?"


    The bureaucrat looked over the paper before signing off his signature one final time. After doing so, he reached out his hand to congratte Gunther for passing the first inspection.


    "Mr. Gunther, I am proud to announce that you have passed the initial examination; if you and your employees continue to operate the facility with such hygiene, then I am certain that my future visits will be a pleasant one."


    Upon hearing this, Gunther sighed heavily in relief; he was worried that he might be shut down before he had even begun production. Luckily that was not the case, and he passed the inspection. As such, he grasped ahold of the bureaucrat''s hand and shook it with a wide grin on his face.


    "Thank you very much; I will ensure to maintain this level of cleanliness in the future so we won''t have any problems!"


    After hearing this, the bureaucrat pulled back his hand and returned to a stoic gaze as he made one finalment before departing.


    "Be sure that you do! Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go check on a meat processing nt that has opened up nearby."


    After saying this, the bureaucrat left Gunther behind and continued his work at the meat processing nt. By the time this bureaucrat arrived at his destination, he was astounded to see the clean environment that was in the facility.


    Because people had now be aware of germs, they were taking every safety precaution avable to them to ensure that the equipment they operated on was sterile. Especially now that there was a government department whose sole purpose was to ensure such protocol was followed.


    Berengar was a stickler for healthy food; he did not want to see his people getting sick from what they eat, nor did he wantpanies to sell the rotten products. As such, he had established severe penalties for knowingly viting thesews.


    If apany wanted to cut costs by selling rotten food, the owner would face up to life imprisonment within abor camp, though generally, such a stiff sentence would only be carried out if someone died from the tainted product.


    The meat production facility followed a rtively modern process of food production. Berengar knew so much about the safety and presentation of food because his father from his past life worked in a cannery. He was filled with stories in his childhood of how it all functioned.


    The meat arrived fresh from the farms at the factory, where skilled butchers trimmed the excess fat off. After the trimming wasplete, the meat was brought to a dicing machine, which cut it into one-inch-thick cubes, from there, it was sorted into tin cans, where the only additive to the process was a single cube of sea salt.


    After this had beenpleted, workers carefully added or removed pieces of meat to ensure that it reached the required weight. From there, the cans entered a conveyor belt, where they were led to the cook room.


    After this, the cans entered a pre-heater which sted them with steam for 20 seconds, removing any trapped air between the cubes. From there, they were led to the pressing machine, whichpressed the tin lid onto the can with a proper headspacing that created a vacuum on the can to draw out any remaining air.


    From there, the cans were led to a machine that sealed the cans with a process known as double seaming. The process rolled the rim and lid together, forming an airtight seal. From there, the cans were lowered into amercial-size pressure cooker. After the cans had been thoroughly cooked, they would then be set aside to cool and dry for roughly an hour.


    This process resulted in preserved, salted meat that couldst up to five years of shelf life. By doing this, the price of meat decreased drastically, and the people of Austria could have food on their shelves that could be eaten at any time.


    Having observed the entire process; the bureaucrat signed off on the meat packaging nt as just one of the multiple food processing nts on his list of inspections. The man and his colleagues had much work to be done; as Kufstein further industrialized and the other cities trailed behind it, these inspections would be increasingly necessary.


    The industrial revolution was not just about military buildup but the betterment of society as a whole, or at least that is how Berengar perceived it. After all, just five years ago the people of Austria were living as serfs, breaking their backs on the farms. Now Austria had be a bastion of wealth, and prosperity that all other countries had begun to envy.


    Eventually, the reports from these bureaucrats would make their way to Berengar''s desk; luckily for him, he would not have to do anything but smile every time he saw another food processing nt receive a proper grading for their inspection.


    As for the ones who failed their examination? That was a problem for the Federal Administration of Food and Safety to solve. Berengar had set up a robust government branch to handle that for him. If he genuinely needed to intervene, it would be some form of disaster that he did not even want to think about.


    Thus everything progressed smoothly as Austria rapidly transitioned into the Industrial Age. Under the guise of King Berengar von Kufstein, the Kingdom of Austria entered a new era of prosperity and growth the likes the world had never seen before.


    ---


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 Chapter 394: Shipping Off to Granada

    <h4>Chapter 394: Shipping Off to Granada</h4>


    The time hade, in a few days, the day that Berengar had pledged to provide military support to his ally in the Iberian Penins will have arrived. After months of preparation, the First Division was ready to ship off to Granada, where they would fight against the Catholic Armies until every single inch of Iberian Land was under the control of Al Andalus once more.


    Berengar stood in front of his army dressed in his field uniform, which was based upon a Field Marshal''s variant of the M40 Uniforms worn by the Wehrmacht during the middle of the Second World War from his previous life. There were a few minor differences between the uniform currently worn by Berengar and that of the Field Marshals of the Second World War.


    The primary difference between the uniform that Berengar currently wore, and that of the original, was that the red trim that scaled across the edges of the uniform was reced with a forest green color. Much like you would have seen in use by the Cold War Era East-German Border Guard


    At his cor, Berengar had unique tabs made for his position as King of Austria and Reichsmarschall or, in other words, the Marshal of the Realm. These tabs were based upon the Reichsmarschall tabs used by Herman Goering in his past life, the difference being that the center material was not white but forest green instead.


    Hanging from his cor was his Grand Cross of the Iron Cross and his Austrian Military Merit Order on top of it. On his shoulders, he had tabs unique to his position. Like the cor tabs, these were based heavily on Herman Goering''s, the difference being the nazi reichsadler was reced with the double-headed eagle of Austria.


    Pinned on his chest above his top left pocket was a series of three ribbon bars, signifying his glorious feats inbat. Below these ribbon bars, ced square in the center of the pocket itself, was his Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.


    From his right shoulder to his left hip was a Sam Browne-style shoulder strap connected to his belt; both were made of ck leather. The belt buckle was made of white gold with the Austrian double-eagle imprinted upon it.? On his left side was his ck leather holster, which contained his revolver.


    Below this belt were his trousers in the style of a Wehrmacht Field Marshal''s Jodhpurs. The difference was that the stripe was not red but the same forest green that trimmed his tunic. These pants were stuffed into a pair of ck leather officers'' jackboots.


    Finally, atop his head was a new eyepatch, made of ck leather, with an Iron Cross patch sewn into the center. Unlike his other stately eyepatch, it did not have a gilded edge. Above that was an officer''s brimmed cap in the style worn by the Field Marshals of the Wehrmacht.


    The primary difference between this cap and that of the original was that the golden Nazi Reichsadler pin had been reced by the Austrian Double Eagle of Berengar''s Kingdom. In fact, the entire uniform waspletely rid of any form of nazi paraphernalia and was instead reced with Imperial symbolism.


    As Berengar stood in front of his soldiers on the docks of Trieste, it was this image that they gazed upon. His soldiers were dressed in the style of the M40 Field Uniform used by the Wehrmacht in his past life, but with feldgrau painted steel armor in the form of German Trench armor from the Great War.


    They also wore M35 Stahlhelms with the Austrian Reichsadler painted on the side. Slung over their shoulders were the Schmidt Needle Rifles, and clipped to their web gear were two Stick Grenades per soldier, alongside the standard equipment.? Berengar began to give a speech to his gathered soldiers before they embarked on their journey to reim Iberia for their Moorish allies.


    "I gaze upon you, the sons of Austria, and my heart is filled with pride. Pride in our people, pride in our Kingdom, but most of all, pride in our strength! Each and every one of you is about to embark on a journey to and far away from your birth, with a single purpose. To kill our enemies!


    Now I know what many of you are thinking, why should I fight and die in some God-forsaken spit ofnd so that the Muslims can reim Iberia? However, if you are thinking in such a manner, I must inform you that you are gravely mistaken...


    You will not be killing for the sake of the Granadans. You are doing so for the well-being of your people! Make no mistake; the Church will rally together all of the significant Catholic Kingdoms to march upon our soil in five years.


    Hundreds of thousands of enemies will enter ournds in an attempt to butcher our families. Why? Because we dare to disagree on the teachings of Christ? Or maybe it is to stifle the growth that every man, woman, and child in this Kingdom has fought so hard to achieve!


    Now I want to ask each and every one of you a straightforward question... If the three Catholic Kingdoms of Iberia were to no longer exist, would they be able to assist our enemies in destroying our homes? Nein!


    Thus do not think of this as throwing your lives away for some filthy Saracens on the other side of the world so that they may see some peaceful days. Instead, think of it as taking the fight to your enemies so that your people and your families will never see the horrors of war that you as men must witness!


    There is a fire inside each of us that burns brighter with every passing breath! We, as Germans, understand the art of war on a profoundly intimate level. It could be considered a right of passage for all of our young men to enter the battlefield and im glory for themselves, for their King, and their Fathend! Now it is your turn, so go forth and kill the enemies of Austria! Hail Victory!"


    As Berengar finished his speech, the crowd of 25,000 soldiers and the sailors who would spend the next few weeks ferrying them across the Mediterranean threw up Roman Salutes and chanted in unison the following phrase.


    "Hail Victory! Hail Victory! Hail Victory!"


    A cruel smile etched itself upon Berengar''s lips as he witnessed this; he had only seen such a spectacr scene in the historical videos of a specific mustached man''s speeches from his past life. Berengar had no intentions of creating a fascist state. Instead, his goals were purely Imperialistic; he envisioned a society akin to a far Grander Second Reich rather than its failed sessor.


    However, one could not deny the powerful speaker and propagandist that man was. As such, Berengar had on assion borrowed specific phrases and gestures from the Third Reich, such as the term "Hail Victory" and the Roman Salute, to use among his troops. It seemed to have the desired effect, as the soldiers were fired up and ready to kill any Catholic Iberians they came across.


    As for Berengar, for the time being, he had no ns to interfere in Granada. Arnulf was a capable enoughmander, and he was needed in the Fathend to further enhance its industrial capabilities. The King of Austria had seen enough of war for the time being, and six months was not enough time of peace for him to properly enjoy himself.


    While the Soldiers of Austria prepared to embark on their newest war, Berengar returned to the pce, where he approached with trepidation. He may have forgotten to inform his loved ones that he was not, in fact, embarking on war at the moment. He knew how they worried about him while he was on the battlefield, and that fact that he had not informed him that he would be staying behind was sure to cause some panic.


    As he entered through the doors of his pce, he was immediately greeted by his three wives and his younger sister, who all jumped into his arms, colliding with him like an avnche forcing him down onto the ground. They were visibly upset. Clearly, they thought he had left them behind without saying goodbye.


    Eventually, Berengar chuckled before rising to his feet; he could tell by their pouting expressions that they were greatly displeased with him. Deciding to diffuse the tension Berengar made a joke, which went as well as you might expect.


    "I was only gone for a couple of hours, and yet you girls look like I have been away for a lifetime. Did you miss me that much?"


    The various reactions from the four women wereplicated. Ad seemed to be pouting with a small tear in her eyes. Linde seemed to be angry, and Honoria seemed to be pleasantly surprised. As for Henrietta, Berengar had no idea what was going on in her head, but she appeared dreadfully worried about his safety.


    Noticing that he had ruined the mood, the young King of Austria quickly gathered the girls together for a group hug and informed them of his decision.


    "Rx, I''m not going away to war for a while; if I were to leave, who would continue my efforts to industrialize the nation? Unless something serious happens during the conflict, I will be here with you four girls. Now let''s get something to eat!"


    After saying this, Berengar led his family towards the Dining Hall, where they all began to celebrate the fact that the young King had not left them all behind. Later that night, Berengar would retire to his quarters alongside his three wives, where they would have their own little private party.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 395: Preparing for the Constitutional Convention

    <h4>Chapter 395: Preparing for the Constitutional Convention</h4>


    On the following morning, Berengar rose bright and early with a sense of fatigue. He once more had most of the energy drained from his body as he entertained his wives. More importantly, he had an important meetingter in the day, and thus there was little time for him to rx.


    With this in mind, he quickly finished his morning routine before heading out the door of the royal pce; as he sat within his carriage, he carried a briefcase filled with important documents regarding his five-year n.


    His destination was simple; it was the temporary residence of his Uncle and father-inw, Chancellor Otto von Graz. Since their victory in their war for Independence seven months ago, Austria had be a sovereign Kingdom.


    However, despite this, they had until now operated under a Constitution designed while they were still a subservient Duchy. With this in mind, Berengar now felt it was time to hold a Constitutional Convention. The purpose behind this was to draft a new Constitution for an Independent Austria. This was Berengar''s reason for visiting his Uncle on this fine morning.


    After knocking on the door a solid three times, the door opened to reveal a young maid. With the abolishment of serfdom, servants such as maids and butlers now had to be paid a living wage. Despite this, it was a highly desirable position as, generally speaking, housing and meals were amodated as part of the position.


    The young maid stared in shock as she realized that the man standing before her was the King of Austria; it took her a few moments to pay her respects to Berengar, where she quickly kneeled in front of him and apologized for herck of decorum.


    "Your Highness, I apologize; I was just surprised to see you here. I will go alert his Grace of your presence right away."


    As the young girl departed,?Berengar waited inside the entrance of Otto''s chateau for a few minutes before the man arrived; he was dressed in nothing but a silk robe and had an unpleasant expression on his face; it would appear as if he was still sleeping when Berengar arrived.


    Nevertheless, the moment he saw his nephew and son-inw standing before him in a military uniform, he realized that more important matters were afoot. Thus Otto greeted Berengar with a warm smile before leading him into the study.


    "Your Highness, I was not expecting your visit so early in the morning. I apologize for my improper appearance. Please wait in my study; I will have young Magdelen here attend to your needs while I tidy up."


    Berengar merely nodded his head in silence, signaling to his Uncle that he approved. Afterward, the older man rushed up the stairs and into his bathroom, where he began to bathe and select appropriate attire for the meeting.


    While this was going on, Berengar noticed the maid eying him carefully as if he were a wolf, and she was amb. Evidently, his reputation as a womanizer had preceded him, seeing as how the girl seemed to be exceptionally cautious around him.


    Nevertheless, Berengar had no interest in a lowly maid; if he took up another lover, she would have to be at least a Princess. Thus Berengar put on a friendly smile as he gave an order to the young maid in a polite and delicate manner.


    "Magdelen, was it? I would greatly appreciate it if you would fetch me a cup of coffee."


    The girl instantly nodded her head in silence and scurried off like a frightened rabbit as she began to prepare what her monarch had requested. Before long, she returned with a fresh ss of ck coffee, where Berengar immediately began to request another favor.


    "Please, if you would add some milk and sugar, that would be most wee."


    The maid instantly nodded in silence and fetched a fresh ss of milk and a sugar cube that she skillfully mixed into the ceramic cup. After doing so, she asked the question on her mind.


    "Is there anything else you require, your majesty?"


    However, Berengar merely shook his head as he responded to her inquiry.


    "No, you have done wonderfully, thank you."


    The girl instantly blushed as she heard this and ran off into the background; she knew it was best not to stick her nose into the business of the nobility, especially the King of Austria. After a while, Otto returned in his noblest attire before sitting down across from Berengar, where he opened up the conversation with small talk.


    "So, how is my daughter treating you? I hope she hasn''t been causing you too much trouble..."


    Berengar smiled as he heard this and ced down his cup upon the small te provided with it.


    "Quite the contrary, I greatly enjoy herpany; with her around, I find my workload much easier to handle. However, due to her pregnancy, she and the others are a little bit, shall we say... moody."


    Otto chuckled briefly when he heard this before sizing up Berengar in his new field uniform. Afterward, he inquired about the state of his attire.


    "So you''re going off to war, I take it? You chose a good time; by the time you return home, your girls would have either already given birth or will be damn close to it. Meaning you will have to suffer less."


    A misleading smile formed curved itself upon Berengar''s lips as memories of his achievements in battle flooded his mind, filling his sight and hearing as if he were hallucinating. His hands were as still as granite as he recounted the time he had spent engaging in pure unadulterated violence. Eventually, he broke free of the illusion and responded to Otto''s line of questioning with an appropriate answer.


    "Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh? Actually, for the time being, I will be here, at home in Kufstein. Unless the situation within Iberia turns vtile and my presence bes required, I will not participate in this campaign, no matter how much I desire to do so.


    As for the uniform, quite honestly, I felt it was a good change of pace from the overly luxurious attire I usually wear. In my humble opinion, it makes me look more militaristic and utilitarian than my usual style, and I greatly admire those attributes."


    Otto immediately nodded his head silently in response to this statement. He sympathized with Berengar''s point of view. Despite the fact that he did not partake in Austria''s military, at least not since a centralized, professional force was established. He had still seen his fair share of war in the past.


    Having engaged in small talk for an appropriate amount of time, Berengar sipped from his coffee once more before finishing it off; after doing so, he instantly switched the topic to his reason for visiting. After all, as King, he was a very busy man, and could not stay for long.


    "Anyways, Uncle, this is not what I havee here to discuss with you. Instead, I havee to ask for your assistance. I am aware that you are well respected among the nobility of Austria; as the Chancellor of our Kingdom and the current Duke of Steiermark, you hold an advantageous position. Hence, I must request something of you."


    Otto''s gaze shifted to a severe glint as he prepared himself for what Berengar was about to ask. By the sound of his nephew''s voice, something serious was about to transpire; as such, he nodded his head before speaking in the affirmative.


    "Whatever you require of me, so long as it is within my power, I will fulfill it to the best of my ability."


    Berengar naturally smiled when he heard this response; it was exactly what he wanted to hear. As such, he wasted no time and immediately began to inform his Uncle of the decision he hade to."


    "Uncle, it is no great secret that some of my reforms have been less than popr among the higher echelons of Austrian nobility. Some still refer to me as Usurper and Upstart. They look down upon my lineage rather than kneel before my achievements. I have no ill will towards them; they are old and stubborn fools refusing to change with the times.


    Whenever a significant change urs within a society, there will always be men like that. However, I do require their assistance. Soon I will be gathering together the heads of State and various noblemen from across the Kingdom for a matter of great importance.


    Now that we are an independent Kingdom, the time hase to establish a Constitution worthy of our great Nation. Though I have done the groundwork with the previous renditions, they were never intended to be the final product.


    With this in mind, I want all of the great men of Austria, whether theye from the nobility or themon popce, toe together and aid me in creating a system that will endure the test of time and take everyone''s needs into ount.


    The fact of the matter is, with a simple request, I can quickly gain the support of themon men and that of the lesser nobility, for nobody has gained more during my time as a Monarch than they. However, I fear men of your caliber, the Dukes and Marquesses of Austria, will be a bit hesitant to join in on this Constitutional Convention of mine.


    What I require of you is fairly simple, I would very much appreciate it if you could represent the interest of the higher nobility and call for this meeting as Chancellor before I make the announcement, so it appears as if I am not forcing my ideas onto everyone else yet again."


    After hearing this, Otto was silent for several moments; he did not make a single movement as he reflected on Berengar''s speech. After a while, he finally sighed, and in doing so, nodded his head as he epted the task bequeathed to him by his sovereign.


    "Very well, I will make a public deration in theing days, requesting a Constitutional Convention; I will call upon you, and everyone you deem to be of importance to attend the meeting in the Reichstag where we wille to a consensus on what should, and should not be put into our Constitution. Though I must be honest, I fear that you are simply using this as a propaganda piece to satisfy those who have been less than agreeable with your reforms."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this response; after doing so, he stood up from his seat and nodded his head with a smile etched upon his face before responding.


    "Uncle, you know me so well... Very well, I will leave this task to you; after you make your deration, I shall respond in agreement, where we will then set a date and time for the leaders of our society to gather in the Reichstag. I look forward to working with you in the future."


    After saying this, Berengar departed from Otto''s temporary residence; it was only after he had ensured that his nephew was long gone that Otto dared to release his breath and utter the thoughts he had on his mind.


    "No wonder he has three wives, the amount of work this fool endures is enough to put any man into an early grave..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 396: Austrians Arrive in Granada

    <h4>Chapter 396: Austrians Arrive in Granada</h4>


    A few days had passed, and the first of Berengar''s armed forces had stepped foot upon the soil of the Iberian Penins. In southern Granada, Thousands of Austrian Soldiers gathered together with their arms and artillery as they prepared to advance north.


    However, until the remainder of the division could arrive; a temporary city devised of tents was set up on the edge of the region for the time being. This city of tents was used to house the thousands of soldiers waiting for the rest of their division and supplies to arrive. A General who had earned his spot in Berengar''s good graces was currently leading the First Divison.


    With his swift victory over the Swiss, Adelbrand von Salzburg was sent as the leader of the First Division until he regrouped with Arnulf and the forces of the Royal Granadan Army. At that point, Arnulf would seizemand of all Coalition Forces in Granada by decree of King Berengar von Kufstein.


    For some time now, the Reconquista had be a proxy war that Berengar used to divide the forces of the Catholic Church and force his enemies to spend time, bodies, and resources on a fight they simply could not win. Unfortunately, the Granadan Army proved lesspetent than he had initially estimated. They forced him to enter the war years in advance of what he had nned.


    Berengar himself was in the process of leading the Kingdom of Austria into a new era of Industrialization. He could ill afford to march an army to war at the moment. Instead, he had begrudgingly dispatched a portion of his Army to his ally''s territory under the supervision of one of his top Generals, who was loosely rted to him.


    Adelbrand was a young and ambitious Duke who was always a skilled warrior with a mind for tactics. Despite his age, he had gained an advantageous position in the Austrian Royal Army and proven himself on the battlefield by leading a campaign against the Swiss, which ultimately resulted in their annexation.


    He was the young brother of the ipetent durd Wolfgang von Salzburg, the husband of Ava von Graz, Berengar''s cousin and Ad''s sister. The man had distant ties to Berengar from a familial aspect, and thus the young monarch was more inclined to trust him.


    Adelbrand, of course, was fiercely loyal to Berengar and his regime, seeing the meritocratic approach to session and military matters to be an enormous improvement over the medieval primogeniture system. After all, if Berengar had not risen to power, he would still be kneeling beneath his idiot of an elder brother, that is, if he was still alive.


    While Salzburg was being burned to the ground under Bavarian upation, Adelbrand took up the mantle to defend his home, despite it being a lost cause. Wolfgang had fled to the rtive safety of his wife''s family''s estate, leaving his people to suffer under the wrath of the Bavarian Armies. If not for Berengar''s intervention, it is hard to say precisely what the young Duke''s fate would have been.


    Initially a Count, he, much like his counterpart Otto was raised to the status of Duke when Berengar rose to the position of King. Now he was tasked with leading the First Division of the Austrian Royal Army, which was the most battle-hardened and elite Division of Berengar''s forces to battle in Granada.


    Granted, he would be forced to cede his authority to Arnulf, who would act as leader of both Granadan and Austrian forces. Nheless, he held significant power in this campaign to eradicate the Catholic Kingdoms of Iberia.


    Eventually, Adelbrand noticed the arrival of the Granadan Sultan, who gazed upon the field of feldgrau d men with a look of hope in his eyes. Hasan had a joyous expression as he witnessed the arrival of the Austrian forces.


    He was in for a big surprise, as Berengar had initially informed him that he would only be sending 10,000 men to aid him. Ultimately Berengar had opted to send a whole division, which just so happened to be the most veteran force he had under hismand.


    Berengar was the type of man to under-promise and over-deliver. He had initially expected it would take longer than six months to equip his entire first division with the arms necessary to win this conflict in extravagant fashion.


    However, due to his ongoing Industrialization, and the efficiency of his workers, the arms factories produced more than enough weapons to fulfill the demands of a single Division. Thus, in the end, Berengar had sent the entirety of his First Division along with one of his most capable Generals to achieve overwhelming victory.


    The first divisionprised of three Infantry Brigades, one Cavalry Brigade, one Artillery Brigade, and a few support battalions, which consisted of specialty units like Jaegers, Medics, Pioneers, etc. Not all of these men had made their way to Granada yet, and as such, Hasan was unaware of the immense force that Berengar hadmitted to his cause.


    Upon noticing that Adelbrand seemed to be givingmands to his troops, Hasan approached the man and quickly asked the question on his mind.


    "Are you the man in charge here?"


    Luckily for Adelbrand, since Berengar had first met Hasan, the man had been studying his German and could nowmunicate effectively with the leaders of the Austrian Army. In response to Hasan''s question, Adelbrand threw up a standard military salute and reported his name and rank to the Sultan of Granada.


    "Major General Adelbrand von Salzburg, I have been tasked by his majesty King Berengar von Kufstein to lead the First Division of the Austrian Royal Army to victory in this campaign!"


    Though the Granadan Royal Army had sought to emte Austria''s mighty military, they had yet to fully epass the proper scale and unit designations that Berengar had used. After all, at the beginning of this conflict, they had less than an entire division''s worth of men to field.


    For this reason, Hasan did not immediately understand just what a division of soldiers meant. Because of this misunderstanding, Hasan immediately asked a rtively foolish question.


    "The first division? Does that mean there are more of youing?"


    Adelbrand immediately responded to this question with a smug expression as he exined in full detail just what exactly Austria defined a Division as.


    "While my entire unit has yet to reach these shores. I assure you there will only be one division taking part in this conflict. Your Majesty, I must inform you that a full division is roughly 25,000 men who are fully capable of waging war independently if they must. Due to the superiority of our forces over that of the enemy, his Majesty King Berengar has decided that he will only need the First Division to win this war!"


    After hearing that 25,000 Austrians would be arriving to support him, Hasan felt greatly relieved, as if the pressure he had been facing these past six months suddenly vanished. He was aware of how efficient the Austrians were in warfare and knew that Berengar truly valued their alliance if he were to send so many of his soldiers to battle.


    However, there was onest question on his mind as he thought about this. As such, Hasan did not hold back his thoughts as he inquired about the whereabouts of a specific person.


    "Tell me, where is King Berengar? I very much would like to share a drink with him!"


    Adelbrand''s expression suddenly became awkward; he had no idea that Berengar had utterly neglected to inform Hasan that he would not be entering the conflict. An ufortable smile appeared on his face as he tried to exin the situation as delicately as possible.


    "King Berengar is currently upied overseeing a critical transition without our Kingdom and is unavable to lead the conflict. However, I assure you that under mymand, it will be more than enough to win this conflict."


    Hasan immediately began to curse in his native tongue as he spoke his thoughts aloud.


    "That bastard! I bet he''s avoiding me because he knows I will try to marry my sister off to him!"


    Adelbrand had no idea what Hasan was saying, but he figured it was not pleasant. Thus he kept his mouth shut. He would only speak up on Berengar''s behalf if the Sultan had the guts to insult him in anguage that the General could understand. Luckily for everyone involved, Hasan kept his thoughts to himself.? After a while, Hasan began to speak to the Austrian General about the ongoing conflict.


    "At the moment, your General Arnolf is behind enemy lines leading my Royal Guard in what he referred to as a Gueri campaign. So far, they have been sessful in slowing down the Iberian advance, but it won''t be long before they engage my defenses. I suggest that you quickly make your way to the front to reinforce my main Army, or else it will be a hell of a lot more difficult when the first line of defense fails."


    Adelbrand shook his head when he heard this suggestion; he had a n and would stick to it. It was with this in mind that he responded to Hasan''s request.


    "I will wait here until the first division has fullynded. Afterward, I will route out your enemies from yournd. When I have secured your Emirate and exterminated everyst Catholic in thesends, I will then drive my Army into Portugal, where I will capture its capital and force their King to kneel before me. For the time being, your soldiers will have to hold out. I am sure they can manage that."


    When Hasan heard this, he sighed before walking back to his Caravan, he had traveled a long way to greet the Austrian Host, and he was not going to sit around and wait for the rest of the division to arrive. As he began marching back to his carriage, as he did so he called out to Adelbrand, giving him the green light to do whatever he pleased.


    "You are the General, do what you think is best, but I warn you, if they break through my Army, you will be forced to deal with dozens of small armies across my territory, and this will turn into a very long campaign."


    After saying this, the young Sultan departed from the port, traveling back to his Capital of Granada. While Adelbrand and Arnulf waged war against the Iberians, Hasan would sick back in his pce and enjoy the luxuries contained within.? This carefree attitude wouldter be seen as an act of cowardice, bing a significant point of contention between the Granadan Generals and their Sultan.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


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 Chapter 397: Assassinating an Eastern Warlord

    <h4>Chapter 397: Assassinating an Eastern Warlord</h4>


    Since Berengar had first decided to annex the Teutonic State and incorporate it into his domain, he had ordered Linde to send field agents into the territory currently upied by the Eastern Coalition, which wasprised of multiple countries such as Pnd-Lithuania, the various Rus States, and the Golden Horde.


    These Field Agents were tasked with sabotage, assassination, and deep reconnaissance to halt the Eastern Coalitions'' advance into what little remained of the Teutonic State. It was a difficult mission, and at the moment, a field agent by the name of J��rgen Speck was deep behind enemy lines with a task that most likely would result in his untimely demise.


    Nevertheless, for the sake of the Fathend, he was more than willing to pay the price. In his hands was a Schmidt Needle Rifle, with its range elevated out to a thousand yards. Having performed excellently in his marksmanship course, J��rgen was more than capable of making the shot. At the moment, he was sitting far away from his target, who was riding with his host.


    Khadan was the current Khan of the Golden Horde, and he was riding with his warriors westward to Marienburg with a single purpose, to eradicate thest remnants of the Teutonic State. It would undoubtedly be a massacre if he and his 130,000 horsemen arrived within thosends.


    At that moment, J��rgen was aiming down his sight in the pouring rain as he waited for the Khan''s approach. The man would be entering firing range any minute now, and the Agent could take his shot. Dressed in a splinter camo smock and field cap, J��rgen blended in with his environment at such a distance perfectly.


    Without a Khan to lead the Horde, the various ns would undoubtedly fall into infighting for the next ruler. Thus J��rgen took a deep breath and ced his finger on the trigger. His target was now within his sights. As he squeezed the trigger, the sound of thunder cracked in the air, startling the Eastern warriors.


    Initially, they thought it was just thunder, yet when they gazed over their fearless leader, there was a bloody hole square in the center of his chest. Due to the distance of a thousand yards and the poor weather, they had not seen the smoke plume that spat out of J��rgen''s rifle and thus was unaware of how their leader had been in.


    Nevertheless, the Khan fell from his horse''s back with shock in his eyes as he breathed hisst breath. The moment this urred, the Horde of 130,000 men erupted into chaos; they frantically began to search for the culprit, never expecting that he wouldy hiding in the bushes a thousand yards away.


    However, in his panicked state, J��rgen made the foolish action of hopping on his horseback and fleeing the scene of his crime, which immediately caused the Horde''s scouts to notice his presence. Had he just stayed put and hunkered down, it was possible that the Golden Horde would have assumed the death of their Khan was an inside job, and yet now with a lone horseman frantically absconding from the scene, they knew that their Khan had somehow been assassinated by an outsider.


    With this in mind, the Golden Horde began to chase after J��rgen with their swift horses. Whether he could escape or not was now in God''s hands. The Austrian Agent hurried off as fast as his horse would allow him; luckily for him, Arabians had a high endurance level.


    Nevertheless, despite spending nearly three miles outrunning his pursuers, his horse began slowing down; it could no longer endure its top speed and waspletely exhausted. Considering he was left in the middle of nowhere, with no surrounding vige to hide in, J��rgen knew he had only one chance of survival.


    After reflecting upon his choices, he quickly halted his horse, where he pulled out a piece of parchment contained within his pouch; with a fountain pen in hand, he pulled out a map of the area and marked down his general location with a single phrase written down, S.O.S.


    After doing so, he attached the letter to the messenger owl that was contained within a cage tied to the Horse''s saddle. After doing so he threw the owl into the air and sent it off to the nearest field camp of his nearby agents. Hopefully, reinforcements would arrive soon and liberate him from his desperate situation.


    If the eastern warriors of the Golden Horde wanted to pursue him, they would have to do so under his terms. Considering he was dressed in camouge and wielding a superior weapon, J��rgen knew his only hope for survival was hiding out until his pursuers abandoned their quest to find him. After scouting out the area, J��rgen found a nearby forest that he could hide within until help arrived.


    With this in mind, the man quickly began covering himself in mud to hide his white skin, where he then fled under the cover of therge forest. He hoped he would hide well enough that the eastern warriors would be unable to find him.


    After roughly an hour had passed, Jurgen had found a small cave, where he took the chance to rest within; it was unknown if some form of predator lied within its depths. However, he knew that if he did not get out of his soaking clothes soon, then without a doubt, he would die from hypothermia.


    Luckily for J��rgen there were no signs of a beast camped within the cavern, thus the man quickly started a fire and stripped from his soaked clothes, where he reached into his satchel and pulled out a pair of medieval peasant clothing he kept as a spare in case the need arose where he would have to hide his identity.


    For three days, J��rgen stayed within the forest, hunting and trapping his food while surviving thend; just when he thought his pursuers had lost track of him, he felt a sharp pain pierce through his thigh. A barbed arrow stuck out from his leg just below the femoral artery. He was well and truly crippled.


    Though he tried to crawl away, he was eventually kicked over by arge Mongolian man dressed in the armor of his people. Just as the man was about to bring down his de and decapitate the wounded field agent, his hand was stopped, and an evenrger man began speaking to him with a stern tone, in anguage that J��rgen did not understand.


    Before long, J��rgen was bound up with rope and carried out of the forest by Mongols. The worst imaginable situation had transpired; he was captured alive by the Golden Horde and would undoubtedly be tortured for information on his identity before being executed.


    J��rgen knew the odds of rescue were low, and such resigned himself to his fate; even if aid could arrive, there was no conceivable way for them to break into the Golden Horde''s encampment and free him from his bondage. Unknowingly to him, his owl had reported his location to the nearest field outpost, and thus, a team of agents was already on its way to search for his whereabouts.


    ...


    Roughly a month had passed since J��rgen''s capture, and at the moment, Hemma who was the Deputy Director of Royal Intelligence was standing within the halls of their headquarter''s located within the city of Kufstein. She held a field report in her hand as a frown curled upon her lips. After reading through the information, she fully understood the situation at hand.


    Since J��rgen''s capture, the Golden Horde had split off into various factions vying for the position of the Next Khan. The objective had been achieved, and their advance into the Teutonic State was halted. They were no longer united, and J��rgen was surprisingly still alive. Though tortured mercilessly, he had never revealed his identity. Thus the Mongols continued to keep him breathing for the time being.


    However, his current location was deep within the camp of the prime candidate for the position of Khan. With 50,000 horse riders by his side, it would not be easy to extract the field agent from his predicament. A team of agents was constantly monitoring the situation, and they had sent a request back to Headquarters on how to proceed.


    It would not take long before J��rgen had finally broken and revealed that this was a ploy by Austrian Intelligence to slow down the Golden Horde''s Advance into the Teutonic State''snds. When that happened, open warfare would ur between Austria and the Golden Horde.


    Such an oue needed to be stopped at all costs. Thus Hemma, who was currently dressed in her work uniform, had aplicated expression on her lips. Until now, none of her field agents had been captured alive.


    The information that J��rgen had avable could quickly spark a war between the two countries. Thus two options presented themselves; either way, an elite team that she did not have avable would have to sneak into the enemy encampment.


    After dwelling upon it for some time, Hemma sighed heavily as she stared at her Director of Covert Operations, who had handed her the report. After several moments of silence, she revealed her thoughts on the matter.


    "It looks like I am going to have to request aid from the director herself..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 398: Establishing Special Operations

    <h4>Chapter 398: Establishing Special Operations</h4>


    Berengar, Linde, and Hemma were currently within the King''s Office inside the Royal Pce. As Berengar sat down at his seat, Linde stood by his side as they read the report given to them by the Deputy Director of Royal Intelligence.


    Hemma had proven herself a capable field agent in the past and was well aware of the dangers associated with the mission she had been ordered to give out to the men and women under hermand. However, one of her people was captured, and she currentlycked the means to extract them from theirpromised position.


    The only option left was to ask for assistance from the armed forces, directly under Berengar''smand as both King and Reichsmarschall of Austria. Berengar gazed at the report with aplicated expression; he knew that he had issued the order to assassinate high-profile targets, but taking out the leader of the Golden Horde was a rather foolish decision on Royal Intelligence''s part.


    Aftering to a thorough understanding of the current situation, Berengar sighed heavily as he ced the report down upon his desk. After doing so, he put his fingers together in contemtion. He sat there in silence for a few moments before he finally asked the question on his mind.


    "What is it exactly that you are requesting of me?"


    Hemma gulped the saliva pooling in her mouth as she struggled to find the means to express her desire. Eventually, she steeled her resolved and asked Berengar for the support she had in mind.


    "I request that you dispatch your forces to enter the camp covertly and either extract or eliminate J��rgen to prevent ssified information from being leaked to the enemy."


    Berengar thought about the question at hand for a few moments. Though his field agents were talented in espionage, assassination, and sabotage, they were not skilled in military matters. As a result, if they attempted to rescue the target, it would fail.


    Berengar had not thought of establishing a dedicated special operations unit until now. The reason was quite simple; he believed the superiority of his forces was so overwhelming that the use of specialized units to fulfill unconventional tasks was not required.


    Yet, here he sat, with a mission that not even his Jaegers could easily pull off. After all, covert operations were not exactly in their job description; they were direct action, light infantry specialists.


    With this in mind, he pulled out a piece of paper and began to draft a Royal Edict to immediately establish a task force under themand of the Austrian Royal Army. If Austria''s Jaeger Corps were based upon the 75th Ranger Regiment from his past life, this unit would be based on the Green Berets.


    This Special Forces unit would bebeled as Jagdkommandos and trained innd and seaborne operations. They would act as the silent professionals needed toplete Austria''s dirty work. As for Airborne operations, unfortunately, Berengar did not yet have the means to manufacture aircraft; as such, he could not train them in such methods. After finishing the edict, Berengar put down his fountain pen and announced his decision.


    "I am authorizing the establishment of a special operations force, designed to handle covert operations like these. They shall be known as Jagdkommandos. They shall be equipped with specialized equipment for their missions that will not see use in the standard armed forces for many years; after all, for what I have in mind, we will only be able to produce a small number of such weapons. You have my permission to take whoever you see fit from the Army to establish this unit.


    I want Agent J��rgen extracted alive if possible; however, if such a feat proves too challenging to achieve, he needs to be eliminated in a way that does not draw attention to us. A bay to the heart will suffice. You have two weeks to form this unit and dispatch them to Pnd.? Any longer than that, and I fear the man will break and reveal everything."


    Hemma immediately stood up and saluted Berengar after receiving her orders. She did not know how effective the unit would be within two weeks; however, it was better than what she currently had avable.


    "Heil Victory!!"


    After saying this, Berengar nodded, stood up, and returned her roman style salute before dismissing her. After doing so, he sat back down in his seat with a weary expression. Though the Golden Horde had split apart for the time being as they tried to elect a new Khan. One of his agents was captured and would require a specialized team to extract or eliminate him.


    For the time being, the troops sent on this mission would undoubtedly be recruited from the most elite Jaegers and field agents; after their task waspleted, they would be trained into the elite force that Berengar had mentioned earlier and equipped with more advanced weapons than what was currently avable to his Army.


    After dwelling upon this for a while, Berengar felt his shoulders being rubbed and looked up to see Linde''s beautiful smile as sheforted him. After all, ordering the potential elimination of one of his agents was not easy to ept, and thus she knew her husband was likely conflicted.


    "It''s okay; even if ites to what you fear most, he will have died for the sake of the Fathend. What J��rgen knows can''t be released to the Mongols. It would invite danger to the people here at home."


    Berengar began to rx as his second wife gave him a message. He knew the reasoning for doing such a horrid task, but just because it was logical did not make it any easier on his conscience. While Linde was rubbing his shoulders, Berengar cracked a joke to his wife about her Deputy Director.


    "Hemma looked good in her uniform; maybe you should dress up in yours more often?"


    When Linde heard this, she immediately rolled her eyes; though she was director of intelligence, she had never actually gotten a uniform tailored for herself. After all, she spent more time at home in the pce looking after the kids than she did at headquarters.


    Because Austrian Royal Intelligence acted as both a Domestic and Foreign Intelligence agency, there were uniforms in ce for members who spent most if not all of their time within the Nation''s borders. These uniforms were partially based upon those of the Stasi from East Germany, with the primary difference being that the cors were in the form of those used by the Wehrmacht in WW2.


    Hearing that her husband so very much wanted to see her in a uniform brought a smile to the girl''s face as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind and whispered in his ear, with a sensual tone.


    "If you want me to have a uniform so badly, then I will have one designed... However, I fear that if I wear such a thing, you won''t be able to keep your hands off me."


    After saying this, she turned Berengar''s seat around and sat in hisp as she began to kiss him passionately. The young King immediately began to unzip her dress from the back, where it fell from her shoulders, revealing her substantial bosom. It did not take him long to start sucking the milk from her teats.


    However, before they could be truly connected, they heard a knock on the door followed by the sound of their son''s voice, which thoroughly interrupted the couple''s ytime.


    "Mommy? Father? are you in there?"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar sighed heavily before helping his wife get dressed; after doing so, he approached the door and let his son in. Linde''s frustrated expression immediately softened the moment she saw her darling little boy enter the room. Berengar picked his son up into the air and smiled as he asked the boy a question.


    "Hans, what is the matter? You know better than to knock on my office door during work hours..."


    Hans immediately looked over at his mother and back at his father before expressing his reason for interrupting them.


    "I''m hungry, and I couldn''t find mommy!"


    After saying this, Berengar set the little tyke down on the floor before where he rustled his strawberry blond hair. As he did so he gave his son a brief lecture with a smile on his face.


    "Hans, you''re four years old now; it is time for you to ween off your mother''s milk. If you''re hungry, go to the kitchen and ask for a ss of milk and something to eat."


    This would have been a convincing argument if there wasn''t a leftover drop of Linde''s milk upon Berengar''s lips. Upon seeing his father lecture him in such a manner, Hans began to pout and immediately questioned his father''s hypocrisy.


    "Then why do you get to drink mommy''s milk?"


    Berengar was immediately awestruck when he heard this; he quickly wiped the milk on his lips onto his sleeve before giving a questioning look towards the boy''s mother, who was gazing at him with a mocking expression. Upon seeing this, Berengar sighed beforeing up with the quickest excuse he could think of.


    "Because I''m your mother''s husband, and a husband can have as much of his wife''s milk as he wants!"


    The moment Hans heard this, a light flickered in his eyes as if he hade to the most tacit understanding. He quickly nodded his head in response to Berengar''s words before responding.


    "So if I get married, I can have as much of my wife''s milk as I want?"


    Not realizing the problem he had caused, Berengar quickly nodded his head with a smile on his face.


    "Now you understand!"


    After saying this, Hans hugged his father before running out the door. Berengar would never know that he had inadvertently passed on his fetish for breastfeeding to his son with this statement. Of course, such a thing would not manifest itself for many years.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 399: Next Generation Weapons Part I

    <h4>Chapter 399: Next Generation Weapons Part I</h4>


    While ns were underway to form a special task force to liberate the captured field agent from the hands of the Golden Horde. As well as the ongoing efforts of the Austrian intervention in Granada. Berengar had decided to design two new weapons that would eventually rece the needle rifle and the 1422 Service Revolver in a few years.


    However, more importantly, these weapons would be the standard issue to his Jagdkommandos in the uing months. The reason Berengar had no intents to mass-produce these weapons, for the time being, is because they relied on smokeless powder, and he currently had a limited production capability of such a valuable resource.


    It was only after his chemical factories expanded that he would be capable of mass-producing the substance and with it the munitions required for these weapons to function. With this in mind, the first firearm he intended to create was a multi-shot bolt action rifle.


    This bolt action rifle was primarily based upon the Kar98k, the standard-issue infantry rifle of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War of Berengar''s previous life. However, a few alterations were made to the overall design. The first change to the weapon was that the bolt handle was straight rather than curved.


    This alteration was due to the inclusion of a dustcover based upon the system used by the Arisaka Type 99 Rifle issued to the Imperial Japanese Army during his past life. This dustcover was a piece of stamped steel attached to the bolt and moved alongside it; it was designed to cover the action and prevent dirt, dust, and grime from entering. In the case of trench warfare or jungle environments, this was a huge bonus.


    The Mauser 98 action was arguably the best action of any service bolt action rifle; it was robust, reliable, and durable. Unlike other designs, it utilized three locking lugs to keep the bolt intact. Aside from the battle-proven functionality of the weapon, it also included an internal five-round box magazine.


    Other minor alterations Berengar made to the rifle were an insert in the stock and butt-te designed to store the cleaning kit much like on an AKM, and a magazine breakdown button contained within the trigger guard much like was seen on the Arisaka Type 99.


    To put it simply, taking apart the magazine on the traditional German Mausers was moreplicated than it needed to be. While one would rarely take apart the internal magazine, sometimes it was necessary, such as in maintenance, and anything easier for the grunts in the field was a plus in Berengar''s book.


    Other alterations to the overall design were purely cosmetic; for example, Berengar designed the stock to be based upon the predecessor of the kar98k, which was the Mauser Model of 1933, also known as the Mauser Standardmodell, or the Mauser Banner Rifle. The primary difference between the weapons stocks was ack of indent for a curved bolt handle and the inclusion of a small rectangr cut on the handguard beneath the rear sight.


    In other words, this bolt action rifle was a mixture of three excellent rifles from his past life. The Mauser Kar98k, the Mauser Standardmodell, and the Arisaka type 99 which was loosely based upon the Mauser 98. Berengarwas creating what he thought was the perfect military bolt action rifle.


    Berengar decided tobel the rifle as the Gewehr Model of 1425, or the g25 for short. This was because Berengar intended for it to begin mass production and standard issue to his soldiers three years from now. In the meantime, it would be a weapon utilized by his covert operators and thus not officially adopted by his armed forces.


    To Berengar, there was no more excellent full-sized rifle caliber than the 7.92x57mm Mauser, also known as the 8mm Mauser. It was a powerful cartridge that was in use by the German Army from the days of the Boxer Rebellion to even after WWII, during the early years of the Cold War from Berengar''s past life.


    The 8mm Mauser was a rimless, bottleneck-style cartridge. This meant that the rim around the primer was not substantial in size and that the cartridge tapered towards the bullet. The projectile itself was a spitzer-shaped bullet that used a copper jacket with a mild steel core. It also utilized a double-based smokeless powder which meant there was a mixture of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin.


    This cartridge had a muzzle velocity of 790 m/s or 2,592 ft/s and an effective range of 550 yards when shot out of a g25 rifle. In reality when equipped with a telescopic optic or when in the hands of a talented marksman the rifle could achieve hits out to 1,090 yards.


    After designing the rifle, Berengar moved on to the next critical piece of equipment he would be issuing to his Jagdkommandos, and that was a new sidearm. While the 1422 Service Revolver was practical among rear echelon troops, officers, and cavalry. Berengar felt that something far superior was needed as a sidearm for his Special Forces.


    With this in mind, he quickly got down to drafting the blueprints for a legendary pistol that was issued to German troops of both world wars from Berengar''s past life. However, it would forever remain in infamy as the favored sidearm of the Waffen-SS, the elite shock troops of the Nazi party, and the personal Army of the Fuhrer.


    The Mauser c96 that Berengar designed was chambered in 9x19mm Luger, moremonly referred to in the modern era as 9x19mm parabellum, which had be one of, if not the most widely adopted military and police cartridges in the world by the time of Julian''s death.


    The Mauser c96 was among the firstmercially and militarily sessful semi-automatic pistols and wasmonly referred to as the broom handle by American shooting enthusiasts. However, due to this fact, it had some quirks that wereter redesigned inter models. For example, Berengar fully intended to rece the internal, stripper clip-fed 10 round magazine with detachable 10 or 20 round magazines, as was seen on many of the variants that had made their way to China in his past life.


    Though there were better semi-automatic pistols Berengar could adopt, there was a particr reason that he chose this weapon for use in his special forces. When the Germans adopted this pistol, they generally issued it with a wooden holster that could also act as a stock, turning the gun into a semi-automatic pistol caliber carbine.


    This would be essential for dangerous operations, where his Jagdkommandos would need ess to rtively rapid-firing weapons. As such, it made the perfect sidearm for his most elite forces. Also, from a purely aesthetic perspective, it was a uniquely German handgun, which Berengar greatly appreciated.


    Another minor alteration to this weapon was the use of improved iron sights, which led to the shooter acquiring their target faster than on the original model. Was this essential to the function of the weapon? No, after all, the Mauser C96 from his previous life had an exceptionalbat record. Still, it did not hurt to make such a minor improvement.


    Having designed the weapons that would soon be issued to his Jagdkommandos andter be standard to his conventional Army, Berengarid back and rxed in his office chair. He had done more than enough work for that day; with this in mind, he broke out the old skull chalice and poured himself some fortified wine.


    As he drank from his chalice, he saw a particr sight enter his room. Honoria was dressed in a silk dress of the current fashion within Austria that was dyed purple, much like her hair. She had a sultry smile on her face as she approached her husband. Though Berenar did not know immediately what she had in mind, he could take a guess.


    As she reached her husband''s seat, she quickly hopped in hisp, nearly knocking the chair over as she did so. If not for Berengar''s foresight and fast reflexes, the couple would have indeed smashed into the ground. However, after stabilizing himself, Berengar immediately asked his third wife why she was bugging him.


    "So... I assume you have something to tell me?


    Honoria quickly nodded her head, however in the very next moment, she kissed her husband; after they had separated, she began licking his neck, which Berengar found strange. After a while, he flicked her on the nose and asked her the question on his mind.


    "What are you doing?"


    Honoria''s yfully prodded his chest with her dainty finger as she whispered in her husband''s ear.


    "Marking my territory, you reek of Linde''s perfume!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before getting down to business.


    "We can yter; tell me, what is so important that you have interrupted my progress?"


    Honoria began to pout as she heard this before sighing. After she did so, she expressed the thoughts that troubled her mind.


    "My crew wants to participate in the war against the Catholic Iberian Kingdoms, but I''m pregnant and can''t enter the battlefield. So... I wanted to know what you thought about allowing Melissa to take over for the time being?"


    Berengar thought about this for a few minutes before he broke intoughter; Honoria did not know how to react to this action and became slightly offended as she protested his attitude.


    "What''s so funny?"


    Berengar calmed down after hearing this before responding to the princess''s question.


    "They''re your crew, do what you want with them. You don''t need to ask for my permission on how to run your business..."


    Upon hearing this, a broad smile appeared on Honoria''s pretty face as she kissed Berengar on the cheek. After doing so, she hopped off hisp and ran towards the exit leaving behind a single phrase.


    "Thanks, daddy!"


    After saying that, she disappeared from Berengar''s sight, where he quickly downed the remaining contents of his fortified wine. After doing so, a single thought escaped from his lips.


    "Looks like I''m going to need to break out the whiskey."


    Having said this, Berengar spent the remainder of the evening drinking liquor by his lonesome.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 400: Annihilating the Aragonese Army

    <h4>Chapter 400: Annihting the Aragonese Army</h4>


    Throughout the past few weeks, while the Austrian Expeditionary Force gathered on the coast of Gibraltar, the war in Granada had been waging on. The central defensive linemanded by General Ziyad was crushed at Granada''s northern borders, and by now, they had been forced to withdraw to their Capital City.


    While this had transpired, General Arnulf and the Granadan Royal Guard had be trapped deep behind enemy lines, struggling to survive as Duke Lorenzo de Benavente ruthlessly pursued them across the ins of Andalusia. After the attempt on his life, he had refused to show mercy to Arnulf and the men beneath hismand.


    Currently, the city of Granada was enjoying itsst few days of peace, as the men, women, and children contained within prayed to their Deity for their very survival. After all, the Crusaders who would soon beset upon them would never show any mercy.


    What little remained of the Granadan Royal Army scrambled to form a line of defense to protect their capital city from the ferocity of their enemies. Luckily for them, the Austrian Reinforcements had finally arrived, where they immediately dug themselves into a massive and well-fortified trench line. 25,000 Austrians, standing side by side with 5,000 Granadans patiently waited for the arrival of the main Aragonese Army.


    Standing a few miles outside of the city was the primary force of the Aroganese Army, supported by tens of thousands of crusaders from the Order of Santiago and Ctrava. At its head was none other than King Felipe de Trast��mara with an army of 50,000 men at his back.


    The Aragonese King had personally led this Army to defeat Granada. After all, the Castilians were currently struggling to route out the remnants of the Granadan Royal Guard, and the Portuguese armies were God knows where. Thus, in his eyes, the glory for defeating Granada andpleting the Reconquista naturally fell to him. Atst, after nearly 700 years, Iberia would once more belong to its native sons.


    It was with this in mind that he sneered with disdain upon the supposedly meager fortifications standing between him and total victory. He cared not that the Austrians had arrived insignificant number to halt his advance.


    They may have powerful weapons on their side, but Aragon had the power of the Lord God almighty backing them, and thus the foolish King feared not what sorcery Berengar the ursed had managed to conjure from the depths of hell.


    After receiving a scouts report about the nature of the enemy''s defenses, Felipe gave his order to his troops, who were sitting back and waiting for the battle to begin.


    "Forward march and fear no evil, for God is on our side!"


    Tens of thousands of men immediately began their charge, attempting to take the trench line from the Austrian and Granadan forces. Completely unaware that they were walking into a massacre.


    The Aragonese were quite confident; recently, they had begun to manufacture their crude version of the arkebuse. It was made of cast iron, and they had utterly failed to standardize its caliber. Still, nevertheless, the Aragonese were now equipped in some small capacity with the weapons the Granadans utilized. It was with this in mind that they recklessly charged towards the enemy, foolishly believing they would not be fired upon until they reached a distance of a hundred feet.


    The Knights were the first to enter the fray, as the horses attempted to gallop over the barbed wire; however, overburdened by barding and their riders, it did not take long for the Catholic Cavalry to get stuck within the defenses that the Austrians had made.


    It was only after the Catholics reached a range of roughly 600 yards that the echo of the Artillery roared in the air. The screams as the shells twirled out of the barrels of the mighty 1422 Field Guns resounded across the battlefield, like that of a titan escaping from the pits of Tartarus.


    The shellsnded upon the Army trapped within the field of mud and barbed wire. As they detonated, piles of men were torn into chunks of meat, and others were ripped apart by the white-hot shrapnel. Blood-curdling screams apanied the sound of gunfire and Artillery to form a symphony of war.


    Felipe gazed in horror at the rear of his Army as he witnessed the destruction wrought upon his Army. The very sight of the 75mm High Explosive shells erupting and engulfing his men in fiery sts was exactly as the Pope had described. Somehow, someway Berengar the ursed had conjured hellfire upon the battlefield!


    The terrified King of Aragon immediately wet his hose as he could no longer contain his dder; after doing so, he immediately cried out in a shrill voice befitting that of a hysterical woman.


    "Retreat! For God''s sake, retreat!"


    The echo of gunfire and explosions had wholly drowned out his order despite this. Instead, the men within the field were given their conflicting orders by their officers. That being that under no circumstances were they to retreat; if they wanted to survive, they must press forward at all costs.


    As the King witnessed his Army being torn to shreds and refusing his orders, he immediately gave up and ordered his House Guard to retreat. Thus the King fled the battlefield as his Army valiantly tried to ovee the technological gap between them and their foes.


    Adelbrand, on the other hand, stood upon the city walls beside General Ziyad and the young Sultan Hasan. They watched the massacre unfold from a distance with a pair of binocrs. With a wicked grin on his face, Adelbrand immediately dered to his allies.


    "Wonderful, isn''t it? The power that His majesty''s Army possesses is not limited to what you see here. I am certain that we will be wielding even greater weapons in five years. As for what you see here? It will probably be issued to the reserves. Aren''t you d that his majesty has a soft spot for Saracens such as yourself?"


    Hasan could hardly believe his eyes; by now, the Iberians had begun to withdraw, the rapid rate of fire of the needle rifles,bined with the explosive power of the rifled breech-loaders, had indeed, and utterly torn the enemy army to shreds.


    Within minutes of the battle beginning, tens of thousands of men lie dead in the fields outside his capital city; as for the remainder of the Aragonese Army, they were either wounded and bleeding out or struggling to retreat from the trap they had marched into.


    The young Sultan only had one thought on his mind as he witnessed the sheer level of bloodshed beneath his very eyes.


    Whatever it takes, I must marry my sister to King Berengar. Without a marriage to bind our two houses together, this could be the fate of my people one day...


    As Hasan was thinking these words, Adelbrand reached into his satchel and pulled out a folder where he instantly handed it to the young Sultan with a stoic gaze. Confused by this action, Hasan immediately inquired about what was inside.


    "What is this?"


    The Austrian General refused to look the Sultan of Granada in the eye as he continued to gaze upon the carnage on the battlefield below. However, without the slightest hesitation, he revealed a hint of the true nature behind the folder.


    "It is a gift from his Majesty King Berengar. While I win your war for you, he wants you to get to work and begin implementing what is inside of this folder."


    Hasan looked through the folder briefly and was confused by what he was staring at. Nevertheless, there was sure to be somebody within his realm he couldprehend its contents. He handed it to his General Ziyad and gave him amand.


    "Have this folder brought to somebody who understands what is contained within."


    Ziyad immediately nodded his head and saluted his Sovereign. After doing so, he gazed upon the battlefield in the trenches below. The Aragonese crusaders were annihted with it; the echoes of gunfire and artillery had begun to fade.


    This day would mark a turning point in the centuries-long Reconquista. The ruthless massacre of the Aragonese Army at the hands of the Austrian First Division would spark out an outcry by the Catholic World, and countless volunteers would soon march from their homes to end thebined threat of the Austro-Granadan Alliance.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 401: Saving Agent Jürgen

    <h4>Chapter 401: Saving Agent J��rgen</h4>


    Weeks had passed since Berengar first gave the Royal Edict to establish a special operations unit known as the Jagdkommandos. During this time, a small team of elite soldiers had been formed with a single purpose; to save Agent J��rgen.


    To nobody''s surprise, this team was made entirely of Berengar''s most elite soldiers from his Jaeger Corps. At the moment, a small fireteam that made up this Task Force was sitting on a rowboat in the middle of the Vist River, inching ever closer to their target.


    Captain Andreas Jaeger was the current team leader of this specialty unit that would one day evolve into the infamous Jagdkommandos. Though there were many potential candidates for this position, after a thorough screening, ultimately, he was selected to lead this mission. At the moment, he was sharpening his bay as he sat within the boat used to approach their destination.


    The likelihood of him and his men needing to use these weapons to eliminate their potential hostiles was undoubtedly high; after all, a single shot of their rifles would immediately alert the entire camp of their presence.


    The man was currently dressed in what had been be known as an M22 Field Uniform; it had be the basis for all soldier''s uniforms within the Kingdom of Austria and was nothing more than a replica of the Wehrmacht''s M41 Field Uniform from Berengar''s past life.


    Over this uniform was a Splinter camo smock, and over that was his trusty trench armor, which was painted to match the camouge smock. Attached to the breastte was a set of ck webgear in the form of six ammo pouches that contained his paper cartridges for his Needle Rifle. Though Austria had begun to manufacture bolt action rifles and semi-automatic pistols, they were not yet tested or approved for field use; because of this, the unit was still equipped with the standard-issue Needle Rifle.


    Under this armor was a ck leather belt that contained his bay, his entrenching tool, and his canteen. As for his footwear, it was a pair of ck leatherbat boots that went up to his ankles. Worn over the top of these boots were a pair of splinter camo puttees. Atop his head was an M21 Stahlhelm, which was the designation given to the helmet he had worn for some time, It was also painted in splinter camouge.


    For better concealment, he wore a ghillie cape that acted as faux foliage; it wrapped itself around his head, shoulders, and back. The only other remarkable feature of his kit was that his face was painted in a woond pattern to obscure his pale skin that was likely to be seen in the dark.


    As the boat approached their destination, Andreas sheathed his bay before grabbing ahold of his paddle, where he and his team silently brought it to shore. Once on drynd, Andreas quickly went over the n one more time.


    "The n is simple; we infiltrate the camp and silently take out the guards. After doing so, we make our way to the tent that Royal Intelligence ims to be the current location of our missing field agent. Our objective is simple, extract J��rgen and bring him home!"


    The men whoprised this particr unit silently nodded before Andreas ordered them to move out. After doing so, they silently began to approach the nearby encampment that was not far away from the Vist.


    Before long, Andreas and his team found themselves behind the backs of a pair of Golden Horde sentries. Andreas quickly slung his rifle over his shoulder and unleashed his bay. After cing his hand over the man''s mouth, he quickly slid the dagger across his throat, ending the man''s tragic life.


    Blood spilled onto the ground forming a crimson pool. However, Before the other sentry could react, he was quickly taken out simrly by one of the men within Andreas'' squad. Only after Andreas was sure the two men were genuinely dead did he and his team drag the warriors'' bodies out of sight and hide them within the bushes.


    While all of this was happening, a marksman was stationed on the hill above with his needle rifle in hand. He was gazing down into the encampment through the iron sights of his rifle. If shit hit the fan, he would have to cover his team''s escape.


    After hiding the bodies, Andreas took the point where he slowly and cautiously made his way between the tents. Luckily for him, it appeared to be some form of celebration tonight; because of this, many of the Mongol warriors drank themselves to sleep. Only a few hostiles were wandering through the camp, and they were intoxicated to such degree that they could not notice Andreas and his squad if they were to crouch down five yards in front of them.


    Thus Andreas and his men swiftly made their way to the tent where J��rgen was supposedly held captive. Where they split into two groups, while Andreas and the medic rescued J��rgen, the others would search for his equipment. It was not a good idea to leave behind the gear that could Identify Austria as the assassins. After entering inside, they found their target tied to a post, with cuts and welts all over his body. He was missing his left hand and both of his eyes.


    The fingernails on his right hand werepletely removed, as were all his teeth. Evidently, when they weren''t cutting away at his body, they beat him with blunt objects as there was substantial bruising across his torso, and multiple fractures in his limbs.


    How he had managed to survive this long was utterly unknown to the veteran medic who apanied Andreas and his team. J��rgen was clearly on the brink of death, and as such, The medic instantly began to treat what few wounds he could manage.


    When there was nothing more to be done, the medic pulled out smelling salts and ced them under J��rgen''s nose, which immediately awakened the poor man. All he could see was darkness out of the dark pits where his eyes used to be; however, despite hisck of sight, he could still sense that he was surrounded. Thus he immediately began to panic. However, before he could scream, his mouth was covered, and he heard the familiar words of his native tongue whisper in his ears.


    "I am Captain Andreas Jaeger, of the Jaeger Corps. We are here to rescue you!"


    Upon hearing this, J��rgen''s brow immediately began to rx as he realized that aid had finallye for him. Afterward, Andreas removed his hand where J��rgen immediately began to speak.


    "I... I said... nothing... Well... besides eat shit!"


    After saying this, J��rgen began to chuckle, which immediately caused him to cough. Upon seeing this, the medic immediately cut him down. However, J��rgen was far too injured to walk. As he copsed onto the ground, he began to chuckle once more before making a request.


    "Water..."


    Captain Andreas quickly pulled out his canteen and guided it to J��rgen''s lips, where he hastily took a sip. After drowning the blood that had poled in his mouth with fresh water, the man sighed heavily before making one final request.


    "Kill me... Please!"


    Andreas was shocked when he heard this. However, the medic looked at him with a worrying gaze before whispering in his ear.


    "His wounds are too severe; if we take him out of here, he will die before we make it to the boat. We should grant him his wish and put an end to his suffering."


    Upon hearing this, Andreas'' hands began to tremble. He began to realize that they were far toote. J��rge was as good as dead, and if they attempted to bring him back, they could easily be caught by the Golden Horde.


    Despite this potential reality, he was undeterred; the veteran Captain refused to allow an Agent of the Crown to die in foreignnds and have his body tossed to the wolves or mutted any further by those filthy savages. It was with this in mind that he made a solemn vow to J��rgen as the man gasped, struggling for breath.


    "I promise you that I will have your body buried in Austrian soil."


    At this point, J��rgen could no longer speak. Instead, he nodded his head with a stern expression on his face. After doing so, the medic pulled out a small capsule that contained a fast-acting and lethal poison. He slid it into J��rgen''s mouth and messaged his throat so that he would swallow it.


    With this act, the agent began to whimper until there was utter silence; not even the sound of him breathing remained as his soul entered eternal rest. Upon seeing this, Andreas sighed heavily before giving the new order.


    "Cover me; I''m going to make sure J��rgen makes it home, even if it is as a corpse!"


    After saying this, he slung the fallen agent''s body over his soldier and drew his pistol, where his team immediately exited the tent with rifles in hand. For Andreas and his team of operators, the real difficulty was about to begin.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 402: The Bohemian Army Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 402: The Bohemian Army Arrives</h4>


    Having recovered J��rgen''s corpse, or what was left of it, Captain Andreas Jaeger quickly made his way out of the tent; however, the moment he exited it, he noticed arge and muscr figure. ording to the dossier they read over before this mission took ce, this man was likely to be none other than Subetei, the man who was the favorite to seed the previous Khan who J��rgen had assassinated.


    Subetei immediately reached for his saber; however, before he could even get his hand on his weapon, a booming echo resounded through the night''s sky. A gaping hole was in the middle of the Mongolian warlord''s chest as he stared at Andreas with surprise. In the Captain''s hand was a 1422 Service Revolver, which he had fired the moment Subetei reached for his weapon.


    The once-proud Mongolian warlord who was just about to be the next Khan of the Golden Horde copsed to the ground. However, the minute he did so, many warriors appeared from outside their tents, wondering what such a noise could be. They gazed in astonishment as they saw their leader bleeding out on the ground in front of a group of strangely dressed men.


    The brave warriors of Subetei''s faction immediately unsheathed their des and began howling as they charged at the intruders. Andreas did not hesitate and quickly raised his revolver with one hand as he opened fire upon the enemy in rapid fashion.


    Beside Andreas was the medic who quickly raised his rifle and fired at the oing opponents. Gunshots echoed in the air as bodies copsed. The more shots fired, the more Mongolians appeared from their tents, armed and ready forbat.


    However, Andreas did not stay behind, instead, he and the medic quickly regrouped with the other members of their squad before fleeing from the scene of their crime. Evidently they had found J��rgen''s equipment. While the soldiers ran, they also reloaded their weapons and fired at any hostiles who dared to get in their path. As for Andreas, he had long since fired his six shots, and because he was carrying J��rgen''s body, he could no longer load his weapon.


    With this in mind, he quickly holstered his firearm before unsheathing his bay, where he held it close to his body in case he needed to kill someone who got too close. As the Mongolian warriors began to chase after the fleeing Austrian team, the marksman on the hill above began carefully picking his targets; with every squeeze of the trigger, another hostile was sent to the afterlife.


    With great finesse, he quickly racked the bolt of his needle rifle back, where he ced the next paper cartridge into the action before mming the bolt home. After doing so, he quickly acquired his next target on the path of least resistance and gunned him down. Andreas quickly spotted the marksman clearing the path and ordered his men to follow it.


    "This way! Hurry!"


    The Austrian Jaegers fiercely began to battle their way out of the enemy encampment. As a Mongolian approached the medic reloading a paper cartridge, he quickly halted the procedure. He then raised his bay while thrusting it into the man''s heart. After doing so, he finished pushing the bolt forward before firing on another target.


    Andreas was protected by his soldiers, who guarded his nks as they secured the route out of the camp and towards the boat. Before long, they had gained a head start over the warriors of the Golden Horde, who were now rushing back to their tents to grab ahold of their bows. However, by the time they retrieved them, the Austrians had made their way out of the encampment and rushed towards the river basin where they had left their boat.


    The marksman continued to clear a path until hisrades had gotten close to their position. As such, he fired onest shot protecting the rear guard from an iing sword swing, exploding the target''s head before hopping down from his position and regrouping with his team. As he ran alongside them to the shore, he instantly cursed.


    ''Well, this is a fucking shit show!"


    Andreas did not say anything. Instead, he tossed J��rgens body into the boat and began to push it into the river. Before long, the Mongolians arrived and began to fire their arrows upon Andreas and his team; fortunately, their vitals were well protected from missile fire, and the hands failed to pierce through the Austrian steel trench armor.


    Andreas quickly unslung his rifle and fired a shot into the torso of the nearest Mongolian warrior before hopping into the boat which was now flowing downstream, every one of the Austrian soldiers made their way into the boat��at the same time, ducking their heads, and protecting their exposed backs from missile fire. They began to row as if their lives depended upon it, as arrows fell upon them instantly.


    However, due to the shape of their helmets, if they huddled down just right, there was no way they could be killed. After a while, they made it out of range of the Mongolianposite bows and began to cheer as they flipped off the hostile warriors who stared at them with disbelief.? However, Andreas immediately barked at his soldiers to remind them of something serious.


    "We''re not out of the woods yet; we need to get to the extraction point before they can get on horseback and follows; quit your cheering and start rowing!"


    Just as Andreas had said, the Mongolian warriors of the Golden Horde doubled back to their camp, where they got ahold of their horses. It was a race against time; the Austrians had to make their way downstream to where their mounts were located. If the Mongolians arrived before they did, it was all over.


    With this in mind, the team furiously rowed the boat into the rapids, where they were propelled downstream at a tremendous rate. After a while, they arrived at their destination, where Andreas picked up J��rgen''s body and ced it on the back of his horse. After mounting their horses the team immediately set off towards the Austrian Borders.


    However, before they could celebrate, they noticed that the advanced force of the Golden Horde was not far behind. Several hundred elite Mongolian riders were closing in and fast. With this in mind, Andreas pulled out his revolver once more and began ejecting its empty cartridges out of its gate. After doing so, he rapidly reloaded the weapon, with the reins in his left hand and the revolver in his right, he stormed off on his horse towards his homnd.


    The Mongolians rushed their horses towards the Austrians without caring for their mount''s safety. Eventually, they began to close the distance, where they proceeded to fire their arrows towards Andreas and his men. They were not in a good position, as their trench armor did not protect their backs. If an arrow made its way through its exposed area, it could mean death.


    The Austrians faced their oing attackers and fired their revolvers at them. The bullets traveled downrange to limited sess. If anything, they were more likely to strike the horse. A .38 special was not capable of entirely stopping a horse with a single shot unless it hit a vulnerable region.


    However, when their shots didnd clean, they managed to either knock down a rider or kill its horse. As the Chase continued, things were beginning to look bleak to the Austrians. By now, they had run out of ammo with their revolvers, and they were not equipped with cavalry carbines.


    However, in their darkest hour, the sound of thunder resounded in the air, and in the very next moment, a plume of smoke appeared from the edge of the forest. As it did, more than a quarter of the approaching Mongols fell dead. It took a few moments, but another volley was fired shortly after, where an exciting sight took ce.


    Men dressed in Uniforms that they did not recognize emerged from the treeline with muskets in their hands and triangr bays affixed as they loaded quick loading tubes into the bores of their weapons before firing another volley. With this third volley, everyst member of the horde who had followed them was either in or trapped beneath the weight of their horse.


    Seeing that their enemies were defeated, Andreas ordered his unit to halt as they watched the unknown men rush forth from their positions and skewer any member of the golden horde left alive with their bays.


    Andreas was quite suspicious of this new and unknown force and thus approached them cautiously. However, the man in charge of thepany of soldiers who had helped them with their pursers immediately saluted him before speaking in what Andreas would politely refer to as "Broken German."


    "Captain Kry?tof J��lek of the Royal Bohemian Army. We were sent to provide aid; I am d we arrived on time."


    Berengar had suspected something like this could happen. With this in mind, he had kept the newly established Bohemian Army on standby to intercept and aid the Jaegers if they found themselves in trouble during their escape.? Andreas was stunned to see that there was some form of support for them, however before he could thank the man and his troops, Captain Kry?tof immediately began to interrupt.


    "The majority of their army is still out there, and there are not enough of us to fight them off. Quickly, while you can make your escape, we will be returning to Bohemia immediately."


    Thus the brief interaction between the Bohemian Army and Austria''s fledgling special forces group ended. Andreas quickly gave his orders to his soldiers; he was confident he did not want to stick around for the rest of the horde to arrive.


    "Quickly, with haste ride towards the fathend!"


    His soldiers immediately nodded their heads and followed the path back to Austria. The rest of their journey would be entirely uneventful.


    ---


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 Chapter 403: Constitutional Convention Part I

    <h4>Chapter 403: Constitutional Convention Part I</h4>


    Berengar stood within the halls of the Reichstag. Surrounding him was every prominent political and economic leader within the Kingdom of Austria. After Duke Otto von Graz had openly called for a Constitutional Convention to amend the current Constitution of Austria, the nation was in an uproar.


    How dare the Duke and father-inw of the King question the Crown''s authority for the sake of the upper nobility. However, when Berengar responded in a cordial, and weing manner, the people naturally calmed their wrath.


    Berengar had gone a step further, and called for every titan of industry, every political representative, every noble of significant standing, to gather together in the Reichstag for a single purpose, to redraft the Constitution in a way that worked for all people.


    Currently, Berengar was addressing the massive gathering with some of his proposed changes to the current Constitution. After much bickering from the nobility, andmon popce. The bicameral legitive that was based upon the United States of his previous life was thoroughly scrapped. The young King of Austria began to recount the changes to this system that had be universally epted after several days of near-constant debate by those attending this Constitutional Convention.


    "It is my understanding that we havee to some form of agreement on this matter, so allow me to reiterate for official purposes. As far as the legitive branch is concerned, there shall be two chambers of parliament.


    An electorateprised of educatedmon men of good moral character can elect up to one member of parliament for every twenty-five thousand citizens who dwells within the confines of the Kingdom of Austria.


    Every four years there shall be an election to elect a member of parliament to fill these positions, No representative shall be allowed to run for office more than twice. The representative must be at least thirty years of age and pass a background check, as well as a written test supervised by the royal Crown itself.


    Their duty, should they be elected shall be performed with the principle of serving the Austrian Crown to the benefit of the people. A member of parliament will have the right to draft bills to be looked over by the King of Austria, this will require at least a ? majority to pass .


    They shall also have the power to impeach government officials under the condition of a ? majority. In the event of an impeachment of a member of the peerage, the Trial will be handed to the House of Lords to handle. Are there any objections to these terms?"


    Berengar gazed around the Reichstag at the gathered men to see if anyone raised a hand or voice in protest to these terms. As he had previously announced, it had be universally epted at this point, and thus not a single person raised aint regarding this portion of the Constitution. Upon seeing that there were no voices of dissent, Berengar cleared his throat before moving on to the next portion of the legitive branch.


    "Moving on to the House of Lords...


    There shall be five members of the House of Lords for every Duchy within our great realm. These Noblemen shall be elected by a simple majority from the Peerage of their respective Duchies and will serve a four-year term, with a limit of two terms.


    The requirements to be a candidate for a position within the House of Lords are as follows. The nobleman in question must be at least thirty years of age, a citizen of Austria for at least five years without dual citizenship, pass an intensive background check as well as a written test supervised by the Austrian Crown itself.


    If the Duchy in question has not managed to fill its seats within the House of Lords, then the Austrian Crown will choose the remaining representatives on their behalf. The King of Austria will also be able to select a total of five lords that will represent his interests within the House of Lords.


    With the greater good of the Austrian Crown in mind, the members of the House of Lords will have the power to draft and edit legiture for the King to review, the authority to remove government officials from a position of power with a fair trial, as well as the ability to suggest potential members for the King''s Court."


    After reviewing the terms that the Constitutional Convention had agreed upon prior, Berengar once more gazed over to see if there were any dissenting views. Yet again, not a single man present raised a voice of objection to the terms proposed. Having gained the consent of the various members of society present, Berengar began to address the Executive Branch of government.


    "As for the Executive Branch of Government, I will reiterate the consensus that was previously agreed upon throughout our deliberations.


    The King of Austria shall be head of the government; he will preside over the House of Commons and Lords, where he will have the power to sign bills intow, dere war, and oversee treaties. The Crown of Austria shall receive the title of Reichsmarschall, where he is the de-factomander-in-chief of Austria''s Armed Forces.


    The King shall also retain the power to issue Royal Edicts. If the reigning Monarch deems the need to personally pass legition for whatever reason, he can issue a Royal Edict to do so. Thisw will remain in ce until his sessor is chosen, where the new King will have the power to renew these Royal Edicts or terminate them.


    As far as thews of session are concerned, the King will have the ability to appoint a sessor of his choosing from his Dynasty. This sessor shall be determined by merit rather than order of birth. Only the mostpetent of his male offspring shall be chosen to inherit the Crown. If there are no male offspring of the King, then the most qualified of his brothers or nephews shall be selected to seed him.


    The Crown of Austria cannot be passed down to anyone outside the von Kufstein dynasty. As such, only full-blooded German men will be capable of seeding the reigning Monarch. As for the female members of the von Kufstein Dynasty, all marriages pertaining to these women must be matrilineal in nature.


    If, for whatever reason, the King passes away without selecting an heir, the Royal Court will vote upon the male members of the von Kufstein Dynasty for session; a simple majority will choose the result.


    If for whatever reason, the need arises to remove the King from office, it can be done so long as a unanimous decision is achieved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The King shall not be able to edit the Austrian Constitution unless a ? majority within the House of Commons and House of Lords decide otherwise."


    Having spoken about the matters pertaining to the King of Austria, Berengar gazed upon the crowd; it took several days of bitter debate to achieve this result. Still, ultimately the people nodded their heads in response to the terms presented. Having seen this, Berengar immediately began to address the role of the Royal Court.


    "The Royal Court will act as the personal advisors of the reigning King, as well as the heads of the various Federal Departments. They will advise the King as experts in their respective fields and control matters pertaining to their department. The members of the Royal Court will have the power to draft a bill which shall be passed to the House of Lords to review.


    As for the Selection of the members of the Royal Court, they can either be chosen directly from the reigning Monarch or be suggested by the House of Lords. The minimum requirements to be selected as a member of the Royal Court are as follows.


    They must be a minimum of thirty-five years of age and a citizen of Austria for at least ten years without dual citizenship. They must pass a written exam overseen by the Austrian Crown, go through an extensive background check, and have previously held a position as a government official."


    After saying this, Berengar gazed upon the crowd, who once more nodded their heads; by now, this was merely a formality to ensure that everything they had debated upon over the past few days was still in agreement. Luckily for him, nobody disagreed with the previously mentioned roles of government. It was with this in mind that he moved onto the Judicial Branch.


    "The judicial Power of the Kingdom of Austria shall be vested in one supreme Court, and such inferior Courts as Parliament may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.


    The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment; shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the Duchy where the said Crimes shall have beenmitted; but when notmitted within any Duchy, the Trial shall be at such ce or ces as Parliament may by Law have directed."


    Berengar admitted to himself that the Judicial portion of his government was copied nearly word for word from the Constitution of the United States from his Previous life. He wanted nothing to do with sentencing criminals unless rted to subjects such as Treason, War-Crimes, etc.


    After getting through this final part and seeing the unanimous agreement by the members of society gathered in the Reichstag, Berengar took a deep breath; now that he had established the three branches of government, he needed to discuss other essential amendments to the Constitution such as Individual rights.


    ---


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 Chapter 404: Constitutional Convention Part II

    <h4>Chapter 404: Constitutional Convention Part II</h4>


    Having established the three branches of government within the Austrian Constitution, Berengar had now moved onto the individual rights and liberties that the people in his society would maintain. Naturally, as a Semi-Constitutional Monarchy, the people would not be given the extent of freedoms that they had during Berengar''s past life.


    "Amendment I of the Austrian Bill of Rights is as follows:


    Unless in the event that such freedoms have been deemed a threat to National Security, Parliament shall make now respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


    Amendment II of the Austrian Bill of Rights is as follows:


    Unless in the event that such action is deemed necessary for National Security, no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed byw.


    Amendment III of the Austrian Bill of Rights is as follows:


    Unless in the event that such freedoms have been deemed a threat to National Security, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be vited, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particrly describing the ce to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


    Amendment IV of the Austrian Bill of Rights is as follows:


    Unless in the event that such freedoms have been deemed a threat to National Security, no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise, infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in thend or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall bepelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process ofw; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without justpensation.


    Amendment V of the Austrian Bill of Rights is as follows:


    Unless in the event that such freedoms have been deemed a threat to National Security, In all criminal prosecutions, the used shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have beenmitted, which district shall have been previously ascertained byw, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the usation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to havepulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.


    Amendment VI of the Austrian Bill of Rights is as follows:


    Unless in the event that such freedoms have been deemed a threat to National Security, Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."


    Berengar had once again simply copied several aspects from the United States Constitution that he deemed to be necessary. However, for the purpose of future stability of his Empire and tobat the potential threat of dangerous ideologies, Berengar had ensured that there was an exemption to these individual rights under the guise of National Security.


    With these Amendments spoken, Berengar searched around to see if any member of the Constitutional Convention disagreed with any of the terms presented. However, such things had already been thoroughly debated over the past few days, and thus not a single person rejected these notions.


    Having established the three branches of government and the people''s individual rights. There was one final article of the Constitution that Berengar wanted to establish. Thus, he spoke in an authoritative tone as he addressed the convention.


    "There is one final addition that I wanted to add to our Constitution, and thus I will present it now where it will be open to the floor to decide whether it is contained within or not.


    All men, who are between eighteen and thirty years of age, must serve a minimum of four years in active duty to the Armed Forces of Austria and another four in the Reserves. Exemptions shall be issued under the condition that one may be deemed unfit for service; however, if one is in fact deemed unfit for service without a proper disability, they will be forced to pay an additional 3% of ie tax until the age of thirty-seven for a maximum of eleven years."


    After saying this, Berengar gazed around at the gathered people expecting some form of fierce debate to erupt, thus causing this constitutional convention to continue for another few days. However, only silence remained. That is until one man, in particr, stood up; this man was well respected within the Kingdom of Austria as its most outstanding General; as Eckhard stood up, he threw a Roman salute towards his Monarch while shouting a patriotic slogan.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    Upon seeing the fervent response from the man responsible for many of their Kingdom''s victories, everyone else in the room stood up and followed in his footsteps.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    Berengar gazed upon the men gathering before him with a sense of pride as he returned their salute with one of his own and with it the phrase hemonly used in response.


    "Hail Victory!"


    After doing so, he allowed themotion to calm down before addressing the members of the Constitutional Convention.


    "If there are no disagreements, then I will conclude this Constitutional Convention, and we will hereby ratify this document as the basis of our Government!"


    With this said, the crowd erupted into cheers; after several days of agonizing debate, they had finallye to a unanimous agreement on the roles of government and the liberties of the people. While this government may appear restrictive to the people of Berengar''s past life, it was undoubtedly the most liberal that had ever been seen in this medieval world.


    Of course, in the end, under the guise of national security and the power of Royal Edicts, the Royal Crown of Austria still held significant authority to do as it pleased with the country. Thus, in reality, Berengar''s power was not limited in any meaningful capacity that might prevent him from instituting the reforms he deemed necessary for society.


    What this Constitutional Convention managed to create was a sense of belonging by all members of society, as if all sses were represented in the creation of this new form of government, rather than having the King draft it by himself.


    As Berengar returned to his pce, he began to wonder if a true liberal republic would ever present itself in this world that he had so drastically altered. After all, with the overwhelming power and technological superiority of the future German Empire, would the other Nations seek to emte his Semi-Constitutional Monarchy? Would the age of Enlightenment and its ideals evere to pass?


    When he considered the fact that his society would one day be the envy of the world, with principles based upon the ideas of collectivism, militarism, meritocracy, and autarky. How would the ideas of liberty and individualism ever sprout when his people realized that under the reign of their Monarchs, they had been uplifted to a state where the average man lived a better life than that of foreign nobles.


    He thought of these questions as he opened the door to his pce and entered inside. As he had suspected, his family was waiting for him, with different expressions. Linde was concerned that he may have ceded too much power from himself in an attempt to appease the masses, while Ad was happy that he was taking steps to ensure the rights of themon people.


    On the other hand, Honoria simply did not care about the constitutional convention as it would not affect her or her children. Instead, she was just happy that her husband was home so that she could fool around with him. Thus she was the first to approach him and nt a kiss on his lips while whispering in his ear.


    "Wee home, daddy!"


    Berengar by now had be ustomed to the intimate expression that the young princess used to refer to him and stroked her purple hair as he embraced her. Following this, his other wives followed suit in an attempt to one-up one another, each kissing him, before referring to him by their affectionate nicknames.


    However, in the next moment, something unexpected happened; Henrietta ran up and hugged him before nting a kiss on his cheek; after doing so, she rested her head in his chest before saying the words contained deep within her youthful heart.


    "Wee home, big brother!"


    Berengar was confused, his sister did not normally behave in such an overly affectionate manner akin to his lovers. In fact, for a while now, she has been purposely instigating conflict between his wives, yet now all of a sudden, she followed the way they weed him upon returning home. He was just thankful that she didn''t kiss him on the lips, or else he would have to have an awkward conversation with the girl about boundaries.


    Due to how intoxicated he was, Berengar had forgotten entirely what he witnessed during the time he had yed poker with his sister. Thus he could not rationally think of why her behavior was so sporadic throughout these past few months. However, he decided not to dwell on it and quickly pet her golden hair before shifting the subject.


    "So, what is for dinner?"


    While Berengar may not know what was going on in his little sister''s mind, Linde had begun to gaze at the young girl with suspicion. Henrietta had single-handedly stolen the spotlight as she gained the majority of Berengar''s affection. The veteran spymaster began to consider that quite possibly, Henrietta was not the little rabbit that she had always thought of her as, but instead was a sly fox.


    Berengar was a rational and logical man. Because of this, he had never considered the possibility that maybe Henrietta was beginning to develop feelings for him. After all, she had been cooped up in the Castle her entire life. Because of this, the girl had limited interaction with people outside her family, and they were all the girls from her school.


    Her two brothers were the only males she had ever interacted with in any significant capacity who was remotely close to her age. With Lambert dead and Berengar being the only man in her life, naturally, as she entered her teenage years and began puberty, she had started to entertain some taboo ideas.


    One thing was certain if Berengar did not find a proper suitor for his sister soon, she was bound to act upon her incestuous fantasies, which was something that could only bring trouble for the young Monarch. However, he did not know any of this, and as such, he brought his family to the dining area, where they enjoyed a meal in peace. The only person in the room who had begun to suspect Henrietta''s intentions was Linde, whose gaze never left the young girl''s sight.


    ---


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 Chapter 405: In the Name of God

    <h4>Chapter 405: In the Name of God</h4>


    With the disastrous defeat that the Kingdom of Aragon and its supporting Crusader Armies had suffered outside the city of Granada. The Catholic world was practically turned on its head overnight. Adelbrand did not stand idly by and led his into the upied Granadan territory to liberate it from the Catholic oppressors.


    Battle after battle, the superiority of his artillery and the individual soldiers under hismand had utterly massacred the Iberian Forces. In doing so he had sessfully rescued Arnulf and the remainder of the Granadan Royal Guard from their pursuers.


    While the King of Aragon had sessfully fled the sight of his soldier''s ughter, he was far from unscathed.? Physically he was fine; however, mentally, the man could not get over his fear; every time he closed his eyes, he could hear the roar of the Austrian artillery and the fiery explosions that resulted from its shells. His men being turned into nothing but meat paste had a particrly chilling effect on his mental state.


    If Austria had such fearsome weapons, when the Crusade arrived, he knew that only death awaited those who embarked on such a foolish venture. Despite this, he sent a warning to the Papacy about what he had witnessed on the field of battle.


    Pope Julius had just finished reading the letter written by King Felipe of Aragon; his hands were trembling in rage as he tore the document to pieces in a fit of fury. The King of Aragon had requested the Pope to gather all faithful Christian men and send them into Iberia. He believed there was no conceivable way for the Iberian Union to achieve victory.


    The very idea that the King of Aragon felt that defeat was inevitable without sending countless men into the meat grinder brought an overwhelming sense of wrath to the Vicar of Christ. Just when the Catholics were about to win the centuries-long Reconquista; Berengar the ursed had deployed his forces in defense of the Moorish invaders! Austria blocked its path no matter what ploy for power the Papacy sought to achieve.


    "God damn you to hell Berengar von Kufstein! You are always one step ahead of me, no matter where I seek to strike! It is simply intolerable! What kind of devil are you to torment me in such a manner!"


    If Berengar could hear the Pope''s words right now, he would be smiling with a vicious grin genuinely befitting of the devil. The Papacy''s greatest military supporter was on the verge of copse. With the loss of Northern Italy and Switzend, the Holy Roman Emperor was cut off from the rest of his Empire, which was currently fighting among themselves over a meaningless title.


    After a humiliating defeat to the Austrian Army, Balsamo Corsini had outright refused to aid the Papacy in its attempts to counter Berengar''s rise in power; the man was too frightened even to risk the slightest chance of having the might of the Austria Military at his gates once more.


    With the ongoing construction of the major Naval Base on Malta, Berengar would soon have a prime location to strike at any power within the Mediterranean; the very idea that Austria controlled thend and seas with domineering fashion was enough to make the Pope wish death and damnation upon its entire popce.


    Julius was so worked up that he could no longer think straight; he somehow gained the brilliant idea of issuing a decree to all of the Catholic World in a state of mental turmoil. Thus he put on a calm facade as he walked out onto his balcony and announced to the people of Rome the supposed word of God.


    "Any man who gives his life in pursuit of Reconquista shall surpass the depths of Purgatory and directly enter through the Gates of Heaven. To kill an infidel is to gain a higher status in the Lord''s Kingdom. Go forth, righteous men of Christendom, and drive the Moors and their Austrian allies out of the Iberian Penins! God wills it!"


    After saying this, the Pope immediately withdrew from his balcony. He returned to his Papal throne as he began cursing his enemies out loud, utterly unaware that the Cardinals were nearby watching his erratic behavior.


    "I don''t care how many men must bleed to achieve it, but make no mistake Berengar von Kufstein, your wretched army shall be driven from thends of Iberia, and the Catholics shall achieve their victory over your heresy! You will not rece the Church as the major power of the West!"


    ...


    Weeks passed since the Pope''s announcement calling upon all men of faith to march to Iberia in an attempt to eradicate the Granadans and their Austrian Allies. At this time, the various Kings of Europe reacted to the message differently.


    Like the King of Hungary, some were eager to gain vengeance on Austria for past grievances and thus sent not only a detachment of their military but also tens of thousands of their peasants into the conflict. Others like the Kings of Ennd and France were far too busy with their petty squabbles to bother sending troops to the Iberian Penins.


    Despite this, many of their peasants who sought glory in the afterlife picked up whatever weapons they could manage and voluntarily traveled to thend that was supposed to guarantee a spot in the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, an eternity in the Lord''s Domain was far better than the life of a serf.


    Even Pnd-Lithuania was affected by this decree; believing they were on the verge of victory with the Teutonic Order, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth sent 10,000 soldiers to the Iberian Penins and another 20,000 peasant levies. They had no idea that Berengar had set his sights on the rump state that was the Teutonic State and thends that belonged to Prussia in his past life.


    Hundreds of thousands of Christians had taken up the Cross in an attempt to reim thends that belonged to the Emirate of Granada. In response to this, Hasan Al-Fadl, the Sultan of Granada, began to panic as he stood within the War Room of his Royal Pce.


    By his side were three Generals of note, two of which were Austrian. General Arnulf von Thiersee, the Commander of the Austro-Granadan Coalition, spoke with confidence as he tried to assure the young Sultan that he need not worry.


    "Your Majesty, you must remain calm. Even though hundreds of thousands of hostile forces will be marching upon thesends, you still have the support of the First Division! I am certain that his Majesty King Berengar is already nning to dispatch additional troops to Granada as we speak."


    Adelbrand scoffed in response to this beforementing on his own.


    "His Majesty will probably lead the charge himself after hearing that such a massive army is on its way. You know how King Berengar is; he likes to be in the thick ofbat; I doubt he will miss such an opportunity to entertain his endless bloodlust."


    Upon hearing that his ally would likely send further support, Hasan began to calm down a bit; to aid his nerves, he took a sip from the fortified wine that he had acquired from his trade with Austria. The man nearly choked on the liquid when he heard Adelbrand''s further spection.


    "His Majesty may request the aid of the Byzantine Empire; after all, he has close ties to the Emperor, and our army is still in the process of being equipped with the newest weapons. Perhaps he will even bring the Bohemian Forces with him. After all, they have yet to be truly tested in battle."


    Adelbrand nodded his head in agreement; Berengar did not form the Bohemian Royal Army so that they could sit back and defend its borders. As for the Byzantines, it was a bit of a stretch to get them involved considering their history with Muslim Nations. However, if anybody could convince the Emperor to send an Army to Granada to fight against the Catholics, it was Berengar.? When Hasan heard this, he immediately began to inquire how many troops woulde to his support.


    "Just how many men do you think Berengar will bring with him?"


    Upon hearing this, Adelbrand and Arnulf looked at each other withplicated gazes, as if they were trying to figure out how their Liege''s mind worked. Ultimately it was Arnulf who sighed before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "His Majesty doesn''t like to simply win wars; he aspires to dominate in every conflict; I wouldn''t be surprised if he brought another division with him, and however many troops he has managed to raise in Bohemia. So most likely an additional 30,000 troops, which should be more than enough to handle the enemy. "


    After hearing such a response, Hasan felt relieved and no longer worried about his future. He had seen the level of destruction that a single Austrian Division had done to an army twice its size. Thus if another were to arrive in Granada, he need not worry about the war any longer. All that was left to do now was drink and wait for the storm to arrive.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 406: State Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 406: State Funeral</h4>


    Berengar stood at the funeral procession within the cemetery that was established for fallen soldiers and field agents. He had a downcast expression as he stared at the closed coffin which contained the corpse of one of his bravest field agents.


    Though he had sent the best soldiers at hismand to liberate the captured field agent known as J��rgen Speck, by the time they arrived, the man was on the brink of death and onlysted long enough to inform hisrades that he had never revealed any information to his captors.


    Because he had died in service to the fathend and had resisted his cruel torment at the hands of his captors until the very end, Berengar had set up a massive funeral service for the man. Various heads of state, including the King, the Chancellor, the Director and Deputy Director of Royal Intelligence, and the Director of Covert Operations, were all present to send this man off to the afterlife.


    Due to the condition of his corpse, it was a closed casket funeral, and at the moment Ludolf, head of the German Church, was saying J��rgen''sst rights as his coffin was interned in the Earth. Berengar felt a hand attach to his own as he listened to the Priest''s words; upon looking over, he saw the gloomy expression of his Second Wife and Director of Intelligence Linde von Kufstein as she gazed into Berengar''s one good eye.


    For this special assion, Linde wore a uniform that proudly disyed her status as Director of Royal Intelligence, it was a steingrau colored uniform in the style that one might see in use by the Stasi of East Germany during Berengar''s past life.


    The primary difference was that the cor was downturned in style used by the Wehrmacht, and allmunist symbolism was reced with the Imperial symbols of Berengar''s Kingdom of Austria. Berengar felt that his wife was quite attractive in her uniform, and if not for the fact that they were currently at a funeral, he would have pinned her to the ground and ravaged her then and there.


    However, now was not the time for such things, and thus as Ludolf closed his speech, Berengar let go of his wife''s hand and approached the Podium where he began to address those who had gathered.


    "My fellow Austrians, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of a great man, who gave his life in service of his King and Fathend. I can not go into exact details of the operations that J��rgen Speck had conducted that resulted in his untimely demise, but know that his efforts were not in vain.


    J��rgen was a man I did not personally know, as I have little contact with the Department of Intelligence, aside from regrmunications with its Director. However, from what the soldiers dispatched to rescue the man has told me, he was a man of great conviction! I know that he has left behind a widow and two young children, and make no mistake for his sacrifice to this Kingdom, his family will be taken care of at the expense of the Crown!


    After saying this, a man stood before Berengar with a small wooden case, where Berengar grabbed ahold of it before approaching J��rgen''s widow. She struggled to contain her tears as she watched her loving husband be interred into the ground. After standing directly in front of her, Berengar ced a hand on her shoulder infort and expressed his sympathy.


    "I am sorry for your loss, for your husband''s Conspicuous gantry, extraordinary heroism, and courage in the face of a significant and known risk above and beyond the call of duty I hereby award him the highest honor a man of his position can achieve, the National Intelligence Cross!"


    Berengar opened the small wooden case to reveal a solid gold Cross patt��e; this Cross had a wreath surrounding its center with a ck enamel filling. Inside of this filling was a golden Austrian Double-Headed Eagle. The ribbon attached to the medal and mirrored the pattern of the United State''s National Intelligence Cross from his past life, with the difference being the colors were in ck, white, and gold.


    Berengar handed this award to J��rgen''s widow and embraced her in a tonic hug as she cried into his shoulder. It was not every day that Berengar had to fulfill such depressing responsibilities; as such, he kept a stoic facade in the face of the gloomy atmosphere, conducting himself with the dignity that Monarch should have towards his people.


    After the funeral procession was over, Berengar returned to the pce, where he locked himself away in his study and began to drink from a bottle of whiskey that he had saved inside his desk for special asions. Not caring about the possibility of intoxication, Berengar filled his skull chalice to its edges with the amber liquid before slowly drinking from it, reflecting on the cost of his ambitions.


    Linde did not return with Berengar; she was needed at the Headquarters of Royal Intelligence to oversee some critical matters regarding the status of the Golden Horde. Luckily for them, the team had managed to retrieve J��rgen''s equipment, and body, before his captors could identify him as an Agent of the Austrian Crown.


    In fact, after the destruction of the force that chased Andreas and his team at the hands of the Royal Bohemian Army, the Golden Horde had wholly disregarded the loss of the previous Khan. With His death, and that of the man most likely to seed him, the Golden Horde was in a state of turmoil, as the various warlords among their ranks fought for control, they had gone from rampaging through Teutonic Territory to killing each other in pursuit of power. Thus Berengar was not exaggerating when he said that J��rgen''s actions were not in vain.


    However, Berengar had a new headache to do with; while his agents continued to hamper the Eastern Coalition; the Pope had done something incredibly foolish and turned the might of his proxies towards the Iberian Front. Desperate for a victory against Austria before he could gather his forces to march on its Kingdom, the man had implored hundreds of thousands of men to go out and die in the Iberian Penins.


    A single division of Austrian soldiers may be equipped with the most modern weapons avable to them. Still, they were not enough to single-handedly fight off hundreds of thousands of hostiles. Thus Berengar would have to push back his n to annex the Teutonic State and personally lead the Second Division into Granada. After all, a war of this caliber was something that Berengar waspelled to take part in.


    The young King of Austria took another sip of his whiskey as he thought about this. While conscription had been introduced into the constitution of Austria and was currently undergoing implementation, it would be months before any of the hundreds of thousands of young men being thrust into the Armed Forces were adequately trained and outfitted for war. Thus he could only rely on his current army of 100,000 Men and the fledgling force he had established in Bohemia, of roughly 15,000.


    Of course, Berengar did not n to send all his soldiers into Iberia and leave the fathend defended solely by the garrisons. Thus he nned to dispatch the Second Division, alongside the 15,000 Bohemians, for a total of 40,000 additional men to enter the Reconquista. Whenbined with the First Division and the roughly ten thousand Granadans who remained in its Armed Forces, he would have close to 75,000 Men in the field.


    Despite this, they would be heavily outnumbered by their enemies. Thus Berengar was left with one option, to call upon the alliance he had made with the Byzantine Empire and ask for their aid. With this in mind, he took another sip of his whiskey before drafting a formal letter to the Emperor of Byzantium requesting military assistance in Iberia.


    By the time Berengar finished all of this, it was well past midnight, and he was both exhausted and heavily intoxicated. Thus when he left his study and entered the hallway searching for his quarters, he stumbled upon a young woman he believed to be his wife, Ad. After all, she looked awfully simr and it wasn''t easy to make out her features in the darkness.


    This girl had her golden blonde hair tied up in twintails and wore a frilly white nightgown as she gazed at the King of Austria with an embarrassed expression. Berengar instantly stumbled forward and grabbed ahold of the girl before kissing her passionately on the lips. After doing so, he whispered something in her ears, which caused her appearance to flush, followed by a silent nod.


    Berengar then led the girl into the penthouse suite where hey her on the bed; he proceeded to get undressed before pouncing on the girl, who appeared as if she was a frightened little rabbit about to be devoured by a hungry wolf.


    Just when the girl was sure that her chastity would be taken, Berengar copsed on top of her, he was truly and utterly asleep. This girl then began to pout while stuck beneath the weight of her elder brother, with a single phrase escaping from her luscious pink lips.


    "Stupid big brother..."


    Berengar would never realize how close he came to making a horrible mistake on that night. By the time he awoke, Henrietta would be gone, and he would have no memory of what had transpired.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 407: Negotiating Byzantine Intervention into Reconquista

    <h4>Chapter 407: Negotiating Byzantine Intervention into Reconquista</h4>


    The young Austrian King took a sip from the tea contained in his ceramic cup. Sitting across from him was none other than Vetranis Piologos. With a simple letter, Berengar was able to summon the mighty Emperor of the East to his humble abode. Thus, the two men were currently within the confines of the Austrian Royal Pce, specifically in its study discussing important matters of State.


    Berengar ced his teacup down on the coaster as he gazed at the man sitting before him. By his side was Strategos Padius Angelus, who had be the chief advisor of military matters to the Byzantine crown after Arethas'' untimely demise. The stark contrast between Berengar''s modern fashion and the medieval attire that his guests wore signified just how much more advanced Austria waspared to the next most powerful State within the Mediterranean.


    Though their alliance had not been in effect for long, the King of Austria and the Byzantine Emperor were now engaged in a fierce negotiation over military action in Iberia. Berengar, who had already pledged support to his ally in the West, attempted to persuade his father-inw to join the Anti-Catholic Coalition and annihte the vast armies who had begun to march to their deaths.


    "I have dispatched the Second Division of the Austrian Royal Army to Granada, where they will unite with the First Division and what remains of the Royal Granadan Army. From there, they will push the Catholics out of Granada.


    Before long, I will join them and lead my troops into battle as I have always done; the problem at hand is that there are now hundreds of thousands of zealous Catholics marching on Iberia in a foolish attempt by the Pope to beat my armies via proxy.


    What the Pope should be doing is saving these bodies for the so-called Crusade he has dered against me and adequately outfit them to invade mynds. However, I won''tin; if I can ughter a few hundred thousand would-be crusaders in Iberia, it simply means the incursion into my Kingdom will be weaker.


    While my soldiers will likely be able to handle the situation, I would feel safer knowing that I have more men in the field tobat the enemy''s numerical advantage. Without this support, I fear the conflict could go on for many months, perhaps even a year. I have three children on the way, and I would prefer to return home in time so that I can wee them into this world.


    So, I request that you send one of your armies as an expeditionary force into Iberia to fight alongside Austria and Granada to drive the Catholics out of the Moorishnds. More men, with more guns, is always a bonus on the battlefield."


    After hearing this request, Padius whispered something into Vetranis'' ears which caused the Emperor to nod his head. After doing so, he began to speak in an authoritative tone that resembled what Berengar would expect from a man of his position.


    "After driving the Catholics from Granada, what is your n then? Do you intend to keep arming the Granadans to resist any further incursion into theirnds?"


    Berengar took another sip from his tea before responding to Vetranis''ments. After several moments of introspection, the young Austrian King revealed his n for the Iberian Penins.


    "After I have crushed the Catholic Armies of Iberia and the fanatics who flock to their cause. I will begin rebuilding the Granadan Army and Navy from scratch. My intent is not to spend years of my life fighting their wars. Instead, I n to outfit them with the means to reim much of Al-Andalus by themselves.


    A unified catholic Iberia is frankly uneptable for my ns. While Hasan may not be the mostpetent ruler or even a half-decent strategist, he has something far more valuable, in my opinion. The young Sultan of Granada has a degree of tolerance for those with different views than himself.


    Suppose that Al Andalus were to somewhat resurface under the control of his Dynasty, it is possible that we will see a reformation in the Muslim Faith, which would make them far less hostile to those of different religions, thus strengthening cooperation between our people. At the end of the day a cooperative, and moderate Imic State in Iberia, is a far better alternative than that of a fanatical and militant Catholic one."


    A wide smile formed on Padius'' face as he heard this; such grand ambitions for establishing a powerful ally in the West of the Mediterranean reassured the man of his ploy to ce Berengar and Honoria''s heir on the Byzantine Throne.


    Though Vetranis may not be aware of Berengar''s intent, Padius had a very tacit understanding after listening to this conversation. The young King of Austria intended to create an economic and military alliance between several powerful states that could dominate the Politics of Europe, the Near-East, and North Africa, all with Austria at its head.


    While Padius did not desire for his Empire to y second fiddle to the Austrian Kingdom, he was rational enough to realize that there was not much he could do to prevent this fate. It had been half a year since hest visited Austria, and in his absence, the fires of industry had been introduced to its Capital and had even begun to spread across the entire realm.


    The veteran Strategos also knew that Berengar would never give the supreme weapons that he had begun to manufacture to anyone but his own army. However, the use of older models and the means to manufacture them was something Berengar had already shown interest in equipping his allies with.


    With this in mind, Padius whispered his thoughts on the matter at hand into the ear of the Emperor. After hearing what Padius had to say, Vetranis nodded his head in agreement afterward. He sighed heavily before making his demands.


    "If you wish for us to assist you in this conflict, then there are some demands that I would like to make inpensation for the blood that my men will naturally shed."


    A smile etched itself upon Berengar''s immacte appearance as he nodded his head while responding with a single phrase.


    "Go on..."


    After hearing this, Vetranis cleared his throat before making his demands of Berengar.


    "After this conflict is over, you will supply us with the technology needed to replicate the weapons you have already begun to sell to us. We will not consider joining this alliance with the Moors in Granada unless this condition can be met."


    Contrary to what the Byzantine Emperor expected, Berengar silently took a sip from his tea before uttering a single word.


    "Done..."


    After hearing this, Vetranis gazed at him with shock; he could not even think of what his second demand was at this point. He was simply astonished that Berengar would quickly give away such valuable technology.


    However, he had no way of knowing that Berengar had already nned to do such things in due time. Hell Berengar even nned to sell the technology behind his Frigates and Clippers to the Byzantines after he had reced them with his proposed Ad ss Light Cruisers and Dominion ss Cargo Ships.


    It was as Padius had suspected, Berengar wanted his allies to be powerful enough to hold their own against their enemies while still being technologically inferior to his realm. After all, he wanted Germany and its future Empire under his Dynasty to rule this powerful alliance. The only way to ensure such a thing was to maintain a vastly superior State. After silence prevailed for a while, Berengar raised his brow before asking the question on his mind.


    "Is there anything else?"


    After discussing it with his advisor for a few moments, Vetranis shook his head, realizing that asking for anything more was likely to jeopardize the progress he had already made. As such, the Emperor reached out his hand to seal the deal. In response, Berengar firmly grabbed ahold of his father-inw''s hand and shook it as he said the following words with a smile on his face.


    "A pleasure doing business with you... I expect you to send a sizeable army into Granada within three months. When the war is over, and we have won, you will get the technology behind the 1417/18 Rifled Muskets and the 1417 12 lb Field Guns, as well as the knowledge behind the tools to produce them."


    Berengar had no intention to equip the Byzantines with the Bessemer Converter. Instead, he would give them the technology behind the puddling furnace, which could be used to create the steel necessary to make the springs in the flintlock action. Albeit in a severely limited supply, aside from this small amount of steel, such technology would significantly increase the iron that the Byzantines could produce.


    With this agreement made, the Byzantines had secretly entered the Reconquista. They would soon enough be fighting alongside the Austrians and Granadans for the sake of repelling the Catholic Armies from the Moorish Kingdom.


    After finalizing their agreement, Vetranis and his advisor departed from Berengar''s study, the Emperor of Byzantium would spend some time with his Daughter over the next few days before returning to Constantinople. As a man who ruled over a vast empire, his time was severely limited, especially now that he had much to prepare for.


    As for Berengar, he would get his affairs in order in theing days before departing for the warzone himself. He was not the type of man to hide away at home while his soldiers fought on the frontlines of a dangerous conflict. With this in mind, he stretched his back before getting back to work, for he too had much to prepare for.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 408: A Particularly Difficult Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 408: A Particrly Difficult Farewell</h4>


    Berengar stood within the courtyard of his royal Pce; today was the day he was most excited for and yet dreaded dearly. Why did he dread this moment? Because saying goodbye to your family as your march towards a theatre of war thousands of miles away from your home is never easy.


    This goodbye was more brutal than thest, maybe it was because his three wives were months into their pregnancy, and the possibility of him returning in time to witness the birth of his new children was small.


    Or perhaps it was because this was the first proxy war he had personally entered. After all, before today, he had only ever fought in conflicts directly rted to hisnds and the growth of his territory.


    But what was there to gain in the Reconquista for this young King of Austria? Perhaps only the creation of a stable and powerful ally that could secure his ess to the Antic. Such a thing was important beyond measure to his ns for exploration and colonization of the New World. Yet his family did not know of such grand ambitions, nor were they even aware that such a faraway ce existed.


    Thus when he said goodbye to his wives, his children, and his sister, they were not the most cheerful bunch. Hans looked up at his father, who was dressed in his field uniform with a questioning gaze. The young boytched onto Berengar''s legs as he asked the question on his mind.


    "Must you go to war?"


    Berengar immediately knelt and patted his young son''s head as he affirmed his actions.


    "When you''re older, you wille to realize that there are times where a man must take up arms to defend his family and his nation. I know it may not seem like it now, but this conflict in Granada is essential to our Kingdom''s long-term power and stability. In a few years, I am certain that you willprehend why this campaign in Iberia is necessary.


    Trust me when I say that if not for the degree of resistance my soldiers currently face, then I would not leave you and your sister behind so soon after returning from myst campaign. A King must lead his men into battle; that is my responsibility as Monarch to my people."


    Tears began to form in Hans''s eyes as he heard his father say these words. Berengar responded to this by wiping the tears from his young son''s eyes with his thumb before hugging him. As he did so, he whispered some much-needed fatherly advice into the young boy''s ear.


    "As a man, you must never cry in front of others, it is a sign of weakness, and those with ill intent towards you and our family will take advantage of this. So stiffen up that upper lip and put on a show of strength even if you are at your weakest!"


    Upon hearing this, Hans immediately stopped crying and put on a stoic facade; he immediately let go of his father and saluted the man. Berengar returned his emotionless gaze with a proper salute of his own before shifting his attention to Helga. The girl was close to two years old now, yet she did not have her brother''s exceptional brain. Instead, she was rather average for a child her age.


    Berengar picked the girl up in the air and kissed her on her forehead before cing her in her mother''s arms. He told the girl something he had seldom said as he did so.


    "Remember whatever maye to pass, that daddy loves you!"


    After handing off his daughter to her mother, Berengar kissed his second bride on the lips, whose tears were flowing from her beautiful sky blue eyes. Though she was confident that Berengar would return home unharmed, she always had a difficult time dealing with the worry that would inevitably arise within the depths of her heart whenever her man marched to war.? Berengar held onto Linde as he whispered in her ear.


    "Take care of the kids when I''m gone..."


    Linde nodded her head silently in response as she struggled to contain the tears in her eyes; after saying this to Linde, Berengartched onto Honoria as if he were amprey and kissed her passionately. After their tongues unbound from one another, he whispered words of encouragement in her ears.


    "Fret not, you carry my child, and that is far more important than engaging in piracy. I promise you that future glory awaits you and our child. Besides, I''m not that easy to kill; you have not gotten rid of me just yet."


    Honoriaughed bitterly as she heard this poor joke; after saying this, Berengar patted her on the head before turning his attention to Ad, who could not wait any longer; she immediately grabbed ahold of him and kissed him as if she would never see him again. After spending much time in each other''s embrace, she released her lips and gazed fiercely into his eyes with a stern expression while saying the words contained within her mind.


    "Be safe! I swear if I lose you, I will never forgive you!"


    Berengar stuffed the girl''s head into his chest as he kissed her forehead. After doing so, he released his grip over her and hugged his younger sister. A nervous expression appeared on the girl''s face as various ideas collided within her head. As her elder brother hugged her goodbye, a single thought resounded throughout her mind.


    If you don''t tell him now, you may never get another chance!


    Thus right when Berengar was about to pull away, Henrietta grabbed ahold of his handsome face and pressed her lips against his own, which greatly shocked everyone gathered in the courtyard. With a flushed appearance, Henrietta let go of Berengar and admitted her feelings in an embarrassed tone.


    "I love you, big brother! When youe back, I will fight for you!"


    After saying this, she was too timid to stick around for her elder brother''s response and immediately ran back to the Pce, leaving Berengar, his wives, and his children in an utter state of confusion. Berengar''s heart thumped rapidly as his brain tried to process what just urred. After a while, a single thought escaped from his lips.


    "Well, now I hope I die on the battlefield..."


    Berengar shifted his gaze over to his three women, who were ring at him with unbridled fury contained within their eyes. They did not know what he had done to charm his younger sister, but there was no way they were going to let such an unspeakable rtionshipe to pass. Henceforth, the three young women who were constantly at odds with one another formed a pact to safeguard Henrietta from the grasp of her lecherous big brother.


    Of course, at that moment, Berengar genuinely felt that he would rather die than deal with thendmine that was his sister''s incestous feelings for him. Marrying a cousin was one thing, but taking your sister as a mistress? That was a line that even a pervert like him was unwilling to cross. Berengar figured he would have to introduce a proper suitor to the girl when he returned, or things were only going to get worse. Upon seeing how viciously his women stared at him, Berengar sighed before announcing his departure.


    "Well, I am off; I will see you allter..."


    Of course, he didn''t mention that he would need a stiff drink after this whole debacle. Thus he climbed into his royal Carriage, where he would be traveling to Trieste over the next few days before sailing to Gibraltar. He was slightly perturbed that his railway was notpleted yet, but he could only do so much about that.


    Thus Berengar opened up a bottle of whiskey stashed away in his Carriage and gazed out at the countryside as he inched ever closer to his direction. The only thought on his mind was how he could face Henrietta after this war was over. As such, he took arge swig from the bottle before sighing heavily.


    "Dammit, Henrietta! Why the hell would you do such a thing before I ship off to war! What the hell is wrong with you! How am I supposed to handle this!?!"


    After several days and a bottle of whiskeyter, Berengar found his way to a Frigate departing for Granada. The young King had a massive headache, and it was not just because of the booze he had consumed.


    Thus he would spend the entire journey to Granada avoiding his problems by drinking them away. When he finally arrived at his destination, he would be eager for blood; after all, violence was the only way he could vent his frustrations at the predicament he now found himself in. Historians would scratch their heads for generations trying to figure out the reason behind the young King of Austria''s particrly brutal actions during this campaign.


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


    https://discord.gg/nMWVhMaukT

 Chapter 409: A Tempting Offer Part I

    <h4>Chapter 409: A Tempting Offer Part I</h4>


    The frigate carrying the King of Austria arrived within the port of Gibraltar after several days of travel. During these past few weeks, thousands of Austrian men had gathered in the area, waiting upon their monarch to appear so that he could lead them into battle.


    Berengar was dreadfully hungover after nursing away his worries with the sweet taste of liquor. Having stepped onto the beach of Gibraltar, the radiant sun shone down upon him, its warmth increasing his urge to vomit. One thing was sure; it would take him a few days to be fit forbat.


    Thus, he stepped forward and rallied his forces around him. Realizing that he would require a few days of rest, Berengar had altered the n. He would lead the Second Division to Granada where they would regroup with Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl within the city before advancing north and aiding their line of defense at the northern borders of the Emirate.


    It took several days to arrive within the Capital City; however, when the 40,000 soldiers from Austria and Bohemia entered the gates, they were practically greeted as saviors by the local Moorish and Arabic popce. After all, these citizens had witnessed the might of the Austrian Army''s First Division as they ruthlessly ughtered the Aragonese and Crusader forces who had foolishly marched upon the city.


    Berengar and his Royal Guard ultimately made their way to the Royal Pce to meet with the young Sultan in person. As they approached the magnificent stone building, Berengar dismounted from his horse, where he nced upon Hasan, who had a broad smile on his face. The two young men shared a brief moment of friendship as they hugged before letting each other go. Berengar was the first toment on the situation as he greeted his friend from the West.


    "Hasan, it has truly been too long since west met."


    the young Sultan nodded his head in response as he led Berengar and his Royal Guards into the depths of the Pce.


    "Indeed it has, though I must say yourplexion is paler than normal. Are you alright, my friend?''


    Berengar instantly nodded his head in response, with a smirk on his face, revealing that he had overindulged on his journey to the Iberian Penins.


    "I''m fine, just a little too much alcohol, you know how it is. After a few nights'' rest, I will be ready to deploy to the frontlines."


    Hasan chuckled as he heard this before making a slyment about the Austrian King''s condition.


    "Well then, I guess we will not be celebrating your arrival too fiercely. However, I do have something arranged for you that I think will be to your liking!"


    Berengar was instantly curious as he heard this; just what did Hasan have in mind for tonight''s entertainment? Nevertheless, he smiled in response and nodded his head.


    "Well, then you have my thanks in advance."


    After walking through the halls of the Granadan Royal Pce, Berengar and Hasan arrived in the dining hall, where the two men sat down. While waiting for food to arrive, Hasan began to question Berengar about how he nned to wage this war against the Catholics.


    "I''ve got to ask, we are heavily outnumbered, and the Iberians have begun to field Arkebuses and Falcs. Though I have personally witnessed the destructive power of your army, I must admit I am not hopeful for victory."


    Berengar smiled as he drank from the ss of wine in his hands; sometimes, a bit of alcohol was the perfect cure to a severe hangover. After taking a sip from the ss, he quickly revealed his intentions to win this conflict in the most efficient manner.


    "The answer is simple, we form a trench line across your borders and outfit it with men and artillery. No matter where your enemies approach, they will have to cross through barbed wire and trench warfare to make any significant gains.


    This conflict shall be primarily defensive; we must bleed the enemy dry and force them to the negotiating table. Such action will buy us time, and allow me to aid in the reconstruction of your army so that you can take the defense of your nation into your own hands."


    Hasan was surprised when he heard this; he expected Berengar''s armies to march all the way to the borders of France. Hearing that they were fighting a defensive war brought great concern to the young Sultan.


    "So we will not be invading the enemy Kingdoms?"


    Berengar shook his head as he further instructed on the vision of this conflict.


    "I did not necessarily say that, while a portion of our army defends your borders against your neighbors, a force of 10,000 men which I shall lead, will march into the neighboring Kingdoms and wreak havoc upon the enemy cities and townships. I will bring what little infrastructure these barbarians have to ruins and route their cowardly Kings out from their castles!"


    Hasan was shocked that Berengar was willing to take such a stance. Nevertheless, Berengar was confident in thebined forces of Austria, Granada, and the Byzantines to defend a trench line from hundreds of thousands of their enemies. After all, the weapons his army wielded were far greater than that of his enemies.


    The two men discussed the exact tactics and n Berengar intended to use in order to bring their enemies to their knees over the next few months. After a few hours, the sun began to fall from the sky, and in its ce, the moon rose. Having properly feasted within these hours, Hasan eventually led an inebriated Berengar to a secluded room where he spoke with a smile on his face.


    "Wait right here, my friend; there will be someone here to entertain you shortly!"


    After saying this, Hasan immediately departed from the area through its silk curtains leaving Berengar by his lonesome. The young Austrian King chuckled to himself as he thought of who could possibly be entertaining him. He knew he would have to decline the Sultan''s Offer if he brought out a prostitute for Berengar to enjoy. Nevertheless, he stayed put as he sat in silence and took part in the wine sitting on the table before him. He was anticipating what kind of surprise his friend had nned for him.


    Before long, a gorgeous young woman dressed in a Tyrian purple and gold belly dancer costume parted through the silk curtains and entered the room. Though she wore a matching gossamer veil, Berengar immediately knew who this woman was, as he would recognize her magnificent F cup-sized breasts anywhere.


    However, after seeing them outside of a regal kaftan and instead contained within a skimpy belly dancer''s top, Berengar''s jaw had practically dropped as drool pooled up inside his mouth. He could not believe just how impressive this woman''s chest was. It was better than even Linde''s; he had a severe urge to suck on her nipples the moment he gazed upon her bountiful cleavage.


    He was quite shocked as the woman stared him in the eye with her pair of beautiful amber irises and began to dance sensually. Though Berengar knew that Hasan had intended to establish an arranged marriage between their two houses, he had never thought much of it until now.


    However, as Yasmin''s substantial bust and plump rear jiggled as she danced before him, Berengar found himself growing ever more enticed by the woman''s beauty. As if a spell was cast upon him the young King began to consider the fact that this woman was just the thing he needed to take his mind off of Henrietta''s confession; he became visibly excited as he enjoyed the show.


    Berengar witnessed the amorous dance with excitement as he watched the woman prance away, ultimately. In the end, she halted her actions and climbed atop Berengar''sp, staring intensely into his one good eye. He could feel the breath escape from beneath her veil as she whispered in his ear.


    "Name your desire; my husband and I shall fulfill it!"


    Upon hearing these words, Berengar was incredibly conflicted. Should he take the woman up on her offer and sleep with her? After all, she was as beautiful as any of his wives, and what man wouldn''t want to sleep with such a woman?


    Or should he reject her, and in doing so, escape from the trap that Hasan hadid for him? For if he had sex with Yasmin now, the likelihood was he was taking her purity, or at the very least, such a thing could be pinned on him. If such a thing urred, there could only be three potential oues,pensate Hasan and Granada for stealing the Princess''s virtue. Take responsibility and marry the woman, or go to war.


    After dwelling upon these options for several moments Berengar stared at the beautiful woman in silence as she asked the question one more time.


    "How shall I serve you, husband?"


    ---


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    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 410: A Tempting Offer Part II

    <h4>Chapter 410: A Tempting Offer Part II</h4>


    Berengar sat in the middle of a room, closed off by translucent silk curtains; sitting atop hisp was a lovely maiden who was a few years older than himself. She was dressed in a skimpy belly dancer''s outfit and wore a gossamer face veil.


    Through some difficulty, he could make out the delicate features of her gorgeous face as her shining amber eyes stared into his own. She had just asked him a question that put him in a rather tricky position. Quite obviously, this was a trap set by Hasan to force Berengar''s hand into marrying his sister, and if he did not y his cards right, he would undoubtedly be bringing another bride home from this war.


    While such a thing did not frighten Berengar, after all, he was the man of his house and byw was allowed up to five wives; the fact of the matter was he did not like the idea of falling into Hasan''s trap. If he were to marry Yasmin, it would be under his terms, not someone else''s.


    Ultimately he came to the logical conclusion to control his urges and not submit to his friend''s will. Thus despite every instinct of his body telling him to indulge in the foreign beauty sitting atop hisp, after careful consideration, Berengar sighed and pushed Yasmin aside, where he began to decline her offer.


    "Though nothing would help me take my mind off my current troubles more than sleeping with a beautiful woman like yourself, I fear that if I were to fall prey to such a trap that your brother has set for me, then it would only invite future turmoil."


    Yasmin was greatly surprised by Berengar''s actions. She had never expected that the Austrian King would be able to resist her charms, especially after considering how erect he was. She gave Berengar a curious gaze as she asked the question on her mind.


    "You will not lie with me?"


    Berengar shook his head and responded with a smug expression.


    "It is a tempting offer, and if you truly wish to do so, then I would have no qualms about enjoying the night with a foreign beauty such as yourself. However, I have a nagging suspicion that you do not desire such an oue. Rather, you are simply fulfilling your duty as a member of your household."


    Upon hearing this, Yasmin began to smirk beneath her face veil, which did not go unnoticed by Berengar. She had not expected him to be such a shrewd man, though she had heard rumors of his brilliance as both a ruler and a militarymander; she had alsoe to know that he was infamous for being easily swayed by beautiful women. Yet, here he was, controlling his urge to push her down and take her virtue. Seeing the woman gaze at him with a sense of fascination, Berengar began to grin before asking a question he already knew the answer to.


    "So what do you say? Want to fool around? I''ll have you know that I am packing heat..."


    Yasmin began to giggle at this response before shaking her head; as she did so, she responded with a yful tone of voice.


    "Oh, I can very much see that, though; I am afraid I will have to pass for now. However, if you continue to impress me in such a manner, then I might find you worthy of being my husband."


    Berengar smirked as he heard this response; he immensely enjoyed the witty banter with this woman; after declining each other''s officers, Berengar stood up and began to leave the room. Before he departed, he left one final phrase for the woman.


    "Thank you for the dance; it was impressive, to say the least. I will make sure to think of youter tonight while I am in the tub."


    Yasmin had a sultry smile on her pretty face concealed beneath her veil as she responded in a coy manner.


    "Be sure that you do..."


    After hearing this, Berengar returned to his room, where he nned to get some much-needed sleep after taking a bath. At the same time, Yasmin reflected on what had just transpired. They say that capable men rarely live up to the hype, but she was not disappointed in the slightest.


    She was prepared to sleep with Berengar and even marry him to fulfill her familial obligations. However, she never had imagined that he would turn her down. Nor did she believe she would develop an interest in the man.


    Instead, he surprised her and had managed to draw her attention. For the first time in her life, she had be intrigued by a man. Before she realized it, the princess of Granada found herself in her chambers, underneath her silk sheets naked, ying with her tight slit, while thinking about what could have transpired on this night if either of them had given in to their base desires.


    As for Berengar, as promised, he took a long bath, thinking about the sensual dance that Yasmin had disyed for him. Despite the fact that he initially did not have any ns to make the woman his own; after everything that had happened on this night, he could not deny that his interest was piqued. She was a different breed than his other girls and was just as attractive. He did not know where things would lead, but he looked forward to their future encounters.


    Eventually, the night came and went, and Berengar awoke as fresh as an apple the next day. All he needed to ovee his dreadful hangover was a good night''s sleep. After arising from his bed, he quickly got dressed, where he entered the dining hall to receive breakfast. Both Hasan and Yasmin were already at the table waiting for him.


    When Berengar arrived, he acted as if nothing had happened the night before. Though Hasan had be aware that his n had failed, his elder sister could not help but nce at the Austrian King now and then with a seductive expression.


    As for Berengar, he noticed the princess''s flirtatious gaze and returned it with one of his own. These actions did not go unnoticed by the Young Sultan, who smiled as he realized that though his plot may not have worked as intended, there seemed to be some form of romance budding between his sister and his greatest ally. Eventually, Berengar killed the mood by announcing to the Sultan and his elder sister the following words.


    "I will be marching off to war with my Second Division shortly after breakfast. I thank you for your hospitality, but war waits for no man. The sooner I arrive at the frontlines, the sooner I can end this conflict and return home to my family."


    Both Hasan and Yasmin were shocked to hear this; after everything had happened, they were sure he would stick around for a few more days to improve rtions with their family. After all, he said he would need several nights to recuperate just the day before. The young Sultan immediately began to panic as he tried to convince Berengar to stay within the Pce for just a few more days.


    "You''re leaving so soon? You should stay and rest for a few more days before departing; there''s no reason to hurry to the frontlines, since we have taken back the territory north of here, we have had no difficulties holding the line!"


    However, Berengar shook his head in response to this offer and spoke.


    "I am quite well-rested afterst night. However, hundreds of thousands of men will soon be marching upon your position. If I want to bring our enemies to their knees, I need to dispatch my force to their positions and construct the necessary fortifications as quickly as possible. I promise that after I have forced the Iberians to surrender, I will return here for a proper celebration."


    Berengar quickly finished his meal before washing it down with a ss of milk; after doing, so he raised from his seat before making his intentions clear.


    "After I have won your war for you, there are things that we will need to discuss as Monarch to Monarch. I would very much appreciate the presence of your beautiful sister when that timees."


    Having said this, Berengar departed from the Royal Pce of Granada with his Royal Guard following behind. He spent the next hour rallying his army before marching north of its position. When Berengar left the Dining Room, Hasan immediately began to question his sister for exact details on what had transpired the night before.


    "Just what happened between the two of youst night?"


    The Granadan princess merely smiled before shaking her head; after doing so, she cryptically responded to her younger brother.


    "Nothing important, however; if he keeps acting this way, I''m afraid I will fall head over heels for him..."


    Though Yasmin wanted to spend more time getting ustomed to Berengar, she was well aware of the urgent position she and her family had been ced in. Berengar would pack up quickly and march to the front lines, which greatly impressed her. She would have immediately lost interest if he stayed around to enjoy time with her while a war was being waged.


    With this in mind, she quickly got up from her seat and departed towards the balcony where she witnessed Berengar lead an army of 40,000 Austrians and Bohemians north. As she did so, she gazed fondly upon his back in the distance; a single thought escaped from her luscious lips.


    "Come back safe..."


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other important illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


    /user?u=7947078


    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 411: Angels are Falling!

    <h4>Chapter 411: Angels are Falling!</h4>


    Berengar gazed into the distance, where he saw the rear lines of the Austro-Granadan trench system. Since the First Division had arrived, they had seized most of the territory that would one day be known as Andalusia. Even the grand city of Cordoba was retaken in the name of Granada.


    Since the territory had been reimed, the Austrians and their Granadan allies had begun fortifying their defenses with an intricate trench system, not unlike what would have been seen in the Great War of Berengar''s past life.


    There was simply one problem, aplete and totalck of machine guns. Because of this, Berengar''s Army would have to rely heavily on artillery barrages and the mass employment of needle rifles.


    Thus Berengar and his Second Division entered the Trenchline where they were swiftly dispatched to various sectors to erge the defensive perimeter. As Berengar entered into the muddy trenches, he was greeted by both of his Generals whom he had ced in the field.


    Generals Arnulf and Adelbrand were quick to greet their King as they saw him and his soldiers enter the massive trench system dug into the Andalusian border. The two men immediately saluted their King and Reichsmarschall before weing him to the front line.


    "Your Majesty, we were not expecting your arrival so soon! I must say it is good to have some reinforcements!"


    Berengar returned their salute before gazing off into the distance. Far north of the front lines, an army was on the march, disying multiple banners that Berengar did not recognize. Upon seeing their leader''s interest, General Arnulf handed him a pair of binocrs to gaze at the oing forces. He caught the young monarch up to the situation at hand as he did so.


    "The enemy approaches; they have split into a total of five armies consisting of nearly a hundred thousand men each. A prominent Iberian Nobleman leads each Army; the forces consist of Iberian Catholics, Crusaders, and foreign volunteers. Their objective is to crash against our lines of defense, hoping to break through our thinly spread forces.


    With the arrival of the Second Division and the soldiers of the Bohemian Army, we will now have 140 of the 7.5cm FK 22 guns in ce along our defensive perimeter. The rest of the artillery pieces will be from Bohemia and Granada, so a mixture of about 100 1lb Falcs and surplus 1417 12 lb FIeld Guns. I''m not sure how many rifled musketeers and arkebusiers we have, but it is definitely in the tens of thousands."


    Berengar immediately began to speak of his n as he spoke to his Generals with a voice filled with determination.


    "My n is simple, the bulk of our Army will hold the line until our Byzantine Allies arrive. At the same time, I will lead the Cavalry, Mounted Infantry, and a single Artillery Battery to pierce through the enemy lines andy siege to their capital cities. Once I have their monarchs and their families in my hands, I will demand the Catholic Forces to withdraw from Granada and thend they have seized in this conflict or face the execution of the royal families."


    Arnulf and Adelbrand looked at Berengar with a worried gaze; the n was risky, to say the least; it could easily result in his capture or death. As the ever-loyal subjects of the King, Generals Adelbrand and Arnulf immediately began to protest Berengar''s current strategy.


    "Your Majesty, such action is reckless beyond measure; we should hold the ground we have until our reinforcements arrive and do our best to ughter as many of the enemies as possible!"


    Berengar immediately frowned upon hearing this before speaking about the reality the Austro-Granadan Alliance was about to face.


    "Half a million men will be marching upon the Emirate of Granada, they wille in waves, and weck the firepower to cut them all down effectively. Some of them will make it into these trenches, where you and your men will be forced to fight them in meleebat with your bays and your spades.


    Allow me to rify the situation further, you currently have 75,000 men at the most, spread out across the entire Granadan border! If I do not force the enemy to capitte by some unconventional means, then we are in for a hell of a fight! I will not concede defeat simply because my enemies outnumber me!


    If the Catholics do not surrender when I capture their royal families, I will ughter them down to thest child! If they do not capitte when I seize their capitals, I will massacre every living being who dwells within them. If they do not concede defeat when I have taken their fields and infrastructure, I will burn them to the ground!


    If they do not kneel before me and wave the white g when they die of disease and starvation in the trenches, I will rain poison gas upon their position! I will destroy this entire god-forsaken penins in a fit of fire and fury if I must!"


    Adelbrand and Arnulf stood there in silence; this was not the usual behavior of King Berengar. Something must have happened to invoke his ire severely. Various ideas formed within their minds as they thought about what could have made Berengar so enraged. They would never guess that he was venting his frustration about Henrietta''s confession onto the Iberian people.


    Having thoroughly discussed their ns Berengar and his soldiers decided to rest in the trenches for the time being. Hours passed and eventually, the sun fell from the sky, in its ce the clouds blocked out any form of illumination that would normally be provided by the moon and stars.


    Seeing that they werepletelycking in illumination Berengar decided it was about time to use one of the inventions he had put in ce before arriving in Granada, thus he pulled out an exciting new device. It was a short-barreled re gun based on Leuchtpistole 34 from his previous life. The primary difference was that it was made entirely of steel since Berengar had yet to invent aluminum.


    After opening the breech and sliding in a re, he closed it before raising the re pistol into the air and firing it into the sky. As his re gun went off, so too did dozens of others in the hands of various Austrian troops, creating a bright illumination as if stars were falling from the sky.


    By now, the advance force of the enemy Army was unknowingly camped within range of the Austrian Artillery. They gazed upon this sight with horror as they mistook the scene for angels falling from the heavens. Immediately, the Catholic soldiers dropped to their knees and began to make the cross sign as they said their prayers.


    In the next moment, the thunderous echos of hundreds of 7.5cm FK 22 field guns resounded through the illuminated night sky; then, the shellsnded on the targets. Tens of thousands of men were caught unaware as the Austrian munitionsnded upon their encampments, sting everything contained within to shreds.


    Bodies exploded as the shellsnded nearby, and limbs were hewn apart by the shrapnel. Blood sttered the dirt as the men epted their fate in fear of further invoking the wrath of the heavens. In the distance from the advance force, the Castilian Commander gazed in horror at the scene. Angels fell from the sky, and death was wrought upon his men with their descent. There was no mistaking it, this was a sign of the apocalypse!


    Frightened out of his wits, Duke Lorenzo de Benavente, who was tasked with leading the Castilian Army, trembled in trepidation as he witnessed the fantastic scene. His lips wavered as he struggled to find the words to issue a full retreat. After several moments he began to scream to his forces in a hysteric voice.


    "Retreat! Angels are Falling! Retreat!"


    He had no way of knowing that the disaster thrust upon his advance force was solely the doing of modern science, not superstitious belief. However, how could medieval noblemen know of the existance of res or rifled breechloaders firing high explosive shells? He genuinely believed that Angels were falling from the sky above Granada and onto their men resulting in massive explosions.


    The Castilian army, which consisted of many foreign volunteers, immediately abandoned their camp and supplies as they fled from the chaotic battle scene in the dead of night. Berengar, who was in the rearmost trench, gazed upon the stage with a wicked grin upon his face. Did these fools believe he would allow so many of them to flee alive?


    With the blowing of a whistle, the Cavalry who were on standby immediately began to charge after the routing Catholics; for them, there would be no mercy on this night. Only those blessed by the heavens would manage to escape the Austrians'' wrath!


    Berengar himself hopped upon his mount and charged towards the direction of the cowardly Iberians. He supposed now was as good as a time as any to enact his n for this war. With this in mind, ten thousand Cavalry of various forms, alongside Mounted Infantry and an Artillery Battery, marched off to fight as they chased down the frightened Iberians numbering in the tens of thousands. For Berengar, the War for Iberia had just begun!


    ---


    If you want to support me so that I canmission art of the characters in my novel, as well as maps, coat of arms, and other vital illustrations, please visit my Patreon page at


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    All of the art will be released within my discord server for free.


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 Chapter 412: Next Generation Weapons Part II

    <h4>Chapter 412: Next Generation Weapons Part II</h4>


    While Berengar had begun his campaign in the Iberian Penins, rule over the Kingdom of Austria, and the efforts to oversee its industrialization were taken over by his father-inw Chancellor Otto von Graz. At the moment, the man was sitting at his study within his chateau inside the upper-ss district of Kufstein. He was staring at a series of weapons blueprints that would be vital to Berengar''s future conflict with the church.


    These blueprints were designed to operate alongside the previous weapons he had already begun testing for use in his special forces. The first design was a water-cooled machine gun chambered in 7.92x57mm LP, Berengar''s version of the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge.


    Unlike the Germans of his previous life, Berengar did not have to worry about the patents of the Vickers Machine Gun. Thus he decided to use such a magnificent weapon as his primary heavy machine gun for the time being.


    The Vickers Machine gun was, in all honesty, just an improved Maxim Machine Gun with its action flipped upside down; this allowed it to save substantial size and weight. The Germans were unable to outfit themselves with this improved version of their machine gun due to business disputes, such as patent infringement.


    A Water-cooled machine gun was exactly what it sounded like; it was essentially a heavy belt-fed machine gun that had a barrel shroud that contained water. As the barrel heated up, the water would cool it down; while this made for virtually unlimited volumes of fire, it also made the gun exceptionally heavy to the point where it would need to be used as a static weapon.


    In fact, during Berengar''s previous life, when the British Army retired this weapon from service, a crew of armorers tested a single Vickers Gun to its limits by firing roughly five million rounds of ammunition over seven days without stopping the gun. By the time they were finished, they had taken the gun apart and gauged its pieces, only to find that the weapon was still within functioning parameters.


    Because Berengar currentlycked the technology to mechanize his forces, static defensive tactics would inevitably y arge part in waging war against his enemies. Thus there was no weapon suited to the task better than the Vickers Machine Gun.


    The primary difference between this machine gun, and the Vickers used by the British in Berengar''s past life, was that it was chambered in this world''s equivalent of 7.92x57mm Mauser and utilized a metallic belt much like seen in use by the Russian M1910 Maxim Guns during both world wars of Berengar''s previous life. Ultimately Berengar decided to designate this variant of the Vickers as the MG-22.


    Otto looked over the document and stamped his seal of approval to begin production and testing in the armed forces; if what the notes Berengar left behind were true, they would need to build as many of these weapons as possible over the next few years.


    After approving this design for manufacture and testing, Otto looked over the next blueprint; this was another machine gun from Berengar''s past life. However, it was neither a heavy machine gun nor a belt-fed machine gun.


    This was a magazine-fed light machine gun based on the Czech ZB-30 Machine Gun. The MG-22(H), as it would be known by in this timeline, was a Machine Gun that was considered by many in Berengar''s past life to be the pinnacle of the Interwar era Light machine Guns. It had a rate of fire up to 650 rounds per minute and was the weapon used as the basis for many Light Machine guns across the world, including the British BREN Gun and the Japanese Type 99 Light Machine Gun.


    The Waffen-SS used the weapon in WWII; due to thepetitive nature of the Wehrmacht and the various branches of the Third Reich''s armed forces and political factions. The Waffen-SS was excluded from the primary supply chains that the Wehrmacht had ess to. Thus they had to source guns from some unconventional manufacturers such as upied countries like Belgium and Czechoslovakia.


    The Only real difference between this gun and the ones issued to the Waffen-SS in Berengar''s past life was instead of a 20 Round Box Magazine, Berengar designed it for use with a 30 Round Box Magazine. The use of a Light machine gun among his soldiers was not only necessary it was a requirement. Since a single man could not carry a Vickers Machine Gun into battle, he needed his Squads in the future to have some form of automatic fire readily avable on a unit basis, and the MG-22(H) filled that role perfectly.


    Otto could not believe how Berengar hade up with such intricate designs. Still, with the industrialization of Kufstein and Austria as a whole, they now had the precision manufacturing equipment to make such advanced weapons. Thus he stamped his approval on this design and wouldter have it sent over to the National Armory to produce prototype samples and extensive testing.


    Finally, there was one other weapon design in Otto''s hands, and he looked over it carefully as he decided whether or not to approve of its use as well. This weapon was a sub-machine gun chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, the same round that was undergoing testing with the Prototype P-22, which was based upon ater design of the Mauser C96 From Berengar''s past life.


    This Sub-Machine Gun was based upon the Steyr-Solothurn MP-34 from the interwar period. The history behind this weapon wasplicated. It was manufactured by the Rheinmetallpany via proxies in Switzend and Austria to avoid the limitations ced upon them from the Treaty of Versailles.


    As far as most were concerned, it was the best machine gun designed and manufactured in the Interwar period; in fact, the only reason it ceased production in 1940 was that it was too costly to manufacture during the German War effort.


    The MP-34, or MP-22 as it was known in this timeline, was a side-feeding sub-machine gun with a 32 round double-stack magazine. It was capable of semi-automatic or automatic fire via a selector switch on the left side of the weapon. The automatic setting was capable of a firing rate of 600 rounds per minute.


    After looking over these weapons, Otto approved them all, only to find a list of squad-based tactics that Berengar had left behind so that his soldiers who were equipped with such weapons could train with them appropriately.


    Berengar practically followed the same route of the Wehrmacht''s Squad Tactics from his past life. The Squad Leader would be issued the Submachine Gun, while one member of the Squad would be given the Light Machine Gun, as for the rest, they would be issued the Bolt Action Rifles. When it came to a toon-sized unit, one Squad would be dedicated to using the Heavy Machine Gun.


    As such, Otto sent these documents over to the proper departments. With these weapons, by the time the Crusaders Arrived in theirnds, they would have the means to defend against many times their army''s numbers.


    After approving these documents, Otto sighed heavily before hearing a knock on his door. A familiar voice resounded from the other side as they asked for permission toe in. The very presence of this voice greatly shocked Otto as he was not expecting her visit.


    "Can Ie in?"


    Otto immediately rested his forehead in the palm of his hand before collecting himself; after doing so, he allowed the entry of his uninvited guest.


    "It is open!"


    After saying this, a buxom beauty entered the scene; she had long golden hair and blue eyes like much of her family. This young woman was none other than Ad''s eldest sister, Ava. She had a pouting expression on her face as she entered her father''s study. Seeing his most mischievous daughter enter the room, Otto quickly concealed the documents on his desk; if such knowledge were to be seen by the woman, he had no idea what she would do with it. Ava immediately broke out into an outcry as she saw her father.


    "Daddy! Little Ad won''t let me into the Royal Pce! I havee all this way to see how she is doing now that she is pregnant and the bitch won''t even let me in! Can''t you convince her to let me stay in the Pce!"


    Otto immediately frowned when he heard this, his eldest and youngest daughters had never gotten along, and he knew whatever brought Ava to Kufstein was nothing good. As such, he shook his head and sighed before declining his daughter''s request.


    "Ad is the High Queen; if she does not want you in her home, then that is something I can''t change. At most I can speak with her when I next see her, however, she is dreadfully busy introducing cultural reforms at the moment. The people seem to love her, and her efforts! If only you were more like your sister, I wouldn''t have to look. However, and your family these days!"


    Upon hearing this Ava wanted to throw a fit, but she knew better than to do so in the presence of her father, who now held a powerful position in the new Kingdom of Austria. Ava regretted more than anything that she had not established an affair with Berengar when she had the chance. If she knew what she knew now, she would have invited him into her bath and taken advantage of his inexperience to make him her own.


    However, she now no longer had such options. Thus she had decided to do everything she could to mend the rtionship between her and her youngest sister; after all, if Ad put in a good word for Ava and her husband, then they would thrive much like the rest of her family. Thus she put on a distressed facade as she once more tried to convince her father to aid her in her efforts.


    "Daddy, please! I know I messed up, but Ad is my sister, and I want to fix our rtionship. Please help me get in touch with my darling little sister!"


    Seeing his daughters'' sad expression, Otto sighed once more before acquiescing to her demands; maybe it was because he spoiled Ava so much that she turned out this way. However, there was not much he could do about that now, and he hated seeing his two Daughters at each other''s throats. With a heavy heart, he begrudgingly epted Ava''s request.


    "The most I can do is set a time and ce for you two to discuss your differences. However, if you screw this up, your sister will likely never want to speak to you again, so be sure to mind your manners. Ad is no longer the little girl you used to bully, she is the High Queen of Austria!"


    Upon hearing this, Ava immediately smiled once more and hugged her father before thanking him for his efforts.


    "Thanks, daddy!"


    After saying this, she left the room; leaving the older man in his seat with a confused expression. He had no idea how he was going to pull this off.


    ---


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 Chapter 413: Senseless Slaughter

    <h4>Chapter 413: Senseless ughter</h4>


    In the dead of night, the Cavalry of the First and Second Divisions of the Austrian Army rode out through no man''snd into the fray as the Iberian forces and their foreign volunteers fled from the field of battle after witnessing the supposed fall angels from the heavens.


    In reality, this chaotic sight was nothing more than Austrian res illuminating the Iberian positions and artillery fire falling upon them. However, the superstitious medieval people of Iberia had no way of knowing of such military advancements in the hands of their enemies.


    Despite this, the Iberian Catholics were so frightened from the horror they witnessed that they began to abandon their encampments and supplies as they fled for their lives, turning their backs to the Austro-Granadan alliance.


    Berengar ordered his Cavalry to run down the survivors in response to this. Thus he charged into the fray once more, with a revolver in one hand and a saber in the other; he began to fire upon the fleeing Catholics as he neared their position.


    A loud bang went off as the 1422 Service Revolver fired its .38 SPC projectile down range and into the back of an unsuspecting Iberian Crusader; his white surcoat was immediately stained with his blood as the projectile sted through his armor and into his chest, reaping his soul in the process.


    Immediately following this shot, Berengar''s mighty steed strolled past another routing soldier where he cut down his saber and into the man''s unarmored neck, where the head flung off his shoulders in a merciless decapitation.


    By the King of Austria''s side were the veteran forces of his Royal Guard, as well as the Austrian Hussars who unleashed their advanced weapons upon their foes as they charged forth on horseback. Those who did not use revolvers were issued with needle carbines specifically intended for Cavalry use.


    The overwhelming volume of fire from the 10,000 strong cavalry forces as they advanced upon the tens of thousands of fleeing Iberians was enough to cut them into ribbons. Bodies fell into the muddied terrain where they either bled out or were crushed by the weight of the Warhorses'' hooves.


    To the Castilian Duke who had just recently engaged in conflict against a brutal gueri campaign waged by the Granadan Royal Guard, it was as if hell itself had ascended from the depths and swallowed the Iberian penins. As he fled on foot from the Austrian Cavalry, a member of the Royal Guard rapidly caught up to his position, where he noticed the tabard on the man''s torso.


    Realizing that the cowardly man fleeing before him was none other than Duke Lorenzo de Benavente, the Cuirassier quickly pulled out his pistol and aimed for the man''s leg, where he fired a shot. The first shot missed entirely, but the Cuirassier remained undeterred; he quickly fired another shot which once more missed.


    It was not until the fifth bang had resounded from the revolver''s muzzle that the bullet prated through the Duke''s shin, fracturing the bone in the process and crippling the man. Lorenzo immediately fell into a pool of mud as the Cuirassier dismounted his horse and arrived before the once proud Duke.


    As the Cuirassier approached, Lorenzo surrendered his arms and admitted defeat; as a nobleman, he was afforded the privilege of ransom. No matter how advanced the Austrian army may have be, he was sure that his feudal rights as a nobleman would be respected.


    The Cuirassier bound the nobleman in ropes before dragging him off to the Trenchline. As for Berengar and the other members of his Cavalry, those who managed to escape were fortunate enough to have seized a horse from the encampment before withdrawing. The others were killed in battle or captured, much like their previousmander.


    Over tens of thousands of men from the Iberian Army were disarmed and led back to the Trenchline, where they were destined to be captives of the Austro-Granadan alliance. After arriving at the trench line, the Cuirassierid the Duke down before Berengar and his Generals, who gazed upon the man who had tormented Arnulf and the Granadan Royal Guard for some time.? Arnulf was so thoroughly enraged at the losses he had suffered over the past few months that he immediately backhanded the Castillian Duke, who had a smug expression on his face.


    "You bastard, what is so funny!?!"


    Lorenzo chuckled before announcing his perceived immunity.


    "I am a Duke and am afforded ransom by thews of men! You can not harm me!"


    Berengar''s lips curled into a wicked smile as he heard this im before pulling out his revolver, which was now reloaded and pressing it against the man''s skull. What remained of Lorenzo''s army gazed in horror as they witnessed their liege''s rights be vited. The young Austrian King pulled back the hammer of his weapon and began to mock the man, who immediately lost all confidence in his smug statement.


    "Is that so?"


    Berengarid his finger upon the trigger as he slightly pulled it back, however before the gun could go off, Berengar grabbed ahold of the hammer and slowlyid it back down to a double-action position, where he looked upon the Duke a kind gaze as he lowered the firearm.


    "You are right; you are afforded ransom..."


    Duke Lorenzo sighed in relief as he witnessed Berengar''s smile and merciful words, whereas Arnulf immediately began to protest this course of action. However, Berengar immediately raised his hand, silencing him in the process where his warm expression shifted to that of a demonic gaze.


    "Let''s y a game, shall we?


    The moment Lorenzo heard these words, he immediately felt as if his soul had been plunged into the depths of hell; his lips began to waver as he struggled to find the words in his mind.


    "What... What do you intend to do to us!?!"


    Berengar began to stride back and forth with confidence as he began to express his evil n.


    "It is quite simple; I will cut you and your army loose, where you shall be allowed to run north, back to your homes. However, when you have reached a certain distance, I will order my artillery to open fire on you all. If God is truly on your side, then you will survive the barrage and make your way to freedom; if not, well then may the Lord have mercy on your soul."


    Arnulf gazed upon Berengar''s back with a look of shock as he heard these words, whereas Adelbrand had a cruel smile etched upon his face. He felt that this "game" of Berengar''s would be genuinely entertaining. As for Lorenzo, he could not fathom what he was hearing; he had personally witnessed the destructive disy of the Austrian artillery and immediately began to shiver in fear.


    "And... if we refuse?"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar kneeled in front of Lorenzo, so he was at eye level and spoke with a chilling tone.


    "Then my army shall execute you all!"


    After saying this, Berengar stood up and turned around so that he was facing his troops; after a few seconds of hesitation, Lorenzo swallowed the saliva pooled up within his mouth with an audible gulp before nodding his head in affirmation.


    "Alright, we will do it!"


    After hearing this, Berengar turned around with a smile on his face as he began to speak in a cheerful tone.


    "Wonderful! Remember, not one step back, or I will shoot you myself!"


    After saying this, Berengar turned back towards his army, giving them their orders.


    "Release the prisoners!"


    Those who had not heard Berengar''s ns gazed upon him with shock, but they refused to disobey; as such, they cut the Iberians loose, Where they marched forward on foot towards Castile. Two of his underlings supported Lorenzo as they helped the crippled Duke march along.


    After the army of prisoners was out of earshot, Berengar immediately issued an order to his artillery brigades.


    "Load the guns and prepare to fire once they have reached a safe distance, do not stop firing until everyst man has been obliterated! We will see who God truly favors in this conflict!"


    After hearing the King''s words, the Austrian artillery began to make range adjustments before loading their field guns with the 75x200mmR shells. Only after the Iberian prisoners had reached a distance of over 600m, the thunder of the field guns echo in the air.


    The moment the familiar sound of the sound barrier-breaking crackled in the sky, the prisoners gazed in horror as they began to panic and sprint north as fast as they could muster. Lorenzo had not informed them of their fate, for it was far too cruel to say. The first shell tond upon the Catholics directly fell upon Lorenzo as he made the sign of the cross and said one final prayer; in the next moment, he was sted to bits.


    Berengar looked upon the army in the distance through his binocrs as the shells continued to fall upon them; by the end of the barrage, not a single man remained standing. In his cruelty, Berengar had wiped out an army of tens of thousands of men who had already surrendered. As for those who managed to escape the senseless ughter made up but a fraction of the force that initially consisted of a hundred thousand strong.


    With this victory, 1/5th of the Iberian Forces had been ughtered; if not for their fear of the res, and artillery they may have managed to put up a better fight. Yet, Berengar''s military technology was so far advanced over his enemies that they believed it to be an act of demonic sorcery; the very thought that Berengar had caused Angels to fall from heaven was enough to force their retreat before they had even begun to fight.


    As for the remainder of the Iberian Armies, they woulde to know of this change in a few weeks, as the survivors of this conflict would report everything they had witnessed to their superiors, and thus the Catholics would be prepared for such unfathomable sights. The war for Iberia had only just begun.


    ---


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 Chapter 414: Conference of the German Dukes

    <h4>Chapter 414: Conference of the German Dukes</h4>


    As the war in Iberia continued, an important meeting was taking ce in the Scandinavian city of Oslo. The various Dukes and Margraves of Germany had temporarily called a ceasefire and gathered in the neighboring realm, which was neutral ground with the purpose to discuss the greatest threat to their continued existence.


    There was one German Duke who had dered himself King and had risen to his position through sheer overwhelming force. Every day Austria advanced with new, Faustian technology that caused many to believe that its King had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for limitless knowledge.


    Though the Catholic Church refused to recognize the legitimacy of Berengar''s im to be a King, many of his neighbors used such a title out of respect for his power, for if he were to be called a Duke, then what exactly did that make them? Duke Dietger of Bavaria spoke of their southern neighbor, whose power and rapid expansion had be a significant threat.


    "The Pope has dered a Crusade against Austria and its so-called German Reformation, which has now spread to every corner of ournds. It is not just Austria who will suffer in this conflict; ournds will burn in the mes of fanatics who want nothing more than to appease the Papacy!


    Meanwhile, Berengar further invokes the ire of the Church as he has dispatched tens of thousands of men into Iberia to prop up the Emirate of Granada as a puppet State. My spies can not even infiltrate Austria without being discovered!


    I have little doubt in my mind that this proxy war of his will be a disaster for the Catholic World. Nearly half a million men have marched from all corners of Christendom in an attempt to eradicate the Austro-Granadan forces, and I fear they will be obliterated!"


    Out of all the men present, Dietger was the most familiar with Berengar''s forces, as he had been thoroughly swept aside in Austria by a small number of what were then Tyrolean troops. He had no idea that the equipment of the Austrian army was rapidly being modernized and that the weapons used to defeat his forces so thoroughly were already being reced.


    Dietger concluded his rant with words of caution as he addressed his peers from the German-speaking regions.


    "If we do not unite together, and march on Austria now, then we will have no chance of victory when the Pope finally manages to march his crusaders against our enemy!"


    Though Dietger was correct in saying this, the other Dukes looked at him as if he had gone mad. Thus one man, in particr, the Margrave of Baden, spoke out against his paranoid delusions.


    "Though Berengar has managed to defeat the forces of Italy and Switzend, I do not believe he has the power to repel the near half a million men who have marched on his allies in Granada. He has sent half of his army into theirnds and will undoubtedly face a disastrous defeat.


    If the so-called King of Austria does manage to escape from his inevitable loss in Iberia, then he will be left with half his army to contend against the same force who beat him! Not only that, but the additional crusaders prepared for this conflict will be marching alongside them!


    Despite this, I understand your fears as his neighbor and will concede that this Self-Titled Kingdom of Austria is a grave threat to our continued existence. Thus rather than unite to march upon Austria immediately, I propose we conduct a ceasefire.


    Which will allow us time to build up our forces to contribute to the uing Crusade against the Berengar Heresy. Only after we have wiped this heretical menace from ournds should we continue our petty disputes over the title of King of Germany. "


    What the Margrave of Baden said made sense to the remaining German Dukes and Margraves. However, it was ultimately up to the two potential sessors of the Throne to agree. Thus all eyes gazed upon the man known as Duke Hartman von Luxembourg, or as his rivals referred to him as "the Bastard of Luxembourg," to see if he would be willing to dere a ceasefire for the time being. After careful consideration, the young man, who was currently engaged in a brutal stalemate with the Bavarian pretender, sighed heavily before nodding his head in affirmation.


    "Under these circumstances, I can allow for a ceasefire to exist between our camps. Until the Berengar Heresy and its leaders are routed out and destroyed, I swear that my forces and that of my allies shall not aggress further upon Dietger or his faction so long as they agree to the same conditions."


    Dietger was upset that his warning was not taken seriously and knew that such efforts would ultimately be vain. He believed that Berengar would further rise in power over the next few years, and with it, he would quickly sweep aside the Crusader army, no matter howrge it grew; from there, he would use it as an excuse to invade the German realm and unite it under his banner.


    Dietger may be a proud and ill-tempered man, but he was wise enough to see the writing on the wall. As such, he hung his head in defeat before nodding his head in agreement. After doing so, he spoke his piece.


    "Very well, I shall agree to your ceasefire, but mark my words, by the time we invade Austria alongside the crusaders, it will be toote!"


    After saying this, he stood up from his seat in the conference and stormed out of the room where he was nked by his ministers. It was not until they were in a secure location that he began to speak in secrecy.


    "Send a letter to the Chancellor of Austria, tell him that Bavaria is willing to cooperate with their realm in the uing Crusade and is even willing to pay back our debts immediately. If they are willing to forgive our previous intrusion, then I, as Duke of Bavaria, am willing to aid them in their efforts."


    The ministers gazed at Dietger in shock as he said this and immediately began to question his words.


    "I thought we were here to convince the other realms to unite against Austria; how did we get to the point where we must grovel before them?"


    Dietger immediately mmed his fist upon the stone wall in rage as he enlightened his ministers about what doom he perceived would follow in the near future.


    "Those fools think Berengar and his Army will be trounced in Iberia and the uing Crusade. However, they do not know what I know. If they wait that long then defeat, and annexation is inevitable, we might as well submit ourselves now and gain some advantages as loyal followers while we still can!


    It goes against every fiber of my being to submit to another man, but I see what lies on the horizon and am willing to put aside my personal pride for the sake of my family and my realm! Do as I say and make sure the other Dukes do not find out about this!"


    Dietger''s ministers immediately bowed their heads in respect; even they feared the ever-increasing threat of their southern neighbor; if the Duke was willing to submit to the Austrian Crown, then they believed it was indeed a wise decision.


    With this in mind, they quickly got to task as they silently dispatched a messenger to Kufstein to inform the Chancellor of Germany of their decision. Their choice to kneel before their southern neighbors would turn out to be a wise one, and Dietger would one day consider it the wisest decision he had ever made as a ruler.


    As for the remainder of the German High-Nobility, they had no way of knowing that their entire meeting was observed by Austrian Royal Intelligence, for one of the ministers present in the conference was a devout believer of the German Reformation and had long since been recruited by the Austrians as a spy.


    Thus, before the Bavarian delegation reached Austria, Linde would already know what had transpired and began making preparations to sabotage the German rearmament. With this, a new war of intrigue was about to begin.


    ---


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 Chapter 415: Sacking of Toledo Part I

    <h4>Chapter 415: Sacking of Toledo Part I</h4>


    The dust had settled after the Army of tens of thousands of prisoners had been rendered into meat paste by the Austrian artillery brigades. Many of the young and veteran soldiers gazed upon the destructive scene with expressions of both trepidation and pride.


    Fearful of what could ur if they should ever make the mistake of taking up arms against the crown, and yet proud of the military might their nation possessed. They had single-handedly wiped out an army over twice their numbers without the enemy even getting in range of firing their weapons.


    Such a feat was only achieved due to the use of res and artillery, which had abined effect on the superstitious feudal men of the Iberian Army who genuinely believed that the Austro-Granadan alliance had somehow managed to force Angels to fall from the heavens.


    If the enemy had kept their wits together, they might have been able to advance upon the first trench line and engage in meleebat with the Austro-Granadan soldiers. However, such an overwhelming disy of advanced technology was no different than magic in the eyes of the primitive armies of Iberia and Christendom. Thus they were frightened to their wits and exposed their backs to their enemies, who cut them down with ease.


    Berengar gazed upon the carnage that he had inflicted on this field of battle with a wicked smile on his face before stepping back into the trench line, silent as he did so. This sinister appearance led many among his ranks to believe that their King was a man of great cruelty to his enemies. After approaching the rear-trench line, Berengarid down in hismand bunker where he quickly found himself sleeping without a care in the world.


    Hours passed, and morning came; with it, Berengar was up bright and early, rallying his Cavalry Forces to prepare to set off in an attempt to wrestle control of the Capital of Castile. With the main Army of their enemy defeated, Berengar did not have to worry about fighting more significant numbers as he advanced upon the city of Toledo.


    Berengar was standing in front of four Generals who had gathered before him. Generals Arnulf and Adelbrand represented the Austrian Divisions. General Ziyad was responsible for what remained of the Royal Granadan Army, and finally, General Alexej Kaspar was here to lead the Bohemian Expeditionary Force.


    The Bohemian Royal Army was equipped with apparel and armor simr to the Austrian Army; the primary difference was that it resembled the Steingaru M1917 Field Uniforms used by Austro-Hungarian Forces during the Great War Berengar''s previous life.


    Of course, they were equipped with surplus weapons from the Austrian Royal Army, such as 1417/18 Rifled Muskets and 1417 12lb Field Guns. Nevertheless, they were provided with vastly superior equipment whenpared with their enemies. With the quick loading tubes at their disposal, they were still capable of firing roughly five rounds a minute from the entrenched positions.


    Berengar was dressed in his field uniform, with a cavalry saber attached to his belt, along with his 1422 Service Revolver, contained within its holster. He quickly began to give the Generals their instructions as he prepared to set off.


    "While I march off and secure our victory, you will all continue to conduct warfare as we have done so thus far. Maintain a perimeter around the borders of Granada, and ensure that any army that advances on your position is met with artillery fire the moment they enter firing range.


    If the timees that you must retreat from an entrenched position, do not be afraid to do so, the survival of our troops is the most crucial factor of this conflict. Care for each soldier under yourmand as if he was your beloved son, and he will follow even into the gates of hell!"


    The Generals saluted Berengar as he hopped onto the back of his mount, where Berengar returned their salute; as he did so, he yelled the long-established battle cry of the Austrian Armed Forces.


    "God with us!"


    After saying this, he regrouped with his Cavalry, awaiting his arrival, where they set on that path towards Toledo. By the time they arrived, the Castilian King was sure to be aware of his primary force''s disastrous defeat. Whether he had the stones to stay within the confines of his city and defend it had yet to be seen.


    For several days the Austrian Cavalry, followed by its attached Artillery Battery and logistics unit, trodded forth through the Castilianndscape before finally arriving at the city of Toledo. As they entered firing range of the artillery, which was roughly five miles away, Berengar gave his order to the artillery officer who had apanied them.


    "Set your men to task and focus your bombardment on the main gatehouse; I want that section of the wall brought down before my force''s arrival within the proximity of your shelling!"


    The Artillery officer suppressed his internalughter as he heard such a ridiculous order; of course, the wall would be brought down before they arrived within the proximity of the shelling. With the power of the 7.5cm FK 22 field guns, the wall was likely to be brought down by a single barrage. After that, they would focus their guns on the castle within the center of the city.


    However, out of respect for his monarch, the officer merely saluted the young King and nodded his head before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your Majesty!"


    After saying this, the Artillery battery of six field guns began to deploy their weapons. Upon doing so, Berengar issued his Cavalry to advance forth, five miles was quite a long distance, and a horse could only gallop at full speed for a distance of roughly two miles before bing exhausted.


    As such, they trotted forth towards their target while the Artillery Battery, supported by a logistics unit, began shelling the city, which was utterly unaware that the enemy had gathered in the distance.


    The echo of six guns resounded throughout the air as a single batterynded perfectly onto the main gatehouse. The detonation from the six 75x200mmR shells was enough to bring it to ruin; the unfortunate men inside the gatehouse were immediately crushed by the rubble of the stones above their heads.


    Having seeded in their objective, the Artillery officer in charge of the battery immediately fired upon the Castle in the distance, it was only after a section of its wall was brought to ruin that he ceased fire. After all, they had limited supplies and wanted to take down as many cities as possible without having to withdraw and resupply.


    After roughly an hour, the 10,000 Cavalry reached the ruined gatehouse where they waited upon the orders of their Sovereign and Reichsmarschall. Berengar did not hesitate and immediately bellowed his decree with a stern tone.


    "Charge!"


    With thismand, 10,000 Cavalryprised of Hussars, Uns, Cuirassiers, and Mounted Infantry rushed into the city with weapons in hand and ruthless intent. The path to victory was cleared by the artillery, all they had to do was cut down anyone who got in their way.


    The city''s few defenders were quickly cut to ribbons by the advancing Cavalry. Those who were not shot with revolvers, or needle carbines, were ruthlessly torn apart with swords andnces. The mounted infantry had dismounted from their horses and advanced into the city with needle rifles in hand and bays affixed as they fired upon any man d in armor or carrying arms.


    Blood now stained the streets and corpses lie piled atop one another as the Austrian forces rapidly made their way through the city which was filled with panicked citizens and towards the castle where the King of Castile was sure to be hiding. With the castle walls brought down, it was a simple matter of rushing through the courtyard where Berengar''s Cavalry quickly gunned down the royal guards of Castile.


    Afterward, Berengar stashed his de away where he dismounted from his horse and raised his pistol, cocking back the hammer so that it was in single-action mode as he advanced toward the Castle''s entrance.


    Surrounded by his royal guard, who were outfitted with Needle Carbines, Berengar pulled out a Stick Grenade where he pulled the pin before chucking it towards the front gates. The wooden doors immediately shattered into splinters as the grenade went off with an explosive st. Afterward, Berengar and his Royal Guard advanced into the castle as the vanguard.


    The moment the smoke Cleared, Berengar saw a Knight of Castile rushed towards him with a de in hand, yet the young monarch did not even flinch. Instead, he aimed down the sights of his revolver, which was contained within his left hand, and squeezed the trigger. In doing so, a .38 caliber projectile propelled down its barrel and into the skull of the heavily armored knight.


    Blood and grey matter sttered out the massive exit wound of the steel helmet and covered the walls. While Berengar killed his opponent, his Royal Guard quickly raised their carbines and gunned down any other Knights within its entrance in ruthless fashion. The ess to the Castilian Royal Castle was now secure.


    ---


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 Chapter 416: Sacking of Toledo Part II

    <h4>Chapter 416: Sacking of Toledo Part II</h4>


    Having secured the entrance of the Castle within the city of Toledo, Berengar waited for his mounted infantry to arrive. When the men finally caught up to the cavalry, they immediately advanced down the narrow stone halls with rifles in hand and bays affixed. Berengar proceeded calmly behind them with his revolver safely stashed away in his holster.


    The Mounted Infantry swept through the halls, ruthlessly gunning down any man to get in their way. After every shot fired, they would lift the bolt handle and rack it back before cing another paper cartridge in its chamber; after seating the round, they would push the bolt back home and prepare to fire on the next target that got in their path.


    The Knights of Castile bravely defended their master''s abode as they tried to hide behind the corners and ambush the oing Mounted Infantry. Still, it was to no avail; the moment they shed their des forth, they were easily deflected by the 10-inch bays fixed to the side of the infantry''s bores.


    After the swords were deflected, a round was fired through the torso of the Knights, and their insides were torn apart before being spewed out the other side of their armor, mercilessly reaping their souls like wheat to the scythe. The soldiers confidently reloaded their weapons as they led their Monarch across the Castle''s vast interior.


    Despite conflict appearing in every corner of the Castle, the Austrian Soldiers found themselves well protected with their armor and sustained few if any casualties. Instead, piles of heavily armored knights riddled the halls as their blood flowed onto the cold stone floor.


    Eventually, Berengar and his soldiers reached the Great Hall where the King of Castile sat upon his Throne; oddly enough, there was not a single hint of fear on his face; instead, it was tranquil as if he hade to peace with his fate. Berengar and his soldiers cautiously approached as they secured the room from the few remaining bodyguards of the Castilian King.


    Upon seeing the devil in the flesh, King Fransisco de Trast��mara gazed upon Berengar with disdain as he boldly spat upon the floor in front of him before speaking his mind.


    "So you are the Austrian upstart who challenges the authority of God! I did not expect you to have such a regal appearance. I suppose it is true what they say; Lucifer was indeed the most beautiful among the Lord''s creation!"


    Berengar immediately felt sickened upon hearing such a remark and instead stepped closer to the King of Castile before making his demands.


    "Your Army is defeated, yet the people of your city remain intact for the most part. I suggest you surrender, or else I will be forced to engage in unnecessary cruelty towards you, your family, and your people..."


    However, the King of Castile''s expression did not change; there was no hint of dread or fright in his eyes, only disgust. As if the very existence of Berengar was an insult to his pride as a natural-born monarch. Thus it was no surprise when he began to insult Berengar to his face.


    "You are no King, Berengar von Kufstein! You are a lowly Baron who does not know his ce! Without your advanced technology, you would be nothing! I wonder what the price was for you to obtain such limitless knowledge? Tell me did you sell your soul to Satan? For what? Temporary power on this mortal ne?


    I pity you; no matter what you achieve in this world of ours, ultimately, you are destined for an eternity of hellfire and torment. Whereas I, and my family will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, through his divine will, we have led our people in this life and will do so in the next! The right to rule is not determined by your strength but by God himself! Do with us as you please; you will only be ensuring greater damnation for your wretched soul!"


    Berengar had a twisted expression on his face as he heard such insults to his power and authority; he knew that in history, the Spanish were among the most fanatical Christians on the, who were willing to destroy valuable knowledge if they believed it had offended their God, yet to meet such zealotry in the flesh was genuinely irritating.


    With this in mind, a malicious grin spread upon his lips as he decided to toy with the religious fanatic sitting in front of him. Berengar slowly stepped closer to the Throne; with each foot gained, the sound echoed throughout the stone corridor as if it was thunder.


    As he finally reached the Castilian King, Berengar grabbed ahold of the man''s neck and mmed him to his knees before stepping on his skull and forcing him to kowtow before him. He began to taunt the religious Monarch with the anecdote of his personal experience with the so-called afterlife as he did so.


    "I am sorry to be the one to inform you, but there is no God; Heaven does not exist nor does Hell. There is only life and death. Thus, I hope that you remember when you find yourself in the next life, that I, King Berengar von Kufstein, was the one who sent you there. I truly hope that you are born in the lowest rung of society as an impoverished member of themon people who you im to have divine rule over so that you will know the pain and suffering of your people first hand."


    After saying this, Berengar kicked the man onto the floor, where the King of Castile gazed upon him with bitter hatred. As the man struggled to his knees, he then looked up to the heavens and performed the sign of the cross, saying onest prayer before he embraced the cold hands of death.


    As he did this, Berengar circled to the man''s back and pulled out his revolver, where he pressed it to the back of the man''s skull. Before the King could finish his prayers, Berengar pulled the trigger and sent him to the afterlife.


    Blood and gray matter sprayed onto the floor as the man''s body copsed; with an indifferent expression, Berengar holstered his pistol before giving out an order to his nearby troops who witnessed his speech and vicious manner.


    "Find the King''s family, and eliminate them after you have done that sack the city for all it is worth. Anyone who attempts to resist is to be killed on the spot. "


    After saying this, Berengar sat upon the Castilian Throne with a look of disgust on his face towards the corpse thaty before him. He began to mutter under his breath a single sentence, which sent chills down the spines of the few men of his who were near enough by to hear it.


    "One down, two to go..."


    It was exactly as Berengar had said, the young King of Austria nned to eliminate all three Kings of Iberia and their families. In doing so, he would be plunging the Catholic Realms of the Penins into utter chaos, buying him the much-needed time to arm and train his Granadan allies so that they would be capable of winning Reconquista without further intervention from Austria and Byzantium.


    Throughout the rest of the night, cries echoed throughout the city as the Army of ten thousand men tore it to pieces, taking every bit of gold, silver, and precious stones they could find, mercilessly skewering anyone who resisted with their bays.


    The Royal Family of Castile was found hiding in a secret room and were gunned down where they stood. As for Berengar, he gazed upon a map of the Iberian Penins where he stuck a boot knife into the location that marked the City of Zaragoza.


    His next target was the Kingdom of Aragon; after all, the house of de Trast��mara ruled over both Castile and Aragon, with King Fransisco de Trast��mara and his family dead, his rtive Felipe now had a im to his territory, and Berengar intended to execute him before he could seize power for himself.


    With the Army and Royal house of Castile Annihted, Berengar had dealt a mighty blow to the Iberian Union in the initial stages of the War. He suspected that the Portuguese and Aragonese Kings would pull back at least one Army that pressured Granada to defend their territory. Thus he would have to move swiftly to eliminate his next target.


    A messenger hawk was sent back to the frontlines of the Granadan defense, informing them of the swift victory that Berengar had achieved over the Castilian Crown and the result that had urred. In theing days, the various forces throughout Christodom woulde to learn of what had happened to Castile and begin to fear the power of the Austrian Army and the brutality of its Monarch.


    For if Berengar did not even treat the lives of his peers with the respect and dignity they were afforded, who would he not eliminate in his pursuit of power? For now, the war in Iberia continued to wage, and it was far from reaching its peak intensity.


    ---


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 Chapter 417: Clandestine Operations in the Kingdom of France

    <h4>Chapter 417: ndestine Operations in the Kingdom of France</h4>


    Within the confines of the Duchy of Burgundy, a meeting was held within the Duke''s castle. The man who had begun an open rebellion against the French Crown due to the promiscuous behavior of his former lover, the Crown Prince, was sitting upon his ducal throne.


    Standing before him were a group of diplomats dressed in the attire of belonging to the upper ss of the Iberian Penins.? The man at the forefront of the delegation began to speak French with a heavy Iberian ent as he addressed the man before him with a sign of humility and respect.


    "I understand that you are doing the Lord''s work by exposing the sinful nature of the Royal Family. Prince Aubry de Valois''s behavior is truly disgusting, and the boy is destined to burn in eternal hellfire! Thus my master King Fransisco de Trast��mara, ruler of the great Kingdom of Castile, has ordered me to deliver these weapons to your Grace as a sign of our support."


    After saying this, the diplomat whistled, which signaled the men beneath his employ to bring forth the crates filled with weapons. Upon opening the wooden cases, various handheld firearms in the form of the Arkebuse appeared. Unlike the guns Berengar had given to the French Crown, these were crude knockoffs of local Iberian Manufacture.


    They were made of inferior materials andcked a standardized caliber; they were hardly the same quality of weapons issued to Berengar''s allies. Despite this, the Duke of Burgundy had a wide grin as he witnessed the numerous crates that filled his great hall.


    With these weapons, his armies would be able to do significant damage to the loyalists who backed King Gilles and his rotten dynasty.? Upon witnessing the new weapons, the Duke raised from his seat before addressing his guests with a warm smile.


    "I thank you for traveling all of this way to deliver such magnificent weapons. I promise you; I will make great use of them in my future conflicts with the Royal Family."


    The lead diplomat nodded his head in response; as he did so, he began to speak further about the ongoing conflict in France.


    "The Iberian Union supports you; we will make sure to bring in more weapons when we are next avable to do so. As for the gunpowder and munitions, it can be sold for a reasonable price."


    The Duke of Burgundy nodded his head in agreement; he found these terms eptable. As such, he quickly sat down upon his seat before ying with a golden coin as he twirled it through his fingers. This coin was none other than the Austrian Gulden, whose silver counterpart had rapidly begun to rece other forms of currency as the international standard.


    After a few moments of thought, he tossed the coin down to the diplomats below, who quickly caught ahold of it. As he did so, a smirk appeared on his face before responding to their statement.


    "Consider this the first payment for your services. I look forward to doing further business with you."


    The diplomat bowed his head with respect before responding to the Duke''s statement.


    "I thank your Grace for your generosity..."


    After hearing this, the Duke dismissed the Iberian Diplomats who returned to the quarters that they were granted within his keep for the duration of their stay. After they arrived in their quarters, the delegates waited until they were confident that none outside the room could hear their whispers before speaking. The moment they began to converse, it was no longer in the French tongue with a Castilian ent but rather perfect German.


    "For now, we shall maintain appearances,ter at night; I will dispatch an encrypted message to headquarters, letting them know that the first stage of our operation has been sessful and that we will maintain contact with the Burgundian host for some time before we begin the next phase."


    In reality, this was not a delegation from the Iberian Union, but rather undercover operatives from Austrian Royal Intelligence who had begun to conduct the beginning stages of Austria''s covert operations within the Kingdom of France.


    Upon hearing this, the other agents nodded their heads in response to their Commander''s orders. One of the men in question immediately began to inquire about the second phase of their objective in a hushed tone.


    "What exactly is the second stage of this operation?"


    The Agent in Command immediately began to inform his subordinates of their ns for the near future with a cautious tone.


    "After we have finished establishing ties to the Burgundians, we will withdraw from their castle under the ruse that we are returning to Castile. Instead, we will enter the borders of the Kingdom of France and begin encouraging dissent against the Royal Family."


    Upon hearing this, the agents nodded in silence before their Commander gave them their remaining orders.


    "Alright, get some rest; in theing days, we will maintain our current identities as foreign dignitaries until after we have withdrawn from the keep."


    The subordinate agents nodded their heads before doing as they were told.


    ---


    Weeks passed, and Linde sat within the confines of the Royal Pce within the City of Kufstein; by now, her belly had grown quiterge, as she was several months pregnant. Despite this, she never ceased her responsibilities as the Director of Intelligence, even though much of her work was adequately delegated to the appropriate branches. In front of her was none other than Deputy Director Hemma, dressed in her full uniform, reporting information regarding their ongoing operations in France.


    "Our agents have infiltrated the rebellious duchies of Aquitaine and Burgundy and have sessfully supplied their leaders with the weapons and munitions necessary to inflict more significant casualties upon the French Armies. Their aliases are intact, and the rebels genuinely believe they have the backing of the Iberian Union.


    Your n of having our soldiers in Iberia capture the Union''s knockoff Arkebuses and distribute them to our field agents for use in our covert operations was absolutely genius. If we were to use our supply of such primitive weapons, it would be much more difficult to conceal our identities."


    Linde had a smug smile on her beautiful face as she heard thispliment; it was indeed nothing impressive, after all, she was the one who created Berengar''s spywork from scratch, and with very little assistance from her husband, was capable of reforming it into a modern Intelligence Agency far beyond the capabilities of their rivals.


    Inparison to this feat, the small details of their current operations in the neighboring Kingdom to the West were mere child''s y. She had an arrogant tone of voice as she began to inquire about the next phase of their work in France.


    "With Arkebuses in the hands of the rebels, it is only a matter of time before they use them on the field of battle; when that happens, the French loyalists will be forced to employ the arms we have already given them.


    When the French people realize that their Monarch has epted military aid from Austria, it will cause a massive scandal; thus, with our hidden agents'' support in the field, France will soon find itself embroiled in a far greater conflict than they have seen thus far.


    When this happens, the English will be sure to capitalize on it. As such, we must work swiftly to ensure that these new rebellious groups have anti-English sentiments so that they too have their work cut out for them!"


    Hemma nodded her head as she heard Linde''s train of thought beforementing on the situation.


    "I will make sure to ry your orders to the field; before long, the entire Kingdom of France will be one giant warzone. I do not doubt that such a thing will spark a refugee crisis; what should we do about this potential oue?"


    Linde''s smile went from smug to cruel as she sipped the tea in her cup; after drinking from it, she responded to this question with a bold statement.


    "Seal the border, and give our soldiers orders to open fire on anyone who tries to enter the Kingdom of Austria illegally. I highly doubt Berengar would want a bunch of filthy French peasants entering his Kingdom."


    The Deputy Director of Austrian Royal Intelligence immediately saluted her superior officer before responding to this order in the affirmative.


    "It will be done, your highness!"


    After saying this, Linde ced down her teacup filled with tea and dismissed her subordinate.


    "If there is nothing else, then you may leave; I have many things to prepare for..."


    Hemma nodded in silence before departing, leaving Linde by her lonesome as she drank from the rest of her tea in silence. Truthfully, she was not that concerned with the oue of the Hundred Year''s War, at least not inparison to her husband. Instead, She was apprehensive about Berengar''s safe return from the War in Iberia. As such, she spent some time in silence praying for his well-being.


    While Berengar continued to wage war against his enemies, his Second Wife was hard at work, overseeing the various operations of Austrian Royal Intelligence; after all, it was not just France that had garnered Austria''s attention.


    ---


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 Chapter 418: Cat Fight V

    <h4>Chapter 418: Cat Fight V</h4>


    Within the City of Kufstein, sitting in a popr Cafe, were two young women. Ad and her eldest sister Ava were seated across from each other, while the younger of the two siblings had a scowl on her face. It had been some time since she had seen her elder sister, and as usual, the rtionship between the two sisters was far from cordial.


    Since Ad had be engaged to her cousin Berengar all those years ago, her rtionship with her eldest sister had continuously worsened. By now, it had be abundantly clear to Ad that her sister Ava was envious of her marriage to Berengar. Thus like a childish brat, Ava had repeatedly acted out against her in numerous fits of jealousy.


    Now, the mother of three and former Countess of Salzburg was begging for an opportunity in an attempt to rescue her husband''s ce in the Austrian Social Hierarchy. After all, due to his cowardly actions during the Bavarian upation of Austria, Wolfgang had been stripped of hisnd and titles and been thoroughly disgraced in the eyes of his peers.


    Chancellor Otto and his wife grew weary of looking after their eldest daughter and her durd of a husband. Thus, Ava had no option but to convince Berengar to allow her family back into his good graces. Of course, the only way to achieve this was through her sister, the First Wife of the King of Austria. After all these years, Ava still could hardly believe that the sickly boy she had grown up with was now the most powerful man in the western world.


    With each passing day, shemented her past actions; Though Berengar was unaware; when the two of them were both small children, they were engaged to be married when they reached adulthood. However, as Berengar''s sickly condition progressed to a near-death state, Ava became disillusioned with the boy she once loved and convinced her father to break their betrothal.


    Surprisingly yearster, this resulted in Berengar and Ad''s engagement, which greatly shocked Ava. After all, her youngest sister had be engaged to her first Crush. However, It was not until Berengar had begun to rise in power that Ava truly began to regret her decision and be filled with envy towards her sibling.


    Of course, Berengar had no memory of this as the original inhabitor of his body had not been involved with family politics in his youth and just thought of Ava as a good friend in their childhood years. If he knew he was once engaged to Ad''s older sister, he might take her as a mistress toy im to what could be perceived as his "original wife."


    This was the most significant reason Ava often sought conflict with Ad in the past. She hade to realize that she had thrown away a diamond in return for a polished turd. Now, Ad was the High Queen of Austria, and Ava was the wife of a disgraced,ndless nobleman. With this in mind, Ava began to break out in tears as she began to speak to her youngest sister about the hardships she had to endure as the wife of Wolfgang.


    "You are so lucky to be married to a man like Berengar... Wolfgang is an absolute idiot! He has no idea that those around him are openly mocking him. Everywhere we go, people treat us as pariahs with their backhandedments, and he thinks they''re being genuinely nice to him.


    Daddy won''t even pay for my kids to get a private education, so they have to sit with those filthymoners in the new public schools! Without our parents, my family wouldn''t even have a thaler to our names now that Adelbrand has seized control of his house and their fortune."


    Ad was not the least bit sympathetic to her sister; unlike Berengar, she was aware of the arranged marriage between Ava and Berengar when they were kids. In fact, if anything the young Queen of Austria was quite spiteful to her elder sister. The very thought that her husband could have been married to her bitch of an older sister brought out the worst inside her.


    Luckily for Ad, Ava threw it all away for a numbskull like Wolfgang, simply because his family was at the time wealthy and powerful. As such, the young Queen did not even hesitate as she spoke with firm determination to her spoiled eldest sister.


    "Ava, what exactly do you want from me? If you havee to ask for money, It is out of my hands; Berengar has invested most of our wealth into the Royal Treasury, which acts as the funds for the entire Kingdom. I regret to inform you that I do not have the authority to withdraw from it.


    As for our savings, I will need to discuss with Berengar personally whether or not I can loan your husband money. Since the King is currently in Iberia waging war against our enemies, it will be some time before I can make that request."


    Ava bit her lip as she heard this news; she suspected that Ad could grant her some money but refused to do so. As such, her heart was filled with resentment as she thought about the degree of luxury that Ad lived in and the fact that if she had not been so foolish in her youth, it could have all been hers. Despite this growing fury, Ava calmed her inner wrath before putting on a gentle facade.


    "Little Ad, I''m not asking for money; I simply want somend for my husband so that we can earn a decent living. Surely there is some factory somewhere that your husband doesn''t need. Even if it is just a small production facility, your husband has so much wealth generated from the rent that he charges the business owners for using hisnd. Can he not spare some of this for his family?"


    Ad''s brow raised slightly upon hearing this suggestion as she red at her sister in disbelief. She immediately asked for rification as to what Ava was suggesting.


    "Are you suggesting that I use my authority as High Queen to usurp a private business which has been granted the power to operate within the Kingdom of Austria by the Royal Crown itself, solely for your husband''s benefit?


    If I were to do such a thing, I would bemitting multiple crimes under the Anti-Corruptionws that are in ce. Not only would you and I be punished severely for such actions, but the prestige of the Austrian Crown would be forever diminished in the eyes of the people!


    You don''t understand how things work nowadays, do you? The Nobility no longer can take whatever they please from themon people. There are punishments that can be applied to all members of society, including the Royal Family, for engaging in such corrupt behavior. No, Ava, I will not give yound, even as though you are a member of my family.


    Suppose you and your husband want a business to run. In that case, you will have to build it from the ground up like everyone else; you will have to purchase or rent thend from whoever owns it, build the factory, pay your employees a decent wage, and have a product of high enough quality that people wish to purchase it with their funds. You will also have to pay the necessary taxes to the Royal Treasury that apply.


    If you and your durd of a husband can figure out how to achieve all of this, then maybe, just maybe, I can give you a loan from the Crown with a fair interest rate. However, until such a presentation can be made, I will not assist you."


    After saying this, Ad reached into her purse and pulled out a few silver thalers that acted as the price to pay for the meal they had shared and as the tip to the server. After doing so, she leaned in and whispered something to Ava.


    "It is funny, isn''t it? In your youth, you wanted nothing to do with Berengar and even broke your betrothal because you believed he was worthless. Now he is the King of Austria, and I am his Queen; I guess your loss is my gain!"


    After saying this, the young Queen of Austria departed from the Cafe and returned to the protection of her guards, where they proceeded to ride in the Carriage back to the Royal Pce. Ava was left stunned in the Cafe by her lonesome; she had no idea how Ad had found out about her previous engagement to Berengar so many years ago.


    However, Ad was wrong about one thing; Ava did not break her betrothal with Berengar because she thought he was worthless; instead, she did so out of fear that he would die before they could get married. In her childhood, she deeply cared for Berengar; in fact, he was her first crush. However, when he became sickly, she did not have the emotional strength to stick by him and thus ran away from her responsibilities.


    This misunderstanding between the two siblings was because they were separated in age by nearly a decade. The engagement with Berengar was broken up long before Ad was old enough to understand what such a thing was. If Ad knew that even now, Ava still had some feelings for her Berengar, then the young Queen would have been far more ruthless in how she dealt with her sister''s request.


    Eventually, Ava sipped on her tea before sighing in silence. Even though she deeply regretted her past actions, she had no way to change the oue. As such, she could either do as Ad had advised and begin the arduous process of building a business from scratch or continue to mooch off her parents for the rest of her life.


    After careful internal debate, Ava sighed before taking a sip from the tea in front of her once more; since her husband was all but useless, she would have to rely entirely upon herself. After all, she was reasonably clever; how hard could it be to start a business? If only she knew the difficulties, she would face in the long path set before her.


    ---


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 Chapter 419: Last Man Standing Part I

    <h4>Chapter 419: Last Man Standing Part I</h4>


    It was early morning in the mid of summer within the southwestern borders of Andalusia. Sitting within a fortified trench line was a Regiment of Landwehrsprised roughly 2,000 men. Merely two artillery batteries supported these infantrymen as they gazed off across no man''snd, bored out of their minds while they guarded a portion of the border that was deemed the least likely to engage inbat.


    At the moment, the Austro-Granadan Allianceprised of roughly 75,000 men deployed to the borders of Andalusia, because of this, their forces were spread thin throughout the area, as they waited for the attack of the Iberian Union who had now gathered four separate armies of roughly 100,000 men each in different locations.


    While the King of Austria led the cavalry to eradicate the Royal Families of the Catholic Iberian Kingdoms, regr soldiers such as the ones in this trench line drank their coffee and entertained themselves with card games. Colonel Johan Vilinger was drinking from a stainless steel field cup as he fulfilled his duty by gazing, watching over his men, and ensuring that their defense area remained under Austrian control.


    The man had graduated from Officer training with high marks. However, he never believed he would be sitting at the rear lines in a hardly noticeable section of the Andalusian border while the rest of hisrades were fighting off waves of medieval soldiers. He was in a state of depression as he thought about how mundane his life as an infantry officer had be.


    As the manmented his current position, he decided to fulfill his obligations; as such, he peered his head over the sandbags to look into the distance, where he saw a sea of shimmering iron, though its reach was far off, one could tell this was no natural structure. Instantly alerted by this discovery, the man pulled out his binocrs to get a better glimpse of what he was looking at.


    In the distance, an army of roughly 100,000 men flying various banners, especially that of the Kingdom of Portugal, were d in various forms of armor. The nce of the sun reflected towards the Colonel''s position as he gazed upon the sight of tens of thousands of iron-d warriors. At the same time, they marched towards the entrenched Regiment of Austrian Soldiers.


    The moment this Colonel realized what he was looking at, he lost control over his grasp, and the stainless steel cup fell onto the mud beneath his feet, sshing it with hot coffee. In a moment of fear, the Colonel''s hands began to shake as he struggled to withdraw his re gun from its holster.


    Johan''s mind was filled with dread as he firmly grasped his re gun with two hands before breaking its action open. He fumbled through his leather web belt, reaching for a re that sipped from his grasp and fell into the mud below.


    Immediately the man knelt into the trench, covering his uniform with grime, and dug through the dirt to retrieve his fallen re. Having wasted precious moments doing so, Johan quickly shoved the re into his gun and fired it off into the air.


    As the red projectile lit up the blue sky, the sight caused the half-asleep soldiers in the Austrian trench line to panic as they immediately looked over the edge of their fortified position and gazed in horror at the massive army heading in their direction.


    After confirming that nearly 100,000 men were marching towards their position, another nine res were fired off from within the trench line, signaling the nearby forces that a full-sized army was marching on their position and that reinforcements were needed at their location.


    This caused a chain reaction of the various infantry cements to fire off their res until they reached the central portion of the Austro-Granadan Army. The need for reinforcements was urgent; after all, there was no way 2500 men could defend against an army of 100,000.? Despite the inability to hold the position, the Austrian Colonel gritted his teeth before screaming out hismand to his regiment.


    "Load your weapons, and get into your positions! The enemy is upon us, and we must halt their advance until reinforcements arrive! If we falter here, then Granada will be overrun, and the Catholics will cut off our retreat from Gibraltar.


    If such a thing were to ur then, our entire army would be stranded in this God-Forsakennd with no way out! For the sake of your King and Fathend, you must hold the line! Hold the line even if it means your death! God with us!"


    The moment the Colonel gave this speech, the 2500 men whoprised the Landwehr regiment and the two Artillery batteries lifted their weapons into the air and chanted back the battle cry of the Austrian army.


    "God with us!" "God with us!" "God with us!"


    After saying this, any trepidation contained within the hearts of the Austrian soldiers was forced out by a fearless resolve that only a warrior can know within their hearts. Two thousand five hundred men loaded their weapons as they fixed their bays before aiming over the edge of the trench line, waiting for the enemy to get within firing distance,mitted to holding the ground until thest man was standing.


    Before long, Johan could see through his binocrs that the enemy army had approached the range of the Austrian artillery; he immediately cried out to the men responsible for using such weapons to fulfill their duty.


    "Open fire! Rain hell upon these bastards!"


    Upon saying this, his message was conveyed to the Artillery Officers, who began to do as instructed. Before long, the echo of the 7.5cm FK 22 Field Guns resounded in the air as the Colonel gazed through his optics to see the shellsnd upon the Iberian Position. A wide grin appeared on his face as the first barrage of 12 shells pounded the front lines of the enemy army.


    Before long, the subsequent thunderous explosion filled the air as the shells continued tond upon the advancing Iberians in the hundreds. Yet despite this, the soldiers of the Iberian Union and their foreign volunteers continued to march through the barrages unaffected, with looks of grim determination on their faces.


    The scene of the fields in the distance was wholly scorched by artillery, and corpses lie sted apart in the ruinedndscape; tens of thousands of men had already perished, and yet, it was as if they had not even made a dent in the massive army.


    Before long, the Iberian Soldiers passed through the artillery and entered rifle range, where Colonel Johan immediately pulled out a nearby needle rifle and loaded its breach with a paper cartridge. As he did so, hemanded the soldiers in the trench line.


    "Fire at will!"


    As Johan fired his first shot, and those around him did the same, his ears rang from the volley of gunfire; despite this, he quickly pulled back the bolt of his needle rifle and loaded another paper cartridge before firing downrange once more.


    His bullet hit its mark as it pierced through the unarmored torso of the Pesant levy charging towards him with a spear in hand. However, they dropped to the ground dead on the spot; hisrades rushed forward through the bullets volley, utterly undeterred by the barbed wire and needle fire as they ran towards their deaths.


    After firing one more shot, Colonel Johan immediately ordered to retreat to the following trench line. Their position was about to be over-run, and he did not want to be swarmed by the enemy army.


    "Fall back to the next line! Fall back!"


    After saying this, he quickly climbed over the trench wall and ran through yet another no man''snd towards the second trench line; his men promptly followed his lead, where they immediately slid into the trench alongside the rear-guard who had their rifles loaded and ready for the oing Catholic warriors.


    Johan immediately said a silent prayer as he prepared his weapon to fire; the battle at the Portuguese border had just begun, and though they had not lost any soldiers yet, eventually the Austrians would run out of trench lines to hide within, when that happened it would be all-out meleebat with tens of thousands of their enemies.


    As the front lines of Iberian soldiers and their foreign volunteers reached the first trench line, they immediately began to charge over its fortifications and into the line of fire. While this was happening, the King of Portugal sat back safely, gazing upon the battlefield with a sneer on his face. He gave a single order to the thousands of heavily armored men at arms and knights at his side.


    "Now that the peasants have soaked up their bullets, it is time to advance upon their position, leave no heretic alive, God wills it!"


    With this said, the heavy infantry and the cavalry forces of the Portuguese army began to charge into the fray; the battle for the Andalusian Border had only just begun.


    ---


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 Chapter 420 - Last Man Standing Part Ii

    Johan squeezed the trigger of his rifle, causing the needle to protrude through the paper cartridge, thus striking the percussion cap embedded within. This reaction ignited the gunpowder propelling the .451 caliber projectile down range and into the skull of an oing Crusader.


    Crusader would be the most appropriate word, as these men were fighting a holy war against the Granadan Army and their reformist Austrian Allies. Despite being mere peasants who had picked up a weapon for the first time in the name of God, these fearless warriors of christ were genuinely deserving of the term.


    The Colonel of the Austrian Regiment continued to fire upon the advancing enemy alongside his soldiers. However, no matter how many bullets were sent down or how many crusaders they killed inbat, the Catholics never seemed to run out of troops.


    If not for the entrenched positions and their protective helmets, the volleys of arrows fired upon their location likely would have caused far more casualties than they currently had suffered. However, right as Johan thought about this, the crackle of gunfire and the smoke of gunpowder spewed into the air, as lead balls fell downrange and onto the Austrian positions.


    From the other trench line roughly a hundred feet away, the Crusader Arkebusiers had begun to unleash a volley of fire. A single lead ball nged against Johan''s stahlhelm as he fell back from his position and hit the floor. He was heavily dazed as a nearby soldier checked on his condition.


    Ultimately the steel helmet was removed from his head, where he gazed upon a massive dent on its surface with awe. If not for this standard-issue helmet, his life indeed would have been taken at that moment. After regaining his rity of mind, Johan ced the dented helmet back upon his skull, where he shook off the soldier who was checking on his condition.


    "I am alright! Don''t worry about me; continue to fire on the enemy position!"


    With this said, the soldier immediately saluted hismanding officer and returned tobat. Johan quickly unscrewed the lid to his canteen and took a sip of the purified water within before stowing it back on his belt. After doing so, he checked to see if his rifle was loaded once more and poked his head over the trench line.


    By the time he was back inbat, another volley from the Arkebusiers was fired on his position. Though it was woefully inurate at this distance, it was in such a volume of fire that it was not umon for the Austrian defender to be hit by the projectiles.


    Luckily, they wore advanced steel armor, which defended their vitals from the primitive weapons that their enemies used. With this in mind, Johan aimed down his iron sights onto the nearest arkebusier. He fired his shot, the .451 caliber cylindrical projectile propelled downrange and through the kettle helm of the arkebusier, sttering his brains across the nearby sandbags.


    Unfortunately for the enemy, their medieval armor was no match for the advanced weapons of the Austrian Army. Having fired his shot, Johan immediately pulled back the bolt on his gun and reloaded another paper cartridge before firing once more on the advancing enemy.


    Undercover of arkebuse fire, the Iberian infantry rushed towards the trench line; before long, Johan found himself engaging in meleebat with a peasant levy, armed with a spear as he ran into the Austrian trench.


    Johan immediately lifted his rifle in the air where he deflected the oing spear before shifting his bnce and thrusting his ten-inch steel de bay into the peasant''s gambeson armor, piercing directly through it and into his flesh. After doing so, he retrieved his bay and no longer paid attention to the corpse in front of him.


    Instead, he loaded another shot and fired on the next wave of Crusaders who charged towards their deaths like madmen. Before long, the Peasant levies were spent, with only a few hundred of them remaining. However, just when the Austrians thought that victory had arrived, the Knights and Men at Arms of the Kingdom of Portugal as well as their Crusading Allies rushed across the no man''snd and into the trench.


    These men were heavily d in iron and steel armor, and thus the bays would not be nearly as effective on them. The Iberian heavy infantry unleashed their swords and maces upon the defending Austrians without fear of death. Unfortunately for the average Landwehr, they were not as well trained in meleebat as those who had trained their entire lives in such arts.


    Bodies of Austrian soldiers began to copse around Johan as he struggled to fend off a Knight of Portugal. Before long, he felt the hot sting of steel prating through his flesh as a longsword stuck through his back. Luckily for him, it had missed all of his vitals. However, it was enough to cause him to drop his weapon.


    In response to this, he quickly withdrew his revolver and fired a shot through the torso of the knight before him before turning around and firing another through the man who had backstabbed him. He had four shots remaining as he copsed against the wall of the trench, firing off another shot at a nearby man at arms who was about to y one of his soldiers.


    The bullet pierced through the man''s helmet and imed his life, causing his iron-d body to copse on top of the wounded Austrian Landwehr. Johan struggled to his feet as he tried to rally his surviving men against the oing attackers.


    "Hold your ground! Reinforcements are on their way! Hold your ground!"


    As the Austrian defenders heard this, they began to fight with every fiber of their being, yet by now, only a few hundred of them remained. With this in mind, Johan reached onto his belt and pulled out his spade, which was sharpened for close-quartersbat. With a revolver in one hand and a blunt weapon in the other, he began to walk through the trench line while bleeding out his back.


    Johan began to fire upon nearby Iberian soldiers with his revolver while striking others across the helm, concussing them in the process; he did not stop bashing their skulls in until their helmets had beenpletely cut through by the sharpened steel edge of the spade.


    Upon seeing how effective the spade was, his remaining soldiers tossed away their needle rifles and unleashed their entrenching tools, which proved to be lethal within the tight confines of the trench line. The Iberian Knights were forced to half-sword their weapons as they struggled to kill the Austrian Defenders.


    Steel shed with steel as the Austrians fought with everything they had; Johan parried an oing de with his entrenching stool as he fired hissh shot directly into the forehead of his attacker. After doing so, he tossed his revolver aside, where he began to batter away at the Crusaders. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the Austrian Landwehrs fought on, desperate to defend their position until reinforcements arrived.


    By now, Johan had lost a lot of blood from his back wound and began to slow down, the adrenaline and endorphins in his system began to fade, and he struggled to move his limbs as he engaged inbat with the enemy. Eventually, he copsed into the mud, struggling to retain his consciousness.


    The crusaders disregarded him as a corpse and continued to cut down the remaining Austrian soldiers. Eventually, only one soul remained alive within the Austrian Trench line; the Crusaders had killed all of its defenders, except for Johan, who was now struggling for breath as his body was kicked over to reveal a heavily armored Knight wearing the Royal Arms of Portugal on his tabard. This man was a member of the Portuguese Royal Family. The man gazed down upon Johan through his basc with a look of disdain on his face as he uttered his contempt.


    "Fucking Heretic!"


    Right, when the man was about to bring down his sword, the echo of gunfire resounded in the air, and his skull was blown apart. Johan could roughly make out the sound of Austrians screaming the battle cry "For King and Fathend!" as a wave of ten thousand Germans opened fire upon the Crusaders contained within the trenches.


    As the Colonel faded into unconsciousness, thest thing he saw the sight of muddied puttees belonging to an Austrian soldier who had climbed into the trench and rush into battle against the Iberian Forces. When he awoke a few dayster, he woulde to find that he was the lone survivor of his Regiment who sessfully managed to defend the Granadan Border until reinforcements could arrive.


    Roughly 2500 Austrian men died in the trenches, while the reinforcements sessfully annihted the Portugues and Crusader forces. Though, as they arrived, the Portuguese King had escaped the battlefield and fled back to his Home in Lisbon.


    The aftermath of this battle would be considered a heroicst stand by a group of Austrian Landwehrs against overwhelming odds. King Berengar wouldter posthumously award every soldier who died in this battle some variant of the Iron Cross, as a symbol of bravery for the men who gave their lives to secure the Granadan Border.

 Chapter 421 - A Day In The Life Of Linde

    Chancellor Otto was standing within the confines of the Royal Pce; one might think he would be visiting his daughter the High Queen of Austria; however, if one were to observe his actions, they would be surprised to see that instead, he was meeting with the Second Queen of Austria Linde von Kufstein.


    The reason for his visit to the Second Queen was entirely because of her job as the Director of Austrian Royal intelligence; recently he had received a letter from Duke Dietger von Wittelsbach about the willingness of Bavaria to submit itself to the Austrian Crown, and some valuable intel about what the other German realms were nning.


    While Berengar was away at war, it was up to his Uncle and Father-in-Law to run the country. Thus far, he had done an exemry job of it; therefore, as this essential matter came to his attention, naturally, he desired to verify the contents of the document. With this task, there was only one person he could trust who was his daughter''s greatest rival in love.


    Linde read through the contents with a stern expression on her face as she paid attention to every little detail, checking to see if anything was written in code. Oddly enough, it was a rtively concise letter without any encrypted content. Aftering to a conclusion she sighed heavily as her substantial bosom heaved in the air before revealing her thoughts on the document in her hands.


    "ording to my spies in the Luxembourg Royal Court, everything on this document is legitimate. Luxembourg''s forces halted Bavaria''s mercenary army within Brandenburg. As a result, Duke Dietger attempted to rally the German Realms against us while Berengar was at war in Iberia. They rejected his notions, and he likely realized that any hope of getting his vengeance on his was null.


    He may be an incredibly proud and short-tempered man. Still, he is not a fool; he likely realizes that we will decimate the Peasant''s Crusade to Iberia and annihte the more professional force that marches on our borders in the next few years. Thus, I think his willingness to submit to our rule is an attempt to avoid Berengar''s wrath when he finally brings the German World to heel.


    For now, I will task my agents in the Bavarian Royal Court to keep an eye on Dietger and his confidants. This is just my advice, so take it with a grain of salt; however, I suggest you write back to him informing your intent to work alongside Bavaria for the near future and that we will ept their payments in installments as was initially agreed upon.


    Remind him that the only reason Berengar hasn''t marched upon his Realm with the full might of the Austrian Army at his back is that there is still some time left on the treaty until he is forced to pay the Reparations back in full. After doing so, hint to the Duke that such a deadline could be extended if the Bavarians were to begin paying their installments immediately.


    If they start paying their reparations in installments, it can be seen as a sign of their sincerity towards Austria and its King. Rest assured, if Dietger tries anything foolish, Royal Intelligence will be aware of it, and I promise you we will stop it before it bes a problem. So, by all means, proceed as you see fit."


    Otto bowed his head in response to the Second Queen. Though he was never a fan of Berengar''s polygamous lifestyle or the fact that the King had cheated on his daughter with this woman, the Chancellor must admit that Linde was a fearsome and intimidating woman. The look in her sky blue eyes brought chills to his spine as he watched her read the contents of the letter with a severe expression on her wless face.


    After listening to Linde''s opinion on the letter, Otto sighed in relief before taking it back. He only raised his head from the bow after Linde had seemingly permitted him to do so.


    "I thank you, my Queen, for your guidance; I will be sure to negotiate a favorable alliance with the Duchy of Bavaria and pave the way for Berengar''s annexation of their realm shortly..."


    Linde nodded her head in response to this beforementing on his statement.


    "Be sure that you do... Now, if there is nothing else, I have things that I must attend to. I am sure that you know your way out of the Pce..."


    Otto bowed once more before bidding; Ithe Second Queen farewell.


    "I thank you for your time, your majesty; I will be taking my leave, I pray that you and your children are healthy and happy."


    After saying this, Otto left the area and returned to his Chateau to get to work. As for Linde, she returned to the main bedroom and sprawled out on the bed while sniffing the scent Berengar had left behind on his spot.


    As she did so, she noticed one of Berengar''s other wives'' approach; it was none other than Honoria. The Byzantine Princess had a slightly worried expression on her face as she asked the question on her mind.


    "Have you heard?"


    Linde stared at Honoria with a mocking expression before making fun of her.


    "I hear lots of things it is part of my job; you are going to have to be specific..."


    The purple-haired beauty immediately began to pout as she rified what she meant.


    "Did you hear that Berengar executed the King of Castile and his family? He plunged the entire Kingdom into Chaos!"


    A wide smile spread across Linde''s face as she sprawled out on therge feather mattress. As she did so, she spoke yfully.


    "Oh yes... that! Yeah, I heard about that? What of it? Castile is our enemy; who cares what happens to their monarch and his pitiful family?


    Honoria scoffed as she crossed her arms and began toin to her rival. She could not believe that Linde was sox about the whole ordeal.


    "Who cares? Berengar has broken international etiquette; for centuries, every King has known not to outright massacre a rival monarch and his family, what if the Catholic World does the same to us!?!"


    The strawberry-blonde-haired vixen spread across the bed further exemplifying her curves, though she was visibly pregnant she was as beautiful as ever; as she did so she began tough at Honoria''sment. After a few moments of collecting herself, she finally revealed how foolish the princess of the Byzantine Empire was being.


    "I wouldn''t worry about that if I were you, you might not be aware, but as Director of Royal Intelligence and Berengar''s favorite wife, I have ess to the weapons designs he and the Research and Development team of the Royal Armory have been working on.


    Let''s just say that in a few years, the entire Catholic World and all of its residents could unite against Austria, and the Royal Austrian Army would still massacre them before they ever step foot in ournd. Not to mention the secret border defense project our husband is working on..."


    Honoria stared at Linde in disbelief; since when did she have ess to such top secret information? More importantly, did she just im that she was Berengar''s favorite? Honoria instantly began to pout as she questioned the Second Queen on this part in particr.


    "Who says you are Berengar''s favorite? If that were so, wouldn''t you be the High Queen!?!"


    Linde immediately got up from the bed and walked over to Honoria with a coy smile on her face; after a while, she kissed the Byzantine Princess on the lips slightly before whispering in her ear.


    "You are cute when you are jealous! Unfortunately for you, I don''t have time for this..."


    Honoria''s cheeks began to flush with embarrassment as she endured Linde''s harassment; after the Second Queen began to walk towards the door, the Byzantine Princess and Third Queen of Austria began to call out to her.


    "Where do you think you are going!?! This isn''t over!"


    Linde merely turned around and smirked before responding to Honoria''s question.


    "I am going to review some important information at the Headquarters of Royal Intelligence. Some of us have more important roles to y in Berengar''s life than merely appealing to his fantasy of a Pirate Queen."


    After saying this, Linde left Honoria behind to steam in her inner fury. Sometimes that woman knew just how to get under her skin. As such, she sat down on the bed and began to pout. She refused to listen to that vile woman''s words of provocation. As she thought about this, she decided to visit Ad and inform her of just what Linde had said. After all, as High Queen and Linde''s greatest rival, she would indeed have something to say about all of this.


    As for Linde, she did exactly as she said she would; Despite the fact that the Department of Intelligence had essentially be self-sufficient without a need for her input. She was still technically its Director. Thus Linde intended to oversee some ongoing issues in the three regions of interest which were Iberia, France, and the Baltic.


    As for the rest of the Western World, Though Austria had long since spread its web of agents across it, there was little concern over those regions for the time being. Thus while Berengar was away at war, things within Austria continued to advance at a steady pace.


    ---

 Chapter 422 - A Day In The Life Of Adela

    Within the Royal Pce of Austria, two young women were having a conversation. Since Henrietta had confessed her feelings to her older brother, she had been alienated by most of the women in Berengar''s life. The only exception to this rule was the High Queen Ad, her cousin, and her close friend.


    As the two young women stood next to each other, it became increasingly clear how closely rted they were, as they shared many simr features. If one was unaware of their background, they might even assume they were sisters. Despite being two years younger than Ad, Henrietta had grown more significant in stature than her elder cousin.


    By now, the teenage girl was taller and curvier than Ad, which brought a frown to the High Queen''s face as she noticed this. She had no idea what Berengar had been feeding his sister for her to grow so much bigger than herself. However, she quickly turned her face away from this noticeable difference and instead returned her attention to the event she was nning.


    As the years passed, the first batch of recruits from Berengar''s Armed Forces who were now hardened Veterans would be retiring from active service and entering the reserves, leaving the Nation''s defense to the younger Generation.


    Considering Berengar had time and again expressed the importance of honoring the Nation''s soldiers and preserving its militant culture, Ad had taken it upon herself to organize a Grand Ceremony for the thousands of Soldiers who had perished in battle and the many more who were now seeing the end of their days inbat.


    Without the King''s advice, Ad nned to hold the first annual Veteran''s day parade when the soldiers stationed in Iberia returned from their exhausting campaign. With this in mind, she had opted to involve the King''s sister in the nning as Henrietta needed to fulfill her duty as a member of the Royal Family.


    The High Queen of Austria pointed at the replica of the City of Kufstein that lies on the table before her; specifically, she was aiming her dainty finger at Main Street, which would be sectioned off and used as the area for the parade, as she did so she expressed the thoughts on her mind.


    "We should have the surviving veterans of each conflict stroll out one at a time in chronological order of their wars!"


    Upon hearing this, Henrietta nodded her head beforeing up with an idea of her own; however, she struggled to express her opinion out of fear that it would be rejected due to her meek nature.


    "Maybe... If it is not too much, we can have them wear replicas of the uniforms they wore during that conflict?"


    Upon hearing this, a gorgeous smile appeared on Ad''s luscious lips as she listened to her cousin''s input.


    "That''s a wonderful idea, Henrietta! We will start with the peasant militia at the battle of a mining town and move on to the mixed uniforms of the veterans from the Kitzb��hel Border War. After that, we will honor the soldiers who fought in the Conquest of Tyrol, and so on!"


    Henrietta''s lips curved into a pretty smile as she heard the praise from the High Queen; her confidence in her role began to skyrocket as she began to suggest another idea.


    "Perhaps we can dust off some of the old weapons in storage and have them refurbished to be used in the parade?"


    Ad nodded her head in response to this before moving on to the next point of the event as she moved a small wooden figure used to represent Berengar into position at the head of the formation.


    "Our beloved King will be leading the parade atop horseback, in whatever uniform he desires; after it isplete, he will give a speech about the Veterans and their efforts towards this Kingdom."


    Henrietta smiled warmly at the thought of her precious big brother leading the parade in all his glory; this smile did not go unnoticed by Ad, who felt frustrated. She did not know how to broach the subject without making it awkward. After all, Henrietta''s feelings for Berengar were most definitely taboo, and Ad did not support them. Eventually, the young Queen mustered the courage to ask about the topic.


    "So... Henrietta, there are sure to be many prominent young noblemen in attendance for this event; after all, military service is considered a civic duty, and there are bound to be a few exceptional youngds who have proven themselves on the field of battle. Is there anyone in particr who might have caught your fancy?"


    The young Austrian Princess flushed with embarrassment as she thought about the question; in her mind, there was only one man she adored, and as such, she felt uneasy speaking about it even though she had kissed her brother on the cheeks and professed her intent to fight for him, now that she was being asked about the question directly by one of his wives she did not know how to react.


    Upon seeing Henrietta''s innocent and sheepish reaction, Ad felt a need to protect her from Berengar. After a few drinks, the man was liable toy his hands on any woman who he deemed attractive, even if that woman might be his younger sister. More importantly, the High Queen felt the need to keep a distance between the two siblings considering that it was Henrietta, not Berengar who was the most interested in such a taboo affair.


    Ad gritted her teeth and clenched her fists at the thought of such a sinful rtionship; such a fate could never be allowed to exist; she swore in her mind then and there that she would do whatever necessary to stop Berengar and Henrietta from progressing beyond the point of siblings. After all, it was her life''s goal to save Berengar''s soul, and incest was not something easily forgiven even by the Lord God Almighty.


    After a while, Ad calmed her nerves before cing her hand on Henrietta''s shoulder, which caused the girl to react in fright; she was not used to being touched by anyone as she was usually timid. Upon witnessing her cousin''s intense re, Henrietta''s heart became filled with dread. Ad forced a smile on her face as she gave a fair warning to her younger cousin.


    "I know what you''re thinking, but I assure you that it will nevere to pass. Even if you have gotten some twisted ideas about your brother in that pretty little head of yours, I will make sure that he never engages in such a wicked sin. You should let go of your incestuous thoughts and find a man more suitable for yourself."


    However, despite the Queen''s fierce pretense, Henrietta did not back down like Ad believed she would; instead, she gathered all the strength within her heart and lifted the arm from her shoulder as she returned Ad''s frightening gaze with a determined expression.


    "You do not get to determine who is right for me, cousin! My love for my brother is as pure as the driven snow, and just because you and the others may disapprove of it does not mean that I won''t fight for us to be together!"


    After saying this, Henrietta began to depart from the room with a smug expression; as she did so, Ad called out to her from behind with a challenge.


    "We will see about that!"


    Ad was practically fuming as she stomped her foot on the ground in a fit of rage. She could not believe the girl would be so stubborn even after being confronted about her sinful thoughts. This task would be moreplicated than she initially thought.


    If Henrietta could not be convinced to cease her abominable pursuit, then Ad''s only choice was to focus on monitoring Berengar''s behavior and prevent him from doing something that would permanently tarnish his soul.


    With the gauntletin, Ad was prepared to return to her work of nning the uing Veteran''s parade. However, a knock on the door immediately garnered her attention as she looked over to see the purple-haired beauty that was Honoria standing by the door. A secondter, she could hear her rival''s voice resound throughout the air.


    "We need to talk..."


    Ad sighed before putting on a friendly facade; as she forced herself to smile, she spoke the words most appropriate for a woman of her position.


    "Honoria, pray to tell what is so important that you must interrupt my work?"


    Honoria had a solemn expression on her face as she spoke the thoughts on her mind.


    "It is about Linde..."


    Upon hearing this, the friendly smile that Ad presented instantly copsed and was reced with a frown; she began to speak with a voice filled with contempt.


    "What did that bitch do now?"


    Honoria chuckled when she heard such harshnguage from the supposedly pious High Queen of Austria and decided to instigate conflict between her two rivals.


    "It is not much; I just thought it was necessary to inform you that Linde ims she is Berengar''s favorite, and that she is asserting her im by rubbing in the fact that she knows top secret information about Berengar''s ns for the Defense of Austria..."


    Ad''s frown instantly soured further as she began to speak her mind about her oldest rival.


    "Of course, she knows ssified information about the defense of our Kingdom; she is the Director of Intelligence! That has nothing to do with being Berengar''s favorite at all! That bitch is always talking smack behind my back! First, I have to worry about Henrietta trying to snatch Berengar away in an unholy union, and now I have to deal with Linde''s snidements?


    You tell that whore that if she were actually Berengar''s favorite, then he would have chosen her to be his High Queen! She knows damn well that our Husband is not the type of man who abides by obligations such as engagements if it gets in the way of his whims!"


    Honoria had a devilish grin on her face as she heard Ad''s response to Linde''s im. She had sessfully baited the girl into open conflict with her rival. While these two bitches were at each other''s throats, she could reap the spoils.


    All she had to worry about now was the dark horse in their household. After all, Honoria also did not trust Berengar to be alone with his little sister at the moment. Having fulfilled her plot to divide and conquer, Honoria put on a friendly facade as she responded to Ad''sment.


    "I will be sure to inform Linde of your words."


    After saying this, she departed from the room, leaving Ad in an increased state of fury. As usual, Berengar''s wives'' rtionship was far from cordial behind the scenes. Each of them struggled to gain his affection and secure the future of their progeny. Even though Honoria''s marriage to Berengar was matrilineal, there was still much to be gained for her future son by having the King of Austria''s support.

 Chapter 423 - The Cowardly King Of Aragon

    Berengar sat upon horseback as he gazed into the distance towards the city of Zaragoza through his binocrs. He would never have guessed that the main Portuguese army would be defeated at the Southwestern Border.


    It was because of this event, as well as the ruthless attack on Toledo, that the two remaining monarchs had grown cautious and withdrew half of their forces to defend their home territory. The result of which would have massive consequences for the Reconquista as a whole.


    Upon seeing an army of a hundred thousand men gathered within the vicinity of the city of Zaragoza, Berengar knew that he had no chance of rooting out and destroying the Aragonese King with the 10,000 men under hismand. Havinge to this realization he stored his binocrs away before issuing the orders that would change the course of history.


    "Fall back to the main defensive line. We do not have the manpower necessary to take this city."


    The men of Berengar''s advanced force sighed in relief as they heard their King''s orders. If he had insisted on taking the city with so few men, they truly believed they would be entering the gates of heaven. As such, the small force of roughly 10,000 men began to depart back to the main defensive line established on the borders of Andalusia.


    King Felipe de Trast��mara gazed upon the retreat of the Austrian forces and sighed heavily; he felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart. Though it was only 10,000 men, he could not deny that his heart was filled with dread.


    After personally witnessing the destruction of one of his armies at the hands of the Austro-Granadan alliance not long ago. The devastation he saw that day had forever imprinted itself upon his soul. In doing so he had resorted to hiding within the illusionary safety that his castle''s walls provided.


    With the King of Castile and his family now deceased at the hands of King Berengar the ursed, Felipe truly believed that he was next in line to embrace the angel of death; in fact, he no longer had the will to fight against his enemies.


    Castile was in a state of chaos as its Noblemen fought among each other for the right to rule, and Portugal had just suffered a humiliating defeat. Out of the roughly 500,000 men gathered to fight in Iberia, 200,000 or so now lie dead at the hands of their enemies.


    The fact that one of the five armies of the Iberian Union was held off by a single regiment numbering no more than 2,500 Austrian soldiers was a shocking truth. Though all but one had perished in the attack, the brave warriors of Austria had managed to hold their ground long enough for reinforcements to arrive and annihte the remaining crusaders.


    Even the Crown Prince of Portugal was killed in battle, as for King Luiz de Avis of Portugal, he swore to avenge the loss of his son and heir. By now he had called upon Felipe tobine their forces and assault the weakest point in the Austrian defensive line.


    However, King Felipe of Aragon dreaded the idea of leaving his castle and entering the fray once more. By now, reinforcements from Austria and its allies were bound to have arrived in the strait of Gibraltar, and the defensive line would no longer be spread so thin. Despite having 300,000 remaining soldiers, most of which were peasant levies from foreignnds, Felipe was not confident in Iberia''s chances of winning this war.


    His wife approached him as he watched the Austrians return to their defensive line. He would not rest easy until he could no longer gaze upon their backs. Seeing her husband frightened out of his wits and biting his nails like a child, the Queen of Aragon grasped ahold of his hands and asked the question on her mind.


    "Will you not fight? These Heretics and Infidels have already caused so much destruction to ournds! You have lost so many men; how can you sit here like a frightened child and do nothing!"


    Felipe immediately became enraged upon hearing his wife''s remarks. She had not seen the horrors of this war; it was unlike any other fought in history. So few men could easily defend Granada from the massive army the Catholics had raised; the longer they waited, the more troops would arrive, and the more powerful the Austro-Granadan alliance would be. As such, Felipe freed himself from his wife''s grasp and began to berate her for her ignorance.


    "You do not understand! We cannot win this war! The enemy is more powerful than the Iberian Union; no matter how much support we receive from our allies, they will ovee it. I have seen the weapons they use and the destructive power they are capable of! There is no hope for victory, no matter how much Luiz thirsts for the blood of the men who killed his child.


    With Francisco dead, we now can usurp the Kingdom of Castile and increase our power if we can only buy some time from our enemies. Thus, I have no choice but to sue for peace! Even if the Portuguese wish to fight on their own, I will not send my men to their deaths against the Austrian Armies!"


    The wife of the King of Aragon looked at him with utter disgust as she made her thoughts known.


    "You are a coward, Felipe! The enemy is at our doorstep, and yet you do not ride out to meet them; you merely hide away in your castle praying that they will leave you alone!"


    Upon hearing this insult, Felipe became enraged resulting in him backhanding his wife across the face with a vicious p before raising his voice to her.


    "And my prayers have been answered! Reconquista is a failure! With the backing of Austria, Granada will never fall into the hands of Catholics! We must sue for peace, or we will all be destroyed!"


    Upon hearing this, the Queen of Aragon looked at her husband withplete contempt as she left the cowardly King of Aragon to wallow in his misery. As for Felipe, he truly believed his actions were more out of wisdom than Cowardice, for what man could face such horrifying weapons and expect victory?


    King Luiz had reported that the enemy had a mere six cannons at the battle of the Andalusian Border, and yet, they were capable of killing tens of thousands of the Crusading forces before they even reached the trench line. Estimates from Iberian Scouts had put the number of these new weapons that were deployed to the Iberian Penins in the hundreds.


    Against such overwhelming might, only a mad man would dream of victory. With this in mind, the King of Aragon began to draft a letter towards King Berengar and Sultan Hasan in an attempt to establish fair terms of surrender. It was better to sue for peace now than suffer the same fate of Francisco and his family.


    King Luiz of Portugal was determined to continue the fight against Austria and Granada however for the remainder of this war he was destined to fight by his lonesome. Of course, he would not be fighting empty-handed; Felipe would ensure that the foreign volunteers that made up the bulk of his remaining forces would be dispatched to Portugal before his terms of surrender could be agreed upon, giving the Kingdom of Portugal a fighting chance.


    Though it was unlikely for them to achieve any significant victory, it was the least Felipe could do to aid his former ally. As for his troops? They would be used to unite the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile under his banner. From the ashes of this failed Reconquista, a new Kingdom would rise in Iberia, a Spanish Kingdom.


    How long would it endure throughout the test of time? That was uncertain; after all, the Granadans would not simply sit by and allow their enemies to grow stronger. It was only a matter of time before they struck back against their Catholic Neighbors, for the centuries of bloodshed between the two people could not be ovee peacefully so long as they both inhabited thisnd.


    As for Berengar, he and his army would return to the front lines in time for Felipe''s messenger to have arrived. While the Kingdom of Portugal nned its next attack, Berengar and Hasan would meet in Granada to establish appropriate conditions for Aragon''s surrender. Berengar would take advantage of this situation to buy Granada enough time with its neighbors to grow and prosper to the point where it could be self-sufficient.


    The Austrian intervention in Reconquista was far from over. Still, with Aragon''s surrender, tens of thousands of Austrian and Granadan soldiers could be moved from its borders and focus their sight on Portugal. After all, King Luiz was far from finished with his conflict; he would not rest until he had made Berengar pay the price for his son''s untimely demise or he would die trying.


    ---

 Chapter 424 - Naval Warfare Off The Coast Of Portugal

    Emmerich gazed into the distance while standing upon the bow of the SMS Berengar, which was the lead ship in its ss of frigates. nked by his sides were two other frigates that were fully armed and prepared for conflict. At the moment, he led a small fleet of five ships, as he patrolled the coasts of Portugal with a single purpose, destroy all enemy vessels.


    If so much as a fishing ship left the coast of Portugal, it was considered a valid target within this ongoing conflict. As such, Emmerich had been using small fleets like this to ravage the Iberian coastline and prevent any form ofmerce or fishing from urring within thends of the Iberian Kingdoms.


    He had gone so far as to order aplete blockade of the Iberian Penins, which only the vast Armada that belonged to the Kingdom of Austria was capable of achieving in this current day and age. After the destruction of the Genoan and Vian Navies at the hands of the Austrian Navy during the previous war, there were few Naval forces with more than a hundred vessels within their ranks.


    The Austrian Frigates were used extensively in this current conflict to ensure that the economy of the Catholic Iberian Kingdoms suffered immensely. However, by attacking fishermen, he also cut off a significant food source for the people who dwelled within the Iberian Kingdoms.


    Through his spyss, Emmerich spotted a fleet of Portuguese ships; until now, the Portuguese crown had kept its Navy docked within their ports and refused toe out to fight. It would appear they were now desperate enough to break this blockade that they had sent their ships into conflict.


    The Portuguese fleet sent to intercept his Frigates numbered roughly thirty in total. Emmerich was not afraid despite facing an overwhelming numerical advantage; instead, a giddy expression was on his face, almost like a child at Christmas. Thus, he shouted with excitement as he ordered his sailors to prepare for battle.


    "Load the Cannons, and intercept that fleet! I want it at the bottom of the ocean within the hour!"


    Upon seeing their Grand Admiral filled with such enthusiasm, the sailors on board the SMS Berengar quickly got to their tasks and began loading the muzzle loading cannons onboard the vessel. Despite the protests of the Admiralty, Berengar had refused to outfit the Navy with breach loaders until after the entirety of the Austrian Royal Army was fully equipped with them.


    In the eyes of the King, the Army took priority over that of the Navy when it came to implementing new technology. Thus Emmerich had to make do with the same tools that he used to decimate the Imperial Fleet of the Holy Roman Empire. As he thought about this minor inconvenience, the Guns on board his fleet were loaded, and the Frigates were quickly on the path to intercept the hostile fleet.


    Emmerich looked through his spyss once more as his vessel rapidly approached the Portuguese sailors; he could see the looks of fear on their faces as they prayed to their God for the safekeeping of their souls when they finally entered the afterlife. Such a sight amused the Grand Admiral of Austria as he gave the order to open fire on the hostile vessels.


    "Send these bastards to the depths of hell!"


    With that said, the Frigates quickly sailed within the formation of the Portuguese caravels. The moment they made contact with the enemy, they began unloading their cannons onto the enemy vessels.


    Hundreds of shells flew through the air and exploded among the ranks of the Portuguese Fleet. As a result, the surviving enemy sailors dived into the water in the hope of escaping their perilous situation. For if they stayed onboard their sinking ships, then they were sure to die on this day.


    Immediately several vessels were torn apart as the outnumbered Frigates engaged inbat. However, oddly enough, something strange happened as the Austrian ships leisurely passed by; shockingly, the Portuguese fired back with their own broadside cannons.


    Though they were few per ship, whenbined in total, well over a hundred cannonballs fired towards the five frigates. Though many of the projectiles missed their mark, some of them tore through the thin sheet of galvanized steel surrounding the Austrian Frigates and punched through the wooden hulls beneath it.


    Though it was not enough to immediately sink the vessels, it did cause some damage, resulting in the crews of the Austrian Navy being forced to bilge out the excess water and repair the hulls for the first time since they had entered service.


    The Portuguese had learned from Italy''s defeat in the Adriatic and had mounted their cannons on the broadsides of their vessels, allowing them to fight against their enemies. Emmerich snarled when he saw minuscule damage inflicted upon his fleet before giving the order to fire upon the enemy once more.


    The five frigates fired theirbined total of 220 guns in retaliation, whose projectilesnded upon the enemy vessels inrge numbers, sinking most of them in the process. As the ships engulfed in mes sank to the bottom of the Antic, Emmerich raised his fists in the air and cried out with a heightened voice.


    "Wonderful!"


    As he did so, the crew loaded up the next set of guns while suffering a barrage of their own. The few remaining Portuguese ships refused to relent and sent another volley towards the Frigates. Though it caused more damage to their hulls, ultimately, it was not enough to sink the powerful vessels employed by the Austrian Navy.


    Thus the moment the frigates had reloaded their weapons, they opened fire yet again on thest few ships remaining among the Portuguese fleet; the resulting explosions caused the poor caravels to be torn asunder upon the moment of impact, leaving no survivors.


    Seeing how his enemies were so thoroughly defeated, Emmerich smiled fiendishly as he gazed upon the remnants of the brief battle off the coast of Portugal. After taking in the sight and smell of victory, he sighed heavily before turning his fearsome face to his crew and issuing his orders.


    "Return to the Coast of Gibraltar; we need to repair the damage done to these ships!"


    Immediately the sailors on board the vessels sprung up and saluted their Grand Amiral before replying in unison.


    "Yes, sir!"


    The small fleet would spend the next few hours returning to the Port of Gibraltar, where the Austrian Navy had established a temporary base to ensure the smooth transfer of men and supplies from the fathend to the field of battle. The slightly damaged frigates docked within the port, where Emmerich departed from his vessel with a broad smile on his face.


    However, his joy immediately vanished as he gazed upon the sight before him. Tens of thousands of Byzantine soldiers were idling about within the Gibraltar Encampment. Evidently, reinforcements had arrived from their ally in the east while he was away. It was not that Emmerich despised the Byzantines, but rather that their arrival signified that the end of the war was near.


    If that were indeed the case, then after this war was over, he would have to endure another few years of patrolling the coastline of Austria and attacking pirates. Emmerich was disheartened upon witnessing this sight as a man who enjoyedrge-scale naval battles.


    After all, the war had only been going on for a handful of months now, at least as far as Austria was concerned, and yet, they had alreadye so close to victory. He silently prayed to the Lord God Almighty that he would be able to engage in arge-scale naval battle before this conflict came to an end.


    However, for now, he supposed he should enter the Headquarters that had been established in Gibraltar for the Alliance''s Naval Command and get to know the Byzantine Admiral; after all, they would be working together from now on. Thus Emmerich ced his executive officer in charge of the repairs while he ventured forward to meet with the Byzantine Commanders.


    ---

 Chapter 425 - The Triple Alliance

    Berengar sat within the confines of the Granadan Royal Pce in a meeting with both Hasan and his older sister Yasmin; by their side was themander of the Byzantine expeditionary force, which was none of the then Strategos Padius. For the first time in history, the representatives of what wouldter be known as the Triple Alliance had gathered in a single room.


    Their purpose was simple, to discuss the matters pertaining to the ongoing war in Iberia, as well as the request by the King of Aragon to cease hostilities against his realm. However, despite his willingness to end the war, Felipe had made some serious demands in order to ensure his surrender. With this in mind, Yasmin began to read the letter written by the Aragonese King, which outlined the conditions that must be agreed to for his Kingdom to surrender without incident.


    "First and foremost, the Kingdoms of Austria and Bohemia must withdraw their forces from the borders of Aragon and Castile. They must also agree not to intervene in any conflict between the Emirate of Granada and the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile within the next ten years.


    As for the Second stiption, the Kingdom of Austria and its allies must not interfere with the Castilian session crisis that resulted from King Berengar''s actions in Toledo. Any foreign intervention in this dispute is explicitly forbidden, whether that be espionage or direct military action.


    Thirdly, Austria and its allies must agree to lift their blockade over the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile and allow open ess to trade across the Iberian Penins. If any of these conditions are vited, then the treaty will be null and void, and the fighting shall resume."


    Berengar sat back and frowned as he listened to the conditions presented within the letter, though on the surface they may seem like conditions simr to that of white peace, in reality, they heavily favored the Crown of Aragon. As such, he was quick to voice his discontent on the matter to those around him.


    "It is obvious that Felipe intends to buy time so that he may unify the Castilian and Aragonese Crowns. After he does this, he will draft arger army and supply a higher percentage of them with both Arkebuse firearms and cannons. Once this is achieved, they will pose a bigger threat to Granada."


    Yasmin nodded her head in agreement as she gazed fondly upon Berengar before adding herments.


    "Especially the stiption about Austria not getting directly involved in any dispute between Granada and its neighbors for ten years. They''re practically asking for us to call off the alliance..."


    Padius gazed over at the busty Moorish princess with a hint of surprise; he did not expect her to be so well ustomed to diplomacy and warfare. His opinion of her instantly increased. Unlike other Byzantine Generals, he was not blinded by prejudice.


    As a matter of fact, he was not opposed to the idea of allying with the Moors in Iberia; rather, he greatly approved of the n that Berengar had begun to enact, which would allow a powerful Moorish state to rise in the Western Mediterranean.


    If such an Empire could prove to be moderate, secr, and friendly to the Kingdom of Austria and the Byzantine Empire, an alliance between the three nations would prove greatly beneficial to all parties. As he was reevaluating his view of the Granadans, Berengar began to speak up about the pros and cons of the terms presented to them.


    "If we decline these terms, then we will be forced to march on Zaragoza, which will split our forces in two, allowing the Portuguese to take advantage of our thin lines as they have already done so in the past. Though it won''t be disastrous, there will still be casualties, and the war will go on for much longer.


    However, if we agree to the conditions presented to us, we can secure a few years of peace with Castile and Aragon, allowing us to focus our efforts on Portugal. If such a scenario were to ur, we could unite the bulk of our forces and invade the Kingdom with the intent ofplete and total conquest.


    By doing this, we will be splitting the Iberian Penins into Two Kingdoms, one Muslim and one Catholic. Though Austria won''t be allowed to directly intervene in future conflicts, we can still supply Granada with military advisors and equipment as they rebuild theirnd and expand their forces.


    By the time Aragon feels confident that they can take on Granada by themselves, it will already be toote as the Royal Granadan Army will be rebuilt and more potent than ever before; and the Granadan Economy will be a local powerhouse, capable of fully supporting its own military efforts in Iberia!"


    Upon hearing the Austrian King''s perspective, Hasan considered his options carefully. Though Aragon would inevitably prosper and form a powerful state on his borders. Granada would also be able to seize the Kingdom of Portugal and create a powerful state of their own to counter their enemy''s efforts. Thus after careful consideration, he nodded his head in agreement and spoke about the decision he had made.


    "Very well, I will agree to these terms, only if King Berengar does as well. If we cane to an agreement on this matter, then I see no reason to decline Felipe''s offer.


    Berengar smiled when he heard this and immediately voiced his support.


    "I will be more than happy to sign this treaty and support your realm from behind the scenes."


    Upon seeing that her brother and suitor hade to an agreement, Yasmin smiled gracefully in silence. This was the best course of action since, at the moment, Granada was woefully unprepared to swallow all of Iberia. Instead, they would be able to take arge piece of the pie and prepare for further conflict with their neighbors.


    Having settled on terms, Berengar and Hasan wrote abined letter to the King of Aragon agreeing to the terms and setting a time and date within the nearby Duchy of Aquitaine to sign the treaty. Aquitaine was Neutral ground and was currently in a war of rebellion against the Kingdom of France. Thus it was the perfect location to sign the treaty.


    After agreeing to King Felipe''s terms, Berengar then shifted his attention to Padius, where he began to make a request to his ally. Though Berengar was considered the Supreme Commander of all allied forces within the Iberian Penins, he still greatly admired the Strategos of the Balkans and thus respectfully asked him to follow his n.


    "Padius, if you would not mind, I would appreciate it if you and your soldiers could depart for the Portuguese-Granadan Border and hold the line alongside our troops currently stationed there until this treaty can be concluded."


    Padius smiled and nodded as he heard this request before responding in the affirmative.


    "If it is as simple as holding the line, I promise my soldiers are more than capable of such a feat. I look forward to the day we can ride into battle together, King Berengar!"


    After saying this, Padius excused himself and prepared for the long trek ahead, leaving Berengar alone with Hasan and Yasmin. With the departure of the Byzantine representative, Yasmin felt less constrained and immediately walked over to Berengar, where she began to flirt with him.


    "You have only just returned, and yet you are leaving so soon. We should celebrate your victories while you are still within Granada."


    Berengar smirked as he heard this and returned the Granadan Princess'' advances.


    "I might just take you up on your offer..."


    Hasan realizing that he was getting in the way, immediately announced his departure, which went unnoticed by the young couple.


    "Well, I have things to do, so I will leave you two be. If you need anything, you know where to find me!"


    After saying this, he left the room, leaving Berengar and Yasmin alone for the first time since she danced for him. Berengar immediately closed the distance between him and the Granadan Princess as he began to whisper into her ears.


    "How about we find somece more private and get ourselves a couple of drinks?"


    Yasmin silently nodded her head and grasped ahold of Berengar''s hand as she followed him to a secluded area where the two drank the night away as they discussed various topics. Though nothing serious happened between them, Berengar felt as if he had grown closer to the woman.


    He knew it would not be long before he was able to conquer her heart, and when he did, he felt as if he would be bringing yet another bride home. Despite this yearning growing inside him, there was a hint of trepidation as he considered how his wives would react if he were to inexplicably return with a beautiful woman''s arms wrapped around him.


    Whatever the future may hold, Berengar chose not to run from it and enjoy the time he had here in Granada. After all, it would not be long before he departed for the Duchy of Aquitaine to sign his treaty, which would immediately be followed by an invasion of the Kingdom of Portugal. The work of a Monarch was never truly fulfilled.


    ---

 Chapter 426 - Conspiracies Within The Byzantine Court

    While Strategos Padius Angelus was dispatched to the Iberian Penins as themander of the Byzantine expeditionary force, two of the Princes of the Empire began to conspire against their rivals as they sought to seed the father as the next Emperor.


    Quintus gazed upon the fields outside of the ancient city of Constantinople as he witnessed the first example of a four-field system being employed alongside advanced fertilizers and new irrigation technology. Since the Alliance between Austria and Byzantium had been established, Austria had given arge amount of agricultural technology as a gift to their newfound allies.


    As the Prince most renowned with skill in administration, Quintus was quick to experiment with the technology within the Empire''s borders. The fields before him had produced a farrger quantity of crops than years prior. After witnessing this, a gentle smile formed on the young man''s face as he nodded his head in agreement with the results.


    "Father will be pleased to know that our food stores will be filled to the brim this year!"


    Standing by the Prince''s side was the Strategos of Syria, who had traveled to the court of the Empire to provide his support to the candidate that he had chosen to seed the Emperor. At the moment, the political rivalry between Decentius and Quintus was rising to new heights of intensity.


    This man was shocked to see the results of the new agricultural technology that Quintus had begun to employ; as such, he smiled heavily as heplimented the young Prince.


    "Your highness, I must say that what you have aplished here in Constantinople is an achievement that overshadows your brother''s conquest of Egypt and Lybia. If such improvements can be fielded across the entirety of the Empire, then our people will never have to worry about going hungry!"


    Quintus frowned as he thought about Decentius''s achievements on the battlefield despite thepliment to his efforts. To many within the ranks of the Imperial Court,bat achievements were far more morous than those performed through administration.


    If Quintuscked one thing to solidify his im to the throne, it was military service. Without it, he would always be seen as a weak and pacifistic leaderpared to his hawkish brother. Though Decentius had no mind for anything other thanbat, his willingness to fight anyone and everyone was greatly admired by many of the critical members of the Byzantine Aristocracy.


    Despite this harsh reality, Quintus had no desire to achieve victory in battle; ording to his philosophy, war should only be used as ast resort when diplomacy fails to achieve its objectives. In his eyes, those who supported his brother were mindless fools hellbent on the Empire''s destruction through an endless pursuit of meaningless glory. With this in mind, he sighed heavily before speaking about a more pressing concern.


    "With Arethas'' death, Padius is now the greatest General of our Empire; tell me, Zeno, what news do you have in regards to his loyalties?"


    The Strategos of Syria, known by the name Zeno Glycas shook his head before revealing thetest information he had about this subject.


    "As far as I can tell, that old bastard has not shifted his stance from Neutrality. He has never, nor ever will care about court politics. I do not see him supporting either you or your brother for the throne."


    Upon hearing this news, Quintus bit his lip in distress, though his powerbase was currently evenly matched with that of his brothers, if he wanted to tip the scales then he would need the support of such a renowned General like Padius.


    Unfortunately, it looked like the man was still adamant about remaining permanently neutral in court affairs. The Byzantine Prince sighed heavily as he reflected upon this before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "Very well, leave him be. However, if he shows the first sign of entering Decentius'' camp, be sure to eliminate him!"


    Zeno nodded his head before responding in affirmation of his Prince''s orders.


    "I assure you, we will keep an eye on him. If he does make a move for the throne, we will be aware of it. However, the man is currently leading the Expeditionary forces in Granada, so the likelihood of your brother winning him over is slim."


    Quintus nodded his head upon hearing this news with a smile on his face. He had no qualms with Padius, but if the old general chose to side against him, then he would not be merciful. Little did Quintus and his allies know that Padius had already created a tertiary faction to ce Bernegar and Honoria''s future son on the throne.


    If they were aware of such a scheme, they would do everything in their power to kill the plot in its infancy. However, Padius had hidden his tracks well, and while Quintus and Decentius focused on each other, this third faction was swelling in numbers.


    After all, the prospect of a member of the Imperial Dynasty being raised in Austria and receiving an Austrian education appealed to many of the more humble members of the Imperial Court. They recognized the benefits of such an upbringing.


    ---


    While Quintus was scheming with his most prominent supporter Strategos Zeno Glycus, Decentius was in his secretive meeting. In the city of Antioch, the Second Prince had gathered his most valuable supporters together as they discussed a more serious topic.


    Decentius was enraged by the actions of Berengar. Not only had the Austrian King married his sister, but he also impregnated her with his barbarian seed. On top of all of this, Decentius had faced utter humiliation at the hands of the man during that fateful breakfast.


    With the Byzantines reinforcing the Austrian interference in Reconquista, Decentius was left with few options to strike back against them and who had invoked his ire. As such, he was venting his frustrations with the Austro-Byzantine Alliance to his backers.


    "Who does this filthy Barbarian King from the West think he is? Does he truly believe he is worthy of an alliance with our Great Empire? My father has clearly shown his weakness by agreeing time and again to the requests of that King of savages! We must do something about this pitiful alliance, for if we continue to abide by the wishes of King Berengar, then the Prestige of our Roman Heritage will continue to be defiled!"


    The ruler of Antioch was gathered in this meeting and calmly observed the Prince''s enraged behavior before making a statement of his own.


    "There is not much that can be done, your sister has married King Berengar, and an alliance has been firmly established. Though he may be a barbarian, King Berengar has established his Realm as an area that is nigh impossible to sessfully infiltrate. So long as he remains within Austria, he cannot be harmed."


    Upon hearing this, Decentius threw his chalice across the room in a fit of rage before uttering the unthinkable.


    "If that is the case, then we are only left with one option! We must kill my slut of a sister before she brings her progeny into this world! If she gives birth to a son with the name of Piologos, we will have another contender for the throne on our hands. Though I can take care of Quintus, the barbarian offspring of Honoria and Berengar will be a threat to our power and must be removed!"


    The various members of Decentius'' power base shifted their eyes towards one another with hesitation, to assassinate the only Princess of the Byzantine Empire was a treasonous move, one that was sure to see their heads on pikes if such a plot was ever discovered.


    Despite their hesitation, they all knew what a child between Berengar and Honoria that bore the surname of Piologos meant. As such, after the fierce internal debate, every man within the room nodded their heads in agreement as they cursed their once beloved princess in their own crude ways.


    "The Princess must die!"


    "Princess Honoria is nothing more than amon whore who has spread her legs for a Barbarian from the West! She gave up her honor as a Roman long ago!"


    "If the barbarian child is brought into this world, then the pure lineage of the Piologos Dynasty will forever be tainted! The bitch must die!


    Decentius grinned wickedly as he heard the men who made up his power base support his decision with such enthusiasm. Now that he had gotten their agreement to do the unthinkable, it was only a matter of time before the Byzantine Princess found herself eliminated.


    As for Berengar''s reaction to her death, that did not matter, Decentius truly believed he would be able to hide his ploy from Austria''s agents so that the Barbarian King never discovered who was responsible for his third wife''s death.


    With all of this said, a conspiracy to assassinate the Byzantine Princess and her unborn child had been established within the confines of the city of Antioch. A faction of Byzantine Noblemen and Generals had sworn to secrecy as they plotted against the Princess of their Empire.


    ---

 Chapter 427 - Portugal’s Last Ditch Effort

    King Luiz de Avis Sat upon his throne within the city of Lisbon. In his hand was a letter signaling the end of the Iberian Union. King Felipe de Trast��mara had issued a letter to his Portuguese counterpart informing him that he would be suing for peace with the Austro-Granadan alliance.


    With the death of the Castilian King and its royal family, Castile was ripe for the taking, and Felipe had nned to take advantage of this. The Portuguese King was shaking with rage as he read the letter that informed him that his only other ally in the Iberian Penins was backing out of their short-lived alliance.


    He could not believe he would be so utterly backstabbed by the King of Aragon. The very idea that he would be left to fight this war on his own had almostpletely dashed any hope of victory within his heart.


    However, when he read the following sentence written in thetter, he sighed in relief. King Felipe of Aragon had promised to send Portugal the foreign volunteers that he had received from the Pope''s call to Reconquista. This meant that despite the surrender of Aragon, roughly 300,000 men would continue its fight against the Austro-Granadan Alliance. With this, Luiz believed he had a fighting chance.


    Thus he managed to calm his wrath as he finished reading the document. Just when he was about to order yet another invasion attempt through the sparsely defended lines of Granada, his Marshal came storming into the Throne Room; there was a look of panic spread across his face.


    This detail caused deep concern to arise in the depths of Luiz''s heart. His blood began to boil once more as he was forced to inquire to his Marshal about the reason for his overtly anxious expression. An irritated tone erupted from the King''s voice as he questioned the man kneeling before him.


    "Speak! What has made you so anxious?"


    The Marshal struggled to utter the words contained deep within the depths of his mind; it was as if every time he came close to uttering what he had learned, the panic would strip him of his ability to speak. After fumbling around with his words for some time, he finally managed to profess the knowledge that had been reported to him by his nation''s spies.


    "The Byzantines have arrived in Granada! I do not know how Hasan has managed to gain their support, but thirty thousand Byzantine soldiers now march towards our borders, equipped with weapons more advanced than the ones issued to their Granadan counterparts!"


    Upon hearing this, Luiz''s expression sank before tearing apart the document in his hands. It was extremely obvious to the man who was responsible for such devastating news. The King of Portugal''s face was practically glowing red as he vented his frustrations by screaming as loud as he could.


    "Damn you, Berengar! Damn you to the depths of hell for bringing your Byzantine allies into Iberia! What gives you the right to interfere with our centuries-long Reconquista!?!?"


    The very idea that Berengar had not only sent his troops into Iberia but also received the military aid of the mighty Empire to the east instantly shattered Luiz''s resolve to invade the Granadan trenches. Instead, he knew that the tables had turned, and his enemies would soon be marching on his borders.


    Though he had roughly three hundred thousand men at hismand, the enemy army now had approximately a third of his forces, and they were far more technologically advanced. Such news meant that he would be forced to fight a defensive war to maintain his rule over Portugal. Thus he did not hesitate to do what was necessary to secure his Dynasty''s reign.


    "I want our smiths to produce as many arkebuses as possible and outfit every man and child capable of bearing arms with them! We must defend ournds from this foreign menace at all costs!"


    In response to this, the Marshal immediately began to protest, for he could not conceive how they would manufacture such a significant amount of firearms in such a short period of time.


    "But your Majesty, we do not have the means to produce such a vast amount of weapons! There are too many men to arm!"


    King Luiz immediately threw his chalice at the wall as he began to chastise his Marshal. The man was making excuses, and Luiz refused to listen to them. As such, he instantly began to make a counterpoint to the Marshal''s objection.


    "Then you will work the furnaces day and night until sufficient arms have been prepared! I don''t care if you have to burn the Bu?aco Forest; see it done!"


    The Marshal gazed at his Monarch as if the man had gone insane; while such drastic action may be able to aid in the manufacture of a small portion of the required firearms, the Marshal still believed that creating the necessary amount of weapons in the given time frame was impossible.


    More importantly, even if they managed to manufacture such a staggering amount of firearms, where would they get the gunpowder needed to utilize them? The Austrian Royal Navy had cut off their trade routes overseas, and Europe severelycked natural saltpeter mines.


    Unfortunately for the Portuguese crown, they were unaware of arge concentration of the precious material within the area of Catalonia known as Collbat��. Thus when the Marshal brought up this point of contention, King Luiz nearly had a stroke.


    "Your Majesty, even if we were to be able to manufacture such arge supply of the weapons, how will we use them without gunpowder!?!"


    In truth, the King was in such a state of fury that he had failed to think about this criticalponent. All of his ns to arm a massive army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers with arkebuses hade crashing down. Thus, he was left with few options to sessfully defend his borders.


    It took the King some time to cope with the fact that he waspletely and utterly doomed, yet despite this reality, he still refused to submit. After all, he would never yield to the man responsible for the death of his firstborn son! With great determination, he wed his way out of depression and spoke forth his decree.


    "We will make do with what we have! If we can''t smuggle gunpowder and firearms into our Kingdom, then we will throw wave after wave of men at the enemy forces until we have secured victory!"


    The moment the King said these words, the Marshal beneath hismand had lost all hope of victory. He knew that such a tactic would not work against their enemies. Whether or not he believed this mad strategy would seed, his duty was to fulfill his orders. Thus he kneeled before his King before vocalizing his eptance of the task set upon him.


    "Your Majesty, I will fulfill your orders, but know this, even if we manage to survive the onught of our enemies, the loss of life will be so severe that our Kingdom may never fully recover!"


    Despite the Marshal''s words of warning, the King of Portugal was determined to get revenge for his son''s death. As such, he simply red at his Marshal once more before uttering words that were filled with contempt.


    "Your opinion is duly noted, Marshal; now go and fulfill your orders!"


    After saying this, the Marshal left the Throne Room of the Castle within Lisbon. As the man in charge of the Kingdom''s armies, he knew that the King''s n was suicide. Thus he had no intent to go through with it. Instead, he nned to immediately defect with his family and cross over to Morro to live the rest of their lives in exile.


    As for King Luiz, the moment his Marshal had left his Throne Room, he copsed onto his throne, mentally exhausted from the ordeal. He gazed upon a crude portrait of his son that hanged on his wall whilementing his loss.


    "My son, if I had known that you would have perished in that battle, then I never would have allowed you to lead the charge. I swear to God in Heaven that I will avenge your death. Berengar von Kufstein will die by my hands!"


    After making such a bold im, the King of Portugal passed out on his seat of power. He had gotten too little sleep since the death of his son, and now it had finally caught up to him. While Luiz slept upon his throne, various government officials raided the Kingdom''s treasury, with the intent to flee to North Africa with as much wealth as they and their families could carry.


    While the leading officials of the Portuguese Kingdom fled to Morroco, the Triple Alliance would fortify their position on the border, waiting for the peace ords between Austria, Granada, and Aragon to be finalized. It was only after the peace treaty had been signed between the three nations that the Triple Alliance would march its forces into Portugal with the intent of total conquest.


    What meager defense could the Portuguese manage without their Marshal and the Kingdom''s treasury? That remained to be seen. One thing was sure, Berengar did not intend to leave Iberia until after the entire Kingdom of Portugal had fallen to Granadan rule. Thus the war in Iberia continued in a direction that heavily favored Granada and her allies.


    ---

 Chapter 428 - A Day In The Life Of Henrietta

    Chapter 428: Grand Opening of the Railway


    Today was a monumental asion for the Kingdom of Austria. After months of hard work, the department of transportation had finally finished construction of the first major railway; in doing so, connecting the capital city of Kufstein to the major port city of Trieste.


    This was exciting for multiple reasons. Chief among them, it allowed the rapid transit of goods and resources between the two major economic hubs of the Kingdom of Austria. The result would be a massive increase in wealth within the two regions.


    Since the King was currently leading the soldiers to war in a foreign country, the position of presiding over the ceremony fell to the Chancellor of Austria, Otto von Graz was standing in front of the Rail Station in Austria. Behind him was the first of many lotives that would soone to dominate the Austrian Countryside..


    After significant effort from theborers of Austria, theypleted a functional replica of the Union Pacific Big Boy from Berengar''s past life. Behind it were several passenger cars, which would mark the maiden voyage of the first train of Austria.


    Gathered by Otto''s side were two of his daughter''s that being Ava, and Ad, but also the rest of the Royal Family who acted as representatives of the von Kufstein Dynasty in Berengar''s stead. They were all dressed in extravagant clothing, and wore ttering smiles as they stood by the side of the Chancellor who was about to make his speech.


    "I want to wee you all here today in the name of our King Berengar von Kufstein, first of his name. As you may be aware, our monarch is currently away, valiantly leading our brave men in a war against the minions of the Catholic Church.


    Unfortunately, because of this, he can not be here today in Kufstein to witness thepletion of the first step of his Grand Railway Initaitive. Thus, I Chancellor Otto von Graz stand here in his stead to wee the future of transportation within our mighty Kingdom.


    When Berengar told me he wanted to make a machine that could connect our great cities with rapid transport, I thought he was a madman, but like so many other things in this life, he has shown me the error of my ways, and the passion of youth.


    Today, I would like to congratte every man who has worked on this exceptional system. Without your hard work and dedication, this train and its railway would never have be a reality. I hope to see you all enjoying the transportation which this project will one day provide to the entirety of our realm."


    After saying this, Ad handed a pair of oversized ceremonial scissors to her father, which he used to cut the giant ribbon that acted as a barricade between the Royal Family, and the train itself. After the Chancellor cut the ribbon in half, Otto was the first to step into the private passenger car that acted as the quarters to the Royal Family and their guests. Shortly thereafter, the other members followed him on board.


    It was only after the Royal Family of Austria had fully boarded the train that the rest of the people in attendance for the ceremony who held onto tickets boarded the train. Before long, therge lotive and its multiple passenger cars were filledpletely.


    After the guards of the station had cleared any obstructions that might exist, and ensured the safety of the device; the massive steam engine which powered the lotive smoked, and before long, the train chugged away to the monumental apuse of the gathered Austrian citizens.


    Linde sat on a luxurious leather sofa next to her son and daughter. While she was enjoying the ride she noticed Hans held onto Veronika''s hand as he gazed out the window in wonder. The train had by now sped up to well over sixty miles per hour. For the first time in the world, the people of Austria could watch the world sh by around them.


    When the young Prince of Austria witnessed this monumental asion, it was as if he had achieved a moment of epiphany, when the world passed by around him, he could genuinely understand the greatness that his father had achieved in this life, and he aspired to be to aplish even more than his old man. With a smile on his face, he looked over toward the young Princess of Bohemia, who was several years older than him, and boldly dered his vision for the future.


    "My father is a great man, is he not? But mark my words, one day I will be even greater than him! This world will forever remember the name of Hans von Kufstein!"


    In response to this, Veronika merely scoffed, with a smirk on her face. This boy may be intelligent beyond his years, but he was getting ahead of himself he if believed he could aplish more than Berengar.


    Throughout the duration of her stay in Kufstein as Berengar''s ward, Veronika had done much research into the history of Berengar and the von Kufstein dynasty. She was astonished at how much the young king of Austria had achieved in so few years. Rising from a lowly baron''s son, to a full-fledged king, and the most powerful man in Europe was something few people in the history of mankind could achieve.


    Still, she admired the confidence that Hans had, and quickly patted his head with a smile on her face before responding to his bold ims.


    "I am sure you will, Hans..."


    Upon seeing her reflection in the window, Veronika was stunned. This might very well be the first time she had smiled in her entire life. She immediately questioned just what had caused her to be so content with her life that she could now smile. If she had to guess, it was the liberation she had received from her family, and that was all because of Berengar''s actions.


    It was at this moment that she had realized that she now saw her adopted family as her own family, and continued to smile because of it. When Hans noticed this, he smiled in return andplimented the girl on her appearance.


    "You look really pretty when you smile, Veronika. Do it more often!"


    Upon hearing thispliment, the girl immediately flushed in embarrassment, before shaking her head and shifting her attention out the window. When Linde noticed this reaction, she smiled, it would appear that she would not need to interfere in the rtionship between her son, and the Princess of Bohemia, her ns to engage her son to the girl were going smoothly even without her input.


    As for the rest of the Royal Family, they sat next to each other and exchanged pleasantries as the trip to Trieste went by without a hitch. During the journey, there were attendants who came to the need of the royal family and provided them with food and beverages. Over all, it was an enjoyable experience, and wouldter be the preferred way of travel by the elite of Austria''s society.


    For horse-drawn carriages could neverpare with the speed and luxury of a proper train. The sess of the First Railway, and the economic benefits it would soon provide, would spark the creation ofrge railwaypanies, where noblemen and wealthy merchants would invest in the future of Austria''s public transport.


    Berengar in his actions of creating the first major railway, had unwittingly created a massive demand for further expansion of train travel. Within five years, railways would connect the entire Kingdom of Austria via an extensive track system, and the Royal Treasury would no longer have to foot the bill for its construction..

 Chapter 429 - Peace Accords In Aquitaine

    Berengar tapped his finger on the table repeatedly; the sound resounded throughout the air and was the only thing preventing the entire room from being silent. Three monarchs and a Duke were sitting at the table within the Duchy of Aquitaine. Sitting next to Berengar was Hasan, and across from the two of them was King Felipe of Aragon.


    Mediating this convention was none other than the Duke of Aquitaine, who watched with interest, ensuring that everything remained civil but not taking part in the discussion himself. His role was more symbolic than it was practical.


    The Peace ords had been ongoing for three days now, and despite the willingness to cease hostilities between the involved parties, they had yet toe to aprehensive understanding. Begrudgingly Berengar was prepared to ept the conditions of Aragonese surrender that heavily favored the enemy. After all, he wanted to end this war as quickly as possible and return to his family.


    Despite this, King Felipe of Aragon had taken advantage of Berengar''s impatience and had begun to make greater demands of him, resulting in an ongoing stalemate within the negotiations. Thus Berengar gazed across the table at the Aragonese Monarch, with an expression filled with contempt. Ultimately he decided it was time to break the silence and put his foot down over the issues being discussed.


    "Under no circumstances will Granada return the upied province of Murcia. From now until the end of time, it shall be recognized as Granadan soil; this is the price you must pay for your arrogance in challenging the Emirate of Granada and her allies!"


    Ultimately Berengar had the final say in the conditions; after all, though he may not desire to, he had the full capability of invading Aragon and enforcing his demands. To him, it was a simple matter of practicality. Doing such a thing would extend the duration of his campaign in Iberia.


    King Felipe was visibly flustered when he heard this remark. Though he would be capable of invading Castile and gaining itsnds after settling this matter with Granada, he knew that there was a high possibility that Portugal would fall to the Austro-Granadan alliance.


    If such a thing were to ur, his advantage of gaining Castile would instantly be negated; the loss of Murcia on top of this would be a severe blow in the future efforts of Reconquista. The fact of the matter was that the objective of this peace was not long term-stability but gaining a reprieve so that both sides could build up their forces in an attempt to re-engage at ater date. After a few moments of awkward silence, Felipe raised his voice as he presented a facade of strength to get Berengar back down.


    "If you do not return Murcia to her rightful ce as a part of the Kingdom of Castile, then I am afraid that peace can not be achieved between our realms. The war will continue and your armies will bleed in Iberia for years toe!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar''s bored expression did not change; in fact, he sighed in exhaustion before taking a sip from the wine contained within his chalice. After doing so, he ced it down on the table, and with the same disinterested look upon his face, began to rify his stance on the matter.


    "If you do not agree to the annexation of Murcia by the Kingdom of Granada, then as you have said, hostilities will continue to exist between our Nations. As a result of this, I will be forced to draft tens of thousands of more soldiers and bring them into Iberia with the full intent to march them upon your Kingdom. Within a year, your whole Kingdom will cease to exist.


    Allow me to be frank if such a scenario were to ur; I do not know if I will contain the damage that my soldiers will inflict upon Aragon and its people. Blood will flow in the streets, and entire cities will be brought to rubble. Is that the oue you desire? Submit to the terms presented or face your reckoning those are your two options."


    Felipe was taken aback by this statement; he did not suspect that Berengar would be willing to move more troops into Iberia; after all, as far as he was aware, roughly half of the Austrian Royal Army was currently located within the Iberian Penins. Increasing the number of soldiers in this conflict would surely leave Austria poorly defended, or so he thought.


    Of course, Felipe had no way of knowing that Berengar''s Kingdom was currently undergoing the process of Nation-Widepulsory military service. Thus hundreds of thousands of young men were being trained in the art of warfare and being outfitted with the equipment necessary to fight across the globe. Therefore Felipe made the mistake of believing that Berengar was bluffing and thus called him out on his boast.


    "You would empty the soldiers in yournds in an attempt to end this conflict swiftly? I wonder how the enemies at your borders would react if they saw how defenseless Austria became in a foolish attempt to conquer Iberia for their ally?"


    Berengar sneered in disdain as he heard thisment; with a confident smile etched upon his handsome face, he quickly retorted with a response of his own.


    "If you genuinely believe such a scenario would ur, then I regret to inform you that your intelligence on my forces is severely outdated. Please do not mistake myments for hubris; within a year, I will have the full ability to deploy a hundred thousand men into Iberia. I promise you that I will not be merciful when I bring you to your knees with such an Army. I will reiterate, submit to the terms presented or face your reckoning."


    Whether Berengar was lying or not, Felipe did not know. However, he was unwilling to risk such a scenario. After all, the entire point of these Peace ords was to remove Austrian soldiers from Iberia and buy him the time necessary to absorb Castile to rebuild his Army. He could not allow a hundred thousand Austrians to embed themselves in this conflict. Thus with a bitter expression, the Aragonese King relented, he internally resolved himself to retake Murciater.


    "Very well, I will allow the annexation of Murcia into the Emirate of Granada..."


    Hasan, who had been silent up until now, smirked upon hearing his enemy relent to this condition. Throughout this conflict, thousands of Granadans had bled to forestall the enemy''s advance; if he did not get somend aspensation for their loss, then he would not be satisfied with this temporary peace.


    The young Sultan had no way of knowing that Berengar intended to fully conquer Portugal and incorporate it into the Emirate of Granada. Thus he was happy with this small concession. As for the Austrian Monarch, he smiled before making onest condition to the terms of this treaty.


    "Allow me to make one final demand. To put it simply, all I ask is for is exclusive mining rights within the region of Collbato. If you give me this, then I will agree to these peace ords in their entirety."


    Both Hasan and Felipe gazed at Berengar with suspicion. As far as they were aware, there was nothing of value within that province, yet Berengar had specifically made demands for such a small region. Had he perhaps found something of note within its boundaries?


    Though Felipe was suspicious of this, he suspected this was nothing more than an attempt by Berengar to gain something from this treaty for himself and that nothing significant was within the region. Thus he foolishly relented to this demand as he sighed.


    "Very well, for the next ten years, Austria will have exclusive mining rights to the region of Collbato. Is there anything else?"


    Berengar shook his head in response to this; he had gotten what he wanted. The caves of Collbato were filled with saltpeter, and though Berengar no longer needed ck powder now that his chemists had invented Smokeless powder; to hold a monopoly over such a valuable resource was major strategic y.


    This meant that his enemies would not be able to get their hands on the gunpowder needed to field firearms en masse, thus ensuring a significant advantage for the Austrian Army over their rivals for decades or perhaps even centuries toe. Berengar nodded his head before pronouncing the peace ords concluded with these terms agreed upon.


    "If there is nothing else, then I believe it is time to sign this treaty!"


    After saying this, he waited for a response, and when the silence prevailed, he pulled out a fountain pen from his pocket and signed his name on the document before allowing the others to use his utensil and hence sign this treaty intow.


    For the time being, peace with Aragon and Castile had been achieved, and the Triple Alliance could now focus its entire efforts on the conquest of Portugal. The effects of this treaty would have long-reaching consequences for the decades toe.


    ---

 Chapter 430 - Just Following Orders

    Within the borders of the Kingdom of Portugal, there was a unit of Austrian Jaegers embedded deep behind enemy lines. While the peace ords between the Austro-Granadan alliance were underway in the Duchy of Aquitaine, the orders the Austrian soldiers had received were quite simple.


    Hold the line at any cost! With this in mind, General Adelbrand had issued a decree to utilize specialized units such as the Jaeger Regiment and the Grenadier Guards to advance into Portugal and disrupt their operations via sabotage and outright raiding.


    Thepany of nearly a hundred Jaegers was gazing through their binocrs at the sight of the Portuguese vige, which had been supplying the enemy with the grain needed to sustain their ranks. However, the scene that the Jaeger''s witnessed when they entered the vicinity of the vige was out of their expectations.


    With the treasury raided by corrupt officials fleeing the Kingdom, and the marshal nowhere in sight, the Portuguese Military had fallen to a state ofplete and total chaos. The only regions with any semnce of awful order were the cities, where what remained of the Portuguese Army that had not outright deserted contained thest vestige of civilization within the borders of the Kingdom of Portugal.


    The soldiers of the Portuguese Army had deserted en masse over the past few weeks; those who remained within the borders of the Kingdom had begun to act as brigands forcing the local vigers to give up their supplies and wealth under the guise of protection.


    As for the Local Lords, they were abandoning the Kingdom and heading towards Castile or Morro with whatever wealth they could carry with them��leaving their territory in a state ofwlessness, where Brigands ruled and might be right.


    At the moment, a Warband of roughly two hundred and fifty men at arms, led by a single knight, was basking within the vige. Here, at the end of days, they were kings in their own right. Capable of doing whatever, and whoever they wanted.


    These men were aware that the Kingdom of Portugal wasing to an end and were merely taking advantage of the chaos to increase their wealth before following the example of their former masters and fleeing the borders of the copsing realm.


    Considering Captain Andreas Jaeger was currently undergoing Special Forces training, hismand over the Jaeger Company had been reced by an officer named Captain Jonas Giering who witnessed the abuse and humiliation that the local peasants were suffering as he clicked his tongue in disgust. These ruffians were better off eliminated in their entirety. Unfortunately, as a light infantry unit, they severelycked any form of artillery to support their efforts.


    Thus they would have to rely entirely upon their Needle rifles to take down these enemies; it was with this in mind that the veteran Captain pulled back the bolt on his weapon before cing a paper cartridge in its chamber. After mming the bolt home, he rested his finger on the trigger guard waiting for the opportune moment to fire his shot.


    He looked back towards the soldiers under hismand who blended into thendscape before ordering a full-scale assault on the vige. His orders were to raid this vige and disrupt the enemy supply lines. However, Jonas could not in good conscience sit idly by and let the people within this vige suffer under the yoke of barbarism. Thus, he quickly raised his voice and ordered the men beneath hismand.


    "Get into nking positions and open fire on the enemy; I want these brigands taken out as quickly as possible!"


    The men within thispany of Jaegers saluted their superior officer before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After saying this, they rushed into positions, making sure to use the local terrain as cover while blending in with their surroundings. The enemy had no way of knowing that the legendary Austrian Ghosts were moving on their position.


    ---


    Within the center of the vige, a knight in full te armor with a garish surcoat had his arm wrapped around a local peasant woman; his gauntlet was removed as he forced its way through her dress where it grasped ahold of her small but soft breasts.


    The young woman winced in displeasure as she was molested by the Knight, who had a toothy grin beneath his bearded and scarred face. Her fathery dead on the ground in front of her with a split open skull while the Knight''s soldiers snickered at sight. Tears streamed down the peasant girl''s eyes as she waited for her horrible fate at the hands of the Knight, who now acted as a mere brigand.


    The man stuck out his tongue and licked her face before stripping the girl naked and tossing her down on the ground next to her deceased father. After doing so, he stood up from his seat and made a bold deration.


    "Men, enjoy yourselves with the soft flesh of this young beauty! Once you have finished having your fun with her, we will move out to the next vige; after all, there is more fortune to be had before we depart for Castile!"


    After saying this, the men at arms beneath hismand began to roar withughter and cheers as they surrounded the young woman with menacing gazes. She instantly began to scream in terror as the soldiers pounced at her.


    However, a booming echo resounded in the air in the next moment, and the soldiers stared in shock as the Knight''s head was blown apart. They immediately realized that they hade under fire and fled behind cover, leaving the poor vige girl in the center of the field crying next to her dead father.


    ---


    Smoke plumed out from the barrel of Jonas'' rifle as he pulled back the bolt and reloaded his weapon. Within seconds his sights had acquired another target where he proceeded to squeeze the trigger, thus sending another round down range and into the torso of one of the brigands who thought he could hide from the unknown enemy.


    Unfortunately for the Portuguese soldiers, the Austrian Jaegers were camouged as they assaulted the vige with only a plume of smoke to reveal their positions within the tree line. After the initial volley, a toon of Jaegers advanced further towards the town while reloading their weapons. While they charged, the second toon provided covering fire.


    The two unitsbined their efforts to assault the vige and the brigands who upied it. Eventually, the Portuguese men at arms mustered their courage and charged towards the Austrian Jaegers; after all, they still outnumbered the enemy.


    The vigers hid in their homes and tried not to get involved in the chaotic battle outside their doorsteps. As the wave of brigands charged towards the Austrian Jaegers, their lines were swiftly cut down from the rapid volley fire until less than a quarter of their numbers remained.


    Despite the massive casualties, the Portuguese Men at Arms managed to reach meleebat with the Austrian Jaegers; unfortunately for them, the Austrians were well prepared for such a thing. Bays met swords in the middle of the field as the rear toon rushed forth to join the fray.


    While this was going on, the poor peasant girl was crying and hugging her father''s corpse. She did not even see Jonas rush up to her; thus, when he grabbed ahold of her arm to make sure she was okay, the girl flinched in reaction.


    Upon Seeing her naked flesh, Jonas blushed awkwardly before taking off his camouge smock and throwing it towards the girl. As he did so, he spoke in German, which was anguage she did not understand.


    "Cover yourself, and hurry. It is not safe here!"


    Though she could notprehend the words, judging from the man''s bodynguage, she could make out the gist of what he said. Thus she quickly covered herself in the camouge smock and grabbed ahold of Jonas hand before following him to safety.


    The chaotic melee outside the vige ultimately ended in the Jager''s favor, as the men at arms lie dead in the fields, their blood fertilizing the soil that they had so ruthlessly trodden upon. The few survivors were brought forth into the center of the vige, where the Portuguese vigers gazed upon the men who had turned from their protectors tomon criminals with utter contempt in their eyes. One of the brigands quickly pleaded with Jonas when he arrived with the peasant girl in his arms. He spoke in Latin to ensure that his captors couldprehend him.


    "Please, spare us; we were just following orders!"


    However, Jonas did not spare the man a second nce; he quickly reached into his holster and withdrew his 1422 Service revolver, where he squeezed the trigger, sending a round straight through the man''s skull. After doing so, he ordered the Jaegers under hismand to fulfill their duty.


    "execute these brigands!"


    After saying this, the Portuguese Men at arms were tossed into the center of the vige, where they were executed via firing squad. With their deaths, this small farming vige had now fallen into the hands of Austria.


    Thus Jonas was presented with a difficult position. Their orders were to raid this vige and plunder it for its worth before lighting it aze to ensure that the Portuguese Army could not utilize its resources.


    However, the situation behind enemy lines was more chaotic than they were led to believe. There was no semnce ofw and order at the border, and deserters roamed thends as warlords and brigands.


    Ultimately, Jonas looked over at the girl who was crying within his arms and felt his heart bleed; his conscience would not allow him to treat this vige with any more cruelty than it had already suffered at the hands of the brigands.


    Not wanting to be the same as the men who had imed they were simply following orders, Jonas quickly decided to disregard his orders and instead entrench his position within this vige, utilizing it as a forward outpost to ry information about the current condition of the Kingdom of Portugal back to the main Army. He would deal with the consequences of his disobedience when that time came. Thus with a heavy heart, he gave hismands to his soldiers.


    "I want this vige fortified and capable of being defended by nightfall. For the time being, this will be our forward outpost."


    The soldiers were confused; after all, such amand went against the orders they were given. However, most of them were not officers and thus were not trained to think but rather obey their officers''mands. Thus they saluted their Captain before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Jonas had established a forward outpost behind the enemy lines with this act. The other units dispatched to the region would quickly report the chaos and devastation they witnessed in the field to their superiors. Thus the strategy on dealing with the vtile Portuguese border would ultimately follow a method simr to that which Jonas had opted to undertake on his own ord.


    ---

 Chapter 431 - A Day In The Life Of The Austrian Army

    Captain Jonas sighed heavily as he stood within the vige chapel, which now acted as themand post for his unit. Three days and nights had passed since hispany of Jaegers first upied this position. By now, the entire vige was fortified with makeshift defenses such as trenches and watchtowers.


    A report had been rushed towards the main Austrian Army regarding the general case ofwlessness that had consumed Portugal as it awaited the invasion of the Triple Alliance. When requesting further rification on his orders, High Command had responded with a simple objective, fortify their position, and conduct basic reconnaissance operations throughout the countryside.


    Despite being in the middle of summer, a freakish storm had consumed the Kingdom of Portugal, and its torrent was unleashed upon the Portuguese-Granadan border. From the perspective of the Portuguese people, it was indeed the end of days.


    Jonas heard a knock on the door as he observed the map that had been sprawled out across a table set within the chapel. Assuming one of his men brought him the newest reconnaissance report, he quickly answered in his native tongue.


    "Come in!"


    The young officer was surprised to see the appearance of the vige girl he had saved from a group of brigands a few days prior. She was now dressed in a peasant''s gown and held his camouge smock, which was neatly folded up.


    She had an anxious expression on her face as she handed the article of clothing back to its master. This gesture hadpletely caught Jonas off guard as he observed the farm girl with curiosity. She was rtively pretty despite her humble appearance. Jonas quickly approached the young woman and gently grasped the smock, where he proceeded to don it over his field tunic. He smiled before nodding his head and responding with the words.


    "Thank you!"


    She had washed the smock and cared for it over the past few days with the intent to return it to its rightful owner. Though the girl did not understand the german tongue, she could tell that the foreign soldier was thanking her, and thus she wore a pretty smile as she responded in kind.


    "You''re wee."


    After saying this, she departed from the chapel, leaving the Austrian Captain by his lonesome. It was a pity that they did not speak the samenguage because he would not mind wooing such a cute girl and taking her back to Austria as a war bride. However, some things were not meant to be, so he quickly got back to work.


    ---


    Outside of the vige that currently acted as a forward operating base for the Austrian soldiers was a small fireteam of Jaegers. These men were the foremost recon experts within Jonas''pany. They were currently withstanding the apocalyptic storm while seeking refuge from the elements within an improvised dug-out shelter that the team had built into the earth.


    If one did not observe the structure closely, one might mistake it for a natural mound. However, contained within this shelter was an elite team of soldiers from the Kingdom of Austria. Among these men was the soldier named Corporal Lach Wickten, who was cursing his luck as he dried off his wet body next to the fire.


    "Just my fucking luck, I get chosen for a recon mission deep behind enemy lines, and I am stuck in the middle of the fucking wilderness during a world-ending storm!"


    One of the soldiers next to him immediately scoffed before rebuking the Corporal.


    "Quit your bitching; you are alive, warm, and have ample rations to survive on! Seriously, you have the honor to serve in one of the most distinguished units in the Royal Austrian Army, and all you ever do is bitch about it! If you hadn''t already earned yourself a Wound Badge, I wouldn''t put up with your shit."


    Lach did not seem to mind the harsh criticism; after all, these soldiers were used to busting each other''s balls; instead, he used the fork in his mess kit to dig into the canned beef that he had warmed up by the fire. With a shit-eating grin on his face, he returned fire to the other soldier.


    "At least I can hit what I''m aiming at! 90% of the time you fire a shot, you miss your target. I am seriously considering writing aint to the highmand so that they start charging you for the munitions that you waste!"


    The squad leader chuckled when he heard this beforementing on the statement.


    "He''s got you there Brandt, I have seen recruits with better uracy than you. Seriously, do you pull the trigger before you properly align your sights?"


    The soldier named Brandt immediately began to curse out his squad members as he took a bite from his canned pork.


    "Fuck you guys! I''ll have you know that I scored expert marksman back in basic!"


    Lach began to chuckle when he heard this before adding salt to the wound.


    "Yeah, but those targets don''t shoot back at you or move, for that matter. The moment anyone isn''t standing still like a frightened rabbit, you miss your mark. You do know you are supposed to lead your target with your sights when they''re sprinting, right?"


    Once more, Brandt responded with a ssy retort


    "Oh fuck all of you!"


    The five members of the Austrian Jaegers enjoyed their time together with some less than friendly banter as they waited out the storm. When it finally dispersed the following day, they would continue their mission towards the nearest central township to ascertain the degree of authority that the Crown of Portugal still had over itsnds.


    ---


    General Arnulf stood alongside Strategos Padius as the two men stood in the middle of the muddied trenches battered by the storm. If not for the hemp raincoats, which aided in repelling the water which poured down on them, they likely would have sumbed to the weather already.


    Instead, the two men watched across the border of Granada and Portugal from a frontline position. The men beneath theirmand were huddled in their fortifications, waiting out the storm. Padius broke the silence between the two generals as he spoke about the report he had read earlier in the day.


    "Your Jaegers seem to have reported a mass sense ofwlessness within the borders of the Kingdom of Portugal. It appears that the men beneath the King''smand have begun to desert en masse and ransack the country they were supposed to protect.


    Do you think we will even face resistance when we march into theirnds? Or will the Portuguese people think of us as liberators from the predators who roam freely across their realm?"


    Arnulf scoffed as he heard this before presenting his gloomy outlook on the conflict that had yet to reach its climax.


    "I think no matter what we do, the people of Portugal will resist us. After all, the Portuguese are devout Catholics, and the Pope has practically made King Berengar out to be the anti-christ. I would not be surprised if the people of Portugal me us for what is currently going on in their Kingdom.


    When the Reichsmarschall learns of thewlessness that prevails in Portugal, I believe that he will personally lead the charge and fight through every vige, town, and city until the people of Portugal have bent the knee to the Granadans, and by extension himself."


    Upon hearing this, Padius had a smug grin on his face, which did not go unnoticed by Arnulf; as such, the German General quickly crossed his arms as he spoke towards the Byzantine Strategos with a sense of hostility.


    "You don''t agree?"


    Padius continued to smile as he shook his head before revealing his thoughts on the matter, the rain pouring down upon his weathered face as he did so.


    "Not at all, though I may not have known your King for long; I believe I understand his character well enough to urately predict his reaction to the ongoing chaos across the border."


    Upon hearing this, Arnulf got mildly defensive and shrugged his shoulders before responding to the General from the East.


    "Well, go ahead enlighten me..."


    The veteran Strategos continued to smile as he began to make his prediction about Berengar''s uing actions when he returned from the Peace ords in Aquitaine.


    "I think your King has grown weary of this war; after all, it is not a conflict he wanted to be directly involved in, to begin with. I also know that he fancies the Granadan Princess. Thus, I think it is highly probable that he will retire to the Capital of Granada for the remainder of this conflict. Where he will delegate the training of the next generation of Granadan soldiers to us.


    Once the Granadans have sufficient numbers, training, and equipment, he will dispatch them into Portgual with a minor degree of assistance in the form of artillery and reconnaissance units. For the most part, Berengar will begin to withdraw his forces back to Austria while leaving support units to continue aiding the Granadans in a war they will be by then capable of winning themselves."


    When Arnulf heard this, he believed it was an equally usible theory; as such, he proposed an entertaining idea.


    "Your theory is interesting; how about we make a friendly wager?"


    Padius chuckled as he heard this before inquiring about the details.


    "What are the stakes?"


    Arnulf smiled as he spoke about the details in a casual manner.


    "Nothing serious, I assure you. How about we say whoever loses this little bet of ours will owe the other a favor in the future?"


    Upon hearing these terms, Padius scratched his beard in contemtion for a few moments before nodding his head in eptance.


    "Deal!"


    With this, the two Generals had begun to gamble on which of their predictions were correct.


    ---

 Chapter 432 - Return To Granada

    Berengar and Hasan stood within the confines of the Granadan Royal Pce; throughout their absence in Aquitaine, the situation within Portugal had deteriorated rapidly. Though the Austrian Jaegers and Grenadier Guards were initially sent behind enemy lines to disrupt the border, they soon were embroiled in a chaotic andwless region where deserters from the Portuguese Army ravaged thend as nothing more than filthy brigands.


    The true extent of thiswlessness remained unknown. Still, one thing remained certain, a massive army of foreign peasants would soon be arriving in Portugal, whether or not they were capable of restoring order to the Portuguese Crown or would engage in the same criminal behavior as the soldiers of the Portuguese Army remained to be seen.


    Despite the unruly situation in Portugal, it created an opportunity for Berengar. Though he had initially nned to outright invade the Kingdom, with its current state, there was little chance that the enemy would be rushing the Granadan Border any time soon. As such, he wasmunicating with his Generals and the Sultan of Granada about his newfound idea.


    "Portugal is in an unprecedented state; much of the realm has be a wastnd where those who possess any semnce of might are capable of doing as they please. Thus, I have decided to shift my strategy; after all, if we were to invade the Kingdom at this point, it would only be met with resistance from not only what remains of the Portuguese Army but also the brigands and the people themselves.


    Thus I have decided to maintain our presence on the border and begin rebuilding the Granadan Army. With our Support, over the next few months, a sufficient force can be armed and trained, fully capable of invading Granada by itself. Obviously, we will provide surveince and long-range artillery support to the Granadans when they invade Portugal."


    Arnulf immediately cursed under his breath when he heard this, and Padius smiled; after all, the veteran Strategos of the Balkans was the winner of their little wager. Luckily it was just a favor owed to the man. Otherwise, Arnulf would be more irritated than he currently was. Though Berengar took note of the two men''s expressions, he did not inquire any further about it and instead shifted his attention to Hasan with a broad smile on his face.


    "What do you say? Do you think your Kingdom is up to the task?"


    The young Sultan smiled as he heard this news; he was growing disheartened by relying on Austria to win this war; any chance to be self-sufficient in terms of military matters was something he greatly desired. Thus with a broad smile on his lips, he nodded his head.


    "I will have you know that the men of Granada are more than up to the task!"


    Berengar nodded his head as he heard this before responding to the young Sultan''s words.


    "Very well, we will maintain a presence at the Granadan-Portuguese Border. My soldiers will begin training your troops, and I will begin supplying you with the weapons necessary to win your wars. After all, I still have tens of thousands of Muskets and hundreds of my old cannons lying around in a warehouse."


    After saying this, Berengar shifted his gaze to Arnulf and Adelbrand to give them their new orders.


    "Dispatch orders to our units behind enemy lines,mand them to maintain their positions and continue their reconnaissance operations. I want a regr update on what is transpiring on the other side of the border. If there is even the slightest hint of an attempt to attack our troops in the trenches, I want to know about it beforehand!"


    Berengar''s generals saluted him briefly before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After saying this, Berengar looked over at Hasan and Padius before issuing their orders.


    "What remains of the Granadan Army will withdraw from the Trenches and return to the Capital where they will undergo further training alongside the new conscripts. As for your soldiers, Padius, keep them at the border and maintain a presence. I don''t want the Portuguese to think we are withdrawing a significant number of troops from the border."


    Hasan and Padius both nodded their heads as they responded to this request.


    "It will be done."


    "You can rest assured, King Berengar, my troops will hold the line until a point where it is no longer necessary!"


    After saying this, Berengar smiled; with this strategy, the war in Granada had transitioned; from an all-out offensive by the Triple Alliance to a security operation designed to train the Granadan forces to be self-sufficient without needing to rely on Austrian Support. In other words, this next phase of the Reconquista was this world''s equivalent of Operation Freedom''s Sentinel.


    Berengar knew he would be in Granada for at least another half a year because of this, thus making it his most extended campaign to date. He only hoped that his civil work would have made significant progress by the time he returned to the fathend.


    As for what he intended to do between now and then, that was simple; he would stay in the Granadan Pce and spend some time getting close to the Princess of Granada. After all, if he were to endure such a long period of time away from home, then he would not do it celibate.


    Whatever maye of the rtionship between Berengar and Yasmin, the young King of Austria knew that at the very least he was going to make sure to get under the princess''s skirt. Thus he put on a friendly facade as he dismissed the meeting of Generals and ced a hand on Hasan''s shoulder.


    "This meeting is adjourned,e, my friend, let us get something to drink and speak further of our future conquest!"


    Ignorant of Berengar''s desire to spend some intimate time with his sister, Hasan quickly agreed to this request and yed right into the Austrian King''s hands.


    "I will get my sister to pour our drinks for us!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded as the two men departed from the war room and entered a morefortable setting before long; Princess Yasmin was fetched from her quarters, where she was dressed in a skimpy outfit as she held a bottle of fortified wine in her hands.


    She gracefully poured the substance into Berengar''s and Hasan''s chalices before climbing between them and wrapping her arms around the young Austrian King. Hasan''s eyes instantly grew wide as he noticed this. He did not know when his sister and his guest had grown so close, but he was happy to see it.


    This only meant that he was one step closer to achieving his goal of uniting their two houses in matrimony. Thus he began to y the part of his sister''s wingman as he broached a question to the King from the East.


    "Tell me, King Berengar, what do you think of my sister Yasmin? She is beautiful, is she not?"


    Berengar smiled graciously as he took a sip of the wine from his chalice before nodding his head in agreement.


    "Truly, her appearance is unrivaled in thesends, but her mature personality is what I find most attractive."


    Yasmin blushed as she heard this ttery; she did not know whether or not Berengar was exaggerating. However, it did not matter; apliment from a handsome and powerful man was something that she would ept. Upon seeing the reactions between his sister, and his guest, Hasan smiled before asking another question on his mind.


    "Yasmin? What do you think of Berengar? Be honest; your Sultanmands it!"


    A sultry expression appeared on the mature woman''s face as she spoke on the matter.


    "I think there is no man more handsome than he; in fact, I find his disfigurement quite appealing, it proves he has been battle-tested, and nothing is more attractive than a man who fights his own battles!"


    Berengar nearly choked on his wine as he heard this; he had seldom heard such apliment since he received the injury in mortalbat with his brother years ago; besides beingforted initially after his wound, his wives tended to avoid discussing it. Indeed in their minds, it was a blemish on his otherwise handsome appearance.


    Thus he had a somewhat awkward expression on his face when he touched his eyepatch and the wounded eye beneath it. Upon seeing this, Hasan red at his sister, clearly speaking about such a thing was considered rude. However, in the next moment, Yasmin leaned over and grabbed ahold of his hand before asking the question on her mind.


    "May I see what lies beneath?"


    Obviously, She was referencing the wounded eye, and as such, Berengar exhaled deeply before nodding his head. After doing so, he took off his eyepatch very slowly before revealing the scar he bore as a symbol of his foolishness.


    One could make out the visibly shocked expression on Yasmin''s luscious lips beneath her face veil as she gazed upon his battle scar, which had long since healed over the years. Berengar''s blue iris was intact, aside from a thin verticle scar that cut through the center of it.


    This scar connected the gap between the top and bottom of his eyelid, which also contained the same wound. The Granadan princes slowly reached out to touch the scar before halting her hand; she had almost forgotten to ask for permission and thus raised her voice before doing so.


    "May I?"


    Berengar silently nodded his hand before the soft tanned hands of the mature Princess ced themselves upon his eyelids, a broad smile formed on her face as she did so; she had identally let out her inner thoughts on the disfigurement while she touched upon Berengar''s wound.


    "Such character, it is truly befitting of a warrior like yourself!"


    Berengar was shocked when he heard this; the woman wasn''t simply ttering him; she genuinely found his wound attractive. In the next moment, Yasmin lifted the veil from her face and pressed her lips against Berengar''s as she shifted into hisp.


    Hasan looked away awkwardly before coughing slightly; he intended to break the couple apart. After all, he knew where this was headed, and he had wanted to ensure their bond was a bit stronger before he allowed Berengar to bed his sister.


    Yasmin narrowed her gaze upon her little brother upon hearing this interruption before standing up from Berengar''sp. She was displeased by Hasan''s actions, he had pressured her so much into seducing Berengar, and now that she finally had him in her grasp, the fool had interrupted her. Seeing that the atmosphere was ruined, she quickly grabbed ahold of the bottle and thrust it into her brother''s hands before rebuking him for his behavior.


    "Pour your wine yourself!"


    After saying this, she stormed off, leaving Berengar and Hasan alone, in awkward silence.


    ---

 Chapter 433 - A Tacit Understanding Between Two Kings

    Over a month had passed since Berengar returned to Granada; during this time, he had spent his days overseeing the Reformation of the Granadan Royal Army. Standing before him was a unit of recruits. The contrast between Berengar''s 20th-century style apparel and the 16th-century Ottoman-style armor that the Granadans wore was worlds apart.


    Despite this, these recruits were in the middle of drilling exercises for the sixth week of basic training. Berengar had drafted a new training regimen based upon the Austrian Royal Army''s. Every soldier went through Ten Weeks of basic training, followed by specialized training for their role in the Armed Forces.


    For the time being, Granada''s Militaryprised solely of an Army; after all, building up a proper Navy was a substantial cost, and until Berengar could rece his Frigates with more advanced steam-powered and armored steel vessels, he would not part way with any ships within his current fleet. Berengar and Hasan sat back and drank from their wine as they conversed about the ongoing changes in the Granadan Royal Army.


    "With the agricultural improvements we have begun to employ, thanks to your generosity, we are now able to raise a substantiallyrger force of recruits. We project a standing professional army of 25,000 men within the next six months. When armed with the Muskets and artillery that you have provided, we will easily defend our borders. However, it will take a least a year to have an Army capable of invading Portugal. Do you intend to stay behind during this entire time?"


    Berengar sipped from his wine as he listened to the young Sultan speak; after hearing the man''s question, he calmly smiled before answering the question.


    "With Austrian support in terms of artillery and reconnaissance, I assure you that the time frame will be significantly reduced. Your 25,000 men will be enough to act as the spearhead into Portugal. As we speak, my forces grow, and I will soon dispatch more artillery brigades to Iberia.


    However, I will significantly reduce the number of infantry in the field; now that we have reached peace with Aragon and Castile, there is no need for so many infantry and cavalry stationed in the Region. As for me, personally, I still have some work to be done, and I won''t be returning home until I havepleted it."


    Hasan smiled when he heard this; he believed that he knew the exact reason as to why Berengar was not ready to return home. Throughout this past month, the young Austrian King and the Princess fo Granda had grown considerably closer, and yet to Berengar''s dismay, he had not been able to seal the deal between himself and Yasmin. Despite this, Hasan believed that Berengar was determined to sleep with his sister, and thus he thought that the man would remain in Granada until this had been aplished.


    However, in reality, this was not Berengar''s primary reason for staying with Granada. The Austrian King was outright terrified to return home; the reason for this was simple; the moment he arrived at his Pce, he would be forced to confront Henrietta''s confession and give her an answer. This weighed heavy on his heart, as he had no romantic feelings towards his sister.


    In Berengar''s mind existed a duality of memories from two separate lives. He could say that he was no longer simply Julian Webber like he had initially thought upon entering this world. Throughout the years, the memories of the original Berengar had begun to take their hold over his heart, and he had often considered himself an amalgamation of the two individuals.


    Thus despite having memories of another world, he still thought of Henrietta as his precious little sister and was greatly disgusted by the idea of incest. Despite this natural aversion, another feeling was embedded deep within his heart.


    Perhaps it was because he never had a sibling in his past life, but the very thought of seeing his precious sister with another man troubled his conscience. He had no idea what to do about this awkward situation that had been forced upon him.


    Thus the more time he spent in Granada away from his sister, the better. After all, it would give her the space she needed to think through her incestuous fantasies and would allow him to ignore hisplex emotions by thrusting himself into the loving arms of another woman and drowning himself with booze.


    Thus he had aplicated expression on his handsome face as he answered the Sultan''s question and continued to drink from the fortified wine contained within his chalice. Instead, he decided to shift the topic to something of greater interest.


    "So tell me, Hasan, how do your people view their Sultan who engages in forbidden behavior? Drinking alcohol, eating bacon? I thought such things were against your faith?"


    The young Sultan chuckled upon hearing this beforementing on the social challenges he faced as a secr ruler over a Muslim Nation.


    "Every so often, some radical Imam rises to a position of prominence in an attempt to unite the ordinary people against me. However, I have no tolerance for zealots and immediately put those fools to the sword.


    I have seen what madness fanatics willmit in the name of religion and want no part of it. My brother tried to have me eliminated because he thought I was too moderate; even one of my wives attempted to murder me in cold blood. If not for you, I would be a dead man, my name forever erased from history.


    Honestly, I never would have had the nerve to challenge religion''s stranglehold on my society if not for your German Reformation. I have seen what secr rule free from themand of religious fanatics has done for your Kingdom, and I too wish to prosper to such a degree.


    So, I have begun to implement my social reforms to encourage moderate religious views and secr rule. I may not have the vast knowledge your Kingdom has ess to, but I, at the very least, can encourage scientific thinking.


    I won''t lie though, there has been some fierce resistance against such things, the older generation clings to their superstitions, but they will be dead soon, I care more about influencing the youth, who will be the future of my realm, than the old fools who cling to the glories of the past."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled and nodded; Although Hasan was severelycking in potential as a ruler and a general; it was his moderate views of religion that had made Berengar decide to prop up his state with their alliance. For if he could influence the Imic World to be more moderate in their views, perhaps the religious extremism of the 21st Century would note to pass in this timeline.


    However, if Granada were to prosper in the future and be a significant power worthy of Austria''s continued support, they would need a leader groomed from birth to an efficient politician and capable general.


    This man was not Hasan; however, if Berengar were to marry Yasmin through matrilineal Marriage, he could potentially ce his son with her on the Granadan Throne and create a robust and secr Sultanate of Al-Andalus. Thus Berengar had a warm smile on his face when he dropped a bombshell on Hasan, one that he was not expecting so soon.


    "Hasan, my Friend, you once asked me to unite our houses through marriage. I will admit I was initially hesitant over such a proposal; after all, at the time, I did not haveplete control over my household, and my wives can be exceptionally jealous.


    However, I have be quite fond of your sister during my stay here, and she is not getting any younger. Thus, if you are still interested, I am willing to agree to your proposal, so long as it is via matrilineal marriage. After all, I already have two wives in my dynasty, and their children will be contending for my throne; thest thing I need is morepetition between my offspring."


    Hasan did not care that the marriage would be matrilineal; after all, he did not think that far ahead; all he cared about was the long-term alliance between their two kingdoms and the fact that his sister was finally about to be wed. Thus the young Sultan hastily nodded his head in agreement, unaware of Berengar''s true intent behind this marriage proposal.


    "I am still interested. We can host the wedding here in Granada before you return home. I''d love to see the look on your wives'' faces when you bring home my sister as your newest bride."


    Berengarughed when he heard this, there was another severe advantage to marrying Yasmin and bringing her home to Austria, and that was the fact that such an event would shift his wives attention away from Henrietta''s confession toward this newfound threat��allowing him to ignore the serious problem that lies between himself and his sister for some time.


    Thus while the two Kings were watching the Grandan troops receive their instruction in the art of war, they hade to a tacit understanding that would forever change thendscape of European and Global Politics.


    ---

 Chapter 434 - Fire And Maneuver

    Ever since the Austrian Intervention in Granada began, the Research and Development Department of the Austrian Royal Armory had started fiddling around with the designs entrusted to them by their monarch.


    Months had passed since they first began experimenting, and now at this very moment, they had devised a working prototype of a few weapons that would be crucial to Berengar''s long-term ns for conquest, colonization, and defense.


    The first among these weapons to be tested was sitting on a tripod within the Austrian testing grounds. This weapon was a water-cooled, belt-fed machinegun chambered in a 7.92x57mm Langes Gewehr cartridge. It was embedded in a mock trench system within a reinforced cement machine gun nest.


    This magnificent weapon fed from 250 round stamped steel ammunition belts that could be clipped together for immense volumes of sustained fire. At the moment, a group of weapons specialists began to feed the belt through the other side of the weapon and bull back on its charging handle, thus sending the ammunition into the battery.


    Once seated into position, the main gunner rested his feet on the two rear legs of the tripod before gripping the dual wooden handles stationed at the rear of the gun. After taking a deep breath, he aimed down the bore of the weapon towards the target, which was located roughly a thousand yards away, and pressed the weapon''s trigger with his thumbs.


    The weapon immediately began to chug away as dozens of rounds flew down range and into the targets. With a slight tap of the handle, the weapon could be shifted in either direction to roughly a quarter of a degree or 15 MOA, which was sufficient enough to stop the advance of any armed force that wished to charge a trench line. In theory, a small number of machine guns, and supporting riflemen could effectively stop any charge they encountered.


    While Berengar was resting in Granada overseeing the training of the Granadan Royal Army, Chancellor Otto von Graz was acting as the witness to this weapons trial alongside several high-ranking officers of the Royal Austrian Army.


    These men were responsible for testing any weapons developed by the Royal Armories. Today was the first of many trials that these prototype weapons would go through before they could be approved for service.


    Otto gazed in horror as he witnessed the substantial rate of fire and the devastation caused by the weapon in front of him. While he had long since retired from warfare, it was only now that he fully realized that when armed with such weapons, Cavalry would be utterly useless.


    He could vividly imagine what would happen if the enemy were to attack an Austrian trench line, the sheer volume of death that would ur was unfathomable. The Chancellor wiped the sweat from his brow as he came to this horrifying revtion.


    This single weapon changed the nature of warfare substantially; the old Chancellor finally understood why Berengar was not the slightest bit worried about defending the borders of Austria from all of its enemies. He also understood why there was an ongoing effort by the Army Corps of Engineers to construct a massive trench system around their borders.


    If they could ce hundreds of these guns, and the supporting artillery across their borders, with the necessary soldiers to arm them, there would be no possible way the Crusaders could enter into the Austrian Kingdom. Any attempt would be an outright massacre the likes the world has never seen before. With this in mind, Chancellor Otto took a deep breath and exhaled heavily in an attempt to calm his nerves. After doing so, he vocalized the thoughts contained within his mind.


    "I underestimated you... I see now where your confidencees from..."


    One of the nearby officers heard this remark and knew very well who he was referring to as such a broad smile appeared on his face as he boldly announced their n for border security.


    "These weapons will be going through thorough testing over the next few months. However, if you think this is impressive, wait until you see the improvements to artillery that our scientists have been working on! By the time the Crusaders enter our borders, the 7.5cm FK 22 guns currently in use will be a thing of the past, delegated to our reserves. The true defense of our borders will be something far grander!"


    Otto shuddered at the thought of an even more excellent artillery piece than what was currently employed by the army. Were the current field guns not enough to strike fear into the heart of every enemy soldier who marched against Austria and all its glory? Indeed the Research and Development team was even crazier than Berengar if they wished to rece the currently issued artillery so soon.


    Despite this natural trepidation towards the idea of such rapid improvement, Otto had to admit the future of Austria was in good hands when he considered that the scientists of the Nation were now capable of making improvements to weaponry without the input of their genius Monarch. Thus he sighed in relief as he nodded his head before responding.


    "That is good to know..."


    Otto continued to gaze upon the machine gun trials. After thousands of rounds had been fired downrange, they ceased their sustained fire and cleared the weapon. Thinking that the demonstration was over, the Chancellor sighed in relief; however, in the next second, a wicked grin appeared on the Officer''s face as he pronounced the test of the following weapon.


    "That was the MG-22! It is a heavy machine gun designed with static defense in mind. However, it is not the only machine gun we have developed for use by our Army; next up is the MG-22(H)!"


    Otto gazed upon the mock trench system that was set up with intrigue. Just what was this next prototype that had been developed. He quickly saw a soldier with a weapon that looked like a rifle on steroids; unlike the MG-22 Heavy Machine Gun that had just been introduced, this weapon had stock and a visible barrel; however, the barrel was strange to look at from his perspective considering that it was finned.


    Unlike the Needle Rifles, which Otto was familiar with, this weapon fed from a 30 round box magazine which was inserted at the top of the gun, because of this it had offset sights. Before charging the firearm, the soldier who wielded it was quickly rocked and locked the magazine in ce. After doing so, he pulled back on the charging handle and began to fire a short burst at a target roughly three hundred meters out.


    After scoring a direct hit on the straw target''s breastte, the soldier selected a nearby target and fired upon it. As he did so, several men armed with the G22 Bolt Action rifles and a squad leader armed with an MP-22 nked the target with their weapons in hand and bays affixed.


    With the tactics of fire and maneuver engrained in their minds, these men rapidly advanced on the target and eliminated it. Once the straw dummies representing an enemy squad were destroyed, the Machine gunner reloaded his weapon before picking it up and rushing towards another position of cover, where the team repeated their actions.


    The officers began to p as they witnessed the demonstration of the new weapons for a squad-level unit and the tactics presented to them. Otto was once more bbergasted; he could not believe that firearms would advance so much in the past five years to the point where the age of Knights and Chivalry woulde crashing down so quickly.


    He began to say a quick prayer for the souls of the poor fools who would march on Austria at the behest of the Pope and his mad obsession with ending King Berengar''s reign. Perhaps Berengar indeed had struck a deal with the devil to change the world by himself so rapidly; it was not something an ordinary man could do.


    After witnessing the terrifying disy of advanced weapons and tactics, Otto sighed to himself before concluding the test. So far, the prototypes had been sessful, but they would have to undergo far more rigorous testing if they were to be approved for use in the Austrian Royal Army.


    He could not begin to imagine what Austria would look like by the time of King Berengar''s death. For the first time in his life, Otto had be dismayed by the fact that he would not live to see such a future. He was confident that it would be a glorious sight. However, he would embrace his duty as Chancellor and help his son-inw run the country for many years toe.


    Thus the first extensive test of the next-generation weapons waspleted; it would still be a few years before such weapons could be employed in mass. Yet, Otto felt oddly confident in their chances of defending the Fathend from the entire world if such a need should arise. He knew within his heart that he had made an excellent choice in wedding his daughter to his nephew, even if it was initially for a stake in Kufstein''s mines so many years ago.


    ---

 Chapter 435 - Climbing The Noble Hierarchy

    While the Department of Defense belonging to the Kingdom of Austria had begun to test the next-generation weapons designed by their sovereign. The Research and Development Department was working on an exciting piece of artillery.


    Having received field reports from theck of support to light infantry units behind enemy lines, Jakob Schmidt, the son of Ludwig Schmidt, hade to the logical conclusion that a form of lightweight and maneuverable artillery capable of being rapidly deployed by a small team of infantrymen needed to be developed.


    He had delegated the responsibility of his Department to the development of Berengar''s next-generation weapons designs entirely. At the same time, he worked with his father to develop a new weapon that could be used to fulfill the demands of indirect fire and support.


    At the moment, a small prototype was sitting on the floor of Ludwig''s workshop; it was the 7th prototype designed in the past few months since Berengar left for the war in Iberia. Past designs included miniature cannons that could be taken apart and carried either by horse or on the back of multiple soldiers.


    However, these devices proved during testing with Mountian Troops to be exceptionally heavy and took far too long to deploy effectively. Thus the idea of a pack howitzer was immediately scrapped. Instead, the current prototype in the hands of Ludwig and Jakob was a 27-inch steel tube in a form that was oddly reminiscent of modern mortars from Berengar''s past life.


    This Mortar included a base te for use as a standard infantry mortar that could be quickly detached to lighten the weight. To use the weapon without the base te, the gun had a handle bolted onto the barrel, and the soldier''s foot was used to stabilize the weapon. This lighter-weight variant was designed for use with light infantry andmando units.


    Depending on whether the base te was used, This Mortar weighed anywhere from 15 to 40 pounds and fired a 60mm high explosive projectile that had an effective range between 2,187 and 3,500 yards. Of course, this was just a prototype, and it was far from being feasible for actual service.


    Still, the concept was in ce, and a prototype had been made. Thus Jakob and his father both had broad smiles on their faces as they gazed upon this brilliant weapon. The old engineer grasped his son on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.


    "I''m proud of you, boy! I thought you were mad when you suggested that we try something other than a lightweight variant of a traditional field gun. However, if this weapon works as well as I think it will, we may have just provided a sufficient level of force to our troops stationed behind enemy lines!"


    Jakob smiled as he heard his father''s praise; throughout his entire life, he had sought to seed the older man in his endeavors; over the past five years, he had seen his father go from working on trebuchets to breechloaders. The rapid ascent in technology that Austria had progressed to was unfathomable to his young mind.


    There was only one man responsible for such a thing. It was King Berengar; without his educational reforms, young men like Jakob would not have the mathematic or scientific knowledge to figure out how to make such advanced weapons.


    A rising portion of the poption was educated to a substantial degree, and brilliant minds were constantly working on expanding upon the knowledge provided to them by their King. Although Berengar was viewed as an intelligent man whose intellect was equal to none within the Kingdom of Austria; he was not omniscient, and thus there were plenty of brilliant minds within the millions of people who inhabited Austria who could add to the ever-increasing pool of knowledge.


    These two men had contributed substantially to the development of arms for the Kingdom of Austria. Though Ludwig was getting on in years, he was happy to know that his son could continue his legacy and aid the young Monarch in his pursuit of power. Thus, Ludwig began to speak to his son with some difficulty.


    "My boy, I had seen you grow from a gifted but foolish child to a brilliant young man; when you were a kid, we had nothing, and I could barely afford to feed you and your brothers. If not for King Berengar and his educational reforms, I am sure that you would never aplish much in life.


    However, look at you now; you have be the head of the Research and Development Department of the Royal Armory! I am proud of you son, I won''t be in this world for much longer, but I am happy to know that his Majesty will have someone greater than myself to rely upon in the future..."


    Jakob had a bitter smile; he was all too aware that the likelihood of his father living much longer was slim; he was already an elderly man and considered exceptionally old in this era. Though there had been a rapid increase in medicine, and health it was unknown just how much that would affect the average lifespan. With a smile on his face, Ludwig began to lecture his son further


    "You are a man now, Jakob; it is time for you to get married, and have a child of your own. I don''t want to die before I meet my grandkids you little bastard!"


    After saying this, Ludwig lightly smacked his son across the back of his head breaking the solemn atmosphere that had previously stifled the air. Jakobughed lightly as he recovered from the impact. Due to his father''s actions, his family had be noblemen, even if it was among the lower families.


    He could finally marry a nice noble girl and start a family. He had been so obsessed with work that he had utterly neglected any form of social function for several years now. Ludwig wore a toothy grin upon seeing his son''s reaction as he asked his son an important question.


    "Now, my boy, is there any girl who has caught your fancy? I can pull a favor with the King to put in a good word for you!"


    Jakob was shocked when he heard this; since when did his father and Berengar have such a good rtionship? He was unaware that in the early days of Berengar''s ascent to power, the two men were drinking buddies.


    While he knew that his father had acted as the best man at the King''s first wedding, Jakob had assumed that this was simply because Berengar had no friends. This was partially urate considering all of Berengar''s friends were also his subordinates aside from Hasan.


    After thinking about it for a few moments, Jakob realized that he knew virtually no women, and the ones he did know were already married. Had he really spent his early adulthood absorbed in education and employment? Upon seeing the stunned look on his son''s face, Ludwig''s expression sank before he dared to ask the question on his mind.


    "Boy, when was thest time you talked to a woman?"


    An awkward smile appeared on Jakob''s face as he openly admitted his borderline celibate lifestyle.


    "It has been at least two years..."


    Ludwig immediately pped his forehead as he thought that he hadpletely and utterly failed as a father. After doing so raked his fingers over his bottom eyelids beforeing to a decision.


    "Alright, I''m a noble now, so it looks like I''m going to have to find you a wife! You''re incapable of doing it yourself. Boy, consider this myst gift to you before I depart from this world!"


    Jakob was stunned to see his father willing to go through so much effort so that he could have a grandchild before his death. After all, his brothers were still reasonably young as Ludwig had themte in life. Thus the older man truly believed that his firstborn was his only hope to see such a thing before he passed.


    Before Jakob could interrupt, Ludwig pulled out a bottle of whiskey that Berengar had gifted him earlier in the year; it was aged for five years and was among the first batch of Berengar''s distillery. There were very few of these bottles in existence, and most of them were stashed away in the cer of the Royal Pce.


    Ludwig immediately popped open the bottle and poured himself and his son a ss of the fragrant substance.


    "Boy, I''ll have you know that the King owes me a favor; after all, if it weren''t for me, he would have died at mining town! Well, technically, it was that redheadedss of his who informed me, but still, I was the one who was able to alert Eckhard to muster the militia! I will call in this once-in-a-lifetime favor in an attempt to get him to use his kingly influence to find you a beautiful and well-behaved bride.


    After all, our family is wealthier than most of the Dukes nowadays! You may not be the best-looking man in Austria. Still, when I die, you and your brothers will be among the wealthiest; that alone can probably help you marry some woman from a declining noble family, especially with the King''s support!"


    Jakob thought about his father''s gesture for a moment before he noticed a severe w in this n; as such, he quickly voiced his concerns.


    "But father, there are no declining noble families in Austria! With his Majesty''s reforms, even those impoverished noble houses have gained significant wealth through the ownership of theirnds!"


    Ludwig smiled once more with his signature toothy grin before raising his voice in objection.


    "Who said anything about marrying an Austrian woman? There are plenty of impoverished noble families in the neighboring Kingdoms. I can get his Majesty to give us a much more prestigious title and a plot ofnd in Switzend with enough coercion!


    After all, plenty of noble houses have been wiped out in the region from the War of Independence, and Berengar is still distributing theirnds to men of merit from our Kingdom! You wait, boy, our house will rise, and perhaps we will even get a new surname befitting of nobles such as ourselves!"


    Jakob stared at his father in disbelief before a wide smile appeared across his face. As he did so, he envisioned himself as a mighty Count, or Perhaps a Duke, with several factories under hismand and multiple beautiful wives. He nodded his head before responding to his father''s bold ims as he thought about this.


    "I agree with this vision of the future!"


    Ludwig chuckled before pping his son on the back; as he did so, he left a parting piece of advice to his son.


    "Good, now make sure to work hard because all of the benefits that I provide our family will fly out the window if you don''t prove to be of equal use to our King!"


    Jakob gulped down the saliva pooled in his mouth upon hearing these words; after doing so, he quickly got back to work on his mortar design while his father gazed upon him with pride.


    ---

 Chapter 436 - Beachside Relations

    Months passed, and with it, Berengar''s wives came ever close to the due date of their pregnancy. While they were struggling with the thought that they would give birth to their children without their husband present. Berengar was enjoying himself within his Manor, which was located on a hill above the beaches of Gibraltar.


    The first batch of recruits from the Royal Granadan Army had graduated basic training. These soldiers were now undergoing the specialized training necessary to fulfill their position within the Armed Forces of Granda. During this time, Portugal continued to bleed from the chaos that enveloped its realm, while King Luiz struggled to reim thends that were lit aze from the warbands of heavily armed brigands that once served him faithfully.


    The foreign crusadersprised of primary peasants who had taken up the call to arms to fight against an unholy alliance between the German Reformation and Im found themselves engaged in brutal conflict with the deserters of the Portuguese Armies, their numbers drastically reduced and stretched thin across the small Kingdom to the West.


    Currently, Berengar was resting on a wicker sunbathing chair with a parasol over his head and a blended drink in his hands. He was dressed in a pair of hemp shorts and lying next to the Princess of Granada, who wrapped her arms around him with a loving smile. The young couple had be quite fond of one another during this time, and a wedding had been undergoing preparation.


    Even though Hasan had initially instructed Yasmin to seduce and bed Berengar in an attempt to trap him into marriage, for whatever reason, he had shifted his opinion. Thus, the young couple had not slept together yet, as Hasan insisted that his sister''s virtue remain intact until her wedding.


    Of course, Berengar, an impatient and lust-filled man, had used his vast knowledge to find a way around that rule. Thus he had secretly introduced his newest fiancee to alternative methods so that they may entertain themselves. Therefore they had been spending quite a lot of time together in the Austrian King''s beach Manor, enjoying each other''s bodies in every way that would not vite the Princess'' apparent virtue.


    However, all good things muste to an end; as Berengar continued to sip from his drink, a servant rushed forward and handed him a letter. Contained within this document was the news that the time for their wedding had arrived; it was just in time too. Seeing as how the Granadan Troops and Austrian Artillery were about ready to deploy into Portugal for the sake of their conquest. Thus Berengar got up from his seat and looked over his bride-to-be as hemented.


    "It appears we are required within the capital. The wedding is fully prepared and awaiting our arrival."


    When Yasmin heard this, a sly smile spread across her beautiful face as she teased her fiance.


    "So you''re not going to invite your other wives or your family for this assion?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and grabbed ahold of the woman''s plump rear, bringing her closer into his embrace.


    "I am pretty sure those girls would try to kill you out of jealousy if I brought them to our wedding. I am also certain that my family would not easily approve of me marrying a Moorish woman. Thus I won''t request their attendance. Besides, I''d like to see the look on those bitches faces when I bring home a foreign woman as my war bride!"


    Yasmin immediately shoved Berengar aside and climbed on top of hisp; her bountiful breasts were barely contained by the thin fabric thatprised her bikini. Under Berengar''s orders, he had made her a rather skimpy swimsuit for use around his Manor and private beach. As she pressed him down beneath her weight, she flicked him on the forehead before lecturing him.


    "I am not your war bride!"


    Berengar chuckled in response and kissed her on the lips, his tongue parting through its entrance and intertwining with hers. After doing so, he released himself andughed softly before responding.


    "I am at war, and I am marrying you while away from home. Thus you are my war bride!"


    Yasmin merely scoffed at this before wiping back the bangs from her forehead; as she did so, she reached into the young Austrian King''s shorts with a wicked smile on her face.


    "How about we have a quick one before the road?"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this before giving amand to his servant nearby.


    "Fetch the olive oil! and quickly!"


    Upon hearing this, the servant nodded before running off to the Manor and returning with a bottle of olive oil. He did not know why Berengar had requested such a thing so suddenly, but he was quickly dismissed by the Austrian King and ordered not to return.


    After this Berengar made sure he was alone with the Granadan Princess before he pulled down her bikini bottom and filled his hands with olive oil before applying it to her tan plump. After ying around with her cheeks for a while, he slid his oily fingers into the hole where he began to apply the oil to her innards making sure it was fully prepped for what was toe. The busty Granadan Princess bit her lips as she moaned in pleasure. After a while, she could no longer contain her lust and broke her silence.


    "Put it in!"


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this, it had been a few months since he began training her hole for his use, and now it would appear that the woman was addicted to it. However, he was not ready yet; he quickly pulled down his shorts and put his member in front of her face.


    Like a bitch in heat, Yasmin immediately knew what to do as she ced the object of her desire into her mouth and took it to its base repeatedly. By now, she was so experienced with this act that she no longer gagged upon reflex.


    Only after he was well prepared did Berengar turn the woman around and slowly slide his shaft into her rear; the moment he did so, her lower lips gushed in orgasm. Berengar was not surprised; out of all of his girls, Yasmin was what he would call a squirter. Thus he thought nothing of it and immediately began to thrust his hips back and forth like a piston; the more he did so, the louder the Princess''s moans became.


    Fearing that he would attract the attention of his servants, Berengar pressed the woman''s pretty face into the soft sand of the beach and began to exaggerate his movements even further. Despite the rough treatment, Yasmin only grew wetter as she climaxed once more. Berengar himself was not even close to finishing; as such, he gave the Princess no reprieve as he continued his sexual act.


    While this was ongoing, he gripped the woman''s substantial breasts and hung onto them as he pumped his hips; the soft flesh filled up his hands and felt as if they were overflowing from his grasp as he did so. Yasmin''s stomach was t and slightly toned despite her substantial bust and broad hips. She carried all of her weight in her breasts, and rear making her a beautiful woman to the eyes of a man like Berengar.


    After making love in an unorthodox method for well over an hour, Berengar finally reached his conclusion, where he pulled out his shaft and shot his liquid all over her pretty, tanned face. The sight instantly turned him on more; unfortunately, they did not have the time to go multiple rounds. Thus the young Austrian King immediately rose from his seat and gave the Princess some advice as he set forth to the Manor.


    "Clean yourself up. Afterward, we will depart for the capital..."


    Yasmin was in a state of total bliss and could barelyprehend his words; as such, she lied naked on the beach for well over ten minutes before rising from her position and cleaning herself off in the Sea. After doing so, she returned to the Manor and dressed in something far more appropriate. Thus, the young couple departed towards the City of Cordoba, where their wedding would be held.


    Their little romantic adventure on the beach would remain unknown by the various powers, thus securing her alleged chastity and allowing Berengar to fulfill the terms of his agreement with the young Sultan Hasan.


    When they finally arrived within the gates of the City of Cordoba, several days would have passed, and the couple would be quickly rushed to their wedding. After all, there was a war to be fought, and the Granadan troops were just about ready to seebat.


    The duty of a King was neverplete, and Berengar was just happy that he could avoid his troubling emotions for the time being in the arms of a beautiful woman. When he finally returned home from Austria, he knew that he would have created more trouble than if he had denied his rtionship with Yasmin. Then again, that was a worry for another time.


    ---

 Chapter 437 - Granadan Wedding

    Berengar stood in the middle of the Mosque of Cordoba dressed within the traditional wedding attire of the people of Al-Andalus. He felt out of his element, as he was not ustomed to dressing in such an eastern sense of fashion. Regardless he went along with the ceremony as he felt it would be rude to deny the customs of his newest wife and her people.


    He waited on the arrival of his beautiful bride as he gazed upon the magnificent architecture, which was a testament to the supremacy of the ancient state of Al-Andalus. If not for this war, the city and this treasure of a Holy Site would not have fallen back into the hands of the Moorish people of Iberia.


    In a way, Berengar was directly responsible for this event by propping up and aiding the once declining State of Granada. However, he felt it was fair, in this timeline, the Hagia Sophia remained in the hands of Christendom. Thus it was only natural that the Imic people maintained their control over the Great Mosque of Cordoba.


    As he waited for the bride to arrive, the young monarch stood next to his Generals Arnulf and Adelbrand. The two men were dressed up in their most luxurious service dress for this assion. Though Berengar wanted to do this event secretly, he needed two male witnesses, as was the tradition for an Imic Wedding. Thus he selected his two Generals and bound them to secrecy under pain of death.


    After all, Berengar had yet to announce to his troops that he would be marrying the Granadan Princess, let alone his family back home. Though Berengar had fostered secrism and religious moderation within his own Kingdom, he knew there would be more than a few people who despised the idea of a Christian King marrying a Muslim Princess.


    Especially his brides, he had not even told them he had taken on another lover while away at war, let alone that he had agreed to marry her. The entire thing was rather sudden; if not for the fact that the Kingdom of Portugal was rapidly descending intowlessness, he might have been on the frontlines within the borders of Portugal at this moment, and unable to get close to Yasmin.


    However, when left to his own devices, he naturally spent his time with a foreign beauty and thus had grown quite fond of the woman. Recognizing the need for more control over his ally to the West, Berengar had hatched a n to ce his progeny with the Granadan Princess on the throne.


    At the moment, none of that was important within the mind of the young King; instead, what truly mattered at the moment was that he would be marrying a beautiful woman of significantly more emotional maturity than his current, younger brides. After all, what man didn''t want a mature beauty among his harem?


    After a while, everyone had arrived, and the bride was brought up to the groom by her brother; since her father was already deceased, it was up to Hasan as the head of their house to give Yasmin away to Berengar.


    Yasmin was dressed in a Tyrian purple and gold kaftan, with a matching headdress and her usual face veil concealing her beauty. Berengar was dressed in simr colors, in the Moorish style of fashion. As she stood next to Berengar in front of the podium, the couple signed their names on the marriage contract.


    After doing so, the Imam said a brief sermon about the holy texts of Im, particrly pertaining to marriage, and then ceased. Unlike in a Christian wedding, it was not eptable for the groom and bride to kiss during the ceremony, which would have to wait until after they were alone.


    After concluding the brief ceremony, the gathered procession, who were essential members of Granadan society, returned to the Pce of Cordoba, which currently acted as the residence of Hasan, so long as he stayed within the city.


    A feast began with all kinds of food being brought out. Berengar enjoyed the exotic dishes while drinking from a ss that contained fruit juice. Unfortunately for him, he was not allowed to drink at this event; after all, even though he may not be Muslim, the people who surrounded him were, and to make a good impression on his allies, he abstained from his usual vice.


    Adelbrand and Arnulf began to converse with Berengar as he sat at the table next to his newest bride. A few days prior, they were made aware of Berengar''s marriage to the Granadan Princess. However, after removing her face veil at the wedding ceremony, they were shocked to see that she was such divine beauty.


    They instantly grew jealous of Berengar for adding another gorgeous woman to his harem. Arnulf was the first to speak to his monarch as he congratted him upon his newest marriage with a bit of a bitter expression on his face.


    "Congrattions, your majesty! You have imed yet another bride for yourself, and with it, secured a long-term alliance with Granada!"


    Berengar chuckled as he silently nodded in response; while he did so, he eyed Hasan, the man had a giddy smile on his face as he yed with an exquisitely crafted 1422 Service Revolver. The gift that Berengar had decided to give his bride''s family was such a weapon. This pistol, in particr, was a work of art, as it utilized hand-crafted ivory grips, which contained a golden 24k gold coin inscribed with the Granadan Coat of Arms within the center of the grips.


    The blued steel metalwork was embellished with a sleek gold damascene finish, fit for a king. As for the hammer and trigger, they were fully covered in 24k gold ting. Berengar had be so fond of this pistol, which he had ordered to be manufactured during the months of his tenure in Granada, that he had a matching revolver made for himself that acted as a symbol of the two nations'' unity.


    The only difference between his revolver, and the one gifted to the Sultan, was that his weapon had a golden coin that contained the crest of Austria embedded within its ivory grips. Not only were these revolvers beautiful pieces of art, but they were also entirely functional firearms. The Sultan eventually walked over to his new brother-inw and thanked him for his gift.


    "My brother, this is an excellent weapon! I look forward to testing it shortly!"


    Berengarughed at this; he knew that neither Hasan nor his people would be capable of reproducing such an advanced weapon any time soon; as such, he was more than happy to gift a single revolver and a small amount of ammunition to keep his new brother-inw happy. Thus he smiled and responded to the man he could now call brother.


    "You are most wee; I too am I lover of firearms, especially ones as beautiful as yours; I''ll have you know I was so impressed with the end product that I had a matching revolver made for myself that has only a minor alteration to the coat of arms embedded in the grips."


    Hasan nodded as he heard this; it was appropriate for the two Kings to have such masterful works of art. Thus he patted Berengar on the shoulder and said in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear.


    "Have fun breaking in my sister tonight! I promise you that she is a virgin!"


    Berengar rolled his eyes at such an inappropriatement; he was already well aware of this fact as he had seen her naked many times and had even yed with the other orifices of her body. However, he did look forward to finally entering that previously forbidden cave of wonders. Thus he smiled and nodded his head while replying.


    "I look forward to it!"


    After speaking with the Sultan and his guests for some time, Berengar and Yasmin retired to their bed chambers, where they were eager to strip their clothes and consummate their marriage. After fully undressed, Yasminid on the soft mattress with her legs spread as she uttered the words.


    "Come, my husband, im what is rightfully yours!"


    Berengar gulped the saliva that had pooled up in his mouth as he witnessed the sight and hopped into action. He immediately started by stimting her moist cavern with his tongue as she did the same to him. After they were both prepared, he took the first plunge into her depths and felt a state of bliss overtake him as he did so. Taking a woman''s virginity was always an intense pleasure to a conqueror like the Austrian King.


    After fullymitting himself to his new wife, the young couple would continue to screw like rabbits for the remainder of the night. After all, Berengar wanted to imprint his mark on his woman''s womb fully and hopefully impregnate her in the process. Yasmin would find herself having difficulty walking for days toe by the time the morning came.


    ---

 Chapter 438 - Preparing For The Invasion Of Portugal

    Berengar gazed down the tangent sights of the rifle in his hands. He quickly pulled the bolt back before mming it home. If there were a round chambered in this weapon, it indeed would have been ejected with this motion.


    However, it was empty, and thus nothing had urred. As the bolt moved rearward and forward in a smooth motion, the sheet metal dust cover attached to the bolt followed it throughout its entire journey.


    After gazing upon the pristine bluing on the steel parts of the rifle which were matched with a fine walnut stock, Berengar realized that he may have gone too far with the quality of these weapons. Regardless he was well pleased with the result of his designs that had finally made their way into the frontlines of Iberia.


    This weapon was the Gewehr 22, primarily based upon the Kar98k from his previous life. Though, he had taken some creative liberties to ensure that it met his sense of aesthetics. Aside from that there were some minor functional improvements but overall it was a superiorbat rifle to what his soldiers were currently equipped with.


    This rifle was just one of many that had made their way from Austria''s factories to the Emirate of Granada. Weeks had passed since Berengar had married Princess Yasmin, and the day for the invasion of Portugal drew near. So much so that he could not enjoy a brief period of respite with his newest wife.


    As the Royal Granadan Army became more self-sufficient, the Austrian soldiers who supported them began to withdraw back to the Fathend. By now, all that remained of Austria''s forces within the region were the 1st Cavalry Brigade and the 1st Artillery Brigade. There were also those few individuals from the Jaeger Regiment who were still operating deep behind enemy lines providing Reconnaissance to the Triple Alliance.


    In the ce of the Austrians, the bulk of the Forces that would be partaking inbat operations within the Kingdom of Portugal was that of the Granadans and Byzantines. With the three nationsbined, it was an army of about 50,000 men in total. While Berengar had initially nned to leave behind arger contingent of Infantry to aid his allies, the reality was that it was simply unnecessary.


    The Kingdom of Portugal was lit aze from the conflict between the impoverished Portuguese Crown and the various deserters who had taken up arms as brigands and highwaymen to extort the people of Portugal for all their worth.


    Unfortunately for King Luiz, his treasury was emptied mainly by members of his Council who had fled to either Castile or Morroco to start a new life; even his Marshal had run away from his responsibilities in fear of an Austro-Granadan invasion.


    Thus Berengar was confident that 50,000 men with the support of Artillery and Cavalry would be more than enough to ovee the Army of crusading peasants who apanied the remainder of the Portuguese Army. After all, their ranks were heavily depleted in the fight against the Portuguese deserters.


    After carefully inspecting the weapon, Berengar shoved it into the hands of the Colonel, who was tasked with leading the 1st Cavalry Brigade. The Austrian King gave his loyal officer an order as he did so.


    "Ensure that our troops are well trained with these weapons before we march on Portugal. I want our cavalry to be able to shoot and reload while on the move!"


    The Colonel quickly saluted his King before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    With that said, Berengar smiled before dismissing the Colonel. When the officer was finally out of sight the Austrian King gazed upon the crates which contained weapons as a brilliant idea appeared in his mind.


    Since he would be fighting this war as a member of the Cavalry, it was best to practice before the violence had begun. Thus he instantly grabbled ahold of a rifle from one of the crates; after doing so, he checked some of the nearby casks, where he found one that contained several spam cans of ammunition.


    Berengar proceeded to open these spam cans and loaded the steel stripper clips with the ammunition. Once this had been achieved, He ced the clips into his leather webgear before slinging in his rifle on his back.


    Having prepared himself for the task ahead, Berengar traveled to the Royal Pce of Granada, where he entered the stables. Inside, these stables contained a Proud Iberian Stallion. One could say this blood-bay horse was a predecessor to the infamous Andalusian breed from Berengar''s past life.


    The young Austrian King quickly attached a saddle to the horse before cing his foot within the stirrup and dragging himself on top of it. This red horse was named Glory, and it was a gift given to him by Hasan during Berengar''s wedding to the Granadan Princess.


    Berengar had owned many mounts over the years since Erwin''s death at the Battle of Oberstdorf. Yet until now, he had nevere across a steed as fine as this. Glory was a warhorse that was born and bred for a single purpose: battle.


    After mounting his steed, Berengar rode towards the training grounds where his cavalry was getting acquainted with the new weapons. Five thousand men and their horses began to load their guns as they jumped over obstacles and fired at straw targets with their new bolt action rifles.


    They immediately ceased their activities when they witnessed their King in front of them. Berengar did not waste time; he quickly unslung his rifle, where he reached into his web gear and pulled out a stripper clip that contained five rounds of 7.92x57mm LG where he ced the stripper clip into the action of his rifle and loaded the weapon, after doing so he pushed the bolt forward which instantly sent the stripper clip fling off of the gun and onto the ground below.


    After doing this, he ushered Glory forward where he proceeded to aim the rifle, while charging towards his target, with the reins in one hand that was also grabbing ahold of the rifle''s forend, the Austrian King skillfully fired his shot into the target before quickly pulling the bolt back and chambering another round.


    He fired another projectile downrange as he did so, narrowly missing his next target; he continued to ride his mount intobat while firing his five shots into their targets. His soldiers gazed upon him in awe before following suit. During this time, Berengar would spend several hours instructing his soldiers on using the new weapons and how to use them as cavalry effectively.


    By the time he finished this action, he had returned to the Granadan Pce and locked Glory away in the stables; he entered the main building to see his newest wife waiting for him. She had a warm smile on her pretty face as she quickly approached him and kissed him on the lips.


    "Husband, you are finally home!"


    Berengar smiled as he received such a special greeting before resting his hands around the woman''s waist. It was a pity that the Invasion of Portugal was around the corner, or else he would surely take the woman on a honeymoon.


    Now that he thought about it, he hadn''t taken any of his wives on such an essential aspect of their marriage. He swore then and there that he would need to do so in the future when he was given the opportunity. For now, he would have to make do and entertain his wife in the bedroom.


    As such, he grabbed ahold of her without saying a word and dragged her up to the bedroom, where the couple would engage in intimate rtions for the rest of the night. After all, war was around the corner, and soon Berengar would be away from her arms. Thus he wanted to make the most of what little time he had avable to him to engage in worldly pleasures with a foreign beauty.


    ---

 Chapter 439 - Empire In The East

    On the other side of the globe, far away, lies a mighty Empire. Within its borders was the ancient city of Nanjing. While Berengar was waging war against the Catholic Kingdoms of Iberia, the Ming Dynasty saw an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity.


    However, despite this, its Emperor had recently passed away, leaving his son and heir, a ten-year-old boy named Zhu Li, as the de-facto ruler of China. This boy was currently tapping his finger repeatedly on the armrest of his chair with a disgruntled expression on his face.


    His mother, who was the Empress Dowager, was, in reality, the true power behind the throne, Zhu Li was merely a puppet for her, and he knew it. Because of this, the woman was standing away from her son, scolding one of the Admirals beneath hismand. Zhu Li secretly eavesdropped on their conversation in silence.


    "You have brought this rusted, old piece of Junk from your travels and demand to show it to the Emperor? I will not allow you to put fanciful ideas of a mysterious, and powerful barbarian Kingdom to the West in the Emperor''s head!"


    The Admiral immediately began to protest against the Empress Dowager and spoke in contrast to her harsh words.


    "This is a vital piece of military technology, far more advanced than our hand cannons. Supposedly the Kingdom it was captured from has employed these weapons in the thousands! If we do not learn to replicate this firearm, then I foresee that our Army will eventually fall behind those Western Kingdoms!"


    The Empress Dowager scoffed at thisment before reprimanding the Admiral for his seemingly preposterous insinuation.


    "You are an Admiral, not a General; it is not your job to think about the affairs of the Army! You overstep your bounds, Lin Feng!


    When Zhu Li heard these words, his brows peaked with interest; as far as he was aware, the world revolved around the Ming Dynasty. The idea that some barbarians had created a powerful Kingdom intrigued his young mind. Almost as if it were something out of a fictional tale. Thus the boy Emperor called out to his mother and Admiral with an excited tone in his voice.


    "Bring the item to me, and I will determine whether or not it is of any value!"


    Though the Empress Dowager may be the true power behind the Throne, Zhu Li was still the public face; thus his mother was forced to respect his position. As such, the Empress Dowager scowled for but a moment before she put on a motherly facade.


    The Admiral known as Lin Feng instantly walked towards the young Emperor, where he held onto a nket; inside this nket was a powerful weapon from the West that he had encountered on his travels with the great fleet of the Ming Dynasty.


    Lin Feng knelt before his Emperor and unwrapped the silk nket to reveal a battle-worn firearm. This firearm was none other than an Arkebuse used by the Byzantine Armies on the field of battle in North Africa. Zhu Li gazed upon this device with excitement as he inquired about its origin and function.


    "What is this, and where did you find it?"


    With a stoic expression on his face, Lin Feng began to spin a grand tale about how he came across such a mighty weapon from the West.


    "You see, your Majesty, As you know, I have been leading your great treasure fleet across the oceans in an attempt to spread the glory of our Empire. While far away in and known as the Timurid Empire, I came across a nobleman who was more than happy to pay tribute to you. He gave me this firearm, which he ims was employed in a great battle in thend known as Egypt.


    It had been acquired by a lowly scavenger whose name remains unknown. However, this man sold the weapon, and it eventually made its way to the Timurid Nobleman! Supposedly it was employed by a great Kingdom known as Byzantium!


    However, the nobleman who gave me this weapon assured me that it was not constructed in Byzantium but even further west in thends known as Europe. Where precisely this weapon was manufactured, the Timurid Nobleman is unsure of. Still, wherever it was built, it is said that it is a Kingdom where rivers of molten steel flow through its capital city, and technology is advanced to the level that rivals the gods!"


    The Empress Dowager immediately scoffed at this notion; this entire story was simply ludicrous. She could hardly believe the Admiral had bought into such ridiculous rumors. As for Zhu Li, his eyes were sparkling with delight as he asked for further information on the weapon.


    "So, how does this weapon work?"


    Lin Feng began to describe the weapon''s function with a smile on his face.


    "First one fills the bore of this firearm with powder, followed by a lead ball. Then after they have packed it down with the ramrod they light a match, which is attached to this hook. After doing so, they fill powder in this pan and then pull this lever here, which sends the match onto the pan, igniting the gunpowder and propelling the lead ball downrange. Supposedly it renders any form of armor utterly useless at close range."


    The young Emperor had an excited expression on his face as he envisioned this weapon in use. As such, he quickly made a decree that was much to his mother''s ire.


    "We must replicate this weapon and see if it truly lives up to the tales! Send word to the Army; I want them to study and reproduce this weapon as quickly as possible!"


    The Admiral smiled upon hearing the Emperor take his side; after doing so, he gave a smug nce over to the Empress Dowager, where he continued boasting of his victory in silence. The boy''s mother struggled to contain her nerves as she witnessed this; however, ultimately, she managed to calm her wrath beforementing on the matter to her son.


    "If that is what the Emperor wishes, then I will make sure it is done!"


    However, Zhu Li gazed upon his mother with contempt as he countered her words.


    "No, mother, you are much too busy aiding me in managing the realm, I will leave this matter to the military!"


    For but a brief second the Empress Dowager gave her son a murderous re that the boy Emperor met with one of his own. However, in the very next moment, she returned to her loving facade and nodded her head in silence.


    "Very well, if that is what you want, so be it."


    After saying this, Empress Dowager departed, leaving her son by his lonesome. As for Admiral Lin Feng, he was dismissed by Zhu Li shortly after. The boy sat upon the Dragon Throne, contemting how to retain the power bestowed upon him by the heavens. If he left his mother to her own devices, she would usurp what little authority remained in his hands.


    After a few moments of silence, the Emperor sighed and rose to his feet. After doing so, he departed from the throne room, where he proceeded down a hallway in the royal pce. Eventually, he came across a small room in the corner of the building. Zhu Li hesitated for a few moments before knocking on the door. A weak and timid voice called out from the other side; there was a hint of fright in its tone as the words resounded throughout the corridor.


    "Who is it?"


    Zhu Li gulped the saliva that had pooled up in his mouth before hardening his resolve. After doing so, he called out to the anxious voice behind the door.


    "It is Zhu Li!"


    He could hear the fear in the voice wash away as the door suddenly opened and revealed a six-year-old girl who practically looked like a porcin doll. This girl had albinism and thus had pale skin, white hair, and pink eyes. A warm smile was on her face as shetched onto the Emperor before saying the words.


    "Big Brother is back!"


    The boy-emperor patted his little sister on the head and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. After entering, he sat down, while the young girl prepared him some tea. After doing so, she sat down across from her brother with a happy smile on her face. It had been some time since her precious big brother hade to visit her, and thus she was filled with joy at the moment, that is until he asked the question on his mind.


    "How has mother been treating you, Jia Li?"


    The moment the girl named Jia Li had heard this, her expression sank, and her nce shifted away from her brother''s eyes. That action alone was enough to give the boy Emperor an answer. His fists curled with rage as he understood what had transpired in his absence. The poor girl had suffered their mother''s abuse and neglect for too long. Upon seeing her brother was angry, the small girl known as Jia Li grasped ahold of his hand with her own two dainty paws and gazed upon him with a bittersweet smile.


    "I''m okay..."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Li could no longer contain the tears in his eyes and immediatelytched onto his little sister before making her a solemn vow.


    "When I am older and have taken back the power of the Throne, I promise I will make that woman pay for what she had done to you!"


    The young girl had a bitter smile on her doll-like face as she held onto her brother,forting him. It would be well over an hour before the boy Emperor emerged from his sister''s room. When he did so there was a hint of newfound purpose in his eyes. He had concluded that If he wished to end his mother''s tyranny, he would need the backing of the Army; luckily for him, a new and powerful invention had just entered his hands.


    Unknowingly by virtue of providing weapons to his allies, Berengar''s influence had begun to spread to the far east. It would be some time before Berengar''s future Empire encountered the Ming Dynasty. When it finally did, there would be monumental changes to the timeline that was partially a result of his interference in this world.


    ---

 Chapter 440 - The Horseman Of War

    The day had finallye, Berengar sat on the ck leather saddle of his horse whose name was Glory. In his hand was a hemp cigarette which he smoked to calm his anxiety. Trailing behind him was an army of 50,000 men who had just breached the Portuguese Border without incident.


    The young Austrian King was dressed unusually. He did not choose his everyday field uniform as he led his Cavalry. Instead, he wore the uniform of the Austrian Hussars, which was based upon the uniforms issued to German Hussars during the Great War of his past life.


    Atop his head was a fur hat, which in its center there was a bold Totenkopf emzoned upon it. This hat was inspired by the legendary "Death''s Head Hussars" of his past life and was the standard uniform of all Hussars within his Army''s Ranks.


    As for the weapons they were equipped with, a G22 Rifle slung around their backs and a Cavalry Saber strapped to their waists. Berengar was supplied simrly, fully prepared to engage inbat with the enemy wherever they might appear.


    The majority of the Army wasprised of Granadan and Byzantine Infantry. As for the Austrian soldiers, all that remained within the Iberian Penins were two brigades, one of Cavalry and another of Artillery. Other units that still existed in the field were specialized soldiers embedded deep behind enemy lines, urately assessing the enemy forces and their positions.


    As Glory strode forth, showing off its beautiful red coat, the Strategos Padius Angelus rode next to the Austrian King. As he gazed upon the eager expression on Berengar''s face and that of the Austrian Cavalry, which disyed their inherent bloodlust, he began to quote scripture.


    "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."


    Berengar reflected on this for a brief moment before chuckling; as he did so, he began to make a jest towards the aging General from the East.


    "Are you implying that I am The Horseman of War?"


    Padius gazed upon the scene of the mighty Army that had gathered for a single purpose, to destroy the Kingdom of Portugal, and nodded his head with a stoic expression before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "If the shoe fits..."


    This response immediately caused Berengar tough as he looked back upon his Army. He raised his sword in the air and encouraged his Cavalry with a sarcasticmand.


    "You hear that, boys? I am the Horseman of War! So, ensure that no flesh is spared!"


    The Cavalrymen among Berengar''s ranks began to break out into theughter as they heard this jest. If their King was the Horsemen of War, that meant they were an army of the damned. As for the Granadan and Byzantine troops, they had a less enthusiastic response to Berengar''s sense of humor.


    After all, unlike the Austrian soldiers, these men were very superstitious and steadfast in their religious beliefs. Thus they sat in silence as they prayed to their respective deities for forgiveness. With a foreboding aura, the Army of the Tripple Alliance Marched into the Kingdom of Portugal without incident.


    It did not take long for conflict to begin; Berengar''s Army had advanced so rapidly that they had wholly caught the brigand warbands who upied the Southern Portuguese viges off guard. The moment they gazed upon the massive Army on the horizon, the deserters and criminals began to flee for their lives.


    However, Berengar refused to allow the men to retreat. As such, he unslung his rifle and flipped off the safety as he aimed down his sights at a man roughly three hundred yards out. He silently squeezed the trigger, and the thunder of his rifle went downrange and through the back of the fleeing criminal.


    Blood sttered onto thend, and the projectile pierced through the hostile target''s armor as if it were butter before embedding itself in the bloody mud below. With this action, Berengar gave his order to the Austrian Cavalry.


    "Kill them all! Leave no brigand alive!"


    With thismand, the 5,000 Austrian Cavalrymen charged forth with their weapons in hand, rapidly firing and reloading their new weapons on the move, gunning down the few hundred brigands without any form of mercy.


    In the end, the deserters of the Portuguese Army who had formed a small Warband and upied thisnd were gunned down without mercy. As Berengar rode into the vige and gazed upon their corpses, he spat upon the corpse of one of the in men beforementing on the matter.


    "Not even worth their weight in piss..."


    Padius gazed upon Berengar as he heard this with a weary expression. The Infantry had not even fired a shot, yet the Cavalry had so quickly in the Warband that upied this vige. As he could see, the vigers had been mistreated during the upation of the brigands.


    Those who weren''t outright in or raped huddled in fear of what the Austrian''s might do to them. Upon seeing this, the Strategos of the Balkans quickly asked what Berengar intended to do with them.


    "What will happen to the vigers?"


    Berengar nced over at the aging General from the East and responded with a stoic expression.


    "Leave them be, they pose no threat, and there are no longer any hostiles within the vige. There is no purpose for a senseless ughter of innocents."


    For all his bluster, the Austrian King abided by his own rules of war. Thus under hismand, the Austrian soldiers treated the vigers they came across rather cordially, offering medical assistance and spare supplies to the people who suffered under the copse of their Kingdom.


    After treating the civilians, the Army continued on their journey. Along the way, they came across many viges in simr situations; under Berengar''s orders, the brigands and deserters who upied these viges were ughtered without the slightest hint of mercy. As for the vigers, if they did not resist the invasion, they were spared and treated well.


    Eventually, the Army of the Triple Alliance finally came across a sizeable force located within the walls of the City of Faro. Despite the bankruptcy of the crown, mayors of local towns managed to maintain some degree of wealth and control over their City and their Garrisons.


    Upon seeing the Austrian Army enter its borders, the Garrison of the City was immediately on alert as they began to load their trebuchets for war. However, against the superior firepower and range of the Austrian Artillery, such weapons were useless.


    Berengar had a wide grin on his face as he gazed through his binocrs and witnessed the sight of the enemy preparing forbat. If they had outright surrendered, he would have been disappointed.


    However, by loading their trebuchets, the enemy dered their intent to resist; as such, the Austrian King ordered the 1st Artillery Brigade to set up their guns and bombard the city''s walls. The soldiers of the triple alliance waited on standby as the 7.5cm FK 22 cannons were set up into position and loaded.


    After a few moments, the first barrage of cannons went off; as their roars filled the sky, the shells rained down upon the Medieval walls. In a st of hellish fire, the once-mighty stone walls immediately crumbled upon the impact of the High-Explosive shells utilized by the Austrian Army.


    Though Padius had heard rumors of how effective the new Austrian cannons were, he had never witnessed their destructive power until now. He gazed in awe as he saw the city''s wallse crumbling down from a single barrage.


    He immediately dreaded the possibility of War with Austria and thanked God that the Princess had married this cruel and brutal man. For under the fire of such overwhelming force, even the mighty Theodosian Walls, which had stood the test of time, would fall apart as if they were made of mud.


    However, the Artillery did not stop with a single barrage; they instantly loaded the second barrage and fired another seventy shells into the city with aplete and total disregard for life and property.


    Berengar had devised his own rules of war; among these rules was the stiption that his soldiers were not allowed to massacre unarmed civilians. However, thisw was limited; For example, coteral damage was wholly disregarded.


    In Berengar''s mind, the primary objective of war should be to wage it in the most efficient manner possible, ensure the quickest victory, and maintain minimal casualties among his troops. Thus, shelling an enemy position was considered valid andwful even if civilians were harmed in the process.


    Destroying an enemy-upied city, which would otherwise result in intensive urban warfare and massive casualties among his troops, was also considered valid regardless of how many civilians lived there.


    After all, he had witnessed the inefficiency of the American Military in the Middle East as they risked their soldiers'' lives in an attempt to limit civilian casualties of the enemy state. In his past life, thousands of American men had died when a carpet bombing of a hostile-upied city could have easily handled the situation.


    Thus the shelling contained, as hundreds of shells wereunched upon the city, devastating its Garrison and civilian poption. After roughly 1,000 shells were fired on the City, Berengar held up his hand, signaling the Artillery to cease their operations. After doing so, he gave themand that would ultimately seal the fate of the City of Faro.


    "Take the City and show no mercy! You have my permission to kill any man, woman, or child who shows even the slightest sign of armed resistance to our conquest!"


    With this order given, 50,000 men charged towards the crumbled walls of the city; their goal was simple, to put down any form of resistance that remained. However, after such a hellish barrage, not a single soul that survived was willing to resist any further.


    The remaining garrison members immediately threw down their weapons and submitted to their conquerors. Thousands of people lie dead without the garrison even firing a shot. There was no purpose in remaining defiant when faced with such overwhelming firepower.


    Thus Berengar and his Army had captured the first major city of Portugal. As for the rest of the Kingdom, it would slowly but surely be invaded by the Army of the Triple Alliance in the days toe.


    The devastation that followed in the wake of Berengar''s advance throughout Portugal and the reports of the Austrian King riding on the back of a red horse would forever depict King Berengar von Kufstein as the personification of war among the Christian world.


    ---

 Chapter 441 - French Ambitions

    While Berengar had begun his Conquest of the Kingdom of Portugal in the name of the Emirate of Granada, another war was waging throughout Europe, and that was in the heart of France. Due to Austrian interference, the factions that opposed the French Crown were equipped with a fair amount of firearms, thus turning the tides of war.


    Under the guise of representatives from the now-defunct Iberian Union, the duchy of Aquitaine, and the Duchy of Burgundy, who was both in open rebellion against King Gilles de Valois, were well equipped to deal with the ongoing war effort.


    Despite the copse of the Iberian Union, Berengar''s agents still managed to supply the enemies of France by iming to be representatives of Aragon. Thus the arms trade between Austria and the rebellious French Duchies remained uninterrupted.


    Despite the use of firearms by the enemies of France, the King had remained steadfast in his unwillingness to make use of the weapons provided to him by the Austrian Crown as a gift. For if he did so, he knew that the English King would undoubtedly make use of the scandal to cement his im to the French Kingdom further.


    Thus the Kingdom of France found itself in a rock and a hard ce as they continued to wage war against their enemies, both internal and external. Few allies had backed the French Crown, and now they found themselves further isted as themon people had begun to riot at the instigation of undercover Austrian Agents.


    While this was ongoing, Prince Aubry was sitting within his chambers. At the moment, he was applying Austrian cosmetics such as lipstick to his feminine face. The Prince of France was dressed in a luxurious baby blue ball gown in the new style that had bemon in the Kingdom of Austria.


    Aubry had paid a substantial sum to acquire the dresses that pertained to the Austrian sense of Fashion. While he was applying his makeup, the Prince heard a knock on the door, which he quickly answered to with a lighthearted tone.


    "It is open!"


    Upon saying this, the Prince heard the door creak open, which revealed the appearance of his sister Sibi. Though beautiful in her own right, she had always felt envious of her brother''s cutesy and extraordinarily feminine appearance.


    In a way, she was responsible for the way he had turned out, and after gazing upon Aubry''s current appearance, a frown spread across her lips. However, rather than find conflict with her brother, she quickly began to address her reason for visiting.


    "Portugal will fall to Austria and its allies within the next three months. Castile and Aragon are on the verge of being united and supplying our enemies. Father does not want to admit it, but if we wish to win this war, then we will need the support of Austria."


    Aubry did not gaze upon his sister. Instead, he focused on applying blush to his cheeks; as he used his makeup, he spoke in a disinterested voice towards his sister''s ims.


    "What does that have to do with me?"


    A cruel smile etched itself upon Sibi''s face as she approached her brother and tilted his head towards her face so she could look him in the eyes. After doing so, she kissed her brother on the lips before whispering something in his ear.


    "I need you to personally visit the Austrian King when he returns from his little war. I don''t trust anyone but my precious little brother to properly seduce the man and convince him to support our family''s interests."


    Aubry smiled upon hearing this message and nodded his head thrice; after doing so, he went back to applying his makeup before addressing his sister''s request.


    "That is fine by me; I''ve been meaning to meet this King Berengar. From what I hear, he is quite the capable ruler. If he is half as handsome as people say he is, then I am sure he will make a better lover than that limp dick bastard who turned against father."


    The Prince was referring to his previous lover, the Duke of Burgundy. Sibi knew this and immediately rolled her eyes beforementing further.


    "I assume you will be able toplete the task?"


    Aubry licked his lips with an excited expression as he turned around and faced his sister with a smile.


    "I have always wondered what a German man tastes like!"


    A look of disgust appeared on Princess Sibi''s face as she heard this; just how perverse was her little brother? However, it was quickly reced with a sadistic grin as the young woman cupped her brother''s face with her hands before whispering something else in his dainty ears.


    "If you seed in this task, I will reward you handsomely!"


    A twinkle appeared in the eyes of the feminine Prince as he nodded his head once more,mitting to the cause.


    "You can rest assured, sis; I will make sure that King Berengar supplies our forces with the weapons they need, even if I have to give him my body in return!"


    After hearing this, Sibi smiled once more before departing for the door; she left a single phrase behind as she left her brother alone to finish his makeup.


    "I am counting on it..."


    After saying this, the Princess of France disappeared from her little brother''s quarters, where the Prince got up from his seat and twirled around in his frilly dress while gazing upon his appearance in the mirror. A feminine smile spread itself across his luscious pinkps as he winked and blew a kiss towards his reflection; as he did so, he made a solemn vow.


    "Berengar von Kufstein, you will be mine!"


    ---


    While encamped in the Portuguese wilderness, Berengar felt a shiver down his spine before sneezing. He immediately wiped his nose beforementing on the situation.


    "I better not be getting sick!"


    He was far too busy of a man to be hampered by illness and thus he had resolved to take the necessary precautions to prevent such a fate. He had no way of knowing that the French Prince was at this moment conspiring to seduce him so that he would aid the de Valois dynasty. Instead he shifted his attention back to the mapid bare across his table.


    A group of wooden figures represented the enemy forces. ording to his recon units, the next city on their list of targets held abined power of 20,000 soldiers within its vicinity. Most of these men were peasants from foreign countries. However, it was not something he felt the need to be concerned about.


    His army was significantlyrger and contained more than enough firepower to annihte the enemy before they could cause any harm. Luckily for Bernegar and his army, King Luiz was forced to split the peasant crusaders into smaller armies to wrestle control over the major cities from the brigands and disloyal mayors.


    At the current rate, this war would be over in a matter of months; then, he could finally return home to his family. Berengar shivered to think about how he would reject Henrietta''s advances or how he would introduce his newest bride to his family. However, the fact remained that he was the man of the house and the King of Austria. Since he had decided to take a fourth bride, he would have toy down thew to his family.


    Berengar had no idea that the young Prince of France had set his eyes upon him. For if he did, he would likely take the first ship he could get ahold of and sail to the New World, never to return. Of course, he remained entirely unaware of Prince Aubry''s machinations or that of his sister Princess Sibi.


    Thus the Austrian King had a broad smile on his face as he thought about returning home after so long. Though Granada was a beautiful ce, he vastly preferred the cold mountain air of his Capital embedded deep within the Austrian Alps. He began to wonder whether or not his wives had given birth yet.


    There were so many things that were bound to have transpired while he was away; he looked forward to seeing how advanced Austria had be in his absence and how far its railways had stretched. These were the thoughts on the young monarch''s mind as he sat within his encampment, resting for the night.


    By the dawn of the next day, he and his army would be on the march once more, for this war was far from over. By now, he had gained a fierce reputation for the devastation he had left in his wake. Everywhere the Army of the Triple Alliance went, death and despair remained behind.


    They had ughtered Brigands, deserters, crusaders, and the Portuguese Army on their journey, and there was far more blood to be shed in this conflict. However, Berengar thought nothing of it, whether his mind was conscious was numb after years of war, or he had grown into a sociopath; when confronted with such thoughts, he remained stoic and instead lit a hemp cigarette.


    After taking a short break from his task, he snuffed out the oilmp within his tent and climbed into bed. Tomorrow more blood would be shed in the pursuit of Conquest. He would rest easy on this night and set off first thing in the morning.


    ---

 Chapter 442 - Sacking Of Lisbon

    The sound of gunfire echoed in the air as the defenders of the City of Lisbon desperately held on to thest man. Despite the overwhelming numbers and power of the enemy they fought, they continued to defend their city against the invaders bravely. It had been weeks since the Triple Alliance first set forth into the Kingdom of Portugal, and now they had finally breached the Capital.


    Berengar sat upon horseback as he strode forth through the ruined city walls, leading the Cavalry charge with a rifle in hand. He rapidly pulled back the bolt of his rifle before chambering the next round and squeezing the trigger, sending the projectile downrange and into the torso of the target.


    The power of the 8mm round sted the soldier''s breastte apart and dug its way through his innards, sttering what remained of his internal organs across the stone walls of the city. While the Austrian cavalry gunned down any man foolish enough toe close, they were nked by the Granadan and Byzantine Infantry, who fired their muskets into the fray and shed against the enemy with their bays.


    Despite a hellish artillery barrage that had brought their city to ruin, the surviving defenders of Lisbon refused to surrender their arms. Instead, they fought with every intent to save their dying Kingdom. These men had not been paid in months and were underequipped. Yet, they mustered their courage with fierce determination and battled against the invaders.


    However, against overwhelming numbers and firepower, there was only so much that they could do. Thus, the battle began to shift in favor of the Triple Alliance the longer it went on. Berengar continued to fire his weapon towards the enemy lines; each shot fired managed to find its way into the target''s body, reaping their life in the process.


    After firing the fifth round of his bolt action rifle, he quickly retrieved a full stripper clip from his web gear, where he proceeded to load his weapon; after ensuring all five rounds entered the built-in magazine, He mmed the bolt home before raising his gun and firing at more targets.


    While the muskets utilized by his allies battered the makeshift defenses of the hostile garrison, the true prative power came from the 5,000 Cavalrymen armed with the superior bolt action rifles. The men who were willing to waste their lives in a foolish attempt to resist the invasion of their city were cut down like wheat to the scythe.


    As the blockade that was set up to prevent the advance of the Tripple Alliance came crumbling down, Berengar forced his horse, whose name was Glory forward, to hop over the piles of dead bodies and further advance into the city. The cavalrymen by his side rode forth into the narrow paths of the town as they gunned down any man who still bore arms.


    The Granadan and Byzantine soldiers followed behind, opening fire on any soldier still standing in their path. Eventually, the massive horde made their way to the City''s Castle, where they intended to drag the Portuguese King out from his hiding ce and force him to surrender his Kingdom to Granada.


    However, when Berengar and his men arrived at the City''s Castle, they found itpletely unupied. The gates were wide open as if they were weing the soldiers of the Triple Alliance to the seat of Portuguese power. Berengar was cautious of this scene and immediately ordered a unit of Infantry to go in and clear the building.


    "Go forth and clear the building; I want King Luiz dragged before me within the hour!"


    Upon hearing the orders of the Allied Commander, the Granadan and Byzantine troops saluted the young Austrian King before entering the Castle. As they did so, Berengar sat back with Padius, whomented on the odd situation.


    "I think that Portugal''s King has long since fled the city and abandoned his people. He is probably marching north as we speak to the city of Porto..."


    Berengar gazed upon the open Castle with a disgruntled expression; since the soldiers had entered the building, no single sound of conflict had urred. What Padius said was starting to appear to be the reality he faced.


    Before long, the Soldiers who went into the interior of therge fortified structure came out with nervous expressions. There was not a single living soul within the Castle. Nor was there any sign of the Royal Family''s bodies. It was as Padius had said; they had long since fled the city. After hearing this report, Berengar stomped his foot in fury and cursed in his native tongue.


    "Fuck! This bastard is determined to make this warsts as long as possible, isn''t he?"


    After venting his frustrations, Berengar gave his decree on how to handle the city.


    "The Royal Family is gone; they have left behind the city for us to plunder! I say we take advantage of it, loot everything of value, we will chase after Portugal''s cowardly King once we have had our fill!"


    After giving this order, the Granadan and Byzantine army began to tear the city apart, looking for every piece of silver or gold that they could find. Anything of any value was stripped from the city and sent to Granada.


    As for Berengar, he sat back with his cavalry as he watched the looting ur. Those civilians who had survived the invasion were left cowering on the side as the foreign soldiers tore their city apart. They began to curse their King beneath their breath, as they realized now that they had been abandoned to their fate.


    Berengar began to smoke a hemp cigarette as he sat on his horseback next to the Strategos of the Balkans, who began toment on the ongoing looting.


    "Are you sure this is wise? Granda will be conquering thesends; will this not foster resentment from the people to their new overlords?"


    A plume of smoke came out of the young Monarch''s mouth as he addressed his allies'' concerns.


    "Undoubtedly, however, Granada needs the wealth; this war effort had not been easy on their coffers. Regardless of how we handle the civilians, there will be an inherent resentment towards a foreign power that now rules over them. A long as it is managed to a tolerable degree, there is nothing to worry about.


    If these fools want to cause trouble in the future, they only need to look back upon this day and see what happens when they resist the authority of Granada and its allies."


    Padius sighed as he heard this response before asking the following question on his mind.


    "Can I have one of those?"


    He was referring to the Hemp cigarettes when he asked this question. Thus Berengar nodded his head before dragging another one of the smokes out from his container and handing it over to the Byzantine General, where he then helped him light the cigarette.


    The two men smoked in silence for the remainder of the looting. The city of Lisbon would never forget the humiliation they had suffered this day. However, Berengar did not care; such a troublesome poption was not his to manage. Instead, he gazed off into the distance towards the city of Porto, where he swore in his mind that he would get ahold of the Portuguese King and make him surrender before this war was over.


    The soldiers of the Triple alliance dwelled within the city they had plundered during the night. The following morning they would embark on a chase to see if they could capture the enemy King who fled his Capital for the next best city.


    However, tonight the soldiers drank and feasted as they celebrated this victory. For they had no idea what they would encounter the next day, and it was best to enjoy your life when you could. Berengar retired to the city''s Castle, where he slept in the royal bed-chamber of the Portuguese King.


    As hey on the silk sheets, he thought about what he would do when this war was over. Although he immensely enjoyed fighting on the battlefield, his technology was advancing rapidly; soon, there would be no need for him to visit the frontlines personally. Would he be an armchair general, sitting in the war room in Kufstein while his forces battled foreign Empires across the globe?


    Or would he continue to lead his soldiers through every battle until he could no longer do so? These were the questions that haunted his mind as he drifted into a sweet slumber. He was sure of but one thing, he deeply regretted not taking a Portuguese woman to his bed because the night was cold, and he was truly alone in this vast Castle that belonged to a foreign monarch.


    ---

 Chapter 443 - Tied Up Like A Common Hog

    Having sacked the capital city of the Kingdom of Portugal, Berengar had begun to lead the chase in the direction of the City of Porto, where he believed the hostile King had fled to. His ultimate goal was to end this war quickly. Thus, he nned to capture the King of Portugal and force his surrender.


    Unfortunately, afterying siege to the City of Lisbon, the cowardly King was nowhere to be found. He had fled the City he was tasked with defending and left its people to their fate. Thus, Berengar now not only wanted to force the man to surrender, but he also desired to punish him for his dishonorable actions.


    After all, if there was one thing that Berengar hated, it was a coward. A King who would leave his soldiers to be ughtered so that he could buy some time for his escape was no king at all, at least not in the eyes of the Reichsmarschall of Austria.


    At the moment, Berengar rode upon his red horse, whose name was Glory, as he trod forth, with his army of roughly 50,000 men behind him. It had been days since they had conquered Lisbon, and though a small force was tasked to stay behind and manage the conquered region, most of the troops belonging to the Triple Alliance were now in the field.


    Scouts had advanced, searching for any sign of the King of Portugal and his host. Finally, after days of searching, they had been spotted. One of the scouts among Berengar''s forces returned to the main army with an excited expression on his face.


    The moment Berengar saw this, he smiled cruelly; atst, he would be made aware of the enemy''s whereabouts. The Scout eagerly approached his King before reporting the intelligence he hade to receive.


    "Your Majesty, we have spotted a caravan heading towards the border of Castile that we believe to belong to King Felipe and his family. It appears he has decided topletely abandon Portugal to our conquest and intends to hide among the Castilians with who we have a treaty. "


    The moment Berengar heard these words, he spat upon the ground in utter contempt. He could not believe that such a coward ruled over a once-mighty Kingdom like Portugal. If Berengar wanted to intercept the man, he was left with one option. He quickly questioned the soldier about the distance between his army and the party of the Portuguese King.


    "How many days ride are we from his location?"


    The Scout immediately pointed in the direction where he spotted the target and gave the avable information.


    "About three days ride towards the East from here. If you hurry, you can catch him before he reaches the border!"


    With this said, Berengar snapped the reins of his horse and rode back to Padius, where he gave him the orders he had devised within his mind.


    "We have received word that King Luiz and his host rides for Castile; I will lead the Cavalry to the East where we will intercept him. You are to lead the majority of the army towards Porto. I want the City under siege by the time I return with the Portuguese King. Let us finally end this war!"


    After saying this, Berengar did not wait for a response; his orders were absolute. Instead, he rode off and sounded the bugle where the 5,000 Cavalrymen followed in pursuit. They would ride for the next three days, with intermittent breaks before finding their target.


    ---


    King Luiz was exhausted as he neared the Castilian border. He had given up his dignity as a monarch and fled the City of Lisbon when he heard reports of the Army of the Triple Alliance rapidly advancing through his southern borders.


    Despite his best efforts to control the chaos in his territory, it had rapidly spiraled out of his control. With Brigands dering themselves lords of their territories, and ack of currency to stabilize his copsing economy, he hadpletely and utterly failed to defend his territory.


    Reflecting upon this, Luiz cursed the ministers who raided his treasury and fled for foreign countries. If not for them, he may have been able to mount a proper defense against the invaders from the South. However, he had no idea that Lisbon had so rapidly fallen, nor that the Austrian Cavalry quickly was approaching his location.


    Instead, he gazed upon his wife and children with a bitter smile. He had managed to scrounge up thest of his wealth so that he could live a decent life in Castile as a monarch in exile. After all, the Aragonese Crown was close to unifying the two Iberian Kingdoms; surely his former ally would wee him with open arms?


    However, just when he was about to enter his new life in the neighboring Kingdom, Luiz witnessed a group of horsemen gathering on the hill above them. The more time passed, the more men arrived until he gazed in horror as he noticed thousands of Cavalrymen flying the banners of Austria, charging towards him at full speed.


    "Dear God in heaven..."


    The man''s words were cut short as the thunder of a rifle echoed in the air, and a projectile whizzed past his face. This action had frightened the King to such a degree that he immediately rushed his mount to gallop forward at full speed, leaving his own family behind to be captured or killed by the invading force.


    The Queen of Portugal and her young children gazed in shock as their King abandoned them for the brief glimmer of hope that he could safely make it past the Castilian borders. Thousands of horses rushed past them in the next moment, with a few hundred staying behind to secure their persons.


    Berengar was at the head of the Cavalry as his mighty steed rapidly caught up to the King''s mule. He had purchased a pack mule as his mount and fled under obscurity to save expenses and hide his identity. However, when faced with a proud Iberian Warhorse, the mule could notpete with its pursuit.


    Berengar pulled out a weapon he had designed in a camp precisely to capture the Portuguese King. In his hand were bs made from ordinary rope and stones; the mighty Austrian King twirled the weapon in his hands before casting them off towards his Portuguese rival.


    With a skillful toss, the bs flew through the air and wrapped around the man''s upper body, forcing him to fall from his saddle and onto the ground below, where he struggled to get out from the device. Berengar wasted no time and immediately dismounted from his horse, where he approached the Portuguese King on the ground and began to fasten ropes around his limbs as if he were tying up amon hog.


    The Portuguese King began to curse at his captor in his native tongue, which was met with a firm kick to the teeth. The once-proud King grunted in pain as a mr was dislodged from his jaw before falling into a slight pool of blood on the sand below.


    As he gazed upon the mand that stood in front of him, the fury immediately faded from his eyes as he saw the vicious smile upon his captor''s face. As if Berengar was the devil ying with his prey, the young Austrian King picked up the restrained Portuguese Monarch and tossed him onto his shoulder before dragging him over to his horse and cing him on its back.


    Despite the wound he had suffered, the Portuguese King refused to remain silent; as such, Berengar reached onto his belt and grabbed a handkerchief where he wrapped it around the man''s mouth as a makeshift gag, silencing himpletely.


    As he was fastening the Portuguese King to his horse, the Colonel in charge of the Cavalry Brigade approached him on horseback and witnessed the sight. Upon seeing the wicked grin on his Monarch''s face as he subdued a rival King, the Colonel felt a chill down his spine. Despite this instinct, he managed to find his voice as he began to speak to Berengar.


    "Reichsmarschall! What should we do with the members of King Luiz''s host?"


    Berengar shifted his nce over to the King''s family, who was both frightened due to their circumstances and outraged at their fallen King''s behavior. Upon witnessing their conflicted expressions, the Austrian Kingughed before making his decision.


    "Bring them with us to Porto. I want the Portuguese People to see what has be of their cowardly King and his family!"


    After saying this, Berengar jumped onto Glory''s saddle, where he began to take off in the direction of his main army. By now, they should be approaching the City of Porto, which was thest bastion controlled by the forces loyal to the Portuguese Crown.


    As the Austrian Cavalry strode forth into the fading sun, Berengar sang the words to the song "I wanna be in the Cavalry" with a vicious grin on his face and a prisoner tied to the back of his horse. He was departing to the next battlefield that was sure to be the end of this long conflict.


    ---

 Chapter 444 - Portugal Surrenders

    The sun rose in the east, and with it, the shelling of the city of Porto had continued under themand of Strategos Padius. The Austrian Artillery brigade had been unleashing its firepower on the unsuspecting town throughout the entire night.


    While Berengar was off on a quest to capture the Portuguese King who had begun to flee to the neighboring Kingdom of Castile, the main Army had been in the process of journeying to the city of Porto toy siege to it.


    Several days had passed, and Padius had made sure not to shell it until the night prior, despite surrounding the city. He wanted to give Berengar some time toplete his objective before turning the city into a ruin. The destructive power of the cannons in use by Berengar''s forces was something the aging Byzantine General swore he would never be ustomed to.


    After an entire night ofunching countless shells upon the city, it appeared as if it had been carpet-bombed from the sky above. There was not a single building in the town that waspletely intact. Padius had begun to doubt whether or not anyone was still alive.


    Unlike the bombardment that the Austrian Army had put on the city of Florence, the field guns used in this 8-hour shelling were far more advanced and capable of firing 10x the amount of shells in a minute than the previous 1417 12 lb Field Guns were capable of.


    Thus while only a few hours had passed since the bombardment had begun, thousands of shells had beenunched from the 70 guns onto the city of Porto. As the sun rose further in the air, the sight of thousands of horses and the men who ride them could be seen in the distance.


    Strategos Padius gazed upon the approaching horsemen with a wide grin on his face. The men were flying the Austrian banners, and thus it was pretty obvious the King had returned. Thus he waved his hand, ceasing the bombardment and forcing it to aplete and total halt. Just as he was preparing to rush the survivors, the Cavalry had arrived.


    Berengar rode proudly into the established siege camp with the Portuguese King tied to the back of his horse. The man was in rough shape; throughout the journey to Porto, he had received several beatings from the Austrian Monarch.


    Among the ranks of the Austrian Cavalry were the other members of Luiz host who had been dragged with them to thest bastion of Portuguese Sovereignty. Everywhere else within this once proud Kingdom was now either upied by the Triple Alliance or any number of local warlords and despots.


    Though Berengar suspected he would be able to officially end the war with his actions on this day, he knew that subjugating the various despots that upied 75% of the Kingdom would be a task that Granada would have to undertake for years toe.


    However, on the bright side, such a thing would allow Berengar to send his newest recruits into a proxy war to get the actual battlefield experience they would need to dominate this world in their future conquests. Thus he was pretty pleased with the result.


    After dismounting from his steed, Berengar dragged Luiz from the back of his saddle and handed him over to the Granadan soldiers; the once-proud Portuguese King was now a prisoner of the Emirate of Granada. After doing so, he approached Padius and saluted the man before asking for a status report.


    "What''s the situation? Has the city surrendered yet? Or are they still resisting?"


    The answer to this was quite obvious, judging by how the Army of roughly 50,000 men surrounded the dpidated city and were not inside it. Upon hearing this Padius sighed before updating the Austrian King on what he had been doing in this time.


    "Your Majesty, the city has been shelled for the past 8 hours; I don''t even know if there is anyone left alive within its gates!"


    Berengar scoffed at thisment before grabbing hold of one of Luiz''s family members. He wrote a letter and handed it to the captive as he did so.


    "Take this to the city, and if there is anyone capable of receiving this document, then give it to them. If you do not, I will kill your mother and your siblings!"


    The small child gazed in fear at the foreign King who had issued such a bold threat. However, he managed to find his resolve and nodded before running off towards the ruined city. When Padius saw this, he asked Berengar the question on his mind.


    "What was in the letter?"


    A wicked grin appeared on the young monarch''s face as he grasped upon the veteran Strategos'' shoulder and educated him on what he had just done.


    "Not much; I merely informed them of their King''s cowardly actions and implored them to surrender. I also may have made a threat in regards to what I would do if they continued to resist. Something along the lines of destroying the rest of the city, and everyone in it."


    Padius gazed upon Berengar with a cautious expression before voicing his thoughts allowed.


    "You are ruthless; you know that, don''t you?"


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before stating his opinion on the matter.


    "I want to go home to my family, and I have grown weary of this conflict. I have spent far too much time bailing my allies out of their mess. The sooner I can wash my hands of this dumpster fire, the better."


    Padius sighed as he nodded his head in response; he understood Berengar''s reasoning for his brutality, even if he disagreed with it. After a while, a man emerged from the ruined city gates with a white g in his hands and several hundred soldiers by his side. The men tossed their arms away before approaching the camp of the Triple Alliance. The man who held the white g began to introduce himself when he finally stood across from themanders of the Army that had so ruthlessly bombarded his city.


    "I am Duarte Batista, mayor of this city. Under the terms you have presented, I surrender unto you King Berengar of Austria, as well as your Allies. I only make one small request, that you spare what remains of my city! As for this cowardly fool who calls himself our King, do what you desire with him; it is of no concern to me!"


    Berengar smiled in response to this before nodding his head in approval; as he did so, he dered his intentions.


    "Very well, I ept your surrender; I hereby dere that the Emirate of Granada has annexed the Kingdom of Portugal, you and your people shall forever serve Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl and the members of his house as loyal servants. As for the reconstruction of your city, Granada will make sure that it is fully rebuilt to its former glory, as a proud Jewel of its future Empire!"


    The mayor bowed his head towards his conquerors before being dismissed. As for Berengar, he began to stretch his back and exhale deeply. It was as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his heart. While he was rxing for the first time in a while, Padius raised the question on his mind.


    "What now?"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar continued to stretch his weary limbs, all while announcing his ns for the future of Granada.


    "Now we return to the Capital, for insurance purposes, we will leave behind a small army of Granadan Soldiers. Once we have returned to the city of Granada, I will discuss in further detail how we will handle the current situation in regards to the upation of Portugal. If your Emperor so desires, then you can dismiss your forces and return home.


    I, however, will leave behind a rotation of soldiers deployed to the region to ensure the continued training of Granadan troops, as well as support them in their efforts to assert their authority over their newly conquered province."


    Having said this, Berengar did not wait for a response. Instead, he began to walk away towards a tent. He made onest demand of his ally to the East as he did so.


    "If you need me, I will be getting some much-needed sleep. I trust that you and your forces can take down the camp without my interference."


    After saying this, Berengar forced his way into someone else''s tent, where he rested upon the cot within. Leaving Padius to stare at him with disbelief, he did not know why but he had a certain feeling that the Kingdom of Austria would forever have its ws embedded within the Emirate of Granada.


    The veteran Strategos of the Balkans immediately became wary of any future dealings with the young Austrian Monarch in fear that the man would turn the Byzantine Empire into a subordinate state. While reflecting upon this, Padius left ament behind as he ordered his troops to tear down the camp.


    "I underestimated you Berengar von Kufstein, I will not do so again..."


    ---

 Chapter 445 - Hungover Politics

    The sun rose in Granada, the young King of Austriay sprawled out on his bed naked next to his newest bride. On his nightstand was a golden chalice with the slightest residue of fortified wine dried and sticking to its gilded center.


    After returning to Granada, with the former King of Portugal in tow, Berengar had celebrated the night with the many soldiers who had taken part in thebat operations. He spent the remainder of the night making love to his wife.


    However, now he groaned as he slowly reached consciousness, his head was pounding, and he felt as if he were neither living nor dead. His deep sapphire eyes stared at the ceiling, though he could only see its well-carved surface with his left. As he struggled to regain control over his thoughts, a single phrase escaped his lips.


    "Fuck my life."


    Having said this, a series of memories from his past life flooded his brain, causing further agony to his already poor state. He could immediately remember that he had spent several years of his past life waking up to an rm clock saying a simr sentence as his first words every morning.


    It took well over thirty minutes for him to rise to a standing position, and the moment he did so, he felt wobbly. At this moment, Yasmin awoke; she was in a simr state, and rather than say good morning to her husband, she immediately rushed to the window and vomited the liquid contained in her stomach.


    Berengar, ever the gentlemen chose to ignore this fact and merely decided to slowly but surely get dressed in proper attire before descending the staircase. Upon reaching the bottom level of the Pce, he immediately found a passed-out Hasan lying defenselessly on one of his grand sofas.


    The moment Berengar saw this, he groaned before kicking the man in the leg, immediately waking him up in a startle. It took several moments for Hasan to notice that the person who had woken him from his drunken stupor was none other than his friend and ally Berengar von Kufstein. Berengar did not hesitate and instead began to speak to Hasan with a grave tone.


    "Get you, servants, to brew some coffee; we''re going to need it for the discussion that we need to have."


    Hasan immediately nodded his head as he rubbed his eyes before calling out to his servants.


    "Get the coffee ready!"


    He had no idea where they were located, but they were sure to hear his cries. Thus while waiting for the coffee to the properly brewed, Berengar and Hasan walked over to the Dining Room. Despite their victory celebrations, the men had not had a proper conversation on where to go now that the Portuguese King had officially surrendered and agreed to annexation.


    After a few minutes of moaning and groaning, struggling to recover from their dreaded states, the coffee was set before the two monarchs as they immediately began to sip from their cups. Berengar had long since started exporting the substance into Granada via his trade routes through the Byzantine Empire, and it had be quite the lucrative trade.


    Now he was finally enjoying the fruits of his efforts and was thankful that he had gone through the difficulty to achieve this. After taking severalrge gulps from the brew, the young Austrian King sighed heavily beforementing on the situation at hand.


    "Three-fourths of Portugal lies in the control of various local warlords and despots. Though we have seized the critical centers of Portuguese Control, there will still be intense fighting in the months toe. I will be withdrawing back to Austria within a fortnight.


    During this time, I intend to set up a joint task force between several of my officers and your military; the goal is to put down any resistance within Portugal and exert Granada''s control over the people.


    With your permission, I would like to station an expeditionary force of between 5,000 to 10,000 men of various units in Granada to aid in the development of your Army and assist inbat operations against the rebels."


    Hasan dwelled on this n for several minutes as he thought about the condition of his forces; with the Austrians and Byzantines withdrawing, he would ultimately be left with an army of roughly 25,000 men to contend with the remnants of the Portuguese Army who now acted as local warlords and despots. He would also need to maintain the border with his limited number of soldiers, greatly diminishing hisbat capabilities.


    Thus the Sultan was quite pleased that Berengar was willing to dispatch a fresh unit of a sizeable force to aid him in expanding control and influence over the recently conquered regions. Ultimately he nodded his head after taking another sip from his coffee before agreeing to Berengar''s terms.


    "Very well, I look forward to cooperating with your forces in the future. As for the Byzantines, I assume they are packing up and leaving Iberia for good?"


    Berengar nodded his head slowly before revealing the information he had received.


    "Padius is required back in the Empire, and the forces he brought with him are needed in the Balkans. There is turmoil in the east, I am not entirely sure of the situation, but from what my agents have gathered, the Imic states are preparing in the shadows for something big, possibly a Jihad..."


    Hasan scoffed at this notion beforementing on the other Imic States who existed across the globe.


    "Pfft, Fools, if Byzantium was able to dominate their enemies in North Africa with the old weapons you gave them, imagine what they will be capable of with the new ones. I doubt it will end well if those fanatical fools dere a Jihad!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before making fun of the moderate Sultan.


    "Oh so, Granada will not answer the call to Holy War?"


    The young Sultan immediately red at Berengar for making such a jest before dering his intent.


    "I do not need to get involved in the religious conflict; I have other concerns to deal with. I still have to maintain my control over Granada and Portugal, rebuild from the damage we have caused in our invasion, and secure my borders against my Catholic enemies. If those fools want a Holy War, then they won''t be able to count on me to support them..."


    Berengar smiled in silence; he took another sip from his coffee before switching the subject to something more personal.


    "Since I will be leaving within the next few weeks, I will be taking your sister back with me to Kufstein. Are you sure you will be alright without your big sister to take care of you?"


    Hasan scoffed once more at this snidement before wearing a proud smile on his face.


    "I am not a little kid who relies on his big sister to get by in life; besides, I have two wives to keep mepany. I''m sure whatever grief I may feel with my sister''s departure can be appropriately treated by the two of them. Speaking of which, I hear you have a beautiful young sister who will soon be of age. Why don''t you marry her off to me?"


    A stern frown appeared on Berengar''s face as he heard this before cing his ceramic cup down upon the table. After doing so, he made a short but bold statement.


    "Don''t even think about it!"


    Hasan chuckled lightly before pping Berengar on the back in response to this.


    "I see you have a sisterplex, huh? Just remember, your taboo thoughts are fine, but you should never act on them... Sooner orter, you will have to wed your precious little sister off to some other man!"


    Berengar immediately shrugged his friend''s hand off his shoulder before chastising the man.


    "I have a sisterplex? You are one to talk!"


    Hasan merelyughed at such a defensivement and began to sip from his coffee once more. He had enough fun at Berengar''s expense, any more, and the King of Austria might actually get mad, and the young Sultan of Granada was all too aware of what happened when Berengar was angry.


    Thus the two men continued to banter for some time. After a while, breakfast was brought to the table, and the seats were filled with Yasmin and Hasan''s two wives who gazed lovingly at their men. Berengar had drunk more than his fair share of coffee during this process to help ovee his hangover.


    With this new phase of the War in Iberia, Berengar would soon return home. A semi-permanent unit would be stationed in Granada, who would regrly rotate with other soldiers to ensure that Berengar''s Army maintained some form ofbat experience between his effective campaigns.


    While Berengar nned to conductbat operations in Portugal, the Aragonese King worked hard to unite his Kingdom and his neighbor Castile. Though the fighting had been fierce, soon, a new Kingdom would arise in Iberia, and in the end, there would be two powers fighting for control of the penins in the years toe.


    ---

 Chapter 446 - A Long Awaited Reunion

    As Berengar had promised, he spent the next two weekszing about in his manor at Gibraltar with his loving new bride by his side. The couple seemed to get along exceptionally well and had spent much of the time in the bedroom. After all, Berengar had grown weary from months of conflict and needed something to lift his spirits.


    During this time, men and resources swapped from the Iberian Penins to the Kingdom of Austria; for some time toe, there would be a massive transition in the state of the Emirate of Granada. However, eventually, Berengar got onto his royal clipper and returned home to the fathend.


    With such a swift ship, the journey was rtively smooth, and in a matter of days, he and his new bride arrived in Trieste. The moment Berengar stepped off the docks, he could barely recognize the port city. Nearly half a year had passed since he first stepped foot in Granada with the intent to put an end to the Iberian Union and the Catholic Church''s ambitions.


    In this time, the city of Trieste had rapidly industrialized; by now, the railroad stretched from Kufstein to Trieste and was fully operational with telegraph wires and stations embedded throughout the entire journey. Smoke filled the air as the fires of industry burned bright within the massive port city.


    The streets were fully paved, and factories were operational. Men and women went to their jobs, while children stayed in their schools. No more excellent sight was avable than the Shipyards, which were engaged in the lengthy process ofying down the first of Berengar''s newest vessels. Of course, this light Cruiser was only in the initial stages of development and would still require years before it was sea-ready.


    When Yasmin gazed upon the incredible sight of the Industrial Port city, she could hardly believe her eyes. Compared to the medieval state of Granada, Trieste was on another level. Upon seeing his newest bride''s response, Berengar smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder before whispering in her ear.


    "If you think Trieste is shocking, wait until you see the capital!"


    It took the Granadan Princess some time to recover as she thought about her husband''s words. Ultimately she smiled in anticipation, waiting to see just how marvelous the city of Kufstein was. Berengar walked in the streets, where the people gazed upon him with respect and immediately conversed among themselves.


    "The King has returned!"


    "Is the war over?"


    "Who is that foreign woman by his side?"


    The people of Trieste immediately began making up all sorts of ideas about Berengar and Yasmin as the couple walked to the train station. Upon arriving, Berengar pulled out his wallet and gave the appropriate amount of silver thalers to buy a ticket to Kufstein.


    On the dashboard of the Train Station, there was a map of currently existing railways. Berengar was shocked to see how much progress had been made, as the railways now stretched from Kufstein to Salzburg, to Graz, and down to Triest.


    Though he wasn''t too shocked, after all, the transcontinental railway of the USA was built in a matter of six years, and the Kingdom of Austria was substantially smaller than the old USA from his past life. After seeing this, he nodded with a smile as he and Yasmin boarded the train, which shortly after that departed for Kufstein.


    As they traveled, a telegraph was sent back to the Capital informing the Royal Family of Berengar''s return, though it neglected to mention the foreign beauty by his side. Yasmin gazed in awe as the train rapidly moved along the tracks at a speed of over 60 mph; at their current rate, it would take them a matter of hours to arrive in the Capital City.


    On the way, they had passed by several cargo trains transporting raw materials from the mines of the Alps to the other cities. Which caused a sense of delight to appear in Berengar''s eyes; this meant that his country''s industrialization would progress far more rapidly than it had in the past.


    Eventually, the couple made their way into Kufstein''s train station, where they stepped onto the sweet soil of the Austrian Capital and made their way from the heart of the city to the Pce. The mix of Medieval, and renaissance architecture, whenbined with the might of industry, was a marvel to behold. The people were dressed in rtively modern fashionpared to the Granadan Princess, which immediately caught her eye.


    The great walls of Kufstein had expanded once more to include the newest section of the city, creating yet another star barrier around the city, with the garrison doing their jobs of protecting each entrance to the nextyer. The newest variant of cannons was mounted on the walls, manufactured in enough supply to rece the pre-existing muzzleloaders.


    Those old siege guns would be refurbished and either sent to the Reserves or sold to allied nations for use in defense of their cities. However, none of that was any concern; as Berengar and Yasmin reached the gates of the Royal Pce, the princess stared in awe at the massive structure home to the Austrian King and his family.


    Upon entering its gates, Berengar was immediately greeted by his wives, children, and sister. By now, his wives had already given birth to his offspring and had recovered quite well from experience. Henrietta was the first to leap into Berengar''s arms and hug him tightly before pecking him on the cheek with her luscious pink lips.


    "Wee home, big brother!"


    She was so enamored with her precious big brother''s return that she failed to notice the tanned beauty by his side. However, Berengar''s wives immediately noticed the presence of another woman and frowned at him. Linde gave her husband a murderous re as she asked the question on all of the girl''s minds.


    "Who is she?"


    Berengar felt a chill down his spine as he noticed his second wife''s perturbed appearance. As for Ad, she was in an even fouler mood; she knew exactly who this woman was and immediately began to protest.


    "Darling, while we were worried for your safety, giving birth to your children, you went off and married that Moorish whore?"


    Yasmin''s German was not the best, and thus she did not take notice of the insult. Instead, she gazed with an awkward expression as she struggled to find a way to introduce herself to her husband''s other wives.


    Berengar scratched the back of his neck awkwardly; Henrietta was still clinging onto him, giving a fierce re at the newest woman to snatch her brother away from her. Meanwhile, A baby boy and girl were in the arms of Ad as she gave him a vicious stare. She had given birth to two perfectly normal fraternal twins.


    Honoria held an infant boy in her arms while giving a curious gaze at Berengar, among all of his wives, she was the most open-minded in sharing the man she loved with other women. Thus she did not care that he brought home yet another woman so long as she aided Berengar in some significant way.


    Linde had two baby girls in her arms, one was Helga, and the other was her newest child, as Hans and Veronika clung to the Second Queen''s side. Hans had an excited expression on his face as he boldly asked his question.


    "Did father bring a new mommy home? She''s so beautiful!"


    Berengar''s girls immediately stared at the boy giving him a scowling nce. Despite this, he either did not take notice of it or didn''t care as he instead gave his father a solid thumb''s up, signaling his approval. Berengar struggled to contain the tear that had formed in his eye as he thought to himself.


    My boy will one day be a true man of culture!


    However, instead of outright saying this, he nodded his head and introduced his newest acquisition.


    "Everyone, this is Princess Yasmin Al-Fadl, my newest bride. Due to certain circumstances, we are now married, and our alliance with the Emirate of Granada is now stronger than ever! Treat her well; if you don''t, I will know and will punish you ordingly."


    Henrietta, Honoria, and Ad felt a slight tingle in their bottoms as they remembered the vicious spanking Berengar had given them quite some time ago and immediately tensed up. As for Linde, she had a look of excitement in her eyes as she reflected on the same experience.


    Ultimately, Berengar walked forward and introduced himself to his newest children, he started with Ad and her two children where he reached out to grab ahold of the two twins with a fatherly expression on his face.


    "So, what are the names of these two beautiful children?"


    Ad pouted as she begrudgingly gave up the info that her husband had requested.


    "Since you were away at war, I took the liberty to name them, the boy is the elder of the two twins, and he is named Kristoffer; as for his sister, she is named Katherin!"


    Berengar nodded his head in approval towards these names before giving them back to their mother and moving on to the next child which was in Honoria''s arms; she had a sly smile on her face as he handed the boy over to her father before making a snide remark.


    "You already know this little tyke''s name, Alexandros!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head once more as he took a brief moment to hold on to his baby boy. After kissing the infant on the forehead, he gave Alexandros back to her mother before walking over to his baby girl with Linde and inquiring about her name.


    "This is?"


    Linde smiled and kissed her husband on the lips passionately as she marked her territory before the newest bride. After doing so she handed off the baby girl to her father and boldly dered her name.


    "This is Ilse! Your beautiful daughter, don''t you ever forget!"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this; now that introductions were out of the way, he led his family back into the Royal Pce; after all, he and his wives had much catching up to do, even if they were in a fit of jealousy at the moment. Of course, his wives would not let him off easy for gvanting around in some foreignnd; they would make sure to use up every ounce of his energy in the following night.


    ---

 Chapter 447 - Breakfast In The Royal Palace Of Austria

    Berengar sat at the head of his table; after spending all of his energy satisfying his frustrated wives the night before, he waspletely and utterly exhausted. He couldn''t even find the energy to get dressed this morning after his bath. Thus, he was sitting in a ck silk robe with golden embroidery and wearing nothing else.


    Yasmin had been excluded from the festivities, at least for now. After all, she was the newest addition, and the other girls were not too keen on her being involved in their nightly debauchery just yet. However, she did not mind; after all, she was far more mature than the other girls and came from a culture of polygamy. On top of this, she had spent thest few weeks doing nothing other than spending time with Berengar in a profoundly intimate manner.


    However, when Yasmin was sitting by his side while the others rested, she fed him a breakfast dish from her own culture that she had personally cooked. Something that Berengar he only recently became ustomed to. After all, when dealing with women from the backgrounds of royalty and nobility, it was notmon for them to learn how to cook themselves.


    Despite this, one of Yasmin''s hobbies was cooking, and thus she was more than happy to prepare a meal for Berengar and his family. Berengar was pleased that the woman took the time and effort to cook her dishes; after all, he had always desired to eat a woman''s home cooking in the previous life. Especially when one considered that he was primarily responsible for his own meals from a young age.


    Thus he entertained the woman who spoonfed the dish into his mouth; after he had swallowed the food, the foreign beauty immediately grabbed a ss of fresh milk and pressed it to his lips allowing him to enjoy its cool sensation as it dripped down his throat. He was indeed in heaven at this moment. Truly, enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle at home was far better than living in the mud and blood of the trenches.


    While this scene was underway, the sound of stepsing down the stairs could be heard before Berengar witnessed Ad entering the room with an excited expression on her face. She had smelled the food and greatly anticipated breakfast; however, when she gazed upon Berengar and his new bride, her expression sank.


    As for Yasmin, she merely smiled politely as she continued to feed her husband. Not wanting to invoke Berengar''s ire, Ad sat down at the opposite side of the table and crossed her arms in a fit of fury. She began to tap her foot on the floor as the Servant came over and gave her a cup of coffee and a portion of the food that had been prepared.


    Before long, Linde and Honoria arrived and witnessed the scene. Unlike Ad, Linde had no intention of sitting by and pouting as she watched her new rival''s actions; she immediately counterattacked as she began to defend her im on her man.


    Since the moment that Linde had firstid eyes on the Moorish beauty''s mighty bosom, she had felt threatened. The second Queen refused to let a woman with a bigger bust steal her ce as the favorite of the King''s wives. Thus she began to give her husband a shoulder rub and a kiss on the lips as she greeted him.


    "Good morning, master! Did you enjoyst night?"


    Berengar had a smug smile on his face as he nodded his head before responding to his second wife.


    "Of course I did. However, I am afraid I will be spent for a few days; you girls took all the life out of my body..."


    Upon hearing this, Linde smirked at Yasmin as if she had aplished some form of victory. However, Yasmin did not mind; instead, she noticed that Berengar''s drink was close to being empty and immediately got up to pour him another ss. At this moment, Honoria had taken her chance to hop into Berengar''sp and make her demands.


    "Daddy... Feed me!"


    Upon seeing the cutesy expression on the Byzantine Princesses'' face, Berengar sighed before grabbing ahold of his fork and feeding the food upon it directly into his third wife''s mouth. Before long, Yasmin returned and began doing the same for Berengar. Ad gazed upon the two women who were shamelessly mingling with the newest addition to Berengar''s harem with a gawking expression.


    Did they not already agree to treat her with hostility? Why were they not making Berengar suffer for bringing home yet another woman without notice? It was at this moment that it dawned upon her that she was sitting alone at the other edge of the table, along with the kids who were old enough to eat on their own while her husband enjoyed his time flirting with three other beauties.


    However, despite suffering a loss and being betrayed by her sisters, Ad was ultimately a stubborn woman at heart. Since she had said she would treat Yasmin with hostility and make Berengar suffer for a few days, she would not abandon her principles and join the others to y with her man shamelessly.


    At this moment, Henrietta came down the stairs with wet hair and wearing a silk robe that could barely contain her bust; it also showed off her long ivory legs perfectly. When Berengar noticed this, he was surprised; since when did his sister grow to such an extent?


    Henrietta was seemingly unaware that her robe no longer fit her properly and sat down by her brother''s side with a broad smile, showing off her substantial cleavage. During her brother''s absence, the Austrian Princess had turned sixteen, and thus now that she was of age, she wanted to fulfill her promise topete for her beloved big brother.


    However, when she entered the scene to greet him, he was already surrounded by his wives, which inwardly frustrated her. Thus all she could manage to say as her brother stared at her inappropriate appearance with aplicated gaze was.


    "Good morning, big brother!"


    It took Berengar a few moments to break his gaze away from his own little sister''s mature body; when he finally did, he was met with the stares of his women, who looked at him with angered expressions. Immediately a single thought came to his mind.


    Oh, fuck! Did they notice me staring at Henrietta?


    However, before he could finish this line of thought, Henrietta shifted her legs to a point where he could see her inner thighs; though herher regions were not in full disy, it was enough to force Berengar to avert his gaze.


    Upon seeing that her seduction attempt had failed, Henrietta began to pout, though, after a few seconds, she began to smile once more; for now, it was enough knowing that her beloved big brother could look at her with such a lust-filled gaze. Ad was the first to speak about this absurd situation and immediately cleared her throat as she lectured Henrietta.


    "My dear cousin, you are dressed in a rather unbing manner; why don''t you go put on something more appropriate before you eat..."


    Henrietta immediately wanted to protest this statement, but when she looked around, she immediately noticed the malevolent res that were being cast her way from Berengar''s wives. Thus she could not help but sigh as she got up from her seat and departed; she made sure to unt her plump ass as she walked up the stairs. Berengar looked for but a second before his chin was grabbed onto and forced into the sky blue eyes of Linde, who whispered something in his ear.


    "Don''t even think about tasting your flesh and blood, or we are all going to have a problem..."


    Berengar''s attention was immediately snapped back to reality as he realized the murderous res he was receiving from all of his wives, including Yasmin. This was a point universally agreed upon by Berengar''s harem; they would never allow him to taste the forbidden fruit that was his younger sister. Thus to ease tensions, Berengar began to break out into awkwardughter as he tried to deflect the issue.


    "Me and Henrietta? It will never happen! You are all worrying too much! Do you think I''m that kind of guy?"


    All of his wives stared at him with deadpan expressions as they nodded their heads in unison when he said this. As if he could read all their minds, Berengar immediately knew they were thinking the same thing, and that was simply.


    Do you even need to ask?


    Shortly after that, Henrietta returned dressed in far more appropriate clothing, and the breakfast between the Royal Family of Austria continued as if that awkward disy had never urred in the first ce. Berengar was certain that he needed to put an end to Henrietta''s feelings quickly, or else he might fall prey to his darker instincts.


    ---

 Chapter 448 - Status Report

    With the war in Iberia entering a new stage, and the King of Austria returning to the fathend, Berengar had much work cut out for him. He was currently sitting in his office, surrounded by a group of ministers who represented the different aspects of Austria''s development.


    The first among these men to speak was Field Marshal Eckhard. He voiced his report regarding the conscription of soldiers, their training, their outfitting, and various other factors that went into the rapid expansion of the Austrian Army.


    "Your Majesty, I will have you know that we have more than doubled our Army''s size. Over the past six months, since you have established conscription, we have trained and outfitted a total of 250,000 Soldiers. Currently, the Needle Rifles have been produced en masse and given to the soldiers and we have begun the introduction of the 7.5cm FK 22 field guns.


    In total, we have ten standard Divisions capable of being deployed and acting independently or together under jointmands across Europe and the Mediterranean. We are currently working on producing sufficient numbers of the next-generation weapons to be employed among specialty units such as the 1st Jaeger Brigade and the Jagdkommandos.


    We project that the next generation of weapons will thoroughly rece the current weapons used by our infantry units within the next three years. So you can rest assured that by the time the Crusaders make their way to oursnds, they will be dealing with a vastly superior armed force.


    While you were gone, there has also been significant progress in developing lightweight artillery that can be employed by a single squad of soldiers in the Field. The current prototype is very promising, and I am sure you will be pleased with the results."


    Berengar looked over the dossier that Eckhard had given him and was incredibly pleased with the Army''s progress. It numbered roughly 250,000 soldiers in total now and was by far thergest and most powerful military globally.


    The young King knew he would have to introduce some updated artillery to apany the advanced weapons of the infantry. However, aside from that, his military had reached its max potential until things like thebustion and diesel engines could be manufactured en masse.


    However, what drew his interest the most was the progress of the border defenses. As such, he quickly shifted his gaze to his Field Marshal and asked the question on his mind.


    "Marshall von Halstatt, please do exin the progress the Army Corps of Engineers has had at our current borders."


    Upon hearing this, Eckhard did not hesitate and quickly began to speak of the massive trench system built around the borders of the Kingdom of Austria.


    "At the moment, much of thend between Tyrol and Bavaria has been thoroughly entrenched, with a dedicated faction of Border guards handling its defense. There are roughly a hundred meters of barbed wire between our border and into the Bavariannds; this massive wall of wire stretches across the trench line that has been constructed.


    As for the reinforced cement structures you have designed for future machine gun nests, they are undergoing construction as we speak. By the summer of next year, the Tyrolean-Bavarian border will be thoroughly secured. Currently, the Border Guard assists refugees from the other German States in resettling in ournds while protecting the borders from undesirables.


    I must inform you that the esction of violence in the Kingdom of France has caused an uptick in French peasants migrating from their homes and towards our borders in the hopes that we will let them in. However, under themand of her Highness Queen Linde von Kufstein, they have been turned away with force if necessary whenever they arrive. Berengar smiled when he heard this remark beforementing on Linde''s actions.


    "That woman knows me so well. The French can stay in theirnds; it is not our responsibility to look after the hungry and poor masses of the world. If they are not German, they are not entering our Kingdom! Now Eckhard, are there any other major concerns I should be made aware of in terms of military matters?"


    The veteran Field Marshal immediately shook his head in response; he had caught up with his King on everything he needed to know. Thus Berengar shifted his attention to Chancellor Otto von Graz before asking the question on his mind.


    "Tell me, Uncle, what news do you have for me in terms of the development of our Infrastructure?"


    Otto immediately handed the young King his dossier, where he began to speak out on a summary of the things that had been aplished during Berengar''s absence.


    "To put it simply, the railway and telegraph lines have stretched from Tyrol, across Salzburg, and into the Kustend. Our projections are that within another two years; your Royal Railway will reach across the Entirety of the Kingdom of Austria, The Grand Duchy of Switzend, and the Kingdom of Bohemia.


    As for the development of the Capital, it has grown in size. As I assure you are aware, we have had to erect another wall to protect the people, and the area between that wall and the others are filling up as we speak.


    As you may be aware, Triest is now close to being fully industrialized, while Salzburg and Graz are also undergoing significant progress. Before long, Innsbruck, Kufstein, Graz, Salzburg, Triest, and Vienna will all be industrial cities, capable of producing many goods to be transported across your two Kingdoms via the railway, and the rest of Europe via more conventional trading methods."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar''s smile doubled in size; he was delighted to hear that they had made such substantial progress in such a short period. Perhaps by the time he united all of Germany, his Kingdom would be a fully industrialized nation. However, there was something else he wished to discuss, and thus, he immediately shifted his attention towards Linde, who was standing by obediently dressed in her service uniform.


    "My Queen, is there anything you wish to report to me in terms of international matters that I should be made aware of?"


    Linde was hesitant to speak for a while, but after a few moments of awkward silence, she began to open up about the knowledge her agents had ryed back to her.


    "There are a few matters of importance. First and foremost, Our neighbors are undergoing a massive economic decline and even entering a state of famine after you have ughtered the 500,000 men who entered Iberia, hoping to put an end to Hasan''s reign.


    As you are aware, most of those men were peasants. Thus, there is a significant gap in men capable of toiling the fields in the neighboring Kingdoms, especially Pnd-Lithuania. They have suffered the worse out of our neighbors and me it directly upon you.


    They did not just send farmers; they sent thousands of their soldiers thinking the war with the Teutonic Order was over. However, the Golden Horde is in a state of civil war thanks to our intervention. Due to some significant operations behind the scenes, the Eastern-Coalition has halted its advance into the Rump State that is the current Teutonic Order.


    Famine ravages Pnd-Lithuania and France; after all, despite the French King not wanting to get involved, tens of thousands of his peasants sought glory and a ce in the afterlife in Iberia rather than deal with the ongoing war between the English and French Crowns.


    This brings me to my next point; my agents have reported that although operations are going smoothly with the supplying of the enemies of France with firearms and training. The French Crown still refuses to adopt the weapons we have given him. As a result, Prince Aubry has departed from Paris and is heading towards Kufstein as we speak.


    If my information is correct, he seeks an audience with your Majesty, for what exactly I am unsure. I am certain that you are aware of the rumors regarding the French Prince?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before mocking his wife.


    "They say he has a face as beautiful as any woman and a sinful body. Aren''t you afraid that such a slutty trap might catch your husband''s fancy?"


    Linde''s face twisted with revilement before she began to tease Berengar in front of his other ministers.


    "I''m more worried about my husband lying with his sister than some amorous twink from France. However, I am positive that neither of those two scenarios will ur..."


    Berengar sat with a grim expression on his face when he heard this remark; he would make sure to punish Linde for saying such a thing in front of the otherster that night. However, for now, he had business to attend to. As such, he stood up from his seat and gave his orders to the men and one woman gathered.


    "Alright, I have heard enough; you are all dismissed. If I need your services, you will hear from me; until then, continue with your business."


    With that said, the gathered ministers departed, leaving Berengar alone within his office, staring out the windows of his Pce. The unintended consequences of the Peasant Crusade to Iberia were sure to have disastrous effects for Berengar''s neighbors and the Catholic Church as a whole.


    ---

 Chapter 449 - The French Prince Arrives

    Berengar was within his study, smoking a hemp cigarette as he gazed upon the documents in his hands. Although he had spent a few days reacquainting himself with his wives upon returning from war, the work of a ruler was never truly fulfilled. Thus once more, he had thrust himself into the endless throes of paperwork.


    After exhaling arge puff of smoke, the young monarch heard a knock on the door. Refusing to put out the cigarette, Berengar responded before taking another hit.


    "It is open..."


    Upon saying this, the door crept open to reveal his first wife Ad, who was dressed in a sapphire gown. Upon seeing his lovely wife enter his room, Berengar assumed that she was here to make amends. However, the sentence she spoke was anything but.


    "There is a visitor here for you; they im to be a part of the French Royal Family..."


    There was a look of utter disgust on the young woman''s face as she said this. Berengar was quite surprised to hear this; the French Prince had arrived quicker than he had estimated. Thus he decided to put out his cigarette in his ashtray before standing up and approaching his young wife.


    "Lead the way!"


    Ad rolled her eyes before departing from the Office with her husband in hand; before long, they arrived in the Great Hall, where Berengar gazed upon a small host of visitors. He searched for the French Prince but could not find him. However, his eyes fell upon a beautiful young woman who was exceptionally petite; this woman had honey blonde hair and emerald green eyes and was dressed in the current fashion trends of Austria.


    Berengar mistakenly assumed this person''s identity to be Princess Sibilia. Thus, he approached her and bowed before introducing himself. The stunning French woman held out her hand with a pretty smile upon seeing this, and Berengar ced his lips upon it. After doing so, he made his introduction.


    "Princess Sibilia, I must say you are as beautiful as the rumors have imed. However, I am a bit confused. I was led to believe that Prince Aubry would be the one to visit?"


    The woman presumed to be Princess Sibi immediately giggled in an effeminate manner before covering her mouth. After doing so, she spoke in a high-pitched voice that matched a woman''s.


    "Your Majesty, you are not mistaken. I am Prince Aubry de Valois, and I must say you are as handsome as the rumors say!"


    Berengar immediately felt his mind shatter as he heard these words and struggled to mask his disgust in his actions. Did he seriously kiss the hand of a man? Meanwhile, Ad was in the corner smirking at his actions, thinking to herself.


    It serves you right for being a yboy.


    Of course, Berengar had no way of knowing what his wife was thinking and instead began to pull away from the effeminate French Prince awkwardly.


    "I apologize for my actions; I assumed you were your sister... Tell me, Prince Aubry, why are you here in Kufstein, and why are you dressed like that?"


    Prince Aubry continued to smile as he ced one of his dainty hands on his cheek; after doing so, he twirled around in his dress before leaning in close to Berengar.


    "What''s the matter? You don''t like my appearance?"


    The young Austrian King was immediately put in a difficult spot, this was, in fact, the Prince of a neighboring Kingdom, and he had to, for the time being, maintain diplomatic ties with them. After all, his n for fracturing the French Kingdom relied on putting on the facade of friendly rtions with his eventual neighbor to the West.


    Despite this, he immediately tried to distance himself from the effeminate Prince. However, the moment he did so, Aubry followed him andtched onto his arm with a sultry smile before asking the question on his mind.


    "We can discuss businesster; why don''t you show me around this wonderful Pce of yours?"


    Berengar had a distressed expression on his face as he looked over at his wife with a pleading gaze in his eyes. However, despite this anxiety, Ad merely scoffed before walking off. She knew Berengar would never sleep with a member of the same sex, and thus this was her punishment for him bringing home another wife without notice.


    Thus Berengar was forced to endure being a tour guide for the Prince of France. The first action that the young monarch took was to introduce the current location to his guest.


    "This is the Great Hall, where my throne is present. Frankly, I don''t stay here often and am instead usually found in my Office."


    Aubry took thisment with great interest; after all, his father, the King of France, was practically glued to his throne, and it was where he usually conducted business. To see that the mighty King of Austria rarely used his throne room was unique in the boy''s mind.


    On multiple asions, Berengar tried to wrest his arm away from the effeminate Prince; however, every attempt to do so was met with fierce resistance and a warm smile. It became abundantly clear what this trap''s intent was, and the King of Austria made a silent vow not to fall prey to his tricks.


    However, since this guest was a member of a foreign Royal Family, he had to show some restraint in his action. Thus he kept a calm facade as he continued to walk Aubry through his pce and show him every quarter of his court.


    After entering the dining room, Berengar and Aubry witnessed Honoria eating lunch; the moment she gazed up and saw her ex-fiance locking his arms around her husband, the food fell from her hands and onto her te. She was stunned to witness the sight and immediately got up from her seat where she rushed over to Aubry and pped the Prince across his pretty face. After doing so, she began to curse him out.


    "Get your hands off my man, you filthy tramp! Who the hell let you into this pce?"


    Though the French Prince was enraged that a woman would behave in such a manner towards him, he refused to let go of Berengar''s arm and instead put on a cruel smile as he mocked the Byzantine Princess.


    "Oh Honoria, it has been some time since west met. I am d to see you found yourself a husband. However, there is no reason to be so jealous; Berengar and I are just getting to know each other, isn''t that right?"


    Berengar smiled awkwardly as he heard this. Ultimately, he decided it would be best to separate from Aubry now that Honoria was enraged and thus pushed him aside before scolding his guest.


    "Honoria is right, I didn''t want to say anything because you are a guest, but your actions are rather inappropriate. It would be best if we kept a safe distance between us..."


    Aubry immediately puffed out his cheeks as he began to pout; he could not believe that Honoria had gotten in the way of his ns yet again. She seriously had the worst timing. Of course, what came next further aggravated the French Prince. Honoria immediately wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed him passionately before giving Berengar a fair warning.


    "Don''t fall into this boy''s trap. I know you are not that type of man, but I have seen many otherwise normal men fall prey to his spell!"


    Berengar chuckled before patting Honoria''s head; as he did so, he spoke the words that would make Aubry all the more determined to seduce him.


    "Don''t worry; I''m not like that. You would only have to worry if he was a woman!"


    Of course, this statement did little to ease Honoria''s anxiety, and thus she opted to stay with the two men during the duration of their tour. So long as the effeminate French Prince was in Austria, she would keep her eyes on him.


    Unlike Ad, and Linde, she did not trust Berengar with Aubry; after all, she was too aware of how captivating he could be to other men. After touring around the entire Pce, Berengar introduced Aubry to his room before giving him a little lecture.


    "These are your quarters for the duration of your stay in Kufstein. You are free to walk about the city and do as you please so long as you don''t vite thew. Though you can eat at any of the wonderful restaurants in our city, I encourage you to be back at the pce in time for dinner at roughly 6:00 PM."


    Aubry silently nodded his head before sitting on his bed with a smile; as he did so, he made an offer to Berengar, which greatly disgusted the young King.


    "I''ll be fine; you can leave now unless you want to stay and give me a message?"


    Berengar immediately rejected the French Prince''s notions and departed from the room. He swore that no matter what it took, he would not fall prey to his schemes. After all, he was not that type of man. Of course, the moment he left the room, Aubry began to pout and swear to himself that he would aplish his objective. Thus a battle of seduction between the French and Austrian Crowns had begun.


    ---

 Chapter 450 - The Devil On Your Shoulder

    Within the city of Kufstein was a group of Byzantines allegedly within the borders of Austria for the purpose of trade. If there was one thing that the Austrian Government hade to be sessful at, it was none other than border security.


    Even with their cover identities that were thoroughly prepared by the powers behind the Second Prince of the Empire, these men, like any other visitors to the Kingdom, had gone through a thorough vetting process.


    At the moment, they were hawking wares in the form of wine and silk at the trade district of Kufstein City. However, behind the scenes, these alleged merchants were here for a far less noble purpose. For three weeks now, they had watched and waited in the trade district for the opportune moment to assassinate Princess Honoria.


    Yet, despite this, the Byzantine Princess had never entered the streets of Austria. Instead, she spent her entire time within the safety of the Royal Pce, so much so that these men were beginning to lose all hope ofpleting their mission. Because of this feeling of despair, one of these men finally had enough and immediately began cursing at the other in Greek.


    "For Christ''s sake, we have been here in Austria for three fucking weeks, and we still have not even gotten the slightest glimpse of the Princess!"


    Immediately hispatriot pped him across the back of the head and began to chastise the man for making such a foolishment.


    "Quiet, you fool, that redheaded bitch has spies everywhere in this damned country. The fact that we have remained undiscovered so far is a blessing from the Lord God almighty!"


    The first man immediately scoffed at hispanion''s behavior before scolding him for his actions.


    "You''re being paranoid! I doubt any of these barbarians even speak Greek! Yet you assume we are being watched every moment of the day!"


    However, unbeknownst to this man, there was indeed a spy nearby at the next stall keeping an eye on these men from the Byzantine Empire. As a safety precaution, for any visitors to the Kingdom who were staying for longer than a period of a week, there was an agent of Austrian Royal Intelligence sent to observe them and their actions multiple times a day.


    This spy was trained in five differentnguages, one of them being Greek, and thus she immediately heard the mention of the Princess and the hushed conversation that followed. It quickly became apparent that these men were not ordinary merchants. Therefore, she had the urge to report this to her superior right away.


    However, she did not do such a thing. Instead, she fulfilled her duty and closely observed these men for a bit long in an attempt to gain any more valuable information about their reason for being in Kufstein. The first man immediately poured himself a cup filled with the wine they were hawking and began to speak once more, albeit in a slightly lower tone.


    "Once that bitch is dead, we can return to the Empire and get paid! I can''t wait to buy a nice vi within the city of Antioch!"


    The more cautious of the two men looked around to see if anyone was listening before approaching his more wild counterpart and began to give him a stern talking.


    "If you say another word of this in the open, I swear to God I will cut your throat myself!"


    The vicious re and the bold threat by his ally immediately caused the man to shut his mouth; the only sound to escape his lips was an unintelligible mumble. However, the Internal Security Agent nearby had received all the intelligence she needed. Thus, she paid for the vase in her hands from the nearby merchant''s stall and scurried off into the crowds of nearby people.


    Before long, she rounded the corner, where she ced an envelope filled with actionable intelligence into a dead drop. After doing so, she left the area and surveyed the following targets on her list. As for the document, it remained in its location until a man came and collected it not five minutester.


    A week had passed, and a fully detailed report was in the hands of Linde as she stood before Berengar and Honoria who were gathered in the Office of the Royal Pce. By now, every detail about the men, including the aliases presented on their travel documents and their actual identities, were within the hands of Austrian Royal Intelligence.


    If not for the telegraphs built between Kufstein and Trieste and the high speeds of the Clippers in service to Berengar''s Intelligence Network, then there would be no feasible way for them to gather such vital information in such a short time.


    However, in a week, Austrian Royal Intelligence had cross-referenced all of the information they had gathered about these men with Padius'' intensive spywork. In the end, the potential assassins had been identified as frencers employed by a client known as Dalmatius Kerrios, who was a Strategos within the Byzantine Empire and a well-known backer of the Second Prince.


    After spreading this information out in front of Berengar and Honoria, Linde waited patiently for their response. Honoria had a sad expression on her face; she could hardly believe that her brother would try to have her killed. However, Berengar was the first to pose a question about the intelligence that had been gathered.


    "Where are these men now?"


    Linde put on an amicable smile, as she stood at attention. Though the man in front of her was her husband, he was also her boss and her King. Thus she acted like a professional as she answered his question.


    "Currently, the two men, as well as the three other operatives involved in this conspiracy are under constant surveince. We have teams on standby to arrest and interrogate them at a moment''s notice. However, since we already know their identities and their purpose, I suggest we silently eliminate them and send their heads back to their employer as a message."


    Berengar had a vicious grin on his face; for whatever reason, he always got excited whenever Linde expressed a cruel n of action; as such, he nodded his head in response before giving her permission to enact this plot.


    "Very well, we will handle this your way. I also will approve of further funding to counter espionage. I am surprised to see that these men went so long without being detected; if Honoria had in fact left the Pce and visited the Trade District, something could likely have happened to her."


    The Second Queen of the Kingdom of Austria smiled upon hearing this; she would never turn away more funding for her organization. As such, she bowed respectfully before her husband before thanking him for his generosity.


    "Master, I am pleased to serve you, and am thankful for this gift!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar dismissed his second wife; it was only after she had left the office did he grab ahold of Honoria and hugged her in an attempt tofort her.


    "It must have been a bit of a shock knowing that your brother had tried to kill you. If there is anything you wish to discuss, just know that I am here for you..."


    The Byzantine Princess gazed up at her husband with her mint green eyes; a small tear dripped from her cheek as the young King wiped it away. Honoria struggled to find the words to express her thoughts for a few moments before speaking with a voice filled with trepidation.


    "How did you feel when you found out that your brother tried to kill you?"


    The Austrian King sighed heavily in response to this question before revealing his feelings on the matter.


    "Bitter, vengeful, hateful, depressed, and honestly quite confused. I only had one brother in this life, and he tried to kill me on multiple assions. I kept asking myself why he would do such a thing; in the end, he simply wanted the inheritance. Obviously, I made him pay with everything he had before I took his life."


    A bitter smile formed on Honoria''s face as she nodded her head after hearing about Berengar''s experience with a simr situation. After several moments of deep introspection, she came to a conclusion. A stern gaze appeared in her eyes as she voiced her thoughts on the situation she found herself in.


    "Very well... Since my brother wishes for me to die, so be it, I have no choice but to retaliate, I will bring him to his knees so that he begs me for my mercy, and once he does, I will deny him it, and end his pitiful existence once and for all!"


    A cruel smile curved itself upon Berengar''s lips as he heard this; he pushed the woman''s hair to that to his side as he kissed his wife upon her graceful neck; as he did so, he menacingly expressed his thoughts.


    "And I will be right here by your side, aiding you in every step of your journey as the Devil on your shoulder..."


    Honoria nodded in silence as the viinous couple began to plot their revenge against the Second Prince of the Byzantine Empire and all the men who supported him. Thanks to the Agents within the Internal Security Branch of Austrian Royal Intelligence, the plot against Princess Honoria had been thoroughly squashed. Though the Prince would not know it for some time, he had invoked a monster within the heart of his little sister, one that the devil on her shoulder constantly fed.


    ---

 Chapter 451 - Papal Woes II

    The Pope sat in his Chair with a hopeless expression. Not only did the peasant''s Crusade to Iberia fail miserably, but due to the massive supply of forces sent to the region, the Catholic world was undergoing an economic crisis and a massive famine. Roughly half a million peasants from across Europe lie dead in Iberia, their corpses rotting under the hot sun.


    Because of this, there were substantially fewer people to work the fields. The Catholic Kingdoms were severelycking in agricultural technologypared to the Kingdom of Austria. Since practically all work had to be done by hand; the overwhelming majority of the poption in the Catholic World were forced to work on farms.


    Now that half a million men lie dead in a foreign country, the poptions of France, Hungary, Pnd-Lithuania, Ennd, and the German States were depleted. This had led to a massive food shortage that could not easily be ovee.


    Meanwhile, Austria was overflowing with a food surplus; despite this fact, they outright refused to sell their excess agricultural products to the Catholic Kingdoms; what they did with this extra food, Julius did not know.


    If he knew that the Austrians were preserving the excess food and selling it for a minimal price to their citizens in an attempt to ensure that they were all properly fed, he would probably gouge his eyes out from sure envy.


    Thus he was in a state of crisis as more of his followers believed that the Papacy''s obsession with hunting down and destroying the German Reformation had be a lost cause. If it were not for the rulers of these nations offering their support, then few men would volunteer for the Crusade against the Berengar Heresy.


    Julius stared at the reports in his hands withplete and utter frustration. Portugal had fallen, King Luiz was now a prisoner of the Emirate of Granada, and Aragon was attempting to annex Castile in a brutal campaign that depleted both Kingdoms'' strength. On top of all of this, there were rumors from the conflict that Austria had deployed weapons of severe destruction capable of countering the numerical advantage that the Catholics had employed.


    At this very moment, the Vicar of Christ felt lost and faithless; no matter how many times he wracked his mind around it, he could notprehend why the Lord God almighty was testing him so frequently. Was it indeed the end of days? Or did the Heavenly Father favor the German Reformation?


    If the Catholic world knew that their Pope was having a spiritual crisis, they would probably lose faith in the Church entirely. However, they were blissfully unaware of this fact, and thus Julius kept his doubtful thoughts to himself as he was surrounded by his Cardinals who gazed upon him and his downcast expression. Ultimately one of the Cardinals voiced his concerns over the matter as he began to address the issues at hand.


    "I think the question on everyone''s minds is what are we going to do? We are already raising funds via indulgences for the Crusade against the Berengar Heresy, but after the disaster that was the Peasant''s Crusade against Granada, fewer and fewer people now support our cause.


    On top of all this, the Kingdoms suffering from famine partially me us for this result. If the Church had not called for a massive crusade to overwhelm the enemy with a sheer volume of numbers, then they likely would not be suffering to the extent they are now.


    Thousands of men, women, and children in the Catholic Kingdoms are dying from starvation with each passing day! We do not have the funds to aid them, for all of our wealth is going towards investing in yet another attempt to end Berengar''s reign. What do we tell the people who starve to death and can''t afford the inted prices of grain? That they should give what little wealth they have to us in hopes that we can avenge their deaths?"


    With these words spoken, few men gathered in the chamber knew how to or desired to answer this question. Utter silence prevailed aside from the sound of the Pope tapping his papal throne repeatedly with his index finger. For quite some time, not a word was spoken before the Pope raised his voice; as he did so, he projected his authority as the leader of the Catholic World.


    "We must secure the funds and workforce necessary to march on Austria within 4 years'' time. I don''t care how we have to do it, Berengar von Kufstein must die! If he is allowed to persist as a ruler, then the Catholic Church as a whole will be ruined!"


    Despite the Pope''s words, his council of Cardinals was no longer sure that such a thing was possible. Since the Berengar Heresy began, there had already been two Cardinals to defect to the enemy''s side. Such a thing was a p in the face to the Papacy, and yet as time went by, more and more of the men present considered jumping ship. Thus it was no surprise when one of the Cardinals voiced his concerns over the Pope''smand in a fairly flustered state.


    "You have gone mad, Julius, just like Simion before you! This King of Austria has driven you past the point of sanity. It is no longer about the power of the Church over sovereign kingdoms, but the very survival of our Religion!


    In your attempts to drive Berengar von Kufstein out of power, you have shed the blood of countless lives and caused economic crisis upon the Kingdoms who look up to us. Famine and Poverty rule over Europe, while Austria rises to new levels!


    Is it any wonder that millions of Germans flock to Berengar''s so-called Reformation every year? By now, the Catholic Dukes and Margraves of Germany no longer have the ability topel their people to follow our faith, for the peasants and Lords alike have united against them!


    If you insist on going down this path of another reckless Crusade, I swear to you, it will be the end of the Roman Catholic Church as we know it! I implore you to rethink your actions and settle your grudge with the King of Austria once and for all!


    Let me remind you that if it weren''t for the corruption of the Bishop of Innsbruck and the local clergy. Berengar von Kufstein may not have ever challenged our authority! See reason Julius before it is toote!"


    Though the other Cardinals remained silent, the reality was that many of them held simr views of the ongoing conflict with Austria. If the Austrian Army could annihte half a million men in battle within the Iberian Penins with a force of 50,000 men, then what could possibly be achieved by invading their home turf?


    However, Julius was consumed beyond the point of reason; at this point, he, like his predecessor, had been driven to the brink of madness after being bested by an upstart from a once insignificant region. The Pride of the Papacy was at stake, and the constant humiliation they had suffered in their attempts to remove Berengar from power had driven both Popes mad.


    Even if the Cardinals initially selected Julius to rece Simion so that he would take a moderate stance against Berengar von Kufstein and his realm, it did not take long for him to be pushed past the point of no return. Thus instead of epting his losses and making amends with the young Monarch, he instead doubled down once more.


    "I refuse to allow this upstart from Austria to further humiliate the Papacy and the Catholic Church as a whole. If I were to bow my head and concede defeat to this Devil, he would be acquiring exactly what he desires. Under no circumstances will I allow such a fantasy to be a reality!


    Instead, I will bring forth the greatest army this world has ever seen and ravage hisnds! I swear even if it is the death of me that I will see Berengar von Kufstein''s head encased in bronze, and mounted outside my walls!


    This will serve as a permanent reminder as to what happens when you dare to challenge the authority of the Church! If any of you refuse to y your part, then you can consider yourselves emunicated!"


    The Pope had expected this mad rant to convince his Cardinals to follow his n until the end. Instead, the Cardinal who had raised his objection responded by pulling off his hat and cing it on the table. After doing so, he stared deep into the Pope''s eyes before dering his intent.


    "I will not follow you into damnation. If this is the direction of the Catholic Church, then I want no part of it. You can consider me emunicated!"


    After saying this, he began to walk away from the Papal Chamber with his head held high. Julius called out to him in an utterly enraged state as he did so.


    "Fine! Go! You are emunicated and, at this moment, branded a Heretic! If you ever step foot in another Catholic Kingdom I will have your head on a pike!"


    When the other Cardinals heard the Pope''s response to the Cardinal''s resignation, many of them followed suit. They too stood up from their seats and ced their hats upon the table before walking off.


    In the end, all of the Cardinals from German-speaking regions had ended up resigning from their position and walking off. In their eyes, the Pope had gone entirely insane with a thirst for vengeance, and they refused to allow their people to bleed over the unrealistic possibility of avenging their losses to the Kingdom of Austria and its Monarch.


    ---

 Chapter 452 - Demonstration Of The 1422 Lightweight Mortar

    In the middle of the Kufstein Testing Grounds, an Austrian Soldier loaded a projectile down into the bore of the standing device; in the next moment, the 60mm shell flew through the air and towards the group of straw targets at the training ground. The moment it impacted, it blew up in a fiery explosion, sending shrapnel in all directions.


    Despite their utter destruction, the weapon was quickly reloaded and fired a second shot on the targets'' location. The shell whistled into the air and impacted once more only a few centimeters off its previous mark.


    Berengar witnessed the disy of the newest mortar design that Ludwig and his son Jakob hade up with. This lightweight, highly mobile mortar could be deployed either as a crew-served weapon or operated by a single individual.


    Berengar was quite shocked to see that without his instruction, such a valuable weapon of war had been developed by his engineers. To an even greater shock, it was not Ludwig who was the lead designer but his eldest son Jakob.


    After witnessing the demonstration performed by his soldiers, the young monarch began to p repeatedly with a wide grin on his face. Initially, he had intended to create a mortar design of his own after returning from the war effort, but in reality, his engineers had developed an entirely functional lightweight mortar without his input. Thus he was delighted to see such a valuable weapons tforme to fruition.


    "Wonderful! Wonderful! It would appear that Jakob has inherited his father''s intellect!"


    The young engineer had a bashful response as he heard the King''s mighty praise.


    "You tter me too much, your majesty; if not for the efforts of my father, I don''t believe that I alone would havee up with such a functional design."


    However, Berengar dismissed the boy''s humble ims and ced his hand on his shoulder as heplimented him once more.


    "You are too hard on yourself, Jakob, your father, has informed me of how much he contributed to this mortar, and I assure you that this weapon would not exist without your brilliant minding up with the basic design!


    This weapon will revolutionize our Infantry and their tactics! I will award you with the Order of Civil Merit for your actions! You have done well, son!"


    Though Berengar spoke as if he was substantially older than Jakob, the reality was that he was at most three years his elder. Thus it came off quite awkward as he said these words. Despite this, Jakob had a humble smile on his face as he nodded his head in agreement.


    Berengar returned his gaze to the ongoing disy; when he witnessed the basete easily removed and the weapon operated by a single user, he was genuinely shocked. Such a device would be considered exceptional even by modern standards. This was well beyond what he had in mind for a mortar.


    He watched intensely as the man ced his foot on the bottom of the mortar and held it with one hand by the handle as he skillfullyid the projectile down into its bore before firing the device. However, the 60mm ammunition had decreased in effective range. It was still a sight to behold; immediately, the young King asked the question on his mind.


    "Jakob, what is the weight of this weapon without its basete?"


    The young engineer immediately smiled as he obediently answered his King''s question.


    "Approximately 20 lbs, your majesty!"


    Berengar could not hide his awestricken state as he returned his gaze to the device. This was a genuinely lightweight mortar that could be lugged through any terrain and operated by a single soldier. The thought of such firepower in the hands of a soldier, while still capable of carrying a rifle, brought a sense of wonder to his eyes.


    Berengar was aware that such weapons were scarce in his past life and primarily utilized by special operations units. Yet here in the 15th century, his engineers hade up with a design that was a close replica while not on par with the so-calledmando mortars of his past life. He was genuinely astounded by the work of his engineers.


    Perhaps only Berengar would recognize just how useful this weapon could prove to be in the hands of the correct units, thus when he made his following statement, all of the officers gathered stared in awe at their monarch.


    "Jakob, tell me? What is it that you desire? So long as it is within my power, I shall grant it to you!''


    Even Ludwig was surprised when he heard this, and thus he nudged his son''s shoulder and whispered something in his ear. After this had urred, Jakob nodded his head before responding.


    "There is not much I require, your Majesty, thanks to the efforts of the father, my family is wealthy and has a noble title no matter how minor it is. I suppose if there is anything I might need in this life, it is a proper wife!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and immediately responded to the young man''s request.


    "Well, I can''t force a woman to marry you, but if that is your desire, I can at least make it, so you are more desirable in the eyes of our Kingdom''s manydies. Very well, I at this moment name your family the Dukes of Thurgau, henceforth Ludwig and his trueborn sons shall be given the surname von Thurgau, and rule over the Duchy of Thurgau within the Grand Duchy of Switzend!"


    All of the men present were greatly surprised when they heard this remark. Even Ludwig didn''t expect Berengar to give them such a prestigious position. Though with Berengar''s political reforms, Noble Titles had essentially be ceremonial rather than actual political rulers. Still, the title of Duke was noughing matter.


    It came with a level of Prestige that would allow plenty of youngdies of noble descent toe mbering after Ludwig''s sons with the intent for marriage. Although the actual Dukes of the old Nobility would likely snub Ludwig''s family as they were recent upstarts, such a thing would not be a case for the women from the families of Margraves and Counts.


    After a few moments of silence due to the shock, Ludwig and his son Jakob got their act together and correctly thanked their monarch for his generosity.


    "Thank you, your majesty; I swear I won''t let you down!"


    "Your Majesty, I don''t know how I can ever repay you for such generosity. However, my son will work hard to live up to your praise!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded to the two men''s responses before gazing upon the weapon''s disy once more. Now that the mortar had been taken care of, there were a few more weapons he would need to introduce. What he needed to design was a properndmine.


    Thoughndmines were one of the most brutal and unforgiving inventions of the 20th century, Berengar knew how effective they would be at securing his borders from invaders. With the uing Crusade against Austria, he wanted to take every precaution to ensure minimal losses while maximizing enemy casualties.


    Thus he vowed that after this demonstration was over, he would get to work on one of the most gnarly weapons ever to exist in his past life. For now, he sat back and drank from his chalice as he gazed upon the destructive power of the 60mm Mortar. Every time the explosion went off, he gazed with fondness upon it.


    As for Ludwig and Jakob had excited expressions; they had once more elevated their status in society and by such arge margin this time. With the wealth Ludwig had umted as the head of the Austrian Royal Armory, now arge plot ofnd, and the title of a Duke. He knew that his family would be set for generations.


    Despite this, the older man swore he would make sure that his heirs were proper noblemen and did not waste away on the wealth that their forefathers had created; he desired to create a Noble House whose name was embedded within the Industries of the Kingdom of Austria.


    While his father and King were upied with their thoughts, Jakob was intensely focused on his own. He knew he had just hit the tip of the iceberg and thoroughly nned to be even more helpful to the Kingdom of Austria in the future. Thus he vowed to produce new weapons designs and continue the family lineage of Noble Engineers.


    With the three men dwelling on their thoughts, eventually, the demonstration came to an end. Not only was Berengar fully satisfied with the results, but so were the officers in charge of overseeing the testing and implementation of weapons into the Armed Forces. A unanimous decision was made this day to implement the 60mm Mortar into service within the Austrian Royal Army as soon as possible.


    ---

 Chapter 453 - Dinner With The French Prince

    Since Aubry had first arrived in Kufstein throughout the past few days, Berengar had been maintaining his distance. As a host, he was forced to entertain guests from the nearby Kingdom of France. Because of this, he would find himself at meals with his family, with Aubry at the scene.


    An awkward situation was taking ce at the moment, as Honoria red at Aubry with a sense of overwhelming fury. The feminine Prince of France had stolen her seat next to Berengar and was currently flirting with her man.


    While Berengar was far from pleased with the result, he found it hard to push away the boy''s repeated advances. Thus he was sitting in his seat, with a twink staring at him with a longing gaze, trying to find out more about his personality.


    "I heard that your Majesty was just a lowly Baron''s son. Yet, you used your superior knowledge of engineering and tactics to rise to the Status of a King. Is that true?"


    Berengar sneered at Aubry as he entertained his question with a smug response.


    "That is right; in the eyes of many of my more noble subjects, I am still nothing more than a usurper. A lowly Baron who had killed his way to the top. Now tell me, Aubry do you despise me for my lowly pedigree?"


    Though Berengar expected the boy born with a silver spoon in his mouth to rile in disgust of his lowly heritage, his statement had the opposite effect. There was a twinkle of excitement in Aubry''s eyes and a slightly noticeable bulge in his dress as he heard Berengar boast of rising to his current position through sheer strength of will. The feminine Prince shook his head before expressing his thoughts on the matter.


    "Not at all; in fact, I find it exciting. Despite being born to a line of lowly Barons, you have used your power to achieve victory over your masters, to the point where you are now the most powerful man in Christendom. Any man who calls you usurper is unaware of your great strength!"


    Berengar immediately frowned as he noticed that his plot of insulting himself had not had turned out quite as nned. Instead, he decided to take a more religious approach. Though Berengar knew there was no way that a homosexual like Aubry was deeply religious, he did know for a fact that the social implications behind his following statement were something the boy could not ignore as a Prince of a Catholic Kingdom.


    "So, you don''t mind that I am a heretic who has been emunicated and condemned to hell by two Popes?"


    Once more, the effeminate Prince answered in a way that was contrary to the Austrian King''s expectations.


    "Not at all. I agree with some of your premises, such as how the right to rule over man is given to man, not the Church. I think if our two Kingdoms formed some form of partnership, we would be able to achieve many great things and throw off the yoke of the Papacy once and for all!"


    When Aubry said this, he reached over and started dancing his dainty fingers across Berengar''s forearm, which was a step too far for Honoria to handle. She immediatelyshed out at her ex-fiance and violently ripped his hand away from her husband.


    "Get your paws off my man, you filthy tramp!"


    Though Aubry was far from a violent man, he realized he was struggling to contain his desire to p the bitch for her interference in his seduction attempt. Luckily for Berengar, Honoria had removed Aubry''s hands, or else he would have punched the Prince, causing a diplomatic crisis. If there were one thing he would not tolerate from a man, it was forced physical intimacy. Rather than resort to violence, Aubry forced a smile beforementing on Honoria''s behavior.


    "Princess Honoria, there is no need to be so hostile. I am simply being friendly, as is my responsibility as a diplomat of my father''s Kingdom."


    However, Honoria was not buying this remark. Instead, she stared at Aubry with a murderous aura as she whispered a vile threat into his ear.


    "If you continue to seduce my husband, mark my words. It will end bloody for you!"


    Despite these words, Aubry was undeterred and smiled at Honoria in response. Linde and Ad gazed upon this scene of conflict while eating their meals. They had no intentions of interrupting the effeminate Prince who was making a fool of himself.


    As for Henrietta, she was also ring daggers at the young man; the reason being is she would never allow yet another bitch to steal her brother away from her. Even if this bitch was a man dressed as a woman. She would be damned if her precious big brother slept with this tramp before herself! Ultimately, Yasmin broke the tension by making a remarkablement.


    "If there were a man like you in my Kingdom, we would throw him from the rooftop. Frankly, I find yourck of masculinity utterly disgusting..."


    When Berengar heard this, he set down his fork and uttered hismand to the chaotic scene and the people involved with it.


    "Enough! Sit down, and shut up the lot of you! We are having dinner! I will not tolerate any more conflict at this table!"


    Honoria immediately sank back into her seat while Aubry crossed his arms and pouted like a woman. As for the others, they went back to eating their food. For a while, there was utter silence until Aubry finally took his first bite of the k?sesp?tzle; as he did so, he moaned in pleasure like a bitch in heat.


    This exaggerated action did not go unnoticed by everyone at the table, including Berengar, who struggled to cope with the obnoxious noise. However, ultimately he gazed over sternly at the French Prince and forced a smile.


    "Do you like it?"


    Without hesitation, Aubry nodded emphatically before digging more of the cheesy-noodle dish into his mouth. After a few bites, he washed it down with a ss of milk beforeplimenting the meal.


    "This is the best thing I have ever tasted. Do you eat like this every day?"


    Berengar immediately nodded his head in response with a proud smile on his face; as he did so, heplimented the chefs and their hard work on creating such delectable dishes.


    "Of course! The Chefs in Austria are second to none! You will not find finer cuisine in all of Europe! Especially not in your Kingdom."


    As he made thisment, ace of venom was hidden on Berengar''s tongue. Partially because he came from a German family in his past life and lived as a German King in this one, he had a particr disdain towards the French, especially towards the im from his previous life that their cooking was some of the best in the world.


    During his previous life, Berengar had enjoyed many great dishes from plenty of cultures, which was one of the perks of being an American. In his view, there were three Nations that couldpete for the honor of having the best food, and they were from three different continents. German, Chinese, and Mexican food were his favorite cuisine.


    Reflecting upon this he began to wonder how Mexican food would develop in this timeline since he would colonize the Northern Region instead of the Spanish. The alien hybrid of Native and German cuisine was a thought that he was greatly interested in. Ultimately he was snapped back to reality by one of Aubry''sments that immediately filled his stomach with revile.


    "I wish I were a woman, then I could marry you and eat this food every day!"


    The moment the French Prince said these words, he once more received the death res from Honoria and Henrietta. However, despite their intense hatred for this slutty trap from the Kingdom of France, they made sure to stay their tongues due to the warning that Berengar had given. Henrietta immediately became intimidated by the presence of this foreign tempter and decided to make a move to get one step closer to her big brother.


    "Big brother... I don''t feel so good. I think I have had too much wine. Do you mind carrying me to my room?"


    Henrietta made sure to properly exaggerate her words and sway her head with a fugue-like gaze to sell the act properly. If Linde was not already aware of the girl''s feelings and scheming nature, even she might have bought into the show. Just when she was about toment on this, Berengar stood up from his seat, walked over to his little sister, and picked her up before addressing the rest of his women and his guest.


    "I will be back shortly; in the meantime, I advise the rest of you to behave!"


    Berengar was not stupid; he knew his sister well enough to know that she was faking; however, he would rather risk alone time with his sister''s seduction attempts than spend a minute longer with Aubry.


    Thus he carried Henrietta towards her quarters. As he did so, she rested her pretty face in his chest and inhaled his masculine musk. She had finally been allowed to be alone with her brother, and she swore to make the most of it.


    ---

 Chapter 454 - Sweet Dreams, My Precious Little Princess

    Berengar carried his little sister Henrietta up the stairs to her room as if she were a princess. Now that he thought about it, she was indeed technically a princess. Thus, he had a smug smile on his face as he thought about his sister''s prestigious position, resulting from his actions in this life.


    Henrietta had no idea what her precious big brother was thinking about as he dodged the ongoing conflict downstairs in the dining room. However, seeing him smile as he carried her away to her quarters was enough to make her happy thus, she clung closely onto his chest and engorged herself in the warmth that his body was exuding beyond his clothing.


    Eventually, the King and his Princess made their way into the girl''s quarters, where Berengar tucked the allegedly intoxicated young woman into her bed before kissing her on the forehead. He was prepared to leave her behind and head back to the dining room until the moment she grabbed onto his sleeve.


    As Henrietta did so, her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment; however, she had decided to make the most of this moment and thus she made a request of her brother for the first time in a long time.


    "Big Brother, will you stay and tell me a story like you did when I was a kid?"


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this before sitting down on the bed next to his sister and began spinning a tale about himself from his previous life. He did not know why, but he had an overwhelming desire to spill the truth about his past, even if it was in the form of a bedtime story.


    "There once was a boy named Julian who grew up in a farawaynd. In thisnd, there were hundreds of millions of people, and most of them lived their lives without achieving anything of significance. They were truly Cogs in the machine and never managed to move the dirt necessary to bury them."


    At this point, Berengar''s expression began to shift from nostalgic to slightly distressed. He remained silent for a few moments as he struggled toe up with the words to express the cruelty of the life that he was forced to endure in his youth during his past life.


    "This boy came from an impoverished family and was bullied by his peers due to theck of ie that his family had. You see, in this society, the average person lived a life of such wealth and luxury that they tended to take everything they had for granted. The average household lived in such levels of prosperity that even the noble houses of our society could notpete with them.


    However, as a result, those at the bottom of society could not afford thevish lifestyle of the middle ss, and thus they were often ridiculed for it. While other kids were receiving thetest fashion and newest toys, Julian was forced to endure through the years making us of the generous donations from those better-off families.


    After being ruthlessly berated by those kids his exact age, he woulde home to an empty dwelling, where he was forced to cook his meals and clean for himself. However, things were not all bad. He managed to get close to a pretty girl and be her friend. He would even spend hours of his day teaching her how to do her school work.


    Years passed by, and Julian had entered his teens; in doing so, he had fallen in love with this girl who was his only friend. One day, there was a big dance to be had at the school, and Julian decided to muster his courage to ask his friend out. However, despite his feelings for her, things did not go as expected. Do you know what her response was?


    I am sorry, but I could never go out with someone as poor as you...


    Julian was heartbroken; however, the worst part was that their friendship rapidly deteriorated after that until a point where they barely talked anymore. The moment this girl got herself a rich boyfriend as she had wanted, Julian came to a decision, and that was that he would make something of his life, and not live a life of poverty like his parents.


    So you know what he did? He spent the next four years dismissing his social life and working hard so that he would have the ability to get into a good college. He also worked on his fitness to ensure a healthy body and mind. After all, no matter sessful he was, he would never be able to get a decent girlfriend if he was a fat tub ofrd, or so he believed.


    However, when the time came to go to university, he selected the Military Academy. Why would he do that, you might ask? Because he could not afford to be in debt for the rest of his life for going to his first choice of a university!


    You see, universities were costly in this Kingdom, so much so that you would be selling yourself into debt for decades to afford the tuition fees. However, the military academy was different; they would practically pay for your entire expenses, so long as you pledged to serve eight years in the armed forces after graduation. The difficulty was that the military had a very low eptance rate, luckily Julian had graduated High School with high enough marks that he was epted!


    Thus Julian spent another four years of his life doing nothing but studying hard toplete his education as an engineer. During this time, he had met a few acquaintances who helped him along his path but in the end, he had never really developed any longsting friendships or rtionships with women, for that matter. By the time he knew it, those four years passed by, and he was sent into the Army as an Engineering Officer.


    After graduating from the military academy and entering his service, he performed excellently at his job, and things were starting to look up in life. However, years of maintaining a distance from others had crippled his ability to form anysting bonds. Thus he struggled to bond with those beneath hismand on any meaningful level. Despite this, he was making a good sry as an officer and was even awarded for his efforts..."


    Henrietta could see the pain on her brother''s face as he continued the story; however, despite this, she was thoroughly enthralled with the tale and eventually asked for him to continue.


    "What happened next?"


    Berengar could feel his entire life shing before his eyes as he reminisced about his past life especially the painful death at its end; after several moments, he finally collected his thoughts and stood up from the bed. After doing so, he ended the story with the truth.


    "It is quite tragic, during hisst deployment, a month before the war was supposed toe to an end, he was killed in an attack by the enemy while working on a construction project that wasn''t even needed to begin with. So much potential, gone to waste... But I guess that is life..."


    Upon hearing this ending, Henrietta burst out into tears; she did not know why this story had troubled her to such an extent. However, after listening to her brother tell that tale as if it were about himself, it had broken her heart. The very idea that Berengar had to go through life alone, with such difficulties nearly took the young Princess''s breath away.


    The young King of Austria noticed his sister''s distraught behavior and immediately rushed tofort her; he climbed into bed beside her and hugged her as he stroked her silky hair while reassuring her that things were for the best.


    "Do not cry, my sweet little sister; death is not always final! For all that we know, Julian was born again in a different world, where he used his vast knowledge to be a mighty King and lead his people to glory!"


    Henrietta felt better after hearing this and started to giggle; she wiped the tears from her eyes with her dainty hands before gazing at her brother in his deep sapphire eye. As she did so, she made a jest of her own.


    "Kind of like you? Huh, big brother?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before responding.


    "Just like me..."


    After saying this, Henrietta wrapped her arms around Berengar and swiftly fell asleep in his arms. Seeing that the girl was utterly unconscious, Berengar sighed beforementing on the situation.


    "At least let me get undressed..."


    After saying this, he broke free from Henrietta''s grasp; the moment he did so, the young woman began to frown in her sleep as if she was aware that he had escaped. Upon seeing this, Berengar sighed before stripping out of his luxurious clothing until only boxer shorts remained. After doing so, he climbed back into bed with Henrietta and kissed her on the forehead; after reflecting upon his past and current lives, he muttered the words in his heart.


    "Sweet dreams, my precious little princess!"


    Having uttered these words, Berengar soon found himself falling asleep beneath the warmth of the down covers, with his little sistertched onto him like amprey. He would sleep this night in her bed,pletely forgetting that he had left his wives, along with the French Prince, downstairs.

 Chapter 455 - You Are All I Have In This World!

    The following day Berengar awoke to the feeling of something wet pressed against his lips; when he finally managed to open his eyes, he witnessed a face pressed against his, with their lips intertwined.


    Immediately he became frightened and pushed the young woman aside to reveal that it was none other than his sister. With a coquettish expression on her pretty face, Henrietta ced a loose strand of her silky golden hair behind her ear before greeting Berengar.


    "Good morning, big brother!"


    Immediately the young King felt frightened and yet at the same time slightly aroused as he thought to himself.


    Has my sister always been this beautiful?


    Nevertheless, he instantly looked away from Henrietta''s azure blue nightgown, which showed off her cleavage. Though it wasn''t asrge as Linde or Yasmin''s, there was no doubt that her bust was more significant than Ad''s, perhaps even more prominent than Honoria''s. However, as a proper brother, he averted his gaze, despite his dark desire to get a better nce.


    Before Henrietta could make a move on her brother, the door mmed open to reveal the sight of Berengar''s various wives, who were enraged that their husband did not find himself in their bed during the previous night.


    Ad was practically red with fury as she stared at her Cousin, who had a guilty expression on her face. Henrietta immediately stood up from the bed and bowed before her Kingly brother before departing for the bathroom.


    "Big Brother, I had a great timest night! I just want you to know, that was my first time..."


    After saying this, she absconded from the scene like a frightened criminal, leaving Berengar to bear the brunt of his wives'' fury. The Austrian King''s expression sank when he heard those misleading wordse from his sister''s mouth. Immediately he lifted his hands in defense while asserting his innocence.


    "It''s not what it looks like; nothing happened between us!"


    Despite this truth, none of his women were buying his protests. After Henrietta''sments, they had to be thorough in their investigation before buying such a line. Linde had a murderous glint in her sky blue eyes as she stormed over to the bed and threw off the covers, where she quickly began to scour the scene for evidence of wrongdoing.


    "We will see about that!"


    Berengar immediately hid his excited little brother with his hands as the girls observed the white sheets to ensure no signs of any incestuous behavior between the two siblings. After confirming that they were clean, Linde sighed in relief before dering that Berengar was, in fact, innocent.


    "They''re clean; aside from being a pervert who gets excited over his sister, no crime has beenmitted here."


    Berengar sighed in relief as he heard this. Luckily he would be spared the trouble Henrietta had nearly brought upon him. Despite being found not guilty of the alleged charges, his wives were by no means relieved. After all, he was enticed by Henrietta, which was a fact that they could not easily ignore.


    However, before they could adequately scold him, Aubry walked by the room in his gossamer nightgown, which showed off the woman''s panties he was wearing beneath them; he immediately gazed over at the scene and became curious; thus, he walked into the room where he witnessed Berengar''s well-toned half-naked body. The effeminate prince practically drooled in excitement upon seeing this and could not help butment on the situation.


    "Oh, King Berengar, you are so manly; won''t you impart some of your wisdom unto me?"


    Luckily for the Austrian King, Aubry had no idea that this was, in fact, Henrietta''s room, and thus he was unaware of the allegationsid against him. Instead, he was too absorbed with the appearance of a striking German man in his undergarments.


    Of course, the moment Aubry said this, Berengar''s multiple wives immediately shifted their attention to him and forced him out of the room, leaving Berengar by his lonesome. They had forgotten entirely that Henrietta was still in the attached bathroom.


    The moment they disappeared, Henrietta appeared before her brother with a sly smile on her face. Berengar was quite irritated by her actions and immediately flicked her forehead before scolding her.


    "Just what the hell were you thinking saying such a provocative statement! Do you have any idea the kind of trouble I would be in if they mistook your words for something more severe?"


    Despite being criticized by her older brother, Henrietta merely yed dumb; in doing so, she put on an innocent expression before asking Berengar why she was being so mistreated.


    "What did I say wrong, big brother? I didn''t lie! I swear that was my first kiss!"


    Despite her convincing act of innocence, Berengar refused to buy it and flicked his sister on the head once more before lecturing her yet again.


    "You know damn well what I meant! I swear to God if you weren''t my sister-"


    Before Berengar could finish his sentence, Henrietta spoke over him with a mocking expression.


    "You would pin me down on this bed right now and ravage me?"


    Immediately Berengar''s cheeks became flushed red in embarrassment as his mind began to melt. He had no idea how to handle such provocation. He tried to shift his head away and avert his gaze. However, Henrietta grabbed ahold of his cheeks and fixed his line of sight on her beautiful azure eyes.


    "I can''t be the only one who wants this... Can''t you be honest with yourself? Who cares what anyone else thinks? You are the King; you can do what you want!"


    However, despite her enticement Berengar merely turned away from her and began to get dressed in his clothes on the floor; as he did so, he began to speak his thoughts on the matter.


    "No, it is wrong, Henrietta, and you need to move past this fantasy of yours because it is never going to happen!"


    Despite his harsh words, Henrietta refused to give up; as her brother was equipping his pants, shetched onto his back with tears in her eyes as she professed her feelings to him.


    "Don''t you dare leave me! Mom and Dad left me! So didmbert! I can''t bear to lose you too! You are all I have in this world!"


    Berengar could feel his back smeared with tears, and thus he sighed heavily. He couldn''t bear seeing his sister cry; therefore, he turned around and stuffed her head into his chest as heforted her.


    "My sweet little sister, I will never leave you, but what you want from me is something that I can not give you. Even if a part of me did want to be with you, it could never happen, for if someone found out about our little secret, it would undo everything I have worked so hard to achieve! Everyone would turn on me, and in the end, I would be deposed, and you would no longer be a Princess!"


    Henrietta merely shook her head; she refused to listen to reason in her distraught state and gazed up into her brother''s one good eye as she continued totch onto him.


    "I don''t care about any of that; I only want you!"


    Berengar kissed his sister''s head before forcing himself apart in response to this. As he walked to the door, he left behind the words that Henrietta wouldtch onto with hope.


    "We will discuss thister after you have calmed down..."


    The moment he left the room and shut the door behind him, the young princess fell to her knees and began to break out into tears. After several minutes of crying, she managed to find her resolve. She refused to admit defeat; if Ad could win his heart as a cousin, then surely she could do the same!


    Thus despite Berengar''s best efforts to let his sister down softly, Henrietta was now more determined than ever to find a way to make things work between the two of them, and she would not stop until she had found a way to make such a thing into reality.


    As for Berengar slowly descended the staircase; he was only half-dressed, the remainder of his Kingly attireid strewn across Henrietta''s bedroom floor. He evencked his signature eyepatch. Instead, he was lost in thought; he knew deep down there was a part of him that was at least attracted to his sister. However, he also knew that such a thing was wrong for many reasons. It was a pity that Henrietta was his sister, or else maybe they could indeed be together.


    Ultimately he walked out into the gardens of the Imperial Pce, which were covered in snow, where he sat on a bench in the freezing weather of the Austrian Alps. The Austrian Monarch rested his head in his hands as he tried to find a solution to the problem at hand, one that could make everyone happy.


    It would be some time before Berengar returned inside, and by that time, he was nearly frozen solid from the cold. However, despite his foolish actions, he would endure as he always had. As for how Berengar would handle his sister''s incestuous feelings, perhaps even God did not know the answer to that.


    ---

 Chapter 456 - Buying Time

    Berengar sat by the firece as he warmed himself beneath a nket. He had just done something utterly foolish, and that was to enter the cold winter weather of the Alps with nothing but pants on. He had spent more than enough time outside on a frozen bench, thinking through his plight in the freezing weather.


    He was indeed in a difficult situation as it appeared Henrietta''s infatuation with him was more substantial than he initially believed, almost like she was dependent on his affection to sustain herself. If he coldly rejected her, there was no way of knowing what drastic measures she might take to win his love.


    Thus he hade to a decision, he needed to buy himself some time. Time to find a proper suitor for Henrietta, and introduce him to the girl so that she could build a proper bond, with a man unrted to her. However, it had be obvious that she would insist on an answer from him sooner rather thanter. Thus he had hatched a plot within his mind that would allow him to aplish his goals.


    Until he found a proper suitor for his sister, Berengar would be forced to entertain some of her less radical ideas, to give her the emotional fulfillment she needed to prevent any unnecessary actions that she might resort to if she were desperate enough.


    As he was thinking of these thoughts by the fire, Henrietta silently approached him from afar. Eventually, she sat down next to her brother without him noticing. It was not until shetched onto him did he begin to see her presence.


    Berengar''s first instinct was to flee the scene, but like a wolf who had locked onto its prey, Henrietta could smell his fear, thus with a soft voice as if she was hiding her true nature by acting like a sheep, she whispered something in his ear.


    "Big brother, please don''t leave me..."


    Upon hearing this, the young King''s defenses immediately melted, and he sat firmly in ce, where he began to pat the Princess'' head like he had done so many times before. As he did so, he gazed down at her appearance to see that her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying for some time. With a heavy sigh, he began to put his n into motion.


    "I would never leave you, Henrietta..."


    A glimmer of hope appeared in the girl''s azure eyes as she heard her brother''s words, almost as if she was too afraid to shatter the dream she found herself in; Henrietta cocked her head with a curious expression on her doll-like face.


    "Do you mean-"


    However, before she couldplete her sentence, Berengar gazed at her with firm determination and nodded his head before revealing his n.


    "If it is what you desire, then I can be with you, however, we must keep it a secret from the others. If anyone were to find out about our rtionship, it would be the end of everything we hold dear..."


    Henrietta immediately nodded her head thrice with a broad smile on her face. However, Berengar interrupted her once more.


    "We will take this slow, and in the meantime, I will find a suitor for you to keep up appearances as if everything is normal between us, you must agree to be courted by a man of my choosing."


    The young Princess immediately began to frown as she heard this condition, her cheeks puffed up as she pouted before expressing her discontent.


    "But I don''t want to! I only want to be with big brother! The thought of talking to another man disgusts me!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, however, in his mind, he was cursing himself; it would appear he still underestimated his sister''s obsession with him. However, to get his n to work, he would need to convince her of this condition.


    His grand scheme was that he would pretend to date his sister in a secret while, in reality, setting her up with a man that she could grow close to and form a healthy bond with. Thus he put on an intimate facade as he grabbed ahold of her chin with a smile on his face.


    "Henrietta, my dear little sister. You are now of the age to marry, and if I don''t at least create an attempt to get you a husband, then not only will my wives grow suspicious, but so will the people of Austria. For us to be together, there must be some sort of cover..."


    Berengar''s little sister gazed at him with a distraught expression; Though she did not want to see another man, she could understand her brother''s reasoning. After careful consideration, the young Princess decided that she would tolerate this condition but she vowed to herself that this was merely a facade to mask her illicit affair with her brother. Thus she slowly nodded her head with downcast eyes.


    "Okay... I will do whatever is necessary to be with you!"


    Immediately after saying this, she jumped into her brother''s arms and tried to kiss him once more; however, Berengar immediately shrugged her off and made some distance between them. When he did so, Henrietta became confused and inwardly questioned his actions. Despite this, the young King cleared his throat before making his stance clear.


    "If we are to do this, Henrietta, then we need to take it slow; for now, there will be no kissing or physical intimacy of any kind; aside from holding hands, and hugging okay?"


    This response was not what the girl was looking for and she immediately began to pout once more; despite this, Berengar grabbed ahold of her hands with his own and smiled. Ultimately Henrietta could not resist her brother''s charming face and sighed before agreeing to his terms.


    "Fine... we can take it slow for now..."


    After agreeing to these terms, shetched onto her brother and shoved her head into his chest as she sniffed his masculine musk. Berengar had no choice but to wrap his arms around his sister, all while asking the question in his mind.


    How long can I keep this up before she demands more from me?


    Thus, for now, Berengar had bought himself some much-needed time to deal with theplex issues that stood between him and his sister. As for potential suitors? He had a few men in mind who had proven themselves as valuable members of Austrian society and were rtively young. After all, he would never set up his dear sister with an old man or a scoundrel.


    While Berengar and Henrietta were making up from their brief fight earlier, Linde was sitting before the French Prince with her legs crossed; if Lambert were still alive, and witnessed this scene, he would be all too familiar with the domineering expression on the woman''s face.


    For whatever reason, Aubry brought out thetent sadist inside Linde''s heart. After dealing with her husband''s nonsense early in the morning, she was not forced to admonish the French Prince for his action. The young queen utterly refused to have this femboy strutting around in neglige attempting to seduce her husband.


    Upon gazing at the beautiful woman''s frightening expression Aubry was absolutely petrified; he had never met such a terrifying woman in his life. Thus hey prstrate on the floor begging for forgiveness from the Second Queen of Austria.


    "Please forgive me, your Highness, I know now of my misdeeds, and I swear, I will wear appropriate clothing henceforth!"


    Despite his apology, Linde red at him with a cold expression on her face; as she did so, she ced her heel upon his head and mmed the effeminate Prince''s skull into the ground. After doing so, she spoke with a tone of voice she had not used in some time.


    "Pathetic! You call yourself a man, yet here you are dressed like a woman; I honestly don''t know what you intend to aplish by being here in Kufstein, but it ends now. Pack your bags and return from whence you came.


    If your father wishes to deal business with Austria in the future, he is best to send a more impressive diplomat, for you are an utterly disgusting creature. If I catch you within the borders of my Husband''s Kingdom after you have been expelled, then I promise you, only pain and death await!"


    The French Prince shivered upon hearing these words; in all of his life, the only woman he had ever feared was his elder sister, and yet the redheadedss sitting in front of him deeply reminded him of that woman. The difference was, that she was more mature, and had far more tool at her disposal to aplish her threats.


    Another point that instilled dread into the boy''s heart, was that, unlike his sister, he had no familial bonds with Linde to stay her hand; instead, she gazed upon him with total contempt and cruelty. Thus, he knew that she would remain faithful to her words if he were to risk staying in Austria any longer.


    After kneeling his head on the floor beneath Linde''s feet, Aubry vowed internally to never return to the Kingdom of Austria nor attempt to sway its King ever again. Upon seeing that she had utterly broken the Prince, a wicked smile etched itself upon Linde''s lips as she pulled out a knife and cut the bonds that tied him up. As she did so, she spoke in a cold and murderous tone.


    "You are free to leave, but remember my warning, for you will not be given a second chance!"


    After hearing these chilling words, Aubry returned to his room where he frantically packed his supplies; having done so, he quickly fled the Pce of Austria with his host, leaving behind a letter to Berengar, which acted as an apology for his swift retreat.


    Now that the Prince was gone, Linde narrowed her gaze in the direction of Henrietta''s room. One threat was now removed. All that remained was to figure out a way to deal with the other little brat appropriately. Her hands curled in rage as she thought about her husband''s scandalous actions on this past night.


    Though nothing had happened between the two siblings, it would not be long before something troublesome transpired if things were left as they were. Though she could not harm the Princess, there were other ways to deter the girl from the treacherous path that she walked upon. While Berengar had hatched a n to deal with Henrietta''s incestuous fantasies, so too did Linde.


    ---

 Chapter 457 - Family Reunion Part I

    Months had passed since that fateful day when Berengar entered into a rtionship with his sister in secret, and things had be normal once more. Though he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to find an appropriate suitor for Henrietta, it was not as easy as he was initially led to believe.


    Due to his fearsome reputation as a conqueror and a man with a severe sisterplex, it was difficult to find any man worthy of his sister who had the stones to pursue the Austrian Princess. Thus at the moment, he was overseeing various dossierspiled by Linde on men of high nobility or merit who could be considered eptable suitors for Henrietta.


    However, as he was ncing over these documents, a slight knock resounded upon the thick wooden door, interrupting his studies. Thus the young monarch elected to take a short break as he looked over at the intrusion before replying to the person whose identity was concealed on the other side of the door.


    "What is it?"


    Immediately he heard a somewhat irritated yet feminine voice behind the door, who he knew to belong to none other than his Second Wife, Linde.


    "Master, your parents are here..."


    Immediately Berengar rose from his seat before approaching the door; upon opening it, he witnessed the captivating sight of his beautiful redheaded bride. She was not very happy with her inw''s arrival, and Berengar did not me her; after all, his mother had treated her quite cruelly in the past, and since their marriage, things had not gotten any better. Thus without hesitation, Berengar assumed his role as mediator between the two women and gave his wife an order.


    "Lead the way!"


    Linde nodded silently before leading her husband to the Dining Hall, where the entire family was gathered. An awkward silence prevailed in the room, aside from the sound of Sieghard speaking with Yasmin about how she hade to marry his son in secret.


    "I have honestly never found tan skin to be attractive myself, but I must say you are gorgeous! My son is a lucky man to have a Moorish Princess as another one of his brides!"


    Immediately upon saying this, Gis red at her husband, while she was ying with Ad''s twins. She could not believe that the man supported their son''s oundish behavior. As far as she was concerned, Berengar had one wife, her niece.


    Eventually, she noticed her son''s arrival and red at him menacingly as he entered the room. Though Berengar had no idea what he had done to invoke his mother''s ire this time, he was d to see that she at least remained civil with his various brides. Thus the Austrian King put on a broad smile as he greeted his parents, whom he had not seen in some time.


    "Father, Mother, it is good to see you here in my home! I assume you are here to visit your grandchildren?"


    Immediately Gis handed off the twins to their mother before she approached her son and grabbed ahold of his ears as she yanked on it with force. The moment she did so, Berengar winced in pain as she began to rebuke him for his actions.


    "You little bastard! You end up having children with your wife, and you don''t even write a letter to inform us! I had to find out via the local newspaper, and they are far behind on the Capital''s events! The next time you and your wife have children, you write me a letter ASAP. Do you understand me?"


    Upon saying this small rant, the woman let go of her grasp over her son''s ear, resulting in the young King rubbing it with a pained expression. He silently nodded his head in response to his mother''s harsh words.


    "Yes, mother..."


    Upon witnessing this interaction, Henrietta smiled and giggled; no matter how powerful her precious big brother became, he would always react the same around their mother. It was good to know that though he had grown more ambitious with his ever-increasing power, fundamentally, he was still the same kind and caring big brother she had always known and loved.


    As for Berengar''s brides had mixed expressions; they noticed how the old Baroness had used the term "wife" rather than "wives" and were less than pleased with her assertion. Despite this, Ad walked over to her Aunt, with the twins in her arms, and smiled.


    "Aunty Gis, it is always nice to see you!"


    The two women appeared to be on better terms than all the others, including the mother and daughter. Henrietta bit her lip as she witnessed her cousin getting along with her mother. She was not exactly on the best terms with her parents after they moved to the countryside and left her in the care of her brother all those years ago.


    Upon seeing the awkward disy, Berengar decided to get involved; as such, he approached his wife and mother and hugged the two of them before trying to soothe the tensions between them, his other wives, and his sister.


    "Mother, it is good to see you. Have you said hello to Henrietta yet? She has grown into quite the beautiful young woman in your absence!"


    Truthfully Gis did not even notice her daughter sitting quietly at the table; she had been too enamored with her niece and the two twins. Thus when Berengar said these words, she gazed over at Henrietta and was stunned by how much she had grown.


    "Henrietta? Is that you?"


    The young Princess red at her mother as she called out to her. It was clear from her expression some serious issues had to be worked out in their rtionship. As such, she stood up from her spot and approached her mother, however when she came close, she veered away from her mother andtched onto Berengar''s arm before making a spiteful remark.


    "Big brother, who is this woman? I don''t recall ever seeing her before!"


    The moment she said this, Gis''s expression sank, and Ad became visibly enraged at her cousin''s behavior. As for Berengar''s other wives, they began to giggle; it served the woman right for treating them like they were nothing more than their husband''s mistresses. Berengar immediately flicked his sister on the nose before scolding her in front of everyone.


    "Henrietta, behave yourself!"


    After saying this, he looked over at his mother and apologized on his sister''s behalf, which immediately caused the girl to pout.


    "I''m sorry, mother, though Henrietta is now of age to marry, she is still a bit immature..."


    Immediately Gis frowned at Berengar before scolding him.


    "Whose fault do you think that is? My baby girl is already sixteen, and you have not even found her a man. If I knew you were going to neglect her, I wouldn''t have left her in your care!"


    Berengar struggled to maintain his smile as he listened to his mother''s harsh words; though he wanted to criticize her for abandoning Henrietta to his care, he chose not to do so. However, in the next moment, before he could smooth things over, Henrietta took the opportunity to enrage her mother further.


    "What do you mean? Big brother is my man!"


    After saying this, Henrietta pecked her brother on the cheek in front of everyone; the moment she did so, everyone was shocked, including Berengar. After hearing this, he flicked his sister on the forehead once more before lecturing her on her behavior.


    "Not funny!"


    In response to this, Henrietta stuck out her tongue as if she were joking the whole time; she knew she could not reveal the secret rtionship she had with her brother. Thus the moment she did so, everybody present sighed in relief; Gis nearly had a heart attack from this announcement.


    Therefore when she finally recovered, she felt the need to p her daughter; clearly, Berengar had failed as her guardian. As she raised her hand to do so, Berengar caught ahold of her wrist and red at his mother before speaking coldly to her.


    "No offense, mother, but the moment you abandoned Henrietta to my care, you forfeit any parenting rights you may have; disciplining my sister for her errant behavior is my responsibility, not yours!"


    Sieghard gazed upon his wife and children with a stoic gesture; it was confirmed that he had abandoned them to focus on his health, but his wife was taking things too far. Thus, he intervened in the conflict before it escted any further.


    "Leave the kids be, Dear. So the girl has a bit of a mischievous streak in her, that will disappear in time. I''m sure our son has done a wonderful job raising our daughter. Now, how about we all get something nice to eat ande together as a family."


    With that said, the tensions were eased, and the family began to sit down at the table for a nice meal. Though Sieghard had defused the timebomb that was his familial rtions, for now, it would not take much to set off at least one of the many women present. Thus Berengar and his father would have to navigate through the following lunch perfectly to avoid any future conflict.


    ---

 Chapter 458 - Family Reunion Part II

    At the head of the table sat Berengar; to his left was Linde, to his right was Ad; as for his other two wives, they nked both sides of the table, followed by Henrietta and Berengar''s parents. On the other edge of the seating, was where all of the children were sitting in high chairs since they were far too young to sit in a regr seat, aside from Hans that is, who sat in his own seat with his small feet dangling from the air.


    For the past few minutes, since they began to eat the lunch prepared for them by the kitchen, thisrge family sat inplete and utter silence. An awkward silence prevailed as the only sound that could be heard was the people gathered munching on their food. While this was going on Henrietta red across the table at her mother with a bitter stare.


    Though Henrietta had enjoyed her time in Kufstein, growing up under the tutge of her precious big brother. There was no doubt that her current infatuation for her sibling stemmed from the abandonment issues resulting from her parents'' up and disappearing after Lambert''s death and leaving her alone with Berengar and Linde.


    However, it appeared that both her mother and father were aging well after their retirement and were living safe and secluded lives in the heart of the Tyrolean Alps. This was something that the young Princess had contention with; if not for their poor parenting, then perhaps Lambert would still be alive.


    Neither Henrietta nor her mother was aware of the true origins of Lambert''s death. Of course, even if Berengar informed his sister how their brother passed, she would undoubtedly take his side. After all, by now, she was greatly enamored with her big brother and willing to engage in an incestuous rtionship with him. What was a little fratricide in the face of her unconditional love?


    However, Berengar wanted to maintain the memory in Henrietta''s heart that Lambert was not the backstabbing scoundrel he was. In doing so, he had unwittingly created a divide between the girl and her mother; after all, she shifted the me on her parents for Lambert''s passing. While Henrietta scowled at her mother, Berengar noticed this and immediately tried to mend the void.


    "Henrietta, my dearest sister, you know it is rather rude to stare at our mother in such a manner..."


    However, despite his words, Henrietta did not cease her activity. Instead, she cut into the jaeger schnitzel, which sat on her te, and elegantly took a bite from her fork. After doing so, she merely snubbed her mother and responded to Berengar with an excited expression.


    "So, Big Brother, when will we be going to Gibraltar?"


    Berengar immediately had a stunned expression on his face as he nced over to the gazes of his four angry wives. He had nned to take the girls on a honeymoon to Gibraltar in the summer, but he had not voiced this concern.


    In fact, due to his political circumstances, he not only rushed three weddings in the span of as many months, but he never actually took his girls on the trip they deserved. Now that his schedule was reasonably open, he had decided that he would take some time to enjoy a vacation with all four of his wives on the beaches of Gibraltar, where the vi was given to him by Hasan lie.


    Either Henrietta had gotten wind of his ns, or was merely creating conflict, for the sake of it. Either way, he had to put his foot down and exin his ns before any of his wives got the wrong idea. As such, he presented a calm facade as he swallowed the scoop of k?sesp?tzle on his spoon. After washing it down with the taste of a heartyger, he began to inform his family of his ns.


    "Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, and I don''t know how Henrietta figured it out, but I intend to take all of you on a trip to Gibraltar this summer..."


    Various gazes of excitement filled the eyes of Berengar''s wives; as for Yasmin, she had a look of nostalgia as she remembered all the times she and Berengar had made love on the beach during his stay in Iberia. After a few lively exchanges, Ad finally came up with an essential question in her pretty little head.


    "Will Henrietta being with us?"


    Berengar immediately exchanged nces between his sister, his wives, and his mother as he thought through the answer to this question. He sincerely hoped to find a suitor for Henrietta before he went on a honeymoon with his wives. Otherwise, she was bound to interfere and demand some special attention of her own due to their "secret rtionship." Thus he cracked a joke in an attempt to shrug off the responsibility.


    "That is unless I can find a proper suitor for her in the meantime... It is just a damn shame..."


    Immediately Adtched onto thest part of Berengar''s statement and inquired further about it with a curious gaze.


    "What is?"


    Berengar shook his head and merely chuckled in response to his wife''s question.


    "Nothing, I was just thinking that if Henrietta and I weren''t rted by blood, then I could marry her instead..."


    Immediately everyone''s expression sank as they heard this, especially Ad. Henrietta was the only person among their ranks who did not react gravely; unlike the others, she gazed upon her brother with a lovestruck appearance��as for Gis, she responded by smacking her son across the back of his head before rebuking him for his inappropriatement.


    "Don''t even joke like that! It is unbing for a man of your position!"


    Berengar chuckled in response to this while Sieghard gazed upon his son and daughter with aplicated expression. Judging by his two kids'' reactions, something was going on between them. However, immediately after thinking this, he shook his head and dismissed the thought. While Berengar may be a womanizer, there was no way he was that far gone.


    As for Henrietta, he did not know his daughter well enough to predict her feelings on the matter urately. However, he was not foolish enough to miss the intimate nces that the girl shared with her brother now and then.


    Eventually, a frown appeared on the older man''s face as he thought about what Berengar had said. It was indeed a damn shame that the two of them were rted by blood because nobody was better for his daughter than a man like his son. Unfortunately, there was only one man like Berengar in this world, and he was the blood-rted brother of Henrietta.


    Thus he tried to shift his thoughts elsewhere, as his gazended on Linde, he was well aware of the difficulties between his wife and Berengar''s second Queen. Though his opinion of the woman was initially bitter, he hade to see how beneficial she was to his son''s life and Kingdom over the years. Thus, he began an attempt to bridge the gap between her and his wife as he brought up memories of the past.


    "I must say, Linde, you have changed a lot over the years. I have known you since you were a small girl; after all, you were engaged to my second son at one point, and I must admit I was not fond of you at the time. However, now you seem to have grown into a fine young woman!"


    Linde was shocked upon hearing her father-inw''s praise; she was well aware that her inws despised her almost as much as her own family did. To hear that at least one of them had pleasant views of her was something she greatly appreciated. As such, she put on the dignity of a Queen before addressing Sieghard''sments.


    "Father, you have no idea how much that means to me. What remains of my own family views me as a traitor, and I know for a fact that your wife does not care for me either. To hear that someone besides Berengar views me in such a kind light is truly a great honor!"


    Gis did not respond well to this statement; calling her husband by the term "father" implied that the temptress was indeed married to her son, and the old Baroness had never approved of Berengar''s yboy nature or his legalization of Polygamy. In response to Linde''s statement, Berengar''s mother merely scoffed, letting everyone in the room know just what she thought about Linde and Berengar''s other "wives."


    The only woman among Berengar''s harem to not care in the slightest about Gis''s opinion was Honoria; the only person whose opinion she cared about who was in this room was her husband and him alone. As for her rivals, her inws, or even her own family, they could shove their opinions where the sun doesn''t shine. The Pirate Queen had been severely influenced by the Austrian King''s "to hell with the world, I do what I want!" attitude.


    Thus, she merely watched her husband''s and his family''s engagements with a slight sense of interest. She enjoyed seeing Linde get a taste of her own medicine. While they had been intimate with one another during Berengar''s absence, and the Byzantine Princess generally found Linde to be more agreeable than Ad; they were frenemies at best and outright rivals at the worst.


    As for Berengar, he continued to eat his food and keep the conversation going in a healthy direction; after all the meal was far from over, soon they would move onto the desert, and there was much conflict to be resolved between Berengar''srge family. He sighed in exhaustion as he could only imagine the difficult conversations he would be having in the future when his children were grown up and vying for power.


    ---

 Chapter 459 - Family Reunion Part III

    Dessert arrived at the table, and it was in the form of various cakes, pastries, and cookies. Berengar was delighted to see such arge variety of sweet foods to snack on. The only problem was that he missed his favorite chocte dishes from his past life due to ack of ess to the new world.


    Nevertheless, he quickly dug into the cake prepared for him and enjoyed the bite. As for those around him, they were somewhat tense; after all, the King''s mother was not exactly fond of Berengar''s multiple wives, nor was she in the best rtionship with her daughter.


    Thus, Berengar and his father were left to smooth things over between their family. Of course, Berengar knew there was no conceivable way to get so many women toe together for an extended duration of time. Where there were multiple women; there was bound to be conflict; it was simply in their nature.


    Nevertheless, after a few bites, he began to speak up and try to mend the gap between his mother and sister; at the very least, he could fix their rtionship. Thus with a heavy sigh, he gazed fondly upon his sister before speaking the words he had been meaning to tell her for some time.


    "Henrietta, Mother, it is time you learned the truth..."


    After saying these cryptic words, the two women gazed upon him with confusion in their blue eyes. They did not understand what he was referring to, and Gis was the first to speak up on the matter.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Sieghard gave Berengar a cold nce; he knew exactly where this was headed and quickly ced down his fork and knife as he mentally prepared himself for the conversation that was about to be had. As for the Austrian King, he immediately began to rify what he meant.


    "Lambert didn''t die on the Eastern Front in service to the Teutonic Order; he returned home to Tyrol with an army in one final attempt to im my life and exact vengeance upon his family. He and I fought at Oberstdorf, where he imed my right eye with his de. In retaliation, I shot him through the chest with my pistol.


    Henrietta, you should not me our parents for Lambert''s death; they gave him an act of Mercy by sending him away to the Teutonic Order. It was his own vengeful heart that caused him to meet his end so soon. After all, what he did warranted a death sentence.


    On numerous asions, the boy attempted to im my life so that he could have my position as heir to the Barony. At least twice he damn well nearly seeded. If he had achieved this, he would have sold our home to Linde''s father; in doing so, Lothar would have used our mines to overthrow Duke Wilmar.


    Lambert was a traitor to his family and his people until the very end; Father and I have hidden this from the two of you to spare you some grief. However, I have seen what this secret has done to you, my dear little sister, and I have decided you are now old enough to know the truth."


    Henrietta was amazed by this revtion; the very idea that her two brothers had fought each other to the death was simply unbelievable. However, when she reflected on the past, she immediately began to piece together some information and thus quickly concluded. Immediately the young woman asked her brother for rification on a particr issue.


    "Then your affair with Linde was..."


    Berengar smiled bitterly and nodded his head as he admitted to the truth behind the origins of his rtionship with Linde.


    "You could call it an act of revenge on Lambert; after all, he had poisoned me to the point of death. It is a miracle that I survived. Hell, if not for Linde and her actions, Lambert most likely would have seeded on his subsequent assassination attempts."


    While Henrietta appeared to be processing the information by thinking it through to its logical conclusion, Gis was in tears. She had known that her sons had been in a bitter battle of intrigue, and that was one of the reasons she convinced Berengar to agree to exile instead of execution as punishment for Lambert''s crimes. Yet, to find out that her baby boy had returned to Austria with an army in an attempt to enact vengeance on his family indeed sent her heart into the depths of despair.


    Sieghard immediatelyforted his wife, he had lived a life filled with grief and guilt these past few years, and one of the primary reasons for this was the continued lies he had told his wife about Lambert''s demise. Now that the truth was in the air, the family could properly mend their grievances.


    As for Berengar''s wives, they were all aware of the story of how Berengar had killed Lambert; aside from Yasmin, she stared in awe at her husband. Indeed, he and Hasan had many simrities; it was no wonder that Berengar and her brother had be such good friends, despite massive differences in culture, religion, and heritage.


    Berengar continued to eat his dessert as his mother and sister worked through their feelings. While a significant point of contention in Henrietta''s heart towards her parents had been dissolved, she still had to deal with the fact that they abandoned her during her youth. Thus she immediately raised her tone of voice as she began to yell at her mother.


    "Fine, Lambert''s death is not entirely your fault, but the fact remains that you two abandoned me! I was ten years old, and you left me to live with my big brother and his mistress! Do you have any idea the kind of effect that had on me! Even then, if you two were better parents, perhaps you could have prevented Lambert''s treachery!


    Hell, even as grandparents, you are making the same mistake, mother! You are isting Berengar''s kids with his other wives because you disapprove of his rtionships! How do you think they will feel growing up with their grandmother despising them for being the product of secondary marriages! They will grow to hate the children of Ad!"


    Berengar was surprised when his sister addressed this point, as were his wives. None of them wanted to say it out of respect for their husband''s mother, but Henrietta was right; if Gis continued to treat their children as if they were unrted, it would indeed affect them as they grew. Up."


    Hans immediately looked over at the conversation and towards his grandmother as he felt a bit confused. He curiously raised his brow as he asked his sobbing grandmother the question on his mind.


    "Grandma? Do you hate me?"


    The usation of being responsible for Lambert''s fatebined with knowing how he passed away, how she had abandoned her daughter during her grief, and the problematic question asked by her grandson immediately caused Gis to have a mental breakdown. She continued to sob in her husband''s arms as Sieghard attempted to soothe her.


    Berengar did not have words to say about this situation; after all, Henrietta was right, and he was growing sick of his mother''s behavior towards his wives and children. Instead of consoling his mother during her grief, he looked upon his sister and smiled while giving her a thumb''s up. Somebody needed to say something to the woman, and he was d it was not him.


    Hopefully, now that all of these grievances had been addressed, Berengar''s wives and sister could repair their rtionship with his mother. Thus they waited for a while for the old Baroness to calm down. Afterward, Berengar would have his wives, sisters, and grandchildren spend a significant amount of time with his mother, talking through their differences.


    As for him, he eventually walked away with his father towards his private bar, where the two began to drink together. After all, men don''t talk about their feelings, at least not in the presence of women. They drink away their sorrows and confide in their brothers. However, Berengar was severelycking in the department of having friends his age, and thus he had to share his grief with his father.


    Sieghard pounded a shot of whiskey before sighing heavily; as he did so, he immediately began to chastise his son for his behavior.


    "While I know it was good for them to hear the truth, I can''t help but feel like breaking your mother''s heart was not the most appropriate course of action..."


    Berengar chuckled before responding to his father''sint.


    "Don''t me me; Henrietta was the one who was harsh with mother; I had no intention of seeing her in such a state. Hopefully, they can move past this and begin to mend their rtionship. I don''t want to spend the rest of my life with a group of wives, a sister, and a mother who all despise each other. I have enough on my te as is!"


    Sieghardughed as he heard this before responding casually.


    "Well, what did you think was going to happen when you married four women? Did you actually think that they would live together in harmony? Are you really that naive, my son?"


    The Austrian King took a shot of whiskey before responding to his father with a wide grin on his face.


    "Hell, if you were in my position, can you honestly say you would make a different choice?"


    His father did not respond to this question. Instead, he merely downed another shot before cing his hand on his son''s shoulder and staring at him silently. This gesture was enough for Berengar to know the answer within his father''s mind.


    With this, the father and son would continue to drink andin about their lives, while the various women of the von Kufstein family hashed out their problems over a rather fierce debate. For now, some semnce of peace among women had been established within the dynasty, though for how long it wouldst, Berengar was uncertain.


    ---

 Chapter 460 - Preparing For A Critical Voyage

    At the moment, Berengar was within the confines of his study; for the past few days, he had entertained his mother and father. While carefully navigating through the confines of his social obligations. All while bncing his industrialization process. At the moment, things were going so smoothly that there was not much work required on his part.


    However, after nearly a week of dealing with intense family drama, the King finally had enough. So much so that he had begun to chart a course for the New World with a single purpose in mind, and that was to escape his chaotic family temporarily. With each passing day, Henrietta had begun to pressure him for more intimacy, and he could onlye up with so many excuses to deny her.


    Thus he had taken drastic measures. Initially, he had nned to begin exploration and colonization of the new world after defeating the Catholic Church and its stranglehold over Europe. However, with his current predicament, he felt now was a good time to begin exploration, while saving the colonization for years down the line.


    Thus he and Honoria avoided the rest of the family while plotting their course and going over the supplies and manpower needed to sail to the new world. Looking upon the map Berengar had made of the so-called new world, his wife began to scoff at him beforementing on the insane voyage.


    "You''re crazy; you know that? Do you actually believe that Vind exists? You do know that it is an old legend from Scandinavia, right?"


    Despite this, Berengar had an eager smile as he gazed at the map and the trade winds he had established based upon his memory of history from his past life. He expressed his views on the matter to his loving Pirate Queen as he did so.


    "Oh, it exists, alright! However, if we are going to travel to Vind, we are going to need more than an old sloop of war!"


    Honoria immediately frowned upon hearing these words and crossed her arms as she scolded her husband.


    "Is my ship not good enough for you?"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled before sprawling a document across the table; as he did so, he nodded in agreement with Honoria''s words.


    "Not in the slightest!"


    Honoria was about to smack her man across the head for his insults, that is until sheid eyes on the blueprint he had stretched out. It was a n topletely retrofit her ship "Honoria''s Revenge" into an Iron-d Steam-Powered sloop of war. Her mint green irises sparkled as they gazed upon the improvements that Berengar nned to make to her ship.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard his wife''s words. After doing so, he began to point and list out the improvements one by one.


    "I started by redesigning the interior of the ship, the main guns, the boiler, and the engine will be housed in a teak citadel which will be constructed by 5-inch thick steel tes bolted to 18 inches of teak nks! It will then be mounted on the 1-inch thick ting of the hull itself, behind which lies the timber frame and lining. The bow and stern will be connected to this citadel and be made out of 1-inch thick steel tes!


    As for the engine, it will be a single vertical triple expansion engine, with a coal fire maritime boiler for the support! It will also utilize a single screw propeller as the primary source of propulsion for the vessel. With such an advanced engine this baby should be able to exceed 20 knots easily!"


    Honoria gazed at this upgrade in shock; her husband was essentially stripping her precious vessel to the bare bones and rebuilding it from the ground up. Could it even be considered the same ship at that point? Despite this, Berengar then ced his finger on the next significant improvement.


    "I will be recing your obsolete muzzle loading guns and outfit the vessel with a specialized Naval variant of the 7.5cm FK 22 guns currently in use by the armed forces. These will fire HE shells on our journey, but for your future privateering operations they can be operated with inert or shrapnel shells instead."


    Honoria gazed at the redesigned vessel with a wide smirk on her face as she expressed her interest in the project.


    "When will my ship undergo this massive upgrade?"


    In response to his wife''s question, Berengar had a smug smile on his face as he proudly dered his actions.


    "It is already being retrofitted as we speak!"


    Honoria could hardly believe her ears as she heard this. Did this bastard seriously make changes to her ship without her permission? She was going to have to pay him back for this favorter. However, what was done was done; thus, she calmed her nerves before asking the following question on her mind.


    "So obviously, we can''t bring my girls on this voyage; they can''t be trusted with such a high level of security clearance... Who do you have in mind for the journey?"


    Berengar smiled as he pulled out a pile of envelopes; inside of these folders were the identities of the Naval Personnel he had chosen to apany them on the voyage. It included not only his best sailors but also the most trustworthy marines; an entirepany of the Austrian Marines would be present for the journey.


    Honoria quickly read through the files with a smile on her face; she trusted her husband''s judgment and thus nodded her head in agreement with his decision. After reading up about the details of all the sailors and soldiers apanying them, she handed the folders back to Berengar while crossing her arms. She had just one final question on her mind.


    "If we''re going on a journey to the mythical Vind, then tell me, who will look after our son?"


    Berengar was stunned when he heard this; he had not thought about such a subject, after all to him the answer was obvious, thus with a wide grin he answered his wife with an appropriate response.


    "What do you mean? Obviously, our son will be taken care of by Linde while we are away. After all, we are one giant family, and Linde already has three kids, and years of experience as a mother!


    Honoria snarled in disgust as she heard this beforementing on Linde and her children.


    "You want my infant son to suck on that woman''s cow udders while I''m away? I''ve seen what has be of Hans, one day, he will be as perverted as his old man, and it''s entirely because that red-headed bimbo breastfed him for too long!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this harsh response before reminding Honoria of an embarrassing piece of her history.


    "Really? You don''t approve of Linde? Because ording to her, you are quite fond of her so-called cow udders as well..."


    Upon hearing this remark, Honoria''s face immediately flushed red with embarrassment, she wanted nothing more at this moment than to hide her head in disgust. She had no idea that Linde had revealed their intimate secrets to Berengar behind her back. Ultimately she controlled her embarrassment and clicked her tongue in disgust.


    "Tsk... that bitch! I''ll make sure to get her back for this!"


    Berengar chuckled once more; though Honoria used harsh words to describe her rival, he could tell that they actually had a good rtionship, much better than that between Ad and the others. As such, he wrapped his arms around his wife''s waist from behind before whispering in her ear.


    "Oh really, why don''t you tell me something embarrassing about her that I don''t already know?"


    In response to this, a wicked grin appeared on Honoria''s face as she revealed one of Linde''s embarrassing secrets in retaliation.


    "Linde has an exhibition fetish; now and then, she goes out into public without any panties! Luckily nobody has found out... yet!"


    Berengar had an awkward expression on his face as he heard this; after all, he could guess that this was probably a result of the training he put Linde through. On more than one asion, he had done things to her in a public setting. Thus he immediately switched the topic as he gazed over at the information that had beenpiled.


    "We need about a month for the ship to be retrofitted and the supplies to be gathered. However, after that is finished, we can set off for Vind; I can''t wait to see the legendarynd with my very own eyes!"


    Honoria responded to this enthusiasm with a simple joke.


    "If we manage to find a lost Kingdom, you better not bring back its princess as another one of your brides!"


    The moment she said this, Berengar had an awkward smile on his face. Ultimately he decided to let this snide remark pass. After all, there was still much more work to be done before he could step foot on the soil of the new world. For the time being, he would have to find a suitable candidate to court his sister, and he already had somebody in mind.


    ---

 Chapter 461 - Breakfast With Adelbrand

    The morning sun shined down upon the City of Kufstein within the Tyrolean Alps. Its warmth radiated from the sky above, onto the fields below, providing a much-needed change to the usual cold weather.


    Within this city lies amon Cafe, which had be fairly infamous for being one of the favorite ces for the King of Austria to dine in. Sitting in one of its many booths was none other than Berengar and his General Adelbrand.


    Berengar used the silverware within his hands to dig into the substantial breakfast; after taking a bite from the delicious meal, he swallowed it down with a sip of coffee. As he did so, the young King nced over at the man who was apanying him.


    Adelbrand was a man who was a member of the upper nobility and a battle-proven General. This was a man well renowned for his noble character and, in Berengar''s eyes, his best hope at marrying off his sister so that she could live a normal life.


    Of course, the young General was utterly unaware of Berengar''s intentions and thus was reasonably nervous as he sat in the ordinary cafe dressed in his luxurious Ducal attire. He was astounded that the King would eat in such a lowly establishment, yet he refused to voice his concerns out of fear of offending the man. Upon noticing the nervous sweat that Adelbrand was brewing, Berengar put down his utensils and quickly got to business.


    "I''ll be frank with you, Adelbrand. My sister is now of age to marry, yet she has no fiance. I have been having a tough time finding a suitable man for her to marry..."


    Adelbrand sat in silence as he nodded in agreement; he had heard that Berengar was looking for potential suitors for his sister but never imagined himself as a prospect. Thus it took him a moment to realize what his King was requesting of him. It was only after Berengar looked at him with a suggestive gaze did the man finally get the hint.


    "Me? You want me to marry Henrietta?"


    Berengar was stoic as he expressed his views on the matter.


    "Since we are loosely rted via marriage, and you have proven yourself as a loyal and valuablemander up until this point, I will be brutally honest with you. Henrietta has an unhealthy obsession with me, and frankly, I need a man other than myself to catch her interest. The fact that she is interested in me as a man and not as her brother is indicative of her high standards, and thus you are pretty much my only option to dissuade her from her current path...


    Now that you know my predicament, you are free to decline; after all, this is not an order but a personal request. All I ask of you is that you get to know my sister over theing months as a suitor. She has minimal experience associating with men outside her family, and I am sure that with a bit of exposure to the opposite sex, she will quickly forget her infatuation with me and move on with her life."


    Upon hearing this, Adelbrand was shocked, he had heard rumors that Henrietta had a brotherplex, which originated from the other girls that attended her school, but he had never actually believed it to be true.


    After all, the Princess was considered to be a Goddess who should not be tainted in the eyes of many young men. Though he knew this would likely be his only chance to marry royalty, he was still hesitant to follow through with Berengar''s n after learning the truth of Henrietta''s affections.


    Upon seeing the man''splicated expression Berengar sighed heavily as he revealed the extent of his difficulties. Since he had resolved himself to be honest with Adelbrand, he figured that he might as well inform him of the whole truth.


    "I won''t hide this from you; at the moment, I have found myself involved in aplicated rtionship with my sister. To ensure that she won''t do anything reckless, like a woman who has been rejected is prone to do. I may have promised to court her in secret. However, this was just a measure to buy me time to find a proper man for her.


    Unfortunately, it has taken longer than I had initially estimated to achieve this. By now, she is getting impatient and demanding that I be more intimate with her. I must admit that I am fresh out of ideas to forestall any longer, and I am bing quite desperate. I implore you to think about this mess I have created carefully before you get entangled within it..."


    While Adelbrand reflected upon his choices, Berengar continued to sip from his coffee and dine upon his meal. If Adelbrand refused him, he was pretty much stuck with Henrietta, which meant that he would eventually fall prey to her desires. After all, he had never been able to refuse his sister; she was his weak spot. After careful consideration, Adelbrand sighed heavily before revealing his answer.


    "Since the King is making a personal request of me, I suppose the least I can do is court your sister. However, if she shows no interest in me after several months of me attempting to change her mind, then I will be forced to cut my losses and leave you to your fate."


    A wide smile lit up Berengar''s face as he heard this answer; he could hardly contain his excitement. Surely Henrietta''s obsession with him was just a phase, right? Once she was introduced to a proper man, Berengar was confident that she would drop her incestuous fantasies and live a happy and normal life. Thus he quickly shook the man''s hand and thanked him for his kindness.


    "Thank you, Adelbrand; you have no idea how much this means to me; I can finally get a good night''s sleep without worrying about my future and that of my sisters."


    As for Adelbrand, he was not nearly as excited as Berengar was; from the tone of Berengar''s voice Henrietta''s infatuation with her big brother was no simple matter; in his mind, it would not be easy to convince the girl to embrace him as her husband and leave behind her wicked thoughts. The young General could not believe that his King had dug himself into such an enormous hole; a single thought crossed his mind as he thought about Berengar''s predicament.


    Just say no, you fucking idiot! If you put your foot down and rejected your sister''s sinful desires, then you would not be in this situation to begin with. How the hell are you the King of Austria and the most powerful man in the world if you don''t have the guts to tell your sister that you don''t want to be in a rtionship with her?


    After having this little rant in his head, Adelbrand sighed heavily before asking the question on his mind.


    "So when do I get to meet the Princess?"


    Berengar thought about this question carefully. Within a month, he was going to be going on a months-long trip overseas to the mythicalnd known as Vind. During his absence, he would have to task Linde to watch over Henrietta and Adelbrand''s encounters to ensure that nothing inappropriate happened between them.


    Part of the reason why he wanted to disappear was so that he would not influence Henrietta''s thoughts while she was seeing Adelbrand. Thus he thought about this subject carefully as he came to a conclusion in regards to when they should meet.


    "Hmm... I suppose now is as good as time as any... How about it, do you want to follow me back to the Pce so I can introduce you to Henrietta?"


    Adelbrand was shocked to hear Berengar being so calm about the whole thing. Sometimes he wondered how this man became so powerful when he lived life mainly on a whim. As the Monarch of one of the most powerful Kingdoms in the world, was there seriously no schedule this man followed?


    Nevertheless, the young General ultimately sighed before standing up from his seat. As he did so, he chugged the remainder of his coffee before cing it down on the table; in doing so, he garnered his resolve for the task that was toe.


    "Lead the way!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled, and he too finished his coffee before leaving a few silver thalers on the table aspensation for the meal. After doing so, the two men left the establishment and walked through the bustling city of Kufstein while nked by the Royal Guard.


    In truth, Berengar was quite excited, as he hoped to dissuade Henrietta from the Incestuous path she walked upon and save himself the need to reject her outright. After what had transpired during thest time he left the poor girl, he feared what she might do, either to herself or those around her. Whether or not the couple could hit it off, had yet to be seen.


    ---

 Chapter 462 - Afternoon Tea

    Berengar sat at his dining room table, sipping on a cup of coffee. Though he had just drunk a ss of the substance not long ago at the cafe, he was well known for drinking at least three cups of coffee a day. As he was sipping on his drink, he quietly observed the reactions between the young man and woman sitting across from him.


    The King''s sister had a scowl on her face as Adelbrand introduced himself, though she was aware that her brother had been working on finding a suitor for her to act as a cover for their secret taboo rtionship. She was beginning to get the feeling that Berengar was not living up to his promise to be with her.


    After all, it had been months since the King promised that he would enter a rtionship with his sister, and yet they have done little more than a hug and hold hands. The teenage Princess became impatient and wanted to be more intimate with her precious big brother.


    However, as she began to pressure him, Berengar conveniently found a man to remove the pressure from his sister''s actions. Thus she was forced to entertain Adelbrand for afternoon tea. Henrietta was dressed in avish gown befitting a young woman of her position, and Adelbrand was dressed in his ck and gold full-service dress uniform.


    The medals that he had earned through gantry were proudly disyed upon his chest, as well as the sash that signified him as a member of Austria''s foremost order of Chivalry. Where other women might be impressed by these honors, Henrietta was uninterested at best. After all, whenpared to her precious big brother, how could a man like Adelbrand interest her. Ultimately, Adelbrand was the one to break the silence as he began to address the girl with a cheerful tone.


    "So Henrietta, I hear that you are close to graduating high school. Have you thought about what you will do after you have received your education?"


    This was a stupid question; she was a Princess and didn''t need to do anything. Despite this fact, she did want to be helpful to her brother in some way; thus, she reflected upon thisment for some time before answering the young Duke.


    "I will probably go to Kufstein University and get a degree in Biology so I can aid my big brother in the development of his Kingdom...."


    Adelbrand sighed as he heard this; no matter what he talked about with this girl, ultimately, it would swing back to the topic of Berengar; he was beginning to understand why the King was so desperate to get her a man. Her obsession with her brother was something that would not easily be undone.


    The young Duke greatly desired to give up on his attempts to pursue the Princess then and there, but under the ever-watchful eye of the King, he would not demonstrate such a weak will. Thus he was forced to continue the awkward conversation that would inevitably speak about Berengar.


    "That''s a noble goal; we could always use more scientists; I just never figured that a woman like yourself would be interested in such a subject..."


    Henrietta scoffed in remark to Adelbrand''s statement and immediately chastised him for hisments.


    "Well, I have to do something to be useful to my brother. Ad is working on cultural improvements, Linde is the intelligence director, Honoria is a master of Naval Warfare, and Yasmin... Well, I don''t exactly know what she does yet, but I''m sure she will be useful to big brother in some way..."


    Adelbrand immediately wanted to m his head on the table as he heard this retort; the girl made it sound like she was one of the King''s wives. He did not know if she was intentionally being obstinate or simply unaware of how everything she talked about returned to the topic of Berengar. Thus he tried to switch the subject to Biology, which she appeared to be interested in.


    "What do you like about Biology? There are plenty of other scientific fields you could go into."


    Henrietta took a sip from her teacup before going on a small rant about the field of Biology and why she found it fascinating.


    "Biology is the study of life and how we all came to be. If I can help my brother put an end to disease, which is the cause of so much suffering to the people of his Kingdom, why would I not want to get involved in the field?"


    Berengar immediately peaked his brow as he heard this; currently, his biology department was somewhatcking. After all, his Physician Ewald was among the head biologists in his Kingdom, and the man was far from the genius that Aldo von Passau was. Henrietta had a good head on her shoulders, but he had never expected that the girl would take an interest in biology.


    Ultimately Adelbrand nodded his head as he took a sip of his tea before responding.


    "That is a very noble goal; though I don''t know if we can entirely eliminate disease, I do believe that it is preventable; I can see that you care deeply about the people of Austria."


    Henrietta smiled as she heard this praise; while she did care about the well-being of the people of Austria, her main goal in this endeavor was to receive her precious big brother''s approval. She had a gleeful expression on her face as she imagined Berengar rewarding her with a head pat and a kiss the moment she discovered the cure to some deadly disease.


    The young King sipped his coffee in silence as he watched his sister''s excited expression. He could guess what she was thinking about, but he chose to remain silent on the matter. After all, it was Henrietta''s first meeting with Adelbrand, and he did not expect her to cease her infatuation with himself during her first encounter with the Duke.


    Thus he sat back and watched in silence as the two continued to converse; the more they talked, the more cordial Henrietta became to Adelbrand. She eventually dropped her ice-queen facade and actively engaged in a conversation about introductory biology with the Duke. Things were going quite well. Thus, Berengar decided to depart from the meeting.


    He would have a servant watch his sister and her suitor in order to ensure that they maintained appropriate behavior. After leaving the room, the young monarch approached the chambers allotted to his youngest daughter with his second wife.


    When he entered the room, he noticed that Linde was inside, gazing upon her newest daughter with a loving expression. Upon seeing this, Berengar remembered the conversation he had with Honoria not long ago about some of the more explicit behavior that his second wife engaged in.


    He immediately approached the woman, where he proceeded to lift her dress in an attempt to see if she was wearing any underwear. Upon seeing that the woman was, in fact, not wearing any panties, a devilish grin appeared on Berengar''s face as hetched onto his wife from behind and whispered something in her ear.


    "So Honoria was right, you do have a habit of walking around without any panties on..."


    Linde''s cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment; she had finally been caught during one of her escapades. Luckily it was by her husband and not some random stranger. Thus a smirk appeared on her lips as she turned around and wrapped her arms around her man''s neck.


    "Master, I have been a naughty girl; please punish me!"


    Berengar was more than happy to take the vixen up on her offer. Thus, he led her to his room, where he gave her a good tumble, as for, Henrietta and Adelbrand continued their conversation for some time while the King was making love to his Queen, utterly unaware of what was transpiring on the other side of the Pce.


    Though they would not be a couple right away, Adelbrand felt as if he was off to a good start by the time their conversation ended. Little did he know that Henrietta was far from deterred from the path she walked upon. If anything, she merely thought of Adelbrand as a valuable tool to mask her rtionship with her big brother.


    Though it was undetermined whether or not this train of thought would continue, either way, Berengar would make sure to continue to set up lunch dates like this between his sister and Adelbrand. After all, the more they interacted, the more likely Henrietta was to forget her infatuation with her big brother and live a normal life.


    Berengar knew that little progress could be made so long as he was around to influence her thoughts. As such, he nned to travel to the New World within a month and make first contact with the region''s locals. As for Adelbrand, Berengar intended for him to remain behind in Kufstein and get to know the Princess better. There was much work to be done; thus, the King of Austria would stay busy for some time. He looked forward to the future that was on the horizon.


    ---

 Chapter 463 - Preparing For War With The Eastern Coalition

    Berengar currently sat in the confines of his office upon his leatherbound chair. Standing in front of him were three of his Generals, one of which was from the Kingdom of Bohemia. Besides these men was the Director of Intelligence, dressed in her steingrau uniform. The four people stood at ease before their King as he overwent the report in his hands; with a heavy sigh, Berengar asked the question on his mind.


    "Is this report urate?"


    Linde immediately nodded as she confirmed the document that her husband was looking at.


    "Indeed, the Golden Horde has united once more under a new Khan, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has gone on a recruitment campaign. With the loss of peasants and soldiers that they suffered during the war in Iberia, they are more determined now than ever to take hold of the current Teutonic Order''s rump state.


    If we wish to annex what remains of the Teutonic State, we must act now, before it is toote. Our agents in the field report that the Eastern Coalition will be marching an army of 100,000 men onto the Teutonic State in an attempt to eradicate it. Action must be taken if you wish to aplish your goals of securing eastern Germany.


    War is inevitable at this point..."


    Berengar sighed heavily as he heard thisst part; while his agents had been conducting sabotage and assassinations among the ranks of the Eastern Coalition; it was a certainty that they would ovee such tricks and unite against the Teutonic State. He was lucky that he had bought himself the time he had managed.


    Berengar had just gotten back from his war in Iberia not long ago, and in truth, had no desire to depart to another war so soon. As such, he looked at his three Generals and began to ask the question on his mind.


    "What is the state of the Bohemian Royal Army at the moment?"


    Alexej Stepped forward with a face filled with pride and determination as he reported to his King.


    "Bohemia stands ready for any conflict. Our soldiers are armed and trained to the same standard as the Austrian Royal Army. Though our Army is roughly a quarter of the size with a mere two divisions at the moment, make no mistake we are well prepared for this conflict."


    Berengar smiled and nodded as he heard this; for the most part, his Army was still equipped with needle rifles, and he had no intention of revealing his next-generation weapons just yet. With this in mind, he shifted his gaze to Eckhard and Arnulf as he began to give the two men his orders.


    "I want one of the newer divisions to be deployed to the Teutonic State so that they may gain some valuable field experience, make sure they are under themand of apetent and proven General."


    Eckhard immediately nodded his head in response to these orders and suggested.


    "How about Adelbrand? He has proven himself capable in multiple campaigns and is greatly respected among the Army."


    However, Berengar immediately rejected this idea by shaking his head and responding firmly.


    "No, I have ns for Adelbrand; he must remain in Kufstein for the time being. Instead, you should send someone else if neither of you is up to the task."


    While there were manypetent Generals to choose from, ultimately Eckhard sighed before volunteering himself.


    "I will lead the campaign against the Eastern Coalition. However, I will do it under one condition..."


    Berengar immediately peaked his brow in curiosity as he heard this; while, he was aware that Eckhard was suffering from Battle Fatigue; the man had still been willing to perform his duty to the bitter end.


    If it were any other General, Berengar would punish him for making demands of his King and Reichsmarchall; however, since it was Eckhard, he merely sighed before entertaining the man''s request. Eckhard spoke of his condition with a weary expression upon seeing his King nod his head in agreement.


    "Your Majesty, I am old and quite honestly exhausted. I will lead this campaign under the condition that it is myst, and I am allowed to retire after I have achieved victory..."


    Berengar frowned when he heard this, Eckhard was by far his most efficient militarymander, yet he understood where the man wasing from; as such, he proposed a counter offer.


    "I will agree to your terms, so long as you serve your retirement as a part-time instructor at the Austrian Military Academy. Your insights are too valuable to the next generation of officers to lose so easily..."


    There was neither excitement nor dread in the eyes of the veteran field Marshal. Instead, there was only exhaustion as he nodded his head in agreement to the terms presented.


    "Very well, I agree to your offer, your Majesty. I will lead the Fifth Division into the Teutonic State and announce our annexation. As for the Bohemians, they can send one of their Divisions as support, and together we will drive the Eastern Coalition back to the East."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled before pulling out a map. This map contained all of the territories he desired to conquer during this campaign. Not only was the remainder of the Teutonic State on this list, but all of thend that onceprised the eastern portions of the Kingdom of Prussia from his past life, as well as the baltic states.


    Through centuries of Germanization under the thumb of the Teutonic Order, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania now hadrge swaths of ethnic Germans among their poption, and Berengar intended to unite thesends into his Empire. After pointing out the areas on the map, Berengar spoke of his n to his Generals.


    "Your goal in this conflict is not only to annex what remains of the Teutonic State but also conquer thesends and bring them under the banner of our Kingdom! This is a war that will determine the future of our Kingdom and that of the German people!"


    Eckhard nodded his head; though it was a lot of territory, he knew he could aplish this feat. However, he would require more men to do so as such; he quickly made another suggestion as he nced at the map.


    "If that is your order, I will fulfill it, but I will need more soldiers; perhaps the 7th and 9th Divisions should join us!"


    Berengar immediately nodded his head as he heard these terms and offered hisplete and total support to the campaign.


    "Take whatever forces you may need to aplish this task, and make haste. The war has already begun; it is time for Austria to im the Eastern German territories as its own!"


    The three Generals immediately began to salute their King as they were given their orders; after doing so, Berengar stood up and saluted them in return. With this action, he dismissed hismanders, leaving himself and his wife behind to talk about more secretive matters. Linde sat in her husband''sp as she prodded his cheek with her dainty finger.


    "You are seriously going to go off searching for the mythicalnd of Vind while you send your soldiers to war in the East?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded as he heard this response from his wife. After doing so, he cupped her face with his hand and began to give her his orders.


    "While I am away, I need you to keep an eye on Henrietta and Adelbrand. Make sure their rtionship progresses smoothly, and ensure that they don''t engage in any inappropriate behavior while I''m away..."


    Upon hearing this, Linde began to chuckle before responding with a jest at the expense of Berengar.


    "It sounds to me like you are actually against the idea of your sister seeing other men deep down in that ck heart of yours. She is allowed to meet with Adelbrand on chaperoned dates, but she cannot get intimate with him? How do you n to break her infatuation with you if you won''t allow her to be physical with someone else?"


    The Austrian King frowned when he heard this remark before flicking his wife on the forehead.


    "Just do as I say..."


    Upon hearing this, Linde pouted before standing up from hisp. As she did so, she walked to the door before agreeing to his request.


    "As always, I will obey your orders master; I just wonder what it is that you truly want..."


    After saying this, the strawberry blonde-haired vixen departed, leaving Berengar alone with his thoughts. Though it was only a joke from his wife, she seemed to have struck a nerve, as the very idea of his sister being intimate with another man; made Berengar''s skin crawl. However, he did not know why he became enraged as he imagined such a scenario urring.


    Ultimately he pulled out a hemp cigarette and a match as he lit up a smoke in his office. Linde''s words repeated themself throughout his mind as he thought about the ordeal at great length. Maybe some time away from his sister would not only be good for her but him as well?


    ---

 Chapter 464 - Casting Off

    Well over a month had passed since Berengar and Honoria had begun to make preparations for their journey to the New World. Standing at the docks of Trieste was none other than Berengar and his Pirate Queen Honoria.


    The couple held hands as they gazed at the recently retrofitted Honoria''s Revenge, which had been rebranded as "Queen Honoria''s Revenge." It was now an iron-d sloop of war, fully capable of winning any naval battle on its entirely by its lonesome. No enemy vessel on this great earth could pierce its water-tight steel-ted hull.


    The day had finally arrived, and Berengar was about to step foot on a journey to the new world. While the 5th, 7th, and 9th Divisions of the Austrian Royal Army had already begun to deploy to the Teutonic State, he was taking a separate Journey, one that many would deem utter madness should they be aware of it.


    Though Berengar knew the truth about this world and that there were two continents on the other side of the Antic Ocean, the world atrge knew nothing about this; even rumors of the centuries past tale of Vind werergely forgotten. Despite this, Berengar had announced to his wives and important government officials that he would be going on a journey to find this lost continent which was only spoken about in ancient Scandinavian folk tales.


    While Berengar stood at the docks he was dressed in his standard field uniform the primary difference being the great cloak he wore over his tunic. After all, it was the middle of spring, and the weather was still quite cool, even here in the Mediterranean, he could only imagine what it would be like on the Eastern Seaboard of North America.


    Honoria was dressed in an entirely new outfit. It was primarily based upon that which the sailors in the Austrian Navy now wore. In other words, it was a Kriegsmarine sailor uniform; the difference was that it was cut in a feminine style to amodate Honoria''s curvy figure. Aside from this, there was another major difference and that was the fact that she also wore a skirt and thigh-high socks with it.


    That was not the only new thing about Honoria''s appearance. Since she had gotten a new Navy blue uniform, she had decided to redye her hair. She had removed the expensive Tyrian Purple dye entirely and reced it with deep blue indigo, which wlessly blended with her ivory skin and mint green eyes.


    Around the Privateer''s shoulder was an MP-22 submachine gun, and on her ck leather belt was a P-22 Pistol. Berengar had outfitted his sailors and marines with the best equipment avable for this expedition to the new world. He, too, was equipped with the same weapons as his wife.


    Berengar''s family were gathered in the docks as night descended upon the city of Trieste. To ensure that nobody would find out about the covert operation to the new world, Berengar had closed the docks at night for the past month, even now the only souls to bear witness to this monumental departure were the King''s family and the Naval Personnel permitted with the security clearance to witness the event.


    Ad was far from pleased that her man would be leaving her behind with the newborn twins so soon after returning home from war, yet Berengar knew that now was the best time to escape the chaos that his family was going through.


    The young Queen gazed sternly at her husband, believing he had gone entirely insane; after all, to search fornd from argely forgotten tale was not something a sane individual would do. However, she ultimately decided to support him in his endeavor and walked up to him, where she kissed him upon the lips and whispered something in his ear.


    "Though I don''t approve of this madness, I will pray for your safe return..."


    Berengar smiled as he patted his High Queen on the head before reassuring her of his security.


    "Rx, my sweet Ad... I will be home in a few months; you do not need to fret so much!"


    The young woman merely pouted in silence as she took her step back, it was now Linde''s turn to say goodbye, and she was far more passionate in her act than the previous Queen. She wrapped her arms around her husband''s neck and passionately kissed him for more than thirty seconds before pulling herself apart.


    "Bring me back a souvenir! I trust that you won''t do anything stupid!"


    Once more, the King smiled and nodded his head before responding.


    "Of course, do I look like a fool who would get himself killed on the other side of the world to you?"


    Linde merely smirked before responding to her husband''s question.


    "What do you think?"


    Berengar chuckled before patting his second wife on the ass and whispering in her ears in response to this.


    "Take good care of our kids and Alexandros while you are at it!"


    The Second Queen nodded her head in response and returned to the line, where Berengar''s next bride took her turn to say goodbye. Yasmin approached her husband with a smile on her face. Out of all of his wives, aside from Honoria, she was the most supportive of his actions. She kissed her man goodbye before resting her head on his chest; she said the words that shocked everyone present as she did so.


    "Don''t be gone for too long, or you will miss the birth of our child..."


    Berengar, as well as his other wives, gazed upon the Moorish Princess with awe. Did she just admit that she was pregnant? Before Berengar could ask for rification, the mature woman ced a finger on his lips to silence him before nodding her head. After doing so, she returned to where the other women were standing.


    Thest woman to approach Berengar was Henrietta, who was in tears; she desperately clung to Berengar where She poured her tears into his chest as she desperately tried to convince him to stay behind.


    "You are going away so soon after returning! Must you leave?"


    Berengar nodded his head silently in response to this and wiped the tears from his sister''s eyes. After the girl had managed to calm herself, she nodded her head before whispering something in her brother''s ears.


    "Very well, but when you return, I will no longer take no for an answer..."


    When Berengar heard this line, his eyes widened in response; he knew exactly what she was referring to. After all, for the past few months, he had been finding ways to refuse her advances, she desperately wanted to sleep with him, and now that he was embarking on a distant journey, she would one way or another have her way when he returned to her.


    Before he could protest her words, Henrietta plunged her lips against Berengar''s and vited his tongue with her own, in doing so garnering the fury of his wives. They were unaware of the so-called "secret rtionship" between them. Berengar was too stunned to do anything, and ultimately Honoria pulled the young Princess off of her brother.


    Henrietta began to pout as she received quite a talking-to from Berengar''s wives. As punishment for her uneptable behavior, the princess would be confined to her room for the next few days. As for Berengar, he and Honoria finally stepped up on the bow of the vessel, which housed an entire crew and apany of marines. Now that they had said their goodbyes, they had begun to cast off.


    The Austrian King stood firmly upon the bow as his wives waved him off; he continued to stare out towards their direction until the women were no longer visible. After he could no longer see the group, he sighed heavily and turned his head to see Honoria smirking at him with her arms crossed. The pirate queen quickly began to chastise him for not pushing Henrietta away.


    "You just can''t say no to your sister, can you?"


    Berengar gazed upon his beautiful wife and smiled before grabbing ahold of her waist and reaching his hand through the bottom of her shirt and into her chest. The mighty pirate Queen immediately blushed as her husband took advantage of her. However, his following words utterly charmed her to the point where shepletely forgot her inner fury.


    "Why would I care about my little sister when I have such a beautiful woman standing before me?"


    Upon saying this, the Austrian King began to kiss his wife on the neck before picking her up and leading her into the Captain''s Cabin. The couple started their journey by making love on the high seas. They would continue their amorous activities until they fell asleep well past midnight.


    As for when they awoke, they would already be close to the straight of Gibraltar. With the triple expansion engine, and the full-rigged sails, this vessel was capable of exceeding speeds over 20 knots; it was even faster than a clipper, making it the perfect boat to reach the New World. Theoretically, they could get the legendarynd of Vind in a fortnight thus all they had to do now was wait until they arrived on the shores of a long-forgotten continent.


    ---

 Chapter 465 - On The March Yet Again

    On horseback, Eckhard rode among his Army; behind him were 75,000 Austrians; their purpose was simple, annex the Teutonic State in the name of King Berengar von Kufstein, and repel the Eastern Coalition. The 5th, 7th, and 9th Divisions who were dispatched for this mission were rtively inexperienced in warfare.


    Despite this, they were eager to perform in battle and confident in their training. With the great Field Marshal of Austria at the helm, they believed that there was no conceivable way that they could lose this war.


    At the moment, these Austrians were embarking into Bohemia, where they would regroup with the 1st Division of the Royal Bohemian Army. Though Berengar was also the King of Bohemia, he had seldom spent time within itsnds, instead, he had delegated the responsibility of Governance to a personal representative who instituted the King''s reforms.


    Though there was initially some dissent to Austrian upation, after the Kingdom of Bohemia was fully repaired from the devastation of the Hussite wars and was on the path to prosperity the people gradually epted their fate. As he was marching Eckhard gazed upon the fertile fields that were once filled with the blood and corpses of friend and foe alike.


    He had spent several years of his Military Career within this Kingdom, only for it to end up in the hands of his master. A bitter smile formed on the man''s face as he gazed upon the reconstruction that had urred since Berengar seized control of thesends.


    Cities were rebuilt with the advanced technologies provided to them by Austria. Plumbing existed and waste treatment nts, much like what was seen in Austria. Vast roadworks connected the various cities that sprawled across the Kingdom, and rumors were afloat that Bohemia would be united to Austria via its massive trainwork one day soon.


    The old buildings and fortifications that had been destroyed in the previous conflict were reced with German-style structures, which heavily emphasized the ongoing Germanization in the Kingdom. Even thenguage the Bohemians spoke was reced with German in the education system that had been implemented. The people walked around in the Austrian dress style and appeared to be well fed due to the agricultural improvements that Berengar had introduced.


    While the world focused on Austria as the most powerful Kingdom in the west, they had wholly neglected the fact that Bohemia was rapidly catching up to its neighbor due to their joint monarch and his exceptional reforms. As the veteran Field Marshal gazed upon the rapid progress, he had conflicted feelings as he could no longer recognize the once distinct culture of the Bohemians. Instead, all he saw was yet another Austria...


    Eventually, Eckhard and the soldiers beneath hismand found their way to the mustering grounds where 25,000 Bohemians had gathered. Among their ranks were former Hussites and loyalists alike who had alle together underneath the iron fist of Berengar von Kufstein and his current regime. These men who once fought each other over religious differences were now united under the guise of nationalism.


    While many of the soldiers within the Bohemian Army''s ranks were Bohemian, the officer ss was almost entirelyprised of the Ethnic Germans who lived within the Kingdom. The reason for this was simple, to ensure loyalty to their German King and to allow effectivemunication between the Austrian and Bohemian Armies.


    The uniforms of the Bohemian Army were based upon those used by the Austro-Hungarians during the final days of the Great War from Berengar''s past life. The difference was that they also wore the same trench-style armor issued to the Austrian Army, albeit in the color of Steingrau instead of Feldgrau.


    They were equipped with the same Schmidt Needle Rifles that were issued to the Austrian Army, the 1422 Service Revolvers, and the 7.5cm FK 22 field guns. Many of these men were veterans from the conflict in Iberia and proudly disyed the medals that they had earned through gantry.


    The Field Marshal inmand of these forces was none other than Alexej Kaspar, the man who once led the Kasparian Hussites against the Catholic powers of the old Bohemian Crown. By now, the Hussite Reformation and its beliefs were being reced by the German Reformation.


    Thus an old veteran like Alexej had no ce in society but to take up the sword once more in the name of the new Bohemian State. When he gazed upon his old friend Eckhard, the man smiled before greeting the Austrian Field Marshal.


    "My friend, I am d that you have made your way to Bohemia once more; I assure you that my men are ready to fight by your side and im victory for our King! The Eastern Coalition won''t know what hit them!"


    Eckhard smiled and nodded his head, with an army of 100,000 men, all armed with the advanced weapons they currently wielded, Eckhard was confident that victory would be achieved so far as the Teutonic State was concerned, as for the conquest of the Baltic and the other regions that Berengar had outlined, it was easier said than done. However, he did not express this concern. Instead, he merely gave his orders to the Bohemian Field Marshal; after all, Eckhard was ced inmand of this Campaign.


    "Prepare your men; we march at dawn!"


    Alexej immediately nodded his head in response and saluted the Austrian Field Marshal.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Having said this, Eckhard led his 75,000 men to the quarters allotted to them during their brief stay in Prague. He immediately got together with Alexej and a few of the men he had once fought alongside as they reminisced of their past glory.


    The group of veterans sat together in a tavern within the city as they discussed their thoughts on the current state of Bohemia. Eckhard was the first to raise his concerns about the changes over the past years.


    "I am astonished at how much Bohemia has changed since I left it in ruin. The fields are fertile, roads are constructed, and the cities are rebuilt better than ever. It appears that the people seem to be happy with the changes... However, I want to know your opinions on the current state of Bohemia."


    Alexej looked around first to see if there were any listeners nearby before taking a swig from his drink; as he did so, he expressed his actual thoughts on the matter in a hushed tone.


    "Life is better than ever, but Bohemia isn''t Bohemia anymore... The newest generation is all taught to speak German, our architecture and culture have been overhauled to match Austria''s. Despite our economic gains, we are nothing more than a client state of Austria, and many of the members of society are not happy about this."


    Eckhard nodded his head in silence as he took a sip from his beer; even the breweries of Bohemia had been changed to mimic the style of drink that was crafted in Austria. While Eckhard knew that Berengar intended to Germanize the Bohemian poption, he didn''t expect a rapid culture shift. Ultimately he shook his head before making a bold statement.


    "In a hundred years, Bohemia will be just another German State; it is a damn pity that the things that made you all unique will cease to be within our children''s lifetime..."


    With this said, none of the Hussite Veterans were willing to speak; instead, they gazed at the Austrian-style beer with pity in their hearts. Had they known that this would result from their war efforts, they never would have taken up arms against the previous King of Bohemia.


    With this, Eckhard spent a night of heavy drinking with his formerrades; it would not be until well past midnight that he managed to get any sleep. When he finally woke up early in the morning, he was in a groggy state as he mounted his trusty steed and set forth on the path to Marienburg.


    There were still several days worth of marching before the Austro-Bohemian Army arrived at their destination; during this time, they would keep their morale up by singing various marching songs that Berengar had introduced to his Army. Most of which were from his past life, though talented musicians of the era had created others.


    When the Austro-Bohemian Army finally arrived at their destination, they were greeted with open arms by the current Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order; unfortunately for the men beneath hismand, the end of the Teutonic State hade, as the Austrians had agreed to annex their beloved realm. As for the fate of the Teutonic Order, what Berengar had nned for them remained to be seen. Though he certainly would not permit a separate armed force from his Military to exist.


    This was Eckhard''sst war, and he intended for it to be a wless victory, forever to imprint his name on the history of the world before he finally retired. Thus Eckhard would go to great lengths to secure the territory that Berengar had requested him to. As for the Austrian King, he would soon be arriving in the New World, a secret mission that very few trusted individuals within the Austrian Government were made aware of.


    ---

 Chapter 466 - First Contact Part I

    Berengar sat on the bow of the ship; in his hands was his MP-22 submachine gun, which he carefully cleaned. The salty air of the sea required the weapons of the Austrian force to be maintained regrly. Though they were finished with excellent bluing, which slightly aided in resisting rust, it was not nearly as effective as modern means of rustproofing.


    His third wife, Honoria, was also cleaning her weapon by his side. The majority of the Marines who had been dispatched on this covert operation were all hard at work maintaining their gear to ensure it was in top shape for their arrival in Vind.


    Berengar, like the Marines beneath hismand, was dressed in thick winter clothing, with a splinter camouge parka, and trench-style body armor that was painted to match. Unlike his soldiers, though, Berengar did not wear a helmet. Instead, he wore an M43 style field cap which shared the same camouge pattern as his parka.


    Currently, it was towards the end of winter, and the beginning of spring, thus thend was still covered in frost, and the weather was dreadfully cold. Despite being a less than ideal time to venture to the new world, Berengar had decided it was best to begin his efforts now, especially since his family life had be somewhat chaotic over the past month.


    It had been eleven days since the crew set off from the port in Trieste, and though Berengar knew that they were close to the shores of the New World, his team was not as optimistic. Despite this, supplies were ample, as the canned food became exceptionally useful on the high seas. Thus, there was no concern about running out of things to eat and drink for the time being.


    Berengar used an oil-based product that he had imported from Byzantium to clean his weapon. While Austria had a decent oil reserve within its borders, Berengar had no intent to use this stockpile just yet. After all, he could consider it his strategic reserve, and he had not even begun production of refinement facilities, as well asbustion engines.


    Thus he relied on the rtively crude oil found across the world in open pits to maintain his equipment. After he had finished cleaning his weapon, the young King of Austria heard a shout from a sailor whose job was to spotnd.


    "Land ho!"


    Immediately Berengar reacted by putting his weapon back together and inserting a loaded magazine into its chamber before charging the open bolt mechanism and putting on its safety. After doing this, he slung it over his shoulder and issued hismands to the Marines who upied the ship.


    "Men, we are about to embark onto a new world, with various unknown factors! Under no circumstances should you panic; remember to remain calm at all times! If wee under fire, do not hesitate to eliminate the enemy; however, make sure to conserve your ammunition, as we only brought so much with us on this difficult journey!"


    The battle-hardened marines beneath Berengar''smand had dire expressions on their faces as they saluted their King.


    "Yes, sir!"


    While Berengar was lecturing his soldiers, Honoria rushed to the helm, where she helped bring the ship to the coastline of thendmass in front of them. If Berengar''s chartings were correct, they would be off the coast of what was considered New York in his past life.


    Because this was a steam-powered vessel with a triple-expansion steam engine, Berengar had opted to take the route from the coast of Iberia to New York. At an average speed of between 20-25 knots, the journey took eleven days to arrive at their destination.


    Berengar gazed upon the vacant coastline with excitement in his eyes. This was not only a monumental journey in world history, but it was also a personal goal of his. He would finally be able to return to thend of his birth within his past life. Though he was not a native to New York, he had spent four years of University in the State and had some decent memories of his life there.


    As he was reminiscing, the ship was settled off the region''s coast, where Honoria and the crew deployed the anchor. After the boat had halted itself in the bay, Berengar issued amand to the sailors aboard the ship.


    "Marines! Assemble, Sailors begin to deploy the Row Boats. We are heading ashore!"


    While the crew currently operating the Sloop of War known as Queen Honoria''s Revenge were getting into position, Berengar, Honoria, and the Marines boarded the rowboats, where they were quickly lowered into the bay. Upon hitting the water, they immediately began to row towards the shore.


    While this was going on, Berengar stood at the head of the rowboat, proudly gazing into the distance. He decided now was as good as time as any to crack a joke, and thus he bellowed out in a voice for all his soldiers to hear.


    "If any of you bastards step foot on the shore before me, I''ll shoot you myself!"


    Though Berengar said this with a hint ofughter, his men were smart enough to know that he was not joking. Thus they curbed their inner desires topete with their King to be the first man to step foot on the New World. Ultimately they would have to settle for being the crew of the man who aplished this.


    Eventually, the rowboats made their way to thend where Berengar aplished his goal; he stepped foot on the sandy shore with a broad smile on his face. The soldiers beneath hismand began to pick up their rucksacks and supplies from the rowboats as they prepared themselves for the unknown. Berengar had a n in ce to set up a small frontier fort and a port capable of hosting the Sloop of War they had arrived in. Thus he immediately gave out his orders to the necessary units.


    "Sappers, I want you to build a port immediately so we can bring the rest of the supplies from the ship to the shore. Second toon, your orders are to secure the perimeter, as for the rest of you, you will construct a fortress for our use, get your hatchets and begin to fell some trees!"


    These marines were selected specifically for this expedition, and Berengar knew they were capable of fulfilling the task; thus, he sat back and watched as the soldiers beneath hismand slowly but surely constructed shelter and a port. Now and then, he would make sure to guide them in the right direction to ensure that they were adequately secure from the elements and potential hostiles.


    Berengar and his soldiers huddled together under a series of primitive lean-to shelters on the first night ofnding in the new world. Within days, log cabins were constructed, and a proper barrier around it to ensure defense. A small outpost was fully erected by the time a fortnight had passed, and a primitive port had been established to act as a proper stationing post for their vessel.


    Throughout this process, scouts from the nearby tribes observed these unknown foreigners'' actions from afar, afraid to get too close and cause an unnecessary conflict with the strangely garbed men who hade from the sea. By the time their fortress was fully established, the Natives had be quite worried with the regr Austrian patrols.


    They had no idea who these pale-skinned and golden-haired people were, where they were from, or their purpose for visiting the region. However, the rapid establishment of what appeared to be a well-thought-out fortress was beyond worrisome. Eventually, the word was brought back to the local Mohawk chieftain who was sitting within his longhouse, alongside his wife and two teenage daughters.


    A young man by the name of Shosheowa knelt before the chieftain of his tribe before giving his report.


    "Father, the pale skins have spent thest two weeks establishing a fortress on the coastline. They appear to have arrived in arge canoe which spits smoke into the air! There are hundreds of them. However, we dare not approach them. For they appear to be armed with strange weapons, the likes we have never seen before.


    So far, it only appears that there are men among their ranks, as we have not spotted the presence of a woman. Could this possibly be a Warband from some tribe far across the great sea?"


    The chieftain blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe as he reflected on his son''s words. Whoever these men were, the fact that they wereprised entirely of males did not bode well for his tribe. If there were genuinely hundreds of these men, then it was a Warband of significant size.


    However, the Chief was wise; his immediate thought was not to instigate conflict with the trespassers but to establishmunication. Thus he gazed over at his eldest daughter, who spoke a total of fifteennguages, and addressed the girl with a worrisome look on his face.


    "My dear Kahwihta, you are the only one who I can trust tomunicate with these strange foreigners. I am tasking you to bridge the gap between our two peoples and ensure no conflict between us. I will order your brother and the warriors beneath hismand to protect you on your journey. Make haste before some other tribe foolishly provokes these strangers and forces us to bear the pay the price of their ignorance!"


    Kahwihta was a young woman; in herter teenage years, she was a beautiful woman with tan skin, brown eyes, and jet ck hair. Her body was slender, but with curves in the right ces, she was considered by the tribe to be their most pristine beauty. Though the chieftain worried for her safety in interacting with an encampment full of foreign men, he knew of none other who could take her ce as a trantor.


    If anyone could effectivelymunicate with the strangers who arrived on the shore, it was his daughter. Thus the young woman nodded her head in agreement as she stood up from her spot and followed her brother out the door of their longhouse. Whether or not they would be the first native peoples to interact with the Kingdom of Austria and the German people had yet to be revealed.


    ---

 Chapter 467 - First Contact Part II

    The cold breeze of the early spring spread throughout the fresh North American air. Berengar stood in a watchtower that had been established within his frontier fortress, breathing it in with a broad smile on his face. This bountifulnd had yet to be tainted by the stain of industry or the changes brought forth by advanced agriculture.


    Though these things were necessary for societal advancement, there was something beautiful in the primal nature of the North Americanndscape. As he gazed upon his surroundings with awe, he noticed the approach of a group of natives. As the young King witnessed this sight, a smirk appeared on his princely face. The local tribes had finally decided to show themselves to him and his host.


    Immediately Berengar began to ring the bell, signaling the troops to assemble. He had no idea if this was a native Warband or a peace delegation. Despite the overwhelming advantage that his soldiers had in terms of training and firepower, it was best not to underestimate the tenacity of the Native American people.


    The bell resounded throughout the encampment and the surrounding area; as it did so, the mysterious sound spooked the native delegation, as they witnessed dozens of soldiers d in strange uniforms rush to the ramparts of the wall, and bear their rifles towards the presence of the unknown native tribesmen.


    To the Mohawk people, the fortifications they witnessed were alien and intimidating in design. Thus, they approached cautiously, with their weapons held in a docile position. Their orders were to establishmunication with these pale-skinned foreigners, and therefore they had no desire to instigate a conflict with the men inside this timber fortress.


    As the Mohawk tribesmen approached the vige, Berengar stood on the ramparts with his MP-22 loaded and ready. His fortress was set up like that of the star forts back in the fathend, the difference being it was constructed of timber andcked any means of sufficient artillery. Aside from a few 60mm mortars and MG-22 Water-Cooled Machine Guns, this fortresscked explosive firepower.


    Despite theck of overwhelming Artillery, Berengar was sure that hispany of marines could hold this fortress against an army ten times its size; after all, they were still issued with bolt action rifles and machine guns. However, despite the slow approach of the Natives, Berengar did not sense any form of hostility from them; as such, he raised his hand, halting his soldier''s actions as he issued an order.


    "It appears that they might be peaceful, do not open fire unless you are opened fire upon. I would very much like to see if we can establish some form ofmunication with these natives..."


    The soldiers under Berengar''smand looked at him with confusion; just what could these savages provide to the great Kingdom of Austria? Despite this, they were given orders by their King, and thus they followed them; the soldiers lowered their weapons from an offensive position while keeping a close eye on their surroundings in case they were toe under assault."


    As the Mohawk delegation closed in on the fortress, the gates swung wide open, revealing Berengar, Honoria by his side, and a few grunts to protect them. Their weapons were lowered, so they were not overtly hostile but could be rapidly deployed if necessary.


    Eventually, the Mohawk tribesmen stopped roughly fifteen feet away from Berengar and his group; they gazed curiously at the camouged parkas in use by the German soldiers. They had never seen such strange clothing before; of course, Honoria''s deep blue sailor outfit and indigo hair confused them even more.


    Eventually, the Chieftain''s daughter, who went by the name of Kahwihta, stepped forward and attempted to introduce herself in hernguage.


    "I am Kahwihta, daughter of the great Chief, Okwaho; wee bearing gifts, please ept this corn as a token of our friendship."


    Neither Berengar nor the people beneath hismand understood a word that the woman was saying and instead gazed curiously upon her as she spoke the words. However, when they brought out a few wicker baskets filled with Corn, Berengar immediately noticed that they offered a gift. He said in German as he ordered his troops to stand down.


    "Theye in peace; lower your weapons!"


    Kahwihta was surprised when she heard the German tongue being spoken for the first time; not only was it apletely foreignnguage that she had never heard before, but it sounded incredibly aggressive, so much so that the warriors under her brother''smand immediately flinched, thinking that these men were about to be hostile.


    However, upon noticing that the Austrian Marines had slung their weapons over their shoulder and epted the gift of maize, the Mohawk warriors sighed in relief. Though neither of the two people could understand each other, they knew by their actions that there was no hostility between them.


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head as he epted the token of friendship with gratitude; as he did so, he thanked the Mohawk delegation in hisnguage, which though they did not understand, they could make an educated guess as to what he was saying.


    The Austrian King immediately opened up a path to the fortress and, with a gesture, led them inside. Unfortunately, since there was no direct trantion between the Iroquoisnguage and German, Berengar would have to start from scratch. He used the most basic forms of establishing contact: pointing to objects and exchanging each other''s words for what represented said object.


    As Berengar led the Mohawk tribesmen into his makeshift fortress, he took notice of Kahwihta''s natural beauty and leered at her from afar. This action immediately caught Honoria''s attention, who sighed heavily as she witnessed this. Did her man seriously not have the ability to keep it in his pants? She was amazed that he had managed to avoid having rtions with his sister for so long.


    Of course, while Berengar was checking out Kahwihta, the men who had followed her were doing so to Honoria; her pale skin and indigo hair were alien yet appealing at the same time. Of course, they could guess that this woman belonged to one of the men in this fortress, and thus they did not make any advances.


    Eventually, Berengar led the delegation into the building constructed to house both him and his wife. He pulled out several golden chalices and filled them with his favorite beer as he did so. Since these people had so kindly brought him one of his favorite foods from the New World, he would share one of his favorite drinks from the old world. After filling the cups with the dark brown liquid of the doppelbock beer, Berengar handed it over to his guests and proposed a toast in German.


    "To our newfound friendship!"


    Though the Mohawks had no idea what they were saying or what this strange liquid was, they were brave enough to take a sip. The hearty vor of the doppelbock was something that not everyone would enjoy; especially if they were unfamiliar with alcohol. As such, several members of the delegation wanted to spit it out upon tasting its vor but chose not to do so to avoid offending these foreigners.


    Kahwihta, in particr, seemed to enjoy the beer deeply and drank from it rather rapidly as if no matter how much of the substance she consumed, it could not satisfy her desire for more. However, the beer was 8% alcohol and thus quite heavy for such a beverage. Eventually, her cheeks turned red, and she had difficulty thinking straight.


    At that point, Berengar took away the chalice from her hands; he had forgotten entirely that her people were not used to alcoholic beverages and thus had a low tolerance to the drink. After getting the Mohawk''s drunk, Berengar found them some quarters and allowed them to sleep it off. After cing the Chieftain''s daughter down upon a feather mattress and covering her with fur covers, Berengar chuckled beforementing on the situation.


    "Fucking lightweights..."


    Honoria gazed at him with a curious expression as she asked the question on her mind.


    "What are we going to do with them now?"


    Berengar smiled before answering with a confident expression in response to this.


    "We will try to get to understand these people, the old fashion way. It may take some time, but sooner orter, we will be able to teach them ournguage and learn more about this mysteriousnd. In the meantime, I want you to go back to Austria and ferry across more men and supplies. My objective with this military outpost is to be established for the long term."


    Honoria gazed at her husband with surprise as she heard this order; she did not know why he was so interested in this strangend; thus, she inquired further about his intentions.


    "You want to establish a permanent settlement here in Vind?"


    In response to this, Berengar grabbed ahold of one of the stalks of corn and bit into it; as he did so, he reminisced about his past life, and the barbecue he would always eat on the fourth of July, grilled corn, ribs, and potato sd was a staple in his house on such holidays.


    After trying the fresh corn, he handed it over to Honoria, who took a bite of her own. She immediately fell in love with the juicy food; as Berengar witnessed this, he began to answer her question.


    "This substance is simple proof that we have entered a new world, with plenty of resources that we can learn from and cultivate to improve our society. Not only do I intend to establish a permanent military fortress here in Vind, but I also intend to colonize thisnd in the future! We need to make contact with the natives and learn how to interact with them.


    A few years after we have crushed the Catholic Church and destroyed their influence over Europe, we will embark on a full-scale colonization effort; we already have a booming poption growth due to the advanced agricultural practices I have established. We will have too many people to sustain our poption in a few generations, even after I unite the German-speaking regions.


    Thus, the German people need to establish living space if we wish to sustain our growth! Look around you; thisnd is ripe for the taking, and filled with all kinds of natural resources! Here in Vind, our people will grow and prosper; the resources they gain here can be sent back to the fathend to improve it as well! Thisnd is not only the future of the German people but a great Empire as well!"


    Honoria chuckled as she heard this; her husband''s ambitions were truly grander than she had ever imagined; as such, she began to make a snarky remark to the man she loved.


    "Why do I get the feeling that you were not only aware of Vind''s existence for some time now but have already included it in your ns of expansion long before you broached the subject with me?"


    Berengar smiled in response and remained utterly silent; this was enough to convince Honoria that she was right. As such, she sighed heavily before responding to Berengar''s orders.


    "Fine, I will ferry supplies and troops across the Antic while you establishmunication with the Natives. However, I swear to God if you sleep with this woman or any other while I am away, I will never forgive you!"


    Berengar had a cheeky grin on his face as he responded to this statement with his glib tongue.


    "So does that mean I am allowed to sleep with her so long as you are present to bear witness?"


    Honoria scoffed at this suggestion before storming off. Sometimes she did not know why she loved this asshole. With that said first contact with the native peoples of North America had been made, and ns for establishing the first German colony in the New World had begun to take ce.


    ---

 Chapter 468 - First Contact Part III

    Adrian Lemm was a young man in his early twenties, born and raised as an Austrian living in the province of Krain who came from a long line of anglers and hunters. He was too young to take part in Berengar''s early conquests; however, when the Austrian Navy was founded, this young man was more than eager to sign up.


    If you were to tell Adrian that in a few years, he would be among the hundred or so marines dispatched to the mysteriousnd of Vind on a top-secret mission alongside his King, he would scoff at you and insult your intelligence. Yet this was the reality he now faced.


    Adrian was the squad leader of the Marine Reconnaissance Unit that had been dispatched as a part of thepany of soldiers who apanied King Berengar to the new world. Currently, he was in the field away from the outpost established for Austrian upation.


    Among the snowyndscape, this man and the soldiers beneath hismand gazed upon an Algonquin vige in the distance. To the Austrian soldiers, there was no distinction between them and the Mohawk who had visited the outpost in an act of friendship.


    Despite this line of thinking, they carefully jotted down all intelligence on the nearby tribe; while the Mohawk had decided to act peacefully with the Austrian host; the Algonquin were instead preparing for war. The warriors painted their bodies in strange patterns and began to engage in their prebat rituals.


    Adrian gazed upon the warriors'' actions as they gathered their warclubs and primitive tbows. What the Marines witnessed was enough to confirm their suspicions, the natives of thisnd were not as peaceful as they were initially led to believe.


    Those who had gathered at their fortress merely pretended to be friendly while their warriors prepared to invade. With this information in hand, Adrian ordered his soldiers to fall back to the fortress and notify the garrison of the uing conflict.


    "We have seen enough to know of these Natives'' intentions. Swiftly, we must return to the outpost and warn our soldiers of what is about to transpire!"


    With that said, the Marine Reconnaissance force doubled back to the fortress to prepare their brothers for thebat that they would soon be facing.


    ---


    While Adrian and his soldiers were returning to the outpost, Berengar sat in the main cabin; a wood-burning stove had been set up to provide warmth to the structure; on top of it, Berengar cooked the contents of one of his rations. The canned was filled with diced chicken, that Berengar had marinated in a buffalo-style sauce. As the chicken grilled an intense aroma filled the cabin''s interior, causing the Mohawk delegation to salivate in anticipation.


    Kahwihta gazed upon the tin cans that contained the food with a curious expression. Metallurgy was rare among the tribes of the Eastern Seaboard. Thus, she was interested in how these jars functioned and what the material was that they wereprised of. She had seen a lot of shining metallic substances in use by the pale-skin foreigners.


    This led her to believe that perhaps these pale skins were far more advanced than her people could even fathom. After all, they had rapidly constructed this timber fortress that was more defensible than any vige she hade across in her travels. The beautiful teenage girl pouted as she reflected on her inability tomunicate with these strangers.


    She had attempted to speak to the handsome one-eyed man, who appeared to be the leader of these people in all fifteennguages that she was fluent in, and yet, the man did notprehend any of it. Because of this, Kahwihta was almost entirely sure that these golden-haired men hade from across the great sea. However, the very idea of their civilization being capable of doing such a thing brought an intense sense of fear to the chieftain''s daughter.


    She had a firm resolve in her heart to avoid conflict with these men no matter what the cost may be. As such, she yed the role of a perfectly humble delegate as she sat in the cabin waiting for Berengar and Honoria to finish cooking and serving the canned rations. After a while, the food was finished, and Berengar served it to his guests.


    Ultimately, the buffalo chicken wasbined with cheese, onions, rice, and ranch to create a delicious casserole. Such a food had be a staple of the Austrian Military as it was easy to preserve, quick to cook, and quite delicious. Not only was it amon dish served to the soldiers of Austria, but to due to its inexpensive nature, it could be found within the lower and middle-ss households across the Kingdoms of Austria, and Bohemia.


    The Mohawk Delegation nearly passed out as they tasted the exceptional vor of the dish, the Chieftain''s daughter, in particr, was deeply entranced with the meal as she dipped engorged herself on the substance. She began to speak in hernguage; from her tone of voice, Berengar could guess what she was asking, so he pointed to the resources that had been used to create the casserole and answered her in his native tongue.


    "Tyrol Sauce!"


    He then pointed to the Ranch dressing and referred to it as such


    "Ranch dressing!"


    He repeated this action for everyponent, instructing the multilingual mohawk woman of the Germannguage and how they referred to these items. To his surprise, she repeated the words back to him, making sure she was pronouncing them correctly, andmitting them to memory. Thus while the two groups ate together, they educated each other on theirnguages.


    Ultimately, the peaceful meeting was cut short when a knock resounded on the King''s cabin; Berengar instantly got up and opened the door to reveal none other than Sergeant Adrian Lemm, who immediately saluted his King before expressing the information he had acquired.


    "Your Majesty, I would not trust these savages if I were you; we found their vige and marked its location on a map we are creating. They are preparing for war! These two-faced barbarians are probably here to spy on us and sabotage our operation when their Warband finally arrives!"


    When Berengar heard this, he frowned. It was entirely possible that the Mohawk people were ying him; However, it was also likely that his marines had found a different tribe and had made a mistake in identification. The only reason Berengar was able to surmise this possibility was because of his status as a reincarnation. If he did not have the knowledge of his past life then he was liable to trust his scout''s words as absolute proof of a conspiracy and in doing so make a huge mistake.


    Luckily, Berengar was more knowledgeable than his soldiers on the various tribes who inhabited thisnd, and thus he did not act upon this intel in the way that his soldiers might expect him to. Instead, he had a calm expression on his face as he gave his soldier an order.


    "Hand over the map and whatever other intelligence you have gathered. I want you to alert the garrison and patrols that there is a high probability of conflict to ur shortly. Though I do not doubt your abilities, I sense no hostility from our guests; the vige you found may be a rival to these people. After all, we have no way of knowing howrge thisnd is, or how many different factions inhabit it..."


    Adrian nodded his head as he heard his King''s reasoning. He honestly did not even think of that as a possibility; these natives all looked the same to him after all. However, the King might have a point; these savages were clearly a tribalistic society, which meant that each vige could have local governance. This meant that there was a possibility that their guests were friendly, whereas the other vige they had encountered was entirely unrted, and hostile. If such a scenario were reality, then Berengar''s actions were understandable.


    After giving the orders, the Austrian King dismissed the marine Sergeant and brought the highly detailed map to the dining table. He had a frown on his face as he revealed the information that his soldiers had gathered. As Berengar pointed at the vige''s location, he inquired about what the Mohawk delegation might know about the area and the people who inhabited it.


    Shosheowa was the leader of the guards assigned to protect his sister; he was considered a great warrior of his vige and an excellent scout. Upon seeing this map, he knew exactly who lived in this tribe and immediately shook his head��confirming in Berengar''s eyes that this was not their vige or their people who were preparing for war.


    Thus Berengar pointed at the map once more and then to the war club that Shosheowa had brought. He hoped that this gesture couldmunicate that this vige was preparing for war. Luckily the man was intelligent enough to understand Berengar''s intent, and thus his response was within Berengar''s expectations.


    "Anishnabe"


    was the word that Shosheowa used to refer to the people who inhabited this vige. Berengar scratched his chin as he searched his memories before recalling that Anishnabe was what the Algonquin referred to themselves as. This meant that Shosheowa and Kahwihta were likely from the rival Iroquois Confederation, or one of the tribes that consisted of it. He now had a general understanding of what he was dealing with.


    If that were the case, his guests were most definitely hostile towards the tribe preparing to attack the Austrian fortress. Berengar had a wicked grin on his face as he thought about the massacre that was about to unfold. Honoria gazed over at her husband''s expression and knew what he was thinking about; thus, she was not surprised when the Austrian King uttered the following phrase.


    "Let theme! I want our guests to witness what happens when savages march upon Austrian soil!"


    Though the mohawk delegation did not know what Berengar had said, they could tell by his expression that it was not anything kind.. Thus an eery atmosphere prevailed across the Austrian fortress as the marines and sailors stationed within prepared themselves for battle with the Algonquin warriors.

 Chapter 469 - Relationship Advice

    While Berengar was off on a grand adventure in a distant foreignnd, Henrietta was left behind in Kufstein. Unlike all the previous times her brother had departed from home, she was now exceptionally depressed. If it were a simple war, she would not be concerned; after all, her precious big brother was invincible in her eyes.


    However, he would be traveling across the Antic in an attempt to wrestle control of the unknown. Such a thing terrified her; what if his ship sunk on the journey and he drowned in the depths. What if he faced a strange Empire of overwhelming might, who captured him and forced him into very?


    Worst of all, what if he had entered a mysteriousnd filled with giants, and he was squashed beneath their heels? All kinds of fantastical scenarios entered the young woman''s mind as she feared for her brother''s safety. Her anxiety was so bad that she had not left the confines of her room since he had departed.


    It was initially punishment for her taking advantage of the situation to kiss her big brother in front of his wives. Yet, she was now sealed away in her quarters entirely by choice. She spent most of her day lying on her bed, with her head buried in the pillows and her body concealed by her covers.


    Her heart constantly ached as she worried about many things that could have gone wrong with Berengar''s journey to the mysterious foreignnd known as Vind. As she was locked away in her room, her suitor had attempted to visit her on three separate asions only to be turned away by the young princess. She had no time to entertain the man who acted as cover for her rtionship with her big brother.


    As she reflected upon this, she cursed herself for not forcing Berengar to be more intimate with her while he was still within the bounds of the fathend. Now more than ever, she was more confident that she would finally be one with her beloved brother when he eventually returned home from his journey across the Antic.


    While she was thinking about this, a knock resounded from the thick wooden door that acted as the entrance to her room. The mysterious identity on the other side of the door was none other than Linde, who called out to her sister-inw with a hint of worry in her tone.


    "Henrietta, my dear. It has been over a month since Berengar has departed; I know you are worried for his safety; we all are. However, you muste out from seclusion eventually!"


    Henrietta did not budge despite the voice of concern from the other end of the door; Henrietta did not budge. Instead, she yelled out to Linde with a voice filled with inner fury.


    "Go away!"


    The proud Queen did not budge; instead, she ultimately pulled out a small brass key and unlocked the door, forcing her way into the princess''s room. Though Henrietta heard this intrusion, she remained as still as the dead, as Linde eventually approached her and sat down upon the edge of her bed. The strawberry-blonde-haired beauty sighed heavily as she began to confront the most significant issue that she and the others had been avoiding for some time.


    "You truly love your brother, don''t you, Henrietta?"


    Henrietta''s cheeks flushed red beneath her covers as she was asked this question; until now, Berengar''s wives had been avoiding stepping on thisnd mine, and yet the princess''s seclusion had forced Linde''s hand. Thus Henrietta eventually spoke in a meek voice to confirm the Queen''s words.


    "Yes..."


    Linde nodded her head in silence as she began to inquire more about Henrietta''s feelings towards her flesh and blood.


    "You do know why you and Berengar can''t be together, right? Society will never ept that kind of rtionship between a brother and sister. If anyone found out about it, it could easily cost your brother everything he has worked so hard to achieve. Despite this, you still want to be with him, don''t you?"


    Henrietta was dead silent as she listened to this lecture; after all, she knew very well that she was being selfish and that there was substantial risk behind what she desired. However, she believed that one does not choose who they love, and thus she was still determined to be with Berengar. Upon witnessing the young princess''s silence, Linde sighed heavily before speaking.


    "If you know the risks, and are still willing to be with your brother despite them, then that means one of two things. Either you are an incredibly selfish girl who does not care who you hurt so long as you get what you want.


    Or your feelings for your brother are not mere infatuation and instead are the genuine article. If you truly love Berengar in the same way that myself and the others do, then I am left with only one choice..."


    Henrietta felt a slight chill down her spine as Linde said these words, she had always had an instinctive fear of the woman, and now she felt that she was being threatened. Despite this, the princess threw off her covers as she began to bark back at the spymaster like a rabid dog who had been cornered.


    "If you''re going to kill me because of my love for my big brother, then make it quick; I''d rather die than live without him!"


    Linde was shocked upon hearing this; after all, she would never harm a hair on Henrietta''s head, but the determined expression on the girl''s face told her that her feelings were the real deal. There was an awkward silence that filled the air for a few moments before Linde broke out into uncontrobleughter.


    This reaction immediately confused Henrietta, who perked a brow as she gazed upon her brother''s second wife with a look of confusion. Eventually, Linde calmed down and regained herposure as she informed Henrietta of the decision she hade to.


    "Henrietta, if I harmed you in any way, your brother would never forgive me. I was not threatening you; I was going to say that I will support you behind the scenes to make sure that your scandalous rtionship with Berengar is never leaked beyond the confines of this Pce..."


    Henrietta''s azure eyes glowed with excitement as she heard this response; she quickly crawled over to Linde and grabbed ahold of her hands with a pleading gaze while she questioned whether or not her ears were working correctly.


    "Really? But what about Ad? She has made it clear that she would never approve of our rtionship..."


    Linde''s expression immediately sank as she heard that name; she and Ad had never been on good terms. In fact, their rtionship was now worse than ever; this was a direct result of the actions Linde had taken to coerce Ad into enjoying a foursome with their husband. With this in mind, the veteran spymaster vented her frustrations in confidence to the young princess.


    "Fuck that bitch! She is a massive prude and a hypocrite. For starters, she is Berengar''s cousin; if anyone should be sympathetic to your plight, it should be her. Besides that, she is not exactly as innocent as she has led the Kingdom to believe. If you have seen the stuff she does with our husband behind closed doors, you would call her a whore!"


    Henrietta felt her heart sting as she heard this; she and her cousin had always been close, especially since Ad had been first engaged to Berengar, and yet over these past few months, as Henrietta made her feelings more apparent, there had be an unbridgable divide between the two cousins.


    Upon seeing that Linde was on her side, the princess immediately felt herself growing closer to the second Queen of Austria. Of course, even without Ad''s approval, there were still two other women she had to worry about; thus, Henrietta voiced her concerns.


    "Okay, but what about Honoria and Yasmin?"


    At this moment, Linde let her sister-inw in on a little secret about the politics of the Royal Harem. With a smirk on her pretty face, she began to educate the princess on these critical matters.


    "Honoria is a wild card; she doesn''t care about anything other than having fun and enjoying life. That girl is a true hedonist and wholly disregards what is considered morally right or wrong. She also enjoys thepany of men and women alike and is quite the pervert. She would probably get off on the idea of having a threesome with a pair of siblings, so I am sure that I can convince her to keep quiet about your little affair with our husband.


    As for Yasmin, from what I can gather, she is just going along with the rest of the girls right now to blend in. She has yet to show her true colors and instead appears utterly faithful to Berengar. Whatever her husband desires, she is likely to agree to it without incident. Even if she did something so foolish, I could easily prevent that news from spreading, so you have nothing to worry about.


    With my support, you are free to pursue your heart''s desires; however, convincing Berengar to engage in an incestuous rtionship with his little sister will be tough. You have a lot of work cut out for you, but I am confident with enough tenacity you will be able to get through to him."


    Upon hearing this, Henrietta reflected intensely on Linde''s words; she knew that Berengar had reservations about their so-called secret rtionship; however, with Linde supporting her behind the scenes, she was confident that she could convince him to go all the way. It was just a matter of time. Thus the young princess had a newfound resolve to make her fantasies be a reality.


    As for Linde, her reasoning for supporting Henrietta was far from benevolent. It was no secret that the power struggle among Berengar''s women was a real thing, and because of this, she had decided to take advantage of Henrietta''s feelings so that she could convert the girl to her side.


    After all, Henrietta could never marry Berengar, and they would likely never have children. Still, if the two siblings truly loved each other, Linde could use this as an advantage to get the young princess to convince her brother to support Linde''s offspring in the right to rule the future German Empire. Thus the Spymaster of Austria and the Princess had formed an unholy alliance in the fight against the High Queen and her progeny.


    ---

 Chapter 470 - One Sided Massacre

    The frost air of early spring in the region that was once known as New York in Berengar''s past life chilled the Austrian Marines to the bone as they gathered on the ramparts of their makeshift star fortress. In the trees, the Algonquin warriors hid, awaiting the signal to begin the attack on the pale skin''s fortress.


    It had been a week since the Austrian scouts reported the hostile movements of the local tribe; during this time, Honoria had set sail with the sailors beneath hermand back to the fathend to ferry more troops and supplies to the new world.


    In doing so, she left the Austrian King and hispany of Marines stranded on a continent that existed on the opposing side of the Antic. These men bravely stood within the confines of their star fortress, waiting for the day of the Algonquin attack.


    As part of a defensive measure, the Austrian Marines had cleared a great deal of the surrounding brush around their fortress, resulting inrge swaths of open territory between their mighty timber walls and that of any attacking force. These men were no greenhorns and were well trained and experienced in warfare.


    Because of this, they were selected for this critical and ssified operation. Thus When Berengar stood atop the wall, gazing off towards the treeline with his binocrs, he had an expression ofplete and total confidence on his face. However, the Captain beneath hismand did not share his sentiment; upon seeing his King''s haughty expression, he began to give his report.


    "Sir, we are surrounded, with no means of escape!"


    A chilling smile etched itself upon Berengar''s handsome visage in response to this. After gazing at the warriors who hid within the treeline onest time, the young King ced down his binocrs before giving his response to this report.


    "Good! The fact that they have us surrounded has greatly simplified our problem! There is now only one solution, keep firing in all directions until this new world runs red with the blood of savages!"


    Upon hearing this retort, the Captain was stunned; he did not expect such a harsh response from his King. However, after thinking about it for a few moments, an equally wicked smile formed itself upon the man''s lips before he threw up a salute to the Reichsmarschall.


    "Yes, sir!"


    With that said, the Captain ryed the orders to thepany of Marines. After all, what was there to fear when they wielded the power of automatic weapons and explosive mortars? Thus the Austrian soldiers locked and loaded their guns as they braced forbat.


    As for the Mohawk delegation, they had since returned to their home, informing their tribe of what was going on; despite this, the Chieftain''s daughter had stubbornly remained behind. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her; after all, despite the report that hundreds of Algonquin warriors would be descending on this position, the one-eyed man did not appear frightened in the slightest.


    Thus Kahwihta stood as a witness for the massacre that was about to unfold, the first of many that would result from German exploration and conquest of the New World. She sat within the camp''s interior, waiting for the conflict to begin. The silence before the storm caused a great deal of fear to ur within her fragile heart.


    Berengar continued to watch the treeline as he gazed down the iron sights of his MP-22 submachine gun. The men by his side did the same with their weapons until, eventually, the sound of battle had begun.


    The Algonquin warriors began to chant their war cries, as the hundreds of native men rushed forth from the trees. Berengar gazed in awe as he witnessed this; there were far more of the enemy than he initially realized; thus, he cried out to his soldiers with the following orders.


    "Conserve your ammo! We only have so many rounds to put downrange. Fire short bursts, and make sure you have the enemy in your sights before you pull the trigger!"


    Though these men were professionals, it did not hurt to remind them how to fight such arge armed force effectively. Thus after saying this, Berengar acquired his target and squeezed the trigger of his weapon, holding it down for no more than a second.


    As he did so, a small burst of three rounds went downrange and into the torso of his first target. The man gazed in shock as his torso was torn apart by the three rounds of 9mm; thest thing he witnessed before his life was snuffed away was the sound of thunder apanying his death.


    Berengar paid no more attention to the in savage, and instead aimed down his sights at the next target, squeezing the trigger, firing a simr burst of ammunition through the air. While Berengar and his soldiers had begun to fire upon the enemy. Kahwihta was standing in the center of the fortress, covering her ears from the loud sts of gunfire.


    A look of horror spread across her face as she realized that these pale-skinned and golden-haired foreigners could conjure thunder. These were not mere mortals but gods who had descended upon her people''snds. Immediately the young beauty fell to her knees and began praying to her new deities for mercy.


    These actions went entirely unnoticed by the Austrian Marines, who continued their duties by gunning down the hundreds of Algonquin warriors who had gathered in all directions. The native tribesmen were horrified as their bodies were torn apart by the projectiles that the foreigners had fired at them.


    However, that was not the end of their terror; as they got closer to the fortifications, arge explosion detonated in the center of their ranks. Fire and smoke filled the air, apanied by the blood-curdling screams of the men who survived the st.


    Yet that was not the only explosion to ur immediately. Another round was fired by one of the mortar teams, which detonated once more among the center of their ranks, causing bodies to be sted apart, and limbs were torn asunder.


    Berengar paid no heed to this violence, as it was something he was well ustomed to; instead, he continued to aim down his sights with his one good eye and fire rounds at the oing enemy. Not even five minutes had urred since the battle began, and yet now, the Algonquin warriors had lost over a hundred men and were fleeing for their lives.


    Despite their retreat, Berengar showed no mercy, as he and his men aimed down their weapons and fired upon the enemy, gunning them down from behind as they fled towards the tree line in the hopes of escaping this ruthless ughter.


    After firing one final burst at the fleeing enemy, Berengar released his empty magazine and made sure his weapon was cleared before dering a cease-fire.


    "Hold your fire!"


    With the King''s words echoing in the air, the soldiers who defended their fortress immediately ceased their assault and cleared their weapons; after doing so, they began to cheer. The enemy had been so petrified by gunfire that they had not managed to fire a single arrow or sling a single rock towards the Austrian Marines.


    To say that this was a one-sided massacre was an understatement; hundreds of Algonquin warriorsy dead in the field below, their bodies were torn apart, their blood fertilizing the soil. It was only now that Berengar remembered that the Chieftain''s daughter had witnessed the battle scene.


    As such, he climbed down from the ramparts and approached the young woman, who immediately pressed her head to the ground as she kotowed to the one-eyed man as if he were a god. Though he did not know what she was saying, he could see the reverence that was entangled with fear in her deep brown eyes.


    The young Austrian King stood before the native American woman with a smirk on his face. He began to wonder if he could convince the local popce that he was, in fact, a war god, and if so, how could he use such a thing to his advantage?


    Of course, he needed no convincing, as Kahwihta fully embraced Berengar as a deity at this moment. After witnessing such battle prowess and the advanced technology that the Austrian Marines wielded, how could she not?


    Thus Berengar signaled for the young woman to rise to her feet which she quickly did. However, there was a different reaction on her face than before the battle. Now she was docile, with her head lowered and her gaze averted, she showed a proper level of fear and respect to her newfound god.


    Berengar scratched his chin as he thought of what to do with this woman''s new reverent attitude; he immediately thought of several things he could take advantage of now that Honoria was gone. As such, he grabbed ahold of the woman''s dainty hand and led her towards his cabin. After all, in the King''s mind, it wasn''t truly colonization unless he had taken the virtue of a local native girl....

 Chapter 471 - Securing The Teutonic State

    While Berengar and his marines were engaging in a one-sided massacre on the other side of the world, the Austro-Bohemain Army had finally arrived within Marienburg. The current Grandmaster of the Teutonic order was a man named Hennek von Rotenburg and had greeted Eckhard and his soldiers with open arms. After all, the current state of the Teutonic Order was not exactly enviable.


    Immediately upon making contact with the Teutonic Order, Eckhard handed the Grandmaster a list of demands from King Berengar von Kufstein. After a night of intense negotiation, the terms that the Austrian Monarch had presented were agreed to by the Teutonic State and its various leaders.


    The first of these conditions was that the Teutonic State, all of its territories, and ims were to be annexed by the Kingdom of Austria starting immediately. This was something that the Teutonic Leaders had already agreed to some time ago.


    However, the second condition was far less forgiving. Berengar demanded that the Teutonic Order disband its militaryponent and be a chivalric order within the Austrian state, whose membership would be conferred to those who had served valiantly on the field of battle within Austria''s armed forces.


    It would retain its nature as a religious organization. However, it was demanded that they convert to the German Reformation and publically Disvow the Catholic Church and the Pope. This was a stiption that the members of the Teutonic Order fiercely debated. However, they had no choice but to ept these demands in the end.


    After all, not only could they no longer defend their borders, but they had a hundred thousand Austrian and Bohemian soldiers temporarily settled in theirnds; by epting these soldiers into the Teutonic State during their negotiations with the Field Marshal of Austria, they had essentially given away any power that they had to negotiate for themselves.


    Eckhard''s first act as the newly crowned military governor over the Teutonic Region was to send an ultimatum to the forces of the Eastern Coalition. Under the terms presented by Eckhard, they were given three months to remove all military, and political presence from thends imed by the Austrian Crown or face a full-scale invasion.


    The Leaders of the Eastern Coalition did not take these demands lightly and responded by immediately invading what remained of the Teutonic State. A bold move, and one that Eckhard had entirely expected. Thus the aging Field Marshal currently stood atop a castle on the Eastern Front.


    This once proud Teutonic fortress was nothing more than an obsolete structure in the eyes of the Austrian Field Marshal, though it, and other castles like it would serve as important cultural icons in the Kingdom of Austria and the future German Empire, its usefulness as an actual military structure was inferior to a star fortress, or even earthen fortifications.


    Currently, as he stood atop this structure, his soldiers were firing their needle rifles and cannons into the Field below where the army of the enemy had gathered. Eckhard had split his army into much smaller units to protect the border from the enemy''s invasion effectively. Thus, he merelymanded 5,000 men in defense of the current castle.


    Despite being vastly outnumbered, the rapid-fire of the needle rifles and the support of the high explosive artillery was more than enough to ensure total victory in this battle against the forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As the shells impacted upon the lines of iron-d warriors, the enemy began to be filled with dread.


    Just how were they supposed to siege a city against such a technologically superior foe? While Eckhard watched the ongoing carnage, a crossbow bolt flew by his head, narrowly missing his skull. Despite this threat to his existence, the man did not panic; in fact, not a single sign of excitement was visible from his appearance. Instead, he merely sighed heavily before ducking below the merlons.


    As he sat by his soldiers, who fired their needle rifles into the gathered army below; the Austrian Field Marshal pulled out a pack of hemp cigarettes where he began to light one up and smoke during the ongoing battle. Such senseless ughter, simply because the Eastern Coalition stubbornly refused to recognize that there was a new power in this world, one greater than their three nationsbined. It was all so tiresome...


    Gunshots echoed in the air as the Austrian and Bohemian soldiers poked their rifles through the castle''s machictions while they fired their weapons into the gathered mass of enemy soldiers. The .451 caliber bullets spiraled downrange and through the metallic armor tes that protected the enemy as if their expensive armor waspletely and utterly worthless.


    Blood spilled, and bones shattered after being impacted by theserge lead projectiles, the sound of the bolts of these needle rifles could immediately be overheard as they were racked back in unison, and new rounds were chambered. Now and then, a soldier would ce his rifled on the floor and eject a failed paper cartridge with the clearing rod before loading another round and firing into the horde.


    If there weren''t so many enemy soldiers, the battle indeed would have been won by now. Yet, the Polish-Lithuanian men at arms desperately struggled to raise theirdders and ascend to the top of the castle''s ramparts, where the Austro-Bohemian soldiers continued to rain down their projectiles onto them. If any man got close to the edge, he was either shot down or stabbed to death by the de bays atop the needle rifles.


    The battle continued for several hours before what remained Polish-Lithuanian forces were wholly decimated; any soldier worth their salt had routed long ago and many of them had done so; the rest of themy piled below, the castle''s ramparts, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of Polish-Lithuanian men lie dead on the ground. Yet, despite their efforts, they had utterly failed to breach the castle''s walls or inflict severe casualties on the Austro-Bohemian defenders.


    In the eyes of Eckhard, this was no battle but a synchronized sacrifice of young men at the behest of foolish noblemen who refused to admit that their primitive ways hade to an end. The Austrian Field Marshal was confident that Austrian Hegemony had been secured when Berengar defeated the Holy Roman Empire. Yet, now with an armed force that was deadlier than ever, there was indeed no force in the West that could challenge the Kingdom of Austria and its mighty army.


    Despite this overwhelmingly obvious conclusion, Austria''s neighbors continued to resist the winds of change. They would send wave after wave of young men into the guns of Austria, hoping to overwhelm the trained professionals thatprised its forces. In the end, it would always result in this senseless ughter. Gazing upon the massive loss of life wrought by hismand, Eckhard sighed beforementing to himself about his ever-changing views of warfare.


    "Such a pointless waste of lives, here I stand on the field of battle witnessing the death and despair that my decree has caused, and yet I know that I have not seen the end of the war, for only in death can one truly escape the wicked nature of man."


    Upon saying this, the man turned away from the gory scene and descended from the castle''s walls. If he were going to continue this campaign to the baltic, he would need a stiff drink to calm his nerves. Thus he entered the great hall by his lonesome and served himself a beer from the stockpile within the castle.


    Unfortunately, the Teutonic Order was utterlycking in the advanced brewing methods that Berengar had introduced to his Kingdom; thus, the veteran Field Marshal was forced to drink from the weak substance which proimed itself to be an ale with a disgruntled expression on his face.


    For Eckhard, this war had only just begun, and yet he was already weary of it. Luckily for him, his King had agreed to his demand that this was the end of his military career. Or else he would not know how to face himself in the mirror for the rest of his days.


    While the soldiers of Austria and Bohemia cleaned up the battlefield and prepared to march on Pnd-Lithuania to reim thends that once belonged to the Teutonic State. Eckhard drank himself to sleep. With such weak alcohol, it had taken a substantial sum of the substance to achieve this, but by force of sheer will, the man had swallowed enough of the swill to aplish his goal for the night.


    When he finally woke up the following day, he would be lying faced down in a pool of ale, yet there was no time to sulk; his army had to be on the march and finish this war as quickly as possible.. Thus the aging Field Marshal dusted himself off and put on a stern expression, his ever-increasing battle fatigue would have to wait until after he had concluded with conflict.

 Chapter 472 - Diplomacy At Its Finest

    Berengar lie naked on a bed of furs in his cabin. He was in a half asleep state, most likely hungover from the night of celebration after a brilliant victory. The young king instinctively reached over to his side, only to realize that nobody was lying next to him. The fact that there wasn''t at least one pair of soft mounds to greet him in the morning caused him to sober up greater than any coffee could.


    After the glorious victory the day before, Berengar and his soldiers had over indulged in drinking what little alcohol supply they had brought with them for this journey. Now they were almostpletely tapped out, leaving them in a state of sobriety for the next few weeks, until Honoria could arrive with a new shipment.


    To Berengar, there was nothing more painful than being permanently sober. In fact, he figured that if hell truly existed, it would just be him sober for all eternity. With all the things he had witnessed in his past life, and this current one. He needed a bit of intoxication to calm his nerves after a stressful day. Unfortunately, all he had now been hemp cigarettes, and though they helped bring him a sense of calm, theirck of THC did not fix his issue with sobriety.


    He gazed over at the vacant spot next to him with a hint of remorse. Just why exactly did he send Honoria to lead the fleet back to the fathend? There were dozens of naval officers who could easily fulfill such a task. Unlike a usual deployment, he could bring one of his wives with him this time, and yet at the first opportunity he told her to leave his side. There was a word for such a decision, idiotic, and Berengar felt it right now.


    If Honoria were here, he would have probably slept with her after the battle; after all, from his perspective, there was nothing better than making love after a good fight. However, she had been dispatched to ferry supplies and men from the Fathend to this new military outpost.


    Thus, not only was he now sober for the next week or two, but he also had blue balls. He was thinking thating to the other side of the world, in the dead of winter, was not the brightest idea he had ever devised in his creative mind. While he wasmenting every life choice that brought him to this point, a knock resounded on his door.


    Because of this, he quickly got out from under his fur covers and put on a pair of trousers. After doing so, he shuffled towards the crude wooden door, and opened it, revealing the mohawk chieftain''s young daughter, who had an excited expression on her face.


    Since the battle the night before, she had been overenthusiastic about serving his needs, to the point where Berengar was fairly certain that she had offered to sleep with him in her ownnguage. Despite such a tempting offer, he refused. After all, he could not tell whether she had syphilis. Thest thing Berengar wanted to do was make the same mistake as the explorers from his past life, and bring that horrible disease back to the fathend.


    Because of this, he had strictly forbidden his soldiers from having rtions with the native women, not that there were any in the camp besides Kahwihta. The punishment for such a thing was a long-term quarantine. Berengar was serious when it came to the spread of diseases to his people.


    Besides, if Berengar had actually taken advantage of the poor girl, he could only imagine the screeching that would resound across America''s universities in his past life should they be aware of his actions in this one.


    All the pink-hairednd whales would scream about the Austrian Monarch''s so-called "crimes against humanity" and any other form of nonsense that their instructors fed to their vacant minds. He internally swore that he would never allow his own universities to be such an absent minded cesspool of humanity''s worst aspects.


    After thinking about such pointless things for a few seconds, Berengar allowed the young woman to enter his cabin. After she did so, she sat down at his table as if it were the most natural thing to do. Berengar ignored her actions and instead brewed himself some coffee. If he was going to be sober for the next few weeks, then he was at least going to have some caffeine in his blood.


    As Berengar brewed the coffee, Kahwihta gazed at him with reverence. Since the battle the day before, her brother had made her vow to do everything in her power to seduce him so that they could establish an alliance with these gods from across the great sea.


    Despite agreeing to her brother''s request, Kahwihta waspletely inexperienced when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. Even though she was renowned across the region as a great beauty, her father''s fearsome reputation had scared away any potential suitors.


    Thus, until now, she had not even kissed a man, let alone seduced once into her bed. On top of all of this there was simply not enough time that had passed for the two of them tomunicate, and though Berengar had learned some of the Iroquoisnguages, and Kahwihta had learned some German, there was still an enormous gap between them before they could actually understand each other.


    As he thought about this, Berengar had finished brewing the coffee, and brought it over to the table, where he handed a cup to the chieftain''s daughter. Unfortunately, he was not able to bring fresh milk on his journey, and thus he was forced to drink it ck. Which, though, was tolerable. Was not his preferred way to consume coffee.


    As for Kahwihta, she could not help herself from spitting out the bitter substance the moment it hit her tongue. When Berengar saw this, heughed before taking a sip of his own. The chieftain''s daughter could not understand how this man had consumed such a disgusting drink.


    Eventually, Berengar pulled open a map and pointed towards a nk space. This action shocked Kahwihta, as she understood his intent. After establishing friendly ties with her people, Berengar desired to meet with her father. Thus, she calmed her heart before she nodded her head in response.


    Berengar saw the serious expression on her face and spoke in german as he attempted tomunicate further with the women despite her limited knowledge of hisnguage.


    "I look forward to establishing trading ties to your vige!"


    However, most of what he said was gibberish to Kahwihta, and thus the young woman looked at him with a forced smile as she nodded her head, pretending as if she knew what he was saying. With this n established, Berengar brought Kahwihta and her people to the square of the outpost, where he gathered a small squad of men. The Austrian King did not waste time and immediately gave the soldiers their orders.


    "We are departing for the vige that Kahwihta hails from. We have a simple goal: to establish trade with them and see if we can further enhance ourmunication. I won''t lie to you. We are severelycking in intelligence, and at the moment, her tribe is the only friendly force we have encountered.


    For all, we know we are surrounded by hostiles on all sides, and while we may have superior equipment and training, we are relying entirely on imports from the fathend to maintain our presence here in Vind. Some local support would go a long way towards our long-term goals.


    Thus, it is your duty to apany me to the vige and provide the protection to ensure that trade can be established between our two people. Remember, we are a long way from home, with only ourselves to rely on. So treat this mission as seriously as you would any other. Do not let our victory yesterday cloud your judgment. We are still in a precarious position for the time being."


    The soldiers threw up their roman salutes in unison before responding to their King in the affirmative.


    "Hail victory!"


    With this said, Berengar threw up his own salute in response.


    "Hail victory!"


    Kahwihta gazed upon this strange gesture with curiosity in her deep brown eyes. She did not know what a salute was, or what this gesture represented. Innocently enough, she followed suit and threw up a Roman salute, while poorly pronouncing the words that the golden-haired gods had stated.


    The Marines gazed upon the woman with a stern expression, while Berengar looked at her with affection. He did not know why, but seeing an indigenous woman innocently throw up this symbol which was associated with German Racial Supremacy from his past life, brought a smile to his face. Her naivety was endearing in many ways.


    After saying this, Berengar whistled, and in doing so, a member of the Battalion brought forth a wagon pulled by two draft horses. The mounts were brought with them from across the Antic. As for the wagon, it had been entirely constructed here in the new world by the engineers.


    It closely resembled that used by the US Army during the 19th century,plete with its canvas covering. Kahwihta gazed upon this magnificent device with awe in her eyes. Not only was she astounded by the existence of Horses, but the wheels attached to thergend canoe were also something she had never seen before.


    To Berengar, this wagon was a simple tool, which his Army used for logistics. It was an utterly primitive design, and he desired to rece it with trucks powered by diesel engines. Unfortunately, he was stillcking in the technology and manufacturing capacity to produce such vehicles.


    However, to this indigenous woman, this wagon was the most magnificent feat of engineering she had everid eyes on. With the ability to conjure thunder andmand the beasts of a foreignnd, the young woman was more than ever convinced of the divine nature of the golden-haired invaders. Berengar noticed the awestruck expression in her deep brown eyes and chuckled to himself; it was entertaining to see such reverence for him and his people.


    Berengar entered the back of the wagon and dragged the indigenous beauty up into it to sit alongside him. Afterward, the rest of the delegation followed them inside before the Austrian marines piled into the wagon. Only two marines sat up front to pilot the device and protect it with a their rifles.


    After they were ready to head out, the gates to the fortress opened, and the wagon departed, heading towards the Mohawk vige. Berengar gazed at the girl next to him with aplicated expression. Though it had not be apparent yet, he and his men brought diseases from the old world that the native popcecked immunity to.


    This would undoubtedly one day devastate the local poption, which would aid towards his colonization efforts. However, he would feel regretful if this beautiful young woman who revered him as a god ended up passing away as a result.


    Hopefully, such a scenario would note to pass. Though his Kingdom may be rtively advanced in terms of medicine, it was still far from the ability to prevent such a natural disaster from befalling the native Americans.


    Thus, he observed this girl closely; he hoped that she would be able to endure what was now a certainty.. Without knowing it, Kahwihta was about to bring a gue to her people that would one day spread from coast to coast, killing millions in the process.

 Chapter 473 - Attack On The Conspirators

    While Berengar was off in the New World overseeing a diplomatic mission with the Mohawk Tribe, and while Honoria was at sea, journeying back to the fathend so that she could bring more men and supplies back to the outpost to ensure its long-term stability. There was a group of men gathered in the city of Antioch.


    Decentius, Dalmatius, and a group of other conspirators who had engaged in a botched covert operation to assassinate the Byzantine Princess were standing around a table in a secluded room. Several heads that belonged to the frence assassins who had made an attempt on Honoria''s life were on this table.


    These severed heads were cleaned out, and on their foreheads was the mark of the Austrian Crown. The delivery of these heads to the conspirators was a tant act of aggression by Austrian Royal Intelligence. More importantly, it served as a reminder that Austria had its ws embedded in every Nation around the Mediterranean.


    There was nowhere that these men could flee for safety now that the Austrian Crown was aware of their involvement in the conspiracy to im Honoria''s life. Dalmatius was, of course, the most nervous out of all the men present, as this was his residence where these severed heads had been delivered. He was anxiously biting his fingernails as he desperately sought a solution from his co-conspirators; chief among them was the second prince of the Empire.


    "Your majesty! What should I do? Now that the Agents of the Austrian Crown know of my involvement, they will stop at nothing to hunt me down and eliminate me!"


    As the man violently shook the prince, Decentius remained unresponsive; the truth was he was greatly concerned for his safety. Though he was fairly certain that Austria and its Agents would not directly retaliate against him, his family was an entirely different matter.


    After all, his wife was currently with his child, and he knew how devious Austria''s intelligence agents could be. Though it was unknown to those outside of the Austrian Court who acted as Berengar''s spymaster, what was a certainty was that whoever this mysterious individual was, they were vindictive beyond belief.


    There were more than a few rumors that Austria''s agents would harm their targets'' families if thoroughly provoked. It was unknown whether these orders were given by the King of Austria or his mysterious spymaster. However, one thing was sure; he had attempted to assassinate the Tyrant''s wife and, in doing so, ensured the most vicious reprisal for his actions.


    Since the Austrians had found out that Dalmatius was responsible for hiring the assassins, it was highly likely that they knew of the man''s connection to the Second Prince. Decentius was beginning to regret his actions, as now it was all but guaranteed that his family would be targeted after Austria made an example out of Dalmatius.


    While he was reflecting on this, the man named Dalmatius was having a mental breakdown and began inspecting the heads for whatever reason. Initially, Decentius ignored this detail until his subordinate said something that caused a chill to go down his spine.


    "What the hell is this? The head has been hollowed out! Wait, there''s something in here!"


    Immediately, Decentius panicked as he cried out to Dalmatius,


    "Wait! St-"


    However, it was toote; the Strategos had pulled on the drawstring, which ignited an explosivepound packed within the skull of the severed heads; immediately, an explosion took ce in the room, which tore the nearest conspirators, including Dalmatius, to bits.


    When the explosive within that skull went off, it ignited those embedded within the other severed heads, causing a chain reaction to take ce, which sted apart the conspirators as if they were nothing more than chunks of meat.


    Decentius felt a searing pain across multiple aspects of his body while his ears were ringing as he struggled to regain control over his blurry vision. When he finally became aware of his surroundings, he began to scream in agony.


    Not only were several of the more prominent figureheads who supported his im to the throne turned into mincemeat, but he was missing both his right hand and the lower half of his left leg as they began to bleed profusely onto the floor. He would be truly and utterly dead if he did not stop the bleeding soon.


    Luckily for the Second Prince of Byzantium, the guards outside the door heard the explosion and came into the room, where they immediately began to take action. A leather belt was ced in the mouth of the Second Prince, as one of the guards stuck his sword into the open hearth; after it was glowing red, he pressed the steel de against the prince''s wounds, searing his flesh, and causing the man to howl in his suffering.


    If not for the leather belt in his mouth, he may very well have bitten off his tongue and caused his death to be ensured. Yet, such a scenario did not ur. Instead, his wounds were rapidly treated by the Royal Guards, where they swiftly carried the prince back to the local Pce''s physician. The Second Prince of the Byzantine Empire would be under intensive medical care; whether or not he would survive was up to the Lord God Almighty.


    As for this attack on the Byzantine Royal Family, it was carefully observed by the Austrian Agent who had conducted the raid. Not only had they delivered the heads packed with the highly explosivepound known as TNT, but they also stuck around to see just how many of the conspirators had been killed. They never expected the Second Prince to arrive at this meeting personally; in fact, it was a bonus that he was so grievously wounded in the attack.


    However, it added ayer of risk; if it were to be discovered that Austria was responsible for the attack, it could harm rtions between the two nations. As such, the veteran field agent immediately got to task cleaning up any evidence of his Kingdom''s involvement.


    Of course, it did not take a rocket scientist to understand just who was responsible for such an explosive attack. Yet, as long as they could maintain usible deniability, Austria would never admit to it. Thus, a new and thorny era of Austro-Byzantine rtions was about to take ce, and during this crisis, the King of Austria was inexplicably missing.


    After all, he was on the other side of the world, in a continent that was utterly unknown to the entirety of the old world. When Berengar finally returned to the fathend monthster, he would have to construct a much more delicate cover for his absence than he had initially nned.


    ...


    It did not take long for word of this attack to reach Padius'' spywork and, by extension, Austrian Royal Intelligence. Back in Austria, Linde was within the headquarters of the department, where she was dressed in her service uniform. She could not believe the report in her hands; as such, she was pretty vocal as she scolded her deputy director.


    "Did I not explicitly state to abort the operation if Decentius was involved? How the hell did this happen? I warned you, that if this operation was not conducted properly, it would set back our diplomacy with the Byzantine Empire by decades! How did your operative botch this mission so badly?"


    Hemma was silent as she stared down at the floor, unwilling to meet Linde''s gaze. Though she had informed the agents of the proper measures that were to be taken to conduct this operation, the responsibility for this massive failure still fell on her shoulders. She struggled toe up with an excuse that would not further outrage her boss.


    "Your highness... We did not know that the Second Prince would be at the meeting. Somehow, he had arrived without being identified by our field agent. However, we eliminated the conspirators. With their deaths, we could easily leak the evidence for their wrongdoing to the Byzantine Crown."


    Linde was far from pleased despite this reasoning, and she continued to berate her subordinate.


    "So let me understand this, somehow, someway, the Second Prince of the Byzantine Empire slipped past our detection and entered the kill zone without our knowledge. I want to know how our agents failed to identify his presence. The moment Decentius arrived in the area, this operation should have been aborted!


    I want the names of everyone involved in this plot, especially that of whoever was the agent inmand of this operation. Our King is absent on a critical diplomatic mission. While he is away, you idiots have single-handedly set back the diplomacy between our Kingdom and our greatest ally by decades! Do you have any idea how hard our monarch has had to work to build the rtionship he currently has with the Byzantine Empire?


    Somebody needs to be held responsible for this; you have grievously wounded the Second Prince of the Empire; if you assholes can not pin this attack on somebody else, then I will make sure that heads roll, do I make myself clear!"


    Hemma immediately saluted her superior before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    After hearing this, Linde looked disgusted at the woman she had appointed to help her lead the Department of Intelligence. She left onestment before departing back to the Pce.


    "Clean up your fucking mess and do it quickly!"


    Having said this, Linde departed from the headquarters of Royal Intelligence; as for her Deputy Director, the woman quickly got to work creating a scapegoat for this attack, and she knew just who to me.. Whether she could convince the Byzantine Emperor that Austria had no involvement with this attack would not only determine her future, but that of the Austro-Byzantine Alliance.

 Chapter 474 - Arriving In The Mohawk Village

    After several hours of riding in the wagon, Berengar, Kahwihta, and the Austrian Marines arrived at their destination. The Austrian King poked his head out from under the canvas and examined The Mohawk vige, which was rtively sizable. Various longhouses were spread throughout the town and surrounded by a primitive wooden palisade that acted as a defense against hostile tribes.


    If Berengar had to guess, this vige could entirely sustain hundreds of people. This was reasonably impressive when considering the severe technological limitations that the native peoples of North America had whenpared to their old-world counterparts. Nothing exemplified this stark contrast greater than when the Mohawk peopleid eyes on the Austrian wagon.


    They were in as great a shock as Kahwihta was when she first witnessed the foreign beasts that powered the device. This simple supply wagon was beyond the limited understanding of transportation for a people whocked beasts of burden and the wheel.


    The vige guards gazed upon the pale skin riders at the front of the wagon with trepidation in their eyes, as they did not know how to react to this strange urrence. However, when Berengar stepped out of the back of the wagon with Kahwihta and her brother by his side, they immediately rxed and greeted their Chieftain''s children in their native tongue.


    "Kahwihta, Shosheowa it is good to see you return; your father was worried when we heard that you had not yet returned even after the Algonquin''s attacked the foreigners vige."


    The Chieftain''s children gazed upon their brethren with a pitiful expression; they had not witnessed the incredible feats these golden-haired gods had achieved. Thus, they were unaware that the Austrians repelled the Algonquin without a single casualty. However, it was not their ce to inform these sentries that hundreds of their enemies lie dead. Instead, Kahwihta merely demanded ess to the vige.


    "I must speak with my father about something important regarding the future of our tribe. Swiftly open the gates!"


    The two men looked at each other with awkward expressions before sighing heavily; after doing so, they pushed the gates open, allowing the Austrian Marines and the Mohawk delegation entry to the vige. Berengar and the chieftain''s children hopped back into the wagon as they continued up towards the Chief''s Longhouse, which his daughter provided directions towards.


    When they finally arrived, Kahwihta jumped out of the vehicle with a bitter expression on her face. She did not know how she was going to convince her father that all the things she witnessed were reality and not some strange fever dream.


    However, she was determined to bringsting peace between their two peoples after witnessing the destructive power that the Austrians wielded. Thus, she halted Berengar before entering the longhouse with her brother. She struggled to speak in the little German she understood.


    "Wait here..."


    In response to this, Berengar smiled and nodded his head; he was confident that she needed to discuss much with her father. Upon seeing his agreement, the girl smiled before entering the longhouse, where her father and sister were gathered with several of the veteran warriors of her tribe around a table that had a map sprawled out across its surface.


    This map represented the Algonquin vige responsible for the attack on the Austrian fortress; believing the Algonquin would be weakened after a significant victory against the foreigners, the Mohawk were now preparing to attack their enemy and im their vige''s resources as their own.


    Truthfully, the Chieftain had little faith in the Austrian''s ability to hold their position. Though the fortifications seemed impressive at first nce, he did not know how effective they indeed were, nor did he know how advanced the Austrian weapons were.


    By the sheer volume of numbers, he believed the mighty Algonquin warriors would quickly overrun the Austrians. Yet, right before he couldplete his n for attack, his son and daughter, who he thought to be dead, appeared before him.


    When the aging chieftain witnessed his children''s safe return, a broad smile appeared on his face as he walked over to her and hugged the two of them fiercely. As he did so, he immediately inquired about what events had transpired to lead her home.


    "My sweet Kahwihta, tell me, how have you survived the Anishnabe''s attack? We were certain that they would have driven out those pale-skinned foreigners by now!"


    The Chieftain''s daughter struggled to voice her thoughts; after all, had she not been there to witness their might, she never would have believed what the Austrians had managed to achieve. After a few moments of silence, Shosheowa was the one who spoke up to his father.


    "Father! These foreigners are no mere mortals! They are, in fact, gods! We both act as a witness to their ability to control thunder and fire alike! Not only the two of us but also the entire delegation have seen themmand beasts of thend with absolute authority!


    The Anishnabe attacked that day with well over a thousand men, and yet, with the forces of nature at their charge, these golden-haired gods repelled their enemies with ease, killing hundreds in the process and suffering no casualties!


    Look outside your longhouse, and see the methods we have used to travel here! We must not make the mistake of our rivals! If we show the slightest sense of hostility to these deities from across the Great Sea, they will wipe us out as quickly as a man would swat a fly!"


    The Chieftain was bbergasted by his son''s hystericalments. Just what had the delegation witnessed to praise these foreigners to such an extent? He quickly gazed over to his daughter with a curious expression before asking for confirmation of her brother''s wild tales.


    "Kahwihta, is this true?"


    The young woman nodded her head and responded without hesitation.


    "It is, father. He is not lying. These foreign men must be gods, or at the very least the children of them, to conjure such forces of nature, and tomand the beasts of thend. I implore you to greet them as guests, and treat them well. For even if our entire tribe were to fight against them, I fear as if we would be no match.


    I would also like to remind you that this is a small host, likely a scouting party, sent to investigate thesends. If more of them were to arrive, it would be disastrous for our people if they were to be our enemies!"


    The man could hardly believe his ears, but after witnessing both his son and daughterpliment these foreigners so greatly, he had no choice but to listen to them. Ultimately, he waved to the guards at the entrance of his longhouse to allow Berengar entry.


    As Berengar entered the longhouse, the Chieftain gazed upon him with a curious expression. Berengar was tall, far taller than their greatest warrior. However, the most striking part of his character was the eyepatch, and the scar concealed beneath it. The chieftain could tell by one nce at the foreigner''s features he was a veteran of many battles.


    From one warrior to another, the Mohawk chieftain treated Berengar with respect as he pulled out a peace pipe and offered Berengar a smoke. Kahwihta tranted what few words she could between the two leaders.


    "My father offers you a smoke from this pipe as a sign of peace between our two peoples."


    Berengar instantly nodded his head and grabbed hold of the pipe, where he pulled out his lighter and took a long draft. He held the smoke in his lungs for several moments before blowing it out into the air. After doing so, he handed it back to the chieftain, who was still shocked to see the device that the Austrian King had used to light the pipe.


    After taking arge hit of his own, the Chieftain exhaled arge plume of smoke no greater than the size which Berengar had released. Now that the two of them had smoked the peace pipe, negotiations could begin. Berengar immediately discussed his terms of trade that he wanted to establish between his encampment and their vige.


    "I would very much like to establish trade with your people. We are merely a forward outpost, and are relying entirely upon imports from our fathend at the moment. However, our Kingdom is a great distance away, and it will take many days for our supplies to arrive. In exchange for food, I would be willing to trade you iron, which can be used to make superior weapons and tools."


    Kahwihta could only really understand the gist of what Berengar was saying, and struggled tomunicate his intent towards his father. In the end, Berengar was forced to resort to a more primitive means ofmunication. He grabbed a hold of a stalk of corn from the table nearby and took off his cuirass.


    The chief looked at him with a questioning gaze, as Berengar motioned for Shosheowa to give him his flint dagger. After a brief exchange of nces, Shosheowa handed his weapon over to Berengar, where the Austrian King used all of his force to stab his cuirass with the stone dagger.


    Upon impacting against the high carbon steel, the flint dagger broke apart, and the Mohawk chieftain, as well as his gathered warriors, stood in shock. It was at this moment they realized the value of steel. Of course, Berengar would not be willing to trade high carbon steel to the natives, but an iron breastte would have the same effect.


    With the durability of metal established, Berengar pulled out his own steel bay, and ced it next to his breastte, trying tomunicate that despite the difference in color, they were made of the same material.


    "Iron, I give you iron for food, yes?"


    Kahwihta suddenly understood what Berengar was trying to convey and immediately began to trante for her father.


    "I think he is willing to give us this material, in exchange for food..."


    The chieftain gazed at his daughter with confusion in his eyes. Why would they give away such a valuable material for mere food? When he asked her this question, Kahwihta shrugged her shoulders. She did not know. Thus, she tried to trante her father''s question to Berengar.


    "Father... wants to know... why you are trading iron for food?"


    Berengar smiled, as he stocked the corn in to a giant pile, while leaving a single stalk of corn in a pile of its own. After doing so, he pointed to the two piles of corn and tried tomunicate his thoughts to the native chieftain.


    "I have a lot of iron! But I have very little food!"


    After a few attempts, Kahwihta finally understood what Berengar meant and conveyed his thoughts to her father.


    "He says he has a lot of the material, but very little food. Hence why he will trade it to us for something as simple as food."


    With this being the case, the Mohawk chieftain immediately nodded his head in understanding and spoke to Berengar in his native tongue.


    "Very well. We will ept your trade. We will provide you and your people with food in exchange for this so-called iron."


    After Kahwihta had sessfully tranted her father''s words, Berengar wore a wide smile before extending his hand in friendship.. It took the native chieftain a few moments to understand the gesture, but in the end Berengar and Kahwihta''s father shook hands on the agreement, in doing so conducting the first recorded instance of trade between the old world, and the new world.

 Chapter 475 - Wrath Of The Golden Haired Gods

    Having sessfully conducted the first instance of trade between the old and new worlds. Berengar and his men immediately departed to prepare the goods they intended to exchange for food. Somehow, Kahwihta had convinced her father to allow her to stay in the Austrian outpost. She fully intended to master the German Language before she returned home to her family.


    With not much work to be had, Berengar took time out of his schedule to teach the native girl the Germannguage, not just in verbalization but also in reading and writing its script. Despite her humble origins, the woman was a quick learner. After studying thenguage of her newfound gods for some time, she could nowmunicate with her benefactor to some degree.


    By now, she had learned Berengar''s name and the origin of his people. He honestly did not need to exaggerate that much to convince the woman that the Austrian people were, in fact, deities; after all, the tales he spun of railways, steam-powered vessels, massive structures, and the many other impressive feats of his Kingdom was enough to convince the native woman that the so-called Kingdom of Austria was a blessednd of great prosperity and power.


    Unfortunately, with the Austrians'' arrival, pestilence had urred in thend; before long, Kahwita developed feverish symptoms, and Berengar became quite concerned. After all, he knew that this womancked any form of immunity to the diseases he and his men had unwittingly brought over from the old world.


    Thus, Berengar was tending to the sickly woman while waiting for Honoria to return with more men and supplies. As a precaution for facing unknown illnesses in the aliennd of Vind, the Austrians had prepared many herbal remedies to aid in all kinds of conditions he and his men might encounter as part of the journey.


    With the initial outbreak, Berengar had ordered his medics to bring a portion of the supplies to the Mohawk vige, and treat anyone who showed symptoms of the flu. In doing so, he hoped to save at least a few lives from the pestilence he brought to the new world.


    At the moment, Berengar was brewing up an herbal tea alongside a pot of chicken noodle soup as he kept a careful eye over the native woman whoy naked in his bed. As part of her treatment, he had prepared a damp towel and ced it over her head.


    Despite appearances, Kahwihta was not in the worst condition possible; in fact, she was doing quite well. However, she was entirely unustomed to influenza, and thus she felt as if she were dying. In reality, she had a mild case, primarily because of the effective natural treatment she had received from Berengar. Something the other tribes would not lucky enough to experience.


    The womany underneath the fur covers as she coughed lightly into the air; after doing so, she had a bitter expression on her face as she revealed her thoughts to her deity.


    "I fear that I will not be able to witness the grandeur of your divine Kingdom. My only regret in this life is that I failed to prove useful to you..."


    Berengar held onto the young woman''s dainty hand with a warm smile on his face; he shook his head as he informed the native girl of her current condition.


    "You will have plenty of time to establish diplomatic ties with the local tribes. Your condition is not as bad as you think it is; you have a high chance of surviving this illness. Rather, what you should be concerned about is the effect this illness will have on thisnd as a whole..."


    Disease in itself was an ugly thing, especially when it came in the form of a virus. Influenza could rapidly spread and was one of the leading causes in Berengar''s past life for the decline of the Native American peoples.


    Unfortunately, there was no natural way to stop it. It was something that apanied the Germans when they visited thend. Berengar, like much of his men, had be ustomed to this disease that was mainly the result of domesticating livestock.


    While Berengar and his men had brought none such animals with them, they carried the disease, and by simply contacting the natives, had begun its spread. Thus when Kahwihta heard her people were also suffering from this unknown illness, she felt her heart bleed.


    The fact that these foreigners could spread disease seemingly at will act as further proof in her mind that they were, in fact, gods. This disease was the wrath of the golden-haired gods and hade about as a result of the Algonquin''s folly. Fortunately for her people; they had sided with the Austrians, and in doing so, ensured their protection from the pestilence they brought with them.


    Of course, Berengar had no way of knowing that the girl was thinking about this and instead felt like she would me him for her people''s suffering. Despite this, he did not apologize; whether it was the Austrians who spread this disease or some other poption from the old world that reached the Americas, such a thing was simply inevitable.


    Thus, Berengar did not dwell on the subject and instead fed the girl the soup and herbal tea, which immensely helped her condition. After finishing her meal, Kahwihta fell asleep, leaving Berengar with some downtime; as such, he exited his quarters and approached his soldiers, who were currently on guard.


    "What''s the current status of the flu?"


    The officer scratched the back of his head beneath his helmet as he updated the King on the ongoing gue that spread across thend.


    "Our boys are fine; we''ve taken preventative measures and have effectively countered its effects. It is honestly a mild variant, at most a few sniffles here and there. Those who are showing symptoms receive regr hydration and herbal remedies.


    However, for whatever reason, this variant''s effect on the natives has been devastating. Only a few weeks have passed, but our scouts report that thousands from among the known tribes now lie dead. When we contacted the Mohawk, it was already in our systems and began to spread to them.


    Unfortunately for them, the moment we left the vige, the Mohawk Chief departed on a diplomatic venture to the other tribes on our behalf. In doing so, he unwittingly spread the disease to the other native poptions. This could prove very useful to us in the long term.


    With the rapid spread of the flu, the natives'' numbers will dwindle, allowing our fortress to remain secure. So long as we bring in more men and supplies, we could theoretically turn this into a self-sustaining military outpost with limited support from the fathend."


    Berengar nodded his head in response to his captain''s suggestion. Though it was a horrific event for the native Americans, to the Kingdom of Austria, the spread of influenza within the new world was a serious tactical advantage.


    Of course, it would only increase after they had imported livestock. Ultimately, this was a fate that could not be avoided. Upon seeing his Monarch''s reaction, the Marine Captain had another question on his mind, which he immediately inquired about.


    "Your majesty, if I may ask, what exactly are the supplies being brought over on the next voyage?"


    In response to this, a wide grin appeared on Berengar''s face as he exined the mission he had tasked Honoria with.


    "It may be a few months before they arrive; after all, several ships need to be retrofitted, but I intend for arger fleet of frigates to ferry troops and supplies over��everything from livestock, agricultural technology, and building supplies to military equipment and munitions.


    This primitive wooden fort will be rebuilt into a proper star fortress, and our dock will be capable of containing several ships. We will begin implementing fields outside the defense in the spring and raise livestock so that you men can have some fresh meat.


    This fortress will act as our first military instation in this New World and as our first colony. For now, it will remain a highly regarded secret within our Kingdom; only those with enough security clearance will know its existence..."


    This response by the Austrian King only filled the officer with further questions, who immediately asked for rification to his curiosity.


    "Who will work the fields? Surely you do not expect us to do so?"


    When Berengar heard this, he chuckled before responding to the man''s question.


    "In time, some natives wille to revere us, especially after they see that were are unaffected by the pestilence that we have brought into thisnd. The survivors from the tribes that are not aligned with us and have not received our "blessing" wille seeking shelter, and when they do, we will put them to work in the fields. Their payment will be a portion of the food that they grow, shelter to live in, and protection provided by the Austrian Military.


    In theing years, I intend to rece these savages with Austrians. In the meantime, you and your soldiers are free to take as many of the local women as you want as concubines. Just remember, while we may bring diseases with us that these people are not immune to, it is possible that they have diseases which we are not familiar with as well.


    You should all be very careful who you sleep with. If you think there is even remotely a possibility that a girl is sick, don''t bed her... Spread the word, if any of you fuckers contracts an unknown disease, I will quarantine your ass here in the new world for the rest of your miserable lives!"


    The Captain immediately nodded his head in understanding as he heard the words of his King. He would ensure that he would well inform the men stationed in Vind about the potential risks of disease and the consequences for their actions.. Thus, while pestilence ravaged thend and the people who dwelled within it, Berengar and the Austrians nned to take advantage of the crisis.

 Chapter 476 - Finding A Scapegoat

    Within the confines of the Mamluke Sultanate, an Agent of Austria was currently dressed from head to toe in Arabic attire; Though a German by blood, he had spread enough makeup across his skin and dyed his hair in an attempt to blend in with the local poption. If one did not pay close enough attention, they likely wouldn''t tell the difference.


    This Agent had a singr purpose: to frame the attack on the Second Prince on the Byzantine Empire''s long-term rival. This was a task easier said than done, as it required smuggling ordnance into the country through the Emirate of Granada.


    Yet despite the difficulties in his journey, at the moment, this man was on the back of a camel with several crates that were filled with artillery shells. These shells were a faulty product fired during the war in Iberia and remained undetonated. Despite this, they were fully armed and capable of being detonated if one knew what they were doing.


    Of course, they could also be drilled out, where the TNT could be retrieved and turned into a makeshift explosive like what was used in Antioch. His goal was to nt the evidence within the Mamluke arsenal, as for what came after that, only time would tell.


    In order for this operation to seed, the man had taken up the identity of an Imic radical who had salvaged the equipment in Iberia and was willing to sell it to the Mamluke Sultanate. As the camel slowly approached the gates of the Mamluke Arsenal, the Austrian Agent was stopped by the local guards, who immediately began to speak to him in Arabic.


    "Halt! State your business!"


    The Agent immediately did as he was told and stopped his mount before speaking in a perfect Granadan ent.


    "My name is Insaf Al-Mursi; I am a humble scavenger from Granada; I have acquired some assets from the war in the Iberian penins that your masters will be greatly interested in..."


    The guards looked at this stranger with questioning gazes. Currently, the Imic world was preparing for a Jihad against the Byzantine Empire; despite this, they had not included Granada due to their secr leadership and close ties to Christendom. For a Granadan to cross the straight of Gibraltar with gains from the battlefields in the Iberian Penins was suspicious.


    Nevertheless, if he was genuinely faithful, then they could make great use of whatever was retrieved, and thus the leader of the guards nodded his head before responding to the strange scavenger from the North.


    "Very well, I will escort you to the Magistrate. However, if you make one move out of line, I will cut your throat. Do you understand me?"


    The Agent immediately nodded his head in silence, signaling that he understood the threat. After doing so, the gates opened, and he rode his camel through the entrance, where he eventually was led to the center of the facility.


    After reaching a certain point, the Austrian Agent hitched his camel before following the guard further into the Armory, where the Mamluke Magistrate in charge of overseeing its operations was located. When the man witnessed the stranger beside his guards, he immediately began to question what was happening.


    "Who is this? Why have you allowed him to have ess to this facility?"


    With this said, the guard immediately began to exin his actions


    "This is a scavenger from Granada; hees bringing weapons scavenged from the battlefields of Iberia. I thought you might be interested in what he has for sale..."


    The Magistrate''s eyes immediately widened in excitement as he heard this news; anything utilized by the Austrian Army in warfare was a considerable gain and was greatly desired by the various powers of the Western World. As such, he quickly addressed the Austrian Agent with a weing response.


    "My friend, I am Ufayr Ibn Siman, Magistrate of the Mamluke Sultanate. Please show me your wares; I promise I will pay a fair price for whatever you offer."


    A smile immediately etched itself upon the Agent''s face as he bowed before the Magistrate.


    "It would be my honor..."


    After saying this, the group walked over to the camels where the Agent lowered one of the crates; after doing so, he opened it up to reveal the unexploded ordnance.


    "These are explosive shells fired by the Austrian Artillery; they proved to be faulty and failed to detonate. However, the explosive material within them is said to be still active. If you were to open these up, you could use them as makeshift explosives far more powerful than gunpowder!"


    The Magistrate was immediately enamored with the product; he did not even care about its potential danger. As such, he swiftly nodded his head with enthusiasm before holding up five fingers.


    "I will pay 5 Austrian Guldens for each! If my people can research how these devices function, we will easily be able to defeat the Byzantine Empire!"


    By now the Austrian coinage had pretty much be the international standard of currency in the Western World. Its purity, and size made it a stablemodity, and the strictws of Austria''s National Mint prevented any debasement. The Austrian Agent did not even bother to negotiate. Instead, he bowed his head gracefully and responded with a surprising statement.


    "That is fine by me; anything I can do to support the faithful!"


    Upon hearing this, the Magistrate began to trust this supposed Granadan Scavenger more; as such, he quickly ordered a servant to retrieve the payment. After a few moments, a sack containing several gold coins arrived and was handed to the Agent.? After counting the payment to ensure it was urate, the Agent nodded and smiled before responding.


    "A pleasure doing business with you!"


    As he said this, he began to depart, where the Magistrate called out to him from behind.


    "If you find any other Austrian weapons, our doors will be open for you!"


    Despite hearing this, the Agent did not respond. Instead, he hurried off to a safe distance from the Arsenal; after all, he had left a little present for the Mamluke Sultanate. The Magistrate looked over at his guards and gave them their orders only after the strange scavenger disappeared.


    "Quickly, unpack these shells and get them to the research department. I want to know how they function as quickly as possible!"


    The guards immediately nodded in response and began to do as instructed; after searching through the opened crate, a guard noticed something peculiar. There was a small pocket watch at the bottom of the crate. He immediately called out to the Magistrate with a hint of concern.


    "Boss, what is this?"


    Immediately the Magistrate walked over and inspected the device, it was some form of a clock, but he had no idea what it was doing in the crate. The seconds slowly counted down as the Mamlukes inspected the device with curiosity until finally, the hands struck noon. The moment it did so, a massive explosion detonated, killing everyone present and bringing down the entire Arsenal.


    The Agent gazed off from afar atop a dune as he watched the massive explosion rocked the city. He had wired this clock to act as a detonator; at the bottom of these crates was a board that served as a fake floor. Beneath this board was ayer of tightly packed TNT. Whenbined with the explosive shells, it provided arge enough st to tear apart the Arsenal and everything in it.


    With this act of terror, Austria could effectively im that unexploded ordnance had been smuggled into the Mamluke Sultanate, which was used to attack the Second Prince of the Byzantine Empire. In doing so, absolving themselves of the guilt. They could also im that after learning about this fact, they dispatched an agent to detonate the ordinance to prevent the Mamlukes from making another such attempt in the future.


    This was the n that the Deputy Director of Royal Intelligence hade up with to frame the most prominent enemy of the Byzantine Empire for the attack on Decentius and the other Conspirators. Unfortunately for the Mamluke Sultanate, Byzantium would retaliate swiftly and fiercely when this so-called fact was revealed.


    The only people who would know that Austria was involved in the attack would be the Austrian Agents and the second Prince himself. After all, it was his actions that were responsible for the retaliation that had permanently maimed him.


    This was something that he would never forgive so long as he still drew breath. However, despite knowing the truth, he would never reveal it; after all, if he did, his conspiracy to murder his sister and dissolve the Austro-Byzantine Alliance would be revealed.


    If such a thing were to reach his father, he would be punished severely as a traitor to the Byzantine Empire and the Piologos Dynasty. The punishment for treason was death, and though he was now maimed, Decentius would never willingly walk into the grave.


    As for the Agent responsible for this operation, he would quickly exfiltrate out of the Mamluke Sultanate and back to Granada, where he would begin to conduct operations against the various warlords of Portugal who still resisted the Sultan''s rule.. For a man of his upation, work was never truly finished.

 Chapter 477 - All Is Fair In Love And War

    Honoria stood aboard the bow of her vessel as she gazed upon the coast of Trieste. It had been a rtively brief journey of roughly two weeks; during this time, she had made her way back home without incident. The only downside to this was that her husband, the King of Austria, had stayed behind in the new world.


    This caused her to be deeply concerned for his safety; after all, what kind of wife would she be if she did not worry about her husband who was isted, and alone, separated by thousands of miles of sea? She did not trust the natives of Vind. In her esteemed eyes, they were nothing more than backwards savages, and there was no way she could trust such uncivilized fiends.


    Still, Berengar was an ambitious man, and for whatever reason, he was right about the existence and location of Vind. Perhaps he was also right about the vast treasure trove of untapped resources it held. If such a thing was true, then Austria must monopolize it at all costs. If others were to realize the existence of this new world, then it would spur a race for whoever could im the most territory.


    Thus, Honoria was more determined than ever to aid her husband as she stepped onto the major port of the Kingdom of Austria. After she and the sailors had finished tying up the ships, she hopped off her vessel and embarked towards the shipbuilding factory. Her first order of business was to give a letter to Evio, the lead shipwright of the Kingdom of Austria.


    After walking across thergely industrialized port city, the third Queen of Austria forced her way into the primary shipyard of Triest. Upon witnessing Honoria''s entrance, Evio halted his actions and hurried towards her. The Vian shipwright showed immense respect to the woman, who had be known as the Scourge of the Mediterranean.


    "My Queen, I thought you were on a secret mission alongside the King; why have you returned so soon? Did the quest turn out to be a failure?"


    Honoria shook her head in response; a broad smile appeared on her pretty lips as she confidently handed over the letter to the man who handled the construction and retrofitting of her vessel. She remained silent as the man continued to read the letter''s contents; with each sentence, his eyes grew wider as he spoke in his native tongue.


    "Dear God, he found it!''


    Immediately the man performed the sign of the cross before gaining control of his emotions and speaking in anguage that Honoria could understand.


    "I will begin construction of the Dominion ss ocean liners at once! It will take a while, as I am currently working on several projects. Because of this, I will have to construct these vessels one at a time. As for the retrofitting of the existing sailing frigates, we have officiallypleted ten in total. You are wee to take however many you see fit to aplish this mission. Though do be aware, the more vessels you bring over, the more men you will have to vet for security clearances. "


    Honoria nodded in response to this before thanking the man for his efforts.


    "Thank you, Evio, you are a hard-working man, and without you, Austria wouldck its powerful navy!"


    The old Vian shipwright merely smiled and nodded his head before dismissing the Queen.


    "Well, if there isn''t anything else you need, I should get back to work on constructing this steel behemoth that his Majesty has requested of me!"


    Honoria gazed upon the partially constructed hull of the Ad-ss Frigate with a bitter smile on her face. Evio was already working on the retrofitting of yet another frigate. What bothered her about this, is that Berengar had named these mighty vessels after his first wife, instead of herself. After all, Honoria was the queen of the high seas. Would such a fearsome ship not be better off being named after her?


    Honoria suspected Berengar had named the Frigates after Ad because she was the primary wife. Of course, if she had known that Berengar named the Frigate ss after Ad because she had the smallest bust of his women, which corrted in his mind to the fact that he would arm these Frigates with the smallest guns of his future vessels, she would probably break out intoughter.


    After observing the newest ship and its ongoing construction, Honoria nodded her head in silence before departing; she had much to do while she was in Austria; rallying forth the soldiers and supplies was just a part of it. However, she had a week to fulfill these obligations; she decided the first thing she would do was visit her baby boy who she had left behind, to go on this journey.


    After taking the train back to Kufstein, Honoria found her way into the pce. As she made her way to her son''s personal quarters, she found Linde inside, breastfeeding her child. The moment Honoria saw this, her expression sank; she knew Linde was practically a milk cow and that she would be the one feeding Alexandros while she was away, but to witness such a thing broughtplicated emotions to her heart.


    When Linde saw Honoria enter the room, it filled her with shock, so much so that she almost dropped the child. It took her a second to keep control over the boy as she quickly approached her rival. Linde immediately asked the question that was racing across her mind with an excited smile on her face.


    "Is he home?"


    However, the moment Honoria shook her head, Linde pouted. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment, she switched the subject to something more productive. Something that she had wanted to discuss with the Byzantine Princess for some time.


    "Honestly Honoria, your son is lucky..."


    Honoria raised her brow when she heard this. Just what was this vile temptress thinking of when she was clutching Alexandros to her breast?


    "How so?"


    In response to this, Linde sighed as she looked around to see if anyone else was watching; after doing so, she lowered her voice and became honest with Honoria for the first time in a long time.


    "Since you and Berengar are married matrilineally, it means Alexandros won''t have topete with my son for the throne..."


    Honoria felt as if Linde was insulting her and her child. She could not believe she would say such a thing when she was in the middle of breastfeeding the very child she insulted. Of course, Linde didn''t mean it as an insult. Instead, she genuinely felt that Alexandros was lucky that his father wouldn''t force him topete against his brothers for the Austrian Throne.


    However, Honoria didn''t realize this, and instead scowled as she tried to force her son away from the woman she thought had insulted him.


    "You can talk whatever crap you want about me, but don''t you dare insult my son, you fucking bitch! Give him to me right now!"


    Linde felt mistreated, but did as she was told. After all, Alexandros was not her son. However, the moment that Honoria had forced the boy from Linde''s breast, he broke out into tears. This immediately caused the woman''s maternal instincts to kick in as she shushed the child, calming him in the process.


    Honoria gazed curiously at Linde. She did not know the woman was so good with children. Despite her venomous nature, she actually seemed to care for Alexandros, even though he was not her child. Thus, she took a step back from her preconceived notions and asked about what Linde meant by her previous statement.


    "So you weren''t insulting my son when you said he was lucky to be born matrilineal?"


    Now it was Linde''s time to feel offended when she heard Honoria''s remarks. Linde puffed her cheeks up in a pouting expression as she expressed the thoughts on her mind.


    "I would never! Your child may not be mine, but he is still Berengar''s son, and whether or not you want to believe it, I still consider him family because of that. I was only saying that he was lucky to be spared the future pain that will apany Hans and my other future sons, who their father will force topete against their siblings for the Austrian Crown."


    Honoria had a newfound respect for Linde. In all honesty, she had never even thought of the line of session since her children wouldn''t be a part of it. She was fine with that. It meant her kids could enjoy their lives to the fullest without being chained to the state''s affairs. However, she realized now the thoughts that both Linde and Ad alike must consider every time they saw the child of their rival. Linde''s next remarks further enforced this idea in Honoria''s head.


    "Though Berengar will force Hans and his future brothers to undergo some hardships in pursuit of the crown, I vow I will do everything I can to ensure that it is one of my boys who ends up on Throne after their father has abdicated. I will never allow Ad to put one of her sons on the throne. If it is thest thing I do in this world, I will make sure I beat that bitch!"


    Honoria always knew that the rivalry between Linde and Ad was fierce, but she never knew it was this intense. Of course, there was only one question on her mind, and she was not afraid to ask it.


    "Why are you telling me all of this?"


    Linde closed the distance between her and Honoria. As she did so, she patted Alexandros on his head, who was now in his mother''s arms, before answering her question.


    "Because I want to make sure that you are on the right side of this conflict. You may think that Alexandros is free from the politics of our family, but you and your children have a role to y. You and I both know how much of a hypocrite Ad is. She may act like the most pious woman on the, but she would stoop to levels I wouldn''t dare to in order to ensure her son ends up on the throne. I could really use your support in this matter."


    Honoria smirked when she heard this before expressing her honest thoughts.


    "You are such a bitch..."


    In response to this, Linde merely smirked before walking out the door. As she did so, she left herst remarks.


    "All is fair in love and war...."

 Chapter 478 - A New Labor Force

    While Honoria was back in the Fathend preparing for the next incursion to the New World. Berengar, along with his soldiers, were still stationed within the temporary Fortress that had been constructed within the coastline of New York.


    For the past few weeks, Berengar had been treating Kahwihta over her flu symptoms, and finally, the fever had broken. She, like her kin, had received basic treatment for the illness and, because of this, survived the ordeal.


    Unlike what Berengar had expected, the young woman did not me him or his people for her suffering. Instead, she saw it as a test of her loyalty to her gods. One thing was sure; she was just happy to be alive.


    With this in mind, the young native woman rose from beneath the nnel sheets and fur covers that provided her warmth during these troubling times and slowly got dressed in her tribal deerskin clothing. Berengar entered the room as she did so, causing a slightly chilly breeze to enter the otherwisefy lodging.


    Upon seeing the woman climbing out of bed, Berengar smiled; she appeared to be in a much better state than she was previously in. With this in mind, he quickly got to work as he prepared a nice meal for him and his trantor to share.


    There was much work ahead for the King of Austria, and he intended to use this woman tomunicate with the other tribes the moment she was fluent in the German Tongue. However, such a thing could not be rushed; for the time being, he would make sure that Kahwihta was in peak shape before he began using her as a diplomat.


    As Berengar continued to cook a healthy meal, the Chieftain''s daughter worked on her German; she slowly looked over the educational materials that Berengar had provided; these were copies of the texts in use by the Austrian Education System. They were designed for use by first-time learners of the Germannguage.


    Berengar had brought a series ofnguage books with him from the Fathend to train trantors from among the local poption effectively. They had proven to be quite effective, as Kahwihta''s understanding of the German tongue was increasing by the day.


    Eventually, he finished the meal and brought it over to the young woman, where he forced her to take a break from her studies so that she could eat with him. The moment she tasted the dish prepared from a mix of rations, she moaned in pleasure beforementing on it.


    "This is superb!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before rejecting thepliment.


    "This is nothing, just something I threw together from our rations; you should see the delicacies I eat back in the Fathend!"


    Kahwihta failed to understand the entirety of Berengar''sment and immediately looked through her study book while eating to ensure that she could effectively learn what he said. After a few minutes, her eyes widened in shock, and she put down her book, where she pronounced the following phrase in broken German.


    "Will you take me to your homnd?"


    Berengar had an awkward expression on his face as he heard this; he couldn''t very well take the girl with him back to Austria. There were still many dangerous diseases there that she wascking immunity to. However, he could see that she desperately wanted to see what his homnd looked like, and thus he sighed before making a statement that effectively kicked the can down the road.


    "Maybe one day..."


    Though he had not answered in the definitive, it was enough to bring a smile to the Native girl''s face. As for Berengar, he thought that if she witnessed the splendors of Austria, she might have a heart attack. After all, the pathetic timber fortress they had constructed and the measly rations his soldiers ate already impressed her enough.


    How excited would she be when she witnessed the extensive railways that were being constructed across Austria or its grand architecture that existed throughout every city? Perhaps in due time, she would get a taste of what the fathend offered right here in her own home.


    Things were progressing smoothly in this military colony, and as Berengar had expected, there was currently a crisis underway among the Native Tribes of what was once referred to as New York in his past life.


    In fact, at this very moment, there was a crowd of Natives sitting outside his fortress''s gates, seeking shelter from the elements and their enemies alike. The flu had ravaged their poptions, and these survivors could only turn to the people who seemed entirely unphased by the strange illness.


    It was because of these circumstances that Berengar found himself in need of a trantor, and though Kahwihta''s training was notplete, she was the only person who could somewhat fill this role; with a heavy sigh, the young Austrian King made a request of his colonial concubine.


    "Kahwihta, there is a gathering of natives outside our gates seeking shelter and aid. I intend to put them to work in the fields. Spring is around the corner, and I will need a properbor force to make this fortressst. However, to make my generous intentions clear to these people, I need someone to trante my words. Could you do this small task for me?"


    The young Chieftain''s daughter gazed upon Berengar with a curious expression. It took her a few moments to trante his words within her mind, but ultimately, she understood his sentiment. A smile quickly spread upon her pretty face as she uttered the words that Berengar wanted to hear.


    "Of course, I will help you in any way I can!"


    Because of this warmhearted response, a kind smile spread upon the Austrian Monarch''s face as he heard this before responding.


    "I am sure you will."


    Immediately, the girl''s excitement when she heard these words of encouragement. However, the next moment, there was a knock on the door. The Captain in charge of the Marine Company was rather urgent as he continued to pound on the thick wooden door.


    When Berengar finally pried the entrance to his lodging open, he gazed upon a frantic appearance on the face of the man he had tasked to lead his soldiers. Before he could ask what had caused the man to be in such a chaotic state, the Captain boldly announced what was transpiring.


    "Sir, the Natives outside our gates have be agitated; if we don''t get someone to calm them down, we might have a full-scale riot on our hands!"


    Berengar''s expression sank; such a thing was the worst-case scenario; there was no hesitation in his one good eye as he shifted his gaze upon the young woman next to him. With a stern order, he departed from his lodging towards the ramparts of the Fortress, with the native girl in tow.


    "Come with me!"


    Upon arriving at the ramparts, Berengar witnessed the scene of dozens of men, women, and children from a variety of tribes and cultures gathered outside the gates of his fortress. There were roughly a hundred people in total. Some of them had flu symptoms, while others appeared to be quite healthy.


    Because different peoples gathered in the same space, it did not take long before conflict urred. To the untrained eye of Austria''s marines, these people were all the same, but Berengar and Kahwihta knew differently. The young Austrian King had a hint of urgency in his tone as he issued forth a decree, expecting his trantor to convey his words effectively.


    "Calm yourselves! As the leader of this settlement, I assure you will be taken care of if you behave yourselves and follow my orders appropriately. It just so happens that spring is around the corner, and we need farmers andborers. If you agree to work for us, you will be provided with proper amodations, such as housing, food, and medical treatment. If you disagree with these terms, then you may return whence you came!"


    Kahwihta immediately tranted these words into various tongues, which allowed these different tribes toprehend what Berengar had stated. Upon hearing that they would be provided for in exchange for work, many of the people gathered immediately calmed themselves and ceased their hostilities.


    While some refused to work for these pale-skinned foreigners, there were still dozens of people who had nowhere else to go, disease had ravaged their tribes and viges, and what remained were conquered by their neighbors. In the end, these people could only gracefully ept Berengar''s terms.


    Thus, Berengar had gained a small workforce for his small military colony that would provide the necessarybor to keep his settlement operational for the foreseeable future.. This would be the first group of natives incorporated into the German Colonies through peaceful means.

 Chapter 479 - New Arrivals

    Honoria had spent a week gathering the troops and supplies to bring back to Vind. This would be the second of many voyages that her vessel would take across the Antic to ensure that the Military Colony in the new world was adequately maintained.


    As per usual, the journey to the New World was uneventful. In fact, without Berengar to entertain herself with, or ships to pirate, the third Queen of Austria was dreadfully bored throughout the entire journey.


    Upon arriving at the docks in Austria, Honoria stepped off her vessel and greeted her husband, who appeared to be doing well. She instantly grabbed ahold of his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips; a single phrase escaped her lips as she did so.


    "I missed you!"


    Berengar chuckled upon hearing this before inquiring about how his family was doing back in the fathend.


    "How is our son? Or my other children, for that matter?"


    Honoria immediately summarized what had transpired during her time in Kufstein.


    "Alexandros is doing well; that milk cow Linde keeps him well-fed; as for Hans, he and that girl Veronika are getting along well enough. As for Helga, she is growing like a weed; I swear by the time you return, you won''t even recognize your daughter.


    Kristoffer and Katherin are perfectly healthy, and Ad seems to dote on them significantly. As for Henrietta, she appears to be doing fine. She is just a bit lonely without you, but thankfully she has us to take care of her. As for Yasmin, her pregnancy is progressing smoothly, and she sends you her regards as well as this. "


    Honoria grabbed hold of a small basket filled with pastries which was lying on the vessel and handed them to Berengar. They appeared to be home-baked goods made from Yasmin''s hands in the style of her homnd.


    A wide smile appeared on the young king''s face as he nodded his head in silence. It was good to have a caring wife who enjoyed cooking. Upon seeing this, a smirk spread across Honoria''s lips as she teased her husband.


    "By the way, I had a few of them on the trip here, so you can enjoy whatever is leftover."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, however when he took off the cloth that covered the treats, it shocked him to see that she wasn''t kidding. There were only around three of the deserts left for him to eat. He immediately looked up at his wife, who had long since run off to the settlement. Upon seeing this, Berengar merely chuckled and shook his head beforementing on the girl''s actions.


    "That fucking bitch..."


    After getting reacquainted with Honoria and the situation back home, Berengar began tracking down the shipping manifests. He spent quite a bit of time checking to see if all the supplies he had requested were gathered.


    After thorough research, he was pleased to see that Honoria had not failed him in any way other than eating the treats that Yasmin had baked for him. He swore in his heart that one way or another, he would get the woman back for this offense.


    However, Berengar shook his head after thinking about this; he had too much work to do now that the troops, livestock, and supplies had arrived. He didn''t have time to engage in some petty feud with his wife that started over a few pastries. With another few hundred military personnel, it was time to overhaul this fortress into a more permanent settlement.


    After a few hours, they unloaded the supplies from the ship, and Berengar was standing in the middle of the fortress introducing the new men to the settlement that they would stay in for the duration of their deployment.


    "Men, you have entered the mythicalnd of Vind. Our operations here are highly ssified. All of you have been chosen due to your abilities and because you have been trusted with the security clearance necessary to know of thesends.


    As you may be aware, when you were given this deployment, you were informed that your tenure here wouldst for a year. Afterward, you can choose to return to the fathend and seek a different position, or you can choose to remain here in Vind.


    For those of you who wish to make a permanent settlement in this foreignnd, you will be given special privileges here in the new world, such as political positions and ownership of property. Our aim here is simple; thisnd is our living space; In theing decades, I fully intend to settle our excess poption here in Vind and carve outrge swaths ofnd for our Kingdom.


    So it would be best if you established ties to the native poption, scout for valuable resources, and most important of all, maintain a self-sustaining, permanent settlement. I won''t lie to you; as you build this colony here in Vind, the fathend will progress ahead of you, and when you finally return, it may astound you at the changes that have urred in your homnd.


    However, what you aplish here in Vind is of dire importance to the future of our Kingdom. The resources in this ce are abundant and untouched. They will be critical for the continued prosperity of the fathend.


    Of course, you may also know we are currently seeing massive poption growth in the fathend; because of this, in a few generations, it will be challenging to sustain our poption with the minusculend we currently hold on to.


    Even if we have united the German States; in a hundred years, there will still be too many people to house effectively. Thus, Vind, the first of our colonies, will be of dire importance to the continued growth of our people!


    As a perk of being the first men of the old world to step foot in Vind, you are free to take any of the local women as your concubines. As for the rules and regtions regarding such activities, if you are interested, you can inquire about such things with any of the men who have already been stationed here for some time.


    Be aware that thews that exist in Austria still apply here in Vind, as you are currently standing on Austrian soil! Thus, I will conclude my speech by weing you to the New World, one of limitless potential and prosperity for our Kingdom and the German people! For King and Fathend!"


    Upon finishing his weing ceremony, the soldiers broke out into salutes and repeated the words that Berengar had spoken.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    Berengar gazed upon the men gathered with a proud smile; now that the settlement had been established, he had opted to bring over Army units instead of Naval Infantry. For the time being, as the King and Reichsmarschall, he acted as the Supreme Commander of this expeditionary force. However, when he finally departed in a few months and returned to the fathend, he would leave a military governor in charge of the colony.


    With this speech concluded, the new arrivals quickly set to task, setting up shop in their barracks and establishing familiarity with the settlement. In the following days, they would teach the nativebor force who had submitted to the Austrian crown the knowledge necessary to maintain a proper Austrian Agricultural System and construct Austrian-style structures.


    As for Berengar, he immediately regrouped with his trantor, who was currently speaking with a group of Mohawk tribesmen who had gathered at the settlement; tears were flowing from the young woman''s eyes as she held onto her sister in a loving embrace.


    Her younger sister was only a couple of years younger than herself and was quite beautiful in her own right. The two siblings shared a moment of silence as they mourned the loss of their father. Kahwihta struggled to express her feelings as she questioned whether not the news she received was urate.


    "Ojistah, my dear sister, is what you say true? Has father passed?"


    The sixteen-year-old girl silently nodded her head as she reflected on the recent passing of their father.


    "The Anishnabe murdered the great chief when he went to visit them. They med him for bringing the gue to thesends and imed it resulted from his unholy alliance with these foreigners. Our father tried to argue that it was their attack on the pale skins which resulted in this pestilence, but they refused to admit their fault. In his rage, the great chief of the Anishnabe murdered our father.


    Now they are threatening to invade our tribe. Though our brother has assumed the role of chieftain, he is not prepared to shoulder the responsibility of war. Kahwihta, please, I beg of you, ask these foreigners to intervene on our behalf. If they are truly as powerful as you and brother im, then we have a fighting chance against our enemies!"


    As the two young women were talking, Berengar arrived, and when Kahwihta''s sister gazed upon his handsome visage, she felt guilty. Berengar had helped her and her people so much this past month, and yet now she had to ask a major favor of him, one she could never repay.


    "My Lord, this is my sister Ojistah; she brings news of my father''s death. The Anishnabe has murdered him in cold blood! Now they are threatening to invade our vige. Shees to ask for your help on our brother''s behalf."


    It shocked Berengar to hear this. It wasn''t long ago where he met with the chieftain and brokered the initial terms of their trade. To be honest, he was looking to pay the Algonquin back for their trespasses against his settlement.


    To hear that the old chief was killed during what should have been a peaceful negotiation was the justification for retribution that Berengar was looking for. After discussing the details of what had transpired with the two girls, Berengar put on a caring facade before agreeing to the request for military assistance.


    "Kahwihta, tell your sister that we are grateful for the help your tribe has provided to us when we first arrived. My people know how to pay back our debts, and because of that, I ept her terms. My men will prepare to march on the Anishnabe, and we will bring their chieftain to justice. For the crime of murdering a diplomat in cold blood can not go unpunished."


    When Kahwihta tranted these words to her younger sister, the girl fell to her knees and thanked Berengar from the bottom of her heart. After doing so, Berengar helped her up before making one finalment on the situation at hand.


    "You do not need to worry any longer. Within the next few days, a great fire will engulf the region, and the Anishnabe will have paid their debt in blood."


    After saying this, Berengar left the two young women be.. He had much more important things to worry about now that he intended to march to war.

 Chapter 480 - Surgical Strike

    Captain Diedrich Veringer knelt within the treeline outside of an Algonquin vige. This was one of many such locations spread throughout northeastern Vind. Over a week had passed since Berengar was informed that his ally was murdered at the hands of Algonquin.


    As a result, he had spent the week preparing for a surgical strike on the enemy vige. Berengar was many things, but reckless was not one of them. He had spent this time gathering information on the enemy, by dispatching his Jaegers alongside Mohawk Scouts to collect intelligence on the target of their attack. Captain Veringer was the man in charge of the Company of Jaegers who were now conducting this operation.


    The Austrian King had dispatched his Jaeger Company tounch a swift attack on the vige responsible for the death of the Mohawk Chieftain. These elite soldiers currently blended perfectly into their surroundings as a new moon filled the night sky. They were garbed in thetest uniforms, which were used to equip specialized units such as special operations and reconnaissance.


    These uniforms werergely based upon the blumentarn camo uniforms issued to the East German Army during the early days of the cold war from Berengar''s past life. They even had the m56/70 pattern Stahlhelm, which were not only cheaper to manufacture than the Steel Pickelhaubes which the rest of Berengar''s army was equipped with, but offered vastly superior protection.Theoretically, these steel helmets could protect its wearer from a modern pistol cartridge.


    Atop these helmets were a hemp fabric cover which shared the same camouge pattern as the uniforms. As for bodily protection, these men used a modified design of the Trench Armor issued to German forces during the Great War of Berengar''s past life. This variant of the armor was lighter weight, offered superior protection, and allowed for better operation of arms. They also painted this armor in blumentarn camouge.


    These Jaegers were armed with the best equipment currently avable to Austria''s armed forces, which were G22 Rifles, 1422 Service revolvers, and 1422 Lightweight Mortars. They dedicated two squads of thispany as mortar teams that were critical to the sess of this operation.


    Beside the Austrian Jaegers was a small group of Mohawk scouts who led their Austrian Allies to the Algonquin vige. These men gazed upon the strange equipment of the Austrian Jaegers with awe. After all, if they weren''t following them so closely, they never could spot them in the woods.


    The leader of these mohawk scouts pointed towards the vige that lie beyond the treeline beforemunicating in what little German he had learned over the course of the past month.


    "That is the target!"


    Captain Veringer nodded his head in affirmation as he gazed through his binocrs at the local Algonquin vige. A cruel smile appeared on his face, which was painted with camouge. They were roughly three hundred yards out and could fullyunch their assault. Thus the Captain dispatched his orders to the Company of Soldiers who silently gathered on the outskirts of the native vige.


    "Deploy the mortars and prepare forbat. After the first shells go off, open fire on the enemy."


    The soldiers immediately did as instructed. While the Mortar crew established position at a safe distance, the infantry prepared their weapons, and ensured that they were loaded with a cartridge."


    After a few moments of hushed movements, the mortar teams dropped their 60mm high explosive shells into the bores of their mortars before firing them up high above into the air and onto the unsuspecting vige below. When the shellsnded on the timber longhouses, they immediately blew them apart and set the vige aze.


    The screams of the native women and children who inhabited the vige resounded in the air, as the Algonquin warriors rushed out of their homes, desperately looking for the source of this attack. However, the moment they revealed themselves, Captain Veringer issued his orders.


    "Open fire!"


    With that said, dozens ofrge plumes of smoke shot out of the Jager''s rifles as their bullets went down range and into the torsos of their targets. Blood and bone sttered onto the floor as the bodies of the men who had been hit dropped to the ground, lifeless.


    The mohawk scouts gazed in awe at the firepower in use by their Austrian allies. They now understood how such few men had thoroughly repelled the Algonquin attack on their settlement. They could hardly believe their eyes and ears as they witnessed these pale-skinned foreigners conjure the elements against their enemies.


    While Captain Jaeger and his men reloaded their weapons and prepared for another volley, the mortar crewsunched a few more shells into the vige, sting structures to bits, and spreading the fire even further.


    It would not take long for these mes to spread from the vige into the forest. Despite the dangers of starting a wildfire, the Jaegers fired off another volley onto the algonquin warriors before Captain Veringer gave the order to retreat.


    "Retreat! We have aplished our aim. Fall back to the outpost!"


    With this said, the mortar crew quickly packed up their weapons, and shuffled off towards the direction of the Austrian encampment. The rest of the Austrian Jaegers and Mohawk Scouts quickly followed behind them. Captain Veringer ensured he was thest man to depart from the battlefield as he covered their rear.


    Though the Algonquin were unaware of who hadunched an attack on their vige, they eventually saw the Mohawk scouts in the distance running away. As for the Austrian Jaegers, their camouge sessfully concealed their figures.


    Enraged by the attack on their homes, the Algonquin warriors raced after to their attackers,pletely unware that Captain Veringer and a squad of Jagers stayed behind to ambush them. The moment the native warriors passed by the Austrian Jaegers, thunder resounded in the air as a volley of bullets reaped the lives of the unsuspecting tribesmen.


    Afterunching this attack, the Austrian Jaegers unleashed the cold steel des of their bays and plunged them into the tanned flesh of the Algonquin warriors, which spilled their blood across thendscape. Caught unawares, it took the native tribesmen a few moments to realize that the bushes were attacking them. Or so they initially thought. After all, they could not fathom the invention of camouge.


    The Austrians used this element of surprise tounch a full-scale assault on the remaining pursuers. Captain Veringer deflected an oing war club with the stock of his rifle, before plunging his bay in the warrior''s throat who wielded it.


    After ripping out his bay, and spilling blood across the floor, the man moved onto his next target. One by one, the native tribesmen fell to the steel bays of the Austrian Jaegers. The Algonquin warriors were in a state of panic. They had rushed after the Mohawks who they believed handled the attack on their vige, only toe under assault by nature itself.


    What ck magic had their enemies conjured, in order to turn the thunder, the fire, and the bushes against them. The moment one of the surviving warriors fled, the others followed suit. Only ten Algonquin warriors could escape with their lives intact, forever scarred by the events that had taken ce in the dimly lit forest outside their vige.


    Having sessfully defeated the Algonquin war band, Captain Veringer sighed heavily as he gazed upon the carnage before issuing orders to his squad.


    "Regroup with thepany. From there we will head back to the Stronghold and inform the King of our sess."


    The soldiers nodded their heads and obeyed their captain''s orders. Before long, they regrouped with the rest of their unit and their mohawk allies. Leaving behind a burning vige in the middle of the night. Captain Veringer gazed upon the smoldering ruins of the native vige onest time before continuing on his journey back to the encampment..


    Though this was more of a skirmish than a full-scale battle, the actions taken by the Jaeger Company on this day had secured the position of the Austrian Colony. They did not know at this moment, but by attacking the enemy with mortars and setting the vige aze, rumors would spread to other viges and tribes that the Austrian people could control the forces of nature.


    While not everyone would believe these tall tales, such rumors would create a sense of fear in the hearts of the native tribes that would prevent them fromunching a major attack on the Austrian Encampment. Instead, future battles in the New World would take ce in the wilderness, between dedicated teams of Austrian Jaegers and the warriors of the hostile tribes.


    By allying with the Austrian settlement, the Mohawk had secured their ce as a major yer in the Northeast of the North American continent. Trade of resources and technologies between Austria, and its newfound tribal ally, would allow the Mohawk to progress at a faster rate than their rivals did.. One thing became certain in the minds of the native peoples of the northeast: the pale-skinned foreigners were here to stay.

 Chapter 481 - Improvements To The Settlement

    Berengar awoke the following day with his queen in his arms. Honoria wastching on to him like amprey. Though spring had arrived, she still found the weather too cold for her liking, and thus instinctively held onto her man, sucking away the warmth in his body.


    Upon seeing this, a smile etched itself on Berengar''s face as he stroked the woman''s indigo hair. It was nice to have at least one woman in his harem who dyed her hair with crazy colors. In his past life, Berengar had partially grown up during the scene fad of the mid-2000s. Though he wasn''t a part of it, at the time he found the girls who dressed in such an unusual manner to be quite attractive.


    While Berengar was gazing at his wife with a sense of nostalgia, she opened her mint green eyes at this moment and gazed at his expression with a hint of confusion. Just what could have caused him to look at her in such a way? In the end, she made a joke about the whole thing.


    "You know you can do more than just look at me, right?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before grabbing ahold of his wife''s pretty face and kissing her luscious lips. After a few moments of passion, he broke away and sighed heavily before expressing the thoughts on his mind.


    "I must say it is nice being here in the new world, just the two of us. It is just a shame that we will have to go back soon."


    When Honoria heard this, she bit her lip in discontent. The days she had spent in the new world were some of the most exhrating she had ever experienced. She dreaded the idea of returning to the Pce and taking part in court politics once more.


    Berengar noticed the expression on his wife''s face and immediately became curious. He raised his brow over his scarred eye before asking about the woman''s thoughts."


    "What is it?"


    Honoria sighed heavily before realizing what she had been fantasizing about ever since her first step foot on the new world.


    "It''s nothing. I just want to go exploring. There is so much we don''t know about thisnd, and I want to be the first one to uncover its secrets. I was just thinking that after we return home, it would be nice if you would allow me to take my girls and sail across this newndmass and see what treasures I can uncover!"


    Berengar''s first instinct was to reject such a notion; piracy was one thing, but allowing her to explore the Americas by herself and her crew was a hazardous task. However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt he could agree to these conditions.


    After all, plenty of famous men in his past life such as Ponce de Leon, Hernan Cortez, and Francisco Pizarro had explored vast swaths of territory and even toppled empires with only sailing vessels and primitive firearms.


    Inparison, Honoria and her girls were much better equipped; as long as they kept their wits about them, they could easily survive the dangers of the new world. After careful consideration, Berengar agreed to his wife''s wishes.


    "Alright, if you swear, ensure that your crew swear a vow of secrecy on pain of death about everything they see here. I will allow you to do as you please. However, any information youe across must be sold to the Austrian Crown! I don''t want this information being leaked to any other kingdoms ..."


    Honoria smiled when she heard her dream would be reality and quickly nodded her head with an emphatic expression.


    "Of course, I will oversee my girls and ensure that they don''t do anything stupid. You know damn well I am not above executing one of them if they do anything detrimental to the Kingdom of Austria!"


    This statement had brought a sense of calmness to Berengar''s otherwise restless heart; he could ill afford to allow the information of the New World to leak to his rivals and allies so soon after its discovery. He knew Honoria would take the precautions to ensure that the existence of thisnd and all others would remain an Austrian secret.


    Having agreed, Berengar sealed it with a kiss as he leaned over and passionately intertwined his tongue with that of his wife''s. The couple continued began to engage in a passionate disy as they embraced each other''s warmth.


    Thus, Berengar and Honoria entertained each other once more. By the time the two of them were done with their activities, it was close to noon. Though it wasn''t the regr morning exercise routine that Berengar went through, it was more than enough to sustain him for that day.


    After they hadpleted their actions, Berengar got dressed and exited from his cabin, where he immediately noticed that the fortress had begun the process of being retrofitted, the crude log cabins were being reced with precise half timber houses in the stylemonly found throughout Germany.


    Therge felled tree trunks used to crudely construct the cabins were being recycled into expertly crafted timber frames by the Army engineers. As for the foundation of the structures, they were made via abination of coal-fired y bricks and type M mortar, which was imported from the fathend.


    In the end, solid structures that wouldst the test of time would rece the frontier-style log cabins and form the fortress''s interior, barracks, a chapel, houses for officers and long-term residents, even a tavern was being constructed within the settlement. Aside from the Type M mortar, all the resources for making these buildings could be found within the immediate vicinity of the settlement.


    When Berengar witnessed these ns in ce, he had a broad smile on his face; he kept smiling as he strolled through the fortress; after stepping upon the ramparts, he noticed that another group of army engineers had taught the native workforce how to create a four-field system, with draft horses and a steel plow.


    After the fields had been plowed, they would be appropriately seeded with a horse-drawn seed drill. The fact that Berengar had brought over the necessary equipment to mechanize his colony''s agriculture via animal power from the start was a big plus. This meant that he could easily use a smallbor force for farmingrge swaths ofnd.


    Though he could not implement the use ofbine harvesters for the time being; such innovations could be fielded in theing years whenrger cargo ships capable of ferrying vast amounts of animals were constructed.


    Thinking upon this, Berengar shifted his gaze towards the coast and noticed that the crude dock that had been established was being expanded into a muchrger port, intending to ept multiplerge vessels for future efforts. By the time his entire navy had been retrofitted into ironds, its ships could dock sessfully in the colony.


    Frankly, Berengar''s current ship designs were limited by cargo capability; even his clippers could not carry much to and from the new world. He needed his Dominion ss ships toe to fruition if he wanted any massive expansion into the new world.


    However, those all-steel ships were still a few years away from being constructed. Thus, he was left with warships and clippers to transport goods across the Antic. For the time being, Berengar would use the limited cargo capacity of his warships to ferry men, supplies, and livestock over. The need for secrecy was paramount, and Berengar would only trust his military to keep it that way.


    Having gazed upon the improvements that were taking ce in his Colony, Berengar felt satisfied with the results; in a few months, this colony would look like an actual Austrian Town. With this in mind, he climbed down from the ramparts and noticed a team of jaegers was about to set forth from the settlement.


    Berengar took this opportunity to step forward and speak with the men, where they immediately jumped to attention and saluted their King. After seeing the appropriate response, Berengar responded in kind before questioning them about their task.


    "Are you departing from the fortress?"


    The squad leader immediately nodded his head before responding to his King.


    "Yes, your majesty, the various Jaeger squads who have arrived are being deployed for the search of valuable resources. Our objective is to travel into the unknown and seek out granite to begin building proper fortifications instead of these poorly constructed timber walls that we currently have!"


    Berengar immediately nodded his head in response; the sooner proper walls could be constructed around the settlement, the better. After reflecting upon his knowledge from his past life, he quickly issued an order to the men.


    "Hand over your map; I have received intel from the natives that might be valuable for your search."


    The squad leader did not hesitate and handed over his map and pen; it was a rtively crude map based upon scouting reports from the Marine reconnaissance teams and information that had been traded with the native tribes.


    Berengar made a rough estimate of a granite location which he knew about from his tenure living in the State of New York during his previous life, before marking a red x. He then handed the map back to the officer and said with a stern expression on his face.


    "You may find what you are looking for in that location; however, what lies between here and there is a mystery to even me. So keep your heads on a swivel, and don''t be afraid to shoot anything that poses a threat, understood?"


    The soldiers immediately nodded their heads in response to their King''s statement.


    ''Yes, sir!"


    Berengar left one final remark before allowing the men to begin their journey.


    "Alright, you boys,e back safe; I don''t want to ferry a body back to the fathend! Hail victory!"


    The Jaegers immediately threw up their salutes once more before responding to their King in kind.


    "Hail victory!"


    With those words spoken, the Jaegers entered the unknown, searching for valuable resources. Whether they would return to the settlement, and with viable intel, remained unknown.. However, their journey and what they encountered on it would be exciting.

 Chapter 482 - Massacre At Krakow

    Eckhard gazed upon the destruction with a sense of overwhelming disdain. Since he had begun his defense of the Teutonic State, the Eastern Coalition had thrown wave after wave of men at his defenses only for them to be continuously shredded apart by the overwhelming volume of fire that the Austrians unleashed upon them.


    By now, the leaders of the Eastern Coalition had learned a valuable lesson. A frontal assault against the Austrian army was the equivalent of suicide. Since they could not capture the fortifications or the cities that once belonged to the Teutonic State, they had begun to raid the local viges.


    The vige lying before Eckhard was one of the victims of these assaults. The fields were burnt to a crisp, the buildings were razed to the ground, and the people were ughtered or enved. Such mindless destruction weighed heavily on the conscience of the old Field Marshal.? As he was reflecting on this, an officer beneath hismand approached him toment on the situation.


    "Marshal, we must retaliate for this offense... The fact that they have raided these viges after we have proimed them beneath our protection is an insult to our Kingdom and its Monarch!"


    A single sigh escaped the lips of the veteran Field Marsha while he contemted the best way to deal with these new tactics. While his army held onto the Cities and Castles with great skill, they could only do so much to protect the many viges of the region.


    After several moments of silence, he nodded his head in response to his Officer''s remark; with a grim expression on his aging face, Eckhard gave forth the order that would be infamous throughout the rest of history.


    "If they wish to raze our viges to the ground, then we will do the same. Prepare to march on Krakow; let us show these Polish fools what happens when they march on Austria!"


    Terror was a weapon constantly wielded by the Austrian Crown since Berengar had first crowned himself King. Under the control of Austria''s current monarch, retaliation was dealt with via the tenfold doctrine.


    This was a military strategy that operated under the belief that if civilian casualties had urred to Austria and the people within its territories, the Austrian Royal Army would retaliate with a response that imed the lives of at least ten times what they had suffered.


    In the eyes of Eckhard, this was utter madness, but Berengar was a man of extreme action; he greatly despised civilian casualties; however, if his civilians were to be targetted, then he would do the same to his enemies. After all, there was a saying from his past life that he greatly admired.


    "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."


    Without any universal standard of internationalw regarding warfare, Berengar would respond in greater intensity to anything unleashed against him and his people. Eckhard was aware of this and knew that if he did not fulfill his obligation to his King, he would be punished severely.


    To allow a massacre of Austria''s citizens to ur without following up with swift and severe retaliation was a failure of one''s duty regarding militarymand. Thus, Eckhard had designed a plot in his mind to march his army through the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and to attack their capital city.


    With the artillery beneath hismand, he could bring the City of Krakow to ruin in a matter of hours, and that is exactly what he nned to do. Thus over the course of the uing weeks, Eckhard had consolidated his forces on the Teutonic Region''s borders and began a march across the Polishndscape, raiding any town they came across and ensuring that its people suffered the same horrific fate as those within the Teutonic Region.


    Thousands of lives were imed on this horrific march until finally, the Austro-Bohemian Forces were gathered at the gates of Krakow; it did not take long for the hundreds of artillery pieces to set up their positions.? Once everything was in order, Eckhardmanded his soldiers to unleash hell upon the unsuspecting city.


    "Open fire!"


    This order was ryed across the army''s lines until finally, a thunderous barrage echoed in the air. Hundreds of shells fell upon the city, detonating within its confines. The Fiery explosions could be seen from miles away as the Artillery crews rapidly unloaded their spent shells before cing a new round within its horizontal sliding block.


    The moment the next shell was in ce, the Officer would pull on thenyard and unleash another round onto the city. While the barrage continued, Eckhard turned his gaze away from it; he could not bear to watch the destruction and suffering his orders had caused to the people of Pnd.


    If only the Eastern-Coalition had not resorted to raiding tactics, then he would be able to conduct this war with a hint of civility. However, with an amoral Tyrant like Berengar at the helm of their Kingdom, it was inevitable that such senseless ughter would ur.


    The age of Chivalry was long dead at this point, and Eckhard hat witnessed its demise. However, as the years passed, the weapons in his hands became more advanced and more destructive to the point where his army could shell an entire city into oblivion in a matter of hours.


    Despite their horrific actions, much of the Austrian army gazed upon the fiery death and the screams of the innocent with a stoic expression; to them, this attack was justified. They had agreed to conduct warfare under the terms that no civilian shall be unnecessarily harmed. However, their enemies did not y by these rules, and as a result, they were now forced to inflict pain and suffering upon them in a far greater manner.


    The more cruel members of the Austrian army smiled upon the copse of the city''s structures; to them, this was the ultimate symbol of Austrian Power and authority. If anything, Pnd-Lithuania should have surrendered to the terms that were initially presented to them. Had they done so this senseless ughter could have been easily avoided.


    Perhaps this event would never have urred if they had not resorted to raiding Teutonic Viges. Yet, the Eastern Coalition had massacred innocents and, in doing so, justified Austrian retaliation. If there was one lesson that could be learned from this massacre, it was that the enemies of Austria should never target their civilians, even if it were in a region that was only recently annexed.


    The Echo of the guns continued to fire well into the evening; by now, the city''s walls were brought to ruin, so were its structures. The destruction of Krakow was thoroughlypleted; in fact, it was in worse shape than Berengar had left Venice. Nothing remained but a smoldering ruin of a once-proud city.


    Cities could be rebuilt, and people could be reced, but this was a stain on the Polish-Lithuanianmonwealth that was not easily removed, with much of its forces depleted in Iberia and the Teutonic Region as well as their Capital City in ruins. The leaders of the Polish-Lithuanianmonwealth would find themselves in a difficult position in the uing days.


    As for Eckhard, he immediately rounded up his army and marched them onto Warsaw, his retaliation wasplete, but the war against the Eastern Coalition was still very much alive. He had promised his King that he would seize much of what was now Northern Pnd and the Baltic in an attempt to unite the German people who dwelled within itsnds.


    The veteran Field Marshal would not rest until this objective wasplete. Thus, he sat on horseback and drank from his canteen, filled with alcohol as the Austrian army marched onto its following location. Retribution had been served, and hopefully, now he could fight a more conventional war against the enemy.


    As for the Defense of the Teutonic Region, that responsibility now fell to Alexej Kaspar and his Bohemian soldiers. After all, they were now equipped and trained in use in the same weapons and tactics that Austria utilized.


    While Eckhard began his conquest of the East, Berengar was still within Vind, where his scouts searched for valuable resources to continue the settlement''s development and potentially ship back to the fathend.


    Whether or not the Austrian King would join this war in the future had remained to be seen. However, when Berengar finally learned of the Massacre of Krakow, he would be pretty pleased that Eckhard had chosen such a vital target as the location of Austria''s wrath.


    Ultimately the Field Marshal would be awarded another honor for his actions on this day, one that would cause him much regret every time he gazed upon it. However, orders were orders, and he could not very well disobey his King, even if he felt that the methods used were unnecessarily cruel.


    The Massacre of Krakow would forever serve in history as a reminder of how far advanced Austria was over its neighbors and the level of cruelty they were willing to engage in to aplish their goals.

 Chapter 483 - Peacekeeping Operations

    Captain Jonas Giering was currently standing within a vige inside the Kingdom of Portugal; months had passed since the war had officially ended. Still, the various Brigand and Rebel groups loyal to the former Royal Dynasty continued to fight for control over the region.


    While most Austrian Units had been pulled out of Iberia, there were still a few specialized units remaining behind acting as peacekeepers and advisors to the Royal Granadan Army, who by now had reformed into a rtively modern and exceptional force.


    Jonas Giering had taken a liking to the Portuguese region, as well as the farm girl he had saved months prior. He had opted to stay behind in Iberia and continue to ensure this girl''s safety to who he had be close. Perhaps one day soon, he would even marry her and take her back to Austria.


    However, such thoughts were at the back of his mind at the moment. Instead, his attention was focused on the operation at hand. He was currently in charge of hispany of Jaegers, who were working alongside the Granadan Royal Guard to secure the southernmost regions of Portugal.


    The Portuguese Loyalists had shifted from a campaign of open warfare to unconventional methods, and the Austrians had be their most prominent targets. Thus, at the moment, the Jaegers were the spearhead of the Austro-Granadan War machine and were kicking down doors as if they were in Fallujah.


    Following the example portrayed by his King, Jonas had opted to be the first man into the fray and thest man out. When his breacher brought forth the sledgehammer which would breach the door, he was steeling his nerves forbat.


    The breacher battered away at the door with the sledgehammer in his hands. After several powerful strikes, the lock broke apart, and the door was opened. After this had urred, Jonas entered the room with his G-22 aimed down, ready to clear the space.


    The moment he entered the building, a loud bang resounded in the confines of the small area, and Jonas felt the impact of an arkebuse ball upon his trench armor; luckily for him, such primitive firearms were incapable of piercing through his armor, and thus he immediately squeezed the trigger, and sent a round blindly into the room.


    Though the smoke had yet to clear, the .45-70 projectile had sted apart the torso of the attacker. Despite this, the soldiers beneath Jonas''mand fired in thebatant''s direcion, sending another four rounds into his chest.


    As the soldiers entered the room, they noticed that the target who their captain had eliminated was a boy no older than twelve; he was carrying a primitive arkebuse that the now-defunct Iberian Union likely manufactured.


    The lifeless look in the child''s brown eyes sent chills down the spines of the Austrian Jaegers, who now realized that they were not only fighting men, but children too. Losing such a young boy immediately caused the men to grieve.


    However, in the next moment, Jonas got up from the ground clutching his chest. Though the projectile had failed to pierce into his body, it had left a significant blunt force trauma on the area of impact, and thus he cursed while in a state of utter fury.


    "Fucking bastard!"


    After saying this, he withdrew his service revolver and pointed it at the boy''s corpse before plugging two extra rounds in his skull; the rage in his heart could only be released by venting it upon the hostile child''s corpse. After Jonas had recovered from his fragile mental state, he looked over at his soldiers, who were gawking at him in shock before issuing hismands.


    "What the hell are you idiots waiting for? Clear the rest of this fucking building!"


    Immediately, the soldiers snapped back to reality and checked their weapons before walking through the rest of the building. Despite his condition, Jonas quickly shouldered his rifle before leading his men through the rest of the building.


    He promptly kicked down a door to see a pregnant woman and a young girl huddling in fear. It was her son who had attempted to gun down the Austrian Soldiers. Jonas immediately shouted in Portuguese towards the civilians, issuing hismands as he did so.


    "Get on the ground now!"


    The various Jaegers pointed their rifles at the unarmed civilians; they could never be too careful when clearing a room; after all, they had just witnessed the tenacity of the Portuguese People in their resistance against their new Granadan Overlords.


    The mother screamed in fury as she cursed the Austrians for killing her son; though she had not confirmed his death, the fact that they were now standing here after an exchange of gunfire was enough evidence to support her ims.


    "Youth heathen bastards! How dare you kill my boy! I hope you burn in hell for your sins!"


    Jonas was in a foul mood after having been shot and immediately wrestled the woman to the ground, where he ced a pair of cuffs around her wrists; the soldiers followed suit and forced the young daughter into a simr position. After doing so, they immediately searched the two civilians'' bodies, checking for weapons.


    While Jonas led two of his soldiers in these actions, the other members within the fire team went throughout the rest of the building, clearing it. Before long, another exchange of gunfire resounded throughout the corridors, causing Jonas to rush towards the sound of conflict.


    In the building''s corner, the family''s fathery dead, with a crossbow in his hands; multiple rounds had ripped his skull and internal organs apart, leaving a gruesome scene behind. By now, the Austrian soldiers were well ustomed to bloodshed and did not react in the slightest to the stage. Upon seeing that none of his troops were wounded, Jonas sighed in relief; he checked on his soldier''s well-being after doing so.


    "Anybody hurt?"


    The soldier who had been shot by the crossbow shook his head before responding with a look of contempt on his face.


    "I was lucky; if that bolt were an inch lower, it would have been stuck in my eye; fortunately, it hit my helmet and bounced off!"


    After saying this, the soldier spat upon the corpse of the Portuguese man. Jonas nodded his head in affirmation before giving his troops the rest of their orders.


    "Alright, search the rest of the building; this is the first of many that we have to work through today!"


    The soldiers immediately saluted their captain and responded in the affirmative before doing as they were told.


    "Yes, Sir!"


    After saying this, they cleared the rest of the building. However, they had already killed all the hostiles; thus, there were no other sounds of conflict within the household. Having secured the building, Jonas and his fireteam grabbed ahold of the bound civilians and brought them into the center of the vige, where they handed them off to the Royal Granadan Army.


    These men were now dressed in their new uniforms and had begun to resemble a semi-modern force. Though whenpared to the Austrian Jaegers, who were dressed in advanced camouge patterns, they still looked quite antiquated.


    When the prisoners were brought forth and handed over, the Captain of the Granadan Company saluted his Austrian Counterpart; he noticed the dent on Jonas'' breastte and immediatelymented on his condition.


    "Are you alright?"


    Jonas nodded his head and sighed as he responded to this question.


    "I''m fine, but it appears there are more firearms in the hands of the enemy than we had initially estimated. I will ry this information back to intelligence; it is up to them to find out where they are gaining such weapons."


    The Granadan Captain nodded his head and ordered his troops to take charge of the prisoners; after doing so, he questioned the Austrian Captain once more.


    "Are you going back out there?"


    The Jaeger captain immediately pulled out a pack of hemp cigarettes and smoked one; after releasing arge plume of smoke, he nodded his head with a bitter expression on his face.


    "Somebody has to kick down these doors..."


    Having said this, Jonas dropped his cigarette to the floor and stamped it out before checking his rifle''s chamber to ensure that it was still loaded. Having confirmed this detail, he mmed the bolt home before walking away and giving further orders to the troops beneath hismand.


    "One down! Twelve more to go. Look alive, boys!"


    With this said, the Austrian Jaegers once more approached another building, unaware whether it was filled with hostiles, and prepared to breach its entrance. This urban warfare wouldter inspire Berengar to design and issue shotguns to his forces.. After all, sledgehammers were not the most efficient means of breaching a building.

 Chapter 484 - Locating The Granite Quarry

    Two weeks had passed since Berengar had first dispatched Jaegers in Vind to search for critical resources. As of right now, the team that he specifically sent to a prominent granite quarry location was standing upon atop a hill gazing in awe at the beautiful sight.


    It had recently rained, yet now the sky was a clear crystal blue, the sight of a rare double rainbow hovered over the location of the rocky ravine, the trees surrounding the area were a vibrant green, as it was now spring, and the naturalndscape was filled with life.


    The Sergeant in charge of the unit gazed in awe at the splendid scenery as if he had stepped foot into heaven. The mild weather of the New York Spring,bined with the natural beauty of itsndscape, was indeed a sight to behold. Here in this new world, which was wealthy in new natural resources, one gained the feeling that a man could be anything he wanted to be so long as he worked hard enough.


    The Sergeant immediately descended from the hill into the ravine; his task was simple. He and his soldiers needed to confirm the location of granite which was required to build the stone fortifications around the military outpost. With this in mind, he carefully climbed down to inspect the bedrock of the area.


    Having tied a rope to a sturdy tree near the edge of the cliff, the Sergeant was the first to repel down the hill, and into the ravine below, as he slowly but surely descended, he gazed in wonder at the beautiful granite that revealed itself. Should they build their fortifications and houses out of such material, it would make the settlement in Vind a highly desirable ce to live once its existence was revealed to the general public.


    Such was his thought process as the Jaeger Sergeant descended from the cliff and into the ravine; before long, his squad followed him into its depths, where they stood ankle-deep in water, gazing upon the massive quantity of granite nearby.


    Having confirmed that this location was rich with granite, the squad leader immediately pulled out his map and marked the site; when they finally returned to the settlement, they would dispatch workers to begin the construction of a good quarry so that the materials could be mined and brought back to the territory to be used in the establishment of the most significant fortifications.


    Unbeknownst to the Jaeger Squad, several pairs of eyes were gazing upon them from within the tree line above. The Algonquin scouts had watched as the pale-skinned foreigners descended into the ravine; though they did not know what these people were looking for, they knew it could not be suitable for them.


    Remaining entirely unaware of the nearby hostile scouts, the Austrian Jaegers continued to dredge more, plunging into the ravine; up until this point, they had not only been scouting for resources but creating a detailed map, and this location was no exception. The soldier in the group who was skilled in cartography walked around the area and jotted down the details onto his piece of scrap paper.


    While he was doing so, the rest of the squad were on guard. They were far from the known territory that the Expeditionary force had established, and danger lurked in every corner, from the wildlife and the natives that had proved hostile.


    While they were searching through the area and taking up defensive positions, the Algonquin scouts had trekked through the tree line to set up an ambush; the moment the Austrians climbed up the rope from the ravine below, the native warriors nned to beset upon them.


    As per usual tactics, the Austrian squadprised a Sergeant equipped with a g22 rifle, and a 1422 service revolver. As for the rest of the soldiers, they were issued G22 bolt action rifles. Since they were not apany sized unit, they were seriouslycking in explosive firepower.


    While gazing around the vicinity, the Sergeant realized the Natives'' presence; in doing so, he raised his fist andmunicated silently with the squad that hostiles were approaching and preparing an ambush. No words were spoken, and instead, the Austrian Jaegersmunicated via signnguage as they prepared themselves forbat.


    The individual soldiers flicked off their safeties as they climbed the rope. Before doing so, the Sergeant pulled out a smoke grenade and threw it with all his might onto the cliff above. A pool of smoke filled the air when the device went off, obscuring the Native Warriors'' sights. Afterward, The Sergeant began to rapidly climb onto the cliff above, where his soldiers immediately followed suit.


    By the time the smoke dispersed, the squad had made it to the cliff with their fingers on the triggers. The moment they could contact the enemy, the sound of gunfire echoed in the air as bullets roared down and towards the concealed Algonquin warriors. Blood sttered as the Sergeant was the first to pull the trigger; in doing so, an .45-70 round pierced straight through the skull of his opponent.


    Immediately after, he racked the bolt back and loaded another round before acquiring his next target, where he sent another round into the man''s torso. The Algonquin panicked as their initial wave was cut down so quickly. Despite this, they unleashed a volley of arrows down onto the Austrian soldiers; arrows filled the sky and fell on the Austrians, who braced for impact, with their heads, necks, and vitals protected by the steel armor.


    While some arrows pierced through their limbs, they were far from mortal wounds; with this in mind, the Austrians ripped the projectiles from their joints and opened fire once more on the Native war band. While not every bullet hit their mark, there was too high of a volume of fire for the natives to counteract.


    With each soldier having the capability of firing 10-15 rounds per minute, it did not take long for dozens of rounds to be sent into the treeline towards the native ambushers. Eventually, survivors of this barrage had broken ranks and fled back into the forest.


    One soldier was too eager for blood and immediately sprinted off towards the opponents, however before he could get far, a bullet shot past his head and hit the tree in front of him; the Jaeger looked back to see his NCO staring at him with a frown on his face, and a smoking gun in hand.


    "What are you, a moron? They have probably set up traps for us! Fall back in line; we have done our damned job; it is time to return with the intel!"


    The soldier immediately swallowed the saliva pooled up in his throat as he thought about what his NCO had said and immediately obeyed his orders as he fell back into line. The more able-bodied members of their squad carried away those who were too wounded to make the journey as the Austrian Jaegers fled back to the settlement; this would not be the only ambush they came across on their journey back to the main force.


    Nor was this the only squad under attack by the native tribes; there would be several losses on the expedition to locate and secure resources for the Austrian settlement. However, Conquest was never achieved without bloodshed; the resources these young Austrian Men gave their lives for would be the backbone of the Kingdom of Austria for years toe.


    Berengar wouldter dere any man who gave his life in service of exploration to be posthumously honored with an Iron Cross Second ss. While Berengar''s soldiers were locating and securing natural resources, he was overseeing the ongoing construction efforts of the settlement. This fortress in the New World was designed to be self-sufficient, with monthly exchanges between the Fathend and the Colony.


    As for the Native Tribes of New York, what remained were preparing for war, and these ambushes would soon be par for the course. The more Austrian soldiers that arrived in the new world, the more threatened the pre-existing inhabitants would be. This would cause arger number of small conflicts between the old world and the new.


    Berengar was well prepared for this eventuality, and before long, the fortress in the new world would be impregnable, at least when dealing with the primitive people of North America. Without gunpowder, it would be impossible to bring down the granite and mortar walls of the massive star fortress that was being constructed.


    While the rest of the American wilderness was an unknown factor to Austria, its fortress would be a beacon of hope for the soldiers living in Vind and future generations toe.. After all, this was and rich in natural resources, and the only enemies the Austrians had to face were various stone age societies.

 Chapter 485 - There Must Be War!

    Emperor Vetranis gazed upon the sight of his mangled son with an expression that was filled with pity. Decentius had invoked the ire of the Austrian Crown and, in doing so, paid a hefty price for his hubris. However, the true identity of the perpetrator of this attack was left unknown to the Byzantine Emperor. Instead, an Austrian Intelligence report had sessfully pinned the me on the neighboring Mamluke Sultanate for the attack on the Second Prince.


    Few people in this world knew the truth about the attack, and one of those men was none other than Decentius. However, he would never outright inform his father that Austria had maimed him and killed his supporters; after all, to do so was to announce his guilt in attempting to assassinate his sister. If his father were to be aware of such a nefarious plot, he was liable to lose more than just his hand and leg.


    Instead, the two men stared at each other in silence, neither one wanting to speak first about the circumstances they found themselves in. With the great Warrior Prince of Byzantium maimed, the hawks in the Byzantine Court had lost their candidate for the throne. Despite this, now more than ever, they were adamant about going to war with their neighbors.


    Though Vetranis was not the wisest man, even he could see that there were holes in the report that Austria had made about the origins of the attack, if not for the support of Padius and his spywork, he never would have believed his allies to the west. However, he was still uncertain, and thus the aging Emperor broke the silence within the room.


    "Tell me the truth, Decentius, who is responsible for your current state?"


    The Second Prince of the Byzantine Empire immediately turned his head towards his father, in doing so revealing the massive wound that existed on his once handsome face. Not only had the explosion sted apart one of his hands and lower legs, but it has also severely damaged his face and blinded him in one eye. Decentius refused to borate further and merely retorted with a rhetorical question.


    "Who do you think?"


    Though there was not an outright admission, Decentius'' words were enough to convince Vetranis that the attack on his son was not, in fact, from the Mamluke Sultanate but rather from their most prominent ally. This caused the father to be stricken with abination of grief and rage as he pounded his hand upon the table nearby.


    "Why? Why would he do this?"


    There was a tinge of guilt in Decentius'' one good eye as he avoided his father''s gaze before trying to deny his fault for such vicious retaliation.


    "Your guess is as good as mine..."


    Vetranis curled his fist, so much so that his fingernails began to dig into the palm of his hands, causing him to bleed. He did not understand what his family had done to Austria to warrant this vicious attack. Were they not allies? The pitiful Emperor steeled his resolve the next second as he began to voice his discontent with the situation.


    "If that bastard seeks to harm my household, then it is only fair that I do the same to him!"


    This recklessment was so loud that it had garnered the attention of a passerby, who silently made his way into the room where he watched his brother and father conspiring against the King of Austria and his family.


    Quintus leaned against the edge of the door, going entirely unnoticed by his father, and brother until the point where he interrupted their little meeting. He had a wide smirk on his face as he began to intervene on behalf of their western allies.


    "If Austria attacked Decentius, and the men who support him, then there was a proper reason for doing so. Berengar is not reckless and would not take such violent action against an ally unless provoked. As for his little spymaster, she is even more cautious; the real question is, what did my dear little brother due to warrant such a vicious attempt on his life?"


    Quintus was aware of the allegations against Decentius; after all, Padius hade to him for support after the Second Prince had murdered thete Strategos Arethas in cold blood. However, hecked any significant proof on the matter and thus Quintus stayed out of these affairs.


    Despite this neutrality, there was now an attack on the Byzantine Imperial Family, and he could no longer ignore the usations against his brother. As a significant rival in the war for session, Quintus made sure to take advantage of this crisis and use it against his little brother, who sought to usurp his birthright.


    Decentius gazed at his older brother with a look of contempt across his wounded face, he knew exactly what Decentius was implying, and he was hoping to avoid this conversation with his father for as long as possible. However, his brother was a sly bastard and had begun to kick him when he was down. Immediately the second prince denied any fault, with an innocent expression on his face.


    "I have done nothing to warrant such a ruthless attack on my life! You best be careful, brother; you are close to speaking nder against my character!"


    In response to this, Quintus merely smirked before tossing a document on the bed, where Vetranis immediately gazed upon it with wide eyes. His first instinct was to question what he was reading.


    "Is this true?"


    Quintus did not hesitate and instead nodded his head before further digging a grave for his little brother.


    "Padius has confirmed it, and his spywork, one of my brother''s dear underlings had ced a bid for our dear sister''s assassination, and the Austrians had even made arrests of the potential assassins.


    They likely were unaware that Decentius was meeting with the scoundrel responsible when theyunched their attack. You could say this is Austria''s way of gaining justice against the perpetrators who tried to kill Honoria.


    Whether or not Decentius was involved in this conspiracy remains unknown. Though it does beg the question, why exactly was Decentius meeting with a group of people who were responsible for an assassination plot against our sister?"


    Vetranis immediately ignored his eldest son''s implication and instead switched the subject; he could not bear to think that Decentius had knowingly taken part in an assassination attempt on his sister. Instead, he asked the second most important question on his mind.


    "Then why did Austria pin the me on the Mamlukes?"


    Quintus broke out into a brief fit ofughter; he did not believe his father was indeed so foolish as to ask such an obvious question genuinely; after seeing the perturbed expression on the Emperor''s face, the Crown Prince immediately bowed his head and responded obediently.


    "My guess is the moment they found out that Decentius was wounded in the attack, they began to panic, fearing that you might dissolve the alliance between our two realms. Such a thing would neither benefit them nor us.


    I suggest we ept the Austrians'' gift and use this as an excuse to annex the remainder of the Mamluke Sultanate. After all, this appears to not have been an intentional attack on Decentius; he was simply in the wrong ce at the wrong time."


    Vetranis thought deeply about what had transpired; if what Quintus said was true, then the maiming of his second son was unintentional, and as a result of his son associating with conspirators who attempted to murder his daughter.


    Even then, few men in this world knew the actual perpetrator behind the attack; if they wiped this incident under the rug and epted the casus belli against the Mamluke Sultanate, it could aid them in reuniting long-lost portions of the Empire. After careful deliberation, the Byzantine Emperor nodded his head and turned to gaze at his wounded son.


    "There must be war! We will pay back the Mamluke Sultanate tenfold for what they have done to you, and as far as anyone is concerned, they are indeed the responsible party. Make sure you take this as a life lesson; I would hate to see what bes of you, my son if you were to further associate with traitors to the Empire."


    After saying this, Vetranis left, leaving Quintus and Decentius to stare at each other with mutual hatred. Ultimately Quintus was the one to break the silence.


    "Consider yourself lucky; if your attempt on Honoria''s life had seeded, then there is no force in this world that could protect you from the wrath of the Austrian King. His armies are far more powerful than ours, whether it is the result of witchcraft or divine inspiration, I do not know, but you have stepped on the tail of the devil, and if you ask me, he let you off easy..."


    Having said this final thought, the First Prince of the Byzantine Empire retreated from his brother''s quarters, leaving the second Prince alone and bitter with his fate.. Little did those present know that Berengar was on the other side of the world, entirely unaware of the events that had taken ce.

 Chapter 486 - Founding Of New Vienna

    Months had passed since the Expeditionary Force to the New World, currently referred to as Vind, had procured natural resources. In this time, they had made substantial improvements to the settlement.


    For starters, the fortifications were now made of granite and type M mortar as a star fortress. A proper garrison had ensured that it was well defended, using 1422 Schmidt Guns and artillery pieces spread throughout its ramparts.


    Inside the star fortress were the quarters of the soldiers, which were as barracks, cookhouses, chapels, and other institutions. The half-timber structures and the baroque cathedralsbined to form a settlement the likes of which the New World had never seen before.


    Outside of the confines of the star fortress was an important port that extended out into the New York Bay, acting as a harbor for any Austrian ships that would make the trek to Vind. Aside from the dock, several extensive fields with horse-powered mechanized agricultural devices were set up in the four-field system. These fields used advanced fertilizers, which we''re currently importing from the fathend.


    As this settlement grew with an increase in Austrian overlords and nativeborers, it caught the eye of the nearby tribes. Aside from some minor skirmishes out in the wilderness, there had not yet been another attack on the settlement. Now that its fortifications were established correctly, Berengar was confident in the ability of the Garrison to maintain control over the region.


    The mighty Austrian King stood upon the ramparts of the Star Fortress, gazing upon the vastndscape in front of him. In half a year, he had sessfully established a permanent settlement in the new world. With this in mind, it was finally time to name this location; as a response, he raised two gs high into the air above the fortress.


    The top g was none other than the Kingdom of Austria''s, while the bottom banner was a new design, a Colonial g that he had created to show off the evolution of the Kingdom of Austria. With this colony under their control, they now had overseas territory, making them an Empire. However, he would not boldly dere himself an Empire in European Politics just yet; such a promation would indeed cause bacsh and investigation into the ims.


    Regardless, a new g represented the New World Colonial Territory of the Kingdom of Austria. This g was like the German Empire''s colonial gs from his past life. The differences were that the bottom color was gold instead of red, and the von Kufstein double-headed eagle was in the center of the g.


    As the Austrian soldiers stood below, they saluted the raising of the two gs. Berengar immediately called out to his people and dered the official establishment of a new overseas colony.


    "Let today be known as the day that the Crown of Austria has formally established the Colony of New Vienna! Glory to the Kingdom of Austria, glory to our newfound Empire!"


    As Berengar said these words, the soldiers beneath his location shouted in unison the following phrase.


    "Glory to the Empire!"


    Having heard these words, a smile formed on Berengar''s face as he quickly made another announcement to those who were gathered.


    "It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you I will return to fathend shortly after this ceremony. Please make no mistake; your work here in Vind is of vital importance to the continued prosperity of our Empire. Thus, I will leave control of the colony into the hands of a man well renowned for his capabilities as both a military and civil leader.


    After saying this, a familiar face came forward and stood before his King; he was dressed in a field uniform alongside Berengar. He had only recently sailed across the Antic to visit the new world for this purpose. Major General Arnulf von Thiersee kneeled before his King as he waited to be rewarded with a mighty title for all his years of hard work, and Berengar was eager to give it to him.


    "I confer upon you Arnulf von Thiersee, the military rank of Field Marshal, the Civil position of Colonial Governor, and finally the Noble title of Grand Duke of New Vienna! I look forward to your progress here in Vind, now rise!"


    Upon hearing these rewards, a broad smile spread across Arnulf''s face. He was no longer a meager Lord or a simple General but a full-fledged Field Marshal, a Grand Duke, and Colonial Governor. These three titles gave him immense power within the Kingdom of Austria and elevated his family''s prestige considerably. With this in mind, the young Field Marshal nodded his head before responding to his King''s decree.


    "I promise I will not let you down, your Majesty!"


    Berengar smiled and ced a hand on his friend''s shoulder before leaving him with a few words.


    "See to it that you don''t..."


    Having said this, Berengar dismissed the gathered soldiers to get back to their jobs and began to descend from the Ramparts, where he saw Honoria, Kahwihta, and Ojistah, who were waiting for him at the docks. Honoria''s ship was well prepared to make the 12-day journey back to Trieste, and she had a tired expression on her face. They had been through much together here in Vind, and she knew that her man did not want to return home so quickly.


    As for Kahwihta and her sister, they had pouting expressions on their faces; they knew that Berengar would return whence he came without them; after seeing the construction of this settlement with their own eyes, the two native girls were eager to see what the homnd of these golden-haired gods looked like.


    Despite their desire to see Austria, Berengar would not take them with him. These two women spoke German better than any of the other natives and were his best transaltors. Thus they were forced to remain behind in New Vienna, and act as an intermediary between the Austrian Colony and the Mohawk Tribes. Thus, Berengar left them with some parting words.


    "I must return to the fathend; it is your duty to act as trantors for my dear friend Arnulf and the native people of thisnd. Do not fret, for I will be back soon enough, and when I do, I hope to hear all about the adventures you will have between now and then."


    Kahwihta nodded her head in silence. Though she was disappointed that she would not get to see the home of her newfound deities, it satisfied her with just being able to help maintain diplomacy between their two peoples.


    She was pretty happy that she and her sister had been blessed with the benevolence of the one-eyed god. Without his support, they likely would have died from influenza. Since he was a divine being, surely he would live up to his words and return to them one day. Having made his intentions clear, Berengar left the two women and called out to Arnulf, who was watching him depart.


    "My friend, these two young women will be instrumental to your ties with the locals. They speak our tongue well enough, and one of them is fluent in fifteen othernguages. Make sure they are well cared for during my absence."


    Arnulf would not have risen to such a prominent position if he was incapable of following orders. Thus, he saluted his King and smiled beforementing on his remarks.


    "I wish I could fight with you against the church, but it appears you have selected me for a far more noble task. It is both an honor and, at the same time, a point of contention to be ced here so far away from home. Nevertheless, I assure you no harm wille to these girls so long as I am in charge of thisnd."


    Having heard this response, Berengar smiled before departing into Honoria''s irond sloop of war. The King and Queen stood on the bow as they watched the ship leave from the shores of New Vienna and the mysteriousnd known as Vind. A colony was established, but Berengar could only be away from home for so long; after all, he had a vast family to take care of, and without their father, his children were bound to be led astray.


    Honoria, on the other hand, felt relieved; she would take a break at home for a while before returning to the new world with her crew. The adventures she would undergo as she explored the vast depths of the New World would forever resound throughout history.


    She had to admit, if not for her choice to run away to Kufstein, then she never would have been given such freedom and adventure. She only had one man to thank for all of this; with this in mind, she leaned onto her husband''s shoulder and kissed his cheek. For a brief moment, Berengar could have sworn he heard the girl whisper in his ear.


    "Thank you for everything..."


    However, when he looked over at her pretty face, it was as if she had never said a word. Instead, she gazed at him with a questioning gaze. In response to this, Berengar chuckled as he nced upon the horizon; the journey home would be uneventful.. As for what awaited him back in Kufstein, he would only find out when he finally returned.

 Chapter 487 - Little Rabbit

    Within the Summer Pce of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth dwelled the royal family of Pnd, having narrowly escaped the massacre at Krakow, the King of Pnd stared at a map across his table that showed thetest intelligence he had received on the Austro-Bohemain movements.


    With Krakow brought to ruin, the King of Pnd had lost his Capital and had thus moved it to Warsaw. Despite this, Eckhard showed no signs of ceasing his advance. Why would he? The Austro-Bohemian army was roughly 100,000 men in total, all of which were armed with vastly superior weapons to the medieval armies of the Commonwealth.


    A defeated expression was worn across the aging King''s haggard visage. Just what nightmare had he brought upon himself? The rumors were true; Berengar von Kufstein was the physical incarnation of the Devil, a man whose armies wielded supernatural powers to defeat any opponents they came across.


    However, he could not easily sue for peace, as the Austrians had made their demands clear, and such requests would force the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth not only to cede all of the gains it had made against the Teutonic State but also a substantial sum of their pre-existing territory. As he wasmenting his options, his young daughter no older than five approached him with a worried expression on her doll-like face.


    "Papa? When are we going home?"


    A bitter smile formed on the King''s face; after all, he had not yet informed the girl that there was no home to return to in Krakow. Thus he knelt and ced his hand on the little brown-haired girl''s shoulder and attempted tofort her.


    "My sweet Natalia, we will return home soon enough. You must be patient; some evil men are looking for us; it is up to the brave Knights of Pnd to fight against them so that we may return home in peace..."


    The girl gazed up at her father with her steel-blue eyes with a curious gaze; she did not quite understand what was going on or why they had to flee their homes so quickly. Nevertheless, her father had told her to be patient so that she would do so.? The young girltched onto her father''s leg and hugged it tightly as she expressed the thoughts on her mind.


    "Okay, Papa..."


    While this heartbreaking scene was urring, the girl''s older brother entered the room, d from head to toe in te armor, while wearing the tabard of the Royal House. Judging by the stern expression on his face, the King of Pnd was able to guess that he carried unpleasant news, and thus he ordered his daughter to go elsewhere.


    "Natalia, my dear, go find your mother and sister; I have much to discuss with your brother...."


    The little girl immediately smiled and nodded her head before doing as instructed; she waved to her elder brother as she passed by him and proceeded towards her mother''s location. The Prince of Pnd broke his silence only after the girl was out of earshot.


    He did this by tossing a letter over to his father, its seal was broken, but it carried the sigil of the Austrian Military; the King briefly read through the contents before the Prince summarized what it contained.


    "The Austrian Field Marshal implores us to surrender and give in to the conditions he had previouslyid out. If not, he vows to march on Warsaw and destroy every semnce of Polish civilization..."


    Immediately the King''s eyes grew wide in fury as he tore the letter apart before cursing out his rivals from the West.


    "God damned Austrians, who do they think they are intervening in our war with the Teutonic Order? For centuries we have had to suffer abuse at the hands of those bastards, and right when victory is in our hands, it is denied us by this upstart from the south!"


    Despite his father''s harsh words, the Polish Prince was far from hostile towards the Austrians, unlike the King he had witnessed firsthand the destructive power that Eckhard and his soldiers wielded, there is a reason why he had personally delivered the letter to his father, rather than dispatch a messenger.


    He did not desire to engage inbat with the enemy; thus, he had marched his army back to the capital to personally deliver this letter. After recalling the Austrian troops'' brutality and the explosive firepower they wielded, the Prince dropped his facade of strength and began to implore his father to make peace.


    "Father, I suggest we yield to their demands; Austria is too powerful to contend with. You are lucky they are just asking for the regions upied by the German people. I have seen the weapons they use on the field of battle; before our knights can even get close, they are consumed by Austria''s hellfire.


    I hear the Austrian King has a young son who is roughly Natalia''s age, and perhaps we could buy some peace by arranging a marriage between the two of them! Maybe they would even reduce the amount of territory they desire?"


    The King of Pnd did not react as his son expected. Instead, he immediately backhanded the young man across the face as violently as he could muster. The impact sent the boy to his knees as he gazed upon his father''s enraged appearance with shock.


    "You suggest I give all which I have conquered over to the Austrians and sell my beloved daughter to this lowly Baron who dares to call himself King as if she is somemon whore! If you weren''t my son, I would have your tongue removed for suggesting such a farce!"


    The Prince spat out a puddle of blood from his mouth and shifted his jaw. The level of force that his father had hit him with was no joke; despite this, he continued to remain defiant. He was desperately trying to convince the King of Pnd to yield.


    "Father, you have not seen their army as I have; they have 100,000 men who are capable of ughtering our army as if they were mere insects! What remains of the battlefield after our defeat is a scorched wastnd as if hell itself had been conjured onto thend!"


    As the King heard these words, he erupted into a state of fury once more; he nearly struck his son again before forcing himself to calm down; after taking a deep breath, he exhaled heavily before lecturing his eldest son.


    "I do not remember raising such a cowardly son; you have dishonored yourself and this household, not only from your actions but also your words! Iwan, my son, I hereby order you to take charge of what remains of our army and ride out to meet the Austro-Bohemian forces in open battle; you will either return victorious or not at all!"


    The Polish Prince known as Iwan could hardly believe his father''s words; this was essentially a death sentence. Nevertheless, he was honor-bound to fulfill the King''s orders to the best of his ability; the man clutched his fist in grief and anger as he slowly came to ept his fate.? After spending a few moments in silence, he sighed heavily before nodding his head in agreement.


    "If that is yourmand, your Majesty..."


    After saying these words, Iwan departed from the room where his father dwelled; he briskly walked towards the castle''s exit, where he witnessed his little sister Natalia peeking out from behind a door. The girl quickly rushed over to her elder brother, where he caught her in his iron-d embrace. A bitter smile formed on the Polish Prince''s face as the young girl innocently asked where he was headed too.


    "Big brother? Where are you going?"


    Though he tried not to show his grief to the innocent and naive princess, his dark blue eyes ultimately revealed thement deep within his soul. He forced a smile upon his lips before patting the girl on the head.


    "Natalia, my sister, I have been ordered by our father to go reim thend stolen from us by the Austrians and their Bohemian allies! I am afraid I must leave you behind yet again..."


    The girl was too young to realize that her brother was marching off to an unwinnable war and thus cocked her head in a curious expression before asking the question on her mind.


    "You will return, though, right?"


    Though Iwan wanted to reassure the girl that he would be returning home safe and sound, he knew deep down that this was, in fact, his swan song. Thus he choked on the sentence he had prepared and merely nodded in silence.


    Upon seeing the grim expression on her older brother''s face, Natalia knew something was wrong and immediately handed him her favorite toy, which was a small stuffed rabbit.? With a cheery smile on her face, the girl spoke to her eldest brother with a glint of hope in her eyes.


    "Here, hold onto Kacper for me! Make sure you bothe home safe and sound!"


    Iwan grabbed ahold of the stuffed rabbit and clutched it tightly to his chest; after doing so, he nodded thrice and patted the girl on her little head, trying not to break out into tears. After doing so, he turned towards the door and opened it; thest words he spoke to his younger sister would forever resound in her head.


    "I will make sure to return this little rabbit to you!"


    After saying this, the young Prince of Pnd departed from the Summer Pce within Warsaw.. He would lead what remained of the Polish-Lithuanianmonwealths soldiers into battle against their enemy to the West.

 Chapter 488 - Inner Workings Of The French Court

    Within the Royal Pce of Paris knelt the young Prince, before his elder sister Sib; the princess had a scowling expression on her face as she repeatedly tapped her hand on the armrest of her seat. Though she had dispatched Aubry to seduce the Austrian King and win over his support in the war against the various rebels, as well as the English crown, he had returned empty-handed, and quite frankly, in a state of disarray.


    Since then, she had been disappointed with her little brother, and had been scheming a new way to ensnare Berengar into her service. As far as she was aware, a superior man had intimidated Aubry, causing him backed down from his usual flirty self.


    The very sight of Aubry kneeling before her made Sibi both aroused and frustrated at the same time. Just howe her little brother was so much prettier than she was? These were the thoughts that had always apanied her every time she witnessed Aubry cross-dressing.


    As for King Giles, nobody had seen him in days; perhaps he had finally croaked on the chamber pot. Frankly, the Princess did not care about her father''s unusual disappearance, though she supposed eventually she would have to search for the missing King, but for now, she needed to discipline her brother for his failure.


    "So let me get this straight. You got to Austria, embedded yourself in their Royal Pce, made physical contact with their King, and yet still he did not fall for your cute appearance?"


    Aubry nodded obediently when he heard these words; he tried to raise his head but was immediately stepped on by the white leather heels that his sister wore. His dainty head was immediately mmed back down onto the cold tile as she grabbed ahold of a whip andshed it at his petite back.


    "Who told you to raise your head!?!"


    Aubry immediately shook upon the impact of the whip; despite this, he did not cry out in pain; after all, he had endured Sibi''s abuse for so many years that he was well ustomed to it by now. Instead, the French Princess immediatelymented on her brother''s untimely return.


    "What I don''t understand is why you didn''t keep at it? What did he threaten to castrate your or something?"


    The effeminate French Prince immediately shivered upon hearing this. Berengar had indeed threatened to remove a body part from him if he dared to continue his advances. Though he was not so cruel as to imply castration.


    "I am sorry, Sibi, that man is terrifying!"


    The moment the French Princess heard these words, she became enraged. If there was anyone that the boy should fear, it was her. Despite being aware of this, Aubry had failed her in the face of a superior man. Of course, Berengar was terrifying. That was why they called him the Tyrant of Steel. Yet to crack under such pressure just proved how worthless her little brother really was. Upon thinking about this, Sibi only became more enraged and pressed his head even further onto the stone tile with her spiked heel.


    "That is not an excuse for your failures!"


    Immediately Aubry tensed up as he heard this; he knew better than anything that his sister was an incredibly domineering young woman. If she expected him to seed, then he should have seeded. To fail her was every bit as terrifying as trying to seduce Berengar. In the end, he had made his choice and merely remained silent as he suffered his elder sister''s abuse.


    Sibi felt as if she would have an aneurysm after witnessing her brother so spinelessly ept her thrashing. So much so that shepletely lost interest in tormenting the young man. Instead, she threw her whip away in disgust before asking further questions about Berengar''s nature.


    "Surely you must have gotten some valuable intel on Berengar''s behaviors while you were under his care. If you tell me what you know, I will spare you..."


    Despite her harsh tone, Aubry knew better than to withhold information from his sister. Because of this, he quickly spoke about anything that might be seen as helpful to Sibi.


    "There''s not much that I can say. I had little interaction with him. However, he appears to be weak towards pretty women. However, he took no interest in me. Apparently he has a disdain for same-sex couples."


    This was hardly news to Sibi. She had already received such information from her brother when he first returned home from Austria. Because of this, she was had be irritable as she stepped on her brother''s head once more.


    "I''m losing my patience!"


    Aubry quickly kowtowed further to his sister before apologizing, he truly did not have any additional information to provide her with.


    "I am sorry sister, I know nothing else! Please spare this miserable servant!"


    Sibi sighed heavily as she rested her head in her hand. She could not believe that her brother had failed so miserably to seduce Berengar. At the very least he could have collected some valuable insights about his character that would aid her in her efforts to force him into submission.


    To terrify Aubry in such a manner, Berengar must be a truly frghtening and dominant personality. After all, she had trained Aubry to be incredibly submissive. This was the only useful information she could gather from this entire ordeal. She could not entirely me Aubry for his failures, she was at least partially responsible.


    Thus she smiled as she immediately descended from her father''s throne, where she grabbed ahold of her brother''s face and locked lips with him. If anyone else were to witness the strange rtionship between these two French siblings, they would immediately be disgusted.


    However, they were, in fact, alone, and thus she could openly disy her more egregious affections. After kissing Aubry for some time, Sibi released her grasp yet still maintained a firm grip over his jaw; as she did so, she whispered something in his ear.


    "There is nothing to fear, my dearest brother; so long as I am here, nobody will harm a hair on your pretty little head!"


    This response immediately caused the anxiety in Aubry''s heart to fall away; however, in the next second, a wicked smirk appeared on the girl''s face, causing him to grimace once more. Sibi proudly stood up and dered her intentions to her brother.


    "Well, since you have failed to properly seduce the King of Austria, I suppose it is up to me to win over his heart! After all, I hear that King Berengar can''t seem to keep his dick in his pants; it should be easy enough to charm him!"


    Though Aubry tried to protest, the moment he let out a gasp, his sister stared at him with a chilling gaze, which immediately caused him to shut his mouth. All he ended up doing was sighing in response before asking the question that was on his mind.


    "What about father? Is he even aware that you want to enlist the aid of Austria in this conflict?"


    Sibi immediately scoffed upon hearing these words before speaking the thoughts on her mind.


    "Nobody has seen that feeble old man in over a week; he is probably dead already, which means that soon you will be King of France. Make sure not to fuck things up while I''m gone!"


    Aubry could not believe that his father, the King of France, had gone missing; if that was true, then he was desperately needed by the Kingdom; of course, the effeminate Prince didn''t know the first thing about the ruling; his first instinct was to seduce the various rebel leaders and bring them to his side. However, that was easier said than done when one considered that the most powerful of these rebel leaders were in open revolution explicitly because of the prince''s amorous nature.


    The French Prince was forced to agree to his sister''s demands; he bowed his head respectfully as he led the young woman down from her father''s throne, where the two siblings departed towards their quarters. Much preparation would be needed if she genuinely intended to win Berengar over to her side.


    Whether she was interested in the man was unimportant; what truly mattered was that Sibi believed that the Austrian King had a purpose to serve, and thus she nned to milk him dry before tossing him aside as she had always done. For what man could impress her and her high standards?


    While Sibi was preparing to depart towards the Kingdom of Austria, Berengar and Honoria were halfway through their journey back to the Fathend; when the couple finally arrived, they would be introduced to the many problems that had urred in their absence, such as the maiming of Prince Decentius and the arrival of yet another French Harlot.


    By then, Berengar would have little patience for Sibi''s games and would be far blunter in his methods of hosting her presence whenpared to her slutty and effeminate brother.. He did not have time to entertain the advances of the French Royal Family, as more important matters were at stake, such as the War against the Eastern Coalition, Colonization of the New World, and assisting Byzantium in its newest campaign against their rivals to the Southwest.

 Chapter 489 - Things Are About To Get Interesting

    Berengar and Honoria had already begun to sail from the Colony of New Vienna back to the Fathend. After roughly two weeks, the King and Queen of Austria arrived in Trieste; the moment they did so, a telegraph was sent back to the Capital informing them of the King''s arrival.


    Berengar decided to take in the sight of progress within the major port city. He witnessed the expansion of the shipyards and the factories nearby designed to produce theirponents. With a silent nod of approval, he and his loving wife made their way to the train, where they began to depart from the Port City to the Capital of the Kingdom of Austria.


    After several hours, the steam-powered lotive and the train cars behind it sessfully navigated its way across the Austrian Alps and into the City of Kufstein, which after all these years had be a flowing metropolis, surrounded by acres upon acres of fertile farnd. Berengar had not made it publicly known that he was gone during his absence. Instead, there was a constant image of him being stuck within the confines of the Pce while being hard at work.


    Thus when he stepped off the train, people did not think much of it. Instead, they assumed he had been visiting another city for business purposes. Nevertheless, as per usual, a significant-sized crowd gathered around him and his security detail. After all, it was not every day that themon folk could witness the glorious presence of their monarch.


    Having been led by his Royal Guard to the Pce, Berengar quickly opened the doors to his home, where his family immediately greeted him. This was far from the first reunion he had with them after disappearing for months; despite this, it was no less emotional.


    Berengar''s children, or at least those who could walk, immediately rushed forward into his embrace, much at the chagrin of their mothers who were fighting to be the first to wee their husband home. However, Berengar did not mind this and weed Hans and his sister Helga with open arms. The young boy had a broad smile on his face as he jumped into his father''s arms.


    "Father! Wee home!"


    Berengar immediately patted the boy''s strawberry blonde hair and began to joke around with him.


    "Hans, you have grown quite a bit since Ist saw you! Before long, you will be fighting wars in my stead!"


    Thisment brought an even wider smile to the boy''s face as he proudly dered his thoughts to his father.


    "Don''t worry, father! I will show the world the strength of Austria and its people!"


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled before rustling the boy''s hair once more; after doing so, he shifted his attention to his eldest daughter.


    "Helga, have you been behaving yourself?"


    The girl was quite timid and hid behind her brother as she silently nodded her head in response to her father''s question. Hans immediately noticed this and dragged his sister forward before boldly stating what she had been up to in her father''s absence.


    "Helga, show our father the picture you painted!"


    The little girl immediately shook her head before hiding behind her brother once more. Berengar broke out intoughter as he witnessed his daughter''s shy behavior; after doing so, he smiled before encouraging her to show him the art.


    "Go ahead, Helga; I promise you I won''t be disappointed!"


    The little girl looked up at her mother, who gave her a warm smile of encouragement before she reached into her satchel and pulled out a sketchbook where she showed a painting she had made of her family.


    Berengar immediately noticed that the only ones in the childish painting were himself, Linde, Hans, Helga, and Ilse; as for Berengar''s other wives and their children, they were noticeably absent. When Berengar saw this, he did not mind and insteadplimented the girl for her work.


    "Very well done; I suspect you will be a great artist in the future."


    Truthfully the only thing impressive about the art is that it was a step above what kids her age would usually be capable of creating. Nevertheless, it proved the girl had some natural talent, and if nurtured correctly, she could bring a level of prestige to the von Kufstein name in the future.


    Helga smiled and nodded her head in silence; evidently, she was not much of a talker. Having given his two eldest children with Linde the attention they deserved, Berengar immediately shifted his gaze onto his second wife, who wore a pretty smile.


    "Wee home, master..."


    Berengar immediately grabbed ahold of the woman and nted a kiss on her luscious pink lips; after doing so, she whispered something in his ear in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear it.


    "We need to talk... in private."


    Berengar immediately nodded his head in silence upon hearing this before shifting his gaze to Ad. The woman had a pouting expression on her face as she begrudgingly hugged her husband; she began to scold him with a furious look in her eyes.


    "I hope you behaved yourself while you were away!"


    In response to this, the young Austrian King wore a mischievous smile before addressing his wife''s concerns.


    "Of course! Who do you think I am? Some kind of yboy?"


    Ad merely rolled her eyes when she heard this and handed her two children off to Berengar. These two babes were still too young to speak; despite this, Berengar showed them affection by kissing them on their foreheads before handing them back to their mother.


    After doing so, he approached his fourth wife, Yasmine, visibly pregnant; her round belly contained the fruits of their love. She wore a satisfied smile on her face as she greeted her husband.


    "Wee back, husband; I hope that your travels went well?"


    The young Austrian King nodded his head and hugged the woman and kissed her on the cheek before responding.


    "Of course!"


    Before he could speak any further, Berengar noticed Henrietta running down the stairs at full speed; the girl immediately jumped into his arms and knocked him to the floor whiletching onto him like amprey.


    "Big brother! You''re finally home!"


    A defeated smile spread across Berengar''s face as he tried to struggle out of his little sister''s embrace; this girl was seriously too forward. If only they weren''t blood siblings, then maybe he would consider being with her. However, his parents had confirmed that they were blood-rted, and they wouldn''t lie to him... would they? After all, he would think he would remember if she was adopted...


    After thinking about this for a few seconds, Berengar finally ripped himself away from Henrietta''s grasp before flicking her on the forehead.


    "Behave yourself; I have only been gone for a few months!"


    Though Henrietta wanted to protest, she did as she was told, thus leaving Berengar to dust himself off and stand proudly once more among his family. After doing so, he made a bold deration to the members of the von Kufstein Dynasty.


    "How about you all go wash up and meet for dinner? In the meantime, I have something important to discuss with Linde, so I will see you all in the dining room shortly after I have concluded my business with her."


    Though the other women in his harem were impatient, after all, it had been many months since theyst saw their husband; they could tell by the glint in his eyes that something serious had urred. Thus they obediently nodded their heads and did as they were told.


    As for Berengar and Linde, they walked to his office; it was only after the door was sealed behind them that Linde began to reveal what had transpired in her husband''s absence.


    "I''ve got some bad news and some worse news; which do you want to hear first?"


    Upon hearing these words, Berengar frowned before sighing heavily and answering the question.


    "Let''s go with the bad news first."


    There was no hesitation on Linde''s part. Instead, she immediately began to rify what she had been made aware of.


    "Princess Sib of France is on her way to Kufstein, evidently after that boy Aubry failed to charm you, she had decided toe in person..."


    A loud scoff resounded in the room as Berengar heard this; he immediately began to unfasten the medals around his neck and break open his cor as he sat back in his leatherbound chair and rxed.


    "What do the fucking French want from me now? I have already given them weapons, and the munitions to use them! If that harlot wishes to meet with me, she can get in line! Now, what is this worse news you have to tell me?"


    Linde bit her lip as she struggled to express the thoughts on her mind; after a few moments of steeling her resolve, she quickly spouted out the ongoing situation with the Byzantine Empire.


    "Our retaliation on the conspirators who attempted to assassinate Honoria has gotten a bitplicated..."


    Berengar''s brow immediately raised as he heard this before speaking in a cold tone.


    "Go on..."


    Linde could tell that her husband was not pleased with this news and thus immediately began to confess to what had transpired.


    "Decentius was in the room when the bomb went off. He has been permanently maimed, but he has survived. Luckily, we were able to pin the responsibility of the attack on the Mamluke Sultanate, but I am certain that Emperor Vetranis suspects our involvement. Rtions between our Kingdom and the Empire in the East will be strained for some time."


    Silence existed in the King''s office for some time before he finally remarked.


    "Is that all?"


    Despite his calm tone, Linde knew a hint of fury in his voice; as such, she bowed her head respectfully before speaking her mind.


    "I will assume full responsibility for this failure..."


    Berengar scoffed as he heard this before uttering the words on his mind.


    "You are dismissed, Linde..."


    Linde quickly left the room upon hearing these orders, leaving Berengar alone with his thoughts. After several minutes of silence, he finally let out a sigh before expressing the words on his mind.


    "It looks like things are about to get interesting...."

 Chapter 490 - Absolute Authority

    Berengar sat upon his Throne while tapping his armrest; to his left was Linde, Ad to his right. The three of them stared down below Austria''s seat of power to witness the French Princess bowing her head with respect. With one glimpse of Berengar, she could tell that he was nothing like her own father. This was a man who wielded absolute power with both fear and respect.


    However, the one who truly caught her eye was the redheadedss by his side; Linde gazed upon Sibi with a look ofplete and total contempt. This gaze did not go unnoticed by the French Princess, and if she were as mentally weak as her brother, she too might have sumbed to the pressure this woman was exuding. Instead, she merely behaved with the respect afforded to a foreign monarch. However, Berengar''s following words immediately caused the young woman to be enraged.


    "I have no time to entertain the daughter of the French King. I am dreadfully busy at the moment; the fact that I have taken time out of my busy schedule to greet your arrival is the most respect I will afford ady of your position.


    After the sheer level of disrespect, your brother showed me you are lucky that I had not imed his head. Now your father sends you in his stead? For what purpose do you interrupt my peace?"


    Sibi was surprised when she heard the cold and callous tone Berengar used to speak with her; she had never been so disrespected before; in fact, he did not even bother toment on her beautiful appearance. Then again, why would he? When he had two women far more attractive than her by his side.


    The very thought that she could notpare to the women by Berengar''s side further instigated the me inside Sibi''s ck heart. Ultimately, she was forced to calm her growing wrath and sighed heavily before responding.


    "I havee to negotiate for your continued support in the ongoing war my Kingdom faces against Rebels and the English alike. Please do consider what an alliance between our two houses could mean!"


    Upon hearing these words, Berengar immediately scoffed and rested his face on his fist. After doing so, he responded in an equally stoic tone of voice as he had done prior.


    "I have already given your family sufficient arms and munitions to win your little war. By now, my weapons should have arrived and should currently be in service by your brother''s retinue. If your father wants Austrian troops on French soil, I am afraid that is not something I am inclined to do.


    In case you are not aware, we are currently fighting a war with the Eastern Coalition and will be soon thrust into a defensive war against the Catholic World, which I suppose would include your Kingdom, would it not?"


    Sibi bit her lip in displeasure; she was not ustomed to verbally sparring with someone who had such a sharp wit and aplete disregard for her people. As far as the Medieval world was concerned, France was a significant power, yet Berengar gazed upon them as if they were worthless.


    The idea of an alliance with France wasughable to him, which further stoked the rage that the French Princess was currently enduring. However, like a skilled diplomat, she put her pride aside and offered Austria incentives to support her family.


    "I don''t know if you are aware of this, but my father, King Gilles, is missing currently. My brother Aubry is acting as regent in his stead. If you pledge your support to the House de Valois, I promise you there will be ample rewards, money, territory, women, whatever you want, you shall have it!"


    Berengar did not respond to this offer immediately. Instead, he took a drink from his skull chalice, an item he had not dusted off in some time because of its more intimidating nature, yet in a meeting with a member of the French Royal Family, he felt it was appropriate to break out this old relic and show it off. Having swallowed the red wine within its cup, Berengar ced the chalice down on one of his armrests and leaned forward before responding to the French Princesses'' ims.


    "Do you think I amcking in any of those things? I have told you before; I have no intentions of cing Austrian soldiers on French soil; however, since you say your brother is acting as regent, surely he has given you some negotiating power? Else why would you be here in my domain?"


    Sibi immediately nodded her head and responded with a charming smile.


    "Of course. What is it you desire? As long as it is in my family''s power, I shall grant it to you in return for your support!"


    Berengar leaned back in his chair and y with his skull chalice as he pretended to dwell upon the woman''s offer for some time. After a while, he wore a smug grin before expressing his thoughts.


    "I will not send troops into France; that is something I am unwilling to do. I have already sold you a substantial stockpile of arms so that you can equip your levies with some decent weapons. What more is there I can offer?"


    Sibi nodded her head upon hearing this result; truthfully, although she wanted Berengar''s unconditional support to herself, she knew she could not immediately require such a thing. Instead, she had to y the long con. Because of this, she made an umon request of him to break the ice.


    "I would like to hire some veterans of your army to provide training and tactics to my brother''s soldiers. Name your price, and whatever it is, I will fulfill it to the best of my ability!"


    A wicked smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he gazed at the French beauty before him. Since she had said he could ask for anything, he would not be polite about it.


    "My terms are simple. I want you! Hand yourself over to me as my fifth wife, and I will do as you hae requested."


    This request shocked Sibi; she had not expected Berengar to be so forward, nor did she desire to be his ything, rather she yearned for the opposite. As for Linde and Ad, they immediately red at their husband. Did he seriously make such a request in front of them? They were unaware that Berengar had no intentions of making the French Princess his own.


    He could tell by one look of the woman that she was most likely a slut, just like her brother, and he had no desire to be with a woman who had such a massive body count. This was merely a test of her resolve to see how far she would go to secure what she wanted. After careful consideration, the Princess sighed before nodding her head. She had resolved herself to agree to his demands, and slowly manipte the man into bing hers.


    "Fine! If it means saving my Kingdom, then I will dly give myself to you!"


    Berengar''s brow raised in curiosity; he had not expected such a result; clearly this woman scheming against him. If he did not want to prey to her games, then He needed to decline her offer; despite his internal hesitation, he kept a calm facade as he boldly dered his conditions for his previous demands.


    "Very well, so long as you are a pure maiden, I don''t mind adding you to my collection of beautiful wives. You are a virgin, are you not?"


    The moment Sibi heard these words, she felt as if her mind was going to explode. Did this man seriously have the audacity to ask her that question? She did not know how to answer him satisfyingly. Of course, she wasn''t a virgin! Berengar''s estimation of her was right on the money; every night, she enjoyed thepany of a man, more often than not multiple at the same time.


    The panic on Sibi''s face became apparent after being asked this rather inappropriate question. Linde had a cruel smile carved on her luscious lips; she immediately understood what her husband''s intention was; he not only was testing the French Princess but was openly trying to humiliate her.? Ultimately, Sibi could no longer y the part of a dignified Princess of a foreign Kingdom. Instead, shepletely snapped as she scolded Berengar for his mockery.


    "You dare question my purity! What gives you the right!?! After all, I highly doubt any of your wives were pure before you got your filthy German hands on them! After all, what kind of loose women would marry a scoundrel like you?"


    However, the moment after she said these words, the French Princess became filled with regret as Berengar snapped his fingers, causing his Royal Guards to surround the young woman and restrain her. As they pinned her to the ground, he stood up from his seat and walked down the steps before he was staring down at her.


    "Out of respect for your family''s power, I restrained myself when your brother sexually harassed me; in fact, I was willing to let anything you said about me slide; after all, I am not a petty man who cares about the opinions of fools.


    However, you made one major mistake; you dared topare my women to a French Harlot like yourself? I am pretty sick of dealing with your family and yourck of manners. Have this bitch locked up in abor camp; you can release her after the year is over. That ought to teach her some fucking respect!


    As for supporting your Kingdom, I am now more inclined to arm the rebels than I am your wretched household. Perhaps the Duke of Burgundy will be capable of showing a proper degree of respect to his superiors!"


    After saying this, Sibi was dragged out of the Royal Pce while kicking and screaming by Berengar''s guards; while this urred, the young King sat down on his throne once more and drank from his skull chalice. Having finished his drink, he let out an enormous sigh beforeining about the current situation.


    "I should have done that while her brother was here..."


    Ad immediately gazed up at her husband with a look of worry as she asked the question that was on her mind.


    "By locking up the French Princess, aren''t you worried France will dere war on us?"


    Despite the dire question, Berengar was unmoved; instead, he scoffed in annoyance before educating his High Queen on the geopolitical situation.


    "You heard her, Gilles is missing, and that twink of a Prince sits on the Throne. If her father were still in charge, maybe I would not have reacted so harshly, but so long as Aubry sits on the French Throne, I can do whatever the hell I want to his sister. That boy doesn''t dare to step on my tail..."


    Linde immediately hugged her husband after pouring another cup of wine for him; as she rested her head against his shoulder, sheplimented him.


    "I love it when you act so ruthlessly..."


    Having said this, Berengar gazed in the direction of the entrance to his throne room. Without Sibi, France''s ability to conduct intrigue would be substantially worsened. After all, the woman was a lesser version of Linde.. Without the ability to identify his agents among the French Popce, his ns for the Kingdom of France could continue unchallenged.

 Chapter 491 - Until His Last Dying Breath

    Prince Iwan of Pnd stared into the distance where the Austro-Bohemian forces had gathered; as a highly mobile and rtively modern force, the Austrians generally did not engage their enemies with the entirety of the Expeditionary Force. Instead, they utilized smaller units spread across more significant swaths of territory.


    At most, a division stood in the distance across the fields. Still, that was 25,000 men, all of which were armed with needle rifles, revolvers, and breechloading cannons. Such a well-equipped force of this size was in itself fully capable of annihting any army they came across.


    Immediately the Polish Prince performed the sign of the cross as he began to recite his prayers. Today was the day of his death, and he knew it. However, his father''s orders were absolute, and his honor as a Catholic was on the line. Thus he lowered the visor of his basc and unleashed his sword from his sheath as he boldly gave the orders to charge to his retinue of heavily armored Knights.


    "Charge!"


    Upon giving this decree, the young Prince snapped the reigns off of his steed, sending the mighty destrier down the hill and towards the enemy. While the Austrians were entirely aware of the Polish Army not far away, they had yet to react. After all, sting such an army to bits with nothing but artillery became dreadfully dull after a while.


    Some of the more battle-crazed soldiers of the Austrian Army wanted to fire their rifles at the enemy lines. Thus, they would not begin firing the artillery shells at the enemy Cavalry until they were near the danger close proximity. Instead, while the Army of 10,000 horsemen charged down from the mountainside, the Austrian Infantry reacted calmly as they fixed their bays and loaded their paper cartridges into the chambers of their rifles.


    Ten feet turned into a hundred feet, a hundred feet turned into a thousand, and yet the Cavalry continued to charge, with a sufficient amount of Infantry rushing behind them. If they could not close the gap in time, then they would indeed be eradicated; their only hope was to get past the 600-yard mark to ensure that they were beyond the point where the Austrians could safely fire their artillery.


    After much trial and error, the Polish Army had discovered that the Austrian artillery never fired shells beyond a certain distance in rtion to their location. Thus, they devised the rapid cavalry charges to close the spaces before the Army could be obliterated. Unfortunately, they were walking right into a line of needle rifle fire, but then again, they were not too keenly aware of how rapidly the Austrians could reload their weapons after firing a shot.


    Sweat began to pour down Iwan''s forehead as he began to close the distance, and yet he could not wipe it away, for his helmet still covered his entire face. Thus he was forced to endure as he reached ever closer to the Austrian lines. Of course, once he reached the 800-yard mark, the thunder of the artillery shells firing at his location began to echo in the air.


    The first shell impacted not 75 yards behind him; in doing so, it sted men and horses alike to bits. He foolishly looked back to see the damage caused; as he did so, he intensely felt the desire to throw up. He forced his head forward and raised his sword in the air to avoid doing so, screaming the words in his native tongue.


    "Charge!"


    However, the closer he got, the more artillery shells impacted his Army behind him, one barrage, two barrages, three barrages, by the time a full minute had passed, ten barrages from an entire Brigade''s worth of artillery had fired upon his Army inflicting massive casualties. Yet there was still hope! He was dangerously close to the line that marked the area safe from artillery fire.


    After safely crossing the aforementioned line, he let out a sigh of relief; however, in the next moment, bullets flew past his head; he could hear them whistle as they just barely missed his body. Despite this, he continued to usher his horse forward; either victory or death would be achieved on this day.


    The Austrian soldiers continued to fire their needle rifles at the advancing Cavalry, gunning down men and horses alike; iron-d warriors crashed to the ground, either crushed by their mounts or already lifeless by the moment they hit the floor. However, Iwan was more determined than ever to reach the enemy lines.


    When he was finally a distance of roughly thirty yards away from the enemy, he felt a searing hot pain in his abdomen; when he looked down, he noticed that blood had begun to pour outside of his armor; he had been hit. As he continued to bleed, the strength began to fade from his body, and yet he still managed to rush his horse forward; if he could make it to the enemy formation, perhaps he could im the life of at least one of the enemy.


    However, when he was roughly five meters away from his target, another volley was fired from the Austrian rifleman, this time, three bullets had entered his torso, and another five had imed his horse''s life. The lifeless steed crashed to the ground, tossing the young Prince from its back.


    Evidently, a bullet had struck his spine because he could no longer feel the use of his legs; instead, as the dust cleared, he noticed his steed lying dead, not three feet away from him. Tied to its saddle was the stuffed rabbit his little sister had given him.


    As he looked around and witnessed the Austrian gunfire rip his Army to shreds, the only thought on his mind was to protect the stuffed rabbit named Kacper; with this in mind, he struggled, using all the strength remaining in his arms, to drag his broken body forward towards his now deceased steed.


    With each movement, he felt the life further fade from his body, until finally, he reached the saddle, where he quickly pulled out his arming dagger to cut the stuffed rabbit free. After doing so, he clutched it to his bleeding chest, where he began struggling for breath.


    The stuffed white rabbit became stained with his blood as the young Prince of Pnd slowly lost consciousness; the final thought on his mind was the regret he felt for not being able to live up to his promise to his darling little sister.


    After reflecting upon this, the life faded from Iwan''s eyes when Eckhard observed this curious behavior; he made his way through the ranks of his soldiers before staring at the dead Prince and the now crimson rabbit in his hands.


    The Veteran Field marshal immediately reached down and pulled the helmet from the Prince''s head to reveal his handsome face and the distraught expression thaty upon it. The boy had died in grief, and Eckhard suspected the rabbit of being at least partially responsible. With this in mind, he ripped the toy from the Prince''s cold dead hands and then began to inspect it.


    As the soldiers beneath hismand witnessed their Field Marshal inspecting a stuffed rabbit on an active battlefield, they immediately rushed over to his side to protect him. One of the menmented on this situation.


    "What is it, sir?"


    Eckhard did not shift his gaze from the dead Prince and the toy he had fought so desperately to protect as he voiced his thoughts.


    "Curious, isn''t it... With hisst dying breath, this boy fought to protect a toy... Why would he even bring such a thing to the battlefield?"


    Eckhard recognized the tabard that the Prince wore, signifying him as a member of the Royal Family of Pnd. With this in mind, a bitter expression appeared on his lips as he grabbed ahold of the toy and stuffed it into his pouch; after doing so, he gazed off into the distance towards Warsaw before making one finalment.


    "Finish this battle quickly; it would appear the Polish Princess is missing her favorite toy... I intend to return it to her..."


    The Austrian soldiers immediately saluted their Field Marshal upon hearing this before getting back to the frontlines. It did not take long for the well-trained and supplied Austrian Army to mop up the Polish Army''s remnants after this point. Within an hour, the enemy eithery dead, had routed, or was taken as prisoners.


    As for the corpse of the Polish Prince, it was buried in a mass grave alongside all of the deceased of the Polish Army; only the Austrian corpses would return to their homes. For the enemies of Austria, they were not afforded such a luxury.


    Having finished the battle, Eckhard shifted his target towards Warsaw, where the remainder of the Polish Royal Familyy in hiding, far away from the consequences of their actions. Upon witnessing the spectacle of the Prince''s death, Eckhard was convinced now more than ever that he would need to speak with the Polish King personally about his choices in life.

 Chapter 492 - English Ambitions

    Within a dimly lit castle sat a short yet burly man. This man had a long brown beardbed to perfection; his hair was in a simrly long and straight state. The short man was dressed in attire that would be luxurious for his Kingdom but whenpared to the wealth of his neighbors, across the English channel was more fitting being worn by a pauper than a King.


    The Banners of the House of Lancaster were proudly disyed behind his throne, and despite this, they appeared to be in a rather unkempt state. It would appear that Father Time had not been the most generous of benefactors to the Royal House of Ennd. Despite theck of wealth, one thing remained certain. King Lawrence of the House of Lancaster was a mighty foe, one who had made his French counterparts bleed dearly over the past decade since he had assumed the mantle of King of Ennd.


    At the moment, two servant girls sat in hisp as he drank from a massive goblet that appeared to be made of pewter. Embossed on this cup were depictions of the Arthurian Legends. Should the chalice been made of gold, it would be quite the exquisite piece, and yet despite his martial prowess, and his sessful campaigns against the Irish, King Lawrence could not well afford such a magnificent drinking device.


    Despite his early advances into France and the rebelling Duchies swearing loyalty to him and him alone, he was not exactly in the best mood. After all, the French had recently employed firearms in significant numbers, something that he had not expected to ur after his dastardly plot had seeded.


    Kneeling before the English Monarch was a man dressed in far more luxurious attire. This aging and feeble man was bound with a cloth gag and rope ties. He was none other than the French King Giles, who had disappeared from the Royal Court in Paris weeks prior. Lawrence, ever the ruffian, snapped his fingers, and in doing so, his guards immediately released the restraint that prevented the French Monarch from speaking.


    Giles immediately panted for breath; after all, he was a mouth breather and was not well ustomed to breathing through his nose. Having secured his breath, Giles immediately unleashed curses upon his rival across the English Channel.


    "Lawrence, you bastard! You have kidnapped me from my home! What is it you n to do with me, exactly?"


    The English King immediately began to break out intoughter as he abruptly stood up from his seat; in doing so, casting the two servant girls aside, with his pewter goblet in hand, he approached his primary enemy and backhanded him across the face. After doing so, he grabbed ahold of Giles''s long grey hair before pressing his head to the cold stone floor.


    "Initially, I had nned to execute you and ovee your pathetic son with my forces. However, before I do such a thing, I am curious. As soon as you disappear and your twink of an heir assumed control, thousands of firearms were deployed to the battlefield! While your soldiers are not exactly the most trained and capable men, these weapons have proven to be a great deterrent to my armies! This leaves me wondering if you had such weapons stashed away. Why did you refuse to use them?"


    Giles immediately spat on the ground in front of him before chastising the English King.


    "Oh, that foolish bastard! I knew I should have raised him better... I''ll have you know, the Kingdom of Austria provided those weapons! However, I refused to use their vile weapons on the field of battle; after all, what idiot would sell his soul to that devil?"


    It was apparent that Giles referred to Berengar when he used such terminology. However, this only intrigued Lawrence further; after all, he had yet to reveal his secret weapon. After hearing such valuable intelligence, he released his hold over his French counterpart and left him struggling with his bindings.


    In a fit of madughter, Lawrence had concluded about the state of the ongoing war with France. When Giles looked at him as if he were insane, the English King immediately whistled; in doing so, several crates were brought forward where the contents wereid bare for the French King to see.


    Several hundred firearms fell out of the crates and onto the ground, which astonished Giles; though these firearms did not bear the Proof Marks of the Kufstein Armory like the ones delivered to France did, there was no mistaking that they were manufactured in the Southern German Kingdom. Upon seeing Giles'' confusion, Lawrence exined what had urred to the French King as if he had uncovered a grand conspiracy.


    "A while ago, I was approached by men who identified themselves as ambassadors of the Iberian Union, as were the Dukes of Burgundy and Aquitaine. They gave us these firearms as a gift and were willing to sell more to allegedly fund their war against the Austro-Granadan alliance. Naturally, I epted and purchased much of these weapons for my troops.


    Until now, I have been ensuring that my soldiers are properly trained in these weapons before deploying them to the battlefield. Unlike you, I prefer my soldiers to have a degree of discipline appropriate for a proper army.


    Curious enough, even after the Iberian Union copsed, the same men approached me once more with intent to sell; by this time, they imed to be representatives of the Kingdom of Aragon. Thus, I kept buying the weapons. I never thought until this moment that the entire time I was purchasing these weapons, the true mastermind behind their delivery was King Berengar von Kufstein and his Austrian War Machine.


    Tell me, Giles, what is his goal if that madman will arm all sides of this conflict? To make the most money from us as possible? Fat chance, nobody in the Western world is more wealthy than the King of Austria, so what other purpose could he have in arming all of us with more efficient weapons? What exactly are Austria''s ns for France?"


    When presented with such evidence, Giles struggled toprehend Berengar''s plot; like his rival Lawrence, he wrongfully assumed that Berengar had his eyes on conquering the French Kingdom. For how could they realize Berengar held a vendetta against their country based upon grievances suffered by his ancestors in another world?


    Upon seeing Gilese to a simr conclusion, Lawrenceughed again as he unsheathed his sword from his belt. After doing so, he raised it above Giles''s neck while taunting the man.


    "Take sce from the fact that I will prevent Berengar''s conquest of France in your stead!"


    Upon hearing this, Giles spat on the floor. There was a tint of blood in his saliva as he did so. With a smirk on his face, the French King epted his fate.


    "Go ahead, Kill me! I''ll be dead in six months, anyway..."


    With this said, the English King brought his sword down, decapitating the King of France. A satisfied smile was on Gile''s severed head as the life instantly faded from his eyes. Having finally killed his rival, the English King tossed his bloody sword aside and chugged the wine in his goblet. After doing so, he returned to his throne, where he barked orders at his servants.


    "Clean this mess up, and bring my marshal. it is time we bring this war to new heights! Now is the time tounch our attack!"


    Shortly after that, the servants cleaned up the French King''s corpse and the bloodied stone floor; as they did so, the Marshal of Ennd presented himself where he and his Monarch discussed a new invasion n. They would soon march on France with all the might the Kingdom of Ennd could muster, in doing so bringing a new era of chaos and suffering to the French Kingdom.


    Despite his bold ims to repel Berengar''s future invasion, Lawrence had unwittingly yed into Berengar''s hands.. Without Giles keeping the Kingdom together, the various duchies of France would soon begin an all-out battle royal for control of the crown. After all, what man was foolish enough to follow themands of the disgraced Prince Aubry?

 Chapter 493 - Rule Germania!

    In the center of Kufstein lie a Theater Hall, which had recently finished construction, and tonight was its grand opening. Because of this thousands of people from across the city had gathered to witness the masterpiece that was written and directed by the young High Queen of Austria.


    Whether it bemoners or the nobility, all would gather together to witness the brilliant y conducted by the talented actors and actresses who lived within the Kingdom of Austria. For the Grand Opening of the Theatre House, Ad had constructed a y based upon the Battle of Teutoburg Forest.


    This was a battle fought in ancient times by the Cherusci Chieftain Hermann, also known by his Roman name Arminius, who led the Germanic tribes to victory against three Legions of the mighty Roman Empire. In Berengar''s previous life this battle was used as a propaganda piece for centuries, and he intended to make use of it in this timeline as well.


    Standing in the center of the stage was an attractive young man with long straight blonde hair and sky blue eyes; he was dressed in the thick woolen clothing of the Ancient Germanic People, with a lorica Hamata coat of mail over it.


    This actor who yed the role of Arminius was currently huddling over a fire on stage as he discussed the Roman Advance into the ck Forest with other actors who represented the various Germanic Chieftains.


    "The Romans shall enter the forest on the morrow; when they do, we will meet them with sword and spear! When these foreigners enter ournds, they shall feel the wrath of the German people! For Wodanaz! For Germania!


    Another actor who was a middle-aged man scoffed when he heard this before responding with a boisterous voice.


    "You want us to fight the legions of Rome? Have you gone mad, Hermann? The Roman War Machine is not easily beaten in battle!"


    The actor who yed Hermann grabbed ahold of the other actor by his cloak and shook him around in a state of frenzy as he countered his argument with a passionate speech.


    "What would you have us do? Lie down and ept the Romans as our masters? They would make ves of us all! You have not dwelled in Romannds, but I have lived as one of them! I would rather die a thousand deaths than allow one inch of German soil to be upied by our enemies!


    If you are too afraid to fight, then, by all means, you and your people are wee to stay behind like the cowards you are, but I promise you, before the dawn rises in the East, I will have watered these forests with the blood of the Romans!"


    While the y continued, Berengar and Ad watched it from above in their private booth. The Austrian King had a broad smile as he began to whisper to his wife about the y she had written.


    "Truly, an excellent disy of talent, this piece of theatre will be sure to inspire our people to work hard for a greater tomorrow and to resist foreign influence over ournds. I must say, Ad, you have outdone yourself this time..."


    In response to her husband''s kind words, Ad smiled andtched onto his arm as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was rare for her to have alone time with the man she loved. Not only did Berengar have multiple wives, but he had many children to take care of, and frequently Ad felt that despite her position as the primary wife, she was neglected.


    Despite this, he had apanied her to the opening night of the Grand Theatre Hall she had designed, as well as the first of many ys that she had written. It was indeed a monumental asion for the High Queen of Austria. The y continued for some time before an intermission was dered, and with it, Berengar and his wife got up to stretch their legs.


    Gathered outside of the theatre hall were the thousands of people who hade to watch the y''s opening night. Berengar was dressed in his kingly attire, while Ad was in a ck evening gown. Together they stood side by side as various members of society approached them and discussed what they thought of the y so far.


    "It is truly amazing what you have created here, your Majesty! You have quite the future as a ywright."


    This woman addressed Ad, who wore a proud smile on her face. After all,pared to anything else that existed in this medieval world, the Austrian Theatre was extremely impressive; not only were the sets grand, but the acting was top-notch.


    Watching such an extravagant piece of theatre was a luxury that only the people of Kufstein could currently afford. However, Ad had nned to open theatre halls all across the Kingdom, among other institutions, to enhance Austria''s culture further. The Noble young Queen? nodded her head and thanked the aristocratic woman for her kind words with a pretty smile on her luscious pink lips.


    "I am d that you are enjoying the y so far. However, the best is yet toe, so feel free to eat and drink your fill of wine and fine cheeses; when the intermission ends, I promise you, you will be pleased with whates next!"


    Having said this, Ad began to entertain more guests, and before long, they returned to their seats, where the y continued. Berengar continued to watch with an eager expression. Before long, the main battle scene urred where the Germanic warriors ambushed and ughtered the Roman legionnaires; as thest eagle fell, the crowd erupted in apuse.


    Shortly thereafter, the end of the y came, where the actor representing the Roman General Varus gazed upon the devastation that had been wrought upon his army. After hearing the howls of the German warriors closing in on him, the fat, old, and bald man who yed the character pulled out his dius and fell upon it, in the end leaving behind a single sentence.


    "What man could tame such a wild and unforgivingnd?"


    Havingmitted suicide, the actor ying Hermann and his Germanic allies found the Roman General''s corpse, where they proceeded to sever Varus'' head, holding it high in the air the Germanic Hero boldly proimed for all to hear.


    "Let this be a lesson for those who seek to impose their will on the German people; no foreigner shall ever im dominion over ournds, for so long as the blood of Germania flows through our veins we will never submit, and we will never be conquered! Rule Germania!"


    After saying this, the curtains were drawn, and the crowd erupted into thunderous apuse, standing from their seats and cheering with the final phrase spoken in the y.


    "Rule Germania!"


    When Berengar witnessed this, a smile etched itself upon his lips. Ad had done more than he ever expected of her. She had invoked the fighting spirit that he wished for his people to have with a single y. Thus he gazed over with an affectionate gazer towards his High Queen and grabbed ahold of her hand. After doing so, he kissed her on the lips and whispered in her ear.


    "It was truly an inspiring piece of Propaganda; you have done well. I look forward to your future work..."


    Upon hearing her husband''s praise, Ad blushed. She then shifted her attention to the stage where the actors took their bows. She had put a lot of effort into the production of this y, and it turned out better than she had imagined.


    After the y was over, Berengar and Ad returned to the Royal Pce; this y would continue to perform for the following month within the City of Kufstein; after all, the theatre hall could only fit so many people. With each show, it would gain an even more excellent reputation, inspiring many Austrians to work hard for the glory of Austria and the dream of a united Germany.


    Ad would immediately begin producing more ys, most of which acted as propaganda pieces to idealize Berengar''s vision for a unified German Empire. The extravagance of Austrian theatre would catch the attention of wealthy noblemen and women from around the German Speaking regions who would visit Austria to see the y.


    With each y, the importance of German unification would be more prevalent, paving the way for the people of not only Austria but the German regions as a whole to ept Berengar''s ns for a single German Empire. In doing this, Ad had secured herself in the good graces of Berengar as one of his most essential tools for developing German culture in his image.


    Perhaps one day he would make her the Minister of Propaganda; if she had such an important government role, the young woman who always lived in the shadow of her rival would be able to hold her head high with pride as she said to the world.


    "See, I am every bit as useful as Linde!"


    Of course, Berengar had no idea that Ad''s sess would further increase the rivalry between her and his second wife.. However, such a thing was none of his concern; as long as it was conducted with a degree of civility, he would encourage such pettypetition between his wives.

 Chapter 494 - Entering The Fold

    The golden-haired and one-eyed King of Austria sat upon his throne, gazing down at the newest arrival to his court with a smirk on his face. Though he had estimated this oue was inevitable, he still did not believe it would happen so soon.


    As word spread about Austria''s continued victories against the Eastern Coalition, and the destruction of Krakow, fear and panic had followed it into the hearts of Austria''s neighbors. Dietger, the Duke of Bavaria, had long since realized that a sleeping Lion dwelled on his southern borders, and had taken various actions to counter it.


    In fact, for the past year, he had taken an option of appeasement. Unfortunately for him, Austria''s power continued to rise like a soaring eagle, and thus, additional difficulties presented themselves. After witnessing the entirety of Eastern Germany, annexed by the southern State, Dietger had realized any attempt to keep his sovereignty was moot.


    Thus, without speaking to his allies in Saxony and Wurttemberg, he had traveled to Kufstein with a single purpose in mind. At the moment, the once proud Duke of Bavaria, who until now had fought tirelessly to be crowned King of Germany, was kneeling before the Self-Proimed King of Austria.


    "Your Majesty, King Berengar; I havee to Kufstein to dere my allegiance to you, and submit myself and that of mynds to the authority of the Austrian Crown. If you would have me as your vassal, it would honor me to serve you and your dynasty for perpetuity."


    Berengar gazed upon the aging Duke of Bavaria with a cruel smile etched on his immacte features. This was exactly what he wanted. With Dietger''s support, other German regions would follow suit and swear fealty to him in theing days. Allowing himself to proim the formation of the East German Confederation, he would elevate these Dukes to the status of Kings, and proim himself the leader of this new faction.


    It was only after he had united Germany under the banners of Austria that the young king intended to dere the formation of the German Empire and crown himself Kaiser. Such a thing had long since been the goal of Berengar. Dietger yed a pivotal role in this vision, and thus Berengar was more than happy to ept the man who had once been a bitter enemy in his service.


    "Dietger, I ept your vassge, and dere the annexation of the Duchy of Bavaria into the Kingdom of Austria. You and your dynasty may preside over thend of your ancestors, as you have done for centuries. However, thews of Austria will henceforth apply to Bavaria and all of its people."


    A sigh of relief escaped from Dietger''s lips as he heard the mercy the young king of Austria had given him. After doing so, he nodded his head thrice before responding to Berengar.


    "Thank you, your Majesty, I promise to be a filial servant of the Austrian Crown until the day I die..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled and nodded his head. He then stood up from his throne and approached the Duke of Bavaria, where he ced a hand on his shoulder.


    "Be sure that you do... Come, let us feast, and enjoy the union of our two realms!"


    After saying this, Berengar departed from the Throne Room with the Duke of Bavaria in pursuit. Eventually they arrived in the Dining Room where Berengar instructed a servant to bring his family down to eat. While the two noblemen waited for the Royal Family to arrive, they quenched their thirst with fortified wine and talked about trivial matters.


    Linde was the first among Berengar''s wives to arrive. She was clutching her youngest daughter I to her chest, whereas Hans and Helga followed by her sides. The busty young redhead seated her children first, before taking her ce by Berengar''s side on his left.


    Berengar immediately introduced his second wife to his guest, Dietger, who gazed in awe at the beauty of the young mother.


    "This is my second wife, Queen Linde von Kufstein. She is the daughter of thete Count of Innsbruck Lothar von Habsburg, and the love of my life."


    Linde immediately smiled gracefully at the Duke of Bavaria and introduced herself.


    "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Dietger. I am d to hear that your visit to Austria this time is for more peaceful reasons."


    Naturally, as the Director of Austrian Royal Intelligence, Linde was aware of Dietger''s purpose for visiting Kufstein the moment he set out from Munich. Dietger had remained silent with an enamored expression since the moment he firstid eyes on Linde. Ultimately, he could not help himself fromplimenting her appearance.


    "I had heard there were three heavenly beauties of Austria, and I must say that you are much more beautiful than thete Duke Wilmar von Habsburg''s daughter Agnes, who is said to be chief amongst them. If I had known that such an angelic woman existed in Austria, I would have imed you instead of her as the bride of my eldest son."


    In response to this im, Linde giggled in a rather sadistic fashion. In doing so, she responded in a manner that the Duke did not expect.


    "I highly doubt that, by the time you wiped out the main Habsburg line, I had already dedicated my life to Berengar, and he would never allow you to take me from him. A man of your caliber would have died trying."


    Though this was a direct insult to Dietger''s prestige, one that wounded him greatly, he knew better than to invoke the ire of King Berengar, especially after he had just sworn subservience to him and his dynasty. Berengar merely sat back and drank his wine as his wife unleashed her venomous tongue towards his newest vassal.


    Before long, Ad arrived with her kids in tow. She gazed upon the awkward scene with a curious nce before introducing herself to her husband''s guest.


    "I am the High Queen, Ad von Kufstein. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, and you are?"


    Dietger stood up as he bowed before the High Queen of Austria, before introducing himself.


    "Duke Dietger of Bavaria, I have just sworn my allegiance to your husband. I look forward to working with you and your family soon."


    Ad nodded her head and sat down beside Berengar on his right. As she did so, she noticed the expression on Dietger''s face. He could hardly believe that Berengar had two of such beauties by his side. He understood Linde. After all, she was one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria, but he was unaware of who this young blonde was. It was at this moment he remembered something important and immediately inquired for rification about it.


    "You wouldn''t have a sister named Ava, would you?"


    Upon hearing her eldest sister''s name, Ad''s smile turned upside down, and she red at the man before silently nodding her head. Upon seeing this odd expression, Dietger felt confused, but ultimately smiled beforeplimenting the High Queen of Austria.


    "Then that makes sense. You are the younger sister of the third member of Austria''s legendary trio of Heavenly Beauties. Who knew that her younger sister was every bit of a looker as she was? I feel you need to update your fables and include the High Queen as the fourth member of this elite group."


    Ad merely scoffed in response to these veinpliments and took a sip from her wine. She had no desire to be lumped in with her elder sister in a reputation based solely upon appearance. Shortly after this minor incident, the other members of Berengar''s family made their way to the dining hall, where they enjoyed their meal.


    It surprised Dietger to see that Berengar had collected so many beautiful women from different parts of the world, and was bing envious. However, a thought suddenly entered his mind as he witnessed this: if Bavaria was now a part of Austria and had to obey itsws, didn''t that mean he now could marry a few more beautiful young women too?


    Thus, Berengar had unknowingly inspired his newest vassal to work hard to get a lifestyle simr to that of the Austrian King. Perhaps one of his children or grandchildren could even marry into the von Kufstein line. Such a thing would surely bring prestige to the house von Wittelsbach. After all, it was bing apparent that Berengar would achieve far greater feats in this life than he had already done.


    Thus, the Bavarian Duke had got a new life goal, as he sat and dined with his new King. As for the ramifications of Bavarian submission to the Austrian Crown. The folding of the Bavarian Duke and his im on the vacant German Throne would allow the House von Luxemburg to im that they were, in fact, the true German Kings.. Something that was in a direct conflict with Berengar and his goals of a unified German Empire.

 Chapter 495 - Berengar Von Kufstein Must Die!

    Duke Hartman von Luxembourg sat upon his seat of power in thend of his ancestors. At the moment, the young man was twirling the white queen of his chess set in his hand as he prepared to make his next move against his old friend and mentor.


    The man sitting across from the young Duke went by the name of Renault De Roche. He was a Frenchman by birth. Yet, he had travelled into the heart of Luxembourg and swore his service decades ago to the father of the young man sitting in front of him.


    Since then, he had looked after the bastard of Luxembourg as if he were his own child. Teaching him the ways of Chivalry, and the tactics that a Duke should know should he wish to be victorious on the field of battle.


    Over the years, Hartman had proven himself a capable warrior and a cunning leader. In fact, it was because of his actions that the true-born sons of his father met an untimely demise. Of course, none of this had ever been proven, and to speak of it was nder. Which would surely result in the decapitation of whoever had uttered such foolish words.


    Despite his natural intellect and charisma, Hartman now found himself in a difficult situation. He could not see through his mentor''s y on the chessboard, and was only a step away from being checked. After spending nearly five minutes gazing at the board, examining every path to victory, he suddenly realized that Renault had defeated him long ago.


    It was then that the young man noticed the cruel smile spread across the veteran Knight''s lips as he gloated in victory. Though such a sight always brought out the worst of Hartman''s inner emotions, he calmed himself by taking a deep breath and exhaling before doing the one thing a man in his position could do... admit defeat.


    "You have bested me once again Renault, I humbly admit defeat..."


    The elderly Knight broke out inughter as he took a swig from his gon of wine. Upon doing so, he gazed fondly upon his charge beforementing on the situation.


    "You are getting better, but you are still a ways away from defeating this old Knight."


    Before Hartman could respond, a messenger entered the room and whispered something in his ear. Though Renault could not hear what the messenger said to his master, he could tell by the excited expression on the young man''s face that something good at happened. Despite his eagerness, Hartman remained calm as he dismissed the servant from the room after he had received theplete message.


    "Leave us..."


    The messenger did not hesitate and immediately departed from the room, leaving the Mentor and his studentpletely alone in silence. Hartman took a sip from his drink before gracefully wiping away the residue with a hanky. After doing so, Renault broke the silence that existed between the two.


    "Well... Don''t keep me waiting."


    In response to this, Hartman smiled before giving the good news he had received from his servant.


    "Dietger has relinquished his im to the Throne! There is nobody else left to challenge my im. That means I am the new king of Germany!"


    Despite the good news, Renault did not react overly joyously, instead he scratched his chin as he thought about what he was told. After a few moments of silence, the veteran Knight quickly inquired for further details on the matter.


    "What exactly happened? I can''t imagine Dietger would spend decades of his life preparing for this war, engage in a bloody stalemate for five years, thoroughly bankrupting his realm just so to back out at thest moment..."


    Hartman did not hesitate to inform his mentor of the details of what had transpired within the City of Kufstein.


    "I don''t know exactly what happened, but Dietger has submitted to the rule of that pretender Berengar von Kufstein. The self-proimed king of Austria! Without Dietger, we now have control over most of Germany. Aside from Bavaria and Austria."


    While the news overjoyed Hartman, Renault was far more cautious. Just what kind of man was Berengar von Kufstein? Though he had never met the Austrian Monarch, he was well aware of the stories that shrouded him. Then again, it was hard to decipher what was reality, and what was propaganda.


    Still, it could not be denied that Berengar had risen from among the lowest ranks of nobility to one of the most pivotal figures in the Western World. Such a feat was rare in the entire history of the world. If Dietger had submitted to this man, then it meant that he knew something about Austria that they themselves did not know. Because of his cautious nature, Renault sighed heavily before speaking the thoughts that dwelled in his mind.


    "I dare say that this is not something to celebrate. You know as well as I do the propaganda that ising out of Austria nowadays. Every facet of their society is preaching for the unification of Germany under a single Empire, ruled by the von Kufstein Dynasty. If Dietger has submitted to that man''s authority, then it means he believes Berengar is likely to seed in this endeavor.


    By dering yourself King of Germany, you are standing in the way of Austria''s vision for a unified German Empire under their hegemony. You are making yourself the enemy of a powerful man, one who has proven himself invincible so far."


    The moment Hartman heard these words, his expression dropped significantly. Just when he thought he had won the war, Renault had to reveal that an even more powerful enemy lie between him and the title of king of the Germans. A scowl appeared on the young man''s face as he asked for advice on how to proceed.


    "Renault, you have always advised me on the best path forward, and you have never failed me. I need you to tell me how I get rid of this monumental obstacle between me and my rightful ce as king..."


    The veteran French Knight rxed back in his chair as he contemted the most suitable path to victory. After several minutes of silent thought, he finally revealed the n he had devised.


    "Only a fool would face Austria in open battle. In fact, the chance of you winning any form of engagement against them is virtually nonexistent. Austria has thergest, most well equipped, and most well-trained army in the world. Don''t even get me started on their Navy.


    However, that does not mean they don''t have any weaknesses. The Kingdom of Austria''s greatest weakness is that until now, they have relied entirely on their King to achieve their wealth and power. Without Berengar, Austria is nothing. None of his children are old enough to take the Throne, and no man at the present can fill his shoes and lead them to glory."


    Hartman gulped heavily as he swallowed the saliva pooled in his mouth. After doing so, he asked the question that was on his mind.


    "What are you saying I should do?"


    Upon hearing this, Renault''s expression became grave. He leaned in close to his student with a stern look in his eyes before revealing the words that would resound throughout history.


    "It is simple... You must kill Berengar von Kufstein..."


    Hartman immediately scoffed upon hearing this, before throwing up his hands in defeat.


    "Kill Berengar? If it was so simple, somebody would have seeded by now!"


    Renault''s expression sank further as he heard his student''s protests.


    "I never said it was going to be easy, but this is the only way that you can achieve your goals in life. Without Berengar''s guidance, Austria will fall into ruin. With the King of Austria''s death, his bitches will fight to the death to put their sons on the throne, further dividing the unstable Kingdom that he has built. If you kill Berengar, you will be the king of Germany. I promise you that..."


    Upon hearing this speech, Hartman mulled it over in his head for a long time. Nearly half an hour of silence had passed before the young man concluded on what needed to be done. With a cruel smile on his face, he took onest sip of his beverage before boldly dering his intentions.


    "Very well. If that is the only path to victory, then I must take it. Berengar von Kufstein must die!"


    Upon saying this, a tacit understanding had taken ce in the heart of Luxembourg, an assassination n to eliminate the young King of Austria, and defeat his Kingdom had been hatched.. Regardless of whether this plot was to seed, it was bound to have dire consequences on the western world and the fate of the German people.

 Chapter 496 - Formation Of The South German Confederation

    Within the Royal Pce of Kufstein, in its great hall, stood several prominent leaders from central Europe. Chief among them was Berengar von Kufstein, who held the titles of both King of Austria and Bohemia. As for the others, they included the Grand Duke of Switzend, the Duke of Bavaria, as well as the Dukes of Saxony, and Baden and Wurttemberg.


    These various German leaders were gathered for a single purpose, and that was toe to agreements over the future of their realms. By now Austrian fashion trends had made their way across Southern Germany as a whole, thus these men were not dressed in the medieval attire of their North German counterparts, rather they were dressed in a style simr to the Royalty of Austria.


    Among these men, none had a more striking appearance than Berengar. If these men''s daughters were present to witness this asion, it was most certain that they would fawn over the Austrian King. Berengar, however, was interested in who sported the greatest fashion, rather he was more interested in the serious political ramifications that this meeting would have on the western world as a whole.


    Thus, as he Dukes bickered among themselves, he stood back and drank from his chalice. Listening to each one of their concerns.


    "This is your fault, Dietger, you bowing before Berengar has made a mockery of our alliance. If it weren''t for the fact that we were permanently on Hartman''s shit list for siding with you, we would not even be here!"


    Berengar merely scoffed when he heard these words being spoken by the Duke of Saxony, these were bold words for a man who shared a border with Austria. The moment the man saw the displeasure on Berengar''s face he felt a chill go down his spine, and tried to backpedal on his statement.


    "That is not to say that the King of Austria is not worthy of serving, but your actions have spit in the face of the sacrifice that thousands of our men have made on the field of battle over these past few years!"


    The young king of Austria did not bother to respond to thisment, instead, he allowed his newest pet to do so. Dietger was more than willing to stand up for his actions and he quickly informed his former allies of just why he had knelt before the Austrian crown.


    "Look around you, Sivert, you old fool. While we have fought for a meaningless title, King Berengar has elevated his status to that beyond any ordinary King. You saw the technological marvels that aremonce in thisnd. You have seen the weapons the Austrian Army wield, and the ships thatprise their navy. Do you honestly think we stand a chance of defeating this mighty Kingdom?


    There is only one solution to this petty war for a nonexistent crown. Kneel before Berengar and proim him the true king of Germany! What does lineage matter when faced with overwhelming power? If you stubborn fools do not submit to the Crown of Austria as I have, I assure you, only blood and death await yournds!"


    Berengar raised his brow when he heard thisst point, while he had gained the reputation as an utterly ruthless conqueror, his ns for Germany, should it be required to be unified via force, was actually to be quite lenient on not only their armies, but especially its people. To Berengar, the German people were his people, and he had no desire to shed any more blood than was necessary to unite them under one banner.


    Despite his true intentions, he did not make it clear, as Dietger''s speech was swaying the men who had gathered in Kufstein. The three Dukes here who had not already submitted to Berengar realized just what the future entailed. With this in mind, the Duke of Baden finally broke his silence before addressing a question to Berengar.


    "Apologies if I am out of ce, your Majesty, however I can no longer keep my curiosity to myself. If you would permit me to ask a simple question, I would be most honored."


    The other Dukes gazed at the proud Duke of Baden with awe. Was this man really the Duke they all knew? Never once in the past had he responded so respectfully in the face of authority, and yet here and now he was practically grovelling at Berengar''s feet.


    The Austrian king was amused by the over-polite nature of the Duke of Baden''s request, and simply responded with a silent nod, signifying his approval to ask the question which was guing his mind. The Duke of Baden took a deep breath before doing so.


    "Just what are the extents of your ambitions, Berengar von Kufstein?"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled gracefully, before responding to the question with much enthusiasm.


    "My ambitions are simple, Duke Cuert von Z?hringen, I n to unify the German people of this world into a single Empire, and not some confederation which pretends to be the sessor of the ancient Romans. No, I n to create a German Empire, one whose power and influence will extend to every corner of this world.


    Make no mistake, gentlemen, I have the ability to aplish this, and I will stop at nothing to achieve my goals. I am well aware that the bastard of Luxembourg ns to fight against me until hisst dying breath, and if that is his desire, then so be it. I understand that I have gained a reputation for being ruthless to my enemies.


    Of course, that does not mean Ick any form of generosity to those who support me from the bottom of their hearts. The time hase for every leader of the German world to make their decision. Do you kneel before the power of the Austrian Crown and recognize me and my dynasty as sovereign over all Germans? Or will you choose death? Those are the only two options avable to you all.


    Do not feel pressured to bend the knee to me if you do not desire to. As guests in my Kingdom you will be allowed safe passage back to your realms. However, if you leave here on this day without bowing before me, I will assume that you have made your choice, and the next time we meet, I will not be so merciful."


    Despite him saying otherwise, there was a heavy pressure in the atmosphere. The murderous glint in Berengar''s one good eye had practically caused the three dukes to suffocate under the yoke of his tyranny. Dietger had made a valid point earlier. After witnessing a disy of Austria''s weapons earlier in the day, not a single man in this room was confident of beating Berengar.


    In fact, they had seriously begun to doubt the capacity of Christendom as a whole to defeat the Austrian Royal Army. Now they were told to make a choice, kneel before another man, or die. Though Berengar had guaranteed them safe passage back to their homes, they knew it was only a matter of time before Austria''s armies swarmed theirnds like a ravenous horde of locusts.


    When presented with such options, only a fool would choose death. Thus, the three Dukes of Southern and Eastern Germany, who had not yet sworn service to Berengar, knelt before the Austrian King as if it were the most natural thing to do. Not only them, but even the others who had sworn fealty to Berengar once more knelt and repeated the vow of vassge.


    Being surrounded by so many powerful noblemen, swearing fealty unto him, brought a sense of Euphoria to Berengar, when they were finished a cruel smile spread across Berengar''s lips as he uttered the words that would change the status of these men and their families for the rest of history.


    "All of you here today, except for one, have knelt before me as a Duke. Under the power afforded to me as King of Austria, I hereby grant you permission to rise as Grand Dukes of your respective realms."


    The various men gazed at each other in shock, though it was just a change in title, to be known as Grand Dukes elevated their position to that of monarchs rather than just mere high nobility. However, Berengar''s next statement after they had risen to their feet surprised them even further.


    "Today marks a grand asion that is sure to be remembered until the ends of time. Today, I King Berengar von Kufstein, in the presence of my Greatest Vassals, announce the formation of the South German Confederation, to be presided over in perpetuity by the Kingdom of Austria, and the von Kufstein Dynasty.


    As members of this confederation, I grant you the privilege of the introducing the technological innovations that have made Austria the greatest Kingdom in the world. The more you prove your loyalty to me and my house, the more you will be rewarded in this regard. Serve me well, and you will see your wealth and power soar to new heights.


    Betray me, and the men next to you, and you should expect the most fierce of retaliation. I can consider only the death of you and your house an appropriate price for such betrayal. Remember this well gentlemen, you have chosen to join me on a lifelong journey to see the establishment of a Great German Empire, and now that you have sworn your allegiance to me, and my house, I expect you to fulfill your obligations.


    Now I am sure that you all have your affairs, which you must put in order now that you have sworn service to me. You are free to return to your homes as Grand Dukes, with all the prestige that follows such a lofty title. I expect to see major reforms being instituted in your realms over theing months. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. Until we meet again, gentlemen."


    After saying this, Berengar lifted his chalice in the air and took a swig of wine before departing from the Great Hall of his Pce, leaving the newly established Grand Dukes of the South German Confederation alone in a state of both excitement and despair. Though they had risen in the noble hierarchy and gained ess to some of Austria''s secrets.. Ultimately, they had sworn themselves, their family, and their people to the service of a Tyrant.

 Chapter 497 - The Anagpur Delegates Arrive Part I

    Sitting atop the back of a brilliant chocte colored steed was a man dressed from head to toe in the unique garb of Medieval India. This man was named Ishwar Tomara, and he was the son of the current Regent of the Anagpur Empire, which lie in the northwestern corner of the Indian Subcontinent.


    Normally he could not be bothered to waste the time necessary to travel to the Western World, and yet despite his reservations, he had received orders from the boy-emperor Dharya Tomara to undertake such a journey. Throughout his travels, Ishwar had seen many tremendous sights, from the neighboring Turk-Persian Empire that belonged to the Timurids, to the glistening city of Constantinople, which acted as the gateway to the western world.


    However, nothing he had seen until now had prepared him for the technological wondend that was the Kingdom of Austria. Havingnded in Trieste after chartering a ferry from the mighty Empire of Byzantium, the Indian noblemen could not believe his eyes.


    The scale of the vessels which sat in the harbor was beyond anything he had ever seen. While the Austrian fleet had not yet been fully retrofitted into a ss of iron-d frigates, there were still several of them on disy in the major port city of the western kingdom. Though this new ss of warship had yet to been revealed to the world, Ishwar gained a first glimpse of the future that was on the horizon.


    It was not only the technological marvels that were the steam powered ironds that caught the Indian nobleman''s attention but also the many factories that existed in the port city, designed to aid in the construction of naval and merchant vessels alike. Every aspect of this city was designed around two facets of life: manufacturing and trade.


    The ssic German architecture was blended with modern necessities such as plumbing and wood-burning stoves to create a beautifully sculpted and clean city free from the waste and littermonly found in the streets of other cities around the world.


    The trantor which had been procured for their journey during their brief stay in Constantinople had a smug expression on his face. This was not his first time visiting Trieste, nor would it be hisst. On more than one asion, he had acted as a trantor for those seeking to do business in Austria. Over the years, the man had seen the small realm go from being a backwater duchy, to the most powerful Kingdom in central Europe, and perhaps the western world as a whole.


    "Magnificent isn''t it? However, if you think Trieste is grand, wait until you enter the Capital of this Kingdom. Kufstein is more than just a city. It is an impregnable fortress protected by multipleyers of walls, each section mounted with fearsome cannons and a full-time garrison numbering in the thousands."


    In response to thisment, Ishwar nodded his head in silence, his mouth agape as he gazed upon the city of Trieste. While Trieste was a major port city, it paled inparison to the grandeur of Kufstein, the capital of the Kingdom of Austria. Something that Ishwar and his delegation were about to understand.


    With a smile on his face, the trantor led the Indian delegation towards the rail station where they would board the next rail car, and travel to Kufstein in the fashion that had be mostmon for wealthy visitors. Ishwar and hispanions were stunned by sights they saw as they walked through the streets, however when they witnessed the train pull into the station, they could hardly believe their eyes.


    This behemoth of a vehicle operated entirely without the power of beasts of burden. Just what magic had the Austrians conjured to make such a thing. The Indian nobleman was so surprised by the train that he let out a gasp when he firstid eyes on it. For the natives of Austria who boarded the passenger cars, they paid no heed to the foreigner''s shock, for such a thing had be amon sight.


    Ishwar and hispanions had purchased first-ss tickets for a substantial sum, thus they were afforded their own train car, however they were not the least bit remorseful for spending so much gold. Instead, they gazed upon the magnificently crafted cabin with wonder. Not only was the car furnished with the finest sofas, but it even had its own personal bar, along with its own personal bartender, and even a few attendants who they could order food from.


    This first-ss train car was indeed worth the price of admission, assuming one had the money to spend, and was on a long journey. Ishwar enjoyed freshly cooked meals by the kitchen car, and the Austrian delicacies they created with a pairing of fine wines, distilled spirits, blended drinks, and hearty germangers. He had not even arrived yet at the Royal Pce, and yet he felt as if he had been treated with the luxury that only a King could understand.


    Out of all his diplomatic visits, none were more garish than this visit, and he had yet to even meet his host. Truly, Austria had surpassed his expectations in every way. When Ishwar wasn''t enjoying the meals, or the drinks, he was gazing out the window in wonder as the fertile fields of Austria, which were maintained by a small amount of farmers and their horse powered machines, passed him by. Even after entering the alps, the mechanized agriculture of the kingdom of Austria continued to disy its dominance.


    The journey from Trieste to Kufsteinsted a few hours, and by the time the Indian noblemen stepped off the train and into the city, he could hardly believe his eyes. The Grand Cathedral of Kufstein, as well as the other architectural masterpieces that had been created, soared in the sky above the many half-timber tenements and luxurious vis.


    In the distance, on the hills above the fortress city, was the giant bronze statue of Berengar and his fallen steed Erwin, looking over the city and its people as its eternal protector, its sword pointed in the direction of Rome. With the sun gleaming upon its metallic surface, Ishwar felt as if he had stepped foot into a Kingdom belonging to a fairy tale.


    Under the direction of the trantor, Ishwar and his delegation received visitor passes to the city, and were permitted to stay for a grand total of ny days any longer, and the local authorities would imprison them as illegal immigrants. Having been approved for a diplomatic visit, they then found their way to the Austrian Royal Pce, where the guards began to check their documents for verification.


    After a few moments, the men confirmed that the Indian Delegation was valid, before checking them for any potential weapons. A thorough search was conducted where they were then approved for entry. When Ishwar finally entered the courtyard of the Royal Pce of Austria, he felt as if his breath had been taken away. Such arge and marvelous pce was greater than anything that existed in his homnd.


    Ultimately, he was forced to calm his nerves before entering the Royal Pce, where the servants led him to the Great Hall, where Berengar was seated on his throne waiting for his guests from the East. After witnessing the grand throne of the Royal Pce, and the golden-haired, blue-eyed king who seated upon it, even Ishwar feltpelled to kneel before this mighty figure.


    The Indian noblemen was the first to do so, where his delegation followed his actions. Silence prevailed for a few moments before Ishwar was able to gather and express his thoughts in a calm and collected manner.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ishwar Tomara, cousin to his majesty Dharya Tomara, and personal representative of the mighty Anagpur Empire. Though, truthfully, after witnessing the wealth and prosperity of your Kingdom, I feel embarrassed to say such a thing. I have travelled a long way, on behalf of my people, for a single purpose. To engage in trade with your Majesty and hopefully secure the weapons that your people refer to as the arkebuse."


    Berengar rested his chin on his fist as he listened to the words spoken by the trantor, who acted as a bridge ofmunication between him and the ambassador of the Anagpur Empire. Truth be told, he was unaware of its existence until rtively recently, when he was alerted by his department of immigration about the request for a diplomatic visit from the Indian Empire.


    To prepare for this meeting, Berengar had sifted through many old documents, learning everything he could about this dying Empire in the east. He was impressed by its rich history, and how it differed from the timeline of his past life. However, he was interested in its current politics, which he had little information on.


    Thanks to Linde''s efforts over the years, his spywork was now vast, and with a little effort he could gather some urate information about the current court affairs of the Anagpur Empire. Thus, he knew that this young man was the son of the true power behind the Anagpur throne.


    It was with this in mind that Berengar put on a gracious facade as he gazed upon the Indian Ambassador and weed him to his home.


    "I am King Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name. Allow me to wee you into my home and Kingdom. I am sure your journey was long and tiring. You and your delegation are more than wee to sit at my table for theing feast. As far as trade between our two realms is concerned, this can wait for another day when you are all well rested."


    Ishwar had a good impression of Berengar, despite ruling over such a wealthy, and powerful kingdom which contained technological marvels he could never dream of, he still acted gracefully in the face of foreign visitors, from a dying Empire a long way from his borders. Thus, he acted equally respectfully as he responded to Berengar''s invitation.


    "Your hospitality is most wee, and I look forward to sharing a meal with your family."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled once more, and got up from his throne, where he led Ishwar and his delegation to the dining room.. The negotiations between their two realms had only just begun.

 Chapter 498 - The Anangpur Delegates Arrive Part II

    Berengar sat down at the head of his table. On the opposite side sat the ambassador of the Anangpur Empire. His delegation was surrounding him much in the same way that Berengar''s family did to him. The representatives of the two opposing realms made small talk as wine was poured by the servants, and the food was being prepared.


    The Austrian king took a sip from his gilded chalice before speaking about inquiring about current events on the other side of the world.


    "So tell me, Ishwar, just what is it like living in the Anangpur Empire? I have not been to that particr part of the world just yet, though I very much would like to see the glory of India with my own eyes at least once during this lifetime."


    Ishwar looked up from his winess with aplicated expression on his face. He knew that his family''s Empire was one civil war away from beingpletely disintegrated, and while normally he would deny this to ensure the prestige of their once mighty empire remained intact in the eyes of foreigners, the sites he had witnessed in Austria had so humbled him, that he could not very well in good faith keep up his usual confident facade. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he revealed an honest answer about the state of his homnd.


    "Gone are the days of our Empire''s glory, instead corruption is rife within the aristocracy, and my father the Regent is merely living out his fantasy of being a wealthy Emperor while our family''s realm copses around us. Truthfully, he would rather spend the expense of acquiring your weapons onvish feasts and exotic concubines.


    However, the boy emperor still has some degree of authority, and is greatly interested in purchasing your weapons, for what use he has in mind I do not know. Perhaps he aspires to conquer our southern neighbors in onest attempt to restore the glory of our dying Empire.


    Or maybe the boy is afraid that the Muslims to the west are nning another invasion, as they have continued to pursue the wealth of ournds for the past few centuries. It should be no secret to a Kingdom as wealthy and powerful as yours that the Timurid Empire is amassing troops. Unfortunately, our spywork is under-funded, and riddled with ipetency, thus we do not know for sure whether they n to attack our western border or attack their neighbors to the west."


    The Austrian King took a sip of his wine as he listened to the Ambassador''s story, he was quite surprised that he did not bother to present an image of power and glory even if his realm was really in a state of decline. After all, one should always negotiate from a position of power. Despite this, Berengar felt inclined to give the ambassador a bit of good news to help lift his spirits.


    "You do not need to worry so much about the Timurid Empire, at least not for the time being. The troops they are preparing for war are not meant for your Empire, instead they seek to reim the holynd from the Byzantine Empire, a conflict my troops are sure to take part in. I promise you that when my armies have finished dealing with this little jihad of theirs, they won''t have the strength to invade your borders for another hundred years."


    The confidence that seeped from every word that left Berengar''s mouth was enough to charm the Indian Ambassador, however there was still a hint of doubt in his minds towards Berengar''s words, and thus he inquired about the source of this information.


    "How can you be so sure about this?"


    In response to this question, Berengar wore a smile before nodding his head towards his Second Wife, who immediately knew what Berengar was implying. She sighed before revealing her esteemed position within the Austrian Government.


    "Because my agents have infiltrated every major civilization west of the Indus, when ites to Austrian Intelligence, we pride ourselves on our ability to obtain and verify urate information from all over the western world. The Timurid Empire ns tounch a jihad against Byzantium. In doing so, they n to bring the might of the Mamluk and Jyirid Sultanates to their side as they make onest attempt to reim the holynd from the Orthodox Empire."


    It shocked Ishwar to hear not only the King of Austria, but his Queen was so confident in their ability to urately predict their enemies'' movements. Though there was one specific phrase that caught his attention. Thus, he asked for rification on it.


    "Last attempt? How do you know this will be theirst attempt?"


    Upon hearing this question, both Berengar and Linde began to chuckle. After a few moments, Berengar swirled the wine in his ss before making his stance on the Jihad clear.


    "By the time I am through with the Muslim world, they will never again dare to march upon the western world. The price for their arrogance will be paid with the blood of millions of their people. They will understand the dominance of Austria and its allies, or they will face extinction.


    The German people do not have the patience to endure centuries of bitter warfare simply because the Saracen''s faith dictates that all should bow before their god. Nor should my people be expected to. One way or another, this will be thest Jihad. I will make sure of that..."


    Again, Ishwar and the Anangpur delegation were surprised to see the limitless confidence on Berengar''s face as he spoke about putting an end to Im''s invasions of the west. For centuries the Christian and Muslim faiths had been bitter rivals, and though in this timeline the Christians had been victorious in the crusades, and in doing so restored the might of their Byzantine allies. The resentment between the two peoples had never ceased, nor had the hostilities.


    To so boldly im that he would be responsible for ending the centuries long feud between Europe and the Middle East would be considered an act of arrogance by anyone else, but after witnessing the technological marvels of the Kingdom of Austria, Ishwar was inclined to believe that Berengar was speaking the truth.


    Thus, the ambassador chuckled before taking a sip from his wine. His father would never believe the things he had witnessed on his visit to Austria, nor would he care for the words of hubris that this foreign King spoke. Yet Ishwar was determined to see whether Berengar''s words would be reality. He smiled gracefully before responding to this strange man from the west.


    "I would very much like to see your visione true..."


    Berengar did not respond to thisment, instead the servants entered the room and brought forth the meal that had been prepared for this asion. After digging into the fine Austrian cuisine, Berengar realized now would be a great time to get involved in the spice trade. Thus, after taking a bite of his schnitzel, Berengar addressed the foreign ambassador.


    "You said earlier that you wanted to purchase weapons from my kingdom. this could be arranged for a fair price, however I also have an interest in establishing trading ties between our two realms, and I mean more than just a mere arms deal.


    For quite some time now, I have had to use the Byzantine Empire as a proxy to obtain certain goods from the Eastern World. Now that I am meeting with a representative from the Anangpur Empire face to face, I was wondering whether you are interested in exporting some of your spices to the Kingdom of Austria?"


    After hearing this, Ishwar felt excited. Austria appeared to be absurdly wealthy, and establishing a trade with them in terms of spices was a good way to add another stream of revenue to the treasury, which by now was bing depleted. Thus, he quickly nodded his head before asking the question on his mind.


    "This could be possible. Tell me, what kinds of spices did you have in mind?


    Berengar pretended to think about it for a few moments before naming a few spices that came to the west because of British Colonization of India in his past life.


    "Off of the top of my head, I would very much like to introduce turmeric, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, cumin, ck pepper, ginger, and cardamom to the Austrian palette. What do you say? Do you have the authority to begin shipping these to my Kingdom En masse? I assure you that travel to the western world will be much more convenient in a few years."


    Ishwar nodded his head with a pleasant smile on his face, before taking a bite out of his schnitzel, though it differed vastly from the cuisine he was used to, he seemed to enjoy it as his smile grew even wider after tasting the fine Austrian Cuisine.


    "It is not a problem. I assure you whatever demand your Kingdom has for it, we have the ability to supply. The biggest problem is getting the goods to yournds. Anangpur is a long distance away from Austria, and there is no direct route via the sea."


    Berengar shook his head when he heard this while wearing a confident smile.


    "Not to worry, I have an alliance with the byzantine Empire. You simply need to get your goods to the red sea, and my merchants will do the rest."


    Upon hearing this, Ishwar smiled before nodding his head in agreement.


    "Very well. I look forward to doing business with you."


    With that said, Berengar and Ishwar would continue to enjoy the feast untilte into the night.. In doing so, beginning a prosperous trade between their two realms.

 Chapter 499 - A Bit Of Sport

    Berengar had awoken bright an early for his morning exercise routine, after a morning of running, and lifting weights, he immediately jumped into training with the sword. Over five years had passed since he first picked up a sword, and though he rarely found himself staring down the de of an opponent on the battlefield these days, he stillmitted himself to training with the weapons.


    However, as of thest few years, he had introduced a new exercise to his daily routine, and he was in the middle of that right now. Dressed in little more than a pair of boxers, Berengar stared down his opponent with one good eye. The two half-naked men were several feet apart, which Berengar used to his advantage as he closed the distance and dropped to one knee.


    In a moment''s notice, Berengar had prated through his opponent''s defenses and grabbed ahold of his legs where he lifted the man into the air and carried him a few feet before mming him on to the thick padded surface below. However, unlike traditional wrestling rules from his past life, this conflict did not end with a point. Instead, the two men scrambled for a superior position, ultimately resulting in Berengar taking the man''s back.


    With his legs wrapped around the man''s torso as a body triangle, the young King of Austria locked in a rear naked choke, where hepressed around the throat of his opponent like an anaconda. After a single second, the other man tapped out, resulting in Berengar releasing his position of control and rising to his feet.


    Wrestling was a staple in medieval Europe culture and was a sport for the nobility of many Kingdoms. However, Berengar had shifted the rules in Austria to be a more efficient means ofbat and self defense.


    Going off the memory of hisbatives training from his years in the US army, Berengar had incorporated his limited knowledge of Brazilian jiu jitsu into Austria''s variant of wrestling, and in doing so, created a new breed of martial art for this world. Austrian Grappling had over the past few years be more and more advanced, as many practitioners experimented with submissions in a safe standard set forth by the crown of Austria.


    By now, it had been introduced to the youth as a school sport, and could be seen across many of the public and private institutions of learning that had sprawled up across the kingdom aspetition. Of course, when Berengar was training with his opponent, he waspletely unaware that his guest from the Anangpur Empire had found his way to the gym embedded within Berengar''s Pce.


    Upon witnessing the fascinatingbat sport, Ishwar pped and whistled when Berengar sunk in the choke. Though he was unaware of how effective such a thing was, it was apparent that the King of Austria''s opponent was at hisst breath the moment he tapped. When Berengar gazed upon the foreign guest with his one good eye, he smiled before making ament about his untimely appearance.


    "Would you like to join me for a bit of sport?"


    Standing beside Ishwar was the trantor who conveyed Berengar''s words to the man. Upon hearing this challenge, he chuckled. He instantly disrobed to a simr state of attire that Berengar was dressed in. As for Berengar''s sparring partner, he took a back step as the two men circled one another. The Anangpur ambassador boasted as he got close to the Austrian King.


    "Are you sure about that? I''ll have you know I am a master of Kripayattu, my country''s martial arts."


    Berengar struggled to hold back hisughter as he heard this. In his mind were memories from an era where unarmed martial arts were mixed to perfection in a brutally effectivebat sport. Though he had little mixed martial arts training, he had extensive experience with the US Army''s variant known asbatives. He had even won a fewpetitions set up by the Army.


    Whenpared with Kripayattu, which was known by fighters to be one of the less efficient traditional martial arts, Berengar was unafraid, instead he was brimming with confidence as he boldly challenged the Indian Ambassador.


    "He who dares, wins..."


    After hearing the trantion of these words, Ishwar joined Berengar inughter before inquiring about the rule set.


    "Tell me, what are the rules of our littlepetition?"


    Upon hearing this Berengar was excited, one of his biggestints about mixed martial arts from his past life was that there were too many unnecessary rules added over the years, and its predecessor known as Vale Tudo, or no hold''s barred had long since been banned in the more civilized countries of the modern world.


    Dwelling upon this, Berengar had devised an interesting set of rules. In doing so, he responded with a wicked smile while raising three fingers to his Indian Guest.


    "There are three rules to ourpetition. Rule number one no biting. Rule number two, no eye gouging, and rule number three, no groin shots. Everything else is fair game. The winner will be determined by knockout, tapout, or if one fighter is no longer capable of defending themselves intelligently. As for the referee, my sparring partner here will act as witness.


    Ishwar smiled and nodded his head in agreement to these terms, before boasting once more.


    "Very well prepare to be beaten!"


    The Indian ambassador immediately jumped into a shy kick as Berengar merely grinned before catching hold of the man''s leg and dumping him on his back with a sweep. Rather than follow up for the kill. Instead, Berengar decided to have a little fun with his prey. He stepped back and took up a tall guard as he tucked his chin in his neck.


    Ishwar immediately dusted himself off. He no longer had an arrogant smile on his face. Instead, he was quite furious that his attack did notnd as sessfully as he hoped. He charged towards Berengar before throwing a few punches, which the Austrian King quickly parried before countering with a jab, a right hook, and a leg kick, which instantly caused the man to stumble.


    Berengar did not hold back his strikes, and a vicious leg kick was quite debilitating to the uninitiated. Luckily for Ishwar, Berengar was an amateur in kickboxing. Thus, his strikes did not contain the amount of power that a more experienced kickboxer would use.


    Still, it was more than Ishwar was expecting. The man quickly tried to get to his feet, however unfortunately for him, as he was rising to his feet, Berengar had grabbed the back of his head and pulled it into a savage knee to the forehead, knocking him to the ground in a dazed state.


    Berengar was not so merciful this time, and immediately passed by the man''s guard before putting a knee on his belly, where hended powerful a series of strikes on the man''s head. His bare knuckles and elbows pounded upon the Anangpur ambassador''s face, each one more vicious than thest, until finally the man was no longer capable of defending himself. When this became apparent to the referee, he pulled Berengar off his opponent, signalling his victory.


    The Austrian King rose from his kneeling position and offered a hand to support the man whose face he had beaten bloody. After regaining his rity, Ishwar epted Berengar''s kindness and was dragged to his feet. He was less outraged than Berengar had initially expected and instead had a stupid smile on his face as he asked Berengar about the skills he had used to beat him.


    "What was that just now? It was as if my Empire''s unarmed techniques were entirely useless."


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this before informing the man of what he had used to beat him.


    "Austrian Grappling, and Kickboxing. Whenbined, it is possibly the most efficient form of unarmedbat in this world."


    Berengar was not lying, though he had limited knowledge of martial arts. There were plenty of martial geniuses in his country who were happy to get paid for beating up other men. Thus, after introducing Austrian Grappling, which was a mixture of traditional European wrestling, and Brazilian jiu jitsu, as well as Austrian Kickboxing, which had rule set simr to Lethwei, also known as Burmese kickboxing from his past life. The various martial artists of his Kingdom had worked tirelessly to improve the rudimentary techniques that their King had introduced them to.


    With an emphasis on practicality, rather than tradition, the past few years had caused an explosive growth in martial arts. It would not be long before a truly effective mixed martial art like ancient Greek pankration resurfaced in the heart of Europe.


    Ishwar wiped the blood from his nose before asking Berengar the question on his mind.


    "Can you teach me?"


    In response to this, Berengar sighed and shook his head.


    "I am afraid that I do not have enough time to teach you."


    This caused a look of dejection to appear on the Indian ambassador''s face until he heard Berengar''s next words.


    "But I know someone who can."


    Berengar wouldter introduce Ishwar to one of Austrian Martial arts gyms that had popped up in the city of Kufstein over the past few years.. When the man returned home to the Anangpur Empire, he would bring with him a rudimentary understanding of more practical unarmedbat.

 Chapter 500 - A Brief Journey To Innsbruck

    Having fought to their heart''s content, Berengar and the ambassador from the Angapur Empire retired from the gym. Berengar took a bath in his royal suite, and Ishwar did so in the bathroom that was attached to his room.


    After cleaning the sweat and blood from their bodies, they returned to the Great Hall, where Berengar smiled upon seeing the ambassador, where heid out the ns he had for the day.


    "You said you were interested in purchasing weapons from my Kingdom, well today we will take the train to Innsbruck, which is where we manufacture most of the weapons that are avable to export to foreign realms. It won''t be a long trip, so there is no need to pack any provisions. We should be back in Kufstein by dinnertime."


    After the trantor conveyed Berengar''s thoughts to the ambassador, he smiled and nodded his head before epting Berengar''s kindness.


    "Very well, lead the way."


    The Austrian King led his guest down to the railway station, where they boarded the private passenger train there was reserved for the royal family. Berengar had gone above and beyond to ensure that his family had enough space to eat, y, sleep, and bathe on any extended journey they may take across the future German Empire.


    This entire train was not only 100% dedicated to the royal family and the servants they took with them, but it was also wholly armored to protect against a variety of threats, including the most modern Austrian small arms.


    Despite being armored, it did not look like an armored vehicle from afar. In fact, it looked almost exactly the same as a standard passenger train, making it difficult to identify which train the Royal Family was on at any given time.


    After stepping on board the vehicle, it surprised Ishwar to see that they decorated the interior even more extravagant than the first-ss train car he had taken to Kufstein just a day prior. In fact, one could actually im it was a mobile pce, with the expense Berengar had spent to ensure that his family travelled in luxury.


    When Berengar saw the man''s gawking expression, he simply chuckled before taking a seat on a ck velvet sofa. The moment he did so, a beautiful young servant appeared by his side and handed a ss of wine. Berengar smiled and epted the alcohol gracefully.


    "Thanks, doll."


    After saying this, Ishwar sat down next to him and received a ss for himself. The King of Austria and the Ambassador of the Anangpur empire made small talk as they continued their journey to Innsbruck. Considering that Kufstein was also within the Tyrolean Alps, it did not take long for the two of them to arrive at their destination.


    Upon stepping off of the Royal Train, Linde''s elder brother Liutbert, who was the ruling authority over the city, immediately greeted Berengar and his guest.


    "Greetings your majesty, it has been a long time since you have been in the home of my ancestors. I believe thest time that you graced us with your presence, you punched a hole through my city''s walls with your cannons.


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this response. It was true. It had been many years since he visited the city that was once been the capital of Tyrol. Ishwar looked at the two men in confusion, he had no idea the recent history the region of Austria had gone through, or how rapid Berengar''s rise to power had been..


    The years had been kind to Liutbert. As the ruler over one of the most prominent industrial cities in the Kingdom, the prodigal son of thete Count Lothar had received much wealth and prosperity through various means such as renting property which his family owned and opening up his own businesses which now dominated in multiple sectors.


    Naturally, after Berengar''s political reforms, any taxes collected by the local government were not to be deposited into the treasury of the noble who held the title to thend, but were instead transferred to the Royal Treasury in Kufstein. The crown would then allocate these funds to the various cities and districts across the Kingdom based on the federal budget, and the needs of the people.


    Because of this, the nobility of Austria extracted most of their wealth from private corporations, which they used their vast family fortunes to form and invest in. Liutbert was no exception to this rule, and had even started a steelpany of his own, which produced arge quantity of various steels.


    Berengar had a wide smile on his face as he engaged in further small talk with the count before taking Ishwar to his arms factory.


    "Your sister is doing well, by the way. I know you twomunicate little these days, but you should at the very least be aware that you have three nieces and nephews."


    Liutbert merely nodded his head in silence when he heard this. It was only natural that Linde would have more children after Hans. Thest time he saw her, she was already pregnant during her wedding. Though he had walked his sister down the aisle during the ceremony, he had not done so out of the goodness in his heart.


    If it weren''t for Berengar ordering him to do such a thing, he would have stayed away from his sister''s wedding altogether. There was much resentment in the young man''s heart towards his little sister. In his eyes, she was responsible for their father''s fate. It was quite likely that Lothar would have seeded in his attempt to wrest control over the Ducal Throne of Austria from thete Duke Wilmar had Linde not aided Berengar in his efforts.


    If not for Linde''s efforts behind the scenes, there was little doubt in Liutbert''s mind that Berengar would have never seeded in his early conquests. While Berengar may be a capablemander, whose armies wielded more advanced technology than their enemies, there were many instances where without Linde''s help, he would have failed, or even perished long before he could challenge Lothar openly.


    Liutbert had forgiven Berengar for usurping his birthright. After all, he could understand the man''s reasoning for taking such actions. It was Lothar who had plotted against Berengar in the beginning and had been at least partially responsible for more than one attempt on his life.


    Despite this, he could not easily forgive Linde; as her actions were outright treasonous. For the sake of her lover, who she had not known for long, she had betrayed her family, and supported the actions of their enemies, which ultimately resulted in the death of their father, and the decline of their house.


    Although the von Habsburg-Innsbruck family was now wealthier than ever, the respect, power, and authority they oncemanded had declined significantly. From ruling over the entirety of Tyrol to ruling over the city of Innsbruck and the surrounding viges. There was only one person to me for this: Linde von Kufstein.


    However, Liutbert let none of this cloud his judgement, and ultimately showed Berengar the respect that a powerful Conquer justly deserved.


    "Your Majesty, is there anything I may assist you with while you are here in the City of Innsbruck?"


    Berengar sped his brother-inw on the shoulder as he described what he had nned for the day in sufficient detail.


    "I just n to show the ambassador from the Anangpur Empire here some wares that he wishes to purchase from the Innsbruck Armory, as well as show their efficiency in battle. If you could rally the local garrison to give him a brief show of the arkebuses and falc cannons, I would most appreciate it."


    Liutbert nodded his head in response to this, before giving the King a proper salute.


    "It will be done, your majesty!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this beforementing on Liutbert''s formality.


    "No need to be so formal with me Liutbert, we are brothers byw. So I would feel much morefortable if you called me by my name."


    Liutbert nodded his head with a forced expression as he did as instructed.


    "Of course... Berengar"


    After saying this, Berengar brought Ishwar towards the Innsbruck Arsenal, which handled the manufacturing of most of the arms exported from Austria to foreign nations.

 Chapter 501 - A Necessary Demonstration

    After traveling around the City of Innsbruck for a good bit, Berengar, Liutbert, and Ishwar had gathered at the Innsbruck Armory. While some of the production capacity for the Austrian Royal Army was conducted here, the overwhelming majority of the goods manufactured in this facility were designed with export in mind. Whether that be to their allies in the form of flintlocks and 12 lb cannons, or to non-allied nations with arkebuses and falcs.


    As the men walked through the facility, they witnessed sights of thousands of firearms stacked into pallets dedicated for export. With the victories in Iberia, and the ongoing massacre against the Eastern Coalition, the demand for firearms and gunpowder had increased substantially.


    Berengar had not only begun to outfit the entire Byzantine and Granadan Armies with their weapons and armor. But, he had also supplied foreign kingdoms that were non-hostile, such as Wachia, and the Kalmar union withrge quantities of arkebuses and falcs. The value of the international arms trade that Austria handled had grown significantly.


    When Ishwar gazed upon the thousands of stockpiled firearms, and the hundreds of cannons, he could hardly believe his eyes. This small Kingdom in the west had such substantial manufacturing ability to make so many weapons, and keep them stockpiled. He wondered why they did not employ them in their own armed forces. Curiosity got the better of him, and he uttered his thoughts unknowingly.


    "With so many firearms, why have you not employed them in your armed forces?"


    When Berengar and Liutbert heard this they both broke out intoughter, it was only after a few moments where the two men were able to calm themselves and exin their reasoning for not employing these more primitive weapons.


    "You see, these weapons are obsoletepared to the ones employed by our armed forces, by several generations of technological advancements. We would never sell our advanced weapons to foreign kingdoms even if they''re allies.


    Look at this for example..."


    Upon saying this Berengar grabbed an Arkebuse, and a Flintlock Musket from their two opposing racks, and inspected them to make sure they were clear before properly handling the firearms. The difference in size, and weight between the two guns was quite substantial, and thus he handed them over one at a time to the Ambassador from the east.


    "I suppose you are familiar with the Arkebuse by now. It is a primitive firearm which uses a slow burning match to ignite the powder in the pan, and send a iron, stone, or lead ball down range. This weapon takes anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute to reload in the hands of a skilled individual and has an effective range of at best a hundred feet.


    This is the weapon can prate through most forms of armor at close range, and your average levy can be appropriately trained in its use in a matter of weeks. Thus, greatly enhancing the capabilities of most feudal armies. However, whenpared to the weapons we provide to our allies, it is severelycking."


    Ishwar inspected the weapon and was surprised when he heard it was a primitive model supplied to neutral nations. In his eyes, it was the most advanced handheld firearm he had everid eyes on. Thus, when Berengar handed him the rifled musket, he was even more astounded. With a proud smile on his face, the Austrian king exined this weapon''s capabilities.


    "This is a more advanced firearm. We call it the flintlock. Because of certain ssified manufacturing techniques, this weapon has superior range and rate of fire whenpared to the matchlock arkebuse. A soldier armed with this weapon, who is trained efficiently in its use, can hit a man-sized target out to roughly three hundred yards. Perhaps even further, if he is a marksman. A skilled operator can reload it in about 20 seconds.


    This is the standard arm of our allies, impressive enough in its own right, but two generations behind what we are currently supplying our armed forces with. Come, let us show you how effective the weapons you will purchase really are."


    Ishwar could hardly believe what he was being told. Was Austria really so far ahead militarily than the rest of the world? When he remembered the trains he had taken, the irond vessels, he considered perhaps Berengar was not bluffing.


    Berengar and Liutbert quickly led the man to the testing field, where all weapons were test fired, before being given a proof mark certifying that they were up to spec forbat use. In the hands of a toon of soldiers from the garrison, many arkebuses were loaded. The men poured the ck powder down the muzzle before cing a lead ball in its bore and packing it down with a ramrod.


    After doing this, they ced some ck powder from their sks onto the pans, before lighting a slow burning match and cing it on the device which held it in ce, the men then cocked the action back, took aim at a series of straw targets set up 25 feet away which wore a steel breastte in the stylemonly worn by Knights of the era, and squeezed the lever that acted as a primitive trigger.


    The matchnded on the powdered pan and ignited its contents, sending a coordinated volley down range and into the targets, punching many holes straight through the steel tes, and into the straw targets behind it. Ishwar was amazed; just like the old general had said, it truly could defeat western armor.


    When Berengar saw the excited look in the man''s eyes, a proud smile spread across his lips as he spoke of the grandeur of such weapons on the battlefield.


    "Imagine this. You have an army of 5,000 men, each one of them equipped with this weapon. Your enemies are charging at your lines, and your soldiers fire a volley of these weapons down range and into their enemies. At what point do the survivors break ranks and flee for their lives?"


    Ishwar was thoroughly convinced that his father''s armies needed these weapons if they wished to maintain control over their dying Empire, however a thought urred in his mind as he was imagining the future conflicts they would engage in. Thus, he asked the question on his mind, hoping for an appropriate response.


    "You say these weapons take thirty seconds to a minute to reload? Then what happens when the enemy realizes this and attacks our ranks before our soldiers can fire another volley?"


    Berengar did not hesitate to answer this question, instead a smile formed on his face as he whistled to the soldiers of the garrison. In doing so, the men pulled out their bays, which looked more like medieval daggers, and plugged them into the bore of their arkebuses. Where they lunged forward in standard drills.


    "These are plug bays, after you have fired your shot, you withdraw it from your belt, and ce that handle of the weapon into your arkebuse''s bore, in doing so, you have effectively turned your firearm into a spear for meleebat.


    A fair bit of advice: ensure that your troops are well trained not to equip their bay with a loaded weapon. If you were to identally fire your arkebuse while the bay is in ce, it could end poorly..."


    The Ambassador from the east had a wide smile on his face. Despite the downsides to such a weapon, it was still superior to standard infantry use than anything he hade across. Truly, the Austrians had thought of everything when designing this weapon.


    With this in mind, Ishwar was eager to set an order for the purchase and delivery of these excellent weapons.


    "Tell me, how much does one of these arkebuses cost?"


    Berengar grinned when he heard this before responding by raising three fingers.


    "My standard rate for the arkebuses is three Austrian guldens per arkebuse, while the rate for falcs is twenty guldens per falc. If you buy in bulk, so let''s say a thousand arkebuses, or 10 falcs, I''ll give you a 10% discount on your overall price.


    I only ept Austrian Guldens for trade, so if you have brought your local currency then you will have to conduct a currency exchange with the National Bank of Austria, since I am unfamiliar with the value of the currency you use in your Empire, I won''t be able to give you an estimate of the exchange rate. However, you should know there is no debasement in my currency, thus it is extremely pure, and of high value."


    The Anangpur ambassador nodded his head in silence. If he truly wanted to gain sufficient arms for his father''s army, he would have to consult with the man himself, and exin just how effective these weapons were in person. Otherwise, he could never receive the approval for such an expense. After careful consideration, Ishwar finally conveyed these thoughts to Berengar.


    "I will have to return to my homnd and consult with the Emperor about the expense. I am certain it is well worth the price, but I simply do not have the authority to negotiate such arge sum of money. I will convey your asking price to my father and inform him of the effectiveness of these weapons. I thank you for the hospitality you have shown me."


    Berengar struggled to maintain a smile as he heard this. The simple thought in his mind was too rude to speak aloud.


    <i>Next time, send a delegate who has the authority toplete the transaction, you fucking amateurs. </i>


    <i></i>Ultimately, he forced a cordial smile and nodded his head before responding.


    "Very well. I look forward to your return. When we return to Kufstein, I will give you a parting gift for your emperor, make sure to give him my regards."


    After saying this, Berengar and Ishwar depart from the city of Innsbruck, leaving Liutbert behind to govern the city.

 Chapter 502 - Marching On Warsaw

    Eckhard stood at the front of his army. Since the battle which resulted in the death of the Polish Prince, the Austrian General had crushed every armed force he hade across. Now, after weeks of struggle, he had reached the city of Warsaw, the current capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.


    As Eckhard gazed through his binocrs, he released a heavy sigh. Despite his best efforts to coerce the Polish King to surrender, the only thing he could see were signs of resistance within the city. For whatever reason, the madman had chosen to fight until hisst dying breath against the Austro-Bohemian alliance.


    As the trebuchets were behind the castle''s walls and prepared forbat, Eckhard simple waved his hand, in doing so giving his artillery brigades the silent order to unleash hell upon the hostile city. Krakow was a massacre, it was a show of force intending to disy what happens when Austria''s citizens were attacked. Yet here in Warsaw, Eckhard had no ns to annihte the city, instead he simply wanted to eliminate the enemy soldiers upon the ramparts.


    With an crackling thunder, the roars of the 7.5cm High Explosive shells shot out of the bores of their cannons and whistled in the air. Secondster, they fell precisely onto their targets, resulting in a catastrophic explosion directly upon the Polish trebuchets. The fiery sts engulfed more than just the siege weapons. Each shell was capable of annihte anything within a hundred square meters, thus snuffing the souls of those unfortunate to be within the st range.


    As the Artillery crews reloaded their guns, and prepared to fire another round onto the city, Eckhard held up his hand, ceasing their actions.


    "Hold your fire!"


    The nearby officers ryed his orders to their troops, and the barrage came to an immediate halt. In the distance, a tattered white g flew above the city''s gates. Finally, somebody with some sense was willing to surrender before any further blood needed to be shed.


    Eckhard grabbed ahold of ance, and attached a white g to its shaft as he rode out with his personal guard, to meet with whichever man had the conscience to end this senseless ughter before the entire city was massacred.


    After meeting the host halfway, Eckhard noticed that the man across from him was roughly Berengar''s age; he had a grim expression on his face, Eckhard recognized it the moment he saw it, because it was the same expression he wore every time he looked at his reflection. This was the stare of a man who had endured a hundred battles and was too tired to give a damn any longer.


    The young knight unleashed his sword, in doing so provoking Eckhard''s guards, who raised their needle rifles preparing forbat. However, before they could pull the triggers, the man tossed the sword away. Upon witnessing this scene, Eckhard could have sworn he heard an echo the moment its steel de shed with the dirt below.


    The young man spoke with a voiced full of bitterness and defeat as his lifeless eyes gazed upon Eckhard with a look of understanding.


    "The city if yours, on behalf of the People of Pnd, I hereby surrender to the Kingdom of Austria, and its mighty army. Whatever you wish to do with the royal family is no concern of ours. I promise you, we will not halt your advance to the Pce. Whatever our mad king might tell you, we are done fighting. Enough blood has been shed already..."


    Eckhard clutched the stuffed rabbit in his hand, which was stained in the blood of the Polish Prince. He gazed upon it softly before looking over towards the youngmander with a questioning gaze.


    "You would disobey a direct order from you King?"


    Surprisingly, the man scoffed as he gazed upon the rabbit in Eckhard''s hand. He knew exactly who it belonged to, and could make an educated guess as to how the Austrian Field Marshal came by it.


    "Tell me, how did obeying orders work out for our fallen prince?"


    Now it was Eckhards turn to scoff as he responded with a single word.


    "Poorly..."


    Upon hearing this, the knight snapped his reins and prepared to depart with his men. As he passed by Eckhard, he left onest statement.


    "Go, the path towards the pce is clear, do with the royal family as you please..."


    Upon hearing this, Eckhard nodded his head in silence, before yelling towards his men


    "The city is ours. You know the King''sw as well as I. No harm shalle to the civilians now that the city has surrendered."


    After making his orders clear, Eckhard rode off towards the pce, as the Polish Commander had said, his path waspletely unobstructed. Every soldier within the city hadid down their arms long before the Austrians entered. There was a look ofplete and total defeat on the faces of the civilian popce, as if all hope for victory had died with their prince.


    After riding through the streets, Eckhard entered the Pce, the guards who once protected the royal family had opened the gates wide for their conquerors. After reaching a certain point, Eckhard dismounted from his steed, and walked through the entrance unchallenged.


    He continued to walk through the halls until he entered the throne room where the King of Pnd sat with lifeless eyes upon realizing he was totally defeated. By his side was his family, who clung together in fear of what reprisal the Austrian Field Marshal might take.


    When the Princess saw the bloody rabbit in Eckhard''s hands, she fell to her knees and broke out into tears. Eckhard raised the rabbit in the air and noticed the girl''s eyes following it. Upon seeing her bitter expression, he tossed the rabbit to her before making a snide remark.


    "I believe this belongs to you... A brave man died, ensuring that it was safe and protected. It is a pity, if you father had only given into our demands sooner, he would still be alive..."


    The King could no longer keep his silence, and erupted into a state of total fury.


    "You bastards killed my son! Yet you me me for his death! The nerve you Austrians have!"


    Eckhard merely scoffed at the deflection before chastising the man for his own foolishness.


    "We never wanted this war. In fact, we gave you some fairly clear and reasonable demands. Hand over the territory that rightfully belongs to the German people, and no bloodshed need to ur. Yet in your stubbornness, you rejected our consideration for the lives of your people and attacked our civilians. Such criminal behavior can not be tolerated, and so we acted in retribution, and in doing so killed hundreds of thousands of your people.


    Even then, we offered you peace once more. All you needed to do was submit to our demands, and yet, undeterred by our might, you sent your son and an army to their deaths. We can''t be held responsible for your foolish actions.


    Allow me to make this abundantly clear to you, your armies are defeated, what remains of them have abandoned you, and your family. The fact that you are still alive is simple proof that I am not a wicked man, and have no desire to see any further bloodshed. You have two options you can either submit, or you can refuse me once more and I will be forced to remove your head. I will then give your oldest living son the same offer I have given you. Choose wisely..."


    The Polish King bit his lips so hard that they bled. He had no desire to do as he was instructed, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he calmed himself before nodding his head in agreement.


    "Very well, I King Andrzej Jagiellon hereby surrender to the Kingdom of Austria, and agree to all of its demands."


    A bitter smile etched itself upon Eckhard''s visage as he heard this. After a few moments of silence, he issued amand to guards.


    "Seize the girl"


    The moment he said this, the guards approached Natalia and her mother where they ripped her away from her parents. She cried miserably as the guards took her away. The Polish King tried to get in the way, but Eckhard ruthlessly punched him in the gut, dropping him to his knees. With a hate filled re the man struggled to question Eckhard''s actions.


    "...Why?"


    In response to this, Eckhard merely sneered in disdain before turning around and signalling his soldiers to withdraw. As he was close to the exit, he finally answered the man''s question.


    "Because I don''t trust you. The moment I withdraw my armies from thesends, you will turn on me, I am sure of it. By doing this, you will force me to exit my well-earned retirement all so I can clean up the mess you created. Thus, to prevent such unscrupulous behavior on your behalf, I will now take your daughter as a ward for King Berengar. Hopefully, you care more for her life than you do her brother''s."


    Though Natalia kicked and screamed, ultimately they dragged away her from her family, and brought her back to Austria, where she would live as Berengar''s ward for many years. The war with Pnd-Lithuania was officially over.. As for the rest of the Eastern Coalition, they would be back with a vengeance soon enough.

 Chapter 503 - A Long Forgotten Prophesy

    Weeks had passed since the day that the Indian delegation began their long journey home. Currently, the Regent of the AnangpurEmpire Chandra Tomara stood within the confines of the Imperial Pce, in the northwestern corner of the Indian Subcontinent. While his nephew was technically the Emperor, he was, in the fact, the one who held all the power that remained within the hands of his dynasty.


    In his hands was an ancient scroll which contained a prophecy as foretold by an obscure oracle whose name had been lost to history. However, one thing was certain: every word that this prophet spoke hade to pass throughout the course of history. This included the rise of the Anangpur Empire, the centuries of prosperity they had lived through, and its eventual decline.


    As a fervent believer in the prophecies spoken by this oracle, Chandra was worried about one sentence in particr. Though the passage was short and rather cryptic, he believed it was only a matter of time before it became reality. As he read through the lines of the prophecy for the millionth time in his life, the Regent''s lips quivered in trepidation.


    "In an era of strife and regression, a princess will seduce a one eyed devil from the west. At her behest, this fiend shall bring his endless hordes to bear upon the Indus River Valley, deposing the shadow behind the throne while cing the offspring of their unholy union as sovereign over all of India. In doing so, the halfbreed will ensure centuries of his people''s servitude to their foreign masters."


    The moment Chandra read these words, he shivered. He had consulted many schrs over the years, and the wisest of them all had confirmed that they were living within the era of strife and regression, as foretold in the prophecy.


    Though the Princess of the Empire was only a little girl at the moment, Chandra knew that one day she would grow into a great beauty and fulfill the prophecy, ensuring that he would ultimately lose the wealth and power he currently held.


    There was nothing more important in the Regent''s mind than living out a life of hedonism during thest days of his family''s empire. In his mind, there was no conceivable way to save them from their current problems. Even the vast fortune that his ancestors had gained was depleting at an astonishing rate.


    Yet, the Emperor foolishly wished to waste what remained of their wealth on weapons from the west that held no certainty of functioning as advertised. Thus, the man sighed heavily as he ced the scroll back within the confines of the pce''s library. He internally to prevent this prophecy from bing reality no matter what the cost.


    After returning the scroll whence it came, Chandra returned to the great hall where his nephew Dharya sat on the throne. The regent sneered at the boy-emperor. Though he may sit on the seat of power, he held no influence over the Empire''s politics, or even the wealth of its treasury. However, when he rounded the corner, he was surprised to see that his own son was kneeling before the boy, and spouting nonsense about his journey.


    Evidently Ishwar had taken an Austrian Clipper as transport to the Red Sea, before boarding another vessel on the other side, which brought him back to his homnd. It was the only way to exin the swiftness of his journey between the two kingdoms.


    "Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Austria in the west is where those weapons were manufactured. It is a realm like no other. Such wealth and prosperity are truly unfathomable. I rode on a device called a train, which was like a chain of long carriages, that operated entirely without animal power, and at speeds so high I could hardly believe it.


    Not only was this device fast, but it was luxurious too, disying the wealth of the Austrian Kingdom to all foreigners who wished to buy a ticket. On top of this, the King was kind enough to show me around the weapons factory where they manufactured the weapons you saw. They had thousands of them lying in wait to be sold and could produce hundreds a day.


    I saw the weapons employed against western style armor, and at a distance of thirty feet, they could prate through the thickest portion of a knight''s breastte as if the projectile were going through butter. It is of my opinion that if we wish to quell the unrest within our borders, and defeat the enemies who are at our gates, then we should invest in these weapons."


    Upon hearing thisst part, Chandra could no longer contain his inner fury, and burst out of his hiding spot where he lectured his son for his overeager behavior.


    "Do you honestly expect the emperor to believe such tall tales? A chain of wagons carried across thends at high speed with no horses to power it? What next, ships made of steel!?! It is simply absurd! Your Majesty, do not listen to the foolishness that your cousin spouts. The boy must have been intoxicated during his stay in this foreignnd."


    When Ishwar heard these hard words, he reached into his luggage and pulled out a gift that Berengar had prepared for the boy emperor, which was covered in a silk cloth. Ishwar removed the covering to reveal a magnificent firearm that was more a work of art than a weapon.


    In his hands was a G-22 rifle, which was far from standard issue. Rather than a blued steel finish, the metallicponents were made of ckened steel, which was iid with gold damascene in the form of an elephant and floral pattern. The stock itself was hand-carved from polished Ebony which was imported from the Indian Subcontinent, and had an elephant pattern.


    A case of specialized .45-70 cartridges were provided alongside the rifle. These were unique, as they were a prototype munition that used solid lead Spitzer bullets. These projectiles were far more urate than the standardized munitions because of this improvement.


    Dharya gazed upon the magnificent weapon with awe in his eyes. This weapon looked very different from the arkebuse he had seen before. Upon noticing the expression on the young Emperor''s face, Ishwar smiled before reading the words inscribed on a card that Berengar had entrusted him with.


    "For the mighty Emperor of the Anangpur Empire, I gift you this firearm, which is current issue to my armed forces, as a sign of my friendship. I hope this weapon acts as proof of my Kingdom''s capabilities, and can at the very least entertain you for years toe.


    -Sincerely, King Berengar von Kufstein"


    After reading this message, Dharya grabbed hold of the rifle and began to y with it. While this was happening Ishwar ryed anothe message that Berengar had given him.


    "This rifle, aside from all the embellishment, is the current issue firearm in the Austrian Royal Army to their standard soldiers. I must admit, I did not get to witness its effects, but it is a proof of their manufacturing capability. I regret to inform you that these weapons are not for sale, but the arkebuses are still more than capable of providing an enormous advantage on the battlefield.


    After witnessing the glory of Austrian Engineering, Dharya was more adamant than ever to spend the funds necessary to obtain their weapons. Despite his desire to purchase the arkebuses, he was not in charge of Anangpur''s finances, and thus could not easily do so. Thus, he ignored his uncle and instead inquired about the cost of such weapons.


    "Ishwar, tell me, what is the price to pay to supply my army with arkebuses?"


    The Emperor''s cousin frowned when he heard this response. He knew that the asking price was not something that his father would easily agree to. However, he did not hide this and answered honestly.


    "The Austrians were adamant that we use their currency to purchase their weapons. Apparently, in the western world, the Austrian Thaler and Gulden have be the staple of international trade because of their purity and value.


    For example, one one Austrian Gulden is worth 490 Austrian Thalers, however, the Thaler, which is their silver coin, is worth substantially more than ours. This means we would have to spend a significant sum of our silver coins to exchange for a single gulden. Your Majesty, I hate to say it, but if you wish to outfit your armies with these weapons, it will be a considerable expense..."


    While Dharya was eager to spend the money necessary to outfit his army, Chandra stepped in and prevented the transaction from continuing.


    "Absolutely not! I will not allow you to waste so much money on such novelties. For the good of the Empire, I must put my foot down and prevent this transaction. These Austrians are trying to con you out of your family''s fortune."


    Dharya sneered when he heard his uncle''s retort. He knew the only reason the man was preventing this arms deal from urring was because he wanted to waste that sum on frivolous luxuries for himself. Despite this, he was not in any ce to overrule his decision, thus he sighed heavily and admitted defeat. Perhaps he was doomed to lose all of his authority as the Emperor.


    However, fate would have it that Berengar left a good impression on the young ambassador, and in doing so, more importantly Ishwar wanted to continue to visit Austria in the future, after returning to his family''s medieval Empire he felt an overwhelming sense of depression. Thus, he was quick to negotiate on behalf of the Emperor, despite it being against his father''s wishes.


    "Father, surely we can spare some funds to update the equipment of the Tiger Guard? It is no secret they are currently issued centuries old equipment that is well past the point of serviceability. How can we expect them to protect the Emperor from our family''s enemies if they are under-equipped!?!


    The Royal Guard of Anangpur, also known as the Tiger Guard, was an elite military unit of roughly 1,000 men designed to protect the Emperor and the Royal Family. Unlike the army, which answered to various corrupt generals who were in Chandra''s pocket, the Tiger Guard acted solely on the orders of the Emperor. It was explicitly because of this that Chandra had ensured they were under-equipped and under-funded.


    Until now, there had been no objection to thisck of funding and supplies. However, it was something that was well known, and if Chandra denied this request, he could not deny his plot to keep the Emperor poorly protected in preparation for the eventuality of his usurpation. Such a thing would easily be considered treason.


    Thus, he had no choice but to agree to this request. In doing so, he sighed heavily before responding.


    "Very well. If you truly believe these new weapons are suitable for the Tiger Guard, I suppose we can afford the expense. However, if they do not live up to their reputation, and the Emperor is harmed because of this, I will hold you personally responsible. Do you understand my son?


    Ishwar nodded his head in silence. He understood what his father was nning and secretly despised it. Ishwar was a man who still had faith in his Empire''s ability to survive its current troubles. However, so long as his father was in charge of the Empire, it will decline rapidly. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about such a thing. Corruption was rampant in every facet of society, and anyone who could end Chandra''s tyranny was either dead, or paid for by the tyrant himself.


    However, if the tiger guard was appropriately supplied with arkebuses and falcs, they could at the very least hold off any attempt to overthrow the Emperor long enough for the boy to escape. A life in exile was certainly better than death.


    Ishwar turned and faced his cousin with a look of pity on his face. He did not envy the boy in the slightest, or the burdens he had to bear. However, If there was one person in this world who could invoke a greater sense of sympathy in Ishwar''s young heart, it was the princess. Doomed to be locked away from the world atrge, a prisoner in her own room simply because her uncle was obsessed with a long forgotten prophecy. Truly, it was a shame....

 Chapter 504 - Retaliation Via Proxy

    Deep within the confines of the Imperial Pce of the Byzantine Emperor was the personal quarters of the First Prince Quintus. Since his brother''s maiming in Austria''s retaliation, he had receivedrger support from the aristocracy than he had previously. With the warrior Prince wounded to such a savage degree, the hawkish faction had declined in power.


    Despite this, Decentius'' influence over his most hardcore supporters continued to exist, and in doing so, he had infiltrated his brother''s allies. While the Emperor had epted the Mamluk Sultanate''s me for the attack on his son, and was preparing for war, Decentius would never roll over and allow the attack on his life to go unpunished.


    If he could not harm Berengar or his family directly, then at the very least, he could empower his enemies. Thus an agent of the Second Prince who had infiltrated Quintus'' allies was currently in the First Prince''s quarters searching for a critical piece of information, hoping to leak it to the western world.


    While Quintus was away on diplomatic business, the perfect opportunity had presented itself for Decentius and what little remained of his faction. Thus, the man in question was frantically searching through the First Prince''s quarters, looking for the object of his mission.


    However, after a thorough search, he had yet to find the leather-bound journal which Berengar had gifted to the Empire, hoping to improve their agriculture. He was at his wit''s end. Of course, until he tripped over an out-of-ce tile on the floor.


    After rising to his feet and rubbing his head, the spy noticed the damaged flooring, and inspected it. After sessfully removing the tile in question, he found the object of his desires. Arge leather-bound journal was hidden away beneath the floor.


    A look of excitement appeared on the man''s face as he grabbed ahold of the book and searched through its contents, confirming that it was, in fact, the journal he was looking for. After obtaining the object, he quickly ced the loose tile back in its natural position before absconding from the First Prince''s quarters and returning to his master.


    Upon entering Decentius'' room where hey, wounded and disfigured, a smile appear on the undamaged half of the man''s face before he asked on his mind.


    "Did you get it?"


    The spy nodded his head with satisfaction before handing over the journal to his master. When Decentius read through its contents, it filled him with joy. He could finally get back at Austria for what they did to him. Thus, he gave his nextmands to his agent with a wicked smile on his face.


    "Copy down all the information in this text, then send it to the Papacy anonymously. Those catholic bastards will most likely distribute all the information in this text to the Catholic world. Soon Berengar''s stranglehold over the food supply of Europe wille to an end!"


    The spy nodded his head before bowing towards his master.


    "It will be done, your majesty."


    After saying this, he departed from the Second Prince''s quarters, where he quickly got to work on the task at hand.


    ---


    Several weekster, in the heart of the Papacy, Pope Julius sat on his throne with a distressed appearance. The man had practically aged twenty years since he had first taken the Papal Throne a few years prior. Berengar''s attempts to put an end to Papal Power in Europe had taken a toll on the man''s physical and mental health.


    With all the German Cardinals defecting towards the so called German Reformation, he was now in a terrible state. Southern and Eastern Germany had fallen into the clutches of Berengar the ursed. Only the northern states remained defiant to the self-proimed Austrian King, and his heresy.


    Catholicism had rapidly deteriorated and the southern and eastern German regions. In response to the Catholic Church''s persecution of reformist, The South German Confederation and the states within it had seized the assets of Catholic monasteries and cathedrals alike. With the support of the former German Cardinals, the German Reformation had persecuted its former masters, and by now Catholicism within the borders of Southern Germany was virtually non-existent.


    However, though the Papacy was losing power and influence by the day, its many loyal followers in western and eastern Europe had donated a substantial sum of wealth. In doing so, the Catholic Church could now fund the manufacture of firearms for their Crusader Orders.


    Though they utterly failed to replicate the flintlock mechanism, because of ack of ess to spring steel, the captured muskets from the war in Italy a few years prior had provided several insights to the Catholic Church where they should focus on developing firearms.


    Because of this, they could upgrade the basic arkebuses obtained from the war in Iberia with some of what they learned from studying the rifled flintlock muskets captured during the war in Italy, and could now create a crude blend of the two designs. Which were being supplied to the Crusader Armies while Julius sat upon the throne of Papal Power.


    While Julius was pondering all these changes to his crusader armies, a servant burst through the door, holding onto a rtively thick leather-bound journal. There was an excited glint in his eyes as he knelt before the pope and presented him with the gift.


    "Your holiness, an anonymous source has presented you with a gift, it appears to be a journal containing many of the Technological innovations used in Austria''s agriculture. The most likely source of this information is a faction within the Byzantine Empire who is hostile towards Berengar the ursed!"


    Pope Julius broke out intoughter as he heard thisments and immediately stood up from his throne and prayed towards the heaven.


    "I knew you had not abandoned us!"


    After saying this, he snatched hold of the leather-bound journal and began flipping through its contents. This was just the thing he needed to abate the current food-shortage crisis that existed throughout the Catholic World.


    Currently, Berengar held a stranglehold over the food surplus, unlike the rest of Europe. Austria had grown a significant surplus, and was currently using it as ransom over their neighbors, who were suffering from famine.


    Now Julius had the means to grow a surplus of his own within southern Italy, and after a few harvests use it as a means to restore faith in the Church. Only those loyal to the papacy would receive aid in these dire times. Thus, with this n in action, Julius handed the journal back to the servant and gave him his orders..


    "Send this to Emperor Balsamo, and order him to implement these practices across the Kingdom of Naples and what fewnds the Holy Roman Empire still hold in the balkans. Tell him whatever the expense is, the Papacy will dly pay for it!"


    The servant smiled before agreeing to this request


    "Yes, your holiness. I will dispatch this to the Emperor immediately!"


    After saying this, the servant left his master alone with his thoughts. While Julius sat back down on his seat of power, he smiled wickedly as he thought about the day he finally overcame Berengar and his legions of the damned.


    "Just you wait Berengar von Kufstein, when Iunch my crusade, you and your armies won''t be able to stand against the might of God and his Church! You and your demonic dynasty will perish from this world and spend an eternity in hell. I will make sure of it!"


    After expressing these thoughts aloud, the Pope shifted his attention back to the means of arming his supporters with the appropriate weapons. Though he knew Austria continued to advance in terms of military technology at a rapid rate, he was entirely unafraid, for now his soldiers would have the ability to effectivelybat the Austrian Army, or so he thought.


    It was not just matchlock muskets that were being introduced to the Crusader forces, but bays and six-pound cannons. Though they weren''t explosive, like the primitive shellsunched from Berengar''s early artillery pieces, they were far more advanced than anything currently being used by the enemies of Berengar.


    The improvements to the Catholic Forces that had been reverse engineered by captured Austrian tech were sure to have an effect on the battlefields across Europe, and the world as a whole. Soon the rest of Europe would be able to create military technology that was on par with the renaissance of Berengar''s past life.


    Berengar''s actions in this world had sparked a desire within the European nations topete with his mighty Kingdom. In doing so, the renaissance was bound to begin earlier in this timeline than in Berengar''s past life. All that was necessary for this revival of culture and science was the copse of the Catholic Church and its influence over the Western World.


    The uing Crusade against Berengar would be a turning point in World History, whether it destroyed the Catholic Church, and the caused the unification of a Great German Empire. Or resulted in the death of Berengar, and the copse of his fledgling Kingdom.. Either way, it was sure to have major consequences on the timeline.

 Chapter 505 - A Near Death Experience

    The King of Austria stood in the mountains outside of the Capital City of his realm. Beside him was the young Prince Hans, who was the age of five this year. In this child''s hands was a rifle, specifically constructed with the purpose of training youth in the operation of firearms.


    This rifle was a scaled-down version of the G-22 Service Rifle chambered in a unique center-fire cartridge modeled after the .22 Ho from Berengar''s previous life, the primary difference being its use of ck powder. The King corrected his son''s shooting stance before taking a step back and instructing the prince in the proper use of the firearm.


    "Hans, you must line up the rear notch with the front sight post. After both are in line with your target, take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger. Make sure the stock of your rifle is embedded firmly in your shoulder before firing."


    Hans nodded to his father''s words before doing as instructed, after a few moments of preparation he took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger, in doing so a loud bang resounded in the air, and the .22 projectile flew down range and towards the steel target.


    Berengar looked through his binocrs to witness the projectile impacting the target and boldly dered his sess.


    "Hit!"


    A smile formed on the Prince''s face, as he heard the feedback of his sessful hit shortly after his father''s deration. Having achieved his first sessful shot, the boy looked over at his father with a wide smile in doing so, shifting the muzzle of his rifle toward the King.


    "I did it!"


    Despite the boy''s achievement, his father was far from pleased, and he immediately reacted by disarming the boy and shoving him toward''s the ground. After doing so, he cleared the weapon to ensure its safety before tossing it onto the grass beside his child.


    "Never point your weapon towards something you don''t intend to destroy! I don''t care if you just fired your shot, and you think it to be safe. Do not point your weapon at me unless you intend to kill me, boy!"


    A tear formed in the Prince''s eye as he gazed upon his father''s cruelty, however Berengar merely sneered in disdain before lecturing his son further.


    "Hans, you are my son, and one day you will be a man. Listen well to my advice and take it to heart. Men do not cry in the presence of others, we do not have the luxury to show such weakness! If you wish to cry, do so when you are alone... Now get up and prepare to fire another round down range!"


    The young Prince immediately wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded his head towards his father, after dusting himself off, he grabbed ahold of his rifle, and pointed it in a safe direction before pulling out a cartridge from his bandolier and cing it in the chamber. After shoving the bolt home, he aimed the rifle down range once more.


    However, this time, a white rabbit showed up on the range, and rather than shoot an inanimate object, Hans vented his frustration by shifting his aim towards the furry critter. After acquiring his target, and taking a deep breath, he squeezed the trigger, sending the .22 projectile down range and through the rabbit''s eye.


    After sessfully killing the prey, Hans pulled back the bolt, ejecting the round before shouldering his rifle and staring at his father with a stern expression. This time, Berengar was far more pleased with the boy''s actions and patted him on the back.


    "Good shot! It looks like we will be eating rabbit for dinner tonight. I''m proud of you, killer!"


    Hans smiled as he heard his father''s praise before ncing toward the in rabbit. There was a tinge of remorse in his heart after killing the creature, but after hearing his father''s praise, only pride remained.


    Berengar ushered his son forward to collect his prize.


    "Hans, go pick up the beast and bring it here. Afterward we will send a few more rounds down range and bring this bad boy home for your mother Yasmin to cook!" The five-year-old prince had an excited smile on his face when he heard this, he always enjoyed his foreign mother''s exotic cooking. Thus, he did as instructed and retrieved the rabbit.


    However, while Hans approached the in rabbit, he overheard rustle in the nearby bushes, shortly thereafter a wild wolf jumped out from its covering and pounced on him, instantly knocking him to the ground. The foul creature spent no time and immediately tried to tear at the young princes neck, however the boy reacted on instinct and shove the stock of his rifle into the creature''s jaws, preventing it from iming his life.


    Face to face with a wild wolf, which stood atop him, desperately attempting to im his life, Hans felt his life sh before his eyes. He struggled to prevent injury. His father ran towards him, and grabbed ahold of the wild wolf, picking it up into the air and mming it into the ground as hard as he could.


    Berengar pinned the wolf to the ground, before pulling out his bay and ruthlessly slicing its throat. Blood poured onto the ground as Hans gazed in horror at his father''s vicious actions. Yet the violence did not end there. Enraged by the beast''s attempt to murder his son, Berengar continued to repeatedly stab the creature long after death, until all of his anger was properly vented.


    By the time he was finished with the mut, the young King of Austria was drenched in its blood, his otherwise handsome face coated in the viscous red substance. It was only then that he gazed over at his son, who looked at him in horror and checked on his condition.


    Berengar''s expression instantly shifted from a sadistic psychopath, to a caring father as he grabbed ahold of his five-year-old son, who was shivering in fear after what had just transpired. The king searched the boy''s body for wounds while inquiring about his health.


    "Hans! Are you okay? Did it bite you? Did it scratch you? Are you hurt at all?"


    The young prince shook his head. Miraculously, not a single scratch existed on his body after such a frightful counter. In fact, he was more afraid of his father''s actions than that of the wolf. Upon seeing that his son was okay, Berengar grabbed ahold of him tightly, and kissed his forehead, hugging the boy as he struggled to contain the tears in his eyes.


    "I thought I lost you... This is my fault. I should have been there with you to prevent something like this from happening. I won''t ever let you down again..."


    It was at this moment the bushes rustled once more. Berengar quickly pushed his son behind him as he wielded his bay, preparing for another conflict. However, in the next moment, a small wolf pup appeared from the bushes, and gazed upon its dead mother.


    Berengar picked up the pup and was about to end its miserable existence when his son stopped him.


    "Wait!"


    When the king heard this, he shifted his gaze towards his son, his knife already at the throat of the infant wolf.


    "Hans, this creature won''t survive on its own. It is better to kill it now, then let it starve to death..."


    A determined expression appeared on the Prince''s face as he nodded his head before making a request of his kingly father.


    "I will take care of it!"


    The Austrian Monarch could not help but scoff when he heard this.


    "You? You are but a child yourself. Do you have any idea what kind of responsibility that is?"


    However, Hans did not waver. Instead, he brought up solid reasoning to his father about why he should care for the wolf pup.


    "I am the reason its mother is dead, therefore the responsibility to ensure its survival falls to me!"


    Berengar could tell his son was serious, and thus lowered his de before tossing the infant wolf to its new master.


    "You will feed it, walk it, and look after it. When it dies, you will be responsible for burying it. I will have no part in this. Make sure it has better manners than its mother, or I might just kill it after all..."


    Hans nodded his head and grabbed hold of the pup, stuffing it under his arm. As he carried the creature with him. As for the rabbit, Berengar picked it up and slung it across his back before giving his son an order.


    "Pick up your rifle. We''re going home. I am sure your mother will be furious when she finds out about this, and I am the one who is going to have to suffer."


    Hans did not disobey his father''s orders, and did as he was instructed. Thus, the King and the Prince made the long trek back to the Pce, this near-death experience, and the violence his father was willing to engage in to ensure his protection would forever linger in the boy''s mind.


    Such a memory was bound to influence the boy''s mind on the lengths a man should go to in order to ensure the safety of his family and his people.. Future Historians and psychologists would look back on this day, as a key event in the Prince''s life, one that helped shape his personality.

 Chapter 506 - Retirement Ceremony

    The sounds of instruments filled the air, as the battle songs used by the Austrian army prevailed throughout the city of Kufstein. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had surrendered. In doing so, Austria gained control of the easternmost portions of the German Empire from Berengar''s previous life. The power of the South German Confederation had expanded once more.


    Eckhard sat atop his horse at the head of the formation, with the Polish Princess Natalia in hisp. She was the prize he had brought home for the young Prince Hans. He expected to convince her father to make the girl one of his future brides, in doing so securing their ce as overlords of the Kingdom of Pnd.


    However, that was a discussion to be hadter. The Austrian Field Marshal and his returning soldiers were heralded as war heroes, and given a grand ceremony upon entering the city of Kufstein. Berengar was always one for pageantry, and though Eckhard could not care less about such endeavors, he was forced to endure them for the sake of the Austria''s propaganda efforts.


    With the Golden Horde in a state of Civil War, and the Polish-Lithuanianmonwealth crushed beneath the heel of the Austrian Royal Army, as well as the ongoing conflict from the various Rus states attempting to overthrow the yoke of their Golden Horde masters, Austria''s newfound eastern borders were now secure.


    For all intents and purposes the war with the Eastern Coalition was over, and though the other two factions had not officially surrendered, it would be a long time before they managed to get their affairs in order to a point where they could pose a threat to Austria''s newly conquered territory.


    Thus, this return celebration was more like a victory parade, as young unmarried women gathered on the sides of the streets and flew flowers at the feet of their conquering heroes. The Austrian soldiers had a gaze of prize as they marched down the main street of Kufstein towards the central za where their King waited to congratte them on their overwhelming victory.


    Eventually, Eckhard ordered his trusty steed to a halt, and the army behind him followed suit. Standing on a podium above their position, the King in all his glory, stood with a smile on his face. He cleared his throat before beginning his speech.


    "I would like to thank all of you brave men for your contributions to the war against the Eastern Coalition, and though peace has been established between us and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, we must be wary of our enemies further east. The Golden Horde and their Rus ves are still at war with us, and though they currently have their troubles, they will surely return in the future in an attempt to wrestle control of the regions you have conquered for themselves.


    For now, rest well, lick your wounds, and prepare yourselves for the future of our mighty Kingdom. For the time being, those divisions who are fresh will take your ce on the Eastern Borders, to ensure its safety as the region goes through a great transition under our annexation.


    Before you all return to your homes, and loved ones, I want to make onest announcement. After years of service, and his many achievements in battle, Field Marshal Eckhard von Hallstatt will retire from his position. In his spare time, he will take up a position as a professor at the Kufstein Military Academy where he will help instruct the next generation of officers with his vast knowledge of strategy, tactics, and logistics.


    For all the citizens of Austria, now is the time to give your thanks to this man and his years of service to our kingdom. Without him, I surely would not have been able to establish the mighty Kingdom you all know and love today."


    Upon saying this, the tens of thousands of gathered citizens broke out into cheers and apuse as they thanked Eckhard for his service. After silence prevailed, he walked towards the podium where Berengar stood. Allowing the King to present his greatest general with one final award.


    "For your years of service, and the endless support you have given your King, and fathend, I present you with two final honors. I King Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name hereby, award you Eckhard von Hallstatt the position of Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order, which through your efforts has recently been established as a Chivalric Order of our realm. I also Award you and your descendents with the title of Grand Duke of Prussia, to rule over thends you have conquered in this campaign from now until the end of time!"


    Eckhard could hardly believe his ears. He had never desired, nor expected Berengar to give him a higher rank of nobility, or a leadership position in a Chivalric Order, and yet, here he stood the Grand Duke of Prussia, and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. It was truly a fitting end to the lengthy military career of the Field Marshal. The middle-aged knight struggled to contain the tears in his eyes as he kneeled before his King.


    "From the day I swore service to you, I have seen your infinite potential be reality. I swear on the honor of my name, and house, that my loyalty towards you and your dynasty shall never waver. This humble servant thanks you for your kindness, and presents you with one final gift."


    After saying this, Eckhard stood up and whistled where his soldiers brought forth the young Princess of Pnd, and handed her off to Eckhard. The girl was pouting as she gazed upon the King of Austria.


    "This is Princess Natalia Jagiellon of the Kingdom of Pnd. I have seized her to act as your ward, until the day shees of age, in order to ensure that her father behaves himself."


    Berengar was surprised to see this, but put on a friendly smile as he kneeled down and petted the girl''s auburn hair.


    "Hello, Natalia, I am King Berengar, I promise you, so long as you are under my protection, no harm shalle to you. I know things must be difficult for you right now, but I look forward to looking after you."


    The girl remained silent as she walked over to Berengar''s side and hid behind him, peeking out over at Eckhard. In her mind, Berengar seemed far more friendly than the old man who ripped her from her home. Berengar chuckled when he saw this timid gesture and rested his hand on her head before making a joke to his now retired field marshal.


    "What did you do to the poor girl to make her act so coldly to you?"


    Eckhard, never one to engage in childish humor, had a straight face before answering his King honestly.


    "I killed her brother."


    Berengar''s smile sank as he heard this, before nodding his head in silence. After a few moments, he picked the girl up and held her in his arms before giving Eckhard one final order.


    "Go now and rest, my friend. You have earned it. Whatever funds you need to establish your pce in your new territory, I will happily provide it to you. If you wish to take up a new surname on behalf of where you settle, you are more than wee to..."


    Eckhard smiled bitterly as he reflected on his past before nodding his head in agreement.


    "Very well, since you have said these words, I won''t be stingy..."


    Berengar chuckled as he ced his hand on his friend''s shoulder before sending him off.


    "Don''t be a stranger. You are always wee in my pce whenever you feel the need to visit."


    With that said, the King of Austria and the Grand Duke of Prussia parted ways. Whether they would ever meet again remained to be seen. One thing was certain: Eckhard''s dynasty would be the most ardent supporters of the von Kufstein Dynasty.. In doing so, Berengar had once more forever changed the timeline of this world from that of his previous life.

 Chapter 507 - Raising A Prince Properly

    The young Austrian King sat in his office. Standing in front of him were his second wife and their eldest child. By all means, the mother was not pleased with the news she had received. Though Berengar had attempted to hide what happened in the mountains, ultimately, he could not prevent Linde from finding out the truth of the matter for very long.


    The redheaded beauty was crossing her arms beneath her substantial bust, with a scowl on her face. Despite her unpleasant appearance, she was still quite beautiful. Thus, Berengar was far from intimidated as he sat behind his desk with a calm expression, his hands pressed together in contemtion. It was at this moment that Linde chastised her husband for his behavior.


    "You brought our son into the mountains alone, so that he could learn to shoot? You do realize he is five, right? On top of that, he was attacked by a wolf under your watch. What if he got hurt!?!"


    Berengar had been dreading this conversation since the event first happened. He knew it was only a matter of time before his spymaster found out about their child''s near death experience. Rather than address the woman''s concerns, Berengar red at his son with a troubled expression before interrogating the boy about how his wife knew about this incident.


    "You told your mother what happened?"


    Hans stared at his feet, unwilling to meet his father''s gaze. Though he had initially attempted to lie to his mother about how he obtained the wolf pup, under the inquisitive gaze of his conniving mother, the boy quickly broke down and revealed everything that had happened in the mountains.


    Upon seeing her son''s defeated expressions, Linde kneeled down and hugged the child, embracing his small head into her substantial bosom as she stroked his strawberry blonde hair while ring at her husband for his overbearing attitude.


    "Don''t lecture my son for telling the truth about the matter. What did you think I would not find out about this? Even if he had not revealed what had happened to him, I would have be aware of this incident, eventually. Are you not ashamed of yourself for putting your eldest child in danger?"


    Berengar did not back down, and instead stood up from his seat and gazed down at his wife with a tyrannical expression, he did not feel like he was in the wrong, and he refused to apologize to the woman simply because she felt that he was. Instead, he defended his actions vehemently.


    "As you have said, the boy is five. It is time for him to learn the fundamentals of handling a rifle. How was I supposed to know that a wolf would pounce on him? I did everything I could to defend the boy. I even wrestled with a wolf!


    Look at him! There is not even a scratch on our son, and yet you chastise me for rushing to his defense? It is you who should be ashamed. I understand your fury as a mother, but to me me for an act of god, is utterly nonsensical. I expected more of you, Linde...


    Your son, despite being a mere child, showed bravery in face of death, and has learned a valuable life lesson, that most boys don''te to understand until they have marched to war. You should be proud that he showed such fierce resistance against a stronger opponent which sought to im his life.


    In fact, because of this incident, I have realized that it is time for the boy to learn martial arts, I will enroll him in Austrian Wrestling, and Kickboxing, so that if he ever finds himself in harm''s way without protection, he will have the knowledge to defend himself."


    Linde immediately pouted as she protested this statement.


    "He is too young to learn such things! Let him enjoy his childhood some more!"


    However, Berengar remained defiant. His will be ultimately greater than the boy''s mother, thus he walked towards the woman and grabbed ahold of her perfectly sculpted chin, and looked at her in the eyes, with a fierce gaze.


    "Because of my love for you, I have allowed you to pamper our son, but the world is cruel, and he needs to learn the skills to protect himself and those he cares about. I know about your conspiracies, how you scheme behind my back to ce Hans on the Throne, despite my wishes for the mostpetent of my sessors to inherit my domain.


    If you want your son to seed me, then he needs to learn some discipline. The sooner hees to understand this virtue, the better; and there is no better way to teach him than through the struggle of conflict! The boy will learn martial arts, and that is final!"


    The second Queen of Austria did not meet her husband''s gaze. Instead, she continued to pout. It surprised her to hear that Berengar was aware of her schemes. Perhaps he was more formidable than she had initially estimated. Despite her actions, she deeply cared about both her husband, and her son, and Berengar''s words made sense.


    In fact, the more the woman thought about it, the more she realized Berengar was trying to help Hans in his future struggle to obtain the throne. Thus, a sultry smile formed on her luscious lips as she wrapped her arms around the King''s neck and whispered in his ear.


    "To think you would show favoritism to our son. I wonder what Ad would think if she found out about this?"


    Berengar merely chuckled and grabbed ahold of his wife''s plump, but toned bottom with both hands as he kissed her passionately. After unlocking his lips from her own, with a slight hint of drool upon his pink tongue, the king whispered in his wife''s ear.


    "This will be our little secret..."


    Hans witnessed the intimate disy between his parents with a stoic expression, throughout his entire life, he had be ustomed to seeing his parents act in such a manner, to him it was a normal part of life, thus he thought nothing of their brief conflict, and intimate disy after making up. Instead, he was more curious about what his father had said about learning martial arts.


    Until now, Hans'' greatest talent was his superior intellect over other children his age. He was five years old, and yet he had practically finished his elementary education. Now his father nned to enroll him in martial arts. Now was the time to prove that he was not only an intellectual prodigy, but an athletic one as well.


    Thus, the boy had a hint of determination in his eyes, as he nodded his head in agreement with his father''s words. Discipline was necessary for character growth, and despite his young age, he looked forward to the man he would one day be.


    As for Berengar he released his hold over his wife, and sent her on her way, he had much work to be had, with the formation of the Grand Duchy of Pnd, and its annexation into his Kingdom''s borders, there were many reforms that needed to be enacted, and Eckhard was the man to institute them.


    Linde ultimately left the King''s office, in a much happier mood than when she had entered. She was even humming a song while walking down the halls with her son in hand. As if after a brief conversation, she had reced all the anger that she held towards her husband with undying love. She no longer cared about the incident with the wolf, and instead saw it as a way for her son to grow into a man capable of seeding his father.


    Hans looked up at his mother with a smile. It was good to see her so happy. She was such a terrifying woman when she was angry, and he would rather not be involved with such feminine wrath. Ultimately, he concluded that his father''s actions of refusing to kneel and beg to forgiveness was in fact the appropriate response for when a woman was angry with you.


    How the old man changed his mother''s attitude so swiftly, the boy did not know, but clearly it was a skill he would need to learn for the future. Thus, after a brief bout with death, the boy had learned many life lessons that would help him on his quest to be his father''s sessor.


    As for Ad''s children, they were still much too young to even begin toprehend their own sentience, let alone worry about such future power struggles. Whether Berengar would show his children with his High Queen the same degree of discipline and training that he had afforded to Hans; that had yet to be seen.


    Perhaps Berengar would take a different route of parenting for Ad''s children. After all, their mother had a very different attitude and morals than that of Linde.. The possibility of the High Queen epting such a harsh and rigid upbringing was likely non-existent.

 Chapter 508 - Exploring Unknown Regions

    Honoria stood atop the bow of her vessel, with her pirate crew. It had been quite some time since they had seen action. Sworn to Secrecy by the confines of Austrianw, the woman that followed the Pirate Queen was looking for adventure, and she knew just where to go.


    Shortly after returning home, Honoria had spent some time with her infant child, however she was quick to leave him and her husband behind as she pursued adventure and riches in the unknownnds across the antic.


    Berengar had promised to allow her to explore the depths of the Americas, and she was keen to do so. Equipped with the most modern weapons avable to the Kingdom of Austria, Honoria and her crew were now venturing to the new world by their lonesome.


    After their exploits in the War of Austrian Session, and Reconquista, Honoria''s crew had be exceptionally popr in the folklore of the Mediterranean, attracting more crew and personnel who swore their allegiance to the Byzantine Princess and her crew of saltsses.


    These women were now dressed in a pattern of attire simr to that of the Austrian Navy, the difference being the use of skirts and thigh high socks. They had been at sea for well over two weeks now, and were getting close to the new world.


    The chart of their course was actually far south of where Berengar and Honoria had initiallynded. Under the King of Austria''s direction, the Third Queen set sail for what was as South America in his past life.


    His aim was to get her to explore thend that was known as Venezu in his past life. In doing so, mapping out the region, and allowing Austria''s future colonial endeavors to have a general idea of theyout of thend, and the factions who inhabited it.


    Currently Honoria was cleaning her 1422 Service Revolver, though this was not a standard model. Instead, it was heavily embellished with gold damascene in a pattern with skulls and bones. The grips were made of mother-of-pearl, while the trigger and hammer were gold ted. Overall, it was an extravagant weapon, fitting for the wealthy Pirate Queen.


    As she wiped the oil onto the functional parts of the weapon, she overheard a loud shout from the young woman stationed in her crow''s nest.


    "Land Ho!"


    Honoria quickly finished cleaning her revolver before loading it. After doing so, she stashed it away before mbering to a better position on her vessel to get a view of the unfamiliarndscape. In the distance was a tropical beach, which led to the Andes Mountains behind its sandy shores.


    Honoria had already questioned whether Berengar was aware of the New World before discovering it, but this newndmass far to the south of where she hadnded previously only further confirmed her suspicions.


    Eventually, the ship made its way into the bay, where the crew dropped the anchor and lowered the row boats into the ocean. At the head of the first boat, Honoria stood as hersses rowed the boat closer to the shore.


    With her naval cuss in hand, she waited for the moment she stepped on the sandy shores, and entered the new world once more. After strenuous effort, the boats made berth on the beaches outside of the mountain range set in its background.


    After all her girls had gathered, Honoria checked to see if they were all properly equipped. With G-22 rifles in hand, and 1422 Pattern web gear over their torsos, along with ck leather bandoliers which contained spare .45-70 cartridges, Honoria was certain that her crew could handle any conflict they encountered.


    Thus, under the lead of their Captain, the privateers of the Queen Honoria''s Revenge set out to explore this foreignndscape. With Honoria at the head of the crew, they entered the mountainous Andes. Completely unaware that some locals had spotted the arrival.


    The higher Honoria and her crew climbed, the more exhausted they became, until finally they made an encampment on a teau overlooking the bay below. Not all of her crew had deployed into the mountainous region. Instead, a fair portion of them stayed onboard the vessel.


    Though there was no threat to the safety of the ship in these primitive waters, one would be foolish to leave behind an iron-d warship with no protection. Thus, Honoria marched with a smallpany of privateers into the unknown regions of the Andes mountains.


    As she gazed upon the bay through her binocrs, the Byzantine Princess smiled when she thought about the freedom she now had whenpared to her previous life as the Byzantine Princess. Eventually, she put away her tools and lied down on a bedroll. As she gazed up at the night sky above the Andes mountains, she smiled before passing out.


    Not even thirty minutes had passed since the moment Honoria closed her eyes, to the instant gunfire resounded in the air, the Byzantine Princess quickly rose from her position, to see her encampment was under attack by some local savages, these tribesmen wore little in terms of clothing, and were painted from head to toe in war paint.


    Honoria quickly reached for her revolver and her sword as she joined the fray. The thunderous echo of gunfire had instigated a sense of dread in the hearts of the natives as they pounced on the strange pale skin women who hade from the sea.


    Honoria pulled back the hammer on her revolver and aimed it with her right hand straight at a native warrior''s skull, squeezing her trigger and in doing so sting his head apart. She did not hesitate to pull the trigger again as she shifted the muzzle of her weapon to a nearby savage. This time, the bullet tore through the opponent''s torso, leaving him dead on the spot.


    She had not been expecting an attack so soon after arriving. Despite this, the Byzantine Princess was calm as she rallied her girls by her side.


    "On me, form a firing line, and defend the camp!"


    Though these girls weren''t professional soldiers, they were experienced enough inbat to followmands. They quickly did as they were instructed, and formed their ranks by Honoria''s side, where they lowered their rifles toward the oing attackers. Their bays formed a spearwall that skewered those foolish enough to rush forward. In the next moment, Honoria gave themand to annihte the enemy..


    "Open fire!"


    With this said, smoke flew out from the muzzles of the rifles, and with it, the lead projectiles went down range and into the bodies of the enemies, causing their blood to stter across the teau. Without needing instruction, the girls who belonged to Honoria''s crew pulled back the bolt on their rifles, and inserted a cartridge into the empty chamber, before mming it home and firing another shot.


    They continued this action until the native war band hadpletely scattered up the mountains, too afraid to pursue the pale-skinned foreigners whomanded the element of thunder. After they had disappeared into the dark night, Honoria spat upon the nearest corpse and issued amand to her troops.


    "From now on, I want sentries posted at all entrances of our camp. I did not expect to encounter hostiles so soon, but now we know there are natives to thisnd, and they are hostile to us. Prepare forbat, because we are not leaving until we chart this strangend!"


    The girls nodded their heads as they flipped the safeties on their rifles towards the safe position. They would have to be on high alert from now on. Who knows what terrible fate could have happened to them if one girl had not spotted the shadowy figure of a savage warrior?


    Thus Honoria and her crew had contacted the local poption, and unlike in New Vienna, this was not a friendly encounter. She knew by the native''s reaction that she and her girls were in for a long, and bloody struggle to chart the region''s topography.


    However, despite these worries, she would press on. Berengar had ns for the region, and though she did not know how he knew of its existence, she was faithful to her husband, and would do as she had promised. Which thoroughly records her encounters and sells the information to the Austrian Crown as viable intelligence for its future Colonization Efforts.


    As for Berengar, when he received news of the locals hostility he would n ordingly for his future attempts to control the region. The Austrian King nned for Venezu to be the first of his southern colonies.


    After all, there were many desirable natural resources in the region, such as oil, gold, iron, bauxite, rubber, and, of course, potatoes. Berengar would have a hard time containing his desire in theing years to set sail and immediately colonize the region.. Patience was a virtue, however, the King of Austria was far from a virtuous man.

 Chapter 509 - Creation Of Synthetic Fibres

    Aldo von Passau was currently within the Chemistryb, with a team of chemists by his side. For quite some time now, he had been experimenting with two chemicals that he had recently discovered. Diamine Acid, which was made from Austria''s limited crude oil deposits, as well as the water based dicarboxylic acid. At the moment, he was carefully pouring an equal mixture of the two substances.


    In doing so, the Diamine Acid rose to the top of the mixture due to it being based upon oil, causing the two substances to create an obvious divide. However, an interesting reaction urred in center of the two substances as the mixture settled.


    A small film of a new material appeared. Aldo von Passau did not know it at this time, but he had just created Nylon, which was an important material in the manufacture of military equipment. Upon seeing the strange reaction, the man barked orders at one of his subordinates as he witnessed this strange reaction.


    "Bring me tweezers now!"


    The other chemist did as he was instructed and brought his boss the tools that he had called for. Aldo quickly grabbed hold of the device and yed with the small film in the middle of his chemical mixture. As he did so, he pulled the nylon up revealing a small string, the more he grabbed ahold of and dragged away the more material he would obtain.


    As he did this, a wide smile appeared on the man''s face. He had quite possibly just discovered something very important. Thus he began dispatching his orders for more of the mixture to be applied, in doing so the Chemists in Kufstein began experimenting with the creation of Nylon, they would not reveal the results of their findings for several weeks, only after they had thoroughly tested this new substance, and the best ways to harvest it.


    ---


    Berengar was sitting in his office. Weeks had passed since Aldo and his team of Chemists discovered Nylon, however he was utterly unaware of this feat, instead he sat upon his leather-bound chair, with one of his wives sitting in hisp.


    This woman was none other than Yasmin. While Berengar was trying to get some work done, the Moorish princess had insisted on spending time with her husband, and thus she yed with his chest as he struggled to stay focused.


    By now, the tan-skinned beauty had a well-developed belly, signifying that she had entered theter stages of pregnancy. Despite this, Berengar was still very attracted to the woman, and had spent many nights with her. After all, of all his wives, she was the most exotic, and was the only one he had brought back from a conquest.


    The Moorish Princess prodded the Austrian King''s chest as she gazed into his sapphire blue eye with a longing expression. Just when she was about to kiss her man, she heard a knock on the door, interrupting her actions. She pouted as her husband coughed and called out to the mysterious intruder.


    "This better be important!"


    A familiar voice resounded on the other side, one which Berengar had not spoken to in some time.


    "Your Majesty, I believe I have found something that will impress you!"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this. Aldo von Passau was always a kiss ass, but he was damn good at his job, and thus Berengar tolerated his sycophantic personality. With a heavy sigh, the King of Austria allowed entry into his office.


    "Very well. It is open. Do not waste my time..."


    When Aldo entered the room, he had a humble smile on his face as he instinctively bowed before his King.


    "I wouldn''t dream of it..."


    In the next moment, he noticed the intimate nature of Berengar and his Moorish bride. He realized why the King was in such a foul mood. Perhaps he had intruded upon something he shouldn''t have. Despite this, he was here now, and he would not waste the monarch''s precious time.


    The middle-aged chemist immediately withdrew arge spool of nylon from his jacket and handed it over to the King. Berengar did not immediately take notice of the substance until Aldo boasted about his achievements.


    "Your majesty, this is a synthetic fibre that myb has created from a mixture of diamine and dicarboxylic acid! It appears to be quite flexible and resilient, at least whenpared to fibrous materials found in nature. We can also use it in things other than fabric. It is my suspicion that this product will be very useful for many applications in our Kingdom''s future."


    Berengar was shocked to see that his chemists had identallye across stic so soon. He truthfully knew little about chemistry, and because of this, he could not contribute much more than an undergrad''s understanding of the subject to his people.


    However, in every generation, there were exceptional geniuses, which, when taught properly, could create things beyond imagination. Clearly, Aldo von Passau was one of these aforementioned geniuses. As for the application of this technology, Berengar had a very specific use in mind.


    Despite its discovery, production of the material would remain limited for a very long time, at least until Berengar could produce enough chemical manufacturing facilities and chemical engineers to operate them.


    However, in the meantime, he could make use of his limited supply of the newfound material to ensure a new generation of body armor was issued to his Special Forces, thus he was quite pleased with his Chemistry Department''s results. With a wide smile on his face, Berengar nodded his head before giving the man his approval.


    "Aldo, you never cease to amaze me with your ingenuity. I want as much of this synthetic fibre as you can produce within the next year. I have ns for it that will benefit our special forces and ensure improved survivability among their ranks."


    Though Aldo did not know what Berengar had nned for such a fabric, he could tell by the expression on the King''s face that he had at the very least earned himself another massive bonus. Thus, he wore a humble smile as he bowed before his King once more.


    "I thank you for yourpliments. I can always rely on you to know how best to use my resources."


    After saying this, Berengar dismissed the Chemist, and got to the drawing board. Truthfully, the body armor currently issued to his special forces was gued with a variety of issues. Trench Armor was inherently a stopgap in Berengar''s ns until he could develop synthetic fibres. Now that such a material existed, he could create a far superior body armor for use by his soldiers.


    With the creation of nylon, Berengar could create velcro, which was instrumental in the establishment of lightweight, slick te carriers. te carriers were a form of modern armor that could use ceramic, steel, orposite tes to protect against not only primitive arrows and bolts, but also modern gunfire.


    As for other uses, he could create a more modern set of camouge web gear that would go over these slick te carriers, in doing so rece the use of leather for this application. There were plenty of other applications for nylon that could apply to both the civilian and military sectors. However, for now, Berengar nned to use what limited supplies he had to ensure that his best troops were protected against all threats.


    After all the cost to raise Jaegers, and Jagdkommandos was no small expense, years of training were required to produce a single Jagdkommando, and he would spend whatever price was necessary to ensure their safety on the field of battle. Thus, he quickly jotted down the details on the creation of velcro and te carriers.


    Though it would be some time before such equipment was crafted, tested, and fielded to his troops, it was better to get to work on such designs early, rather thanter. The future was looking up for the Kingdom of Austria, and Berengar fully intended to make use of thetest inventions.


    As for Yasmin, she continued to y with her husband, interrupting his work every so often to get some sign of affection from him. Berengar was happy to entertain the woman, and thus, his work for the day was rather slow.


    Ultimately, he would finish his designs for improved body armor and tactical equipmentte in the evening, where he would finally take his bride to the harem room and enjoy some alone time with her. By the time the couple emerged from their solitude, dinner was already prepared, thus Berengar and his newest wife joined the rest of their family.


    As for the Chemistry department, they would be hard at work producing Nylon in as vast a quantity as they could manage for the foreseeable future. With such a few chemists avable, they would have to have a small but dedicated team to the research and development of synthetic materials.


    It would take some time before the production levels of Nylon fabric were high enough to begin construction of Berengar''s newest body armor, thus in the meantime his special forces, and other advanced troops were forced to endure the faults of their trench-style armor.

 Chapter 510 - Mountain Warfare Part I

    Deep within the Andes Mountains, the Privateers of Queen Honoria''s Revenge were camped. Weeks had passed since they firstnded, and they had suffered constant ambushes throughout their journey. For whatever reason, the native peoples of this strangend seemed more dedicated to violence than a peaceful approach to the strange foreigners who trespassed on their soil.


    Without a means ofmunication, Honoria and her girls were forced to endure constant onught. Despite this, they were well supplied, and had brought sufficient ammo with them to endure a long campaign of discovery and exploration. At the moment Honoria had three .45-70 cartridges in her fingers, and one in her mouth as she rapidly reloaded her rifle and fired on a nearby enemy.


    The sound of gunfire echoed in the air as the bullet tore through the torso of her opponent, dropping him to the ground, where she mercilessly finished him with the 10 inch steel de of her bay. So far, her girls had suffered limited casualties, as it was moremon for the enemy to break ranks than continue to fight until their utter destruction.


    Still, the weeks had not been easy. As women, they were not as strong as their male counterparts, who would normally do the heavy lifting of supplies on this mountainous trek. Exhaustion had set in, and with each assault, her privateers'' morale sank. Until now, they had discovered no treasure. Thus, in the eyes of many who took this job in search of fortune, things had be beyond the point of despair.


    While they had skillfully mapped much of the territory they had crossed, and thoroughly journaled their encounters with the hostile natives. Honoria was far from pleased with the results. If she did not bring back a token of her triumph, then she would not feel easy with the losses she had suffered.


    At the moment, rations were running low, and Melissa was by her side, in the thick of battle. Another echo resounded as Honoria reloaded her weapon and fired once more at the enemy. With this wave of gunfire, they had ughtered enough of the native war band, causing the survivors to break ranks and route.


    With a sigh of relief, Honoria lowered her gun and ejected the empty cartridge. She grabbed the round held between her lips and ce it into the gun, mming the bolt home, before flipping the safety to ensure that a misfire would not ur during her climb. With the death of the savages, Honoria and her crew finally had some breathing room.? Melissa walked up to her captain and made a status report.


    "Captain, the crew is tired and hungry. If we don''t head back soon we will starve out here... I suggest we cut our losses and return to Austria. Surely, the information we provide to the Crown will cause a bountiful reward."


    Honoria bit her lip, she was not yet resigned to suffer defeat, and turn back when they hade so far. With a bitter smile, the Pirate Queen responded to her first mate''s ims.


    "For now, we will rest. Send out some girls to forage for food. There has to be something edible in these damned mountains!"


    Melissa sighed heavily as she nodded her head. If they did not find some food soon, then there would surely be a mutiny. Thus she dispatched her orders, sending Elfrun and a squad of privateers out into the mountains to search for food.


    While on their journey, Elfrun began juggling her stick grenades as she and her team walked through the mountains, the sight of which brought a sense of dread to her squad members. Could this girl be any more obsessed with explosives?


    After appearing over a ridge, the team noticed a small native vige. In this vige appeared to be small farms. As for what nts they were growing, that remained unknown. However, this clearly meant that they had found some much needed food for their unit.


    Elfrun and her girls remained undiscovered, and made a stealthy exit as they reported back to their captain. When they returned, they found that arge argument was urring between some members of the crew who were agitated over the journey, and those who remained loyal to Honoria.


    "You have led us into these mountains promising us fame and fortune, and all we have encountered is endlessbat. We have already lost twelve girls in ourpany! Tell me, will you continue this mad pursuit into this unknownnd until we have all passed away? We are running out of rations, and we are far from the shores where our ship lies! If we wish to survive, we must turn back!"


    Honoria frowned. She knew that her crew was growing discontent with her actions, but she still believed there was something in thisnd worth discovering. Thus she refused to turn back until now, a mutiny. had urred. If not for the threat of violence, and the fearsome reputation she had, Honoria''s crew would have already overthrown her.


    Right as armed conflict was about to ur, Elfrun fired her pistol into the air, gathering everyone''s attention. The crew looked over at the location where the shot had been fired to see the explosives expert with a wicked smile on her face..


    "Have no fear, for I have found the solution to our problems. About three miles west of here, there is a farming vige. If we take it not only will we have a defensible position to set up a base camp, but we can also engorge ourselves on whatever they are growing!"


    Honoria gazed at the mutineers with a smug expression beforementing on their behavior.


    "You see, I knew it was only a matter of time before we found something of value. What do you say? Will you lower your weapons and fight to take this vige? Or will you betray men, and in doing so ensure the pursuit of the Austrian Crown for the rest of your miserable lives?"


    Upon hearing that they had ess to a defensible position, and a food surplus, the women who were so keen to rise up against their Captain, willfully lowered their weapons and nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Very well, we will take this vige, but after we have done so, we need to have a serious discussion about our next move!"


    After saying this, the leader of the mutineers departed, not willing to endure the vicious gaze of her vengeful captain any longer. As for Honoria, she lowered the hammer to her revolver, and ced it back in its holster, before grabbing ahold of Elfrun and hugging the girl tightly. With a wide smile on her face, the Pirate Queen petted the girl''s hair beforementing on her arrival.


    "My little hero! You showed up just before things became bloody. I owe you a reward for your actions! But first, tell me about this vige. I don''t want to lose any more girls when we besiege it."


    Elfrun wore a proud smile as she discussed everything she witnessed, from the farms to the defensive measures taken to ensure the survival of the vige. Everything was primitive, as one would expect from a stone age civilization.


    Thus, Honoria was quite certain with the support of their mortar squad, they would be able to bring down the small agricultural vige easily. With a cruel smile etched upon her lips, Honoria made a bold promation to her privateers.


    "Prepare yourselves. We march within the hour toy siege to this vige. Do whatever it takes to seize this town, even if it means the ughter of everyone inside it!"


    Honoria''s crew nodded their heads in response to their captain''s orders. Here in the new world they were not beholden to the Austrian Rules of Engagement. They could do whatever they wanted to the local vigers, and nobody would be any the wiser. After several weeks of constant battle, these women had grown rather cold towards the native people, and desired vengeance for their fallenrades.


    Thus, when they finally encountered the vige, they would be less than merciful with the people inhabited it. Honoria, personally did not care for the lives of the natives, she had shed too much blood on this journey so far, and if this vige did not have some kind of treasure she could take back home, then she was liable to massacre its entire popce just to appease her wrath.


    As promised, within the hour the crew of Privateers set forth on the brief journey towards the vige, its inhabitantspletely unaware of the wolf that lie on the horizon. If they knew that an enemy force of roughly one hundred women, armed with firearms and mortars, was about to descend on their vige, they would likely abandon their homes and flee with their lives intact.


    Unfortunately, they were unaware of Honoria''s presence, or the might which she and her crew of saltyssesmanded. Thus, it will be a bloody and ruthless conquest. The first of many that Austrian Explorers, and privateers would engage in when knowledge of the New World became public.. Such things were unavoidable when men and women alike were held unountable for their actions.

 Chapter 511 - Mountian Warfare Part II

    Honoria aimed down the sights of her bolt-action rifle. The beautiful princess turned privateer, held a spare round between her luscious pink lips as if it were a cigarette. She also held several munitions between her fingers on the supporting hand. When armed with a single shot bolt-action rifle, this was amon technique used to reduce reload time.


    Any minute now, the Mortar team wouldunch a shell on the unsuspecting vige, thus starting their assault. At the moment, the Byzantine Princess was among her crew of privateers, who were stationed just outside a native vige in the Andes Mountains. For the past few weeks they had fought, and struggled to get this far in the foreignnd. Now they finally gained some treasure.


    Though just a small agricultural vige from a primitive stone age society, Honoria was certain there was bound to be something worth scavenging within its confines. At the very least, they could abate their current food shortage. Thus, with fierce determination, and a desire to avenge her fallen sisters, Honoria had ordered the assault on this vige.


    Whether the people of this vige were associated with the war bands that had ambushed her crew since their arrival, Honoria did not know, nor did she care. In the eyes of her followers, all the locals were the same, thus by spilling blood here, they would avenge their fallenrades.


    After what felt like a lifetime of waiting, the roar of the mortar and the fiery st of its explosion took ce; in doing so, signalling the privateers to begin their attack. Thus Honoria stood up from behind her cover and charged towards the vige, her crew following behind her. As they approached the target of their wrath, they opened fire on the unsuspecting vigers who believed a natural disaster was urring.


    "Kill them all!"


    A storm of bullets went down range, towards the unarmed vigers, riddling their bodies with bloody holes. In the next second Honoria and her girls pulled back the bolts on their rifles, and inserted one round contained between their fingers. Having reloaded their weapons, they raised, lowered their muzzles once more, and aimed at the next target.


    By now, the warriors of the vige knew they were under attack, thus they rushed out towards the unknown enemy with their shields and spears. However, when they noticed it was a bunch of women attacking them, they hesitated to respond. In their minds, they could not fathom the idea of an all female war band.


    Evidently, this tribe was unrted to the ones who had been attacking Honoria and her crew, thus they were unfamiliar with the weapons and tactics that the girls used. They raised their wicker shields to protect themselves from the enemy''s attack. However, the bullets cut through their defenses as if they werepletely nonexistent. Striking the vige''s warriors in the chests and spraying their blood into the air.


    Honoria did not know, nor did she care. This vige was unrted to her previous enemies. Instead, she led the charge towards the ranks of what few warriors the enemy could muster, and fired upon them. Luckily for her, there were only a small amount ofbat capable men in the vige, thus after firing their initial volleys, the girls ran through the survivors with their bays, ughtering what little resistance the vige could muster.


    In a matter of minutes, the foreign privateers had captured the vige, where they gathered the locals in to the center, and bound them with ropes. Honoria quickly dispatched her orders to the troops under hermand.


    "I want a squad guarding these prisoners. As for the rest of you, search for food, water, and anything of value! This vige is ours!"


    The crew of Queen Honoria''s Revenge lifted their rifles in the air and cheered. This was an easy victory for them, and after weeks of suffering enemy ambushes, they felt like they finally had a secure area to operate out of.


    While Honoria''s crew were ransacking the vige, the Pirate Queen herself pulled out a re pistol and loaded a green re before firing it in the air above. Despite weeks of climbing, Honoria and her crew had not gotten far into the Andes, instead they were still within observation distance from the vessel, and its sailors. When the green re went off, it signified that the embarked privateers had established a secure base camp.


    Those who stayed behind on the vessel had been waiting weeks for this signal, when they finally gazed upon the green re in the night sky shooting up from a peak in the mountains above. An overwhelming sense of relief filled their hearts.


    As for the captured vigers, they gazed at the strange green light, which illuminated the sky above with both fear and reverence. They could not imagine what sorcery these foreigners had conjured to create such an astonishing sight.


    After firing the re, Honoria began searching around the vige for something to eat. Eventually, she came across the vige''s stockpile and opened it up to reveal a strange product. Honoria handled the object in her hand,pletely unaware that her husband''s obsession with the new world revolved entirely upon this vegetable.


    In Honoria''s hands was a potato, something that Berengar had been struggling to live life without ever since he had first reincarnated into this world. At first nce, this object was not only unappealing, but quite mundane.


    Yet this vegetable, and those like it, were the greatest staple food a society could ask for. If Honoria were to bring these back in ample numbers, they could be grown in Austria on an industrial scale, and provide many benefits to the Kingdom''s growing poption.


    However, to this Pirate Queen, this vegetable was unappealing. If it weren''t because she and her crew were running out of food, she would never think about eating such a thing. Despite her internal protests, she brought out troves of potatoes and ordered her crew to cook them.


    "I don''t care what you have to do, but prepare whatever the hell these things are, and make them edible. They don''t appear to be poisonous, so go nuts!"


    Elfrun nodded her head and grabbed ahold of the wicker basket which contained the vegetable and peeled the thick skin with the de of her knife. While she was doing this, herrades lit up a fire and prepared a cooking pit.


    After the area had been prepared, Elfrun reached into her satchel and pulled out a pan, where she poured some cooking oil onto it, before cing the cut potatoes inside. In the girl''s infinite wisdom, she had fried the potatoes before topping them off with salt and pepper.


    After arge amount of the vegetable had been fully cooked, Elfrun brought a te over to Honoria and offered the Captain the first taste of this new food. By now Honoria was practically starving, and after sniffing the savory aroma of fried potatoes for the past few minutes, she no longer looked down on the vegetable.


    Instead, she was eager to take the first bite, and after doing so, she eximed in shock. The crew gazed at their captain with curious gazes. They could not tell whether her response was a good or bad sign. However, after getting an initial taste of the potato, Honoria ate them with gusto.


    She did not have to say a word. After seeing their captain''s actions, the crew had no further reservations and feasted upon the fried potatoes, savoring the exceptional taste of thepletely foreign vegetable. Honoria was certain now that they had found a genuine treasure. Forget gold and silver. This vegetable would be worth a fortune if they were to bring it back to the fathend.


    Thus unknowingly, Honoria had discovered something that would make the King of Austria favor her over all his other wives for quite some time. When she finally returned to Austria with a cargo filled with potatoes, the King would reward her and her crew with their weight in gold for their discovery. An action that would surprise them all.


    After weeks of bloody conflict, making their way across the Andes mountains, Honoria and her crew had finally found the treasure that would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. The discovery of potatoes in the new world wouldter be seen as a catalyst for the Age of Discovery in this timeline.


    When the day finally came that King Berengar von Kufstein, made the existence of the New World public to the Austrian people, and that the potatoes which would be a staple in their diet had originated from their, wealthy entrepreneurs, and nobles alike would invest in expeditions to every part of the new world, in search of fame, and fortune.


    Honoria and her crew had unknowingly made their mark on history, forever to be remembered as the first major explorers of the New World. However, their story did not end with this journey. In fact, the discovery of potatoes would inspire the Pirate Queen to invest in new expeditions across the South American Continent.. With such a fearsome reputation, young women around the Mediterranean would be eager to sign up for her crew.

 Chapter 512 - Iberian Arms Race

    While the Austro-Granadan Forces continued to conduct peacekeeping operations throughout the now conquered Kingdom of Portugal, a new power had risen in the Iberian Penins. the Kingdom of Spain, led by King Felipe de Trast��mara, was currently undergoing a massive transition. With financial support from the papacy, the fledgling Kingdom had invested heavily into the reverse engineering and improvement of firearms.


    By sharing technology with the church, the two factions couldplete construction of a series of new weapons that would make their armies closer to that of Austria''s allies in terms of military technology. As a fanatical catholic, the King of Spain also received the leaked agricultural tech from his Papal overlord to fight back against the agricultural revolution urring within the borders of his southern neighbor.


    Currently, King Felipe was gazing at freshly trained force, risen as peasant levies. It had taken them a mere three weeks to be sufficient in using the new arms. These levies were equipped with a form of munitions te armor, copied from the older Austrian designs that had been captured during their war for independence.


    In their hands were the new matchlock muskets,plete with socket bays. The officer in charge of this toon quickly issued orders to the soldiers beneath hismand.


    "Form ranks! Present Arms! Fire!"


    With thesemands, the soldiers quickly formed two lines, as was inspired by older Austrian tactics, where the first row kneeled down, and the second row lowered their rifles above their heads. Once the order was given, they squeezed the lever that acted as a trigger, resulting in lit slow burning match dropping onto the pan which contained the powder.


    Thus, igniting the mixture and propelling the small iron ball down range. A loud echo resounded in the air as the iron projectiles flew into the bodies of the Granadan merchants, who were falsely used of seditious actions. Because of their nationality, they were used of espionage, and sentenced to death by the King of Spain.


    Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl had negotiated for their release, but his Spanish counterpart had demanded a king''s ransom, one that Hasan was not willing to afford. Thus, when the gunfire echoed in the air, and the musket balls entered their bodies, the Granadan merchants lost their lives.


    Felipe witnessed this public execution and broke out intoughter as his new troops murdered innocents in the name of God. He sipped on a chalice of wine as he called out to the masses who were gathered in the center of Toledo to witness this event.


    "These men were heathens of the Imic faith who had entered ournds under the guise of trade to gather intelligence in our kingdom to report to their demonic masters. Let their deaths be a reminder to all of you that any man, woman, or child whoes from the south is an enemy of Spain. God wills it!"


    Unknowingly, to the Spanish Monarch, a group of Granadan Spies were in the crowd, witnessing the murder of their countrymen. They had the desire to pull out their pocket pistols and unleash a volley into the King''s chest. However, their wrath remained controlled. Their job was to collect intelligence, not to assassinate.


    They would soon return to the Sultanate of Granada and report to their monarch about the development of arms of their northern neighbors.


    ---


    Days had passed, and Hasan was currently standing within his office, speaking with the agents who had witnessed the deaths of the Granadan Merchants.


    "You''re telling me they have developed muskets and more powerful cannons?"


    The lead agent was a beautiful arabic woman who nodded her head with a bitter expression.


    "Indeed, I believe the Church is partially responsible for the rapid development of arms. The Spaniards are currently dedicating as much resources as possible to the manufacture of these weapons, and the training of new levies with them."


    Hasan sighed when he heard this. Standing next to him was the Personal Representative of the Austrian Crown, andmander of all forces within Granada. With Arnulf being relocated to the Colony of New Vienna, his position as Allied Commander within the Iberian Penins was shifted to Adelbrand von Salzburg, who had recently received a promotion to the position of Field Marshal.


    The man was d to be in Granada, as he enjoyed the climate and the local women. He had also been longing to return to the Iberian Theatre since he departed from the previous campaign. Now that he was here, he had taken a far more brutal role in the alleged "Peacekeeping" Operations within Portugal.


    He sneered in disgust as he heard what had transpired within the city of Toledo.


    "Absolutely disgraceful, andpletely disrespectful to you and your people. Your Majesty, it is of my opinion that we must retaliate. I suggest detonating a bomb in the city center of Toledo. If they wish to murder your civilians, then they should know the consequences.


    A simple crate packed with TNT will be enough to cause substantial damage to the trade center of our neighbor''s capital city. We must send a message that the targeting of our civilians will be met with greater aggression."


    Despite the hawkish suggestion of the Austrian Field Marshal, Hasan''s own General Ziyad had a countering opinion.


    "And what? Further escte the violence until an all out war breaks out? No, we need to be more subtle in our approach. Since they are targeting our merchants, we can do the same. With the support of Austrian Privateers, we can target the Spanish shipping and seize their goods, and sell them to the emirates in North Africa. I am sure the Tunisians will be happy to get their hands on Spanish goods for a discounted price!"


    Hasan sighed heavily when he heard the two opposing views. They both had merit, and he remained hesitant about how to continue. He was starting to regret marrying his sister off to Berengar, as until now she had been the real brains behind the Granadan Crown. Without her unwavering support, the young monarch now began to understand the weight of the crown.


    After some fierce internal debate, the young Sultan nodded his head before making a decision. As a monarch, he needed to be firm with his stance on Spain''s actions. Retaliation would only provoke further conflict. What he needed was to hamper the development of Spain''s arms industry, and the best way to do this was hamper the raw materials they were receiving in support from the other Catholic Kingdoms.


    "I have thought about both actions, and I havee to a decision regarding our course of action. We will hire Austrian Privateers to attack Spanish shipping, meanwhile our agents will sabotage Spain''s arms factories. We can not allow them to equip their entire army with muskets.


    As for the manufacture of muskets and cannons in our own realm, increase the construction of puddling furnaces, and continue purchasing equipment from our allies. I will not allow my sultanate to fall behind our Catholics Neighbors!"


    Ziyad smiled and nodded his head before saluting his monarch, meanwhile Adelbrand felt slighted, in his eyes blood must be met with blood, though targeting the enemy''s trade as retaliation had its own benefits, it did not avenge the lives of those who were murdered by the Catholics.


    Despite these reservations, his job was to obey Hasan''smands and support his actions.? Thus, the Austrian Field Marshal threw up a regr military salute and responded to his Granadan Counterpart.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After receiving their orders, the two men were dismissed, leaving the young Sultan alone in his office. He sank back into his seat before pouring himself a chalice filled with wine. After taking arge gulp, Hasan spoke to himself.


    "Yas, my dear older sister, I hope you are doing well in your new life, because I could really use your help..."


    The Arms race between the Sultanate of Granada and the Kingdom of Spain had begun. Meanwhile, the Spanish Crown would continue to supply Portuguese Rebels with the weapons needed to continue their fight, and the Granadans would retaliate by raiding Spanish Shipping.


    By hiring privateers to act as pirates, Granada kept a sense of deniability in their actions, allowing them to hamper their rival''s armament process. Fortunately for the Granadans, the ruthless Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean was halfway across the world. If she were involved in this conflict, she and her crew would annihte the entire Spanish trading fleet would in a matter of months.


    When Berengar''s agents reported to him about Hasan''s actions, he would be pleased with the Sultan''s progress as a ruler. A measured approach to Spain''s hostile actions was indeed the best choice at hand. If the young monarch had listened to Adelbrand''s advice, it would only spark greater conflict between Spain and Granada, a war neither of the two were ready for.


    As for the Princess of Granada, she was enjoying her peaceful life in the Capital of Austria, alongside her new husband and her sister-wives. She would not be aware of the struggles her brother was going through, and even if he asked for her return, she would decline.. Now that she was married, her duty was to her husband first and foremost, a principle that would remain constant throughout her marriage.

 Chapter 513 - A Proper Wife Part I

    Yasmin Al-Fadl was standing in the kitchen of the Royal Pce of Austria. With the aid of the staff, she was preparing some of Austria''s fine cuisine for her husband. Since she had first arrived in the foreign kingdom that belongs to her spouse, she had been interested in learning of its culture, heritage, and how to make the local delicacies.


    By now, she was fluent in the German tongue and could effectivelymunicate with anyone who spoke thenguage. Despite living in Austria, Yasmin did not take up the local fashion trends. She instead wore the traditional kaftan, with the face veil and headdress that she normally wore. She found the loose fitting silk clothes of her homnd were morefortable than the intricate dresses of the Austrian Nobility.


    Time had passed, and the meal she had made for her husband wasplete, thus with a smile concealed beneath the gossamer face veil, the Moorish beauty walked towards her husband''s office where he was hard at work managing the realm''s affairs. With a soft knock on the hard wooden doors, she alerted the man to her presence.


    "Husband, I have prepared lunch for you. I followed the recipe you created in exact detail. I hope you enjoy it."


    When Berengar heard this, he dropped everything he was doing and opened the door with a wide smile on his face. He gazed at his beautiful wife with a warm expression and invited her into his office.


    "Yasmin, my darling wife, pleasee in and enjoy this meal with me!"


    The Moorish Princess smiled and nodded her head as she entered the room alone with her husband. She then ced the dish on his desk, where the couple sat down. Sitting on the te were several sausages cooked with a new sauce.


    Because of the trade of spice with India, Berengar had now gotten ess to curry powder, allowing him to create a staple of German cuisine from his past life, and that was curry wurst. Berengar took one bite of the delicious dish and smiled as he savored the vor.


    Upon seeing the pleasant expression on her husband''s face, Yasmin removed her face veil, disying her natural beauty to the man she married, before elegantly taking a bite of the sausage. She moaned in pleasure as she tasted the dish for the first time in her life.? As the two partook of the meal, Berengar made small talk with his newest bride.


    "So tell me, how are you finding life here in Austria? Is it to your liking? Is there anything I can help with making your stay morefortable?"


    Yasmin washed down the curry wurst with a sip of purified water before speaking her honest feelings about how she felt since she first arrived in Kufstein.


    "Your Kingdom is one of many marvels, and I must say I am impressed with the beauty of your homnd''sndscape. However, I must admit I feel a bit homesick. Which is not exactly aided by the way your other wives have treated me."


    When Berengar heard thisst part, he stopped dead in his track before giving his wife a questioning gaze. He was unaware that she was facing such difficulties and immediately interrogated her about his other wives'' behavior.


    "Are they mistreating you in any way? I swear to god of one of those bitches has been bullying you. I will let them have it!"


    Upon witnessing the wrathful gaze of her husband, Yasmin quickly shook her head before rifying the issue.


    "They are not bullying me per se, it is just that they have pretty much excluded me entirely. I feel alienated, as if I don''t belong here. However, if there was one girl in particr who had been outright hostile to me, it would be Ad. I think her faith has blinded her, and she perceives me as an enemy at best, and a foreign whore at the worst. Plus, I get the feeling that she is a bit jealous of my body..."


    Berengar had a grim expression on his face as he heard this. Though he expected some resistance from his wives to Yasmin''s arrival, he had not expected such hostility. He struggled to think of a way to make his newest bride''s life morefortable within his household. However, in the next moment, he heard the woman express a sentiment that he was not expecting. With a heavy sigh, Yasmin rubbed her pregnant belly with a warm smile on her face.


    "However, it is nothing I can''t handle. I never expected your other wives would be cordial with me, that they have remained distant rather than cruel is a blessing it its own right. As long as I have you, and this child, I will be fine. I promise you, so long as I am your wife, I will always take your side, and support you and your goals in whatever way I am able."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head when he heard this, though he would think of ways to improve Yamin''s living conditions, and the rtionship between her and his other wives. As long as she was content, then he was happy. Thinking about this, it reminded Berengar of something important. He quickly opened up his desk drawer and pulled out a letter before handing it to his lovely bride.


    "Your brother has sent me a status update on what is going on with his neighbors. As his elder sister, I thought you would be interested."


    Yasmine quickly took a look at the letter''s contents. As she did so, her expression became grim. The fact that the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon had united, and were now wantonly executing their citizens, was a cause for concern. Thus, there was a hint of worry in her voice as she asked Berengar what the n of action was to deal with these newfound developments.


    "This is troubling. The outright hostility to my people was something I expected, but to actually bring false charges against our merchants, and brutally execute them is a step too far. How has my brother reacted to this? I hope he hasn''t done something foolish like attack Spain''s citizens in retaliation?"


    Berengar smiled and shook his head before he grabbed ahold of Yasmin''s hand and reassured her of the actions the Sultanate of Granada was taking.


    "Your brother has surprisingly chosen wisely in his choice of retaliation. It looks like now that his overprotective big sister is out of the picture. He is growing into a capable ruler. He has opted to allow Austrian Privateers to attack Spanish shipping, while covertly sabotaging the Spanish Crown''s attempt to modernize their military.


    What I''m more worried about is the mines of Collbato. If information is leaked about what we are harvesting there, then it will be a cause for war."


    Yasmin had a perplexed expression on her face. Though she was dying to know more information about Berengar''s mining operations in Spain, she did not know if it was her ce to ask. After all, it appeared to be a state secret, and she did not believe it was her ce to meddle in such affairs.


    Upon seeing theplicated expression on his wife''s face, Berengar rxed back into his chair before informing her of just what he was doing behind the scenes.


    "Yasmin, you are my wife, and the bridge between our two realms. If I can''t trust you with such sensitive information, then who can I trust? In the future, if you have questions regarding my operations in Iberia, all you need to do is ask. With that said, allow me to inform you on a little secret that only a handful of people are aware of.


    I specifically requested for mining rights within Collbato because it is filled with saltpeter deposits. As far as I''m aware, it is one of the few ces in Europe where saltpeter is naturally formed in such vast quantities. I''m sure I don''t need to inform you of the consequences that would arise if they were to learn of this."


    Yasmin''s amber eyes widened in shock as she heard this statement. She did not know how Berengar had found out about such a thing, when even the Crown of Aragon was unware of it. She nervously bit down on her lower lip before expressing the thoughts on her mind.


    "If Spain learns of this matter, they would immediately move to seize the saltpeter mines, and in doing so, vite your treaty. Even if they are not prepared for war at the moment, they can''t allow their enemies to have such a vast deposit of such a crucial strategic reserve.


    By taking this mine, they could break their reliance on eastern trade for gunpowder, and could even supply the catholic world. Thus, causing a significant threat to both Granada and Austria. No matter what, they can''t learn of what lies within these mines!"


    Berengar had a smirk on his face as he sat back and listened to his wife''s exnation of the geo-political situation at hand. Few men could glean so much knowledge about the world''s affairs by simple exchange of words. Even fewer women could disy suchprehensive knowledge and foresight. Perhaps only Linde was capable of such a thing. He suddenly had a newfound respect for Yasmin.

 Chapter 514 - A Proper Wife Part II

    Berengar gazed across from his desk at his fourth wife with newfound respect. Until now, much of his thoughts on the foreign beauty was that she was a graceful, and mature woman who acted as a Proper Wife, and in many ways yed the role of the big sister he never had. Thus, he smiled before giving the woman the proper respect she deserved.


    "No wonder why your brother couldst so long against hostile powers on all sides. It turns out his sister was the true brains behind the Granadan Crown all along. You are correct in your assessment, which is why I have deployed sufficient assets to silently eliminate any agents of the Spanish Crown who get within a 100m radius of the mines.


    I must admit, I have underestimated your intellect. You said earlier that you would support me in any way you can. Though I won''t burden you with a powerful government position if you do not desire such a thing. I would very much like your input on important matters in the future. Feel free to drop by my office whenever you desire. Between you and me, I vastly prefer yourpany over some of my other brides..."


    Yasmin chuckled when she heard this before inquiring further about Berengar''s statement.


    "Trouble in Paradise?"


    Berengar merely scoffed at this response beforeining about his martial affairs.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I love my girls, and I would do anything to protect them. However, each of them have their faults. Ad is so pious that her faith blinds her to the reality of life. She has a very idealized image of the world, and doesn''t understand the cruelty of man. Because of this, she must be sheltered and protected at all times; it is also the reason she has such a holier-than-thou attitude.


    However, this weakness is also her strength, as it allows her to create a utopian sense of culture for my people. It is because of this morous image of Austria and its people that she has be such an effective minister of propaganda.


    Honoria, on the other hand, is a free spirit, and a bit of a wild card. She has no mind for politics, nor does she care about anything than her own hedonistic pleasure. While this makes her an excellent lover, she is hardly what you would call a proper Queen. Sometimes It is hard to believe the woman was raised as a Princess of the mighty Byzantine Empire.


    Despite not being able to have an intelligent conversation with Honoria about anything other than piracy, her independent spirit and natural curiosity are exactly what allows me to use her as a weapon against my enemies. This is also what drives her to explore the unknown regions of the world without fear in her heart. She has a role to y, even if she is an embarrassment at court."


    Yasmin chuckled as she heard her husband''s descriptions of his other wives. She had to say from her limited interaction with the women; his words were fairly urate. However, she noticed that he left out one other wife, thus she asked for his honest opinion on Linde.


    "What about Linde? I noticed you are hesitant to speak your thoughts about her..."


    Berengar had a grim expression on his face as he looked around to see if there were any unwanted eyes or ears nearby. After confirming they were well and truly alone in his office, the young king took a swig from the beer that Yasmin had brought him for his lunch. After swallowing severalrge gulps of the heartyger, he sighed heavily before revealing his honest opinion of his second wife.


    "Linde is....plicated to say the least. She is intelligent, cunning, maniptive, and deceptive, however one thing I''ve noticed since the day I met her is she is unbelievably cruel, and petty. It is only because of my thorough training that she has tamed her malevolent nature.


    Despite this, she is fiercely loyal, and loves her family more than anything. I can honestly say that she is the type of woman who would do anything, no matter how wicked, to ensure the safety of her loved ones. Luckily, I have been able to weaponise the darker aspects of her character against my enemies.


    If I am beingpletely honest, without her, I would probably have died years ago. It is no secret that I owe her a great deal, and I am just happy that she is on my side. I dread to think about what would have happened if she had actually supported my brother and her father. Without a doubt, I would have been dead before I could even have seeded my father. In a way, I can attribute all of my sess to that woman''s sacrifice."


    Yasmin felt slightly envious when she heard the adoration and respect in Berengar''s voice towards Linde. There was even a hint of fear in his tone, which was something she had never actually heard from him before. Thus, she unknowingly bit her lower lip as she asked the immediate question on her mind.


    "What about me? What is your honest opinion about my character?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this response. Since he had been so brutally honest with this woman about how he felt about the others, it was only fair that he gave her his genuine opinion.


    "If I''m being honest, though we are married, I feel as if I don''t know you as well as I should. Part of that is my fault. I have been so busy maintaining and expanding my Kingdom that I have neglected you in many ways.


    However, from what I have gathered from the little time I have spent with you, you are pretty much the personification of a proper wife. You''re intelligent, mature, kind, loving, and willing to do anything I ask. On top of that, you are quite honestly the most beautiful of my wives, but don''t tell the others I said that... Linde would kill me if she found out that I was more attracted to you than her..."


    Yasmin began to chuckle as she heard thesepliments. She supposed most of those things were true, but one thing Berengar had neglected to mention was her faults. With this in mind, she immediately hounded him for an answer in that regard.


    "Your ttery is appreciated, but tell me what are my faults? Youined about all your other brides. Surely you must have something that you think I can improve upon..."


    Berengar thought about this question deeply for a few moments before something immediately popped into his mind, he honestly didn''t know if he should mention it, but after several moments he decided he would say it anyway, after all he had beenpletely honest with the woman up until this point.


    "How do I put this delicately... I would very much appreciate it if you trimmed your hair... you know, down there..."


    A look of surprise appeared on the exotic beauty''s face before she broke out into a fit of giggles. The look on Berengar''s face was priceless, as if he was embarrassed on her behalf for simply mentioning it. The more sheughed, the more Berengar''s face flushed, until finally she had no choice but to respond..


    "Very well, husband, if that is your wish, I shall take care of it from now on."


    After saying this, the woman rested her chin on her hand as she gazed lovingly at her man. She could not help but tease him about his flustered appearance.


    "You are so cute when you''re embarrassed. Did you expect me to p you for making such ament? You don''t have to worry about such things with me. Whatever your desires, I will do my best to fulfill them."


    Berengar sighed heavily. He knew if he had said such a thing to any of his other wives, they would have likely be embarrassed and potentially pped him. It was a relief to see a woman so confident in her appearance she felt no shame at hearing such a suggestive request. However, what the woman did next surprised him. Yasmin raised from her seat and walked over to his sight before sensually whispering the following words in his ears.


    "Since that is your request, how a bout we bathe together tonight, just the two of us, and I will allow you to do the honor of trimming my hair."


    Berengar was instantly stunned when he heard this response. Never did he expect a woman to so boldly proposition him with such a strange suggestion. However, he would not let this opportunity pass, thus he gulped down the saliva that had pooled in his throat and nodded in the affirmative before responding with a serious expression on his handsome face.


    "If you insist..."


    Upon seeing her husband''s adamant appearance, Yasmin giggled once more before she raised from her seat and fetched the tray that was used to carry Berengar''s meal. After doing so, she walked to the door and left behind onestment before departing.


    "Very well, I look forward to tonight..."


    Having said this, she left the young king to his lonesome, as a thousand thoughts flooded his mind. He was amazed at how this woman captured his interest every time she spoke.. He had truly underestimated her, indeed.

 Chapter 515 - Sensual Bath Part I

    Berengar sat in his Royal Bathhouse, clothed in nothing but a towel over his waist, which poorly concealed his excitement. Though Yasmin had not yet joined him, he was certain the woman would live up to her promise. Thus, he was well prepared for the grooming that was about to transpire within this sacred room.


    On the ground next to the giant pool of water was a series of wax strips and scissors. Their purpose was simple: trim Yasmin''s pubic hair to a ssic bikini wax. After all, with the research and development into synthetic materials, it was only a matter of time before his chemists created lycra, and when that happened, he could finally make proper bikinis for his women.


    Though he had been nning a honeymoon for some time, for him and his wives, Berengar had ultimately decided to wait longer than he had initially estimated. Why go to Granada in the summer, when they could go to the Caribbean in the winter, and enjoy a tropical paradise free from the cold?


    In his mind, he could already imagine the appearance of his wives and their bikinis. He had something special nned for Yasmin, a micro bikini that barely contained her nipples and finely trimmed fur. After all, nobody could view his women on his privately conquered ind, so he was free to dress them in as skimpy of swimsuits as he could imagine.


    As for what Ind he would set out to conquer to act as the home of the Royal Winter Pce, he had yet to decide. Though he knew he wanted a small ind with a small local poption that he could use as the bulk of hisbor force in constructing the mighty pce which he nned to base off of the Belvedere Pce from his past life.


    While he was pondering about these things, the door opened. As Yasmin snuck into the room, she quietly made her way over to her husband, who was sitting in the bath, and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him on the cheek.


    "I''m sorry for making you wait. Did you get started without me?"


    Berengar chuckled as he heard his fourth wife''s voice, before grabbing hold of her tan hand and kissing it gently. After doing so, he dragged her into the bath with him. That caused a tremendous ssh. The woman rose from the depths of the pool with a smile on her face as she swam over and hugged her husband tightly, pressing her dark pink nipples against the man''s broad chest.


    It was at this moment she noticed the grooming tools on the side of the bath and giggled.


    "You weren''t joking, very well, if this is what you want, I don''t mind entertaining you." After saying this, she climbed out of the pool and sat on the edge where she spread her legs, disying her lower lips, and her natural bush to her husband.


    Berengar chuckled as he gazed at the beautiful sight. After enjoying the view for a few moments, Yasmin teased him.


    "Are you just going to stare the whole time, or are you going to get to work?"


    The young Austrian King snapped back to reality with this statement, before grabbing hold of the wax strips he had prepared earlier. He carefully ced them around the areas that would form a ssic bikini wax. After doing so, he gave his wife a fair warning.


    "I''ve never done this before, so I don''t know if it will hurt or not, so I am just warning you in advance."


    In response to this, Yasmin merely scoffed before giving her husband permission to continue.


    "I''m a big girl. I can handle a little pain. Go ahead, groom me. This is what you want, isn''t it?"


    Berengar smirked as he heard this. He did not hesitate and immediately ripped the first wax strip off of his wife''sher regions, causing her to yelp in shock. However, he gave her no reprieve, and quickly peeled off the rest, ripping out the hair in those areas from the roots. It was only after he was finished with the wax that he looked up at his wife''s expression, to see her biting onto her fingers.


    As a natural sadist, Berengar took a bit of pleasure seeing the woman wince in pain, however, he quickly drowned out that wicked side of his personality, before grabbing ahold of the woman''s dainty hand and sucking on the fingers that she had bitten. After doing so, he smiled before reassuring his wife that the painful part was over.


    "Rx dear, this next part won''t be painful."


    After saying this, he grabbed hold of a pair of scissors and began to lightly trim what remained of her pubic hair in order to ensure that it was clean and fluffy. After ensuring he had styled it to his liking, he cleaned the utensils in the bathwater before staring at his work with a satisfied grin. He held up a hand mirror to Yasmin''s privates to show off the woman how it looked beforementing on it.


    "I have finished, I must say, you are twenty times sexier now that I have groomed this area to perfection."


    Yasmin looked at her own lower body with a bit of a flushed appearance. This was the first time she had stared at it so intensely. Even for a woman as calm and collected as her, it was a bit embarrassing. However, she had to admit; it looked better after being cleaned up.


    It was at this moment that a vicious idea entered her mind. She quickly pulled her husband out of the pool of water and sat him down next to her before grabbing hold of the wax strips with a wicked grin on her face.


    "Okay, since you have done as you pleased to my body hair, it is now my turn to groom you!"


    Berengar merely smiled when he heard this. With a smug grin on his face, he epted his wife''s challenge.


    "Very well, do your worst."


    Upon hearing this, Yasmin did not dare to hold back. She would not stop until she had waxed every bit of her husband''s body hairpletely away. Only after it wasplete did Berengar look in the mirror and nod his head.


    He had to admit the clean shaven look was definitely the way to go. As for Yasmin, she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and kissed him gently on the neck before making a powerful suggestion to her husband.


    "Now that we have gotten that out of the way, how about we have a little fun?"


    Berengar smirked when he heard this before turning around and kissing his wife on the lips. After releasing his hold over the woman, he asked for rification.


    "Just what did you have in mind?"


    Yasmin merely smiled as she led her husband back into the bath, where she had him sit on the edge of the pool. She grabbed hold of the body wash before spraying it all over her massive F cup breasts. Only after it was thoroughly soapy did she ce her husband''s long and thick shaft in between her twin mounds.


    The young king was not expecting such a gift, and immediately moaned in pleasure as his wife used her ample assets to please him. She sucked on his tip as it slid in between her soapy breasts, forcing him closer to climax.


    After several minutes of this treatment, Berengar could no longer contain his lust, and sprayed it all over his wife''s face where it flowed down onto her substantial bosom. The woman skillfully licked herself clean before dragging her husband into the pool, and position him behind her. It didn''t matter that she was several months into her pregnancy, Berengar had every desire to make love to her properly.


    Thus, without a second''s hesitation, he inserted his erect shaft into her slithering cave and ravaged his bride. Perhaps she was pleased with both of their groomed appearances, but the Granadan Princess appeared to be tighter than normal. Her walls clenched around him, forcing him to thrust in and out like a piston as he filled her uppletely.


    Eventually Berengar could no longer take the pressure, and released everything he had inside of the woman, as if he was trying to impregnate her again. After ensuring that every drop made its way into her womb, he pulled out and sank back into the bath, floating in the water as if he had achieved nirvana.


    As for Yasmin, she fell to her knees, soaking in the steaming water, struggling to regain her strength after such intense pleasure. Eventually, the couple came together and properly washed themselves after such fierce physical exercise.


    When they finally emerged from their bath, Berengar and Yasmin would witness the sight of two jealous brides ring at their husband for sneaking off with the tanned skinned beauty. However, before they could even respond, Yasmin smirked as she walked off, leaving behind a single phrase to the envious girls.


    "You will have to be quicker if you girls want to monopolize my husband..."


    This statement instantly provoked the two young women, causing them to shift their collective ire from their husband to the Granadan Princess. Berengar gazed in awe at his newest bride''s selfless sacrifice and made a mental note to properly thank Yasminter for acting as a martyr.


    As for the Moorish beauty, she simply smirked as she walked away. Not only did she have some quality alone time with her husband, free from these bitches'' influence. She also made his life a little easier by redirecting their wrath towards herself. In doing so, she had certainly secured herself in his good graces. After all, she came from a polygamous culture.. Unlike Berengar''s other wives, she knew how to y the game of harems.

 Chapter 516 - Sensual Bath Part II

    Having spent some quality alone time with Yasmin, Berengar''s other two brides, who were present to witness them absconding from the Royal Bathhouse, were visibly upset. Ad, more so than Linde, she hated Yasmin. The reason for being was purely religious. As a devout Christian, Ad disproved of the rtionship Berengar had with his Muslim bride, and the alliance he made with her family''s Kingdom.


    The High Queen of Austria considered Yasmin a poor influence on Berengar and worried that she might try to tempt him to convert to her heretical beliefs. Of course, she did not know nor care that Yasmin was more secr than she was devout. Thus, the moment Ad saw her husband leaving the bath with his Moorish whore in tow, she had every urge to attack the woman verbally..


    However, before she could get a word in, Yasmin had made her even more furious with her sly statement. Thus, the young Queen of Austria immediately fled the scene. She was too upset to deal with the aftermath. As for Linde, she took Yasmin''s words to heart, noticing Ad leave she nned her attack perfectly. Clinging to her husband with an amorous gaze, the redheaded beauty whispered something in his ear that caused him to be excited once more.


    "I want you to do to me whatever it is you did to her in the bath!"


    Though he had just finished twice in one hour, he was now as hard as a diamond, causing him to sigh heavily as he led his Second Wife into the Bathhouse for yet another round of debauchery. When Berengar stripped off his clothes, it shocked Linde to see that hecked any hair on his body. She rubbed his glistening ivory skin with her hands before nodding her head in approval.


    "I have to admit, that woman has good taste.... You look so much better this way!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled wickedly. While Linde stripped out of her luxurious gown, he gazed down at herher regions as he grabbed hold of some spare wax strips before responding to her..


    "I''m d to hear that, because I''m about to give you a simr treatment!"


    Linde instantly turned around and saw the wax strips in her husband''s hands. She immediately understood what he meant and smiled seductively as she sat down on the edge of the pool and spread her legs for him.


    "Go ahead then, do what you want with me!"


    A sh of inspiration filled Berengar''s eyes as he got to work on grooming his second wife. Unlike what he had done for Yasmin, the Austrian King trimmed Linde''s bush in the shape of a heart. After all, if he had multiple women in his harem, he might as well shave them differently.


    After finishing his work, he once more disyed his test subject''sher regions with a hand mirror. Upon seeing the heart-shaped design, Linde smiled before grabbing hold of her husband and pouncing on him. Without a moment''s notice, she climbed on top of him and inserted his shaft into her slithering cave.


    The mother of three took control of the situation and bounced on top of her husband''s rod repeatedly as if there was no more pleasurable experience in the world, giving the man a full view of her red, heart-shaped fur as he inched ever closer to climax. Whenbined with herrge E Cup breasts which swayed with every bounce, and her perfectly proportioned birthing hips, it did not take Berengar long to ejacte inside the woman''s womb.


    However, despite doing so, Linde did not stop. Like a hungry wolf who had caught ahold of amb, she continued to straddle her husband as she leaned down and kissed him, whispering something in his ear that immediately made him stiffen once more.


    "I think it is time you give Hans a little brother!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. Just how many children did this woman want? However, since she had asked for it, he would not deny her. He immediately reversed her position so that he was on top. The moment Berengar did so, Linde wrapped her legs around his back, ensuring he couldn''t escape as he pounded away at her tight insides with his powerful piston. He would not stop until he had released all of his remaining seed into her womb.


    As he continued his thrusts, the young king suckled at his Queen''s breast, causing her to giggle as she teased him for his actions.


    "That''s a good boy. Drink mommy''s milk. It''ll make you big and strong!"


    He did as he was instructed. While Berengar suckled on Linde''s breasts as if her milk was the most delectable thing he had ever tasted, the redheaded beauty moaned in pleasure while petting her husband''s slicked back golden hair, as if he were her child. Eventually, the couple could no longer contain their lust, and they quivered together as they climaxed at the same time.


    After a few moments, Berengar pulled out, Where Linde leaned over and ced his shaft in her mouth, thoroughly cleaning it before hopping into the bath. Now that they were all sweaty, she needed to wash the filth from her pristine body. The King gazed at his second wife bathing and joined her for his second bath of the day.


    After a while, the couple withdrew from the bath, thoroughly exhausted from their encounter. Berengar swore that if Ad approached him for her own sensual bath time, he would have to refuse. He honestly did not believe he could go another round, at least for another hour or so.


    As they exited the Royal Bathhouse, Linde kissed her husband on the lips before whispering in his ear.


    "I will see you tonight. Don''t forget your promise. We are going to keep going at it until you give me another son!"


    Berengar sighed as he heard this before nodding his head and petting the beautiful woman in her silky strawberry blonde hair.


    "Very well, I will see you tonight"


    Linde began to walk off, however after reaching a certain point she turned around and opened her silk robe slightly, only enough to sh her lower lips. As she did this, she wore a pretty smile before thanking her husband.


    "Thanks for the trim. I look forward to your future assistance."


    After saying this, she disappeared around the corner, leaving Berengar in a bewildered state.


    "I could get used to this... Well, that''s two down, two more to go..."


    After walking back to his office, Berengar opened the door to reveal Yasmin inside, sitting obediently in front of his empty seat. When she saw her husband''s return, she smiled before asking in her mind.


    "So, how did it go with your other wives? Judging by how long it took you to get here, I''m guessing you had a bit of fun with them?"


    Berengar nodded his head as he closed the door behind him. As he did so, he corrected his fourth wife on her assessment.


    "I had some fun with Linde. She''s a jealous and petty woman. Obviously, she wanted the same treatment you received. As for Ad, she is a bit of a prude, and has to be coerced into group sex. When she''s upset like she is now, there is no way I will would have been able to convince her to join Linde and me in the bath."


    Yasmin nodded her head as she heard her husband''s words. She reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle of fortified wine and two chalices. Though she only poured the alcoholic beverage for Berengar, after all, she was pregnant. Instead, she poured herself a goblet of water.


    She clinked her cup against Berengar''s before speaking a slight toast.


    "To you, my husband, I don''t know how you have done it, but you have the most civil harem I have ever seen. Normally, there would have been bloodshed by now."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this remark. He was all too aware of the brutal nature of harems. He grabbed ahold of his wife''s pregnant belly as he reassured her of his control over his family.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I promise so long as I am alive, nobody willy a hand on you or our child. Anyone who even attempts such a thing will pay the price of their actions with their lives, no matter what their position may be in my heart."


    Yasmin smiled and nodded as she heard this promise. Unlike most men, she knew Berengar well enough to know he would not shy away from spilling the blood of one of his wives or children if they dared to target his other family members. The other girls were also aware of this fact, and it was this fear that kept their more vicious nature in check.


    After gazing out the window for a few moments, contemting the future, Yasmin finally voiced her concerns.


    "So what now?"


    Berengar sighed as he took a sip from his gilded chalice beforeying out his ns for the near future.


    "Now we wait for our enemies to make their next move. While the Catholic world pulls their heads out of their asses, I will take every moment avable to me to further advance my Kingdom. When the dayes that the enemy finally march on Austria with their little crusade, I will destroy everyst man who dares to dream of harming my family."


    Yasmin nodded her head with a smile on her face as she responded to her husband''s vision.


    "Good, I look forward to it...."

 Chapter 517 - Returning From An Ardous Voyage Part I

    Honoria stood at the ramparts of her makeshift walls. Over the past few weeks, she and her crew had used the resources at their disposal to fortify the mountain vige which they conquered. Using the local poption as vebor, they were able to rapidly construct superior defenses as a timber star fort.


    Since the establishment of the fortress, she had issued patrols from the mountain pass down to the beaches below to secure supply lines, with the crew maintaining control over the Iron-d sloop of war.


    There had been several attacks on the vige since Honoria and her crew established control, but with superior armament and defenses, these hostile forces who had once ambushed her crew during their long treck were easily defeated.


    Although they had brought ample supplies to ensure their survivability in this foreignnd, munitions were running low after repeated assaults by the enemy and the supply caravans which had transported potatoes en masse to the ship had be more burdened under the onught of native war bands.


    It was bing abundantly clear that any attempt to establish a permanent settlement in this region would require thousands of soldiers and a constant supply of munitions from the Fathend. An effort that Honoria was unsure whether it was worth the cost.


    The Pirate Queen sighed heavily as she turned to her first mate, Melissa, who had been by her side throughout the entire ordeal. She knew they would soon be overrun by the enemy''s attempts to drive them from thesends.


    Honoria only hoped that their limited contact with the natives would spread disease like it had in New Vienna, and in doing so, wipe out much of the local popce so that future colonization efforts would not end in vain.


    "Melissa, it is time to withdraw from our position. We have transported enough of these strange vegetables to our cargo hold. I hope they will be worth something to our King when we finally return to the fathend."


    Melissa nodded her head in silence. She agreed with her captain. Casualties were higher than expected, and the crew was growing more discontent by the day. They were dangerously close to another mutiny attempt.


    Noticing her first mate''s reaction, Honoria gave out her orders.


    "Tell the crew to pack up our supplies and prepare to depart. We will leave this outpost and return to the vessel, from their we will set sail for the fathend. We have explored enough of the region. The intelligence we can provide to the Austrian crown will surely be worth a fortune."


    The former prostitute saluted her captain before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes ma''am, we I will dispatch your orders immediately."


    After saying this, Melissa departed from Honoria''s hut and began giving out the orders. Within a matter of hours, the crew was fully prepared to withdraw from the continent. Though there would be a brief period of conflict as they descended from the mountains, ultimately those who had survived thus far would make it back to the vessel without significant injury.


    As for the journey home, it was rtively uneventful. Considering Honoria and her crew were some of the few people who knew about the existence of the new world, the only threat they would have to face would be the weather itself.


    However, they were not sailing on wooden ships, instead they used a watertight irond. In doing so, they ensured that the weather was less of a concern than it was during the age of exploration in Berengar''s past life.


    After several weeks, the day finally arrived for Honoria and her crew to return to the fathend. Where she immediately departed from her vessel and aided her crew in transporting the cargo of potatoes to a railcar which would make its way to the capital. As for the rest of her Crew Honoria addressed them onest time before parting ways.


    "As promised, I will negotiate with the King for the price of the information we have got, and the cargo we have gained throughout our exploits. An equal share will be given to all members of the crew, for those who passed away on our adventure. I promise their families will be taken care of.


    For now, wait in Kufstein until you have received your pay. Then you are wee to do as you please until I call upon you again. Just remember that everything you witnessed on this journey is a state secret, and there will be strict punishments for whoever leaks any information regarding what we discovered.


    The price to pay for such treachery would be none other than death, so I advise you all to keep your lips sealed. Now I must return to the pce. I will call upon you when I have decided on our next adventure."


    After saying this, Honoria departed from her crew and took the next train back to Kufstein. When she finally arrived at the Pce''s gates, her appearance was quite haggard. She had seen much difficulty on her expedition to the Andes and had not bathed in weeks. However, she felt confident that her husband would still be pleased to see her.


    The guards instantly recognized the Third Queen and allowed her to pass through the gates without incident. It was only after she knocked on the door to the Royal Pce that she finally felt rxed. A servant quickly answered the door and was shocked to see the disheveled appearance of the Third Queen.


    "Queen Honoria, you have returned? Quickly,e with me. The King is in the bath, and I am certain that he will be happy to see you safe and sound."


    Honoria smiled pleasantly and nodded her head when she heard this. It had been some time since she had seen her husband, and her body was aching for his embrace. Thus, she was happy to follow the servant into the bath where she stripped out of her muddy clothes, and silently approached Berengar, who was leaning against the edge of the pool.


    The Princess of Byzantium stealthily approached her husband, where she ced her hands around his eyes and disguised her voice.


    "Guess who?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard his Third Wife''s attempt to prank him and quickly answered her question.


    "Honoria, I did not know you would return home so soon. You know you smell foul, don''t you?"


    The young woman released her grip over her husband''s eyes and jumped into the pool. As she entered the body of steaming water, the sweat and grime that covered her body soaked away as an oily film floated to the surface.


    After rising to the surface and taking a deep breath, Honoria pouted before asking Berengar the question in her mind.


    "How did you know it was me?"


    Berengar stared studiously at the woman''s breasts before answering her question.


    "I could tell by the size and shape of what was squeezing against my back. Clearly they were bigger than Ad''s, but were smaller than Linde''s and Yasmins. Thus, by a process of elimination, there was only one woman who has ess to my bathhouse that could pose such a riddle."


    Honoria pouted further as she heard the response. So her breasts had given her away? This man really was a pervert, if he could glean such information simply by the size and shape of her chest. Eventually, she smiled before she told her husband of her adventure.


    "Anyway, I just got back from my expedition to the new world, and have brought some valuable intelligence, as well as some strange new food that I think you will enjoy!"


    Berengar''s brows raised as excitement filled his sapphire blue eyes. A single question filled his thoughts as he gazed upon his third wife with a renewed sense of attraction.


    <i>Did she find potatoes? </i>


    Before Berengar could inquire further about the matter, the young woman approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck before nning a passionate kiss on his lips. After doing so, she whispered in his ear in a seductive voice.


    "I expect to be well rewarded for my discoveries..."


    Berengar smiled mischievously as he heard these words and nodded his head before responding.


    "Very well. I will inspect your goods and determine their value for myself. If they meet my expectations, I promise that you and your girls will be wellpensated for your efforts. However, there is an important matter that muste first!"


    Honoria could tell by the massive thing pressing against her belly just what Berengar had in mind, but rather than take the initiative, she yed coy as she put on a questioning facade.


    "Oh? What could that possibly be?"


    The young King of Austria broke out into a small fit ofughter as he whispered in His wife''s ears after inserting his shaft into her tight, and moist cave.


    "You have been severelycking in your wifely duties. It is time you take responsibility for your absence."


    Thus, the King and his third wife enjoyed some time in the bath as they reunited in each other''s loving embrace.

 Chapter 518 - Returning From An Ardous Voyage Part II

    After getting reacquainted with one another''s bodies in the Royal Bathhouse, Berengar and Honoria departed from their istion and entered the dining hall where the King''s growing family had gathered for a family meal.


    Upon witnessing the Byzantine Princess return from her voyage, Berengar''s other brides had varying expressions. As for Hans, he quickly jumped up from his seat and approached the young woman.


    "Mommy Honoria is back!"


    The Third Queen of Austria smiled lovingly as her husband''s eldest son approached her with glee. She quickly picked the boy up and swung him around as she ting a kiss on his forehead.


    "My baby boy is growing up so fast!"


    In response to this, Linde merely sneered in disdain at her rival before making ament on her choice of words.


    "Your baby boy?"


    It had been a while since Honoria had verbally sparred with Linde, and thus she put on a devilish smirk as she made ament that made the redheaded beauty''s blood boil.


    "Of course, I consider all of Berengar''s children to be my own, even if they were born to another woman. After all, no matter how much of a bitch his kids'' birth mothers'' might be, it is not a fault of the child. All I see is the offspring of my husband, which I hope grows to be plentiful. Speaking of which, Yasmin, you should be due soon, should you not?"


    Before Linde could respond to Honoria''s snide remark, she had shifted the conversation to someone else, thoroughly cutting her off from retorting. As for the woman in question, she smiled as she rubbed her pregnant belly before nodding her head.


    "Yes, however, this little bugger appears to be taking his sweet time..."


    Ad immediately raised her brow in displeasure as she heard this remark and immediately questioned the Granadan Princess.


    "How do you know it is a boy?"


    Yasmin nced over at the overly pious woman and made a snide remark of her own.


    "Because his father''s seed is strong, and I have no doubt that Ah will bless me with a strong and cunning boy much like his father."


    The mentioning of the word Ah immediately made Ad''s skin crawl as she looked towards her husband for a response.


    "Berengar, my dear, are you willing to let such heresy be spoken in your court?"


    The Austrian King chuckled in response to his High Queen''s assertion before lecturing her on a lesson of tolerance.


    "Ad, darling, it is not my ce to judge Yasmin for which God she worships, that is between her and her deity. Besides, I think your faith has blinded you. She is not a wicked woman like you perceive her to be. If you put aside that overly pious attitude of yours for a moment, I think you would realize that the two of you have much inmon."


    Ad did not take this remark lightly, and instead refused to meet her husband''s gaze. The fact that he would take this heathen''s side instead of hers infuriated her. When Berengar witnessed her furious expression, he merely sighed in defeat. It was impossible to please all of his wivespletely.


    However, he would not bend the knee to Ad''s religious persecution simply because she was a devout christian. Thus he shifted the topic to Honoria''s journey in an attempt to establish a degree of cordiality between the women.


    "Tell me Honoria about your expedition to the new world. What did you see? What information have you gathered for me?"


    Honoria smiled as the conversation shifted back to her. She happily recounted her tales of what she had discovered.


    "Well, where Inded was far different from New Vienna. It was a mountainous region that took a lot of climbing to discover anything of value. However, I made sure that my cartographer had created sufficient maps of thend we uncovered.


    What was interesting was that there was no attempt by the natives to contact us. Instead, they immediately ambushed us during our climb. We had fought fiercely with them, however, no matter how many times we pushed them back, they came back for more. Their hostility and willingness to enter our gunfire to drive us out is something I have not seen before.


    We eventually began running low on rations, but rather than head back to the ship and call it quits, my scouts spotted a vige which we seized for ourselves with limited struggle. We ended up using the locals to build a small timber star fort around the vige and regrly sent out scouts to map more of the region.


    As for what we discovered, unfortunately there was no silver or gold, however we found a new food product that was really tasty when cooked properly. We piled the vige''s entire stockpile of these vegetables onto our cargo hold. Before we returned to the fathend, they should be arriving by rail car soon. In the meantime, I have a sample!"


    After saying this, Honoria reached into her satchel and pulled out a ratherrge potato before setting it on the table. Berengar''s eyes grew wide with shock as he witnessed this. It had been roughly six years since he first reincarnated into this world, and until now there were two things he missed from his daily life. That was potatoes and chocte. With this discovery, Berengar could finally make many of the great German dishes that his Kingdom was missing.


    The young Austrian King had to take a moment to collect his thoughts and calm his voice before he questioned Honoria further on this matter.


    "Just how many of these foreign vegetables did you bring with you?"


    Honoria thought about it for a moment before giving her husband an estimated figure.


    "Thousands, as well as the means to grow them, the vigers didn''t understand ournguage, but force was enough for them to teach us via gestures how to grow these things, so we brought back the means to nt them in our fields as well!"


    It stunned Berengar to hear this. He felt like he was about to have a heart attack from sheer excitement. He spent a few minutes to calm his nerves, which did not go unnoticed by his wives, especially Honoria. She could tell that despite never seeing this vegetable before, he knew exactly what it was.


    However, she did not know how he knew, and she also knew he would not enlighten her on that subject. Thus, she was forced to smile before covertly trying to coax some answers from the man about his secret.


    "So, what should we name these things?"


    Berengar pretended to think about it for a moment before giving them the same name from his past life.


    "How about potatoes?"


    Honoria''s brow twitched as she heard this. She did not know what potatoes were, or what the word meant, but it didn''t sound like a German word. This instantly made her more curious about whatever Berengar was hiding. However, she knew better than to question him openly and instead nodded her head in agreement.


    "Very well, we will call them potatoes. How much do you estimate they are worth?"


    The Austrian King was not stupid. He knew Honoria had suspected he knew more than he was letting on, and how he knew these things, thus he attempted to throw her off the trail by not giving her an immediate answer.


    "We will have to experiment with these potatoes to see their most effective use, but at the very least I can give you fair price of Austrian Thalers for them, if they prove to be worth more than we initially inspected I can pay you and your crew a further installment on the newfound price."


    Honoria smirked as she heard her husband''s response. He was very good at pretending, like he didn''t know the answer to her questions. His statement was also quite reasonable. If she did not know him so well, perhaps she would have bought his line.


    However, she knew Berengar better than most, perhaps only Linde, Ad, and Henrietta knew his mannerisms, and thought process better than her, and thus she, as well as the others at the table, knew he was hiding something.


    Despite thismon sentiment from the women gathered at the table, none dared to question him about this obvious attempt to deflect from his hidden secrets. Thest thing they wanted was to corner Berengar and have himsh out at them.


    With a simple smile on Honoria''s face she prodded Berengar''s chest, and change the subject. She had gotten all the answers she could glean for now, thus there was another matter on her mind.


    "Daddy, will you spend the night with me? I missed you so much!"


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this, he had spent more time with his other wivestely, and though he had just been intimate with Honoria in the bath, that she had brought back potatoes put her in his good graces, and he was more than willing to reward the woman for her efforts, thus he nodded his head before responding.


    "Of course! After all, I need to reward you for your efforts."


    With this said, the King''s other brides instantly became jealous, all of them besides Yasmin. She knew how to share a man, and if she was being honest, she had be physically exhausted from all the intimacy she had spent with her husband over the past few weeks. The man had the stamina of a lion, and she could not satisfy him all by herself.


    Thus, after finishing the meal together as a family, Berengar and Honoria would abscond to the Royal Bedchambers, where they would engage in all kinds of intimacy.

 Chapter 519 - Tea Ceremony

    Hans sat in his room around a small wooden table. Sitting across from him were the Princesses of Bohemia and Pnd who had be Berengar''s wards, and in many ways the only two friends that the young boy had. While Veronika was quite a bit older than the Austrian Prince, Natalia was of a simr age.


    The three youths were enjoying a bit of milk and cookies as they dined together. Since Natalia had arrived in Kufstein, she had a difficult time adjusting. However, Hans had been by her side every step of the way, acting as a listening ear and a shoulder she could cry into. He may be young, but he had learned much about dealing with the opposite sex from his father''s actions, and took this time to cement his rtionship with the two girls,pletely aware of the ns his parents had for them.


    The two girls practically looked like porcin dolls as they elegantly sipped on the milk from their teacups, pretending to be adults of noble stature. To the Austrian Prince, this wasughable, but despite that, he did not call the girls out on their overly formal behavior. Instead, he took a bite from one of the Lebkuchen cookies seated upon his te while reading a book about German History.


    The Austrian Prince was exceptionally gifted, so much so that he would be considered a genius, even by modern standards. Despite being five years old, he could speak inplete sentences, and even use metaphoricalnguage. He could read, write, and perform basic arithmetic. Aside from his academic studies, he had learned the piano under Ad''s tutge, to the point where he could perform basic songs.


    It was not just academics, and the arts that the Austrian Prince excelled in. After his near death experience, he had been undergoing daily instruction in hand to handbat, and disyed natural talent in athletics. So much so that even Berengar was shocked by the boy''s progress.


    At the moment he was studying the history of the Germanic peoples as per written by Tacitus. While he was studying this ancient history, the auburn-haired princess of Pnd raised her voice in discontent. Clearly, she was upset that her little friend was not paying her any attention.


    "Hans, you meanie! Don''t just read, pay attention to me!"


    Despite Natalia''s protests, Hans did not look away from his book, rather he licked his fingers and carefully turned the page. As he did so, he responded with a stoic tone in his childish voice.


    "Unlike you, I can do two things at once. You are the one who has remained silent. If there is something you wish to speak about, go ahead. Nobody is stopping you."


    The smug expression on the boy''s lips as he flouted his superior intellect irritated the young girl. While Hans and Veronika were her only two friends here in this enormous pce, she did not like the arrogant attitude that the boy constantly had. Thus, it was no surprise when sheshed out in a childish tantrum.


    "Just because you can read those big books doesn''t mean you''re smarter than me!"


    A condescending smile etched itself upon the Austrian Prince''s lips as he heard this childish statement. He knew very well he was far more intelligent than the young princess, but he would never openly say it. He had learned much from observing his Father''s interactions with his many wives. Thus, he knew better than to openly dere his superiority to a woman.


    However, to back away from such a challenge to his intellect was unbefitting of a Prince like himself, thus Hans sighed before setting down his book and gazing at the young girl with a sense of superiority. His response to her ims of being equal in intellect was one of pure condescension.


    "Natalia, my dear, I have never once imed I was more intelligent than you. Perhaps you are making such usations because of your own sense of inferiority."


    The Polish Princess had a fundamental understanding of the Germannguage at best. Whenbined with her young age, she simply did not understand half of what Hans had said to her. Despite this reality, the young girl refused to admit defeat and looked over towards Veronika with a pleading gaze.


    By now, the Bohemian Princess was well aware of the gifts Hans was born with, and would not challenge his intelligence openly. All she could do was look at Natalia with pity. The Polish Princess had dug her own grave by challenging a young genius like Hans.


    Upon seeing that she was receiving no support, Natalia broke out into tears and ran away in defeat, leaving behind one simple phrase as she fled from the room.


    "Hans, you dummy!"


    After she had disappeared from earshot, Veronika sighed before responding to the Prince''s ruthlessments.


    "Did you have to be so hard on her? She is just a child."


    In response to this remark, Hans merely chuckled as he sipped on his milk. After doing so, he wiped his mouth with a napkin before replying.


    "You say that as if the two of us are not children as well? Besides, she was out of line. Somebody had to put her in her ce."


    Veronika had no response to this. It was hard to reprimand the boy when he was the same age as Natalia. Though Hans was intellectually superior to the Polish Princess, he was still emotionally immature, and was prone to being a petty little shit. The only way to get through to the boy was to get him to think about his future.


    "If you are so smart, then you must know the ns your parents have for you and that girl. One day, she will be your wife, and she will remember the arrogance that you disyed in your youth. Aren''t you afraid of the consequences that your words will have?"


    Hans merely chuckled in response to thisment before responding with a smug grin.


    "I am well aware of the ns that my parents have between the two of us, but aren''t you included in them as well? Or perhaps you have developed feelings for my father? You are getting to be that age, and he is a handsome man. I''d hate to break it to you, but I don''t think he will see you in such a way. To him, you are more like a daughter than a potential lover..."


    The Bohemian princess immediately flushed red as she heard thisment. She could not believe that Hans had suggested such a thing. Unwilling to meet the boy''s gaze, she shifted her sight to the floor before responding to the Austrian Prince''s inappropriate remark.


    "Ass..."


    Hans chuckled once more before he returned his attention to his book. After a few moments of awkward silence, Veronika regained her senses and asked in her mind.


    "Do you really think your parents will betroth me to you?"


    With a shit-eating grin on his face, Hans turned the page of his book once more before responding.


    "It is what I would do..."


    Once more silence prevailed as the young girl flushed with embarrassment for the second time, imaging many scenarios in her head as she thought about the idea of marrying Hans. Ultimately, she pped her face to force her state of mind back to one of normality. When Hans saw this out of the corner of his eye, he merely smirked in silence.


    The two kids were unaware that Natalia was sitting outside the door, sniffling. When she overheard the conversation that Hans and Veronika were having, she flushed red with embarrassment as she envisioned her future wedding with the Austrian Prince.


    Ultimately, Veronika was the one to break the silence, as she asked a question that had been a concern to her for some time.


    "What about my mother? I doubt she would agree to such a thing!"


    Upon hearing this, Hans finally put down his book, where he looked deep into Veronika''s mismatched eyes. The girl was visibly shaking. The very thought of her mother and the abuse she had once suffered caused her heart to fill with trepidation. As if all the happiness she had achieved since arriving in Kufstein would fade away the day she was no longer in Berengar''s ward.


    Hans noted this behavior and grabbed hold of the girl''s hand to reassure her before giving her a reassuring smile.


    "You think she has any power? My father is the current King of Bohemia, and you are his ward. Your future is up to him, not your mother."


    The girl felt a sense of calm in her heart as she heard this words, instinctively she grabbed ahold of the boy several years younger than herself, and hugged him tightly. Afraid that if she let go, she would be forced to return to her mother''s cruelty. This action shocked Hans, but he did not dare to break away.


    The two of them would stay like this for some time until the young Princess of Bohemia regained control over her nerves.. After that, they continued to have their little tea party as if nothing had happened between them.

 Chapter 520 - A Dreaded Peace

    Berengar stood in the ballroom within his Royal Pce. At the moment, Austria was seeing its first instance of peace since the days before Berengar''s ascension to power. After nearly six years of constant warfare, Austria could finally say they were not officially engaged in any conflict.


    While there had been years where no major war urred that Austria took part in, the kingdom still had its hands, and troops in foreign battlefields supporting their allies, such as the Hussites and the Granadans. Technically speaking, there were currently Special Operations units such as the Jaeger Regiments and the Jagdkommandos that were busy engaging in peacekeeping operations within the Sultanate of Granada.


    However, this was not officially an armed conflict in the traditional sense, more of providing security to an allied region filled with unrest. As far as the Austrian public was concerned, their Kingdom was not involved in any ongoing wars, and that was something to celebrate.


    As a result, Ad, who is the Minister of Cultural Affairs, put on a massive feast in her husband''s honor, and that of the soldiers who have shed blood for the sake of the fathend. At the moment, various nobles, wealthy entrepreneurs, and a few high-ranking military officers were all gathered in the Royal Pce feasting on fine dining, and drinking their fill of wine.


    As the King of Austria, Berengar was forced to endure polite conversation with a variety of people, most of which behaved in a sycophantic manner, which he found displeasing. Despite his actual thoughts, Berengar acted as if he enjoyed every moment of the conversation.


    By now he was dreadfully exhausted from pretending to be somebody he was not, and had walked to the balcony for a quick smoke break. He pulled out a hemp cigarette from the container within his jacket and lit it as he smoked his troubles away.


    The young King of Austria smirked at the full moon, which illuminated the night sky above as he thought about all the things he had done since he was reincarnated into this world. Even if his social obligations were tiresome, it was nice to have a break from the years of brutal warfare he had led, or so he thought.


    However, as Berengar was alone with his thoughts, he thought about all the souls that he had reaped in his tenure as a warrior king, including that of his only brother. His smirk turned sour, and his hands shivered. One memory in particr haunted his mind, and that was the time where he was alone in the dark, wounded, and trapped by his brother''s attempt to im his life during that cave-in at mining town.


    Without realizing it, a single phrase escaped his lips as he gazed off into the night sky.


    "Never again..."


    From the moment the king reminisced about that dreadful past, a river of foul memories he had suppressed throughout all these years flooded his psyche. The thunder of guns, the sound of steel tearing through flesh, the gasps of men who drew theirst breath. It all came together in a symphony of war, one that consumed his senses.? As he was struggling to find rity of mind and control over his emotions, he heard a voice calling out to him.


    "Big brother... Big brother! Hey Big brother can you hear me?"


    When Berengar finally recognized these words, his mind snapped back to its normal confident and ruthless state, suppressing any guilt and revulsion that had burdened him the moment before. As if his battle fatigued mind had recovered in an instant, he turned around with a smile on his face to see the sight of his younger sister, dressed in an azure blue gown, with white leather heels.


    Henrietta had a tint of concern on her pretty face as she gazed at her precious elder brother who seemed to have recovered from whatever trance he was in just moments before.


    "Big brother, are you alright?"


    Berengar seemed to havepletely forgotten the overwhelming sense of dread he felt just moments prior and instead took onest drag from his hemp cigarette before tossing it to the ground, and stamping out its light.


    "I''m fine Henrietta, I was just thinking about all that I have done toe to this point. Nevermind that, is there a reason you needed me?"


    A pretty smile formed on Henrietta''s luscious pink lips as she grabbed hold of her brother''s hand with both of her own before leading him inside the party.


    "Come dance with me!"


    Berengar smiled as he followed his little sister onto the dance floor. He grabbed hold of her waist with one arm and her hand with the other and led her through the waltz, which had be the signature dance of the Kingdom of Austria ever since Berengar introduced ballroom culture.


    After a while, the music slowed down, and those who were still on the dance floor began to slow dance. Berengar found himself in an awkward situation as his sister wrapped her arms around his neck while dancing with him. However, he chose not to say anything. After all, his wives were busy entertaining his guests on his behalf, thus the least he could do was enjoy the moment.


    Henrietta eventually broke the awkward silence with a question that had been on her mind.


    "It must be weird for you..."


    Berengar snapped out of his ufortable daze when he heard this and immediately questioned just what his sister was referring to.


    "What is?"


    Henrietta frowned when she heard this response. Either Berengar was deliberately ying dumb, or he was not as quick-witted as she thought. Until now, she had tried to divert her attention from the strange moment she had witnessed on the balcony, but her inquisitive nature, and her care for her elder brother, ultimately forced her hand.


    "This peaceful era we find ourselves in. For the first time in a long time, you don''t have a war to fight, or you are not looking for the next conflict. You are here, in thend of your ancestors, enjoying the safety and security that you have provided in your realm. Yet, I can tell by the way you look at everything that your mind isn''t here... not entirely.


    I know nothing about war, or the horrors you must have suffered out there fighting for our family''s position in this world. I know also that you have to present an image of strength to your wives, your soldiers, and your kingdom. However, I just want you to know that when you''re with me, you can be yourself and if you want to, you can tell me about anything that is bothering you."


    Upon seeing her brother''splicated expression, and the silence that remained between them after speaking her piece, Henrietta pouted before identally letting her thoughts slip.


    "Or not..."


    Upon hearing the dejection in his little sister''s voice, Berengar sighed before revealing what truly haunted him.


    "It is not the blood and death that keeps me up at night, it''s the peace that follows."


    Henrietta had a look of confusion on her pretty face as she asked for rification on her brother''s statement.


    "I''m sorry... I don''t follow."


    Berengar looked around as he continued to dance with Henrietta before borating further on what he meant.


    "I have spent so many years, either at war, or preparing for the next one, that during the moment, when I''m on the battlefield, taking another man''s life, I feel no guilt, no remorse, no dread. In fact, unlike most men, I enjoy the simplicity of war. There is me, and then there is the enemy, and the enemy wants to kill me, so I must kill them first. It is as simple as that...


    Here at home, in the Pce, in peace, it is not so simple. At the moment, I am finally free from the chaos of battle and now have the time to think about all that I have done and what I have endured. I know that what I have done, no matter how brutal it was; I have done it for the sake of my people.


    I also know that if I want this fledgling Kingdom that I have built to survive, then I must continue to act ruthlessly in the face of my enemies. But I have so many enemies, and no matter how much blood I have already shed for the sake of my kingdom, I know that it pales inparison to what awaits in my future. It seems that God, in his cruel sense of humor, has destined for me to y the part of the viin. So I must ask you... How can one man endure the hatred of an entire world alone?"


    Henrietta could not prevent the tears from streaming down her face as she heard the burdens that weighed her brother''s conscience. She immediately hugged him tightly, and ced her head into his chest, wiping her tears on his tunic before looking up at him with her azure eyes.


    "You are not alone! You have me, and you have your family! Who cares what the rest of the world thinks about you? You are creating a better world for our people, and I know that the people of your Kingdom adore you. That is what truly matters! The rest of the world be damned! You are not a viin, you are the hero that our people need! You are also my big brother, and I love you!"


    When Berengar heard this passionate speeche from his little sister''s lips, he felt as if all the anxiety he had felt since returning home from thest war had melted away. Henrietta was right about one thing: he may be a warlord, a tyrant, and the devil incarnate in the eyes of the rest of the world.


    But to Germany, and its people, he was the hero they needed to lead them from the darkness of the feudal age, and if a few million people needed to die to achieve this, then so be it! A new sense of rity overwhelmed Berengar''s mind as the fatigue washed away. In its ce, a renewed resolve to build asting Empire took over.


    A smile appeared on Berengar''s face, as he kissed Henrietta on the forehead before thanking her for her insights.


    "You''re right, Henrietta, about everything. I can''t believe I let my emotions get the better of me. I thank you for your advice, and I promise to speak to you in the future if I ever find myself with any doubts."


    Henrietta did not hear a word he said, instead her brain was fried after receiving her brother''s kiss on her forehead in front of so many people. It was fine if he wanted to show his affection in private, but they were in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by society''s elites. What if they misunderstood the nature of their rtionship?


    Berengar paid no mind to this line of thinking and instead finished the dance with his dazed sister.. After it was over, he returned to his guests in a much brighter mood than he had started the evening.

 Chapter 521 - A Botched Assassination Attempt

    Berengar and Henrietta continued to slow dance for some time in silence, enjoying the mood. The sight of which caught the gaze of the onlookers, many whispered behind the king''s back about the intimate disy. To Berengar, there was nothing inappropriate about what he was doing. He was merely dancing with his sister.


    However, in the eyes of his guests, he and Henrietta were a bit too close. Despite this, they would not openlyment on the King''s affection for his little sister. Thus, Berengar and Henrietta continued to dance for some time. After all, his wives were too busy entertaining his many guests, and this was a chance for him to escape such social obligations.


    With a wide smile on the King''s face, he spoke to his sister about something that had been guing his mind as ofte.


    "So Henrietta, my dear sister, there has been something that I have been meaning to talk to you about for some time now..."


    The Austrian Princess looked up at her elder brother with an inquisitive gaze before responding.


    "Oh, what could that be?"


    It took Berengar a few moments to gather his thoughts, as this was a conversation he had been dreading. Eventually, he took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking his thoughts.


    "You are no longer a child. In fact, you have grown into a beautiful young woman who I am proud to call my sister. It is because of this that I have been wondering if there is anyone you might be interested in?"


    Upon hearing this question, Henrietta averted her gaze and flushed red from embarrassment. While biting her lower lip, Henrietta struggled toe up with an answer to her brother''s question. The truth was there had been one man she was interested in for some time, but she knew it waspletely uneptable, and until now had been suppressing her innermost desires.


    With her precious big brother finally asking her this question, it put the young princess in an awkward situation, as she did not want to outright lie to him. Instead, Henrietta sighed heavily before deciding to tell her Berengar the truth thaty hidden in the depths of her young heart. The blonde beauty grasped hold of her brother''s sleeve as she looked away towards the ground before muttering the truth of the matter.


    "There is someone I''m interested in..."


    Berengar''s brow raised when he heard this, he could not for the life of him think who it was, after all Henrietta had limited interaction with the opposite sex, he would think that he would know whoever it was who had gotten closer to his darling little sister. Thus, with a look of overwhelming confusion, he searched for an answer to this question.


    "Oh, who might that be?"


    Henrietta bit her lip once more, her heart was pounding as she struggled to voice her feelings. Just when she opened her mouth, a firm hand grasped onto the young king''s shoulder and spun him around. Berengar gawked at the man in question, as he noticed this stranger was brandishing an old flintlock pepperbox revolver which used to be issued to his agents. With a scowl on his face, Berengar interrogated the man who had dared to approach him with a weapon.


    "Now, just where did you get that?"


    However, the man did not answer, and instead pulled back the hammer on his weapon and pointed it toward''s Berengar''s chest before boldly announcing his intent to everyone present within the ballroom.


    "Your majesty, The House of Luxembourg sends their regards!"


    After saying this, the man squeezed the trigger, forcing a projectile out of the barrel of his weapon and towards his target. Berengar sighed heavily in the face of death, with a stoic expression on his handsome features. This was not the first time he had met death, however he deeply regretted passing away from this world so soon before he could aplish his goals.


    However, in the next moment, he noticed there was no pain in his chest where the bullet should have struck. It was at this point he looked over to see Henrietta standing in front of him, with a bloody hole in her abdomen. She had taken a bullet meant for him.


    Before the gunman could react to this unexpected change, Berengar grabbed hold of his weapon and pushed it out of the way before striking the man in the temple so hard it knocked him unconscious. After doing so, he tossed the gun aside and knelt down next to his sister, who was bleeding out on the ground. Tears crashed around him as he screamed out in a voice as loud as he could.


    "Medic! Get a fucking medic!"


    Henrietta had a bitter smile on her face as she felt her brother''s hand press tightly against her wound. Seeing her life sh before her eyes, the girl struggled to give what she perceived to be herst words to her brother.


    "Big brother... you asked me who I am interested in as potential partner.... I''d hate to drop this confession to you right now, but it looks like I am running out of time... The only person I have ever thought of being with is you... I love you, big brother..."


    Berengar could not help the tears fall from his eyes and onto his sister''s face. The girl used thest of her strength to pull her big brother in close and kiss him gently on the lips. After saying this, the girl passed out from blood loss.


    It was at this moment the medics who were on standby arrived and dragged the Princess off to the Royal Physician Ewald. If there was anybody in this world who could save the girl, it was him. Berengar copsed to the ground in shock,pletely unaware of how this had happened.


    Rage and Depression fought a major battle in Berengar''s mind to see which emotion would dominate the young King of Austria''s next actions. After several moments of doing nothing but staring at the blood on his hands, the victor was decided.


    The King of Austria trembled in wrath as he stood up from his copsed position and red towards his Second Wife who was currently working damage control. He quickly gave an order to his guards with a voice of fury.


    "Lockdown the pce, and bring this man to the secluded area for interrogation. I will find out who is responsible for this attack, and how many conspirators there are. Until I am satisfied with the results, nobody is to leave this room! Anyone who attempts to flee will be shot on sight!"


    The Royal Guard trembled as they heard their orders. They had utterly failed in their duties to protect the Royal Family, and there were sure to be dire consequences. Nevertheless, they did not stand by in petrification; they had to make up for their mistakes. Thus, they quickly threw up their roman salutes to the King before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After saying this, two men dragged, the unconscious would be assassin off to a secluded area of the pce, while the others gathered all the guests in attendance into the ballroom, keeping them under guard until the King ordered their release. The only people able to move around freely within the pce at the moment were the Royal Family and their Royal Guard.


    As for the rest of Berengar''s family, they were brought to safety in the most secure area of the Royal Pce. A secret underground bunker that had been installed in the event of some form of enemy attack. While the Royal Family was safely protected underground, the King himself was filled with fury as his first priority was checking up on his little sister''s condition.


    Berengar find himself outside the room where Henrietta was stationed, speaking with one of Ewald''s nurses. By his side were his parents who had visited Kufstein for the assion, they had equally worried expressions on their faces.? Berengar was in no mood to waste time and quickly inquired about Henrietta''s condition.


    "How is she? How is my sister?"


    The Nurse had a surgical mask on her face as she calmly exined what Ewald had told her.


    "There is a lead ball lodged in her abdomen. If it is not properly removed, she will die..."


    Berengar immediately cursed as he vented his frustrations.


    "God fucking dammit, I swear to god, if she dies I will burn the entire northern regions of Germany to the fucking ground! You better fucking save her! Isn''t there anything that can be done?"


    The nurse sighed heavily before revealing the extant of what the Physician had told her.


    "Ewald has been experimenting with surgery, and because of the efforts of the chemistry department, we have sedatives that can ensure your sister is in a safe state for operation. As we speak, he is doing everything he can to save your sister, but these are new practices in the experimental stage. The likelihood that Princess Henrietta will survive is slim. You need to prepare for the worst."


    As Berengar heard this, his heart sank to a new depth, one that he had never imagined possible. There was nothing else to say to the nurse, thus he turned away and walked off. Sieghard had a solemn expression on his face as he thanked the nurse for her efforts.


    "Thank you for everything that you are doing for my daughter. I apologize on my son''s behalf. He is just a bit emotional at the moment. I hope you didn''t take offense."


    The nurse shook her head before sighing.


    "No apology is necessary. I can not even begin to understand what you are all going through. We will do everything we can to save your daughter, but you need to have realistic expectations."


    Sieghard nodded his head with a defeated expression before making one finalment.


    "She is in God''s hands now... I need to go have an important discussion with my son."


    After saying this, Sieghard departed from the area and ran off to catch up with his son. He had witnessed everything that had happened, including Henrietta''sst words. It would appear that it could not be avoided. He needed to tell Berengar the truth. After grabbing hold of his son''s shoulder, Sieghard said the words that would forever change Berengar''s fate.


    "Son, we need to talk...."

 Chapter 522 - A Long Forgotten Family Secret

    Berengar turned around to meet his father''s gaze. There was a primal rage in his eyes, one that belonged to a man who had lost all reason. He had every desire to massacre everyone present for this ceremony in a bold attempt to kill those responsible for daring to harm himself and his family. He meant every word he said to the nurse. If Henrietta perished, he would massacre millions of people to calm his wrath.


    Between his gritted teeth, Berengar somehow responded to his father''s question, every word spoken wasced with an unbridled hatred, one that could not be quenched without the blood of innocents.


    "What is it!?!"


    A deep sense of fear entered Sieghard''s heart as he witnessed the rage that could consume the universe in darkness within his son''s eery pupil. The militaristic eyepatch only further enhanced the tyrannical aura exuding from the enraged King.


    "Son, we need to have an important discussion about your sister."


    Berengar could no longer hold back his heightened emotions and spat his vile words at his father.


    "I swear, if she dies, I will not rest until I have personally tortured every person responsible for this atrocity, and their extended families, to death! I will bury entire lineages and defile a hundred generations of their family''s graves to get back at them for this atrocity!"


    Sieghard could tell that fury had reced reason in his son''s mind. If he did not do something soon, the young man''s hatred would consume him andpel him tomit unprecedented atrocities. Thus, he firmly gripped his son''s shoulder while staring down the primal fury in the King''s eye, with a look ofpassion, and understanding in his own.


    "Son, it is time you learned the truth about your sister..."


    Such a bizarre statement momentarily snapped Berengar back to reality as he looked at his father with an inquisitive gaze.


    "What the fuck are you talking about?"


    Sieghard sighed heavily before sitting down at the bench in the middle of the hallway. He motioned his son to do the same; it was only after Berengar had sat beside his father, and cooled his wrath, did the old man tell the long forgotten secret of their family.


    "Henrietta isn''t actually your sister, not by blood, anyway. She is, in all actuality, your aunt..."


    This statement confused Berengar. He could not fathom such a thing being reality. While his memories of this life were mostly intact, he had no recollection of Henrietta being adopted, thus he asked for rification on this statement.


    "What the hell are you talking about? How is my little sister, my aunt?"


    Sieghard chuckled as he recalled his memories of how he first met his little sister.


    "Your grandfather was always a bit of a yboy, just like you are. Of course, he did not have the luxury to legalize polygamy, so he always kept a mistress. Despite this, he was careful not to father any bastards. At least, as far as I am aware, Henrietta is the only child he had from one of his mistresses.


    In his final days, after my mother passed, he grieved her loss by taking a servant girl as his final mistress. In the end, the young woman became pregnant with his child. Ultimately, she passed away in childbirth, and my father died shortly after that.


    Leaving this baby girl alone in the world with no parents, I took sympathy on her since she was technically my sister, and adopted her into our family. Much to the chagrin of your mother. You were roughly ten years old at the time.


    You remember how, because of your sickness, we sent you away to a monastery in the mountains to treat you? You were gone for around a whole year, and by the time you returned, we had already adopted your aunt. I didn''t want you or your brother to treat her any differently than you would each other, so I told you she was your sister who was born while you were away.


    As for Lambert, he was so young at the time that he ended up forgetting we adopted Henrietta. Thus, your mother and I could keep the secret of the girl''s birth, and officially make her a member of our dynasty. I intended to take this secret to the grave, but when I saw her kiss you, I knew I couldn''t allow you to continue to believe that you were blood rted siblings. If Henrietta miraculously survives this, I want you to know that you have my blessing to be with her."


    Berengar struggled to cope with this new information. Itpletely shifted his views on the rtionship he had with Henrietta. Now that Henrietta''s life was endangered, and she had perhaps spent herst moment kissing him, it had made his head spin. Feelings he did not know existed emerged from his otherwise ckened heart. If he weren''t so consumed with rage, he would perhaps be conflicted with his feelings towards his own flesh and blood sister.


    Yet, now that the Berengar knew the truth of Henrietta''s lineage, it simplified things within his troubled heart. It would not be that abnormal for him to be with his aunt. After all, plenty of Medieval Monarchs had married their aunts. In fact, his predecessors, the Habsburgs, were quite renowned for it. He was already married to his cousin, so what was the difference between Ad and Henrietta now that the truth had been revealed?


    Of course, that was assuming she survived this ordeal. Thus, his mind instantly snapped back to rage as his furious gaze swept towards the room where the would-be assassin was being held. Berengar shifted his sight back to his father before nodding his head.


    "I understand, if Henrietta gets through this, I will make her a happy woman, but for now I have a prisoner I need to interrogate. If you will excuse me, we can talk further about this when the girl wakes up."


    After saying this, Berengar departed towards the target of his vengeance, leaving his father in a state of bewilderment. He did not know what Berengar nned to do to the assassin, but he knew it was not anything good. Still, to see his son taking interrogation into his own hands, that was something he thought he would never see in his life.


    The door to the room crept open to reveal the young king of Austria. He had a cold gaze on his face as he inspected the prisoner who was tied to a chair, while surrounded by a pair of Austrian Royal Guards. Berengar quickly dismissed the guards who were acting on stand by.


    "Leave us!"


    The guards eyed one another with caution. They were about to leave their king alone with a man who had tried to assassinate him. Was this really the wisest course of action? Yet the re they received when they remained in the room struck fear in their hearts, and instantly spurred them to action as they left Berengar alone in the room with the man who had critically wounded his beloved sister.


    After the door was shut behind him, Berengar snarled as he kicked the prisoner in the calf


    "You can stop pretending. I know you''re awake!"


    When the man tied to the chair heard this, he opened his eyes and sighed before responding.


    "To think I would shoot the princess of Austria instead of my target. Man, my employer will have my head for this one..."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this. He remained utterly silent as he took off his jacket before hanging it on a coat rack within the room. After doing so, he rolled up the sleeves of his finely pressed dress shirt, as he grabbed ahold of a knife that was brought to the room by his guard, along with various other torture instruments.


    "I think you should be more worried about what I will do to you!"


    The man smirked when he heard this. He was confident that Berengar was an amateur in torture, and thus did not fear what the Austrian King would do to him. While Berengar sharpened the knife in his hands, the man made a bold retort.


    "Either you kill me, or my employer kills me. Either way, there''s not much incentive for me to talk. Go ahead, do your worst. I''m a dead man, anyway. However, you won''t get a single word out of me. At the very least, I die as a professional."


    Berengar wore a wicked smile as he heard this. He approached the man with his knife in hand, almost as if he were a butcher. He leaned close and whispered into the man''s ear.


    "We will see, for now... This is where the fun begins! Do me a favor and try not to die of shock before I am finished with you!"


    After saying this, Berengar brought the knife to the man''s tight, slowly ying the skin from his flesh.. The assassin''s screams would continue to echo throughout the room for the entire night."

 Chapter 523 - Intense Interrogation

    Berengar sighed heavily as he cleaned the blood off of his de. The subject of his torture was sitting on his wooden chair bound to it with steel chains. There was no way for him to escape without help from a third party.


    The Austrian King had a cruel smile on his face as he gazed over at his bloody work. The would-be assassin''s left thigh waspletely stripped of its skin, and instead had been salted, and wrapped in a linen bandage which was treated with alcohol.


    The white dress shirt that covered Berengar''s torso was stained with blood stter as he gazed at the whimpering man. This assassin had been rather resilient and, because of this, Berengar had taken a break from his vicious actions. The Austrian King wiped his bloody hands onto a nearby rag before picking up his gilded skull chalice, which was filled with a viscous crimson wine.


    After taking a sip from the cup, Berengar dug into a piece of curry wurst which had been prepared for him by the kitchen staff. Under the supervision of the Royal Guard, they could cook for Berengar as he ruthlessly tortured his victim to glean some important information, particrly regarding how he came to possess and smuggle such a weapon into his pce.? After taking a single bite, a satisfied smile presented itself on the King''s elegant, but twisted face as he lectured his victim.


    "Do you know why the Ancient Assyrian Empire copsed? Judging from your attire, you should be a nobleman. Surely, you should be at least somewhat educated on history?


    The assassin spit out his saliva onto the floor, which had traces of blood mixed into it. His face was heavily bruised from the beating Berengar had inflicted upon him, so much so that it was hard to make out his appearance. Despite his condition, the man smiled before egging his captor on.


    "Why don''t you enlighten me?"


    Berengar sighed before grabbing ahold of a handsaw, and walking towards his victim with a cruel smile etched upon his lips. He used this tool to cut away at the man''s left pinky finger, slowly slicing away at flesh and bone alike, causing the man to scream in agony. As the King dug away at his opponent''s digits, he continued his historical lesson.


    "The Assyrian Empire was renowned for its brutality and its mastery over psychological warfare. You could even say they were the inventors of many of the world''s first recorded torture methods. Because of this, their subjects and neighbors alike despised them.


    Ultimately, this vicious reputation was their downfall, as during their decline, all the people they had victimized for so long eventually rebelled against them, and made their mighty Empire a thing of the past. However, despite this unfortunate fate, they left behind some particrly brutal torture methods carved into their temples and pces that I havee to admire.


    You could say their vicious nature has inspired me. So allow me to exin what is going to happen to you. Before I y you alive, I will remove each of your fingers, and toes, as well as your nose. Then I will blind you and castrate you.


    So, rather than having to go through all of this messy business, how about we save ourselves some trouble, and you just tell me what it is I want to know? If you do, I promise I will show you mercy. How about it, now that you know my intentions, are you willing to talk?"


    It was only after he finished saying these words did the pinky finger finally drop free from its roots. Falling to the floor in a pool of blood. Seeing the man panting in silence, Berengar frowned and raised his saw to the next finger on the man''s left hand. A demonic smirk curved itself upon his lips as he asked one more question before proceeding to see away at the man''s next finger.


    "Still don''t feel like talking? So be it!"


    The man screamed at the top of his lungs once more while the finger was slowly removed. When the second digit copsed to the floor in another puddle of blood, Berengar raised his saw with the same vicious smirk on his face before asking once more.


    "Are you ready to talk now?"


    The assassin had a horrified gaze in his swollen eyes. Was this madman was really going to do as he said? What kind of sick bastard was he? Before he could give up information, Berengar once more saw away at the man''s middle finger. However, this time, the man was far more willing to be cooperative. Before Berengar could get halfway into the bone, the man cried out in agony.


    "I''ll talk! For God''s sake I''ll talk, just stop!"


    When Berengar heard this, he sighed heavily before cing down the saw on his table next to his other torture instruments. It slightly disappointed him to see how quickly the man broke, thus he gazed at the assassin with disgust before condemning him.


    "You''re no fun... Fine, enlighten me. Where did you get the gun?"


    The assassin quivered as he gazed at his two missing fingers, and his third one, which was sawed nearly in half. After collecting his thoughts, he swallowed his bloody saliva before giving Berengar an arrogant answer.


    "Contrary to what you might believe, your Kingdom is far from free of corruption. Where there are people, there also exists greed, and avarice can be exploited. It would surprise you how much dmissioned ordinance goes missing from your storehouses every month.


    Some of it ends up in the hands of the ck market, others ends up in the hands of foreign kingdoms. My benefactor went through much difficulty to get that pocket pistol. It is a shame I wasted his efforts on your sister..."


    Berengar''s brow raised as he heard this remark. It would appear that there were plenty of heads that would need to roll. If the soldiers in charge of the warehouses were smuggling old weapons out of the Kingdom, he would need to make an example out of them.? However, Berengar had other questions, and quickly asked away now that he had pacified his victim.


    "Tell me how you sneaked your weapon past my Royal Guard? Surely you were searched before you entered my Pce?"


    The man had a proud smile on his face as he revealed how he had entered the Pce with a weapon without discovery.


    "I am quite proud of this one. Your wife wanted a local restaurant to cater one of their more unique dishes for the event, so as they were unloading their goods from their carriage, I hid the pistol onto their cart. After entering the pce, I retrieved the weapon and hid it in my jacket, until I could get a shot at you. It is a pity I failed, so much effort wasted..."


    Berengar nodded his head in understanding. His security may have beenx because of the peaceful era they found themselves in, and did not properly search the caterer''s cart for anything that could be hazardous. He would have to discipline them thoroughly for their neglect.


    The young monarch could tell by the glint in the man''s eyes that he was not leading him astray. This was indeed how he gained the weapon and snuck it past security. However, a wise man did not believe his torture victim''s words entirely. He had to verify the information. Thus, he would have to ask Lindeter to investigate the matter.


    With these two answers revealed, and already knowing who had hired the man to do the job, Berengar had gotten the information he needed to punish those responsible. Thus, he walked to the door and knocked on it, revealing two Royal Guards who entered the small chamber..


    Berengar cleaned off the blood from his hands once more, then he gave the two men their orders.


    "I want you to y this man alive, then send his dismembered corpse to the Bastard of Luxembourg. However, before you do that, cut off his fingers, toes, nose, then blind him and castrate him. I want that little prick to know what happens to those who target me or my family."


    When the assassin heard this, he panicked and immediately called out to his captor with a voice filled with dread.


    "What? Why? You said you would show me mercy!"


    Berengar smirked as he tossed the blood-stained rag he had used to clean his hands onto the floor. After doing so, he responded calmly before exiting the room.


    "I said that I would show you mercy. I never said that my men would do such a thing."


    After saying these words, he exited from the torture chamber and left the man to his fate. With this attempt on his life, by his rival to the North; Berengar realized he would need to update his ns for unifying the German Empire. He could no longer sit idly by and wait until after the uing Crusades against his people were resolved.


    However, before he could march his armies on the German world, he had much work to do. A thorough and brutal purge of all corrupt officials was about to be undertaken that would see the public execution of anyone involved in the assassination attempt.


    Outside of the corrupt aspects of his military and government, Berengar would spend significant effort hunting down the ck market and killing anyone associated with it.. Effectively, as of now, the Kingdom of Austria was under martialw, and would remain that way until he had eliminated everyone even remotely responsible for Henrietta''s fate.

 Chapter 524 - Declaring Martial Law

    Berengar stood at Henrietta''s bedside. His white dressed shirt was stained in the blood of his most recent victim, his hands had practically been dyed red with the sanguine substance. Despite this gruesome appearance, he wore a stoic expression as he gazed lifelessly at his little sister.


    After staring in silence at the girl, who was in aatose state, he kneeled beside her, where he grabbed hold of her dainty hand and kissed it before turning away from her. He could no longer bear to see his little princess in such a state.


    He knew that the Kingdom of Austria did not yet have the technology to keep someone on life support for an extended period of time, and though she had an amble supply of IVs to sustain her fluids, if she did not wake up soon then it would be a matter of weeks before she starved to death.


    Ewald, the court physician of the von Kufstein Dynasty, had a solemn expression on his face as he gave his King a status update on his sister''s condition.


    "Your highness, we have done everything we could. The projectile was removed, and we have sessfully stopped the bleeding. However, at this point, whether she lives is up for God to decide..."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard thest words of the Physician''s statement. God? What did God have to do with this? If such a being really existed, then how could he stand by and allow such a sweet and innocent princess to be murdered in his ce? No, God didn''t exist. If he did, then he was either dead or simply did not give a shit about his creation.


    These were the thoughts that dwelled in Berengar''s mind as he ignored his physician''s words and merely nodded his head in silence before exiting the Princess''s room. Whether Henrietta would live or die, there was nothing Berengar could do now.


    Grief had be to overwhelm the young monarch''s mind as he exited his sister''s quarters and took a bath alone. Tears streamed down his eyes as he struggled to choke back his sorrow. Now that he had vented his wrath upon the assassin''s body during his little torture session, despair had taken its hold over the King''s heart.


    While Berengar was washing the blood from his body, Linde had taken control over the Pce. Both the Royal Guard and Royal Intelligence were now under hermand. The redheaded vixen entered the chamber where the assassin was being held. By now, he had most of his fingers removed, and the guards had worked on his toes.


    When she saw the two guards engaging in such brutality, the Second Queen of Austria raised her hand and prevented any further harm to the assassin.


    "Halt, this man is an important asset for Royal Intelligence! Though Berengar has gotten some vital information from this assassin, the King is an amateur at best in the art of interrogation. Have this man''s wounds treated, and send him to a ck site for further interrogation."


    The guards immediately ceased their torture and swapped nces with one another before the senior of the two men began to speak his concerns.


    "But the King himself has ordered for this man''s execution-"


    Before he could continue to interject, Linde red at him with a murderous gaze, instantly causing his words to cut short. She crossed her arms beneath her hefty bosom before giving her orders once more, in a voice filled with absolute authority.


    "The King has left me in charge of his affairs while he spends what little time he can with his sister before she departs from this world. Whatever orders he may have given you before were done in apromised state. You will obey mymands, or I will find someone who will. Do I make myself clear!?!"


    The two men instantly snapped into attention as they saluted the Second Queen before responding.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After saying this they immediately began to search for a medic to treat the man''s grevious wounds. While the guards were gone, Linde smirked at the assassin with disdain. She grabbed ahold of his hair and pulled his drooping head up so he could look in her eyes.


    "Whatever pain that Berengar has inflicted upon you, I assure you that my agents will increase by a thousandfold. I promise you I will learn all the secrets that you hoard in that smooth brain of yours, and only after I have gained the information I need to redeem myself in the eyes of my master will I permit you to die!"


    After saying this, the guards returned with a medic who treated the horrific acts of violence that were inflicted upon the Assassin. As for Linde, she left the room and returned to the ballroom with a squad of Royal Guards towing behind her.


    The guests had panicked since the assassination attempt had urred. The only thing keeping them from outright rioting was the threat of the royal guards, who kept a close watch over them to ensure that nobody acted against the Crown during its investigation.


    When the Second Queen entered the room, a sense of relief washed away the fear and anxiety that had begun to sway the minds of the King''s guests. They all remained silent and obediently waited for her to update them on the situation. Linde cleared her throat before gracefully informing the guests as to everything that had ured.


    "I will update you all on the situation at hand. Note that this information is subject to change as we gain more intelligence about this devious plot against our King and his family. I assure you that Berengar is safe and sound. He regrets his inability to inform you in person, but he is currently with his sister.


    Unfortunately, Princess Henrietta is in critical condition. At the moment, the Court Physicians are doing everything they can to save her life. The Pce is secure, and the Assassin is in the crown''s captivity, where he will be interrogated for information involving his treasonous act.


    An investigation is ongoing as I speak, into the background of this man, where he got the weapon he used in this attack. We are also looking into how he sneaked it past security to prevent further incidents like this in the future. I assure you we will find everyone rted to this attack and punish them ordingly.


    For now, you may all return to your homes, or wherever you may be staying within Kufstein at the moment. However, when you return, you will all be ced under house arrest. Where Austrian Intelligence will speak with every one of you regarding this incident.


    As of this moment, the King has dered martialw, in doing so, he has dissolved Parliament for the foreseeable future. I want to make this clear; we have identified several high-ranking officials in the Government, and the Military as being partially responsible for this assassination attempt. Thus, the Crown will work tirelessly to arrest these traitors and castigate them for their crimes.


    Only after Order has been restored to the Kingdom of Austria will the Crown Restore Parliament. Until then, it is your duty as citizens of Austria to report any information you may know regarding this attack and its perpetrators to your nearest Police Station. We will brand anyone caught withholding information about this Assassination Attempt as an enemy of the state, and punish them ordingly.


    That is all I have to say on the matter!"


    After saying this, Linde turned away and exited the ballroom. The people gathered began to chant in discontent. However, she did not listen to a word they had to say. She had far more important matters to attend to. If she did not find and eliminate the corruption in Austria''s society that had allowed this attack to take ce, then Berengar was bound to hold her ountable for Henrietta''s condition.


    For the first time in a long time, Linde genuinely prayed in her heart. She pleaded with God to allow Henrietta to live, as the redheaded beauty could not bear the thought of taking the me for Henrietta''s fate. After saying a silent prayer, Linde left the Pce and entered the headquarters of Royal Intelligence where she would work tirelessly for the next few days to identify her targets, and eliminate them.


    As for Berengar, he spent a significant time in the bath by himself. Only after the guards had escorted all of his guests from the premises of the Pce did he emerge from his solitude. Where he quickly retrieved the rest of his family from the bunker beneath.


    They were all shocked to find out what had happened, and Berengar spent the rest of the night in bed cuddling with his wives. Only the warmth of their bodies could heal his wounded heart in any significant capacity.


    One thing was certain: Austria was about to enter a bloody period of its history.. The extent of Berengar''s cruelty towards his people would be determined by whether the Princess of Austria survived this ordeal.

 Chapter 525 - Identifying The Enemy Within

    A report sat on Linde''s desk as she rubbed her weary eyes and drank her sixth cup of coffee on this morning. Her usual lively and attractive appearance was marred from three days of hard work investigating the assassination attempt on her husband''s life. She refused to face her husband until after she had identified all the conspirators, for the veteran spymaster knew the king would vent his wrath upon her, and not in the fun way she hade to love.


    After taking a sip from her coffee mug, Linde gazed over at the detailed report, which, based upon the information received from interrogating the assassin, who was currently located at a hidden government ck site. While the Austrian Governmentuded itself for its forward thinking justice system, the reality was there were certain criminals deemed too dangerous for a trial, and thus they would eventually find themselves missing.


    These dangerous criminals would wake up imprisoned at one of many secret internment camps, where government agents would interrogate them for information regarding their criminal activities. After their usefulness was exhausted, these agents would dispose of the criminals and bury them behind the institution. For those few who were aware of these facilities'' existence, theymonly referred to them as ck sites.


    As Linde read through the report, which was conducted only after vetting the assassin''s ims. She noticed several prominent figures in Austrian society who her agents had deemed as conspirators involved with the plot on Berengar''s life.


    Not only were there high-ranking army officials who uwfully sanctioned the sale of dmissioned arms to the ck market, but there were even a few members of Parliament who had invested in the ck market that facilitated the sale of the pistol to the assassin. At the bottom of this report was a note by the agent in charge, who detailed his thoughts on how Royal Intelligence should respond to these discoveries.


    Under Normal circumstances it would be difficult to arrest a member of Parliament without extensive evidence, and a warrant signed by a judge of a federal court. However, Linde had recently dered martialw, and temporarily dissolved parliament, in doing so forsaking any rights the politicians of the Austrian Federal Government may have.


    Thus, with a smug smile on her face, Linde signed her approval for the Agent''s rmendations of mass arrest, and public execution of the individuals on the list. There were one hundred and twenty-three names on the list of targets, which included three members of parliament, a General in the Austrian Royal Army, and a variety of corruptw enforcement officials.


    Although many of these people were only loosely associated with the uwful trafficking of arms which resulted in this assassination attempt on the King''s life, examples had to be made of all of them. Thus, Linde had immediately dispatched orders for their arrest.


    After handing off the documents to her Deputy Director of Internal Security, who was Hemma''s counterpart to intelligence affairs that took ce inside the borders of the Kingdom of Austria and its domains, the woman named Maria Flecken looked at her boss with a hesitant expression before espousing her views on her orders.


    "Your Majesty, if we do this, it will surely cause civil unrest. The Constitution clearly dictates that there are certain rights afforded to the people. If we go through with these arrests, it will disy the crown''s disregard for the rules it has set forth in our society."


    In response to this assertion, Linde merely scoffed before reminding the Deputy Director of who was really in charge of society.


    "The constitution exists solely because of the King''s benevolence. In this time of crisis, he has dered martialw. In doing so, the Crown has temporarily dissolved parliament, and voided the rights of criminals. If we do not make an example out of these people, then I assure you, the discontent of our citizens will be the least of our worries..."


    There was a hint of worry in Linde''s voice as she spoke thisst part. Evidently, Berengar''s wrath was something she feared. After all, she had witnessed the brutality that her husband had inflicted on the would-be assassin, and did not desire to find herself in a simr situation.? Upon hearing these orders, Deputy Director Maria sighed heavily before nodding her head in agreement.


    "Very well. I will dispatch these orders to our agents and the local police immediately. I assure you that the men and women responsible for this attack will be arrested by the time the sun rises."


    Linde nodded her head before dismissing her deputy director. Now that she had dispatched orders for the immediate arrest of the hundred and twenty-three individuals involved in this conspiracy, she could return to her husband and check on his condition. Surely by now he spent all of his tears.


    ---


    Berengar kneeled at Henrietta''s side while resting his head on the girl''s bed. The princess had been in aa for the past three days and nights. Aside from the first night where the King sulked with his wives. He had not left his sister''s side. The Kingdom was under martialw, and rather than take matters into his own hands, he merely grieved by his dying sister''s bedside.


    By now, the young king had spent all the tears that he could physically cry, and instead was resting his weary mind next to the poor girl who had taken a bullet for him. In his state of despair, Berengar spoke about matters that he had not revealed to anyone else in this world. Perhaps confessing his secrets was an act of sce for him.


    "You know Henrietta, when I first regained my memories of my past life, you were the first thing I saw. Despite being in a state of confusion as I juggled the memories of two lives, I instinctively knew you were my precious little sister.


    It''s funny, because of Lambert''s attempt to assassinate me, I was dying just like you are now, but you stayed by my side and nursed me back to health. It was because of your efforts that I am here today. I just wish I could do the same for you..."


    After saying this, Berengar sighed heavily as he held onto the girl''s hand with a tender grip. It was at this moment he heard a knock on his door, though his first instinct was to turn away whoever dared to interrupt his precious moments with his dying sister, he knew it was likely something important thus he wiped his crusty eyes as he regained hisposure before answering the intruder.


    "Come in!"


    The door opened to reveal Linde''s disheveled appearance as she entered the room. The bag she had under her eyes caught Berengar by surprise. He did not even think about who was managing his Kingdom in his stead. Normally such a task would fall to his father-inw, but apparently Linde had been hard at work for his sake.


    The redheaded vixen had an exhausted look on her face as she handed over a copy of the list of names of the people her agents were apprehending at that very moment. When Berengar gazed at the document, a look of confusion spread itself across his haggard face.


    "What is this?"


    Linde sighed heavily before answering her husband.


    "Those are the identities of everyone even remotely involved in the sale of the weapon that was used to harm the princess. It is a rather thorough list of a hundred and twenty-three high-profile individuals. From the leaders of the gangs that operate the ck market to the corruptw enforcement agents on their take.


    There are even a few local and federal politicians who protected these gangs for one reason or another. However, the most dire of these criminals is the General in charge of storage, who not only was aware of his soldiers smuggling our obsolete weapons, but received a cut of the profits.


    I must admit, I am surprised that we could not discover evidence of their activity until now. It would appear the criminal elements of Austria have done a good job of remaining hidden after you enactedws permittingw enforcement agents to actively hunt and eliminate gangsters. It is my understanding that the reason they have been able to avoid attracting our attention is because of the support they have received from within the government.


    Thus, it is the rmendation of the Agent in charge of this investigation that we use our current state of martialw to arrest and execute these offenders. I must say that I agree with this sentiment. Now is the time for the Crown to show the corrupt and criminal aspects of our society that we will not tolerate such behavior."


    Berengar listened to this report with his full attention. After he had heard all the details, he nodded his head in agreement. A cruel gaze appeared in his one good eye as he gave his decree to his director of intelligence.


    "I want you to arrest everyone responsible for this atrocity. After they are in our custody, I will have them publically executed in the town square! Let this forever be a reminder to those who would dare act against me. There is a price to pay for treason!"


    Linde had a bitter smile as she bowed her head in respect to her husband. Truthfully, she just wanted this nightmare to be over. If over a hundred heads had to roll to appease the King''s fury, then so be it. Thus, she responded in a tiresome tone.


    "I have already done so. My agents have assured me that the offenders will be in our hands by the time the sun rises. As for how you wish to execute these traitors, I will defer to your judgement."


    Berengar nodded his head as he heard this. He gazed over at hisatose sister one more time before grabbing hold of his wife''s hand, where he led her out the door. There was much work to be done, and he could no longer afford to sit by Henrietta''s side when those responsible for her condition ran free. Now was the time for action, and the King had a massive purge to undertake. It was only after the door shut behind him that theatose princess opened her azure eyes in shock, a single phrase escaping her lips.


    "Big brother?"


    After noticing that Berengar was not present, Henrietta pouted before falling back to sleep.

 Chapter 526 - Bloody Monday

    Reyneke Trossingen was a General in the ranks of the Austrian Royal Army, and he was not the greatest example of a fieldmander. His skills were much better set to task on managing logistics than it was strategy and tactics. It was because of this that the Crown had entrusted him to look after the warehouses which housed the various weapons of the Austrian Army.


    Of course, when being in such afy position for so long, corruption was unavoidable. When one officer approached him roughly a year ago with the proposition to sell dmissioned arms to the ck market, he was initially hesitant.


    After all, the Crown was very strict on organized crime. However, he also had thousands of old firearms lying around that were no longer in service and were kept as a strategic reserve. Surely if a few dozen of the guns went missing, nobody would notice, right?


    Or so he thought. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine one of the pocket pistols in his warehouse would find its way into the hands of an assassin who mistakenly wounded the Princess in an attempt to im the King''s life. It was because of this event that the General was sweating bullets as he wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.


    Though he had gone to great lengths to conceal his involvement in the ck market, he was well aware of Austrian Royal Intelligence''s ability to bring secrets to the light when they were determined. With the deration of Marshal Law by the Second Queen, who was the Director of Intelligence, he knew that his time in this world was limited.


    Thus, at the moment he was preparing to flee Austria, perhaps he could bring some of his expertise to one of the neutral nations. The rtively obese, and bald man stuffed one of his coats into a suitcase as he barked orders at his house servants.


    "Fetch my stash of guldens, quickly! I do not want to be here when the Agents of the Crown show up!"


    It was at this moment a knock resounded at the door. The moment the General heard this, the life faded from his eyes, and he instinctively halted his actions. It was toote, and he knew it. The Crown''s agents had acted quicker than he expected.


    With a heavy sigh, the General approached the door to his mansion and opened it, revealing an entirepany of the Royal Guard at his doorstep. These men were armed to the teeth and were prepared for conflict. The sight of which had practically caused the man to soil himself in fear.


    Rather than resist his fate, the General threw up his hands and surrendered himself to the authority of the Royal Guard. A group of soldiers quickly approached him and bound him with chains as they began to read him his charges.


    "General Reyneke Trossingen, you are under arrest for the charges of High Treason, Arms Trafficking, bribery, and extortion."


    As the General was loaded off into the prisoner wagon, his neighbors gazed in horror. While this arrest was being made, many more like it were urring across the city, some of which were far from as peaceful as the General''s case.


    ---


    On the other side of the city, a man wore a cloak concealing his identity as he sat in the back of a carriage with his family. The city had beenpletely sealed off since the assassination attempt on Berengar''s life. Nobody was allowed in or out, as martialw prevailed.


    This man was a member of Parliament, and was considered by the people to be a man of upstanding virtue, and a true champion of themon man. However, in reality, he was as corrupt as a politician could get.


    Werner Go?hain was not born a nobleman, or even the son of a wealthy merchant. Instead, he had grown up as another peasant beneath the von Kufstein family. However, when Berengar came to power and began educating the public, the man''s quick wit aided him in bing among the firstmoners capable of qualifying for office.


    He ran a campaign for the House of Commons on the principle that he would make the lives ofmoners better, something that naturally urred because of Berengar''s reforms. Despite the reality, he hadrgely taken credit for many of Berengar''s policies that benefitted the average person, making him a popr candidate.


    However, vanity was not the only sin of this man. How could it be, without wealth, what was the point of poprity? Thus, he quickly found himself epting bribes by entrepreneurs wanting to open up businesses in his district without following the many regtions Berengar had put in ce, which existed not only to protect the people, but the environment as well.


    Bribery naturally turned into extortion as he forced new prospective businesses to pay a "fee" to his office in return for the right to operate in his district. When a few entrepreneurs found out this was illegal, they threatened to reveal his schemes, which resulted in him turning to murder to silence the voices of dissent.


    All of this had flown under the radar of Austrian Intelligence. After all, they had been far more concerned with organized crime and external threats than the idea of corrupt politicians. Unfortunately for this man, one of his associates had ties to the ck market, which was currently the target of the crown.


    Because of his rtionship to the ck market, Werner''s crimes hade to light, and he was now a wanted man. Luckily, his contacts inw enforcement informed him of this reality before it was toote. Thus, he had used his ties to the ck market to get in contact with a smuggler who promised to safely escort him and his family out of the city.


    From there, it was up to him to get them to a foreign nation. With all he knew about the Government of Austria, it would be easy to secure himself a ce as a prominent nobleman abroad. Of course, that was the n, however the moment his carriage pulled into the location where he was supposed to meet with the smuggler, he found himself surrounded by the Royal Guard who aimed their weapons at his carriage.


    The driver immediately raised his hands to show that he was unarmed, which was met with a thorough rebuking by his master.


    "Fool! Get me out of here! I will pay you a hundredfold if you get me and my family to safety!"


    Despite these words, the driver did not budge. Instead allowed the Royal Guard to search the carriage. Werner was quickly dragged from out of the carriage, as were his family, who looked in horror at the situation,pletely unaware of the crimes that the head of their house hadmitted.


    Werner screamed at the Royal Guard, who had apprehended him.


    "Get your filthy hands off of me! Do you have any idea who I am!?!"


    The Guard in charge of his arrest merely responded by shovel punching him in the gut before reading him his charges.


    "Werner Go?hain, you are under arrest for the crimes of High Treason, bribery, extortion, and murder."


    The man''s wife began to shriek as she heard these charges. She knew very well the penalty for such heinous crimes was death, and could not believe that her seemingly good and noble husband hadmitted such acts.


    "You''ve got the wrong man. Werner is a champion of the people!"


    Despite her protests, her words fell on deaf ears, as the Royal Guard did not care about the woman''s hysterical delusions. Instead, they began to wrap the bindings around the man''s wrists. That is, until Werner broke away from their grasp, and drew one of the Guard''s sidearms.


    The moment he did so, the rest of the guards raised their rifles and pointed them at the man while shouting their orders.


    "Drop the weapon! Right now!"


    Werner did not do as he was instructed. In an act of desperation, he opened fire on the guards, narrowly missing the man he had stolen the sidearm from. The moment the gunshot resounded in the air, the other guardsman fired a volley into Werner''s chest.


    Multiple projectiles riddled the man''s torso and sted his innards apart as blood sprayed forth from his body and onto the carriage behind him. His wife and children screamed in horror as they witnessed the man gunned down by the Royal Guard in the streets of Kufstein.


    The guard who had his sidearm stolen quickly motioned for the men to cease their fire as he walked forth and grabbed hold of his revolver from the corrupt politician''s dying hand. After doing so, he pulled back the hammer and pointed it towards dying man''s skull.


    "Good riddance."


    After saying this, the Royal Guard plugged a round through Werner''s forehead, ending his life on the spot. With the executionmitted ahead of schedule, the Royal Guard issued his orders to his soldiers.


    "Apprehend the family and interrogate them. I want to know what information they may have about Werner''s criminal activities."


    With that said, the Royal Guard took away the sobbing family and brought them down to the police station for questioning. On this bloody night, Werner was the first of many to be gunned down by the Royal Guard as they resisted their arrests.. This night, which marked the first time the Austrian Crown used its authority to purge the criminal, and corrupt from its society wouldter be known as "Bloody Monday."

 Chapter 527 - A Public Display Of Authority

    General Reyneke Trossingen kneeled in chains in the center of the Kufstein Town Square. By his side was apany of Royal Guards, ensuring his protection from the enraged mob that surrounded him. He knelt alongside several dozen other prisoners who were guilty of various crimes, including High Treason.


    Without a trial, or even evidence presented before him, the Royal Guard had dragged the General out of his home the night before and ruthlessly interrogated him. Despite this uwful abuse of authority, he knew his guilt well and thus hung his head low as he waited for his turn to be executed.


    While gazing upon the scene with an expression filled with despair, Reyneke witnessed the King take the stand, and publically dere the guilt of the gathered prisoners so that all who bore witness knew the depths of their sins.


    "I know many of you have been wondering why my Royal Guard had invaded the homes of your neighbors and dragged them into the streetsst night. I assure you that each person gathered here today is guilty of the most heinous crimes.


    Each citizen gathered here in chains today, are guilty of a variety of criminal acts associated with the assassination attempt on my life, which you all know has resulted in the grievous injury of my little sister, your Princess! For these most heinous of sins, I hereby sentence them to death!"


    The enraged mob who had gathered to witness this event screamed at the prisoners as they heard this news while hurling objects at them.


    "Death to the traitors! Burn in hell, you criminal scum!"


    Although this sentencing was technically in vition of the Constitution, arge percentage of the city''s poption did not care in the slightest. From their perspective, this was quite a simple matter. The Royal Family was attacked at a peaceful event designed to honor the sacrifices of the Kingdom''s valiant heroes, and these prisoners were in part responsible. Only blood would sate the appetite of the mob. After raising his hands to silence the enraged mob, Berengar called out the first name on his list.


    "Harthman Schmalbaggs, former member of Parliament. I find you guilty of high treason. As a member of parliament, you have aided criminal elements that are in part responsible for the attack on my life. I, King Berengar von Kufstein, first of mine name, sentence you to death by firing squad!"


    After giving the formal sentence to the man, he was quickly dragged from his spot by the Royal Guard and ced before a stone wall. The man''s appearance was haggard and bruised, much like the rest of the prisoners.


    Evidently, his interrogators had beaten him severely the night before. Despite this abuse of power, the mob did not care. Instead, they relished in it. After being ced against the wall, a squad of Royal Guards loaded their G-22 rifles with .45-70 Spitzer cartridges and mmed the bolts homes. Having loading their weapons, the sergeant in charge issued his orders to the firing squad.


    "Present Arms!"


    The moment he had issued thismand, the Royal Guardsmen lowered their rifles and aimed them at the target, awaiting the next order that would seal the traitors'' fate.


    "Fire!"


    Without hesitation, the squad of ten men pulled their triggers, in doing so unleashing their projectiles downrange and into the target''s torso. Ten bullets riddled the chest of the former member of Parliament, ending his life at that very moment.


    As if like clockwork, the Royal Guardsmen pulled back their bolts, in doing so ejecting their empty cartridge, before loading another into its ce. Having done this, they shouldered their rifles in unison like a well-oiled machine.


    After reloading their weapons and pointing them in a safe direction, several other Royal Guards dragged the corpse away. The former parliament member''s corpse made a bloody trail as the guards threw it into an empty cart. After disposing of the carcass, they lined the next prisoner up against the wall, where the King dered his crimes for all to bear witness.


    "Curt Harder, I find you guilty of High Treason. As a ringleader of the ck market which provided the weapon to my would-be assassin, I sentence you to death by firing squad!"


    The moment the gangster heard these words, he fell to his knees and sobbed as he pleaded for mercy. As a lowly criminal, hecked the courage to face his death like a man.


    "Mercy, milord, mercy! I beg of you!"


    However, such actions only further increased Berengar''s hatred towards the man, forcing him to spit upon the ground in disgust. With the sentence provided, the Sergeant began issuing a familiar order to the soldiers beneath hismand.


    "Present Arms!"


    However, before the soldiers could pull the trigger, anothermand echoed in the air with far more authority.


    "Halt!"


    When the prisoner heard this decree, he felt a sense of relief overwhelm him. Believing the King had granted him a stay of execution, he fell to his knees once more and pressed his head against the floor.


    "Thank you milord! I promise-"


    Yet, before he could finish his groveling, Berengar sneered in disgust as he gave a far more cruel decree, one that reced the prisoner''s relief with overwhelming dread.


    "This worm''s behavior sickens me. Clearly, he is not worthy of a quick and painless death. Sergeant, remove his head with a dull de!"


    The King''s orders were absolute. As a Sergeant of the Royal Guard, he had worked his way through the ranks of the Royal Army and proven his absolute loyalty to his monarch. Thus, the thought of rejecting this act of unnecessary cruelty did not even register in the man''s head as he issued an order to his soldiers..


    "Hold the man down and fetch me a dull de!"


    Two men grabbed hold of the prisoner, who had broken out into a fit of tears once more. The cruel fate that awaited his man filled him with so much despair that he could not even curse out his executioners for their ruthlessness.


    Eventually, a member of the royal guard brought forth an old long-sword. The de of this weapon had not seen maintenance in many years. Not only was it dulled to an exceptional degree, but it was pitted with rust from years of neglect. When the soldier handed the sword over to his Sergeant, the man did not hesitate to raise the de in the air and swung it down with all his strength onto the neck of his target.


    The dulled de cut through the man''s flesh from sheer force, and despite this, he was not dead, instead he yelped in pain as another swing brought the cold rusty steel down upon his bare neck once more. After half a dozen precise strikes, the man''s head was severed and thrown into the cart with the rest of his body.


    Despite this unnecessary cruelty, the enraged mob shouted with joy as they witnessed the traitor who had provided the weapon to the assassin lose his head in a ruthless disy of brutality. This acted as a deterrence for all the other prisoners. Not a single soul would dare to beg for mercy from the King after what had happened to Curt.


    One by one, the Royal Guard gathered the prisoners against the wall, where the King would dere the crimes they were guilty of. The sounds of gunfire repeatedly echoed in the air on this day as 102 men and women were lined against the wall and shot. As for the other twenty guilty individuals, they had perished the night before, as they foolishly resisted the might of the Austrian Crown.


    Eventually only one man remained, and that was the Former General Reyneke Trossingen he had witnessed the deaths of everyone else before him, and by now stared lifelessly at the crowd which cheered for his death. The King gazed upon him with a sense of utter disdain as he dered his guilt to the mob.


    "This man is a former General of the Austrian Army. Because of his talents, I had personally tasked him with overseeing the Storage Facilities which housed our obsolete weapons, specifically those which were kept as a reserve in the event that our enemies ever invade the Fathend.


    Not only did he personally sign off on the smuggling of these weapons into the hands of the ck market, in doing so, being guilty of supplying the assassin with the weapon he used to horrifically injure my sister. He is also guilty of the most heinous of crimes against you the people of Austria.


    By selling our strategic reserve to our enemies, this man has greatly undermined our Kingdom''s national security, and all of your lives in danger! I have already stripped him of his Rank as General and seized his previous honors. Now, I sentence Reyneke Trossingen to death!"


    Upon hearing his King speak to him in such a vicious regard, Reyneke lowered his head before saying a silent prayer. After finishing, he gazed straight into the eyes of the firing squad as they lowered his weapons towards him. Thest thing the man saw before gunfire echoed in the air, and imed his life was the sinister smile on Berengar''s face as he mouthed the words.


    "Burn in hell!"

 Chapter 528 - The Princess Awakens From Her Slumber

    Havingpleted the executions of the one hundred and three individuals who were guilty of criminal acts that led to the assassination attempt on his life, Berengar returned to the Royal Pce. This past week he had been hard at work ensuring that he had purged the corrupt and criminal elements of his society.


    With a show of absolute authority, the Crown of Austria had made a thorough example of such behavior. What the people didn''t know is that Royal Intelligence''s department of Internal Security had now turned its attention towards infiltrating the gangs hiding in the shadows and gathering evidence on crooked politicians.


    The era of Martial Law was far from over. Berengar was certain that there were more gangsters and corrupt officials hiding in the shadows of his society, and he would not relent on his stranglehold over the Kingdom until after he had eliminated everyst one of them.


    Despite this longing for justice, Berengar had far more pressing concerns at the moment. The Bastard of Luxembourg had attempted to im his life, and in doing so, had grievously injured his sister. This action had to be met with an appropriate retaliation, and in Berengar''s mind, there was no more valid response to an assassination attempt than outright warfare.


    Thus, he was prepared to gather his generals and plot an invasion of Northern Germany, that is, until he stepped foot into his pce. The moment he entered his home, Ad approached him with an excited expression. Before Berengar could ask what had happened, she blurted out the good news.


    "Henrietta is awake! It is a miracle!"


    Upon hearing this piece of information, Berengar did not pay the slightest attention to his wife, and instead sprinted towards Henrietta''s quarters. When he opened the door, he saw the girl sitting up in her bed, with the physician checking on her condition. The young Monarch struggled to choke back the tears in his eyes as he rushed over to his sister and hugged her tightly.


    "My sweet little sister, I am so happy you are alive!"


    The princess of Austria was far from in the best condition and winced in pain as her big brother embraced her with every fiber of his being.


    "Big brother... you''re hurting me!"


    When Berengar heard this remark, he quickly released the girl, and instead smiled as he petted her hair.


    "I''m so sorry Henrietta, this is all my fault. I should have been more focused on internal security!"


    Henrietta smiled bitterly as she saw her brother''s worried expression. She could only imagine the difficulties he had gone through since her injury. Before they could fully reunited Ewald dragged Berengar to the side and updated him on his sister''s current condition.


    "The princess is an incredibly lucky girl. The projectile missed all of her major arteries or organs and instead embedded itself in her muscle. It''s almost as if God himself shielded this girl from death. Still, she will be weak for some time, and need careful care if she wishes to fully recover from this injury. Though, I am sure that is not a problem for a man such as yourself."


    Berengar smiled as he heard this news. It was better than anything he could have hoped for. Thus, he ced a hand firmly on the physician''s shoulder as he rewarded him for his efforts.


    "Ewald, you have served my family well all these years, and you have saved my sister''s life. Whatever you want in this world, so long as I can provide it, it is yours."


    The Physician smiled softly as he removed the King''s hand before responding to his generosity.


    "I thank you for your generosity, your majesty, but I was just doing my job. However, if you are truly insistent on rewarding me for my efforts, perhaps you could expand the funding for my department.


    As you know, this is the first surgery we have done within the Kingdom of Austria, and it turned out better than I expected. Imagine what we could achieve with hundreds of surgeons and thousands of researchers studying this field full time!"


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement as he heard these words. Truly, Ewald was a man dedicated to his craft.


    "Of course, I, too, look forward to the future of Austria''s medicine. You have my full support. Whatever you and your team need, send an expense report to me, and I will approve it. Just don''t take advantage of my kindness..."


    Ewald responded with a slight chuckle as he heard this remark.


    "I wouldn''t dream of it, your majesty. Now if you will excuse me, I think you have some catching up to do with your sister..."


    After saying this, the physician and his nurses left the room, leaving the two siblings alone. Berengar sat next to Henrietta''s side on her mattress and held her hand. When Henrietta noticed this, she began to blush as she remembered the words she said when she was shot.


    "Big brother... I want you to know what I said back then-"


    Before she could finish her sentence, Berengar raised his finger and pressed it against her lips, silencing her in the process.


    "Shh. Don''t speak, I understand everything, and I want you to know, while you were on the verge of death, I had some time to think, and I have realized that I feel the same way... Besides, father has told me something that helped me ovee the taboo of such a rtionship..."


    The princess was shocked when she heard this news, and flushed red in embarrassment as she gripped the covers to her bed tightly in her dainty hands. Did her brother seriously just respond positively to her "dying" confession?


    However, in the next moment, she recalled thest words he spoke and quickly shifted her gaze to his one good eye with a curious expression on her face.


    "What did father tell you?"


    A bitter smile formed on Berengar''s lips as he kissed his sister''s hand before revealing the big family secret to her.


    "That you''re actually my aunt... You''re not father''s child, but grandfather''s. After my grandmother passed away, he had consoled himself in the arms of one of his servants. You were born from this union, unfortunately your mother passed away in childbirth, and your father passed away shortly after. Leaving my father to adopt you as his own daughter."


    This revtion was deeply shocking to the young princess. It took her a few moments to process it. After a brief silence, she raised her head with a quivering expression before asking the most important question on her mind.


    "So, does this mean that you are not my big brother?"


    Berengar chuckled when he saw his sister in tears over this. He responded by grabbing hold of her head and stuffing it into his chest while kissing her forehead.


    "Of course, I am your big brother. I always have been and always will be. However, it just so happens that I am also your nephew..."


    Henrietta sulked as she felt her brother''s loving embrace. She had a million questions on her mind, and not enough answers. Eventually, the princess responded with a singlement.


    "That is so lewd..."


    At this point, Berengar could no longer contain hisughter. He never expected his little sister to make such a response to hisments. Henrietta immediately pouted as she witnessed her big brotherughing at her remarks. She was about to chastise him when Berengar pressed his lips against her own, forcing his tongue into her mouth and entertaining it with hers.


    At first Berengar''s actions shocked Henrietta, but almost immediately after she lied back on to her bed and let her brother take control. It wasn''t until the King began reaching through the covers, and grabbed ahold of his sister''s substantial breasts that the girl felt a slight tinge of pain, and reacted with a cry.


    Noticing that he had hurt the girl, Berengar released his grip and noticed the stitches on her belly. Evidently, he had applied pressure to the wrong area. Seeing that he hurt the girl, Berengar let go of Henrietta entirely andid down by her side beforementing on the situation with a smug grin.


    "It appears you''re going to have to get better before I can formally make you my mistress."


    Henrietta broke out into a fit of giggles when she did so, however she noticed this caused her severe pain, thus she calmed herself beforetching ahold of her brother and dragging him under the covers. With a wide smirk on her face, she whispered something in his ears.


    "Well, at the very least, you can stay by me as I rest, can''t you?"


    In response to this, Berengar smiled and nodded his head before disrobing himself while under the covers and tossing his clothes to the side. Though they couldn''t make love, the least they could do was cuddle.


    Thus, the King began spooning with his sister while stroking her silky golden hair. Shortly thereafter, the couple fell to sleep.. It would be a long road to recovery for the Princess of Austria, and Berengar intended to be there for her every step of the way.

 Chapter 529 - An Unexpected Ultimatum

    A week had passed since the fateful day where the Austrian Royal Guard executed over a hundred individuals who were associated with the assassination attempt on King Berengar von Kufstein''s life. Though the Princess had awoken from her slumber and survived her wounds, she was far from the condition to alk around and enjoy life the way she used to.


    Berengar had taken extra care to ensure Henrietta''s safety as her muscles healed from the bullet wound. Hemissioned an elegant wheelchair to cart the girl around in and personally took care of her needs.


    By now the King''s wives were bing envious of the time he was spending with his sister, despite this, they endured their jealousy as they were aware of the emotional turmoil their husband had gone through when he thought Henrietta was on the brink of death.


    However, a Monarch''s duties were to his Realm and his people, and the attack on his life that had resulted in his sister''s injury needed to be answered in kind. For without dignity, a Monarch was nothing.


    Thus, he had spent some time preparing a major speech to be delivered to the Austrian people. After which, the Kingdom''s agents would then spread the message to the people that dwelled within those North German States who swore their allegiance to the bastard of Luxembourg.


    Finally, the day for this speech had arrived, and Berengar stood in the central za of the Kingdom of Kufstein, where just weeks before, a hundred and three criminals were executed under his orders. By his side was the Princess of Austria, who was in a wheelchair. Aside from this fact, she looked as beautiful and lively as ever.


    The people gazed upon their King with curiosity. It was not every day that he would host such an event. They were curious about what he wanted to tell them. Clearly, it was an important matter. After enough citizens and foreign merchants had gathered in the town, Square Berengar spoke in an authoritative tone.


    "I have gathered you all here today for an important matter. I speak not only to the people of Austria, but it is my intent for this message to be spread across Germany so that all of its people may understand what has transpired within my realm, and hopefully empathize with my plight.


    Weeks ago, there was an attack on my life in the middle of a celebration. The intent of this event was to honor the men who have sacrificed so much in pursuit of Austrian victory against our enemies. Unfortunately, the assassin missed his target, and instead harmed an innocent, nearly iming her life in the process.


    It is a miracle of modern Austrian medicine that my sister sits here today before you all, both alive and well. Sadly, the attack has had serious consequences on her health, and for the time being, she requires assistance in the simplest matters of life.


    Luckily, we managed to capture the would-be assassin alive, and thanks to the thorough interrogation conducted by my agents, we were able to ascertain the identity of the man responsible for this terrorist attack! It is none other than the Bastard of Luxembourg, Duke Hartman von Luxembourg!


    This viin had conspired with hidden criminal elements of our society in an attempt to im my life. In doing so, he nearly killed my precious little sister, who ispletely innocent of the politics that have led to this unfortunate reality. Had my sister suffered such a tragic fate, I surely would have burned the Northern German States to the ground in my fury and grief.


    Luckily for all of you, specifically the people of thesends, she has survived this ordeal thanks to the efforts of my physicians and their exemry knowledge of medicine! Thus, I have decided to be merciful and give you all an option to redeem yourselves in the eyes of your creator.


    Submit yourselves to my rule, and rise in rebellion against this scoundrel who harms innocent little girls! Drag him before my court, and I promise I will absolve you of the sins of your masters. If you do this, you will avoid a war with the South German Confederation, one which will surely im the lives of millions of innocents.


    For those of you who fear the might of your feudal overlords, fear not. I, as King of Austria, swear to arm those who submit to my Crown with the tools needed to overthrow your masters. This is my ultimatum to you, bring me this viinous coward who deres himself king of Germany, or suffer the wrath of my armies!


    You have three months to decide on a course of action before Imit the forces of the South German Confederation to total invasion! Choose wisely, for the fate of you and your families hangs in the bnce. Just know this, if I am forced to invade the North in pursuit of justice for the crimesmitted against my family, I will be far from merciful!"


    Having said this speech, Berengar grabbed ahold of Henrietta''s wheelchair and escorted her back to the Pce, leaving the Austrian people in a state of shock. They did not expect their bloodthirsty King to give the German people of the North a choice in the matter. Such a thing was indeed considered merciful when one took into consideration the brutality that their King had inflicted on other realms for far lesser charges.


    As for Berengar, he wheeled Henrietta into his office, as he was too afraid to let her out of his sight, in case someplications with her condition arrived. Though such a thing was unlikely at this point, he had be an exceptionally worrisome brother ever since the assassination attempt.


    Henrietta pouted as Berengar sat at his desk and began to draft ns. It confused her as to why he had brought her here. Ever the inquisitive young woman, Henrietta quickly asked the question on her mind.


    "What are you up to, big brother?"


    Berengar smiled. He would not hide his plots from his darling little sister, instead he ced down his pen and looked up from his work as he boldly dered his intentions to the girl.


    "It is rather simple. I n to expand the Royal Guard into a self-sufficient army. Currently, there is a single battalion that acts as the personal protective force of the Crown. However, after recent events, I havee to realize the need for arge, and elite militant force that is unquestionably loyal to the Royal Family."


    Henrietta nodded her head in understanding, though she wasn''t one for military, or even political matters, she trusted her brother''s judgement. If expanding the Royal Guard aided in preventing another tragedy like what had happened to her, then she was all for it.


    As for Berengar''s ns, he had devised the new and improved Royal Guard to be based upon Napoleon''s Imperial Guard, with a bit of influence from the Waffen-SS. Technically, the Royal Guard would be separate from the Army, and would exist as Berengar''s personal shock troops.


    The King intended to split the Royal Guards into infantry, cavalry, artillery, sapper, and marine battalions. He also intended to follow Napoleon''s model of splitting them into three sections based upon experience. The young guard, middle guard, and old guard.


    As far as their uniforms were concerned, Berengar designed a distinctive uniform for his royal guard. Rather than going with the route of a uniform based on the style that the Prussians used in the 1870s from his past life, Berengar took inspiration from the Bavarian Cuirassiers of the same time period.? Naturally, he shifted the colors from blue and red to ck and gold, which were the colors that his armies used.


    Having finished drafting his ns for the restructure and expansion of the Royal Guards, Berengar walked over to his little sister and grabbed hold of her chin with his firm hand before kissing her on the forehead. After doing so, he made her a solemn vow.


    "I promise I will not allow anything like this to happen to you ever again..."


    Henrietta rested her chin in her brother''s hands as she closed her eyes. Despite being wounded so severely, she had finally gotten what she wanted deep down inside, and that was for her brother to spoil her. So what if they weren''t blood rted siblings? In her eyes, Berengar would always be her precious big brother.


    With the actions that Berengar had taken on this day, he had forced the Northern German States into a predicament. The people surely would not stand for an Austrian invasion, especially after all the sess they had in wars these past few years. However, the proud Lords of the North would never willingly bow their heads to the Austrian King, thus Germany was on the verge of war once more, as two factions remained vying for the German Crown..? The Bastard of Luxembourg, and the Tyrant of Steel.

 Chapter 530 - A Villanous Bastards Dillema

    After Berengar''s rousing speech to his citizens, his agents quickly began dispatching the news of the Austrian King''s ultimatum to the people of the Northern German States. Unrest was inevitable when faced with the possibility of war against the mightiest Army in the World, which had grown even stronger with the addition of Southern German States.


    Renault sat calmly as he sipped from his coffee while smoking a hemp cigarette. Even though the North German States were far more backwards than their Southern Counterparts, the elites still had ess to many qualities of Austrian goods. A stoic expression was on his face as he lectured the bastard Duke about his failures.


    "So it appears that our attempt to assassinate the Austrian Monarch has failed miserably. Not only did our assassin miss his mark, but he somehow managed to wound Austria''s most beloved Princess. If we stay here, I am afraid we are in for a rude awakening. After all, you know how Berengar is with his wrath..."


    Hartmann had a horrified expression on his face as he sat across from his mentor. Ever since his assassin had failed to report to him on that fateful evening, he feared for the worst. It would appear that the situation was far more worrisome than he expected.


    It was one thing to attempt to assassinate the Austrian King and fail, but to harm his little sister in the process. If the bastard of Luxembourg wasn''t such a coward, he would have ended his life, then and there, just to prevent the torment that awaited him.


    However, while the young Duke was contemting the pros and cons of suicide, his adviser Renault silently took a sip from his coffee before proposing an interesting idea.


    "Though I must say, I did not expect him to rally the peasants against us... This has created a rtively unique opportunity, one that might allow us to escape the man''s blind rage, and live peacefully in exile..."


    Hartmann scoffed when he heard these words, to abandon his people to the rule of hisst remaining rival, when he was so close to victory. It was truly an unthinkable prospect, nevertheless he could tell by the expression on Renault''s face that he was not joking. Thus the young Duke took a small sip from his coffee. After doing so he sighed heavily before responding.


    "Enlighten me..."


    Renault did not immediately respond. Instead, he took arge puff of his hemp cigarette to calm his nerves and clear his mind. Though he may appear calm, the elderly knight was far from it. He was all too aware of the cruelty that Berengar engaged in towards his enemies, especially if they stepped on his bottom line.


    Harming the King of Austria''s family was just about the worst thing one could do in this life. Berengar may act with a facade of righteousness, but when driven mad with rage, he was liable to raze entire cities to the ground. Thus, Renault truly believed the man when he said that he would light the North aze to abate his fury if the Princess had perished.


    Luckily for everyone involved, Henrietta had survived, and because of this the Austrian King had been merciful, and by merciful. However, Berengar''s mercy still involved the demand for the gruesome death and torture of the men responsible for his sister''s condition. Being entirely aware of all these factors, Renault sighed heavily before revealing his plot to escape the madman''s wrath.


    "If you are thinking of staying here in Luxembourg, and defending your im, I would advise against it. The Austrian Army is more powerful than you can possibly imagine. It so far advanced beyond our means that even if a simpleton were to lead it, they would still be victorious.


    Berengar may not be the General that Eckhard was, but he is still exceptionally capable. If we stay here, I assure you we will die horribly. We have an option to live well abroad. I suggest youmit your forces to fighting the insurrection that is bound to take ce. When the enemy is distracted by supplying the rebels, we charter a ship to Ennd.


    The English King is thest monarch in this world that is foolish enough to invoke the ire of his Austrian Counterpart. He will grant us a safe haven for a time. We will use this borrowed time to charter a voyage to thends in the far east. Only by crossing the Indus will we be able to escape the eyes and ears of Austrian agents.


    I won''t lie to you. The journey will be difficult, and we will lose most of our wealth in the process; Austrian intelligence will also hunt us throughout every step of the way, but if we seed, we can escape to a life of wealth and stability."


    Hartmann did not take this suggestion lightly. In fact, the very notion offended him. However, rather than bursting out into a tantrum like a child; he merely drank the rest of his coffee in silence before choosing to respond to his mentor.


    "Renault, I understand your fear. Truly I do. The very thought of being captured alive fills my very bones with dread. Yet, I will not abandon mynds to this tyrant from the South, nor will I give up on everything I have worked for throughout my entire life.


    You know as well as I do that technology is advancing at a rapid rate, especially in terms of firearms, and though we can notpete with Austria on a level ying field, our weapons can allow our soldiers to fight back. We just need to get creative in how we do so.


    As for the rabble who takes up arms against me, they will find that I am not so different from Berengar when ites to my wrath. When thoroughly provoked, I can be just as vicious as that man, and rebelling against my rule is my bottom line. No, we will put down this rebellion, and then we will resist Austria''s advances until the bitter end.


    You are free to leave if you wish. I wouldn''t expect less from a man of your heritage... However, I will not raise the white g, and surrender everything that I have worked so hard to achieve. I will either be victorious, or I will die on my own terms. I refuse to give Berengar the satisfaction of torturing me to death!"


    Renault was not happy with the implication that because he was a Frenchman that he was naturally a coward at heart. However, he let this snide remark slide. He knew the boy well. After all, he had been his mentor for many years.


    Clearly, the young Duke wasshing out because he was afraid. He may put on an act of courage, but the old French Knight was unsure whether Hartmann would truly stay and fight until the bitter end. After all, though he had not personally witnessed the destructive power of the Austria''s military, Renault was aware of how many cities they hadid to waste simply with the power of their artillery.


    After living in exile within Luxembourg for so long, the veteran knight had grown attached to its people, and did not wish to see so many of them die simply because of Hartmann''s stubbornness and his refusal to let go of his ambitions. At a certain point, one must admit defeat in life and move on. Clearly the boy had not lived long enough to live this lesson, and at this point it was unlikely that he would.


    Renault was at a crossroads. Either he could flee now and live his twilight years in exile once more, most likely in regret about leaving the young master behind. Or he could fight and die in onest stand against his master''s enemies. Ultimately, he had to decide on whether he wanted a peaceful, or glorious end to his long life that was filled with conflict.


    Silence prevailed in the room as the old knight reflected on his choices. It was only after he had finished his coffee that he came to a thorough conclusion.


    "Very well. If you wish to fight until the very end, then allow this old fool to pledge his sword in service to you once more. Though I know this will end poorly for all of us, I would rather die by the side of my prot��g�� than live out my final years in remorse."


    A haughty smirk appeared on Hartman''s face as he sped the elderly knight on the shoulder.


    "I see you have chosen well! So be it.. if we are to make ourst stand here in the home of my ancestors, then lit it is such an end that our heroism resounds throughout history as an inspiration for future generations!"


    Renault smiled bitterly as he heard these words. Would this bastard boy really be thest Luxembourg? He never thought he would see the day where two great dynasties perished in the same decade. If Berengar von Kufstein could truly annihte the main Habsburg and Luxembourg lines, then he was truly a conqueror worth uniting the German people.


    Of course, the old man would never say this aloud to his prot��g��. Such a thing would only act as difort in theirst days.. Thus, while Berengar began reforming his Royal Guard into an Elite militant force loyal to the Crown of Austria, his rivals in the north began making preparations to squash the rebellion and resist Austria''s invasion until the bitter end.

 Chapter 531 - Reforming The Royal Guard

    Currently, King Berengar von Kufstein stood in his office. The man firmly sped his hands behind his back as he stared out the window, gazing upon the sun setting over the Austrian Alps. For several moments there was silence, that is until the King finally spoke with a voice filled with authority and intimidation.


    "So, you believe that you are ready to act as the Field Marshal over the Royal Guard?"


    A young man, even younger than Berengar himself, stood on the opposing side of the desk that stood between them. He gulped the saliva that pooled within his throat as he quickly nodded his head with a severe expression in his eyes. This man was none other than the King''s cousin and Brother-inw.


    "Yes, cous- erm, your majesty!"


    It had been years since Berengar hadst associated with Heimerich, other than in passing. A few years back, Heimerich''s elder brother Gerhard assumed the position of Regent over what they then knew as the County of Steiermark.


    The reason for this was simply because of Lothar''s rebellion. However, rather than prove hispetency as the heir to the County; his first act as regent was a poor attempt to dissolve the betrothal between his youngest sister Ad, and his cousin Berengar.


    When his father Otto got wind of this notion, he castigated the boy, and reced him with his younger brother, Heimerich. Years had passed since then, and a fierce conflict between the two brothers had emerged as they fought for the session of their father''s position.


    In the eyes of their father, who was now not only a Duke but also the Chancellor of Austria, Gerhard had since redeemed himself. Despite this, Berengar was not fond of the man. After all this time, Heimerich hade groveling to his cousin, the King of Austria, for a position that would allow him to excel in the eyes of his father, and hopefully one day seed him.


    However, despite this plea, Berengar was hesitant. He was not one known for tolerating nepotism. In fact, such an act was a criminal offense in Austria, thus he wanted proof of the young man''s capabilities as a military leader. With this in mind, a cruel smile formed on Berengar''s lips as he walked over to his desk and sat down. He read over the report on his younger cousin''s aplishments on the battlefield as an officer in the Royal Army.


    "It says here that you were awarded with a Knight''s Cross of the Iron Cross for your heroism in battle. Having fought in the Iberian Campaign, and the War against the Eastern Coalition, your superiors speak highly of your abilities as not only a soldier, but also as amander. You served with the Grenadier Guards. Is that correct?"


    The young man nodded his head without hesitation before responding to his King''sments.


    "That is correct, your Majesty."


    Berengar smiled when he heard this enthusiasm. The Grenadier Guards was an infantry regiment renowned for extensive service record. Since the earliest of Berengar''s campaigns, the Grenadiers Acted as both his personal guard, and has his shock troops.


    Over time, they expanded into a dedicated regiment of the most battle hardened infantry. For a long time, it was considered a great honor to join their ranks.? However, nowadays, this specialized unit was just another form of infantry. With the invention of stick grenades, such weapons had be standard issue to all infantry units, and thus the Grenadiers lost that which made them unique.


    Despite this redundancy, Berengar wanted to pay homage to the Grenadier Guard''s lineage as his original bodyguard. Thus, he selected an officer from this prestigious regiment''s ranks as the Field Marshal in charge of his newly reformed Royal Guard. Interestingly enough, his cousin just so happened to be the man he was looking for.


    While Berengar was going over his cousin''s file, he was carefully studying the man who was dressed in his full service uniform. After a while, the King ced down the dossier and sighed heavily before revealing the thoughts he had on the biggest issue at hand.


    "I have some concerns about appointing you to such a lofty position. For starters, you are young, and though you have fought in two wars, there are plenty of officers more experienced than you. Though you have an outstanding reputation among your peers and superior officers alike, I fear some will see that your appointment to Field Marshal of the Royal Guard will be an act of nepotism on my part.


    It is because of this that I want you to prove yourself in a military exercise. I will not lie to you. The task I will appoint to you will be one that few men can seed in. I will hold this excursion in Northern Lombardy, where you will be tasked with leading a brigade of Royal Guard conscripts against the Kingdom of Lombardy''s defense forces.


    Your aim is simple: Invade Northern Lombardy with your brigade and seize control over a single county. After you and your men have established control over this county, I will dispatch my Jagdkommandos to act as rebels, where they will engage in guerri warfare against your forces. With your army of conscripts, it is your job to identify and eliminate these rebels without a single civilian casualty.


    If you can seed in this endeavor, then you will not only prove to me, but to everyone else in the Kingdom of Austria, including your father that you are fit to lead the Royal Guard into battle against all of my enemies whether they be foreign or domestic. So what do you say? Are you up to the challenge?"


    Heimerich struggled to cope with this task. What his cousin was asking of him was beyond most Field Commander''s capabilities. Not only was he given a single infantry brigade of fresh recruits to fight a mock battle against the entire Kingdom of Lombardy''s Defense Force, which numbered over 10,000 men, but he was also then supposed to fight against a guerri forceposed of Austrian Jagdkommandos.


    The Jagdkommandos were Austria''s elite special forces. Not only were they experts at direct action, but they were also masters of covert operations and unconventional warfare. To fight against such elite soldiers with an army of conscripts fresh out of training was not something any sane individual would want to do.


    Despite the difficulty in the task set for him, Heimerich knew well why Berengar was imposing such restrictions. If he truly wanted to lead the Royal Guard as its Field Marshal, he would need to be a capable enough leader to ovee conventional armies, and gueri rebels alike.


    After all, the Royal Guard was being reformed into the King''s personal militant force, and they would most likely be dealing with rebellions from within the realm at some point in the future.? With a heavy sigh, and careful consideration, the King''s cousin nodded his head before responding with his answer.


    "Very well. I will undertake this task, and after I have achieved total victory, I will expect you to honor your words and grant me with this position."


    Berengar merely smiled as he heard his cousin''s words. If the young man was truly such an exceptional leader to be sessful in this nigh impossible task, then he was indeed worthy of leading his Royal Guard. Of course, if Heimerich failed, then Berengar would find someone more suited for the position. Either way, the crown was victorious in this scheme.


    "I like your confidence. Prove to me you are the right man for the job, and I swear it will be yours. As you know, I always fulfill my promises."


    Upon hearing the King''smitment to his terms, Heimerich sighed in relief before saluting his monarch.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    In response to this action, Berengar raised from his seat and returned the man''s salute.


    "Hail victory!"


    After saying this, the Grenadier Officer was dismissed from the Monarch''s office, where he prepared himself for the mock invasion he would have to endure. As for Berengar, he dispatched news to the puppet King of Lombardy to alert him to this military excursion, giving him ample time to prepare for the Austrian Invasion.


    While rebellion urred within thends of Northern Germany, the South German Confederation was taking time to prepare for their inevitable conquest of the region. Whether the local poption would view the Austrian invaders as saviors or ruthless conquerors entirely depended on Berengar''s efforts of intrigue.


    Thus, much work had to be done, and there was little time to do it. However, Berengar was never one to shy away from a challenge, thus he quickly got to work drafting the necessary documents for the approval of his ns, both internally and abroad. The reach of the Austrian Crown knew no bounds in this feudal world, and he would not rest until those who were responsible for his sister''s injury met justice.


    Though it may seem like Berengar was being merciful by not outright invading the North German States, his cruelty in response to his sister''s injury would forever remain in the minds of monarchs throughout the western world.. A permanent reminder of what happens when one targets the Royal Family of Austria.

 Chapter 532 - Berengar You Sly Bastard!

    Chapter 532 - Berengar You Sly Bastard!


    Eckhard sat back on his leather sofa, drinking wine from a gilded chalice. His years of service to the von Kufstein Dynasty had finally paid off. He was now the Grand Duke of Prussia and had a sizeable estate within the boundaries of Marienburg. The former headquarters of the Teutonic Order was now his personal abode, and he very much enjoyed it.


    At his side was a young woman no older than eighteen. This woman was blonde-haired and blue eyed, with fair skin and natural curves. She was quite beautiful. So much so that perhaps her appearance could even rival that of Berengar''s many brides.


    This eighteen-year-old girl was Martha von Hohenzollern, and she was the eldest daughter of the Margrave of Brandenburg. In Berengar''s past life, the House of Hohenzollern unified Prussia andter the German Empire, acting as its imperial dynasty until its copse in 1918.


    However, in this life, the family''s destiny to be a mighty imperial dynasty was stolen by Berengar, and instead they were now subordinated to Eckhard, who had renamed his surname and dynasty to von Marienburg after the Teutonic Castle, which now acted as his home.


    After bing the Grand Duke of Prussia, Eckhard immediately sought a wife. This was an opportunity he did not have as a vagrant knight, nor was he able to fulfill this desire while in service to Berengar.


    Now that he was finally free from a lifetime of war and had established his own royal dynasty, it was time to marry a good young wife. Though Eckhard may be a middle-aged man, he still had a few good years left to sire a proper sessor.


    Naturally, the Margraves of Brandenburg were more than willing to marry off one of their daughters to the Royal Family of the newfound Prussian State, even if there was a massive age gap between the two.


    Thus the young woman sat loyally by her fiance''s side as she met the man for the first time. Her father, Johannes von Hohenzollern, had an excited facade as he introduced his daughter to his newfound liege.


    "Your Grace, I must say I have long since admired your military record. You truly understand the warrior spirit of the German people. It is the highest honor for me to marry my daughter off to such an esteemed General as yourself!"


    Despite saying such pleasantries, Johannes was far from cordial in his heart. In fact, he despised Eckhard. In truth, the Margrave of Brandenburg had been plotting for some time to take advantage of the Teutonic State''s copse and annex their territory.


    Unfortunately for him, Berengar acted first, and after being victorious against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, gave the ownership of the region to his greatest General. Because of this, the man was now subordinate to a foreigner of low birth.


    Eckhard nodded his head in silence as he drank from his cup, carefully eying the Margrave and his beautiful daughter. A single phrase filled with disdain entered his mind.


    What a couple of vipers you two are...


    After a lifetime of experience, it took the veteran Field Marshal one nce to tell that this dynamic duo inwardly despised him. To think that he had found himself such a beautiful young woman to marry, it was such a shame that she was a two-faced bitch. As if he could read minds, the woman put on a loving facade as she grabbed ahold of his hand and ttered him with needless pleasantries.


    "My father is not alone in his thinking. I, too, have greatly admired your meritorious service to the Austrian Crown over the past few years. It is a dreame true to marry a man as strong and capable as yourself."


    Despite knowing what these two were up to, Eckhard had no choice but to engage in their little masquerade, thus he ced down his cup and wore a warm smile as he grasped ahold of his fiancee''s hand with both of his own.


    "I assure you, mydy, war is not as admirable as you think it is. Still, it warms my heart to know that such a young and delicate flower like yourself cares so much for an old man like me."


    The young woman smiled gracefully as she epted Eckhard''spliment.


    "You tter me, your Grace. I know I am not as beautiful as the King of Austria''s brides, but I will make up for it in loyalty, I assure you. Besides, though it may not be appropriate to say, I have a thing for older men..."


    If Eckhard was a less experienced man, he may have scoffed at that very moment. Such a conniving vixen not only dered her loyalty to him but also imed she was attracted to him, as well. It was trulyughable.


    Luckily for Eckhard, he had spent many years in the Austrian Court by Berengar''s side. After all this time, lying was second nature to the man, thus rather than sneering in disdain, his smile lightened to a caring and kind expression.


    "You honor me, mydy. I promise to be a good husband to you!"


    Johannes gazed upon the "couple" with contempt concealed within his eyes. Truthfully, if he felt he could contend with Berengar''s armies, then he wouldn''t have bothered wedding his daughter off to this up-jumped Knight.


    However, he was wiser than others. After learning about Berengar''s many victories and the capabilities of his armies, he knew conflict was not a viable option to get what he wanted. Thus, if he wanted his dynasty to rule over this newfound Prussian state, he would have to y the long con, no matter how much he despised it.


    Of course, that did not mean he would simply sit by and watch his daughter pretend to flirt with this lowly knight, instead he intervened and shifted the subject to a more pertinent conversation.


    "Your Grace, I will have you know I am having a bit of a difficult time convincing the local noblemen to surrender their rights and privileges as lords. There are many of them who are too stubborn to ept your political, economic, and military reforms. They assert that they have the right to rule theirnds as they see fit."


    Once more, Eckhard had to prevent himself from scoffing. He knew full well that the noblemen in Brandenburg were all united behind the will of the Hohenzollern Dynasty. Especially now that Eckhard hade to power in the region. In the eyes of the noblemen of Brandenburg, he was a foreigner of low birth, and was an illegitimate ruler, ced on his seat of power by a foreign upier.


    If the noblemen of Brandenburg were resisting Berengar''s reforms, then there was only one man responsible, and that was Johannes von Hohenzollern. Thus, by raising this point, the Margrave hoped to use it as leverage to gain some further benefits from the newly appointed Grand Duke of Prussia, or perhaps he was simply testing Eckhard''s resolve.


    This was a foolish move on Johannes part. He was messing with a man who had, for the past 30 years, led men into battle. To Eckhard, the solution to this problem was simple, and thus, he finished the wine in his chalice before mming it down onto the ss table next to him. As the ss shattered, so too did his kind facade.


    "You tell those ipetent fools that the age of Knights and chivalry has long since passed. You have all been living on borrowed time in your primitive ways. I am in charge now, and I assure you, I will not tolerate such insubordination. You tell your Bannerman that they have a choice. They can either day in the ancient world, or live in the modern one. There is no third option!"


    After saying this, Martha gazed at Eckhard in genuine shock. Her father had assured her that the old man would be an easy to manipte. As for Johannes, he red at Eckhard with fury in his eyes. He had truly underestimated the Austrian General. He never expected after retiring, Eckhard would so quickly resort to violence as a means to solve his political disputes.


    Martha immediately tried to cate her fiance


    "Sweetheart, there is no reason to be so brash, I am sure that-"


    However, before she could finish her sentence, Eckhard pped away her hand and stood up before chastising the father and daughter.


    "Be gone, both of you. I do not want to see either of you until you have decided whose side you belong to. The future, or the past, because I assure you, whether you like it or not, these reforms are going to happen."


    After saying this the Margrave and his daughter left the room in silence, they werepletely outraged by the humiliation they had suffered on this day. It was only after they were alone in their carriage did either of them speak up.


    "Father, what are we going to do now? It appears he is not as easy to manipte as you thought..."


    Johannes frowned, as he red out the window of his carriage onto Marienburg Castle, where Eckhard still stood. After several moments of silence, he revealed his ns to his eldest daughter.


    "I won''t lie to you. This definitelyplicates things. His violent response to our ploy was not within my calctions. I genuinely believed he would try to maintain peace in his life now that he had finally achieved it. It would appear that this old dog still has some bite left in him. Apparently, my informant provided me some misinformation about the old Field Marshal''s mental state.


    I believe he suspects I am responsible for this little insurrection, and rightfully so. We have no choice but to tread lightly from now on if we wish to aplish our goals. Make no mistake, my baby girl, one day we will rule thisnd."


    Martha remained silent, gazing out the window of the carriage towards her old fiance. She thought he would be a feeble old man on hisst limb in life. Yet, despite her father''s probing, he so quickly resorted with a show of force. Perhaps marrying this old geezer wouldn''t be so boring after all.


    As for Eckhard, he stood on his balcony gazing at the departing carriage. A single thought crossed his mind as the Hohenzollerns vanished from his sight.


    Berengar, you sly bastard! You promised me a retirement, and instead you threw me into a nest of vipers! Very well, if this is a test of my loyalty, then you shall have a satisfactory result! This I swear to you...

 Chapter 533 - Tractors, Potatoes, and Revenge

    Chapter 533 - Tractors, Potatoes, and Revenge


    Honoria sat within the confines of the King''s office within the Royal Pce. The byzantine princess rested her chin on her palm, with her legs crossed as she gazed across the desk to see the handsome visage of her husband, the king of Austria.


    She was visiting the man as he was hard at work to report some information she had received from her family that she believed to be of dire importance to the national security of her husband''s kingdom.


    "Padius says that Decentius has found the book you gifted to my father and copied its contents. Supposedly, he is responsible for its leak to the papacy. I''m curious how you intend to respond to these actions."


    Berengar merely smirked as he heard these words. In his hands was a golden letter opener, which he was twirling on the top of his desk. He responded to his third wife with a coy tone in his voice.


    "Oh, I am well aware that your brother is responsible for leaking my technology, however any further attack on his being would be considered an act of aggression and I would rather avoid conflict with your family.


    There are other ways to deal with his insolence, and trust me, the leaking of agricultural technology is not as big as a threat as you might believe it to be. It will still be years before my enemies are able to fully implement such technology, and by then our people will have a serious advantage in agriculture that they won''t have."


    Honoria was surprised to hear this remark. She thought for sure Berengar would be more concerned. Just what technology had he invented now that was such a huge invented? She could not help but ask.


    "What exactly would that be?"


    Berengar smiled as he raised two fingers in response to his wife''s question.


    "Firstly, there are the potatoes you brought back from the New World. You may not know thus, but after some thorough research by our botanists, this wonder food is a hardy vegetable that has excellent nutritional value. Should we grow potatoes en masse, and use it as our staple crop, it will have serious health benefits to our people. As for the second reason, there is another technological innovation that I have drafted."


    After saying this, the Austrian King pulled out a diagram of a steam powered tractor and began to exin its use to the Byzantine Princess.


    "This device will rece the need for horses in the fields. It can be used for many agricultural purposes, including the pulling ofbine harvesters. No longer will we need to raise twenty horses or mules for the purpose of pulling these massive devices.


    With our current technological capabilities this steam tractor can be produced rtively cheaply, and sold to farmers across our Kingdom, with theck of resources going towards caring for the animals who currently act as our primary power source for agriculture, we will be able to lessen the cost of food, making it even more affordable than it currently is.


    Naturally, I intend to subsidize these Tractors so they are even more affordable for farmers to get hold of. This will ensure they are able to be rapidly employed in our fields, decreasing the cost ofbor substantially."


    It shocked Honoria to see how much effort Berengar put into increasing agricultural yields and decreasing the cost of food. After all, as far as Berengar was concerned, food should be plentiful and readily avable to his citizens.


    Ultimately, Honoria realized Berengar was about to ask a favor of her, and thus she wore a pretty smile as she cut to the chase.


    "So I''m guessing that you have a favor to ask of me?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before making his request.


    "You understand me so well... Yes, I need you to lead an expedition of my marines into the region to secure a foothold in the mountains, and establish trade with the less hostile natives. I want a massive influx of potatoes into the fathend so we can begin growing them across the realm.


    Also, I am certain that potatoes are not the only valuable item in the region, so make sure that you bring back anything else you believe could be of value. It''s a bold new world, filled with discoveries and resources we could only imagine, and I want it all to belong to Germany."


    The Byzantine princess sighed as she heard this request. However, in the end, she nodded her head in agreement.


    "Very well. I will do as you ask. However, after helping your men establish a colony in the region, I want your permission to do something that we should have done a long time ago..."


    It surprised Berengar to hear that Honoria was making a demand of him, especially in such a cryptic way. He needed more information before he could agree to her request, thus he had no choice but to inquire further about the subject.


    "What exactly did you have in mind?"


    Honoria''s expression turned grim as she stared at her husband in silence. One could tell there was a certain amount of fury in the woman''s pupils as her brows narrowed and her fists clenched. Whatever she was about to say was something of significant importance to the Byzantine Princess.


    "I want you to allow me to pursue justice for my God-father''s murder. It has been years since my brother betrayed Arethas and yed him in cold blood, and yet despite your promises, his death remains unanswered. Every day that Decentius still breathes is an insult to my Godfather''s memory, and I must avenge him!"


    Berengar frowned when he heard this, while he had promised to dig up evidence of Decentius'' crimes. In truth, Austrian Intelligence, and Padius'' spywork were more concerned with the war for the Byzantine Throne than they were with avenging the fallen general.


    However, a promise was a promise, and Berengar was not the type of man to break such a sacred agreement. Thus, after careful consideration, he sighed heavily before nodding his head in approval.


    "Very well, after you have ensured the establishment of my colony in the New World, I will permit you to seek justice for your murdered godfather. However, if you are to do so, you must do it in ordance with Byzantinew.


    I can not afford to have you disrupt the bnce of power in the East out of a thirst for vengeance. Promise me you will reveal Decentius'' crimes, and leave his punishment for the crown to decide, and I will allow you to go back to your homnd to pursue your justice."


    Honoria bit her lip as she heard her husband''s restrictions. She wanted nothing more than to behead her brother herself, however she also knew the consequences such actions would have on international diplomacy. The Byzantine Princess forced herself to calm her inner fury as she sighed in defeat.


    "Very well. If those are your conditions, then I will follow them. Just know that if my brother tries to im my life once more while I investigate his crimes, then I will be forced to act in reprisal..."


    Berengar nodded his head with a bitter smile on his face. He could agree to such terms, and thus sighed as he responded to his wife''s contention.


    "Let us hope it doesn''te to that..."


    With this agreement made, Honoria had nothing left to say. Instead, she swiftly departed from the Office and began preparations for her next voyage to the New World. As for Berengar, he copsed back in his leather office chair and pulled out a gilded chalice. He carefully filled the cup with fortified wine before taking a long swig as he gazed at the map on his desk.


    A smile spread itself across his face as he thought about the future. He already had a colony that was stable in North America on the coastline of New York. Now all he needed was one in Venezu, and he could secure his foothold in both North and South America.


    As for his future colonial exploits, he would have to establish strongholds in the Caribbean and central America. However, it would not be so easy to make his way into thetter of the two mighty Empires ruled the regions, and some of them were quite bloodthirsty.


    If he were to contact the Aztec Empire, he would like to do so in person, thus he would have to do so at ater date, as he was much too busy preparing for his Unification War at the moment. With the expansion of his first colonies to the new world underway, and the wars to unite Germany on the horizon, it would appear that his ns for his future German Empire were progressing smoothly.


    While he was overlooking these details, a knock resounded on his door, and a voice called out from the other side. It was a feminine voice that belonged to his second wife, Linde. She called out to her husband to ensure that he was not otherwise upied.


    "Master, are you busy? There are some things that I wish to discuss with you."


    When Berengar heard this, he rolled up his maps before stashing them away within his desk''s drawers. After doing so, he called out to the woman with an excited tone in his voice.


    "I''m free. You may enter."


    Upon hearing this, Linde smiled as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She gracefully walked over to the seat across from Berengar before sitting down. After doing this, she voiced her concerns over an important matter.


    "Our Agents have contacted the rebellious factions in northern Germany. There are plenty of people willing to fight against their feudal overlords and swear fealty to the Austrian Crown. Though in all honesty, the sentiment is one out of fear, rather than respect for your position. How should we proceed?"


    Berengar tapped his desk repeatedly as he sought as he thought deeply about this question. After a few moments, he finally revealed his n of action.


    "Arm the rebels with muskets and cannons, and dispatch our agents to rally loyalists against them. I want this conflict to be fierce, so that when I finally enter Northern Germany with my armies, the people will see me as a savior, rather than a conqueror. The German people will forever know the name Berengar von Kufstein as the father of Germany..."


    Upon hearing these orders, Linde simply bowed her head with respect before responding.


    "It will be done, your Majesty."


    Having given his spymaster her orders, Berengar quickly dismissed the woman and turned his chair around to face the rising sun. A new dawn was rising in the west, and in theing days, Berengar wouldy the foundations for the German Empire.

 Chapter 534 - A Crisis of Faith

    Chapter 534 - A Crisis of Faith


    Ad kneeled within the pews of the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein. Though the Church was empty at the moment beside the High Queen herself, the girl did not mind. Currently, the devout young woman was having a severe spiritual crisis, and only meditation in the Cathedral granted her some peace of mind.


    Her husband, while the public face of the German Reformation, was in fact an amoral atheist, and she had known this for quite some time. Despite her attempts to save his soul, he seemed to drift further away from God with each passing day.


    If it wasn''t the copious amounts of alcohol and cannabis, then it was the debauchery that came with polygamy. Worst yet, Berengar had taken up a Muslim wife, not only did he tolerate her religious beliefs, buttely he seemed to spend an unfair degree of time alone with the woman.


    Despite Ad''s incessant preaching, Berengar only drifted further away from the light of God''s will, and into utter darkness. She did not know if she had the heart to see the man she loved damn himself for eternity. Thus, she had turned to the church for reflection.


    While the woman was praying in silence, she overheard a familiar voice call out to her from across the Cathedral.


    "Your Majesty, I thought that was you. It would appear you are visiting more frequently these days. Tell me, is there something troubling your mind?"


    Ad looked over towards the direction of the voice and noticed Ludolf staring at her with a gentle smile. As the head of the German Reformation, this man led the congregation of the Grand Cathedral, and mostly spent his days fulfilling his duties as a priest. As for the governance of the Church, that was left to the many German Cardinals who had flocked to the Reformation after enduring the madness of two separate popes.


    When Ad saw the manrgely responsible for the creation of the Reformist Movement, a smile appeared across her troubled lips. She sighed heavily as she nodded her head before revealing the core of her troubles.


    "Father, I believe that I am experiencing a crisis of faith... I don''t know what to do, I feel so lost..."


    Ludolf further approached the High Queen before sitting down in the pews in the row behind her. After doing so, he began to further inquire about her difficulties.


    "What is troubling you, my child? Perhaps I can be of service?"


    Ad remained silent as she bit her lower lip. She did not want to reveal that Berengar was, in fact, an atheist to the man who helped him break away from the Catholic Church, however if she could not talk to the leader of the Reformation about this issue, then who could she?


    Thus, with a heavy sigh, Ad began to speak of the difficulties she faced as the only religious member of the King''s Harem.


    "I fear that my husband is faithless. Though he helped you found the German Reformation, I know in my heart that it was built upon a lie, and is only a weapon for him to use against the Catholic Church.


    Berengar continues to act in debauchery. Not only is he an alcoholic, but he abuses certain substances that are quite harmful to the soul frequently. He has taken a Muslim wife, and lies with her more than any of the others. He not only tolerates her heretical views, but even desires to learn more about them.


    I have concluded that my husband is a godless heathen, who does not care for the creator. In fact, I am quite certain that he despises the Lord God Almighty. No matter how much I try to save his soul from damnation, he only turns further into depravity, and in doing so distances himself from me..."


    Ludolf sighed heavily as he heard these words. He knew all too well that Berengar was not the religious man that he pretended to be in the public eye. In fact, he had a suspicion for quite some time that Berengar was a man using religion as a tool to control the masses. It was one of the reasons that the two men had not spoken to each other in some time.


    After hearing Ad''s confession, the young priest felt his heart ache for the girl. Unlike any of Berengar''s other wives, she was a devout Christian and could not easily ept Berengar''s hedonistic lifestyle. Thus, he revealed his thoughts on the matter.


    "I have known your husband for many years, and I have also known for quite some time that he has been lying to me about his goals. He is not a moral, or a righteous man. However, I wouldn''t outright call him wicked, either. He does what he deems necessary to achieve his goals, and at the very least, his goals are not evil.


    If there is one thing I know about Berengar, it''s that he is an incredibly stubborn man. When he believes he is correct about something, he will not relent until he is forced to do so. After all, he is a man who respects strength and power above all else.


    Currently, your Husband wields more power than any other man in the world, and thus if you preach to him about the power of the Lord God Almighty, he will not believe it, because he does not see it in the world the way you and I do. Instead, he uses his science, and reason to exin the forces of nature, and rather than kneel before these vestiges of God''s power, he seeks to tame them for his own will.


    Berengar is fundamentally a logical man at heart, and you will never win him over to your side with a spiritual argument. He is not the kind of man to operate on faith alone; he needs empirical evidence to support his beliefs. Unless you can provide him with proof of God''s existence, he will not believe it.


    My heart bleeds for you. If you truly have made the goal of saving Berengar''s soul your quest in life, then you have your work cut out for you. While I may not be able to directly assist you in your efforts, as thest thing Berengar wants is for a priest like me to lecture him about morality and God''s divine will. However, I might be able to offer you some useful advice..."


    Ad listened to this speech with varying emotions throughout its length. When Ludolf spoke thisst part, she was instantly curious. With a pleading expression, she grabbed hold of the priest''s hands and begged him for assistance.


    "Please, I will appreciate anything you can do to help me save my husband from eternal damnation."


    Ludolf sighed heavily as he gathered his thoughts. After several moments of silence, he gave Ad the advice that he believed would aid her in her arduous journey.


    "If what you say is true, and Berengar is not only faithless but actively despises our creator, perhaps you should look into his past, and find out what traumatic event caused him to behave in such a way towards God. One does not simply hate the Lord without having a reason to do so. Surely there is something that happened in his past that caused him to so vehemently detest the Lord God almighty.


    If you want to change his mind about religion, you must first find out how he came to have such views in the first ce. Once you understand the man, only then can you reason with him. I won''t lie to you. It will be a difficult thing to do, as the King hides his secrets well. However, if you truly wish to redeem him in the eyes of the creator, then that should be your starting point.


    Or you could give up on Berengar entirely, and focus your efforts on raising your children correctly, so that they may be an inspiration for the people to follow. A Pious King would be much wee departure from the current King''s cruelty. Just know that with the system Berengar has in ce, you will have to fight with Linde over securing your son''s position as Berengar''s sessor, and such conflict could prove to be quite overwhelming."


    Ad heard these two options in life and questioned what she truly desired. Did she wish to save her husband''s soul, or focus her efforts on raising her son to be a righteous and pious king? That was a question she could only answer after thorough mediation, and enlightenment. Whatever she chose would surely have major consequences for the future.


    Thus, she decided she would wait until she had properly reflected on herself and her desires before she pursued either of the two routes. As for the moment, the High Queen collected her thoughts before raising from her seat. She gazed down upon the Priest with a warm smile as she thanked him for his help.


    "Thank you, father. You have given me much to think about, and I believe I will need to take some time to meditate on this before Ie to a proper conclusion."


    Ludolf smiled in response to his Queen''s gratitude before giving her onest bit of aid.


    "Whatever you decide to do, you have my unconditional support. If you need anything at all, you know where to find me..."


    With that said Ad departed from the Cathedral and returned to the Pce. She had much to think about, and plenty of time to do it.

 Chapter 535 - Mock Battle Part I

    Chapter 535 - Mock Battle Part I


    On a hill overlooking the City of Mn and its boundaries were two men of rather striking appearance. Both men dressed in regal fashion in the colors of their houses. On the left was none other than the King of Austria, Berengar von Kufstein.


    As per usual, he had slicked back golden hair in an elegant style befitting of his handsome appearance. The only detraction from his otherwise stunning figure was the scar across his right eye, which was concealed by a rich ck leather eyepatch, which had a golden iron cross embedded in its center.


    His standard ck and gold kingly attire disyed the wealth and power of his Royal Dynasty as he rested his hand upon his Damascus steel cavalry sabre, whose gilded sword knot hung gracefully from its hilt.


    Standing next to this imposing figure was none other than the King of Lombardy. This was a man slightly older than Berengar, at roughly thirty years of age. Surprisingly, he was nearly as handsome as his Austrian Counterpart. With xen blonde hair and baby blue eyes, his Germanic heritage shown itself on his regal features.


    The man gazed upon the King of Austria, who was his suzerain, and pouted slightly, inwardly he could not help but admit defeat in terms of mor whenpared to Berengar. He now understood why, despite the Austrian King''s brutal reputation, people still adored the man, and women from all over desired to be with him.


    When Berengar noticed this expression, he chuckled slightly before cing a hand on the man''s shoulder to console him in his defeat.


    "Do not pout Bruno. Few men canpare to me in terms of handsomeness. I am quite certain that your wife has noints about your appearance."


    The man named Bruno simply scoffed when he heard such a shamelessment from his Austrian Counterpart. Instead, he shifted his attention to the soldiers gathered below before switching the topic.


    "You have invested quite a bit of coin and effort into training and supplying this defense force. Are they up to your standards?"


    Berengar gazed upon the Lombardic Soldiers who had taken up defensive positions while waiting for the Austrian Infantry Brigade to descend from the Alps. Their attire appeared to be reminiscent of the Italian Bersaglieri from the Unification Wars of his past life. For this exercise, they were issued Needle rifles, and equipped with special paper cartridges that used wax bullets intending to be non-lethal inbat.


    Whenpared with the Austrian Royal Army, these men were severelycking in defensive equipment, but that was not a concern of Berengar''s. After all, the entire purpose of this Defense Force was to deter the Kingdom of Naples, and buy enough time for Austrian Reinforcements to arrive in the event that they were invaded. All in all, Berengar had noints and thus made his thoughts known to the Puppet King by his side.


    "They appear to be sufficiently armed and trained for their task. In the end, that is all I can ask for."


    Upon hearing his suzrain''s approval, the Lombardic King nodded his head in silence. After a few moments of observing the Soldiers prepare their defenses, he began to ask the question on his mind.


    "I must ask, your Majesty... Though my soldiers are not the most efficient fighting force in this world, there are 10,000 of them, and they have received ample training from your advisors. Do you honestly believe that this Infantry Brigade of recruits you are dispatching to mynds has the capabilities to defeat my forces?"


    Berengar shook his head before responding to this question. There was a slight smirk on his face as he gave his answer.


    "Not at all, only a truly capable General could rally such an inexperienced unit to victory against such overwhelming odds. This is an impossible task that I have given my Field Marshal Candidate. If he manages to defeat your forces with his limited means, then I will already consider this exercise a sess.


    As for fighting the rebels afterwards, I merely intend to give him a brutal experience that he can learn from, and hopefully improve upon, in the future. There is only man in this world who I think could truly seed in this test that I have designed, and sadly, he is retired."


    Bruno understood very well who Berengar was talking about, Eckhard''s prowess as a General was well known across the western world, the fact that Berengar would speak so highly of the man, proved further in the Lombardic King''s mind that perhaps some of the more exaggerated stories he had heard about Eckhard were in fact true.


    The Austrian King was about to furtherment on the situation at hand when he gazed into the distance and saw the field of ck and Gold gathering. A smug smirk appeared on his face as he saw this before confidently responding to the event.


    "Let the games begin!"


    ---


    Heimerich loaded his wax bullet into the chamber of his G22 rifle. He and his soldiers hard marched from Tyrol into Lombardy, and were now expected to engage in fiercebat against an enemy that held a fortified position.


    Despite this, he did not n to attack such an overwhelming force head on, such a thing would be suicide. Unfortunately for him, he was severelycking in artillery and could not batter their defenses before charging. After all, he had a single Infantry Brigade of new recruits beneath hismand.


    Even the officers were fresh out of the academy. The only veterans among his ranks were the Non-Commissioned Officers selected for this exercise. He could hardly believe he was given such an impossible task by his cousin. Could he not show him a bit of favoritism? Apparently not, because this was the barrier between him and the esteemed position of Field Marshal of the Royal Guard.


    Between him and the enemy was about three hundred yards of open ground, without a shred of cover to protect themselves from the enemy fire. To march into such an area would only result in disastrous casualties. However, if he wished to nk the enemy''s position, he would need to draw their fire. Thus, the man had no choice but to send a unit to their "deaths". Luckily, this was an exercise, or else such a thing would weigh heavily on his conscience.


    After gazing upon the soldiers in his army, he randomly selected one of his units to act as the Forlorn Hope and gave theirmands.


    "First Battalion, Third Battalion, you orders are simple. Draw the enemy''s fire while Second and Fourth Battalions nk their positions. Remember, anyone shot by the wax projectiles is considered dead, and will no longer be able to participate in this exercise. So I expect you to treat this as if it were a real battle, and do your best to survive!"


    The soldiers beneath hismand threw up their salutes and yelled their battle cries as they prepared to charge into the line of fire.


    "Hail Victory!"


    After saying this, roughly 2,000 men split off from the main army and charged towards the enemy''s fortified positions, unleashing a storm of wax bullets as they ran into the enemy''s fire. When Berengar gazed upon this act from the hill above, he sighed heavily before cing his head into the palm of his hand.


    "It would appear my officers have be used to fighting technologically inferior foes. I will have to reprimand my cousin for such a pointless sacrifice when this is over."


    As Berengar said this, Bruno continued to watch the battle unfold. The sound of gunfire echoed in the air as wax bullets flew out from both sides and into each other''s ranks. Those who were hit copsed to the ground faking their deaths. It quickly became apparent that the Lombardic Defenders had the advantage.


    With weapons capable of a simr rate of fire as the G-22 rifles, hundreds of Austrian Soldiers were pelted by the wax bullets and fell to the ground in defeat. If this was a real battle, it would be the most casualties that the Austrians had suffered since 2,500 men were wiped out defending the Granadan Borders.


    Luckily, this was merely an exercise. However, as the Lombardic defenders paid attention to the 2,000 men charging down their lines, theypletely neglected their nks, where Heimerich and his men had used the cover of hills to get within striking distance.


    While the Lombardic defense forces rapidly cut down the ranks of the charging Austrians, Heimerich prepared his counter-attack. This mock battle was far from finished. Whether the Austrian Field Marshal Candidate would prove sessful relied entirely on the next phase of his attack. Thus, in the fields outside Mn, the forces of the Kingdom of Austria, and the Kingdom of Lombardy, faced off against each other in order to determine whether a single man was fit to lead the Austrian Royal Guard.

 Chapter 536 - Mock Battle Part II

    Chapter 536 - Mock Battle Part II


    The echo of gunfire resounded in the air of Northern Italy as the Lombardic defenders protected their lines against the charging Austrian Soldiers. Despite being entrenched in the earth, they could not fully prevent casualties. Whenever an Austrian soldier had hit their target with a wax bullet, the defeated soldiers would fall to the ground and act as if they were dead.


    Though the Casualties were high, the Austrians continued to press forward through the gunfire and into the trenches that lie in front of them. As for Heimerich, he was inmand of one of the nking battalions, which under his orders had revealed their position as they poured into the rtively undefended sides of the trench line.


    The King of Lombardy stood atop a hill overlooking the chaotic battlefield, witnessing his defenses being overrun on three fronts by the Austrian soldiers. Despite having overwhelming numbers, his forces could not repel the suicide chargepletely, resulting in several hundred men pouring into the trenches and stabbing at the Italian soldiers with their wooden training bays.


    Bruno frowned as he saw his soldiers'' defenses copse under the weight of the Austrian onught. He knew that even if this were an actual battle, the Austrian soldiers would dly charge into gunfire with the same sense of fervor. Such resolve in the face of death was something his inexperienced soldiers werecking. Thus, he could not help but sigh beforementing on the situation.


    "It would appear that I have gravely underestimated the resolve of your recruits. Tell me, Berengar, how do you install such loyalty in the hearts of your men?"


    The Austrian King had a smug smile on his face as he gazed through his binocrs to witness the mock battle in all its glory. After seeing victory was at hand, he put his device aside before answering his puppet''s questions.


    "The Answer to that is quite simple. Through serious efforts by my propaganda machine, the men in my army believe that giving your life in pursuit of the fathend''s victory is the most noble endeavor. Nationalism is a powerful tool, and I have conditioned the people of Austria to believe the three most important things in this world are family, folk, and the fathend."


    Berengar reflected on his past life as he said these words, in many ways the reverence the Austrian people had for their King and fathend was reminiscent of that which the Japanese people held towards their emperor and homnd during the Imperial era.


    Such reverence disyed itself on the battlefield in acts of valor. So much so that it was not umon in thest days of the Pacific theatre to see Japanese soldiers charge at machine gun fire with swords and bays. Entire divisions died in battle rather than surrender to the enemy. Such unwavering loyalty was a rarity throughout the entirety of human history, and it was a goal that Berengar sought to make a reality for his Empire in this world.


    Bruno reflected on Berengar''s words as the two men stood in silence, watching thest vestige of the Lombardic Armies surrender to their Austrian counterparts. Only after the mock battle was over, and victory was achieved, did Berengar dere his side victorious.


    "It would appear that, although Heimerich''s tactics were wed, in he was willing to dispose of so many valuable lives in the pursuit of victory, he still achieved a favorable result. I will consider this a pass. However, what awaits him next will be far more troublesome. You have informed the vigers in the mountains about the military exercise. Is that correct?"


    Bruno nodded his head in silence as he gazed at the mock battlefield. Though his soldiers were well equipped and were decently trained in the use of their weapons, theycked one majorponent which was required to be an effective armed force. The resolve to kill and die for their homnd. After all, when faced with actualbat, who would want to risk their life for a puppet state?


    The Lombardic King gazed over at his suzerain with aplicated expression. On the one hand, his current life of luxury and power had resulted from Berengar''s war against the Holy Roman Emperor. However, despite the benefits that came with being a puppet king, there was aplete and totalck of honor and prestige that gued his conscience.


    Still, the amount of wealth and resources that Austria had invested in rebuilding Lombardy after its destruction was no small amount. Berengar did not create this protectorate just so it could be a failed state. Rather, he sought to make Lombardy prosperous. After all, the greater their wealth, the more they could pay in tribute to their Suzerain.


    This newfound prosperity that resulted from Austria''s investment had caused Bruno to obediently follow Berengar''s will, rather than foolishly attempt to undermine his authority. Lombardy may never be a great power, but under Austria''s protection, they would at the very least be very wealthy, and perhaps free from the chaos of warfare.


    Berengar did not notice the nce that Bruno was giving him. He was far more interested in the state of the Lombardic Defense Force. After gazing upon the equipment in use by the army, he came up with a simple n to expand their capabilities.


    "If I''m not mistaken, your Defense Forceprises 10,000 men, all of which are infantry. Correct?"


    Upon hearing this question, the Lombardic King awoke from his daze and quickly nodded his head in response.


    "Yes, your majesty..."


    The Austrian King scratched his chin as he thought about the uing crusade against hisnds. Without a doubt, Naples would invade Lombardy with arge army. 10,000 riflemen were not enough to halt the enemies'' advance for long.


    Perhaps Mn would fall before Berengar could deploy his forces in its defense. After all, he would have to focus on securing his own borders during the initial invasion. It was with this in mind that the Austrian Monarch expanded his Protectorates capabilities.


    "Very well... I permit you to raise your forces to a full division of 25,000 men. I expect you to model it after a standard Austrian Field Division. Three Infantry Brigades, One Cavalry Brigade, and one Artillery Brigade, as well as a few supports battalions.


    You can purchase any equipment you may require from Austria. As for the horses necessary to establish the Cavalry, do not worry about that. Soon I will have more horses avable than I know what to do with."


    When Bruno heard this statement, he frowned. If Berengar was permitting him to raise an entire division, it meant that the uing crusade was going to be more fierce than he had initially estimated. Thus, he could not help but inquire about what is valuable intelligence Berengar may have that could help him secure his borders.


    "Is there something I should be aware of?"


    Berengar shook his head before cing a hand on the man''s shoulder. With a calm gaze in his eyes, he assured the man that everything was under control.


    "You don''t need to be so worried. As part of our pact, I will respond to any aggression into yournds with sufficient military force. However, recent events have caused me to act on my ambitions earlier than I expected.


    I do not know what my borders will be like four years from now, nor my army''s capabilities. I am simply preparing for an unlikely possibility that I may not be able to deploy my troops to your borders quick enough to halt the enemy''s advance."


    After hearing his Suzerain''s reasoning for the expansion of the Lombardic Defence Forces, Bruno sighed in relief. For a moment there, he feared that Berengar was going to abandon his oath. However, if what the man said was true, then it did not hurt to prepare for the uing conflict well in advance.


    With that out of the way Berengar gazed upon the army in the field once more, the thousands of Austrian soldiers were preparing to march into the mountains for the next phase of their military exercise. With a wide grin on his handsome face, Berengar made a friendly wager with his puppet King.


    "So tell me, Bruno, how long do you think Heimerich''s forces will endure against the Jagdkommandos onught? Care to make a bet?"


    Bruno thought about this question for several moments in silence before giving his answer.


    "I''ll ce 1,000 guldens on themsting a grand total of three months in these mountains. How about you?"


    The Austrian King did not hesitate to give his answer to this question.


    "A fortnight is all my Jagdkommandos need topletely annihte this Infantry Brigadeposed entirely of recruits.."


    When Bruno heard this, he was quite shocked. Did Berengar really have so little faith in his own soldiers? He knew little about the Jagdkommandos, but he knew Berengar had only chosen two dozen of them to participate in this exercise. No matter how elite they may be, he could not believe such a small number of soldiers could defeat an entire infantry brigade so quickly.


    Of course, Bruno did not know what training the Jagdkommandos went through, or where their specialties lied. Though there were only twenty-four of them dispatched on this mission, there were thousands of vigers in these mountains who could be trained to use a rifle against the "Austrian Invaders". If Berengar had chosen correctly for themander of his special forces, then the man would most likely make use of these locals to expand their forces, and quickly defeat the Austrian Brigade.


    Thus, Berengar was quite confident about his wager. Luckily for him, Bruno was ignorant of this strategy and easily fell into the trap that Berengar hadid for him. With a smug expression on his lips, the Lombardic King agreed to Berengar''s terms.


    "Very well. If your Jagdkommandos can actually repel the Infantry Brigade in two weeks, I will pay you double!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before shaking the man''s hand, sealing the bet in a gentleman''s agreement.


    "I look forward to taking your coin, Bruno..."


    after this was said, the two Monarchs prepared to ride off into the mountains to witness the rest of the military exercise take ce.

 Chapter 537 - Mountain Insurgency

    Chapter 537 - Mountain Insurgency


    Captain Andreas Jaeger stood within the mountains of Lombardy. By his side were roughly a dozen "rebels" that he had recruited since the beginning of the military exercise two weeks prior. Currently, he was dressed in the newest equipment that had been produced because of the Kufstein chemistry departments'' efforts with synthetic materials.


    He wore a gorka style uniform made from a blend of nylon and polyester that was colored in the camouged pattern known as blumentarn. Over his uniform was an olive drab green te carrier loosely based upon the design of the Defender 2, equipped with Russian forces from Berengar''s past life. Inside this armored vest were ceramic tes capable of protecting its user from arrows, bolts, and bullets alike.


    Atop this vest was a design of web gear based upon the smersh vest that Russian soldiers had used in the Austrian King''s past life. Rather than wear a helmet, the Captain had painted his face in a woond pattern, and wore a blumentarn pattern headband.


    In his hands was a g-22 bolt-action rifle, which, when contrasted with his otherwise modern load-out, would give the viewer an anachronistic feeling. As for the rebels themselves, they had been outfitted in surplus splinter pattern camouged smocks, and uniforms that were previously issued to the Jaeger Corps before the introduction of the new uniforms.


    Much like their surplus uniforms, these men also wielded a variety of weapons, ranging from the more modern needle rifles to the older muskets. For the sake of the operation, they had been equipped with non-lethal munitions, such as wax projectiles.


    Currently, Andreas and his rebels were gathered outside of a local vige, which was upied by the Austrian Army for the sake of this military exercise. Though the people within were alerted by their King as to the nature of this upation, tensions were far from low.


    On the contrary, the proud people of Lombardy remembered quite well what the Austrian Army had done during its brutal campaign just a few years prior. Seeking to take advantage of this conflict between the upying forces and the local vigers, Andreas had recruited several hot-headed youths from the vige and dragged them out into the mountains to undergobat training.


    Weeks had passed since the beginning of this operation and by now, the "Rebel Forces" had grown from two dozen Jagdkommandos to a small army of two hundred men. Meanwhile, Heimerich waspletely unaware of this reality, and instead focused his efforts on controlling the region. While the Austrians were maintaining peacekeeping operations, there was a growing insurgent force in their upied territory, preparing to strike at this very moment.


    On this fateful day, the rain was pouring, and the vigers huddled within their homes, seeking the warmth of the open fire within. The only people outside their homes were the Austrian soldiers, who maintained the peace. Dressed in their signature greatcoats, the ck and gold d Austrian Army proudly strode through the streets, ensuring that no rebels were present.


    These men did not know that an armed force had gathered in the fields outside the vige and were preparing to sabotage their food supply. With a silent wave of his hand, Andreasmunicated his orders to his gueris to sneak through the fertile fields and enter the vicinity of their target.


    As for the special forces captain, he was the first to rush through the fields towards his target. Entirely aware that while his unit closed in on the objective, another Jagdkommando was leading his personal war band to distract the enemy.


    ---


    Private Gercke B?derman exhaled a plume of smoke from his lungs as he finished his drag on hisst cigarette. The rain poured down upon him and his unit as they stood in a small mountain vige within Lombardy. He, like everyone else in this ragtag brigade, had only recently graduated from infantry school, and despite this, was thrust into a joint military exercise within the neighboring Kingdom of Lombardy.


    While initially, he was excited to get some experience in the field, as the days passed, he only grew more tiresome with his appointment. Not a single instance of mockbat had urred since this operation began, and he was not the only one who felt this way. The soldier next to him chuckled as he gazed upon the pouring rain, getting his face soaked in the process.


    "God kill me now... If this is what our four years in the army are going to be like, then I''d rather get struck by lightning..."


    Gercke chuckled when he heard this, however in the next moment, thunder crackled in the air, and a wax bullet mmed into the side of the soldier''s steel helmet, knocking him to the ground. The man who was justining about theck of action was the first to fall under the attack of the rebels.


    Immediately, the youth cursed at his cruel fate. Just when things were about to get interesting, he had to be KIA. He could not believe the cruelty of the world. All he could do now was sit back and smoke as hisrades defended their position against the rebel attack.


    ---


    The sound ofbat echoed from the northern position. In doing so, it sessfully drew the attention of the sentries gathered around the vige. When Andreas saw this, he quickly gave themand to his soldiers to rush towards the objective.


    "Go, now! The coast is clear!"


    Without hesitation, the young rebels rushed towards the position of the storehouse, where they pulled out a few bottles of distilled spirit from their rucksacks. These bottles had camouged bandanas embedded in their openings, which were quickly lit by the gueris who then chucked them into the storehouse.


    The moment these Molotov cocktails hit their target, they lit it ame. Quickly, the fire spread to the food stored within. By the time the Austrians were able to put out the fire, their food supply would be ashes. After seeding in their mission, Andreas whistled, signalling his troops to withdraw.


    The rebels quickly began to run away from the scene of their crime. As they did so, a squad of Austrian soldiers spotted them in their escape and charged after them. The Austrians quickly formed a firing line where they shot at the Lombardic Rebels. A few young men were struck in the back with the wax bullets, and fell down to the ground in agony. Though they weren''t lethal, such bullets were still incredibly painful.


    As far as this operation was concerned, these Rebels were KIA, and thus Andreas and the other gueris did not spare them a second nce as they dashed through the fields, and attempted to escape the conflict. As for the group of gueris who acted as a diversion, they had long since been overrun by most of the upying forces, and, as a result, retreated from their position.


    When the Austrian Officer who was tasked with leading thepany in charge of this vige saw his food stores lit ame, he immediately threw his helmet onto the ground in a fit of fury and stomped on it before cursing out the nearest soldier.


    "Just why wasn''t this building protected? Our food is gone! What are we supposed to eat now?"


    The soldier who was rebuked bowed his head in silence. He had nothing to say. After all, he was not responsible for monitoring the food supplies. Despite his internalints, ultimately this fool was still an officer, and though this was a military exercise, the chain ofmand was still in full effect. The officer inmand continued to rant and rave for some time before he was finally able toe up with a coherent thought.


    "Inform the otherpanies in our battalion, the enemy has finally showed themselves, and they are engaging in sabotage. We need to be prepared for their next attack!"


    Having finally received a reasonable order, the soldier immediately saluted his officer and responded in the affirmative.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Meanwhile, this entire sabotage mission was witnessed by Berengar and Bruno, who gazed upon the inmed storehouse with varying expressions. A smug smile was on the King of Austria''s lips as he made a snide remark towards his Lombardic counterpart.


    "So, have you prepared those guldens yet?"


    Bruno felt as if he had eaten an entire te filled with human waste. He gazed over at his Austrian counterpart as he bit his bottom lip in consternation.


    "You knew the Jagdkommandos would recruit and train my vigers all along, didn''t you? Was this part of your n the whole time?"


    Berengar scoffed at this suggestion before denying the allegations.


    "I did not order them to do such a thing. I simply suspected it was what they would do. After all, I trained my Jagdkommandos with the skills necessary to topple other governments. Forming a small insurgency is well within their capabilities.


    Now we will see how Heimerich takes to the challenge presented to him. Only time will tell who is the winner of our little wager, but I have a feeling this is just the first of many attacks that will ur in theing days..."

 Chapter 538 - A Necessary Evil

    Chapter 538 - A Necessary Evil


    Nearly a week had passed since the start of the conflict between the Lombardic Rebels and the Austrian upiers. Several hundred attacks had beenmitted during this brief insurgency. Austrian supplies were dwindling quickly, and many of the officers within the brigade were "assassinated" during this time frame.


    Currently, Heimerich stood within the confines of his stronghold, which existed in the form of a small castle in thergest of the Mountainous settlements. The young man gazed at the map with a bitter expression as he tossed it to the side in rage. These rebels had wiped half of his unit out, either via "attrition" caused by their sabotage efforts or outright "deaths" inbat. Just how did Berengar expect him to defeat the Jagdkommandos and their band of rebels when they blended into the local poption seamlessly?


    With the vigers protecting the rebels, and their identities, it was almost impossible to locate and eliminate these gueris. It was at this moment that the Austrian Field Marshal Candidate suddenly realized something of significant importance. Austrian rules of engagement dictated that harming unarmed civilians was a criminal offense, but there were exemptions to this rule.


    For example, under certain circumstances, such as attacking an enemy position built around civilians, it was permissible to shell the target even if it resulted in civilian casualties. The rules were deliberately vague regarding exemptions, but the guiding principle was whether the excessive use of force was necessary to prevent needless casualties of allied soldiers.


    Under such a rule, a new opportunity for putting down this rebellion within his upied territory came to mind. Luckily for him, this was a mock battle, or else the blood of thousands of innocents would be on his hands. However, for the glory of Austria, and absolute victory, such a bloody price was well worth it.


    With a new n of action in mind, Heimerich summoned his remaining officers. After all of them were present, he updated them on the current situation.


    "Gentlemen, things are looking bleak... I won''t lie to you with our current supplies. It is only a matter of time before our entire brigade will sumb to attrition. The insurgents have bested us in every encounter and remain hidden from our scouts. Now, I don''t know about all of you, but I refuse to concede defeat to the Jagdkommandos and their band of rebels."


    One officer scoffed at thisst remark, in the eyes of all the men gathered in this room, this conflict was unwinnable, they were simply counting down the days until they were defeated and could return from this military exercise and get some much needed rest.


    When Heimerich heard this, he red at the man before scolding him.


    "Oh? Do you have a thought on this matter? Well, go ahead, enlighten us!"


    The officer looked from hismander to hisrades with a pleading expression. However, he had dug a hole for himself, and nobody else was willing to jump into it with him. Thus, he was forced to speak his thoughts on the matter.


    "Sir... There is no way to win this. I believe that the King has designed this operation so you would fail. Just how are we supposed to identify and eliminate the rebels when they have the support of the people?"


    Now it was Heimerich''s turn to scoff. He gazed at the officer with contempt as a cruel smile etched itself upon his lips.


    "It is simple. If there is nobody left to fight against us, then we have achieved victory, have we not?"


    All the officers gazed up at theirmander with a look of horror as they realized what they were about to be ordered to do. This may be a military exercise, but they would still have to act out a ughter if themand was given.


    However, before they could protest this decision, Heimerich made his orders clear to everyone within the room.


    "Gather your remaining soldiers, I want you to go from vige to vige, and drag everyst man, woman, and child out of their homes, and "execute them" as far as I am concerned they are all guilty of treason at this point. By harboring the rebels, they have shown who they support, and thus they shall share the same fate."


    The various officers looked around at each other, expecting someone else to refuse thismand, yet not a single one of them voiced their discontent. Silence prevailed for a while before Heimerich screamed at them all.


    "Now!"


    Having received theirmander''s fury, the young men who had just graduated from the academy rushed towards their units and ryed theirmands. Meanwhile, Heimerich pulled out his sk and drank from its contents as he gazed up at the hill above where he knew Berengar was located.


    "You think you are smart, cousin? Giving me an impossible task to fulfill? Well, let me show you how I handle this little task of yours!"


    Within the hour, the Austrian Soldiers were kicking down doors and dragging the vigers out into the streets against their will. While they had refrained from burning down the homes, after all, this was only an exercise, the soldiers fulfilled their duty to the letter.


    In one vige, Andreas Jaeger was hiding inside a small hovel when he heard amotion from the other room. The family that had taken kindness on him, and hidden him from the "authorities" were screaming as they fought against the Austrian Soldiers. The special forces Captain grabbed hold of his revolver and burst through the door into the room where the conflict was ongoing.


    However, before he could fire a shot, he was wrestled to the ground by an Austrian soldier, who pinned his gun to the floor, as for the other members of the squad, they bound up Andreas, and the family before dragging them into the center of the city. To his shock, Andreas witnessed the entire town, including the rebellious youths, and his jagdkommandos all gathered before a battalion of soldiers who brandished their weapons towards them.


    The officer in charge of this battalion spoke towards the vigers as he sentenced them to their "deaths".


    "By the authority of the crown''s personal representative, Field Marshal Candidate Heimerich von Graz, you are all found guilty of harboring rebels, and are hereby sentenced to death for the crimes of treason."


    Andreas gazed in horror as the Austrian soldiers loaded their weapons with wax bullets, and aimed down their bores at the gathered vigers. He could not believe that such a senseless ughter, even if it was all an act, was about to ur under the orders of the man who would lead the Royal Guard.


    He immediately stood up to protest this injustice, but was quickly gunned down by one of the rifleman, a wax bullet sttered against his chest, and caused a significant welt to form, Andreas fell to the ground as he watched the rest of the battalion unleash their volley of non-lethal bullets onto the unarmed vigers.


    Though this was all an act, the fact that the Austrian soldiers were willing to engage in such a wicked act to ensure that the insurgents were eliminated proved to all the vigers who had been so ruthlessly pelted with non-lethal bullets just what lengths Austria would go to, in order to ensure their victory. Until now, this entire exercise had been a minor inconvenience, but now it was a horrific reminder of the brutality of King Berengar von Kufstein towards those he deemed to be his enemies.


    Across all the other viges in the mountains of Lombardy, a simr scene unfolded. In the end, the vigers were released, and allowed to return to their homes, though a deep-seated fear and hatred towards the Austrians formed in their minds. As for Berengar, he and Bruno witnessed at least one of the massacres unfold, and were stunned into silence.


    After several moments of gawking at the scene, the Lombardic King finally collected his thoughts before voicing them.


    "Can he do that?" If those were real bullets, thousands of my people would be dead right now! Surely they all suffer some form of emotional turmoil after being ripped from their homes and pelted with wax bullets? You never told me this was permitted!"


    Berengar shook his head in disbelief as he gazed at the scene. Perhaps even he wouldn''t be willing to engage in such cruelty. Even for a military exercise with non-lethal weapons, this was going a bit too far. However, he could not deny the fact of the matter was, Heimerich and his Brigade of Recruits had just achieved victory.


    As he reflected on this brief insurgency, and how in the end only a massacre could ensure the victory of the Austrian Army, a demonic smirk etched itself upon Berengar''s lips as he unknowingly said the words on his mind.


    "Well yed, Heimerich..."


    When Bruno heard this, he could no longer hold back his fury, and scolded Berengar for his choice of words.


    "Well yed? Had this been an actual battle, your General would havemitted an act of pure evil! You realize that, right?"


    Berengar simply smirked in response to this statement before correcting the Puppet King by his side.


    "A necessary evil... In the end, Heimerich''s orders allowed his soldiers to achieve victory against overwhelming odds. Besides, it is not as if the vigers are meless. Throughout the entire campaign, your people aided and abetted the rebels. By doing this, they are just as guilty of treason.


    Honestly, it is difficult to fight an insurgency of the people, few men have ever achieved sess against such an enemy. Though this may be simply an exercise, Heimerich can hold his head high as one of the proud few to have sessfully defeated a gueri force.


    I must say that my cousin''s actions have given me much to think about, and he has proven himself capable enough to lead my Royal Guard. After all, he has many years to improve upon his ws as a militarymander. Since neither of us won the wager, I suppose you should use the coin topensate your people for the difficulties they have suffered throughout these past few weeks."


    After saying this, Berengar departed from the scene. Now that Heimerich had proven himself befitting of the position, there were plenty of other things to prepare for. As for Bruno, he gazed in awe at Berengar''sck of concern about his officer''s sense of morality. Was victory really the only thing that mattered? In the end, Heimerich''s orders acted as a permanent reminder of loyalty to the Lombardic King.

 Chapter 539 - An Awkward Confession

    Chapter 539 - An Awkward Confession


    With the military exercisepleted, Berengar now found himself back in the city of Kufstein, within his royal pce. He was currently within his study approving expense reports and signing bills intows. While he was going through these documents, a knock resounded on his door, and a meek voice could be heard on the other side.


    This young, feminine voice was one he was all too familiar with, as it belonged to his ward Veronika. As per usual, she spoke with a hint of fear in her voice as she tried to gain the Austrian King''s permission to enter.


    "Your Majesty? It is me, Veronika, if you aren''t busy, I would like you to listen to a request of mine..."


    Truthfully, Berengar had been so dreadfully busy that he rarely found the time to speak to the girl. He left the parenting of his children mostly up to their mothers, and the wards were no exception. Despite this, the young Princess of Bohemia had deliberately sought him out rather than Linde, which meant she had a request that only the king could grant.


    Thus, the young Monarch rose from his leather-bound seat and walked over to the entrance to his study, where he opened the door to reveal the doll-like appearance of the young Princess of Bohemia. Her mismatched eyes were always a stunning sight to behold and immediately stole Berengar''s nce.


    As he awkwardly looked into the girl''s eyes, she felt ufortable and lowered her sight towards the ground. After realizing that Berengar had gawked at her condition like an idiot, he scratched the back of his head before moving to the side and allowing the girl to enter his office.


    "Please,e in... I have little time to spare, but I can move some things around to speak with you, princess."


    When Veronika heard these words, she nodded her head in silence before following Berengar over towards his desk, where she sat across from him. The Austrian King poured two chalices of wine and handed one over to the girl before taking a sip from his own.


    The girl stared at the red substance for some time before drinking delicately from the gilded chalice. After severalrge gulps, she sighed heavily before revealing the thoughts on her mind.


    "I wanted to ask you about your ns... for my future..."


    Berengar looked up from his chalice and nodded his head before inquiring further about the specific item of interest the girl sought an answer to.


    "What about it, in particr, are you interested in?"


    The young princess of bohemia fiddled with her long blonde hair for a few moments, struggling to find the words to speak her mind. After several seconds of silence, she finally found the courage to ask for the answer to the question that had gued her mind for some time now.


    "Do you n to marry me off to Hans?"


    Berengar did not answer this question right away, instead he took a sip from his chalice before swiveling his chair around to gaze out the window for a few moments. As he saw the sun set behind the alps, he closed his eyes and entered a state of mental rity.


    "That was my intent. Why do you ask? Perhaps you are displeased with this arrangement?"


    When Veronika heard that Berengar truly intended to engage her with his eldest son, she felt rather conflicted. Though the boy was intelligent beyond his years and was the prodigal son of the King of Austria; he was still substantially younger than herself.


    The young Princess of bohemia became quite restless as she thought about the consequences such a distant age gap would have, which caused her to shift in her seat. This did not escape Berengar''s sight, and he immediately moved to defend his position.


    "The boy may be a bit of a brat. I can resolve such personality issues in time. As the Princess of Bohemia, you have to think about your position. There is no better match for you than my son. Hans has a bright future ahead of him.


    If, for whatever reason, he proves incapable of seeding me, he still has the intelligence to be quite the influential figure in both economic and political affairs. You will live a life of wealth and power that few other women in this world will be capable of.


    If instead I were to wed you off to some foreign Prince, I can assure you that your life will be far less luxurious. Which begs the question, is there something in particr that bothers you about the prospect of marrying my son? Perhaps I can remedy such a thing."


    Veronika knew that Berengar''s reasoning was valid, and there was one thing in particr that was bothering her about marrying Hans, especially when there was a much better prospective candidate for that position sitting in front of her. Thus, she could not help but speak her mind.


    "I like Hans. Despite being so young, his is unbelievably intelligent, and I am certain that his future will be one of great sess, and whoever ends up marrying him will definitely be a luckydy. However, I feel that perhaps he is a bit too young for me.


    By the time he is of age, I will be in my twenties, which means I will have to wait eleven more years to fulfill my obligations. What if he thinks I am too old by then, and chooses not to go through with the betrothal you have set for him? After all, he is only allowed up to five wives, and I''m certain he would prefer them to be younger than me.


    Where, in contrast, I would only have to wait four more years if I were to marry someone else, perhaps someone old enough to be Hans'' father, a man has proven himself to be the most capable military leader in all of Christendom..."


    Berengar listened to Veronika''s words carefully andpletely misunderstood her intent. A scowl formed on his face as he questioned if he was hearing her words properly.


    "You want to marry Eckhard? How did you even get intomunication with that old bastard? I give him the title of Grand Duke, and now he seeks to undermine my efforts?!?"


    Veronika immediately felt embarrassed when she remembered the haggard appearance of the retired Field Marshal. She could hardly believe Berengar could be so dense at times. Thus, she ended up blurting out her true intentions to the father of her unofficial fiance.


    "I''m talking about you!"


    Just when Berengar was about to curse Eckhard''s dynasty, she heard the girl''s confession, and immediately felt awkward. He remained silent for a few moments as the young Princess flushed red with embarrassment. She could hardly believe she had said such a thing to Berengar.


    Unbeknownst to the girl, Hans was on the other side of the door, listening to the entire conversation. When she came out and asked Berengar to marry her, the young Prince gritted his teeth in rage. He may be young, but he had already understood his father''s intent to marry the girl to him, thus he had in a way already considered Veronika to be his woman.


    Despite this, the girl was pining after his father so shamelessly. He refused to sit by and listen to such betrayal any longer, and returned to his room before he could hear his father''s response. No matter what Berengar said, the Prince knew his father wasn''t likely to ept such a proposition. After all, he had one slot open for marriage, and it would be best to use it to build asting alliance with a powerful Kingdom.


    Berengar remained silent for several moments before revealing his thoughts to the girl. During this period of silence, the atmosphere became ever more awkward until finally the King''s voice resounded throughout the study.


    "Veronika, I am afraid that I am going to have to decline your request. Such a thing would put me in an awkward situation, as I already consider you akin to one of my daughters. I know you are impatient. It has already been some time since you havee to my Kingdom, and things are changing so rapidly.


    However, you must remain patient. In the long run, my son is a better fit for your affections. Besides, by the time he is my age, I am sure he will be better looking and more aplished than me. After all, he is his mother''s son, and has inherited both her looks and her cunning mind."


    The young Princess of Bohemia had a downcast expression on her doll-like face, as she was so thoroughly rejected. When she first conceived of this n, she did not expect Berengar to deny her request. Now she just felt awkward and embarrassed for even suggesting such a thing.


    With a heavy heart, she sighed before rising from her seat and bowing to the Austrian King.


    "I thank you for sparing the time to listen to my foolish request. I will return to my quarters for the time being..."


    After saying this, the girl fled the scene, and Berengar sighed in relief, however when he saw the tears on the ground, he felt as if he was an asshole as he gazed towards the entrance of his study to witness the sight of his stunning bride Linde standing with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.


    "You always were popr with thedies.... This isn''t the first time a twelve-year-old girl has fallen head over heels for you, is it my king?"


    Berengar felt wounded when he heard this snide remark. He poured himself something stronger than wine into his chalice as he hurriedly drank its contents. After doing so, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve before responding to his second wife''s taunts.


    "Just how did youe to know of this so quickly?"


    Linde sat down at the seat from across from her husband before revealing how she hade to know of this private conversation so soon.


    "I saw Hans crying as he ran back to his room earlier. While you were speaking with Veronika, I had words for him. Evidently he heard what the girl said about him, and her awkward confession to you. Do you think this little incident willplicate their rtionship?"


    Berengar took another swig from his chalice before responding to his wife''s question.


    "Undoubtedly, but they are still young. I am sure they will sulk for a time before bing closer than ever. Besides, I can use this as fuel to light a fire in the boy''s heart so that he strives to surpass me in life. So I would say that even though things might be difficult for a while, ultimately it will be a good thing."


    Linde merely nodded her head in response while murmuring. After all, she could not argue with Berengar''s logic.


    "mhmm"


    With this said, Berengar had much work to get to, and Linde had plenty of children to babysit. Thus, they parted ways for the time being.

 Chapter 540 - Physical Therapy

    Chapter 540 - Physical Therapy


    Berengar stood by Henrietta''s side, as he helped her walk on her own two feet since she had first taken a bullet to her abdomen on that fateful night. Though there was no serious harm done to either the girl''s spine, or her major internal organs, some muscle was damaged, and required time and effort to heal.


    The two siblings grasped onto each other''s hands tightly, as the girl struggled to make her steps. With each movement, her abdomen felt sore, causing her to wince in pain. However, as time passed, the pain left her body, and she strode forward with confidence. Towards the end of the session, she relied only a bit on her brother for support.


    After helping Henrietta take her first steps since her injury, Berengar carried her to her room like a princess, where heid her back down on her bed. Just when he was about to walk away and get to the work that needed to be done, he felt the girl grasp onto his hand, and refuse to let go.


    "Big brother, stay with me for a bit..."


    A satisfied grin appeared on Berengar''s face. He never could deny one of his darling little sister''s request. Thus, he sat down on the mattress next to her and stroked the girl''s silky golden hair. As he gazed into her light azure eyes while holder her ivory cheek with his palm, he could not help butment on the princess''s beauty.


    "My sweet sister, you have grown so beautiful over the years. I must admit I am ashamed to have not noticed it until now..."


    Henrietta blushed when she heard this word, and attempting to conceal her embarrassment with the covers that she lie underneath. Such a meek action brought a smile to Berengar''s face as he kissed the girl on the forehead. However, such a gentle action was not satisfying enough for the young princess, and thus she revealed her luscious pink lips as she pressed them against her brother''s mouth, entangling her tongue with his as she dragged him on top of her.


    For some time now, ever since Henrietta first awoke, Berengar had wanted to be intimate with Henrietta. However, she had been too wounded to attempt anything. However, by enticing him in such a manner, he could no longer restrain himself. He quickly slipped his fingers beneath the covers and into the girl''s soaked panties, revealing just how much she wanted this.


    Berengar kissed his sister passionately as he yed with the entrance to her cave of wonders, causing her to pant between gasps of air. After she was well prepared, he disrobed, where she followed suit. For the first time in a long time, the two stared at each other''s naked bodies with differing expressions.


    Henrietta gazed upon her brother''s bountiful muscle, and massive shaft with shock, covering her mouth as she could hardly believe how much he had grown since he was the sickly boy she had grown up with. She could not help herself but to reach out and grab hold of therge stick that was standing erect as its owner stared at her naked body with a famished expression.


    It equally surprised Berengar to see how much Henrietta had grown in thest six years. She was taller and thicker than both Ad and Honoria, but smaller than Linde and Yasmin. It was almost as if she was the perfect middle between his four brides.


    Seeing such an unspoiled meal before him, Berengar could not help but partake. He pushed Henrietta down on to the bed as she stroked his cock, and suckled at her pastel pink nipples, as if he was trying to drink from them. Unfortunately for him, the girl could not yet produce milk, still that did not stop his relentless attack on her twin peaks.


    After several moments, a brilliant idea formed in Berengar''s mind as she shifted their positions, dragging his sister on top of him as he hovered her rear over his head. He instantly licking at her lower lips, which caused the girl to cry out in shock.


    "Big brother!"


    Despite her protests, he did not relent, and before long Henrietta responded in kind, licking at Berengar''s mighty shaft as if it were the tastiest lollipop before trying to insert its length into her mouth. As someone who had no experience with such amorous activity, the princess failed to achieve her aim. Despite this, Berengar did not care. He was a simple man to please.


    Seeing that she could not deep throat the entire length of her brother''s rod, Henrietta elected to wrap her sizeable breasts around its girth, and please her man with a titty fuck. It became a race between the two adopted siblings to see who could make the other climax first. In the end, Berengar, with his enormous experience, forced Henrietta to squirt all over his face before she could evene close to making her brother cum.


    The Princess breathed heavily as she copsed on top of her brother; she had never felt such pleasure before, and mistakingly believe it was over, that is until Berengar got up from under her, and positioned himself on top of her with his cock lined up towards the entrance of her pussy.


    Before Henrietta could react, Berengar had pressed his lips against her own before thrusting his length inside of her, iming her virtue, and causing her to bleed onto the sheets. She did not have the time to expect the pain such a thing would cause. However, she did not yelp in agony, instead she focused on the sensation of her brother''s tongue twirling against her own.


    Before long, the pain was reced with pleasure, and Berengar moved his hips with much greater force, causing the girl to repeatedly cry out in pleasure.


    "Big brother! Big brother! Don''t stop, big brother!"


    Berengar felt a multitude of emotions as he ravaged away at his sister''s insides, though they were not siblings by blood, the fact remained that they had grown up together in such a manner, and because of this there was a hint of guilt in his mind about doing such a thing with his own sister.


    However, as a true hedonist, this guilt only enhanced his pleasure, causing him to climax much faster than he would have with any of his other wives. Without warning, he released arge load of his thick white substance inside Henrietta''s womb, causing her to squirt all over him. After doing so, he copsed on top of her, with his shaft still inside of the girl.


    Normally such an intense workout would cause his wives to quit, but Berengar had awoken something inside of Henrietta that did not exist in his other wives. Perhaps it was because they were rted, but she had a libido to match her brothers. Thus, she quickly ground her hips against Berengar''s, causing him to do the same.


    With a smug expression on her face, Henrietta began to whisper in her brother''s ear something that invoked thepetitive spirit in his heart.


    "Don''t tell me you''re finished so soon. Your wives told me you had great stamina. I guess they were wrong."


    Berengar would not take such an insult to his manhood lying down. Instead, he nibbled on the girl''s ear in response, before whispering to her his own words of enticement.


    "Challenge excepted, my sweet little sister, I am not letting you go until you are once more unable to walk!"


    Henrietta moaned in pleasure as Berengar once more thrust into her with fervor. She joked at her brother as she epted his length with excitement in her eyes.


    "Then it looks like we''re going to have to continue our little physical therapy sessions for some time..."


    In response to this, Berengar flipped the girl around and took her from behind as he pushed her head into the pillow while yelling hismands to her.


    "Arch your back more, there you go, that''s a good girl..."


    As if the duo could not be satisfied, they kept at their "physical therapy" for some time. When it was finally, they were both so exhausted that they fell asleep in each other''s arms. Berengar had finally taken the first step of making his sister his mistress. It would not take long for his wives to be aware of this reality, and when they did, there would be hell to pay.


    As for Henrietta, she had finally gotten what she always wanted, for her precious big brother to spoil her like nobody else, and all it took was getting shot. She supposed she had the assassin to thank for this. If such a thing had never happened, she likely never would have confessed her feelings to Berengar, and he never would have realized he shared them.


    Still, she hoped deep within the depths of her heart that everyone who was responsible for her injury would get a cruel and unusual death sentence for their crimes against the Royal Family of Austria. After all, nobody loved or supported her big brother more than than the princess, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that anyone who made the man she loved most cry would be thoroughly punished.

 Chapter 541 - Aiding the German Rebels

    Chapter 541 - Aiding the German Rebels


    While Berengar was making preparations for his armies to invade the Northern German States, should it be necessary, Linde''s vastwork of spies, assassins, and saboteurs was already behind enemy lines fanning the mes of war. Currently, an agent of the Austrian Crown was undercover in Luxembourg, in a local tavern where a group of disgruntled peasants were gathered.


    The spy was clothed in a hooded cloak and stood at the back of the gathering, leaning against the wall listening in silence as he sipped the watered down beer that was served in these feudal realms. After drinking high quality alcohol produced in alcohol for so long, this swill was simply piss water in the agent''s eyes.


    Nevertheless, he needed to maintain the appearance of a lone traveler, and thus he continued to drink from the poor beverage as he watched a man preach to the local citizens about the need to rise against their sovereign.


    Arge bald man with callouses on his hands and a cksmith''s apron boldly took the stand in the tavern to dere his beliefs to those who paid patronage to the establishment. With each passing word, he worked up the local peasantry into a state of fury.


    "The Bastard of Luxembourg, who proims himself to be our rightful sovereign, has without provocation attacked the royal family of Austria. In doing so he has failed to eliminate the target of his ire, and instead gravely wounded the innocent princess of our neighbor''s realm.


    This is the same Royal Family of Austria that has opened their doors to citizens of our realm, and the other German states when the war for the German Crown was at its fiercest. Many of you have siblings and cousins who have moved to the Southern Kingdom and prosper beyond measure.


    Some of you are still alive because those same family members have sent back silver and gold to help support your families. Not only has Austria shown its benevolence towards us, themon people of the German States, but they are also the homnd of the German Reformation.


    Most of us here are diehard reformists, and yet our Duke has spilled blood in the holy city of Kufstein! Are we supposed to stand by and allow him to invoke a conflict with our own brothers, sisters, and cousins? Are we supposed to march to our deaths against the most powerful Army in Christendom? For what reason, because the Bastard of Luxembourg seeks to establish himself as King over us all?


    Tell me, why should we follow a man who seeks to appease the corruptions of the Catholic Church? A Church which is responsible for expelling all the German Cardinals! Why should we kneel before a man who seeks to oppress themon people, wishes to force us to fight against a Kingdom of honor and nobility whose only goal is to unite the German people, and uplift usmoners to a better state of living?


    Do any of you desire to spill the blood of your families who have long since immigrated to Austria, and helped build that Kingdom to its current state of prosperity? Or be killed by your kin as a response to our duke''s actions?"


    When the man said asked this question, the crowd of surly drunks immediately jeered in response.


    "Fuck no!"


    "Down with the Duke!"


    "To hell with the von Luxembourgs and their bastard!"


    The entire room was filled with angry shouts as the men and women gathered, vented their anger in the open. When the Agent standing in the corner heard this, a smile curved upon his lips. Now was the time to present himself to these enraged masses.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, I''ll have you know that I have a solution to your problems!"


    When the agent spoke these words, all eyes shifted onto him. Not a single soul uttered a word as they waited for this man to finish voicing his intent.


    "I represent the Crown of Austria, and our benevolent monarch understands your plight, and knows full well that the people aren''t his enemy. Rather than send an army into yournds, and risk killing themon people who were drafted into a suicide unit by their sovereign, he has decided to give you all the options to overthrow your wicked Duke.


    Ie bearing gifts! Weapons and munitions straight from the Austrian arsenals. Enough to make the bastard of Luxembourg tuck tail, and run in fear for his life. It is all free, of course; you need only take your destiny into your own hands and march against the Duke. The only other alternative is an outright Austrian invasion. The choice is up to you, the people of Germany!"


    The people listened to every word that the Austrian Agent said with equal parts respect and trepidation. It was one thing to speak of treason in the confines of a tavern while drunk, but to actually be given the opportunity to rise against their sovereign, such a thing required a different breed of drunk. Ultimately, one man rose from the crowd and questioned the Austrian Agent.


    "If you will provide arms, does that also mean you will provide the training and tactics to defeat the Duke and his armies?"


    The Austrian agent silently nodded his head as he took a swig from his beer mug before responding to the question.


    "Of course, we already have operators embedded within the Northern German States training local militias to fight against the lords who oppose the people''s will. Swear your allegiance to the Austrian Crown, and I promise you, that you will all be well trained and equipped to eliminate your enemies."


    There was a moment of hesitation in the hearts and minds of those gathered. If they truly swore allegiance to Austria and rose against the Duke, then bloodshed could no longer be avoided. However, if what the agent said was true, and Austria was preparing to invade the North, they knew it would be far more bloody to stand in their way. Thus, the man who asked about training was the first to kneel before the Agent and profess his loyalty to the Austrian Crown.


    "I will fight for Berengar!"


    After saying this, he pulled out a knife and cut his hand, spilling his sanguine liquid onto the floor and dering a blood oath for all to bear witness. After he had said this; one by one, the people gathered within the tavern kneeled before the agent, and swore their allegiance to the King of Austria.


    The Agent merely finished his drink in silence. After doing so, he ced the mug on the bar counter and addressed the crowd once more.


    "Come, we have much work to do, and little time to do it. In a matter of weeks, my operators will make you an efficient fighting force capable of contending against your former masters."


    After saying this, the agent departed from the tavern, and so too did the men and woman who had sworn loyalty. The man representing the interests of the Austrian Crown led them to a secluded area in the woods where a cabiny in wait.


    Gathered outside the cabin were several men dressed in blumentarn uniforms. These were Austria''s Jagdkommandos, who had deployed to the Northern States ahead of the Austrian invasion to train themon people into a gueri rebel force.


    The man in charge of this unit gazed upon the peasant rabble and sneered in disdain before making a speech to the gathered masses.


    "Over the next few weeks, my soldiers and I will make you the most efficient fighting force that you can be. After you havepleted your training, you will begin conducting gueri operations throughout this sector. Infiltration, sabotage, assassination, and ambush are your goals.


    Our agents will provide intelligence on your objectives. As for the man who brought you all here, you may call him Agent Shadow. He will be your liaison to Austrian Royal Intelligence. You do not need to know any of our identities, and will simply refer to us by code names. Is that understood?"


    After saying this, the group of volunteers nodded their heads in unison before the Jagdkommando in charge dispatched their orders.


    "Alright, you may refer to me as Sarge, and I will be responsible for your training. Go gather your equipment. We will be begin basic firearms training immediately!"


    Having received their orders, these rebellious recruits did as instructed, this was just one of many gueri groups that Austria was supporting behind the scenes across all of Northern Germany. As for Austrian Royal Intelligence, the department of Covert Operations was busy with two primary objectives: aid the rebels in Northern Germany, and recruit the local nobility to their cause.


    After all, if Berengar wanted to conquer Northern Germany with the least resistance, then he needed not only the support of themon people, but that of the lower nobility as well. Thus, while Agent Shadow and his Jagdkommandos were busy training a group of Rebels, other agents of the Crown had been dispatched to the Castles of the nobility to gain their support.

 Chapter 542 - Recruiting the Nobles of Luxembourg

    Chapter 542 - Recruiting the Nobles of Luxembourg


    A mature and beautifuldy was sitting across from a handsome Lord within the Duchy of Luxembourg, this man by the name of Hilmar Von Senheim and was a prominent Count within the Ducal Court of Luxembourg. The Lady across from him was an agent of Austrian intelligence, and had approached the Count to gain his support for the various Rebels that were being trained in his territory.


    Hilmar was a cautious man, and he knew the winds of change were blowing, Berengar von Kufstein had risen through bloody conquest to be King over half of the German States, The armies of Austria were indomitable, and unfortunately for the count, his liege had provoked the tyrant of steel.


    He was looking for a way out from the violence that he knew was about to ur, thus when an agent of the Austrian Crown approached him, he was more than happy to entertain her in his home. At the moment they were eaten some rather nd mutton, with a side of watered down ale. Despite his wealth and power, it had be incredibly difficult to get his hands on Austrian ingredients.


    After all, Austria held a stranglehold over trade with the East via their byzantine connections, and with the attack on his life, he had moved to iste luxembourg from many facets of trade that had once made theirnds wealthy. Hilmar was no fool. He could tell by the displeased expression on the Austrian beauty''s face that she was rather displeased with the nd food, and thus apologized for theck of spice.


    "Mydy, I must apologize for theck of taste in this food. As you should be aware,Berengar has set up several embargos against us after my Liege''s foolish attempt to im the man''s life. With your master shutting down his ck market and calling on his allies to sanction us, it has be rather difficult to get my hands on the spices necessary to make a good meal."


    Despite the nd mutton, the woman did not stop eating it, a free meal was a free meal, and even if it failed to meet her tastes, it would at the very least fill her stomach, thus she sighed heavily before expressing her thoughts on the matter.


    "Your master is a fool for attacking my King. If you think Berengar is being merciful by not invading the North, guess again, I probably shouldn''t be telling you this, but since you have taken pity on little old me, I guess I will give you a hint about what is going on behind the scenes...


    As we speak, Austria''s special forces are training themon people to rise against your master. They are being equipped with sufficient arms, munitions, and the tactics necessary to bring your transportation and logistics toplete and total halt. Assassinations of nobility, and ambushes on your troops, are about to be amon urrence. If I were you, I would think well about where your loyalties lie.


    I understand you to be a man of refined taste, and I can promise you that so long as your loyalty lies with the bastard of luxembourg you will not be able to get your hands on the luxuries that you have taken for granted."


    Hilmar halted, frozen in his tracks as he heard thisment. He was already having a hard enough time getting by without salt, pepper, and any other number of spices from the east. Now he was being told that all the other luxuries he enjoyed from trade with Austria and its allies such as coffee, fine wine, beer, ss, textiles and any other number of items that made his life more morous were all about to be taken away.


    On top of this, Austria was raising an armyposed of his own people in his backyard, such a thing concerned. If he were any other lord, he would have the woman sitting across from him taken to the dungeon and interrogated on what she knew. However Hilmar was not so na?ve, the detainment of an Austrian Agent was something that would easily provoke Berengar, especially since she had been so open about her position.


    In anything, this woman was acting as a delegate rather than a spy, and thus Austria would argue that the rules of diplomacy protected her. Thus, attacking her in any way was an attack on Austria itself, and that could only end badly. The gears turned in the Count''s head as he considered his options. When he suddenly realized about the reason for this woman''s visit, he ced his fork down, and took a deep breath to calm his nerves before responding.


    "I understand... What does the King request of me?"


    When the female agent heard this positive response, a sultry smile appeared on her face as she took a sip from her wine chalice before teasing the man.


    "Good boy..."


    She did not immediately respond to his question with the answer he was looking for. Instead, this beautiful mature woman took her time eating her meal, before rying the orders Linde had given her.


    "The Austrian Crown knows the Duke favors you. Contrary to what you might believe, it is not as easy as you might think for us to infiltrate his inner circle and spy on him. The man is more careful around his servants than other noblemen. It is because of this that we need you to be our eyes and ears within the Ducal Court. I want to know everything that the Bastard of Luxembourg says, and does regarding anything remotely associated with the uing war, his allies, and most importantly, the Kingdom of Austria."


    Hilmar gulped the saliva that had been pooling in his mouth as he listened to every word the woman spoke. After several seconds of silence, he nodded his head before responding.


    "I understand. How will I contact you when Ie across such information?"


    At this point, the beautiful mature spy''s brow raised and her expression shifted to one that feigned confusion.


    "What do you mean? I will stay right here with you, in your castle, as your personal liaison with the Austrian crown? I am sure such a thing would please you, would it not?"


    A smile formed upon the count''s face as he heard this. Such a rare beauty would stay in his castle and be his contact? This was like a dreame true. However, the next statement she said nearly made him pass out from excitement.


    "As long as you behave yourself like a good little boy, I am sure I can find some way to reward you for your efforts. So what do you say? Will you do this for me?"


    Without hesitation, the Count nodded his head like a trained puppy


    "Yes, of course, mydy. I would be more than happy to host you in my home for as long as you need. Anything you desire, so long as it is in my capabilities, you need only ask!"


    Upon receiving such a loyal response from her newest pet, the Austrian spy giggled before revealing her thoughts.


    "Good boy, now tell your servants to open the gates so that my people can bring in some much needed materials. This mutton is truly horrific..."


    Hilmar did not hesitate to do as he was instructed. He immediately ordered the gates to be opened, and when they were several merchants from Austria, brought in spices, wine, beer, and distilled spirits so that the Lady could enjoy a proper meal. The sight of these luxuries practically made the count burst into tears. He was now fully prepared to sell himself to this woman so long as she pampered him.


    If there was one thing Austrian Intelligence was good at, it was identifying those who could be made use of, and fulfilling their desires in order to gain their loyalty. This agent was a specialist in dealing with pampered masochists, and had been deliberately sent to this Count because of her skills in that regard.


    Everybody had a price for their loyalty, and Wilmar''s was to be pampered and abused by a beautiful older woman. True loyalty was a rare quality in humanity, and the agents of the Austrian Crown knew how to make use of human greed better than anyone. While this spy gained the loyalty of one of the favored counts within the Ducal Court of luxembourg, others were dispatched to secure simr loyalties across the Northern German States.


    By the time Austriaunched its invasion, Berengar would havepromised his enemies within every facet of their societies. Commoners, nobles, merchants, and the church alike would fall prey to the whims of Austrian Intelligence.


    Future generations would learn about the extensive campaign of subterfuge that Austrian Royal Intelligence undertook in coordination with the Royal Military. In doing so, historians wouldter dub the German unification wars as the first instance of Hybrid Warfare in human history, and attribute it as an act of brilliance on Berengar von Kufstein''s behalf.

 Chapter 543 - The Shot Heard Around the World

    Chapter 543 - The Shot Heard Around the World


    Within the City of Luxembourg, the young Duke of the Duchy stood at a podium in the middle of the streets. By his side was none other than his mentor and advisor Renault De Roche, who acted as moral support to the Duke. Behind these two men were a retinue of Knights whose purpose was to protect their liege from any potential dangers.


    Gathered at the sides of the street were a variety of citizens who bore witness to the young Duke''s speech. There was a stark contrast between the Duke and his citizens, which was exemplified by the condition of their appearances. On the one hand, Hartman appeared perfectly healthy with a regal and proud appearance, finely groomed hair, and clean clothes in the renaissance fashion style that had died out in the southern German Kingdoms, yet still prospered in the north.


    As for the citizens gathered in the streets, they were visibly famished while dressed in homespun clothing that was tattered and patched after years of abuse. Dirt and grime speckled their attire, as they were likely one of the few sets these peasants possessed. Despite these visual signs of destitution, themon people had no choice but to gather in the streets and listen to their sovereign''s speech about unity and prosperity in the face of adversity.


    Hartman gazed upon his people with a hint of disdain in his eyes as he boldly responded to Berengar''s ultimatum that he had spoken a few weeks prior to his people. Since then, the speech of the Austrian King calling upon the people of the Northern German states to rise in rebellion against the Bastard of Luxembourg had caught on like wildfire.


    Though Hartman and his allies were unaware, Austria had already made a y to arm and train those with rebellious thoughts, and by now, these men and women hadpleted their training. In fact, there were a few of them gathered in the crowd today, as they gazed upon their Sovereign with an equal sense of disdain. However, ultimately, their sights fell upon a different individual.


    "I have gathered you all here today to remind you where your loyalties lie. This pretender from the South is a wicked man who has enacted all kinds of heresies in hisnds that have put our entire faith in danger. However, I will not speak from a religious perspective on this matter, as I am certain that you are all wary of such propaganda.


    Instead, I willment on the horrible crimes Berengar von Kufstein hasmitted in pursuit of his ambitions. If you think he is some saint sent by God to liberate you from the Church''s corruption, guess again. Though we know little of his early wars of expansion that led to him bing a prominent figure in European politics, we know that he murdered a small child in cold blood to obtain the position of Duke of Austria.


    This vicious cunt, who proims himself to be the King of Austria, ruthlessly murdered Conrad von Habsburg, the rightful heir to thete Duke Wilmar von Habsburg, by tossing the boy out a window before he could even be an adult, and for what? To satisfy a madman''s ambitions!


    Officially, thete Duke Conradmitted suicide after the tragedy against his family, which was caused by my long term rival Duke Dietger von Wittelsbach, a man who now swears his allegiance to the man who murdered the rightful heir of Austria!


    After usurping the Ducal Throne of Austria, this man waged an uwful war against our Sovereign Emperor Balsamo Corsini in an attempt to dere himself King. As a result of this illegal war, the Austrian War machine brought the once proud city of Florence to ruin, killing all of its inhabitants in the process. It is a miracle that the Emperor survived this ordeal.


    Our Emperor was given an ultimatum to recognize Austria''s independence, or face further bloodshed. How could a human being even think of iming more innocent lives in pursuit of their goal? When faced with such overwhelming evil, the Emperor caved to this Devil''s demands, and recognized Austria''s independence. Despite now being free to rule as a Monarch, Berengar von Kufstein has continued to build up his armies, an act of provocation to all of his neighbors!


    He ims that I have made an attempt on his life, and in doing so wrongly injured his sister, but he has no proof of these allegations. It is far more likely that Berengar himself is responsible for the attack on his life so that he can justify a war against us all! Now he seeks to undermine my authority, as granted by God, and invoke all of you to act in rebellion on his behalf."


    Despite this public condemnation filled with partial truths against Berengar, the people were unphased by their lieges words. They merely stood silent as they waited for the man to finish his speech so they could get back to work.


    When Hartman saw this, it filled him with scorn towards his own people. Shouldn''t his speech have roused them to act in defiance of Berengar''s wishes? Instead, it was as if they were staring at him with pity. Such a thing did nothing but invoke his ire. He was about to give them amand to show him some respect when Renault step forward to scold the people.


    "Is this the respect you show your liege? If I did not know any better, I would assume that you were all influenced by Austria''s propaganda, and are traitors to the Duchy of Luxembourg! Have you nothing to say for yourselves?"


    It was at this very moment something unexpected urred. A peasant in the second row pulled out a revolver and pointed it towards Renault''s head before screaming the words aloud for all to hear.


    "Rule Germania!"


    After saying this, he squeezed the trigger, sending the .38 Special cartridge down range and into the veteran knight''s skull, leaving a bloody hole in his head. A look of shock appeared on the man''s face as he copsed to the ground, lifeless.


    Immediately, the assassin ran through the crowd, who were in a state of panic. Meanwhile, the Knights beneath Renault''smand aimed their arkebuses towards the fleeing suspect and fired them, however by the time they could light the matches and take a shot he was at such a distance that they missed him entirely.


    While this chaos was urring, Hartman approached his fallen advisor and grabbed hold of his lifeless corpse, sobbing as his tears streamed down upon the man''s lifeless face. In between his cries, the Bastard of Luxembourg spoke the words.


    "You can''t die... I can''t do this without you!"


    Despite this, there was no resurrection in this world, and Renault''s soul had faded away. As the Knights chased after the man responsible for this attack, grief turned to anger as Hartman gritted his teeth and issued orders to his soldiers.


    "Lock down the city. I don''t care if you have to butcher everyone in this crowd, bring me the man responsible for this atrocity! He must pay for his sins!"


    The assassination of the Duke of Luxembourg''s mentor marked the beginning of a brutal civil war in Northern Germany. Shortly after this attack, the local insurgency would publically dere their rebellion, and the hundreds of other cells across the Northern German States would instantly rise alongside them.


    The Bastard of Luxembourg had sought to unify his people against Berengar and his goals, and yet the Austrian King was already ten steps ahead of his rival to the North. While the Duke was preparing for war with Austria, his enemy had emboldened his own citizens to strike against him.


    With Renault dead, Hartman''s greatest form of support had been cut off. After all, the man was not only his mentor but also his greatest general and his closest confidant. As more of his lords and peasants turned against him, the young Duke would grow increasingly isted and paranoid especially in regards to what Berengar had nned for him.


    History wouldter remember this assassination as the "Shot heard around the world" a single instance of gunfire that sparked the German Unification Wars. How much bloodshed would Northern Germany have to endure before Austrian Intervention? That had yet to be seen.

 Chapter 544 - Papal Suppor

    Chapter 544 - Papal Suppor


    The bastard of luxembourg sat upon his ducal throne with a pitiful expression on his face. His closest friend and ally lie dead, and he had not had a proper moment to grieve. Days had passed since Renault''s assassination, and a group iming to represent the people of Germany had dered open rebellion.


    As far as Hartman was aware, insurgency cells had instantly appeared in every corner of his realm, and that of his allies. It became immediately apparent to the man that Berengar had been secretly training and funding these groups without him being any the wiser.


    Unfortunately for Hartman, this meant he could not even attend the funeral of histe mentor. With an ongoing rebellion in full effect, he didn''t have the time for such a thing. Because of Renault''s untimely demise, the Bastard of Luxembourg was forced to seek council from an old friend and had thus dragged the Count out of istion and into his court. The young Duke remained entirely unware that this friend had already sworn his service to Austria. more specifically, its beautiful and mature female spy.


    Count Hilmar von Senheim stood at his liege''s side as an emissary from the church stood before them. This Cardinal was a man of great prestige within the Catholic world and hailed from the Kingdom of France. Though he did not kneel before Duke Hartman, the crimson d cleric showed his generosity with gifts, which his servants brought forth.


    Hartman responded with a warm smile as he weed the representative of the Holy father into his home. Despite the defection of the German Cardinals towards the Reformation, there were still plenty of Catholics in the German World, mostly centralized within the Northern States. After all, the South and Eastern portions of Germany were under direct influence of the Kingdom of Austria, and Berengar would never allow the Catholic Church to thrive within hisnds.


    Still, in the North, many German noblemen still clung to the old traditions of the Catholic Church and looked towards Rome, and not Kufstein, as the capital of their religion. Hartman was one of these men, and his conflict with Berengar was not simply one of ambition, but religious duty. With a graceful expression, the Bastard of Luxembourg greeted the French Cardinal with all the civility he could muster.


    "Cardinal Mahieu, it is a great honor for a man of such piety to visit me in my humble abode, let alone provide me with such generous gifts. Though I am a bit confused about your reasoning for visiting Luxembourg, especially during this time of crisis I am facing, surely the journey to my realm is a perilous one, what with the ongoing rebellion I am currently facing."


    The Cardinal wore a sinister smile as he bowed his head gracefully before revealing his true intentions for traveling all the way from Avignon


    "But of course, this heretical rebellion is the reason for my visit. The Holy Father would like to extend his generosity towards your realm in the form of some much needed weapons. ording to our intelligence, these are no mere peasants that your armies find themselves in conflict with. Rather, they are a Legion of the Damned armed, supplied, and trained by the devil''d minions. Surely you know who I speak of?"


    Hilmar, who stood at his master''s side, scoffed when he heard this remark. The Catholic Church would stop at nothing in their efforts to paint Berengar as the physical incarnation of Satan himself. In many parts of Christendom, such superstitious propaganda worked wondrously. However, in Germany, the average person viewed the Austrian King in a better light. If that were not the case, then why would so many thousands of rebels appear in Northern Germany at the behest of their Southern Master?


    Meanwhile, Hartman was more concerned over the weapons the Catholic church was providing. Surely, whatever they brought forth could notpete with the overwhelming firepower the Austrians had at their disposal. Despite these internal thoughts, the bastard of Luxembourg was far from condescending as he investigated the gifts further.


    "The Papacy''s support is most wee, but I am curious. Just what sort of weapons have you brought to me which I can not manufacture on my own?"


    Cardinal Mahieu smirked sadistically before whistling to his servants. Once this was done, they pried the crates open to reveal the hidden contents. Inside were several crudely manufactured matchlock muskets. These weapons were the product of the Catholic Church''s years of research into reverse engineering those captured muskets that the Italians had scavenged from their battles with Austria during the war for independence.


    Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the Papacy could not figure out how to replicate the rifling, nor did they discover how to manufacture the springs used within the flintlock mechanism. Thus, despite many efforts, the Catholic church had resorted to recing the superior flintlock system with the earlier matchlock mechanism, which was used by the arkebuse firearm that was nowmonly found throughout the Mediterranean as a result of Austria''s massive arms trade.


    Still, these weapons were better than anything the North German states had at their disposal and could prate through Austrian armor at close distances. Of course Hartman had no way of knowing this, thus he had a look of disdain on his lips as he gazed at the primitive firearms.


    "Just what am I looking at here? It looks like it is just a longer, heavier arkebuse?"


    When the Cardinal heard this, he frowned before lecturing the young Duke on his errors.


    "This is no mere arkebuse, it is a musket, or at least that''s what the Austrians call it. I am ashamed to admit, these weapons are not as effective as the ones Austria sells to its allies, but its range and prative power is superior to the arkebuse. I have little doubt that at close range, your soldiers will punch straight through the average Austrian soldier''s armor.


    Granted, you may have to rethink your tactics, as we both know the Austrian Army has superior range, and firepower over your armies, but at least with these weapons you will have a fighting chance against your enemy, assuming you can find a way to fire upon them at close range that is.


    There was a hint of worry in Hilmar''s eyes as he heard these words, though it would be difficult to pull off. If they could seed in their endeavors, they could fight a war of attrition with Austria, using every soldier and every viger to fire upon the invaders within the streets of the Northern cities.


    Such a thing filled the young Count with endless dread. He was well aware of Berengar''s reputation. The Austrian King had destroyed more than one city to prevent injury and death among the men beneath hismand, and would surely do such a vicious thing once more if put into such a situation.


    As for Hartman, he was thinking the best way to utilize such weapons in the field, regardless as to how he made use of these muskets, it was surely better than equipping their soldiers with arkebuses. After a while, the bastard of luxembourg broke his silence and asked the question in his mind.


    "How many of these muskets are there in total?"


    When the Cardinal heard this question, his expression sank. Unfortunately, the Papacy''s manufacturing capability was not nearly as efficient as Austria''s, and they had many Kingdoms to equip with these weapons over theing years. Thus, he lowered his voice as he responded with a hint of shame.


    "roughly fifteen hundred..."


    When Hartman heard these words, he curled his fists in rage, so much so that he practically broke the skin on the palm of his hands. He could not help butsh out at the Cardinal at this moment.


    "Fifteen hundred! You think that will make a difference when the armies of Austria number in the hundreds of thousands! That''s not even enough to wipe out a single contingent of Austria''s infantry! You might as well not have visited in the first ce!"


    The Cardinal was about to retort to the bastard of Luxembourg with an equally hostile tone when Hilmar interjected in the conversation.


    "Your grace, surely such weapons can at the very least be used to bolster your personal guard. With these so-called muskets, your protection is greatly enhanced. You should be thanking the Cardinal, and the Holy Father for their efforts to aid you."


    Upon hearing this advice, Hartman sighed heavily before nodding his head in silence. After a few moments, he apologized for his harsh words.


    "I am sorry, Cardinal Mahieu. The death of a close friend and the ongoing rebellion have put me under a lot of stress. I understand your intentions and thank you for the help you have provided. Please stay in Luxembourg and enjoy yourself for the time being. When you finally feel it is time to return to Rome, bring my regards to the Holy Father."


    The Cardinal''s anger subsided momentarily as he too sighed in exhaustion. He had no choice but to ept the young Duke''s apology, thus he forced a smile as he responded to the man.


    "Apology epted. I understand you are going through a difficult time, and I absolve you of your sins. I will ry your kind words to the Pope when I finally return to Rome and thank you for your hospitality."


    After saying this, the Cardinal departed from the room, with some of the Duke''s servants leading him to his quarters. When Hilmar and Hartman were finally alone, they discussed their options in hushed voices. The bastard of Luxembourg was the first to voice his concerns.


    "You think these muskets will help in the slightest?"


    Hilmar scoffed when he heard this question before shaking his head.


    "Not in the slightest, at most they might be able to protect you from the Austrians at close distance, but judging from the Cardinal''s words, these things are practically useless against the enemy''s armor at longer ranges, and we all know how capable the Austrian army''s rifles are.


    My guess is the Pope is merely showing you respect, and doing what little he can to help against his greatest adversary. If things continue as they are, we will lose this war before the Austrians even invade. I think it is time to call your Counts back to Luxembourg. We will need all the help we can get..."


    Hartman sighed heavily as he heard these words. However, ultimately, he could not help but agree with Hilmar''s sentiment.


    "Very well. We will have to make do with the weapons we have. Bolster the border defenses, thest thing we need is Austria''s armies intervening while we fight against this rebellion."


    Hilmar nodded his head as he responded in affirmation to the Duke''s orders.


    "Of course, your grace."


    After saying this, he left the room. His next task would be to coordinate with the Austrian Spy and see what the best course of action in the future would be.

 Chapter 545 - A Madmans Massacre

    Chapter 545 - A Madman''s Massacre


    Hartman stood at the forefront of his soldiers, who had gathered in a small woond town within the Duchy of Luxembourg. Reports of rebelsing and going from this city had reached the ears of his spies, and though the information could not be confirmed, the Bastard of Luxembourg did not care.


    The assassin of his mentor had escaped, and the Catholic Church had given him some much needed firepower. Despite Hilmar''s best efforts to console the Duke, the moment his grief disappeared, it was reced with an insatiable wrath. Thus, in his state of fury, the Duke had given the vige an ultimatum: hand over the rebels, or die with them.


    Currently, there was a standoff between the Knights of Luxembourg, and the poor peasants who struggled to live their lives in this unforgiving feudalndscape. The chief of the vige was an elderly man, who had many years of experience speaking on behalf of his people to the local lordship. He peacefully negotiated with the enraged Duke as the soldiers huddled his people into the center of the vige.


    "Your Grace, I do not know what you heard, but I can speak on behalf of the people of this town. " There are no rebels here, nor have we aided them. We are simple farming folk who enjoy a peaceful and secluded life. We have no desire to get caught up in this conflict between the nobility. If there were rebels here, we would surely hand them over, but there simply aren''t any."


    Hilmar stood by Hartman''s side. Since Renault''s death, he had assumed the position as the Duke''s right hand. More importantly, he was working with an Austrian spy in secret to overthrow his liege, and thus he knew well that this vige was innocent of the chargesid against them by the Duke. It was because of this that he was more than happy to intervene on their behalf.


    "Your Grace, with all due respect, we have searched the vige for weapons and supplies, and have found nothing. I believe your spies'' reports are inurate. There is no evidence to support the ims that this vige is associated with the rebels in any capacity. It is in our best interest to leave them be, and resume our quest to find the men actually responsible for Renault''s death."


    Despite hearing such a logical argument, Hartman was not in a state of reasoning, instead there was only bitter hatred in his eyes as he unleashed his dagger from its scabbard, and grabbed ahold of a small vige girl, cing his de to her neck before screaming at the local vigers in fury.


    "If you do not hand over the rebels this instant, I will cut this girl''s throat, and then I will order my men to raise this town to the ground! You have five seconds toply!"


    The parents of the little girl fell to their knees and pleaded with the Duke to see reason.


    "My Lord, let our baby girl go. She is innocent! How could such a small child bear the sins of the traitors!?!"


    Despite this valid reasoning, the Duke was too outraged to listen to it, and instead began to count down while the vigers protested his ruthless actions.


    "Five!"


    The vige chief tugged at the Duke''s bracers as he pleaded with the man to show mercy.


    "Your Grace, please, she is but a small child!"


    Despite these protests, Hartman did not give in, and instead continued to count down.


    "Four!"


    More vigers called out to the lord to rethink his actions.


    "My Lord! You''re being unreasonable!"


    Despite this call for a reason, Hartman continued to count down further.


    "Three!"


    With the girl''s death fastly approaching, several vigers began to panic, and attempted to wrest control of the innocent child from the vicious Duke. However, they were met with a firm kick from the surrounding knights and were easily repelled.


    "Two!"


    With only two seconds remaining, the father of the girl fell to his knees and grasped ahold of Hartman''s hand, begging for mercy with tears in his eyes.


    "My Lord, let me take my daughter''s ce. If you must punish someone for the rebels, punish me!"


    A sneer of disdain formed on Hartman''s lips as he counted the final number.


    "One!"


    After saying this, he dragged the sharpened steel de across the girl''s throat, severing her arteries and causing a fountain of sanguine liquid to spill forth. The look of panic in the girl''s eyes as her life faded away would forever etch itself upon the mind of Hilmar, who gazed in horror at his liege''s actions. When the girl fell to the ground, lifeless Hartman issued a decree to his soldiers.


    "Time is up! Kill all of these traitors, and burn this vige to the ground. I want their bodies to serve as a permanent reminder to my people what happens to them when they aid the rebels!"


    The Knights beneath the Duke''smand did not hesitate. They immediately lowered their matchlock muskets and fired upon the vigers. As the thunder spew forth from the weapons, their lead projectiles flew into the bodies of their victims, spilling blood across the field.


    Hundreds of vigersy lifeless from the initial attack, and the survivors began to panic and flee for their lives. Despite this, those mounted horsemen rode them down with theirnces, skewering them into the fields they once tended to, leaving behind a ghastly scene of an unnecessary massacre.


    The des of the Knights shed into the torsos of their victims and severed the heads of the fallen as Hilmar gazed at the crime against humanity with horror in his eyes. In a fit of fury, hetched onto Hilmar''s blood stained gauntlet and screamed at him.


    "What have you done? These people were innocent!"


    However, despite these protests by his most senior advisor, Hartman merely shook off the man''s grip and stared at him with hate-filled eyes before issuing a threat.


    "You will do as Imand, or you can join these filthy peasants in the afterlife!"


    Hilmar could hardly believe that the man he once called a friend had turned into such a heartless monster. Witnessing such a ruthless ughter, and gazing into Hartman''s hate-filled eyes had hardened Hilmar''s resolve. He swallowed the saliva pooled up in his throat and nodded his head in obedience.


    "As youmand, your Grace..."


    After saying this, he gazed upon the sight of the Knights desecrating the bodies of the in vigers, and hanging their corpses from the trees while lighting the vige, and its fertile fields aze. Such a gruesome scene engrained itself within his mind, as he swore he would do whatever it took to avenge these poor, innocent vigers who were so brutally killed for no reason.


    Shortly after the massacre took ce, the Retinue of Knights and itsmanders returned to the Castle of Luxembourg, where Hilmar quickly approached his resident spy, who was struggling to enjoy a bath in the primitive wooden tub that existed in this backwards realm.


    When he intruded upon the scene, the woman held a chalice in her hand as she soaked naked in the tub. She frowned upon seeing that her servant had interrupted her before dering her displeasure.


    "This better be important Hilmar, you are interrupting one of few things I can enjoy in this filthy backwater you call a home!"


    Hilmar had no time to maintain pleasantries. Instead, he spoke of what he had witnessed only after closing the door and ensuring nobody was listening to their conversation.


    "You must get into contact with your superior as quickly as possible, and inform them that Hartman has begun to massacre innocent viges in retaliation for the rebel''s activities. If King Berengar and his army do not intervene soon, there won''t be a Luxembourg left to conquer!"


    When the mature beauty heard these words, she dropped the chalice in her hands into the pool of water she was soaking in. She immediately reacted by stepping out of the bath and disying her curvy naked body to the Count before wrapping a silk robe around herself.


    If it was under any other circumstances Hilmar would have enjoyed the sight, but after witnessing such brutality, he had no stomach for the desires of the flesh. The spy patted Hilmar on the shoulder as she whispered something in his ear.


    "You have been a good little soldier. I will report what you have said to my superiors. It is up to them how Austria responds to this news. I will reward you for your effortster..."


    After saying this the woman quickly absconded from the scene, eager to get in contact with her handler who would ry the news the Department of Intelligence, only after such a thing was confirmed would the news be reported to the Director, who in turn would inform the King of such grave news. One thing was certain, Hartman''s crimes against his own people would speed up Berengar''s time tables forcing the man to react.

 Chapter 546 - The Calm Before the Storm

    Chapter 546 - The Calm Before the Storm


    Berengar stood on the balcony of his Royal Pce, gazing off into the distance towards his enemies who lie in Northern Germany. In his hand was a hemp cigarette, which helped calm his nerves. Though thends surrounding Kufstein were calm, in the distance, he could see arge storm gathering.


    It was rare for him to get a peaceful moment where he could simply enjoy the gentle breeze of the Austrian Alps. After all, he spent most of his time either within his office or in a meeting with people from various branches of government.


    As time passed, the cigarette contained between Berengar''s lips degraded away into nothing, causing him to flick away its remains onto the ground before stomping out the me. Despite having just smoked a whole cigarette, he immediately reached into his coat pocket and grabbed ahold of his packet, where he secured another such device and lit it.


    Unbeknownst to the Austrian King, his wife, Yasmin, stood within the doorway observing his actions. The Moorish beauty could tell something was troubling her husband, but didn''t want to intervene in the quiet tranquility he had surrounded himself with.


    After all, she knew well that sometimes a man needed to be alone, thus she kept watch, to prevent any of the other meddlesome little girls that the man surrounded himself from interrupting his brief yet much needed respite. It was only after Berengar had finished his second cigarette did he turn away from the ledge, whose view gazed upon the natural beauty of the Alpinendscape.


    When he saw his bride standing there, protecting his serenity like a guardian angel, he could not help himself but to smile. As he gazed lovingly at the woman, who was quickly bing his favorite wife, he spoke softly.


    "How long have you been standing there?"


    A beautiful smile curved itself upon Yasmin''s full lips as she bashfully tossed her bangs to the side before responding.


    "Long enough to know that something is troubling you. Do you want to talk about it?"


    Upon hearing such a statement, the young King''s smile turned bitter as he gazed off into the direction of his enemies once more before conversing about the conflict within his own mind.


    "It is not much. I just know that I will have to march to war soon. Though intelligence has reported the rebels have sessfully assassinated the right-hand man of the Bastard of Luxembourg, the man has resorted to unnecessary cruelty in his attempts to root out his enemies. It would appear that I do not have the three months I initially gave myself to prepare for this invasion."


    Yasmin frowned when she heard that her man would march into danger so soon after achieving peace. Despite her fervent belief in her deity, she did not preach the words of her faith to her husband.


    Unlike Ad, who hijacked every conversation to talk about God''s will, Yasmin knew better than to preach about divine ns to Berengar, for such things would only irritate the man she loved. Instead, she offered theforting words Berengar needed to throw himself into the fray once more.


    "You once told me you think of the entire German people as your own, despite ruling over a small portion of them. Right now, those same people need you and your armies to deliver them from the evil of their masters.


    If intelligence reports are urate, then intervention in this civil war is the only way to save the lives of so many people who believe in you and your cause. You must remember that you did not start this conflict. The Bastard of Luxembourg did so the moment he tried to im your life, and injured your sister."


    Upon hearing such words of wisdom, Berengar grabbed hold of his pregnant wife''s hand and kissed it intimately. After doing so, he dragged her into his embrace and whispered in her ears the words she longed to hear.


    "You always know just what to say tofort me when I am feeling troubled. Where did you acquire this skill?"


    Yasmin merely giggled before kissing her husband on the lips. After doing so, she responded to his question with a vague answer.


    "You can consider it one of my many gifts..."


    Though such an answer did not wholly satisfy Berengar''s curiosity, it was enough for the time being. Berengar sighed heavily as he let go of his bride before walking over the edge of his balcony and gripping its railing firmly.


    "It would appear that bloodshed is unavoidable. I had thought that with my support, the rebels could quickly conclude this war, but I never expected the madman to actually massacre his own people in retaliation. There is no choice. I must march to war as swiftly as possible, or else there may be nothing left when I finally march into hisnds."


    Yasmin approached Berengar''s backside and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck before whispering in his ear.


    "Try to end the war as quickly as possible. From what your other wives have told me, you have a tendency to be absent when they give birth to your children. I''d hate for our son to be brought into this world without gazing upon his mighty father..."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. He grasped ahold of Yasmin''s loving hands and nuzzled his head into her chest before responding.


    "How do you know it is a boy? As far as I am aware, we do not yet have the technology to determine such a thing..."


    The Granadan Princess giggled in response to Berengar''s question before responding with a confident tone.


    "I just know..."


    The Austrian King gazed into his wife''s amber eyes and nodded his head before responding to her ims.


    "Well, I will do my best to return home before our son enters this world, but I give you no promises."


    It was now Yasmin''s term to rest her head on her husband''s chest. As she did so, Berengar stroked her dark hair before. The Moorish princess enjoyed the moment in silence for some time before responding.


    "That is enough, I suppose..."


    The couple stayed in this position for some time before the eldest Princess of Austria intruded upon them. Henrietta gazed at the affectionate scene with a bit of jealousy in her cute, azure eyes. She puffed out her cheeks out as she pouted. The look on her face would be adorable if Berengar had seen it, but he was too busy enjoying thefort that Yasmin provided. Eventually, Henrietta had crossed her arms before calling out to her precious elder brother.


    "Big brother... There is something I want to talk to you about!"


    When Berengar heard his little sister call out to him, he sighed, before dismissing his bride.


    "Thank you for your support, Yasmin, but it would appear duty calls. I want to speak to my sister alone for a bit."


    Yasmin nodded her head and bowed respectfully to her husband before giving the two siblings some space.


    "Of course, husband, whatever you desire..."


    After saying this, she walked past Henrietta and gave her a frightening re before disappearing back into the Pce. When the two siblings were finally alone, Henrietta rushed into Berengar''s arms and nted a passionate kiss on his lips, before hugging him tightly, resting her head on his broad and muscr chest.


    "You''re going back to war so soon? It seems like you just got back from one... Why must you always put yourself in danger?"


    Berengar petted the girl''s silky golden hair before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.


    "Henrietta, it is a King''s duty to lead his soldiers onto the battlefield. Besides, my role is not as dangerous as it once was. I seldom see actual battle these days. If anything, I have be the physical incarnation of my soldiers'' morale as I guide them to victory. I promise you that I will return unharmed as I always do..."


    When Henrietta heard this, she frowned at her brother before grabbing ahold of his eyepatch and stretching it out. Upon releasing it, the thick leather snapped against Berengar''s eyelids, causing a brief sense of pain.


    Tears formed in the Austrian Princess''s light azure eyes as she scolded her brother for his inurate statement.


    "You call thising home unharmed! I''m not an idiot. I hear stories from the siblings of my friends who have served with you. You are always the first man into the fray, usually leading the Cavalry into battle! When you aren''t cutting men down with your sword on horseback, you are in the front lines firing upon the enemies with your rifle. You always put yourself in harm''s way for no reason!"


    It slightly surprised Berengar to see his sister was so well informed about how he usually conducted warfare. What she said was true to some degree, though he was certain that the soldiers beneath hismand may be exaggerating on some details of his heroism. Still, it would appear that he could not easily abate the girl''s fears. Thus, all he could do was kiss her forehead gently and wipe the tears from his eyes.


    "I promise, nothing bad will happen to me this time. Besides, it has been a while since someone injured me on the battlefield. I swear I have learned from my youthful mistakes, and won''t put myself into a position of unnecessary danger."


    Henrietta sniffled as she heard her brother''sforting words. The two siblings would stay in each other''s arms for some time before the King had to get back to work.

 Chapter 547 - Landing in South Vinland

    Chapter 547 - Landing in South Vind


    Honoria sat within the confines of her irond sloop of war. nking its sides were four Irond Frigates, which carried the military personnel necessary to begin the construction of Austria''s second colony in the new world.


    For the past couple of weeks, she and her crew had been at sea sailing towards their objective, and by her count, it would not be long before the steep mountains of the Andes revealed themselves above the South American coastline.


    Truthfully, she had not evene up with a name for this territory yet, nor had her husband, the King of Austria. While North America was currently being referred to by the ancient term of Vind, and the area that was once known as New York in Berengar''s previous life was now called New Vienna.


    The Austrian government still had not created an official name for the New World, let alone argely undiscovered region in the south. Thus, for now, the Austrians simply referred to this territory as South Vind until an official name could be approved by the King.


    Unlike thest time the byzantine princess visited this ce, Honoria now had a proper understanding of theyout of thend, as well as the hostility of the locals, it was because of this that a sizeable force of marines were tasked to follow the privateers to this region, and act as guardians of the settlers who were chosen by the crown to construct the Port Colony.


    Currently, Arnulf acted as the Grand Duke of New Vienna, and status reports between the Colony and the Fathend were a regr urrence. Thend was thriving with the support of Austrian technology, and thebor of the local tribes who surrendered to the strangers from the East.


    It was because of this sess that Berengar had asked Honoria to return to what was once called Venezu in his past life, and establish the first Southern Colony. The young woman had a frown on her face as she closely observed the charts they had made from their initial contact with this foreignnd.


    While Honoria was studying this, a knock resounded on her door before a familiar voice resounded from the other side.


    "Captain, we''ve reached our destination. We are awaiting your orders..."


    When Honoria heard this, she hopped out of her seat and opened the door, which revealed the petite figure of her explosives expert Elfrun. The first thing that Honoria noticed was that the cute girl had a grand total of twelve grenades strapped across her torso. Despite this, Honoria was not the slightest bit concerned, as Elfrun had shown repeatedly that she could fully wield such destructive weapons safely.


    A single phrase escaped Honoria''s lips as she climbed the stairs out of her Captain''s Quarters and onto the deck above.


    "Very well..."


    After standing on the deck of her ship, the Privateer Captain found that her small fleet was in the bay outside the area where they hadnded previously. With the Andes in the background, it truly made her feel tiny and insignificant. However, she quickly snapped back to reality as she issued orders to her troops.


    "Prepare thending craft. I want proper fortifications and shelter built by nightfall. Remember, we are in hostile territory, with limited supplies. Make every shot count!"


    Soon enough her orders were ryed across the fleet, and the crew lowered the rowboats where Honoria was the first to step aboard. Perhaps she had been around Berengar for too long, but she, too, liked to be the first one into the fray.


    After a while, the rowboats which contained the marines, and engineersnded on the shores, where they quickly got to task. As for Honoria and her privateers, they worked alongside the marines to secure the area. Eventually Honoria pulled out her binocrs, where she gazed off into the mountains above.


    Though she did not see any of the locals, she suspected they were already aware of her return, and were preparing for conflict. She did not know that the limited contact she had made with the locals had already spread disease throughout thend, and in thest few months since she had journeyed back to the fathend, pestilence had imed the lives of thousands of people.


    Much like in New Vienna, the crew spent their first Night under primitive lean-to structures. The second day was rather peaceful, as the Marines secured the area and the construction crews worked on establishing a proper camp. Trouble only reared its ugly head when night fell upon thend.


    Currently Honoria was standing side by side with her close friends Elfrun and Malissa. In her right hand was her revolver, and in the left was an oilntern. The three of them acted as sentries around the northern portion of the camp, directly beneath the mountains.


    On this particr night, a dense fog filled the air, and seeing five meters in front was a challenge, even with thentern. It was because of this fog that the Marines had not detected the native war band approaching in silence.


    In the minds of these warriors, these pale foreigners from across the great sea were directly responsible for the gue that had struck thend, and they wanted to get their payback for the losses they had suffered these past few months.


    No matter how much they prayed to their gods, the sickness would not abate, and imed the lives of the young and old with each passing day. There was only one way to end it, or so they thought, and that was to spill the blood of those responsible.


    Thus, they quietly approached the glowing lights, as they hid in the darkness. Each light represented a squad of Austrians, and though they could not discern this, they recognized them as targets. These warriors raised their bows as they pointed towards the lights and fired blindly, hoping they would hit something.


    While this was happening, Honoria and her squad werepletely unaware that they had been surrounded, and it wasn''t until an arrow pierced through the fog and hit the ground in front of her did she realize they were under attack. She quickly took action and screamed to the other patrols as to what she had encountered.


    "We are under attack!''


    With this said, she raised her revolver towards the area where the arrow had been fired and pulled the trigger, causing a loud bang to resound in the air as the .38 special projectile tumbled downrange and towards its target. After firing this shot, Honoria and her girls ran to a different location, fearing the retaliation that would surely take ce.


    However, just like the native warrior, she had utterly missed her target, as she, too, fired blindly into the fog. In response to this gunshot, a rain of arrows fell upon their previous position. If it were not for the fact that Honoria had wisely shifted her unit''s location, perhaps she would have been skewered then and there.


    Elfrun frowned as she realized there was no reasonable way to hit their targets without expending a pointless amount of ammo. Instead, she slung her rifle over her shoulder and grabbed one of the grenades pinned to her web gear. The girl held the stick grenade in her hand and pulled the pin before tossing it in the general direction of where the arrows had been fired from. The little girl screamed as she did so.


    "Frag out!"


    Shortly after saying that, an explosive st tore away the fog, and a giant me engulfed the area of attack. Evidently, the girl was urate with her throw, because various screams resounded in the air, and a few chunks of flesh flew in her direction. Although the girl was sshed with blood and bile, she did not frown, instead a vicious smirk filled her face as she pulled out another grenade and tossed it wildly into the night.


    Another thunderous explosion rocked the area, as the seemingly innocent girl imed the lives of the native warriors with her grenades. Despite the fun she was having, Honoria quickly grabbed ahold of the girl and halted her from tossing another. With a stern look in the Princess''s mint green eyes, she scolded the girl.


    "Don''t waste your grenades. Quickly fall back to the camp. We must hold our ground!"


    As a response, Elfrun merely pouted as she nodded her head in agreement. Thus Honoria and her squad fell back to the small camp her troops had made, in order to properly defend it from the natives ambush.


    Despite the initial shock after witnessing the grenades, the warriors were still determined to make these invaders bleed for their sins, and thus they pursued the privateers and the marines who fought their way back to the camp. Thus, on the second night of Austria''s second attempt to colonize the New World, a blood battle had begun. One thing was certain, this conflict was far from over.

 Chapter 548 - Stumbling Upon an Important Discovery

    Chapter 548 - Stumbling Upon an Important Discovery


    Honoria stood side by side with her crew of privateers and the Austrian Marines who had secured the beachhead, as well as the campsite. Behind the makeshift defenses, a group of rifles, with bays attached, pointed in the fog''s direction, where they knew the enemy waited.


    The Byzantine Princess gazed over at the crew, who handled one of the few Schmidt guns they had brought with them on this journey and nodded her head silently. This was the signal to open fire. While she had initially wanted to conserve ammo as much as possible, Honoria did not expect for her crew to be attacked so soon afternding, and under such debilitating circumstances.


    This was quite the different scenario from when she and Berengar hadnded in New Vienna. Upon seeing themander of this operation give the signal, the man in charge of operating the Schmidt gun rotated its crank. After a few seconds, thunder echoed in the air repeatedly. With each rotation of the weapon''s crank, lead flew out of its ten barrels, piercing through the thick fog.


    Though the operators of the mechanical firearm could not see what they were aiming at, the wailing and wheezing that resounded in the shadows was enough to signal that they were in fact hitting something living. As the marines gazed in awe at the massive volume of fire spit out of the crew manned weapon, Honoria caught their attention by lifting her revolver into the air and firing blindly into the fog.


    As she did this, the marines and privateers snapped back to reality and followed her actions. With each shot, a sh of light filled the foggy night sky, and thunder echoed. The sailors stationed on board the fleet''s vessels could not see the situation on the beaches below, but they could hear the sounds of conflict.


    If only this dense fog did not exist, they could provide support in the form of a coastal bombardment onto whatever hostile forces thending party had encountered. Thus, they could only gaze on in silence as they waited for the battle so subside, and prayed that theirrades were alright.


    By Honoria''s side Elfrun pulled out yet another one of her stick grenades and tossed it into the fog, though she did not know whether it would kill or maim a native warrior, she truly did not care, the young woman only cared about the explosive st that would ur.


    Eventually, the wailing of the enemy and the fire of their arrows ceased. When Honoria noticed this, she quickly issued orders to thending party.


    "Cease fire! Cease fire!"


    As these orders were reported throughout the Austrian soldiers'' ranks, they quickly halted their defensive actions and gazed into the fog, shuddering at the thought that perhaps the enemy was lying in wait for them.


    Honoria holstered her revolver before unleashing her naval cuss. After doing so, she motioned for a squad of her girls and two squads of marines to follow her into the thick fog to investigate the situation.


    There was no hesitation in the eyes of the Marines and Privateers alike as they followed theirmander into the thick fog. If not for the light provided by the oilnterns, these brave souls were liable to get lost. However, they could see a few feet in front of them, and when they finally approached the area where the enemy ranks had formed, they witnessed a ghastly scene.


    Dozens of native warriors lie dead on the ground with their torsos and skulls blown apart. Others were missing limbs or outright turned into mincemeat from the explosive sts of the grenades. There was not a single living soul, nor was there an intact corpse. More often than not, one could see fractured rib cages protruding through the shredded chests.


    Despite such ungodly carnage, Honoria was unphased. Instead, she spit on the ground in disgust at the native warriors who had so boldly attacked her crew, and the men beneath hermand. She silently followed the trail of bodies. Each corpse she passed by was in worse condition than thest. If there was one thing she was certain of, the power of these .45-70 Spitzer cartridges were truly overkill.


    Eventually the Byzantine Princess had seen enough of the blood that was shed under her orders and returned to the encampment, where she issued further orders to the men and women who lie in wait, prepared for an enemy attack at any moment.


    "Tonight, we shall stay on guard. When the sun rises and the fog disperses, we will clean up the battlefield. From what I have seen, not a single body of the enemy remains intact. However, we are a far away from home, and surrounded by hostile natives with plenty of unknown variables. It is best to act with caution."


    After saying this, the soldiers quickly switched their safeties on their rifles, and stayed at their positions behind the makeshift palisades. It would be a long and dreadful watch on this night. Luckily, they had enough adrenaline and endorphins pumping in their blood to keep their minds active.


    After several hours, the sun rose in the air, and like Honoria had imed, the fog dispersed to reveal the brutal carnage of the previous night''s skirmish to all the soldiers who dwelled within the encampment. They could hardly believe how effective the Schmidt guns were. After all, these improved models had seldom seen service outside of New Vienna and Egypt.


    It was a massacre the likes that few men had ever witnessed, and unfortunately, these men and women had to clean it up. While Honoria issued orders to several units to begin "sanitation operations," she gathered the builders and issued orders to begin construction on the settlement.


    It was only the third day since they hadnded, and she wanted to establish a permanent colony in as little time as possible. After all, there were matters at hand that needed her attention. While Honoria was working with the engineers to ensure that they could establish a port colony in the region. Elfrun approached her captain with a shocking discovery.


    "Captain, look what I have found!"


    The young women held onto a few pieces of intricately carved gold scraps that the Austrian marines had scavenged from the native warriors they slew the night before. When Honoria gazed upon the gold, she suddenly expressed her thoughts.


    "Are you telling me there is gold here?"


    Elfrun nodded her head with a radiant smile as she tossed the golden scraps over to her captain so that she could more inspect them.


    "It appears so. In my opinion, we should capture some of these natives and interrogate them about the origins of this jewelry!"


    Honoria sighed when she heard this. Though it would be a good idea to find out just how much gold was in this foreignnd, and where such deposits were located, the girl''s suggestion was simply not feasible at the moment.


    Not only were the natives inherently hostile to their arrival, but they didn''t even speak the samenguage. It had taken months for Berengar to train a trantor in New Vienna, and that was a woman who was gifted withnguages. Honoria simply did not have such time to waste.


    Still, the investigation of the origins of this golden jewelry had now be a priority for the byzantine princess. If thisnd was actually rich with gold, then she was certain that her husband would reward her for stumbling upon such an important discovery. Thus, Honoria issued her orders to Elfrun.


    "For now, we will secure this area and establish our defenses. After we have done this, I will dispatch scouts to search for the gold deposits. It is simply unfeasible at the moment tomunicate effectively with these savages."


    Elfrun pouted when she heard her ideas dismissed so quickly, but nheless she obeyed her orders and nodded her head in agreement.


    "As youmand, Captain"


    After saying this, the girl departed from the area, leaving Honoria by her lonesome to ponder upon this discovery in silence.


    If there really was a massive gold deposit in this territory, then Austria could stimte its stagnating economy with it. In truth, there simply was not enough gold in Europe to sustain the rapid growth of the Kingdom''s economy.


    When Honoria reflected on this, she immediately became suspicious of Berengar. For quite some time now, the woman had the feeling that her husband knew more than he was letting on, especially about the existence, size, and value of thends within this New World.


    In fact, he had even explicitly dispatched her to this region, giving her the proper sailing routes to arrive. Was he aware that there were gold deposits here? If so, how could he possibly know such a thing? Before Berengar had insisted that Vind was real, and manned an expedition to find it, Honoria had not heard a single person speak of it.


    Not only did the Austrian King prove that his madness was reality, but he seemed to know about important information regarding valuable resources and where to find him. Just what sorcery had he conjured to know about such things? Perhaps the Catholics were right, and he had struck a bargain with the devil to gain unlimited knowledge about the world and its many mysteries?


    After entertaining this thought for a mere second, Honoria giggled before a fierce look of determination formed in her eyes. She doubted such a scenario was reality, but she was now determined to learn the secrets that her husband was hiding from her.

 Chapter 549 - Preparing to Invade the North

    Chapter 549 - Preparing to Invade the North


    Nearly three months had passed since the civil war in Luxembourg began, and news of Hartman''s brutality in hunting down the insurgents had spread across all of Europe. Berengar, while sympathizing with the plight of the rebels, refused to directly involve himself in the war until his rival''s reputation was at such a level that the world atrge would consider military intervention into this conflict a humanitarian necessity.


    However, this did not mean he sat idly by and watched during this time. Quite the contrary, he expanded the South German-Confederations military capabilities by arming and training entire divisions of its member states with the best weapons avable. He also spent considerable effort recing his personal army''s needle rifles with the new G22 Bolt Action Rifles.


    However, most importantly, the Austrian King had spent a small fortune ensuring that a railway stretched from the city of Kufstein to the northern borders of Bavaria. After all, this was critical to the rapid invasion of Luxembourg that he had nned, as well as crucial to the sess of his logisticswork. Now Berengar was merely counting down the days until thiswork wasplete and he could deploy forces and equipment to Bavaria''s northern borders.


    At the moment, the Grand Duke of Bavaria, Dietger von Wittelsbach, stood within Berengar''s office. Along his side were the other leaders of the South German Confederation, including Eckhard von Marienburg, who wore his various military honors with pride. Though the middle-aged man was no longer a military official, he was still an important political figure in the union of the South and Eastern German States.


    For some time, Eckhard had been dealing with the nobles of his realm, attempting to coerce them into obeying thews he had implemented under Berengar''s authority. However, resistance was inevitable and thus he had taken Austria''s military aid with much enthusiasm, rising an army from the peasants in his personal territory. Currently, he was outlining the delicate bnce that existed in the newly formed Grand Duchy of Prussia.


    "I understand your need for troops, your Majesty; however, as you may be aware, Prussia is currently amid its own internal conflict, and moving my forces from Marienburg to Luxembourg will surely embolden my vassals to rise against me. They are not exactly happy with losing their power. I simply can not afford to spare the troops without risking civil war within my domain. You will simply have to do without my forces...."


    Berengar sighed heavily when he heard this troublesome news. He desperately wanted Eckhard''s support in this campaign of German unification, but the man was adamant in refusing to partake in warfare. Hell, if he really wanted to, he could have crushed this rebellion of the nobles ages ago.


    After retiring from the Austrian Army, Eckhard was more determined than ever to resolve things peacefully; unfortunately negotiations had reached a stalemate. The Austrian King was well aware of the difficulties his vassal faced, thus he ced the palm of his hand on his forehead as he responded to Eckhard''s worries with sympathy.


    "Very well. Prussia will be exempt from this campaign. You need not send your forces to the battlefield. However, I will require you to contribute to the war effort via additional material aid. After all, we are all unified together against the Northern Alliance, and I do not n to let a single one of my vassals escape from their duties."


    Eckhard had a stoic expression as he nodded his head in response to his liege''s demands.


    "Very well. I am sure I can satisfy your request. Send a report to me on everything you will need to ensure our Confederation''s victory, and I will do my best to supply it."


    With the matter of Prussia''s participation settled, Berengar gazed upon the map sprawled out across the table in his war room, and pointed towards the railway that now stretched to the northern Borders of Bavaria.


    It will be at most a fortnight before the railway through Bavaria isplete, when it is, I will send the first three divisions of my Royal Army and the First Division of Bohemia''s Army through the vastwork that we have established to the northern Border. I expect Bavaria''s troops to already be gathered within the region, and provide support for my army, who will act as the spearhead towards the Northern Alliance.


    As for the rest of you, it is unfortunate, but we simply did not have the time to connect yournds via the railwork, so I would advise you to march your forces as soon as possible towards the enemy''s borders. Hopefully, within the next few weeks, we can all be gathered and ready to strike at our enemies, who so boldly massacre their civilians in retaliation for the rebels'' actions.


    I want to make this clear to everyone gathered here. We will conduct this invasion in the most civil manner possible. That means outright bombarding civilian targets, even if there are hostiles stationed within, is a criminal act.


    We are not fighting foreigners, but our own German brothers, and unnecessary bloodshed is not only explicitly forbidden, but also a tragedy of the highest order! Remember, we are here to liberate the German people from their corrupt masters, and are most certainly not going to add to their suffering."


    The various Grand Dukes who surrounded Berengar nodded their heads in silence as they agreed to these terms. After all, none of them wanted to get on their liege''s bad side. Thus, they kept quiet, all except for one. Dietger was rather concerned that his realm would act as the staging ground for the invasion, and thus he spoke up on his views.


    "What will happen when the Bastard of Luxembourg realizes I am amassing an army on my Northern Border? Do you think he will simply allow us to prepare for an invasion without incident? Surely, he will strike the moment he bes concerned with the possibility of our intervention into his civil war."


    Berengar scoffed at this concern before lecturing his vassal on the power that his troops possessed.


    "If Hartman is foolish enough to attack you, then you have my permission to annihte his forces. I equipped your men with needle rifles, breechloading cannons, and even a few Schmidt guns. They possess firepower that is more than capable of annihting any hostile force in this world.


    It is my honest belief that the Bastard of Luxembourg will be hesitant to march on your borders should he discover our plot. After all, he simply does not have the men to spare. However, should he rear his ugly head, do whatever is necessary to repel his army."


    Dietger nodded his head in response to this answer, though he did not want to provoke a conflict with his neighbors before the Austrian Army arrived to support him, with Berengar''s confirmation of Bavaria''s current military capabilities he was far less fearful of such a prospect than he was moments ago. With these concerns addressed, Berengar gazed up from his map, and towards the men who had gathered before him, before asking the question that was on his mind.


    "Does anyone have any other concerns they wish to discuss before we enact our ns?"


    Despite saying this, nobody raised their voice, rather they shook their heads silently confirming that all was understood. Thus, the King of Austria sighed heavily before dismissing his vassals.


    "Very well, then this meeting is adjourned. I look forward to seeing you all, or your representatives on the battlefield, soon enough. Remember, this war will determine the future of not only our realms, but the entirety of Germany. We have the opportunity to unite our people into a single Empire, so do not fail me!"


    With this said, the various Grand Dukes of the South German Confederation fled the scene, leaving Berengar by his lonesome as he sighed and took a sip from his wine chalice. Soon enough, he would be back in the fields of battle, engaging in the carnage of war.


    His hands trembled with fury as he dwelled on such a thought, only the savory taste of his fortified wine could calm his nerves. After settling down by drinking the entirety of his chalice''s contents, he sighed heavily once more before speaking to himself, in doing so affirming his resolve towards this uing conflict.


    "Hartman von Luxembourg, I will make you pay dearly for what you have done to my precious little sister!"


    Thus, the Kingdom of Austria and its subordinate states had enacted a plot to invade their Northern Neighbors. A war for the future of Germany was about to take ce, whether it would be united under the rule of Austria, or forever remained fractured had yet to be seen. However, Berengar von Kufstein was confident that he and his dynasty would rule over this German Empire for years toe.


    Perhaps his actions in this second life of his could prevent the fate that Germany and its people had suffered in his past life. As he reflected on recent events that had urred in this timeline, another thought escaped his lips.


    "Never again..."


    What exactly he was referring to when he said these words, only the young King of Austria himself knew the answer.

 Chapter 550 - Discovery of a Major Resource Deposi

    Chapter 550 - Discovery of a Major Resource Deposi


    Arnulf von Thiersee had spent thest few months overseeing the Colony of New Vienna as its Grand Duke. A reward the King of Austria had given him for his years of loyal service. During this time, the small military stronghold on the coast of the New World had flourished greatly.


    With the advanced agricultural techniques that Austria had avable to it, the fields outside of the fortresses'' walls had grown vast and fertile, with mechanized agriculture at their disposable. The Austrians needed very little in terms ofbor to operate their farms. Because of this, they used native workers, who hade to the settlement of New Vienna after gue and warfare decimated their tribes.


    Unlike Honoria, who currently was struggling to establish a colony in a hostile region of the world, things were rtively peaceful in New Vienna, and though the Austrian Jaegers had engaged in small skirmishes on the frontier against hostile tribes, the settlement itself had not been attacked since the initial Algonquin siege months ago.


    In fact, most tribes they encountered had been open to trade, and it was because of this, that several cash crops, such as tobo, was grown in the fields outside the colony, before being processed and shipped back to the Fathend for consumption. This had created quite a profitable trade, as the nativescked a fundamental knowledge of currency, and thus the Austrians traded with them for their resources with scrap iron.


    After counting the prospective profits that would the colony would incur from this year''s harvests, Arnulf had a wide smile on his face as he jotted down his reports. The King would be pleased to hear that the colony was already turning a profit.


    After all, expenses had been minimal thus far. Which resulted from mechanized agriculture and thebor being conducted by natives who did not understand the value of currency. Since this was the case, Arnulf could pay theborers with housing and meals.


    Whenpared to the primitive longhouses these natives were used to, the half-timber houses that Austria provided them were a quality of living that far surpassed what they had previously endured. Thus, despite not being paid a proper wage likeborers were in the fathend, all their needs were met, and they considered this payment enough.


    While looking over these reports, a knock resounded on the Grand Duke''s thick oak door, and a familiar voice responded from the other side.


    "Your Grace, our scouts have something important to report. Do you have a minute?"


    Arnulf immediately rose from his seat and opened the door to reveal the young, and beautiful Mohawk trantor Kahwihta, who had stayed behind and acted as a major influence on diplomatic affairs within the colony. Despite being a native, she held a prestigious position within New Vienna and acted in many ways as Arnulf''s secretary.


    When the Grand Duke witnessed the woman''s appearance, a smile formed on his face as he led her into his personal office. After sitting down at his desk, he pulled out a wood pipe which had been filled with some tobo. He immediately lit up and took arge draft from. After doing so, he handed it over to Kahwihta, who followed his actions. The woman exhaled the smoke before speaking about the reason for her visit.


    "As you havemanded, the scouts have been searching for mineral deposits of industrial resources. I believe we have found a substantial reserve of what you refer to as coal. The only problem is, an Algonquin vige currently lives nearby, and if you wish to gain ess to the area, then we will need to either convince them to give us ess to thend, or we must repel them from the area."


    Unlike Berengar, who wielded war as a tool of diplomacy, Arnulf was far more interested in peaceful solutions, and though the Algonquin had been hostile in the past, after suffering several brutal losses, they had established a peaceful agreement with the Austrian settlement.


    Arnulf did not wish to see any more senseless ughter, in fact he quite enjoyed the peaceful position he had been given, thus he tapped the ash contained within his pipe out of its bowl before lighting up another smoke as he thought about a peaceful solution to this diplomatic question. After several moments of silence, he nodded his head before giving the girl her orders.


    "Very well, I will personally meet with the vige''s chieftain, and broker an agreement that benefits us both. Obviously, this means you will have to act as my trantor, so you should prepare for the journey when you are first able."


    When the Mohawk trantor heard this, she smiled before nodding her head in agreement. Since she had first witnessed these golden-haired gods step foot on hernd, she had been astonished by how quickly they built such a grand settlement.


    Everything from the stone walls, the indoor plumbing, the water powered industry, and the horse-drawn agricultural machines. It was all shocking to the young woman. Despite having such overwhelming technological advantage, these men conducted themselves fairly peacefully, only engaging in violence as ast resort. She had much respect for the Austrian settlers, especially that of the Grand Duke Arnulf.


    Of course, had Berengar been managing the colony personally, bloodshed would be amon urrence, as that was how he opted to solve most diplomatic disputes. After all, in the Austrian King''s mind, with such a superior military, it was only natural that he took that which he desired.


    Luckily for everyone in New Vienna and the surrounding areas, a far less warlike man led the Austrian settlement. Because of this, an era of peace prevailed in New Vienna, while the old world found itself engaged in brutal conflict on a daily basis.


    Of course, Kahwihta had no idea about Berengar''s violent, and maniptive tendencies that had earned him the nickname the "Tyrant of Steel, nor that he was nning to march to war against his Northern Neighbors at this very moment, instead she reflected upon what little memories she had of the man fondly.


    She had no idea if she would meet the one-eyed god again, but after bing close to Arnulf, she truly did not care. Thus, with a smile on her lips, she nodded her head before responding to the Grand Duke obediently.


    "As youmand, your Grace."


    After saying this, she left his office and prepared for the journey to the Algonquin Vige. Meanwhile, Arnulf dispatched orders for his personal bodyguard to prepare themselves for the diplomatic visit, and the conflict that may result. Though things were peaceful between the Algonquin and New Vienna, it was far from a calm peace.


    Arnulf knew that if he wanted this colony to be self-sufficient, then he would need this coal for his burgeoning industry, and he would do whatever was necessary to get it. However, he would not resort to violence unless he exhausted all other options first. Hopefully, the Algonquin vige''s chieftain would see reason, and agree to giving the Austrians mining rights over the region.


    Because of this potential war, Arnulf had ordered his troops to be on standby, and had devised a letter to Berengar, requesting more troops and supplies. If he wished to conquer a single Algonquin vige, then he was likely to face the might of the entire confederation, something that he would feel more secure about if he had the troops and resources to achieve it.


    Thus, while the fathend prepared for war with its Northern Neighbors, the Colony of New Vienna steeled itself for a potential conflict with the Algonquin. Whether the long maintained peace would maintain its integrity, or crumble like a decrepit building, would be entirely the result of Arnulf''s diplomatic efforts.

 Chapter 551 - The North Bleeds!

    Chapter 551 - The North Bleeds!


    Berengar sat in an armored train car designed for military purposes. While not armored to the same standards as those used during the world wars of his past life, this train car was at the very least made from steel and protected against primitive munitions.


    The day had finallye for him to march to war against his enemies, three months prior he gave an ultimatum in public, dering that Hartman von Luxembourg was a criminal and needed to be brought before the Crown of Austria to face his judgement for the sins he hadmitted.


    Since then, he had been supplying rebels to fight against his Northern rival, and though these insurgents had made significant progress in inviting chaos to their realms, ultimately they had failed to achieve their aim.


    Because of this, he was now sitting on a train heading towards the Bavarian border with thousands of men on board. The construction crews hadpleted the railway a week ago, and since then Berengar had ordered his troops to deploy via train cars nonstop. The king himself was on thest train to the border. Once he arrived, war would break out between the South German Confederation and the Northern Alliance.


    Despite this reality, Berengar was rtively calm as he sipped on his chalice which contained a light beer. He did not want to be intoxicated for his arrival at the staging point, however, he also needed something to calm his nerves, thus this weak swill was the best suited drink to the task.


    He had spent the morning saying his goodbyes to his family, and now it was only a matter of minutes before the train arrived at its destination, thus with a calm facade he read from the morning paper, the headline being a bold statement.


    "The North Bleeds!"


    The following information summarized the ongoing rebellion within the North German states, and the Northern Alliance''s brutality as they attempted to quell it at all costs. It also had an editorial piece, calling the King of Austria''s decision to intervene on behalf of the civilians a moral and righteous cause.


    Naturally, Berengar had a tight leash over the press, and because of this, they had no choice but to support their King. Still, it brought a smirk on his face to see such a widely distributed paper fulfilling its duties as the Crown''s propaganda machine.


    As he took another sip from his beer, the train slowed itself down into a halt. Berengar looked up from his paper and gazed out the window to see the car pulling into thest railway station that his construction crews had built within Bavaria. With a grin on his face, he ced his chalice down and neatly folded his paper while waiting for the doors to open.


    When the doors to the Train opened, Berengar stood up from his seat, and left his cabin, with the members of his royal guard in tow, they were about to enter the bordends to an ongoing conflict, and thus protecting their King was paramount.


    After exiting the train car, the Royal Guard gathered their equipment. The entire train''s purpose was to house its members, as well as their mounts and weapons. Thus, Berengar waited patiently as one of his soldiers fetched his royal steed.


    The King smiled when he gazed upon the blood red coat of the horse named Glory, before grabbing ahold of its rains, and cing his foot into its stirrup, lifting himself onto its back. He gazed upon the battalion of soldiers who stood behind him and issued their orders as they finished gathering their supplies.


    "We march to the staging grounds. When we have rendezvoused with the rest of the army, we shall begin our invasion of the North. Remember that Today is an important day in the history of mankind, as we all march forth to unite the German-speaking regions into a single Empire beneath our banner! Hail victory!"


    The army of Royal Guardsman screamed their battle cry in the air before following their orders and marching forth to the staging grounds where an army of over 100,000 men were gathered waiting for their King to arrive.


    Eventually Berengar arrived where he approached the gathered Generals, who were nning their invasion. When they saw that the King of Austria had entered their war tent, they immediately stood at attention and saluted him.


    "Your Majesty!''


    Berengar merely nodded his head before giving hismand.


    "At ease. Tell me, what''s the situation in the North?"


    The various generals immediately did as they were instructed before informing their King what their scouts and intelligence units had reported.


    "It''s a good thing we arrived when we did. The bastard of Luxembourg has been raiding viges left and right. Of course, this has only hardened the rebels'' revolve as more and more people flock to their cause. We have split our army into five divisions. Each will operate independently as we march into the various states that form the Northern Alliance. As our King, it is your right to choose whichever theatre you wish.


    We have informed our operatives embedded with the rebels of our impending invasion and have tasked them to begin the next phase of their operations. While we invade from the south, the rebels will rise within the cities and begin causing chaos. The result of this will be abination of civil strife and foreign invasion at the same time.


    As for the gueris outside of the cities, their aim is to secure strategic locations, and ensure that the enemy does not engage in scorched earth tactics before our invasion. To put it simply, because of internal and external threats that the enemy will face, this will be a rather quick campaign. It will not take long for us to enter the capitals of each State and force them into submission."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement when he heard this analysis before pointing towards the Capital of Luxembourg. With a sadistic grin on his face, he called out his target.


    "Very well, I will lead my Royal Guard and the First Division into the Bastard of Luxembourg''s hearnd. I will have the fiend who dared to harm my beloved sister grovelling before me before the week is over!"


    Upon witnessing their King''s malevolent expression, a sense of dread filled the air. The Generals silently pitied the fool who had the nerve to harm Berengar''s sister. They each knew of the cruelty that their liege would engage in after he had captured Hartman, and did not envy the man. As a response, the gathered generals nodded their heads in agreement.


    "As youmand, your majesty!"


    Berengar smiled before giving themand that would change the fate of Germany forever.


    "Very well. Muster the men and begin the invasion. I will not rest until I have brought the perpetrators of my sister''s assault to justice. For King and Fathend!"


    The Generals quickly saluted their King and reported the phrase he had said before departing from the tent and issuing the orders they had received to their respective divisions. As for the King of Austria, he rallied with this Royal Guard, and the First division, where they packed up their belongings and gathered their weapons before marching into the borders of the Duchy of Luxembourg.


    The war had just begun, and Berengar fully intended to be as ruthless to the enemy as possible. Any man who stood on the side of Hartman was an enemy guilty of the highest of sins, and he would afford them no mercy. As for the people of Germany, Berengar intended to treat them with generosity seldom seen by a conquering warlord.


    After all, Berengar''s goals in this conflict were not to increase the hatred towards him and his dynasty, but toe as the savior to the German people against their vicious masters, and liberate them from the shackles of feudalism.


    As such, the King of Austria rode atop his steed as the horseman of war incarnate. With a graceful smile, and an army of 30,000 men at his back, the man was a symbol of earthly authority. The bastard of Luxembourg and his soldiers were about to be given a rude awakening as they faced off against a semi-modern army.


    By Berengar''s side rode the Generals in charge of his Royal Guard, and the First Division, these men had equally confident expressions as they gazed upon their King''s immacte image. They had long since served in the Austrian Army and had witnessed its many victories. To them, there was no chance of defeat in this war.


    Every soldier in the Army shared this sentiment as they marched forward, with victory in mind, and a vision of forming a new empire to rival the might have ancient Rome. The drums of war resounded in the air as the Austrian soldiers marched to their beats. The enemies of Austria would soon face the fury of King enraged by an unprovoked attack on his family. Blood would be shed, and heroes would emerge as the age of knights and chivalry finally came to an end.

 Chapter 552 - Unfair Treaties

    Chapter 552 - Unfair Treaties


    Arnulf sat within the confines of a horse-drawn carriage. The crafter who had designed this vehicle embellished it in the stylemonly seen in use by Austrian Nobles. By his side was the native trantor, Kahwihta.


    Apany of soldiers apanied the two of them as they headed towards a nearby Algonquin vige, which sat atop a massive coal deposit. The purpose of this visit was simple: negotiate with the natives over the mining rights to such a valuable resource.


    The young native woman rested her head on Arnulf''s shoulder as she slept through the journey. A hint of drool escaped from her lips as it fell upon the sleeves of the Grand Duke''s regal attire. Despite this, he did not mind, and merely shifted the girl''s bangs out of the way of her closed eyes. From his perspective, the young woman had been quite busytely and needed the rest.


    After a brief journey, the convoy arrived at the gates of the Algonquin vige, where its warriors guarded the entrance. The moment the Austrians approached these native tribesmen, they were suspicious. Though they had received word of the Grand Duke''s visit before his arrival, they did not wholly believe that these pale-skinned invaders came with peaceful intentions. Thus, they clutched their iron weapons tightly, as they slowly parted open the gates to allow Arnulf''s entrance.


    With the trade of resources between Austria and the local tribes, the natives had advanced their technology rapidly. Iron tools had be quitemon, and inventions such as the wheel had spread across the tribes of New Vienna. Allowing for easier transport, even if it was in the form of hand-drawn carts.


    Despite these new advancements, the natives were still severelyckingpared to their European counterparts, especially in the fields of agriculture and architecture. Thus, the generalyout of the vige was practically the same as it was before the Austriansnded in the new world.


    Arnulf cared not for the small advancements the natives had made and instead focused his sights on the bark covered wigwam sitting atop the hill that the natives founded the vige upon. As he and his convoy closed the distance, the Grand Duke noticed the hostile gazes the vigers gave him. The peace that had been founded between Austria and the Algonquin was fragile at best, and suspicion existed on both sides.


    Despite marching into the proverbial lion''s den, Arnulf seemed at ease with the whole scenario. Rather than quaking in fear of potential conflict, he exuded an aura of confidence as the convoy stopped in front of the wigwam belonging to the vige chieftain. In the next moment, he wiped the drool from his trantor''s mouth before shaking her awake.


    "Kahwihta, we have arrived at the Algonquin vige..."


    The young native woman instantly opened her chestnut colored eyes and stared at the man she served in disbelief. She thought for sure she had only closed her eyes moments ago, and yet they had already arrived at their destination.


    Despite this, she quickly came to her senses and stepped out of the vehicle alongside Arnulf, who quickly introduced himself to the vige''s chieftain, who was ring at the Austrian Grand Duke and his Mohawk trantor.


    "I am Arnulf von Thiersee, the Grand Duke of New Vienna. Please ept this gift as an offering to your people."


    After saying this, Arnulf whistled and one of his soldiers dragged a jug of wine out from the carriage and handed it to the elderly Chieftain in a peaceful gesture. The chief stared at the red liquid for some time before taking a whiff of its fragrant scent. After doing so, he took a quick swig before handing the jug off to his son.


    With this gesture, Arnulf and his trantor were allowed within the Chieftain''s home, however his guards remained outside. This did not cause Arnulf to worry. Instead, he sat down by the fire and epted the peace pipe, where he took a hefty draft of its tobo before giving it back to the chief of the vige. After the Algonquin chief took a hit of his own, he ced the pipe by side before asking the question that was on his mind.


    "Why have youe to our vige? I warn you, if youe for war, we will be ready!"


    Arnulf had to prevent himself from scoffing as Kahwihta tranted the man''s words. Rather thansh out at the man for needlessly expecting violence, he instead calmly responded with his true intentions.


    "I havee to negotiate for the rights to mine the coal that your vige sits upon. I realize that your people have no need of such a substance, but my people would be very much interested in obtaining it for ourselves."


    After Kahwihta had conveyed Arnulf''s thoughts to the chieftain, he stared at the two of them for some time in silence. He knew nothing about mining, or the value that coal had. In fact, he was not even aware that his vige rested on such a vast deposit of the resource.


    However, what he knew was that this was not the only vige that Arnulf had approached since his arrival with intentions of negotiating for natural resources. It was amon tactic for the Grand Duke to visit the nearby tribes and coerce them into signing peace treaties regarding the natural resources of thend they inhabited. These treaties heavily favored Austria, and the natives seldom knew the value of what they were signing away.


    In return, the Austrians gave the Natives some meaningless technology, or resources, that could aid them at the moment. This including things such as iron tools, primitive metallurgy, basic agricultural technology such as early crop rotation, etc. Austria basically provided them with the knowledge and skills they needed to advance beyond a stone-age society, while taking control over the natural resources on thend they inhabited.


    Now the Algonquin''s turn had finallye, and their leader was far more suspicious of the true intentions that Arnulf had whenpared to his neighbors, the reason being the mistrust that existed between the two factions because of the previous conflicts they had engaged in. Thus, the elderly chieftain scratched his chin for several moments as he dwelled on Arnulf''s demands.


    "What is it you will give us in return for this so called "coal" that you desire?"


    A smile formed on Arnulf''s face as he reached into a satchel and pulled out something that surprised the Algonquin chieftain. In his hands was a shirt of riveted mail armor that Austrian soldiers had scavenged from some battlefield in Europe. Normally, Berengar''s strategy was to recycle the weapons and armor they recovered from the enemies'' corpses.


    However, with his colonization ns under ce, Berengar had called for some examples to be spared, repaired, and used as bargaining chips with the natives. If the value of mail armor was properly demonstrated against the primitive stone weapons the natives wielded, it would surely entice them into giving up their resources.


    After all, though, peace had been established between the Austrian settlement and the Algonquin; the Iroquois and the Algonquin were still very much in a heated rivalry. Thus, a confident smirk appeared on Arnulf''s face as he spoke his terms.


    "We will provide your warriors each with a mail shirt. We formed this armor from interlocking iron rings, and it will protect you against any weapons you may encounter from your enemies."


    Obviously, he failed to mention how worthless such armor was in the face of firearms. Such a thing would surely have a negative result during negotiations. Thus, when Kahwihta tranted Arnulf''s words to the Algonquin chieftain, his eyes grew wide with shock. His suspicion of the Grand Duke instantly vanished when faced with such exceptional protective equipment. As a result, the chieftain quickly ordered for the mail shirt to be tested against the weapons that his warriors wielded.


    A nearby soldier grabbed hold of the mail shirt and brought it out for testing. While that was going on, Arnulf, Kahwihta and the Chieftain smoked more tobo, remaining in total silence until they had made a conclusion. Not long after, the Algonquin warrior returned with the mail shirt that did not have a single scratch on it. He spoke exaggeratedly as he struggled to express the results of his test.


    After several moments of conversing with his warrior, the Chieftain took onest hit from the pipe before nodding his head in agreement. With these iron shirts, his warriors would have a significant advantage over their enemies in terms of defense. Thus, he was eager to agree to these terms, especially when he didn''t even know the value of coal.


    With the agreement made, Arnulf quickly fetched one of his soldiers to draft a treaty, where the two parties signed their signatures and imparted their seals. Considering the Algonquin didn''t have a writtennguage, and couldn''tprehend the Germannguage, they had to rely on the word of Kahwihta that the terms presented were fair.


    Despite the lengthy process, Arnulf had sessfully established a treaty between this Algonquin vige and the Austrian Colony. Thus, the former General had avoided a war between the two factions. Luckily, for everyone involved, Arnulf had showed his skills as a diplomat, and once more proven his value as the Colonial Governor.


    Had the King of Austria been the one to lead the campaign for resources, he would have just sent in the army to clear thend and take what he wanted. Yet, Arnulf was not Berengar, and he valued peaceful solutions to diplomatic issues when he could achieve it. For the time being, New Vienna was the among the most peaceful ces in the world.

 Chapter 553 - The Schleswig-Holstein Question

    Chapter 553 - The Schleswig-Holstein Question


    King Alvar of the Kalmar Union sat upon his throne with a stern expression, for thest few years he had maintained a peaceful co-existence with the Austrians, and although he had faced pressure from his more fanatical Catholic subjects to fund the Papacy''s crusade against the German Reformation, he had abstained from doing so.


    For a long time now, Alvar had maintained an attitude of disregarding southern affairs. After all, they were so far away from Austria and its neighbors that even trade between the two kingdoms was difficult at times. However, things were different now. Austria''s territory grew with each year, to the point where a sizeable chunk of the western Baltic was now under their control.


    However, this matter wasn''t the greatest concern of the Kalmar Union, rather with Berengar''s propaganda of uniting the German-speaking regions, there became a prominent question in the minds of the Kalmar Court. What would Berengar do about Schleswig-Holstein, which was currently under their rule?


    Schleswig-Holstein was a province under the control of Denmark, however despite being ruled over by the Danish crown, the overwhelming majority of its denizens, including the nobility, were ethnic Germans who spoke the German tongue. Obviously, with Berengar''s open attempts to unify Germany, there was a serious worry within the Kalmar Court whether Berengar would break his non-aggression pact with the Kalmar Union.


    It was because of this that the Scandinavian King''s court now met to discuss the troubles that presented themself with Austria''s expansion into the North. One particr minister, who wore a catholic pendant, was practically spitting as he screamed at his Reformist counterparts.


    "King Berengar von Kufstein has dered war on the Northern German Alliance. In doing so, he seeks to unite all the German-speaking regions beneath his banners! He has already expanded into the Baltic, and shows his malicious intent by investing in the construction of several Naval bases, and the expansion of the region''s port cities!


    Until now, we have acted with indifference towards Austria, and maintained our non-aggression pact with them. However, their monarch''s ambitions are too grand. If Berengar sessfullyys im to Northern Germany, then his armies will sit on our southern borders. After all, he has made his desire to unite the German-speaking regions well known. Who is to say he values our treaty, then?"


    King Alvar sipped on his wine from his golden chalice as he listened to his ministers debate over what to do with Austria. It was hard enough maintaining the bnce between Catholics and Reformists in the Kalmar Union, however, this minister made a valid point. Just when the Scandinavian King was about to speak up, another minister who represented the Scandinavian Reformists scoffed as he interjected on behalf of Berengar.


    "You speak out your Arse and you know it! The Kingdom of Austria may appear to be hell bent on conquest, but they have always valued their alliances and treaties. Just look at how they treat the Sultanate of Granada and their Byzantine allies.


    King Berengar has even gifted his two greatest allies advanced technology in the fields of agriculture and industry, which has allowed the two realms to expand their military capabilities! Not once has he shown hostility towards us, and we should not be quick to bare our fangs out of fear of an invasion that will never take ce!


    Provoking the proverbial Lion to the South would be a foolish endeavor that would surely result in our doom. Rather than condemn ourselves to needless destruction, we must maintain our diplomatic ties to the Kingdom of Austria and seek to further rtions. So far all we have done is maintain a non-aggression pact, and allow free trade with Austrian merchants.


    However, with their expansion into Northern Germany, the Crown of Austria will surely invest into rebuilding the North German States into industrialized regions simr to that of the Austrian hearnd! We should seek to take advantage of this and invite further trade opportunities with Austria before they achieve victory in this conflict!


    The territory of Schleswig-Holstein has always been difficult to maintain control over. The Germans who live there are fiercely proud people. I say it is better to offer the region to Berengar in return for technology that will make our lives easier here in the North! Perhaps even a more permanent alliance could be brokered via matrimony? I hear the man has several sons."


    Though King Alvar was initially leaning towards the previous minister''s argument, after hearing the reformist speak, he was now convinced that peaceful rtions were the route to go. With Berengar''s current rate of expansion, it was only a matter of time before he turned his sights to Schleswig-Holstein, and defending a region that was constantly on the brink of rebellion, against a united German Army was more trouble than it was worth.


    Besides, it was not like the Kalmar Union could win a war with Austria. Alvar knew this well. If losing Schleswig-Holstein was an inevitability, he might as well get something out of it. Thus, he agreed with the Reformist, the Kalmar Union''s best course of action was to negotiate a peaceful transfer of the region to Berengar''s future Empire, in exchange for technology that would allow them to be far more wealthy, and powerful.


    After scratching his thick golden beard in thought for some time, a brilliant idea formed itself in Scandinavian King''s mind. Thus, he proimed his intentions for all within his court to hear.


    "I have decided on a course of action. We will cede Schleswig-Holstein to the Kingdom of Austria in exchange for technology, wealth, and a permanent alliance via marriage. As far as I am aware, Berengar has multiple wives and multiple sons. Surely one of them can marry one of my grand-daughters when theye of age."


    The Catholic Minister was about to interrupt his King''s statement when Alvar red menacingly at him, instantly silencing the man before continuing this train of thought.


    "Schleswig-Holstein has little value for our great union, anyway. If giving it over to Austria means avoiding a war, while securing the aforementioned benefits, then to me, it seems like the most appropriate decision I, as King, can make.


    This settles the matter. I will dispatch an emissary to the Kingdom of Austria immediately, where he will make our intentions known to the Austrian Crown. As for negotiations, I would like to meet with King Berengar face to face after he has seized Northern Germany for himself."


    The ministers bowed their heads regarding the King''s words, after which they all epted his decree.


    "As youmand, your highness..."


    After saying this, the various ministers left the confines of the Throne Room, where only the Reformist Minister who had made such a suggestion remained behind.


    "Your Highness, you have made a wise decision. A war with Austria would only result in defeat. This way we can get rid of a troublesome region, while securing an alliance with the most powerful realm in the Western World."


    King Alvar nodded his head in agreement to these words before addressing his minister.


    "Indeed, when I first met Berengar, I thought little of him. He was nothing more than a lowly Duke asking for a non-aggression pact with my great Kingdom. I merely signed the treaty on a whim because I enjoyed hispany.


    To think that in a few short years he would be not only King, but the most powerful man in Christendom, I must say I truly underestimated him... End, my old friend, I can only trust you to send this message of peace to Kufstein. Thus, it is your responsibility to speak with the Royal Family of Austria and convey our intentions."


    The Reformist minister named End smiled gracefully before bowing to the King.


    "You honor me, King Alvar. I assure you, I will not fail you in this vital task. The Austrian Crown will hear of our peaceful intentions, and I will secure an audience between the two of you when Berengar returns from his campaign."


    Alvar smiled when he heard such confidence from his minister. After doing so, he sighed heavily before dismissing the man.


    "Very well. Prepare for the journey. I want you within the City of Kufstein as soon as possible. Do not return until you have seeded in your task!"


    After hearing his orders, the Minister quickly departed, and gathered his supplies. It was a long journey to Kufstein, and he would have to sail around the coasts of Iberia in order to get there peacefully. Perhaps by the time he arrived in the Austrian Capital, Berengar would have alreadypleted his war. Only time would tell.


    As for King Alvar of the Kalmar Union, he sank back into his throne in silence, as he dwelled upon Berengar''s rapid rise to power. He shuddered to think of what the world would look like in ten years after Germany was united into a single Empire, and the Papacy''s crusade failed miserably. It was looking like the centuries old bnce of power that had been maintained in Europe woulde crashing down, and in its ce German hegemony would rise.


    If such a fate was inevitability, then Alvar had no intentions of getting in its way. Rather, he would seek to gain as many benefits as possible for himself, his family, and his realm. This decision to appease Austria was one that would surely invoke the ire of the Catholics within his realm, however, he would deal with such a situation when it came to pass.

 Chapter 554 - Troubles in the Heart of the Byzantine Empire

    Chapter 554 - Troubles in the Heart of the Byzantine Empire


    Emperor Vetranis sat on his throne within the city of Constantinople. By his side were the veteran Strategos Padius and his eldest son Quintus. The three of them were gathered to discuss an important matter which was causing quite the worry among the Byzantine aristocracy.


    Their neighbors to the South and East were preparing for a new Jihad, and intelligence reports suggested that the Timur Empire would soon invade of the Kingdom of Georgia, which was Byzantium''s oldest ally. Padius'' spywork had gathered this intelligence and thus, the Strategos himself presented the evidence before his King and the eldest Prince of the Empire.


    "The Timur Empire has been amassing troops on our Eastern Border. We believe this is in preparation for the Jihad they have nned. However, this is not our greatest concern, rather my informants assure me they will first invade the Kingdom of Georgia and subject them to Muslim rule. In doing so, expand their forces by a great margin.


    If we wish to have any chance of defeating thebined onught of the Muslim world against our Empire, we will need to ensure the safety and stability of our allies. Austria is currently engaging in a war to unify Germany into a single Empire, and we cannot trust Granada to fight against their own Muslim Brothers.


    Georgia must not fall! If she does, then our oldest and closest ally cannot support us in our time of need. Though they have yet to ask for our aid, I fear they are unaware of the threat that amasses on their borders. Your Majesty, we must inform Georgia of the intelligence we have gathered and offer our support!"


    Vetranis scratched his chin as he heard Padius'' words. With the maiming of Decentius, the Hawkish faction within the Byzantine Court had lost a tremendous amount of influence over internal politics, and because of this Padius and his tertiary faction, could assume a much closer role to the Emperor.


    Quintus was not fond of this reality. Initially, he had estimated his father would look more favorably upon him, and the doves after his brother''s injury. However, this was not the case. Someone leaked the secrets that Berengar had entrusted Quintus to protect and implement within the borders of the Empire. Because of this, his influence had waned substantially. Despite this, he protested Padius'' calls for reinforcing their allies'' borders in favor of a more peaceful alternative.


    "Father, let us not be rash. War is not inevitable, and though Padius ims the Timurids intend to invade ournds in pursuit of Jihad, I have yet to see any evidence of these ims. Until the Timur Empire makes their intentions clear, any militant action, whether it is moving our troops to our borders or into our alliednds, could be seen as an act of aggression. I advise we send an emissary to the east, and discuss our difference to see if we can dissuade the Timurids from their hostility towards our allies. "


    Padius merely scoffed when he heard these words. Truly, the boy was too passive. If the Empire was left in his hands, it would be overrun in a matter of years. Sometimes, a pre-emptive strike was necessary, and though they would not be taking overt action against their rivals to the east, securing the Kingdom of Georgia was necessary for the Empire''s survival. Thus, he did not spare his tongue as heshed out at the eldest Prince.


    "With all due respect, Quintus, I fear your passivity will be this Empire''s undoing. If you are to seed your father one day, you must understand that military action is often necessary for matters of national security. If Georgia falls, and the Timurids force its popce under the yoke of Muslim rule, our enemies will have more men and wealth at their disposal to aid them in their future conflict with us.


    Whether or not you believe it, Jihad ising. For hundreds of years Muslims have aggressed into christiannds unprovoked, and though the crusades sessfully stemmed the tide of their onught, all it has done is buy them some time to lick their wounds. Our reconquest of Egypt and Cyrene has enraged our eastern neighbors, and once more they seek to steal the holynd from us!


    The movement of troops to the border with the Kingdom of Georgia is a simple proof of this. If we do nothing, we will allow yet another christian kingdom to fall to the Imic faith. Such a thing harms us all, as that means we have one less ally in this world!"


    Quintus snarled as he heard this thorough rebuttal of his pacifistic ways. He simply responded with a casual attack on Padius'' character.


    "You sound just like my brother. I am sure you and Decentius have a lot inmon..."


    This caused a frown to appear on Padius'' face. He could not believe he was beingpared to the Hawk''s puppet right now, and instead he began to bitterly protest this personal attack.


    "Your brother and those fools who support him call for endless war with our neighbors. Such a thing would surely be the death of our empire. Just like your pacificistic tendencies. I represent the bnce between the extremes that you two brothers represent. You will never be the Emperor if you continue to cling onto such childish notions."


    Quintus curled his fists in rage upon hearing this beforeshing out with a venomous retort of his own.


    "Oh, so Peace is childish is it? I am truly sorry that I do not wish to send the men of our empire to their untimely deaths, when they can be used to maintain prosperity throughbor. There are plenty of peaceful alternatives. War should be thest option of a desperate emperor!"


    After hearing both sides bicker like a couple of children, Vetranis pounded his fist upon his armrest, immediately silencing the two men before rebuking them.


    "Enough! Both of you! I am Emperor, and I will decide what our policy is in the future. Padius, you overstep your bounds bymenting on my son''s ability to rule!"


    When Padius heard this, he scowled but remained silent. As for Quintus, he had a shit-eating grin on his face until his father lectured him as well.


    "Quintus! Padius is right. Your view of the world is incredibly na?ve, and unfit to rule this Empire. For too long now, I have tolerated your pacifistic ideals because I foolishly believed your brother countered your childish beliefs with his own, and the two of youbined could form an effective ruler. Such a thing is no longer a possibility, and it is time for you to grow up!


    As Emperor, I will dispatch an emissary to the King of Georgia, informing him we are prepared, and willing to send troops to defend his borders against a potential invasion by the Timur Empire. Padius, gather what evidence you can on the likelihood of this event, and bring it before me so that I may send it to our allies.


    The both of you should reflect on your actions ande to a proper understanding. I swear, all three of my sons are a major disappointment. If I had a fourth option to seed me, I would dly take it!"


    When Quintus heard these words, he felt enraged at his father. Even the Emperor thought he was a fool for trying to maintain the peace of the world. This immediately caused him to storm out of the room, no longer wanting to hear his father''s words of wisdom.


    Of course, Padius was no longer outraged at the scolding he had received. Rather, he saw this as an opportunity to ce the idea in the Emperor''s head for Alexandros to one day be Emperor. Thus, he made sure all others were out of earshot before putting on a confused facade.


    "But, your Majesty, you do have a fourth option. If I recall correctly, your daughter''s marriage to the King of Austria is matrilineal. Does that not mean that your grandson has a im to the Throne? If you are so disappointed with your sons, then perhaps you should focus your efforts on ensuring that the infant Alexandros grows up to be a responsible leader. After all, with a father like Berengar, and the academic prowess of his Kingdom at the boy''s disposal, surely he will grow up to be a wise and capable leader."


    Vetranis thought about this option for a few seconds as he dwelled upon the candidates that would one day seed him. Decentius was out of the running, and his youngest son was a hopeless alcoholic womanizer.


    Until now, he had only thought of Quintus as an option, but Padius was right. If he truly wanted the most capable sessor, then perhaps grooming his grandson to be the Emperor was the greatest hope he had. After a few moments of silence, the Emperor sighed before giving a vague answer.


    "You have given me much to think about, and I will reflect on it with intense introspection. I will let you know my answer when I have thoroughly thought this through. Until then, float the idea to Honoria, and see how she responds."


    After hearing this, Padius smiled gracefully before bowing his head and cupping his hands.


    "Of course, your majesty, I will dispatch an agent to Kufstein right away."


    With that said, the veteran Strategos was dismissed, and Vetranis was left alone with his thoughts.

 Chapter 555 - Preventing Scorched Earth Tactics

    Chapter 555 - Preventing Scorched Earth Tactics


    A Knight of Luxembourg rode on the back of his steed as he gazed towards the bridge in front of him. This valuable piece of infrastructure acted as the only means to cross the nearby river. It was because of this strategic importance that his liege ordered him to destroy it before the Austrian invaders could use it to cross.


    By now, news had spread to the Capital of the Duchy of Luxembourg of Berengar''s invasion of the Northern German States. Rather than face the enemy in the fields which would surely result in his army''s destruction, the Bastard of Luxembourg had ordered a full retreat. In doing so, he gave additionalmands to destroy all valuable infrastructure to slow down the Austrian advance.


    His intention was obvious, buy enough time for all of his men to make it back to the Capital which they would defend to thest man. If he was from any other Kingdom, this would be a foolish act, as the King of Austria had showed repeatedly his willingness to obliterate cities to spare the lives of his soldiers.


    However, Luxembourg was a German Duchy, and thus Hartman knew his rival would not be so willing to waste the lives of a people he believed to be his own. Truthfully, it was the best n he coulde up with, as his enemy had overwhelming advantages in all aspects of warfare.


    Only by forcing them into the Capital City, and fighting them in brutal urban warfare, did his army have a chance of defeating the Austrian host. Thus, this Knight began issuing orders to the men at arms beneath hismand, so that they would fulfill their obligations in these scorched earth tactics.


    "Quickly, fetch the casks, and light them up. I want this bridge brought to ruin before the Austrians arrive!"


    The soldiers beneath hismand struggled to bring forth the casks filled with gunpowder. Such a substance was a raremodity in Europe, especially in the hands of Berengar''s enemies. After all, the Austrian King''s Triple Alliance had a stranglehold over the trade of saltpeter within Europe, and saltpeter was a criticalponent in the development of gunpowder.


    To waste such a vast quantity of the explosivepound on scorched earth tactics would severely limit Luxembourg''s ability tobat the enemy when they finally arrived at the capital. Still, it was a calcted risk that Hartman had thought through, and ultimately was a necessary expense.


    Unbeknownst to the Knight and his retinue of soldiers, various men d in camouged clothing hid within the treeline nearby. Among these men were a few Jagdkommandos, but mostly, these were the rebels that Hartman had attempted to root out and destroy over the past three months.


    While the Knights of Luxembourg had their orders to engage in scorched earth tactics to buy time for their retreat, the rebels had their own objectives, which were to prevent such actions from being carried out at any cost.


    Thus, at the moment Andreas Jaeger, who was garbed in his Jagdkommando uniform, pressed the stock of the g22 rifle firmly against his shoulder as he aimed down his sights towards the enemy force. Without needing to issue orders, he squeezed the trigger, which ignited the .45-70 cartridge, propelling its Spitzer shaped copper-jacketed bullet down range and into the skull of the Knight Commander.


    Before the enemymander could even react, his skull sted apart, and his body fell off its horse, lifelesslynding on the ground. Yet Andreas was not the only one to shoot. A thunderous roar apanied by plumes of smoke surrounded the treeline as dozens of rebels opened fire on the enemy forces.


    They were careful not to hit the ck powder casks, as doing so could easily cause a chain reaction, destroying their objective in the process. The rebel''s bullets riddled through the torsos of the enemy man at arms. Still, the rebels were few, and a single volley from their rifles was not nearly enough to eliminate the enemy units. Thus, they rapidly reloaded their weapons, while the hostile men at arms formed a firing line, and aimed their primitive firearms towards the treeline where the volley of fire hade from.


    The men at arms fired off a volley of their own towards the treeline. In doing so, it hit several rebels. At such a range, the arkebuses would be entirely ineffective against the armor that Austrian regrs wore, however these gueris were not wearing any protective gear, and thus, those unfortunate enough to be struck by the arkebuse balls quickly entered the afterlife.


    As Andreas was reloading his weapon with a spare cartridge, a lead ball struck his sloped steel helmet. Luckily for him, his helmet protected against shrapnel, and even modern pistol rounds. Thus the primitive projectile deflected upward, leaving the Jagdkommando with a minor case of whish and nothing more.


    As the man struggled to get his thoughts in order, he quickly realized that he had instinctively loaded his weapon, thus as he came back to reality, he aimed down his sights once more and fired his cartridge towards the enemy forces.


    Like his previous targets, the projectile found its way into the enemy''s body, and burst through his armor and out the other side, followed by a stream of blood and bone fragments. The man quickly copsed to the floor as he rapidly bled out. By the time the soldier had passed away, Andreas had already loaded another round and fired towards the enemy once more.


    Despite having an overwhelming numerical advantage, the sheer rate of fire that the rebels possessed with their needle rifles quickly caused the Luxembourg numbers to dwindle. In the end, a single man at arms tookmand as he issued the following orders.


    "Retreat! Abandon the mission!"


    With this said, the Luxembourg unit rapidly broke ranks and routed, allowing the Rebels to reveal themselves as they secured the bridge. Andreas, despite having suffered a mild concussion, quickly gave out his orders to his troops.


    "I want those casks removed. Thest thing we need is for an ident to ur, and this bridge to be brought to ruin. After you have removed the explosives, secure the area and wait for our main host to arrive!"


    Not a single gueri beneath the Jagdkommando''smand disobeyed. Instead, they quickly did as they were instructed. By now, these men were well ustomed to following orders without questions, and thus they acted with the same discipline that the regr army would have.


    Before long, the explosives casks were removed, and the bridge was secured. The rebel gueris maintained operational security until they witnessed the Austrian host in the distance. Only then did they sigh in relief. Eventually, Captain Andreas Jaeger stood before his King, who had a smile on his fae as he witnessed the remains of the battlefield.


    "Captain! I am d to see that you and your band of rebels have secured the bridge. This makes my life easier as we advance forward towards the Capital city! At this rate, the war will be over before the leaves fall from the trees!"


    This was not the first time Berengar had used this quote, and unlike the origins of the quote which ended up being a colossal blunder, every time the Austrian King had said these words, it became reality. In response to Berengar''s im, Andreas merely smiled as he uttered the thoughts in his mind.


    "I hope you are right, your majesty... Tell me, what are my orders now?"


    Berengar quickly began informing the Special Forces Captain as to the current reality of the war effort.


    "By now, we have secured the southernmost region of the Duchy with limited conflict. Intelligence supports the idea that Hartman is withdrawing his forces to the Capital to force our army into a bloody struggle for the city. He intends for every man, woman, and child to fight us to the bitter end, like Carthage in itsst days.


    I won''t stand for such needless bloodshed. It is with this in mind that I have a special task for you and your insurgents. I want you and your troops to infiltrate the city and ensure that you prepare the people to rise against their masters when we finally arrive. With your men on the inside, I believe it is possible to take the city without senseless ughter."


    Andreas did not hesitate in his response. He simply saluted his King before speaking the words that had be quitemon as Austria''s battle cry.


    "Hail Victory!"


    Berengar naturally returned the man''s salute and responded with the same shout.


    "Hail Victory!"


    After saying this, the Austrian Jagdkommando and his rebel forced crossed the bridge, and headed towards the city. They would first make a stop at the nearest allied vige and assume the identity of peasants fleeing the war before infiltrating the enemy''s capital.


    While the Rebels rode off into the distance, Berengar gazed towards the direction of the enemy''s capital with a stoic expression. He feared that Hartman''s reluctance to surrender and face judgement for his crimes would ultimately result in the mad man taking his city hostage.


    ording to intelligence provided by his spies embedded within his rival''s court, the Bastard of Luxembourg had be increasingly unstable after Renault''s assassination, and Berengar feared the lengths of terror the man would go to in order to avoid his fate. With a heavy sigh, the King of Austria spoke to himself in a tone so low only he could hear.


    "I will do what I must..."

 Chapter 556 - One Day Soon you will be a King

    Chapter 556 - One Day Soon you will be a King


    While Berengar was off at war, his newest wife Yasmin was in theter stages of her pregnancy, though Berengar had imed he would finish the war as fast as possible so that he may return home and witness his child''s birth, it would appear that it was not his destiny to fulfill this desire of the Granadan Princess.


    Currently, Yasmin was inbor, and while that was urring, two of the Austrian king''s other wives had gathered in another room of the Pce where, for the first time in a long time, the two of them had united in a cause, as they discussed their differences in great length.


    It was no secret that Berengar had been paying an extra amount of attention to Yasmin since their marriage. This was in part because of the mature, and supportive personality that the Princess of Granada exhibited, especially when inparison with his other younger brides who were quite the opposite.


    Because of this, both Ad and Linde felt a sense of fear of losing their husband to the Moorish Princess, who had only recently entered their lives. This was especially true for the High Queen, who had seen her husband bing increasingly distant as ofte. Thus, with a heavy sigh, the young woman drank from her coffee before expressing her innermost feelings to her oldest rival.


    "I am feeling like I am losing Berengar''s love. He has been emotionally distant to metely, as if he simply does not want to be near me. Since Yasmin first arrived, I have had barely any time with him. I fear she is stealing my husband away from me!"


    When Linde heard this, she simply scoffed before responding to Ad''s ims with an enticing bit of gossip.


    "Sure, Yasmin has been pulling Berengar''s heartstrings as ofte, but she is not the one you need to worry about. If you knew what I know about what Berengar and Henrietta have been getting up to since she recovered from her injury, then you would realize that cunning little brat is your greatest rival."


    Ad gazed over at her rival in shock. She could hardly believe her ears.


    "You don''t mean?"


    Linde remained silent as she merely nodded her head while supping her coffee. She did not wish to speak openly about what exactly went on between the two siblings, and though she learned the truth of Henrietta''s lineage, the rtionship that her husband had with his sister-aunt was rather taboo in her eyes. After hearing such news, Ad could hardly believe her ears and immediately questioned the validity of this information.


    "How did youe by this? I refuse to believe it!"


    In response, Linde merely sighed before revealing the extent of the information she knew.


    "It is my job to uncover secrets, and despite what Berengar might think, he is rather poor at keeping things from me. However, if you must know, I have been especially attentive to the affairs of the Royal Family ever since that fateful night where Henrietta was harmed under my watch. Unfortunately, things haven''t been the same for me and Berengar since, and I believe he has partially med me for the incident.


    Because of this, I have kept a close eye on the two of them, and have discovered some rather shocking details. For starters, you may not be aware, but Henrietta is not Berengar''s blood rted sister. She is actually his aunt, and a bastard at that. However, they grew up like siblings, and Lord Knows that my family has its own problems with such a taboo; even then, it still makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.


    So if you think Yasmin is the greatest of your worries, guess again. That close rtionship between Berengar and Henrietta is something we all need to be worried about. However, I must inform you that even though Berengar has surrounded himself with multiple beautiful women, the reasoning for his distance from you is entirely your fault..."


    Ad practically shattered the porcin cup in her hand from the sheer rage she felt when she heard Linde''sst remark. Did this woman seriously just say she was at fault for her husband''s distance? Just when Ad was about to scold her rival, Linde smirked and thoroughly rebuked her.


    "See, that right there, the way you are acting as if you are better than me, and everyone else around you, is exactly what is turning Berengar away from you. I get it, you''re the high queen, but you know the only reason you still have that position is because he desires to honor his family''s wishes, right?


    At one point, you were a sweet, kind, innocent young girl who pledged her heart to the man she loved. Hell, you were willing to do anything to make him happy. However, over the years, you have let your faith get to your head, and now you act as if you are a living saint with everyone else, including your husband, being beneath you.


    You walk around as if you are incapable of sin and condemn everyone around you for not being a monk. Such religious superiority is something that our husband despises. Yet, despite all evidence, you dig yourself deeper into your faith, with your attempts to convert Berengar into your views. Your excuse isughable. You say you wish to save Berengar''s soul from damnation, but all you really care about is forcing your beliefs on him.


    He knows this to be true; I know it, Honoria knows it. Hell, even Yasmin knows it. Your self righteous attitude is your undoing. If you truly care about Berengar and want to rekindle your love with him, then I suggest you stop being such a prudish bitch and tolerate his actions. After all, he is the most powerful man in the world, and plenty of young women would be more than willing to take your ce."


    The High Queen was stunned after hearing Linde''s analysis of her rtionship with her husband. Had she really been so rude to everyone? Was it really her overzealous nature that was driving a wedge between herself and the man she loved? Just when she was about to retort to her rival''s cruel words, the Court Physician walked into the room, and made a deration to the two Queens of Austria.


    "The Queen Yasmin has sessfully given birth to a healthy baby boy, she is resting as we speak, and is expected to make a full recovery. I figured since the father is currently at war, that perhaps the two of you would like tofort her in his stead."


    With this said, Linde stood up, and followed Ewald towards Yasmin''s corridors, leaving Ad sitting by her lonesome to reflect on the words that her oldest rival had given her. When Linde finally arrived in the bedroom, she witnessed the Princess of Granada lying naked in the bed with her newborn child clutched to her breast. By a single nce, Linde could tell that the woman was exhausted. Yet she still cared for the child as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    Upon witnessing this scene, Linde smirked before gazing at the newborn son of her husband. Interestingly enough, the boy appeared to be a blend of his two parents having the tanned skin, and amber eyes of his mother, but a full head of golden blonde hair like his father. He was truly a unique existence within the Kingdom of Austria.


    "Congrattions, it is good to see that you survived the ordeal. I know Berengar would be heartbroken if he returned from the carnage of war, only to find his wife had died in childbirth."


    Yasmin merely sighed as she gazed into the eyes of her baby boy. She was well aware of the ns her husband had for their son, and simply smiled as she said the words.


    "The Prince of Granada is born. One day, I hope to see him rule my homnd the same way his father rules over the Kingdom of Austria."


    This statement shocked Linde, who gazed at the woman and the child with suspicion. Though she knew about Berengar''s ns to unite the Triple Alliance through blood ties via his children, she was unaware that Yasmin knew of such ns, let alone supported them. Thus, the redheaded beauty voiced her curiosity with a hint of concern in her tone.


    "What about Hasan? You realize that if you go through with Berengar''s ns, you will remove your brother''s offspring from a position of power."


    In response to this obvious statement, Yasmin merely scoffed before retorting.


    "I love my brother, but he has always been, and always will be, a fool. When he finally gets himself killed, Granada will need a powerful ruler, and it most certainly won''t be his sons to take that position. No, only a child raised here in Austria, under the tutge of his mighty father, is worthy of such a position, and I will do everything in my power to make it so."


    After saying this to Linde, Yasmin shifted her gaze to her first-born son and made him a solemn vow.


    "Mark my words, my precious baby boy, one day soon, you will be a King!"


    With this said, Linde left the room and returned to the waiting room to find that Ad was absent. The High Queen had many thoughts to reflect upon after receiving such a verbalshing from her oldest rival. For a while, Ad would seclude herself with some much needed introspection. By the time her husband returned from the war, she would have the answers she needed for her path in life.

 Chapter 557 - Discovering a Monumental Secret

    Chapter 557 - Discovering a Monumental Secret


    Deep within the heart of Catalonia, there was a young woman of Visigothic descent who dressed from head to toe in dark attire. The night had fallen over the sky of Collbato, and with it, the woman could finally get close to her target.


    As the War for German Unification was underway, King Felipe of Spain took it as an opportunity to infiltrate Austria''s suspicious mine deep within his Kingdom''s territory. As part of the Treaty of Aquitaine that he had signed with Berengar and Hasan, the man had given over the mining rights of the area to the Austrian Crown.


    As far as Felipe was aware, nothing of importance lied within the region, and despite that, Austria''s miningpanies seemed to move a suspicious amount of mysterious product from the area of Collbato to the shores of Gibraltar, where an Austrian Naval base currently existed.


    Despite Felipe''s best attempts, he could not discover just what was being mined in the area known as Collbato. Now that his enemy focused his attention elsewhere, the Spanish king could finally infiltrate the area. With this in mind, the King of Spain dispatched his greatest spy to the mines to uncover what secrets Austria was hiding from him.


    The woman known by the name of Cecilia de Penafiel lied in wait for the precise moment that the Austrian guards would change their shift. Over the past week, she had examined the patrols from afar, and was now intimately familiar with their schedule. At exactly midnight, the guards on watch for the night packed up their things and brought in the newest patrol.


    Thus, the woman took the chance to dash through the fields and into the entrance of the mine, where she ensured she remained unseen. Having sessfully infiltrated the mine''s entrance, the spy quickly descended its shafts, desperately searching for any sign of what treasure Austria had uncovered within the caverns.


    Luckily, her dark attire blended in with the shadows. As the closer she reached the belly of the beast, the more internal patrols she came across. Seeing a light up ahead that was encroaching on her position, the woman quickly hid behind a stgmite as the patrol slowly passed her by,pletely unaware that a hostile agent had sessfully infiltrated into the depths of the mine.


    It was only after she was certain that they had rounded the corner did Cecilia sigh heavily before continuing on her journey. If she were spotted, then surely she would be a dead woman. Thus she kept this sentiment in mind as she burrowed deeper into the mine. The further she got, the more enamored she became with the Austrian mining equipment.


    The interior of the mine shaft held a long rail track, where during the day miners used handcars to transport goods from the depths of the mine towards the surface. The rail track eventually led to an area where the Austrians had set up several steam powered conveyer belts for transferring the product towards the mining carts. This was not the only technological marvel which the woman witnessed. There were also steam pumps in ce to prevent water inflow and even mechanized drills.


    The woman gazed upon the marvels of the industrial era with shock. Such technology was well beyond her understanding. After all, as far as she was aware, her people operated mines via manualbor. They were dug by hand with iron picks, which proved to be a lengthy and dangerous process. It was almost as if she had walked into a subterranean civilization straight out of a fantasy.


    She realized at this moment that no matter how she described what she had witnessed here on this day, it could never fully encapste the marvel of what she saw. Thus, she tore herself from her internal shock and continued deeper until she found what she was looking for.


    Deep within the mine were severalrge deposits of saltpeter, a crucial substance in the manufacture of gunpowder. Currently, the Spanish were limited in their capacity to field firearms. This was because of the small amount of gunpowder they could get their hands on. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult to obtain such a valuable resource.


    After all, as far as the Kingdom of Spain was aware, there were no natural deposits of saltpeter within Europe. This would be fine if they could purchase it from the east. However, the Byzantine Empire, through its alliance with Austria, dominated the trade with the eastern world, who had an abundant supply of saltpeter.


    Because of this stranglehold over saltpeter, it had be incredibly difficult for Austria''s enemies to get their hands on gunpowder, and thus, despite their ability to manufacture firearms, they could not field such weapons inrge numbers.


    However, it turned out there was a vast deposit of this strategic resource lying within her Kingdom''s borders the entire time, and Austria had not only noticed its existence, but skillfully usurped the region''s mining rights from its rightful owners. This enraged the woman to the core of her being.


    It took her a few moments to calm her inner fury and collect her thoughts. What she needed to do now was escape the confines of this mine, and report what information she had collected to her King. If the King of Spain knew that such a vast quantity of saltpeter existed in his backyard, he would do whatever it took to gain control over it.


    Thus, the woman instantly realized what she needed to do and climbed her way back to the surface. However, she did not get far, as the moment she turned around to make a strategic withdrawal, a patrol spotted her. The leader of the squad aimed down his rifle at the woman and shouted at her with her native tongue.


    "Halt! You are not supposed to be here! Get on the ground and ce your hands behind your back!"


    Aftering so far, the woman was not about to surrender without a fight. Thus, she covertly pulled out a small dagger and threw it towards the squad leader''s neck. Before the man could react, the de pierced his skin and severed his carotid artery, causing his blood to spew forth like a fountain.


    The woman took advantage of the shock, to rush her opponents, grabbing hold of one of their rifles, and disarming them, before raising it towards the third sentry and pulling the trigger, sending a projectile straight into his heart, ending his life on the spot.


    She quickly used the butt of her rifle to knock out the third opponent before tossing it on the ground. The echo of the gunshot would surely alert the entire facility to her presence, thus she quickly made a run for it towards the surface.


    As she suspected, it did not take long for another unit to arrive at the scene of her crime, where they witnessed the deaths of theirrades. The squad leader quickly pulled out smelling salts and awoke the unconscious soldier where he interrogated him about what had transpired.


    "What happened here!?!"


    The soldier looked around in confusion before gathering his thoughts. After doing so, he quickly responded to the question.


    "There was a woman. I did not see her face, as it was covered. However, she was down here in the mine and witnessed our operations! She has probably fled to the surface, quickly get to her before news of the saltpeter reaches Spain!"


    A hint of worry shed across the soldier''s face as he heard these words. If a spy had infiltrated the mine and discovered its secrets, then they were all in grave danger. For the moment King Berengar heard about this ipetence, heads would surely roll. Thus, with a grave tone in his voice, the squad leader quickly issued his orders.


    "Find her quickly! We cannot waste any more time!"


    However, by the time the sentries could prepare a proper search party, the woman was already gone in the wind. They found not a single trace of her existence. Instead, she was already on her way to the Capital of the Kingdom of Spain.


    When King Felipe finally found out that Berengar had cheated him out of a vast stockpile of saltpeter and had already mined a fair portion of it, he would be infuriated. For some time, the Catholic world hadgged behind the Kingdom of Austria and its technologically advanced military.


    Now that they were finally taking a step forward in military advancements, theck of gunpowder limited them in their ability to fight against Austria''s growing dominance. To have such a substantial deposit of saltpeter stolen from beneath their grasp was a massive insult to not only the Kingdom of Spain but the Catholic World.


    The consequences of this revtion had yet to be seen, but one thing was certain: there would be a great pressure on the Kingdom of Granada, and their Austrian allies into handing over the mine, and all that had been retrieved from it back to its Spanish masters. Whether Berengar and Hasan would listen to such an unreasonable request was another matter entirely.

 Chapter 558 - A Quest for Gold

    Chapter 558 - A Quest for Gold


    ck smoke exuded from the bore of a 1422 service revolver as the thunder of its gunfire faded into the distance. A single dainty hand raised the barrel of the weapon to a set of luscious pink lips, which blew away the vapor of the shot.


    Lying on the ground in front of the killer was a corpse which belonged to a young native girl. This adolescent youth had her hands tied behind her back, with a look of shock on her face as her brains decorated the dirt beneath her carcass.


    The victim''s family knelt by the girl''s dead body while bound in chains and filled with unimaginable despair. A pair of brown eyes gazed up with hatred at the foreign woman who had snuffed the life of his innocent young daughter so mercilessly.


    When Honoria saw this man''s detestable state, a fiendish smirk appeared on her immacte face as she pulled back the hammer on her revolver and pressed its barrel against the man''s forehead. While staring into the depths of the father''s resentment, the Byzantine Princess pulled out a chunk of golden jewelry from her coat pocket and shoved it in the man''s face. Though neither of the two individuals shared amonnguage, the intent was as clear as day.


    "Lead me to the gold, or die like your daughter..."


    When presented with such an overbearing threat, the man did not falter, instead he spat upon the indigo haired woman''s face, causing her brows to twitch in fury. The moment Honoria''s crew saw this expression, they knew their captain would shed blood.


    Thus it came as no surprise when the privateer queen pointed the barrel of her revolver towards the man''s young son, and fired a shot into his small chest, in doing so ruthlessly iming the child''s life. The father of the two in children stared in disbelief at the woman, only to see the gold jewelry pressed in his face once more, and the barrel of the strange weapon she wielded pointed towards yet another of his children. There was utter contempt in Honoria''s mint-green eyes as she mouthed the words which the natives could not possibly understand.


    "You have two more children, and I have four more bullets. Tell me where the gold is, and I will spare their miserable lives."


    Though the native tribesman did not speak German, he could understand the vicious woman''s intent, and thus with tears streaming down his eyes, gritted his teeth and bit the proverbial bullet. With a slight nod of his head, the man struggled to rise to his feet, where he marched off into the distance, leading Honoria and her crew towards that which they sought to im. Upon seeing that the man was now being cooperative, a sinister smile curved itself upon Honoria''s lips as she gave the orders to her crew.


    "Secure the family. If he tries to screw us over, we can use them as a bargaining chip!"


    Having received her orders, Elfrun pointed the barrel of her g-22 rifle towards the mother and her remaining two children as she and her sisters stood watch over the burning vige. Having spent thest few weeks building their outpost in this foreignnd, the privateers were now on a quest for gold, and they were more than willing to kill anyone who got in their way.


    Elfrun gazed into the distance as she watched her captain so bravely marched into the wilderness with only a tortured soul to guide her to the location of the gold mines. As for Honoria, she and her squad stalked their prisoner into the mountains of the Venezun Andes, constantly alert to the dangers that surrounded them.


    Eventually, they found themselves at the entrance to a cave, which acted as the primitive mine for the local tribe that they had obliterated hours ago. Honoria had an ecstatic grin on her pretty face as she broke out into maniacalughter.


    "Haha hahaha! Daddy will definitely reward me for this!"


    Her crew mates grimaced when they heard the nickname that Honoria shamelessly used to refer to her husband, before inspecting the cave of their own volition. It was immediately apparent that a vast vein of gold existed on the outer portions of the cave''s walls, and the vigers had mined only a small amount.


    With the resources avable to Honoria, and the future settlement that was currently being established, the actual worth of this mine waspletely unknown. But toe across such a valuable deposit so early in her quest was a blessing from the heavens.


    The native man red at the foreign females as they scoured the cave, inspecting it for its worth. Unbeknownst to him, Honoria had raised her weapon to towards the back of his head and set the hammer back. A single phrase escaped her lips before she pulled the trigger.


    "Thank you for your cooperation."


    After Honoria had uttered the words, gunfire resounded in the air, instantly scaring off the nearby wildlife. The native man''s body copsed lifelessly to the floor with an audible thud as the other members of Honoria''s crew came rushing over to witness the scene of the execution.


    Malissa had a concerned expression on her face, which Honoria immediately noted, causing the Byzantine princess to shrug her shoulders and make a snidement about her brutal actions.


    "What? He served his usefulness. There was no reason to keep him around any longer..."


    The first mate of Honoria''s crew could hardly believe how callous the Byzantine Princess had be over the years. When she first met Honoria, she was an innocent and naive girl trying to escape a terrible marriage.


    Now the Byzantine Princess was the dread of the Mediterranean, and a ruthless killer. Obviously, the change in her personality was because of Berengar''s influence. Sometimes Malissa thought it was better if she hadn''t helped the girl escape her family. She internally despised the King of Austria for how he had warped such a nice girl into such a monstrous pirate.


    However, there was nothing she could do about that. Honoria had be set in her ways, and Malissa knew the Princess would never leave Berengar. To speak of such an option was a good way to get herself keelhauled. In the end, all the first-mate could manage was to sigh in defeat before pulling out a map and marking the gold mine''s location.


    Now that she had mapped the area, the privateers would have to make a long trek back to the settlement. Thus, she quickly offered her advice to her captain, who was enjoying the sight of her gruesome work.


    "Captain, I advise we regroup with the others and eliminate the natives we hold captive. As you have said, they no longer have a use now that we have got what we need. After doing so, we should march back to the settlement and dispatch a unit of marines to secure the resource deposit."


    Honoria quickly nodded her head before turning her back on her crew and towards the direction where the other members lie in wait.


    "Very well. Let us make haste. The sooner we secure the gold mine, the sooner we can bring back some spoils from our settlement. I can''t wait to see how happy my man is when he finds out how much gold I have found!"


    Upon hearing this, Malissa sighed heavily once more before stashing away the map in her satchel and following her captain in to the mountains. After a quick climb, they returned to the ruins of the vige they had assaulted, to find that Elfrun had gotten bored, and forced the captives to y hot potato with a live grenade.


    When Honoria saw the corpses of the vigers which were now mincemeat, she grabbed ahold of her explosives expert and rustled her hair while scolding her in a friendly manner.


    "Elfrun, you little bitch, what did I say? I thought I had explicitly ordered you to keep these savages as bargaining chips. You''re just lucky that dumbass didn''t try anything, or else I would be shoving a candlestick up your arse right now!"


    The girl known as Elfrun''s eyes widened in shock as she heard this vulgar threat. Shortly thereafter, her cheeks blushed, and she pouted as Honoria stuffed her head in her mighty bosom. As the princess did so, she whispered something in the girl''s ears that frightened her.


    "Do something like this again, and I promise that won''t be a veiled threat..."


    Elfrun immediately nodded her head thrice in silence. After seeing that the girl had be obedient once more, Honoria called out to her girls with a voice filled with excitement.


    "We found the gold mine. All we need to do is go back to the settlement and get wasted! As for the management of the resources, I''ll leave that up to themander in charge of the marines. Let''s go have some fun!"


    With that said, Honoria and her crew descended from the mountain, down into the fledgling settlement below. News of the discovery of gold within the region would only reach Berengar''s ears after he had finished his campaign to unify Germany.


    When the King of Austria finally realized this discovery, he would begin focusing his efforts on colonizing thends that were once known as South America in his past life with great interest in obtaining the silver, gold, and oil in the region.

 Chapter 559 - Prussian Authority

    Chapter 559 - Prussian Authority


    Eckhard stood at the front of a formation of soldiers which belonged to the recently formed state of Prussia. These men were mere peasants a few months ago, and yet now they were armed and trained to the same standards as the Kingdom of Austria''s Armed Forces.


    Even though Berengar had granted an exemption to the Grand Duchy of Pnd from participating in the ongoing unification wars, that did not mean that the fledgling state wascking in military matters. Quite the contrary, as the greatest of Berengar''s generals, Eckhard had ensured that a proper Army was established.


    Especially when one needed to consider the conspiracies that surrounded him by the local lords who clung to an ancient past. Feudalism was dead, and Berengar had killed it. Yet these pompous fools continued to defy the new order, and thus, Eckhard was forced to act ruthlessly in his attempts to squash dissent.


    Though he had an engagement to the daughter of the Margrave of Brandenburg, it was bing clear to the aging General that his fiancee and her father were a couple of scheming devils. Thus, he had resorted to force to show an example of what happens to those who defy the crown of Austria.


    With a grim expression, Eckhard addressed the Brigade of soldiers beneath hismand. Currently, he only had 5,000 men, but with his wits and overwhelming advantage in military technology, it would be enough to bring the Margrave of Brandenburg to heel..


    "A few months ago, you were mere serfs, tending to thends of your masters. However, with Austria''s conquests of thesends, you were liberated from your servitude to your ungrateful masters. Despite the age of feudalism ending, these nobles refuse to surrender the absurd privileges they have enjoyed for the past few generations.


    Thus, as men of the new era, it hase to us to force these privileged fools into the submission of the Austrian Crown! Many of you may be in fear for your lives. After all, we are outnumbered. However, you have been trained for this! You wield weapons that the enemy has never even seen before! Go forth, men of Prussia, and conquer your former masters!"


    The soldiers in the field immediately roared their battle-cry in unison.


    "For King, and fathend!"


    With this said, the soldiers of the Prussian Army loaded their weapons and waited for the hostile field army to arrive.


    ---


    On the other side of the field was the army, which belonged to the Margrave of Brandenburg. The proud noble led his knights and men at arms from the rear. Though many realms had adapted to the weapons and tactics employed by the Kingdom of Austria and its South German Confederation, there were still those stuck in the old ways, refusing to believe the authority that the Knights once wielded on the field of battle had ended.


    Johannes von Hohenzollern was one of these men. He was so confident in his victory over the Austrian Knight, who had been granted the position of Grand Duke from his upstart master, that the Margrave had even brought his daughter to watch the battle unfold.


    A cruel smirk was on the face of Martha as she shooed away the heat with a hand fan while sitting on horseback.


    "Has he gone senile? The so-called Great Field Marshal of Austria has only brought 5,000 men tobat our forces? We easily outnumber him by five times as many soldiers! I can''t believe you agreed to wed me off to such a fool!"


    Johannes merely chuckled at his daughter''s analysis. With a confident expression on his face, he boldly dered victory before the battle had even begun.


    "I suppose once he is defeated, the old man will finally realize that he and his King have no control over ournds. Stay here, and watch as your father defeats the pitiful army of levies that your fiancee has mustered."


    After saying these words, the man snapped the reins of his horse and rode off to the front of the formation. Once the Margrave was in front of his knights, he gave a rousing speech to the men who followed him into battle.


    "Knights of Brandenburg! These fools think that because they have annexed the Teutonic State that they have a right to ournds. This is nonsense. Our ancestors have built this mighty realm, and it is our birthright to carry on their legacy and rule over its people! Ride out and achieve your victory over these foreigners from the South!"


    Upon saying this the Margrave lowered the visor to his great basc before charging off on his horse with a sword in hand. Immediately the army of knights, and men at arms, followed in pursuit, believing by sheer volume of numbers they would overwhelm the enemy.


    ---


    When Eckhard gazed into the distance through his binocrs and witnessed this mindless charge, he merely shook his head before raising his hand and ordering the artillery battalion to let loose a barrage upon the enemy army.


    "Open fire!"


    The moment these words were spoken, the Artillery crews nodded their heads, before loading the shells into their guns. Once the shells were loaded into the guns, and the horizontal sliding blocks were closed, the gunner in charge of firing the weapon pulled thenyard, immediately detonating the projectile and sending it down range onto the charging knights.


    Before the Knights could even get close, explosions detonated among their ranks, killing men, and beat alike. The Margrave looked back at his ranks to witness from a single barrage, hundreds of his men lie dead.


    Before he could return his focus, another barrage of 18 shellsnded upon their ranks and sted more of his knights to bits. He could hardly believe his eyes. Though he had heard rumors of the effectiveness of Austrian weapons, he had never believed the stories to be true until now.


    Despite this, he was undeterred. After all, he still had an overwhelming numerical advantage, thus he raised his sword in the air andpelled his forces to charge through the fire and into the fray.


    "Charge!"


    Though the Knights and Men at arms thatposed the Margrave''s ranks were fearful, they ultimately mustered their courage and charged forth towards the Prussian Army. When Eckhard witness this, he sighed heavily in defeat, before motioning for his secret weapons to be unleashed.


    "Bring out the Schmidt guns!"


    When this order was given, the machine gun crews scrambled to set up their weapons into position, in his entire Brigade, Eckhard only had a single battery of these devastating weapons, and though he had never witnessed their use in battle, he was far from eager to see them employed. Still, despite his hesitation, it waspletely necessary to unleash this mighty weapon upon his foes.


    The moment the enemy entered within firing range, the men who operated the Schmidt guns cranked their weapons and, in doing so, fired off hundreds of rounds a minute. The repeated echo of gunfire was something that had never been witnessed before in thesends.


    The first round of bullets struck the margrave in the chest, with at least seven projectiles piercing through his thick steel breastte as if it were made of butter, and sshing his blood out the other side. The mount beneath him immediately became frightened and bucked its dying rider off its back before attempting to flee the rapid gunfire.


    When Martha witnessed her father''s situation from afar, she gasped in horror and covered her mouth in shock. However, the dread that she felt in that moment was only exemplified when the six Schmidt guns continued to fire thousands of rounds downrange towards the Army of Brandenburg in a chorus of thunder.


    It was not only the Machine guns that were being fired at the oing forces, every soldier within Eckhard''s ranks who wielded a rifle stood firm and fired their shots into the mass of iron and steel that was charging towards them as quickly as they could manage.


    The Margrave of Brandenburg lied on his back, bleeding out, gazing upon his army of 25,000 men which he had spent his whole life training, cut down in a matter of minutes by the overwhelming firepower of the Austrian weapons in use by the Prussian soldiers. With a bitter smile on his face, he mouthed a single phrase before his life was snuffed from existence.


    "So.... it is truly the end of an era..."


    The life faded from the Margraves'' eyes as the Prussian army continued to fire upon the hostile soldiers as if their very lives depended on the volume of fire they could unleash upon their enemies. What was supposed to be a quick victory via overwhelming numbers ended up in a disproportionate massacre.


    Word of the new and improved Schmidt guns would quickly travel around Christendom, adding a new sense of dread in the hearts and minds of Austria''s rivals. The result of this battle would forever serve as a reminder of Austria''s advanced military technology to those who sought to refuse their rule.

 Chapter 560 - Ending a Rebellion

    Chapter 560 - Ending a Rebellion


    Eckhard gazed upon the bloody scene of his battle and sighed heavily. All he wanted in this world was a peaceful retirement. For the briefest of moments, he had achieved this aim. Unfortunately, thend that Berengar gave him was filled with mutinous nobles, and thus, he was forced to take up the de once more.


    The echo of gunfire had long since ceased, and the smoke vanished, to reveal the scene of 25,000 corpses riddled with bullet holes. Those that were less lucky had been sted to bits by artillery fire, leaving piles of mincemeat in their ce.


    The scent of blood and bile filled the air, but this was something the retired General was all too used to. As hemented the wasteful loss of life, his eyes nced upon the horrified visage of his fiancee whoy petrified from fright across the battlefield. With the death of her father, and his army, she was now without protection in this cruel world.


    Eckhard sneered in disgust as he walked through the mountains of bodies and rivers of blood to reach the other side of the battlefield, where Martha was trembling. When he finally approached the woman, he stared at her beautiful figure with a gaze filled with contempt.


    The young woman struggled to speak, and just when she was about to say her first word since witnessing her father''s death at the hands of the Prussian Army, she felt a sting on her cheek, as her fiance fiercely backhanded her across the face. She gazed in horror as she realized she had just been struck and merely whimpered as Eckhard chastised her.


    "If I didn''t need your bloodline to cement my legacy as the Grand Duke of Prussia, I would end your miserable existence here and now! Thank the Lord that I am a merciful man. In exchange for your life, I expect you and your family toe to heel. You will marry me, and bear my children, and you will do so withplete and utter loyalty to me and my house. Failure to do so will result in your immediate termination. Do I make myself understood?"


    The girl gazed in disbelief at the retired General who she had just moments ago mocked alongside her father. The grand army of Brandenburg was no match for the overwhelming firepower that Austria and its puppets wielded. All she could do was lower her head in disgrace and ept these terms that were presented to her.


    Upon seeing that his fiancee had be docile in defeat, Eckhard smiled viciously before presenting his hand to the woman, lifting her from the dirt and up to his level. He chose not tofort the woman, for she was undeserving of such kindness. Instead, he merely brought her back to the army which were digging the graves of the fallen nobles who had dared to resist the rule of Grand Duke of Prussia, and by extension the Crown of Austria.


    Martha remained inplete and utter silence as she reflected on her lot in life. Her father lie dead, her brother would seed him and he was just a 14-year-old boy. Eckhard had won, and he would force Brandenburg to submit. While she wasing to terms with her fate, Eckhard ordered the horses to be brought forth.


    It was a long journey to Marienburg, and he wanted to waste no further time here on the field of battle. Thus he climbed atop his horse, and dragged his fiancee behind him, before riding off with a contingent of household guards. There was still much to be done, and the war for German Unification meant that he would be dreadfully busy supporting his master.


    ---


    While Eckhard achieved a minor victory in Brandenburg, the same could be said for Berengar far to the west. Luxembourg had attempted to pull back its armies to its capital to fight a brutal urban campaign against their invaders. In doing so, they had given orders to destroy any infrastructure of value, and to burn the fields in their retreat.


    Despite this, the Blitzkrieg of Austria''s armies quickly overran the units who were to engage in such scorched earth tactics. Resulting in massive losses to the Luxembourg war machine. Currently, Berengar and his host were twenty-five miles from the capital of the Duchy. Victory was near, and he had fought no battlerger than a minor skirmish.


    As the Austrian Army enclosed around the capital of his enemy, Hartman stood within the confines of his pce, fervently biting his nails in panic. By his side was his advisor Hilmar, who read from a pamphlet which had been widely distributed across the Duchy of Luxembourg.


    "King Berengar von Kufstein has dered that he shall grant a pardon to any soldier whoys down his arms and surrenders to the South German Confederation. However, this only applies to those who refuse to follow the orders given by Hartman von Luxembourg. Any man caught engaging in acts of sabotage, ughter, or scorched earth tactics will be sentenced to death and immediately executed by firing squad upon capture. Austrian victory is inevitable. Do not waste your lives in defense of a bastard!"


    When Hartman heard these words, he could hardly contain the wrath in his heart, however somehow he endured. In doing so, he calmed himself with some heavy breathing before asking in his mind.


    "How many of my soldiers have defected to the enemy?"


    Hilmar sighed heavily before responding to this question.


    "There is no way to no for certain, but from what little intelligence I have gathered, it is likely that thousands of our soldiers have surrendered without a fight. If we take the whole Norther Alliance into ount, it is highly probable that the numbers are in the tens of thousands... To put it simply, our soldiers are well aware of firepower that Austria wields, and are unwilling to walk into a ughter."


    Hilmar failed to inform the man that these numbers were reported to him via his contact with Austrian Royal Intelligence. After all, to do so was to reveal that he was a spy, and thus he kept his mouth shut rather than expose himself.


    Hartman did not want to hear these words, and struggled to remain calm. Knowing that the Austrian Army was nearly on the borders of his capital, Hartman made a decision that he never thought would be necessary.


    "Very well, Berengar is about to arrive here in Luxembourg, when he does, we fill fight him until the bitter end. However, I know how vengeful the man can be. Because of what I have done to his sister, he will surely inflict greater suffering on my blood rtives. Tell my sisters to pack only what is necessary and immediately depart to the Duchy of Burgundy. They will be safe there while I make myst stand!"


    Hilmar immediately bowed in respect before responding to these orders.


    "Very well. If there is nothing else, I will get to that immediately."


    Hartman remained silent and merely waved the man off, where he quickly proceeded down the halls and into the Duke''s eldest sister''s room. Hartman was a bastard, and because his father had sired no trueborn sons, he was legitimized in life, and made his sessor. However, this did not mean that the old man did not have any progeny with his wife. In fact, all of Hartman''s sisters were half-sisters that were a product of his father''s legitimate marriage.


    Thus, they were all elder sisters, and when Hilmar knocked upon the door, all three of them answered with anxious expressions. When the Duke''s advisor spotted the three beautiful young women gathered in one ce, he bowed his head to them before rying their brother''s orders.


    "Your Brother, the Duke of Luxembourg, had ordered for you to pack up only what is necessary and depart within the hour to the Duchy of Burgundy. He has brokered an agreement with the Duke of Burgundy for you to remain safe there while he oversees the defense of the city."


    The three women nced at each other for a few moments in silence before nodding their heads in agreement. They knew it was no longer safe within the city of Luxembourg, and thus quickly got to task preparing for their departure.


    As for Hilmar, immediately after informing these three girls of their task, he departed from the Pce and headed into the city intending to visit a local tavern. Despite the imminent siege, this tavern continued to serve drinks to anyone who will drink them. His reason for visiting this location was because there was an important contact for him to meet with, and he figured that woman would be interested in the Bastard of Luxembourg''s attempt to get his sisters to safety.


    Thus, Hilmar sat down at his table, and ordered two drinks, while he waited for his contact to arrive. He would remain sitting in the tavern, drinking for several hours before the mature beauty that was his contact arrived.

 Chapter 561 - An Important Pursuit

    Chapter 561 - An Important Pursuit


    Hilmar sat within the confines of the tavern as the city''s garrisons were rushing into defensive mode. The armies of Austria were gathering outside the city, and with it, the atmosphere had be tense. To calm his growing nerved, the Count sat with an ale in one hand while maintaining a lookout for his contact.


    As part of their cat and mouse tactics, Hilmar had frequently visited this tavern over the past few months to ry information to the Austrian Spy about anything important, which he discovered by being an advisor to the Duke. The symbol to initiate contact was a simple act of cing a flowerpot on the tavern''s windowsill, which he had done the moment he entered the establishment.


    He did not have long, if he was absent from the Pce for an extended period of time, then Hartman would grow suspicious, and considering he was conspiring with the enemy to bring his master''s rule to an end, thest thing he needed was the Bastard of Luxembourg looking into his hidden actions.


    One drink turned to two, and to turned to three. Before Hilmar knew it, he had consumed five beers. Just when he was about to get up and exit the tavern, the mature beauty who was his contact sat down in front of him with an exhausted expression on her lips. She grabbed ahold of the man''s drink and chug its contents before letting out a heavy sigh.


    "Sorry I''mte, doll. I''ve been dreadfully busy coordinating efforts with the rebels inside the city''s gates. I trust this is urgent, and you are not simply wasting my time for the sake of getting to know little ol'' me..."


    When Hilmar heard this response, his eyes widened in shock. He did not know that Berengar had dispatched rebels into the city of Luxembourg. After all, he wasn''t exactly the most knowledgeable informant of Austrian Royal Intelligence. Despite this shocking revtion, the man kept himself focused and instead ryed the information he knew.


    "The Duke is dispatching his sisters to Burgundy for their safety. I thought this information might interest your master. After all, it was his sister who was harmed in Hartman''s failed assassination attempt..."


    The busy and mature beauty sitting across from Hilmar sighed heavily before nodding her head. She immediately chugged another beer, which the tavern wench had brought over before inquiring further about this information.


    "When will they depart? Have they already left? Which route are they taking? I need specific details if I am to inform my superiors of this information you have gained."


    Hilmar sighed as he told the woman everything he knew about the topic.


    "By now they have likely already left the city, and are heading west via some less travelled roads towards the Duchy of Burgundy. If you send a cavalry unit to intercept them, it will not be toote for the King of Austria to gain his vengeance. Allow me to draw you a map!"


    As Hilmar said this, he quickly retrieved some parchment from his pocket and used a fountain pen, which the spy provided with him to draw a crude map of the routes most likely to be travelled by the escapees. After finishing it, he handed the chart over to his contact with a smile on his face.


    The busty woman quickly grabbed hold of the map and studied its contents before nodding her head. She pounded yet another beer in a matter of seconds before wiping her mouth with her sleeve. After doing so, she stood up from her seat and prepared to depart, before doing so she left a single farewell with an amorous smile on her face.


    "I will make sure when we take this city that we spare your life. Maybe after this dreadful business is over, we can get a proper meal together. After all, I have yet to reward you for your service..."


    Without waiting for a response, the female agent departed from the tavern, leaving Hilmar with a satisfied expression on his lips. He could not wait for the day that the beautiful spy would reward him for his efforts.


    As for the Agent, she quickly snuck out of the city through its Salley port when nobody was looking, beforeing into contact with another agent of the Austrian Crown who was waiting for her response. This agent was a haggard old man who was unlikely to provoke interest of any kind. The busty beauty quickly handed him the map and ryed Hilmar''s words.


    "My contact in the pce assures me that the Duke''s sisters have already departed for the Duchy of Burgundy. They seek refuge in the house of that disgusting boy-lover. Bring this word to the King, and have him decide what to do with it. I should get back into the city before the fighting begins."


    Just when the woman was about to return to her duty within the city, the other agenttched onto her wrist and shook his head before speaking.


    "You can inform the King of this yourself, you have done your duty, now only conflict remains, and it would be best if our agents are not within the city when the fighting begins, that is a task for the Jagdkommandos and their insurgent army."


    It shocked the woman to hear this, however she did not disobey orders, instead she followed the other agent to the horse which he had hidden in the treeline. The two agents rode off in tandem towards the main Austrian Host, which by now was only miles away from the Capital of Luxembourg.


    After a brief ride, the horse and its two riders approached the Austrian Army, where they immediately flew an Austrian g to symbolize their allegiance. Because of this, they did not rm the Soldiers with their rapid approach, and instead the soldiers allowed them to pass by undisturbed. It was not until they approached the Royal Guard where they were gged down and inspected before being granted an audience with the King.


    After their identities as agents of the crown were verified, the Royal Guard led the woman towards Berengar, who sat upon his steed. Upon witnessing her King in person, the female agent instantly knelt before her sovereign as she spoke the thoughts in her mind.


    "Your Majesty, I have important news to give to you. I have received word from my contact within the Pce of Luxembourg that the Duke''s sisters are currently fleeing westward towards the Duchy of Burgundy, where they will seek refuge. This presents us with an opportunity to seize them, and use them as bargaining chips, or whatever else you would decide to do with them."


    It did not surprise Berengar to hear this information. He had long since been receiving regr updates from his agents in the field, thus he knew well that there was an informant embedded in the Ducal Court of Luxembourg, supplying Austrian intelligence with vital information.


    Thus, when he heard this news, he had a minor reaction. He gazed towards the west where the Duchy of Burgundy lied and sighed before giving out hismands to his Royal Guard.


    "Sent a Cavalry Battalion out to find the Duke''s sisters. We can not allow them to reach the safety of their western neighbors."


    The officer in charge of the Royal Guard''s Cavalry quickly nodded his head and was about to depart when the female agent handed over the map that Hilmar had scribbled of the routes the girls were most likely to take.


    "Here, take this. It may help in your search!''


    The Cavalry Officer immediately nodded his head as he epted the gift, before rallying his soldiers beneath hismand. The Cavalry of the Royal Guard spared no time and immediately departed from the main army as they went around the city of Luxembourg and into the pastoral fields of Gund where they were most likely to find the caravan which contained the Duke''s sisters.


    As for the rest of the Army, they were but a stone''s throw away from Luxembourg and shortly thereafter set up a proper siege encampment around the entire city. There would be no escape from the Bastard of Luxembourg.


    While his soldiers dug a series of trenches around the city and prepared their artillery pieces and machine guns alike. Berengar sat in hismand trench dressed in his full battle attire, pouring himself a chalice filled with wine. He gazed off towards the city''s walls and sighed heavily in defeat.


    No matter how much he wanted to prevent unnecessary civilian casualties, it would appear that brutal urban warfare the like this world had not seen since Carthage was about to be a reality. For the first time in a long time, Berengar was about to lead his soldiers into a siege that was more than just bombarding a city into oblivion.


    If what his spies reported was true, then Hartman nned to arm every citizen within his city''s walls with firearms, and force Berengar''s army to kick down every door within the city in an attempt to wrestle control of it. Luckily for Berengar, he had already nned for such a reality, and secured an armed force of rebels within the city. When the siege finally begun, Hartman was in for a rude awakening.

 Chapter 562 - Capturing Luxembourg

    Chapter 562 - Capturing Luxembourg


    The moment the first light entered the sky, the Austrian Artillery, which was entrenched within the borders of the siege camp, fired upon the city of Luxembourg''s multiple gatehouses. The thunder of the shots resounded in the air, and thoroughly awoke all within the vicinity, including the young king of Austria himself.


    Having been awakened by the sound ofbat, Berengar rubbed his weary eyes before taking a sip from the wine chalice that sat atop his bed stand. After taking a small gulp of his liquid courage, the monarch rose from his bed, and dressed himself in his battle attire.


    Considering that he was on the European maind, Berengar wore a ck and gold uniform, with gilded epaulettes, and a ckcquered Cuirass. His helmet was in the fashion of the royal guard. In other words, it was a ckened steel pickelhaube with a ck plume atop its spike.


    Was this the most efficient armor Berengar could design? Obviously not, however the technology for his most advanced equipment which was issued to his specialized units was not capable of being mass produced just yet, and thus as a man obsessed with aesthetics, he felt it was more important for his standard soldiers to have attire that fitted with the theme of their antiquated weapons.


    The moment he could mass produce nylon, ceramic tes, and more modern weapons such as assault rifles, which were more suitable for the look of a modern uniform, then and only then would he equip his average soldiers with such advanced equipment. After all, though his current arms and armor were not the best he could field, they sufficiently protected his soldiers against most threats that they woulde across in this feudal world.


    However, such things were not important at the moment, instead he pushed these thoughts of future modernization to the back of his mind, before equipping his mboyant helmet and grabbing his sword belt which lie next to his bed. After fastening to belt around his waist, he climbed out of his hole in the ground and walked through the vast trenchwork, which acted as the siege camp for his army of 30,000 men.


    By the time the King regrouped with hismanders, he noticed that the city''s gatehouses had been reduced to rubble by the overwhelming firepower of his army''s artillery. With a smile on his face, Berengar gazed upon his soldiers before giving a speech to his men, who were gathered, awaiting their orders.


    "Men of Austria, the Bastard of Luxembourg, hides within his city, forcing his citizens to fight against us all in a poor attempt to flee from the crimes he hasmitted against our people! By harming our Princess, he has invoked a war between the South German Confederation, and the Northern Alliance. History will remember this as a war we did not start, but one that finally unified the German people into a single cohesive Empire.


    As we all stand here, prepared to take the Capital of Luxembourg, our armies spread out across the Northern States, pushing towards their objectives! When we take this city and bring the Bastard of Luxembourg to justice, the rest of the German lords will surrender.


    No matter what you might witness in this city, remember to protect yourselves at all times. If someone dares to open fire upon you, no matter who they may be, you have my permission to fire back! Now go forth and conquer! For King and Fathend!"


    The 30,000 Austrian soldiers raised their weapons into the air as they repeated the battle cry their King had just stated.


    "For King and Fathend!"


    Berengar immediately unsheathed his sword and charged on foot out of the trenches and towards the city''s ruined walls, acting as the spearhead among his forces who sought to take the city. The moment the King charged into battle, 30,000 men followed him towards the target of their assault.


    Atop the city''s walls, the defenders of Luxembourg lit their slow burning matches, and ced them onto their serpentines. They waited for the Austrian soldiers to enter firing range before squeezing the levers which acted as their weapons triggers.


    A volley of fire rained down towards Berengar, and his Royal Guard as they charged towards the fray. Miraculously, the projectiles missed their targets entirely. When Berengar saw this, a wicked smile formed on his face as he withdrew his 1422 Service Revolver from its holster and pulled back the hammer before squeezing the trigger, sending a.38 SPC projectile upward into the air and towards the defenders.


    Unlike the Austrian King, who was unharmed from the attack against him, Berengar''s shot quickly hit its mark, as the bullet pierced through the steel helmet of his target and out the other side. Sttering blood and grey matter across the ramparts.


    Enraged by the attack on their King''s life, the Austrian Royal Guard raised their G-22 rifles and fired a volley onto the city''s defenders, the .45-70 projectiles that struck their targets pierced through the medieval armor as if it were made of butter and reaped the souls of the city''s defenders.


    The Austrians who fired these weapons quickly reloaded their rifles before shifting their targets to the men standing within the gaps of the former gatehouse. These hostiles were already preparing another volley to fire, thus the Austrian Royal Guard quickly reacted by shooting another round at the enemy''s location, riddling the Luxembourg defenders with bullet holes.


    By the time Berengar arrived at the ruins of the city gates, he found the survivors hiding behind the rubble too afraid to poke their heads out, thus he shed forth with his sword towards the nearest hostile, and knocked the arkebuse out of his hands, before sticking the tip of his Damascus steel de into the weakest point of the man''s armor.


    When the man was on the floor with a de in his shoulder, Berengar raised his revolver to the enemy''s skull and squeezed the trigger, sending a resounding echo into the air, which sttered the man''s brains out the back of his helmet.


    Berengar''s Royal Guard quickly entered the scene and fired their shots at the defenders, before raising their bays against them. The soldiers of Austria and Luxembourg had now engaged in a grand melee at the entrance of the city.


    Unbeknownst to the city''s defenders, the moment the two sides met in meleebat, a group of civilians within the city''s gates exited their homes, with needle rifles in hand. These young men quickly rushed through the streets, as they advanced behind the City''s defenders, forming a firing line as they pulled the triggers of their rifles, sending the .458 caliber bullets down range and into the backs of the Luxembourg men at arms.


    ---


    While the battle was urring in the city below, Hartman gazed from the ledge of his balcony in horror as the enemy caught his troops between two separate forces. Just when had these rebels infiltrated his capital? The very idea that he had been outyed by Berengar drove him mad with rage. Thus, he turned away from his balcony in a fit of fury and gave his orders to Hilmar who stood by his side.


    "Tell my citizens if they do not take up the arms I have given them and fight back against these filthy rebels, then I will kill them all!"


    When Hilmar heard this, he sighed heavily in defeat. He had not wanted it toe to this, but apparently his liege was driven mad with fury. Thus, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a revolver, where he quickly fired two shots into the air. These projectiles flew out of the barrel of the gun and entered the torsos of the two guards who protected their liege.


    Hartman stood dumbfounded as his guards copsed around him, and was visibly trembling with rage. He could not believe his old friend had betrayed him. Before he could voice his fury, Hilmar pointed the revolver at the Duke and spoke in a voice filled with confidence.


    "Your Grace, it is over. Surrender now, and no further bloodshed need to ur. Resist, and it will force me to subdue you. No matter what happens, Berengar''s troops will reach these gates, and when they do, they will capture you. Do the right thing and spare the deaths of your people!"


    When Hartman heard these words, he realized his world was crumbling down around him. Rather than submit fully to the Austrian crown, he broke out into a mad fit ofughter before sighing heavily.


    "At least my sisters were spared... No Hilmar, I do not believe I will surrender!"


    Hartman immediately turned around and began walking towards the balcony. When Hilmar saw this, he immediately reacted by aiming his revolver towards the Duke''s calf, and shooting it. He could not allow his former master to jump off the ledge. Berengar needed to exact his vengeance, and without a clear target to vent his fury upon, he would surely turn his wrath on the people of Luxembourg. As a man who cared about his people, Hilmar would never allow this to ur.


    When the bullet struck through Hartman''s calf, he fell to the ground, and gazed up at the ledge mere feet in front of him. He tried to crawl his way towards it, but Hilmar stomped on his back, preventing him from moving any further. The two men gazed into the distance and watched as the armies of luxembourg crumbled beneath the Austrian onught. It would appear that war was already over...

 Chapter 563 - Fall of Luxembourg

    Chapter 563 - Fall of Luxembourg


    Berengar gazed at the scene before him. Moments ago, the Austrian and rebel forces had caught the soldiers of Luxembourg in a pincer attack. A ughter was unfolding as the Austrians retreated from the firing range and unleashed their own volleys upon the unsuspecting knights and men at arms who valiantly defended the ruins of the city gatehouse.


    However, just as the City''s defenders were about to be annihted, a man rode out through the pce gates and towards the city''s entrance waving a white g. Sitting upon horseback in front of him was none other than the bastard of luxembourg who was bound and gagged. The moment Berengar saw this scene, a wicked smile formed on his face as he ordered a ceasefire among his forces.


    "Hold your fire! Hold your fire! The enemy surrenders!"


    The officers quickly ryed these orders among the ranks of Austria''s finest soldiers, causing them to clear their weapons and lower their rifles. Just like that, the carnage had ended, as the smell of smoke and blood filled the air.


    Hilmar quickly jumped off his mighty steed, and tossed the bastard of luxembourg to the ground, where he grunted in pain. The bleeding in his leg had stopped and was firmly wrapped with a bandage. His life was secure for now.


    Berengar gazed upon the viin with a hate filled expression. This scoundrel had so boldly ordered an assassination attempt on him in his own home, in doing so grievously wounding his sister. Such a thing was simply unforgiveable.


    With this in mind, the King of Austria rapidly approached the prisoner and began stomping at his ribs. The resulting pain was visible in the man''s appearance. Eventually, the Royal Guard pulled away their King from his victim, where he merely spitted on the man''s bruised face with disgust. After doing so, Berengar addressed the brave soldiers who fought for control of this city, as well as the rebels who had secured Austrian Victory.


    "Men of Germany! We stand here today, having worked together as both Austria and Luxembourg to depose a tyrant! A man who uwfully tries to murder his rivals in their own homes! I assure you, he will suffer greatly for his sins, but for now, rest, and know that we are one step closer to our dream of a unified Germany!


    To those brave men who took up arms to ensure that Hartman suffers at the hands of justice, I apud you, and willmend each one of you with a medal for your heroism! Without you, this battle would have surely devolved into brutal urban warfare, where at the behest of this viin, average citizens would fight to theirst breath against my soldiers.


    As for those men who defended Luxembourg until theirst dying breath, I hereby pardon you for your crimes. You may live peacefully among your people until the end of your days. I am not a cruel man. There is only one person who has to suffer for the crimesmitted against my Kingdom, and my family. To victory! To the fathend!"


    The soldiers beneath Berengar''smand raised their rifles into the air and cheered for their King, and the victory they had earned on this day.


    "For King and fathend!"


    "Hail Victory!"


    "God with us!"


    The threemon battle cries of the Austrian Army resounded in the air as thousands of soldiers repeatedly chanted them. Berengar, on the other hand, was more fixated on his newest victim. He quickly issued an order to the Field Marshal of his Royal Guard, which was drowned out by the cheering of Austria''s soldiers.


    "I want this man secured and brought back to Austria. Ensure that one of our specialists wee him with enhanced interrogation. Until this bastard dies of old age, he will know nothing but pain and fear. As far as the world is concerned, Hartman von Luxembourg died of his wounds on his journey to Austria. Am I understood?"


    Heimerich nodded his head when he heard this, taking a moment to rify his orders just in case he was mistaken.


    "You want me to take him to a ck site?"


    Berengar merely responded with a silent nod. Upon seeing this, Heimerich responded in kind before offering a salute to his King.


    "It will be done, your Majesty."


    After saying this, a unit of the Royal Guard quickly secured Hartman and dragged him off from the celebration that was taking ce within the city square. As for Berengar, the conflict had exhausted him. Thus, he did not hesitate to im the Pce of Luxembourg for himself.


    "When you have found the Duke''s sisters, bring them before me. I don''t want a single strand of their hair harmed. If I find out that they have been mistreated, the abuser shall have his head removed!"


    The guards immediately nodded their heads. They would do asmanded. With that said, the King of Austria was about to get some much needed rest as his soldiers secured the city. Thus, he quickly found himself in the Duke''s former quarters and shut the shades as he drifted off to sleep.


    A few hourster, a knock resounded on Berengar''s door, quickly awakening the young king. He slowly rose from his bed before wiping his eyes. After doing so, he retrieved his eyepatch from the nearby bedstand and ced it over his scarred eye.


    Only after he had ensured that he was visibly appealing did he open the door to reveal Heimerich, along with several members of the Royal Guard. These men currently held onto three women in their early to mid-twenties. A look of fear was on their faces as they gazed at the Austrian King who now sat within their brother''s quarters. The Field Marshal was quick to announce their presence.


    "Your majesty, we have secured the Duke''s sisters, and I have brought them here as requested."


    Berengar merely yawned before motioning for the guards to bring the women into his room. The three young women were trembling in fear as they gazed upon the man whose armies had so rapidly conquered theirnds. As Heimerich was about to leave Berengar alone with the three women, the voice of his monarch stopped him.


    "Not you... Stay"


    The man instantly froze to his spot, before turning around, where he forced a smile before bowing.


    "Of course, your Majesty."


    He did not know what Berengar could want with him, but rumors of the King''s odd tastes in the bedroom were quite abundant, and thus, he feared the worst. Berengar only made matters worse as he motioned over to the women and said a simple phrase.


    "Pick one"


    Heimerich immediately struggled to understand what was going on and thus asked for rification on the matter.


    "Excuse me?"


    Upon seeing the confusion in his subordinates face, Berengar sighed heavily before revealing his intentions.


    "A duchess is a rare and valuablemodity. You have brought me three of them, thus I am giving you the one you desire most to be yourwfully wedded bride. You have earned this reward, don''t you think?"


    It dumbfounded the Field Marshal of the Royal Guard to hear this im. He nced towards the three women and back to his monarch with confusion in his heart. Truthfully, such a reward was beyond his measure of valor, but he epted it nheless. After all, marrying a duchess would give him prestige, and that would allow him to gain favor with his father towards the session.


    Thus, he examined the three women. Rather than focus on aspects such as bust, hip, or rear size, the Field General gazed into the eyes of each of the three women. He would choose his bride based on how they reacted to his scrutiny.


    The first of the three women immediately looked away in fright when his cold gazed pierced into her soul. The second fared little better. She instantly trembled and practically fell to her knees in fright. Finally, when he gazed at the third, and youngest of the three women, she met his re with equal resolve. There was no fear, no hesitation, only fierce determination. Upon seeing this, Heimerich chuckled and grabbed hold of the woman''s dainty hand before kissing it. As he did so, he smiled and put on a charming facade.


    "Your grace, might I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"


    The woman''s sisters gazed at her with relief and a bit of pity. They considered themselves lucky for being passed over. As for the young duchess in question, she sighed before revealing her identity.


    "I am Margaret von Luxembourg. I presume you have selected me to be your bride?"


    The cold indifference in which she announced each word disyed her utter sense of defeat. She knew what her fate entailed now that her brother had lost the war that he provoked. She could only pray that her husband was a kind man. When Heimerich heard these words, he could tell that she was suffering from depression, thus he grabbed ahold of her face with his hand and stared her directly in the eyes.


    "I did not choose for this to happen, but since the King has given his orders, I promise to provide for you, and treat you with the respect and dignity I should afford a woman of your position. If you will have me, that is..."


    The woman gazed around to see everyone''s reactions, ultimately when she met Berengar''s chilling gaze, she knew she had no choice in the matter, thus she sighed once more before epting her destiny.


    "Very well. I suppose there are worse fates in the world."


    After saying this, she met Berengar''s re with one of her own before fiercely advocating for her sisters.


    "Tell me, King Berengar, what will be of my sisters?"


    Berengar''s expression did not shift in the slightest as he confidently uttered the words that the other two women undoubtedly did not want to hear.


    "Like you, their fate is to be rewards for the efforts of my battle hardened Generals. I have two men in mind who are suitable candidates and utterlycking in wives. Thus, I will gift the two women over to them at an appropriate time. I promise you, they will be well taken care of. After all, I havews in ce that protect women from spousal abuse."


    Margaret simply nodded her head in silence as the other two women trembled at the thought of who they would be sold off to. Ultimately, they had nobody to me for their fate other than their brother. After concluding on this matter, Berengar issued amand to his field marshal.


    "I will ensure that your woman is safely returned to Austria. As for you, we still have much work to do. I must remind you that the Empire is not unified just yet. The other Northern States have yet to surrender. Thus, after this war is over, you can wed your wife. Until then, I expect you to perform your duties to your fullest ability."


    Heimerich immediately snapped into a salute as he responded to Berengar''s orders.


    "Yes, my King!"


    With this said, the war for German Unification was one step closer topletion. In theing days, news would spread of Hartman''s capture and of Luxembourg''s surrender, cing an even greater pressure on the Northern German States to surrender to the whims of Berengar.

 Chapter 564 - A Colony Built Upon Slavery

    Chapter 564 - A Colony Built Upon very


    While war waged in the German-speaking regions of the world for a unified Empire beneath the crown of Austria, things were progressing at an equally astonishing rate in the new world. Despite the ongoing war effort, Austria had ensured that regr deliveries to the Colony of New Vienna, and the burgeoning settlement in South Vind, were perfectly punctual.


    At the moment Honoria was sitting back on a straw chair, on the beaches of thend that was once known as Venezu in Berengar''s past life. In her hand was a cocktail that had been created from a mixture of imported distilled spirits and local fruits. By now, the woman''s indigo hair dye was fading, and her natural chocte color was showing its roots.


    She sat back on a straw beach chair, beneath a parasol, dressed in a bikini that Berengar had devised for her use. Honoria''s crew of privateers watched over this section of beach to ensure that no man approached and gazed upon the immacte figure of the Third Queen of Austria.


    While Honoria was enjoying her time sunbathing on the beach, a Naval Officer approached the vicinity. The moment he got close, the Privateers who acted as Honoria''s personal band of mercenaries blocked him. They would not allow a man to gaze upon their captain''s sublime body.


    When Honoria noticed this, she sighed heavily before cing down her drink on the nearby table. She immediately covered herself in a gossamer robe which, while translucent, heavily obscured her figure. She then sat up in her seat and motioned for her crew members to part ways, revealing a man she was not expecting to see. Grand Admiral Emmerich stood before the pirate Queen with a stern expression on his face. When Honoria saw this, she scoffed before boldly dismissing her crew.


    "Leave us..."


    When these orders were given, the girls of Honoria''s crew begrudgingly left their captain alone with the Austrian Admiral. It was only after they were out of earshot did Emmerich speak.


    "You seem to be doing awfully well for yourself..."


    Honoria quickly grabbed hold of her ss and drank from her cocktail. After several seconds of sipping through a straw, she made a snide remark towards the man her husband had chosen as the leader of the Austrian Navy.


    "Tell me, Admiral, is the war already over? Or are you being derelict in your duties to the King?"


    Now it was Emmerich''s turn to scoff as he exined the reason for his sudden visit.


    "What war? You mean the one with the Northern German states? I regret to inform you that our enemies are utterlycking in Naval Warfare Capabilities. My job has mostlyposed of patrolling the Baltic and North seas, and intercepting merchant vessels. A single irond can maintain dominance in the region. There is no reason for my presence.


    Rather than act as amon pirate, I spent my efforts in Trieste overseeing the retrofitting of our Frigates into the mighty ironds that our king has given youmand over. Interestingly enough, as I was looking through the books rted to our colonial expenses, I came across a bit of an abnormality.


    Unlike New Vienna, whose growth outpaces the immigration of natives. Thus causing a rise in demand forbor, your settlement here seems to be operating without the need for more personnel. If anything, you have only asked for military units such as marines to provide assistance. Tell me, my Queen, you wouldn''t be doing anything prohibited by the king''sw now, would you?"


    Honoria nearly choked on her cocktail as she heard these words. The truth of the matter was, she had been operating her settlement in the South under rather dubious conditions. It had long since been known that Berengar ouwed very in his Kingdom. In fact, it was a rather severe crime punishable by a life of hardbor in a work camp.


    However, because she was so far away from the fathend, and had been running out of bullets, Honoria had opted to enve, rather than massacre, the natives she hade across. After all, she couldn''t very well maintain defense over her settlement if she used all her munitions in pursuit of gold.


    Thus, currently, the overwhelming majority of work within the settlement outside of military affairs was being conducted via vebor. She had thought that as long as Berengar was unaware of this crime, she could continue to conduct her settlement in such a manner, but unfortunately, she had been found out.


    Honoria was wise enough to know that if Emmerich was bringing such ims to her, then he had sufficient evidence to back it up, thus with a heavy sigh the pirate queen gazed at her user with a fierce re before uttering the question on her mind.


    "How much?"


    Emmerich''s brow raised slightly as he heard this question. He initially believed he had misheard. Thus, he swiftly asked for rification.


    "I''m sorry?"


    This only made the pirate queen''s re grow more fierce as she rified what she had meant.


    "How much of a share do you want to keep quiet about this?"


    When Emmerich heard these words, his expression lowered before speaking in a grave tone.


    "So it is true, then? You are using vebor to establish the settlement? You know his majesty will be very displeased with you when he hears about this."


    Honoria''s expression immediately became enraged as she chastised the man for his self-righteous attitude.


    "Give me a break. Berengar doesn''t give a shit about the natives. He''s only pretending like he does because he knows something about this region that we do not. I have spent thest few months on this god forsaken spit ofnd, fighting tooth and nail with these filthy savages to defend the settlement my husband ordered me to create, and to locate natural resources for the sake of his Empire.


    I''ll have you know that I have found a rich gold mine, and yes, I am enving these God damn barbarians to use as my primarybor force. So what? Berengar is waging a war with the North that is no doubt draining his treasury. If anything, I am helping him, and his efforts by doing this! How dare youe here and act as if you are better than me? You do not know how difficult it is to establish a settlement in hostilends!"


    Upon seeing how belligerent Honoria had be over her actions, Emmerich could surmise that she knew what she was doing was against her husband''s wishes. She just deemed it a necessary evil toplete the task he had given her. When he reflected on how Berengar handled the natives of New Vienna, a simple question appeared in Emmerich''s mind.


    "Tell me, why could you not follow the same path that Berengar hadid out during his colonization of New Vienna? You were there. Surely you know better than I?"


    Honoria simply scoffed at this question before finishing the rest of her cocktail in one big gulp. She then berated Emmerich for his ignorance.


    "That was different! In New Vienna, we established peaceful ties with some tribes from the moment wended. That was not the case here. The second I stepped foot on this soil during my initial expedition, and my current one, the locals were instantly hostile to our presence. With the gue breaking out and ravaging thend, it has only be worse.


    I can not sit idly by and allow these savages to continue their onught against this colony, and I simply do not have the munitions to kill them all. So, I came up with an alternative solution. As long as the locals are underneath my ball and chain, they can not rise against me and harm our people."


    Upon hearing this line of reasoning, Emmerich sighed heavily before concluding on the matter.


    "I will alert his majesty of what is transpiring here the next time I see him. However, you should be forewarned. Berengar is not the kind of man to take the vition of hisws lightly, even if it is by one of the women he loves. I suggest you prepare yourself for your punishment, whatever that may be."


    When Honoria heard this, she merely scoffed before responding to the threat.


    "He knows where to find me. I would like to hear from him personally how he would have handled things differently if he were in my shoes."


    When Emmerich heard this, he merely smiled and nodded before standing up and exiting the scene. Before he disappeared entirely, he left one final remark.


    "I am sure he would be happy to lecture you..."


    With that said, Emmerich had marched back to the colony. By now, his crew had already delivered the supplies they arrived with. He would then sail back to the fathend and wait for Berengar''s arrival to inform him of the charges that his wife faced.


    As for Honoria, she would remain headstrong, and continue her policy of envement, believing she could buy Berengar''s forgiveness with an overwhelming supply of gold. What lengths of cruelty she would go to in order to achieve this, and how Berengar would react to the usations against his wife had yet to be seen.

 Chapter 565 - Declaration of an Empire

    Chapter 565 - Deration of an Empire


    Weeks had passed since Berengar and his army had first taken control over the city of Luxembourg. During this time, word of Hartman''s defeat spread like wildfire across the North. As the King of Austria had expected, a chain reaction unfolded. Like dominos, the Northern German Duchies fell to the Austrian army in rapid session. One by one, the ancient dynasties came toppling down, and the heads of their households were forced beneath the boot of Austrian authority.


    Those who remained unconquered quickly surrendered to Berengar, realizing the foolishness of further resistance. Logically, there was only one path forward, and that was to pledge their eternal allegiance to the von Kufstein Dynasty. Months had passed since Austria had first begun the war of unification, and finally, the fighting had ended. For the first time in history, the German people were now unified under a single banner.


    As a result, Berengar had forced the higher nobility of Germany to visit his pce to pay homage to their new sovereign and to publically dere the formation of a German Empire. The Great King of Austria wore his kingly attire with pride, as his subjects kneeled before him as if he were a god among men.


    Other than the German nobles, delegations from friendly nations had visited the Capital of Austria to attend the monumental asion. As such, a smug expression etched itself upon Berengar''s regal appearance as he began his speech.


    "Centuries ago, our ancestors built the Holy Roman Empire, and yet in the time since; we, the German People, have allowed the bastard offspring of the ancient Romans to im our destiny! Our ancestors have been forced to fight one another for a crown of lies! King of Germany? A meaningless title to appease the greed of lesser men!


    Initially, I sought to live a life of peace, wealth, and luxury safely within the domains of my forbearers. Yet, the war you all waged, for the sake of a false crown, forced me from my seclusion and into conflict. From the hills of Wildsch?nau, I defended my im against a dastardly plot from my younger brother, who sought to usurp my position in life.


    Yet, little did I know at the time my destiny did not end there. In the fields of Kitzb��hel, I toppled a puppet belonging to the Papacy, and brought its territory under my family''s reign. From there, I marched an army into Tyrol against the traitor Lothar, where I incorporated the entire region beneath my own personal authority.


    From Tyrol, I fought to restore the glory of my liege the von Habsburg family, who through tragedy passed their im onto me, making myself the Duke of Austria, a great enough title on its own, but farpared to what I have achieved since.


    In an act of arrogance, the Holy Roman Emperor Balsamo Corsini dared to sabotage my industries. In doing so, breaking the bonds of vassge. Thus, I marched an army over the Alps and into Italy where I forced my demands of independence onto the Imperial Crown myself! In doing so, I dered myself King of Austria, with all the glories thate with it.


    From there, I sought to fortify my realm and establish a peaceful existence, but the wars of my neighbors would not leave me be. The Bohemians, in their civil strife, came to me for aid, and I provided it. After years of brutal warfare, the Hussites overthrew their Catholic masters, and in doing so, created a vacuum of power. For the sake of stability in the region, I seized the crown of Bohemia for myself.


    While this war was being waged in the borders of my Eastern neighbor, I sailed to Granada, and through means of diplomacy, forged an alliance with its Sultan. In doing so, I bridged the gap between Muslim and Christian Kingdoms for the first time in centuries. Naturally, this alliance came as a threat to the Iberian Kingdoms, and before long, they hadunched an invasion of my ally, forcing me to intervene on their behalf.


    Thus, I sailed an army of German men across the Mediterranean and forced the Catholics out of my allies''nds, an act no German King has ever aplished before. In doing so, I conquered the Kingdom of Portugal in the name of Granada, thus strengthening my ally''s position in the region and enhancing our alliance.


    Surely, after all of this conflict, I believed I could enjoy my life in peace and luxury. And yet, through no fault of my own, I quickly found my tranquility disturbed by a violent, ill-tempered man in the North. Seeking to eliminate his perceived rivals, the Bastard of Luxembourg ordered a vicious attack on my life. In doing so, he gravely injured my sister. Naturally, such a sinister act could not go unpunished. Thus, I could only respond to such a provocation with a deration of war.


    One more, against my will, I was thrust into battle as I led my soldiers into the North alongside my newfound allies with a single purpose in mind. Unite the German people and end the wars that we foolishly wage against ourselves once and for all. Within a matter of months, I captured the Bastard of Luxembourg and his precious capital. Before long, the Northern Lords bent the knee to my will.


    This is what I have done for all of you, and yet it pales to what I have yet to achieve in this life. In theing days, our Empire will mend the rivalries that have gued us for centuries, and we wille together as one people. I promise you I will spread the technology that has provided wealth, luxury, and safety to all of Austria across our Empire, creating an industrialized and unified realm beneath my Imperial Crown.


    When we have built ourselves from the ashes of war into a peerless state, we will destroy the pathetic Crusade which the Catholic Church seeks to unleash upon ournds, and after we have broken the influence of the Papacy over European affairs, we will rise in its ce as the single hegemon of the western world! It is the dawn of a new era, a German era! Henceforth, I dere myself Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, Emperor of the German People! Rise my subjects, and im your destiny!"


    After saying this, the crowds of noblemen who knelt within the Great Hall of the Austrian Royal Pce rose to their feet, and threw up their roman salutes as they screamed the battle cry of the newly founded German Empire.


    "Hail Victory!"


    A satisfied grin appeared on Berengar''s face as he, too, rose from his seat and saluted his people. After doing so, he grabbed hold of his new crown and ced it upon his head, symbolizing his Imperial Authority.


    Berengar hadmissioned this crown from Ludwig and designed it to be based upon the Crown of Wilhelm II from his past life. The primary difference being the red velvet liner was instead ck, and the diamonds were reced with ck ga. The only other major change was the adding of a dalmatian fur lining on the bottom rim of the crown.


    When Berengar ced this crown upon his head, the chamber erupted in cheers, as the Nobles beneath his rule congratted the Austrian King on his rise to the position of German Emperor. As for Berengar''s wives, they stood nearby and gazed upon him with pride.


    Perhaps it was Henrietta, the Kaiser''s sister, and lover, who was the most proud of all. She had grown up her entire life watching Berengar grow as a foolish boy into the man he was today. In fact, she was there the day his personality shifted from that of an indolent wastrel to a charming and charismatic, young noble scion.


    Tears of joy washed down the young woman''s azure eyes as she pped for her brother among the crowds. So much had happened in the past few years, and she could hardly believe it was reality. She was now an imperial princess, and though there were some shocking revtions to her lineage along the way, nothing could change this fact. However, more importantly, her precious big brother was now the Emperor of all Germans. She simply could not contain her emotions.


    This day would forever be remembered in history as the day that the German Empire was officially established. With this deration, Berengar had united the German people beneath the rule of the Kingdom of Austria and the von Kufstein Dynasty. In theing days, Berengar would begin introducing reforms across the Empire, spending years in his attempt to bring the fathend to a technological level simr in capability to Kufstein itself.


    As for the Kaiser''s Colonial Ambitions, now that the Empire was unified, and beginning its reformation into a modern State, the Kaiser would spend significant effort and wealth on colonizing the new world. Berengar would soon send expeditions around the globe in an effort to bring the resource-rich regions of the World under German control.


    The foundation of the German Empire acted as a major shift in geo-politics. With the public promation of adversity towards the Catholic Church, and the goal of German Hegemony over the western world, Berengar had made many enemies on this day. Despite this, the young Emperor was confident in his ability to defeat them all, and thus looked forward to the new age he had begun.

 Chapter 566 - Annexing Schleswig-Holstein

    Chapter 566 - Annexing Schleswig-Holstein


    King Alvar stood across from Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. He felt slightly intimidated as he gazed upon the majestic crown which adorned the Kaiser''s head. He had not expected the war of German Unification toe to an end so quickly, and thus by the time his delegation arrived in Kufstein, Berengar had already unified the German states beneath hismand, and proimed himself emperor of the German people.


    As a man who held a heavily disputed territory with this new empire, Alvar felt a great sense of fear in his heart, and thus, he quickly left the confines of his Scandinavian Kingdom to visit the new emperor personally.


    Despite the protest of his more ardent catholic subjects who refused to recognize the title of Kaiser that Berengar had bestowed upon himself, Alvar was now meeting face to face with the man he had gone fishing with so many years ago.


    The difference in their two positions in life had altered over the past few years, while Alvar remained King over an unstable political union, Berengar had now be the Emperor over all of Germany, and despite only recently fighting a war of unification, things appeared to be rather stable, as the Germans embraced their new monarch, and the wealth he brought with him.


    Thus, Alvar released a heavy sigh as he revealed his reasons for visiting Kufstein, depressed with how little he had achievedpared to the man standing before him.


    "I am sure you have heard my reason for visiting you on such short notice from my delegation. Allow me to be frank, if I had known you would unite your Empire so quickly, I would have visited Kufstein myself. Honestly, I now feel regretful that I did not witness your coronation as emperor myself."


    Berengar simply nodded his head silently in response. He was well aware of the reason for Alvar''s visit, and he was quite epting of the idea. Rather than spilling more blood with one of the most powerful states in Europe, the peaceful annexation of Schleswig-Holstein was a far more appealing prospect. Thus, he weed the Scandinavian King with a warm smile on his face.


    "I must admit, Alvar, that I was not expecting you to so willingly hand over thends which I covet. So enlighten me as to what your terms are in exchange for such a gracious gift to my new empire."


    When the King of the Kalmar Union heard such a weing response, he smiled and nodded his head before presenting the first of his terms.


    "First and foremost, in exchange for thends of Schleswig-Holstein, I request that a defensive alliance be established between our two realms. You have a few sons, and I have some granddaughters who are roughly the same age. I suggest a betrothal between our descendents to secure this alliance."


    Berengar thought about it for a few seconds before quickly agreeing to the prospect. With the establishment of the German Empire, Berengar had proimed his intentions to the world that he wished to eliminate Catholic influence over Europe and rece it with his own. This was bound to create more enemies than allies, and to see his neighbor to the North, so willing to ensure mutual defense, was actually quite surprising. Thus, he was happy to agree to this condition.


    "Very well. My son Kristoffer will marry one of your granddaughters when theye of age, ensuring the alliance between our two realms endures the test of time. What is your next condition?"


    Alvar was happy to see that Berengar had agreed to this term, while Berengar had legalized polygamy allowing him to make far more alliances, the Scandinavian king was uncertain whether the German Emperor would agree to a defensive alliance, after all the difference in power between their two realms was staggering, and it would undoubtedly result in Germany''s armies carrying the weight of their alliance. Upon seeing Berengar be so agreeable, Alvar did not hesitate to state his second condition.


    "In exchange for thends of Schleswig-Holstein, I ask that you share some of your technology, especially in the fields of agriculture, so that I may feed my people better, and generate more ie. I think this is mutually beneficial to our alliance, as the more people I can feed, and the fewer men I need to do it, the more soldiers I can field."


    Berengar did not hesitate to ept this condition. After all, he had already given agricultural and industry technology to his allies. Which had unfortunately been leaked to the Catholic church who now spread its contents among their allies. As a man who respected loyalty and allegiance, Berengar would never allow his allies to fall behind his enemies.


    "Very well. I ept this condition. After all, I would not want my allies to fall behind the rest of the world. I will give you ess to the same level of technology that I have given my other allies. If I were to take into consideration the harsh nature of your people''s environment, then I would be cruel to leave you without the advanced fertilizers necessary for an abundant harvest. Thus, I will be gracious and gift you with a twenty-five percent discount on any fertilizer that you may order. You may consider this a benevolent act on my part."


    Alvar''s expression lit up with excitement when he heard this. He was well aware of the rumors of Austria''s agricultural production capabilities and hoped to be able to utilize such technology for his own people. Since Berengar was willing to ept this condition, he confidently dered thest of the terms he had outlined for the sale of Schleswig-Holstein.


    "My final condition is that you pay the Crown of Denmark properpensation for the loss of theirnds. I expect a fair price of a hundred thousand Austrian Guldens to be paid to the Danish treasury in full. I am sure this is not unreasonable."


    A hundred thousand Austrian Guldens was no small amount. If one were to exchange its value in terms of modern currency, it would be worth billions of US Dors, however inparison to Berengar''s goals of uniting the German-Speaking people, it was merely a drop in the hat. As such, Berengar did not hesitate to agree to the condition.


    After all, the wealth he had at his disposal was so much greater than this meager sum, and he would not be stingy over the price he was required to pay for thends of his own people. When he really thought about it, Germany would surely spend more in pursuit of conquest should they be forced to take up such an option. Having reflected on these thoughts, Berengar smiled and nodded his head before epting the condition.


    "Very well. I ept your terms. You can expect the delivery of the gold and technology after you have ceded Schleswig-Holstein to me. Once the transaction ispleted, I will publically announce the alliance between our two realms, ensuring the stability of your Kingdom for years toe."


    Upon witnessing Berengar agree to all of his conditions for the sale of Schleswig-Holstein, Alvar could hardly believe it. He thought for sure Berengar would balk at the vast sum he had asked for. Yet, it did not even seem to phase him.


    Just how much wealth did Germany have at its disposal? Little did he know that paltry sum of gold would pale whenpared to the vast gold mines belonging to the new world that Berengar would soon get his hands on.


    As for Berengar, he was d that a peaceful solution could allow him to gain thest region he wished to incorporate into the fathend. His Empire would now stretch from the low countries in the West to Schleswig-Holstein in the north, all the way over to Austria and Switzend in the south, and up into Bohemia and Prussia in the east.


    With this, Berengar had single-handedly created a giant Empire in the center of Europe with ess to the Mediterranean as well as the North and Baltic Seas. He would also maintain colonies in Malta, Gibraltar, and the New World. Allowing him absolute authority over the antic ocean and Mediterranean sea alike.


    With the Kalmar Union joining Austria as an ally, the triple alliance of old would fall by the wayside, in its ce Berengar intended to form a new Union of Imperial Powers. One which controlled trade and influence over the world atrge. It was only a matter of time before the Kaiser made this a reality, or so he believed.


    Thus, he dly held out his hand and shook on the terms before drafting a proper treaty which acknowledged all the points discussed. After the two men signed the treaty, Germany would be well and truly unified under the control of Berengar and the von Kufstein dynasty.


    With thisst annexation out of the way, the German Empire could now focus all of their efforts on industrialization of the fathend, and expansion into the New World via colonies. Only time would tell what level of power the German Empire held by the time the Catholic Church and its crusaders came knocking at their door.

 Chapter 567 - Establishment of New Swabia

    Chapter 567 - Establishment of New Swabia


    Berengar sat behind his desk. In front of him was a troubling report, which was gathered by the Department of Naval Intelligence. Standing before him was none other than his Grand Admiral Emmerich, who had handed the dossier over to his emperor.


    "I''m sorry, my Kaiser, but it appears your third wife Honoria has gone a bit rogue in the development of her colony. As you can see in great detail, we have confirmed the mass implementation of vebor. She has used her privateers for the most part to round up and force the natives into bondage.


    Her excuse for such actions was that she found herself alone in a hostilend, incapable of defeating the enemy while expanding upon the settlement. Thus, she has used some unconventional methods to increasebor and decrease threats to the colony.


    I know you are morally against very, and I thought it was best to bring you this news in person. As for how you wish to handle the situation, I will leave it to your discretion."


    Berengar sighed heavily as he gazed upon the report sitting front of him. He silently flexed his fingers in contemtion while wondering what to do about this scenario. After several moments of silence, Berengar sat upright in his chair and poured himself a chalice filled with wine. He took a few sips before asking a question to his Grand Admiral.


    "Do you know why I ouwed very, Emmerich?"


    Emmerich shook his head silently, allowing his Emperor to respond to his own question.


    "First and foremost, I enacted such aw to prevent any German citizen from ever living a life of total servitude. I deeply care about my people and their standard of living. However, there is a far more important reason that I ouwed very. Is it morally dubious? Perhaps, but then again, sometimes such evil is necessary in the foundation of an Empire.


    No, I ouwed very because of the long-term ramifications it will have on our society as a whole. To put it simply, very, especially of a foreign poption, will foster dissent within our society in theing generations.


    It will not be long before very as an institution bes wholly obsolete. As we advance in technology, we can and will rece most forms ofbor with machines. When we finally achieve such a level of technology, what do we do with the leftover ves?


    It would be unjustifiable to outright terminate their existence, and shipping them back to their homnds would be an absurd expense. What if we have conquered their homnds? Do we give them a small portion ofnd to live on and decide their own fates?


    We certainly can''t integrate them into our own society, for if we did such a foolish thing, our enemies could easily foster their internalized resentments towards our people, and our society as a whole, creating a rather sizeable minority filled with potential insurgents. Naturally, that would be a security risk, one I am not willing to subject my people to for the sake of the delusional idea that we can all just peacefully coexist within shared borders.


    Do you know why Rome was so stable during the Principate? It was because they obliterated the cultural identity of every poption they conquered, and forced them to bow to Rome as their rulers. Educating future generations to live their lives in service to its Empire as Romans. Such are my efforts in Bohemia.


    The fact that Honoria has enved the locals of South Vind and forced them to work until their deaths is a considerable concern for the future prosperity of the colony. She has made a mistake that most political leaders are guilty of. Sacrificing long term stability for short-term profits.


    I will handle this matter by educating my wife about what it means to rule effectively, and I will discipline her for her foolishness. However, make no mistake Emmerich, my moral outrage over very and my concern for the wellbeing of foreign poptions is just about at the bottom of my list of priorities. I am running an Empire that spans across the Antic. I do not have the privilege to rule with morality in mind.


    It seems I will have to visit this colony personally in the near future. However, I can not just up and leave Kufstein now that the Empire is finally united. Thus, in theing days, I will covertly recruit potential colonists and ship them to the New World so that the colony can have a proper workforce. As for how the New Colonial Governor will dispose of the ves, I will leave that to his discretion.


    As for my wife, inform her she is to return home to the fathend as soon as her recement arrives. She has been absent from her son''s life for too long, and I fear the boy will soon believe Linde to be his true mother. After all, that little vixen has been the one taking care of him in Honoria''s absence.


    Also, inform Honoria that she is to be ready and willing to ept her punishment when she returns home. very is not just a morally questionable practice. As I have previously outlined, it has a significant impact on a Nation''s long-term stability, and I will not have my Empire''s integrity threatened because of my wife''s greed."


    Having been so thoroughly lectured by his Emperor, Emmerich had a lot to think about, especially if he wanted to rise through the ranks of the Imperial German Government one day. After some internal debate, the Grand Admiral realized, after listening to Berengar''s long-winded speech, that there was much he could learn from the man. Thus, he humbly bowed before his Emperor as he epted the task of delivering a simple message.


    "Yes, my Kaiser, though allow me to ask a question before I depart, if you will."


    Berengar took a sip from his chalice as he nodded his head before giving the man permission to speak his thoughts.


    "Speak..."


    Emmerich wasted no time as he asked that which he was curious about.


    "Tell me, who is it you have selected to rule over the new colony in your stead, and have you decided upon a name for the region?"


    Berengar smiled as he ced his chalice down on the table. After doing so, he folded his arms before leaning back in his chair. He had a rtively smug expression on his lips as he answered the Admiral''s question.


    "Firstly, I havee up with an appropriate name for the colony. I will name it New Swabia, and as for the man selected to preside over the region as Colonial Governor, I have a man in mind who has proven his loyalty time and again over the years. His track record as the Count of Chur is quite impressive, and if not for his efforts, Switzend may have been a far more difficult annexation.


    Since then, he has presided as a minister in Switzend''s affairs and has aided my friend Ludwig in his duties as ruler of thend. If not for Ludwig''s exceptional service to my realm, I would have named Rayner as the Grand Duke of Switzend. Instead, he can take sce in the fact that I now reward him for his years of loyalty and support by naming the man as Grand Duke of New Swabia. Do you have any objections?"


    Emmerich quickly shook his head. He thought Rayner was an exceptional candidate for the role and looked forward to the progress the colony made under his reign. Although there was another point that confused the admiral, and he quickly voiced his concerns.


    "Who will be in charge of the armed forces dispatched to protect the New Colony?"


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before answering the question.


    "There''s a list of General Candidates who have been with me since the early days of my conquests. I will choose one of them to fulfill the role as the leader of the Colonial Auxiliary in the region, I will do the same for Arnulf, for too long he has acted as the man in direct control over his colonial forces, that is about to change.


    I will work with my Generals to select a new crop of soldiers who are willing and eager to travel to the colonies and fight for our expansion. From there, we will form the Colonial Auxiliary Forces, which will beposed of a few regiments for each colony. For the time being, there is no reason to deploy a full division to the new world that would simply be overkill.


    After saying this, Berengar stamped the documents on his desk and dismissed his admiral. It was only after the man had departed that the Emperor poured himself another ss of wine. As he sat back in his seat and gazed upon the setting sun, a frown formed on Berengar''s face as he reflected on the conversation at hand. He sighed heavily before expressing his thoughts aloud.


    "Damn it Honoria, you just couldn''t help yourself, could you?"


    After saying that, he finished his drink before getting back to work. Now that the Empire was unified, there was much that needed to be done, especially in the restructuring of the old nobility.

 Chapter 568

    Berengar sat upon his throne within the great hall of the Austrian royal pce. A nostalgic expression etched itself upon his handsome face as he gazed upon his visitors with a warm smile. Because of his recent rise in the noble hierarchy, delegations from across the western world, and the near east alike, had visited Kufstein, hoping to establish diplomatic ties with the fledgling Empire.


    Among these various delegations were the representatives of the Byzantine Empire. A man he had known for years was now paying homage to him, despite being an old friend. Andronikos bowed his head withplete respect towards the new German Emperor before congratting him on his rapid rise to power.


    "Your Imperial Majesty, it is the greatest honor to return to thesends after so many years apart. I must admit I am shocked to see the progress you have achieved not only on a political level, but a technological one as well. It would seem every time I visit Kufstein it bes an even greater Jewel of the western world!"


    In response to this, Berengar merely nodded his head before issuing amand to the man from the Byzantine Empire.


    "Rise..."


    After saying this, Andronikos and the Byzantine delegation rose from their kneeling position, while Berengar descended from his throne, standing before the man who once represented the interests of thete Strategos Arethas. The moment Berengar closed the distance between him and Andronikos, he wrapped his arms around the man and gave him a firm hug before releasing his grip.


    "It is good to see you, my old friend. I am d to see that you are alive and well. If only your former master was here to witness the growth of our empires ..."


    A solemn expression formed upon Andronikos'' lips as he gazed towards the ground while reflecting on the greatness of his former liege. After a heavy sigh, he responded to Berengar''s kind words with some of his own.


    "All life eventually ends. It is just a shame the man was so ruthlessly betrayed by his greatest pupil. In other news, I bring word from my new master. I believe you are familiar with the Strategos Padius?"


    Berengar nodded his head in silence upon hearing these words. He was well aware of Padius and his schemes to rece the potential heirs of the byzantine Empire with Berengar and Honoria''s son. Thus, he was immediately curious about what the old man had been up to since they parted ways in Iberia.


    "You can tell me all about it over lunch. Come, we dine upon the greatest cuisine my Empire has to offer!"


    Andronikos would not refuse such a fine meal, and thus he nodded his head before following Berengar towards the dining hall. As the German Emperor and the Byzantine delegation began their short journey, Andronikos expressed his curiosity about a certain someone.


    "Tell me, your imperial majesty, will the Princess Honoria be joining us on this asion?"


    Berengar immediately shook his head as he answered the man''s question.


    "I am afraid not. She is currently on an important mission, and will not be back for some time. It is truly a shame, I fear with each passing day, our son Alexandros grows more attached to Linde. By the time Honoria returns home she might very well be a stranger in the boy''s eyes."


    As Berengarpleted this sentence, he sat down at the head of the table, where Andronikos took a proper seat a few feet away from the Emperor. This news was unsettling to him, as the future of their alliance depended on the boy Alexandros and his rtions to the Byzantine Empire.


    "That is most unfortunate, but the boy is still young enough that it should not be a problem for Honoria to im her rightful ce as his mother. However, I must say that our ns are proceeding smoothly. Quintus has lost favor with his father, the Emperor, and Decentius is a crippled fool. The Emperor is looking for another option, and he knows the boy Aurelius is incapable of fulfilling this task.


    Thus, my master has hinted towards your son as a prospective candidate, and though the Emperor has not explicitly epted it as a possibility yet, with each passing day, his interest in the idea grows. His biggest concern is your thoughts on this prospect."


    Berengar merely scoffed as he heard this. He quickly took a drink from his chalice and ordered his servants to prepare some food for him and his guests. After these matters were taken care of, he addressed the Byzantine Emperor''s concerns.


    "You can rest assured that I will raise Alexandros to be a proper leader. He will go through a German education, but his teachers will instruct him in thenguages of Latin and Greek alike. After all, though he has the blood of Germania running through his veins, it is equally entwined with his Roman heritage, and I will not deny him his origins.


    If Emperor Vetranis is genuinely considering Alexandros to be his sessor, then I will support the boy''s im to the throne of Byzantium. As you and your master are well aware. After all, having someone who is more friendly to my Empire ruling the East is better than having someone hostile to it."


    After saying this, servants came out from the shadows and ced the dishes on the table that the cooks in Berengar''s kitchen had prepared for the Emperor and his guests. Berengar did not hesitate and immediately dug into the fine German cuisine with a smile on his face.


    <h6></h6>


    No matter how many times Berengar ate such delicacies, he would never grow tired of it. Still, he missed the variety of food that his past life provided. While western meals were delicious, he longed for the fine Asian cuisine he could conveniently pickup at a local venue.


    Andronikos was happy to see that Berengar had not changed his mind, and thus partook of the food on his te, enjoying it every bit as much as his host did. After several moments of silence, Berengar asked the question that gued his thoughts.


    "So I assume the Emperor is still in good health? If he were to pass before my son bes of ruling age, it would divide your Empire would it not?"


    Andronikos immediately halted his actions as he dwelled upon the idea for some time before finally responding.


    "Physically, the Emperor is quite healthy. He has recently taken up an exercise regime that he learned about from observing your actions in the pce during yourst visit. Mentally, though, you could say he is exhausted.


    His children are failures, and our enemies are at our gates. Though we can rely on our alliance with you to ensure our independence, I fear the Emperor is drowning in despair. Ever since Arethas passed, he has not been the same. He second guesses every choice he makes, and is paranoid of potential enemies hiding in the shadows."


    Berengar frowned when he heard this news. A ruler must be sound of mind, or else it could spell ruin for his nation. He was all too aware of the consequences that resulted from having an ipetent head of state. Luckily for him, he did not live long enough in his past life to see the fate of his nation.


    As for the uing war against the Muslim states, Berengar was well aware of this. After all, his spywork had spread all the way to the Timur Empire, and Linde kept him well informed of global affairs. Thus, he immediately posed a question that shocked the Byzantine delegate.


    "I understand the Timurids are currently encroaching on your eastern borders, as well as that of your ally, the Kingdom of Georgia. If you need military assistance, I would be more than happy to spare a regiment or two for the sake of deterrence. I know that my reputation isrgely contained within the western world, but I am sure even the Timurid Emperor would be wary of picking a fight with my troops."


    Andronikos smiled as he heard this and nodded his head emphatically before responding to Berengar''s words.


    "I am certain that it would please the Emperor Vetranis to know that you are willing to provide support. I will let him know upon my return and advise that he ept your offer. After all, I am certain with the soldiers of Germany guarding the border, the Timurid Emperor will think twice before attacking."


    Berengar simply nodded his head in silence as he returned to his meal. Thest thing he needed was his ally to be invaded by a coalition of jihadist states. Berengar had years to prepare for the eventual crusade against his Empire, but a jihad against the Byzantines would surely require him to mobilize a massive expeditionary force the likes he had yet to field. Such a thing would leave his borders weakened, and may provoke an enemy attack.


    Thus, in theing days, his actions, and that of Emperor Vetranis, would determine whether the Jihadists would attack sooner rather thanter. With this in mind, Berengar had a cordial conversation with the representative of the east about the capabilities of the Byzantine Army and their preparations for the uing jihad against them.

 Chapter 569 Full

    Berengar stood within the confines of his newest son''s room. The tan skinned boy who held the blood of Germania and Al Andalus within his veins was sleeping in his crib. His golden hair waved as the light breeze of the autumn wind flew through the windows.


    Princess Yasmin and her husband, the Emperor of Germany, stood side by side as they gazed upon their newborn child with affection. Berengar had little time for family affairs as ofte, and thus he could not give the child a proper name.


    As for the mother of the child, she refused to name her son without the input of the boy''s father, a liberty that more than one of Berengar''s other wives had taken for themselves during his previous absence. As the two doting parents gazed upon the young Prince of Granada, Yasmin spoke up about the topic she was most interested in.


    "So, shall we give him a German name, or an Arabic one?"


    Berengar reflected on this question for several moments. Ultimately, he concluded that an Arabic name would suit the boy best. After all, in Berengar''s mind the child would one day be the Sultan of Al-Andalus.


    "We shall name him something proud and strong in his mother''s maiden tongue. What do you wish to name our son?"


    Berengar gazed into his wife''s amber eyes and held onto her hands as he waited for her toe up with an appropriate name herself. After thinking it through for several moments, a warm smile formed on Yasmin''s luscious lips as she gazed upon her newborn son.


    "How about we name him Ghazi? For one day, our baby boy will be a hero to his people, and a conqueror just like his father!"


    Berengar thought about it for a moment before expressing the boy''s full name aloud.


    "Ghazi Al-Fadl? Very well, I see no reason to reject such a name. I look forward to the future prosperity that this boy brings to his people, and the alliance he shall represent between Germany and Al Andalus."


    With this name settled, the two parents departed from the room, leaving the infant child to rest in peace. Like all of his other children, the quarters where the boy lived were under strict supervision by the Royal Guard. Thus, the moment Berengar and Yasmin exited the door, the two men who kept a watch over the room saluted their Emperor with respect.


    Berengar nodded his head in silence as he and his wife continued through the corridors of the Royal Pce until they reached his office, where Berengar sat down and poured a couple of chalices filled with wine for the two of them. The couple sipped from their beverages in silence before Berengar expressed his internalized guilt.


    "I''m sorry. When you gave birth to our son, I failed to be there for you despite my promise. I honestly tried to end the war as quickly as possible, but it simply was not my destiny..."


    Yasmin continued to drink the wine in her chalice in silence, simply gazing upon her husband with a stoic expression. She could tell he felt quite guilty about such a small thing and thus she simply sighed before shaking her head.


    "I think you have surrounded yourself with too many immature little girls. Such an insignificant matter might anger your other wives, but I''m not upset. It is not your fault that you were absent during Ghazi''s birth.


    You were attacked in your own home, and you had to respond. The war to unify your people was more important than living up to a small promise to me. You ce too many burdens on yourself, but I suppose the weight of the crown is quite heavy, is it not?"


    Berengar was stunned in silence. The emotional maturity of this woman was something else. Every time he spoke with Yasmin, she knew just what to say to cheer him up. However, his appreciation of the woman''s character was immediately interrupted by a question on his wife''s part.


    "So, now that you have unified the German Empire, what are your ns? Surely you don''t intend to sit back and do nothing for the rest of your life?"


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled before pulling out a map of his newly united Empire. On this map were railways that connected every major city of Germany. There were also several key port cities that did not exist yet present on the map. When Yasmin gazed upon such a project, a smirk appeared on her lips before responding.<novelnext>  pan(da-n0vel.c)om</novelnext>


    "Quite the ambitious project. You intend to unite your Empire with your rail systems, telegraph wires, and expand your naval capabilities via more ports? I assume this is just one of the many things you have nned for the future?"


    With a single nce, Yasmin could guess exactly what Berengar had nned, thus Berengar scoffed in defeat. This woman was too smart for her own good. After taking a deep breath, he outlined his n for the fathend in excessive detail.


    "The first phase of my Grand Infrastructure initiative is to overhaul the cities of the Empire. The goal is for each province to meet the same standard of living that you see throughout Austria, especially in our capital. Things like running water, sewage systems, sewage treatment nts, recycling nts, universities, and much more will be universally established across my empire.


    At the same time, we will focus on increasing agricultural capabilities across the Empire. The four field system, artificial fertilizers, mechanized agriculture, all the things that have made my Kingdom great will be the new standard throughout Germany and in doing so increase crop yields, while decreasing the amount ofbor required.


    As you have previously noted, there will be a national railway which connects every major city in the Empire, and the proper telegraph systems to apany it. As for national security, we will establish more major port cities, specifically in the Baltic and north sea. We will also begin construction of a massive border defense around the Empire, where the Border and Coast Guard will be independent branches of the Military.


    To put it simply, my goals for the next decade will be to bring the primitive feudal state of my Empire up to the modern standards I have established in Austria thus far. I also have ns for further infrastructure projects, but for the time being, they are merely in the nning stages."


    Yasmin carefully listened to everything Berengar had stated and nodded her head in response. It seemed like a solid n, but there was one thing in particr she was worried about, and the Moorish beauty did not hesitate to ask the question that was on her mind.


    "What about the colonies?"


    Berengar took a sip from his chalice before answering this important question with a confident smirk on his face.


    "For now, the existence of the New World is a state secret of the highest caliber. Only those with a proper security clearance can learn of it, let alone visit it. Thus, Colonial expansion will be a slow and steady progress. It is unlikely that our rivals will be aware of the New World within our lifetime."


    Upon seeing her husband''s confident expression, Yasmin had no further questions, and instead she merely lifted her gilded chalice in the air and spoke a toast.


    "To the von Kufstein Dynasty! United together against the world!"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this and lifted his chalice as he epted the toast. After clinking their cups, the couple feasted on the wine contained within. The words the Granadan Princess had spoken gave Berengar a new outlook on life. For the past few years, he had been rather absent from his children''s lives, and because of the polygamous nature of his familial rtionships, it was only a matter of time before the kids of the different queens began fighting among themselves.


    However, Yasmin was right. If his Empire was going tost the test of time, close family bonds would have to be forged and emphasized among his children. What Yasmin had said was absolutely correct. It was the von Kufstein Dynasty untied against the world.


    He realized now more than ever that he would have to reconcile the differences between his various brides and y an active role in his children''s lives as their father. Thus, a smile appeared on the young Emperor''s face as he leaned over from his seat and kissed his wife. After doing so, he thanked the woman for her insight.


    "I must thank you, Yasmin, for just now your words have inspired me to be a better father, and to ensure my dynasty is truly united, as one giant family against the world. I look forward to these years of peace, and what we can all aplish together."


    Yasmin did not know that her simple toast would have such an effect on Berengar''s mind, but she was d to see that he was now going to be a true father to his children. Thus, she merely smiled and nodded her head. The young couple would continue to converse about their ambitions for the rest of the evening.

 Chapter 570 A Scandalous Affair

    Chapter 570 A Scandalous Affair


    It was just an average day within the Capital city of Austria. In the royal pce, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein sat on his leather-bound seat in his study. He was currently doing another day''s paperwork. Or so it seemed. However, there was a unique sounding from below his desk, and if one looked carefully, they could see the man''s face was flushed with excitement.


    Berengar gazed below the cover of his desk to see a familiar face. However, what she was doing was quite unusual. Her golden blonde hair swayed back and forth as her pretty pink lips bobbed on the Emperor''s shaft. Berengar grunted in pleasure as he ced his thick hand on the back of the girl''s head and pushed it forward.


    In doing so, the girl''s azure blue eyes opened wide in shock, and a gagging sound resounded throughout the room. Until now, she had never been able to choke down the length of the Emperor''s shaft in its entirety. However, that did not deter her from ying with her lower lips. The blonde-haired beauty shoved the ivory dildo, which was an exact replica of the Emperor''s genitals deep within herher regions, pulling it out only to shove it in deeper with each thrust as she gagged on Berengar''s cock.


    Just when the Emperor was about to climax in the girl''s throat, a knock resounded on the door, and couple immediately ceased their activities, as if they had frozen into stone. Eventually the young Emperor answered whoever lie on the other side of his office''s lone door.


    "This better be important!"


    A familiar voice echoed from across the thick wooden barrier. It belonged to his second wife, Linde von Kufstein.


    "Master, there is something we need to discuss. We have received word from the new world, and apparently our scouts have reported finding a substantial deposit of coal within the vicinity of New Vienna that needs your approval for extraction."


    Berengar sighed heavily as he put a finger to his lips and hushed the girl beneath his desk. After doing so, he answered his wife.


    "Fine, you may enter, but make it quick��"


    The buxom, redheaded beauty opened the door to reveal her curvy figure, she was dressed in a skimpy ck sequent evening gown as she dropped the files onto her husband''s desk. The moment she entered, the man continued to press the girl''s head deeper onto his cock, forcing her to continue her lecherous actions.


    Since the Emperor had taken action once more, the girl beneath the desk continued her earlier movements by inserting the ivory dildo deep inside her thering pussy while she repeatedly took the Emperor''s shaft to the deepest parts of her throat, trying not to make any noise.


    Above the desk, unaware of what was happening below, the Queen looked around the room as if she were trying to locate somebody before asEmperor the question on her mind.


    "Strange, I thought Henrietta was in here with you?"


    Berengar covered his moans with his hand and looked down at his beautiful little sister who was currently choEmperor on his cock with a slutty expression, he could not very well tell his wife that she was beneath his desk, ying with herself while sucEmperor him off as if his dick was the tastiest treat in the world.


    Instead, he shook his head and denied her presence. The moment he did so, his voice cracked a little under the rising pressure in his loins.


    "I do not know where my sister is��"


    Linde gazed upon her husband with a curious expression. His face was flushed, and he appeared to be in a state of arousal. Perhaps her choice of attire was a bit too enticing. However, seeing her husband so pleased by her appearance, she leaned in close to show off her bountiful cleavage. In doing so, Berengar could no longer hold it in.


    While taEmperor a longing gaze at his wife''s immacte breasts, he pressed his sister''s head down as deep as it could go before ejacting with full force into her mouth. His hips spasmed slightly as he felt his sister swallowing his cum as if it were a stream of milk.


    Seeing that her husband was satisfied with her appearance, Lind smirked before standing up straight and going over the issues at hand.


    "Anyway, to make a long story short, we found arge coal deposit north of the Colony. I just need your signature for approval to drill at once, and we can secure a massive strategic reserve."


    Berengar struggled not to pant, as Henrietta released her perky lips from his shaft, and began tonguing his ns to get every drop out of his semen from his cock. Not wanting to reveal what was transpiring beneath his desk, the Emperor quickly grabbed hold of his pen and jotted down his signature.


    After doing so, Linde kissed him passionately on the lips before departing from the room. While she was at the entrance, the redheaded seductress lifted the bottom of her dress to reveal her bare pussy, leaving behind a wink before closing the door behind her.


    The moment she left the room, Henrietta popped up from under the table and kissed her big brother as passionately as his wife had done so moments ago. After letting go, she pouted while stroEmperor his shaft with her dainty hands.


    "I can''t believe you. Your cute little sister is sucEmperor your cock, and you cum while thinEmperor about your wife. Have you no shame?"


    Berengar had a guilty smile as he pressed Henrietta onto the desk in front of him, kissing her with a passion he had not felt in years, he pulled the ivory dildo out of her slit, before turning her around, where he licked her asshole. The moment he did so, she yelped in shock.


    "Big brother, what are you doing? That ce is dirty!"


    Berengar merely chuckled as he inserted the toy, into her tight unused asshole, as it stretched apart the girl bit ahold of her brother''s shirt to prevent herself from screaming, it was not until the toy had been inserted up to its base that Berengar whispered in his sister''s ears.


    "Jealousy is unbing of my sweet little sister. It is time you paid for your arrogance."


    After saying this, he inserted his thick, white cock into her tight, slithering hole, causing her to yelp in surprise. With both holes filled, the girl came immediately, her tight hole clenching onto her brother''s shaft as if it were trying to milk him dry.


    Berengar endured the pressure and continued to pump away, while inserting his tongue into the girl''s mouth to keep her silent. His hips were like a piston, mming away at the girl''s depths as if he had one goal in mind: to breed with his precious little sister.


    Berengar grabbed ahold of his sister''srge breasts and yed with her pastel pink nipples, which only made her clench down on him even tighter than before. Though her breasts were not as big as Linde''s, and especially not like Yasmin''s massive F cups, they were still bigger than his other two wives, by a decent margin.


    He did not know what he had fed the girl for her to develop so well, but the result pleased him. Thus, he continued to pump his hips in and out while moving the toy in her asshole. The moment he started moving the ivory dildo, she squirted all over his desk and onto the documents that were stationed there, staining them with the fluids that represented her undying love for her big brother.


    That was not the end of her pleasure, as Berengar soon filled her womb with his thick creamy milk, and yet he desired for more, he pulled out his cock which was drenched in both of their love juices where the girl quickly got to cleaning it up. After ensuring that the only thing coating her brother''s cock was her own saliva, Berengar bent her over once more, before pulling the toy out of the girl''s ass and recing it with his own thing.


    This was the girl''s first time experiencing anal with an actual cock, and the moment she felt her brother''s shaft enter her tight asshole, she squirted once more. Berengar simply chuckled before mocEmperor the girl''s oversensitive nature.


    "Is your brother''s cock really that much better than the replica?"


    Henrietta could not speak, she was too busy preventing herself from moaning, instead she merely nodded her head as her brother inserted his shaft all the way, before pulling out and ramming it once more without notice.


    A sinister idea popped up in the Emperor''s head as he began alternating between his sister''s pussy and asshole until he shot another giant load directly into her womb. After doing so, he was finally finished, and she could not even stand.


    Having done this, Berengar sat down on his seat, and dragged his sister''s barely conscious head over to his cock, forcing her to clean it up once more. After she licked itpletely clean, he smiled before kissing her on the lips. Having done so, he whispered in the girl''s ears the words she was longing to hear.


    "I love you more than anything, my dear little sister��"

 Chapter 571 I am your God

    <h4>Chapter 571 I am your God</h4>


    Ad sat within the confines of the room, which contained her Grand Piano. She effortlessly pressed the keys in masterful fashion, resulting in an eerily depressing song. She had spent much time over the past few months in solitude, reflecting on the matters that had caused Berengar to be so distant to her as ofte.


    She had finallye to realize that her pious nature had caused her husband to drift away from her. However, it was not only her zealotry that created a rift between her and Berengar, but her overwhelming sense of moral superiority towards him and his other wives that resulted from being the High Queen.


    Ad was no longer the High Queen. She had a more lofty title now, that of Empress. Despite this, she never felt more worthless. Currently, within her mind, the young woman reflected on herck of value as the High Queen of Austria, especially when shepared herself to the other wives that surrounded Berengar. She had neither been the most emotionally supportive nor the most useful of his brides.


    Sure, she had yed a significant role in the growth of Austria''s culture, but there were little in terms of tangible benefits she provided to her husband''s realm, especially whenpared to herpetition. These things created a sense of despair as she wore a bleak expression while reminiscing about her past rtionship with the man she loved.


    Tears formed in the girl''s sapphire eyes as she yed the keys to the song she had written to aid with her growing depression. A single phrase escaped her lips as she wallowed in a misery of her own creation.


    "I have been such a fool..."


    Coincidentally, Berengar was walking through the halls, and overheard the tune being yed. It was eerily simr to a song he once loved from his past life. He could not help but voice his thoughts aloud as he walked closer to the origins of the fine music.


    "Fade to ck?"


    When he finally entered the room where Ad sat crying, he gazed in shock towards his first wife, who was at this point struggling to maintain her control over the keys. Unbeknownst to the German Empress, her husband rapidly appeared behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist from behind, hugging her tightly.


    This action thoroughly shocked Ad, who immediately halted her music and gazed over at the man responsible for grabbing her in such an intimate fashion. It surprised her to see Berengar gazing at her with aforting expression as he held onto her from behind. So much so that she expressed her doubt aloud.


    "Berengar?"


    The German Emperor smiled bitterly as he nodded his head, before wiping the tears from the girl''s eyes. A hint of worry was within his sapphire iris as he gazed upon his Empress with aplex expression.


    "What''s wrong?"


    By now, Ad could no longer contain the feelings buried deep inside her heart, and she immediately grabbed hold of her husband while crying hysterically into his tunic. Between her rampant sobbing, a single coherent phrase escaped her luscious lips.


    "Berengar... I''m sorry..."


    Such a vague statement immediately caused Berengar''s heart to harden in misunderstanding. Many scandalous situations were appearing in his mind, causing him to firmly grab hold of the woman by the shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes.


    "What happened?"


    This, of course, had the opposite effect of what Berengar desired and caused his wife to cry more profusely, seeing that he had made a mistake, the German Emperor merely stuffed the girl''s head into his chest and stroked her golden hair tofort her into a state of reason. Eventually Ad got control over her emotions and expressed her thoughts clearly.


    "Berengar, I have been a terrible wife, mother, and Empress... I tried to force my religious views on you and ended up driving you straight into the arms of your other wives, causing me to resent you because of it. In doing so, I have failed to provide you the emotional support you need after returning home from those gruesome wars.


    I have also foolishlypeted with your other brides over trivial matters, and created a wedge between your many children. If that wasn''t bad enough, I have neglected our son and daughter in pursuit of revtion on how to fix our marriage when I should have just spoke to you about my fears. I have been such a fool. Can you ever forgive me?"


    Berengar sighed heavily as he held onto his first wife, reflecting on the past few years. While their rtionship had always been gued with problems,rgely because of his own infidelity, it had never been as bad as it was now. For some time now, he had been outright avoiding Ad to the best of his ability and hadn''t slept with her in months.


    Frankly, her uptight personality, overwhelming sense of moral superiority, her pettiness, and jealousy, as well as her tendency to preach to him a bout the virtues of Christianity rather than have a real conversation were among the many reasons he had been so distanttely. If he wanted to be lectured about the bible all the time, he would have married a nun.


    Thus, if he was going to forgive the girl for all her misgivings, then he would need assurance that she would not revert to her old, snobbish ways. After several moments of contemtion, Berengar calmed himself before staring at his wife with his one good eye.


    "Ad, I will be frank. Your overwhelming sense of moral superiority over me and the others is a serious point of contention. If you want me to forgive you and take you back into my arms once more, then I''m going to need to make sure you have truly reflected on your behavior and will work hard to change for the better."


    Ad wiped the tears from her eyes as she sniffled. After several seconds, she nodded her head before grabbing hold of Berengar''s hands and pleading with him.


    "I will do anything you ask of me. I just want the same happiness that the others have!"


    When Berengar heard this, a sadistic smirk appeared on his face before he uttered the words that would forever change the dynamic of their rtionship.


    "If that is truly the case, then promise me that from now on you will not put your religion above me, my family, or my Empire. Swear to me that from this day forward I am your god, and all happiness you receive in this life shall be derived through your faith in me!"


    Ad was stunned when she heard this condition. What Berengar was asking of her was not only sphemous, but aplete rejection of all she was raised to believe. Her parents had always instructed her to put the will of God above all else, yet now her husband was asking her to submit to him before the Lord? Surely such a thing would lead to damnation...


    Thus, the Empress was hesitant, and when Berengar saw this, his smirk disappeared. Only disgust remained before he turned away from the girl. If his Empress was unwilling to bepletely loyal to him, then he had no use for her. When Ad saw the man she loved look at her with such disdain, she knew she had screwed up, and instantly called out to him as she knelt to ground and pressed her head to the floor.


    "Wait.... I swear it... I swear to bepletely loyal to you, your family, and your Empire. From this day forth, you are my everything, and my faith belongs to you!"


    When Berengar head this, he instantly halted his steps. A cruel smile carved itself upon his lips as he relished in victory. For too long, this girl had put a fictional man in the clouds above her own King and husband. Finally, after all these years, he had broken her will and forced her to submit. Thus, before turning around, he put on a loving smile as he helped the girl to her feet.


    "I have been waiting to hear those words for a very long time..."


    After saying this, Berengar wrapped his arms around his Empress and kissed her passionately. Which she immediately epted with a fervent smile on her face. It had been too long since she wasst intimate with her husband, and now she could finally enjoy the warmth of his embrace.


    With this loving reunion between husband and wife, Berengar had cleared the first obstacle to uniting his family together. After all, Ad''s skewed loyalties had always been a factor that divided Berengar''s growing dynasty, and if left unchecked, would surely result in ruin.


    In theing days, Berengar would work on correcting Ad''s behavior and repairing the rtionship between her and his other brides. Now that he did not have to worry about conflict with his neighbors for the time being, his first action as emperor would be to fix the damage to his family''s bonds that resulted from the mischievous women he had surrounded himself with. It was time for Berengar to put his house in order.

 Chapter 572 Formation of an International Defensive Pact

    <h4>Chapter 572 Formation of an International Defensive Pact</h4>


    Within the city of Rome, several powerful monarchs from across the Christian world had gathered at the behest of Pope Julius. The recent establishment of the German Empire under Berengar von Kufstein and his dynasty had frightened the Papacy, and many of the neighboring kingdoms, into action. One thing was certain: they could no longer sit idly by and wait for Berengar to amass more power.


    Among those present for this international council were the rulers of the Kingdom of France, the Kingdom of Spain, the Duchy of Burgundy, the Duchy of Aquitaine, the Kingdom of Ennd, the Kingdom of Scond, the Kingdom of Naples, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and several of the Rus States.


    Aubry sat in silence as he listened to the words spoken in the room. For the sake of this asion, he had neither dressed in women''s clothing, nor had he worn any makeup. His pretty and delicate features were noticeably less so than they usually were. Thus, the scowl on his face was not as attractive to the men present as it would otherwise be.


    The object of his detest was none other than Duke Godeffroy de Burgundy, his ex-lover, and current rebel against his rule. The Duke of Burgundy was currently arguing with the other rulers over his disagreements with France. What started as a discussion about forming a coalition against Berengar and his Empire had now turned into endless bickering between the Christian Kings.


    "You ask me to unite with this effeminate King who sleeps with his knights like amon whore, against an Empire which poses no threat to my borders? Give me one good reason!"


    When Aubry heard this insult, he could no longer hold his tongue and immediately snapped back at his former lover.


    "Oh please, you''re only pissed off because your tiny dick wasn''t enough to satisfy me. Now Berengar, I hear he is quite the savage in bed... It''s just a shame I failed to seduce him..."


    When the Duke of Burgundy heard this insult to his manhood, he could hardly contain his fury. However, when Aubry said that he had attempted to seduce Berengar, the man absolutely lost control of his emotions and ranted towards his former lover.


    "You fucking slut! You tried to seduce a filthy German? If we were not in the presence of his holiness right now, I would kill you!"


    It was pretty well known among the European nobility that the whole dispute between France and Burgundy began because Aubry had cheated on Godeffroy. Thus, the other European monarchs had varied expressions on their faces as they were forced to listen to this lover''s quarrel. Only Pope Julius was actually enraged by the open discussion about homosexuality in his own court. Thus, it was no surprise that he burst out into a fit of fury.


    "Enough, I will not listen to such sphemy! Can we please move on to the discussion at hand? The German Empire poses a significant threat to not only the Church but all of Christendom! There is no other choice. We must take action, and I don''t mean in the form of outright invasion. We simply do not have the means to win against Berengar, the ursed, right now.


    It has be clear that this so called German Empire intends to challenge all of our authority, and seeks to force you all beneath their boot. We can no longer sit idly by and allow Berengar to umte more power. We muste together as Christians and support one another.


    I am calling on all of you to forget your petty disputes for the time being, and focus on the genuine threat to us all. You must halt your ongoing hostilities and unite against amon foe. We must all share technology, trade resources, and most of all oppose the German Empire in all their efforts. If we can not destroy the German Empire via conventional warfare, then we must target their treasury.


    Berengar has, through masterful maniption of the international market, forced his currency upon many of your kingdoms as the staple of international trade. So our solution is simple: we will no longer ept German currency, nor will we trade with the German Empire for the foreseeable future. We must alsobine our intelligence efforts to gain what knowledge we can from the Germans and replicate their technology to be used against them."


    This troubled many of the Christian Kings. Enacting sanctions against Germany would also have a negative effect on their own economies. Many of those present relied on Germany for many of the products that entered their kingdoms. However, two of the men present had even greater concerns, and thus Aubry was not afraid to raise his voice in disagreement.


    "Berengar currently imprisons my sister. If I were to put economic sanctions against his realm, he could retaliate by iming her life. I would rather bend over and present myself to the man as his ything than risk the safety of my precious older sister.


    I''m sorry, but I will not take part in economic sanctions or acts of espionage against the German Empire. As for the sharing of technology and resources, my Kingdom would be more than willing to agree to such terms."


    When the Duke of Burgundy heard this here merely scoffed, before he could chastise Aubry for his perceived cowardice, the King of Pnd spoke up in agreement with the French King.


    "I agree with King Aubry. Berengar currently holds my daughter, Natalia, as a ward. Should I make a move against him and his Empire, it will only result in her being harmed. I have already lost a son to the man. I will not risk losing my daughter as well. Thus, I will not take part in any sanctions or espionage against the German Empire. However, like Aubry, I am willing to share technology and resources with other member states of this coalition."


    If looks could kill, then surely Aubry and his Polish counterpart would have been in by Julius'' inner fury. However, as the Pope, Julius calmed himself and sighed heavily while maintaining control over his emotions, if barely.


    Having heard that two kingdoms would not be willing to engage in espionage and sanctions, the other Monarchs became doubtful as the stability of this proposed alliance. Just when others were about to back down, King Felipe of Spain shockingly announced some news that turned the tide of favor towards the idea of uniting against Germany.


    "My spies have recently discovered an extensive mining operation conducted by the German Empire within my borders. I do not know how Berengar discovered the existence of such a vast quantity of saltpeter in mynds, but via deception, he has coerced me into agreeing to give him and his realm mining ess to the territory. Make no mistake, if we can gain control over these mines, we will have the gunpowder needed tobat Berengar and his armies in the future!"


    The moment the other European monarchs heard this im, their attention shifted towards the Spanish delegation. If such a thing were true, then for the sake ofpeting with Germany, they all needed to get their hands on these mines. In the next statement, King Felipe made an even bolder im.


    "I will agree to this alliance so long as every member present agrees to three out of five of the terms listed by Julius. We all cease our foolish wars with one another over petty squabbles until a time where we have defeated Berengar''s influence. We share technology with one another, and our development progress. Finally, we agree to some form of an economic pact regarding the trade of supplies, resources, and manpower of our alliance.


    As for economic sanctions and espionage, individual monarchs and their realms will choose whether they take part in these two activities. If everyone here can agree upon these principles, then I will take part in this alliance."


    Silence prevailed as the various monarchs gazed upon each other. Eventually, Pope Julius called for a vote.


    "All agreed?"


    With this question posed, every member present raised their voices in agreement. The decision was unanimous. Every major European power, aside from those already directly or indirectly allied with Germany, hade together to form a military and economic alliance with a single purpose in mind. To oppose the German Empire and destroy its influence over the Western World.


    For the next few years, as the Catholic Church built up its crusader armies, Berengar and his neighbors would engage in economic warfare and covert espionage against one another. Unfortunately, they had made one major miscalction. Berengar did not require trade with any of them, for he had all the resources of the New World at his disposal. Still, this alliance would vastly increase the technological development of Berengar''s rivals, and perhaps even kick-start the renaissance early.

 Chapter 573 Family Issues

    <h4>Chapter 573 Family Issues</h4>


    Berengar sat within the confines of his study. In his hands was a gilded chalice which contained a drink of fortified wine. Nearly half a year had passed since Berengar had unified the German Empire beneath the banner of Austria. In this time, Berengar had spent nearly every waking hour overhauling the government of his Empire.


    Progress was slow, but by now the Feudal Nobility had lost most of their previous power, and in its ce, the semi-constitutional, meritocratic government that Berengar had already instilled in Austria spread to the rest of the Empire''s borders.


    After fierce negotiations, Berengar had divided the provinces of Germany into several kingdoms and Grand Duchies, which included the following. The Kingdom of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, the Kingdom of Bavaria, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Baden-W��rttemberg, the Grand Duchy of Switzend, the Grand Duchy of Rheins, the Grand Duchy of Hannover, the Grand Duchy of Brandenburg, and the Grand Duchy of Holstein-Mecklenburg.


    Naturally, the existence of the Colonies was still a highly ssified secret, and thus the Grand Duchy of New Vienna and the Grand Duchy New Swabia were not on any official map of the Empire or its provinces. The various Kings and Grand Dukes, while technically monarchs themselves, served beneath the King of Austria, who was also the Kaiser of Germany. Thus, Berengar had created a federal monarchy loosely based upon the German Empire of his past life.


    As a result, Berengar had drafted a Federal Constitution which wasrgely based upon the German Empire''s from his past life, but with the provisions he had added to Austria''s constitution during their previous convention. Allowing the Kaiser to have a greater degree of control over the Empire''s affairs, and ensuring that only the mostpetent of his future heirs would seed him.


    Aside from this major political restructuring, Berengar had been leftrgely to his own devices as he worked on mending the wounds to his family''s bonds. Six months was not enough time to fix the issues between Ad and his other brides, let alone their children, who were all fiercely loyal to their mothers. It was only now that Berengar realized just how much he had neglected his family in pursuit of conquest. A mistake he swore he would never make.


    Thus, Berengar sipped upon his wine as he reminisced about all that he had aplished thus far in this life. In the next moment, the Emperor heard a knock on his door, which he quickly answered to.


    "Come in..."


    Quickly the door opened to reveal one of his beautiful brides who, for whatever reason, was dressed in rags and had a ve cor around her neck. It was none other than Honoria, and she was currently sporting her Tyrian purple hair. Evidently, she had redyed it to the previous color upon returning to Kufstein.


    When Berengar gazed upon this look, a smile curved itself upon his lips. He honestly preferred the girl with purple hair over blue. In fact, the contrast of the expensive hair dye and the tattered clothes was quite appealing for some reason. Honoria had a pouting expression on her face as she approached her husband and begged him to be merciful.


    "Daddy... please, it has been six months. I promise you, I have learned my lesson about very. I beg you to release my cor and allow me to rejoin the family! This is humiliating, and unlike Linde, I don''t have a fetish for such a thing!"


    Berengar merely chuckled when he heard this. For the past six months, he had subjected the girl to some rather intense roley as punishment for her actions in the New World. Not only did Honoria have to sleep in a shed on the property, but she could not interact with the Royal Family as anything other than a ve. On top of all this, he forced the once proud Princess of Byzantium to do domestic duties within the household, and service him whenever he felt in the mood.


    For Berengar, it was quite an enjoyable experience. As for Linde, it excited her to have Honoria as a ything beneath her control. She wouldmonly force Honoria into degrading acts as the trio spent their nights together. Letting her dormant dominatrix side take control over the poor princess who suffered at the hands of her Master, and Mistress alike.


    As Berengar reflected on the debauchery he had engaged in these past few months with his two favorite pets, he sighed heavily before opening the drawer on his desk and pulling out a small iron key. When Honoria saw this action, her mint green eyes immediately shone with excitement.


    Finally, she could reim her ce as a Queen of Austria, and a terror on the seas. Berengar quickly walked over to the woman and unlocked her cor, which copsed to the cold stone floor with a loud ng. Before the Princess could thank him, Berengar waved his finger in her face and scolded her one final time for her criminal acts.


    "Don''t make me regret this. If it was anyone else who had broken myws against very, I would have sent them to abor camp for several decades. You are lucky that you are my wife and I showed you leniency."


    Honoria instantly responded by wrapping her arms around Berengar''s neck and kissing him passionately before whispering something in his ear.


    "Thank you daddy! I''m going to go get a proper bath, then perhaps we can meet upter and have a proper meal as a family!"


    After doing this, Honoria quickly ran off towards the bathhouse that was established within the Royal Pce. Not long after, Linde found her way into the study with a satisfied smirk on her face. Evidently she had seen Honoria run by without her cor and could not help but poke fun at her husband.


    "I see you have freed your ve from her bondage. I must say, I am going to miss our little group therapy sessions. It is a shame. I was just starting to feel like I finally had a sister who can join me in servitude to my master."


    When Berengar heard this, he scoffed in disbelief. He knew how all too well the real reason Linde was feeling regretful over the loss of her so called "sister". However, before he could make a snide remark about the woman''s true nature, she deflected and asked about something far more important.


    "Have you finally run out of ideas for inventions? It has been six months, and you have not introduced any new technology. You know our enemies are working together to catch up to our armies as rapidly as possible."


    Berengar took a sip from his chalice before answering this question with a smug smile on his face.


    "Oh believe me, I have plenty of new inventions that I could begin introducing to the world, but now is not the time. In the past six months, I have been busy overhauling the government of every province of our Empire to match Austria''s political system and economic system.


    I have minted new currency which has be the universal standard throughout the Empire. Which, if I am being honest, as much as I scolded Honoria for her little very debacle, I have to admit the gold mines she discovered were an enormous help in that regard.


    I have also had to incorporate all the soldiers from the various German States into a single Imperial Army. In doing so, I have had to train and outfit tens of thousands of men with brand new equipment. Hell, I have even had to design new uniforms, as Austria''s signature ck and gold colors are not a symbol of unity of the German people.


    Believe me, when the timees that the other German states have caught up to a simr level of industrial and agricultural capability as Austria, then I will begin introducing new technological marvels that will shock the world. However, before I do that, we have a long way to go.


    More importantly, how has your rtionship with Ad been? Is she still behaving herself? Thest time I spoke with her at length about her personal issues, she seemed to be having a difficult time figuring out where her loyaltiesy. I swear to god that dumb girl was meant to be a nun. If she spent half as much time on her knees pleasuring me as she does praying to the Lord, I would be far more fond of her. "


    A smirk appeared on Linde''s pretty face as she giggled in response to Berengar''s words. She sighed heavily before sitting on hisp, where she nuzzled her head into his chest before speaking her thoughts about the matter.


    "Ad has been slightly kinder to me these past few months, but it definitely seems forced. I know you must have said something to her. Knowing you, you probably given her an ultimatum like you so often do. However, you can''t force a girl to change her nature overnight.


    I can tell she is genuinely trying to bridge the gap between us, but it is hard for a proud, stubborn, and prudish girl like her to admit that she is, in fact, not superior to me or the others, especially since she looks down on our little group activities. Perhaps it would be best if you mediated between us.


    Just think of it, the three of us, having a nice meal together, and discussing our deep-seated internal issues in an open and civil manner."


    When Berengar heard this suggestion, he reflected on it in silence for some time. After a few moments, he nodded his head before agreeing to Linde''s proposal.


    "Very well, I will have someone inform Ad of our dinner ns, and the three of us can get together tonight. I want to end this rivalry between the two of you before it gets out of hand and causes problems for my Empire. This means you have to put aside your petty grievances ande together as sisters. Do you understand me?"


    In response to this, Linde simply kissed Berengar on the lips before whispering in his ear.


    "Whatever youmand, my master!"


    With this said, the redheaded beauty ran off and prepared herself for the evening. It would be the first time in a long time that Berengar had been alone with Linde and Ad, and he would be lying to himself if he said there was no possibility of a catfight breaking out.

 Chapter 574 Settling Their Differences

    <h4>Chapter 574 Settling Their Differences</h4>


    Within the city of Kufstein, the German Emperor and two of his brides sat in silence within the halls of a local restaurant. As part of their date, Berengar had reserved the entire facility for the night in order to ensure that the privacy of the Royal Family was properly maintained. After all, thest thing he needed was news of his little family drama getting out to the public.


    Linde had a warm smile on her face as she drank from the fine vintage which was provided to her by the staff who operated this restaurant. As for Ad, she was scowling as her furious gaze shifted between her husband and his second wife. She had assumed this would be a private dinner between herself and the man she loved. When Berengar saw the young woman ring at him, he smiled gracefully before breaking the ice.


    "Ad, my sweetheart, it has been awhile since the three of us shared a meal together. Isn''t it nice to eat a meal with your husband and an old friend?"


    When the Empress heard her husband use the term "old friend" to refer to her greatest rival, she could no longer keep her mouth shut.


    "Old friend? Since when? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound right now?"


    Linde immediately sighed when she heard this childish rant before cing her ss on the table. Her gaze shifted from kind to outraged as she scolded Ad for her crass statement.


    "You just couldn''t go five minutes without making a scene, could you? Our husband brought us here to settle our differences, and yet you don''t even have the emotional maturity to carry on with small talk. Why am I not surprised?"


    Berengar immediately ced his forehead into the palm of his hand as he exhaled loudly. He knew this was a bad idea. Why did he have to let that little vixen coerce him into this? Still, he had decided to mediate between the two women, and thus he would not abandon this quest that he had already embarked upon. After several moments of mindless bickering between the two women, which Berengar paid no attention to, he abruptly silenced them by raising his voice.


    "Enough! We haven''t even gotten our appetizers and already you two are at each other''s throats. I seriously can not understand why the two of you can not even pretend to get along in my presence. Seriously? Is it that hard to maintain civility?"


    Linde merely snubbed Ad and returned to her drink. Whereas Ad pouted, after all in her mind, it was difficult to forgive Linde for all which she had done over the years. When Berengar noticed the stubborn expression on the girl''s lips, he sighed heavily before outright asking where the nature of her grievance lied.


    "Ad, it has been years since the two of you first began feuding. You have both sired my sons, who will one daypete for my throne. Thest thing our dynasty needs is two princes who want to kill each other because their mothers couldn''t get along. If I haven''t made it abundantly clear by now, we are all one family, and the two of you, more so than my other brides need to get along."


    When Ad heard thisst part, she grew flustered. She honestly did not know why Berengar continued to pressure her to get along with Linde, of all people. Because of Berengar''s scolding, the young Empress could no longer keep her tongue silent andshed out at the two of them.


    "Why is it you always take her side? You expect me to get along with Linde after she has stolen from me what was rightfully mine? I have sworn my loyalty to you and your house, but I can never forgive Linde for what she has done!"


    Berengar and Linde both gazed at Ad in confusion. They did not know what Linde had done to the young Empress that would cause her to hold such a strong grudge against her. Thus, it was no surprise that the two of them voiced their confusion simultaneously


    "What are you talking about?"


    When Ad realized that neither her husband nor her rival knew what hadpelled her to hate the redheaded vixen so much, she was astonished. Was it really not obvious? Thus, she did not hesitate to voice her greatest grievance with Linde aloud.


    "This harlot came into your home, seduced you, and stole your chastity! As your fiancee, it was mine by right. If not for Linde''s scandalous actions, we would have been each other''s firsts!"


    It was right about this moment where the server was bringing in a tray filled with the appetizers. Upon hearing such a remark, she blushed and quickly scurried out of the area. She felt it would be best to introduce the food once this awkward conversation was finished.


    As for Linde, she too was flushed with embarrassment. She did not know that the foundation of their rivalry, and their continued disagreements, was the simple fact that she was older and got to Berengar first. When Berengar heard such a ridiculous reason for Ad''s ceaseless fury, he chuckled before making a rather bold statement.


    "That''s why you always seek conflict with Linde? If such a reason hadn''t caused me so many headaches over the past few years, I would honestly find it rather cute. Ad, you should not me Linde for such a thing.


    If you should have a grievance with anyone, it should be with God. After all, he is the one who made you so much younger than me. If you were her age when we were first engaged, I would have tried everything in my power to get into your pants as soon as possible. However, you were twelve at the time, and because of that, you were far too young for my tastes.


    Naturally, as a twenty-year-old virgin, the moment a busty young beauty like Linde presented herself to me, I could not resist. If you were of age when we first met, I would have dly thrown myself at you if you so desired. To put it simply, fate denied you that chance. Do you really think I would have waited four years for you to catch up when I had beautiful women like Linde and Honoria throwing themselves at me? In case you haven''t noticed, I am not a man capable of such restraint."


    When Linde heard this, she maintained her silence as she continued to sip on her wine, avoiding eye contact with both Berengar and Ad. She could not believe they were having such a conversation, and was now extremely happy that Berengar had reserved the entire restaurant for themselves on this night.


    Ad, on the other hand, stared in silence at the two of them. Was she really being that petty all these years? Still, she struggled to put the me on god, or fate for being so cruel to her. After all, her upbringing would not easily allow her to hold her deity responsible for her misfortune. Rather than confront such a hard truth, she shifted the topic to another point in contention with what Berengar had previously said.


    "For the sake of argument, let''s say I agree with your premise that God and fate are to me for what had transpired between the two of you. That does not change the fact that Linde stole what was rightfully mine as your fiancee and primary wife. Why are you so insistent that she and I act as sisters?"


    When Berengar heard this, he stared at Ad in disbelief. He could not believe that she was so devoid of thought that she could not see the reason he needed her and Linde to get along more than any of his other wives. After a few moments of silence, he tried to get her toe to the answer herself.


    "Ad, answer me this: how many of my wives have the privilege of using my surname?"


    It took a few moments for the gears to work in Ad''s brain. Though she was not dumb by any means, in fact, she was quite brilliant in her own regard. The problem ultimately lies with the years of religious brainwashing which had made her rather slow on the uptake.


    "Two..."


    When Berengar heard her answer this, and still not get his reasoning, he voiced another question.


    "And those two are?"


    Finally, Ad was understanding where Berengar wasing from. She repeatedly shifted her gaze between Linde and her husband as she understood what her husband was trying to tell to her.


    "You don''t mean?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in response as he reached out and grabbed hold of his two wives'' hands.


    "The two of you are the only brides of mine capable of bearing a son with the surname von Kufstein. Which means, ultimately, it will be your two bloodlines that determine the session of the German Throne. Now, do you understand why, despite your many differences, I need the two of you, more so than the others, toe together?


    For the sake of the stability of my Empire, you two need to raise your children, with the mentality that we are all one, loving family, united against a world that seeks to overthrow us. Personally I would like to see you two get along with Honoria and Yasmin as well, but if you are wholly incapable of such a thing, then all I ask, is that you realize, the two of you, have always been, and will always be my most important brides.


    You were not born princesses like my other two brides, but through my actions, I have made you both Empresses, something the others will never be. So for the sake of our family, for the sake of our dynasty, and the future of our Empire, can you put aside your petty grievances and be my two most beloved wives?"


    Ad gazed over towards Linde, who immediately nodded her head in silence, causing Ad to decide. With a heavy sigh, she responded to Berengar''s question with an answer that would forever change her future.


    "Yes, Berengar, for the sake of our dynasty, I think I can put aside my childish squabbles with Linde and raise our children together as one family under your rule."


    A smile etched itself on Berengar''s lips when he heard his wife be so agreeable. However, in the very next moment, his expression became stern as he shifted his gaze towards the other thorn in his side.


    "Linde, can you agree to put aside your scheming nature, embrace Ad as an equal, and raise our children together as a single family?"


    When Linde heard Berengar was aware of her schemes to ce Hans on the throne, she immediately blushed in embarrassment. Despite being a master of intrigue, she hadpletely failed to conceal her hidden plots. This made herpletely ashamed of herself. After several moments of contemtion, Linde sighed with a bitter smile as she nodded her head in agreement.


    "What the hell? It sounds like it could be fun. Besides, now that you have freed Honoria from her sentence, I find myself dreadfullycking a cute little ything to entertain myself with. Now that I think about it, I have always wanted to have some fun with little Ad."


    When Ad heard Linde''s yful taunt, she felt a chill rush down her spine. She quickly gazed over towards her husband with a pleading gaze, as if she were rabbit caught in a hungry wolf''s jaws. With a sheepish tone, she questioned the man about just what Linde had intended for the three of them.


    "Berengar, what is she talking about?"


    In response to this, the German Emperor merely smiled wickedly before whispering in Ad''s little ears.


    "You will find outter tonight..."


    Having said this, Berengar immediately motioned for the server to bring in the appetizers. After having a productive discussion with his two wives, he found himself famished. Thus, he was more than happy to indulge himself in the fine cuisine. After all, he would need the protein forter that night.

 Chapter 575 Cruel and Unusual Punishment Part I

    <h4>Chapter 575 Cruel and Unusual Punishment Part I</h4>


    Berengar sat within the confines of the penthouse suite that stood at the very top of his pce. Hemonly referred to these areas as his "harem room" as it was the location he most frequently spent engaging in all forms of debauchery with his women. Having finally gotten his two foremost brides toe to terms, Berengar intended to take full advantage of it, and sleep with both of them tonight.


    Throughout the entirety of their marriage, there was only one instance where Berengar had managed to sleep with Ad alongside his other women, and that was when the other girls drugged her. Since then, she had been incredibly reluctant to do so, but tonight was different. Tonight, he had finally broken down the boundaries between Ad and Linde, and he would not let this perfect opportunity to bond together as a family pass him by.


    As the two women prepared themselves in the bath for the night that awaited them, Berengar was in the lounge area, dressed in nothing but his underwear. He took a heavy hit from the hookah that acted as his favorite instrument to smoke from. In its tray was a mixture of hashish and shisha tobo. It was the first time he had imported such a substance from his colonies in the new world.


    The blended smoke entered his lungs, where he skillfully captured it. After a few seconds, he exhaled therge plume of smoke, and instantly felt his mind enter a rush the likes he had not felt since his past life. After dazing out for what felt like seconds, but was actually several minutes, a single phrase escaped his lips.


    "That is some good shit!"


    Berengar was unaware of how much time had passed. However, he continued to smoke as he waited for his two loving brides to show up. Eventually, the doors opened and two heavenly figures emerged. Ad and Linde were standing in the doorway to the changing area, dressed in what Berengar could only describe as cosy. Ad was dressed in translucent white lingerie, which showed off her exceptional figure and the secrets it contained.


    It was like the set she wore on their wedding night, yet there was a distinctive difference, on her back were a pair of white feather wings, and atop her golden hair was a halo, evidentially she was ying the part of the angel on his shoulder.


    Linde, however, was dressed in a far more sinister outfit. A transparent andcey ck bra clung to her magnificent curves. It was paired with a matching garter belt and thong. Around her silky white legs were a pair of translucent stockings.


    However, what really caught Berengar''s eye was protruding out from her behind. It was a subus'' tail, which Berengar could only guess was a tail plug. Where she had got hold of such a perverted device, and who was the mastermind behind its creation? He did not know. Obviously, he could never be the man responsible for such a thing. Atop her strawberry blond hair was a pair of subus horns. Needless to say, Linde was the physical incarnation of a demonic beauty.


    By now, Berengar was so high that he believed he had unlocked his potential as a cultivator. Thus, it was no surprise that he genuinely thought the two women standing before him were actually the celestial figures they dressed as. Thus, a single thought entered Berengar''s mind as he gazed upon Linde''s busty figure.


    Despite this thought, he did not back away, and simply sat idly by as Linde crawled on her knees towards her husband. Unhooking her bra and letting her massive cow udders hang freely as she did so.


    "Master? Won''t you punish this naughty subus?"


    Berengar''s gaze fell onto Ad, who was standing behind Linde''s curvy figure, who herself was staring upon the tail plugged into the woman''s ass as her hips swayed hypnotically. She could not believe the lengths Linde went through in order to appease Berengar. Her face was flushed red in embarrassment as she tried to avert her gaze. However, she could not, for the well-toned rear of the young subus was enough to attract even her attention.


    Thus, Berengar had a naughty idea entering his head as he looked over to Linde with a vacant expression on his face. The woman pouted as she waited for a response. Eventually, she could not wait any longer and handed the leash that was bound to her cor over to her master. However, Berengar instead smiled wickedly and called out to his other wife.


    "Ad? You said previously that you were upset over Linde taking my chastity? Well, now is the time for you to punish her for her misdeeds."


    The two young women gazed at their husband in shock, Linde more so than Ad. She had thought for sure that Berengar would allow her to vent some of her frustrations onto Ad''s petite body. Thus, she immediately attempted to protest.


    "But master-"


    Before Linde could finish her sentence, Berengar raised his finger to her pretty pink lips and shushed her.


    "Shhh... I have a feeling that despite Ad''s agreeable attitude, she still has some qualms that she wants to settle with you. I figured what better way than dishing out some punishment? After all, you love that sort of thing, don''t you?"


    The strawberry-blonde haired beauty had a look of fear in her eyes as she gazed behind towards Ad. The first Empress had a perplexed expression. She did not know what Berengar wanted her to do, and thus, she quickly voiced her confusion.


    "What should I do?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and fell back onto the sofa, pulling off his shorts before giving the girls an answer.


    "Spank her ass, p her titties, choke her, hell if you want I have a whip somewhere around here you can use to let out your anger on her beautiful flesh. Just don''t leave any permanent damage. I wouldn''t want my prettiest ve to be disfigured."


    Ad was hesitant to continue, she had quite the prudish upbringing, the very thought that Linde had stuck a toy up her butt was shocking enough, but after hearing just what kind of twisted y her husband and his second bride were into, she had a bit of a moral dilemma. However, in the next instance, when she heard Linde''s taunts, a switch flipped in her brain, and brought out some deep ws in her character the girl did not know she possessed.


    "Master, Ad is too much of a prude, she''s too much of a boor to punish me. Why do you think I feel so safe walking over her all the time?"


    A loud p resounded in the air, followed by a slight scream. Linde looked behind her in shock to see that her own rear had a small red handprint on it. She barely uttered her confusion when another vicious pnded on her plump bottom.


    "What the? Eep!"


    Berengar had a wicked smile on his face, as he dragged Linde''s face over to his shaft, and forced her lips upon it. It was quite the funny sight to see Ad, who dressed as an angel, smacking the subus'' rear so fiercely.


    As Linde slurped on Berengar''s shaft, Ad knelt down next to her and grabbed ahold of her massive E cup breasts, before yanking on them as she violently milked the woman as if she was amon dairy cow. As she did this, Ad used her free hand to press the back of her rival''s skull all the way down on her husband''s enormous cock, whispering in her ear some particrly ruthless insults.


    "You are no Empress, you are my husband''s slut, the only reason you can stand as my equal is because he identally put a baby in you! Don''t you ever forget his mercy, or mine for that matter! If not for my benevolence, you would not be here today slurping on that fat dick."


    Berengar gazed at Ad in shock. He never knew she had such a fierce side to her. He was so happy right now he could almost cry. However, before he could express this, Ad halted her actions. She quickly licked the milk off her fingers as if it were the tastiest treat in the world.


    After doing so, she walked over to the nearest drawer and searched through all the toys that Berengar''s wivesmonly used when he was away at war. A glint of cruel excitement formed in her sapphire eyes as she found the object of her desires.


    Ad instantly dropped her whitecey panties, before dawning the toy over her perfectly shaved crotch. When she did so, Linde gazed in fear at both her master and his wife. Berengar was absolutely shocked at this point and was unaware if he should continue. After all, Ad had adorned the strap-on that Lindemonly used on Honoria. Naturally, it was modeled after his own genitals.


    He gazed in awe as he questioned just what kind of monster he had awoken inside of his once pious wife. Ad did not hesitate. Instead, she grabbed ahold of Linde''s plump rear and lined her toy up with her perfect slit. Before Linde could even remove her mouth from Berengar''s cock, Ad shoved the toy inside with a fierce thrust.


    The moment she did so, Linde''s legs spasmed, and she copsed to the floor in a puddle of her own piss. It was the first time she had all three of her orifices filled at the same time, and it was too much for her to handle. However, despite the overwhelming pleasure, Ad did not halt her actions and continued to thrust madly, with no actual skill involved, as she pped Linde''s rear.


    "That''s what you get for fucking with me all these years, you little bitch!"


    Berengar could not tell if he had ascended to heaven or descended into the fiery depths of hell. The usually pious, upright woman, who was so easily triggered whenever someone so much as swore, was using such vulgarnguage while pounding away at her rival''s innards with a strap-on. He was so excited by these turns of events; he climaxed all over Linde''s pretty face, which contained an expression ovee by lust.


    Despite this, he was still as hard as diamonds, and thus his drug addled mind came up with an equally devious idea. The young Emperor quickly positioned himself behind his golden-haired wife and thrust himself into her depths, which caused her to squeal out in ecstasy. As Berengar pumped his hips into Ad'' lower lips, she did so to Linde, creating a human train.


    Before long, the young emperor had shot his load into his wife, soiling the depths of her womb with his seed. However, he was far from finished. The night was still young, and he had not inflicted enough punishment on his redheaded ve.

 Chapter 576 Cruel and Unusual Punishment Part II

    <h4>Chapter 576 Cruel and Unusual Punishment Part II</h4>


    Linde lie on the ground, with a vacant expression on her pretty face. She waspletely out of it. Her husband''s semen coated her face as if it were a thick white paste. Her massive breasts were leaking milk, and she was lying in a pool of her own squirt.


    While Linde had passed out from the overwhelming pleasure that she had just endured. Berengar and Ad made out on the side. Despite this, Berengar was far from finished. Until Linde could regain rity, he had decided to entertain himself with his other bride.


    The young Empress of Austria still wore the strap-on she had used to fuck Linde silly, as she herself was being taken from behind by her husband. Berengar continued to thrust his hips into the woman''s tight cave, as he pounded her like a mad dog, while scolding her for going overboard.


    "You think you''re better than Linde, you little whore? What did I just tell you earlier this evening? You are both equally beneath me. Learn your ce!"


    After saying this he raised his firm hand in to the air before bringing it down onto Ad''s tight behind, causing her to clench onto his shaft as if she were a vice grip. She had to admit; she liked the abuse that she was suffering from at the moment. Thus, between seductive moans, she uttered the following words.


    "Yes, dear, teach this little whore a lesson!"


    Berengar broke out intoughter as he heard this once pious woman call out for punishment. He knew that deep down within every prude''s heart was that of a pervert, and it appeared he was once more proven correct in life. Thus, he continued to pump away at Ad''s loins until she fell to the ground and quivered as she squirted all over the ce.


    Until now, whenever Berengar and his golden-haired bride had sex, it had always been rather boring for him. She had insisted on only using the missionary position, and for him not to be too rough. However, tonight was different. He had finally broken the girl from her shell and revealed her genuine desires.


    Coincidentally, the moment Ad copsed on the floor, Linde woke up, and realized she was covered in spunk, milk, and squirt. It took her a few moments to recall what had happened, and when she realized she had submitted to Ad, she felt a fury rise in her heart. While Ad was struggling toe to her senses, Linde unhooked the strap-on from the girl''s waist, and wore it herself.


    Berengar did not know what the woman wanted to do, but as long as it didn''t involveing after him, he was down for it. A wicked smile adorned Linde''s luscious lips as she asked him for his approval of her sinful idea.


    "Master, how about we give this little bitch a taste of her own medicine?"


    Berengar looked into Linde''s eyes, and instantly could tell what she was nning. Thus, with an equally malicious smile on his face, he nodded his head in agreement.


    "That sounds like a wonderful idea!"


    Ad came to just in time to realize that Berengar''s cock and Linde''s strap-on were lined up in front of her two holes. While she was passed out, Berengar had lubed her up so she could endure her punishment. The young Empress instantly panicked when she realized what was about to happen, but her husband''s grip was too strong for her to escape.


    In the next moment, Berengar plunged his enormous cock into the girl''s ass, and Linde did the same with her equally endowed toy into Ad''s tight pussy, skewering her in a perfect double pration. The moment the duo thrust their lengths as deep as possible, Ad squirted all over the ce.


    Her brain had practically fried itself in pain and pleasure alike. Berengar and Linde continued to thrust away at the Ad in an attempt to teach her a valuable lesson about insolence. Linde passionately kissed Ad on the lips before she whispered into the girl''s tiny ears.


    "That''s my good little whore!"


    Berengar had never thought in his life that this night would end up this way, but he was d to see that his wife''spetitive spirit had shifted to a more healthy alternative. Even if it was in some form of a wickedly sinful sado-masochistic triangle.


    After Ad''s third orgasm, Berengar thrust his length deep into her rectum, and shot his load inside before withdrawing his cock from her ass, leaving arge gaping hole in its ce. He quite honestly did not know how his wife would recover from this, however, he had seen enough anal porn in his past life to know she would most likely be fine. As for Linde, she wiped Ad''s bangs out of her eyes before kissing her on the lips onest time.


    "Sweet dreams, my little ything!"


    Ad waspletely spent and would sleep through the rest of Berengar and Linde''s session. As for the redheaded vixen, she immediately cast the toy aside and spread her legs for her husband, begging him for his seed.


    "Master, it''s not fair! You filled Ad''s holes with your cum, but not mine!"


    Berengar exhaled heavily, he was fairly tired by now, but knew if he did not do as Linde asked, then the rivalry between these two women would never truly end, thus he mustered his courage and pinned the young subus to the floor before driving his shaft into her entrance.


    "You little slut, all you needed to do was y along, but you just had to get even with her. Now you''re going to pay!"


    After saying this, Berengar thrust his length repeatedly into her tight cavern as he suckled at her breasts, enjoying his favorite meal to his heart''s content. Even though all of his wives could now produce milk, he was well ustomed to getting it from Linde during their yful activities, and thus, he engorged himself on her pink nipples and baster breasts.


    Before long, Berengar released his seed into the depths of the woman''s womb, who now had a satisfied expression on her face as she kissed her man passionately. After releasing from each other''s grip, Linde sighed as she gazed upon Ad''s lust filled gaze. Upon seeing such a thing, the redheaded beauty quickly asked a question to her man.


    "Did I go too far?"


    However, in the next moment, she witnessed the confused expression on Berengar''s face as he spoke the words she dreaded to hear.


    "What are you talking about? We''re not done yet. You said you wanted the same treatment as Ad, and you''re going to get it."


    Before Linde could refuse, Berengar spun her around and shoved her face to the ground, where he violently pulled the tail plug from her ass. The young subus immediately screamed in pleasure as her husband inserted his shaft in the toy''s ce. Berengar was absolutely ruthless as he pounded away at his wife''s asshole, screaming obscenities at her as he did so.


    "You like that? Huh, bitch? Do You like it when your master pounds your ass!?!"


    Between intense moans, Linde managed to just barely express her thoughts as her sky blue irises rolled to the back of her head.


    "Yes... master... I.... wuv... it!"


    Berengar continued to press his shaft deep into the woman''s rear as he asked for rification while pulling on the woman''s leash.


    "You love it when I do what!?!"


    In the next moment, Linde squirted all over herself, causing her legs to spasm once more, and her body to quiver in orgasm. At the same time, Berengar burrowed his cock as deep as it could go before filling his wife''s ass with his cum. After doing so, Linde sighed before passing out. Thest words to escape her lips were the answer her master was looking for.


    "I love it when you fuck my ass, master..."


    Havingpleted this rough session with his wives, Berengar copsed into the seat behind him. As he gazed at the sight of his two naked wives who lie on the floor in a puddle of semen, milk, and squirt. He instantly thought to himself that perhaps there was a reason Ad was such a prude. In the end, he did not know if this little group therapy session had resolved the girls'' dispute or created additional issues between them. However, the was one thing he knew for certain, and that thought he voiced aloud.


    "I need a beer!"


    After saying this, Berengar rose from his seat and walked over to the bar which was contained inside his harem room. He pulled out his favorite brand of beer and popped off its bottlecap before taking a heavy swig. As he did so, a single thought crossed his mind.


    It is times like this, where I wish I had some fucking ice. Warm beer after rough sex is absolute shit...


    This single thought, which resulted from some rather sinful activity between the Emperor and his wives, would lead to the creation of the world''s first ice factories. An anecdote which would be lost to history.

 Chapter 577 Border Construction

    <h4>Chapter 577 Border Construction</h4>


    On the northwestern edge of the German Empire, there was the contested region of Frisia. Currently at the border where the Nethends and Germany met, an emperor stood silently as he gazed through a pair of binocrs upon the construction of his mighty border defences. Surrounding this man was a contingent of officers, including a General who all scurried for the favor of their emperor.


    If one were to describe the nature of these border defenses, they could refer to it as the Maginot Line on steroids. For example, the amount of steel-reinforced concrete bunkers that housed Schmidt guns, and artillery pieces across this 10-mile strip ofnd, was nearly a hundred. In between these bunkers was a series of heavily fortified trench systems where thousands of soldiers stood by watching, and waiting for the slightest disturbance within their vicinity.


    This massive defensiveplex was constructed on the Frisian Border as a way for Berengar to cement his im over thends he had gained in his war with Luxembourg. To the west lie the borders of the Duchy of Burgundy, which currently ruled over the other half of Frisia.


    If one of the many German soldiers protecting this region were to pop up his head, he merely needed to look around and he would see abyrinth of barbed wire, supported with randomly cednd mines.


    Over the past six months, since German Unification first took ce, the Mighty Emperor had done little in terms of technological advancements. However, for the sake of border security, he had made one specific invention. Land-mines, and these mines were based upon one of the most fearsome examples from his past life.


    The Bouncing Betty was the nickname that the American GIs gave the German S-Mine. This weapon was buried into the dirt, and when one stepped upon its trigger, it would ignite a small explosion propelling the explosive device into the air, at roughly waist height, before a secondary charge detonated, sending thousands of tiny ball bearings in all directions.


    It was an extremely lethal device, and when nted in the thousands within the Great War style no-man''snd that extended into the Burgundian territory, one could only imagine how easy it would be for the Germans of this world to repel any would-be attackers.


    Berengar gazed upon this extensive border defence and smiled wickedly. He truly pitied anyone foolish enough to enter this no-man''snd, for if thendmines did not im their soul, then the machine gun and artillery fire surely would. Having witnessed the lengths that his army was going to in order to ensure border security, Berengar proudly announced his vision for the gathered officers to hear.


    "Can you imagine these defences stretched across the length of our entire Empire''s borders? Who then would dare to attack us? I dare say even if the entire world rose against us, they could not defeat a united Germany!"


    The officers who stood next to Berengar all had smug expressions on their faces. Their Emperor''s ambitions truly had no limit. They too desired to see such a glorious future for their realm. Thus, one officer spoke his thoughts on the matter with a hint of Pride in his voice.


    "Though it will take many years toplete, I am positive that our borders will be imprable within our lifetime. Especially when we take into consideration our enemy''sck of military technology."


    Berengar merely nodded his head in silence, before turning around to gaze upon his gathered officers. These men were all veterans of his previous conflicts. Despite uniting all the German states into one Empire, the overwhelming majority of the Imperial German Army''s leadership came from Austria.


    This was because Austria was further advanced than the other German States in practically every aspect, especially in the procurement and training of officers. As for the rest of the German nobility who once marched to war with swords and bows, those who still wished to serve their realm were allowed into officer academies.


    However, the German Empire under Berengar''s reign was an absolute meritocracy, simply because these men were knights or nobles in the past did not mean it guaranteed them amission. Should they fail to pass the academy''s stringent standards, Imperial High Command would force them into an enlisted rank.


    These officers, much like Berengar himself, were dressed in the newest military fashion with which the Imperial German Army was now being equipped with. These uniforms werergely based upon those used by German officers during the early days of the Great War in Berengar''s past life.


    Berengar, in particr, sported a uniform that resembled a German Hussar officer''s attire during the First World War. There was one major difference, and that was his shoulder boards, which had insignia that reflected those which the Reichsmarschall would have worn during the Second World War. Obviously, he had reced the nazi era imagery with his own Empire''s symbols.


    The lower ranked soldiers in the new Imperial German Army were equipped with uniforms based upon those issued to German Soldiers during the early days of the Great War. Atop their uniforms were a feldgrau painted cuirass, and a matching steel pickelhaube which used a feldgrau cloth cover that proudly disyed their unit number with embroidered patches.


    Despite the new uniforms, the Imperial German army were still issued the same ck powder weapons that the Austrian Royal Army had used during its conquest of Germany. While there was nothing wrong with these weapons, Berengar had ns to rece them soon with something far more effective.


    However, now was not the time to dwell on such things, instead something else caught Berengar''s interest. Just when he was thinking about concluding this visit, the bell rang throughout the encampment, signalling that someone was approaching the border. This quickly drew the Emperor and his officers to the nearest Bunker where they gazed into the distance with their binocrs.


    Berengar frowned as he witnessed the sight in front of him. A group of Dutch refugees were running straight towards no-man''snd. Clearly they were attempting to flee their miserable existences within the war torn Kingdom of France. An interesting thought formed in his mind as he asked the man in charge of the Rhinnd''s border about the current situation.


    "Is this amon urrence?"


    The General dwelled upon the question for a few moments before nodding his head.


    "now and then we get people iming to be refugees trying to enter Germany. As per your instructions, we usually only ept young women capable of marriage and bearing children. Forgive me, my Kaiser, but the thought has only urred to me now. By introducing these so called ndmines", refugees such as these people will undoubtedly walk straight to their deaths. Should we not do something about this?"


    The German Emperor nodded his head in silence as he heard this. Without a safe route to traverse, there would surely be an absurd amount of civilian casualties on the borders of Germany from any man, woman, or child foolish enough to approach hisnds carelessly. Thus, after a few seconds of contemtion, Berengar issued amand.


    "Foremost, fire a warning shot, so these idiots don''t identally blow themselves up. In the future, I want warning signs posted on the Dutch side of no-man''snd, written in both the Dutch tongue and the German one, informing anyone who approaches of the danger presented with walking through the minefield.


    Aside from that, I want you to construct roads that allow a safe path through the minefield. After all, we wouldn''t want to deter merchants from entering our borders. However, they will have to do so at secured checkpoints.


    These checkpoints should have a proper customs department contained within, who will process thewful entry of all foreigners who seek to enter ournds, regardless as to their homnd. These Border entry points should be stationed at regr intervals across the Empire, allowing for ease of travel for those whoe with friendly intentions.


    Make no mistake, my previous immigration policy still stands. Only women from historically Germanic countries past the age of marriage, and young enough to still bear children, are to be allowed to migrate into Germany under the provision they marry a German man. As for anyone else who seeks asylum, repel them back whence they came. It is not our responsibility to look after the world''s poor and hungry masses."


    Upon receiving these orders, the General quickly motioned for the nearest marksman to fire a warning shot towards the location of the intruders. The bullet struck right in front of the closest man''s feet, causing him to halt in his tracks, right before stepping into the massive minefield. After witnessing the potential migrants'' hesitation to move forward, Berengar sighed in relief before giving out another order.


    "Send a rider around no-man''snd to inform these people of our immigration policy and take any potential migrants through a safe route so that we may safely process them into our immigration system."


    The General quickly nodded his head and dispatched the Emperor''s orders. Now that they had settled this unscheduled disturbance, Berengar walked out of the bunker and back into the border encampment. Things were progressing smoothly. All across the Empire, such measures were being undertaken to ensure that Germany''s borders were secured against any threat of invasion.


    As an Empire embedded directly in the center of Europe, potentially hostile states surrounded the German people. Even the alliance with the Kalmar Union had the possibility of someday copsing into open warfare. For Germany, a strong border was paramount to national security, and was critical to Berengar''s ns for an Empire which endured the test of time.


    Thus, he was quite happy with the results his forces had achieved so far. With the construction of the border defences going smoothly, and the National Railway in progress, the tworgest of Berengar''s infrastructure projects were on the path topletion, though it was likely to be several years before such a thing became reality.


    With a heavy sigh, Berengar mounted his horse and rode off with his Imperial Guard. It was quite some distance from the nearest rail station, and he would need to travel some time to reach it. However, inspecting the progress of the border was something he had to do, and because of that, he had taken the necessary time out of his busy schedule to achieve this goal. What awaited him on his journey back home would forever ingrain itself into his memories.

 Chapter 578 A Brush with the Supernatural

    <h4>Chapter 578 A Brush with the Supernatural</h4>


    The sun began to set as Berengar and his royal guard found themselves on the borders of a thickly wooded area within the realm of Frisia. When the German Emperor gazed upon the small forest, he noticed a dense fog permeated in the air. As the horses approach the area, they panicked, bucking about like mad. It took considerable effort on the riders'' part to calm their steeds.


    To Berengar''s surprise, even his mount Glory, which was a valiant stallion born and bred for the purpose of war, was too frightened to approach the misty woonds. In the end, Berengar and his soldiers were forced to maintain their distance, for the steeds did not dare approach. As such, the German Emperor dismounted from his horse, and made camp in the ins outside the mysterious woond enve.


    As he was setting up his tent, a man who was not in uniform approached Berengar with a frightened expression on his face. The man was practically shivering in fear as he spoke about the local rumors which pertained to the nearby woods.


    "Your Majesty, as your guide, I feel I must speak up. It would be unwise to set up your camp so close to these woods. I am sure as a southerner you are unaware, but that is unholy ground. They say a great battle once urred in thesends between the ancient Romans and the local pagans."


    This bit of information immediately caught Berengar''s interest. As a man well ustomed to German history, he had a feeling that this ancient folk tale sounded quite familiar. However, for whatever reason, he could not put his finger on it.


    Such a thing was strange, especially for Berengar, who could usually recall any memory vividly with a simple thought. This gap in his memories only made the young emperor more curious as he gave the man permission to continue his story.


    "Go on..."


    The man quickly looked around in panic, before calming himself with a heavy sigh. Only after rity had restored itself within his mind did he speak of the ancient folk tale.


    "They say on the day that battle urred, the local pagans massacred hundreds of Roman legionaries in the name of their war goddess. Ever since then, a thick fog has shrouded these woonds. Anyone foolish enough to enter the woods without the spirit''s permission has never returned to thend of the living. I implore you to keep moving, for fear that we might provoke the local spirit!"


    Berengar broke out intoughter when he heard this ridiculous im. Such superstitious nonsense was nothing to be worried about. After all, he was a man of science, and there had never been a single piece of evidence that the supernatural was reality. Thus, he simply responded to the man''s warning with a pat on the back before handing him a wineskin.


    "My friend, if you are so worried about an ancient legend, then drink this. It shall calm your nerves. I will not push forward into the darkness because of local superstitions. We shall ride out at dawn. Until then, I suggest you get some sleep."


    The guide was about to speak up in protest, but was instantly silenced when Berengar''s grip over his shoulder turned firm. He knew better than to insult the German Emperor. After all, he was merely a local hunter. What right did he have to disagree? Still, he felt this was an enormous mistake, and that they would all pay the price for Berengar''s arrogance.


    Despite his misgivings, the guide quickly did as instructed and established his tent, where he proceeded to drink himself to sleep. As for Berengar, he was oddly tired, and thus soon found himself cuddled up in his cot, passing out.


    When Berengar finally awoke, it was at the crack of dawn. Judging by his moans and groans, he was still half asleep, as he reached over towards where his nightstand would normally be, hoping to grab hold of his wineskin so that he could start the day with a stiff drink.


    Instead, his hand nged itself upon the cold surface of a nearby rock. When he noticed this, his eyes shot open, where they darted about frantically. His one good eye immediately noticed that he was not in fact within his tent, but alone in the woods, with nothing but the mist to keep himpany.


    He immediately looked around and noticed he was also fully dressed. Such a thing was peculiar, as he normally slept naked, and he deliberately remembered stripping out of his clothes and climbing into his cot the night before. As he gazed around, surveying his surroundings, he noticed something peculiar.


    This forest he found himself within was dead silent. There was neither the sound of the birds chirping in the air nor the noise of bugs rustling in the grass. Aplete and utterck of ambience purveyed in the air. When the young emperor realized this, he immediately felt a sense of dread within his gut. Before panic could set in, a calming voiceing from directly behind him caught his interest.


    "Oh? So you''re the one who crossed over? Interesting..."


    When Berengar heard this, he immediately spun around and gazed upon the origins of the soothing voice. Standing before him was a young girl who appeared to be no older than ten. Her hair was long and dangled down to her waist. It was as red as blood, and a crown of white flowers was adorned atop her head.


    This girl had matching sanguine eyes, which immediately caught Berengar''s interest. She had a doll-like face that appeared to be carved out of porcin, so perfect that Berengar struggled to believe that she was human.


    Gazing down at her torso was a long white dress that appeared to be sparkling as if it were made of the mist itself. She waspletely barefoot, and despite that, there was no dirt upon her perfectly sculpted feet. It took Berengar a moment to register what the girl had said to him. Instead, he was more curious about why such a cute little girl was alone in the forest.


    "Little girl, why are you here alone in these woods?"


    The girl had a peculiar expression on her face, as if it dumbfounded her why someone would ask her that.


    "This is my home... I have been here for many years, ever so lonely. Won''t you stay with me and be my big brother?"


    When Berengar heard these words, he cringed internally. He was no lolicon, and despite this, there was a fierce sense of temptation in his mind to stay in these woods and protect this little girl for the rest of his life. It was at this moment the memories came flooding back to him, and a single word escaped his lips.


    "Baduhenna...."


    When the girl heard her name spoken, she pouted and chastised Berengar for guessing correctly.


    "No fair! I took your memories of this ce the moment you entered my borders. How did you remember? You cheated!"


    When Berengar heard this, he could hardly believe it. He had always been slightly curious about how he reincarnated into this world, but it had never dawned on him that the supernatural was real. In fact, he outright refused to acknowledge this moment as reality. As such, he sighed heavily and rested his forehead on the palm of his head.


    "I''m dreaming aren''t I?"


    In response to this, the girl was rather coy as she dodged the question.


    "Perhaps..."


    Instead, she focused intensely on Berengar''s face beforeing to a sudden conclusion.


    "You''re afraid? You, of all people, are afraid to go back to war? No, that''s not quite right... You''re afraid of losing all that you have built in this life? I am sorry, but that simply will not do... They have ns for you, and staying out of battle ispletely uneptable."


    Before Berengar could react to what the little girl had said, she instantly closed the distance between them as if she had teleported. After arriving in front of the young emperor, she reached out her dainty hands towards his head, where he instinctively lowered it into her grasp. After doing so, the girl kissed Berengar on his forehead. The moment she did so, all the dread within his heart vanished. After letting go, she said onest farewell before vanishing into thin air.


    "This is my boon to you, Berengar von Kufstein. May you forever be fearless in the heat of battle! Until we meet again..."


    Shortly thereafter, Berengar awoke in his tent with a start. He quickly called out to the little goddess he had met in the woods.


    "Baduhenna!"


    However, as he gazed around him, he was alone in his tent, exactly as he had been before falling asleep. He quickly ced his head in his hands as he dwelled on what had just transpired. Was it really all a dream? No, it couldn''t have been. It was far too vivid to be such a thing. Besides, after receiving Baduhenna''s boon, all the fear and difort in his heart towards the prospect of battle was truly and utterly gone. This was simple proof the event had really taken ce.


    Berengar sulked in his cot for some time, reflecting on the strange vision he had endured, and what it meant regarding his reincarnation. Just who was this "they" that Baduhenna spoke about? Were the gods real? If that was the case, did that mean the legends of this world were a reality hiding in the background? He struggled toe up with the answers to these questions and ultimately disregarded this strange urrence until he had more evidence.


    With this in mind, the Young Emperor rose from his cot, and prepared himself for the long ride ahead. They were still several dozen miles away from the nearest train station. After waking up the soldiers, and packing up the camp, Berengar sat atop his steed, and gazed back towards the strange woonds where he had met a goddess. He made a solemn vow to return to thisnd when he had information about just how he hade to this world.

 Chapter 579 Delving into Ancient Records

    <h4>Chapter 579 Delving into Ancient Records</h4>


    Honoria sat in her personal quarters, gazing at the scene before her. There were a total of three eagle eggs lying in a nest that Heraclius and his mate had formed. The Byzantine Princess gazed at her pet with the fury of a woman scorned as she pouted in silence.


    Since when did this feathery bastard get a mate of his own?


    Noticing that his master was not happy with him, Heraclius pped his wings and squawked. If Honoria could understand what he was saying, she definitely would have been offended. While she did not know exactly Heraclius meant by his actions, she could understand the general gist of it.


    Just before Honoria could scold the bird for his remarks, the door to her room flew open, revealing a deeply intoxicated Linde. Judging from her appearance, she had one too many bottles of wine with her lunch, and was now in the mood to have some fun with her ything.


    Honoria quickly pouted as she turned away from the redheaded beauty who sat down beside her. Without notice, Linde grabbed ahold of the Princess''s snow white hair and dragged her pretty face over to her own.


    She then immediately made out with Honoria. The byzantine Princess knew better to resist against Linde''s advances when she was in this mood and simply enjoyed the experience before ultimately breaking away. With a satisfied expression on her face, Honoria made a joke at Linde''s expense.


    "You must be drunk, if you''vee to my quarters in the middle of the day looking for some fun..."


    When Heraclius gazed upon the intimate moment between the two women, he immediately rolled his eyes and squawked once more, as if emphasizing whatever he had previously said to his master. When Honoria heard this, she immediately turned over to the bird and flipped him off before shouting at him.


    "Shut up!"


    Heraclius didn''t seem to mind, and instead turned his own attention back to the eggs he and his mate had made together. As for Linde, she immediately sobbed as shetched onto Honoria and cried into her substantial bosom.


    "That bitch, Berengar, told us to get along as sister-wives and the three of us even spent the night together. Yet the moment he disappears, on another one of his adventures, Ad doesn''t want to spend any time with me!"


    It shocked Honoria to hear this; she did not know that Berengar had forced these two bitches to get along, and to service him at the same time. Of course, in the very next moment, she realized what Linde was saying and immediately red at the woman before chastising her.


    "Oh, now that you have fucked the Empress, I''m suddenly not good enough for you! I see how it is! It seems like I''m not good enough for anybody these days..."


    Honoria''s response immediately surprised Linde, which caused her to smile wickedly as she pushed the girl down on the bed. After doing so, sheforted her with the words Honoria was longing for.


    "What, do you seriously think that bitch can rece you? I''m merely asserting my dominance. Ad and I were equal in ourst outing, and I intend to rectify that. Nobody can rece you, my little ve!"


    The strawberry blonde haired vixen then began to gently kiss Honoria''s graceful neck before working her way down to the princess'' bountiful breasts. However, before the two women could get to the fun part, a knock resounded on the door to reveal Henrietta standing in the doorway.


    The Princess of Germany was covering her eyes with her hands. Evidently, she was more interested in lesbian sex than it grossed her out, because one could easily see her azure eyes between the gaps in her fingers.


    When Linde saw this, she sighed heavily and sat up,pletely disengaging from her actions. Now that she had been interrupted, she had no ns to go through with her efforts. While Berengar may permit her to y with his other wives during his absence, he would not be so forgiving if she dared toy a finger on Henrietta.


    When Honoria noticed Henrietta''s presence, she quickly rose to a seating position and covered her breasts with her bedsheets. It took Henrietta a moment to get her thoughts out loud. After all, she had just witnessed something unimaginable to her na?ve young mind. After a few moments of awkward silence, she said the words that all three of them wanted to hear:


    "Berengar is home from the border... I thought you should know..."


    It did not take long before Henrietta was sprinting down the hallway to regroup with her precious big brother. Or perhaps it was to escape the awkward atmosphere that existed in Honoria''s room? Either way, her running echoed throughout the corridors and Linde merelyughed.


    "That girl is too cute, too bad my master won''t let me devour her... Well, what are you waiting for? Our husband is home. It is our duty to greet him!"


    After saying this, Linde rose from the bed and left Honoria by her lonesome, who was now pouting profusely, just when they were getting to the good part, too. She immediately sighed before letting her thoughts escape her mind.


    "Berengar, better make up for this tonight!"


    After saying this, Honoria followed the others towards the great hall, where Heraclius remained within the room. He immediately lowered his wing, revealing the eggs. If one were to observe this curious action, they would think for sure he was shielding his unborn children from the unholy sight that was taking ce before them.


    Within the Great Hall of the Imperial German Pce, Berengar stood, dressed in his service uniform. He gazed lovingly at his wives, who, one at a time, revealed themselves to him. However, despite their excitement, Berengar only briefly greeted his wives and gave them each a weing kiss before entering the library. There were many questions on the Emperor''s mind, especially about what he had encountered in those mysterious woods.


    Thus, while he read about any piece of information that he could find about the gods of Germania, and the theory of reincarnation from the east; his wives got together and ate their meal without him. Berengar was too enthralled with what he had witnessed to bother eating during the night.


    Instead, he burnt the midnight oil within his library. Over the years, he had spent a significant amount of wealth gaining as much material as possible that he could on the history of Germany. If not, simply for propaganda.


    Of course, he intended to one day create a Great Library of Kufstein, but for now, most ancient works that were tranted into the Germannguage existed within his personal collection. Thus, he prowled through his Pce''s library for hours, looking through various documents.


    Eventually after searching through the greatest collection of German history on the entire for countless hours, Berengar concluded that any piece of information rted to the ancient deity Baduhenna was either hidden away in some corner of the world, or destroyed by the Christians when their religion came to dominate Europe.


    If there was one majorint that Berengar had about Christianity, it was their propensity to deny and destroy all evidence that pointed out the ws in their religion. To some extent, this radical rejection of truth, in favor of faith in God, had remained engrained in the hearts and minds of Christians well into the modern era. There was no greater example of this than the idea of Creationism that was popr among a minority of American Christians in his past life.


    When Berengar realized that any answer to the truth of this matter was likely burned by Christians centuries ago, he sighed in defeat. There was only one way to confirm his suspicions. He had to investigate the matter himself. He supposed now was as good as a time as any to create a dedicated department of archeology. One whose sole purpose was to uncover the hidden secrets of ancient Germania. Thus, Berengar quickly returned to his office, where, with a stroke of the pen, he founded the German Archeological Department for National Heritage.


    He still did not know whether what he saw on that day was actual reality, but he would not rest until he discovered the truth behind his vision. If the ancient gods of Germania truly existed in this world, then perhaps they could provide him with an exnation on why he was reincarnated. Even better, perhaps they could finally settle the argument as to whether or not an afterlife truly existed.


    If a ce such as Valha really existed, Berengar would not be against adopting heathenry as his unofficial religion. Perhaps he could even inspire a return to the old ways among a minority of his people. Then again, he was getting ahead of himself. Even if the ancient deities actually existed in this world, Berengar had no ns to alter his course in life. His ambitions were paramount, and he would not stop until he had achieved his goals.

 Chapter 580 Designing Ice Factories and Revolving Cannons

    <h4>Chapter 580 Designing Ice Factories and Revolving Cannons</h4>


    The light of dawn shone down upon the Imperial Pce of Germany located within the city of Kufstein. Despite it being the hour where most people awoke to prepare themselves for a day of hard work, the Emperor of Germany had already been awake since the previous day.


    Once more, Berengar had spent the entire night working on his designs, an unhealthy attitude ording to his physician, but nheless, it had to be done. Luckily enough, there were ample supplies of coffee within the Pce''s store rooms to endow the young Emperor with the energy needed toplete the task.


    After onest stroke of the fountain pen, Berengar sighed heavily before gazing at his newest masterpiece. It was a blueprint used to create artificial ice. Since he had first entered this new life of his, Berengar had been gued with room temperature beverages. After all, ice was a raremodity in this medieval world.


    However, with the invention of steam engines, Berengar had the ability to artificially create ice. The only problem was, he simply had not done so,rgely because he had been preupied with many more important matters, such as creating an industrialized weapons industry and uniting his people into a single empire.


    However, with a major war affecting hisnds being an unlikely factor for the next few years, and his other major infrastructure projects already underway, Berengar realized now was the time to expand upon his ability to generate capital. There was no greater luxury in this world than a sufficient supply of ice.


    Ice was something he had previously taken for granted in his past life. However, now more than ever, he realized how important such a versatile substance was. It could be used for tasks like refrigeration, all the way to medical applications such as treating swelling. To create ice from ammonia gas and water was practically a miracle in this day and age.


    The principle of steam powered ice factories was actually fairly simple when one thought about it. Ammonia, when changing from a liquid to a gas, absorbs heat from its surroundings in what is now known as a refrigeration cycle. This was a principle discovered by Michael Faraday during the 19th century of Berengar''s past life.


    Later in that century, this principle was used to create the first Ice Factories in North America. The foremost stage of this industrial cycle was to use steam-powered pistons of considerable size to pump ammonia gas into a hot liquid. From there, the hot liquified ammonia is then pumped into condenser coils, where it is then cooled and processed into pipes beneath giant water tanks.


    From this point on, the pressure is released, and the liquid ammonia evaporates, in doing so absorbing the heat contained within the water tanks. Eventually, the water contained within the storage is converted into ice, where it can then be processed and delivered to the buyer. A single ice factory operating under these conditions could produce a grand total of 150 tons of ice a day.


    As Berengar had previously thought, the German Empire could use this ice for many aspects in their society, but they could also trade it with the Byzantine Empire and the Sultanate of Granada as a luxury item. After all, North Africa and Andalusia were arid climates, and if he could ship these ice blocks over to thosends, it would easily fetch a premium.


    How he would ship ice overseas without it melting? It was referred to as the square cubew in his past life and was used for this very task. Essentially, one would ce arge solid cube of ice in the cargo bay of the vessel and surround it with ice bricks. These ice bricks would keep the cargo cooled, while melting away themselves.


    If Berengar could establish these Ice factories at his port cities within the Mediterranean, he could make a fortune off of the international ice trade alone, let alone the value of such amodity within his Empire''s borders.


    Thus, when he gazed upon his many, many blueprints, and designs to achieve this result, a wide and satisfied smile etched itself on his face. He could already envision the sweet taste of a cold beer after a hard day''s work. After achieving satisfactory results, Berengar drafted an expense report for the first Ice Factory within the City of Kufstein. As for its construction and development, he would lead that up to the City nning Bureau.


    Having gone through the necessary measures to construct such a factory, Berengar then spent the next few hours drafting the patents to secure the design for his own use. As he did with every invention he made. Although a burgeoning sector of industrialists was appearing in this world, he made sure they paid the price of admission to sess directly to his personal bank ount.


    After all, the Crown needed its own source of funding to sustain Berengar''s current luxurious lifestyle, and as a man who abhorred corruption and wasteful spending, the Emperor outright refused to spend tax-payer money on such frivolities. Instead, he had patented, trademarked, and copyrighted every innovation he hade up with over the years, ensuring that those who used his ideas would have to pay the price for it.


    With these matters out of the way, Berengar copsed back into his chair and sighed heavily in relief. Finally, he could get some rest, or so he thought. However, the moment he closed his eyes, a knock resounded on his door, forcing him into an alert status. With a heavy groan, he called out to whoever was responsible for interrupting his sleep with an agitated tone.


    "Who is it now?"


    A soft voice responded on the other side of the door. It belonged to none other than his wife, Linde.


    "Master, have you been awake this whole time?"


    Upon realizing that it was none other than Linde on the other side of the door, Berengar rose from his dormant position and yawned heavily before answering.


    "I was just about to fall asleep. This better be important."


    With this said, Linde opened the door and entered the room. Once more, she was in her intelligence uniform. However, something was very different about the uniform this time. Ever since Berengar had unified his Empire, he had overhauled many aspects of society. Including the military and intelligence alike.


    As such, the uniforms issued to the newly formed German Imperial Intelligence were based upon those used by the Stasi in Berengar''s previous life. The only major difference was the recement of Communist imagery with Imperial symbolism from this timeline. As for Linde, she sported the uniform quite well, however as a woman, she wore a short skirt, and thigh-high stockings with it.


    Berengar hardly noticed the dossier in the woman''s hands, nor her stern expression. Rather, he was too enchanted by her beauty. He was tempted to push her down on his desk and take her then and there. Evidently, Linde noticed what he was thinking and responded by pping him on the top of his head with the document before stating her reason for visiting.


    "The Byzantine Empire is requesting further support on their Eastern Border. Small skirmishes have appeared between Byzantine Merchants, and bands of so-called raiders. However, Padius is fairly certain that these raiders are Timurid Soldiers acting in disguise. It appears war against the Muslim world is inevitable. How should we respond?"


    Berengar reflected on the issue deeply for a few moments, before pulling out another document he hadin around.


    "It would appear now is an excellent time to demonstrate some of the new toys I have been designing for our military..."


    A sadistic smirk appeared on Linde''s lips as she heard the word "toys" she knew damn well her husband was referring to weapons when he used such a word in this context. Thus, she immediately opened the folder containing the blueprints of a new weapon and looked at Berengar in shock.


    "Is this a scaled up Schmidt Gun?"


    When Berengar heard this, he had a smug expression on his lips before revealing the details of this new wonder weapon.


    "It operates on the same principle, but has a different operating mechanism. However, if you wanted to think of it as such, it would not be entirely wrong. I call it the von Kufstein Revolving Cannon. Much like the Schmidt Gun, or the Mk2, I should say, it is a revolving machine gun.


    However, unlike the Mk2, this weapon is not chambered in the measly .45-70 govt cartridge. Rather it uses 40mm explosive shells. It has a rate of fire of roughly 68 rounds per minute, and an effective range of approximately 2,000 yards.


    We can use this magnificent piece of machinery in coordination with our breechloading artillery to rain high quantities of explosive fire upon our enemies. Or it can be operated in conjunction with the Mk2s as well. If we deploy a few artillery battalions to the battlefield armed with all three types of artillery, I am sure it will be sufficient to handle any intrusion on our ally''s eastern border. Don''t you think?"


    Linde nodded her head in approval before grabbing hold of the documents. She had a smirk on her face as she informed her husband of her intentions.


    "I will get these delivered to the proper departments forthwith. You can rest now, you have surely earned it. I am certain Yasmin is still asleep in her room. If you want, you can use her massive cow udders as a pillow!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this remarking from Linde. It was a bit ironic, considering all his other brides referred to Linde''s breasts in the same manner. In the end, Berengar dismissed the idea of provoking the woman before responding yfully in response to her suggestion.


    "Isn''t that your job?"


    Linde merely scoffed before walking out the door, leaving Berengar alone in his tired state. One of these days, he swore he would get those two together and use both of their massive racks as the ideal pillow to rest his weary head upon. In the end, he did as Linde suggested and intruded upon Yasmin''s beauty sleep.

 Chapter 581 The Iberian Conflict Revisited

    <h4>Chapter 581 The Iberian Conflict Revisited</h4>


    In the Sultanate of Granada, Hasan Al-Fadl lie on arge sofa, his head resting in thep of one of his many wives. While he enjoyed thefort of his wife''s thighs, he read a letter written by his sister. There was one piece of information that he found rather shocking. Not only had Yasmin been pregnant with Berengar''s son, but she had already given birth.


    It slightly perturbed the young Sultan that his precious big sister had not informed him of this earlier. Still, it shocked him to see how efficient the German Emperor was at breeding. It would appear that every year or two, Berengar put a baby in each of his wives. Just why couldn''t he aplish this feat?


    Hasan had four wives, but none of them had given him a son yet. He had children with two of the beauties, yet they were both daughters. As for his other two brides, they had given him stillborns. He thought Ah had cursed him with the cruel fate of not having a male heir. Perhaps this was because he had killed his own brother.


    However, now was not the time to sulk about such a topic. Instead, Hasan rose from his seat and drank from the wine in his chalice before dismissing his brides. His Generals would arrive soon to discuss the ongoing efforts to crush the warlords in Portugal and bolster their defenses against the Kingdom of Spain.


    Within the hour, the Sultan''s guests arrived, dressed in their heavily embellished military uniforms. Unlike Berengar''s army, Hasan had gone a bit overboard in creating medals and military honors. So much so that some of these men looked like glorified pincushions with the amount of breast stars protruding from their chests.


    In contrast, Adelbrand, who was themander of all German Forces in the region, was dressed rather modestly. He had just gotten back from the field, and hecked the time to dress in anything other than his actualbat uniform.


    Thus, he wore a field uniform in the arid pattern, with his Grand Cross of the Iron cross hanging from his cor, a breast star belonging to the Order of Saint George, and a ribbon bar that represented the various medals he had earned through valorous action inbat. Unlike the Granadan Generals, who had over a dozen medals each, Adelbrand''s ribbon bar merelyprised a single column, despite being the more seasoned General.


    When Hasan gazed upon such a contrast in attitude towardsbat awards, he felt as if his decision was justified. After all, Granada''s Generals looked far more elegant whenpared to Germany''s more utilitarian approach to uniforms. It was at this moment that the young Sultan finally remembered why he had gathered the various Generals and quickly requested a status update.


    "How is the war in Portugal going? We can not fully introduce the agricultural technology that Austria has gifted us with until all the rebels are driven from thends!"


    Field Marshal Ziyad Ibn Ya''is gazed over at his German counterpart before sighing heavily in defeat. Clearly, Adelbrand intended for him to answer thisplicated question.


    "Your Majesty, we are working our hardest to remove the rebels and warlords in Portugal. However, the people there aren''t willingly surrendering to our rule, despite thewful annexation. I regret to inform you that establishing absolute control over Portugal will be a long, and bloody process.


    Though we control the major cities, and ports, individual viges still resist our authority. They have fortified their towns and force us to engage in minor sieges to assert our im. Since we can not explicitly burn these viges to the ground, we have to smash through their defenses and then kick down the door of every building to drive out the hostiles. This is a process that is boldly being led by our allies'' soldiers, as they have the best equipment for the job.


    However, the number of German soldiers in Iberia is at an all-time low. His Majesty, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, has deployed at most a brigade worth of troops to Iberia, whomonly rotate out of the country. Most of them are fresh graduates from infantry school being led by veteran officers. I believe he intends to make Iberia a proving ground for his soldiers, and does not desire to send more troops for support."


    When Hasan heard this, he clicked his tongue before shifting his gaze over to Adelbrand. There was a hint of fury in his voice as heshed out at the German representative.


    "Do we not have an alliance? Why does Berengar treat my realm as some form of a perpetual field ofbat for his troops to gain experience?"


    Adelbrand did not take the provocation, and instead sneered at the young Sultan, who he realized was profoundly ipetent without the support of his big sister.


    "The Kaiser has other affairs to worry about at the moment. As you may be aware, the situation in the east is bing vtile. The Muslim world is gathering its strength to invade Byzantium and press their im to the Holy Land once more.


    On top of this, the Fathend is going through unprecedented changes as we are now unified into a single Empire, and the Crown''s priority is to kick-start the development of the newly incorporated territories. If that is not enough justification for our actions, then I implore you to take a minute to reflect on the situation that Germany is in.


    States who have openly dered their hostility to the Empire surround it. Right now, the primary military focus of our realm is establishing border security, and deterring foreign invasion. Do not forget that it is us who won your wars for you, and expanded Granada into the Sultanate it is today. We have bled more than enough for thisnd, and we continue to do so at your request..."


    This statement came as a surprise to Hasan. Despite his usations, Adelbrand had masterfully deflected the issue. Sometimes he really couldn''t stand the Germans. They always had a sound reasoning for their actions, no matter scandalous they were. For example, everyone in this room, including Adelbrand, knew that Berengar was using Iberia as a proving ground to give his troops experience in warfare.


    However, Adelbrand''s rebuking of such a im not only failed to deny the usation, but listed a series of logical reasons for this being the case while simultaneously making it seem as if Hasan and Granada were absolutely ungrateful for everything the Germans had done for them. Only a German could so thoroughly make the Sultan speechless. Ultimately, Hasan and his Generals remained silent for a few moments before the young Sultan collected his thoughts and expressed them.


    "Very well, I understand the difficulties your Empire is facing, but could you at the very least pass on the word to your Kaiser that it would be most appreciated if we could receive some more support?"


    In response to this, Adelbrand put on a graceful facade as he bowed to Hasan before replying.


    "Of course, I would be more than happy to ry your request for further assistance."


    With this matter settled, Hasan discussed another point of contention in his mind.


    "Does the Kaiser know that the Spanish have realized the truth of the matter behind the saltpeter mines in Collbato?"


    Adelbrand had a stoic expression as he nodded his head in response to this question.


    "While the other Muslims states may provoke conflict with the Byzantine Empire, your Kaiser should know that Spain does the same to us. We have already diverted troops from the War in Portugal to our Spanish Border. King Felipe is calling it a vition of the Treaty of Aquitaine, but he was the first one to act in such a manner.


    I believe the fool intends to use the buildup of forces around the borders as an excuse to seize back the saltpeter mines that your armies currently upy. You should already know that Spain has infiltrated your mines with their agents, and the Catholic world wants its bounty for themselves.


    If Spanish Forces were to invade Collbato, I do not have the means to help the Germans trapped behind enemy lines. Whether the survive the encounter is entirely up to your Kaiser and how he wishes to proceed."


    Adelbrand sighed heavily as he reflected on this piece of information. He had implored Berengar for some time to increase security around the Saltpeter mines. However, the Kaiser was stubborn in his adherence to the treaty.


    As per the terms of the Treaty of Aquitaine. Germany was permitted to keep a limited garrison within a designated area around the mines. This was to ensure that Austria''s operations remained unhindered. If there was one thing Berengar absolutely would not do, it would appear to be the aggressor in another war in Iberia. Such a thing was not only bad for Germany, but severely hurt Granada''s potential for growth as well.


    However, if the King of Spain was viting the treaty himself, then it would give Germany leeway to act as they pleased within Collbato. After all, if pressed by the internationalmunity, the Kaiser could always im that Spain had vited the treaty first, and Germany was merely taking the necessary measures to ensure their people trapped in the region were safe.


    Ultimately, the German General spoke with a grave tone as he responded to Hasan''s request.


    "I will inform the Kaiser of these developments, and insist he send support for our people trapped behind enemy lines. I will let you know when I have an answer..."


    When Hasan heard this, he smiled benevolently before thanking the German General for his aid.


    "I thank you, Marshal Adelbrand, and look forward to our future cooperation. That is all I had for the day. You are all dismissed."


    With this said, the Generals departed from the Sultan''s corridors and went about their tasks. The truth of the matter was, Imperial Intelligence was already aware of Spanish movements towards the saltpeter minds, and hade up with a rather unique solution to maintain control over them.

 Chapter 582 Bestowing the Spymaster with the Greatest Honor

    <h4>Chapter 582 Bestowing the Spymaster with the Greatest Honor</h4>


    Within the study of the Royal pce, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein was seated in his leather-bound chair with a beautiful young woman sitting in hisp. The maiden who graced the Emperor''s presence was none other than his wife Linde. The Second Empress of Germany had elected to dress in her intelligence uniform as she prodded her man''s chest lovingly.


    Sitting in front of the couple on the desk was an empty container which once held two important items. For the sake of Linde''s exemry service to the crown over the years, Berengar had established a new Chivalric Order, and conferred the title of Grandmaster onto his loving wife.


    As the Director of Intelligence, Linde had acted as themander over military intelligence in some of the fiercest conflicts that Berengar had taken part. Though Linde had not fought on the front lines herself, it wasrgely because of her efforts in intrigue that Berengar now found himself as an emperor.


    Berengar knew well that he owed this woman a great deal of debt, and as partial thanks to her efforts, he established The Imperial Order of the House von Kufstein. This was an Imperial Dynastic Order of Knighthood granted to Military Commanders and civilians of Comparable Status who had given exemry service to the Imperial Family of Germany.


    If one were not already a noble, they would be granted the title of Knight, and could use the prefix Ritter von in their surname. By conferring the rank of Grandmaster on his wife, Berengar had made Linde the first female Knight in German History. In doing so, he ensured that all of her offspring were Imperial Knights of Germany as well.


    The Medal itself that hung from Linde''s neck was designed around two Maltese crosses of different sizes imposed on top of one another. The interior Maltese cross was the shade of white with gilded edges, while the exterior Maltese cross was the color ck with gilded edges.


    In between the edges of these two crosses was a series of gilded double-headed eagles in the shape of the von Kufstein coat of arms. Contained within the center of the cross was a white enamel outer circle that contained a golden inscription embedded within.


    This inscription was written in the German tongue but contained the House motto that Berengar had chosen for his family upon ascending to the higher nobility. Berengar had ripped the words "Blood and Iron" straight from the pages of history, but despite giarizing a man who did not exist yet in this timeline, he felt it made a decent motto for his Royal Household.


    Inside this outer circle was another circle made entirely of gold, which had the von Kufstein coat of arms embossed within its center. Fixed atop this prestigious medal was a golden crown which acted as the connecting point to the ribbon, that was in the colors of the German Empire. In other words, ck, white, and gold.


    Linde yed with this medal, its matching breast star, and its sash as she thanked her husband for such a prestigious award.


    "Thank you, master for all your benevolence. This lowly ve is undeserving of such honors..."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before kissing the woman passionately on the lips. Their tongues entertained for several moments before separating. When they caught their breaths, the German Emperor grabbed a firm hold over his wife''s ample bottom and whispered in her ears the praise she was looking for.


    "Nonsense. If you are undeserving of such prestige, then nobody in my Empire is. You are the reason I have achieved so much in this life, and I have not forgotten the support you have given me over the years."


    It warmed the woman''s heart to hear that her man thought so highly of her. For a while now, she had been dreading the idea that Berengar was angry with her over not being able to prevent Henrietta''s injury. In this moment, she finally felt as if she was ready to ask for Berengar''s forgiveness.


    "Berengar, my love... please forgive me..."


    The fact that Linde had elected to call him by his first name while they were alone together meant whatever was on the young woman''s mind was incredibly serious. She normally had a yful attitude, and almost always used the term Master to refer to him when they were in private. Thus, Berengar''s expression turned serious, as he imagined all kinds of scenarios that would causer her to beg for forgiveness, rather than punishment.


    "Linde, what did you do?"


    Linde bit her lower lip as tears fell from her sky-blue eyes.


    "I failed you... You needed me to protect you, and your family, and I failed you..."


    This sudden revtion instantly confused Berengar. He did not know what she was talking about. Thus, he could only ask for rification on the matter.


    "In what way did you fail me?"


    By now, the tears were streaming from the woman''s eyes as she clutched onto her husband''s tunic with all the grip her dainty hands could manage. Finally, she revealed the thoughts that had been troubling her for months.


    "The assassination plot that was against you, the one that ended up injuring Henrietta. I failed to find out about it, and worse yet I couldn''t stop it! Since that fateful day, I have gone back and looked through the evidence, and it should have been obvious, but itpletely escaped my of intrigue! I am so sorry Henrietta was injured because of my failures. Please don''t hate me!"


    When Berengar heard these words, he felt pity for the woman. Had she seriously been living with these thoughts ever since the assassination attempt? He instantly grabbed hold of her head and shoved it into his chest while stroking her silky, strawberry-blonde hair.


    "Linde, I love you more than just about anything, you know that. I could never hate you, not unless you betrayed me in some horrible way. What happened to Henrietta was not your fault, it was mine..."


    The sobbing woman immediately gazed up towards her husband with her sky-blue eyes. Between sniffles, she asked for rification.


    "What... do you mean?"


    Berengar sighed heavily as he revealed the guilt that he, too, had been living with since that fateful day.


    "You were just following my orders. It was my idea to take agents from internal security and send them out into the field. I was so obsessed with the schemes I had, and gathering intelligence on my enemies, that Ipletely forgot my enemies had plots of their own.


    I fell into a false sense of security and nearly paid for it with my life. It is not like you were aware of the enemy''s plots and failed to warn me of the dangers. If I remember correctly, you even had some choice words about how stupid my n was. However, like the good little ve you are, you followed my orders. If anyone is to me for our failures, it is me."


    After saying this, Berengar wiped the tears from Linde''s eyes before nting a kiss on her lips. The couple entangled their tongues together for several moments before the Emperor broke away and whispered in his wife''s ears.


    "I meant what I said. Without you, I would never have made it this far. Hell, I probably would have died from your father''s schemes all those years ago. Despite what title Ad may have as the First Empress, you have always been, and continue to be, the most important person in my life. The only thing I can say regarding our failures is we must learn from them, so that such a tragedy never again befalls our family."


    Having received such high praise, Linde blushed. When she did so, Berengar practically fell in love with the woman all over again. It took a lot to make Linde embarrassed, especially after all the perverted conditioning he had put her through over the years. To see the angelic beauty''s reddened cheeks once more while she pouted was truly a sight to behold.


    Upon seeing Berengar''s smug expression, Linde hid her embarrassment by resting her face on her husband''s broad chest. When Berengar witnessed such cuteness, he couldn''t help but smile while patting her head. The couple were quitefortable in each other''s arms, so much so that Linde quickly drifted into unconsciousness. When the young Empress was on the brink of entering dreand, Berengar whispered to her in a soothing voice.


    "I love you, Linde..."


    After hearing this, a gentle smile formed on Linde''s face as she fellpletely asleep. As for Berengar, he merely clutched his wife in his arms and allowed her a much needed rest. While he sat there in silence, he reflected on the many women he loved and the position they held in his heart.


    If Berengar had to say which of his brides was his favorite, it would without a doubt be Linde. Nobody had sacrificed more in life for the sake of his future than the redheaded spymaster. Though Linde had a habit of scheming against his other girls, Berengar knew she waspletely loyal to him, and would never harm someone he thought of as family.


    Yasmin was the newest addition to Berengar''s harem and was definitely growing on him. Despite this, the Moorish Princess had a long way to go before she couldpete with the Habsburg beauty. Still, her mature nature was appealing, and she seemed willing to do anything for her family. A quality Berengar cherished in a woman.


    Henrietta, although technically Berengar''s aunt, would always be his precious little sister within his mind. Perhaps he was a sis-con, but Berengar had undoubtedly developed romantic feelings for the girl over the years, and he knew she felt the same. In a way she held a significant ce in his heart, not only as his darling little sister but also as his lover, and though Henrietta was not his wife, Berengar had taken the young woman as his mistress, and that was something he did not regret.


    As for Honoria, the cute and innocent Princess he was knew was dead, corrupted by Berengar''s influence into a merciless pirate queen. Though she was still obedient to him, they spent many months apart because of her free spirit, and thus, they simply did not have the time to forge a bond as strong as the one he held with Linde. Still, Berengar loved that woman, although maybe not as much as Linde did...


    Ad, on the other hand, was probably deadst in the actual hierarchy of the Emperor''s harem. Her Prudish nature and self-righteous attitude had created a significant rift between herself and her husband. Though she held the title of First Empress, the reality was she was just starting to get into the Emperor''s good graces and if she ever wanted topete with Linde in terms of his affection, she would need to have a major character overhaul.


    Thus, while Berengar sat and enjoyed the sight of his favorite girl sleeping in hisp, he thought about all the things that had led to his current lot in life. He already had seven children, and yet he was only in his mid-twenties. Most of his wives were even younger. He should probably get to work on another round of offspring while he was still young and full of vigor. With this in mind, Berengar had decided to spend some effort impregnating his wives over theing days, starting with Linde.

 Chapter 583 An Enjoyable Meal with the Family

    <h4>Chapter 583 An Enjoyable Meal with the Family</h4>


    In the Imperial Pce of Germany, the young Prince Hans sat within the Library with only his sister to keep himpany. He was currently reading up on a book about German history, as recorded by the ancient Roman historian Tacitus. Berengar''s schrs had tranted the book into the German tongue, and Hans found it to be an interesting read.


    As for Helga, she was busy painting a portrait of her mother, Linde. Interestingly enough, the art piece contained the woman in her Intelligence Uniform. Despite her young age, the painting was well beyond the capabilities of her peers, and because of this, it didn''t look half bad.


    While Hans was interested in a variety of school topics, and had a mind built for mathematics and science. Helga was far more creative and spent most of her time engaging in the fine arts. She was an introverted child who only seemed to be social around her brother and mother.


    As for her father, Berengar wasrgely absent from her life. Hell, since the day she was born, he had probably spent more time abroad in wars, then home with his family. However, that had recently changed, and the young girl was bing more ustomed to her father being around.


    While the two royal children conducted their extra-curricr activities in peace, their mother walked into the Library and noticed them. She carried the youngest of their siblings in her arms as she walked up to the two children with an excited expression on her face and hugged them tightly before kissing both of them on their foreheads.


    "Hans, Helga, I have prepared lunch for you both. Your father is waiting for us in the Dining room. Come quickly!"


    Hans quickly ced his bookmark into the page he left off on, before standing up. As for Helga, she was rather unwilling to follow her mother. Her father was a bit of a stranger to her, and she was usually anxious around him. On top of that, she wanted to finish the painting of her mother, thus she instantly cried out to Linde in rebellion.


    "I don''t wanna! I''m painting!"


    Linde immediately gazed over at the painting and smiled. She quickly lifted the young girl up into her arms with one hand before lecturing the girl.


    "Helga, we have to spend some time as a family. Your painting can wait!"


    The young princess could only pout as her mother dragged her off to the dining room. Hans quickly became jealous of the attention that Linde was giving his sister, and immediately grabbed hold of her dress while following behind his mother like a little duckling.


    "Mother, wait for me!"


    Linde put on a pretty smile as she gazed upon her little boy and his eagerness to be by her side. She quickly nodded her head before dragging her three children off to the dining hall, where their father waited for their arrival.


    Berengar was busy drinking a nice cold beer with a satisfied expression on his face. Nearly three months had passed since Berengar first drafted the ns for his ice factory, and his workers had recentlypleted it.


    The Emperor was currently using a portion of the first batch of ice to refrigerate his beer. He achieved this via a stainless steel ice box he had created solely to house his a ready supply of his favorite beverages.


    In the mind of Berengar, there were few things in this world better than a cold beer with an excellent lunch made by a pretty girl. Shockingly, Linde had made the food herself. Perhaps she felt a sense ofpetition from Yasmin, who was always cooking Berengar''s breakfast.


    Over the past few months, Linde had put in an extreme amount of effort into learning how to cook. Luckily, she had a whole kitchen staff to teach her how, and because of this, she had be quite proficient in the means of doing so in a brief period.


    Naturally, Berengar did not know how hard Linde had been working to please him behind the scenes, and instead gazed upon the simple dish that sat upon the table with a warm smile. Linde had made an entire tray of bierocks, which were a delicious stuffed role of Volga german origin from his past life, that he had introduced to this world a long time ago.


    He could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of tasting the fruits of Linde''s efforts, and had shamefully grabbed hold of one roll and ced it in his mouth. He was just about to take a bite when Linde and the kids arrived. The smiling expression on the angelic beauty''s face immediately twisted into a pout as she chastised her husband for his impatience..


    "Honey, have you no patience? I told you to wait five minutes while I fetched the kids, and yet you have so shamelessly started without us!"


    Honey was a nickname that Lindemonly used regarding Berengar when they were in thepany of others. She couldn''t very well call him master in public, let alone around their children. When Berengar heard this, he immediately ced the roll down on the table and walked over to his wife and three Children where he gave them each a firm hug. As a master maniptor, Berengar spoke the words he knew would ease Linde''s fury without hesitation.


    "I''m sorry, babe, but the food looks so delicious, and the idea that my loving wife worked so hard to make such a masterpiece for my family filled me with excitement. I simply could not restrain myself."


    The young redheaded mother sighed heavily before letting her man off the hook.


    "I''ll forgive you this one time, but next time you absolutely must wait for us to arrive. We have so little time together as a family, and I want everything to be perfect!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar nodded his head with a smile before making a promise he knew he couldn''t keep.


    "I swear, I will wait for you all to arrive before taking a bite next time..."


    He knew instantly he would pay for that remarkter, but if it got him out of trouble in the present, then so be it. After saying this, he sat down at the head of the table, where Linde took the seat by his side after cing Isle in a high chair nearby. As for the other two kids, they sat as close to their parents as they were able, with Hans on Berengar''s side and Helga on Linde''s.


    Berengar immediately took a bite into the stuffed roll and moaned in pleasure when he tasted it. The crunchy exterior of the roll, with the soft interior filled with ground beef, cabbage, and onion, was truly delicious. When Linde saw her man so pleased with her cooking, she blushed ever so slightly. After swallowing down the hearty role with a coldger, Berengar could not praise Linde enough.


    "Linde, it brings a smile to my face knowing that you care so much about this family that you are willing to take the time out of your busy schedule to learn how to cook a delightful meal for us."


    Linde''s face flushed red as she epted the praise with a beautiful smile and a slight nod of the head. As for Hans, he gazed at his father with a curious expression. He did not know why such a simplepliment made his mother act in this manner.


    However, the young Prince noted the exact mannerisms that his father made when interacting with his mother. Perhaps one day he could follow the example set before him, and make a woman quiver in excitement with a simple phrase.


    As for Helga, she was trying to avoid her father''s gaze. She waspletely oblivious to the romantic moment urring between her father and mother. Eventually, Berengar''s sight shifted over to Hans. He could tell the boy was studying the interaction between his two parents by a simple look in his eye.


    Sometimes, the studious nature of this child outright frightened Berengar, thus he put on an awkward smile as he addressed his son.


    ''So, Hans, what have you been up totely?"


    Hans gazed up at his father with his sapphire eyes and answered the question with a stoic expression on his face.


    "Not much. I''ve been going to my fighting lessons like you have requested, aside from that I mainly hang out in the library..."


    Berengar nodded his head with a smile on his lips as he heard this before asking a followup question.


    "So, how are your fighting lessons going? You should be learning unarmedbat techniques at your age, correct?


    Hans nodded his head before answering his father''s question like an obedient child.


    "We have been learning a lot of grappling, and though we roll on the matt often, our kickboxing lessons are rather boring..."


    One of Berengar''s brows raised as he heard this question, he immediately inquired further about the reasoning behind such a statement.


    "You don''t enjoy kickboxing?"


    In response to this, Hans merely shook his head before replying with a glint of regret in his eyes.


    "No, kickboxing is fun, but the older kids get to spar. I only get to do pad work and drills. After a while, it just bes boring."


    Berengar shook his head. He had never once found pad work or drills to be boring. While it was true sparring was the most fun one could have in the sport of kickboxing without going through an actual fight, he agreed with the instructor, Hans was simply too young to begin such rough training. Instead, he offered words of encouragement to the boy.


    "I know sparring seems fun, and it is, but you are still learning the fundamentals. If you wish to be sufficient in the art of hand to handbat, it takes substantial effort, and training. It is not all about sparring. Even a master needs to work on the pads and with drills.


    Besides, this is just the beginning. As you get older, you and other boys your age will train with swords and firearms as well. By the time you are a full grown man, your entire generation will be well trained in the art of war and survival. These are skills that will be needed when you join the military."


    When Berengar said thisst part, Linde froze, the very idea that her baby boy would one day be forced to join the military like all the other children in Germany gave her a sense of dread. Helga noticed the frightened expression on her mother''s face and immediately inquired about it.


    "Mommy? What''s wrong?"


    Linde quickly came back to her senses upon hearing her young daughter''s voice and forced a smile on her face as she took a bite from her bierock before responding.


    "Nothing, Helga, I was just thinking about the future is all..."


    Linde was visibly shaken. Evidently, the idea of her baby boy one day going off to war terrified her. When Berengar noticed this, he grabbed hold of her hand and kissed it gently, bringing her back to a state of reality. When her beautiful sky-blue eyes gazed into his line of sight, Berengar whispered something in the woman''s ears that calmed her growing fear.


    "It is a man''s duty to protect his family and fathend. One day, Hans will be a greatmander, like his father. Do not fret, I will teach the boy well so that he does not foolishly charge into battle like his old man."


    After hearing this Linde sighed heavily, though she did not want her precious son to go off to war, she knew it was something that he may have to do as a potential candidate for the Throne, and thus she forced herself to calm the uneasiness in her gut. Berengar then grabbed hold of his beer and took a deep sip before shifting his attention to his baby girl.


    "Helga, how have you beentely?"


    The girl looked up at her father, then at her mother, as if asking permission to speak to the man. Linde smiled and nodded her head before the young girl began to open up about what she had been up to in his absence.


    "I like painting! Do you like painting daddy?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before nodding his head and responding.


    "Though Ick the talent for such things, I do enjoy a good painting. If it is something you enjoy, then stick with it, and one day you may be a great artist forever remembered by our people for your brilliance. I believe in you, Helga!"


    The little girl smiled upon hearing her father give her such praise and nodded her head before making a promise to the man.


    "One day I will be the best painter in all of Germany!"


    Berengar merely smiled and nodded his head before responding to the cute little girl.


    "Of course, I look forward to the day when I can gaze upon your brilliant art work!"


    With this said, Berengar took another bite out of his bierock before washing it down with hisger. It was truly an enjoyable experience to spend a delightful meal with his family. After thinking about this, Berengar decided in this moment to make meals like this a regr urrence. Not just with Linde, but the other girls as well. After all, he had four wives and children with each of them. After making a mental note of this, Berengar returned his attention to his family, where he enjoyed the rest of the meal together.

 Chapter 584 Plotting Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 584 Plotting Revenge</h4>


    Honoria sat within the confines of her personal quarters with her child Alexandros clutched to her breast. Due to how many wives Berengar had, he had given them each their own bedroom, so that they had a proper space to rest in while he was sleeping with one of his of his brides.


    Not all of his women were into group activities like Linde and Honoria were. While Ad had made some exceptions, she typically avoided such debauchery. As for Yasmin, she preferred having the loving arms of her husband only to herself during their intimate moments. Though if ordered to share his bed with another woman, she would not refuse.


    While Honoria was breastfeeding her baby boy, she gazed upon a map, with a course plotted to Constantinople. Berengar had promised her that after she had set up his colony in the New World, he would allow her to enact her vengeance on her brother. Not only for the attempt he had made on her life, but for his betrayal to their godfather, Arethas, all those years ago.


    She knew now more than ever, action was required. As a pirate queen, she spent much of her time at sea, almost as much as her husband spent in conquest. Because of this, she was rarely up to date on thetest news across Christendom. It had only recentlye to her attention that her brother had leaked the agricultural and industrial information that Byzantium had received as a gift from Berengar.


    Such a thing absolutely outraged the young woman, and thus she waited for her husband to arrive in her room, as she knew he was currently busy entertaining his other family with an enjoyable meal. While The woman clutched her babe to her breasts, two Eagles were perched nearby.


    One was an Eastern Imperial Eagle, which was her long time pet and friend Heraclius, and the other was an Iberian Imperial Eagle who she had thoughtfully named Fabia after thete Emperor Heraclius'' first wife. Just where that feathery bastard had gained such an exotic mate, Honoria did not know.


    Evidently, it would appear that while she was off visiting the new world, Heraclius had made his way to Iberia and found a mate of his own. Together, the two eagles had created three eggs, which they were currently looking after until they hatched.


    Upon seeing that Heraclius was present for his mate and children, while her own husband was off with another woman, Honoria felt slightly bitter. It was true that she and Linde had a special bond,monly servicing their husband together, and even pleasuring each other while he was away. However, that did not mean she had no bitterness in her heart towards the woman for monopolizing Berengar''s time whenever she could.


    After all, her rtionship with Linde was a byproduct of the rtionship she had with Berengar, and her husband would alwayse first in her mind. She pouted as she thought about this until the door to her room opened, revealing the man she was just thinking about. A smile immediately carved itself upon her face as Berengar entered the room. She was about to get up and rush over to the man, but he was one step quicker.


    The young emperor quickly wrapped his arms around the woman before nting a passionate kiss on her lips. After doing so, he gazed down at their son and kissed the boy on the forehead. Having properly greeted the two, he let out a sigh before speaking his thoughts.


    "It is rare for the three of us to be together like this as a family."


    When Honoria heard this, she frowned before nodding her head in silence. However, Berengar''s next words shocked her.


    "Well, I''m here to make that up to you. I know I promised you to help get revenge on your brother, and it is about time I lived up to that. So together we will bring down Decentius and avenge your fallen godfather."


    Upon saying this, Berengar nced over at the chart that sat on the nearby table. He then looked back to Honoria and smiled before revealing his thoughts.


    "I see you have already prepared without me. Just tell me what it is I need to do, and I will do it..."


    Honoria sighed heavily as she heard this before revealing the plot she hade up with to assassinate her elder brother.


    "I want you to bring me with you on an official visit to my father. We can use the border crisis with the Timurid Empire as an excuse. While we are there, I will bribe the maid to poison that bastard''s food. After it is done, I will reveal what I have done to him, and give him the option to confess his crimes to our father, and receive the antidote, or a die a slow, painful death of poisoning!"


    It shocked Berengar when he heard this n and immediately asked for rification on the matter.


    "You mean to let his fate fall into the hands of your father?"


    In response to this, a malicious smile formed on Honoria''s face as she revealed the extent of her treachery.


    "Of course not. There won''t be an antidote to the poison I give him! He will die horribly either way! However, If I know my brother, he will definitely choose to confess his guilt, hoping that I can save him, in doing so forever ruining his reputation before he passes away from this world."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement to this n and thought upon the plot for some time before sighing.


    "I have given my word to support your father with an artillery brigade. I had meant to wait until we fully developed the revolving cannons before deploying them, but I suppose they can make do for the time being with Mk2s and breechloaders. Very well, I will arrange a meeting with your father in Constantinople in theing days. After we have avenged your godfather, I hope it can bring you some closure..."


    Honoria simply nodded her head in silence. There was nothing left to say on the matter. Instead, she thought of an interesting idea with a wide smile on her face.


    "You said before while your parents werest here that you wanted to bring me and the girls on a honeymoon, but you have yet to live up to that promise. Perhaps after we kill my brother, all of us can go on a trip to the new world. I have noticed a few small inds that would be perfect to act as our personal vacation home!"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this. With advancements in synthetic materials, Berengar could now make some very modern swimsuit designs. If his girls knew what kind of revealing swimwear he had nned for them, they would probably beat him to a pulp in that very moment.


    He could imagine after this bloody business was over, being alone with all of his women on a private ind, in a beachside vi. Such a thought immediately caused Berengar to smile and nod in agreement.


    "Very well, if you have a location in mind, send it to me, and I will dispatch some men to clear the ind of any potential hostiles and build a beachside manor for us. It is about time we all spent some quality time together."


    When Honoria heard the words "quality time together"e from Berengar''s mouth, she knew exactly what he meant, thus she rolled her eyes before agreeing to his terms.


    "Deal..."


    It was at that moment Berengar had a sudden thought which he could not help but expressing.


    "What about the kids?"


    Honoria gazed down at the baby boy suckling at her breast andughed. She hadpletely forgotten about this matter. She dwelled on it for a few moments before deciding on a course of action.


    "We can have your mother look after them. After all, she is their grandmother. As for feeding the infants, we can always temporarily hire a wet nurse. Or perhaps there is someone in your family tree capable of filling the role that you would be morefortable with?"


    The moment Berengar thought about the words "family tree, and boobies" he could only think of one woman who met the description that he would not be taking on the trip with him.


    "I''ll ask Ad to talk to Ava about the idea. I am almost entirely positive that woman still has some milk in her udders. If not, we can always go with n B."


    Thisst part of Berengar''s statement instantly confused Honoria, prompting her to ask for rification.


    "n B?"


    With a proud smile on his face, Berengar nodded his head before shamelessly dering his perverted intentions.


    "Obviously, if the woman is all tapped out, all I need to do is Cuck Wolfgang and impregnate Ava so that she can produce milk again!"


    When Honoria heard this, her smile instantly shattered, causing her to glower at her husband. Did this pervert seriously just suggest adultery as an option to his wife?"


    Berengar saw the angry expression on Honoria''s face and tussled her hair before kissing her on the lips. After doing so, heughed hisment off as if it was a joke the whole time.


    "I''m just kidding Honoria. Why are you so serious?"


    The Byzantine Princess simply snubbed her husband and walked away with their infant son in her arms. She could not stand the man when he made jokes like this. Thus, Berengar was left alone in the room, where Heraclius gazed upon him as if he was an idiot. Upon seeing the disdain in the eagle''s eyes, Berengar lowered his brows into a fierce re before rebuking the bird.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Heraclius merely squawked and flew out the window, not dignifying the German Emperor''s hostility with a proper response. As Berengar watched the eagle soar into the sky above, he sighed heavily before leaving the room as well. He had much work to do in preparation for his visit to Constantinople, and little time to do it.

 Chapter 585 An Unholy Act in the House of God

    <h4>Chapter 585 An Unholy Act in the House of God</h4>


    Within the City of Kufstein, the light of dawn shone through the Royal Pce''s private Chapel. Within this room there was no priest, only an altar, and arge golden cross representing the glory of God Almighty.


    Kneeling before this altar was none other than the Empress of Germany, Ad von Kufstein. For some time, guilt had ovee this young woman. Months ago, she had engaged in a rather sinful act with her husband and his other wife. As a woman who grew up in a pious and righteous household, the images of what she did that night mentally scarred her.


    However, worst of all was the overflowing lust she felt in her heart when she thought about the taboo acts she performed, simply because of her husband''s orders. The more she remembered the carnal acts she engaged in, the wetter she got. However, the most confusing aspect was she kept dreaming about the fierce double pration she had received from her husband and his other wife. Especially the satisfied look on Linde''s face when she thrust away with her hips.


    While she was fidgeting on her knees, struggling to maintain her prayers, a young redheaded seductress stood in silence in the doorway, observing her rival''s behavior. She could tell by how Ad moved she was sexually frustrated, and thus, a wicked smile appeared on Linde''s luscious lips.


    The busty vixen approached the kneeling Empress from behind, without a hint at her movements, before Ad realized it a pair of ivory dainty hands wrapped themselves around her well-developed breasts, and forced their way through her dress where they directly grabbing hold of her pink nipples.


    Ad instinctively turned her head around in shock, where Linde vited her tongue with her own. No matter how hard Ad tried to push away the woman''s assault, she simply could not do so. For Linde was much bigger and stronger than the little Empress could ever have expected.


    Instead, what transpired was the two women falling to the floor with Linde on top. The young seductress dashed her hand up the skirt of Ad''s dress and began gently massaging her moist cunt. Such a vicious assault to her weak spots immediately caused the young Empress to yelp in surprise before chastising the woman for her efforts.


    "No... stop.... we can''t... not here..."


    However, this pleading only brought out the sadistic side of Linde, as she inserted her fingers into the girl''s slithering slit. The pration immediately caused Ad to moan in pleasure as Linde whispered into her ear.


    "I''ve had enough of your shit Ad, today you submit to me, and recognize my position as Berengar''s main bitch! You are nothing more than a pretty figurehead, whose sole purpose is to appease my husband''s parents!"


    A fierce re appeared in Ad''s eyes as she heard this taunt. She quickly tried to get out from under Linde''s embrace, but it was no use. She simply did not have the strength tobat the veteran spymaster. Instead, Linde quickly disrobed her victim while pinning her to the ground. She immediately assaulted the girl''s clitoris with her tongue as she suckled away at the girl''s lower lips.


    Linde was well experienced in Lesbian sex at this point. After all, she had been using Honoria to pleasure herself during Berengar''s absence for some time now, and she knew how to make a girl squirt better than anybody. Thus it did not take long for Ad to release her built up liquid all over the Chapel''s floor.


    The girl instantly gasped in pleasure, searching for her breath as she witnessed Linde disrobe before her. The redheaded beauty had an exceptionally curvy body, with a perfect hourss figure, massive E cup tits, wide hips, thick thighs and an ample yet toned bottom. Her pastel pink nipples were erect and disyed her excitement. As for her lower body, a heart-shaped tuft of red fur sat prettily above her moist cave, where her juices flowed from her depths, and coated her puffy whitebia.


    When contrasted with her own petite body, Ad could only stare in astonishment at her rival''s beauty. However, Linde''s next words enchanted her as the redheadedss issued amand to her victim.


    "Come to mommy..."


    As if enthralled by Linde''s masterfulmand, Ad crawled on her knees over to the busty beauty who lie on the ground in front of the altar with her legs spread out. She immediately ced her lips to the magnificent slit in front of her and tried her best to please it. Unfortunately, she did not know what she was doing, and sloppily licked about as if she were an untrained hound.


    This amateurish gesture immediately caused Linde tough as she epted the gift from her y thing. Despite Ad''sck of technique, Linde was a sensitive woman. After all the training she had gone through with Berengar, it did not take her much to cum, and eventually she did all over the girl''s face. Havingpleted the forey, Linde was satisfied with the results she had achieved and issued amand to Ad, who, as if drunk with pleasure, hastily obeyed.


    "Bend over, and spread your pussy."


    Ad immediately assumed the position, where she questioned Linde''s intentions.


    "What are you going to do to me?"


    The busty redhead immediately responded by fiercely spanking her rival before chastising her.


    "Shut up! Who said you could speak?"


    It was at this moment Ad noticed the toy that Linde was adorning over her crotch. It was the same toy she had used during theirst encounter to double prate her alongside Berengar. She did not know where Linde had gotten this toy, but she suspected she brought it with her just for this asion. After Linde had finished fastening her weapon, she walked over to Ad and ced the tip at the entrance of her victim''s slit. Before pushing it in, she had one simple statement to make.


    "You know Ad, I have yet to repay you properly for the abuse you put me through. The only reason you could do such a thing to me is because my mastermanded it. However, he is not here now, and it is time for you to pay the price of your arrogance!"


    Before Ad could protest, the massive length of the toy, which was a replica of her husband''s shaft, speared her. The once pious queen instantly moaned in ecstasy as her husband''s other wife forced the phallic object deep within the depths of her pussy.


    With a wide smirk on Linde''s lips, she fiercely smacked Ad''s small but well-shaped bottom before asking her a question, all the while pumping her hips in and out of the girl''s cave as if she were a steam piston.


    "How do you like mommy''s cock?


    Ad bit her lips, and refused to respond to this statement, which immediately caused Linde to grab hold of her twin tails from behind and pull her head back as she drove the toy deeper into her depths, using the girl''s golden locks as handle bars.


    "How about now, bitch?"


    Ad squirted all over the floor as Linde continued to roughly pound her into submission. The girl quivered in pleasure as a single phrase escape her lips.


    "so... good..."


    However, Linde was not satisfied with this answer and continued to buck her hips like a woman gone mad


    "I''m sorry. What was that? I didn''t quite hear it!?!"


    Ad once more pissed herself in pleasure as the shaft continued to go in and out of her slit at an increasing rate. She could barely form a sentence, but did so for the sake of the woman behind her.


    "mommy''s cock is so good!"


    Upon hearing this, a cruel smile formed itself upon Linde''s lips where she released herself from Ad''s cave, before shoving her toy into her face.


    "Good girl! Now clean mommy''s cock with your pretty little tongue..."


    Ad was still in her entranced state and quickly did as she wasmanded, suckling on the toy as if it were a teat. Though she could not fit the full length of it into her throat, she licked around its sides, ensuring it was extra clean.


    Only after Linde had pushed her head aside and taken off the strap-on did she regain rity of mind. Linde, however, was not convinced Ad was fully under her heel. Thus, she walked over to the girl and sat on her face. Before issuing anothermand.


    "It''s your turn to make mommy feel good. You have to properly thank me for treating you so well!"


    With thismand, Linde had forced Ad into the ultimate humiliation. The young Empress began to lick away at Linde''s asshole while struggling to speak the words in between.


    "thank... you..."


    After cumming on Ad''s face one more time, Linde raised herself from her seated position and got dressed once more. As she concealed her heavenly figure with her exquisite undergarments, she had a satisfied expression on her pretty face.


    "Good girl, I want you to seek me out once a day. From now on, mommy is going to educate you well. If you do note to me, I will find you, and treat you far more cruelly than I did today."


    After saying this, Linde was fully dressed and immediately departed, not waiting for a response from her newest ything. As for Ad, she sat naked covered in bodily fluids as she huddled up into a fetal position reflecting on everything that had just transpired.


    She hadmitted such a grave sin in a house of God, and submitted to her rival so easily. She could not fathom just what hade over her. Still, when she thought about what happened, there was a dark corner of her mind that could not wait for tomorrow. There was an intense conflict in Ad''s mind as she questioned everything her parents had ever taught her.


    One thing was certain: there was no denial that she enjoyed the treatment she had just received. After a serious debate with herself, the girl sighed and gazed off into the direction of the cross with a frown on her face.


    "What has religion ever done for me? It has only driven a wedge between myself and my husband. Perhaps Berengar was right all along. If this is the sisterhood he previously spoke about, then maybe I should go along with Linde''s games for now, and see what bes of it. If such debauchery brings me closer to Berengar and his other brides, then it might be worth admitting defeat to that bitch..."


    The truth of the matter was Ad had been unhappy for a long time, while all of Berengar''s other brides seemed to have the time of their lives. She was well aware of the bond that Linde and Honoria shared, and knew how close Berengar was to the two of them. Perhaps it was time she gave up on her religious inklings and joined the fun.


    While Ad was lying naked in the Royal Chapel questing her life''s decisions, Linde had visited Berengar in his study, where the woman was now kneeling beneath her husband''s desk, sucking on his cock as if it was the tastiest treat in the world. Between the slurping, she asked the most prevalent question on her mind.


    "Did I do good, master?"


    Berengar smiled as he petted the woman''s silky strawberry blonde hair with a smile on his face.


    "Yes, Linde, you did very good. If Ad does not seek you out tomorrow, then find her and discipline her well. It is about time that pious little slut understands the position she is in!"


    A loving expression formed on Linde''s face as she heard her husband''s statement.


    "Oh master..."


    After saying this, Berengar raised the woman up from her knees and sat her on hisp. With a devilish smirk on his face, he spoke the words she was longing to hear.


    "It is about time I give you a reward for your efforts!"


    After saying this, Berengar spent the next hour making love to his wife. Little did Ad know that Linde''s actions were a scheme of Berengar''s to get her to fall into line. He had long since grow weary of the girl''s self-righteous attitude, and despite his best efforts, she continued to walk around as if she were a living saint. Only by bringing her down to his level, could he get her to wholly submit to his will, and he knew no better way to do that than by letting Linde have her way with the girl.

 Chapter 586 Returning to Constantinople

    <h4>Chapter 586 Returning to Constantinople</h4>


    Weeks had passed since the incident between Ad and Linde, and just as Berengar had nned, Ad refused to visit Linde on the following day, which resulted in the redheaded beauty hunting down the Empress and forcing her into a simr humiliating state.


    After such an urrence, Ad begrudgingly visited Linde as the days passed, and slowly but surely expanded their rtionship. While this was going on, Berengar and Honoria had made preparations for their journey to Byzantium. At the moment, Berengar was standing in his office preparing onest farewell to his loving bride.


    The German Emperor gently wrapped his arms around the redheadedss and kissed her on the lips before giving his orders to the young woman.


    "Linde, in my absence, I want you to continue Ad''s training. Don''t let up for a second. I want her heart and mind fully submitted to you by the time I return. The only way I can achieve unity in my household is by one of you two girls submitting to the other, and I know who I am betting on. After she has properly ovee her religious upbringing, it will be time for me to invest a considerable amount of effort into the rtionship between me and Ad."


    Linde merely nodded her head with a pretty smile on her lips before reassuring her husband that she was up to the task.


    "Do not worry, master, I will have the bitch grovelling on her knees for you to impregnate her upon your return. I assure you that she will bepletely and utterly loyal to our dynasty, and the proper hierarchy, by the time I''m through with her. You should just focus on enjoying your alone time with Honoria. It has been a while since the two of you could be so intimate, and I know she craves for it."


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this before petting the girl''s silky strawberry blonde hair.


    "You are always so supportive of your bitches, alright, I will leave things in your care. I look forward to my return."


    Linde gazed into her husband''s eyes and kissed him passionately onest time before whispering in his ear.


    "I love you more than anything, master!"


    With a smirk on his face, Berengar responded to this statement of affection with one of his own.


    "I love you too."


    After saying this, the young Emperor departed from his pce and disembarked from his household with Honoria and a veteran unit of his Imperial Guard in tail. The journey would be short, but he intended to make a most of it. Perhaps on this quest for vengeance Honoria would finally achieve the closure she needed to move on from her godfather''s death, and her brother''s betrayal.


    Thus, after several days aboard the vessel without incident, Berengar now sat beside Honoria on afortable sofa on the ship that was heading towards the Byzantine Empire. For the time being, the personal vessel of the German Imperial Family was arge and luxurious clipper. Until a time where Berengar''s ship industries could easilyy down ocean liners, he would continue to use this more primitive sailing ship as his primary means of transportation to allied nations.


    This was the first time in a long time that Berengar could enjoy some proper alone time with Honoria, and over the past few days the couple had made the most of it, with nonstop intimacy, whether that was as hugging, kissing, sex, or just in conversation.


    Currently, The Byzantine Princess was sipping on some coffee while a pretty smile formed on her face. Soon, the vessel would arrive in Constantinople and she was finally going to avenge her godfather. However, that was not the thought dwelled in her mind at the moment. Instead, she reflected on how great her life had been since she first arrived in Kufstein. Especially as ofte.


    Currently, Linde and Honoria had a special bond that was on the brink of romance. Despite this intimate rtionship with the redheaded beauty, her heart truly lied with Berengar, and before this trip, it had been some time since the man she loved had shown her the attention she needed. ''


    Of course, this was not entirely his fault, as she often sailed around the world undertaking acts of piracy and exploring new corners of the Earth. If anything, she was equally to me for the current state of their rtionship. Thus, Honoria was overly eager to share every moment she could with Berengar. However, Berengar''s sudden question immediately stunned the woman.


    "So, how have things been going with Linde? I understand the two of you get along pretty well during my absence..."


    Honoria''s face flushed with embarrassment. She did not know that Berengar was aware of her and Linde''s rtionship and immediately stammered in response.


    "y... yo... you knew?"


    A wicked smile formed on Berengar''s face as he teased the girl.


    "Of course! Linde tells me everything, like the good little ve she is. By the way, she quite enjoys being your mommy..."


    The young Princess of Byzantium was so embarrassed right now she wished she could jump overboard and drown. Shepletely misunderstood Berengar''s intent in revealing this and immediately bowed her head in guilt.


    "Daddy, I''m sorry! Linde, she tempted me in your absence and made me do those things! I never meant to betray you!"


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled before kissing the girl on the lips, reassuring he was not the slightest bit angry with her.


    "Honoria, you have nothing to fear from me. Believe or not, I actually approve of this rtionship. Obviously, as Emperor, I can''t always be there for you girls, and I would much rather you fall in love with each other in my absence than another man.


    As long as you both still love me, and Linde hasn''t reced me in your heart, then you have my permission to be intimate with one another. Besides, it''s not like the three of us haven''t done simr things together.


    I''d be a hypocrite if I asked the two of you to be intimate for the sake of my pleasure, but then deny you such a thing for your own sakes. If only the others had the same attitude towards my harem as the two of you."


    Tears flowed from Honoria''s eyes as she hugged Berengar as tight as she could while viting his tongue with her own.


    "Daddy, I love you so much!"


    Despite the many intimate moments that they had shared over the past few days, it appeared as if Honoria was ready for more. However, before Berengar could enjoy Honoria''s embrace once more, a deckhand climbed down into their private cabin and alerted them of their arrival.


    "My Kaiser, my Queen, we have arrived in Constantinople. It will not be long before we are docking. I suggest you prepare yourselves."


    With this said, Berengar sighed in disappointment as he helped the young woman off of hisp. Sometimes things simply did not line up as he intended them to. Thus he and Honoria calmed themselves of their urges before rising onto the deck above. It would be wise not to keep the Byzantine delegation waiting.


    In the time since Berengar''s first visit to Constantinople, the Byzantines had established a special dock to house his massive clipper. When such a vessel entered the ports of the ancient Roman Capital, it drew all eyes to it.


    It was quite obvious who this behemoth of a ship belonged to, as there was only one nation capable of building such a thing. Thus, since the moment they saw the ship on the horizon flying the German colors, the Byzantine delegation had rushed to the docks and secured the area with their forces. They could not afford to offend the German Emperor.


    Historically, there were only two men in all of Christendom who could im the title of Emperor, and that was the Holy Roman Emperor, and his Byzantine Counterpart to the East. However, in thest few months, a new figure had sessfully imed the title for himself. Such a thing was simply outrageous to the people of the Catholic World.


    However, the Byzantines were far more epting of it. Unlike the Holy Roman Empire, Berengar''s new German Empire did not im to be the true sessor of Rome. Instead, they denied any part of Roman Heritage, embracing themselves as the sessors of men like Hermann and ric.


    Considering the German Empire was formed by Berengar''s conquests of the German-speaking regions, the Byzantines naturally considered the Empire no different from their previous rtionship with the Kingdom of Austria.


    Thus, when Berengar stepped foot on the docks of Constantinople, he was given quite the prestigious weing. With a smile on his face, hetched onto Honoria''s hand as they gazed upon the Byzantine delegation, which greeted them with open arms. A simple expression escaping his lips after a heavy sigh.


    "Are you ready for this?"


    In response to this question, Honoria looked into her husband''s eyes and smirked with her beautiful lips before making a smug statement.


    "I was born ready!"


    Berengar admired the woman''s fierce resolve. It was difficult to do something as wicked as killing your own brother. After all, Berengar knew this pain all too well. However, Honoria was no longer the helpless young Princess she once was. She had be not only a feared Pirate Queen, but a conqueror in her own right.


    Thus, Berengar did not doubt that his beloved wife had the means to endure such an evil act. Because of this thought, a bitter smile formed on his lips as he gazed toward the ancient Roman Capital with fierce determination in his sapphire eye.


    "Very well. It is time to enact our revenge, and in doing so, secure our son''s future as an emperor!"


    With that said, the German Emperor and his wife, the Byzantine Princess, had returned to Constantinople under the guise of negotiating military aid in support of the Byzantine Empire''s current border crisis. In truth, their reason for visiting was a much more sinister purpose: to kill the second prince of the Byzantine Empire and avenge the loss of thete Strategos Arethas.

 Chapter 587 An Unexpected Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 587 An Unexpected Reunion</h4>


    Berengar and Honoria stepped down from the dock and greeted the emissary sent by the Byzantine Crown to wee their German guests. The man in question was someone that Berengar did not recognize. He appeared to be in his thirties and was fairly tall for an eastern man. The man had light olive skin, brown eyes, and wavy dark hair that fell to his shoulders. He also sported a finely groomed beard, giving him a rather striking appearance.


    The fact that Vetranis had sent a stranger to greet Berengar filled his mind with a sense of caution. After all, he and his bride were in Constantinople for a hidden and treacherous purpose that, if revealed, would undoubtedly cause some serious diplomatic issues. However, despite his paranoid thoughts, Honoria seemed to know who this man was and had an over excited expression as she rushed over and into his arms.


    "Uncle Besarion! I thought you were in Georgia. What are you doing here in Constantinople?"


    The man immediately broke out into a slight chuckle as he held onto his niece and observed her carefully. If Vetranis had not told him that Honoria would arrive on this very dock, he would not have believed this woman was in fact his beloved niece. Thus, with a surprised expression on his face, Besarion voiced his disbelief.


    "Honoria, is it really you? You have changed so much since Ist saw you!"


    In response to this, Honoria merely scoffed before spitting out her tongue, followed by a snarky remark.


    "Of course I have. Thest time we met, I was still a little girl! Did you think that after a decade I''d still be a child? Obviously I grew up!"


    This caused the man to chuckle once more. What the girl said was true, still he could not believe that his once adorable little niece had grown into such a gorgeous young woman. Thus he gazed over with a stern expression to the man standing by Honoria''s side, who he presumed to be her husband.


    Berengar met the man''s gaze with an intimidating re. The German Emperor was a man with an extremely jealous nature, and to see a man touch his wife, even if it was purely familial, filled him with a sense of rage.


    Thus, he hatched a devilish scheme in his mind that would force the Georgian King to bow before him and apologize in the near future. After thinking of this, Berengar put on a friendly facade, and introduced himself to Honoria''s uncle.


    "I am afraid we have not properly met. Allow me to rectify that. I am Berengar von Kufstein, Honoria''s husband."


    Berengar had deliberately left out his title while introducing himself. It took little examination to understand that Honoria''s uncle did not know who Berengar was. For if he did, he would have already introduced himself, and begun kissing ass as so many other petty Kings had done as ofte.


    Besarion, on the other hand, gazed up and down as he scrutinized the man iming to be his niece''s husband. It was evident by the expression on his lips that he was not pleased. In his discontent, he identally muttered a single phrase that caught Berengar off guard.


    "too pretty..."


    When Berengar heard this, his brow raised ever so slightly. Did this man seriously just call him pretty? However, before he could react, Besarion put on a smiling facade and disguised his conceited words with a friendly gesture.


    "So you''re the man who seduced my darling little niece. I understand she even ran away from home to be with you! I''m amazed Vetranis allowed you to keep your manhood intact! I am Besarion Bagrationi, the King of Georgia. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Berengar surmised that this man had heard some rumors about Honoria running off to a faraway Kingdom, but judging by his behavior, it was highly unlikely that he knew about Berengar''s position in the world.


    However, despite the obvious provocation, Berengar did not buy into it and instead responded by putting on a smile, and grabbing ahold of the man''s hand, epting the token of friendship while offer some friendly advice.


    "It would appear someone has been speaking ill of me behind my back. Perhaps it is that fool Decentius? Whatever, such infantile defamation is of no concern to me. However, for future reference, I would advise you not to give such petnt rumors any thought. You never know what reprisal might ur should you identally nder a powerful emperor to his face."


    Besarion immediately responded to thisment with a fit ofughter. Such a scenario was simply imusible. There was no way he would identally insult an emperor to his face. Thus, his impression of Berengar was little more than that of a pretty boy and a clown, a view which he did not hide.


    "You''re a funny man! I can see why my niece would choose a pretty boy like you to be her husband."


    When Berengar heard this remark, he stiffened on the spot. The man had once more called him pretty. Perhaps this man from the east was mistaking his handsome and regal Germanic features as "pretty".


    Honoria saw the perturbed expression on Berengar''s face and could immediately see things were getting tense between her uncle and her husband. Thus, she did not hesitate to separate the two of them.


    "Alright, that''s enough, Uncle. Why are you here?"


    Such a harsh response shocked the King of Georgia. He could not believe his darling little niece had chosen Berengar''s side. Besarion sighed in defeat as he came to a misunderstanding. In his mind, there was only one reason that his precious niece would choose this man''s side over his own. Obviously Berengar had captured Honoria''s heart with his good looks. There was simply nothing he could do about that, thus he instead happily answered the question.


    "The crisis on Byzantium''s border has spread to my realm. Since your father is my brother byw, I figured the two of us shoulde together to solve the issues we face. Although, he failed to mention in advance that there would be another joining us for this convention.


    It was not until your ship was on the horizon that your father informed me of your visit, thus I figured I would greet my beloved niece in person. Come Honoria, we have much to catch up on, and little time to do it."


    With that said, Besarion led Honoria back to the Pce, where Berengar followed behind. Throughout the entire journey, The Georgian King treated him as if he was a third wheel. From this first encounter, the German Emperor did not have a good impression of his wife''s uncle. Eventually the trio made their way into the Pce where Vetranis was quick to greet his daughter, and more importantly her husband.


    "Berengar, Honoria, it is so nice to see the two of you. It has been a while since Istid eyes on you, and I only wish our meeting was due to better circumstances."


    Berengar nodded his head with a smile on his face. If there was one thing he could say about Vetranis, it was that the man knew how to treat a foreign monarch with the respect he deserved. Thus, Berengar had a far more cordial approach as he greeted his father-inw.


    "Father, it is good to see you doing so well. Though the circumstances that brought us together may be grim, it is still an asion for celebration. I have brought with me some fine spirits as a gift to you and your house."


    After saying this, Berengar pped his hands, and some of his servants came forth and delivered the goods. In a well crafted andcquered wooden box lie a bottle of liquor. This was no mere whiskey, but a single malt bourbon that had been aged for thest five years.


    This bottle was from the German Emperor''s personal stock, and there was a limited quantity of it in the world. Thus, to give such a priceless item, which had no equal in the world to his father-inw, was a sign of Berengar''s respect for the Byzantine Crown.


    Vetranis smiled as he gazed upon the finely madebel, which proudly disyed the von Kufstein coat of arms and was written in the Germannguage. The Imperial Family of Germany had many of its own businesses, among these were breweries and distilleries.


    Thus, it came no surprise that Berengar had his own brand of bourbon. After examining the exquisitely crafted ss bottle for several moments, Vetranis nodded his head in eptance and thanked his son-inw for his gift.


    "Thank you Berengar, I am sure it is of superb quality, and I can''t wait to drink it at tonight''s feast. I will have one of my servants show you and Honoria to your room. As for our strategic meeting, we will hold it tomorrow morning, so take that into consideration as you enjoy your stay."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before walking off with Honoria, leaving Emperor Vetranis behind alone with his brother-inw. Besarion had an expression of contempt on his face as he voiced his disapproval to Vetranis the moment the German Emperor was out of earshot.


    "Your behavior towards that pretty boy is unbing of a man of your position. I don''t know which of the German States he hails from, but to see you kiss his ass is sickening. Could you really not find a better suitor for your daughter?"


    Vetranis immediately turned over and red at Besarion before lecturing him about his ignorance.


    "Please tell me you did not call that man pretty to his face? Is your petty Kingdom truly so isted from the rest of Christendom that you do not know who that man is? That is Berengar von Kufstein, the emperor of Germany. That "pretty boy" as you so brazenly refer to him as is a warlord of fierce repute. In six years, he rose from the position of a lowly baron to the most powerful man in the western world!


    Since the moment he first came to power, Berengar has fought a series of wars against the great realms of Europe and remains undefeated in battle. If you want a proper understanding of his character, you need only look at his eyepatch. Berengar received that wound from his brother, amander of the Teutonic Knights, who he slew in singlebat."


    It shocked Besarion to hear this. The truth of the matter was he waspletely unware of Berengar''s rise to power. Most of the German Emperor''s reputation existed west of the ck sea. For those who dwelled East of Constantinople, the existence of a unified Germany had yet to reach their ears, let alone the fact that a man of lower nobility had caused it. Thus, after hearing this information, the King of Georgia immediately bowed his head to the Byzantine Emperor and apologized.


    "I am sorry if I caused any trouble. I did not know."


    In response to this, Vetranis merely scoffed before giving the man some friendly advice.


    "It is not me you should apologize to. I trust you will smooth things over at dinner. Be aware that Berengar has a sharp wit and a fierce personality. No matter how clever you think you are, I would avoid verbally sparring with that man if I were you."


    After saying this, Vetranis left the Georgian King alone with his thoughts. It was at this moment he reflected on Berengar''s earlier words about identally ndering a powerful emperor to his face, and felt as if someone had killed his dog. Besarion could not believe he had actually made such a foolish mistake. He knew now he would have to formally apologize to Berengarter in the evening. Thus the German Emperor''s arrival in Constantinople had started off interestingly enough...

 Chapter 588 A Living Hell

    <h4>Chapter 588 A Living Hell</h4>


    Deep within the Tyrolean Alps, the light of dawn shone down onto the fields of the Austrian Landscape. Located within a specific corner of the great German Kingdom lies arge timber industry. If one were to gaze upon this particr forestry camp, they would immediately realize the extensive fortifications that surrounded it. Where heavily armed guards acted as sentries, keeping the prisoners within under lock and key.


    The Kingdom of Austria did not tolerate crime in any form, and aside from those most heinous of criminal acts that were dealt with via execution, the overwhelming majority of convicted criminals served a lengthy sentence within abor camp. After all, the Austrian King was a man of brutal efficiency, and he refused to pay for criminals to sit on their ass and do nothing productive for years on end.


    In a way, this harsh justice not only acted as a deterrent to crime in general but also aided in rehabilitation as the many criminals would gain valuable trade skills during their sentence, and could be employed in that field should they have no other options.


    However, there were many criminals within these Labor Camps who came from a background of some significance, none more so than the Princess of France Sibi de Valois. For the past year or so, she had been imprisoned against her will for offending the Austrian Royal Family, where she engaged in backbreaking work as a lumberjack.


    Thus, as the sunlight shone down upon this camp, the Princess of France lie asleep in her cell. However, she was not alone. There was a big and burly man spooning with her. Unfortunately for this man, his time with the young beauty ended rather abruptly as the bells rang in the air, signalling that it was time for the prisoners to awaken.


    With a groggy expression on her face, Sibi rose to a seated position on her bed mat and pped the man upside the head, instantly waking him up. Where the first thing he witnesses was a sour expression on the French Beauty''s otherwise exquisite face.


    "You spent the night with me, so that will be twenty-five scrip! If you cannot pay, I swear to god I will get Heinz to cut your balls off!"


    The bald and burly man was still half asleep as he heard this, however thest part of the whore''s threat immediately sent chills down his spine, and the man quickly nodded his head before handing over the requested currency.


    As with any prison, there was a local hierarchy and a currency that went with it. A single gang had formed within the confines of thisbor camp, and the man who led it was known as Heinz. The guards used Heinz and his gang to keep the order of the prisoners while enjoying the benefits of their localized economy.


    This shot caller was a smuggler by trade who had been arrested and sentenced to twenty-five years in thisbor camp. His crime? One of his buyers had used his product in a murder. As the man responsible for bringing such a thing into the country, the courts found him guilty as an aplice, along with half a dozen other charges.


    Since he was going to be spending the rest of his life in this Labor Camp, the man had used his skills to bring in certain items that helped keep the prisoners alive, all while charging a premium for ess. Often times this contraband was the difference between a prisoner living through their sentence or dying miserably. This was especially true during the harsh winters of the Tyrolean Alps.


    However, Heinz also dealt in other products, such as prostitutes, and being one of the few female prisoners in the camp, Sibi was a well sought after product. Of course, nobody knew she was the Princess of France, or else Heinz would have kept the bitch to himself.


    Though Sibi had initially refused the prospect of whoring herself out for ess to Heinz contraband, after a particrly brutal gang rape, she soon found herself spending all of her free time servicing the men imprisoned within this encampment. After all, at least with prostitution, she had a say in how she was treated.


    Because of this degrading side profession, the Princess of France could survive her imprisonment, but the cost to her mental well being was far too great. However, there was hope in her heart, as her sentence would end in another few weeks, and she could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.


    Thus, she quickly collected the prison currency used to buy her body for the night and kicked the burly man out of her cell. She needed to prepare for the long day of backbreakingbor ahead of her. Eventually, she left her cell and proceeded to the showers, where she bathed alongside the men.


    They all gazed lustfully at her curvy body, and if not for the protection that Heinz provided her, would surely gang rape her then and there. Luckily Heinz had a fierce reputation in how he handled those who cheated him, and he would allow no one toy a hand on his hookers without paying a price.


    Thus, Sibi was able to bathe in peace before beginning her journey into the timbends. With an axe in her hands, she chopped away at the tree. A lifeless glint existed in her eyes. For too long she had suffered under the horrific conditions of thisbor camp and had lost a substantial amount of weight doing so. If not for Heinz''s contraband, she surely would have starved long ago.


    Just a few more weeks, and she would be out of here. Those were the thoughts that gued her mind as she tirelessly worked in the woonds, chopping wood from dawn until dusk. When she finally returned to the camp, she met up with Heinz and handed him the currency she had collected in the morning.


    "Here''s the payout fromst night. Now give it to me!"


    The man named Heinz had a particrlyvish cell with an actual mattress, a personal shower, and a stove. Such were the perks of being the man at the top of the prison hierarchy. With a shit-eating grin on his face, Heinz counted the tin currency before nodding his head.


    "Very well, as always, you get a choice. Would you rather have a nice hot meal, or do you want a hit?"


    Sibi hastily answered the man''s question with an impatient expression on her lips.


    "Give me the hit! I''ll suck someone''s cockter tonight for the meal..."


    Heinz nodded his head before pulling out a small ss pipe which was already loaded with a bowl filled with cannabis. Smuggling drugs into the prison was difficult, but for those who could afford it, it offered the only release they could gain from their living hell within thisbor camp. Thus, Sibi quickly took the pipe to her mouth, and smoked its contents with much enthusiasm. After doing so, she exhaled arge plume before lying back on the man''s sofa and dazing out.


    Heinz gazed at the French Princess with a lust filled gaze as he quickly disrobed himself, and the girl in front of him before having his way with her. As for Sibi, she was too stoned to care and had long since grown ustomed to being fucked multiple times a day. After their session was over, and the French Princess starteding back to reality, she asked the question on her mind.


    "Alright, who do you have lined up for me tonight?"


    Heinz was in the process of putting on his trousers as he heard this and smiled wickedly before giving the info to the woman about her next clients.


    "A group of guys have pooled together their scrip and have decided to have an orgy with you. One of their boys is getting out tomorrow, and they want him to have fun with the most beautiful girl in this prison on hisst night behind bars. Make it worth their while and not only will I give you a hot meal, I will also throw in an extra hit free of charge."


    Sibi frowned when she heard this news, but ultimately sighed in defeat. She quickly got dressed in her clothes and nodded her head in agreement to the terms.


    "I understand. Tell them toe to my cell right before we go into lockdown and I''ll drain everyst ounce of cum in their balls. When I''m through with them, you better pay up!"


    Heinz immediately feigned offense as he responded to his most profitable hooker.


    "Hey... you know me, I''m a man of my word."


    In response to this, Sibi merely snarled in disgust before getting back to her job. This was a random day in the prison life of the Princess of France. When she finally returned to her homnd, she would have a body count in the thousands, and would have changed for the worse. Whether she could ever recover from such harsh imprisonment, only time would tell.

 Chapter 589 Poisoning a Prince

    <h4>Chapter 589 Poisoning a Prince</h4>


    Within the Imperial Pce of the Byzantine Empire, three factions were gathered. The King of Georgia and his family sat at the left side of the table, while the German Emperor and his wife sat on the right. As for the Byzantine Emperor and his family, they sat at the head of the table. Berengar had a conceited expression on his handsome face as he bantered about the current border crisis.


    "The sheer nerve of the Timurid Empire, causing trouble at your borders. If it were me, I would not tolerate such insolence..."


    With a bitter smile on his face, Vetranis addressed Berengar''s bold statement with a humble counter.


    "Unfortunately, the Byzantine Army is still undergoing a massive restructure. The Strategos'' who hold control over vast portions of my army are reluctant to relinquish control. To put it simply, unlike the German Empire, we here in Byzantium are not prepared to take on the Arab world by our lonesome. It is with this in mind that I am thankful for both of your presences."


    Besarion gazed upon the heated conversation between his brother-inw, and this strange emperor from the west. The sheer arrogance in Berengar''s voice led the man to believe he was either a fool, or could truly backup his words with overwhelming power. Though he was more inclined to believe the former, Vetranis had warned him of Berengar''s might, and if this man intimidated the Byzantine Emperor, then clearly he should be, too."


    While the three kings bickered over the rising conflict with the Timurids, Honoria whispered something in Berengar''s ear that went unnoticed by the others. However, a smirk appeared on Berengar''s face before nodding his head in approval for the woman to depart. With a gracious bow, Honoria informed the party of her temporary absence.


    "I must apologize, but I am having some... erm... Womanly troubles. I am afraid that I must take a leave of absence for the time being..."


    After saying this, Honoria departed. Meanwhile, the gathered people continued on their heated political discussion. As Berengar entertained the Royal Family of the Byzantine Empire, and their guests, Honoria snuck off to the kitchen. Where she could unleash her vile plot to expose and assassinate her elder brother.


    One thing the Byzantine Princess immediately noticed when she first sat down for the meal is that her elder brother Decentius was not present for the discussions, thus she figured they would feed the man via a separate te. As she looked for the food intended to go to the Second Prince, she noticed something shocking. There was not a te reserved for the man, but a cup with what appeared to be a mashed up meal contained within.


    It was only now that Honoria realized the extent of Decentius'' injuries, the man could no longer eat solid food, and thus relied on meals simr to that which infants ate in order to sustain himself. When Honoria thought of the poor state her elder brother must be in, a wicked smile appeared on her face. She instantly reached into her bosom, and pulled out a small vial, filled with a white powder, where she uncorked its lid before pouring a small concentration of the poison into the mashed meal.


    "Eat well, big brother, because this meal will be yourst!"


    After carefully stirring the substance to ensure the poison was concealed, Honoria fled the kitchen. It would appear her presence had gonepletely unnoticed, and thus she fled to the bathroom, where she quickly mixed the vial''s remaining contents with water, creating an opaque white liquid.


    If not for trade with Austria, then the Byzantine Royal Pce would not have the plumbing necessary to create running water. The very idea that her husband had helped her family live a life of greater luxury brought a smile to the Princess'' face where she returned to the dining room, and took her seat next to her husband as if nothing had happened.


    Now that Decentius'' meal had been poisoned, it was only a matter of time before he started showing symptoms. When he did, she would reveal her plot, and force him to confess his sins. Honoria could hardly wait for such a result, and because of this, she was practically squirming in excitement. Berengar immediately noticed this anxious behavior and responded by grabbing ahold of the girl''s hand where he kissed it gently, before whispering in her ear.


    "Calm yourself. We don''t want your family getting suspicious."


    After a deep breath, Honoria calmed her heart before involving herself in the discussion at hand.


    "So, have youe to a consensus on what to do about the current border crisis?"


    Vetranis smiled upon seeing that his daughter was interested in the subject and responded emphatically.


    "The actual strategic meeting is tomorrow. Tonight we are merely brainstorming. However, your husband has made an interesting point. If we ced enough artillery on our borders, it may be enough to deter any invasion, or at the very least buy our armies enough time to enter the fray."


    When Besarion heard this, he sighed beforementing his own opinion on such a reckless tactic.


    "Or our enemies could see such action as a provocation to war. By amassing artillery on our borders, we are sending an obvious threat that we are willing and prepared to engage in war. They will surely respond in kind, or if they can not, then they will find other means to instigate us into making a diplomatic error.


    This kind of strong-arm diplomacy will only further increase tensions between our two realms. What we should we doing is consider a policy of de-esction so that we can avoid a war if at all possible."


    When Berengar heard this pacifistic approach, he merely scoffed before arguing with the Georgian King.


    "Might makes right, and a show of force is the only thing the Arabs will understand. If they are truly hell bent on waging Jihad for the Holy Land, then no amount of diplomacy will solve our difficulties. By withdrawing our forces from the border, we would foolishly create an opening for them to attack; something I am positive they will capitalize on. There are some matters in life that can only be settled with blood and iron, and this is one of them!"


    Besarion could not stand such a hawkish attitude. It was one reason he supported Quintus, and his im to the Byzantine Throne, thus he asked the First Prince his opinion on the matter.


    "What do you think, Quintus? Do you agree that by amassing artillery brigades on our Eastern Border, we will only escte conflict with our neighbors?"


    The First Prince of the Byzantine Emperor smiled and nodded as he made a snide remark about Berengar''s hawkish nature.


    "Oh, undoubtedly, unlike the Tyrant of Steel here, I do not believe that conflict is everpletely unavoidable. However, I can see why Berengar must have such a mindset. After all, the man has waged war against most of his neighbors, and spat on their religion in the process. In Byzantium, we are far more civilized, and can solve our disputes with words, not bloodshed. Unlike the Germans, we Romans do not start star wars wantonly."


    When Berengar heard this retort, he scoffed at the First Prince''s naivety, and instead remembered of a quote from his past life, attributed to the Great King Charles XII of Sweden. With a confident smirk on his face, Berengar took a sip from his wine before responding to Quintus'' remarks.


    "In this life, I have resolved never to start an unjust war, but never to end a legitimate one, except by defeating my enemies. If you wish to rule this Empire one day, you will need to grow a spine and realize that sometimes war is inevitable."


    Quintus was about toment on Berengar''s witty retort, yet was cut short when Vetranis spoke up on behalf of the German Emperor.


    "Berengar is right. Our intelligence has confirmed that the sole intent of the Timurid Empire is jihad. They wish to reim the Holy Land, and that is something we cannot allow. We will discuss our options on how to deal with our enemies further tomorrow morning. For now, let us just enjoy this feast."


    With that said, the political discussion hade to an abrupt end. They spent the rest of the meal catching up on personal matters. However, In another corner of the Pce, Decentius sat in a chair. He was missing one of his legs, one of his hands, and a good portion of his face. He gazed out of the widow, into the starry night sky, and cursed his fate.


    "I swear I will get back at you one way or another for this grievous injury!"


    At this moment, a knocked resounded on his door, followed by the voice of a servant.


    "Your Majesty, I have prepared a meal for you!"


    With a heavy sigh, Decentius put his vengeance to the back of the mind before calling out to the servant, giving them permission to enter.


    "It is open..."


    After saying this, the door creeped open, and the servant carried the cup which contained the Prince''s meal over to him. They remained utterly silent as they inserted a straw into the container before handing it over to the prince. With a pretty smile on the servant girl''s face, she wished the Decentius a cheerful meal.


    "Enjoy your meal, your Majesty!"


    Having fulfilled her duty, the servant girl then left the Second Prince by his lonesome to eat in peace. When he was finally alone in his room, Decentius gazed upon the mashed meal with a frown before bringing the straw to his lips and taking a drink from the meal.


    In doing so, Decentius had unknowingly just consumed the poison that Honoria had prepared for him, and ultimately sealed his fate. It would not be until muchter in the night before the Prince realized he had been poisoned, and when he did, Honoria would be there to coerce him into a confession.

 Chapter 590 Avenging Arethas

    <h4>Chapter 590 Avenging Arethas</h4>


    Hours had passed since the Byzantine Princess had poisoned her brother, and by now the man was showing symptoms. His muscles cramped and spasmed, while he sweated up a storm. After a few hours, vomiting became a frequent urrence, and the prince was left alone in his room as a dying man.


    However, just when the man thought he would enter the afterlife without his family being the slightest bit aware, the door to his room crept open to reveal a curvaceous purple haired beauty who had a wicked smile on her face. She spoke to the man in a mocking tone, as if feigning her worry.


    "What''s the matter, big brother? Aren''t you feeling well?"


    When Decentius saw this, he wanted to scream at the girl with all the hatred in his heart, but only vomit came from his mouth. When Honoria saw this, her wicked smirk settled into one of calm wrath as she listed the symptoms the man was enduring in a taunting manner.


    "Muscle cramps, profuse sweating, projectile vomiting. My brother, it would appear that you have been poisoned! Now, just who in this world would do such a thing?"


    When Decentius heard his sister''s provocation, he scowled; after wiping the vomit from his mouth, he could finally ask the question most present in his mind.


    "You fucking bitch! What did you do to me?"


    In response to this, Honoria feigned ignorance as she walked closer to her brother, gaining a firm control over the situation with a confident stride.


    "Me? I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about. However, I must say whatever has been done to you is much deserved. After all, you are a murdering bastard who not only killed his own godfather in cold blood, but also plotted to assassinate his little sister during theter days of her pregnancy. Such despicable scum deserves only the worst of deaths. However, far be it from me to act without mercy. I''ll have you know that I just so happen to have the cure for what ails you right here!"


    After giving Decentius this false hope, Honoria reached into her bosom and pulled out the same vial she had used to poison him earlier. The man feebly reached out to take it, but was ultimately batted away by his captor.


    "Now, now, Decentius, I never said that I would give it to you for free! There is a price that needs to be paid if you wish to save your own hide..."


    The Second Prince of the Byzantine Empire gulped down the vomit that had poured into his mouth before nodding his head as quickly as his poisoned body would allow him to. He could only spit out a single word without throwing up his stomach''s bile.


    "Anything!"


    With a wicked smirk on Honoria''s face, she did not hesitate to give her demands.


    "Confess your sins to our father and mother. If you do that, I will give you peace..."


    Decentius knew that confessing to the murder of Arethas, and the attempted assassination of his sister, would most likely result in either his execution or banishment. It wholly depended on his father''s mood. However, if he did not do so, then he would surely die from this poison that pervaded throughout his body. Thus, with great resentment, the man nodded his head and agreed to Honoria''s terms.


    "Fine! Take me to them. I will confess what I have done to our family if it means I get to live!"


    A cruel smirk appeared on Honoria''s pretty face as she nodded her head before lifting her fallen brother onto his wheelchair.


    "Good, let''s go now. The sooner you confess, the sooner I will give you the antidote!"


    After saying this, the Byzantine Princess hastily wheeled her crippled and poisoned brother to the Great Hall where Berengar, Besarion and the Byzantine Royal Family were currently engaging in polite conversation.


    When Honoria entered the room with the puke stained Decentius, the entire gathering became silent as they gazed in horror at the second prince and his current condition. Before his parents could inquire about just what had happened to him, Honoria boldly made her deration.


    "Father, mother, Decentius here has something he would like to confess to everyone! Go on big brother, confess your sins to our family and I will give you peace as I have promised!"


    The Second Prince had be exceptionally feeble and struggled to proim his guilt to his family. However, in the end, the Second Prince admitted his guilt to the Byzantine Emperor with multiple witnesses present.


    "Father... Mother... I confess... I am the one who killed Arethas, and after doing so, I attempted to assassinate Honoria while she was pregnant with her child..."


    After saying this, Decentius puked all over the floor and copsed in his chair, barely conscious, waiting for his father''s response. Vetranis was equally shocked and furious at the current situation. Moments ago, he was enjoying a friendly conversation with his allies, yet now his second son was dying in front of him, confessing to two heinous crimes. The Byzantine Emperor could only find one person to me for this odd urrence and instantlyshed out at his daughter.


    "Honoria? What the hell did you do to him?"


    The Byzantine Princess did not deny her crimes, and instead boldly admitted to her Father exactly what it was she had done, and her reasons for doing so.


    "I have only done what you have taught me, to pursue justice against the wicked! Without taking such drastic actions, this bastard''s crimes never would havee to light, and Arethas could never rest in peace in the house of the Lord! All I have done, I did to avenge my godfather."


    Between his vomiting, Decentius snarled in disgust. However, he could not think of a proper retort. Eventually The Empress of Byzantium gazed upon her dying son with fury in her eyes. She could not understand why the boy had been so ruthless, and thus she asked for his reasonings for engaging in such evil.


    "Why Decentius? Why would you kill Arethas? He was your mentor, your friend! He was practically a member of this family! I just don''t understand why you would do such a thing!"


    Decentius did not want to answer this question. It was not like the truth was anything but insidious. However, when he remained silent, Honoria dangled the vial that supposedly contained the antidote in front of him, forcing him to reveal his wicked intentions.


    "I killed Arethas because of this little whore! She foolishly ran away from home, and into the arms of this German Bastard. You tasked me to find her, and I failed! Because of this, my standing in the court was thoroughly ruined, and I in the hour of my desperation, I needed something to put me back in contention for the throne. Obviously I couldn''t kill Quintus, as he was too well protected for me to get to, so I did the only thing possible: I killed Arethas so that I could steal the glory for the conquest of Egypt and Cyrene!"


    The Empress of Byzantium gazed at her son as if he was a stranger, while Vetranis shook with rage. He could not receive he had raised such a murderous cunt. He refused to look at his son any longer, and instead left his fate up to Honoria.


    "Honoria, do whatever you think will bring Arethas justice. I have no son!"


    Obviously, Vetranis was being hyperbolic as Quintus was within the room gazing upon the entire scene in horror. However, when Decentius heard his fate was left up to Honoria he smiled, believing he had received salvation and began to beg to his sister for the peace she had promised him.


    "Honoria, my sweet sister, you promised to spare me if I confessed my guilt."


    In response to this, a wicked smile formed on Honoria''s lips as she pulled out the vial containing the liquid poison and opened its cork. She quickly fed the substance to her older brother, who had a relieved expression on his face. However, such a euphoric state did notst long, as within seconds, the man foamed at the mouth before copsing to the ground. Onest phrase escaped his lips before his body hit the stone cold floor.


    "But.... you promised!"


    In response to this, Honoria sneered in disgust at her now deceased brother before answering his question for everyone present to hear.


    "I promised to give you peace. I never said I would save you..."


    Besarion gazed in shock at his purple haired niece as if she were aplete and total stranger. The kind and innocent girl he once knew had so mercilessly taken her brother''s life in front of him. He could not believe such a thing had happened, and yet his eyes did not lie.


    Everyone except for Berengar stood silent, in shock at what had just happened in the middle of the Royal Pce. The German Emperor merely watched the family drama unfold as if it were the finest works of Shakespeare, all while sipping on wine. After the deed was well and truly done, he approached his wife''s side and wiped the bangs from her mint green eyes before asking the questions on his mind.


    "Do you feel better? Have you finally received some closure?"


    Honoria gazed in disgust at her deceased brother. There was a hole in her heart she could not easily fill by a simple act of vengeance. Thus, with a downcast expression, she spoke her concerns aloud.


    "No, I fear as if this incident has only made me more spiteful..."


    Berengar smiled as he heard this. He then grabbed ahold of Honoria''s dainty chin and kissed her in front of her family, who were still filled with shock over the events that had just urred. While standing over Decentius'' body, he filled the girl''s ears with advice on how to live her life in the future.


    "Good... use what are you are feeling right now to strike fear into the hearts of my enemies and create a world where a tragedy like this can never again befall our family!"


    After saying this, Berengar gazed over at the Royal Families of Byzantium and Georgia who stared at the couple with fear in their eyes. They could not believe how calm the German Emperor and his bride were as they gazed upon the corpse of the man they had in with utter contempt. Ultimately, the silence was broken when Berengar uttered the words.


    "I suppose somebody should clean up this mess..."


    It took them a few moments to respond, but ultimately, Vetranis steeled his resolve and called for the servants to clean up the corpse and prepare a proper funeral for the man. Despite everything Decentius had done, he was still a Piologos.


    As for Honoria, Vetranis left her alone. He was in shock at what the monster his darling little girl had be, and was quite fearful of her, and especially her husband. The thought that Decentius was responsible for Arethas'' death, and an assassination attempt on Honoria''s life had never urred to the man, and he now wondered if he even knew his family to begin with.


    Before adjourning to his quarters for the night, Berengar made onest statement, which somewhat brought him back into the good graces of his hosts, despite everything that had just urred.


    "Rest in peace, Arethas. For we have avenged your untimely passing."

 Chapter 591 A New Member of the Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 591 A New Member of the Alliance</h4>


    The night was dead quiet in the Royal Pce of Byzantium. A horrific scene of gruesome murder had yed itself out merely a few hours before, and all except for a certain couple had difficulty gaining any peaceful rest on this wretched night.


    As for Berengar and Honoria, the two of them were so used to taking lives that the death of Decentius did not affect their beauty sleep in the slightest. If anything, there was a sense of relief knowing that theypleted a goal that had been on their bucket lists for several years.


    When morning came, it was no surprise to see the Royal Family, and all who bore witness to the brutal death of the Second Prince, all having heavy bags underneath their eyes. As if the sight of Decentius'' cruel fate had permanently etched itself into their memory and haunted them throughout the night.


    When the dynamic duo responsible for this event entered the dining area, where the Byzantine Royal family ate in silence, they immediately noticed that none of the royal family members would meet their gaze.


    To Honoria, this was a bit depressing, but to Berengar it was a sign of his power. To kill a member of the Byzantine Royal Family in the middle of their home for all to witness, and walk away as if nothing happened, was the ultimate representation of earthly authority.


    Regardless as to Decentius'' crimes, the man should have been tried and convicted, and yet the Emperor simply deferred judgement to his daughter. Resulting in a ruthless execution via poisoning. Eventually, when Berengar sat down at the table, he broached the subject of their meeting, and in doing so ending the awkward silence that prevailed in the room.


    "For the sake of our Alliance, I am willing to move an artillery brigade to your borders with the Timurid Empire. Though powerful in its own right, it will bepletely moot if overwhelmed by superior numbers.


    After all, it would not be easy to provide logistical support to the Brigade which is far from my borders. The moment they run out of munitions, they will be in trouble, which is where your forces shoulde into y. Assuming there is anything left remaining of the enemy army after my artillery fires off their barrages, it will be up to your infantry to surround and eliminate the rest of our enemy''s forces.


    I think it is in our best interest to provoke a conflict with the Timurid Empire sooner rather thanter. After all, the Mameluke Sultanate is still recovering from their defeat in North Africa, and it will be a while before they can effectively mount an offense.


    If we can take out the bulk of the Timurid Army in a single border confrontation, we will be able to dy the Jihad by several years. To put it simply, we will use the same strategy I have used to keep the Catholic Kingdoms off my back. In other words, divide and conquer..."


    Besarion no longer had the strength to argue with Berengar after what he witnessed the man''s utter disregard for life the night before and simply nodded his head in agreement. If war was inevitable, they might as well make the first move.


    As for Emperor Vetranis, he sat back and contemted on the idea, thinking deeply upon it for several moments. After an enormous sigh, he nodded his head before exining the condition of his current armies.


    "With Padius'' support, I can potentially field a division worth of troops to the eastern Border. However, it means I will be taking the soldiers from the Balkans and distributing them to the east. As you may know, that is a particrly vtile region, and I worry about the consequences of such actions."


    Despite the Emperor''s support for this idea, Berengar immediately rejected it before outlining his reasoning for doing so.


    "No, I do not need your best troops, just those who are appropriately trained and equipped. As you have said, the Balkans are a turbulent region, and need a steady hand to ensure its loyalty. The Balkan Army is also of critical importance to the existence of our alliance, and the deterrence of the Catholic Church.


    By moving them eastward, you will create problems for all of us. Thus, I offer a counter-proposal. I will supply whatever army you wish to deploy to the area with the weapons, munitions, and training necessary to repel the invaders. I simply advise that you ensure the Strategos in charge of this division is a manpletely loyal to you."


    Vetranis thought about this for some time. It was no paltry sum to equip a division with the most modern equipment avable; it is one of the many reasons the Byzantine Empire had yet to field rifled muskets to all of their soldiers, and were still relying on a mix of arkebuses, muskets, pikes, and medieval weaponry.


    Not to mention thergely fractured military system beneath hismand. While in theory the Byzantine Military may be more united than their counterparts in the west. The reality was in practice the politics of the court''s influence determined which armies would be first equipped with the newest gear, and where they were stationed.


    Padius was a prime example of this. The Emperor had ced the man in charge of the balkans because of hispetence and loyalty to the crown. Vetranis also favored him and his army with the quickest ess to the newest equipment. A privilege that once existed solely to Arethas.


    After considering that he could arm another army loyal to the Byzantine Crown with thetest weapons, at no additional cost, Padius nodded his head in agreement it was simply too good of an offer to pass up.


    "Very well, I will select the best candidate for the job, and inform you of how many weapons I will need, and the munitions, to use them effectively."


    After hearing this, Berengar nodded his head with a smile on his face. As for Honoria, she ignored the conversation in its entirety. Instead, she was ying with her food, and was rather upset that a very important piece of her recent diet was missing.


    Since introducing the potato to Austria, Berengar had used the colony he established at the foot of the Andes to secure mass quantities of the product and nt them across the Empire. Only a single harvest had been fulfilled since then, but the amount of dishes Berengar introduced to his Kingdom because of it had expanded the staples of German cooking by a great deal.


    One dish in particr was the Schupfnudeln, and it had be a favorite of the young Byzantine Princess. Theck of potato-based dishes at this meal caused Honoria''s expression to sink, as she was more interested in ying with the Byzantine cooking than eating it.


    The Empress gazed upon her daughter''s depressed appearance and mistook her poor mood for something far less trivial. Thus, the Empress forced a smile as she grabbed hold of her daughter''s ivory hand and tried to console her.


    "Honoria, if there is something you wish to talk about, I am here for you if you need me..."


    The Byzantine Princess immediately looked up at her mother with confusion in her eyes as she asked for rification.


    "I''m sorry, mother, but what are you talking about?"


    A bitter expression appeared on the Empress''s face as she exined her misunderstanding aloud.


    "I can tell you are depressed. You always y with your food when you are feeling down. Is this perhaps because of your brother?"


    Despite her mother''s expectations, Honoria did not break down crying. Instead, she startedughing, eventually wiping a tear from her eyes before exining the reason for her current state.


    "Oh, no mother, it is not anything so serious. I am just upset that one of my favorite German dishes is not present at this meal. You should really visit Kufstein sometime. The culinary talent of the German people is simply divine!"


    The Byzantine Empress did not know how to react to such a revtion. She thought for sure her daughter must be guilty over the role she yed in her brother''s demise. Yet, the entire time she had been sulking in her spot was because she no longer enjoyed eating Byzantine cooking? Just what sort of insanity was this?


    While this misunderstanding was urring on the other side of the table, Berengar and the other Monarchs hade to an agreement about the roles they would y in this uing border conflict with the Timurid Empire.


    Germany would provide artillery and logistical support to their Allies, while abination of Byzantine and Georgian forces would provide infantry and cavalry to the conflict. Together, they would draw the main Timurid Army into their borders and annihte them in a single battle.


    This would allow Byzantium to press its ims in the region and establish a peace ord that shouldst a few years. Buying them much needed time to divide the Arab alliance and crush its member states one war at a time.


    With this agreement, the Kingdom of Georgia had entered the Alliance between Germany, Byzantium, Granada, and the Kalmar Union. In doing so, unwittingly subjecting itself as a secondary power in support of Germany''s interests.

 Chapter 592 History Will Remember Me as a True Man of Culture

    <h4>Chapter 592 History Will Remember Me as a True Man of Culture</h4>


    After spending nearly a week in Byzantium enjoying a brief vacation with his wife Honoria, Berengar returned home. His rtionship with the Byzantine Princess was now better than ever. The results of this trip were fruitful. Not only had he eliminated a thorn in his side, but the German Emperor had also established an alliance with the Kingdom of Georgia.


    While Georgia may not be a powerhouse in the region like the Byzantine Empire, it still allowed him greater ess to trade in the East, as well as ensuring one less enemy who might act against him. Thus, when Berengar stepped foot in the door of his Pce, he had a satisfied expression on his face.


    However, a sight he most certainly was not expecting awaited him. On the ground in front of Berengar was none other than the once pious and proud Empress Ad, who was on her hands and knees. She was dressed in a maid''s outfit with a cor tied around round her neck. Attached to this cor was a leash which Linde held in her hands with a smug smile on her pretty face.


    The redheaded vixen dressed herself equally scandalously. However, she was sitting on the back of Ad, who struggled to bear her weight. Before Berengar could even react to this sight, the busty spymaster handed both leashes over to her husband and simultaneously spoke the words alongside her newest pet.


    "Wee home, master!"


    When Berengar and Honoria witnessed such an unseemly sight, their jaws practically fell to the floor. Honoria immediately flushed with embarrassment as she chastised Linde and Ad for their hedonistic behavior.


    "What the hell do you think you two are doing!?!"


    Linde gazed at her other ything and remained silent. Her only action was to motion with her finger at the Byzantine Princess. Her intention was clear, shut up and get in line. Honoria quickly looked between Berengar and Linde, questioning what to do. She now knew that Berengar supported their budding rtionship, but she also didn''t want to betray her husband''s trust. In the end, Linde''s face grew stern as she issued amand to Honoria with an authoritative tone.


    "Come!"


    Upon hearing this, Honoria''s spine twitched, and she quickly found herself in a simr position as Ad, where Linde rested her feet upon her back. After doing so, sheplimented the Byzantine Princess for her obedience.


    "Good girl, mommy is proud of you!"


    Berengar gazed at Linde in shock,pletely dumbfounded at how well she had trained his two other brides. However, her next statement surprised him even more.


    "As you can see, I have properly trained your other bitches for you... Did I do good, master!?!"


    Berengar did not know why, but to see his women getting along so well for the first time in ages brought a smile to his face. He hurried to the Angelic beauty seated atop the two other ster women and nted a passionate kiss on her lips.


    "Now this is a greeting befitting of an emperor! You have been a very good girl, Linde..."


    Linde flushed with embarrassment as she heard her master''s praise, before yanking on the cor around Ad''s neck. The one proud Empress now looked up at Berengar with a pleading gaze. She, too, wanted to feel his love, and her mommy had given her the signal to beg for it.


    "Darling, please forgive me for my previous insolence. I exist only to serve you, and mommy."


    For too long, she had been subjected to the sexual torture of Linde, and she now knew her ce in the harem''s hierarchy. However, Berengar did not immediately give her his intention, and instead he shifted his gaze to Honoria and kissed her first. He then petted her purple hair and whisper something into her ear.


    "Good girl, this is how it should be!"


    After saying this, he moved his attention to Ad, who had an excited expression on her face as she waited for her husband''s kiss. Berengar had a devilish thought in mind, but remembered they were still technically in an open area of the pce. Thus, he chose not to go with his instinct and instead kissed the girl. As he did so, he also whispered something in her ear.


    "If you don''t behave yourself from now on, I promise you, I will lock you in a room with Linde and allow her to do whatever she wants to your body. So you better straighten up and fly right, my little Empress..."


    Ad merely gulped the saliva pooled in her mouth before hastily nodding her head in agreement. She knew all too well the devious things that Linde could think up of when the two were left alone together and knew better than to speak out of turn. Upon seeing Ad be so obedient for the first time in her life, a wicked grin spread itself over Berengar''s lips as he looked around his house for the two absent missing members of his harem.


    "Linde, my dear, do you know where Henrietta and Yasmin are?"


    In response to this, Linde did not hesitate to reply, and had an eager expression on her face as she did so.


    "Henrietta is currently in the bath, and Yasmin is feeding your son. So it is just the three of us for the time being!"


    Berengar nodded his head, though he wanted to have fun with these three, now that they were well and truly on the same page. He knew he had some business to attend to first, thus he called out to Linde, informing her of his ns.


    "Linde, release Honoria, I need her to help me n our honeymoon. It is about time I took you all some ce nice, and her knowledge of the Antic will be necessary for my ns."


    Upon hearing this, Linde sighed before shifting her feet off of Honoria''s back. The beautiful young woman then rose to her feet and hugged her husband as the two of them walked off to make ns for the evening.


    When Honoria and Berengar were gone, Ad pouted as she regretted not being able to be further intimate with her husband. Linde noticed the expression on the girl''s face and felt pity for her.


    "Sorry kiddo, looks like he is not interested right now. However, I have nothing to do for the next few hours so it looks like you will just have to make do with mommy..."


    Ad blushed as she heard this before nodding her head in agreement.


    "Yes... mommy."


    Upon saying this, the two of them absconded to a more private area to have some fun of their own. All the while, Berengar and Honoria entered the pce''s study. Honoria quickly pulled out some charts her crew had made during their journey across the antic. She pointed at one ind off the coast of what would have been known as Grenada in Berengar''s past life.


    "This right here. It has nice sandy beaches, and the ability to create a dock capable of housing one of our vessels. As far as we could tell, it ispletely uninhabited. Such a location would make an excellent spot for a private residence."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement upon seeing the location. It was close enough to the colony in New Swabia that they could maintain it with supplies and defend it if necessary. After thinking about it for several moments, Berengar spoke of his ns..


    "I will dispatch an architect to survey thend and set up the best n for an estate. Obviously, it won''t be to the scale of our home here in Kufstein, but we should be able to establish quite arge manor on the ind, which will be more than enough to suffice for winter vacations."


    Honoria leaned her head against Berengar''s shoulder and smiled as she envisioned the winter manor on a private ind across the antic. After a while, she broke the silence by asking the question on her mind.


    "It should be fun... All of us together, exploring the depths of pleasure as one unit. I wonder what people in the future will think about the Great Kaiser of Germany, and his scandalous rtionships with his wives and sister."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this remark, before responding in absolute confidence.


    "I like to think that, at the very least, history will remember me as a true man of culture!"


    Honoria could not contain herughter at her husband''s absurd statement. She broke out into a fit of giggles before responding to the man.


    "Oh? So that is what we''re calling it now? Culture. Well, Mr. Man of culture, you have two very frustrated wives downstairs waiting for you to satisfy them. I suggest you get to it..."


    In response to this, Berengar sighed heavily in defeat...


    "It has only been a week, and yet they''re practically begging for it at the door. Just how the hell do you girls manage to survive when I''m on campaign for months on end?"


    A sly smile formed on Honoria''s lips as she kissed Berengar before whispering in his ear.


    "I think you already know..."


    After saying this, she departed from the room. When she was halfway down the hall, she called out to him once more.


    "Are youing or what?"


    Berengar gazed down the corridor to see his wife practically jumping for the joy at the prospect of getting in bed with him and his harem. He sighed in defeat once more before he unfastened the medals hanging from his neck.


    "Sometimes it is too good to be the Kaiser..."


    After saying this, he ran off after his wife, so that he could reunite with his women in an orgy of hedonistic pleasure.

 Chapter 593 A Proper Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 593 A Proper Reunion</h4>


    Berengar sat back on his leather-bound sofa within the locationmonly referred to those who knew about it as the "Harem Room". After several seconds of holding it in, he eventually released arge plume of smoke. Instantly making his mind feel like it had entered an extra dimension.


    He had just returned home from a journey to Constantinople with his wife Honoria, only two find that two of his other wives were practically begging for him to fuck their brains out. Naturally, as a man, he could not refuse such a prospect. Thus, as he entered a state of euphoria from the use of drugs and alcohol, he gazed at the three heavenly beauties in front of him.


    In front of him was a very peculiar sight, one that he could swear was entirely a hallucination, but knew it to be a reality. Linde had dressed herself in skin tight ck leather clothing that resembled something which a dominatrix would wear. Attached to her exceptional hips, and around her crotch was a strap-on, the same tool she had used to tame both Ad and Honoria.


    However, what confused Berengar was the fact that Both Ad and Honoria were on their knees, with their tongues out panting as if they were mere dogs while the buxom redheaded mistress held onto their leashes in each hand.


    That was not the only thing that caught Berengar''s interest. Both of the girls were wearing fox tail plugs, with matching ears. They had even dyed these two items in a way to resemble their hair colors. Confused, and aroused, Berengar wanted to call the girls over to him, however Linde was one step ahead of him.


    "Come here girls, and suck mommy''s cock so daddy can get ready!"


    Berengar simply sat back and watched the show unfold, as Linde grabbed ahold of her two pretty ves'' heads, and had them lick her strap-on as if it were the tastiest treat in the world. Ad appeared to be rather enthusiastic as she bobbed her head up and down on the thick shaft, while Honoria licked the balls beneath.


    After a while of watching such a scene, Berengar was as erect as possible, and could not withstand the wait any longer. He quickly walked over to Linde and forced her to her knees. In the process, the other two girls lowered their bodies to maintain their deviant actions. Berengar gazed at his favorite pet and stroked her silky strawberry blonde hair before giving her amand.


    "Good girl, you have done well training these two pets, however it is your turn to service your master!"


    Linde''s eyes sparkled with excitement as she ced her lips around the head of Berengar''s cock, sucking on it slowly as she made her way down its massive length. After a while, Berengar felt the pressure within his shaft build up to the point where he knew release was near. Thus, he forced Linde''s head all the way down to the base as he sprayed his seed into her throat.


    The woman did not gag, nor did she attempt to remove his length from inside her mouth. Instead, she swallowed every ounce as if she were breastfeeding on his cock. After she was sure that everyst drop had been sucked out, she released her throat with a happy smile on her face.


    "Thanks for the treat, master!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar could no longer contain his lust, and kissed the woman passionately, despite the fact that she had just swallowed his cum. After twirling their tongues around for a bit, Berengar pulled away and looked down at the two girls, who were still sucking on Linde''s strap on, desperate for some jizz of their own. Unfortunately for them, it was not that kind of toy. Thus, with a wicked smile on his face, Berengar posed a question to his main bitch.


    "Which one should we fuck first?"


    Linde gazed down at the two lust filled ves who were sucking on her toy before inserting her fingers into the lower lips of both girls. After a few seconds, she pulled her digits out and sucked on them one at a time. Berengar did not know how such a process was used to determine their first victim, but ultimately, Linde cried out the answer before he could voice his confusion.


    "Ad it is..."


    Rather than question everything he knew about sex, Berengar sighed heavily before pushing Honoria out of the way and sticking his cock into Ad''s slithering hole. The girl instantly yelped as she was not prepared for such a rapid transition, but before her screech could be overheard, Linde shoved her toy deep into the girl''s mouth.


    Upon seeing the ongoing spit roast Honoria pouted, ultimately she was the odd one out, however rather than sit by and wait for her turn she began inserting one of the numerous dildos found in the room into her tight cave while watching the pleasure on Ad''s face with envy. Linde had a pleasant smile on her face as she fucked Ad''s throat, pulling on her twintails as if they were the handlebars to a bike as she goaded the girl.


    "Tell mommy how much you love her cock!"


    Berengarughed as he heard this, before pulling on the tail plug inserted in Ad''s ass. The girl yelped once more while she felt the strange sensation. Finally, she pulled her lips from Linde''s toy and said with a satisfied smile on her face.


    "I love mommy''s cock... but daddy''s is better!"


    This response immediately caused Linde to growl in displeasures, before pping the girl across the face.


    "Shut up whore! Mommy didn''t ask you about daddy!"


    Berengar chuckled when he saw how upset Linde was before teasing the woman.


    "Haha, nothing beats the real thing. Ad knows it, Honoria knows it, and deep down you know it too."


    Linde smiled fiendishly as she heard this rather bold statement from her master. Ultimately, she revealed her natural cunning, as she taunted Berengar for his crass remarks.


    "Oh? How would you know such a thing? Perhaps Master would want his ve to service him with her dick as well!"


    When Berengar heard this phrase escape from Linde''s lips, his expression sank before giving her the response she was looking for.


    "You have quite the mouth on you, whore!"


    After saying this, he thrust into Ad as hard as he could, coating her insides with his viscous seed. This, in turn, caused the girl to wet herself in pleasure. However, Berengar was now enraged by Linde''s provocations and he would now allow the redhead beauty''s taunts to go unpunished. Thus, he was about to get rough, and Linde knew it.


    Thus, Berengar rose to a standing position and grabbed hold of Linde, causing her to panic. He quickly picked up the woman into the air via a high crotch takedown and gently "mmed" the woman onto the pillows blow, where he quickly found his ce behind her and prated her tight, and moist cave. He pressed her face into the ground below as he pounded away at her insides, all while screaming, the following!


    "Got anything clever to say now, bitch?!"


    Linde screamed with pleasure with a wide smile on her face before begging for more.


    "No Master! This lowly ve has nothing more to say other than, Please fuck me harder!"


    Berengar wore a wicked smile on his face as he shoved his entire length in and out of Linde''s cunt. He pped her rear fiercely, leaving a red handprint behind as he did so. Despite this, the woman had nothing other than a look of ecstasy on her pretty face. After treating Linde roughly for several minutes, Berengar wrapped his arm around Linde''s neck, and put her into a rear naked choke, all while thrusting his hips into her pussy as powerfully as he could manage.


    Within seconds Berengar''s choke had cut off the blood from Linde''s brain, and she quickly passed out. However, before she did so, she hadpleted wet herself all over Berengar''s cock, in turn causing him to cum deep inside her womb. Upon seeing that she was well and truly asleep, Berengar released his grip, and walked over to Honoria, who had watched Berengar''s cruelty with horror on her face. Upon seeing Honoria''s expression, Berengar chuckled before grabbing ahold of her hips and thrusting his still erect cock into her ass.


    "Rx, she will wake up in a few seconds, and when she does, she will see you getting your ass destroyed while taking that thick dildo into your pussy."


    Honoria found herself in a world of pleasure as Berengar ravaged her insides. Ultimately, Berengar''s prediction was correct. Linde woke up a few secondster and gazed upon the sight with confusion. It took her a few seconds to collect her thoughts, but when she was finally altogether, she walked over to Berengar and Honoria, where she pulled the dildo out of Honoria''s cunt, and reced it with her own toy.


    Honoria squeed in ecstasy as she felt Berengar and Linde double prate her. This reaction immediately caused both Berengar and Linde tough as the two of them pounded away at Honoria''s insides until the girl had squirted all over the ce.


    After finishing this, Berengar finally pulled out and copsed onto the sofa. He was thoroughly spent after such a rough session of debauchery. He was about to ask one of his girls to get a beer for him when he noticed the ravenous looks in their eyes as they stared at his cock. A bitter smile forced itself on his face as Berengar asked a question he knew he did not want an answer to.


    "You girls can''t still be hungry, can you?"


    The three girls immediately nodded their heads in silence, while kneeling before their master. Presenting their rears for him to satisfy. Upon gazing at the scene, Berengar felt a slight pain in his balls. With a heavy sigh of defeat, he voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "Thank god I created ice machines, because lord knows I''m going to need it after this."


    After saying this, he jumped into the fray once more. After all, it was his duty as the Emperor to properly satisfy his harem, and he would be damned if a little thing called exhaustion would prevent him from performing his duties. Thus, he would not stop in his sexual activities until all three of his pets were fully satisfied. By the time he finished, the full moon was high in the sky above, and Berengar was well and truly spent.

 Chapter 594 Introducing the Radiotelegraph

    <h4>Chapter 594 Introducing the Radiotelegraph</h4>


    Berengar copsed back into his leather-bound chair within his office and sighed heavily. At the moment, he was in a sorry state, dressed in nothing but a silk robe, and currently had a bag of ice pressed against his crotch. In his hand was a frosty beer, which he chugged as if he was a man lost in the desert. After finishing the beer, he ced the bag of ice aside and cracked open another one, taking arge sip from it before groaning in misery.


    "God damn, those girls are going to be the death of me one day..."


    After thinking about this, Berengar''s mind entered a strange space where he chuckled as if he could see his own gravestone.


    "Here lies the Great Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein died of a heart attack at thirty-five while fucking his wives... Oh lord, I can just see that happening."


    It was at this point he heard a soft giggle emerge from the doorway, revealing Yasmin''s extra curvy figure. She, too, was dressed in nothing more than a silk robe, as she walked by her husband''s side and sat on his desk with a pretty smile on her face.


    "Having fun, are you?"


    Berengar sighed in exhaustion before answering her honestly.


    "More like working myself to an early grave..."


    Yasmin giggled once more before taunting Berengar over his actions.


    "What did you expect? You asked Linde to tame Ad, but she is a prude. Do you not know that behind every prude girl is a kinky slut waiting to be let out? As for Honoria, I think the training you put her through woke something up in her heart as well. I have never seen a woman with such an appetite before, and my brother married some seriously thirsty bitches."


    Berengar''s smile froze as he heard this, before asking the most prevalent question in his mind.


    "How much did you see?"


    Yasmin merely smirked. She had a rather conceited expression on her pretty lips, as she was deliberately vague in her answer.


    "Enough..."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this coy response before asking another question.


    "So, if you saw us having fun, why didn''t you join us?"


    Yasmin immediately grabbed hold of his beer and took arge swig before answering his question with a sly smile on her face.


    "I didn''t feel the need to. Besides, if I threw my fat ass into the fray, I am certain you may very well have perished..."


    Berengar grinned as he heard this. Before scooting his chair in close, he immediately grabbed hold of the woman''s thick, tanned thighs and kissed them gently.


    "Who says your ass is fat? I think the term perfect is more urate."


    When Yasmin heard this, she scoffed and took another swig from the beer before shoving Berengar back into his seat.


    "Cool it lover boy, you just finished going five rounds with those three little girls. I don''t think you have anything left in you... Besides, I doubt you would find me attractive. I can''t seem to lose the baby weight..."


    Berengar could tell by the pained expression on the woman''s face that she thought she had lost her sex appeal after giving birth to their Son. However, Berengar was never more attracted to the woman than now.


    If anything, the baby fat gave her the much needed oomph that turned her from a big sister type character to a total milf. Thus, he would not allow Yasmin to sulk over such minor details, and grabbed hold of the pretty face before kissing her passionately.


    This shocked the woman, but she did not resist, and instead enjoyed the intimate moment thoroughly. After a while, Berengar released her and sat back in his chair with a wide grin on his face.


    "If I wasn''t so wounded from my previous battle, I would take you here and now. Do you have any idea how attractive you are? Now more than ever? Out of all the women by my side, perhaps only Linde is your equal."


    Yasminughed when she heard this, before taking another swig from Berengar''s beer. After doing so, she pulled two more out of his ice chest and popped off the lids before handing one over to her husband. She had a doubting expression on her face as she yed with her bangs.


    "You really think so?"


    Berengar emphatically nodded his head before taking a sip of his beer. After ward he responded to the woman''s question.


    "Of course!"


    This response brought a smile to the woman''s face, where she soon found herself blushing ever so slightly and averting her gaze. Eventually her eyes spotted an interesting filebelled "Radio-telegraph." Ultimately, the woman''s curiosity got the better of her and she pulled it from its cab and looked it over. She silently drank her beer while gazing over the entire document before expressing her opinions on it.


    "While I''m not entirely sure how all this works, the general idea is to send telegraphs over long distances without wires, right?"


    Berengar nodded his head as he leaned back in his chair and sipped from his beer.


    "This is about as primitive as radio technology gets. This radiotelegraph, or spark gap radio, as one might call it, is essentially little more than abination of a high-voltage transformer, resonate circuits, a spark gap, an antenna, and a telegraph keybined into one mechanism.


    In principle, it essentially functions as follows. First, we use the high-voltage transformer to discharge a spark across the spark gap through the coil. From there, the spark excites the resonant circuits, which will cause a ringing sound, in doing so, producing a brief osciting current which is then radiated as electromaic waves by the antenna. After that, the system basically repeats itself at such a high volume that the entire process seems uninterrupted.


    In simpler terms, we can ce one of these devices, say here in the pce, or themand center or what have you, and another one on a vessel at sea. The two operators of these devices canmunicate coded messages through their telegraph keys. The major downside is it is impossible to encrypt such messages, making it very easy for our enemies to potentially pick them up. Of course, such a worry is a matter of the future, as our current enemies do not possess the ability tomunicate via wired telegraphs, let alone radiotelegraphs."


    When Yasmin heard this, she was absolutely shocked. While there was a lot of technological jargon in Berengar''s words that she did not understand, she was still intelligent enough toprehend the real-world consequences ofmunicating in real time with people across the world. Thus, her first question was about the range of such a device.


    "Husband, how far could onemunicate with one of these so-called radio telegraphs?"


    Berengar had a wicked smile on his face when he heard this, before revealing the extent of his ns.


    "Theoretically, with enough power and arge enough device, one could easilymunicate across the Antic. It is my n to build several of such devices and spread them throughout the major cities, and the colonies in the New World to ensure securemunications between critical government operations, I also intend to build one of these devices in my allies'' Capitals, to ensure that we canmunicate more effectively in emergency situations."


    Yasmin could hardly believe her ears. She was lucky she was sitting down because she likely would have lost her footing from such shock. Obviously, she had to ask for rification on the feasibility of constructing such devices.


    "And you can make one of these?"


    Berengar smiled before shaking his head.


    "At the moment, it would not be easy, there are still a few more resources I will need if I intend to create such things, but give it a year, and we will most likely have at least one of these constructed in the fathend, and the new world."


    When Yasmin heard such an absurd goal, she took a long swig of her beer. She drank the entire thing in one go. After doing so, she ced the bottle on the desk and asked the most prevalent question in her mind.


    "Husband, be honest with me! Are you the devil?


    When Berengar heard such a thing, he immediately scoffed, however when he noticed the earnest expression on Yasmin''s face, he felt guilty lying to her. Perhaps it was because of his physical exhaustion, or maybe the reason lied in his current intoxicated state, but the German Emperor revealed his greatest secret.


    "No Yas, I am not the devil...''


    Upon hearing this, Yasmin sighed heavily in relief. She would not know what she would do if it were revealed that she had, in fact, married the devil. However, she did not have long to rx for immediately afterward. Berengar spoke again and, in doing so, caused a great disturbance in her heart.


    "But I am from the future..."

 Chapter 595 The German Emperor’s Greatest Secret is Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 595 The German Emperor''s Greatest Secret is Revealed</h4>


    The Moorish Beauty felt as if her heart stopped in that moment as she gazed at Berengar in disbelief. Upon seeing the priceless expression on Yasmin''s face, Berengarughed before hugging her and passing off his remarks as a joke.


    "I''m kidding. Don''t act so serious! As if such a thing could be true."


    Yasmin continued to stare at her husband in disbelief. Though Berengar had said it was a joke, she knew her husband well enough to know that he was percent speaking the truth. The more she thought about such a thing, the more she realized it was the only logical exnation for all of Berengar''s aplishments. Thus, after thinking about it for some time, Yasmin calmed her mind and put a warm smile on her face before epting Berengar''s joke as reality.


    "So you''re from the future.... that actually exins a lot. If you don''t mind me asking, what happens to Granada in the time you''re from?"


    It was now Berengar''s turn to stare at the woman in disbelief. He could not help but inquire about how nonchnt she was about this total revtion.


    "Just like that? You ept such a ridiculous exnation as reality?"


    Yasmin responded to Berengar''s question with a scoff, before pointing at the paper on his desk.


    "Berengar, nobody even knows what radio waves are, and yet you not only seem to be aware of their existence with no experimentation whatsoever, but you have single-handedly designed a device that looks like it has already been perfected via decades of innovation.


    Now I''m no scientist, but I know that this defies allmon knowledge in the world today. So either you''re the devil, have sold your sold to the devil so that you can understand the world''s mysteries, or you''re from the future where such things are already a reality!"


    Berengar scratched his chin in embarrassment as he heard this. He did not expect Yasmin to be so intelligent, and thus he sighed in defeat before answering her previous question.


    "In the year 1492, the Emirate of Granada falls, and the Catholic Reconquista of Iberia ispleted. In the following centuries, the Catholics engage in a ruthless campaign of genocide to drive the remaining moors out of thends they once inhabited, forever bing a footnote in history."


    Yasmin grappled with the tears in her eyes, she struggled to believe such a fate would befall her people, but when she actually thought about it, the only reason they weren''t currently under the heel of the Catholic world as a puppet state was because of Berengar''s interference, thus she came to a sudden conclusion as she asked Berengar about his reasons for allying with Granada.


    "So then, your alliance with my people is so that you can prevent this fate?"


    In response to this, Berengar shook his head and sighed heavily before revealing the true intent behind his alliance with her homnd.


    "If I am being honest, my intentions were not so noble. By the time I even thought about Granada as a potential ally, I was already facing the pressure of the Catholic Church. I was desperate for strategic alliances, and I knew that a united Spain would be an enormous pain in the ass for future generations of my dynasty.


    So, the most logical solution was to side with Granada and create an allied state built on friendly ties. However, I never expected their princess to be so alluring, or that I would fall head over heels with her. Now that we''re married, I swear I will do everything in my power to prevent such a horrific fate from befalling your people."


    Yasmin nodded her head in response to this, though all of this information was shocking to her. Given enough time to process it, she could ept Berengar''s tale as reality. However, at the moment, her head was spinning so much from all this bizarre knowledge that she knew she would need some time to sort out her thoughts. Despite this, she pressed on with her interrogation, deeply interested in who Berengar really was, and why he hade to this world.


    "So, why did youe back to our time?"


    To this, Berengar merely gazed out at the stars and sighed before answering the question in the most honest manner he could think of.


    "I don''t know myself. It''s not like I had a choice. In my past life, I was an engineer in the world''s most powerful military. We were in some god forsaken shit hole in the near-east, and I ended up dying in an enemy ambush.


    After feeling my body ripped to pieces by the explosion, I woke up in this world with two sets of memories. You could say the current me is an amalgamation of this world''s Berengar von Kufstein, and my past life''s identity."


    Yasmin smiled bitterly as she brooded over everything Berengar had said. She knew in her mind now that Berengar was telling the truth. He was the duality of both Berengar von Kufstein of this world, and some man from the future.


    However, such a thing did not matter to her in the slightest, because despite finding out that part of him was from the future, he was still the man she loved, and his origins did not change that fact. If anything, it enhanced it. With a heavy sigh, the busty beauty grabbed hold of Berengar''s hands and eased his growing tension.


    "While it is shocking to hear such a revtion, I believe you wholeheartedly, and this doesn''t change my feelings about you. After all, ording to what you said, you had long since reincarnated into this world by the time I met you. Which means the current you, is the man I fell in love with. It doesn''t matter to me that you have memories of the future. The only thing that I care about is that you are the man I love..."''


    Berengar felt a tear pooling up in his eye. He could hardly believe that after revealing his biggest secret that this woman would ept him and his fantastical tale. He thought for sure he would have to pass it off as a joke in order to keep the woman in his life.


    Thus, he quickly found himself wrapping his arms around the woman and hugging her tightly. Afraid that if he were to let go, she would leave him forever. Yasmin had a loving smile on her face as she stroked Berengar''s golden hair andforted him with kind words.


    "Good boy... I bet such a secret has been troubling you for some time. You don''t need to worry anymore, I''m here for you..."


    Upon hearing such a warmhearted statement, Berengar could no longer fight back the tears in his eyes. The German Emperor''s tears crashed down around him as if they were drops of rain. For the first time in his life, a woman epted him for who he really was.


    It had been a great fear in Berengar''s heart that if any of his girls were to learn that he was from another world, that they would instantly reject him. Yet that was not the case with the Moorish beauty in front of him. After crying for a few moments, he separated himself from Yasmin and wiped the tears from his eyes before wearing a smile on his face.


    "What else would you like to know about me? I''ll answer any of your questions so long as I am able..."


    The busty beauty immediately reached into the ice chest and pulled out a couple of bottles of beer. She opened them up before handing one off to her husband with a pretty smile on her face. A single word escaped her enchanting lips as she spoke.


    "Everything..."


    With that said, Berengar sighed as he thought about where to begin his tale of his past life. As a man ustomed to storytelling, he thought of the perfect phrase to begin his epic tale.


    "It all begins in a small town on the east coast of the New World in the year 1998. I was born into an impoverished family within the world''s sole superpower. For most of the country, it was a time of great prosperity, and despite that, both of my parents had to work in order to provide for me..."


    Berengar spent many hours of the night exining his past life, and the struggles he had to go through in order to climb above his family''s poverty. By the time the light of dawn illuminated his study, he was near the end of his tale. Thus, Berengar gazed at the rising sun, and spoke of hisst days.


    "As I said, I joined the army, but by the time I graduated from the academy, I could no longer recognize the country I once loved. The unity that my country faced in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was eventually reced with hatred and animosity between both of the major political parties.


    It was not umon to see violence in the streets because of this. Civil strife had be the norm, and the economy was tanking at a rapid rate. On top of all of this, there was a global pandemic that had no end in sight.


    It was my honest opinion that my country would not survive theing decades. I suppose I''m lucky to have died in Afghanistan rather than witness the copse of America, and the dawn of a new dark age. For I do not know if I had the strength to endure such difficulties.


    It is because of this reality that in this life I have rejected many of the modern principles that led to the destabilization across the western world, and instead have embraced the traditions of the past, in doing so implemented a style of government built on long-term stability in mind rather than individual liberty.


    Democracy is a failed experiment. Thest days of my past life proved this to be true, so it is with this in mind that I say long live the monarchy! But that is enough about my past life. It is gettingte and we should get to bed."


    Yasmin was stunned by all that she learned about Berengar''s past life, and how it shaped the person he was today. She was d that he was so open and honest with her, and felt the desire to squeeze him tight and assure him that everything was okay now. However, before she could do that, another question entered her mind.


    "Are you going to tell the others?"


    Berengar reflected on this for a few moments before sighing heavily and shaking his head.


    "Maybe eventually... For now, let''s just keep this between you and me."


    Yasmin smiled and nodded her head in response to this.


    "Of course, if you so desire, I promise to keep this a secret until my grave, but I think they deserve to know... I hope you soon find the ability to tell them, for your sake, as much as theirs. Now, husband, let''s go get some sleep."


    After saying this, Yasmin dragged Berengar off to the bedroom, where he used her massive F Cups as a pillow for the night.

 Chapter 596 It’s About Time!

    <h4>Chapter 596 It''s About Time!</h4>


    Another six months passed since Berengar revealed his secret to Yasmin, and during this time he had spent nearly every waking hour ensuring that he modernized his Empire to the same extent that Austria had be. It was his goal to create an Empire that in many ways mimicked the German Empire of his past life. Because of this, he had introduced many new architectural styles to aplish this aesthetic.


    Berengar had desired to see grand feats of architecture spread across his cities, and he used four styles to achieve this. The Gothic style, the German Renaissance style, the Baroque style, and the Historicism style. He deliberately left out the ssicism style that gained prominence in the 18th century of his past life because he felt it was too Greco-Roman and not German enough.


    However, it wasn''t just architecture that advanced in these various styles, but art itself. In this peaceful age, the culture of Germany prospered to levels that had never been seen before. Naturally, Ad had taken her role at the head of this movement. However, just because Germany was at peace, it did not mean that military matters had been neglected.


    The Borders of Granada and the Byzantine Empire were being pressed by their neighbors, and as a response Berengar had dispatched troops to the regions in a hopeful attempt to deter the enemy, but if necessary provide military support to end hostilities with brutal efficiency.


    As for the Colonies themselves, they had prospered. While the natives of thend of New Swabia had taken up arms against the colonials, they were simply no match for the superior firepower provided to the Colonial Expeditionary Force.


    Under themand of General Arnwald Gerwig, who had recently been promoted to the position and had served under Berengar''smand since the fateful days of the War for Tyrol, the Colonial Expeditionary Forces easily drove the hostile natives out of theirnds and had constructed forts to secure the area.


    Arnwald was givenmand over the Colonial Forces in New Swabia to support Governor Emmerich, who had relieved Honoria close to a year prior. Though his methods of removing the natives from thend were cruel, they were effective, and the man had earned himself many honors for his actions.


    Currently, Berengar was seated on a hammock with a coconut daiquiri in his hands. The palm leaves of the nearby trees created a secure balcony that blocked out the sun. Resting by his side were two beautiful women in bikinis. On his right was Yasmin, who was dressed in nothing but a metallic golden slingshot monokini. The thin spandex material clung tightly to her curves, exposing more than it concealed.


    If one examined closely, they could even see a noticeable tuft of hair exposed beyond the lines of the thong. As for Linde, she was dressed in a sheer ck bikini, which because of the ultra-thin material proudly disyed her pink nipples, and slit in the rtively see through fabric.


    After six months of hard work, the ind off the coast of Granada had been fully renovated into a private estate for Berengar and their girls. It was now the Winter of 1424, and Berengar had elected to spend it abroad in a state of absolute luxury with his girls at a tropical estate.


    While Berengar rested with his two favorite women clinging to him tightly, he watched as Honoria and Henrietta y a game of volleyball with Ad as the judge. All three girls were wearing equally revealing swimwear as the two busty women by his side.


    Every time Honoria and Henrietta jumped in the air and mmed the ball, he could see their tits and ass jiggle in a way that made him dreadfully excited. This became exceptionally obvious as he was wearing a pair of spandex swim briefs, and thus it did not take long for Yasmin''s tanned hand to grip ahold of his shaft and begin stroking it.


    "My oh my, what do we have here? Aren''t you a little too excited?"


    Berengar chuckled as he took a sip from his alcoholic beverage, enjoying the treatment that his wife provided to him. As for Linde, she immediately noticed this, and got a devilish idea of her own. She quickly unfastened her bikini top and shoved her magnificent breasts into Berengar''s face while goading him.


    "Come to mommy!"


    Berengar did not hesitate to suck on Linde''s erect nipples and enjoy himself with a drink of fresh breastmilk. Over the past year or so, Berengar had ensured his women were taking herbal remedies to prevent pregnancy. The reason for this was simple: he wanted to spend this honeymoon knocking them all up at the same time.


    Because of this, his women could enjoy this experience to their fullest ability. Thus, it was no surprise that Yasmin eventually moved down on the hammock and inserted Berengar''s cock between her massive f cup tits. She quickly pulled out a bottle of sunscreen from her nearby bag and use it as lubricant as she gave her man a titjob.


    The bronze skinned bosom of the Moorish beautypletely swallowed up Berengar''s enormous cock as she squeezed and kneaded her breasts together, creating a slippery and soft gap for her husband to fuck.


    This continued for several minutes as Berengar watched Honoria and Henrietta enjoy their game. Eventually though, Honoria saw what her husband and his two lovers were up to, and came up with a devilish idea. During a brief moment of freedom, she shed her purple dyed bush with a purposeful slip of her bikini, causing Berengar to go over the edge and spray his load all over Yasmin''s pretty face, and substantial bust.


    The Moorish beauty then licked the sperm off of her breasts before scraping off what remained on her face and licking her fingers clean. With a satisfied smile, she congratted Berengar on his release.


    "Good boy, mommy is proud of how healthy you are!"


    When Linde heard this phrase, she red at the Moorish Princess. Just what kind of y were the two of them up to? However, in the next moment, Yasmin tucked Berengar''s shaft underneath his swimsuit and kissed him on the lips before whispering in his ears.


    "Will you behave yourself now?


    In response to this, Berengar smiled before giving the woman the answer she wanted to hear.


    "Yes, mommy!"


    Linde was stunned by this revtion, evidently because Yasmin was a busty older woman. She had taken up the milf fantasy in Berengar''s life. She did not know this resulted from Berengar saying he found Yasmin''s baby fat attractive months prior. In reaction to this, Linde pouted as she concealed her breasts by crossing her arms in displeasure. As Berengar could see that Linde was upset, he quickly chuckled before teasing her.


    "Oh what? Are you perhaps jealous, Linde?"


    The redheaded beauty refused toment and even averted her gaze. Thus only caused Berengar to chuckle more than he pinned her beneath him and spoke the words she wanted to hear.


    "Mommy, give me milkies!"


    With that said, Berengar began fiercely sucking on Linde''s nipples as if he were a baby, causing the woman to smile in response. Yasmin simply gazed at Linde with a shit-eating grin as she taunted the woman.


    "How shameless, getting a man older than you to call you mommy, Though I suppose you do have the figure for it."


    Linde did not care in the slightest for Yasmin''s retorts and instead issued a challenge.


    "You could always join us. I''m sure with such cow udders, you have been feeding Berengar as well..."


    Yasmin merely chuckled in response to this childish taunt before she snapped the slings of her monokini off her shoulders and joined in on the fun.


    "If that''s what you want, then fine by me!"


    Thus, Berengar was barraged by two sets of massive tits, filled to the brim with milk, and wanting him to drink from them, and drink he did. After a while of enjoying his time with Linde and Yasmin, Berengar copsed on the hammock and burrowed his head between the two pairs of breasts before expressing his thoughts.


    "I love my life..."


    Having had a little beachside fun, Linde and Yasmin were now on better terms with one another, and the two of them were curious about what Berengar had nned for the evening. Ultimately, Yasmin was the first one to inquire about this.


    "So what''s next?"


    Berengar shifted his gaze to the woman while drinking from his alcoholic beverage once more. After a few slurps from the straw, he revealed his ns.


    "First, we have a beachside barbecue. I''ve ensured that fresh meat has been brought from the nearby Colony. Then, after we are all well fed and drunk, I will impregnate you all."


    Linde and Yasmin both blushed when they heard this. Ultimately, the awkward silence was broken by the busty redheaded beauty who muttered beneath her breath a single phrase.


    "It''s about time..."


    In response to this, Berengarughed before kissing the woman on the lips. He had a long day ahead of him, and he was only just now getting started. He nned to thoroughly enjoy this brief vacation to the fullest of his abilities.

 Chapter 597 Honeymoon Part I

    <h4>Chapter 597 Honeymoon Part I</h4>


    After spending the afternoon enjoying the tropical weather on his private Ind alongside his many women, Berengar was now cooking dinner. At the edge of the manor''s outdoor patio lied a dedicated coal burning grill that Berengar used to cook his wives a delicious meal.


    During the previous Night, Berengar had marinated a giantmb roast in a barbecue style sauce that he knew from his past life would create a tasty meal, especially when paired with potato sd and red wine. While he grilled themb, two of his wives were busy preparing the side dishes.


    Standing By Berengar''s side in the outdoor kitchen area, Linde was preparing a dish from Berengar''s past life known as Bratkartoffeln, or as they knew it in the United States, German-Style Fried Potatoes. She had a happy smile on her face as she carefully prepared the delicious dish with all the experience she had gained in this past year.


    As for the Potato Sd, it was made in a simr German style from a recipe that Berengar''s family hade up with in his past life. Yasmin was the one preparing this dish, and she too was quite happy as she gossiped with Linde while the two young women performed the task given to them with enthusiasm.


    With the addition of potatoes to the German diet, Berengar had brought forth many of his family''s recipes from his past life. Out of all of his wives, only Yasmin and Linde had any knowledge of cooking, and thus they happily prepared these side dishes while their husband continued his work on cooking the main course.


    As for the other girls, they set the table in the outdoor dining area and poured the sses of red wine that they would all be enjoying with their hearty meal. It was a fine red wine, that was developed in South Tyrol, and was Berengar''s favorite vintage. After sitting down at the table together, Berengar gazed upon his beautiful harem and presented a toast to them all.


    "To our family, may it grow plentiful and prosperous!"


    The girls each raised their crystal sses and clinked them together in solidarity. After doing so, they dug into their meals. With each bite, somebody present at the table moaned in pleasure. Truly, themb was sulent and tasty. The girls had never before experienced grilled barbecuemb and thoroughly enjoyed its taste. Honoria was the first to give herpliments to the chef.


    "Berengar, I did not know you could cook so well! Where did you find the time?"


    When the Byzantine Princess asked this question, Yasmin and Berengar exchanged a few nces in silence before the German Emperor made a quick excuse.


    "I am a man who often gets little sleep. Sometimes I indulge in the kitchen to prepare myself a delightful meal."


    To his women, this was an eptable exnation. Only Berengar and Yasmin were aware of the reality of how he had learned to cook. Not long after, Henrietta shifted the subject as she gazed around at the private ind with awestruck eyes.


    "I can''t believe such a magnificent ce was uninhabited. It has fresh water, plenty of palm trees, and has many beautiful sandy beaches..."


    When Berengar heard this, he chuckled before exining the reason the ind known as Ronde Ind in his past life was uninhabited.


    "Actually, Henrietta, this ind is severelycking in above ground freshwater sources. We had to dig advanced cisterns beneath the manor in order to gain ess to the underground freshwater reserves of the ind. Without creating such a thing, one would practically have to rely on rainwater to drink, or imports, both of which arepletely impossible for natives to survive on.


    While our construction crews have had contact with some natives from therger inds nearby, the troops stationed on the ind have acted as proper security, denying any hostile attempts to take over what we have built. Believe me when I say this ind is incredibly secure.


    However, as a security measure, I have deemed this entire ind chain as a potential future colony. Within the next year, the German Military will conquer these inds, and establish permanent control over the region to ensure that our little private estate here is well secured from any potential threats."


    Henrietta nodded her head in response to this statement. As someone who had been spoiled by her big brother her entire life, she knew little about geo-politics and trusted Berengar''s wordpletely. As for Linde, she corrected Berengar''s statement by adding a little piece of information.


    "Actually, we have already begun the initial attempts to conquer the region. As we speak, our Jagdkommandos have infiltrated the inds. Over the next few months, they will sweep the inds, ensuring that they pacify the natives, or eliminate them before the main armynds and formally establishes a colony."


    Berengar nodded his head in response to Linde''s ims. He was well aware of this, but felt it was necessary to mention. Still, the women sitting at the table had varying expressions. Honoria immediately added some information to the pool of collective knowledge in an attempt topete with Linde.


    "As we speak, my girls are out there exploring the inds in the antic, looking for opportune areas to establish colonies and resource deposits for the Empire to seize. Do not fret, for Malissa is fully capable ofmanding my privateers while I''m enjoying a vacation on the beach."


    When Berengar heard this, he reach across the table and petted Honoria''s silky purple hair beforeplimenting her.


    "Good girl, your crew has proven exceptionally useful in the charting of unfamiliar territory. I look forward to your future endeavors."


    Honoria smiled when she heard such praise and blushed slightly, which drew the envy of several of the girls seated at the table. Berengar merely chuckled when he saw how jealous his women were, before taking a bite out of the fried potatoes. A wide grin spread across his face as he praised Linde for her efforts.


    "Linde, your cooking has improved substantially over the past year. You really have mastered your craft!"


    Such apliment caused the woman to flush with embarrassment, and y with her strawberry blonde hair as she thanked the man for such kind words.


    "Thank you, master!"


    Upon seeing Linde get all the attention for her cooking, Yasmin quickly pulled out her spoon and dug into the potato sd that she had prepared and forced it towards Berengar''s face.


    "Open wide, and taste mommy''s potato sd!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before doing as he was instructed. After tasting the potato sd that his wife had prepared, his smile grew wider beforeplimenting her.


    "As always, eating your cooking is a delight. Thank you, Yasmin, for the effort you put into our family."


    Yasmin immediately responded to this by grabbing hold of Berengar and shoving his head into her substantial bosom while stroking his hair.


    "Good boy!"


    Ad gazed upon the intimate sight between Berengar and his other brides and forced a smile. She felt wholly inadequate, not knowing how to cook. However, she sighed heavily and steeled her resolve to improve her rtionship with everyone.


    Ever since Berengar had ordered Linde to train her, Ad had been happier in her life. She never felt as close to Berengar, or the other girls, as she did now. Still, there was a tinge of guilt in her heart for some of the more sinful acts she engaged in.


    However, she simply suppressed this feeling and continued to do as her husband asked. She looked forward to this honeymoon as she knew Berengar intended to knock all of them up, and it had been a while since she had carried her husband''s offspring.


    She gazed around at the smiles on everyone''s face, and the skimpy bikinis all the girls were dressed in. This was another point of contention in her mind, as she was the thinnest, shortest, and smallest in terms of the cup size of Berengar women.


    She gazed in embarrassment at the revealing swimwear she was wearing. The young empress was dressed in a blue sheer micro-bikini with a matching g-string style bottom, and a sheer wrap around it.


    The reason she wore the wrap was because she refused to walk out into the open with such skimpy attire. Even if they were mostly alone on the ind, she could not bear to show off so much skin. When Berengar saw her dissatisfied expression, he smiled beforeplimenting the girl.


    "You look beautiful, Ad, you don''t need to be so self-conscious. You are every bit as gorgeous as anyone on this ind!"


    The young Empress''s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as everyone gathered at the table stared at her petite figure. She instinctively covered herself with her arms as Linde''s hungry eyes gazed upon her with lust. After seeing the redheaded beauty lick her lips, she knew she was in for a world of pleasure tonight.


    Thus, Berengar and his women enjoyed a nice meal in the winter evening on a private tropical ind. When they finally entered their bedroom, they would engage in all sorts of debauchery that, if revealed to the public, would certainly gain condemnation. Luckily for them, there was nobody on this ind aside from them, and a few loyal guards to protected the premises of the Estate.

 Chapter 598 A Clever Little Scamp

    <h4>Chapter 598 A Clever Little Scamp</h4>


    While Berengar was enjoying his time with his wives on a private ind estate, his children were left at home with two caretakers. One of these was Berengar''s mother Gis, and the other was Ad''s eldest sister Ava. The reason for Ava being present was simple: she acted as the wet nurse to Berengar''s younger children.


    At the moment, she had both Kristoffer and Katherine clutched to her massive breasts as they fed upon their aunt''s milk. When Ad had approached her for this position, she could hardly refuse. If it meant proving she could be a trusted asset to the Imperial Family, then she would do anything asked of her.


    Luckily she had given birth to a fourth child recently, and because of this her udders were filled to the brim with breastmilk. The young woman gazed upon the two children, who looked like infant versions of their parents and sighed heavily in defeat.


    "To think these two beautiful babes could have been mine. Oh Berengar, is there no ce left in your heart for me?"


    The truth of the matter was, Berengar''s memories of his life in this world were not asplete as those from his past life. While Julian may have had a photographic memory that transferred over with his consciousness, the original Berengar was not only of low intelligence, but had a pathetically brief memory.


    Thus his memories of his childhood years as Ava''s fiance were entirely lost. It was at this time that Gis entered the room with Hans in hand. When she heard Ava''s remark, she merely scoffed before lecturing the girl.


    "To think you could have been an empress, and you threw it all away for that disgrace of a husband of yours. I truly pity you. I am honestly amazed that my son thought you would be the ideal candidate for a wet nurse to his children, considering he seems to have no recollection of your history together. Just know that I am observing you, and if a single hair on those kids'' head is disturbed, I will ensure that you are removed from your position and never allowed near the royal family again!"


    Ava knew why Gis despised her so much, and she did not me her. Instead, she sighed and nodded her head, not even bothering to protest such cruel remarks, knowing fully well it would do her no good.


    "I understand, and I look forward to proving myself worthy to the Royal Family. I assure you, I will allow no harm toe to Berengar''s children."


    In response to this, Gis nodded her head before departing. Leaving Hans in the woman''s care.


    "Be sure that you do... I have a meeting with some old friends I must attend to, so I trust you can look after the boy in my absence."


    Ava smiled and nodded her head in response to the Emperor''s mother.


    "It would be my honor..."


    Gis merely sneered in disgust before departing, leaving Hans in the hands of his aunt. While technically distantly rted to Ava via Berengar''s bloodline, Hans thought of all of Berengar''s wives as his mothers, and thus he spoke to Ava with an endearing tone as he asked the woman to feed him."


    "Aunty Ava, I''m hungry!"


    Ava smiled as she gazed upon Berengar''s first born and nodded her head before responding to this statement.


    "Be patient, Hans, and I will make you a sandwich after I have finished feeding your siblings."


    Hans sighed heavily as he waited for Ava to finish her job. After doing so, she grabbed hold of the boy''s hand and wore a pretty smile before asking him a question.


    "Hans, where is your sister? I''ll make the two of you a delightful meal for lunch. How does that sound?"


    Hans smiled as he heard this before hugging his aunt.


    "Sounds good! I think Helga is in the library..."


    When Ava heard this, she smiled before picking the boy up and taking him to the library where she spotted the young Princess of Germany painting as she normally did in her spare time. The woman quickly called out to her niece in a friendly tone.


    "Helga, it''s lunchtime!"


    When Helga heard this, she sighed heavily before putting down her paints. Though she was often quite timid around strangers, these past few days Ava had treated her well enough that the princes could tolerate her existence. Thus, she quickly dashed after her brother and aunt as the three of them entered the dining room.


    After seating the children, Ava quickly prepared some basic sandwiches where she brought them out to the kids. After cing their meals in front of them, Ava was about to sit at the head of the table when Hans red at his aunt and chastised her for her insolence.


    "Aunty? What are you doing? That is mommy''s spot!"


    When Ava heard this, she froze in her tracks. The thought didn''t ur to her that sitting in the Empress''s seat during her absence might be considered ill mannered. She quickly bowed and apologized to the boy as she begged for forgiveness.


    "Forgive me, your highness, I was merely acting on instinct."


    Hans smiled when he heard this and pulled out a seat next to him for Ava to sit at.


    "It''s okay, you can sit next to me!"


    Ava quickly did as she was instructed and sighed in relief. For a second there, she had almost put herself into a precarious situation. The woman gazed at the pristine oil painting of Berengar in his kingly attire that sat upon the dining room wall and sighed in defeat. Hans immediately noticed the love-struck expression on her face and thought of a devious idea. He quickly asked about Ava''s feelings for Berengar in a deliberately childish manner.


    "Aunty, do you love father?"


    Such a blunt question immediately caused Ava to blush in embarrassment as she stared at the boy in front of her in disbelief. Despite asking such a loaded question, he had apletely innocent expression on his face, leading her to believe that he was simply a child unware of the weight of what he had asked. Because of this innocent appearance, Ava had failed to realize that the boy was testing her. After all, she waspletely unaware of the boy''s keen intellect.


    "Once upon a time, the two of us were engaged. Unfortunately, I made some poor choices and havee toment it. I don''t even think your father remembers our time together... So if anything, I guess you could say I feel regretful."


    Hans was astonished to learn this, and immediately hatched a devilish plot in his mind as he put on another innocent facade.


    "I could always put in a good word for you. I know father loves beautiful and busty women, and I think you would make a great mommy!"


    Ava had bitten into her sandwich the moment she heard this statement and practically choked on it in shock. After coughing for several moments, she stared at the boy in disbelief. Was he trying to kill her? Eventually, she forced a bitter smile and shook her head.


    "That won''t be necessary. I am already married and have several children. I doubt your father would even be interested in used goods like me..."


    Hans could clearly tell the woman still had feelings for his father, but now was not the time to press the issue. Instead, he merely sighed and nodded his head with a smile.


    "Okay, if you say so..."


    After saying this, he bit into his sandwich and eximed in excitement.


    "This is really good, aunty!"


    Suchpliments from the Imperial Prince brought a smile to Ava''s face. As for Helga, she simply ignored the ongoing shit show her brother was trying to provoke and ate her food in silence. She knew all too well Hans''s personality and was aware that he was likely trying to instigate drama between Ava and her sister. This was something she had no desire to be a part of, and thus, she just watched her brother''s masterful charade with disinterest.


    Ava petted the boy''s strawberry blonde hair with a smile on her face, but in reality her heart was filled with regret and questions. Was it really toote to rekindle her love with Berengar? She was already in a loveless marriage. Would it really be so bad to be the Emperor''s mistress?


    She could only think of one major roadblock in the path to achieving such a thing, and that was her little sister. Ad would never allow her to evene close to Berengar. Thus, she merely sighed in defeat as she thought of her life''s choices.


    As for Hans, his intentions were exactly as Helga had thought. He nned to provoke a conflict between Ad and Ava simply for entertainment. However, if Berengar actually ended up taking Ava as a mistress, he supposed it wouldn''t be too bad.


    Thus, while Berengar was enjoying his time with his harem, unknowingly his son was nting seeds for another member to join. Whether they woulde to fruition had yet to be seen. After all, the history between Berengar and Ava was not exactly the most cordial.

 Chapter 599 Honeymoon Part II

    <h4>Chapter 599 Honeymoon Part II</h4>


    The sun had set in the caribbean and with it, Berengar and his harem retired to the bedroom. It did not take long for them to strip off their clothes and soak in therge bathhouse that had been built within the residence. After cleaning off the sweat, grime, and sand that umted on their bodies throughout the day, they entered the bedroom, where they prepared for the uing festivities.


    For the first time since he had married Yasmin, Berengar''s women were all gathered in one room, wearing nothing but silk robes. Out of all the girls in the harem, only Henrietta had never been involved in group affairs, thus she had quite the nervous expression on her face as the girls each took off their robes and presented themselves to their man.


    Berengar Had a wide grin on his face as the women stripped for him and presented their bodies. He had them purposely line up fromrgest cup size to smallest, as such Yasmin was on the far right, followed by Linde, Henrietta, Honoria, andstly Ad. Upon seeing such a variety of sublime figures standing naked before him, Berengar''s manhood grew in excitement.


    Upon noticing this, Yasmin began by approaching her husband and licking his cock. Linde was not far behind, as she quickly fell to her knees and serviced her master alongside the Moorish beauty. Slowly but surely, all the girls arrived on their knees and worked together to please their man. All except for one.


    Henrietta stood behind and gazed in shock at how easily the women worked together to satisfy Berengar, who had an excited expression on his face. In the end, Berengar noticed that a tongue was missing from his collection and gazed up at his sister, who was frozen in shock. He reached open his arms and called out to the girl with a wide grin on his face.


    "My dear little sister, won''t you be a good girl ande give your big brother a kiss?"


    The Princess of Austria smiled before running over to her brother, and jumping into his arms, she sat on hisp above the man''s four wives, hanging her plump ass over the heads of the women who were in the middle of sucking the man''s cock.


    Berengar kissed his sister passionately as he wrapped his arms around her and swirled his tongue around the girl''s. Linde noticed the fine rear hanging above her head and wore a devilish grin as shetched ahold of Henrietta''s plump ass and dug her tongue into the princess'' slit.


    Henrietta''s eyes bulged in shock as she felt the tongue of another woman caress the soft folds of her pussy. All the while, she was making out with her brother. This was the first time she had felt such a pleasurable sensation, and it did not take long for her to squirt all over the faces of the four women gathered below.


    Upon seeing this, Berengar''s excitement hit a new threshold, and he immediately followed his sister''s actions by sting his spunk all over his wife''s faces. The girls immediately licked the squirt and cum off of each other''s faces with their tongues, ensuring they were nice and clean for the next portion of the night.


    Henrietta''s face was flushed full of desire as she gazed upon her big brother beneath her. Berengar could tell she was practically in heat, and was well prepared for him to insert his thick cock. Thus, with a smile on his face, he held Henrietta''s chin in his hand and issued a singlemand.


    "Beg for it..."


    The beautiful blonde princess blushed in embarrassment and tried to shield such a sight from her brother''s gaze. In the end, Berengar forced her to meet his eyes and, with an authoritative gaze, forced his sister to submit.


    "Big brother... I want it!"


    With this said, Berengar inserted his shaft straight into the girl''s puffy lower lips, causing her to scream in excitement. As for Linde and Yasmin, they pushed their man onto his back and smothered his face with their massive tits. Forcing the man they loved to suckle onto their bountiful breasts.


    While this was going on, Honoria got a devilish idea, and grabbed hold of a nearby strap on and donned it over her crotch. When Ad saw this, she quickly asked what the Byzantine Princess intended.


    "What are you going to do with that?"


    Honoria immediately whispered into the Empress''s ears, causing her to blush before nodding her head in silence. She fetched another toy simr in design to Honoria''s and approached the tight asshole of her younger cousin. With only a slight bit of lubrication, Ad forced the toy modeled after Berengar''s shaft straight into Henrietta''s rear.


    The Austrian Princess immediately contracted on her brother''s cock like a vice grip as she came all over it. However, neither Ad nor Berengar stopped their relentless assault as the girl quiver and spasmed. Instead, Ad goaded her with a lust filled expression.


    "Oh, you like that? Well, then do I have a treat for you..."


    Honoria immediately jumped up onto the bed and shoved her toy straight into Henrietta''s mouth, causing the girl to choke on yet another one of her brother''s thick shafts. Honoria firmly grabbed ahold of Henrietta''s head and forced her to look up at her while she pounded the girl''s throat. With a vicious grin on her luscious lips, Honoria taunted the Austrian Princess.


    "This is what you get for getting the jump on us. You should have been on the ground alongside us from the start, you thieving bitch!"


    Upon seeing such an enticing sight, Linde could no longer resist the temptation. She climbed away from Berengar, allowing Yasmin to sit on his face, as she went over and grabbed her own toy. The sadistic spymaster immediately climbed up behind Honoria and inserted her cock into the girl''s slithering hole, causing her to look back in shock only to be assaulted by Linde''s lips. The redheaded beauty quickly thrust away at the pirate queen''s hips as she scolded the girl.


    "Who gave you the right to wear a cock? Oh my sweet Honoria, I''m going to make you pay for such arrogance..."


    After saying this, Linde lifted Honoria up into the air and pounded deep into the girl''s pussy, lowering her just enough for Henrietta to still suck on the strap on. Meanwhile, Berengar could feel Ad''s toy rubbing against his cock on the other side of Henrietta''s insides, bringing him ever closer to climax. Unfortunately, he could not see what was going on because Yasmin''s fat ass was on his face where she forced him to lick her moist cave.


    If he had seen what was going on above, he would have already cum inside of his sister''s womb, instead he continued to be assaulted by the girl''s tight cunt, until he could no longer hold back. As if a bomb had gone off, Berengar exploded inside of Henrietta''s pussy, flooding her insides with his viscous seed.


    This caused the girl to quiver and spasm as she came from the massive creampie she had just received. Henrietta then copsed onto her brother''s chest before climbing off his cock. Yasmin noticed this turn of events and rose from her seated position, allowing Henrietta to kiss Berengar.


    "Thanks for the treat, big brother!"


    As much as Henrietta wanted to go another round, she knew it would be unfair to monopolize Berengar''s time when there were so many girls who had not been given their gift yet. Thus, the moment she jumped off her brother''s cock, the other girls began to scramble for their turn. In the end Ad was the quickest to act, instantly swallowing the thick rod as she prepared her man for another round.


    Once the Emperor was good and ready, his empress sat down on his shaft in a reverse cowgirl position and took its whole length into her cunt. It was at this moment that Henrietta saw an opening, and thus she quickly climbed atop of Ad''s toy with her ass, creating a human train.


    When this had begun, Linde withdrew her shaft from Honoria''s gaping hole as the girl fell to her knees, squirting all over the floor and bedspread. Linde quickly forced the girl''s head to the floor and gave her amand.


    "clean up the mess you made."


    Thus Honoria was left on the ground, licking up her own bodily fluids. It was at this moment Linde noticed an interesting sight, and walked over to Henrietta''s open cunt, and inserted her cock. The girl''s eyes opened in shock. For the second time this night, she had been double prated. Before the girl could protest, Linde stuck her finger in her mouth and silenced her.


    Upon witnessing such a passionate scene taking ce, it did not take Berengar long to coat Ad''s womb with his semen. As with Henrietta, this had a chain reaction causing the girl to climax all over her husband. As of now, Berengar had tended to two of his wives. There were only three more to go. He sighed heavily in exhaustion as he realized his night was far from over.

 Chapter 600 Successful Deterrance

    <h4>Chapter 600 Sessful Deterrance</h4>


    While Berengar enjoyed his brief vacation with his harem in a distant corner of the world; an army had gathered on the edges of the Byzantine and Timurid borders. Currently A middle-aged Arab man stood atop a dune and gazed in the distance towards his rival''s line of defense. Upon witnessing thebined forces of Germany, Byzantium, and Georgia gathered in the area of interest, he snorted in displeasure before riding back to his master in the field below.


    The Timurid Empire had spared no expense to raise thergest army they could manage. Three hundred thousand men lie in wait for the opportune moment to invade the west, and in doing so, dere jihad.


    Unfortunately for them, they had underestimated the strength of the Byzantine Empire''s allies. Though the scout did not know just how effective the German Artillery was, he could make an educated guess based upon rumors from the West. He quickly descended into the camp and entered the tent which belonged to his Sultan where he knelt before the man and dered what he had seen.


    "Your Majesty, it would appear that one of the Byzantine Empire''s allies has deployed arge amount of cannons and other strange devices. There are 70 of such weapons in total spread across the border, waiting for any sign of conflict. It would appear that it would be unwise to invade from this location. Perhaps we should regroup with the Jyirids and march from the south?"


    The sultan immediately red at the Scout in silence. He took a few seconds to ponder this information. Though they were both unaware of how effective the German Artillery was, the fact remained that cannons were scarce for most of the world''s powers. In fact, 70 pieces of artillery were substantially more than his entire alliance had ess to.


    The idea that Byzantium''s allies could field such an excessive degree of cannons alongside the existing Byzantine Artillery filled the man with caution. Thus, after careful consideration, he sighed heavily before inquiring further.


    "It would appear we are presented with an unknown and powerful enemy. Tell me, are these the same people who provided Byzantium with the weapons they used to crush the Mamluks in Egypt?"


    The scout nodded his head before giving his most educated guess.


    "I believe so. At the very least, it seems highly likely. I have heard rumors from merchants in the west about the rise of a great Kingdom. Perhaps we should investigate further about this unknown enemy, and how powerful they really are?"


    The Sultan of the Timurid Empire nodded his head in agreement. Only a fool would attack an unknown enemy, and Sultan Sn Mirza was no fool. Thus, the Timurid Sultan sighed once more before cancelling his previous orders.


    "Very well. Dispatch our agents to the west and gather what information you can about this strange kingdom. I refuse to march on the Byzantine Empire and begin our Jihad until I know more about this potential threat. As for our army, tell them to return to their homes, and that Ah does not favor us on this day. We will reconvene when we have a proper understanding of the alliance that opposes us. "


    The Scout nodded his head before departing from his Sultan''s quarters, where he did as he was instructed. Meanwhile, the Sultan picked up a gilded chalice filled with water and sighed heavily in defeat. He could not believe that the enemy really had seventy cannons to spare. He began to be concerned over this issue in particr.


    Either the enemy had withdrawn all of their artillery pieces from their national defense and dispatched them to the Byzantine-Timurid border, or they simply had an inconceivable number of artillery at their disposal, such a thing would undoubtedly be disastrous for his armies if he dared to provoke such a monstrous power. Thus, it was no surprise when he voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "A wise ruler does not so easily fall into the trap his enemy hasid out for him. Whoever wears the crown of this strange Kingdom either wields inconceivable power, or is uged by foolishness. To dispatch so many guns to my border can only be seen as an act of provocation. Yet, I do not have the means to act on it. If this was meant as an act of deterrence, then I am forced to concede. Well yed, stranger..."


    ---


    It was at this moment on the other side of the world, where Berengary t on his back,pletely exhausted from the events he had been engaging in for the past two hours. For whatever reason, he felt a twitch in his nose before sneezing a thunderous st.


    Such a loud noise instantly shocked the five naked women next to him awake, where they gazed around in shock, fearful that perhaps a storm may have approached their private ind. Berengar felt a bit embarrassed as he realized this and instead attempted to calm his women by making a joke.


    "It would appear somebody is talking about me behind my back..."


    The idea that when you sneezed, someone was insulting you derived from the anime that Berengar used to watch in his past life. It was because of this that all the women looked at him weirdly, as if they could notprehend the obscure reference he had just made. With an awkward smile, he merely informed the women to get some rest as he lied back and cuddled his head between two massive pairs of tits.


    "Don''t worry about it. Get some sleep. Lord knows I need it."


    Upon saying this, Berengar once more drifted back into sleep,pletely unaware that his provocation on the Byzantine borders had actually resulted in a sessful deterrence.


    ---


    Vetranis sat within the confines of his Royal Pce. On his face expressed sce as he listened to the report given to him by his most trusted advisor. The fact that he had been so close to a state of total invasion brought a cold sweat to the Byzantine Emperor''s brow as he sighed heavily in relief. By his side was none other than the Strategos Padius, who spoke about the intelligence report he had received from his agents in the east.


    "It would appear that Berengar''s act of sending an artillery brigade to our borders has done the opposite of his intentions. Rather than outright provoke a conflict into a single decisive battle, it has instead deterred the Timurid Empire from attacking.


    Though for how long the German Emperor has bought us peace, I do not know. We have received rumors that the agents of our rivals have entered Europe looking for information about the military capabilities of the German Empire.


    I have no doubt that a certain redheadedss who controls Germany''s intelligence will be able to thoroughlybat the Timurids'' espionage efforts. Despite this, another fear upies my thoughts. As reasonable as Sn can be, I fear his allies are impatient and will push for Jihad rather than seek a peaceful alternative, even if it means their deaths. As you know, those fanatics in the Mamluke and Jarid sultanates are far from rational."


    Vetranis frowned when he heard this, it was true that they had bought momentary peace with the superior artillery being present on the Eastern border, but due to the extremist nature of the Muslim Sultanates, Jihad was inevitable and because of this he needed to make preparations. Thus, the Byzantine Emperor inquired about the feasibility of conscription.


    "We have had some time now to prepare the agricultural and industrial innovations provided to us by our Allies in the West. If we were to enact conscription, how would it affect the stability of the Empire?"


    Padius knew this question wasing and prepared a thorough analysis of this very subject in advance for this meeting.


    "Crop yields are higher than ever, and fewer men are required to toil in the fields these days. I think conscription is usible, but I fear as if it might be overkill. Perhaps we should invest in a recruitment drive first. If we still don''t receive the numbers needed tobat the enemy, then and only then should we resort to something as drastic as full-scale conscription."


    Vetranis thought about this for some time and nodded his head in agreement with Padius''s suggestions.


    "Very well. We shall do it your way. I have faith in your Padius. Ensure that our Empire is prepared for the eventual onught of our enemies. If there is nothing else of importance, then you are dismissed."


    With that said, the veteran Strategos bowed in respect to his monarch before departing from the Great Hall of the Royal Pce. There was a war on the horizon, and though they had sessfully deterred a full scale invasion for the time being, inevitably, bloodshed would begin.


    He did not know where Berengar had disappeared to in these past few weeks, but such an urrence was bing more frequent. Padius made a quick prayer to god for the German Emperor''s good health. After all, if he was ill, that would pose a very serious security risk to the stability of both Empires. After doing this Padius quickly got to task enacting the new recruitment policies.


    When Berengar finally returned to the fathend, it would shock him to see that such a massive war was so narrowly avoided in his absence. This border dispute would confirm an old quote by Napoleon to be reality within Berengar''s mind.


    "God is on the side with the best artillery."

 Chapter 601 Underappreciated and Overworked

    <h4>Chapter 601 Underappreciated and Overworked</h4>


    Hemma stood outside the headquarters of royal intelligence. In her hands was a cigarette, not of the hemp variety that had be widespread among the Kingdom of Germany''s army, but instead it was a tobo cigarette. Such things were a luxury as tobo was currently only being grown in the colony of New Vienna, and shipments to the fathend were in limited quantity.


    The women pressed her luscious pink lips against the edge before taking a long draft, taking the smoke in through her lungs before exhaling heavily. The rush of nicotine was something that kept her mind stable. After all, as the Deputy Director of German Imperial Intelligence, she had a very stressful job.


    With Linde gone, away in the new world on her honeymoon, more and more work had piled up on the Deputy Director''s te, so much so that she wondered how it was even possible for one woman to do all the work that her superior handled daily.


    After finishing the cigarette, Hemma looked at her watch and scowled. It was time to get back to work. Thus, she flicked the cigarette to the floor and stamped out the embers before walking back into the headquarters. The moment she entered the doorway, the sentries who were dressed in military-style uniforms saluted her as she passed by.


    After entering the third floor of the building through a spiral staircase, the woman charged directly to her destination, which was the conference room where the other heads of various departments were currently gathered, speaking about a certain counter-espionage operation that was ongoing.


    The moment she pressed open the twin doors, the agents gathered quickly silenced themselves before jumping to an attention and saluting their superior. A woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail was quick to greet Hemma and pay her respects.


    "Deputy Director, we were not expecting your visit, but it is a great honor!"


    Hemma merely took a seat and tapped her armrest as she scolded the woman for her remarks.


    "Cut the crap and get to the point. What is going on with the Arab agents that have infiltrated our borders?"


    The woman was taken aback by the blunt nature of her superior, but quicklyid out the intelligence reports that they had gathered.


    "A team of Agents from the Timurid Empire has entered our southern borders and are gathering information on Germany''s military capabilities as we speak. We are discussing a n of action to disrupt their operations..."


    Hemma grabbed hold of the dossier and flipped through its contents. She sighed heavily after skimming through for a few moments.


    "Why should we disrupt them? They are here to gather intelligence about the German Army''s capabilities. Then perhaps we should show them the true might of the Reich! Put in a request to the Department of Defense. Hopefully, those old misers will do a joint military exercise with the Kingdom of Lombardy. In doing so, disy just how effective our newest weapons are.


    The Sultan has disyed his timidness. He is wary of the threat we possess and appears to be unwilling tomit to an invasion of our allies if it means his army''splete destruction. So show him the fate of those who oppose the Kaiser!"


    It shocked the subordinates who had gathered for this meeting to see how Hemma was prepared to respond to this threat from the near-east. One of the men instantly cleared his throat before inquiring further about the Deputy Director''s intent.


    "You mean to further deter them from invasion?"


    Hemma nodded her head in momentary silence before speaking up with an authoritative tone.


    "The Kaiser and the Director are currently on a vacation. That means it is our top priority to dy the inevitable invasion of Byzantium until they can return home. If we can sessfully bring the Arab world to the negotiating table, I have no doubt that Berengar could broker an agreement between the two parties.


    The real question thates into y is what to do after peace in the east has been achieved. The Arabs will want another region to conquer, and I pity whoever is unfortunate enough to fulfill that role. However, none of that is important. For now, we must continue to deter the invasion until the Kaiser has returned from his honeymoon. Besides, don''t we have other worries to deal with? Is there any news on Spain''s attempt to seize the saltpeter mines in Collbato?"


    A different intelligence officer quickly gathered the documents in his hands before handing them over to the Deputy Director.


    "Yes, it would appear that the Spanish intend to attack the mines and take control of them within a fortnight. They are already gathering the necessary forces, fully aware that such an act would reignite the conflict in Iberia. Field Marshal Adelbrand has reported that his troops are ready and willing to provide assistance, but the miners are deep behind enemy lines, and it will take some effort to reach them in time."


    Hemma did not hesitate to respond to this news with a firm solution. Aside from Linde and Yasmin, the deputy director was probably the individual most aware of Berengar''s ns. After all, she was the second inmand of Imperial Intelligence, and dealt with Linde on a daily basis, and that redheaded vixen had a propensity to talk about her husband and his ns in an adoring state.


    However, to the people in the room, her response to these actions was shocking, to say the least. Not everyone was fully aware of Berengar''s ongoing efforts to provoke a conflict with the Spanish Kingdom.


    "Tell Adelbrand that his worries are unnecessary. In fact, have him evacuate the Miners in secrecy, and leave only the smallest force to upy the area so it would appear to the enemy that our operations are on full scale. Inform him that any and all saltpeter that has been mined so far is to be removed and shipped back to the fathend. It is time for phase two of our operations in Iberia..."


    Not a single soul in the room knew just what Hemma was referring to. Thus, it was no surprise when the blonde-haired women voiced her concerns.


    "Phase two?"


    A wicked smile appeared on Hemma''s face, one that mirrored that which had beenmonly expressed by the Director herself.


    "The n is simple. Now that the enemy has boughten the bait which the Kaiser has so kindlyid out for them, it is now time to draw the Spanish Army in, and take it out with one massive explosion!"


    It took the people in the room some time to properlyprehend just what Hemma was saying, but eventually one person in particr gasped before asking in disbelief.


    "You don''t mean?"


    Hemma nodded her head before rifying her previous response.


    "Exactly. Berengar intends to destroy the saltpeter deposit and the Spanish army with it!"


    It was at this moment that everybody else in the room expressed their shock. The Collbato saltpeter mines were one of the few natural resource deposits of such a valuablemodity in Europe. Though Berengar''s miners had been working overtime to secure its resources, the reality is they had only mined a small percentage.


    However, Berengar''s army was not reliant on natural deposits of saltpeter to create gunpowder, instead they usedplex nitraries and farmed the substance on a national level. In his eyes, it was better to use the deposit to annihte the Spanish Army in what would be the biggest man-made explosion history, rather than continue wasting years fighting for control of it.


    This was Berengar''s n ever since his ability to manufacture gunpowder exceeded his demands of it. It was why he had made the security of the location sox, allowing a Spanish agent to eventually infiltrate it and report its contents to the Spanish crown. With this information out in the air, Hemma made one further order before departing from the meeting.


    "Inform the Field Marshal of the Kaiser''s orders and have him fulfil them. If he needs any support from intelligence, you are to provide him with it. This operation is of critical importance to the war in Iberia, and if done correctly, will allow our allies to swallow the penins in its entirety. Remember, failure is not an option!"


    The Agents immediately sprung up from their seats and saluted the Deputy Director.


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    With that said, Hemma nodded and smiled before leaving the conference room. The moment she entered her office and closed the door behind her, there was an only one thing that caught her sight. A renewed pile of paperwork. The woman could not help but curse her own existence.


    "Are you fucking kidding me? I just finished my paperwork not thirty minutes ago! How the hell can one woman do such much work? God dammit Linde, I hope you are having the time of your life right now because I am drowning in everything you have left for me to do! Where the hell is my hot young emperor? It isn''t fair!"


    After saying this, the woman quickly stormed over to her seat and sat down with a huff. She did not hesitate to pull out a stamp and began reading the first document on the mountain of paperwork. With a firm punch, she stamped her approval on the report before moving onto the next. Until Linde returned, this was how the deputy director would live out her days. Underappreciated and overworked...

 Chapter 602 One Hell of a Last Night

    <h4>Chapter 602 One Hell of a Last Night</h4>


    Berengar sat on the beach and gazed off into the distance with a bitter smile on his face. It had been weeks since he and his girls had first arrived on this private ind, and one might say it was the greatest vacation he had ever experienced. Not that he had experienced many, as most of his so-called vacations in his past life were simply staying home and entertaining himself with some form of media.


    Still, he knew the days he could spend alone and isted with only his lovers forpany wereing to an end. Tomorrow, he would have to return to the Empire and live a life filled with warfare and ruthless court politics. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as he drank from his coconut daiquiri and gazed upon the setting sun.


    In the back of his mind, he made a solemn vow to himself. One day in the distant future, when he had achieved all of his goals in life, he would retire to the countryside like his parents and live a peaceful life in his twilight years.


    To hell with politics. That is something the younger generation should be worried about. Besides, who the hell would want a senile old man as their nation''s leader? He was all too aware of the consequences such a thing would have and had no desire to tarnish his legacy in his feeble old age.


    As he was dwelling upon this, a hidden figure lurked in the shadows. A pair of dark eyes cautiously watched the man lying on the beach. After observing Berengar for some time, the mysterious being gripped ahold of the shaft of his spear, and stalked ever closer to the seemingly unaware monarch. Only after he had reached striking range did the golden-haired man make a move.


    Berengar smoothly reached over and grabbed hold of the revolver sitting at the nearby table. He quickly pulled back the hammer and pointed the weapon at the ambusher''s skull. Thest thing this native warrior saw was a wicked grin on the one eyed emperor''s face before an audible bang urred, and his soul was reaped. After sttering himself with blood and grey matter, Berengar cursed as he struggled to contain the ringing in his ears.


    "Great... Now I''m soaked in blood. I swear to god, whoever is in charge of security is going to get their ass reamed the next time I see them."


    As if right on queue the head of security on the Ind Estate, and the various members of the Imperial Guard quickly rushed to the scene, witnessing the spectacr sight of their Emperor dressed in spandex briefs while coated in the blood of the man he just slew. As Berengar gazed upon the dumbfounded soldiers, he scowled before giving them their orders.


    "Well, don''t just stand there! Secure the fucking ind, and make sure my wives are safe!"


    The soldiers quickly saluted their emperor before running off to do as they were told. The head of security stayed behind and knelt beside Berengar, apologizing profusely for failing to prevent such an attack.


    "My Kaiser, I am sorry. I don''t know how the natives slipped through our security!"


    Berengar wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand as he reprimanded the man for his failure.


    "It is quite obvious to me these filthy savages have been watching your patrols for weeks, waiting for the opportune moment to attack. My guess is they are from the nearby ind, and are pissed about us iming thisnd for ourselves. You have my permission to show our guests the true spirit of German Hospitality..."


    The man in charge of security quickly nodded his head before responding to his emperor''s statement.


    "It will be done my Kaiser"


    Just when he was about to turn away and enact his orders, Berengar made onest statement that sent a chill down the man''s spine.


    "Fail to fulfill your duties as a member of the Imperial Guard again, and I will have your head removed!"


    The man did not respond to his Kaiser''s threat, and instantly rushed off to secure the Imperial Family and eliminate the threat that presented itself. While alone, Berengar noticed that his drink was unfinished and responded by drinking its contents, where he then examined the revolver in his hands. With a heavy sigh, he gazed off towards the distance where his wives were located andmented on the whole situation with a single phrase.


    "Fucking savages. They just had to ruin everything on myst night..."


    ---


    While Berengar was enjoying his drink on the sandy shores of the beach, his wives were busy preparing a meal in the outdoor dining area of the Private Estate. They had decided to leave their husband be for the time being as they worked together to make sure they prepared a proper feast for theirst night on their honeymoon.


    Unknowingly to them, a variety of native warriors from the nearby ind that was known as Carriacou in Berengar''s past life had infiltrated their estate and were beginning their attack. As Linde was carving the roast beef, an echo resounded in the distance, signifying that a gunshot had urred.


    The moment this happened, the girls quickly huddled together and called out for help. Unfortunately, their wails only attracted the predators to their location. Within moments, a group of native warriors quickly surrounded them. These men were dressed in grass skirts, with their bodies painted, and the bones of the in decorating their hair; creating a terrifying presence as they inched closer to the foreign women.


    Honoria quickly grabbed hold of a steak knife and gripped it in her hands. With a calm expression on her face, she prepared herself to battle it out with these native warriors. The other women in Berengar''s harem were not as confident as the purple-haired pirate queen and shivered with fear.


    The roars of conflict echoed in the air, as gunfire resounded, and the screams of the defeated filled the ind. Upon seeing one woman take up a knife, arge warrior sneered in disdain before charging at the woman with his stone maul. As he swung the weapon down towards Honoria, the girl quickly evaded and, as she passed him by, cut his throat with the knife in her hands.


    The man fell to his knees as he covered the severed artery with his hands, desperate to stop the bleeding, however in the end he copsed to the ground, dead. He could not fathom such a sharp substance existing. With a confident expression on her face, and a body covered in blood, Honoria cried out to the native warriors in fierce call.


    "Come and get me, you filthy savages!"


    Immediately, the native warriors rushed towards the girls with fierce intent. One of them quickly grabbed hold of Ad and brought her into his arms. He had a lust filled expression on his face as he licked his lips.


    Just when Ad was about to scream, thunder crackled and her captor''s skull was blown apart. Ad quickly shoved the corpse aside as she gazed into the distance to see her knight in shining armor. Berengar stood with a revolver raised in one hand and a sword in the other.


    After finishing his drink, he had rushed into the house to get his dress sword, which was lying with his other belongings. He then charged out to the outside dining area where he knew his wives were only to see them surrounded by the enemy.


    With a concerned look in his eye, he gazed over at his wife and consoled her.


    "Are you alright?"


    Ad nodded her head in silence, with tears streaming from her eyes. She wanted to hug Berengar and never let go, but unfortunately, they were still surrounded by the enemy. Thus, she steeled her resolve and responded in a hateful tone.


    "Kill them all!"


    Berengar nodded his head and raised his pistol in the air once more, raised his pistol once more and fired several more shots into the torsos of the native warriors, gunning them down left and right. It was only after he was out of ammo that he charged at them with his sword. In hand. A hateful glint was in his eye as he cried out in madughter.


    "You motherfuckers have done it now! When I''m through with you, I will kill your whole fucking tribe!"


    Honoria took advantage of the chaos and ruthlessly attacked the stunned native warriors with her knife, creating a concert of carnage between herself and her husband. A wicked smile was on her face as she jumped on top of one of the warriors and stabbed into his chest repeatedly, as if she was a howling banshee. She cried into the air in fury.


    "Kill! Maim! Burn!"


    When Berengar noticed this, he smiled before deflecting an oing spear. With a lunge and a thrust, his narrow de protruded through the heart of the enemy, killing him on the spot. With a quick withdraw Berengar rushed towards the next enemy standing side by side with Honoria as they drove back the invaders. Honoria had a smile on her bloodstained face as shemented to Berengar about the whole situation.


    "This is one hell of ast night on our honeymoon, isn''t it??"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before making his retort.


    "I quite honestly never expected to fight side by side with you. Your sword skills have definitely improved since I first taught you all those years to go."


    Honoria merely smirked in response. She did not need to hear that from a man who spent most of his battles on horseback. The tides of battle had now turned and the savage warriors had be deathly afraid of the dynamic duo in front of them and retreated. Honoria was quick to follow while Berengar called out to her.


    "No, wait!"


    However, she was already gone, forcing him to rush after her. Apparently, he made it just in time. For the moment, he grabbed ahold of her shoulder and dragged the byzantine princess back into his embrace.


    The savages rounded the corner and were gunned down by a firing line. Honoria gazed at the bloody scene with shock, realizing that if Berengar had not stopped her, she too would be mincemeat right now. Berengar sighed in relief. He had made it just in time. It was only then that an officer revealed himself and gave his emperor a status report.


    "My Kaiser, the ind is secure, and we eliminate the savages. What are your orders?"


    Berengar gazed off into the distance to therger ind nearby with a devilish smirk on his face.


    "I say retaliation is in order for such a grand insult. Inform the Colonial Expeditionary Forces that I permit them to invade this ind chain and kill every living native theye across. These filthy savages picked the wrong man to fuck with!"

 Chapter 603 Narrowly Avoiding a World War

    <h4>Chapter 603 Narrowly Avoiding a World War</h4>


    Weeks had passed since the night Berengar and his troops had repelled a native attack on their private ind, and during this time he had returned to Kufstein, where he quickly got back to work. After all, many exciting things had urred during his absence and his immediate input was required.


    Initially, the girls were shaken up by the bloody events, but they eventually calmed down when they returned to the sanctuary of the Imperial Pce. Still, for some of them, it was their first time seeing such bloodshed and it would haunt their memories for many years toe.


    Upon returning to the Fathend, Linde immediately took back her position as director of intelligence. There was no doubt that she was now pregnant, but it would still be a few weeks before it affected her daily life, and thus she dedicated that time to fulfill her role as Berengar''s spymaster.


    At the moment, Berengar was gazing over three reports from Imperial Intelligence with a frown on his face. Two out of three of his ongoing theatres of intelligence operations had some rtively unfavorable news.


    While the Spanish were marching into a trap designed to annihte their professional army, and allow for a rapid German-Granadan conquest of Iberia, the Timurid Empire had failed to do the same. The cautious attitude of the Timurid Sultan had caused Berengar to order an immediate investigation of the man, and his background. It had been a while since he had such a rational opponent.


    While he waited on results from such espionage, there was a more important matter to attend to. France was in a state of temporary unity, as the rebelling Dukes and the English alike ceased hostilities for the time being.


    By Berengar''s count, Sibi must have returned home by now, and she was likely going to instigate conflict with Germany as a result of her harsh treatment. Though Berengar was fully unaware of just how brutal her sentence had been. After all, the operation of the Labor Camps was something he did not personally look after, and the corruption that gued the system had gone unnoticed.


    As the German Emperor read the report about the ceasefire, he frowned. A unified France would always be a threat to Germany, though they would never be as powerful as their German neighbors, nor had they really ever been in his past life aside from possibly Napoleon''s reign. France still posed a threat to the Empire when allied with other nations, a lesson Berengar had learned from both world wars of his past life. Thus he sighed heavily as re revealed his thoughts on the matter.


    "This is unfortunate. The Papacy has insisted on a ceasefire between the Kingdoms under their thumb. This presents some difficulties in our ns to destroy the national identity of France, and balkanize it into smaller territories."


    Linde, Hemma, and a few Generals were present in the room to discuss the ongoing efforts of Germany''s espionage in the foreign Kingdom. Hemma was the first to speak as she handed a proposal to Berengar, listing Imperial Intelligence''s suggested courses of action to resolve this issue.


    Berengar quickly looked over the proposal, while Hemma spoke about their options.


    "It is the opinion of our Covert Operations Department that the most effective solution to restart the conflict in France is to conduct a false g attack on the English crown. If we can assassinate a member of the English Royal Family and sessfully pin it on the Kingdom of France, we can easily reignite the war."


    This prospect immediately drew Berengar''s interest as he nced over at Linde, seeking her approval on the matter. The angelic beauty smiled as she addressed her husband. She knew the next question the Emperor was about to ask and did not hesitate to reveal her thoughts on the matter.


    "My Kaiser, I believe that we have a 82% chance of sessfully pulling this off, however if we fail and our plot is revealed then it will give the Kingdom of Ennd a Casus Belli against us, such a thing would warrant an invasion by the entire Catholic World.


    It is in my honest opinion that despite our military advantages; we are not appropriately prepared for such an event at this time, especially with the Jihad lingering on the corner, any Catholic Invasion of the Fathend would immediately result in our allies being swarmed by their Muslim neighbors.


    Let me remind you with the leak of agricultural technology to the rest of the western world, it has freed up a lot of hands who are now being trained in the art of war for the sole purpose of the uing crusade. The number of forces that our enemies could theoretically mobilize within a month across our borders is well over a million men.


    As for our own estimates, we have roughly three hundred thousand men in active service who are a part of Land Capable Forces, ten thousand of which are spread throughout the colonies. Alongside this are roughly 50,000 Reservists who can be called up at a moment''s notice.


    That is hardly enough soldiers to protect the Empire''s borders in their entirety. Need I remind you that we have only recently umtedrge amounts of territory, and the less than loyal states may be subject to rebel to spare their own power? After all, not everyone shares your vision of a unified German Empire beneath Austria''s rule.


    The upside to this conflict would be aplete and total domination in the sea. However, that is the only aspect that we will win with ease. There is another major downside, and that is the fact that the Catholics consider all Germans to be heretics.


    Because of this; they are liable to ughter our civilians. If we fail in our aim to assassinate a member of the English Royal Family and frame the Kingdom of France, it will undoubtedly result in the bloodshed of millions of your people."


    Berengar weighed the pros and cons of such a potential oue with great thought. He did not want to make a decision that might result in defeat and the end of his dynasty. Though he was confident he would win the war, the losses he would suffer could set back his ns by decades. He was not some immortal cultivator, and he knew his time as a ruler was at most another forty years.


    The German emperor dwelled on whether such a risk was really worth dividing France over. After all, if he waited a few years for the Crusade to naturally take ce, he would be in a better position and could use the war as an excuse to divide France. While Berengar sat in silent contemtion, Linde could tell that her husband was struggling toe to a decision, and smiled warmly as she offered her personal opinion.


    "If you think such a risk is not worth taking, then don''t do it. There are always alternatives that we coulde up with to ensure our ns to destroy France be realized."


    In response to this, Berengar sighed heavily before voicing his decision.


    "The destruction of France will ur as the years pass, regardless of whether we choose to act now. I do not wish to take such a massive risk to the Empire and its people, especially over a matter as simple as this. Perhaps there is something in the future that could warrant such action, but France is simply not worth the risk."


    Linde smiled as she heard Berengar''s response, though it was the opinion of several of the more Hawkish members of Imperial Intelligence that this was the best course of action, she knew once she fullyid out the risks, Berengar would make the right choice.


    Perhaps in an alternate timeline, Berengar did indeed have a member of the English Royal Family assassinated, and his plot was in fact revealed, resulting in a conflict that would resemble a world war. Yet, in this world, where Linde existed to give him a proper risk assessment, Berengar would never make such a costly mistake.


    Hemma, on the other hand, was displeased with the result. She had spent quite a significant effortpiling that suggested the course of action and was upset to see it go to waste. However, if this was the will of the German Emperor, then she would notin. After all, such a thing would easily be hazardous to her career. Instead, she merely bowed her head and took the folder back before speaking graciously to her monarch.


    "Very well, if that is your will, my Kaiser, then I must find an alternative solution which fits your requirements. If you will excuse me, I must get back to work."


    With that said, Berengar waved his hand, signalling that the Deputy Director was dismissed. All that remained in the room was himself, Linde, and a few Generals. It was with this in mind that he quickly inquired about the ongoing military efforts in Spain.


    "How is the second phase of our operation within the Iberian Penins going?"


    One of the Generals quickly approached his Emperor where he did not hesitate to inform the man of the recent news from the field.


    "My Kaiser, we have received word from Adelbrand that the operations are currently underway. The miners have been evacuated, and just enough presence tomit to a feigned retreat is present at the location. As for the remaining saltpeter, what we have already mined has been covertly withdrawn from the region and is heading back to the fathend as we speak."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head as he flexed his fingers before speaking his exact thoughts.


    "Excellent, then proceed as nned. The moment the Spanish Army invades, you know what to do!"


    The General quickly saluted their monarch before responding.


    "Yes my Kaiser"


    After saying this, Berengar signalled for the men to be dismissed, leaving him alone with his wife. The two then spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for the inevitable conflict in Iberia. Luckily, because of her input, Berengar had narrowly avoided a world war. The consequences that could have resulted from the aforementioned conspiracy would have been disastrous for Germany and Europe as a whole.

 Chapter 604 A Feigned Retreat

    <h4>Chapter 604 A Feigned Retreat</h4>


    Far away from the fathend, in the middle of the Iberian Penins, deep behind enemy lines, a young soldier stood on lookout within the watchtower of his encampment. His orders were to keep an eye out and immediately report any sighting of Spanish troops.


    This young man was merely 18 years old, and had only recently begun military service in the German Army as part of his military conscription. The reality was with that Germany did not have the means to facilitate the massive influx of troops resulting from their recent unification, and thus a lottery system was used to dictate which young men they drafted into service.


    Unfortunately for Private Adrian Winterlinger, he was one of the unlucky few to be selected into armed service. After graduating from infantry school, he was immediately deployed to the Iberian theatre where he just so happened to be stationed in a mine behind enemy lines. His job was dreadfully boring mostly, and the majority of the men within this encampment spent the days ying cards and drinking.


    However, recently the alert status was raised, and rumors of a Spanish attack were widespread. Though being honest, Adrian did not know what High Command was thinking. During such an intense period, they had not only evacuated the miners, but left a small portion of troops behind to fight against any possible attack. What madness had ovee the Field Marshal to think such an idea was favorable?


    Thus, he sighed in defeat as he pulled out the canteen attached to hisbat belt and took a long swig. After returning it to its proper ce, he picked up his binocrs and gazed into the distance for the eleventh time in the past hour.


    However, this time, something was different. In the distance was a shimmer that he could not immediately identify. However, as he focused his vision through the binocrs, the shimmer began growing in size until it reached rity. A shock appeared on the young man''s face as he froze on the spot.


    A massive Army was marching towards the German encampment. He did not know just how many men were within the sea of shimmering iron, but he knew it was not something they could easilybat. Thus, he quickly gained control of his panicked state and rang the bell within the watchtower, signalling an enemy army was approaching.


    The soldiers in the camp below all panicked as they rushed towards the earthen fortifications of the encampment and gazed over the neatly ced sandbags. When they saw what had awaited them on the horizon, they quickly donned their helmets and loaded their rifles.


    Those few men who were lucky enough to man the Mk2s quickly began inserting the rounds into their weapons to prepare for the oing attack. Soon, the officer in charge of the camp came out from hismand post and began addressing the troops.


    "Hold the line until I give the order to retreat. Any man who falls back before the order is given, I swear I will shoot you myself!"


    Such a threat immediately sent a tingle down the spines of the men present. Were they seriously going to stand and fight? Just when they were thinking this, the roar of cannon fire filled the air, and several dozen cannonballs fell down from the sky into the entrenched position. The soldiers of Germany quickly scrambled into their fortification and responded to the Spanish armies'' attack with one of their own.


    With themands being issued by the local artillery officer, the battery of six guns loaded their 7.5cm shells and fired off a barrage towards the advancing army. Adrian gazed through his binocrs into the distance to see the shells explode upon the enemy forces, engulfing the Spanish Army in mes, and shrapnel alike.


    One could hear the bloodcurdling screams resound in the distance, and despite this, the enemy was undeterred. As the Spanish cavalry charged, they were met with the fire of the mk 2 Schmidt guns, which fired hundreds of bullets from their muzzles as the minutes passed by.


    The Spanish Cavalry were being cut to pieces and despite this, the army still rushed forward in a suicidal charge, knowing full well the camp and its defenders did not have the ammunition topletely defeat them. A single battle cry filled the air as the Spanish soldiers rushed into the gunfire.


    "God, wills it!!"


    At this point Adrian had shouldered his rifle and fired upon the advancing forces, however in the next moment he saw a cannonball rapidly approaching his watchtower where he quickly jumped out of the windowed area andnded into a cart filled with wheat below.


    Just as he escaped the impact, the wooden watchtower splintered into fragments. Had he not escaped the moment he did, he would be dead. Adrian quickly recovered from his shock as an allied soldier pulled him from the cart and dragged him into the trenches.


    "Keep firing private! If you want to live, you must keep firing!"


    Adrian did not hesitate and quickly racked back the bolt on his g22 rifle, ejecting the spent cartridge, where he pulled a spare from his web gear and inserted it into the chamber before closing the bolt home and aiming his rifle at the oing enemies. He did not hesitate to pull the trigger, iming the life of the oing Spaniard. Just when the enemy reached the borders of the encampment, the whistled resounded and the following orders were given.


    "Retreat, abandon the camp!"


    The German soldiers werepletely shocked to hear this order, but did not hesitate to follow it. After all, tens of thousands of men were rushing towards their position and they had no hope of victory, thus they quickly fled the scene.


    Not long after this, King Felipe rode on horseback into the encampment as his men lifted their weapons in the air and screamed in joy at the victory. The Spanish Monarch had a wide smile on his face as he addressed his troops.


    "Men of Spain! Today, we have gained a magnificent victory. The enemy has stolen from us a valuable stockpile of saltpeter and we have just reimed it! This resource can cripple the German stranglehold over gunpowder, and allow our forces, and those of our allies, to properly fight back against the heretics who inhabit ournds! Today, the soldiers of Christ im victory over the German Empire! Death to Berengar the ursed!"


    In the distance, the German Commander gazed upon the scene through his binocrs and had a wicked grin on his face as he saw King Felipe instigating the hostile chant. With a single phrase, he condemned the Spanish Army to their fate.


    "Do it!"


    With those words spoken, the nearby sapper pressed the plunger on his detonator, which had an underground cable leading into the mines below the encampment. The detonation travelled throughout the wire until it reached the hidden explosives buried deep within the mines next to all the saltpeter.


    As Felipe was enjoying his victory with a wide smile on his face, several dozen tons of TNT were detonated, and whenbined with the pressure of the mines, and the concealed saltpeter ignited an explosion sorge it created a mushroom crowd. In an instant, the Spanish King, and most his army were engulfed by mes, and incinerated from this world, leaving nothing behind, not even their bones.


    The German soldiers ducked behind the trench line as the shock wave of dirt and debris flew over their heads, thoroughly destroying the backup camp several kilometers away from the mines. After it was all over, the Commander raised his head and gazed at the massive crater that existed where the mine used to be. A fiery cavern was all that remained of the one proud saltpeter deposit.


    The German soldiers raised their heads in shock and dusted themselves off. They could not believe such a massive explosion had urred. Had they not ducked under their fortifications and wore their steel helmets, they very well may have passed away from the shock wave. Silence filled the air as the German Army gazed upon the destruction wrought by their hand. In the end it was only broken by the mad cackling of the Commander.


    ''My God! Such devastating power, truly, only the Kaiser could envision such a thing! Send a messenger to the Field Marshal at once, inform him that the King is dead, and most of his army is with him. The time to reim Al-Andalus is now!"


    Agent Jurgen was quickly handed a message and given a horse to ride back to the Capital of Granada. The entire time he rode, he gazed off towards the direction of the crater in shock until it was no longer visible. He could not believe mankind could make such a destructive weapon, let alone that he was able to bear witness to it. In the following days, a new war would begin, and Iberia would once more bepletely embroiled in conflict.

 Chapter 605 A Military Exercise in the Kingdom of Lombardy

    <h4>Chapter 605 A Military Exercise in the Kingdom of Lombardy</h4>


    King Bruno of Italy stood by one of the German Empire''s newest Generals. Willehelm Ritter von Krieger was a man who had been fighting in the German Army since the early days of Berengar''s conquests.


    Since his days fighting Brigands following Berengar''s ascension as the Duke of Austria, the man had been in nearly every conflict Austria had taken part in, proving himself to be a valuablemander and a gant soldier.


    In fact, Berengar had even awarded him with the Imperial Order of the House von Kufstein, which was the highest honor in the Kingdom of Austria. It also made him a de facto noble, with the title of Knight, hence the Ritter von Krieger surname.


    In the fields below these two men was a German Artillery Brigade, armed with the newest toys the Empire could provide them. By their side was an Artillery Brigade belonging to the Kingdom of Lombardy and was using the old 1417 12 lb Field Guns that had long since been phased out of the German Army''s predecessor.


    King Bruno gazed upon the weapons used by his Suzerain''s forces with envy in his eyes. He could not believe such masterful machines existed. For every round his soldiers fired from their cannons, the Germans could fire ten, and at a greater distance, with far greater lethality.


    Unbeknownst to this man, there was a group of Arab spies from the Timurid Empire, observing this exercise with shock. Not only was this German Empire capable of fielding such massive numbers of artillery on their borders, but they could even deploy a simr amount of cannons to a military exercise with a neighbor. Just what kind of unholy military capability was this?


    However, the moment they witnessed the explosive impact of the 75mm shell on the straw dummies who were d in steel armor, their jaws dropped. Yet that was not the end of their astonishment.


    Shortly thereafter, another 70 rounds fell on the target location, and then another, and another, until they had conducted 10 separate barrages in the span of a minute. By the time the firing had ceased, nothing but a crater remained at the location of the targets.


    The sheer range, volume, and destructive power of these tiny field guns greatly outmatched the Timurid Empire''s bombards. If they were to go to war with this German Empire, only death was certain. With this in mind, one spy immediately said his prayers, frightened by the mere thought of such a potential reality.


    While the Arabs were praying, Willehelm lifted his hand in the air, signalling the German artillerymen to cease their fire. After the shelling had stopped, he gave out another order which practically made both the King of Lombardy and the Arab spies eyes jump out of their sockets.


    "Prepare the revolving cannons!"


    The artillery crews immediately switched to a single battery of Revolving Cannons. These weapons were based upon the Hotchkiss revolving cannon of Berengar''s past life, but were scaled up to a 40mm High Explosive shell. If one wanted to understand the devastation a single one of these could cause, all they needed to do was imagine sixty eight 40mm grenades falling on their location within a single minute.


    Thus, when the six weapons were loaded and fired off their 40mm explosive shells at such a rate of fire, everyone who was not already aware of their destructive power practically fainted from shock. Just how powerful was the German Army with such devastating weapons at their beck and call!


    It was this thought that immediately caused the Arab spies to conclude that a war with Byzantium would meaning to arms with Germany and that would be nothing more than suicide. The two Arab spies immediately ran off, no longer having the courage to witness what further destruction the German Army was capable of.


    Not long after, the military exercise ceased, and the two armies returned home. As for the Arab spies, they charted the fastest clipper they could get back to the Timurid Empire''s borders as quickly as possible.


    After several weeks, they were kneeling before their Sultan Sn Mirza with fearful expressions on their faces. They had just reported the news of the espionage to the Sultan who was staring at them in disbelief.


    "Are you certain of this?"


    The two spies quickly responded without hesitation as they nodded their heads before dering their utmost loyalty.


    "We wouldn''t dare lie to your majesty. I swear on Ah that everything I have reported is urate and true. If I am lying, then may he strike me down where I stand!"


    This answer forced the Sultan to sit down in his seat out of shock, contemting just what this meant. Seventy of these weapons were on his borders, and another seventy were behind the scenes protecting the German Empire''s borders.


    If the German Army had such steel manufacturing technology that allowed them mass produce these weapons, then it stood to reason that there were far more than a hundred and forty of them spread across the world. If such a thing were the case, then military action against the Byzantine Empire would be foolish. Their allies were simply too powerful.


    It became increasingly clear to Sn that if he wished to aplish his goals, diplomacy was the only viable alternative. Thus, he dwelled deeply on the subject before issuing an order to his subordinates.


    "Inform the heads of the other sultanates. Military victory is a fool''s goal. Only through diplomacy can we gain what we want. If they doubt my im, let them know of what you had seen. If they still refuse, then remind them who is really in power among the Muslim world.


    Other than gathering those fools'' attention, dispatch a letter to the Byzantine Emperor discussing our willingness to negotiate over our ims, and the current disputes between our two realms. However, make him aware that Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein must be present at these discussions or else they will leave us with only war as an option to settle our differences."


    The two spies quickly nodded their heads and agreed to these terms.


    "Very well. We will dispatch your orders at once. Is there anything else you need of us, your majesty?"


    Sn merely shook his head before responding to this question.


    "No, you have done well and will be handsomely rewarded. As for the other agents in the field, tell them to stay clear of the German Empire. I have a feeling sticking our nose in the Kaiser''s business may be seen as an act of aggression, and I want him to be in an amicable mood when we finally meet."


    The two spies silently nodded their heads before thanking their sovereign for his benevolence.


    "Thank you, your majesty!"


    After saying this, they disappeared from his pce, leaving the man alone with his many wives. One of which was a woman of striking simrity to the Princess Yasmin. The woman wrapped her arms around her husband''s neck and gracefully leaned on him for support as she whispered in his ears.


    "Will you be inviting my cousin to these negotiations? I hear that foolish boy is in an alliance with the Germans. It should be interesting to see his take on the dispute over the holynd."


    Sn immediately turned around and gazed at the woman with a stern gaze. He then grabbed hold of her throat and squeezed it tightly.


    "You dare hide such information from me? Why am I only hearing about this now?"


    The woman struggled to voice her defense as the air escaped from her lungs.


    "I... only... found... out.... recently..."


    Upon hearing this, the Sultan released his grip, causing the woman to heave as she struggled to regain her breath. Only a look of disdain was on the man''s lips as he spoke a single phrase with fierce authority.


    "Speak, what do you know of this Berengar von Kufstein?"


    After regaining herposure, the woman lowered her head before responding to her husband''s question.


    "Only that he is neither Catholic nor Orthodox. Apparently, he has been emunicated by the Pope and started his own sect of Christianity, which is the dominant religion in his Empire. He also appears willing to act peacefully with Muslims, even going so far as to marry my cousin Yasmin in order to secure his alliance with Granada. I swear I know nothing else..."


    Upon hearing this, Sn sneered in disgust before barking orders at the young woman.


    "I need you to send a message to your cousin, tell that foolish boy that if Granada does not support their Muslim brothers in the fight for the holynd, then I will turn the entire Muslim world against his petty kingdom. I may not be able to strike him directly now that he has allied with Germany, but I can still cause conflict in hisnds by a simple decree from an imam."


    The young woman nodded her head before bowing to the Sultan.


    "It will be done, husband."


    After saying this, the Sultan dismissed the woman so she could get on with her task. A simple phrase escaped his lips as he gazed out the window towards the west.


    "Berengar von Kufstein, I wonder what kind of man you are..."

 Chapter 606 Defining a Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 606 Defining a Legacy</h4>


    Adelbrand stood within the confines of the Granadan Royal Pce. In his hands was a letter delivered from the front lines. By his side were the various Generals and Officers tasked with leading the war efforts of the German-Granadan Alliance within the Iberian Theatre. A devilish smirk was on his face as he pronounced every word with perfect prose, as if he were reciting a poem.


    "The King is dead, and his armies with him. The trap that the Kaiser hasid for our enemies went perfectly. Spain is ripe for conquest!"


    Hasan heard these words and immediately felt a wrenching feeling in his gut. He had not suffered from such anxiety since his capital was under siege years ago. After taking a moment to calm his senses, he wore a stern expression as he issued themand that would alter the course of history forever.


    "Prepare my Army and inform the men that we march on Spain on the morrow. Al-Andalus will be restored!"


    Cheers erupted in the war room as the young sultan announced the deration. War hade to Iberia once more, and Hasan did not seek to be merciful during this round. The Granadan Royal Army had spent years preparing for this very moment, and in this time, his armies were second only to Germany''s.


    Because of the smaller scale of Granadapared to the Byzantine Empire, and the fact that Hasan had purged his ranks of those who were disloyal before he had even begun reforming his army, the Sultan could be a power that was greater than even the mighty Romans in the east.


    The excessive bureaucracy of the Byzantine Empire,bined with its armies being held by various generals with their own political interests, had forced the Byzantine Empire to modernize rather slowlypared to their allies. The fact of the matter was that individual Strategos held too much power and authority for the Emperor to assume full control.


    Unlike Granada, which had the most modern equipment, Berengar was willing to sell them. Many Byzantine Units were still in the era of pike and shot. However, this was of no concern to Hasan as he knew his Byzantine Allies would not be aiding him in this conquest.


    Adelbrand quickly took the stand as he addressed the gathered military officials with pride on his face.


    "The German Army has begun its march as we speak. We shall take the forefront of the conflict. With the Spanish army defeated in Collbato, we can not allow the Catholic world time to respond. As for our Granadan allies, you can secure the cities we have conquered, and ensure the loyalty of the locals. For the Empire!"


    The German officers immediately broke out into cheers as they saluted the Field Marshal


    "For the Empire!"


    With that said, the war for the restoration of Al-Andalus had begun, and the Reconquista that had been going on for centuries would soone to an end.


    ---


    Berengar sat back in his office with a smile on his face. He was reading a telegraph report directly from the German Army Headquarters in Iberia. This report stated the sess of his trap, and the fact that the German Army had begun its march. Before the Catholic World could react to this news, Germany could easily upy three-fourths of Spain, and entrench their position waiting for how the Papacy would respond.


    Technically, he had done nothing wrong, as the Spanish attack on the mines had vited the treaty of Aquitaine, and thus, military action was considered awful and appropriate response. However, the Catholic World would not easily abandon all of Iberia to the Muslim Faith, especially knowing that the Muslims in charge of the new Al-Andalus were in an alliance with the German Reformation.


    He was happy that his armies that were on standby had already deployed across the Spanish border. It was just a shame that he had to lose an artillery battery and a few mk2 machine guns in the trap that he hadid for his enemies. A sultry voice interrupted Berengar''s thoughts as a pair of tanned and dainty hands wrapped around his neck.


    "Just what has got you so happy?"


    Berengar kissed the Granadan princess''s hand lovingly as he looked into her deep amber eyes and responded with a coy tone.


    "I have fulfilled my promise to you..."


    A look of confusion appeared on the Moorish beauty''s face as she gazed upon the words transcribed on the paper. As she read the content of the paper, her confusion turned to shock, before ending in delight. Yasmin quickly kissed Berengar on the cheek and hugged him tightly before voicing her disbelief.


    "I can''t believe it! Is it true? Are the King of Spain and his armies really dead?"


    Berengar nodded his head in response before cing the paper down on the desk with a wide smile on his face.


    "Indeed, soon enough, Al-Andalus will be restored, and the glory of your people with it. "


    The heart of the maiden beat rapidly as she grappled with the words she had just heard. She could not believe it. After centuries of defeat and humiliation, Al-Andalus would be reborn. It was all thanks to one man in particr, thus she rewarded this man with a passionate kiss on the lips.


    Berengar enjoyed the moment to his fullest ability before breaking apart from the woman. He had many things to take care of now that the war had begun. After all, this was a monumental asion in history. How could he not lead the charge to restore Al-Andalus?


    When Yasmin took notice of this, she sighed heavily before releasing her grip over her husband. In doing so, all the excitement she had felt moments ago was reced with dejection.


    "You''re leaving again, aren''t you?"


    In response to this, Berengar nodded his head. Upon noticing her bewildered expression, he grabbed ahold of the woman''s chin and gazed into her amber eyes with a solemn expression.


    "You don''t need to worry so much. I''ll be fine. I always am!"


    Yasmin scoffed when she heard this before grabbing Berengar''s eyepatch and stretching it out. After it was pulled a few inches away from his face, she released it, causing it to snap against his eye socket.


    Berengar immediately flinched in response and cursed in displeasure.


    "Fuck! What the hell did you do that for?"


    Yasmin merely sneered at her husband with a shit-eating grin before crossing her arms in a lecturing manner.


    "To teach you a lesson about your own mortality! I know you better than anyone. Thest thing we need is you doing something stupid, like leading a cavalry charge into artillery fire and getting yourself killed!"


    Berengar chuckled when he saw how worried the woman was about his safety. However, all that managed to do was make her pout. He could tell she was furious with his behavior during the war of unification. He did not know how his reckless actions were leaked to the woman, but it was obvious that they had been. Thus, he made a solemn vow to her.


    "I promise, I won''t do anything stupid that will get me killed..."


    Upon hearing this, Yasmin hardly believed Berengar''s words, but she knew she would get nothing better out of him. Thus, with a heavy sigh, she ultimately agreed to his decision.


    "Fine... Just know that if you die trying to restore my homnd, I will never forgive you!"


    A slight chuckle resounded in the room as Berengar grabbed his pregnant wife and forced her into his embrace. The couple remained like this for some time before a knock on the door interrupted them. Linde quickly entered the room and saw the wholesome sight. She bit her lip in envy as she interrupted the scene.


    "We have a status update on the Jihad. Apparently, our military exercise in Lombardy has caught the Sultan''s spies'' attention, and he is now openly requesting for a negotiation on the hostilities between the Muslim and Orthodox world.


    He has specifically requested that you attend these meetings. Apparently, he knows you are the de facto leader of our alliance and wants to deal with you specifically. I am afraid that you are going to have to choose between leading your forces in Iberia, or overseeing diplomacy in the East."


    When Berengar heard this, it displeased him. He desperately wanted to y a leading role in the restoration of Al-Andalus, but he also knew that if he snubbed the Sultan of the Timurid Empire''s request, they could see it as an act of hostility provoking future conflict in the East.


    Initially, Berengar had sought to destroy the Muslim forces in a single engagement, much like he had done with Spain, but Sn had proven to be a more capable leader than he had suspected. Though it was a bit optimistic, too much so for Berengar''sfort, perhaps with such a man at the head of Im''s armies, together they could achieve peace between Christians and Muslims in this world.


    Berengar had to reflect on what he wanted his legacy to be, the warlord who restored Al-Andalus, or the man who brokered peace between the Christian and Muslim worlds. This was a question that gued his mind for several moments of silence before he sighed heavily with his response.


    "Very well... I know what I must do."

 Chapter 607 Less than Peaceful Negotiations Part I

    <h4>Chapter 607 Less than Peaceful Negotiations Part I</h4>


    Berengar sat within the confines of a room, gathered around him were men of prestigious standing. Sitting before him was an Arab man, though it was not the German Emperor''s friend and ally Hasan, rather the mighty Sultan of the Timurid Empire.


    As Berengar''s war for the restoration of Al-Andalus was ongoing, he had made the tough decision to attend to the Timurid-Byzantine Peace ords rather than lead his men to victory in Iberia. The reason for this wasplicated, and ultimately would diverge into two paths he could have followed.


    By leading his soldiers in Iberia Berengar would be remembered as a conquering warlord who used the sword to bring Iberia under the heel of his Granadan allies, he would be revered as the savior of a dying people within the future Nation of Al-Andalus, allowing his n to ce his son with Yasmin on the throne, and slowly converting the Muslim people of the region into a reformed version of their religion.


    Such a n would have long-term effects on the Muslim world, and perhaps even prevent the rise of fundamentalist extremism that was so present across the earth in his past life. However, despite this potential reality, Berengar elected to personally visit the city of Constantinople to attend to the negotiations between Byzantium and the Muslim world.


    Why would he give up such an opportunity for personal glory in Iberia? Because a better option existed with the Timurid Empire, that if done right would lead to the same result of a peaceful existence between Christendom and the Imic world.


    Berengar had already proven himself to be an exceptional conqueror with his various wars across Central Europe, which ultimately resulted in uniting his Empire by the tip of the spear. If he were to personally lead the charge in Iberia, it would no doubt further cement that legacy.


    However, rather than be known solely as a man who solved his disputes via bloodshed, Berengar had taken the opportunity to prove to history that he was equally capable in the art of diplomacy as he was in the art of war. Thus, he sat alongside orthodox leaders such as Emperor Vetranis of the Byzantine Empire and King Besarion of the Kingdom of Georgia as he quietly watched and waited for the appropriate time to speak.


    Sn gazed at Berengar curiously. The German Emperor was much more regal and refined than he had envisioned. However, this princely appearance was contrasted with an obvious battle wound across the man''s right eye, proving that Berengar was a man who led from the front lines. Such a thing was reckless, but admirable in the eyes of the Sultan, as most Generals would not have the resolve to fight alongside their troops.


    As Sn observed Berengar, the German Emperor too examined the Sultan from the east. He was quite obviously a man of turko-Persian descent. The man had tanned skin, emerald green eyes, and dark hair, as well as a thick beard. He also had swarthy features whichplimented him well. However, the most noticeable thing that Berengar took note of was the thick callouses on the man''s hands.


    Evidently, Sn was a man who got his hands dirty. Even if he didn''t lead from the front lines of war, there were other physical matters that he personally attended to. As the two men were sizing each other up, Vetranis and the Sultan in charge of the Mamluk sultanate were in a heated discussion. With the Sultan practically on the edge of violence.


    "How dare you call me a heretic? You filthy kafir! By Ah I will have your head, and the holynd will be returned to its proper masters!"


    Vetranis sprang up into a shouting match with the Mamluk sultan as he raised his voice and curled his fists, practically ready to pounce on his rival from the east.


    "Over my dead body! I would rather burn the Holy Land to the ground in its entirety, your holy ces and ours, before I surrender it to your possession."


    The Sultan sneered in disdain as he spat out his venomous words.


    "That can be arranged!"


    It was at this moment that both Berengar and Sn sighed heavily and rested their weary heads into the palm of their free hands. At the same time, they both yelled at their allies to cease hostilities.


    "Silence!"


    When the two men voiced theirmands, the entire room became tranquil as the various parties gazed at the leaders of the two alliances with shocked expressions. Berengar looked upon his Muslim counterpart with surprise as he gave the man the floor.


    "Would you like to state your conditions first? After all, you are the one who requested my presence at these peace ords."


    A stern expression filled the Sultan''s face as he listed the first of his demands.


    "My first condition is simple. Vetranis must allow the Muslims who still live in the Byzantine Empire''s borders to practice their religion freely, and without the heavy taxation that they suffer just to worship Ah and his holiest of prophets."


    Berengar shook his head and made a counterargument to the Timurid Emperor, meeting his stern gaze with an expression that exuded authority.


    "Would you do the same? I understand that the Christians who live in yournds suffer the same penalty, even though the Holy Land is not under my control. I believe I speak for my ally when I say that we will not ept such a double standard. Get rid of the jizya, and we will do the same..."


    Both Vetranis and the Mamluk Sultan both raised from their seated position and were about to curse once more, that is, until Berengar and Sn raised their hands signalling for them to remain silent. The two religious monarchs both bit their tongues and begrudgingly sat back down.


    Sn stared deeply into Berengar''s deep blue eye as he tried to get an understanding of the man in front of him. The only thing he could see was utter confidence. In the end, he resorted to a religious argument, unaware that Berengar was apletely secr man.


    "The Quran explicitly states for us to fight against kafir until they give the jizya willingly while they are humbled. As far as I am aware, there is no religious demand of your faith for nonbelievers to pay taxes."


    Berengar''s response to this argument was shocking to the religious leaders. He broke out into a brief fit ofughter beforepletely spitting on their beliefs.


    "You have me mistaken Sultan, I do not give a damn what your religious beliefs are, or theirs for that matter. As far as I am concerned, there can be no peace in this world, so long as men are willing to behave in irrational behavior like killing in the name of God.


    I do not ask what your deity would permit, but what you, as a man, are willing to concede in order to achieve this peace. I promise you this, As long as I am in charge of negotiations at this table, I will not ept any terms that will put my allies in an unfavorable position. Make no mistake, I can afford a war with the Muslim world. Can you say the same, sultan?"


    Sn was slightly taken aback, though he did not let it show. He thought for sure that Berengar would be a religious man. After all, he had started the German Reformation supposedly in response to the Catholic Church''s corruption. The sultan did not know that religion was a means to control the popce as far as Berengar was concerned. Nothing more, nothing less.


    To make a religious argument on why you should not be held to the same standard in a negotiation was invalid by the German Emperor''s standards, and he would not concede on this point. If Sn wanted to adhere to his faith''s beliefs, he would need a rational argument, and not one based on faith. Something he quickly thought of and responded with.


    "Even if I was willing to abolish the Jizya in exchange for your demands, my people would never ept it, nor would my allies. In the end, it would only invite chaos and disorder within my borders. Surely you can understand this?"


    Once more, Berengar shocked the man with his response. With a simple raise of his brow, the German Emperor blew the Timurid Sultan''s mind.


    "And how is that my problem? We are here to discuss a peace agreement, not an alliance. What happens within your borders is none of my concern."


    Sn finally understood why Berengar was unwilling to concede to this point as he gazed upon the confident expression on the man''s face. The German Emperor was in a position where he did not care whether war broke out, because they both knew that there was only one possible result: total German victory.


    Berengar was negotiating from a position of power, as he often did, and because he knew the Timurids were afraid of his power, he could use that as leverage to get what he wanted. He did not even need to make an overt threat. He could simply reject any terms he found unfavorable and respond with a witty retort about how it was the Timurids who opened negotiations and demanded his presence.


    The German Emperor refused to ept any peace that was not long term. To do this, he realized he would need to make both partiese to an equal understanding, and not favor one over the other in the treaty. Thus, negotiations for peace between Christendom and the Muslim world were off to a slow start.

 Chapter 608 Laying Siege to the City of Madrid

    <h4>Chapter 608 Laying Siege to the City of Madrid</h4>


    The echo of guns filled the air above the Capital of the Kingdom of Spain, not even a week had passed since the German-Granadan alliance had begun its invasion over the Iberian Kingdom, and yet the allies were already at the capital of their enemy.


    If not for the foolish actions of the Spanish Monarch, such a rapid advance would not be possible. After all, King Felipe had foolishly rushed into the saltpeter mines with a majority of his army. In doing so, he walked straight into a trap that had sessfully killed himself and his forces.


    Because of this masterful y by the German Emperor, the Kingdom of Spain was practically defenseless, with only a few thousand defenders spread across its many cities. Most of which threw up their arms in defeat the moment they witnessed the German-Granadan alliance cross into their borders. Despite this mass surrender, the city of Madrid was more than willing to lie down their lives in its defense, and thus, they had established a prolonged siege outside the city''s borders.


    Hasan''s orders were explicit. The German Army was not to destroy the city in its attempt for a rapid victory, and because of this they had focused their artillery fire on the walls. The n was to bring them down, and allow the German Soldiers to advance into the city en masse.


    At the moment, Adelbrand was sitting back in the siege camp, watching the fiery explosions as they detonated against the walls. He had a cup of coffee in his hands, which was recently brewed. He drank several small sips from the mug as his officers addressed their concerns.


    "Soon word will reach the French about our invasion, and the Spanish Kingdom''s defeat. If we wish to hold on to the ground we have gained, we will need to set up defenses in the Pyrenees, where we can ambush any crossing the French or other Catholic Kingdoms might make into Iberia.


    I know the Papacy will not abandon thesends without a fight, so we should at minimum expect an expeditionary force tobat our gains. At the very least, the Pope will be able to im that he tried tobat our conquest."


    Adelbrand nodded his head as he heard these terms before cing down his coffee mug onto the table and ncing over at General Ziyad, of the Granadan Royal Army. With a stern expression on his face, the German Field Marshal asked for the man''s advice.


    "Do you think your men are up to the task of holding the borders? I can assure you that our Navy will deter any seaborne operations the Catholics may attempt. It is a simply a matter of protecting the Pyrenees and preventing the Catholic Army from invading."


    Ziyad took a few moments to contemte before nodding his head in response.


    "Indeed, we now have a chance to restore the glory of Al-Andalus. My soldiers would rather die than let our victory go to waste. I assure you the French will not be able to pass through the mountains. I will make sure of it."


    It was at this moment that the walls came crashing down around the city. Cheers echoed in the air as the Generals looked over into the distance and noticed only a few sections of the once mighty city barrier stood standing.


    Upon noticing this, Arnulf took a few gulps of his coffee, finishing it before donning his helmet over his head and wearing a smirk on his face while posing a question to the other leaders of the Alliance''s army.


    "Shall we get to it, then?"


    The German Field Marshal did not wait for an answer. Instead, he pulled out a nearby g22 rifle and ensured it was loaded before marching alongside his guard to the city which had been infiltrated by the German and Grenadan Armies. Because of their strict orders not to shell the city into oblivion, the few defenders the city could manage to muster were lying in wait with their matchlock muskets and arkebuses ready.


    The instant the German and Granadan Soldiers rushed passed the ruined walls, the defenders opened fire on them. A spray of smoke and lead pelted the German and Granadan soldiers. Despite this, fewer than one would suspect were killed or maimed.


    The armor that the Germans and Granadans were equipped with protected their vitals from any form of fire the enemy could produce. Only at extremely short distances could a Spanish musket ball prate the quenched and hardened steel armor that their enemies wore.


    Most of the rounds were simply deflected off of the armor of the advancing soldiers, with only the most unlucky dying from the impact. If one were misfortunate enough, a musket ball could prate through their unarmored face, or femoral arteries. Aside from that, most of the men simply walked through the line of fire and exchanged a volley of their own.


    The city''s defenders desperately struggled to load their weapons and fire another round, but the ability to reload your weapon in a matter of seconds was simply too much for them to handle. Eventually, the sheer volume of fire overwhelmed the Spanish Defenders who were either ughtered behind their defences or outright surrendered.


    Eventually, the siege came to an end, and the gunfire halted. Those fortunate enough to survive could sense only the smell of smoke and blood within the city. As for the leaders of the German Granadan alliance.


    Hasan led his Generals and that of his German Allies into the Royal Pce as if he were a conquering hero. The young Sultan stepped foot into the center of the Great Hall and wore a stern expression as he noticed the Spanish Queen huddled up alongside her children, shivering in fear. When he noticed this, his expression softened, and he opened up his arms in a peaceful gesture, begging for the woman to surrender.


    "It is over. Surrender your forces now and ept the restoration of Al Andalus. If you peacefully end this conflict, I promise that you and your children will live a life of peace and prosperity. Under my authority as Sultan I swear no harm shalle to you, all you need to do is bend the knee to my rule."


    The woman snubbed his graceful gesture. She red at the young Sultan with a killing gaze. Unbeknownst to Hasan, the woman had a dagger concealed behind her back, and thus the moment the Grenadan Sultan neared her presence, sheshed out at the man, attempting to skewer his heart, and take his life.


    Hasan gazed upon the knife, which was a mere foot away from his torso with trepidation. As his life shed before his eyes, the echo of a gunshot resounded in the room, and the woman who was so close to killing Hasan fell to the ground lifeless. A bloody red circle appeared between her eyes.


    Noticing that he was still alive, the young sultan immediately searched for the man who had killed his attacker. What he saw was Adelbrand holding his revolver, the German Field Marshal quickly blew out the smoke protruding from his barrel before re-holstering the weapon, as if killing the Queen of Spain was not the slightest concern to him. When Adelbrand saw the look Hasan was giving him, he was confused and thus voiced hisint.


    "What? The bitch was going to kill you, you should be thanking me! I just saved your life."


    The Grenadan Royal Guard instantly moved to secure their Sultan, as Hasan''s soldiers restrained the Queen''s crying children. The Sultan could not believe what had just taken ce. He had offered the woman peace and luxury, and instead she tried to kill him. If not for Adelbrand''s sharp eye and quick draw, he would be dead right now. After several moments of shock, Hasan sighed before thanking the German Field Marshal for his help.


    "Much like your Kaiser, I owe you my life... When this war is over, I promise to reward you handsomely for your heroic actions."


    Adelbrand merely smiled and nodded his head before dispatching orders to the surrounding soldiers.


    "The Capital is ours, but we still have much territory to conquer. If the Catholic Expeditionary Forces cross the Pyrenees, we will be in for a long and bitter campaign. We will leave behind a task force to secure the region, and then advance north. The Queen''s death will surely embolden the Spanish people to resist our rule. If we do not act swiftly, this will be another Portugal."


    With this said, the German and Granadan soldiers quickly saluted their leaders before embarking on their quest. Within a matter of hours, a small Granadan garrison would secure the city of Madrid, and the remaining forces would rapidly advance north.


    While Berengar''s negotiations with the Muslim world reached a standstill, his allies in Iberia made swift progress in the restoration of Al Andalus. As for his remaining enemies, they would struggle to act on the German-Granadan invasion of Spain. After all, provoking conflict with the German Empire was a hard choice to make, especially when they knew they were not yet ready to face their might.

 Chapter 609 Less than Peaceful Negotiations Part II

    <h4>Chapter 609 Less than Peaceful Negotiations Part II</h4>


    Sn scratched his bearded chin intently as he tried to think of a resolution to the current disputes between his people and the Christian world. He had to admit hepletely underestimated Berengar and his aggressive nature during negotiations. The German Emperor held a position ofplete control. After all, it was exactly as the man had said. He and his alliesbined could take on the entire Muslim world without much difficulty.


    It was this confidence that had led the negotiations to be so troublesome until this point. Berengar was unwilling to concede on the Jizya, and Sn was in a precarious position. Personally, he did not care about Muslims being taxed in Byzantium. If he were alone, he would surely not even have mentioned such a thing.


    However, his allies in the Mamluk and Jyirid Sultanate were not so easygoing, and demanded that such taxes be lifted. The problem lied with Berengar, who was absolutely unwilling to concede on the issue. The only way he would convince Vetranis to drop the taxes was if the Muslims reciprocated.


    Considering the fact that the Jizya was a legal tenant of the Muslim faith, it was impossible for Sn to get rid of it without some form of rebellion within the Arab world. So there were only two paths forward: concede to Berengar''s demands, and risk revolution, or drop the issue and focus on more important matters. Thus, with a heavy sigh, the Timurid Sultan made his decision.


    "Very well, since we can''te to terms with this aspect of the treaty, we will leave it as it currently stands."


    The moment he said this, the Mamluk Sultan jumped out of his chair in protest.


    "Absolutely not. I will not ept any form of peace unless the Byzantine Empire and their allies cease the religious taxes on the Muslim faith. There is no valid reasoning for such a tax by these kafirs!"


    Berengar sneered in disdain before speaking to Sn about his ally.


    "Do you mind keeping your dog on a leash? It is hard to have a civil discussion when he barks in protest at any form of progress being made."


    The Mamluk sultan''s face turned red in fury. He was just about tosh out at Berengar verbally for his remarks when Sn raised his hand, signalling for the man to be silent. Afterward, the Timurid Sultan spoke in a stern tone as he red at his Mamluk counterpart.


    "If you can not act with civility, then leave us. There is no point in you being present if you are going to continue such unruly behavior..."


    The Mamluk Sultan was practically at the point of explosion, but rather than upset his ally, he tucked his tail and ran out of the room, cursing only when he was certain that Sn was out of earshot. Upon seeing that the most troublesome of the Muslim leaders had been dealt with, Berengar raised his voice as he questioned the motives of the Muslim States.


    "You seek peace, and I understand why you would, however so many centuries of hostilities can not easily be buried overnight. Let''s cut to the chase and address the actual issue at hand. The fact of the matter is you want the holynd, and that is not something the Christians would ever be willing to concede to you.


    Obviously, we could continue to fight over the Holy Land for the next few centuries, and pointlessly shed the blood of millions in the process. However, I think such a thing would be an utter waste of everyone''s time. So how about I offer a different solution to this little problem of ours?"


    Everyone''s eyes shifted to Berengar as he said this. As far as they were aware, there was no viable solution to the question of the Holy Land. Thus, Sn was quick to ask just what the German Emperor had in mind.


    "What do you propose?"


    Berengar smirked before taking a sip from his wine. After doing so, he spoke about his vision that might solve many of the problems these two religions faced.


    "My idea is quite simple. You want the Holy Land, We want the Holy Land. So how about we simply grant the province of Palestine its independence and form a Republic where religious freedom is a core tenant in its constitution? Christians and Muslims alike would be allowed to freely practice the religion of their choice without persecution.


    An educated electorate of both faiths will govern the Republic, and the State would act as a protectorate of both the Byzantine and Timurid Empires. Ensuring that mighty Empires protect the interests of Christians and Muslims alike."


    The group of leaders gazed at each other with strange expressions. The idea of creating a single state where Christians and Muslims could peacefully co-exist was something none of them had ever thought of.


    However, it would be an interesting experiment, and would show that both sides were at least willing to put an end to centuries of hostilities. The question on everyone''s mind was whether Vetranis would ept such a suggestion, thus everyone''s gaze shifted to the Byzantine Emperor, who was deep in thought.


    After several moments of intense contemtion, Vetranis sighed before nodding his head. If it meant bringing a long term, or even permanent peace between his neighbors and himself, it was something he was willing to do.


    "Very well. If this is what it takes to achieve peace between our two realms, then I will consider it. I will only agree to Palestines independence once we have drafted a proper constitution that we can all agree upon."


    With this said, everyone present sighed heavily in relief. They could not believe that such a crazy idea was agreed to. However, this meant that perhaps the middle east had a chance for peace in this timeline. Berengar was satisfied as well. Truthfully, he did not expect Vetranis to so easily agree to such a condition.


    Over the next few hours, the Christian and Muslim delegates would heavily debate other issues, but they were all minor whenpared to the establishment of the Free State of Jerusalem. After a while, they concluded their arguments for the time being and dined together.


    At the dinner table, Berengar could not help but notice the beautiful woman by Sn''s side was heavily reminiscent of his wife Yasmin. Perhaps her bust was a bit smaller, and her features were less desirable, but there was no mistaking the two were simr. Because of this, he voiced his interest in the topic.


    "I''m sorry, but you look very simr to my wife, Yasmin Al-Fadl. Are the two of you perhaps rted?"


    The woman gazed over at the German Emperor and smiled before responding to his question.


    "Naturally, she is my cousin from my father''s side. I was surprised when I heard she got married to some Christian King in the center of Europe. Though I must say, I now understand why."


    Berengar smiled when he heard this, however Sn scowled at his wife. Was she seriously flirting with the German Emperor in front of him? He would need to severely punish her for such a statementter that night. As for the Timurid Emperor, he spoke with Berengar as he cut into hismb.


    "So tell me, Berengar, I hear you have had many wars. It is surprising to hear that you have fought so many wars in so little time. How do you achieve victory so quickly? By my understanding, most of your wars havested several months at the most."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before responding with a smug tone.


    "I simply have superior artillery. In a world where man can not own the skies, artillery is the most important weapon on the battlefield."


    The Timurid Emperor reflected on this statement with great curiosity. The reality was that field artillery had not been fully developed yet outside of the regions under Berengar''s influence. Most cannons in this era wererge, heavy, immobile, and used almost exclusively in sieges. However, Berengar''s knowledge of the future had helped him prove the efficiency of artillery on the battlefield.


    Despite his superior firepower, news of Berengar''s conquests and how he had achieved such rapid results were more of rumor than fact innds as far east as the Timurid Empire. Few German traders made it that far, and even fewer had actually witnessed the might of Berengar''s armies.


    Thus, when Sn heard it was through artillery that Berengar had achieved such significant results, he immediately made a mental note of this and decided to invest in the research, development, and manufacture of cannons as a primary focus of his military. As for the rest of the dinner, it went on rather peacefully.


    In theing days, Berengar, Vetranis, Besarion, and the Muslim leaders would go to the great lengths to establish a new Republic in the Holy Land. Whether they would seed in their endeavors, or devolve to infighting had yet to be seen.

 Chapter 610 Establishing the Free State of Jerusalem

    <h4>Chapter 610 Establishing the Free State of Jerusalem</h4>


    Having concluded the night''s dinner, the guests of the Byzantine Pce were led to their allotted quarters for the evening, where they rested peacefully under the security of the mighty Byzantine Empire. Though the negotiations up until this point had been quite fierce, in the end, both sides hade to a tacit understanding about the most outstanding issues between them.


    Berengar, ever the hard worker, did not immediately go to sleep upon returning to his quarters. Instead, he spent the night putting pen to ink as he drafted a critical document for the meeting that would undoubtedly take ce the next day. It was not until well past midnight that the young emperor got any wink of sleep.


    When the light of the dawn shone through Berengar''s window, he rose from his slumber and prepared himself for the day''s negotiations. As with every day, he started out his morning with a strict exercise regimen before bathing.


    After doing a set of pushups, situps, and squats, Berengar ranps around the pce gardens. A liberty that Vetranis granted him during his first visit. Unbeknownst to him, while he was doing his morning run, Sn was nearby and shocked to see that the German Emperor maintained such a high level of discipline regarding his fitness. The Sultan of the Timurid Empire could not help but approach his German counterpart and express his natural curiosity.


    "Tell me, it is the crack of dawn, and here you are in the gardens, runningps around them. I would not question such actions on a normal day, but you are an ambassador for your people here in Constantinople. Surely you should take a more leisurely approach to these peace ords."


    Berengar stopped in his tracks when the man approached him and wiped the sweat from his chiseled body with a hand towel that he kept stashed in his shorts. It was only after he had finished this action did he answer the sultan''s questions.


    "A healthy body creates a healthy mind. Believe me when I say that exercise is extremely important to maintaining one''s wellbeing. Since today is not a rest day, I work out, it is as simple as that. Why am I up so early? It is because I like to get my daily fitness regimen out of the way as soon as possible, so that I may use the rest of my day entertaining more important matters."


    The diligent answer that Berengar had responded with stunned the Timurid Emperor, he could not fathom a monarch following such a rigid lifestyle. After all, most men of power lived in excess. To see the German Emperor have such discipline was something unexpected.


    It appeared to the Timurid Emperor that his German counterpart was an exceptional man. This was not the first statement Berengar had made that caused the Sultan reflect deeply on the meaning behind the words. As with the German Emperor''s military advice on artillery being the single most critical aspect of warfare, so too did the man''s philosophy of strict physical and mental discipline have its appeal.


    Perhaps he would begin changing his lifestyle to ount for rigid physical training? However, none of this was a concern to Berengar, who gazed upon his watch, and noticed the time. Soon, the negotiations would take ce at the breakfast table, and the various delegates woulde to terms with the establishment of a new republic within the Holy Land.


    "It''s almost time for breakfast. I suppose I will cut my morning run short for the day. I will see you at the table..."


    After saying this, Berengar sprinted off to take a bath so that he was presentable for the meal. As per usual, Berengar used his bath time to its utmost efficiency before reappearing in the dining hall where the others had already gathered.


    He was dressed in his imperial regalia, which resembled that of the German Emperor from his past life, the primary difference being it was in the colors of this world''s Kingdom of Austria. A variety of medals and orders adorned Berengar''s attire, symbolizing his heroic feats in battle.


    Simrly to Berengar, Vetranis was also dressed in this modern style, as Austrian fashion had spread across Germany and into Byzantium to a certain extent, especially among the nobility. While Berengar''s attire was based upon that of the German Emperor, Vetranis''s tailors had designed a simr style which resembled the military uniform worn by thest king of Greece in Berengar''s past life. The primary difference was that the uniform was in the color of Tyrian purple, a symbol of Byzantine wealth.


    As for Besarion, he was not dressed in as luxurious attire instead; he wore clothing that would have been found among the medieval nobility. Thus, whenpared to his allies, he was definitelycking in terms of fashion.


    Such prestigious uniforms were something that the Muslims were not ustomed to, and thus, when they gazed upon Berengar and Vetranis, they could not help but stare with envy. Eventually, Berengar broke the silence as he dug into his meal. He was more interested in ending these peace ords as quickly as possible.


    "So, we have agreed to the creation of an independent republic within the Holy Land. Because of this, I propose we establish a formal name for this country. I''ve given it a lot of thought, and I nominate the Free State of Jerusalem. A ce where Christians, Jews, and Muslims can coexist in peace."


    When Berengar said this, the Muslim leaders'' heads turned towards him with scowls on their faces. They quickly protested a certain aspect of the German Emperor''s statement.


    "Jews? Who said anything about Jews? I thought we were discussing the peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians?"


    Berengar sighed when he heard this. He had done an awful lot of research on the province of the Palestine to prepare for this meeting, and had shockingly learned that in this world, the Jews never spread beyond the holynd.


    Because of this, there were very few jews in all of Europe, mostly as traveling merchants. However, this meant that a veryrge percentage of Palestine was Jewish, and they could not be ignored in the establishment of this new state. Thus, he put on a stern expression as he exined the reality to the people gathered.


    "You know as well as I do that the Jewish people make up a significant minority in the province of Palestine. What do you suggest we do? Remove them from their homes? Where would we resettle them? No, the Jews will remain in their homnd, and since they are a sizeable minority, we must give them appropriate representation in the government of this new republic.


    Need I remind you that our goal is to create a peaceful, holynd that represents the interests of all who have a im and, therefore, is not a cause for anyone to fight over? This point is non-negotiable!"


    The various Muslim leaders looked at each other with difort, as did Vetranis and Besarion. They had not even thought about what they would do with the Jewish minority. However, the Christian Kings were much more in line with Berengar''s thinking, they had a im to thend as well, and if they were going to make Palestine into an independent republic, they should be given appropriate representation for the size of their poption.


    As for Sn, he discussed in private with the other Muslim leaders about the possibility of epting such a state. The other two fanatics beside him were vehemently against the idea of peaceful coexistence with the Jewish people, however after some skillful maneuvering on Sn''s part, they ultimately agreed to it, even if they did so begrudgingly.


    After seeing that the people gathered were bing more agreeable to the idea, Berengar pulled out a few pieces of papers he had drafted the night before, which was essentially a carbon copy of the United States constitution as it was in its original form with a few minor alterations that applied to specifics about the nation they were creating.


    "This is the constitution I draftedst night. Look it over and see if there are any major points of contention that we may address before wee to an agreement."


    One by one, the men present read over the constitution, and voiced any minor changes they wanted. In the end, the government of the Free State of Jerusalem looked simr to the US Government in its early days but with a multi-party system in ce.


    When the men had voiced theirst concerns, they then drafted aprehensive peace treaty between the various Muslim Sultanates, the German Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Kingdom of Georgia. There was even a stiption that ensured the Orthodox and Reformist Nations would remain neutral in the event of a Catholic war with the Imic world.


    Thus, after several days of heated negotiations, Berengar had sessfully led a peaceful agreement between the Christian and Muslim worlds. How long this peace wouldst was uncertain, after all empires rose and fell, and it was uncertain if the Timurid''s sessors would honor these agreements. However, for the time being, the current Muslim states of the world had ceased their desire for jihad, and the Christian states outside of Catholicism had ceased their hostilities to Im.


    History would remember the part Berengar had yed to bring the Abrahamic religions to a more peaceful state, and would consider the Treaty of Constantinople to be a critical aspect in maintaining peace within the near-east.

 Chapter 611 Returning Home to a Nice Family Meal

    <h4>Chapter 611 Returning Home to a Nice Family Meal</h4>


    Berengar sat back in the Royal Train with a drink in his hand as he watched the Austrian Landscape go by. Since German Unification a year ago, substantial progress had been made on the German National Railway, and though it was far frompleted, many cities across Southern Germany were now connected in a way they had never been before.


    The young emperor took a sip from his drink before cing it down on the table in front of him. The kitchen cart had prepared a hot meal, and Berengar dined on one of his favorite breakfasts. By introducing the potato, many staples of German cuisine from Berengar''s past life had now been introduced to his empire.


    Among these was a meal referred to Bauernfr��hst��ck which was a dish made from fried potatoes, eggs, green onions, parsley, cheese, and bacon and ham. With a warm ss of milk by his side, Berengar dined upon this breakfast with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Eventually, a servant approached Berengar and handed him a telegraph report. After doing so, the young woman silently scurried off, leaving the German Emperor alone. Berengar waited until after his meal wasplete to read the report in his hands.


    When he did, he could not help himself from smiling. This report contained thetest news from the conflict in Iberia. During his absence Madrid had fallen, and the German-Granadan forces marched further north, seeking to cut off any response by the Catholic World before they could pass through the Pyrenees.


    It appeared the restoration of Al-Andalus was merely around the corner. All he had to do was sit back and wait as his forces unified thends under the rule of the Al-Fadl dynasty. As Berengar gazed out the window, he reflected on everything that had happened to him recently. If there was one thing that left an unsettling feeling in his gut, it was the encounter he had during his visit to Baduhenna''s grove.


    Since then, he had established a government department of archeology to dig up any information they could find on the old gods of Germania, and yet despite their best efforts, nothing had been revealed. Or at least nothing he did not already know. Thus, he could only sigh in defeat as he dwelled on the words the girl had spoken to him.


    Ultimately, he left this matter to be. Whether the gods truly existed, and if they had some ns for him, would reveal themselves in time. For now, he would focus on securing his Empire''s position in the world. Now that his Empire was unified, and on the path to industrialization, he would need to secure many of the world''s hidden resources if he wished to transform Germany into the industrial powerhouse he desired it to be.


    Hours passed by as Berengar dwelled on his actions, and eventually the train arrived in Kufstein, where the Imperial Guard led him back to the Imperial Pce of Kufstein. The moment the door opened, a pair of dainty, pale hands wrapped themselves around Berengar''s eyes as a sultry voice entered his ears.


    "Guess who?"


    Berengar smiled before answering the question with utter confidence.


    "Linde, my love, I''m surprised to be greeted in such a way."


    The redheaded beauty immediately released her grip and put on a pouting disy as she realized her game had been ruined. However, she quickly recovered from her state and instead focused on more important matters.


    "So, I hear that you have secured peace with the Muslim Kingdoms, I must say I am impressed. That is not an easy feat to manage."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. Nothing of importance escaped this woman''s ears. It did not surprise him in the least that she had be aware of what he had aplished before it was even officially announced. Thus, he merely shook his head before giving a few juicy details.


    "Though I am certain that you are already aware, allow me to tell you in person. I believe I have established a long-term peace between Christians and Muslims alike, maybe not the catholics, I''m sure they will be pissed when they hear about what we have aplished, however through some harsh negotiating we have solved the centuries old dispute of the Holy Land."


    Linde was not the least bit surprised as Berengar revealed this information. She had a tendency to keep a close eye on him while he was away from home. There were plenty of people by his side who reported the Emperor''s affairs to his veteran spymaster.


    One might call it obsessive, but Linde liked to know that Berengar was safe, and more importantly, behaving himself while abroad. After he had brought home Yasmin unannounced, Linde had gone to great lengths to ensure that she knew everything her husband did while overseas.


    Thest thing she needed was her man bringing home another foreign whore. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, the moment Linde thought of this Yasmin entered the room and hugged onto Berengar likemprey as she kissed his neck.


    "Wee home, husband!"


    Linde was stunned when she saw this. Yasmin''s actions werepletely against what his wives had previously agreed to. Besides this point of contentions, there was another aspect of the intimate disy that bothered the veteran spymaster.


    If there was one woman in Berengar''s harem who threatened the redheaded beauty, it was the Moorish princess. After all, Yasmin had been nothing but a perfect wife to Berengar, so much so that she even stayed out of family drama altogether, believing herself to have no part in it. When Berengar saw Yasmin, he kissed her on the lips and informed her of what he had achieved in his absence.


    "You should be happy to know that I have brought peace and prosperity to our two peoples. I have single-handedly ended the hostilities between Christians and Muslims, or at the very least begun a long path toward such a result."


    Yasmin stroked Berengar''s slicked back golden hair andplimented him for his efforts.


    "That''s my husband. No man alive is greater than he!"


    When Berengar heard this, he chuckled before remembering something.


    "Oh yeah, I met your cousin while I was in Constantinople. You never told me she was married to the Timurid Sultan..."


    Yasmin''s face grew dark as she heard this. She simply crossed her arms and made a snide remark about the woman.


    "That harlot? I really do not care to hear about her..."


    Such a harsh response had led Berengar to believe there was definitely some conflict between the two cousins who looked so simr. However, if Yasmin did not want to talk about it, he would not force her. Instead, he grabbed ahold of the woman''s plump rear and whispered sweet nothings into her ears.


    "She''s got nothing on you. If anything, she is merely a discount version of the beautiful Moorish Princess, who I am lucky to call my wife."


    Yasmin chuckled as she heard this before bopping her husband on the nose with her index finger.


    "Behave yourself. I have already prepared food for your arrival. I wouldn''t want it to spoil..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar chuckled and nodded his head. The bedroom fun would have to wait untilter. After all, there were few things Berengar despised more than wasted food.


    "Very well. Shall we adjourn to the dining room?"


    After saying this, he looked over towards Linde, who had beenpletely sidelined by her rival, and asked her to join them.


    "Linde, join us. I am sure whatever Yasmin has cooked is delicious."


    The redheaded vixen stared in disbelief at Yasmin. She was well aware of the surprise that awaited her man in the dining hall. However, she was shocked to see that the moorish princess had stolen her thunder.


    Despite this, she put on a pretty smile as she epted Berengar''s terms and grabbed ahold of his hand, leading him into the dining area. As she did so, she gave a fierce re to Yasmin, silently scolding the woman for her thieving actions.


    Yasmin merely smirked in response. Sometimes Linde''s jealousy was just too adorable. Yasmin knew fully that out of all of Berengar''s women, the redheaded vixen was his favorite, and despite this, the girl still acted with hostility to anyone who got too close to her man.


    Berengar did not notice the heated rivalry going on between his two favorite brides and instead entered the dining hall with an excited expression. The moment he walked into the room, it shocked him to see that all of his wives and their children were present. It was the first time in a long time that they had a giant family meal together.


    Usually at least one child was not present at the family meals because of their age. However, as he gazed upon the gleeful eyes of his many children and their beautiful mothers, who tended to them, he could not help but smile. Thus, he happily took his seat at the head of the table and prepared himself for a nice family meal.

 Chapter ?612 wolves and Liverwurst

    Chapter ?612 wolves and Liverwurst


    Within the confines of the dining hall of the German Imperial Pce, the von Kufstein family sat together and dined for the first time in a long time. Berengar gazed at his children and smiled. It had truly been some time since been together with all of his kids in one ce. While the German Emperor was inspecting his children, one boy in particr was digging into his food with an ecstatic expression.


    Hans, much like his father, was an avid eater, and thoroughly enjoyed the foreign dishes that Yasmin cooked whenever she found herself in the kitchen. Taking a lesson from his father��s ybook, the Crowned Prince smiled andplimented the chef for her skills.


    ��Mommy Yasmin, your cooking is amazing, as always!��


    Such apliment caused the Moorish Princess to grin in delight as she tussled the boy��s strawberry blonde hair. After doing so, she served up another slice of roastedmb for her husband��s oldest son.


    ��I��m d to see that you like it so much Hans, here have some more����


    Hans did not hesitate to take a bite out of the sulentmb. While this was going on, Linde was ring at her son. The boy was so quick topliment Yasmin��s cooking, but not her own. Thus, the redheaded vixen hurriedly shoveled a pile of K?sesp?tzle that she had prepared for this asion onto her son��s te, as if she werepeting with the Moorish beauty.


    ��Hans, have some of mommy��s K?sesp?tzle, I��m sure you will enjoy it just as much as Yasmin��smb.��


    Hans did not deny his mother, and quickly took a spoonful of the noodle dish and ate it with a delighted expression.


    ��Thanks mommy, your cooking is good too!��


    As per usual, the boy acted his own age around his parents. Neither Linde nor Berengar were fully aware of just how intelligent the boy was, or the schemes that had festered in his mind. As for the Emperor, he frowned as he saw his two favorite wivespete for his son��s affection and not his own. Thus, he decided to stir the pot by turning to one of his other brides.


    ��Honoria, can you be so kind as to pass the liverwurst and rye?��


    The young Pirate Queen immediately understood what her husband��s intentions were and pulled out a slice of marble rye bread that had been toasted to perfection. She skilfully thered the liverwurst onto the toast as if it were cream cheese. After doing this, she fed Berengar herself, immediately causing Linde and Yasmin to look at her strangely.


    ��Here daddy, let me feed you!��


    Berengar eagerly took a bite from the treat and nodded his head in satisfaction. While this was going on, his daughter Helga observed his behavior and struggled to prevent herself from scoffing. She may be young, but even she could see the mind game that her father and Honoria were ying on her mother. As if right on cue, Linde pouted and offered her K?sesp?tzle to Berengar as well.


    ��My love, won��t you do me the honor of giving me your honest opinion on my dish?��


    The German Emperor smiled as he took a spoonful of the cheesy noodle dish and dined on it. He struggled to contain his satisfaction from bing visible as he pretended to mull about for some time before giving Linde a shocking answer.


    ��I think you overcooked it. I give it a six out of ten����


    Linde gazed in shock towards her husband, while the other girlsughed at her misfortune. Berengar had deliberately given her a poor review just to see this reaction, and it worked like a charm.


    As Linde was pouting like a child, an unexpected visitor appeared. Her cat midnight ran into the dining hall with its tail puffed out, and jumped into his master��sp. Not far behind, it was a yful wolf pup chasing after the cat with a happy smirk on its face.


    When Linde saw this, she immediately scolded her son for letting his pet out of its cage.


    ��Hans, what have I told you about letting that thing run about freely? I don��t care what your father may have told you. That is a wild animal, and it should be treated as such!��


    Hans felt a headache was about toe over him as he heard his mother��sints. Since he had gotten the wolf pup, he had been training it to obey hismands daily. Despite its origins in the wild, the creature had be rather tame and was practically no different from amon domesticated dog.


    Despite this, Linde seemed to have a problem with the creature, whether it was an internal dislike of canines as a whole, or simply the fact that she feared the beast; she had done everything in her power to keep the prince��s pet caged up and away from the family.


    Despite this, the hound walked up to its master and sat while wagging its tail, waiting for the boy to give it amand. When Berengar saw this, he was rather surprised. This pup was only a few months old, and yet, it was behaving like a well trained golden retriever. Was this thing really a wolf? However, in the next moment, the boy shocked his father even more when he gave amand to his pet wolf.


    ��Wulfgar, lie down!��


    The wolf��s ear��s immediately perked up as it heard thismand, before quickly obeying it. It lied down and rested its head on its paws as the creature waited for his master to finish his meal. With a satisfied smile on his face, Hans countered his mother��sint.


    ��Mommy, look, Wulfgar is well trained. He would never hurt anybody that I did notmand him to!��


    Berengar gazed at the beast with a curious expression. He did not expect his young son to have such an affinity with animals. Thus, he wore a smile as he tried to convince Linde to ept the wolf. However, when he gazed over at the woman, she was gently petting her ck cat while ring daggers at the hound. Before Berengar could utter his decree, Linde barked at her son.


    ��Keep that ravenous mutt away from my precious midnight, and away from your siblings while you��re at it. If something happens to any of them, I will hold you responsible!��


    Berengar immediately grabbed hold of Linde��s hand and tried to calm her down.


    ��Dear, the wolf seems to be well trained. I doubt it will pose a threat to our children or your cat. It appears like he was just ying with midnight. There is no reason to be so upset. ��


    Despite Berengar��s words, Linde refused to concede on this issue. In her eyes, no matter how tame the beast, maybe it was still a wild animal. She could never trust such a creature around her children or pets. If not for Berengar��s insistence on allowing the boy to keep the wolf, she would have personally disposed of it long ago.


    In Hans�� eyes, his mother was simply being unreasonable. He knew full well how disciplined the creature was and suspected that his mother simply did not like canines. The fact that she witnessed his pet obey hismands so thoroughly, and still demanded to keep it away from his siblings, showed just how biased the woman was.


    However, he knew this was a battle he was not going to win. Taking this into consideration, Hans rose from his seat and bowed to his mother and father, taking the initiative to lock his pet wolf away for the time being.


    ��Alright mommy, I will lock Wulfgar away, if that��s what you want.��


    After saying this, the boy called for his hound and ran off towards the courtyard where its own quarters were. Once Hans was out of earshot, Berengar sighed before gazing upon Linde with a stern expression.


    ��Did you really have to force the boy to lockup his pet? It seemedpletely obedient to me.��


    Linde merely rolled her eyes at her husband before taking a sip from her ss of milk. After doing so, she responded in a haughty tone.


    ��No matter how tame it may be, that beast is still a dangerous wolf. It needs to be properly locked away so it can harm none of my children. I will make this abundantly clear. If Hans gets hurt because of that creature, I will me you till the day I die����


    Berengar merely sighed in defeat before responding to his wife��s criticisms.


    ��Very well����


    After saying this, he dug into his food once more, not willing to waste the energy on such a pointless matter. Having seen how well the boymanded his pet, Berengar was certain that the creature would not harm his son. However, Linde was right about one thing: they should keep away such a dangerous beast from his other children. Thus, with this argument out of the way, Berengar continued to enjoy his meal with his entire family. It was a rtively peaceful afternoon in the life of the German Emperor.

 Chapter ?613 A Papal Dillemma

    Chapter ?613 A Papal Dillemma


    Pope Julius sat upon his papal throne with an exhausted expression on his aging face. He had only be Pope a few years prior, and yet it appeared as if he had spent decades presiding over the Church. After countless losses against his rival in central Europe, he had just about lost the will to continue his struggle against the German Reformation and its damnable figurehead.


    In his hands, loosely held by a failing grip, was a note that recounted the recent events in Iberia. King Felipe was dead, and so too was his army. However, that was not the worst of it. In the hours after the foolish Spanish King had walked into his death, the German-Granadan Alliance had marched into Spain, and conquered most of its territory.


    Berengar, the ursed, had expertlyid a trap, and the Spanish King walked right into it. Worst of all, this damnable fiend had the nerve to extinguish one of Christendom��s few natural stockpiles of the valuable resource, known as saltpeter.


    Because of this, the Church��s hopes of winning its uing crusade against the German Empire were slimmer than ever. The man in charge of the Catholic world could only sigh heavily in defeat as he contemted just what reasoning God would have to continue to torment him to such a degree.


    While Julius wasmenting his lot in life, a Cardinal entered the chambers and knelt before the man. He had a nervous expression on his face and clenched the report in his hands tightly, crumpling the paper as he did so. Julius knew that whatever news the Cardinal had received, it was nothing good. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he begrudgingly asked for the information.


    ��Go on�� get out with it�� What terrible news do you have to report to me this time around?��


    The Cardinal struggled to look the Pope in the eyes. Such words caused a tinge of guilt in his heart, as he knew he was always the bearer of bad news, especially these days. However, in his panicked state he managed to mouth a few words, stuttering as he did so.


    ��T��th�� the holynd! It has fallen!��


    Julius�� pupils grew wide in shock as he heard this news. At first, he thought he had misheard. After all, the Holy Land was owned by the Byzantine Empire, and he had received no news from the east that it hade under attack. Thus, he immediately asked for rification on what had just been spoken.


    ��What do you mean, the Holy Land has fallen? Has there been a new Jihad I am unaware of? Just what has happened!?!��


    The Cardinal realized that his choice of words was a bit misleading, but contained the truth nheless. Still, he spent a few moments collecting his thoughts before speaking about the information he had received from the Byzantine Emperor��s public deration.


    ��Emperor Vetranis has dered that he is allowing the Independence of the Holy Land. After careful negotiations with the Timurid Empire and the other Muslim Sultanates, they have established Republic which is open to both Christians and Muslims. This means that the Saracens now have power over the Holy Land! How shall we respond?��


    The Pope immediately reacted to this news by picking up a nearby book and throwing it towards the Cardinal in a fit of rage. He could hardly believe such a thing had happened, and though Vetranis had been the one to voice this sudden change, Julius knew only one man could be responsible for such evil. Thus, he had no qualms about pinning the me on his German rival.


    ��You damned fool! This is Berengar��s work, I am certain of it! With one hand, he destroys Iberia, and with the other, he brings damnation to the Holy Land. This devil can not be allowed to further defile Christendom! We must respond to this incursion, send word to every able body man. The Holy Land must be reimed!��


    It shocked the Cardinal when he heard this decree, and he immediately voiced his confusion over the matter.


    ��But what of Iberia?��


    When Julius heard this, he gazed upon the Cardinal with an idiotic expression. The news of the Holy Land had made him forget thement he felt just moments ago about the situation in Iberia. As the Pope, he could not very well abandon the Iberian Penins to the fate of bing an extension of the Muslim world. The threat of an Imic State on the borders of France was something that Christendom had not felt in centuries, and he did not wish to return to those days.


    However, the Holy Land needed to take precedence, and since Julius knew he could not contend with the German and Granadan armies in the field, his only chance of achieving victory in the two theaters was to focus his attention on Jerusalem. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he decided on how to proceed.


    ��I will not abandon the people of Iberia to the Muslim hordes who now seek to conquer and control them. However, it has be painfully obvious to me we are not yet prepared to take on the might of the German-Granadan Alliance. Thus, we can only encourage martyrdom and give our people in Iberia the means to resist their unholy upation.


    What we can do is bring the might of the Catholic World into Jerusalem and reim the Holy Land for ourselves. It is doubtful that Berengar wouldmit troops to the region when he has left its protection up to the Byzantine and Timurid Empires.


    So long as the German Empire does not interfere in our conflict, we have a high chance of winning. After all, we have spent thest few years preparing for a war with Berengar. Surely the means we have gained will allow us to defeat the Byzantine army and the Muslim hordes of the Timurid Empire.��


    When the Cardinal heard this train of thought, a sadistic grin etched itself upon his rat like features. He understood now more than ever the Catholic church needed a glorious victory, and Berengar had so kindly delivered it to them with the Holy Land��s independence. Thus, he bowed before the Pope and asked for him to give the order.


    ��Your holiness, I would be honored to convey yourmands to your followers so long as you are willing to give the order!��


    With this, a smug sneer formed on Julius�� lips as he issued the decree which would set Jerusalem aze in the mes of war.


    ��I, Pope Julius, hereby dere a crusade to reim the Holy Land from the Saracens who currently inhabit it. God wills it!��


    Upon hearing this, the Cardinal grinned wickedly as he nodded his head and obeyed themand.


    ��Very well, I will muster the Crusader Orders and the Catholic Kingdoms to march on the Holy Land at once. Jerusalem must not fall into the hands of the Saracens!��


    With that said, Julius dismissed his agent to get started on his task. It was only after he was alone that he copsed into his papal throne, exhausted beyond measure. It took every ounce of his strength to maintain the facade of dignity and strength. He could not believe that he was forced to choose between Iberia and Jerusalem. With a powerful m of his fist upon his gilded armrest, the pope cried out in fury.


    ��Berengar von Kufstein, I swear to God, one day I will have your head, and will permanently remove your lineage of vipers from the face of the Earth!��


    After saying this, the man sighed heavily. The most he could do to the man was curse his name. If not for that fool Simeon, then perhaps the Church could have removed Berengar from power before he gained the strength to stand on his own. However, as it currently stood, such a thing was impossible.


    The German Emperor had the backing of the most powerful military in the world, and the most advanced spywork. After the failed attack on his life, Imperial Intelligence had created a dedicated department whose sole goal was to collect information on viable threats against the Royal Family, and to counter such efforts.


    It was virtually impossible to harm a hair on Berengar��s head. The only way to kill the man would be to do so on the field of battle, and even then, Berengar had not been seen in battle for roughly a year. It seemed to Julius that his goal of iming the man��s life was drifting further away as time passed him by.


    The only thing that could drown the pope��s sorrow was wine, and copious quantities of it. Thus, he got off his seat and grabbed hold of the nearest gon, where he poured the contents of his drink into an old vian ss chalice.


    Since Berengar had invented the means to mass produce clear ss, the vian market had beenpletely strangled to death, and thus such an antiquated cup was only used by the most hateful of Germany��s adversaries. Having filled the ss to its brim, Julius then engorged himself on the sweet red substance, drifting himself into a further state of intoxication.


    If Berengar had known that he caused the Pope��s alcoholism, he would surely be pleased with himself. However, he was unaware of such a reality, as was anyone else, and thus the Pope slowly but surely drank himself to sleep in the middle of the afternoon,pletely defeated by the recent events that had urred.

 Chapter 614: The Quest for Gold Begins

    Chapter 614: The Quest for Gold Begins


    Berengar stood within the confines of his office and gazed upon a map that he had personally designed. It was iplete, as the world had yet to be entirely discovered in this era. Yet there were markings of the German Empire in Central Europe, as well as its colonies in North and South Vind, and their holdings in the Caribbean. To put it simply, Berengar had taken the first step in establishing a global Empire.


    Yet, despite this, Berengar was not satisfied with his current achievements. There was more that needed to be done, and not enough time to aplish it in his lifetime. Only by investing further into colonization could he achieve 1/10th of what he had nned for his dynasty��s Empire. Thus, he set his eyes on a new territory that he had yet to explore.


    With Honoria by his side, and his new Grand Admiral, a man by the name of Fridrich von W��lflingen, Berengar,id out his ns for his next colony. His finger shifted from the Fathend all the way to a nk portion of the map, settled in between the two colonies in the New World.


    If he were to be looking at a modern map of the world, his finger would surely hover over the region known as Mexico. An excited smile was on his face as he boldly dered his ns to his wife and Admiral.


    ��With the current capabilities of our navy, and the first Dominion-ss Ocean Liners set to be finished in theing weeks, we will soon have the ability to project such force to the new world, that no kingdom we maye across can possibly challenge our rule. It is because of this newfound military might that I intend to go all out with colonization and connect our two territories with a third in between them.


    Honoria immediately scoffed when she heard this goal. In her eyes, this was a foolish endeavor. After all, the existing colonies were still not fully independent, and yet Berengar so desperately wanted to charge into the unknown and conquer a third. Despite this feeling, something pulled at her heartstrings. Telling her in the back of her mind that her husband knew something of worth that was located exactly where he pointed.


    How the man knew this info was beyond her, and despite her best efforts, she had not gained a single clue as to where the German Emperor��s hidden knowledge originated from. While she could easily ask, she figured her husband would reveal his secrets when he finally felt like doing so.


    As Honoria was scrutinizing Berengar��s actions, Fridrich had a satisfied smile on his face. Truth be told, the German Navy was so powerful that no Kingdom in this world couldpete with it. Because of this, he had been dreadfully bored ever since he first joined his specific branch of the German Military.


    While he acted as a glorified coast guard, securing Berengar��s theaters of operation with an irond blockade. Berengar��s army imed all the glory onnd, inbat, fighting for the unification of the German Empire. It was partly for this reason that recruits to the Naval branch weregging behind the Army and the Border Guard. As the majority of its sailors, felt ack of importance in their role.


    However, times were changing, and Berengar was paying a vast fortune to begin his colonization efforts. Naturally, only those most trusted were privy to such ssified information, leaving the Navy as the primary driving force in these operations. Since they had first set sail for the new world over a year ago, the German Navy and those fortunate personnel deemed trustworthy enough to see its bountifulnds had begun to y a pivotal role in the development of the Empire.


    Now Berengar had turned his attention to a new colony in the center of this strange and foreignnd. The prospect of maintaining the rtionship between the German fathend and its colonies was exciting to Fridrich, who had been so dreadfully bored since he had assumed control over Emmerich��s old position. Perhaps if he worked hard enough, then one day, he too could be a Colonial Governor. Thus, while Honoria scoffed at the notion, Fridrich was excited and voiced his support for the endeavor.


    ��With the construction of the ocean liners nearingpletion, we will soon be able to transport far more resources and troops throughout our Empire. Thanks to his majesty��s efforts, radiotelegraphs are being constructed onboard our vessels, and within our colonies, allowing for ease ofmunication overseas.


    Currently, our existing colonies are secure, and with the influx in poption we have received since unifying the fathend, it is only a matter of years before we have enough people to properly settle the new world. In the meantime, I highly rmend scouting out further territory in this New World and search for resource-rich areas to im as our own. Only by seizing this world��s assets can we truly hope to establish a global hegemony. Tell me what you want from me, and I will move the oceans to make it so!��


    Berengar smiled when he heard such enthusiasm about his colonization efforts from his newest Grand Admiral. This man had a promising future in his role, and thus Berengar did not hide his intents.


    ��First and foremost, I need you to assemble a sizeable fleet enough to ferry 1,000 men to the New World. Though our ocean liners are equipped with enough firepower to sessfully eliminate any threat that approaches them, it is never inappropriate to prepare for whatever the world may throw at us.


    Your second task will be to vet enough marines to fill aboard these vessels to act as the security for our colonization efforts. I need these marines equipped with thetest weapons and armor. That means they will wear our new nylon te carriers beneath their tunics.


    Thirdly, I will need you to go over a list of civilians to transport to all of our colonies for future settlement. As it stands, our colonies are currently military strongholds. I wish to change that and allow thriving settlements to exist within their borders. We can��t rely on the military to act as farmers, miners, and any other necessary roles needed to sustain a long-term colony.��


    Fridrich nodded his head after hearing these requirements. He wore a confident expression as he responded in the affirmative to his emperor��s orders.


    ��I will have everything prepared by the time our first ocean liner rolls off the assembly line. The colonization of the New World is of the utmost importance to our realm, and I will not fail you, my Kaiser!��


    Berengar smiled when he heard such certainty and patted the man on the shoulder beforeplimenting his efforts.


    ��Good. I look forward to your career. See that you are prepared to depart within a fortnight. If you do not have anymore questions, then you are dismissed.��


    After saying this, the Grand Admiral saluted his Emperor before departing, leaving Honoria alone with Berengar. She had an inquisitive gaze on her face. Berengar was bringing far more troops to this new colony than he had done in the past, and such a level of precaution was unordinary for his personality. That is, unless he was already aware of a great threat that existed in the region they were going tond in. Thus, she could not help but ask just what it was that he knew.


    ��I know that look on your face. You��re worried about this new colony. I don��t know how you know, and I also know that you are not yet prepared to inform me, but there is a serious power in this new location, isn��t there? Something the likes we have not yet encountered?��


    Berengar gazed at Honoria with a curious expression. He was not aware how much of his past this woman knew of, but since she was not deliberately asking about it, he would not tell her for the time being. However, he also would not lie to her about the dangers he was about to face and thus sighed heavily before revealing his thoughts.


    ��If my information is correct, there is a mighty Empire in the region I seek to conquer. They are sitting on a vast reserve of gold, the likes we have never seen before. I need that gold to stimte my economy, and I fear this unknown civilization will be far more hostile to our first contact than the natives you found in South Vind.��


    Honoria scoffed when she heard this response. It was as she had suspected. Berengar knew more than he let on. She instantly pouted as she realized the reason he wasn��t allowing her to join in on the fun.


    ��So you��re sending me on a quest to explore less hostile areas while you take on this mighty empire by yourself? Typical����


    Berengar chuckled when he saw the look on the girl��s face, as if he had just killed her pet. To think she was so bloodthirsty that she wanted to take on the Aztecs. Thus, with a heavy sigh, Berengar relented and allowed for his Pirate Queen to y her role in this conquest.


    ��Alright, if you really want to, I will allow you toe with me on this perilous journey. Just make sure you and your girls stay out of needless trouble.��


    Honoria smiled, before wrapping her arms around her husband��s neck and kissing him passionately. After releasing herself from his embrace, she thanked him for his concession.


    ��Thank you daddy, I promise we will behave.��


    After saying this, Berengar sighed and revealed some of the information that he was aware of regarding the Aztec Empire, and the control they had over the region of meso-America. With this, Berengar had made his ns to im the most precious of resources the new world offered. The quest for Gold had begun.

 Chapter ?615 Honoria Learns the Truth

    Chapter ?615 Honoria Learns the Truth


    The day had finallye. Over a month had gone by since Berengar had begun preparations for his invasion of meso-America. At the moment, he was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, where his wives dried off his soaked body with various towels. The young emperor dipped his fingers into the greasy pomade and slicked back his hair into the elegant style he had be known for over the years.


    After taking his time perfectly styling his golden locks, he reached into a nearby drawer and fetched an eyepatch. This brown leather eyepatch contained an iron cross embedded within its center. A symbol of authority and bravery in the act of war. It was one of the many designs Berengar kept to conceal his hideous wound.


    After stretching the leather band over his head so that the iron cross was seated perfectly over his damaged pupil, he dressed himself in abat uniform. This uniform started with nylon-polyester blend undergarments, where he then ce a pair of feldgrau trousers over them. He continued by securing his boot socks, followed by a pair of embellished brown leather cavalry boots in the style used by his hussars.


    After dressing in the lower portion of his uniform. Berengar stretched a feldgrau undershirt over his chiseled body, where he quickly adorned a feldgrau conceble te carrier above his vitals. This te carrier contained ceramicposite tes that were rated to stop just about any projectile this world could throw at him.


    After donning this piece of life saving armor over his torso, he put on a feldgrau hussar tunic, where he ced his Order of Merit, and his Grand Cross of the iron cross around his cor. After doing this, he pinned his star of the grand cross of the iron cross onto his chest before fastening his brown leather Sam Browne belt around his waist and shoulder.


    This belt contained both a 1422 Service Revolver and a Hussar��s sword, which would be his primary weapons in the uing conflict that he was certain would result when he discovered the mighty Aztec Empire. Finally, after all of this was finished, he grabbed hold of a 1422 Stahlhelm, which was modeled after the 1916 Stahlhelm used by German Soldiers in the Great War of his past life.


    This helmet was designed to distinguish his royal guard from their regr army counterparts, and offered superior protection to the standard steel pickelhaube. Berengar held this helmet tightly to his hip as he turned around and faced his loving brides and sister.


    All except for Honoria had concerned expressions on their faces. Truthfully, they did not know where Berengar was going, or what he was going to encounter, as he had not been specific to them. However, they were aware, as with every time he left the fathend in pursuit of conquest and glory, that danger would be present. Ultimately, Linde was the one to first voice her concern for his wellbeing.


    ��Come back to me in one piece, okay? I swear if you die out there on the other side of the world, I will follow you to the grave and leave our children to be raised by Ad!��


    When Ad heard this, she gave a questioning gaze to her old rival. Must this bitch really be so melodramatic? However, Berengar merely smiled and wiped the tears from Linde��s eyes, and nodded his head before responding.


    ��I understand. I will be home shortly. You do not need to worry so much. Take care of our children while I��m away����


    After saying this, he kissed his wife on the lips before saying his proper farewells to his other wives. After all was said and done, he grabbed hold of Honoria��s hand and led her to the railway where the two of them boarded the Royal Train together and headed towards the docks in Trieste. The two of them sat in the rail car together for some time, gazing out at the German Landscape. Ultimately, it was Honoria who broke the rather awkward silence that prevailed in the room.


    ��It��s amazing what you have aplished in so little time. Sometimes I wonder whether you are actually human����


    When Berengar heard this, he chuckled before responding to Honoria��sments.


    ��I assure you, I am very much human����


    Honoria��s response to this im was to observe Berengar in silence for a few moments as he drank his coffee. Ultimately, she replied with a smug smile and a jest.


    ��I��m not so convinced����


    To this, Berengar merely shrugged his shoulders before changing the subject.


    ��So, are you and your girls ready? I won��t lie to you. If my information is correct, then we may very well be fighting an Empire filled with millions of savages. We have at most what? A thousand men on this journey? This will be a long and bloody campaign.��


    Honoria merely scoffed when she heard this. She finally had enough of his cryptic answers to just how he knew this stuff. Eventually she sighed before asking that had been on her mind for some time.


    ��Alright, that��s it! Be honest with me. How do you know all of this?��


    Berengar wore a bitter smile as he mulled over whether he should reveal the truth to the girl. While Yasmin had been loving, and did not care for his origins, he was not so certain with the other women in his life. Ultimately, he sighed before revealing his biggest secret to the Byzantine Princess.


    ��Would you believe me if I told you I have memories from the future?��


    Honoria��s first response was to scoff once more. Such a fantasy was preposterous, thus she simply crossed her arms and pouted as she scolded Berengar for not being honest with her.


    ��Fine, don��t tell me! See if I care!��


    Berengar merely chuckled when he heard this beforementing about her behavior.


    ��You��re the one who wanted to know the truth. If you don��t believe me, that is up to you����


    Honoria tilted her head and did not look at her husband for several moments, dwelling upon his answer in silence for some time. Eventually, she could no longer contain her curiosity and broke the silence with a single question.


    ��How is that even possible?��


    Berengar��s brow raised when he heard this question, and a smug smile appeared on his lips as he lectured the girl about his past.


    ��Your guess is as a good as mine. Truthfully, I do not know how I gained such memories, but I will tell you what I do know. Years ago, when I was still but an heir to the Barony of Kufstein, my brother poisoned me, and in doing so, he nearly killed me.


    Hell, perhaps Lambert did kill me, for I drifted into a deep sleep where I dreamed about another life in the distant future where I was born to an impoverished family and worked my way to the position of an engineering officer in the world��s most powerful army. Thest thing I remember is dying from an enemy attack on some foreign battlefield.


    When I finally awoke, this dream was as clear as day, and there had been a fundamental shift in my personality. My indolent, carefree, and dimwitted self had been reced with the ambition, cunning, and knowledge of Julian. However, many of the aspects of my original self were still present, if not dormant. It is only now, after years of contemtion, that I havee to realize, perhaps, my original personality is not as dead as I once thought.��


    Honoria gazed at Berengar with a curious expression as he calmly drank his coffee and spun his tale. She could not fathom that what he was saying was actually reality, and only a single question escaped her lips.


    ��You��re serious?��


    In response to this, Berengary down his coffee mug and wore a bitter smile as he nodded his head in affirmation.


    ��Quite����


    After several moments of awkward silence, Honoria finally revealed the thoughts on her mind.


    ��So you��re not Berengar? I��m so confused!��


    The young emperor chuckled lightly before responding to this question.


    ��I am Berengar, at least the only Berengar you have ever known. I like to think that I am a new and improved Berengar. One could say that all the faults that existed within both of my past selves were extinguished in their deaths, and in their ce, a superior amalgamation formed. Believe me when I say that if you knew my former self, his personality would disgust you. A drunken fool, that one. It��s no wonder Lambert tried to kill me����


    Honoria struggled toe to terms with what she was hearing and immediately ordered a cup of coffee from the staff. Her hands were shaking as she slowly sipped from the substance. Eventually, she found the question she most desired in thebyrinth that was her current state of mind and asked it.


    ��So�� you know all of this information about engineering, and the new world because?��


    A smug expression formed on Berengar��s face as he answered this question withplete honesty.


    ��Because in my past life, all the information in the world was readily avable to practically everyone. At least in the west. It was just that most people were toozy or foolish to give a damn about it. I spent my childhood reading troves of information and experimenting with what I learned. It was a way to stave off boredom.


    After all, I had no friends to hang out with. I also had a superior memory, so most of everything I learned stayed within my mind. I never would have thought that I��d die and be reincarnated into the medieval period, where I could use everything I had learned to create a vast Empire.


    It��s quite entertaining to think about, if everyone reincarnates when they die and enter foreign worlds, how useless would the overwhelming majority of people be? Are all the great men in history like me? Or were they natives to the world they were born in?


    If not, then why have I reincarnated when nobody else has? These are the questions I entertain myself with when I��m alone. The truth of the matter is I have only evere across one clue to my resurrection, and it has proven rather difficult to chase.��


    Honoria was stupefied by her husband��s remarks, and needed some time to dwell on them. Thus, they spent the rest of the train ride to Trieste in silence. Never in a million years would Honoria have suspected that this was the source of Berengar��s mysterious knowledge.


    She could hardly believe it, but the man seemed adamant that this was the truth, and either he was insane or there was some greater force lingering in the shadows, controlling his destiny. Either way, neither of them had any answers as to how Berengar came into this world. Thus, they did not dwell on it for too long.

 Chapter 616: An Unexpected Encounter on the Mediterrannean

    Chapter 616: An Unexpected Encounter on the Mediterrannean


    Several days had passed since the time Berengar informed Honoria about his origins. After such a shocking revtion, she had needed some space to process the information and had spent thest few days within istion on her ship. She had deliberately asked Berengar to stay onboard another vessel while she worked through her thoughts.


    Thus, at the moment Honoria had a bottle of rum in her hands as she lied back on her mattress. She had a downcast expression as shebed the vacant spot next to her. Normally, Berengar would be lying next to her, ying with her hair and whispering sweet nothings to her. However, such a thing was not the case, and she realized that she only had herself to me.


    The Byzantine Princess was certain that she had messed up by asking her husband about the origin of his boundless knowledge, and all his honesty had done wasplicate things between them. However, as time flew by, and the alcohol affected her mind, she realized she was over-reacting. Fundamentally, Berengar was correct when he had said that he was the same man she had always known and loved.


    It was with this in mind that she dragged her intoxicated ass off her bed and wobbled to her door, ready to publically proim her apology over the telegram. Such a thing would not only be a breach of protocol, but was just a bad idea in general.


    However, she was determined to make amends, and thus she grabbed hold of the doorknob and twisted it open. The first thing that Honoria witnessed was the shocked appearance of her first mate. Malissa gazed upon her intoxicated captain with a disproving expression.


    ��Honoria, with all due respect, you look terrible. I would ask you what��s wrong, but we have greater matters to worry about. Why don��t you get some rest, and I will take charge for now?��


    This notion confused Honoria, and she immediately tried to ask about what was transpiring.


    ��What��. what is�� what��s wrong?��


    The fact that the woman was slurring her words proved she was in no condition to assumemand, and thus Malissa sighed heavily before grabbing hold of Honoria and leading her back to her bed.


    ��Nothing to worry about. I��ll handle it. Just focus on feeling better����


    After saying this, the woman grabbed hold of Honoria��s liquor bottle and yanked it away from her grasp. The Byzantine Princess struggled to regain control of her precious rum, but Malissa was sober and could easily dodge Honoria��s drunken attempts.


    After a while Honoria gave up and copsed into a state of unconsciousness. Malissa made sure the girl was face down in case she vomited before departing from the room. The moment the door was shut behind her, she sighed before voicing her thoughts on the matter.


    ��Trouble in paradise, huh? I��ll have to give that asshole a piece of my mind when I next see him!��


    After saying this, she took a swig from the bottle of rum to calm her nerves before ascending to the helm where several of the crew members lie in wait. When they noticed their captain was not in tow, they looked at their first mate with a curious gaze.


    ��Where��s Honoria?


    Malissa merely shook her head before stating her honest opinion.


    ��Too drunk to do anything, I guess I��m inmand. Tell me what��s going on?��


    In response to this, the girls looked at each other before reporting to Malissa what a crew member had spotted.


    ��There appears to be a fleet flying the g of the Knight��s Hospitaller. Though it��s strange, some of the ships are neither caravels nor carracks����


    When Malissa heard this, her brow raised as she asked for more information.


    ��What exactly are we dealing with?��


    The girls looked at one another with gazes filled with confusion before shrugging their shoulders and reporting their honest opinion.


    ��I honestly don��t even know how to describe it. You can look for yourself����


    Malissa merely sighed before grabbing hold of a pair of binocrs and walking up the stairs to the top deck. When she arrived, she noticed that a rtively fierce storm was taking ce within the Mediterranean and it immediately barraged her with abination of wind and rain. Despite this, the first mate quickly looked through her binocrs and gazed upon the crusaders�� ships.


    There were several dozen of them, and they appeared to be mostly the old carracks, caravels, and galleys, most likely repurposed from the remains of the Iberian, Vian, and Genoan fleets. However, at the forefront of the armada were muchrger vessels.


    If Malissa had to describe their appearance, she would probably do so by saying these ships looked as if somebody had taken the sail n off of a Berengar-ss Frigate, and stered it onto an extended carrack. These extended carracks also had gun bays where thirty bronze cannons were stashed away on the broadside.


    This fleet posed no threat to the German Navy, nor even a single Armored Frigate. However, they were a fearsome representation of the innovation that was going on in the Catholic world as they desperately tried to catch up to the German Empire. It was at this moment that Malissa climbed back down into the helm and issued an order to her telegram operator.


    ��Inform the SMS Berengar of what we have spotted, and ask for further orders����


    The girl quickly nodded her head and sent the message to the SMS Berengar, which was the gship of the Fleet. Onboard said vessel, Berengar was rxing in his personal quarters when he suddenly received a knock on the door. He quickly walked over and opened it to see his Grand Admiral staring at him with a report in his hands. The man said nothing and simply handed it to his emperor, waiting for a response.


    Berengar gazed over the report and a smile formed on his face. It would appear that the first wave of crusaders had begun their invasion of the Holy Land. In response to this, Berengar handed the paper back to the Grand Admiral and said one simple phrase.


    ��Do nothing�� Let��s see how they react to our presence.��


    After saying this, Berengar climbed to the top deck, and stood in the middle of the pouring rain, gazing off the starboard side towards the Hospitaller fleet. As the ships neared each other, it became dreadfully apparent of the different eras the German Empire and its enemies were in.


    Steam engines powered Berengar��s mighty fleet and his vessels were armored with steel while the crusaders were still on wooden sailing ships that were dwarfed inparison by the frigates of the German Fleet.


    The maritime g of the German Empire flew proudly in the raging winds as Berengar smiled and stared at the Hospitaller fleets, who simply passed him by with shocked expressions on their faces. One crusader in particr reached for his arkebuse, but was halted by hismander.


    Thest thing the Hospitaller Order needed were these steel behemoths raining their guns down upon them. Thus, the two fleets silently passed each other by, one heading west to the new world, and another heading east to the Holy Land.


    It was only after Berengar��s ship was no longer visible to the Hospitaller fleet they sighed in relief. Meanwhile, the German Emperor himself smiled as he descended back down into the lower decks, satisfied with the results of his ns.


    The Catholic World would send their full might to reim the holynd, and fight a war against thebined power of the Byzantine and Timurid Empires, from Berengar��s perspective the likelihood of a papal victory was slim, but the damage it would cause to the Timurid Empire would keep the two factions in check.


    Either way, things were progressing smoothly, for now Berengar did not care about the war for the Holy Land, if something unexpected happened he would be notified by Telegram, and could respond in kind, giving orders at a moment��s notice on how to respond.


    What was more important was the vast wealth he would get with his conquest of the meso-America. How he would manage to do such a thing with so few forces, that was something that the history of his past life had already taught him.

 Chapter 617: Landing on the Coast of Mesoamerica

    Chapter 617: Landing on the Coast of Mesoamerica


    Berengar sat back in his vessel and gazed upon a map that he had created. This was a map that was drawn from memory about Mexico and the current political alliances of the region. The year in this world was 1424, which meant that he was roughly four years away from the creation of the Aztec Empire.


    Instead, if this world were to have followed his past life��s timeline exactly, there would be three major city states that had yet to align with one another and form the mighty Aztec Empire. Truth be told, Berengar could not be certain that this was the case.


    The reality was that this world differed vastly from his past life. Not only had major historical events and figures changed, but the map of the old world itself differedpletely from the history he knew. It was entirely possible that not only had the Aztec Empire been formed early in this timeline, but perhaps they had even conquered several of their neighbors, making the staterger and more powerful than it was in the history of his past life.


    Either way, Berengar needed to be prepared for whatever it was he came to face. It was at this moment that a knock resounded on his door with a stern voice from the other side.


    ��My Kaiser, We have arrived��.��


    Berengar sighed when he heard this and rolled up the map before exiting his quarters. As he climbed to the top deck, he gazed upon the Aztec coastline with a wide grin on his face. In this life, he was able to use his memories of history toe to the New World in advance of the other powers, and secure its resources for himself. The only thing he had to contend with were the native kingdoms.


    Now, he could finally get his hands on the absurd amount of Gold the Spanish introduced to their economy during the 16th and 17th centuries. Supposedly, if history was anything to go by, the Spanish had encountered so much gold that they broke their economy with it. However, in this life, all of that wealth now belonged to Germany, and Berengar would kill anyone who impeded such a thing.


    It did not take long for the German fleet toe into the bay and anchor their vessels, deploying the boats necessary to bring the troops to shore. When Berengar first step foot on the beaches, he gazed into the distance and smiled. This would be the perfect area to create a new colony, if only they did not have such troublesome neighbors.


    The moment Honoria touched the ground, she ran up to her husband and kissed him on the lips, apologizing profusely for her previous behavior.


    ��I��m sorry that I overreacted. Can you ever forgive me?��


    Berengar was startled. It had been weeks since he had revealed his secret to Honoria, and judging by the way she reacted, he thought that potentially their rtionship was over. Instead, he received a pleasant surprise the moment she next encountered him. Thus, he chuckled lightly as he kissed her back. With a shit-eating grin on his face, he bopped her nose with his finger and whispered something in her ear.


    ��I suppose I can, but you will have to make it up to meter����


    Honoria flushed in response and silently nodded her head, understanding what he meant. As the couple were enjoying their time together, the rest of the German Marins began theirnding, followed by the soldiers of the German Army, and the engineering corps.


    Berengar was adamant that a proper stronghold be built as quickly as possible, and a port with it. It was no exaggeration to say that there was a major threat further ind, and Berengar wanted a secure base of operations. Because of this, he had brought a sufficient supply of granite and mortar to build a proper star fort on the coastline.


    This was part of the reason Berengar had not invaded the region of meso-America until now. He needed to transport such vast quantities of stone, and his warships were simply incapable of carrying the vast loads.


    However, with his new Dominion ss vessels, he could store several thousand tons of stone, allowing him to bring the materials to rapidly construct a star fort. With 1,000 men to use asbor and the materials, theoretically, he could build his fortress in a matter of weeks.


    After all, it took twenty-four hours for his mortar to set and though it would not be fully cured, it could provide a reasonably solid structure whenbined with granite blocks. At the very least, it could resist any weapons that the Aztecs may possess.


    As the beachhead was secured by the marines, the engineers brought over the supplies and moved them onto the coast. Small boats ferried important pieces of machinery from the vessels, such as steam shovels, steam cranes, and other construction equipment. Within the first three hours ofnding in the new world, excavation had begun, and preparations for setting the foundation of a star fort were being made.


    ��


    Around the same time as the German Landing, a band of Jaguar Warriors was chasing after an escaped ve. Among their ranks was a beautiful young woman, who wore nothing but the skins of a Jaguar. One of her sizeable breastsid bare. The only concealment was war paint made from the blood of her victims.


    The sun glistened on the woman��s tanned abdominal muscles as she pranced after her target as if she herself was the physical embodiment of the creature whose skin she wore. Just when she was in reach ofunching her atl, a loud roar the likes she had never heard before echoed nearby, spooking the birds off of the trees and. Into the air.


    Unknowingly, her weapon had slipped from her hand, andunched into the escaped ve��s back, who stood in shock at the edge of a cliff. The spear prated the man��s chest and sent his lifeless body rolling down the edge and onto the beach below.


    When a nearby warrior saw what the woman had done, he ran over andplimented her for her kill.


    ��Great job, Princess! The punishment for fleeing captivity is death!��


    Despite the kind words, the woman stared in disbelief, trying toprehend what it was she had just heard. Eventually, she asked herrades to see if she was simply imagining things.��


    ��Did you hear that?��


    The man looked at her with confusion in his eyes and was just about to speak when he heard the shouting of several men, in anguage he did not recognize. He quickly rushed through the woods and onto the cliff below to investigate the noise.


    When he gazed down at the beach below, he could not believe his eyes. Golden-haired men with pale skin and blue eyes were dressed in clothing he did not recognize, carrying weapons he could notprehend. However, the most insane thing of all was that these men came from the east, beyond the great sea in massive vessels, using machines to dig out the sand on the beaches below.


    Some of these men were inspecting the corpse that had fallen from the cliff above, and when they gazed up to see where he hade from, they witnessed the sight of the native warrior with a weapon in his hand. Immediately, the German soldiers reacted by raising their weapons and shouting at the native.


    ��Drop your weapons! Drop them now!��


    Unfortunately, themunication barrier was too strong to ovee, and after seeing their hostile weapons and speaking in an aggressive tone, the jaguar warrior did not react as the Germans had expected and charged down towards them.


    Unfortunately, he was dealing with men equipped with vastly superior weapons and the squad of soldiers instantly fired their rifles, sending their.45-70 projectiles straight into the man��s torso, iming his life in the process.


    The woman who had apanied the jaguar soldier immediately cried out in shock as she witness the death of herrade.


    ��noch!��


    However, as the Germans overheard her shrieks, they rapidly reloaded their weapons and fired in her general direction, narrowly missing her in the process. The Princess immediately copsed to her knees in fear and ran off in the opposite direction.


    She could not believe what she had just seen. These men who had so ruthlessly gunned down herrade resembled the god Quetzalcoatl and hade from the east where he was said to be banished. On a one reading year nheless, were these the envoys of the great feathered serpent? If so, why were they hostile? These were the thoughts that flooded the woman��s mind as she ran away from the bloody scene.


    Meanwhile, Berengar had heard the gunshots and rushed over to the location where he witnessed the two dead natives lying in the ditch created by the steam shovel. He nced around and addressed the NCO in charge of the squad.


    ��Where did theye from? Are there any more of them?��


    The sergeant immediately saluted his officer and reported what limited information he knew about the situation.


    ��We heard a woman wail after we shot the big one. However, after firing a volley, she appears to have escaped into the woods. As for the smaller one, it appears that big guy was chasing him, and had a spear thrown through his chest. It all happened so fast����


    Berengar nodded his head and gazed into the hills above with a devilish smirk on his face before issuing his orders.


    ��Alert the patrols we havee into contact with potentially hostile natives. As for the one who escaped, I will get her, quickly fetch me my horse, and the members of my royal guard. It appears a chase is in order.��


    The sergeant immediately saluted and responded in the affirmative.


    ��Yes, my Kaiser!��


    After saying this, the Germans were alerted to the presence of the hostile natives and be on edge. Meanwhile, Berengar would begin the pursuit of the mysterious woman with his royal guard in tow.

 Chapter 618: The Great Pursuit

    Chapter 618: The Great Pursuit


    News spread like wildfire in the German camp. Despite justnding hours ago, Natives had already revealed themselves and proven to be hostile. Before Honoria could even react, her man was leading a pursuit into the unknownndscape. By the time she figured out what was going on, Berengar was already gone. Leaving the byzantine princess to curse the man she loved.


    ��Bastard! I thought we were supposed to do this together!��


    While Honoriamented her lot in life. Berengar was In the woonds, where he rode on top of his mighty red steed. A cavalry sword was in his left hand, while the reins were in his right. He skillfully maneuvered through the dense woods in pursuit of a woman who had witnessed his people��snding.


    If she were to report back to whatever Kingdom she hailed from, it would only cause further conflict. For the safety of the Germannding party, she needed to be captured or eliminated. Thus, he had personally led the charge as he wanted to get this over with as quick as possible.


    Though the woman had a head start, she was, after all, only on foot. The speed and maneuverability of cavalry posed a significant advantage to the German host. However, there was one serious matter they werecking in, and that was knowledge of the local terrain. Though they knew the general direction she had gone in, they could only follow the clues left behind from her retreat of locate the woman of interest.


    While Berengar was in pursuit, the female jaguar warrior had regrouped with her allies and informed them of what she had witnessed.


    ��I��m telling you, there were several hundred, maybe a thousand, of these golden-haired, white skin men. Several of which could conjure thunder. With a simple pointing of a stick, they murdered noch as if he were a mere ant!��


    A particrlyrge and burly warrior scoffed when he heard such words. A group of golden-haired, white skin mening from the east, possessing the ability to conjure thunder. What were they, the offspring of the feathered serpent? Because of this absurdity, he was not afraid to express his disbelief.


    ��Princess Tlexictli, with all due respect, I think you shouldy off the mushrooms. They are starting to affect your mind!��


    The young princess immediately pouted as she urged her party to retreat.


    ��Fine, believe me, don��t believe me, I don��t care. The fact of the matter is that our mission isplete, and my father will be furious if something were to happen to me. There is no reason to stay here, especially after what I have seen!��


    The warrior scoffed once more. He was about to tell the Princess what he really thought of her wild ims. However, before he could utter a word, the scout of the party lifted his ear from the ground and interrupted.


    ��Something ising�� I don��t know what it is. It sounds like a group of beasts I��ve never heard before.��


    Tlexictli eye��s grew wide in shock, and immediately shouted to herrades.


    ��Quick, hide! It��s them!��


    Before the team could react, the Princess had run off and climbed into arge tree. Gazing down at the area below where her friends were too slow to react. The beating of hooves resounded as Berengar and his squad came across the Jaguar warriors.


    The natives raised their weapons in fear when they realized what their princess had said was urate. One of them immediately pulled out a blowgun and prepared to strike, however before he could react, Berengar retrieved his revolver with his free hand and fired a round straight into the man��s skull, killing him on the spot.


    The loud thunderbined with the sttering of the man��s brains caused the other jaguar warriors to freeze in trepidation. They were absolutely terrified of what they had just witnessed. Before they could get their act together, the German cavalry pulled out theirssos and ensnared the surviving native warriors, jumping off their horses to hogtie them on the ground.


    Berengar immediately noticed that no woman was present, and thus he climbed off his horse and gazed around at his surroundings, looking for the missing member of the squad. Despite his best efforts, the thick foliage had sessfully concealed the warrior princess as she red at the one eyed man with hatred in her eyes.


    Berengar immediately grabbed hold of one of the hogtied men, and pressed him against a rock, pointing the revolver to his skull, and pulling back the hammer as he shouted at the man in the german tongue.


    ��Where is she!?!��


    The warrior in question was the same man who had believed that the Princess was making up a fairy tale. He gazed up toward where the woman hid, and said nothing, instead spitting on Berengar��s face in ast act of defiance.


    Enraged by this behavior, Berengar head butted the man, instantly dropping him to the knees where the German Emperor shed at the man��s neck with his de. The cold steel edge easily cut through the spine and severed his head.


    When Tlexictli saw this, she could only bite her tongue in order to silence the scream rising within her. She swore she would taste this one eyed man��s blood before the days were over. As for Berengar, the moment he realized he would not get any information from these men, he ordered for their lives to be terminated.


    ��Kill them, and search for the girl. She couldn��t have gotten far!��


    With this order given, the members of the Royal Guard raised their rifles and gunned down the captives mercilessly before searching their surroundings. As for Berengar, he searched the area for any clues where the woman might be hiding.


    While he was doing this, Tlexictli climbed in the tress above, stalking the members of the German Royal Guard like a sly jaguar. Only when the men were alone did she strike? The woman reached into her belt and grabbed hold of her obsidian headed axe before jumping off the branch and onto the back of one of the German soldiers, covering his mouth with her hand and slitting his throat with the sharp edge of her stone axe.


    Aside from the noise caused by the tumble, not a single sound had escaped into the surroundings, allowing her to stealthily retreat to the trees above. She repeated this tactic until Berengar was all alone, returning to the bloody scene where the German Emperor inspected his surroundings.


    As the leader of these foreigners, and the man who issued the order to ughter herrades, Tlexictli knew that Berengar��s death had to be slow and painful. Thus, she stealthily approached him as he was kneeling down and observing footprints. Just when she was about to incapacitate her target, he spun around and raised his revolver to her face, saying a single word.


    ��Clever girl����


    However, in the next moment, Berengar��s smug expression vanished and was reced with one of fear as the yellow eyes of these regions�� greatest predator revealed themselves from the shadow. While Tlexictli had been hunting Berengar��s men, she too was being pursued by a vicious jaguar, enraged by the sight of its in kin being worn so proudly over the woman��s naked figure.


    Berengar reacted before the Jaguar could pounce, pushing the woman out of the way, and raising his sword in the air as the creature jumped where she once knelt, skewering itself in the process. The jaguar wailed and roared as in its death throes, trying its best to take the man who had so violently prated its abdomen with it into the afterlife.


    The German Emperor struggled to reach for his revolver that had been knocked to the floor in the scramble as he evaded the creature��s jagged teeth, which snapped towards his neck in an attempt to im his life. The only thing keeping it at bay was the sword embedded in its guts. Eventually, Berengar grabbed hold of the gun and raised it to the beast��s skull, squeezing the trigger and blowing out its brains.


    After killing the Jaguar, Berengar retrieved his de, sheathing it into his scabbard. By the time he recovered, he noticed that the woman had assumed a fighting position, and was encircling him. Clearly, their little dance was far from over. Recognizing the danger he was in, Berengar lifted his revolver once more and sighed heavily in defeat before revealing his thoughts..


    ��I really do not want to have to kill you. It is against my moral code to kill a beautiful young woman such as yourself. I thought that by saving your life, you may havee peacefully, but I can tell by the hatred in your eyes that this will only end with one of our deaths. I��m sorry��. But your time hase.��


    Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, the girl pounced on him like a wild beast, causing him to miss his shot. Where she grabbed ahold of him andunched the two of them off the edge of a nearby cliff. The duo tumbled into the dirt and rocks below as they fell down into a river,pletely unconscious. By the time the two rivals awoke from their state, they would have floated downstream, to a strange and foreignnd.

 Chapter ?619 working Together to Survive

    Chapter ?619 working Together to Survive


    Hours had passed since Berengar and Tlexictli fell over the cliff��s edge. Lying on the riverbed was the young German Emperor who awoke from his unconscious state with a sore head and a damp body. His first instinct was to look around him and survey his surroundings. The moment he finally gained rity, he realized he was alone in the jungle, with nothing but his sword and a few loose bullets to keep himpany.


    Aftering to this realization, he desperately searched for hispass, which he immediately realized was missing. It must have fallen out of his pouch when he was tumbling down the cliff, or so he thought. Berengar groaned as he stretched his legs, and rose from the riverbed, stretching his sore body to ensure that everything was still functional.


    After confirming that he was miraculously uninjured, Berengar gazed off into the distance. Large wooded cliffs and a rtively narrow river surrounded him. Aside from that, all he could see was a waterfall in the distance. A single thought escaped his lips as he realized the precarious situation he was in.


    ��I am so fucked����


    He had only one hope: find the woman he had fallen off the cliff with, and coerce her to lead him back to his camp. Unfortunately, she was not within his immediate vicinity, and it was entirely possible that she flowed down a different path in the river. With only one immediatendmark visible to him, Berengar headed to spring below the waterfall, hoping to find something of value.


    Berengar marched for several hundred yards on the edges of the unknown river before arriving hat his destination, it appeared that God favored him. For the moment he approached the pond, he spotted the woman he had been chasing. There was visible pain on the woman��s pretty face as she stretched her ankle and grunted in agony.


    Berengar took a moment to thoroughly examine the native beauty. She was young, not even in her mid-twenties, and she had short brown hair in a style simr to a bob. She had an athletic frame which was stacked with muscle, with a defined six pack. Evidently, she spent arge amount of time engaging in physical fitness. Which was not surprising when he considered the fact that she was an Aztec jaguar warrior.


    Other noticeable features were the red war paint that adorned her face and body. Which concealed her bare breast. If Berengar had to guess, she was sporting C cups, which were just the right size, in his opinion, for a fit woman like her.


    He nodded his head in approval of the woman��s beauty. Not everyone could understand the appeal of fit women, but he was a man of culture and truly appreciated the hard work this native girl had put into her health.


    After a while, the woman noticed Berengar examining her and flushed with embarrassment before grabbing hold of her obsidian hatchet and attempting to charge at him. Unfortunately, she had severely sprained her ankle during the fall and was in no condition to fight. Thus she copsed into the river, glistening her already damp tan skin with water.


    Berengar noted this and chuckled before helping the woman out of the river. The first thing he did was confiscate her weapon her, which she immediately reacted to, struggling to gain possession of her obsidian ax. However, Berengar was stronger, and swifter, thus he easily secured the weapon in his personage. He simply could not risk the woman being armed during negotiations.


    After all, she was his only guide out of this foreign territory. However, coercing her into assisting him would take all of his charm, especially when one considered they could notmunicate with one another throughnguage.


    The woman struggled out of Berengar��s grip and tried to punch him. However, Berengar was obviously stronger, and merely wrestled her to the ground while pinning her arms to the sandy floor. There was simply nothing she could do other than avert her gaze and bite her lips as she feared the worst treatment by her captor.


    Berengar did not take the bait, and instead continued to hold her until she relented to his control. After several minutes of struggle, the woman looked up at him in shock, stunned by the fact that he did not rape her. Berengar noticed her confusion and merely responded by whispering in her ears.


    ��Are you going to behave now?��


    Though Tlexictli could not understand what the strange one eyed man was saying, she knew it was not hostile by the tone of his voice, and if anything it was yful. Thus, there was a confused expression on her face as she tried tomunicate with this stranger from the east.


    ��You��re not going to im my virtue?��


    Berengar did not know what the woman was saying, but he could tell by the tone of her voice it was a question. Thus, he took the safe route and assumed she was asking whether he would kill her. Thus, he shook his head in response. His actions confused the woman, as rape was amon consequence of war, and she expected this golden-haired man to force himself on her after achieving his victory.


    Upon seeing the confusion on her face, Berengar released his control and lifted his hands in a non-threatening gesture,municating with bodynguage the need for cooperation. He achieved this by pointing to her ankle, then pointing to the cliff above. Emphasizing that she could not make the trek herself. He then pointed to himself and his surroundings while shaking his head.


    ��You can not walk, and I do not know where I am. Only together can we escape this pit alive. So, shall we work together to ovee our current predicament?��


    After several failed attempts, Berengar managed to sessfully convey his thoughts, leaving the woman to ponder on the proposition. She knew it was her best option for survival, but if she led this man to safety, he would surely keep her as his captive. Preventing her from warning her people about the strange invaders that had entered her father��snds.


    However, if she did not ept his proposition, she would die here long before she recovered from her injury. It all came down to what was a worse fate, captivity, or death. If she were to judge by how her own people treated captives, then she would surely choose death.Do you want to read more chapters? Come to p a n d a �C n o v e l,c o m


    However, this man had already showed his unwillingness to harm her, and considering the possibility that he might be the envoy of the feathered serpent, or gods forbid the deity Quetzalcoatl in the flesh, then perhaps risking captivity might be worth it.


    Thus, after careful consideration, Tlexictli nodded her head, and motioned for Berengar to carry her up the cliff, a task the German Emperor was well prepared to take. Berengar immediately lifted the girl up into a piggyback position and instructed her to form a body triangle around him, securing her grip over him and freeing his hands for climbing.


    He had to fight every instinct he had of freeing himself from such a secure grip, and instead pursue his path out of the narrow river valley. The strength that this golden-haired man exuded as he carried not only his own bodyweight but hers as well impressed the Aztec Princess.


    Berengar climbed up the cliff side as if he were a seasoned rock climber, never looking down, and never fumbling. A single mistake would surely mean their deaths, and despite this pressure, he continued upward into the sky until he reached the ledge.


    With all the strength in his body, Berengartched hold of the cliff edge and pulled himself and Tlexictli onto the teau above. Sweat had umted across his body, and he breathed heavily as he unfastened his cor and medals, pulling open his hussar��s tunic while showing off his glistening pale pecs.


    Upon seeing this, Tlexictli realized where his strength came from. It turned out this man was every bit as a warrior as herrades who he had in, and was not merely relying on the mystical powers of thunder to achieve victory.


    As the two rested on the ledge above, a pair of jewel-like eyes gazed upon the duo from the distance. Hidden within the woods was the figure of a woman whose face was obscured by a bird headdress. This strange woman smirked as she gazed upon the duo��s escape from the river valley. Unknowingly to Berengar, she praised him and his efforts as she spoke in a long forgottennguage.


    ��Impressive�� I see now why they have chosen him�� I look forward to ying with the boy emperor when he enters the ancient city����


    After saying this, the woman vanished into thin air, as if she had never existed to begin with. In her ce, a dense fog dispersed and filled the area. Berengar and Tlexictli gazed in shock, entirely unaware that a supernatural presence was responsible for the sudden turn of the weather. It would appear their ability to navigate through the dense jungle had be a troublesome matter.

 Chapter 620: The Search for the Missing Emperor

    Chapter 620: The Search for the Missing Emperor


    Honoria rode upon horseback through the dense woods as she desperately searched for her missing husband. It had been twelve hours since Berengar rode off in search of the witness to the German ughter, and the byzantine Princess had be dreadfully worried. For thest three hours, she and the soldiers searched frantically for any clue regarding the whereabouts of their absent emperor, only toe up empty.


    With an oilmp tied around her horse��s neck, Honoria continued to delve deep into the woonds, searching for the man she loved. Finally, after hours of effort, she heard some good news as one of her girls called out to her from a few yards ahead.


    ��Honoria! Over here, I think I have found something!��


    Upon hearing this, the Pirate Queen snapped her reins and charged after herrade, where she witnessed a gruesome sight. The eaten remains of various humans lie on the ground, with shredded clothing and scattered weapons. It was nearly impossible to identify any of the men who had died in this struggle and thus, Honoria broke out into tears, believing that her husband had been in.


    However, in the next moment, one soldier climbed up from the cliff below and presented two items, Berengar��s revolver and hispass, as well as a few scattered bullets that had followed him on his fall into the river below. When Honoria noticed this, she felt as if her heart might explode, and quickly asked for rification on what had happened.


    ��What have you found? Is the Emperor dead!?!��


    The man shook his head before rying the information he had gathered from the site.


    ��It appears there was an armed struggle. Judging from the weapons we have found littering the scene above, the Royal Guardsmen are dead, as well as several hostiles. However, judging from the condition of the hillside, the Emperor was thrown over the ledge and tumbled into the river below, most likely floating downstream. It is possible he is still alive.��


    Honoria sighed in relief as she heard this, she took several moments to wipe the tears from her eyes, and steel her resolve before issuing her orders.


    ��Then what are we waiting for? We must follow this river at once. I will not rest until I find my husband, or what remains of him.��


    The soldier immediately saluted the Byzantine Princess and responded in the affirmative.


    ��Yes, ma��am!��


    With this said, Honoria pulled out a re gun and fired a green re straight into the sky, marking their location to the nearby search teams, alerting them they found a clue to the Emperor��s whereabouts. After doing this, she gave an additional order.


    ��Have some men stay behind and exin the situation. The rest of you. Come with me. We must find Berengar before something happens to him. I pray to God that we are not toote!��


    After saying this, she snapped her reins once more and charged down the hillside, into the river valley, following its course downstream in the desperate hope that she could find her man safe and sound.


    ��


    While Honoria was searching for Berengar, he was in the thick fog within the woonds above the river valley, wandering aimlessly, praying to whatever deity that was listening, hoping some hidden jaguar or poisonous snake did not take advantage of his poor condition.


    Latched onto his back in a body triangle was the Princess of the Aztec Empire. Though Berengar did not know it, certain events had changed in this timeline that allowed the Aztec Empire to form a decade earlier, and the woman he had been pursuing so ruthlessly was actually its third princess who had elected to live the life of a jaguar warrior.


    As the two blindly traversed through the treacherous terrain, a shimmering light appeared in the fog. It was the color of emeralds, and was moving along the ground with each of Berengar��s steps as if providing a safe path for the duo to walk upon. Berengar was stunned when he saw this. Perhaps he was in the middle of another supernatural encounter. As for Tlexictli, she began speaking in her own tongue. Surprisingly Berengar could now understand her words.


    ��My gods, could it be?��


    Berengar immediately looked behind him and over at the woman in shock before expressing his disbelief on the German tongue.


    ��What did you just say?��


    It was now Tlexictli��s turn to be astonished. Even though she heard the foreign words of the German Language, she could understand them as clear as day. She immediately questioned if she was hearing things and asked for rification.


    ��You can understand me?��


    Berengar silently nodded his head with a befuddled expression. How was this possible? Then again, when he thought about it, he had previously understood the girl who he believed to be the ancient Germanic Goddess Baduhenna. When he had that vision in the woods within the borders of Frisia, he could understand the little girl clearly, despite the fact that she spoke an ancient and forgotten predecessor to the Germannguage. Do you want to read more chapters? Come to p a n d a �C n o v e l,c o m


    The duo stared at each other in disbelief. There were so many questions that they wanted to ask, but before the Aztec princess could ask the question that was most prevalent within her mind, Berengar interrupted her.


    ��We should save any questions we have forter and follow this path. I doubt whatever being is responsible for this would be happy if we deviated from the red carpet they haveid out for us.��


    Though Berengar had used an idiom from his past life, somehow the girl understood what he meant, and simply nodded her head in silence as the two followed the glowing path. After several miles, they reached the ruins of an ancient and abandoned civilization.


    Berengar gazed upon the many pyramids that existed in the city with a shocked expression. However, one such architectural marvel stood out above all others and when Berengar witnessed its glory, expressed the single thought that dwelled in his mind.


    ��The Pyramid of the Sun�� How is this possible?��


    Berengar gazed upon the abandoned ancient city with an awe filled gaze. Unlike what he expected to find, the city, which had been abandoned for close to a thousand years, was in pristine condition, as if it had been taken care of all these years without the slightest sign of decay. Tlexictli immediately stared at Berengar in disbelief. She could not fathom how this foreigner from across the great sea knew about the great city of Teotihuac��n and could only scoffed in response.


    ��Impossible, the City of the Gods is a ruin. I have seen it with my own eyes. Whatever this ce is, it ispletely intact, as if it was abandoned just mere days ago.��


    Berengar shook his head. He did not have an answer for this, but he knew for a fact that what he was looking at was the city of Teotihuac��n. Just when he was about to lecture the girl, a woman appeared out of nowhere, wearing a feathered headdress in the shape of a bird. Itpletely concealed her features.


    When Berengar saw this, he knew he had encountered another pagan deity, and he instantly kneeled before the goddess.Tlexictli, on the other hand, screeched in shock and cried out to the strange woman who appeared out of thin air.


    ��Who are you? Where did youe from?��


    The woman smirked beneath her headdress before waving her hand. The moment she did so, Tlexictli fell asleep on Berengar��s back. Berengar gulped his sweat in fear that the woman might harm him, however despite his reservations, he stood his ground. When the woman saw this, she chuckled before expressing her disbelief.


    ��So she has given you the boon of courage? Interesting�� I never thought I would see the day where that old hag so freely gave away such a powerful gift.��


    Berengar immediately knew who she was talking about and gazed at the woman in front of him in disbelief before voicing his thoughts.


    ��Old hag?��


    The mysterious goddess chuckled when she heard this before criticizing Berengar��s naivety.


    ��She may look like a small child, but believe me when I say that she is older than I am. Though I��m not surprised you are unaware of such a thing. After all, your peoplecked a writtennguage during the days following what you would call the Nordic Bronze Age.��


    Berengar could not believe what he was hearing. Not only was this woman iming to be a goddess, but she also knew about his people. The mysterious woman merely giggled as she saw the look on his face and made a crypticment to rify matters.


    ��What? Do you seriously think that just because you humansck the means tomunicate with one another over long distances, that us deities are bound to the same rules? I mean, we are gods, after all. So, yes, I am aware of the other pantheons, and the history of the people who worship them.��


    Berengar struggled toprehend what he was hearing, but the woman cut him off before he could ask for rification.


    ��Leave the girl behind. I give you my word that she will be safe within the boundaries of my city. We have much to discuss alone����


    Berengar did not question the orders he was given and merely bowed his head before leaving Tlexictli behind as he walked off towards a distant pyramid, following the curvy figure of the mysterious goddess to her temple.

 Chapter ?621 An lnteresting Conversation with a Long Forgotten Diety Part l

    Chapter ?621 An lnteresting Conversation with a Long Forgotten Diety Part l


    Night had fallen and the German Emperor stood within the confines of an enormous pyramid which once acted as a temple to the mysterious goddess he had encountered in the ancient city of Teotihuac��n. The interior was lit with an ethereal light, which he believed to be the work of the deity in question.


    The most notable feature of the interior of this pyramid was not the ornate nature of its pristine fittings, but the countless spiders who crawled among the walls. When Berengar saw this, he felt as if he knew the identity of the woman who sat upon the altar with such grace. Ultimately, he could not contain his shock and voiced his thoughts aloud.


    ��You are the Great goddess of Teotihuac��n, are you not?��


    Though Berengar could not tell, the mysterious goddess smiled beneath her headdress before nodding her head in response.


    ��They said you were knowledgeable about this world��s history, and though it is not the same as the one youe from, it��s good to see that I am not entirely forgotten.��


    Berengar was stunned. After all, historians knew very little about this goddess. Not even her name was recorded in history, and her existence was entirely a matter of spection. Because of this, there were some crazy theories about what role she yed in the ancient civilization, the mostmon one being she was a goddess of the underworld.


    Among these strange theories was the idea that she may have been mixed gender. How historians came up with this theory, Berengar truthfully did not know, as pre-Columbian American history was not his forte. However, this became the most pertinent question in his mind, and he struggled to ask for rification on the matter.


    ��Are you�� you know��. a woman�� down there?��


    The goddess immediately broke out into a fit ofughter as she saw the awkward expression on the German Emperor��s face. After several moments, she calmed herself, before answering Berengar��s question with one of her own.


    ��Would you like to see?��


    Berengar gulped his saliva as he heard such a response. He had to admit he was not expecting such a thing. Normally, a man would turn back at this point and rather live in the unknown than know the truth of such a matter. Perhaps it was because Baduhenna had gifted Berengar with the boon of courage, but he slowly nodded his head in silence.


    When the goddess saw this, she smiled before parting her skirt, revealing arge, tanned manhood. Berengar almost did not believe his sight, for in the very next moment, the goddess hid her lower half with her skirt before teasing Berengar for his strange thought process.


    ��I have to admit you are a peculiar man. Most in your position would be curious about how they ended up in this world, who was pulling their strings, and what ns the gods might have for them. However, you are more interested in proving whether an obscure historical theory is correct�� Well, are you satisfied with the answer?��


    Berengar was struggling toe to terms with what he had just witnessed, and merely gazed at the goddess in shock. He simply nodded his head in silence, with a dumbfounded expression on his face. At the very least, a historical curiosity of his had been answered. Whether it was the answer, Berengar was hoping for only he would know.


    Upon seeing Berengar��s response, the goddess climbed off her altar and approached Berengar with a seductive sway. She ced her palm on his shoulder as she whispered something into his ear. Do you want to read more chapters? Come to ***


    ��Now that I��ve answered your question, how about you answer one of mine?��


    Berengar did not know how to react to the goddess�� movements, but he chose not to provoke her and instead answered her in the affirmative.


    ��What would you like to know?��


    The Great goddess of Teotihuacan removed her bird headdress to reveal an extremely feminine and beautiful face. She had long dark hair which fell to her hips, and dark chocte eyes. Her skin was tanned like the native poption, and if Berengar had not just witnessed her manhood, he would be certain she was the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered.


    Aside from her face, she had a curvy body with a perfect hourss figure which supported a substantial bosom that rivaled that of many of Berengar��s wives. In fact, he was actually curious what she would look like naked, considering she had the upper half of a woman, but the lower half of a man. When the goddess saw his inquisitive gaze, she merely smirked before teasing him.


    ��If you look at me with such longing, I might just have to y with you�� However, that will have to wait until after we have had our little conversation. So tell me, what are your ns for the Aztec Empire?��


    Berengar immediately snapped back to reality when he heard these words and reflected on the woman��s question with fierce intent. There were still a bunch of questions on his mind, but the key among them was the existence of the Aztec Empire in this world.


    ��So the Aztec Empire already exists in this timeline?��


    The goddess nodded her head before responding to Berengar��s question.


    ��Indeed, in fact, that little girl you carried to these ruins is the third princess of their Empire. So allow me to reiterate, what are your ns for the Aztec Empire?��


    Berengar thought long and hard about this question. He feared if he gave the wrong answer, the goddess would im his life. Thus, in order to test the waters, he posed a purely hypothetical question.


    ��Would you be enraged if I my answer was conquest?��


    The goddess did not behave as Berengar had expected and immediately giggled before retorting to his question.


    ��You think I care about the Aztecs? They aren��t even aware I exist, let alone worship me. No, the civilization that once saw me as their goddess is long extinct, do with the Aztecs as you please. I��m just curious whether you n to follow the same path as yourst life.��


    Berengar was relieved when he realized she would not kill him for answering incorrectly, thus he did not hesitate to voice his honest thoughts on the matter.


    ��Initially, I had nned to conquer Mesoamerica. After all, there is a vast stockpile of resources here that I need for my Empire to truly prosper. However, as I dwell on this idea, such a thing seems not only unlikely but also the longest route to sess. If I were truly to pursue the route of conquest, there is only one feasible way I could gain the resources in the region. That is through vebor, and I am abhor such a thing.


    The fact of the matter is I simply do not have the poption to colonize Mesoamerica in this lifetime. Which is why I have considered an alternative, and that is to force the Aztec Empire beneath the heel of the Reich and make them acknowledge us as their suzerains.


    In doing so, the Aztecs can continue to rule thesends, and use their massive hordes of ves to mine the resource deposits I tell them to, where they will then pay tribute to the fathend. This allows me to slowly and steadily introduce the gold and silver to my economy, in a way that won��t destroy it.��


    The goddess merely smiled at Berengar and nodded her head in approval. After doing so, she grabbed hold of his head and kissed him on the lips. The moment she did so, Berengar felt a searing pain inside his body, and in the next moment, he fell to his knees, grasping his chest in indignation. He gazed up at the woman in fury as he interrogated her for her actions.


    ��What the hell did you just do to me?��


    The goddess frowned and flicked the German Emperor��s forehead before scolding him for his tone.


    ��You should be thankful that I have taken an interest in you. If you must know, I removed the mark the Abrahamic god has branded upon your soul, and reced it with my own. When your body finally passes away from this world, your soul will reside here with me for eternity. This is the greatest gift I can give you as a goddess of the underworld. Trust me, it is a better alternative than where you were headed����


    Berengar gazed at the woman in shock. He could not believe what he had just heard. Thus, he could not help but ask the question on his mind.


    ��The Abrahamic god is real?��


    The goddess frowned when she heard this. Evidently, she was not on good terms with the Abrahamic god. However, ultimately, she sighed as she nodded her head before responding.


    ��Indeed, though, he is not nearly as powerful as his worshippers tend to believe. If anything, he is among the weakest of the gods, hence why he has no actual effect on the world outside of what his followers do in his name.


    However, because your parents had you baptized at birth, he had a im over your soul, and believe me when I say that old bastard had you destined for the pit. It��s a shame, but the only way to remove a god��s brand is for another more powerful deity of the underworld to rece it with their own.��


    Berengar gazed around at his surroundings and nodded his head in approval before making a joke about his situation.


    ��I suppose an eternity here is better than the pit, especially when I have such a beautiful goddess to look after me����


    The great goddess of Teotihuac��n was awestruck when she heard this response. Even after revealing her lower half, this crazy bastard still had the gall to say such a thing. She could not help but blush before muttering something under her breath.


    ��Just don��t go getting any other deity to rece my brand, or else I will never forgive you!��


    Berengar gazed at the goddess with a questioning gaze. He had not quite heard what she said and asked for rification.


    ��I��m sorry. What was that?��


    In the very next instant, the goddess acted as if she had never said a thing.


    ��I didn��t say anything����


    Berengar scoffed when he heard such shamelessness before switching the conversation to something more important. After all, this was the longest and most productive conversation he had with a deity, and he wanted to learn everything he could about the supernatural aspect of this world.


    ��So if the Abrahamic god exists, then why was I reincarnated into this world?��

 Chapter 622: An Interesting Conversation with a Long Forgotten Diety Part ll

    Chapter 622: An Interesting Conversation with a Long Forgotten Diety Part ll


    The Great goddess of Teotihuacan gazed upon Berengar with a yful smirk before she responded to his question in a deliberately deflective manner.


    ��I��m sorry, but that is not something I can reveal. Do not fret, I am sure that in time you will find those who brought you here, and on that day you can ask them all the questions you want about your role in this world. For now, just know that your soul belongs to me, so do nothing that will bring me dishonor!��


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before responding to the deity��s quip.


    ��Fine, I promise I won��t do anything to dishonor your name����


    After this was said, the two of them shared augh, knowing full well that Berengar would not live up to that promise. When they had finally calmed down, the German Emperor asked the next most important question on his mind.


    ��So that girl I brought with me is a princess of the Aztec Empire? It��s a damned good thing I didn��t kill her����


    The goddess nodded her head before agreeing with what Berengar had said.


    ��Yeah, I believe that would have severely harmed your prospects of turning the Aztec Empire into a protectorate����


    Upon hearing this, Berengar sighed before gazing around the interior of the temple. He did not even know where to begin on his campaign to subjugate the Aztec empire. Eventually, he was forced to ask the goddess for her opinion.


    ��So what now?


    The goddess walked away from Berengar and sat back down on her altar in a suggestive state. She did not hesitate to respond to Berengar��s question with her opinion on how to proceed.


    ��For now, you two can stay here as long as you need. The girl is injured, is she not? She will need time to heel. Luckily for you, the flow of time moves slower in my domain than it does out there in the real world. What will appear to be a lifetime in this realm will be a matter of minutes outside. That��s why this abandoned city does not look the slightest bit decayed.��


    It shocked Berengar when he heard this, and he immediately followed up with another question.


    ��Will I age while I am in this divine realm of yours?��


    The goddess shook her head before she ced her chin on the palm of her hand. She took a few moments to look pretty before responding to Berengar��s question.


    ��Not at all. I have total control over everything within my domain, including whether you two grow older with time. If you work hard to please me, I assure you I will make it so you are every bit as young as the moment you stepped foot within my divine realm.��


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before raising a brow.Do you want to read more chapters? Come to p a n d a �C n ovel,c.o.m


    ��Please you how, exactly?��


    The goddess looked at him with a seductive expression as she was deliberately vague about her answer.


    ��You will know soon enough. For now, you should use what spare time I have given you to mend that girl��s wound, and teach her yournguage. I am certain that will be useful for you in the future����


    This response intrigued Berengar, and he was quick to follow up her statement with a question.


    ��But we canmunicate with each other now. Will that ability disappear when we leave your domain?��


    In response to this, the goddess nodded her heard before further exining the matter.


    ��In my divine realm, the barrier ofnguage does not exist, but the moment you two leave, you will be once more bound by that restriction. I am a goddess of the underworld. I do not have the means to grant you the boon of universalmunication. If you want such a thing, you would have to seek out a god of knowledge.��


    Berengar sighed in defeat as he heard this. If such a thing was true, then he had no choice but to follow the goddess��s suggestion. After all, he needed a trantor to effectivelymunicate with the Aztec Empire.


    Of course, he still nned to wage war, as he knew the native empire would not submit without a proper show of force. Still, holding the princess captive, and using her to trante his demands, would be a powerful bargaining chip. With that in mind, Berengar nodded his head in silence as he came up with a n. After doing so, he looked up at the goddess, who was smiling at him, and responded with his thoughts.


    ��Very well. Should we go retrieve the girl? I have much I wish to discuss with her.��


    However, the goddess response surprised Berengar as she was quick to decline the offer.


    ��You can go to her if you so wish, but I will not speak with her. By the time you two decide to leave this ce, I will alter her memories so that she remembers nothing about this journey other than the time you two spent together. If I were to appear before her again, it would onlyplicate matters.��


    This answer perplexed Berengar, and he could not help but ask the question on his mind.


    ��What will you do when I am with the princess? Isn��t it lonely to be here by yourself?��


    In response to this question, the goddess merely scoffed before flicking Berengar on the nose yet again.


    ��I have been living here alone in this divine realm for an eternity by your mortal standards. I think I will be fine without you, besides it won��t be long before youe scurrying for my favor. After all, I know how precious your lifespan is to you.��


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before responding with another question.


    ��What about when I leave this ce? You will be alone again for some time����


    In response to this, the goddessughed before making a joke about Berengar��s mortality.


    ��A few decades at most. I am a patient woman, and your soul now belongs to me. It won��t be too long before you have returned to my domain, where we will spend eternity together.��


    Berengar did not know how to respond to this. He simply could notprehend the humor of a divine being such as this goddess. Instead, here merely sighed before switching the subject once more.


    ��Alright, I will go find the princess, until we meet again, goddess����


    After Berengar was long out of sight, the goddess sighed heavily before copsing onto her altar. She had a defeated expression on her face as she questioned her actions.


    ��What is wrong with me? Why did I save his soul from damnation?��


    After saying this, she gazed down at her lower body and noticed that she was pitching a tent. It was at that moment sheughed to herself andmented on the whole situation with a heavy sigh.


    ��Of course that��s why����


    Berengar did not know, but the mixed-gender goddess fantasized about him in his absence. As for the man in question, he rushed down from the temple and found the Aztec Princess still asleep against the side of a building.


    It was not until he touched her forehead did she fully awake. Her first reaction was to gaze around her and witness the splendor of the ancient city of Teotihuacan, which was still in its prime. A single gasp escaped her breath, followed by the thoughts contained within her mind.


    ��So this is the city of the gods, huh?��


    After saying this, she remembered the strange woman in the bird headdress who had appeared out of thin air and immediately looked towards Berengar before asking the question on her mind.


    ��Where is she?��


    Berengar chuckled in response before giving a bullshit exnation to appease the Aztec Princess.


    ��She��s gone. There is nothing you need to worry about. You won��t be seeing her again anytime soon.��


    The warrior princess gazed at Berengar with confusion before trying to stand up. However, in the next moment, she immediately realized that she was still injured and fell to her knees while grimacing in pain. Berengar gazed upon the girl with some sympathy and offered once more to carry her on his back. Which she begrudgingly epted.


    ��Thank you����


    Berengar smiled as he lifted the woman onto her back before introducing himself.


    ��I am Berengar von Kufstein, what is your name?��


    The Aztec princess gazed upon the German Emperor from behind with aplicated expression. Ultimately, she revealed the truth of her identity.


    ��Tlexictli����


    Berengar nodded his head when he heard this before responding to the girl with a friendly smile.


    ��Well, Tlexictli, let��s go find a ce to stay. It appears like this fog will not disappear anytime soon, so we should pick a lodging where you can properly rest.��


    The Aztec princess remained silent as Berengar chose the building closest to the temple of the great goddess of Teotihuacan. After everything the deity he had said, he knew he would have to curry for her favor in order to save his lifespan from the unique flow of time within this divine realm.


    In theing days, Berengar would provide basic medical aid to the Aztec Princess�� sprained ankle and instruct her on how to speak German. He would also spend whatever time he could spare visiting the great goddess of Teotihuacan in his attempts to appease her. After all, his very existence depended on it.

 Chapter ?623 A Solemn Farewell

    Chapter ?623 A Solemn Farewell


    Hours had passed since Honoria and her search party first descended into the river valley in search of the missing German Emperor, and yet they still had not found any additional clues. While this was a short period of time in the real world, it was several months within the Divine Realm of the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan.


    The Byzantine Princess was just about to give up her search when she found something of interest near the waterfall. There were signs of a struggle, and a primitive obsidian ax lying on the ground. Clearly, Berengar and whoever he was chasing after had fought in this location. Honoria instantly called out to herrades, signalling her findings.


    ��Over here! I think I found something!��


    The soldiers under Honoria��smand quickly followed her orders and investigated the scene of the conflict. It did not take much effort for them to see the footprints leading to the nearby cliff. What was curious was that there was only a single pair of tracks, which filled Honoria��s mind with a sense of confusion. There was no sign of remains, and thus she could not fathom what had urred with the person Berengar had fought with.


    However, now was not the time to worry about such concerns. Since Honoria had followed Berengar this far, she would not falter now that she hade across a cliff. With fierce determination in her mint green eyes, the byzantine princess grasped hold of the ledge and began her ascent.


    The rest of the search party followed theirmander��s actions and slowly but surely scaled the edge of the cliff beside Honoria. It took some serious effort, but eventually the unit rose to the teau above, only to be met by arge and untamed woond.


    Honoria sighed in disbelief as she witnessed this. She had no idea what path Berengar had taken as his tracks seemingly vanished the moment she climbed to the top of the cliff. She could not help but vent her frustrations as she gazed into the myriad of directions that disyed themselves to her.


    ��God dammit! Where the fuck did he go?��


    A nearby soldier broke the awkward silence that filled the air after her rant with a suggestion on how to continue.


    ��We should split off into smaller groups and search the immediate vicinity. He could not have gotten far����


    The byzantine princess took a deep breath to calm her nerves before nodding her head in agreement.


    ��Very well. We will follow your suggestion. You three are with me, the rest of you fan out, we must find the Emperor before it is toote!��


    After saying this, Honoria headed straight into the woonds, unaware of the nearby presence of the great goddess of Teotihuacan. A smirk etched itself on her beautiful face as she once more vanished into thin air, returning to her heavenly domain.


    ��


    In the Divine Realm of the great goddess of Teotihuacan, Berengar lie on a hammock he had built under the light of the sun. It had been six months within this realm, and he had spent nearly every day doing four things. Helping the Aztec princess heal from her injury, teaching her German, learning hernguage, and currying the goddesses�� favor, which usually came in the form of an oil massage.


    Aside from this, he merely slept, as all of his needs were cared for by the goddess. Food, water, waste removal, the goddess could simply conjure and disperse such things within her realm at will. His life had been rtively peaceful in this domain, and he had to admit that he enjoyed the brief vacation from warfare.


    However, just when he was about to fall asleep, the goddess appeared before him and ended his serene lifestyle with a shocking revtion.


    ��Your wife has entered the boundaries of the ancient city. Your time here in my heavenly domain hase to an end. I guess this is good-bye, I must admit it was fun while itsted����


    Berengar merely grinned as he rose from his hammock and hugged the goddess with a gentle embrace. He had grown rather close to this deity during his stay and thus he assured her that everything would be fine as he said his goodbyes.


    ��I��ll be back, eventually. After all, you have a im on my soul. Sooner orter, I will perish from this world, and my soul will return to your realm.�� Want to see more chapters? Please visit p a n d a -n o v e l.c o m


    A bitter smile formed on the goddess��s face as she shook her head in silence. Before Berengar could react, she kissed him on his lips, where he felt a searing pain in his heart. With a look of shock on his face, he gazed upon the woman onest time as he suddenly entered the real world. Thest words spoken with the mysterious woman left him hollow.


    ��Your soul is your own. I hereby relinquish my im over it. You are now free to follow whatever deity you choose�� This will likely be ourst encounter. I wish you the best of luck in all of your endeavors. You are going to need it��.��


    With that said, Berengar entered the real world and gazed upon the ruins of the ancient city with a forlorn expression. He was not expecting such an oue to ur. He could only sigh in defeat as he gazed off into the cloudy sky above, thinking about the time he had spent within the divine realm and the goddess who ruled over it.


    After several moments of silence, Berengar gazed over to his right and saw the Aztec Princess asleep. As the goddess had proimed, the girl had lost her memories of the heavenly domain, and could only remember the time she had spent with Berengar, and the things he had taught her.


    He quickly walked over to the woman and kneeled down next to her. Just when he was about to wake her up, he heard a familiar voice call out to him from the distance.


    ��Berengar! Thank God you are alive!��


    Honoria rushed towards her husband as fast as she could before jumping into his arms, nearly knocking the man over as she did so. She assaulted him with a passionate kiss as she grabbed the back of his golden hair and smothered him with affection.


    The search party who apanied her averted their gazes and instead looked upon the ruins of the ancient city with awestruck eyes. They could not believe such a massive metropolis existed in such a primitive part of the world.


    Eventually Berengar managed to pry himself away from Honoria and ask her what had happened.


    ��What��s going on? Why are you here?��


    The Byzantine Princess did not hesitate to reveal the effort she had gone through to track him down.


    ��I was worried sick about you. Aftering across so many dead bodies, I thought for sure I had lost you, but you��re okay! You bastard, I can��t believe you would do this to me!��


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before wrapping his arms around his wife and calming her heart.


    ��I��m fine, I just got a little lost is all����


    It was at this moment that the Aztec Princess awoke. The first thing she witnessed was the sight of a bunch of german soldiers, armed to the death, and pointing their weapons at her. She immediately flinched out of instinct and hid behind Berengar like a frightened child while questioning what was transpiring.


    ��Berengar? What��s going on?��


    Though her German was shaky, she had clearly spoken in thenguage of the invaders, which was something that shocked the soldiers and Honoria alike. The byzantine princess became furious as she saw how close this savage woman was with her husband and begin to interrogate the man for answers.


    ��Who is she? How does she speak German? What the hell have you been up to in your absence?��


    Berengar merely sighed as he gazed off into the distance towards the temple of the great goddess of Teotihuacan. His response had a hint of mncholy in its tone.


    ��It is a long story. Just know that she is a princess of a mighty Empire, and she is now our captive.��


    When Honoria heard this, she instantly issued amand to the nearby German soldiers.


    ��Restrain her!��


    Though Tlexictli attempted to resist, she was quickly overpowered by the troops, and wrestled to the grown where she gazed at Berengar with confusion in her eyes.


    ��What��s going on? Why are you doing this?��


    Berengar merely sighed as he gazed at the Aztec Princess with a hint of pity in his eyes before expressing his ns.


    ��I am sorry, but as of right now, you are my prisoner, to be used in negotiations with your father. I know he will not relent without a show of force, and I intend to disy the full might of my army. You will be well looked after in my care, so do not resist.��


    After saying this, Berengar did not wait for a response and merely issued his orders to the soldiers who had apanied him.


    ��Now that we have captured the Aztec Princess, we will return to our camp and fortify our position. The enemy can not be made aware of our existence until we have secured the beachhead.��


    With that said, Berengar led his soldiers out of the ruins of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. He looked upon the city onest time as he wore a bitter smile, before pressing on back to the beach. He would forever remember the days he had spent inside the heavenly realm, and was grateful for the gift the goddess had given him.

 Chapter ?624 The Crusaders Arrive in the Holy Land

    Chapter ?624 The Crusaders Arrive in the Holy Land


    The calm breeze of the salty air kissed the rosy cheeks of the French King. At the moment Aubry stood onboard the bow of of his gship vessel with a dignified pose as the sturdy carrack approached the shores of the Holy Land.


    A Crusade had been dered, and France was not the only Catholic Kingdom to take up arms to reim the holy Land from the unholy alliance of the Eastern Church and its newfound Muslim allies. Aubry was merely the first among many who would soon arrive in the Holy Land in an attempt to enforce the Papacy��s im over the region.


    The French King wore a pretty smile on his effeminate face as sniffed the salty air of the Mediterranean sea with his dainty nose. If one were ignorant of his gender, they might identally assume that he was, in fact, a woman. However, despite his feminine appearance, he was one hundred percent a man, or at the very least a male, so to speak. After all, there wasn��t an ounce of manliness in the boy King��s body.


    It was a striking contrast to see such a feminine male dressed in the armor worn by the French Knights. Steel d his petite shoulders and dainty arms as if it were a second skin. Over his delicate chest was a hardened steel breastte that had ironically been forged in thends of the German Empire. There was simply no substitute for German steel, and the French King knew it.


    Over the steel breastte was a tabard bearing the colors of the House de Valois. These were the symbols of Aubry��s ancestors who would surely be rolling in their graves should they be aware that such a girlish member of their dynasty now ruled over theirnds.


    Speaking of the boy��s ancestors, it had been since been a tradition for the Kings of France to embark a crusade, and Aubry had decided with this campaign he would fulfill his part. Thus, he had an excited smile on his feminine face as his vessels approached the shores of the Holy Land.


    Because Berengar had established the Holy Land as a Free State protected by both the Byzantine and Timurid Empires, the Papacy had dered a crusade, and currently there was a sizeable gathering of Catholic Warriors on the coastline just outside the borders of Egypt.


    Many of these Catholic Warriors were armed with the newest weapons produced by their kingdoms. Most of which were firearms designed based on the German arkebuse, which had been sold throughout Europe for the past few years. The French Armies were no exception to this rule.


    After all, even though Aubry��s enemies had agreed to a ceasefire until the German Empire was dismantled. He knew they were manufacturing and buying their own firearms. With Berengar��s intervention in the timeline, firearms had be a major focus of development among the European Countries a century earlier than they normally would have been.


    It was because of this that the Kingdom of France found itself in a precarious position. Though France was openly hostile towards their German neighbors, they simplycked the intelligent minds to replicate the weapons they had purchased. After all, many of its greatest scientists had fled to the rebelling regions of Aquitaine and Burgundy.


    Ultimately, this had left Aubry with no choice but to break the international sanctions ced against Germany and procure his weapons from his greatest enemy. Despite suffering humiliation at the hands of the German Emperor, and enduring the imprisonment of his sister, Aubry had to kneel before the Reich if he wished topete with the enemies within his own domain.


    However, it was because of this mass procurement of firearms and artillery from Germany that the boy King was confident he and his armies would prevail against those of the Byzantine and Timurid Empire. Thus, the moment the shipnded, the French King disembarked from his vessel as if he were a conquering hero. With an authoritative stride, he led his proud knights into the staging grounds, where the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller Order greeted him with a forced smile.


    ��King Aubry, it is good to see you. I am d that we have the fabled strength of the French Knights at our side as we reim the Holy Land for God and his people.��


    This was obviously a false greeting, however no matter how much the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller Order despised the French King and his sinful lifestyle, he was forced to suppress his spite and greet him as the King he was.


    Aubry was either unaware of the disdain this man had for him or just simply didn��t care. Instead, he merely nodded and smiled as he proimed his reason for personally leading his soldiers into the fray.


    ��It is good to see you to Grandmaster. Like my ancestors before me, I have taken up the cross for the Crusade. I look forward to proving myself to my ancestors, and to the Lord god almighty himself as wey waste to the enemies of Christ.��


    The Grandmaster of the Hospitaller Order had to choke back the urge to scold the boy for such hypocritical statements and instead shifted the subject to somethingpletely unrted.


    ��If you don��t mind me asking, with your presence here in the Holy Land, who leads the great Kingdom of France in your absence?��


    A smug smirk curved itself upon the French King��s lips as he bought into the obvious deflection and proudly announced his choice.


    ��My sister Sibi has been named Regent in absence, she has suffered greatly at the hands of the German Empire, and though she refuses to tell me what she has endured, a fire has been lit in her soul, and with it a determination to witness the copse of the Reich.��


    With the mentioning of the German Empire, the Grandmaster could no longer contain his fury, and thus vented his frustrations on the Germans, who were conveniently absent and incapable of hearing his nder.


    ��Bah! Do not speak of those Heretics. In a few years, they will get what they deserve. For now, we must undo their evil acts within Jerusalem. The Holy Land can not be allowed to be tarnished by those sinful Germans!��


    Aubry smiled and nodded his head in agreement as he heard this sentiment before voicing his opinion on the matter.


    ��Indeed, I look forward to the day that I can bring justice to my sister for the crimes that she has endured!��


    As the French King and the Hospitaller Grandmaster conversed about their battle strategies, a scout in the distance gazed through a pair of binocrs. This man was a soldier of the Byzantine Army, and if not for the military aid provided by their German allies, he would not have such advanced technology.


    He witnessed the arrival of the French King, and his retinue of knights with a frown on his face. The enemy��s numbers were growing, and despite this, the Byzantine and Timurid Emperors had chosen to sit back and wait for them to strike. The scout was furious with such a decision, but he could only bite his tongue. A second scout who stood nearby immediately asked the question on his mind as he, too, gazed upon the scene with his own pair of binocrs.


    ��How many of them do you think there are?��


    The First scout continued to observe the scene, and the arrival of more ships in the bay before expressing his thoughts.


    ��Currently, there are about twenty-five thousand, but with all the ships on the horizon, I can guess we will easily be facing a force of twice that amount, perhaps even more.��


    The Second scout merely chuckled when he heard this before responding with a sadistic grin on his face.


    ��Boy, are they going to be in for a rude awakening? It is time for the Catholic and Muslim worlds to both bear witness to the military might we have built up these past few years.��


    When the first scout heard this, he immediately pped the man over the side of his head before scolding him.


    ��Idiot! They have muskets too, and though ours have superior range, their numbers will provide a significant problem. This will not be a once sided ughter like you believe it will!��


    The other Scout merely scoffed before responding with ax attitude.


    ��That��s none of my concern. I��ll leave the fighting to our infantry����


    It was after this statement was made that the first scout packed his binocrs away and walk towards his horse which was hidden nearby.


    ��Let��s go, we have to report this news to the strategos.��


    After saying this, the two scouts rode off into the distance, heading towards the location of the Strategos who had been tasked with leading the Byzantine Armies against the Catholic forces. As for the French, they were merely the first of the Catholic Kingdoms to arrive. In theing weeks, more and more kingdoms and their armies would arrive in the Holy Land seeking to challenge the Byzantine and Timurid alliance for control of the Holy Land.

 Chapter ?625 A Wife’s Grief

    Chapter ?625 A Wife��s Grief


    In the city of Kufstein, a dense torrent of rain bombarded the denizens of the Austrian Capital. It was an utterly depressing atmosphere as the wind and rain swept away any stains that may have existed in the city��s streets.


    Linde gazed out the windows of the Royal Pce with a virgin strawberry daiquiri in her hand and a sullen expression on her pretty face. There was nothing she wanted more than to drink an actual alcoholic beverage at this moment, however she was pregnant with what could very well be her beloved��sst child, and she would never threaten the safety of such a precious gift.


    It had been nearly twelve hours since she had received word that Berengar had gone missing shortly after arriving in the New World, and she was in a state ofplete and total despair. As she lounged away in the bar of the Royal Pce, she sighed to herself. Without her noticing, Hans had approached and gazed upon his mother��s look of grief with a painful heart.


    He did not know what had caused her to end up in such a depressing state, but he knew it probably had something to do with his father. Thus, the boy casually approached his mother, and grabbed hold of her dainty hand, instantly gaining her attention. With a forced smile, he tried tofort the woman for whatever may gue her mind.


    ��It��ll be okay mommy, whatever happens you still have me!��


    Such kind words from her young child brought a bitter smile to Linde��s face as she stroked the boy��s strawberry blonde hair. While Hans had been gifted with her brilliant hair color, he had received the eyes of his father, and she gazed deeply into those sapphire gems as tears formed within her own eyes. The Second Empress of Austria struggled to fight back her tears, but in the end, the waterworks presented themselves.


    ��Oh Berengar�� please be alright!��


    It was at this point Hans knew something had happened to his father, and could not help but ask about it.


    ��Did something happen to father?��


    Linde had not revealed to anyone the news of Berengar��s disappearance. She had pledged to inform no one until they had found the Emperor or his remains. However, when she heard Han��s question, she felt guilt over not telling the boy of what had happened to his father. Thus, she wiped the tears from her eyes as she mustered the courage to speak the truth.


    ��Your father has gone missing����


    Upon hearing this, Hans was bbergasted. Berengar couldn��t be missing. As long as the boy could understand the Germannguage, he had heard stories of his father��s bravery on the field of battle, and his courage in the face of the unknown. As far as the boy was concerned, his father was unkible, a living legend. He had never once considered the possibility that his father would disappear or lose his life on one of his campaigns.


    However, to hear such words filled Hans with an overwhelming sense of dread. As intelligent as the young Prince was, hecked the emotional maturity to handle such grim matters and immediatelyshed out at his mother for telling him such lies.


    ��That��s impossible! Father can��t be dead! He��s invincible!��


    When Linde heard this rant, she became visibly enrage and in the heat of the moment backhanded her son across his face before screaming at him.


    ��Don��t you dare say that! Your father isn��t dead, he��s just missing! He will return to us safe and sound, as he always does!��


    Hans was once more filled with disbelief as he felt the sting on his tiny cheek. For as long as he had lived, his mother had never struck him. She had only shown him the loving and kindness that he had taken advantage of. However, he could see the fury in the woman��s eyes at the mere suggestion that her husband may have lost his life. Such a ferocious gaze filled the boy��s heart with fear, resulting in him breaking out into tears.


    When Linde realized what she had done, she climbed out of her lounge chair and knelt down beside her baby boy, stuffing his head into her substantial bosom as she stroked his silky hair, apologizing for her actions.


    ��I��m sorry, Hans. I don��t know what came over me. I didn��t mean to hurt you. Here, let mommy take a look!��


    The boy instantly revealed his reddened cheek and gazed upon his mother with a sense of intimidation he had never felt before. In that moment, he winced in pain, afraid that she might bare her fangs at him again. However, instead she merely kissed his wound, and in doing so made him feel a bit better.


    Ultimately, the loving scene was interrupted by the Deputy Director of German Imperial Intelligence, who held a report in her hands. When she saw how her superior was acting, she merely coughed, alerting the woman to her presence. When Linde witnessed Hemma standing in the doorway of the bar area, her expression turned grim. She immediately gave an order to her young son, who was stilltching onto her like amprey.


    ��Hans, go to your room. I promise I will meet you there in a bit, and will make you some grilled cheese sandwiches����


    Hans knew that this interruption was most likely an update on his father��s disappearance and though he wanted to stay behind and listen to the news, he feared his mother might strike him again if he protested, and thus, he simply bowed his head before scurrying off.


    ��Okay mommy����


    It was only after Linde was sure that Hans was not within earshot that she steeled her resolve and asked for the update.


    ��What��s the news? Did you find him?��


    When Hemma saw the worried expression on Linde��s face, she merely sighed before giving her all the information she had received.


    ��They found him alive, and unharmed quite a bit away from the coastline. He appears to have found the ruins of an ancient civilization. If the reports are urate, it is a cityrger than ancient Rome. I swear only Berengar could go missing and stumble upon such a lost civilization����


    Linde nearly passed out from the relief in her heart, however despite maintaining her consciousness, she lost control of her legs and instantly fell to the ground where Hemma helped her up to her feet. The redheaded beauty felt as if this news had lifted a giant weight from her heart. She could only smile with pride and relief as she thought about what adventures her man had been up to.


    ��Oh Berengar�� Thank God you are alive����


    The moment she said these words, the crackle of thunder resounded in the air, as if such words had angered the deity she mentioned. However, such a thought would not appear in Linde��s pretty head, as she did not know the reasoning as to why the Abrahamic God might be enraged by the mere suggestion that he helped save such an apostate. After saying this, Linde gained control of her legs and was able to stand on her own. She bowed her head respectfully to her deputy director and thanked her for the good news.


    ��Thank you Hemma, if you had not delivered me such information I fear what I may have done in my grief����


    Hemma was shocked. She had never seen Linde in such a disturbed state before, thus she could not help but question the condition of her boss.


    ��Your Majesty, are you going to be alright?��


    Linde wiped a tear from her eye as she nodded her head thrice in response to this question.


    ��Of course! Now that I know Berengar is safe and sound, I will be fine. If you will excuse me, I need to inform my son. In my despair, I may have told him his father is missing and I do not wish for him to worry any longer����


    After saying this, Linde scurried off towards Hans�� room, where she found the boy curled up in the corner holding onto a painted wooden figure of his father. It was amon toy among young boys within the German Empire, and the Prince of Germany was bawling as he stared at it with grief in his heart. The moment the door opened, the boy looked to his mother for visual cues, and when he saw her brimming with a beautiful smile on her face, he sighed in relief.


    ��Thank God�� He is okay����


    The moment the boy said this, thunder crackled in the air once more, but he did not pay the slightest attention to it. He was merely happy that his father was alive and well. Although he also felt a sense of fury at his mother for worrying him over, nothing. Linde, of course, took this opportunity to hug her son and confirm his suspicions.


    ��Your father is alright, he has been found, and he is unharmed. In fact, if the reports are true, he has even found the ruins of a lost and ancient civilization during his absence. Isn��t he such an amazing explorer?��


    Hans could onlyugh as he heard how his mother rationalized the man��s disappearance. In the end, he smiled and nodded his head in agreement before repeating his mother��s words.


    ��Yes, father is an amazing explorer indeed����


    After hearing this, Linde wiped the tears from her son��s eyes before cing his toy on his nightstand. She had a pep in her step, the likes the boy had not seen in some time, as shetched onto his hand and dragged him towards the dining area.


    ��I believe mommy promised you some grilled cheese sandwiches, shall we?��


    Hans simply looked back towards the wooden figure, which represented his father, and nodded his head with a smile on his face before responding to his mother.


    ��Let��s!��

 Chapter 626: An Empire’s Progress

    Chapter 626: An Empire��s Progress


    While Berengar was off in the New World on another one of his escapades, he had left his chancellor, uncle, and father-inw Otto von Graz in charge of his Empire. If there was one thing Berengar admired about the man is he had a work ethic on par with himself. Thus, it was no surprise that the man spent a significant amount of effort maintaining control over the Empire��s various realms, and signing bills intow.


    At the moment, he was looking at an expense report regarding the expansion of the trainwork. It had been over a year since Berengar united the Empire, and among hisrgest and most expensive projects was the existence of the National Railway. It had made significant progress over the past year and now connected much of the Southern German cities together. Currently, the department of transportation was requesting a certain amount of funds to expand the railway into Prussia��s borders.


    Otto carefully looked over the expenses before signing his name on the paper. After doing this, he stacked it into his pile of outbound paperwork, which would beter collected by a clerk and administered to the appropriate departments. After doing this, he grabbed hold of another piece of legition and noticed it was an expense report regarding the Kingdom of Prussia.


    King Eckhard von Marienburg was requesting an increase in funding for the construction of his shipyards. The n was to establish a Baltic Fleet to maintain control over the Northern seas. After carefully examining the requested amount, he signed away his signature once more before looking at the next piece of legition.


    This next piece of legition was a request by the Reichstag to approve the funding for a series of canals that would connect the Danube to the Rhine, and the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. Such a thing would increase trade via rivers throughout the borders of the empire and free up arge section of railway traffic. Thus, Otto did not hesitate to sign his approval for such a thing.


    After signing this document, he realized it was hisst piece of paperwork for the day and quickly pulled out a sk from his drawer, taking a hearty gulp of the fiery alcoholic liquid before stashing it away once more. A heavy sigh escaped the chancellor��s lips as heined about his lot in life.


    ��Berengar, how the hell do you get so much paperwork done each day? I swear to God, every time you leave on one of your adventures, I��m left drowning in a mountain of this shit!��


    After saying this, the sound of his grandfather clock struck the newest hour, and the man gazed over towards its disy in shock.


    ��Dear God, is it such a time already? I��m going to bete!��


    After saying this, Otto quickly grabbed hold of his coat and donned it over his torso before running off from his office and towards a nearby restaurant where he had nned to meet two of his daughters for a meal.


    By the time he arrived, the two women were sitting next to each other, and much to Otto��s bewilderment, were being quite cordial with one another. Was he dreaming or were Ad and Ava actually on good terms? He quickly sat down at the table and apologized to his two daughters for his tardiness.


    ��I��m sorry for beingte. There is just so much work I have to do these days. You can thank your husband for that, Ad����


    The German Empress merely wore a pretty smile as she assured her father his punctuality was not of significant importance to her.


    ��It��s alright father, I know you are very busy overseeing Berengar��s work. Ava and I were just reminiscing about when we were younger.��


    Otto stared strangely at his two daughters. They had never been so agreeable to each other since as long as he had known them. Ava was roughly the same age as Berengar, and despite this acted like a petnt child most of the time, whereas Ad had always been suffering from her torment. Thus, the old man could not help but question what had mended their differences.


    ��So, I have to ask, how exactly are the two of you sitting here right now, without making a scene?��


    Ava blushed in embarrassment when she heard her father��s words and looked away. Meanwhile, Ad merely chuckled as she drank from her ss.


    ��Ava proved me wrong. I thought she couldn��t handle looking after the kids, but she did a splendid job while I was away on my honeymoon. I figured if I could trust her with looking after my children, then perhaps we could bury the hatchet.��


    Ava looked out the window and gazed into the bustling streets of Kufstein with an expression of awe on her face. She could not help but voice her thoughts on the changes to the city over the years.


    ��I can��t believe that this is the same small agricultural town whose fields I used to frolic in when I was young. I will never know how Berengar managed to turn this entire valley into a thriving metropolis.��


    When Otto heard this, he reflected on how rapidly the city had been developed and nodded his head in agreement.


    ��It is truly mystifying. The man has proven me wrong on so many asions, to think he used to be such a foolish and sickly child. Sometimes I wonder what could have possibly possessed him to be the man he is today�� It is a damn shame����


    When Ava and Ad heard thisst part, they looked up at their father and voiced their confusion simultaneously.


    ��What is?��


    It was at this moment Otto sighed and red at his eldest daughter before lecturing on her past actions.


    ��It��s a damn shame that you had to ruin your rtionship with Berengar. If I had known that Berengar would one day be the Emperor and legalize Polygamy, I would have dly given both my daughters to him!��


    Ad was shocked to hear her father say this, and Ava was ovee with embarrassment. It was her greatest regret in life, breaking her childhood engagement to Berengar and going after a dimwitted count��s son. Now her husband was a disgrace, and her ex-fiance was the wealthiest and most powerful man in the world. Ad gazed over at Ava and saw theplicated expression on her face. She could not help but voice the confusion in her head.


    ��You don��t still have feelings for him, do you?��


    The busty, blonde-haired mother quickly went on the defensive as she denied the allegations, but it was not a convincing facade in the slightest.


    ��What? Of course not! He��s your husband. I could never have feelings for him�� Why has he asked about me?��


    Ad and Otto gazed at Ava with utter shock. The two of them voiced their thoughts on the matter at the exact same time.


    ��How shameless����


    Otto immediately began to castigate his daughter as he heard such shameless words.


    ��Ava, you are already married. Don��t get any idea ofplicating matters for your sister����


    Ava immediately began to pout as she defended her words.


    ��I know that, but Wolfgang is such a durd, and I think he��s now impotent as he hasn��t been able to get it up in some time�� Oh Ad, won��t you please share your husband with me, just once! I promise I will never approach him again after that!��


    Ad felt like she needed a stiff drink after hearing this, but she would not do so. After all, much like Linde, she was currently pregnant with Berengar��s child. Instead, the young Empress of Germany reprimanded her elder sister like their father had done previously.


    ��It sure sucks to be you, Ava, but you made your choice, and now you have to deal with the consequences. I will not share my man with you, just because your pathetic excuse of a husband can no longer satisfy you.��


    Ava sulked in indignation, uttering a single word as she dwelled on her life��s mistakes.


    ��Hmph, it��s just not fair!��


    After she said that, Ad and Otto merely rolled their eyes. It would appear that Ava would never mature. Ad was not entirely angry with Ava. After hearing herints, she could only imagine how frustrated the woman was.


    However, although Ad had be epting of sharing her husband with his other wives and his mistress. She would never ept the idea of sharing Berengar with Ava. If she allowed such a thing to happen, the spoiled bitch would never learn her lesson.


    As for Otto, he felt like he was about to have a stroke. Was he now so old that he was out of date with society? Were such conversations normal among siblings these days? Or is what his eldest daughter had just said equally scandalous as it would have been in his youth? He did not know the answer to any of these questions, but what he did know was that he needed a drink to cope with it.


    Thus, the Chancellor of Germany immediately ordered a stiff drink to calm his nerves as he continued to have a meal with his two daughters. As painful as listening to these two girls bicker was, it was still better than the mountain of paperwork that awaited him on the morrow.

 Chapter ?627 lncorporating Recently Conquered Ground

    Chapter ?627 lncorporating Recently Conquered Ground


    Within the southernnds of Iberia, the sun gleamed down upon the city of Granada. After centuries of warfare in Iberia under the goal of reconquering the region under Catholic Control, the Moors had proven victorious.


    Such a feat was impossible without the massive military aid provided by the German Empire and the Schemes of its Kaiser. This was a fact recognized not only by the young Sultan of the newly reformed Al-Andalus, but also the people who dwelled within thends. Moors cheered Berengar��s name as if he was a hero, while the Catholic Iberians cursed him to damnation with their malicious prayers to an absent God.


    While the people of Iberia came to terms with the oue of the centuries long Reconquista, Hasan sat back in the seat of the power of his newly established Empire. The Sultanate of Al-Andalus now held every bit of territory within the Iberian Penins, and though some regions were in open arms, most notably in small sections of Portugal and most of Spain. The restoration of Al-Andalus had beenpleted.


    Of course, rather than mend the wounds that divided the poption of this newfound Empire, Hasan was enjoying thevish lifestyle that came with being an emperor alongside one of the men who had made it entirely possible. With a wine filled chalice in one hand, and a cigar in another, Hasan celebrated his victory alongside the German Field Marshal who had aided him in his efforts.


    ��General Adelbrand, I can��t say how much you have helped me in this war. Reports from the front lines say that thest resistance in Andorra has fallen, and the nobles in charge have surrendered their territory to Al-Andalus. Though we may deal with some minor rebellions in the near future, we can sessfully say that our goals have been aplished. How can I ever repay you, and your Kaiser, for that matter?��


    Adelbrand took a sip of the fortified wine as he dwelled on the subject at hand. His mind had previously been more upied with the stabilization of the region, knowing full well that his Kaiser wouldmand him to stay until thest vestige of rebellion had been snuffed out. He did not expect to be rewarded when his job was yet to bepleted. Nevertheless, something immediately caught his interest and thus he voiced his desires.


    ��I understand that you have given a particrlyrge Vi on the beaches of Gibraltar to my Kaiser. I myself would not mind a coastal estate, perhaps in Portugal? As for the Kaiser��s demands, all he asks is open ess through the strait of Gibraltar and that you allow us to build a naval port in the area. We will be happy to lease thend from you, if that is what you desire.��


    Hasan was in a rather generous mood and thought little of this demand. Thus, he simply nodded his head with a wide grin on his face before nonchntly agreeing to the request.


    ��Consider your personal request approved. Find thend you want and I will give it to your house. As for Gibraltar, I would have to speak with your Kaiser personally about this issue, but I see no reason to refuse his request. We just need to discuss some minor details of the matter. When you next speak to your master, you can inform him of my decision.��


    Such an agreeable response was out of Adelbrand��s expectations, thus he wore an emphatic smile as she shook Hasan��s hands and thanked him for his generosity.


    ��Truly, your generosity astounds, your majesty.��


    Hasan merely smiled and nodded his head in eptance of thepliments. Adelbrand was a man he greatly respected, and desired to keep within hisnds for many years toe. Thus, the next topic he shifted to was more personal in nature.


    ��Have you ever thought of marrying an Iberian woman? Alot of men have did in this conflict, leaving me with more men than women. I would be honored to give you the woman of your dreams from within my realm. After all, you are allowed to have up to five wives in the German Empire. Isn��t that correct?��


    Adelbrand could immediately see what Hasan was nning and politely declined in a deliberately vague manner while shaking his head.


    ��While it is true that we are permitted up to five wives, I honestly have never thought of the idea if you had not suggested it. However, I am getting old, and soon it will be time to start a family, so perhaps I will take your words into consideration.��


    Upon hearing this, Hasan simply nodded his head in silence while taking a sip from his drink. After several moments, Adelbrand shifted the conversation to something more meaningful.


    ��So now that you control all of Al-Andalus, what are your ns for the future?��


    Hasan had a giddy expression on his face when he heard this question. As if he could not wait for someone to bring it up. With a smug smile on his face, he announced his intentions to the German General.


    ��Of course I wish to expand. Perhaps North Africa could be a fitting addition to my new empire. If there is one thing Berengar has taught me over the years, it is that conquest is addictive. You can never have enoughnd and resources under your control!��


    Adelbrand merely rolled his eyes when he heard this statement. Did this man really think he was anything like Berengar? The two rulers werepletely different. Hasan was azy man who basked in luxury while hispetent subordinates ran the show.


    Whereas Berengar was a hardworking man who micromanaged every facet of his Empire that he could. Not to mention the fact that Berengar led his men from the front lines in war, while Hasan delegated the responsibility to his Generals. The two rulers were about as different in their approach as they could be. Thus, Adelbrand simply kept his opinion to himself and instead advised the sultan about his foolish ambitions.


    ��If I were you, I would definitely wait until you have settled your territory. You have a lot of internal problems that you will have to face that Berengar does not. For starters, you will be ruling over a diverse empire filled with different ethnicities, cultures, and religions. Getting them all to universally ept your reign as legitimate will be difficult, to say the least.


    A disy of force may be necessary in the early days as you stamp out rebellion, but if you use too much of it, you will surely foster resentment among your conquered peoples. Creating generations of bad blood that could lead to revolution further down the line, and ultimately destabilize your Empire.


    If you wish to maintain the integrity of your dynasty, you will need to heal the wounds that you have created with your conquests. The best way to do that would be to allow religious freedom for your people and improve the daily lives of everyone within your realm via implementation of the agricultural and industrial technology that Berengar has given you.


    As far as border security goes, you are fairly secure with the only genuine external threat to you being the Kingdom of France, so you might want to invest in fortifications and scouts within the Pyrenees. You don��t need to overspend. Just build some simple forts that will deter a French invasion of yournds.��


    Hasan nodded his head as he eagerly listened to Adelbrand��s advice. Truth be told, aside from Berengar, he had few advisors who knew how to run an Empire. He was astonished to hear some of the things the German General spoke of. After all, he did not expect the multicultural and multi-ethnic society to be as big as a deal as Adelbrand had made it out to be.


    However, when he thought about it, the Empire would be ruled over by an ethnic, cultural, and religious minority, which could easily foster dissent among the other people. He would need to ensure the loyalty of his newly conquered subjects if he wished to maintain his newfound Empire. Aftering to this conclusion, Hasan nodded his head in agreement before responding to Adelbrand��s ims.


    ��Very well, I will take note of your suggestions, and seek to resolve the disputes between my people, and those who I have conquered. As you say, maintaining the integrity of my new empire is a priority, and I should seek to unite the people before conquering more territory. You have given me much to think about, General. Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with my wives, feel free to enjoy the rest of your wine in my absence����


    After saying this, Hasan left the room to do as he had always done. Engorge himself in a life of hedonism. It was only after the man had left the room that Adelbrand voiced hisints about the young Sultan��s behavior.


    ��This idiot is going to get himself killed����


    With that said, the German General quickly finished the contents of his ss before leaving the Pce. He needed to report this information to the Kaiser as quickly as possible. Thus, he would spend the next few hours dispatching a telegram across the antic to the SMS Berengar which acted as the gship of the German Fleet in Mesoamerica.

 Chapter 628: Mysterious Disappearances

    Chapter 628: Mysterious Disappearances


    Months had passed since Berengar��s arrival in Mesoamerica, and now a star fort had built on the coastline of the Region. This was no simple stronghold, but a well-fortified miniature colony which housed a thousand soldiers of the German Armed Forces. It was defended with rifled breechloading artillery, revolving cannons, and hand-cranked machine guns, along with the individual rifles of the soldiers who acted as its garrison.


    Arge dock extended into the sea and provided a staging point for the small fleet that had ferried these soldiers and their supplies into the New World. Despite what one might think, the Kaiser and his soldiers were not cut off from the fathend, the long range wireless telegraph built on board his gship vessel acted as a means of instantmunication with his Empire across the antic.


    Because of this, Berengar was aware of every movement his rivals made overseas, and could instantlymunicate to his forces on how to counter it, should such a thing be necessary. While this fortress existed on the coastline of Mesoamerica, the natives werepletely unaware that foreigners had long since invaded theirnds and built a stronghold.


    It was because of this that the Aztec Emperor of this world, a man by the name of Itzcoatl, waspletely dumbfounded on why his scouts kept going missing whenever they investigated the region in which his daughter wasst seen. Several native men were gathered in the Aztec Emperor��s pce as he discussed the strange things that were urring within hisnds.


    ��My daughter has been missing for months, without the slightest hint of her whereabouts. I would believe she was dead, if not for the fact that every man I have dispatched to find her has simrly gone missing. Just what is happening on the coastline?��


    One of the Emperor��s advisors had a worried tone in his voice as he discussed some of the rumors that he had heard that originated from the viges near the coast.


    ��The vigers near the region speak of thunderous roars and strange soundsing from the coast. Simrly to our scouts, everyone they have sent to investigate these noises has gone missing. However, recently a corpse was found in the woonds and was back in one of these viges.��


    After saying this, the advisor pulled out a small copper jacketed lead bullet and ced it on the table. When the Emperor gazed upon it, he was furious. He did not know what he was looking at and merely responded to the fool for wasting his time.


    ��Just what in the name of the gods is this supposed to be?��


    The Advisor merely shook his head before responding with a grim tone.


    ��We don��t know, but it was dug out of the boy��s chest, or what remained of it. Whatever this thing is, it left a grievous wound the likes that our most esteemed healers can not identify. However, if you ask me, I think that our shores have been invaded, and this is some kind of strange new weapon who its wielders have used to eliminate anyone whoes close to the territory they have conquered.��


    It was at this moment that another voice interrupted the advisor andined about his reasoning.


    ��That��s preposterous. If our shores were invaded, then we would know of it. None of our rivals have made any attempt to encroach on our border. To eliminate all of our scouts to such a degree that they can��t even report back to us would require such arge volume of troops, that there is simply no feasible way to move them into the area without us noticing!��


    The first man to speak merely gazed upon the man whoined about his reasoning with a chilling gaze before speaking further about his thoughts.


    ��Unless this hostile force came from across the great sea�� Perhaps the feathered serpent has finally returned to ournds and is angry with us����


    The moment Itzcoatl heard these words, he shivered before asking the immediate question on his mind.


    ��It is a one reed year, this year, isn��t that correct?��


    The first advisor nodded his head in silence, while the other scoffed at the very mention of it. Ultimately, it was up to Itzcoatl to decide on how to proceed with this new information.


    ��If the feather serpent has returned, then should it not be something to celebrate? Why is he angry with us?��


    When the second advisor heard this line of reasoning, he immediately protested.


    ��Your majesty, do you honestly believe such nonsense? We should not jump to conclusions, instead we should send arger force to investigate the region, and figure out just why our people keep going missing.��


    Upon listening to such solid reasoning, rather than the superstitions that his other advisor voiced. Itzcoatl realized he should not immediately assume that a vengeful god had returned, and instead find out the cause of these disappearances before jumping to conclusions. With a stern expression on his face, the Aztec Emperor issued forth a decree.


    ��You are right. We must investigate this thoroughly. If such small numbers of scouts keep disappearing, then we will send an army to figure out why these disappearances keep happening. Prepare to send a full force of our greatest warriors to the region. I dare to see if so many men vanish into thin air!��


    With that said, the two advisors bowed respectfully to their emperor before enacting his orders.


    ��As youmand!��


    After saying this, they departed from the Pce leaving Itzcoatl by his lonesome. The man gazed off through a clearing into the distance where the shores lie, uttering single phrase in his grief.


    ��My sweet Tlexictli, please be alright����


    ��


    Within the confines of the German Stronghold on the coasts of Mesoamerica, Tlexictli sat within arge stone suite. Despite the overall size and luxury of her quarters, the Aztec Princess was little more than a prisoner. Which the bars on her window and the thick steel door madepletely obvious.


    Since the moment Honoria and the German soldiers found the missing Emperor, they had taken Tlexictli prisoner. During the months, her quarters had shifted from time to time, until the Germans finished constructing their fortress. She had witnessed little during her time as a prisoner, as Berengar ensured she could observe nothing of strategic value. Thus, the only windows in her room had a view of the vast Antic ocean and nothing else.


    Despite being a prisoner, she lived fairly well, perhaps even better than if she was still at the Aztec Pce in Tenochtin. At any time of the day, if she felt hungry, she could order room service from arge menu of German delicacies. The blonde-haired men showed no sign of hostility when they served her, and her captors never appeared to run out of supplies. She waspletely unaware that routine supply drops between the fathend and the coastal fortress were the norm.


    Aside from the delicious food that she could dine on as much as she desired. Tlexictli had fully functional plumbing and a library of German books to keep her entertained. Which she took an interest in reading. Though she could not remember exactly how she hade to learn the Germannguage, she increased her knowledge of Berengar��s world as much as she could.


    When she wasn��t reading, she was exercising, maintaining her muscr figure with a set of weights that Berengar had provided, and keeping up with her cardio via arge punching bag and a grappling dummy. In fact, she had grown so ustomed to these luxuries that she had nearly forgotten she was a prisoner.


    That is, until, of course, Berengar came to visit her for the first time since she was imprisoned. A knock resounded on the door as Tlexictli was doing situps, something she initially moaned about, but ultimately halted her exercise long enough to check who intruded upon her activities. When she opened the door, she was shocked to see none other than Berengar standing in front of her with a wide smile on his face.


    The two of them could not be more differently dressed. Berengar wore his Imperial regalia, while Tlexictli was dressed in a ck sheer thong and nothing else. Evidently, she had assumed that German undergarments were the most efficient form of clothing for exercise because she did not understand in the slightest their intention.


    When Berengar gazed upon the half naked woman, his jawpletely dropped. Perhaps it was because all of his wives and mistresses were dainty flowers, but his eyes were drawn to every perfectly sculpted muscle on the woman��s body, which was now glistening with her sweat. She did not take notice of his lustful gaze and instead frowned when she saw him; rebuking the German Emperor for not visiting her sooner.


    ��You��rete����


    Berengar merely chuckled as he asked permission for entry.


    ��I��m sorry about that. I have been dreadfully busy since I reunited with myrades. May Ie in?��


    In response to this, Tlexictli merely snorted, but she opened the doorrge enough for Berengar to enter, where he quickly took a seat at her table. He had a confident expression on his face as he gazed upon the woman, who did not even bother to get dressed. Instead, she grabbed a gon of beer and downed its contents to quench her thirst. After doing so, she inquired about Berengar��s reasoning for visiting.


    ��So, why are you here now, after all this time?��


    Berengar merely smiled before uttering a simple phrase, leaving the girl with many questions.


    ��The time hase����

 Chapter ?629 Am l not Merciful?

    Chapter ?629 Am l not Merciful?


    ��I��m sorry, the time for what?��


    Tlexictli gazed upon Berengar with confusion in her deep brown eyes, she had no idea what he was talking about when he uttered the phrase


    ��The time hase����


    Berengar took some time to collect his thoughts before speaking of the news he had received. There was a smug expression on his face as he went into great details about his ns.


    ��My scouts report your father is mobilizing a great army with a single purpose. To investigate your disappearance and that of the others who have discovered our little settlement here on the coastline. It is my intention toy waste to this army as a disy of German Superiority. Only after I have gunned down your soldiers, will I use you as leverage in the following negotiations.��


    Tlexictli was shocked to hear Berengar��s plots for control over her people, she had suspected he hade to thesends with ill intentions, but she never knew he wanted to enve her people, thus she rose in from her seat in indignation and pressed Berengar against the cold stone wall. Despite the threatening gesture, Berengar only had a smug smirk on his face as he questioned her actions.


    ��You think it is a good idea to harm me? Did you forget you are my prisoner? With a singlemand, I could have your head removed����


    When Tlexictli heard this threat, she gazed at Berengar in shock before letting go of him. She swiftly sat back in her seat as Berengar adjusted his medals. After he had sat down across from the Aztec Princess, she began to question his motives.


    ��Why are you doing this?��


    When Berengar heard this, he scoffed at the girl��s naivety before lecturing her on the reality of the world.


    ��Why am I doing this? Why does anyone? My reasoning is simple. It is all about resources, and your people are sitting on a massive reserve of silver and gold that I desperately need. This is nothing personal, Tlexictli, and for what it��s worth, I rather like you. You are far more civilized than I initially thought you would be. Besides, I think you are mistaken about what it is that I wish to aplish here in yournds����


    The Aztec Princess scoffed as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, cing her bare feet on the table as she did so.


    ��Oh really? You don��t wish to conquer our empire, enve my people, and sacrifice us to your gods?��


    Berengar broke out into a fit ofughter as he heard this, so much so that tears began to form in his eyes. The idea that the German people were so savage that they wouldmit human sacrifice was trulyughable to the man.


    It had been nearly a millennium since the Germansst engaged in such a barbaric practice, and even then historians disputed whether such rituals were nothing more than anti-pagan propaganda preached by the Church to condemn their rivals. Ultimately, Berengar wiped a tear from his eye before responding to this absurd statement.


    ��No, to all of those things. I do not n to conquer your people and annex your territory into my Empire. Nor do I intend to enve a single person within your realm. As for human sacrifice, that is thest thing I would ever do in this world. My people are more civilized than yours. We do not engage is such brutal rituals.��


    This answer perplexed the Aztec Princess, as she did not know what else it would be that Berengar would demand of her father, until a certain idea rattled around in her mind, causing her to blush, and back away from Berengar, which caused the man to look at her strangely. Ultimately, she revealed what idea had caused her to react in such a way.


    ��I��ll admit that I find you attractive, but I have no intentions of marrying you, Berengar von Kufstein.��


    In response to this, Berengar merely scoffed before shattering the girl��s tsundere act.


    ��Oh please, German Law states I��m allowed one more marriage, and no offense, but I can do better than you. But�� If you would like to be my mistress, I wouldn��t mind it. After all, you have a sort of appeal that none of my other wives have����


    This response had caused Tlexictli to m her head on the table in embarrassment. She could not believe she had thought this man wanted to marry her. She simply ignored everything else he had said, so devastated by the phrase ��I can do better than you�� that she hadpletely blocked out Berengar��s suggestion.


    Eventually, she recovered and was confused. If he did not want to conquer her people, and did not want her hand in marriage, then why the hell was he behaving so hostile towards her people? She could only ask, rather than jump to another assumption.


    ��Okay�� fine�� I��ll bite. What is it that you do want?��


    In response to this, a smug grin appeared on Berengar��s face as he once more lectured the girl on his ns.


    ��Oh, it��s very simple. I want to force your father to recognize the German Empire as his superior, so that he may offer tribute to us in exchange for our protection����


    A scowl formed on the Aztec princess��s face as she heard this before stubbornly responding to Berengar��s im.


    ��Protection? We don��t need your protection!��


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled once more before revealing the truth of the matter.


    ��What, do you seriously think we Germans are the only ones across the Antic Ocean? We may be the mightiest Empire in this world, but there are plenty of other powerful states where Ie from, any number of which could steamroll your pathetic and primitive empire. Yes, you do need our protection.


    Unfortunately, I am well aware that youe from a proud warrior culture, and there is no way your father would agree to my demands without a brutal disy of our overwhelming superiority. So yes, I will shed the blood of your armies, and then I will march into your capital as Conqueror, demanding that your father pay tribute in the form of gold, silver, oil, and whatever other resources I damn well please.


    In exchange for this tribute, you, or what is left of your civilization when I am through with it, can continue to exist in thends I designate as a tributary state under the protection of the mighty German Empire. Albeit in a far more civilized state. Now that you understand my ns, I have but one question to ask: Am I not merciful?��


    Tlexictli did not respond to Berengar, rather she looked to the side with tears in her eyes. Realizing that the man who had saved her life would be the death of her people��s sovereignty in this world. Had she fought to the death with Berengar in that river valley, then perhaps her people might be spared. Berengar, of course, did not take well to this defiance and raised from his seat, grabbing hold of the woman��s face, forcing her to look into his eye as he screamed at her with his loudest voice.


    ��Am I not merciful!?!��


    Such a vicious response provoked a sense of fear in the woman, causing her to instinctively flinch. She then bowed her head in submission with a silent nod. After seeing this, Berengar smirked and released the Aztec Princess��s pretty face, before sitting back in his chair andmenting on her previous actions.


    ��There, that wasn��t so hard, was it?��


    After saying this, Berengar rose from his seat once more, before knocking on the steel door with three loud pounds of the fist. Immediately, the guards on the other side opened it, where Berengar stepped into the doorway, leaving onest remark to the Aztec Princess before departing.


    ��You should prepare yourself, as you have a role to y in all of this. Until then, sit back, and listening to the roaring thunder of my guns as they ughter your father��s army.��


    With that said, Berengar turned away, and the guards sealed the door behind him, leaving Tlexictli alone to sulk about everything she had heard. As for Berengar, he marched out into the courtyard and climbed the steps into the fortifications. Gazing off into the clearing that his soldiers had made. Soon the Aztec Army would arrive, and the German soldiers would defend their position.


    It was this in mind that Berengar smirked as he gazed upon the Empire��s g, pping in the wind. A symbol of the Reich��s glory forever to stand on these shores until the end of time. Here he would make his stand, and in doing so, bring true civilization to thisnd of savages.


    Perhaps in a few centuries, the Aztecs and the other Mexica people, who were under the yoke of their tyranny, would thank him for ending the barbaric rituals of very and human sacrifice. However, he severely doubted this, for in his past life, the people that the European Empires so graciously brought modern civilization to ended up despising them. These were the thoughts that flowed through Berengar��s mind as he gazed into the distance and waited for the arrival of the Aztec Army.

 Chapter 630: A Ruthless Display of Force

    Chapter 630: A Ruthless Disy of Force


    Weeks had passed since the day that Berengar visited his favorite prisoner, and the time had finally arrived. In the clearing outside the German Fortress that acted as its primary settlement in Mesoamerica, an army of roughly twenty-five thousand Aztecs stood, gazing in shock at the fortifications that had seemingly sprung up overnight.


    They did not know how such a thing coulde to exist without them knowing, but it would exin the many disappearances that had urred over the past few months. Still, with the overall size of the settlement, it did not appear that many people were inside of the fortress. At most, it had to be a thousand men.


    While the Aztecs examined therge star fort, the Germans within stared back at the massive native army, ready to open fire at the first sign of hostilities. The golden-haired german soldiers acted as the guardians of their settlement in the new world. As far as they were concerned, this was Germannd, imed by the Kaiser himself, and no force, no matter howrge, would force them to depart.


    The Aztecs could not believe their eyes. The men on the other side of the clearing were dressed in strange clothing, and wielded unique weapons, all while having an appearance that suggested divinity. Such a thing struck fear in to the hearts of the many warriors who hade in search of the reason for the many disappearances that had recently urred in this part of their Empire.


    The massive ships sitting within the docks suggested these men had indeede from the across the great sea. Were they perhaps envoys of the feathered serpent? If so, why did they appear to be so hostile? There were many questions in the mind of the Aztec warriors as they struggled to muster the courage to approach therge star-shaped settlement.


    While the Aztec host was debating on how to proceed. A German officer gazed through his binocrs before reporting his evaluation of the enemy army to his emperor.


    ��My Kaiser, it is of my belief that we will be able to hold this ground, but they do not appear to be hostile, rather they seem to behave in shock. Perhaps the glory of the Reich has stunned them into submission?��


    Berengar looked towards his officer as if the man was an idiot. He could inly see that they were reacting in shock. However, he did not respond condescendingly to the officer, and instead gave him an order on how to proceed.


    ��I don��t care how they��re reacting. Fire a warning shot. If they step one foot on thend that I have imed, then I give you permission to open fire. This is not a matter of negotiation, this is a show of force!��


    With that said, the officer hurried to ry his orders to the nearest artillery battery. In a matter of seconds, the shells were loaded into the guns and fired into the distance towards the Aztec Army. The shells detonated on the shores of the coast, far enough away from the Aztec army as to not actually harm them, but close enough so that they could feel the sting of the explosive st.


    When the Aztecs witnessed the series of explosions, they panicked, nearly breaking ranks at that exact moment. They had never seen such destructive power from anything other than the forces of nature. Yet such massive explosions had taken ce right in front of their very eyes, and resulted from the foreigner��s actions.


    The leader of the Aztec army nearly fainted upon seeing such a powerful series of sts. He had no desire toe any closer to the fortress. After all, he and his men had witnessed why so many people had disappeared over the past few months and, rather than risk such a thing happening to himself, he would rather retreat. He was about to issue thismand when he heard a shriek from among his ranks.


    The leader��s own son had copsed to the ground, bleeding through his padded armor. Evidently, a piece of shrapnel had embedded itself in the man��s chest and had cut his aorta artery, killing the young man in a matter of seconds. When the leader of the Aztec army saw this, he was horrified, rushing over to the boy��s side and grabbing hold of his lifeless body, begging for the gods to bring him back.


    ��This can��t be. Wake up! Wake up, my boy! Gods, please spare him!��


    The other Aztec soldiers tried tofort theirmander by grasping hold of his shoulder, but this only sparked a savage reaction as the man wiped the tears from his eyes and gazed towards the German fortress with such a hatred it threatened to swallow the world. No longer in a state of reason, he ordered an attack on the fortress.


    ��Kill these murderous bastards! I don��t care if they are gods, or men, they must pay for what they have done to my boy!��


    With the order given, thousands of Aztec warriors immediately questioned their orders. They would have to be mad to obey them. They had all seen the destructive power of these weapons with their very eyes. Whoever these foreigners were, they were capable of killing a man dozens of yards away from the explosive st of their weapons. To charge the fortress would be to voluntarily forfeit one��s life.


    Still, despite this hesitation, they were enraged by the senseless death of themander��s son, as well as the fact that so many of their people had gone missing. Whether it was out of foolishness or pure hate, these thousands of men rushed towards the short stone walls of the star fort, screaming their war cries as they did so.


    The moment this urred, Berengar waved his hand, signalling for the rifled breechloaders, mortars, and revolving cannons, to open fire on the enemy. Abination of 75mm, 60mm, and 40mm shellsnded upon the charging army, sting every man within its radius apart.


    Despite the massive casualties suffered from a single barrage, the Aztecs continued their advance, fueled with rage a screaming horde of Aztec warriors met with an overwhelming disy of masterful artillery, as with each passing second the Germans fired another shell into the enemy ranks, sting men into mincemeat as the shells detonated on the ground near their feet.


    Blood-curdling screams filled the air, and yet the German artillery never once ceased their fire, raining explosive projectiles onto the Mesoamerica coastline. Reaping the lives of thousands of Aztec warriors who tried desperately to get into range so that they couldunch their primitive stone atl.


    Just when the Aztec war leader passed the danger close range of the German Artillery, the echo of rifle fire crackled in the air, as a.45-70 projectile embedded itself in the man��s skull, sting his head apart. Upon seeing his sessful kill, an overeager German soldier cried out in joy as he pulled back the bolt of his weapon, ejecting his spent cartridge before reloading his rifle.


    ��Got one!��


    When Berengar heard this, he chuckled as he gazed upon the senseless ughter. This was not a battle, it was a massacre. Despite the bloody scene, Berengar was unphased, he had seen enough of war to where such excessive violence had longer affected him. As he watched the conflict unfold, he heard another soldierment on how simple things were whenpared to their previous wars.


    ��It��s Like shooting fish in a barrel!��


    With the enemy passing through the realm of danger close, the hand-cranked machine guns opened fire, sending thousands of rounds of lead down range in a matter of minutes. Those who were fortunate enough to survive the artillery barrage soon found their torsos blown apart by multiple rounds.


    With themander dead, and half their forces butchered on the field of battle, the remaining Aztec warriors wisely broke ranks and fled the scene. The Germans did not cease their fire until there was nothing left to shoot at.


    In a matter of minutes, the battle had begun and ended with an overwhelming German victory. After thest shot echoed in the air, Berengar gazed upon his soldiers and called out to them, searching to see if he had suffered any casualties.


    ��Is anyone injured?��


    The German soldiers took a quick body count and found that none of them had been harmed during the battle. Thus, a confident voice filled the air, as a marine officer responded to his emperor��s question.


    ��Not a single casualty, my kaiser!��


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smirked as he once more gazed upon the bloody scene. The smell of gunpowder blood filled the air as he reflected on the next phase of his operations. With a single order, the battle came to the close.


    ��Secure the area. Victory is ours!��


    With this said, Berengar descended from the ramparts of his fortress and returned to the holding cell where the Aztec Princess lie in wait. He nned to unt his victory in her face before bringing her on his journey to conquer the Aztec Empire.

 Chapter 631: An Unwanted Mercy

    Chapter 631: An Unwanted Mercy


    Berengar sat within the holding cell of the Princess of the Aztec Empire. There was a wide grin on his face as he sipped from a cup of coffee. Though Tlexictli had not acted as witness to the senseless ughter that had just unfolded, she could tell by the smug smirk on Berengar��s face, as well as the overwhelming scent of death in the air, that the Germans had killed a considerable amount of her people. Thus, her eyes were filled with tears as she questioned why Berengar was being so cruel to her.


    ��What have I ever done to deserve such animosity from you? Why do you make me sit here in this cell and witness the death of my people?��


    Berengar scoffed as he heard this, before giving the young woman a blunt answer.


    ��You killed three of my men. You think I had forgotten such a thing? These are men I personally knew, whose families I have to exin their deaths to. You want to act like you��re some dainty and harmless princess, but the reality is you are a savage and a killer. The only reason I haven��t put you to death is because I need you as a bargaining chip in the negotiations with your father.


    Your first instinct whening into contact with my people was murder. Think of this from our perspective. Wee to yournds in pursuit ofnd and resources to sustain the growth of our Empire. Completely unaware that there is a native civilization here, and the first contact we have with your people is witnessing a murder take ce right in front of our very eyes. Then, after dealing with one of the murderers, the other flees into the woods. Naturally, this poses a security threat to us, so we pursue the absconding criminal.


    When we finally catch up with you, you act with further hostility, killing three of my bodyguards, and even attempt to murder me in cold blood. Sure, we used each other to survive in the wilderness, but that does not mean I have pardoned you for your crimes. So I have decided that your sentence is to act as a witness to my conquest of your people.


    I will restrain you, then I will force you to follow me into every battle I wage, every vige I ughter, and eventually I will force you to bear witness as I march into your capital as a conquering hero. After you have done this, I will use you as a bargaining chip to force your Empire into submission.


    Then, after you have served your sentence, you will be free to do as you please with your life. Because I have decided to be merciful, even though you are undeserving of it. Frankly, your ungrateful attitude towards my benevolence has been emotionally taxing, to say the least.��


    Tlexictli stared at Berengar in disbelief. Did this man seriously just call her ungrateful? This was hardly a mercy. It was more akin to spiritual torture. She had never before in her life considered suicide, but at this very moment, it seemed like a viable alternative. Berengar immediately noticed what she was thinking and countered this thought with an even greater threat.


    ��I know what you are thinking, and I can promise you that if you decide to take your own life, I will burn your civilization to the ground. Every stone that has been used to build your temples will be dismantled and crushed to dust. Every field will be lit aze, and everyst man, woman, and child will be ughtered likemon pigs. History will have no record of your mighty Empire��s existence. So how you choose to proceed will determine the fate of your people����


    The Aztec Princess was filled with despair as she heard these words, either suffer through the conquest of her Empire and servitude of her people, or condemn her entire civilization to extinction. These were hardly reasonable oues. Yet, these were the only two choices presented to her, as such, she nodded her head and wiped the tears from her eyes as she announced her decision.


    ��I understand, for the crimes I havemitted against your people, I will bear witness to the conquest of my civilization.��


    Upon hearing this answer, Berengar smiled and nodded his head before taking another sip of his coffee. After doing so, he gave the woman her instructions.


    ��I am d to see you havee to a reasonable conclusion. Prepare yourself. In theing days, I will march my army further into yournds. You will wear the animal skins that you wore during your capture, as well as the war paint. I want the people of the Aztec Empire to witness what I have reduced their mighty warrior princess to.��


    Tlexictli nodded her head in silence. She had no choice but to agree to the German Emperor��s demands. Though she hated herself for doing it, as she would essentially nder the reputation of the mighty Jaguar warriors, ultimately she did not have the power to resist. She could only ept whatever Berengarmanded her to do with a heavy heart. It was at this moment that a knock resounded on the door, which caused Berengar to call out in response.


    ��Come in.��


    After saying that, Honoria opened the door and appeared through the entrance, gazing upon the unseemly attire of the Aztec Princess with a frown on her lips. Is this how Berengar dressed his prisoners? The pirate queen could not help but express her discontent with the situation.


    ��Berengar, my love?��


    When Berengar heard these words, he immediately felt a shiver down his spine. He knew Honoria would never call him anything but daddy, unless he was really pissed off. Thus, he gazed over with a forced smile as he went along with the woman��s inquiry.


    ��Yes, dear?��


    Honoria red at Tlexictli once more, which made the Aztec Princess feel as if the temperature had dropped by twenty degrees. She had thought she was a fearsome woman, but the purple-haired beauty in front of her was far more frightening. Honoria did not hesitate but express her dissatisfaction with the woman��s wardrobe.


    ��Why is this woman half naked? Surely you could have given her some more civilized attire.��


    Berengar returned his gaze to the chiseled figure of the Aztec princess before taking a sip from his coffee in silence. He would allow her to answer why she was so underdressed. When the Aztec Princess saw the German Emperor��s gaze, she immediately understood what was going on and responded in a way she knew would get Berengar in trouble.


    ��What? Are you saying I��m not supposed to be dressed like this? I knew it was strange that this man constantly fondles my breasts, but he assured me it was part of his culture, so I relented����


    Berengar nearly spat out his coffee when he heard this response. He could practically hear the clicking of Honoria��s revolver, as if she had pulled back the hammer and prepared to execute him for his infidelity. However, in the next moment, when he gazed over at the woman, he realized it was just his imagination. Instead, she wore a murderous re on her otherwise pretty face.


    When Berengar saw this, he knew he needed to establish his dominance in the situation or else Tlexictli would continue to act in such an errant manner, thus he stood up from his seat and backhanded the Aztec Princess across the face before yelling at her for her misdeeds.


    ��You nderous whore! Speak the truth, or I will make sure that your wordse true!��


    Tlexictli realized that she had messed up by trying to get Berengar in trouble with his wife. She could taste the blood from her lip as she struggled to fight the urge to pounce on Berengar. Ultimately, she sighed before revealing the truth of the matter.


    ��That was a lie. I just wanted to get some payback for the cruelty he has put me through����


    After hearing this Honoria sighed, it appeared for a moment that she had epted Tlexictli��s apology, but in the next moment she grabbed the girl��s short hair and pushed her into the wall, while punching her in the gut. Tlexictli nearly spat out her lunch as she felt the fist collide with her sr plexus. After attacking the native woman, Honoria grabbed hold of her pretty face and whispered something in her ear.


    ��Lie about my husband again, and I will cut off one of your pretty little fingers! I promise you that you are not the first native whore I have sent to the afterlife!��


    Tlexictli struggled to gain control of herself as she fell to her knees and gazed upon the demonic expression that had etched itself on Honoria��s stunning visage. She instantly realized that Berengar was not the person she should fear in her heart, rather it was his crazy wife that she needed to stay clear of. All she could do was nod her head and submit to Honoria��s will.


    ��I promise, I won��t make such a mistake again����


    After hearing this, the frightening look on Honoria��s face vanished and was reced with an otherwise kind expression.


    ��Good girl�� Behave yourself, or I will be back!��


    After saying this, she gave a terrifying nce to Berengar, uttering a single phrase before leaving the room.


    ��Get this bitch some proper clothes. I don��t want to see her naked around you again����


    With that said, the Byzantine Princess departed from her Aztec counterpart��s quarters, leaving Berengar alone with the girl in a state of utter confusion. Just when had Honoria be so vicious?

 Chapter 632: Peace and Prosperity in New Vienna

    Chapter 632: Peace and Prosperity in New Vienna


    Arnulf stared at a stack of paperwork in his hands with a smile on his face. Throughout these past few years, the Colony of New Vienna had prospered immensely. Due to his skilled negotiations with the native peoples of the region, the German Empire had secured argebor force that was paid for with food and shelter. Something Germany had an abundance of.


    The Colony of New Vienna had gone from a small military fortress to a muchrger settlement, filled with Germans and natives alike. Though disease had spread rapidly across thend, those who submitted themselves to an alliance with Germany would find basic medical treatment to help aid in recovery. Because of this, the death rate of the indigenous poption of the region once known as New York in Berengar��s pervious life had been lowered drastically.


    As the Colonial Governor, Arnulf had exceeded Berengar��s reputation in the region, and this was in part because he had apletely different mindset of foreign policy than the esteemed emperor. As far as Arnulf was concerned, conflict with the Native poptions was unsustainable, at least in the short term. For the time being, Germany simply did not have the number of vessels capable of transporting arms and munitions to the new world in vast enough quantity topletely overwhelm their potential enemies.


    Thus, unlike Berengar, who was hellbent on conquest and dominance, Arnulf reacted by brokering mutually favorable peace treaties with the local tribes and confederations. Unlike in the other settlements of the New World, the natives had begun to ept and embrace the foreign colonizers as a beneficial existence. So much so that Arnulf��s word was treated with much respect amidst disputes between the various tribal confederations. He had earned the nickname the ��Great Peacemaker�� as a result.


    However, none had embraced the German colonials more so than Kahwihta, who was currently standing by Arnulf��s side with an infant child in her arms. While Kahwihta had initially had romantic feelings for Berengar it had been years since the one eyed manst visited the colony, and as time passed by her interest in the man vanished, and was instead reced with a strong foundation she had built with Arnulf over the years. The Colonial Governor had even taken her as one of his brides.


    Kahwihta was no longer a mere trantor, but was actually the secretary of the Colonial Governor. She had learned a lot about math, science, and history in her spare time and was an excellent example as to Arnulf��s friendly policy with the natives. The young couple stared at each other lovingly as Arnulf finished approving the establishment of a local armory, as well as a local nitrary. When Kahwihta saw this, she was slightly surprised and voiced her confusion on the matter.


    ��Are we expecting a war anytime soon?��


    Arnulf merely smiled when he heard this and shook his head before grasping hold of one of the woman��s free hands while kissing it.


    ��No, not at all, but it is never a bad thing to be prepared. I still don��t know much about thends outside New Vienna, and there could be an existence that threatens everything we have built here. I have decided not to rely on the fathend for support in terms of arms and munitions. You never know when the Kaiser will piss off some major power, and find himself in another war, incapable of tending to our needs.��


    When Kahwihta heard this she chuckled, reminiscing on the violent disy she had witnessed when Berengar first step foot in the new world, after having many conversations with her newfound husband, she came to understand that the German Emperor was a bloodthirsty man hellbent on conquest, and was d that she avoided falling prey to his charms. Thus, it was no surprise when she responded with a witty quip about the man in question.


    ��Berengar is an interesting man�� Do you think there will ever be a day where he doesn��t need conflict in his life?��


    Arnulf scoffed as he heard this before breaking out a couple of mugs, which he quickly poured a heartyger into from the keg in his office. After Handing his wife one of the drinks, he shook his head before responding to Kahwihta��s question.


    ��Honestly, I think he wants to die on the battlefield. I don��t know what it is, but he believes because he has the power to force his will on others, that is the only solution to his problems. This attitude of might makes right has, in reality, made many enemies for the Empire. If we weren��t so much superior to our enemies in terms of military technology, they would surely swarm us. I��m just d that I am free to govern how I see fit here in New Vienna.��


    Having said this, Arnulf took arge sip from his mug as if no amount of alcohol could put his worries at bay. When Kahwihta saw her husband was drinking in excess again, she smiled before calming his nerves.


    ��Slow down, I know what worries you, but I highly doubt the Kaiser is going to call you to war anytime soon. You have retired from the military and are now a politician. Besides, there��s plenty of young blood to be shed in his wars. Why would he ever need you by his side?��


    When Arnulf heard this, he felt much better about himself and slowed his drinking before taking a heavy sigh. He grabbed hold of native beauty and kissed her on the lips before reflecting on how good his life had be these past few years.


    ��You know, when he first gave me this position, I thought of it as an insult. After my years of loyalty and hard work, he awarded me with a crap lot ofnd to rule over, an ocean away from the fathend. However, I havee to realize bing the Colonial Governor of New Vienna is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.��


    Kahwihta smiled when she heard this and nodded her head in agreement with her husband��s assessment. Without Arnulf, it was entirely possible that the German expansion in New Vienna would have been a long and bloody process. It was only because Arnulf was a skilled diplomat that he was able to peacefully solve the disputes between the Colony of New Vienna and the natives.


    She could not believe how quickly things progressed. With the unconditional support of the fathend, its advanced agricultural practices, and mechanized equipment, the Colony of New Vienna had be the breadbasket of the region. However, it also had a significant interest in cash crops such as tobo. As a result, it had be a wealthy and stable colony that was close to being on par with the fathend.


    Though there were no trains yet, nor many of the other technological marvels the fathend was renowned for. Many of the inventions that existed in the fathend that allowed for convenience had found their way to New Vienna, creating a much more peaceful and stable life for those looking to escape the wars of Europe.


    Thus, While Berengar was lighting the Aztec Empire aze in the mes of war, Arnulf was living a serene life, filled with prosperity and meaning. Ultimately, Kahwihta took a sip from her drink beforementing on the approval of the new armory, as well as a few other projects that Arnulf had green-lighted recently.


    ��Is it just me, or are you seeking to establish a self-sufficient colony here in New Vienna?��


    When Arnulf heard this, he merely smiled and nodded his head before responding to his wife��s thoughts.


    ��Indeed, though I have much faith in Berengar to defend his Empire from any and all enemies he may create. The truth of the matter is I do not know howpetent his sessors will be, nor the content of their character. It is because of this that I am preparing New Vienna to be a haven for my people who wish to flee from whatever chaos my follow the Kaiser��s eventual death.��


    When Kahwihta heard this, she broke out into giggles. She could not believe Arnulf was thinking so far ahead, thus she merely sighed before nuzzling her head against the broad chest of her husband.


    ��You are so wise, though I believe it will be many years before our Kaiser dies. You are right to assume that there could be some significant chaos within the fathend when that happens. We are all so lucky to have you as our colonial governor����


    In response to this, Arnulf chuckled as he grabbed hold of his wife and child and dragged them into his embrace. Perhaps Berengar��s sessor will be a greater man than himself, or perhaps he would be a bloodthirsty tyrant. Whatever might be the case, Arnulf intended for his own sessor to have the same vision of peace and prosperity for the colonies in North Vind that he had sought to establish. After all, he was well aware that Berengar intended New Vienna to be the first of many such settlements.

 Chapter 633: Battle of the Three Armies Part l

    Chapter 633: Battle of the Three Armies Part l


    In the Holy Land, a total of the three armies were gathered in the fields outside the city of Acre. The First and most powerful of these armies belonged to the mighty Byzantine Empire. Despite its technological advantage, it was a small force of roughly five thousand men in total. The Byzantines had not bothered to send the bulk of their forces to this battle and instead chose a small elite Brigade of Infantry who was equipped with Rifled Flintlocks, bays, and mirror pattern armor.


    Supporting this Infantry Brigade was a single Artillery battalion which made use of the 1417 12 pdr Field Guns which the German Army had long since reced, refurbished and sold to their allies. Unlike the German Army, these weapons were not issued explosive shells, rather solid projectiles and cannister shot.


    The secondrgest Army present was the Timurid Army, which consisted of roughly ten thousand men. They were equipped with medieval weapons and armor. However, their forces varied in the use of infantry, archers, cavalry, and skirmishers. The Timurid Empire had yet to witness, or adapt to, the new era of warfare that had arisen in Europe as a result of Berengar��s interference in the timeline.


    Finally, there was the Crusader Army, whichprised an English Detachment, a French force, and the Knights Hospitaller. These men were equipped with medieval pattern armor, but their weapons were more advanced than their Muslim counterparts. Matchlock firearms weremon among the Crusader forces, employed as both arkebuses and primitive muskets. They were also supported by their own artillery, which came in the form of falcs and sakers. Though they were fewer than the cannons brought by the Byzantines. Int total the Crusaders had roughly fifteen thousand men, making them numerically on par with their enemies.


    One could say the fact that the English and French crowns who were at war with each other for decades were now fighting side by side was a miracle. One that resulted from the threat that the German Empire posed to the Catholic world atrge. Despite the enmity between the two realms, they were not brothers in arms in the war against the heretics, and because of that, they had put their differences aside for the sake of this campaign.


    Aubry had a smirk on his face as he gazed upon the hostile armies that had gathered in the distance. He was fairly certain that their army would be victorious. Though the numbers were the same between the two armies, they had more firearms than their enemies. Aubry had witnessed how effective these weapons were in the field, and because of that, he believed the Crusaders would be victorious. Thus, he decided to make a friendly wager with his English rival.


    ��Tell me, Lawrence, how much are you willing to bet that my Knights outperform your poorly trained and equipped forces?��


    When Lawrence heard this, he scoffed, wanting to ignore the little boy king, but Aubry did not know when to quit, instead he tried to seduce his rival across the pond.


    ��What, no response? Don��t tell me you��ve fallen for me? Very well, I swear to God in heaven that if my forces fail to outperform yours, I will submit to you and be yourwful wedded wife����


    Lawrence could not believe what he was hearing. Was this boy right in the head? He had every desire to backhand his French counterpart across the face, but instead chose to calm his nerves before lecturing Aubry for his choice of words.


    ��Who the hell wants you as a wife? I��ll wager fifteen tons of silver that Ennd will prove to be the most valuable asset in this battle!��


    Aubry pouted when he heard this before epting the deal. After all, hisment about bing Lawrence��s wife was a mere joke. For the animosity between the two Kings could not be reconciled. Meanwhile, the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller Order gazed at the two European Kings with fury in his eyes. Could they be any more sphemous in the holy Land? Thus, he chose to rebuke them for their foolishness.


    ��Can you two behave yourselves for a single moment? We are about to go into the field of battle, in the name of God. Your sphemy will not be tolerated!��


    In response to this, Lawrence remained silent, and Aubry chose to stick out his tongue when the Grand Master wasn��t looking. While the Crusader leaders were bickering with one another about whose forces would prove to be the most capable. The Byzantine and Timurid Commanders had a far more cordial conversation.


    On the Byzantine side, the Strategos of Palestine himself was inmand of the army. He was a rtively young yet powerful nobleman who had a proud lineage. Though he was not as capable as Padius, or thete Arethas, he was one of the more trusted members of Vetranis�� court. This man��s name was Avienus Diogenus, and he had a wicked grin on his face as he gazed upon the Crusader army, with the Sultan of the Timurid Empire by his side.


    ��I never thought I would fight side by side with a Muslim against a christian army����


    Sn gazed over towards his Byzantine Counterpart with a pitiful expression. It must be the end of days for Christians to turn on their own brothers in favor of their Muslim neighbors. It was because of this that he wore a wry smile as he made a jest towards the Byzantine Strategos.


    ��You know, if it makes you feel better, you could always call off this alliance and backstab us in the heat of battle.��


    When Avienus heard this, he broke out intoughter. They both knew such a thing was not an option. They hadmitted to peace in the middle east, and the Catholics were now intruding on that peace. If the Byzantine Empire were to betray the Timurids aftering to such an extensivepromise, none of their neighbors nor allies would ever trust them again. Thus Avienus merely replies with a witty remark of his own. Do you want to read more chapters ? Come to ***


    ��If you insist����


    After saying this, he did not wait for a response and instead snapped the reins of his horse propelling him forward to the front of his army as he issued a speech hoping to rally his soldiers together against themon enemy their feeble alliance was forced to contend with.


    ��It is by the wisdom of the Emperor that we now find ourselves fighting side by side with our former enemies. Peace has finallye to the Holy Land, and it is our sworn duty to defend it! The Catholics havee to intrude on that peace, and in doing so, force their heretical beliefs on every one of you! It is time for us to show our old rivals to the west that we are not the dying dog they think we are! For Glory, For the Empire, for the Holy Land!��


    After this brief but powerful speech was concluded, the horde of Byzantine soldiers lifted their weapons into the air and called out to theirmander in the same words he had spoken.


    ��For Glory, For the Empire, for the Holy Land!��


    Upon seeing his speech had heightened the morale of his soldiers, Avienus issued the order to march towards the enemy army and begin the battle.


    ��Forward March!��


    Simrly, on the Crusaders�� side, the Grand Master of the Hospitaller Order gave his speech to rally his soldiers into battle.


    ��Centuries ago, we bled to ensure that the Holy Land returned to the hands of Christendom. At the time, the treaty we had made with the Byzantine Empire had clearly stated that the Holy Land would forever be a part of their empire, ensuring that Christians of all denominations could have safe passage on their pilgrimage.


    The current Emperor has spit on those agreements, negotiating with the Saracens and Heretics alike to establish a false state, where Muslims are free to harm the followers of Christ with impunity. Today wee together, as many Kingdoms united under Christ, to drive the Saracens and the Heretics from the Holy Land and reim it for Christendom! God wills it!��


    The moment the Grand Master of the Hospitaller Order concluded his speech, the soldiers in his army raised their weapons in the air and chanted their battle cry thrice.


    ��God wills it! God wills it! God wills it!��


    With the two opposing sidespleting their rallying cries, the three armies began to march into the field. This battle would be the first of many during the Last Crusade to the Holy Land, and would determine which faction had the most favorable start. Should the Byzantine and Timurid Alliance fail here in the fields outside Acre, the Crusaders would have a mighty stronghold for themselves to prepare for their campaign.


    Should the Byzantine and Timurid Empires trounce the Crusader forces, the Crusaders would be forced back to the sea, where they would have to search for a newnding point. Thus, this battle would determine the course of the entire war.

 Chapter 634: German Expansion

    Chapter 634: German Expansion


    It had been days since the battle at the German Fortress had urred. Since then, Berengar had marched his forces into the Jungle with a plot to conquer the Aztec Empire. At the moment, The German Emperor rode on the back of his mighty red steed. In one hand was the reins to his horse, and in the other was a leash tied to the Aztec Princess�� neck.


    He had set out from his fortress with only five hundred men in tow. Among these soldiers were two infantrypanies, and an artillery battalion which had split its six guns into two mk2 Schmidt guns, two revolving cannons, and two 7.5cm FK 22 field guns.


    As for the remaining five hundred men, they were split into two units. These two units were the garrison tasked with protecting the German Fortress that had been established on the coastline. As well as a logistics unit, designed to resupply Berengar��s small force with munitions, and other necessary equipment to continue the fight.


    Tlexictli had a flushed face as she held her head low in embarrassment. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was forced to march with a leash around her neck, following the German Emperor as if she were his greatest prize. Berengar paid no attention to theplex emotions that were all over the woman��s face as he dragged her through the woods.


    The Aztec Princess could not help but stare at Berengar��s back with bitter hatred. This man had enved her, and she was not content with such a fate. After all, despite everything that had urred, she was still a princess, and more importantly, a warrior. Despite this resentment, she could do nothing but obey hermands.


    After several hours of marching, Berengar came across a small town which had makeshift fortifications around it. The German Emperor was cautious with his approach, and first sent out scouts, who returned to his position with their report.


    ��My Kaiser, it appears that several thousand of the survivors from thest battle are stationed in this vige. Many of them are wounded. What should we do?��


    A cruel smirk appeared on Berengar��s face as he issued his orders.


    ��Take cover on the hilltop above. We will use the rough terrain as our firing position. After we have set up our guns, we will rain fire upon the vige, until there are no survivors.��


    Upon receiving their orders, the German army circumvented the town and rose into the hills above. The artillery quickly set their guns up into the most advantageous position above the vige, while the infantry surrounded them, creating arge barrier of soldiers who intended to protect theirrades with their lives.


    As for Berengar, he dismounted from his horse, dragging the Aztec Princess with him behind a cliff, using a rock outcropping as cover. Berengar withdrew his cavalry carbine from his horse��s saddle. As a man who was currently acting as a Hussar, Berengar had ess to three weapons: his cavalry sabre, his 1422 Service Revolver, and his Kar 22, which was a G22 redesigned as a cavalry carbine. Berengar ensured that his rifle was loaded, and the safety was off before giving themand to his troops tounch their attack.


    ��Open fire!��


    With thismand, a barrage of six guns went off, targeting the vige below where the remnants of the Aztec Army remained. In particr, the explosive artillery pieces targeted the buildings that were believed to house the wounded. After all, with the natives level of medicine, they were all dead men anyway, and it was better to put them out of their misery.


    The moment the native warriors heard the thunderous echo of the guns, they knew they had been followed. Thus, it was no surprise when they tried to hide within the buildings, foolishly believing that they would be protected from the explosive shells. Sadly, this was not the case, and many of the men who hid were buried alive, as their stone houses copse on top of them.


    Screams filled the air as the rooftops of the stone buildings crumbled into their inhabitants. Try as they might, there was simply no hiding from the overwhelming firepower of the German Army. When the Aztecs realized this, they knew there was only one chance of survival and that was to confront the foreign soldiers who were attacking them. In an act of desperation, the remaining Aztec warriors charged from their hiding ces, and ran towards the hilltop where the German soldiersy in wait for them.


    When Berengar saw this, he carefully aimed his carbine before squeezing the trigger, sending a round into the chest of a man who was trying to climb atop the hill, the moment the massive.45-70 projectile punched through the man��s chest. He fell from the ledge onto hisrades below. Having killed his target, Berengar quickly pulled back the bolt of his rifle, ejecting the spent cartridge, before shoving a spare into the chamber and mming the bolt forward.


    While the infantry aimed towards those who were rising onto the hillside. The explosive artillery focused their sts on the vige. Thoroughly sting apart any semnce of structures. As for the hand-cranked machine guns, they opened fire on the Aztec warriors alongside the infantry.


    With the two gunsbined, four hundred bullets rushed out of their twenty barrels in the span of a minute and into the climbing horde, cutting down anyone unfortunate enough to be hit by its massive lead spray. Do you want to read more chapters ? Come to ***


    Despite the fact that there were thousands of Aztec Warrior who had survived the battle and escaped to this vige, the Germans held a superior position with overwhelming firepower; it was because of this that the enemy had a hard time reaching the german soldiers.


    A few brave warriors climbed their way to the top of the cliff, preparing to strike the enemy with their obsidian weapons. However, the Germans were prepared for this, and merely poked out their rifles, shoving their sharp steel bays into the torsos of the Aztec warriors, before pushing them down onto the rising tide. The padded armor of the Aztecs was no match for the German bays.


    A few of the smarter warriors tossed their atls towards the German position, however, their effect was limited. Because the germans were taking cover behind rock cropping, and were in a prone position while firing, at most the stone spears would ng against the steel helmet of a German marine, before deflecting elsewhere.


    All this aplished was making these men a priority target as the German marines aimed their rifles towards the ranged warriors and sted holes in their torsos. iming their lives in the process.


    As the battle raged, Berengar noticed Tlexictli trying to escape. Before she could manage to do so, he yanked on her leash which was wrapped around her forearm and dragged her into the dirt where he climbed on top of the Aztec Princess and pinned her to the ground, using his own body as a shield to protect her from the missile fire. After all, he was wearing body armor that could protect his vitals, and she was unarmored.


    Tlexictli was forced to bear the weight of Berengar��s body while she watched as her captor expertly reloaded his weapon on top of her and fired at her people. She waspletely, and totally helpless to do anything other than bear witness to the gruesome scene. As a jaguar warrior herself, she was well ustomed to bloodshed, but this was no battle. It was simply a massacre.


    Eventually, the artillery ceased their fire, as the ruined vige was left with thousands of dead bodies. Any more fire would simple be a waste of munitions. As for the German infantry, they too halted their fire as they gazed upon the scene of the ughter. Below their hill were a sea of corpses, and those who survived were quickly gunned down for sport.


    When Tlexictli gazed upon the scene, she now understood why Berengar had been so confident, with only a few hundred soldiers at hismand. She could hardly believe that so few men had ruthlessly ughtered an army. After Berengar had ensured that the area was secured, he lifted the woman up from the ground and dusted the dirt from her torso.


    The woman stared at him with resentment in her eyes. She could not believe that the Germans had killed so many of her people in a matter of minutes. She was afraid to ask what Berengar��s next ns was, luckily she did not have to as Berengar issued amand to his soldiers.


    ��We will hold up in the vige until our munitions are resupplied. Afterward we will move onto the next vige on our path to the Capital. I dare to see the Aztec Emperor deny my request with so many of his people ughtered.��


    Afte saying this Berengar dragged Tlexictli into the ruined vige, and tied her to a post, ensuring that she could not flee. The woman was filled with indignation as she gazed upon the bloodshed that had just urred. If what Berengar said was true, this was the first of many such massacres that woulde in the following days.

 Chapter 635: Battle of the Three Armies Part ll

    Chapter 635: Battle of the Three Armies Part ll


    In the fields outside the city of Acre, tens of thousands of soldiers marched towards each other. On one side was the mighty crusader armyposed of fifteen thousand men, on the other was the Byzantine-Timurid alliance, which held an equal number of soldiers. While the infantry marched towards one another with killing intent, the artillery had begun to open fire on their adversaries.


    The Byzantine Artillery officers were well disciplined, having received their training from German Military Advisors. The individual members of the artillery batteries loaded their weapons from the muzzle, before lighting the linstock and using it to ignite the cannon. With a thunderous echo, the cannonballs rained onto the crusader armies, sting bodies apart as they burrowed their way through the enemy ranks.


    Aubry was not the kind of man to lead his troops from the front, rather, he, like his English counterpart, stayed safely behind their own lines, and observed the battle as it took ce in the field below. The boy king could not help but exim in shock as he witnessed the carnage inflicted on the crusader armies by the superior Byzantine artillery. He pouted lightly as he condemned Berengar for selling him bad goods.


    ��That German bastard! If I had known the cannons, he sold me were inferior to his allies, I would have never bothered paying full price!��


    As he said this, another bombardment struck the Crusader lines, turning men into meat paste. However, because they were not explosive shells, the cannon balls were far less effective than the artillery that the German Army had at itsmand.


    King Lawrence merely scoffed when he heard this before scolding the boy for his own stupidity.


    ��What? Did you honestly expect Berengar to sell you, a hostile neighbor, the same weapons that he sells to his allies? You��re more foolish than I thought����


    Despite his harsh words, the English king was more worried about what was happening with the byzantine Infantry. While the Timurid soldiers approached the Crusaders armies with religious fervor, the byzantine musketeers had stayed behind, and guarded the artillery, firing their rifled muskets at great distances into the enemy ranks, unwilling to approach the front lines while using their superior range advantage against the crusader forces.


    The volley fire performed by the Byzantine Musketeers who reloaded their guns as quickly as they could ruthlessly cut the English, French, and Hospitaller forces down in massive swaths. Because they werecking in quick loading tubes, it took the Byzantines well over ten seconds to load their guns before firing. However, despite this, they were still faster than the enemy arkebusiers, who still were not within range of firing their weapons. When the English King saw this overwhelming range advantage, he called out to the Crusader artillery and issuing them new orders.


    ��Focus your guns on the Byzantines! The Timurids are not a threat!�� Do you want to read more chapters?


    With thismand, the Crusader artillery shifted the aim of their guns onto the smaller forces of the Byzantine Empire and fired their cannonballs into the enemy position. The Byzantines had not prepared proper fortifications and instead felt the sting of the one and six-pound cannonballs rip through their ranks at high velocity.


    When Aubry saw thismand being issued, he realized that the biggest threat to their army was the five thousand Byzantines, as for the Timurid soldiers, they were merely your standard medieval force, and against the mighty guns of the Crusader army could easily fall by the wayside.


    Despite the cannon fire targeting the Byzantine forces, they continued to load their weapons and fire at the charging enemy, who were desperately trying to approach the firing range of their smoothbore weapons.


    Eventually, they seeded in their endeavors, despite the literal piles of bodies that formed at their feet. Those who were armed with firearms quickly formed ranks and fired a volley on the Byzantine and Timurid forces, ruthlessly cutting down their front lines.


    The reality was that advanced firearms like muskets were a rtively new technology that had only recently spread to the rest of Europe in limited capacity. This was thanks to the influence Berengar had on the timeline. The downside of this was that none of the armies present really had any field practice with their weapons, having only really used them against inanimate targets. It is because of this that both sidescked proper tactics for how to most effectively wield their weapons.


    Thus, the Generals of both factions merely lined their soldiers up and fired at one another. As for the Timurids, they could only overwhelm the volume of fire with sheer numbers, and because of this, the soldiers of the Muslim Empire recklessly charged into the Crusader lines and collided with them, forcing them into meleebat.


    Aubry smiled as he witnessed this. Even though he had armed a substantial amount of his levies with matchlock firearms, he still had several heavily armored knights who took the vanguard the moment the battle turned into a melee fight.


    He noticed a particrly tall French knight thrusting his sword through the heart of a Timurid warrior, spilling the man��s blood on to the sand beneath his feet, and kicking the corpse over. This man was one of the Aubry��s lovers, and nothing turned him on more than watching one of his men dominate on the battlefield. Thus, the French King licked his lips as he gazed at the gory scene.


    However, in the next minute he watched in horror as the man was gunned down by several minie balls that had been fired at his position by the Byzantine musketeers, who continued to stay back and use their ranged advantage in the chaotic melee. The tall French knight fell to his knees in shock as he bled through his breastte before copsing onto the field of bodies. Aubry could not help but cry out in tears as he witnessed the death of one of his many lovers.


    ��Jaques, No!��


    When the English King heard this, he looked at the feminine King and scoffed at him before making ament at Aubry��s expense.


    ��So, I take it he was one of your lovers? Don��t worry, you can always find another.��


    Aubry did not take this insult well and immediately stared at King Lawrence with a hateful gaze.


    ��Shut your mouth!��


    Upon hearing this, the English King merely smirked before turning his attention back to the battlefield. Smoke and blood filled the air as the rear lines of the Crusader army opened fire on the Timurid forces, cutting them down in a symphony of bloodshed. By now, the Muslims had lost over half their forces and were beginning to panic. They had not expected the enemies�� firearms to be so effective.


    Gunshots continued to roar in the air, but despite the significant range advantage of the Byzantine Armies, their crusader rivals simply had too many firearms employed by its forces. The moment they closed the gap, they would open fire on both the Byzantine and Timurid forces. Every arkebusier who fell was reced by a pikeman within their ranks who merely scavenged a firearm and used it himself. It was bing increasingly clear that if something did not change soon, the tides of war would fall within the Crusaders�� favor.


    Unfortunately, as the Byzantine and Timurid forces were struggling to maintain their ranks, a horn of war blew in the distance and the Crusader cavalry appeared on a hill above. Evidently, the Knights of the Red Dragon had arrived at the scene, led by their Grand Master, who was carrying something akin to a cavalry carbine in his arms.


    The Knights of the Red Dragon were one of the many crusader orders formed by the Catholic Church in an attempt to counter the growing threat of the Berengar Heresy. Since its inception, its grandmaster had been obsessed with firearms and had been one of the leading contributors in their development.


    This army of knights were fully equipped with such weapons, and rushed down from the hilltop above with their matchlock carbines, and rained fire upon the Byzantine and Timurid forces, copsing what little resistance that had managed to muster. With the arrival of more crusaders, and the volleys they fired into the enemy��s ranks, the Byzantine and Timurid armies found themselves overwhelmed. Eventually, the Strategos of Palestine issued a retreat.


    ��Retreat! Retreat to Acre!��


    Those who could do so began to route as the Red Dragon cavalry swept by them with des in hand, cutting down those who could not escape their pursuit. The French and English Kings gazed in awe at their victory. Throughout the entire battle, they had a lingering suspicion that they would be defeated, but those worries appeared to be moot.


    With this defeat, the Byzantine and Timurid soldiers who survived the battle would retreat to the nearby city of Acre, where they would be forced to defend it in a siege. Though the field battle had been won by the Crusader forces, it would be pointless if they failed to take the city. Thus, the uing weeks would be filled with fierce conflict as both sides battled for supremacy within the Holy Land.

 Chapter 636: Troubles in the East

    Chapter 636: Troubles in the East


    Chandra Tomara stood within the confines of the Royal Pce of Anangpur with his eyes wide in shock. He had just now received reports of what had transpired in the Holy Land of the Abrahamic religions. He could not believe his eyes as he read the word��s ��one eyed emperor�� written on the scroll within his hands.


    While he had been aware for some time that the mighty Timurid Empire was nning to reim their Holy Land from the Byzantine Empire. He had never expected that a strange power further west could unite its people into a single realm, and its leader would convince the warring factions in the Mediterranean to put down their arms and unite against amon enemy.


    Most shocking, this mysterious one-eyed monarch was from the realm he had once sent his son to as a diplomat, something Ishwar had failed to inform him of. If this was true, then the prophecy was close to being fulfilled. It was only a matter of time before this man led his hordes into India and destroyed what little remained of his family��s empire.


    He had no choice, though he intended to lock away his niece until the troubling times had passed. The appearance of a one-eyed warlord meant that time was running out. If he wanted to prevent his people��s fate, he would have to do the unthinkable. He had to kill the princess.


    However, Chandra was a shrewd man, and he knew if he got rid of the girl the wrong way, it would arouse suspicion. He needed to slowly poison her, so that she grew sick and died of what appeared to be illness. Thus, he immediately called for his court alchemist to prepare the ingredients to assassinate the Anangpur Princess.


    The Court Alchemist was an old, and wise man with bronze skin, and gray hair. When brought to the regent of the Empire, he bowed his head respectfully before inquiring about the sudden meeting.


    ��Your majesty, it is the greatest honor for a man such as myself to assist in whatever ails you. However, I must admit it is a strange hour of the night to be discussing such things. Perhaps you are incapable of sleeping? I��m sure I have a cure for that����


    However, this was not the case, and instead Chandra brought the man in close as he whispered about his dastardly plot to assassinate his niece.


    ��Ranjit, my old friend. What I am about to ask you to do is of the utmost importance for the safety of our realm. However, I need it to be conducted withplete and total secrecy. Can I trust you to do this on my behalf?��


    The elderly alchemist stroked his beard for a few moments before nodding his head in agreement.


    ��If you havee to me for help in this matter, then it must not be something simple. Please enlighten me on how I can assist you����


    In a whispering voice, Chandra revealed the extension of his plot.


    ��I need you to find a poison that will slowly, over time, degrade a person��s health until ites to a point where it appears they die of sickness. This process needs to take months, or even years, and show no sign after death that the body has been poisoned. Can you do this for me?��


    The man reflected on the astonishing demand for several moments before nodding his head in affirmation of his abilities.


    ��It won��t be easy, but I can aplish the task. However, I have to ask, who am I poisoning?��


    Upon hearing this response, Chandra shook his head before ensuring that his plot was handled on a need to know basis. He could not very well trust the elderly alchemist to poison the young princess if he was aware of her identity.


    [Do you want to read more chapters ? ] ��You leave that up to me. Just know that this individual will bring great destruction to our Empire if left to their own devices. However, their identity isplicated and thus they must be eliminated covertly. Do you understand?��


    It took several moments for the Alchemist to respond. He did not like the idea of poisoning a target without knowing who they were, or what kind of threat they posed. However, if the matter was really as important as Chandra imed, then he supposed he had no choice but to ept the position. Thus, with a heavy sigh, the man named Ranjit agreed to the regent��s demands.


    ��Very well, I understand. I will do what you require from me. I will acquire the poison. As for how it is delivered, that is up for you to decide.��


    After hearing this, a wide smiled formed on Chandra��s lips as he practically celebrated his victory in that moment. If the Princess was not alive to lure the one eyed warlord to their domain, then the prophesy could be prevented. He quickly thanked the man for his service before departing.


    ��Thank you Ranjit, I knew I could count on you!��


    After saying this, Chandra quickly got to task on the other portions of his assassination scheme. As for the Princess in question, she was currently locked within her room, where her brother Dharya was visiting.


    Princess Priya Tomara hugged her brother tightly. It was not often that the boy could sneak into her quarters and spend time with his sister. He could tell by how thin she was that she was not being properly fed. Her disheveled appearance was heartbreaking for the boy emperor to see.


    ��Priya, so much time has passed and you are still not growing. I have no choice. If Uncle will not feed you properly, then I will have to smuggle in your meals myself. I can no longer sit by and watch that old bastard punish you for no reason. Though I stillck the strength to overthrow his rule, I swear one day he will pay for his crimes.��


    The young girl smiled as she heard her brother promise to avenge her. However, she was more interested in hearing about that legendarynd that her cousin Ishwar had visited years ago, and thus inquired about it.


    ��Tell me about it again, that mythicalnd to the west that Cousin Ishwar visited!��


    The boy emperor sighed when he heard this. Every time he visited his sister, this was all she wanted to hear about, however despite his reluctance to talk about the story once more, he ultimately conceded. Considering the tale of their cousin��s journey brought her so much hope, Dharya felt it would be cruel to deny the girl what little happiness she had in this cruel world.


    ��ording to Ishwar, he travelled far to the west, across the Timurid Empire, and even the Gates of Byzantium, entering and called Austria. Their capital was a city of technological wonders which he had taken a magical carriage through the mountains in order to visit. Supposedly, this carriage could fit hundreds of people, andpletely operated with no beasts of burden.


    Upon his arrival to the capital of this mysterious city, he noticed that the people there had pale skin, golden hair, and blue eyes. Even themon people were dressed in such luxurious attire that it made our cousin envious. The Pce of this Kingdom was magnificent. He said it was over three times the size of our own, and filled with marvellous paintings and luxurious tapestries. It even had a garden that was rivaled only by the heavens.


    Ishwar says that a benevolent one eyed man, who, despite his disfigurement, was still handsome and charming, rules this Kingdom. This King used his power and wealth to help his people prosper, and was loved by all within his domain.��


    Priya��s emerald eyes glistened with interest as she heard the tale for the thousandth time. As always, she asked a simple question when it came to this part of the story.


    ��What was this one eye��d man��s name?��


    Upon hearing this question yet again, Dharya sighed heavily before revealing what he was told by his cousin.


    ��Berengar von Kufstein, they say he was a man who rose from the low nobility to the position of a mighty King who all of his neighbors envied. Supposedly now he has expanded his borders and created a vast Empire in the center of thend known as Europe. Despite his wealth, he still focuses on investing in his Empire so that he can form a peaceful and prosperousnd where his people can thrive. Thisnd is now called the German Empire and is said to be the most powerful realm in the world.��


    The young princess slowly drifted off to sleep as her brother told her the story of Ishwar��s journey to the west. Once she was out cold, he lifted her up and ced her on her cot, where he covered her with what little sheets she had.


    ��Sweet dreams, my little sister.��


    After saying this, Dharya left the girl��s quarters, struggling toe up with a solution to usurp power from his uncle. If he did not, then it was only a matter of time before his sister met a disastrous fate. He waspletely unaware that the man had already nned to poison the girl into an early grave.

 Chapter 637: The War for Tomatoes Begins

    Chapter 637: The War for Tomatoes Begins


    While Berengar led his forces in a campaign against the Aztec Empire, his former Grand Admiral was now the Colonial Governor of the German Colony of New Swabia, in thend that was once known as Venezu in Berengar��s past life. Unlike the German Military Stronghold which was ced on the coast of Mexico, this was a full-fledged colony that had been operating for some time.


    Until now, the fathend had sunken substantial cost into the colony, with little in terms of material gain aside from potatoes. The expenditure reports were giving Emmerich a headache, who now wondered if this colony was a failure. After all, not a day went by without some kind of skirmish with the natives.


    By now, the Germans had trained several captives to be trantors, and despite their best attempts tomunicate with the natives, the locals continued to show their hostility. The reason was simple: the Germans had brought with them diseases from the old world that the people of thisnd were unustomed to. In the time since their arrival, a pestilence had spread across the native tribes, ravaging their poptions.


    Thus, the natives despised the Germans, believing them to be the bringers of the apocalypse, and had destined themselves to fight until thest man standing against their foreign invaders. Thus, no peaceful resolution could be negotiated. With this in mind, Emmerich had enacted a shoot on site policy to eliminate any native they came across in order to thin their numbers and reduce the ambushes that the German soldiers continued to suffer.


    With this policy in ce, scouting parties could march deeper into the Andes and discover many new products. Among these discoveries was the tomato nt. Which Emmerich was currently staring at on his desk.


    ��You��re saying they��repletely edible and in abundance within the region?��


    When the scout heard this, he quickly nodded his head in excitement. Before answering the Colonial Governor.


    ��We still don��t know if they will grow in the fathend��s climate, but at the very least, we can grow them here. I can only imagine the manyplex dishes that can be made with these. I��ve heard rumors that the Emperor loves food, and I bet he would find some good use for these vegetables.��


    Emmerich nodded his head in response to this. He was well aware of Berengar��s habits of overindulging with his favorite dishes. Sometimes he swore the man was sailing around the world solely so he can experience the taste of the world��s best food. He did not doubt that one day the man would sail to Asia just to experience its cuisine.


    If these things actually tasted good, then surely Berengar would be interested in them. However, they already had a hard enough time exining where potatoes and tobo came from. To add another foreign product to the diet of the Germans would surely arouse suspicions by their people and those who visited their markets.


    Ultimately, only the Kaiser could decide whether these nts made their way to the fathend. It was simply out of Emmerich��s control. However, what he could decide on was whether his people grew these strange vegetables within the colony. Thus, Emmerich took a bite from the fresh tomato, willing to sample its taste. After a few moments, he nodded his head before approving of their cultivation.


    ��Gather as many of these as you can and grow them in the colony. I will alert this matter to the Kaiser when I am next able. As for the meantime, we will begin producing them ourselves. After all, the more food we can grow here, the better we can sustain ourselves.��


    The scout had a wide smile on his face as he nodded his head. He quickly departed from the Vi and ryed the orders to his troops. The war for tomatoes had just begun. After all, the indigenous people of the Andes were not just going to let them pick the tomatoes without a fight.


    Days had passed since Emmerich had given the order, and rain fell down upon the German soldiers who had marched deep into the Andes in search of tomatoes. These soldiers were on high alert, as the natives had a tendency to ambush them at any moment, hiding behind rocks, cliffs, and the thick foliage waiting for their prey to enter the range of their attacks.


    The scout in charge of the German troops knew the viges in this area were cultivating tomatoes, and it was because of this that he had nned to raid them. Since there was no peaceful contact between the Germans and natives, it was just better to take what they desired and leave a pile of corpses in their wake.


    As the Germans crossed the mountains, they soon found themselves in a range of the nearest vige. The captain of the scoutingpany gazed into the distance through his binocrs and confirmed his target. After seeing that tomatoes were in abundance within this vige, he quickly ryed his orders to the soldiers beneath hismand.


    ��Alright, set up the mortars on the hill. The rest of you fix your bays and prepare for battle! Make sure not to damage the crops!��


    The soldiers beneath the Captain��smand nodded their heads as they did what they were instructed. Each toon had its own mortar team where they set up their weapon on the hill above. They quicklyunched their projectiles at the unsuspecting vige, setting its huts aze.


    Before the vigers could even react, explosions were set off at the residential areas, tearing their houses apart, and spreading fire across the vige. The people began to panic as they quickly rushed from their homes, and in doing so ran right into the iron sights of the German soldiers, who ruthlessly fired their rifles at the native civilians.


    It was almost impossible to tell the warriors from the civilians apart in these viges, as they were often one and the same. It was because of this the Colonial Governor had ordered for their attacks to be ruthless, eliminating all the men and boys, while capturing the women and girls.


    As the bullets hit their mark, bodies were sted apart and fell into a pool of their own blood. Those who could muster their courage charged at the german lines, however it was no use. The length of the rifles in the German hands,bined with the size of their bays, allowed for an easy ughter, as the German soldiers cut down those foolish enough to fight them.


    Before long, they massacred the vige, with a few women and children being rallied in the center. The soldiers bound them up as prisoners as they had orders to bring them back to the colony. Aside from killing the men and boys of a raided vige; anothermand was given, which was the capture of women and young girls who survived the battlefield. Their purpose? To be used as colonial concubines when they came of age, so that the Colony could raise its numbers.


    Unlike the Northern Colony of New Vienna, New Swabia had a desperate shortage of manpower. They simply did not have thebor to build and sustain the mines. Since very had been ouwed by decree of the Kaiser, Emmerich had to get creative in how he operated his colony. Though it might take a generation, they would have plenty of young men to work for the greater good of the colony in a few decades.


    Of course, Berengar waspletely unaware of this practice, as he was currently fighting a war in Mexico. However, it was only a matter of time before the crown found out about this. In the meantime, the soldiers ran across the vige and captured as many tomatoes as they could, forcing the women to carry them in wicker baskets down the mountains and to the colony as they reaped the spoils of their ughter.


    The leader of the scouts gazed onest time on the destruction wrought upon the native poption and merely sighed before shaking his head. If the native people had just cooperated like they had in New Vienna, perhaps they would have been spared such a cruel fate. Unfortunately, colonialism was a brutal endeavor, and the mistreatment of the native popce was often the cost of the wealth that came with it. After all, not every governor would be as diplomatic and tolerant as Arnulf was.


    The scout could only sigh in defeat. Ultimately, at the end of the day, the natives could only me themselves for not being powerful enough to stop the foreign invaders. There were a finite amount of resources on this, and sooner orter, each culture would fight for control over them. Such was the way of life. This was a destiny that mankind could only escape when they ascended to the stars above.


    Having gazed upon the senseless ughter, the scout returned his attention to the long march home. They had gotten what they came for. Now they could only hope that the Colony of New Swabia would grow and prosper under the reign of its new Colonial Governor.

 Chapter 638: Shattered Bonds

    Chapter 638: Shattered Bonds


    Within the capital of the German Empire Linde and Ad, the two empresses were sitting in a room, having a civil discussion. It had been some time since the dynamic duo had been on their honeymoon. Yet Ad could remember thatst night as clear as day. Her hands trembled as she recalled the lustful stare that the filthy savage had as he held her hostage. If not for Berengar, she likely would have suffered a fate worse than death.


    Linde, on the other hand, was much more rxed as she took a sip from her coffee. She had much life and death encounters in her life, even before she hooked up with Berengar. She was a tool of intrigue for her father, and had risked her safety time and again to spy on Lothar��s enemies. Thus, the experience was not as terrifying for her as it was for Ad.


    Noticing the chaotic expression on Ad��s face as the two sat together and discussed the event, Linde reached out and grabbed the girl��s dainty hand with her own. She wore a pretty smile as she assured Ad that everything was going to be okay.


    ��Ad, you��re shaking. Was the event really so traumatic that you can��t get over it?��


    Ad gazed out the window, unwilling to meet Linde��s gaze. The rtionship between the two of them was extremelyplicated. For so many years, they had been bitter rivals, yet recently they had be intimate with one another. With Linde being the more dominant personality of the two. If anything, something akin to a friendship was beginning to form between them. It was because of this that Ad thought perhaps she could trust Linde with her feelings, and had thus decided to meet with her in private.


    ��It was not the first time I��d seen such a bloody scene. While I was in Granada with Berengar many years ago, we came close to death. Yet, he was as calm as could be. He was even eating his food as a ughter took ce around us, as if nothing was out of his control.


    However, the look on his face when he saw that savage warrior holding me hostage, I have never seen him so furious before. Except maybe once�� I think that terrifying expression is what haunts me the most. Does Berengar really have such hatred contained deep in his heart? It was as if he was more concerned about killing the savage than he was saving me����


    Linde merely scoffed when she heard Ad��sints before giving the girl some genuine advice.


    ��Berengar is a bloodthirsty tyrant. I thought you knew this when you married him? It��s exactly what makes me so in love with him. His willingness to challenge the world and exert his authority at all times, his overbearing nature. I can��t get enough of it.


    I wonder if God himself couldpel Berengar to kneel before him. Then again, I suppose if he couldn��t, he wouldn��t be omnipotent now, would he? As far as your concerns go, Berengar would never harm a hair on your head. He cares for you, but I think your arrogant attitude vexed him, and that is what drove him to be a bit cruel towards you.��


    Ad sighed and nodded her head as she drank from her coffee. The young empress realized she may have been a bit of a prude, and even worse and arrogant bitch for the first few years of her marriage. She realized now that her pious attitude had driven a wedge between her and Berengar and had actively sought to remedy in recent years. Ad gritted her hands in envy as she revealed her inner feelings to her oldest rival.


    ��I despised you�� you know that, right?��


    When Linde heard this, her brow raised slightly before she nodded her head.


    ��I am aware����


    In response to this answer, Ad ced her cup of coffee down on the table before asking a question.


    ��Do you know why?��


    A smug smile etched itself upon Linde��s pretty lips as she nodded her head before responding in a haughty tone.


    ��You were jealous. It was quite obvious����


    Ad��s cheeks immediately flushed red when she realized she had been seen through. She sighed heavily, releasing the stress in her fingers as she revealed the dark feelings she had towards Linde all these years.


    ��Yes, I was envious. You and Berengar had such a great rtionship, and he clearly cared more about you than he did me. Even though he made me his first wife, you were always the woman he went to when he wantedpanionship. Even Honoria knows this.


    I felt like you had stolen his heart from me, but the truth was, it never lied to me to begin with. You were always his favorite, and always will be. I had even thought of having you killed a few times, but I knew that would only drive Berengar mad, and he would probably have me executed if I somehow seeded.��


    Linde��s brow raised once more in curiosity. She knew most of this, but was surprised to hear just how much Ad had hated her over the years. She could not help but ask the question on her mind.


    ��Why are you telling me this?��


    Ad sighed before taking another sip of her coffee. It was only after she had finished the drink that she worked up the courage to tell Linde the truth.


    ��Because I want you to know that I havee to ept it�� I will never be Berengar��s favorite, but I can at least find joy being by his side, the same way Honoria and Yasmin do. However, it is because of this that I want you to do me a favor����


    Linde was now exceptionally curious about what it was that Ad had nned to ask of her and thus nodded her head in silence, signalling to the girl that she should continue. With a firm tone, Ad met Linde��s gaze and professed her greatest hope.


    ��I want you to give me some alone time with Berengar so I can try to rekindle the rtionship we had in the past. I know right now he views me as his least favorable wife, and though your erm.. training�� has helped him increase his fondness for me, I am stillgging behind the other girls. When he returns from his war in the New World, all I ask is you let me get a head start.��


    Linde was stunned when she heard this. After all, she had always monopolized Berengar��s attention when he first came home from his many campaigns. She struggled to endure the months without him, which is one of the reasons she had turned to Honoria to satisfy her growing lust in Berengar��s absence.


    If she could not be the first to embrace the man she loved, then she would go mad. However, she could tell that Ad was serious about fixing things between her and Berengar, and knew the only way that would happen was if they got some alone time together. Thus, the redheaded beauty could only sigh as she nodded her head in agreement with Ad��s request.


    ��Just this once�� I will allow it. After all, it would not be good for our household to continue the way it has been for some time. If Berengar can not get over his bitterness towards you, it will only lead to future issues among his other wives.


    I will warn you though, when he returns from the new world, you will see our husband when he is at his worst. He will be rough, more than your tender ass can handle. He��s just spent thest through months killing his way to victory, and witnessing the deaths of hisrades, that doesn��t just magically go away when hees home. I have always used my special touch to calm his fury.��


    It was Ad��s turn to raise her brow in curiosity. She had no idea what Linde meant by what she had said and was quick to ask about it.


    ��Is it possible to learn this ability?��


    A cruel smirk appeared on Linde��s lips as she questioned what the girl was asking of her.


    ��You want me to teach you how to be a slutty, masochistic pig who solely exists for her husband to vent his emotions onto?��


    Ad��s jaw dropped when she heard exactly what it was that Linde did whenever Berengar returned home from his campaigns. She instantly had decided it was best to wait until he was in a better mood before getting some proper alone time with the man.


    ��You know what? I think I have changed my mind. I can barely handle what you put me through. If I had to endure Berengar��s wrath, I think that I might really break into pieces. You can have him when he gets home. I will find some other time to mend our rtionship.��


    Linde could only nod her head slightly. She knew the moment Ad heard what she really went through, the girl would back off. Thus she wore a pretty smile as she gave the young empress someforting words.


    ��I��ll make sure he��s loving and kind by the time I hand him off to you. I know you love that romantic aspect of his, so you can have it this time around.��


    Thus, the two empresses hade to an agreement on the best way to help repair the shattered bond that existed between Ad and Berengar.

 Chapter 639: Subjugating an Empire

    <h4>Chapter 639: Subjugating an Empire</h4>


    Weeks had passed since Berengar first marched across the Aztec Landscape and during this time he had raided every vige he came across on his journey to the Capital of the Aztec Empire. Disease spread like wildfire. Not only were natives unable to cope with the sickness that apanied the German soldiers. Yet, the Marines did not even bother to bury the massive piles of corpses they left behind in each vige they encountered.


    By now, this gue had made its way to Tenochtin just in time for the German Army to arrive at its entrance. Countless Aztecs had nowe in contact with the disease leaving them vulnerable to the German Conquest, at this point Berengar simply needed to walk through the streets of the capital with their princess in tow and dere himself victorious which is exactly what he nned to do.


    The Banners of the German Army flew proudly in the air as roughly five hundred golden haired men strolled through the streets of the city of Tenochtin, its citizens not daring to get too close to the invaders. These soldiers sang one of their best marching songs, Erika, as they proudly disyed their might to the native people. Tlexictli held her head as low as possible as her people witnessed her bound and dragged by a one-eyed man who rode on the back of a beast they did not recognize.


    To the Aztec people, the sight of the golden-haired men entering their sacred city was as if the feathered serpent had returned from the east. Normally this would be a joyous asion, however, instead of years of prosperity, the servants of the god brought with them thunder, death, and pestilence. The Aztec people did not know what they had done to anger the feathered serpent, but they did not dare resist their punishment.


    Eventually, Berengar''s army strode up to the royal Pce, where the Aztec Emperor rushed out from his home and kneeled before his conquerors, who held his daughter as their prisoner. He wept tears of joy upon realizing that the girl was still alive. Surprisingly, the one eyed man spoke hisnguage as he made his demands.


    "Are you the Emperor of thesends?"


    Itzcoatl was too afraid to raise his head in the presence of the mighty foreigners. Instead, he kowtowed so low that his forehead was touching the ground.


    "Yes, I beg you to spare my daughter from your wrath. Whatever we have done to invoke such fury, I swear I will find a way to appease your anger..."


    Itzcoatl had not believed it until now, but after seeing an army of five hundred blonde haired men enter his capital with strange beasts and weapons, he was positive that these men were at the very least the envoys of the feathered serpent. A cruel smile appeared on Berengar''s face after he noticed the Emperor was being sopliant. He quickly gave an order to him in front of his people, who did not dare to approach the strange foreigners.


    "If you wish for your daughter to be spared, and the pestilence that spread across thend to end, you will do as Imand."


    The Aztec Emperor merely nodded his head as he still kneeled before Berengar. If these men would spare his daughter and end the gue, he would be willing to do just about anything, especially since he was now certain of their divinity.


    Berengar, on the other hand, had every intention to milk this misconception to its fullest extent. He would make sure the Aztecs signed away their rights as a sovereign state and existed as a protectorate of his Empire until the end of time. Thus, he spoke in an authoritative tone as he issued hismands to the Aztec Emperor.


    "Very well, we shall speak in private."


    After saying this, he hopped down from his horse and pulled out his bay, which he used to cut Tlexictli''s bindings. Once the girl was free, she rushed over to her father and hugged him. Tears streamed down her eyes as if they were rivers, while she apologized for the trouble she had caused.


    "Father, I''m sorry. This is all my fault!"


    However, Berengar did not intend for her to shatter the belief that her father had, and immediately took the Emperor into his pce where the two would settle the terms that would end the conflict between their two Empires. Berengar and Itzcoatl sat alone as Berengar appeased the man with falsehoods built upon his misunderstandings.


    "My name is Berengar von Kufstein and Ie from across the Antic Ocean, or as your people call it, the great sea. You could say that I am the herald of the Feathered Serpent, and I have travelled a great distance in advance of my people to ensure that his eternal Empire remains well supplied. However, when I first entered thesends, I noticed the savage acts your people engage in and it enraged me. Under the authority bestowed upon me, I decided to teach you a valuable lesson about angering the gods.


    Now that you have paid the price of your insolence, it is my duty to negotiate terms. I will be frank with you. The feathered serpent wishes for your Empire to be subservient to the one he has built abroad during his exile. We will end the disease that has spread in thesends, and in return you will allow us to build settlements on the coast to ensure that trade between our two Empires is prosperous.


    You will also pay a yearly tribute to the realm of the feathered serpent, also known as the German Empire, where you will give us whatever it is we desire. Whether that be gold, silver, crops, or anything else that we deem to be a valid form of payment.


    In exchange for this tribute, we will protect you from foreign threats that may wish to conquer yournds for themselves. As a protectorate beneath the German Empire, you will be free to rule over yournds as you see fit. However, we demand the barbaric practice of human sacrifice ends."


    When Itzcoatl heard these demands, he could only bow his head in silence. The one eyed man had confirmed that he was, in fact, the Herald of Quetzalcoatl. This meant that the Aztecs had no choice but to obey these demands, especially if they wanted the disease that gued theirnds to be lifted. He did not know why the feathered serpent had demanded an end to human sacrifice, but if that was his wish, he would ept it.


    As for Berengar, a cruel smirk curved on his lips. It was too easy to negotiate with these primitive civilizations. He was lucky he had showed up in the Aztec Empire with only blonde haired soldiers, and during a year of the reed. If not, he could not so easily enforce his demands.


    It was a blessing that these people believed in the divinity of their German suzerains. Such a thing would guarantee their loyalty for several generations until they evolved beyond their primitive state. The Aztec Emperor finally spoke after several moments of silence, recognizing Berengar''s divinity, and dering the Aztec Empire to be his humble servants.


    "I, Itzcoatl, Emperor of the Aztec people, recognize you as the Herald of the Feathered Serpent, and hereby pledge the loyalty and service of my people to the German Empire."


    With this said, the Aztec Empire had officially be a protectorate belonging to Berengar and his mighty Empire. In truth, the number of people he killed in this campaign was a paltry sumpared to those who died in the Spanish Conquest of his past life. Tens of thousands lie dead, rather than millions.


    Despite the brutality that Berengar had showed during his rapid conquest, the Aztec people perceived it as their punishment for angering the gods. Only Tlexictli knew the truth about the German Empire and their humanity. However, she said nothing in fear of what Berengar might do to her people if they realized the truth. Thus, her father had given her the position of being his personal envoy to the feathered servant, meaning she would follow Berengar back to the fathend and act as a diplomat for her people.


    Berengar had meant what he said, he intended to turn the Aztec Empire into a protectorate whose massive vebor force would act as the required manpower to mine the gold, silver, iron, and other valuable resources which would be given to the fathend as tribute. After all, despite Germany''s massive growth, it stillcked the means to fully colonize the area within his lifetime.


    Thus, in the following months, the Germans would flood the Coastline of Mesoamerica, establishing their own settlements, and bringing with them basic treatment for the cold and flu symptoms that the natives were enduring. This act of benevolence would further act of proof of the German divinity in the eyes of the locals, and secure German dominance in the region for years toe.


    As for Berengar, he intended to take the first ship back to the fathend. He had spent far too much time in the new world, and had matters of importance he had to attend to back home. His first step in securing colonies in Mesoamerica had begun, and he looked forward to his future colonial adventures.

 Chapter 640: Another Awkward Return Home

    <h4>Chapter 640: Another Awkward Return Home</h4>


    Weeks had passed since the Aztec Empire surrendered to the Germans and now Berengar had returned to his homnd with Honoria and Tlexictli in tow. For whatever reason, the Aztec Princess showed no symptoms of the illnesses the Germans carried with them. Whether the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan granted her a blessing, or she simply had an exemry immune system, Berengar did not know.


    However, the moment they stepped off the docks of Trieste and into thends of the German Empire, the Aztec Princess felt as if she had entered an entirely different world. Hundreds of ships lie within the docks, many of them were naval vessels, and others belonged to merchants across the globe.


    She had initially thought that Berengar only possessed a small fleet of suchrge metal vessels, but when she saw that there were dozens of such behemoths in Trieste''s naval base, she nearly had a heart attack. If his Navy had such power, then how insane was his army? Berengar had only dispatched 1,000 men to Mesoamerica, in a rather foolish attempt couldpare his feat to Hernan Cortez from his past life.


    While Cortez had allied with the neighbors of the mighty Aztec Empire to defeat them, Berengar used only the power of his own army, and the disease he knew would spread. Berengar smiled when he saw the stunned expression on the woman''s face before hinting to her that her astonishment had only just begun.


    "You are impressed by this? Wait until you see the trains!"


    The woman looked at Berengar as if her understanding of the Germannguage had suddenly dissipated from her mind. However, it was not long before the trio boarded the train to Kufstein. Tlexictli had thought that horses were impressive, as her peoplepletelycked beasts of burden. Yet when she step foot on the Royal Train which travelled at higher speeds than she could imagine, she practically fainted.


    As the Austrianndscape passed by her visage, she noticed other strange machines which were used in the massive fields of the Kingdom. She could not help but satisfy her curiosity as she asked about the function of such devices.


    "Berengar, what are those?"


    The German Emperor chuckled when he saw the childish look of wonder in the Aztec Princess''s eyes, before responding with a confident expression on his face.


    "Those are tractors. They are used to plow, seed, and harvest the fields. We used to rely on animal power to achieve this, however, as more tractors enter the agricultural industry, those old horse-drawn devices are now shipped to the other kingdoms of my Empire, or to the Colonies to be used in their fields."


    Tlexictli gazed upon the massive fields that took up thousands of acres across the Austrian Landscape and could not believe that so much food was being produced by the German Empire. She immediately realized why she had lost the war, and that in reality Berengar was being quite generous with how few of her people he killed. She could not help but ask the question in her mind as she gazed at Berengar in a new light.


    "Just how many men does your army have?"


    She had personally witnessed the sheer destructive power in the hands of the German soldiers, as well as their loyalty to their emperor. However, Berengar''s wordspletely went beyond her expectations.


    "In my Army I have between two hundred and fifty to three hundred thousand men. That''s not including the men in the Border Guard, Navy, and Coast Guard. Altogether, the Armed Forces of the German Empire consist of roughly five hundred thousand men at the moment."


    Tlexictli felt like she was about to hyperventte. Berengar had only sent a thousand of his soldiers to the new world, excluding the naval personnel to ferry them. If he had sent arger force, her people would have beenpletely ughtered. When she came to this realization, she could only think of one question to ask him.


    "Tell me the truth, are you actually a god?"


    A fit ofughter broke the silence as Berengar and Honoria both mocked Tlexictli for her question. The Aztec princess immediately pouted when she heard the Royal Couple making fun of her. After several moments, Berengar finally gave her an answer.


    "No, I''m not a god. However, there is no person in this world who can challenge my authority, so you could say I''m not far from being one."


    A look of disbelief filled on the Aztec Princess''s face as she heard this. What she was witnessing on this train ride hadpletely overturned her understanding of civilization. She immediately understood why Berengar referred to her, and her people, as filthy savages. Compared to the technological marvels, wealth, and power that belonged to the Fathend, her people were practically cavemen.


    If Germany was so much superior to her people, then thends she sailed by probably weren''t too far behind. She immediately became thankful that Berengar had demanded for her civilization to be a protectorate instead of just wiping them from the face of the earth.


    Eventually the train ride ended, and the trio ended up in front of the royal pce, where Berengar''s lovers were quick to greet him. The moment they saw another woman by his side, they sighed heavily. Their man just could not keep it in his pants. They were about to go through the usual routine when Berengar introduced the woman by his side.


    "This is Tlexictli. She''s the princess of an Empire in the New World. Her father has asked her to act as a diplomat in our realm. Before you get angry, I swear that I have notid my hands on her."


    It took Tlexictli a moment to notice, but all of these women were Berengar''s wives, and they were eying her as if she were a rival. Thus, she bowed her head in submission as she assured them there was nothing between her and Berengar.


    "It is as the Kaiser has said. I am merely a diplomat who will be staying with you until his majesty can find me some quarters. There is no inappropriate rtionship between us. Queen Honoria can attest to that."


    Berengar''s wives immediately nced at Honoria for confirmation, which she responded to with a slow nod of the head. After realizing that Tlexictli was not one of their rivals, the women immediately became more friendly with her. Linde was the first to speak, as she walked up to her husband and kissed him in front of the new girl.


    "Master, it has been so long since I have seen you, you do not know how worried I was when I heard you went missing!"


    When Tlexictli heard the way Linde referred to Berengar, she immediately questioned it by whispering to Honoria.


    "Master?"


    Honoria could only sigh and reveal the truth as she informed Tlexictli of the rtionship between the two.


    "It''s a sex thing..."


    The Aztec Princess immediately flushed in embarrassment when she heard this and tried to avert her gaze. However, despite Linde being unwilling to let go of her husband, she greeted the neer.


    "Tlexictli, was it? I am Empress Linde von Kufstein, wife of Berengar von Kufstein. Do not think that you can so easily climb to my position..."


    The Aztec Princess merely bowed her head in response to Linde and remained silent, which was enough to convince the redheaded beauty that the girl was at the very least obedient. After Linde greeted Tlexictli, Ad did the same.


    "I am Empress Ad von Kufstein. It is a pleasure to meet you!"


    Though Ad was pleasant on the surface, after her encounter with the savages in the caribbean she had an inherent disdain towards the natives of the new world, and could not find herself to trust the Aztec Princess. Tlexictli remained bowing and silent. That is, until Henrietta approached her.


    "I''m Princess Henrietta von Kufstein, Berengar''s little sister. It is rare that I get to meet princesses of other realms. Maybe we can talkter, perhaps over some coffee and pfeffernusse?"


    However, after saying this, Henrietta ran up to Berengar and kissed him passionately on the lips, before hugging him tightly. This action immediately shocked the woman as she inquired about the rtionship between the two.


    "Honoria, aren''t they siblings?"


    The Byzantine Princess could only sigh in defeat and shake her head.


    "It''splicated. I''ll exin it to youter..."


    Thest of Berengar''s lovers to introduce themselves was Yasmin, who carefully examined the Aztec Princess. After a thorough analysis, she greeted the woman.


    "So you are a princess from the new world, huh? I would love to hear about the stories you can tell me about your homnd."


    Tlexictli responded to this with a bow and a simple response.


    "It would be my pleasure..."


    After the women had introduced themselves to one another, Berengar led them into the Pce for a nice meal. It had been a while since he had survived on anything other than rations, and he desperately wanted to taste his wives'' cooking.

 Chapter 641 - Linde Learns the Truth

    Chapter 641 - Linde Learns the Truth


    Berengar may have just returned home from a long campaign of subjugation against the Aztec Empire, but he was as hard at work as ever. Currently, he was in his office, where he was looking over a map of the current borders of his Empire. Aside from the fathend, which was a unification of the German-speaking regions of Europe, there were three small sections across the antic Ocean, which were the borders of the German Colonies.


    With the subjugation of the once mighty Aztec Empire, Germany now had a settlement on the Coast of Mesoamerica, this created an interesting question in Berengar''s mind. Obviously, he could no longer refer to the Americas by the term Vind. Nor could he refer to the regions as the Americas. Thus, Berengar was now thinking of alternative names for the new world.


    Since Berengar had discovered the new world in this timeline, the first thought that came to his mind was naming the region after himself. However, after thinking about a pleasant sounding name for more time than he probably should have, he decided to name the continents of the new world after his two German wives. As he felt their names would be a better substitute.


    As he gazed upon the map of the regions known as North and South America in his past life, he decided the most fitting name for the Northern Hemisphere would be Lindeheim. After all, Linde was a redhead, and redheads performed better in colder climates. This came as no surprise, as Berengar had always had strange reasons for naming certain things. As for as the southern continent was concerned, he would obviously name it Adelheim after his first wife.


    Having Written the names on the Map that disyed not only his colonies, but the entire Americas from his past life''s memories, he realized he had not yet named his newest colony. Thus, Berengar decided he might as well grant himself the honor and jotted down the name Berenstadt. Finally, after much hard work, he hade up with an appropriate terminology for the Americas, and his newest settlement.


    The German Emperor was so entranced with his work that he failed to notice the approach of his redheaded wife. She had already wrapped her arms around his back by the time he realized her presence. With a calm smile on his face, Berengar spun around and gazed into his wife''s sky-blue eyes.


    "You are just-in-time Linde, there is something important I wanted to discuss with you."


    Linde had a pretty smile on her face when she heard this. She had spent every waking hour she could with her husband since he came home from his journey overseas. It was almost as if she believed he would disappear in the next moment, and because of this, she needed to be by his side at all times. Berengar had noticed this odd behavior and assumed it had something to do with his previous disappearance.


    Just when Linde was about to ask what Berengar wanted to speak to her about, her inquisitive gazended upon the map which had explicitly mapped out territory that had yet to be explored. Naturally, this caught the cunning woman''s attention, which caused her to inquire about where Berengar received such information.


    "Master, I know it is not my ce, but how exactly do you know that these are the borders of the New World? As far as I''m aware, we have not sent explorers to such regions yet?"


    Berengar sighed heavily. Linde arguably had the brightest mind he hade across in this new world. If someone as simple as Honoria was suspicious about the origin of his knowledge, then surely Linde would have noticed something by now.


    There was only one reason Berengar had not revealed the truth to his most trustedpanion, and that was fear. Fear that she would flee from his arms the moment she found out he was not the man she thought she knew. While Yasmin was quick to ept him, Honoria had been angered for days, and despite eventuallying around to the idea, she had refused to speak with him for some time.


    The reality was that Linde was Berengar''s favorite wife, hell she was practically his soul-mate. If she ran away from him after learning the truth, it would absolutely devastate him. He didn''t know if he could continue on his path in this life without her.


    However, sooner orter, he would have to tell the woman the truth, or else it would gnaw at his very soul. Especially when he already felt guilty for informing two of his other wives before Linde. Thus, with a heavy sigh, Berengar began his journey on a path with no return.


    "Linde, it is time you learned the truth.. I suppose someone as bright as you have been wondering for some time now how I know the things I know..."


    Linde''s heart beat rapidly when she heard the words. She felt as if she could pass out from anxiety at any moment. Naturally, she had suspected the truth about Berengar''s origins for some time, and had long since investigated it. However, in the end, she could not find a single clue that would lead her to the truth.


    If Berengar was willing to inform her about his biggest secret now, it meant he fully trusted her, and she obviously would pay attention to what the man had to say. However, before she did so, she wanted to make a few things clear, and interrupted her husband before he told her everything.


    "Promise you won''t be mad, but I may have already looked into your past in an attempt to learn about what you have been hiding from me. However, even with all the resources you have given me over the years, I simply could not find the slightest trail to follow that would lead me to the truth.


    It might sound crazy, but I havee up with three theories that exin your otherworldly knowledge. So tell me if I guess one of them correctly. The first is the possibility that the Catholics are right, and you have sold your soul to the devil in exchange for limitless knowledge. This seems unlikely to me, as I know you would never risk eternal damnation simply for some feats in this life.


    The second theory is the absurd idea that you are, in fact, a god in the flesh, and you are omniscient. However, this also seems imusible as there is a very clear record of your birth, and you did not begin disying your keen intellect until you were already an adult.


    As for my third spection, it somehow seems more farfetched than the others, but it has the most evidence to support it. I strongly believe you are a man from the future, where all the information you have brought forth into this world is alreadymon knowledge in your time. The only part that makes me unable to ept this theory is I can''t seem to figure out how you reced the original Berengar, and so seamlessly blended into his life..."


    Berengar''s jaw had nearly hit the floor when he heard Linde had already been researching into his secrets. Especially when the third theory she had was close to reality. The woman had an anxious expression on her face as she was practically squirming in her seat, waiting for a response. It was not until she spoke up that Berengar snapped out of his daze.


    "Well, which one is it?"


    Berengar chuckled softly. He was truly bewildered. In his past life, this woman would surely have been a genius among geniuses. He could only guess how she was leading to such crazy theories. He supposed an old quote from Arthur Conan Doyle may have something to do with it.


    "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."


    If Linde had followed such a thought process, then it meant she had exhausted every logical, and rational possibility that she could think of only toe up with three highly improbably, and otherwise insane theories to exin the truth behind Berengar''s seemingly limitless knowledge. He could only smile when he thought about how much dedication Linde had put forward to learning more about him. Thus, he had quite the pleasant expression on his face as he revealed the truth.


    "Your third theory is the closest to the truth. I''m not a time traveler per se, but I have the memories of a man from the future of a simr, but distinctively different world. The truth of the matter is, I was born in this world as Berengar von Kufstein, and until I was twenty years old, I was azy, drunken loser of extremely low intellect.


    However, when my brother poisoned me, I fell into a deepa, and when I finally awoke, I had the memories of a man called Julian Weber, who was an engineer in an unbelievably advanced society. If I told you that in that in my past life, mankind had already been to the moon, would you believe me?"


    At first I thought when I awoke in this world I thought I was simply Julian, and that Berengar had died off after my transmigration, but as the years have passed, I found that I have more of the original Berengar in me than I originally thought. Particrly in my cruel and ruthless nature, as well as my personal beliefs. These were not aspects of my personality in my past life."


    Linde gazed at Berengar with a twinkling expression in her eyes. Unlike what Berengar had expected, she did not care in the slightest that he had lied to her for years, nor did she ponder the possibility that he was aplete stranger. She was more interested in learning everything there was to know about both of his identities. With an excited expression on her face, Linde demanded to know more.


    "Tell me everything!"


    This reaction initially shocked Berengar, however he could tell that she was not angry at him, and was genuinely interested in learning about his past life. Thus, he spent the rest of the day telling Linde stories of his past life, everything from his personal life story to the history of that world. He even went as far to describe his favorite snacks and how they tasted.


    For the first time in a long time, the couple spent the entire night doing nothing but talking to one another. By the time the morning came, Linde felt as if she had a better understanding of the man she loved, and that she was closer to him than ever.

 Chapter 642 - Hans Learns the Truth

    Chapter 642 - Hans Learns the Truth


    While Berengar was speaking with his wife Linde about his past life, and everything he could recall from that world. Another important discussion was going on in a different corner of the house. A young princess was sitting in shock as her fiance had proimed the hidden truth he knew.


    "So, Veronika, I see you still fancy my father..."


    Hans was sipping from a teacup, which was filled with milk while he acted as if he was perfectly calm. A state of being, in which he was anything but. Quite some time ago, the Princess of Bohemia had approached the Emperor of Germany and asked that she be betrothed to him rather than his son.


    This was a request that Berengar had denied, something which displeased the young girl. However, she waspletely unaware that her actual fiance, Prince Hans von Kufstein, had overheard her, and until now had kept his mouth shut on the issue.


    Hans was initially willing to let this request slide. After all, he was rather close to Veronika, and had assumed it was a mere passing fancy one, which she had gotten over. However, Hans had recently spotted his fiancee fawning over his father after the man returned from his expedition, and because of this, the boy could no longer keep his wrath confined.


    The Prince of Germany was not even ten years old, but his intellect had expanded rapidly, to the point where he was practically on the same level as the Bohemian Princess who was now a young adolescent girl. Despite this, he had the emotional maturity of a child his age. The fact that he had been able to keep quiet on this issue for so long was a miracle in itself.


    Veronika flushed red in embarrassment as she reflected on the past incident, where she foolishly chased after Berengar. She had no idea that the boy Hans was aware of her crush. However, she hade to terms that she was engaged to the man''s son, and took sce in the fact that the boy was equally exceptional in his own way.


    Her onlyint was that her fiance was still a young child, and it would be many years before he was an age where they could actually be intimate with one another. Her first instinct was to deny and deflect, which is exactly what she did once she came to her senses.


    "What are you talking about? Berengar is a brute. A man who stole my father''s crown, and holds me prisoner. How could I possibly admire such a man?"


    Despite the princess''s words, Hans was having a hard time believing her. After all, her emotions were written all over her face.


    "You are a terrible liar..."


    Upon seeing that she had been caught red-handed, Veronika finally admitted the truth.


    "While I may have had a crush on your father in the past, I realize now that I was foolish, and I just have to be patient until youe of age."


    In response to this, Hans merely scoffed as he took another sip of his milk. After doing so, he pointed out the holes in the girl''s story.


    "If that were true, you wouldn''t have been fawning over him the moment he returned home from another one of his campaigns. What were your words... Oh yeah, I think it was something along the lines of "Oh my Kaiser, where did you go this time? Did you im newnd for our Empire? Did you kill anybody? Is there room for one more in your harem? You are so brave and strong!"


    Veronika immediately protested the boy as he mocked her.


    "I did not say such a thing!"


    Once more, the Prince of Germany wore a smug expression on his childish face as hemented on the girl''s denial.


    "You didn''t need to. The expression on your face said it for you..."


    The Princess of Bohemia had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. Did she really look like she was harboring such thoughts? She was only admiring the hero who saved her from her mother after he had made another triumphant return. The emperor didn''t truly believe she thought of him in such a way, did he? She could onlye up with a suitable excuse for her behavior.


    "Okay, I''ll admit it. I''m a fan of your father, but that doesn''t mean I still fancy him!"


    Hans did not say a word. He remained silent as he let the girl''s protests speak for themselves. Obviously, she could not handle the awkward atmosphere as she once more began defending her actions.


    "It''s hard not to be a fan of him. He single-handedly united our Empire and has never been defeated in battle. He is fearless, charming, domineering, and cares about his loved ones deeply. I''m not the only one who is an admirer of Berengar. Practically the entire Empire is as well!"


    After hearing such praise, Hans felt as if he was about to have an aneurysm. He finally snapped and let out his innermost thoughts on his father.


    "My father is a fool who has needlessly put his life at risk too many times to count. For what purpose? Some vain pursuit of glory on the battlefield? He is either a fool or he is a bloodthirsty maniac who can only rest after he has taken someone''s life.


    Either way, my mother shouldn''t have to sit at home and worry about that bastard''s safe return every time he goes off to war! My father is more often found on the battlefield than he is at home with his family. It just goes to show his priorities..."


    Veronika was taken aback when she heard the princes'' true thoughts on his father. Clearly, Hans had be bitter after witnessing his mother in a state of despair after Berengar had gone missing. He was right about one thing, though: Berengar had spent more time at war than looking after his family.


    This was a major point of contention for not only Hans but Helga as well, who practically considered her father a stranger. The Bohemian Princess suddenly realized what was going on. Hans was not angry at her; he was angry at his father. Thus, she wore a smug smile as she witnessed the prince pouting.


    "You know, Hans, your father is an incredibly busy man. In case you haven''t noticed, the man has an Empire to run. I''m sure he simply forgets to spend time with you and your siblings. Communication is a two-way street. Have you ever actually requested that your father spend some time with you? I''m sure he would be willing to do so if you asked politely.


    I can''t even imagine how hard he is working to secure a better future for you, your siblings, and the German people as a whole. Not to mention he has four wives and a mistress that he has to, erm... satisfy. I''m sure it slips his mind to spend some time with his kids. If you don''t ask, then you will never find out if he is willfully neglecting you, or if he simply loses track of time."


    Though Hans may be a brilliant child, he was severelycking in wisdom and maturity. The reason was simple. Those two things usually came with life experience, and he had yet to reach double digits in years, let alone the age of the majority. It had never actually urred to him to take the initiative. After all, Linde worked equally hard as Berengar, but she always made time for her kids. If that was the case, why couldn''t his father?


    Fundamentally, it came down to thest reason that Veronika had listed, Berengar had too many lovers to satisfy on both an emotional and physical level. The five of them monopolized his free time, so much so that it was often at the expense of their children. There were only so many hours of the day, and Berengar had too much to do.


    Hans had realized that Veronika was right, and felt ashamed of taking his anger out on her and his father. He immediately got up from his seat and bowed to the girl before departing.


    "Thank you for the insight. I know what I have to do..."


    After saying this, Hans ran off towards his parents, hoping to ask them to spend some quality time together as a family. He did not know what kind of major revtion Berengar was sharing with Linde at this very moment, but he was about to find out more than he had bargained for when he stumbled upon their conversation. By the time Hans had located his parents, they were deep in a discussion about his past life.


    "If I told you that in that in my past life, mankind had already been to the moon, would you believe me?"


    The moment Hans overheard this statement; the boy stopped in his tracks and hid outside the room, eavesdropping on his parents'' conversation. Just what madness was his father speaking? This was a tremendous revtion, and if true, would exin many of the boy''s questions about his father. While Berengar and Linde spent the night speaking about his past life, they werepletely unaware that Hans had heard the entire conversation.

 Chapter 643 - Reminiscing of the Past

    Chapter 643 - Reminiscing of the Past


    Hans sat outside the door to the room where his mother and father were having a shocking discussion. The young boy hugged his knees to his chest as he listened to every word his father spoke, as if it were amandment from God himself.


    He could hear the voice of his mother as she prodded the man''s mysterious background with more questions. It would appear that no matter how much Berengar spoke of his past life, Linde was never fully satisfied. She desired to know everything about her man, and thus she immediately inquired about past lovers.


    "So you died when you were in your mid-twenties? You must have had a wife, or a lover then? Here I thought I was your first..."


    She could hardly believe Berengar''s next words as he spoke about his past life with a nostalgic smile on his face.


    "You were my first in both lives. I was not exactly what you call handsome in my past life. I was also an introvert who had a hard time approaching women. There were a few girls I was close to, but they never really saw me as their equal, and because of that, they treated me like a little brother.


    Besides, none of them were as beautiful as you. They were all harpies who coated themselves in pounds of makeup to make them appear as if they were princesses. You are entirely different from those hags and are naturally beautiful, a trait most women don''t have. You could say reincarnating into this world and meeting you was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. "


    Linde blushed in embarrassment when she heard these words. It was rare for Berengar to speak so fondly of her. Though he treated her well, he seldom used such shameless ttery. As for Hans, when he heard his father''s words, he took a mental note. He had always wondered how the man subdued someone like his mother. Perhaps it was his kind words that won her heart.


    Of course, if the young boy knew the truth of how his parents hade together, it would definitely skew his conception of romance. After all, their rtionship might seem like one out of a fairy tale on the outside, but behind the scenes, it was far from it. Luckily for him, Berengar and Linde had seldom spoken the truth about how they became a couple. After all, it was not something you would normally say in politepany.


    Linde fawned over her husband after he spoke such sweet words to her,pletely missing the point that in his past life he died bitter and alone. It took her several minutes to break away from Berengar''s charm and realize the meaning behind his words. After doing so, she only had more questions on her mind, which she quickly voiced.


    "You''re telling me that in the entire life you lived, you never had a single woman who loved you? What is wrong with the bitches in that world?"


    Berengar wore a bitter expression as he reminisced about his past life. In the end, he simply sighed and shrugged his shoulders as if admitting defeat.


    "That''s just the way things were in that world. The sad truth of the matter is that by the time I died, the prospect of marriage had long since be a joke. Only a foolish man would risk such a union. I''m better off here with you. Hell, I''m not sure that I had much to look forward to, even if I somehow survived myst tour in Afghanistan..."


    Linde could not agree more with Berengar when he said that. He was clearly better off in this world by her side. However, she obviously had more questions on her mind about his past life and was quick to voice them.


    "You previously said you had no siblings, nor did you have any friends, or girlfriends... Was your rtionship with your parents at least decent?"


    Berengar sighed heavily as he heard this before revealing more about his past.


    "Sure, when I actually saw them. However, they worked long hours, and most days, I had to take care of myself. I would only get to see them for a few hours every night, and by that time, they were too exhausted to really do anything with me. Though I suppose I have a few good memories of them.


    This one year, they worked overtime for several months just to pool together enough cash to take us on a family trip to one of the country''s major theme parks. I don''t think I ever spent so much time with my parents as I did then. I ended up getting sick on thest day and vomited the entire trip home. Still, it was fun... Of course, the moment we got home it was like the trip had never happened; they had to go to work the next day, and once more I was stuck by myself, with nothing but my books to keep mepany."


    Linde could see the joy on Berengar''s face dissipate as he mentioned thatst part. It was as if she could feel the pain and loneliness in the man''s heart. She couldn''t bear seeing her man harboring such emotions and quickly seized his hand to assure him he was not alone in this life. Berengar smiled as he saw the concerned expression on Linde''s pretty pink lips. He then assured her he was okay.


    "It''s alright, I''ve long since epted my past. My only worry is that I''m doing the same thing to my own children. I turned out to be just like my father, working from sun up until sundown. By the time I''m finally finished with all my work, I''m too exhausted to spend any time with them. I suppose they are lucky to have multiple mothers who care for them in ways I can''t. I wasn''t afforded such a luxury in my past life."


    When Hans heard these words on the other side of the door, he struggled to contain the tears in his eyes. For some time, he had been resentful towards his father for not being a consistent part of his life. However, the man was simply overworked. After all, he was the leader of the world''s most powerful Empire.


    When the boy heard his father had suffered through a simr childhood, but with his mother absent as well, he realized how lucky he was to have Linde as an ever present part of his life. Hans was still a young child and couldn''t control his emotions very well. He rushed into the room and hugged his father''s leg as he apologized for being angry with him.


    "Father, I''m sorry, I didn''t know!"


    It shocked Berengar and Linde to see their eldest child run into the room while crying. Berengar was especially bewildered, as he did not know what the boy was talking about. He quickly picked the child up and set him on his knee while inquiring further about his current state of mind.


    "What''s wrong, Hans?"


    The child continued to cry as he wiped his snotty nose all over Berengar''s Imperial Regalia.


    "I hated you! You were never there for me, but I know now how good I have it!"


    Linde was stunned that the boy was eavesdropping on them the entire time. She quickly asked how much her son had heard of her private conversation with her husband.


    "Hans, how much did you hear?"


    The boy did not dare hide the truth from his mother and uttered a single word in response to her interrogation.


    "everything..."


    Berengar and Linde looked at each other with astonishment. Ultimately, the german emperor sighed before flicking his son on the nose.


    "Hans, it is not polite to eavesdrop. You must keep everything you have heard today a secret. If such knowledge becamemon, it could be disastrous for us. There are those who would not understand, and would stop at nothing to harm our family."


    The boy nodded his head in silence. He was obviously aware of the dangers such a secret presented not only to his father, but to himself as well. He swore then and there he would never tell another living soul.


    "I swear, I won''t say a word to anyone..."


    Ultimately, Berengar sighed before gazing out the window and realizing it was already morning. The boy had stayed up all night listening to their conversation. Thus, he quickly got up from his seat and carried his child with him towards the boy''s room.


    "You can''t stay up all night. It''s not healthy for you. You are going to get some sleep, and we will talk about this tomorrow."


    As for Linde, she followed her husband toward''s the prince''s quarters where for the first time in a long time tucked the child into his bed together as parents. The moment the boy''s head hit the feather pillow, he passed out from exhaustion. Linde gazed at her husband with a warm expression on her pretty face.


    "It looks like you will need to make some time for our son. It is not good for him to grow up with resentment in his heart, especially at such a young age."


    Berengar simply nodded his head in agreement before expressing his opinion.


    "Not just Hans, I need to make time for all of my children..."


    Having said this, Berengar decided he would cut his hours to a manageable level and begin spending some more time with his family.

 Chapter 644 - Acre Has Fallen

    Chapter 644 - Acre Has Fallen


    The thunder of guns echoed in the air outside the city of Acre. The city''s brave defenders continued to fire their rifled muskets onto the enemy formations, creating a wall of death as the minie ball projectiles tore through the iron armor of the crusaders as if it were made of tissue paper. With the echo of every volley, the scent of fresh blood would apany it.


    Though the city''s walls were primitive in so far as they were not based upon the star principle that the German Empire used, they held firm against the measly one and six-pound cannon balls which sought to bring them down.


    The reality was that the Crusaderscked the gunpowder necessary to continuously bombard the enemy''s defenses. As supplies began to run short, the artillery officer called out to the English King, who gazed upon the scene of the siege with disdain on his lips. He had assumed with the arrival of the Knights of the Red Dragon, things would be easier, however for the past few weeks the Crusader forces had failed to break through Acre''s defenses. Supplies were running low, and so too was morale.


    If they did not bring these walls down soon, then they would be overwhelmed by the Byzantine and Timurid reinforcements, which were surely on their way to break the siege. King Lawrence of Ennd had no choice but to shift his tactics.


    "Target the gates! Use thest of our artillery fire to smash them to pieces!"


    Field artillery was still a new concept to most of the world''s empires, and though Berengar used them with exceptional results, the rest of the European Kingdoms weregging behind in their tactics. It was because of this that they foolishly followed the German Empire''s example of smashing walls to bits with overwhelming firepower.


    This did not work out as nned, as theycked explosive shells capable of rapidly achieving such results. Sure a solid cannonball could bring down a castle wall, but it required quite a few of them, and with every shot fired that was a waste of precious gunpowder, a resource the Catholics were severelycking now that Berengar had destroyed one of thergest deposits of saltpeter in Europe.


    The crusader''s artillery quickly shifted their target towards the thick wooden gates of the City''s walls. When the Byzantine Defenders saw the artillery barrage aiming for their gates, they had finally had enough. They quickly ordered their own artillery to target the enemy''s guns. Much like in the early days of Berengar''s rule, the city of Acre was defended by 24 lb siege cannons, which had a much greater effect than their 12 lb counterparts.


    These massive pieces of artillery were refurbished by the German Empire and sold to their Byzantine allies at a fraction of the cost. Though few of them had ever actually been used inbat, Berengar still felt the need to refurbish the weapons, a many of them had been poorly maintained and were pitted with rust.


    After these magnificent pieces of artillery were loaded and fired, explosions echoed in the air as the 24 pound cannon balls rained from the sky and onto the Crusader artillery pieces. The pathetic falc and saker cannons were practically torn apart by the superior artillery of the Byzantine Artillery. Needless to say, they were rendered inoperable. When the Byzantine soldiers saw they had sessfully removed a major threat to the city, they cried out in joy. Despite this loss, the Grand Master of the Knights of the red dragon was not the slightest bit discouraged. Instead, he quickly issued orders to his own troops.


    "Bring out the Drakes!"


    The soldiers of the English, French, and Hospitaller armies were confused when they heard this. However, when they saw the unique field guns gathered beyond the range of the 24 lb smoothbore cannons, they had a hint of excitement on their face.


    These cannons differed from the one and six-pound guns the crusaders were previously using. For starters, they were made entirely of wrought iron, and had a giant metal band over the rear section of the gun. These guns were designed to fire twelve pound projectiles that were in the shape of a shell. The only difference was they were inert.


    The Grand Master of the Red Dragon had done extensive research on the captured rifled muskets from the Austrian War of Independence and had discovered the rifling in their barrels, and while he had yet to figure out how to replicate such a pattern on muskets he decided to experiment with its principle in artillery. Because of this, the Order of the Red Dragon now had rifled muzzle loading artillery, which fired inert projectiles.


    A total of six of these guns, which were referred to as Drakes, lined up far beyond the range of the 24 lb siege guns, and fired their projectiles towards the gate of the city, smashing them into splinters after a single volley. Once the gates were blown apart, both parties stood back in shock. However, it did not take long for the Crusaders to recover. They quickly rushed through the opening of the gates. In response, the Strategos of Palestine desperately called out to the Timurid soldiers below.


    "Hold the line!"


    However, as the men appeared in the gap, they were quickly gunned down by the volley fire of the Crusader''s musketeers, who proceeded to charge into the fray with their socket bays. Bodies filled up the gap as the feudal Timurid soldiers shed with the Crusaders. While this was urring in the gap, the Byzantine soldiers continued to fire their shots onto the soldiers below. Taking as many lives as possible, hoping to relieve the pressure at the gates.


    Aubry gazed upon the scene from afar and decided to ce another wager with his English counterpart.


    "I wager ten tons of silver that my soldiers kill the most heretics."


    Lawrence gazed over at the effeminate prince and scoffed before replying.


    "Make it twenty and you have a deal..."


    As the two kings gambled on whose forces would kill the most of the enemy troops, the Hospitaller and Red Dragon leaders were engaged in a different conversation.


    "Those cannons? They are one of your inventions?"


    The Grand Master of the order of the Red Dragon broke out intoughter as he exined himself.


    "Indeed. I noticed something peculiar after cutting one of the barrels of a captured musket in half. They have these little grooves on the inside of the barrel. These grooves rotate and help spin the projectile, allowing it to stabilize at greater distances. That is why the German and Byzantine weapons have such a greater range than our own.


    However, unfortunately I have yet to figure out how to efficiently cut the grooves into the tiny barrels of a musket. It is much easier with arger bore, at least for me. This should give our armies vastly superior range in terms of artillery against our foes. Only the German Army will have better artillery than the Knights of the Red Dragon!"


    The Hospitaller Grand Master did not disagree with a word the man had said. He had seen how far away the so called Drakes were as they fired onto the gates of the city. He was thoroughly impressed. Now if only they could figure out how to make the weapons explode like the Germans had. Unfortunately for them, that would require advanced chemicals that would not enter their hands for many, many years.


    The city''s defenders fought bravely to defend themselves from the enemy, however in the end the city began to fall into the hands of the Crusaders. The Sultan of the Timurid Empire was in a state of panic as he fled to the rear of the city with the Strategos of Palestine.


    "We need to get out of here. Tell me there is some way to leave the city without the Crusader army noticing?"


    The Strategos was a bit hesitant, however he ultimately nodded his head.


    "We can escape through the rear gate, however our soldiers will know what we have done and will quickly surrender the moment we abandon them."


    In response to this, Sn spat upon the ground before turning away from his Byzantine counterpart.


    "You can stay if you wish. However, I know what happens to a city that falls into the hands of Crusaders, and I will not wait around to have my head removed!"


    After saying this, the Sultan had run off, looking for a mount to escape upon. The Strategos gazed upon the chaos, which was spreading into the hearts of the city, and sighed before taking off in the direction of the Timurid Emperor. It was a pity, but Acre had fallen. There was no hope of salvaging this battle.


    As for the fate of the city''s inhabitants, and the brave men who defended it? That remained to be seen, but history had shown that when Catholics were worked into a religious frenzy, only bloodshed could abate their fury.

 Chapter 645 - The German Cadet Corps

    Chapter 645 - The German Cadet Corps


    Hans stood in formation alongside a bunch of other young boys his age. They were dressed in military-style uniforms, and each held a rifle in their arms. The Prince of Germany was given no special treatment as he trained alongside his fellow cadets in the use of firearms. Since the age of seven, Hans, as well as every other boy in Germany, had begun military training in some small capacity.


    They mostly learned things such as marching in formation, survival skills, shooting weapons, hand to handbat, and physical fitness. The establishment of the German Cadet Corps was loosely based upon the Prussian Cadet Corps from Berengar''s past life. However, it was more spartan in nature than it was Prussian.


    The Purpose of the German Cadet Corps was twofold. For starters, its purpose was to ensure that the youth of Germany were well prepared for their eventual military service once they reached adulthood. However, it served as another important aspect in German society, and that was the idea that Germany must be militaristic if it wished to maintain global dominance.


    The red-haired prince did not care about any of this, and instead, he focused on the task at hand. Hans aimed down the tangent sights of his rifle before acquiring his target at a distance of three hundred yards. After taking a deep breath, he squeezed the trigger, sending the copper jacketed Spitzer projectile down range and straight into the steel target''s chest. An audible ng resounded in the air as the bullet hit its mark.


    This was the twentieth target that Hans had hit in thest two minutes, earning him his expert marksman badge. The young boy released his breath as he quickly pulled back the bolt on his rifle, ejecting the spent cartridge, before cing the rifle safely on the rack. The instructor who witnessed the boy''s excellent marks could not help but sigh as he handed the boy his badge.


    "Corporal Hans, it is my greatest honor to award you the expert marksmanship badge. Make sure to continue training with you rifle, and act as an example to the other boys!"


    Hans smiled as he grabbed hold of the badge and pinned it to the breast of his uniform. He had a sense of overwhelming pride in his heart as he saluted his instructor. Unlike everything else he owned in this world, this badge represented his personal worth as a cadet, and not just a pampered Prince.


    Despite being Royalty Hans was treated no differently from any of the other boys in the Cadet Corps, having to climb from the same lowly rank to the top. Everything he aplished in the Cadet Corps was because of his own merit. Despite the sense of fulfilment that Hans felt, he wore stoic expression as he thanked the Sergeant for the award.


    "Thank you Sergeant, I will do my best!"


    The sergeant nodded his head before giving the prince his next task.


    "You can wait around for the other boys to finish, or you can proceed to your next task. Remember, the sooner youplete your daily objectives, the sooner you can return home."


    Hans nodded and gazed at the other boys, who were still shooting their targets. Clearly the Prince had a head start in shooting, as his father had personally been instructing him in some capacity since he was five years old. However, there were other boys who concluded their rounds shortly after Hans.


    After all, the National Militia permitted men to possess arms in their own homes so long as they served. This meant there were other boys who trained with their fathers on how to shoot and how to hunt at a young age.


    Upon seeing that he was beaten once again, a young blonde boy by the name of us approached the Prince and congratted him on another victory.


    "Good job, Hans, but next time I swear I will beat you!"


    Here in the Cadet Corps, all boys were equal, no matter the status of their families. It was because of this that amoner such as us could refer to Hans by his first name. Hans merely nodded his head in silence before shifting his gaze towards the ongoing shootingpetition.


    Many boys failed to hit their targets. After all, the targets were set at varying distances. The boys were only allowed twenty rounds toplete the task. In order to reach expert marksman, one had to hit all twenty targets in under three minutes.


    Afterpleting his Rifle Assignment, and setting the record, Hans walked off from the area, no longer interested in the results that the other boys in his unit would achieve. Instead, he focused on his next task for the day, which was grappling.


    Hans walked into arge gymnasium where he noticed a bunch of boys wrestling for position before working into submissions. The rules were simple: the fight would go on until one boy tapped, or could no longer continue.


    Sparing not a single moment, the prince quickly stripped out of his uniform and put on some athletic attire before stepping onto therge mat, where he was immediately greeted by a nine-year-old boy by the name of Johannes. Johannes had a smug expression on his ace as he took an aggressive stance.


    "Hans,e to taste defeat yet again! There''s no way a little runt like you could defeat me!"


    Hans was not small in the slightest, at least not for his age, but Johnnes was older andrger. The boy always abused his size and strength to get the best of Hans. Despite this, Hans always epted the boy''s challenge and quickly took his own stance.


    "We''ll see about that!"


    The two boys circled one another for a while, grabbing each other''s wrists and ripping them away. Eventually the duo tied up, where Hans had one hand on the back of the boy''s neck, and one on his forearm, Hans quickly pulled therger boy forward, forcing him to step towards the Prince. Upon seeing an opening, Hans dropped to his knee and grabbed hold of the Johannes''s ankle, lifting it into the air while pushing the boy forward.


    A broad smirk appeared on the prince''s face as he had seeded in taking the boy down with the ankle pick he had learned from his father. Hans did not hesitate, and neither did Johannes. Therger and stronger boy realized he had been taken down and quickly tried to catch the prince in a ssic guard, however Hans was faster. He grabbed hold of the boy''s two legs and used a pressure pass to get by Johannes guard and into side control.


    Hans wasted no time as he quickly transitioned into a full mount where fished for a submission. He quickly grabbed hold of Johannes'' forearm and pinned it to the ground in an attempt to lock up the Americana. However, the boy realized what Hans was doing, and grabbed hold of his arm while blocking his leg. He bridged into the air and reversed the position with Hans now on the ground.


    Hans grunted as he used his legs to push the boy forward into his guard while mping his head down with his hand. Johannes struggled to break out of Han''s guard, but in doing so, he left an opening for the prince to snatch a triangle choke on him.


    After Hans had sunk the submission in, the boy had two options: tap out or pass out. Refusing to admit defeat to the boy he had bullied for some time, Johannes went to sleep in a matter of seconds, desperately struggling to break out of the choke during the countdown.


    It was only after Johannes went limp that Hans released his grip and tossed him to the side. After several seconds, the boy gasped and looked around in shock. The blood rapidly returned to his head as he tried to get his bearings, forgetting how he had passed out in the first ce.


    For the first time, Hans had beaten Johannes and revealed the boy''s weak spot, though he was a good wrestler. Once taken down, the boy''s ground game was severelycking, walking straight into Han''s triangle choke. Despite being defeated, Johannes was not discouraged. He quickly stood up and signalled for the two to start again.


    Hans and Johannes grappled for several rounds, however, after the prince had learned his rival''s weakness, he only lost once. Having been unable to escape therger boy''s pressure until the coach''s whistle blew, and the round was over.


    Hans would then switch to a new partner and grapple for several more rounds until the entire grappling session was over. With each defeat, he learned from his opponents, and improved his game, never cking off in the slightest.


    The coach gazed upon the crown prince and shuddered. Though he was only seven, he was quickly learning how to defeat his opponents in hand to handbat. He knew that by the time this boy concluded his cadet training, he would be ready forbat. Though what the battlefields would look like by then, the instructor did not know.


    Thus, Hans continued to fulfill his daily tasks before returning home, while covered in sweat and grime. When his motherid eyes on him, she quickly ordered the servants to prepare a bath for the Prince where he rxed after a hard day''s work. Thus was the daily life of the young Prince.

 Chapter 646 - Family Outting

    Chapter 646 - Family Outting


    Today was a rare day for Berengar. He had taken some time off from his never ending work to spend time with his family. Currently, all four of his wives and his mistress, Henrietta, were pregnant with his children. Most of the girls already had at least one child with Berengar, with the princess of Germany being the odd one out.


    Rather than stay inside the Pce all day, Berengar had taken his family into the hills above the capital for a pic. There were ample amount of Imperial Guards present to ensure the security of the Royal Family.


    Berengar sat in the center of therge nket which was sprawled across the grass where he dined on a few sandwiches which Linde had prepared for the group. By his side was not only the busty redhead, but Ad as well. The two women fawned over their husband as their children yed in the field. Hans was currently bullying his little brother Kristoffer while teaching the boy some wrestling.


    By now, Kristoffer had grown from an infant child into a young toddler and struggled to prevent his big brother from bringing him to the ground. Ad gazed in shock at the violence that was urring between the two boys and was quick to intervene, however before she could do so, Berengar raised his hand with a smile on his face.


    "Let the boys be. They''re just ying around. If they were really fighting, Hans would have thrown some hands already."


    Hans had neither thrown any strikes, nor had he used any submissions. He knew well that the small child was too young to practice such things, and instead bullied the boy with his size and strength. Despite putting the boy into a front headlock, he did not execute any attacks, merely holding his brother to the ground, encouraging him to escape the position.


    "Come on, Kris, get out of this! You can do it!"


    The blonde-haired boy struggled to escape Hans'' grasp, as he was pinned to the ground, with his brother''s arms wrapped around his neck. Ultimately, the second Prince tried to break free of the headlock, however, in doing so he had presented his back, where Hans spun around, and sunk his hooks in, putting the boy in a body triangle as he seeded in taking his brother''s back.It was at this time Berengar had seen enough and interrupted the two of them before things went any further.


    "Hans, let your brother go. He hasn''t even begun training yet. You''re just bullying him at this point."


    Hans did as he was instructed and released his little brother with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "Yes, father..."


    Linde could not help but smile as she saw her son dominate Ad''s child on the ground. Hans was turning into a fine young warrior, just like his father. As for Ad, she hurried over to her son, who was crying, and picked him up into the air.


    "There, there, Kristoffer, one day you will be big and strong, just like your father. When that dayes, you will be able to beat your brother at his own game..."


    Berengar also walked over andforted the child. Unlike Hans, the boy was not an exceptional genius. At least he had not showed the near superhuman intellect of his older brother. However, there were clear signs of being mentally gifted even at his young age. Upon seeing his father alsoing over tofort him, the boy smiled wickedly towards his older brother.


    Hans immediately realized that the brat was acting up just so his parents could fawn over him. This made the boy slightly enraged by the little brat''s guile. Clearly, he had underestimated his little brother. Linde also noticed the boy''s challenging stare towards her son and immediatelypeted by grabbing hold of Hans and stroking his silky, strawberry blonde hair.


    Berengar was forced to choose between his two sons on who he wanted to spend time with, putting him in a precarious situation as both of the boy''s motherspeted for his affection. Ultimately, he took the safe bet and walked over to his eldest daughter, Helga, who was in the process of painting the scene of the pic.


    "What are you up to, my baby girl?"


    Helga did not shift her focus from the painting, and instead continued her practice. Over the past few years, her talent had showed itself as she was now painting at a level vastly superior to a girl her age. Even Berengar was stunned when he first glimpsed the painting. The girl was diligent not only in her studies, but in her hobbies as well. She was constantly improving her craft as if she were a professional.


    When the princess noticed the expression on her father''s face, she smiled. It was perhaps the first time Berengar had ever seen the girl smile in her life. Unlike her previous paintings, the current artwork included all of Berengar''s lovers and their children, as well. With a pretty smile on her lips, the girl confidently described her work to her father.


    "It is such a beautiful scene that I could not help but paint it!"


    Berengar gazed up from the painting and towards the scene where the four beautiful women yed with their children. In the painting, he was in the center of the family, proudly gazing upon his wives and offspring. He had always known that the girl had talent in the arts, but he was now starting to believe she had an intellect on par with her brother''s. Ultimately, the Emperor smiled as he pat the girl on the head and encouraged her to continue working hard.


    "I look forward to the finished product!"


    Helga merely nodded her head, continuing to smile as she painted the scene of the Royal Family at its pic in the hills above the city of Kufstein. Berengar then returned to his family, where Henrietta shoved a sandwich in his mouth. The scene was so endearing that Helga edited the painting to include it. Henrietta had a radiant smile on her face as shemented on Linde''s cooking skills. Pa nda


    No vel "Linde has gotten so good at cooking. These sandwiches are delicious!"


    The sandwich in question was a tuna melt. Because of advancements in maritime technology, as well as food preservation. The business of catching and farming tuna had been booming in Trieste and Malta. As a result, Tuna had now be a popr food item and had been experimented upon in many ways by the German popce.


    The tuna melt was made with toasted sourdough slices, melted german butter cheese, and a tuna sd mix containing onions, mayonnaise, mustard, among other things. Being a huge fan of tuna sandwiches in his past life, Berengar obediently took a bite from the delicious sandwich before washing it down with ager. He nodded his head in agreement with Henrietta''s evaluation as he gave hispliments to the chef.


    "That has got to be the best sandwich I have ever had. Well done, Linde, you have truly mastered your craft."


    Linde flushed slightly red as she heard her husband''spliments before taking a bite of her own creation. She had to admit, it truly was a delicious sandwich. Of course, without the technology Berengar had brought to the world in terms of food preservation, creating such a delicious snack would not be a simple task. Thus, sheplimented the man for making the tuna melt possible.


    "It is all thanks to your inventions that we can sit here and enjoy such delicacies."


    Yasmin was shocked that Linde had found such a way to prepare the canned tuna that lied in their food storage. She was not the biggest fan of the product, but after tasting Linde''s creation, she desired to learn how to cook it herself.


    "Linde, you must teach me this recipe when we return home!"


    The redheaded beauty merely smiled and nodded her head in response to the Moorish princess'' request.


    "Sure..."


    Honoria alsoplimented Linde''s work while looking after her own son in her arms.


    "It really is delicious Linde, you should make these more often!"


    Berengar was truly in a state of bliss as he gazed upon the scene of his familying together and getting along so brilliantly. He was beginning to think he was in a dream, and pinched himself to see if this was really reality. After confirming it was, he took a sip from hisger before making a promise to his family.


    "This is really nice. I think I should take some time off from work every once in a while, and enjoy time with you all like we are doing now."


    Immediately, all eyes were on Berengar as he said this. His entire family had assumed this was a one-time thing, and he would be back to his usual workaholic self the moment he returned home. To their surprise, he was acting as if he desired to make this a regr urrence.


    Berengar did not bother wasting time waiting for their responses. Instead, he ran off with Kristoffer and Hans and wrestled with the two of them on the grass. He would continue to y with his children for several hours before returning home.


    When the Royal Family finally returned to the pce, they were relieved to know that Berengar nned to continue these family outings in the future. After all, there was quite some resentment in the hearts of his children for theck of time he spent with them. Surely the time spent with his family would create wonderful memories andaraderie among them all.

 Chapter 647: Chacolate And Saltpeter

    Chapter 647: Chacte And Saltpeter


    News had quickly spread of Acre''s fall, and Berengar could not care less. The reality was the Byzantine Army in itself was capable of defeating the Crusader army. Still, he was slightly worried about reports of rifled muzzleloaders being used by the enemy. He did not think they would develop that technology so soon. Even then, it was not a major concern, as their range was still vastly inferior to his own weapons.


    The young German Emperor was more focused with important matters regarding his own realm. He had just received word of the war that was being waged in the settlement of New Swabia. Emmerich had discovered tomatoes, and as a result, he had begun to fight with the natives over their many tomato nts.


    The man had even begun to request an additional brigade of soldiers to assist him in his efforts, which Berengar quickly approved. There were many dishes he could make with tomatoes, and he did not care what the cost was he would have them brought to the Fathend.


    As for the idea of produce from the New World, an interesting idea came to mind, and because of that, he fetched his ambassador to the Aztec Empire. After waiting for a little while, the young Aztec Princess was standing in front of Berengar.


    She no longer had the appearance of a savage warrior, instead she wore fine jewelry and a silk dress that tightly clung to her curves. Unlike the frilly dresses worn by German noblewomen, she wanted something short and simple. If anything, the dress that the woman wore was far more modern in design than Berengar had expected.


    Berengar was stunned at her appearance andplimented her looks briefly before getting down to business.


    "So you have shed the skin of a savage and have be a properdy? I must say I am impressed. That''s not the reason I called you here. I was wondering if you could return to your homnd briefly and negotiate on my behalf."


    Tlexictli stared at the man in disbelief. She had only just arrived in the Empire not long ago, and yet despite this Berengar was already asking her to leave. However, she simply sighed in defeat before asking the question on her mind.


    "Do I even have a choice?"


    A smug expression appeared on the German Emperor''s face as he shook his head and informed the woman of her task.


    "Afraid not. What I need you to do is return to your father and ask him to preparerge quantities of cocoa for me. I have ns for such a crop, and I needrge supplies for it. If he is willing to do this for me, I can promise him some benefits in return. What do you say? Are you up for the task?"


    The young Aztec Princess could not believe her ears. The man wanted her to travel across the antic just so she can bring back vast quantities of cocoa beans? She had no idea what it was that he had nned, but clearly it was something important. She would never believe that Berengar wanted to prepare German Chocte cake for Ad''s uing birthday. Thus, she naively bowed her head before responding to his request. Pa nda


    Novel "Very well, if it is so urgent, I won''t mind returning to my homnd. However, I will miss the Empire. I have grown quite fond of how pleasant it is here."


    When the emperor heard this, he broke out into a fit ofughter before giving the girl hope.


    "It''s not like you''re going to be away forever. You will be gone for a little over a month. Trust me, I need Cocoa for my ns, and you''re the most reliable person I have to negotiate with your father."


    Tlexictli smiled and nodded her head. She truly feared Berengar was kicking her out of the fathend. She hade to realize why Berengar was so condescending towards her people during his invasion. Germany was an advanced civilization with trains and factories. How could her people evenpete with the quality of life that the people of the empire lived in?


    "I understand. Perhaps do you wish for me to tell my father that his gods demand cocoa?"


    When Berengar heard this suggestion, he chuckled once more before giving the Aztec Princess free rein.


    "If you think that''s the most effective solution. However, I trust you enough to not screw mover.After all you of all people should be aware of the consequences of betraying my trust."


    Tlexictli shivered in fear when she heard these words. She had witnessed Berengar''s conquest of her people first hand, and was well aware of hisplete and total disregard of human life. Thest thing she wanted to do was end up on his bad side. Thus, she obediently followed her orders and quickly set off on a journey to the New World, where she intended to negotiate with her father on matters of trade.


    As for Berengar, he was quickly interrupted by one of his many wives. The redheaded spymaster quickly entered his office, not even needing the permission most would require, where she ced a document on the desk of her husband. It was a dossier about the ongoing information her spies had gathered on the Timurid Empire.


    "Our spies report that the Timurids are suffering heavy losses in the crusade. They simply have not had the time to adapt to the rapid development of firearms that havee as a result of your interference in this world. They are requesting to purchase some firearms in order to ease the burden they are currently under.


    As we speak, the Timurid Armies are being used as meat shields for the Byzantine Musketeers. Acre is only the beginning. It is acting as a staging point for the other Catholic Kingdoms to muster their forces. Soon there will be tens of thousands of crusaders in the Holy Land. We have two options supply the Timurids with firearms, or disrupt the gunpowder supply of the enemy.


    Berengar reflected on this issue carefully for several minutes before inquiring for further details.


    "Do we know where the catholics are getting their saltpeter from?"


    Having heard this, Lindeid out a map of the suspected trade routes from where the Catholic World was getting their hands on the necessaryponent to create gunpowder.


    "We suspect it ising from India. The trade is not flowing through the middle east, but through the Golden Horde. The political situation within the horde has stabilized and a new khan has been selected. Their new leader suspects we are responsible for the infighting that has been going on in their ranks, and he is correct in his assumption.


    The new khan is not the kind of man to recklessly charge into ournds, especially after what we did to the Eastern Coalition. However, he has decided to supply our enemies with the saltpeter so he can use them as a proxy against us. If we can disrupt the trade routes that the Golden Horde uses to bring saltpeter into Europe, we can cripple the Catholic''s efforts to invade the Holy Land.


    Berengar thought about this issue for several moments in silence before nodding his head in agreement with Linde''s assessment.


    "I agree, something needs to be done to disrupt the Catholic''s saltpeter supply, however for the time being, they are a powerful tool to be used against the Byzantine and Timurid forces. Dispatch some spies to the Golden Horde to monitor things. As for taking action, we will wait until the crusaders and Timurids kill each other inrger numbers for interfering in their conflict."


    Linde''s eyes widened in disbelief as she heard Berengar''s words and immediately asked for rification on his stance.


    "The Byzantine Empire is our ally. Should we really be allowing them to suffer such losses?"


    In response to this question, Berengar nodded his head before borating on his n to Linde.


    "Of course, the more losses the Byzantines suffer, the better it is for me. Whether we support them or not, it doesn''t matter in the end the Byzantines will win the war. However, the losses they suffer, should they be severe, will cripple the foundation that Vetranis has sought to maintain. By the time of his death, the Empire will be in a poor state, allowing for Alexandros to be a prime candidate to seed him. Especially since the only other option is that fool Quintus.


    As for the Catholics, they are destined to lose this war, so the more of them that die, the less pressure we will be facing when they finally turn towards our borders. Either way, it is in my interest to drag this conflict out as long as possible, ensuring all sides are in a feeble state after the war is over.


    If the Byzantine Army calls upon our alliance to end the threat that the crusaders pose, then we will answer, but until then, let the war run its course. At most, you can provide intelligence on behalf of our allies. Yet, direct intervention is out of the question for the time being."


    Linde nodded her head in response before obeying hermands.


    "I understand. I will make sure that Imperial Intelligence does as you have instructed."


    After saying this, the young Empress left her husband be, where Berengar quickly got back to work on other important matters.

 Chapter 648 - Expansion of German Culture

    Chapter 648 - Expansion of German Culture


    Within the streets of the city of Kufstein, there was arge group of peasants, nobility, and foreigners alike gathered to witness a spectacr event. An art exhibit was disying the newest pieces created by Germany''s most talented artists. It was a such a grand event that both the Emperor and his wife Ad, who was the minister of Cultural Identity, had decided to host it.


    While Berengar may be most infamous internationally as a warlord who united the german people via conquest. In the Kingdom of Austria, he was also known for several other traits. One of these was a major patron of the Arts. For some time, Berengar had been sponsoring talented artists to fulfill their dreams. Giving them the knowledge and tools to make realistic paintings. He had even gone so far as to dedicate certain schools towards the arts.


    Berengar was no artist himself, but he had gone through a few art sses during his high school years of his past life. It was because of this that he had basic knowledge of critical techniques, such as the different points of perspective, shading, coloring, etc. Over the years, he had imparted these tools to the artistic minds of Germany. Naturally, being sponsored by the crown, these artists took his knowledge and improved upon it every step of the way.


    It wasn''t simply a matter of talent that would get one to be sponsored by the Crown. They also needed to toe the line. Though it wasn''t outright enforced, the crown heavily emphasized that the artists should focus on nationalistic topics. This coulde in many forms, such as showing off the natural beauty of the Germanndscape, the magnificence of its architecture, or the glory of the German people''s past aplishments. There were even a few depictions of Germany itself as a beautiful blonde woman.


    The culture of Germany was being refined through Berengar''s lense which wasrgely inspired by the Kingdom of Prussia in his past life, and while Berengar may be pursuing the martial path for his society, he also inspired the arts. Thus the two often blended into once concept as many of the paintings revolved around Germany''s militaristic nature.


    Among these paintings was one drafted by a former soldier of Berengar''s army who stood with him during the Austrian War of Independence. The painting in question was called "A Dominating Aura" and it depicted the young Emperor standing above his army in the alps giving them the rousing speech that led them into Italy.


    Ad gazed upon the scene and was impressed at how well the man had captured her husband''s brilliance. The artist in question was among the crowd, gazing at his own work and listening to thements from the viewers. He was quite delighted when he heard the Empressmend his painting.


    "Amazing, whoever the artist of this painting is, they did an incredible job disying your suffocating aura. I actually feelpelled to kneel before this painting of you. Did such a thing really ur?"


    Berengar gazed at the painting with awe. In his mind, he reversed the perspective of the painting to his point of view and knew the exact moment the man had captured. It was truly impressive and brought back many enemies. He wore a proud smile on his face as he dered the painting to be a masterpiece.


    "Truly, this is a masterpiece. I must say it is interesting seeing my past aplishments from another person''s perspective. Whoever painted this had to have been a soldier in my army in order to properly understand every little detail that he included. I never thought I''d see the day where an Austrian soldier became such an incredible painter."


    Novel The painter was incredibly humbled to hear the Emperor personally dere his work to be of such fine quality. He wanted to kneel before him and thank him then and there, but he had decided to be incognito during his visit to the exhibit, and thus restrained himself.


    As for Berengar and Ad, they continued to gaze upon the work of art for some time before moving onto another interesting piece. This was no mere painting, but rather a marble sculpture of Berengar prior to his eye injury. It was a sculpture of him in a bath towel with only his lower half covered. He could immediately tell somebody rtively close to him had made this piece, as there were only a few people who would be able to understand every line of his muscles with such precision.


    Just when he was about to ask who had made such a fine marble statue, a woman approached him, she was dressed rathervishly despite being a meremoner. Though Berengar had a vague notion of who she was, the woman quickly introduced herself as the sculptor.


    "Apologies, your Majesty, I don''t believe you ever learned my name. However, I was once a servant of your parents during my youth."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this as he came to a sudden realization.


    "That would exin how you know my figure so well..."


    Ad immediately looked at the two with a hint of fury in her eyes. Did her husband sleep with this servant girl when they were engaged?


    The man in question immediately noticed the cold stare his wife was giving him and he quickly cleared up her misconceptions.


    "Do not fret, my dear. Nothing happened between us. In my younger years, I simply had a habit of walking from the bath to my room in nothing but a towel."


    After saying this, he shifted his gaze towards the sculptor and politely inquired about the piece.


    "So what is this sculpture called?"


    In response to this, the woman blushed slightly before giving her answer.


    "I call it Rebirth! It was inspired from the first time I saw you shirtless after you had improved your health. You were practically skin and bones for most of the years that I worked in your parents'' service. However, I remember seeing you walk out of the bath one day in nothing but a towel, and the sight was captivating. It was as if you had been reborn from the brink of death."


    Berengar nodded his head in approval. It was a fitting name. After all, he was reborn in more ways than one at that time. A single phrase escaped his lips as he gazed upon the piece of art.


    "It''s perfect..."


    After saying this, Berengar chatted with the woman for some time before going on his way to observe other pieces of art. Ad had yed arge part in the country''s cultural affairs. In fact, it was her main job outside of raising her kids. The Ministry of Cultural Identity was nothing more than a propaganda department, and it was her job to ensure that everybody followed the will of the crown. Because of this, artists who were critical of Berengar''s reign rarely found their work being appreciated.


    However, the next painting that the couple witnessed was definitely controversial. How exactly it had made it into the art gallery, Ad did not know. The offending piece was a painting depicting the scene from the night Henrietta was wounded in an assassination attempt on her brother''s life.


    More than a few people had witnessed the Princess kiss her brother, and though Berengar had never made their rtionship public, there were rumors going around that the girl was his mistress. Thus, the painting was the moment Henrietta confessed her feelings to her big brother while bleeding out.


    Berengar and Ad stared at the piece with awkward expressions, Berengar was ufortable witnessing the painting, as he had never informed the people that Henrietta was actually his aunt by blood. Thus, when people saw the painting, they thought the Emperor and his sister were involved in a serious taboo.


    The piece was even named "Forbidden love" and aside from the controversial nature of the piece, it was exquisite. Of course, nobody dared toment on what they truly thought while Berengar was nearby. They knew the temperament of their emperor, and it was not risking making the man their enemy. Even if they believed the rumors regarding Berengar and his sister, they would never speak them aloud.


    Naturally, to maintain their secret rtionship, Berengar had hidden Henrietta away in the Pce while she was carrying his child. It would be very troublesome if such news made it to the public. Thus, she was not able to witness the painting of her confession.


    Not wanting to be the center of everyone''s attention, Berengar and Ad quickly moved onto another piece. Ad whispered to him an apology for such a thing being in her art gallery.


    "I''m sorry. I don''t know how that painting got in here. I will severely admonish whoever is responsible for it."


    Berengar merely nodded his head in silence. Such memories were bitter, and simply gazing upon the scene of his sister''s near-death experience soured his mood. He no longer cared to see the rest of the paintings, but he continued his work, regardless. After all, he was hosting the event, and it would be improper for him to abscond so early into the night.

 Chapter 649 - The Royal Wedding of Prussia

    Chapter 649 - The Royal Wedding of Prussia


    Shortly after the art exhibition, Berengar visited Prussia, where he was not standing at the altar of a particrlyrge cathedral. By his side was none other than King Eckhard von Marienburg. It was the first time in a long time that the two men had seen each other, and despite the years going by, Eckhard remained the same stalwart veteran he had always been.


    No, today was not Berengar''s wedding day, and at the moment he had no real prospects for his final wife. Instead, today was the wedding of one of Berengar''s oldest friends. Eckhard had climbed from the ranks of being a lonely,ndless knight, to a mighty General in the Armed forces of Austria. Now, after years of service, he was the King of Prussia, which was a state founded as the cornerstone of German hegemony in the Baltic.


    The bride was a particrly loathsome bitch who Berengar held utter contempt for. After learning the extent that she and her father went towards to dethrone his dearest friend, Berengar had even thought of having the cunt executed. However, Eckhard had other ns for Martha.


    Despite the woman''s character ws, Eckhard had insisted on marrying her. Why? Mainly as a matter of pride. He said he was going to marry her and he was a man who followed through with his promises. However, there were two others reasons that he chose to follow through with his engagement; one of which was simply a matter of spite towards the bride''s family.


    The other major factor for Eckhard marrying Martha was the political stability it provided to the German Empire. After all, he was afforded up to five wives, and he didn''t mind having a loveless marriage with his first wife. There was bound to be some other young woman who would fall in love with him.


    Eckhard was not a man like Berengar, he did not have a mind hellbent on conquest ofnd, and the hearts of beauties, he was a far more simple man. If not for the fact that Martha was such a disappointment, he never would have considered having more than one wife.


    Berengar was selected as the best man for the wedding. After all, one could most certainly say that all of Eckhard''s other friends were either dead, or in activebat zones. Besides, he had grown close with the Emperor through his years of service, and because of that, he was d to have the man hold such an esteemed position at his wedding.


    The Bride entered the chapel, and walk down the aisle with her brother leading her towards the altar. After all, her fiance had in fact killed her father inbat, or at the very least gave the order to do so. She had a stern expression on her face. Though she wanted to rebel, she knew she had no choice in the matter. After what happened to her father, her brother immediately submitted to Eckhard''s demands and grew fearful of the man.


    Though Eckhard no longermanded his own personal army, he was a close friend of the Kaiser, who acted as Reichsmarschall over all of Germany''s forces, as well as a former General in the Austrian Army. Needless to say, if he requested help from the Kaiser to deal with the Hohenzollerns, then things would be bloody.


    The man in question gazed upon his emperor and the King of Prussia with aplicated expression as he handed off the bride. The long white dress that belonged to the woman contrasted nicely with the Prussian Royal Regalia.


    Even though Eckhard was now retired from military service, he still wore a military style uniform with all of his des. He even wore the chain that belonged to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. He was quite the imposing figure and was several decades older than the bride.


    The ceremony proceeded without incident, where Berengar watched with a pleasant smile. Eventually, the couple said their vows and kissed, sealing their matrimony. Afterward, the party was led into the Pce of Marienburg, where they dined on dishes prepared for the reception.


    Berengar sat by his friend''s side and quietly informed him of some secrets that were being kept from the other monarchs.


    "Colonization of the New World is going as nned. I have even subjugated a Native Empire."


    When Eckhard heard this he smiled for the first time in a long time, life had been pretty dull since he retired from the military, and though he no longer wished to see bloodshed, it was still a joy to hear about his formerrades achieving glory in war. Thus, he could not help but pay more attention to Berengar''s tales than to his new bride.


    "Really? A native empire? Were they powerful?"


    In response to this, Berengar merely drank from his chalice before shaking his head.


    "Hardly. They were a bunch of stone age primitives engaging in human sacrifice. However, they built some impressive structures. It is truly hard to believe they aplished such feats without bronze or iron tools. Still, I only brought five hundred men with me on campaign. The weapons we have nowadays tore the savages to shreds. It truly was a magnificent sight to behold."


    Eckhard was eager to learn more about this native empire, and the Emperor''s ns for colonization and thus he quickly inquired further about the topic.


    "So how many did you kill? Did you annihte the Empire?"


    Berengar shook his head before informing Eckhard of the info he requested.


    "No, I simply don''t have the means to control such a vast Empire across the antic. Get this, I told them I was a divine envoy of their gods, and that the gods were angry at them. That the German Empire was a divine empire requesting their servitude. After witnessing a few gory scenes, and the spreading of a gue, their emperor was practically on his knees, begging me to make him a protectorate. His daughter, though, she was smart enough to realize we were not gods, but said nothing. After all, she and I had some history."


    Eckhard scoffed when he heard this. Of course Berengar was going into foreign countries and taming their beauties he was not surprised in the slightest, instead he made a smug remark.


    "Oh, you had history did, you? Is that what you''re calling it now?"


    Berengar feigned offense as he scolded Eckhard for making assumptions.


    "Hey, I''m an emperor with four gorgeous wives. Do you really think I''m the kind of man to sail across the ocean and get distracted by a native beauty?"


    In response to this, Eckhard raised a brow before asking the question on his mind.


    "Do you really want me to answer that?"


    The two men immediately broke out intoughter. Meanwhile, Martha noticed that her husband was being awfully chummy with the Emperor and decided to introduce herself to the man in question.


    "Your Majesty, I believe this is the first time we have met. You are as impressive as they say. Pardon my rudeness, I am Martha von Hohenzollern, or well, I suppose that would be Martha von Marienburg now..."


    Despite his internal feelings towards the woman, Berengar choked down his nasty words, and instead responded with a forced smile. After all, it would not be good for his public image to start a scene. Nor would it help his friendship with Eckhard, thus he responded kindly to the woman despite his detest for her.


    "A pleasure. I am certain that Eckhard has made the right decision in forgiving you for your transgressions. Truly, he is a better man than I."


    Eckhard nced at Berengar with a hint of caution. He knew the man was forcing himself to be polite, which was not his style in the slightest. He could only imagine what the man thought about his new wife. However, in order to secure the peace of the realm, he had gone through with this sham of marriage, even if he wasn''t fond of Martha himself.


    Martha, on the other hand, was not pleased with the tone Berengar had used with her. She was about toment on it when Linde interrupted. Berengar took one date with him to this wedding, not wanting toplicate matters with his entire family, and decided to take Linde, who was on better terms with Eckhard than the others were.


    "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Martha. I am Linde. I have heard so much about you!"


    Apparently, the Empress was more cordial, or so Martha thought. She had no idea how terrifying the statement Linde just made was. The woman was the director of Imperial Intelligence, but few people knew this. So when she used a phrase like "I have heard so much about you" what she was really saying was something more akin to "I know everything there is to know about you, watch your step."


    However, due to her ignorance, Martha assumed the woman was being friendly and decided to converse with her throughout the wedding reception. Thus, taking her attention off of the important discussions Berengar would be having with his old friend. Berengar and Eckhard would continue to get drunk while catching up well into the night, to the point where Eckhard nearly forgot to consummate his marriage. Luckily, Berengar gave him a reminder, and thus they were thest two people to retire for the night.

 Chapter 650 - Uncovering an Ancient Prophecy

    Chapter 650 - Uncovering an Ancient Prophecy


    At the moment, Berengar was seated in his office, drawing out a series of blueprints designed to create a significant improvement in his country''s technology. There were a lot of devices that he could create that were powered strictly by electricity. Many of these devices were simply for convenience, but others were necessary for the growth of his Empire.


    It was because of this that the young German Emperor nned to make use of the natural energy resources that were abundant across Austria and Germany. One of these energy sources was the bountiful rivers that flowed through the realm. It was his intention to start his energy production via hydroelectric dams. After all, such power nts only needed resources such as earth, concrete, and steel, all of which Germany had an abundance of.


    The basic function of a Hydroelectric dam was actually quite simple. In summary, the River would flow through the dam until it hit a turbine. The pressure of this water would turn the turbine, and the turbine would start the generator above, which would then send a current through long distance power lines and into the city. As for the excess water, it would escape safely out the other side of the dam and back into the river.


    Berengar intended to set up his first Hydroelectric Dam in the inn river outside the city of Kufstein. The reason for this was he had always favored introducing new inventions to the capital first, and then slowly spread them across the Empire, thus making the Capital the most desirable ce to live among the citizens. It was a matter of convenience that arge tributary of the Danube flowed through the city of Kufstein.


    Now, with the future of electricity on the horizon, Berengar could begin introducing a better public transportation system across the growing metropolis. Chiefly in the form of trolleys and subways. This would solve one of his biggest recurring headaches. After finishing the design of the simple yet effective Hydro-electric dam, Berengarid back in his chair and pulled out a ss chalice which he filled with fortified wine. He believed he had earned the right to enjoy himself on this day.


    As he was taking a sip from the alcohol, a knock resounded on his door. Berengar didn''t even have time to answer as the doorway was opened, revealing the pregnant figure of his wife, Linde. The woman quickly walked over to Berengar andid a report down on his desk. The folder was stamped Top Secret and contained critical information that had shocked Linde when she read it. There was a look of fury on her face as she asked the question on her mind.


    "Did you know?"


    Berengar quickly grabbed hold of the folder and skimmed through its contents, however before doing so, he has for rification on the matter.


    "Did I know what?"


    Linde only responded with a harrumph before letting her husband read through the documents. After taking a look at the document, it was from his recently established department of archeology. They had been digging diligently through the German Empire in search of anything of historical value.


    They found a lot of interesting items in the time since they were established, but recently the archeologists uncovered an old runestone in the ck forest of ancient Germania. The runestone appeared to be written in the blood of humans and contained a prophecy.


    The historians had some difficulty tranting the elder futhark ruins into the current variation of the Germannguage, but after a year''s worth of progress, and a massive budget, they finally cracked the code. If the stone was to be believed, then the prophecy appeared to have been written by the norns, which one might consider the Germanic version of the Greek sisters of fate.


    This prophecy contained a story eerily reminiscent of Berengar''s journey so far in this life. In summary, it stated that in an era where a foreign religion had reced the ancient faith, a godless man would arrive from another world and would unify the Germanic people in an act of rebellion against the Semitic god.


    Whether this was literal or figurative, Berengar did not know. Rebellion against god? well it was true he had started his own branch of Christianity that could be considered a heresy, but he had no intentions of actually waging war against the Abrahamic deity. How would that even be possible?


    Linde could tell by the confusion on Berengar''s face that he was as stunned as she was. However, she was convinced that he knew something she didn''t and began to interrogate him for answers.


    "What aren''t you telling me?"


    Berengar wore an awkward smile as he tried to exin his circumstances to her.


    "Look, I already told you I have no idea how I came into this world, or who brought me here. However, I may have left out the fact that I have stumbled on some clues during my journies. Granted, I still don''t know if these were reality, or delusions..."


    Linde was not amused. She wanted to know everything about Berengar so much so that it was bordering on the obsessive. Since Berengar had revealed the truth to her; she had been coordinating with the Department of Archeology in order to find some clues about Berengar''s unique existence. She did not know that the runestone they discovered during the early days of their search was such a criticalponent. Thus, she was frowning as she inquired further into the details.


    "What clues?"


    Berengar poured himself another drink before answering the woman''s question.


    "So, you remember when I went to the border in Frisia quite some time ago?"


    The woman nodded her head in silence, causing Berengar to continue his story.


    "On my way back, we stopped next to this mysterious patch of woonds which was covered in fog. When I fell asleep that night I awoke inside the woonds, where a small girl iming to be the ancient goddess Baduhenna approached me. She told me some very vague notions about my fate and gave me a boon of courage."


    Linde bit her lip in displeasure. Why was she not surprised there was another woman in Berengar''s life that he managed to keep a secret from her? She could only calm her wrath and continue investigating this matter.


    "Is there anything else about?"


    Initially, Berengar didn''t want to inform Linde of this next part as he thought it would make her worry, but he decided to anyway now that she was asking him directly.


    "Remember when I went missing in the colonies? Well, during that time I came across these ancient ruins, which supposedly housed an ancient goddess whose name is forgotten in history. She told me that there are gods who have ns for me, and she said she removed the im that the Abrahamic god had over my soul due to my baptism at birth..."


    Linde was shocked when she heard this, and instantly became anxious. She spared no second to ask the question on her mind.


    "What do you mean by that? What im? Do I have a im on my soul?"


    Berengar nodded his head silently before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "The gods I''vee across have been deliberately vague, but I think so. After all, you were baptised as a baby just like me. Basically, think of it this way: there are multiple gods, multiple afterlives, etc. Most of these gods have their own realms, which they bring the souls of their followers to after death. But the Abrahamic god is an asshole. He had me destined to go to hell. Can you believe that?


    Anyway, from my limited understanding, it takes another deity to remove the im of another god. I don''t know how they do it, and it hurts like hell. However, once it''s removed, I pretty much have the freedom to choose whatever afterlife I want to go to. Or so I think, like I said, the gods are deliberately vague..."


    Linde waspletely stunned when she heard all this. It sounded like the ramblings of a madman, or perhaps some shitty fiction made by a terrible writer. Either way, she had a hard time believing it, but if it was true, there was one serious matter on her mind that worried her more than anything.


    "So we''re not going to be together for eternity?"


    The crazy look in Linde''s eyes shocked Berengar. She was serious about being with him for eternity, the idea that they would be apart after death weighed heavily on her conscience. Berengar had to think of a way to calm the woman, or she might do something foolish.


    "Unless we can find another god to remove the im on your soul... Even then, I don''t know if it costs the deity anything to do it. It seemed the great goddess of Teotihuac��n removed mine on a whim, so I really don''t know if there are any rules behind this."


    Linde sat down in her chair in disbelief. She had firmly believed she and Berengar would be together for eternity, even after death. It was the only thing that made her somewhat believe in the christian faith. However, this news like a like a bombshell, dropped on her heart. It took her a few moments to cope with it. In the end, she gritted her teeth and walked out the door. When Berengar saw this, he called out to her with a hint of worry in his tone.


    "Linde, dear, where are you going?"


    A single response resounded on the other side of the door, one which shocked Berengar to the core of his being.


    "To hunt down a god!"

 Chapter 651 - A New Power Rises in the East

    Chapter 651 - A New Power Rises in the East


    Over the past few years, Berengar von Kufstein had risen from the humble position of baron''s son to a powerful emperor. He had united the German people into a single Empire and had made it the most powerful nation in the western world. However, while this was urring, another interesting figure had risen from a low status in the East.


    In the Ashikaga shogunate, a rebellion was urring and itsst battle was drawing near. Five years ago, a young girl appeared within a small samurai n. There were no sons in her n, leaving her to be the one to master the art of war.


    Despite her talent in the sword, the woman was more concerned with administrative control. This small vige turned into a fierce stronghold as new agricultural technology had appeared. With food in abundance and fewer men being required to work in the fields, her father had gathered an army the likes his neighbors had never seen.


    However, the Shogun soon became greedy and tried to take the profits of the local n by force. Resistance urred, and in the battle, the girl''s father died, leaving her inmand of the forces. At the young age of Fifteen this woman lead the warriors of her n to victory, earning her the nickname the War Goddess.


    Following her victory, the Ashikaga shogunate could no longer turn a blind eye and used its full might to crush the enemy forces. Yet when all appeared to be lost, the woman introduced a devastating weapon to her Ashigaru, who previously could not contend with the mighty samurai of her enemies. These Tanegashima, when employed inrge numbers, secured yet another victory against her enemy.


    Since then, the faction of the War Goddess, Itami Riyo, had rallied, conquered every vige and stronghold she hade across slowly but surely, umting thend and resources needed to defeat her enemy.


    Now a young woman dressed in a new improved armor design known as tosei gusoku stood on a hill outside the city of Heian-ky�� which was thest bastion of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Her soldiers loaded their weapons as they prepared tounch their final attack against their long-standing enemy.


    Itami Riyo was a beautiful young albino woman who wore a headband that represented the rising sun over her snow white hair. Her armor was ck, with red fittings, and covered her from the neck down, securing her person from any weapons her enemy could throw at her. As a woman, she could seldom contend with the stronger men on the field of battle, and because of this, she tended to lead from the rear.


    As the woman stood within her tent surrounded by her subordinate officers, she gazed upon the wooden pieces that represented the forces that would be besieging the city. As she stared at the mock siege taking ce in front of her, she could not help but recall faint memories from a long-forgotten past.


    In her past life, she was the child of Japanese Immigrants to the United States of America. Despite her family being wealthy, she decided on a military career after listening to her father speak of the heroic actions he took in defending the Empire from its enemies in the Second World War.


    Even though her family wanted her to refrain from such a career, she had entered the Westpoint after graduating from high school, where she majored in mechanical engineering. After all, she was not foolish enough to major in something pointless and be amander of a bunch of grunts.


    During her spare time, Itami Riyo, or Mizuno Ai as she was known in that life, wasmonly found in the school libraries having heated discussions with a peculiar young man. Though this man was not the best-looking guy in the world, nor was he really sociable, despite this she found that his intellect matched her own, and because of that the two of them were capable of having long-winded discussions about their passions.


    It did not take long before the two were engaged in a heated rivalry centered on their respective fields. While Julian had majored in Civil Engineering with a Minor in mechanical engineering, she had done the opposite. Despite the difference in majors, both sought to outdo one another and rise in the ranks of the military as engineering officers. However, even though they were rivals, there was a close connection between the two.


    It was only after the man''s death in the line of duty that she realized there was something special between the two of them. Even now, it hurt her soul to think about what could have been should the two of them have been a bit less dense and, more importantly, actually capable of understanding theirplex emotions.


    Why was she remembering this? Because the two yed war games together in the same group, and when she gazed upon the vivid disy of the city she was about toy siege to, she could not help but remember being a simr situation with her miniature army in her past life.


    The difference between the city she wasying siege to now, and the one in her memories, was the fact that this city was entirely unprotected by barriers. Because of this, she would not need to force her way through a gate in order to eliminate her enemies.


    If only those Ashikaga bastards had delivered herpensation as she demanded after her father''s death years ago, this bloody rebellion could have been avoided. The woman no longer hesitated. She quickly gave amand to her soldiers to begin the attack.


    "Commence the attack. Do not rest until every loyalist dog is put to the sword!"


    Themanding officers quickly saluted the woman in a modern military fashion and responded with the highest respect.


    "Yes kami-sama!"


    They truly revered her as a living incarnation of a war god. Why wouldn''t they? Until now, she had remained entirely undefeated in her campaigns. Her goal was simple: overthrow the Ashikaga shogunate and dere herself the new Shogun. She would not stop until the man responsible for her father''s death had been killed.


    The soldiers of the Itami Army received their orders and prepared to march into the streets, which were lined with thest few men loyal to the old power. They quickly descended with their matchlocks and their spears as they rushed through the defenseless city. Thunder echoed in the air as the Itami Ashigaru fired their matchlock firearms towards the enemy, cutting through their primitive o-yoroi armor as if it were mere butter.


    When the first line of defenders fell, those with matchlocks fell back and allowed the melee infantry to engage the enemy. The Itami warriors screamed in the air their loyalty to their leader as they mercilessly cut down their rivals.


    "For the Goddess!"


    The fervor of the Itami forces was iparable, especially among the Ashikaga loyalists, who were already weakened in morale. In five years, their country had fallen, and now they were the only thing defending the Shogun from his enemies. Despite this, the enemy''s numbers were overwhelming, and blood poured into the streets as the city''s defenders struggled to maintain their ground.


    The battle continued for some time as the Itami forces made their way through the streets of the massive city, cutting down any man who resisted their conquest. If not for the strict rules of war that the War Goddess abided by, surely there would be some serious crimes against humanity that urred. However, unlike Berengar, Riyo admired the modern rules of war from her past life, and would execute any of her men who dared to break them.


    In the end, the city fell and the War Goddess strode through the blood-soaked streets as her soldiers kneeled before her. Finally, she would have her revenge. The doors of the Pce had long since been battered open by the time Riyo arrived. Standing before her was the Shogun who refused to kneel. Despite this his hands were tied behind his back and he was not a threat.


    Riyo was furious as she gazed upon the man, and swiftly kicked him in the groin, forcing him to the ground.


    "Kneel!"


    The man felt like he was going to vomit after such a powerful shot, but he no longer refused the woman, as he simplycked the strength to stand up once more. Riyo issued anothermand as she unsheathed her sword, whose steel de shimmered under the light.


    "Prepare him!"


    The nearest Samurai held the Shogun down so his neck was lowered and was prepared to be severed. It was at this moment Riyo dered his guilt.


    "Ashikaga Yoriharu, for the crimes of against my n, I hereby sentence you to death!"


    The Shogun was about to curse the woman, but before he could say so the de dropped, and so to did his head. A pool of blood formed on the ground as the viscous red substance sprayed in the air. With an expressionless face, Riyo grabbed hold of the head and dragged it outside her pce where her army lie in wait, boldly dering the Rise of a New World Power.


    "The Ashikaga Shogunate is defeated! Long live the Itami Shogunate!"


    After saying this, the soldiers in the city repeatedly chanted the woman''s cries.


    "Long live the Itami Shogunate! Long live the Itami Shogunate! Long live the Itami Shogunate!"


    With this, Riyo had united Japan under her banner, but this was only the beginning. She had ns to expand her power and influence via industrialization. Soon a new empire would form in the east, and she doubted that anyone in this world would be able to contend with her power! While this was urring, the German Empire was taking great steps to modernize its infrastructure and was preparing for its final showdown with its rivals.

 Chapter 652 - Just an Average Day at the French Border

    Chapter 652 - Just an Average Day at the French Border


    On the edges of the Kingdom of France, a battalion of soldiers belonging to the German Border Guard stood in their trenches. These men were not the most highly trained or even veteran forces of the Imperial German Armed Forces, but they all had a role to y. The defense of the border was paramount, especially with so many hostile neighbors nearby.


    It was because of this that Berengar had set into motion the n to create a giant border perimeter designed to eliminate any army that dared to march into German Lands. These soldiers had chosen the German Border Guard as their branch of service, likely because they did not wish to deploy to some foreign battlefield.


    On the outside, it was honorable to desire to defend the fathend from its enemies, but in the eyes of the German Army and Marine Corps, many of these men were cowards, not willing to engage in thebat that was demanded of them. Still, they were the first line of defense in case of an enemy invasion. It had been well over a year since the German Empire was unified, and with it, young men from across the Realm were conscripted into service.


    The armories had worked overtime to prepare enough arms for the new soldiers, and the fruits of theirbor could be seen at the border where many German men stood idly by in their fortifications. As a few soldiers were ying cards in the trenches, they gazed upon the decks the army had issued them with smiles on their faces.


    Though Berengar had never served in Iraq in his past life, he had heard stories from soldiers older than him that they issued decks of cards which contained the faces of the major leaders of Saddam Hussein''s regime.


    Taking inspiration from that, Berengar had replicated that tool in this life, and issued decks of cards to the border guards, with the faces of various important generals, and figures of the Kingdom whose border they guarded against. The King in this card game was none other than Aubry, while the Queen was Sibi. The soldiers gazed upon the French King andughed at how feminine he looked.


    "Are you sure this is a King? He looks like he''s more fitting for the Queen role if you ask me!"


    The other soldiers agreed with his statement as they nodded their heads and smoked their hemp cigarettes. While this card game was urring, a train arrived on the nearby tracks, and with it, the supplies to continue border construction arrived. A single man stepped off the lead car and entered into the camp. Due to his uniform, it was clear that this man was a general in the Border Guard, and because of that, the soldiers immediately hopped to attention and saluted the man.


    Major General Johan Vilinger was a man who once served in the Austrian Royal Army and was previously deployed to the Iberian Theatre, where he defended a segment of the trench with his unit. Unfortunately, in the battle, he was the sole survivor of the Austrian unit. Despite the losses he suffered, he was rewarded for his efforts, and waster transferred to the Border Guard to live out afy life defending the Kingdom''s borders.


    With the unification of the German Empire, the need for skilled officers to preside overrge segments of troops became a serious issue, and because of that a mere Colonel was thrust into a General Officer''s position to maintain the border with the Kingdom of France. The man gazed upon the ongoing construction of bunkers, trenches, and no-man''snd and nodded his head in approval as he continued through the checkpoint.


    He eventually noticed a gap in the defenses which was used to facilitate refugees, merchants, and immigrants into the German Empire. The contrast between the semi-modern German Soldiers and the medieval folk of the French Kingdom was quite a sight to behold. General Vilinger quickly proceeded to inspect the border security and their ongoing operation as he witnessed several German soldiers halting a group of refugees who were fleeing from the Kingdom of France..


    Rumors have spread about the advancements of the German Empire and the quality of life within. Because of this, even nobles from the war-torn Kingdom of France were giving up their homes in an attempt to enter the German Empire.


    An example of this was a particrly beautiful French noblewoman who presented proof of her identity to the Border Guard. She had prepared herself for the journey and learned the Germannguage, thus she was able to converse with the border guards quite fluently.


    "I am Anastasia De Roche. I humbly request refugee status. My house is in ruin, thanks to King Aubry, and I am willing to marry into your Empire to escape the poverty of my family."


    The woman had long brown hair and fair skin with emerald green eyes. Many of the soldiers were attracted to her, however, they had to keep it to themselves, as she was a noblewoman and would likely marry a German nobleman.


    Though these soldiers could achieve noble status through exceptional feats of valor on the battlefield, the likelihood of these men seeingbat any time soon was slim. It would still be some time before the Catholic Kingdomsunched their invasion of Germany.


    Thus, they could only sigh in defeat as the woman''s papers were inspected. For the most part, only nobility had written records of their ancestry and noble status, thus they were the easiest individuals to identify at the border.


    The soldiers confirmed the woman''s identity and allowed her to go towards the customs section of the entry point, where she would continue through the lengthy process of immigration. Such a thing was a daily urrence. Just as Johan believed everything was progressing smoothly, he heard the sound of a detonation far away and shook in his spot. However, a nearby soldier mocked him for his vignce.


    "Rx General, it''s just a runner!"


    The General was perplexed by thisment and quickly followed up for further information regarding the incident.


    "A runner?"


    The soldier noticed the man was not aware of something asmon knowledge as this and quickly handed him a cigarette before speaking of the matter.


    "Yeah, every now and then we get some desperate fool who thinks he can rush past our defenses and storm his way into our empire. Nine times out of ten, these idiots will step on and mine and get themselves fragged. If not, they''re gunned down before they can cause any harm to the Nation."


    While hearing this exnation, the soldier lit the hemp cigarette for the General who seemed a bit spooked. He was suffering from a mild case of PTSD after what had happened in Iberia and tried to brush off the loud explosion after realizing what had urred.


    It was not entirely Germany''s fault that people acted so foolishly and rushed into a minefield. The Border Guard had posted signs in thenguage of the people who resided on the other side of the defenses, detailing the risks of intruding into German Land. Still, some people were desperate to reach and of such prosperity, and would willingly risk their lives in an attempt to do so.


    The German soldiers did not care in the slightest. Their job was to protect the border, and they were not allowed to allow just anybody into their realm. Amon motto resounded among the members of the German border guard as they openly mocked the people on the other side of their defenses. Something the soldier who was instructing the General on the harsh reality said out loud. ?????-?????


    "A country is only as good as the people who live in it."


    The meaning behind this mocking phrase was to insinuate not only was it not their responsibility to care for the people of lesser nations, but they would deliberately be ruining their own Empire if they imported the people from those nations as they were the cause of their own misfortunes.


    Johan was surprised to see the existence of these so-called runners and immediately questioned the man in front of him.


    "Is there any way to stop these people from running into their deaths?"


    In response to this, the soldier chuckled before informing the General of his ignorance.


    "They know the risks. There are signs posted everywhere informing them of what will happen if they uwfully cross into ournd. Unless we can somehow project our voice to them in an attempt to convince them, it simply isn''t feasible. Besides, a lot of money is riding on how long they will survive. It will seriously ruin morale if we are forced to stop these incidents."


    Initially Johan did not understand what the soldier meant by that phrase, but he quickly saw men of his army exchanging coins after seeing the death of the runner. The German Border Guard were gambling over the survivability of these so-called runners. Such a thing was a frightening prospect to the German General.


    It was because of this incident that Johan decided he would write a strongly worded letter to the Kaiser about the ongoing crisis at the Border. As the construction of Germany''s border defenses continued, the soldiers dispatched to defend the regions grew increasingly callous about the situation of their neighboring kingdoms. As far as everything else went, things were progressing smoothly.

 Chapter 653 - Wait for Tomorrow

    Chapter 653 - Wait for Tomorrow


    Late in the night within the Kingdom of Austria, there lie a young redheaded woman. She sat in the window of the Royal pce as she contemted everything her husband had told her. For the past three weeks, she had been using Imperial Intelligence to coordinate with the Department of Archeology so that she could find some hint of a god''s trail.


    However, despite the woman''s best efforts, she had found nothing. It would appear that the gods left little clues as to their whereabouts while they hid from the mortal world. Because of this, Linde was in a state of depression as she thought about losing the man she loved. Not in this life, as she knew they would be together until their deaths.


    What worried her was spending an eternity without him, after they passed away from this world. Supposedly, from what Berengar had told her, he was free to choose an afterlife. However, before he gained this freedom, the man was destined for the gates of hell.


    Why was he destined to go to hell? Because he was a sinner, and because he had no faith in the Abrahamic God. After all, if the deity really existed, and was all powerful, then why did he allow the world to be such a troublesome ce that was filled with injustice? However, after learning the truth, Berengar hade to realize that the deity in question was simplycking power, and could only interfere with the world by using his believers as chess pieces.


    Would he truly believe in such a powerless god after learning the truth? No, instead he decided that he would follow his own path in life regardless as to whatever mystical deity might try to interfere. As for Linde, she was still destined to end up in one of the Abrahamic afterlives, and considering she was so simr to Berengar, she feared that hell was her destination. However, what she feared the most was being torn away from the man she loved.


    Berengar had noticed the woman was in a distressed state and had decided to calm her down. He approached the area where she sat staring at the starry night sky and handed her a virgin daiquiri. Normally, he would give the woman a distilled spirit to calm her nerves. However, she was currently pregnant, and he did not dare risk the wellbeing of the child within her womb.


    "Linde, it''s been three weeks. There is no reason to rush yourself. We have many years before either of us expires naturally. Take this time to enjoy life. If we stumble onto any clues in the future, we can free you and the girls from that old bastard''s grasp, then."


    Despite Berengar''s kindness, Linde shook her head. She had an anxious expression on her face as she bounced one of her ideas off to the man she loved.


    "You could always take me to those ancient ruins and ask that goddess to remove the mark on my soul!"


    Berengar sighed as he headed this, and ced the palm of his hand on the woman''s cheek, telling her his honest opinions on the idea.


    "I could try, but I don''t know if that would work. She made it seem like she wouldn''t be able to see me again after I left. Like I said, those pricks like to be vague..."


    The beautiful redheaded woman began to pout like a child as she heard this. The appearance of such a thing made Berengarugh before he gently kissed her on the lips. She did not seem bothered by the sudden advancement and instead epted her lover''s kiss as she twirled her tongue with his.


    Upon seeing that her mood had shifted, Berengar slowly reached his hand into the top of the woman''s dress so that he could caress her bare breasts. Linde moaned in pleasure as she felt the warmth of her lover''s firm hand. The sound excited the man as he focused on the woman''s delicate pink nipples.


    After a while, Berengar began to unzip the woman''s dress until she was only in her underwear. As always, Linde had worn a particrly provocative set of undergarments, which were ck andcey. She even wore a garter belt with stockings. Under the moonlight, her pale skin practically glistened as Berengar gazed upon her figure with his one good eye.


    "You are so beautiful..."


    Such a cheesy remark was the only thing he could think of as he gazed upon his favorite bride. The woman flushed with embarrassment, before wrapping her arms around the sturdy neck of her man. She quickly pulled off the eyepatch that concealed his wounded face before he could react. Such a sudden motion shocked Berengar, who tried to take a step back. Despite this, she gazed upon the scarred eye of her lover and caressed the wound with a pretty smile on her face.


    "I don''t know why you try to hide it so much. Even though you can''t see through it, your eye has healed nicely over the years. I think it gives you character!"


    After saying this, the couple kissed once more. However, after several moments, Linde began to work her way down his torso and to his pants, where she quickly unzipped them, and pulled the man''s massive member out of his briefs. She had an excited grin on her face as she began to lick the shaft as if it were a delicious ice cream cone.


    Berengar sat back and watched as the strawberry blonde haired beauty serviced him in the middle of thergely vacant room. He could barely keep his legs standing as he quickly sat down on the windowsill. If he was not careful, he would fall out, and despite this, he felt excited at the danger presented.


    Linde quickly began to work her way from the shaft to the ns as she inserted her husband''s cock into her mouth. She started off slowly, as she took its length into her throat one inch at a time. After she cleared an inch, she would release it before going deeper and deeper until she was at the base, struggling not to gag.


    As the pressure built up in his loins, Berengar pressed the woman''s head down as far as it could go before forcefully ejacting his seed into the woman''s mouth. After doing so, he quickly withdrew his shaft and gazed at his lover as she contained the liquid in her mouth with puffed cheeks, as if she was a chipmunk. Linde revealed the sperm on her tongue before swallowing it. With a lust filled gaze on her pretty face, she said the words she knew her master wanted to hear.


    "Thanks for the meal!"


    Berengar could no longer hold back after hearing such seductive words and stripped out of his imperial regalia before parting the woman''s thong to the side, where he lifted the woman into his arms and quickly insert his shaft into her moist cave. Linde did not even attempt to hide her voice as she let out an erotic moan, signalling her enjoyment of the ongoing activities. As Berengar slowly thrust his hips into hers, he spoke sweet words that she knew would calm the woman''s anxiety.


    "Don''t worry, my love, you and I will be together forever!"


    Such shameless remarks caused the woman to flush red in embarrassment. Despite this, Berengar did not let her look away, forcing his lips onto hers as he licked her tongue with his own. Despite her embarrassment, Linde tightened onto Berengar''s shaft as if she were in a vice grip, causing the man to thrust harder inside her depths.


    Berengar continued to make love to his wife for some time. However, in the end he needed released and pressed his hips as tightly into hers as possible, releasing his seed into her full womb as if trying to impregnate her with another child.


    However, Berengar was not the only one satisfied. While he was finishing inside his woman, Linde had squirted all over him. Causing quite the mess in thergely vacant room. When Linde gazed upon the scene, she giggled before kissing her husband. After doing so, she removed herself from his embrace and made a snide remark.


    "I suppose the maids will have to clean up after us, yet again..."


    Berengar couldn''t help but chuckle when he heard this while he was getting dressed. He could see that the worry had escaped the woman''s sky-blue eyes and could not help but ask how she was feeling.


    "Are you feeling better?"


    Linde nodded her head slightly as she gazed out the window. Upon seeing this, Berengar grabbed her dainty hand and led her out of the room.


    "Then let''s get some sleep. You need to rest. The gods can wait for tomorrow."


    After saying this, the emperor absconded from the scene with the woman he loved and brought her into his quarters, where the couple fell asleep in each other''s arms.

 Chapter 654 - The Gunther Merchant Company

    Chapter 654 - The Gunther Merchant Company


    Gunther was a man who had once befriended the German Emperor. He started as a lowly peasant working in the fields, and now he owned arge corporation know as the Gunther Merchant Company. The man owned extensive plots ofnd throughout the Empire where farmers in his employment grew various crops. Aside from the agricultural aspect of his corporation, he also branched into Food Processing, possessing many factories built for this purpose.


    The most recent product that Gunther had brought to the public was canned tuna. Gunther''s brand Tuna was a hot-selling item, as it was an inexpensive food item, and provided great nutritional value. There were also Gunther branded condiments that were made by his corporation to apany his canned meat, fish, and vegetables.


    The food tycoon had a monopoly in the sense that he owned every aspect of production. Though he had severalpetitors, Gunther''s brand was well trusted by the public due to its reputation for being of high quality at an affordable price.


    Gunther had naturally taken advantage of the fact that the German Empire now had a presence in the Baltic, Mediterranean, and North Seas. With his fortune, he had purchased a fleet of fishing vessels and hired experienced fishermen to catch all kinds of different species so that they could be processed and sold to the public.


    Tuna were different however, with Berengar''s help, dedicated fish farms were created on the Ind of Malta to produce vast quantities of tuna. Due to his nature as a member of the House of Commons, Gunther was able to acquire one of these farms for himself at a fair price.


    At the moment Gunther was invited to the Royal Pce where Berengar had met with him personally for the first time in years. The Emperor smiled as he reminisced about years past, where he helped the man toil his fields for the sake of a small amount ofrd. He could hardly believe that Gunther was now a tycoon of his industry, and a politician of the people. Despite his fortune, he never ceased to care for themon people, and had even spent arge chunk of his treasury on phnthropic endeavors.


    While the two were making small talk, Linde entered the scene with two foot-long tuna melts. She handed them on the table to Berengar and Gunther with a pretty smile on her face. Berengar immediately took a bite of the delicious substance andplimented Gunther on his hard work.


    "You know, without your products, it would be extremely difficult to produce a sandwich this good. Thanks to your business, and Linde''s ingenuity, such a delicious sandwich can be made by just about anybody. The years have been kind to you, my friend. It is a shame we haven''t been able to speak in some time."


    Gunther smiled as he gazed at the sandwich made entirely from his products. He took a quick bite and eximed in joy as heplimented Linde''s efforts.


    "I did not know such a tasty meal could be made by my simple products. Empress, your culinary talents are extraordinary."


    Linde smiled and thanked the man for hispliments.


    "You are too kind, Gunther."


    After saying this, she departed from the room, not wanting to interrupt what limited time Berengar had to spare with the man. Gunther gazed upon the lovely empress as she walked out of the door before congratting Berengar on his marriage.


    "Linde has turned into a fine young woman. You are lucky to have her..."


    Berengar nodded his head in response before switching the subject.


    "She''s the love of my life, erm... don''t tell the others I said that. On a more serious note, I was wondering if you were interested in some business involving the colonies."


    The business tycoon initially chuckled as he listened to the Emperor''s words before turning very serious. If his majesty was trusting him with such information, then what they were about to discuss was noughing matter.


    "So they really exist? I''ve theorized that you discovered some new plot ofnd which allows you to produce these strange foods that you have introduced. However, until now, I didn''t truly believe it."


    The German Emperor had a faint smile on his face as he informed the man of the truth.


    "It''s not just a plot ofnd, but two whole continents. We''re talking about an entirely new world. With native inhabitants."


    When Gunther hard this, he took a bite from his sandwich before wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. Having heard this, his interest in the topic grew substantially.


    "Are any of these natives a threat?"


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled lightly before informing the man of the state of the New World.


    "Not in the slightest, they are a bunch of stone age savages. The most advanced of their civilizations are in the south, and even then I brought one of their mightiest Empires to its knees with a thousand men, and a bit of disease. Speaking of disease, in a few decades it will ravage thend and kill off well over 90% of the poption. The mortality rate is insane.


    Once that happens, it''s practically free real estate with an abundance of natural resources. Since you are an old friend of mine who has proven to be trustworthy, I want to let you in on this secret in advance."


    Gunther came to an understanding when he heard Berengar''s reasoning and a sly smile curved itself on his lips as he spoke to his emperor.


    "You need investment? Don''t you?"


    Berengar shrugged his shoulders before taking another bite out of his sandwich, which he washed down with a liter of beer. After doing so, he rified his position.


    "Do I need investment? No, I have enough money to fund the development of the colonies myself. However, I would be lying if I said it wasn''t taking a toll on my treasury. Investment would be a nice addition to the funds I have personally thrown towards the new world. What do you say? Do you want to make arger fortune than you already have?"


    Gunther would be lying if he said he wasn''t interested in the idea, however he was cautious on the matter and inquired for further details.


    "What did you have in mind?"


    When Berengar heard this, he smiled before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "It''s simple. I will issue a charter, giving your corporation the right to settle the new world in an area of your choosing. In return, it will officially be a colony of the German Empire and will act as any other German territory in terms of its civil responsibilities. However, the colony itself will be established and operated by your corporation. You will be responsible for the start-up costs, the development costs, the defense costs, and, of course, taxes."


    Gunther thought about it for a few moments before asking about the natural resources of thend. He needed to know more about the region if he was going to sink a fortune into the development of a colony.


    "What kind ofnd am I looking at?"


    Berengar did not hesitate to respond. Instead, he had a wide smile on his face as heid out the information they had gathered from the new world thus far.


    "That would entirely depend on where you choose to settle. We have found in our colonies agricultural resources, such as potatoes, tomatoes, tobo, and even cocoa. Some of these things have yet to be introduced to the fathend. Thend is highly fertile, so there is little risk of crop failure.


    I''m assuming you want to produce an agricultural colony? Might I suggest branching into an area you have not experienced yet? In my opinion, you should establish a colony in one of the many ind chains, where you can grow vast quantities of sugarcane and coffee. It would be nice to have a domestic source of those resources."


    Gunther thought about this proposal for several minutes. If he could produce sugarcane and coffee, he could cut out the merchants in the east. After all, such resources could not grow in the fathend, and were relied upon for imports.


    However, the German people were fiercely nationalistic, and if he could create a monopoly over those resources, the people would quickly term to the trusted Gunther brand. Thus, he released a heavy sigh as he dwelled upon the best way to make this a reality.


    "I would need ships, as well as workers, from all different aspects of life. This would have to be a long-term settlement, and my employees would have to be promised some serious benefits to sail across the Antic into an unknown world where they would have to create a settlement from scratch.


    I would also need to hire a private security force to maintain order, and to defend the region from the natives. Such a thing is no small expense. I would, of course, need permission to raise such a private armed force as well."


    Berengar understood where the man wasing from. It was difficult finding trustworthy people who could be sent to the new world. The plus side was theck ofmunication with the fathend, making it difficult to leak information. Berengar knew this and decided to cut the man some ck.


    "I will allow you to register a private military corporation so that you can maintain security within your colony and defend it from any hostile force that may seek to invade it. I will also permit thispany to purchase military arms and naval vessels. However, its size shall be limited to a single brigade, and a small fleet of five Armored Frigates.


    As for everything else you may need, I will leave that up to your discretion. Naturally, all of this is strictly confidential and if you are any of your people leak information about the New World, it will be considered treason. So, are you up for the challenge?"


    It shocked Gunther to hear that Berengar was so willing to agree to his terms. However, he also understood the position Berengar was in. The Imperial German Armed Forces were limited in their ability to deploy to the New World, and there were plenty of veterans who no longer served that could be used to help aid in the establishment of colonies as mercenaries.


    Ultimately, Berengar wanted to im as muchnd as possible before the other world powers found out about the New World, and because of that, he was willing to privatize colonies to speed up the colonization process. It was because of this that he was willing to allow the existence of Private Military Corporations. When Gunther thought about all of this, he nodded his head and reached out his hand to seal the deal.


    "Very well. I agree with your terms. I look forward to the colonization of this new world."


    Berengar smiled and shook the man''s hand. Afterward, the two men spent many hours catching up on the years they had spent climbing to the top. With this deal, the Gunther Merchant Company would have the first private colony in the New World.

 Chapter 655 - Open Rebellion

    Chapter 655 - Open Rebellion


    While Berengar spent a considerable amount of time, effort, and expense improving the industrial capabilities of the fathend, a woman in a simr position on the other side of the world was struggling to introduce reforms in her new Shogunate that would allow her to exert absolute power over her country.


    The Ashikaga shogunate had fallen, Itami Riyo and her fanatical followers ruthlessly purged the head of its dynasty, as well as all living heirs. The woman in question had forced the Imperial Family to recognize her as the Shogun. Despite this, there was fierce resistance from the daimyos of Japan. In Berengar''s past life, few women were ever made Shogun, and it was the same in this world. Because of this, it was difficult for those in power to ept Riyo''s reign.


    The various Daimyo ns had banded together under her banner to overthrow the Ashikaga shogunate for various reasons, however now that a woman was iming to be the new Shogun, few of her former followers epted it. The territory she had unified immediately copsed into infighting, as those who believed she was unworthy of such a high position used the weapons she had introduced to resist her rule.


    Riyo sighed heavily as she sat in the Shogun''s pce while she read yet another letter dering rebellion against her rule. She poured herself a cup of sake as she drank its contents with much enthusiasm. Her snow white cheeks flushed red as she did so, giving her a rather cute appearance. After drinking yet another cup, sheined about the men who had turned against her.


    "Ignorant bastards! Have I not achieved enough in life to show you my worth as a leader? If not for me, you damn fools would never have overthrown the Ashikaga n. God damn it! Just because I''m a woman, these idiots think I can not lead a country. Well, I''ll show them! I''ll show them all. If you think matchlocks are the only weapons that I cane up with, just you wait until my loyal soldiers are armed with Muratas. I''ll kill you all! Everyst one of you bastards!"


    Upon saying this, the young woman pulled out a piece of paper where she began drafting blueprints for a single shot, ck powder rifle, as well as its matching bay. Simr to the 1871 Gewehr, the Murata rifle was a .45 caliber rifle. The development of such a weapon would put her infantry on par with Berengar''s. Of course, she had no idea that a man had risen to power in the west and formed a mighty Empire.


    For some time, she had been nning to introduce new weapons. Unfortunately, it was not until recently where she had the chemical capabilities to produce brass case cartridges. However, she was too busy with the war until now to bother putting such things into production. Yet, she knew that if she wanted to truly devastate her opponents, she would have to rely on yet another fierce weapon design from her past life.


    The young Shogun spent many hours drafting all kinds of new weapons to modernize her forces. From Murata Rifles, to type 26 Revolvers, and even Rifled Breechloaders. She desired to modernize her forces and implement a strict military dictatorship as soon as possible.


    As she was designing these weapons, Riyo recalled in her memories of her past life having a fierce argument with a certain somebody over the superiority of german vs Japanese firearms leading up to world war two. She took another drink of sake as she remembered a particr argument about the Kar98k vs the Type 99. Dwelling upon this subject; Riyo wore a bitter smile as she expressed her views on the matter.


    "If that bastard Julian had reincarnated in this world, I can bet he would have created the Mauser 1871 by now. I can only imagine the petty arguments we would have about that rifle and the Murata. What an idiot. He cared more about being right than about my feelings. He really was scum... Still, I wonder how he would handle my current situation..."


    Since the Daimyos beneath hermand were now rebelling against her, Riyo only had one option: crush them so brutally that they would never dare to oppose her reign ever again. She was about to curse them out once more when a man entered the room. He wore the tosei gusoku that had bemon among the samurai that pledged their loyalty to Itami Riyo. This man also carried a Katana and wakizashi on his waist. This man instantly kneeled before Riyo and informed her of recent developments.


    "Itami-sama, the Daimyo Shimazu Takatame, has dered open rebellion and captured the city of Naniwa. How shall we respond?"


    Riyo pursed her lips while dwelling on how to handle this information. She had just won the war against the Ashikaga Shogunate, and already the rebels were moving against her newly formed Itami Shogunate. She had no choice but to crack down on the enemy before they could recruit more Daimyos to their cause. However, this newest rebellion wasplicated. Because of this, she bit her finger before cursing out the man who had betrayed her.


    "More bad news? Shimazu Takatame that fucking bastard. Justst week, he pledged his undying love to me. However, the moment that I reject his marriage proposal, he seeks to overthrow me. So be it! Assemble the Army, we will march on Naniwa immediately. I want that traitor''s head!"


    Having said this, the officer who had approached the shogun nodded his head before responding in affirmation of his orders.


    "As youmand, Itami-sama."


    After the general slinked back into the shadows, Riyo threw her ceramic cup at the wall as hard as she could, shattering it upon impact. Before she could even manufacture her newest weapons, she was betrayed by yet another one of her vassals, and for such a petty reason, too.


    Shimazu Takatame was one of the first men to pledge their loyalty to Riyo, and had strived to win her favor for some time. However, he was not exceptional enough to catch the woman''s interest. Though he came from a powerful n, and had inherited his father''s position during Riyo''s rebellion, he was far from desirable in the woman''s eyes. After Riyo had achieved victory, the man in question asked her to marry him, however she refused, and quite brutally, her exact words were as follows.


    "I have no desire to marry you, Takatame-san. I need a man who challenges me, a man who is capable of defeating me at my own game, and that man isn''t you..."


    Apparently, such a harsh response had caused Takatame to dere open rebellion. Whether it was out of hatred for being rejected, or simply to prove his worth, Riyo did not know. Either way, she did not care. She would crush the man''s army and im his head. After all, she did not tolerate treason.


    Having issued the orders for her army to assemble, Riyo began to prepare herself for the long journey. There was no time to wait. She needed to assemble her forces and march on the city of Naniwa as quickly as possible. Before she could institute her reforms that would turn Japan into a hereditary military dictatorship, the woman needed to crush a rebellion or two.


    If Riyo knew that Julian had reincarnated into this world as a German nobleman, and had already united his people into a stable Empire, she would probably throw a fit. She always hated being one upped by the man, and the fact that her Daimyo rebelled against her rule the moment she united Japan beneath her rule was utterly frustrating.


    Before long, an army of fifteen thousand men was on the march towards the city of Naniwa. Although these men would soon fight a mortal battle with those who, just days ago, were their brothers in arms, theycked any form of remorse on their faces. For these men were absolutely loyal to the War Goddess, and to rebel against her was practically heresy. Before Riyo could even catch a break, she was once more on the road to war. Such was the life of a conqueror.

 Chapter 656 - Chocolate Agreements

    Chapter 656 - Chocte Agreements


    Weeks after the Aztec Princess had set sail for her home country, she now sat within the Royal Pce of Tenochtin. In front of her was her father, Emperor Itzcoatl, the current ruler of the Aztec Empire. In the months since the Germans first arrived in the region, disease had be widespread. If not for the efforts of the German Medics who dwelled in the settlement of Berenstadt, then the Aztecs would have suffered greatly.


    Still, these diseases had made their way to the neighbors of the Aztec Empire and had begun to devastate their poptions. It was a time of expansion as far as Itzcoatl was concerned. Thus he was surprised to see his daughter, who he had assigned as his Empire''s diplomat, to the Feathered Serpent sitting before him.


    The young Aztec Princess had a smile on her pretty face as she wore far more civilized attire than her father was used to seeing. Still, she did not care for the extravagant dresses that the german women wore. Years of training to be a jaguar warrior had given her a more practical sense of fashion. Thus, she was dressed in clothing that one might expect a female tennis yer to wear.


    Itzcoatl was curious as to why his daughter might be visiting him so soon after following Berengar back to thend of the gods. The girl could tell her father was worried and thus she decided to ease his troubled mind with an assuring statement.


    "His majesty, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein has instructed me to negotiate with you in the acquisition of cocoa. It would appear he has some uses in mind for it, and wants arge supply of cocoa beans to be transferred to the settlement of Berenstadt. He has left the bartering up to me."


    The currency of the Aztec Empire was fairly primitive. It used a copper axe-head, which was supposed to be the value of 8,000 cocoa seeds, which was the mostmon form of currency in the region. Since the German Empire did not have cocoa, and were instead trying to purchase cocoa beans to be processed into chocte, they obviously could not pay with thetter.


    As for the copper axe heads, Berengar had no desire to manufacture such primitive devices as a means of trade. After all, copper was a valuable resource, and he had no desire to squander it on something so meaningless. Thus he had given Tlexictli permission to barter on his behalf, despite being a diplomat of her father to his empire. It showed how much trust he had developed in the girl after she had witnessed the splendor of the fathend.


    Even now the Aztec Princess was gazing upon her own people as backward savages, despite only spending a few months in the fathend. She desired to finish these negotiations and return to Germany as quickly as possible. Itzcoatl could tell that his daughter was displeased, despite her smiling appearance, and decided to ask about her journey to the east.


    "I didn''t expect to see you so soon. We don''t need to discuss business right away. How have you been? What is it like over there?"


    Tlexictli dwelled upon her brief time in the German Empire and could hardly described everything she had seen, in the end she could only sigh before revealing the truth of the matter.


    "Compared to the Germans, we are nothing but filthy savages. It''s impossible to exin the difference between our two civilizations with words. Just know that they are well ahead of us. Their military power alone is overwhelming."


    Itzcoatl had not personally witnessed the power of the German soldiers who had massacred his forces, but he had heard tales. A shiver went down his spine as he inquired further about the German Empire''s military might.


    "How powerful are they?"<i>  </i>


    In response to this question, Tlexictli merely scoffed before answering her father in a condescending tone.


    "They have hundreds of thousands of men whose sole upation is to wage war. Imagine that, having such arge professional army. As you know, our Empire revolved around part-timemoner soldiers, with professional warriors among the nobility.


    I have personally seen the weapons they use in war, and to think such arge force is equipped with them, it is utterly terrifying. Father, you would be wise to be obedient to the Kaiser. If he were to march a fraction of his army into ournds, we could not resist."


    The prospect of hundreds of thousands of professional soldiers was just as Tlexictli had said, utterly terrifying. Upon learning that the German Empire had such means, he quickly inquired about their neighbors.


    "The Kaiser told me that he has plenty of neighbors, who, when they learn of thesends, will invade, do you have any information about them?"


    Unfortunately for the Aztec Emperor, his daughter''s response was less than ideal. She shook her head before informing her father of what little she had been able to learn from reading the books in the Pce''s library.


    "I suppose I should tell you that what you have been told about the German Empire is a lie. They are not the envoys of the feathered serpent. They merely used our mythology to convince you to kneel before them. From what I have learned, the German Empire is a recently founded state. It''s a little over a year old.


    Before the unification of the Empire, Germany was a loose collection of several smaller states. The Kaiser personally unified them under his banner via a series of overwhelming military victories in a span of about six years. He appears to be the man responsible for the rapid progress that Germany has achieved. Perhaps he himself is divine, but the feathered serpent has no part in it.


    However, just because he lied to you about the origins of his Empire, it does not mean he was lying about the threat his neighbors pose to us. Though they are behind the German Empire in pretty much every aspect, they are still far beyond us in every facet of society, especially warfare.


    If we were to fight a war with German''s neighbors our weapons could not prate their armor, and because of Berengar''s rapid rise to power, they have been investing a considerable amount of time, effort, and expense intopeting with his military technology.


    An arms race is taking ce on the continent where our Suzerains are from, and Germany is well above their rivals. However, their rivals also seem to be making a rapid pace ahead of us. If we were to decline the Empire''s offer of protection against their neighbors, it would only be a matter of time before our civilization is destroyed."


    Itzcoatl took his daughter''s words to heart. She had a better understanding of the German Empire than he did, and though he was enraged to find out that Berengar and his Empire were not the envoys of the feathered serpent, he realized that it would not be wise to break his agreement with them. Having heard they have such a massive army, and the means to project it across the antic, the Aztec Emperor had no desire to fight with his overlords. Instead, he nodded his head before switching to the topic of cocoa beans.


    "What offer does the Kaiser make in exchange for our cocoa beans?"


    Tlexictli smiled when she heard her father was more agreeable after listening to her tale of German military might. She quickly began to answer his question with a proud smile on his face.


    "He has offered to exchange for cocoa beans with steel tools."


    The Aztec Emperor did not know what this meant and quickly inquired about their use.


    "Steel?"


    Upon seeing her father so confused, Tlexictli exined more in depth about what he would be tradingrge quantities of cocoa beans for.


    "Steel is a metal that is far superior to copper when used in tools. It is stronger, more durable, and holds an edge better. With these tools, our ves can be more productive in the mines and in the fields. He is willing to offer a certain amount of tools in exchange for a ton of cocoa beans."


    After saying this, the women went into depth exining the different measuring systems used by the Empire. The father and daughter negotiated for some time before an agreement was made. For every one hundred steel tools, a ton of cocoa beans could be exchanged. This was a good deal for the German Empire, as they had an excessive supply of steel.


    In the end Tlexictli had reached an agreement with her father that would allow for a mass importation of Cocoa, thus making Berengar an extremely happy man, as he could now, finally, make the many chocte deserts that Germany was known for in his past life. After fulfilling her obligations, she intended to take the first ship back to the fathend. After all, she no longer cared for the primitive life of her people''s empire.

 Chapter 657 - Meeting with the Grand Duke of Moscow

    Chapter 657 - Meeting with the Grand Duke of Moscow


    Currently, Berengar sat in his office enjoying a cup ofpany with a guest. This guest was none other than the Grand Duke of Moscow. Since the days of Genghis Khan, the Rus states had been under the control of the Golden Horde. However, the Golden Horde had recently made a major mistake.


    They had angered the German Empire by acting as a middleman in the sale of saltpeter to the Reich''s enemies. Such a material was necessary in the creation of gunpowder. Berengar had always desired to limit the amount of firearms his enemies were able to field, and for a while, he had seeded in this endeavor.


    However, with the new Khan of the Golden Horde rising to power, he had sworn to avenge his predecessor, who was taken out by Berengar''s assassins. Though he knew he could not win an outright war with Germany, he could at the very least supply their enemies with the means to put up some resistance.


    Casimir of the House of Rurik was the Grand Duke of Moscow. However, the thing that surprised Berengar was that he was a young boy of roughly thirteen years of age. This child had recently seeded his father after the man was poisoned to death. Rumors have it that the Prince himself was responsible for his father''s death, but such allegations could not be proven.


    After ascending to the throne, the boy had decided that he would do everything in his power to overthrow the yoke of the Golden Horde and liberate his people from their servitude. This meant he had to get involved with the devil in the west.


    Despite Berengar''s fearsome reputation, the young Grand Duke was not the slightest bit intimidated, rather he sat with such grace that even Berengar considered himself a barbarian in the presence of the youth.


    Casimir was an oddity in Berengar''s eyes. The boy looked rather androgynous. While Berengar wouldn''t necessarily call him pretty or feminine, he certainly wasn''t masculine either. He had delicate features, with a slender figure. His hair was medium in length, and was tinum blonde. He had a set of ice-blue eyes and pale skin. The Grand Duke had a cold glimpse in his eyes as he tasted the coffee that Berengar had personally brewed for him. Upon seeing such a reaction, Berengar could guess that the boy did not enjoy the drink.


    "What''s wrong? Is the beverage I have prepared not to your liking?"


    The boy shook his head as he revealed his thoughts on the drink.


    "Too bitter..."


    Berengar did not know what kind of sweet tooth the kid had to deny his coffee. Berengar had always prepared his coffee with both milk and sugar. If it was bitter, then just what did the boy consider sweet? Because of this, the two monarchs were left in a state of awkward silence for a few moments. Ultimately, Berengar decided to shift the topic to business and inquired about the boy''s reasoning for visiting.


    "So... Let me guess you havee to Kufstein so that I might support you in overthrowing your suzerains. Is that correct?"


    There was a hint of surprise in the Casimir''s eyes as he heard this. His only reaction was a silent nod of his head. When Berengar witnessed this, he sighed beforementing on the reason for his visit.


    "I can not provide you with military aid, however if you would like to establish trade between our two realms, I would be happy to sell you some firearms, as well as the gunpowder and munitions to use them at a fair price."


    Casimir ced his cup of coffee down on a te before nodding his head once more. There was no hint of emotion in his voice as he agreed to Berengar''s terms.


    "Name your price."


    With this said, Berengar quoted his standard price for the sale of arms and munitions. In order topete with the newest, albeit crude firearms that his enemies had produced, Berengar ceased the production and sale of arkebuses and falcs, and instead began to produce, and sell Matchlock Muskets, and Six pound cannons modelled after the 1417 12 lb field gun. Naturally, he raised the price for the superior arms.


    "I will sell you matchlock muskets and six-pound cannons at a price of five German Guldens per musket, and twenty-five German Guldens per Cannon. If you buy in bulk, I will give you a ten percent discount. As for the munitions and gunpowder, I will sell you one barrel of musket balls for one gulden, and one barrel of gunpowder for three guldens."


    Sitting next to Casimir was a man of Russian noble origin, and he was apparently the Grand Duke''s military advisor. He was a tall and muscr man, despite his elderly age. The man was balding and had a long white beard. He whispered into the youth''s ears something that Berengar could not understand, due to thenguage barrier. After the boy nodded his head, he agreed to Berengar''s terms.


    "I ept..."


    Evidently Casimir was a man of little words, because he did not say much in Berengar''s presence, and instead eyed him with caution, while acting with the grace befitting an emperor. There was, of course, another possibility. The boy did not speak much German. Either way,munication between the two parties was fairly stiff. However, Berengar didn''t mind the boy''s icy attitude. After all, he now had another customer in the arms trade.


    Though the idea of Russia''s unification was something Berengar did not want to permit, his petty and spiteful nature got the better of him as he currently wanted nothing more than to get back at the Golden Horde for facilitating the trade of gunpowder to his enemies. Because of this, Berengar was d to make use of the Grand Duchy of Moscow to act as his proxy in the matter. With a wicked smile on his face, Berengar nodded his head and responded to the boy.


    "It is a pleasure doing business with you..."


    Casimir simply responded with a nod of the head and a single word.


    "Likewise..."


    Upon seeing that conversing with the youth was lost cause Berengar merely sighed before ending the meeting for the day.


    "So long as you are in Kufstein you are permitted to reside in my Pce. If there is anything you need while you are here, simply ask one of my servants and they will provide it."


    The icy prince merely nodded his head in understanding and epted Berengar''s terms.


    "I thank you for your hospitality."


    After saying this, he stood up from his chair and left the room. His military advisor was in tow. The moment he departed from the room, he came across a young heterochromia beauty who was roughly the same age as him.


    This girl was Princess Veronika, and she immediately caught the Grand Duke''s interest. However, she did not even notice the androgynous boy, who stopped in his tracks as he gazed at the young woman with awe. Instead, Veronika ran into Berengar''s office with a pouting expression on her face, yelling the words.


    "Your Majesty, the Prince Hans is being mean to me!"


    While he did not hear the rest of the conversation between the German Emperor and the Princess of Bohemia, he quickly turned to his military advisor and spoke in their mother tongue.


    "Who is that beautiful girl?"


    The military advisor was taken aback when he heard these wordse from the Prince. Until now, the boy had never shown an interest in girls. It was because of that he made fun of the Grand Duke.


    "His highness is interested in a girl? Hmm, I always thought you preferred thepany of men..."


    The cold gaze of the Grand Duke of Moscow shifted over to his advisor with a deadpan expression on his face as he responded to such an absurd im.


    "That''s not funny Igor..."


    The man instead sighed as he put up a defeated expression beforementing on the boy''s tendencies.


    "I thought for sure the Kaiser was more your type. It appears I have been mistaken. I humbly apologize for my ignorance. If your highness fancies the girl, I will have her brought to you roomter."


    Despite Igor''s words, Casimir remained expressionless. He only responded with a silent nod of the head before departing towards the quarters he had been allotted during his stay in Kufstein. Even if he did not look like it, his heart was beating beneath his chest at the thought of the exotic bohemian beauty.


    As for Berengar, he was entirely unaware of the conversation that was had between the Grand Duke and his advisor, for if he did, he would have put a stop to the notion that Veronika was avable then and there. The Princess of Bohemia was his ward, and thus she was under his protection. It would be quite the misunderstandingter that evening when the Grand Duke of Moscow tried to force the girl towards his quarters.

 Chapter 658: Little Monster

    Chapter 658: Little Monster


    Shortly after Berengar had finished his meeting with the Grand Duke of Moscow, Princess Veronika entered his office. She had a pouting expression on her cute face and seemed to be filled with indignation. Berengar could only guess that Hans had said or done something to piss her off. Sure enough, the adolescent girl immediately began toin about her fiancee.


    "Your majesty, the Prince Hans has done something indecent to me!"


    Berengar could only sigh as he rested his head in the palm of his hand. Whatever Hans had done to the girl, it had clearly been something significant for her toe crawling to the Emperor while seeking restitution. However, before he could inquire about what the little bugger had done, the Princess of Bohemia exposed the boy''s shameful actions with an embarrassed expression on her face.


    "Hans flipped up my skirt!"


    Such information stunned Berengar. This was such a petty matter that he felt like he shouldn''t be the one responsible for handling it. After all, he was an emperor. Thus, he stared at the girl in disbelief beforementing on the situation.


    "Is that all? If so, go find Linde and she will scold the boy. I don''t have time to waste on such frivolities."


    Veronika could hardly believe that Berengar was leaving this matter to his wife. After all, she felt as if she had been shamed greatly. She immediately began to protest Berengar''s unwillingness to discipline his son, but before she could utter a word, the man held his hand up and red at her.


    "I''m busy. If you want toin some more, go find my wife. I''m sure she would be willing to listen to all of your petty problems, unfortunately I do not have the time to bother."


    Upon realizing that she was being a nuisance, Veronika nodded her head silently with a downcast expression on her face before departing from the room. It was only after she had entered the hallway that the man known as Igor, who acted as the Grand Duke of Moscow''s personal advisor, approached her. Veronika had a sense of fear in her mismatched eyes as the stranger approached her with an awkward smile on his face.


    "The Grand Duke of Moscow Casimir requests your presence. Please, follow me!"''


    Though Veronika wanted to resist, she could tell by the cold glint in the man''s eyes that he was not making a simple request. As such, she nodded her head in silence, and followed him to the quarters that Berengar had allotted to the Grand Duke. After entering the room, Veronika saw the boy staring out the window. He had an icy expression on his androgynous face as he shifted his gaze towards the young girl.


    "Tell me, miss, what is your name?"


    Veronika did not know why this strange-looking boy had requested her presence. Perhaps he knew she was the Princess of Bohemia. She nced back at the entrance, which was being guarded by Igor, and noticed that her escape route was cut off. She had no choice but to tell the boy her identity.


    "My name is Veronika your highness, may I ask why you have brought me here?"


    The cold boy slowly approached the girl, the slightest hint of a smile etched itself upon his lips as he closely examined the Bohemian Princess. She was truly the type of girl he desired, and he did not hide his feelings.


    "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Are you a servant of the Kaiser, perhaps?"


    Veronika was taken aback when she heard the Grand Duke did not know of her position. She was not the slightest bit interested in the boy''s tter, nor did she hide her disdain as she responded in a haughty tone.


    "I am a ward of his majesty Berengar von Kufstein. I am thest Princess of the Kingdom of Bohemia, and the fiancee of Prince Hans von Kufstein. If you reason for bringing me here is indecent, I will tell my father-inw, and he will have your hands removed!"


    The sudden shift from meek to bold shocked the Grand Duke of Moscow. He could hardly believe that this young girl was the Princess of Bohemia, a Kingdom that was now a part of the German Empire. Currently, Berengar held its crown, along with Austria''s, and nobody had heard about what happened to the previous Monarch''s family after the Kingdom fell to the Hussites. To think that Berengar was keeping such a young beauty to himself made Casimir''s blood boil.


    Casimir was a man who foolishly did not fear Berengar, perhaps because his realm was so far away from the German Empire that he believed himself to be safe. It was because of this that he grasped hold of Veronika''s wrist and pressed her against the wall. He was just about to force a kiss on her when the girl pped him across the face, leaving a bright red handprint.


    "Bastard! What do you think you are doing? When the Kaiser finds out what you have tried to do to me, he will not be merciful!"


    However, Casimir was far from pleased. His eyes had a murderous glow to them as he punched the girl in the gut, sending her to her knees.


    "You fucking bitch! How dare you treat me this way! Do you have any idea who I am?"


    Coincidentally, as this was ongoing the Prince Hans had rounded the corner and walked down the halls. He noticed Igor standing guard at the door and immediately became suspicious. After hearing screaminge from inside the room, he rushed over to see what was happening. Though Igor tried to prevent him from interfering, Hans made a bold threat to the man.


    .


    "If you do not get out of my way right now, I will have your manhood fed to the pigs!"


    Normally such a threat would beughableing from such a young boy. However, Hans had pulled out a boot knife and held it firmly against the man''s junk. The Prince had juste back from the Cadet Corps, and was heading towards his room that was in the same hall as Veronika''s to wash up and get changed. When the man saw the de pressed against his family jewels, he immediately broke out into a cold sweat, however he did not move. Instead, he called out to the Grand Duke, informing him that he had a visitor.


    "your highness, the Prince is here to see you!"


    Casimir had a grim look on his face as he gazed over towards the boy Hans, who held a de to Igor''s groin. With a wicked smile, Hans inserted the de into the man''s loins, causing him to scream in pain and fall to his knees. He ruthlessly ripped the de from out of therger man''s body and wiped the blood on Igor''s shirt before approaching the Grand Duke of Moscow. Upon seeing the murderous glint in Hans'' sapphire eyes, the young Grand Duke released his grip over Veronika''s hair and stumbled backwards.


    "You little monster! What have you done?"


    Hans was in no mood to spar with words and quickly approached the adolescent boy after gazing upon the state of his fiancee. Veronika had been beaten by Casimir, her hair was messed up, and blood was spilling from her lips. Such a thing could not be forgiven. Because of this, Hans closed the distance between him and his target with the de held in one hand.


    "Your dare toy a hand on my woman? Bold... truly bold... Since you havemitted such an unforgiveable act, I will not be merciful."


    Casimir was shocked to see the young boy speak in such an educated manner. He tried to resist, but Hans kneed him in the groin, dropping the boy to his knees. He grabbed hold of the Grand Duke''s medium length hair with one hand and brought the de close to the boy''s lips.


    "I''m going to give you a permanent reminder on your face as to why you should not fuck with Germany, you stupid vic dog!"


    After saying this, Hans carved away at the edges of the boy''s lips with his boot knife, creating severecerations that were eerily reminiscent of a certainic book viin from Berengar''s past life. The boy screamed in pain as his face was disfigured by the German Prince.


    While this was happening, Veronika gazed in astonishment at the lengths Hans was willing to go to, to avenge her. Though she had prevented Casimir from stealing her first kiss, she had invoked his ire and had suffered his wrath. Had Hans not arrived when he did, it was likely that she would be severely beaten, and perhaps even raped.


    All she could do was watch as the young boy who was her fiancee mutted the Grand Duke of Moscow, who was a boy several years older than him, and muchrger. After Hans had finished with his little art project, Casimir was lying on the floor crying in a pool of his own blood, while Igor was struggling with the loss of his balls. Hans shifted from a cruel expression to a concerned one as he checked on Veronika''s condition.


    "Veronika, take my hand. Let us leave this ce and go see Ewald. He will make you better!"


    Upon seeing the kind and concerned look on Hans'' face after his valiant act of defending her, Veronika felt as if she had suddenly developed feelings for the boy who had just previously lifted her skirt and made her cry. Hans did not wait for an answer and quickly led the girl away from her captors. When the Imperial Guard finally arrived on the scene, they would be dumbfounded by the events that had urred. After maiming the Grand Duke of Moscow and his military advisor, Hans would garner a nickname among the servants of the Royal Pce, and that was the term "Little Monster."

 Chapter 659 - lt’s About Sending a Message

    Chapter 659 - lt''s About Sending a Message


    Shortly after the incident with the Grand Duke of Moscow, Hans was summoned to his father''s study. The boy had taken Veronika to the Court Physician of the Royal Family. Though he initially refused to leave the girl''s side as Ewald looked after her, the Imperial Guard ultimately forced him to do so.


    Veronika was in good hands. After all, Ewald had learned the basics of modern medicine from Berengar, and had even begun to use surgeries to cure certain conditions. The Princess of Bohemia was not beaten too badly, and because of that, she just needed a small amount of treatment.


    As for Hans, he was sitting with a fiercely defiant re in Berengar''s office. His mother was standing next to his father as the two of them castigated him for his behavior. Berengar was furious. His own son had maimed a boyar of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, as well as the Grand Duke. Berengar struggled to calm his wrath as he took a quick swig from his sk before getting the words right in his head.


    "So let me get this straight... You castrated a Boyar and maimed the Grand Duke of Moscow. Do you have any idea the damage this will cause in rtions between Germany and the various Rus states? Give me one good reason why I should not kick your ass right now!"


    Despite the outrageous actions Hans had taken, he was firm in the belief that his actions were righteous, and thus he did not back down from his father''s fearsome threat as he outlined his exact reasoning for being so extreme.


    "I only did what father would have done if some vic bastard had dared toy his hands on mother!"


    Berengar and Linde were taken aback by this statement. It had been a few minutes since the incident urred, and they had yet to conduct a proper investigation into the matter. It was because of this that Berengar continued to interrogate his eldest child for his horrific actions.


    "How so?"


    Hans'' lips curved into an arrogant sneer as he outlined exactly why he had acted so ruthlessly towards the Muscovite delegation.


    "That effeminate bastardid his hands on my woman. I was returning to my room from the Cadet Corps when I heard Veronika scream, I quickly investigated the scene only to find that vic cunt hitting my girl, I tried to force my way into the room to stop him but his bodyguard halted my advance, so I had no choice. I held him hostage with my de and told him if he did not let me pass, then I would feed his manhood to the pigs. He refused to do so, so I stabbed him in the balls."


    Linde gazed in horror at Hans''s words. He was just a little boy and yet he had acted so violently. More importantly, she was furious at the type of vulgarnguage he was using and was quick to condemn him.


    "Hans,nguage!"


    Upon seeing that his mother was furious, the boy put on a pitiful facade and apologized for his harsh wards.


    "I''m sorry, mommy..."


    Berengar sneered in disdain when he saw through the act of his errant child. However, he was more fascinated with the tale his son was spinning. He immediately inquired further about the topic.


    "What happened next?"


    Hans continued to meet his father''s gaze as he outlined everything that had happened between him and Casimir.


    "I was furious, so I decided to give that vic dog a personal reminder as to what happens when he dares to defy the Reich! After carving a smile on his face, I left with Veronika to seek medical treatment. Can you honestly say you would have done less if you were in my position?"


    Berengar could not deny that he would have behaved any better if one of his women were targeted. As he reflected more on the incident, he realized it was highly likely that Casimir beat Veronika because she had refused his advances. It was because of this that he left out a heavy sigh before punishing his child for his violent behavior.


    "Under these circumstances, I will confine you to your room until an investigation into the matter can bepleted. If you are lying to me, you will be severely punished. If, however, you are telling the truth, I will be lenient. After all, a man must protect his woman from those who would harm her, and I will not fault you for acting in such a manner when I would have done worse."


    Hans smiled upon hearing his father''s decision and bowed his head slightly before thanking him for his benevolence.


    .


    "You have my thanks, father. I promise that everything I have said is true, as you will find out soon enough."


    After saying this, the boy departed from the study and returned to his room. As for Berengar, he was left with a major headache, while Linde was suffering fromplex emotions. Upon learning the truth, she could not find fault with her son for his actions, but she still believed he went too far.


    Nevertheless the boy had outsmarted both of them, and used his father''s nature against them. Berengar poured himself a proper drink into his skull chalice that he had not used in some time beforementing on the situation.


    "That boy is too smart for his own good..."


    Linde merely scoffed at her husband''s remarks before inquiring about what their next move was.


    "Obviously, we can''t use the Grand Duchy of Moscow to deal with the Golden Horde now! What shall we do about this?"


    Berengar took arge gulp from his whiskey beforementing on the situation. After everything that had happened, his ns for the future were now in ruin. He could only think of an alternative course of action.


    "There have bound to be some loyalists to Casimir''ste father in his court. We could use them to depose the boy and establish a new regime that is hellbent on the destruction of the Golden Horde. Either that or we will have to focus our efforts on one of the other Rus states, like Kiev or Novgorod."


    Linde remained silent as she reflected on everything that had urred. She still could not believe her baby boy had reacted so viciously to the Grand Duke of Moscow and his military advisor. Perhaps Berengar''s extreme nature was setting a poor example for her children.


    Despite this possibility, she still could not pin the me on the man. In the end, she loved that aspect about Berengar, and would not rebuke him for it. Berengar, on the other hand, had a goal in mind as he grasped hold of his wife''s hand andforted her.


    "For now, we need to determine if what our son said is true or not. It should be a simple matter. Find Veronika and check on her condition. The boy said he had sought medical treatment for her. If she is in such poor condition, then she will be in Ewald''s clinic. I want you to investigate this matter yourself. You''re the only person I can trust to find the truth."


    Linde nodded her head before responding to Berengar''smand.


    "I will get right on it."


    After saying that, she kissed her man on the lips before departing from his study. It was only after she had left the room that he cursed Casimir for his foolish behavior.


    "Stupid child, who do you think you are? Forcing yourself upon my ward! When I find out the truth of the matter, you will not be let off with a simple disfigurement. The boy was too lenient with you. He should have imed your life..."


    Thinking back on his past life, Berengar could not help but shake his head. At the end of the second world war the Red army raped between two to four million german girls an average of sixty times per girl. It was one of the greatest war crimes of the war, and nobody ever talked about it. Upon reflecting on this, he sighed and spoke his thoughts on the matter aloud.


    "Some things never change..."


    With this said, he formted a n for how to make an example of Casimir. As Berengar''s ward, Veronika was under his protection, and not only did his guest from the east attempt to force himself on the girl, he had severely beaten her. Such a thing was a massive p to the face of Berengar and the German Empire as a whole.


    This could not go unpunished. If Berengar let this matter go, the Reich would be a joke in the eyes of the east. He had decided that if the investigation revealed that Hans was speaking the truth, he would have the Grand Duke of Moscow castrated and sent to abor camp for the rest ofhis miserable existance.


    A permanent disfigurement to the face was not the message Berengar wanted to send to the Russians. Instead, he wanted them to know the price ofying their hands on German girls, even if Veronika was technically Bohemian.

 Chapter 660 - Rus’ Response

    Chapter 660 - Rus'' Response


    Weeks passed since the incident between Hans and Casimir, the matter was thoroughly investigated by Linde herself, as well as Imperial Intelligence. In the end, Hans''s words were proven to be true. As a result, Berengar convicted the Grand Duke of Moscow with one count of attempted rape of a minor, and one count of assault of a minor. In the end, Casimir was castrated and sentenced to life in prison. Which meant he would spend the rest of his days in abor camp.


    With this action, Berengar had proved to the people of Germany that even foreign monarchs were not above thew. Though he had proved in the past that the German nobility suffered the same penalties as themon people for the crimes theymitted. This was the first major incident of a foreign monarch being condemned under German Law.


    The Rus States were furious at such an action, and multiple kingdoms condemned Berengar because of it. In the end, he simply responded with a snarky remark about Germany being a sovereign nation that did not recognize diplomatic immunity. If youmitted a crime in the Reich, no matter what your position in life, you would pay the price for your actions.


    As for Igor, he was being looked after until a time where he could be deported back to Moscow. He had suffered grievous wounds from the Prince''s de, and would never recover his reproductive abilities. Hans, on the other hand, was cleared of all wrongdoing.


    The reason was simple: he was a young boy, who was protecting his fiancee from a would be rapist. Such action was deemed by the German people as morally righteous, even if the Ministry of Propaganda had covered up the extent of what he had done.


    Berengar was now faced with a diplomatic crisis in the east. Despite being Orthodox and tied to the Byzantine Empire, the Rus states were now threating diplomatic action against Berengar and the German Empire. The extent of what they nned to do was unknown. Regardless, it would appear his ns to utilize the Rus states to deal with the golden horde had been thoroughly crushed.


    Instead, there was talk among several of therger Rus states into unification. If Germany could unite into a world power, then why couldn''t they? This was easier said than done, and without German or Byzantine support, the Rus would have a hard time keeping up with the western powers. Still, Berengar considered this a threat to National Security and had tasked Imperial Intelligence with the difficult job of hampering the process.


    Currently in the East, within the Novgorod Republic, a middle-aged man sneered in disdain as he read about what had happened between his nephew and Berengar. He could hardly believe that the child of his fearsome brother had behaved so recklessly.


    "That German bastard Berengar the ursed has mutted my nephew and sentenced him to life imprisonment. This is not just a p in the face to my house, but all the Rus! It is clear that a United Germany poses a threat to us all. In order tobat this Eagle that rises in the west, we must unite together to fight against them!"


    He ced the letter down on the table and gazed at the various men who were gathered. Many among them were leaders of the various Rus States. The man who said these words was Prince dimir, and he was the leader of the Novgorod Republic, as well as the brother of the previous Grand Duke of Moscow. Despite acting furious, he was rather pleased with what Berengar had done to his nephew.


    dimir had only recently inherited the position of Prince of Novgorod after his brother''s death, stealing it from his nephew Casimir. One of the reasons Casimir had gone to Germany was to procure arms, not just to defeat the Golden Horde but to take back the territory his uncle had stolen from him. As for dimir, despite approving of what Berengar had done to his nephew, he now used this incident as a means to unite the Rus States under his banner.


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    The various leaders of the Rus States gazed at dimir withplicated expressions. Many of them were fearful of fighting against the German Empire. After all, they were previously in a coalition with the Pnd-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Golden Horde. They had seen what the Kingdom of Austria had done to those two powerhouses by themselves. Now that Germany had united under Austria''s banner, it was not a simple matter to get on the bad side of the Reich.


    However, there were also those in support of dimir''s ambitions. German propaganda had made the idea of uniting into a single Empire popr, and it was because of this that many of the Rus states now desired a powerful Empire of their own. As it stood, Novgorod was the most powerful Rus State, and due to its trading ties with Northern Germany, they had be quite wealthy in recent years.


    Wealthy enough to fund a sizeable army if they so desired. With the leaking of agricultural technology, and early industrial tech such as the puddling furnace by thete Prince Decentius of the Byzantine Empire, the amount of food that could be grown in Novgorod had doubled in size, and because of this they were expecting arge poption boom in the current generation.


    It was only a matter of time before they eclipsed their neighbors and established a Russian Empire of their own. Thus, many of the men in the room were hesitant, but not unwilling, to form a Russian Union. However, there was one man in particr who waspletely against the idea, and that was the Grand Prince of Kiev, a young man by the name of Ivan.


    Due to the proximity of his realm to the German Empire, he had long since established ties with the Reich. Albeit he had never personally met with Berengar in person, however, his lover was a German Spy, and though he did not realize this, she had been manipting him recently to reject the idea of a unified Russia. With a frown on his face, he called out dimir for his ambitions.


    "And who would lead this unified Russia? You? I object to the notion. First and foremost, you are a Usurper who bribed the electors of your realm to ce you into power instead of your nephew. Secondly, you say that a united Germany is a threat to all of us. Yet the reality of the situation is that Germany would only pose a threat to us if we first act against them. Casimir has been justly punished for his crimes, and since then the Kaiser has not made a single statement of hostility towards us.


    His only response to your condemnation of his actions was that his Empire is a sovereign realm that does not recognize diplomatic immunity. Your nephew had broken German Law during his stay in the Empire and paid the price for it. I think you are inviting fear into this meeting because you simply wish to rule over us all!"


    dimir was displeased with Ivan''s response. The man had always been a thorn in his side, especially after he came to power as the Prince of Novgorod. He did not know why the Grand Prince of Kiev had decided to back the German Empire, but he was not going to let his ambitions fall into ruin because of this man. The only response he coulde up with to counteract the man''s ims was a personal insult.


    "You know what I think, Ivan? I think you are afraid of Germany! You sit in your little Principality and cower in fear of the Germans that exist close to your borders. You are not fit to rule over your people, let alone all the Rus!"


    In response to this, Ivan snarled before calling the man out on his words. He knew from the beginning that dimir would nder him in this meeting and came prepared for it.


    "If Germany was hellbent on invading ournds, as you suggest, then why has the Kaiser taken action to secure his borders? You live far away from the German Empire, so allow me to educate you on the reality of the situation. On their eastern borders, the Germans have long since begun construction of massive border fortifications with their strange technology.


    It is clear by these actions that they intend to be defensive and istionist in nature. I have personally passed through the Grand Duchy of dimir and visited the German border on behalf of my neighbor. I have spoken with the soldiers there, and they have no ill intention of ournd or people. You are stirring up trouble that none of us will be able to handle, even if we united into a single Empire. I know you grieve for your nephew, however I will not bear the cost of your warmongering, nor should the rest of you!"


    Upon hearing this, many of the Rus leaders shifted their views towards Ivan''s speech. If they united into a single Empire, they would be giving up a lot, especially in regard to personal power and wealth, for little in terms of gains. The only real benefit was an increase in military power under a unified Russia. However, this paled inparison to the Armed Fores of the German Empire, who were a dominant power in all of Europe.


    With this in mind, the discussion quickly broke down into petty squabbling. For now, the talks between the Rus States about Unification had ended in disappointment to the ambitious prince of Novgorod. Unknowingly, Berengar''s influence had spread across Eastern Europe, and was actively preventing a unification of the Russian Empire. For how long they could continue this subterfuge that was unknown.

 Chapter 661 - The Gunther Merchant Company Part Two

    Chapter 661 - The Gunther Merchant Company Part Two


    A group of mercenaries sat on the deck of an Ad ss Armored Frigate while the banners of the German Empire swayed with the wind. Over a month had passed since Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein had given permission to the Gunther Merchant Company to form a Private Military Corporation, and the ability to establish a Colony in the New World.


    The wealthy merchant had spared no time in securing the necessary people, ships, and equipment to begin colonization of an Ind in the region known as the Caribbean in Berengar''s past life. The Ind in question was among thergest, if not thergest in the area, and in another world it was known by the name of Cuba.


    Here in this world it was ripe for conquest and settlement, and because of this, various men had gathered under the contract of the Gunther Merchant Company to im the ind for themselves. At the head of the vessel was the eldest son of Gunther, whose name was Henrick.


    Henrick was a tall, and robust man who had lived his early years as a lowly peasant. Now he was the son of a business mogul and had all the wealth he could ever ask for. Despite this, he desired to step foot on the foreign soil that the German Empire had discovered in secret. The reasoning was simple: the spirit of adventure lived on in his heart.


    As with every young man in the Empire, Henrick had served his four years in one of the German Military branches. It was because of this that his father had tasked him with leading this band of mercenaries to establish an agricultural settlement so that the Gunther Merchant Company could grow sugarcane and coffee. Both of which were luxury items that the fathendcked the means to grow.


    The retired soldiers who stood aboard the deck were armed with G22 Bolt Action Rifles and 1422 Service Revolvers. Rather than looking like somemon rabble, these mercenaries wore distinctive uniforms that resembled those worn by the Austro-Hungarian Army during theter portion of the Great War from Berengar''s past life.


    Because they were entering the unknown, thepany had purchased helmets and body armor previously only avable to the Imperial Guard and issued them to the mercenaries. With 1916 style Stahlhelms on their heads, and conceble te carriers over their torso, there was no weapon in the enemy''s arsenal that they needed to fear. Or so they thought...


    At the moment Henrick was gazing through his binocrs, searching for the first sight ofnd. He continued his search for some time before he noticed they were approaching the Ind that Honoria''s crew had charted in recent months. With this in mind, he quickly gave orders to the soldiers on deck.


    "At the ready, men, we have almost arrived! I want the area secure the moment we touch the ground. Do not fire upon the natives unless they prove hostile. Though wee as conquerors, I would hope that we are able to take thesends with as little conflict as possible!"


    The mercenaries nodded their heads in agreement. They did not want to risk their lives if it was necessary. They were here to do a job and get paid for it. If they did not have to fight, then they would not do so. Soon, the ships pulled into the bay and dropped their anchors, where they let out thending craft so that the German mercenaries couldnd on the soil of the unnamed ind.


    It was quite a sight to behold as five Armored Frigates and several Dominion ss ocean liners sat in the bay, dropping theirnding craft into the water, which contained dozens of soldiers on each boat. Naturally, such arge gathering of foreigners did not go unnoticed by the natives, who gazed upon the strange pale-skin men with curiosity.


    It did not take long for the first rowboat to hit the shore, where Henrick stepped onto the sandy beach with his revolver in one hand and an infantry sword in the other. Though he wanted to avoid violence, he was well prepared to engage in it should such a thing be necessary. ?? ? ????? full


    A group of locals gathered at the beach as they gazed upon the men dressed in strange uniforms, who were holding strange weapons. They did not know what to say about this situation. Henrick immediately stepped forward, surrounded by his soldiers, as he tried to make contact with the natives.


    "Wee from across the Antic Ocean. The German Empire now stakes its im on thisnd!"


    Naturally, the native Caribbeans did not have the slightest clue what the Germans were saying, and were surprised when a soldier came up with a gpole and stuck it in the soil. The meaning of gs werepletely lost to such a primitive tribal society, and they could not fathom the idea of these strangersing to their homes and dering themselves in charge.


    Immediately, an elder of the nearest vige came out and presented gifts to the foreign men. They were nothing more than primitive jewelry made of beads, but the gesture was enough to convince the Germans that these people weren''t hostile. Upon seeing this, Henrick smiled and epted the token of friendship before giving out a gift of his own. He reached into his rucksack and pulled out a ration of canned chicken, and handed it to the elderly woman.


    The rations that these mercenaries were equipped with were some of the best products that the Gunther Merchant Company offered. Just earlier this afternoon, the crew of the vessel that Henrick dwelled on had dined upon a meal of buffalo chicken pasta. Which was made by the chefs on board using mostly canned and bottled foods.


    The elder of the local tribe gazed upon the canned chicken with interest before opening its tab and revealing the pre-cooked poultry within. Upon smelling the substance, she dared to take a bite, and after tasting the juicy meat, a smile spread across her face before nodding her head in approval. She said some words in her native tongue to her people, and with that friendship had been established between the two foreign poptions.


    Of course, if the natives of the Ind knew the Germans hade here for conquest and settlement, they likely would have resisted from the beginning. Unfortunately, they did not know this, and because of thisck ofmunication, they invited the German soldiers to stay with them.


    Henrick was pleased that the locals proved to be friendly, and thus he took them up on their offer, using the beachhead and the nearby vige as a staging point for the development of their settlement. He quickly got to work giving out orders for the establishment of a proper fortress for the German mercenaries to live in.


    The German mercenaries did not hesitate to get to work. They were being paid to do a job, and many of the engineers and builders they had brought with them began establishing the first German settlement on the ind. It was a primitive wooden fortress in the shape of a star fort. They did not have the stone, nor mortar to build anythingplex like Berengar had done in Berenstadt.


    It would take several days before the fortress wasplete. In the meantime, Henrick would work on teaching the locals hisnguage and learning theirs so that he couldmunicate effectively with them. It was a long and difficult process to learn a newnguagepletely from scratch, especially if there was no direct trantion of the newnguage you were learning.


    However, following Berengar''s example in the New World, Henrick quickly found a way tomunicate by pointing to objects and saying the word in german, while learning the native word for it. He was more than happy to share the goods of his father''spany with the locals. In doing so, he gave them a taste of the convenience the Empire had to offer.


    The lead ship of the Gunther Merchant Company would use its radiotelegraph on board tomunicate with the fathend, informing them that they hadnded on therge ind and made contact with the natives. This one ship would remain in the bay while the others returned to the fathend to ferry more men and supplies over to the new colony.


    Gunther had gone spent a great expense to establish this colony, and he had no ns to give up on it now that it was finally being started. The man would frequentlye into contact with Berengar and personally inform the Kaiser about the Settlement''s development. For the time being, the German Empire had peaceful ties with another native group. Something that could not be said about the Settlement of New Swabia.


    As for Berengar, he had more important matters to attend to at the moment and left the development of the newest colonypletely up to Gunther. The fate of the natives were entirely in the hands of the Agricultural tycoon, and his young son.

 Chapter 662 - Killing a Traitor

    Chapter 662 - Killing a Traitor


    Itami Riyo held the hilt of her de in her hand with a fierce grip. The Katana she wielded was made from tamahagane steel using modern smithing techniques to ensure that all the impurities were removed. A famous sword smith in the hearnd of Japan, who was said to be a descendent of the legendary sword smith Masamune, had manufactured the sword specifically for her.


    Though the albino beauty rarely engaged inbat due to the fact that she was a woman, and was naturally weaker than the male warriors she fought against, she currently used all the skills she had as she shed at the unarmored waist of an enemy solder. The fine steel de of her Katana cut diagonally into the man''s unarmored torso, revealing his rib cage as it effortlessly cut through his heart.


    The Army, loyal to the newfound Itami Shogunate, had bombarded the city of Naniwa for three days and three nights and on the fourth day, the traitor known as Shimazu Takatame revealed himself. The moment he did so a bloody battle ensued, where Riyo was now caught in the middle of.


    Initially, the battle had begun with the exchange of matchlock fire. Resulting inrge casualties on the Shimazu n''s side. Though her enemies had matchlocks, they did not know the proper tactics to use them. Inspired by her time in Westpoint, Itami Riyo made use of line tactics to effectively gun down her enemy. Eventually, the woman ran out of patience and charged into the fray with her de in hand as she led her warriors to the front where she and her elite samurai now shed with the rebels.


    An oing spear thrust itself towards the young woman. However, it merely nced off of her tosei gusoku before she cut the man''s neck with her de. The man copsed to the floor as he struggled to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. He was already a dead man. Upon seeing another one of his retainers fall to the de of the albino woman, Shimazu Takatame called out to her in an attempt to enrage the young woman who now imed to be Shogun of Japan.


    "You bitch! If you had just agreed to my proposal, none of this would be happening! I will forgive you if you surrender and present yourself to me!"


    Riyo''s only response was to snarl like a beast as she cut away at a nearby ashigaru who put up the best fight possible against the female warlord, however in the end he was driven back, and stabbed through the gut. There were only a few men between her and her target, and Riyo intended to im the rebel''s head.


    Working alongside her greatest warriors, the front line protecting the rebel general began to copse, as the Samurai used their yari and katana to ughter the enemy. A sense of overwhelming dread began to take hold of Takatame''s heart as he gazed upon the woman he loved so mercilessly cut down his soldiers.


    He could not believe she had marched so swiftly just to im his life. After all, there were plenty of other rebels she had to worry about. Why was he the target of her fury? This woman seriously never knew when to quit. Such tenacity was udylike. He now questioned what he had ever seen in such a ferocious woman. However, Riyo did not care about his opinions, instead she howled like a banshee as she called out the traitor''s name.


    "Takatame-san, I aming for you!"


    This response sent chills down the man''s spine, however what was more terrifying was after saying this, she cut down another man who was in between her and her target. In doing so, she had positioned herself in a perfect position to strike. The rebel general panicked and quickly withdrew his de from its saya. He could not help but feel defeated as he gazed into the blood-red eyes of the beautiful woman who sought to kill him.


    "It didn''t have to be this way, Itami-sama!"


    However, the woman was not in the mood to talk and quickly shed at the man, who was once one of her closest advisors. As if she could see nothing but red, the woman charged at the man in a Berzerker frenzy, forcing him on the back step. Though her skill in the de was exceptional, her speed and strength werecking rtive to a man. It was because of this that the traitor could quickly regain hisposure and drove Riyo back into her own lines.


    This only made Riyo more furious as she counterattacked by withdrawing her wakizashi and fighting with two des against her opponent. Each strike was perfectly positioned, as if it were going to tear the man''s limbs off. Slowly but surely, cuts began to umte in the less armored areas of her opponent''s body. With every drop of blood spilled, the man became more feeble.


    In an act of desperation, Takatame shed at the woman''s hand, and though it did not get through her thick armor, it knocked her wakizashi away from her, forcing Riyo to fight with only her Katana once more. Despite his best efforts, Takatame could not rally forth his soldiers to defend him as they were too busy dealing with the samurai beneath Riyo''smand. With a smug smirk on her face, the young Shogun taunted her prey.


    "What''s the matter Takatame-san? You can''t handle a woman in singlebat? You truly are pathetic. Maybe if you spent more time focusing on the sword, instead of on your concubines, you might have stood a chance against me. You are half the man your father was, and not even close to being worthy of me!"


    Such an insult to the man''s honor was unforgiveable. Despite the massive wounds that had umted all over his body, he charged forth with all his strength in an attempt to end Riyo''s life with one swift decapitating blow.


    However, the sly woman knew exactly what he was nning and evaded his strike while bringing her de through the unarmored portion of the man''s waist. For a second it appeared as if he was unharmed, that is, until he stumbled and fell to his knees, his guts spilling all over the floor.


    By now Riyo knew she had won, and she regained herposure as she stared coldly at the man who had started a rebellion because he was rejected. A single phrase escaped her pretty lips as she brought the sword down on the man''s neck.


    "Not even worth your weight in piss!"


    Those were thest words that Shimazu Takatame heard as his head was severed from his neck. Having in her enemy, Itami Riyo shed her de into the air, sshing the blood that ked her de onto the ground below. Having done this, she sheathed her sword and stood back as the soldiers beneath the fallen traitor''smand crumbled without their leader. The woman grabbed hold of the severed head that belonged to the Rebel General and held it high in the air as she made her deration of victory.


    "The traitor is dead! Long live the Itami Shogunate!"


    Those who still resisted quickly dropped their weapons as they realized their leader had been in. Without the support of a major daimyo, they were mere ronin at best, or simple peasants forced to wield the spear at the worst. Many of the samurai who belonged to Takatame''s faction wanted tomit seppuku at that moment. That is, until Riyo raised her voice once more.


    "Many of you have fought alongside me before, and though you betrayed me because of your master, he is now dead, and yet I am still here. Swear your loyalty to me, the new Shogun, and I will spare your lives. In fact, I will reward you for your loyalty as you fight for me against my many enemies!


    Nobody here can say that I am a poor ruler. Your master raised his sword in rebellion because I rejected his marriage proposal. He was weak, and the fact that he lost to me in singlebat proves this! Join me, and together we will create a new empire, one that is unrivaled in this world!" ?? ? ????? full


    Though her words were harsh, there was hope in them, and this hope inspired those who had previously lifted their swords in rebellion to kneel before the woman and swear their loyalty to her. After all, she had led her forces to squash the Ashikaga Shogunate, and now crushed the Shimazu n. It was only now they realized the height of their folly.


    With this victory, Itami Riyo would incorporate what remained of the Shimazu n into her domain. She would use them as the shock troops in her war against the other rebels. Her n was simple: crush the rebellion, establish absolute authority, and then invade Hokkaido. However, she had only made one small step towards this destiny, and for the time being, she still had many enemies to face.

 Chapter 663 - Time Flies By

    Chapter 663 - Time Flies By


    While Itami Riyo engaged in a campaign to destroy those who rebelled against her newfound power, Berengar was focused on the development of his Empire. The first Hydroelectric dam was being constructed, which would soon provide electricity to the city of Kufstein. As for the rest of the Empire, it was rapidly modernizing in its industrial and agricultural capacities.


    By now, animal power hadrgely been reced on farms with steam powered tractors, and the cities were under reconstruction to allow for modern amenities like plumbing and other major conveniences. There were even magnificent statues made in the form of German heroes that had existed as cultural attractions. Soon, all the German cities would be as advanced as its capital.


    Before he knew it, months had passed, and Berengar received a report on his desk about the ongoing crusades. After achieving initial sess in Acre, the Crusader armies hadnded tens of thousands of more troops and targeted other major locations within the Holy Land. Surprised by the power that the Catholic Kingdoms possessed, the Timurid and Byzantine Empiresunched a counterattack.


    At the moment, the war was in a stalemate, with a series of protracted sieges taking ce across the Holy Land. Despite this, Emperor Vetranis did not officially request support from his allies. Instead, he maintained trade with the German Empire to ensure that his soldiers were equipped with the best weapons and armor that money could buy.


    Initially he would have faced resistance from the opposing factions in his court, but the threat of the crusades was too much to bear, and thus for the first time in a long time the doves, hawks, and neutral powers united to buy the weapons and training they needed to defeat their enemy.


    The idea was to hold their ground for as long as possible, and then dispatch several advanced armies to wipe out the Crusader forces. The Timurid Empire, on the other hand, had also opened up trade with the German Empire, realizing that its forces were obsoletepared to the Crusaders and their Byzantine allies. They were desperate for as many firearms, cannons, and munitions that they could gain.


    The new year was approaching, and Berengar''s wives and his mistress had all given birth to healthy children. Currently they were recuperating, and because of this, Hemma had taken over temporarily as the acting head of Imperial Intelligence. This left Berengar in a state of reprieve from his wives'' drama, but also a sense of irritation, as he no longer had anyone to y with in his spare time.


    During this time, the Gunther Merchant Company had established a colony named B?ckerhafen. B?cker being Gunther''s surname. The colony got along well with the natives, achieving another peaceful rtionship with the local poption, and had incorporated them as a means of cheapbor. Because the natives of the ind did not understand modern currency, they had been given food and superior living conditions in exchange for theirbor. Much like the practice Arnulf had started in New Vienna.


    As for the Colony of New Swabia, Emmerich continued to wage war with the locals in a brutal campaign to establish German domination over the region. Eventually, the Locals had enough of their destruction and sued for peace. Under the direction of Berengar, a local refuge was established for the various tribes in the region currently known as the Adelheim Mountains, and acted as a reservation for the surviving native popce. Meanwhile, Emmerich conquered the surrounding regions and incorporated them into his territory of New Swabia.


    In the Settlement of Berenstadt, the colony had thrived and expanded into several smaller coastal settlements. As per the agreements with the Aztec Empire, Berengar could establish several colonies across the coastline of the region once known as Mesoamerica. The German empire''s colonies had expanded and influenced the local poptions.


    Though the Aztecs had lost many of their more savage cultural practices, their German suzerains, whomonly traded with the local empire and interacted with the locals, had influenced them in many aspects. German soldiers stationed in the nearby colonies were especially popr among the Aztec woman as they had a close physical resemnce to one of their most important deities.


    Berengar had to respond to this by reminding his soldiers that the natives of the new world may have STDs, and that any man who contracted one would remain in the colony indefinitely, unable to return to the fathend and spread the diseases they had gained during deployment. Despite his warning, several of his soldiers fell prey to syphilis, and because of Berengar''s actions, he sessfully prevented it from returning to Germany.


    Currently, Berengar was rxing in his office after a hard day''s work. In his hands was a report from his chemistry department. Aldo von Passau had discovered the means to create smokeless powder via experimentation with cellulose, which he got via the massive surplus of Hemp that Berengar''s farms grew.


    In this letter, the man went to great lengths to describe the chemical process to create smokeless powder, and had experimented so much he was able to create a double-base powdered formed by mixing nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose. Nitrocellulose was created via a mixture of nitric acid, sulfuric acid and cellulose and was a keyponent in the formation of gunpowder.


    Berengar''s interests weren''t in chemistry, but the practical aspects of smokeless powder. With this report, he now had the means to create more advanced firearms and artillery. Though it would be some time before he could produce such weapons inrge numbers, this meant that he would soon have repeating firearms in his army, and proper machine guns.


    However, he did not immediately get to work on designing the new weapons, as there was no point until he had enough smokeless powder to supply them. Instead, he approved the spending of whatever resources Aldo von Passau and his team of chemists needed to mass produce the material.


    Berengar estimated that by the time he finally defeated the Catholic Church, which he knew would ur directly after their crusade to the holynd was over, regardless as to whether or not they won. That he would have enough smokeless powder stockpiled to begin producing more modern weapons.


    Thus, he took a swig of a drink to celebrate, as a knock resounded on his door. His brow raised in curiosity as he heard this sound and answered it with an affectionate tone in his voice.


    "It''s open..."


    The door opened slightly to reveal the appearance of Yasmin who had a troubled expression on her face. When Berengar saw this, he immediately sat up straight and took a more serious approach to the conversation that was about to take ce.


    Yasmin handed a letter over to her husband, which contained the details that were causing her so much distress. She sat down and sighed heavily as she grabbed hold of Berengar''s chalice and took a sip from it without his permission.


    Berengar read the letter, and he too became sighed heavily in defeat before expressing his thoughts on the matter.


    "Is your brother an idiot?"


    The Princess of Al-Andalus wore a bitter smile as she nodded to her husband.


    "What do you think?''


    Berengar snatched his drink away from his wife and took a big gulp before quickly refilling the chalice. He could not believe the man was behaving so foolishly. He struggled to find the words to properly scold the absent man. Ultimately, it was Yasmin who spoke up on his behalf.


    "What the hell is he thinking? He has finally unified Iberia under his rule, and he thinks now is the perfect time to invade Morro? He does realize that there are protests all across his newfound Sultanate right? If he mobilizes his forces into North Africa, the christians beneath his rule will revolt, and he will lose much of the ground he has gained thanks to your help."


    ording to the letter, Hasan had gotten into a petty squabble with the Ruler of Morro and decided to dere war against him. Why? Because he knew he would win the conflict thanks to the superior army he had. Of course, he failed to consider the internal strife that would ur the moment he moved his troops out of the cities and into another continent. Berengar wore a bitter expression as he made a joke at Yasmin''s expense.


    "I''m starting to regret marrying you..."


    The woman giggled when she heard this, knowing that her husband wasn''t serious, it was because of this she decided to y along and hear his reasoning.


    "Oh? Why is that?"


    Berengar sighed once more while he revealed the thoughts on his mind.


    "I realize now that I''m going to be cleaning up your brother''s messes for the rest of my life..."


    Yasmin could hardly contain her herself and ended up breaking into a fit ofughter. Did Berengar not realize how foolish her brother was when he married her? It was amusing that he was only realizing this now. However, Berengar had more important concerns on his mind.


    "Well, it''s toote now to stop your brother. I must contact Adelbrand as soon as possible, the man has been in Iberia too long, it is time for him to return to the Fathend, I will allow him to choose a recement who will be in charge of maintaining the peace in Iberia while your brother marches into Morro like a fool."


    Yasmin was entertained by Berengar''s response as she raised her brow in curiosity before asking the question on her mind.


    "You''re still going to help him?"


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before replying to his wife''s question.


    "Of course, I can''t let Iberia copse after all the blood, sweat and tears I have poured into it over the years. It appears once more German troops will be involved in Iberia..."


    A pretty smile formed on Yasmin''s lips as she leaned over and kissed her husband before whispering in his ear.


    "Thank you for helping my idiot of a little brother... I will properly repay youter when I am feeling better..."


    Berengar smiled and spoke a simple phrase when he heard this remark.


    "I look forward to it..."


    With that said, Berengar had once more invested arge amount of German Forces into Iberia. The measly peacekeeping forces he had sent were not enough to maintain the Al-Fadl dynasty''s control over the region.

 Chapter 664 - A New Generation of Army Equipment

    Chapter 664 - A New Generation of Army Equipment


    With the invention of Smokeless powder, Berengar now had the opportunity to create new weapons, and though these weapons could not be mass produced for many months, the earlier he designed them, and tested them, the better it was.


    These were no mere single shot firearms. There were manyponents that went into a repeating firearm, and each part had to be thoroughly tested in order for the weapon to be deemed serviceable. It wasn''t a simple matter of drawing up blueprints and putting them into action like he had done in the past. Weapons like these took time to reach perfection.


    The first thing Berengar needed to do was design new cartridges for use in service, and immediately, two designs came to mind. The 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge would be used for future rifles and machine guns. This cartridge was moremonly referred to as the 8mm Mauser in his past life. Since the Mauser brothers weren''t around in this time to develop the cartridge, Berengar had simply referred to it as the 7.92x57mm Gewehr Cartridge.


    The 7.92x57mm cartridge used a 7.92mm Spitzer shaped bullet, with a 57mm rimless bottleneck brass case that used a double base smokeless powder. For his newest caliber, Berengar intended to use simple copper jacketed lead projectiles.


    Among the myriad of new chemical advancementsing out of the Kufstein Chemistry Department every year, was the invention of lead styphnate which is used to make superior, non-corrosive primers. Because of this, Berengar designed these new cartridges to use new and improved primers.


    As for the second ammunition, it was designed with pistols in mind, andter, when he finally got around to it, sub-machine guns. For now, such weapons would simply be overkill, and he wanted to ensure his soldiers were first equipped with the new rifles. This cartridge continued to see us well into the time of Julian''s death, and because of this, he was extremely familiar with reloading it.


    The 9x19mm Parabellum was the mostmon pistol cartridge of Berengar''s past life and had seen service since before the great war. It was a simple 9mm copper jacketed, lead projectile with a 19mm rimless tapered case. Such a round was powerful enough to put down humans, and with +p hollow-point ammunition could easily stop someone who was hopped up on drugs. It was also lightweight and had minimal recoil.


    The first weapon Berengar designed was the recement for the current issue Single Shot, ck powder, bolt-action rifle referred to as the g22 in this timeline. It was once known as the Mauser 1871 in Berengar''s past life, and was the primary weapon of the Imperial German Army until it was reced by the Gewehr 1888. This rifle would continue to serve in Berengar''s army for another year, at least. Though, eventually, it would be reced by the rifle, Berengar had in mind.


    The Basis for the new Gewehr 25, or G25 for short, was the Gewehr 1898 from Berengar''s past life. More specifically, the G98m, which was a variant that was retrofitted during the Spanish Civil War by German factories and provided to the nationalists as a form of military aid. It also saw limited service in the ranks of the Waffen-SS and the Volkssturm during WWII.


    The biggest difference between the G98 and the G98m was the improved iron sights, which resemble those used on the k98k. There were also some other minor changes, but they were hardly noticeable at first nce.


    The G98m was fed by five round stripper clips into an internal magazine. It used a robust three lug bolt design that could easily handle the pressures of the 8mm cartridge and was considered by many in Berengar''s past life as the pinnacle of bolt action design.


    The major difference between Berengar''s G25 and the G98m was the inclusion of an Arisaka style dust cover, which prevented dirt, mud, and debris from entering the action. This would be especially useful in trench warfare, which Berengar nned to widely use until a time where he could mechanize his army.


    The bay designed for the rifle was based on the seitengewehr 98/05 which was used by German Troops in the Great War of Berengar''s past life. It was a long, hefty de style bay which wasmonly referred to as the "butcher de" because of its size and appearance.


    Aside from the G25 Infantry Rifle, Berengar decided to rece the old 1422 Service Revolver with a new semi-automatic pistol. Semi-automatic fire could only be reliably used with smokeless powder, which was the reason he had not implemented such weapons until this point. All ????? full


    The pistol Berengar had in mind was none other than the Luger P08. Why the Luger when there were other, better,ter designs he could pick from? The reason for this was the simple fact that there was no pistol more iconically German than the Luger.


    It was true that the Luger used an outdated and absurdly expensive to manufacture toggle-lock design to function. However, it was reliable, and in Berengar''s honest opinion, it looked cool. The Luger was one of his favorite guns, and though he knew how they functioned, he had never been able to obtain one in his past life. The Luger fed from an 8 round detachable magazine, and was iconic as the primary german sidearm in WWII movies, despite the Walther P38 being more prominent in actual history.


    Aside from these weapons, Berengar designed another weapon to be used by his infantry. The MG25, as it would be known in this life, was based upon the Vickers Machine Gun used by British Forces in both World Wars.


    The Vickers was nothing more than an improved Maxim Machine gun, which was used by practically every major army in the Great War, including that of the German Empire. It was a watercooled, belt fed machine gun of substantial reliability and durability. The only problem this weapon had was its weight. It could not be easily moved and had to be operated by a crew of men. This was not a concern to Berengar, as he intended for these machine guns to be used in static positions.


    The reason the Vickers were an improvement over the Maxim was because the action of the gun was flipped upside down, allowing it to be smaller and lighter weight. Aside from this, it functioned almost exactly the same as a standard Maxim that the Germans and Russians used.


    In history, this weapon was serviced with a cloth belt that held the ammunition. This was the biggest weakness of the Vickers as when it got wed, or coated with filth, it caused reliability issues. The Russians wouldter develop a metallic belt for their Maxim M1910s, and Berengar intended to use a simr feeding system.


    Thest major weapon system that Berengar designed to rece his current weaponry was a set of new artillery pieces modelled after the 7.5cm FK 16 nA which was used by the Germans in WWII. This Artillery piece was essentially an improvement on the WWI era 7.7 cm FK 16. It utilized a 75mm High Explosive shell which Berengar''s forces currently used, and was equipped with a superior Hydro-Pneumatic recoil system.


    Berengar''s current field guns had no recoil mechanism. Because of this, every time they were fired, the artillery crew would have to reset the guns. With the Hydro-pneumatic recoil system, the gun would maintain its position much better after being fired, allowing for quicker follow up shots. Aside from this, it still operated with a horizontal sliding block mechanism.


    Berengar also designed a scaled-up version of this gun in 10cm, which utilized a 105 x 504 mmR separate-loading, cased charge. He would refer to both of these artillery pieces as the 7.5cm FK 25, and the 10cm K 25 field guns.


    Aside from these weapons, Berengar also designed new uniforms for his soldiers based on those used by the Germans during thetter portion of the Great War of his past life. With all of these innovations, his Army would be on a technological level of Germany during WWI, and he would not need to innovate with new weapons for the foreseeable future.


    Or so he thought. After all, Berengar had no idea that a new rival was appearing in the far east, and if he did not stay ahead of the game, he might soon fall behind. Because of this, Berengar sat back with a nice cold beer, and finalized his blueprints before sending them to the Kufstein Royal Armory to begin testing. It would be a long time before these weapons would enter service.


    After finishing his work for the day, a knock resounded on his door and before he could even respond, it opened to reveal Honoria. She had recently given birth to a second child, a younger sister to the boy Alexandros. Berengar had named the girl Helena, and Honoria was unusually spry despite being in recovery.


    She had a smile on her face as she shoved a map onto Berengar''s desk, which revealed a new discovery her crew had made during her absence. Having received full funding from the German Empire, the crew of explorers and privateers went around the world looking for the fathend to colonize.


    They had been the first westerners to sail to the bottom of Africa, where they discovered and rich in resources that was ripe for the taking. With an emphatic smile on her face, Honoria posed a question to her husband.


    "What do you think about colonizing Southern Africa?"

 Chapter 665 - Family Drama Part One

    Chapter 665 - Family Drama Part One


    Berengar stared at the map on the table that his third wife Honoria had presented to him. It was a rough chart of the coastline that belonged to the region known as South Africa during his previous life. While he had given Honoria and her crew permission to sail across the world and explore unknown regions, he had no idea that they had made their way to the southernmost end of Africa.


    Having already established a series of colonies across the Americas, the time was ripe to begin the Colonization of a new continent. After all, Africa was and of vast resources, and during this time, the southernmost tip was sparsely popted.


    A wicked smile curved itself upon Berengar''s lips as he gazed towards yet another region rich in gold. He was extremely excited at the prospect of conquering thend and making its riches his own.


    "Very well, I will organize an expedition so that we may explore the region, and im it for ourselves. After all, things are certainly progressing smoothly in the New World. It is time to stake our im elsewhere."


    Honoria nodded, with a pretty smile on her face. She was happy to see that her husband had the same mindset as she did. After a few moments, she inquired further about the expedition that Berengar had in mind.


    "How many troops shall we bring? How many vessels? How long will we stay there? Do you think we will see anything interesting?"


    Berengar waited for the woman to calm down before he exined his ns for this major expedition.


    "I think a single brigade should be enough topel any locals to kneel before our might. As for vessels, a small fleet of five warships and ten cargo vessels will suffice. I hear our Shipyards in the Mediterranean are producing a fine number of the new dominion ss vessels, however for a venture of this size, we will still have to rely on some of the old clippers."


    Honoria nodded her head upon hearing the massive size of the expedition. As for Berengar, he did not n to set out for at least another two months. To him, there were important things that needed to be done in the Fathend. Another venture so soon after his newest batch of children was born was not the best idea. Thus he conveyed these thoughts as Honoria was getting way too excited for her own good.


    "We will not depart for another two months or so. After all, you still need to recuperate from childbirth, and I have many matters I must attend to. So be patient. The time wille for us to set sail soon enough."


    Such ackluster response caused the young woman to pout like a child, but ultimately she epted it. Though her crew of privateers was enough to explore unknown regions, it was not enough to conquer or settle them. Because of this, she could not act rashly without the support of the German Crown.


    "Fine..."


    Berengar immediately noticed that this result had displeased his wife. In response, he scolded the woman for theck of care she had shown to her offspring.


    "You should spend some time with Alexandros and Helena. You are a mother, and yet you have left the raising of your son up to Linde until now. Perhaps you should spend some quality time with the boy and your newborn daughter."


    Such a response shocked Honoria, as she had never really thought about herck of presence in her son''s life. She had always been on one adventure or another since she first gave birth to the boy, much like her husband. It was true that she left the majority of her son''s care up to Linde. Upon thinking about this, she nodded her head and took Berengar''s suggestion to heart.


    ''I will do that then..."


    After saying this, Honoria left Berengar to continue his work, and travelled around the pce looking for her young son. When she finally found him, she noticed Alexandros was ying with his half brother Kristoffer, who was roughly the same age as him.


    She quietly observed the two boys who were spending their free time ying as soldiers around the house. She thought it was extremely cute that her son was dressed in a little German Army uniform while wielding toy guns that mimicked their real steel counterparts. Alexandros pointed his toy revolver towards his brother and called out to the boy after pretending to fire a shot.


    "Bang! I got you Kris!"


    The blonde-haired child immediately fell to the floor while ying dead. Meanwhile, Alexandros blew the imaginary smoke out of his toy revolver while cursing the imaginary enemy.


    "Filthy barbarian!"


    Despite being the son of Princess Honoria and a member of the Piologos Dynasty, the boy yed the part of a German Soldier, fighting against a "barbarian" which took the form of a Catholic Knight. After ying dead for a while and allowing Alexandros to have his victory scene, Kristoffer rose from his position with a look of envy in his eyes.


    "No fair Alex! You have been ying as Germany all day, it is my turn!"


    Despite Kristoffer''s protests, Alexandros did not change his mind. Instead, he argued with his half-brother about who should y as the germans.


    "These are the rules. I get to be the German, and you get to be the barbarian!"


    Such an oundish remark deeply upset Kristoffer, whose cheeks were now red with fury. While curling his fists, the boy called out to his brother and insulted his heritage to his face.


    "That''s not fair! Both of my parents are German, but you''re a half-breed! If anyone should be the barbarian, it is you!"


    Clearly Kristoffer knew how to get on Alexandros'' nerves, because the boy immediately dropped the toy gun and charged at his brother with his fists raised. Neither of the two boys had properly learned how to fight, yet aside from wrestling with their older brother. Because of this, it turned into aical fight as both sides basically grabbed onto each other and rolled around on the ground. Alexandros was screaming the entire time.


    "Take it back! Take it back! I am not a half-breed!"


    Honoria''s heart nearly broke when she saw her son being picked on for being half Roman. She immediately broke the two apart and tried to settle their differences. While lecturing Kristoffer for his errant words.


    "Alexandros, Kristoffer, you are brothers! You shouldn''t be fighting like this! Kristoffer, it is not polite to refer to your brother as a half-breed. Apologize immediately!"


    However, Kristoffer refused to relent on this issue and immediately fired back at Honoria.


    "Shut up! You''re not my mom! So what if I call him a half-breed? It''s true, isn''t it?"


    This statement took Honoria by surprise. She clutched her wounded heart as she heard the boy insist she was not his mother. Though Kristoffer was not her biological child, she had always treated Berengar''s other children as her own, so why was the boy being so vicious to her? Meanwhile, Alexandros was still trying to w his way towards his brother with a fierce re in his eyes.


    "Screw you! I''m not halfbreed! I''m a proud German!"


    The fact that her own son would reject his Roman heritage added further insult to injury as Honoria fell into a state of depression. Had she really neglected her son so much that he wanted nothing to do with her family line?


    Ultimately, themotion between the two boys caught the interest of Berengar''s other wives, with Ad and Linde arriving at the scene with shocked expressions. Ad red at the scuffed appearance of the two boys and immediately inquired about what had transpired.


    "What''s going on here? Why are they like this?"


    Honoria struggled to hold back the tears in her eyes as she attempted to exin the situation to her husband''s other wives.


    "They got into a fight because Kristoffer called Alexandros a half-breed."


    This caused a state of confusion in Ad''s mind, as she did not understand why that would cause Honoria''s son to behave so violently. It was the truth, after all. However, Linde had a rough idea of what was going on in Alexandros'' head.


    The truth was that Linde had always been the maternal figure for Alexandros, going so far as to call him her "precious baby boy" like she did all of Berengar''s sons. In fact, Honoria had seldom been a part of her son''s life, and had left every part of his raising up to Linde.


    Honoria only really showed up in the boy''s life asionally when she was returning from an adventure. When she did, she usually came bearing presents, but then would immediately spend as much time as possible with her husband. Because of this, the moment Linde entered the scene, Alexandros ran towards her, and hugged her tightly while sobbing.


    "Mommy, Kristoffer is being mean to me! He called me a half-breed!"


    Upon seeing such a thing, Honoria''s heart nearly shattered. Even though she had been the one to separate the boys, her own son did not make a single attempt to confide in her, and instead called another woman "mommy" while crying in her bosom. Linde had a perplexed expression on her face as she tried tofort the boy and hand him off to his biological mother.


    "Alexandros, you know I love you as if you were one of my own sons, but you should be with your actual mother right now. You know Honoria is the one who brought you into this world, right?"


    Alexandros stared at Linde in disbelief before setting his gaze on Honoria, who looked like she was about to cry. It was true that he and that woman shared the same hair and eye color, but he had never thought of her as a mother, more like an aunt who visited on asion. To find out that Honoria was his actual mother shattered the boy''s entire perspective. At his age, Alexandros was too immature to ept the truth, and instead further dug his head into Linde''s bosom and denied reality.


    "No! Linde is my mommy!"


    Upon hearing this, Honoria could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes, and cried profusely. She could not stand the sight of her own son calling another woman "mommy" and fled from the scene in haste. Linde tried to call out to the woman, but it was no use. She was already gone.


    "Honoria, wait!"


    Ultimately, Linde was left to look after Alexandros and patch things up between him and his brother. Honoria, on the other hand, ran off to the Pce Gardens, where she wept like a child. The only one to keep herpany was her oldest friend, Heraclius, who had flown by her side when he realized something was wrong.

 Chapter 666 - Family Drama Part Two

    Chapter 666 - Family Drama Part Two


    Berengar was hard at work signing away documents when a knock resounded on his door. He was slightly perturbed when he heard this and immediately rejected the idea of entertaining someone.


    "Not now... I''m busy!"


    However, the voice that called out to him belonged to his wife Linde, and because of this, he immediately shifted his attitude, especially when he heard the concern in the woman''s voice.


    "Berengar, I''d hate to bother you when you''re busy, but this is pretty important. Do you mind opening up?"


    In response to this, Berengar sighed before getting up from his seat and walking towards the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see that his wife was holding a crying child in her arms. Perplexed by such a strange scene, Berengar grabbed hold of the boy and tried to calm him, all while inquiring with Linde as to what had transpired.


    "What happened? Why is he like this?"


    The boy did not stop crying, and instead filled Berengar''s tunic with his tears. Linde sighed heavily as she exined what had just happened moments ago between his two sons.


    "Apparently, he got into a fight with your son, Kristoffer, who called him a half-breed. Alexandros appears to be under the delusion that I am his biological mother."


    In between his sobs, Alexandros muttered some words which Berengar could barely hear.


    "It''s not true! I''m not a half-breed!"


    Just when he was about to scold his son for his actions, Linde revealed another interesting piece of information.


    "Berengar, he made his mother cry. I''m going to go search for Honoria and try tofort her, you should tell your son the truth."


    Such news caused Berengar to be slightly infuriated as he nodded his head in silence, signalling the redheaded beauty that she could leave. Once he was alone with his son, Berengar red at the boy and spoke to him in a stern tone.


    "Just what did you do to make your mother cry?"


    Such overwhelming authority immediately caused the boy to stop his crying and gaze at his father with a defiant expression.


    "She''s not my mother! Linde is my mommy!"


    Upon hearing this response, Berengar had the urge to p the boy, instead he took a moment to calm down with a deep breath before revealing the truth to the boy.


    "Of course, Linde is your mommy, just like Ad, Yasmin, and Henrietta are, as well. However, you know Honoria is your actual mother, right? You are blessed with five mommies, each of them cares for you as their own child. However, Honoria is the one who brought you into this world. You need to apologize to your mother and make this right."


    Alexandros gazed up at his father with a perplexed expression. He could barelyprehend what his father was telling him.


    "If Honoria is my mother, then why has Linde raised me?"


    Berengar sighed in response to this, before reaching into his ice chest and grabbing out a pitcher of milk, which he poured a ss for the two of them. After doing so, he handed one cup to his son, while drinking from his own. It was only after he and Alexandros had be morefortable did Berengar tell his story.


    "You can''t me your mother for being absent in your life. It''s actually my fault. You see, when your mother was a young girl, she was held captive by her family, never being allowed to leave the pce. She escaped from that life at a young age and made a perilous journey here to Kufstein.


    I looked after your mother for some time, and eventually the two of us fell in love. She made me promise I would grant her freedom so that she could explore the world that her parents kept her hidden from. Since that day I have done my best to keep that promise, however it has been at your expense.


    The moment she had you, I should have put my foot down and forced her to raise you as a responsible mother. However, Linde was more than happy to take over that role for Honoria, and because of that I felt at ease, ignoring the consequences such a thing would have on you. After all, I wasn''t there for you or your siblings like I should have been.


    However, that''s going to change now. As you know, I have been taking weekends off to spend time with you and your siblings. I am trying my best to be a part of your lives, it just appears that your mother has yet to realize how important family is. She''s still acting like that little girl who wanted to escape from the cage her parents forced her into."


    Alexandros was too young to properly understand everything Berengar was telling him, but he understood the gist of it. Thus, with tears forming in his eyes asked the father the question most important to him.


    "So, I''m a half-breed?"


    Berengar chuckled as he wiped the tears from his son''s eyes before filling the boy''s head with the vision he had for him.


    "That''s right, you''re the best of both worlds, half-german and half-roman. You know, a long time ago it was my people who were the barbarians, while the romans gazed upon us from their grand civilization with a hint of disdain in their eyes. Alexandros, you are very important, more than you realize.


    I will not lie to you, you will have many brothers, Alexandros. Currently you have Hans, and the newborn Brandt whose mother is Linde. While I have two sons with Ad as well, Kristofer, and the infant Franz. My sons whoe from Linde, and Ad''s bloodlines will one day fight to seed me. Only one will be crowned the German Emperor.


    However, you are destined to be the Emperor of Byzantium, a civilization with its roots in the Ancient Roman Empire. You will have a very important role to y, and that is to work alongside your brothers and maintain the bnce of power in this world.


    You are my son Alexandros, and because of that, I will make you an emperor. Your mother is a Princess of Rome, and don''t you forget it. So hold your head high and embrace your heritage. While you''re at it, try to get along with your mother. Though she may not show it often, she cares for you deeply, and your words hurt her."


    The tears in Alexandros'' eyes had long since vanished, and instead were reced with fascination over the idea of being a Roman Emperor. In truth, the current Byzantine Empire was a far cry from their ancestors and was more Greek than Roman. Despite this, they still imed to be the sessors of Rome, and that was good enough for Berengar.


    ---


    While Berengar wasforting his son, Linde was searching for Honoria, who was crying in the Pce Gardens. With a smug smile on her face, the redheaded beauty announced her presence.


    "I thought I would find you here... Honoria, talk to me..."


    The byzantine princess had tears flowing from her mint green eyes as she gazed upon the intruder with a hint of envy on her pretty face.


    "He called you mommy. Do you have any idea how it feels to have your own son reject you?"


    Linde sighed heavily as she sat down next to Honoria and hugged the young woman fiercely. Though Honoria didn''t want to hear it, Linde felt she needed a good kick in the pants to change her carefree attitude.


    "Well Honoria, I don''t mean to stick my nose in your business, but who do you think raised the boy until now? You have been gallivanting across the high seas in search of adventure. All this time I have been here raising your son. Is it really a surprise that he sees me as his primary maternal figure?"


    Honoria bit down on her lip in displeasure upon hearing this word. She was so confused about what she should do to repair the strained rtionship she had with her son.


    "Linde, what do I do? How do I win back my son''s love?"


    A wry smile appeared on Linde''s face as she gave the woman next to her some much needed advice.


    "Why don''t you sit out on this uing expedition to Africa and stay here with your children? You have such a lovely son. It is truly a shame you don''t spend any time with the boy."


    Honoria was shocked to hear that Linde had learned about her ns so soon, and immediately questioned just where the woman got such information.


    "How-"


    Before she could finish her sentence, Linde looked at her with a condescending expression before mocking the woman.


    "Hello, Director of Imperial Intelligence, there''s nothing I don''t know that goes on around here!"


    Honoria did not know how to counter such words. After all, it had only been an hour at most since she had informed Berengar of her intentions. Naturally, Linde was aware of the journey Honoria''s crew had taken and where they went. Not only that, but she saw the map on Berengar''s desk when she delivered Alexandros to him. She decided to reveal thisst bit of information in an attempt to cheer up the crying beauty by her side.


    "Actually, I just found out about it when I went to deliver your son to his father. I saw the map on his desk and could quickly conclude about what your ns were."


    Such a simple admission made Honoria giggle. She did not know why. When Linde saw this, she stroke the girl''s hair beforeplimenting her.


    "You look much more beautiful when you smile..."


    Honoria did not know why, but she soon found her face dragging closer to Linde''s lips like a tractor beam had set on her. Eventually, the two women kissed passionately in the middle of the Pce Gardens. Heraclius was the only witness to this, and immediately rolled his eyes before taking off, returning to his quarters, where his own family awaited him. It would appear he was worried about nothing.


    After the intimate moment between the two women was over, Linde grabbed hold of Honoria''s hand and led her back to the pce.


    "Come, it is time you act like a proper mother to your son!"


    Linde did not wait for a response and instead dragged Honoria alongside with her. She was determined to repair the bond between mother and son.

 Chapter 667 - Next-Generation Naval Vessels

    <h4>Chapter 667 - Next-Generation Naval Vessels </h4>


    Berengar sighed heavily as he brought his young son Alexandros towards his mother. The woman''s eyes were red and puffy. Evidently, she had been crying for some time because of the boy''s actions. However, after a thorough scolding, Alexandros was ready and willing to build a rtionship with his biological mother. He awkwardly hugged the woman and apologized for making her cry, the sight of which brought a smile to both Berengar and Linde''s faces.


    "I''m sorry, mommy... Please don''t cry!"


    Despite his kind words, Honoria could not hold back the tears in her mint green eyes, and instead embraced her baby boy and apologized to him for her own selfishness.


    "I''m sorry, Alexandros, I should have been in your life more! That changes now. I promise to be a proper mother to you!"


    Berengar nodded his head in approval before joining in. He took both his third wife and their son into his arms and made a solemn vow to the two of them.


    "From now on, I promise to spend more time with the two of you as a family!"


    Such a remark caused Honoria''s tears to dry, and instead a pretty smile formed on her face as she nodded her head in silence. The emotional scene was cut short as Yasmin appeared with her newest child in her arms. She had given birth to a baby girl, who, much like her older brother Ghazi, had a blend of Berengar''s features, and her own. The child''s name was Zara, and though she was born only recently, she had a curious glint in her amber eyes as she gazed upon the strange scene that was unfolding in front of her.


    Berengar had seen that nce before, in the eyes of his oldest son, when he was still an infant. In his mind, it was a sign of hyper intelligence. Still, he would not know for sure until the girl grew up. He hurried to his fourth wife and their baby girl, kissing Zara on the forehead before hugging onto Yasmin''s waist.


    Yasmin knew Berengar was acting so shamelessly because he was trying to divert her attention from the scene that had just urred. She was not so easily deterred and immediately asked the people present about what had transpired.


    "Is everything okay? I heard some crying, so I came to check on you guys..."


    Honoria nodded her head in response with a wide smile on her face, while petting the hair of her son.


    "Everything is fine now..."


    Yasmin was curious about what had happened, but she had other things on her mind. Ultimately, she left things be. If everything had already been resolved, then it was not her ce to interfere. A seductive smile formed on the woman''s lips as she teased her husband before departing.


    "Oh, Berengar, I was just about to feed Zara. If I have some leftover, you''re more than wee to im it for yourself."


    Berengar was immediately interested in following the woman, but decided not to when he realized he had just patched things up between Honoria and her son. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head before rejecting the offer.


    "I''m afraid that I have other matters to attend to..."


    A disappointed expression appeared on the Moorish beauty''s face as she nodded her head in defeat.


    "I see..."


    After saying this, she departed from the area where she fed her newborn daughter. As for Berengar, he spent the rest of the afternoon taking a break from his work, and spending time with Honoria and Alexandros. The boy had never experienced such a carefree setting with his parents before, and was excited beyond belief. <del></del>?ll ? ???? Fu??.c?m


    After all was said and done, Berengar retired to his office, where he drafted designs for two new Vessels. If his Army would soon enter the era of the Great War from his past life, then he needed to improve his navy as well.


    Berengar knew it would take at least a year of consulting with his best Naval Engineers to perfect the designs he had in mind. An armored frigate was one thing, after all, it was just an irond sailing vessel. However, the creation of massive warships was something entirely different.


    Berengar was not a naval engineer. Instead, he came from a civil engineering background with a minor in mechanical engineering. He had studied some ships from the library of the US Naval Academy when he was visiting an old acquaintance, but he could not design a perfectly functional battleship simply from memory.


    However, he had the basis of designs in mind, and with the capabilities of his Naval Engineers, such as the old shipwright Evio, who had learned the principles of mechanical engineering from Berengar''s tutge, and those beneath hismand, it was possible in the next five years to have a small fleet of battleships supported by battlecruisers and light cruisers.


    The quintessential design that would allow these major ships to function was the invention of the steam turbine. Until now, Berengar had used traditional multi-expansion steam engines to power his fleet. However, that would change. The steam turbine was exactly what it sounded like. It was a steam powered turbine engine.


    Berengar wanted a battleship that would rule the waves long after his death. For this, a single ship came to mind. The Bayern-ss Superdreadnought was a Battleship created by the German Empire in Berengar''s past life during the Great War. Since Berengar would not have to worry about things like submarines or aircraft during his lifetime, he did not bother going with a more advanced battleship like the Bismarck.


    In this life, the Bayern-ss Dreadnought would be referred to as the Linde-ss Battleship. It was a behemoth of a vessel with a length of 180 meters. It had a beam of 30 meters and a draft of 9.39 meters. Three steam turbine engines, three propellors, and fourteen water-tube boilers powered this dreadnought. The ship had a speed of twenty-one knots and a range of five thousand nautical miles. The armament consisted of 8 �� 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 (4 �� 2) naval guns, 16 �� 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns (16 �� 1), 2 �� 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 (2 �� 1), and 5 �� single 60 cm (24 in) torpedo tubes.


    It had 350mm of armor at the belt, 400mm of armor at the conning tower, 100mm of armor at the deck, and 350mm of armor at the turrets. One of these vessels required 1,271 men to operate. Such a behemoth would rule the waves for decades.


    In support of these massive battleships, Berengar nned a ss of battlecruisers, which he referred to as the Henrietta-ss battlecruisers. These would be based upon the upleted Ersatz Yorck-ss battlecruiser from Berengar''s past life. These vessels were designed in 1916, but were never actually finished.


    The Henrietta-ss battlecruisers would have a length of 227.8 m, a beam of 30.4 m, and a draft of 9.3 m. They would be powered by four steam turbines and four propellors, while being supported by thirty-two boilers. They had a speed of 27.3 knots and a range of 5,500 nautical miles.


    The armament of the vessel consisted of 8 �� 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 naval guns, 12 �� 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 naval guns, 8 �� 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 naval guns, and 3 �� 60 cm (24 in) torpedo tubes. The armor of the vessel was 300mm on the main belt, 80mm on the deck, 270mm on the turrets, and 150mm on the secondary battery.


    The third and final ss of vessels Berengar had nned for his new era of naval dominance was a new light cruiser known as the Ad-ss cruiser. This vessel was based upon the K?nigsberg ss cruisers that were in use by the Imperial German Navy during the Great War of Berengar''s past life.


    The length of the vessel was 151.40 m, it had a beam of 14.20 m, and a depth of 5.96 m. The vessel was powered by 2 steam turbines, 2 screw propellors, and 12 water-tube boilers. It had a speed of 27.5 knots, and a range of 4,850 nautical miles.


    The proposed vessel was armed with 8 �� 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns, 3 �� 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 guns, 4 �� 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes, and 200 mines. The armor of the ship has 60mm at the deck, and 60mm at the belt.


    Berengar intended for these three ships to enter production in a couple of years at the most. He did not expect them to fully rece his current fleet of ironds until another five years. After all, he currently had many shipyards across his Empire, and his ability to produce vessels was expanding yearly.


    Of course, Berengar did not expect to be fighting submarines or aircraft in his lifetime. Because of this, he had not chosen more advanced designs like the Bismarck ss battleship, which was filled with Anti-aircraft guns. Instead, he expected these vessels to carry on German Naval dominance throughout the rest of his life.


    The young Kaiser had no way of knowing that another person had reincarnated into this world on the other side of the and was forming the Japanese Empire while he dwelled on these thoughts. He could never expect that he would run into a fleet equal to his own in the next few years. When that moment urred, it would undoubtedly spark a naval arms race between the two mighty Empires.

 Chapter 668 - Rise of an Empress

    <h4>Chapter 668 - Rise of an Empress</h4>


    Having crushed the enemy forces at Naniwa, and decapitated the rebel general Shimazu Takatame in battle, Itami Riyo returned to her capital in Heian-ky��. Though there was a rebellion underway across her realm, the brutal deaths of the Shimazu n had forced those who dared to revolt against her rule to rethink their actions. For now, Itami had bought herself enough time to begin the introduction of new weapons to her forces.


    Itami knew she could not produce massive quantities of Murata rifles without modern machinery and because of this, she had worked hard to create the first steam engines in the history of this world. Or so she thought. She had no way of knowing that an old acquaintance of hers from her past life had reincarnated into this world before her and had already produced such technology years prior.


    Itami needed better weapons, and quickly. It was because of this that she put the first steam engines, along with the advanced machinery she had envisioned to use in the Heian-ky�� Armory, prioritizing the mass production of modern weapons above all else. She did not have the luxury to focus on the cultural development unlike her German counterpart.


    Finally, after substantial effort, the first of the Murata Rifles were manufactured. This single shot, bolt-action rifle was chambered in the ck powder 11��60mmR Murata cartridge. Itami had, of course, changed the name of the weapon and caliber to the Itami rifle, and the 11��60mmR Itami cartridge.


    She grinned wickedly as she pulled the bolt back on the weapon and inspected its chamber. Herborers had done their best to produce a functional rifle, and after months of effort, it had finally beenpleted. This was a prototype weapon, and had yet to be actually tested, but Itami was convinced that it would not take much more tweaking before her troops could be equipped with these weapons en masse. There was a murderous glint in her blood-red eyes as she voiced her ambitions aloud.


    "With this rifle, I shall rule the world!"


    She did not literally mean she would conquer the entire world, but that Japan would be the dominant global power, something it failed to achieve in her past life. It took her a few moments to break away from her enlightened state, and after doing so, she did not hesitate to issue her orders to the man standing next to her.


    "I want this rifle tested immediately! Let me see how well it functions with my own eyes!"


    The man immediately snapped to attention as he ordered a few nearby ashigaru to test the weapon in the testing grounds that were prepared outside the armory. A few soldiers dragged out a prisoner of war who was taken from a recent skirmish with a rival Daimyo n. The man was a full-fledged samurai and would normally be given certain rights. However, to Itami, who sought to usher in a new age of Imperial Power under her reign, it was only fitting that her rifle would be tested on the warrior nobles of the old order.


    The man was d in his full armor for this demonstration, and was bound, gagged, and blindfolded, while Itami''s soldiers tied him to a post in the yard. After the prisoner was affixed to his position, a single ashigaru used the weapon as the Shogun had instructed him, and loaded a single cartridge into the chamber before mming the bolt home. After the weapon was properly loaded, he aimed down the iron sights and aligned them before squeezing the trigger.


    A thunderous crack resounded in the air as the 11mm bullet flew down range and into the chest of the target, sting through his tosei gusoku and prating his heart. Upon witnessing the rifle in action, a cruel smile etched itself upon Itami''s pretty pink lips as she dered her victory at that moment.


    "Haha sess! Victory will be mine!"


    However, her celebration was cut short as a man approached her with several guards of his own in tow. This man was the Emperor of Japan. For the time being, he was technically the head of state. Even if Itami was the true power in the country. The emperor had a frown on his face as he scolded Itami for something she had done a few hours prior.


    "Itami-kun, I hear that you have pped my son. Exin your actions to me this instant!"


    Itami hated it when the emperor referred to her with the honorific Kun, as if she were his subordinate. Did he not realize that she was the one who was in control? The fact that the man had gone out of his way to find her and insult her in front of her soldiers greatly infuriated the young woman. Because of this, she immediately rebuked the emperor in the rudest manner. <del></del>?ll ? ???? Fu??.c?m


    "Yamato-san, your son was being a nuisance. I merely disciplined him in your ce. You should know better than to question my authority. Had you been doing your job and kept the foolish boy in line, I would not need to raise my hands against him. The next time that twerp raises his voice against me, I will have his tongue removed!"


    Such a vicious response caused only further outraged the Emperor. In his eyes, Itami was nothing more than a little girl ying as a shogun. One day, he would overthrow her tyranny and reim the glory of the Imperial Family. Itami was roughly neen years of age at the moment, and despite this, she wielded unimaginable power. It had been five years since she reincarnated into this world, and four since she took up the sword as the War Goddess. She had just recently gained the title of Shogun, and despite this, many of her former retainers were now in open rebellion.


    This, in itself, was troublesome. However, she also had to keep a close eye on the Imperial Family, which was emotionally taxing, to say the least. The woman immediately rubbed her temples as she dealt with her growing migraine. Of course, the shrill voice of the Emperor when he realized what Itami had done in this testing ground further exasperated her condition.


    "Itami-kun, what have you done? Is there a reason this man was executed? Exin yourself this instant!"


    Itami was generally a logical and rational person. She knew that if she were to eliminate the Imperial Family while the rest of the country was in open rebellion against her rule, the only thing she would aplish would be uniting the daimyo against her. However, for whatever reason, the Emperor''s shrill screams had caused the young woman to snap. In a moment of animalistic instinct, Itami responded by kicking the emperor in the gut, which forced the man to his knees.


    In response to Itami''s actions, the Emperor''s bodyguards drew their des and attacked her. However, Itami was a second too quick for them, and unsheathed her sword with such precision that she decapitated one guard before he could even react.


    The emperor gazed in horror as one of the few men who was loyal to him was beheaded on the spot. In the blink of an eye, Itami was already engaging with her next target. She quickly forced the man on the back step, where her de bound with her enemy''s. While the twobatants were locked in an armed struggle, Itami kicked the man against the wall. Where she immediately closed the distance and unleashed her tanto with her spare hand and stuck it into the man''s neck.


    The life faded from the bodyguard''s eyes as he stared in disbelief at the vicious woman who had so easily imed his life. After ying the two samurai with ease, Itami approached the shivering emperor and made a public deration.


    "Your family has ruled as the Emperors of Japan for long enough. Today, your dynastyes to an end, and in its ce, a new imperial dynasty will rise."


    After saying this, Itami shed her de downwards and decapitated the Emperor on the spot. Those who witnessed the event gazed in disbelief with their jaws practically reaching the floor. Having killed the Emperor of Japan, Itami issued orders to her troops to storm the Imperial Pce.


    "The Yamato Dynasty ends today. Kill the Imperial Family, and anyone who is remotely associated with it. I, Itami Riyo, hereby dere myself Empress of Japan! All who reject my rule shall die by my de!"


    The soldiers who were loyal to Itami immediately unleashed their des and did as they were ordered. Within a matter of hours, the Yamato family was uprooted and annihted. Word would spread across the country of Itami''s actions, and her deration. By destroying the Imperial Family and dering herself the Empress of Japan, Itami had made many enemies. Those who were on the fence about her rule before were quick to turn against her.


    Despite this, Itami was not the least bit worried. In three months, her armies would be armed with single shot bolt action rifles, and by then no force in this world could contend with her military might. The era of Samurai and Shoguns was over. In thend of the rising sun, a new Empress had risen to power. From this day forward, the new Empress would be the supreme authority of the fledgling Japanese Empire.

 Chapter 669 - lmperial Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 669 - lmperial Ambitions</h4>


    Itami sat naked in her personal hot spring. Herrge breasts, that were usually under wraps, were now hanging freely as she washed the sweat and grime from her body. It had been a month since she yed the Imperial Family, and things went as exactly as she had predicted.


    Those Daimyos who were on the fence of whom to support had joined the rebels, out of all the major Daimyo ns in Japan, only a handful embraced Itami as the Empress. Those who did were fiercely loyal to the War Goddess and believed that she simply could not be defeated.


    Itami gazed upon her beautiful reflection in the pool of steamy water as she thought about everything had urred since she first was reborn in this world. In her past life, she had served in the United States Army as an engineering officer for several years. In fact, she was even deployed to thend of her ancestors, where she lived a peaceful and enjoyable life.


    However, before she could even reach her thirtieth birthday, a stalker murdered her. The man in question was jealous that she had developed a rtionship with a high-ranking officer. After passing away, she had awoken in this world in the body of a fourteen-year-old girl who was the sole sessor of a declining samurai n.


    For her first year in this world, Itami had used her knowledge of basic agricultural practices and industrial techniques to increase the wealth and power of her n. Unlike Berengar, Itami pre-reincarnation was not a sickly fool, but was trained from birth to be the master of the Itami n.


    It was not until she was fifteen when the Shogun''s forces came to im the wealth of the Itami n for themselves, in the ensuing battle her father was in, and she was forced to take up the sword in the defense of her family''snds. By introducing simple matchlocks, Itami repelled the Shogun''s forces and dered open rebellion against the Ashikaga Shogunate.


    Like Berengar, much of her life since reincarnating into this world was filled with conflict. However, that did not mean she did not take the time to develop her territory. Every region she conquered, she ensured it was brought to the peak of a pre-industrial society, and several of the major cities that were beneath her rule had already reached an early industrialized state, with steam engines, and small-scale factories under way.


    Still, she wasgging behind Germany. Without her knowledge, an old friend from her past life had reincarnated into this world a few years in advance of herself and went through a simr situation on the other side of the. While Itami was just now producing the weapons of the early Meiji Era, Berengar would soon be advancing into the age of the Great War.


    Of course, Itami had a no way of knowing what was happening in Germany. However, as she soaked in the heated water of the hot spring, she thought about a certain someone from her past life. In her previous incarnation, the girl had to deal with an emotionally distant Julian. She hadter learned about the young man''s circumstances after he got himself fragged in Afghanistan and pitied herself for not reaching out to him while he was still alive.


    Because of Julian''s childhood trauma, he had a difficult time forming emotional bonds with people. This was the reason that he considered no one to be an actual friend. In his mind, he only had acquaintances. However, Itami thought differently. The two of them spent so much time together that they had to have been friends.


    She remembered crying her eyes out when she learned the fool had gotten himself killed in thest days of the war. If he had survived another month, he would have been able to pull out of Afghanistan and live a peaceful life. With his talents, he would have made something of himself.


    Even now, thinking about such a thing brought tears to Itami''s blood-red eyes, which shocked her. She did not know why she was suddenly thinking about that dimwit, but these days she was thinking about that foolish bastard more and more. If, by any chance, Julian had reincarnated into this world, she would never leave him alone. After everything he put her through in her past life. Itami would make sure his life was a living hell.


    After thinking about that, Itami giggled like a schoolgirl. Was that anyway to treat an old friend? Absolutely, he deserved to be harassed for breaking her heart. What was the old saying? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She highly doubted that Julian would be reincarnated into this world, but if he was, she would hound him to the ends of the Earth.


    If Itami had known that the object of her quarrel had not only reincarnated prior to her, but made himself the Emperor of Germany with a harem of five beautiful women, she would probably cut her own heart out. She was having such a difficult time finding apetent man to take as her husband, and that bastard had four wives and a mistress. Where was the justice in the world?


    Of course, Itami wouldn''t even dream of this being a possibility. For the entire time that she knew him, Julian was as dense as a rock, and she suspected he had died a virgin. There was no way she would ever believe that he had be a realdies'' man in this new life. If someone were to tell her such a thing, she wouldugh it off as the biggest joke on the.


    After thinking about this for some time, Itami got out of the hot spring. She had much to do, and little time to do it in. Itami quickly dressed herself in a kimono before walking through the confines of the Pce with a confident stride. The servants in the Pce did not dare toy their gaze upon the Empress''s seductive appearance in fear that she might im their heads in retaliation.


    Itami eventually reached her personal quarters, where she sat down at her desk and sprawled out a map with a bottle of sake in her hands. She took a giant swig from the alcoholic beverage before shifting her gaze towards the contents on the map. It was a map of Asia which proudly disyed her imperial ambitions.


    Much like the Empire of Japan in her past life, Itami''s imperial ambitions were not small in the slightest. The first target on her list of regions was Hokkaido. After she had dealt with the rebellion against her rule in the Japanese maind, she nned on seizing the northernmost ind of Japan. From there, she would make her way to the Ryukyu Kingdom and conquer it. After she had established a staging point in Okinawa, she would set sail for Korea and disy the Dominance of her Army on the penins.


    However, this is where Itami''s imperial ambitions in Northeast Asia ended. Despite what one might think, she had no desire to invade China. The bad blood that had existed between her people and the Chinese would not repeat itself in this world. This was not from the goodness of the young woman''s heart, but rather a solemn recognition that she could not take China even if she tried. If she were truly dedicated to invading the Ming Dynasty, it would be her Afghanistan. The territory was too vast, and the people were too many for her to properly contend with.


    Because of this, the regions once imed by China in her past life were left out of her Imperial Ambitions, instead she would spread from Korea to Southeast Asia, conquering thends that were known in her previous life as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thand, Burma, Philippines, Mysia, Indonesia and Finally Austrsia.


    If her teenage years were spent uniting Japan under her banner, then her twenties would be a time of global expansion. Of course, she did not know that Berengar also had nned to one day take the region of Austrsia for himself. If fate were cruel, the two of them would meet in the region and battle for supremacy. A ll N OVE L FU LL . c 0m


    Itami knew that if her future conquests went as nned, then the Japanese Empire would be the supreme overlord of the Pacific. Perhaps she might even stretch into the west coast of North America and colonize thends for the Japanese. With such a vast Empire under her control, she believed nobody would ever be able to contend with her power.


    Thus, she had a devilish smirk on her face as she gazed upon the map of her future Empire, and spoke in a soft tone.


    "Soon... Soon it will all be mine!"


    The young Empress did not know that her German Counterpart had already united the German-speaking regions into a single Empire, and had begun colonial expansion into the Americas. Berengar was one step ahead of Itami on the game of Global Hegemony. By the time the two monarchs became aware of each other''s existence, their empires would stretch far and wide.

 Chapter 670 A Difficult Life Outside the Empire

    Chapter 670 A Difficult Life Outside the Empire


    While Berengar focused on expanding the Industry of his Empire, and securing his borders. Itami had begun her ns for modernization of her newly formed Imperial Japanese Army. Soon enough the woman wouldunch an attack on the rebels, and cut the heads off the multi-headed hydra that were her enemies.


    However, this was not the only major events urring in the world. The Sultanate of Al-Andalus had invaded Morro, and while Hasan was off ying the role of a Conqueror, German forces exerted control over Iberia, ensuring that the Spanish and Portuguese people did not raise their swords in rebellion.


    However, war was not the only major events going on in the western world. As a result of the Catholic League''s sanctions against the German Empire, poverty, famine, and pestilence had begun to spread across the Catholic World. This did not only affect the peasants, but the nobility as well.


    Millions of young French women flooded the German border, seeking asylum and marriage with German men. They no longer cared if they were a second, third, fourth, or fifth wife, so long as they could escape the cruel fate that awaited them in their homnd.


    It was not only France that was having this problem. In the neighboring Kingdom of Hungary, things were not going well for the average person. Even the nobility have suffered under the catastrophic effects of the trade embargo that the Catholic Kingdoms had presented against the mighty German Empire. Many of the products that Europe relied upon for survival were no longer entering the Catholic Kingdoms. One of thesemodities was medicine.


    Over the past eight years since Berengar had first entered this world, the medical industry of the German Empire had grown substantially, supported by the chemical manufacturing nts, many modern forms of medicine such as anti-biotic cream, and penicillin were products that people all over Europe now relied upon for their survival.


    The German Empire had a simple policy of trade. Anything that they had manufactured an excess of, they would sell to the neighboring kingdoms at a reasonable price. However, with the Catholic League cing many sanctions against the Reich, these products no longer entered the neighboring kingdoms and because of it, the people suffered.


    A young Hungarian nobleman by the name of V��szoly Viktor stood over the grave of his younger sister. The funeral for the girl had just ended, and yet he remained behind. Tears streamed down his eyes as he repeated the words.


    "I''m sorry..."


    This young man came from a wealthy family, and despite all the fortune they had earned throughout the centuries, it was not enough to save his sister''s life. If Hungary had remained in trade with the neighboring German Empire, he could have purchased the medicine he needed to treat his sister''s illness. Unfortunately, the King had embargoed all goods from the Reich.


    A ck market had developed supported by German smugglers who carried contraband across their borders into the neighboring realms. However, even then, medicine was in high demand and was almost impossible to get one''s hands on without having ties to the German pharmaceutical corporations.


    It wasn''t just illness that had spread across thend, famine came with it. In previous years, the nobles of the Kingdom of Hungary had imported artificial fertilizers from the Reich. This product helped in the growing of his crops. Without it, the harvests had suffered in terms of quantity and quality. If not for the Catholic Church and its obsession with bringing down the German Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary would thrive right now.


    Viktor and his family were just one of many noble houses that had suffered immensely under the sanctions, and he knew that the other Catholic Kingdoms were also enduring simr hardships. If only he could convince his father to send his little sister to the Reich in pursuit of a political marriage, she would still be alive.


    Unfortunately, the hatred for the German reformation ran deep in the veins of the Catholics, and their most devout members would rather die than send their daughters as brides to the German men. He would not make the same mistake with his youngest sister, who was still alive. Now that his father was off on crusade, Viktor was the acting head of his house, and he intended to ship his little sister to the borders of the Reich to ensure that she could live a happy and peaceful life in the German Empire. Having wiped the tears from his eyes, Viktor made a solemn vow to his now deceased sister.


    "I promise you, I won''t let Noemi follow you into an early grave..."


    After saying this, Viktor departed and returned to his family''s estate where he found his little sister, Noemi was sitting by her lonesome. The rest of the family were busy weeping over her elder sister''s death, and only a stuffed toy that her brother had bought from Germany years prior kept the girlpany. Despite being thirteen years old, Noemi loved the stuffed rabbit more than anything, and dragged it around with her everywhere she went. Viktor approached his little sister and patted her auburn hair beforementing on the situation at hand.


    "Noemi, what happened to your sister was a tragedy. However, you don''t have to worry. I will use my contacts to help you immigrate to the Reich, where I will find a proper husband for you. You will live in peace and luxury, like your sister should have."


    The girl had a nk expression on her face as she gazed out into the distance, not looking at anything in particr. She had heard what her brother said, but had no reaction other than questioning his words.


    "What about father?"


    The two of them both knew that their father despised the German Empire, and everyone in it. He would never agree to sell his daughter off to some German nobleman so that she could live a luxurious life. However, after witnessing the death of his other sister, Viktor refused to allow the girl to follow the same path.


    There was nothing left for her in Hungary, so long as the Kingdom stood opposite of the Reich it would never prosper. That was the genuine belief of the young nobleman. With a bitter smile on his face, Viktor petted his sister''s hair before assuring her that everything was alright.


    "You let me worry about, father. I am sure that a happy life awaits you in the Reich. Did you know that your brother has visited the city of Graz? Compared to Budapest, it is like a city forged from the heavens. Such wealth, and opulence, I have seen nothing like it before.


    The average person there lives better than much of our nobility. Food is in abundance, medicine is widely avable, and they have this magnificent device of travel called a train, which can rapidly bring you between the major cities of Austria. I have heard since myst visit, the railway which these trains travel upon have expanded into Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia as well."


    Despite his story of visiting Austria, the young girl remained emotionless. She simply nodded her head in silence. Losing her elder sister was a tremendous blow to her fragile mind, and she was struggling with her grief. After a few moments of reflection, the girl finally looked up at her brother and asked the question on her mind.


    "What about you Viktor? Will you being with me to Germany?"


    The young man choked back his tears as heard this question. He wanted more than anything to apany the girl, however he could only shake his head in response.


    "Unfortunately, I am needed here. Besides, German immigrationws are strict. I don''t believe I would be able to permanently reside in the Empire. However, you will have a proper escort and caretakers who will look after you and, more importantly, make an appropriate match for you on my behalf."


    In response to this, the young girl hugged her brother tightly. She remained silent, but her eyes did her speaking for her. She was thankful that he was taking such a risk so that she could live a better life. Things were only going to get worse in Hungary if these trade embargos continued. Before long, it may even reduce their wealthy family to destitution. It was not umon for Catholic Noble families to lose everything in these troubling times.


    Unfortunately, Viktor couldn''t follow his sister to the German Empire. He had to remain in his family''snds and do his best to keep them afloat. While his father was off crusading in the Holy Land, he was preparing himself for the uing war with the German Empire. Fully aware that he would be forced into battle.


    Win or lose in the Holy Land, the Crusader armies would immediately after turn their attention to Germany, and having witnessed the technological marvels that existed in the Reich, Viktor was certain that the Catholic League would be defeated. He could only sigh andment his lot in life, as he kept his sisterpany during these troubling times.

 Chapter 671 - The Triumphant General ReturnsHome

    Chapter 671 - The Triumphant General ReturnsHome


    Adelbrand stepped foot onto the fathend for the first time in a long time. After years of being deployed to Iberia, the Kaiser hadmanded him to return to the Reich. The official reasoning for this visit was to personally inform the man of recent developments in Iberia. Of course, Adelbrand suspected that Berengar simply wanted to show off all that he had aplished over the past few years.


    Though Adelbrand had heard about the national railway project, and the use of trains. He was amazed to see them in person. He could hardly fathom how different Trieste was now, from the moment he departed for Iberia years ago. Unlike the rest of the German citizens, Adelbrand had a tannedplexion from the years of being under the Andalusian sun.


    If it weren''t for his golden hair, it would be likely that the people of Germany would view him as a foreigner. Luckily for him, Berengar had dispatched a military train for his transit to the Capital of Kufstein. As the train passed by at high speeds, Adelbrand witnessed theplex mechanized agriculture that persisted throughout the Austrianndscape.


    The train stopped in several stations along the way, and Adelbrand was able to witness the previously feudal Austrian cities, turned into industrial powerhouses. Each city was carefullyid out with dedicated sectors to industry.


    The blend of architectural styles disyed the overwhelming prosperity that the German Empire was currently facing. He had only been gone for a few years, acting as the Supreme Commander of the Iberian Theatre, and yet the fathend had changed so much during this time.


    Eventually, the train pulled into Kufstein, where Adelbrand gazed in awe at the capital of the Empire. What was once a small agricultural town was now a thriving metropolis. The cobblestone streets were clean, and people walked throughout the city in semi-modern fashion, sitting on benches, and partaking of coffee and cookies.


    There were dedicated sectors in the city to entertainment, with arge arena being constructed to disy prominent sporting events. Such as Mixed Martial Arts, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, submission grappling, etc. However these were not the only sports that had be popr in Germany, but also weightlifting, swimming, track and field, and otherpetitions that focused on strength and agility.


    Aside from the sporting arena, there were other entertainment areas, such as bars, art galleries, concert halls, theaters, and plenty of other activities to engage in. Outside of the entertainment district was the trade district, where small shops andrge shopping malls existed to sell their products to everyone within the city.


    Farmers hauled in their fresh produce on wagons and sold them torge grocery outlets, which not only contained fresh food but also canned and pickled goods. Anything that anyone could possibly desire was sold in the trade district, with trade from regions as far east as India making its way to Kufstein.


    The area that Adelbrand would have to meet the Kaiser was actually in a public setting. Rather than visiting the Pce District, where Berengar and the heads of the German Government lived, a group of soldiers escorted Adelbrand to arge bar in the center of the entertainment district. After approaching the area, these men informed the Field Marshal that he would be on his own from here on out.


    This bar served beer, wine, and distilled spirits, but also had its own dedicated team of chefs where they served food to its customers. It was a popr destination for people in the city, wheremoners and nobility alike could get together and speak about recent events.


    When Adelbrand step foot into the bar, he saw Berengar seated alone, dressed in rather simple attire. Berengar was not garbed in his usual imperial regalia, but rather in a white silk dress shirt whose sleeves were rolled up, and whose cor was loosened.


    As for everything else, Berengar was dressed in a pair of grey dress cks, with ck leather oxford style shoes. He wore an elegant wristwatch that was obviously made of white gold, and for the first time in a long time, did not wear his eyepatch which normally concealed his wound.


    Rather than wear his signature slicked back hair, Berengar had styled his golden locks in a side-parted style. At first nce, he did not appear to be the German Emperor. Thus, the crowds of people left him be. Instead, he sat alone and drank from a pitcher of beer.


    When the Kaiser noticed his Field Marshal approach, he waved towards him, signalling for Adelbrand to sit down. The veteranmander was a bit shocked to see the Kaiser in such an informal appearance and immediatelymented on it.


    "My Kaiser, I did not notice you at first, you look so different..."


    Berengar merely raised one finger to his lips, signalling for the man to be quiet before whispering in response to Adelbrand''s statement.


    "Adelbrand, when I am among the public like this, simply refer to me by my name. You could say that I am incognito right now..."


    Such a response surprised Adelbrand. He did not know why Berengar would do such a thing and quickly inquired about it.


    "Can you tell me the reason?"


    Berengar simply chuckled in response before taking another swig of his beer. After wiping his lips with his forearm, he exined why he was not in his formal attire.


    "I like to mingle with the people and see what they really think about the Empire. They would never dare reveal the truth to me if they knew I was the emperor. Here they just think I''m an old veteran who has made a decent living.


    You would be surprised how disbelief prevents people from connecting two and two together. In their eyes, it is more reasonable for me to be someone who looks like the Kaiser than the kaiser himself. After all, why would the Kaiser trouble himself with going out into public and enjoying his time in a bar?"


    Adelbrand looked around for a few moments and sighed before asking Berengar the question most pertinent to his mind.


    "So, this is what you do in your spare time?"


    A slight chuckle erupted from Berengar as he revealed how little spare time he had to do things like this.


    "Very rarely. Once every few months, I''m able to escape from the pce long enough to share a few drinks with my people. Since you wereing back today, I thought I''d show you a good time. After all, it has been a while since youst step foot in your homnd. So tell me, what do you think of the Empire that I have forged in your absence?"


    Adelbrand looked around and saw a bunch of young women casually mingling with men. These were not nobledies, but they were dressed in what appeared to be silk cocktail dresses. They were speaking to men that were obviously older than them, who were dressed in suits. Those more casual were dressed simr to Berengar. He could hardly believe what he was seeing, and quickly spoke his mind.


    "I''m a little shocked to see all the changes that have urred since I wasst here. It is overwhelming, to say the least."


    While Adelbrand was saying this, a waitress walked by the table where the two men were sitting. Berengar immediately gged her down and made a request with a charming smile on his face.


    "Ma''am, can you please get a few pitchers of beer for a couple of oldbat veterans?"


    The young woman was at most sixteen years old and simply smiled at the two men. Though Berengar was handsome, she was more interested in the man sitting next to him, who was wearing a Field Marshal''s uniform. She never would have guessed that Berengar was actually the Kaiser, thus she paid extra attention to Adelbrand as she responded to him instead.


    "Certainly! What would you boys like to drink?"


    Adelbrand was slightly perplexed by the attention the waitress was giving him, and did not immediately respond. Because of this, Berengar answered on his behalf.


    "How about two more of these to get us started?"


    The girl smiled and nodded before walking off to the tap, where she poured two liters of doppelbock beer for Berengar and Adelbrand. She returned and handed off the drinks, deliberately exposing her cleavage to the young Field Marshal before asking about their order.


    "Can I get you two anything else?"


    Berengar was smirking as the waitress flirted with Adelbrand. Until today, the young Field Marshal never would have believed that women in Germany had be more aggressive in pursuit of a man to marry. With men now being able to have five wives, women had topete among each other fiercely to obtain the favor of a man in an influential position, like Adelbrand.


    He did not know it, but since he was an unmarried man of substantial rank in society, he was now seen as a raremodity within the Empire. Women from all walks of life would kill to be one of his wives, especially with so many foreign beauties flooding into the Empire in pursuit of marriage.


    Ultimately, in his confusion, Adelbrand remained silent, and Berengar ordered a meal for each of them. After receiving the order, the women went back to the kitchen to deliver it to the chefs. Adelbrand was in disbelief for several seconds before asking Berengar what had happened.


    "What the hell was that?"


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before making a joke to his Field Marshal.


    "Wee to the new age. It''s your own damn fault. You''re not even wearing a wedding ring, and yet you are dressed in a Field Marshal uniform, with several orders of chivalry on your breast. You are basically asking for every single woman within five hundred meters to pursue you. Why do you think I wear this damn thing?"


    After saying this, Berengar revealed the wedding ring on his finger, which was made of white gold, and had five diamonds that wrapped around the ring. Such a thing symbolized he had five wives and could not legally marry another one.


    Though Berengar had four wives at the moment, he wore the ring encrusted with five diamonds to deter women from flirting with him. Knowing the petty jealousy of his women, it would not surprise Berengar if a poormon girl went missing after trying to seduce him. After seeing the astonished expression on Adelbrand''s face, Berengar shifted the topic to one the man was morefortable discussing.


    "So tell me about Hasan. I want to hear in person what madness haspelled that idiot to invade Moro..."

 Chapter 672 A Night Out

    Chapter 672 A Night Out


    After hearing the Kaiser ask him about the situation in Iberia, Adelbrand sighed heavily before taking arge swig from his drink. It was only after several seconds of nonstop drinking did he ce his cup down beforeining about Hasan.


    "I tried. Lord knows I tried to convince him otherwise. However, the fool is dead set on expansion. He does not think about consolidating his gains, and instead wants to conquer morend. I warned him, if he invades Moro, the people in Spain and Portugal will rebel.


    At first Hasan agreed, but when the Emir of Moro insulted him, by insinuating that he was your bitch, the esteemed Sultan decided it would be a brilliant idea to march his army into Moro and prove to its ruler that he could conquer North Africa on his own."


    I have little doubts that he will win, but in the meantime, the only thing keeping the Iberian Catholics at bay is the threat of another German invasion. However, our small amount of troops in the region will not be able to deter them for long. It is only a matter of time before the catholics rebel against Hasan''s rule."


    Berengar had a stern expression on his face as he heard this. He had invested a substantial sum of money and blood into reuniting Al-Andalus in exchange for control over the straight of Gibraltar. He did not want this investment to go to waste. Thus, he had decided to consult with the man most familiar with the Iberian theater about his opinion.


    "So, how do you suggest we proceed?"


    Adelbrand took another giant swig from his beer before responding to Berengar''s question.


    "At this point, there is little of the Granadan Royal Army that remains in Iberia. If we do not send support now, rebellion will ur. The only thing preventing full-scale revolution is the five thousand or so support personnel we still have in the region, maintaining peacekeeping operations."


    Berengar did not immediately respond to this opinion, instead he contemted his options carefully. If Hasan responded to such a petty provocation with war, then it demonstrated that he was not fit to rule over Al-Andalus. The man had yet to have a son, and if he were to die in Moro then, it would leave Ghazi as the heir to the Throne.


    Berengar could use his authority over his son with Yasmin and dere himself regent of Al-Andalus, where he would micromanage the nation with the support of some local advisors until a point where his son was old enough to im ownership of the Sultanate.


    The problem with this n was that Berengar would never risk Yasmin''s love by assassinating her brother. Though she nned to put her own son on the Iberian Throne, she would not kill her foolish younger brother to do so. She merely expected him dying young because of his stupidity.


    Upon thinking about it for some time, Berengar nodded his head and gave Adelbrand his response.


    "Very well... I will deploy a division to Iberia. Their job will be to maintain the peace of the region by any means necessary. Which leaves me with one question for you. Do you wish to continue to oversee operations in the Iberian theatre, and act as my personal advisor to the Sultan? Or do you wish to return home to the Fathend and oversee the defensive operations of the war that will soon take ce in ournds?"


    Adelbrand understood the hidden meaning behind this question. Berengar wanted him to rece Eckhard, after all the previous Field Marshal who acted as the second inmand of Berengar''s Land-Based Forces had retired, and now ruled over Prussia as its King.


    Until now, Berengar had not reced Eckhard''s position. Out of all of Berengar''s greatest Generals who had been with him since before he established himself as a monarch, Adelbrand was the only one left who had not retired from the military in favor of politics. This meant that Adelbrand was the most trustworthy General Berengar had left and wanted the man by his side in Kufstein.


    Though Adelbrand would not be officially promoted, as the only rank above that of Field Marshal was the Reichsmarschall, which Berengar maintained as the Kaiser. He would unofficially be second only to the Kaiser in terms ofnd-based operations. The prospect was daunting, as the man did not feel he could adequately rece Eckhard. However, Berengar''s next words thoroughly convinced him.


    "Adelbrand, you have served me for many years, and have been the most important factor in our victory in Iberia. You have earned the right to return to the fathend, take a few wives, sire a few heirs, andmand my armies from the safety andfort of the capital. I understand you wish to see things through in Iberia, but Reconquista is over, and someone else can be assigned to the region to maintain peacekeeping operations. You belong here in the fathend..."


    Before the man could respond, the waitress returned with the food they had ordered, and a pretty smile on her face. She quietly handed the two men their meals before asking a question to Adelbrand.


    "I''m sorry to bother you sir, but my brother is in the Army, and I just had to ask, what theatre are you inmand of?"


    Berengar smirked as he dug into his food, waiting for Adelbrand to finally say some words to the girl, who was aggressively pursuing him. Adelbrand gawked in silence for a few moments before he cleared his throat and answered the woman''s question.


    "The Iberian Theatre..."


    The woman gazed in shock at the man and covered her mouth before making ament.


    "Then you must be Field Marshal Adelbrand. I am your biggest fan. Can I have your autograph?"


    The woman took out a fountain pen and her notepad and handed it to the man, where he awkwardly signed his name. After saying receiving his signature, the girl held her notepad to her chest before speaking more with the man.


    "My brother is in Iberia. He has told me how bravely you have led your troops to victory in the region. He says without you, there was no way that the Granadans could have won the war!"


    Adelbrand was slightly flustered as he heard this, and Berengar merely goaded him on.


    "Oh yeah, that''s right. I heard it was Adelbrand who led the defense of Granada when the peasant crusaders marched onto its borders. I also heard it was he who sacked the city of Toledo and killed the King of Castille. After all, it''s not like the Kaiser did much other than sit back in the city of Granada and enjoy thepany of its princess."


    The moment the girl heard this, her expression sank before chastising Berengar for his words.


    "What do you know? I heard the Kaiser was brilliant when he was in Iberia, personally leading the cavalry charge like a conquering hero! However, after he left, the war fell to Adelbrand''s hands, and it was he that yed a pivotal role in ending Reconquista. Shame on your for insulting our Kaiser. I have half a mind to report you to the local authorities for suspicion of treason!"


    Berengar struggled to contain hisughter. It appeared the girl was also a fan of his. Thus, he yed a prank on her as he called the girl''s bluff with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Go on then, call for the authorities. I''d like to see what they have to say..."


    The girl was so flustered by Berengar''s errant behavior that she was about to run away and call the city guards when Adelbrand stopped her by grabbing her wrist.


    "He''s just kidding. My Kaiser, you''re torturing the poor girl, you should be mindful of your position..."


    Berengar wore a shit-eating grin when he saw the woman react to his title. She was astonished. Though she knew the man looked like the Kaiser, and was hanging out with Field Marshal as an equal, she simply believed there was no reason for the Kaiser to visit her family''s humble beer house. She trembled over her words before bowing respectfully to Berengar.


    "K...Ka...Kaiser, please forgive me for my rudeness! I did not know!"


    The moment she said these words, the entire atmosphere turned silent as everyone gazed towards Berengar. Realizing that his cover had been blown, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a can of pomade, which he used to slick back his hair. After doing so, he ced his eyepatch over his head, which was concealed within his nearby coat, and attempted to calm the girl down.


    "Rx, I was merely joking. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. It makes me proud that my people will defend me against nder. I''m sorry if I caused you any mental anguish. Well, it looks like things have gotten awkward, so I''ll just head out."


    After saying this, he reached into a coin pouch and ced an Austrian Gulden on the table. The girl''s eyes grew wide as she saw the money the Kaiser was leaving as payment. It was far more than such a humble beer house could ask for. Berengar patted Adelbrand on the shoulder before leaving behind his parting words.


    "Adelbrand, do think about my offer. I will be returning to the Pce for now, feel free to drop by whenever you have an answer..."


    After saying this, Berengar left the bar, where everyone was stunned at the scene they had just witnessed. The Kaiser had been sitting in such a humble establishment and drinking among them the entire time, and nobody had noticed.


    Some of the older people in the crowd simply smiled and reflected on the days when Berengar personally taught them how to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. It brought a smile to their faces, knowing that despite the vast increase in power that he had obtained over the years, Berengar''s good nature had not changed.

 Chapter 673 - Death of an Emperor

    Chapter 673 - Death of an Emperor


    While Berengar was managing the affairs of his realm, and preparing for an expedition to South Africa. Itami was modernizing her army and preparing for a major battle with the rebels. However, in Moro, Hasan had already invaded North Africa and had made some significant gains in the little time since his troops hadnded.


    In every battle he had waged since he arrived on the continent, Hasan and the army of Al-Andalus had prevailed. Why wouldn''t they? They were battle-hardened from years of fighting against the Catholics'' attempt to reim Iberia and were now equipped with the best weapons money could buy. In the entire western world, only the arms used by the Imperial German Army were superior to Hasan''s.


    The soldiers of Al-Andalus were primarily equipped with rifled flintlocks, many of which were refurbished weapons previously used by Germany''s forces, and twelve pound cannons modelled after the infamous M1857 12-pounder Napoleon from Berengar''s past life.


    They had even copied the tactics used by their German Counterparts, which while fighting offensively followed the principle of fire and maneuver employed by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War of Berengar''s past life. Until now, the soldiers of Al-Andalus had beenpletely undefeated in their campaign.


    With superior range and destructive capability, the first few engagements between Hasan and his rivals were total massacres. The war had only begun recently, and yet significant ground had been made after a few shes with the enemy. In the previous battle, the enemy forces had broken ranks and fled further ind towards their capital. It was because of this that Hasan was hasty in his pursuit, not even realizing that such a tactic was a basic feigned retreat.


    The thought did not even cross the young Sultan''s mind. After all, his army was vastly superior to the enemy''s, and he genuinely believed the war was practically over, despite the conflict beginning only recently. In the first few battles, he had smashed his enemy''s forces and broken their will to fight. They had even fled towards the capital in fear of their lives. Hasan was brimming with confidence as he thought about such things.


    Berengar? Who is Berengar? Has Berengar ever won a war as swiftly as I have now? These were the thoughts dwelled in the mind of the young Sultan as he smiled smugly while riding atop his steed. Currently, Hasan and his forces were marching through a ravine with their objective being on the other side.


    Normally, Hasan would think twice about entering such difficult terrain. The ravine was narrow, so much so that it was impossible to form ranks in such a position, but oddly enough, the enemy had not taken advantage of this terrain, and simply ran through the valley. Hasan truly believed it was a simple matter of charging through the chokepoint and fighting the enemy on the other side.


    Unfortunately, things were not so simple. After all, there was a dangerous presence in the hills above. The current Monarch of Moro, Sultan Said al-Haqq, was lying in wait alongside the majority of his forces, who were preparing to strike against the Al-Andalusian host.


    He gazed in disbelief at the Al-Andalusian forces who had walked into an obvious trap. Truthfully, he felt as if this feigned retreat was hisst chance to achieve victory in this war. It was a desperate gamble that he did not believe would actually work.


    Yet, Hasan had marched his forces into a ravine where he had no means to fight effectively. Was this ignorance on Hasan''s part? Or was he the one being led by the nose? Said was hesitant to give the orders to attack and quickly conversed with his advisors about the current situation.


    "Do you think this is a trap? Hasan can''t be this stupid, can he?"


    Said''s most trusted vassals gazed at him with mixed expressions. The truth of the matter was they didn''t think their n would work out either. Yet Hasan and his army were clearly in the ravine, unknowingly surrounded by enemies on all sides.


    At this point, they had to consider the possibility that they might be the ones who had walked into a trap. However, one man in particr raised his voice after witnessing the hesitation in his sovereign''s eyes. He could not believe they were being so timid at such an opportune moment.


    "Does it matter!?! Either our n works, and we are victorious, or it fails and we are all dead. Exactly what are we waiting for? A signal from Ah to begin the attack? Initiate the assault already!"


    Said and his advisors shrugged their shoulders before giving the orders to attack.


    "light them up!"


    After saying this, the men in his army lit their torches and used them to ignite severalrge fuses that led to a series of explosive casks lined on the ridge. The resulting explosion caused a massive rockslide to tumble down the hill and towards the Al-Andalusian Army.


    Initially, Hasan had thought that one of his soldiers had fired his weapon without the order to do so. However, upon seeing the explosion on the cliffs above, and massive boulders tumbling towards him and his army, Hasan''s eyes widened in disbelief as he cried out in agony.


    "It''s a trap!''


    However, it was toote. Gravity forced the thousands of rocks down from the hills above, and into his army, crushing men alive beneath their heavy weight. The boulders did not stop with one or two men, but continued to trample across the Al Andalusian army until they reached the other side of the Ravine.


    Hasan had marched an entire division into North Africa, and they had few casualties until this point. However, in a single moment, tens of thousands lie dead. Miraculously, the foolish Sultan survived only to gaze in horror as his enemies descended the cliffs, firing bows, matchlocks, and cannons upon his position.


    The surviving soldiers of Al-Andalus barely had enough time to collect their thoughts as enemy projectiles pelted them. Solid six pound cannonballs tore apart those who were unlucky. Panic had long since filled Hasan''s mind, and he tried his best tomand his horse to rush through his own ranks, and back on the path he had came, but it was no use, the enemy truly had him surrounded on all sides. With no choice left but to fight, the young Sultan gave the orders to attack.


    "Open fire! For the love of Ah, open fire!"


    Those who could get ahold of their weapons were quick to pull the triggers, however these were muzzle loaders, and before they could even think of reloading their weapons, the swords, and spears of the Moran infantry had found their way into the flesh of their enemies. As if copying the German Army in its entirety, the Royal Andalusian Army had worn protective gear only over their heads and their torso. Because of this, there were plenty of gaps in their armor to make use of, some of which were fatal, such as the neck and the femur.


    Hasan had no choice but to unleash his de and fight against the enemy, all while trying to avoid the enemy''s missile fire. He shed his scimitar across a hostile warrior''s unarmored neck, severing his head in the process.


    A few members of the Royal guard surrounded Hasan with their muskets and their bays. Doing their best to protect their sovereign. The men fought desperately, trying to break out of the grand melee that was taking ce.


    While shots fired towards them from above and his men fell around him, Hasan had made his way to the edge of the battlefield. However, what he witnessed was a firing line of Moran arkebusiers who aimed their guns towards him and his royal guard.


    The Moran sultan sneered in disdain as he gave his Andalusian counterpart a final speech.


    "You know, Hasan, I thought you were smart enough to see a trap when it wasid out for you. However, the rumors are true. Until now, you have relied on the talents of greater men to achieve the position you have today.


    Your most critical mistake was believing that you had won the war before a treaty was signed. Your arrogance blinded you as you charged after my feigned retreat, and into a position where you could not effectively use your soldiers. Even if I had not triggered the rockslide, you still would have died here today. Do you have anyst words before I take your life?"


    In hisst moments, Hasan''s life''s memories shed in his mind. His biggest regret was not leaving a son and heir to carry on his work. He had been so busy enjoying his life that he had not even considered the possibility of death. He truly should have listened to Adelbrand and never marched his armies into thesends. With a bitter smile on his face, Hasan expressed hisst words.


    "Tell Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, that I''m sorry... I''m sorry that I have failed him, and in doing so, have forced him to clean up my messes once more. He was right. I am not fit for the battlefield."


    Having said this, Said smiled sinisterly before lowering his hand abruptly, causing the arkebusiers to pull their triggers, resulting in a volley that shredded Hasan from head to toe. What remained of his body would be devoured by the desert''s beasts.


    With the death of the Sultan of Al-Andalus, the throne would pass to his five-year-old nephew. Seeing as he was so young, Ghazi would be forced to name a regent to rule over hisnds. Naturally, the boy would name his father. This meant that for the next eleven years, Berengar would be the de facto ruler over the Sultanate of Al-Andalus and the German Empire.

 Chapter 674 - All Hell Breaks Loose

    Chapter 674 - All Hell Breaks Loose


    Yasmin stood in disbelief as she read the contents of a transcript that had arrived from her homnd. The telegraph was short, but its contents were enough to overwhelm the Moorish princess.


    "The Sultan is dead. His army was ambushed in Moro. There are no survivors."


    Tears streamed from the women''s amber eyes and affected the ink that stained the page. She always knew her brother would get himself killed in some vain pursuit of glory, but she did not expect it to happen so soon. Berengar was in the room,tching his arms around the woman''s waist as he tried tofort her.


    "I''m sorry Yas, I don''t know what to say, even I didn''t think he would die so soon... What the hell was he thinking?"


    The woman in mourning did not have an answer to Berengar''s question. What was he thinking, indeed? While Yasmin was grieving for losing her brother, Berengar had more important things to worry about.


    Initially, he nned to bring Adelbrand to his side in Kufstein and have the manmand his forces as the second highest ranking official in the German Empire. However, that was no longer an option. The Sultan of Al Andalus had gotten himself killed in a foreign country while his realm was already facing an unprecedented state of instability.


    Iberia had only recently been unified under his rule, and because of this, there were many in the region who wished to return the days of Catholic Kingdoms. Hasan had left no male heir, and since women could not rule in the country, the crown would naturally fall to his nephew, a five-year-old boy living in a foreign country thousands of miles away. Of course, Ghazi was incapable of ruling the realm, and because of this, it would soon fall into anarchy unless Berengar acted immediately.


    Ultimately, he was forced into a difficult dilemma,fort his wife during her grief, or take immediate action and salvage the situation to his favor. Though Berengar loved Yasmin, and wanted to support her in her time of need, like she had done for him so many times before. He was an emperor first, and the lives of millions of people were at stake. He held the woman firmly in his hands before kissing her on the forehead.


    "Yas, I am so sorry. I know this is not fair to you, but I have to go. If I do not act now, Iberia will descend into anarchy, and millions of lives will be affected. Your brother and I have worked too hard and shed too much blood to allow something like that to happen. I only hope that after this is all over, you can forgive me for not being by your side when you needed me."


    After saying this, Berengar left without saying another word, for if he waited for Yasmin''s response, he would be stuck in this room,forting her while a nation copsed. The woman could only cry as her man walked past her and abandoned her when she needed him most. Linde was already waiting for Berengar with a report in her hand as she saw him exit the room.


    "With the deaths of Granada''s first division, we have little in terms of assets that are in the area who can defend the region. I have already given orders on your behalf to scramble the Army, and deploy the Third and Fifth divisions to Iberia. However, it will take at the very least a week to deploy the men to the region.


    In the meantime, the five thousand peacekeepers we have stationed in the region are the only thing standing in the way of absolute anarchy. For the record, Adelbrand has already been informed and is on his way to the war room as we speak."


    Berengar took all the information into his mind and immediately assembled his game n. He needed to act quickly or all of his efforts in the Iberian theater since he had reincarnated into this world would copse. He quickly gave Linde a few orders as they walked through the halls of the Royal Pce at a brisk pace.


    "Get the other girls to look after Yasmin. She is hysterical right now, and I don''t know how she will react to the news of her Brother''s death. Inform the Colonial governors about what has happened and tell them to be on alert.


    As for the five thousand peacekeepers in Iberia, tell them to maintain a strong military presence in the capital of Granada. Order them to rally whatever is left of Hasan''s forces in the region, and protect the Capital until our forces can arrive.


    Make sure Imperial Intelligence prevents word of Hasan''s death from spreading across the world until my forces can arrive. I do not want those catholic bastards interfering in Iberia yet again!"


    Linde nodded her head in agreement before asking the question most important to her.


    "You''re going back there, aren''t you?"


    Berengar did not hesitate to nod his head in response.


    "Yes, Ghazi is the heir to Al-Andalus, and I will take him with me so that I can officially crown him as the Sultan. I will also dere my regency and leave control of the region to Adelbrand until a time where I can effectively rule it. The people of Al-Andalus need a man they both fear and respect in charge right now, and aside from me, the only other option is Adelbrand."


    Linde handed a dossier to Berengar about the ongoing situation. She had a stern expression on her face as she discussed the difficulties that lie ahead.


    "We can keep this information from reaching the Papacy, and the other Muslim states, for at most a month, but the Morans are bound to take advantage of this situation and cross the strait of Gibraltar. We have a single battalion of men stationed in Gibraltar to protect our im, and a few naval vessels. It won''t be enough to hold the enemy back should they cross en masse."


    Berengar knew exactly what Linde was referring to, but he refused to back down.


    "I will not surrender an inch of German y so long as I remain Kaiser, even if it is only temporary. Tell those boys that they are to defend Gibraltar until thest man. Should they do so, their families will be looked after for the rest of their days.


    Tell them that reinforcements are on the way, and they just need to hold out for a few days. If that doesn''t inspire the men, then inform them that any man caught abandoning his post will be considered a deserter and thus executed on the spot."


    After saying this Linde departed to do as instructed, and Berengar arrived at the war room of his pce, where he opened the doors to witness a variety of Generals and high-ranking officers present. They immediately saluted Berengar and cried out the words.


    "Hail victory!"


    Berengar immediately raised his hand to silence the men as he approached the table, which disyed a giant map and miniature forces in it.


    "Ate ease, inform me of the current situation. I have been briefed in summary, but I want to know in detail."


    Adelbrand immediately jumped forward and pointed towards the Ravine where Hasan was killed in days prior.


    "About four days ago, Hasan and his army crushed the Moran forces here. They quickly broke ranks after an initial exchange of fire and fled into this ravine. Hasan pursued them, thinking he would end the war by defeating the routing army, and was in turn trapped and encircled by the enemy. The Moran army used explosives to trigger a rockslide which wiped out over half of Andalusia''s First Division. In the battle, Hasan, as with the rest of his men, was KIA.


    We learned of this detail because Hasan and his army did not check in with the fleet that ferried them when they were supposed to. Because of this, the German Navy sent out a marine scoutpany to investigate where they found the scene of the battle. Hasan''s body has been recovered, but it is in rough shape.


    At the moment, it is believed that the Sultan of Moro Said al-Haqq is eying the strait of Gibraltar. Should he and his army cross, only a thousand men are in ce to prevent his advance further into Granada. They are requesting orders. How should we respond?"


    Berengar did not hesitate to inform the men of his decision.


    "I already have Linde onms rying my orders to Iberia. Our troops are being mobilized as we speak. Adelbrand, you and I will sail to the Strait of Gibraltar and stabilize the situation in Iberia. Assuming we have to engage the Moran army, we will annihte them in Gibraltar before marching our forces into the Capital of Granada.


    Once we arrive in the city, I will seat my son Ghazi on the throne, who will then dere me regent. After that has urred, he and I will stay in the region for some time until things settle down, where we will then return to the fathend, leaving you as governor in my stead. If that is all, then preparations need to be made! We have little time before all hell breaks loose!"


    With that said, the German War Machine rapidly assembled on a scale that they had not seen in years. The motto "Iberia must not fall!" became the slogan of the Third and Fifth Divisions as they deployed to the region.

 Chapter 675 - Defense of the Gibraltar Strait

    <h4>Chapter 675 - Defense of the Gibraltar Strait </h4>


    In the days following Hasan''s death, the Sultan of Moro sultan had moved his forces to the coastline of his territory. He had done this before Berengar and his forces discovered the truth about Hasan''s demise. Because of Al-Andlus'' defeat in Moro, the Iberian penins was now defended by a paltry sum of German forces. Most of these men were spread across the entire region and needed time to regroup. Said nned to take advantage of thisckluster defense by mounting an invasion of Granada.


    Said''s n was simple,nd his forces into Granada before the German reinforcements could arrive, and seize the southernmost portion of Iberia, connecting it to his sultanate. As for the Catholics in the North, he figured they would be happy to be free from the control of their current Muslim masters, and he had no desire to rule over them.


    Naturally Said stayed behind in Moro as he had an entire Kingdom''s affairs to manage. Because of this, he trusted his eldest son Baariq with leading the invasion. Of course, neither of the two men were aware of the near instantmunication between the German outposts in Iberia and the fathend. Because of this, they were quite shocked to see a small fleet of three Armored Frigates lined up in the Strait of Gibraltar.


    Until now, the Armored Frigates of the Imperial German Navy had not seen navalbat. Their responsibilities since their development had been to act as support to infantry by engaging in coastal bombardments. As well as ferrying troops between the fathend and the colonies.


    However, Moro was unknowingly about to demonstrate the fullbat capabilities of the Armored Frigates. The Sultan had gathered a hundred and fifty Moran ships for the purpose of invading Granada. the Moran Armada was a mixture of old galleys, carracks, caravels, and a new ss of warship they had developed to house cannons on their broadsides, much like the Catholic Kingdoms were in the process of developing.


    To Baariq, who stood at the helm of thergest vessel, this was supposed to be an easy victory. After all, he had a total of one hundred and fifty vessels at hismand. While the enemy only had three. It was his belief that no matter how advanced the German fleet was, they simply could not contend with his numerical advantage.


    Unfortunately, reality was different from what Baariq had expected. These German Armored Frigates had steel ted hulls that were immune to the weapons of the Moran navy and boasted a grand total of forty 21cm rifled breechloading cannons on each vessel. The high explosive shells that these guns fired were twice the size of what Berengar had recently developed for use in his army.


    An echo of gunfire resounded in the air, and the Sultan''s son gazed in horror as sixty shells barreled through the sky and towards his fleet. Roughly one third of the 21cm high explosive shells hit their targets, reducing them to nothing but smouldering driftwood.


    With such a mighty piece of artillery, the German sailors need only a single shell to sink a vessel. When the shells collided with their targets, the wooden ships of the Morrocan navy were sted into smithereens. What remained was quickly engulfed in mes, as the wood was treated with mmable substances. There were no survivors.


    In a single volley, Baariq had lost twenty ships, and all the men on them. However, in the next few seconds, another volley was fired from the three Irond Frigates, and with it another twenty vessels exploded upon impact, leaving nothing behind, especially not the lives of the crews, or the soldiers being ferried across.


    The massive losses he had suffered in the beginning stages of the battle astonished Baariq. However, he was adaptable and quickly shifted to a tactic filled with desperation. He ordered his vessels to sail to the coast as quickly as possible, so that they couldnd their forces on the beach, no longer daring to contend with the overwhelming firepower of the German Navy.


    With no other options avable to them, the Moran armada sailed as fast as possible towards the beach, desperate tond their troops on the shore. The German frigates did not cease their firing, and obliterated over half of the enemy vessels before they could get past their line of defense. Baariq felt his heart bleed as he realized how many men were on board those ships which had been now reduced to burning rubble.


    The first ship to sail past the Armored Frigates immediately opened fire with its broadside cannons, hoping to avenge the monumental losses that Moro had already suffered. However, the eyes of the Moran sailors nearly jumped out of their sockets as they witnessed the height of their folly.


    The sailors onboard the Moran ships gazed in astonishment as their cannonballs bounced off the hulls of the German Vessels. Just what were these ships made of? Steel? When the Moran sailors came to the realization that Germany had made a fleet of steel-d vessels, they immediately fell into despair. If this were true, then there was nobody in this world who could contend with the Reich on the seas. Absolute Naval Dominance was a frightening prospect, and yet their own eyes acted as witness to it.


    These men counted their lucky stars that there were only three german ships, or else they all would have been obliterated before reaching the shore. Still, they were happy to see when the German fleet did not pursue them. For the briefest of moments, the Moran sailors sighed in relief, foolishly believing that the most difficult moment of the battle had passed. That is, until they gazed upon the coastline of Gibraltar.


    Berengar was a man of refined culture. As a result, there were two specific battles from his past life that came to mind when considering how to protect the coasts of German territory. The Normandy Beachndings, and the Battle of Okinawa, which urred in two different theaters of the Second World War of his past life. Naturally, as a fan of the German and Japanese defenses in these battles, Berengar had established arge coastal defense filled with steel reinforced concrete bunkers, tunnels, trenches, and lots of barbed wire.


    The relief the Moran sailors had when they sailed past the German frigates was immediately reced with dread, as the men realized that the Concrete Bunkers held the same terrifying 21cm Naval Guns that had shredded their ships on the sea. Once the Moran ships were in sight, the coastal defenses bombarded them with powerful barrages. Unwilling to die with his ship, Baariq immediately gave the order to all of his men onboard his vessel when faced with such a terrifying barrage.


    "Abandon ship!"


    With these orders, thousands of men jumped off of their vessels and into the coastal waters, desperately trying not to drown as they swam ashore. Baariq in particr, was in a foul mood, as all the ck powder weapons they had prepared for their invasion were useless now that the bores of their weapons were filled with seawater.


    However, he did not have time toment this loss, as the moment the Moran appeared on the shore, a mixture of 40mm revolving cannons and mk2 Schmidt guns opened fire on them, their operators hidden behind the safety of reinforced concrete bunkers.


    Aside from the machine-gun nests fortified in the bunkers, there was a trench line on the hills above, where hundreds of german soldiers fired their G22 bolt action rifles towards the enemy. Baariq gazed in horror as the German defenders ruthlessly gunned down his men. Abination of bullets, 40mm shells, and mortar fire instantly shredded apart the bodies of those who were fortunate enough to make it to the beaches alive.


    Within minutes, his army had been reduced to a fraction of its size, and as a result, Baariq realized the hopelessness of the situation. His response was to pull out arge wooden nk that lie on the beach. Most likely the remains of one of his sailing vessel. He quickly tied a torn white sail to it and lifted this piece of driftwood into the air, using it as a makeshift white g while ordering his men to drop their weapons.


    "Drop your weapons and surrender! The invasion has failed!"


    Upon seeing the enemy surrender, the German soldiers ceased their fire, and dispatched their forces to take the survivors as prisoner. Of the tens of thousands of men who had sailed across the Strait of Gibraltar, less than three thousand remained alive. As for the Moran navy, it waspletely obliterated in the battle.


    The performance of the German Fleet, and the Coastal defenses that the Germans had erected in Gibraltar would act as a deterrence for any hostile power for years toe. It became immediately clear to the Western World that the Imperial German Navy was on another level, and could not be challenged on the seas.


    When Said learned of how swiftly his fleet was defeated, he would realize his folly, and he would be incredibly thankful to the German soldiers that they showed mercy to his son. This lesson in humility would cause the Moran sovereign to never again step on the tail feathers of the eagle. As a result, Said had surrendered any and all ims to Iberia.

 Chapter 676 - Long Live the Sultan

    <h4>Chapter 676 - Long Live the Sultan</h4>


    In the days that followed the disastrous Moran invasion of Granada, German Imperial Intelligence was working overtime, trying to conceal the extent of how chaotic Iberia had be. If the Papacy were to realize that Hasan was dead, they would immediately start trouble in the region.


    After all, though Hasan and Berengar had dered the end of Reconquista, the Church itself had not given up on their political ambitions in the region. They were merely buying their time and fostering dissent among the christians who lived there.


    In the following days, Berengar, Adelbrand, and the young boy, Ghazi, set sail for Iberia. They were quick to deploy, with a small amount of the Imperial Guard beside them. Though the Third and Fifth Divisions of the Imperial German Army would deploy to Iberia in theing weeks, Berengar needed to establish control as quickly as possible.


    For the young boy Ghazi who was not even five years old, this was the first time he had spent any significant time with his father. He was roughly three years old, and did not have the cognitive faculties to understand what was going on. Still, his father was taking him on a trip, and he was excited.


    The young boy gazed up at Berengar, who was dressed in a military uniform, and noticed that the two of them did not look very much alike. Berengar had pale skin and blue eyes, while ghazi had tan skin and amber eyes. The only simrity between the two of them was their blonde hair. He was much too young to understand theplexities of being a mixed-race child. Still, he felt a bit of pride in his heart. After all, his father had him dressed up in princely attire that bore the colors of Al-Andalus.


    Berengar had a stern expression on his face. He knew the dangers that he was walking into, with his young son by his side. Luckily, he had prepared a certain device for this particr asion. Since Berengar had not yet madebustion engines, he relied on animal power for his vehicles. As a result, he had designed and manufactured an armored stagecoach to act as protection for his son as they strolled into the capital. This armored stagecoach was equipped with a Schmidt mk 2 machine gun in case it came under fire.


    The German Emperor would also be relying on his forces present in the region to clear the streets beforehand, and ensure that everything was safe before he and his son marched to the Pce. Eventually the shipnded at the Gibraltar dockyard, where the Royal guard escorted Berengar, Adelbrand, and the boy Ghazi to the fortress where the Al-Andalusian host lie in wait for them. The region had been secured since the Moran invasion a few days prior. Despite this, Berengar kept a watchful eye, in case there was any trouble.


    The German Emperor led his son by the hand as the two of them entered the nearby fortress, which contained the highest ranking officer. The moment Berengar and Adelbrand arrived, they noticed a familiar face giving orders to his soldiers. Berengar was shocked to see that the man was alive and quickly called out to him with a wide smile on his face.


    "General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is it has been some time... It is good to see that you are still alive after everything that has happened."


    The Al-Andalusian General gazed over at Berengar with a bitter smile on his face. Things had been roughtely, and it showed on the lines of his skin. He was happy to see that his greatest ally hade to aid him in his time of need.


    "Indeed, it has. I just wish our reunion was on better terms. The Sultan is dead, and he has no living heir. Though we have tried to keep quiet about this news, it is only a matter of time before the Sultanate his majesty had worked so hard to buildes crashing down around us."


    It was at this moment that Ziyad noticed the little boy holding onto the Emperor''s hand. Though he had blonde hair, and german features, the tan skin, and amber eyes were a signature trait of the Al-Fadl family, and this immediately piqued the General''s interest.


    "Who is this boy?"


    A proud smile appeared on Berengar''s face as he informed the man of the boy''s identity.


    "This is Prince Ghazi Al-Fadl. He is my son with the Princess Yasmin. This boy is Hasan''s nephew and, by the right of session, is the new Sultan of Al-Andalus!"


    Truthfully Berengar was happy that the General was still alive, he had a good impression of the man, though he wasn''t as capable as the men by Berengar''s side, he was loyal to the Al-Fadl Dynasty, and was open to the ideas of reformation. He was also a decent enough general and was part of the reason that Granada did not fall to the Iberian Union during the early days of the war that Berengar had started. Of course, his impression of the man increased when the General lowered onto one knee and bowed his head to Ghazi.


    "I Ziyad Ibn Ya''is, swear my loyalty to you, young Sultan. So long as you have me by your side, I swear I shall allow no harm toe to you, and will help you with everything that you wish to aplish in this life."


    Ghazi was confused about what was happening, and looked up to his father for support. Berengar merely smiled, nodded his head, and petted the boy''s hair before informing him how to proceed.


    "ept it, Ziyad here is a good man, and a capable General, you will need his support in the future."


    In an immature voice, Ghazi nodded his head and smiled as he struggled to pronounce the words.


    "I ept your loyalty..."


    After introducing his son to the General, Berengar questioned the man about the ongoing situation.


    "With the First Division defeated in Moro, how many men do you have at your disposal, General?"


    Ziyad sighed heavily in disappointment as he heard these words before raising three fingers.


    "I have at most three thousand men beneath mymand. As per the orders we received from the Reich, they have been dispatched to Granada to secure the capital. Truth be told, I tried my best to get Hasan to focus on military expansion, but he was certain that his alliance with you was strong enough to drag the Reich into any defensive operation we required. Thus, he spent arge portion of the military budget on frivolities."


    Berengar understood the man''s pain. There were few things worse in this world than having ipetent and corrupt leadership, something he was all too familiar with from his past life. Hell, such a thing is ultimately what got him killed.


    However, the era of Hasan''s reign was over. From this day forward, Berengar would act as regent and help build Granada into a secondary power that he could rely on to aid him against his enemies. After taking some time to think, Berengar gave his orders to the nearest Germanms officer.


    "Inform the troops in the Capital to clear the streets and maintain a military presence for our arrival. There must be no signs of hostility in Granada before I am willing to march my son into the Pce. Once the path is cleared, we will enter the Pce and dere my son as the new Sultan. In doing so, I will be named regent until hees of age, and we will get to work stabilizing the region. There is much work to be done if we wish to save what we have all built here in Iberia."


    Thems were sent to the radiotelegraph that Berengar had established in the Granadan Royal Pce. From there, the orders were distributed to both the German peacekeeping forces and the surviving Granadan troops. After giving these orders to the men in the capital, Berengar issued further orders to the men on the Strait of Gibraltar.


    "Maintain control over this area. I will lead my Royal Guard towards Granada where we will seize control of the capital and inform the Sultanate of what has transpired. Soon, two divisions will arrive in the Iberia and they will work with Al-Andalusian forces to hunt down and eliminate any threat to the new Sultan.


    Once we have eliminated the dissidents and secured the region, these men will stay in Iberia until a time when you can raise a sufficient army to protect yourselves. From then on, we will withdraw our forces to a simr degree that existed before this tragedy urred. Are there any questions?"


    Ziyad had none and quickly saluted the Kaiser before shouting a war cry.


    "Long live the Sultan!"


    With this, the n was now in ce to begin a takeover of the Iberian Penins. Under Berengar''s regency, the realm would see new heights, and would be established as power that was only lesser to the likes of Germany, and Itami''s new Japanese Empire. Of course, it would be some time before Germany and Al-Andalus came across the rising power in the eastern world.

 Chapter 677 - Long May He Reign

    Chapter 677 - Long May He Reign


    In the following days Berengar, and his son Ghazi travelled from the coast of Gibraltar to the capital of Al-Andalus. They rode in an armored stagecoach, which was protected by members of the Imperial Guard. The caravan rode for some time before arriving in the city of Granada where both the remnants of the Granada Royal Army and the Imperial German Peacekeepers greeted them.


    The city''s streets had been cleared, and everyone who dwelled within its walls for forced to return to their homes for the time being. However, that did not stop men, women, and children from gazing out through their windows to see what important guest had arrived.


    After the armored stagecoach arrived at the Royal Pce of Al Andalus, Berengar stepped out of the vehicle, before helping his young son down so that he was by his side. Ghazi gazed with wide eyes as he witnessed the splendor of the Capital. Though it was far from the glory of Kufstein, it was significant in its own right.


    Truthfully, the boy had never left the pce since his birth, and now he was witnessing a foreign Empire on the other side of the continent. His young mind was flooded with excitement as he tried to run towards the massive pce, whoever he was quickly pulled back by his father, who lectured the boy with a stern expression on his face.


    "Ghazi, one day you will rule thisnd. However, at the moment, it is not safe for you to go running off by yourself. Stay by my side at all times, and do not speak out of turn..."


    Upon witnessing the intimidating appearance on his father''s face the bow lowered his head in submission and muttered in a voice so low Berengar almost missed it.


    "Yes... father..."


    After seeing the boy had be obedient, Berengar grabbed his son''s hand and led him into the Royal Pce of Al-Andalus, where the widows of thete sultan lie in wait for him. Hasan had been busy and had remarried after the loss of two of his wives who had previously conspired against him. Despite this, they did not give birth to a son, and instead, Hasan''s lineage was left with a bunch of young daughters. Women had no rights to inheritance in Al-Andalus, and because of this, the crown naturally fell to Ghazi who was the previous sultan''s nephew.


    These young girls gazed at Ghazi with curiosity as he strolled through the Pce''s entrance while holding his father''s hand. He was so young, and yet they knew he would be the next sultan. At least one of the girlsmented the fact that she had been born a female. Unlike Ghazi and his newborn sister, these were full-blooded Moorish girls, and because of this, their hair was as dark as their eyes. They did not share the mixed features that disyed the noble German heritage that Ghazi had.


    The servants of the Pce were quick to meet their new young master, who gazed upon the opulent, and exotic surroundings of what would one day be his new home. For now, the boy would spend some time in Granada and get to know the history of the region and its culture. However, he would return to Germany before long to live with his family, and one day soon start his education.


    Berengar led Ghazi to a room where he had the servants of the Pce dressed the boy in a ceremonial regalia. When he looked in the mirror, he was astonished to see the foreign clothing that adorned itself over his small body. He quickly called out to his father, questioning what was going on.


    "Father, why am I wearing this?"


    By now, Berengar had raided Hasan''s liquor cab and poured himself a drink. He had a tired expression on his face as he sipped from the fortified wine imported from the Reich.


    "Your Uncle Hasan has recently passed away. He died without leaving behind a proper heir. As the closest male rtive, you are now the new Sultan of Al-Andalus."


    Ghazi struggled toprehend everything his father was saying. He had heard the man call him the Sultan in previous conversations, but he had no idea what that meant, thus he quickly asked for rification.


    "What''s a Sultan?"


    Berengar merely smiled before giving the boy an answer.


    "The word Sultan is Arabic in origin. It essentially means monarch. King or Emperor would be the closest trantion in my native tongue. You are now a King, boy, though you are still too young to govern your realm. Because of this, you will have to choose a regent to manage the Kingdom''s affairs for you until you are old enough to take your rightful position."


    The boy pondered about this for several moments. He was still too young to properlyprehend everything his father was saying. He was about to ask what a regent was when his father wore a reassuring smile before cing his hand on the boy''s shoulder.


    "Ghazi, you don''t have to worry about the details. Just Leave everything to your old man. All I want for you is to grow up and live your life to the fullest. By the time you reach adulthood, you will understand your responsibilities. For now, just rx and treat this as a vacation."


    The kid nodded his head with an excited expression on his face before responding.


    "Okay, father..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled and patted the boy''s hair. In the next moment, a knock resounded on the door, and General Ziyad''s voice disrupted the wholesome moment.


    "Kaiser, everything is prepared. We are waiting on you and the young Sultan..."


    Berengar quickly finished the rest of his drink in a single gulp, before grabbing his son''s hand and leading him to the door. He left him a simple reminder as he informed the boy about what was going to happen.


    "You don''t need to say anything Ghazi, just sit still and wait for the ceremony to be over."


    The young boy nodded his head and wore a kind smile as the duo exited the door, and were led through the corridors by the Moorish General, who presented them to the Great Hall where Hasan''s gilded throne lie in wait for its new master.


    Berengar led his son up to the throne, and sat him upon it where Ghazi gazed around at the spectacr grand hall in wonder. There were many people gathered, nobles from all over. The German Imperial Guard and the Al-Andalusian Royal Guard united to protect the young child from any threat. Berengar stood proudly by the boy''s side, while Adelbrand and Ziyad took nking positions.


    As for the boy''s cousins and aunts, they were forefront at the gathered crowd, and gazed upon the young boy withplex expressions on their faces. It was ultimately General Ziyad who led the proceedings.


    "Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl is dead. During his campaign in Moro he was ambushed, along with his forces, and killed in action. Since he has left no male heirs of his own, by the right of session the Crown of Al-Andalus falls to his closest male rtive. Which is his nephew Ghazi Al-Fadl, son of Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, and Princess Yasmin Al-Fadl. Today we crown this boy as our King, and name his father Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein as Regent, until a time where the new Sultanes of age."


    After saying this, a servant brought forth a beautiful crown, and offered it to Ziyad who ced it upon Ghazi''s head.


    "I present to you, Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl, first of his name, long may he reign! Kneel before your new sovereign."


    The gathered noblemen were in shock to hear that the previous Sultan had died in Moro, it took them several seconds to realize that this information had been kept hidden from them, and the true sessor was already ced on the throne before they could conspire to control it. It had all happened so fast, and the only reason Berengar could ce his son on the throne so easily was because of the near-instantmunication that was a result of his radiotelegraphs.


    However, there was nothing they could do now short of assassinating a small child, and that was highly unlikely, the German Empire backed the new Sultan, whose Kaiser acted as the new regent. This meant the full might of Imperial Intelligence would be protecting the boy from anyone who conspired against him.


    Ultimately, even the most bitter of noblemen fell to one knee and bowed their heads to the new Sultan before repeating the words.


    "Long may he reign!"


    Under the regency of Berengar von Kufstein, Al-Andalus would see its political turmoil crushed, and the authority of the Crown strengthened. Berengar nned to do everything in his power to create a stable and prosperous empire for his son to inherit. After all, Hasan had left Al-Andalus in a terrible state, and many things needed to be fixed, if not overhauled entirely.


    With this, the political situation in Iberia had entered a new phase of stability. In theing days, German troops wouldnd on Iberian soil once more, where they, alongside Imperial Intelligence, would conduct a thorough sweep of rebellious entities, beginning an era of political purges not so different from the Spanish Inquisition of Berengar''s past life.

 Chapter 678 - Yes Maam!

    Chapter 678 - Yes Ma''am!


    Itami sighed heavily as she gazed upon the document in her hands. Her intelligence agents had reported that the rebels were amassing their forces. They nned tounch a strike against her homnd in an attempt to break the morale of her forces.


    It was an act of desperation on the rebels'' part. Having lost the Shimazu n as their supporters, the Rebel leader now intended to seize what remained of Itami''s family and hold them hostage in order to force her to surrender.


    How did Itamie by this information? One of her first acts when she initially came to power in this world was to establish a corps of spies recruited from all walks of life to engage in espionage and sabotage against her enemies. Using many of the same4r tactics that the Shinobi utilized in her past life, Itami gave these men and women the same title.


    No, they were not men and women who came from the ranks of peasants, d themselves in ck tights, and waged a secret war against the Samurai. That was a fictitious representation of the Shinobi. Who in actuality were nothing more than simple spies, albeit extremely effective at their craft.


    In fact, anyone could be a Shinobi, even a samurai. Ninjitsu was not some fabled martial art, but rather the name given to spy craft. For whatever reason, in her past life, the media in both America and Japan had greatly warped the perception of what a Shinobi actually was. It went so far that schools of fake martial arts calling themselves "ninjitsu" appeared across America. Though they had nothing to do with the actual historical practice.


    However, with the rise of an Imperial State, that Itami was in the process of reforming, she would need to create a modern intelligence agency. It was because of this that she had recently given the order to reform her so called "Shinobi Corps" into a dedicated and modern Intelligence Agency, whose headquarters were located in her capital.


    Modelled after the Kenpeitai from her past life, her new form of intelligence took the same name, and would coordinate as an entity of the military. Serving as both military police and intelligence for both the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. Obviously in this life, Itami did not wish to repeat the many crimes that the Kenpeitai were responsible for in her past life.


    Unlike Berengar, Itami did not see the rules of war as mere suggestions. She was truly dedicated to conducting war in the most civil way possible. As she recognized what her people had done across Asia, and did not want to repeat it. She was determined to build an Empire, that did not oppress its colonies, but incorporated them into society as productive members. Or so was her dream.


    The recent reports from her Kenpeitai showed she could not wait any longer to dispatch her forces. The fact of the matter was, she could not let her ancestral homnds fall. Luckily, enough time had passed that her newest weapons were not only approved for production, but five thousand of her soldiers were now equipped with them.


    This Brigade, which she named the First Brigade, would be more than enough to defend her homnd from the rebel army, while the rest of her troops were spread across her domain, protecting it from a secondary invasion.


    While Itami was considering how best to deploy her troops into the field, a young man approached her. This man wore a modern military uniform modeled after those worn by Imperial Japanese Soldiers during the Taisho Era of Itami''s past life. He was a handsome young man, only a few years older than Itami. He had long ck hair that was tied back into a ponytail and had a scar across his face that showed he was a battle-hardened veteran. The man spoke abruptly as he read from a letter that he had received.


    "Your highness, the leader of the rebels, M��ri Nobuhisa, has issued a decree. He is willing to stand down, and recognize your rule on one condition..."


    Itami averted her gaze from her map and red at her subordinate. There was a murderous aura in her eyes as she heard the name M��ri Nobuhisa. He was a man who was a supporter of the Ashikaga shogunate, and was loosely rted to the now defunct Imperial Family. He was quick to turn against Itami when she initially seized the position of Shogun and was responsible for the rebellion that followed her victory.


    If he was suing for peace now after everything he had done, then there were only two possibilities that came to mind. Either he had realized she was building terrifying new weapons that wouldpletely negate the numerical advantage that his forces possessed.


    Or, he was confident that he would seed in capturing Itami''s family, and was giving his demands in advance, unaware that Itami was already aware of his ns. Obviously, if he had the means to achieve an overwhelming victory against Itami, then he would note to the negotiating table. Thus, Itami forced herself to remain calm as she heard the condition. If she could end the rebellion peacefully, then she would take it.


    "You may speak Shiba-kun."


    The man named Shiba Kiyohiko cleared his throat before giving the Empress the demands of her most hated rival.


    "He requests you marry his eldest son, M��ri Nobuyuri... If you choose to do so, he will end his rebellion and allow you to reign as empress until a time where the son between you and Nobuyuries of age."


    Itami trembled with rage as she heard this demand. Was the man insane? She would never marry a man that was not of her choosing, especially not a young boy like Nobuyuri. She would feel dirty doing such a thing. Her hands shook as they rested on the hilt of her sword, causing it to rattle within the saya.


    As the de rattled in its scabbard, Itami broke out into madughter, like that of a woman who was about to go on a rampage. After she finally calmed town, a terrifying smile spread across her pink lips, as she muttered a single phrase under her breath.


    "Two can y that game..."


    By now Itami had redesigned the hilt and scabbard of her Katana to match those of a Type 94 Shin Gunto, which was the sword infamously wielded by Imperial Japanese Officers during the second world war. The de of the Shin Gunto was actually modelled after the earlier tachi, rather than the Katana, but Itami''s was different. Only the fittings of her de resembled the Type 94 Shin Gunto. The de itself was hand forged Katana using tamahagane steel. It had a defined Hamon, and a double bo-hi, making it have a very striking appearance.


    In a response to the Daimyo''s demands, Itami unsheathed her de, and chopped the letter in half. She then red fiercely at her advisor and gave him a decree.


    "I had initially nned to defend my homnd with the new First Brigade. However, it appears that such a thing is no longer advisable. If that bastard wants to capture my family and use them as a bargaining chip, then I suppose I shall do the same. I wonder who will first seed in the end?


    Shiba-kun, your orders are to lead the remainder of my army to my family''s territory and defend it until thest man. As for the First Brigade, I will lead them into the M��ri n''s territory and capture M��ri Nobuhisa''s family myself! I would love to see the face of that old bastard when he realizes I used his own shameless tactic against him!"


    Shiba Kiyohiko was terrified when he gazed upon the wrath in Itami''s blood-red eyes. So much so that he even stuttered a little as he tried to respond in affirmation of his orders.


    "Y...Yes Ma''am!"


    With that said, Itami dismissed her general, and gazed at the map she had sprawled out on top of arge table. She quickly adjusted the pieces which represented her army, sending ten thousand man to the territory of the Itami n, while sending another 5,000 straight towards the home of the M��ri n. While the rebels attacked her home, she would attack that which belonged to the Rebel leader. She doubted the man would still dare to fight against her when she held his family captive.


    This was how Itami intended to end the rebellion and solidify herself as the reigning empress of Japan. If she was victorious in these endeavors, then she could focus on the modernization of her army, and the future invasion of Hokkaido. The Ainu people would not stand a chance against her army once she marched into theirnds.


    It was a race against time to see who would seed in capturing the other''s family first. The Rebel leader M��ri Nobuhisa or the Self-Proimed Empress Itami Riyo. Only time would tell who would win in this battle of hostages.

 Chapter 679 - overcoming Grief

    Chapter 679 - oveing Grief


    Yasmin sat alone in one of the many bedrooms of the Imperial Pce of Germany, the shades were drawn over the windows whichpletely blocked out the sunlight from entering the room. Tears streamed down from her amber eyes and onto her cheeks, like small rivers. She wanted nothing more than to hug her husband and two children at this moment. However, the man had left her when she needed him most, and took their young son with him.


    A week had passed since the Princess of Al-Andalus heard that her brother had passed away. Though she wasn''t given the exact details, it was clear that he had gotten himself killed in Moro. For her entire life, Yasmin had looked after her brother, ensuring that he did not get into any trouble. She felt guilty over his death, believing that had she been by his side, advising him on matters of the State, then she could have convinced him not to act so recklessly.


    For the past week, Yasmin had done little more than cry and sleep. The care of her infant daughter was left up to her husband''s other wives, as she grieved the loss of her little brother. Though the other women attempted tofort her in Berengar''s absence, she had rejected their courtesy, and secluded herself in a bedroom.


    However, her personal solitude could notst forever. At this moment, the door to her room opened despite it being locked from the inside, and Linde forced her way inside. She had a tray of food on her hands, which included a variety of dishes that Yasminmonly enjoyed. There was also a pitcher of fresh milk and a couple of crystal sses. When Yasmin saw the intruder, she frowned beforeshing out at the redheaded beauty.


    "What are you doing here? I thought I requested to be alone..."


    Linde was not the slightest bit insulted by the Moorish Princess'' rudeness, and instead set down the tray of food on the bed, while pouring a ss of milk for the woman. She handed the ss cup over with a gentle expression on her face.


    "You need to eat. I can only imagine how you feel right now, but that is no reason to throw away your health..."


    Despite Linde''s kindness, Yasmin was skeptical of her behavior. The Moorish beauty had always kept a close eye on the veteran spymaster. She was well aware of the rtionship that Linde had with both Berengar and the other wives. Yasmin knew that whatever grace Linde was showing her would surely have ulterior motives behind it. Thus, she did not hold back her thoughts, and quickly voiced her cynicism.


    "What reason do you have to care so much about my well being? Surely you''re not just looking after me of your own good will..."


    The moment Linde heard this remark her caring facade came crumbling down, seeing that Yasmin was not epting her treat, she decided to drink the milk with the grace befitting of an Empress, her demeanor had shifted from that of a caring mother to a brilliant monarch.


    "You always were a sharp one... Very well, if you insist, I will cease my false pretense. After all, you have thoroughly disyed your indifference towards me and my girls."


    It was at this moment Yasmin interrupted Linde''s speech by chuckling briefly before firing back at the woman.


    "Your girls? I thought they were Berengar''s?"


    Linde responded to this with a slight giggle. She had an arrogant expression on her pretty face as she lectured Yasmin for her choice of words.


    "Of course, we are all Berengar''s girls, are we not? However, that doesn''t change the fact that he has put me in charge of his little harem. With the exception of you, since you don''t want to be a team yer. But I digress.


    You ask why I am helping you? Well, you are correct to assume that it is not just for your sake. Unlike the other women in Berengar''s life, who I deeply care for as my sisters. You are much more of an acquaintance who my husband married as a side piece for the sake of political convenience. Though he has some feelings towards you, probably more than the others, I don''t recognize you as one of my sisters. Hell, if I''m being honest, I care for Henrietta more than I do you.


    However, it is because of these feelings that Berengar has for you that I must ensure you deal with your grief in a healthy and natural manner. Staying cooped up in this darkness all day is no way to grieve the loss of your brother. If Berengar saw you in this state, he would be heartbroken. So, I have decided to help you, so that I may spare my husband some pain.


    So, you are going to eat everything on this te; you are going to drink all of this milk, then you are going to take a bath with me, ande out of this darkness, and integrate into our family the way you should have done years ago. The harem doesn''t just exist for Berengar''s pleasure; it is a sisterhood, where we support each other in our difficulties, even though we may bicker at times."


    Yasmin scoffed at this suggestion as she shifted her head so that she no longer met Linde''s fierce gaze. She responded with a coy attitude.


    "And if I refuse?"


    In response to this, Linde merely licked her lips as she gazed at Yasmin''s substantial bosom, and made a threatening gesture with her hands.


    "Then I am going to grope you until you admit defeat! We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, Yasmin!"


    Yasmin gazed at the lust filled expression on Linde''s lips and sighed heavily before agreeing to the woman''s request.


    "You are a weird one... Fine, I will do as you say."


    After saying this, the Moorish beauty dined on the food that had been prepared for her while washing it down with milk. Linde smiled when she saw Yasmin had done as she hadmanded. After the woman had finished all the food on her te, Linde approached her with a seductive smile and whispered in her ears.


    "Don''t you feel better now that you have had a delightful meal?"


    Yasmin brushed Linde''s advances off and stubbornly shook her head in silence. Though in truth she had to admit that Linde''s cooking had gotten better, the fact that the woman went to the lengths to prepare the meal herself rather than order the kitchen staff to do it was somewhat heart warming. Upon seeing the woman y hard to get, Linde grabbed hold of her dainty yet tanned hand and dragged her off to the bath. Yasmin cried out in shock as she realized what was happening.


    "We''re not really going to bathe together, are we?"


    Linde remained silent as she dragged the Moorish princess to the Royal Bathhouse that existed in The Imperial German Pce. The two women stripped off of their clothing before opening the door to therge pool that existed as the personal bath of the Imperial Family.


    Inside, Yasmin was shocked to see through the steam that Berengar''s other women were already present, and in the water, where they washed each other''s bodies. Henrietta was groping Ad''s chest, while rubbing it with soap, something that caused the young woman to be shy.


    "What are you doing, Henrietta? Stop this instant!"


    However, Henrietta did not stop, and instead mocked Ad for her petite size and considerably smaller bust.


    "Oh Ad, how is it that despite the women in our family all having substantial bosoms, you somehow have such small breasts?"


    Ad immediately felt ufortable as Henrietta tweaked her nipples. She quickly threw the girl aside and rushed into the deep end of the pool to avoid her.


    "I said that''s enough. Besides, I don''t have small breasts! I have C-Cups! That''s bigger than most women!"


    When Linde heard this, she called out to her oldest rival in an equally mocking tone.


    "Sure, you''re bigger than most women, but you still have the smallest bust of all of us!"


    Ad gazed around and noticed that Berengar''s harem were all extremely busty, with the smallest size besides her own being D Cups. She became dreadfully embarrassed and hid her face halfway under the water. Such a cute reaction caused the other girls tough at her. Honoria quickly called out to her, causing her to be even more flustered.


    "Ad, you are too cute. You are the same little girl I met all those years ago!"


    Ad immediately erupted in anger as she sshed the girls with the steaming bathwater.


    "Shut up, all of you!"


    Despite the outburst, all the women continued tough at Ad''s expense. When Yasmin gazed at this scene, she was astonished. Since when did these women get along so well? Had she really been neglecting the bonds between herself and Berengar''s other women all this time? Linde noticed the expression on Yasmin''s face and grabbed hold of her hand before leading her into the bath.


    "Come on, Yasmin, it is time to clean you up. I''ve been trying my best not to say this, but you really stink!"


    Yasmin blushed when she heard this before being led into the bath. For whatever reason, bing a part of such a friendly scene caused the grief in her heart to lessen. A slight smile curved itself upon her pretty lips as she bathed with Berengar''s harem. For the first time since she married Berengar, Yasmin finally understood what it meant to be part of the team.

 Chapter 680 - Resorting to Underhanded Tactics

    Chapter 680 - Resorting to Underhanded Tactics


    While Yasmin was oveing her grief with thepany of Berengar''s other women, the man himself was busy managing the Sultanate of Al-Andalus. The first thing that Berengar did upon seizing the position of Regent was establish the National Conscription Act forcing all men between the ages of eighteen to twenty-four to serve a minimum of two years in the newly reformed Andalusian Armed Forces.


    With the unification of Iberia under the reign of a single monarch, Berengar had to work hard to create a military system that integrated the various different cultures,nguages, and religions into the same army, one that could efficiently work together as brothers in arms against hostile forces. It would not be easy. He had to take into ount the Portuguesenguage, the various dialects of what would one day be the Spanishnguage, as well as the Arabic tongue.


    The integration of so manynguages into one army was already giving Berengar a headache, and he was just d that his own empire was ethnically, culturally, and linguistically homogenous. There were some slight dialectal differences in Germany, such as the Bavarian tongue, but such minor barriers could easily be ovee. This was not the case for Iberia.


    On top of the military conscription, Berengar had forced the refurbishment and sale of the remaining unconverted Berengar-ss sailing frigates to the Sultanate of Al-Andalus. A total of fifty vessels were to be sold to Al-Andalus in theing years. In honor of the previous sultan, these ships would be repainted and renamed as Hasan-ss frigates. This would make the Sultanate of Al-Andalus the second greatest Naval Power in the Mediterranean.


    Unlike the fathend, whose economy was robust and booming, allowing the crown to have a constant influx of funds to fuel their endeavors, Al-Andalus was devastated from years of warfare. It had never been given the time to fully introduce the agricultural and pre-industrial reforms that Berengar had given Hasan.


    When Berengar first gazed upon the ledgers of the Royal Pce, he was shocked to see just how many funds were embezzled by Hasan so he could continue to afford the luxurious products of the Reich. He was actually embarrassed by this stunning revtion, believing that Hasan''s death may have been the greatest thing to happen to the people of Iberia. He could not help but curse the man for his corruption.


    "Hasan, what the hell were you thinking? Those funds could have been used for agricultural and educational reforms, instead you wasted it on personal frivolities!"


    Standing by Berengar''s side as he enacted newws on behalf of the new Sultan was General Ziyad, who gazed at the ledgers in the same state of disbelief as Berengar. He had not been privy to this massive scandal. If he had been, he surely would have advised Hasan to use the money he spent more wisely.


    Though this technically wasn''t a crime, as Hasan had never advanced his realm beyond that of a feudal state, and because of this the Sultan could do whatever he wished with his nation''s treasury. It was still a monumental waste of resources in Berengar''s view. Though Berengar may live in a state of excess that few men in history have or ever will achieve. He had not spent a single thaler of taxpayer''s money on himself and his family, at least not since he advanced beyond a feudal realm.


    It was true that Berengar had used his feudal power to invest in the many major corporations that now dominated German trade, but that was the end of it. The personal wealth of the von Kufstein Dynasty came from having massive shares in major corporations such as the Gunther Merchant Company as well as personally owning a few corporations themselves, such as the Kufstein Armory, which was thergest and most prosperous arms corporation in the world. There was also the fact that Berengar owned the intellectual rights to all his inventions, which everypany in his empire relied upon for business.


    Berengar sighed heavily as he looked at the meager funds he had to work with in order to rebuild Al-Andalus from the state it had suffered from under its previous ruler. He quickly concluded the best way to do that was step by step. He would use what funds he had now to invest in the agricultural innovations he had given to Hasan years prior. After fully implementing such a thing across the realm, the profits would be meager, but enough to sustain development in other areas.


    It was with this in mind that Berengar signed a neww that would overhaul the agriculture of Iberia so that it resembled Austria prior to the invention of the steam engine. Berengar still had a stockpile of the old agricultural devices lying around that he could sell to Al-Andalusian farmers at a reduced price.


    When Ziyad saw this, he could not help but question if such a vast expense was really eptable.


    "Are we really going to spend such arge sum of money on agricultural improvements?"


    When Berengar heard this, he simply scoffed before responding to the man''s question.


    "Of course, agriculture is the basis of any functional civilization. The more food you produce, the more your people can eat. The more they can eat, the more healthy they will be. The more healthy they are, the longer they can work, the longer they can work, the more they can produce. Without a surplus of food, this Kingdom will never truly prosper. So we will invest in agricultural production, then when we have gained the profits from that, we will invest in the industry."


    Ziyad merely nodded his head in response. What Berengar said had made sense, and if he was just going to follow the route he had used to make Germany so sessful, then the man did not have anyints. He had no grand vision that Al-Andalus would ever rival the Reich, but under the regency of Berengar von Kufstein, the old general felt that Al-Andalus would most certainly be superior to its neighbors.


    Berengar gazed at the next document in his hand and sighed heavily before grabbing hold of his sk and taking a stiff drink. The report was from Imperial Intelligence, who had infiltrated a resistance movement in Northern Spain. With the announcement of Ghazi''s ascension to the role of Sultan, and Berengar''s appointment as regent. The Catholic Church was whipped up into a frenzy.


    For the papacy, this was the worst situation imaginable. Iberia, which they had long since sought to unite, and would have normally been a major backer of the Holy See, was nowpletely under control of their greatest enemy. As a result, the Papacy immediately diverted attention from the crusade in the Holy Land which had reached a stalemate, and funneled supplies into the hand of Iberian rebels.


    The fact of the matter was that there was simply no conceivable way to drive the German Army from the region, and because of this, the papacy hade up with a sinister alternative. They had one target, the new Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl. The Catholic church believed if they could assassinate the boy, then they could remove Berengar''s regency over Iberia.


    Upon uncovering this plot, Berengar was trembling with rage. If there was one thing in this world that Berengar would never tolerate, it was threats to his family. As a result, he had decided to send a message to the Pope and all of his followers across the world. With a sinister smile etched upon his lips, Berengar posed a question to the nearby general.


    "Ziyad... Tell me, are there any men in your army who are fanatical haters of the Catholic Church?"


    The man scoffed in response to this. Was there really a need to ask such a question? However, when realizing that Berengar was serious, he recovered his demeanor and nodded politely.


    "Of Course! Why? What did you have in mind?"


    Berengar did not exin in detail the malevolent plot he had conducted, instead he wore a terrifying smile as he gave the man an order.


    "I need you to assemble a list of candidates. I need one man to undertake a dangerous operation that will ultimately result in his death. If he seeds, he will be able to wipe out the college of cardinals in its entirety..."


    Ziyad raised his brow in confusion and horror as he heard what Berengar had in mind. His first thoughts unknowingly escaped his lips.


    "You have the means to achieve such a thing?"


    Berengar nodded his head slightly before revealing what he was thinking.


    "I do... It is a detestable method, but an effective one. Normally I would never ask a man to perform such a suicidal act, but the Papacy has gone too far. They are now targeting a member of my family, and I will not allow them to get away with even thinking about such action. The college of cardinals must die, and it must be an Andalusian who sends them to hell. Your orders are simple:pile a list of men who are ready and willing to give their life in martyrdom, and leave the rest to me."


    Ziyad bowed his head respectfully before responding in affirmation of his orders.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After saying this, he immediately got to work on finding the list of candidates for Berengar''s secret mission. Berengar, on the other hand, took another drink as he gazed off into the setting sun of the Granadan sky. A single phrase escaped his lips as he dwelled on what he was about to do.


    "I''m going to go to hell for this..."

 Chapter 681 - An Unexpected Attack

    <h4>Chapter 681 - An Unexpected Attack</h4>


    While Berengar was managing affairs in Granada, Pope Julius was in the midst of a heated conversation. Today was an important day. The College of Cardinals had gathered in Rome for a single purpose. To discuss the rise of a certain heretic and his regency in the disputed territory of Iberia.


    Invited to this meeting were members of the Iberian Church, who hade under pressure from the Sultanate of Al-Andalus now that Berengar was at its helm. Unlike in Germany, Berengar had not stripped the Iberian church of itsnd, wealth, and resources. Instead, he simply passedws requiring the Catholic Church to pay heavy taxes under the new Muslim dominated regime.


    Under the reign of the previous sultan, the Muslims had not bothered picking a fight with the Catholics whom they had conquered, and opted for a route of peacefulpromise. This did not work out well for the Hasan, whosex attitude towards his Catholics subjects had caused fierce resistance both in peaceful protests and in violent uprising. These uprisings were now in full effect with Hasan''s death, and the ascension of the boy Ghazi to the throne of a united Iberia.


    Unsurprisingly, the Catholic Church was the culprit behind this rebellious movement. However, there was one major point of contention among the men gathered in this room, and a man representing the Anglo-Saxon Church was quick to voice his objection.


    "Our forces in the holynd require gunpowder if they are to defeat the heretics and their Saracen allies. We can not afford to be shipping what little ck powder we have to Iberia in the hope that the locals can sessfully resist a German upation. We never expected Berengar the ursed to detonate the saltpeter mine, and because of this action, we have to rely on trade routes from the east.


    Our current trade routes cross through the Golden Horde and we are forced to pay a heavy price for this saltpeter. If we wish to supply the Iberian rebels, then we need to search for new trade routes to India! We simply can not import enough saltpeter through our current methods to make the ck powder required for two wars!"


    Julius nodded his head in agreement with this statement. They were paying a heavy price to import their current saltpeter supplies. The Golden Horde had charged a king''s ransom when they realized that the Catholic Kingdoms were bing increasingly reliant on the saltpeter trade. Of course, since the Papacy had no other alternative sources, now that Berengar had destroyed one of the few natural saltpeter deposits in Europe, they had no choice but to pay whatever price the Golden Horde requested.


    The Pope merely rested his head in the palm of his hand. He could not believe how quickly Berengar had risen to power. He knew in his heart that his eventual crusade for Germany would be a ughter, but if the Church sat back and did nothing, then they would lose all influence over the Catholic Kingdoms.


    What he needed was a victory in the holynd, to fill the crusaders with the morale necessary to march them into German borders. Julius had heard rumors of the border defenses that Berengar had established around Germany and was terrified at the prospect of challenging them. Only by convincing his men that God was truly on their side would these men be willing to so suicidally charge against such extensive fortifications.


    However, if he wanted the slightest chance at victory, his men needed to be equipped with muskets, and for that, they needed a bigger saltpeter supply. Thus, he quickly announced his approval of this n.


    "With the way to India blocked by the Byzantine and Timurid empires, it is imperative that we discover new trade routes to the east. Especially if this next generation of warfare is reliant on ck powder. Since all of our efforts to investigate Germany''s methods of procurement have been met with failure, we have no choice but to seek out alternatives.


    Send out word to all explorers. The Papacy will fund their expeditions in search of new trade routes to the east. I will grant anyone who discovers an alternative route to India a substantial fortune."


    The Cardinals all agreed with this course of action, and did not speak up in objection. Seeing that this new motion had carried, the Pope sighed heavily before discussing the other major point of contention that needed to be said.


    "How goes the n to assassinate the new Sultan? Are the rebels in a position to strike?"


    It was at this moment that a representative from the Iberian Church spoke up on the matter.


    "We have supplied them with weapons and training. The n is to start a riot among the people, and use that as a means to sneak into the Royal Pce. After all, the forces of Granada and Germany are severely depleted right now. Berengar will be forced to send what little soldiers he has to stop the chaos in the capital. Then our assassin will shoot the child dead. A despicable deed, but a necessary one."


    Pope Julius had a mad look in his eyes as he smiled upon hearing this news. For too long, he had suffered at the hands of Berengar. The heretic was always one step ahead of him and had always yed him like a fiddle. No longer would that be the case. In his temporary insanity, Julius voiced his true thoughts aloud in front of all the Cardinals.


    "Finally, you will pay the price for your affront to God. Berengar the ursed, for your defiance, you shall lose your son!"


    It was only after Julius had said this that a member of the Iberian delegation stood up from his spot. It appeared as if he had something to say. The man was a curious one. He had the light skin of a Spaniard, but the swarthy features of a moor. Until now, he had gone totally unnoticed. Everyone looked at him with confusion in their eyes. That is until he tore off his robe to reveal a chest rig and a bandolier which contained a substantial amount of dynamite wired to a handheld detonator. The man in question spoke in the Arabic tongue as he screamed the words.


    "Long Live the Sultan!"


    Before anyone could stop him, he pressed the detonator, which ignited the two dozen pounds of TNT he had strapped to his chest. The result was a total massacre. The entire college of cardinals was shredded to pieces in the explosive st.


    Despite this sudden attack, a single man survived the explosion. This man was Pope Julius himself. If one were to see Julius right now, it would convince them the grace of God spared him. Julius could only gaze in disbelief as the bedrock that formed Papal Power in this world was sted into mincemeat before his very eyes.


    He then shifted his gaze and noticed that his white robes were not the slightest bit stained in gore as he witnessed a golden light fade away from his personage. In that moment, the Pope lost control of his legs and fell to his knees as he spoke his words of prayer to the lord God almighty. Frightened to the core of his being over what had just transpired.


    The explosion had rocked the seat of Papal Power, and the guards of the Pope quickly rushed to the scene, where they witnessed a gory sight. Despite the many bodies that had been blown to pieces, the Pope was perfectly unscathed, as he stared towards the heavens above while speaking in tongues.


    Everyone besides him had perished in the attack, an attack which they were not expecting. It was truly a miracle that anyone survived this mess. The words the suicide bomber had spoken resounded in the pope''s mind over and over again while his guards gazed at him in awe.


    "Long live the Sultan! Long Live the Sultan!"


    As if reaching sudden divine inspiration, Julius cursed out the name of the culprit he knew in his heart to be responsible for this atrocity.


    "BERENGAR!!!!!!"


    News of this attack would make its way to the fathend almost immediately after being carried out. The German Reformation would use this incident in propaganda against the Catholic Church. The exact words they would use would describe the scene as a divine intervention against a demonic n to assassinate the young boy Ghazi who had rightfully seeded his uncle in the throne of Al-Andalus. God Smites the Wicked would be the major headline in all the Reich''s newspapers in the days following this attack.


    As for the Catholic Church itself, they would paint this event in a very different light. God Saves the Pope from the wicked would be the propaganda that would make its way across the Catholic World. Every true believer would see Al-Andalus, and the German Empire, as their most heinous of enemies. Naturally Berengar would deflect the me, stating he had nothing to do with the attack, and to insinuate it was nder.


    Ultimately, this conflict would only be resolved with bloodshed. However, one thing was certain: those who knew about the n to assassinate Ghazi would think twice before entertaining the idea of harming a member of Berengar''s family. Lest they suffer a simr tragedy. As for the Pope himself, he was now more determined than ever to kill Berengar''s son.

 Chapter 682 - Political Purges in lberia

    <h4>Chapter 682 - Political Purges in lberia</h4>


    Berengar gazed at a report which had been set upon the desk he was using while he was acting as the Regent of Al-Andalus. The attack on the college of cardinals had been a sess, still he did not anticipate his suicide bomber to strike while the Pope was in the room. Nor did he believe anyone would survive the explosion.


    While the German Newspapers reported it as an act of divine vengeance upon the wicked souls of the Papacy, it made no mention of a Moorish suicide bomber who had heroically given his life to send a message to the Catholic World.


    Instead, the paper made it abundantly clear that the Papacy was nning to assassinate the three-year-old child, Ghazi Al-Fadl. All forms of evidence gathered by Imperial Intelligence supported these ims. Berengar read through the papers that were being issued from in the fathend, with a wide smile on his face.


    He could practically hear the song "what a wonderful world" in his mind as he carefully studied each line of text within the paper. He knew full well what was urring across Iberia as he sat back and rxed while humming the tune.


    ---


    In Toledo, a young girl, no older than seventeen, was rushing through the streets, no longer caring about what anyone thought about her frantic state. She forced her way through the crowds at the dismay of the many of the men who were walking through the streets. If she wasn''t such a pretty young woman, then perhaps they would scold her for her reckless actions.


    This girl was a diehard catholic and worked as a page for the local mayor who acted on behalf of the new regime. However, she had abandoned her duties and headed to the slums of the city after hearing thetest report from the soldiers of the garrison. She quickly rushed to the headquarters of the rebel group she was secretly a part of to warn them about the uing raid.


    However, the closer she got to her destination, the more she witnessed smoke rising from the building where her allies hid. The sounds of gunshots rippled through the air. Causing her to run faster than she had ever done before. A single thought entered her mind as shemented her poor speed and athleticism.


    Am I toote?


    When she turned finally around the corner, her worst fears were realized. Several men and women were being led out of theplex while bound in chains. They were being closely guarded by the heavily armed German troops, who poked and prodded the captives with their bays while jeering at them.


    "Catholic scum! You dare conspire against the Kaiser''s son! You''re nothing but filthy savages!"


    "Now you will learn the wrath of the Reich!"


    "How evil must you be to target a three-year-old child! You will be shown no mercy for your crimes!"


    The German soldiers were ruthless in their taunts, as they led the prisoners into the middle of the street. Plenty of onlookers had gathered to witness the scene. Completely unaware of what the Germans had nned for these rebels. After leaving a serious of cuts on the prisoners, the captain in charge of the Company that was used to ambush the rebels in their own homes raised his hand in the air, and gave the order.


    "Quit fucking with the prisoners. You know your orders. There is no reason to waste anymore time!"


    The German soldiers were quick to fall in line as they raised their G22 Bolt action rifles and pointed them at the captives. With themands issued by the captain, the German soldiers squeezed their triggers, and sent their .45-70 projectiles down range and into the torsos of the rebels, executing them on the spot.


    The girl gazed in horror as she witnessed her friends and family so ruthlessly gunned down in the street. It was as if the world had slowed down when she saw the bodies copse to the wayside with lifeless expressions on their faces. Words could not express the guilt she felt in her heart at that moment. If she had just been a few minutes quicker, then perhaps she could have saved herrades.


    Unfortunately, reality was cruel, and there was nothing she could do now. She just wanted to find a quiet ce to die alone. As such horrendous thoughts flooded her mind, a firm hand gripped her shoulder. The girl quickly turned around to see a German officer in a trench coat smile fiercely at her. He spoke in the local dialect, albeit very poorly as he stared the young girl in the eyes.


    "Mar��a Rosa, I presume? Curious isn''t it? As far as our records show, you should be at the Mayor''s office right now. Do you mind exining to me why you havee to this rebel safe house? After all, these men and women were nning to assassinate the young sultan and it would be a pity if you were involved with them..."


    The young woman was defiant as she refused to answer. She knew the German Officer was lying. Though she was part of a rebel cell, they were not nning to assassinate the Sultan. Perhaps there were some other groups out there with such bold ideals, but she and herrades weren''t associated with them.


    This group that had been so mercilessly gunned down in the streets of Toledo were not violent revolutionaries, but the peaceful resistance against German upation, and the unification of Spanish territories under the banner of the Moors.


    They were rebellious in spirit, but not armed insurgents. To lump them in with more extreme groups was just a tactic the overlords were using to get rid of them all. Upon seeing that her friends were dead, the young woman, whose pretty face was filled with tears, found her resolve and spat on the German Officer''s cheek before expressing her ideals.


    "Go to hell, you German bastard!"


    The officer sighed heavily before wiping the spit off his face with a handkerchief. After doing so, he pulled out his revolver, pointed it at the girl''s forehead and pulled the trigger, ending her life on the spot.


    After killing the girl, the officer sighed once more before he shook his head.


    "Such a pity. She was really quite beautiful. It is such a waste that she chose to die with her friends..."


    After saying this, the officer called out to thepany of soldiers who had eliminated the rebels in this region.


    "What are you bastards dawdling for? There are more cells in this city, and we have our orders. Get to work!"


    After saying this, the infantrypany reloaded their weapons before running off to the next area that Intelligence had marked for them.


    ---


    On the other side of the continent in Portugal, a young German Jaeger held his rifle in his hands. He hade under fire after kicking down the door to a suspected Rebel safe house. Over the past few years, Portugal had been reduced to a state of nationwide insurgency. After the warlords domains were crushed and brought into the fold by Hasan''s forces, the people broke out in rebellion.


    This man had spent his entire military career operating beside the Andalusian Royal Guard, previously known as the Granadan Royal Guard, in gendarmerie operations. By now, he was used to kicking down doors and getting shot at.


    As per usual, the Portuguese resistance was stiff, supplied by papacy with matchlock weaponry. It had be quitemon to face gun fire the moment one entered a building. Luckily, these insurgentscked repeating fire, or his job would be a lot more dangerous.


    The moment he had entered the building, a lead ball struck his body armor. The ceramic te easily absorbed the projectile, though it still hurt like hell. Despite this pain he was suffering, the Jaeger raised his rifle and fired a shot directly into the man''s chest, before rapidly reloading his weapon and firing another in the dying man''s head. A nearby Jaeger quickly checked on the man''s condition while the other members of his squad cleared the rest of the building.


    "Fritz, are you alright?"


    The man named Fritz nodded his head in response, albeit with a painful expression on his face.


    "I''m fine. He got me on the te. Keep going, I''ll be right behind you!"


    The man quickly nodded his head, and rushed into the building, clearing the area alongside the other Jaegers with perfect synergy. These men had been through enough urban warfare to know how to properly clear a building by now.


    Quickly, the men entered a room where another gunshot echoed in the air. This time, the projectile missed the three men entirely. In retaliation the Jaegers fired a volley of projectiles into the room and towards the plume of smoke responsible for the previous shot. The bullets of the soldiers mercilessly shredded whoever was wielding the matchlock.


    The soldiers quickly reloaded their weapons before checking the room for other hostiles. There was nobody else in the room, however. The wielder of the firearm was a young boy, no older than eight. Despite this, the German Jaegers did not care in the slightest. They had killed many children over the past few years.


    For whatever reason the Portuguese parents would arm boys and girls with weapons and instruct them to fire on German and Andalusian fireteams, it had caused quite a few casualties among the German and Andalusian forces, as few men were cold-hearted enough to pull the trigger on young children. Over time, though, the soldiers who dealt with this brutal urban warfare had be callous.


    By now, killing children was asmon as killing men, and they considered anyone armed to be an enemybatant. They did not worry about how old their victims were. An enemy deserved no mercy. By taking up arms, these child insurgents had be a threat and needed to be neutralized.


    Shortly after this exchange of gunfire, the building was cleared, and the German Jaegers did not waste anymore time. They regrouped with the rest of their unit and continued to kick down doors throughout the small vige.


    If the Pope were to have his way, all of Iberia would turn into a hotbed for urban warfare. Something the German soldiers dreaded. Thus, while Berengar was busy enacting reforms across Iberia that would help aid in prosperity, his soldiers were purging political dissidents in the tens of thousands.

 Chapter 683 - Fleeing the Empire

    <h4>Chapter 683 - Fleeing the Empire </h4>


    Night fell over the clear Indian sky, a full moon apanied by a sea of stars illuminated the capital of the Anangpur Empire as two siblings met in secret. The Princess of the Empire, Priya Tomara, lies sickly in her bed. Over the past year, her condition had grown substantially worse, to the point that she was now bedridden.


    Her brother Dharya, the Emperor, was nothing more than a puppet to his uncle''s whims, and try as he might to build a loyal faction that could help him overthrow his regent, he had utterly failed in doing so. Now, with his sister on the brink of the death, the boy was filled with despair.


    "I''m sorry Priya. I don''t know what is wrong with you. Not even the court physician understands why your health is failing. There is nothing I can do but sit here by your side..."


    The girl had a weak voice as she tried to rise from her lying position. Despite her best attempts, she was too feeble to properly sit up without support. Ultimately, she coughed, before speaking the words on her mind.


    "It is I who am sorry dear brother, it appears my time hase and I can no longer keep youpany... I only ask one thing of you before I pass from this world... Can you please take me to the Kingdom in the west that you spoke of? I know it is a lot to ask, but I wish to see the Grand City of Kufstein with my own eyes before I enter the cycle of reincarnation once more!"


    Dharya bit his lower lip in distress as he heard this request from his beloved little sister. With the girl''s current condition, he did not believe she would survive the trip. Still, it was her dying wish, and he wanted nothing more than to make the girl''s dreame true. With a heavy sigh, he nodded his head before agreeing to the girl''s request.


    "Alright... I will take you to Austria. If it is thest thing I do, I will fulfill your wish!"


    As if the heavens were answering his prayers, a knock resounded on the door, with the voice of his cousin appearing from behind the door.


    "Dharya, open the door right now. I have something urgent to talk to you about, it concerns the princess..."


    Shocked by this news, Dharya quickly opened the door to reveal his older cousin Ishwar. The man carefully searched his surroundings before forcing his way inside and bolting the door behind him. He had a panicked expression on his face as he held a scroll in his hands. Dharya was curious why the man was acting so strange and quickly prodded him for an answer.


    "Dharya, why do you look like you have just run a mile?"


    The man was panting heavily as he scolded the little brat for making fun of him.


    "Do you have any idea what I have been through this past hour?"


    After saying this, the man shook his head before calming his nerves and informing the Emperor of what he had found out.


    "Dharya, my father plots against you. I overheard him speaking with one of his ministers. The reason your sister''s health is failing is because he is poisoning her. He has been doing it for quite some time."


    This news shocked the boy Emperor. However, his fists quickly trembled as he felt like killing his uncle on the spot. He lunged for the door but was quickly stopped by his cousin, who thrust the scroll into the boy''s hands.


    "Dharya, calm down! Take a deep breath and listen to me! My father is convinced that your sister is part of an ancient prophesy that foretells the end of our civilization. It is utter madness, but he desires to kill her before she can summon a warlord from the west who will invade ournds and subject us all to a thousand years of darkness. The madman has actually convinced your entire court to act against your sister. I''m here to get the two of you to safety. If he''s willing to kill Priya, then what will he do to you?"


    Dharya read the scroll. It was cryptic and ancient. He did not know how the man could believe that Priya was the princess foretold to bring the Anangpur Empire''s destruction. However, the thing that concerned him most was Ishwar''s behavior. Was the man leading him into a trap? He had to investigate this matter further.


    "Why are you helping me? Shouldn''t you be siding with your father?"


    Ishwar appeared to be offended by the question, however he did not get upset, or even defensive, instead he wore a bitter smile as he revealed his reasons for betraying his father''s ambitions.


    "Dharya, we are family. I have grown up looking after the two of you as if you are my own siblings. My father is driven by greed. I have known it for a long time, but I ignored it because he was not doing any harm to you, or Priya, and you are still a child who is not capable of ruling ournds. However, what I have just learned changes everything.


    The fact that my father is willing to resort to poisoning his niece in order to maintain the power he has gained proves to me that he has long since abandoned his humanity. I will not sit idly by while the two of you are killed off as sacrificial pawns. None of that is important now. What matters is that we get you to safety. Come, I will help carry your sister. I have already arranged for you to travel to the German Empire in secret.


    It is the only ce I can think of that is powerful enough to protect you from my father''s wrath and is far enough out of his sight that his agents can''t get to you. When you arrive in the Reich, tell the Kaiser that I have sent you, and inform him of your circumstances. I am certain he will help you."


    Dharya was unaware that Austria had formed into an empire and had many questions about this topic. He quickly protested, speaking to his cousin about his sister''s dream to visit Kufstein.


    "What? No! Priya wants to visit Kufstein. What even is this German Empire?"


    This question stunned Ishwar, who was just now learning of the ignorance that the Emperor lived in all this time. He sighed heavily before educating his cousin on matters of international politics.


    "Kufstein is the Capital of the German Empire. Over a year ago, the Kingdom of Austria united the German people into arge Empire. The fact that my father has not made you aware of this major event shows his true schemes. I must get you to safety quickly."


    After saying this, the young man grabbed hold of the sickly girl and wrapped her in a nket. He wore a pitiful smile on his face as he informed the girl that he was granting her request.


    "Come Priya, I''m going to make sure you and your brother visit Kufstein. You will be going on a long vacation for a while, and I''m afraid we won''t see each other for many years..."


    The girl merely smiled. Despite being close to death, she simply nodded her head and responded with thanks.


    "Thank you, cousin Ishwar!"


    The trio fled through the halls of the pce in silence. Luckily, Ishwar had already calcted the routes of the patrols and knew the best ways out of the building. Once they had seeded in sneaking out of the pce, Ishwar led the two kids to a merchant caravan, where he covertly ced them inside a wagon. After doing so, he bade them farewell.


    "You two need to behave and, most importantly, whatever you do, you cannot tell anyone who you really are until you meet with Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein in person. Only the merchant in charge of this caravan knows your true identity, and he has been paid a handsome sum to keep it a secret. As far as anyone else is concerned, you are his children. Don''t worry, I will work hard while you are away so that when you finally return to your homnd, you can take your rightful ce as the Emperor!"


    Dharya had tears in his eyes as he thanked his cousin onest time before parting ways.


    "Thank you Ishwar, you have no idea how much I appreciate your help. I promise, when I am big and strong, I will return to the Anangpur Empire and reim my throne from my uncle. You have shown me the value of family with this act of kindness!"


    With that said, the cousins parted ways, and before long, the Merchant Caravan had set off on a long and perilous journey to the Empire in the West. Without the poison regrly being administered into the girls'' system, Priya would begin to recover from her feeble state, but it would be a difficult path for the girl to bear. Had Ishwar waited another day to enact this n, the girl would likely be doomed to death.

 Chapter 684 - An Average Day While the Kasier is Away

    <h4>Chapter 684 - An Average Day While the Kasier is Away</h4>


    "No! Stop it!"


    Are the words that echoed through the halls of the Imperial Pce of Germany. Not many knew of the debauchery that wasmonly practiced among Berengar and his harem. Let alone what transpired between the girls while their lover was away on international business. However, just because people were unaware of the scandalous activity that went on in the Imperial Family, does not mean that it did not exist.


    At the moment Princess Henrietta had pinned down her cousin on the king-size mattress contained within the royal bedchamber. Ad had been particrly standoffish as ofte, what with Linde paying attention to Yasmin. As a result, Henrietta had decided to give her precious cousin somefort. Of course, Ad was shy and reserved as she normally was. Despite Ad''s cries of protest, she did not shove Henrietta away. Instead, she spasmed in pleasure as the girl licked away at herher regions.


    A pretty smile was on Henrietta''s puffy pink lips as she halted her activities and teased the tiny bud of her cousin with her fingers. While messaging the woman''s clit, Henrietta whispered into her ear something that caused her victim to flush in embarrassment.


    "You say that, but I don''t see you resisting!"


    Before Ad could formte a proper response, Henrietta assaulted her lips with her own, and struck with her tongue, wrapping it around her cousin''s as if the two appendages were soul mates. While engaging in her offensive operation, Henrietta inserted a finger, and then two, into Ad''s moist cavern.


    Ad had long since lost her prudish nature, and instead had her innocence corrupted by Berengar''s influence, to the point where she nowmonly found herself in the arms of another woman whenever her husband was at war. Of course, this had always been an activity she exclusively shared with her so called "mommy" Linde, never before had Henrietta approached her outside of group activities.


    Upon seeing that Ad was at the height of her pleasure, Henrietta withdrew her fingers and licked them seductively before rubbing her puffy lower lips alongside Ad''s. The Princess of Germany ground her hips into the Empress slowly at first. However, as time passed, the momentum picked up and the two girls found themselves in another realm beyond this mortal ne. The dynamic duo of busty blonde bombshells moaned in pleasure as they scissored each other''s slits with much enthusiasm.


    While the two were engaged in their amours delights, Ad sat up and adjusted her position so that she could suckle on Henrietta''s teats. The girl had given birth to her brother''s child a few months prior, and now her cousin was stealing the milk that belonged to her baby boy. Not that she minded, she could always produce more. Henrietta merely smiled as she goaded the girl on.


    "Good girl, drink my milk. It''ll make you grow big and strong..."


    Ad flushed with embarrassment as she heard these words, grow big and strong? She was already an adult. It was not her fault she was so much smaller than the other women, seriously what had these girls been fed to grow so big? Despite her embarrassment, Ad did not stop suckling at Henrietta''s breasts. She even pushed the two of them together and sucked both nipples at the same time.


    Such a sensation caused Henrietta to climax on the spot, spraying all over her cousin''sher regions. The sight of which caused her cheeks to be beat red. She could not believe she had finished before her cousin. Ad saw this as an opportune moment to counterattack. She quickly pinned therger woman down on the bed and reached into the nearby drawer where she got a hold of a new toy.


    This toy was modelled after their husband''s shaft, but was double-sided. When Henrietta saw this, she panicked. However, before she could react, her tight cave was stuffed full of the toy. Causing her to moan in pleasure, she was already sensitive from cumming moments ago, yet Ad had so ruthlessly assaulted her. Ad had an uncharacteristically sadist expression as she whispered into her cousin''s ears.


    "It''s your turn to be the bitch now!"


    After saying this, the girl shoved the toy in and out of Henrietta''s tight hole. Once it was as deep as it could go, she inserted the opposite side into her own moist cave, moaning as it filled up her innards. The two girls continued to press their hips into one another until they had both climaxed all over the royal bedsheets.


    In the end, Ad had won this battle. She removed the toys from their slits, before tossing it aside to be washed forter use. After doing so, shetched onto Henrietta, who was recovering, and kissed her passionately before whispering in her ears.


    "Any time you want to go another round, let me know, dearest cousin..."


    Unbeknownst to the two young women, an onlooker had watched the whole scene. Honoria was in the doorway, ying with her own slit the entire time. She could not believe that the two girls would engage in their own y without Linde''s approval.


    Linde kept a tight leash over the member''s of Berengar''s harem while the man was away from home, but her attention at the moment was focused on helping Yasmin ovee her grief, and because of this, Henrietta had snuck in and plucked away one of her ves. As a result, Honoria feltpelled to warn her mistress about these changes.


    After the duo was finished, she was quick to retrieve her hand from her panties before running off toward Linde. Who was in the middle of Berengar''s study, sitting in his seat while panting heavily. When the redheaded beauty noticed Honoria''s intrusion, a wicked smile formed on her face as she greeted the girl.


    "Just in time, sitting here, and smelling Berengar''s leftover scent, got me dreadfully excited. Come y with mommy for a bit."


    Though she had four children, Linde had kept her physique in perfect condition. Despite her position as the director of Imperial Intelligence, and a mother of four, she made sure that she had enough time to work out every day. After all, she would not let her figure go just because she was married.


    Currently, she was dressed in a grey field uniform, loosely based upon the Stasi from Berengar''s past life. However, she was wearing a short skirt and a pair of stockings. She was so wet from her husband''s lingering scent that her thong was soaked through. Honoria was astonished at first, but quickly obeyed. She had long since been conditioned by Linde into being an obedient ve while they were alone.


    The princess of the Byzantine Empire got on both of her knees and gazed up at her mistress with her mint green eyes before she shoved her head under the redheaded vixen''s skirt, and licked away at the woman''s moist slit, despite being covered by stockings, or perhaps because of it, Linde was quick to grab the girl''s purple hair and press her face deeper, all while whispering words of encouragement.


    "That is mommy''s good girl..."


    However, in the next moment Honoria made a huge mistake. She ripped Linde''s stockings apart and in a desperate attempt to taste the woman''s bountiful juices. Unfortunately, this angered Linde, who kicked the girl aside and pped her across the face. She had a scary expression as she shouted at Honoria.


    "Who gave you permission to rip mommy''s stockings! You need to be punished!"


    Despite the cruel action, Honoria had an excited expression on her face as she leaned over the desk and flipped up her skirt, presenting her plump bottom for Linde to do with as she pleased. Upon seeing the girl practically begging for a spanking, Linde was delighted and quickly struck Honoria''s bottom with her dainty, yet firm, hand, causing her victim to yelp. After every p, Linde would grab a handful of the girl''s ass and squeeze it tightly before leaving another handprint. Linde wore a pretty but frightening smile as she whispered into her victim''s ear.


    "You are mommy''s favorite. Did you know that? But that doesn''t mean you can just rip my stockings as you please!"


    Honoria had a pleased expression on her face as she called out to Linde in a forced apology.


    "I''m sorry mommy, I just wanted to taste you so bad!"


    Upon hearing this, Linde smirked. Before taking off her stockings, she pushed Honoria onto the ground and sat on her face. However, the hole that Honoria desired to lick was not presented to her, instead it was the rear that was resting against Honoria''s lips.


    "If you want to taste me so badly, then go ahead, taste me!"


    Despite being a different hole than the one she desired, Honoria did not resist the order and quickly began to insert her tongue into the woman''s asshole. The two women continued to please each other, to the point that Honoriapletely forgot her reason for visiting Linde to begin with.


    One might think that this was an abnormal day for the wives of the Kaiser. However, in reality, this was normal for the Imperial Family, especially while the Kaiser was absent from the home. Luckily, Berengar had made the correct choice in marrying multiple women, or he would have to fear them cucking him while he was away.

 Chapter 685 - Capturing the Enemys Family

    <h4>Chapter 685 - Capturing the Enemy''s Family </h4>


    Itami stood on the hills above the personal domain of the M��ri n, with her sword in hand. She was dressed in a uniform that resembled that of a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, specifically from the Taisho era. Her soldiers were equipped in simr attire, albeit with the proper ranks for their position, while wearing type 90 based steel helmets.


    The Self-Proimed Empress of Japan had yet to hear from her most loyal General who she dispatched to her homnd in an attempt to protect it from the main forces of the Rebel Army. It was an arduous task, but Itami had used the greatest defensive techniques she could think of when she built her family''s territory into a massive fortress.


    At the very least, she was confident that her soldiers could defend thend until she had seeded in her aim. Dawn had yet to arrive on this day, and because of this, the darkness in the sky concealed her and her army from what few defenders remained in the enemy fortress. She did not hesitate to attack, instead the moment she arrived she issued orders to her followers to set up the new field guns.


    Unlike Berengar, who had opted to mass produce the early Krupp Guns because of ease of manufacturing. Itami had opted to create a moreplicated artillery piece from ater era of Japanese history. Though she would have less of them early on, she figured she could use them for a greater period, and not bother having to rece them in five to ten years, when her manufacturing abilities became advanced enough to produce these pieces on arger scale.


    The artillery in question was heavily based upon the Type 38 75mm Field Gun used by Imperial Japanese forces during the Great War of her past life. Essentially, the Type 38 was nothing more than a Krupp 7.5 cm Model 1903 that had been licensed and produced by the Osaka Arsenal. The major difference between the two artillery pieces was the Japanese modified the breach block to make use of the interrupted screw pattern block, rather than the Horizontal sliding block. Was this an improvement? Far from it, but it was the type of action that Japanese troops were already familiar with.


    These weapons wereter modified in Itami''s past life to return to the original sliding block design. Something Itami opted to make use of in this life from the get go. The other noticeable feature of this artillery piece was its hydro-spring recoil system. This was far more advanced than the 7.5cm FK 22 Rifled breechloaders currently in use by Berengar''s army. However, whenpared to the hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism that was used by the new field guns Berengar nned to introduce in theing years, it was obsolete.


    The shells fired by this gun were the Fixed QF 75 x 294mm R, which had a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, with an effective range of 8,350m. Of course, due to theplexity of manufacturing, Itami was only able to create a single battery of these new artillery pieces. Still, it was more than enough to bring an end to the enemy''s defenses. Thus, with a swing of her sword, the signal was given to the Artillery crews to fire a barrage onto the gates of the enemy castle.


    The roar of thunder echoed in the air as the field guns fired their shots into the air and onto the enemy''s gatehouse. With a single barrage of six shells, the gatehouse was torn apart. Though the men were about to load another shell, Itami gave them the order to cease fire.


    "Cease fire!"


    She had a limited number of artillery shells at the moment because of the severeck of TNT she had avable to her. Unlike the German Empire, which had long since establishedplex chemical manufacturing nts, and had spent years training its thousands of chemists, Itami''s Japanese Empire was severely limited in its chemical manufacturing ability with only a few dozen properly trained chemists beneath her rule.


    She was only now realizing how her conservative approach to science and engineering had limited her abilities to mass produce her newest weapons in the early years of her army''s modernization. Perhaps if she were a man, her teachings of science would have be more widespread, unfortunately she was born as a woman in an era where women had few rights. It was a testament to her ability that she had managed to ascend to her current status.


    The moment the shells detonated on the gatehouse, the guards of the castle were alerted, but it was no use, they were vastly outmatched by the single shot bolt action rifles in use by Itami''s forces. The soldiers of the Empress stood on the hill above the Castle, and the town it protected, waiting for the soldiers of the M��ri n toe rushing out at them.


    It did not take long for the enemy to charge up the hillside, and towards the enemy, vastly underestimating the abilities of their enemy as they did so. The Imperial Japanese soldiers pulled their triggers, causing a plume of smoke to exit their barrels. Apanying the ck smokescreen were copper jacketed lead projectiles which flew down range and into the bodies of the enemy soldiers who were sted apart by the superior munitions.


    The first wave of enemy soldiers fell down as quickly as the Japanese soldiers had pulled the triggers. In the next moment, the men racked back their bolts, and ced a spare cartridge into the chamber before mming the bolt homes. After doing this, they raised the muzzles of their rifles once more and fired yet another volley, cutting down the second line of ashigaru like wheat to the scythe.


    For every crackle of gunfire, hundreds of men were gunned down as they charged up the hillside, until none remained standing. Blood soaked the grass as it spilled from the horde of corpses. There were only a few hundred men left behind to defend the M��ri n, seeing as how they never expected Itami to intercept their message and counter their n with an offensive of her own. With the enemy garrison dead, Itami gave the order to storm the castle.


    "The Castle is free for the taking! I want the prisoners captured alive, and unharmed! You may only use force if the people resist! Go!"


    With this, 5,000 men screamed their battle cry into the air as they charged through the undefended town and rushed towards the castle above.


    "Tenn��heika Banzai!"


    Itami merely smirked in arrogance as she witnessed her soldiers rush towards their objective with bays affixed. A small portion remained behind on the hill above to protect both Itami and the artillery battery. The rest stormed into the town and secured its residents before moving onto the castle.


    Once the citizens of the M��ri n''s domain were bound and gagged, Itami descended the hillside and walked through the town, her sword dangling from her belt as she gazed upon the scene with an arrogant expression on her pretty face. The pathway to the castle had been secured, and she did not need to personally lift a finger.


    After climbing the steps of the Castle, and going through the destroyed gatehouse, whose rubble had been cleared by her soldiers, Itami strode forth into the interior of the castle where soldiers stood at attention throughout its halls, saluting their Empress the moment she appeared before them. Itami simply nodded her head as she passed by before entering the great hall, where the family of M��ri Nobuhisa sat in fear. Like the vigers, they were bound and gagged.


    Itami stared at the family of the Rebel leader with an overwhelming sense of cruelty in her eyes. She unsheathed her sword and smacked a boy who was at the cusp of adolescence on the top of his head with the pommel before cutting the cloth that was tied around his mouth. The boy immediately coughed after being released from his gag before staring at Itami with a look of defiance in his dark eyes. Itami did not wait for a response and merely asked him a simple question.


    "Are you M��ri Nobuyuri?"


    The boy did not meet the beautiful older woman''s gaze, and merely blushed as he turned his head to the side. Itami smiled viciously as she spoke her words softly.


    "I''ll take that as a yes... You''reing with me boy, I wonder what is more important to your father, your life, or his petty rebellion."


    A hint of fear formed in the child''s eyes, but he could not struggle. Instead, Itami''s soldiers carried him away, where she was left facing the rest of M��ri Nobuhisa''s family. After several moments of contemtion, Itami gave her orders to the rest of her soldiers.


    "Take them with us. If that old fool does not yield, then we will need more than one hostage. As for the castle... destroy it!"


    With these orders given, the Imperial Japanese Army quickly withdrew from the vige with their captives, and evacuated the area before shelling the castle. With each shell''s detonation, another piece of the magnificent fortress crumbled to the ground until all the remained were smouldering ruins.


    With the family of M��ri Nobuhisa captured, Itami intended to return with her army to her homnd, and use them as bargaining chips to force the rebel army to surrender to her. If they did so, she would im the heads of the leaders of the rebelling ns. Then enforce her rule over all of maind Japan. If they resisted, then Itami nned to kill M��ri Nobuhisa''s entire family, and encircle his forces on the battlefield outside her family''s domain. Either way, she would be victorious.

 Chapter 686 - Returning From lberia

    <h4>Chapter 686 - Returning From lberia</h4>


    Berengar stood within the office of the Sultan of Al-Andalus. He hadmandeered the office as his own since he first arrived in the region. Over the past few weeks, he had enacted many policies that were designed to stabilize the ongoing crisis throughout Iberia. To an extent, many of the immediate issues had been resolved. Enough so that Berengar felt it was the right time to return to the fathend.


    One thing became increasingly clear throughout the extent of these political purges. Urban Warfare had be a significant problem for his forces in the region. Because of this, Berengar needed to give better weapons to his soldiers in Iberia. However, he could not produce them here in Granada. Thus, he decided to take advantage of the current peace that was settling and return to the fathend to give his troops in the region a fighting edge.


    This was just one of the many reasons Berengar wanted to return home and hand over operational control of the Iberian theatre to Adelbrand once more. His other reason was far more significant. The reality was Berengar could not stay in Iberia for long and act as its permanent regent. Though he held all power over the realm, he was also the Kaiser of Germany, and the fathend was more important to him than Al-Andalus.


    It was because of this that Berengar had summoned Field Marshal Adelbrand, and General Ziyad, to the office within the Granadan Royal Pce. The two men stood side by side, in their differing uniforms and at attention. The respect they showed Berengar was more than justmon courtesy.


    These men had fought for him either directly, or indirectly over the course of the past few years, and understood just how effective Berengar was as a ruler. This caused the man in question to stand up and speak with pride as he handed over the reins of Iberia to these two men.


    "I Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, First of my name, Emperor of Germany, and Regent of Al-Andalus hereby bestow upon you Duke Adelbrand von Salzburg, and you General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is, full authority to act on my behalf while I am aboard living in the fathend.


    The two of youbined shall act as Deputy Regents in my ce. I give you Adelbrand sole authority over the German troops in the Iberian Theatre and give you Ziyad an equal position as leader of the Granadan Armed Forces. The two of you are two work side by side, and restore this Kingdom to its former glory as co-rulers in my absence.


    Should either of you have questions on how to proceed, you can use the telegraph built in this pce to contact me, where I will convey my orders. As for the young Sultan, my son Ghazi Al-Fadl, he will return to Germany with me to receive a German education, and to be cared for by his mother, Princess Yasmin Al-Fadl."


    After saying this, Berengar saluted to the two men who would act as Co-Rulers over the Sultanate of Granada in Berengar''s stead. The two of them returned the salute before responding in affirmation of their orders.


    "Yes, my Kaiser!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded before further informing the men of their responsibilities.


    "I have drafted a bunch of reforms, and left you a guide on how to rule over the Kingdom most efficiently. It is up to the two of you to do what is best for Al-Andalus. Adelbrand, when the region is stable, and the Kingdom is prosperous, you may return to Kufstein to serve the role I previously offered you, until then work with Ziyad to ensure that things get better around these parts."


    Adelbrand nodded his head in silence as he heard these words. With this said, Berengar ced his hand on the man''s shoulder and bade him farewell for the time being.


    "I look forward to your return."


    After saying this, he departed from the office, leaving the two men alone to discuss their options. The reason Berengar had made Adelbrand co-ruler in his absence was because he knew the man would put German interests first, something Ziyad was not likely to do. The reason for Ziyad being made Co-ruler was to appease the Moors, so that they did not feel like they were a puppet to a foreign Empire. It was Berengar''s belief that the two men would ultimately bnce eath other out while working together.


    After giving Adelbrand and Ziyad their orders, Berengar entered the room that housed his son, the young Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl. The boy was staring out the window with a frown on his face. He was made aware that they would depart for the fathend today, and did not want to leave this foreignnd which he had such fun in. Upon seeing that his son was depressed, Berengar walked over to the boy, and kneeled down where he petted his golden hair.


    "Ghazi, I know you have had fun during your stay, and that your cousins have been treating you well. However, it is time for us to return home. Mommy is waiting for you, and I know for a fact that she is heartbroken about her little man being so far away from home. Come, it''s time to go..."


    Though Ghazi was initially depressed about leaving thisnd so soon after arriving, the moment he heard his mother was waiting for him, a smile grew on his face. Though his aunts had treated him as if he were their own son, he missed his mommy, and not just Yasmin, he missed all of his mommies. Upon seeing that the young boy had recovered from his depressed state, Berengar smiled and lifted him up to the air, where he walked out of the pce.


    The boy had already said his goodbyes, and Berengar did not need to say a word. Thus, he carried the boy into the armored stage coach, which would act as their means of transportation until they arrived at the German Naval Base located in Gibraltar. As for Berengar, he was quite anxious on the entire journey back to the fathend. He had left Yasmin during her time of need, to go stabilize herte brother''s Kingdom. It was a tough decision, but one that had to be made. He could only guess if the woman would forgive him for abandoning her to her grief.


    Eventually, the ship arrived in Trieste, where the city was as bustling as it normally was. As the main trade city that was connected to the coast, Trieste was always transporting goods across the Empire through the ever-growing trainworks. However, there was already a train on standby waiting for his arrival, and this was the Royal Train.


    The luxurious train was decorated with gold ents, and was practically a mobile pce. Berengar sat back on arge ck and gold sofa next to his son, who was busy ying with a toy that Berengar had given him. As for Berengar himself, he ordered a dirty martini and drank himself into a sense of calm. He would have to face Yasmin the moment he arrived at the Pce, and the idea that she would refuse to see him filled his heart with dread.


    Upon arriving in Kufstein, Berengar and his son took a luxurious carriage back to the Pce. On the surface, the Royal Carriage that Berengar and his familymonly used to traverse through the city may look like a normal luxurious cabin. However, the carriage was made of armored steel and had bulletproof ss installed. It would protect the royal family against any small arms fire that might potentially attack it.


    With this seemingly normal carriage, Berengar and his son enjoy a rathervish journey back to the gates of the Royal Pce where his wives and children were waiting for him. The moment he stepped out of the carriage with Ghazi in his arms, Yasmin rushed over to the two of them, where she kissed her baby boy on the forehead and rubbed his cheek.


    "Ghazi, were you a good boy while you were away?"


    The boy quickly nodded his hand while he was enjoying being spoiled by his mother. However, Berengar was the one to answer on his behalf.


    "He was a very good boy..."


    Though he put on a facade as if nothing had happened, there was a hint of worry at the tail end of his sentence. Yasmin noticed the conflict in his sapphire eye and grabbed hold of his face with her dainty hands before kissing him passionately. After the public disy of affection was over, she rested her head on his shoulder before whispering in his ear.


    "I forgive you..."


    It shocked Berengar to hear this, as he did not expect the woman to forgive him so easily. Yet there was not a hint of malice in her eyes, only understanding. If there was one quality, this woman had that most of the other girls in his harem didn''t, it was emotional maturity. Though she was hurt that he left her side at such a critical time, she knew that the reason for him departing was more important than her selfish desires.


    After going through some grieving, she came to understand that. Berengar felt as if an enormous weight was lifted from his shoulders and exhaled heavily before kissing the woman on the forehead and telling her how he really felt.


    "I love you... and I''m sorry..."


    The Moorish beauty merely smiled and nodded. There was nothing more that needed to be said between the couple. As for the rest of the family, they ran over to greet the head of their house. Not much had happened in his absence, and they were surprised to see him return from Iberia so soon. Only a few weeks had passed since he departed. This was most likely the shortest trip he had taken since he first reincarnated into this world.

 Chapter 687 - Adelas Personal Request

    <h4>Chapter 687 - Ad''s Personal Request </h4>


    Berengar sat within the confines of his office while holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a status report in the other. His office was clean and tidy, as per usual. Berengar was an incredibly organized man. In his mind, everything had its ce, and to disrupt this order would cause him mental anguish.


    An example of this was the mountain of paperwork that was neatly stacked on the side of his desk. Every morning, a page woulde in and unload a pile of paperwork onto this exact corner. If it was ced anywhere else, Berengar would have an aneurysm and would bepelled by his own mind to put the stack of paper in its proper ce before getting to work for the day.


    Naturally, there was also a small coaster within his reach that acted as the house of his coffee mug. After taking a sip of the brew, Berengar smiled before cing the mug down in its proper ce. He was reading over a document which was a report by the Gunther Merchantpany about the ongoing progress of the Colony they had established in what was Cuba of his past life. While he was reading this report, a knock resounded on the door. Berengar calmly ced the paper on the top of the stack before answering the intrusion.


    "You may enter..."


    After saying this, the door opened to reveal the petite figure of Berengar''s first wife, Ad. Berengar smiled when he saw the woman approach him. That is until she spoke of what was concerning her.


    "Berengar, we need to talk about my sister Ava...''


    Berengar had a single fond memory of Ava, and that was when he walked in on the woman''s bath and saw her impressive bosom. However, in his experience, the woman was an enormous pain in the ass. The only reason he had allowed the bitch to take care of his children while he was away on his honeymoon was because Ad had insisted upon it. Though she performed her duties well, the woman''s actions only slightly improved Berengar''s impression of her. Thus, he sighed heavily before asking his wife to cut to the chase.


    "What happened to the poor woman this time?"


    Ad had a bitter smile on her face. It said a lot about Ava''s character that Berengar would automatically assume that the woman had caused some kind of incident and was now requesting help from her little sister. Though Ad didn''t disagree with this presumption, she was quick to correct her husband and speak up on her sister''s behalf.


    "Apparently Ava''s husband, Wolfgang, said something to upset father, and so he kicked the two of them out. He offered to look after the children, but Ava refused to be separated from her kids. She hasn''te asking for me for help just yet, but I decided to ask you for help on her behalf. Surely we have enough space to look after her family until they get back on their feet."


    Berengar sighed heavily as he heard these words. He did not want to deal with the burden of looking after Ava and her family. Ad could see the hesitation on his face, and quickly tried to speak up on her sister''s behalf once more.


    "It won''t be for long, besides what would the people say if they knew the great Kaiser of Germany turned away his nieces and nephews? Do you really want to be known as the monarch who abandoned his family to the streets?"


    The bitter expression on Berengar''s face grew worse as he heard Ad try to guilt trip him into epting. He was about to speak up about his misgivings when Ad became flustered with his behavior. In the heat of the moment, she said something she shouldn''t have.


    "Is this because of your past engagement with my sister? You never speak about it, but it is clearly affecting your reasoning whenever my sisteres into conversation. Are you really not over her after all these years?"


    Berengar was dumbfounded when he heard this. He had no memories of being engaged to Ava and looked at his wife as if she were a madwoman. He only had one question on his mind, which he was quick to voice.


    "Ad... What the hell are you talking about?"


    It was at this moment, when Ad gazed on Berengar''s confused expression, that she realized he did not remember the past at all. She immediately cursed herself in her own mind for bringing up a topic that had internally bothered her for some time, without knowing how her husband felt about the matter. Thus, she was quick to deflect the issue.


    "I... It''s nothing. Forget I said anything."


    She was about to leave the room to avoid exining her previous question when Berengar grabbed hold of the girl''s wrist and forced her to face him. He had a stern expression on his face as he spoke with authority.


    "Ad... What do you know?"


    Upon realizing that she had dug her own grave, Ad sighed heavily before taking a seat in front of Berengar''s desk. She crossed her arms and legs before informing Berengar about the past that he did not remember.


    "You seriously don''t know? Here I thought you were just ignoring it... When you were a kid, my parents engaged my elder sister to you, in the hopes that you would one day seed your father and they could manipte you into giving up the iron resources of Kufstein to them. Of course, that''s also the reason they had us engagedter on. A L L-N O V E L-F ULL


    There were times where you would visit Graz and have y dates with Ava. As the years passed, your condition worsened and by the time Ava was nearing the age of marriage, she was convinced you were going to die soon. So she persuaded our parents to marry her off to the heir of a count. Ultimately, our parents broke the agreement with yours and married her off to Wolfgang von Salzburg. The rest you remember clearly."


    It shocked Berengar to hear all of this. He truly had no recollection of it. Though he now understood why, Ad seemed frustrated with his hesitancy. He calmed himself with a deep breath before exining his thought process to Ad.


    "I honestly don''t remember any of that. However, what I will say about my hesitancy regarding this matter is that your sister annoys the hell out of me. It is that simple. I don''t know where you got the notion in your pretty little head, but I assure you there is nothing between me and Ava, and there never will be.


    As for her husband, he is the type of man to seriously make me consider capital punishment as a viable option for dealing with stupidity. If the two of them were to live here for any extended period, I feel like my days would be much more tiresome."


    Ad bowed her head after hearing Berengar''s reasoning. It turned out that he just hated the couple''s personalities and didn''t want to be bothered to deal with them. Because of this, she found a sense of hope as she made a promise that she ultimately could not keep.


    "I swear, neither Ava nor Wolfgang will approach you without your consent while they stay here. I will even make sure your office is off limits so you can have a space away from them if they be too much. Please, it won''t be for long. Let my sister and her family stay here until they can get back on their feet!"


    Ad''s willingness to go so far for a sister she despised perplexed Berengar. He simply could not contain his thoughts on the matter any longer and thus voiced them allowed.


    "Ad... Why the hell do you care? I thought you hated your sister?"


    Ad sighed heavily as she admitted the truth of the matter to her husband.


    "I did hate her for a long time, actually... However, things have changed between us. We are slowly bing more cordial, and I want to help her get her life on track. I feel bad for her. She married such an ipetent durd who keeps ruining her life.


    If you were to ask me a few years ago if I would ever bother to help her, I would have immediately responded with a "fat chance". However, ever since Ava proved to me that she could be trusted by taking care of our children while we were away. We have been meeting regrly and slowly have been hashing out our differences. I now firmly believe it is my duty as a sister to help her now that she truly needs it."


    Berengar could feel the passion in Ad''s speech, and as such, he felt he had no choice but to agree to her request. He sighed heavily as he sat back in his chair and contemted on the issue in silence for several minutes. During this period Ad became ever more depressed, expecting Berengar to deny her, despite how much she truly believed in this. Ultimately, he shocked her when he finally spoke.


    "Fine... But if anything happens, I''m not to be med for it. This is my house, and if they think they can treat it as their own, they are sorely mistaken. Ava and her family will be our guests until you can help her back on his feet. However, make no mistake, I will have no part in it, so don''t expect any additional kindness from me!"


    Ad''s frowned immediately turned upside down as she smiled with excitement. She could hardly believe that Berengar had epted her request. Truthfully, she knew she was the least favorite of his women, and she also epted the me for that. However, when he agreed to her request, despite getting nothing out of it himself, the young woman immediately felt her heart flutter. She bowed her head gracefully before responding to the kindness that her husband had shown her.


    "Thank you Berengar! I won''t forget this!"


    Berengar was utterly done with this conversation and waved the girl off.


    "You can do as you wish, but don''t expect me to give them a royal wee. They may be our guests, but I will not treat them as if they are of significance. I will barely interact with them during their stay."


    Ad merely nodded and kissed Berengar on the cheek before running off.


    "I will let them know. Thank you so much!''


    With that Ad quickly scurried off, and Berengar sat back in his chair, dreading every decision he had made in his life that had led to this point. He knew with Ava and her family arriving in the Royal Pce, things were going to be a massive headache for him. As a result, he pulled out a sk of distilled spirits and poured it into his coffee before taking a sip. After doing so, he expressed his true thoughts on the matter.


    "I''m going to regret this, aren''t I?"

 Chapter 688 - lnventing the Shotgun

    <h4>Chapter 688 - lnventing the Shotgun</h4>


    Having agreed to Ad''s request about letting her older sister stay in the royal pce, Berengar quickly turned his attention to his work, in particr the Iberian theatre. Over the past few years, urban warfare had be a significant problem that German troops faced during peacekeeping operations within the Kingdom of Portugal.


    Recently, with the death of the previous Sultan, and the political purges under way, the scope of urban warfare now epassed the entirety of the Iberian Penins. As a result of this, one thing became abundantly clear: the tools used by the German soldiers simply did not meet the demands of the job.


    Thus, Berengar was forced to create a new weapon to contend with this new threat. Immediately, only one weapon design came to mind. The shotgun was among the most useful tools Berengar had ever encountered in his past life, especially inbat.


    During the Great War, the American soldiers used the shotgun not only as a means of clearing enemy trenches but also as a way to shoot enemy grenades out of the air. It was so effective in trench warfare that Germany had protested its use and tried to get it banned after the war was over.


    However, by the time Berengar enteredbat nearly a centuryter, the weapon had been relegated almost exclusively to the role of the breaching buildings in urban warfare. Because of this, Berengar knew just how effective the weapon was in that role, as he had personally witnessed it.


    The problem Berengar was having was deciding on a single shotgun design for use in his armed forces. Shotguns were a ssification for a variety of weapon designs. Among these various designs were single shot shotguns, double barrel shotguns, pump action shotguns, lever action shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, and even automatic shotgun designs.


    Naturally, at the moment, The German Army did not have enough smokeless powder stockpiled to make a reliable semi-automatic, or automatic, shotgun. Thus, Berengar decided to use a pump-action shotgun as the basis of his new Trench Gun. However, there were dozens, if not hundreds, of pump action designs that came to mind. He was personally familiar with a few of the more popr pump-action tactical shotguns, as he owned a few during his past life.


    Ultimately, after careful deliberation, Berengar decided on the model 870 shotgun that was manufactured by Remington in his past life. The 870 was a shotgun used around the globe by militaries and police forces alike. It was also licensed and copied by otherpanies. What made Berengar endeared to the 870 was its durability and reliability. Unlike many of itspetitors, its receiver was made of steel, not aluminum, and he had never suffered a malfunction using the ones he owned during his past life.


    The difference between Berengar''s Model 1425 Trench Gun, and the model 870 was that although he used the mechanism of the 870 as the basis for the gun, the aesthetics were based upon the Winchester Model 12 Trench Gun, which was used by American forces in WWII. After all, it wasn''t a proper trench gun if it did not have a barrel shroud, and a bay lug. Naturally, he designed the bay using the Model 12''s bay as the basis.


    He nned to implement the shotguns in a 12 gauge caliber, with double ought buckshot as the primary load to be utilized in the field. The shotgun shells Berengar had in mind were based on the mil spec standard in use by the US Military. Albeit for the time being with ck instead of smokeless powder. This meant shell would use nine double ought pellets that would be fired out of the smoothbore barrel and create a spread that was lethal in close quarters.


    While in his past life the US Military andw enforcement agencies adopted specialized breaching rounds that would pose no harm to a human life beyond the door, Berengar did not care in the slightest about such trivial matters. As far as he was concerned, civilian casualties were a part of war, especially when the insurgents in Iberia deliberately chose brutal urban warfare as their means of resistance.


    After designing his new Model 1425 Trench Gun, Berengar stamped them with his approval. A secretary wouldter dispatch these designs to the Kufstein Armory, who would go about perfecting the design, manufacturing the prototypes, and testing the weapons before approving them for service. Then the weapons would either be made in house by the Kufstein Armory, or sent to one of the various other State Armories who would manufacture them for the German Army.


    As of now, Berengar need not worry about the rest of the details, instead he sat back and rxed in his chair. He figured he had done enough work for the day, and thus, after stretching himself for a few moments, he headed towards the door. Unfortunately, the moment he opened the door to the hallway, he saw someone he was not expecting to arrive so soon.


    Several hours had passed since Berengar chatted with Ad, and with the railways connecting Kufstein and Graz, it did not take long for Ava and her family to arrive in Kufstein. Berengar immediately sighed as he gazed upon the busty milf and cursed out loud.


    "God fucking dammit...."


    Ava frowned when she heard Berengar''s response. Though she wanted to lecture him on his manners, she realized he was not the little baron''s son she had known growing up. Right now, he was the most wealthy and powerful man in the world. If she scolded him, she was sure to receive a severe punishment. With this in mind, she bowed her head and responded to Berengar''s vulgarity with grace.


    "Your Majesty, I just wanted to thank you for your benevolence. However, if my appearance displeases you to such an extent, I promise you won''t hear another word from me, so long as I remain under your care."


    Berengar did not even pretend to be polite, instead he nodded his head with a stern expression before responding to the woman.


    "See to it that I don''t..." A L L-N O V E L-F ULL


    After saying this, Berengar shut his office door behind him and locked it before walking through the halls as if Ava did not even exist. The woman merely pouted after he was gone. Did he really despise her so much after all these years? She knew that she made his life difficult when he was a minor nobleman, but that was a long time ago, and much had changed. Besides, it was his fault for walking in on her while she was bathing.


    However, she let the matter go and sighed heavily, defeated by Berengar''s impression of her. If only she hadn''t married Wolfgang, and instead stuck with Berengar, then she would be the Empress right now. Life wasn''t fair, and Ava knew this all too well.


    As for Berengar, he did not think upon Ava any longer after leaving her alone in the hallway, instead he sought out Ad to give her a good scolding. When he turned the corner, he saw the woman in question with a distressed look on her face. She could tell by the way Berengar carried himself that he was not pleased, which led her to the conclusion that she was toote.


    "You saw her, didn''t you?"


    Berengar red at Ad before mocking her for herck of ability to keep her promises.


    "That has got to be a record Ad, six, seven hours and already you have broken your promise to keep her away from me... I honestly don''t know what to say about that..."


    Ad could only hand her head low in shame. She had no idea that the moment Ava entered the pce, she''d go off searching for Berengar on her own. She could only apologize.


    "I''m sorry... She ran off before I could tell her the conditions of her stay."


    Berengar merely waved off the incident before responding to Ad''s depressed state.


    "It doesn''t matter, just see to it that she keeps her distance. I do not want to have any more contact with the woman or her husband."


    Ad instantly nodded her head in obedience before questioning Berengar''s next move.


    "So what now?"


    Berengar wore a wry smile on his face as he responded to this question in a way that Ad was not expecting.


    "Now... I think I''m going to go relieve some stress with my sister..."


    Ad blushed when she heard this, but also felt great envy in her heart. Had she not fucked up so badly in her endeavor, then her husband would be "relieving" stress with her right now. Instead, he was disappointed with her, and went to find the woman in his harem that most closely resembled her out of spite.


    After Berengar had disappeared from her sight, Ad cursed under her breath.


    "God dammit Ava!"


    But it was toote. Berengar had already decided who he was going to spend time with on this night.

 Chapter 689 - A Princes Schemes

    <h4>Chapter 689 - A Prince''s Schemes </h4>


    While Berengar may not be happy about Ava''s presence in his home, that did not mean that everyone in his household agreed with his opinion of the woman. For example, the moment Hans witnessed his beautiful young aunt enter his home, he ran up to the woman for a hug. As for Ava, the troubled expression she had on her face instantly vanished when she saw the young boy running to her screaming.


    "Aunty Ava!"


    If there was one thing Hans disliked about his biological mother, it was how distant she was to the rest of her family. He did not understand the full circumstances that led to the callousness between Linde and her siblings, but she was not on speaking terms with either of her brothers, and her half-sister had been married off to a Westphalian nobleman, thus they rarelymunicated by any means other than letters.


    If there was one significant perk to the Polygynous system that Berengar had implemented across Germany, it was that children had multiple mothers to look after them, and because of that, Hans had a variety of aunts, uncles, and cousins who he could get along with. Hans had met most of his other rtives in passing, but the only one he had really spent any time with was Ava. Because of this, she was his favorite rtive outside his immediate family.


    For the record, Hans considered Henrietta one of his mommies. Even though she was his father''s sister, the rtionship between Berengar and Henrietta was apparent to the young boy, and because of this, he did not consider her an aunt, but a mother.


    Ava spoiled Hans, especially during the time she looked after him while his parents were away, thus when she saw the little bugger running up to her, she instantly smiled andtched onto him, epting his childish hug with enthusiasm.


    "Hans, it is so good to see you!"


    Hans was honestly a bit confused about why Ava was in the Royal Pce, and after nestling his head against the woman''s substantial bosom, he looked up at her with his sapphire eyes and interrogated her.


    "Why are you here Aunty Ava? Are my mommies and daddy going away on another trip?''


    Ava stroked the boy''s strawberry blonde hair with a smile on her face while she shook her head. She pinched his nose yfully before answering his question.


    "Nothing of the sort. It is just that me and my family are going to be living with you for a while..."


    When Hans heard these words, he was excited. He enjoyed his aunt''spany and had previously thought of scheming to get his father and the woman together. He was just about to grab hold of the woman''s hand and take her to meet his father when the woman''s husband entered the room.


    Wolfgang was a decently attractive man, though his appearance did notpare to Berengar''s. The man''s good looks were one of the few reasons Ava had agreed to marry him, that and the position he once held.


    One could say that Wolfgang''s appearance was his only redeeming quality, as the man''s personality was beyond worthless. Not only was he arrogant, but he was incredibly foolish, and had a tendency of upsetting those in power. In fact, that is the exact reason Ava and her family were forced to move in with Ad to begin with.


    Wolfgang gazed at the little brat who had his head buried in his wife''s cleavage and instantly grew frustrated. Not only was he an arrogant idiot, but he had also recently be impotent, because of this he had an intense sense of jealousy towards any male who grew too close to his wife, believing they would snatch her away from him.


    The man briskly walked over to his wife and was about the p the unknown child who was in her clutches when the woman red daggers at him, and smacked his hand away. She quickly scolded the fool for nearlyying his hands on the Prince who was most likely to seed the Kaiser.


    "Wolfgang, you fool! What the hell do you think you''re doing!?! Do you have any idea who this child is!?!"


    Wolfgang was so stupid, he did not realize that the child attached to his wife was the Kaiser''s son. Ava wished she could say she was surprised. I mean seriously, the two of them were in the Royal Pce, a ce only the von Kufstein Dynasty, their guests, and the staff were allowed to reside. Hans was clearly dressed invish clothing and seemed to know who Ava was. Could the man not use his brain for two seconds to guess the boy''s identity?


    Hans was a genius. Though he yed the part of an adorable little tyke around his aunt, he knew very well what Wolfgang had just tried to do to him, but rather than establish his dominance, he continued to pretend like he was an ignorant child.


    "Aunty Ava, who is this man? Why does he look so mean? Please make him go away!"


    Wolfgang was surprised when the boy called his wife by the term aunt. Even though he was a durd with a brain that operated at minimum capacity, he could still surmise the boy''s identity after such an obvious statement. Ava wanted to strangle her husband at this moment and quickly scolded the man for his actions.


    "Wolfgang, just leave us. I am trying to reunite with my nephew, and your stupidity has almost gotten the both of us in trouble yet again..."


    Hans burrowed his head into Ava''s chest once more, pretending to be scared of the re the man was giving him. This caused Ava to snap at her husband once more.


    "Do you have shit for brains? Did you not hear what I just said? Go!"


    Wolfgang barely managed to contain his fury and simply scoffed before walking out. Once he was no longer within hearing distance, Hans put on an innocent facade as he asked his aunt a question.


    "Aunty Ava, who was that man?"


    Ava struggled to smile as she informed Hans about the identity of Wolfgang.


    "Unfortunately, that man is my foolish husband..."


    Hans'' eyes grew wide in shock as he heard this, though he wasn''t really surprised he nned to use this as the perfect moment to nt the seeds of betrayal in Ava''s mind.


    "Oh.... Aunty deserves better, how about father? Do you like him?"


    Ava''s face immediately flushed red in embarrassment when she heard these words. Hans knew at that moment that he had hit the mark. Clearly, Ava was at the very least attracted to his father. He was about to go in for the kill when Ad walked in on the two of them. She had a furious expression on her face. Evidently she had heard what Hans had said, and red at him with menacing eyes.


    Ad was already in a foul mood after Berengar scolded her for not keeping her sister in check. Then her husband taunted her by dering he was going to have a good time with his sister. Now she walked in on her sister, and Linde''s scheming brat, who seemed to be trying to convince the woman to sleep with his father. She sighed heavily as she forced herself to calm down, before speaking towards the boy in a defeated tone.


    "Hans, you really are your mother''s child..."


    Hans looked at Ad with a curious light. Had this little girl seen through his act? It was quite amusing that he would refer to as Ad as a little girl in his mind considering he himself was a small child. However,pared to all of his other mommies, who were taller and sported more curvy figures, Ad was indeed a little girl in his mind.


    Truthfully, the German Prince had limited experience with normal women and their sizes. He would be surprisedter in life to learn that Ad was also considered an exceptional beauty with an impressive figure.


    Meanwhile, Ava gazed in confusion at the interaction between Ad and Hans. She did not know what Ad had meant by her statement, nor that she was being yed by the boy. Despite Ad seeing through Hans'' actions, she did not call him out on his game, as she was certain that Berengar despised Ava and would never sleep with the woman. Instead, she dismissed Hans from the area so she could have a private talk with her sister.


    "Hans, your mother has made lunch for you. I think it is time that you go meet up with your siblings and have a family meal."


    Hans smiled as he heard this before jumping out of Ava''s arms. He had an innocent expression on his face as he responded to Ad''s words.


    "Okay, mommy Ad, I''ll go do that, bye Aunty Ava!"


    The boy waved towards his aunt as he ran off towards the dining hall to eat lunch. Once he was out of earshot Ad sighed heavily beforementing on Hans and his hyper intelligence.


    "That boy has the bravery of his father, and the scheming mind of his mother. I dread the type of monarch he may one day be..."


    Ava did not understand that she was being yed by Hans the whole time and quickly spoke up on the boy''s behalf.


    "God, Ad, must you look at everyone with such paranoia? He''s a sweet and innocent child. I don''t know why you have to condemn the boy like that, just because he''s not your son..."


    Ad did not want to hear her sister''s foolishness, it took a significant effort for her not to snap at the woman, instead she took a deep breath to calm her nerves before responding to the woman''s slight.


    "What would you know? Anyway, I''m only going to say this once. Stay away from Berengar..."


    After saying this, Ad walked off, leaving Ava in a state of depression. She already realized she had fucked up by approaching the man of her own ord, even if it was to thank him. Now her own sister, who she was only just repairing her rtionship with, was treating her like some sort of home wrecker. Why did everyone think so poorly of her?

 Chapter 690 - Ending the Mori Rebellion

    <h4>Chapter 690 - Ending the Mori Rebellion</h4>


    Weeks had passed since Itami first conquered the M��ri n. Currently, she was sitting on horseback as she and her army arrived at her home territory. The smell of smoke and blood filled the air, while the echoes of gunfire resounded throughout the vicinity. Evidently, the conflict was still ongoing as the sounds of battle flooded the valley. A wicked smile formed on the woman''s pretty face as she gazed at the fortress she had built years ago.


    The Itami n''s holdings were initially very minor. So much so that in the past, they could barely afford the taxes they owed. However, ever since Riyo reincarnated into the world, she had amassed a fortune thanks to the knowledge she held from her previous life. In the early days of her rise to power, she invested in her homnd, buildings its fortifications to the extent she saw now.


    This was the reason she was confident that she could leave the defense of her family''s territory to her General, and the 10,000+ men beneath hismand. Despite the enemy having arger army, they could not break through the heavy defenses of the region. As if inspired by western castle doctrine, Itami designed her family''s castle so that they would have to break through three separate gatehouses just to enter the courtyard where they would be surrounded by archers and arquebusiers.


    Theyout of the castled forced the enemy forces through a series of ravines that existed between gatehouses. The narrow pathway allowed for only three men to stand in a row. Such insignificant numbers were not enough to break down the gatehouse, instead they were ughtered where they stood.


    There were a grand total of fifty thousand men beneath M��ri Nobuhisa''smand, and yet they could not breach the Second of the three gatehouses. The more men who were killed in the ravines, the more difficult it became for the M��ri soldiers to advance along the narrow path.


    Itami gazed at the ughter that was unfolding and decided to alert M��ri Nobuhisa of her arrival. With the swing of a sword, the order was given. The men beneath hermand took a position on the hills above the battlefield and lined up their artillery battery with the enemy army in sight. The echo of artillery resounded in the air as a single barrage exploded among the ranks of the rebel army. iming the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, of enemy soldiers.


    M��ri Nobuhisa immediately looked behind him to see he was nked by a force of men dressed in unusual attire. At the head of these men was Itami Riyo, who had her sword in her hand while on horseback. She held the de of her Katana to the neck of the rebel General''s son and called out to him.


    "M��ri Nobuhisa, I have your family. I suggest cease your hostilities and negotiate your surrender, or else I will chop off your little boy''s head!"


    It shocked M��ri Nobuhisa to see his eldest son in such a precarious situation. Initially he nned to refuse Itami''s demands, knowing that he had several other boys who could take over, however in the next moment his entire family was lined up on the hill above, with rifles pointed to their backs. Upon seeing such a sight, the man had no choice but to order an end to his assault of the Itami n''s home.


    "Stand down!"


    With this order, the warriors beneath M��ri Nobuhisa''smand ceased their hostilities and exited the ravine of death, where so many of theirrades now lie dead. The two parties quickly got to task setting up neutral ground between both armies, where Itami and M��ri would meet up with one another to discuss the terms of the Rebel Army''s surrender.


    Sitting at one side of the table, Itami was nked by her officers, aside from those dwelling within the Castle, while on the other side M��ri Nobuhisa was advised by his own. The young boy, who was the heir to the M��ri n, sat obediently in Itami''sp as she refused to hand him over to his father until after negotiations werepleted.


    The boy red at the beautiful woman with bitter hatred in his eyes, but refused to say anything for fear that the crazy bitch might take his life. Itami ignored the boy''s hateful gaze and started the negotiations by outright taunting her rival with a threat.


    "You have such a beautiful boy. It would be a shame if something happened to the kid."


    The officers beneath M��ri Nobuhisa''smand quickly stood up, enraged by the threat, however before they could do anything stupid, M��ri Nobuhisa raised his hand, silencing them. They quickly sat down and grumbled to themselves. Upon seeing the enemy being so obedient, Itami smiled before addressing her conditions.


    "Let''s cut to the chase. You already know my demands, but I will state them for the record. Strike your banners, order your armies to return home, and have your sessors to swear their fealty to me. If you do that, I will show your rebellion mercy."


    M��ri Nobuhisa did not believe a word the woman said. After all, she clearly stated that she wanted his sessor to swear his loyalty to her instead of himself. Such a thing implied a death sentence. How was that a mercy!


    "Mercy? Like hell I''d believe that!"


    Itami had the eyes of a devil as she carefully outlined the cruelty of her mercy with a wicked grin on her face.


    "I swear to all the Kami, that I Itami Riyo will show all of your ns mercy despite your little rebellion. After all, I''m a woman of my word. I will be satisfied with just the heads of those who lead the rebelling ns. I shall spare everyone else."


    The men in question were all present to witness this remark. They immediately protested this decision with various insults.


    "You little slut! You think you have the power to force us to give up our lives? Guess again!"


    "Fucking bitch, I''d like to see you im my head!"


    "The only woman who will take my life is Izanami!"


    Itami was patient with the men in front of her and quickly issued another threat to silence them.


    "If you deny my mercy, then I will be forced to kill all of your families, starting with this little boy here! Go on, child, tell your father and his friends how much you want to live! You do want to live, don''t you?"


    There were tears in the adolescent boy''s eyes as he pleaded with his father to sacrifice his life for him.


    "Father... please... I don''t want to die!"


    Being forced to choose between his death, or that of his children, that was a cruelty only a parent could truly understand. Upon seeing Itami raise the de closer to the Boy''s neck, M��ri Nobuhisa had no choice but to concede defeat. If he did not, then he was a monster who cared only for himself.


    "Very well... if those are your terms, I surrender, but I can not guarantee that those beneath mymand will do the same!"


    The generals beneath M��ri Nobuhisa''smand had bitter expressions. None of them wanted to die, but neither were they willing to condemn their entire bloodlines to extinction. As a result, they begrudgingly lowered their heads in defeat. Upon seeing this, a wicked smile curved itself upon Itami''s puffy lips as she let the boy say goodbye to his father.


    "Congrattions kid, it looks like it''s your lucky day. Since I''m not heartless, I will permit you onest farewell to your old man!"


    The boy had tears streaming down his eyes as he hugged his father, apologizing for his cowardice. M��ri Nobuhisa hugged his son and whispered something in his ear before being taken away by Itami''s soldiers.


    "I have failed you, my son. I give you thisst piece of advice and that is to not follow my path. This woman is not to be underestimated. Bury your hatred and obey her, or you will one day share my fate, along with whatever children you may have.


    After saying this, the leaders of the rebellion were arrested on the spot, they would be forced tomit Seppuku when they returned with Itami to the Capital. As for the Rebel Army, they broke ranks when their leaders dered their surrender, and returned to their homnds. If they stood and fought, they would only be dishonoring their masters.


    As for Itami, she had outyed her enemies and would take advantage of the fact that she was in her homnd to visit her family. She had not seen her darling little sister in some time. If she returned to the capital now, she would be forced to overhaul Japan, and would be gued with work on modernization of the region for years toe. Her little sister would never forgive her if she did this, thus she decided to take a brief vacation.

 Chapter 691 Digging Your Own Grave

    Chapter 691 Digging Your Own Grave


    Two weeks had passed since Ava and her family first arrived in Kufstein. During this time the woman had spent her days looking after her own children, and making sure that her husband didn''t do anything foolish, like offend somebody more prominent than him. Ava kept her distance from Berengar as per the man''s request and ensured that Wolfgang did not evene in contact with him.


    If it weren''t for her own children, and the fact that Hans was so attached to her, Ava probably would have be overwhelmed with despair, as even her own sister had be rather callous with her. Initially, she thought they were starting to get along, but for whatever reason, Ad had turned cold to her after that first day.


    Hans spent a significant amount of time around his aunt. Whenever the two of them were together, he would preach of his father''s aplishments. Unknowingly, Ava soon found herself fantasizing about what life would have been like had she actually married Berengar.


    As the days passed, Wolfgang and Ava fought more frequently, usually over petty things revolving around the man''s own inability. For whatever reason, his wife was nowparing him to the Kaiser, which got on his nerves. He knew it was the doing of the little redheaded brat, but he could not even scold the boy without his wife threatening him.


    Linde had be more busy with work, as tensions rose between the Papacy and the German Empire following the assassination of the College of Cardinals. As a result, Ava had taken over her motherly role for all of Berengar''s children, at least temporarily. Currently, Ava and Hans were having a conversation as she prepared some sandwiches for all the children who were now running around the Pce.


    "Aunty Ava... Have you heard of the Battle of Oberstdorf?"


    Ava raised her brow slightly as she mixed the canned tuna with the mayonnaise. She recalled hearing the term before, but was not fully familiar with the events that led to Berengar''s rise to power.


    "It sounds familiar Hans, why don''t you tell your aunt all about it over lunch!"


    Hans smiled as he helped the woman prepare the sandwiches for his siblings and cousins. Before long, the table was set, and tuna melts were sitting at every spot. Berengar''s kids loved Linde''s Tuna Melts, and Hans had given the recipe to Ava, thus she could prepare the kids'' favorite meal, while tasting it for the first time herself.


    After setting the table, Ava rang a bell, signalling that it was lunchtime, and before long the entire table was filled up with Berengar''s and Ava''s children. At least those who were old enough to eat such a meal, the younger ones had already been fed by Ava earlier in the day.


    . ?`?`m Hans and Ava took a bite out of the meal, where they both eximed in pleasure. As for Hans, heplimented the woman''s efforts in an attempt to gain her favor..


    "Mmm, just like how mommy makes it!''


    Ava was ttered by the boy''s words and quickly remembered that he was talking about some battle earlier. Thus, she did not hesitate, and inquired further about it.


    "So, Hans, you mentioned the battle of Oberstdorf?"


    Hans immediately smiled when the woman brought up his prior topic and went on a rant about his father''s aplishments in battle.


    "Oh right! Aunty Ava, the battle of Oberstdorf, happened a few years ago, between my father and his brother Lambert. Apparently Lambert tried to kill father, and because of that he was exiled from our family. He ended up returning some timeter with an army of crusaders. However mommy, and father outsmarted him and set up an ambush. In the battle, father lost not only his favorite horse but also the use of his right eye, hence why he wears an eyepatch. In the end, father won the battle, and killed uncle Lambert in singlebat."


    Ava found herself instinctively fantasizing about Berengar charging on horseback into the enemy army. She began to blush as she imagined his bravery. Completely unaware that her husband was nearby scowling at her. Wolfgang could no longer hold his tongue and interpreted the woman''s fantasies with his own thoughts on the matter.


    "Your father was a fool. He charged the enemy lines despite having a clear advantage on the hills above. He should have held his position and eliminated the enemy. I heard the crusaders surrounded him, and he used some underhanded tactics to kill his brother after getting his ass kicked. The battle of Oberstdorf was your father''s biggest humiliation, and yet you speak about it as if it was some grand victory."


    Ava''s mouth dropped when she heard her husband insult the Kaiser in his own home. Was this fool tired of living? Before she could rebuke him for hisments, Hans spoke up. Though the boy could verbally shred his uncle in a war of words, he decided the best way to defeat the man was to continue his cute act, and innocently ask a question he could not proudly answer.


    "Have you won many battles, uncle Wolfgang?"


    Upon hearing the boy ask him such a question, Wolfgang looked like he had eaten a bowl of shit. Ava ultimately broke out intoughter as she pet her nephew''s strawberry blonde hair whileplimenting him.


    "Hans, you''re so cute!"


    Wolfgang was visibly enraged at this point. The fact that his wife wasughing at him and hisck of courage was thest straw. Before Ava had realized it, Wolfgang had reached across the table and pped the Prince across the cheek. With a vicious re on his face, he yelled at the boy. <del>


    ,c`o`m</del>


    "You dare humiliate me in front of my wife!?!"


    Ava stared at her husband in disbelief. Did he really just p the young Prince of Germany? She regretted every marrying the man. Now her life, and that of her children, were in danger. She had but one choice and did not hesitate as she quickly screamed at the top of her lungs.


    "Guards!"


    Wolfgang reacted in shock when he heard his wife call out for the guards.


    "Honey, what are you doing?"


    Ava did not respond, and instead was trying to calm down Hans, who was crying after having been pped by his uncle.


    "Shhh... Hans, it''s okay. Aunty will make sure he never hurts you again!"


    The woman held her nephew up to her substantial bosom, where the boy smirked at his uncle, without Ava realizing. The man felt enraged at the sight, that is until the Guards approached. Ava was quick to inform them of what had happened.


    "Arrest this man. He has dared toy his hands on the Prince!"


    Wolfgang realized he was in trouble and tried to escape. The guards immediately reacted by chasing after him.


    "Stop right there, criminal scum!"


    The guards eventually surrounded Wolfgang and apprehended him with little effort. The man could only re at his wife, as she coddled the Prince cursing out to her while she did so.


    "You fucking bitch! You would turn on your own husband!"


    Ava merely sneered at the man in disdain as her children gazed in horror at their father''s arrest. She spat out venomous words as the man was taken away.


    "You have dug your own grave, Wolfgang. Even I can''t save you from your own stupidity... Don''t worry, I will take good care of the children!"


    The moment Wolfgang was out of sight, Hans stopped crying, where Ava smiled at him. She was concerned for her own safety, and that of her children more so than her husband''s. After all, she had heard rumors of Berengar''s ruthlessness against those who harmed his family, and she did not want to be another victim. She kissed Hans on his reddened cheek while trying to gain his aid.


    "Hans, you must protect your Aunty Ava. I know how furious your father can be. You must speak up on my behalf! I had no part in this!"


    Hans pretended to cry the entire time. He had even summoned his tears of his own ord, thus he was quick to seal Wolfgang''s fate.


    "Okay, Aunty... but I need you to speak to father with me... I won''t be enough to convince him..."


    Ava was terrified at the prospect of pleading with Berengar for mercy. She remembered the cruelty in his eyes thest time she had upset him. She wanted no part in it. However, the gaze Hans was giving her was reassuring, and thus, she calmed her heart before nodding her head in response to the boy''s request.


    "Very well... If that is what it takes, I will speak to your father with you..."


    Hans smiled as he hugged his aunt. The woman waspletely unaware that she was ying into the boy''s hands. However, it was toote. Wolfgang had acted rashly and had struck the Prince. His life was forfeited. However, perhaps Berengar could be convinced to spare him for a price. Thus, Hans grabbed hold of his aunt''s hand and led her to his father''s office.

 Chapter 692 A Plea For Leniency

    Chapter 692 A Plea For Leniency


    Berengar became aware of the disturbance that happened within his own halls not long after the incident took ce. He was outraged, beyond measure. He had invited Wolfgang and his family into his own home, and yet the man not only insulted him, but struck his child. Berengar was left with no option. He would execute the man for his offense.


    However, something shocking happened. Before he could even leave his office, the victim of the assault, as well as the offender''s wife, approached him. Berengar sat back in his chair, while Ava sat across from his desk with Hans in herp. The Kaiser was aware that his son had a certain soft spot for his aunt, and thus he did not question it. Instead, he repeated what the woman had said to him in disbelief.


    "You want me to spare your husband? Are you out of your God damn mind?"


    Truthfully, Ava wanted Wolfgang dead. Since he had been deposed by his younger brother Adelbrand, he had been nothing but a burden to her. However, it was unlikely that she was likely to be remarried, and she had no wealth of her own to speak of.


    If she had the slightest chance of marrying another man after Wolfgang''s death, then she at least had to y the part of the dutiful wife. Thus, she bowed her head slightly as she pleaded with the German Emperor for leniency.


    "I know what my husband did was wrong, and that he deserves to die for his actions. However, if you execute him, I will be the widow of a traitor. No man would wish to marry me! How am I supposed to look after my kids!?!"


    Berengar had a sneer of disdain on his face as he simply ignored Ava''s request.


    "That is not my concern. Wolfgang should have thought about the consequences of his actions before doing something as foolish as assaulting the Prince of Germany. He will die. It is just a matter of time..."


    Hans noticed the worried expression on Ava''s face and quickly spoke up on her behalf.


    "Father! Have you no pity for Aunty Ava? Her only sin is being wedded off to a fool! If you kill her husband, she will have nowhere left to go! You better be prepared to take responsibility!"


    The boy''s statements immediately dumbfounded Berengar. Responsibility? For what? It''s not like he got the woman pregnant! Just what nonsense was the boy speaking? Berengar could not handle his son''sments anymore and quickly kicked him out of the room.


    "Hans, this is a discussion between adults. Leave us..."


    Hans was a stubborn little brat. He did not want to leave his aunt behind until he had some assurances that she would be taken care of. However, his father''s re was truly frightening, and after a few moments, he could not resist the urge to flee any longer. He had a sorrow filled expression as he left Ava behind to deal with his father''s wrath alone.


    "I''m sorry Aunty Ava!"


    After saying this, Hans scurried off, leaving the woman alone with the most terrifying man she had ever met. When the door shut behind her, she expected Berengar to scream at her. However, to her surprise, he sighed heavily and poured two drinks, handing one to the woman with a look of sympathy on his face.


    "Go on drink, it will make you feel better...''


    The woman did as she was instructed, but the kind gesture confused her. She was about to voice her concerns when Berengar interrupted her.


    "You have been through a lot because of that idiot, haven''t you?"


    Perhaps it was the booze, or Berengar''s kind tone, but Ava broke down crying, releasing all the emotions she had bottled up for the past few years. Berengar had difficulty sitting by and watching the woman cry, thus he awkwardly got up andforted her. In between her sobbing, Ava would utter nonsense like.


    "You have no idea!"


    "That fucking idiot!"


    She continued to cry for some time. After nearly half an hour had passed, she was no longer capable of crying. Now that her emotions had been released, Berengar stated the facts that could not be avoided.<del>


    ,c`o`m</del>


    "Wolfgang has struck the Prince, without proper authority, or justification. That is a capital offense. If I do not take his life, then the authority of my dynasty will diminish, and I can not allow that to happen."


    Ava felt like she was going to break out into tears again as she imagined the cruel fate that awaited her after Wolfgang''s death. Truthfully, she did not care in the slightest about that fool or his miserable life, but she cared about her children. She could not imagine what difficulties they would face once their father was gone. However, Berengar''s next actions shocked her. He wiped the droplets from the woman''s eyes and grabbed hold of her dainty chin before uttering some reassurances.


    "Wolfgang must die for his crimes.... However, you are my cousin, and my sister byw. I will not throw you to the wolves just because your husband is an idiot. You and your family will be allowed to reside in the Pce until a man realizes what a catch you are, and marries you. I don''t believe it will be as difficult as you think.


    You may be a mother of four, but you are one of the three heavenly beauties of Austria. You are still young and fertile. Plenty of men would be willing to marry you, and if they aren''t, you will always have a ce in my household. I just wish-"


    Before Berengar could finish his sentence, Ava pressed her lips against his, an act which startled the Kaiser. Though he was shocked, he did not resist. After all, he would be a liar if he said he felt no attraction to the woman. More importantly, it would be more humiliating to cuck her husband before killing him. Since she was willing, he did not hesitate.


    Berengar quickly stripped the woman of her dress, all the while kissing her passionately. In the end, only her undergarments remained, which were the same deep blue as her eyes. Like Linde, she was a mother of four, and despite that, her figure was still exceptionally attractive. Though she had more body fat than Linde did, such a thing only added to her milfy appearance.


    Berengar quickly unstrapped the woman''s bra, beforecing her down on her knees. The woman quickly pulled down his trousers to reveal his massive rod. She was shocked to see such a thing, as her husband could not evenpare in size. She was so stunned by its size that she had to ask whether she was witnessing reality.


    "Is this thing real?"


    Berengar merely chuckled as he nodded in silence. Ava no longer hesitated. She stuck the enormous shaft in between her massive breasts and squeezed it tightly. Despite the size of her tits, the length of Berengar''s rod exceeded them, and she was forced to suck his tip topensate. Berengar grinned as the woman pleasured him. If he had oneint about Ad''s physique, it was that her breasts were notrge enough to pull this off.


    . ?`?`m The womanctated in the middle of the act, where she used her breastmilk as lubrication for her partner''s shaft. After a while, Berengar could no longer hold back, and sprayed his seed all over the woman''s throat. Such arge amount of sperm shocked the woman, but she quickly swallowed it down with a sultry expression on her lips.


    "Wow... so much!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this beforeying the woman on top of his desk. He gazed at her wet pussy with lust. Despite having given birth to four children, it still appeared to be tight and puffy. He did not hesitate to stick his dick inside while taunting his sister-inw.


    "You must have been very frustrated dealing with a dope like Wolfgang all these years. Well, allow me to rece your memories with him!"


    The walls of Ava''s cunt sucked Berengar in like a vacuum. He mmed his hips forward with all his might, immediately causing the woman to moan with pleasure. The two of them went at it for some time before Berengar released his seed deep inside the woman''s womb.


    "Get pregnant, bitch!"


    Simultaneously, the couple came together. Meanwhile, Ava had long sensed lost her rationality. She could hardly believe that Ad had experienced such pleasure all these years, meanwhile she had suffered through her husband''sck of ability. She knew if this continued any longer, she would be addicted to Berengar. After it was all over, and the two of them cleaned up, where Berengar made a snide remark.


    "I promise you, I won''t kill your husband until after you are pregnant with my child. I''d love to see the look on his face when he sees your round belly while he walks out to the gallows."


    Ava could not help butugh at such ament while dressing in her clothes.


    "What a sight that will be!"


    Whether Ava would be Berengar''s second mistress, or simply be a means to amuse himself with, He did not know the answer. However, the idea of fathering a few bastards appealed to him. Of course, the moment Ad found out about his infidelity with her sister, she was bound to react horribly. However, Berengar was not concerned. He had Linde in his corner, and she would happily calm Ad''s wrath for him.

 Chapter 693 - The ltami Clan

    <h4>Chapter 693 - The ltami n</h4>


    With the M��ri rebellion defeated, and the ringleaders captured. Itami''s reign had been secured. However, rather than returning to the capital city of Heian-ky�� immediately after her victory, Itami had opted to spend some time with her family. Her father had passed away shortly after her reincarnation into this world. However, her mother and sister were still very much alive.


    They had heard rumors of Itami Riyo''s exploits throughout the past few years, but had hardly believed what they were told. That is, until an army of ten thousand plus men arrived at their home, swearing that they would defend the fortress from the enemy that would soon be arriving. After the battle was over and the corpses were cleared, Riyo entered her home for the first time in years.


    She clutched her chest with her hand, feeling the intense pounding of her heart as he walked towards the entrance of her family''s home. The young woman was incredibly anxious as she dreaded the idea of reuniting with her family. Thest time she spoke with her mother was when she departed on poor terms.


    Riyo had taken up the sword in an act of retribution for her father''s murder. Something her mother disapproved of greatly. The woman felt that despite not bearing a proper son for her husband, the duty of the Itami n should not fall to such a young woman. Riyo''s mother had some choice words to say and in the end, Riyo left her family behind in pursuit of vengeance.


    The moment Riyo stepped through the doorway to her family''s home, something unexpected happened. A beautiful young girl no older than fifteen who was dressed in a kimono rushed towards her, and glomped the new Empress, as if her supreme status was nothingpared to the bond the two girls shared.


    Riyo fell to the floor at the Castle''s entrance, while her guards gazed in horror. They had failed to perceive or stop such a threat to their Empress; they were about to rip the girl away from Riyo''s arms, when she red at them menacingly, the frightening gaze of the Empress''s blood-red eyes froze the actions of the bodyguards who simply stood by and watched as the two young women embraced on the ground.


    Riyo was struggling not to flush in embarrassment as she realized her soldiers were watching her be so intimate with her younger sister. Ultimately, she forced the young girl''s face away from her own and scolded her.


    "Momo-chan, let go! Is this any way to treat your onee-chan?"


    The girl named Itami Momo immediately pouted, as her jet ck hair poured down her face like a river of ink. She had not seen her sister in so long. It was a cause of quite some grief for the girl who always relied on her elder sister growing up.


    "Nee-chan! You''re so mean!"


    Riyo quickly facepalmed as she rose to her feet and dusted off her uniform. She reached out a hand to help up her little sister, who was more than happy totch onto it. Standing in the doorway watching the whole scene was Riyo''s most loyal supporter. General Shiba Kiyohiko who did not know how to react to what he was witnessing. When Riyo noticed his expression, she introduced her little sister with an awkward smile.


    "This is my little sister, Itami Momo, as you can see she is a little bit clingy..."


    Momo pouted once more than she heard this while chastising Riyo for introducing her in such a strange way.


    "Nee-chan! Don''t make me seem weird!"


    Riyo merely smiled as she petted her little sister''s hair. She had more important matters to deal with than entertaining this brat, thus; she was quick to ask about their mother.


    "Momo-chan, Is Mibu-san around?"


    Before Momo could answer, the mature voice of an older woman interrupted the scene. There was a snide hint to her voice, as if she was scolding her errant child for being so unfilial in her duties.


    "Ara ara, is that any way to refer to your mother? It breaks my heart to see you refer to me so informally. What could I have possibly done to deserve such a thing?"


    The curvy figure of a mature beauty appeared in the hallway. The woman, though in her early forties, looked as if she were at least ten years younger. She had a beautifully sculpted face with little sign of age. Her features resembled those of a vixen, and she had the aura of a nine-tailed fox.


    The soldiers who normally worshipped Riyo as their war goddess instantly feltpelled to drop to their knees in the presence of such overwhelming beauty. However, under the ever watchful gaze of the Empress, they did not dare do so.


    The friction between the two women could cut a diamond in half. Riyo red at her mother with aplicated expression, while the woman named Mibu Saya simply stared at her daughter with a haughty expression. The years had been kind to her, though Riyo did not explicitly send her regards to her family in the forms of writing, she ensured that her mother and sister were well looked after.


    The fortune the woman had at her fingertips was enough to buy multiple cities. Naturally, she lived a life of total luxury in the castle that Itami had built for her. Never worrying about the security of herself or her youngest daughter. Riyo gazed upon the opulent kimono that the woman was wearing and sighed heavily before making an attempt at a snarky remark.


    "Mibu-San-"


    However, before Riyo could get the words out, her mother smacked the top of her head with her silk hand fan and lectured the girl on her informalnguage.


    "It is Okaa-san! Refer to your mother properly!"


    Riyo struggled to wear a smile as she dealt with her mother''s insistence. Ultimately, this was a battle she was not going to win, and she knew it. Thus, with a heavy sigh, she conceded to the woman''s demands and referred to her by the proper term.


    "Okaa-san... It seems the years have been kind to you. You look even younger than when I departed..."


    The mature beauty broke out into a slight giggle as she made a surprisingment.


    "It is all thanks to the products you have churned out here in the Itami Domain. The skin creams that your factories produce are truly divine! I suppose if there''s one good thing toe from your little rebellion, it is all the little luxuries you have provided me and your sister with. You don''t know how many marriage proposals I have had to turn down on little Momo''s behalf."


    Momo blushed when she heard her mother mention such nonsense and quickly cried out to her in protest.


    "Okaa-san! Don''t say such weird things!"


    Riyo sighed when she noticed that her family was getting along just fine without her, hell it appeared they were not the least bit affected by the siege that was taking ce just hours prior. She instantly regretted worrying about the two women when she realized how little they seemed to care about the conflict outside their borders.


    "Okaa-san, I will be staying here for a few days before returning to the capital. I trust that won''t be an issue?"


    Mibu Saya smiled as she heard this and led the way for Riyo and her troops into her home.


    "Of course. I look forward to your visit. We have much to discuss now that you have finally returned home. Shame on you, girl, you should have visited your mother sooner! Have you no sense of filial duty to your parents?"


    At this moment, Riyo wanted to find the nearest cliff so that she could jump off it. Her mother was always like this. Ultimately, she and her guards followed her mother and sister into the depths of the Castle where Mibu Saya had already prepared a feast for them. All the staples that Itami had introduced to Japanese cuisine were present. The mature women continuously fed Sake to her daughter as the two engaged in nonsensical conversation.


    Momo watched from the side with a hint of envy in her heart when she witnessed the special attention that her mother was giving her older sister. It had always been this way. Out of the two siblings, Riyo was their parents'' favorite.


    She thought that with Riyo gone, her mother would dote on her a bit more, but that did not ur. Ultimately, the awkward atmosphere between Saya doting on Riyo, and Riyo politely rejecting the woman''s kindness came to an end when the mature beauty asked her daughter a serious question.


    "So, Riyo, when will you be getting married?"


    Riyo nearly spat out her sake as she heard her mother so shamelessly approach the topic that most annoyed her. She instantly scolded her mother for speaking of such things.


    "That is none of your concern! Why would you ask me that?"


    The woman had a graceful smile on her face as she rested her dainty chin in the palm of her hand while feigning ignorance.


    "Huh? But you''re already neen, and yet you are still unmarried. Don''t tell me you don''t have any suitors? Oh my, it is as I have feared. Your gung ho attitude has scared away all the good men. At this point, if Okaa-san doesn''t intervene on your behalf, then you will die old and alone!"


    Riyo immediately fired back at her mother''s attempts to meddle in her love life with a flustered expression on her face.


    "Absolutely not! I won''t have you setting me up with some unknown man! I refuse to settle down and marry until I find the man who is capable of defeating me in battle! It is not my fault all the men in this country are worthless!"


    Saya merely drank from her own sake before shaking her head with a look of pity on her face. She merely muttered the words.


    "Oh, you poor thing..."


    After saying this, the woman became dead silent. Riyo looked around and saw the awkward expressions on the faces of everyone present and immediately stormed off.


    "Screw this! I need some air!"


    Momo tried to run after her sister, but Saya merely shot her a cold nce, freezing the girl in her tracks. Thus, the first meeting Riyo had with her family in several years ended with an awkward atmosphere.

 Chapter 694 - Renewed Hostilities in the HolyLand

    <h4>Chapter 694 - Renewed Hostilities in the HolyLand</h4>


    Over the past few months, the War for the Holy Land had reached a stalemate. The crusaders had seized acre and, with its fall, so too did much of the surrounding area end up in the hands of the Catholic Church. As a response to the losses they had suffered, the Byzantine-Timurid Alliance made a strategic withdrawal to Jerusalem, where they regrouped with allied forces from the Province of Egypt.


    During the months since the Crusade had begun, tens of thousands now lied dead, and the Catholics had begun to purge thends that they conquered. Germany had remained neutral, as their allies had not called upon them for support. Instead, they provided military aid in the form of weapons and armor to the Byzantine and Timurid forces.


    While waiting for hostilities to reignite, Sultan Sn of the Timurid Empire used this limited timeframe to rush his soldiers through the training required to use the muskets and cannons that they had purchased from the Reich.


    Because Germany had a massive industry dedicated to the manufacture of saltpeter, they did not rely on natural deposits and could easily export what excess they had to their allies. Thus, unlike the Catholics who had to carefully manage their gunpowder stockpiles, the Byzantine and Timurid forces were free to conduct as many drills as they required.


    When the Catholic Kings became aware of this, they realized that the longer this war dragged out, the less likely they were to win it. As such, the Crusadermanders met in Acre to discuss the issues they faced.


    King Aubry de Valois, King Lawrence Lancaster, the Duke Marcel de Burgundy, King Andrzej Jagiellon of Pnd, the King of Hungary, as well as the grandmasters of the Orders Hospitaller, and Red Dragon were all gathered in a dedicated meeting area. They were seated upon rather plush chairs as they debated the best course of action to end the war as swiftly as possible.


    Aubry did not have his usual feminine demeanor, considering he was dealing with representatives of the church. He had tied his long honey hair into a ponytail and forsook the use of makeup. He red intensely across the room at the Duke of Burgundy, who was his ex-lover. The fact that the two men could enter the same room together without resorting to violence was impressive in itself.


    Duke Marcel de Burgundy was a man in his early thirties. He was a handsome man, with mid-length auburn hair and deep blue eyes. If looks could kill, then Aubry would be a dead man right now. The French King had just made a suggestion, one which the Duke of Burgundy could not tolerate. This he repeated his former lover''s words as if the suggestion werepletely insane.


    "You want me to lead my forces to the holy city and draw the enemies out of Jerusalem? How the hell am I supposed to do that? The enemy is preparing themselves for the next round of hostilities. They will not bother to leave their fortified walls in pursuit of a small force of Burgundians!


    What we need to do is march on Jerusalem while they are still unprepared, and take the city by force. Either we take the Holy City, and dere Catholic rule over the region, or we are defeated. One thing is certain, we can not sit here and wait any longer!"


    Aubry did not respond to Marcel''s rejection of his n, and instead merely pouted. The other monarchs were ufortable with the current situation, but it was ultimately the King of Pnd who denied both suggestions.


    "By now, the Strategos of Egypt has marched his forces into Jerusalem. If we assault the city, it will be a costly affair. Assuming we are victorious, then we will not have the remaining men necessary to take the rest of the Holy Land. At most, we will own a few cities on the coasts which we will barely be able to maintain control over. There must be an alternate path forward."


    Ultimately, it was the opinion of the Grand Master of the Order of the Red Dragon who came up with a solution to the problem at hand.


    "Perhaps I can make a suggestion. My Drake Cannons have a superior range than those used by our enemies. We can effectively sit back and bombard the city into submission. No matter how many men may defend the city, it does not matter if they can not reach our artillery. They will be forced to surrender eventually, and we won''t have to risk the lives of our soldiers."


    The various kings gazed upon the Grand Master of the Order of the Red Dragon with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. The reality was they were so used to being technologically behind their enemies in all aspects that they did not even think of this as a possibility.


    Though the rifled muzzle loaders of the Order of the Red Dragoncked explosive firepower, or versatility to be truly effective on the field, they were excellent siege weapons. They could likely bombard the enemy''s defences until nothing remained. Still, the amount of gunpowder needed for such a siege would be no paltry sum. Thus, King Lawrence of Ennd was quick to voice his concerns.


    "Do we have enough gunpowder to sustain such a siege and still have some leftover for our forces afterward?"


    The King of Hungary was the one to answer this question, as he had a smug smirk on his face.


    "Of course, it will cost a pretty penny, no doubt, but I can easily send a message to the Golden Horde to increase the supply of saltpeter. As for the funds, I doubt the Papacy iscking. I''m sure the Pope would be more than happy to fund the resources required to be victorious in his crusade."


    The various heads of states continued to discuss this matter for a few more moments in explicit detail before deciding on a proper course of action. Ultimately, they unanimously agreed upon on the idea of bombarding Jerusalem into submission.


    ---


    Little did the Crusaders know that while they were conversing on how best to achieve victory in their crusade, their rivals in the city of Jerusalem were having their own strategic conference on how to best win this war. The Strategos of Egypt was quick to voice his concerns over the defeat at Acre.


    "I may have only just entered this conflict, but my scouts report that the enemy has introduced new artillery pieces to the battlefield. We should be very cautious about how we proceed. If we do not know the capabilities of these new weapons, we might make a serious error that could cost us not only control of the city but also the war. We need to send some spies to infiltrate Acre and find out what extent that these new cannons are capable of."


    Sn nodded his head in agreement. He had witnessed the use of the cannons himself. It would appear that they were capable of great range, greater than the ability of the cannons they themselves used. However, he was aware of the utterck of capability in the personal spyworks of the men gathered.


    Unlike Germany, which had a national intelligence agency, the Byzantine and Timurid Empire relied on personalworks established by the nobility. The Strategos of the Balkans had the most extensive of theseworks, but he was from a rival faction, and would not easily support the men in this room. Thus, Sn had thought of an alternative way to gain the information they needed, and he was not afraid to voice his suggestion.


    "We should ask Germany to assist our operations with their intelligence. Nobody has a greater intelligencework than the Reich. I''m sure it would be easy for their agents to find out how capable these new weapons are."


    The Two Strategos'' had twisted expressions as they heard this. The rtionship between Germany and the Byzantine Empire was aplicated one. While Berengar was an ally of Padius, and the Byzantine Royal Family, he actively impeded the other factions who fought for control of the Empire.


    These two Byzantine Generals were from the Hawkish faction that once supported Decentius, it would not be easy to make a request to the Kaiser for support. Ultimately, they could only rely on a proxy to deliver the message to them. Thus, the Strategos of Palestine voiced his opinion on the matter.


    "I fear it is not so simple. Meeting with the Kaiser and making a personal request of him is not an easy task. Since the Emperor has not requested German Assistance in this war, Berengar has taken a neutral stance. At most, he is willing to provide us with military aid in the form of weapons and armor. He is only in contact with Padius, and the Emperor himself. If we request either of them to speak with him on our behalf, then we will be asking for humiliation.


    The only way to do this is to send a personal representative to the Reich, and bargain with the Kaiser for use of his agents. This will take some time, as Kufstein is far away from Jerusalem. It will take weeks just to arrive in the Reich''s capital, let alone secure a meeting with the Kaiser. However, it is our best shot. After all, we can not infiltrate Acre on our own, and Germany is still technically our ally."


    Of course, these men had no way of knowing that Berengar''s agents had long since infiltrated every corner of Europe and the Mediterranean, and were already aware of the so called Drake Cannons in use by the Order of the Red Dragon. It was a simple matter of rying what information they had already received to their allies.


    Since they were unaware of this reality, the men present felt it was toorge of a request to make, believing that Berengar would have to take additional covert actions against the Church in order to find out this information. As a result, the men would dy the time it took to receive this critical information by first sending a messenger to the Reich, hoping that they could get an audience with the Kaiser.


    If they had known that Germany already had this information, all they needed to do to obtain it was dispatch a man to Constantinople, and have the German Embassy ry a telegraph to the Reich requesting ess to this information.


    With renewed hostilities on the horizon, every second mattered. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Byzantine and Timurid forces under-estimated Germany''s capabilities, and had thus taken a longer route to discover the information they desperately required. Only time would tell if they woulde to learn of the exact capabilities of the Drake Cannons before they were besieged.

 Chapter 695 - lt is About Retribution

    Chapter 695 - lt is About Retribution


    Ad curled her fists in rage as she sat in her seat across from her elder sister. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. The young woman was so outraged by her husband''s actions she had half a mind to leave him for good. Ava merely drank from her teacup as she listened to her little sister''s enraged ramblings.


    "I invite you into my home, because I took pity on you, and you thank me for my kindness by sleeping with my husband!"


    Ava was not the slightest bit ashamed of her actions. Ever since she witnessed Berengar''s transformation from a foolish boy to apetent lord, she had desired to ditch her husband and get with him. Truthfully, she was not expecting such a thing to ur. However, she was d that it had. Instead, she tried to deflect from the issue by making a snide remark about a pastment.


    "I don''t know if you remember, but there was a time where I asked you to share him with me many years ago. If you had just said yes, then you wouldn''t be so angry right now..."


    Ad could no longer contain her fury. She stood up from her seat, and pped her sister across the face as hard as she could, living a red handprint on the woman''s pretty face. With tears in her eyes, Ad screamed the words she had wanted to say to her sister for many years.


    "I hate you!"


    After saying this, she stormed off from the sitting area and entered one of the castle''s many rooms. Berengar generally slept with one or more of his wives in the royal bedchamber. However, it was not an everyday urrence for all of them to share the same bed, because of this several rooms were designated for the use of the Kaiser''s wives. Ad was crying on the bed she used when she was not by her husband''s side. She could not believe that the man had hooked up with her sister.


    Then again, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she shouldn''t have trusted the man around a pretty woman. Especially if that woman was married to a man he wanted to get revenge on. With a defeated voice, she called out to nobody in particr.


    "Berengar, you dummy!"


    ---


    While Ad was crying alone in her room, Linde was chastising Berengar for his actions. She was actually amazed that her husband was so shameless. In the entire time she had known the man, she had never been this angry with him.


    "You slept with her? What on earthpelled you to do such a stupid thing?"


    Berengar listened to the woman''s fury with a deadpan expression on his face. He had severely regretted his actions after doing them, knowing full well what trouble they would cause. Unfortunately, beautiful women were his weakness, especially when there was alcohol involved.


    However, as the Kaiser, Berengar could not admit to his wife that what he did was wrong. No, it was not his position, but his pride that would not allow him to do so. Naturally, when pressed into a corner, and forced to exin his actions to his wife, Berengar not only doubled down, but tripled down.


    "What did you expect me to do, Linde!?! That bastard Wolfgang struck our son!"


    For the first time in Linde''s life, she was actually furious with Berengar''s womanizing, not because she cared he had slept with a random harlot, but because she was concerned about the distress such a thing would undoubtedly cause to Ad when she found out.


    On top of this, the man came up with the most illogical reasoning for his actions. If he had admitted he was drunk, horny, and made a mistake she would be more lenient, however the moment she heard such obtuse reasoning for his actions she screamed at the man with every fiber of her being.


    "And so you slept with his wife!?! How does that make any sense? If someone ps our child, you cut off his hand, or have the man executed, you don''t fuck his wife! Especially when that wife is the elder sister of your wife! You''re unbelievable. Why don''t you just admit you made a mistake?"


    Berengar refused to relent, even though he was well aware of how much he had fucked up, but if he submitted to Linde now and apologized for his actions, she would never respect him in the same way she had in the past. In his past life, Berengar''s father had imparted a certain phrase of wisdom unto him and that was the phrase:


    "Never apologize to a woman. If you do it once, she will expect you to do it every time she thinks you are wrong..."


    It was this reasoning that Berengar had utterly refused to apologize and instead asserted his dominance by questioning Linde''s loyalty.


    "You dare say what I, the Kaiser, can and can''t do? What gives you the right? You may not understand this because you are a woman, but taking Wolfgang''s life is too easy. If I did, he would just be another head on the chopping block.


    If I truly want to make that imbecile understand the depths of his sins, then I must im his wife as my own before executing him. Only then will he realize just how much he screwed up by touching my child! It''s not about logic or reason, Linde, it''s about retribution!"


    Upon seeing that Berengar was not willing to relent, or apologize for his actions, Linde simply turned away and headed for the door. When she did so, Berengar called out to her.


    "Where the hell do you think you''re going!?!"


    Linde turned around and gave her husband a chilling stare before responding to his words with a tongueced with venom.


    "I''m going to gofort your wife!"


    When Berengar heard this he was dumbfounded, but he supposed Linde would have a better time cheering up Ad, then he would at this point in time. After all, he refused to apologize for his actions, and Ad would not want to hear his excuses right now. Thus, Linde left Berengar alone, where he drowned hisplicated emotions in copious quantities of alcohol.


    ---


    Having fought with her husband, in a foolish attempt to force the man to apologize for his actions, and admit that what he did was a mistake, Linde soon found her way in the halls where she saw her son cheering up the harlot who had caused this controversy.


    Linde was furious when she saw the woman in tears. There was a visible red handprint on her cheek, which Linde guessed was from Ad. She quickly called out to her son and forced him away from his aunt.


    "Hans,e here this instant! I don''t want you hanging around that woman!"


    Hans feigned ignorance after witnessing the furious state of his mother. He had never seen the woman so outraged, and truthfully, he was a bit frightened at what she might do while in her current state. Evidently, his n had worked, and his father had taken Ava as one of his mistresses, or else there would be no reason for his mother to be so enraged.


    Still, the prince found it weird that his mother was acting this way when she was so supportive of all the other women in her husband''s life. He was beginning to think that he did not understand theplexities of human romance after all. Normally, he would fight to stay by his aunt''s side andfort her, but when he saw the re that his mother was giving him, his skeleton nearly jumped out of his skin.


    Hans quickly waddled over to his mother with his head hanging low. Inadvertently, this had given away his schemes as Linde gazed at the boy''s guilty state with a curious glint in her eye. She immediately grabbed hold of Han''s ear and yanked on it as she interrogated her child about his scandalous actions.


    "You little brat! You did this? Didn''t you!"


    When Hans heard his mother''s shrill voice, he nearly soiled himself. He would not deny his mother''s questions when she was in such a flustered state, and merely responded with a slight nod of his head. Upon seeing the boy submissively respond to her, Linde smirked before inquiring further about his motives.


    "What in God''s namepelled you to do such a thing?"


    Hans could not even meet his mother''s nce as he tried to justify his scheming behavior.


    "I only wanted everyone to be happy! I didn''t think it would actually work!"


    Linde feltpelled to smack her own child then and there, but instead she took a deep breath and calmed herself as she gazed upon the boy''s cute face. She couldn''t stay mad at the boy, even though what he had done had caused her quite the headache. However, his actions would not go unpunished. She quickly dished out a sentence for her son as a reprisal for his delinquent actions.


    "You are confined to your room for the next two weeks. Aside from school and the Cadet Corps, you are not allowed to leave your quarters until I say so! Shame on you, messing with the heads of adults! I hope that you will reflect on your actions and the trouble you have caused. I will also be expecting a thorough report on why you thought it was necessary to act as a matchmaker between your father and your aunt!"


    Hans immediately protested his mother''s decision. He felt the extent that his mother was disciplining him was unjust. The punishment clearly did not fit the crime. Or so he thought. However, under the frightful gaze of his enraged mother, the boy could not fully voice his argument against the sentence she had given him, and merely responded with a childish quip.


    "That''s not fair!"


    Linde was not in the mood to hear the boy''s excuses. She quickly grabbed hold of her son''s hand and dragged him to his room while continuing to lecture him.


    "You have no idea the trouble you have caused by manipting your aunt and Father. You should consider yourself lucky that you are only grounded for two weeks. It is clear that your father and I have given you too much freedom. From now on, things are going to be much more strict around here!"


    After saying this, Linde tossed her son into his room and locked the door behind him. Truthfully, it was not exactly the worst punishment in the world. Hans''s room wasrger than most penthouse suites, with its own bathroom, desk, and library. The most difficult portion of his punishment would be writing a report to his mother, exining the reasoning for his schemes. He did not know how he would logically exin his reason for wanting Ava as another one of his mommies.


    Linde, on the other hand, would proceed to Ad''s quarters, not worrying in the slightest about Ava who witnessed the entire scene disy itself, and was dreadfully confused about what had been said. If Ava was foolish enough to be manipted by a child, then Linde would not bother spending the effort to exin it to her. As for Ad, she was still crying her pretty little face into her pillow. The news that her sister had seduced her husband devastated her.

 Chapter 696 - ltami Riyos lnternal Strife

    Chapter 696 - ltami Riyo''s lnternal Strife


    Itami Riyo lies asleep on a futon. It was one of the earliest inventions she had brought into this world. She sleptfortably, naked beneath her futon. It was a habit of hers in both her past life and this one. The main reason wasfortability. She did not enjoy being tangled in clothing while she slept.


    In her family''snds, the Imperial Japanese Army maintained their vignce. Though the rebels were defeated, and their leaders captured. It did not mean that they would notunch a counterattack. As for Itami''s family, they were asleep in their own chambers. After getting into an argument with her mother, the woman had spent much of her stay in the region avoiding her family.


    She could only tolerate so much of her mother''s antics. Though she enjoyed thepany of her sister, the girl was a bit too clingy. Even now, Riyo had to keep one eye open in case the girl snuck into her bed. Naturally, the moment the door to her room opened, Riyo reached for her sword and unsheathed it, before pointing her de directly in front of her little sister''s cute face.


    Momo gazed at her sister''s vicious expression of indifference. She was not the slightest bit frightened by Riyo. This was how the two of them normally behaved under such circumstances. Instead, she merely knocked her own head with her tiny fist and stuck out her tongue while mocking her elder sister.


    "It looks like I''ve been found out..."


    Riyo sighed before sheathing her de, where she shook her head. She was not the slightest bit ufortable being naked around her own sister. Instead, she was exhausted by the girls'' overly affectionate behavior.


    "What do you want, Momo?"


    The girl instantly smiled before shutting the door behind her and disrobing herself. With an innocent expression, she expressed her desire.


    "I just wanted to sleep with nee-chan!"


    Riyo gazed upon her sister''s naked body, and her pupils shrunk. Just what the hell was her mother feeding this girl? She was several years younger, and still going through development, and yet the girl was curvier than she was. It was at this moment that a sense of embarrassment finally overtook Riyo''s mind as she covered her own naked body with her hands before scolding her sister.


    "What are you doing? You can''t just strip down in my room and share my futon!"


    Momo looked up at her sister with a confused expression before asking why she couldn''t do such a thing?


    "Huh? But you always sleep naked nee-chan? Why can''t I?"


    Riyo could not help but knock the girl on the head for herck of a brain before scolding her.


    "Idiot! It''s one thing to sleep naked on your own, but you can''t do it with another person! Especially not your sister. That''s taboo!"


    It was at this moment that Riyo reached into her belongings and dressed herself in a loose silk kimono, before urging her sister to do the same.


    "It can''t be helped. If you''re going to sleep with your sister, get dressed!"


    Momo silently pped her hands in excitement before doing as she was instructed. After getting dressed in her clothes once more, she crawled into the futon with her elder sister, and snuggled with her.


    "Nee-chan is the best!"


    Riyo flushed with embarrassment in the darkness when she heard these words. She looked away from her sister, in case the girl''s keen eyesight took notice. It was at this moment that Momo voiced a simr question to what her mother had asked upon her arrival.


    "Hey, Nee-chan? Is there really no man in your life?"


    Riyo became even more flustered as she heard her little sister ask such a shameless question. She could not help but wonder why the girl was so interested in her love life.


    "Why do you care?"


    Momo looked up at her sister''s flushed face before asking with an innocent expression on her face.


    "I''m just curious. I know you never thought of any boys while you were living here, and once you went off to war, I was sure that you would find someone. You''re so beautiful and brave. I was certain someone would chase you. Yet, you told Okaa-san you weren''t interested in anyone unless they could defeat you. Does that mean you haven''t met anyone yet?"


    Riyo sighed heavily as she reflected on the question. In this life, all the men she had met werecking in some way or another. However, that did not mean she was single in her past life like Berengar was. Shortly after Julian''s death, Riyo fell into a deep depression, and was only lifted from her despair because of one of hermanding officers. The two of them dated in secret, until another soldier found out about it, and killed her in an act of jealousy.


    However, thinking back on that man''s name and face, she realized that she could remember neither. It was almost as if he was simply a substitute for the man she had really longed for. A dense fool who had gotten himself fragged in thest days of a twenty-year conflict. She identally let the name slip as she thought about her past life.


    "Julian, you dummy..."


    This instantly startled Momo. The name Julian was foreign to her. She had never heard the name before. Hell, it was even difficult for her to pronounce, so how did her sister manage to say it so clearly? If she wasn''t so sure that Riyo was talking about a man, she would have thought the girl was speaking gibberish. There were many questions on the girl''s mind, chiefly among them was:


    "Who is Jurian?"


    Momo had a difficult time pronouncing the letter L like many Japanese who were not ustomed to the English tongue. Riyo gazed at her sister with an astonished expression on her face. She only now realized that she had voiced her thoughts aloud. She tried toe up with an excuse but utterly failed to do so.


    "Ummm... that''s kind of difficult to exin... Just know that he was someone very dear to your nee-chan."


    This only made Momo more curious about the mysterious man''s identity. She was quick to inquire about this person. In her entire life, Momo had never known her sister to care for a man before.


    "What do you mean was? Is he okay?"


    Riyo shook her head with a solemn expression on her face before telling her sister the truth.


    "No, he is not... He died many years ago, but it''s okay, I have gotten over it..."


    Momo did not believe her sister for a single second as she heard this. She puffed her cheeks in defiance before scolding Riyo for not being honest with herself.


    "It sounds to me like you''re still hung up on him. Clearly, whoever he was, you are using him as a standard to judge other men, or as an excuse to stay away from them. It sounds like you still need to do some healing..."


    Riyo was shocked by this statement. She gazed at her little sister with a hint of surprise on her face, before making a joke.


    "Who are you, and what have you done with my foolish little sister?"


    Momo pouted once more while she pounded her tiny fists against Riyo''s shoulder.


    "Nee-chan! I''m being serious!"


    Riyo sighed as she stroked the girl''s jet ck hair. She had nothing more she wanted to say on the matter and forced the girl to get some sleep.


    "Go to sleep Momo, dawn is closer than you think..."


    After saying this, the woman ignored her younger sister and her protests. Eventually the Momo fell asleep. However, Riyo''s consciousness lingered for some time, fearful that she may have let her sister know something that she shouldn''t have.


    What would happen if the girl had informed their mother of what she had said? Things would not end well for her if that old vixen found out that she was still stuck on some guy who died a long time ago. Or perhaps it would be more urate to say that he would die many years in the future.


    Eventually, Riyo drifted into sleep, dreaming about her past life, and how easy her life was back then, especially whenpared to this brutal world of warfare and intrigue. She was relieved to know that, at least in her dreams, she could still hear his voice and see his face.

 Chapter 697 - Taking ownership

    Chapter 697 - Taking ownership


    Linde stood in the door-way of Ad''s quarters. She gazed upon the scene of the young woman sobbing profusely after realizing that her husband had slept with her sister. If the rtionship was more cordial between the two siblings, then perhaps she would have been less wounded. However, things wereplicated between Ad and Ava. Not only was Ava''s Berengar''s first fiancee, but she was someone who had always looked down on Ad.


    Berengar did not sleep with Ava to hurt Ad. It was not a deliberate act of cruelty. To him, it was a matter of retribution against Wolfgang. Had Ava note onto him, he never would have considered it a viable option. Alcohol yed its own part in his neglectful thinking.


    Though Linde enjoyed ying with Honoria and Ad, she wasmitted to her rtionship with Berengar, and though he had yed the part of the fool with his recent actions, she desired nothing more than to reunite Ad and Berengar, and thus she hade to smoothe things over with the girl. After all, she could never expect Berengar to apologize for his behavior.


    Linde approached the petite figure of Ad, who had her head face down on the pillows and patted her back gently. The sudden action caused the girl to react in shock, where she turned around and saw Linde smiling warmly at her. Immediately Ad buried her head in the woman''s bosom and cried even more.


    "Linde.... Berengar slept with my sister!"


    Linde shushed the girl as she stroked her silky golden hair. She sighed heavily before trying tofort her oldest rival in her time of need.


    "Yeah... I heard... Berengar is an idiot, but he had his reasons..."


    Ad gazed up with a hint of fury in her sapphire eyes as she scolded Linde for taking their husband''s side.


    "Why are you taking his side? You know what he did was wrong!"


    Linde did not deny that she felt conflicted over choosing Berengar''s side, especially after having such choice words for the man. However, she did not hesitate to respond to Ad''s statement.


    "Do you know the full story? Your sister''s idiot husband struck Hans in an act of petty rage. He has since been arrested and is now awaiting his execution. Ava became hysterical after her husband''s arrest, and Hans, fearing for her safety, convinced her to beg for Berengar''s forgiveness. You know how Berengar is with his fury. If Ava did not do anything, she was likely to suffer as well.


    Of course, the moment this news reached his ear, our dear husband resorted to drinking. After all, that seems to be his method of coping with stress. Taking advantage of this fact, your sister forced herself on him. Believing it to be an opportune moment to further punish Wolfgang before his execution, Berengar did not resist.


    I don''t believe there are actually any feelings between Berengar and your sister. It will probably be a one-off thing. I can tell he deeply regrets it now that he has had some time to think through the situation. You should take some time to sort through your thoughts ande to realize that this is the price you have to pay for being with a man like Berengar.


    Our husband is the most wealthy, and powerful man in the world, and is handsome to boot. Women around the globe will inevitably throw themselves at him, and sometimes he will fail to resist the temptation to take advantage of it. I''m not mad that Berengar slept with your sister. I''m angry that he did not take the time to think about what effect it would have on you.


    If there is one thing that keeps getting in the way between yours and Berengar''s happiness, it is your jealousy. If you want to keep him by your side, I suggest you take a morex attitude on how he handles his rtionships with other women. As you know, under Germanw, he is permitted another wife, and a man like him won''t leave that slot open.


    I''m not saying that woman is going to be Ava, but you need to realize that being jealous of the next woman he brings home is not going to do you any favors. I hope the two of you can move past this, and if you need a shoulder to cry on, I am here for you."


    After hearing Linde''s long-winded speech, Ad wiped the tears from her eyes. It was true she did not know the whole story. Ava had just tantly said the words "I slept with Berengar" to her. Naturally, Ad denied it at first, but based upon the love bite on the woman''s neck, she knew it to be true. Afterward, she just flipped out, not even listening to reason. Not that Ava had the brains to properly exin her actions to her sister.


    Upon hearing Linde exin the full situation to her, and also add in her personal advice. Ad was able to calm herself, at least to the extent that she was not overflowing with tears anymore. Still, she was angry at Berengar.


    That idiot did not even take a moment to think of how his actions might affect his loved ones. She was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with the way the man''s brain worked. It was as if empathy was an alien emotion to him. Something that did not register in his brain.


    Upon seeing that Ad had calmed herself to some extent, Linde hugged the woman tightly in her arms. While the two were enjoying the moment, a knock resounded on the door to reveal Berengar standing in the doorway. He had chosen the opportune moment to enter. Still, Ad was ring daggers at him. He had a tray of blended drinks in his hands as he realized the best way to get through their troubles was to talk about it.


    Linde was quick to ept her drink and decided to stay out of whatever Berengar had to say. Ad, on the other hand, was hesitant but after some insistence by the others, she sighed and took a sip from her drink, allowing Berengar to say his piece. Once the three of them had some alcohol in their blood, Berengar sighed heavily before making his statement.


    "I''m not going to apologize for what I have done, simply because I don''t believe it was wrong. Under the same circumstances, I''m certain I would do it again."


    Ad was just about to pour her drink on his head when Berengar waved his finger and stopped her before continuing on with his speech.


    "However, I will say that Iment the fact that my actions hurt you. I know the rtionship between you and Ava is strenuous, to say the least. I should have informed you of my decision before doing it. Wolfgang did something unforgiveable, something not even his life could truly pay for. Ava approached me, and I knew the best way to get back at him was to steal her from him before his death. Then, and only then, would I have been satisfied.


    I want you to know that I have no intentions of seeing your sister long term, nor do I n on raising her children. I''m sure somebody else can fulfill that role. Since things have be so strained between the two of you, I will move her into the old family castle, where she and her family will be properly looked after, until a time where she can meet a man who will provide for her.


    So long as I can remember, I have never had feelings for your sister, and that hasn''t changed. She has always been and will always be a pain in my ass. However, I feel justified in what I did, as once your sister''s infidelity is revealed to her husband, he will be in incredible pain, and then, after he has lost all hope, I will take his head.


    This also will serve as a warning to all who seek to do harm to my family. If you dare to touch a hair on my children''s heads, I won''t just kill you. I will fuck your wife before doing so. That''s all I wanted to say. Take as much time as you need to get over this. I''ll be waiting for you when you are ready toe back into my arms."


    After saying this, Berengar stood up and left, leaving Ad in a conflicted state. She honestly did not know how she was going to get over this. Meanwhile, Linde gazed upon her husband''s back as he left the room with a smug smirk on her pretty face, muttering under her breath a single phrase.


    "You sly dog..."


    She was amazed at the man''s ability to simultaneously take ownership of his actions while still refusing to apologize in a way that seemed somewhat endearing. He was an asshole for doing what he did, there was no denying it. However, he was a charming asshole, and the man she loved. Had he actually bowed down and grovelled to Ad in order to gain her forgiveness, Linde would have been internally disgusted by his actions.


    However, Berengar had exceeded her expectations, and because of this, she was quite turned on. If only Ad wasn''t in such a miserable state, she would have taken this opportunity to run after her man and see how much stamina he had left over after his little affair.

 Chapter 698 - You are not a Woman l Love

    Chapter 698 - You are not a Woman l Love


    Immediately after Berengar had concluded his business with Ad, he sought out Ava, who was still sitting in the spot she was previously been in. The woman was in disbelief. No matter how much she abused Ad in the past, the girl had never said the words "I hate you!" so seriously before. She was beginning to question every decision she had ever made. Berengar noticed the depressed expression on the woman''s face, but was unmoved. He sat down beside his sister-inw and immediately gained her attention.


    "Ava, we need to talk..."


    Ava gazed over at Berengar, and immediately tried to hug him, believing he would be a shoulder to cry on. However, the man pushed her away with a stern reaction on his face. This initially shocked her, but she did not give it any thought, and instead nodded her head obediently, signalling the man to speak.


    "Wolfgang will be given a stay of execution for the time being. Though he is still guilty of assaulting a member of the Royal Family, and by extension treason. I will not have him executed until after I have received permission from his younger brother, Adelbrand. Thest thing I need is one of my most capable Generals to turn against me.


    I will send word to Adelbrand, and have him visit me personally before I decide on how to proceed with Wolfgang. If Adelbrand begs me to spare Wolfgang''s life, I will exile the man to the Colonies, to start anew and live a life of backbreakingbor. If this is the case, then your marriage shall be annulled on the grounds of your infidelity, and you will be granted custody over your children."


    All the grief Ava had felt in her heart since Ad had spurned her instantly vanished. It was all worth it if she could get away from Wolfgang and enter Berengar''s good graces. She immediately tried to hug and kiss Berengar but was stopped before she could do so. He did not wait for her response and immediately continued on his speech.


    "As for what happened between you and me, it was a mistake. I will not continue our rtionship until Ades to ept it. For now, I will politely ask you to remove yourself and your family from my Pce. I will not, however, send you to the streets, even if Ad was to insist. Instead, I will allow you and your children to stay in my family''s old castle. You and your offspring will be looked after appropriately, and you shall not want for anything.


    If Ades to ept our rtionship, then I will not mind visiting you once in a while, and having intimate rtions with you. However, I will not be the father that your children need. I already have my own family, and your children with Wolfgang will never be mine. If you do not desire such a rtionship, then you can look for another man to marry, and whatever rtionship we have wille to an end. The choice is entirely yours to make."


    Ava was stunned when she heard this news. She thought that she had finally gotten into Berengar''s good graces, when in reality she was merely used on a whim, and was being discarded afterward. Ava could not believe the man was being so shameless after what he said to her at their intimate moment. She immediately questioned his integrity.


    "What if I be pregnant with your child? Are you so heartless to toss me, and our child, away?"


    In response to this, Berengar had a stoic expression on his face as he gave the woman an answer. He did not like her attitude and was close to backhanding her.


    "If you bear my child, then I will be a semi-active part in its life. I will not, however, recognize it as my own. It will have no im to my throne and will be nothing more than a bastard. As for your other children, I have already made my stance clear on that."


    The mature beauty had aplicated expression on her face. This was not at all what she was expecting after she had slept with the Kaiser. Why was she the odd one out? Though she did not expect to be married to the man, she at least anticipated the same treatment that Henrietta received.


    Instead, she cast away like a leper. Ava''s vindictive nature took hold of her as she thought about Berengar''s rtionship with his sister, and immediately threatened to expose his secret if he did not take her and her children in.


    "I know what goes on between you and your sister. I wouldn''t doubt if one of your so-called heirs is really hers. If you don''t take care of me properly, then maybe I''ll just tell somebody about the taboo rtionship you have with your sister!"


    Though Berengar was being threatened by the woman, he did not immediatelysh out at her, and instead chided her for her naivety.


    "Henrietta is my aunt by blood. From a consanguineous standpoint, our rtionship is no different from the one I have with your sister. If it were not because of political importance tied to myst marriage slot, I would have made this knowledge public, and married her.


    Go ahead and tell others. I will simply make the truth avable to everyone. The voice of the crown is muchrger than yours. You have no power over me, and to think that you do just shows how foolish you are. If I were a more heartless man, I would have you join your husband for making that threat to me just now.


    You really are your husband''s wife. You know what I do to those who threaten me, and yet you so boldly try to ckmail me in my house, under my supervision, with no witnesses. Sometimes I wonder if you are really Otto''s daughter. Youck both the brains and grace that most of your family has."


    Ava immediately realized how foolish she was and bowed her head in apology.


    "Please, forgive me, my Kaiser..."


    Berengar sighed heavily as he thought about whether he should entertain such a boorish woman. Then again, he remembered how good it felt to stick his shaft between her legs, and decided to show mercy to the fool.


    "I suppose I now have at least one fond memory of you. Because of that, I will spare you, and pretend like this minor incident had never urred. However, threaten me again and you will see how merciless I can truly be."


    Ava did not question Berengar anymore after this. She epted her fate. After all, life in avish castle was still better than what awaited her with Wolfgang. Perhaps she could convince her sister to approve of her rtionship with Berengar. If she could, her days would be filled with luxury and pleasure, even if there was no love between her and the Kaiser.


    After all, she couldn''t get the feeling she had when she was physically joined together with Berengar out of her mind. It was always lingering there, reminding her of what could be. Once the woman was more docile, Berengar sighed and stood up from his seat. He departed from the room with one final bit of advice.


    "I will give you a week to inform your children about the changes that are about to ur in their lives. This gives me time to find a trustworthy staff to look after you and your family in the old castle. After that, I will have your things moved, and you will no longer be wee in the pce as a guest of your sister''s. Do not show up at my gates unannounced, or you will be turned away.


    As for whether or not our fun can continue, that is up for your sister to decide. Normally I would just do as I please in pursuit of a woman I''m fond of. However, you are not a woman that I love and to call you a mistress would be an insult to my sister. Whether our rtionship involves into anything more than a passing fancy is up for you and Ad to decide."


    With that said, Berengar turned away from Ava and went on his own path. Ava would try to reconcile with her sister shortly after, but would ultimately be turned away by the girl. For the time being, she would not be able to remotely convince Ad of epting her affair with Berengar.

 Chapter 699 Arrival of the lndian Exiles Part l

    Chapter 699 Arrival of the lndian Exiles Part l


    Months had passed since the day Berengar had turned Ava away and currently, two children were on a train heading towards Kufstein. One of these two kids was the Emperor of the Anangpur Empire, who had spent thest few months travelling on a treacherous journey towards the German Empire. By his side was his younger sister Priya, who gazed out the window of the strange vehicle known as a "train" with an astonished expression on her face.


    Compared to the condition she was in when she first set out on this journey, she was much better. The girl was no longer on the brink of death, having not consumed the poison her uncle had prepared for her in months. Herplexion, while pale, was showing signs of her normal hue. She was still frail, but could now walk on her own, at least a certain distance.


    Unlike the normal guests to the Royal Pce of Kufstein, these two children were in a standard coach seat. They were travelling incognito, and could not very well afford to buy a first-ss cabin. By their side was the merchant who their cousin Ishwar had paid to bring them to their destination. Until now, they believed they had gone unnoticed. In reality, Linde''s agents had long since marked them as persons of interest, and had even staved off a few assassination attempts from their uncle in secret.


    There was a reason they were so easily able to get through German customs. Even the merchant found it strange. Normally, foreign traders had to go to great lengths to get into the Reich. If it were not the central trade hub of Europe, they would not bother doing it. However, the moment the man presented his identification papers to the Trade and immigration officials at the Hungarian border, his cargo was only briefly searched for contraband before being approved.


    The guards only took a short glimpse of the identification papers that had been prepared for the two children. Unless one was a routine traveler to thends of the Reich, they would be interrogated at extensive length about what they were carrying, the identities of everyone who apanied them, and the reason for their visit.


    With the recent expansions in Border security, there were only a few ways to safely enter the Reich, and the pathways were covered with refugees and merchants alike. Even now, the merchant was a bit unsettled by how easy it was for him to sneak the kids into the Empire. Dharya and Priya were blissfully unaware of these uncertainties, and instead, Priya gazed out the window with a radiant smile, asking her brother questions about all the wonders she had witnessed.


    "Brother, what is that? Can you see it? It''s moving! All on its own! Where are the horses pulling it?"


    What the young girl was referring to was a steam powered tractor which had long since reced animal driven machines as agricultural tools in the fields of Austria. The farmer was pulling a seeder plow through his fields via his tractor with a cheerful smile on his face. Agriculture was a continual focus of Berengar''s interests. Believing that no family should ever go hungry, he tried his best to make food plentiful, affordable, and healthy.


    Compared to the Anangpur Empire, where much of the agriculture was done by hand, this was truly a marvelous sight, especially for the little girl who had been confined to the Pce for most of her life. The truth of the matter was, Dharya knew very little about the mysterious German Empire, only what he had heard from his cousin Ishwar.


    Hell, he was unaware that Austria had created an Empire until the moment he set foot on his journey. How could possibly know what that tractor was? Unfortunately, due to the story he frequently told Priya while she was alone and sick, the girl believed he was an expert on the subject. Thus, he could only grimace as he admitted his ignorance to the wide eyed little girl.


    "I''m sorry Priya, I don''t know the answer to that..."


    The girl''s expression saddened as she realized she would not get an answer, despite being truly interested in the magnificent device. As if taking pity on the girl, after spending months looking after her, the old merchant broke his silence.


    "That device there is called a tractor. I don''t have the damndest clue about how it operates, but it is a major tool of German agriculture. It is capable of doing the work of dozens of beasts and hundreds of men. The device attached to its back is known as the seeder plow and is used to both plow and seed the fields.


    Only one man is required to ensure the devices are loaded. After that, he simply sits back and drives the tractor across his plot ofnd that he wishes to sow. This device is arge reason why Austria is currently known as the breadbasket of the Reich. During myst visit, these things were rare as the technology had just been developed. It would appear that now such tools aremonce."


    Dharya had a mind for politics and immediately understood what this meant. His curiosity got the better of him, and he quickly asked the man the most pertinent question on his mind.


    "If so, few hands are needed in the fields, then where did all the peasants go?"  merchant smiled before informing the exiled Emperor of Anangpur and his little sister of how far advanced Germany waspared to their homnd.


    "The reich has no peasants, sure there are farmers, but as you can see, they are fewer than anywhere else I have visited. Instead, the former peasant ss is free to work in whatever field they desire. So long as one is capable enough in the reich, they can rise to a lofty position without ever being born in the nobility. It is the reason you see so many people at the borders trying their best to get in.


    Of course, the Germans are a proud folk. They take only a few foreigners into theirnds. Mostly young women, capable of being wives and mothers, and they insist these women marry German men, and their offsprings marry Germans. Which they are more than willing to do if it means escaping the lives that await them in their homnds.


    It has been a while since Ist visited this part of the world, but it appears the Germans are preparing for a major war against their neighbors. Thest time I was here, these extensive border defenses did not exist. Heck, it was still known as the Kingdom of Austria back then."


    Priya was instantly curious about how rapidly thisnd had transitioned and the cause for it. The merchant appeared to be a reliable source of information, and thus she quickly asked for more information.


    "How did the Kingdom of Austria be the German Empire, and why is the name not the Austrian Empire?"


    The old man sighed, before shaking his head, sadly he had to admit that his knowledge was limited.


    "Unfortunately, I am not the best man to ask that question. I only know the things I know due to the contacts I have in the Byzantine Empire. They are a major trading partner, an ally of the Reich."


    The girl began to pout once more, and upon seeing this, the man felt his heart break. So he decided to speak about what little he knew.


    "I will tell you the rumors I have heard, but I cannot guarantee their uracy. This Empire is ruled by a man known as Berengar von Kufstein. Supposedly seven years ago, he was nothing more than a minor nobleman''s firstborn son.


    Apparently, he developed some strange technology that allowed him to mass produce steel. He became exceptionally wealthy very quickly. Berengar tried to stay out of matters of politics, but it would appear his neighbors had other ns. He quickly got into a few small-scale wars and climbed the ranks of the noble hierarchy by defeating his enemies.


    After a series of victories, he found himself the King of an Independent Austria. Where he was universally despised by his neighbors. Despite this, his realm continued to flourish, and his military might expand. Through diplomacy, he brought some of his neighbors to his side to untie with him. The rest he conquered. In the end, he unified the majority of the German world. With a few small areas still in the hands of his neighbors.


    Apparently, the Kaiser had grand ideals about unifying his people into a powerful empire, and hence he named it the German Empire, rather than the Austrian Empire. Even if the Kingdom of Austria is the one responsible for uniting the Empire.


    The story of Berengar von Kufstein is interesting. Depending on who you ask, he is either a Saint or a Devil. To the German people, he is a benevolent monarch, leading them into a new and prosperous era. To the neighboring people, he is a blood-thirsty tyrant, and a heretic, who seeks to establish his rule over all.


    I''m just an old merchant from the east, and all I know about Germany is that trading with the Empire is safe and stable. The Germans are the wealthiest people in the world and are willing it import luxuries from across the world to satiate their expensive tastes. Aside from the difficulties of actually getting into the country, I have noints.


    The German military and Police forces go to great lengths to secure the realm''s borders. You will not find highwaymen, or bandits in the Empire, nor will you find street gangs. Violent crimes are heavily punished, and criminal enterprises that prey on the people are eradicated.


    The German people live in a state of peace and prosperity, unlike anywhere else in the world. Even if the old nobility wanted to rise against their new monarch, they would find no volunteers to do so. Your cousin chose wisely to send you to Kufstein. You will be safe from your uncle here."


    After hearing this speech, the two siblings were much more confident in their odds of surviving here in Germany. Who knows, perhaps they could even convince the Kaiser to take up their cause, and restore Dharya to power on his throne.

 Chapter 700 Arrival of the lndian Exiles Part ll

    Chapter 700 Arrival of the lndian Exiles Part ll


    The train eventually arrived in Kufstein, where the two Indian exiles departed from its steps alongside their handler, who had helped them on the journey this far. The man took onest good look at the two children before pointing them in the pce''s direction.


    "If you follow this road, you will enter the Pce District. You should be able to tell which building the Kaiser lives in because of its overwhelming size and grandeur. When you approach the gates, hand this letter to the guards. Your Cousin Ishwar has already scheduled a diplomatic visit with the Kaiser.


    This letter contains the approval by the Crown of Germany for your visit. They should allow you ess to the Pce. However, don''t be surprised if they treat you with some suspicion. After all, you there are only the two of you, and they should be expecting a more grand delegation.


    I''m afraid this is where we part ways. It has been an honor to serve you, your highness. Rest assured, so long as I draw breath, I will not say a word about your journey to anyone."


    Dharya gazed up at the man with a bitter smile on his face and nodded his head before grabbing hold of his sister''s hand. He would act as her support as the two of them travelled to the Royal Pce. He thanked the man for the assistance he had provided them during these past few months.


    "Thank you Ranjan, I will remember the help you have given me and my sister. When I return to the Empire and reim my rightful throne, I will ensure that you are well rewarded for your efforts!"


    The Merchant smiled as he heard these words and bowed his head before departing.


    "It has been the honor of a lifetime..."


    After saying this, he disappeared into the crowd of people gathered outside the station. Since the man was in Kufstein; he intended to take advantage of the lucrative market to bring back some wares to the Anangpur Empire. There were many things that could only be purchased in Germany''s capital. Things that would fetch an enormous price back home.


    As for the two siblings, they walked together while holding hands towards the Pce district. Due to the fact that they were obviously foreigners, there were plenty of people who gazed in astonishment at their bronzeplexions. Kufstein usually only had merchants from foreign countries. It was rare to see children from the east in the Capital.


    Dharya paid no mind and instead led his sister carefully through the streets. The girl gazed in wonder at the myriad of stores that existed across the trade district. This was no open bazaar, but an outdoor shopping mall filled with shops that contained every item money could buy.


    She gazed at thevish fashion designs that adorned mannequins in the windows of shops and desired to wear such pretty dresses. The girl pointed towards them with an ecstatic expression and spoke to her brother with an energetic tone.


    "Dharya, look! Aren''t they pretty?"


    The boy emperor was too focused on ensuring their safety to bother with the girl''s statement and merely nodded his head in silence. Hisck of care for the girl''s interests made her pout in discontent. Eventually, after making their way through the massive trade district, the two siblings found their way into the pce district, and in front of the gates of the Kaiser''s residence.


    By now, Priya had lost the energy in her legs and was being carried on her elder brother''s back. When the Imperial Guards saw the approach of the two children, they were cautious while they issued their orders.


    "Halt! This is the residence of the Kaiser. None shall pass without an invitation!"


    Luckily, the boy had spent the months of his journey learning the Germannguage, and thus he was able to understand what these guards were saying. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter, and handed it over to the men who read it carefully.


    The letter was from the Office of the Crown and approved the Indian Delegation for a visit. It contained the Kaiser''s signature and seal. The only surprising thing was that this was no standard delegation, but two small children. This baffled the guards, causing the nonmissioned officer to take the letter into his hands and carefully study it. After some deliberation, he issued orders to the guards.


    "Detain them, and search them for any weapons or contraband. I will verify the authenticity of this document. If it is legitimate, they can proceed to the Pce under an armed escort. If not, they will face the justice of the crown for falsifying documents."


    After saying this, the sergeant rushed towards the Pce with the document in hand. As for the other guards, they did as they were instructed and thoroughly inspected the two children for smuggled weapons or other means of contraband.


    Dharya did not resist, instead he was impressed with the level of security the Kaiser had at his disposal. There was an entire battalion of the Imperial Guard whose sole duty was to protect the royal pce. The gates to the Pceplex were fortified, with heavy walls in the form of a star fortress. Atop these walls were all the armaments that woulde with such fortifications.


    One could say that the Royal Pce of Germany was actually a stronghold in its own right. It took some time, but eventually the Sergeant returned to the gates, having ascertained the validity of the document he personally led the two children inside.


    "Apologies for the wait, however, it is not every day that children visit the Kaiser. We had to ensure that everything was legitimate before allowing you entry. Please follow me. The Kaiser is waiting for you in the Great Hall."


    Dharya nodded his head and carried Priya with him. Though the soldiers offered to get her a stroller, the boy was adamant about looking after his own sister. The two children gazed in wonder at the baroque architecture of the Austrian Pce, and the borate cobblestone road that led to its entrance. They could hardly believe such grand feats of architecture had been achieved. However, when they thought about everything they had witnessed, sinceing to Germany, it was not too surprising.


    Eventually they reached the Great Hall where Berengar was seated on his throne, with his wife Linde by his side. Dharya gazed upon the beautiful figure of the redheaded women with a sense of wonder in his eyes. He had never seen such a gorgeous woman before in his life.


    As for Priya, she blushed when she saw the handsome visage of the golden-haired man seated on the throne. His imperial regalia and all the honors he had won in warfare adorned his body. He was the truest definition of a monarch. Berengar gazed upon the two guests with a stoic expression. Before Dharya could introduce himself, he spoke up and shocked the boy..


    "So you are the boy emperor of the Anangpur empire, and you must be its Princess. I have been expecting you for some time. I also know about your sister''s condition. If you don''t mind, I would like to have my physician attend to her immediately.


    Poison is some nasty business, and the fact that your uncle would force such cruelty on a young girl is beyond despicable. Rest assured, so long as you are within my domain you will be safe from that fiend''s plots."


    Dharya was hesitant to be parted from Priya, and upon seeing this, Berengar reassured the boy as he boasted about the capabilities of his doctors.


    "Believe me when I say you will find no greater practitioners of medicine in this world, then here in Kufstein. I promise you that my doctors will do their best to treat her. Please, if she is this ill after having been several months without the poison, then time is of the essence."


    Priya silently nodded to Dharya, giving him permission to send her off to the German physician. With this, Berengar silently motioned for his guards to carry the girl to the infirmary. Dharya immediately bowed his head and thanked the German Kaiser for his kindness.


    "Thank you..."


    Berengar acted humbly as he motioned for the boy to rise before speaking his piece.


    "No need to thank me. I am merely doing what I can to save an innocent life. It is my physicians that you should be the thanking. The discoveries they have made this past decade put the rest of the world to shame. Without their diligent work in improving the field of medicine, I would have lost someone very dear to me.


    We have a lot to discuss, however I am certain that you must be weary from your journey. My maids will bring you towards your quarters. They will take care of you during your stay in Kufstein. After you have bathed and dressed, we will meet up in the dining hall where I will treat you to my Empire''s cuisine. I am sure you will enjoy it."


    After saying this, Dharya bowed his head and thanked Berengar once more before departing to his allotted quarters.


    "I thank you for your benevolence."


    With this, the first interaction between the Kaiser of Germany and the boy emperor of northwestern India wasplete. As for how Priya''s condition faired, only time would tell.

 Chapter 701 - The Fall of Jerusalem

    Chapter 701 - The Fall of Jerusalem


    In the Holy City of Jerusalem, the Sultan of the Timurid Empire stood upon the ramparts gazing at the enemy army gathered below. The Crusaders had attacked sooner than he had anticipated, and the messenger that he and his Byzantine Allies had been captured and eliminated by the Crusader forces before he could reach the shores of the Reich.


    Because of this tragic fate, Jerusalem stood on its own, with a garrisonprising Timurid and Byzantine soldiers, who would have decided to defend the city until theirst breaths. Months of indiscriminate bombardment had left much of the city uninhabitable. Luckily, the rounds fired by the Crusader''s drake cannons were inert, and thus caused far less damage than the Austrian terror bombings of Florence.


    Still, morale was low, and those who had put their lives on the line were beginning to feel hopeless. Although their 1417 12-pounder Field Guns were highly effective on the field of battle. Against the enemy''s rifled muzzleloaders, they were not nearly as effective in a siege. With their range proving to be severelycking.


    Forparison, the 1417 12-pounder Field Guns had an effective range of 1,536 meters while the rifled muzzle loaders used by the Crusaders had an effective firing range of 4,600 meters at an angle of 20 degrees. The city''s defenders could only sit back and wait as their city was bombarded into submission.


    After seeing the bombardment continue, Sn descended from the ramparts of the city, and returned to the keep where the Byzantine generals stood with an equal sense of despair on their faces. Sn knew that the moment the Crusaders broke down the door, they would butcher all Muslims in the city and enve the orthodox Christians. The fate of the jews who called Jerusalem their home would be equally dire.


    Rather than wait until the city way destroyed, he had decided on a course of action, which he did not hesitate to voice to his allies.


    "That''s it! I''m done waiting around. Our infantry weapons are superior to theirs. If we sally forth through the gates and meet their army in the field, we will have the advantage. How many men have we lost waiting for reinforcements to arrive that are simply noting? If I''m going to die here in this city, then I will at least do it with my de in hand!"


    The Strategos of Palestine were quick to object against this notion.


    "The enemy army outnumbers us three to one. If we go out there now, we are asking to be defeated! The entire army of Egypt is here in this city. If they were to perish here in this city, the region would be undefended. We have fought too long, and bled too much to give up North Africa to the crusaders!"


    Despite this reasoning, Sn was insistent. He did not care about Egypt, as far as he was concerned, if the Byzantines lost the territory it only benefited the Muslims who would swoop in and reim it from the crusader forces. The alliance that Berengar had fought so hard to form between the orthodox and Muslim worlds was beginning to copse. Ultimately, it was the Strategos of Egypt who spoke up in favor of Sn''s words.


    "If we do nothing, this city will be our tomb. If we storm the enemy''s position, we have a chance of sess. Besides, Egypt is in good hands. If my army were to perish here, I assure you, the Kaiser would swoop in and prevent the Crusader army from getting too far in the region..."


    Both Sn and the Strategos of Palestine were shocked when they heard this, with both of them asking the same question at the same time.


    "How are you so sure?"


    A smug smile formed on the Strategos of Egypt''s face as he proudly announced the security of Egypt even without the Byzantine Army, which was stationed there.


    "Because the Kaiser owns arge amount of territory in the region where he is building a massive canal. I doubt that man would allow his ambitions to be halted because of a few pesky crusaders. If those fools dare to march into Egypt, they will face the fury of the German Army."


    When the two men heard this, they were surprised. The Suez Canal was not public information. It was a private endeavor carried out by Berengar and his people. Only the Kaiser, his employees, the Byzantine Emperor, and the Strategos of Egypt were aware of this reality. Upon hearing that Egypt would be safe even if its army was defeated here in Jerusalem, the Strategos of Palestine let out a heavy sigh before nodding his head in agreement.


    "Very well. If that is the case, then I have no lingering fears. Alert the troops, we will be sallying forth from the city, and attacking the enemy position in a frontal assault starting at dawn!"


    The three generals were in agreement. This battle would either end in total victory or humiliating defeat. Either way, they would not sit idly by and suffer the enemy''s bombardment any longer. Hours passed, and the army of Jerusalem was gathered at its gates. Their weapons were fully loaded, and they were prepared to charge forth into the fray, knowing the possibility of certain death was high.


    The gates of the Holy City slowly opened, until finally they were open, revealing that the enemy was heavily fortified in their encampment. At once, the three generals issued the order that would end this battle.


    "Charge!"


    With that said, the city''s defenders rushed out of the gates in the tens of thousands and towards the enemy encampment. The moment the gates opened, the enemy artillery focused their fired on the horde of Byzantine and Timurid soldiers who charged forward with their rifled muskets and bays without the fear of death in their hearts.


    The mixed battlecries of the Byzantine and Timurid forces filled the air as they rushed towards the enemy encampment through artillery fire.


    "God wills it!"


    "Ahu Akbar!"


    The defenders of Jerusalem rapidly approached the enemy position in a giant horde of bays. When they got within firing distance they immediately formed ranks and fired on the enemy, who were still equipped with smoothbore matchlock muskets.


    The volley fire descended down range and onto the targets who stood behind makeshift fortifications, mostly made of wood. These defenses were easily shredded apart by the minie ball projectiles, who continued on their path into the armored parts of the Crusader''s body.


    Once the defenders had fired their shots, they charged forth with their triangr bays no longer caring about their lives. If they were to die this day, then they would im the lives of as many crusaders as possible. Unfortunately, the Crusaders were well disciplined, and waited until their enemies were so close that they could see the whites in their eyes.


    Once such a scenario presented itself, they fired their own volley, sending lead balls down range and through the armor of the Byzantine and Timurid soldiers. The first wave of Jerusalem''s defenders were immediately cut down like wheat to the scythe, but the second wave was undeterred by the loss of theirrades, and stormed past the makeshift defenses, forcing themselves into melee engagements with the enemy.


    Bays from both armies intermixed, as the two opposing forces sought to dig their des past the weak parts of their enemies'' armor and into their bodies with the hope that they could im their lives. The defenders of Jerusalem had gained the initial advantage. However, it did notst for long.


    The crusader army was overwhelming in numbers, and they abused this fact. Without regard for the lives of his allied forces, King Lawrence of Ennd gave the order to fire on the chaotic melee, which mostly consisted of French soldiers and the enemy forces. Before Aubry could even object, the English musketeers had lined up and fired a volley on the battle that was taking part in front of them.


    French, Byzantine, and Timurid soldiers all fell to the gunfire, gazing upon their rear with horror. The French lines quickly crumbled in fear of being betrayed by the English, yet before they could even retreat, a second volley had fired. This time from the Burgundian Forces. It would appear that Duke Marcel had aligned with King Lawrence to eliminate the armies of France alongside the enemies they were facing.


    Ironically, this betrayal of the French secured the upper hand, as enough of the Byzantine and Timurid forces were caught in the crossfire. Seeing that the other kingdoms had fired upon the chaotic battle, the other armies that consisted of the Crusader Forces lined up and fired their shots as well.


    The two Byzantine Strategos, and the Sultan of the Timurid Empire, gazed in horror as their armies were cut to ribbons by the enemy gunfire. Their men fell by the thousands, and no longer presented enough of a threat to the overwhelming numbers of Crusader. It was at this moment that Sn had decided to abandon the city of Jerusalem, just like he had done to Acre.


    "Retreat! Fall back to Ascalon! The city is lost!"


    He did not wait for anybody else to hear the orders, only the troops that were protecting the Generals in the rear were able to make it out in time. With Sn and his elite forces retreating, the two Byzantine Strategos were left with two options: die in Jerusalem or flee further southward to the Egyptian border. Jerusalem had fallen, and they had failed in their endeavors to prevent it.


    Out of the 25,000 defenders of Jerusalem, at most 5,000 managed to escape from the battle and flee to Ascalon. The losses to the Byzantine-Timurid Alliance were severe. However, the French did not escape the ughter. Only a few hundred French soldiers remained alive and capable of battle after the betrayal they suffered at the hands of their allies.


    Aubry was left in a precarious position. His allies had betrayed him, and as a result, he had lost his army. Naturally, Aubry had left the battlefield the moment he saw his forces gunned down by the men who imed to support him. He immediately headed to the ports of Acre where he intended to return to the safety of his homnd.

 Chapter 702 - Treating the Poisoned Princess

    Chapter 702 - Treating the Poisoned Princess


    Ewald stood by the side of the Anangpur Princess with a pitiful expression on his face. He felt overwhelming sympathy for the poor girl, and was ted that he had the means to cure her. Over the past few years, he and his medical staff had developed many treatments for different types of poison. Being the paranoid man that he was, Berengar had put an emphasis on life saving treatments for the most likely assassination attempts he might receive.


    This included a variety of medical practices, from surgeries to antidotes. Speaking of antidotes, there were several of such things stored up in the Pce infirmary for a variety ofmon poisons, but unfortunately, the means that had been used to affect the Anangpur Princess were much more vicious.


    By now, the middle-aged physician was well ustomed to most known poisons in the world and how to treat them. It would appear that the girl was poisoned with small doses of arsenic over an extended period of time. The purpose was simple: to feign a death due to illness.


    Though it had been months since the girl consumed the poison, and her condition was slowly improving, she was still severely ill. After identifying the agent used to poison Priya, Ewald quickly administered an IV of chtion therapy. Which was the use of a chemical designed to seek out and stick to metals and minerals in the bloodstream, creating apound that the body removes when urinating.


    It was the most efficient means to clean the girl''s bloodstream of the poison that existed within. After thirty minutes of the treatment, the girl felt immensely better. Which Ewald took notice of. The girl did not speak weakly, like she had done when exining what she knew about her condition. Instead, there was a wide smile on her face as she used what little German she had learned on her journey to thank the man..


    "Thank you, kind sir! I feel so much better now!"


    Ewald smiled when he saw that his patient was recovering before speaking further about the girl''s condition.


    "It''s a good thing you escaped your assassination attempt. Had you stayed in the Anangpur Empire, you would already be long dead. Even though you may be feeling better, it is best that you stay in the infirmary for a few weeks. I will give you weekly treatments of the drug I have given you. With your current state, I''m sure you will make a full recovery by the time the treatment had ended.


    In the meantime, you should be able to eat solid foods and drink most forms of liquid. Though I highly suggest purified water as the only liquid to consume. Your meals will be arranged by the Pce staff. I am certain you will enjoy our Empire''s cuisine, most foreign guests do."


    The girl smiled as she bowed her head slightly before thanking the man once more. Herplexion had already recovered substantially, bringing back the healthy glow of her skin.


    "Thank you Ewald. I will use this precious time you have given me to perfect my German. It appears I will be staying here for a while."


    The physician merely smiled before departing from the room. He figured he would inform the Kaiser and the Emperor of Anangpur about the girl''s current status. As such, he followed the corridors of the Royal Pce to the Dining hall where Berengar, his family, and his guest were enjoying a nice meal.


    Berengar had a habit of introducing his guests to German cuisine by giving them his favorite meal. This time, there was a slight spin on it. The meat of the jaeger schnitzel was actually the venison that Berengar had personally hunted. It was thered in a fresh mushroom paste, and served with a side of potato pancakes and K?sesp?tzle. Since the boy was young, Berengar did not serve him a liter of his favorite beer, instead he gave the boy some fresh milk.


    The food that was being served was not heavily seasoned at least whenpared with indian cuisine, instead it was very hearty, something that Dharya was not ustomed to, but found pleasure in nheless. When Berengar saw this, he smiled before asking the boy emperor his opinion of the food.


    "Do you enjoy what I have prepared? The schnitzel is made from a buck that I hunted myself."


    Dharya gazed in shock when he heard the meat was hunted personally by the Kaiser, he was surprised that the man had such a dangerous hobby.


    "You hunted this yourself?"


    Berengar smiled as he nodded his head.


    "Indeed, hunting is an ancestral pastime of the German people. Hunting is legal in the Reich, though it is regted by the Department of Game and wildlife for the purpose of conservation. The mostmon tool that German hunters use is a bow, but I grant some people special permission to use rifles. Though the licensing required to own a firearm is extensive."


    As far as Gun Laws were concerned, Berengar based them on those enacted by Switzend from his past life. With so many old rifles in storage that were rapidly bing obsolete to the point that even the National Militia no longer use them, Berengar needed an outlet to sell them to, and he could only sell so many of the old guns to his allies.


    Thus, he had enactedprehensive gun legition so that hunters and shooting clubs would have the tools needed to be efficient. While minimizing the risk of the weapons ending up in the hands of rebels, criminals, and those mentally unfit to possess them.


    While Berengar was talking about his most recent hunting trip, Ewald walked into the room, which immediately caught the Kaiser''s notice. There were only two reasons this man would be walking into the room right now. Either Priya''s condition was curable, or it wasn''t. He held his breath as he waited for an answer. Ewald cleared his throat before giving the people at the table the answer they were hoping for.


    "The Princess will make a full recovery, though it will take some time. Right now, she is resting. I expect that in a few weeks she will be up and about. I just thought I would take the time to inform you of all of her current condition."


    Berengar and Dharya both sighed in relief when they heard this. After which Dharya asked for more of the venison Knockwurst, which sat on the table.


    "More of the deer sausage, please!"


    Berengar grabbed hold of the te and handed it over to Dharya, who only took the sausage, but not the sauerkraut. Apparently, the boy disliked the taste of the sauerkraut. Berengar did not me him. Sauerkraut was not for everyone, but he himself loved the stuff. Upon seeing Ewald standing there awkwardly, Berengar congratted his physician on his efforts.


    "Ewald, you''re a miracle worker. If you''re not too busy, join us for a meal. You have more than earned a treat after all your hard work."


    Ewald was about to refuse when he saw Dharya munching on a piece of sausage.


    "Eh, I''m busy. Maybe some other- Is that knockwurst?"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this before handing the te over to Ewald before boldly dering that it was indeed what he thought.


    "Venison knockwurst, I made it myself from my most recent hunt. You want some?"


    Ewald sighed before sitting down at the table at an empty spot. He thanked Berengar for his kindness as he prepared for his meal.


    "Thank you, my Kaiser. I will take you up on your offer!"


    After saying this, Berengar whistled towards one of the kitchen staff, and motioned for them to bring out more of the meal so that Ewald could have a proper fill of the feast. Afterward, the feast continued, with a much lighter atmosphere now that everyone knew the Princess would make a full recovery.


    Berengar and Dharya discussed trivial matters as they enjoyed the food that was prepared for them. As far as the Kaiser was concerned, talking about politics over a meal was tiresome. He may have entertained such things for the purpose of expediency in his younger years, but now that he was only a couple years away from being thirty, he no longer spoke of such matters at his table. This was a moment for celebration and he would not allow politics to spoil that.


    Instead, Berengar nned to have an official meeting with Dharya the following day. There was a time and a ce for everything. The matters that pertained to the Anangpur Empire were not so dire that Berengar needed to discuss them at this very moment. Instead, he enjoyed the time given to him with his family and his guests.


    After the meal was over, Dharya was escorted to the infirmary, where he had a chat with his little sister. They mostly discussed the meal and the cuisine of the German Empire before he retired to his quarters for the evening. Now that he was in the Royal Pce of Germany, the boy could finally rx. He and his sister were truly safe and sound for the foreseeable future.

 Chapter 703 End of an Era

    Chapter 703 End of an Era


    Itami Riyo had a bitter smile on her face as she said goodbye to her darling little sister and her annoying mother. The brief vacation she had spent in her family''snds had been fun, albeit uneventful. She mostly spent her days being pampered by the luxuries her domain produced. Her mother had tried to take her on a few dates with some local men, but she had utterly refused.


    Because of this, there was a conflict between Riyo and her mother, but what else was new? Currently, Riyo had gathered her mother and sister together in order to give them a proper farewell. The mature beauty gazed upon her daughter with a smug expression as she criticized the girl for returning to the capital so soon.


    "It has only been a couple of months, and yet you''re already leaving? I haven''t even been able to set you up with a man yet!"


    Riyo red daggers at her mother for mentioning marriage yet again. The woman could not help but meddle in her daughter''s affairs. Riyo took a deep breath to calm her nerves before shoving away her little sister, whotched onto her like amprey,pletely ignoring her mother''sment as she gave the girl some advice.


    "Momo, you be good while I''m away. I have eyes and ears across all of Japan. If you dare to make trouble for me or our mother, I will know!"


    The girl had tears in her eyes. It was the first time she had seen her elder sister in years, and now they were departing so soon after reuniting. It didn''t seem fair to her. However, Riyo had an Empire to run, and her vacation hadsted longer than she had expected.


    It had been roughly two months since the young empress first ended the rebellion against her, and yet she had not yet publically dered her victory, nor had she taken advantage of her position to further her imperial agenda.


    She realized her family was entirely to me for this; they had a way of sucking Riyo back into their affairs every time she wanted to leave. This time she had put her foot down, and would not tolerate any more disruption to her master n. Thus, she red at her mother and said goodbye.


    "Mother, take care good care of Momo, and yourself for that matter. I will visit the next time I am able. Make sure my little sister doesn''t get conned by some bastard! You know how na?ve she is!"


    Momo immediately took offense to Itami''s words, but before she could say anything, her mother interjected on her behalf.


    "Of course, you can trust that under my guidance your sister will turn into a proper young woman, unlike someone I know..."


    Riyo''s snow white brow twitched when she heard her mother''s shamelessment. She immediately rebuked her mother for speaking to her in such a disrespectful manner.


    "Is this how you speak to your Empress?"


    However, Mibu Saya retorted with her own snide remark as she spoke to her daughter like a worried mother.


    "No, this is how I speak to my errant daughter, who behaves like a member of the opposite sex. You know you will never meet a good man if you continue to act in such an udylike manner! You should learn from your sister. She already has several suitors lined up, meanwhile you are neen and still unmarried. Such a shame to our family!"


    Riyo had finally had enough of her mother''s talks of marriage and flipped her long white hair before turning around, departing with a single phrase.


    "Goodbye mother..."


    After saying this, she mounted her horse and rode with her army back to the capital of Heian-ky��. Her prisoners were already waiting for her there, and she nned to execute them publically as a disy of her authority.


    If her mother knew what her ns were, she would chastise the girl for being so bloodthirsty and vicious. However, she did not. Thus, Itami Riyo had begun the long journey back to the capital. One that would be entirely uneventful.


    ---


    After arriving in Heian-ky��, Itami was surprised to see that everything was calm. She had a track record of being extremely unlucky. She half expected her absence to cause some kind of catastrophe. Luckily, she was able to enjoy her brief vacation in peace, while her subordinates ran her newly established an Empire in her stead.


    With the arrival of the Empress and her army to the capital, she expected there to be a grand weing, especially after she was absent for so long. However, that was not the case. Instead, the city''s people still behaved normally as she and her troops passed by. Though some took the moment to point and whisper, there was no massive celebration.


    Itami was skeptical of the reason for this, but decided to press forward to the Pce. Surely her ministers would exin themselves when she met with them. After a brief journey through the city, Itami and her soldiers arrived at the Royal Pce, where she entered alongside her personal bodyguards. The ministers were quick to greet her with a small weing party, to which she immediately snapped at them.


    "I return from my grand victory over the M��ri rebellion, and you doddering old fools can''t even put together a proper weing?"


    Her lead minister was a man named Akamatsu Takahira. He was an elderly man in his eighties and looked like a stereotypical elder monk. With a bald head and a long white beard, the man looked as if he belonged in a Kung Fu movie. However, he was not a monk, nor a martial artist. Instead, he was an opportunist who previously served the Ashikaga Shogunate as a member of the Bakufu.


    However, he had seen the writing on the wall, and ended up siding with Itami, knowing full well that she would be victorious during the closing days of her rebellion. He was the one to clean up the mess of the royal family''s execution, and was the man who fabricated her im as a distant descendent of the Yamato n. The man bowed his head towards the enraged young Empress and begged for forgiveness.


    "Apologies, Itami-sama, but we have been dreadfully busy cleaning up the remnants of the Mori Rebellion. We simply did not have time to orchestrate a grand weing ceremony for you."


    Itami had expected there to be remnants of the rebellion. Even if all the leaders were apprehended, there were bound to be those who could not let go of their beliefs that she was unworthy to lead Japan. Still, she did not expect it to be such arge issue.


    However, if the remnants of the rebellion were posing a threat to her, then she nned to do something about it. She would execute the leaders of the rebellion in public and then dedicate her most advanced forces into hunting down and eliminating those who swore loyalty to the old world.


    "Very well. You are forgiven. I want you to gather the rebel leaders in the public square and have the area secured. Every citizen of the capital should be able to see their deaths in person. I will show those fools who still deny my rule the inevitable result of their misguided efforts."


    Akamatsu Takahira bowed his head once more while he epted his orders before carrying them out.


    "As youmand, my Empress!"


    With this said, he quickly departed and got to task setting up the public execution. It took a few hours to do so, and during this time Itami staved off her boredom with sake. She was an experienced drinker and maintained her sobriety for the big show.


    After a few hours had passed, and the sun was beginning to set, Itami was notified by a servant that her public disy had been prepared and much of the city was gathered. Thus, she wasted no time as she departed for the town square.


    After a brisk walk, Itami arrived in front of the gathered crowds and gazed upon the scene. The various leaders of the Mori rebellion were coated in filth from their months of captivity. They were barely recognizable. She sneered in disdain as she climbed the steps, announcing to the crowd the end of an era.


    "People of Heian-ky��, these men who are bound and chained are nothing more than rebels and traitors to Japan. Many of these men fought by my side to bring down the cruelty of the Ashikaga Shogunate, however the moment we did so, they turned on me. Believing that I was unfit to rule our great Nation. Well, they were proven wrong, as I thoroughly trounced their foolish rebellion and brought peace to our new empire.


    For rebelling against the Empress, I hereby condemn these men to death. With their deaths, I shall usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. One where one''s sess in life is determined by their merit, not by the status of their brith! For those who seek to obstruct such progress, let the fate of these men be a lesson to you all!"


    After saying this, Itami unsheathed her Katana and brought it over to the first prisoner. The man gazed at her with disdain. He listened to every word of her speech and condemned the young woman in his mind as an idealistic fool. He spat on the ground in disgust as the de fell onto his neck and severed his head. After iming one rebel''s head, Itami moved on to the others, until all the remained was M��ri Nobuhisa. Itami gazed at the man with a wicked grin on her pretty face before asking him onest question.


    "Do you have any regrets?"


    The man merely chuckled, knowing his fate was sealed. He sighed heavily before revealing his final thoughts.


    "My only regret is not killing you when I had the chance."


    Itami merely smiled before bringing her de down on the rebel leader''s neck, severing his head, and spilling his blood all over the stage. The crowd cheered as the rebel daimyo was ughtered, believing in the words Itami had spoken. No longer would they have to live under the yoke of their feudal lords. Instead, they could pursue their own path in life.


    Though it would take a few years of reforms, this would mark the beginning of the end of an Era. Itami would work on industrializing her nation, mechanizing her agriculture, and liberating the peasants from their fields, creating a semi-modern country in the process.

 Chapter 704 Afternoon Tea

    Chapter 704 Afternoon Tea


    Weeks had passed since Dharya and his sister first arrived in the Royal Pce of Germany. The two siblings had been well looked after during their stay, and Ewald had recently discharged Priya from the infirmary. Currently, the two siblings were sitting in the dining room enjoying afternoon tea.


    Priya was engorging herself on a variety of german sweets like a little glutton. The girl was particrly fond of ck forest cake, which was recently added to the list of german cuisine after cocoa beans were transported en masse from the colony of Berenstadt to the Fathend.


    Since Tlexictli returned to the Empire after her trip to her homnd, she had continued to oversee the constant influx of cocoa beans across the antic, as well as the processing of the beans into chocte. It was a massive trade, as chocte had begun to dominate the sweets market.


    As an ambassador to the reich, the Aztec princess now resided in her own chateau located within the pce district. Where she would asionally visit the Royal Pce and speak to Berengar about important matters of diplomacy.


    At the moment, Berengar was seated across from the two Indian siblings with a smile on his face. Priya seemed to enjoy the sweets and tea that he provided, and devoured them as if she had not eaten in months. Which was mostly true, as Priya had suffered from malnutrition long before she was poisoned.


    Because of her uncle''s cruelty, the poor girl had been severely underfed throughout most of her life. Naturally, when she was poisoned, it became difficult for her to even stomach the paltry portions she was served. Because of this, she had be borderline emaciated.


    However, now that Priya was living in the city of Kufstein, she would never go hungry again. While Berengar understood the need to feed the girl so she could get to a healthy weight, he was concerned with the speed that she consumed sweets, and quickly lectured her about her udylike behavior.


    "Priya, slow down! Trust me when I say the food I serve you will not disappear anytime soon. Take your time and enjoy the snacks. There is plenty more of it."


    The young Indian princess was slightly embarrassed when she heard this, and wiped her chocte-covered mouth with a napkin. Having realized her mistake, she bowed her head and apologized for her uncouth behavior.


    "I am sorry. It is just that I haven''t had so much food avable to me in years. I fear as if you''re going to take it away from me if I don''t eat it all now!"


    Berengar felt pity for the girl. Her uncle had starved and poisoned her, and he still did not know the reason for it. She appeared to be a sweet and innocent girl who was no threat to the man''s power. If anything, Dharya should have been the man''s target. Of course, Berengar didn''t speak a word of this, knowing it would be inappropriate to ask the siblings about the difficulties they had endured until now.


    As for Dharya, he took several nces at Berengar every few seconds. Though he thought he hid it well, Berengar noticed these strange gestures and was even more curious. He had no way of knowing that he intimidated the boy emperor of India. Not because of his actions. In fact, Berengar had been nothing but generous with his guests. The reason Dharya feared Berengar on some instinctive level was because of his appearance.


    Berengar was a one eyed man from the west, just like the ridiculous prophecy that had driven Dharya''s uncle Chandra to madness. The boy feared that by bringing Priya here to Kufstein; he had inadvertently made the prophecye true. Thus, despite Berengar''s kindness, the boy could not help but suspect that he had ulterior motives.


    Obviously, Berengar had no way of knowing Dharya''s thoughts, and just assumed that the boy was socially awkward. He tried to bridge the gap by wearing a pleasant smile while snacking on some wurst and sauerkraut.


    The truth was, Berengar''s sweet tooth had long since been diminished with age, and he only enjoyed eating sweets on rare asions. He was much happier eating sausage or jerky as a snack. Priya took notice of this, and immediately inquired why Berengar was not eating the tasty treats that she was so thoroughly enjoying.


    "Your majesty? With such tasty treats around, why are you eating meat?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. The girl was too young to understand that sweets were a delicacy that one should enjoy on rare asions. He responded to the girl''s question with a tone that sounded as if he were imparting ancient wisdom.


    "When you get to be my age, sweets don''t seem to hold the same sort of sway over you as they once did... These days, I prefer the savory taste of meat over the sweets that a child like you would enjoy."


    Priya had been locked up most of her life and was not very sociable. Because of this, she immediately asked Berengar the question that was on her mind without thinking about manners.


    "Oh really? How old are you?"


    Berengar did not conceal his age and quickly answered the girl''s question with a pleasant smile on his face.


    "I''m currently twenty-eight."


    The girl did not respond to how he had expected. She had a shocked expression on her face as she uttered her true thoughts without thinking.


    "Wow... So old..."


    Berengar struggled to maintain a smile as he heard this. Old? How was he old? He had yet to even reach the prime of his life! This girl had seriously wounded his pride by calling him old. Did he appear as if he was some feeble old man? Preposterous!


    Dharya could tell that Berengar was displeased with his sister''sments and startedughing. This only further made Berengar''s brow twitch with further displeasure. He simply took a deep breath to calm himself before informing the kids about their itinerary for the day.


    "After you finish your snacks, my subordinates will take you on a tour of the city. There are many sights in Kufstein that might catch your eye, and I figured if you''re going to be living here in exile, you should get to know the city and all it has to offer."


    Priya was excited when she heard this, nearly jumping out of her seat as she spoke her thoughts once more without a care for etiquette.


    "Really!?! We get to go out into the city?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head beforementing further on the ns he had for the two kids.


    "Of course, I won''t keep you cooped up here in the Pce. Naturally, you will have a proper escort to ensure your safety. Not that Kufstein is unsafe. In fact, you will not find a city in the world that is more secure than this one. However, for guests of your position, I would be remiss not to take certain measures to ensure your safety.


    Don''t worry, the guide will take you wherever you desire, there is no set tour in ce. I want you to experience this city on your own terms, not some pre-nned itinerary. So after the two of you have finished your treats, go out and enjoy yourselves. I am certain that you will find Kufstein to your liking."


    Even Dharya found himself excited at the prospect, at first he was expecting Berengar to have a very strict path set in mind, to show off the better points of his civilization, but since he was free to dictate the course of his tour, he would make sure that he saw the true state of the city. Though he had seen many technological marvels since he first entered the borders of the Empire, he doubted such things were truly as widespread as the rumors said.


    As for Priya, she was overwhelmed with anticipation. Now that she could walk on her own, she wanted to stretch her legs and look at some of those pretty dresses she had seen in the windows of the shops. She wanted to taste the food from the street vendors, to see how itpared to that which she had been served in the pce. There were so many things she wanted to do now that she was no longer confined to a small room.


    She could not help but look at the golden-haired emperor of Germany as if he was an exceptionally kind man. He was allowing her to go out and enjoy the city, something she had never been able to do back in her homnd.


    Truthfully, Berengar did have ulterior motives. He wanted to show off just how glorious life in the Reich was, to help foster the idea of building an alliance in the mind of the exiled emperor. The best way to show this was not some strict tour of the wealthiest areas, but to show just how prosperous the life of the average german citizen was.


    Naturally, the prosperity of Kufstein was spreading across the reich at a rapid rate. As the years passed, more and more cities were developing into cultural hubs as they became connected via the national railway project. However, Kufstein had the virtue of being the Capital, and because of that, it was still the most impressive city in the Empire.


    The two Indian siblings quickly finished their treats and prepared themselves for the tour of the city. They nned to have a good time and enjoy the trip. As for Berengar, he had an Empire to run, and couldn''t take the time out of his busy schedule to personally guide the children. Thus, while Dharya and Priya were enjoying a tour of the city, he would be overseeing a mountain of paperwork.

 Chapter 705 Tour of the Capital Part l

    Chapter 705 Tour of the Capital Part l


    Having finished their afternoon tea, Dharya and Priya met up with their guide, which was the Princess Henrietta. If there was one thing Dharya had noticed since he first visited the pce, it was the fact that the Kaiser had a lot of beautiful young women by his side. The young woman was quick to greet her brother''s guests with a wide smile on her face. She had met them at the dinner table the day they arrived, but had seldom interacted with them since.


    "Dharya, Priya. It is a pleasure to be your guide on the tour of my brother''s city."


    When Dharya heard she was the Kaiser''s sister, he felt a bit relieved. It would simply be an injustice for one man to hoard six peerless beauties for himself. However, he did not know that Henrietta was her brother''s mistress. Because of this, he wore a happy smile as he greeted the woman.


    "Thank you Henrietta. It means a lot to me that you would take time out of your day to escort us."


    Henrietta brushed off the notion while maintaining a proper sense of humility.


    "It is not that big of a deal. These days my brother has me looking after some minor financial matters. Apparently, I have a talent for such things. Truthfully, my workload is not nearly as much as big brother''s. Now, are the two of you ready to head out?"


    The two children eagerly nodded their heads, causing Henrietta to smile as she petted their heads.


    "Very well, then. Let''s get started!"


    After saying this Henrietta, led the two kids by the hands while being nked by an armed escort. The two of them left the pce grounds and entered a carriage as they descended into the city. The kids had wide eyes as they looked out at the hustle and bustle of the capital of Germany. Dharya was curious about its history and quickly inquired about the subject.


    "How long has the city of Kufstein been around for? Your ancestors must have worked hard to make such a magnificent metropolis!"


    Henrietta giggled as she heard this, causing a look of confusion to appear on the boy''s face. She quickly exined the origins of the city of Kufstein.


    "Until about eight years ago, Kufstein was nothing more than a small agricultural town. My family were minor noblemen, who relied on the feudal system to pay taxes to our overlords."


    Dharya was astonished to hear this. It did not take him long to ask the woman another question.


    ?????? ????  ???.


    "What happened? How does a small agricultural town turn into this in eight years?"


    Henrietta wore a proud smile on her face as she talked about Berengar''s aplishments.


    "Big brother happened. I was only a young girl at the time, but under his leadership, Kufstein transformed from just a small farming vige into what you see today. Kufstein is the center of Austria''s power and wealth, which has spread to the rest of the Kingdom. It has been less than two years since the German Empire unified, and because of this, the other states aregging behind.


    However, under Berengar''s influence, Austria has be the center of the Empire. All of its wonder is being rapidly implemented across the rest of the Reich. I can only imagine what Kufstein will be like in another five years..."


    Dharya and Priya reflected upon this as their carriage stopped in front of arge, domed building. Henrietta quickly introduced what this building was and the significance it had for the Reich.


    "This is the Reichstag, the House of Commons meets up here, and creates bills. Once these bills are voted upon, they are sent to the House of Lords to review. After the House of Lords has approved the bill, it is sent to the Kaiser to sign intow. The Kaiser reserves the right to veto any bill thates across his desk.


    In the Empire, allw-abiding and educated males can vote in members of parliament who represent their interests. In the House of Commons there are several parties, but thergest of them gets roughly 72% of the vote, and they simply refer to themselves as the Loyalists.


    The Loyalists are a political party that believes the Kaiser has the best interest of the people in heart. They are the backbone of the von Kufstein Dynasty''s power in the House of Commons, and support the Kaiser''s vision for the future.


    Aside from the loyalists, there are other parties that represent different interests, but they split a tiny minority of the vote. Naturally, this could change in the future if, for whatever reason, the Reich is cursed with an ipetent Kaiser. However, such a thing is unlikely due to the sessionws in ce."


    The idea of people voting representatives into office was alien to Dharya. He never would have conceived of such an idea on his own. Priya, on the other hand, was just enjoying the magnificent architecture of the Reichstag and quickly asked the question on her mind.


    "Can we go inside?"


    Henrietta smiled before shaking her head, exining the current situation to the two of them.


    "The Reichstag is off limits to the public. Unfortunately, I can not get you two inside. However, there are plenty of other ces to visit in the Capital."


    After saying this, the driver of the carriage snapped the reins, where the horses led the party towards the heart of the city. As they were heading out of the Pce district, the kids spotted arge bronze statue of Berengar in the center of the Pce district. It was not quite the colossus that watched over the city from the hills above, but it was still significant.


    The statue depicted Berengar in his Imperial Regalia, and wasmissioned in honor of the unification of the Empire. It was very different from the statue that resided outside the city, which showed the man in full armor, pointing his sword towards Rome.


    The statue was embedded in the center of a small pond, which was the habitat of several beautiful fish. There was a merchant selling flowers that people could buy and leave by the side of the statue to honor the Kaiser. It surprised Dharya to see how many people paid tribute to the statue in this method.


    From Dharya''s perspective, the people of Kufstein genuinely revered their leader. He himself was an emperor as well, but the revere and worship that his servants gave him was out of subservience, not genuine respect. He could not fathom these people voluntarily spending their hard earned coin on a flower, just to ce it by the side of a statue as a way of honoring their nation''s leader.


    After passing by the Statue, the party crossed over a bridge, leaving the Pce district behind, and entering the heart of the city. What surprised Dharya the most was despite entering a moremon area of the city, the people who walked by on the streets appeared to be equally well fed as those walking in the pce district. Every person on the street was in remarkable shape, especially the youth.


    Not only were the people well fed, but they were well dressed too, with men wearing clean suits, and women wearing dresses and skirts that were tidy and aesthetically pleasing. War heroesmonly wore their medals on their suit jackets as a symbol of their aplishments. In a martial society like Austria, the people praised veterans and looked at them as ideal members of society.


    While gazing upon the German people, Dharya noticed something interesting. There were two distinctive groups of German youth who walked on the streets. Among them were boys who were dressed in ck military tunics with matching shorts. They also wore ck leather ankle boots, with matching long socks.


    Over their necks the boys wore a ck tie, while they also adorned a ck leather Sam Browne style belt over their tunic. Atop their heads was a m43 pattern Field cap, and on their right arm they wore a ck, white, and gold armband with the reichsadler embedded in its center.


    Meanwhile, there was a group of girls who were dressed in a uniform of their own. This uniform consisted of a white short sleeve blouse with a ck tie. They wore ck pleated skirts and matching shoes with knee high ck socks. On the girl''s right sleeve was an embroidered reichsadler.


    These two groups of German youth were engaged in different acts ofmunity service, with the boys pulling weeds, cleaning sidewalks, assisting the elderly, and engaging in basic maintenance. While the girls were providing soup to the German public free of charge. The sight of this baffled Dharya, and he was quick to ask his guide about what was happening around him.


    "Princess Henrietta, why are those children all dressed like that, and what are they doing?"


    Henrietta nced over to where the boy was pointing and quickly smiled before educating him on the German Youth Corps.


    "Those boys and girls belong to the German Youth Corps. The German Youth Corps is a government funded organization that assists themunity and teaches boys and girls the skills they need to be productive members of society. As you can see, it is split into two different groups based on sex.


    Boys between the ages of seven and eighteen can join the German Cadet Corps, which teaches German boys the skills required to be sessful soldiers and productive citizens. Whereas girls of the same age can join the League of German Maidens, where they are taught the necessary skills to be good wives and mothers. Membership is entirely voluntary, but it is heavily encouraged."


    Dharya and Priya gazed in awe at the German youth as they assisted theirmunity in different ways. It became clear that the tasks given to the two groups differed greatly. The tour of the Capital had only just begun, and they had witnessed so many strange things. The two kids could hardly wait for the rest of it.

 Chapter 706 Tour of the Capital Part ll

    Chapter 706 Tour of the Capital Part ll


    After having a conversation about the German Youth Corps, Henrietta led Dharya and Priya into the nearby trade district, where they could witness the splendor of Austrian prosperity. There were people from all walks of life entering and exiting stores, and carrying their goods across the street in hemp bags.


    The first ce that Henrietta wanted to show the kids was the nearest grocery store, and because of this, she led her two guests inside of it. The children reacted with shock when they saw the food that was lined up in the aisles. From fresh produce, to canned goods, and even bs of meat that were salted, treated with rosemary extract, sealed in waxed paper, and were resting in ice chests.


    The abundance of food that was regrly avable to the public was stunning to the two children who had never before seen such an abundance of meat and produce in their lives. Henrietta saw their shocked expressions as they excitedly walked through the store, looking at all the different items that were littered across the shelves.


    Dharya reacted in shock as seeminglymon people took the massive stockpiles of meat, cheese, and eggs, and carried them in their wicker baskets. They would purchase these goods at the entrance of the store, until then they were free to carry them throughout the building. He could not properlyprehend the idea that evenmoners in the German Empire could get their hands on meat as if it was amon part of their diet.


    Priya was less interested in what this meant about German agricultural production and was more enamored with the variety of foods that were being sold in the store. When Henrietta witnessed Dharya''s gaze, she spoke to him with a smile on her pretty face.


    "Are you surprised to see so much food? While a grocery outlet like this is amon sight throughout Austria, the rest of the German Empire is slowly producing enough yields to establish stores like these within the cities. After all, it has only been a couple of years since the Empire was unified. It takes a while to export the agricultural technology produced in Austria to the rest of the Reich."


    Dharya was even more befuddled when he heard this before asking the question that was most dire in his mind.


    "You mean to tell me you have more ces like this?"


    Henrietta raised her brow in confusion, not realizing that the boy had assumed this store was one of a kind. She did not know how devastating the truth would be to the young Indian Emperor when it escaped her lips.


    "Of course! This is a just a small outlet. There are evenrger grocery stores further into the trade district. As for the other major Austrian cities, like Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, and Trieste, they have a number of their own grocery stores as well."


    Dharya felt his heart suddenly grow weak. He had not expected that the agricultural devices he saw on his journey to the Capital could produce such high volumes of food. While the tractors and other mechanical devices made it easier forrge plots ofnd to be farmed by a single household. The true reason for suchrge crop yields was the implementation of the four field system, irrigation, and advanced fertilizers.


    There was also the fact that Berengar had introduced selective breeding as a standard practice in the Empire''s agriculture. He taught farmers and ranch hands of the German Empire to select nts and animals with ideal traits to reproduce. Over a span of eight years of this process bing standard practice, it had attributed greatly to the increase in the food surplus.


    Dharya could not bear to look at the sight any longer, knowing very well how his own people werecking inparison. He quickly grabbed hold of Priya''s arm and led her out of the store.


    "Come on, we''re leaving!" ?????? ????


    . ???.


    Henrietta could somewhat understand how conflicted the boy must be. All foreigners who visited Austria for the first time had a simr state of depression. There was a reason merchants typically stayed in Germany until the day their visas expired. They could afford luxuries here in the Reich that they could only dream of back home.


    Henrietta did not bother keeping Dharya behind. If he did not want to gaze upon the sess of Austria''s agriculture any longer, she would not insist. Instead, she led the two children to a street vendor to cheer them up. This street vendor was an ice cream cart, which sold homemade ice cream to citizens of the city. Henrietta approached the merchant and made an order.


    "Three vani ice cream cones please, and do you mind adding some chocte sauce?"


    With the recent introduction of chocte to the Empire, different merchants were experimenting in the best ways to make use of the substance. Naturally, Berengar had a bit of influence on the rapid development of chocte deserts. The ice cream vendor did not mind the request and took Henrietta''s payment before handing the three cones to the woman and the two foreign children by her side.


    "Enjoy!"


    After thanking the man for his service, Henrietta led Dharya and Priya through the city''s streets while slowly eating their ice cream cones.


    This delicious treat excited Priya. Of course, she had enjoyed everything she had consumed since entering the city. Dharya was still sulking, but he enjoyed the ice cream cone, nheless. Upon seeing his mood had improved, Henrietta checked up on him.


    "Are you feeling better now?"


    Dharya nodded his head instinctively beforeining about the overwhelming prosperity he had witnessed so far.


    "I just don''t understand how a ce like this can exist. It appears as if you have everything in abundance... Yourmoners are able to easily afford luxuries like meat, eggs, milk, and treats like this! I thought the abundance of food in your Pce was simply because your brother is the monarch of this Nation. However, it appears that even yourmoners are better fed than most of our nobles."


    Henrietta merely smiled as she answered the boy''s question to the best of her ability.


    "It wasn''t like this before big brother rose to power. It is because of him, and his ingenious inventions, that the Austrian people, and by extension the German People are able to live such carefree lives. Our neighbors are all envious of our sess, but because of the overwhelming power of the German Army, we force them to calm their avarice.


    My brother always says that without the proper force to deter our neighbors, having such luxuries is simply asking to be ransacked. We have fought many wars these past few years. If not for the sacrifices of our Kingdom''s soldiers, then I dare say we would not have seen such sess. Even then, our enemies still eye our borders, and the wealth of the fathend.


    We must forever be vignt, as the world will always envy us for being so prosperous. If our neighbors were to unite against us, then we will stand our ground, and repel them from our borders no matter the cost.


    Luckily, we have forged powerful alliances that are used to help deter our enemies from making a move against us. Though should the daye when it is Germany against the entire world. We will not falter and do our duty to ensure the safety and prosperity of the Reich and its people. That is the spirit of resistance that the Kaiser has instilled in all of our hearts."


    Dharya could see this so called "spirit of resistance" in Henrietta''s azure blue eyes as she spoke about the Reich, and its Kaiser, with a glint of pride on her face. She was so enamored with her speech that she forgot she was speaking to two foreign children. They could never understand the struggles that Germany had gone through to unify under a single banner. Nor the sacrifices the men of the society had to make in pursuit of this goal.


    Thousands of German men lie in the cemeteries across the Reich, brave heroes who had fought for, and gave their lives for a dream of a unified Germany. Currently, the German Empire was in an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity, but Berengar knew that would notst for long. Soon, the entire Catholic world would be united against him. Enemies would surround Germany on all sides, and the peaceful days the people enjoyed woulde to an end.


    Naturally, Henrietta was not scared of this future, as she knew the might of the German Army would ovee any obstacle thrown before it. The reason for this was simple: the Kaiser, her brother, would lead their forces to victory, as he always had. After having her moment of propaganda, Henrietta smiled before leading her two guests deeper into the city. She wanted them to see the sacrifices that had been paid in order to ensure the current state of the Reich.

 Chapter 707 Tour of the Capital Part lll

    Chapter 707 Tour of the Capital Part lll


    After feasting on their ice cream, and listening to a bit of propagandae from the Princess of Germany''s mouth, the two Indian exiles followed her on a further tour of the city. They passed through many marvels in the city and admired them in awe.


    Initially, the tour was supposed to be decided by the children, but because they were not aware of the exciting ces in the city, they ultimately decided to follow Henrietta''s judgement. There were three ces in particr that Henrietta wanted to show them. Luckily, the first destination was on the way to the other two.


    Due to the sensitive nature of the advanced technology used to power Germany''s industry, the industrial sectors of the various cities were under tight security. Only those with approved credentials could enter those parts of the city. However, since Henrietta was the Princess, she was given special permission to enter.


    The guard verified the woman''s identity and those of the two kids beside her before begrudgingly parting for her. Though he was not technically allowed to permit anyone to pass who had not received approval from the crown, Henrietta was a member of the royal family, and because of that, he had to do what she said.


    Besides, there were rumors of her rtionship with the kaiser and if she turned out to not only be the man''s sister but also his lover, then he did not want to be involved with her any longer than he needed to. Thus, the man quickly opened the gates and allowed Henrietta to pass with the two Indian siblings in tow. The smell of smoke and steel surrounded the air, like a thick fog.


    Due to the overwhelming steel stockpile that Germany currently had, they had limited the hours of operation for the Bessemer converters out of environmental concern, but that did not mean that the other industrial processes were halted. The kids quickly covered their noses as they witnessed the industrial sector at work. Henrietta merely smiled as she informed them of what this section of the city was used for.


    "In most of our cities, we have established dedicated industrial sectors where factories of all kinds produce a variety of goods for the Empire and export. Thergest of these factories in Kufstein is the Royal Kufstein Armory, owned by the von Kufstein Dynasty. This is an arms corporation funded by the state to develop the best weapons and armor that the world has to offer.


    As you can see by theseplex machines, the men who work in these factories are well trained in their use. What you see here is the limited production of the newest type of rifle that the Kaiser has designed for use by our armed forces. Currently, only Special Operations Unit are being equipped with these multi-shot bolt action rifles, but they will soon be issued to all soldiers of the Reich.


    Priya was not nearly as interested in the industrial machinery as she was in the food and clothes they had passed by that were for sale in the trade district. However, Dharya was the exact opposite. He gazed in astonishment at the sheer industrial capability of the Royal Kufstein Armory. This one factory was producing thousands of rifles and hundreds of pieces of artillery.


    He remembers first gazing on the arkebuse and believing it was the single most magnificent piece of weaponry he had ever seen. Yet it failed topare in any reasonable since to these new G25 Bolt Action Rifles. Each weapon had its ownplex within the massive factory, including an area for the construction of nylon te carriers, and the ceramic body armor they used to protect the soldiers from threats.


    Of course, Dharya did not know half of what he was looking at. He could only understand that the difference between the German Army and the troops under his uncle''smand was as if they were from two separate worlds. They continued on a tour of the facility to the point where they came across the area manufacturing the artillery.


    The size of the guns on these cannons was ludicrous in the boy''s mind, as until now he had only seen significantly smaller bronze smoothbore cannons. Yet there were not just the 7.5cm and 10cm Field guns being manufactured in this nt, but also the massive naval guns used on the warships of the German Navy. Dharya could hardly believe his eyes, and was forced to ask the question that was at the back of his mind.


    "These are all functional weapons?" ????w???ov??.co?


    Henrietta gazed over at the boy''s face as he looked at the cannons with a mix of wonder and terror in his eyes. Henrietta nodded smiled before showing off the shells that these guns used.


    "Yes! Though only two of these cannons are used in the field. Therger guns that you see are constructive either for naval purposes, or coastal defense. The guns that are being manufactured here for field use will be dispatched to the borders to be used by the German Border Guard in defense of ournds. My brother has the idea to slowly phase out the 7.5cm FK 22s that are currently in use and rece them with the newer models.


    Ideally, the hundreds, if not thousands, of guns we currently have in use in the army will be refurbished and reissued to the National Militia. As they are still far more advanced than our adversaries, but too advanced to be sold to our allies."


    Dharya could not believe his ears. They already had hundreds if not thousands of field guns in their army that they were recing with these new models. He was curious about how effective these old guns were.


    "Why are you spending so much effort recing the old guns? Is there some fatal w in them?"


    Henrietta cocked her head slightly in confusion, as far as she was aware the weapons used by the military that were upgraded every few years had no fatal ws, they just became obsolete as new weapons were introduced. Thus, she was able to confidently answer the boy''s question with a line of thinking that exceeded his understanding of military matters and politics.


    "No, there is no fatal w, per se. After all, it is the belief of the Kaiser that it will be decades before our adversaries catch up to our current technology. However, there is significant improvement in recoil, range, and rate of fire in the newest weapon designs that the Kaiser simply believes it would be best to implement them as soon as possible.


    With the scale of production we are talking about, it will still take a few years before the guns are fully reced with the newest models. As for the old weapons, they can be stored and maintained at minimal cost. We could sell those that are not in use by the National Militia to our allies at ater date."


    Dharya felt as if he needed to sit down after hearing Henrietta''s exnation. What he was witnessing was already remarkable. The idea that any Kingdom would have hundreds if not thousands of cannons was already unbelievable in his pre-industrial mindset. Yet to hear that it would only take a few years topletely rece those cannons with a newer, more effective model was simply maddening.


    To top it all off, Henrietta yed it off as if this waspletely normal. How could Dharya evenpare his family''s empire with this upstart from the west? They were both technically Empires, but he suddenly felt as if a new term was needed to refer to the German Empire.


    It was no wonder that so many people used the German term "Reich" to refer to this single empire on the other side of the world. It was simply so exceptional that they had to use a different term to immediately make clear the one Empire they were referring to in conversation.


    Henrietta noticed that Dharya was feeling a little unwell from the sudden culture shock and offered to take him and his sister elsewhere.


    "If you''re not feeling well, I know just the ce that will clear your head. Come, you two, follow me!"


    Dharya and Priya did not resist, and they soon found themselves travelling outside the city''s gates. Where they ascended to a hill above where a colossal bronze statue of the German Emperor stood proudly watching over the city as its eternal guardian. Dharya almost did not recognize the man at first as he was missing his eyepatch, and was dressed in more conventional armor.


    Priya gazed upon the polished bronze statue with a delighted expression. She voiced her thoughts aloud.


    "it is so beautiful!"


    Henrietta smiled and gazed at the statue with fond memories.


    "I was only a child when my brothermissioned this piece, believe it or not, it was an act of defiance against the Catholic Church. Early on in my brother''s reign, the church made his life very difficult. As a result, hemissioned this statue of himself in his old armor, riding on his old steed, pointing his sword towards Rome as a statement that he would not go quietly.


    Today, the Kufstein Colossus is seen as a symbol of Austrian Glory by the people who live here. The eternal protector of our great city. It is one of the two most popr destinations for inhabitants of the city when they venture outside the capital''s walls."


    Dharya was immediately curious about the other most popr destination she spoke of, and quickly voiced his thoughts.


    "What is this other ce you spoke about?"


    Henrietta wore a bitter smile as she thought about how she was going to end the tour. Ultimately, she spoke one final phrase before moving on from the statue, which represented her brother''s personal glory.


    "Come along, I will show you."


    With that said, Henrietta began to lead the two Indian exiles towards the Kufstein National Cemetary, a ce which visually disyed the price that Austria had to pay for its current prosperity.

 Chapter 708 The Price of Prosperity

    Chapter 708 The Price of Prosperity


    Henrietta stood side by side with the Indian emperor and his little sister as they gazed at the scene before them with solemn expressions. They were not the only party that was present in this location, as family members and friends of those who had given their life in service to the von Kufstein Dynasty mourned their loved ones.


    The Princess of Germany could no longer smile as she gazed upon the ten thousand plus graves that existed within the Kufstein National Cemetary. This was a cemetery dedicated primarily to members of the Military.


    However, it also acted as the permanent resting ce for those engaged in intelligence, Law Enforcement, and any government uniformed service where a member gave their life in the line of duty. For many, they considered it the highest honor to be buried in this cemetery.


    Though Berengar''s campaigns had been fought, and won with rtively few casualties, the reality was that the number of graves that existed in this cemetery umted with every conflict. The headstones of these men were marked with the Coat of Arms of the Von Kufstein Dynasty, which was now the Reichsadler of the German Empire as a show of thanks for giving their lives in pursuit of Berengar''s ambitions.


    There were also other symbols engraved on the headstones, such as prestigious military awards for valor that were granted either in life or posthumously. The mostmon of these was the Iron Cross, which seemed to mark arge minority of the graves.


    Aside from this, there was a special area dedicated to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which acted as a memorial for every man who had perished in service to the State in such circumstances that their body was unidentifiable, their corpse could not be recovered, or they were simply Missing in Action.


    Priya gazed at the sight of the massive graveyard with a hint of confusion in her teary eyes. There was only one question on the girl''s mind as she asked Henrietta for rification.


    "Why would you bring us to a graveyard?"


    Henrietta was suffering as well, every time she visited this area she would be overwhelmed with various emotions, thinking about the price these men and women had paid for the continued growth and prosperity of the Empire. She had to settle her nerves with a deep breath before she could answer the girl''s question.


    "Because I wanted you to see the price of prosperity. We did not achieve our current gains overnight, and we did not gain them without bloodshed. Most peoplee to the Empire, and see only what we have, not the price we paid to gain it. Every man and woman who has been interned in this graveyard gave their life in pursuit of a unified Germany and a prosperous state.


    Thus, I decided the most apt way to end your tour of the city is to witness those brave souls who have perished so that we may all live a peaceful and plentiful life. Without the sacrifices that these men and women made, we would not be where we are today."


    Priya could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes and sobbed while clinging on to her brother. but Dharya stood still with a stoic expression. It was not that he was disrespecting the fallen, but he was mentally saluting those who had given their lives in pursuit of victory.


    After everything he had seen on this tour that had blown his mind, the most shocking of all was the fact that a seemingly pampered princess like Henrietta would be moved to tears at the sight of those who paid the ultimate price to ensure that she, and everyone else in their civilization livedfortable, and peaceful lives.


    The truth was that Berengar had raised his sister well. Henrietta was not a princess who was locked away from the world in a pce of luxury. She went to school with themon girls. Many of her friends had lost fathers or brothers in the wars. She understood all too well the price of prosperity that had been paid for with the blood, sweat, and tears of the Austrian people. She also knew that she benefitted dearly from it all.


    Dharya instantly had a newfound sense of respect for the German Princess, who clutched her heart with a bittersweet smile on her pretty face as she silently thanked those who had given their lives for the Reich. Without realizing it, Henrietta had begun to cry, before quickly wiping her eyes away, in fear that the two children would look down on her.


    After taking a few moments to gain control of her emotions, Henrietta smiled before asking the children if they were satisfied with the tour.


    "Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour, because this is where it ends. I will be taking you back to the Pce so that you can enjoy the rest of your day."


    Dharya was overwhelmed by all the shocking things he had seen on this brief journey, and Priya was still crying over the ten thousand plus graves that sat before her. For her entire life, she had been locked up in the pce, and aside from grieving the loss of her parents, she knew nothing of the hardships that existed in the outside world, let alone the wars that were waged across the globe.


    At first, she thought the German Empire was simply lucky to be in its current state of prosperity. Perhaps it was even graced by the gods. However, after seeing the graves of the soldiers who fought and died for it, the girle to a sudden understanding that the German people did not achieve such results without struggle.


    The trio was silent on the journey back to the pce. When they finally entered, the Kaiser greeted them. He immediately noticed their long faces and inquired about just what they had seen on their tour.


    "Why does it look like someone killed their pet? Henrietta, where the hell did you take these two kids?"


    Before Henrietta could defend her actions, Dharya spoke up on her behalf.


    "Your Majesty, do not me the princess for our current expressions. We had a wonderful time. She just ended the tour on a more serious note. We visited the Kufstein National Cemetary and realized the price that has been paid for the current prosperity of your Empire. It was a very... sobering experience."


    It shocked Berengar that his sister had taken these two kids to the military cemetery on their first tour of the city. That was not something he would have done, as he felt the kids should have fun on their trip. Instead, it would appear that Henrietta had subjected the children to a propaganda tour. This caused him to rest his forehead in the palm of his head as he sighed heavily.


    "Alright, I understand. Dinner is being cooked as we speak, so how about you two go wash up and prepare yourselves for the meal? Henrietta, I''d like a word with you if I can."


    Henrietta bowed her head and curtsied before her brother while showing him the proper respect for his position in front of the two children.


    "Of course, your majesty..."


    After saying this, Berengar walked off with Henrietta while the maids attended to Dharya and Priya''s needs. Berengar brought Henrietta into his study where he inquired about just what kind of tour she had given his two guests..


    "Where else did you take them besides the Cemetery?"


    Henrietta did not hesitate to answer his questions in a calm and collected manner.


    ''The itinerary was simple. I took the children to see the Reichstag, where I talked about its purpose. From there, I took them to the trade district, where on the way they witnessed the Youth Corps engaging in their charitable activities.


    After that, we stopped by a grocery store and an ice cream stall where we made our way to the industrial sector, where they seemed to have a hard time dealing with the pollution. So I showed them the colossus on the hills above the town for some fresh air, before ending the tour with the cemetery."


    Berengar pondered about the tour Henrietta had taken the kids on, and came up with one conclusion: Henrietta went to ces that were ordinary but significant to deliberately show off the wealth and power of the reich, before ending on a somber note. He had to give it to the girl. It was quite clever the clever way of flexing to the guests from a foreign empire. There was only one question on his mind that he was quick to ask.


    "Did the children enjoy it?"


    Henrietta thought about it for a moment before nodding her head with a confident expression on her face.


    "Despite the culture shock of witnessing how great our Empire ispared to their homnd, I am quite certain they enjoyed the tour. Even if I spoke a few lines of propaganda to them."


    Berengar chuckled as he petted the girl''s golden hair beforeplimenting her for her efforts.


    "Good girl!"


    Henrietta blushed as she enjoyed the attention her brother was giving her. Though they did not have time to fool around before dinner, she knew that she would be able to convince the man to spend the night alone with her after her actions today. That is, unless one of the other girls in Berengar''s harem showed her up in the evening.


    With that said, the tour of the city, and the lives of its citizens, hade to an end. Dharya would be greatly affected by the German propaganda that Henrietta had uttered to him, and believe that ties to the Reich were necessary if he wished to reim his homnd.

 Chapter 709 Finding Traces of the Supernatural

    Chapter 709 Finding Traces of the Supernatural


    Linde stood in front of the Kaiser''s desk with a smug smile on her face. After months of hunting down traces of the long forgotten deities of ancient Germania, she had finally found a trace of the mythical figures. Words could not express the difficulties she had gone through to secure this information.


    Her own subordinates had begun to question her sanity as they searched endlessly across Europe for traces of mythological figures. If not for preparing a proper response, they would have petitioned for the Kaiser to remove her from her position due to concerns of mental health.


    The reasoning that Linde used to exin these ludicrous searches to her agents was exined as assisting the department of Archeology on fabricating ims to thends north of the Schleswig-Holstein borders. Luckily for the veteran spymaster, her subordinates bought this line, as the Kaiser had previously used ancient Germanic mythology and culture as a means to persuade the public about some of his more controversial policies.


    Currently, Linde presented a map to her husband. On this map was an area circled that had many rumors surrounding it, and though they had not been proven, a mysterious mist wouldmonlye from its woonds, much like the case of the forests of Frisia where the goddess Baduhenna dwelled. Berengar studied the map, and the details recorded in the dossier earnestly as he listened to his wife''s emphatic speech.


    "In Jund, there is a special wooded area that the locals report to be mysterious. Many who have wondered into these woods have never returned. Others who have survived the ordeal return to their homes speaking of madness. I am certain that there is something supernatural hidden in those woods, and I believe it is rted to the so-called gods you have spoken about..."


    Berengar admitted the rumors behind the woonds had some simrity with those where he encountered Baduhenna, but it was difficult to say for sure. Normally he would just send out an expedition to investigate, however, he was uncertain whether they could find anything of value. It was rare for the gods to interact with humans, and they were not likely to bother wasting time revealing themselves to some random field agents.


    However, as a reincarnator, Berengar had some kind of connection with the gods of this world. Though exactly what that was, he did not know for sure. Still, it was his opinion that if he visited the area himself, whatever mythical figure that was lying dormant in those woods would reveal themself to him. Thus, Berengar nodded his head and smiled before responding to Linde''s ims while hatching a n.


    "I believe it would be most prudent for me to visit these mysterious woods myself. It is funny. I was just thinking that it was about time I revisited my allies in the north. I have not spoken to King Alvar of the Kalmar Union in some time, and I am concerned about the state of his military. As an ally of the Reich, they are required to maintain arge standing army, however unlike my allies in Al Andalus and the Byzantine Empire, I have not done my part to oversee the establishment of the Kalmar Union''s army."


    Linde became concerned as she heard the excuse her husband hade up with to visit the mysterious forest in Jund. There was a major problem with his reasoning that she was more than happy to point out.


    "The capital of the Kalmar union is in Copenhagen. How will you convince the man to let you pass through Jund?"


    In response to this, Berengar wore a confident smile. His reasoning was quite simple, and was merely the whims of a foreign emperor, but with the power that Berengar wielded, such petty concerns should be enough to convince the Kalmar King. Thus, he did not hesitate to reveal his master n.


    "I will just exin to Alvar that I n to take the scenic route. My journey will start by travelling to the Province of Schleswig-Holstein via train and then ride on horse to the shores of Jund. Where I will then set sail for Copenhagen. He can consider it an act of curiosity on my part, particrly about how much hisnds have developed since I gave him such vital agricultural technology."


    It was an utterly foolish reasoning for going through thends of the Kalmar Union, but Linde knew it would be enough to convince King Alvar. Though they had seldom met over the years, the rapport between Berengar and Alvar was decent enough. Besides, if the German Kaiser demanded to take the scenic route, then any neighboring Kingdom would be more than willing to roll out the red carpet. Berengar simply wielded too much power to refuse. Thus, Linde was convinced, causing her to voice her next question on the matter.


    "Alright, when do we depart?"


    Berengar raised his brow when he heard this before questioning the woman''s intentions.


    "We?"


    Linde refused to allow Berengar to travel to the Kalmar Union by himself, if there were truly deities in these woods, she wanted the same treatment as him, to have her soul brand removed so that she could follow Berengar into the afterlife of his choosing. Thus, she was adamant as she made her point.


    "If you think you''re going to those woods by yourself, then you''ve got another thinging. Whether you like it or not, you are taking me with you on this journey. If there is really a deity there, I won''t pass up the opportunity to be with you for eternity!"


    Berengar could only smile when he heard how adamant his wife was to spend eternity with him. However, he shook his head before caressing the woman''s cheek. He was too worried about her safety, until he could confirm that there really was a deity there, and that the journey was not hazardous. He would not take Linde with him. Thus, he denied her request with a loving smile on his face.


    "I''m afraid that is impossible. I won''t put you in such a dangerous situation. If I can confirm the path is safe, and that there really is a deity there, then I will bring our entire family into those woods, and have them freed from their fate. You must stay here until I have scouted the region out."


    Linde pouted as she heard these words, but she no longer insisted. She knew the logic behind her husband''s words. She was not exactly a fighter, and had grown up especially pampered. If the situation were to turn dire in the woods, she would only be a liability to the man. Unlike Berengar, who was ustomed to fighting for his very survival, Linde rarely had faced such dangers during her privileged life.


    She was the spider queen behind the web, but she was not a soldier. If any of Berengar''s wives could safely apany him on this journey, it would be Honoria. Thus, she sighed before agreeing to his demands while making an additional stiption.


    "Fine, but you must take Honoria with you. I won''t let you go on such a perilous journey with only your Imperial Guard to protect you."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this demand. He knew the real reason behind it and quickly poked his wife on the nose before teasing her.


    "You''re just worried I will pick up some Norwegian chick to be my next bride, aren''t you?"


    Linde blushed in embarrassment. Her intentions had been so easily seen through, but she did not admit to it. She merely harrumphed while crossing her arms.


    "hmmph"


    Berengar found this aspect of Linde''s character to be endearing. Thus, he hugged her tightly before whispering in her dainty ears.


    "Very well, if it means that much to you, I will take Honoria along with me..."


    A pretty smile carved itself upon Linde''s beautiful face as she heard this. She did not hesitate to question when her man would be departing.


    "So, when do you leave?"


    Berengar thought about it for a few moments before responding.


    "A week at the most. It should not take long for my messenger to reach Copenhagen and inform King Alvar of my intentions to visit. Once my messenger returns with confirmation, I will depart immediately."


    Linde nodded her head in silence as she hugged onto her husband''s chest, while pressing her head against his broad torso. A single phrase escaped her lips as she stood intimately with the man.


    "Be safe..."


    Berengar responded to this worry by petting the woman''s silky strawberry-blonde hair before smiling confidently.


    "I always am!"


    Though he doubted this journey would be particrly dangerous as he was entering allied territory with his own Imperial Guard in tow. It was impossible to know what he would encounter in this shrouded forest. If there was, in fact, a deity hidden in these woods, perhaps they could prove hostile. Though he doubted such a scenario would ur.


    Either way, Berengar took his safety seriously, and would be well prepared for whatever he may encounter in the region of Jund. As for Linde, she would do her best to support his efforts from behind the scenes, as she had always done.

 Chapter 710 Stuck in the Mediterranean

    Chapter 710 Stuck in the Mediterranean


    Julius sat upon the Papal throne with his head held in his hands. Since the attack that imed the lives of the College of Cardinals, he had been on edge. Believing that his life was in the hands of the heretic who sat upon the German Throne. If Berengar could so easily sneak a man into the Holy City and annihte its leadership with a single attack, then surely he would not live for much longer.


    He had prayed to the Christian God for revtion on how to defeat his enemies, and yet the heavenly father had been utterly silent. He doubted if the Lord God Almighty actually saved him, or if his survival was a mere fluke. Though the Crusade was progressing in the favor of the Catholic Church, the enemy had regrouped and halted their advance further south.


    While the Catholics currently upied the Holy City, and a few others along the coastline, it would not be easy to dere this a Catholic victory, especially since the Byzantine and Timurid Empires were still an active threat. He knew that the Crusade in the Holy Land would bog down into a series of protracted sieges until both sides were no longer capable of fighting.


    Such a thing was the least desirable oue as the only true victor in that scenario would be Berengar the ursed. He could not allow that man to expand his influence even greater than it already had been. While the Pope was dwelling on such dire matters, an archbishop approached him, where he, of course, had nothing but poor news to discuss.


    "Your holiness, it would appear the fleet we sent to secure new trade routes further east was sunk at the strait of Gibraltar. It seems that the German fleet posted in Iberia has no intentions of letting any vessels sail westward. Perhaps they have discovered something that we are unaware of and have blockaded all parties to stay within the Mediterranean?"


    It shocked Julius to hear this news, and he instantly broke out into a fit of fury as he condemned Berengar for the twenty-seventh time of this day.


    . co?


    "God damn that man to the depths of hell. If he thinks he can keep our fleets in the Mediterranean, then he is severely mistaken. After all, we have the English navy on our side. Surely they are not blocked by the strait of Gibraltar!"


    The Archbishop had an anxious expression on his face as he tapped his feet on the floor. Julius took notice of this and felt that another shocking revtion was about to ur.


    "What is it?"


    A jolt of lightning went down the Archbishop''s spine as he heard the Pope''s chilling tone. He had no choice but to reveal the truth about the matter to Julius.


    "Your holiness, the English navy has deployed all of its ships to the Mediterranean as a part of your crusade. They arepletely unable to return home. The few merchant ships they have left at Ennd have been sunk by the German North Fleet, which has blockaded the English channel. It would appear they discovered that we wanted to find alternative trade routes to India and have ced an embargo preventing all Catholic Kingdoms from sailing westward.


    I don''t know what they have discovered, but there are rumors of German shipsing and going from the strait of Gibraltar regrly. Whatever they have found in the west, they don''t want anyone else knowing about it."


    Julius was furious when he heard this. If it was worth blocking ess to the Antic, then clearly the Germans had found something spectacr. Whether it was an alternative trade route to India, or something else entirely, the filthy Germans desired to hoard it to themselves.


    The more he thought about it, the more the Pope realized it could not be a trade route to India, or else why would the Germans continue to dig their canal in Egypt? Something fishy was going on here, and Julius did not know what.


    Enraged by this discovery, Julius immediately demanded something rather foolish, not realizing how disastrous the consequences would be for the Catholic Church if they had actually tried to do such a thing.


    "I want every ship we have to break through the German blockade at the strait of Gibraltar. We must discover whatever it is they are hiding from us!"


    Luckily for Julius, this archbishop was a man who was wise enough to realize such an attack would be nothing more than suicide and clearly outlined the consequences such a disastrous attempt would have.


    "Your holiness! If we use all of our ships in the Mediterranean to attempt a breakthrough of the German blockade, not only will we be stranding tens of thousands of soldiers and the Kings who lead them in the Holy Land. We would also send our fleet to the depths of the sea! The German ships have iron hulls and are impervious to all means of attack that we have discovered.


    Worse yet, their weapons have incredibly destructive power, and are capable of superior ranges and rates of fire. Do I need to remind you what happened to the Moran Armada? They fought against a handful of ships. Yet there are over twenty-five of such vessels currently blocking the strait of Gibraltar!"


    Julius panicked when he heard this, because he realized he had sent the overwhelming majority of the Catholic World''s forces to the Holynd, and they were now stuck with only one viable solution to return home. They would have to sail for Hungary and march back to their homes across Eastern Europe.


    However, the English would have to pass through German Lands to even attempt to get back to their homnd. It was truly a disastrous scenario. When the Kings of Christendom heard this news, they would lose the will to fight. As they were essentially stuck in the Holy Land where they could only fight until thest man against the enemies who surrounded them.


    It turned out that Aubry was fortunate that his allies had betrayed him in Jerusalem, because he was given just enough time to escape this mess and return to Paris. Julius realized that if he did note up with a solution, the armies of Christendom would be stranded in the Holy Land thousands of miles away from their families.


    There was no solution other than an all out attack that the Pope could think of that would allow him to break the blockade. Even then, such reckless action would just be asking for their ships to be sunk. It was far more viable to just convince the English King and his armies to stay in the Holy Land until they could all march on Germany.


    It was bing increasingly clear to the Pope that Berengar had provoked him into a conflict in the Holy Land, so that he could set up such a trap. Thus making it so his borders would only suffer an invasion from the east. Honestly, the man was giving Berengar too much credit. The Kaiser did not expect his stranglehold over the Saltpeter trade to force the Church to look for alternative trade routes to India.


    By blowing up the saltpeter mines in Collbato, Berengar had annihted the Spanish army, but at the same time, kick-started the age of exploration before he could finish the Suez Canal. Luckily, his navy was powerful enough to prevent the Catholics from heading to the new world. Or else he would soon be engaged in colonial wars with his neighbors.


    The Archbishop gazed upon the Pope with a hopeless gaze. He did not have the answer on how to fix this scenario. He could only ask what the Holy Father had nned.


    "Your holiness, whatever shall we do?"


    Julius gritted his teeth as he decided on how to move forward. He wanted nothing more than to throttle Berengar for forcing him into such a position, but unfortunately, he could not. All he could do was sigh and give the orders he had in mind.


    "We will try to prevent this information from leaking to the crusaders for as long as possible. When they have finally imed enough of the Holy Land to dere a victory, we will inform them of what Germany has done, and rouse them to attack the Reich. Only by ending Berengar''s reign do we have a chance to put an end to this blockade!"


    The archbishop gulped his pooled saliva when he heard this before nodding his head. It would appear the final showdown between the Catholic Church, and the German Reformation was around the corner. He had long since waited for this day, but it would appear to him that the situation was rather hopeless.


    However, Julius had made up his mind. Since I forced him into a corner, he would not hesitate to resist and bite against those who had forced him into this hopeless situation. If the Reich sought to prevent him from finding out what they had discovered west of the Mediterranean, then he would not hesitate to fight back. By the time Berengar got back from his trip to Jund, he would realize the desperation of the Church.

 Chapter 711 Who are you and what have you done with my wife?

    Chapter 711 Who are you and what have you done with my wife?


    As Berengar waited for his messenger to meet with the Monarch of the Kalmar Union, he was involved in the endless pile of paperwork that always seemed to find its way to his desk. The Kaiser signed away documents at an efficient rate while the sound of knocking appeared from the other side of his office''s door. This halted his current actions as he called out to the intruder with an exasperated tone in his voice.


    "It''s open!"


    With this said, the doors swung open to reveal the figure of someone that Berengar was not expecting. Ad had a stern expression on her face as she approached her husband and sat down on the chair across from his desk. The fact that she was even speaking to Berengar after what he had done was a good sign.


    Berengar remained silent, as he had already spoken his piece about his affair with the woman''s sister, and had nothing more to say to her. This only further agitated Ad, as she red at the man intensely for several seconds before sighing heavily and speaking the exact words that her husband was expecting.


    "I forgive you..."


    A wry smile formed on Berengar''s lips as he teased his pretty wife in a taunting manner.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t quite hear that. You what?"


    Ad could feel the irritation rising in her soul as she stood up from her seat and shouted at the man she loved.


    "I forgive you, okay!?!"


    Berengar merely chuckled when he heard this before petting the young woman on her golden head. She pouted as he did so, which only made her seem cuter in the eyes of her husband. Berengar sighed heavily before retracting his hand. His expression turned stern as he addressed Ad''s statement.


    "So, what did we learn?"


    The petite young blonde woman was practically scowling as she heard this. Did this man really have the nerve to lecture her after what he had done? However, she remembered the words Linde had spoken to her during her grief, and remembered her ce as one of many partners of her husband. Ad made sure to enunciate every word clearly so that she would no longer be teased by the man sitting across from her.


    "I shouldn''t be jealous... You will probably have more mistresses in the future because you have multiple wives. I should have acted more calmly when I heard you had slept with my sister..."


    Berengar smiled pleasantly and nodded his head before petting the girl''s hair once more. This time she fought it off, as she was too embarrassed to endure the treatment. Seeing how cute she was being, Berengar could not stop himself from teasing his wife further.


    "Good girl..."


    When Ad heard this, she practically cursed her husband with her own mind. Seeing she was still rebellious, Berengar sighed before speaking about their rtionship.


    "You know, if you had just let go of your petty jealousy years ago, we could have moved past this whole mess. I understand it was difficult for you to do that, so I appreciate the effort you have gone through to make me happy. So I suppose the question is, what should be done about your sister?"


    Ad was startled when she realized Berengar was asking for her input. She thought about it for several moments before bringing up the most important part of the equation.


    "What happens to Wolfgang?"


    In response to this, Berengar pulled out two chalices and poured some wine into them. He handed one off to his wife, while taking a sip from his own.


    "I have given Wolfgang a stay of execution until I can consult with his brother Adelbrand about his punishment. Normally, the man and I would have spoken by now, but he is currently bogged down with affairs in Iberia. Apparently, he deems his brother''s life as less important than his current campaign against the rebels. To quote the message I received:


    Let the bastard rot in the dungeons. I will visit Kufstein when I have the time to discuss a more permanent solution to his crimes."


    It shocked Ad to hear how little Adelbrand cared for his own flesh and blood, but after everything that happened during the Bavarian invasion of Austria years ago, it would be hard to forgive the man. She sighed heavily when she heard this. It sounded like Adelbrand was inclined to agree with Berengar''s suggestion of execution.


    After realizing that her sister would be a widow with four kids to feed, Ad felt pity for the woman. She did not know what exactly Berengar had done with her after the incident and quickly asked about her current condition.


    "And my sister?"


    Berengar took another drink from his wine before answering the question with a stoic expression on his face.


    "For the time being, she is being looked after in the old castle, where she and her children are free to live as they please. I have informed her I won''t be a father to her children, and that if I were to see her in the future, it would only ur if you epted such an oue."


    Ad tapped her armrest nervously for several minutes. The truth of the matter was she did not want Berengar and Ava to be together, but she feared if she said that, then Berengar would assume she had not gotten over her previous jealousy.


    Luckily, Ava held little meaning to Berengar, and he did not care if he continued an affair with her either way. Upon seeing the anxiety in Ad''s eyes, Berengar grabbed hold of her dainty hand and smiled warmly as he informed her how he felt about the issue.


    "You can be honest with me. The truth of the matter is, I do not care for your sister like I do you, or the others. If a rtionship were to form between us, it would be purely sexual. If you do not desire such a thing, simply say it, and I will inform the woman."


    Ad thought about the issue for several moments. It was one thing to selfishly keep Berengar and Ava apart, but the problem was her sister was aplete mess without the support of someone else to rely on. Thinking about this further, Ava was unlikely to remarry.


    With all the young marriageable women flooding into the Empire from other countries, it would be rare for a man to marry a mother of four as one of his five wives, and look after her children as his own. Even Berengar did not desire to do such a thing. When Ad thought about such a horrible fate, she knew what the answer was in her heart. With a heavy sigh, she gave Berengar her honest opinion on the matter.


    "This might be selfish of me to say, but I want you to continue your rtionship with Ava..."


    Berengar nearly choked on his wine when he heard this response. He had done the math in his head, and the probability of Ad epting an affair with Ava was virtually nonexistent. Or so he thought. Before he could speak up, Ad wore a very serious expression as she continued on her previous statement.


    "You''re the uncle to her children, and they need a paternal figure in their life. At this point, my sister is unlikely to remarry, and even if she were to do such a thing, the man most likely won''t be of high quality. For the sake of Ava''s kids, I want you to be in her life, and a part of her kid''s life as their uncle. You don''t have to be their father, but you can be their father figure."


    Berengar was truly shocked when he heard these words escape from Ad''s mouth. She had always been the jealous type and had fought his harem every step of the way. Now she was saying that she not only wanted him to continue sleeping with her sister, but to be an active part of her life? It was too much for him toprehend. He had to make sure the woman was not trolling him.


    "Are you sure that this is what you want?"


    Ad smiled as she nodded her head. She would be lying if she said the idea of Berengar and Ava being together did not cause her any pain. However, she was kindhearted enough to know that with Wolfgangs'' death, Ava would need a proper man in her life, and she would not find anyone better than Berengar.


    When Berengar saw the serious expression on his wife''s pretty face, he could only scoff in disbelief. Since she had said a rtionship with her sister was eptable, he would not back down. He leaned over his desk and kissed the woman on the cheek before teasing her.


    "Since you have epted, there is no turning back. I''m going to have a lot of fun with Ava. Perhaps you could join us?"


    Rather than flush in embarrassment, Ad nibbled on her husband''s ear before taunting him herself.


    "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it!"


    Berengar could not help but chuckle when he heard this. He immediately voiced his disbelief as he gazed upon Ad''s coquettish expression.


    "Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?"


    It was at this moment that Berengar no longer regretted putting Ad through Linde''s training. It would appear some of that vixen''s mannerisms had rubbed off on the girl.

 Chapter 712 Making Up

    Chapter 712 Making Up


    The thought of sleeping with both Ad and her older sister at the same time turned Berengar on more than it should have. Ad gazed that the tent he was pitching and wore a sultry smile. The door was locked behind them, and nobody would be intruding on their fun at this hour. Thus, she took it upon herself to unzip her husband''s trousers and gaze upon his mighty serpent with lust in her sapphire eyes.


    By now Ad had lost her signature twintails and gone with a slightly wavy hairstyle that cascaded over the right side of her face like a river of flowing gold. She was not the little girl Berengar once knew in the days following his reincarnation. Though she was more petite and thin than his other wives, her body was by no means childish. Berengar was quick to unzip her baby blue dress, revealing nothing but her sheer ck undergarments.


    Ad had even dressed herself in some very adult attire, as she wore acey and transparent thong, with a matching bra. Surprisingly, instead of a strap, her panties used a string of ck pearls, which clung to her puffy lips tightly. Upon seeing her beautiful pussy, the man only got more erect, which caused the woman to react with shock. It had been too long since she and her husband had been intimate.


    "My God, all these years, and I still can''t believe how big this thing is!"


    She did not hesitate after speaking those words, and quickly lowered her pretty pink lips onto the ns, sucking earnestly, as if there was a tasty treat lying deep within its shaft. Berengar gazed upon the beautiful young woman who had just recently turned twenty, and could hardly believe his own eyes. He was feeling more attraction to the girl now than he had ever felt for her before in his life.


    Ad skillfully moved her tongue down the sides of the shaft before inserting it deep into her mouth. Unlike Linde, she was not a blowjob queen, and had always suffered to take its entire length down her throat, but today she nned to do just that. If Berengar was going to sleep with her sister, then she wanted to remind him why she herself was his wife, and Ava was only a mistress.


    As the woman choked down her husband''s length as deep as she could, she yed with her moist twat, inserting one finger deep into her depths, before another, and another. She wanted her man to cum as quickly as possible, so she could taste his overwhelming seed.


    Berengar grunted in pleasure as he grabbed hold of the back of his wife''s head and forced it down onto his shaft, deeper than it had ever gone. Ad''s eyes widened in shock as she realized she had aplished her goal. The entire length of her husband''s shaft was shoved down her throat, and she was struggling not to vomit. Berengar let go of the woman''s head as he realized she was about to throw up, and released his sword from its sheath.


    Ad panted heavily as she recovered from the intense throat fucking she had just received while using one hand to stroke her husband''s cock. The delicate feeling of the woman''s milky hands pushed Berengar over the edge as he grabbed hold of her pretty face and released his seed all over it.


    Luckily for Ad, her mouth was already open and captured much of the shot, where she drank its contents with a seductive smile on her pretty face. She did not hesitate to wrap her lips around the ns and suck down the rest of her husband''s seed. When all was said and done, he was still hard, and she was wetter than ever.


    Ad parted her beaded panties to the side, and held onto the rear of the desk while waving her ass in the air, enticing Berengar to im his prize. She wore a lust filled expression as she stretched her asshole, signalling for the man to attack.


    "Take whichever hole you desire!"


    Though she said this, her actions clearly showed she was favoring the idea of anal, and Berengar did not hesitate. He fiercely gripped the woman''s golden hair, and shoved his cock deep within her twitching asshole, causing her to moan out in pleasure the moment it was inserted.


    Berengar rammed his hips forward and pressed his shaft as deep as it could go into the woman''s ass. He raised his free hand into the air and pped her small but toned cheeks, leaving behind a visible red handprint. Ad moaned like a bitch in heat as her husband continued to thrust in and out of her tight hole with the frenzy that belonged to a wild beast.


    After a few moments of intense sex, Ad squirted all over the kaiser''s chair, losing control of her legs in the process. This did not deter Berengar from halting his actions as he raised the girl into the air, and held her in his arms, while continuing to m his cock into the furthest reaches of the woman''s asshole. Ad could hardly form words as her mind had been filled with lust, and merely uttered the phrase.


    "no, stop!"


    Despite this plea for leniency, Berengar did not relent and continued to thrust his hips into the young woman''s rear as if he were a piston, until finally he could hold back no longer, and released his seed deep inside the woman''s innards.


    When he released his shaft from his wife''s asshole, a stream of cum flowed out and onto the floor as she knelt on the ground face first, recovering mentally from the fierce anal fucking she had just received.


    Seeing that there was still one hole presenting itself that had still not received his seed, Berengar quickly aligned himself with the woman''s moist cave and plunged hisrge shaft to the depths of her woman with his initial thrust. Her puffy lips parted way for the thick shaft, as her tight hole squeezed down on the intruder like a vice grip.


    Ad did not resist, and merely acted lifelessly with her tongue hanging out of her mouth while she received her husband''s cock with a smile on her face. Her mind was nk, and her face was overwhelmed with lust.


    Berengar would cum into Ad''s pussy a total of two times before finally being satisfied. As for the woman in question, she had practically passed out from the pleasure she had received. It was only now that Ad began to understand why it was a good idea to tackle her husband''s lust with a partner by her side. Her stomach and womb were both filled with the man''s seed, and she did not know if she could ept another offering.


    Luckily for her, Berengar had his fill and quickly got dressed, leaving Ad in a befuddled state on the floor in a pool of her own bodily fluids. He smiled as he gazed upon the sight before departing from the room with some words of encouragement.


    "I love you, sweetheart, but next time you should bring your sister along, it''s clear you can''t handle me on your own..."


    With that said, he left his wife in a puddle of her own squirt, and continued on with his daily tasks. Ad would recover not long after and dress herself, before calling the maids in to clean up the mess that she and her husband had made.


    It had been too long since she had been alone with her husband, and though she couldn''t keep up with his pressure, she was d to have finally gotten some alone time with the man she loved. Though Berengar was right, the next time she approached the man with sex in mind, she should probably have someone else apany her.

 Chapter 713 Vengeance is a Dish Best ServedChilly

    Chapter 713 Vengeance is a Dish Best ServedChilly


    It had been some time since Wolfgang was first taken into custody after he had assaulted an Imperial Prince, though he had been granted a stay of execution until his brother, who was an important General, and a Duke of the Empire could be consulted.


    During this time, Wolfgang was sentenced by Berengar to serve in abor camp until a time where his fate could be properly decided. While he endured his tenure in thebor camp, he had witnessed the justice of Germany first hand.


    No prisoner was exempt from the backbreakingbor they would be forced to endure day in and day out, and it was because of this that especially pampered noblemen like Wolfgang typically died from attrition long before their sentence waspete. Luckily Wolfgang had survived his treatment, though he had lost much of his youthful vigor.


    Though he was fed three meals a day, in sufficient quantity to keep him in proper physical shape for thebor he must perform. He struggled to meet the demands that were given to him by the guards of the Labor Camp. Because of this, he was punished further. If he had to exin his life at this very moment, it was a single word. Hell...


    Thus, it was a surprise when he was called off from his normal routine and brought in chains to a secure location. He honestly believed he was about to be executed. However, when he saw the stoic face of the Kaiser standing before him, he could not help but fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. He was willing to do anything to get himself out of his current predicament.


    "My Kaiser, please forgive my transgressions. I was blind, but now I can see. My sins are grave, but I beg of you, as a fellow father and husband, to release me and I will give to you whatever you desire..."


    Berengar did not have the slightest emotion on his handsome face. Instead, he calmly reached into his jacket and pulled out a packet of hemp cigarettes. He ced one of such devices in his mouth before lighting it ame with his pocket lighter.


    After doing so, he inhaled the smoke heavily before exhaling it into the surrounding air. It was only after he had done this gesture that he flick the lit cigarette onto the face of the bounded prisoner and chuckled at hisments.


    "You strike my son, and now you wish to bargain with me? What kind of moron are you? Did you honestly expect that I would be lenient with you after abusing my child? Tsk tsk tsk... I regret to inform you, Wolfgang, but I have already taken possession of the sole thing you possess which I desire. Your wife has been excellentpany these past few weeks, and perhaps she will soon be with child."


    It took a few moments for Berengar''sments to register in the durd''s brain, but when he did, he immediately rose to his feet, infuriated by both the Emperor and his wife''s scandalous actions. Since his wife was not here to admit to her infidelity in person, he could only take out his wrath on her partner.


    "The fucking slut! I can''t fuck believe she would betray me like this! First, she summons the guards after I taught your little brat a lesson in humility, and then she cheats on me at the first opportunity she is given. If I ever get out of here, that bitch is a dead woman!"


    Berengar scowled when he heard this statement. The man was utterly unrepentant for his sins. All of that pleading for forgiveness a few moments prior was clearly nothing but an act. Naturally, the Kaiser would not tolerate this insult and responded to Wolfgang''s aggression by grabbing hold of his head and head butting him in the soft points of his face three times before repeatedly kneeing him in the groin.


    Wolfgang instantly dropped to his knees in agony as vomited his breakfast all over the floor. His nose was broken from the impact of the Kaiser''s forehead, and he had spat out several teeth into a mixture of vomit and blood. Despite the prisoner''s condition, Berengar did not end his cruelty. He quickly stepped on the man''s head and forced it into the vomit in an act of total humiliation.


    "You dare speak to me, your Kaiser, with such hatred? Who gave you permission to rise? You fucking imbecile, you still don''t get it. How stupid can you be? I always promised you I would get my vengeance for the shit you pulled back in Graz so many years ago. You think I had forgiven you? In truth, I just forgotten about the incident considering what a pathetic waste you are. That is until you had the nerve to strike my son.


    Whether you live or die is up to your brother. I have too much respect for the man to execute his eldest brother without consulting him. However, you may want to know what your brother told me when I informed him about your crimes. He said and I quote:


    Let the man rot. I have more important matters to attend to. When I have concluded my business in Iberia, I will consult with you on the punishment for his crimes.


    Your own brother sees you as a fucking disgrace, unworthy of his immediate attention. It''s a shame a woman as fine as Ava was married to your ipetent ass. Hopefully, her children aren''t infected with the stupidity of their father. However, if they are, then I will simply grace her with new children, born from my superior seed.


    So sit back and enjoy your time in thisbor camp. The only thing you have to look forward to is death, or exile. There is no other alternative. You are an utter disgrace to your family, your race, and your nation."


    After saying this, Berengar spat on the man who lie underneath his boot, where he removed his foot and give an order to the guards.


    "Make sure this idiot eats that mess there! Because he''s not getting another portion to rece it!"


    Thebor camp guards forced Wolfgang''s face further into the pile of vomit and issued their demands while raising their clubs to prepare for his refusal.


    "You heard the kaiser, clean up your mess!"


    Wolfgang red in hatred towards the sinister grin on Berengar''s face. In the next second, he felt his back struck by a club, and the vomit shoveled into his mouth by the other guards. They continued this process until Wolfgang had devoured all the vomit and his dislodged teeth from the snow on the ground.


    He wanted to throw up once more, but choked in down in fear that he would be forced to endure the same treatment. After Wolfgang had done as he was ordered, Berengar gave one more order to the guards before departing.


    "Alright, I''ve seen enough. Get this fool back to work!"


    After saying that, Berengar departed from thebor camp with his Imperial Guard in tow. He did not look back on the fate of Wolfgang, because, in all honesty, he did not care. His brother would decide his fate. Either way, Wolfgang would either be dead, or wish that he was.


    Interestingly enough, the moment Berengar entered the carriage that he had taken to the Labor Camp, a busty blonde womantched to his side and kissed his cheek. This woman was none other than Ava. She could not help but question what had be of her husband.


    "How did he take it?"


    In response to this, Berengar scoffed before petting the woman''s golden hair while answering her question.


    "As about as well as you would expect. The man has learned his fate, and knows that he is being cucked constantly with nothing he can do about it. I wouldn''t be surprised if he took his own life..."


    It was not Ava''s turn to scoff as she shook her head with a determined look on her face.


    "Wolfgang isn''t brave enough to end his own life. He would rather live in misery than face the uncertainty of death. He''s a coward through and through, and is willing to do anything to keep on living a little longer. I''m d to be rid of him!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard the woman''s vile statement about her own husband and kissed her passionately in the back seat of the carriage. He had plenty of time to kill on his journey back to Kufstein and would make use of it by using Ava''s body to pleasure himself.


    Obviously, now that Ad had approved of her rtionship with Berengar, Ava did not resist in the slightest. She knew she was only a mistress, and because of this she let Berengar let out his pent up energy with her body in any way he pleased.


    The idea of making love with the Emperor while her husband rotted away in a prison camp turned the sultry minx on, which only caused her to be more enthusiastic about her actions. Thus, the rest of the duo''s journey back to Capital was spent in pleasure.

 Chapter 714 Naval Ambitions in the Pacific

    Chapter 714 Naval Ambitions in the Pacific


    Itami sighed heavily as she gazed upon the list of natural resources she had at her disposal. While she did not want for many things. There was a certain material she desperately needed, which she severelycked. Iron was a rtively raremodity on the Ind Nation of Japan, and she needed vast quantities of it to fully industrialize and modernize her new empire.


    Without arge stockpile of iron, Itami could only produce limited quantities of her new Itami Rifles, and artillery pieces. If she wanted to take full advantage of industrialization, she would need arge supply. Unfortunately, she could not find it in her homnd, andcked the means to sail to other, less developed regions of the world, such as the Americas of Africa, which were rich in such resources. No, if she wanted iron, she would need to search for regions in North-East Asia where she could gain ess to it.


    Attacking China was out of the question. Even with her superior armies, and technology, it would be impossible for her to im the Chinese maind in any significant capacity. Let alone hold on to it. If there was one thing she found foolish about the Japanese Empire in her past life, it was the idea that they actually believed they could conquer China and subjugate its people. It was simply unfeasible no matter how she saw it. She wouldugh about the whole idea if it hadn''t ended so tragically.


    Since she would not invade China, that left one particr region rich in iron that she could exploit as part of her Empire. That would be the Korean penins. The problem with this was that the Joseon were a tributary state of the Ming, and invading the Korean Penins to seize the iron rich regions in the north was likely to result in hostilities with the Ming.


    Unless she could convince the Ming Emperor that Japan was a better ally than the Joseon, she would likely fight the Ming in a conflict that would prove bloody for both sides. Itami could only sigh as she gazed at her map. The annexation of Korea was inevitable, but how she would go about it while avoiding the most bloodshed was her greatest concern.


    For now, she would send emissaries to both the Ming and Joseon. Until she could build a powerful enough navy to defeat the Joseon, it would force her to trade for the iron ore she so desperately needed. She wrote a series of letters addressing her Korean and Chinese counterparts. For the Ming, she nned to pay tribute to them with gifts of cosmetics, perfume, and other products that could only be found in her Japanese Empire.


    Itami was not Berengar. Though she favored war as a means to achieve her ambitions, she was not above bowing her head to another Empire in return for the benefits she would receive. Ultimately, she did not have the pride of a man in her heart, and would thus resort to acts that Berengar would consider humiliating if it meantpleting her objectives.


    As for the Joseon, she would use a more heavy-handed approach in negotiations. Her military might was vastly superior to the Korean''s, and she needed only a year or two to build up a navy capable of destroying their fleet. Naturally, since she could not produce ironds for some time, due to a substantialck of the resources required, she would devise vessels based upon a Korean design.


    The legendary Korean Turtle Ship had yet to be produced in this timeline. After all, they would note into existence for another hundred years. However, she could build them, and ensure naval dominance in the Pacific for years toe. As part of her attempts to one up Julian in her past life, she had studied naval history extensively, as it was a more important part of Japan''s history than it was Germany''s.


    Though it would take some effort, she could effectively design a turtle ship from scratch. Which she immediately did. After spending hours at her desk with a pen and some paper, Itami designed the ship of her desires. It was essentially a steam powered turtle ship that utilized a triple expansion steam engine, a propulsion screw, and a set of boilers. She had a wicked grin on her face as she dered victory at that moment.


    "With these, my fleets will be unmatched in the entire world. After all, it will be some time before the Europeans invent their Ships of the Line... Though it is not a true irond, the turtle ship will be superior to anything else I can create until I get the necessary resources to create a fleet of them!"


    Itami slunk back into her chair and rested for god knows how long until her door opened to reveal one of her ministers. Though she was surprised to see him, she was happy, as he was just the man she wanted to talk to about Naval Innovations.


    "Maeda-san, I was just about to go looking for you. Here, take these and look them over. You are the naval expert. I want to see your opinion on the new naval vessel I designed!"


    The man named Maeda Akitoshi sneered when he heard the little girl had created a new ship design. Was it so easy to do such a thing? However, when he gazed upon the design in question, his jaw practically dropped."


    The overall design was unique. The ship had a wooden shell which covered the deck and was ted with iron spikes. This covering made it difficult to harm the crew, while deterring any form of grappling. When armed with multiple cannons, it would certainly be an effect tool of war.


    While the original ship design from her past life boasted defensive and offensive capabilities alike, it was less capable than a European frigate, if not for the sole fact that it was severelycking in both speed and maneuverable. The entire ship was practically a floating rectangle, and was powered by abination of junk style sails and wooden rows.


    Itami solved some of these issues by recing its primitive means of propulsion with a vertical triple expansion engine. Naturally, many things had to be redesigned to amodate this, but the end result was feasible, at least in theory. It would probably take numerous modifications to actually make a practical naval vessel out of the blueprints she had designed. Still, the man named Maeda Akitoshi could see the practical advantages of such a vessel.


    He was beginning to think this bloodthirsty cunt wasn''t so useless after all. Like many of the people who supported Itami, Maeda Akitoshi was not an avid follower, but someone who was swept up in her reign of terror. Itami only wanted the most capable people working beneath her, and unlike Berengar, because she was a woman, many of them thought poorly of her behind close doors.


    Still, Itami continued to amaze these people with her intelligence, and because of that, men like Maeda Akitoshi would either slowly change their preconceived notions of her, or do something foolish that would get them marked for death. After looking over the designs for a while, Maeda Akitoshi sighed heavily before nodding his head in agreement with Itami''s wishes.


    "I will need some more time to study these devices, but it should be doable. I will let you know when I have constructed the first prototype. Tell me, Itami-sama, are we preparing for a war with a foreign power?"


    When Itami heard this, she merely broke out into a fit of giggles, before nodding her head and answering the old man''s question.


    "Of course. We will build a grand navy and conquer much of Asia beneath our banner. It is our destiny! But to do this, we will need a powerful navy, and this ship is the first step."


    The veteran sailor, who now acted as Itami''s Minister of Naval Warfare, nodded his head in silence. The Empress truly had grand ambitions. He was just about to leave when he thought of something important.


    "What shall I name the vessel?"


    Itami did not even think about the question posed to her. Instead, she responded with a single word before dismissing the man.


    "Kame"


    After saying this, the Minister of Naval Warfare left the Empress''s office, where the young woman pulled out a bottle of sake and drank to her heart''s content. With these vessels, she could sessfully invade Korea. However, when and how she achieved this would be up to diplomacy with the Ming. For now, she could only sit back and rx. Now that her day''s work was over, she intended to enjoy herself in her hot springs, and drink all the Sake she could manage.

 Chapter 715 The Princes Tea Party

    Chapter 715 The Prince''s Tea Party


    Hans sat in a room while sipping from a teacup that contained whole milk. On a te in front of him were some treats, such as cookies and cupcakes. By his side were the princesses of Pnd and Bohemia, as well as the most recent addition to the Royal Pce. Princess Priya Tomara of the Anangpur Empire.


    Since Hans had saved Veronika from the Grand Duke of Moscow, the Bohemian princess had looked at Hans in a new light. Though there were several years apart between them, with Veronika being in her early teenage years, and Hans being a pre-pubescent child. She epted her engagement to the boy and treated him with respect.


    Natalia was practically the same age as Hans, and did not understand why the girl who she thought of as an older sister was behaving so courteously to Hans when she used to be rather standoffish. This sudden change in behavior caused the young girl to bepetitive, where she began to follow Hans around like a pet. Truthfully, the young prince found the Polish princess to be a bit of a nuisance, but she was cute enough in his eyes to keep her around.


    At the moment, Priya was observing the reactions between Hans and the two other princesses with an awkward smile on her face. Veronika was discussing matters of importance with her fiance, and Natalia was begging for attention.


    "Hans, are you listening? Pay attention to me!"


    Hans merely lifted his hand into the air, signalling the young girl to be silent as he continued a conversation with Veronika about the concerns she had about the uing crusade. Natalia pouted when she saw she was being ignored, but listened to Veronika''s words nheless.


    "I fear Natalia''s father might do something foolish. He had already sent his eldest son to his death against the German Armies. Who is to say he does not conscript all of Pnd''s young men to invade us from the East? If that happens, Bohemia will be a battleground. Does the Reich have enough troops to defend all its borders?"


    When Natalia heard the mention of her father and dead brother, she grimaced. She did not want to be reminded of her life before bing a ward. She was still very young when she first entered the Reich, but she could remember the rtive poverty the Polish Monarchy had whenpared to the Kaiser''s household.


    She could never enjoy herself as much as she did now, if she were still in Pnd. Thus, she was rather grateful to the von Kufstein family for all they had done for her. Despite being a ward, she felt as if she was a genuine member of the family. Thus, she had a hard time understanding what Veronika meant when she said that her father was willing to send so many young men to their deaths.


    Hans immediately answered Veronika''s questions with a confident smile on his face.


    "Of course, we have the means to defend our borders. I have looked upon my father''s designs. They are quite brilliant. A few thousand men on one section of the border can defend it from tens if not hundreds of thousands. Not to mention the national railway is nearingpletion. We can easily dispatch our reserves topromised sections of the border if such a scenario urs. Truth be told, It would be an absolute ughter if the Polish were to invade through Prussia or Bohemia."


    Priya gazed upon the Prince and Princess who were discussing matters of war with confusion in her eyes. They were awfully young to be having such a conversation. Was the potential for war really that much of a concern that even children would talk about it? She did not understand that Hans was a genius, who was being groomed to seed his father, nor was she aware of the whole situation that Germany was facing and was quick to voice her concerns.


    "Are you guys expecting an invasion soon?"


    Hans and Veronika gazed over towards Priya with sympathy. She had only arrived in Kufstein recently, and was illiterate when it came to the politics of Europe. Hans could not help but sigh heavily before giving a brief overview of the German Empire''s current foreign rtions. He did not speak of propaganda like Henrietta had, but the truth as he understood it.


    "My father has made a lot of enemies in his rise to power. Practically all of our neighbors despise us. Not only has he used force at every given opportunity to achieve his goals, but he has also pissed on the primary religion of the European continent. To put this in perspective, the Catholic Church holds immense influence over the European Kingdoms, or had I should say.


    When my father was just a lowly baron''s son, the church conspired with my uncle to eliminate him. My father outsmarted them, and as a response to their sinister actions, he thoroughly angered the papacy by executing a few of their representatives and starting a reformation in the Church that split power away from the Papacy.


    Over the years, the Papacy has fought my father via a series of proxy wars, trying to halt his expansion and prevent his influence from spreading. For the record, my father prevailed in each conflict, thoroughly angering the Papacy who now intend to unite the Catholic world against the Reich and march on us from all corners of our Empire.


    Fortunately, my father has built robust border defenses and secured powerful allies. Otherwise, such a situation could prove dire, even with our superior military might. It is not easy to defend yournds from millions of screaming crusaders.


    Natalia''s father is one of the Catholic Kings who holds a grudge against my father and his Empire for more than one reason. It is our fear he might do something foolish, like conscript every young man in his Kingdom and send them off to war on our Eastern borders. Such a thing would prove disastrous.... for Pnd."


    It astounded Priya to hear that the German Empire was surrounded on all sides by potentially hostile states. Only the North had an ally on its borders, and even then Berengar had prepared ample border defenses against the Kalmar Union in case they switched sides. Priya thought about it for a second before asking the most serious question on her mind.


    "Are these other kingdoms a threat? Should I be worried about this uing war?"


    In response to this, both Veronika and Hans scoffed at the same time before the Prince voiced his opinions on the matter.


    "If you knew the weapons that the Reich has avable, you would understand how foolish of a question that is. Any attempt to invade ournds would be an absolute ughter of the enemy. The problem that I see with this eventual war is the desperation it will cause to our neighbors. If we wipe out millions of young men from across Europe, it will cause famine and poverty on a massive scale.


    Our neighbors are still feudal states. They would have to send every peasant farm boy to war to have a chance of breaking through our borders, and they would not get far even if they did. It would be a monumental loss of life, which would only cause further despair in our neighboring realms."


    Veronika nodded her head when she heard Hans'' statement before adding her own thoughts on the issue.


    "The reich currently has a very strict immigration and refugee policy. A small number of women from kingdoms that are either Germanic or have a Germanic history, such as the Kalmar Union, Ennd, Burgundy, and France, are allowed into the country so long as they marry German men. There are a few exceptions granted to women from neighboring kingdoms like Hungary and Pnd, but the majority of these womene from the aforementioned countries.


    This immigration policy has led to the most beautiful and fertile women from those countries seeking a better life in the reich, andpeting for German males. This has proven helpful in increasing the poption of the Reich and is well regted by the Department of Immigration to ensure that there is no major demographic shift in the country.


    While this is good for the Reich, it is bad for the other kingdoms. It will be even worse if we eliminate millions of young men from these foreign kingdoms in a defensive war. In the neighboring realms, there will be few men left who can plow the fields, let alone marry and reproduce. Our neighbors would be desperate for survival, and the number of refugees trying to flood into our country could be disastrous. We would need to expand the border guard substantially and use lethal force to deter these refugees.


    There could be a diplomatic solution to this crisis if the Kaiser actually cared about the lives of foreigners, and if the Pope wasn''t so desperate to cling onto the past glories of the Church. Unfortunately, these two men are willing to fight a disastrous war for European Hegemony that will undoubtedly result in the deaths of millions. However, in the end, all we can do isment the loss of life. Truly, it is none of our concern, as we are the younger generation in the Reich who will not suffer in the slightest."


    Hans nodded his head in agreement with Veronika''s summary of the future crusade. Though if he were to be honest with himself, if he was in his father''s position, he would be just as stubborn in dealing with the Church. Priya, on the other hand, felt as if she had been through a university lecture on geo-politics, and felt as if her head was spinning. She calmed this sensation by drinking the milk in her cup. After doing so, she shifted the subject to something irrelevant.


    "Still, he is amazing, isn''t he?"


    Hans raised his brow when he heard this before asking for rification from the young girl on who she was referring to.


    "Who?"


    Priya flushed with embarrassment as she noticed all eyes were on her. She averted her gaze before voicing her thoughts aloud.


    "The Kaiser! He is so powerful that even the entire continentbined can''t bring him down!"


    Hans and Veronika merely sighed as they heard the girl''s opinion on Berengar. They rolled their eyes before expressing the same sentiment.


    "Oh great, another one..."


    Priya and Natalia did not understand what they meant by that, and the duo did not borate. Instead, they continued to educate Priya about the current affairs of the Reich and its neighbors while enjoying sweets and milk.

 Chapter 716 Departing for the Kalmar Union

    Chapter 716 Departing for the Kalmar Union


    It had been days since Berengar visited Wolfgang, and Berengar finally received word from the King of the Kalmar Union that he would be happy to ept the Kaiser''s request for a visit. Not only that, but the man gave permission to Berengar, allowing him to ride through Jund with a small host of armed bodyguards in order to explore thendscape of the region.


    Winter had arrived, and Berengar had made many preparations for his journey north. Food, clothing, transportation, weapons, and munitions. These were all things that needed to be carefully nned, as he was unlikely to hunt anything in such dreadful weather. Thus, he spared no expense to ensure that he and his soldiers had the supplies needed to survive the harsh winters of Scandinavia.


    Naturally, his army had winter uniforms designed for them in order to stave off the cold. He himself had one that was loosely based upon those used by German Field Marshalls in the Second World War of his past life.


    Aside from gathering these things together, Berengar needed to coordinate with Honoria about her own provisions. Thus, he had approached his wife in her room while she was in the middle of packing. Berengar gazed upon the thick fur coat and woolen clothes that the woman was wearing and teased her.


    "Any more clothing and you are going to make it extremely difficult for me to undress you..."


    Honoria turned around and gazed upon her husband with a seductive smirk on her face as she responded to his advances positively.


    "Oh, I am sure you will have all the time you need to undress me while the two of us are alone together in a tent."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. He had to agree with the woman. After all, he and his Imperial Guard would travel across the winter wondend of Jund in military issued wagons which were simr in size and shape to those used by the American Army in the 19th century. Until he could developbustion engines, transportation outside of the reich was still entirely operated by animal power.


    It was because of these wagons that the party could transport a variety of supplies, such as tents and wooden stoves, to keep them warm and out of the snow. Due to the recent advancements in the field of synthetic materials, Germany''s industry could now make waterproof tents that were capable of enduring the cold winters of Scandinavia.


    Berengar actually looked forward to spending a camping trip with Honoria by his side. She was the only one of his wives who would not bitch about being in the wilds, and would actually enjoy it. He figured the two of them could enjoy the beautiful winterndscape of Jund while making their way to the sacred grove where their true target lie in wait. Berengar quickly noticed the woman had everything she needed packed and helped lift some of her bags.


    "Well then, shall we depart?"


    Honoria lifted a few bags as well before nodding with a pretty smile on her face.


    "I''ve got everything that I need. So let''s go!"


    After saying this, Berengar descended the staircase along with his wife. The two of them had already said their proper goodbyes to the family and were quick to enter the courtyard, where they piled their belongings into the wagon.


    The wagon took the couple to the nearest train station, where they boarded the Royal Train and departed towards the border province of Schleswig-Holstein, where apany of elite imperial guardsman lie in wait for them.


    Berengar could not help but chuckle as he gazed upon the outfit Honoria was wearing. As a privateer, she had a penchant for military fashion, and one of her girls designed the uniforms that her crew wore. For whatever reason, the winter outfit that Honoria was wearing closely resembled that of Soviet officers from the second world war of Berengar''s past life.


    Or at the very least, the outerwear did. Beneath it she had far more fashionable clothing, for example over her merino wool long underwear she wore a beige turtleneckmando style sweater which clung to her natural curves nicely. Atop her head was both a knitted skullcap and a brown fur ushanka.


    Honoria had washed out the dye in her hair and gone back to a natural color. Berengar noticed this and smiled. He nodded his head in approval beforeplimenting the woman''s beauty.


    "I must say Honoria, you look very pretty in your winter attire..."


    Honoria smiled when she heard this. It was not every day that Berengarplimented her appearance. Lately, he had been busy with his other wives and had not shown her the attention she needed. She was just happy that the two of them could finally spend some time together. Thus, she voiced her enthusiasm for the trip.


    "I''m looking forward to this trip. It will be good to finally be alone together without interference from the others."


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before nodding his head. The journey via train continued to the border for several hours before the duo arrived at their destination. Afterward, Berengar climbed out of the train and led Honoria into the area where they rendezvoused with the soldiers who would be their escort.


    Unlike Berengar, who was in a WWII style winter uniform, his soldiers were inte WWI style uniforms. The Captain in charge of the unit immediately saluted the Kaiser and responded with the information that Berengar wanted to hear.


    "Sir, we are prepared for the journey. We can depart whenever you are ready!"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this and returned the man''s salute.


    "Very well, then. We shall depart at once. I have no time to waste here at the border."


    With this said, Berengar and Honoria climbed into one of the wagons, and rode off past the Northern border and into Denmark. The couple watched from the interior of the wagon as they gazed upon the German border they had left behind.


    Unlike most of the borders of the German Empire. Berengar had prepared little in terms of defences with the neighboring Kalmar union. Rather than a robust trench system that was protected by barbed wire, reinforced concrete bunkers, machine guns, andndmines. The border with the Kalmar union was a simple chain-link fence that was topped with razor wire.


    There were a series of small immigration checkpoints, which allowed more people to pass through into the reich than anywhere else in the world. The reasoning for this was simple. Not only was there a military alliance with the Kalmar Union, but its people were considered cousins to the Germans. Because of these two factors, the Kalmar Union had special immigrationwspared to the rest of the world.


    Not only could entire families cross into the Reich with little difficulty, but they could earn German citizenship through service to the state. Naturally, these immigrants had to learn the Germannguage, assimte to its culture, and pass a written exam about the nation''s history. However, that was the extent that the Nordic people had to go through to immigrate to the Reich.


    Unlike the rest of the world, that could only gain citizenship through multiple generations of interbreeding. The Nordic countries had a much easier time gaining citizenship, which had many benefits. Honoria gazed upon the hundreds of Nordic immigrants who were lined up at the border outpost as their wagon drifted further into the distance. She noticed the difference in treatment that these people receivedpared to the rest of the world and quickly voiced her curiosity.


    "Say, Berengar, why do the immigrants from the Kalmar Union get treated so much better than the people from everywhere else?"


    It surprised Berengar to see that Honoria was not aware of why this was the case. He thought it was obvious. However, since she had asked, he would not hide his reasoning.


    "That''s simple. Unlike the rest of the world, the Nordic and German peoples share amon ancestry. Though there are some differences innguage and culture, I consider them cousins to the German people, and because of that, I gave them an easier path to citizenship. The same can''t be said for the rest of the world. Though at one point the Germans spread throughout Europe, those regions have long since been influenced by other parts of the world, and are no longer Germanic in nature."


    Honoria nodded her head in silence as she reflected on this reasoning. From her understanding of the Reich''s immigration polices, and citizenship requirements, it seemed to be based upon heritage more so than qualification. She did not understand why this was the case, but for the time being, she did not question it. Perhaps at ater date she would ask her husband why he felt this was necessary.


    For now, she was more concerned with the journey ahead, and thus she rested her head on Berengar''s shoulder as the two of them sat within the canvas-covered wagon, unaffected by the snow that was falling from the sky above. The journey to the Sacred Grove would be a long one, and she was prepared to endure whatever the gods could throw at them.

 Chapter 717 winter Wonderland

    Chapter 717 winter Wondend


    It had been several hours since the journey beyond the German border had begun. Since then, Berengar and Honoria had stayed within their wagon. However, eventually, the caravan stopped in the middle of nowhere. Though they were on the correct path towards the location that Linde had marked as a potential sacred grove, the sun had begun to set, and it would not be wise to continue their journey through the darkness. The cold winter nights of Denmark were not to be underestimated.


    As a result, the Imperial Guard formed a barrier with their wagons, much like the Pioneers in American history would have. From there, they built arge central firepit and staked their tents into the ground. Setting up camp was a rather quick process, as these were trained professionals who were well experienced in the field.


    Berengar and Honoria did not sit idly by and set up their own tent, where they ced a wood-burning stove inside of it, as well as a futon mattress with some thick wool sheets and a downforter. The Kaiser cooked some of their rations that he had brought with them on the stove, with the pans they had prepared for the journey.


    While Berengar worked on the meal, Honoria looked around at the encampment. The tents were spread out within the encirclement that was established with the wagons. There were even tents made for the horses so that they could befortable, even in the frozen weather.


    Sentries drew straws to determine who would be on first watch while the rest of them slept in their tents. Honoria noticed these things as she witnessed the snow fall heavily from the clouded skies above. She never would have thought that an encampment established for apany of soldiers would be a beautiful sight. However, in her eyes, this was truly a winter wondend.


    Honoria smiled as she entered the tent and smelled the food Berengar had prepared for her. Unlike the rest of Berengar''s women, she actually enjoyed the food eaten in the field by soldiers. Over the past few years, rations had advanced to the point where they were now enjoyable to eat.


    With advancements in food preservation technology and material sciences, Berengar had introduced dedicated rations to the military that were more than just canned food. Freeze-dried emergency food from Berengar''s past life inspired the soldier''s current issue rations.


    The reasoning for making these rations was a simple matter of efficiency. Not only could theyst for up to 25 years if left alone, but they were easy to prepare and tasted much better than what had been previously issued to the soldiers.


    After preparing the food, Berengar and Honoria ate a rather simple but hearty meal. For whatever reason, the woman was in a good mood, and her husband took notice of this. He could not help but inquire what made her so happy.


    "You seem awfully happy? Is there any reason in particr?"


    Honoria giggled when she heard this. She continued to dine on her meal while speaking intermittently.


    "Of course! I finally get some alone time with you! Thest time we went on a journey together, you got lost, and I was worried that you had died. You do not know how stressful that was for me. If you died on my watch, I know that Linde would have most likely murdered me. However, this time, it isn''t a treacherous journey. Instead, we are alone in this winter wondend, with no nearby threats to worry about. Why wouldn''t I be happy?"


    Berengar reflected on Honoria''s words for some time. It was true that he had not spent as much alone time with her as he should have. The truth of the matter was their schedules often conflicted, and she was probably the wife he spent the least amount of time with. He scoffed when he remembered what the woman had said about Linde and instantly teased her about it.


    "So you''re worried Linde will hold you responsible if I end up dying on your watch?"


    Honoria wore a bitter expression when she heard this. She remembered the tantrum Linde had thrown via telegraph when she found out Berengar was missing. She was thankful that she did not have to witness that rant in person, for if she did, she was fearful that Linde might have struck her. However, enough time had passed that Honoria found this entire debacle to be humorous and giggled as she joked with her husband.


    "You do not know how frightening your wife can be, do you?"


    Naturally upon hearing this, Berengar thought it was the perfect time to tease Honoria more by feigning ignorance.


    "Which one?"


    In response to Berengar''s words, Honoria merely gave him a questioning look. Her gaze alone was asking if she really needed to answer his question. This caused Berengar tough as he pat the girl''s head before pouring them two cups of wine. After handing one cup to Honoria, he took a sip from his own beforementing on the situation.


    "A woman''s fury is a terrifying thing, isn''t it? Don''t tell me she held you responsible for my disappearance in Berenstadt?"


    Honoria curled up by Berengar''s side and rested her head on his shoulder as she informed him of the details he was unaware of.


    "Oh, she was furious, alright! Though I only spoke to her via telegraph, I could tell by the words she sent that she was not only outraged by your disappearance but also heartbroken. She wanted you found alive at all costs, even if it meant burning down the entire continent and killing everyone in it.


    Did you know that she even threatened to kill herself if you died in the New World away from her arms? Her n was to give birth to your child, and then join you in the afterlife, leaving your children to be raised by the others. I love that woman, but sometimes she can be a terrifying bitch... especially when it concerns your safety.


    Anyway, enough about Linde and her unhealthy obsession with you. Tonight is the first night we have been alone together in a long time, and I n to take advantage of that!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. He quickly drank down the contents of his wine before pouring another cup. Since he was alone with Honoria, he might as well shift the subject to something she was more interested in.


    "So how goes the privateering and exploration?"


    Honoria raised her cup, signalling Berengar for a refill, which he was happy to help with. While the man was filling her chalice, she rambled on about her previous discoveries.


    "I wish I could tell you some exciting news, but there hasn''t been a major naval conflict in some time, and thus my crew has been busy with exploration. They''ve charted arge coastline of the new world, as well as previously undiscovered regions of Africa. Speaking of which, weren''t we supposed to go on an expedition to the southern tip of Africa? What happened to that?"


    Berengar sighed when he heard this before revealing his ns for that expedition.


    "Initially, I had nned to sail for Africa this year, but it appears we will have to wait until the spring. Though it could beter. If the papacy marches on ournds next year, we might have to dy the expedition to an eventer date. With the war in the Holy Land entering its current stage, it will not be long before the Crusaders realize they are trapped in the Mediterranean and will try to force their way back to their homes.


    The only way they can achieve this is by sailing to the balkans and marching on our eastern borders. By out maneuvering the Pope, I have all but guaranteed that the Crusader armies will have to strike from the east. Allowing for an easier defense of the fathend.


    Once we have crushed the Papacy and gained hegemony over the western world, I will be in a better ce to send out expeditions to Africa and the New World. Until then, you will just have to be patient..."


    Honoria sighed as she heard this and drank from her chalice. She knew the initial n to set sail within a few months was too good to be true. As a result, she simply nodded her head in silence. It would probably be another year before she sailed to another undiscovered part of the world with her husband. Berengar noticed the longing expression on the woman''s face and cheered her up by giving her some good news.


    "Well, think of it this way: if the Crusaders try to set sail for the balkans to attack our eastern border, you and your girls will have ample opportunities for piracy."


    When Honoria heard this, she regained her previous cheerful demeanor and nodded her head thrice.


    "That''s good. It''s been a while since the girls and I have raided on the seas. I think people have already forgotten about our achievements in piracy!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and hugged Honoria tightly. After a few moments in silence, they kissed passionately, as they fell onto the futon mattress and stripped themselves of their clothes. Honoria was not lying when she said she would take advantage of this journey. She did not n to allow Berengar to have any rest on this night.

 Chapter 718 The Little Stowaway

    Chapter 718 The Little Stowaway


    While Berengar was away on his journey to the Kalmar Union, Yasmin was busy instructing her young son, Ghazi, in proper manners about how to act as the Sultan of Al-Andalus. The boy was dressed in his own form of imperial regalia, while his mother was dressed in a heavily embellished Kaftan. She fixed the boy''s posture as the two of them looked into the mirror. The mother had a beautiful smile on her face as she lectured her son.


    "Now that you are the Sultan you must learn how to act appropriately. Stand firm, straighten your back, and keep your chin held high. You should always behave as if you are inmand, with an air of authority around you. In Al-Andalus, you are the Sultan, and that means you must not tolerate disrespect from anyone, no matter their position."


    Ghazi gazed up at his mother with his amber eyes and nodded his head before answering the woman with an adorable smile on his face.


    "Yes, mommy..."


    Seeing her boy dressed like a little emperor, and have such a warm expression on his face, filled Yasmin''s heart with pride. She petted his golden hair and hugged him beforeplimenting the boy.


    "Very good, Ghazi! You must always show respect to your elders, especially your parents!"


    The boy enjoyed the warmth of his mother''s embrace as he gazed into the mirror at his ster appearance with a humble smile on his face. He was too young to really understand all the intrigue regarding his position.


    All he needed was the approval of his mother and father. Both of which seemed to be pleased with his performance. Interestingly enough, his father was nowhere to be found, and thus the boy quickly asked about it.


    "Where is father?"


    A bittersweet smile formed on Yasmin''s pretty lips as she stroked her boy''s golden hair to the side.


    "Your father is on an important diplomatic visit to the North. He should return in a few weeks. For now, I am afraid you''re stuck with me..."


    The young boy could only smile and nod his head in understanding. He knew little of his father''s duties, or the true meaning behind his visit to the North. However, if his mother said it was important, then it must be. He only wished he could spend more time with the man.


    While Yasmin was giving her son instructions on how to appear in a court, a knock resounded on the door to reveal Ad''s figure. Yasmin''s mood immediately soured as she saw the woman enter the mood. She and Ad were not on the best of terms. After all, the two of them came from opposing religions, and both of them were quite fierce in their faith.


    However, Ad did not seem to be concerned about who was worshiping the right god at the moment, and instead appeared to be looking for something, or someone. She quickly voiced this concern as she gazed upon the Moorish woman and her young half-breed.


    "Yasmin, have you seen Alexandros? It''s time for his daily lessons, and I can''t seem to find the boy."


    Yasmin reflected on this question for some time. Now that she thought about it, she did not seem to remember encountering the boy during the past few days. This made her slightly concerned as she immediately questioned Ad on this matter.


    "Ad? When was thest time you saw Alexandros?"


    Ad immediately understood the intention behind this question, causing her jaw to drop in shock. She had not seen the boy since his parents had departed. While it was not umon for Alexandros to sneak off and mope after his mother and father went away, it was indeed rare for him to be missing for so long. She quickly rushed out the door and inquired with the other women who remained behind, just where the little boy had run off to.


    ---


    At the moment, Berengar and his soldiers were still camped in the winter wastnd of Jund. Out of nowhere, a blizzard had urred, and the soldiers were snowed into their position, unable to move forward without serious difficulty. Luckily, Berengar had brought ample supplies and was not the slightest bit concerned.


    However, he had eaten through what remained of his first day''s rations, and decided it was time to go out and fetch some more. Thus he quickly got dressed early in the morning, while Honoria was still asleep naked beneath the covers.


    Berengar walked through the pouring snow and approached the nearest wagon, where he sifted through its contents in search of another set of rations. With an oilmp in hand, he searched through the darkened interior until he noticed a small child shivering in the corner. Berengar''s heart nearly stopped as he gazed upon the nearly frozen face of his own son. It took several moments for this to register in his brain before he checked on the child''s condition.


    "Alexandros? Why the hell are you here? Screw that. Are you okay? You must be freezing!"


    Somehow the boy had managed to stowaway on the journey, most likely hiding among their supplies. Luckily for him, he dressed in thick winter clothing like his parents, and covered himself with a fur nket. Otherwise, he likely would have died from hypothermia a long time ago.


    Berengar did not hesitate, and quickly grabbed hold of the boy, and dragged him back into his tent, instantly awakening his wife with the panic in his voice.


    "Babe, get some boiled water running quick!"


    Berengar stripped the half-conscious boy from his cold clothes before cing him under the thick covers of his sheets, while his mother gazed in shock at the sight. She could not believe her son had apanied them on this journey. Naturally, Honoria''s maternal instincts kicked into overdrive as she hopped out of bed and prepared a pot of boiling water.


    Berengar immediately broke into a nearby first aid pack and pulled out his dry warmpress, which he used to raise the boy''s temperature. Eventually Honoria came over with the water, which had cooled down from a simmering boil to a natural heat and fed it to her son. They continued to treat his condition for an hour before he opened his eyes, startled at the sight.


    Alexandros gazed upon his mother who was naked, and his father who was fully clothed, staring at him with anxious expressions. He did not know what had urred since he fell asleep on the wagon in the previous night, but his parents seemed worried out of their minds. Honoria instantly cried as she realized her child was okay and hugged him tightly. Alexandros only had one question on his mind as he stared at his parents in bewilderment.


    "Mommy? Why are you naked?"


    Upon seeing that the boy was healthy enough to make such stupid remarks, the woman flicked her son on the head and scolded him.


    "What the hell were you thinking stowing away on this journey? You could have gotten yourself killed!"


    Berengar was unbelievably furious with his son. He, too, could not hold back his words.


    "You worried me half to death, boy! You better have a damned good reason for your actions!"


    Between his mother''s outrage, and his father''s fury, the boy instantly broke out into tears as he cried into his mother''s bosom.


    "I didn''t want to be alone again! You two always leave me behind when you go out on your adventures! For once, I wanted to be a part of your lives!"


    Berengar had initially wanted to spank his son until his butt was as red as an apple, but he ultimately decided against it as he heard this. The fact that the boy had thought far enough in advance on how to perfectly n his escape from the pce without detection of his parents, the guards, or his other family members meant that his intelligence should bemended. Berengar immediately had to question the boy about how he achieved all of this.


    "Just answer one question for me boy, how the hell did you manage to follow us this far without being noticed?"


    Alexandros looked up at his father as if he didn''t fully understand the question. He did not think it was all that impressive. He had observed time and again how Berengar and his troops did not inspect the goods after initially packing them. So he simply made a calcted risk.


    "Well, you guys never check on the crates full of ammo after you have packed them, so I snuck inside one of them and followed you on your journey. Is it really that surprising?"


    Berengar was astonished. Once the ammo was packed, he never felt a reason to check on it until it was needed. However, what this boy had done was remove several spam cans of munitions in order to insert himself in side. With his size and weight, the difference was unnoticeable, but still the very idea that the boy would put them all in jeopardy just so he could tag along got on Berengar''s nerves. He could not help but condemn his child for his recklessness.


    "When we get back to Kufstein, you are going to be grounded for half a year!"


    Alexandros immediately pouted as he protested this decision.


    "That''s not fair!"


    Berengar flicked the boy on the head before shouting at him.


    "You endangered not only your own life, but the lives of everyone here with your foolishness. If you were one of my soldiers, I would have you dragged out back and shot! You are lucky you are my son!"


    Honoria ced her forehead into the palm of her hand as she sighed. She could not fathom the difficulties that this presented.


    "What the hell do we do now?"


    Berengar struggled toe to a decision, but ultimately sighed in defeat.


    "I am afraid that we have no choice. We will take him with us. We will just have to ce extra emphasis on his protection."


    Honoria nodded her head in agreement. It was the most prudent decision. They were so close to their objective and could not easily return to Kufstein. They could only keep a watchful eye on the little stowaway...

 Chapter 719 Dreams of the Past Part l

    Chapter 719 Dreams of the Past Part l


    Mizuno Ai was in the middle of the library. She had just started attending the United States Military Academy, otherwise known as Westpoint, and was excited to see everything the school offered. Unlike most of the people in this academy, she was the daughter of Japanese immigrants who had spent most of her life in the United States.


    What inspired her to join Westpoint? That would be the fact that her grandfather was a veteran of the Imperial Japanese Army, and had often told her stories of his valorous actions when she was still a young child. Sadly, the man had passed away years ago, but Ai honored the man by joining the military of her host nation.


    Currently, she was searching for a table to read up on thetest material she had uncovered from her sses. Unfortunately, all the tables were currently upied. She would either have to find somewhere else to study, or merge with another student. Logic dictated that she would choose a table with the least amount of people, so that they could not bother her while she engaged in her studies.


    Luckily for her, there was a table with only a single person sitting at it. She immediately noticed that the young man sitting there had a dreadfully average appearance. For a beauty like her, he was clearly beneath her notice. If Ai had to admit there was one upside to the man, it was the extent of his muscles that were clearly defined beneath his uniform, though this was not unusual in Westpoint as it was, after all, a military academy.


    This young man had a perfectly average face, albeit he appeared younger than he actually was. He had strawberry blonde hair and sky-blue eyes in a sporting military cut, and pale white skin. The man was engrossed in a book that turned out to be "The Prince" by Nol�� Machiavelli. This was not required reading, but was rather a personal pleasure.


    Ai did not pay any more attention to the dreadfully average man than she needed to. Instead, she pulled out a seat and asked if she could sit down at the table he currently upied.


    "May I sit here?"


    Julian did not even look up from his book, and silently nodded his head. There was only one reason a woman like Ai would bother him during his free time, and that would be because there was nowhere else to sit. It would be rude of him to dismiss the girl when he had no actual im over the table, other than the fact that he sat in this very seat every day between sses.


    Seeing that the man was the unsociable type, Ai thought nothing of it, and sat down at the table. She had her own studies to get to, and thus, she pulled out a basic book about military strategies that was necessary for one of her courses. Julian looked up slightly to see what the woman was reading and sneered before gazing down at his own book. This expression did not escape Ai''s vision, and she was quick to speak up on her behalf.


    "What? Does it displease you that I am reading the required material for my ss?"


    Julian shook his head before responding to the girl.


    "No, I just find some of the text in that book to be antiquated is all. Alot of those tactics are designed to be used against a conventional force, which is not the enemy we have been fighting for thest twenty years. The probability of us engaging in a war against a conventional army during our years of service is slim, unless, of course, you intend to make a career out of being in the army."


    Ai was stunned by the man''s response. Why was he here in the military academy if he had no ns to stay in the Army for life? Despite his dreadfully average face, she had already found herself curious about the man. She instinctively asked him about his reasoning for attending Westpoint.


    "If you don''t intend to make a career out of the military, then why are you here?"


    Julian looked up from his book once more with a hint of displeasure on his face, before responding to the girl''s question in a slightly irritated tone.


    "My reasons are my own, and I don''t know you well enough to discuss them..."


    Ai was furious when she heard this remark. Why was this man so rude to her? She was young, pretty, and intelligent. Everyone had always treated with respect and kindness, and yet this man had shown her nothing but disdain since she sat down. She had half a mind to get up and leave. Yet when she realized there were no other tables avable, she calmed herself with a heavy sigh.


    This rude man clearly wasn''t worth her attention, and thus she quickly got back to work, ignoring him entirely. She would continue to study long into the evening, the entire time Julian was seated across from her, reading a variety of books.


    He had long since finished the Prince, and moved another text, this one about the agricultural revolution and the innovations that were made during the era. Throughout the hours spent sitting across from one another, Ai did not witness the man once work on an assignment. She could not help but inquire about his odd behavior.


    "Don''t you have some actual work to do? Why are you sitting here reading this nonsense?" ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ??  had been several hours since the two of themst spoke, and Julian had entirely forgotten the woman was sitting across from him. When he heard her voice once more, he sighed in frustration. He could not help but question why this woman was bothering him so much. They had never even met before. He quickly voiced his frustration, which only caused Ai to be more irritated with him.


    "Why do you care what I do in my free time?"


    Ai was confused when she heard that this statement, and instantly questioned his words.


    "Free time?"


    Julian ultimately ced down his book and red at the pitiful girl sitting across from him. He exined his situation to her like a parent scolding a young child.


    "Yes, free time. I have alreadypleted this week''s work. Aside from attending my sses and Cadet activities, I am free to read whatever I choose in the library."


    Ai looked at the boy in shock. She initially thought he was just a rude and unruly student who was wasting his time. She could not believe what she had just heard, and quickly interrogated him.


    "But... it''s only Tuesday?"


    Julian immediately looked at the woman with a sense of disdain on his face and responded with a single word.


    "And?"


    Julian was extremely effective with his time at university. Aside from attending sses and participating in all the required Cadet activities that were forced on him from the military academy, he spent most of his waking hours finishing his work.


    Because he had spent his entire youth studying many of the topics that he was required to learn at university, he was able to quickly fill out his homework from simple memory. He usually spent Monday night finishing his week''s work, and the rest of his spare time in the library learning about things that interested him.


    Naturally, he did not tell this stranger any of this, and simply left her with more questions. His general haughty attitude enraged Ai, and she finally stormed off. In her mind, she had better things to do than mince words with this rude man.


    Julian immediately went back to his work, and no longer thought about the strange girl or why she was such a bother to him. He would spend much of the night in the library before returning to his room and getting precisely four hours of sleep.


    The next day, when Ai was finished with all of her sses and her cadet activities, she returned to the library to see Julian sitting in the same exact spot, with a different book in his hands. Despite the fact that there were many open tables this time, the girl chose to sit next to him once more.


    The moment Julian saw this, he became frustrated, but he decided to bite his tongue. He wanted to interact with this girl as little as possible, and as long as she kept her questions to herself, he did not wish to provoke her.


    Ai continued to do her necessary school work and decided that she wouldpete with this strange man. If he could finish all of his week''s worth in one day, then clearly she could do the same. Until now, she had made sure to have ample spare time so that she could rx, as she knew the grind through Westpoint would be a difficult one. However, the sheer look of disdain this man had given her, as if she were somemon pleb, inspired her to prove she was better than him.


    Immediately after thinking this, Itami awoke from her dream, with an expression of shock on her face. She did not know why she was dreaming of her first encounter with Julian, but it instantly made her depressed.


    She had not thought about that memory in some time and wore a bitter smile on her face when she realized she was initially interested in Julian because, unlike everyone else in her life who treated her as a prodigy; he looked at her as if she was beneath him.


    She was unsure if she ever convinced the arrogant man that she was his equal, but the disturbed expression on Julian''s face when she sat down across from her made the woman giggle. After some time, she soon fell back to sleep. This time, she would not dream of the past.

 Chapter 720 Stumbling Upon the World Tree

    Chapter 720 Stumbling Upon the World Tree


    Days had passed, and the blizzard that trapped Berengar, Honoria, and their young child vanished. Because of this, the trio and the soldiers that protected them made their way closer to the target of their covert operation. Immediately upon entering the borders that surrounded the dense woods, Berengar felt the presence of the supernatural.


    At first nce, this wooded area was nothing special. It was a small forest of pine trees covered in snow. However, there was something eery about it which caused Berengar to feel unsettled in his gut. He knew he had found the right ce. Thus, he quickly voiced his concerns to the men beneath hismand.


    "Keep yours heads on a swivel boys, we do not know what is in these woods..."


    The men weren''t aware of the supernatural, and thought that the Kaiser was being overly cautious, still they checked their weapons to see if they were loaded. After confirming this was the case, they mounted their bays to the barrel of their rifles. Honoria was especially cautious, as she was aware of the potential dangers that she and her family would encounter. She raised her young son on her back and lectured him while loading a shell into the chamber of her trench gun.


    "Alexandros, you must behave yourself. Stay on my back at all times! Whatever you do, do not go wondering off in the woods!"


    Alexandros gazed upon his mother''s actions with a hint of wonder in his eyes. He too wanted to be armed in this moment, but unfortunately he was too young to be afforded such a privilege. All he could do was nod his head in agreement. He was already in enough trouble for stowing away. Thest thing he wanted was to add more to his punishment.


    Berengar pulled out his P25 pistol, which was based on the luger, and loaded a round into its chamber before marching forward into the woonds with an excited expression on his face. Perhaps it was because of the boon of courage he had received from Baduhenna, but he felt no fear as he charged into the potentially dangerous woond.


    His soldiers were quick to follow behind as they rushed forward into the unknown. The moment thepany of elite soldiers entered the woods, they noticed the trees appeared far taller than they should be. From an outsider''s perspective, these pine trees were fifty to eighty feet tall and covered in snow.


    However, the moment they stepped foot in the forest, the length of their trunks appeared to be in the hundreds, if not thousands, of feet. It was impossible to know for sure as a thick fog shrouded the vision of the soldiers, making it difficult to see even a few feet ahead of them, let alone the size of the massive trees.


    Aside from the sheer difference in size of the surrounding trees, there was not a hint of snow in sight, and the weather within the dense woods was quite mild. So much so that the men were feeling ufortable in their thick winter attire.


    When Berengar gazed upon the massive tree trunks, he felt as if he should have worn a helmet like his soldiers had wisely chosen to do. There was no telling the damage a pine cone could do to his noggin if it fell on him from such a height. He instantly turned around to order one man to give him his helmet, only to find that he was truly, and utterly alone.


    This sudden turn of event shocked Berengar. Just a moment ago, his wife, young son and apany of his Imperial Guard nked his sides. Now he appeared totally alone in the mists. He quickly called out to the others, hoping they were just hidden in the fog.


    "Honoria! Alexandros! Is there anyone out there?"


    Shockingly, a feminine, yet foreign voice called out to him from among the mist. However, its tone was far from pleasant, instead it sounded more like a hunter who was stalking its prey.


    "They can''t hear you... You are all alone, here with only me to keep youpany..."


    Berengar immediately reacted to this by raising his pistol towards the location of the hostile voice. He did not hesitate to fire a shot into the mists, hoping to injure whoever was stalking him. Unfortunately, all Berengar saw was a pair of glowing golden eyes fade away into the mist, and the sound of shrillughter echo in the surrounding air.


    "You think you can harm me with such methods? If you want to see your wife and child again, I suggest you seek me out. That is, if you can manage to find me..."


    The mocking tone in the woman''s voice outraged the Kaiser, causing him to fire another few shots randomly into the mist, all while he called out to the owner of the taunting voice.


    "Who are you? What do you want from me?"


    This time there was utter silence, and Berengar had no choice but to trudge through the mists, hoping to find the others. While Berengar cautiously made his way through the misty woonds, Honoria and Alexandros were held captive by a young girl who appeared to be in her early teenage years.


    This girl had a blindfold over her eyes, and shockingly resembled Ad during her younger years, with the signature golden twintails the young empress sported in her youth. Unlike Ad, this young girl was dressed in the fashion of a viking woman, with a fur-lined cloak adorned over her dress. When Honoria gazed upon the sight of this foreign woman, she could not help but assume that she was Ad and instantly voiced her confusion aloud.


    "Ad? How is this possible?"


    The woman frowned as she realized that the Greco-Roman woman had misidentified her and reacted to Honoria''s confusion with stern words.


    "Foolish child, do you think I am some petty queen? I am far more ancient than you can fathom. You should show me some respect, especially since I control your fate!"


    This overwhelming prideing from a woman that looked like the young empress caused Honoria to smile awkwardly. Whoever this strange woman was, she definitely had the same vibe as Ad, especially before she became more tolerant towards Berengar''s other women. She did not take the woman''s rant about controlling her fate seriously. She assumed the woman meant that she could choose whether or not to kill her, not that she was an actual weaver of fate.


    Honoria gazed around and realized that she and her son were gathered at the root of a massive tree whose length extended far beyond her line of sight. Even without the fog, she could not tell the height of this tree. It was almost as if its vast trunk protruded into the universe itself. She inspected the blind woman as she drew a pail of water from the nearby well and use it to nourish therge tree.


    This was no normal water, for it appeared as if it were made from the cosmos itself. Tiny specks of light littered the surface of the pitch ck water as it poured onto the massive trunk of the tree, causing it its vines to grow in size.


    Honoria could hardly believe her eyes when she saw this. She had so many questions, but the woman did not appear to be friendly. The strange woman abruptly halted her actions and put the bucket of water aside while a smile curved itself upon her pretty pink lips.


    "It would appear that he has found us..."


    Moments after saying this, Berengar forced his way through the brush and appeared in front of the trio with his pistol in his hands. When he saw his wife and son safe and sound, he let out a sigh of relief. In the next moment, he noticed the blind woman and raised his brow in astonishment as he called out to the woman in confusion.


    "Ad?"


    The woman sighed as she shook her head before revealing her identity.


    "The name is Wyrd. The reason I resemble your little wife is that I have chosen this form, knowing it would be more appealing to you. I am honestly surprised that you have found your way here so quickly. Then again, the very fact that you exist in this world to begin with defies fate itself. "


    Berengar slowly approached his wife and child. As he did so, he cautiously kept his line of sight on Wyrd, afraid that she might do something drastic. He had an inkling in his mind about who this woman really was and what kind of power she wielded. It would be unwise to provoke a weaver of fate. After ensuring that his wife and son were alright, Berengar lowered his weapon and asked the immediate question in his mind to the small blind girl.


    "And what would a norn want with me? More importantly, what have you done to my men?"


    Honoria did not immediately react to this, as she was unaware of the Germanic mythology that her husband was referencing. However, the woman named Wyrd smiled once more while she spoke with a less hostile voice than she had during their first encounter in the woods.


    "Oh, I assure you, my sisters are keeping thempany. Do not worry, they are unharmed and are merely sleeping. They will not remember this chance encounter. I am curious, though, about how you found us. I did not foresee your visit to the world tree. That old bastard has seriously caused my sisters and I much trouble by bringing you into this world. You should not be here. Your very existence in this world has upset the bnce of fate itself!"


    Berengar gazed up at the massive tree in astonishment. The woman had just called this the world tree, meaning he was standing at the very root of the universe. Or at least ording to Germanic mythology. He could not help but kneel down at the sight of Yggdrasil and show his respect. This action caused the norn named Wyrd to smile even more fervently. She sighed heavily as she gazed upon the otherworlder with a sense of pity, mostly for herself.


    "It appears you know how to show proper respect. Whatever your reason foring here, I suppose I shall hear you out. After all, if my sisters and I were to get rid of you, I am certain that old bastard would take out his wrath on us."


    Ever since Berengar had first reincarnated into this world, he had many questions on his mind. Now that he was standing face to face with a weaver of fate, he knew this was his best chance to answer them all. He had the desire to give Linde all the love she could ever want, after her hunt had led him to the world tree.

 Chapter 721 Drinking from Uroarbrunnr

    Chapter 721 Drinking from Uroarbrunnr


    Berengar gazed at Wyrd with a stoic expression on his face. The little girl''s smile sent shivers down his spine. This was not the pleasant smile of a normal girl, but instead that of a supernatural being who wanted to devour his soul. If not for his boon of courage, he might have copsed in the face of such a terrifying being.


    Honoria was confused about everything that was happening. She was uneducated on matters of Germanic mythology and its various branches. She did not know what the World Tree was or its significance to the Germanic pantheon. Nor did she understand that this woman was the Norse equivalent of the Moirai.


    As for Alexandros, he was too afraid to even move, and stayed within his mother''s grasp, fearful of the little girl who was awfully reminiscent of his other mommy Ad. Though the woman he knew was far older, and more developed than this little girl.


    The fact that this supernatural woman had proimed that Berengar was the cause of many headaches for her and her sisters meant that she was naturally hostile towards his existence. Despite the frightening gaze the young girl was giving him behind her blindfold, Berengar feltpelled to ask the questions within his mind.


    "If you are a weaver of fate, and my existence causes an unbnce in this regard, why am I here? For what purpose was I reincarnated into this world? It appears to be a phenomenon unique to me, but none of the deities I have been in contact with have exined it."


    The adolescent blind girl giggled when she heard this. Her brow was visibly raised as she questioned the sheer extent of Berengar''s hubris.


    "You think you are the only one? It is possible for most gods to bring a being from another timeline into this world. It is just rare, as it costs a considerable amount of power. You should be joyous, as the All father himself is the architect of your rebirth. Though by doing so, he has made himself weak."


    This statement immediately confused Berengar. He did not know how much power the gods wielded as they seemed to y a background role in this world, nor how they gained their powers. He quickly inquired further about this matter.


    "What are you saying? Why would he expend so much power just to bring me here?"


    Wyrd smiled and approached Berengar while holding a bucket filled with the starry water in her hands. She quickly dipped adle into the mysterious water and shoved it into the man''s face.


    "I have no intention of sitting around for days on end and exining to you theplexity of the gods and their machinations. If you want answers, you must seek them out yourself. I must warn you, such a path is a treacherous one, and you are not likely to survive. However, if you are hellbent on hunting down the gods andpelling them to answer your questions, I can give you a gift to help you on your journey.


    However, I will warn you, out of all the poor souls who have found their way to the world tree and drank from the water of the cosmos, none have remained intact. If your mental strength is not strong enough to endure the truth of the universe, your mind will fracture, forcing you to be nothing more than a rambling madman. Do you honestly believe you can endure such a thing?"


    Perhaps it was because of the boon of courage that Baduhenna had given him, or it was due to his personal ego. Whatever the reason, Berengar did not hesitate and immediately gulped down the whole contents of thedle, shocking the little girl in the process. He was supposed to take a small sip, not drink the entiredle!


    In the next moment, Berengar''s eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he copsed to the floor,pletely unconscious. Though it startled Wyrd at first, she quickly broke out into a fit ofughter as she gazed upon the poor state of the man.


    "By the all-father! I can''t believe it, he just drank the entiredle! He''s a goner for sure! What madnesspelled him to do such a thing?"


    The norn who took the appearance of a young Ad sighed heavily as she kneeled down and ced a flower in Berengar''s ear. She shook her head as she muttered the words.


    "Such a pity..."


    Honoria immediately cried out in fear as she saw what happened to her husband, and called out his name, hoping it would bring him back to the light.


    "Berengar! Stay with me!"


    This response caused Wyrd to sneer in disdain. The ancient weaver of fate had enough of this foreign whore who entered hernds unannounced. She quickly rolled up her sleeves as she stood in front of Honoria with a cruel smile on her face.


    "You know, I may tolerate his existence because he is chosen by the all-father, but you I really can''t stand. Just what right do you have to sit here in front of me and listen to my words? Since your man is basically dead, how about I send you to join him in the afterlife? Don''t worry, I have the power to ensure you both end up in the same ce!"


    Wyrd was just about to punch through the Honoria''s chest and rip out her heart when a firm griptched onto her dainty forearm, preventing her from doing so. The girl gazed over in shock as she witnessed a peculiar sight.


    Berengar was ring at her fiercely. His sapphire blue eyes were glowing like neon lights, and it was clear to her that even his wounded eye had temporarily regained sight. The ancient norn could only stare in disbelief as she uttered her thoughts aloud.


    "Impossible..."


    Berengar smirked when he saw the surprised look on Wyrd''s face, making a bold promation as he did so.


    "I have seen a thousand lifetimes, and the potential realities that I can create. In none of them are you capable ofying your hands on my woman!"


    After saying this, Berengar threw the norn across the grove and into a nearby tree, nearly knocking her unconscious. Wyrd could only gaze up at the juiced up human with a genuine sense of fright in her heart. Honoria used this opportunity to hug onto her husband and check on his condition.


    "Berengar? Are you alright?"


    Berengar smiled as he gazed into the fog above, as if he was staring into the universe itself. He had a confident smile on his face as he said his thoughts aloud.


    "I know what I must do now..."


    As Berengar said this his eyes faded back to their natural state, and he copsed into Honoria''s arms, creating some difficulty for the woman as she tried to keep the man standing. Though it may have seemed like Berengar was unconscious for a matter of seconds when he initially drank the mysterious water. In reality, his life rapidly shed before his eyes, showing him all the potential fates he could create in this world by being a transmigrator.


    Unfortunately for him, he could learn nothing about any other potential transmigrators in this world. Even if their fates were intertwined with his own, they were not revealed to him. Thus, he was entirely unaware of Itami on the other side of the world. Still, he had gained some inkling about the gods'' n for him, and where to find them.


    Wyrd struggled to rise from her spot while blood dripped from her mouth. The impact was too much for her. Though she wasn''t severely wounded, her pride had definitely been torn apart. She gazed at the exhausted state Berengar was in and cursed him.


    "How the hell did you survive that? Not even I can drink so much water from my well without consequences. Yet here you stand, perfectly unphased! A human''s mind can''t possibly endure such a thing. Just what in Niflheim are you?"


    This statement confused Berengar, but he ultimately mocked the woman as he approached her, and put his boot on her pretty little head.


    "I suggest you and your sisters let my men go now. I have gotten what I came here for, and I no longer have a use for you."


    In response to this, Wyrd broke out intoughter as she swiped Berengar''s leg off her head with an agitated expression on her pretty little face.


    "Look at you struggling to stand! Admit it, you no longer have the juice to harm me. You are in no position to make demands of me, Berengar von Kufstein! However, since I don''t want to entangle myself in your affairs any longer, I will be benevolent and let your men go this time. You and your followers are free to exit the forest, but should you return to thesends, my sisters and I will be far more hostile!"


    Berengar chuckled and patted Wyrd''s golden hair like he was toying with a young Ad. He wore the same warm smile on his face like when he used to have when he dealt with the girl when she was younger. As far as he was concerned, Wyrd was just throwing a tantrum, and thus, he coddled the girl.


    "Oh, I am sure you will be furious the next time I visit. Don''t worry, I know where you live now and remain unafraid. You have not seen thest of me!"


    Wyrd''s pale cheeks reddened as she heard this, and her face contorted into a pout. She immediately swiped Berengar''s hand away while cursing him once more.


    "Piss off!"


    Berengar onlyughed as he regrouped with his wife and son, before leading them out of the forest where they rendezvoused with their soldiers, who had dazed expressions on their faces. When he was out of sight, the other two norn sisters appeared in front of Wyrd. They too wore blindfolds. However, their appearances were of beautiful women that Berengar would not recognize. Skuld was the first to ask the question that she and her other sister Verdandi both had in mind.


    "How was he?"


    Wyrd averted her gaze and blushed when asked such a question. She knew she could hide nothing from her sisters and muttered under her breath in a voice so low she hoped they didn''t hear it.


    "He wasn''t entirely bad..."


    Verdandi, who took the form of a busty mature beauty, grabbed hold of Wyrd and stuffed her head into her substantial bosom while mocking her.


    "Oh, our sweet little Wyrd has a crush!"


    Wyrd immediately fought out of her sister''s embrace and stormed off in a fit of rage, echoing the same sentiment she said to Berengar before he left.


    "Piss off!"

 Chapter 722 Arriving in Copenhagen

    Chapter 722 Arriving in Copenhagen


    Having metpleted his objective in the mysterious forest. Berengar regrouped with his soldiers, whopletelycked any memory of their supernatural encounter. As far as they were aware, they were guarding the woods while their Kaiser went to explore it. From their perspective, only a few minutes had passed since Berengar and his family entered.


    After gathering his party, Berengar was quick to give the orders to head to the coast, where they could set sail for Copenhagen. The rest of the journey to the capital of the Kalmar Union was smooth sailing, with Berengar and his host reaching the city with no issues.


    When Berengar encountered the Kalmar King, he was still dressed in his military style attire, whereas the man in question was garbed in fashion simr to what was popr among the German nobility. It became obvious to Berengar that Germany had heavily influenced its allies in culture, especially regarding fashion.


    King Alvar had grownrger since thest time he saw the man, evidently he was enjoying his wealthy lifestyle, which gained from trade with the German Empire. The man was quick to greet his German counterpart with a wide smile on his face.


    "Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, it has been too long since west met. Thest time I saw you, you had just crowned yourself as an emperor, something which greatly upset my Catholic subjects."


    Berengar smiled when he saw the man while shaking his hand.


    "King Alvar, you seem to be doing well for yourself..."


    The intent behind Berengar''s words was clear, and they immediately caused King Alvar''s eldest daughter to giggle, which immediately caught the Kaiser''s attention. King Alvar''s daughter had grown since thest time he saw her, then again, it had been close to five years since hest visited Copenhagen.


    She was no longer a girl who could not even catch Berengar''s interest but was a full grown woman, with a hefty bosom, and a pretty face. The young woman had long tinum blonde hair, pale skin, and ice-blue eyes. If someone were to use the term "Nordic Woman" then this girl would be the first thing that came to mind.


    The lustful gaze Berengar gave the young woman immediately caused his wife Honoria to frown as she jabbed the man in the ribs with her elbow, causing him to behave himself. King Alvar took notice of this and immediately smiled fiendishly as he introduced his daughter to his ally from the South.


    "Ingrid, you remember Berengar? Thest time the two of you met, he was a Duke. Now he is an Emperor."


    The girl smiled pleasantly at Berengar. Truth be told, he did not even remember the girl''s name, or her face. Hisst visit to the Kalmar Union was brief, and at the time he was more concerned about establishing a non-aggression pact with the major power to the North than he was getting to know the man''s family. King Alvar immediately noticed Honoria''s re and weed the woman, while allowing Berengar to speak to his daughter.


    "Princess Honoria, you are as beautiful as ever. And who is this little guy?"


    Alvar greeted Alexandros, who stood firmly by his mother''s side. The woman sighed in defeat as she introduced her son.


    "This little stowaway is my son, Alexandros. He''s in big trouble for his actions, so don''t treat him too kindly."


    It surprised Alvar to see that the kid sneaked onto his parents'' journey, but he still smiled nheless and introduced himself.


    "I am King Alvar, ruler of the Kalmar Union. It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Alexandros."


    While this was going on, Berengar was speaking with Ingrid with an awkward expression on his face.


    "Ingrid was it? You would have to forgive me. My memory is poor, and I don''t recall ever speaking to you before this moment."


    The young blonde woman smiled as she responded to Berengar''s ims.


    "That is alright, I was pretty shy as a child, and never spoke with my father''s guests. I would be surprised if you did remember me..."


    Berengar was about topliment the woman''s appearance when Honoria interrupted. Naturally, she did not use the term she referred to Berengar as in private, as that would be woefully inappropriate.


    "Dear, it has been a long journey. Can we please cut the pleasantries short and go to our room?"


    Berengar felt dismayed that he did not get a chance to properly mingle with the beautiful nordic woman and apologized to Alvar for Honoria''s rudeness.


    "I apologize for my wife''s remarks. The journey was cumbersome to her, and she desires to get some decent sleep for once."


    Alvar suspected this would be the case. He did not know why Berengar had wanted to take the long route to Copenhagen, but the man was adamant, and he knew it was unwise to offend the Kaiser. Thus, he simply smiled as he nodded his head and ordered his servants to take Berengar and his party to their quarters.


    "No need to apologize, I assure you. Your rooms have been waiting for you for some time now. If you will follow my servants, they will take you to your allotted quarters. I hope you enjoy your stay here in Copenhagen."


    Berengar thanked the man before running off with his wife and child. As for Alvar, he stayed behind with his daughter and only spoke to her after the Kaiser was out of earshot.


    "So... How did it go?"


    Ingrid sighed heavily before shaking her head with a disappointing expression on her face.


    "I fear that I did not get to say enough for him to form a proper opinion of me. His wife seems adamant about getting in the way. I don''t know if it will be easy to secure the alone time I need to be with intimate with the man."


    Alvar frowned when he heard this, before patting his daughter on the back.


    "The German Empire grows stronger with each passing year. If we wish to deter them from making us a subordinate state like Lombardy, then we will need to secure an alliance with marriage. The fact remains that we are his only ally who does not have a member of our royal family married to him. This needs to be remedied. I know this is a bit much for you, but do your best to seduce the man. It should not be hard to do. From what I hear, he is quite the womanizer."


    Ingrid scoffed when she heard thisst part before rebuking her father for his words.


    "And that is supposed to make me feel better about all of this?"


    In response to this, Alvar wore a bitter expression on his face before hugging his daughter. He understood that she did not want to marry a man who had several wives. After all, she did not agree with that aspect of the German Reformation. However, she was the only one who could fulfill the role, and thus Alvar reminded her of this.


    "I know you don''t want this, Ingrid, but your sisters are too young to marry, and if we don''t secure an engagement with the man while he is here, we will probably miss the opportunity altogether. This is more than just your future we are talking about.


    It is the future of the Kalmar Union. Like it or not, the bnce of power in Europe is tied to Berengar von Kufstein and his dynasty. Once they defeat the Catholic Church, Germany will be the new hegemon in the region. If we do not secure a long-term alliance with the man, then we will fall behind the other kingdoms."


    Ingrid could only sigh as she heard this. What her father said was true, and if she was the sacrificialmb to ensure her family''s power for generations toe, then so be it. After all, she wouldn''t want to force this fate on her little sisters. Thus, she could only nod her head in agreement with her father''s words.


    "I will do my best, but I won''t make any promises...."


    This was the best Alvar was going to get from his daughter, and thus he patted her on the head. He had other matters of importance to tend to, like setting up a feast for Berengar. He was aware of the culinary culture that had risen in Austria and spread across the reich.


    The Kalmar union had fallen behind Germany in this regard, like most other aspects of society, and because of this, Alvar was fearful that the Kaiser might be upset with the meal he prepared. Thus, the man had spared no expense in hiring the best chefs he could find to prepare the tastiest dishes his Kingdom had to offer.


    The future of his Empire depended on this diplomatic visit. Either Denmark would rule over the Kalmar Union as a true imperial power for years toe, or the Union would copse. It all relied on the influence of the German Empire over the other Scandinavian Kingdoms. Thus, while Berengar was settling into his quarters with his family, the Royal Family of Denmark schemed to add their eldest daughter to the list of their guest''swful wives.

 Chapter 723 Discussing Marriage inCopenhagen

    Chapter 723 Discussing Marriage inCopenhagen


    After rxing in the quarters that were prepared for them, Berengar and Honoria made their way to the dining hall, where they were summoned to share a meal with King Alvar and his family. Alexandros was being punished for his actions, and thus he was grounded during the duration of their stay in Copenhagen. He was not even allowed to attend the meals.


    As for Berengar, he was once more treated as an esteemed guest, and was given a prominent ce at the table. Interestingly enough, Alvar had ensured that his daughter Ingrid was sitting by his side. Berengar feltfortable having two pristine beauties sitting next to him. However, Honoria was visibly vexed by this seating arrangement.


    Berengar quickly noticed that there was a distinctiveck of Catholic priests at the table. In his previous visit, the Kalmar Union was split between their own variant of reformists and the Catholic Church. Today, it appeared that every member of the clergy who was sitting at the table as a part of the host were all distinctive members of the Nordic Reformation. Curious about this change in the status quo, Berengar immediately voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "Where are all the Catholics? Thest time I checked, Catholicism still had a major influence in the Kalmar Union..."


    Before King Alvar could speak about this, Ingrid beat him to the punch. With a pleasant smile on her face, she shared the changes that the Kalmar Union had gone through over the past few years.


    "That was a long time ago. Since then, the Nordic Reformation has taken prominence in both stately affairs and in the lives of the public. The people have be increasingly aware of the corruption in the Catholic Church, and their lies about reformist movements. Because of this, the overwhelming majority of people in our Kingdom are now Reformists.


    You could say that the influence you had on Germany has spread to the Nordic kingdoms. The primary difference between the Nordic Reformation and its German Counterpart is we do not believe in polygamy. Such a thing is considered antiquated and outright sinful."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this, it was clear that Ingrid was a devout Nordic Reformist who considered the German Reformation''s stance on polygamy to be sphemous. Which Berengar quickly countered with his own arguments.


    "Monogamy is a Roman ideal, not a christian one. Though the book of Corinthians does state that a man should have one wife, and a wife should have one husband, this is in reference to the leaders of the church, not the average man. Since I am not a Roman, I see no reason to abide by their ancientws and traditions. Do not forget that our ancestors engaged in polygamy, at least at the highest level of society.


    A thousand years ago, you would be but one of many wives of a powerful chieftain or monarch. Instead, you now preach monogamy as if you are a proper roman subject, and use an obscure verse as your defense. Such a thing is pitiful, you should embrace your Germanic heritage and take the most exceptional man you can find as your husband, even if he already has another wife."


    Ingrid wore a cunning smile on her lips as she used this statement that Berengar had made as a gateway to proposition him.


    "Tell me, oh great Kaiser of Germany, are you implying that I should be your wife? After all, who is more exceptional than you, a man who rose from the position of a lowly baron, to that of an emperor through his own force of will? A man undefeated in battle, and more handsome than any other man I haveid eyes upon."


    While Berengar smirked at this response, Honoria was livid. She had stopped eating the moment she heard this and was about to make a harsh remark of her own when Berengar interrupted her.


    "Though such a union would be beneficial to both our realms, I think it is a bit redundant, since my son Kristoffer is already engaged to a member of your house. As per Germanw, I am only able towfully marry one more woman, and I''m saving it for someone special.


    Not that your offer isn''t enticing. After all, you are a beautiful young woman who clearly has an educated mind. However, I fear as if our views on the world are too opposed, and we would only be bickering with one another should I invite you into my house. I''m afraid you must settle for a man who is lesser than myself."


    Though Ingrid was internally pleased at being rejected by a womanizer like Berengar, Alvar did not share the same sentiment. In his eyes, it was highly unlikely that Kristoffer woulde to the throne. Rumors of Hans'' superior intellect had made their way to Copenhagen, and the man felt that it was only a matter of time before the child of Linde was named the crown prince.


    When that happened, his alliance with the von Kufstein Household would be less powerful than those of Germany''s other allies. It was because of this that the man felt like his Kingdom and those of the union would be a client state of the Reich like the Kingdom of Lombardy had be. If he could not marry Ingrid to Berengar, then he only had one other option to go with to secure the future of his people.


    "If you''re uninterested in Ingrid, then perhaps your son Hans would be? I hear you have engaged him to the Princess of Bohemia, and Pnd. What about my daughter Ingrid?"


    Berengar gazed upon the curvy figure of Ingrid, and her hefty bosom, and nodded his head in silence. There was no doubt in Berengar''s mind that his son Hans would grow up with a fetish for older women who had big tits.


    By the time the boy came of age, Ingrid would be twenty-five, so she would not be too old to the point where she was rapidly losing her fertility. Honoria witnessed Berengar''s lecherous gaze and nudged his ribs with her elbows while scolding him for his actions.


    "Dear, you''re being rude..."


    Berengar immediately looked up and saw the flustered appearance on Ingrid''s face. He immediately became defensive as he tried to exin his actions.


    "Don''t mind me, I''m just thinking. My eyes tend to wander when I space out. Anyway... It would not be imusible to marry the girl to my eldest son when hees of age. I''m sure he would be thrilled to have such a beautiful older woman as his bride. However, these matters would have to be discussed in great detail."


    The shamelessness of the Kaiser was on full disy for every guest at the table. Even Honoria felt a bit embarrassed for him. Still, not a single soul dared to speak of this. Instead, they happily enjoyed their meals, while Alvar discussed the idea of engaging his sixteen-year-old daughter to Berengar''s seven-year-old son.


    Ingrid was actually relieved when it came to the idea of marrying Hans. Even though it would be a Polygamous marriage, she could use her age and wisdom to manipte the boy into being the man she desired. Or so she thought.


    She did not know that Hans had inherited his father''s brilliance, and his mother''s cunning. By the time he was of age, he would be a master maniptor, the likes the young woman had never encountered. It would be her who was following the whims and wishes of Hans.


    The conversation between Berengar and Alvar continued for some time, before they were finally able toe to a proper agreement. They even signed the engagement into ink to protect Alvar''s interests. Berengar did not mind this deal.


    Ingrid was a beautiful young woman who, in a few years, would definitely be his son''s type. He was sure Hans would be happy with this arrangement, but more importantly, this engagement strengthened his alliance with the Kalmar Union.


    Berengar understood Alvar''s concerns about marrying one of his granddaughter''s to Kristoffer. Unlike Hans, Kristoffer was a normal child, and though in time he might be able to contend for the throne, at the moment it was looking to everyone with a modicum amount of intelligence that Hans would inevitably be proimed the crown Prince.


    By marrying his eldest daughter to Hans, who was almost guaranteed to seed Berengarter in life, then he would establish much stronger ties to the Reich and the von Kufstein dynasty. In doing so, preventing his fears from bing a client state, rather than a long-term ally.


    Thus, the diplomatic visit to Copenhagen was actually productive, and resulted in a good deal for both sides. Berengar ensured the loyalty and cooperation of his northern neighbors, and the Kalmar Union gained a much more secure political alliance with Berengar and his dynasty.


    Ultimately, Hans was the real winner of these negotiations. By the time he reached the age of marriage, Ingrid would be the ideal wife for the young man. After all, he was clearly developing an interest in older women withrge breasts.


    Berengar and his host would stay in Copenhagen for a week before making their way back to the Reich. When they returned, Alexandros would be punished severely for his actions.

 Chapter 724 Returning from Copenhagen

    Chapter 724 Returning from Copenhagen


    Upon returning home, Berengar was greeted by his family. The looks on Ad''s and Linde''s face when they found out Alexandros had stowaway''d on Berengar''s journey were priceless. During the Kaiser''s absence, his wives were anxious as can be, with Linde sending out a nationwide search for the missing Prince. It turned out that the boy had snuck into Berengar''s supplies and joined his parents on their journey.


    It was one thing to be lectured by Berengar, but to be scolded by all five of the boy''s mothers at the same time, Alexandros swore he would never again in his life sneak out of the Pce. Naturally, the boy was grounded and confined to his room for the next sixth months, as Berengar had promised. He was only able to leave for sses and social events, such as family meals.


    As for the Kaiser, he did not have the slightest bit of time to rx as his busty redheaded bride immediately sequestered him into his office, interrogating him about what he had seen in the sacred grove in Jund.


    Berengar pulled out three chalices of wine and handed one to Linde before telling the woman about his journey. Honoria was present for the meeting, but she sat by silently waiting for her husband to tell his tale.


    "Well, we found the location you marked for us. I must say, I was surprised when I entered it..."


    Berengar continued to tell everything he saw and witnessed, excluding the details about his glimpse into the fate of himself and his loved ones. After hearing everything, Linde nodded her pretty little head as if she hade to some form of understanding about these supernatural beings. After confirming everything Berengar said was true with Honoria, Linde had but one question in her mind.


    "What did you see? After drinking the strange water, I mean."


    Berengar''s brain instantly hurt as his mind was flooded with the memories of what he saw that day. As a result, he took a heavy swig from his beverage in an attempt to dull his headache with alcohol before trying his best to exin everything to his wife.


    "I saw a thousand lifetimes sh past my eyes. During my vision, I witnessed endless pathways that can change the world to my liking, or end terribly. It''s hard to remember everything, even with a memory as great as mine. I feel as if the memories of my fate are rapidly fleeting from my brain."


    Linde instantly understood Berengar''s condition. Though the man had a photographic memory, and had seen a thousand potential realities that he could create in life. Such memories were not easy for a mortal man to ess. After the effects of the starry liquid had ended, it was as if a dam was erected in his mind to prevent the memories from flooding his brain and drowning his consciousness.


    She was hesitant to ask the question on her mind, knowing this was a potentially dangerous situation. Ultimately, it was Honoria who posed the question, as Linde feared too much for Berengar''s safety.


    "What did you see about these so-called gods and their ns for you?"


    Berengar was visibly in pain as he tried to recall his memories of the fate he had witnessed. He forced himself to drink more alcohol in an attempt to alleviate his growing headache. In doing so, he was able to endure long enough to get an answer to his wife''s question.


    "It''s just one pantheon that is looking after me... The great goddess of Teotihuacan took an interest in me because she was bored and lonely. The other pantheons seem to bepeting with each other in the background of this world.


    I don''t know much about my fate, but I think the Germanic pantheon, specifically Odin, has chosen me to disrupt the stranglehold that the Abrahamic god has over the western world. What his exact goals are I do not know, but the Germanic pantheon appears to be pleased with my progress, hence why they are more open to showing themselves around me.


    In my vision, I saw a few timelines where I encountered gods from other pantheons, and they were quick to strike me down. Apparently, summoning a being from another reality is rare, and those who are not within the Germanic pantheon will see me as a threat to their influence in the world."


    Upon seeing that Berengar''s headache had subsided for the time being, Linde sighed in relief and asked the next most important question on her mind.


    "Did you see any paths towards meeting any other of these gods who are friendly to you? I don''t want to have to wait my entire life knowing we can''t be together in the afterlife!"


    Berengar searched his memories once more, but the pain quickly blocked his ability to do so. He fell to his knees, gripped his head before vehemently shaking his head.


    "I don''t know. It''s too much for me to handle right now."


    Linde immediately responded to this by rushing to Berengar''s side and cing his head in herp. It was clear her question had forced him to overdo things and caused him great pain. She bit her lips in agony over the suffering she had caused her husband. After resting in the woman''sp for a bit, Berengar recovered his rity and began to speak of an alternative option.


    "I may not know how to find another deity at the moment, but I am sure that Wyrd has the ability to release the im that the Abrahamic god has over your soul. If I ask politely enough, perhaps she can help us."


    Linde immediately smiled when she heard this. Finally, there was a chance to end the chain that haunted her day and night. She nned to immediately prepare a journey to Jund when Honoria rained on her parade.


    "Didn''t Wyrd say the next time you visited, she and her sisters would be far more hostile? No offense, but I don''t think it''s a good idea to go back to the Sacred grove. That girl was frightening..."


    Linde pouted when she heard this, before questioning Berengar, who was still resting on herp pillow.


    "Is this true? Why would you mention it then?"


    Berengar chuckled when he saw Linde''s worry and stroked her pretty cheeks beforementing on Wyrd and her self-proimed hostility.


    "I think Wyrd isn''t honest with herself. For a thousand plus year old weaver of fate, she behaves like a child. She was just upset that I bested her expectations. I''m sure if she''s given enough time to simmer down, she will allow us back to the world tree."


    Linde immediately red at Honoria when she heard this. Why must the girl mislead her during such a crucial conversation? Honoria noticed this fearsome gaze and responded by looking towards Berengar with a pleading expression. The man could only chuckle as he tried to dissipate Linde''s fury by burying his head in her mighty bosom.


    "I missed these titties..."


    Linde immediately flushed with embarrassment. Though they were in private, she was not expecting the man to be so shameless. However, she quickly lost her previous state of fury, and smiled lovingly as she stroked Berengar''s golden hair while clutching him to her breast. Honoria gazed at the scene and felt a tad bit jealous. Not only was Linde getting all the attention from Berengar, but she also wanted to nuzzle her head against Linde''s rack.


    She immediately responded with this two-sided jealousy by grabbing Berengar''s head and stuffing it into her own chest. Ultimately, her jealousy about the attention Linde was getting from Berengar won over her envy of the man. Linde scowled when her little pet had stolen her man right from the clutches of her bosom, and responded by taking the man back while scolding Honoria''s shameless actions.


    "You thieving bitch! Berengar is mine, now and forever!"


    Honoria did not back down and quickly pressed her own chest against Berengar''s head. The end result was the man using both of the women''s sizeable breasts as pillows, with a wide grin on his face. A brief thought flowed through Berengar''s mind as he enjoyed himself.


    "This is bliss."


    Linde and Honoria were ring at each other, and fighting over his affections. Honoria stood up to Linde for once in her life, possibly because she had Berengar by her side to defend her.


    "He is not just yours, he is all of ours! Your possessiveness of Berengar is your worst trait!"


    Linde scoffed when she heard this before speaking her own thoughts about her obsessive nature.


    "I''m not possessive. I''m overly affectionate. Besides, Master loves that aspect of my character!"


    Berengar noticed the two women were about to get into a catfight over him, and he decided to end things peacefully.


    "Ladies,dies, you''re both pretty! Now we can either fight with one another, or get along together? Which will it be?"


    The two women broke out intoughter as they realized how childish they were being. Wasn''t the answer to this question obvious? Thus, Berengar was given a King''s wee by two of his brides after returning home.

 Chapter 725 Broken Survivor

    Chapter 725 Broken Survivor


    King Aubry sat upon his throne as his sister Sibi ranted to him about the current state of affairs for their Kingdom.


    "I can''t believe they betrayed you like this! Was this not a crusade to end the Saracen''s control over the holynd? How could they do this? I am certain the Kaiser is behind this!"


    Sibi held an instinctive grudge towards the German Empire and its ruler due to the abuse she had suffered during her sentence to abor camp. She felt she was unjustly used and convicted. Though she had been a loose woman in her past, she never thought she would have to sell herself into prostitution in order to survive at any point in her life.


    Aubry, on the other hand, knew his sister was not in her right mind, especially when misfortunes befell their household. Thus, it did not take him long to correct his sister''s mindset.


    "Are you daft? Why would the Crusader armies listen to the Kaiser? He is their mortal enemy. I was betrayed because an opportunity presented itself, and my rivals took advantage of it. I never should have sent my troops to the front lines.


    It was my own carelessness, believing that these men had a single shred of honor. Who cares why it happened? What matters is how we proceed. My armies are destroyed, and I will have to empty out the fields to recruit more. Something I''m not willing to do.


    Luckily, my enemies are more focused on their rivals in the middle east and Germany to dare advance into mynds. However, once they finally turn their sights on France, it will end poorly for the both of us. We have no allies, but we sure have a whole hell of a lot of enemies!"


    Sibi was flustered by her brother''s thorough rebuking over her argument, but she did not dare yo continue insisting that Berengar was responsible for their current predicament. She wanted revenge after what had been done to her, but shecked the means to achieve it. Every agent she had dispatched into the Reich had been discovered and executed for acts of espionage. Nobody left in her employment was willing to take such a massive risk.


    All the woman could do was sulk, and grit her teeth in rage. However, the moment her brother, the King, made his next suggestion, she nearly strangled him.


    "We have no choice... If the Catholic world wishes to make enemies of France, then we must side with their enemies. If I had known I would be forced to such a position, In ever would have attempted to seduce Berengar. The man clearly will not tolerate my advances, and was offended by yours as well. I must settle this dispute with Germany if our dynasty wishes to have a chance of survival."


    The rage that Sibi felt when she heard that her brother wanted to bow down to her tormentor could be seen in her eyes. She rapidly approached Aubry and pped him across his pretty face.


    "You ipetent faggot! Don''t you dare go begging the Kaiser for protection? I swear to God, if you do such a shameful thing, I will do everything in my power to disrupt your negotiations! That bastard took a year away from my life... The things I had to do to survive... They are unspeakable!"


    Aubry was not aware to the fullest extent of what Sibi had suffered through, after all, she never spoke about it. Even to her brother, who was her closest confidant. However, he knew whatever she had endured must have been brutal, as she was not the same woman he once admired.


    Upon returning to France, Sibi had be paranoid, short-tempered, manic, and anxious. There was no telling what words would set her off, and cause her tosh out at her subordinates or her King like a wild beast. Aubry could not help but sigh, and forced the woman to talk about her troubles.


    "Sibi, what exactly happened to you during your imprisonment? You are not the same woman you once were. Now you are more like a loose collection of character defects than a person. You are broken, and I can''t help put you back together if you won''t speak about your problems!"


    Sibi wanted to gouge her brother''s eyes out in that moment, however all she could do was break out into tears and cry into his arms, while screaming hostilities against him.


    "I hate you! You sent me there! None of this ever would have happened if you had just seeded in your seduction like you always do! This is your fault!"


    Aubry felt pain deep within his chest upon hearing his sister shove the me and responsibility onto him. It was true that the only reason Sibi was dispatched to Kufstein was because he had failed to seduce the Kaiser. Perhaps in another life, if he was not so slutty, he could have seeded in his attempts. After all, it appeared that Berengar was utterly disgusted by "loose women."


    Sibi sobbed for some time before uttering something cohesive.


    "1247 men... I was ravaged by 1247 different men during my imprisonment. I had to. There were not enough supplies to go around. It was the only way I could survive. More often than not, multiple men at once. I was nothing but a sack of flesh for the enjoyment of the male prisoners... And this is when I was not engaging in backbreakingbor!"


    Aubry was instantly stunned by this revtion. He did not know that his sister had resorted to prostitution in order to survive. The feminine King could not fathom how one woman could sleep with so many different men. He could not help but ask about his sister about the details.


    "How did you survive?"


    Sibi sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes before stating theplete truth.


    "Alcohol and drugs helped. The inmate who ran the prison from the inside was also responsible for smuggling drugs and alcohol into the camp. If I fucked three guys in one day, I could make enough scrip to buy a hot meal at night, along with a ss of fortified wine, and a hit of cannabis. The more guys I fucked, the more drugs and alcohol I could get my hands on."


    Aubry could hardly believe his ears. Then again, this part was not surprising. As Sibi had been reliant on cannabis imports from the Reich in order to get to sleep at night. She would smoke so much that she would just pass out on her bed and wake up from her daze twelve hourster. She was hardly productive these days, partially because of her mental state, but also because she had be addicted to drugs and alcohol.


    Ultimately, Aubry sighed and nodded his head. If Sibi was so terrified of the Reich, and what it had done to her, then he would not have an easy time convincing her to submit to the Kaiser. If that was the case, he needed allies who could deter the English and Burgundians from invading hisnds.


    However, this was easier said than done, as his enemies had already established alliances with all the other Catholic Kingdoms. As for those few realms that did not prescribe to the Catholic Faith they had aligned with Germany.


    As it stood, there were only two paths to follow: align with the Reich, or ally with the Church. Since the Catholic Kingdoms had betrayed him in Jerusalem, they were no longer an option. Which meant he would either have to convince his sister to ept the idea of aligning with Germany, or rely on themselves for national defense.


    King Aubry could only sigh heavily in defeat. If he could not align with either major faction in Europe, then he would have to be a wholly self-sufficient state. This was not an easy task, but if he could dispatch agents to the Reich and learn some of their older technology through espionage, then he might have a fighting chance.


    Aubry kissed his sister''s head as she cried into his chest and revealed everything she had endured during her time in a German Labor Camp. The more he heard, the more enraged he was at the Kaiser for treating his sister so poorly. It was simply inhumane. Where were his Christian ethics? He would ultimately write a strongly worded letter to Berengar about the ordeal Sibi had gone through.


    Naturally, Berengar was unaware of the corruption in the prison system. Nor the severe mistreatment of female prisoners. When Berengar had designed the Labor Camps as a system of punishment for hardened criminals, he had done so under the assumption that female prisoners would be few and far between.


    There were certain protections established for the few female prisoners who existed in Germany, but the staff who were in charge of the camps often ignored these guidelines. After all, very little funding went towards the camps. The purpose behind the German prison system was not rehabilitation but punishment and deterrence. They were expected to be so brutal that any man who was released would think twice before engaging in crime once more.


    When Berengar received Aubry''s letter, he would thoroughly investigate the Labor Camps, and would be forced to draftws to establish better protections for female inmates. The news of what Sibi had suffered through made the Kaiser''s skin crawl. As for the guards who facilitated the prostitution ring inside the camps, they would be tried and sentenced themselves.

 Chapter 726 Procuring a Little Brother

    Chapter 726 Procuring a Little Brother


    V��szoly Noemi was a young girl who had immigrated to the German Empire from her homnd of Hungary due to the efforts of her elder brother. Despite being apart from her family, she was not alone, as she had a guardian assigned to her, who was a young woman.


    As part of the immigration requirements, this woman was seeking was now seeking a German husband, and had made some sess in the matter. After all, despite being an illiterate peasant, she was a foreign beauty, who spoke the German tongue, and had many of the qualities that German men found attractive in a woman.


    This guardian was actually a young peasant woman by the name of Dud��s Li who served as a maid to the noble born Noemi. As a result she was good at cooking, cleaning, sewing, and any number of talents that a wife was supposed to have ording to the German ideal.


    The girl''s brother specifically selected Li to be her guardian because she looked after the young girl as if she were her own child. As a result, Li was provided with a monthly stipend from Noemi''s family to look after the girl full time as they both pursued a life in the Reich.


    Though it was a considerable sum, it was only enough to provide a middle ss life for the two of them. Even so, they lived in a state of luxury and convenience that even the upper echelon of nobility within their home country would envy.


    At night, after putting the girl to bed, Li would go out to an upscale tavern and search for a wealthy husband. This is where she met her current lover, who was a wealthy German entrepreneur who was keeping her as a mistress for the time being. The man was even considering proposing to Li and taking her as one of his wives.


    As for the girl Noemi, she attended sses in the day, and learned valuable skills such as sewing, knitting, cleaning, cooking, etc. in the afternoon. She had lived in Germany for months, but only recently was able to attend sses at the prestigious Kufstein Royal Academy. Which was a public institution sponsored by the crown for raising the next generation of gifted children.


    The Royal Academy had three distinct campuses based on the age groups of the children. Naturally, as a thirteen-year-old girl, Noemi would be attending the Middle School. Where she just so happened to find herself in the same ss as the eldest Prince of the Empire.


    She was curious about why such a young child was in such an advanced course. However, despite the age difference, she thought that Prince Hans was a little cutie, even though he had a standoffish temperament. Though Noemi treasured her old brother, she always secretly desired a cute little brother of her own. However, she was unfortunately not blessed with such a thing. When she first set her eyes on Hans, it was as if he was the physical manifestation of the perfect little brother she had always envisioned in her mind.


    Hans was intelligent, yet cold to strangers. However, he seemed to be very pleasant to those who he was ustomed to, such as his young fiancee Veronika, who visited the school often, just to bring the boy lunch. The reason Veronika was not present in the Royal Academy was that she attended an all girl''s school that was equal in prestige.


    Noemi had been silently watching Hans for weeks now and, after formting a proper evaluation of the boy and his character, she desired to approach him. She hade up with the perfect n to do so. Thus, when lunch period arrived, Noemi was quick to approach Hans before he could escape. She had a warm smile on her face as she cornered the boy at his desk.


    "Hello, your majesty..."


    Hans was still looking at his textbook when he heard this, and was about to respond with the words "piss off" until he gazed up and saw the girl smiling at him. If there was one student Hans was aware of in his ss, it was Noemi. Why was that? It was because she had started developing earlier than the other girls, and already had a decent size bust despite her age. She also had a pretty face and a warm demeanor.


    In fact, all the boys in the school were pining after her, but generally kept their distance as an unspoken agreement. Noemi was blissfully unaware of this fact, and had taken the opportunity to approach a boy of her own ord. Still, the boy she approached was thest person that the enviable youth would have expected. When Hans gazed upon Noemi''s pretty face, his vicious words immediately caught in his throat, and he switched to a more friendly demeanor, albeit slightly so.


    "What do you want?"


    Noemi gazed upon the young boy with her shining violet eyes before swiping her fiery red bangs out of her face. She wore a deliberately bashful expression as she posed the question that dominated her mind.


    "Well, you see... This morning I got carried away in the kitchen and ended up making two sandwiches by mistake. I was wondering if you wanted one?"


    Hans stared at the girl with scrutiny. There was no way she could have made two sandwiches by mistake. Even if she had enough left over material for a second one, why would she pack it for lunch, unless she had an explicit intent?


    The boy''s mind worked differently than others, and he immediately suspected a hidden plot by the girl. Still, He could see the envy in the eyes of the boys in his ss as Noemi approached him, and decided purely out of spite that he would agree to her request.


    "Sure, I suppose I can spare some time."


    Upon hearing this, Noemi practically jumped with joy as she expressed her happiness.


    "Great, let''s go to the cafeteria!"


    With this said, the young girl began dragging Hans away from his desk by the hand. She led him to the lockers, where her sandwich was contained neatly in a mini cooler. After grabbing hold of her lunch, she led the boy to the cafeteria, where the two of them sat at Hans''s normal table.


    Noemi quickly handed one of the sandwiches over to Hans with a smile on her face. She had worked hard preparing the food. Having observed the boy and his lunches for weeks on end, she noticed he seemed to enjoy a tuna and onion sandwich that was made on a sourdough roll.


    Hans only ate these sandwiches on Tuesdays, and today was Thursday, which meant one of his mothers had packed a casserole that he enjoyed less than the tuna sandwich. When Hans saw the girl had prepared him his second favorite sandwich, his favorite being a tuna melt, he immediately question her intentions. It became obvious in this moment that she had been observing his behavior for some time, and was ying an angle. He just did not know what.


    While the boy Prince was scrutinizing Noemi''s actions, she immediately dug into the food with a pleasant smile on her face. She seemed to also enjoy the sandwich, thus putting Hans at ease. Though he could not say for certain whether the food was poisoned, it was a risk he was willing to take. Thus, he took a bite of the sandwich and found it to be pleasing.


    He had to admit, the girl definitely had culinary talent. It was not easy to prepare tuna the way Hans most enjoyed. However, the girl''s attempt was simr inposition to his mother''s. Noemi noticed that Hans had a bit of tuna stuck on his mouth, and immediately pushed the boundaries of their newfound rtionship.


    "Oh, Hans, let me get that for you!"


    Not only did she refer to him by his first name, but she also wiped the tuna off of his mouth with her finger, before eating it herself. The act of which caught Hans off guard. However, he did not despise the treatment he was receiving, and thus made noment. Upon seeing that the boy was not the talkative type, Naomi pressed him to speak up by directly asking how he felt about her sandwich.


    "Do you like it?"


    Hans nodded his head and spoke the words on his mind as he devoured the sandwich with gusto.


    "It''s good, but mommy''s tuna is better..."


    This reaction caused Noemi to pout, as she lectured the boy on his rude remarks.


    "Hans, You do know it is not polite to tell a girl who spent her precious time making a sandwich for you that her cooking is not as good as another woman''s, right?"


    This statement immediately stumped Hans, since when was he on such good terms with this girl? Still, she was pretty, and treated him well. Thus, he could only bow his head and apologize. Or so he was about to until the famous words of his father entered his mind.


    "Hans, you may be a boy now, but one day you will be a man, and there is one piece of advice regarding women that I must give you, so that when the timees, you can retain your dignity as a man. That advice is simply that you should never apologize to a woman. If you do it once, she will expect you to do it every time she thinks you''re wrong. If she gets mad and leaves you, so be it. For men like us, there are plenty of women out there who would be happy to be with you."


    Upon remembering this quote from his father, Hans immediately straightened his back and wore a proud expression as he revealed his thoughts on the matter.


    "I was merely saying the truth. If it offends you, then we don''t need to talk about this any further..."


    This response caused Noemi to pout. This was not the answer she was expecting. Shouldn''t this child behave like a cute little brother and apologize to his big sister for his misdeeds? She realized if she wanted Hans to be her precious little brother, then she needed to educate him thoroughly on manners. Thus the two of them spent the entire meal period passive aggressively arguing about manners and etiquette. A topic of which Hans found to be dreadfully boring.

 Chapter 727 Building a Mythos

    Chapter 727 Building a Mythos


    Berengar was sitting in his office with a stern expression on his handsome visage. Standing across from him was his wife, Linde, who was dressed in her intelligence uniform. The busty redheaded beauty was his director of intelligence, and she had received a radiotelegraph from the Byzantine Empire. She handed themunication over to her husband before summarizing its contents.


    "Emperor Vetranis requests further military aid in the form of material support. He has lost control overrge swaths of the Holy Land. His armies that can be deployed to the region have suffered heavy losses, and the Timurids are in a worse position.


    He is afraid that the Crusaders will march south and attack our little project in Egypt. Egypt, as you know, is a considerable source of ie for the Eastern Empire, and they are afraid of losing it. Thus, they are using our canal as a means to inspire us to help them."


    Berengar read over themunication that was sent between the two Empires and gazed upon the intelligence report constructed by his agents in the field. It would appear that the Byzantine and Timurid Empire had suffered severe losses. More than Berengar had estimated.


    These casualties were mostly the result of several tactical blunders on the part of the Strategos who were deployed the region. If Padius had been tasked with leading the troops, the war would have been over already. Yet he was the man trusted with protecting the Balkans, and thus he could not move his forces further east.


    The report also stated that the Byzantine Emperor would be calling for the heads of his generals who had failed so miserably to defend Jerusalem. As expected, the moment the Byzantine and Timurid forces lost the city, the Crusaders butchered its inhabitants. Only the catholic denizens were spared from the sword of the invaders.


    The immense loss of life from this conflict, the damage done to the Byzantine and Timurid armies, and the turmoil in the Byzantine court had created the necessary chaos that Berengar was expecting. Thus, he sighed heavily before inquiring further about the political situation of his allies.


    "What news do you have of the Dove faction? Have they made any moves to negotiate peaceful terms with the Papacy?"


    Linde wore a smug smile on her pretty face as she handed over another document to the main. It was an intelligence dossier on the dove faction, which was led by the first prince of the Byzantine Empire, a young man named Quintus. She quickly summarized its contents in the easiest way to exin.


    "The doves have caused quite the chaotic scene in the Byzantine Court. As the war progresses further into turmoil, they seek to end it via a peaceful negotiation. Prince Quintus has been very vocal about reaching a solution that the Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims can all agree upon. He states this war is a result of your reckless actions, and that they must sign another treaty with the Catholic World.


    However, such views are unpopr among the Timurids who seek to avenge their losses. If the Byzantine Empire were to sue for peace, all of your work to achieve peace between the Byzantines and Saracens would go to waste. How should we proceed?"


    Berengar thought about this question for a while, before deciding on how to deal with the middle-eastern crisis. After several moments of deliberation, he voiced his conclusion aloud with a hint of pride in his voice.


    "Use our agents who are embedded in Constantinople to work alongside Quintus in search of a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Holy Land. At the same time use our spies in the papacy to influence the Pope into making a horrific treaty that would cause the Byzantine Empire to suffer dearly.


    Make sure these negotiations end in a way that heavily favors the crusaders and penalizes the Byzantine-Timurid alliance. I want Vetranis to know just how ipetent his pacifistic son is, especially within the field he supposedly specializes in.


    Once Vetranis realizes that both of his sons are garbage, he will be open to the idea of cing Alexandros on the throne. Alexandros will be the light in the eyes of a nation filled with despair."


    This remark slightly surprised Linde. She did not expect Berengar wanted the Byzantine Empire to plunge into the depths of despair. Such a thing would be difficult to achieve, but Berengar had long since formted a n for how to aplish this. Thus, he continued on with his speech.


    "I want you to secretly provide military aid to the Catholic forces, leak to them the knowledge of rifling, so that their infantry will be on par with the Byzantines. You can also sell off some of our ck powder reserve through an unofficial channel to the crusader armies. Once the Crusaders are confident in their means to fully field firearms, they will easily take over the Holy Land and parts of Anatolia.


    The Byzantine and Timurids will suffer heavy losses and will be forced to the negotiating table. Where they will ept whatever terms the Catholics give them. I want this conflict to end bloody. After the Catholics have won the war, our agents will influence the papacy, to negotiate a peace, that seesrge sections of Byzantine and Timurid territory annexed by the Church and split into so-called crusader kingdoms. As part of the treaty, the Byzantines and Timurids will be forced to pay arge sum of gold, and will have to limit their army. This humiliation will drive a form of resentment towards the ruling dynasty and the Catholic World.


    I want Alexandros to not only be the Emperor of the Romans, but the savior who restored their Empire to its former glory. I want him to end the Piologos dynasty''s control over the Empire and forge his own. A cadet branch of both of our houses, the Piologos-Kufstein Dynasty. Naturally, Alexandros will have Germany''s full support in these endeavors.


    It may take years for the resentment of the Roman people to boil to a point that they demand Vetranis'' recement, but when the timees, Alexandros will be ready to assume his role as the new emperor of the East."


    Linde gazed in astonishment at her husband and the lengths of her machinations. She did not know that her husband wanted to forge a mythos behind his son to ensure that he was admired by future generations, much like he had done to Germany. She always assumed that Berengar just wanted Alexandros on the throne of Byzantium as a puppet.


    Truth be told, the treaty of Versailles inspired Berengar in how to properly punish a nation in defeat. Despite reviling said treaty in his past life and seeing it as the cause of the Second World War, he knew he needed to break the Byzantine people''s spirit in order to make his son with Honoria venerated for centuries beyond his death.


    Who would be the Hero to rise in a time of darkness and restore the Byzantine Empire to its previous heights? Why, the son of Berengar von Kufstein, of course. The father of Germany and world hegemon would foster two children who would be legendary figures in their own right. That was the legacy Berengar wanted to leave behind.


    Naturally, nobody would know about Germany''s involvement in the defeat of their allies, or their mistreatment caused by the abhorrent treaty. As far as the world was concerned, Germany would continue to provide military support to their allies via means of weapons and training until the end of the war.


    Linde gazed upon her husband as if she no longer knew the man she was married to. To think that his machinations were beyond her exceptional understanding of his character. It surprised her that there was still more to this man''s character that even she couldn''t see through.


    Such a thoughtpelled her to learn more about the man she loved, until she knew everything there was to know about him, something she had previously thought she already aplished. A seductive smile formed itself upon the women''s pretty lips as she cocked her head to the side and spoke to the man sitting confidently in front of her.


    "Master?"


    Berengar''s gaze shifted to the woman''s odd behavior as he questioned her intentions.


    "What is it?"


    Linde quickly lifted the skirt of her intelligence uniform to reveal her pantyhose and thong, which were drenched in her juices. With a lust filled gaze in her sky-blue eyes, she revealed her thoughts to the man.


    "I''m dreadfully wet right now..."


    In response to this, Berengar smiled and rose from his seat, before walking over the woman and grabbing hold of her shoulders as he whispered in her ears.


    "I think I might have a cure for what ails you."


    After saying this, Berengar and Linde engaged in the throes of passion for the next hour, before sending off a variety ofmunications that would ultimately end the war in the middle east in Berengar''s favor.

 Chapter 728 The Grand Arena of Kufstein

    Chapter 728 The Grand Arena of Kufstein


    The morning sun shone through the windows of the Kaiser''s office and nced off the back of his leather chair. Sitting in front of him was none other than his wife Ad, who had an excited smile on her face.


    She had spent a long time working with the nation''s best architects toe up with her newest idea of cultural unity. Ad ced the blueprints onto the table and handed them over to Berengar, who looked over them for a few minutes before questioning his wife''s motives.


    "You want to build an arena? Not only is this stadiumrger than the ancient Roman colosseum, but it is also more opulent. Just what madnesspelled you to design such a thing? Do you have any idea how much this will cost to construct? Why on earth would we need such a thing?"


    The arena in question was designed to seat seventy-five thousand people. The bold, new architectural design was unlike anything Berengar had introduced previously. If the Kaiser had to put abel on the design, it was eerily simr to the Berlin olympistadion from his past life, with one major difference. It was a fully enclosed arena with a giant dome on top.


    Ad was proud of the design that she had helpede up with and gazed upon her husband as if she was looking at a fool. Perhaps he had too little coffee this morning and was still drowsy. She sighed heavily before outlining her reasoning for making such arge request.


    "Berengar, you are aware that the sports you have introduced at a national level are growing in poprity at a shocking rate, right? No holds barred fighting, in particr, has arge following among your people, and there are several professional leagues in existence. At the moment, these fighters have small venues topete in, and it is simply not enough to amodate all the fans!


    I suggest that we build this stadium as a way to show our support for sports, and bring the various small fight leagues together to build one national league. We can even create smaller feeder leagues out of the lesser fighters out of there. Then once this stadium ispleted, we can host national level tournaments, and championship events where we will sell tickets to those who want to watch.


    With a national league, we can print the results in the paper, and use it as a means to fosteraraderie through the various german states through amon interest. People all over the reich will be able to disy their love of our martial culture!"


    Berengar had to admit, the girl made a persuasive argument. Though it would cost a considerable sum to establish the Arena, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with the idea. Why wouldn''t the crown take the chance to personally profit from it? Thus, Berengar let out a heavy sigh as he agreed to the request.


    "Alright, but it''sing out of our own treasury. Also, look for investors. I don''t want to bear the sole cost of the construction of this damn thing."


    Ad had a wide smile on her face as she hugged her man and kissed him on the cheek before praising him for his generosity.


    "You''re the best!"


    Berengar brushed off thepliments as he sent the girl on her way. He then proceeded to thoroughly look over the reports he had gathered in the various fight leagues. In years past Berengar had introducedbat sports such as wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and submission grappling. However, no holds barred fighting was the most popr sport of all. He had even given the sport an official name which was kampf or struggle.


    Over the years, the sport took off like wildfire, and many of its fighters had been improving upon the basic techniques that Berengar taught them. Though the fighters were nowhere near the caliber of those professionals from his past life, they were rapidly improving their skills.


    Many of these techniques were being taught to the German youth in the cadet corps, thus fostering an entirely new generation of talent for the sport. In Berengar''s mind, a man who did not know how to fight was no man at all. Thus, he had emphasized martial training at a young age for the boys of Germany.


    The firearms, and hand to handbat training that was taught in the German cadet corps, was arge part of Berengar''s n to foster a martial society, the other majorponent being the poprity ofbat sports. His own son supposedly had high marks in the physical aspects of the Cadet Corps training. This was unsurprising, as Hans had a head start over other boys his age, being trained in martial arts, and shooting at the age of five.


    Berengar sat back and sighed as he drank from his coffee. Perhaps building such a monumental stadium in Kufstein would be a good idea after all. Still, he shivered at the expense. While he was overlooking the forms necessary to approve the construction of such a thing his wife, Yasmin entered the room with her daughter Zara in her arms.


    Months had passed since the little girl was born, and she was growing at a rapid rate. Berengar smiled and got up from his seat to greet his wife and daughter. First by kissing the infant girl on the forehead, and then by kissing his wife on the lips. He was excited to see Yasmin, as he had not spent a considerable amount of time with the womantely.


    "Sweetheart, what can I help you with?"


    Berengar was overly pleasant with Yasmin. Around her, he lost much of his domineering personality and instead behaved like a kindhearted husband and father. For whatever reason, the woman had such a unique effect on him, possibly because she was older by a few years, and far more mature than his other wives, who still acted like teenage girls in many ways.


    Yasmin smiled when she saw Berengar approach them, and greeted him with a proper hug and kiss, before responding to his question.


    "Husband, it is good to see you. I was just wondering if you had time to help our son Ghazi with some things. He is still young, and it is difficult for me to teach him how to behave like a proper ruler."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard how much effort Yasmin put into making sure her son did not turn out like her now deceased idiot brother. Berengar brought Yasmin deeper into his office before sitting down and responding to her concerns.


    "Rx dear, he''s still nothing more than a pup. He has plenty of time to grow into a proper man. Let him enjoy his childhood when he can. Instead, you should leave matters of state to me. After all, I am the one fighting the war in Iberia."


    Yasmin smirked smugly at her husband before chastising him for his words.


    "You''re fighting the war in Iberia? Last I checked, you were here in Kufstein delegating responsibility of the theater to your Generals."


    Berengar feigned offense at this remark as he teased the woman for her tant honesty.


    "You wound me madame, if I could I would be kicking down doors in Spain, and dragging rebels from their homes with a rifle in hand. s, I cannot. I''m far too important for such grunt work."


    Yasmin giggled when she heard this. Berengar always had a way of making herugh, even if others might find him particrly funny. For whatever reason, she found the idea of a one eyed emperor kicking down doors and fighting rebels in Iberia to be humorous. As she thought about this absurd idea, she realized she had not investigated how the conflict was going and was quick to inquire about it.


    "How fares my broth- I mean my son''s troops..."


    Berengar could tell that Yasmin had still yet to fully adjust to the idea that Hasan was dead, and her own son was now the Sultan. He grabbed hold of her hand and gave her some good news.


    "Well, you will be happy to know that the conflict is settling down. With the introduction of shotguns, our troops are far more efficient at removing rebels. As for the Granadan Army, it is modernizing quickly, and growing in numbers. That''s about the extent of the good news, though. The presence of German troops in the region and the Muslim minority rule are two enormous powder kegs.


    Every time we wipe out one rebel cell, two more pop up in its ce. If I can''t find a way to bring the catholic Spaniards to ept the rule of our son, I''m going to have to resort to some inhumane tactics."


    This line of thinking disturbed Yasmin, from the look on Berengar''s face, even he doubted whether he should actuallymit to such cruelty, she could not help but ask what horrible idea he had in mind.


    "What is it that has you so concerned? You normally don''t look so grim when talking about war."


    Berengar could not deny such a statement. What he was nning was less of war and more of ethnic cleansing. He stood up from his seat with a grim expression on his face and looked out the window at the peaceful metropolis below. He spoke in a tyrannical voice as he exined his ns to force the Spanish poption into submission.


    "If the Spanish do not ept the rule of my son, then I will be forced to use chemical weapons. I can not keep sending young men to their deaths in a foreignnd. At this rate, it is a conflict that Germany will be tied to for decades.


    So, if the Spanish and Portuguese rebels do noty down their arms and subject themselves to the rule of the Sultan, I will be left with no choice but to shell the city of Madrid with chemical weapons. Once every man, woman and child in the city are dead, I will use it as a threat. Continue to resist and you shall suffer the same fate. I''d like to see how many catholics are willing to take up arms and resist the Sultan''s rule, knowing that by a simplemand, their cities can be a wastndpletely devoid of life."


    The thought that such powerful weapons existed horrified Yasmin. She knew little of chemistry, but was aware that Berengar''s weapons were already terrifying, and she did not doubt the existence of weapons that could wipe out all life in a city. She now understood why the man was hesitant to take such action.


    The reality was, Berengar waspletely unwilling to lose Iberia. One could easily chalk it up to the sunk cost facy. He had spent too much effort, too many resources, and too many lives to unite Iberia under his authority to give up now.


    The Kaiser refused to allow Iberia to turn into his Afghanistan. If he had to purge every Catholic from Iberia, then he would do so. He was a man determined to win his wars by any means necessary, and the catholics could not resist his rule if they were all dead.


    Yasmin could see the determination in Berengar''s eyes and could only sigh in defeat before saying the words in her mind.


    "I hope it doesn''te to that..."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "So do I..."

 Chapter 729 Dreams of the Past Part ll

    Chapter 729 Dreams of the Past Part ll


    Mizuno Ai sat in the library with a glum expression on her face. She was seated at the table where she and a peculiar young man usually sat across from one another. It had been two weeks since she met the arrogant bastard, and yet he still had not given her his name.


    While it may be true that she also didn''t volunteer such information, the man seemed to have a leg up on her as he somehow learned of her identity. Meanwhile, everyone she spoke to about the strange young man who reads alone in the library responded with the samement.


    "Who?"


    She figured that today would be the day where she finally learned the man''s name. Except he was nowhere to be found. This caused her to be quite troubled. Why was she troubled? That was a question even she did not know. Since when was she the type to get hung up on some asshole? At the moment, she was certain that she felt bitter towards the man, as he was the first person in her entire life who did not recognize her brilliance.


    Inspired by Julian''s hard work ethic, Ai had gone to great lengths to keep up with the man. In terms ofpleting school work ahead of time, receiving high marks in physical activities, and gaining knowledge from the books in the library. The one area she could proudly say she was ahead of him in was social life. Aside from the mandatory Cadet activities, Julian seemed to have no social life whatsoever.


    Was she stalking the man? Not yet, primarily because she still didn''t know his identity. However, she could surmise as much, because everyone she spoke to didn''t have the slightest clue who he might be. If they did recognize who she was speaking about, they would only know him by the moniker "that loner in the library". However, nobody really knew his name or schedule.


    Clearly, the teachers would know his identity, but she felt asking the faculty about who this guy was would possibly cause suspicion of fraternization. Thus, she was left to investigate this matter by herself. As she was thinking about such things, the man in question appeared before her with a stack of books in his hands. He promptly sat down across from her, without even paying the girl the slightest bit of attention.


    He had grown ustomed to this thorn in his side, and tried to interact with her as little as possible. However, this had gotten the adverse reaction he desired. For whatever reason, this girl became more interested in him and thus wasted more of his time. Thus, it was no surprise when she got upset over the fact that he ignored her existence.


    "Hello? I''m sitting right here. Aren''t you going to greet me properly?"


    Julian had yet to even open a book and yet the nuisance was pestering him already. He sighed heavily as he grabbed the top book and opened it before chastising the girl for interrupting him.


    "I''m dreadfully busy. We can exchange pleasantriester..."


    Despite being treated so coldly, Ai''s glum expression had disappeared and she now had a smile on her face. Julian thought this was peculiar, and immediately made an inappropriatement, seemingly unaware that it was probably a question he shouldn''t ask a woman he hardly knows.


    "Why are you smiling? Are you perhaps a masochist? That would exin a lot... Please, whatever fantasies you may be having about me, keep them to yourself..."


    The smile on the pretty Japanese girl''s face immediately soured when she heard this remark. Smiling? Who was smiling? She certainly wasn''t! She immediately harrumphed and crossed her arms, before opening a book of her own. Though she snuck a few nces from the edge of her book to see how the man reacted. His stoic expression only further enraged the woman. Thus, she decided to interrupt his precious reading time as payback.


    "What was your name again? I forgot..."


    Julian sneered when he heard this. Such a trick might work on your average troglodyte, but to a man of his intellect, he could clearly remember never giving this nuisance a name, and thus he responded with a smug expression on his face.


    "How can you forget something which you never learned to begin with?"


    This response only further outraged the young woman as she red at the man sitting across from her before chastising him for his cruelty.


    "Are you seriously not going to tell me your name? We''ve known each other for two weeks now!"


    Julian merely responded with indifference to this question.


    "Why would a stallion reveal its name to the fly that pesters it?"


    Ai looked at Julian with shock as the man shamelessly said this. Did he seriously justpare himself to a stallion? No wait, what was that about a fly? Oh, he was going to get it now! Her brow was thoroughly furrowed with rage as she mocked the man for his analogy.


    "You consider yourself a stallion? What a joke. I bet you are still a virgin!"


    Julian did not even look up from his book as he properly responded to this insult.


    "A virgin stallion is still a stallion. Why do you care how many women I have had intercourse with? Are you perhaps propositioning me? I''ll pass. I have no interest in loose women."


    Ai immediately blushed as she heard this response. How shameless was this man? Did he seriously just call her loose? She had lost all reason and immediately stood up and scolded the man for insulting her purity.


    "I''m not loose! I''ll have you know I am still a pure maiden!"


    Julian finally reacted as he looked up from his book in surprise. This girl was the definition of "he who lives in a ss house should not cast stones." However, more importantly, her outburst had drawn unwanted attention. Julian was not the kind of man who enjoyed being the center of attention and immediately tried to cate the woman as he scolded her for her unruly behavior.


    "Ahem. You should really take notice of your surroundings before you make such a bold statement..."


    Ai immediately remembered she was in the library and looked around to see that all eyes were gazing at her and Julian. It shocked even the librarian that she had openly said such a thing. Ai immediately sank into her seat with a depressed gaze.


    She realized she had made a huge mistake by letting this man rile her up like that. She wanted tomit seppuku in that moment. Seeing that the woman was not in the greatest mindset, Julian sighed before attempting tofort the woman with a single word.


    "Julian..."


    Ai immediately snapped out of her funk and gazed at Julian with a curious gaze. She didn''t quite hear what he said, and quickly asked for rification.


    "I''m sorry, what was that..."


    Julian had an awkward expression on his face as he repeated what he had said.


    "My name is Julian..."


    AI repeated the name a couple of times beneath her breath before wearing a pretty smile.


    "It''s nice to meet you Julian! My name is Ai!"


    The cute expression on the girl''s face caused Julian''s heart to skip a beat, which instantly unnerved him. He was not ustomed to feeling emotions, or at least not positive ones. Since he did not know how to react to this new and alien feeling, he reacted by burying his head in his books and focusing on his studies.


    Ai saw this response, despite Julian''s best attempts to hide it and found it to be cute. Though the man was perfectly average in appearance, and an arrogant ass to boot. It was endearing to see him have such a reserved side to his otherwise foul character.


    After thinking this, Itami woke up from her dream in a cold sweat. She immediately mmed her head on her pillow and pouted as she remembered what she had dreamt of very clearly. She screamed her thoughts into her pillow, which was thankfully muffled.


    "Why am I so hung up on a dead guy?"


    If her subordinates had known she was having such difficulties, they would probably use it as a chance to question her sanity and attempt another takeover. She did not understand why she was having such vivid dreams of her old memories from her past life. However, thinking back upon how many opportunities she had given Julian to go out with her, only for him to ignore the signals, instantly drove the woman mad.


    Even if it was against the rules, she desperately wanted to be intimate with the man. Yet he had never taken notice of her feelings, hell she doubted if the dense fool ever thought of her as a friend. In fact, he had more than once stated he had no friends.


    What did he mean he didn''t have any friends? You don''t get invited out to another university on your spring break by someone you knew in high school unless you were friends! Wait a second. There was something more important to be upset about. He had her as his friend the whole time! Gods, that aspect of his character was frustrating.


    Upon realizing that there was no way she was going to get any sleep, Itami rose from her futon and prepared herself for a visit to her hot spring. She needed to sort out her thoughts before she could get any work done, and there was no better way to achieve that than a nice soak.

 Chapter 730 Business is Booming

    Chapter 730 Business is Booming


    On the ind once known as Cuba in Berengar''s life, the colony of Lindstadt was booming with business. Arge stone fort was erected on the coast, which housed the Mercenaries of the Gunther Merchantpany. These men acted as the primary security force in the region.


    Outside of this star fortress was a fully developed town which consisted of roughly 3,000 German residents. This town was the Colony of Lindstadt, which had formed in the months since the Gunther Merchant Company first arrived in this part of the world. Coincidentally, this town was built in the same location that Havana was built in the Kaiser''s past life.


    Beyond the borders of the township were vast ntations which utilized the native poption of the ind as itsborers. These ntations were the Gunther Merchant Companys'' newest enterprise, and would soon produce vast yields of Coffee Beans, Sugar Cane, and Cotton.


    Currently, the German Empire relied on imports from foreign nations in order to meet the demands of these three industries. However, Gunther''s n was to grow them in the colonies and create a local and trusted brand of these products. After all, the Gunther Brand was well renowned across the Reich as being a high-quality product for a decent price.


    Henrick had been tasked by his father, Gunther, to lead this expedition, and had worked long and hard over the past few months to establish a stable colony. Interestingly enough, this colony had be the gateway between Lindeheim and Adelheim, connecting the southern colonies with New Vienna via an extensive shippingwork.


    This shippingwork made Lindstadt a central hub for explorers and privateers charted by the Crown to rest their weary heads after a long voyage at sea. Though the number of German immigrants to the colonies was less than fifty thousand in total, they had created their own local, unique cultural aspects depending on the environment they found themselves in.


    Lindstadt had developed its own unique culture that was different from anything across the Reich. It had be a den of vice, and hedonism where fortunes could be won or lost in a day. Why was this? It was because during the initial stages of establishing the colony, Henrick had lost a considerable sum to his mercenaries in a card game. After realizing how many visitors were partaking in the small gambling dens, he built the first ever Casino/Resort in the middle of the colony.


    It was by no means a skyscraper, like those one would find in Berengar''s past life, but it was noticeable enough that one could see the mighty building from the sea. This Casino was called "the Gilded Princess" inspired by the beauty of the German Princess Henrietta. Who was an object of Henrick''s desire.


    Currently, Henrick was overseeing operations of the Casino on the main floor, watching as men primarily from the Baltic, and Balkan portions of the Reich gambled away their hard earned coin in the Casino he had established.


    He had personally abstained from ying cards. After all, he usually lost more than he won. However, that did not mean he could not enjoy the environment. Of course, if he knew about the grandeur of casinos in the Kaiser''s past life, he would be depressed with how poor his personal casino was inparison. The man noticed that business was booming, and because of that, he had a wide smile on his face. However, in the next moment, his mood soured as one of his subordinates quickly approached him.


    "Henrick, sir! Your father is here!"


    This news shocked Henrick. He had received no word that his father would be visiting the colony, so why was he suddenly in Lindstadt? He immediately followed the subordinate up the stairs and into the suite, where Gunther was sitting on a leather-bound sofa. The man had a sneer on his face as he gazed out the window and into the developing colony. Henrick immediately kicked the servant out and shut the door behind him as he greeted his father.


    "Father, I was not expecting your visit! Why did you not send word in advance?"


    Gunther scoffed as he heard this before voicing his displeasure with his son.


    "What is this? When I sent you here to the New World, it was to establish an agricultural colony, and yet all I see is a den of vice, and hedonism! Prostitution, Gambling, Narcotics, and enough booze to drown the sea. The amount of rum you are producing in your distilleries is shocking. Who the hell is working the fields, if all the citizens are busying throwing away their money in your gambling dens?"


    His father''s criticism shocked Henrick. He did not expect the man to care so much about such frivolous details. He quickly defended his actions with a stern expression on his face.


    "You sent me here to make a profit, and the businesses I have established here in Lindstadt would be producing an astronomical sum if the entire Reich knew of the New World''s existence! As for the fields, they are being worked by the natives. It is a non-issue!"


    Gunther was displeased with what he had witnessed for multiple reasons. Chief among them was the colony was named after the Second Empress, but it was a den of sin. How would that reflect a woman that Gunther deeply admired? He quickly pulled out a bottle of locally produced rum that was on the counter and poured himself a drink before scolding his son.


    "Either you cease your decadent enterprises, or you change the name of your colony. I will not have you tarnishing Linde''s name, or her reputation with your little den of vice here in the New World. As far as profits are concerned, there are more important things. For example, you are aware that prostitution is ouwed in the Reich?"


    Henrick wore a smug smile on his face as he countered his father''s point while conceding to his request.


    "Fine, I will rename the colony, but I will be keeping the name for the Ind. I don''t want to confuse the sailors whoe here. As far as thews of Prostitution go, that is only in concern to German citizens engaging in the trade. As you may have witnessed, all of my girls are natives or, in rare cases, immigrants. Therefore, I am not breaking anyws."


    Gunther merely scoffed as he heard this, before cing his ss down on the table. He stood up from his seat and walked towards the door. When he was in the middle of the doorway, Gunther stopped in his tracks. In that moment, he decided to leave behind some choice words for his son.


    "Your mother would be disappointed in you if she knew what you had done here. If this is how you run the first colony that his majesty has chartered us to produce, don''t expect to inherit my position. You can stay here in exile as governor over whatever the hell this town is. However, you will not be returning to the fathend. I can''t have your avarice staining my family''s reputation.


    I will keep my mouth shut on the matter, so long as the agricultural yields continue to meet the standards I have set for you. Everything else is your own enterprise and cannot use my name as its brand."


    Henrick was shocked when he heard his father say this. He did not understand why the man was so hostile to the atmosphere he had created in Lindstadt. Or whatever it''s new name would be. However, there was one point he was uncertain of and quickly asked for rification.


    "Are you disowning me, father?"


    Gunther scoffed once more when he heard this, before gesturing towards the luxurious trappings around him.


    "You will be fine on your own. I am disappointed in you son, you had such an excellent head for business, and this is what you did with it. I hope what you have created here brings you some happiness, because you won''t get any support from the family from now on. The charter for the colony is still in my corporation''s name. You best remember that before you try to do anything stupid."


    Henrick was astounded that his father was throwing him away for something so simple. Truthfully, Gunther was a pious man, who does not care for vice. He also looked up to Berengar, believing he was a man of virtue. If the man knew that this colony, which wouldter be renamed to Neuhafen, would be Berengar''s favorite vacation spot, he would probably die of a heart attack.


    As for Henrick, he would go on to form a prosperous corporation of his own called B?cker Entertainment, using his surname as a means to spite his father for abandoning him in the new world. Thispany would be the world''srgest gambling Corporationter operating casinos across everynd the Germans settled. However, Neuhafen would remain the premier destination for the world''s wealthy elite.

 Chapter 731 Adela and Henrietta Learn theTruth

    Chapter 731 Ad and Henrietta Learn theTruth


    Berengar sat in his office looking over a map that contained information regarding his uing expedition to South Africa. With his espionage efforts in the middle east, he had ensured that the conflict would ensue for a little while longer than initially expected.


    He hoped that his actions would conclude in a military defeat for both the Byzantine and Timurid empires, forcing them into an unfair treaty that would cause economic depression and foster resentment towards the Catholic church.


    In the meantime, he nned an expedition to Southern Africa to establish his first colony on the African continent. Though Linde and the others may not be aware of the vast treasure trove that Africa was, Berengar knew full what precious resources were waiting for him in those unconquerednds.


    The Kaiser specifically used the term unconquered in his mind because he did not recognize the Bantu or other Tribes that inhabited the area to be an actual civilization, and instead considered them a loose collection of stone age tribes that he need not concern himself with. While looking over this map, a knock resounded on the door of the study, and a familiar voice appeared from behind.


    "Berengar, you wanted to speak to us?"


    Berengar sighed heavily as he rolled up the map that was charted by Honoria''s crew and concealed it within his luggage. He then called out to the feminine voice with a hint of worry in his tone.


    "Come in darling, there is something we need to talk about"


    Berengar had sent word to both Ad and Henrietta that he wanted to see them before he departed on his journey to Southern Africa. The two blonde bombshells walked through the door with pleasant smiles on their faces. It was not every day that they were summoned to the office of their man.


    The two women quickly sat down in front of Berengar''s desk, where he poured them a few drinks, as well as one for himself. It was times like this that Berengar needed a stiff drink to calm his nerves. Though he had been gifted the boon of courage by the ancient Frisian goddess Baduhenna, it did not mean that he felt no fear. Only that he had the means to ovee it. Because of that, he was quick and to the point as he discussed his little secret with his sister and cousin.


    "Ad, Henrietta, I asked you toe here today so that I can share with you a story. A story about my past that neither of you is aware of. In truth, you are thest two I have decided to speak about this topic with, as you are the ones whose reactions I fear the most."


    The pleasant smiles on the girl''s faces soured into grim stares. They did not know what Berengar was about to say, but they suspected it was heavy. He rarely spoke to them in such a manner. Just when Ad was about to speak up, Berengar raised his hand, silencing her, before continuing on his rant.


    "I know what you want to say, and allow me to speak my piece first. I will answer any of your questions after I have concluded my tale."


    The girls had nervous expressions on their faces but nodded their heads in silence, allowing their man to continue whatever it was he had desired to speak about. Berengar gulped down more of his liquid courage before beginning his tale.


    "Allow me to preface this by saying that though I have never lied to you about my past, I may have concealed some things that were important. The truth is, that I am not the man you think I am. Henrietta, I owe you the biggest apology, as you are the first person I witnessed upon entering this world, and you should have been the first for me to discuss this with, and in a way you were, but I think you did not fully understand my intent when I told you this. I am Berengar von Kufstein in this world, but I have the memories of a past life, from the distant future where I was a man by the name of Julian Weber..."


    Ad did not know how to respond to this information, but Henrietta reacted in shock. She remembered the bedtime story Berengar had once given her during her early teenage years about a man from another world named Julian, and the struggles he went through in life. She immediately knew where this story was headed, but remained quiet. Berengar continued his speech while taking sips from his alcoholic beverage in between his sentences.


    "I suppose I should start in the beginning. I was born in the year of our lord 1996, in a country whose name was the United States of America. By that 21st century, America had be a global superpower with no rivals, and yet at the same time, it was a society that was on the path of copse. This was a reality that few people were aware of by the time I died.


    In fact, one might have called me a conspiracy theorist if I were to utter these thoughts aloud. But I had done the calctions, and could estimate from the signs that were given should I had lived another thirty years, I would have seen theplete and total copse of my nation with my own eyes.


    In that life, I lived mostly by myself, with no lovers to speak of, no friends to call upon, and a family who were absent. You see, I grew up impoverished, with no siblings to speak of. My parents had to each work two jobs to put food on the table. As a result, I ended up joining the military as an engineer and ultimately died in a pointless war in some godforsaken part of the world.


    Henrietta, do you remember the night I fell deathly ill about eight years ago? You stayed by my bedside for the duration of the night, and when I awoke, you were the first thing I saw in this world. You were so dutiful and did your best to take care of me in my final hours.


    Though I was struggling to sift through my memories from two lives, I was excited to see that I had a little sister, especially one as cute as you. That was the moment I recovered my memories of this past life. The knowledge I gained from these memories helped me build everything you see around you today.


    It took years, but eventually my power spread to all corners of Europe, and with it I have finally been given to opportunity to search for the truth about why I have such memories. After much effort, I have found some evidence to support the idea that the ancient Germanic pantheon of deities is involved. For what purpose they have revived me in this world? I do not know the answer.


    The reason I wanted to share this with you now is because I will be embarking on a dangerous journey soon, and I wanted you two to know the truth about me in case something goes wrong. Though I have two sets of memories, of two very different lifetimes. I want you to know that it does not change who I am or how I feel about you. Especially to you, Ad, as you met me after this change had urred. I love you both, and hope you can ept this new information without much difficulty. "


    Ad was in shock. She did not know how to react to this. Just when things were starting to get better between her and Berengar, he had to drop this bombshell on her. She did not know who he was anymore, or what to believe in. Especially after hearing that pagan gods were possibly involved with his revival.


    If there weren''t so many unexinable things about Berengar''s knowledge and personality, then Ad would condemn him as a madman in that moment. She wanted to p him across the face andpel him toe back to reality. However, the more she thought about these unexinable aspects, the more she considered the madness he was speaking as a viable possibility.


    The origin of Berengar''s futuristic knowledge was something that nobody could exin, not with science or religion. After all, he was the man who introduced the modern concept of science to the world, and yet what he was saying flew in the face of it. Henrietta, on the other hand, had a far more important question on her mind. She did not care about the things that Ad was considering, and only asked what mattered most to her.


    "So you''re saying you''re not my brother?"


    Berengar wore a pitiful smile as he ced his hand on the young woman''s cheek tofort her.


    "I am your brother. I''m just a better version of him. One who epts, and responds to your love in kind... The old me never would have considered taking his sister as a lover..."


    Henrietta stared at Berengar with tears in her eyes before hugging him. Simply being assured that he was the brother she knew and loved for all these years was all she needed to know in order for her to make a decision on how to respond to this information. In truth, she did not care in the slightest if he had a second set of memories, so long as he was still the man she cared for.


    As for Ad, she needed time. Time to digest everything she had heard, time to think it through, time to search through her emotions ande up with an answer. She was spaced out as she slowly walked out of the door, leaving Berengar and Henrietta behind as she mindlessly wandered off to her quarters.


    Berengar was immediately concerned when he saw this, and got up from his seat to chase after the woman. However, Henriettatched onto his arm, and pulled him back down before shaking her head and lecturing the man.


    "She needs time to think things through. I am sure if you give her space, she wille running back to your arms eventually. This is not only a crisis of identity for her, but a crisis of religion. I''ll keep an eye on her for you. You go do what you need to do in Africa. Just promise toe back to me in one piece!"


    Berengar smiled as he kissed his sister on the lips before agreeing to her request.


    "I promise..."


    After saying that, Berengar left Ad and Henrietta, and reunited with Honoria as the two of them cast off for their dangerous expedition to Southern Africa.

 Chapter 732 A Meeting with the Ming Delegates

    Chapter 732 A Meeting with the Ming Delegates


    While Berengar had begun to set sail for Southern Africa, Itami was back in her capital city, meeting with representatives from the Ming Dynasty. She had preparedvish gifts for these delegates and their emperor who she wanted to establish friendly ties with.


    The men were dressed in exquisite silk clothing, while Itami was dressed in a formal kimono of the same material. She had lowered her snow white hair, which gracefully washed over her porcin skin like an avnche. The delegates had be aware of Itami''s rise to power, and initially held her with disdain. However, upon witnessing her stunning beauty, they were quick to change their tune as they curried favor with her, while maintaining the dignity of representatives from their realm.


    One man in particr was a bald, fat eunuch with a long mustache. His name was Jin Fang, and he gazed lustfully at the stunning Japanese woman in front of him, who served the man and his aplice with Rice whiskey. Upon tasting the unique liquor, the man wore an excited smile as heplimented the woman for her ingenuity.


    "Such delectable alcohol. I am amazed that you managed to create such a thing."


    Itami wore a stoic expression on her face. This ice queen facade acted as a means to retain her dignity, and show that she was not to be underestimated as a monarch. She responded to the man''spliment with a nod of the head and a gratefulment.


    "I thank you for your kind words, esteemed emissary. It is my hope that you can enjoy your stay here in Heian-ky�� to the fullest extent. I have requested your presence because there is something I must request from his majesty the Emperor.


    In the near future, I intend to march my armies into Joseon, and conquer thends for myself. I know that the Ming Dynasty has interests in the region, and I assure you that under Japanese annexation, the Joseon dynasty will be far more fruitful in its production, and tribute to the Emperor.


    The reason I have summoned you to my home is to convey my intent for peace to exist between our two realms. I have no desire to step on the tail of the dragon. Nor do I wish to rob you of a client state without proper rpense."


    This statement caught Jin Fang by surprise. He did not expect Itami to desire to expand into the Joseon territory. He did not quite understand the reason for doing so, but such a thing would be an insult to the authority of the Ming Dynasty. Thus, he red fiercely at the woman, trying toprehend what grand ambitions she might have.


    "You wish to conquer the Joseon? Do you even have the means to do so?"


    For the first time since Itami had met with the Ming delegation she smiled, however it was not a smile that belonged to a charming young woman, rather that of a tyrannical despot. With such a wicked grin on her face, sheid out her ns for the Joseon with an overbearing tone.


    "At the moment, such a venture would prove difficult. However, give me three years, and my armies will be unmatched in the region. At that point, conquering the Joseon will be a simple feat, not even worthy of notice. I assure you that it is due to my benevolence that I do not turn against you and instead have chosen to consult with you about my intentions before actuallyunching an attack."


    Jin Fang was surprised to hear the woman speak these words, the way she made it sound. It was as if even the great Ming Dynasty was beneath her notice. Such words instantly filled the man with rage. This was an insult to the power of the Emperor. If some small ind nation off the coast of the maind could openly insult a delegation of the Ming, then surely more powerful nations would choose to do so.


    Itami''s words had made clear the Ming that she intended to invade the Joseon regardless of their opinion. She was simply informing them beforehand as an act ofmon courtesy. After all, the Joseon were practically a client state of the Ming dynasty.


    He was about to speak up against this insult to his authority when Itami snapped her fingers, and several armed soldiers entered the area carrying chests filled with gold, silver, cosmetics, alcohol, and other luxuries she had created over the years.


    This was a simple tribute to the Emperor the delegation would carry back to the Ming capital, or so was Itami''s intent. The delegates gazed at the vast fortune with awe, as they did not expect Itami to be so wealthy. Itami wore a sinister smile on her face as she issued her terms.


    "If the Emperor agrees to remain neutral in my annexation of Joseon, I will provide all that you see here as a monthly tribute every month for ten years. I assure you, it is more than you will get from the Joseon."


    Jin Fang looked over at his counterpart and silentlymunicated with him via eye contact. The two of them universally agreed in that moment that they would ry Itami''s message to the emperor with the utmost courtesy. What was being gifted to the Ming Dynasty was considerably more than they extracted in tribute from the Joseon. With a brief nod of their heads, Jin Fang cleared his throat before openly epting Itami''s proposal.


    "I will ry your words to the emperor, and do my best to convince him of the merit of such an arrangement."


    Itami''s smile lightened from sinister to pleased, as she nodded her head in agreement. After doing so, she motioned for the soldiers to leave, and in their ce, a group of servants entered the room carrying the dishes that had been prepared for this encounter. All the food Itami had introduced from her past life was present on the tes, their aroma enticing the two men into salivating. With a pretty smile, Itami announced the feast had begun.


    "Please, enjoy the food of mynd, and feast on your heart''s content. I assure you there is more than enough food to go around!"


    After saying this, Itami bit into a takoyaki ball with an excited smile on her face before moaning in pleasure. The Ming delegates did not hesitate and quickly consumed the food on their tes with satisfied expressions. They would continue feasting and drinking long into the night, discussing trivial matters with the Japanese Empress.


    By the time Itami had sent her guests to her room, she was exhausted as she sat down in her personal quarters and sighed heavily before resting her head on her desk. She hated diplomatic visits more than anything. Socializing with people of a certain social standing was more exhausting in this life than it had been in her previous one.


    For whatever reason, in that moment, she thought about a conversation she had with Julian in her past life when she dragged him to an up scale social event. In her mind, she clearly envisioned the scene of Julian dressed in a tuxedo, hanging out at the snack table, and munching on food while ignoring the guests of the party. She approached him wearing avish dress and condemned him for his uncouth behavior.


    "Julian, I didn''t drag you to this party so that you could sit here and pig out. Come, I have some friends to introduce you to!"


    Julian merely scoffed in response to this, before declining the offer.


    "No thanks, Ick the emotional energy to entertain strangers who I have nothing inmon with. I barely have the means to deal with you on a daily basis, let alone with your friends."


    Mizuno Ai immediately pouted as she saw that her friend was being stubborn, and quicklytched onto his wrist, forcing him away from the snack table and towards her high society friends. It was clear that a pleb like him felt out of ce at such a wealthy party.


    Ai could not believe the man waspletelycking in formal attire, especially at his age, and had spared some expense, making sure he was well groomed and presentable for the asion. Still, she found his ufortable expression to be cute and forced him to mingle with some friends she had grown up with.


    After thinking about this, Itami began to chuckle. The words "Ick the emotional energy to deal with strangers who I have nothing inmon with" could adequately express her current state. She always wondered how Julian could be so cold-blooded towards people he was not acquainted with, but she realized now how exhausting it could be to care about the whims and wishes of an entire world. She finally understood the man''s thoughts as she muttered the words he had previously said to her in many of their most heated arguments.


    "Only an idiot would expend their mental energy on something as stupid as caring about the lives of people they don''t even know..."


    Julian had said these words when Ai was vocally outraged by a specific case of alleged police brutality that had sparked riots across the country. At the time, she was furious with the man for hisck of empathy and his tant disregard for human life. Now that she was a ruler in her own right, she was starting to understand this sentiment.


    Aftering to power in this world, Itami had finally realized just how urate this statement was. She was beginning to feel like there was someone more fit to be reincarnated into this world, and assume a position of power. Unfortunately, she knew it was improbable that Julian had ended up in a simr state as her, and could only dream to reunite with him once more.

 Chapter 733 Landing in South Africa

    Chapter 733 Landing in South Africa


    A young Bantu man by the name of Bakari stood on the shores of the southernmost coast of Africa. He was the son of his tribe''s chieftain and was next in line to inherit his father''s position. Currently, he was gathering shells with the intention of trading them to the tribe''s craftsman in exchange for the item which the local hunter desired for his meat.


    Africa was arge continent with many diverse cultures, however after you reached a certain point southward of the Sahara, they devolved from fledgling civilizations to hunter-gatherer tribes. Because of this, the idea of currency was foreign to Bakari and his people. Instead, they relied on the more primitive system of bartering.


    While collecting the shells on the sandy beaches of South Africa, Bakari noticed something in the distance on the water''s surface. He tried his best to gaze into the ocean, but could not make out what the foreign object was. However, the longer he stared at it, therger the object became. Naturally, as a primitive tribesman, Bakari did not understand basic mathematics and was incapable of calcting the distance between him and this giant vessel.


    As time passed, more of these ships became visible, and soon Bakari could see the smoke that their engines produced. Such a strange sight bewildered the young man. He had no idea what these strange objects were, or what purpose they served. However, as they drew near, Bakari decided to hide behind arge rock, not knowing whether these alien devices were hostile.


    Eventually five armored frigates and three transport vessels became visible as Bakari struggled to understand what he was witnessing. It was not until they had anchored in the bay, and dropped theirnding craft, did the man understand that these were veryrge boats, carrying people from a foreignnd.


    The people who were on board these vessels were strange to the African tribesman. They had pale skin, golden hair, and blue eyes. Their features were more angr and refined than his own, and they stood quite a bit taller than him.


    These foreigners were dressed in clothing that was not just grass skirts and animal hides like his own people wore. Instead, they adorned borate arid pattern uniforms and wore painted metallic hats, while wielding strange weapons. Or at least Bakari thought these items were weapons, based upon how the men carried them.


    At the head of these soldiers was a one eyed man, dressed in a far more borate uniform than his standard soldiers, and by his side was the most beautiful woman that Bakari had everid eyes on. She was dressed in a simr sense of fashion as the soldiers, but with a skirt and knee-high boots instead of trousers.


    Bakari could hear the one eyed man give orders to his warriors, though thenguage was unknown to him and because of this he could notprehend anything they were saying. One thing was certain, judging by the weapons these men carried, they were not here for peaceful purposes. Thus, the young man used the first chance he could get to silently slink off and towards his vige in an attempt to warn them of what he had witnessed.


    ---


    Berengarmanded his troops with a voice filled with authority. He did not want to be surrounded by a thousand screaming african tribesmen, and because of this his first concern was establishing fortifications around their makeshift encampment.


    "I want trenches dug, and the sandbags surrounding them. Make sure to mount the Mk2s at the forward positions! If we get beset upon by natives, I want them to fear the power of German steel!"


    The soldiers were quick to enact Berengar''s orders. Establishing a basic line of defense along the coastline. For many of these men, this was not their first colonial endeavor, and because of this, they were prepared to face whatever thisnd might throw at them.


    Honoria gazed upon thend, where she was quickly nked by Malissa. She and her crew were more familiar with the African continent, and because of this, they had been ordered to apany the German soldiers. Berengar was quick to question the former prostitute about what she knew about this region.


    "Have you ever made contact with any of the local tribes? Do any of your African girls know thenguage of thisnd?"


    Malissa shook her head as she admitted they had only charted the coast and the nearby ind of Madagascar. They had never actually set foot on this soil until now.


    "I''m afraid I don''t have the answers you desire. We only charted the coastline from here to the Arabian Penins. We have never set foot on thisnd, and I doubt my girls know any of the localnguages. I acquired them far more up north from here."


    Berengar sneered in disdain before giving his orders to the privateers.


    "You and your girls will be our support for this operation. You can leave the defense and scouting of the settlement to my soldiers. They are more than capable of fulfilling those duties."


    Malissa was about to tell Berengar to fuck off, when Honoria raised her hand and smiled before epting her orders.


    "As youmand, your majesty..."


    After saying this, she dragged Malissa to the side and scolded her.


    "Are you out of your goddamn mind? That is the kaiser you were about to curse out! Have you been away from civilization for too long to realize who employs you? If Berengar says to dig a ditch, you dig a ditch. If Berengar says to take care of the cooking, you take care of the fucking cooking! We are not pirates, we are privateers and explorers in service to the German crown!"


    Malissa wanted to rebuke Honoria''s words, but she could only bow her head in response. She knew Honoria was right, and did not understand why she wanted to yell at Berengar back there. Perhaps Honoria was right, she had been given too much freedom to operatetely, that she did not like the idea of epting anyone else being in control.


    She had to admit it was good having Honoria back in charge. The woman had a better head for politics than she did. Thus, she apologized for her intentions before falling in line.


    "I''m sorry, I''m just not used to being given orders these days..."


    Honoria pat the woman on the back, and gave her a reassuring smile before informing her of how this job was going to go down.


    "We are under the direct employ of the Kaiser, and are working beneath him for his colonization efforts in the region. So just be a good girl and do what he says. I promise we will be rewarded handsomely for our efforts."


    Malissa nodded her head in silence and began to undertake the tasks given to her. Thus, the German soldiers began to set up their encampment on the coast of South Africa.


    ---


    While Berengar and his soldiers had begun to establish an outpost to begin the process of colonization, Bakari had rushed home to his tribe. Unlike the Mali Empire, there was no architecture to speak of in this vige. Most of the people lived in dung or straw huts. The tribe''s capacity to construct shelters was less than anything Berengar had previouslye across. The word primitive did not even begin to exin the vige.


    There was no palisade, no watchtowers, no great hall, or longhouses. There were only small huts that were spread across the nds. Bakari ran through the vige and towards his father''s hut. He was practically out of breath as he burst through the entrance and alerted his father to what he had witnessed on the beach.


    "Father! Strange men havended on the coast! There are hundreds of them! I think they are hostile!"


    The vige chief was a man named Amani, he as a middle-aged man, who had a considerable amount of body fat. He looked at his son and his worried expression, and struggled toe to terms with the information he was hearing.


    "What are you going on about son? Strange men on the coast? How did they get here? Where did theye from?"


    Bakari was struggling to express his thoughts as he tripped over his words. His mind was working faster than his mouth could keep up with.


    "These men came from the ocean, onrge boats,rger than anything I have ever seen! They wore weird clothing and carried strange weapons. I swear that they had white skin, golden hair, and eyes as blue as the sky! They were tall, and their faces looked nothing like ours. I don''t know where they are from, but their numbers did not suggest they came here with peaceful intentions!"


    This news was concerning to Amani. They had just recently suffered in a war with a neighboring tribe, and now such arge force of foreigners came to theirnds from the ocean? He would need to consult with the vige elders on how to proceed. For now, he did not want panic to set in, and instructed his son to keep this a secret.


    "Son, have you told anyone else about this?"


    Bakari quickly shook his head before speaking up.


    "No, I swear!"


    Amani nodded his head thrice before grabbing hold of his son''s shoulders and lecturing him.


    "Bakari, I don''t want you speaking a word of this to anyone. I need time to speak with the vige elders. If you were to speak to people of these strange foreigners, it will only cause panic. Promise me you won''t speak of this to anyone until I figure out how to deal with these invaders."


    Bakari was dumbfounded by this line of thinking, by his estimate these white men outnumbered their tribe significantly, and it would be best to pack up and move north. However, he nodded his head and agreed to his father''s terms, despite his objection.


    "Very well, if that is what you ask. I shall do it!"


    With this the Germans had established their first outpost in Africa, but the local tribes had realized their presence. Whether first contact with the natives would prove hostile, like in New Swabia, or would be peaceful like New Vienna, and Neuhafen, that had yet to be seen.

 Chapter 734 Target Practice

    Chapter 734 Target Practice


    Night fell, and before Berengar knew it, the earthen fortifications for his base camp were established. A fire was used to eliminate the encampment, as sentries stood watch in the trenches. Despite the ungodly hour, Berengar was not asleep. Instead, he was well awake, coordinating with his scouts on a possible raid of a nearby tribe.


    When Berengar and his men entered an uncharted portion of the world, they treated it as and without the rule ofw. In other words, they considered the area as a hostile zone. Of course, he would not immediately open fire upon first contact, instead he had dispatched his Jaegers to silently observe the tribes from afar.


    With camouge equipment, scoped rifles, and binocrs, they were able to ascertain much information about the nearby native viges. Jaegers, much like the Jagdkommandos, were given priority when it came to modern equipment. Because of this, these men had the most recently designed uniforms and weapons.


    There was even a machine gun team among each toon of Jaegers who were dispatched to Africa. These soldiers operated a modified MG 25, which utilized a stock and pistol grip much like the MG-08/15 of Berengar''s past life. The difference was this weapon was modelled off of the Vickers, so it was considerably lighter weight.


    The camouge smocks and helmet covers that these men wore were based upon the Rhodesian Brushstroke camo from Berengar''s past life. However, it was modified to have a more arid coloration to match the environment of South Africa.


    Berengar currently stood with the officers of his Jaeger corps, and several operatives of his Jagdkommandos, who described everything they had witnessed in great detail. They had even charted the locations of the viges they spotted on a crudely drawn map.


    While the Jaegers surveyed the area, it was the Jagdkommandos who wouldunch the night raid on the nearby vige. Thus, Major Andreas Jaeger was speaking of the operational details and exined the n to Berengar in great detail.


    "To the northeast, at roughly 5 clicks from here, there is a native vige. The Jaegers have reported that they are stone age tribals, much like you had expected. From what we have gathered, they have ess to a limited supply of iron, which is mostly made in the use of their weapons.


    The most we will encounter are primitive t bows that will be incapable of reaching us. Surprisingly, their vige has no defenses to speak of. It is actually amazing to see a vige that ispletely undefended. I can''t tell if these natives have no concept of war, or are simply too stupid to construct a basic palisade.


    Either way, the easiest way to attack the vige is to sit back, deploy a few MGs, a few mortars, and defend them with riflemen. We can fire wantonly into the night, and it will be enough to take out the majority of the vige. With this hostile encampment eliminated the borders of the territory we have imed will be more secure."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement with this n, before giving the orders to initiate the attack.


    "Very well, you may proceed as nned, Major. I look forward to your results. By the time the sun rises, I want this vige that threatens our encampment to be wiped out. If the other nearby viges do not get the message, and refuse to withdraw from thesends, then we will annihte them as well."


    After saying this, Berengar saluted the Squads of Jagdkommandos who would be undertaking this operation, before departing from the war tent, and heading towards his own tent, where Honoria lie in wait for him. While his soldiers massacred a local vige, he would enjoy his time in the loving arms of his beautiful wife.


    ---


    Bakari was drifting off to sleep in his hut, when he noticed a red re out the entry hole. He quickly rubbed his eyes to see if he was seeing correctly, before walking out of the building. In the sky above was a blinding red light. Though it was the illumination caused by a German re, to him it was a foreboding sign of impending doom. As if the gods themselves had warned him that something bad was about to happen.


    Other vigers gazed in astonishment, wondering what such a thing could possibly mean. Nobody knew that the re was used to give the German Jagdkommandos who hid in the brush a means to see their targets. After everyone flooded into the vige, the crack of gunfire ripped into the air, and a nearby pregnant woman was sted through her heart. Her body shredded by the immense power of the 7.92x57mm round.


    Bakari immediately hit the floor, not knowing what was happening. This was not a single shot, but one of many fired from the two machine guns that were employed by the German soldiers. Upon remembering the strange weapons wielded by the pale-skinned foreigners, Bakari could only think that his vige was under attack.


    These thoughts rapidly shed through his mind as gunfire shredded the vigers by his side. He could hear the whistle of bullets as they passed him by and hit the surrounding ground. Just when he thought it couldn''t get any worse, explosions erupted in the vige, as mortar shells fell from the sky, and sted huts to bits. A nearby family was torn apart by the 60mm shell thatnded in their hut. Bakari immediately felt his heart bleed, as he was good friends with the family.


    The chugging of the devil''s paintbrush as it continued to fire its rounds into the vige, caused many of the local tribals to flee for the lives, but what is it so easy to escape a cross fire? Machine guns and snipers mercilessly gunned those who ran down as they fired their shots urately at the fleeing civilians.


    Upon realizing that his vige was doomed, Bakari mustered the courage to rush to his father''s hut in an attempt to force the man to flee with what remained of his people. However, as he approached it, a mortar shellnded on top of the building and sted it to pieces. His father''s severed limbs flew at him and knocked him to the ground.


    The man could not help but scream in horror as his own father''s scorched flesh lie on top of him. He cried profusely as he tossed it away, before running for his life. There was no longer a hint of sanity in the man''s mind. Even though the crowds of people were being gunned down left and right, his only thought was to escape this madness.


    As he was running, Bakari was eventually knocked over by another man, and then trampled upon by the fleeing people. Before his consciousness faded, he witnessed the merciless ughter of his people as they ran over his body in a search of safety. Then, with a sudden stomp on the face, his lights went out.


    ---


    Andreas Jaeger gazed at the scene of the massacre andughed. The vige was lit aze, and bodies were strewn across thend. He had fought his fair share of foreigners in his tenure as a special operations soldier. From the battlefields of Europe to the rainforests of the Aztec Empire, and the mighty woonds of New Vienna. This man had been deployed all over the world and had killed many enemies.


    However, in each of those tribes and civilizations he had previously encountered, there was something to be admired. The Algonquin were notable gueri experts; the Aztecs were mighty vers, with a grand architecture that was astonishinglypleted with stone age tools. Even the European Knights were admirable with their chivalry and noble heritage.


    However, these Africans did not have the guile of the Algonquin, nor the savage ferocity of the Aztecs, and certainly not the noble heritage of the European Knights. They were truly nothing more than stone age hunter gatherers. To him, this was most certainly not a battle, and could hardly even be called a massacre. In his mind, this was nothing more than a turkey shoot, as if he were hunting wild animals for sport.


    The German soldiers had be arrogant in their superiority, and prideful in their victories. To the people who could conquer thend and sea with engines of steam, such primitive tribesmen had no ce in their eyes. Thus, they were far more susceptible to engaging in cruelty against the Bantu peoples of South Africa, then they were elsewhere.


    Berengar ultimately would not mind this practice. He needed thend and resources in the region, and he felt that by exterminating a few viges, he could intimidate those who remained into making a mass exodus northward. To him, victory was all that mattered. Whatever lengths he needed to go through to achieve this was an afterthought.


    Unlike in the Americas, Berengar could not rely on disease to wipe out the majority of natives in South Africa. He would have to find other means to free up thend for his people''s settlement. Ultimately, he had decided to forcefully expel the natives from the region, and the best way to do that was through fear.


    Thus, Berengar in South Africa would wage a campaign of terror that would see hundreds of thousands of natives flee northward beyond the orange river. Whether the disced tribes would band together and resist the German conquest would remain to be seen.

 Chapter 735 Uniting the Tribes Part l

    Chapter 735 Uniting the Tribes Part l


    Bakari awoke with a sore body the morning after the massacre. All around him were dead bodies, some were torn apart by bullets, others were sted into shreds by the mortar fire. The huts that once made up his vige were smouldering ruins. He rose from his lying position with a headache. After all, he had suffered severe head trauma during the attack.


    He could hardly believe his eyes when he witnessed the destruction that had taken ce. This wasn''t a battle, it was a ughter. You see, the African tribes yed at war; theyunched raids here and there, a little of rape and very now and then. But with Berengar''s arrival, he had brought with him a new form of warfare, and that was total war.


    To him, the African tribes who sparsely upied thisnd were a nuisance that needed to be removed. He had no ns to conquer them and incorporate them into his empire, as he had seen in his past life the racial tension and civil strife that resulted from such things. Instead, the Kaiser nned to forcefully remove the Southern African tribes from thend they inhabited and kill all who resisted.


    Bakari could notprehend why such actions were taken against his people, especially when they hadn''t proved hostile. The reality was, Berengar saw their scouting attempts as justification for a hostile takeover. Had they sent a diplomatic delegation to greet these visitors to the continent, Berengar would have found a more covert way to remove them.


    Bakari was at a loss about what to do. His tribe was annihted, and those who may have survived the onught had fled with the winds. The likelihood is the other tribes would enve them. In all honesty, he was better off dead, or such was his thought process. However, upon gazing upon the smouldering ruin of his father''s hut, the young man was filled with fierce resolve to get vengeance upon those whomitted such atrocities.


    Because of this, he did not sit idly by and wait for death to take him. Instead, he proudly rose to his feet. Though his tribe was first to be attacked, it likely wouldn''t be thest. He did not know how many men had attacked his vige or what weapons they wielded, but Bakari believed that with overwhelming numbers, the African tribes could prevail.


    Thus, he began to walk off into the distance, away from his ruined vige. Where did he intend to go? To the nearest tribe, if he could warn them of what had happened, then perhaps he could enlist their help in fighting against this white menace that the seas had birthed. If he could convince this tribe, then maybe he could convince the next one as well, and perhaps the next one after that.


    Days passed before Bakari could arrive at the nearest tribe. After all, his people had not domesticated any beasts of burden, and thus he had to traverse the treacherousndscape on foot. Finally, after a hard journey, where he was forced to forage for food and water to sustain himself, he arrived at the nearest tribe.


    When he approached the border of the vige, the tribesmen were quick to react with caution as they raised their weapons. They had seen the smoke rise in the south, and were unaware of what had happened to Bakari''s tribe. However, one thing was certain: this young man was not of their vige, and thus he was not afforded the kindest greeting. Luckily, they spoke the samenguage, and thus Bakari was able tomunicate with the sentries.


    "Ie from the Mthunzi tribe, we were attacked in the middle of the night, the vige has been ughtered. I came to inform you, so that you don''t suffer the same fate!"


    The sentries gazed at Bakari with a hint of disbelief in their eyes. They were not ustomed to a vige being wiped out entirely, enved? Sure, but what benefit did total annihtion have? That was a waste ofbor. They had a hard time believing this story, but the smoke that urred in the Mthunzi tribe''s direction a few days prior was not something a usual raid would produce. Thus, the lead guard debated with himself for a few moments before nodding his head and allowing ess for Bakari to enter the vige.


    "Very well, we will take you to our chief. He will hear what you have to say."


    Bakari thanked the man before following him deeper into the vige. Eventually, he came to a slightlyrger hut than the rest of the vige lived in and entered its opening. The vige chief was sitting down on the floor of his hut and scratching his back when Bakari entered. He was confused about this unknown visitor''s appearance, but the guard quickly whispered in his ear the young man''s identity. After hearing that Bakari was from the Mthunzi tribe, he was more interested in greeting the visitor, but he wore a dire expression as he did so.?


    "So you are from the Mthunzi tribe? We saw the smoke rising from your vige''s direction a few days ago. We were curious about what had happened, but our scouts have yet to return. Tell me, what has happened to your people?"


    Bakari struggled to hold back the tears in his eyes as he recalled everything that had happened. The attack was so sudden and random that he could not urately pinpoint when it began, and when it ended, but he did his best to exin the details.


    "A few days ago I was on the southern shores searching for shells to trade for some meat. I witnessed strange white-skinned men descend fromrge boats,rger than I have ever seen. They came from the ocean, they were dressed in strange clothes, and wielded strange weapons.


    I immediately reported this information to my father, the vige chief, but he responded by sending scouts to investigate. They never returned. By the time night fell and the sky was dark, they had surrounded our vige without us knowing. It was impossible for me to know how many men they had, but from the devastation they caused, I''d say at least a few thousand.


    In the middle of the night, a red re that lit up the sky above the vige awoke me. The moment after I stepped out of my hut to investigate, I heard the sound of repeated thunder and witnessed my fellow tribesmen being ripped apart from some unknown power. I could see shes in the distance from the hills above. As if the enemy could somehow conjure the elements against my people.


    After witnessing hundreds of my people fall in a matter of seconds, I rushed towards my father''s hut, but it erupted in mes. I have never seen such arge st before, he unfortunately did not survive. After witnessing my father''s death, I panicked, and ran away from the vige like my other tribesmen. They were ruthlessly ughtered as they tried to flee, and I only managed to survive because I was knocked over and trampled upon.


    These white devils wield some form of unimaginable power, and I fear for the safety of the tribes who inhabit thesends if we do note together and do something about them. Mark my words, what happened to the Mthunzi tribe is only the beginning. Soon these devils will spread forth and annihte all who stand in their way. They aren''t human; they are monsters birthed from the sea!"


    The vige chief listened to Bakari''s tale, and was dumbfounded by what he heard. Strange white mening from the oceans, wielding the power of the elements, and ughtering everyone in sight. If this news was urate, it did not bode well for his tribe. However, he could not believe the words of a man who might very well be suffering from delusions after witnessing a natural disaster. As a wise and prudent man, he would have to investigate these ims. Thus, he sighed heavily beforeying his hand on Bakari''s shoulder.


    "It sounds like you have seen a lot. You are wee to stay in my vige for the time being. As for your ims, I will investigate them thoroughly. If what you have said is true, then we must warn the other tribes of these sea people''s existence. If they truly possess such unfathomable power, and are bent on our destruction, then we can only band together to stop them."


    Bakari sighed in relief when he heard this. It was good that he was not outright dismissed as a madman. Still, he felt that investigating the matter would only lead to further disaster. If the various tribes of South Africa did note together soon, then he feared this unknown menace would eradicate them.


    Just like that, the Germans gained the nickname of sea peoples and white devils by the natives of Southern Africa. When Berengar learned of this, he wouldugh, remembering the history of ancient bronze age where an unknown force of raiders from across the sea, known only by the term "sea peoples" caused the copse of most major civilizations across the Mediterranean through conquest. He felt such a term was appropriate for his German soldiers and would embrace it for propaganda purposes.

 Chapter 736 Setting Up a New Colony

    Chapter 736 Setting Up a New Colony


    In the days that followed their attack on the Mthunzi tribe, the German Jaegers and Jagdkommandos were busy scouting out the territory. They rode horses through the South African ins, looking for resources to seize and targets to attack.


    While the special operations units were out scouting the region, the individual German soldiers, and the members of the Imperial Guard conducted their daily operations, whether that was sentry duty, or construction, they all worked together to build a proper settlement on the shores of Southern Africa.


    Honoria and her crew acted as support. Whether it was washing clothes, preparing meals, or loading ammunition into stripper clips, and machine gun belts, they continued to conduct their duties, albeit with a bit of an attitude.


    Elfrun was in the middle of making a meal alongside Honoria and Malissa with the rations they were given. She could not help butment on the state of things, and her disappointment in this expedition.


    "I can''t believe we''re being treated like a bunch of housewives by these damned soldiers. Where does the Kaiser get off, making us doundry and prepare food? We are explorers, and privateers, not maids!"


    Honoria frowned when she heard this before flicking the young woman on the forehead. She was displeased with the girl''s words, even if she herself was disappointed by their assignments. She reminded the girl where her loyalties lied with a stern voice.


    "The Kaiser''s orders are absolute. Remember, we are bound in service to the Crown. If he wants us to do menial tasks as the colony is set up, then that is what we will do! Don''t forget that we owe everything we have to Berengar!"


    Elfrun pouted when she heard such a harsh rebuking, but she did not say another word. She knew that without the support of the German crown, then they would have no ships, no weapons, no training, or the freedom to explore as they saw fit. All of their wealth was a result of being licensed by the Kaiser.


    It was at this moment that a gunshot resounded throughout the camp, interrupting the girls'' conversation. A sniper posted in the tower was armed with a newly manufactured G25 Rifle, which had a four power scope mounted to it. As a member of the Imperial Guard, he, like the Jaegers and Jagdkommandos, was first to receive the best equipment. The man called out inughter as he sessfully nailed an African Scout with a brutal headshot.


    "Got one!"


    After saying this, he racked the bolt of his rifle, ejecting the spent case out of the guard tower before aiming down his scope once more, checking for more targets. He appeared to be happy with his job as a sentry. After all, as the Imperial Guard expanded its ranks into arger paramilitary organization, they had be moremonly deployed to dangerous theaters of war.


    The man was dressed in an arid uniform based on those used by the German Afrika Korps of Berengar''s past life. While the Jaegers and Jagdkommandos woreplex camouged pattern smocks and helmets. The average german soldier and imperial guardsman were wearing pith helmets, field caps, blouses with rolled-up sleeves, and a pair of shorts. Along with long boots and canvas load bearing equipment.


    Berengar wore a simr uniform as the sniper as he boldly walked through the encampment nked by a few of his engineers. They were in the process ofying the foundation for the star fortress that would act as the primary defensive structure of the colony. He was quick to point out the ws in the n they had initially established as he chastised them for theirck of ingenuity.


    "Your fatal w in this design is ack of protection from the ocean. Who is to say that the colony does note under bombardment by a hostile fleet? We need anti ship batteries spread across the coastline fortifications! We have the means to import such weapons from the Fathend, so don''t tell me it is not a possibility!"


    The lead engineer held his head low. With the state of the world''s naval power, he honestly did not believe that such advanced artillery on the coastline was necessary. He wanted to argue that against wooden vessels small scale artillery like the 7.5cm FK 25 that was recently introduced would be more than enough to destroy it.


    However, Berengar was insistent that the coastal fortifications have firepower capable of taking out their ironds, or perhaps even the newer Linde-ss Battleships that had not even been produced yet. For what reason the Kaiser had such desires, the engineer did not know, but he was not going to deny an order from the monarch.


    Berengar was slightly paranoid after learning he might not be the only reincarnator in this world. Though it was unlikely, as he had learned, the cost to reincarnate an individual from another world was great to the deity who caused it. He knew it was possible that someone else had entered this world and could create a threat to his Empire and its colonies. Thus, he ensured that coastal defenses could take out battleships if necessary.


    Obviously, he did not educate his engineers on his fear of this potential reality, and instead was simply insistent that the Colonies be defended against any possible threat, including a rogue German fleet. However unlikely such a threat may be. Thus, the Engineers were forced to redesign the coastal defenses from scratch to amodate therger and more powerful coastal batteries.


    After lecturing these Engineers, Berengar returned to the base camp, where Honoria was serving food to the soldiers. The men of the German Army were happy that such beautiful women were feeding them. However, the women themselves wore forced smiles as they served the meals. Clearly, they were not pleased by being ordered to perform suchmon tasks.


    Berengar stood in line, like every other man, but when the soldiers noticed the Kaiser was among their ranks, they parted ways for him voluntarily. No matter how hungry a man was, they would never allow the Kaiser to wait in line for food like themselves. Thus, Berengar was rapidly thrust to the front of the ranks, where he held out his tray so that Honoria could give him some food.


    "Well Honoria, my love, it seems that you are enjoying yourself."


    Honoria sighed at the man''s sarcastic remark before plopping the food onto his tray. She could only respond with a forced smile as she heard these words. ?


    "Of course, I will always enjoy whatever task my Kaiser demands of me!"


    Berengar smirked when he saw the woman force herself to be respectful before giving her his honest opinion.


    "Cut the crap and get your fine ass to my lunch table. I''m sure another one of your girls can cover your shift for you."


    Honoria bit her lip in guilt as she gazed over at the other girls who were ring daggers at her. They could not believe she was about to leave them to continue these household chores while she enjoyed a meal with her husband. However, ultimately the Kaiser''s orders were absolute, and she quickly obeyed. Serving herself up a te before following her man to the table he sat at.


    Much like Berengar and his soldiers, Honoria and her privateers were dressed in the same arid pattern uniform. Albeit they did not wear the insignia of the Army of Imperial Guard, but rather their own special logo. Berengar sat across from Honoria and dined on the food she had prepared,plimenting her for her efforts as he did so.


    "You have done well Honoria, I know it doesn''t seem like it, but the jobs you girls are doing are great for morale. The men love having a pretty face perform their chores for them. We are far away from home, and in an aliennd, surrounded by hostile savages. So you girls should take pride in your work."


    Honoria sighed when she heard this. She knew the tasks they were doing had a purpose to fulfill, but she still felt like a housewife when she did them. A fate she had gone through great lengths to escape. Berengar could tell she was disappointed with this expedition and decided to cheer her up with some good news.


    "I hope that trench gun of yours is well maintained, because I''m going to be setting out soon on a quest. I want you to be part of it."


    The word quest immediately intrigued Honoria, and she quickly inquired about the details.


    "A quest? We have only just arrived, and you''re already setting out. What for?"


    Berengar smirked as he said this before taking a drink from his canteen. After doing so, he proudly dered his intentions.


    "Since I was a small child, there was one species I wished to take as a pet. Unfortunately, thews and restrictions back home were not exactly kind to the idea. Thus, I was never able to achieve this dream. However, I have been reborn in a world where I can make my own rules. Now that I am here in Africa, I intend to take a leopard cub as my pet, and bring it back to the fathend where I can personally tame it as it grows."


    Honoria''s jaw dropped when she heard this. She could not believe the man was talking about kidnapping a big cat cub and taking it back to the fathend to raise as his own. That was a seriously stupid and dangerous idea. But, if anyone could achieve it, it would be Berengar.


    The idea of traversing deep behind enemy lines to snatch a little kitten away from its mother filled her with excitement. It was certainly better than anything she had nned around the encampment. With this in mind, she nodded her head emphatically before agreeing to her husband''s request.


    "Say no more, I''m in! Just tell me when we are heading out?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this before speaking of his ns further.


    "The day after tomorrow, we will set out with apany of soldiers. Two machine guns, two mortars, and a bunch of rifles. As well as a few supply wagons to maintain them. It should be enough to annihte any savage war band wee across."


    Honoria nodded her head in agreement, but also pleaded for a condition of her own.


    "Just promise me I can take some of my girls with me. They''re dying for some action!"


    Berengar thought about it for a moment before lifting two fingers.


    "I will permit you to bring two squads. The rest have to stay behind."


    Honoria was pleased with this, and kissed her man on the lips before whispering in his ears.


    "Thanks daddy!"


    After saying this, she ran off. Having finished her meal, she intended to give her crew the good news. Berengar could only watch her fine ass bounce as it hurried away from him. He gazed off into the horizon with a smile on his face. Finally, after two lives, he would be able to im his prize.

 Chapter 737 Uniting the Tribes Part ll

    Chapter 737 Uniting the Tribes Part ll


    Darkness descended from the sky as the clouds covered the moon and its light. So much so that the only form of illumination came from the fires of the German encampment. In the distance scouts, from the tribe that Bakari had visited were searching for their missingrades. It had been days since the vige chief had dispatched men to observe the white devils and their actions.


    Yet, despite this, they never returned. The reason for this was simple: they were spotted and shot by the snipers who stood atop the German watchtowers. Such was the fate of any African who was foolish enough to approach the newly founded German colony. Berengar had no tolerance for espionage, and would eliminate anyone who came close to his borders without mercy.


    The African tribesmen who came to look for their lost scouts blended into the night with their dark skin, and because of this, the German soldiers could not easily spot them in the poorly illuminatedndscape. Thus, they were lucky enough to escape the wrath of the snipers who acted as the first line of defense of the colony.


    The man in charge of these scouts was a rtively tall, and muscr man for an African, however,pared to the German soldiers who were better fed, and had superior strength and conditioning training, he was severelycking in stature. He wore the skin of a leopard as he stalked through the darkness, leading his men towards the German encampment.


    The camp that the Germans stayed within was well fortified, with earthen fortifications and a trench system in ce. Static machine guns were mounted in the trenches, whichprised a mixture of the newly produced MG 25s, and the older hand cranked Mk 2 Schmidt Guns. The soldiers in the trenches kept a watchful eye into the darkness, in case they came under attack.


    The somewhat muscr African approached a nearby brush, where he found the corpse of one of the scouts they had sent earlier. The power of the 7.92x57mm cartridge that had been used to take his life sted his head into mincemeat. He waspletely unrecognizable, and yet, the African knew him to be a member of his tribe.


    The man mourned the passing of his fellow tribesman before he took a gaze at the watchtower that sat far away from his position. Such a vast distance between him and the German camp was astonishing to see. If a German were to witness this, they would immediately recognize that they were standing roughly 1200 meters away from the camp. Of course, to the African, it was really just a long distance, as precise units of measurements were an alien concept to his people.


    To him, there was no feasible way for the white devils to kill his tribesman at such a distance. Because of this simple disbelief, he made a critical error in his assumptions and believed the Germans had killed the scout in meleebat. In his mind, only the repeated use of a blunt weapon could inflict such grievous wounds. Either way, he felt as if he had aplished his mission as he realized why the scouts had failed to report their findings. He quickly gathered the other warriors in his squad and informed them of his findings.


    "Lunga is dead. Whoever killed him smashed his head into pieces. I suspect the other scouts are dead as well. We should quickly report this news to the Chief. It is clear that these people from the sea are not here with peaceful intentions."


    The warriors nodded their heads in agreement with this notion before absconding into the night back towards the vige they hade from. They would not risk staying around and taunting death to im their lives.


    Another few days had passed, and the scouts arrived in the vige. Where they were quick to find the chief who was in a meeting with Bakari and the chief of another tribe. It would appear they were in a heated discussion about a recent conflict the other tribe had with the German soldiers.


    "These white devils have been stalking and killing our hunters and foragers when they leave the vige in search of food. We fear that they intend tounch an attack on our vige soon. I understand you are waiting to hear back from your warriors about your missing scouts, but we need to take action now. Or else these sea people will kill us all!"


    When the somewhat muscr African entered the room, the gathered chieftains fell quiet, as the leader of this vige spoke up inquiring about what his warriors had learned.


    "Any news on the missing scouts?"


    The African warrior nodded his head as he gritted his teeth. He exined the situation as best he could, but it was still a confusing prospect.


    "I found Lunga, his head was smashed into bits. He was likely ambushed as he observed the encampment from afar. His wounds suggest a blunt instrument was involved. Such as a club or a rock!"


    Bakari knew this was a bunch of hogwash. He had personally witnessed the range and detestation the German weapons could cause to human flesh, and was not afraid to speak up about his opinion.


    "I doubt they used a blunt instrument. These people are capable of conjuring thunder and fire to kill their enemies. I don''t know how far away the enemy was when they attacked my vige, but the fire spitting from their position suggests that their powers have a far greater range than our bows. I would not doubt if the enemy had killed this Lunga from the safety of their encampment.


    With the attacks on the Mthunzi tribe, and the Zama tribe''s hunters, as well as the murder of your scouts, we can safely say that these white devils are a threat to our very existence. It is my suggestion that we contact the other tribes in the area ande together to discuss how we are going to expel these invaders from ournds!"


    The chieftain of this vige was a man by the name of Ukuza, and his tribe was named Lwazi. He was skeptical of Bakari''s ims, especially after his warriors rolled their eyes at the idea that the enemy could conjure the elements to fight for them. Clearly, they had not witnessed such a thing on their journey. However, it was no doubt that these invaders posed a significant threat to the local tribes. If that was the case, he may find it in his heart to negotiate with his long-standing rivals to a temporary peace, so that they can drive the white menace from theirnds.


    He sighed heavily before nodding his head in agreement. Though he did not want to do it, establishing a temporary alliance with the rival tribes so that they coulde together and resist the German onught was the best case solution. Thus, the man responded to Bakari''s ims in affirmation.


    "Though I doubt your ims to be urate. I must admit that I can no longer deny the threat these foreigners pose to our collective existence. It is time that wee together and put aside our differences for the time being, so that we can focus on a greater enemy! I will send word to the other tribes. By now, they too must have investigated the white devils. Surely they will havee to the same conclusion as us."


    Bakari was frustrated that nobody took him seriously, but at least the chiefs of the Zama and Lwazi tribes took the threat of the white devils seriously. He believed that together, the Southern African tribes could possess the power to drive the Germans from thesends. Of course, he was unaware of the actual power of the German military, or the fact that Berengar nned to use this colonial conflict as a testing ground for some of his more atrocious weaponry.


    However, if Bakari could unite the tribes south of the Orange river, he could have tens of thousands of warriors beneath hismand. With such arge military force, he believed he could overwhelm the small numbers of German soldiers who currently existed in the region. Of course, such thinking was on par with Berengar''s past enemies, who underestimated the value of rapid-fire weapons.


    One thing was certain, the African tribes would not go quietly into the night. They would fight against their German invaders with everything they had. After all, Berengar had made his intentions clear. There was no room in Southern Africa for the local poption. It would be a German colony, regardless of how many troops Germany had to funnel into the region, or how many people they needed to kill.

 Chapter 738 The Worlds First Weapon of MassDestruction

    Chapter 738 The World''s First Weapon of MassDestruction


    Jakob was sitting in the middle of the Kufstein royal armory''s testing field, which had been quarantined off for the use of a new and secretive weapon. While Berengar had set out on a quest to tame southern Africa, he had given orders to Jakob and his band of scientists to develop two new devices. Thus, he had been working hard with the Kufstein chemistry department to deliver a finished project that was capable of undergoing field trials in Southern Africa.


    In Jakob''s hand was the fifth prototype he had designed for a functional Gas Mask. This device was made with help from Berengar''s writings, describing the materials needed for its use, and how it should function. This mask was based upon a crude drawing resembling the M38 Gas Mask that the Germans used in WWII of the Kaiser''s past life.


    The reason Berengar had not yet deployed chemical weapons on the battlefield was actually really simple. Until recently, hecked ess to rubber, which was required to make a decent gas mask. However, because of trade with the Aztec Empire, he could now gain vast deposits of the material. Thus, he intended to make full use of his new rubber supply to manufacture gas masks for his troops in the field.


    This mask came in two colors. One was feldgrau, the other was Khaki. These colors were intended for use in woond and arid environments. The mask''s cannister was made using an activated charcoal filtration system. Until now, the efficiency of the various gas mask prototypes had been determined through human trials by using prisoners sentenced to death as test subjects.


    After extensive trial and error, over the span of months, Jakob and his scientists produced the first ever functional gas mask. Naturally, with the invention of the gas mask, so too were the first chemical weapons created.


    Currently, Jakob was watching a group of German Soldiers wearing gas masks as they prepared tounch a 75mm artillery shell from one of the older FK 22 Field Guns. Considering these guns used the same shells as the new FK 25 Field Guns, they felt as if this would be an urate demonstration about the current and future capabilities of these projectiles.


    These were no ordinary High Explosive shells, instead these shells were designed to disperse a chemical agent known as chlorine gas. The shell made use of an explosive agent that was small enough to explode the shell. Once it detonated, the chlorine gas would spread through the air and kill anything that it made contact with that was unprotected against chemical weapons.


    Despite the fact that the targets were far away from the artillery crew or even the observers. Everyone present wore a gas mask as they witnessed the first ever use of a chemical weapon. The target was a group of twelve prisoners who had been sentenced to death. With the wave of a hand, Jakob signalled for the shell to be fired.


    The artillery crew pulled the string and fired off the artillery shell towards its target. Making use of the newly manufactured proximity fuses that allowed the shell to burst in the air, the chemical shell flew towards its target and blew up mid air, spreading the poison gas around the prisoners who were chained to nearby posts.


    Immediately after inhaling the Chlorine gas, the prisoners suffocated, as their lungs were poisoned by the chemical. They choked, sneezed, cried, and ultimately died a miserable death, with strained expressions on their faces. Before long, the toxic cloud dispersed with the wind, and only after the situation was deemed safe did the soldiers operating the test and the observers take off their masks.


    Ludwig was present for the observation, despite getting close to retirement. He wanted to witness onest demonstration before handing in his resignation to the Kaiser. He was truly astounded by the lethality of this weapon, and how effective it would be in annihting any enemy Germany came across. If one did not wear special protection, they were as good as dead, and only Germany had ess to this protection. It was the ultimate agent of death, and Ludwig, being a man from a bygone era, feared it.


    However, when he gazed upon his son, who had a proud smile on his face, he could not help but fear what the German Empire was bing. Rumors of increased brutality on the battlefields in the colonies had reached the old man''s ears. Yet now the department he had helped found was developing such horrifying weapons.


    Ludwig was beginning to wonder if the Kaiser had gone mad in the pursuit of his ambitions. Weapons such as these could wipe out entire cities with little effort. In the mind of the aging weapons engineer, such devastating devices of war should not be possessed by mankind.


    However, before he could assert his view to his son, that he had created something that should never have been developed. Logistics officers surrounded Jakob. These men were from the Army, and Imperial Guard who wanted to congratte him on his newest design, and inquire about when they could field such magnificent weapons on their own branches.


    "Mr. Schmidt, you have done a great service for your country. Not only have you developed a terrifyingly effective new weapon, but you have even developed a countermeasure to it in order to ensure the safety of our soldiers and civilians. I must say, I am most pleased with this result. If I may ask a question? When can you begin mass production of these so-called gas masks and chlorine shells?"


    Jakob had a proud smile on his face as he shook the logistic officer''s hand before revealing his ns for these new devices.


    "It is the intent of the Kufstein Royal Armory to begin production of these devices in theing weeks, and begin shipment to the South African theater in the next two months. The Crown has approved these gas masks and chemical shells for use in field testing within his current campaign. Apparently, he wants to be rid of the local savages as quickly as possible.


    I must say, as much work as I have done, none of this would have been possible without the expert findings of Count Aldo von Passau. He and his magnificent department of chemists have created the chemical agents necessary to test the gas masks, and to be employed in the shells."


    Aldo von Passau was nearby, sitting next to Ludwig. Though he had overseen the chemical weapons project, he was horrified by its result. He had started learning alchemy at a young age to help save lives, and his efforts in the field of chemistry since he swore his loyalty to Berengar had done just that. However, this was the first time his research was used to such a chilling effect. He regretted offering his assistance in this endeavor now that he knew Berengar intended to use it on the battlefield against both military and civilian targets.


    Ludwig could tell by the gaze in Aldo''s eyes that the man had the same thought process as him, but unfortunately, the two old men could only smile and wave. The development of chemical weapons came at the behest of the Kaiser. If the Monarch wanted these weapons to be used against civilian targets, then no amount of protest would stop him. Not that anyone outside of the scientificmunity would even protest the use of these weapons.


    Berengar was revered among his people. So much so that he was practically a living god. He had led them to such great progress that the people no longer doubted his judgement. As long as Berengar said that the savages they used these weapons against deserved such inhumane treatment, then the people of Germany would be shouting in the streets in support of the Army and its Commander-in-Chief.


    On this day, January 7th 1426 in the year of our Lord. Approximately nine years after Julian Weber had reincarnated into this world. Germany had created the world''s first weapon of mass destruction. A weapon that would see mass use in the removal of the South African tribes from theirnds, and cause the deaths of millions in the years toe.

 Chapter 739 The Great Safari Adventure

    Chapter 739 The Great Safari Adventure


    Berengar loaded a stripper clip into his G25 Bolt-Action Carbine before mming the bolt home. All five rounds of his 7.92x57mm ammunition were effortlessly loaded into the internal magazine. After doing so, he flipped the safety before slinging the weapon on his back.


    He was dressed in an arid pattern uniform, with a khaki blouse that had its sleeves rolled up, a pair of khaki shorts, and a pair of brown leather ankle boots that had a canvas ankle support. His load bearing equipment was made of a mixture of canvas and brown leather, and housed his ammunition pouches, canteen, bay, and entrenching tool. Adorning his head was a khaki pith helmet in the style that would have been used by the German Afrika Korps during his past life.


    He was not the only one dressed in such fashion, the soldiers of his Imperial Guard who were selected to apany him on this journey were also dressed in this uniform. As was Honoria, who skillfully adorned her pith helmet over her chocte colored hair with a cutesy smile on her face. She struck a fashionable pose before asking her husband for his opinion of her appearance.


    "How do I look?"


    Berengar smiled as he gazed upon the beauty of his Byzantine Princess and nodded his head thrice before making a joke he had heard on an old cartoon from his past life.


    "Like a cheap French harlot..."


    Honoria''s smile immediately soured as she gazed at her man with fury in her mint green eyes. Berengar was forced to calm the woman''s wrath as he assured her he was only joking.


    "I''m only kidding... In truth, you look like a beautiful war goddess!"


    Despite the man''s shameless actions, his woman was pleased after hearing his true thoughts andtched onto his arm with the same smile she previously wore on her pretty face. Berengar was forced to shrug her off, as his soldiers were ring at him. Why was it they couldn''t bring along a pretty girl to apany them in their tents during campaigns? Such were the thoughts on their minds as they gazed in envy at their emperor.


    After shaking Honoria off of him, Berengar made sure their supplies were properly packed. Unlike Berengar, Honoria favored the Trench gun. She had packed several powerful slugs in case they came across some particrlyrge game that needed putting down. It wasn''t a 700 Nitro Express, but if she m fired her entire tube''s worth of slugs into a rampaging elephant''s skull, Berengar doubted it would endure.


    After ensuring that he and his troops were properly prepared, Berengar mounted his steed and snapped the reins, propelling him out of the encampment and into the South African ins. He did not have the slightest idea how he would find a leopard cub, or how he would snatch it from his mother''s protection, but he was determined to do so.


    Thus, apany of soldiers and two squads worth of female privateers rode off into the prairie with no support from the forward operating base that had been established along the coastline. As they rode through the ins, they noticed all sorts of wildlife that waspletely alien to the German soldiers.


    The sight of Giraffes astounded Honoria in particr. She did not know how the animals had grown such long necks. Berengar simply smiled when he saw the splendor of the young woman''s face. Despite travelling all over the world, and seeing many sights, the woman could still admire the beauty of nature when she saw it.


    Many of the more hostile creatures, such as African Wild Dogs and Hyenas, maintained their distance from therge group of humans. Perhaps they were fearful of the strange creatures these humans rode upon, or perhaps they simply knew they were no match for the humans, but they generally sprinted when they saw the German host trod by.


    That is, aside from one particr pack of hyenas who appeared to be stalking the German host throughout their journey. Perhaps it was because he watched too much Lion King when he was still a child in his past life, but Berengar was not particrly fond of hyenas.


    Thus, as he witnessed the mutts stalking him and his party, he decided to take a few potshots at the beasts through his scope. The crackle of gunfire, and the whizzing of the bullets as they passed over the creature''s heads was enough to spook them off. Honoria frowned at Berengar when she saw him deliberately intimidating the local wildlife and chastised him for his behavior.


    "Why would you do that?"


    Berengar could not openly admit that he always hated hyenas, as his soldiers might overhear and jump to conclusions, thus, he simply scoffed before making an excuse.


    "Something about the way those beasts look pisses me off."


    Honoria could already guess that it had something to do with his past life, and didn''t question him any further about his hostile actions. Thus, the party continued on their journey, searching for any sign of a leopard. Unfortunately, they ended up travelling aimlessly into unexplored territory. After several hours of getting lost in the wilds, Berengar decided to give the horses a rest and establish a camp.


    The group of German soldiers ended up camping on a teau within the mountains. Berengar deployed two squads of men to act as sentries and to maintain a perimeter while the rest of them set up their tents and prepared the meals that they would eat. While the German soldiers dined upon their meals in the darkness, a pair of blue eyes flickered on the rock cropping above.


    The beast who it belonged to carefully observed the foreigners who had trespassed into itsnds, with a hint of intelligence in its eyes that a wild animal such as it should not normally possess. It could urately pinpoint who was the leader among them, and could sense a special aura about him. Luckily, the darkness was enough to conceal its spotted hide as it slowly prowled about, keeping a watchful eye on its target.


    There was something about the one eyed man it found to be distasteful. Though it could not understand thenguage he spoke, it couldprehend the human bodynguage, and could sense that Berengar hade to this mountain range with a purpose in mind. One thing was certain, this human wore the mark of a foreign deity, and this cat could smell it from a mile away.


    Why the gods of a foreignnd would interfere in the mortal in, the beast did not know. It was not his ce to question the higher beings. However, there was no mistaking that Berengar''s presence in thesends was clearly an act of hostility, and thus, after observing Berengar and his party''s actions for several hours in silence, the cat slithered off into the night to report back to its master.


    Roughly five kilometers away from Berengar''s camp, the leopard ascended to the highest peak of the mountain, where clouds had gathered at its spire. Above these clouds was a round hut made of rainbow arches. Upon reaching this structure, the leopard roared, signalling to its master it had returned. The moment this sound echoed in the air, another leopard exited from the hut where it gazed upon the familiar beast before shape-shifting into a busty African beauty.


    This woman had long, braided hair and skin as ck as night. She looked curiously at the leopard before questioning its sudden return. It was not often that her familiar visited her, as the beast had a bit of an icy persona.


    "Azisa, why have you returned so soon?"


    The beast named Azisa growled and roared for several minutes. By the expression on the woman''s face, she could clearly understand the creature as if it were speaking the samenguage she was ustomed to. Her brow raised as she heard this, before repeating what the leopard had said, as if she was questioning what she was hearing.


    "You say a one eyed man with golden hair, white skin, and blue eyes has entered thesends in search of something, and that he carries with him the boon of a foreign deity? What bastard has sent his toy into my domain? I will get to the bottom of this at once!"


    After saying this, the woman transformed back into the form of a leopard, where she spoke in the human tongue, giving her familiar amand.


    "Lead me to these intruders. I will see for myself why they have decided to disturb me!"


    The male leopard who acted as this the familiar of this goddess felt its spine tingle as he heard that the woman wanted to personally investigate this matter. However, amand was amand, and the orders of the goddess were absolute. Thus, he could only sigh before leading the way to Berengar''s camp, where the man currentlyy asleep in his tent.


    Berengar did not know when he set off on this journey that he would intrude on a hostile deity''s territory, or that he would attract her fury. However, one thing was certain, this goddess would not be pleased that Berengar had invaded South Africa with the intent to forcefully remove her people, who had not yet even begun to enter the stage of development they were destined to achieve.

 Chapter 740 The Goddess Descends from theMountains

    Chapter 740 The Goddess Descends from theMountains


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa was a fledgling goddess, who in Berengar''s past life was worshipped by the Zulu. However, the Zulu culture had not yet been established in this world, and because of it, she was not yet worshipped in any significant capacity. At most, a few small tribes would worship her by another name.


    As with most deities she was aware of the natural progression of the timeline, at least in her sphere of influence, and upon hearing that the white man had arrived in south Africa centuries before they were supposed to invade and colonize the region, she became fearful. Especially when she heard that a man with a deity''s boon was leading them. This meant that some deity from a foreignnd had broken a taboo, and brought forth a being from another world to interfere in this one.


    Naturally, shecked the power to do such a thing as her followers were few, and the number of worshippers as well as their unity is what gave a god his power. This is why the Abrahamic God was so weakpared to others who had smaller followings. His worshippers had been killing each other in the name of minor differences in their faith for centuries.


    Though his followers were among thergest in the world, they had undergone multiple bloody schisms so much so that his power suffered because of it. In fact, one could say that Berengar''s invention of the German Reformation had dealt a serious blow to the Abrahamic God''s power.


    Of course, Mbaba Mwana Waresa was not aware of this, and simply descended from the mountain as rapidly as she could. She wanted to see these golden-haired men with her own eyes. Her familiar Azisa led the way, fearful of how she might react. Thest thing he wanted was for a massacre to take ce on his hunting grounds.


    Eventually the Goddess who took the form of a leopard, and herpanion perched upon the cliff above. Gazing upon the oilnterns that the German soldiers hung on posts while standing guard. She was shocked to see the weapons they were carrying, which were more advanced than those used by the British Empire in the Anglo-Zulu War, which saw a disastrous defeat for her people.


    This only confirmed her suspicion that a foreign god or goddess had acted on their impulses and brought a highly skilled individual from the future of another world into this one. There weren''t many deities these days with the power to pull that off.


    The African Goddess wasn''t aware of the Germanic pantheon, unlike the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan who was a goddess of the underworld, and thus knew about the different afterlives and the pantheons that they belonged to, Mbaba Mwana Waresa was a fertility goddess, and naturally was unaware of anything outside her sphere of influence.


    She could only gaze in astonishment at these men, however, she did not see the one eyed man that Azisa had spoken of and because of that, she quickly scolded him.


    "Where is he? The one eye''d man with the boon!"


    Azisa instantly rolled his eyes. This young goddess still had not perfected the powers she currently had, otherwise she would be able to detect her target from a great distance like he was capable of. No wonder why she needed a familiar. Rather than rebuke the woman for herck of power, the leopard instead pointed towards the tent that Berengar was sleeping in with his paw.


    A vicious grin appeared on Mbaba Mwana Waresa''s feline face as she stealthily invaded the camp, by climbing down from the ledge onto a tree below, before skilfully maneuvering her way through the ps of Berengar''s tent. She gazed upon the man as he slept, and the beautiful woman by his side. She had found her target. If she could eliminate this man, then perhaps she could prevent whatever ns he had for thisnd and her people.


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa was still in the form of a leopard and slowly climbed onto the futon where Berengar currently slept. She ended up pressing her face right against his while still maintaining enough distance to avoid physical contact. However, one thing she didn''t ount for was her breath, which assaulted Berengar''s nostrils and woke him from his slumber.


    The Kaiser gazed upon the leopard that was staring right into his eyes with a sh of surprise. He had been searching for a leopard all this time, and yet one had managed to find its way into his tent. Luckily, him waking up had also startled Mbaba Mwana Waresa or else she would have ripped his throat out before he could react. Instead, Berengar instantly grabbed hold of his rifle, whichy next to his futon, and seeded in his attempt to block the woman''s attack.


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa gazed in shock as she bit onto the wooden stock of the rifle with all her strength. The goddess was inexperienced inbat and continued totch onto the rifle, thinking she could bite through it. This gave Berengar just enough time to use it as a fulcrum and wrestle the leopard beneath him.


    It was only after Mbaba Mwana Waresa found herself pinned beneath the naked Kaiser did she realize how badly she had messed up. She quickly released the rifle with her jaws, which only allowed Berengar to use its stock as a weapon as he smashed it against her teeth. Though she was immune to mortal weapons, she could still feel the sting of their attack and instantly yelped as she instinctively transformed back into her human form.


    Berengar gazed in disbelief as he realized he was suddenly sitting atop a naked African beauty. He could hardly fathom what was going on, and immediately screamed at the woman in his native tongue.


    "Who the fuck are you?"


    This awoke Honoria, who had surprisingly slept through the whole conflict. When she saw her husband was sitting naked on top of an African woman who was also in the nude, she began to scream at him.


    "What the hell is going on here!?!"


    Berengar did not know how to exin the situation, nor did he know what to do now that he had the woman pinned. Unfortunately for him, while he was distracted, Azisa had heard themotion, and rolled his eyes, knowing that his young master hadpletely botched her assassination attempt. He immediately forced his way into the tent, where he bit into Berengar''s arm.


    Berengar screamed out in agony as he tried to wrestle the beast''s jaws off of him. However, the beast was determined and bit further into Berengar''s biceps. This gave Mbaba Mwana Waresa the opportunity she needed to flee, and she quickly shape-shifted back into a leopard and hopped out of the tent.


    Berengar was just about to stab his Bay into the leopard''s eye when the beast let go and ran off towards his master. After being released from the leopard''s jaws, Berengar winced in pain, as Honoria cried out for the nearest medic.


    "Medic! Help!"


    The medic that had apanied the party awoke from his slumber upon hearing these screams and rushed into the Kaiser''s tent with his kit in hand. He immediately diagnosed the issue and began to a dress the wound. As a veteran field medic, he knew how to stop the bleeding of punctures andcerations, and did his best to ensure that Berengar''s wound was both sanitized and sealed.


    Truthfully, Berengar got off easily. If the Leopard wanted to, it could have shredded his biceps. However, all it wanted to do was get Berengar off of his master, and thus only punctured into his arm, with enough treatment Berengar would make a full recovery. What needed to happen now was to make sure that he did not get an infection.


    While Berengar was being treated, Mbaba Mwana Waresa and Azisa had fled a great distance, it was only after they had run a few kilometers away, and ensured that they were not being followed that the woman shape-shifted back to her human form and cursed out loud.


    "Holy fuck, what the hell? How did I mess that up so badly? I should have ripped out his throat with my teeth when I had the chance! I''m so stupid!"


    The African goddess paced back and forth as she thought about everything that had happened while muttering her confusion aloud. She seemed to be intently focused on the fact that Berengar was naked, particrly the size of his member.


    "I saw everything! His thing! It was right in my face! Are they supposed to be so big? What am I even thinking? I will kill the bastard the next chance I get!"


    Azisa red at his master as if she were an idiot before roaring loudly. Evidently, whatever he had said offended the goddess as she immediately kicked the leopard and scolded him.


    "Don''t you dare insult me!"


    The familiar whelped as it was kicked aside, before dusting itself off and giving an aloof expression to its master. After doing this, it walked off, leaving Mbaba Mwana Waresa all by herself as she struggled toprehend everything that had happened in such a short time. Upon seeing that she had angered Azisa, Mbaba Mwana Waresa called out to him.


    "Azisa, don''t be like that! Come back here!"


    Unfortunately for the goddess, it was toote to apologize. The beast needed some alone time after being so mistreated. He saved the woman''s ass, and she responded by kicking him? He had better things to do than entertain the petty tantrums of a fledgling goddess. Thus, both parties in the incident were left wondering what the hell had happened after the fact.

 Chapter 741 Fight Until the Very Last!

    Chapter 741 Fight Until the Very Last!


    Berengar sat within the medical tent, back at the forward operating base that had been established on the coast of South Africa. His right bicep had been punctured by the sharp teeth of the highly intelligent leopard and was now being treated by the doctors who had apanied the German expedition. After suffering the attack, Berengar and his hunting party were forced to withdraw back to the coast.


    He was still in confusion after what had happened the night before. However, what bugged him the most was that out of the thousands of lifetimes and their possibilities that he had perceived when he drank from the norn''s well, none of them disyed these events that had just urred.


    The reason for this was because, though Berengar could see many of the possible timelines that could ur as a result of his actions, he failed to see information regarding deities or other reincarnators. This,bined with the fact that the African woman was a shapeshifter led Berengar to believe she was a local deity. However, he was confused about why she was so hostile to him. Was it because of the vige he had massacred? Was she their local deity? If that was the case, then he would retaliate swiftly and decisively.


    An attack on his life, whoever it was from, was something Berengar did not take lightly. In times past, there would be serious repercussions for doing so. However, how he had responded then would pale inparison to the vengeance he had in mind at this moment. The camps'' doctor had prescribed him antibiotics in order to fight an affection, and had made sure that his wound was cleaned, and bandaged properly.


    The arm was ced in a sling, after all, he could barely use it without causing more damage to the appendage. This was not a good look for morale, and because of this, Berengar needed a scapegoat to enact his vengeance upon. Naturally, he could not inform his men of the supernatural nature of his attacker. Instead, he could only pin the me on the local tribes.


    Thus, after ensuring he was in good enough condition to make a speech, Berengar departed from the medical tent, where he gazed upon the thousands of soldiers who had taken part in this expedition. They gathered outside the tent waiting for news on their injured emperor. With a heavy sigh, Berengar announced his current physical state, and began to spin a tale about how he had been attacked.


    "The Doctor says with enough time, and physical therapy, I will make a full recovery. So do not fret, your Kaiser will be back in action soon enough. However, I am troubled. I am sure you are all asking yourselves why that might be the case. The reason for my ire is that during my journey into the mountains, I was attacked in my sleep by a savage woman and her tamed beast.


    This woman brought with her a beast of thend who beset itself upon me in an attempt to not only im my life, but devour me. I struggled to survive the onught on my own, but in the end, I seeded in repelling my attackers. However, this attack has inflicted scars that I will bear for life. Such a thing is not only an insult to my personal honor, but to the Prestige of every German citizen!


    By attacking me in my sleep, these savages have shown that they do not understand nor care for the civilized rules of war. I will not lie. For some time now, the Jaegers and Jagdkommandos who have been acting as our scouts into these foreignnds have been telling me Kaiser, these people are savages, they eat each other; they are not human, or at the very least not civilized humans. We should not afford these cannibals the proper respect that we have given our other opponents.


    To that I have responded with the adage that we must treat our enemies the way we wish to be treated. However, after this incident, I havee to the conclusion that my Jagdkommandos were correct in their perspective. I am here to tell all of you that I will be taking on this war in a manner that I have never conducted warfare in the past.


    And that is to fight until the veryst! They wanted it, so shall they have it! Since these savages seek to destroy us, and dine upon our flesh, then I will show them who shall be destroyed! By attempting to feed me to their beast, they have started a madness that one way or another will see their entire poption annihted! To the savages of thisnd, who shall eventually be extinct, they only have this assassin to me!"


    With this said, the soldiers of Germany who gathered in the encampment let out a cry as they cheered for the devastation that was about to ur in South Africa. Berengar had exaggerated many things in this speech, but he had seeded in his goal of dehumanizing the enemy.


    He had been scheming for some time how to make Germany appear to be the victim in this conflict, and an "unprovoked assassination attempt" on the Kaiser while he peacefully camped in the mountains turned out to be the perfect incident.


    Though Berengar had annihted a vige previously, these tribes had no writtennguage or history, they could never present a counter to Berengar''s portrayal of events in the conflict. History would not judge him for the ethnic cleansing that was about to take ce in thesends, nor would they condemn him for the use of Chemical weapons, after all his defenders would use the excuse that such weapons were new technology, and because of that they were perfectly justified in being used.


    After walking back into the tent where Honoria stood with a worried expression on her pretty face, Berengar smiled and stroked her chocte hair, before informing her that everything would be alright.


    "I''ll be fine. There is no reason to worry. In fact, this attack on my life has given me the perfect excuse to act with excessive cruelty in this conflict. As far as the world is concerned, this was an unprovoked attack on my life. They can''t me me for being merciless when the Africans tried to feed me to a leopard, now can they?"


    Honoria shook her head. She knew the sinister look on Berengar''s face; it was the expression he had whenever he was about to engage in a massacre. She could only sigh as she questioned exactly what he had in mind this time around.


    "What do you intend to do with the natives?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before reprimanding Honoria for her curiosity.


    "You should know better than to pry into my affairs. However, I will by generous and inform you just what I have in mind for this conflict. There are new weapons currently undergoing development in the Royal Kufstein Armory. I intend to make use of this war to explore the depths of how effective these weapons can be. I shall push those few who survive my onught back beyond the Orange River. This should give us more than enough space to colonize thesends in theing decades."


    In his past life, chemical weapons werebelled as weapons of mass destruction and were banned in the use of warfare by the internationalmunity. Should someone break this rule, they would immediately find themselves listed as a war criminal and undoubtedly would be executed upon capture.


    Truth be told, Berengar had limited information on how much destruction chemical weapons could actually cause. After all, they had seen their most use in the Great War, but that was a war fought among peers, who were quickly able to create countermeasures to protect against the new style of warfare. Thus, in his past life, the disastrous effects of chemical warfare had never actually been fully realized.


    To Berengar, South Africa was more than just a treasure trove of natural resources. It was an area where he could act with impunity and conduct trials to see just how effective such weapons could be in the field of battle. Whoever this goddess was, she had fucked up by attacking Berengar. His wrath was something that she could not afford to endure as a fledgling goddess of a culture that did not even exist yet.


    The prospect of these new, experimental weapons frightened Honoria. Especially with how Berengar spoke about them. She did not know what terrifying new device the man had created, but whatever it was, it was sure to cause plenty of casualties. She could only ask one question that appeared within her mind.


    "Should I be worried about these new weapons?"


    Berengar shook his head when he heard this and informed the woman that she would be perfectly safe.


    "Not at all. With the creation of these weapons, I have also developed countermeasures to ensure that our troops are safe from their effects. However, without these counter-measures, anyone whoes into contact with these weapons is almost guaranteed a brutal death."


    Berengar did not know that while he was nning to amass a chemical weapons stockpile so that he could easily drive the South African tribes from the region, the tribal leaders were having a conference about how to deal with the Germans who had trespassed on theirnds. A great African Confederation was about to be born, and it was the direct result of Berengar''s interference with the timeline.

 Chapter 742 Dreams of the Past Part lll

    Chapter 742 Dreams of the Past Part lll


    Months had passed since Mizuno Ai had first started attending Westpoint, and since then, her burgeoning friendship with a young man named Julian Weber had stagnated. Though the two of them spent much time in the library, Julian still considered Ai to be a nuisance, who constantly interrupted his library time.


    Currently, Julian was eating from a cup of microwaveable noodles, as it was the only thing he could really afford to eat on his budget. Ai gazed at him with curiosity, as he seemed to only tolerate the meal. She could not help but ask the question in her mind.


    "Julian?"


    The young man sighed heavily as he heard this interruption from his reading, and slowly ced down his book, where he begrudgingly answered the girl''s question.


    "Yes, Ai?"


    Ai wore a pretty smile as she continued her train of thought.


    "Have you ever had actual Ramen before?"


    Julian shook his head before responding to the young Japanese woman''s question.


    "No, too expensive..."


    It was at this moment that Ai learned something interesting about Julian''s background. He appeared to be very poor. She knew in that moment that she had an opportunity to get closer to the man and quickly insisted on something that Julian had not expected when this conversation began.


    "Then it''s settled. Friday night you areing over to my parents'' house, where I will cook you some actual ramen! It is a crime to only eat cupped noodles every day!"


    Julian responded in a way that Ai was not expecting, as he quickly rejected her offer.


    "No thanks, I''m busy on Friday..."


    Ai was dumbfounded by thisment. Was he fucking kidding right now? A pretty girl asks you toe over and eat her home cooking, and you refuse? How dense was this moron? She forced herself to remain calm as she insisted on this point.


    "I''m not taking no for an answer! I will treat you to a home-cooked meal, and you are going to like it!"


    It startled Julian when the woman sitting across from him suddenly turned so aggressive; he was not ustomed to such behavior from the girl, and sort of sank back into his seat awkwardly. After receiving an intense stare from the girl for more than a few minutes of silence, he sighed heavily before agreeing to her request.


    "Fine..."


    Ai''s expression immediately changed from a glower to a happy smile as she pressed her hands together in excitement.


    "Yay! I am sure you will enjoy it! It will certainly be better than that mass produced crap you''re eating right now..."


    Julian gazed down at his cup of noodles and shrugged his shoulders. Food was food. He did not have the luxury of eating fancy meals at restaurants, and he was used to cooking his own food when he got the chance. However, he had to admit that it would be nice to eat something other than microwaveable noodles for once. Thus, he sighed and nodded his head before getting back to his work.


    ---


    The week came and passed, and finally it was Friday night. Julian had finished his school work at the beginning of the week as per usual, and was free to engage in whatever behavior he chose. Normally, he would spend Friday night in the library, learning about something that interested him. However, he had been invited over to a freshman''s family home so that she could cook him a nice meal.


    Westpoint was strict about living arrangements, and as a freshman, Ai was forced to live in the barracks. Naturally, she did not have a kitchen in her room, nor was she allowed to have a member of the opposite sex over. Thus, she could only sneak out on the weekend and go to her Parent''s ce, which was about an hour away in New York City. Luckily, her parents weren''t home this weekend, and she used it as the perfect time to entertain Julian. Free?ebnovel.c?m.


    Julian arrived at Ai''s family home at precisely the agreed upon time. The girl had been kind enough to send a car to pick him up, and thus he did not have to spend his meager funds on a cab ride to the city. Despite visiting a girl''s home while her parents were away, Julian thought nothing of it, and most certainly did not consider this evening to be a date in any shape or form.


    Ai, on the other hand, had gone all out on her appearance. She picked her cutest clothes to wear for the day, styled her hair in an attractive manner, and put on just the right amount of makeup to make an impression. She had properly set the table for the two of them and had already begun preparing the meal when Julian knocked on the door to the house.


    Ai came from a family with money and naturally had servants who she dismissed for the evening so they would not inform her parents that she had a boy over. When Julian gazed at therge mansion, he was shocked. He did not know that the girl who had been pestering him for some time was a spoiled princess, however; it made sense to him after thinking about it for a few moments.


    When the door opened to reveal Ai, whose appearance was more stunning than usual, Julian was surprised. He believed that a butler, or maid, would receive the guests in a pce such as this. However, Ai thought nothing of it, and wore a pretty smile as she dragged Julian into her house while making a joke about his arrival.


    "You''re actually here! Wee to my family''s home!"


    Julian''s brow raised when he heard this before questioning the girl for her choice of words.


    "What do you mean, I am actually here? I promised to be here, did I not?"


    Ai merely stuck out her tongue in a yful manner as she chastised him for his usual behavior.


    "Yeah, but I thought for sure you would make some excuse so that you could bail on our arrangement. I''m d you didn''t, though. Well, make yourself at home. The Ramen is cooking, and it won''t be long before we eat. Do you want a beer or something?"


    Julian felt out of ce as he gazed around at the luxurious mansion. He had never been in such arge and opulent home before. It took him a while to realize what Ai was saying, but ultimately, he nodded his head in agreement with her question.


    "Sure, what do you have?"


    Ai led the man to the kitchen, where she pulled a few beers out of the fridge. They were a popr brand from her parents'' homnd; she handed one over to Julian after popping off the bottle caps, and taking a carefree sip of her own.


    "My father enjoys imports from his homnd, so the only beer in the house is Japanese. I hope you don''t mind."


    Julian took a sip from the beer and instantly felt as if he had reached enlightenment. He could not afford to drink such premium alcohol, and had only ever drank cheap light beer that tasted like piss water. However, this beer had a masterful vor, and he instantly found himself enjoying the taste.


    "It is really good!"


    Ai was happy to see that Julian enjoyed it, and quickly got back to cooking. Before long, there were two bowls of miso ramen on the table, and a side of Takoyaki. Julian had heard of these meals before, but had never actually tried them.


    However, when he tasted the fruits of Ai''sbor, he nearly broke out into tears. It was among the best things he had ever tasted, and he savored every bite. Ai saw the weird expression on his face, and quickly asked how he felt about her cooking, slightly afraid of the answer.


    "Well, how is it?"


    Julian looked up at Ai with an awkward expression on his face as he tried to find the words to express his thoughts. Ultimately, he was afraid to tell the girl it was the best thing he had ever tasted, and wore a distant look as he brushed it aside.


    "At the very least, it is better than microwaveable noodles..."


    The forced stoic expression on Julian''s face made Ai giggle, as she knew he was not willing to tell the truth. It was clear by the way he ate the ramen and Takoyaki that he enjoyed it very much, but for whatever reason, the man couldn''t be honest. This was another aspect of Julian''s character that the girl found endearing. The final words that Itami heard before she awoke from her dream were Julian awkwardly thanking her for the meal.


    "Thank you, Ai... I really appreciate this."


    After hearing these words, Itami awoke on her futon, with a bitter smile on her lips and a tear in her eye. She was actually quite depressed that she had awoken from her treasured memories of her past life, only to find herself in the den of vipers that was her current existence. With a heavy sigh, she curled up under her covers and let out a single tear and a slight whimper before falling back to sleep, hoping to catch the rest of the dream she had just awoken from.

 Chapter 743 Uniting the Tribes Part lll

    Chapter 743 Uniting the Tribes Part lll


    Bakari sat within the center of a vige further north than the Lwazi tribe. Today was a gathering of tribal chieftains from a variety of different viges across southern Africa. These were the major tribal leaders that existed south of the Orange River. These men had grown increasingly concerned about the presence of the Germans and the threat they posed to the continued existence of tribal sovereignty.


    Since Berengar was attacked in his tent by the local goddess, and her familiar, he had been securing his forward operating base and expanding it to a full-scale military colony. Equipment was being imported from the Fathend, and actual stone structures had begun to take ce. The vast star fort that was undergoing construction appeared to the African Scouts to be something grander than they had ever witnessed.


    As more ships came from the fathend, to this burgeoning South African colony, the African people began to be filled with fear. So much so that now, even the most bitter of tribal rivalries were put aside to deal with these white devils. Currently, Ukuza, leader of the Lwazi tribe, was speaking his piece about what information he had gained regarding the sea peoples.


    "These white devils, though few, have strange weapons that are capable of conjuring thunder and fire. What magic was used in their creation we do not know, however, they appear to be capable of great devastation. They send out their scouts, who are mounted on stripeless zebras, to terrorize the southernmost tribes. They leave no survivors in the wake of their destruction.


    There have been attempts to attack their encampment by small war bands, but they have only met in disaster. It is bing increasingly clear that if we do not unite together, we will be driven from thesends that our ancestors have inhabited for many moons!"


    Though Ukuza spoke of unity and nativity, the reality was that his people were not native to thesends. The original inhabitants, the Khoisan, were driven nearly to extinction by the Bantus, who now inhabited Southern Africa in greater numbers.


    It was only natural for more powerful peoples to conquer and disce the natives when first contact was made. It was the way that humanity solved such disputes throughout their entire history. With the German settlement of the region, the Germans had brought the Bantus the same fate they had previously forced upon the Khoisan.


    Naturally, the Bantus were resistant to this new order, and because of that, there were many who sided with Ukuza as he called for unification and war against the neers. Tribal chieftains nodded their heads and pounded their chests as they hollered in support of Ukuza.


    "Death to the white devil!"


    "Thisnd is ours! These invaders must die!"


    Bakari listened to the moring chieftains as they unanimously agreed upon war as being the most viable option to settle their dispute with the German settlers. Bakari spoke up on behalf of his tribe that was already annihted.


    "The white devils have wiped out my vige. As far as I am aware, I am the only survivor. If we do not work together, you will all suffer the same fate. We need a leader, a great warrior who can lead this coalition of tribes against these white devils."


    The moment Bakari said these words, the tribal chieftains immediately began to fight among themselves for who should lead this proposed coalition. A particrlyrge man who wore the skin of a leopard rose from his feet and volunteered himself for the position.


    "I Ndonsa rmend myself for the position of war chief!"


    Ndonsa had a fearsome reputation among the tribes south of the Orange River, but he was not the only one. Suddenly, a much smaller man rose from his seat and began to argue that he should lead the coalition.


    "Bah, Ndonsa, your greatest im to fame is killing a leopard with a bow and arrow. I should be the leader. You all know how many men I have killed with my spear! There is no more obvious man fit for the position than I, the great Siyabonga!"


    Ndonsa immediately got up in Siyabonga''s face, towering over the man with his stature as he stared at his rival with a face filled with disdain. Before they could fight, Ukuza came up with an idea of who should be named war chief of this coalition, as a means of settling the dispute.


    "I say we hold a contest. All who wish to show their might, and im the position of a war chief for themselves, must fight in a tournament to see who is the most worthy. Thest man standing gains the position!"


    Ndonsa and Siyabonga red at each other before each agreeing to the terms.


    "Fine by me!"


    "Sounds good to me!"


    With this, a tournament was about to take ce to determine the man most worthy of being the leader of the coalition. Bakari saw this as an opportunity to im power for himself and bring glory to his fallen tribe. After all, he had been trained in the arts of war since a young age, and though he had yet to prove himself like many of the contenders, he was sure that he had a chance of winning.


    Thus, the young man tossed his name into the tournament, and soon found himself fighting against his first opponent. It was none other than Ndonsa. The rules of this tournament were simple: no weapons were allowed, no killing was permitted. However, everything else was fair game, and whoever was still standing at the end of the fight was the winner.


    The hulking figure stood before Bakari with a smug smirk on his face as the other chieftains gathered around to watch the violence ur. Ndonsa rushed at Bakari and attempted to grab ahold of him, but the boy was too swift, moving aside, and grabbing hold of Ndonsa''s back from behind where he lift the man in the air just enough to break his posture, so that he could drag him to the floor.


    The two men scrambled for a dominant position as Ndonsa got on top of Bakari and began to punch his face with his massive fists. Bakari could feel his face being pummeled as he struggled to reverse the position. He had no experience on the ground, not that the African tribes had any refined sense of martial arts to begin with, but he somehow managed to shrimp his way out of the mounted position by ident before getting back to his feet.


    Ndonsa was not pleased with this, but before he couldunch an attack, Bakari kneed him in the head with a jumping knee. Knocking the man unconscious upon impact. Despite having a bloodied face, Bakari miraculously turned the tables around and won the fight. Everyone stared at the boy in shock as he imed victory over one of Southern Africa''s most renowned warriors. Especially Siyabonga, who was previously dreading the idea of fighting unarmed against the giant.


    After beating Ndonsa, Bakari silently sat down, waiting for his next opponent. Before long, the other contenders fought their matches, but there were only a few men who would dare oppose Ndonsa and Siyabonga. In the end, Siyabonga and Bakari met in the finals, where the short, but nimble man cracked a joke at Ndonsa''s expense, who had since awoken from his nap.


    "I must admit, I did not expect you to knock the lumbering fool out. I underestimated you, kid, but your agility is no match against mine. Don''t expect to pull of the same trick against me!"


    Bakari said nothing. Instead he cracked his knuckles before charging at Siyabonga. He wildly threw his punches without any skill whatsoever. Wide haymakers were the best he coulde up with. If pitted against the professional fighters of Germany, the boy would be not be able tond a hit, but he did not know that.


    Siyabonga jumped around these attacks, swiftly evading them as if he were a spider monkey. He threw a kick to Bakari''s gut, which caused him to fall backwards, just when Siyabonga was about to go in for the kill, Bakari jumped up from his position and threw his fist forward with all his might, crashing against the smaller man''s jaw, and knocking him down.


    Bakari quickly climbed on top of the man and begannding punches to the downed opponent until he was no longer conscious. With this, he had beaten the two most able fighters among the African tribes and proven himself to be the best fit for the position. Tactics? Strategy? Logistics? The African tribes knew nothing of these things. To them, the greatest warrior in singlebat was the most adept leader when it came to war, and surprisingly, Bakari had proven himself to be this man.


    The crowd of tribal chieftains erupted in cheers as Ukuza named the boy from the butchered vige to be their new war chief. With this Bakari had united the tribes south of the Orange River into arge force, with a single purpose. To drive the Germans from the continent. Of course, fighting a duel against an untrained foe, and fighting a war against the single greatest army the world had ever seen, were twopletely different beasts.

 Chapter 744 Geneva Convention? More likeGeneva Suggestions!

    Chapter 744 Geneva Convention? More likeGeneva Suggestions!


    Berengar stared at the weapon in front of him with a wicked smile on his face. This was the first time in this world a military power had introduced a weapon of mass destruction. In his hands was a chlorine gas shell that had been delivered from the fathend to the burgeoning colony in South Africa.


    Months had passed since Berengar first arrived in thesends, and by now the Colony was stable, with a sizeable port and sufficient coastal defenses. During this time, the Africans had made several small raid attempts on the fort, but the machine guns mounted on the walls had ruthlessly gunned them down.


    Recently there were reports by Berengar''s scouts that the African tribes south of the Orange River had formed a great coalition, and were already marching with tens of thousands of men on his colony. To Berengar, the delivery of these new weapons hade just in time.


    Since the attack on his life by the African Goddess, he had not seen or heard of her since. Apparently, she had withdrawn, or perhaps she was limited to the areas of the mountains. Either way, for the time being, she was no threat to him or his ns.


    Honoria entered the armory, where she saw Berengar caressing the chemical shell as if it was a woman''s bosom. The sick smile on his face caused a chill to go down her spine as she realized something was abnormal about these particr shells.


    "Is that the weapon you told me about?"


    Berengar was so enamored by his chemical weapons stockpile that he did not notice Honoria''s entrance into the Armory. He quickly looked up at the intruder and wore a more gentle smile as he nodded his head.


    "Yes, these shells are the new weapons. Though they are untested in the field of battle, I have high hopes for them!"


    Honoria failed to understand what was so great about these weapons, as she shook her head before reminding Berengar of what was approaching.


    "There is an army of fifty thousand savages heading towards the colony as we speak. Are you sure these weapons are as effective as you say they are?"


    Berengar carefully ced the shell back into its container before outlying just how the weapons functioned to his wife.


    "These are no ordinary artillery shells, my love. Once detonated, these shells will disperse a miasma of poison gas, that if unprotected, will infiltrate the victim''s respiratory system, lighting it ame. Violent coughing, eye irritation, and vomiting will ur until the target finally asphyxiates. These shells not only cause certain death, but debilitate their victims until they slowly suffocate to death, making thempletely incapable of fighting back."


    Honoria gazed at Berengar in horror as she listened to just how these weapons of mass destruction functioned. She instinctively took a few steps back, afraid that the shells might detonate then and there, and cause her to suffer such a tragic fate. Berengar chuckled when he saw this before lecturing his wife once more.


    "There is nothing to fear, my love. These shells operate with a proximity fuse. They will not detonate by mere handling of them. Besides, I have developed appropriate countermeasures for these weapons, so that our soldiers are safe from their effects. Speaking of..."


    This immediately reminded Berengar of something important as he handed Honoria a steel cannister which contained her gas mask. Since he did not yet have ess to aluminum, hecked the means to create a proper container like the Germans used in WWII. However, he could replicate it with steel. It was just significantly heavier.


    The container held within it, the GM-25 Gas Mask, or so that was what Berengarbelled it as. It was essentially a functioning replica of the WW2 GM-38 Gas Mask, but with a superior filter that did not contain harmful substances such as asbestos.


    Honoria quickly followed Berengar''s instructions and attached the steel cannister to her load bearing equipment, where it hung from her back gracefully. The Kaiser had already distributed gas masks, and their cannisters to his troops, and instructed them on their proper usage. Now all that remained was to teach Honoria, which he immediately put her through a brief crash course. After a while, Berengar was approached by an officer of his Imperial Guard, who alerted him to the presence of the enemy army.


    "My Kaiser, the savages are approaching! What are your orders?"


    A wicked grin appeared on Berengar''s face as he gave the order he had nned for some time.


    "Load the Chlorine Shells into the artillery and instruct the men to equip their GM-25 gas masks, I want this enemy army annihted with a single battle!"


    The soldier immediately saluted the Kaiser, in the fashion that was mostmon among the German army, before rushing towards the Colony''s defenders, where he issued these orders. Soon, logistics teams rushed into the armory and carried the fifty chlorine shells out of the bunker, before distributing them to the artillery crews.


    Berengar himself climbed out of the armory, and made his way to the colony''s defenses, wanting to get a first row seat to the carnage that was about to ur. Sure enough, fifty thousand plus African tribesmen were gathered outside the colony. They had short iron spears, and cowhide shields as they danced around, waiting for the opportune moment to attack. Berengar wore a wicked smile as he donned his gas mask before helping Honoria with hers.


    On one side were the African tribesmen, wearing the skin of animals, and dancing around with primitive weapons. On the other were the fortifications of the Imperial German Army, wearing modern uniforms with gas masks, while wielding bolt action rifles, static machine guns, and rifled breechloading artillery. For this endeavor, Berengar had gone all out and had ordered the deployment of the new 10cm FK 25 recoil operated artillery to be deployed on the Colony''s walls.


    The German Artillery crews loaded the 105 x 504 mmR chlorine gas shells into their guns, before adjusting the range. The enemy was well within firing range, and they wanted to make sure the poison gas cloud was far enough away from their position that they were unaffected. Berengar had ordered his men to equip their gas masks merely as a safety precaution in case the winds did not favor him this day.


    Bakari gazed upon the massive star fortress, and the German defenses with awe in his eyes. He did not know how they had created such a thing in a matter of months. After all, it was apletely alien structure that he and his people had never seen before. Despite this, he was undeterred. He gave the order to attack the Colony to the men under hismand without the slightest hint of fear in his heart.


    "Attack the white devils, leave no man alive!"


    After saying this, the horde of African Tribesmen charged head first towards the German Colony while screaming their war cries into the air. Berengar saw this, and simply sneered in disdain, though this expression was concealed by his khaki gas mask as he gave the order tounch the world''s first instance of chemical warfare.


    "Open fire!"


    With this, a barrage of three separate batteries opened fired, as their shells travelled a distance of over two kilometers, though they could easily reach close to five. The Africans reacted to the thunderous sounds of artillery with fright in their eyes. However, unlike the stories that were told to them by Bakari, this thunder was not apanied by a fiery explosion. Instead, a yellow-green cloud dispersed the moment the shells burst in the air.


    Bakari was in the front of the formation, and was naturally hit by the attack the moment it urred. His eyes were itching beyond belief, as his lungs felt as if they were on fire. He and the men alongside him began to cough violently, as they found themselves incapable of breathing. He began to vomit on the floor, as he keeled over, and fell to the ground, physically incapable of standing.


    He gazed in disbelief, as he tried to see beyond the yellow-green miasma that was suffocating him, but in the end, all he could see was his life sh before his eyes, as he questioned everything he had strived for over these past few months.


    He hade so far after the Germans massacred his vige, and was so close to the vengeance he desired. It had been extremely difficult for him to gain his position as war chief, and before he could even attack the enemy, his life, as well as that of his grand army, was snuffed out by a cloud of poisonous gas.


    Berengar gazed upon the scene, as the fifty thousand men who hade to attack his Colony fell to the ground and suffocated. A vicious grin curved upon his lips beneath his gas mask as he witnessed the massacre first hand. The soldiers beneath hismand gazed in horror at what had just urred. They were expecting to defend their position against therge army with bullets, artillery, and bays.


    However, what they saw could by no means be called a battle. It was not even a massacre. It was simply death. As if the grim reaper himself had descended from the sky, and imed the lives of the enemy without effort.


    This attack would go down in history as the first instance of chemical warfare. However, it would by no means be thest. Berengar would make wide use of chemical weapons in Africa. He was not willing to expend the lives of his soldiers or the effort necessary to expel the native poption.


    Instead, he would enact a heartless genocide. In theing days, word would spread of the Grand Army''s defeat, and those who were smart enough to pack up their belongings and journey north beyond the Orange river.

 Chapter 745 City of Light

    Chapter 745 City of Light


    While Berengar was off on another colonial campaign, things were progressing smoothly back home. The city was undergoing modification to make use of power lines and electricity in every building. However, the first notable addition to the city had already begun to take shape in the Pce district. Where streetlights were now embedded around every corner. Though at the moment they were not lit, instead there was a gathering of citizens beneath the statue of the Kaiser.


    Currently, there was a celebration taking ce, with Ad as the head Empress taking the stage for this monumental asion. Though she was still undergoing a spiritual crisis after hearing from her husband that he was a man from another world, and that the Pagan gods existed. She did not let it impede her obligations. As the Minister of Propaganda, it was her job to ensure public events like this went smoothly. She wore a pretty smile on her face as she addressed the crowd with the dignity of an empress.


    "People of Kufstein, and citizens of the Reich. Today marks a monumental asion for all of humanity. Where, thanks to the efforts of our Kaiser and his engineers; we, as Germans, have for the first time in the world''s history conquered the night!


    For eons, humanity has struggled in the darkness. The only illumination we could find was through fire. However, on this day, I show to you, the good people of Germany, that we have evolved beyond such primitive means. No longer will the night impede our progress. Today marks the day where Kufstein shall be a city, shining in the world''s darkness!"


    After saying this, Ad nodded her head, and the city''s engineers turned on the street lights, to the overwhelming awe of the German people. Among these people who were stunned beyond belief was the Indian Princess Priya, and her older brother Dharya, who were being chaperoned by Henrietta.


    Henrietta''s azure eyes shined brightly as she gazed upon the scene in front of her. The Statue of Berengar that acted as a ce where the citizens of Kufstein would often pay tribute, faced eastward towards the rising sun. Representing the glorious tomorrow that Berengar had paved the way for. In the utter darkness of the winter months in Kufstein, a series of powerful street lights illuminated the sky whose yellow glow shined on the surface of the magnificent bronze statue, creating an ethereal shimmer.


    Not only was Henrietta overwhelmed by the sight of this marvel, but so too were the citizens of Kufstein, many of which bent their knee to the glowing visage of their Kaiser. Among the crowd, only Henrietta and the two Indian exiles stood standing, something that nobodymented on because of Henrietta''s status as an Imperial Princess, and the Indians acting as the Kaiser''s guests. Priya''s emerald eyes glistened with excitement as she gazed upon the miracle of electricity and, after a long silence, pulled on her brother''s sleeve with much enthusiasm.


    "Dharya, isn''t it beautiful? I''ve never seen anything like it! It''s as if we have entered the city of the gods!"


    Dharya was astonished by the fact that there was a light in the darkness, and it was neither the poor illumination provided by a candle, nor the mes of an oilmp burning bright. He could hardly fathom what he was seeing. He was not the only one. The streemps and the artificial illumination they provided had truly shocked the people of Kufstein to the core.


    Ad''s words rang through their minds, and the propaganda about the German people conquering the darkness became a sentiment of pride among the citizens of the empire''s capital. A single veteran in the crowd rose up and saluted the statue while shouting a modified version of the Army''s battle cry.


    "Hail the new dawn!"


    The reason the man said this was because the powerful streetlights had illuminated the snowy night sky, causing an artificial dawn effect, as if the sky itself surrounding the imperial pce had be golden. Quickly, the other veterans in the crowd followed suit, eventually leading to every member of the crowd saluting the glowing statue and shouting the same words.


    "Hail the new dawn!"


    Even Priya was caught up in the moment, and followed the actions of the German citizens with a wide smile on her face. The only member of the crowd who had not acted in this manner was the exiled emperor Dharya, who gazed around him in astonishment.


    Even Ad had not expected the sudden chant, but upon seeing so many people loyally following Berengar''s vision for a better tomorrow, she suddenly looked up at the bronze statue of her husband and smiled,ing to a conclusion about her troubled emotions.


    In that moment, she did not care what deities may or may not exist, or how Berengar came into this world. All she knew was that her husband was a man she truly admired and loved. Thus, she could not care less whether the God she was raised to worship and submit to was real. For even he could not create light in the darkness.


    After the ceremony was over, people continued to watch and observe the light, and even y on the snowy streets. It was the first time in history that humanity could stay upte, and behave as if it were daytime. Priya was no exception. Upon seeing the other children who were gathered in the streets form balls of snow and throw them at each other, she too took part in this game.


    She carefully packed a ball of snow in her hands before tossing it at Henrietta, who was in the middle of a conversation with her cousin. Henrietta gasped in shock as the wet snowball collided against her long golden hair, before turning around and gazing at the mischievous little girl who had attacked her. She smiled before forming a snowball of her own and throwing it at Priya,pletely ignoring the conversation she was just having with Ad.


    "You little brat! If you want a snowball fight, I will give you one!"


    As Henrietta yed in the snow with Priya as if she were a little girl, Dharya had a bitter smile on his face. He was happy to see that his sister was living a good life, and was no longer locked away from society, being slowly starved and poisoned to death by their uncle. Ad gazed at the boy''s expression and questioned him about it.


    "Is everything alright, Dharya?"


    The exiled emperor nodded his head before wiping a single tear from his eye. It took him a few moments, but he eventually expressed his thoughts.


    "I''ve never seen Priya so happy before. Back at home, she did not live in the best circumstances, and I''m d to see she is having fun here in Kufstein."


    Ad smiled when she heard this before asking the next question on her mind.


    "What about you, Dharya? Are you having fun?"


    The young emperor was astonished to hear this. He did not know the answer to such a question. He had to admit his life was more enjoyable here in Kufstein, as he was no longer a puppet struggling to survive. However, he could not help but question howcking his home country waspared to the German Empire every time he stepped out of the Pce.


    It would appear that the German people, under Berengar''s leadership, were progressing as a civilization at an unnatural pace, and he did not know how his Empire would everpete. He may be an emperor in exile, but he worried about his people dearly.


    Dharya had spent enough time around Berengar to know he was not the type of man to assist other countries out of the goodness of his heart. He even suspected that Berengar would backstab his allies in secret if it meant progressing his own agenda. Thus, he could not rely on Berengar to aid him and his people without making certain concessions. Ad gazed upon theplex expression the boy had before patting his shoulder and reassuring him.


    "I can tell you have a lot on your mind, and you most likely have something you want to ask Berengar. Allow me to give you some advice. If you never ask him the question on your mind, he can never give you an answer. For all his brilliance, the man is not a mind reader. I am certain your question has something to do with your homnd. Just know that there is a price to pay for everything. Whether you are willing to pay that price is another question entirely."


    Dharya reflected on Ad''s words for a few moments while watching Henrietta and his sister wrestle in the snow, and smiled before nodding his head. The exiled emperor understood what he needed to do, but now was not the proper time. The truth was that he was still young, and so was his sister. If he could abuse Berengar''s generosity for a few more years, he was sure he would be capable of getting what it was that he desired. He could only thank Ad for her advice.


    "Thanks, Ad, but I think I will wait a while before speaking to the Kaiser about what it is that troubles me. After all, it would be cruel of me to take away the happiness Priya has achieved here in Kufstein so soon after obtaining it."


    Ad smiled and pet the boy''s hair before epting his response.


    "Very well. If you need any help to approach Berengar, just let me know."


    With that said, the four royals would spend some more time in the Pce District enjoying the new streetlights before returning to the Pce. As for the streetlights themselves, word would soon spread across Europe about the City of Light that could illuminate the darkness of the night. When the Pope found out about this, he would be outraged, and enviable at the same time.

 Chapter 746 Negotiating with an AfricanGoddess

    Chapter 746 Negotiating with an AfricanGoddess


    After wiping out the grand army of the tribal coalition with chlorine gas, Berengar was left with a rtively easy conquest. All he needed to do was to expel the natives from their homes through a series of surgical strikes and use further chemical weapons where needed. The overwhelming majority of fighting age African men within the immediate vicinity of Berengar''s colony were now dead.


    Berengar had desired to lead his forces northward, but he was afraid of one potential enemy. The African goddess he had previouslye across appeared unafraid of intervening in mortal affairs, because of this he wanted to either hunt her down, and force her to submit, or negotiate with her in a way that would allow him to achieve the goals he desired.


    Thus, immediately after wiping out the army of the tribal coalition, Berengar led a sizeable force of his own troops northward towards the mountains where he was previously attacked. After ascending the slopes with a small number of elite troops, he soon found himself mysteriously alone. In Berengar''s experience, this meant that he had entered a divine domain belonging to a god or goddess.


    Given the circumstances, he immediately became on high alert, as he kept his head on a swivel. In a god''s personal domain, they could take whatever form they desired, and even then, this deity appeared to have shape-shifting abilities outside of their divine realm. This was proven by her previously taking the form of a leopard. It was unknown if she could change into any animal, or just leopards. Either way, Berengar was cautious as he continued to ascend up the mountain and through the cloud cover.


    Eventually, Berengar noticed a leopard with a pair of blue eyes. He could tell by the pain in his biceps that this was the same beast that bit him. Thus, he instantly raised his rifle and aimed down the iron sights. That is, until he felt the warm sting of a woman''s breath on his neck, and heard the following words.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you..."


    Berengar instantly turned around to see the figure of a beautiful African woman. This time she wasn''t naked and was instead dressed in the skins of animals, while wielding a short spear. Berengar immediately questioned how she knew hisnguage.


    "You speak German?"


    The woman was equally cautious as Berengar. This man was a reincarnator, and naturally he posed a threat to her people, as well as potentially to herself, assuming he made contact with other deities and had been gifted certain powers or weapons.


    There was undoubtedly at least one boon in his body, and something else that was more mysterious. For example, he had actually harmed her when he struck her with the stock of his rifle, something a mere human should not be able to aplish.


    Berengar kept his view bouncing from the Leopard that was stalking him from behind, and the woman in front of him, wielding a short spear that appeared to be made of a mysterious metal. The woman redirected his attention towards herself as she responded to his question.


    "German? Is that the name of your native tongue? No, I do not speak yournguage, but you have prated into my divine realm, naturally I control all things in here, therefore I am able tomunicate with you if I so desire. What is your purpose in being here, mortal? Your kind should not invade thesends for another few centuries, at least!"


    Berengar''s brow raised slightly as he heard this before asking the question most important to him.


    "You are aware of the future?"


    The woman scoffed before scolding Berengar for his ignorance on the divine.


    "I am a goddess, naturally I am aware of my people''s fate, and your presence here threatens that! So I will repeat myself only once more. What is your purpose in being here?"


    Berengar smugly smirked when he heard this before responding in an arrogant tone.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Resources, just like those who were originally supposed to conquer thisnd, I havee to im it as my own! After all, the region is sparsely popted by a few stone age tribes. Why should I not im it for the Reich?"


    This answer angered the goddess, who red at Berengar fiercely. Despite nking Berengar with her familiar, she was fearful of the weapon in his hands. One wrong move could end both of their lives. She did not immediately attack him, despite his intentions for Africa. She could only curse him for his greed.


    "You fucking white devils, all you do is cause needless suffering through your endless wars and conquests. You should leave thisnd before it bes your grave!"


    Berengar frowned when he heard the woman verbally scold him. He was doing nothing that her people had not already done, nor that which any other ethnic group was already responsible for. For this, he retorted with a bit of a spiteful remark.


    "You''re one to talk. Thesends used to belong to the Khoisan, until the Bantu invaded, conquered, and ethnically cleansed the region. Don''t preach to me of my people exclusively being responsible for war and suffering, sweetheart. That is something all of humanity has done at some point.


    You don''t hate my people because we are conquerors. You hate us because we are the best at it! After all, if it weren''t for my intervention in the timeline, your people would continue to run around wearing animal hides, while wielding sticks and stones well until other Europeans conquered them in the 19th century.


    This world is survival of the fittest. You and your people are sitting on valuable resources, and it is only natural for a more powerful force toe and take them. Whether that is the Germans, the English, the Asians, or the Arabs.


    You only have yourselves to me for being so primitivepared to your potential rivals. Now why don''t you be a good little goddess, and tell your people to withdraw beyond the Orange river so I don''t have to waste ammunition on removing them myself!"


    Berengar''s words immediately outraged Mbaba Mwana Waresa. Partially because of her personal animosity towards him, but most of her frustration came from the fact that Berengar spoke the absolute truth. The people who worshipped her were neither pacifists nor saints. Their ancestors had invaded thesends and purged the local inhabitants. Few of the natives still existed in Southern Africa, and they would never be able to reim them.


    She also understood the principle that Berengar was speaking, even if the Europeans never step foot in Southern Africa, sooner orter some other more powerful force like the Asians, or the Arabs woulde along and im thend for themselves. The Africans were too primitive topete with nations that could mass produce firearms and artillery.


    However, despite the reality of Berengar''s words, she was still upset. What he had done in Africa so far was unforgiveable, especially from the standards of the world he came from. She would not easily use her limited powers topel her people to withdraw beyond the Orange River. After all, it was entirely unlikely that Berengar only nned for colonial expansion into such territory, sooner orter his people would invade further ind.


    Berengar noticed that the goddess was bing more aggressive as she circled him, and thus he responded by smacking her across the face with the stock of his rifle. She fell backward onto the floor. Where Berengar pointed the bay at her neck. Before her familiar could pounce, Mbaba Mwana Waresa had be a hostage. Berengar snickered as he gazed upon the pitiful state of the goddess before making a sinisterment.


    "The fact that I can hurt you with my weapons means I might be able to kill you. Do you want to test out this theory?"


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa did not know whether Berengar had the ability to kill her or not, but she was not willing to test it out. She had been beaten before she couldunch an attack, and because of that, she called out to her familiar.


    "Stand down Azisa!"


    Upon seeing the mighty leopard back off from the situation, Berengar smiled. When Mbaba Mwana Waresa saw this, she sighed before asking the only question she could.


    "What do you want?"


    Berengar gazed upon the submissive state of the woman and smiled with excitement. He removed the bay away from the woman''s neck now that she was being more obedient before outlining his desires.


    "First, I want a leopard cub, preferably one as intelligent as your friend here..."


    Azisa immediately snarled at Berengar, but the look on the goddess''s face quickly shut him up. Seeing that the goddess was being agreeable, Berengar listed his second demand.


    "Secondly, I want you to use your influence topel your people to withdraw beyond the Orange River. I am not afraid to spill the blood of savages, but a peaceful solution to my problems is more preferable."


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa sighed as she heard this before stating her terms.


    "The leopard cub, I can guarantee. After all, Azisa has more than a few of them. However, very few of the tribes south of the Orange river worship me. Only a small portion of the Nguni does so. Because of this, I can only ensure that those who follow me hear my words and make an exodus beyond the Orange river.


    The remaining tribes, you will have to deal with yourself. However, the question remains, what do I gain from these two things? You''re certainly not going to say something as dastardly as my life, are you?"


    Berengar smirked when he heard this, before helping the woman to her feet. After doing so, he informed the goddess of how he would aid her if sheplied with his demands.


    "If you go the extra mile and withdraw your people beyond the Zambezi, I will give them the means to carve a mighty empire of their own in east Africa. They will worship you as their primary deity, and your power will expand beyond that of a minor goddess. What do you say? Interested in my proposal?"


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa was not the slightest bit shocked Berengar intended to conquer all of southern Africa for his Empire. However, the prospect of bing a mid-level deity centuries earlier than she normally would have definitely appealed to her.


    She also didn''t care what Berengar did with those tribes who did not worship her. Thus, after thinking about it for a few moments, the goddess nodded her head in agreement, thus sealing the fate of Southern Africa.


    "Very well, so long as you keep your promises, I will do as you ask..."


    Berengar smiled as he heard this before, assuring the woman that he would honor their arrangement.


    "Not to worry, I always fulfill my agreements."


    With this Berengar hade to an agreement with an African deity that would see her people moved further north into what was once known as Rhodesia in Berengar''s past life, where under the tutge of their German allies, would carve a mighty Zulu Empire far north of where they normally should have been established.


    As for the Germans, their purge of the nonpliant tribes would begin shortly after this divine agreement had been made. Berengar would not offer the same terms to another group in the region, and the death toll would rapidly rise as the Germans secured more territory for their own future colonists.

 Chapter 747 Hail to Thee German South Africa

    Chapter 747 Hail to Thee German South Africa


    Berengar left the mountain with a leopard cub in his hands. He gazed down at the little creature and smiled. Though it was taken away from its parents, he did not seem to mind. Instead, the beast seemed excited to be leaving the mountain for the first time in its life.


    It yfully nibbled on Berengar''s finger as he walked down the mountain. Berengar found this to be adorable, as it did not break his skin. Had it done so, he would have disciplined it. Instead, it was acting like a little kitten, while sizing the kaiser up with its golden eyes.


    Berengar decided in that moment on a name for the creature. He wanted a strong name, one of Germanic origin, and thus he was forced to think of great heroes of the ancient world. Ultimately, he thought of a name that was perfect for the little male leopard cub and smiled as he announced it to the creature.


    "Little guy, I''m going to name you Genseric, after the ancient German King of North Africa. You are descended from a proud lineage, and you deserve a distinguished name. From this day forward, it will be your job to guard the Imperial Family of the Reich. I hope you show the same ferocity in battle as your namesake!"


    This beast was of the lineage of a goddess''s familiar. Because of this, it had enhanced intelligence and human characteristics. Hence, Genseric was able to discern what Berengar was saying with little effort. Though it had yet toprehend the German tongue, it could tell by Berengar''s expressions that he was giving it a mighty name.


    Berengar witnessed the intelligent gaze in the cub''s eyes, as it nodded its head in agreement with the name that the Berengar had chosen for him. This caused the kaiser to reflect on another highly intelligent creature, one that he had known for years.


    Though the eagle Heraclius had taken a more background role since it became a father, the beast was still the most intelligent creature Berengar had evere across. Without a doubt, it disyed aspects of a human''s personality, leading Berengar to believe the creature had some form of ties to the ancient greco-roman gods.


    This was just a mild suspicion. He had no real evidence aside from its heightened intelligence to support this thesis. It was entirely possible that it was simply descended from a god''s familiar, and itself had no personal connection to the greco-roman pantheon.


    Still, he would investigate this upon his return from Africa. In the months since his arrival, Berengar had established a foothold in Southern Africa. He had negotiated with a local goddess to secure her non-interference. He had obtained the pet he most desired, and his armies were now in a position to dominate what remained of the local tribes.


    The time hade for him to return to the fathend. As Kaiser, he could not personally oversee these colonial campaigns for more than a few months. There were more important aspects to his position than simply being the Reichsmarschall. Because of this, he needed to return home. By now, he had arge enough stockpile of rubber, that he could make many new inventions, and he intended to do so.


    Thus, he departed with his army back to the colony. On the journey, the Jagkommandomander, Andreas Jaeger, rode by the kaiser''s side, securing him from any possible threat in the vicinity. Berengar had not taken an exemry general with him on this journey, and knew that he needed someone with military and colonial experience to hold down the fort until a recement could be made. Conveniently, Major Andreas Jaeger was actually the best man for the job, and because of this, Berengar spoke to the man for the first time in a long time.


    "Major I have a question for you..."


    The special operations soldier immediately snapped his head to attention as he heard his emperor speak to him.


    "How can I help you, sir?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this before informing the man of the next task he had in mind for him.


    "Now that the enemy army is dead, and the tribes are ripe for the conquest. I have decided to return to the fathend. It will take some time before this campaign is fullypleted, and we have been here for months. It is with this in mind that I need a man familiar with colonial conflicts and military matters to assumemand of the expeditionary force in my absence, at least long enough until a proper recement can be appointed to the position of governor of our newest colony. I would hope for you to fulfill this position."


    Andreas Jaeger was slightly surprised by this remark. He had not expected to be given such a position ofmand. Yet it made sense after he thought about it. He had fought wars on three separate continents, in multiple colonies, and in the fathend. If there was anyone who knew how to conduct the campaign while Berengar was away, it would be him.


    Though he didn''t want such responsibility, he knew after wiping out the tribal coalitions'' main force, what was left over was simply removing a bunch of stone age tribesmen via force. It was a task he was easily capable of fulfilling. Besides, though it may sound like a request, he knew this was an order from his Emperor, and thus he quickly agreed to it.


    "I will conduct this campaign in the swiftest, most efficient means possible. You have my word, your majesty!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and nodded his head in agreement before giving the man the green light.


    "I want you to wait a fortnight to begin your attack. After that, any man, woman, or child who is still south of the Orange river is considered a valid target, and must be removed by any means necessary."


    Andreas did not understand why he was being ordered to wait two weeks before he could attack, but it was not his job to question the Emperor, thus all he could do was agree to his orders.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Shortly after this conversation, Berengar regrouped with Honoria at the colony. During his absence, Honoria and her girls had been working on a special project in their spare time. When Berengar arrived in the colony with a leopard cub in his hands, he witnessed their little venture, which was a Colonial g for the region. Berengar approached the girls and gazed at the g with a smile on his face.


    It was in the same colors as Berengar''s German Empire, or in other words, had a ck bar on top, a white bar in the center, and a golden bar on the bottom. However, there was one major difference. In the center was a golden shield with a white leopard''s head emzoned on it. Berengarughed when he saw this, not because the design was bad, but because it was awfully reminiscent of German East Africa''s g from his past life. When Honoria heard his chuckle, she pouted at him before scolding the man for his rude response.


    "What you don''t like it? We worked so hard on this project! Don''t tell me you''re not going to ept it!"


    Berengar shook his head and dispersed the misunderstanding that the girls had as they red at him for his unconscious reaction.


    "No, it''s not that. It just reminds me of something from my past, that is all."


    Though Honoria could guess he was talking about his past life, the other girls gazed at him with curiosity. Unfortunately for them, they would not get an answer to their questions. Instead, Berengar took the finished g from the girls and gazed upon it with a hearty smile. It was truly an inspiring design. So much so that he had a sudden urge to hoist it above the colony.


    Without a singlement, Berengar walked over to the gpole, which flew the Imperial g of Germany, and began to hoist the new Colonial g below it. The soldiers in the encampment gathered around to witness the two gs flying in the winds of Southern Africa, and the speech that Berengar had suddenly thought of on the spot.


    "It is with great honor, that I, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, first of my name christen thisnd that we now stand upon to be Deutsch S��dafrika (German South Africa), as for this colony which we have all helped establish it shall henceforth be known by the name Der Hafen Berengar! (Port Berengar)


    It is with my hopes that you all work hard to expand this colony, so that one day it acts as a great harbor for our people! The future of our empire lies in the resources of thends we conquer. It is my dream to one day see our banners fly across the globe! For now, I will have to settle for the three continents that we have established colonies on."


    After saying this, Berengar saluted the g, which sparked the entire encampment to respond in the same manner. Every soldier stood in uniform and saluted the g, and the Kaiser beneath it. Honoria and her crew had pleasant smiles on their faces. Most of them had been doing menial tasks around the encampment since their arrival, and felt as if they had not taken a meaningful part in this venture. However, they would forever be remembered as the designers of the South African g.


    After making this speech, Berengar returned to the ce where his wife was sitting and informed her of her intent to return to the fathend. Though it would take a few days to prepare for the journey, Berengar would depart from Port Berengar in the next three days, where his journey back to the fathend wouldst a few weeks. By the time he arrived, he would be amazed at the progress that had been made with the street lights during his absence.

 Chapter 748 Bicycles, Diesel Engines, andTrucks

    Chapter 748 Bicycles, Diesel Engines, andTrucks


    Berengar returned from his journey to South Africa with a new pet and a suntan. Like normal, he was greeted by his family the moment he stepped foot inside his Pce''s gates. After spending a considerable amount of time reuniting with his loved ones, and introducing the leopard cub Genseric to the family, Berengar trapped himself within his office.


    Though Linde appeared as if she had something she wanted to talk about, Berengar had desired to get some much needed work out of the way before he spoke with her. Thus, he was hard at work designing three critical pieces of technology for theing years.


    The First among these designs was a simple bicycle. With the introduction of rubber and synthetic materials, he now had the means to produce rubber tires and intable inner tubes. The bicycle was a simple invention, where one used the steering bar to change direction and the force of their feet to pedal the device into motion. Attached to these pedals was a loop chain, which connected the chainwheel to a sprocket on the rear wheel.


    Bicycles weren''t just a device used for fitness or transit, they could also be used in a limited towing capacity for the sake of cargo. The introduction of bicycles, and the apanying bikenes, would allow people in the cities to arrive at their destinations without a long walk, and could even allow farmers outside of the main cities to transport their goods to the market.


    While Bicycles were intended to be a primary means of transit for the people to make use of as they saw fit, Berengar had another device in mind for use by the government. Thus, after concluding on a basic bicycle design, he was quick to design something that would revolutionize his society as a whole.


    Berengar quickly got to work designing a functional diesel engine. A diesel engine was an internalbustion engine that used diesel as its means of activation rather than standard fuel. Why diesel instead of a standard gasoline engine? Because Berengar had an ungodly amount of hemp growing in his Empire, and he already had the means process the hemp oil that his industry produced into biodiesel.


    Whereas he may havend that had ess to crude oil, but he would need to devise the means to extract it, and process it from scratch. Something that would take years to fully embrace across his Empire. With a diesel powered engine, he could start manufacturing trucks for use in the military andmercial sectors sooner rather thanter.


    In Berengar''s past life, a man known as Rudolf Diesel invented the engine that initially reced steam power. He also experimented greatly on the best fuel to be used with the engine, hence both were named after him.


    At the time, Rudolf Diesel and several other inventors were focused on recing the steam engine with a more efficient thermal engine. The steam engine''sck of efficiency came from the constant temperature difference between the boiler and the pistons.


    In contrast to this,bustion engines create arge temperature difference in concentrated bursts, allowing the engine''s pistons to create more power from less energy. As both a civil and mechanical engineer in his past life, Berengar knew how to device a functioning diesel engine from scratch. However, he had one particr design already in mind.


    Diesel engines were not only capable of being used in trucks, they could be used in aircraft, submarines, naval vessels, power nts, etc. However, for the time being, Berengar only desired to manufacture a functioning truck for use in his military as not only a means of logistics, but also troop transports. He could not rely wholly on trains for such a task after all.


    A diesel powered truck would also be useful in the towing of artillery. Currently, his army relied on horses for the job, but horses were vulnerable, far more so than a truck, and he did not enjoy seeing the mighty beasts lose their lives inbat. Hence, Berengar''s first objective with the invention of the diesel engine would be to design a truck capable of enduring such needs for his armed forces.


    During one of his past deployments in his previous life, Julian, despite being an engineering officer, had be quite intimate with the diesel engine used by the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. This behemoth of an engine was also deployed in different variations on other military vehicles, such as cargo trucks.


    Why did his unit leave the task of fixing such a thing to him? Because the mechanic who was supposed to work on the device got fragged in his port o potty, and the only person left on the FOB that week who had an intimate knowledge of mechanical engineering was Julian. So after an IFV suffered numerous IED attacks and was dragged back to base, Julian was the lucky man who had to spend his time fixing the engine.


    Because he was so ustomed to this workhorse of an engine, Berengar designed his new engine to be his primary workhorse in the military. The engine in question was known as the V903 in his past life. The V903 was an eight-cylinder ''V'' configuration with a 903 cubic inch (14.8-litre) discement. It had four valves per cylinder, which was turbocharged and air-to-water after-cooled, and had a low pressuremon rail fuel system. It could produce a whopping 660 Horsepower and a maximum torque 1930 nm.


    To Berengar, this diesel powered engine was not just the answer to his nation''s transport needs, it was the answer to his future armored vehicles. Though the likelihood of him needing such things within the next few decades was slim. Thus, for the time being, he would be focused on adding critical pieces of technology, such as mechanized vehicles to his army for the purpose of logistics, notbat.


    After designing the diesel engine, Berengar moved on to the next most important invention he needed to create, and that was the truck. With his new diesel engine developed, he now would focus on a transport vehicle before anything else. He decided to make the standard for his military to be a five ton 6x6 truck. Though it was the size of a modern military truck, it was created in an appearance that mimicked the design style of German trucks from the Second World War.


    He spent a considerable amount of time and effort designing this truck before setting down his pen and paper. With these three inventions, Germany would be entering a new era, one that he looked forward to seeing with his very eyes. Having finished these blueprints, he stamped them with his seal of approval and sent them off to the proper R&D departments to see their refinement and production.


    Just when he broke out the hard liqour he had stashed away in his desk, a knock appeared on his door. He did not know who it was that was bothering his moment of rxation but he sighed before answering the mysterious intruder.


    "It is open..."


    Upon hearing this, the door opened to reveal Yasmin, with their son Ghazi, in her hands. The boy was dressed up in his usual Sultan''s attire, and had an excited expression on his face when he saw his father, and the pet leopard thaty by his side. Berengar continued to sip from his drink as he questioned the woman''s motives for interrupting him.


    "Is there anything you need, Yas?"


    The woman stared at him with a hint of concern in her eyes as she questioned whether he was already informed about the most recent incident in the Iberian Penins.


    "Have you not heard thetest news from my homnd?"


    Berengar instantly stopped drinking as he heard this, and put his bottle away before addressing his wife with a grave expression.


    "What now?"


    Yasmin was immediately flustered when she heard that Berengar was ignorant of what had recently transpired. She did not know why Linde had not informed him of what happened in his absence, or if it was right for her to be the one to tell him. After a few moments of questioning herself, she sighed before revealing something that Berengar had not expected.


    "There was a terrorist attack in Iberia..."

 Chapter 749 Terrorist Attack in lberia

    Chapter 749 Terrorist Attack in lberia


    Two weeks prior to Berengar''s return to the fathend, Adelbrand sat in his office in the city of Granada. It was an ordinary day, as far as he was concerned. Currently, he was overseeing paperwork and managing the Sultanate of Al-Andalus in Berengar''s absence. Lately, the conflict between the Iberian rebels who were supported by the Catholic church had turned more chaotic.


    With weapons and munitions scavenged from deceased German soldiers finding their ways into the hands of the rebels, the German and Andalusian soldiers found themselves fighting against an enemy armed with explosives and single-shot rifles.


    Though the rebels could not reproduce the weapons or munitions they scavenged, they could still use them to deadly effect in a series of ambushes. The more German soldiers who fell, the more advanced weapons that fell into the hands of their enemies.


    In contrast to the Iberian rebels, the Royal Andalusian Army was modelled after their German allies. They had a strict hierarchy of soldiers and professional training. Though they had yet to establish an official military academy, the officer corps was made of up talented individuals who had proven their merit on the field of battle.


    These men were selected from their units and sent to a crash course training where they would rapidly learn the skills required to be efficient officers in the field. This was an effective means of acquiring officers when onecked a proper academy for them to study at for years on end.


    With the increased threat of scavenged weapons ending up in the hands of Iberian Rebels, Adelbrand had taken drastic action by equipping the Royal Andalusian Army with G22 single shot bolt action rifles. How did he manage to convince Berengar to sell such advanced weaponry to his allies? He didn''t.


    Instead, Adelbrand deceived the German Department of Defense by requesting that certain German units under his control receive priority for recing their old G22 rifles with the new G25 Service Rifle. After rearming the German units in Iberia, he transferred the old G22s into the hands of the Andalusian Army. He also managed to requisition some M1425 Trench Guns, M22 Stick Grenades, and M22 Service Revolvers for the Andalusian troops, greatly increasing their efficiency inbat.


    Why would he go so far as to deceive the German Crown? Because Adelbrand felt the rising German casualties would reflect poorly on the Kaiser and his war in Iberia. Eventually, the actual statistics of German casualties would reach the fathend, and by then, even the Kaiser''s most ardent supporters would question the ongoing conflict in Iberia.


    Afraid of the internal strife that would ensue from such a thing, Adelbrand nned to arm and train the Royal Andalusian Army to take a more frontline approach, while the Imperial German Army transitioned back to the role of Military Advisors.


    To do this, Adelbrand had begun increasing propaganda efforts to recruit both Muslim and Catholic Iberians into the Army. Today was the graduation of the first mixed ss of officers. In an act of defiance against Catholic terror, Adelbrand had sent General Ziyad Ibn Ya''is to give a speech to the newest officers of the Royal Andalusian Army.


    While Adelbrand may be the acting dictator of Al Andalus behind the scenes, Ziyad was the public face of the new regime, and his words would act as greater inspiration to the troops than the man most Iberians thought of as nothing more than a foreign military advisor. Adelbrand had even gone so far as to pin his aplishments on the Andalusian General, which acted as a source of fame among the Muslims, but great infamy among the Catholics.


    Unintentionally, this had caused a target to be painted on the man''s back. While the Papacy had learned its lesson about targeting Berengar''s family members, they had resorted to the underhanded tactics of posting bounties on the heads of his subordinates. The sum on Ziyad''s head was sorge that it would even entice the most devout pacifist to turn against the Military Governor.


    Thus, among the new Officers who were being celebrated for the graduation of their training, there was a young Catholic who had concealed something sinister beneath his jacket. He gazed upon his target, who took the stage and began to make his speech.


    Ziyad was calm as he took the stand in front of the Andalusian officers. He gazed at them and smiled. Their uniforms were akin to those that the Ottoman army wore during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, during Berengar''s past life. Upon gaining everyone''s attention, the Andalusian General spoke.


    "It is with a great honor that I stand here today, speaking before the next generation of Andalusian soldiers. It has been my objective, since obtaining my current position, to put an end to the hostilities between Muslims and Catholics in the Iberian penins. Unfortunately, the papacy continues to stoke hatred in the hearts of their followers, resulting in the brutal campaign that we are forced to contend with today.


    However, as I gaze upon you all, and see that many of you are Catholics who have put aside your bitterness, to help aid in the reconstruction of the Iberian Penins, into a new, and glorious Kingdom, I can not help but be proud of the sacrifices your forebears have made to achieve this level of unity. We have to stop thinking of ourselves as Christians, and Muslims, but instead as one people of Iberia. You all represent that vision, and I look forward to the future we can all create together.


    I won''t lie to you. The battles you will wage will test your faith in humanity. The Catholic zealots who seek to destroy all that we stand for have resorted to inhumane tactics to achieve their objectives. However, do not be frightened for I have good news! With the aid of our German allies, we have received new equipment and training to help put an end to these attacks. The dawn is darkest just before the dawn, but I believe together we can see the light of Iberia once more! I thank you all for your service and look forward to the results you achieve in your military careers."


    After saying this, Ziyad stepped down from the stage and met with the individual soldiers of the cadet corps that were now graduating into the newest generation of army officers. He shook their hands and spoke with each one of them about their views of the current conflict. Eventually he reached the young man who hid a grenade beneath his jacket and shook his hand, too. The man had a stern expression on his face as he loudly cried out so that all could hear.


    "Deus Vult!"


    Ziyad immediately panicked, and his bodyguards tried to push him aside, but it was toote, the grenade detonated immediately after these words were spoken, and imed the lives of the Andalusian General, his bodyguards, and the young man who had conducted the suicide attack, as well as a few innocent bystanders.


    This attack, though sudden and unexpected, would initially act as a source of pride and inspiration among the Catholic Rebels. In the following weeks, they would increase the intensity of their attacks on the German and Andalusian soldiers, who continued to maintain the peace in the region. However, the reinvigorated assault would onlyst for a short while.


    For when the Kaiser heard that a General he had ced in charge of the region was assassinated so viciously. He would retaliate in the most brutal of manners. No longer fearing the inhumanity of chemical weapons, Berengar would n to show the world the undisputed might of the German Army, and their ruthlessness in the pursuit of victory.


    Unknowingly, the Pope, by instigating these suicidal attacks on German soldiers, and Andalusian officers, had brought upon the Catholic peoples of Iberia the worst fate that they could suffer. For those who resisted the will of the Kaiser, only a painful death awaited them.

 Chapter 750 A Fierce Retaliation

    Chapter 750 A Fierce Retaliation


    Berengar sat in disbelief as he heard the words that Yasmin had spoken to him. He was unsure why such news was not reported to him sooner. This event had urred nearly two weeks prior, and though he was on his ship at the time, there was a telegraph on board. Why he wasn''t immediately informed of this attack, he could not say. He could really only me Linde for theck ofmunication.


    Though Linde had attempted to speak with him upon his return to Kufstein, and seemed rather urgent. Berengar was far too eager to begin the development of his newest inventions and thus cast her aside as he got to work. Still, this did not excuse her submissiveness in such a scenario. If such an important event had happened, then she should have forced him to listen. A simple "General Ziyad is dead" would have garnered his immediate intention.


    Though a valuable puppet of his was killed by the Catholics, he could only sigh in relief that Adelbrand had been spared a simr fate. In the end, the German Field Marshal was of far more strategic importance than Ziyad was. Still, the boldness of the Iberian Rebels in their suicidal attacks on high-ranking officials, and their increased intensity of attacks following Ziyad''s death, could not be allowed to continue.


    The look in Berengar''s eye frightened Yasmin. She remembered thest conversation she had with him, about a weapon so deadly he feared its use on the battlefield, at least against those he considered being civilized. She quickly questioned his intention, as she noticed he was unusually calm.


    "You''re not going to use that weapon, are you?"


    Berengar spun his chair around and gazed out the window into the peaceful city below. He stared at the people in the streets for several moments in silence before finally answering the woman''s question.


    "These rebels have gone too far. Initially, I only nned the use of chemical weapons on savages and criminals. However, by engaging in suicidal attacks, they have proven themselves to be equally as devious. The Iberian Catholics have shown a willingness to harm people who are important to me.


    Who is to say they do not find a way to harm you or Ghazi? I can no longer tolerate this resistance. I have waited by long enough. If they wish to target my generals and friends, then they are leaving me no choice but to deploy weapons of mass destruction against them.


    Germany will not allow its ally in the west to fall, and because of that I must show the Iberian people what it means to resist against the rule of the Sultan, and the Kaiser. If they choose to side with Julius, then only a painful death awaits them. Yas, fetch me Linde, I have much to discuss with her."


    Yasmin did not question Berengar''s tactics, nor did she disobey his orders. She quickly left the room with her son in hand and went off to find the redheaded beauty who was the director of intelligence. Berengar gazed upon his newest pet, who stared up at him with a look of intelligence in its eyes.


    It shivered as it saw the ugly expression on Berengar''s face. This was the look of a man who disregarded the notion that all life was valuable, or had any form of inherent meaning. This was the cold stare of man, determined to kill countless people to achieve his goals.


    The leopard cub attempted a roar, as if it were trying tomunicate with its master, however Berengar merely looked on Genseric with a look of disdain, as if he understood what the creature was trying to tell him, and responded with a vicious tongue.


    "What would you know about my struggles? You are just a child..."


    Genseric pouted as he heard this, before resting his head on the pillow that he lie on. He would not offend his master further with his na?vements. After this exchange was made, Linde entered the room wearing a blood red dress. She could tell that Berengar was not in the best mood, and quickly spoke up about their current predicament.


    "So I see you have heard about the little incident in Iberia. Tell me what you need me to do, and I will do it..."


    Berengar spun his view away from the window and towards his favorite wife. He sighed heavily before asking the question on his mind.


    "How long will it take for us to deploy chemical weapons to Madrid?"


    Linde was not the slightest bit surprised that such an offensive action was Berengar''s immediate response when retaliating against the rebels. Unlike Yasmin, she did not disapprove of their use, and was of the belief that such weapons could end wars much quicker than they otherwise would be. Though they were ruthless, and beyond devastating, sometimes such an overwhelming disy of force was needed to end a rebellion. Thus, she wore a wicked smile as she sat down casually in the seat across from her husband.


    "I''m not going to lie. It will take us a while to produce enough of the chlorine shells to wipe out a city. As you are aware, these weapons were only recently developed and tested. They are still undergoing refinements as we speak. You will need hundreds, if not thousands, of these shells to produce enough gas to exterminate all life in Madrid.


    Did you forget your factories are already working overtime to produce yourtest weapon designs, which are intended to rece the arms that your soldiers currently use in the field? We only have so much manpower and industrial output..."


    Berengar nodded his head while pouring a couple of drinks for himself and his favorite wife. He was a little surprised that she did not seem averse to the idea of exterminating a city. He couldn''t help but ask about it.


    "I honestly thought you would have reacted differently when you heard I wanted to retaliate by destroying a city."


    Linde scoffed as she happily took the drink from Berengar''s hands and sipped from it with a graceful demeanor. She scolded him for his assumptions while making her stance clear.


    "It wouldn''t be the first city you annihted. You remember Florence? Honestly, I''m of the opinion that these new weapons of yours will be effective at ending the war. Sure, they are unnecessarily cruel, and they will kill tens of thousands of innocent people when deployed, but I don''t need to tell you just how much we have sunk into this Iberian Campaign.


    We have spent thousands of lives and countless thalers in this war, and yet there is still no sign of victory in sight. With the way things are going, I would not be surprised if we were stuck in Iberia for another ten or twenty years. At that point, the cost of propping up Al Andalus would bankrupt us.


    So, if we need to destroy a city and kill all its inhabitants in order to end the war once and for all, I''m fine with it. You should know by now that I''m not like Ad or Yasmin. I don''t care about the lives of people I''ve never met before. While I may be heartless to strangers, I am very protective of the people I care about. Aren''t you the same way?"


    Berengar scoffed as he heard this, but he smiled nheless. Linde was right. People like Yasmine and Ad, who had this na?ve notion that all life was inherently meaningful, could never thrive in the position that he held. They would try to save as many people as possible, and in doing so, cause untold suffering.


    Berengar did not care about the Catholics in Iberia, hell he didn''t even really care about the Muslims in the region either. However, he cared about his people, and if he could spare the lives of thousands of his soldiers by killing tens of thousands of Iberian civilians, then he did not see a reason why he shouldn''t.


    He was d that at least one of his wives saw eye to eye on such grim issues with him. Thus, he could not help but smile as he gave the order to stockpile enough chlorine gas to annihte the citizens of Madrid.


    "Very well, take the necessary measures to ensure that we have a proper stockpile of the chemical shells. In the meantime, dispatch word to Adelbrand to enforce martialw. Anyone out on the streets who is not government personnel is to be considered a rebel, and to be treated as such."


    Linde sipped from her ss and nodded her pretty head before responding in the affirmative with a sultry smile on her lips.


    "Of course, leave it to me!"


    With this, Berengar had nned a fierce retaliation for the attack that imed General Ziyad''s life. He would make sure that with this act of terror, to end the war in Iberia once in for all. Ultimately, the Iberian Catholics would submit to his rule, or perish from this world. Berengar refused to allow Iberia to be his Afghanistan and was willing to take any measures to ensure his victory.

 Chapter 751 Another Gifted Heir

    Chapter 751 Another Gifted Heir


    Field Marshal Heimerich von Graz stood across from the Kaiser in the Imperial Pce. The two men were currently within Berengar''s study discussing a matter of great importance, one that was of the utmost secrecy. Heimerich was the older brother of the Empress Ad, and had served as the Field Marshal of Berengar''s Royal Guard for several years.


    What was initially a small unit of elite troops designed to protect Berengar from threats had expanded over the years into an Army of its own. By now, an entire corps existed within the ranks of the Reichsgarde, also known as the Imperial Guard. While the Imperial German Army was the Nation''s premiernd based defense force whose loyalty was to the German Empire, the Reichsgarde existed as the personal armed force of the Kaiser and, by extension, the von Kufstein dynasty.


    Those who joined the ranks of the Reichsgarde were the elite among the elite when it came to German Soldiers. They had to meet many physical requirements, such as a height of at least six feet tall, as well as 20/20 vision. These men were fiercely loyal to the Kaiser, and were not afraid to follow any order given, no matter how cruel and inhumane it may be.


    Heimerich was the leader of the Reichsgarde, second only to the Kaiser in terms of authority. He had been busy thesest few years leading the unit in its operations around the globe, mostly in Colonial conflicts. With the war of Iberia entering a new stage, Berengar felt it was best to deploy the Reichsgarde to the region to thoroughly put down the resistance against his rule. Thus, he had a stoic expression on his face as he began to speak to his younger cousin.


    "Field Marshal, I have summoned you here today because, as you may be aware, the rebellion in Iberia has gotten out of hand. Adelbrand has failed to quell the unrest, and because of that, I have decided to deploy you to the Iberian theatre so that you may undertake the necessary actions to put an end to this insanity.


    What I''m about to order you to do will be an act of extreme cruelty, tens of thousands of innocent people will die, but this endeavor needs to be undertaken to prove to the Papacy and the Catholic church as a whole that resistance against my rule will not be tolerated."


    Heimerich nodded his head in the affirmative to the words the Kaiser had spoken before uttering his agreement to the orders.


    "Just tell me what it is I need to do, and my men will do as they are told. You do not have to question the loyalty of the Reichsgarde. The orders of the Kaiser are absolute!"


    Berengar smiled cruelly when he heard these words before nodding his head thrice. After doing so, he issued his orders to the young Field Marshal.


    "As you already know, the use of chemical weapons in South Africa has proven to be an efficient means of annihting the enemy. As we speak, our facilities are manufacturing a vast stockpile of such weapons. It will be a matter of months before we have enough stored to conduct the operation I have in mind. However, your orders are to use these chemical weapons to gas the city of Madrid into submission.


    Once the city''s inhabitants are dead, and the gas has cleared, you are to take it and use the city as a base of operations for your men as they sweep through the Iberian Penins and wipe out any resistance left standing.


    Make no mistake, our propagandawork will use this attack as a threat against those who still choose to rebel. Resist, and your city shall be annihted. That is the message that will be delivered. The Catholics have gone too far this time, and it is time we put an end to their petty rebellion."


    Heimerich immediately saluted the Kaiser in the fashion that was somon among the German Military, before uttering his eptance of the orders he was given.


    "Yes, my Kaiser!"


    Berengar returned the Salute before issuing further orders to the man.


    "While we wait for the chemical weapons to be manufactured, you are to go into the areas of Iberia that have the most heavy fighting, and wipe out the viges that show the most resistance. I would like to see how long the people of Iberia continue to support the rebels when they pay for it with the price of their lives."


    Heimerich nodded his head once more before responding to these orders.


    "I swear, I will do everything in my power to eliminate the rebellion. From the Pyrenees to the Antic, I shall use any means necessary to crush the Catholic resistance!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before patting the man on the shoulder.


    "I have the utmost faith in you, my dear cousin. If Adelbrand gives you any trouble, simply inform him you are the representative of the Kaiser''s will, and it is not his ce to impede you onught. It has be clear to me that the man''s regard for the lives of civilians has dragged this war on longer than it should have naturally transpired. The Catholics will eithere to ept my rule, or they shall be eliminated. There is no third option. Now go and prepare yourself for the journey. I have other matters to attend to."


    Heimerich saluted the Kaiser once more before leaving his office. As he walked out of the room, he came across his younger sister, Ad, who stood in the doorway. He smiled and greeted the woman as he passed her by.


    "Your Majesty, it is good to see you... It has been a while since ourst encounter."


    Ad immediately puffed up her cheeks into a pout as she scolded her older brother for being so formal.


    "Heimerich, I''m your sister. You don''t have to speak such pleasantries with me. Why is it you are always so polite around me?"


    Heimerich was slightly surprised when he heard this from his sister before responding to it.


    "My sincere apologies, your majesty, but you are the Empress, much like how I have to show respect to the Kaiser despite being my cousin, I, too, must show you the respect you are entitled to. If you will excuse me, I have important matters to attend to. We will have to reacquaint ourselves at ater date."


    Ad frowned when she saw her own brother being so polite. If it was her other brother Gerhard, she knew he would not be so formal with her. Then again, Gerhard always was a bit of a siscon. The man had even tried to prevent her betrothal to Berengar once upon a time. Heimerich was not like his brother. He was far more ambitious, and knew who to bow to, and who to step upon.


    After seeing her brother off, Ad visited Berengar in his office where the man was hard at work, signing his approval on various documents. She gazed upon the man and his actions for some time before announcing her presence.


    "Berengar, do you have a minute?"


    Berengar looked up and saw his precious little wife standing in front of him. He immediately smiled upon seeing her, before cing his pen down.


    "Ad, my darling, what can I do for you?"


    The woman sighed before sitting down in front of Berengar. After doing so, she outlined her reasoning for visiting.


    "It''s about Kristoffer. The teachers in his ss say that our son is a very gifted boy. Maybe not quite as much as Hans, but he appears to be well ahead of the rest of the students. They are talking about advancing him ahead of his peers by a few grades, much like Hans has done."


    Berengar looked slightly surprised when he heard this. He tried his best to spend as much time with his children as possible, but with his schedule, and the amount of kids he had, it was difficult. He was unaware that Kristoffer was mentally gifted, like his elder half-brother.


    Obviously, it would not be to the same extent, but it would appear that intelligence ran in the family. Perhaps it was his own DNA, and not Linde''s, as he had initially suspected because of Hans and Helga''s exceptional intelligence. Though the nature of this gift slightly confused Berengar, as his father was not a brilliant man, and prior to his reincarnation, the Berengar of this world was a durd.


    The Kaiser could not wrap his head around it, but decided not to care. He was not a biologist and therefore did not have the means to extensively study his genes and determine whether hyper intelligence was a part of his bloodline, or Linde''s. All he knew was that he had two gifted potential heirs, and thus he smiled before nodding his head in approval of the teachers'' suggestions..


    "Well, if his teachers say it would be best, then I see no reason to hold the boy back. They have my permission to advance him by a few grades."


    Ad wore a pretty smile before leaning over the desk and kissing Berengar on the cheek. She blushed slightly as she withdrew her lips and absconded from the room while leaving behind a single phrase.


    "You''re the best!"


    After saying that, Ad swiftly disappeared, leaving Berengar with a smile on his face as he got back to work.

 Chapter 752 Dreams of the Past Part lV

    Chapter 752 Dreams of the Past Part lV


    Mizuno Ai sat across from a perfectly average young man. If she could say that he had one redeeming physical quality, it was the extent of his muscles. By now, she and Julian had known each other for roughly three months, and today was just a normal Saturday.


    Since she had met Julian, Ai had been gued with troubles in her attempt to coax the man out of his self-imposed exile within the library of Westpoint. She honestly did not understand how the man was able to live his life with as little human interaction as possible. Julian was practically a hermit outside of his studies and the academy''s mandated social events.


    Both Ai and Julian had an open schedule this weekend, and because of that, she had dragged him out of the library and to an amusement park in the city. It was only now that she was beginning to understand the extent of Julian''s social anxiety.


    Ai carefully observed the sweat on Julian''s brow as he struggled to deal with therge crowds. The man, who was normally calm, collected, and a bit of an asshole, was now pumping his leg frantically as his eyes darted back and forth. He slowly sipped from his milk shake while his gaze was lost in space.


    The two of them had stopped for lunch at one of the overpriced restaurants provided in the park. If there were two things that Julian enjoyed in this world, it was cheeseburgers and milkshakes. Of course, he could never afford the prices of amusement park food, and because of that, Ai had paid for his meal, just like she had done with his ticket.


    Ai observed the man''s unusual behavior as he snacked on his burger and drank from his milkshake. She found his anxiety to be endearing. It was unusual for Julian to show weakness. He normally had a smug attitude when dealing with people, as if he were a god descended from the heavens, and the people around him were mere hairless apes. The fact that he was bad with crowds made him seem more human, but more importantly, it was a weakness that Ai could exploit should the man ever step out of line.


    However, she would never admit that she had such cruelty in her mind, instead she wore a convincing facade of a worried friend, as she grasped hold of Julian''s shaking hand, and attempted to calm him down.


    "Are you alright, Julian? You look a little under the weather..."


    Julian was on edge, being surrounded by so many people, and their screams of excitement. He nearly smacked the girl in the face when she touched him without permission. His eyes quickly darted over to Ai''s pretty face, as if he were acquiring his target before unleashing his attack. There was a look of genuine concern on her pretty face as she checked on his condition, which helped to calm him down.


    Knowing Julian''s personality, Ai could surmise that he would respond with a denial of his condition, and instead pretend like he was okay being surrounded by so many people. This would only add to his anxiety, as he would be forced to keep up an act for the entire day. However, in the next moment, Julian sighed and said something unexpected.


    "I''m not going to lie... I ain''t exactly doing so well right now. People, especiallyrge amounts of people. I find them to be unnerving."


    Ai couldn''t help but giggle when she saw Julian''s pained expression. His response was to re at the young woman until she stopped, which eventually she did, only to lecture him on his lifestyle.


    "Well, that''s not surprising. You spend as much time as possible secluded in the library with nothing but books to keep youpany. In fact, I don''t believe I have ever seen you voluntarily interact with another human being."


    There was a look of confusion on Julian''s face as he heard this. He did not understand what the girl meant. He could only ask for rification on the issue.


    "Why would I?"


    The two friends stared at each other in silence for a moment, as if they were from two differents. Ai could only sigh and rest her face in the palm of her hands. In that moment, she felt like she was lecturing a child on how to get along with others.


    "Because you can''t do everything alone in this world. You need people to help you, especially if you''re joining the military. If you don''t socialize with your unit, they will feel as if they can''t trust you with their backs. I''m willing to bet you haven''t spoken a word to anyone in the barracks since you first joined the academy, outside of maybe small talk. I''m right, aren''t I?"


    Julian had to think hard on thest two years toe up with a single instance where he spoke to someone in the barracks outside of mandatory conversation or basic questions. The look on his face as he tried to recall a memory where he spoke with anyone other than in passing made Ai giggle once more. As Julian was lost in his thoughts, a group of girls walked by the table where he sat at. However, when they saw Ai they immediately stopped in their tracks before approaching the woman.


    "Ai is that you? I haven''t seen you since high school! Is this your boyfriend?"


    Ai looked over at the girls and got out of her seat before hugging them. Apparently, they were good friends before starting university. After hearing the question about Julian, the girl blushed, as she did not know how to answer the question. Julian, on the other hand, had not really noticed, nor did he care about the girl''s friends. He simply acted aloof, as he normally did. Ultimately, Ai introduced him to the girls with a slight frown on her face, knowing he would not take the initiative to do so himself.


    "This is Julian. He''s a friend of mine from the academy. Can you believe he has never been to an amusement park before? When I heard this, I knew I had to drag him here myself. He doesn''t seem to appreciate my kindness, though!"


    The girl that Ai seemed to be the most friendly with immediately felt suspicious when she heard this and began to verbally dissect Ai''s statement in front of her.


    "A friend, is he? I don''t know about you, but I wouldn''t normally drag a guy to an amusement park unless I was on a date with him!"


    When Julian heard this, he felt embarrassed. He had never even considered the possibility that this was a date, and immediately blushed in the corner as he remained silent. He would allow Ai to clear up the misunderstanding for him. Naturally, Ai defended her statement in an unconvincing attempt.


    "D..d..date? No... no... It''s not like that. We are just two friends hanging out at an amusement park, right Julian?"


    Julian sighed in relief as he heard this. He was right. There was no way a girl like Ai would be interested in him. Thus, he did not feel bad, as he wore a stoic expression while correcting Ai''s statement in front of her friends.


    "Friends? I would consider us to be more like acquaintances. As for this being a date, it is simply imusible."


    Ai shot Julian a nasty re. She could not understand why he was always like this. How were the two of them not friends? They had known each other for over three months. He had been over to her house and had eaten her cooking, and now they were at an amusement park together. How the hell could they possibly be considered nothing but mere acquaintances?


    When the girls noticed Ai''s furious gaze directed at Julian after he said they were nothing more than acquaintances, they understood exactly what was going on. The girl who had approached AI wrapped her arm around the woman''s shoulder and whispered something in her ear so that Julian could not hear it.


    "Unrequited love is a bitch, isn''t it? Though I don''t know why you''re interested in a guy like this, keep at it. Eventually, he wille around. I mean, it''s not like he has a better option than you lying around, now does he?"


    Ai immediately blushed when she heard this statement, before staring into her friend''s eyes. The girl had a supportive look on her face as she gave Ai a thumbs up. After saying this, the girl spoke to Julian once more.


    "Well, it was nice to meet you, Julian. Me and the girls are going to go on ahead. You two enjoy yourselves, and Ai, I''m rooting for you!"


    After saying this, the trio of young women ran off towards the amusement park, leaving an embarrassed Ai, and a slightly flustered Julian, to sit in awkward silence as they enjoyed their overpriced burgers and milkshakes. Ai would eventually seed in coaxing Julian out of his shell and getting him to enjoy himself on some rides together.


    Shortly thereafter, Itami awoke from her dream and stared at the ceiling with a depressed expression on her pretty face. She could only sigh in defeat as she thought about what she had dreamt of.


    "Julian... you fucking idiot... You probably didn''t even realize until the day you died that was supposed to be our first date..."


    She turned over on her futon and rested on her side as she attempted to fall back to sleep. However, on this night, Itami would get no further rest, and would lie wide awake until the sun rose, questioning why Julian had never realized her feelings.

 Chapter 753 Procuring a Little Brother Part ll

    Chapter 753 Procuring a Little Brother Part ll


    Noemi sat within the ssroom gazing across from her seat, to the location where the Imperial Prince sat, ardently paying attention to the ongoing lecture. She had a wide grin on her face as she admired the little boy she had been conditioning to be her little brother. Any minute now, the bell would ring, and lunch time would begin. She had prepared a special meal for the Imperial Prince, hoping that he would enjoy her cooking once more.


    Sure enough, the bell rang, and the teacher halted their lecture. The kids gathered into their cliques and began to head to the dining hall. Noemi approached Hans before he could escape from her clutches and smiled before handing over her homemade lunch.


    "Hansy, do you want to eat lunch with me? I made your favorite?"


    Hans felt unnerved as he heard the pet name that the girl created for him. Since he had begun interacting with the girl, she had be more and more friendly, though he did not mind as she spoiled him dearly, just like how his mother did. Ultimately, he decided to take the girl up on the offer, and the two of them absconded to the Cafeteria where the girl pulled out her meal and handed it over to the boy.


    The dish was a homemade buffalo chicken cheese casserole. This was not some high-ss meal prepared by an expert chef like Hans was used to eating. Instead, it was a dish popr amongmoner households, and because he was never able to taste these things outside of Noemi''s influence, he had decided to store away the lunch his mother had prepared for him. Noemi pulled out a portable grill and lit the charcoal on fire, where she heated up the dish in a metal bowl.


    While Hans was salivating over the idea of eating Noemi''s home-made casserole, someone gazed upon him from the entranceway. As an Imperial Prince, Hans had special privileges, and one of these was out-of-school visitors during lunch period.


    Veronika gazed upon the sight of the Hungarian beauty warming up her food for the Prince and glowered. She hade all this way from her prestigious girls'' school to visit her little fiancee, and share a meal with him, and yet some harlot had gotten her clutches into him while she was away.


    Why didn''t Hans ever mention this girl to her? Who was she, and how did she get to know Hans? What were her ns? These were all thoughts that were going through Veronika''s head as she watched the two of them chat with cheerful smiles. Hans was smiling? Why did he never do that around her? Veronika ultimately lost her cool when she saw the busty redheaded bimbo feed the boy with her spoon. She gazed upon the sight and dropped her lunch box, which nged loudly on the floor.


    "Come here Hansy, let big sister feed you! Open wide!"


    Before Hans could ept the spoonful of casserole, Veronika''s armtched firmly onto Noemi''s hand, preventing her from feeding the boy. There was a furious reing from Veronika''s heterochromatic eyes as she scolded the Hungarian beauty for enticing her fiance.


    "Hansy? Why are you calling my Hans such a childish nickname?"


    Noemi shivered when he saw the enraged Veronika. She knew the boy had fiancees as she had heard the rumors, but she never expected one of them to invade her school and catch her in the act. She forced a pretty smile on her face as she tried to the greet the girl standing in front of her, but Veronika was not having it.


    "You must be Veronika. I have heard so much about you from Hansy-"


    Before the girl could finish her sentence, Veronika pped her violently across the cheek, leaving a red handprint. Noemi gazed in shock at the Bohemian Princess as she underwent another scolding.


    "You harlot! Who told you that you could approach the Imperial Prince? Do you think you are worthy? Hans, I don''t want you talking to this girl anymore! Come with me. We have lunch to enjoy!"


    Veronika grabbed hold of Hans'' forearm and tried to leave him away when the little brat pped her across the face. Startling the Bohemian Princess and everyone else in the cafeteria who gazed upon the drama from this little love triangle. Veronika could not believe that Hans had just struck her, and instantly fell back in fear.


    "Hans wh-"


    Tears streamed down her eyes as she tried to ask why Hans was being so cruel to her, but the vicious gaze in the boy''s eyes which apanied his verbal thrashingid out the reason before she could even ask the question.


    "You dare tell me who I can and cannot associate with? Who do you think you are? I am Prince Hans von Kufstein and heir to the German Empire, yet you think that just because you are my fiancee that you have control over me? Veronika, I think you have overstayed your wee. Go back to your all-girls'' school before I get angry."


    After saying this, the boy did not spare Veronika a second nce, and instead checked on Noemi''s condition. His following words dug a hole in Veronika''s heart, causing her to flee while in tears.


    "Big sis Noemi, are you alright? I hope that girl did not cause you any harm!"


    Thest thing Veronika saw before she sprinted from the school was Noemi stuffing the boy into her bosom and stroking his hair with a wicked grin on her face.


    "Oh my sweet little Hansy, it''s not your fault. It''s only natural for the little bitch to be jealous of our rtionship!"


    Having said this, the two of them continued their meal, while Veronika was forced to flee the scene in shame.


    ---


    It did not take long for news of this incident to reach Linde''s ears. After all, she had several eyes watching her children at all times. When she learned of this incident, she immediately halted her work regarding national intelligence. Instead of handling crucial matters of state, she proceeded to acquire all the information she could on the young Hungarian beauty named Noemi.


    Linde stared at the report in her hands with a frown on her face. Pictures did not exist yet, and because of that, she could only read the description of the teenage girl, which enraged the overprotective mother. Long red hair, violet eyes, and most importantly, a developed figure, despite her young age.


    This,bined with the reports of Noemi forcing the prince to call her big sister, made it clear to Linde that the girl was just a cheap knockoff of herself. The idea that her precious baby boy was falling into the clutches of a young Hungarian vixen filled Linde with rage and jealousy.


    Hans was still a young boy who needed his mommy, so why was he pursuing a younger version of herself so soon? He was only supposed to do that when he was older. This could not stand. Linde had no choice but to have a face-to-face meeting with this girl and see just what her ns were for her precious baby boy.


    Currently, Linde was at her office in the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence. After reading this report anding to a decision, she had burst out of the room, looking for one particr person. Soon she found a young blonde woman who was her secretary. This woman was brewing a cup of coffee, which Linde immediately halted as she gave her another order.


    "I want you to find this V��szoly Noemi, and invite the little bitch to the pce. I expect to meet with her shortly."


    The secretary could tell there was a hint of hostility in Linde''s sky-blue eyes, and immediately gulped the saliva that was pooled in her throat. There was nothing more fearsome to the members of Imperial Intelligence than the Director when she was angry. Especially if that anger was directed towards someone who had targeted her family. Upon seeing the woman pause in fright, Linde red at her fiercely before questioning why she was still silent.


    "What are you just standing there for? Get to it already!"


    The woman quickly ced down the pitcher of coffee and saluted Linde before scurrying off to fulfil the task she had been given. Hans was entirely unaware that the little incident with Veronika and Noemi had found its way to his mother''s ears before the school day was even over.


    Thus, it was quite a shock when an agent of Imperial Intelligence approached Noemi after ss and invited her to his house. It was in that moment he knew that he had fucked up. There was only one reason his mother would know about Noemi, and that was because he had made a scene.


    Hans dreaded the idea of what his mother might do to him when she learned out about his illicit rtionship with a foreign girl. Thus, while being led back to the pce by members of Imperial Intelligence, Hans and Noemi were both shivering in fear.

 Chapter 754 Procuring a Little Brother Part lll

    Chapter 754 Procuring a Little Brother Part lll


    Linde sat on a love seat with one leg crossed over the other. She wore a pretty smile on her exquisite face while the white gold and sky blue topaz jewelry she was wearing glistened under the light of the sun that flowed through the nearby windows. She had gone all out on her appearance for this meeting with the young Hungarian harlot who was pursuing her seven-year-old son.


    Even Noemi was impressed by the woman''s stunning appearance while she sipped on a teacup filled with coffee. Though the girl was shivering in fear of what might happen to her. A squad of guards who belonged to Imperial Intelligence escorted her to the pce, and by the looks of the woman sitting across from her, this was an interrogation. Linde could tell the teenage girl was intimidated by her presence, causing her to smile as she lectured the girl about everything she knew.


    "V��szoly Noemi, age thirteen, date of birth July 2nd, 1412. Born in the neighboring Kingdom of Hungary to a major noble family, you immigrated to Germany less than a year ago after your family suffered from economic setbacks caused by the Catholic World''s economic sanctions. You have one deceased older sister, and a living older brother who is the heir to your family''snds.


    Currently, you are being taken care of by a servant of your family named Dud��s Li, who is currently the mistress of a young German Officer in the Border Guard. You live in the city of Kufstein with a sizeable allowance from your family and attend the Royal Kufstein Academy as part of the gifted program.


    Roughly half a year ago, you first contacted my son. At first I thought you were just a friend that my little Hans has made, but today you made a scene by sparking conflict with Princess Veronika. Because of that, I am convinced you have ulterior motives towards my son. So how about you spill your intentions before I resort to some more forceful methods to learn the truth..."


    Noemi''s skeleton nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the beautiful redheaded woman across from her urately state so much information about her life. When those furious sky-blue eyes cast their gaze upon her, the inexperienced girl immediately blurted out her reasoning for approaching Hans.


    "I''ve always wanted a little brother!"


    Linde and Hans gazed upon the teenage girl with suspicion and confusion when she said these words, with Linde interrogating her further.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Though she looked calm, the director of intelligence was gripping the hand rests of her sofa intensely. If she had a bit more strength in her hands, she might possibly be capable of snapping them in two. This did not go unnoticed by both Hans and Noemi, causing the girl to take a deep breath before speaking of her intentions in a way that made sense.


    "I''m the youngest in my siblings, with an older sister and brother. The two of them spoiled me when I was a kid, so much so that I''ve always wanted a little sibling of my own to share the love I received. Specifically, a little brother. When I first saw Hans, he was like the spitting image of what I always envisioned for a little brother.


    He was so cute, and too smart for his own good. So I watched him for several weeks, trying to figure out the best way to talk to him. I noticed that he always finished the food that was prepared for him with a happy smile on his face, except on Thursdays, where he had a particr casserole that he never seemed to finish.


    Because of this, I made him a tuna sandwich and gave it to him, knowing that he would be interested in eating it, instead of what was prepared for him that day. Since then I have maintained a friendly rtionship with the Prince so that he thinks of me as a big sister..."


    Hans was not an idiot. He had guessed the girl''s intentions since the first time he met her. Despite knowing her schemes, the fact remained that he enjoyed being spoiled by beautiful older women with big boobs, and though Veronika was young, she was more developed than the other girls in his ss. Thus, he tolerated her shenanigans, not thinking anything of it.


    However, when he heard the girl confess to the fact that he was throwing away his mother''s lunches on Thursdays, the young Prince stiffened in terror. The ever watching gaze of his mother''s sky-blue eyes peered into his soul as she wore a pretty smile on her face. However, Hans knew that behind this smile was the ck heart of a woman scorned. Thus, it was no surprise when she addressed this point.


    "Hans... Is what this girl says true? Are you throwing away my lunches and eating her cooking instead?"


    Hans lowered his head, in fear of looking upon Linde''s vicious gaze. Noemi noticed this and could tell something was wrong with this situation. She could only look upon the boy and apologize by silently mouthing the words.


    "I''m sorry..."


    Hans remained silent, which only cause Linde to be more furious.


    "Hans, you answer me this instant!"


    Upon hearing the woman''s voice raise, he nearly jumped out of his seat and quickly sang like a canary.


    "Yes, mommy..."


    Hans tensed up and shut his eyes in fear of what his mother might do to him. However, the unexpected happened. Her furious gaze lightened, and she grabbed hold of her son and sat him in herp while clutching his head to her bosom, all while speaking to him in a caring tone.


    "Hans, you should have told me if you didn''t enjoy that dish, I would have dly prepared you another in its ce! I''m not a mind reader, you silly boy. You must tell mommy when you don''t like a meal..."


    Hans gazed up at his mother''s beautiful face and sighed in relief. He thought for sure he was going to be in trouble when this secret of his was revealed. However, in the next moment, the woman''s voice turned ice cold as she gazed over at Noemi, who looked upon the scene of confusion.


    "As for you, you will apologize to my daughter-inw for causing a scene, and then you will never speak to my little Hans again. If I find out you are approaching him after today, I will have you transferred to another school. Do I make myself clear?"


    Hans was about to protest when Linde shot him a fierce gaze and pressed her finger to his lips before scolding him on his errant behavior.


    "Don''t think you are off the hook just yet, young man. You are way too young to be spoiled by a woman other than your mother. I am going to make sure you sit in your room and think about what you have done before you I allow you out of my sight again!"


    Noemi was sitting in silence with a downcast expression. She had really enjoyed her time with Hans, but if the Empress of Germany was giving her amand, then she had no choice but to submit. Who was she? She was an immigrant girl, and if she kept pursuing Hans in his family''s territory, Linde could make her life extremely difficult. The young Hungarian beauty could only sigh in defeat as she wiped the tears from her eyes and agreed to Linde''s orders.


    "Alright, I understand. I won''t approach Hans anymore... I''m sorry for the mess I have caused... Goodbye, Hans."


    After saying this, the girl was escorted from the room. Where Hans began to puff his cheeks in consternation. He pouted towards his mother, who stroked his strawberry blonde hair in an attempt to calm his inner fury.


    "Oh, Hans, you are only seven years old. There will be plenty of time for other women to spoil you. Just let mommy have this while you are still young and adorable. You also need to apologize to Veronika. It is never eptable to strike ady!"


    Hans refused to look into his mother''s eyes and thus averted his gaze as he muttered under his, brought about his disagreement with the woman''sst statement.


    "That''s not what father says..."


    Apparently, Linde heard the boy''s remark and red at him before speaking her thoughts aloud.


    "Your father is an ass."


    Linde was being a bit of a hypocrite, as she was a masochist who loved being punished by her "master". However, she could not easily tell her young son that it was okay to be rough with a woman when she consented to it. That was a conversation he was way too young to have. Hans, however, stared in awe at his mother before questioning what the woman had just said.


    "I thought you loved father?"


    In response to this question, Linde gazed upon her son with confusion in her sky-blue eyes. What did she say that implied she did not love Berengar? She quickly rified her stance so that the boy wouldn''t have any confusion about his parents'' rtionship.


    "I love your father more than anything, but that doesn''t change the fact that he''s an ass. I just happen to find that aspect of his personality attractive..."


    Hans gave his mother a strange look beforementing on her personality.


    "You''re weird..."


    Linde simply smiled and patted the boy''s hair before responding to this statement.


    "And you''re my son, so do as I say and apologize to your little fiancee, or I will confine you to your room for a month"


    The Prince pouted once more, as he tried to object to his mother''s orders.


    "But father says-"


    Linde''s fierce gaze pierced through Hans''s soul as she spoke in a stern voice, silencing him before he could finish his thought.


    "I don''t care what your father says, you will do what I say!"


    Hans could only lower his head in defeat and agree to his mother''s request. Perhaps if Berengar was here at this moment, he would convince Linde that the boy shouldn''t apologize. After all, what he said was true for the most part.


    However, when the Kaiser was busy with work, Linde''s rule was absolute as far as household affairs were concerned. Thus, Hans could only approach Veronika and apologize for what he had said, even if he didn''t mean it.

 Chapter 755 lntroduction of Film and theWorlds First Photograph

    Chapter 755 lntroduction of Film and theWorld''s First Photograph


    Berengar stood in the Kufstein Chemistry Department''s mainb, where Aldo von Passau and his team of chemists were eager to introduce theirtest invention to the Kaiser. He had been dragged from his home to this building to witness the newest invention. Or should he say prototype to the newest invention.


    As chemists, Aldo von Passau and his team received almost limitless funding in the pursuit of their schrly objectives. Some of them focused on medicine, while others focused on military products, and others yet pursued their own brilliant ideas.


    There were currently two new inventions sitting on a table in theb. Berengar recognized them immediately and was surprised that they had been developed. One was a roll of film, and the other was a primitive box camera that utilized the aforementioned film to take pictures.


    Though Berengar immediately recognized the devices, he feigned ignorance. It was best not to act like he knew everything that these men invented. After all, he did not want to start an investigation into the origins of this knowledge.


    "This is it? These are the new inventions? What are they?"


    Aldo von Passau wore a pleasant smile as he introduced the concept to Berengar.


    "This is something we have been experimenting with for a while. The idea came to me, when a friend of mine who is a ratherzy artist asked what if we could capture a moment in time into a single picture, without the need for paintings?


    Together with the work of my colleagues in both the Chemistry Department, and a few friends of mine who understand engineering. We came up with this that you see here!"


    The result was a roll of film that appeared fairly modern. Berengar picked it up and gazed into it for a few moments before asking for an exnation of the process used to make it.


    "How did you make this?"


    Aldo had a prideful smirk on his face as he announced the means he used to create the film.


    "We started with a mixture of silver and chlorine, which created apound called silver chloride. After much experimentation, we found out that this chemical is sensitive to light, and thus after crystalizing it, we experimented on ways to make use of it. Eventually, we settled on a mixture of the silver chloride crystals with gtin that we applied to a celluloid substrate.


    We have attempted many chemicalbinations, but this is the best result we have had. In the end, an engineering friend of mine put together this other device to make use of it. We were just about to try it out, and I figured you would want to be in the world''s first picture."


    Berengar gazed at the Camera and noticed it was a basic box camera. A box camera made use of a cardboard or stic box with a convex-concave lens on one side, and the film on the other. With the press of a button, it could take a still photograph. Berengar was pleased that these men wanted to include him in their experiments, especially since it looked like they may actually have a working product.


    Thus, while dressed in his Imperial Regalia, Berengar put on a smile as he stood side by side with the team of chemists and a few engineers. These men stood next to a table that held a roll of film and another box camera prototype. A member of the Chemistry department, who did not take part in either endeavors, held the device in his hand, after being carefully instructed on its use.


    When everyone was in position, he pressed the button, and with arge sh, the photo was taken. Though it would take some effort to develop the negative into a proper photograph, the scientists were certain that they had taken the world''s first photograph. Berengar was pleasantly surprised with this visit, and immediately questioned Aldo about the feasibility ofrge-scale production.


    "Aldo, how long will it take you to find out the results of this? Better yet, how long before we can begin the manufacture of these box cameras and film?"


    Aldo could tell Berengar was over eager, which was strange for a man who usually got excited by military hardware, and not simple products like this. After the development of chemical weapons, that made the man ashamed to call himself a chemist, Aldo could not help but question Berengar''s intentions.


    "Why do you ask?"


    Berengar was not afraid to reveal the ns he had in store for these photographs. Though he was unaware of Aldo''s reservations about chemical developments in warfare, he was happy to exin the practical purposes of cameras.


    "I just had a brilliant idea. We could employ these devices in the fields of intelligence, government documentation, and propaganda. Can you imagine it? Say one of our agents is in the field, deep behind enemy lines, and they find evidence of an enemy conspiracy. They could take photos of these documents, and send them back home where a proper counter measure can be taken ce.


    Then there''s the Department of Propaganda. We could take photos of major events, and disy them in the national papers. The people could see with their own eyes the greatness of our country, other than just reading about it.


    Then there are the purposes of government identification. For example, in immigration, it would be best to have a proper ID card with one''s photo, so that we can determine whether the holder is lying about their residency status.


    There are limitless applications of this technology, and perhaps we might one day be able to develop the means to not just document a single instant in time, but the passing of time itself! Think about it Aldo, you and your team have just changed the way the world will work!"


    It shocked Aldo to see how far Berengar had thought ahead with the use of this newest invention. It had only been a few moments since Berengar witnessed its use, and yet he already thought of so many ways to use it for the good of society. Documentation, intelligence, and propaganda could all benefit from the device. In fact, these fields would be so affected, that the people working in them would have to rethink how to approach their jobs.


    Unlike chlorine gas, this invention could be used to help the Empire in more than simple killing effect. He was pleased that he could redeem himself with a useful invention after being the lead designer on the chemical weapons project. Thus, he thought about it for a bit before speaking his opinion on how long it would take to get these devices into the hands of those who needed them.


    "We can begin production in three to six months. After that, I suppose it will take some time before we are able to produce enough of these devices to be used efficiently by the different government departments who require them. However, within the next couple of years, they should seemon use throughout the Reich."


    Berengar was pleased when he heard this, and nodded his head with an emphatic smile on his face.


    "Good, very good. Well, I will leave you to your work Doctor. Make sure not to disappoint me. I look forward to the days when my agents can have these employed in the field."


    After saying this, Berengar departed from the Kufstein Chemistry Department and returned to the pce. He had many ns for these devices, and was happy that the subordinates beneath him were progressing in the knowledge of their fields.


    Berengar had given the German people the means to stand ahead of the rest of the world. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Astronomy, Engineering, etc. These were all fields that Berengar had at least basic 21st century undergrad understanding of, and thus educated the people most suited to expand upon them.


    In the years since he introduced this knowledge to his people, many of his citizens had be educated, and those with gifted minds had entered and graduated the universities that Berengar founded. From a team of a few dozen chemists, Berengar now had hundreds working for him. Each was more eager than thest to make a major contribution to the world.


    He would not be surprised if that in a hundred years, the German Empire of this world had been to the moon. It was an amusing thought to think of. A society with a 19th century mindset, but with 21st century technology existing in the 16th century, while the rest of the world remained in a renaissance environment. Such thoughts brought a smile to the face of the Kaiser as he got back to work, humming a tune from his past life about.

 Chapter 756 What Could have Been Part l

    Chapter 756 What Could have Been Part l


    Berengar fell back onto his bed with a radiant smile on his face. Lying by his side were two naked women. One was his younger sister, Henrietta, and the other was his cousin Ad. The three of them had just enjoyed some quality time together right before going to bed.


    For the past few weeks Ad and Henrietta had beening to Berengar''s bedroom whenever they had a chance, where they drained him dry together. It was a brave new world, and Ad had grown rather close to her younger cousin Henrietta after undergoing Linde''s special training.


    Berengar''s life at home was filled with hedonistic pleasure as he drank, smoked, and slept with five different women every day. Sometimes the girls would approach him together, at other times they were separate, however mostmonly they came at him in pairs. No matter what happened, every night he would feel the warm embrace of at least one beautiful woman by his side. Thus, as his mind entered the darkness, he kissed his two little minxes on the forehead before telling them goodnight.


    "Good night, my beautiful girls. I love you both..."


    The two women smiled and nuzzled their heads into Berengar''s chest as they repeated the words back to him.


    "We love you too."


    After hearing this, Berengar drifted into sleep. Where, for the first time in a long time, he was thrust into the memories of his past life. As if he was sucked into another world, Berengar internally panicked as he looked around him and realized that he was standing in the rank and file of his ss graduation.


    In the crowd that had gathered to watch the cadets as they officially entered active duty was another cadet, a young Japanese beauty who smiled and pped her hands as she gazed upon the man she was secretly in love with while he received his diploma.


    Of course, in his past life, Julian had not noticed this affectionate gaze. However, standing here, witnessing this scene once more, Berengar could see very clearly that his old acquaintance Mizuno Ai had feelings for him, which instantly caused his brain to shut down in shock. He simply stood there in disbelief as he tried to work through what was happening to him. This was clearly just a dream, but it was so vivid. It was as if he was relieving the moment with his current memories intact.


    He was standing there on stage with a diploma in his hands, but he did not hear a single word that was spoken to him. All he could do was stare back at Ai in disbelief, muttering under his breath his current thoughts.


    "Ai had feelings for me? No... that can''t be, could it? I have to find out the truth!"


    Berengar did not know if this dream would allow him to hear the truth, or if it was simply a work of his mind filling in the gaps, but he had to know the truth. He had spent three out of four of his college years with the woman pestering him. If it was true that she secretly had feelings for him, then he just had to find out.


    Thus, after waiting for the ceremony to end, he quickly found Ai in the crowd and darted towards her,pletely ignoring his parents, who tried to speak with him before anyone else. It shocked Ai to see Julian greet her first, but she quickly hugged him before congratting him on getting his diploma.


    "Congrattions! I know you have been working hard for this these past three years, and I''m really happy for you. I can''t wait until my own graduation next year!"


    In his past life, Julian never spoke with Ai at this moment. His parents had monopolized his entire graduation day, he was never been able to hear these words. It was amazing that despite knowing this was a dream; it appeared as if he was given a second chance. He felt intense anxiety in his heart as he gazed upon the woman who was the closest thing to a friend he had in his past life for the first time in close to ten years. Ai could see the troubled look on his face, and immediately pressed her hand against his forehead, checking for a fever while interrogating him with a hint of worry in her voice.


    "What''s wrong? Are you sick?"


    Julian could feel the warmth of the woman''s hand. He could hardly believe it, it felt as if this was reality. Yet that was not possible. It had to be a dream. It took him a few moments to react to the girl''s question before responding.


    "No, Ai, I''m fine, really I am. I''m just a little overwhelmed, is all."


    Ai giggled when she heard this before responding to Julian''s im.


    "There''s a lot of people here, huh? Don''t worry, I know you''re bad with crowds, so it''s not surprising to see you having some difficulty. However, I think you looked great out there!"


    Julian chuckled as he heard this before awkwardly shifting the conversation in another direction.


    "Hey, Ai, there is something I wanted to ask you. This might sound a little bit crazy, but just bear with me for a moment. Do you, by any chance, have feelings for me?"


    These words struggled to register in Ai''s brain as she blushed as red as a strawberry. She could not find the words to express her feelings in that moment, and faltered backwords in astonishment. This reaction instantly surprised Julian, causing him to respond in disbelief.


    "Holy shit, you do! How long have you felt this way?"


    It took Ai a few moments toe back to reality as she struggled to believe that this dense idiot had finally realized the truth. She stumbled over her words as she admitted just how long she had felt this way.


    "Um... Well, thinking back, I''ve liked you ever since my freshman year... I''m sorry... how exactly did you finally realize it? I thought you were as dense as diamonds..."


    Julian reached out and grabbed hold of the woman''s cheek, which startled her. It felt so real, he could hardly believe it. He felt as if his heart was about to copse into a ck hole as it took him two lives to finally understand this truth. Tears streamed down his eyes as hemented what a colossal fuckup he was in this life, causing him to sniffle as he deflected the girl''s question with a vague statement.


    "You wouldn''t believe me if I told you... I''m sorry, I just, I never knew..."


    Seeing the tears in Julian''s eyes caused Ai to cry on her own. It had taken her three years, but she had finally gotten through that thick head of his. She grabbed hold of his hands and reassured him that everything was going to be alright.


    "It''s okay, so it took you three years to notice my feelings. That doesn''t matter, we have so much to look forward to now. You feel the same way, don''t you? We can finally be together!"


    Julian faltered backwards as he heard these words. If his heart could physically burst, it would have done so at this moment. He could only shake his head as the tears crashed down around him. The act caught the girl off guard, who thought for sure this was their defining moment as a couple. Julian could only say how sorry he was over and over again, as he could not think of anything else to say.


    "I''m sorry... I''m so sorry, I''m really sorry Ai... If only I had realized this sooner, but it is toote..."


    Ai felt her heart break in that moment as she assertively grasped hold of Julian''s hands, and looked him in the eyes. After all these years, he found out the truth and rejected her. What kind of cruel fate was this? She could not help but question his sanity as she heard this.


    "What do you mean, it''s toote? We''re here right now. We finally have a chance to be together, and you''re just going to walk away?"


    Julian wiped the tears from his eyes and wore a grim expression. It was as if his heart had already decayed and no longer existed, not even as a corpse. The tears had run dry as he uttered the words in his mind.


    "I''m sorry Ai, I really am. If I had known sooner, we could have been together, but I''m already dead, and this is just a dream to remind me of what I have lost... I''m sorry, I wish we could have been together... I really do..."


    After saying this, Julian walked away, drifting lifelessly over towards his parents, who were waiting for him, leaving the only girl who ever liked him in this life heartbroken and in tears. Berengar awoke from the dream in that moment and stared into the morning light with tears in his eyes. He wished he had never had that dream. Now that he knew the truth, it would weigh in his heart for the rest of his life.


    Thus, he gazed over at the two sleeping beauties next to him and sighed heavily before pulling out a bottle of whiskey that he kept in a nearby drawer. He gazed at the half drunken contents of the bottle for a few moments in silence before taking arge swig. There was nothing he could do about the past. He could only live this life to the fullest, from now on.

 Chapter 757 A Mysterious Power in the Farwest

    Chapter 757 A Mysterious Power in the Farwest


    Itami sat in her great hall, gazing upon her advisors and the heads of various government sectors. In the months since she had developed the ns for her new naval vessels, she had been doing her best to modernize her armed forces and expand her influence across the realm.


    Because she had a smaller army than Berengar, she could arm them with the newest weapons that she had developed much more quickly than he could. Thirty thousand men had sworn their loyalty to the War Goddess, and now she was prepared to strike.


    However, before she couldunch an invasion of her first target for Imperial expansion, some troubling news came from her trade minister, whoid a device on the table that hade from a merchant who had travelled to thend Itami knew as India.


    This device was not a simple arkebuse, instead it was a rifled flintlock musket. How did the Indians get their hands on such devices? Via their trade with the Timurid Empire who, through internal corruption, sold some of the weapons that were meant to go to their troops engaged in the war against the Catholic Church. Itami red fiercely at the weapon that should not exist in this era and immediately questioned the minister of trade just how he obtained the weapon.


    "Kono-san! Where did you get this weapon!?!"


    The elderly minister of trade known by the name Kono Masakuni feebly rose from his seat as he expressed what he knew about the rifled musket.


    "I received this firearm from one of our Merchants who travelled to the Bengal Empire in the west, where, through contact with their western neighbors, the so called Anangpur Empire obtained this weapon by trade. It appears to be a more advanced form of the Tanegashima that we used to employ in our armies..


    Initially, I would say that we should be concerned. However, thanks to the efforts of your majesty, our armies are now equipped with weapons far more advanced than these. Thus, I think we should simply consider the Bengal and Anangpur Empires to be near peers."


    Despite the various heads of state agreeing with the Minister of Trade''s opinion, Itami was unconvinced. Upon realizing that this weapon came from a foreign country, it instantly struck Itami with an overwhelming sense of panic. She had always believed that she was the only reincarnator in the world, thus giving her an enormous advantage. However, this weapon, that should not exist in the 15th century, was simple proof that somebody else hade to this world with a simr level of knowledge that she had.


    She had no choice but to inspect the weapon for clues of its origins. The young woman cautiously picked up the rifle and carefully observed it. From the proof marks to the rifling in the barrel, Itami closely inspected the weapon for any clue of where and when it was manufactured.


    The early weapons that Berengar had developed were manufactured with a simple proof mark which was his coat of arms, and a serial number. As time passed, other information was written on them, such as the armory they were manufactured in, the name and model number of the weapon, etc.


    This particr rifled musket was a recent manufacture as part of German military aid to the Timurid Empire. Because of that, it had the most modern markings on it, and several improvements over the designs previously issued to the Austrian Army, such as a lighter weight stock.


    The three major armories of Germany were currently located in Kufstein, Innsbruck, and Vienna. Kufstein exclusively manufactured arms for the German Army. While Innsbruck manufactured weapons for Germany''s allies, and Vienna manufactured the most obsolete weapons for sale to any other potential buyers.


    After Dharya and Priya arrived in Kufstein and informed Berengar of their uncle''s actions, he cut off trade with the Anangpur Empire and publically announced that the Indian Emperor and his sister were under his protection. Thus, the actions of the Timurid Empire, which allowed this weapon to end up in the hands of the Indians, could be seen as viting German sanctions.


    Naturally, Itami was unaware of most of this information. All she could discover from these markings was the model number of the weapon, and when they were initially introduced to service, she could also guess what country they were from based upon the Innsbruck Royal Armory marking. Though she could not read Middle High German, she knew where Innsbruck was and could surmise that someone initially invented these weapons in 1417, retrofitted them in 1418, and they came from Austria.


    This meant that a reincarnator had entered this world at least three years before she did, and was located in Austria. Though Europe was a far distance away from Japan, and would not easily interfere with her immediate ns. This reincarnator, whoever he was, had an advantage of entering this world three whole years prior to herself. Itami could only guess the extent of this reincarnator''s Empire, assuming he was as ambitious as she was.


    With this in mind, she gazed towards her minister, and questioned his motives. He had said the weapon originated in India, but these markings were clearly an early form of German. Because of this, she interrogated the man for more information on the item.


    "Kono-san, you say this weapones from India? Are you sure about that? Perhaps it was traded to them by a foreign power?"


    The elderly minister raised his brow when he heard this. He did not know how Itami could ascertain the truth about this information, which he had deliberately left out. The old geezer had to admit that he had underestimated this little girl and her knowledge of the world. He could only sigh in defeat and admit the information he knew about the weapon.


    "I only know what the merchant has told me. Supposedly, these weapons were manufactured by a mysterious power in the far west. They have soldrge quantities to their allies, and some of those weapons ended up being traded further east. Apparently, the Anangpur Empire has very few of these weapons, and makes use of an older weapon design simr to the Tanegashima we previously employed in our army."


    Itami struggled to calm her heart. If there was truly someone in this world whose knowledge, experience, and ambitions rivaled her own, it could create serious conflict in the future. It might even lead to her death. She had no choice but to advance her invasion ns. Only by seizing Korea and its vast iron resources could she even hope to contend with this mysterious reincarnator in the west.


    "I have changed my mind. Initially, I nned to invade Hokkaido, and then the Ryukyu Kingdoms. However, knowing that there is a mysterious power in the far west capable of producing such weapons has emboldened my resolve.


    We will invade Joseon by the year''s end! I want all efforts on manufacturing to go towards my warships! I will also enact mandatory conscription for all young men aged sixteen to twenty. They shall serve a minimum of four years in the Imperial Army!"


    The various military officers and heads of state gazed upon Itami with shock. They could not fathom why she was so terrified by the existence of this weapon when she herself had introduced more modern firearms. How could they know the fear the girl felt, knowing that there was someone else like her in this world with a three-year advantage over her?


    However, Itami''s mind was set. She would conquer the Joseon within the next year or two, and then use its iron to fuel her industries. Within five to ten years, she nned to have battleships, bolt action rifles, and machine guns. She would focus her efforts on military advancements, rather than civilian improvements. This was the only way she couldpete with this mysterious reincarnator should their armies sh.


    Meanwhile, Berengar was blissfully unaware of another reincarnator existing in the world. Though he suspected the possibility, he also believed that if such a person existed, and could rival him on the global stage, they would have shown themselves by now. Thus, he was more focused on improving the lives of his civilians, now that his war technology had practically reached the era of the Great War.


    He did not know that thanks to the Timurid, and Anangpur Empires, his existence had been leaked to his greatest potential rival, who would stop at nothing to catch up to him in terms of military might. If the two reincarnators knew each other''s true identities, they would likely peacefully negotiate through their differences. However, they didn''t know, and as far as they were both concerned, there could only be one reincarnator in this world, so long as there was another, a threat to their Empires would be ever present.


    Thus, Itami had begun the long path of war, where she intended to conquer Joseon, Hokkaido, and the Ryukyu Kingdom as soon as possible. Since she had established herself as the Empress, and lorded over the Army, there was nobody who dared to stand against her ambitions. Soon North-East Asia would be embroiled in a series of wars that would spark the rise of a new global power.

 Chapter 758 The Domino Effect

    Chapter 758 The Domino Effect


    Emperor Vetranis Piologos sat in the confines of his throne room. Standing before him were his greatest advisors. Strategos Padius from the Balkans, the first Prince Quintus, and several other military advisors. In recent days, Prince Quintus had unknowingly been influenced by German operatives to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the holynd.


    Quintus was a spiteful man, despite his peace-loving appearance. After being outdone by a foreign monarch in his area of expertise, he wanted nothing more to shatter Berengar''s peace between the Orthodox and Catholic worlds. To do this, he needed to find a way to establish a peace with the Crusaders, while abandoning the Timurids to continue the fight. Unknowingly, this spiteful nature of his was what allowed him to be yed by Berengar like a fiddle.


    The Byzantine and Timurid Empire had suffered defeat after defeat since this crusade began. However, recently their losses were monumental, and this was because Berengar secretly began leaking rifling technology and gunpowder to the opposition.


    By now the Catholic Church was wielding a mixture of arkebuses, matchlock smoothbore muskets, and matchlock rifled muskets. There was also an increasing supply of drake cannons being introduced; because of this, the enemy of the Byzantine and Timurid Empires had a superior range with their weapons.


    Though France''s army was broken, and they were forced to withdraw back to their homnd. The remaining Catholic states still supported the Crusade, and gained even further ground, pressing the Byzantine and Timurid forces out of Syria, Palestine, and extending the length of their territory to the borders of Egypt.


    Vetranis was practically pulling the hair out of his head as he sought to find a solution to this crisis. He had fought for many years to reconnect the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire to the state they were in during the split of Rome back in 395 AD, and over the course of a year, he had lost Syria-Palestine. This could not stand, and thus he was quick to voice his discontent towards his military advisors.


    "How did the Catholics get their hands on rifling technology? More importantly, where are they getting their gunpowder? Does anybody know the answer to this question?"


    Padius, who had thergest spywork in the Byzantine Empire, was quick to voice the conclusions he hade to after investigating these matters.


    "Our contacts in German intelligence inform us there was a mole who leaked the technology to the Catholics. He has since been dealt with. As for the gunpowder, we believe it ising from India and is being transported by the golden horde. So unless you want to open up a northern front into this war, I suggest we ept the circumstances for what they are."


    Vetranis had a hard time epting this news, but all he could really do was sigh in defeat. It was at this moment that Quintus voiced his concerns.


    "Father, our forces are depleted, and unless we want to take soldiers from the Balkans, it is unwise to continue fighting this war any further. We need toe to a peaceful solution to this problem. I suggest we open negotiations with the Papacy, so that we cane to some form of agreement on the holynd. If we continue to fight this war, not only will we be bankrupted, we will also lose so much more than we have already lost."


    Upon hearing the word bankrupted, Vetranis immediately shivered in fear. He knew that he was emptying the Empire''s coffers at a rapid rate in order to pay for this war effort. Hell, most of the weapons and armor his troops were equipped with came from Germany, and though they received a discount, the cost seemed to be a never ending pit of money.


    Padius wanted to counter this point, but he was already in a secret alliance with Berengar, having the objective of cing Alexandros on the throne. He knew full well what the Kaiser''s n was and allowed Quintus to convince his father to agree to a disastrous treaty.


    Thus, he sat back and sighed, knowing that he would be damning the Empire for a few years in the hopes that a true leader could rise from the despair and lead them to their former glory. Upon noticing Padius'' silence, Quintus continued to convince his father to negotiate with the Catholic Forces.


    "Father, heed my words. Further conflict will only prove to ruin the Empire. We must negotiate! Even if our Timurid allies wish to continue the fight!"


    Vetranis was slightly concerned that the Sultan Sn would not agree to peace, and would continue to fight against the Crusader armies until his forces werepletely exhausted. However, what Quintus said was true. They were already at the breaking point financially. If they continued this war, they would have to go into debt to their German Allies, and that was something that Vetranis would never do again.


    Berengar was a scheming bastard, and Vetranis knew this all too well. Thest time he went in debt to the Kaiser, the devious cunt had trapped him in debt, and made outrageous demands of him in return for cancelling a portion of it. It forced Vetranis to give up his daughter''s hand in marriage to the polygamous scoundrel, not to mentionnd in Egypt.


    He feared what demand the man would make when the Empire was incapable of paying off its debt this time around. If it was between going into debt with the Reich, or surrendering the Holy Land to the Catholics, then Vetranis would rather do thetter. After all, he could always get back thend the Crusaders took from him in a few years.


    The Byzantine Emperor did not know what his German counterpart wanted from him, but whatever the Kaiser would demand in return for cancelling this debt, he knew in his heart it would be too much for him to agree to. Thus, he could only sigh in defeat and agree to his son''s request for a peaceful solution to the conflict.


    "Very well, I shall send word to the Pope, expressing my intent for peace. We will meet in neutral ground and thoroughly discuss an end to this war. We can''t afford to go into debt to the Reich once more. Instead, we will suffer this loss, and slowly build back our military strength until we can reim the holynd from those catholic bastards!"


    Quintus was pleased with this arrangement, and Padius merely nodded his head in agreement. Internally, he knew that the peace ords would end in a disaster for the Byzantine Empire. The Pope was listening to whispers by Berengar''s agents about a vengeful peace towards the east. Naturally, this idea was touted as a means of propaganda to show what happens to those who side with Germany.


    By the time Vetranis officially surrendered, the Byzantine Empire would be in debt to the Papacy, their armies would be limited, and the crusaders would confiscate theirnds south of Anatolia. This would cause destitution among the people, as many refugees fled the former boundaries of the Empire and into the enve that was formed in the Balkans and Asia Minor.


    Undoubtedly, Decentius and Vetranis would be held responsible for this abysmal treaty, and by the time the current Emperor passed away, there would be demands for someone other than Decentius to im the throne.


    When this happened, there would only be two candidates. One would be Quintus'' womanizing drunkard of a little brother, which nobody supported. The other was the offspring of the beloved Princess Honoria, and her husband, who was a man renowned for leading Germany to new heights. It was a no brainer who would be selected, but just in case, Padius, with the support of the Reich, would gather both his faction, and the hawks, to support Alexandros when the time came.


    With Berengar''s support, Decentius'' reign as the Byzantine Emperor would be short-lived, and after a sessful coup d''etat, Alexandros would be given the throne. Padius could only admire the level of scheming Berengar had gone through to make this future a reality. After all, a debt trap would notpel Vetranis to name Alexandros his sessor, especially now that he was growing paranoid about the prospect of being overthrown by the Kaiser.


    The death of Hasan, and the inheritance of his kingdom by Berengar''s son Ghazi, made Vetranis wary that the same thing could happen to him. After all, he had married off his only daughter to the Kaiser via a matrilineal marriage. At first Vetranis did not understand the reason why Berengar was so eager to give up his offspring with Honoria to their mother''s dynasty. However, with the recent events in Iberia, he now understood Berengar''s true intentions.


    Naturally Berengar had calcted this Paranoia, and thus he did not attempt to negotiate via debt trap diplomacy like he had done in order to ensure his marriage to Honoria. Instead, he chose a more fiendish approach, one that even Vetranis in his Paranoia would not expect.


    With this meeting adjourned, the Byzantine Emperor would soon meet with the Pope and unwittingly knock over the first domino that would eventually establish Alexandros as the future Emperor of the East. As for Quintus, he had yed his part perfectly. All Berengar had to do now was wait a few years and reap the harvest of his schemes.

 Chapter 759 Rethinking Cities

    Chapter 759 Rethinking Cities


    Berengar stood in his war room by his lonesome. He had been up all night, for the past three nights, working on this project sitting in front of him. On arge table sat a miniature replica of the city of Kufstein, including the subterranean level where the sewers currently existed.


    Unlike the actual city of Kufstein, there were several major changes done to this replica. Most notably were his most recent improvements in power lines and street lights. Yet, there were other notable exceptions to this. Stop lights, stop signs, bicyclenes, and bus stops were all added to the surface level of the city. While below the city, there were pipelines and storage facilities intended to allow the transfer and storage of bio-diesel so that they could be pumped into the public transit system Berengar had devised.


    In the streets, double Decker busses roamed to their hearts'' contents while transporting civilians from one end of the city to the other. Beside them were trucks carrying goods from the countryside to the cities. The miniature city of Kufstein was alive and prosperous as Berengar smiled at it.


    Eventually the Kaiser shifted his gaze from the Trade District to the Pce District, where his sight fell in front of the Royal Pce where a small car based upon the Mercedes Benz 770 lie in the driveway. Surrounding it were precisely sculpted miniature figurines of Berengar and his family.


    This miniature city was an example of the future of Kufstein. Berengar already designed everything in this replica to be used in the real world. He had been hard at work since his return from Africa, developing the technology that would be needed to advance Germany into the age of electricity andbustion engines. All he needed was to wait for it to be produced and implemented. In a few years, Kufstein, and many of Germany''s major cities, would look like this, more or less.


    As he was ying around with the figures, the door to the room opened to reveal the curvy figure of the Princess Henrietta. The girl had bags under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. It would appear she was up just aste as Berengar working her damndest to make sure the finances were in ce to fund this city wide renovation. She smiled when she saw her big brother, before handing him the expense report while kissing him on the cheek.


    "It''s all done. The numbers have been crunched, the funds are in ce. We will begin adding these ns of yours to the ongoing Grand Infrastructure Project immediately."


    Berengar smiled and pet his sister''s silky golden hair while hugging her tightly. He praised the girl for her hard work before kissing her on the forehead.


    "That''s my Henrietta. I knew I could count on you! You truly are the best!"


    Henrietta wore a pretty smile on her face while blushing profusely as she received such praise from her precious big brother. If she had a tail, she would be wagging it at this moment. She was so caught up in her brother''s embrace that she did not notice the replica of the city until this secon. Berengar noticed her curious gaze and asked the question on his mind.


    "You want to see it?"


    Henrietta nodded her head obediently, causing Berengar to smile before leading her over to the replica.


    "This is Kufstein, or more importantly, it is what Kufstein will look like in a few years! Is it not glorious?"


    Henrietta carefully observed the city and everything in it. It was truly marvelous in her eyes. She was shocked to see how much thought Berengar had put into this. Even more so on how far their family''s territory hade in a decade under her brother''s reign. She could not help butment on her astonishment.


    "It''s truly amazing. I can''t believe that ten years ago, we were in a small farming town, and soon enough, this metropolis will be our hometown. So much has changed since you took power. You''re now an emperor, and I''m an imperial princess. Sometimes it is mind-boggling just how far we havee."


    After saying this, Henrietta''s gaze shifted all the way to the Royal Pce, where she saw the miniatures that represented the family. She smiled when she saw her own figurine. After a while, she carefully counted the numbers before addressing her concern.


    "Big brother, you''re missing one!"


    Berengar gazed upon the scene of his family standing outside the car and carefully observed the numbers, he had gone through painstaking lengths to urately sculpt his entire family for this replica, and he knew for certain he had gotten all of his family members, thus after recounting he denied this usation.


    "No, I''m not. I think I would know if I forgot to sculpt a figure of one of my children!"


    However, Henrietta had a coquettish expression on her face as she wrapped Berengar''s hands around her belly. After doing so, she whispered something in his ear.


    "You''re missing this little one right here!"


    Berengar chuckled as he kissed the girl on the forehead before hugging her.


    "You''re pregnant? Again? God damn, what is with you girls?"


    Henrietta scoffed and feigned offense when she heard this.


    "Well, maybe if you used protection, this wouldn''t happen so often. Besides, this is only our second child together. I''m behind the others!"


    Berengar shivered when he heard the word protection before rejecting the notion.


    "The idea of wearing a condom made of goat intestines freaks me out. I''d rather just pull out and roll the dice!"


    This response caused Henrietta to giggle as she held onto Berengar while making fun of him.


    "Well, it appears the odds are not in your favor, my dear big brother..."


    It was Berengar''s turn to make fun of Henrietta as he bopped her nose with his finger.


    "Hey, I''m your nephew, remember?"


    Henrietta pouted while breaking away from Berengar''s grasp when he said this and proceeded to walk towards the door. In that moment, Berengar thought he had pissed the girl off with that statement, and immediately followed after her. Surprisingly, she turned around with a yful grin on her face and kissed him before expressing the following.


    "I don''t recognize that as canon... Nowe, big brother, let''s go take a bath before the others wake up!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and allowed himself to be dragged away by the wrist. He had said that same phrase himself more than once in his past life in response to certain major works that went in a direction he didn''t like, but he never expected his sister to say it about their lineage.


    He would soon enter the bath, where he and Henrietta stripped out of theirvish attire before rxing in their tub, which was the size of a swimming pool. Henrietta sat in Berengar''sp, and allowed her brother to clean every inch of her body, before she responded in kind.


    By the time they were finished enjoying themselves, the rest of the family awoke, and the duo were forced to cut their time together short. After all, Ad was bound to get jealous if she figured out the two of them had gotten together without her, and neither of them wanted to listen to her furious monologue.


    With this nning, the cities of the German Empire would enter the next stage of evolution. Those that were not yet fully industrialized would instantly be kicked past the age of steam and enter the world of electricity. Berengar had a ten-year n in mind. This n was for the Reich to enter a level of Great War era technology throughout the borders of the fathend. With the redesigning of the cities, he had achieved the first step on this decade long journey.

 Chapter 760 l Will Make a Man Out of You

    Chapter 760 l Will Make a Man Out of You


    Berengar sat in his office with a stern expression on his face as he rested his chin on his folded hands. In front of him was his eldest child, Hans von Kufstein, who had a nervous expression on his face. Berengar had been meaning to talk to the boy for a while, following the stunt he pulled in his school. However, his schedule had been dreadfully busy, and because of that, he had waited well over a week to have this conversation.


    Hans was squirming in his seat. The only thing that frightened him more than his mother when she was angry was his father. He was aware of why he was sitting here across from the world''s most powerful tyrant and took a deep breath to calm himself before listening to his father''s scolding.


    "You know why you are here, don''t you, Hans?"


    The boy remained silent as he nodded his head in agreement, signalling his father to continue his lecture.


    "You pped your fiance across the face in front of an audience. Do you know what people are saying about that? The Kaiser''s ward is living a life filled with abuse. The Prince of Germany is cruel towards women, et cetera et cetera et cetera. I have worked hard to build the prestige and dignity of my family, to the point where the von Kufstein namemands both fear and respect among people around the globe.


    With your little disy of violence, people are starting to speak ill of our family. Those with an agenda in their minds have used your actions as a way to nder our dynasty. I know that your mother has asked you to apologize to the girl. Have you done so already?"


    Hans shook his head awkwardly as he responded truthfully to his father''s interrogation.


    "No, father, she doesn''t want to see me..."


    Berengar nodded his head in silence for several minutes before getting up from his seat. He stared out the windows for several seconds before responding to his son.


    "Do you know why it is inappropriate to hit a woman?"


    The prince kneaded his hands for several moments before responding to the question while unsure of the answer his father was looking for."


    "Because there''s no valid reason for doing?"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this before looking at the boy with disdain.


    "Bullshit! Did your mother tell you that? Typical... Hans, there are plenty of reasons to hit a woman. You just don''t fucking do it! Especially not in public. Why? Because they are weaker than we are. As one of my potential heirs, who lets be honest here is the most likely to seed me when I finally retire. You need to mind your position and never use your power to bully those who are weaker than you.


    Veronika disrespected you, in public, no less. Believe me when I say that I understand the urge to put a woman in her ce when she does that. However, there are plenty of ways to discipline a bitch when she acts out. However, you do so in thefort and safety of your own home. You do notsh out in public and strike her. It is simply disgraceful behavior.


    Your mother has said that you need to apologize to Veronika. However, she is a woman, and is not thinking with her brain, but with her heart. So allow me to ask you a question. Do you honestly believe what you did was wrong, or are you simply remorseful that your actions caused distress to the girl?"


    Hans thought clearly about what his father was asking him for a few moments before raising his head towards the man with a clear sense of understanding in his eyes.


    "Though I may have gone too far in my actions, I believe the intent behind them was justified. I would suppose that I do not feel guild for my actions, but remorse for the effect they had on Veronika."


    Berengar nodded his head in approval, before walking over to the boy, and leaning on his desk as he instructed him further.


    "You never apologize to a woman, Hans, at least not for your actions, and especially if you don''t feel they were unwarranted. It is a sign of weakness, a sign of submission; and as the future King of Bohemia, and potentially the next Kaiser, you should never lower your head to a woman.


    However, women are emotional creatures, and won''t easily forgive you unless they get an apology, so thepromise is to divert the apology towards how they feel. After all, that is what they really care about. Your mother has ordered you to apologize to Veronika, and you shall.


    You will go to her school tomorrow at lunchtime. Don''t worry about being granted ess. I''ll take care of it. You will approach her in front of all her ssmates, and be as kind as I know you can be, where you will apologize to Veronika for hurting her feelings and causing her emotional distress. I have no doubt she will forgive you, and all the other girls will see that you are a kind and caring boy who takes care of his fiancee.


    That should dispel any nasty rumors that are floating about regarding our household and the treatment of my ward. Your mother has spoiled you too much. It is time I teach you how to be a man. Starting with how to properly apologize."


    After hearing his father''s lecture, Hans felt enlightened. The man''s words really opened his eyes to the power dynamics behind rtionships. He did not know that something as simple as an apology had such a profound effect on how people viewed him. He listened to his father''s advice well before nodding his head and agreeing to his demands.


    "Very well, father, I will do as you say!"


    Berengar grinned when he heard this and patted the boy on the shoulder before parting some additional wisdom.


    "Hans, you were born with the greatest gift of all. You have an exceptionally gifted mind and you are more intelligent than I, or your Mother could ever dream of bing. However, you are still young andcking in wisdom.


    If you wish for your legacy to one day outshine mine, then you should do well to heed my advice and obey mymands. If you do so, I will make a man out of you. A man so great that history will remember you forever. Now run along, and make sure to apologize as I have instructed you to your little fiancee."


    Hans smiled and nodded his head before departing from his father''s study.


    "Thanks for the advice, father!"


    After saying this, the boy ran off to go enjoy himself for the rest of the day.


    The next day, Hans did as he was instructed. At lunchtime, he departed from his school and rode on a carriage to the all girls'' academy that Veronika attended. The gate guards did not even bat an eye as the prince walked through their entrance. When he noticed this, he knew his father had cleared the way for him.


    After all, every boy dreamed of entering these pearly gates, but none were allowed entry. Hans would be the first boy to enter this school since its creation. As he walked down the halls, those girls who were not in the cafeteria whispered among themselves and giggled. They were shocked to see a boy enter the sacred halls of their school, but they all knew his identity and none dared to impede his progress.


    Eventually, Hans found Veronika sitting in the cafeteria alongside several of her friends, who instantly gazed at him with astonishment. When Veronika saw their expressions, she turned around to see her little Fiancee staring at her with a warm expression. She pouted as she saw the boy who had shunned her so brutally in front of his ssmates, and turned her head to the side, not wanting to look into his eyes. When Hans saw this, he chuckled before handing a rose over Veronika that he had hid up his sleeve.


    "Veronika, we need to talk..."


    The girl refused to shift her gaze towards him and merely harrumphed coldly in an attempt to shoo him away.  Freewebn?vel.c?m.


    "There''s nothing for us to talk about, Hans...."


    All eyes were on the two of them as they attempted to settle their dispute, with girls gossiping in the background. Ultimately, Hans sighed before forcing the rose into Veronika''s hand. He took a deep breath before making his apology.


    "Veronika, I''m sorry that I hurt your feelings. I know this doesn''t mean much, but after what happened, I had some time to think, and I kicked Noemi to the curb. If it is between you and her, then I''ll choose you every time. You know that, right?"


    Veronika blushed as she heard this apology and lowered her head. The girls in the cafeteria were all whispering among themselves as they heard this. They had heard that the Prince had pped her, but they did not know the reason behind it. They never would have guessed that it was because of a love triangle. It was almost as if they were watching a soap opera y out in front of them, and they all ate it up.


    The Bohemian Princess did not even realize that Hans had failed to apologize for his actions, nor did he promise to never againy a hand on her. He had watched his father enough to know how to manipte a woman''s heartstrings.


    Naturally, with his intellect and his father''s advice, Hans was able to formte the proper apology. One that deflected from guilt and responsibility while spoonfeeding the girl exactly what she wanted to hear. It worked like a charm, because after several moments of silent embarrassment, Veronika hugged the boy and called him the same nickname that Noemi used to call him.


    "Hansy!"


    After hugging him, she pouted once more before pulling on his cheeks.


    "You little brat, you put me through so much pain! You owe me!"


    Hans endured the torment before asking what the girl wanted from him.


    "Anything, just ask!"


    The girl eventually let go of his cheeks, where she wore a sheepish expression while touching her index fingers together.


    "Tea... Tea time, this Saturday, just the two of us!"


    In response to this, the Prince chuckled before responding to the girl''s demands with a wide grin on his face.


    "Sure... Anything for you, Veronika!"


    Immediately, the cafeteria erupted with roars, as the girls screamed in excitement. Though there were a few years between the royal couple, it was an endearing sight for many of the girls who could only dream of having such an adorable little fiance. Those who were among the nobility were already engaged to men much older than them, and when they saw Veronika and Hans together, they were naturally jealous.


    In the end, this little apology of Hans'' would spread far and wide across the city, putting an end to the nasty rumors of abuse. Veronika had forgotten all about her little dispute, and would maintain a friendly rtionship with her fiance.


    Though Linde had put an end to Hans''s rtionship with Noemi, the boy was undeterred from the prospect of hanging out with her. He vowed to find a way to be with Noemi simply out of spite towards his mother, and his fiancee, for forcing him to terminate the rtionship.

 Chapter 761 Defense of the Kaisers Canal

    Chapter 761 Defense of the Kaiser''s Canal


    An officer in the German Army stood outside the Kaiser''s Canal, which was the name given to the area in Egypt that Berengar had sunk significant cost and effort into constructing over the past few years. After years of hard work, it was finally finished. The amount of steam shovels deployed to the region, and the extensive use of dynamite, was what allowed the Canal to bepleted in roughly five years.


    However, the Canal waspleted during a time of great conflict. Just recently, the Byzantine and Timurid armies, or what remained of them, were forced to ferry across the Canal in fear of the pursuing crusader forces. Naturally, given the nature of the war that was ongoing in the region, Berengar had ensured that the troops protecting the canal were given priority in rearmament.


    Because of this, there were more than a few 7.5cm and 10cm FK 25 Field Guns stationed around the Canal''s defenses. There were also machine-gun nests made out of reinforced concrete, where MG 25 machine guns lie in wait for the enemy. Thousands of soldiers were equipped with the new G25 rifles, however, not all of them were. Instead, there was a mix of the old weapons, with the new among these forces, whose job was to guard the canal from the hostile crusaders.


    The Officer in charge of Canal''s defenses gazed through his binocrs and witnessed arge army on the horizon. This army was filled with men at arms, armed with pikes, arkebuses, and a variety of matchlock muskets, both smoothbore and rifled. When he saw this, he gave a series ofmands to a nearby soldier.


    "Report to the Telegraph operator. Inform him to dispatch a message to the fleet in Malta. An enemy army is approaching the Canal, and we are in need of assistance."


    The soldier, who was dressed in an aridbat uniform, and a matching Stahlhelm, nodded his head before running off to the fortification, which housed the massive telegraph station that was established in the fort. Another officer quickly addressed his superior with a hint of concern in his voice.


    "Colonel, we only have a single brigade here to act as defense. Should we not withdraw?"


    The Colonel turned around and ced his binocrs in their pouch. The Colonel was none other than Arnwald Gerwig, a man who had served in Berengar''s army since the beginning of his conquests, and had personally fought by his side during the early days of his war against Count Lothar. He stared at the Captain who questioned his decision with a hint of disdain on his face before spitting on the ground.


    "We have spent thest five years building this canal, and now these backwoods feudal knights think they cane in and reap the benefits of ourbor? No, the Kaiser would kill us all if he knew we retreated! If these fools dare to march on the Canal, we will show them the power of German steel!


    However, because we are not officially at war with the crusaders at this moment, I shall dispatch a messenger, ordering them to turn around and leave Egypt behind. If they dare to approach the Canal, we will see it as an act of war, and will defend our position to thest man!"


    The officer immediately lowered his head in shame. He felt bad for even suggesting a retreat. After all the effort they had put into building this canal, Arnwald was right when he said that the Kaiser would have their heads if they dared to retreat. After a moment of reflection, he went off to convey the Colonel''s orders, and ensured that every man was locked and loaded, ready forbat at a moment''s notice.


    As the enemy army reached a range of roughly five kilometers away, a German messenger was sent to them on horseback. The Army chasing after the Crusaders was not the primary force of the Crusaders. Instead, it was led by the King of Ennd, and primarily consisted of English and Red Dragon forces.


    When the King of Ennd noticed the ridering towards him, he smiled fiercely. Finally, he could have a proper meeting with a representative of the German Empire. Until now, he had never been in direct contact with Berengar or his forces, however after witnessing the weapons employed by the Byzantine and Timurid forces, he hade to respect the Kaiser as a man of great power.


    Naturally, Lawrence was unaware of the true power the German Empire possessed, thus he was surprised when he saw the rider approach him, not even wearing a suit of armor. He quickly shouted out to his own forces, looking for a trantor who could speak with the German messenger.


    "Anybody speak German?"


    Surprisingly, a random nobleman in his army raised his hand in response to this, and volunteered for the task.


    "I can speak a little..."


    It surprised Lawrence that some of his men could speak the foreignnguage, but then again, prior to the rise of the German Empire, it was not entirely unlikely that English Knights and Lords would marry a foreign bride. Thus, he was not suspicious of this. Eventually, the German Rider approached the army and gave his demands.


    "By the decree of Colonel Arnwald Gerwig, you shall not take a step further. Thisnd belongs to the Kaiser, and to trespass with an army is considered an act of war against the German Nation. Unless you want the full might of the Reich to force you from thesends, I suggest you return from whence you came!"


    Lawrence scoffed as he heard this. Looking around him, he could not believe what he was hearing. This was Egypt, since when did the Germans have a im to thisnd? As far as he knew this was a small unit dispatched by the Kaiser to assist their Byzantine Alliers. Because of this he responded with a rather crass remark that only a man ignorant of the agreement that had taken ce between Berengar and Vetranis would make.


    "We''re in Egyptd, thisnd belongs to the Byzantine Empire. Since we are at war with them, we have the right to take whatever we damn well please. I suggest you and your forces withdraw from the region if you don''t want to get ughtered!"


    The messengerughed before ridiculing the English King in front of his own army. The Nobleman who acted as the trantor had a sheepish expression on his face as he repeated the words that were spoken.


    "Ignorant Swine, years ago, The Byzantine Emperor transferred thisnd to Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein as part of his personal holdings. Though it is subject to Byzantinews and taxes, as far as the Kaiser is concerned, it is part of the Reich. As I previously stated, advance one step further and you will be trespassing on Germannd! We are not afraid to respond with force!"


    The legality behind the Suez Canal wasplicated, officially it was a part of the Byzantine Empire, and therefore subjected to itsws and taxes. However, it was also a feudal holding of the Kaiser, making it both a Byzantine and German territory.


    While Lawrence could press the im that he was taking Byzantine Land in an act of conquest, Berengar had the Right to deploy his armies to defend it. Since Berengar was the Emperor of Germany and the Reich was no longer a Feudal Country, he could legally deploy the Imperial Germany Military in its defense. Not only that, he could also deploy the Reichsgarde as well.


    King Lawrence''s arrogant smile faded as he heard this. He suddenly felt like a fool for not being aware of this fact. This created a monumental problem for the man who wanted to im the wealth of Egypt. Currently, he held most of the Sinai Penins after expelling the Byzantine and Timurid Forces beyond the Kaiser''s Canal.


    However, the wealth of Egypt lies beyond the canal, which acted as a very literal barrier between German territory and the rest of the region. Lawrence could not cross the Canal without making an enemy of the Reich. This left him with one choice if he wanted to plunder the wealth of Egypt, and that was to sail around the Canal and invade the rest of Egypt from the sea!


    However, were things so easy? Would the Germans allow a hostile force to exist on both sides of the Canal? No, it was entirely unlikely that they would make such a foolish decision. If he really intended to take Egypt, undoubtedly the German Army would interfere.


    Because of this, King Lawrence and the English Crusaders were left with two choices: dere war on the German Empire, and attempt to take the Suez Canal by force, or withdraw from the region and settle for Syria-Palestine. In the end, the English King was not stupid enough to step on the tail feathers of the Eagle, and sighed heavily before withdrawing his forces from the region.


    "You make apelling argument. Very well, I will withdraw my forces from the region. We will have to settle with Syria-Palestine. Come alongds, our forces are needed elsewhere."


    With that said, a war between Germany and Ennd was narrowly avoided. If not for the fear and respect that the English King had for the Kaiser and his army, things could have gone very differently.


    After returning to the encampment, the messenger gave Lawrence''s response to the Colonel. Ultimately, Colonel Arnwald Gerwig decided to allow the fleet from Malta to approach the Canal, rather than call it off. After all, as long as this crusade continued, they could use the Naval support.

 Chapter 762 Defeat is not an Option!

    Chapter 762 Defeat is not an Option!


    Heimerich von Graz sat in the Royal Pce of Granada, which the Field Marshall of the Imperial German Army, Adelbrand von Salzburg, currently resided. The two of them were in an office, staring at each other with differing expressions. Adelbrand had a grim look on his face, while Heimerich''s appearance was smug and confident. The two Field Marshalls red at each other in silence for several moments before Adelbrand spoke up.


    "Repeat what you just said to me!"


    Heimerich sipped on a teacup which was filled with coffee before he gently ced it down on a saucer while repeating the words he had just spoken moments before.


    "The Kaiser fears this war is taking too long, and is consuming far too many resources. Though your soldiers have done their best to remove the threat, he has decided that a more ruthless approach is necessary to crush the spirits of the Iberian Catholics. In the following days, me and my Reichsgarde shall march on Madrid, where we will unleash a barrage of chemical shells onto the city, annihting all of its inhabitants in the process.


    This is not up for negotiation, Adelbrand. I have my orders, and they are topel you to listen to the Kaiser''smands. I know you have spent more time here in Iberia than you have back in the Fathend. However, your concern for the lives of these people has clouded your judgement.


    The Moors love you. It is through your actions and those of the Kaiser that Iberia was united under their banner. However, you have been tasked with bringing an end to this rebellion, and despise those orders, the situation here only seems to be getting worse. It is because the Moors love you that the Kaiser has asked me to unleash this ruthless assault on the city of Madrid. After all, he wouldn''t want to stain your reputation.


    I assure you, I will annihte this rebellion even if I have to burn a couple million Catholics in the process. After all, from the moment I was given the position of Field Marshall of the Reichsgarde, it was made very clear to me that I would be tasked with the dirty work that the regr Army could not be caught engaging in. I just need you to clear your soldiers out of Madrid. After you have done that, we can begin our attack."


    Adelbrand sighed heavily when he heard this. He tapped his fingers on the desk repeatedly. This attack would ensure a monumental loss of life. However, orders were orders, and he would not dare disobey the Kaiser, especially when he was so close to gaining Eckhard''s old position. Thus, he could only sigh in defeat as he nodded his head in eptance of his orders.


    "Very well. I shall dispatch word to the garrison in Madrid, informing them to withdraw from the city and return to Granada. Is there anything else I can help you with before you begin the attack?"


    Heimerich''s lips curled into a smile as he heard Adelbrand''s question. He indeed had further orders for the man and because of this, he quickly pulled out a briefcase that he had brought with him for this meeting and opened it. Revealing several ssified documents as he did so.


    "The Kaiser believes it is time for an Iberian Reformation. This is a coordinated effort put together by the Departments of Propaganda and Intelligence to spin these terrorist attacks that have taken ce as a way to justify our actions, and demonize the Papacy. His Majesty wants you to lead the effort to kick-start this reformation, so that peace and unity can be achieved between the Iberian Christians and the Moorish Muslims."


    Adelbrand looked over the documents for several moments before nodding his head and expressing his agreement with his orders.


    "Very well. I will begin to enact the Kaiser''s will at once. Though it may not be immediate, within the next few years, I guarantee an Iberian Reformation will take ce."


    Heimerich nodded his head after hearing this. Now that business was out of the way, he intended to ask Adelbrand''s personal opinion about the war atrge.


    "Off the Record, how goes things? I''ve heard rumors from soldiers on leave that the cities with a catholic majority have turned into a meat grinder..."


    Adelbrand sighed. He would not answer this question without a stiff drink. Because of this, he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two shot sses. He poured the amber liquid into the two containers and handed one off to Heimerich before downing the alcohol as if it were a shot of water. After doing this, he poured two more shots for himself and drank them in the same way. Once he was properly intoxicated, he let his lips loose.


    "Off the record? The situation in Iberia is an unmitigated cluster fuck! The Iberian rebels use hit-and-run tactics to ambush our soldiers, where they proceed to scavenge their weapons, and then use them in even greater attacks. I have no idea how many grenades, and G-22s, are in the hands of the enemy, but it''s enough to cause me a fucking headache.


    You have these bastards brainwashing their kids into suicide attacks with grenades. It is impossible to know when you kick down a door if a child is neutral or hostile. Because of this, there have been more than a few mishaps where a crying child was gunned down by our soldiers, who feared they were hiding a grenade.


    This has only increased the animosity among the Catholics, causing our soldiers to be Paranoid. I''ve equipped and trained the Andalusian Army to take the front lines, but no matter what I do, they still rely on the support of our soldiers.


    I understand why the Kaiser has ordered this attack, but I am telling you right now, it will only harden the resolve of the Catholics. They will continue their attacks until the Moors and Germans are removed from thesends."


    When Heimerich heard this, he scoffed before taking another shot. Adelbrand noticed the expression on his face and immediately questioned the man.


    "What? Do you honestly believe you can do better?"


    In response to this, Heimerich downed yet another shot before boasting of his abilities.


    "It''s a good thing his Majesty called me in to deal with this damned rebellion. You are clearly not prepared to undertake the measures necessary to eliminate the enemy. It''s very simple, Adelbrand. If they continue to rise against my Reichsgarde after I have gassed Madrid, then I will go from town to town, city to city, taking ten heads for every one rebel.


    If the Catholic people of Iberia continue to support the rebellion after I conducted my raids, then I will obliterate entire towns. I will continue this ughter until either Catholics lose the will to fight or are entirely annihted. That is how you defeat a rebellion, and that is why the Kaiser has dispatched me to the Iberian theatre."


    Adelbrand sat in disbelief as he heard this. He could not help but question the sanity of Heimerich as he heard the man so boldly announce his n of mass murder. He instantly voiced his objection to this plot.


    "But, that''s murder! You would kill so many innocent people just to break the rebel''s spirit?"


    Once more, Heimerich scoffed when he heard the naivety of Adelbrand, and because of this, he continued his lecture.


    "Innocent? Hardly... It is clear that the Rebellion is receiving support from what you would call ordinary civilians. Because these civilians are supporting the enemy with resources and intelligence, they need to learn that they will be held ountable for the actions of the rebels. If the people do not turn against these terrorists, then they will pay the price with their lives.


    Every time we wipe out a vige, our propaganda deres that they were supporting the rebels. Eventually, people will get the message, turn in the rebels, or you and your families will suffer. We will see whose spirit breaks first.


    I assure you, so long as I am here as a representative of the Kaiser''s will, the fighting spirit of the German people shall never falter. We will be victorious, whether that means theplete and total annihtion of the Iberian Catholic poption, or their total surrender. However, defeat is not an option!"


    Adelbrand could hardly believe that such a madman was in charge of the Reichsgarde, or that the Kaiser had sent him to Iberia, knowing he would take such extreme actions to end the rebellion. He could not fathom why Berengar was so obsessed with ending the war in Iberia as soon as possible.


    Heimerich, on the other hand, was confident in total victory. He did not care how many lives had to be lost in the process. In the end, the Iberian Catholics would either be annihted, or would capitte to the rule of their Moorish masters. Either way, victory was assured now that he, and fifty thousand of his Reichsgarde had entered the war.

 Chapter 763 Negotiating with the ExiledEmperor

    Chapter 763 Negotiating with the ExiledEmperor


    Currently, Berengar was lying on a bed in the harem room of his royal pce. His girls surrounded him and for whatever reason they were all dressed in skimpy attire loosely based upon arabic harem clothing, or at least the ahistorical attire that wasmon in popr culture from his past life. Despite the skimpy and colorful attire that these beautiful women wore, Berengar''s eyes were not focused on them, instead they were shut as he enjoyed an oil massage being performed by all five of his lovers.


    He had been hard at work recently, and decided to take an afternoon off to bask in hedonistic pleasure. Linde kneaded the finer points of his back as she applied a special oil to it, which soaked in to his skin. While she was working on his back, Yasmin and Honoria worked on his lower back, while Ad and Henrietta worked on his arms.


    Berengar was truly rxed in this moment, partially because of the oil massage, and partially because he had taken a huge hit from the hookah just moments before they began. While this was going on, a knock resounded on the door. Who was interrupting the Kaiser while on his day off? Berengar did not know, but whoever it was would surely face his wrath if it was not anything of importance. Ultimately he sighed before calling out to the intruder from the depths of therge room.


    "Come on in."


    Upon hearing this, the door opened to reveal the young Anangpur Emperor and his little sister Priya. The two of them gazed through the mist of the hookah smoke that Yasmin had just puffed out beneath her veil, to see the scandalous sight. Though these women were not nude, they were dressed so liberally that there was little to the imagination. Being a hormonal teenage brat, Dharya lost all sense in that moment and flushed red while stammering. Completely forgetting his reason for visiting.


    "W....Wh...."


    Priya was also a bit flustered, but she kept her cool as she nudged her older brother in the ribs and whispered in his ear.


    "Get a grip. We came here with a purpose, remember?"


    Upon hearing this, the boy nodded his head and reimed his sanity as he asked the question that had been guing his mind for some time.


    "Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, I wanted to know what it would take for you to help me reim my throne!"


    Berengar sighed when he heard this, and sat up, causing his girls to stop what they were doing. Only Linde, who was working on his back, continued to massage him as while he covered his manhood with a towel. The sight of the man''s abs, which were glistening with oil, thoroughly sent Priya over the edge as she ended up in a fuguelike state, much like how Dharya was moments before.


    The Kaiser noticed this and smirked smugly before taking another hit from his hookah. After doing so, he responded to Dharya''s question in a confident manner.


    "You''re too young, and too inexperienced to rule over your family''s Empire. At the current rate of things, you could not even perform as my puppet. I have taken you into my home and act as your shield against your uncle''s murderous plots. You''d be surprised how many merchants from the east havee with the intentions to im your lives.


    If you want to reim your birthright, you will first have to learn to rule, and to do that, you will need to go through some proper schooling. When the timees, I will help you reim your throne, but you must be aware that there is a price for everything. Providing military assistance to an exiled emperor in the hopes he reims his throne is not a debt that is easily forgiven. Tell me, what do you offer me in exchange for my kindness?"


    Dharya bit his lip. He had a hard time determining what it was that Berengar wanted. The boy understood that Berengar was a highly intelligent and ruthless man who wanted global hegemony. He also understood that the German military could not reasonably be opposed. If the entire world united against them, it was entirely possible that Germany would end up as the victory. Thus, Dharya hade prepared to make some concessions in order to retake what was rightfully his.


    "I will offer yound to build a naval base so that you have a staging point for your eastern ambitions. I will also ensure that your Empire has ess to all the spices you could desire. From my understanding, that is one of the reasons you are interested in my Empire is it not?"


    Berengar thought about it for a few moments and nodded his head in agreement. Those terms sounded fair, however, it was still not enough to convince him to invest in military intervention. Thus, he spoke up about his perspective.


    "That''s a start, but you still need to sweeten the pot..."


    It was at this moment, while Dharya was thinking of the best way to convince Berengar to support him, that Linde acted in a manner that neither he nor Priya expected. The redheaded vixen wore a lust filled gaze as she reached her hand under Berengar''s towel where she began messaging his member. Berengar immediately grabbed the woman''s hand and pulled it out before shifting his head so he could look into her sky-blue eyes and scolded her.


    "Not now!"


    Despite wearing a baby blue veil, Berengar could still make out the pout on the woman''s face as she retreated towards his back. However, the woman''s inappropriate action had caused Priya''s face to light up as red as an apple. When Dharya saw this, he came up with an idea.


    "What about my sister? You still need a fifth wife, right?"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this before shaking his head.


    "She''s too young. By the time she''s of age, I''ll be in my thirties. Are you sure she wants to marry a man so much older than herself?"


    Dharya gazed over at Priya and noticed she was ring at him. Did he seriously just use her as a pawn in negotiations? She wanted to sink her ws into him to teach him a lesson, but she ultimately decided not to. Upon seeing this, Berengar chuckled before lecturing Dharya on his negotiating skills.


    "Kid, it''ll be years before you''re even old enough to properly rule. You don''t need to give me a satisfactory answer right now. You should enjoy your youth her in Kufstein while you can. Your throne will be waiting for you. I do hope after a few years you cane up with a more satisfactory form of payment.


    It''s not that your sister is a bad bargaining piece. After all, an imperial princess is always a valuedmodity. It''s just that she is way too young for my tastes. Now, if that is all you wanted to say, please leave. I''m not sure I can keep Linde here off of me for much longer."


    Dharya harrumphed as he stormed out of the harem room with Priya by his side. Unlike her brother, she looked back on Berengar and his many women onest time before the door shut behind her. She was not the most experienced girl in the world when it came to rtionships, but she could make an educated guess about what was about to happen in that room.

 Chapter 764 Massacre of Madrid

    Chapter 764 Massacre of Madrid


    The City of Madrid was mostly peaceful. Moreso than it had been for some time. In recent years, since the Granadan conquest of Iberia waspleted, the city had been a hotbed of insurgency. Out of all the cities in the region, none had more fierce resistance than Madrid.


    It was not just that thousands of the city''s inhabitants had taken up arms against their Andalusian and German upiers, but tens of thousands of civilians supported the rebels in any way they could. Mostly by gathering intelligence on the upying forces. This was the reason that Berengar had selected Madrid as his target for terror.


    Currently, the banners of the Iberian Catholic League flew high above the city as the rebels tore down those of Al-Andalus. Why were they acting so brazenly? Because the Andalusian and German troops had withdrawn from the city, in an attempt to reinforce the capital of their false Empire. Along with them were the few moors who resided in the city''s walls.


    Evidently, these peasant rebels were not intelligent enough to surmise that the enemy was nning a fierce attack. Or perhaps they simply believed it was improbable for them to wipe out the city. Either way, the rebels were hoisting their crosses and shouting their praises to God and their ancestors who had fought for centuries to remove the Moors from Iberia.


    They werepletely unaware that the city was surrounded by the Reichsgarde. After all, the enemy forces sat a distance of twelve kilometers away. Berengar had pulled out all stops over the past year and had spared no expense equipping his Reichsgarde with thetest weaponry.


    There was a single Artillery Brigade that was conducting this operation and they had a total of 70 field guns surrounding the city. These weapons were a mixture of the 7.5cm FK 25 and theirrger 10cm counterparts. Seventy Field Guns, and four thousand men stood outside the city, preparing themselves for the attack that would annihte its inhabitants.


    The crews that operated these powerful weapons carefully loaded the chlorine gas shells into the breaches while adjusting the aim towards various locations of the city. Heimerich''s n was to spread as much poison gas as possible throughout the city limits, and then charge through with their infantry, who would clear out any survivors.


    The infantry brigade that apanied the Artillery were closer to the city, lying prone in the fields that bordered Madrid in an attempt to ensure they were not spotted. After checking that everything was in proper order, Heimerich wore a stoic expression on his face as he issued the order for the attack.


    "Open Fire!"


    The air outside of Madrid roared with thunder as seventy different field guns fired their first barrage onto the city''s celebrating inhabitants. However, they did not stop with a single barrage, and instead quickly loaded more rounds into their breaches before unloading their payloads onto the city.


    In the center of the city, standing on the balcony of the mayor''s manor, was an Inquisitor of the Catholic Church, a man who was tasked by the Pope to instigate the rebellion that was taking ce in Iberia. The moment he heard the thunderous echoes, he soiled himself. He was all too aware of what those weapons meant, or so he thought.


    He did not know how the enemy had surrounded them when they could not be seen from the city''s walls. However, before he couldmand someone to investigate, the sound of screams filled the air, as the city''s inhabitants began to panic. Large clouds of yellowish green gas had formed where the shells impacted.


    The gas rapidly spread across the city, causing anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its vicinity to violently choke while they slowly suffocated to death. Panic was in the inquisitor''s eyes as he witnessed this new monstrosity causing him to quickly perform the sign of the cross before uttering a prayer for deliverance from this evil.


    Unfortunately, with each second that passed, another thunderous echo urred, and more gas appeared in the city''s confines, spreading rapidly as if it were a wildfire consuming everything in its path. Nobody was safe from the miasma''s effect, even those who fled to the safety of their homes.


    The manor''s balcony overlooked the majority of the city, and because of this, the Inquisitor could see the cloud of death which blocked his field of vision. The church''s representative instantly panicked as he fell back from the balcony with his guards. He needed to escape; He needed to flee the city before this gas caught up with him, and inform the pope of this terrifying new weapon. Should this horrifying weapon be deployed against the crusaders on the fields, there would be no chance of victory.


    However, unfortunately for him, the mayor''s manor, which he boldly upied following the local government''s retreat, was in the center of the city, and it was not just the section in front of him that were being swallowed by the poisonous miasma. He could only curse himself for failing to notice the enemy''s ns when they evacuated the moors from the city.


    But how could he know such a thing? Never before had an army possessed the capability of wiping out every living being inside a city without ever stepping foot in it. It was more fiction than reality until now. The inquisitor fled out of the mansion with his tail in between his legs, but with every path he took, a cloud of chlorine gas stalked him. He could only retreat further and further until there was no way out.


    Eventually, he was caught outside a chapel, with gas surrounding him on all sides. In that moment, he took shelter in the church, hoping that the divinity of Christ would spare him from this ordeal. Unfortunately for him, the powers of the Abrahamic God were limited, and he had expended great effort saving Julius from Berengar''s previous attack. He would not bother lifting a finger to save a peon like this inquisitor.


    In the end, the chapel was filled with the yellowish-green smoke which forced its way into the Inquisitor''s lungs, and suffocated him slowly. First came the coughing, then the itchy eyes that made him want to gouge them out, and finally death.


    After only a minute of firing, a grand total of 1,750 shells had been fired into the city, thoroughly depleting the stockpile of chemical weapons that the German Army had worked overtime to produce. After all rounds were depleted, Heimerich gave the order for the infantry to move in and clear out any survivors. Each soldier of the Reichsgarde was equipped with a gas mask as they rushed into the city, searching for targets to destroy.


    However, in the end, there was not a single soul who survived the attack. Not only were all men, women, and children of the deceased, but every pet and pest was eliminated as well. The city of Madrid was thoroughly cleansed of life. Once the gas dispersed, the Reichsgarde gathered the corpses of the deceased, and buried them in mass graves outside the city. The cleanup operation would take far longer than the attack itself.


    ---


    While Heimerich was busy overseeing the elimination of Madrid, Adelbrand had worked on the press release. Currently, he stood in a room filled with reporters, mostly from the various German news outlets. However, there were a few Andalusian newspapers who sent their reporters to the briefing.


    Adelbrand was dressed in his Field Marshal''s uniform, and wore all the major medals he had earned through the tenure of his service. He cleared his throat and wiped the sweat from his brow before speaking about the ongoing operation in Madrid.


    "As we speak, the German Reichsgarde is undertaking an anti-terrorist operation in the city of Madrid. I won''t lie to you. The situation is grim. Approximately seventy-two hours ago, the Moorish residents of the city were evacuated, as was the local government, after local members of the Iberian Catholic League assassinated the mayor, and uwfully seized the city.


    It is the Sultan''s belief that we should not negotiate with terrorists, and as a result, I have branded all the remaining residents of Madrid as enemies of the state. This recent attack on the Mayor of Madrid''s life is just one of many in a series of coordinated assassinations following the murder of General Ziyad Ibn''Yais.


    Make no mistake, we are at war with a vile band of insurgents who radicalize young children to kill and die in the name of their warped sense of religion. It is because of this reality that the Sultan and his Regent have in their infinite wisdom, decided to take a measured approach to the seizure of Madrid, and attack the terrorists within its walls in a way that will not shed the blood of Germany''s finest.


    As of this moment, the Reichsgarde isunching a massive artillery barrage on the city, using newly developed shells. Since the Papacy has encouraged the use of children as martyrs, we have no choice but to recognize the youth of Madrid as enemybatants. After all, intelligence supports more than a few of them took part in the city''s seizure. Thus, with this madness that Pope Julius has started, we have but one option, and that is to annihte all life in Madrid.


    Let this be a warning to the Catholic Rebels in Iberia, and the criminals in the Papacy. Al-Andalus and its German allies are not afraid to resort to underhanded tactics, if the Papacy is insisting on their use! Any town or city whose inhabitants support the terrorist organization known as the Iberian Catholic League, or any simr entity, will be deemed enemies of the state, and will receive a simr treatment as those who have seized Madrid! For the Glory of the Sultan, For Al-Andalus!"


    After finishing his speech, the press immediately mbered over one another to ask their questions, but Adelbrand wasn''t in the mood, and hurried off the stage. Adelbrand''s direct attack of the Papacy''s actions would steer the Massacre of Madrid in the Sultan''s favor. When the moderates learned the Papacy had encouraged the use of children as martyrs, along with the many other crimes of the Catholic Church, they would seek an alternative. Which Berengar nned to manipte into another reformation.

 Chapter 765 Scolding the Woman You Love

    Chapter 765 Scolding the Woman You Love


    It took only a matter of minutes before Berengar was informed about the Massacre of Madrid. Currently, he was sitting back in his office chair with a ss of whiskey in one hand and a hemp cigarette in the other. Linde sat across from him with a pile of documents and a proud smile on her pretty face as she described in detail the ongoing reports from the Iberian Penins.


    "You requested a Status Report about the war in Iberia? Here is everything we know so far. Approximately seventy-two hours ago, our agents sessfully infiltrated the city of Madrid, where they conducted a covert operation to assassinate the mayor. After doing so, they nted substantial evidence, framing the Iberian Catholic League for the attack before absconding silently into the night.


    Less than twelve hourster, our Propagandawork spun this as a prelude to a greater assault on the Moorishmunity within the city. We then used this incident to evacuate the Moorish Residents and the remainder of the local government from Madrid.


    As expected, the Iberian Catholic League was more than happy to take credit for the assassination. The moment after we withdrew our people, the rebels seized Madrid and proimed it a Free City under the direct rule of the Papacy. At the same time, they expressed this as the first step in a new Reconquista.


    While they were celebrating their perceived victory, Heimerich and the Reichsgarde unleashed a barrage of chemical shells which gassed the city''s inhabitants to extinction. In doing so, they depleted our current stockpile of chemical weapons. As we speak, the Reichsgarde are now cleaning up the city and disposing of the corpses into a mass grave outside the city limits.


    As far as the Pope is concerned, he has yet to respond to these attacks. We are making use of this time to direct Propaganda efforts in an attempt to inform the moderates of Iberia that this attack was in direct response to Catholic extremism, and the terrorists who fight for the Papacy. The specific use of child soldiers by the Catholic Extremists is being emphasized as a means to justify our extermination policy.


    Shortly after the attack, Adelbrand issued a speech where he condemned the Catholic Church for their actions in this rebellion and specified that we will no longer show mercy to towns and cities that harbor terrorists.


    Adelbrand has also seen fit to post a reward for anyone who gives the Government actionable intelligence about these terrorists that aids in their arrest. We believe that the incentive of a reward,bined with the fear of being held responsible for the terrorists'' actions, willpel the people of Iberia to turn against the rebels. "


    Berengar nodded his head with a pleased smile on his lips as he heard this. It was time for the war in Iberia toe to an end. He had been involved in the region since before he was even a monarch. Years had passed, thousands of lives had been spent, and countless resources were exhausted, all in an attempt to end the centuries long conflict of Reconquista in the favor of the Moors. Thus, he gave Linde her new orders with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "You have done a good job, Linde... Everything is progressing as nned. Since that is the case, you can inform your agents in the field to continue their efforts to uproot the rebels and eliminate them. Use whatever methods you feel are necessary to aplish this objective in the quickest manner possible."


    Linde smiled and nodded her head in silence. She enjoyed being praised by her master. When Berengar saw how pleased she was with herself, he decided to put her in her ce by discussing another topic of importance. Now that he had Linde alone, he intended to interrogate her about the incident between Hans and Veronika. He started this by initially wearing a calm smile, before shifting his gaze to an icy re.


    "As you may already be aware, it appears that Veronika has forgiven Hans. That is good. Their rtionship is of critical importance to our dynasty''s control over the Kingdom of Bohemia. However, there is something I wanted to speak to you about regarding the boy and his Hungarian girlfriend..."


    Linde felt chills down her spine as she gazed at the cold look in her husband''s eye. There were not many things in this world that she was afraid of. After all, shemanded the world''s greatest assassins at the tip of her fingers. However, getting on Berengar''s bad side was definitely chief among Linde''s worst nightmares.


    Not only because she loved him with a burning passion, and couldn''t stand the idea that he was upset with her. But also because her husband was a terrifying man when he was angry. She instantly lowered her head in submission as she questioned why he was so displeased with her.


    "I''m sorry, master, but this lowly ve doesn''t know what she did wrong. Could you please enlighten me?"


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this, but it was not a friendlyugh, instead it was more like that which belonged to someone who was on the brink ofshing out.


    "You told our son that he can''t see that Hungarian girl anymore. Her name is Noemi, I believe. Do you mind exining to me your reasoning behind that?


    It surprised Linde to see that this was the reason that Berengar was angry with her, and she quickly apologized for her actions.


    "I''m sorry, I was out of line... I simply didn''t want my baby boy falling into the clutches of another woman so soon..."


    In response to this, Berengar scoffed as he got up from his seat and walked over to the woman. In that moment, he corrected her previous statement with a sinister tone in his voice.


    "You mean to say that you didn''t want Hans to fall into the clutches of another woman whom you can''t control, is that it? What''s done is done... If I were to reverse your decision now, it would only make the boy view your authority with contempt, and lord knows I need you to keep the scheming little brat in line. However, might I make a suggestion?"


    Linde gazed up at Berengar with her big blue eyes and gulped before responding. She could tell that he was greatly angered by what she had done. She just didn''t know the full reason behind it. It was abnormal for Berengar to behave so coldly to her.


    Normally, when the two of them were alone, he was nothing but loving. However, now, as she gazed into his one good eye, she got the feeling that he wanted to strangle her, and not in the way she would enjoy. Thus, she responded with pure obedience.


    "Certainly..."


    Berengar''s gaze was icy, while his face was expressionless. The most frightening part of Berengar''s personality was not that he was prone to violent outbursts like a petnt child, but it was the pure machine like logic with how his brain processed things.


    So much so that his regard for human life was minimal, if not nonexistent. It was this emotionless gaze that was utterly devoid of humanity which terrified Linde. Inrge part because he had never stared at her in such a cruel manner before. His tone was equally sinister and condescending as he lectured the woman on her actions.


    "The next time you get the brilliant idea in your pretty little head to go restricting ess to the potential wives of my heirs, I want you to speak to me about the situation beforehand. I had grand ns for Hungary that I intended to put into ce after the papacy has breathed itsst breath, and you may have just ruined them for me..."


    Linde, in that moment, realized that while acting on her emotions, she had intruded upon her husband''s ambitions, and may have potentially caused him some grief. She was instantly ashamed of herself, not only for acting without thinking, which was uncharacteristic of her, but because she knew now the extent of the trouble she had caused the man she loved so dearly. She could only bow her head in submission and apologize.


    "I''m sorry... I didn''t know."


    In response to this, Berengar grabbed hold of Linde''s dainty chin and kissed her on her forehead before whispering something in her ears.


    "I love you, Linde, more than anything in this world, but you can''t let your petty emotions get the better of your brilliant mind. You need to think about the consequences of your actions before you go through with them. I''m honestly surprised that you failed to take into ount my ns for Hungary before prohibiting our son from interacting with a critical pawn.


    I trust this misjudgement of yours was simply because of your maternal instincts, and therefore I will let it slide this time. After all, the overwhelming love you show towards your family is one of the things I admire most about you. Now run along, and be the loving mother that our children need. I have to work hard to clean up your mess..."


    Linde exhaled heavily as she stood up from her seat and headed towards the door. When she was just about to leave the room, Berengar spoke up one more time while he sat back down at his desk.


    "Oh, and Linde? Don''t disappoint me again!"


    With this said, the woman absconded from the Kaiser''s office with a newfound resolve to work harder as a wife, a mother, and as the Director of Imperial Intelligence. Though she knew Berengar had forgiven her for her blunder, she would not easily forgive herself.

 Chapter 766 A Treaty of Humiliation

    Chapter 766 A Treaty of Humiliation


    Currently, a meeting was taking ce in the Novgorod Republic. The Byzantine Emperor and the Pope were sitting across from one another with stern expressions on their faces. Neither of the two men wanted to end the war so soon, especially when they both had notpleted their full objectives.


    On the Crusader''s side, they desired to expand into Anatolia and Egypt. They now had the means to push back the Byzantines and seize most of their territory, however recent events caused them to halt these ns, and turn their sights on the true enemy of the Church which sat in the center of Europe.


    Whereas the Byzantine Emperor desired to regain all the ground that was lost. However, hecked the means to do so now that the crusaders were equipped with weapons that were equal to, if not superior, to his own. Ultimately, he was forced to the negotiating table by the doves in his court.


    The Timurid Empire was absent from these negotiations, as the Catholic Church would never negotiate with the Muslims regarding a peaceful solution to the Holy Land. If that could have been aplished, it would have been done by now. Of course, Berengar had indeed achieved this for a limited time, but ultimately the peace he created resulted in the Crusade that had ravaged the Holy Land. Julius was the first to clear the air and speak about his position.


    "First and Foremost, the Byzantine Empire will recognize all the ground that the Crusaders have gained in this contest as a new Catholic Kingdom of Jerusalem! This is non-negotiable!"


    Vetranis gritted his teeth as he heard this demand. Everything north of the Sinai Penins, and South of Anatolia, was now in the hands of the Catholic Church. This was a substantial chunk of his Empire that would be handed over to the Catholics who proved themselves hostile in this crusade. However, he had already resolved himself to this concession when he agreed to meet with the Pope. After all, his n was to take back thend in a few years when he had re bolstered his army.


    The reason he couldn''t rely on his German allies in this war was because of the treaty signed with the Timurid Empire that ensured Germany would remain neutral should the Catholics invade the Holy Land. This was Sn''s attempt to ensure that Germany did not backstab him at the first given opportunity. In the end, this neutrality use only resulted in him and his Byzantine allies losing the Holy Land to the Catholic Crusaders.


    However, with the Holy Land entering the control of the Catholic Church, this use would be null and void, and thus when Vetranis dered war on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in a few years when his armies were ready, and the alotted peace period expired, he could count on their support. He was hoping to negotiate with Julius for five years, but he would be willing to ept up to ten. Thus, he ultimately agreed to this demand that the Papacy had made.


    "Very well... I will concede on this point...."


    Julius wore a sinister smile as he heard the Byzantine Emperor so easily ept his demands, thus he decided to push them a bit further as he made another outrageous demand.


    "You will also give us your territories in North Africa. Including that newly constructed canal which is currently in the hands of Berengar the ursed."


    It shocked Vetranis when he heard this demand. Such a thing was simply uneptable. If he agreed to this, he would be losing three-fourths of his Empire, and he immediately protested.


    "Absolutely not! Egypt belongs to the Byzantine Empire. We have fought too hard, and too long to give it up to you bastards only after a few years of having regained control over the region!"


    Despite Vetranis'' protests, Julius merely sneered in disdain as he rebuked the man and his words.


    "Okay, fine, then we will take Egypt by force and drive your soldiers from itsnds. I''d like to see how you are willing to negotiate your surrender in a few months when all you have left is control over Anatolia and the Balkans. You and I both know one way or another, I will get my hands on Egypt. So just agree to its surrender now, and save us all a bunch of time, money, and lives."


    Vetranis clenched his fist when he heard this. He wanted to strike Julius across the face more than anything. However, his son Quintus grabbed hold of his arm and silently shook his head. The doves were a powerful faction, and they were backing Quintus and his efforts for peace. Thus, he could only take a deep breath to calm himself before agreeing to this request, but with one caveat.


    "I will concede Egypt, but I cannot give up the Canal. That fief belongs to Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, and it is not my ce to give it away."


    In response to this, Julius scoffed before lecturing the Emperor on Feudalw..


    "I know your Empire is not a feudalistic state, but you have granted thatnd to Berengar as a feudal property. Though it may belong to him, it is a part of your empire, meaning you have the legal ability to seize the territory from him. I know he won''t withdraw his forces, but at the very least, his legal im to thend will be gone.


    Thus, I will be able to dispatch my armies and drive the mere four thousand men he keeps stationed there from the Canal, and seize it for the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Give me Egypt, all of it, and I will end the conflict, and leave you with some dignity."


    Though every fiber of Vetranis'' being wanted to deny this condition, he was in no position to do so, the bulk of his armies were defeated, and if he moved his forces from the Balkans, then Hungary would break through its defenses and reach Constantinople.


    Currently, Padius and his men were holding the Hungarian Army at bay in the Dinaric Alps. Whenpared to the War in the Holy Land, it was a rather tame conflict with asional raids, but no significant loss ofnd. That would change if he were to withdraw his forces from the region to support the war in Syria-Palestine. Thus, out of concern for keeping control of the balkans, and Anatolia, which was the heart of his Empire Vetranis could only sigh in defeat before agreeing to thesemands.


    "Very well, I will do what you ask..."


    The Pope knew the extent of what he could take from the Byzantine Empire, and he was not done with it yet. Thus, he made one final demand as he milked this negotiation for everything he could.


    "One final stiption is all that I ask for. In order to establish a ten years peace, you will pay the Papacy for damages caused during this war. For the next decade, you will pay five thousand pounds of silver and thirty thousand pounds of gold every year until the treaty has expired."


    This stiption was outrageous, and even Quintus'' eyes bulged out of their sockets when he heard this. The Church might as well demand that they limit their army to a fraction of its size, because by demanding so much money, the Byzantine Empire would never be able to rebuild its military prowess in the next ten years. Vetranis was quick to refuse this point.


    "Absolutely not! Why don''t you just ask for my testicles here and now! I will not concede to such an outrageous demand, no matter what!"


    However, in the next moment Julius broke out into a fit of aughter as he spoke of an ancient tale.


    "Vetranis, as an educated Roman, surely you should know your ancestors'' history. Nearly four centuries before the birth of christ, the Gauls sacked Rome, leaving the Roman popcepletely at their mercy. The chieftain of the Gauls at the time, a man named Brennus demanded that a ransom be paid for the city, in the form of one thousand pounds of gold. The ancient Romans agreed to this and used a bncing scale to measure the payment.


    The Romans felt as if the scale was rigged in the Gaul''s favor, and so theyined to Brennus. You know what he did? He pulled out his sword and tossed it on the scale, forcing the Romans to pay more gold in order to bnce its weight, leaving behind the words.


    "Vae Victis"


    Or in other words, woe to the vanquished. You arepletely at my mercy and you know it. It might take a few years, but I can still break through your forces in the Alps and march onto Constantinople itself. With my drake cannons, even the mighty Theodosian Walls will not stand in defiance. So the choice is yours: surrender to my conditions now, or lose everything in a few years. Which will it be?"


    Vetranis sighed. There was a rage in his heart that could not be stamped out, but he did not dare defy Julius, for everything he said was true. Thus, he signed away his name on the treaty that would not only humiliate the Byzantine Empire, but bankrupt it as well.


    With this treaty signed, Julius could pool his forces into Hungary and assault Germany''s Eastern Defenses. The time to get revenge on Berengar von Kufstein and the German Reformation had finallye. After many years of waiting patiently, Julius believed he could soon taste the Kaiser''s blood.

 Chapter 767 The Dawn of a New Era

    Chapter 767 The Dawn of a New Era


    Berengar gazed upon a map of Europe, which was sprawled out across the table in his war room. This map contained the current German Empire and its neighbors. From the Baltic to the North Sea, and all the way down to the Adriatic, his Empire stretched, uniting the German peoples of Europe into a single Empire. There was one notable exception: the House of Burgundy currently held onto the other half of the low countries, where the majority of its citizens were ethnic Germans.


    However, this was not a major concern to Berengar, as he just received word from the Papacy. Emperor Vetranis had predictably stabbed him in the back and ceded over control of Egypt, including the Kaiser''s Pass to the Crusaders. Pope Julius informed him that he must withdraw his forces from the region, and surrender control of the Canal or face total invasion.


    After years of preparation, the borders of Germany were secured by a force of three hundred thousand Border Guards, with an additional five hundred thousand soldiers in the Army capable of being deployed via trains at a moment''s notice. The Majority of his military was still issued the old G-22 Single Shot Bolt Action rifles, while his Reichsgarde, an armed force of seventy-five thousand men, were equipped with thetest weapons.


    Berengar moved the pieces representing his soldiers on the map to their desired locations. In the west, he stationed a concentration of fifty thousand men on the borders of Frisia, where he intended tounch an invasion into the londs, and seize the region for himself.


    The Duchy of Burgundy''s army was currently deployed in the Middle East and would be forced to Land in Italy and push through his forces in Lombardy in order to return home. Thus, Berengar needed rtively few men to capture the londs. Two divisions would suffice.


    Meanwhile, in Northern Italy, the twenty-five thousand men of the Lombardic Army would be supported by one hundred thousand German soldiers in their Attempts to Push into Rome and bring the Pope to heel. Naturally, the Kingdom of Naples would be one of the two major staging points of the Crusader Army, and they would do everything in their power to prevent Germany''s advance into the Holy See.


    In the East, on the borders of Hungary, Berengar stationed two hundred thousand men. He knew that at the start of the war, the Kingdom of Hungary would withdraw its forces from the Dinaric Alps and assault Germany''s Eastern Borders. Unfortunately for them, Germany had an Alliance with the Byzantines, and the forces of Padius who had fought long and hard against the Hungarian Knights would invade from the south at the same time as Germany, smashing the Hungarian Army in between the two armies.


    Finally, in the Sinai Penins lie the final theater of war. Berengar had already ferried fifty thousand members of the Reichsgarde, who were previously stationed in Iberia, to the Kaiser''s Pass. They had a single purpose, defend the region from the Crusader armies at all costs. Naturally, what little remained of Berengar''s chemical weapons stockpile was taken with them.


    As for the ongoing war in Iberia, there were still twenty-five thousand Reichsgarde who would work alongside the Andalusian Army to bring the rebellion to heel. After gazing upon this split of his armed forces, Berengar had just one question. Where should he deploy? Naturally, he picked up the figure which represented himself and hovered it over Northern Italy. He would lead the charge into Rome, and personally see the Papacy destroyed.


    Berengar wore a wicked grin when he thought about what this meant. For the first time in nearly nine hundred years, the Germans would be returning to Rome to sack the holy city for all its worth, and to put an end to the tyranny of the Catholic Church. While he was staring sadistically at the map, Linde knocked on the door, and witnessed the sight. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking up.


    "So, you''re really going out there again? To battle I mean..."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this, before nodding his head. He mmed the figure that represented himself onto the location which marked Rome, before shifting his gaze to the busty redheaded beauty who stood in his doorway.


    "I''ve waited a long time for this moment. Finally, we will be rid of the menace that is the Catholic Church. Once I have defeated their armies, I will establish a new era of peace and prosperity for our Empire. A Pax Germania, if you will. Nobody will ever be able to challenge our Empire on the field of battle, or the seven seas again. We shall rule thend, sea, and sky, and all shall pay tribute to our Great Empire. It has taken me nearly ten years, but I can finally achieve my life''s ambition."


    Linde wore a bitter smile as she heard this before asking the question that immediately came to mind.


    "And what then? After you have established this Pax Germania of yours, what shall you do?"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this and approached his woman. He kissed her on the forehead before announcing his ns.


    "I intend to bring Germany into an era of technology that it should not have for another five hundred years! By the time I die, it is my dream to have established such a level of technological prowess that the German Empire has at least sent a man-made object into orbit.


    In the meantime, there will always be people to conquer, andnd to settle. However, they will pose no threat to our forces, who will sweep through the jungles of the Amazon, the ins of North America, the Savannahs of Africa, and the inds of Austrsia! We will conquer far and wide, and establish a living space for our people. What can these stone age savages do against a modern army? It is the dawn of a new era, my love, and it would not have been possible without your efforts.


    When Ie back from this war, I will give you everything you deserve and more for assisting me in aplishing my life''s dream. Whatever you want, so long as it is in my power, I will give it to you. However, until then, continue your efforts, and help me win this war like you have done all others."


    Linde was excited when she heard this news. It appeared Berengar was truly no longer angry with her. The truth was, she already had everything she could ever want. However, if there was one thing she desired, it was for the man to take a break from his work now and then and spend more time with their family.


    Though Berengar had begun taking off weekends to spend with his family some time ago, it was still not as much as Linde desired. The man left most of the parenting of their children up to her, and she wanted him to be a bigger part in their lives. She figured once this war was over, she would ask him to take more time off from work.


    After all, nobody would me the man if he only worked six hours a day, five days a week, for the rest of his life. After everything Berengar had aplished, he had earned it. Thus, she kept this in mind as she nodded her head and hugged Berengar before sending him off to make the Public Deration of War against the Catholic Church.


    "I love you. Pleasee back in one piece. I couldn''t bear to live without you..."


    Berengar smiled as he kissed the woman on the lips before responding to her concerns.


    "I''ll be fine. I learned my lesson about recklessly charging into battle a long time ago. However, since you have asked so nicely, I swear that I will return to you alive and well. Farewell for now, my love."


    After saying this, Berengar stepped out onto the balcony of his War Room, where an army of men were gathered in the streets below. They were dressed in their Uniforms which resembled those used by the German Army in theter days of WWI. The men all saluted as Berengar stepped onto the balcony and began to chant their war cries.


    "Hail victory! Hail Victory! Hail victory!"


    Berengar immediately raised one hand to silence the men, and after he could hear not a single sound in the Pce''s courtyard, or the surrounding streets, he issued his speech.


    "As many of you know, for some time now I have had a conflict with the Catholic Church, since the days when I was but the son of a lowly Baron, the Papacy has conspired to remove me from power, and im my life. They worked alongside my brother Lambert in these endeavors, and in doing so thoroughly provoked my wrath.


    It is no secret that at every turn; they have tried to foil my ambitions, and at every opportunity I have bested them. This Crusade against the Byzantine and Timurid Empires has ended in a failure on our ally''s behalf. In doing so, Emperor Vetranis Piologos, my father-inw, has betrayed me.


    Previously, it was agreed upon that I would cancel the debt that the Byzantine Crown owed me in exchange for ownership of thends that, through the efforts of the German people, now exist as the Kaiser''s Pass and the surrounding regions.


    However, like your typical Roman, Vetranis has backstabed me and sold off thosends to the Papacy in exchange for peace. Pope Julius now demands that I withdraw my forces from thends that I rightfully own. Lands that countless hours of German sweat and toil have built into a prosperous trade route.


    For the sake of the workers, and their years ofbor, for the sake of German Prosperity, I hereby reject the Pope and all Catholic ims on mynds. If you want them,e and take them, but I assure you and your ilk will be met with the might of German Steel!


    As Kaiser of the German Empire, I hereby dere war on the Catholic Church and all nations who support their ims over the Kaiser''s Pass. If it is war that you want, you shall have it! And I will take on this war, the same way I always have, and that is fight until the veryst!


    We, the German people, will fight you until the very foundations of your rotten Church are dismantled, and your authority over Europe is forever diminished! Go forth, my armies, and destroy the enemies of the Reich!"


    With this said, the crowd once more erupted into their battle cries. Germany officially began its war with the Catholic Church. A War that would determine the future of Europe. Whether the continent would be a tributary of the Church or the Reich would ultimately be determined in this conflict.

 Chapter 768 Entertaining an Entitled Prince Part l

    Chapter 768 Entertaining an Entitled Prince Part l


    While Berengar had dered war on the Catholic World, Itami was busy with her grand ambitions to invade Korea. Through extensive effort, her warships had begun production, and her transport ships were popping out of the shipyards.


    After some conscription efforts, she now had a field Army of fifty thousand men armed with hertest weapons, and a reserve of twenty-five thousand men who would stay on the Japanese maind and maintain order in her absence.


    Through the past few months she had developed not only single shot bolt action rifles, revolvers, and breach loading artillery. She also developed Gatling guns for use in her army. Ultimately, she decided to shelve theter Taisho era uniforms that she had previously employed with her forces, and shift to Meiji style uniforms instead. She personally preferred the superfluous attire that the Generals of the Meiji era wore.


    She also had stopped manufacturing her hydro-spring recoil operated artillery, which was based upon the type 38 75mm field gun. The reason being it was tooplicated for her manufacturing capabilities to produce inrge numbers. Because of this, she had transitioned to an earlier artillery design modelled after the British Armstrong gun.


    At the moment, her armies were the equivalent of the early Meiji Era armies employed by the Japanese Empire during her past life. This massive military buildup was all in the name of seizing control over the Korean Penins. Unfortunately, she was not ready yet. Her navy still needed to be finished before she couldunch an invasion into thends of the Joseon, and she also needed to conscript more troops.


    Though the enemy was severely outmatched by the capabilities of her army, she desired to have an army of at least a hundred thousand strong to march on the southern shores of Korea, and conquer it northward until it reached the borders of the Ming. Thus, she could only let out a sigh as she nned for the invasion of Korea on her map.


    The door to her room opened to reveal the face of General Shiba Kiyohiko, who was Itami Riyo''s most trusted advisor. The man was slightly depressed as he sighed heavily before revealing his reason for visiting the young Empress in her war room.


    "Itami-sama, the Ming Dynasty, has sent a delegation. They wish to further discuss your desires to invade the Korean penins. They are waiting for you in the dining hall. Won''t you pleasee down and speak to them?"


    Itami immediately grunted in displeasure as she heard this. Thest thing she needed was to entertain more guests. She was quick to dismiss these strangers who had dared to enter her pce without notice.


    "Tell them to leave ande back after they have given proper notice. I''m an empress, not a prostitute. They can''t just drop by and expect me to entertain them for an evening."


    There was an awkward expression on Shiba''s face when he heard this. He felt the need to rify the prestige of the particr guest who was patiently waiting for the Empress''s arrival.


    "Itami-sama, the Ming Delegation is led by an Imperial Prince..."


    When Itami heard these words, she immediately changed her mind and sighed heavily before giving the General his orders.


    "Tell him to give me ten... no, fifteen minutes to prepare. I highly doubt the Chinese would approve of me dressed in men''s clothes."


    Shiba instantly bowed to Itami before responding to her orders.


    "I will ry your message..."


    After saying that, the General left, leaving Itami in a state of depression. She was currently dressed in her Imperial Regalia, which was just a military uniform with her medals and honors stered all over it. However, she had fifteen minutes to make herself look pretty for her guest, not because she gave a damn about his opinion, but because she knew men were easier to manipte when they were fawning over a pretty girl.


    Thus, she quickly got dressed in something she had previously prepared for this specific circumstance. It was a white and red silk Hanfu in the fashion that would have been worn during the Tang Dynasty. Why did she prepare a Chinese dress from ancient history?


    Well for two reasons, first, despite being Japanese she had to admit that the Hanfu, especially from that period, was more pretty than the Kimono. Secondly, it was to show her support of Chinese history and culture, so that the delegates would see her in a better light.


    After getting dressed in thevish attire, she styled her hair into a pair of Chinese buns. Despite having such a hairstyle, her long white hair flowed elegantly down her back like a river of snow. Having finished styling her hair, Itami spent the remainder of her time working on her makeup, which was just enough to highlight her natural beauty.


    Before walking down the stairs, she took one final look at herself in the mirror and forced a smile on her cherry red lips as she descended the staircase towards the dining hall. The Ming Prince was in the middle of a conversation with General Shiba Kiyohiko about the legends of Itami''s rise to power when she entered the room.


    "I hear your Empress is an impressive warrior. Interestingly enough, I myself have ample experience in the field. I can''t wait to meet her."


    Shiba was about to reply when he caught the sight of Itami descending the stairs. She was more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. Normally she did not put in such effort for her appearance, and often wore male clothing. However, the busty albino''s beauty was on full disy as she entered the room with an ice cold expression on her face.


    The Ming Prince noticed that Shiba was acting strange and immediately turned around to witness the sight of the most beautiful woman he had everid eyes on. Though he was already married, he had no greater desire in that moment than to make the Empress of Japan his concubine. His goals had shifted from informing the woman that his father had agreed to her request, to manipting Itami into bing his woman. He wore a handsome smile as he approached the woman. Itami took one look at the man and immediately thought in her mind a single phrase.


    Another useless pretty boy


    While the Ming Prince was extremely handsome, it was in a way that Itami found unappealing. His skin was extremely fair and as smooth as silk. His facial features were soft and round. Though he was fit, he was exceptionally lean. One might say the man represented the Chinese ideal of male beauty, but to Itami, who was ustomed from her past life with tall and handsome Caucasian men, he fell short of her personal ideal.


    In Itami''s mind, someone like Berengar would be her ideal preference. A man who was tall and muscr, but not overly so. Someone who had fair skin with a pink pigment. Preferably with natural blonde or red hair, and blue or green eyes. He would also have to have a high and narrow face with a sturdy chin. As for his nose, she would prefer if it was straight and narrow. Thus it came as a surprise to the Ming Prince when Itami reacted without the slightest bit of attraction in her eyes. Instead, she greeted him as if he was just another guest.


    "Wee, Prince of the Ming. I hope your stay in Heian-ky�� has been a weing one. Please, sit, drink, and eat from the fruits of mynd."


    Itami sat down at the table before the man could even respond to her. She quickly ordered one of the servant girls to fetch her a bottle of sake while she waited patiently. The Ming Prince quickly sat down across from her with a forced smile on his face. This was the first time a woman had not fawned over him in his entire life, and he was not pleased about it. Still, this was a diplomatic visit and thus he introduced himself properly.


    "I am Prince Zhu Li. It is my greatest pleasure to meet the War Goddess of Japan. I have heard of your exploits, and must say that I am thoroughly impressed that a woman such of yourself is capable of such feats on the battlefield."


    Itami did not break her stoic expression as she heard this. Though she wanted to scoff at the man''s remark, she refrained from doing so for the sake of diplomatic negotiations. Instead, she looked him dead in the eye and questioned his own military record.


    "I''m sorry, Prince Zhu, but I have not heard of your military exploits. Please enlighten me with your knowledge of war."


    This remark slightly stung the man''s ego. He was expecting Itami to crack under the pressure of his discerning gaze, but it appeared as if she could not care in the slightest that he didn''t believe the rumors of herbat prowess were true. Instead, she called him out on his own service record. Which was not as great as he had previously boasted to the Japanese General.


    In truth, he was the third prince of the Ming Dynasty, and his eldest brother was the most capable in terms of martial prowess and battlefieldmand. Instead, Zhu Li had seldom stepped foot on a battlefield, and when he did, it was so far back in the rear of his army that he never needed to unsheathe his sword. Despite this, he decided to woo the girl with tales of his gantry, and thus imed his brother''s achievements as his own.


    "I''ll have you know I am an aplished battlefieldmander. It was I who led my father''s cavalry to defeat the Yeren, pushing them beyond the Liao river valley! My father, the Emperor, evenmended me for it!"


    When Itami heard this, she narrowed her blood-red eyes into a soul piercing gaze as she closely examined the Prince before responding to his remarks in a casual manner.


    "That''s funny because I heard it was a man named Zhu Zhi who drove the Yeren north of the Liao river valley, but I guess my information must be incorrect, I mean you wouldn''t lie to me during a diplomatic visit, now would you Prince Zhu?"


    This remark immediately filled Zhu Li with embarrassment. He could not believe that this woman was ying with him the whole time. If she knew of his brother''s exploits, then she most likely also knew that he himself did very little on the field of battle.


    The Imperial Prince wanted more than anything to backhand Itami across the face for this insult, but noticed the guards were eying him fiercely while he clenched his fist in rage. He swore in his heart that by the end of the night, he would have Itami on her knees stripped naked and begging him for forgiveness.


    As for Itami, she wore a smug smile as the servers brought the food to the table. It would appear she was in for another long night of negotiations with an entitled jackass. She would have vastly preferred if a man of Zhu Zhi''s caliber were to visit her instead of this chump. After all, they could share war stories over a few drinks, something she would vastly prefer over her current visitor. As for the negotiations with this entitled Prince, they had only just begun.

 Chapter 769 Defending the Sinai Peninsula

    Chapter 769 Defending the Sinai Penins


    Word came over Telegraph that a war was dered against the Catholic world. The time to put an end to the Papacy''s stranglehold over Europe had finallye. The officer in charge of the forces in the Sinai Penins was Field Marshall Heimerich von Graz, whose fifty thousand Reichsgarde acted as the main forces in defense of the region.


    Under his orders, the defenses that had been constructed to secure the Kaiser''s Pass were rapidly expanded in anticipation of an enemy invasion. Large trench lines containing 25,000 men each were set up on both sides of the Canal in between the reinforced concrete bunkers which housed the artillery guns. A no-man''snd was established with barbed wire andnd mines to make any attempt to storm the trenches into a suicide mission.


    Large bridges were already constructed over the Kaiser''s Pass to allow transport trucks to cross, even if such vehicles were only in the development phase. This meant that the soldiers on either side of the Canal could rapidly cross over and reinforce the other if necessary.


    While the Crusader Kingdom may have officially gained control over Egypt, the Timurid Army was still located in the region, and if they wanted to press forward into the Kaiser''s pass, they would first need to defeat the Sultan and his army.


    Because of this, Heimerich coordinated with Colonel Arnwald Gerwig and confirmed that the most likely region of attack would being from Syria-Palestine, where the bulk of the Crusader Army was still present.


    Though many of them had begun to set sail for the shores of Hungary and Italy. It would take a long time for all of them to do so. After all, nearly a million men had embarked on the crusade to the Holy Land. The Catholic World had gone all out on their attempts to conquer the region and had emptied their fields to do so.


    However, that did not mean that every soldier would be heading back to Europe. Abined army of roughly one hundred thousand men. Consisting of soldiers from the English Army and the Order of the Red Dragon, under themand of King Lawrence Lancaster, were tasked to take the Canal. Because of this, his army was marching towards the German position.


    Heimerich gazed through his binocrs and spotted the enemy. They had reached roughly sixteen kilometers away in the distance. That meant they were in firing range of the German Reichsgarde''s heaviest guns, which had painstakingly been moved from the Iberian theater to the Sinai Penins over the past few weeks. With a sadistic grin on his face, Heimerich gave the order to wee the English and Welsh invaders, by revealing the true extent of Germany''s firepower.


    "Open fire with the ten centimeter guns. I want to give these bastards a hell of a wee!"


    The artillery crews saluted the Field Marshal before loading the 105 x 504 mmR high explosive shells into their guns. Once the shells were loaded, they adjusted the aim of the artillery into the enemy army''s direction and fired at them.


    ---


    A crack of thunder echoes in the air above the English Army''s position. At first, King Lawrence thought that perhaps a rain storm had begun. After all, they were so far away from the German Canal that they could barely see it on the horizon. He called out to his troops immediately upon hearing the sound.


    "Haha! Look at that, God is showing his wrath to those filthy Ger-"


    Before he could even finish speaking, explosions detonated among the ranks of the English army. Though the number of 10cm K 25 Guns that the Germans had at their disposal were limited, it was enough to im the lives of hundreds of the enemy soldiers with a single barrage.


    Blood and guts sttered across King Lawrence''s face as he stared into the distance with a panicked expression. How was this even possible? The enemy was close to ten miles away, and yet they had attacked him from such a distance? He could only stammer as he expressed his disbelief, all the while artillery continued to pound his position.


    "D...De...Demons!"


    Ultimately, it was the Grandmaster of the Order of the Red Dragon who gave the order to charge through the explosive fire and attack the enemy position!


    "We have no choice. We must charge the enemy! If God is with us, we will prevail! If not, I will see you all in heaven!"


    After saying this, the Grandmaster charged forward with his retinue of knights, inspiring the rest of the army to do the same. Only Lawrence sat back, petrified in fear. He watched his army rush forward as fast as they could to cover the distance, but no matter how far they ran, the distance was too great, and the number of shells that dropped upon them continued to batter away at their ranks. By the time his army reached the enemy''s position, its numbers would be quartered from one hundred thousand men to twenty-five thousand.


    ---


    Heimerich gazed in the distance through his binocrs and witnessed the spectacr sight of the explosions batter away at the Crusader army. With every barrage, hundreds of men were turned into meat paste, and yet they still charged forward.


    Eventually, their momentum slowed as the heavily armored men became tired and slugged as they marched through the artillery fire. Though their hearts and minds were filled with zeal, their bodies could not handle the excessive exercise.


    Once the enemy passed the 12 kilometer mark, the 7.5cm FK 25 guns among Heimerich''s forces opened fire, unleashing even more artillery upon the enemy ranks. Through the binocrs, he witnessed the heavily armored Knights sted to bits by fiery explosions. The blood-curdling screams mixed with the zealous war cries and the thunder of artillery were like a symphony of war.


    Still, despite their losses, the enemy continued to march forward. Their willingness to die for this Canal was admirable in Heimerich''s eyes, and because of that, he did not unleash what few chemical weapons he had avable to them. Rather, giving these men a chance to die with glory.


    Eventually, ake of blood and entrails was left on the pathway to the canal. Three-fourths of the Crusader army was thoroughly wiped out by the time they arrived in range of the German defenders'' machine guns. Heimerich immediately gave the order to the heavy machine guns to open fire on the enemy''s position.


    "Give them hell!"


    The enemy was now four kilometers away, and despite being too far to urately aim, it was not a problem for the MG 25s which loaded the 7.92x57mm belts into their guns and chugged away randomly towards the general direction of the Crusader Army.


    Berengar hadmonly referred to this gun as the devil''s paintbrush, which was a nickname given to the weapon in his past life, and finally Heimerich understood why. Through abination of artillery and machine gun fire. The remaining fifteen thousand men were cut down before they could even step foot in the no-man''snd. Painting the desertndscape of the Sinai Penins red as they did so.


    ---


    While Lawrence had stayed behind and run away in fear. The Grand Master of the Order of the Red Dragon continued to march forward, despite the weary state of his steed. As a man who had tried to understand and replicate German firearms for years, he was truly astounded and terrified of how much he had underestimated the German Army.


    He gazed in horror as the English and Welsh forces were ruthlessly ughtered around him. The continuous echoes of machine gun fire erupted in the air, and the men among his ranks who were now drudging through the sand fell to the floor lifeless after being stricken by the spray and pray of the enemy forces.


    The English and Welsh Knights who had survived until this point screamed in terror as their horses were struck by stray bullets, and their armored shredded. It was as if the te armor they wore was made out of wet tissue paper, because the bullets went right through it, and out the other side. Multiple bullet holes found their way through every man''s body as more and more men fell to the ground, dead on the spot, or, if they were unlucky, bleeding out slowly.


    It was a massacre the likes the Grandmaster had never seen, and his army had not even gotten close to the enemy''s position. He cursed the Pope''s name out loud as he witnessed his men sted and shredded apart by artillery and machine gun fire alike.


    "Julius, you crazy bastard! What have you done? You have condemned us all to the depths of hell! What kind of devil have you provoked?"


    Immediately after saying this, a stray bullet prated through the Grandmaster''s forehead and out the other side, killing him on the spot. His lifeless body slumped off the side of his horse and fell into a pile of bodies that would act as fertilizer to the sands of the Sinai Penins. The Germans continued to open fire until not a single enemy soldier was left standing.


    Only after tens of thousands of rounds had been fired, and thousands of artillery shells, did the Germans cease their fire. Gazing in awe at how easy it was to wipe out an enemy army of hundred thousand men. Heimerich shook his head in disappointment as he voiced hisints aloud.


    "His Majesty never should have sent so many of my men to this deste region. In a single battle, I have eliminated the enemypletely. I can only imagine the senseless ughter that is urring on the borders of the Empire right now... Or perhaps this was his intention all along?"


    With this, one tenth of the Crusader Army was wiped out before they could even return to Europe. King Lawrence was in the wind, where he ended up, and what he did for the remainder of his life nobody knew. They just assumed he was killed in action with the rest of his army. After all, too many of their corpses were unrecognizable.


    In reality, the King of Ennd was so terrified by what he had witnessed that he had abandoned his crown and fled to the Arabian penins where he married a bedouin woman and assimted into their tribe. Nobody in the west would ever hear from him again.

 Chapter 770 Entertaining an Entitled Prince Part ll

    Chapter 770 Entertaining an Entitled Prince Part ll


    Itami sat at the table and munched on a piece of takoyaki. She had a bottle of sake in one hand and chopsticks in the other. The Ming Prince noticed that the woman appeared to enjoy drinking, and because of that, he encouraged her to drink more, hoping she would get drunk and make it easy for him to take advantage of her.


    However, Itami was a rare breed, and much like Berengar, was capable of drinking excessive quantities of alcohol without ever getting drunk. Thus, as the two of them drank, it was the Prince Zhu Li who ended up getting intoxicated.


    The man had reddened cheeks as he gulped down more sake, while eating from a bowl of ramen and a te of takoyaki. His lust filled gaze was bing more and more noticeable as he stared at the cleavage shown through Itami''s tang-style hanfu. Itami noticed this andmented on it.


    "I can see you staring at my chest. I hate to break it to you, but I have made a vow to the gods that I will only give my body to the man who can best me on the field of battle. Better man than you have tried, and they now lie dead, each and every one of them."


    It took a moment for the man to understand what Itami had said, but he immediately became offended when he did. The prince stood up from his spot, nearly knocking over his drink as he did so, and gazed down upon Itami with an air of superiority. Unknowingly, he yed right into Itami''s hands as he did this.


    "You think you are so much better than me? I am a Prince of the mighty Ming Dynasty. My family''s power is so great that even you have to pay tribute to my father in order to get his permission to invade one of our other tributaries."


    Itami did not let the insult get to her, technically what the man said was true, but that was not because she could not defeat the Ming in a war, but with her poption she could never draft the forces required to hold on to the territory of the Ming Dynasty. It was simply too troublesome for her to bother with. Thus, she responded with a genuine question.


    "And what was your father''s response?"


    The intoxicated Prince did not realize that Itami was coaxing him into giving him the answer that she was looking for from the beginning of their conversation. One that he held close to his chest so that he could manipte the woman into sleeping with him. Because of this, he acted high and mighty, as if he was bestowing Itami with the greatest gift in the world.


    "My father thanks you for your tribute, and rewards you by giving granting you the privilege of invading Joseon!"


    Itami smiled when she heard this and nodded her head before dismissing the Prince entirely.


    "Good, then it appears our business is concluded and I must bid you farewell. I shall permit you to stay in one of the many inns within the city, however based upon your openly lecherous gaze, I cannot in good conscience allow you to stay under my roof. Who knows what you might try in your intoxicated state?"


    It took a moment for the prince to realize just what he had done, and what Itami''s words meant. When he finally understood them, he was enraged, going so far as to raise his hand against Itami. Luckily, before a major international incident could ur, one of the other diplomats who was seated at the table grabbed the prince''s hand and led him away, while bidding Itami farewell.


    "We thank the honorable empress for her hospitality. I believe your words are wise and true. Our prince has shamelessly drank too much of this wonderful sake, and it would be best for everyone if we stayed in an inn."


    The Prince red daggers at the diplomat, but the man did not yield, instead he gave a stern gaze back to the young man. It was clear who was actually supposed to be in charge of this delegation by the look on the diplomat''s face.


    After saying that, the delegation bowed before Itami before walking out of her pce. After the prince was gone, Itami sighed heavily and gazed off into the distance, thinking about the vow she had made when she was young.


    A year after Itami reincarnated into this world, she was met with a troublesome situation. She had gained wealth and power for her n, and as a response, the Ashikaga shogunate had sent a representative to im her family''snd. In truth, the man in charge of this army had one look at Itami and tried to force himself upon her. She killed him with his own tanto before he could get the chance.


    The result was a battle with the Ashikaga forces that imed the life of her father. Despite this setback, Itami rallied her n''s forces and, with the power of the arkebuse, annihted the Shogun''s army. While on the battlefield covered in the blood of her enemies, she made a solemn vow to the gods that she would only allow the man who could best her on the field of battle to im her virtue.


    Since then, she had never lost a battle and killed all of her pursuers inbat. Shemented the fact that she was twenty years old and still single. Itami sighed heavily once more before she took another drink and muttered something under her breath in an aliennguage that her followers could not understand.


    "It is starting to look like I am going to be a virgin until the day I die, just like myst life."


    Just like in her past life, Itami had monumental standards, and was not afraid to stay single until she found the right man. She was prepared to give herself to Julian, but he was as dense as a neutron star, and never noticed her feelings before he died in Afghanistan.


    It took Ai some time to get over the loss of her first love, but after a while, her family pressured her to move on, and she ended up getting romantically involved with a high-ranking officer in the Army. However, that rtionshipsted for a few weeks, before rumors spread, and a stalker killed her in cold blood out of jealousy.


    The irony of it all was she had not even slept with her boyfriend before she was murdered. Though the man had pressured her into doing so, she stubbornly refused until he could prove that he was a reliable partner who would not cheat on her.


    She did not know what happened in that world after her death, but the way global affairs were going, it wasn''t looking good. She supposed she was better off reincarnating in a world where she could make genuine change, rather than living her life as another cog in the machine. While Itami was entertaining these thoughts, General Shiba approached her and informed her of the delegates arrival at the inn.


    "Itami-sama. The Ming Delegates have arrived at the inn. We have guards posted to ensure that the Imperial Prince doesn''t act up. What are your orders?"?


    Itami scoffed when she heard this before swallowing down the rest of the bottle. After doing so, she handed it to Shiba, which was her way of ordering him to throw it in the trash before she would answer his question. After the man had obediently done as instructed Itami responded to him with a stoic expression on her face.


    "If that idiot dares to approach the Royal Pce in the night, shoot him."


    General Shiba sighed as he heard this before nodding his head.


    "As you wish, Itami-sama..."


    Just when the man was about to leave, Itami thought of something important, and quickly grabbed hold of his wrist before inquiring about the subject in her mind.


    "Shiba-kun, have you by any chance heard more about that strange power in the west who is producing those advanced weapons?"


    Shiba instantly froze in his spot, for whatever reason Itami seemed to be intensely interested in this topic, and had sent out many agents to India, specifically the Anangpur Empire, to inquire about this foreign power.


    Though these agents had not been able to confirm the information they were given, Shiba had received some news. Due to theck of verification, he was hesitant to inform the young Empress about it. However, since she was now directly asking him about this topic, he would not hide what he had heard from her.


    "I''ve only heard unconfirmed rumors..."


    Itami wore a bright smile when she heard this before nodding her head in excitement.


    "That''s fine, just tell me what you have heard!"


    Shiba sighed before continuing his train of thought. The way the Empress was dressed, and the pretty smile on her face was so charming, he had no choice but to do as she asked.


    "They say arge and powerful Empire manufactured the weapons in the far west. This Empire goes by the name of Germany. Moremonly, it is referred to simply as the Reich."


    Itami was confused when she heard this, and instantly inquired further about this information.


    "Germany? Is this western Empire known officially as the Holy Roman Empire, by any chance?"


    Shiba gazed at Itami in confusion. He did not know what this Holy Roman Empire was, or where she heard the term, but the man quickly shook his head before correcting her.


    "No, not at all. Supposedly, it is known officially as the German Empire, and is ruled by a man named Berengar von Kufstein. He is said to be the man responsible for uniting the German Empire, as well as the person behind the development of such weapons. Apparently, he was born the son of a minor nobleman and rose through the ranks by emerging victorious in a series of military campaigns. They say he has never lost a single battle.


    Another unconfirmed rumor is that he has taken in the exiled Emperor of Anangpur and his little sister. Apparently he is protecting them from their uncle, who is the current self proimed Emperor of the Anangpur Empire. If this is true, then perhaps the Kaiser has ambitions in India."


    It shocked Itami to hear all of this. Not only was the name Berengar von Kufsteinpletely alien to her, but so was the house which he hailed from. She did not know where Kufstein was, but from her extensive conversations with Julian in her past life about German history, she could surmise that it was a location where this emperor''s family originated.


    The rise of a German Empire so early in history, and the fact that a minor nobleman with such advanced weapons unified it, could only mean that this Berengar von Kufstein was another reincarnator. This information, if true, confirmed her suspicions about Germany being a major yer in this world.


    Though she didn''t know the exact level of the Reich''s military capabilities, or the extent of the Empire, she feared that, given enough time, the two civilizations would inevitably sh. If that were true, then she needed to be prepared for when the time came. After hearing this, a grim expression formed on Itami''s pretty face and she quickly thanked Shiba for the information he had provided her.


    "Thank you Shiba-Kun, I need some time to reflect on this news. If you excuse me, I am going to go take a bath. In the meantime, I want you to continue to dig up any information you can on this German Empire, and it''s Kaiser. The next time you receive information about this topic, report it to me right away, even if you can''t verify it."


    After saying this, Itami walked off, and headed towards her personal hot springs. She did not wait for a response from her General as the existence of this German Emperor deeply troubled her. If this man was really like her, then she needed to be prepared for the war that was toe.


    After all, she shared the same mindset as Berengar. There can only be one reincarnator in this world. The existence of another was a threat to her own existence. Thus, Itami debated internally as she stepped into the hot springs about the best strategy tobat this external threat.

 Chapter 771 The Eastern Front Part l

    Chapter 771 The Eastern Front Part l


    V��szoly Gy?rgy stood at the head of his army. By Hungarianw, he was technically considered a nobleman of higher standing within the Kingdom, but it was difficult to define his actual ce in the hierarchy. After all, the Hungarians did not exactly have aplex system of hereditary titles, unlike western Europe. At least not at this point in time. However, in terms of wealth and power, the man was akin to a Grand Duke, practically a monarch in his own right, and distantly rted to the Royal Family.


    It was because of this that the Hungarian monarch had tasked him to lead one of the give armies that were sent to war against the Byzantine Empire. Unfortunately, the campaign through the Dinaric Alps resulted in a stalemate, where the Byzantine Forces under themand of Strategos Padius Angelus had entrenched their position and halted all Hungarian advances.


    In truth, Gy?rgy was disappointed in how little he contributed to the war effort. However, just as the Crusade for the Holy Land ended, Berengar the ursed dered war on the Catholic World, giving the man a chance to redeem himself. He had been away from home for too long to know that his son Viktor had sent his only surviving daughter to Kufstein.


    Because he was unaware that his daughter lie in the heart of his enemy''s Empire, Gy?rgy had every desire to set the Reich aze. The King of Hungary had spared no expense and drafted all the peasants he could manage into the army. He also equipped them with ck powder weapons and the best armor money could buy.


    Though the peasants of this army had limited training in the use of their weapons and battlefield tactics, they were now all battle-hardened veterans from their conflict with the Byzantines. It was because of this, Gy?rgy believed that his army of one hundred thousand men would smash through the German borders. After all, this was just one of five armies of such size, and the others would be assaulting different sectors of the enemy''s defenses at the same time.


    The German Border Guard was sparsely spread throughout the entire fathend. However, Berengar had deployed a significant number of German soldiers from the Army to reinforce the eastern defenses. After days of scouting out the German lines, Gy?rgy found the perfect location to strike.


    At a particr section of the German Border, there was roughly a brigade worth of soldiers stationed in its defense, and he believed that with his overwhelming numbers, he could charge through the gap and enter the fathend. He prayed that the other four armies found locations simr to this.


    What he did not realize was not only was Padius in pursuit of his army, but the German National Railway waspleted, and the German soldiers could easily deploy from other sections of the border quite rapidly. Thus, after setting his sights on the German border in the distance, Gy?rgy gave the order to march in its direction.


    "Forward march!"


    Unknowingly, the moment Gy?rgy and his army appeared within the vicinity of the border, a group of Jaegers who were hiding in a nearby brush spotted their location and swiftly reported back to the nearestmand with the Hungarian Army''s coordinates. How did they do this? Berengar had ensured that every Jaeger team was issued a portable radiotelegraph, which could be used by a trained individual to ry information back to the main forces.


    Thus, after reporting the coordinates of the Hungarian Army to the section of border that they would soon attack, the Jaeger team absconded from the scene, allowing the artillery strike they had just called in to take ce. This also acted as a warning, which permitted the Colonel in charge of this section of the border to call for reinforcements.


    With the crackling thunder of artillery fire, the horses which the Hungarian cavalry were mounted upon became spooked. They trotted back and forth, and bucked wildly in an attempt to throw their riders off of them. However, it only took a moment for the explosive sts to disrupt the Hungarian army.


    Gy?rgy could hardly believe that his troops were being attacked. They were in the middle of a mountain ravine and were well over six kilometers away from the enemy defenses. Just how did they manage to attack him? Since his cavalry could no longer ride their horses, he issued an order he never thought he would have to in his life.


    "Dismount and charge on foot! God wills it!"


    After saying this, Gy?rgy charged forward on horseback towards the enemy border. His army thought that the man was insane, but when they halted, another nobleman called out to them and challenged them to face their fears.


    "What are you, a bunch of women? They can''t kill all of us. Let''s move!"


    This challenge to their manhood caused the men in the army to suicidally charge through the artillery fire, which resulted in thousands of men being sted into bits. However, they were right about one thing, the artillery on this section of border was not enough to kill them all.


    Unfortunately, artillery was not the least of their worries. The moment the Hungarian army crossed into the thousand meter depth that was no-man''snd, Gatling guns fired them upon. Miraculously, Gy?rgy remained entirely unharmed, despite the men behind him soaking up bullets like a sponge, and he continued to charge forward towards the German trenches.


    The man had a great hope in his eyes, because despite the losses he had suffered, he and his men could still overwhelm the border defenses, or so he thought. However, the moment he stepped foot into no-man''snd, he activated and mine.


    Before he could even realize what had happened, the mine bounced into the air before exploding, sending a thousand ball bearings in all directions, and blowing the Hungarian nobleman apart! The projectiles practically saw the man''s midsection in half as he died on the spot.


    When the German defenders saw this, they screamed inughter, and hollered taunts at the Hungarian army who foolishly rushed head first into a minefield. Now that the enemy had entered their trap, the Germans began to unleash fire from rifles and Gatling guns alike, cutting down those unfortunate enough to get in their sights.


    The death of the Hungarianmander came as a shock to the other members of his army, but they did not know what had killed him. They expected it to be another artillery strike, thus they boldly rushed forward into the minefield, where every other step a poor unfortunate soul would have his life imed by the terror buried beneath the surface.


    The amount ofndmines that the German Empire manufactured over the past few years for the sake of establishing border security is unknown, but on the eastern front alone, it was expected to be in the millions. After all, they were rtively simple devices to manufacture, and German Industrial output was massive.


    Before the Hungarian Army could even reach the trenches, they were being blown apart left and right. If that wasn''t bad enough, artillery still pounded those in the rear, while Gatling guns and single shot bolt action rifles continued to spray their bullets at them in an overwhelming fog of lead.


    It did not take long before the men of the Hungarian army were too afraid to continue their advance. But they were well within the range of artillery, and thus they were left with only one choice. Press forward. However, was such a thing so easy?


    The infantry soon found themselves struggling to navigate their way through thebyrinth of barbed wire was erected across no-man''snd. To make matters worse, the Germans designed the barbed wire defenses in such a way as to lead the enemy army through the area wherendmines lie. It was aplete and total massacre.


    The Germans continued to cheer as they ruthlessly fired upon the Hungarian infantry who exploded every couple of steps. The sight of theirrades blowing to pieces in front of them had a significant effect on the minds of those who had gathered for this assault.


    One soldier, who was too petrified to move forward, simply knelt down and prayed to God for his safety. However, before he could finish the sign of the cross, a bullet struck through his basc and sttered his brains all over the ce. Eventually, the Hungarian army lost their resolve to continue the fight press and retreated, but by then three-fourths of their army had been wiped out, and they were still stuck in a minefield.


    The moment they realized that by running backwards they would achieve the same result as charging forward, hundreds of men simply lied down and epted their fates. Not daring to move a muscle in fear that they might explode. The sheer hopelessness of the no-man''snd defeated the army before they could even reach the trenches.


    As for the Germans, they never got tired of firing their weapons, and continued to open fire on the enemy until the no-man''snd was nothing but a sea of corpses. The five thousand men who defended this section of border did not even need the reinforcements they had called for. For the vast ocean ofndmines had done their work for them.


    This would be amon sight in the German-Catholic War. There was a reason Berengar was so ruthless with his border security, it was not to keep refugees and illegal immigrants out, but entire armies. Who would dare to walk through the no-man''snd that surrounded the fathend? Only a fool or a madman would make such a desperate gamble.


    The death of V��szoly Gy?rgy, along with a fifth of the Hungarian army, would have dire consequences on the eastern front. However, perhaps the most important development that woulde from this immense loss of life was the fact that the young girl V��szoly Noemi had lost her father in this suicidal charge. When news of her father''s death reached Noemi''s ears, the girl would vite the Linde''s orders, and approach Hans forfort. After all, she needed her precious "little brother" to get over her grief.

 Chapter 772 Countermeasures Against theThreat in the West

    Chapter 772 Countermeasures Against theThreat in the West


    Itami sat within the confines of her personal quarters. She wore nothing but a silk robe while her snow white hair was glistening with water. For the fifth time in the past forty-eight hours, she had juste out of her personal hot spring. She was lucky to have such a luxury, as it helped her cope with the stress she was currently facing.


    After finding out that there was another reincarnator in the west whose name was Berengar von Kufstein, and that his Empire was quite possibly as advanced as her own. Itami had been gued with migraines, which was amon symptom when she was especially stressed.


    She did not know who this Berengar von Kufstein was, what his personality was like, or the extent of his ambitions. However, she could already guess that if the Reich was as advanced as her Empire was, then they posed a significant threat not only to her rule, but her very existence.


    Since such a powerful state existed on the other side of the world that could challenge her, she now had to speed up her ns to invade Korea, Hokkaido, and the Ryukyu Kingdom. After all, Germany had ample supplies of iron, something she was severelycking in. Which meant that they likely already had irond vessels, which she could not afford to construct right now.


    However, more importantly, Itami needed a proxy, someone she could empower to cause problems for this Kaiser''s ambitions in the east. It was clear that he was sooner orter going to get involved in India, at least if the rumors were true. She doubted whoever this man was, that he was so kindhearted as to protect an exiled Emperor and his sister, without having some form of ulterior motive.


    Thus, Itami could conclude that Berengar was intending to overthrow this self proimed Emperor Chandra Tomara, and rece him with a puppet in the Anangpur Empire. Most likely, the man had the ns to install this puppet as Emperor of the entire Indian Subcontinent. At the very least, that was what she would do if she were in his position.


    It was actually quite scary how urately Itami could predict Berengar''s exact ns, simply due to how simr their thought processes were. She knew nothing about Berengar, or his mindset, but by simply preparing to fight an enemy that was as intelligent as she was, she hadpletely anticipated Berengar''s ns for India, and thus nned to counteract them.


    The young Empress quickly took out a map she had drawn, which included her approximation of The German Empire, and how she perceived it would look. Essentially, she drew an Empire that was WWI Germany with the inclusion of WWI Austria. After all, Itami knew that some of their weapons were being manufactured within the city of Innsbruck, which was an Austrian city.


    While this wasn''t entirely urate, as Berengar''s empire controlled the Baltic states, part of the londs, and Bohemia. It was enough to give her an idea of the natural resources that the Reich had at the moment. As Itami was in the middle of editing her map, a knock resounded on her door, before the Minister of trade''s voice appeared on the other end.


    "Itami-Sama, I have important news to bring you from trade with the Anangpur Empire, won''t you open up?"


    Upon hearing about an area that was of particr interest to her, Itami rushed to the door and opened it, where she gazed upon the old man who helped foster trade between Japan and foreign nations. In his hands was a can of corned beef hash, which had a painting of the dish on itsbel.


    Though it was written in German, and therefore she couldn''t understand its contents, Itami knew what Corned beef hash looked like, and immediately grabbed hold of the can and stared at it with disbelief. This can of food was simple proof that not only had the German Empire begun canning food, but it had also been to the New World, otherwise where the hell would they get the potatoes for this dish?


    Itami stared in disbelief for several moments while the old man went on a winded story about how his merchants got their hands on the can. However, Itami didn''t hear any of it. She only desired to know for certain if the dish contained potatoes. Thus, she immediately called out for her servants, ignoring her minister of tradepletely. When one of her maids arrived, Itami quickly gave her an order.


    "Bring this to the kitchen, and have them cook it for me. I desire to taste this dish as soon as possible!"


    The maid could see the stern look in Itami''s blood-red eyes, and quickly bowed her head before absconding to the kitchen where the canned meal was prepared for the young empress, and brought to her quarters. While she was waiting, she dismissed the minister.


    "I thank you for bringing this to my attention, but I need to study this item carefully. If you will wait until after I have eaten its contents, I will speak with you then."


    The old man bowed his head and agreed to Itami''s request before leaving her alone. After a while, another servant brought the corned beef hash to her room, where she gazed upon the Potatoes with disbelief. There was no doubting it. There were potatoes in this dish, still she tasted it just to make sure, and sure enough the familiar taste of potatoes entered her mouth.


    Itami was furious. Though she had ns for the new world, it would appear that someone had beaten her to it. If that was the case, then she could not underestimate just how much of an advantage this other reincarnator had over her.


    The new world was a treasure trove of untouched natural resources. If this Berengar von Kufstein had already established colonies there, it was simply impossible to guess how advanced his Empire was.


    After all, the simple proof of how much further ahead Berengar was over her was the fact that he had factories capable of mass producing canned food, and he was selling them abroad. She could not fathom how vast the man''s food surplus must be by now.


    This news changed everything. It meant that Berengar''s troops had much better rations than hers. Hell, it meant his people were much better fed than hers. This gave Germany''s armies a tremendous advantage. Itami was beginning to feel another migraine creeping up on her as she thought of all of this.


    It was clear what she must do. She had to arm the Bengal Empire with sufficient weapons that could cause Germany some grief, and buy her some time. If the Bengal Empire united India before Berengar''s puppet could, then he would have a hard time enforcing the im that Dharya had.


    However, Itami knew that matchlocks would have no effect on German troops, and thus if she wanted to empower the Bengals she would need to sell them her current issue weapons. Which she did not have a problem with, as by the time she needed to enforce her influence over India, she would have much better weapons for her troops.


    Thus, in that moment, Itami decided it would be prudent to visit the Bengal Empire and negotiate and arms deal with the Bengal Army. One that would change the politicalndscape of India forever. However, if she were going to do this, then she needed to be discreet.


    Itami needed to make sure the weapons could not be traced back to her. The worst possible scenario would be Germany finding out about her existence, and dering war on her before she was ready. Because of this, she decided to manufacture a new line of weapons that were from a foreign design, and made use of the Devanagari script for its markings.


    After some consideration, Itami chose the 1881 Marlin rifle chambered in 45-70 government. The reason for this weapon was because she honestly did not know what state of firepower the German Army had ess to, and because of this, she desired a repeating rifle to be safe. However, since she could only manufacture ck powder weapons at the moment, it made her repeating rifle options extremely limited.


    She also nned to re-chamber the Gatling guns that were currently in production into the .45-70 cartridge and sell those to the Bengal Army. As well as introduce an 1873 Colt Single Action army, chambered in .45 long colt as a sidearm.


    As for the Armstrong guns her army currently used as artillery? They were a British design, and there was no way they could be linked back to Japan, so long as she made sure the markings on these guns were in Devanagari.


    Thus, Itami spent another sleepless night as she prepared her countermeasures against Berengar von Kufstein and his German Army. When German troops finally entered India, it would surprise them to see the level of firepower at the Bengal Army''s disposal. Or so Itami thought.


    The reality was that while Itami was investigating the German Empire; she had left behind traces of her existence. After all, trade between India and Japan was not supposed to be extensive during this time period. The more she interfered in the region, the more it would catch the interest of the Reich''s Queen Spider, whose agents kept a watchful eye on the Anangpur Empire at all times.

 Chapter 773 lnventing the Two-Way Radio

    Chapter 773 lnventing the Two-Way Radio


    While Berengar and his army may be at war. The scientists and engineers of the Reich were hard at work within the safety of the fathend. Their job was to research new technologies, and develop new methods to not only wage war but also to advance their civilization. Within the research and development department of the Kufstein Royal Armory sat a young scientist who specialized in researching radimunications.


    For some time now this young man who went by the name of Reichart Banwartz had been working with his department to improve upon the radiotelegraph that Berengar had invented which was currently employed by the German Government, and was the primary means ofmunication within the borders of the Reich.


    While the Radiotelegraph was a useful invention, and helped ry information across the vast territory of the Empire, it had several disadvantages, among them was the length of time it took to convey information.


    Recently Reichart helped develop the portable radio-telegraph which was used in limited capacity among Jaegers and Jagdkommandos. However, this method ofmunication between units embedded in the field and the Command HQs had proven troublesome.


    Theck of instantmunication between Jaegers and HQ was bing a problem in the field. Specifically regarding artillery strikes and rying intelligence. It took some time to type out the information necessary to report an enemy''s position. Because of this artillery was not as effective as it could be.


    Reichart sought to remedy this by devising a way to use verbalmunication across radio waves. He had been hard at work on this project along with his friend and fellow researcher in his spare time, and together the two scientists made use of different technologies that were still being researched by other departments. However, after concluding his research into the portable radiotelegraph, Reichart was now working full time on this project.


    Today, the young scientist would finally have a breakthrough in his efforts. In order to create the two-way radio, Reichart had first needed to make use of telephones. Luckily for him, such technology was already being researched and developed by another department. At least in the form of wiredmunications.


    Which thanks to the way the Reich handled its research and development, all he needed to do was submit a request to that department, as well as a detailed reason on why he needed their research, and they were forced to hand it over to him.


    Berengar had established a system of research and development across his Empire that put the collective goals of the Reich ahead of the individual rights of intellectual property. Because of this, all information was shared freely between any scientist employed by the Reich.


    Theoretically, if Reichart could prove a need for information from the Chemistry department, then he could request ess to their ssified research and, assuming it was approved, the research would be in his hands within a few days. Which is exactly what he had done to receive the current battery technology that he made use of for this project.


    After much experimentation with radimunications, Reichart had stumbled upon the VHF FM spectrum, and had even created a prototype two way radio which he was currently experimenting with. This was one of two prototypes that existed, with the other being in the hands of another researcher who sat in a differentboratory within the building.


    A two-way radio made use of an FM transmitter, receiver, and antenna. His current prototype was powered by a five volt nickel cadmium battery, and made use of the VHF spectrum. After agreeing upon a single frequency tomunicate with, Reichart pressed the push to talk button he had created and spoke into the microphone that lie on his experimental headset.


    "Testing... Testing... One, two, three... This is Reichart Banwartz. Can you hear me, Curt?"


    For several moments, there was nothing but static on the other end, which immediately caused Reichart to sigh in defeat, however just when he was about to take off his headset and go back to the drawing board, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.


    "I hear you loud and clear, Reichart. Congrattions, your invention is a sess. I don''t mean to tter you too much, but this technology of yours has the potential to change the world!"


    Reichart could not contain his excitement, and immediately jumped out of his chair and pumped his fist in the air. After all his hard work, he finally had a working prototype. After taking a moment to calm himself, he sat back down and pressed the push to talk button once more.


    "Understood. I look forward to working with you on perfecting this technology!"


    After saying this, he sat back in his chair and exhaled heavily. The adrenaline in his veins did not allow his heart to calm itself. Instead, he was filled with energy as he thought about all the different practical uses for this technology.


    Instantmunication among military units was just the beginning. He knew that the sky was the limit with radimunications. Of course, he did not understand just how many fields this technology could be applied to, but he had a strong desire to find out.


    After a few moments, his fellow researcher Curt barged into the room. There was an excited smile on his face as he held two beers in his hands. He handed one off to Reichart and nked their bottles together before hugging the man.


    "When the Kaiser learns of what we have done here today, you can bet your ass we are going to be rewarded for our efforts! I can imagine it now, a title of nobility, an order of merit perhaps! Ours names will go down in history for this!"


    Reichart was equally excited. This project of his was something he and curt had been working on in their spare times until rtively recently. With the budget allocated to research and development, many scientists were allowed to pursue their intellectual curiosities freely, and with the sharing of research, many new inventions were popping up left and right.


    This was something Reichart was thinking of when he remembered hearing details about another project in the material sciences department. After taking a sip from his beer, he quickly spoke about what he had heard to Curt.


    "I hear the boys in material science found out how to make a new metal! It''s called Aluminum I think? Apparently, there''s this mineral called bauxite that they found in New Swabia. Our scientists have found a way to process the bauxite into this so-called aluminum, which apparently has many applications.


    I''m telling you, it''s the dawn of a new era, and none of this would have been possible without the Kaiser and his public education system. It''s been ten years, and now there''s an entire generation of young minds nurtured in science and mathematics that the Kaiser has provided us with. It is truly amazing when you think about it."


    Curt smiled when he heard about material science''s exploits, however he leaned in and whispered something to Reichart, which immediately caused the man to feel like he was defeated in some way.


    "Don''t tell anyone about this. After all, it is so ssified that I can''t even get my hands on the research behind it. But from what I hear, Engineering is developing a new flying device, they''re calling it an air ship.


    I don''t know too many details, but you know how we have just started drilling for oil and natural gas, right? Well, apparently under the kaiser''s instruction, the boys in engineering have discovered a gas called helium which they intend to use as the lifting gas for these airships. Aside from that, I know nothing about the project."


    Upon hearing this, Reichart was astonished. He could hardly believe his ears when he heard the word airship. The eternal dream of mankind, to fly in the air, would soon be a reality. The young scientist instantly shook his head as he took another sip of his beer andughed. This immediately caused Curt''s brow to furrow as he questioned the man''s sanity.


    "What''s so funny?"


    Reichart quickly motioned around him andmented on the state of the Reich.


    "To think that ten years ago our families were toiling in the fields with our bare hands, and now we will be sending men into the air? It''s unbelievable isn''t it? I mean, there''s literally only one man who we can thank for how far we havee in such a short period.


    As much as people revere the Kaiser, the overwhelming majority of them truly underestimate just how much he has done for us. If not for him, we would all still be a punch of filthy peasants, breaking our backs in the mud without the slightest inclination about science and mathematics. Hell, I doubt we would even be able to read and write.


    No wonder the Papacy and the foreign powers hate him so much, he single-handedly overthrew the bnce of power. In a world without the Kaiser, the Pope would still be the most influential person in the west. Now he''s nothing but the figurehead of an ancient and dying religion."


    Upon hearing this, Curt chuckled before raising his beer in the air for a toast.


    "To the Kaiser! Without him, we would be nothing!"


    Reichart smiled and repeated the toast before swallowing down the rest of his beer. After a brief celebration, the two men quickly got back to work, where they intended to expand upon their prototypes and make functioning devices for military and civil applications.

 Chapter 774 lnvasion of the Lowlands

    Chapter 774 lnvasion of the Londs


    Lieutenant Herman von Habsburg stood within the ranks of the Second Brigade of the First Corps of the Imperial German Army. The Imperial German Army operated under the modern concept of a Brigade Combat Team. Meaning that each brigade was capable of supporting itself in any conflict. After all, a unit of roughly five thousand German soldiers could defeat most enemy forces in this world.


    A Brigade Combat Team made use of two infantry battalions: a cavalry battalion, an artillery battalion, an engineering battalion, and a support battalion. Because of this organized structure, the First Corps of the Imperial German Army had dispatched its individual brigades across the Londs to secure different objectives. Currently, the Second Brigade was passing through a small town on the borders of the Duchy of Burgundy.


    It had been years since Herman''s father, the infamous Count Lothar, was executed for his treasonous acts. Though he had never forgiven his elder sister Linde for betraying her family, the young man held no grudge against her husband, the current Kaiser of the German Empire.


    At first, Herman despised Berengar and held him responsible for his father''s fate, but as the years passed, and Innsbruck became a major manufacturing city, the noble house of Habsburg-Innsbruck had risen to heights that Lothar would have never dreamt of. This caused the young man to view his brother-inw in a different light.


    Linde was the Second Empress of the Reich, and Herman''s elder brother Liutbert was a wealthy businessman, who had made a fortune for himself presiding over Innsbruck and its massive industrial sector. With feudalism being a distant memory, Liutbert''s direct control of the city vanished, but the Habsburg name still held monumental influence in the region.


    As for Herman himself, he had gone through the route of military service. When the German Cadet Corps was established, he was among the first to enter its ranks. It was because of this he was given a head start in military leadership, and found himself bing amissioned officer without needing to go through the Academy.


    Currently, the young man, who was not even twenty, was marching through the londs on his first military campaign. At the moment, the Duchy of Burgundy held control over arge chunk of the londs, which were popted mostly by Ethnic Germans. Though Herman had initially expected stiff resistance from the local poption, reality was something else entirely.


    As Herman marched through the border town, it surprised him to see that the people were not fearful of him or his fellow soldiers. They did not hide in their homes and wait for the army to pass, nor did the parents cover their children''s eyes in fears that the sight of the enemy army might traumatize them. Instead, they gathered in the streets and greeted the German Army as if they were liberators,e to save them from their primitive feudal existence.


    The town folk gathered and cheered as the German Army continued to march on. Herman could hardly believe his eyes. Weren''t these people Catholic? Were they not supposed to be brainwashed into hating the Reich? Why were they so happy about this annexation?


    The truth was that although the people of this region were still officially Catholic; they had long since been influenced by German propaganda efforts. Since the Unification of Germany a few years prior, the Kaiser had invested heavily into funneling propaganda into the londs. Though Berengar was the one to sign off on this propaganda mission, it was the brainchild of Ad who worked hard to see the people of the londs converted to the German Reformation in secret.


    The usual means of leaflets were useless among a poption that could neither read nor write. Thus, Agents of the Reich had infiltrated every town and city across the londs, and spread word of the German Reformation, and what life in the Reich was really like.


    By the time Berengar''s troops invaded the region, the people were already willing to ept their annexation. The only thing standing in the way of the Kaiser''s will were the local lords and their garrisons, who refused to give up the wealth and power they possessed.


    However, there was only so much they could do when faced with the overwhelming will of the people they ruled over. There was also the fact that German artillery was so overwhelming they could bring down a castle''s walls with a single barrage. With the armies of Burgundy still abroad, nobody was willing to lift a finger to save the power that the Burgundian noble houses still held in thend.


    A young girl who was in the middle of her teenage years held a basket of flowers in her hand, and was now handing them to the German Soldiers who passed her by. Despite her kindness, not a single soldier had epted her gift. After all, they were still wary of the locals because they had heard stories about false gestures like these leading to the deaths of soldiers in the Iberia theatre.


    The girl was getting depressed after another soldier passed her by without even looking at her. When Herman saw this, he sighed before stepping out of formation, where he stood in front of the girl. He wore a warm smile on his face as he opened up his hand and expressed his gratitude towards the girl.


    "Did you pick these yourself? They''re lovely. Might I have one?"


    The girl instantly blushed when she saw the handsome young man ept her flower. She quickly recovered from her stupor and nodded her head in silence before handing Herman a white flower, which he pinned to his tunic. With a smile on his face, Herman thanked the girl for her kindness.


    "Thank you, I shall cherish this gift... Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to formation."


    Once Herman had epted the flower, the other soldiers sighed in relief, knowing that it was not a trap. Since an officer had taken the initiative to ept the girl''s gift, nobody wouldin if the rest of them did as well, and because of that, every soldier who was on the far left of the formation would receive a flower until the girl ran out.


    It was not just this unit that had encountered a situation like this. All across the londs, the people greeted their German upiers with open arms. Many of them believed it was only a matter of time until this day happened, and were patiently awaiting it.


    While the Reich had been rapidly modernized, to the point that even the poorest of its citizens lived better than the nobility of the neighboring realms, the londs were the one speck of German soil that was left out of the prosperity. Naturally, the people were aggrieved by this loss when they heard of how the German people east of the Rhine lived.


    Herman was thinking about this as the Second Brigade came to a stop in the vige. Their objective ining here was to force the local Lord to surrender, and recognize that hisnds had been annexed by the German Empire. Naturally, while Herman was interacting with the flower girl, the Colonel in charge of the Second Brigade had sent a messenger to negotiate with the local lord.


    Like the barbarian that the feudal lord was, he reacted to the German demands, severed the head of the messenger before throwing it over the walls. The moment German blood was spilled on foreign soil, the gloves came off, and the Artillery battalion quickly set up their guns outside the castle''s walls.


    It was Herman''s job to shoo away the local townsfolk, so they did not get caught up in the conflict. He wore a friendly smile as he pushed the townsfolk away.


    "Return to your homes, your Lord has chosen death rather than submission. This will be over shortly. I promise you that if you return to your homes, this skirmish won''t affect you."


    The townfolk nodded and epted this condition. The German soldiers appeared to be treating them cordially, so much so that they were actually concerned about the safety of the locals. This was a kindness afforded by the Reich exclusively to ethnic Germans. Without incident, the town''s folk took shelter in their homes, though they shivered in fright when the explosive found of the cannons roared in the air.


    A single barrage was all that was necessary to bring down the gatehouse. Allowing the German soldiers to rush through with their bays affixed. Herman had returned to the front lines and was at the head of the charge, as he aimed the sights of his G22 rifle onto his first target and pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    A volley of rifle fire pelted the front lines of those foolish defenders who dared to block the path of German vengeance. After the enemy vanguard was annihted in a single second, the remainder of the garrison cast their primitive weapons aside and allowed the Germans to advance into the castle unhindered. The Burgundian Lord''s men had given up on him before they could even attack the enemy.


    Before long, the foolish nobleman was dragged to his home, and brought before the Colonel, who simply smirked at the bastard as he drew his P25 pistol from its holster and plugged a round in the man''s skull. There was no need for such foolish nobility in the Reich.


    With this Lord''s execution, the German armies were quickly on the march once more. Though this town had been secured for the Reich, there were plenty of others that needed to be annexed. Thus, the ten brigades of the First Corps were constantly on the move as they rapidly secured the londs, and dethroned the Burgundian nobility who reigned over them.

 Chapter 775 curse You Merciful Poseidon!

    Chapter 775 curse You Merciful Poseidon!


    Admiral Reitz Bettinger stood on the bow of his Irond frigate. The rain was pouring heavily upon the Mediterranean sea, and the German fleet was caught in the middle of a giant storm. However, the young Admiral was unconcerned with the weather, instead he had a single goal in mind.


    Reitz was a man who was among the first members of the Austrian Navy, which over the years had since transformed into the Imperial German Navy, also referred to as the Kriegsmarine. He was considered a prot��g�� by many and had trained under the tutge of the previous Grand Admiral.


    While the heavens cried upon the seas, perhaps in an act of grief for what would soon ur; Reitz gazed through his binocrs into the distance, where saw his target rapidly approaching. The poor souls who would drown in the salty sea on this miserable day were the crusaders who stood on board the Catholic Armada.


    Currently, Reitz''s fleet isposed of merely ten vessels. Yet these ten ships were all irond frigates, and they had been lying in wait for days on the Coast of Naples waiting to intercept the Crusaders who dared tond in Southern Italy in an attempt to halt the Kaiser''s advance into Rome.


    Reitz simply stood in the downpour of rain as he patiently watched the enemy ships enter into his firing line. The moment the catholic Armada crossed a distance of thirteen kilometers, he gave themand to initiate the attack.


    "Hard to starboard!"


    With this said and a spin of the wheel, the German fleet rapidly transitioned so that their vessels were facing the enemy with their broadside guns. The next generation of vessels, which were currently being developed by the German Shipyards in Trieste, Malta, and the Baltic, would soon rece this primitive system of mounting guns on ships. However, for now, the broadside method was the best option the Kriegsmarine had avable to it.


    After swinging the ships so their sides could face the enemy, the order to open fire was given. In that moment, two hundred and twenty cannons fired in unison towards the direction of the Catholic Armada.


    The poor souls onboard that Catholic ship could only gaze in horror as the high explosive shells barreled down towards them from the sky. However, their misery did notst long. Once the shells impacted, the explosive force ripped apart the entire vessel, iming the lives of everyone on board.


    Reitz gazed through his binocr and smiled after hearing the detonation. He stood silently as he witnessed the fiery ze of the enemy vessels as it consumed the lives of all who manned them. After the first line of Catholic ships were sted apart, the remainder split into a loose formation, hoping that the Germans would have a harder time hitting them.


    The ships used by the Germans were hardly modern vessels; they werepletelycking inputers and targeting arrays. Each gun had to be loaded and aimed by a crew. This meant there was a muchrger margin of error when the shells were fired towards the enemy.


    However, was survival so easy? While plenty of shells missed their mark, the Germans had an overwhelming number of cannons to fire. They could reload each gun and fire again after a mere two seconds. With this overwhelming barrage of explosive fire, the Catholic ships were picked off one by one, regardless of their loose formation.


    The shells who missed their targets sank into the Mediterranean and exploded within its depths. The sheer loss of marine life from these attacks was incalcble. However, the Germans did not care, and fired as many shells as they could at the enemy vessels, which desperately struggled to get past the German fleet and make their way to the southern Italian shores.


    The guns onboard the Frigates continued to load and fire in a stream of barrages that lit the Mediterranean aze, or so it would appear from the shoreline, because it quickly engulfed hundreds of vessels in mes, and sent them to the depths of the sea..


    Despite the furious onught, there was only so much that the ten German vessels could do. After all, the enemy ships numbered in the hundreds, and despite the overwhelming amount of rifled breechloading cannons that the Germans possessed. They simply could not sink every vessel. Thus, a sizeable percentage of the ships passed by the German fleet, sighing in relief as they foolishly believed the battle was over.


    On board the vessel which belonged to King Andrzej Jagiellon, the Polish monarch immediately cried out sphemy as he sighed in relief. He truly believed the worst was behind him, and he would soon be safe on the beach, far away from the German fleet.


    "Oh, merciful Poseidon, thank you for sparing this wayward mariner!"


    A nearby crusader immediately looked at the Polish King with a sense of disdain, forcing the man to defend himself.


    "What? It was a joke!"


    The crusader merely scoffed. He was about to chew out Andrzej when the sound of thunder crackled in the air. The two men practically soiled themselves when they realized the German fleet had just destroyed the vessel nearest to them. The Polish King could only curse out to the sky for itsck of mercy.


    "Curse you merciful poseidon!"


    While the Catholic fleet may have passed through the broadside guns on the right side of the German Vessels, they had unknowingly sailed into the range of the other half of the German Fleet''s firepower. Where the German sailors ruthlessly opened fire on the Catholic forces who continued to press on towards the Italian shore.


    King Andrzej Jagiellon could hardly believe his sight as shellsnded left and right, with every barrage at least one Catholic ship was shredded apart by the explosive st. While the men onboard the surviving vessels turned pale with fright. They simply did not have the means to stop the German attack.


    One by one, the remaining Catholic vessels were sted apart, until finally only a dozen ships remained. However, they had sessfully gone beyond the range of the German guns, and thus they had finally made it to safety. Andrzej immediately fell to his knees as his ship hit the shore. The catholics were so fearful of the German pursuit that theypletely beached their vessels, not willing to take the time necessary to properly anchor them in the bay.


    Out of the hundreds of ships that the crusaders had embarked towards Italy upon, roughly a dozen survived. Andrzej was not the only one whose stomach was unsettled. Plenty of men dived onto the beach, where they hurled up the contents of their stomach onto its sandy shores. They could hardly believe they had survived the German attack. If the German Navy had such a monumental advantage, just what would they be facing when they finally met the German Army in the field?


    After all, the Germans were most well known for theirnd warfare capabilities. If they had advanced so far ahead of the rest of the world with their navy, then it was simply unimaginable the ability that the German Army had.


    Upon thinking about this dread, Andrzej realized that there was simply no hope of victory, and because of that, he intended to take what little remained of his army, and go back to Pnd where he nned to be a good and obedient King towards his German neighbors. He could not help but voice the thoughts in his head.


    "I surrender... You hear me Berengar! Pnd surrenders!"


    The Polish Knights and Men at arms stiffened in their spots when they saw how defeated their King was. Hundreds of thousands of Polish Men had embarked on the Crusade to the Holy Land, under the orders of their King.


    Why would they do such a thing? Because they were promised vengeance against Germany after the Byzantines were defeated. Now, maybe a thousand of those men stood upon this shore. As for the rest of his army, they were either buried in the desert, drowned in the Mediterranean, or scattered to the winds, with no hopes of returning home.


    However, before King Andrzej Jagiellon had any chance of returning home, his throat was slit from behind by a dagger. The icy gaze of the Duke of Burgundy prated the souls of the Polish soldiers as he stood fearlessly surrounded by his knights while spitting upon the corpse of the man he had just killed.


    "Fucking traitor! Any man here who even thinks of surrendering, after everything we have lost, will suffer the same fate as this fool. I don''t care about your rank and title. Today we all stand together and march north to defeat the German Army, or die trying. We can not allow the Holy See to be sacked by these barbarians!"


    The various forces of the other realms quickly surrounded the Polish Knights and Men At Arms. They had no chance of avenging their King, and ultimately they werepelled under threat of death to march against the German Army.

 Chapter 776 Meeting with the Bengal EmperorPart l

    Chapter 776 Meeting with the Bengal EmperorPart l


    Itami kneeled on a cushion within the interior of herrgest warship. Her long snow white hair flowed behind her back and was styled elegantly. For the sake of this meeting, she had dressed in a blood-red silk saree. As a woman, she enjoyed dressing up for special asions, especially diplomatic visits, where she often wore the fashion of the culture she was negotiating with.


    On a normal day, the young empress would simply tie back her hair into a ponytail and dress in men''s clothing. If she was being honest with herself, she simply preferred the practicality of the clothing that the opposite sex wore. It was because of this utilitarian taste that many of the men under hermand considered her beauty to becking.


    It was not that Itami wasn''t beautiful when she put no effort into her looks; it was simply that men found her cross-dressing and herck of cosmetics to be undesirable. After introducing modern makeup to the Japanese Empire, the women of Japan had reached a new level of attractiveness.


    Thus, whenpared to other pretty women in Japan who always wore makeup and kimonos, she wasmonly seen as a second-rate beauty. However, on the rare asion that Itami actually put effort into her appearance, she rapidly transformed into the most gorgeous woman in the room.


    That beauty was once more on full disy as she waited patiently for her ship to reach the shores of the Bengal Empire. After all, Itami had found that having a pretty face always led to her negations ending in her favor.


    In her experience, Men were foolish creatures, who at the first sight of a pretty face, and a nice pair of tits would make any sacrifice just for a chance to sleep with the woman they belonged to. Luckily for Itami, she was blessed with both assets, making negotiations with foreign rulers an easy endeavor.


    Though Itami would never go so far as to seduce a man in order to aplish her goals, she knew that simply by looking pretty, and acting friendly, most men would instantly be puddy in her hands. After all, what guy didn''t like being treated well by a foreign beauty?


    Well, any man except for one. It was while she was thinking about how she would manipte the Bengal Emperor into bing her puppet that she thought about all the chances she tried to get Julian to notice her in her past life. She honestly never knew if the man was gay, dense, or simply a lolicon.


    Scratch that, she knew Julian wasn''t gay because she had seen his browsing history while he wasn''t paying attention, and whatever pornography he was watching in his spare time always included a woman. When a man lives alone, he doesn''t concern himself with using incognito mode or clearing his browser history. That was a lesson she had learned from Julian.


    While Itami was thinking about the past, her ship pulled into the docks of the Bengal Empire''srgest port city. In this world, Im had never spread to India or Eastern Asia. As a result, Hinduism and Buddhism were the two most practiced religions on the Indian subcontinent.


    When Itami stepped off her vessel and into the city, a man dressed invish silk trappings greeted her. He was young, roughly Itami''s age, perhaps a year or two older, and was exceptionally handsome, at least by the local standards. He had rtively light skin, dark eyes, and jet ck hair which flowed down to his shoulders like a river of ink.


    This man was the Bengal Emperor who had recently ascended to the throne after his father died of a heart attack. He took one look at the Japanese Empress and immediately fell head over heels in love with her. He quickly approached the woman and opened his arms in a shameless attempt to get a hug.


    "Empress Itami, it is my greatest pleasure to wee you to my Empire. I see the rumors about your beauty were true, I must say I have never seen such a fine woman in my life before now..."


    Itami''s interpreter tranted the man''s words, causing the young empress to force a smile on her cherry lips as she epted thepliment, but refused the man''s hug, instead speaking to him as if he were her peer.


    "Emperor Asha Sarkar, I must thank you in advance for your hospitality. As promised, I have brought the goods. Shall we conduct business over lunch? After all, I am dying to taste some of the local cuisine."


    The man did not let the fact that Itami kept him at a distance ruin his mood. The fact that she was willing to dine with him so soon after meeting for the first time was a good sign in his eyes. In reality, Itami was simply sick of sea rations and instead wanted to eat something fresh. It helped that she enjoyed Indian food in her past life. Though how many of those distinctive dishes existed in this period, she did not know.


    The two of them walked forward with their guards, while Itami''s marines secured the items on board the ship. She would not hand over the goods for inspection until they coulde to an agreement on the terms of their sale. If Itami was being honest with herself, she was less concerned about making a profit, and more interested in turning the Bengal Army into her proxy against the German Empire in the west.


    Asha led Itami into the Pce, where his servants were quick to prepare the meal. Instead of a local delicacy like Itami was expecting, she instead saw a bowl filled with canned soup, imported from the German Empire. Her disappointment was unfathomable as she expressed her discontent with the dish.


    "This is what you choose to serve to your guests?"


    Asha had already eaten a spoonful of the canned soup with a satisfied smile on his face. When Itami called him out on his actions, he was stunned. In thends outside the reich, they considered canned food a delicacy that only the nobility could obtain. In fact, even in India, the prestige of German goods had be a status symbol. He could not believe his guest was unhappy with such an expensive meal.


    Naturally, Itami was from the 21st century, or at least a reincarnation of such an individual, and because of this, the idea of eating canned food for a diplomatic visit was not onlyughable but outright offensive. In her eyes, canned food was something you ate when you were either toozy to prepare a proper meal, had no skills in cooking whatsoever, or were so poor it was the only thing you could afford. It was definitely not something the wealthy elite dined upon.


    Asha gazed upon Itami''s stupefied expression, and quickly asked if it was not to her liking, he realized the woman may not have contact with Germany, since her empire was so far away, and believed that the concept of canned food was simply alien to her.


    "This soup is made in a foreignnd to the far west. It is superb quality, and easy to make. Here in the Bengal Empire we can only get our hands on a limited supply of the stuff, so naturally it has be a popr item among the nobility. Is it not to your liking?"


    It took Itami a moment to process the idea that this foreign reincarnator had so much influence on this world that foreign countries treated his canned food, which he undoubtedly used to feed the poor in his country, and as rations for his army, as a supreme delicacy. She could not help but press her forehead into her palm, and sigh before cursing Berengar''s name in her native tongue.


    Naturally, the Bengal Emperor couldn''t understand her, and because of this, Itami used the trantor to change her words from a curse to a question.


    "I don''t mean to offend, but do you mind serving me some fresh food? This just seems so unappealing to me for some reason..."


    The Bengal Emperor realized he must have somehow offended the foreign beauty and was quick to yell at his servants to prepare the woman a local delicacy. Upon smelling some proper food being cooked up, Itami once more smiled before immediately questioning the man about what he knew regarding the German Empire and its Kaiser.


    "What do you know of this Berengar von Kufstein? I have heard rumors about him, but what I have learned is limited. Since you are clearly engaging in trade with the man, surely you can enlighten me on his personality?"


    Naturally, after Berengar had announced to the world that the exiled Anangpur Empire and his sister were under his protection, the various powers of the Indian Subcontinent began to search for information regarding the Kaiser and his capabilities.


    With the opening of the Kaiser''s Pass, trade had flourished among Germany and India, and because of this, the various Indian states learned quite a bit about life in the Reich. Needless to say, they were shocked when they heard the rumors regarding the fathend. Thus, Asha was quick to speak about what he had learned. The Bengal Emperor''s next words would unwittingly have a major impact on this world''s future. One caused simply because of his desire to sleep with Itami.

 Chapter 777 Meeting with the Bengal EmperorPart ll

    Chapter 777 Meeting with the Bengal EmperorPart ll


    The Bengal Emperor cleared his throat before answering Itami''s question. While he spoke, he deliberately nned to leave out the good things he had heard about Berengar. Why would he do this? Because he could tell that Itami was very interested in the Kaiser, so much so that should she hear the better aspects of his character, she might be infatuated with him.


    After all, Asha had heard the rumors that Itami was after a man capable of defeating her in battle, and if anyone in the world could achieve that, it was surely Berengar. Thest thing he needed in his attempts to woo the woman was her falling for another man. Thus, with a grim expression on his face, he prefaced his long-winded rant about the Kaiser with a disimer, just in case anything he said turned out to be falseter.


    "While it is true that I have begun to open trade with the Reich, especially after they cklisted the Anangpur Empire as a major trading partner. It simply hasn''t been long since the Germans opened the Kaiser''s Pass, and so what I know is mostly hearsay."


    Before the man could continue, Itami was quick to question him about what he meant by this statement.


    "Wait a second, what is this Kaiser''s pass?"


    Asha looked at Itami with a bit of a shock in his eyes. The opening of the Kaiser''s pass was an enormous deal to India, and he expected the fabled War-Goddess of Japan to already know about it. He quickly exined in great detail what the canal was before continuing his attempts to warp Itami''s perspective about Berengar.


    "The Kaiser''s pass is the name for a giant canal recently built in thend known as Egypt. It allows for trade between the East and West via the sea. Because of this, German shipping has recently made its way to the Indian Subcontinent, and vice versa. However, it was only finished recently, and because of that, my knowledge of this Empire in the west is limited."


    Itami was stunned when she heard this. Just how did Berengar manage to build the Suez Canal in 1426 AD? There was no mistaking it. If Germany was capable of doing such a thing, then they likely had surpassed her country''s level of technology by several decades. This naturally only made her more interested in the man responsible for the Construction of the Kaiser''s pass. Thus, she quickly inquired about him.


    "I understand. So what were you saying about the Kaiser before I interrupted you?"


    Asha took a sip from his tea before regaining his previous train of thought. After doing so, he was quick to inform the Japanese beauty about everything negative he had heard about Berengar.


    "What I can tell you about the Kaiser is that the neighbors of the German Empire consider the man to be a bloodthirsty tyrant, a warmonger, and a heretic who has risen to his position through a series of bloody campaigns and political assassinations that have caused endless suffering and death. They are quick to speak of the man''s disregard for human life, and his willingness to butcher entire cities if it means achieving victory in warfare.


    Apparently, he has mastered the use of terror as a weapon, using it to force those who rebel against his reign into submission. I have heard that the Kaiser treats his allies as ves, and has even gone so far as to ce one of his sons on the throne of an allied kingdom, effectively turning it into his puppet. There are other rumors about the Kaiser that I have heard, but can''t verify.


    Supposedly, he has legalized polygamy in his country and has taken four heavenly beauties as his wives who tend to his every need. Rumor has it he has over a dozen children with them. He has also allegedly forced his own younger sister to be his concubine and haspelled the girl to carry his child. She is apparently every bit as beautiful as his wives."


    Itami could not help but drop her jaw when she heard all of this. Her immediate view of Berengar had gone from a potential threat to a global menace. His tant disregard for human life was definitely not in line with 21st century moral values. Was he from a more distant future than herself where human rights meant nothing?


    Or perhaps he was from an earlier point in history with a simr set of values, like the Second World War? That would exin hisck of care towards coteral damage in the pursuit of victory. Whoever this man was, he clearly was a bloodthirsty psychopath who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.


    However, what bothered Itami the most about this shadowy rival of her was the part about him having four beautiful wives and a concubine. How could this bastard have five gorgeous women by his side, when she herself couldn''t even find one capable man to marry? Five women? Seriously? It was just too cruel!


    There was also the part about Berengar forcing his sister to be his concubine. That was simply disgusting. Though incest may be amon trope in things like Anime, and Light Novels, the idea that this man would actually go through with it in this world, while most likely fully being aware of the gic problems inbreeding causes, was truly despicable. She had never had as much contempt for a man as she did right now.


    The only way that Itami could even rationalize how such a bastard could get away with such madness was the prospect that he must be extremely handsome. After all, in her past life, she had witnessed plenty of women reject their dignity for the sake of being with a handsome and sessful man.


    Asha could tell that this news about Berengar troubled Itami, and that his personality disgusted her. It was a good thing he had not mentioned how the German people viewed their Kaiser. Because from what limited contact his people had with the Germans, all evidence pointed to them practically worshipping the man. Not only as the father of their nation, but as the man responsible for their way of life. He was practically a living god by the standards of the German people.


    The Bengal Emperor decided now would be a good time to make his move, and he quickly reached his hand out tofort the beautiful Japanese Empress, who was sitting across from him.


    "Do not fret. The Germans are on the other side of the world. It is not like they wille to Asia to look for trouble."


    Itami had barely noticed that the man had grabbed onto her hand, or even heard what he said. She was deeply distressed about everything she had heard regarding Berengar''s character. If what Asha said was true, then she knew with certainty the Reich would eventually send their forces into the eastern part of the world for one reason or another, and when the Kaiser found out there was another reincarnator, he would stop at nothing until that threat was entirely neutralized.


    Because of this, Itami was more determined than ever to make trouble for Berengar in India. If she could buy enough time, she might be able to catch up to him in terms of military technology. Then she could defeat him. Or so she believed.


    Aftering back to reality, Itami saw that the man sitting across from her was shamelessly holding her hand with a suave grin on his face. She immediately reacted in disgust and withdrew her dainty hand from the man''s grip before condemning him for his actions.


    "I don''t remember giving you permission to touch me. We are not so close that you can do such a thing. Because you have given me such valuable information free of charge, I will forget this little mishap of yours ever happened. But try to touch me again, and I will have your hands removed!"


    Asha''s brow twitched when he heard this. What was wrong with this woman? She was in the middle of his Pce and she dared to threaten him? He had heard rumors that Itami had a seriously cold personality towards the opposite sex, but he had never realized that the woman was this rude. Despite her harsh reaction, he could only lower his head and apologize. To win this woman''s heart, he would need to y the long game. After all, the prize for his patience would definitely be worth the effort.


    "I apologize if I offended you your highness, I only sought tofort you since you appeared so distressed. I swear on all the gods of my ancestors that I will not touch you without your permission ever again..."


    Itami merely red at the man. She knew his type; she had met plenty of men like him in both her lives. He only cared about one thing, getting into her pants, and like hell, she would ever allow that to happen. It was a good thing that at this moment; the servants arrived with the food they had prepared for their esteemed guest.


    Itami said a quick prayer to the gods of her homnd before taking a bite. As for what came next, she would have to negotiate with this perverted emperor about the sale of weapons and munitions to his army, while still avoiding his attempts to sleep with her.

 Chapter 778 The March to Rome

    Chapter 778 The March to Rome


    Berengar stood at the border of the Kingdom of Lombardy and the Kingdom of Naples. He stared through his monocr across the defenses that Lombardy had established and gazed upon the Army of Naples, who sat frigidly in their fortifications, too afraid of the German Army that had amassed beyond their borders to bother showing their faces.


    While the Kingdom of Naples stood alone in its war against the German Army after losing their reinforcements in the Mediterranean, a union of four armies had formed on the opposite side of the border with a single purpose in mind. To bring an end to the tyranny of the Papacy.


    Two divisions of Byzantine soldiers under themand of Padius'' prot��g�� stood by Berengar''s side. Alongside the Byzantines was the army of Al-Andalus, who Adelbrand had dispatched a division from the Iberian Penins to the Lombardic border to do its part in the war against the Papacy. Finally, the Kingdom of Lombardy had a division of its own army standing alongside German troops as they prepared to end this conflict once and for all.


    This war had progressed in Berengar''s favor rapidly. This was to be expected, considering the overwhelming superiority of the German Army. While the Kaiser was marching to the Lombardic border, he had heard reports over the telegraph of the victory his forces had gained in the East. In the desert wastnds of Egypt, the Reichsgarde had utterly annihted the English Army and the Order of the Red Dragon.


    However, that wasn''t the only significant victory for the Germans had achieved on the eastern front. On the border of the Kingdom of Hungary, the Hungarian King had foolishly marched his forces upon the German Borders, in under an hour half of his army was wiped out by the German border guard, and forced to retreat back into their Realm, awaiting reinforcements from the Holy Land.


    In the londs, the local poption greeted the soldiers of the Reich with open arms, while the Germans made an example out of the rebellious nobility. After their first loss in the campaign came in the form of an executed messenger, the General in charge of the theater decided to afford no quarter to the Burgundian nobility, and had ordered the execution of all major noble houses.


    However, the good news did not end there. The Fifth Fleet, who was normally stationed in Malta, had intercepted the Crusader armada and sent a hundred thousand men to the depths of the Mediterranean. With this, the reinforcements that were supposed to protect Rome were annihted before Germany and its allies could even march on the city.


    With the Catholic ships sunk to the bottom of the Mediterranean, those Crusaders who were still stuck in the Holy Land had no means to return home. Because of that, it forced the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem to provide for hundreds of thousands of refugees. Something they simply could not do.


    By the end of the conflict, the crusaders stuck in the Holynd would either disband and be a problem for the neighboring kingdoms in the form of brigands, or they would simply starve to death. Perhaps a select few of their most elite warriors might be selected to stay and operate as members of Jerusalem''s army.


    The Catholic World had emptied their fields to provide the number of soldiers to embark on its foolish crusades. Now arge percentage of them lie dead, with the rest either stranded, or acting as defenders to what littlend remained for Germany to conquer. Just as quickly as the war had started, so too was iting to an end.


    Undoubtedly, the fact that the Catholic World lost its peasant ss in this conflict would seriously affect their ability to produce food for their poption. The aftermath of this war would find the Catholic Kings wholly dependent on trade with Germany to survive. Their economies would be in shambles, and it would take them decades, if not centuries, to recover their ability to stand on their own.


    Berengar had been preparing for this war for years, and he almost felt ashamed that it was going to be over so soon. However, there was nothing he could do to change that. Unless he decided to take an entirely defensive position and wait for the enemy to march on his borders. However, such an action would be foolish, and after everything the enemy had witnessed in the eastern front, he doubted they would continue their attempts to invade the fathend.


    There was only so much the Crusaders could do while armed with matchlock rifles and muzzle loading cannons. Germany had the power of long range artillery and machine guns in its hands. With these weapons, a few thousand men could defend a section of the border against an army ten times its size.


    Berengar''s n now was to take Rome, after which he would march his armies across southern Italy and unite it with its northern half. After seizing all of Italy and bestowing it upon his puppet, Bruno, the Kaiser, would march his armies into Pnd, and Hungary, where he would execute their monarchs and put a puppet on their thrones.


    Luckily for Berengar, the Duke of Burgundy had already removed the Polish King for him. All he needed to do was march into a Warsaw, and take Natalia''s brother as a ward, where he would teach the boy to be the perfect puppet for the von Kufstein Dynasty.


    As for Hungary, Berengar had already formted a n long ago. Though Linde nearly ruined his schemes, he was certain that he could execute the Hungarian King and ce Noemi''s elder brother on the throne. The young man had proven himself to be a friend of the Reich, and would be easy to convince to act as a puppet for the Kaiser.


    the Reich would annex the German-speakingnds of the Duchy of Burgundy, such as the londs, while the rest of the realm would remain independent and be a valuable tool in the Balkanization of France.


    Through gunboat diplomacy, Berengar intended topel a sessor of his choice to rece the King of Ennd. Though he did not want to invade the British Isles himself, the threat of his naval guns obliterating London would be more than enough to force the English to bend to his will.


    Thus, after reflecting on all of this, Berengar sighed as he stood next to the King of Lombardy. Both men were prepared to march into Rome and end this conflict. After a few moments of silence, Berengar spoke the thoughts on his mind as he put away his monocr.


    "Bruno, my old friend, it is time for us to end this conflict with the Catholic Church once and for all."


    The King of Lombardy nodded his head in agreement with Berengar''s words. The Kingdom of Lombardy had been a tributary state to the Germans since Berengar first gained independence for Austria. As Germany rose to greater heights, so too did its client states.


    If the King of Lombardy was being honest, The Kaiser''s ns for a Pax Germania would see Europe as a whole advance far beyond the rest of the world, and he was looking forward to it. Thus, it was not surprising when he voiced his agreement with Berengar''s ns.


    "Agreed, for too long I have had to live in fear of the Catholic forces invading beyond my southern border, today we not only put an end to the conflict between your Empire and the Catholic Church, but we also unite Italy under a single banner. Forever destroying the hold the Papacy has over Europe!"


    Berengar smiled as he heard this before patting the man on the shoulder. After doing that, he gave his orders to all the soldiers beneath hismand.


    "Open fire on the enemy''s border defenses! I want these bastards buried alive in their stone keeps!"


    The march to Rome had begun. Thus, the German artillery quickly loaded their weapons and fired on the stone forts that the southern Italians had constructed. Explosions rocked the forts, and their foundations began to crumble. Still, the forts wererge and it would take more than a few shells to bring them down.


    The Italian defenders panicked as the German Artillery shook the structures they hid within. They did not even know how far away the German army and their allies were. It did not matter, because there was no hope for their survival. The best they could do was run out of their keeps and wave the white g, hoping their enemies would be merciful.


    Those stubborn individuals who would not kneel before the heretics of the north had stayed in their keeps, and after a few, barrages were buried by the walls when they came crumbling down. The overwhelming power of German artillery crushed the strong stone fortresses that the Kingdom of Naples had spent years building along their border in a matter of minutes.


    With the border defenses destroyed, the Artillery quickly ejected their spent shells and hitched their field guns to the horses who dragged them forward into the borders of the Kingdom of Naples. Rome was not far from the border, and soon the Union of Four Armies would be at the heart of the Catholic Church.

 Chapter 779 Reconnaissance in the IndianSubcontinent

    Chapter 779 Reconnaissance in the IndianSubcontinent


    The meal between Itami and Asha continued. However, there was a brief intermittence where Itami took a quick restroom break. After taking care of business, she took the opportunity to meet with one of her guards and gave him orders to investigate the ims that the Bengal Emperor had made about Berengar von Kufstein. Though she was frightened by the news she had heard, she would not wholly believe it until her own intelligencework could confirm the information she had received.


    While the Bengal Emperor had spoken ill of Berengar, and greatly exaggerated the man''s more sinister characteristics, most of what he spoke had some truth to it. Especially from the perspective of Germany''s neighbors. Of course, Itami did not know that by dispatching her men to gain information from the locals about their trade with the strange Empire to the West that she would catch the eye of Linde''s agents who were embedded in the region.


    In the marketce of the Port City. A German Merchant operating a stall was selling his wares to the locals. He immediately noticed the strange appearance of the Japanese soldiers who wore semi-modern style uniforms and carried what appeared to be bolt action rifles. These men were going about asking the locals about information regarding the German Empire. Which also caught his attention.


    Whoever these foreigners were, they were interested in the Reich for One reason or another. Because of this, the Merchant felt it was his duty to warn the fathend, and quickly typed away on the telegraph key which sat beneath his table.


    Within the stall was a hidden telegraph. All he needed to do was reach under the tablecloth and type on the key to send a message to a nearby Dominion ss merchant ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal, which was, in reality, a German Reconnaissance ship.


    From there, the far more powerful telegraph stationed on board the vessel would ry the message back to the fathend. It took only a few moments for words from agents in the field to reach the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence located in Kufstein.


    After the agent''s report of strange men from the far east, wielding modern weapons and disembarking from steam-powered vessels was ryed back to headquarters. It quickly ended up in the hands of the Deputy Director, who was currently smoking a cigarette in her office.


    When her aide rushed into the room and handed her the information, she stared at it nkly, dropping the cigarette from her fingers as she did so. This information was like a bombshell, and she did not instantly believe it. Once Hemma regained herposure, she stared sternly at the aide before questioning the legitimacy of this message.


    "Is this some sort of joke? Is one of our agents ying a prank on me? What the hell is this nonsense?"


    The aide could tell the woman was frustrated and quickly shook her head as she asserted that what had been ryed was reality.


    "It''s a priority message from Rudolf. He is one of our agents in the Bengal Empire, conducting reconnaissance as we speak. I went through all the procedures to confirm the information, and the other agents in the region corroborate Rudolf''s message. There is a powerful nation from the Far East who is trading with the Bengal Empire and looking for information regarding the Reich."


    Upon hearing this, Hemma picked up her cigarette from the table it had fallen upon and took a long drag. There was utter silence for a few moments before she finished the entire stick in one go. After putting the cigarette out in her ashtray, the deputy director stood up from her seat and said one sentence before walking out the door.


    "Clear my schedule for the day!"


    It would take an idiot to fail to realize where Hemma was going. There was only one person to report this information to, especially since Berengar was currently in the field. Because of that, the aide swallowed the words she was about to speak and quickly did as she was instructed.


    Hemma walked over to the Pce, where Linde was currently looking after her many children. The woman did not work as often in intelligence as she used to, and spent most of her time with her family. She was ying with her youngest son Josef, who was still an infant, when Hemma walked through the door unannounced. By the look on the young woman''s face, Linde could tell something serious had happened, and she quickly picked up her youngest son and spoke to him before cing him in the crib.


    "Sorry Josef, but mommy has work to do. I will be back in a bit to feed you. Just be a good boy and wait patiently for my return."


    The child was too young to speak, and merely smiled as it made an unintelligible sound. Which Linde then kissed him on the forehead beforeying him down in the crib. The moment she turned around and faced Hemma, her warm appearance faded, and was instead reced with an icy demeanor. Hemma wanted to speak up, but the redheaded beauty raised her finger to silence her before walking out the door.


    Linde did not want her youngest child influenced by matters of state when he was so young and quickly walked to Berengar''s office, where she sat down in his seat. She did not say a word until Hemma had closed the door behind them. When Linde finally spoke, she was in a foul mood.


    "This better be important!"


    Hemma could tell Linde was furious, and merely bowed her head before handing over the message she had received from her agents in the Bengal Empire.


    "I''m sorry for the intrusion, ma''am, but this is urgent."


    Linde looked over the message and was immediately stunned in silence. She knew better than anybody what this message meant. After all, she was familiar with Berengar''s background, and how he came up with all the designs he had implemented across the reich.


    For a steam-powered vessel to appear on the other side of the world, as well as soldiers armed with weapons simr to the Reich''s capabilities, meant only one thing. There was another reincarnator in this world. This would exin why they were looking for information on the Reich.


    The power behind the throne of this foreign nation must have heard rumors about Berengar and the power of his empire. It took the woman a few moments to react to this news, but in the end, she swiftly came up with a n of action to respond to this event.


    "This is troublesome... As of this moment, the Indian subcontinent has be an area of priority. I want you to immediately dispatch more agents to the region, and for our men and women already there to gather information about the strange power who built this ship, while conducting counter-intelligence operations towards this foreign power''s agents.


    Under no circumstances can these foreigners learn about the current capabilities of the Reich! While you''re at it, I want you to find out why they are in the Bengal Empire. If they seek to expand their influence into the region, it will be an enormous problem for us!"


    Hemma silently nodded her head. She had no further suggestions, so she knew it was better to remain silent. Linde could only sigh heavily in defeat. She had desired to use the Pax Germania that Berengar established after this war with the Catholic World, to force the man to take more time off so that he could spend it with his family.


    However, at this moment, Linde realized that the Reich was just about to enter a massive arms race with whoever the foreign power behind this steam-powered vessel was. For that, Berengar would need to spend as much time as possible advancing the capabilities of the Reich and its global Empire. After a few moments of pouting, she realized Hemma was still there, waiting to be dismissed, and thus she red at the woman before yelling at her.


    "What are you waiting for? Dismissed!"


    Hemma felt shivers down her spine before she scampered off back to the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence. Luckily, they had just entered a new era of trade with the Indian Subcontinent and because of that, it would not be suspicious at all if the flow of Germans into the region increased suddenly. Thus, Germany could embed many, many more agents into the area with no one batting an eye.


    As for Linde, she would wait until after this war with the Catholic world was over before informing Berengar of what she had just learned. She needed him to be fullymitted to annihting the Papacy and installing puppets on the thrones of the European Kingdoms. If he knew about this foreign reincarnator who threatened his power, he might be paranoid and do something reckless to end the war even quicker.


    All of this had urred while Itami was eating lunch with the Bengal Emperor, without her even being aware of it happening. Had she known her brief visit to the Bengal Empire would expose her identity and location to Berengar, she would never have made the journey.

 Chapter 780 Meeting With the Bengal EmperorPart lll

    Chapter 780 Meeting With the Bengal EmperorPart lll


    Itami sat across from the Bengal Emperor. The two monarchs were in the middle of a heated negotiation regarding the trade of arms. The Japanese Empress''s goal was to turn the Bengal Empire into her puppet. After all, if she could convince them to buy her weapons, then they would be entirely reliant on Japan for resupply of both arms and munitions.


    Asha was unaware of Itami''s intentions, and was more concerned with finding a way to make the woman his own. He listened to her tale, and in truth nned to buy her weapons from the moment her firstid eyes on her. After all, he had plenty of wealth lying around, and if it meant earning the eastern beauty''s favor, then he wouldn''t mind tossing her a few thousand pounds of gold and silver.


    Itami spoke with a confident smirk on her pretty face as she outlined her proposal to the man in great detail. She used her attractive appearance to ensnare the man''s attention as she voiced every word in an overly friendly tone.


    "I promise you, Asha, that with my weapons, your armies will be unstoppable in the field of battle. Your armies can march across the territory of your rivals with impunity, nobody in the Indian subcontinent will be able to halt your advance. It might take some time, but within a few years, you will be the first man to rule over a united India.


    I''m talking about firearms that are not only capable of multiple shots before reloading, but have a superior range over the primitive matchlocks you are currently using. Apanying these infantry weapons will be artillery that is not only quicker to reload than your muzzleloading cannons, but also has improved range and superior destructive ability.


    If you promise to buy enough of these cannons, I will even throw in a few machine guns at a reduced price. I warn you, these weapons are extremely expensive, but they will allow a small crew of men to have the same amount of firepower as a battalion. You will cut through your enemies'' ranks before they even have the ability to engage you! It doesn''t matter if it is man, or elephant, these guns will be enough to defeat all of your foes.


    Naturally, when Itami used the words machine guns, she was referring to hand cranked Gatling guns, like those of Germany had employed for several years now. She spoke a big game, Asha had to admit that, but he was internally skeptical of the woman''s ims. Or her reasoning for even bothering to trade such mighty weapons to him in the first ce. Thus, the Bengal Emperor smiled when he heard these words and quickly interrogated Itami about her intentions.


    "Tell me, Empress Itami, why are you willing to supply me with such weapons? We have no prior rtionship, and we do not have the ability to aid you in battle. After all, we are so far away from where your Empire lies. So what possible reason do you have to support us?"


    Itami obviously couldn''t admit the fact that she wanted to use the Bengals as Proxies against the Germans in order to buy herself some much needed time to catch up to them. Because of this, she simply smiled and took a sip from her wine before responding to the man''s question with a lie.


    "If I am being honest with you, I need the gold, and selling arms to a foreign power is the quickest way to achieve this. Your Empire is so far away from mine that even if I sold you these weapons, you wouldn''t pose a threat to my ambitions. Besides, having a united India that is friendly to the Empire of the Rising Sun would naturally benefit me in many ways."


    Asha nodded his head and took a sip from his drink. When he heard this, he felt as if he understood the woman''s personality a bit more. However, if he was going to invest money into this woman''s weapons, he would need to see how effective they were in person. Itami may be among the most beautiful women he had ever seen, but every rose has its thorns, and she could easily be swindling him. Thus, he agreed to her terms, but with a condition.


    "Very well, I ept your offer, under the condition that I can personally witness a disy of these weapons'' effectiveness. I wouldn''t want to pay such a staggering sum only to find out you have been exaggerating how great your wares are."


    Itami nodded her head in agreement before cing her chalice down on the table. She had finished her meal and was prepared to conclude her transaction. After all, the sooner she sold these weapons to the Bengal Empire and secured them as a proxy, the sooner she could return home and begin her ns to conquer Korea.


    "Very well, follow me to the docks, and I will show you just how effective these weapons are..."


    With that said, the two monarchs and their trantor walked down to the docks where the Japanese soldiers were standing watch. Itami quickly gave an order to her marines before sitting back and waiting for them to set up their weapons.


    "Quickly, prepare the goods so that they fire at the ocean. I want to show the buyer just how effective our weapons are!"


    While the Japanese soldiers opened up the crates and pulled out the guns so that they could do as instructed, a crowd gathered around them with a sense of curiosity for what was about to transpire. In this crowd was the German agent known as Rudolf, who watched with shock as he witnessed the weapons being revealed. He immediately noticed the Gatling gun as a design employed by the German Army and had the sudden urge to report such news to the fathend.


    However, in the next moment, the Marines opened fire with the lever action rifles, firing all of their shots straight into the sea. After doing so, they pulled out their revolvers and used them as well. Having fired the revolvers, they loaded the Gatling gun, whose effectiveness stunned everyone in the crowd, except for Rudolf.


    Once the Gatling gun was depleted, the marines moved onto the Armstrong gun, where they loaded an explosive shell into its breech, and fired it into the sea. The explosion erupted on the water''s surface, which immediately caught the interest of the Bengal Emperor. The truth was, Asha was stunned by the destructive nature of the weapons that Itami was willing to sell him. He could downsize his army to a few thousand men and still conquer his nearest neighbors.


    However, if he began conscription, he could employ these weapons among tens of thousands of soldiers, no hundreds of thousands, and easily conquer the entire Indian Subcontinent. A sh of ambition filled the man''s dark eyes as he witnessed the weapons being unloaded by the Japanese Marines. He could not help but ask the question on his mind.


    "You will supply my army with these weapons, and the munitions to use them?"


    Itami had a devilish smirk on her pretty face as she nodded her head in agreement.


    "As much as your army needs, so long as you are willing to pay the agreed price, these weapons can be yours."


    Upon hearing this, Asha''s lips curved into a wicked smile as he envisioned the prospect of a unified India under his control. He could see the prosperity that such an Empire would have and immediately nodded his head thrice before agreeing to Itami''s terms.


    "Very well, I agree with whatever price you demand of me. Simply ask and I will pay for it with gold! Once my army is fully equipped with these weapons, I will march them into thends of my Southern Neighbor and begin my conquest. After I have united the entire subcontinent, I will repay your support by making you a war goddess to be worshipped by my people until the end of time."


    Itami forced a smile on her face as she heard this. She had no ambitions to be worshipped as a genuine deity. The nickname her soldiers gave her was not one of genuine religion, but admiration for her aplishments. Still, she epted the man''s offer and continued to speak with the Bengal Emperor about the proper price for the arms that she would sell him.


    Meanwhile, Rudolf had returned to his stall. He had heard every word spoken by Itami and Asha and did not hesitate to dispatch another telegram to the fathend, informing them of the weapons sale between the Japanese the Bengal Empires, as well as the ns for Conquest that the Bengal Emperor had expressed.


    Ultimately, this news would force Berengar to act on his ambitions in India far sooner than he had initially nned. Dragging him into a war shortly after defeating the Catholic Church. Where the armies of Germany would invade the Anangpur Empire to unseat the Regent and ce Dharya on its throne. Berengar simply could not allow the Bengal Empire to unite the Indian Subcontinent.


    This was good news for Itami, who would use the distraction of India tounch her invasion into the Korean Penins, as well as her other targets. Securing her the natural resources she desperately needed to produce superior ships that would be capable of contending with the Reich on the seas.

 Chapter 781 Shall We Play A Game, You and l?

    Chapter 781 Shall We y A Game, You and l?


    Pope Julius sat on his throne with his head hanging low. By his side were the various Cardinals of the Catholic Church who knelt with equally depressed expressions. These men were the recements of the previous College of Cardinals who were sted to bits in a suicide attack that wasmanded by Berengar.


    The Papal crown glistened under the light of the sun as the Pope sighed heavily while gazing upon the ring on his finger. It was a golden ring from an ancient era, which depicted the rays of the sun. Truth be told, Julius did not know the exact origins of this primeval artificial, but it had been given to every Pope upon their ascension for thest thousand years.


    ording to what was written in the Papal archives about the ring, it was said to be imbued with the light of God to protect its wearer against any and all threats. He had worn it since the day he ascended to the throne, and it was thanks to this ring that he had survived Berengar''s attack on the college of cardinals.


    In truth, the ring was not an artifact of the Abrahamic god, but of the roman deity Sol. However, the Church did not realize this, and considered it a holy symbol of the Catholic religion. It was because of this that Julius kissed the ring before praying to his god for salvation.


    News had reached his ears that the German Army, and their allies, had surrounded the Holy See. Rome''s defenders had given up without a fight upon realizing the sheer might of the German Army, leaving the heart of the Papacypletely undefended. Any minute now, the Kaiser would walk into this room with his bodyguards, and force Julius to bend the knee.


    Thus, the only thing the Pope could do now was pray to his god to deliver him from this evil. Unfortunately, the echoes of Berengar''s steps resounded throughout the nearby corridor as he entered the Papal Throne Room, where Julius and the Cardinals lie still, too fearful to move. The one eyed Emperor entered the room with a cruel smirk on his face, nking him where German soldiers who were prepared to apprehend the leaders of the Catholic Church.


    Berengar was not dressed in a field uniform, instead he wore his Imperial Regalia, a golden chain which bore the cross of the Imperial Order of the House von Kufstein hung around his neck which symbolized the man as the Head of the von Kufstein Dynasty. Upon seeing Julius so frightened, Berengar cocked his brow and spoke to the man with a sinister tone in his voice.


    "Here we are atst. The Kaiser, and the Pope, two mortal enemies who have been dancing upon the chessboard for years trying to outdo one another. If you don''t mind me asking, I wonder how it is that you managed to survive my little gift? Please do entertain me. After all, we have so much time to spend together, and one way or another, I will pry the answer from your lips!"


    Julius fiddled with the ring on his finger as he heard this question, which immediately caught Berengar''s notice. The Kaiser merely scoffed as he walked forward. With each step, he made it resounded throughout the Papal throne room.


    "Come now Julius, you have nothing to say to me after all this time? Since the age of twenty, I have had to deal with two different popes, both of which were fanatically devoted to orchestrating my death. Now that the walls are copsing around you, you don''t dare speak to me with such vitriol, is that it? Do you think I will spare you? No, I''m afraid not.


    It is time for the Papacy toe to an end. Do not fret, I will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for Europe. I have you to thank for that. If you hadn''tpelled the entire Catholic World to attack me at the same time, I would not have been able to eliminate so many troublesome monarchs.


    I''m afraid to inform you that this war won''t end with your death, Julius. I will march my army into your subordinate kingdoms and ce my puppets on their thrones. It would have taken me decades of political maneuvering to aplish this without this little crusade of yours."


    Julius continued to fiddle with his ring, hoping it would prevent his fate, and Berengar continued to notice this odd behavior. He sighed heavily before pulling out his pistol, where he aimed it at the pope''s hand before pulling the trigger.


    The moment the bullet reached the man''s flesh, a bright golden light spread from the ring and enveloped him, which shattered the 9mm projectile the moment it impacted the force field. Berengar raised his brow when he saw this, before issuing amand to the soldiers by his side.


    "Restrain Him! I want that ring!"


    Julius panicked now that his trump card was exposed and tried to flee from the room. However, he was quickly surrounded by the German soldiers and was brought to the ground, where his arm was isted. Berengar personally walked over to the man and stepped on his hand before taking the golden ring off of his finger.


    Berengar carefully observed the ring for several moments where he noticed the Latin markings on it, and the sun''s rays were were boldly carved in its center. It took merely a moment for Berengar to realize the true origins of the artifact.


    The Kaiser scoffed before cing the ring on his finger. The moment he did so, a golden light shrouded his figure before vanishing from his sight. Despite the disappearance of the golden light, Berengar felt an overwhelming sense of security, as if there was a force field around him that nothing could prate through.


    Berengar immediately broke out intoughter. Everyone in the room stared at him, petrified with fear, including his soldiers, as he continued tough maniacally. After a few moments of calming himself, he revealed the truth about the ring to Julius.


    "It''s too fucking funny... It really is! What did you think this ring was imbued with the power of your god? No, this is a pagan artifact, likely crafted by one of the ancient Roman sun gods to protect the Emperors. To think that the only reason the Pope is still alive is because the powers of a Pagan deity protected him.


    It''s ironic, isn''t it? The sheer level of heresy, ording to your faith, is astounding! Well, it''s no use leaving such a powerful item in your possession. Consider this payment for all the headaches you have given me over the years!"


    For the first time since Berengar had entered the room, Julius finally spoke. His eyes were filled with rage, which echoed in his voice as he screamed at his mortal enemy.


    "You lie! That ring has been the property of the Church for at least a thousand years! You dare steal it! The wrath of God shall follow you into the ends of the earth for taking his property!"


    Berengar merely scoffed when he heard this, however in the next moment he got a brilliant idea on how to deal with the Pope. After all, there was no point arguing with a fanatic about the origins of the ring. Berengar''s lips once more curved into a malevolent smile as he approached the Pope, who was still pinned to the floor, and whispered in his ears.


    "Shall we y a game, you and I? I have just thought of a brilliant way to determine how powerful your god really is! If he is truly omnipotent and omniscient as your Church ims, then surely he can save the life of his personal representative on earth and override the power of a pagan deity''s artifact?


    How about this? I will build a great pyre around us all. You, me, and all your little cardinals. The soldiers in my army, and the citizens of Rome, can bear witness to our little wager. As a representative of Sol, I will wear this ring which holds his power. While you and your Cardinals plea for your god to spare you from the fire and override the power of Sol so that I may perish.


    Whoever emerges from the mes unscathed will be the victor to our whole conflict. What do you say? Are you ready to put your life on the line for your faith, like you have ordered thousands of women and children to do in Iberia?"


    Julius snarled at Berengar. The level of confidence on the Kaiser''s face was overwhelming. Especially now that he had the ring. There was little doubt in the Pope''s mind that should he agree to Berengar''s game, then he and his cardinals would be the ones to die in the mes. However, it was not like he had a choice, and he would rather put his faith in god, then that of a little ring. Thus, he gritted his teeth before agreeing to Berengar''s duel.


    "Very well... I will show you the true power of our Lord and Savior, a godless heathen like yourself shall burn in the fires of your own creation!"


    Berengar broke out intoughter once again as he heard such resolve in the Pope''s voice. Truly, he was a fanatic until the end. Thus, Berengar was proud to give the order which would prove to the world that God had forsaken the papacy.


    "You heard the man, go build a great pyre. How about on the balcony of this very building? I will show the world that God has abandoned these fools!"


    The German soldiers did not dare disobey the orders of their Kaiser, after binding the Pope and his Cardinals so that they could not escape, they were quick to get to work on the Pyre. Berengar was confident that the ring had sufficient power to protect him. Besides, it would be much more fun to eliminate the leaders of the Catholic Church this way, and that was what really mattered.

 Chapter 782 Trial By Fire

    Chapter 782 Trial By Fire


    It had been hours since the German Army had taken the city of Rome and surrounded the Holy See. Berengar had personally seen to the capture of the Pope and his cardinals. Currently, in the streets of Rome, citizens and soldiers alike gathered below the Papal Pce to witness a spectacr event.


    On the balcony, the soldiers of Germany had tied the Pope and all of his Cardinals to wooden posts which stood above a great pyre. These soldiers carried jerry cans which were filled with diesel in their hands and rapidly doused their victims with the highly mmable substance.


    While the soldiers were preparing the Pope and hisckeys for their deaths, the German Emperor stepped upon the balcony dressed only in a loincloth. His skin was glistening as if he had received an oil massage, but it was not olive oil that coated his skin, but the same mmable liquid which was now being poured onto the pope.


    The diesel stuck to the Kaiser''s muscles and created the appearance of a Golden God. Which Berengar was more than happy to y the role of. More than one woman in the crowd gazed at the man''s oiled, athletic figure and blushed. It was not the kind of sight you saw every day.


    Even though Berengar was thoroughly covered in diesel, he was unsatisfied with the results. He quickly snapped his fingers, which caused his soldiers to pour even more diesel onto his body, as if he had not been absolutely coated in the substance already. Only after he was fully drenched from head to toe in the mmable liquid did Berengar speak to the crowds that had gathered.


    "I am sure you all are wondering what I am doing up here on this balcony. To answer that question, one must go back ten years. It is no secret that I have been at odds with the Papacy. Since I first gained power as a feudal nobleman, it has been the objective of the Catholic Church to silence and eliminate me. Why? Because I dared to challenge their authority over you all.


    Throughout this past decade, I have brought the truth of God''s will to the people of Germany via my reformation. However, the Pope and his minions have stopped at nothing to get in my way. They have lied; they have cheated, and they have killed in order to maintain their power over Europe and all of its monarchs.


    These men, who proim themselves the leaders of Christendom, have lied to you about the word of God. They have sent you to die in meaningless wars that benefitted only them. They have ndered my name, and dered the German Reformation to be heretical. Today, I will prove to you all that the Reformation is truly God''s will!


    As you can see, I have doused myself with a highly mmable oil. This is the same substance that I have drenched the Pope and his cronies with. In fact, I have gone even further and had this oil massaged into every pore of my body.


    In a few moments, I will order my soldiers to light me ame. From me, the fire will spread to these criminals. Why would I do something so insane? Because I believe in all of my heart that God shall protect me. So I will pray to God to save me, and they shall do the same. Who survives this trial by fire is up to God himself to decide!"


    After saying this, Berengar took off his loincloth and nodded his head to the German soldiers to light him ame. The Kaiser knelt down onto the pyre and closed his eyes while he held his hands in prayer, seemingly calling upon God to save him as his soldiers took a burning torch and touched it against his oily skin.


    The fire instantly engulfed the Kaiser''s muscr figure. Despite this, the man did not scream. In fact, he did not even feel it, because he had a secret weapon hidden on his finger. The Ring of Sol which protected its wearer from any bodily harm. Naturally, the fire consumed the diesel which drenched his skin, but it did not cause a single burn to appear on the man''s flesh.


    As for the leaders of the Catholic Church, they screamed in agony as the fire spread to their bodies and burned them alive. The fire rapidly consumed the entire pyre into a burning inferno. The crowd could only look upon the trial with dread in their eyes as they shouted their fears aloud.


    Only the German soldiers remained calm as they gazed upon the scene of their Kaiser burning with grim eyes. For whatever reason, a single soldier who stood in the crowd broke the cries of the frightened Italians by shouting the lyrics to Christ ist erstanden.


    This was a song that all German soldiers knew the lyrics to, as they sung it every year on the anniversary of Christ''s resurrection. Thus, shortly after the man began singing, the other German Soldiers in the crowd joined him. Eventually thousands of voices were in unison chanting the lyrics to Christ ist erstanden while the Kaiser and the leaders of the Catholic Church burned on the balcony above.


    Eventually the fire finally faded, all the remained was a pile of ash, and a single man kneeling within it. His hands were folded in prayer, and he appeared to be chanting something, but nobody could hear the words he had spoken. After a few minutes, this man, whose flesh was entirely unblemished from the me, rose from the ashes and revealed his pale naked body to the public. Berengar gazed around at the results of his trial and smiled before announcing himself to be victorious.


    "It is clear that God has forsaken the Catholic Church, and chosen the reformation as the one true Christian Faith! I, Berengar von Kufstein, remain unhindered by the mes! By God''s light, I have been saved! Glory to the Reformation, God with us!"


    The German Soldiers broke out into cheers as they witnessed their Kaiser emerge from the mespletely unharmed. They shouted out the old battle cry they had used long ago during the early days of Berengar''s conquests.


    "God with us! God with us! God with us!"


    As for the Italian Citizens who witnessed the scene, they were truly shocked. The leaders of the Catholic Church were dead. There was no way to select a new Pope, and even if they somehow managed to do so, the Kaiser would quickly oust the man.


    The end of the Catholic Church hade in a fiery ze, and through its ashes the German Reformation had founded the basis for a new era of Christianity, where faith waspletely separate from secr affairs.


    As for how the Kaiser pulled off this stunt, nobody knew how he had survived. Most concluded God truly saved him, and as a result, Ludolf would canonize him into the annals of the German Reformation as a living Saint. Where he would be revered by Germans for centuries toe.


    German Scientists woulde up with all kinds of usible theories to exin how Berengar pulled off such a miraculous feat. It would take decades for the men to finally agree on a reasonable exnation for Berengar''s trial by fire, and in the end, they would exin it as an overlyplex sleight of hand. However, this rationalization would not deter the faithful from their religious beliefs.


    As for the Catholic Church, they were now leaderless. Though local bishoprics continued to exist throughout Europe, though their numbers would dwindle as the Papacy''s many crimes came to light. They would be forced to contend with the German Reformation and its many offshoots that would appear in theing years, and eventually the Catholic Faith would die a quiet death after centuries of decline.


    With the Pope and his Cardinals killed off in the mes, Berengar and his soldiers were free to ransack the Holy See. Among the artifacts that Berengar took for himself were the Papal Crown, the Ring of Sol, and the Papal Throne. He intended to use the Papal Throne as his seat of power within his summer Pce which he nned to construct in Berlin shortly after the war was over.


    Despite the Papacy being obliterated in this moment, the War would continue as Berengar had nned to thoroughly destroy the old order, and rece the rulers of Europe with a variety of puppets. Italy would be his first target, followed by Hungary, Pnd-Lithuania, and eventually Burgundy. In the end, all would kneel before Kaiser or die with the old world.


    While Berengar was waging war across Europe, Itami was finalizing her ns to invade the Korean Penins. Berengar would be shocked to find that although he had defeated his oldest enemy, a new rival had appeared on the World Stage just when he thought he had established his Pax Germania. One that was far more dangerous than the Catholic Church and its puppet monarchs.

 Chapter 783 The lnvasion of Korea Begins

    Chapter 783 The lnvasion of Korea Begins


    After dousing himself in diesel and lighting himself ame, Berengar emerged from the firespletely unharmed. Word of this event spread rapidly across Europe, with many reacting in shock and disbelief.


    Berengar had eliminated the leadership of the Papacy and was now marching his armies further south into the Kingdom of Naples, to eliminate its King and unify the region under the banner of the Kingdom of Lombardy.


    However, on the other side of the world, the Empire of Japan was preparing for a brutal conflict. Itami had gathered her army in Heian-ky�� where she stood atop the steps to her Pce looking over them. Tens of thousands of men dressed in military uniforms stood below with their rifles resting against their shoulders.


    The fact that the War Goddess had gathered so many men could only mean one thing. War was about to be dered. Because of this, each soldier stood silently as they waited for the speech, which would reveal to them the identity of the enemy they would be facing. p


    Itami was dressed in her own military uniform, with all of her imperial honors boldly disyed on her breast. She gazed upon the soldiers of her army with her sword in hand. She unsheathed the de and pointed it towards the sky in the direction of the Joseon Kingdom before making her bold deration.


    "Far to the West lies a great and mysterious power known as The German Empire. For the past ten years, a man by the name of Berengar von Kufstein has led his people to war, conquering his neighbors and uniting his people into a single Empire.


    This man now calls himself Kaiser, and rules over the German people as their emperor. Unlike our neighbors, this Empire is no mere feudal state, armed with swords and spears. In actuality, it is a highly militaristic autocracy whose advancements in the field of science and industry are beyond even the scale of our mighty Empire.


    I won''t lie to you. I do not know this man''s intentions, or if he will prove hostile to the people of Japan. However, I can say with certainty that should the German Empire dere war on us, we will not survive the tides of war.


    It is because I have be aware of this threat in the West that I have decided to expand our Military Capabilities. From this day forward, the Empire of Japan shall dedicate its most brilliant minds to the fields of chemistry and engineering. We shall create an Army that can stand toe to toe with the Germans, and should they bare their fangs against us, we shall be ready to defeat them.


    However, it is not only brilliant minds that our Empire needs, but natural resources. Something that our Ind is severelycking. Since we do not have the means to produce steel in our ownnds, at least in the vast quantities required to expand our military. Then we will simply have to take it from our neighbors by force.


    The Joseon have stood in defiance of our prowess for centuries. They deny us the trading rights to their vast iron deposits that we require. Partially in fear of what we have be. Under my reign, we have advanced in power and technology beyond our neighbors, and it is time we subject them to our rule.


    I hereby dere war on the Joseon Dynasty, and intend to invade, conquer, and annex theirnds. We shall make use of their iron deposits to fuel our war machine so that thend of the Rising Sun may forever remain independent of foreign influence! Now go forth, my armies, and bring glory to your homnd. Tenn��heika Banzai!"


    The Japanese soldiers were rmed to hear that such a powerful state existed in the west, and were instantly driven with zeal towards their new objective. A war for natural resources needed no justification, especially if it was in preparation against a great threat that lie on the horizon.


    The rise and fall of nations was a natural consequence of history. Humans would always fight for control overnd and resources. However, only the strongest civilizations would survive. Rather than kneel before this Kaiser in the west, the Japanese soldiers decided to fight for a better future, one where they could defend their Empire''s borders from all enemies. Thus it was no surprise that they instantly chanted Itami''sst words.


    "Tenn��heika Banzai!"


    After saying this, Itami led her troops to the shores, where her ships would ferry them across the North China Sea and into the Korean Penins. Afternding in Busan, she intended to send forth her various brigades in different directions to capture as many strategic resources as possible.


    As for the woman herself, she intended to lead the men on this campaign. Time was running out, and Itami''s ns to supply the Bengals to keep Berengar''s forces distracted could onlyst for so long. After all, she was certain the Germans would defeat her proxies. She just did not know how long it would take them to do so.


    Itami was also wary of how far Berengar''s Empire stretched. Now that the Suez Canal was open in this world, and controlled by the German Empire, his ships could reach the seas of Asia much quicker than it would take them should they sail around Africa.


    The young Empress was unaware that Berengar was currently involved in a war with his neighbors, and that it would be a matter of months before he could get involved in India. Because of this, she had embarked on this campaign with far fewer forces than she had initially desired to take with her.


    Roughly forty-five thousand Japanese soldiers were sailing to Busan to take part in this invasion. Though it was significantly less than Itami had initially desired to deploy, it was enough to conquer critical regions. Even if it wasn''t enough to upy the entire country.


    Itami could only funnel more forces into the region as time passed, and her army grew in number. She simply did not have the massive Army that Berengar had at his disposal. Not yet anyway. Give her five years and she would have hundreds of thousands of troops beneath hermand. Ten years and she would have a million.


    Thus, the Invasion of Joseon had begun earlier than Itami had expected, entirely because she became aware of Berengar''s existence, and was deeply afraid of the rumors she had heard about him. Until her agents could confirm the Bengal Emperor''s words to be true, she had to operate under the assumption that the Kaiser was as wicked as he was portrayed.

 Chapter 784 A Wifes worry

    Chapter 784 A Wife''s worry


    While the Reich was at war, almost all of its neighbors, the Royal Family was at ease, knowing that it was virtually impossible for the enemy to prate their borders. Because of this, Henrietta was rxing in the Harem room naked while Ad applied oil to her body. The two cousins were enjoying each other''spany while their husband was away at war.


    At the moment, Henrietta was pregnant, but not noticeably so. It was still too early for her belly to be bulging. However, the fact remained that she was carrying Berengar''s child, and because of this Ad spent her free time looking after the girl, making sure she had a healthy pregnancy.


    Ever since Ad had undergone Linde''s special training, she and Henrietta had grown exceptionally close, they bathed together, ate together, slept in the same bed every night, even if Berengar wasn''t there to be with them, and they helped raise each other''s kids.


    Finally, the two of them had a moment alone, and were being intimate with one another, oiling each other''s bodies before spending some intimate time together. Ad took a fat drag from the hookah, which was filled with hashish and shisha tobo alike, before exhaling it all over Henrietta''s milky back.


    Henrietta shivered slightly with a smile on her face as she felt the smoke attach itself to her body. Ad applied oil to her chest before pressing her bare breasts against the girl''s back, massaging her in a manner that her husband always enjoyed.


    It was at this moment that Linde burst through the door with a panicked expression on her face. Word had juste over the wire at the stunt Berengar had yed with the Pope, and she was distraught.


    Even though she could confirm he was unharmed, the idea of the idiot lighting himself on fire troubled the young woman''s mind. She was about to report this news to Ad and Henrietta when she saw the scandalous state they were in.


    Normally, the redheaded beauty would take control of the situation and force the two girls to pleasure her, but she simply wasn''t in the mood. She could only scold the girls for being so rxed during a time of crisis.


    "Have you two any shame? Our husband just did something monumentally stupid, and you''re here fucking like rabbits?"


    Henrietta frowned when she saw that Linde was interrupting her intimate moment with Ad and spoke back to the woman.


    "Big brother is fine. There''s nobody on this who can kill him. I''m sure you''re just over-reacting. How about you join us Linde, I wouldn''t mind burying my head in those lovely tits of yours? Lord knows big brother is madly in love with them. I just want to find out why?"


    Linde was not in the mood to deal with Henrietta''s flirting and instantly began to speak up about what Berengar had done.


    "I have no time for your nonsense, Henrietta. My husband just lit himself on fire!"


    Henrietta and Ad immediately stopped the sensual massage and gazed at Linde with shock, speaking at the same time as if their minds were connected.


    "He did what?"


    Although they were deeply concerned for Berengar''s safety, they were more shocked by what he had done. After all, it was such a peculiar thing. Ad was the first to speak up further about the incident.


    "Oh my God, is he okay? Why would he do that? Tell us everything!"


    Linde immediately sat down beside the two women and began to exin everything she knew about the situation.


    "I don''t know much. They say he is fine. But apparently to demonstrate a point about God forsaking the Catholic Church, he built a great pyre and doused himself and the Catholic leaders with diesel. He then lit himself ame and spread the fire to the rest of them. The Pope and all of his Cardinals were burnt to ash, but he remained entirely unharmed. Do you think he had the backing of a god and that was why he dared to do something so stupid?"


    There was obvious worry on Linde''s face even if she knew the man was alright. Henrietta found this cute, and sat upright next to the woman and hugged her forfort. She made sure every word she said would console Linde.


    "You know how big brother is. He may be fearless, but he wouldn''t do something like this without an absolute certainty that he would walk away unscathed. If the report says he''s unharmed, then he is fine, and there is nothing to worry about.


    I trust himpletely. Even if he did do something stupid like light himself on fire, there must be a reason for it. I know you trust him as well, so don''t be worried about his safety. There is nothing in this world that can kill my brother. Lord only knows how many have tried."


    Linde rested her head on Henrietta''s bare shoulder while she sighed heavily. She could never stand it while Berengar was away, however her heart especially bled every time she heard a word that he might have been injured. She did not know how the other girls could remain so calm about this situation. I mean, the man lit himself on fire.


    While the woman sulked, Henrietta took a drag on the hookah and exhaled heavily into the air. The atmosphere had turned from amorous to depressing and because of that; she eyed up Linde''s perfect body before asking the question on her mind.


    "So, are you going to join us or not?"


    Linde thought about it for a few moments before shaking her head. She was too depressed to have fun with the two girls and decided she would just go have a drink instead.


    "You two enjoy yourselves. I need a drink..."


    After saying this, she got up and left, where Henrietta proceeded to lie back down on the mattress and presented her ass in the air with a sultry smirk on her face.


    "Now where were we?"


    Ad gazed off to where Linde had run off to and sighed. She could always admire just how much Linde cared about Berengar, but it was really nothing to be worried about. Instead, she shook her head, thinking that Linde was really depressed if she wasn''t willing to have fun with them. Still, there was not much she could do about that, and decided to apply more oil to her breast before entertaining herself with her cousin.


    "Right about here!"


    Linde would have a drink or two before getting over the news of Berengar''s foolish escapades. She just needed time to sulk and get over the shock that she felt upon receiving the news that the man had lit himself on fire. She would be back to normal in a matter of hours.

 Chapter 785 A Desperate Last Stand

    Chapter 785 A Desperate Last Stand


    The Duke of Burgundy stood alongside the King of Naples. The two men had gathered what remained of their armies and met the forces of the Reich in the field. It was a bold move, but a suicidal one. Frankly, after everything they had witnessed in this war, they had lost all hope of victory. However, rather than surrender to Germany and its Kaiser, they decided to make onest stand outside the city of Naples.


    King Balsamo Corsini ground his teeth as he gazed into the distance and witnessed the German Army and their allies marching into the region. He knew he was going to die on this day, but he would be damned if he did so without a fight. Berengar von Kufstein had taken everything from him in the Austrian War for independence. Ever since he witnessed the sacking of Florence, he had lost all strength as a leader and a man.


    He would never forget the days he had suffered hiding in his cer while the Austrian Army pounded his capital with artillery. Luckily, the garrison of Rome was smart enough to surrender immediately, or else the ancient capital of the Roman Empire would have been ground into dust. Still, there were reports of Germans raiding the city, and taking everything of value for themselves, much like that had done during their descent to Florence.


    The Duke of Burgundy noticed the anxiety of the Italian King and sighed heavily. His hand was on his sword, and he, too, knew that only death awaited him and his men. However, he desired nothing more than to taste the blood of the Kaiser, and he swore on his lineage that he would have Berengar''s head in this life or the next. Ultimately, he spoke of his intent to Balsamo beforemanding his men to charge at the approaching germans.


    "Today I will either have my vengeance, or enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Either way, this ends now!"


    Balsamo merely scoffed before responding to the Duke of Burgundy''s ims.


    "Homosexuals don''t go to heaven! I am afraid you are fated for a different afterlife...."


    The Duke of Burgundy merely ignored thisment and unsheathed his sword before uttering themand to the Burgundian Knights and their Southern Italian allies.


    "Charge!"


    Upon hearing this order, the thousands of Catholic warriors rushed towards the German Army, who were lying in wait for the enemy with their weapons loaded and artillery primed for battle. It did not take long for them to cross into the range of the German weapons, and when they did, all hell broke loose.


    The artillery crews fired the first barrage on the enemy army, which sted thousands of men into bits. Severed limbs scattered the floor, and the impact of the high explosive shells blew apart torsos. The guns quickly ejected their spent cartridges where another was loaded. Within a few seconds, the artillery echoed in the air once again, iming the lives of thousands more men.


    It did not take long for the Burgundian and Southern Italian armies to break ranks and route. After all, these were not brainwashed crusaders who sought for an opportunity to die in the name of God. These were peasants, rounded up from around their countries, given a musket and told to march towards the enemy or they would be shot in the back.


    The moment their fear of the Germans overwhelmed their fear of theirmanders, they scattered like flies. The Duke of Burgundy was livid when he saw all the men run away from the field of battle. He was on horseback, continuing his charge towards the enemy when he called out to the men beneath hismand.


    "Traitors, the lot of you. I hope you burn in the seventhyer of hell for all eternity!"


    Eventually, there were only a handful of men that continued to charge towards the Germans. The colors on their tabards disyed that they were from the House of Burgundy and the House of Corsini. Berengar noticed this and immediately gave the order to cease fire.


    "Cease Fire! I want these men taken alive! Fix Bays!"


    The Artillery, immediately halted their fire, while the infantry did as they were instructed. Before long, the riflemen and their bays formed a spear wall. Their goal was to surround the Burgundian and Southern Italian Knights, and pierce through their horse''s barding so that they could capture the riders.


    Berengar was quite astonished by his enemies'' willingness to walk into their deaths, but if this is what they desired, far be it from him to deny them. The Catholic Knights rushed towards the German lines, which instantly parted ways for the horses, slowing down their momentum before trapping them on a wall of bays.


    The Duke of Burgundy swung his sword at the men below him, but they were too agile for him to cause any harm, eventually a bay found its way through the gaps in his horse''s armor, and imed the beast''s life sending him tumbling to the ground. The Germans soldiers instantly restrained the man, and all the others who foolishly followed him towards his fate.


    After a while, all the Knights were secure, as were the two monarchs who were brought before Berengar, who gazed upon them with a cruel smile on his handsome face.


    "Balsamo Corsini, it is has been some time since west met. I was honestly surprised when I heard reports that your Army was willing to meet me in the field. After all, thest time we met, you had survived several months of bombardment. Have you finally found your balls, or have you simply given up on life and decided to have a courageous death?"


    Balsamo merely spat on the ground and ignored Berengar''s question, which caused the Kaiser to kick him in the groin. The man instantly coughed up his stomach''s contents and kneeled on the ground in pain from the powerful strike. Meanwhile, Berengar shifted his gaze to the Duke of Burgundy. He wore an equally sinister smirk as he red into the man''s hate-filled eyes.


    "Duke Marcel de Burgundy, I must say it has been a long timeing, hasn''t it? Our meeting I mean. I have got to ask, from one man to another, how was it? You know your time with that French twink?"


    Marcel knew better than to spit on the ground in front of Berengar. After all, he had just witnessed the price to pay for such disrespect. Instead, he merely gazed at the Kaiser with a curious nce before asking the question on his mind.


    "Why do you care?"


    Berengar sighed when he heard this before pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He lit the device ame before taking a long drag from it. After spewing the smoke into the air, he shrugged his shoulders before answering the man''s question.


    "I''m just curious, is all. The boy tried to seduce me, and perhaps in another life where I am more open-minded, and he was less of a slut, maybe I would have taken him as one of my lovers. If you don''t want to answer the question, you don''t have to, but I figured you''d like to confess your sins before I blow your brains out."


    Marcel did not answer the question, instead he looked at the cigarette in Berengar''s hand. He knew exactly what it was, as Germany had sold tobo in many forms across Europe. The mysterious crop that appeared out of nowhere was an enormous market.


    When Berengar saw Marcel staring at his cigarette, he pulled one out of his pack and put it in the man''s mouth before lighting it for him. After taking a heavy drag, the Duke of Burgundy sighed heavily before expressing hisst thoughts.


    "Go fuck yourself!"


    Berengar merely smiled when he heard this before pulling out his pistol and plugging a round in the man''s skull. Duke Marcel de Burgundy died as a prisoner after refusing to answer the Kaiser''s question about his gay lover. That would be an anecdote that historians would remember for years toe.


    After executing the Duke of Burgundy, Berengar walked over to the King of Naples and pointed his pistol toward''s the man''s forehead. He gazed at the man with a conceited expression on his face before asking the man for hisst words.


    "Anyst words?"


    Balsamo Corsini took a deep breath to calm his heart before staring Berengar in the eye and muttering the thought that came to mind.


    "Fuck you!"


    Berengar merely scoffed when he heard this and lectured the man briefly before sting his brains all over the ground.


    "Real original..."


    With that said, the Duke of Burgundy and the King of Naples were dead. Their armies were scattered to the winds. Italy had been unified under the banner of the King of Lombardy, and Berengar would spend the next few weeks gathering his forces to march on Hungary.


    As for the Duchy of Burgundy, the Duke''s young nephew woulde to the throne for the remaining duration of the War. Afterward, Berengar would choose a proper puppet to rule over the region.

 Chapter 786 What Could Have Been Part ll

    Chapter 786 What Could Have Been Part ll


    Berengar stared at the beautiful woman in front of him with astonished eyes. He knew he must be dreaming, because this was a scene he did not remember from his past life. At the moment, he was Julian Weber and was dressed in his ACUs. He had just returned home from an operation in Afghanistan. It was his second deployment, and the war was still far from over.


    Standing in the doorway to greet him was none other than Mizuno Ai, who had recently graduated herself. However, there was something noticeable about the Japanese Beauty, her belly was extended as if she were several months pregnant. She quickly hugged Julian and kissed him on the lips before rubbing her belly with a pretty smile on her face.


    "Daddy''s home!"


    Julian gazed in astonishment at the woman. She was truly radiant, but he did not know how to exin the bitterness in his heart. This was clearly another lucid dream that felt as if it were reality. Ai saw the tears growing in her man''s eyes and quickly dragged his head into her bosom to console him.


    "What''s wrong? Heye inside and tell me all about it, I prepared your favorite, tonkatsu and takoyaki!"


    Julian sniffled as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He did not know why he was having these realistic dreams, but he was instantly suspicious. Perhaps it was an effect caused by him drinking from Urearbrunnr, or perhaps it was simply the gods ying a cruel trick on him. Whatever was the reason, he decided to enjoy the moment. Because of this, he wore a warm smile as he shook his head and expressed that his tears were a misunderstanding.


    "I''m sorry Ai. I just missed you so much. You have no idea what life is like without you. Let me put down my luggage and I''ll be right in to join you!"


    The woman quickly grabbed hold of Julian''s luggage and tried to take it herself.


    "Allow me, you just rest!"


    However, Julian wasn''t having it. The woman was visibly pregnant, and thus he would not allow her to physically strain herself.


    "It''s fine, I''ve got it. You just go grab me a beer, okay?"


    Ai wore a pretty smile and pecked Julian on the lips before nodding her head in agreement.


    "Okay, don''t wander for too long!"


    After saying this, she ran off to the Kitchen of their house where she prepared the table for Julian''s eventual arrival. Meanwhile, the man had slowly walked around the halls and witnessed the pictures on disy. This dream must be taking ce after thest one, because there were photos of their wedding, and other important dates they had gone on.


    Apparently, after confirming how each other felt during his graduation, they had pretty quickly gotten married. It had been over a year since then, and they were a happily married couple. The sight of these pictures only furthered the agony in Julian''s heart as he gazed upon them, thinking about what life could have been for him.


    After taking a look at the hallway pictures, Julian climbed the stairs to the bedroom, where he ced down the luggage. There were more photos of the two of them, as well as their friends and family, hanging on the walls and sitting on the desk. He took a deep sigh before deciding to descend the staircase and reunite with his wife.


    After arriving in the kitchen, Ai handed him his favorite beer with a pleasant smile on her face before taking a seat at the table. She seemed to be in a very good mood as she said a brief prayer before taking a bite from one of the many octopus dumplings she had made. After enjoying the treat, she quickly asked Julian about his deployment.


    "So, how were things over there? I hear the war is not as bad as it once was..."


    Julian shook his head when he heard this before answering the woman''s question to the best of his ability.


    "We''ve taken a back seat in the war. The Afghan National Army is doing most of the fighting, but they''re an absolute joke. If we truly want this puppet state to seed, then we will be in the region for another hundred years at least.


    I''m telling you, half of these guys show up to training, get their gear, and then defect to the Taliban during their first deployment. You would be surprised what those fuckers are equipped with now, thanks to those fucking traitors. I honestly don''t even know why we are still in this fucking war. Afghanistan can''t stand on its own. It''s better to cut our losses before more of our boys get killed."


    Thosest few words stuck in Julian''s throat as he had a sudden shback of himself getting fragged by a mortar in Afghanistan. Ai could tell something was wrong by the sweat on his brow and quickly inquired about it.


    "Are you sure you''re alright? You can tell me anything you know that, right?"


    However, Julian quickly shook his head and used his chopsticks to eat his ramen. It''s not like he could tell the woman that this was all a dream. If he did, it would just end up like hisst one, and he wanted to enjoy this moment a little while longer.


    "I''m fine. It was just an unpleasant thought. You don''t need to worry about me so much..."


    Ai nodded her head, before following up with more concern.


    "Okay, I understand if you don''t want to talk about what goes on over there, but just know I''m here for you if you need to get something off your chest."


    Julian chuckled when he heard this beforementing to the woman sitting across from him.


    "Who are you, and what have you done with the girl who used to pester me in the library every day?"


    Ai immediately blushed when she recalled all the fights she had picked with Julian just to get his attention. The sight of the woman, who was so embarrassed, immediately caused Julian tough and tease her more.


    "You are so cute when you get embarrassed like that. What the hell did I do to deserve such a wonderful wife?"


    After taking a few seconds to calm down, Ai answered Julian''s question with a smug grin on her pretty face.


    "You were the only man I had ever met who was smarter than me! Naturally, it drew my attention..."


    In response to this, Julian could only chuckle once more before teasing the girl again.


    "Oh, so you admit that I''m smarter than you? That''s a first!"


    Ai became flustered once more while she lowered her head and muttered in the cutest voice that Julian had ever heard her make.


    "Stop teasing me..."


    After seeing such an expression on the girl''s face, Julian could no longer make fun of the woman, and thus he took a sip from his beer beforementing on her appearance.


    "You look lovely, Ai, so have you found out whether it is going to be a boy or a girl yet?"


    The woman rapidly shifted her mood from embarrassed to excited as she nodded her head thrice before answering the man''s question.


    .


    "It''s going to be a boy!"


    Julian did not know why hearing such a thing made him so happy, but a wide grin formed on his face as he responded to the woman''s assertion.


    "To think I will have a son, Half German, and Half Japanese, huh? I don''t think this world is prepared for such a little warrior!"


    Ai giggled when she heard this before lecturing the man on his ideas.


    "Like hell I''ll ever let my son join the military. I get worried enough when you are away at war. I don''t think I can go through another eight years of that after my baby boy finally grows up. No, he will be a civilian, maybe a CEO like his grandfather?"


    Julian went silent when he heard thest words escape from the woman''s mouth. ording to the memories he had in this dream, Ai''s parents did not approve of him. Primarily because he came from a poor background. Though they were impressed with his ability to climb from nothing, he was still in the military and thus not making as much money as they wanted their son-inw to have.


    He did not let it bother him. This was all just a dream, after all. Still, it would have been nice if he could have gotten along with his inws. Oh well, such things were life, and he would have begun to consider the possibility he had died in his sleep if this world was so perfect. However, Julian could tell his time in this dream wasing to an end, and smiled bitterly as he said goodbye to Ai for a second time since he had reincarnated into his current life.


    "I had a really fun time. Ai, I want to thank you. The time I have spent with you here and now has really helped me gain some closure. I don''t know if we will be able to meet again, but I just want to thank you for everything you did for me. It is just a shame it took me two lives to realize what could have been."


    After saying this, Julian kissed the woman on the forehead and walked out the door. Ai only stared at him in shock as he walked away from her. The moment Julian exited the house, he awoke in his tent in Southern Italy.


    It took him all of three seconds to realize he was back in the real world, and he could only sigh when he thought about the dream. Well, there was no way he was going to get any more sleep on this night, and because of that, Berengar got up from his sleeping bag and began his day''s work.

 Chapter 787 Landing in Busan

    Chapter 787 Landing in Busan


    Itami stood on the bow of herrgest warship and gazed into the distance through a spyss. After a long and arduous journey, her fleet had made it to the shores of Busanpletely intact. Though the seas were harsh, the steam powered warships were more than capable of traversing them safely.


    While Berengar was marching his troops from Southern Italy to Hungary, Itami had embarked towards the Joseon Kingdom with the intent to conquer and annex the region. There was only one reason that she had chosen the Korean Penins as her target, and that was because of the rich iron deposits that existed within the northern half of thend.


    Before embarking on her campaign of conquest, Itami had sent word to the Joseon King informing him that she was dering war on his Kingdom. After all, there were certain rules one must abide by when dering war, even if her neighbors did not follow them. Thest thing Itami wanted was a repeat of Pearl Harbor, which would stain her Nation''s history.


    The Ming Emperor had granted her permission to invade and annex the Joseon Kingdom, and that meant that the Chinese were simply staying out of the conflict. Which was good, because from a modern political perspective, one might call the Joseon a protectorate of the Ming.


    However, despite this status, the Ming Emperor saw fit that trading with the Japanese Empire, which Itami had built, was more valuable than their petty protectorate in the northeast. There were also rumors of Japan''s military bing a major threat, and he would rather not test the might of the Imperial Japanese Army. A wise emperor knew when to concede, and the current Ming Emperor was indeed a wise man.


    Itami gazed through her spyss and looked upon the coastal defences that were established by the enemy. She did not know how they knew she wouldnd in Busan, but The Joseon army had made ample preparation for her arrival. The defenders that lined the coast were armed with bronze cannons andposite bows. The distinctiveck of handheld firearms was immediately noticeable. After all, this was the era of hand cannons, and such weapons were quite rare and ineffective.


    Asia had not yet caught up to the West in terms of quantity and quality of firearms. Berengar''s introduction of the musket had propelled Europe into a ten year long arms race whose sole purpose was tobat his army. Something the eastern kingdoms knew nothing about. In fact, from the perspective of many outside observers who lived on the Asian continent, this would be the first major conflict fought with arge number of firearms.


    One thing immediately became clear as Itami gazed upon the coastal defences, they were set up so that the Joseon bowmen could rain arrows upon Itami''s army the moment theynded on the shore. Itami was a paranoid woman and immediately expected this to be the result of leaked intelligence about her weapon''s capabilities.


    The so called Itami Rifles that the Japanese Empress had issued to her troops had a maximum range of roughly one thousand eight hundred meters, however, they had an effective range substantially less than that. Meanwhile, the Joseon''sposite bows had an effective range of one hundred and forty-five meters. It was clear from theyout that they had specifically designed their defences to negate the advantage of the Japanese Rifles.


    This made Itami''s blood boil as she ced her spyss aside and sighed heavily. There was a traitor in her midst. She just did not know if her invasion n was leaked from the side of the Ming, or her own Empire. Either way, she would need to find out who was responsible for this act of treason. However, at the moment, she had more pressing concerns.


    Itami had underestimated her enemies. She did not anticipate them to see through her ns and prepare an appropriate defense. The enemy army was vast, tens of thousands of men, armed with as many bows and cannons as they could muster. Their intent was simple: hold off the Japanese invasion here in Busan, or be defeated in a single battle.


    Itami had forsaken the use of body armor in her units. After all, she had specifically designed her army with a more deadly enemy in mind. Germany and its modern army posed a significant threat to the Japanese soldiers. One that body armor could not prevent. Unless she could manufacture synthetic materials to equip her soldiers with modernposite tes, then it was simply a waste of natural resources to issue body armor to her army.


    When she nned for this invasion, she expected tond unopposed, and use the superior range of her soldiers'' rifles to gun the enemy down in the fields further ind. She never expected them to build arge coastal defense that was capable ofunching thousands of arrows at her men before they could reach stable ground.


    After Gazing upon the enemy formation, she knew that she would lose thousands of men should shend her soldiers in Busan, and thus she was given two options, turn the ships around and invade from another province, where she would have to redesign her campaign strategy from scratch while at war. Or push through Busan and annihte the enemy army in one go while suffering thousands of casualties in the process.


    Victory was certain either way, but it fundamentally came down to how many men she was willing to sacrifice to achieve it. Another major factor was the speed at which she needed to wage her war. Should she turn her armies around, the conquest of Korea would take much longer than she originally anticipated.


    Japan was currently racing against time with the threat of the German Empire on the Horizon, and she could not spend what little time she had bogged down by an alternate strategy. General Shiba Kiyohiko could see that his Empress was hesitating with her decision and quickly asked for rification on what his orders should be.


    "Itami-sama, the enemy are loading their cannons. They will be firing upon our ships at any moment. What are your orders?"


    Upon hearing this, Itami snapped back to reality and sighed heavily,menting the loss of life that was about to take ce. She had properly prepared her campaign, and to essentially improvise her entire invasion of Korea was simply not the woman''s style. She would proceed with the n, and eliminate the Joseon Army in one fell swoop, before marching the survivors of her army into the Korean penins to upy its cities and strategic resources.


    "Order our ships to bombard the enemy fortifications. I want their cannons taken out. Any left over shells are to be directed onto the defenders to act as cover for our armies who shallnd on the beaches. We are taking Busan, no matter what the casualties may be!"


    Shiba nodded his head in agreement before responding to the woman''s orders.


    "Understood!"


    After saying this, he ryed themands to the rest of the fleet, who, via the use of gs, conveyed the order to bombard the shoreline. The Japanese sailors loaded their shells into the rear breeches of their Armstrong guns and aimed the weapons in the direction of the enemy''s defenses. With a thunderous roar, they opened fire onto the coast.


    Dozens of Japanese naval guns bombarded the shoreline, targeting the enemy artillery as they did so. Though these Turtle ships were well defended against arrow attacks, they were still vulnerable to cannon fire, after all, their hulls were still made of wood. The Joseon cannons opened fire onto Itami''s fleet, but the speed at which they fired was simply too slow topete with Itami''s naval guns.


    One by one, explosions sted the bronze cannons into pieces and turned their crews into mincemeat. When the Joseon General witnessed this, he nearly shat himself. He had never seen such destructive power before. Not only was the enemyunching explosive strikes on his defenses, but they were doing so at a rate that boggled his mind.


    The Naval bombardment continued to unfold as Itami''s ships pounded away at the coastal forts which housed the Joseon Defenders. While this ughter was taking ce, the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army got on board their boats and rowed their way to the shore. Itami had not designed specializednding craft just yet, and because of this, the Japanese soldiers found themselves under the threat of arrow fire, the closer they got to the shore.


    Still, the explosive barrage of naval guns kept the Joseon army''s head down, and few would dare to fire their bows upon the lifeboats that were edging ever closer to the shores. In fact, many of them were now scattered from their defenses, too afraid of the power of the Japanese vessels whichunched surgical strikes on their artillery. Thus, the Joseon soldiers quickly abandoned their forts and rushed to the beaches where they intended to fight the Imperial Japanese Army in meleebat.


    Upon seeing the enemy scurry towards the beaches, she was worried about the safety of her men. Their bays would have to sh with iron armor, while they themselves were unprotected by the des of the enemy. She made sure to make a quick prayer to the gods of her homnd that her men may safely make it to the afterlife as she sat back and watched the battle unfurl. The battle for Busan had only just begun. Whoever emerged victorious would certainly win this war.

 Chapter 788 A New Era of Trade

    Chapter 788 A New Era of Trade


    Sultan Sn Mirza sat atop the back of a camel as he gazed across the Kaiser''s Pass with astonishment in his eyes. It had been some time since the Byzantine Empire abandoned him to fight the Catholic Church alone.


    However, just when his armies were surrounded by the Crusaders in Alexandria, the enemy suddenly broke ranks and fled for their lives. He hadtere to find out that the Pope and all of his Cardinals were burned at the stake by the mad bastard in charge of the German Empire.


    The armies of the Crusaders were being decimated across Europe by the overwhelming power of German steel, and those who had been tasked with seizing Egypt for the Kingdom of Jerusalem had fled deep into Africa, hoping to escape the wrath of the German Army. After all, the Germans'' influence spread across all the Mediterranean and the near east. There was nowhere in the civilized world for them to flee to where the Germans wouldn''t find them and ughter them.


    Sn had marched his army up to the Kaiser''s pass to see if these rumors were true, and he was shocked at what he witnessed. Foreign ships from Across Asia were sailing through the massive canal. The German Army and Navy ensured protection of the region, and despite there being a major conflict taking ce on the European Continent, thousands of ships sailed through the Canal with intent to dock in Trieste and trade with the mighty German Empire.


    It was not only the Indians who were trading with Germany, there was even a Ming Treasure fleet making its way through the Canal in an attempt to gain an audience with this major power in the west they had only recently heard rumors of. As Sn and his army approached the garrison, they were stopped by the Reichsgarde, who investigated the armed force, and why they were at the Kaiser''s pass.


    "Halt, no army shall enter thend which belongs to the Reich. If you take one step further without surrendering your weapons, we will eliminate you!"


    There was only one way for Sn to return to his homnd in the Timurid Empire, and that was to march his army across the mighty steel bridges which soared over the Kaiser''s pass. He immediately questioned the mere guard, who dared to oppose his entry.


    "I am the Sultan of the Timurid Empire. Who do you think you are to demand that my army hand over our weapons in order to safely return to ournds?"


    In response to this, the soldier merely scoffed, before handing the Sultan a pair of binocrs and pointing his view towards the other end of the canal. There was a smug tone in the German soldier''s voice as he responded to Sn''s hubris.


    "If you want to end up like those sorry bastards, by all means keep your weapons."


    Sn fumbled around with the binocrs before realizing how they worked. When he gazed into the distance, he saw the rotting corpses of the hundred thousand strong crusader army that had dared to march on the Kaiser''s pass.


    His mouth fell agape as he realized that there was still a giant red stain on the sands of the Sinai penins, where the army had rushed to their deaths. Jackals and carrions had picked apart most of their corpses. However, there were traces of flesh scattered in the paintedndscape. The Sultan could notprehend what he was seeing and quickly inquired about it.


    "What the hell is that?"


    When the German soldier heard this, he merely chuckled before responding with a smug grin on his face.


    "That is what remains of the English Army and the Order of the Red Dragon..."


    Sn could barely believe what he was hearing. He had fought with King Lawrence and the Welsh Crusaders on multiple asions in the past. They had pushed him and his Byzantine allies into Egypt because their armies were so powerful. Now they were merely a giant red stain across the sands of the Sinai Penins. He could not fathom the power it took for the Germans to aplish this, who lookedpletely unharmed from the battle. He only had one question on his mind.


    "And King Lawrence?"


    The soldier quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit it, where he took a long drag from it before expelling the smoke from his lungs and into the surrounding air. After doing so, he responded with apletely stoic expression on his face.


    "Presumed dead... It''s impossible to identify most of those poor bastards, so we just assumed he died with his army. There were no survivors after all..."


    The Sultan could only gulp down the saliva that pooled in his throat when he heard this. He quickly looked back at his army, and then towards the German soldier before handing the man the binocrs with a frightened expression on his face.


    "So, who do we hand our weapons to?"


    The soldierughed once more, then he ordered a bunch of guards to seize the weapons of the Timurid Army. It was a simple act of disgrace for them to abandon their weapons in order to return home safely. However, they had no other option. They did not have the ships to ferry them to the Holy Land, and there was now a giant canal in between them and their homnd.


    The soldiers of the Reichsgarde collected the weapons that belonged to the members of the Timurid Army before allowing them to pass through the bridges and to the other side of the Canal. They were closely watched by riflemen at all times as they did so. If any of them stepped out of line, they would be dealt with via lethal force. A nobleman beneath Sn''smand whispered to the man as he walked by his side.


    "This is an insult to our nation. Who does the Kaiser think he is, stripping us of our weapons? What will happen if wee across the crusaders in the Holy Land? They will massacre us all!"


    Sn pointed at the red stain that lie across the Sinai Penins before reprimanding the nobleman for his words.


    "If we do not submit to the Germans, that is the fate that awaits us. Death would be certain, and I would rather take my chances on the journey home, then be turned into that!"


    The nobleman immediately understood his ce and averted his gaze, which just so happened tond on a massive ship that was sailing across the canal. It was clearly of Chinese Origin and was likely thergest vessel in their armada. The ship was docking at the other end of the Canal where its leader would meet with Heimerich and pay the toll that was required to cross through the Kaiser''s Pass.


    After all, the second fleet of the German Navy was posted on both sides of the Canal, and had enough firepower to sink any vessel who dared to cross without agreeing to payment. To think that the proud Ming Dynasty would agree to pay the toll, it was truly a sight for the Timurid Emperor to behold.


    Though he had limited dealings with the Great Empire in the East, he knew how prideful they were. Asking them to pay a toll was an insult to their prestige, and yet, it would appear that they agreed to do so. After all, how could theypete with ships made of steel? Whoever was in control of their fleet knew to put away his personal pride when he gazed upon the Irond Frigates of the German Navy, and the overwhelming number of guns they had on board.


    By building this canal, Berengar had ushered in a new era of trade that would see all goods flow through the Reich. Thus, as the Timurid Army limped back to their homnd, they gazed upon the Prosperity that would soon enter Germannds.

 Chapter 789 Battle For the Shores of Busan

    Chapter 789 Battle For the Shores of Busan


    The Battle for the shores of Busan had already begun. Currently, Itami stood upon the bow of her gship and gazed through her spyss as she witnessed the chaos of war unfold from afar. After receiving a ruthless pounding from the Japanese naval guns, the Joseon defenders who survived the initial onught abandoned the forts that lined the coast.


    The men fearlessly rushed to the shores in a desperate attempt to force the Japanese invaders to fight in meleebat. After all, there was no way that the Japanese Generals would fire on their own soldiers. Thus, they figured they''d be safe from the overwhelming power of the Japanese Navy.


    The first of the Japanese rowboats, which contained a squad of soldiers, reached the shores, where the men onboard stood up and fired a volley towards the Joseon warriors. The lead projectiles pierced through the enemy''s armor and flesh while iming their lives. However, a single volley from a squad was not nearly enough to put a dent in the army that was approaching.


    In retaliation for this attack, hundreds of Joseon bowmen knocked their arrows and loosed them upon the Japanese squad. The bamboo arrows fell from the sky and rained upon the enemy, piercing through their cotton tunics and into their flesh. Before the Japanese could reload and fire another shot, they were turned into pincushions.


    Upon seeing such a nasty fate befall their countrymen, those brave souls who rowed towards the shore aimed their rifles and fired towards the gathering army. A plume of smoke filled the air as hundreds of rifles spewed lead towards the Joseon defenders, who now stood upon the shores waiting for the Japanese forces tond.


    The Japanese invaders fearlessly rowed towards the shore while taking potshots at the Joseon defenders in between their actions. The closer they got to the shore, the more arrows fell upon them. It was a bloodbath the likes Itami had never seen before.


    In her past life, she was never deployed to abat zone. It was only in this life that she learned what it felt like to im a life, and how devastating it was to lose the men beneath yourmand. Her heart bled as she witnessed hundreds of her soldiers pierced by the bamboo arrows of the Joseon Army. She had never suffered such losses before.


    She had underestimated the effect of the bow and arrow, and overestimated her own military might. It turned out that the enemy could force her into the range of their weapons, and when they did, her unarmored forces suffered heavily. She had made a mistake by preparing for war with Germany, when she should have been preparing for war with the Joseon, the Ainu, and the Ryukyu Kingdoms who were her immediate targets.


    Hundreds, if not thousands, of Japanese soldiers died as they struggled tond on the shores of Busan. However, once they found their footing, they were quick to turn the tides of war. The overwhelming volume of fire provided by the rifles that the Japanese soldiers wielded quickly thinned out the Joseon numbers, forcing the enemy to charge at them with their melee weapons.


    However, was the Japanese army so easy to defeat? The Japanese soldiers fired another volley before charging into the grand melee with their bays affixed. They shouted their battle cry as they thrust their des forward and into the torsos of their enemy.


    "Tenn��heika Banzai!"


    With this suicidal charge, tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers rushed forward with bays and swords in hand. The fearlessness of death in their eyes as they cut down the enemy quickly overwhelmed the morale of the Joseon defenders. Who, despite inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese, were rapidly dwindling in number.


    With their artillery knocked out, and the Japanese soldiers continuing to pour into the shores, the Joseon General gazed in horror as his army routed. However, Itami''s forces were not merciful and immediately opened fire the moment the Joseon turned their backs and ran.


    Technically, this would be a war crime in the era Itami came from, causing her to bite her lip in displeasure when she saw her soldiers gunning down the fleeing enemy. In the civilized world, one was supposed to give quarter to a defeated enemy.


    However, she desperately needed to end this conflict here and now, especially after suffering such heavy losses. Thus, the albino beauty found her inner resolve to give the naval gunners an order that she despised.


    "Fire upon the fleeing army with your 110 pounders. I want these bastards wiped out! If we can destroy the enemy here in Busan, the rest of the Kingdom will fall with them."


    With themand given, the crews aboard Itami''s fleet loaded their guns and adjusted their aim to fire on the fleeing enemy. The 110 pound shells rocked the shores of Busan as they sted men into mincemeat. The Joseon who fled the battle were pelted with a mixture of naval bombardment and rifle fire as they were ruthlessly sted to oblivion. In the end, less than a thousand men escaped with their lives, leaving the entire Kingdom utterly defenseless against the Japanese army.


    After the coast was secure. Itami took her own rowboat andnded on the shore where she stepped foot on the bloody sand and gazed upon the gory scene. Tens of thousands of bodies lie hewn on the beaches. If she wasn''t already been so ustomed to death, then the woman would have vomited all over the beach.


    Nearby, a Japanese man looked like a porcupine with the amount of arrows that were stuck in his body. He had died in a kneeling position, staking the banner of the rising sun into the Korean soil. The banner was tattered and scorched by the fierce battle that had taken ce only moments ago.


    If one were to look a few feet away, they would see the body of a Japanese soldier who had his head decapitated by a Korean swordsman. That same swordsman lie dead a mere two feet away with a massive hole in his chest caused by therge caliber projectiles used in the Japanese Rifles. He had died with his sword in hand.


    Leaning against a rock was a young man no older than eighteen. This soldier had multiple arrows embedded in his torso and was on the brink of death. He gazed upon the Empress in her military uniform as she strode through the death that surrounded her with a stoic expression on her pretty face. He mustered what little strength remained in his body to reach out towards her and call out the title that her most loyal soldiers referred her to by.


    "Kami-sama..."


    Itami shifted her gaze to the dying man and saw that he was still holding his rifle in one of his hands. Tears streamed down his eyes as he gazed upon the beauty of the War Goddess, who was closer to him than she had ever been. Itami could only sigh as she saw this before kneeling next to the man andforting him in hisst moments. She ced the dying man''s head on her ivory thighs, which were concealed by a skirt, before closing his eyes for him andforting the poor soul who was about to enter the afterlife.


    "You have fought well... Rest now, you have more than earned it..."


    Shortly thereafter, the man passed away with a bitter smile on his lips. At the very least, his goddess had given him ap pillow before he passed away from this world. Despite the man''s death, Itami stayed still with his head in herp for some time.


    Eventually, her lead general approached the scene and saw the distressed look on the woman''s face. She was very clearly trying her best not to cry. After all, she needed to project strength to her soldiers, who were licking their wounds after a hard fight. Shiba ced his hand on the young woman''s shoulder and attempted tofort her as she stared lifelessly at the dead men who surrounded her.


    "Itami-sama, it''s over, we have won the battle... The Joseon Kingdom has no soldiers left to fight against us. These men died so that their homnd could prosper. So that you could lead their families to a better future..."


    Itami nodded her head in silence before gently cing the deceased soldier''s head on the ground. She rose to her feet and wiped the tears from her eyes before responding to her general.


    "You''re right. I don''t have time toment the loss of life. This is war, and we are so close to victory. I shall honor the fallen by annexing this Kingdom. If our civilization has a chance at bing a global power, then we need the iron that the Joseon have buried away in theirnds.


    I want our dead brought back to Japan and entombed in thends of their ancestors. As for the Joseon corpses, or the ones that remain intact, bury them. After we have disposed of the dead, we shall advance forward and take the city."


    Shiba nodded his head before responding in affirmation to Itami''s orders.


    "As youmand!"


    After saying this, Itami took a few moments to collect her thoughts and harden her heart. She had never witnessed so many deaths on her own side before. However, unlike Berengar, she was not angry at the enemy for inflicting such fierce casualties on her army, instead; she respected their strength and determination.


    She had not anticipated such losses when she nned this campaign, and the simple fact that she suffered so much proved the Joseon were a capable Kingdom even if they were centuries behind in military technology. The enemy had suffered enough, and she would not act with vengeance when she finally ruled over them.

 Chapter 790 Dethroning the Hungarian King

    Chapter 790 Dethroning the Hungarian King


    The King of Hungary sat in his throne room. Disturbing news had reached his ears about the defeat of the Papacy. In this failed bid to defeat Germany, the Catholic world had sent hundreds of thousands of men to their deaths. It had barely even been a month since this war began, and already more than half of Hungary''s army was dead.


    Hungary was already suffering from an economic breakdown after the sanctions that were put in ce against Germany, however, the losses they suffered in this war was an unmitigated disaster. It was only a matter of time before famine took hold of Hungary and killed millions.


    In hindsight, the Hungarian monarch realized he should have never answered the Papacy''s call to crusade in the Holy Land. He had spent the entire duration of that brief war stuck in the Dinaric Alps, where he was unable to get past the Padius army before the war with the Byzantine army even came to an end. However, another opportunity for glory appeared shortly after, and within 72 hours of marching on the German border, Hungary had lost over four hundred thousand men.


    The King had personally witnessed his men march into the death trap that was the German border. He could only watch with horror as his men blown to bits by artillery, shredded to pieces by machine gun fire, and fragged bynd mines. The question he asked himself, even now, was just what kind of sadistic cunt would design such insane border defenses?


    The Hungarian Monarch could only sigh heavily as he rested his weary head in the palm of his hands. Berengar von Kufstein was indeed a sadistic cunt, but it was not as if he was born that way. No, the man had been driven to such ruthless action. After all, he was surrounded by hostile nations that were just waiting for the opportunity to pounce.


    It was only now that the Hungarian King realized the Catholic Church should have united against Berengar when he was simply a small count. That was their only chance to defeat him. However, years of infighting and proxy wars had weakened the Papacy''s power and treasury to the point where they were now relying entirely on peasant levies to attack the German Empire. To think a man who was born to inherit a lowly barony was enough would cause such problems to the Catholic World.


    The King of Hungary had to admit, Berengar von Kufstein had yed the Catholic Church like a fiddle in thest ten years. He had bought time by creating a series of proxy wars within Christendom. He had empowered the Church''s enemies and diverted their attention from the real threat to their power. All while strengthening his army and uniting the German people into a single cohesive Empire. The truth was, the game was rigged from the start. From the moment Berengar had made an enemy of the Church, he had forced them to y by his rules.


    What was the result of this massive chess game? The Papacy was gone, the Kingdom of France was weakened beyond repair. The English army and the Order of the Red Dragon were obliterated in Egypt. Balsamo Corsini and the Duke of Burgundy were dead and buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in southern Italy, and the Polish King was presumed to have drowned to the bottom of the Mediterranean along with his entire army. All that truly remained in this fight was Hungary, and yet they were surrounded on both sides by Germany and their Byzantine allies.


    Berengar von Kufstein was marching his army towards his eastern border in an attempt to invade Hungary with a pincer attack. No matter what solution the King of Hungary thought of he could only see his imminent death. He was frantic, and had suffered hair loss due to his tendency to pull hair from his head when he was stressed. By now, all that remained were a few clusters of hair randomly spread out throughout his otherwise bald head.


    While the King of Hungary was brooding in silence, the door to his throne room opened, and an unexpected visitor appeared with several armed men in tow. The King of Hungary gazed upon his guest with shock in his eye. It was the son of one of his recently deceased Generals. The man was surrounded by what appeared to be other men of note within the kingdom, all of which were armed with German revolvers. Before the King could express his shock, the man spoke to him with a stern tone in his voice.


    "Your majesty King Tam��s Bal��zs, the time hase for you to step down. The people of Hungary no longer support your rule, and have moved to rece you before the Germans invade ournds and sack our cities. If you surrender willingly, I promise that you will be given a fair trial! Resist and you will die here today!"


    The man in question was none other than Noemi''s elder brother, V��szoly Viktor. Upon hearing of his father''s death on the German border, the young man had assumed all power in his family, and had secretly conspired with Imperial Intelligence to unite the various wealthy families of Hungary against their King.


    Now that Berengar was marching his army to Hungary, Viktor realized time was of the essence and had forced his way into the Royal Pce in order to apprehend the current monarch and hand him over to the Germans. It was a coup d''��tat in every sense of the word. The Hungarian King was outraged when he saw that his own nobility had conspired against him. He quickly ordered his Knights to attack the intruders.


    "Bring me these filthy traitors'' heads!"


    Before the Hungarian Knights could unsheathe their des, the rebels opened fire upon them with their revolvers riddling every bodyguard the King had full of bullets. Blood poured out of the steel armor that the Hungarian Knights wore like water in a sieve before they copsed lifelessly to the floor. The Hungarian King was shocked at how quickly they had been defeated and instantly kneeled in surrender before Viktor could execute him.


    "I yield! I yield!"


    Viktor scoffed with disdain when he heard this before ordering his men to bind the King and drag him away.


    "Take him away, boys!"


    The rebels quickly did as they weremanded, and ced steel bindings on the King''s wrists and ankles before dragging him off to the dungeon. After the previous monarch was removed, Viktor picked up his crown, which had fallen to the floor during the chaos. He gazed upon it intently for a few moments in silence before one of hisrades questioned his actions.


    "What now? Who will be the new King?"


    When Viktor heard this, he chuckled lightly before tossing the crown aside as if it were amon Frisbee. He then replied to the man''s question with a grim look on his face.


    "That is not for us to decide..."


    The rebel looked at Viktor with a concerned expression on his face before protesting.


    "What do you mean? Shouldn''t the Hungarian People decide who is King now that we have removed the old one?"


    In response to this, Viktor merely scoffed and ced a hand on the man''s shoulder before lecturing him on what was about to happen.


    "In an ideal world... yes! However, this world is far from ideal. It is a world where we are now ruled by the Reich. For the first time in a millennium, the seat of power in the western world has shifted from Rome to another city: Kufstein.


    Make no mistake, under the rule of the Reich, no man shall be crowned King unless they first have the approval of the Kaiser. Just as the Papacy used to crown emperors in the past, now the Reich will crown the Petty Kings of Europe.


    This is the new world order, and you better get used to it. Because with the power of the German Military, there is nobody on this Earth who can defeat them in an armed conflict. So, I will hand this worthless crown to Berengar von Kufstein when he arrives on our borders, and I will sit by like an obedient dog while he crowns whoever it is that he wishes to be his puppet. Hopefully, we can rely on the Reich for assistance, because with all the young men who have died in this foolish war, the future of Hungary is looking bleak."


    The rebel did not say a word to counter Viktor''s opinion. After all, everything he said was true, instead he bowed his head and prayed to God that Germany would provide aid to Hungary or else subservience to a foreign power was the least of their worries.

 Chapter 791 An Esteemed Guest From the Far East

    Chapter 791 An Esteemed Guest From the Far East


    Zhu Zhi stood on the docks of Trieste and gazed upon his surroundings with astonishment. At first, when his father sent him from the mighty and prosperous Ming Dynasty to some barbarian nation in the far west, it displeased him. Though he did not verbally protest, he had spent the entire journey to the shores of the Reich in a rather foul mood.


    However, after making his way through the Kaiser''s Pass, he shifted his view. After all, the massive steel bridges that stood high above the canal were impressive feats of engineering. Though he did not want to admit it, even his nation''s best engineers would fail to create such things.


    If the bridges impressed him, then the moment he entered the docks of Trieste, his mind waspletely blown away. Trieste was not only an important trading hub in the Empire, it held its primary Naval shipyard. Though there were other such ces spread throughout the Adriatic, Baltic, and the North Sea. The most experienced shipwrights in the Empire all called Trieste their home. It was because of this that the city was considered the second most important city within the Borders of the Reich, and thus received priority in regard to city nning, such as street lights.


    Though, luckily for Zhu Zhi, it was still midday, and because of that, the street lights were not active. Otherwise, he might have had a heart attack. Though the streetlights were not lit, he did witness something else that deeply shocked him. A convoy of military trucks based upon Berengar''s recent designs passed him by in the streets as they transported several tons of steel towards the shipyards where the hull of a massive vessel was nearingpletion.


    He was surprised to see such a monstrous vehicle, especially considering there were no beasts of burden pulling it. However, the shock he had in his heart towards the convoy of trucks failed topare to that which he felt when his eyes fell upon the behemoth of a vessel that was being constructed in the shipyards.


    He had always been prideful of the mighty fleet that the Ming Dynasty possessed, but this steel warship dwarfed even thergest vessel under his family''smand. All of a sudden, he felt as if the pride and joy of the Emperor was aughing matter.


    This ship was the SMS Linde, the first in a line of super-dreadnoughts that Berengar intended to construct as his primary naval warships. One of these ships would be enough to challenge the entire world''s naval might at this point in time.


    However, he intended to construct ten ship fleets thatposed of seven Linde-ss battleships and three Honoria-ss battlecruisers. As for the Ad-ss cruisers, they would be used as escorts for the new cargo ships that were under construction.


    Still, the sight of these massive steel ships nearly gave the Ming Prince a heart attack. He quickly looked away from the shipyards and asked one of his trantors the question on his mind.


    "How far away is the Capital where this so called Kaiser resides?"


    The Prince had brought with him a series of interpreters in order to effectivelymunicate with the Germans. Thus, it took a few moments for the words to be tranted from Chinese into German, and vice versa.


    "Approximately three hundred and twenty-five kilometers"


    Upon realizing that the Prince did not understand the metric system that Berengar had introduced to his Empire, the trantors spent another few moments converting the number into the Ming system of measurement. The moment that Zhu Zhi heard the distance in terms that he could understand, he reacted with shock.


    "So it will take us another few weeks to reach the Capital of this Kingdom? How do they manage to run their Empire so far away from their nearest shore?"


    The trantor who spoke German chuckled when he heard the Prince''s remark. He did not mean to offend the eastern prince, but he had been doing business with the Reich for some time and could tell the Prince was out of hisfort zone after observing so many spectacr inventions throughout the port city. He corrected the man''s thinking before pointing up towards the train station.


    "All we need to do is take the train and we will be able to reach Kufstein in a matter of hours."


    Upon hearing these words tranted into his own tongue, the Prince had many questions on his mind, but ultimately decided to remain quiet and witness the event for himself. His group traversed through the city for some time before arriving at the train station, where they ordered a few first-ss tickets to travel to Kufstein.


    Zhu Zhi boarded the train with his party, and was surprised to see the luxurious interior of the first-ss rail car. Throughout the entire journey from Triest to Kufstein, he witnessed many amazing sights before stepping off and into the grand capital of the German Empire.


    If he had thought that Trieste was exceptional, then Kufstein was something out of this world. Steam boats flowed through the river that divided the city, transporting goods from the rest of the European Kingdoms which lie on the Rhine and Danube.


    Vehicles drove through the streets in limited numbers, such as police cars, fire trucks, and the personal automobiles of politicians. Ultimately, he and his party got on a bus that was headed towards the Pce district, and gazed upon the impable German Architecture with astonishment in their eyes. From the colossal statue which sat upon the hill overlooking the city, to the Reichstag, the Grand Cathedral, and even the Arena which was undergoing construction. There were so many notable locations that caught one''s attention.


    That''s not to say that the Ming Dynasty did not have their own incredible cities, but Kufstein was simply foreign to him. Out of all the diplomatic visits he had ever made during his life as an Imperial Prince, he was certain that he had never seen a city which rivaled Beijing. However, if there was one city that could im such a feat, it would be Kufstein.


    Eventually, the Ming Delegation reached the Imperial Pce, which belonged to the von Kufstein Dynasty, and stood outside its gates where the guards greeted them. Evidently, the Pce had been made aware of the Ming visit and had prepared for this asion. The guards quickly made the Ming Prince aware of the current situation. Which he was shocked to hear, considering how peaceful life was in the borders of the Reich.


    "I apologize, your highness. However, the Kaiser is currently at war with our neighbors. He is currently marching towards Hungary as we speak. You chose a really poor time to visit. However, rest assured, we would be happy to entertain you in the Pce until he returns from his impending victory."


    The Prince was astonished when he heard the Emperor was at war. He had not seen the slightest concern in the eyes of Germany''s citizens. It was as if despite being at war with more than one Kingdom; they felt as if it had no effect on their daily lives. Even if the Ming Army were to go to war with barbarians on the frontier, it would still affect the lives of people within the realm in some smallpacity.


    Normally he would be outraged at this moment, however, he had seen many strange sights which lead him to believe that throwing a hissy fit in front of the German Pce was a bad idea. After all, though he did not understand the military capabilities of the Reich in their fullest context, he could tell they were not a power that should be trifled with.


    If his father had dispatched his haughty younger brother, Zhu Li, to the Reich, he likely would have turned this unexpected oue into an international incident. Thus, Zhu Zhi could only sigh and ept his fate with the dignity of an Imperial Prince.


    "Very well. I wee your hospitality. Please lead the way our journey has been long and tiresome."


    The guards led the Ming Delegation to the Imperial Pce, where Linde stood at the entrance to wee the man into her husband''s home. She wore a sky blue dress, with white gold jewelry which was encrusted with topaz that had been imported from the Anangpur Empire. When Zhu Zhi gazed upon the redheaded beauty, he was truly surprised.


    In his entire life, he had seen maybe three women who were as beautiful as she was. He did not know her rtion to the Kaiser, but if she was greeting him, she likely held a high position in his household. Before he could speak, Linde curtseyed before speaking to him with a pretty smile on her face.


    "Wee Prince Zhu Zhi of the Ming Dynasty. We have been expecting you for some time. I am Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein, second wife to Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. I apologize on my husband''s behalf for him not being avable to greet you himself, but he is currently upied with fighting our Empire''s enemies. Please,e inside and rest your weary souls. I am sure the journey to Kufstein was long and arduous."


    The moment the man heard that Linde was taken, he sighed within his own heart. Hemented the fact that he could not take such a supreme beauty home with him. However, after witnessing the advanced technology that was employed in the Reich, and therge steel battleship that was under construction, he had no desire to make an enemy of the Kaiser. Instead, he wore a friendly smile on his handsome face as he epted Linde''s kindness before entering the Pce.


    "I thank you for your hospitality. The Journey has indeed been long, please if you don''t mind, I would like to rest my feet."


    With this said, Linde led the man into the Pce where she ordered the servants to help him get settled in. She wouldter share lunch with the man as Berengar''s personal representative, where she would learn some interesting details about what was happening in the far east.

 Chapter 792 Lunch with the Ming Prince

    Chapter 792 Lunch with the Ming Prince


    Linde sat at the head of the dining table within the Royal Pce. She was alone as she met with the Imperial Prince of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhi. The only other people present in the room were the man''s trantors, and members of the Reichsgarde whose duty was to protect the Imperial Family at all times.


    The guards were ever watchful of the Imperial Prince. If he showed the slightest hint of hostility or seduction, they would not hesitate to apprehend him. However, the man was calm and collected. He had no intentions of pursuing Linde, no matter how attractive he might have found her to be. In fact, he was more interested in the war that the Kaiser was currently fighting and quickly inquired about it.


    "You said your husband is at war, but as far as I can see, everybody within your Empire appears to be acting without the slightest concern in the world. Do you mind borating on why that might be? Pardon my curiosity, I just have never seen a nation at war act so carefree."


    Linde took a sip from her wine, and a bite from her schnitzel as she entertained her guest from the East. While Berengar was away, she was the head of the household, which meant that she handled all the diplomatic visits. Though Zhu Zhi thought it was strange that woman held so much power, he was not going to make an ass of himself bymenting on it. The fact that the man had been so polite made Linde suspicious, but she kept it to herself and decided to grace the man with the information he desired. After all, it wasn''t a secret.


    "My husband, in his pursuit of power, has angered most of our neighbors, but none more so than the Papacy. In Europe, the dominant religion is also a political entity who holds considerable influence over all the other realms. To put it simply, my husband broke away from religious tradition in pursuit of secr authority, and angered this religious institution.


    For the past ten years, the Papacy has been trying to dethrone my husband, and now they have dered a holy war against the Reich in theirtest attempt to do so. At the moment, we are currently at war with a total of five different kingdoms and the Church itself. Most of these kingdoms share a border with us.


    He has split our army to deal with these distinct threats, and is currently leading one fifth of our forces in Southern Italy. Thetest information I have received from the front lines is that my husband has achieved an overwhelming victory against the forces of the Papacy, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Duchy of Burgundy. He is now marching towards Hungary to unite with his forces in the region and put an end to their opposition."


    Zhu Zhi gazed in shock towards Linde. He was so surprised by this news he did not even taste the schnitzel as he dined on it. One nation was at war with five of its neighbors and had already taken three of them out of the conflict? How was this possible? He needed rification and quickly asked about it.


    "You''re telling me that your husband is fighting a war with five enemies and is already victorious against three of them?"


    Linde wore a smug smile on her pretty face as she took another bite of her schnitzel before responding to the man.


    "Six enemies, and we have eliminated five of them. The Papacy may be a religious institution, but it has its own armies. Or had I should say, what''s left of them have scattered to the wind."


    Zhu Zhi was silent as he heard this news. He did not know if the woman was lying to him, but judging by some of the things he had seen on his journey to Kufstein, he was certain she wasn''t exaggerating in the slightest. He quickly asked the next question on his mind.


    "Just how long has this war been going on for?"


    Linde did not even need to think about the answer, she quickly blurted it out as if it were the most normal thing in the world, not realizing how shocking the information must be for a man who was used to fighting wars for years at a time.


    "A couple of months, no more than three. Why do you ask?"


    Zhu Zhi was stunned once again. He simply could not enjoy the delicious meal that had been prepared for him upon hearing such astonishing news about the military prowess of the German Empire. He could onlyment in disbelief.


    "No reason... Your husband must be a capable general to pull that off."


    Zhu Zhi no longer wanted to talk about Germany''s war and instead broached another topic that he felt would ease his suffering.


    "I am thankful for the hospitality you have showed me so far. I havee a long way, and this meal is truly delicious. The news of your husband''s absence was slightly upsetting, but as a man who has been to war myself, I understand that such things take precedence. I guess I will have to be patient and wait before I can give him the news that I havee all this way to deliver."


    Linde smiled gracefully when she heard this, but narrowed her eyes in scrutiny. When she initially learned Berengar''s true identity, she had received a history lesson on the world Berengar hade from, which shared many simrities with the one they lived in now.


    Naturally, she knew all about the Ming Dynasty, their culture, their prestige, their attitudes towards foreigners, and their military prowess. The fact that an Imperial Prince was treating her, a woman from what could be perceived as a barbarous Kingdom with such dignity and respect, meant something had spooked him on his journey through the Reich.


    If he hade all this way to Kufstein to deliver some news in person, then there was naturally a request tied to it. Upon thinking about the strange power from the east who used steamships and advanced weapons, she could not help but conclude that the Ming were either at odds with them, or were wary of them and were seeking a powerful alliance to deter them. She was not afraid to inquire about the man''s reason for visiting, and quickly did so after calmly taking another bite from her food.


    "Are you referring to that eastern power with the wooden steamships?"


    Upon hearing the woman so nonchntly address the Japanese Empire, it shocked Zhu Zhi once again. He felt like his heart couldn''t take many more surprises. However, his curiosity got the better of him and he quickly inquired about what she knew about the Japanese.


    "You know about the Japanese Empire? Have youe into contact with them already?"


    Linde searched her memory from the history lesson that Berengar had provided her with and immediately took note of the term Japanese Empire. From her understanding of history from that world, they should be on the brink of a major civil war.


    If they were not using steamships and advanced weapons, then the veteran spymaster would merely chalk this up as a normal change in the timeline. After all, there were many changes in the western part of this world and the one that Berengar hade from. However, the existence of such modern technologybined with the shift in the timeline only confirmed Linde''s original thoughts. There was a reincarnator among the ranks of Japanese society.


    She knew quite a bit about the history of Japan, more so than she did about China. From the way Berengar spoke about them, they were impressive to rise from a small ind nation to a major power which rivalled the European Empires at their height. However, she also knew that they were severelycking in natural resources, as Berengar made this point abundantly clear to her.


    If the Japanese were Arming the Bengals, then they clearly had a reason for doing so. She just couldn''t figure out what it was with her limited information. Thus, after several moments of silence, she prodded Zhu Zhi for more information.


    "In truth, I know very little about the Japanese Empire, however from what information I have been able to gain, I can say with certainty that should we find ourselves engaging in an armed conflict with them, the Reich would emerge victorious. Why don''t you tell me what you know so that when my husband returns home, I can do a better job of convincing him to support you?"


    Zhu Zhi sighed heavily in relief when he heard that Linde''s knowledge of the Japanese was limited. It meant he still had a bargaining chip. Though she was a woman, the Kaiser entrusted her to look after the dynasty''s affairs while he was away at war, and she also seemed to be exceptionally intelligent. He felt as if he could trust her with the information he had gained from his father. After several moments of deliberation, he spoke with her about what he knew.


    "If you know about the Japanese, then surely you know about the Joseon, right?"


    Linde had a quick mind, and based upon the information she had received from Berengar, she could quickly extrapte exactly why the Ming had decided to visit the Reich, especially after news of the Kaiser''s Pass reached their ears. For the first time since the conversation had begun, Linde was utterly shocked, so much so that she dropped her fork when she heard this.


    "You don''t mean-"


    Upon the seeing the redheaded beauty so flustered, Zhu Zhi felt aplished and quickly cut her off before she could spoil his fun.


    "Japan has invaded the Joseon Kingdom. They intend to annex the region and use its iron deposits for their own purposes. I don''t exactly know why they would need so much iron, but that appears to be their goal."


    Linde quickly thought through what this meant. It meant that Japan intended to rapidly expand their military over the next couple of years. The steam-powered turtle ships were not a threat to the German Navy, but if the Japanese managed to create battleships, it could pose a serious problem for the Reich. She immediately understood the intent the Japanese had for Korea, but what she did not understand was why they were in involved with the Bengal Empire, and thus she quickly asked about that.


    "If they''re invading the Joseon Kingdom, then why are they also involved with the Bengal Empire?"


    When Zhu Zhi heard these words, he was once more astonished. His contacts within the Japanese Empire had said nothing about Itami''s visit to the Bengal Empire. Both the Ming Prince and the German Empress would continue to have a lengthy conversation about Itami and her Empire over a delicious lunch.

 Chapter 793 Lunch With the Ming Prince Part ll

    Chapter 793 Lunch With the Ming Prince Part ll


    Zhu Zhi sat back with a look of surprise on his face after hearing that the Japanese Empire was interfering with the political situation in the Indian Subcontinent. It was startling news. After all, the Japanese Empire was rapidly expanding its power and authority.


    Soon the Japanese would eclipse the Ming if the Emperor sat back and did nothing. It was because of this that Zhu Zhi was interested in brokering an alliance with the German Empire. After all, they appeared to be the only ones capable of stemming the rising tide that was the Japanese military. The Prince was quick to interrogate Linde on what she knew about Japanese operations in India.


    "What do you mean by the Japanese are involved with the Bengal Empire? How much do you know about the situation in the Indian subcontinent?"


    Linde took a sip from her wine before answering this question. She had a stoic look on her pretty face as she tantly informed the Ming Prince about what she knew regarding Japanese operations in India.


    "I don''t know the reason behind their actions, but I can tell you with certainty that the Japanese are selling weapons to the Bengal Empire. Emperor Asha ns to use these weapons to conquer the Indian subcontinent and unite the region under his banner.


    The weapons that The Japanese Empress has sold the Bengals are fearsome, well beyond your capabilities to deal with. They are so troublesome that they might cause serious difficulty for our forces should we contend with the Bengals for control of the area."


    This news stung Zhu Zhi like a hive of wasps. He could hardly believe that the Bengals had brokered such a deal with Itami, nor could he understand why the young Empress would sell them such weapons. In the end, he could only think of one possible reason that the Japanese would do such a thing, but he needed rification from the redheaded beauty sitting across from him in order to be certain.


    "Let me ask you this... Does the Reich have ns to interfere in India?"


    This question surprised Linde, who halted her action of taking another sip from her ss when she heard these words. She was silent for but a second before responding to the man''s question with one of her own.


    "Why do you ask?"


    It was at this moment that Zhu Zhi solved the puzzle that existed within Linde''s mind as he stated his reasoning for asking such a serious question.


    "Because if you do have ns for the region, and Japan is aware of your existence, they might be using the Bengals as a proxy to direct your attention away from their actions in Korea. I don''t know what ns the Empress has in mind for the Joseon''s iron deposits, but she needs time to implement them. If your Empire intimidated her, then she might use the Bengals as a means to buy time toplete her ns."


    The words that Zhu Zhi spoke once again shocked Linde, but they made sense. The only problem she had with this line of reasoning was the fact that she did not know how the Japanese had learned of the Reich''s existence. However, if the eastern empire was led by a reincarnator, then they would surely be threatened by Berengar''s presence in this world.


    By using the Bengals as a proxy, the Japanese proved that they were behind the Reich in terms of military technology, or else they would never resort to such a desperate gamble to buy time. The likelihood was the Japanese were just starting to industrialize, and it would take some time for them to make use of the iron in Korea to build their military. While Linde was thinking about this shocking information, Zhu Zhi outlined his primary reason for visiting the Reich.


    "I will be frank, my father wants your weapons, or at the very least, he wants weapons that can contend with the Japanese should they bare their fangs against us. Name your price and we will pay it."


    Linde twirled her finger within her wine as she thought about this request for a few moments. As the director of intelligence, she could make executive decisions such as arming foreign powers, especially if they were to be used as proxies.


    If the Japanese were giving weapons to the Bengals to bog down the German armed forces, then it was only fair that she y the same game. Thus, after a few seconds of silence, Linde sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts on the matter.


    "You''re in luck. Our forces are in the middle of transitioning to new and improved weapons. Within the next two years, we will have hundreds of thousands of old firearms, thousands of artillery pieces, and millions of rounds of ammunition lying around collecting dust. Under certain conditions, I can promise to have some of these weapons refurbished and shipped to the Ming to be used on your border with the Joseon."


    Zhu Zhi was excited to hear this news, but did not let it show on his face. After all, he was concerned with what these conditions were. He knew he was asking a lot of the reich, despite this being their first diplomatic visit, and because of this, he expected Linde to make some serious demands of the Ming Dynasty. However, when he heard her words, he was surprised at how simple the woman''s first demand was.


    "My first condition is that the Ming Dynasty establishes a non-aggression pact with the Reich. Though I am not afraid of you turning these weapons against us, it is better to be safe than sorry."


    This condition actually worked in the Ming''s Favor, and Zhu Zhi was quick to ept it.


    "That is not a problem. What is your next condition?"


    Linde wore a pretty smile as she made her next demand of the Ming Prince. She found that when making excessive demands, men were more willing to ept them if a beautiful woman was being friendly to them when she made her request.


    "My second request is twofold. The Ming Dynasty opens its ports for trade with the Reich and treats our Empire as an equal."


    This request was a bit difficult, and Zhu Zhi could not give the woman an immediate answer. The Emperor would normally reject the fact that she was requesting to be considered an equal. However, Zhu Zhi had seen the capabilities of the Reich firsthand, and knew that her request was not out of line in the slightest.


    He would dare to argue that the Reich was superior to the Ming Dynasty, thus she was actually showing face for the Emperor by demanding to be treated as an equal. Even though Zhu Zhi thought this, he would have to convince his father to agree to this request. Thus, he sighed heavily before answering Linde''s request.


    "I will need to convince my father to ept this request, but I am confident in my ability to do so. Let''s move onto your third demand..."


    Linde smiled once again as she took a sip from her wine before exining to Zhu Zhi her final request for the Ming Dynasty.


    "Myst request is simple. I would like for your Empire to allow my agents to smuggle weapons through your border with the Joseon so that we can properly train the locals to resist the Japanese upation. Since the Empress of Japan seeks to turn the Bengal Empire into a proxy against my husband''s army, then I will do the same to her with the Joseon. Obviously, you can maintainplete and total deniability if the Japanese were to learn about our operation."


    Zhu Zhi thought about this request in silence for several moments. Linde was asking a lot from the Ming Dynasty with this request. By allowing the Germans to smuggle weapons through the borders of the Ming Dynasty in an attempt to arm and train an insurgency against the Japanese, she was practically asking the Ming to be enemies with Japan.


    However, when he thought about thest part, which was total deniability, Zhu Zhi felt as if he could convince his father to agree to such demands. As long as the Ming pretended like they had no idea what the German smugglers were doing on their border, then the Japanese could not justify an invasion of China. Thus, after several moments of silence, the Ming prince spoke up.


    "I can''t agree to this request immediately. I will need to return to my father and convince him to ept these demands. However, I want to ask you before Imit myself to such an action. Can you guarantee that you will keep your word? I suppose what I''m really asking is, do you have the authority to make such an agreement?"


    Linde smiled as she finished thest of her wine. Of course, she had the authority to make such a deal. Not only did she hold the title of Kaiserin, but she was also the director of Imperial Intelligence. This negotiation revolved around arming an insurgency in a foreign county. Such a thing was not only within the scope of hermand, but was an active part of her duties.


    The only difference was that this time she would be dealing with a different generation of weapons. Still, the precedence had been set by Adelbrand, who, with her help, equipped the Royal Andalusian Army with these exact weapons. Besides, in the off chance that Berengar protested this trade deal, Linde would just use her death grip over his heart to convince him to fulfill this arrangement. Thus, she wore a confident smile on her face as she nodded her head and sealed the deal.


    "You don''t need to worry. I may not seem like it, but I have a significant amount of control over the Reich''s foreign affairs. Ultimately, the Kaiser''s word isw, but he trusts my judgement enough to allow me to make such critical decisions. When he returns home, I will inform him about everything we have spoken about, and I am certain he will agree that my decisions were not only necessary but also prudent."


    Zhu Zhi could not tell, but Linde''s mind was filled with lewd thoughts of being rewarded by her master for her actions while he was away at war. Because of this ignorance, the man had a happy smile on his face as he made his intentions clear.


    "Very well. If that is the case, then I shall trust your word. I will stay in the reich for the next few weeks before heading back to my homnd. I would very much like to see how mighty your Empire truly is. Once again, I thank you for your hospitality."


    Linde snapped out of her daze and recovered her graceful demeanor as she nodded her head in agreement before getting up from the table and departing from the room.


    "It has been my utmost pleasure, Prince Zhu Zhi. If you need anything, simply ask, and if it is within my power, I will assist you."


    Zhu Zhi watched as Linde''s sublime figure disappeared from the room and shook his head before expressing the thoughts on his mind.


    "It is a shame that such a beautiful and capable woman is already taken. If my wife was anything like her, I would consider myself to be the luckiest man in the world..."

 Chapter 794 Stumbling Upon a Random Talent

    Chapter 794 Stumbling Upon a Random Talent


    Itami stood in the city of Busan at the head of her army. Within the past 24 hours, her soldiers hadnded on the shores of Korea and asserted control over the southern city. The Japanese had demolished the majority of the Joseon Army in a single battle, and now they were free to steamroll across thend in pursuit of their conquest.


    The local Joseon citizens were gathered in the city square, surrounded by the Japanese soldiers. They were shivering in terror as they witnessed the albino beauty take the stand. In Itami''s hand was her current sword, which took the form of a kyu-gunto. She had put aside her old Katana for the time being, and instead focused on the current aesthetic her armed forces took.


    The jewel steel de of the kyu-gunto was pressed against the cold floor of Busan, where Itami''s delicate hands wrapped over its pommel. She red at the audience that was gathered before her before speaking loudly and clearly. Her words were being tranted to the people of Busan by an interpreter as she boldly dered the annexation of the Joseon Kingdom.


    "My name is Itami Riyo and I am the empress of Japan. today marks the dawn of a new era. An era of co-prosperity where the Joseon Kingdom and the Empire of Japan have united into one entity. Your army is defeated, buried on the beaches outside this city. What few defenders you have left have fled to the hills and abandoned you.


    With the defeat of the Joseon army, I hereby annex this Kingdom and rename it to the Prefecture of Korea, where it shall be protected until the end of time by the brave soldiers of the Empire of Japan. No longer shall you pay tribute to your Ming overlords, instead you shall pay tribute to me, your new empress!


    So long as you all behave yourselves, I promise that you shall be given a certain degree of autonomy. However, resist my rule and see how quickly your lives shall change for the worse. I maye here as a conqueror, but I always treat my subjects with justice.


    For those who work alongside the Empire of Japan, I promise you a prosperous life. For those of you who resist our rule, your fate shall be worse than death! Now, kneel and show your support for your new empress! Immediately after saying these words, the Japanese soldiers lifted their weapons in the air and chanted their war cries.


    "Tenn��heika Banzai!"


    Begrudgingly, the citizens of Busan knelt on the ground and bowed their heads as they chanted these words, in fear that refusing to do so would result in their deaths. They had no idea what these foreign words meant, but they pronounced them to the best of their ability.


    After climbing down from the makeshift tform that had been constructed in the center of the city, Itami was greeted by a young Korean woman who was dressed in an extravagant hanbok. She appeared to be from a wealthy family, perhaps the local nobleman''s daughter. Before the girl could approach Itami, she was stopped by the guards. Itami paid little attention to the young beauty until she heard the woman speak in Japanese.


    "Your Majesty, I wish to serve you. I have long since heard of your exploits and know that you are seeking talented individuals. I am trained in the ways of alchemy, and am willing to learn what you have to teach me. Please ept me as your disciple!"


    Itami stopped dead in her tracks when she heard this. The truth of the matter was she was in dire need of chemists and other scientists. Those beneath hermand were slow to embrace new ideas and were stuck in their ancient mindsets.


    Because of this, Itami had to do most of the research into chemistry herself. It was a miracle that she was even able to produce a chemical manufacturing nt whose sole purpose at the moment was manufacturing mercury fulminate for early primers.


    Upon expecting this young woman, Itami realized that she was no older than eighteen, and given enough time and education, she could be molded into a proper chemist.. Thus, Itami gazed over at the woman with her signature icy look before asking for her name.


    "What is your name?"


    "Min-Ah... Hwa Min-Ah!"


    Itami gazed up and down at Min-Ah. She could not tell the shape of her body beneath her hanbok, but the woman had beautiful facial features. She had dark eyes and hair, but skin as pale as snow. If Itami were a man, she would certainly fall for the girl at first nce.


    However, she was a straight woman, and because of that, she could only admire the girl''s beauty. Itami was also paranoid, and because of that, she was unsure why this girl would approach her of her own ord directly after the annexation of her homnd. Thus, she quickly interrogated Min-Ah to find out the reason behind her actions.


    "You say you want to be of service to me? I have but one question. Why?"


    Min-Ah was surprised when she heard Itami questioning her reason. Her father was a wealthy merchant who had business dealings with Japan. She had long since heard of the rise of the War Goddess, and Itami''s attempts to modernize Japan. The fact that a woman could have such a supreme position of power led the girl to believe perhaps she, too, could be someone of influence in Japan, unlike in her homnd.


    Of course, Min-Ah never expected the Japanese to invade and annex her homnd, but that didn''t really matter to her so long as she could make something of herself. After-all she was an ambitious girl and wanted more in life than to be some bastard''s housewife. Thus, she was quick to voice her reasoning to the Japanese Empress.


    "Here in the Joseon Dynasty, as a woman, I can''t even hope to achieve anything great. At the most, I will be married off to some man. However, in your Empire, so long as I am useful, I can make something of myself. Please, teach me your knowledge so that I can help you and your ambitions! I want to be remembered in history as something other than just a pretty face..."


    The girl''s ambition intrigued Itami. It was rare toe across a woman with such determination. Truthfully, her entire administration was filled with old men whose heads were stuck in the past. If she had a hope of defeating Berengar, then she needed people who could innovate. Perhaps Min-Ah would be the first of her subjects to ept Itami''s new ideals. Thus, after careful consideration, Itami agreed with the Min-Ah''s demands.


    "Very well. I will take you under my wing, and teach you the ways of science, however you will be under constant surveince. I don''t know if you have any ulterior motives or not. If you can agree to being watched while under my employ, then I will teach you everything I know. Perhaps you can be of some use to me!"


    Upon hearing this, Min-Ah jumped for joy, and attempted to hug Itami, but was quickly held back by the Empress''s guards. Until Min-Ah could prove trustworthy, she would be kept at an arm''s length from Itami.


    Thus, after annexing Busan, Itami hade across a random talent. One who would prove useful in the field of chemistry. Perhaps Itami had just found her version of Aldo von Passau. Or perhaps Min-Ah would remain nothing more than a pretty face. Only time would tell...

 Chapter 795 Colonial Expansion

    Chapter 795 Colonial Expansion


    While Berengar was fighting his war against the Catholic world, and Itami sought dominion over the Korean Penins, the German colonies grew and expanded as more young men and women were selected to settle into the New World.


    Aside from the pre-existing colonies of New Vienna, New Swabia, Berenstadt, and Neu Hafen. The Germans had founded colonies in what, as once known as Florida and Texas, in Berengar''s past life. These settlements were connected to the rest of the colonies by trade through the sea, and after some small skirmishes with the locals, these colonies had begun to thrive.


    As for New Vienna, it was no longer a small colony of a few hundred men and women. It was thergest colony in the new world, with over ten thousand German families living within the settlement. Day-to-day life was peaceful, thanks to the skilled diplomacy of Arnulf von Thiersee. The local tribes rarely found fault with the Settlers of New Vienna and they coexisted in peace.


    Cobblestone streets stretched throughout the city limits, and frachwerk houses littered thendscape. The fields made use of the horse powered machines that Berengar had invented long ago, and were filled to the brim with crops. One thing was certain: New Vienna was notcking when it came to a food surplus. Still, under the orders of Arnulf, the food was carefully stored in case of a bad winter, and any excess was sold to the neighboring native tribes at a fair price.


    As a colony on the other side of the Antic ocean, thetest advancements in civilization had yet to reach the shores of New Vienna. Because of that, there was a distinctiveck of industry. Instead, the colony relied on both animal and water power to aplish their daily tasks.


    Though the Colonial Expeditionary forces existed to defend the area, militias had popped up in the various small towns that existed outside the city of New Vienna. The expansion of the German Colony had been negotiated with the native tribes, and Arnulf had paid a fair price for thend.


    This was something that upset many of the settlers who believed in the fathend''s propaganda, who told them it was their divine right to conquer and settle the new world to the fullest extent. It was because of this that several men were gathered in the local beer hall where they drank their fill whileining about their lives.


    "Who the hell does the Grand Duke think he is? You all know I make a living by hunting animals and selling their hides! I went out to my favorite hunting spot yesterday and got myself a fucking bear! However, when I brought it back home, Arnulf and his cronies seized the pelt from me.


    Why would he do such a thing? Because apparently I was hunting on Mohawknds! Whatnds? These filthy savages don''t even have the concept ofnd ownership in their tribes. I swear to god, that fucking bastard''s whore of a wife is influencing him to act against the interests of the German people!


    I''ll tell you what, if the Kaiser knew about this injustice, he would do something about it! I hear the other colonies are able to fully expand as they please, and if the natives kick up a fuss, they just deploy the Colonial Expeditionary Corps to deal with them. What the hell have the five thousand cunts who were sent to New Vienna done in the past few years aside from enforcing Arnulf''sws that favor the natives?"


    Multiple men drank from their beer sses and nodded their heads in agreement with the hunter''s words. There was a rising sentiment of disagreement among the colonists with the pacifistic approach Arnulf had when it came to expansion.


    Though the tribes prospered alongside the German settlers with Arnulf''s peace, many of the more nationalistic Germans were offended that they simply weren''t taking what they needed by force. It was because of this that another man was quick to voice his discontent in addendum to the hunter''s tale.


    "Yeah, I had a simr problem. I was fishing north of where I normally do, and I caught a dozen fish in one day! However, when I returned home, they were confiscated because apparently those fishing grounds belonged to one of the native tribes, I can''t remember which. I mean, let''s be honest, all of these savages look the same.


    Fuck, I spent all day catching those fish, and that bastard Arnulf gave them away to the natives. What the hell kind of bullshit is that? If you ask me, it is his native wife who is influencing him into favoring those savages. I mean, some of the things he has done as colonial governor are borderline treasonous.


    For example, did you hear about the price that Arnulf paid in order to settle thends that the town of Adelstein was established upon? I heard it was an outrageous sum of goods, and he voluntarily gave them over to the natives in exchange for ownership of thend. What the hell? This goes against everything the Kaiser has said about colonization of the new world. We are not supposed to be negotiating; we are supposed to be conquering!


    That colony down south, what is it called Lindeburg? The one between here and the colony of Neu Hafen? Yeah, I heard they wiped out the natives in the area. Apparently, those savages attacked one of the colonists, and as a result they went on a campaign of extermination, wiping out every native within a thousand square kilometers. That''s what we should be doing!"


    The man was referencing a Colony that had been established in what was previously known as Florida in Berengar''s past life. Shortly after the German Colonials settled thend, there was an incident where a young girl was kidnapped by a local tribe. She was horrifically abused during her captivity, and when the Germans found out what she had suffered through, they went on a rampage, ughtering every tribe they came across.


    To the German people of the new world, this fierce retaliation was a statement. German citizens were untouchable, and if any harm came to them, the full might of the German Expeditionary Corps would befall any tribe unfortunate enough to have angered the Reich.


    However, Arnulf''s reaction to this news was a statement of condemnation. Something that many of the citizens beneath his governance were deeply upset about. After hearing rumors of what the girl had gone through, half of the settlers in New Vienna had the urge to go out and fight the nearby natives, who had nothing to do with the incident.


    All of these thoughts were going through the minds of the men as they got drunk and voiced theirints in the only ce they knew it was safe to do so. Ultimately, the hunter who originallyined about his pelts being stolen voiced an idea that would change thendscape of North American politics for decades.


    "It is obvious that Arnulf cares more about the wellbeing of the natives than he does about the Kaiser''s will or the glory of the fathend. I say we round up everyone who despises the current order and march north, where we will establish our own settlement. One that is truly loyal to the Kaiser. A colony that is not afraid to fight with the natives for control of this bountifulnd. For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    At first, there was utter silence when the men heard these words. After all, despite their grievances with the current political situation with the nearby tribes. New Vienna was an extremely peaceful ce, where the quality of life was the highest in the New World. If they gathered up their families and left, it would be a difficult few months, or even years, before they reached the level of luxury they lived in now.


    However, the more they thought about it, the more they realized there were hundreds of citizens like them who were pissed off about the peaceful policy with the natives, and the fact that newnd was negotiated for instead of taken. If they all worked together, they could make a better life.


    In the end, the will of the kaiser was the deciding factor. These men felt that Arnulf was disloyal to the Kaiser''s vision of a manifest destiny, and they would rather die before being disloyal to the man who made all of this possible. Thus, every man in the beer hall shouted their support for this n and elected this hunter their new leader.


    In the next few weeks, a thousand families would depart from the colony of New Vienna and head north to thends that were once known as Ottawa in Berengar''s past life. Where they would found the colony of Berenwalde. It would be the first time since Berengar''s rise to power that two German territories woulde to arms with one another, as a brief colonial dispute would follow the annexation of Algonquinnds.

 Chapter 796 Aztec Expansion

    Chapter 796 Aztec Expansion


    Tlexictli stood upon arge rock overlooking the city in the valley below. The ovepping steel scales of her armored vest shimmered underneath the scorching sun. In one hand was a short spear, and in the other was a wooden round shield that had the hide of a jaguar covering the panels. Upon her waist was a sheathed machete, which was fashioned in the style used by Colombians in Berengar''s past life.


    The Aztec ambassador to the German Empire had returned to her homnd while the Kaiser was off at war with his neighbors. Upon her arrival, she found her people were engaged in a bloody campaign with their neighbors.


    Not being one to fear conflict, Tlexictli quickly took up the spear and marched against her enemies. With the power of german steel in their hands, and the steeds of the fathend at theirmand, the Aztec Army had transformed into a powerful entity that no other Mesoamerican civilization could contend with.


    In her absence, the Aztecs had waged wars of conquest against all their neighbors. Now the only petty kingdom which remained was the Tututepec. After the Aztecs conquered this small kingdom, the only power that could oppose the might of their empire was the Mayans to the south.


    Thrilled that his daughter had returned home, the Aztec Emperor tasked her with leading his forces to conquer theirst sovereign neighbor. Upon witnessing the city preparing its meager defenses in fear of the Aztec army, Tlexictli could only sneer in disdain. The weapons that the Germans had sold to the Aztecs were beyond the limited capabilities of a stone age civilization. She quickly called out to the army, which stood within the hills and gave hermands.


    "Charge!''


    An army of ten thousand men and two thousand cavalry charged down the hills and towards the poorly defended city. Until now, the mesoamerican civilizations had no need for walls around their cities. That had proved to be the undoing of many of the Aztecs neighbors. After all, the Germans had taught their protectorate a new style of warfare, and the sieging of cities was one such aspect.


    Tlexictli led her forces down the hill and into the front lines. A mix of steel scaled armor and jaguar hides clung tightly to her overly muscr body as she thrust her spear towards the first enemy she came into contact with.


    The Aztec infantry crashed through the enemy''s wicker shields as if they were a knife through butter. Meanwhile, the archers stood back at a distance and rained down a volley of arrows upon the city''s defenders. Tlexictli cared little for the stone weapons of her enemies, after all her vital areas were well protected with steel scales, and because of that she madly dashed forward with her short spear, thrusting it through the shield of her opponent, and into his body.


    The man cried out in agony as his blood and guts spilled to the floor, before Tlexictli ripped the spearhead from his flesh. All around her the Aztec infantry were cutting through their opponents like wheat to the scythe.


    The short spear was Tlexictli''s favorite weapon, a long, almost sword like spearhead sat upon a short wooden shaft. It could be wielded adeptly with one hand, and was capable of frightening lethality, especially against the poorly armored stone age opponents that she was facing.


    Two men surrounded Tlexictli as she withdrew her spear. Despite the situation, she was not the least bit frightened. One of the men swung at her with a war club, however she simply lifted her wooden shield and deflected the blow upwards where she used her short spear to thrust into the man''s heart.


    The thin padded armor worn by her enemies had no chance of stopping the sharp steel short spear that the woman wielded. Once this man was dead, Tlexictli did not hesitate to shift her weapon towards the other man who had foolishly attacked her.


    Blood sttered across the Aztec princess''s steel d torso and marred the shimmering scales with its filth. Despite this, there was no sense of disgust on Tlexictli''s pretty face, only a savage smile as she jumped at her opponent and thrust into his neck with her weapon.


    Tlexictli had to admit, as much as she despised Berengar for what he had done to her people, without his aid, the Aztec Empire would not be able to expand to its current state. Not only were the weapons they wielded greater, but they also had a massive increase in agricultural output.


    While the woman was thinking about Berengar, an enemybatant hadunched a spear at her with his atl. It took Tlexictli but a moment to react as she quickly raised her shield, which caught the oing weapon. The man had thrown the weapon with such force that it had embedded itself in the wood, turning the Aztec princess''s shield into a useless hunk of junk. She was quick to toss the shield aside and use her free hand to unleash the machete on her waist.


    With a hint of fury in her eyes, Tlexictli rushed towards the man who had thrown the spear at her with both weapons in hand. With her right hand she thrust her short spear forward, which was parried by her opponent, only toe over the top of his weapon with her steel machete, which embedded itself in the man''s neck, severing his carotid artery in the process.


    Blood spewed from the man''s neck as Tlexictli continued to hack at the wound with her machete until the head waspletely severed from the man''s shoulders. The Aztec princess let out a loud roar as if she was the very animal whose skin she wore before leading her forces forward into the enemy''s crumbling ranks.


    .


    When fighting against steel armor and weapons with stone age technology, who would emerge victorious was obvious. Quickly, the forces of the Kingdom of Tututepec scattered and fell back. The moment they realized the battle was lost, they sought to flee the city with their families. Though they did not know where they would seek shelter from the Aztecs, they knew anything was better than being enved by the mighty empire.


    Though human sacrifice had been abolished within the Aztec Empire, the extensive ve trade wasrger than ever. Most of the ves ended up producing cocoa andtex for the Germans. However, the extremely unlucky ones would be sent to the gold mines to extract enough of the material to pay tribute to the Reich.


    Thus, it was no wonder that these men fled for their lives rather than be captured. The moment the rear ranks broke away and copsed, the Aztec Army crashed over the city like a giant tidal wave. The warriors of the Empire slew their enemies with steel in hand as they took control of the city.


    Within the hour, thest bit of resistance had fallen, and the inhabitants of Tututepec were brought out to the city''s center. Tlexictli gazed upon their sunken expressions and dered the annexation of the Tututepec Kingdom.


    "I am Princess Tlexictli of the Aztec Empire, daughter of Itzcoatl, and ambassador to the Empire of the Gods. As of today, the Kingdom of Tututepec ceases to exist as a sovereign state. With this conquest, you are now all citizens of the Aztec Empire. Those who resisted our rule shall be enved. As for the rest of you, you shall now pay tribute to Tenochtin as your overlords.


    Obey our rule and we shall be merciful. Resist further, and a life of pain and misery awaits you. I shall leave a garrison here to protect yournds from the Mayans. As for who shall preside over you, I will let you choose a representative from among your people to act as the governor of this city and the surrounding regions. If your tribute to Tenochtin iste, you can expect harsh reprisal."


    After saying this, Tlexictli turned her head and climbed upon the back of a nearby horse. She and the rest of her army, who were not selected as members of the local garrison, rode off in the capital''s direction. Thest of the petty kingdoms that surrounded the Aztec Empire had fallen. All that remained was to determine who was more powerful. The Aztecs or the Mayans.


    Tlexictli knew with the help of the Germans there was no force in the new world who was capable of defeating her people. All her people had to do was kneel before the Kaiser and pay tribute to his realm. She had to admit,pared to what was happening across Europe at the moment, her people had suffered very little in the wake of Berengar''s conquest.


    She thought about the man''s graceful appearance as he marched off to war. She swore that when he returned home, she would wrestle with him. After all, she had been spending each and every day in Kufstein learning the artform known as submission grappling. She was confident in her abilities that she would be able to beat the man. Thus, Tlexictli had a new goal as she returned to the heart of the Aztec Empire as a conquering hero.

 Chapter 797 Hungary Surrenders

    Chapter 797 Hungary Surrenders


    The German army arrived on the borders of Hungary, crossing through the safe passage that had previously been established for the purpose of trade. After all, it would be suicide to march through their own minefield. Berengar sat on Horseback as he led the cavalry past the bridge.


    Surprisingly, the Hungarian Kingdom had decided to meet him at the border. He was prepared to open fire on them and eliminate what remained of their army. However, they were flying white gs symbolizing that they hade to discuss peace.


    Berengar did not desire to end the war so swiftly, he still had to ce his puppet on the throne of Hungary. He was prepared to deny any and all conditions that the Hungarian emissary presented to him. However, to his surprise, the man he had in mind to take the ce of the new King, held the old king as a hostage.


    The Hungarian monarch was bound and chained as he was dragged out to meet with Berengar. Who gazed upon the scene with a cautious re. Viktor pulled out the Hungarian crown from his satchel and knelt before the German kaiser as he presented it.


    "Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, I along with mypatriots, have overthrown our monarch, and now present the crown to you. We wish to halt the bloodshed before any more of our men are killed in this pointless crusade. The Papacy is dead, the Kings of Europe have all either perished or gone missing. The throne of Hungary is yours. Please do with it as you wish!"


    Berengar scoffed as he grabbed hold of the Hungarian Crown. Thest thing he wanted was to merge Germany and Hungary. He knew the results of such a diverse Empire and did not want the internal strife such a thing would create. Instead, the Kaiser asked the man a question while holding onto the crown with hesitation.


    "Are you V��szoly Viktor?"


    The Hungarian nobleman raised his head in shock as he heard these words. He did not expect someone as powerful as the kaiser to know his name. He quickly nodded his head thrice before responding to the question that was presented to him.


    "Yes, your majesty. I''m surprised that you know my name?"


    Berengar smiled gently before cing the crown on the young man''s head, which shocked the Hungarian army as they witnessed the event.


    "V��szoly Viktor, I name you the King of Hungary. From this day forward, your Kingdom shall pay tribute to the Reich as a protectorate. In order to cement this suzerainty, you will agree to betrothing your sister Noemi to my first son, Hans. From this day forward, the V��szoly family shall reign as the monarchs of Hungary. Now rise King V��szoly Viktor!"


    It took a few moments for Berengar''s words to register in Viktor''s mind, however after a few moments of silence, he raised to a standing position and swore a vow of loyalty to the Kaiser.


    "I King V��szoly Viktor of Hungary, hereby swear eternal loyalty to the German Empire and the von Kufstein dynasty. From this day until the end of days, the people of Hungary shall pay tribute to the Reich in exchange for your protection."


    The Hungarian Army remained silent as theymented their loss of sovereignty. They knew when they initiated their coup that they would have to exchange something in order to spare their lives. They just did not know that they would be forced to be a tributary of the Reich. However, this meant that they, at the very least, would not starve in theing years.


    Over a million young men lie dead across Europe, others were stranded in the far corners of the Mediterranean with no way home. Most of the European Kingdoms would have difficulty maintaining their fields, and would surely suffer from famine in the near future. By bing a tributary of the Reich, Hungary could rely on the ever-increasing food stores of Germany to survive. Albeit they would have to pay a fair price, but it was better than starvation.


    After remaining silent for some time, Berengar spoke up. It quite surprised him that the Hungarian nobles had rebelled against their king and gift-wrapped the man for Berengar''s vengeance. Berengar gazed into the eyes of the shivering monarch with a cruel smirk on his face as he questioned how he would execute the man.


    "I must say, you have been a thorn in my side since you first sent troops into Bohemia all those years ago. However, now that I finally have you, I ampletely undecided about how I should kill you. You know what? I think I might just boil you in pitch. That should be a suiting end to your reign of terror. You fucking Catholic bootlicker!"


    The Hungarian King pleaded for mercy, but it was no use. Berengar had decided to execute the man. It would send the message that the era of Catholicism had ended. With this monarch''s death, the only Catholic King who would be left in the world was Aubry, and he was not exactly a symbol to rally behind.


    "Please... My kaiser, have mercy on me! I swear I will do whatever you ask of me so long as you spare my worthless life!"


    Berengar sneered in disdain when he heard the man begging him. Where was his resolve to enter the pearly gates of heaven? As a result, Berengar kicked the man in the head and ordered his guards to take the former monarch away.


    "Take this coward away. The man is not even worth his weight in piss!"


    The Hungarian Army watched as the soldiers of the Reich carried the former king of Hungary away. However, their attention was quickly diverted when Berengar addressed the new King with a modicum of respect.


    "King V��szoly, you may return home with your men in peace. You have much work to do if you wish to recover from the substantial losses that your people have suffered in this senseless conflict. I will send an emissary in theing days who will negotiate your official surrender. As for your sister, consider her a ward under my protection until the day my sones of age and marries her. You can trust that she will be well provided so long as she lives in Germany."


    Viktor bowed his head with the utmost respect as he responded to Berengar''s orders in the most courteous way possible.


    "As you wish, your Majesty. I will be happy to ept whatever terms you present to me. I thank you for your benevolence in this regard."


    After saying that, the Hungarian King departed back to his capital. He indeed had much to do in theing days if he wished to recover from this disaster of a crusade. As for Berengar, he looked north towards Pnd and ordered his troops to deploy to their next target.


    "The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been an eyesore for too long. It is time we humble them. It is a shame the Polish King is dead. I suppose the Grand Duke of Lithuania will suffice as a tribute to our conquest."


    With this said, the German Army marched into its eastern neighbors. Their purpose was twofold. Dissolve the Polish-Lithuanianmonwealth into two separate states and impose puppets on both thrones.


    After all, it would be nice to have a buffer state between thends of the Reich, and that of the Rus. Though Berengar did not intend to allow the Rus to unify in his lifetime, it was impossible to say whether or not they would eventually get their shit together and unite against his sessors.


    The Kaiser figured he would have toe up with a long-term n to prevent Russian unification from ever happening in this world. Thus, as Berengar was marching his army east into Pnd-Lithuania, he was conceiving a devilish plot to disrupt Russia''s natural progress from happening.


    With Hungary''s surrender, the war was entering its ending stages. All that was left was to defeat the remnants of the Polish-Lithuanian Army and those of Burgundy. Once he had installed his puppets in those two regions, the war would be officially over, and the era of German Hegemony woulde to fruition.


    Once the war was over, Berengar nned to rx for a few years, and focus on civil development. Unfortunately for him, the Rise of the Japanese Empire was around the corner, and the moment he returned home, he would be bombarded with the intelligence Linde had collected on this matter.


    There was truly no rest for the Kaiser in his life. After defeating one enemy, he would be thrust into another theater of war. Such was his life for the past ten years, and for the foreseeable future. Of course, he did not know about the existence of the Japanese Empire, or their ns for the Indian Subcontinent, and because of that, he was able to look forward to a peaceful future he foolishly thought was on the horizon.

 Chapter 798 Roommates

    Chapter 798 Roommates


    Word hade over the wire that Hungary had officially surrendered. Linde gazed at the telegram that sat on her husband''s desk and smiled. She had worked hard to redeem herself in the eyes of her husband after getting in the way of his ns for Hungarian session. Without him even noticing, she had anticipated his moves perfectly.


    By dispatching her agents to the Kingdom of Hungary to stoke the ire of the noble families, Linde had ensured that the former Hungarian monarch was ousted before her husband ever step foot in hisnds. She also worked behind the scenes to strengthen Viktor''s im to the throne.


    Despite previously holding animosity towards Noemi, and the young girl''s ns to monopolize Han''s attentions, Linde was had forced herself to ovee her emotions, and act in the interest of the Reich. However, that did not mean that she would treat the girl so kindly. Today it was her responsibility to greet this new ward, and establish her living quarters within the Imperial Pce.


    Linde had gone out of her way to specifically make Noemi''s life difficult, not in any overtly aggressive fashion, but in the form of passive aggressiveness. Thus, she had a cruel smile on her pretty face as the redheaded bombshell nned to take her vengeance against a teenage girl who was at least ten years younger than herself. If Berengar could witness the pettiness of his favorite bride, he would only shake his head and make a crass remark about the vile nature of women.


    However, he was not present for this asion, and as a result, he would not bear witness to the spectacle that was about to ur. After reading the telegram, Linde pulled out a lighter from Berengar''s desk drawer and lit it a me, once the document was turned into ash, she departed from her husband''s office, and returned to the master suite where her clothing, essories, and cosmetics lie in wait for her.


    Linde had gone all out with her appearance, more so than usual. Though the woman prided herself on her natural beauty, she had gone the extra mile by fluffing her hair and applying the finest cosmetics manufactured in the reich to her elegant face. After ensuring that she looked her best, Linde ced a small tiara on the top of her hair.


    This tiara was made of white gold and was encrusted with sky blue topaz gemstones which matched perfectly with her dress. In fact, her ne, earrings, and wedding ring were all made of the same minerals. The piercing of one''s ears was not amon practice in the reich. In fact, any form of body modification was considered taboo by society atrge. As a result, the women of Germany relied on clip on earrings to adorn their lobes.


    After ensuring that she was at her best, Linde confidently strode out to the courtyard to greet the young minx which sought to steal her firstborn''s attention. Upon exiting the Pce and entering the courtyard, Linde noticed the carriage which had been used to transport the girl to the pce.


    The young empress had to admit, this girl had a remarkably simr appearance to herself. She might even consider the possibility that Noemi was a long-lost half-sister if she wasn''t so sure that herte father had never visited Hungary in his life.


    Noemi gazed upon Linde''s beauty and stopped in her tracks. Her mouth was practically agape. This was the second time she had met with the Empress, and she was even more beautiful than before. She instantly lowered her head in shame. She did not know why she was brought to the pce, but after herst meeting with Linde, she suspected that she was in trouble. The young Hungarian beauty immediately tried to defend herself, but was surprised to see Linde''s reaction.


    "Your majesty, I swear I have not approached Hans since ourst encounter. Please forgive me for whatever transgression I may havemitted against your family! Eep!"


    Noemi was caught by surprise when Lindetched her arms around her and took the girl into her embrace. A soothing tone erupted from the young Empress''s voice as she stroked her newest daughter-inw''s silky red hair.


    "Shhh... That''s all in the past, my dear Noemi. Things have changed, and naturally I must evolve with the times. Your brother Viktor has been named King of Hungary and, as a sign of submission to the Kaiser, he has offered you up to be Hans'' fourth bride.


    You are now my daughter-inw, just like Veronika and Natalia. As of this moment, you are a ward of the von Kufstein dynasty, and shall live here in the Pce. As for your caretaker, she has been given appropriatepensation in order to ensure that she lives a fine life here in Kufstein. Come, let''s get you settled in."


    This news dumbfounded Noemi. How was her brother the King of Hungary? What about her father? He would never agree to her even being within the Reich, let alone marrying one of its princes. She had so many questions on her mind as the older woman dragged her into the Pce.


    While Linde may have seemed like she was being sincere and kind in her actions, in reality, she had designed a special kind of hell for Noemi during her initial stay in the Pce. Linde purposefully did not reveal that the girl''s father had died in battle. After all, she wanted Noemi''s life to be difficult for the time being, but she didn''t want to break the girl''s heart. She would reveal that bombshell once the Hungarian beauty had settled into her life in the pce.


    After turning the corner into the living area of the Pce, Linde opened the door to the room that Noemi would be staying in. She had a wide smile on her face as she revealed her marvellous n to make Noemi ufortable. However before she could get a word out she heard the shrieking cries of two women enraged with each other.


    "What is she doing here!?!"


    "Why is this thieving bitch in my room!?!"


    Linde forced a pretty smile as she observed the situation in great detail. Veronika was lying on her bed while reading a book. However, the moment the door opened, she witnessed the sight of her bitter rival. The sly cat who tried to steal her precious Hans away from her. Miraculously, Linde was by her side, leading her into the room.


    Likewise, Noemi was equally astonished. She never expected to barge into the room of Hans''s number one girl. However, after being called a thieving bitch by the heterochromia beauty, Noemi was equally outraged and demanded answers.


    "What is the meaning of this?"


    Linde continued to wear a pretty smile as she exined the situation to the two girls who were practically at each other''s throats.


    "For the time being, you two will be sharing a room! Since Noemi doesn''t know how things work around here at the pce, I thought it would be great if she had a mentor to teach her how to properly behave herself. Immediately, I thought of little Veronika, after all, you are both at a simr age, and are both engaged to my precious baby boy. Who would be better suited to the task?"


    Veronika was livid. Not only was she forced to share a room with this busty bitch, but she also found out that the girl was now engaged to her fiance. It was one thing for Natalia to be Hans''s bride. After all, Veronika had lived with the girl long enough to consider her a little sister. However, Noemi was a scheming bitch, and she had no intention of sharing her man with such a harlot.


    However, when she saw Linde''s frightening gaze cast over her, she immediately felt as if she had been buried in a coffin made of ice. Linde had the ability to wear a pretty smile while concealing terrifying eyes. When she stared at you in such a way, you felt as if a guillotine was hovering over your neck. Thus, Veronika was quick to bow her head and submit to the will of the Empress.


    "Yes, Kaiserin, I understand..."


    It shocked Noemi when she saw Veronika behave so submissively towards Linde. She had not witnessed the intense stare that the woman concealed behind her pretty smile, and thus did not understand the fear that Veronika felt.


    Nor was Noemi aware of the massive number of deaths that the redheaded beauty''s keen mind had orchestrated. Linde was by far the most frightening woman in the reich, and possibly the world. However, very few people knew this truth. Thus, most people treated her as nothing more than a pretty face. That grave mistake had been the undoing of many men.


    After seeing Veronika behave herself, Linde smiled once more before departing. However, she left behind onest bit of advice before she disappeared around the corner.


    "Veronika, since you are Noemi''s mentor of imperial etiquette, I will hold you responsible if anything were to happen. I trust that you will teach her thoroughly. That''s all for now. Have fun, you two!"


    After saying this, Linde disappeared. It was only after she was out of earshot that Veronika sighed heavily before revealing her true thoughts of the woman.


    "Scheming bitch!"


    Veronika''s sudden change of character astounded Noemi. She instantly questioned the heterochromia beauty about her two faced nature.


    "If you think about her in such a manner, why don''t you express it to her face?"


    Veronika stared at Noemi in disbelief. There was no way this girl was so stupid, to actively pursue the cub of such a fearsome lioness without even realizing the terror behind that pretty smile. She sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts on the matter.


    "That''s a good way to get yourself killed. Linde may not look like it, but she is the most frightening entity in this entire pce. Berengar may be a bloodthirsty warlord who hasmanded the deaths of millions, but Linde is the mastermind behind his entire intelligencework, and an incredibly petty one at that. It''s honestly a goddamn miracle that you haven''t vanished yet. However, keep up that mentality, and it is only a matter of time.


    Hell, she probably orchestrated this mess so that I can keep you from getting too close to Hans. Linde is incredibly possessive of her loved ones, and anyone who gets in the way of her rtionship with them seems to disappear.


    If I had to guess, I''d say that Linde is hostile to you, and not me, because she probably sees you as a threat to her maternal role in Hans''s life. The only reason you aren''t buried in an unmarked grave is because of Berengar''s influence. You should remember that before you go do something stupid like talk back to the woman, or insult her to her face."


    It astonished Noemi to learn such a wicked truth about Linde. The most beautiful woman she had everid eyes on was truly terrifying. Linde looked like an Angel, but was really a devil in disguise, one that would im her soul should she step out of line. It was at this moment, Noemi decided to maintain a respectful distance from Hans, and follow Veronika''s every word now that they were roommates.

 Chapter 799 Swift Conquest of Burgundy

    Chapter 799 Swift Conquest of Burgundy


    Months had passed since the Reich''s war with the Catholic world began. The result was aplete and total victory. Germany had defeated the armies of its enemies, and now its own forces swarmed across Christendom to remove the old nobility from power and install their puppets on the thrones of the European Kingdoms.


    The Duchy of Burgundy was no exception. During their initial invasion of the low countries, the people greeted the German soldiers as liberators. However, the foolish nobles clung to their ancient ways, and in their hubris had beheaded a German messenger. The result was aplete and total purging of the Burgundian nobility throughout the londs.


    Castle after castle, city after city, the Germans marched through the londs and obliterated the noble families who had once held absolute authority over the entire region. By the time they made their way into the hearnd of the Burgundian State, the enemy had willingly surrendered, in fear that they might suffer the same treatment as those in their northern territories.


    The German General who was tasked with leading his army into Burgundy sat at a table in the Castle that once belonged to the Duke of Burgundy. After Marcel''s death in Naples, his young nephew had ascended to the ducal throne. Naturally, as a man who had a penchant for cross-dressing boys, Marcel had left behind no heirs to seed him.


    As a result, a child of nine years of age was the current acting Duke of Burgundy, though his reign had notsted long before the German army forced their way into his home and demanded his abdication. This boy''s name was Bernard, and he was currently in a discussion with the German General to quietly abandon his birthright.


    Lieutenant General Willehelm Krieger sat across from the boy and his regent with a stern expression on his face. It had been many years since he led a smallpany of men to put down brigands within the borders of the Duchy of Austria.


    As Austria rose in prominence to a mighty Kingdom which now dominated a vast Empire, so too did this officer. He was now themanding officer of the First Corps of the Imperial German Army and was the man tasked with negotiating the Burgundian surrender.


    "Bernard de Burgundy, it is in your best interest to willingly abdicate your throne. The war is over, your army is defeated, and now the Duchy of Burgundy acts as a natural border between the Reich and the Kingdom of France. Naturally, we can''t have a small child such as yourself to fulfill such an important role. No, someone who the Kaiser trusts will be appointed in charge of this realm.


    I will not state my demands again, abdicate your throne, and profess whoever the Kaiser chooses to be your sessor as the legitimate Duke of Burgundy. If you do so, we will allow you to retire to the countryside to live out the rest of your days in peace and prosperity."


    The young boy looked up at his regent, which was his mother, with a pleading gaze. In truth, he wanted nothing to do with the throne. Though the previous Duke had never outright abused the boy, Marcel had been grooming his nephew to take Aubry''s ce as his future lover, going so far as to dress the young child up in girl''s clothing. Naturally Bernard felt deeply ufortable even associating with the title Duke of Burgundy.


    Though his mother was aware of the previous duke''s proclivities. She had ignored Marcel''s scandalous actions in return for appropriatepensation. It took one look at the woman and her unyielding expression for the German General to understand her wicked character. The woman was quick to reject Willehelm''s kindness, as she desired the power and authority that came with her son being Duke.


    "We have no intentions of abdicating the throne-"


    Before she could continue her defiant speech, Willehelm raised one finger and shushed the woman. She was about to scream at him when she felt the butt of a rifle smack against the back of her head. It wasn''t a heavy enough strike to knock her out, but it stung like hell. Upon seeing his mother being treated so roughly, the boy remained silent. The German General noticed this and began to speak with Bernard directly.


    "Bernard, I''m not talking to your mother. I don''t give a damn about her opinion. I need YOUR answer. Will you abdicate your throne and retire to the countryside? If your mother is a problem, I can even arrange for you to be adopted by a loving German couple who are looking to have a family. You can live a happy and prosperous life in the Reich if you so choose. You just have to say the word."


    The boy was about to ept the offer when his mother recovered from the attack and screamed at him.


    "Bernard, if you dare to abdicate your throne, I will never forgive you!"


    The womanshed out at her son when she saw the hesitation in his eyes. However, she was quickly restrained by the German soldiers. Willehelm felt a bit of pity for the boy before pointing out his mother''s actions were far from nurturing.


    "Boy, you may be too young to understand, but that is not how your mother is supposed to act. She doesn''t care about you, she only cares about the power and authority thates with the position you have inherited. If you want to grow up in a healthy environment, I suggest you take some time to consider my offer. Ask yourself this: what is it that you want in life?"


    Willehelm did not enjoy putting such an important decision on the shoulders of a young boy, but he had no choice. This child was the current Duke of Burgundy, and his bitch of a mother was willing to risk his life just to cling onto some tiny semnce of power and authority.


    Bernard gazed upon his mother''s hateful expression as she was bound and gagged by the German soldiers, before shaking his head. In truth, he had always known that his mother did not have his best interests at heart. He even feared her. However, he just never wanted to admit it. Now that he was given a choice for a better life, he would be a fool not to take it. With tears in his eyes, the boy gritted his teeth before nodding his head in eptance of the General''s n.


    "I, Bernard de Burgundy, first of my name hereby abdicate my ducal throne, and grant dominion over my family''snds to Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein."


    Willehelm wished he could smile upon hearing such words, but it was too pitiful of a situation for him to find any enjoyment in it. He sighed heavily, before pulling out a treaty, where the boy hastily signed away the rights to the Duchy of Burgundy. After doing so, he gazed at his mother''s hate-filled expression onest time before asking Willehelm the question on his mind.


    "Can you promise me a good family? Far away from the likes of my uncle, or my mother?"


    Willehelm looked at the hopeful expression in the boy''s eyes before nodding his head. He had a bitter smile on his face as he reflected on the whole situation.


    "My cousin is incapable of having children due to an ident, but he and his wife desire a son of their own. They are good people, from an honest background. I am sure they would be happy to adopt you as their son..."


    Bernard''s tears dried up as he heard this and quickly epted the German General''s officer with a kind smile on his face.


    "Thank you!"


    After signing over the Duchy of Burgundy to the German Empire, Bernard was led out of his family''s castle, and united with a loving family within the boundaries of the Reich. The boy had no siblings to speak of, and his mother was thrown into abor camp after being convicted of child abuse.


    As a result of this conflict, the Duchy of Burgundy was split into two. The Reich officially annexed the regions with a German Majority, and what little remained became a small client state acting as a border realm between the Kingdom of France and the German Empire.

 Chapter 800 The Ming Princes Tour of the CityPart l

    Chapter 800 The Ming Prince''s Tour of the CityPart l


    Linde was sitting across from her young son, Hans, who had a pouting expression on his face. His mother had just given him an order that he did not want to fulfill. Thus, he could not help but repeat her words as if they were simply unbelievable.


    "You want me to take the Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor on a tour of the city? Give me one reason why I should?"


    Linde red at her son with a look of fury in her sky-blue eyes before speaking in a stern tone. Hans was smart enough to know that he should fear his mother and her womanly wrath. Thus, as she spoke to him, he bowed his head in submission.


    "Because, Hans, I am your mother, and I told you to do so. That should be reason enough, however if you must know the intent behind my request, it is because you share the same position as Zhu Zhi, and it would be best for his equal to take him around the city.


    I''m not asking you to take the two men on a boring tour to the industrial sector, or to the graveyard. I''m asking you to show off the wealth and prosperity of the reich. Be a good boy, and do this for mommy, won''t you, Hans?"


    It was amazing how the woman could so effortlessly shift her expression from a scolding mother to a loving one. When Linde spoke to her son in such a way, he could only avert his gaze and ept her request. Even if he did not want to do so.


    "Fine..."


    In response to this, Linde wore a radiant smile as she hugged her boy and kissed him on the forehead multiple times. The very act of which caused Hans great embarrassment.


    "That''s my good boy! Thank you so much Hans, you are really helping mommy out!"


    While Linde was showering her firstborn son with unwanted affection, the two esteemed guests arrived in the room and witnessed the scene with the same sense of embarrassment that Hans himself was feeling. Even though Linde noticed their entry immediately, she continued to hug and kiss her son until the boy had enough and shoved her away. After which she pouted for a brief second before shifting her attention to Dharya and Zhu Zi.


    "Emperor Dharya, Prince Zhi, thank you foring on such short notice. Today is such a wonderful day that I figured I would allow Hans here to take you on a tour of the city. You''re not busy, are you?"


    Zhu Zhi gazed upon the angelic, redheaded beauty and her pleading expression, and immediately nodded his head in eptance. For whatever reason, this woman had some form of sway over him. Though he had desired to go on a tour of the city ever since he first arrived in Kufstein, he had concerns about a young child being his tour guide. However, Linde''s natural charm was enough topel him to ept her offer. Which he did so in the most respectful way possible.


    "I have nothing nned for the day. It would be my honor for the young Prince Hans to guide me around the city. I look forward to it very much."


    Since the moment the two young men stepped foot in the room, Hans had put on the facade of an average nine-year-old boy. Though Dharya was aware to some extent of Hans''s hyper intellect and true personality, Zhu Zhi was not so well informed. Hans rarely revealed his true self around others. In fact, the only people who were aware of his true mindset were his parents, his fiancees, and his younger sister Helga. Thus, he quickly stood up from his seat and approached the two guests with an innocent smile on his face.


    "If mommy says so, then I would be happy to lead you both through the city!"


    Linde smiled and patted Hans''s red hair as he stood by her side. The loving expression on her pretty face as she dealt with her son made both Dharya''s and Zhu Zhi''s hearts race. As much as the Anangpur emperor was thankful to Berengar for saving his sister, and allowing the two exiled siblings to enjoy a life of peace and prosperity in the reich, he deeply envied the man for having such a wonderful woman as his wife. While the two men were busy controlling their heightened emotions, Linde bent down in front of her son and hugged him one more time before whispering in his ear.


    "Be on your best behavior, or mommy will give you a spanking!"


    Hans''s face paled as he heard these words, but his innocent facade did not crack in the slightest. His parents had never disciplined him so severely before, thus if his mother was threatening him with a spanking for misbehaving, this little request of hers must be something critical to diplomacy. Immediately after threatening her son, Linde broke away from the boy and pinched his cheeks before sending him off.


    "Alright Hans, be a good boy for mommy, and have fun!"


    Just when Hans was about to leave with the Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor in tow, a peculiar sight urred. Linde''s pet cat named Midnight sprinted through the room and up onto the windowsill. His tail was puffed to its fullest extent, and he began to hiss at the creature which chased after it. Genseric the leopard cub was in a yful mood as it chased after Linde''s pet cat. The sight of which caused Linde to scold the cub.


    "Bad Genseric! You need to stop harassing my poor midnight!"


    The leopard cub had a sullen expression on its face as it hid its tail between its legs. It was intelligent enough to understand Linde''s words and quickly became depressed. It just wanted to y a little with its closest kin. The distressed state of the cub caused Linde''s heart to bleed as she bent down and picked up the Genseric before stroking its silky fur.


    "Oh, I''m sorry baby, I didn''t mean to be so harsh. You need to know that midnight is not the same type of cat as you, and you will scare him with your strength!"


    Midnight stared at his master, who was pampering his greatest rival with disbelief. He immediately pawed out to her, which caused the redheaded beauty to ce the leopard cub on the floor and give some love to her favorite pet.


    "Don''t be jealous, midnight. Genseric is your little brother, and you need to get along with him! One day, he will be big and strong and can protect you against anything! It will be good for you to foster a sibling rtionship with him when you can!"


    The way Linde treated the two cats as her children caused Hans to facepalm in embarrassment. He seriously did not understand why the woman had such a soft spot for the felidae family. While Hans hid his head with shame, Zhu Zhi was more surprised that an actual leopard cub was being treated as a house pet by everyone in the room. Even the Anangpur Empire seemed to ept it as if it were something normal. However, before he could speak up about this peculiarity, Hans grabbed hold of his hand and led him towards the courtyard.


    "Let''s go... It''s best to leave mommy alone when she''s fawning over her cats..."


    Hans led his two guests out the door and into the courtyard, where an automobiley in wait for them. The cab was closed, and the vehicle was armored to protect against potential threats. Despite this, it looked like a normal car. Both Zhu Zhi and Dharya stared in awe at the vehicle. This was the Ming Prince''s second time seeing such a thing and the Anangpur Emperor''s first, and they were quick to ask about the device.


    "Prince Hans, do you mind exining to us what this device is? It doesn''t appear to have any animals pulling it, and yet it is capable of motion. I don''t believe I am the only one who is deeply confused about this?"


    A member of the Reichsgarde, who was dressed in his ceremonial uniform, opened the door to the car and allowed the group entry into the vehicle. Hans quickly informed his guests of what he knew about the car as he rxed in the fine leather interior with a cup of milk in his hands that was provided to him by the driver.


    "Father calls it an automobile. It is one of his newest inventions. It is designed as a means to transport people and cargo around town. I don''t know much about how it functions, but such vehicles are bing moremon across the Reich with each passing day. Though generally you will see busses on the streets instead of individual cars such as this."


    In truth, Hans had enough knowledge of basic engineering concepts to understand the principle behind the car''s power train. However, such information was far too advanced for someone who came from a pre-industrial era country to properlyprehend. Thus, he chose to feign ignorance.


    The driver inserted the keys into the ignition and started the vehicle. Within a few seconds, the automobile was propelling out of the Pce''s driveway and towards Kufstein''s Trade district. Hans had no interest in exining how the German government worked for the Ming Prince and instead wanted to his two guests to see the economic progress of the Empire''s capital.


    Thus, the trio began their journey around the City of Kufstein, one that would leave a favorable impression on the Ming Prince. Many changes had taken ce in the months since Dharya and his sister were given a tour around Kufstein. The city had rapidly developed, and today would be another shocking day for the Anangpur Emperor.

 Chapter 801 Ending the War

    Chapter 801 Ending the War


    Berengar sat on a sofa inside the Pce of Krak��w. After defeating the Kingdom of Hungary, he had rapidly transported his army to his Empire''s eastern border with Pnd via the Reich''s national railway. After arriving at the border, he marched his army to hisst remaining enemy''s capital.


    The King of Pnd and his eldest son were dead, leaving a small child with the position. As for the Grand Duke of Lithuania, he was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, which was the same dynasty which ruled over Pnd. Because of this, he was present in the Krakow pce, sitting across from Berengar with a nervous expression on his face. Currently, Berengar red at the Grand Duke while stating his demands.


    "The war is over, your armies are drowned in the Mediterranean. Your King is presumed dead, and Germany now upies your capital without the slightest resistance. You have no power to resist my demands. Which is good, because they are quite simple.


    Princess Natalia is to marry my son Hans when the two of theme of age. The heir of their union shall be the next king of Pnd. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is to be annexed by the Kingdom of Pnd, and form a single Kingdom under the rule of my grandson.


    In the meantime, I will ce a man that I trust as the Steward of Pnd, who shall rule until the next Kinges of age to seed the throne. There is no room for negotiations. You are allpletely at my mercy, and I intend to make the most of it."


    The Grand Duke of Lithuania grimaced when he heard the extent of the German demands. It was utterly humiliating. Not only had they suffered unimaginable losses in this war, but the dynasty that had ruled over Pnd for centuries would be removed from power. In its ce, a German Prince would be King and the von Kufstein dynasty would reign for the foreseeable future.


    Though Berengar was right, he could not very well refuse, or else the German Army would unleash hell upon Krak��w, just as they had done to Warsaw years prior. This was something that the Grand Duke had to avoid at all costs. Thus, he begrudgingly signed Berengar''s horrendous peace treaty.


    After seeing the man sign away the rights to his Kingdom, Berengar wore a cruel smile as he stood up and prepared to return to the borders of the Reich. With the surrender of Italy, Burgundy, Hungary, and Pnd-Lithuania, there was only one Kingdom left who was foolish enough to side with the Papacy in this brutal conflict. Upon exiting the door to the room in which they had negotiated the treaty in, Berengar halted his steps and looked back onest time, before giving a sinister warning to the Grand Duke of Lithuania.


    "Twice in one decade I have had to send my armies into Pnd. If I have to do so again, I will burn this wretched backwood to the ground. Do I make myself clear?"


    The Grand Duke of Pnd turned pale when he heard this threat before nodding his head in obedience. Upon seeing this, Berengar departed from the pce and regrouped with his Army. When his officers gathered around him, he dispatched his orders.


    "We will march back to the closest railway station. From there, we can send home the men in our army. The war is nearly over. All that is left is for me to cross via a train into Hamburg and set sail for Windsor. Where I will force whatever Pitiful Prince has seeded that fool Lawrence into a simr treaty that Pnd must endure."


    Upon hearing these orders, the German officers quickly ryed them to the soldiers, who began the short trek back to the fathend. They were all relieved to hear that after months of fighting, they would return home. As for Berengar, the moment he found the nearest train station, he rode all the way to Hamburg, where he boarded a frigate and sailed the Sixth Fleet across the North Sea and into the river Thames, where the men disembarked into the Pce at Windsor.


    The Germans had already wiped out the English Army on the Sinai Penins, and what few troops remained as a garrison did not dare engage the German Marines inbat. Berengar marched his soldiers through the streets until they entered the Courtyard of Windsor Pce, where he entered the building along with apany of his Reichsgarde.


    The current King was a teenage boy by the name of James. It petrified him when he saw the Germans enter his home unannounced. He had not been expecting them to so boldlynd on the shores of Ennd. James stared at the one eyed Kaiser in disbelief as he struggled to find the words to speak.


    Berengar merely scoffed when he saw that the teenage boy was practically wetting himself in fear. He immediately motioned for the kid to sit down at a nearby table. James''s legs were about to buckle in terror, and he was thankful that he was allowed to sit. Once the boy had taken his seat, Berengar sat across from him and red in silence for several moments before uttering the words in his mind.


    "I wonder... Do I need to kill you and rece you with someone who will ept my demands, or will you be wise enough to do as you''re told? Let me make this abundantly clear to you. Your King is presumed dead. What remains of your army is being picked clean by jackals and carrions as we speak, and you have no ability to continue this fight. If you resist, I will order my warships to bombard this city until nothing remains.


    Since you have no ability to resist my demands, I will state them outright, and if you refuse, I will shoot you in the head and drag out one of your siblings to sign my words intow. Am I understood?"


    At this point, James could not contain his dder anymore and wet his pants. When Berengar saw this, he felt enraged, as if the boy''s actions were the ultimate disrespect. He grabbed the young man by the nape of his neck and mmed his head into the puddle he had left on the floor.


    "You fucking cunt, do you have any idea how much these boots cost? You dare to dirty my feet with your urine? Clean it up, now!"


    James whimpered and cried as he was forced to lick up his own mess. He wanted to throw up, but resisted the urge to do so, fearing that he might be forced to clean up such a mess himself. After literally licking Berengar''s boots clean. Berengar released his hold over the boy and sat him down once again while letting him off with a warning.


    "Do that again, and I will shoot you in the head. Now... where were we? Oh, right! My demands. As of this moment, the House of Lancaster shall cede all titles and holdings to the von Kufstein Dynasty. Specifically to my son Kristoffer. Until hees of age, I will act as Regent of Ennd, and leave a Steward to clean up this shithole of Kingdom and the mess that your father made.


    As for your dynasty, I really don''t care what you do, but should you dare to raise your banners in rebellion against my son, or even so much as make a drunken im over Ennd I will obliterate every member of your family and all of your cadet branches. Do I make myself clear?"


    James was crying profusely, but he managed to nod his head and spoke up in agreement.


    "Yes..."


    Upon saying this, Berengar smiled and pat the boy on the head before reassuring him everything will be fine.


    "Good, do not fret, clearly by the way you are acting, you would have never made a good King. You should take sce in the fact that a proper ruler will be guiding your people in the future."


    After saying this, Berengar departed from Windsor and made the long voyage back to Kufstein. On this day, he had forced thest two of his remaining enemies into submission. He chuckled to himself when he realized the Scots were the only Catholic Kingdom that had been wise enough to stay out of the war. However, they would be dealt with in theing years by his son, who would unify the British isles into a single Kingdom.


    As of this moment, the war with the Papacy was over, and the German Empire held hegemony over all of Europe. After ten years, Berengar had finally finished his lifelong goal. Now he could spend the rest of his life in peace and prosperity. Or so he thought. Unfortunately for Berengar, another threaty in the far east, one that would demand his attention for many years toe.

 Chapter 802 The Ming Princes Tour of the CityPart ll

    Chapter 802 The Ming Prince''s Tour of the CityPart ll


    While Berengar was on his way back home after putting an end to the war he was fighting against the catholic world. Hans was taking the Ming Prince Zhu Zhi, and the Anangpur Emperor Dharya Tomara on a tour of the city. The first noticeable difference from this tour, and thest one that Dharya had taken part of, were the streetlights which were on every corner. Though they were inactive due to it being day time.


    The next surprising change was the streetlights which hung in the air and provided traffic signals to those who drove vehicles. Dharya gazed with shock upon these devices, and Zhu Zhi was even more astonished, quickly asking what the source of the streetlight''s "me" was.


    "Tell me something. How do you provide fire to these lights that are strung in the air? Are they reced daily? I''m curious how they function."


    Hans took a sip from his milk before responding to the man''s question with an innocent expression on his face.


    "I don''t believe they use fire, but some new technology that my father invented. I could not tell you exactly how they function, but they are powered all day and night. We use these lights to direct traffic, and avoid vehicr idents. Anyway, we should be arriving at the trade district soon. Once we get to our destination, we will continue on foot."


    Zhu Zhi and Dharya continued to gaze in disbelief at the streetlights which operated nonstop until they arrived in the trade district. Immediately after stepping out of the Vehicle, Zhu Zhi noticed that the men who walked the streets parted ways for the young Prince of Germany and his guests, giving the boy a crisp nod as they walked on. The women, on the other hand, would give a slight bow to Hans before quickly scurrying out of his way.


    The level of respect the German people gave their Prince differed from what was expected in the Ming Dynasty. In the East, the people practically worshipped the royal family, and would stand on ceremony to kiss their asses.


    However, the Germans were a far more utilitarian people. If they had to clear the entire street simply to allow the prince and his party to walk by, nothing would ever get done. Thus, they made room for him, and showed their respect in a far more subtle approach.


    Hans could tell the Ming Prince was bbergasted and quickly inquired what was wrong, seeking to remedy the situation.


    "Is there something wrong, Prince Zhi?"


    Zhu Zhi naturally expressed his confusion as he watched the people of Kufstein walk by without incident.


    "I''m just a little surprised that themoners are not clearing the way for our group. Should they not make the streets open for us to walk upon?"


    Hans looked at Zhu Zhi as if he were an idiot once more before expressing the differences in German and Ming culture.


    "We have no such rules. From our perspective, if we were to clear the streets every time a member of the royal family walked by, it would cause inefficiency. We don''t even legally require the people to show respect to our house. They do it of their own ord. Naturally, we have bodyguards to prevent any harm from befalling us, however such a thing is very unlikely within the borders of the Reich, and especially within the capital.


    Ten years ago, this city was a small agricultural town owned by my father''s family. In thest decade, my father has built everything you see before you. Most of these people are immigrants from other cities in Austria.


    The quality of their lives is thanks solely to my father and his efforts. They know this is the truth, and willingly show their respect from the bottom of their hearts, and not out of some legal mandate. Now let''s go and have a treat. There''s a desert parlor around here that has the best cookies and ice cream that money can buy."


    After saying this, Hans took his guests to a local dessert shop, where there were goodsid out in ss containers. Zhu Zhi gazed in shock at how many confections were for sale. Baked goods, especially sweets, were reserved for the most wealthy people in the Ming Dynasty, and yet there weremoners sitting among the tables dining on these delectable treats with wide smiles on their faces.


    Hans quickly sent one of his bodyguards to stand in line and ordered a plethora of treats. He handed the man a silver thaler to pay for the goods and then found a table to sit down at. Hans and his party stood out from the rest, he himself was dressed in imperial attire patterned after the dress uniform of the German Cadet Corps.


    While hispatriots were a teenage Indian boy, and a full grown Chinese man, both dressed in their native attire. Naturally, people in the desert parlor knew who Hans was and maintained a respectable distance. Despite this, Hans did not abuse his position as Prince to cut to the front of the line, and instead sent his bodyguard to secure their order.


    Eventually, the man returned with a variety of treats and some fresh milk for the trio to enjoy. Hans dly took out the hazelnut, walnut, and chocte strudel from the cardboard box and split it into thirds, handing off a section to his two guests beforementing on the dessert.


    "This is my favorite desert. You guys will enjoy it, trust me!"


    After saying this, he did not hesitate to bite into the pastry, where a natural smile formed on his lips as he washed down the treat with some milk. Zhu Zhi was skeptical at first, as he had no idea what chocte was, but the moment he tasted the pastry, he fell in love with it.


    He truly believed the finest chef had to have made such a thing, and that it should cost a fortune, but he could not understand howmoners could afford it, thus he was quick to inquire about this point.


    "This is truly divine, but how can yourmoners afford such a luxury?"


    Hans looked over at the man with an innocent look on his face before answering the man''s question in earnest.


    "We have a dozen bakeries like this spread throughout the city. There is an ample supply of the raw materials needed to create these dishes, and plenty of talented bakers whose sole upation is to make them. It really isn''t that expensive. You can buy a whole box of these pastries for less than a single thaler."


    The Ming Prince looked at his German counterpart with shock. He did not know how much a Thaler was worth, but from the sound of it, it was not that expensive, thus he quickly inquired about the German currency system.


    "Exin to me your currency, so that I might have a better understanding..."


    Hans thought about it for a second before exining in greater detail just how inexpensive it was to buy these treats.


    "So we have three coins in our currency system. A small copper coin called a Pfennig. This is the mostmon coin used to purchase goods. Then there is a medium-sized pure silver coin called the Thaler. This is used inrger transactions, but nothing significant.


    Finally, there is the Gulden, which is arge solid gold coin, and it is rarely used in transactions, unless it is for something significant. One Gulden is worth a hundred Thalers, and one Thaler is worth a hundred Pfennigs. So for about fifteen to twenty pfennigs, you can get a box of these pastries.


    To put this in perspective, the average person in the Reich is paid roughly two Thalers a day for theirbor. So most people can afford to eat such deserts regrly if they so desire. That''s why you see so manymon people enjoying the treats here in this establishment."


    When Zhu Zhi and Dharya realized just how inexpensive the treats they ate were, they stared at their desserts in awe. It was truly unbelievable that a luxury such as sweets were readily avable to the average German citizen year round. The Ming Prince was actually having a hard time believing it.


    In all honesty, Hans had chosen this spot because he had a hankering for some strudel. It wasn''t even the main point on his tour that would truly show off the overwhelming wealth of the German Empire. However, even with something as simple as this, he hadpletely stunned the Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor.


    All this time, Dharya had thought that the treats he ate in the Pce every day with coffee were a supreme luxury afforded only to the nobility of the Reich. In reality, it was amon treat eaten by most households.


    Berengar had made sure early on to set the example of paying his employees well, and with the wealth that was in his hands, all the other corporations that had risen over the years followed his example. Because of this, there was significant wealth in the hands of the average German citizen. Far more than most first world countries from Berengar''s past life.


    With Polygamy bing a moremon practice in Germany, there was an increase in the workforce as only one or two women were needed to stay home and look after the kids. The other wives would go out and work just like the man of the house, providing a significantly higher quality of life for families.


    With the strict divorcews in ce that only permitted the dissolution of a marriage through means of fault, such as cheating or abuse, this wealth was rarely split apart, creating stable households for the German youth. Though Hans had done a good job describing the wealth of the fathend, he still did not quite do it justice when these factors were taken into ount. However, as this tour of the city continued, Zhu Zhi and Dharya would get a much better idea of just how wealthy and prosperous the Reich truly was.

 Chapter 803 Returning Home at Last

    Chapter 803 Returning Home at Last


    Berengar sat in line, waiting for one of the many trains to take him home to Kufstein. The war was over, and Berengar was now waiting along with his troops to return home. The trains were running nonstop, taking hundreds of thousands of men from one end of the reich to the other.


    Despite being Kaiser and desperately wanting to return home to his family, Berengar did not abuse his position as the Kaiser to take the first train out of Hamburg. He was the Reichsmarschall, and as always, he lived and breathed under the same conditions as his soldiers. It was firste, first serve for the railcars, and as the man who had travelled to Ennd and back to the fathend, he was among thest in line.


    Luckily for him, his National Railway project waspleted, and thousands of rail cars existed to transport the soldiers across the Reich. Thus, after waiting several hours in silence, he could finally get on a railcar that was headed towards Kufstein.


    Berengar sat on the train as he watched it rapidly propel through the borders of the fathend. It was no longer just the Kingdom of Austria, which was an industrialized state. Hamburg was an important port city with one of the Reich''s major Shipyards. The surrounding areas had fully mechanized agriculture, and the city itself had many factories.


    The train passed through the individual kingdoms, Principalities, and Grand Duchies which formed the German Empire, and each major city appeared to have developed substantially over the years. Though electricity was a new feature that was unique to Austria, the era of steam prevailed across the major cities of the Reich.


    The rapid urbanization of Germany was not as disastrous as one might expect. With rtively modern technology, houses and tenements could be rapidly constructed, and the cities were individually designed toplement these shifts in the poption in the most efficient manner.


    Berengar had set up an entire department of the State to achieve the most desirable results in the Fathend''s industrialization. Corruption was purged at the highest levels with lethal force, and criminal behavior was simply not tolerated. The harsh punitive justice of the Reich had deterred crime to arge degree, and because of this, the Prison poption dwindled inparison to the overall poption growth.


    After a long trek to the capital of his Empire, Berengar finally arrived in the city that had been built around thends of his ancestors. He quickly stepped off the train, where he was greeted by several members of the Reichsgarde, who stood outside of an armored car designed to transport the Kaiser to his home.


    The door was opened by one of these men, and Berengar quickly took a seat inside its fine leather interior. He gazed in astonishment at the vehicle. For the first time in ten years, he was finally reunited with the quintessential means of travel from his past life.


    Though this car''s aesthetics were designed after those used in Germany during the thirties and forties, it had a significantly more powerful engine. Allowing it to achieve much greater speeds. Despite this, his professional driver, who had received hundreds of hours of training with the vehicle since its creation, smoothly progressed through the streets and informed Berengar of what had happened in his absence.


    "Your Majesty, things have been calm in the Capital, however you should know a guest from the Far East has arrived, and has been waiting for your return. He appears to have something important he wishes to discuss with you."


    Berengar sighed heavily when he heard this, before pulling out his sk which was filled with whiskey, and drowning his fatigue in the savory substance.


    "Of course... I just have to endure visitors upon my arrival home. Not a moment of rest for the Kaiser... Very well. I will entertain him when I return to the Pce. Is there anything else I should be made aware of?"


    The driver scratched the back of his head awkwardly before making a suggestion to his Kaiser.


    "My Kaiser, In all honesty you would be best asking your wife, the Empress knows far more about the happenings of the Reich than a simple soldier like myself. I just drive the Royal Family throughout the city. I''m not exactly aware of what goes on behind the scenes..."


    Berengar nodded his head in silence and took what little time he had to rx before he arrived at the pce. As the automobile pulled into the driveway, he stepped out of its doors and slowly walked up the steps towards his pce.


    Linde was standing in her most beautiful state, ready to greet her husband. The other wives were nowhere to be seen, which Berengar thought was odd. However, when Linde ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him, she whispered something in Berengar''s ears that made him understand why they were alone.


    "There has been some trouble in the east. Come to the study, and I will inform you of everything that has happened in your absence."


    Berengar sighed heavily before following his wife to the study, where he sat down in his seat. The redheaded beauty shut the door behind her before sitting down across from her husband.


    "Berengar, there is another reincarnator in the east."


    After saying this, Linde did not wait for his reaction and handed him all the intelligence that her agents had gathered in India and the Ming Dynasty since she had first learned of Itami''s existence.


    "A nation known as the Japanese Empire has appeared with wooden steamships, single shot bolt action rifles, revolvers, and Gatling guns. The Japanese have already invaded the Joseon Kingdom and annexed its southern shores. Its army is marching north as we speak in an attempt to secure the Iron deposits in the north.


    I believe the reincarnator is the young Empress of Japan, Itami Riyo. Approximately five years ago, she rose to prominence in Japan by seeding her father and introducing new technologies that are in many ways simr to your own. Since then she defeated the Ashikaga Shogunate, and ughtered the royal family, iming the title of Empress for herself.


    She appears to know of your existence and has armed the Bengal Empire with weapons to act as proxies in the Indian Subcontinent. I believe she hopes to buy herself some time so that she can conquerrge swaths of East Asia, and industrialize her nation so that it canpete with the Reich militarily.


    You can thank the Prince of the Ming Dynasty for this information. His father, the Emperor, appears to be worried about his Japanese neighbors and their aggressive expansion. I used my authority as director of intelligence to broker a non-aggression pact and a trade agreement. I also have convinced the Prince to allow our agents to smuggle weapons into the Korean penins to arm peasants in a fight against the Japanese invaders.


    These ns are not yet fully agreed upon by the Ming Emperor, but the Prince is confident that he can convince his father to ept to our terms. As we speak, Hans is taking him on a journey throughout the city to show off the wealth and prestige of the reich."


    Berengar silently looked over the information for several minutes before cursing under his breath.


    "Fucking hell, I knew something was suspicious when I drank from the Well of Wyrd, and saw no information regarding East Asia in any of the potential timelines I gazed upon. I convinced myself that I never went that far, but it must have been blocked out by the existence of another reincarnator. What gods brought her here, and what is their purpose in doing so? Is this Itami Riyo even aware of the supernatural presence in this world?"


    Linde lowered her head in defeat as she admitted she was truly ignorant regarding these questions.


    "I''m afraid I don''t have the means to answer those questions. However, I need rification on what our n is to deal with this bitch?"


    Berengar chuckled as he ced the dossier on the table before breaking out the bottle of whiskey he kept inside his desk. He poured himself and his wife a stiff drink before answering the question.


    "This Itami Riyo has already shown her hostility by creating a proxy in the Indian Subcontinent. We have no choice but to retaliate. I will send five thousand Jagdkommandos to the Korean Penins to arm and train the local peasant rabble into a capable gueri force. That ought to give the bitch a proper headache.


    As for India, it appears we have no time to waste. We must secure the throne for Dharya and establish an armed presence in the region to act as a deterrence for the Bengal Empire. Now that we have thebustion engine avable to us, it is about time I introduce a new form of warfare to this world.


    I had initially nned to defeat the Catholic World and take a step back from military advancements for the next decade. However, it appears that is no longer an option. If Itami Riyo seeks to buy time to modernize her forces, she has another thinging. It appears we are at the dawn of a new arms race. With the blessing of the gods, we will emerge victorious!


    When the Ming Prince returns from his brief tour with our little boy, I would very much like to have a word with him. In the meantime, I intend to rx. So the question is, Linde, how are you going to treat my stress?"


    The busty redheaded beauty had a sultry smirk on her face as she walked around the desk and got down on her knees in front of her husband before responding to his question.


    "I can think of a few ways..."

 Chapter 804 A New Era of Land Warfare

    Chapter 804 A New Era of Land Warfare


    After making love to his favorite wife, Berengar realized that time waits for no man, and that he was currently in an arms race with a hostile reincarnator. Thus, rather than use what little time he had to rx. He quickly got to work designing a whole line of new weapons and vehicles that wouldpletely change the way warfare was fought around the globe.


    After years of industrialization efforts, and the control over massive deposits of raw materials, Berengar now had the means to create armored vehicles, submarines, aircraft, and other modern weapon systems.


    However, first and foremost, he needed to equip his infantry with capable semiautomatic and automatic weapons that would prove vital in the wars that would be fought in the eastern world. Though Berengar could design a proper assault rifle to use as his armed forces standard issue rifle, he was hesitant to do so. For starters, he believed the extended range of a full power cartridge would prove vital in the inds of the Pacific. As Itami was likely to entrench her forces and fire upon him with bolt action rifles.


    However, the history of his past life had proven that select fire battle rifles were generally uncontroble on full auto. With a few noticeable exceptions. During the Second World War of Berengar''s past life, the German Paratroopers had requested a rifle that was capable of fulfilling both the role of a light machine gun and an infantry rifle. After years of development, the FG-42 was created.


    The Fg-42 was a select fire battle rifle that was unique for its use of both a closed bolt and an open bolt system. The closed bolt was utilized on semi automatic fire, which improved the uracy of the single shots, while the open bolt was used for automatic fire. Interestingly enough, the device made use of a detachable twenty round box magazine which fed from the side of the weapon.


    The Fg-42 was arguably one of the best infantry weapons of the war, despite this it had served in limited numbers. It made use of the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge and yet was surprisingly controble in the automatic setting.


    Berengar knew with the size of his military. It would take many months to rece the current issue G25 bolt action rifles, and because of this, he would give priority to his Reichsgarde and Special Operations Units. The G25 had yed a pivotal role in the massacre of the Catholic Forces during the Crusade, but it was already obsolete when Berengar introduced it.


    The only reason he had not gone with an automatic weapon system earlier was because he felt it was simply too much of an expense to warrant the cost. After all, until now, all of his enemies were using ck powder muzzle loaders.


    However, the threat that Itami and her Japanese Empire posed to the Reich was enough to warrant the development and manufacture of automatic infantry weapons. Naturally with the Fg-42, or as he would call it, the Stg-27, as the standard issue rifle, Berengar would need to develop machine guns to apany such weapons.


    There were two designs Berengar had in mind to rece the Vickers, and each fulfilled a different role. The ZB 30 was a top fed, light machine gun chambered in a variety of cartridges during the Interwar period of Berengar''s past life.


    It was a Czech weapon, however after the annexation of Czechoslovakia by the Reich, the ZB-30 was widely used by the Waffen-SS in the early days of the war. Largely because of internal politics that prevented them from using the standard Wehrmacht supply chains.


    The weapon was the inspiration for the BREN gun used by British Armed forces as well as several Japanese light machine gun designs. In this life, Berengar would call the light machine gun the Mg-27(t) and it would make use of thirty round box magazines designed to feed 7.92x57mm cartridges into the weapon''s action.


    The idea behind Berengar''s new doctrine for warfare was to issue a light machine gunner to every squad, while doing the same with a dedicated machine gunner to every toon. This dedicated machine gunner would make use of a general purpose machine gun known as the Mg-42 in his past life or the Mg-27 in this life.


    This Mg-42 would be an improved design that made use of the safety features issued in theter Mg-3 machine gun, which reced the Mg-42 from active service in the armed forces of Western Germany. The Mg-42 was an improvement over the Mg-34 design, which implemented a quick barrel change feature.


    Berengar intended not only to issue this weapon to his infantry, but with armored vehicles as well, and in fortifications. It could fulfill the role of both a static weapon and an infantry weapon. The Mg-42 or Mg-27 as it would be known as in this life, had a rate of fire of roughly 1200 rounds per minute, and made use of 50 round 7.92x57mm belts which could be linked together to form a belt that carried 250 rounds.


    After designing the MG-42 to be used across his armed forces, Berengar moved onto a sniper rifle. Naturally, the first weapon that came to mind that used the 7.92x57mm cartridge was the G-43 semiautomatic rifle. This weapon had a built in scope mount, a detachable 10 round magazine, and was capable of firing one round per each pull of the trigger. It was also fairly urate, and an excellent designated marksman rifle.


    The only problem with the G-43 or the G-27, as it would be known as in this life, was that the original rifles were over gassed, and poorly finished as a result of war exhaustion. This resulted in an increased wear of the parts. Because of this, some re-engineering needed to take ce to fix the gas system, and ensure that the parts were properly constructed.


    In reality, Berengar already had a basis for this system, as a post-war modification was made in America to make the rifles that were brought back from the conflict more shoot able. So, after some fine tuning, he believed he came up with the perfect design for long-term military use.


    Finally, Berengar needed a weapon to issue to vehicle crews, rear echelon troops, and officers. The immediate weapon that came to mind was the Mp-40, or the Mp-27, as he would call it in this life. The Mp-40 was a submachine gun that made us of 32 round 9x19mm box magazines. It had a folding stock for ease of transport, and was made of stamped sheet metal, making it not only easy to produce, but an inexpensive product.


    After finishing designing these blueprints and stamping his approval for them to go through thorough development, testing, and manufacture. Berengar set his eyes on his next target. The Second World War, in his past life, was in reality a proving ground for various ideas that were good and bad for the battlefield. It was the dawn of a new style of warfare, and many nations came up with different ideas on how an army should function.


    Berengar naturally knew the advantages and disadvantages of these systems, and had decided upon a series of armored vehicles that took inspiration from modern American Doctrine. The first vehicle that came to mind was an Infantry Fighting Vehicle.


    The Infantry fighting vehicle was a concept that came out in the post-war era. Essentially, it was a vehicle designed to transport troops into battle and provide direct fire support. The main difference between an Infantry Fighting Vehicle and an Armored Personnel Carrier was the size of its primary weapon. An infantry fighting vehicle had a main gun that fired at least a 20mm projectile.


    Berengar intended to create arge Infantry Fighting Vehicle capable of carrying an entire squad of infantry into battle. Because of this, he actually designed something rtively unique. The overall shape of the IFV that Berengar created took the form of the West German Sch��tzenpanzer SPz 11-2 Kurz. However, its size was increased to that of an M2 Bradley IFV.


    With the increase in size of the vehicle, it needed a better engine, and because of that, Berengar made use of the same engine which powered his five-ton trucks. Which incidentally was the same engine used in the M2 Bradley and its most modern variants.


    After ensuring that this beast of a vehicle was properly armored, he redesigned the rear so that it replicated that which the M2 Bradley used. The final modification Berengar made to this vehicle was to ensure that it had amphibious capabilities, something he felt he would need if he was going to war in the Pacific. He named this vehicle the Sch��tzenpanzer SPz 27 "Lynx".


    After designing the IFV that would carry his troops into battle, Berengar decided on a tank design that he was able to build at this moment. Any design that originated after the Second World War would be difficult to achieve, if simply because of their reliance on more modern sighting systems. Because of that, Berengar selected what he believed to be the best tank of the Second World War, and that was the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther, also known simply as the Panther.


    The Panther tank was a medium tank that saw extensive use in the Second World War by the forces of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS. It made use of a 7.5 cm KwK 42 main gun, and was a decentpromise between armor, firepower, and mobility. Some historians would say it was one of the leading inspirations for the post-war Main Battle Tank concept. Berengar intended to name this vehicle the Panzerkampfwagen I Panther, since it was the first of the Reich''s tank designs in this world.


    Berengar suspected that in a year, or maybe two, his Reichsgarde would be fully mechanized, and in the following years, his Army would catch up. These weapons would be gradually introduced to his forces over time, and he intended to use the Indian Subcontinent not only as a proving ground for his new weapons but also as a means to give his army some experience in modernbat.


    These Armored Vehicles, and automatic weapons, were but the first of the new inventions Berengar intended to design. It was a bold new era. With ess tobustion engines and materials such as aluminum, he could design new naval vessels, and a dedicated air force. Hell, from the looks of it, his first ever airship was nearingpletion. Once such a thing was constructed, his people would rule the skies.


    Thus, while Hans continued to show off the wealth of the Reich to his guests. Berengar was fast at work, designing an entirely new generation of weapons that the Reich''s Armed Forces would be equipped with in theing years.

 Chapter 805 Expansion of the Kriegsmarine

    Chapter 805 Expansion of the Kriegsmarine


    After finishing his work on the new weapons systems for his Army, Berengar realized he still had time left before his son returned home with his guests. Because of this, he quickly got to work on a new naval advancement. One that would guarantee German supremacy over the waves.


    The newest generation of ships were being constructed at every port across the Reich, and they were more than capable of dealing with whatever steel beast Japan decides to unleash on the seas in theing years.


    If there was one thing that Berengar was missing in his fleets, it was dedicated torpedo boats. However, when facing the level of technology that Berengar currently had ess to, torpedo boats were already obsolete. Instead, he was now capable of creating submarines.


    A talented naval engineer in his employ had previously introduced the designs of torpedos, which were already being outfitted on his warships. With this in mind, Berengar had decided he would create the first Uboat of the Reich. Labeled the Type I U-boat. Berengar quickly got to work designing the magnum opus of U-boats, which forever changed the way submarines functioned in his past life.


    Modelled after the Type XXI U-boat Berengar had designed a submarine that was capable of staying submerged throughout the majority of its mission. How did he achieve this without nuclear power? By using a powerful diesel-electric engine, which made use of an ample supply of batteries to maintain its submersion. These batteries could be recharged via a simple snorkle at periscope depth, allowing it to keep a minimal visual presence in the seas.


    This vessel had a range of 15,500 nautical miles at a speed of ten knots, meaning it could travel all the way to the coasts of Japan before needing to be refueled. Assuming Berengar established Naval bases in Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Oceania in the uing years. He would be able to maintain a proper route of these underwater predators between him and his enemies.


    Unlike earlier weapons designs, this U-boat did not make use of cannons, instead it had six torpedo tubes, and could carry a grand total of 23 G7 Torpedos. It also made use of two twin 2cm anti-aircraft guns. Though Berengar did not expect to fight for supremacy in the skies with the Japanese anytime soon, it was an eventuality he was preparing for.


    The Type XXI U-boat was a design that the Nazis had made at the end of their six year long war against the world. Only two ever actually saw service. However, because it was ast ditch effort, there were some serious problems with the initial design that Berengar had studied extensively during his spring break in the US Naval Academy''s library.


    Luckily, several countries designed their own submarines after the war, which were heavily based upon the Type XXI Submarine, including the USA. Thus, he could use the improvements made by the US Tang ss submarine as a basis for fixing the ws with the Type XXI U-boat.


    In fact, Berengar had spent a few hours experimenting with an improved Type XXI in his past life while he was researching the topic at the Naval Academy. This design was the basis for his current blueprint, which, because of his advancements in engineering knowledge since then, he had made several key improvements at this time.


    Other than torpedos, the naval engineers under his employ had recently been working on radar, and sonar systems, which, along with the improvements to radimunications, came together to create the perfect vessel. Berengar used what little knowledge he had on such subjects to improve their performance, but there wasn''t much he needed to do.


    After designing the Type I U-boats, Berengar decided to go back to the ship designs he had made a couple years prior, and modify them to make use of radar, sonar, radimunications, and anti-aircraft guns. Such improvements needed to be made across the board for the expansion of his Kriegsmarine.


    Having applied all of these changes, Berengar quickly got to work on his next ship design. With the recent improvements in technology, Berengar now had the ability to manufacture aircraft. This meant he would need Aircraft Carriers to prove effective in naval warfare abroad.


    One of the critical weaknesses of German Military in the second world war of Berengar''s past life was itsck of capable warships. This was because of the treaty of Versailles, and the limitations it ced on Germany. Though some vessels were developed in secret, it was difficult to hide an aircraft carrier from the view of the Reich''s enemies.


    Berengar did not have these limitations, and because of that, he intended to introduce such vessels as quickly as possible. With this in mind, he began drawing the blueprints to a naval vessel that was proposed, andid down but neverpleted in his past life. It was known as the Graf Zeppelin-ss aircraft carrier. However, Berengar would simply refer to it as the Kaiser-ss Aircraft Carrier.


    Having designed a new aircraft carrier, Berengar sighed in relief. He had nned to immediately get to work on his blueprints for the aircraft. However, before he could do so, he was interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by a meek voice.


    "Can Ie in?"


    Berengar immediately recognized who the voice belonged to and was a little bewildered. However, he quickly responded with a friendly voice as he did so.


    "Sure, you may enter Priya."


    The doors opened to reveal the Anangpur Princess, who was dressed in a green and gold silk saree. Which matched her emerald eyes perfectly. Berengar immediately noticed that she seemed a bit embarrassed to be alone in a room with him, and thus he quickly called out to her to sit down.


    "Please, Priya, sit and speak of what you need from me."


    Priya was no fool. She had been cautiously observing Berengar''s actions since her arrival in Kufstein, and could tell he wanted something from her and her brother. Though he appeared nice and loving to the people he cared about, she knew better than to believe he was helping the two siblings out of the kindness of his heart.


    While Dharya may be enjoying the peaceful life that he currently lived, she was internally anxious about her position in the Imperial Pce, and whether she would be used as a bargaining chip or not. Thus, she was practically sweating as she sat down across from the Kaiser, who in her eyes seemed like a living deity inparison to the men she had known to hold power.


    Berengar reached into his ice chest and pulled out a cold beer for himself and a bottle of sparkling cider for Priya. After handing it over to the girl, he waited for her to gain the courage to speak her mind. It took several seconds for Priya to gather her thoughts, but she eventually asked the question she had been curious about for some time now.


    "What exactly do you want from me and my brother?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this question. He leaned back in his chair and sipped on his beer, before spinning the globe that sat on his desk. After a few seconds of letting it spin, he ced his index finger on the exact spot where India lie before answering the girl''s question.


    "It is not a matter of what I want, but what your brother wants. Your brother has asked me to help him regain his throne, but to do so would require me to march my forces into your family''snd and oust the current self-proimed emperor.


    After all, though Dharya may be the rightful heir to the throne, he has few, if any, real supporters. He has no army, nor soldiers to call upon to support his im. Meaning, if I honor his request, the blood that will be shed to ce him on the throne will not be that of his supporters, but the men of Germany.


    I consider every man, woman, and child who belongs to my empire to be an invaluable part of my realm. Because of this, the spilling of German blood has an extraordinarily high price that must be paid. Your brother has yet to find out how he can afford to buy such a noble sacrifice.


    You ask me what I wanted by letting you stay here in the Reich. Well, if I''m being honest, until today, I wanted nothing more than to create a friendly ally in the Indian subcontinent. Someone who I could gain favorable trade deals with. However, I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but things have changed.


    Upon my return home from the battlefield, I was immediately met with reports gathered by my agents that a great power in the east, one that rivals the Reich, is arming the Bengal Empire in an attempt to support their emperor''s grand ns to conquer the Indian subcontinent.


    Now, you and I both know that your uncle is barely keeping your declining state together. The moment the Bengal Army reaches his doors, he will capitte or cause untold suffering across yournds. Either way, in the end, without the support of the Reich, the Anangpur Empire will fall to its neighbor.


    If the Anangpur Empire falls, then you and your brother will serve no purpose to me. So, your brother wants my support, and now he has it. Here''s what I will do for you. In the following months, I will sail my armies to the Anangpur Empire and put your brother on the throne that is rightfully his. Then I will rebuild his army into a force that can defeat the Bengal Empire.


    After your Empire is capable of contending with its neighbors, I will providebat support until your brother has united the Indian subcontinent under his banner. Once the entire region is under the control of your dynasty, you two siblings can find a proper way to repay me."


    Priya blushed slightly when she heard Berengar''s promation. There was no hesitation in his voice, no doubt in his n. He would emerge victorious, and there was nothing the enemy could do to stop him. That was the level of confidence that was oozing from this man''s indomitable aura.


    It did not matter that a foreign power was arming his enemies with the weapons that could prove to be the undoing of the German Army. There was only one path forward in his vision, and that was total conquest.


    The young girl had never met a man who was so determined to achieve his goals. Even her own brother, who she cared for deeply, failed to live up to the respect and admiration she had for Berengar at this moment. After several moments of awkward silence, Priya nodded her head before responding to Berengar''s im.


    "I understand. I will work hard to think of some way to repay you for everything you have done, and everything you have yet to do."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this before taking another sip of his beer. After a fewrge gulps, he responded to the girl''s statement with a warm tone in his voice.


    "That is for your brother to decide, you are still young, enjoy your time here in Kufstein to the best of your ability, one day in the future you will be looking back on these days where you did not have to worry about a thing with a sense of fondness that I can''t urately describe. Oh, and if Hans gives you any trouble, let me know and I''ll set him straight."


    Upon hearing this, Priya wore a pretty smile before bowing her head to Berengar. After doing so, she left onest remark before departing from his office.


    "I thank you for your benevolence..."


    After she had left the room and closed the door behind her, Berengar sighed heavily before shaking his head and expressing his thoughts aloud.


    "In a few years, that girl is going to be a little heartbreaker..."


    After saying that, he quickly finished his beer before getting back to his task at hand.

 Chapter 806 The Ming Princes Tour of the CityPart lll

    Chapter 806 The Ming Prince''s Tour of the CityPart lll


    After sharing some sweets with his guests, Hans began the real portion of the tour, as a way to show off the wealth and prestige of the reich, he intended to head into a nearby residential district whose citizens were of the middle ss.


    Despite having a household with a middle ss ie, the people in this neighborhood lived in ratherrge houses, which were a minimum of five hundred square meters in size. After all, polygamy was the norm, and they neededrge homes with many bedrooms to house these families.


    Upon walking through the cobblestone streets of this neighborhood, Dharya and Zhu Zhi were astonished by the level of architecture thesemon houses were designed with. The impressive thing about Kufstein was that it was a city whose buildings made use of a variety of architectural styles, but they segregated these styles into their own sectors of the city.


    In the Old Quarter of Kufstein, the houses werergely constructed in the earlier Frachwerk design. These were the first buildings established in the city, after it had transformed from a small agricultural vige to a thriving metropolis. They had been renovated over the years to keep up with the newest advancements in living standards.


    This neighborhood that Hans was showing off to his guests was built with baroque architecture. Therge houses were more like noble vis thanmon homes. With opulent balconies and borate entryways that made use of steel gates to keep intruders out. Zhu Zhi and Dharya alike were quick to express their awe at the stunning visuals.


    "I can''t believe your nobility live in such extravagant vis."


    "I never knew Kufstein had such a wealthy district..."


    Hans gazed over at the two foreign men and scoffed before enlightening them on just what kind of families lived in this neighborhood.


    "The people who live here are part of the middle ss. The vis that the wealthy elite live in are substantiallyrger and more extravagant than these houses."


    The Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor slowly shifted their gazes over to the young German Prince, who had a haughty smirk on his face. They could not believe that the middle ss of the German Empire lived in such wealth and opulence. Zhu Zhi in particr was quick to question how this was even possible.


    "How can they afford such luxury? Surely one would have to work for decades to achieve the amount of fortune that is required to buy such a lively vi?"


    Hans nodded his head as he heard this before exining the economic principle of mortgages to the Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor.


    "Of course they would, which is why the bank buys the house for them, and they pay off the bank over the next few decades with interest. This ensures that a citizen''s money is constantly flowing into the economy rather than being stashed away in vault for thirty years, waiting to buy a house. Not everyone is as wealthy as my father, who could afford to buy this entire neighborhood for himself as if it were a mere pittance."


    The concept of mortgages waspletely foreign to Zhu Zhi and Dharya. It was something Berengar had implemented some time ago and helped boost the economy to a significant degree. It still shocked these men that a middle ss family could afford such arge and opulent house, so much so that they barelyprehended what the boy prince had said. ''


    Hans ended up taking the two men through an open house of one of the buildings that was for sale. Though the realtor did not understand why the prince, or the two men, were visiting, she made sure that they were well amodated. The furniture inside the building was rather luxurious: plushy sofas, soft beds, silk sheets, and curtains. Ceramic bathtubs, with ss showers. Granite countertops, etc.


    It was definitely something that the lower end of the middle ss would not easily afford in Berengar''s past life. However, to Hans, who literally grew up with a solid gold spoon in his mouth, such trappings were a symbol of the poor. Or at least from his privileged perspective.


    Still, Hans did not look down on such homes with an arrogant attitude, because he was well aware of the state that the Feudal nobility of foreign kingdoms lived in. A house like this was far superior to the living conditions that even the neighboring monarchs suffered through.


    Zhu Zhi was beginning to understand just how wealthy the Reich was inparison to the rest of the world. As an Imperial Prince of the Ming Dynasty, he lived a life of luxury that few people in this world could ever experience. However, a middle ss German citizen was not far off from the lifestyle he lived back in the Pce. He dreaded the idea of how Germany''s wealthy elite lived.


    The Ming Prince had been astonished by the extensive use of gold and other fine minerals in Berengar''s pce, but he had thought that the man used his Nation''s entire wealth to build such a magnificent pce. Instead, it appeared as if the man had spent a small fraction of his personal treasury to construct his home.


    Dharya, who was used to living in the German Pce for close to a year now, was actually not as shocked as Zhu Zhi when he saw the luxury of this home that was for sale. He was more astounded that this was how the middle ss of the Reich lived.


    After bumbling around a few residential districts, the sun began to fade, and Zhu Zhi was convinced it was time to return home. After all, there was no point staying out after dark. However, before he could express these thoughts, he was immediately greeted with the lighting of the streetmps, which illuminated the entire city. He gazed in astonishment at the miracle of electricity before asking what it was.


    "Sweet merciful buddha! What is this?"


    Hans smirked when he heard this before exining to the man what he was seeing.


    "It''s the same technology that is being used to power the street lights. I don''t know much about it, but it is a recent invention. The only reason you haven''t seen such things in the Pce is because Father is concerned about the safety of his family during the extensive renovations that would be required.


    The summer pce is currently being constructed in Berlin with this technology and is nearingpletion. Father intends to move us there in the next few weeks while the main pce here in Kufstein is retrofitted to ept this technology. Come, our tour is not over. Every evening there is a concert in the city, where people are able to purchase tickets. Naturally, there is a spot reserved for the Royal Family."


    After saying this, Hans led the Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor to the Grand Concert Hall, which was capable of seating 2,500 people. The Grand Concert Hall was modelled after the Grosser Saal in Vienna from Berengar''s past life. However, it was extended in size for a superior seating capacity.


    Naturally, there was a private booth above all other seating arrangements which were reserved for the Royal Family and their guests. When the young Prince Hans arrived, a beautiful blonde woman in a cocktail dress quickly greeted him. She was the aide that was provided for the evening to him and hispatriots. She wore a friendly smile on her pretty face as she knelt down so that she could be at the same level as Hans.


    "Your highness, Prince Hans, it is my honor to be looking after you tonight. If there is anything you need, you just let me know and I will be happy to assist."


    Hans was not the only one staring at the woman''s bountiful cleavage. Zhu Zhi and Dharya struggled to take their gazes away from the woman''s hefty bosom. She noticed this and continued to smile gracefully before leading the trio to their seats.


    After sitting down, the Kufstein Orchestra began to y an eloquent piece, which Hans greatly enjoyed. It was actually a song that Ad had written with the help of Berengar. Berengar knew little of music or the arts, but he had a love for orchestra, especially that which came in the 21st century of his past life by way of video game soundtracks. This song was the theme for the tenth installment of a popr JRPG that he had yed in his youth during his life as Julian Weber.


    It was a mncholy theme that yed at the starting intro, andter on in the game at its depressing climax. However, there was something deeply beautiful about this song that Berengar truly loved. Naturally, Ad had recreated the music by listening to his humming, and it was truly a work of art.


    Dharya felt a tear form in his eye from the moment the piano intro began. By the end of the song, he was practically soaked in tears. He did not know why he was moved so much by the song, but he was monumentally happy that he had run away from home with his sister at this moment.


    Though the music was vastly different from what was traditionally yed in the east, even Zhu Zhi found himself enjoying not just the first song, but the entire concert, whichsted for nearly two hours. He was enthralled with the music, and the artists who yed it so perfectly from the moment it began.


    After the concert was over, Hans and his guests departed, where they witnessed arge gathering of people in the center of the city holding candles in their hands. A band had gathered and was ying the German National Anthem, whose words paid homage to the Kaiser.


    Every member of the crowd knew the words by heart and sang along in a joyous celebration. The sight dumbfounded Hans and his guests, and the boy quickly asked one of his bodyguards just what had urred while they were at the concert.


    "What''s going on? Why has everyone gathered here to celebrate?"


    The bodyguard quickly asked around to find out what was happening. After several minutes, he returned to the Prince and gave him some shocking news.


    "The war is over. Our enemies are defeated, and the heroes of the Reich have returned home, including your father. The people have gathered to celebrate and pay homage to the men who fought and bled for our victory."


    This news instantly filled the boy''s heart with joy as an excited smile formed on his lips. Hans was d that his father had returned home safe and sound. He gazed around at the crowd and noticed a lot of young men in military uniforms regrouping with their lovers, wives, and children. All while singing the national anthem of the Reich and praising the Kaiser for his victory.


    Undoubtedly, in theing days, a national celebration would be organized, but for now, the people of Germany were having their own minor celebrations like these throughout every city and town in the Reich. Hans was swept up in the moment and sang along to the lyrics of the National Anthem, known by the title of "Hail to Thee in Victor''s Crown".


    The celebration continued for some time, where beer and food were served by local taverns and restaurants free of charge. It was only after a while did the people notice their Prince was standing among them, where they immediately knelt in front of him with the utmost respect. Upon seeing such a random celebration taking ce, Zhu Zhi and Dharya were certain that Hans had nned all of this, but after seeing his bewildered expression, they knew this event was spontaneous.


    After being noticed by so many people, the Reichsgarde swiftly led Hans and his guests back to the pce. Zhu, Zhi, and Dharya alike felt a bit more humble when they finally returned to their lodgings. They were d they had been taken on the tour and werepletely stunned at the state of the German Empire.


    As great as their homes may be, the fathend was like a Utopia, or at the very least, its capital was. Zhu Zhi now understood why his interpreters were so eager to visit Kufstein when he initially set out on this journey.

 Chapter 807 The Ming Prince Pays his Respects

    Chapter 807 The Ming Prince Pays his Respects


    By the time Hans and his guests returned to the Pce, Berengar was sitting on his imperial throne. Gone were the days where he had a throne made of granite, with intimidating skulls carved into its surface. No, since Berengar had risen to the position of a king, andter an emperor, he had improved his royal seat with many luxuries to disy the status that he held as the Emperor of Germany.


    The fluffy seat cushions and armrests were made of quilted ck velvet and were surrounded by gold fittings. Below the arm rests were two golden angels who uplifted the Kaiser''s limbs. Their figures were curvy, and their bodies naked. This theme of nude angels and pagan deities was intricately carved throughout the golden frame of the chair until finally it reached the neck rest.


    Above the ck velvet neck rest was a golden headboard which had a carved symbol of Berengar, though he had the wings of an archangel and a radiate crown upon his head. He was dressed in nothing but a loincloth, and his arms were outstretched as if he were a deity himself, while the rays of the sun erupted from his body.


    Atop this borate headboard was the statuette of a golden double-headed eagle whose wings were outstretched. Its arms perched upon a golden iron cross, which proudly disyed the German roots of the Emperor.


    Berengar himself was dressed in his imperial regalia. It was a ck military uniform with golden trimming and white adornments. This uniform was based upon that which Berengar had issued to the German Army in years prior. Military honors were pinned to his chest, while a golden sash stretched from shoulder to waist, symbolizing the man''s outstanding achievements on the battlefield.


    Around the Kaiser''s neck was a golden chain, which bore the symbols of the Order of Saint George, one of the several chivalric orders that existed in the Reich. At the same time, a grand cross of the iron cross dangled gracefully from his cor while his ck leather eyepatch was embellished with an iron cross first ss embedded in its center. There was also a pair of golden epaulettes on his shoulders.


    On Berengar''sp was the beloved princess of the Reich, Henrietta, whose head rested on her precious big brother''s shoulder. The dress she wore was a shimmering pink and was cut thigh high, allowing her ease of movement, but also showing off her incredible thighs when she sat in such a shameful manner on her brother''sp. She wore tinum jewelry which was encrusted in rare pink diamonds. Both of which were recent imports from the South African Colony.


    Clinging to Berengar''s left side was his favorite wife Linde, the redheaded beauty was dressed in a stunning and elegant sky blue dress, with her white gold, and blue topaz jewelry dangling gracefully from her neck and ears. She wore a pretty smile on her face as she saw her beloved firstborn son return from his brief journey throughout the city.


    On Berengar''s other side was the young empress Ad, who was garbed in a white silk dress, with tinum jewelry that was encrusted with diamonds. She had a pretty smile on her face as she stood by her husband''s side with the grace of a woman befitting her position.


    Honoria was dressed in a mint green gown which matched her eyes perfectly. Her jewelry was made of gold and emerald, and she knelt at her husband''s feet with a submissive look on her face. Naturally, she rested on the side Linde was on, with the ever watchful gaze of the redheaded beauty keeping an eye on her.


    On the other side of Berengar''s feet was Yasmin, who was garbed in a Tyrian purple dress. Her jewelry was made of gold, and had amethysts encrusted within it. She obediently knelt before her husband, the Kaiser, and had a pretty, yet stoic expression on her face as she witnessed the neers enter the scene.


    Finally, on Berengar''s left armrest, sat the leopard cub Genseric, who rested beneath the palm of the kaiser as he scratched behind the little kitten''s ears. The beast had unnatural intelligence in its keen eyes as it stared at the neers with a fierce re.


    Upon witnessing the sight of the Kaiser and his lovely pets, Hans instantly knelt on the floor and lowered his head within his esteemed father''s presence. Causing his guests to do the same. After several moments of silence, Berengar smiled before speaking to his son, who had been absent throughout the entire day.


    "It is good to see you are doing well Hans, I missed you while I was away. Have you been a good boy to your mother while I was gone?"


    Hans silently nodded his head when he heard his father speak to him. He truly believed he had been well behaved during the man''s absence. The approving look on his mother''s face showed that he was correct in this assessment. However, his father simply nodded his head in response to his gesture before addressing the elephant in the room.


    "Prince Zhu Zhi of the Ming Dynasty, I heard quite a bit about you from my wife. She seems to believe you have the ability to foster rtions between the Reich and your homnd. I look forward to working with you. No doubt I can attest that everything Linde has agreed to will be fulfilled so long as you do your part. However, I am also willing to offer you additional support.F


    As of next week, we shall rece the current ships in my First Fleet with the next generation of Naval vessels that are nearingpletion as we speak. I have ten shipyards across my Empire diligently working on modernizing my navy, which seems to begging behind my Army. When my old ships are dmissioned, I shall retrofit them and sell them to your Empire if you are willing to buy.


    You are free to reverse engineer the technology behind them if you can so manage. Assuming your father is unwilling to purchase the munitions required to operate the ship''s guns, you can rece them with the more primitive muzzle loading cannons that your empire already has ess to. Though for the sake ofpeting with the Empire of Japan, I highly suggest you buy from us.


    With these ten Irond Frigates, and more toe in the next few years, I can assure that for a while, you can sessfully deter the Japanese Navy from messing with your territorial waters. However, if this Empress Itami has the capabilities I think she has, they will be obsolete within the next decade. So, I suggest you think of long-term strategies to protect your trade on the high seas."


    Zhu Zhi was astonished to hear that Berengar was willing to sell him his old ships. He had no idea how big of an improvement the new vessels would be, but he had seen one under construction. Linde was most shocked at all. She did not expect Berengar to so easily give away such valuable ships to a state that was not directly under his control.


    The reality was that Berengar needed to buy some time of his own. He had to fight a proxy war with the Bengal Empire, as well as prepare for the eventual conflict with Japan. By selling the Ming these irond frigates, which were far more advanced than the wooden steamships Itami was currently using, he could threaten her expansion. It also sent a message that he knew of her existence, as well as her ns, and would counter them in his own ways. Zhu Zhi could only bow his head and ept this gift with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.


    "I am sure that my father will not have an issue with the Reich supplying the munitions needed to operate the weapons aboard these ships. On behalf of the Ming Dynasty, I thank you for your generosity."


    Berengar smiled when he heard this, before responding to the man''s statement.


    "I am sure your father is a wise enough man to see the opportunity I am giving him. Anyway, the journey back to my home has been a long one, and I am dreadfully tired. We shall speak more about our ns for countering the Japanese Empire tomorrow morning at breakfast. In the meantime, enjoy your stay in my pce."


    After saying this, Berengar carried Henrietta off of him, before motioning for his girls to follow him back to the royal bedchamber. He nned to taste every one of them on this night. After the five beauties obediently chased after their man, Zhu Zhi gasped in astonishment before looking Hans in the eyes and asking the question of his mind.


    "Are all of those beautiful women your father''s wives?"


    Hans looked up at Zhu Zhi with a stupefied expression on his face. To him, it was only natural that the most beautiful women in the world flocked to his father, thus he simply nodded his head in silence. However, after a few seconds, he quickly corrected one thing.


    "All of them except for Henrietta, the one in pink. She''s his sister"


    Zhu Zhi sighed in relief when he heard this. It would be simply unfair for the gods to bless one man with so many top tier beauties at his side. However, Hans''s next words shattered all the faith the man had in his gods.


    "But she is his concubine, so I suppose, in a way, she is akin to his wife..."


    At this moment, Zhu Zhi did not know how to react. Though his father had plenty of wives and concubines, the man was more of a fan of quantity over quality. In the Ming Prince''s entire life, he had seen a handful of women who were as beautiful as those that belonged to Berengar. However, for all of Berengar''s lovers to be at the highest tier of beauty was simply too enviable.

 Chapter 808 Establishing the Luftwaffe

    Chapter 808 Establishing the Luftwaffe


    The next morning, Berengar rose from his bed with a wide smile on his face. It had been some time since he could partake in the flesh of his lovers, and in one night he had experienced pleasure with them all. However, an emperor''s work was never truly fulfilled and because of this, he was quick to rise with the dawn and get to work.


    Berengar had several important tasks he needed to do over theing days. Though he had expanded his Army and Naval capabilities by designing new weapons and vehicles, his work in modernizing the German Military was not yetplete.


    He had advanced his Navy into the new age, and soon he would see the fruits of hisbor. However, there was onest aspect of warfare that until now, mankind had never managed to conquer. Berengar was not an aerospace engineer, but he understood the basic concepts behind early nes. He also had done extensive research into the aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War of his past life.


    Thus, Berengar would be able to piece together some blueprints for pre-jet engine aircraft. With the aid of the brilliant minds that he had fostered over the years, these designs could be perfected and expanded upon until somethingbat capable was seen soaring in the skies.


    The first aircraft design that Berengar made use of was a multi-role fighter that was capable of fulfilling the roles of fighter-interceptor, fighter-bomber, ground-attack, and reconnaissance. The Germans in his past life had already made a ne that was capable of performing all of these functions at the highest level, with slight variations specializing in each task.


    This ne was called the Focke-Wulf Ta 152. It was ate war ne design that was developed from the earlier Focke-Wulf 190. It was a turbo-propeller aircraft that was among the best in its ss, easily capable ofpeting with all simr allied aircraft. In terms of pre-jet engine technology, there were few nes as capable as the Ta 152.


    This ne was designed to be the workhorse of Berengar''s Air Force. Aside from the basic design of the ne itself, Berengar also designed an aircraft engine and the individual weapons needed for the ne to bebat ready, as he would do for all of the aircraft he would implement.


    With the introduction of aircraft, Berengar did not just need fighters, he needed transport nes that could be used for both cargo and personnel. The existence of paratroopers was essential to Berengar''s ns against Itami''s Japanese Empire, and because of this, he developed the Ju 290 as his ne of choice.


    The Ju 290 was arge, long-range military transport used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. It was exactly the kind of transport ne that Berengar had in mind. Capable of extensive flights, at high altitudes, with a spacious cargo capacity, it was the most ideal choice for both troop transport and cargo.


    With the Cargo and troop transport taken care of, Berengar needed a long-range strategic bomber, and he knew exactly what he wanted. Based upon blueprints he had seen on the inte. Berengar redesigned the Me 264, which was pretty much the German equivalent of the B17. It was an exceptional ne, but in his past life, only three prototypes were built before the project was scrapped so that thepany which manufactured them could focus on producing fighters.


    Finally, Berengar wanted to design a dive bomber that could act as both and bomber and a torpedo bomber. In his past life, the Germans had experimented with several of these designs to put on their proposed aircraft carrier. Naturally, the one that immediately came to mind was the infamous Ju 87 "Stuka".


    This was an aircraft that was the dread of the allies in the Second World War. Its siren was usually a sign of impending death and made the enemies of the Reich quake in their boots. Berengar wanted to recreate this fear in his own enemies, and because of that, he was more than happy to design the Stuka.


    In reality, Berengar knew only the basics of how to design aircraft. Because of this, he would leave thepletion of these blueprints and their actual construction up to his talented team of engineers. Specifically, those who were already experimenting on flight with the rigid airship. He did not expect to have aircraft in active service for at least another year or perhaps two.


    Afterpleting the basic designs for his future fleet of aircraft, Berengar let out a heavy sigh and thought about what his military would look like in the next five years. Now that the war with the catholic church was over, Berengar wanted nothing more than to rx with his family and oversee the development of the Reich.


    However, just when he was about to gain some semnce of peace in his life, a new threat had risen in the fog of war. The Japanese Empire was not a peer to the Reich, but it was a near peer. Berengar knew from what little information he had about his rival that, undoubtedly, when they finally came to arms, his military would be superior.


    However, unlike all of his previous enemies, Japan would have the ability to inflict untold casualties among his troops. Especially if their Empress was smart andmitted to a campaign of entrenched ind battles.


    He honestly did not know what era this reincarnator came from, or what were her capabilities, but from the information he had been provided by his agents dispatched to the east. The Japanese Empire was on the cusp of widespread industrialization. While his society had already advanced beyond such an era. During this train of thought, about the most efficient ways to counter his enemies, a knock resounded on his door, followed by a familiar voice.


    "Big brother, breakfast is ready. Come join your family for a meal now that you are home!"


    The Kaiser wore a warm smile on his face as he rose from his seat and opened the door to reveal the radiant figure of his precious little sister. Henrietta quickly wrapped her arms around him, before kissing him on the lips. After doing so, she grabbed hold of his hand and led him to the dining room. Where Berengar''s family and all of his guests were gathered.


    Berengar entered the room and looked upon howrge his family had grown and grinned from ear to ear. He still was not yet finished creating children. He knew that his family would grow even more in theing years, but to see those who currently existed as both happy and healthy, it was truly a warming sight.


    Hans and his younger brother Josef were being fawned upon by their mother, while Helga was waiting patiently for the food to arrive. Isle differed from her older sister. She was a vibrant and lively child, while Helga was far more quiet and reserved.


    While Honoria was looking after her young daughter, Helena, her son, Alexandros, was ring at his rival, Ghazi. The two young boys were of a simr age and were both being schooled in how to rule at a young age, where they developed a friendly sibling rivalry.


    Unlike Berengar''s children with Ad, Linde, and Henrietta, these two boys were guaranteed the thrones of their mother''s kingdoms. Thus, they were given special educational courses in politics, economics, and other important subjects.


    Yasmin was looking over her young daughter Zara, while Ghazi and Alexandros were having a fierce debate over their political lessons and their respective views on what was being taught. All in all, it was a lively environment.


    Zhu Zhi and Dharya could only gaze in envy at the sight of Berengar''s family, and how they immediately became silent when the man entered the room. Berengar tried to be a major part of his children''s lives, despite his many responsibilities, and because of this, there was much love and respect for him as the head of the household. The moment he sat down at the table, the entire crowd shifted their gaze towards him, where he simply smiled and gave out the order for the food to be brought forward.


    "Let us eat!"


    Once this was said, the household servants rushed from the kitchen into the dining hall with tters of breakfast food to be served to the Royal Family and their guests. All of his favorites were present, and even some lunch food was mixed in. After all, it was a grand asion, like every time he marched off to war, the morning after he came back, they would always have arge family feast and talk about what had happened in the kaiser''s absence.


    Berengar sat, and had a conversation with each and every one of his children about what they had been up to while he was away, and while some would ask him what life was like on the battlefield, he could only force a smile, and pass it off with some vague notion of being happy to be home with the people he loved.


    This was how the Kaiser spent the morning after his return home. After all, now that the war was over, he would need to work closely with Ad to create arge celebration ceremony. One he intended to use to raise the German spirits and warn them about foreign threats to the east. However, that could wait until after the meal was over.

 Chapter 809 Planning the Victory DayCelebration

    Chapter 809 nning the Victory DayCelebration


    After finishing his morning meal, Berengar met with Ad in his office. He sat upon his chair, while Ad took her seat across from him with arge oak desk separating the couple. Ad was actually a bit nervous.


    She was rarely called to Berengar''s office, and when she was, it was usually because the man was upset with her. His stoic expression did no favors in this regard. She held her head low while Berengar gazed at her with curiosity.


    "Is something the matter, Ad? Are you perhaps unwell? If so, we can have this conversation when you are feeling better."


    Ad''s eyes widened in disbelief when she heard this. Was she not about to be scolded? Berengar could see the confusion in her eyes and quickly rified his reason for asking for her attendance.


    "I don''t know what you had in mind, but I asked you here to help me organize a massive celebration for the victory we achieved over the Catholic World. Though we have defeated our enemies, and they have all agreed to submit to our demands. There is more than one Kingdom who has yet to sign an actual treaty with the Reich.


    It is my hopes to invite all the national heroes and cultural icons of Germany to witness the signing of the treaties, and to celebrate the end of the Papacy''s tyranny. As my minister of cultural affairs, I figured I would get your input on this matter."


    Ad sighed in relief when she heard she was not in trouble with her husband and wore a pretty smile as she nodded her head in agreement to his terms.


    "Oh, if that''s the case, I''d be more than happy to help. What exactly did you have in mind?"


    Berengar grabbed a few beers from his ice chest and popped open their caps before handing one to his wife. After the young woman had taken a sip, he leaned back in his chair and followed suit, where he then expressed the ideas he had in mind for the celebration.


    "For starters, I want a military parade to show off the might and valor of our nation''s soldiers. I think that we can disy some of our newest weapons in this parade. To show the future of warfare is closer than people think. I have recently designed some shocking new weapons since my return, and I want to see at least a few functional prototypes on the streets for this massive event.


    After the parade is over, I will personally ept the surrender of the European monarchs in front of the German people on a grand stage. Though most of the old Kings died in the war, they have heirs who have yet to formally abdicate their thrones in favor of our puppets.


    I will use this event as a way to show the people of the Reich that the old powers have all capitted to me and will be reced with new monarchs, who will ensure the power and prestige of the Reich will never wane.


    After the signing of the treaties is over, I want there to be a massive feast in each city for the German people to participate in. Much like the local Oktoberfest celebrations we have thrown in previous years. I expect all of our cultural delicacies to be served to the people at the expense of the Crown, and plenty of beer to be provided.


    Ultimately, I intend for this monumental asion to be known as Victory Day, which I n to establish as a National Holiday to be celebrated annually within the borders of the Reich. This is what I had in mind, but I am open to suggestions from my lovely wife."


    Ad blushed slightly when she heard her husband''s shameless remarks before thinking about it the general situation for several seconds. After a few moments of silence, she came up with a few ideas of her own, which she was quick to express.


    "How about we host a major sporting event, like a special tournament for kickboxing, or Kampf? The victor receives a special championship belt and a mary prize of significant value. We can call it the Victory Day Tournament, and it will be an annual event where our nation''s best fighterspete for eternal glory!"


    Berengar nodded his head when he heard this suggestion and smiled warmly before taking a sip of his beer. After doing so, he was quick topliment his wife for her expertise in this area.


    "That''s an excellent idea. I did not even think about that. We can host arge tournament,rger than anything we have ever done before, and make it open weight so that we don''t limit high level fighters based upon their weight ss.


    I think we should aim for at least thirty-two fighters in a single elimination bracket, all fighting one another on a single night! Hell, we can even air it out to the public via radio, so that people in beer halls across the country can listen to the fight live! You are a genius, Ad!"


    Ad blushed with embarrassment when she heard her husband''s kind words. She had worked hard over the years to be the ideal wife to him, however, her petty jealousy had always gotten in her way of pleasing him. Now that she had put those issues behind her and embraced her role as one of his many partners, she was quickly gaining points. Thus, she was unafraid to voice her next idea.


    "I was thinking we could have a special theme to this tournament, something truly epic that is yed before the event, something that embodies the pride of the German people and its warriors!"


    The words pride and theme song immediately yed a very specific tune in Berengar''s mind. He knew exactly what theme he should recreate for the purpose of this event, and was quick to agree to Ad''s suggestion.


    "I like this idea more and more. I have just the song in mind! Now that we have settled for a military parade, a series of nationwide feasts, and arge scale tournament to show off the prowess of our fighters. Is there anything else we should do?"


    Ad thought about this question for a few moments beforeing up with one final idea, which she expressed with a pretty smile on her face.


    "We can get a photo of the European Kings capitting to you and print it in our newspapers, which we can then distribute across the territory of the Reich. We can also take photos of the other events, so that people who are not fortunate enough to be in Kufstein at the time can understand the grand scale of the celebration!"


    Berengar quickly nodded his head in agreement with this suggestion. The more he thought about the event, the more eager he was to be a part of it. Though he did not have the means to produce functional aircraft for at least another year, he could get some functional prototypes of the Panther Tanks and his so called Lynx IFVs onto the streets for the parade. Along with trucks towing his artillery pieces, Berengar was certain that this was shaping up to be a monumental asion for the Reich.


    After exhausting all possibilities with Ad, Berengar sat back and sighed in relief. It was good to know that his wife was extremely capable at her job. Now that their business was concluded, Berengar figured he would dismiss his wife, that is, until she approached him for a favor.


    "Berengar, my love..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar raised his brow in curiosity before responding with a stoic tone in his voice.


    "Yes?"


    Ad instantly began fidgeting with her fingers, as if she was too embarrassed to ask the question on her mind. After several moments, she ultimately spitted out the thoughts that gued her.


    "I want another baby!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before responding with a coy tone in his voice.


    "Oh really? Is there any particr reason for this?"


    Ad could hardly look her man in the eyes as he forced her to exin just why she wanted another child after practicing safe sex for some time. However, she was determined and quickly voiced her reasons for desiring yet another child.


    "I''m your first wife, and yet you only have three children with me. Meanwhile, you have four with Linde. It isn''t fair! I want another child!"


    Berengar savored the girl''s appearance as he forced her to admit her petty jealousy still had some sway over her heart. Her face was beat red, and she averted her gaze, too embarrassed to look upon his reaction. In the end, he sighed heavily before responding to the woman with what she wanted to hear.


    "Fine, I have no problems with that. Shall we start now?"


    Before Ad could even react, Berengar had stooped up from his seat and approached her. She did not even have time to register what was going on before her lips were assailed by her husband''s. However, she did not fight it, and instead enjoyed every second of her the man''s loving embrace. Thus, after concluding his business with his wife Ad, Berengar spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get her pregnant.

 Chapter 810 The Colony of Berenwalde

    Chapter 810 The Colony of Berenwalde


    Some time had passed since the initial meeting of New Vienna colonists took ce in a local tavern. Since then, two hundred and fifty families had set out from the safety of the German Colony and made a perilous trek north throughnds currently upied by native tribes until they settled in the region once known as Ontario in Berengar''s previous life.


    These men and women were deeply upset with thews that the Colonial Governor had enacted, which heavily favored the native tribes over the German colonialists. Because of this, these men and women sought to establish a new colony of their own. One loyal to the vision of the Kaiser.


    By now, homes were constructed, and fields were sewn. The small colony was protected by a timber star fort and was beginning to show signs of civilization. However, this colony was not settled peacefully. Instead, bloodshed had urred in the conquest of the region. The Algonquin tribes had fought fiercely against the German settlers, yet it was not enough. Armed with superior weapons, the colonists quickly put down the local tribes with their firearms, and imed thend for themselves.


    It was only now that word of this incident had reached Arnulf''s ears. He was aware that a small portion of his poption had set out north, but he did not know that they would disturb the peaceful coexistence he had established in New Vienna and the surrounding regions.


    Kahwihta acted as a trantor for the Algonquin chieftain who had visited New Vienna with the intent to gain Arnulf''s support in the reiming of his people''s hunting grounds that the Colony of Berenwalde currently sat upon.


    He was an elderly man, who had seen the power of the German Army first hand. The chieftain greatly respected Arnulf and his diplomatic solutions to every crisis they hade across. However, this recent incident with the settlers of Berenwalde had crossed his bottom line, and now he was out for blood. Thus, he spoke in a respectful yet stern tone as he requested Arnulf''s aid in this dispute.


    "Oh great peacemaker, I know it is a lot to ask you to go against your people, but they have vited the treaty you established with our tribe. In doing so, they have stolen ournds and murdered our people. We demand justice!"


    Arnulf sighed heavily as he heard this, before looking at the map his scouts had drawn for him pertaining to the contested region. With every wave of colonists who reached the new world, their pride in the fathend, and their sense of superiority increased, as if they hadpletely forgotten that they were mere peasants toiling the fields a mere decade ago.


    This pride had driven the colonists to invade thends that Arnulf had guaranteed to the natives, and protest when they were punished ordingly. If that was not bad enough, a small faction of these dissenters now acted in open rebellion by leaving the confines of the Colony and staking a im somewhere else at the expense of his allies.


    In truth, he had sent envoys to coerce the colonists of Berenwalde toply with his demands. However, they merely spat in the messenger''s face and called Arnulf a traitor to the crown. The problem was that the crown lie across the antic, and though the ships in the harbor were equipped with radio-telegraphs allowing near instantmunication between New Vienna and the fathend, he wasrgely left on his own to rule over the territory of New Vienna.


    It was true that he had the military might to conquer and expel the native tribes from thends they upied, but that was not Arnulf''s style. The delicate bnce of peace he had created allowed for New Vienna to rapidly develop into a desirable area. However, it also came at the expense of their natural expansion.


    Kahwihta could see the worry in his eyes, and grabbed hold of his hand with a warm smile on her face. Reassuring the man that it was alright to bring these criminals to justice. Thus, after a heavy sigh, Arnulf stood up from his seat, and reassured the Algonquin chieftain that the colony of Berenwalde would be taken care of.


    "It is my greatestment to give this order, however the peace I have established in thesends must be maintained, and because of that I have no choice but to dispatch the Colonial Expeditionary Forces to put down this insurrection. I assure you, I will do everything in my power to bring these criminals to justice and restore thends these rebels have stolen from your people."


    The Algonquin chieftain had a wide smile on his face when these words were tranted into his native tongue by the beautiful mohawk woman who stood next to the white man''s side. After expressing his thanks, he departed from the Governor''s vi, and made the long journey back to his home. He would wait for Arnulf to deal with these matters himself.


    After the Algonquin chieftain left, Arnulf was quick to summon themander of the expeditionary forces in New Vienna to his home. Themander was a tall, and strong middle-aged man, who had the charisma of a knight. Evidently, he had fought most of his life on the medieval battlefields of Europe, only to be incorporated into the Imperial German Army as an officer.


    Since he and his forces had firstnded in New Vienna, they had little in terms ofbat experience. After all, Arnulf''s negotiating skills were truly masterful. Most of the time, they acted as gendarmerie rather than actual soldiers. Thus, when he received his newest order, he was actually quite surprised.


    "Colonel Bartolde Von Tettingen, we have a problem. Arge group of rebels have journeyed north and conquered thends of our allies for themselves. I need you to march your army to their settlement and bring them to justice by whatever means necessary. Do you understand?"


    Thismand disturbed the Colonel. He was being ordered to march his army upon a German settlement, which, by a decree of the Kaiser, had the right to exist. After all, the philosophy of German settlement to the new world was manifest destiny. The entire continent of North America was free real estate to the German people, and they were allowed to establish colonies anywhere they pleased.


    This order to bring these settlers to justice was something the Colonel immensely disagreed with. However, he would not reject the demands of the local Colonial Governor. Thus, he nodded his head in agreement before responding in the affirmative.


    "As youmand, Governor..."


    After saying this, the Colonel was dismissed, where he immediately returned to his office, and met with his officer cadre. There was a cold expression on his face as he ryed the orders he had been given.


    "The Governor has gone mad. He wants us to actually march our forces north and eliminate the colonists in Berenwalde, all because they were following the Kaiser''s orders. I have no intention of spilling the blood of Germans for such a petty reason.


    us, I want you to go to the docks and ry this information to the Captain of the SMS Emmerich. Have him dispatch a telegram to the fathend informing the Kaiser of these developments and requesting further support. You are to wait for a proper response from the Kaiser, and then return to us with that information.


    The rest of us will march north in a show of force. However, you are not to open fire on the colonists unless they attack you first. Thest thing we need is this already tense situation to escte into a full-blown war!"


    This news deeply disturbed the officers of the expeditionary corps. The governor had truly gone mad if he wished to force the German colonists out of their settlement. It was simply insane to think about. Because of this, they could not help but mutter under their breath.


    "Fucking traitor..."


    The Officer named us quickly did as he was instructed and ryed the information back to the Fathend. Whereas the rest of the men quickly gathered their weapons and supplies. They intended to head north, into the savage frontier, in a show of force to the German settlers of the region. Many of the men dreaded this operation, fearing that their very presence would act as provocation to the settlers.


    These men were used to dealing with minor scuffles between unarmed groups. While some of the more veteran members were ustomed to fighting savages armed with sticks and stones. However, the settlers they would be provoking had ess to single shot bolt action rifles, mortars, and breechloading artillery. If they came to arms, they would be walking into the meat grinder.


    Despite this sentiment, the men of the Colonial Expeditionary Corps had their orders, and because of this they began the long trek north, praying that the Kaiser would order them to back off from the conflict, and leave the colonists be.

 Chapter 811 Battle of Berenwalde

    Chapter 811 Battle of Berenwalde


    Berengar sat in his office with a stern expression on his handsome face, and a disturbing telegram in his hand. Arnulf von Thiersee, a man who had been by Berengar''s side since he was first reincarnated into this world, had ordered his troops tomit the unthinkable: to open fire on German citizens.


    Luckily for him, the Colonel in charge of the First Colonial Expeditionary Brigade had enough sense to request further orders from the highest authority of the Empire, the Kaiser himself. Otherwise, this situation would turn into an unforgiveable act of treason.


    Berengar knew little about the ongoing conflict between Arnulf and the people he ruled over. Reports from the Colonies were regr, but they usually included concerns about internal development, rather than external threats. After all, in this world, the Reich needed to fear only one army, and that was Japan''s.


    However, in his misjudgement Arnulf had disobeyed the primary colonial protocol, which was to conquer territory and spread the German Nation across undevelopednds. He made petty alliances with the savage tribes of New Vienna, and had guaranteed theirnds at the expense of German growth and prosperity. These actions were borderline treasonous, however, they were still tolerable, no matter how much Berengar may be enraged by them.


    Why were they tolerable by a man who usually treated treason with a bullet to the brain? Because Arnulf was a war-hero, second only to the likes of Eckhard and himself. Not only was Arnulf involved in every major campaign leading up to the formation of the Kingdom of Austria.


    However, he was also regarded as the General most famous for the early days of the Iberian Campaign, where Germany and its allies achieved victory after victory, rather than the current mess that existed in the region.


    Because Arnulf was a war-hero who was beloved by the people, it would not be easy, nor wise, to get rid of him. Especially now when Germany was more united than ever before. However, one thing was certain: Arnulf''s native wife was influencing him poorly, and that needed to stop.


    Thus, Berengar was quick to put an end to this troublesome matter. He quickly spoke into his microphone, which sent a radio message to his personal aide, whose office was nearby, and issued his orders.


    "udia, I need you to send a telegram to the SMS Emmerich, which is stationed in New Vienna. The message is as follows: By order of the Kaiser, all Colonial expeditionary forces are to by themands they have received from the Colonial Governor regarding the Colony of Berenwalde and return to their posts immediately. Any attack on Berenwalde and its citizens shall be seen as an act of treason, and shall be punished ordingly. As for Arnulf von Thiersee, he is to be formally summoned to Kufstein, along with his native wife, to exin his actions."


    There was only static on the other end of the line for some time until a sultry feminine voice responded in the affirmative.


    "Of course, my Kaiser, I will ry your message to the New World immediately. Is there anything else I can help you with?"


    Berengar shook his head with a smile on his face before responding to the woman''s question in a gentle tone.


    "No, that will be all, udia. I thank you for the assistance."


    Upon hearing this, the woman known as udia quickly got to work fulfilling this task on behalf of her Kaiser. Meanwhile, Berengar sighed in relief as he thought about how much help his secretary had been to him these past few weeks. He really should have hired sufficient help a long time ago.


    In truth, he had been doing far too much work himself these past few years. Now he had an entire staff to help him with his many responsibilities, and relieve the pressure of looking after the Reich''s executive affairs by himself.


    After receiving a notice from the woman named udia that the telegram was sent, Berengar sat back and rxed in his office. He could not believe the words he had read, and was immediately concerned about the direction New Vienna was heading in. Hopefully, his orders would reach the colonial troops before bloodshed urred. If not, he would have to severely punish Arnulf for his crimes."


    ---


    Meanwhile, in the New World, the crew of the SMS Emmerich received their orders, and ryed to the field where the Colonial Expeditionary Forces were approaching their target. Deep in the woods outside Berenwalde, the Colonial soldiers marched forward with their heads on a swivel.


    They were now marching into hostile territory, where the enemy was equipped with semi-modern weaponry. Though the G22 was obsolete by the standards of the German Army, and hadrgely been reced in frontline service, it was still a deadly weapon in the hands of those who knew how to wield it. And make no mistake, the colonists of Berenwalde knew how to use these rifles, as they were the primary means of hunting across the colonies and the fathend.


    As far as the citizens of Berenwalde were concerned, these soldiers were traitors to the crown, and because of that, they had no intentions of standing by and waiting to be attacked. They had been anticipating an armed invasion from the south for some time and had been preparing for the eventuality. Thus, before the Kaiser''s orders could reach the Colonial forces, they had walked right into a trap.


    At the front of the Colonial Army''s lines, a young man carelessly stepped forward and triggered a tripwire which was connected to a cluster of grenades. The explosion sted the poord to bits and imed the lives of his nearbyrades.


    This booby trap was the first domino to fall. Immediately after it went off, smoke and thunder filled the woonds as the Berenwalde citizens opened fire on the advancing army without a hint of mercy. Though they were severely outnumbered, they hid well within the woods. Dressed in makeshift camouge, these men fled through the smoke of their gun fire deeper into the woods after firing their first shot, forcing the inexperienced Colonial troops to rush after them and into another trap.


    It was only after this initial exchange of gunfire had urred, iming the lives of several dozen German soldiers, did the orders to retreate over the wire. The telegraph operator, who used a portable device, gazed in horror as he read the message. He quickly searched for the Colonel where he handed off the message with a guilty look on his face.


    "Sir, these are the orders from the fathend. The Kaiser hasmanded that we return to New Vienna, and leave Berenwalde be..."


    Colonel Bartolde Von Tettingen immediately cursed in response to this news. He could not believe he had marched his brigade north and into an ambush. Several dozen of his soldiers were dead, and a hundred more were wounded.


    Though a few men had survived the attack rtively unharmed, mainly because of the advanced body armor that they wore, others were unlucky and were either killed or wounded by shots to the head or other unprotected regions of the body. Those who were struck on the te could count their lucky stars that the Kaiser had invented a body armor capable of protecting them against such advanced munitions.


    Normally the colonel would obey the orders of the Kaiser, and withdraw at this time, however several hundred of his soldiers had chased after the obvious feigned retreat. At this very moment, they were likely suffering from booby traps and ambushes ced in advanced by the insurgents.


    He did not have the nerve to leave the poor sods behind, and quickly made up his mind. The colonel gritted his teeth before giving the order that would sour rtions between Berenwalde and New Vienna for decades toe.


    "We have no choice. We have already been engaged by the enemy, and our boys have chased after them. I will not leave a man behind, and because of that, we must engage the enemy. After retrieving thoseds, we will return to New Vienna with our heads held high! For Kaiser and fathend!"


    With this said, the German soldiers roared their battle cries as they rushed into the woods to support theirrades, who had foolishly chased after the feigned retreat.


    ---


    At the front lines of the colonial dustup, the Colonial soldiers fired their shots towards the fleeing enemy before racking their bolts back and chambering another round. This was the advantage of the g25 rifle. It had a built in five round magazine and allowed for rapid follow up shots. The colonial forces would chase the fleeing enemy, then kneel and fire a shot, before chasing after them again, and racking their bolts at the same time.


    It did not take long before the overwhelming volume of fire began to im the lives of the fleeing insurgents. However, they were too spread out and easily able to blend into the environment. Thus, it was unexpected when the German soldiers rushed forward and found themselves engaged by men hidden in the bushes with their bays affixed.


    A wall of bays rushed into the unarmored necks of the colonial soldiers iming their lives and tossing their fresh corpses aside. By luring out these few hundred men, the colonists had evened the odds, and were quick to take advantage of it.


    Unfortunately for the Colonial soldiers, they had rushed ahead without attaching their bays, and because of this, they immediately fell at a massive disadvantage. The battle continued for some time, killing plenty of men on both sides, however in the end, the German reinforcements arrived, and opened fire on the Berenwalde citizens, killing most of them, and scattering the rest.


    After achieving a bloody victory, the Colonel gave the order to fetch the corpses of their dead, and return to New Vienna. This small conflict would cause Berengar a massive headache in theing days as he awaited Arnulf''s return to the fathend.

 Chapter 812 Relieving Stress Part l

    Chapter 812 Relieving Stress Part l


    Sweat glistened across Berengar''s chiseled figure as he continuously struck the hanging'' punching bag with all his might. He had been at this for nearly an hour now, and his knuckles were stained with his own blood.


    For the first time in a long time, Berengar was frustrated and bitter, so much so that he needed to hit somebody in order to relieve his anger, however he could not very well go out and assault his people and because of this, the heavy bag was a good substitute.


    After throwing a job and a cross, he swung his leg like a baseball bat towards what would be the head of the heavy bag were it a human being. A loud thunder crackled in the room, as if the one eyed emperor had fired a gun in the enclosed space. There was even a slight dent in the bag where his shin connected with its surface. After throwing thisbination, he sprawled to the ground and began to do a set of ten pushups.


    What had enraged the man so much that only working himself to death could alleviate his wrath? News of the battle of Berenwalde had reached the Kaiser shortly after the colonial troops returned to New Vienna. It was an unmitigated disaster with hundreds dead, and even more wounded.


    To Berengar, this was a failure in leadership, not on the part of Arnulf, but himself. He had failed to maintain enough of a presence in the New World to deter his colonial governors from making foolish mistakes. These deaths were on his hands, and the blood which currently seeped from his skin knuckles represented this.


    The Kaiser did not know how he was going to respond to this incident. People needed to be punished, perhaps even executed for this. However, one thing was certain: Arnulf''s policy of maintaining the peace with the natives woulde to an end.


    Blood needed to spill to satisfy the German Nation after such a senseless ughter of their own people, and only the death of the natives who had influenced Arnulf into turning on his own kind could satisfy this desire.


    Currently, Berengar was buck naked as he trained on the heavy bag. He had no shame in his appearance, and besides, only his women were present in the Pce at the moment, or so he had thought. After all, he had sent home all of his employees after hearing about the events in Berenwalde. Thus, he was certain that nobody who was not already intimately familiar with his body would walk in on him.


    Afterpleting his pushups, Berengar once more performed a flurry of strikes on the bag, followed by another sprawl and a set of pushups or situps. At a certain point, Tlexictli walked in on the man who was venting of his anger, and gazed in shock.


    She had just now returned from her visit to the Aztec Empire and was looking for Berengar to discuss what had transpired in her absence. She had no idea that she would find him nude while working out alone in his gym.


    She stared at the naked form of the Kaiser for several moments in shock as he struck the bag with all of his force. After getting an eyeful for well over a minute in silence, she teased the man who had treated her so roughly in the past.


    "Nice dick... No wonder your wives love you so much."


    Berengar turned around and red intensely at the young woman, who had a teasing smile on her face. However, upon seeing his face, she immediately flushed red. This was the first time she had seen the man without his eyepatch, and in all honesty it deeply attracted her to his battle-scarred appearance. There was some kind of gruesome appeal to the Aztec warrior princess upon seeing the wound the Kaiser had suffered in battle.


    After staring at the woman with fury in his eye for several minutes in silence, Berengar sighed heavily before scolding her for interrupting his session.


    "You should know better than to interrupt a man when he is venting his anger."


    Tlexictli immediately frowned when she heard this. Berengar did not seem the least bit flustered by her remarks, or the fact that she so brazenly stared at his naked figure for such an extended period. However, after several seconds, she got another fiendish idea in her pretty head.


    The moment after, Berengar turned around and ignored her so that he could focus on the bag. Tlexictli stripped out of her dress and undergarments before sneaking up behind the man andtching her hands around his waist, where she immediately suplexed him to the matt in a brutal m.


    This aggressive action caught Berengar off guard, one because the girl was stronger than he thought, and two, he was simply not expecting to get mmed. However, he immediately recovered and protected his neck from submission attempts before spinning around into the guard position.


    Berengar had briefly learned Brazilian jiu jitsu in his past life in addition to his armybatives training. At the time of his reincarnation, he had the skill of a low level blue belt, and that of a high school wrestler. However, it had been years since he personally introduced submission grappling and other martial arts into this world as a sport, and since then, the talent of its practitioners had rapidly evolved to a higher standard.


    Naturally, the Kaiser trained extensively to remain in shape and to ensure his fighting spirit never waned. This included strength and conditioning training, as well as a variety of martial arts, such as grappling, wrestling, boxing, and Burmese kickboxing, all of which were popr sports in the Reich that he had introduced. His current skill in submission grappling was at the level of a purple belt in jiu jitsu and a collegiate wrestler.


    He was furious that the woman had attacked him, however when he gazed upon her naked form and the pretty smile on her face, he felt a bit less enraged. It would appear that this woman wanted to test her skills against him, thus he treated this as a friendly sparring session rather than an assault.


    One thing that was immediately noticeable was the substantial muscle definition of Tlexictli''s figure. For a woman, she was shredded. However, not in the form of a bodybuilder, but more like that of a fitness model. From years of physical training, her muscr body was impressive, to say the least. However, despite her muscr physique still had an ample bosom above her heavily defined abs, which, if Berengar had to guess, was a strong D cup. Her ass was also stacked with muscle, but plump in its own way.


    While Berengar was ogling the girl''s impressive physique, she had slipped past his guard and into side control, where she held him firmly to the ground with all her strength. Her bare chest pressed against his pectoral muscles as she squeezed him tightly.


    Berengar was calm and collected, as he used his forearm to brace against her waist while searching for an underhook. Which he quickly caught and used to fight out of side control. The two of them struggled in silence for several moments before Berengar put the woman back to the guard, where he grabbed hold of her forearm and fought for control of the back.


    Tlexictli responded to this countermeasure by grabbing hold of Berengar''s waist and driving him forward onto the mat, holding him down with both technique and strength. In his own mind, he had to admit fighting with a beautiful, muscr woman for a position of dominance was turning him on, and thus, he quickly shrimped his hips out and in doing so secured an omota submission.


    However, the warrior princess did not panic as Berengar tried to dislocate her shoulder, instead she quickly spun over her shoulder in an attempt to free herself from the position. The result was that she was now on the bottom, in Berengar''s side control as he rolled along with her into a superior position.


    Once in side control, Berengar fought for an Americana submission, however he failed to do achieve his goal, as Tlexictli defended against it. Causing the to hip out and forward towards the woman''s head where he caught her in a no-gi ezekiel choke. He did this by grabbing onto his biceps with one hand and locking his other around his forearm with Tlexictli''s neck in between the grip. In doing so, he rapidly cut off the blood supply from the woman''s brain.


    Despite this, Tlexictli did not tap, and instead chose to take a brief nap. Mocking the man who had beaten her as she repeated the words she had heard Honoria say while eavesdropping on her and Berengar''s private time.


    "Choke me harder, daddy!"


    Berengar immediately chuckled as he saw the light fade from Tlexictli''s eyes while she passed into unconsciousness, causing him to release his grip. Within a few seconds, she snapped back to reality as the blood returned to her brain. The Aztec Warrior princess gazed around the room in shock, not realizing that she had been choked out by her partner. It took her a few seconds to realize the truth, where she then pouted and lowered her head in defeat.


    "the gods be damned, you beat me yet again... Here I thought I was finally good enough to defeat you... Especially after learning your fighting arts! It isn''t fair!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before scolding the woman for stripping naked and attacking him out of nowhere.


    "You should really consider your position as an ambassador to the reich. What would the nobility think if they saw your appearance right now?"


    It was only now that Tlexictli felt the slightest bit of shame for stripping naked and attacking the man. She had gotten naked strictly, out of the need to be freed from her cumbersome attire, which was required to fight effectively. However, now she was beginning toment her decision as she hid her sensitive areas with her arms. This only caused Berengar tough once more while he threw the woman''s dress and undergarments to her before thanking her for her actions.


    "I suppose I should thank you. I was in a terrible mood, but this sparring session of ours really helped me unwind. How about we go get dressed and then head out into the city to get a drink?"


    Tlexictli thought about the offer for a few seconds before nodding her head in agreement. She wouldn''t mind sharing a drink with the man, assuming he was paying for it.


    "Fine, but you''re paying for it!"


    Once more, the girl''s petty attitude had caused Berengar to chuckle. She quickly got up from the floor and covered herself with her hand as she reached over to dress herself in her previously discarded clothing. Upon seeing such an alluring sight, Berengar simply could not resist the urge, and spanked the muscr ass that presented itself to him.


    Tlexictli yelped in shock before ring at the man for his perverted action, who shamelessly looked away as if it had never happened. She could only sigh in defeat and get dressed in a different corner of the room. Meanwhile, Berengar pulled his clothes out of the gym bag he had brought and dressed in some appropriate attire. The two of them would depart for the city shortly thereafter to share a drink and some food.

 Chapter 813 Relieving Stress Part ll

    Chapter 813 Relieving Stress Part ll


    Berengar sat in a local beerhouse dressed in casual attire. His hair was styled differently than normal in an attempt to hide his identity. It was amon tactic he used whenever visited local taverns and restaurants so that he could mingle with his people and hear from their lips just how they felt about the current state of affairs.


    However, tonight was no such night. Instead, the Kaiser had just finished his fifth liter of beer, and was now hanging his head low, as it rested in the palms of his hands. He was well and truly vexed over the recent developments in the colonies.


    Immediately after receiving word of the battle of Berenwalde, Berengar had ordered the arrest of Arnulf, and his wife, Kahwihta. The two of them were to be brought to the Royal Capital to sit before a military tribunal and answer for their crimes. No doubt the man was already on his way to Kufstein.


    However, Berengar was not alone while he drowned his sorrows. Instead, he was apanied by someone who he had aplex rtionship with. On the one hand, Tlexictli admired Berengar as a ruler, and all that he had aplished over the years. However, she also internally despised him for what he had done to her people, even if she felt a strong physical attraction to the man.


    Because of this love/hate rtionship she had drunken just as much as Berengar, as the two reunited over recent events. Since the beginning, Tlexictli could tell that something was wrong with the Kaiser, though she did not want to pry into his business. After all, he had been exceptionally cruel to her back in Berenstadt, and she feared a repeat of such behavior.


    Despite this internal fear, Tlexictli''s curiosity got the better of her, and after she had drank enough to feel as if she could wrestle a jaguar, she finally decided to pose the question that had been guing her all night.


    "So are you going to tell me what has got you so frustrated?"


    Berengar sighed heavily when he heard these words and slunk back into his booth with a depressed appearance. He did not like talking about his feelings. After all, he was a man, and there were two things that were absolutely taboo for a man, and those were crying and talking about their feelings. Thus, he tried to bottle up his emotions, but in the end, he could not help but release a raspy groan of distress while he spilled his guts.


    "God dammit, fine, I''ll tell you since you are so insistent..."


    Upon hearing this, Tlexictli perked up her ears and rested her dainty chin on one hand before giving the man her full attention. It was only now that Berengar had fully taken in the woman''s natural beauty. It was a different type of beauty than any of his wives, like that of a proud and strong lioness. However, before he could let such thoughts gue him any further, Berengar took a sip from his beer and began expressing his woe to the woman.


    "There are very people in this world that I can consider to be a trusted advisor and a close personal friend. Arnulf von Thiersee is one of these men, and though our rtionship is built upon my own deception, he was never the wiser about some of the more horrific details, and has until now proven to be a capable and loyal man.


    I have made the mistake of entrusting this man withplete authority over the territory he rules over, and because of that, an incident has urred. In truth, it is my own damn fault. I should have paid more attention to the development of the colonies, but I was too busy waging war in Europe.


    This man, has in his infinite wisdom, begun seeing the stone age savages who inhabited thends of New Vienna before my conquests as valuable allies. So much so that he has alienated the people beneath his control, and guaranteed these savagesnd at the expense of German development. Something I''m sure you would appreciate as a woman from a simr situation.


    However, in doing so, he caused arge group of his citizens to leave the colony in self-imposed exile and stake a im further north. They fought for control of theirnd from the natives who inhabited the region, and because of this, the savages requested support from Arnulf, who responded by dispatching his troops to put an end to the newfound colony of Berenwalde.


    When I found out about this, I tried to put an end to the conflict before any lives could be pointlessly wasted. However, I am but one man, half a world away, and despite mytest technological innovations in the field ofmunications, Iment to admit that I was too slow.


    Because of this, hundreds of Germans lie dead, and even more are wounded. As we speak, the northern colonies of Lindeheim are in a state of total conflict, waiting for each other to make the next move. So because I failed to keep track of developments in the new world, I now have to punish a man that I consider to be a friend. There is only one punishment for treason, and I would give anything not to have to go through with it."


    It shocked Tlexictli to hear that such a crazy scenario had taken ce in the new world. She was beginning to understand how limited her knowledge of this world truly was. She wasn''t even aware that the reich had colonies north of Berenstadt. However, from the look on Berengar''s face, she could guess the price of treason, and quickly gulped down some more beer before asking for confirmation.


    "You''re going to kill him?"


    Upon hearing these words so brazenly spoken, Berengar froze in his spot, gazing at the amber liquid of theger in his ss for several moments in silence before finally nodding his head.


    "He has left me no choice. If I am unwilling to punish those at the highest level of society, it will send a message to my people that there are still men above thew, and that would prove to everyone I am nothing more than a despot like the feudal overlords who ruled over them in years prior.


    Such a thing would invite chaos and rebellion, which is something I must prevent no matter what the cost. Thus, I am left with only one option: I have to kill my friend. Just like how I killed his father all those years ago, it hase full circle. Once more, I am left in a position of kill or be killed, which is something I foolishly believed I had evolved beyond."


    It was only now that Tlexictli learned of what Berengar meant when he previously said that his rtionship with Arnulf was founded on his own deception. She was quite surprised that he was so ruthless as to kill a man''s father and lie to him with a straight face for so many years without the slightest sign of guilt. She could hardly believe it and needed to ask for rification, which she did.


    "You killed his father, and you never told him?"


    When Berengar heard this remark, he scoffed before taking another sip of his beer, where he proceeded to inform Tlexictli of his past.


    "If I told the man I killed his father, do you think he would have sacrificed so much for me over the years? The story is a bitplicated, but since you have asked, don''t me me if we go down the rabbit hole together...


    Around ten years ago, my brother had conspired against me with a multitude of powerful men or, so I thought they were at the time. Compared to the power I wield now, they were practically nothing. Anyway, the goal of these men was to assassinate me so that Lambert could usurp my position as heir to Kufstein.


    Where they intended to use him to secure Kufstein''s iron deposits for their rebellion against the Duke. To make a long story shorter, I had outsmarted my brother, and after presenting evidence of his wrongdoing to my parents, they exiled him. Which ultimately resulted in his returning with an army, where I slew him in singlebat on the field of battle. But not before the bastard left behind a little gift."


    Berengar silently motioned to the scar over his right eye, causing Tlexictli to cover her gaping mouth with her hand in shock. She could not believe such a brutal story about fratricide was the origin of the man''s most distinctive battle wound. However, after thinking about this, Tlexictli did not understand the connection between Berengar''s rivalry with Lambert and his killing of Arnulf''s father. Because of this, she interrupted the man when he was in the middle of his harrowing tale.


    "But wait... What does that have to do with Arnulf''s father?"


    Berengar groaned in displeasure as he heard this before taking another sip of his drink before scolding the girl.


    "If you would just let me finish! Anyway... the point I was trying to make is that Arnulf''s father was one of my brother''s supporters, So I had used Linde and her influence to turn one of the man''s maids against him, who poisoned his food for some time, until he died a convincing death. Luckily for me, the man had died leaving behind a single word: Lambert.


    What the old fucker was actually trying to say, I have no idea, but his dying words had convinced Arnulf that my brother was responsible for the man''s death, and I just rolled with it, fabricating enough evidence to pin the me on Lambert, which was ultimately overlooked in his sentencing due to the other serious crimes he hadmitted.


    The moral of the story is, Arnulf''s father hadmitted treason by supporting my rebellious little brother, and his petty im over what was rightfully mine. In doing so, the man forced me to eliminate him, and now, ten yearster, his son hasmitted a simr offense. There is only one legitimate punishment for treason, and that is death..."


    Tlexictli instantly sobered up in that moment as she came to a dreadful understanding. In his drunken state, Berengar had revealed to her a dirty secret about his past, something she was probably better off not knowing. Out of everyone in this world, the only people who knew about this incident were Berengar and Linde. After all, the crafty spymaster had long since removed all loose ends.


    Now there was a third person who knew of such a terrible secret, and most horrifying was the fact that Tlexictli was unsure whether Berengar considered her irreceable yet. She felt an intense fear that perhaps after sobering up, Berengar would eliminate her in order to keep such a secret buried. It was partially because of this dread that Tlexictli now felt an intense desire to be more intimate with Berengar, no matter the cost. Thus, the duo continued to drink long into the night, seemingly unaware of the time passing by and the extent of the alcohol they consumed.

 Chapter 814 Death of a Hero

    Chapter 814 Death of a Hero


    The Marines of the SMS Emmerich stood on standby, as theirmander led them through the harrowed halls of the Governor''s vi. Not long ago, word hade over the wire for the arrest of Arnulf von Thiersee and his wife Kahwihta, as well as the Colonel in charge of the local Colonial Expeditionary Forces.


    The order hade from the Kaiser himself, and because of this, these brave men would drag Arnulf back to Kufstein even if they had to fight against an army to do so. Luckily for them, Colonel Bartolde Von Tettingen was so ashamed about what had happened in Berenwalde that he handed himself over into the Marines'' custody without incident. Hisst orders to his troops was to assist the Marines in their efforts to arrest the Colonial Governor.


    Thus, the governor''s mansion was surrounded by an army of roughly five thousand men, who ensured there was no escape for the man inside. Arnulf gazed out the window of his study and saw the staggering sight. He sighed heavily, as he realized he was most likely about to be executed. He gazed upon his loving wife and their young son with regret in his eyes before opening the door and allowing the marines inside.


    The Marines were already stacked outside, prepared to engage inbat with Arnulf''s bodyguards. However, after clearing the room, they were surprised to find that such men were nowhere to be found. Arnulf simply gazed upon the Marines and ced his hands above his head before kneeling on the ground and epting his fate. Shockingly, the marine did not just stop with arresting him but immediately called for the arrest of Kahwihta as well.


    "Take his bitch as well. The Kaiser wants to speak with them both in person!"


    The woman screamed and struggled as the marines separated the child from her arms before escorting him out of the building.The boy was too young to fullyprehend just what was going on. However, he would never forget the sight of his parents being dragged out in chains by heavily armed white men.


    The captain in charge of the Marinepany gazed upon Arnulf with contempt as he loaded him into the vessel. The n was to immediately return to Kufstein after apprehending the prisoner. He could not help but scold the traitor for his actions.


    "Three hundred Germans are dead because of your love for these savages. That''s more casualties than we suffered in the war against the Catholic World!"


    It shocked Arnulf to hear this. He was not even aware of the wars the fathend was fighting; they were so frequent and brief that he lost track. The man waspletely unware that Berengar had just returned home from his war against the Papacy and was quick to inquire about it.


    "The Papacy is gone?"


    Despite his question, the marines remained silent as they constantly guarded the prisoners. The journey to Kufstein would take roughly two weeks, but in the end, they arrived safe and sound. When Arnulf stepped off the docks, he could not even recognize the city of Trieste.


    So much had changed in the years since he had been tasked with looking after the colony of New Vienna. Factories spewed smoke in the air, as they manufactured goods with their steam powered devices, and trucks drove through the streets transporting goods from the steelyard to the shipyard.


    Lights lit up the streets, and busses carried people across town. It was as if he had stepped foot into an entirely new world, one that transcended everything he had previously believed to be true. Kahwihta was even more astonished, as this was her first time visiting the fathend, and because of this she finally understood why she had first considered Berengar and his soldiers to be gods upon their first visit to her homnd. This level of civilization was simply awe-inspiring.


    The people walked by the streets, not even recognizing Arnulf as the marines lead him into a prisoner transport truck. It had been so many years since the peoplestid eyes on the once proud general that they had forgotten what he looked like. Especially since many of them had never seen his face to begin with.


    The truck stopped at a military train yard, where Arnulf and his wife boarded the vehicle under the supervision of the soldiers. After several hours, they arrived in Kufstein, where once more the sheer volume of progress that had been made in Arnulf''s absence surprised him. Ultimately, the colonial governor was handed off to the Reichsgarde outside the Pce where he and his wife were escorted into the study of Berengar''s pce.


    Berengar was already waiting for the man while dressed in his military uniform, with Linde by his side. There was a stoic expression on his face as he nodded towards the guards, silently dismissing them from this meeting.


    In all honesty, Arnulf was deeply worried after being taken directly to Berengar. He expected to be rotting in a cell awaiting a trial rather than having a face-to-face meeting with the man who ruled over the vast German Empire.


    In the next second, the doors were sealed behind him and all the man''s questions were answered. Berengar did not hesitate to pull a small vial out from his coat pocket and ce it on the table. The sunlight shone through the clear liquid within the ss case, giving Arnulf a good idea about what was inside. He gulped the saliva that had pooled up in his mouth as the Kaiser scolded the man for his actions.


    "I am giving you a choice on how you die Arnulf... If you drink this poison, I will spare your wife and child, and I will me your death on the natives, along with all of those who died because of your foolish actions. You will be remembered as a hero of the German people who died valiantly in defense of the colonies.


    Or, I can take you, and your wife, through a brutal trial, where the two of you will most certainly be convicted, and lined up against the wall to be executed by a firing squad. Your sins will be revealed to the public, and your son will be the greatest enemy of the German people. I would not be surprised if the citizens of New Vienna take it in their own hands to murder him after what you have done...


    Before you give me an answer on how you wish to die, I want you to entertain my questions. I suppose I should start with, what the hell were you thinking? Despite knowing my orders, you deliberately acted against them. You signed treaties with a bunch of stone age savages that came at the expense of your own people. Have you no shame?"


    This was a lot of information for Arnulf to take in, and he sat in disbelief for several moments. Though Kahwihta wanted to speak up on his behalf, Berengar''s murderous re kept her silent. In the end, Arnulf could only nce at his wife with a warm gaze before uttering his response.


    "They are also my people..."


    It took Berengar a few moments to understand what Arnulf was saying. It was just so preposterous to him that he could hardly believe his own ears. After several moments of silence, Berengar broke out into a fit of rage as he mmed his fist on the desk before scolding the man for his stupidity.


    "They are a bunch of backwards savages who would have murdered, raped, and enved our people in the most brutal fashion had we not shown up with such an overwhelming disy of force. Your peace, that you are so prideful of, is built on nothing but the fear these savages have of you. Or am I wrong?"


    Upon uttering thesest words, Berengar''s fierce rended upon Kahwihta, who flinched beneath his fury. Arnulf looked at his wife with a pleading gaze, but she could not return it. Everything Berengar had said was true. Her people most likely would have murdered, raped, and enved the German settlers in a fashion so brutal it was downright inhumane had the Germans not disyed such overwhelming violence in their initialndings. She remained silent for some time, before Berengar insisted she reveal the truth.


    "Tell him.... Tell him right now! He deserves to know the truth. After everything he has done for you, you owe him that!"


    Arnulf was a victim of a timeline where a technologically advanced German Army forced the native tribes into submission upon their arrival in the New World. From his perspective, the tribes had been mostly peaceful, and even willing to work with him. However, they did not have the knowledge of Berengar''s past life, where the native American tribes were some of the most barbaric savages in human history.


    Take the Commanche, for example. They used to butcher babies, and roast men alive after capturing them. The Anasazi were at one point fierce cannibals, such savage behavior wasmonly found among all the tribes in some variation, which is one of the reasons the Europeans looked upon them with such disdain upon first contact.


    From Berengar''s perspective, he was looking at the native peoples of North America as the savages who invented scalping, not as the domesticated ves they had be under his rule. Kahwihta was naturally aware of how her people felt about the Germans, and what they would have done to them if they had the power and thus she could only lower her head and admit the truth with tears in her eyes.


    "It''s true... What he says is true. If my people, and many of the other tribes you have negotiated with, had the power, they would likely do what he has said."


    Upon seeing the defeated expression on Arnulf''s face, Berengar handed him the poisonous vial before making onest statement to the man he once considered a friend.


    "Drink this, and you can be absolved of your sins. Your wife and son, however, they will live, but they will be forced to watch as my armies march forth and eradicate every single tribe living in the vicinity of my colonies. Someone has to y for the blood that has been spilled by your hands, and unfortunately for you, that is the savages you are so fond of."


    Arnulf thought about the situation for several moments. He had nothing butment in his heart. In the end, he gazed upon Kahwihta onest time before downing the whole vial as if it were a shot. The man, who was once considered one of Germany''s greatest heroes, slowly faded away in the arms of the woman he had given his life to appease. As Kahwihta cried over the fresh corpse of her husband, she red at Berengar with murderous intent before screaming at him in a voice so shrill it nearly shattered the ss.


    "I hate you!"


    Berengar was cold, as he stared at the lifeless body of one of the few men in this world he had ever considered being a friend. There was not the slightest hint of emotion on his face as he responded to the woman''s wails with a bitter remark.


    "This is your doing, and you will have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life. You are free to return to New Vienna, but I doubt you will find it to be as weing to you as it once was. I am a man of my word. By the time you return home, my armies will already have ravaged thends. Killing every man, woman, and child who shares the same savage blood as you. Go forth and gaze upon the destruction you have wrought. Now get the hell out of my sight before I change my mind."


    With that said, Kahwihta was escorted by the Marines back to New Vienna. In theing days, Berengar would need to work hard to re-correct the narrative of what had happened. Aside from the soldiers of the German Army who had taken part in the battle, few of the Berenwalde Militia survived the attack. They could be coerced into maintaining their silence, in exchange for the expansion of theirnds, and properpensation.


    The reason Berengar had spared Arnulf''s image by convincing him tomit suicide was not because the two men had once been close friends, but because on the eve of victory day, the idea that a hero of the nation would turn traitor, and march an army on German Citizens would only stain the nation''s pride. Something that needed to be avoided at this point in time.


    Thus, after dismissing Arnulf''s widow, Berengar silently as hemented the loss of his friend. Linde had witnessed the entire event, and though she tried tofort Berengar in his time of need, he was not in the mood. He desired nothing more than to be alone with his own thoughts, where he would remain seated in his office until the dawn rose on the next day.

 Chapter 815 Relieving Stress Part lll

    Chapter 815 Relieving Stress Part lll


    Two weeks prior to Arnulf''s death, Berengar wasmenting the decision he would have to make regarding his friend''s betrayal. The stifling of German expansion on behalf of the native poption was borderline treasonous in itself, but the actual murder of German settlers was nothing less than the ultimate betrayal.


    After drinking his fill and discussing his issues with Tlexictli, the dynamic duo stumbled into the streets as just another group of drunks on a Friday night. They effortlessly blended into the crowd as they walked towards the royal pce.


    However, halfway through their journey there was a sudden burst of rain, the downpour which was entirely unexpected, catching Berengar and Tlexictli off guard, as the torrent rapidly soaked them. Berengar''s white silk dress shirt clung tightly to his muscles, while Tlexictli''s matching cocktail dress did the same.


    It became apparent immediately that the woman wasn''t wearing a bra, as her brown nipples were clearly visible. The two of them awkwardly stared at each other''s chests for a few moments as the pelting storm rapidly sobered their minds.


    After several moments of silence, Berengar made a quick decision, and escorted Tlexictli to a nearby hotel, where he rented a room for the night. Kufstein was a popr attraction, and because of the rapid transit system that had been established across the reich, there were out-of-town visitors who came to the city every day. They usually dwelled in a hotel like this one.


    After climbing the stairs to their room, Berengar stripped out of his soaked clothes, entirely unafraid. After all, Tlexictli had already seen his naked body earlier in the day, thus he had nothing to be ashamed of. Tlexictli, on the other hand, struggled to decide on whether she should do the same. After several moments of thought, she made a promation.


    "I''m going to take a shower!"


    After saying this, the woman entered the bathroom, where she washed away the cold rainwater. Berengar merely scoffed as he gazed out the windows and watched the storm continue to shower the city. He reached into the mini ice-cooler that came with the suite and pulled out a beer, popping off its cap and taking another drink. The circumstances he was in were dreadfully enticing, and he had decided in his mind at that moment to go for the kill.


    Thus, after chugging his beer as if he were at a frat party, Berengar stalked Tlexictli into the bathroom, where her eyes were shut as she washed her short ck hair with shampoo. While she was thinking of Berengar''s naked body, she felt the firm hands of a man wrap around her substantial brown breasts and yelped in shock. Gazing behind her to see the flushed expression on Berengar''s cheeks. He had clearly drank too much. She was about to say something when the man assailed her lips with his own.


    Tlexictli did not struggle. Perhaps she too was intoxicated, or perhaps she had finally admitted this was what she always wanted. Regardless of the reason, she embraced the moment and swirled her tongue with Berengar''s as he slipped his index finger into her puffy twat.


    Tlexictli moaned in pleasure as she nibbled on Berengar''s ear, a sensation he was unustomed to but found enjoyable, nheless. After bringing the woman to the brink of climax with just his fingers alone, Berengar positioned Tlexictli on her knees, and stuck his massive shaft in her face before giving her an order.


    "Suck it..."


    Tlexictli stared at the man''srge rod, which stood stiffly in her face for several seconds before doing as she was instructed. Herck of experience became immediate to Berengar right away as he coached her through the process.


    "No teeth!"


    "Use your tongue!"


    At first Tlexictli struggled to understand the basic concept of a blowjob, but after nearly fifteen minutes of nothing but sucking cock, she performed the sinful gesture with an intensity that stirred the seed in Berengar''s loins.


    Not wanting to waste his potential children, Berengar lifted the woman''s muscr body into the air, where he pressed her back against the wall of the shower, and thrust his cock inside her tight, wet hole. Tlexictli gritted her teeth in agony, not expecting her first time to be so painful. While Berengar gazed in shock at the blood which dripped from her cunt and expressed his surprise.


    "You''re a virgin?"


    The Aztec Princess red at the man''s insinuation with a fierce stare. She could not believe she had to remind the man of her position.


    "I may be a savage in your eyes, but I''m still a princess! Even in the new world, there is political value attached to my purity! You better be prepared to take responsibility!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. Before moving his hips forward, the action caught Tlexictli off guard, which caused her tight hole to clench around Berengar''s cock like a vice grip. Berengar smiled when he felt such a pleasurable sensation and assaulted the woman''s lips once more before whispering something in her ear.


    "I am your people''s primary deity! If I demand you be my mistress, so be it! What are they going to do about it? Resist? Fat chance! Now properly worship your god, by giving your body as sacrifice!"


    Berengar was not the slightest bit gentle with Tlexictli, despite this being her first time. The reason was simple: she was a seasoned warrior, and he knew she could endure the pain. Instead of treating her like a dainty princess, he used her pussy as if it was an onahole designed specifically for his pleasure. He was too drunk to worry, or care, about the woman''s own sensation.


    After several overwhelming thrusts, Berengar dropped to his knees, where he curled the woman up onto her shoulders, and powerfully drove his cock in and out of her pussy repeatedly while lifting her legs in the air.


    Tlexictli was ovee with pain and pleasure alike as she endured the kaiser''s pounding while he suckled at herrge, bouncing breasts. It did not take long for her to start stimting her clit with her muscr fingers, all the while taking the pounding of a lifetime. Berengar goaded Tlexictli on as he continued to thrust inside her at rapid speed.


    "You like that, little kitten? Worship your fucking god like a good girl!"


    Tlexictli responded to Berengar''s taunts in her own native tongue, something he had learned during his time spent in the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan''s divine realm.


    "Fill me with your heavenly seed, oh mighty feathered serpent, gift me with your gold haired children!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before thrusting deep inside the woman''s womb. After doing so, he shot his first load into the woman''s depths while continuing to taunt her as his seed flowed inside her like a white river.


    "Alright, I will permit you to give birth to my divine son to rule over your father''s throne! Be carful what you wish for kitten!"


    Berengar''s overflowing sperm caused the woman to quiver in climax as she panted heavily. It was only after the two were lying, soaking wet from the warm water of the shower, that she regretted saying something so shameful.


    .


    Tlexictliid on the slippery floor with a vacant expression, dwelling upon all of her life''s decisions that led to this point. Was she really ready to be a mother? Berengar, however, was far from finished. He turned off the shower faucet and threw a towel to Tlexictli before barking orders at her.


    "Dry yourself off and meet me on the bed. This is far from over. I will not stop until your belly intes from the amount of sperm I have shot inside you."


    Upon hearing such a ludicrous statement, Tlexictli snapped back to reality and giggled. She could not help but wonder if Berengar was serious about impregnating her, thus she quickly asked about such aplex issue.


    "Are you seriously going to impregnant me? You know I am a lowly savage, right?"


    While in the midst of drying himself off with a towel, Berengar shot the woman a stern gaze before giving the woman the answer she was looking for.


    "If I can''t conquer the world through bloodshed, then I will do so with my seed. One day, my descendents will rule over all the world''s greatest empires and they shall all pay tribute to Germany. Since I have already decided to spare your people, and permit your existence as a subservient realm, naturally I must put my son on its throne. So hurry up and dry yourself off already. We have many hours left in this night and I intend to show you the true meaning of pleasure."


    Tlexictli gazed at the white stuff that was already seeping out of her vagina and smiled. She supposed having Berengar''s children was a better option than anyone else she knew. Besides, if she really thought about it then she actually looked forward to being the mother of the future Aztec Empire.


    Though she had several brothers who were supposed to seed her father, she knew that would not be an issue for Berengar. Thus, she was eager to hop into the bed with the man her people worshipped as a god and procreate with him as if they were wild animals.


    Ultimately, Tlexictli would scurry after Berengar, and the two would fuck like rabbits for the entire night. When the storm finally faded it was already dawn, and Berengar had released enough of his seed inside Tlexictli''s fertile womb that she was surely pregnant. By taking his frustrations out on the Aztec Princess''s muscr body, he was able to finally gain the nerve to do what was necessary.

 Chapter 816 What Happens Next?

    Chapter 816 What Happens Next?


    Linde sat across from Berengar with her legs crossed. She had a stoic expression on her gorgeous face as she stared intensely at her husband. Days had passed since Arnulf''s death, and Berengar had acted as a monk. Not the least bit interested in earthly desires.


    He merely locked himself away in his office and worked. The woman was starting to be concerned with his behavior, but more importantly, there was something she wanted to get off her chest. Thus, she was quick to inquire about the question that gued her mind.


    "So how was she?"


    Berengar had ignored the woman''s presence since she first barged in on him and continued to write away on his documents. However, when he heard these words, he could only guess that Linde had found out the truth regarding his little one-night stand with Tlexictli. Thus, he sighed heavily before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "I assume you''re referring to Tlexictli. She was as enjoyable as any virgin. Why do you ask?"


    Linde''s expression was hard to read. Berengar was certain that she as furious, especially as she tapped her dainty fingers on her armrest for several moments before responding to Berengar''s question with a piercing gaze.


    "I suppose I have several questions on my mind. Such as, is your rtionship with this woman permanent, or a ime thing? Will the Aztec Princess be joining us in our pce? Do you intend to make her your fifth wife, or just another mistress?."


    Berengar cocked a brow when he heard Linde''s questions. It slightly surprised him that she was so matter of fact about this little affair of his. Because of this, he could only respond to these questions with one of his own.


    "You''re not jealous?"


    In response to this, Linde scoffed while wearing a devilish smirk on her luscious lips. She reached over and rested her dainty palm on Berengar''s firm chin before expressing her views on her husband''s many rtionships.


    "You should know by now I''m not that kind of woman. I don''t care who you decide to fuck, so long as your heart belongs to me. In fact, I support the idea of you impregnating the Aztec Princess. If you give her a son, he can rule over the Aztec Empire and ensure their loyalty as a protectorate to the Reich for years toe. The more princesses you inject your seed into, the greater it is for our Empire. If you want a list of potential candidates for future affairs, I can have it on your desk by tomorrow morning!"


    If Tlexictli was a proud jaguar, and Ad was a little white rabbit. Then Linde was a sly fox. She knew how to manipte Berengar and keep him by her side. Berengar valued loyalty above all else and despised petty jealousy more than just about anything.


    Linde had known this for many years and had expertly used this aspect of Berengar''s character to win over the man''s heart more so than any of his other wives. Even Yasmin would have a hard time epting the idea of Berengar travelling the world and impregnating princesses left and right.


    The reason why the redheaded beauty was so concerned about this affair was not regarding her husband''s romantic feelings, but rather the logistics behind the rtionship. Was she going to need to worry about another mouth to feed? How would Tlexictli get along with the rest of the harem?


    Did she need to prepare for internal drama? Were there going to be a few more tykes running across the halls of the Pce in theing years? These were serious issues that she would have to deal with as the bottom bitch. Thus, she forced an answer out of Berengar.


    "So, are you going to answer my questions or not?"


    Berengar thought about the situation for several moments in silence. He and Tlexictli had agreed the morning after their affair to treat it as a ime thing. Though he knew sooner orter he would be pounding her tight twat once more. Such a thing was only a matter of time for a man like him.


    Still, he did not have any real romantic feelings for the woman in question. If anything, they were more akin to friends who were physically attracted to one another than actual lovers. Thus, he expressed his exact thoughts on this matter to his supportive wife.


    "Great minds truly think alike. It is true that I intend to have a son with Tlexictli and ce the boy on her father''s throne. However, I have no romantic feelings for her whatsoever. You don''t need to worry about her living in the pce.


    Our rtionship remains the same. Tlexictli will retain her role as Ambassador to the Reich, and will continue to ferry across the antic to ensure good rtions with the Aztec Empire. The only difference is now we will have sex whenever she is in town. As for a list of potential candidates for future affairs. That won''t be necessary. I am sure I can find them on my own."


    Linde''s lips curved into a smile when she heard this, before nodding her head in eptance. Having now understood the exact nature of the man''s rtionship with his newest whore, her heart could rest with ease. Besides, there was something more important she had to talk about and was quick to inquire about the standing issue.


    "So.. about Arnulf''s death. I have already dispatched agents to the new world to quell the truth from spreading and to coerce the people into agreeing to our official story. However, if you are going to reveal to the public that Arnulf is, in fact, dead, then you will need to reveal the existence of the New World as well. Are you prepared to do such a thing?"


    Berengar sighed as he heard this and flexed his fingers in thought. It took him a few moments to find the words he wanted to say, but in the end, he nodded his head before speaking his mind.


    .


    "The time hase. With the papacy now extinct, and the majority of the European powers under our control, we can reveal the existence of the New World to the public, and im it all for the Reich. If any country dares to establish a colony in the region, we will annihte it as an attack on German soil.


    I intend to reveal the existence of the new world and alert the public to Arnulf''s death at the victory day celebration. It will act as not only a somber reminder that there is always a war to be fought, but will strengthen our citizens'' resolve to purge the tribes that are responsible for the man''s death.


    We must remember Arnulf as a hero. If his treacherous actions were to be revealed to the public, it would weaken the strength and unity of our nation. The average man looks up to heroes like Arnulf. If they learn of his betrayal, it might inspire them to do the same. Thest thing I need is for people to take the man''s foolish ideals to heart.


    As for Kahwihta and her child. They will be free to live and see the devastation that they are responsible for. However, they will do so under constant supervision. If the woman starts spouting anti-german sentiment, or decides to align with hostile powers, then she will have forfeited the kindness I have afforded her, and is to be eliminated.


    Ensure that no harmes to Arnulf''s widow or her child unless they deliberately provoke such a response. That means they are to be protected by the outraged citizens of New Vienna, who no doubt rightfully hold her responsible for her husband''s treacherous actions. Now, if that is all then I have work to do. I will see youter tonight, Linde. I think it is about time you helped me process my grief properly."


    Upon hearing this, Linde wore a sultry smile as she bowed her head with respect. She was excited to hear Berengar was emerging from his hermitage to pleasure his wives once more. Thus, she left a heartfelt response before exiting the man''s office.


    "Of course, master..."


    With that said, the redheaded beauty departed, leaving Berengar behind to continue his work in silence. She was more outraged than anyone at Arnulf''s betrayal. After all, her heart bled seeing the man she loved wallow in misery for days on end.


    Linde felt that a traitor like Arnulf did not deserve to be remembered as a hero, but understood Berengar''s reasons for ensuring such a reality came to pass. She would immediately dispatch agents to maintain a close eye on Kahwihta and her son with strict orders to eliminate them if they be a threat to the Reich.

 Chapter 817 Christening the SMS Linde

    Chapter 817 Christening the SMS Linde


    In the docks outside the city of Trieste, lie a massive warship. This vessel had been under construction for between two to three years, and now, after substantial effort, it was finallypleted. In Berengar''s past life, historians would have referred to this vessel as a super-dreadnought, and rightfully so, as it dwarfed the thousands of other ships in the harbor.


    This warship would be the first of many such vessels to rece the existing Ad-ss Armored Frigates that sawmon use in the German fleets. In the Adriatic, there were three German Shipyards, all of which were dedicated to the construction of Linde-ss Battleships. The SMS Linde was the first to bepleted, with the others following in theing days.


    The German Empire currently had ess to fifteen military shipyards spread across its territory. Three in the Adriatic, five in the Baltic, five in the North Sea, one in Malta, and one in Gibraltar. Out of these fifteen shipyards, eight were dedicated to the construction of Linde-ss Battleships, five were dedicated to the construction of Henrietta-ss Battlecruisers, and two were dedicated to the construction of Ad-ss Destroyers, each of which could produce four of such vessels in the time it took to manufacture one battleship or battlecruiser.


    Specialty shipyards were already under construction for the manufacture of submarines and aircraft carriers. This did not include the civilian shipyards, which were already capable of producing the so called Dominion II-ss Cargo Ships in a period of roughly fifty days.


    This warship was the lead of its ss, and would be the capital ship of the First Fleet. Currently, Berengar was standing in front of arge crowd announcing a new era of German dominance to the people of his realm.


    "This is the SMS Linde, first of the Linde-ss Battleships, a true leviathan that shall rule the waves, and dominate naval warfare for decades toe. It is named after my beautiful wife, who you see standing beside me.


    This ship is armed with 38cm guns that are capable of hitting a target out to 47,500 metres. With these weapons, the brave sailors of the Kriegsmarine shall be able to obliterate any threat they may find when they are out to sea, and secure the waters for Germany!


    In theing days, another seven of these ships shall beid down across the Empire. Along with five Henrietta-ss Battle-Cruisers, and eight Ad-ss Destroyers. These vessels shall rece the existing Ad-ss Armored Frigates in the First Fleet stationed here in Trieste, where the older ships shall be retrofitted and sold off to our allies for a fair price.


    In theing years, we shall produce more, and more of these vessels along with other, newer designs until we can expand our fleets into a global force, capable of dominating the world''s oceans! Glory to the Reich!"


    Those in the crowd, who were either military personnel or former military personnel, threw up their salutes and shouted their battle cries. While the civilians took off their hats and ced them on their chests in a sign of respect.


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled where he approached Linde and handed her a bottle of champagne, before speaking to her in a gentle tone.


    "Will you do the honors?"


    Linde wore a pretty smile on her face as she grabbed hold of the bottle and broke it against the ship''s hull, which was followed by the cheers of thousands of men and women. Prince Zhu Zhi was in the crowd, and could only stare in astonishment at the massive behemoth that was lying in front of him. He had seen this vessel on his initial journey to the Reich, however; now that he was mere feet away from the ship, he could truly witness all its glory.


    This steel hulled ship was beyond the scope of what his country had produced with their grand treasure fleet. Which less than a decade ago was the great pride of the Chinese nation. After hearing how far this vessel''s weapons could reach, the man nearly shat himself in fright. One of these ships was enough to obliterate the entire Ming Fleet, and yet Berengar had clearly said seven more were on the way.


    He did not know the scope of the other vessels Berengar had listed in his speech, but he expected that they were fearsome in their own rights. To think that the Germans had produced such monstrous ships for their navy, it was no exaggeration to say that in a few years'' time they would rule the waves of the world.


    After previously discussing things with Berengar, the Ming Prince came to learn of Itami''s ns to expand her military and naval capabilities to match those of the Reich. If she were to actually do so, the Ming would not have a chance against the Japanese Empire, at least not on the oceans.


    Even if the Germans supported the Ming by selling them their old Ad-ss Armored Frigates. Zhu Zhi expected one of these so called Linde-ss Battleships could obliterate five or more of the armored frigates.


    The Ming Prince did not know how Itami would be able to createparable vessels, but he had heard of her innovation with her steam powered turtle ships, and expected that perhaps she might be able to pull it off in a few years.


    This caused a deep sense of fear to grow in the man''s heart, as he thought about the effectbating such a powerful navy would have on his homnd. It was at this moment the Ming Prince felt that perhaps the greatest ally he could ask for was Germany. Even if they weren''t willing to share their secrets, they could help defend the Ming Territorial waters through a military alliance.


    He was now determined to convince his father to approach the German Empire as equals, even if such a thing was clearly not the case, and do whatever was necessary to broker a proper alliance with the Reich. Although he did not know what Berengar wanted from the Ming if anything at all, he had great hopes for fostering an alliance with the Kaiser.


    Thus, while Berengar was in the middle of another speech, thanking the hard work of the German people in the construction of these vessels, the Ming Prince was thinking of ways he could gain the Kaiser''s favor. The christening event continued for some time, with a small celebration, the serving of some seafood, and a band ying the background.


    After several hours Berengar and his family returned to the Pce, during the car ride Linde was clinging to her husband''s arm with a happy smile on her pretty face, she was extremely pleased to have a ship named after her, especially one asrge, and powerful as the super-dreadnought. Thus, she kissed him on the cheek and expressed her thanks.


    "Thank you. I''ve always wanted a ship named after me, especially after you named those damn armored frigates after Ad. I felt slighted, but now knowing that your most impressive warships are named after me, it fills my heart with pride."


    Berengar chuckled as he thought about how far his navy hade from his initial sailing designs. In the end, he decided to admit the truth to the woman as he stroked her silky strawberry blonde hair with his firm hand.


    "It should have been done a long time ago. Before we were even a Kingdom, I had designed three sailing warships. Thergest and most impressive of which was named after you, the mid-sized was named after Honoria, and the smallest ones were named after Ad.


    However, by the time we had the means to produce such ships, our technology had advanced to the point where those designs were obsolete, and thus I decided to scrap them. When I came up with my new ship designs, I revisited the original names, but reced Honoria''s with Henrietta''s since my dear sister is German, and Honoria is a Roman."


    Linde was surprised to hear this, and instantly questioned why the biggest warship was named after her both times.


    "Berengar, my love, answer me this: why did you decide, in both cases, to name the biggest warships after me? Are you perhaps calling me fat?"


    In response to this ludicrous question, Berengar broke into a fit ofughter. He had no choice but to reveal the secret behind the naming conventions he had used for his naval vessels. After wiping a tear from his eye and calming down, he responded to Linde''s question with a serious expression on his face.


    "I chose you to represent thergest ss of warship because out of my three lovelies, you have thergest breasts. It had nothing to do with your weight. If I''m being honest, even after having four children, your body is still absolutely wless."


    Hans had overheard this statement and immediately dropped his jaw at his father''s shamelessness. He half expected his mother to p the man across the face for such a wed reasoning, however Linde merely smiled and nuzzled her head in Berengar''s chest before taking his words as apliment.


    "Thank you..."


    Berengar merely responded to this by kissing the woman''s forehead, and petting her hair, the sight of which confused Hans. For the rest of the car ride home, the boy tried to understand of why his mother would be pleased with knowing a warship was named after her simply because of her bust size. His conclusion was that women were incredibly self-conscious about their breasts, and therger they were, the prouder a woman would be.

 Chapter 818 The War in lberia Comes to an End

    Chapter 818 The War in lberia Comes to an End


    Adelbrand stood in front of a crowd of Andalusian and German soldiers who had gathered before him in the city of Granada. It had been years since he had taken overmand of the Iberian Theatre and every step of the way he had been met with resistance.


    However, after years of brutal conflict, the war had finallye to an end. Because of that, Adelbrand was holding a grand ceremony in Granada, announcing total victory, and paying tribute to the veterans of the war.


    The soldiers all had grim expressions on their faces, as if they were fearful that the Iberian Catholic League may strike at any moment. Though they knew the resistance had been sessfully put down, inrge part due to the sheer brutality of the Reichsgarde, they were still paranoid of an enemy attack.


    Even Adelbrand seemed quite exhausted as he gazed upon his forces with the same thousand yard stare they all had. This war was unlike any other the Germans had fought in. It had started with field armies, and ended in gueri and urban warfare on a scale which imed well over ten thousand German lives.


    As for the cost of Andalusian and Catholic Lives, that was in the millions. As the man who had assumed full authority overbat operations within the Iberian Penins, and who had been leading such efforts for years, Adelbrand was perhaps the most weary of all. Yet he tried his best not to let such battle fatigue show on his face as he boldly announced the end to war that hadsted nearly a decade.


    "We stand here today to celebrate the end of a war, one that has imed countless lies in the wake of its destruction. I myself stand here before you all in sheer disbelief of this monumental asion, for, like many of you, I have been involved in this conflict for several years.


    I suppose I should start in the beginning. Nearly a decade ago, dthe man who is now known as Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein pledged his support to the small state of Granada. An act which enraged the Papacy, and the entirety of Europe. The reason this action caused so much outrage was because the Emirate of Granada was thest vestige of Muslim rule in the Iberian Penins.


    Reconquista had been going on for centuries, and as a result the once dominate Muslim State of Al Andalus had been reduced to a small emirate in the south of the Penins. The Catholics, on the eve of their supposed victory, were now faced with a new threat in the region.


    The Kaiser, in his infinite wisdom, had dispatched an old friend of mine, Field Marshal Arnulf von Thiersee, to Iberia so that he may support the former Sultan of Granada in his efforts to retain his borders. This was when the war we have all experienced began.


    It is no surprise that the Catholic Kingdoms became threatened by this and eventually marched on the borders of Granada where they were shocked to face such fierce resistance by thebined forces of Granada and Germany.


    The war continued for some time under the control of my predecessor, where victories were gained and losses were suffered by both sides. Eventually, the Iberian Union was formed and, as a result, I was dispatched to Iberia with the intent of supporting Arnulf and his campaign. Battles were fought, and even the Kaiser himself joined us in the field of battle, along with his Byzantine allies.


    With victory over the Iberian Kingdoms, we were able to secure a temporary peace with the treaty of Aquitaine. One which allowed us to annex Portugal and dere ourselves to be a true sultanate. However, while the people of Granada could breathe easily, the soldiers were not afforded such a luxury. Instead, they were forced to fight in Portugal against warlords, despots, and fanatics.


    This internal rebellion was fought for years until the Spanish unified into a single Kingdom and dered war on us. In an attempt to seize our Saltpeter mines. The result was a decisive Andalusian victory in a single battle. However, this still did not end the bloodshed, instead the Papacy supported religious fanatics with weapons and supplies to continue their fight against Al-Andalus and Germany.


    After years of funneling men and resources into Iberia, and multiple attempts at peace, the Kaiser finally had enough of the rebellion and dispatched the Reichsgarde to put an end to the Catholic Resistance once and for all. The Reichsgarde, along with their Andalusian allies, swept through every town and city, killing every insurgent they came across.


    All while agents of the crown worked in the shadows to capture and interrogate Catholic terrorists so that they could learn more about how the shadowy Iberian Catholic League operated. However, despite our best attempts the war waged on, and it was not until the Kaiser''s trial by fire, where God in heaven judged the Papacy to be guilty of their crimes, did the spirit of resistance among Iberian Catholics finally break.


    Since then, what few holdouts have remained has quickly been dispatched to the afterlife. Now, after bringing thest known terrorist to justice just days ago, I Adelbrand von Salzburg, the Steward of Iberia, hereby dere an end to the war! From this day forward, Christians and Muslims shall live side by side within the Sultanate of Al-Andalus without fear of discrimination.


    I also wish to announce the formation of the Iberian Reformist Church, who has risen from the ashes of the Papacy''s Tyranny. Together, the Sultan, and his government shall work together with the Reformist Church and the German Empire to ensure a new age of prosperity."


    After saying this, Adelbrand saluted the soldiers, who returned his gesture and shouted the battlecries in their individualnguage.


    "Gott Mit Uns!


    "Ahu Akbar!"


    Adelbrand quickly descended from the stage with a weary expression on his face. Though he made some bold ims, the reality was that he had a lot of work to do if he was going to bring any semnce of order and modernization to the Sultanate of Al-Andalus.


    The nearly ten year long war had ravaged the cities and burned most of the fields within the Iberian Penins. It would be a long and difficult effort to restore the peace that once existed within the region. Even with the technological gifts that Al-Andalus had received from the Reich, it would be years before Iberia could survive on its own, without constant support from Germany.


    However, Berengar had trusted Adelbrand to build Iberia into a prosperous region that his son Ghazi could inherit, and expand upon. If the Kaiser trusted him with such a position, then Adelbrand would be sure to fulfill his mission to the best of his abilities.


    Despite this determination within the man''s heart, he was still under an enormous amount of stress, and because of this, he grabbed hold of the sk within his coat pocket and downed a solid shot''s worth of hard liquor.


    Adelbrand spent some time discussing his experiences of the war with the soldiers who had fought in it and celebrated among their ranks as a battle brother. These men, both Andalusian and German, respected Adelbrand for leading them into battle for so many years. They, too, understood the stress and fatigue that the German Field Marshal suffered through on a daily basis.


    However, the war was now over, and though shots would no longer be fired in the streets, the soldiers would have a hard time adapting to that peaceful reality. Because of this, it was no surprise that Adelbrand rode in an armored convoy from the site of the celebration back to the pce after it was truly over.


    The man had lost many friends throughout the years of warfare, and now he would have to work hard to rebuild what was destroyed. It had been a long time since he had the luxury of returning to his ancestral homnd in Salzburg. He wondered how much the city had changed since he hadst seen it. In fact, it was his greatest dream to return home and see what had be of his family.


    Upon stepping foot in the Pce, Adelbrand was not granted with the peace and quiet he desired. Instead, his secretary, which was a busty young Spanish woman, approached him and handed him a telegram before summarizing its contents.


    "The Kaiser has summoned you to Kufstein. The message does not exin the reasoning, but it makes clear this request is non-negotiable. I have already prepared your luggage for you, you only need to check it to see if everything has been ounted for.


    Of course, Adelbrand had no way of knowing that he was being summoned for the Victory Day celebration. The German victory in Iberia would prove to be the ultimate end of the Catholic Resistance in the world.


    With the Pope gone, and his cardinals with him, there simply was no longer a system in ce to rece the man. The Catholic Religion had been reduced to a number of small local bishoprics, many of which were converting to local variations of Reformist thought at a rapid rate, or even splitting into their own schools of thought entirely. Thus, the war in Iberia was truly thest gasp of a dying religion.

 Chapter 819 The Guests Arrive Part l

    Chapter 819 The Guests Arrive Part l


    The German Prince Hans sat in a room with a young redheaded beauty by his side. The girl had rested her head on the boy''s small chest and cried profusely into his tunic. So much so that her makeup hadpletely run, and in doing so, stained her pretty face.


    Noemi had just received word that her father had passed away during the war against the Reich, and that her brother was now the new king of Hungary. To exist as nothing more than a puppet of the German Emperor.


    Despite weeks passing since the battle urred, the young Princess of Hungary was just now learning of her father''s passing, and had difficulty processing her grief. Since she first arrived in the pce, she had suspected something had happened to her family, but she simply did not know what. After all, someone like her was unworthy of being betrothed to the German Prince, and yet it was so.


    Noemi had been keeping a respectful distance from Hans, as she was deathly afraid of the boy''s mother. Who seemed to be keeping a close eye on her at all times. It was not until she learned of her father''s death that Noemi reached out to the boy she considered being like a little brother, and spoke of her grief.


    Hans could only pretend like he cared. In truth, the girl''s father was an enemy of the Reich and got what he deserved, or so the Prince of Germany thought. Though he would never discuss these views aloud, at least not to the girl who was suffering.


    Today was an important day. For the sake of the uing Victory Day celebrations, Berengar had gone out and invited all the monarchs of Europe, North Africa, and the Near east toe and visit Kufstein. They and their families would all be housed under one roof, and that was the Kaiser''s. After all, his pce was indeedrge enough to entertain so many guests.


    However, on the eve of this monumental asion, Noemi had learned the truth, and in doing so, was in no position to greet the guests. Instead, she had scurried off with Hans and cried herself to sleep. It was only after the girl had truly entered dreand did Hans sigh in relief and leave her be.


    Hans left the girl''s room where he was immediately caught by his mother, who had gone to search for him. Linde was as radiant as ever, but her pretty face was filled with the expression of a scolding mother, who did not hesitate to express her views to her errant son.


    ''Where the hell have you been, Hans? Your fiance will be arriving at any moment! You muste with me quickly! I can''t have you absent from greeting the Kalmar King''s host."


    The strawberry blonde haired angel quickly grabbed hold of her eldest son''s wrist and led him off to the Great Hall where Berengar sat on his throne while awaiting the arrival of one of his most important guests. His entire family was lined up and waiting patiently. All but three of the Royal Family were present.


    Aside from Linde and Hans, Henrietta was noticeably absent. This was because she was pregnant, and visibly so. For her to take part in these festivities would raise questions, questions that were better off left unasked.


    Thus, she was confined to the Harem room throughout the duration of the other monarchs'' visit. The Penthouse at the top of the Pce was only essible by Berengar and his lovers, and was under constant guard by members of the Reichsgarde.


    As for Linde and Hans, the mother and son quickly entered the room, which caused Berengar to smile and nod his head in satisfaction. He was beginning to be worried that Hans had shirked his royal responsibilities, but it appeared his mother had found him and reminded the boy of his ce. That did not mean he would remain silent on this matter, and thus Berengar quickly scolded his eldest son in front of the whole family.


    "Hans, if your mother had not found you, I would have been furious. After all, my ns for the future of the Kalmar Union relies on you and your fiancee to get along. To not greet her when she arrives would be a massive sign of disrespect. Now be a good boy and stand at attention until I introduce the two of you!"


    Hans could only sigh and nod his head in silence where he took his spot. Linde, on the other hand, approached Berengar and stood on his left side. She was the second wife, and because of this, she was not afforded the luxury of being at his right, even if she was his most beloved woman. This was something that did not bother her in the slightest.


    After several moments, a member of the Pce staff walked in while leading the Kalmar King and his host. Hans immediately gazed upon the busty, and tall blonde-haired beauty who stood behind the King. She had a pretty smile on her face as she walked into the room with a graceful stride.


    This young woman was Ingrid, who was Hans'' fiancee, and it was no exaggeration to say that her beauty was on par with most of Berengar''s brides. When King Alvar entered the room, Berengar gazed upon him in shock. He had not thought the man could get anyrger during hisst visit to Copenhagen, and yet the man''s beer belly was much rounder than it was before. Clearly, he had been feasting too much.


    However, Alvar had a lot to celebrate. His most powerful ally had single-handedly crushed his rivals, leaving the Catholic Church and much of Europe in ruins. He was not even asked to raise his armies in support. Thus, he had gained quite a lot from his alliance with the German Empire. The man did not hesitate to kneel before Berengar, and order the rest of his people to do so.


    "Kneel before the Kaiser!"


    King Alvar spoke perfect German as hemanded his family and advisors to kneel before a foreign sovereign, showing just how important the Germannguage had be on the international stage.


    Berengar smiled when he saw this disy of fealty before signalling the men to rise. Though he enjoyed the sight, the Kalmar Union was not a protectorate, but an ally, and Berengar felt awkward seeing an ally kneel before him as if he were their emperor. Thus, he ordered his guests to rise to their feet.


    "Rise..."


    King Alvar immediately did as he was ordered and wore a happy smile as he gazed upon Berengar''srge family. He could not help butpliment the man for his efforts over the years.


    "I see your family is healthy and plentiful. It is good to see that man of your caliber lives in such a loving environment."


    Berengar rose from his seat and walked towards the King of the Kalmar Union, where he patted the man on the back and introduced him to his family.


    "I indeed live a wonderful life when I am away from the mes of war. You have already met my third wife Honoria and my son with her Alexandros. However, she and I also have another child whose name is Helena."


    Helena immediately presented herself upon hearing her father''s words and greeted the Kalmar King with a proper curtsey.


    "I am Helena. It is an honor to meet you, your highness." New novel ?hapters are published on Free(webno)vel.c?m.


    After saying this, she fled back into the ranks of her family, where she stood by her brother''s side. Having introduced Helena, Berengar introduced Ad to the man. After all, she was his first wife, and it was only proper he did so.


    "This is my darling Ad, the first of my wives. By her side is our son Kristoffer, his twin sister Katherine, and our other two children, Franz and Lukas."


    In reality, Lukas was Berengar''s son with Henrietta, but that was a closely guarded secret. The official story was that Henrietta could not give birth due to the injury she had suffered from the assassin''s bullet. Because of this, she had decided to dedicate her life to helping her brother run the Empire.


    Why did Berengar not reveal that Henrietta was truly his half-aunt by blood, and that they were in an intimate rtionship? That was because she was technically his grandfather''s bastard. As her nephew, he did not have the right to legitimize her, even if he was the current head of the dynasty.


    Henrietta held a unique position in the heart of the German people. She was beloved by all, and was seen by many as the guardian angel of the reich. To reveal the truth behind her lineage, and her rtionship with Berengar, would cause more issues than it would solve. Thus, he introduced Henrietta''s son as if he were Ad''s.


    King Alvar came forward and greeted Kristoffer with a smile. The man knew that the boy was going to marry his granddaughter one day and was quick to make a proper first impression.


    "Kristoffer, huh? That''s a strong name. We have a simr name to where wee from. In fact, my eldest son is named Kristofer as well. You are the boy who will one day marry my eldest granddaughter?"


    Kristoffer stepped forward and introduced himself to King Alvar. He held his head high as he did so, as if he himself were King Alvar''s equal.


    "That is correct... Tell me, is my fiancee here on this day? I would very much like to meet her!"


    Alvar smiled warmly and nodded his head before calling out to his own family.


    "Astrid... Come here and meet your fiance!"


    What was about to transpire was the meeting that would determine whether Berengar''s ns for the Kalmar Union woulde to fruition.

 Chapter 820 The Guests Arrive Part ll

    Chapter 820 The Guests Arrive Part ll


    Silence filled the room as a young girl walked forward from the rear ranks of her family. Like Kristoffer, Astrid was a child roughly the age of five. The Princess of the Kalmar Union was practically a living doll with porcin skin, a heart-shaped face, a button nose, and wide ice-blue irises. Her tinum blonde hair was long in the back, while still having two distinctive pigtails tied together with ribbons.


    Despite her doll-like appearance, Astrid was anything but stoic, and was quite shy as she stumbled forward and attempted a curtsey. Her pale white cheeks were flushed red, while her eyes stared straight at the floor, too embarrassed to gaze upon the appearance of her fiance. She stuttered as she struggled to introduce herself in the grace befitting a princess.


    "I... It... i..is my honor to meet you... esteemed prince of Germany... I.. I am Astrid, your fiancee..."


    The girl''s light blue eyes darted back and forth, trying to see how her parents and her grandfather thought of her performance. In truth, it displeased Alvar. This granddaughter of his was always so shy, and timid, much like amon rabbit. In the eyes of the Kalmar King, her introduction waspletely insulting to the Kaiser and his young son.


    However, Kristoffer did not seem to mind, and instead smiled warmly as he hugged the girl, an action which shocked her deeply. However, unlike his elder brother Hans, or his father Berengar, this wasn''t a shady attempt at womanizing, but an expression of genuine heartfelt joy which resounded in his voice as he weed the girl to his family''s home.


    "I''m Kristoffer. I''m so happy to finally meet you! Wee to Kufstein! I hope you enjoy your stay, because one day we will be living here together as a family!"


    Though Astrid initially resisted Kristoffer''s embrace, she soon found herself enthralled in the moment, as the boy was treating her more kindly than her own family. Ad gazed upon the sight of her young son meeting his fiancee and smiled. Meanwhile, Berengar was observing the entire scene.


    If Hans had inherited his father''s intelligence, and his mother''s cunning nature. Then Kristoffer had inherited his father''s intellect and his mother''s kind heart. This was something Berengar saw as both a weakness and a strength. The reich would not always be in a position of war, and because of this, a kind hearted ruler could be a good thing during an era of peace.


    However, in the fires of war, kindness will only get you killed, and because Germany would sooner orter find itself at odds with the world, Berengar was currently leaning towards Hans as his sessor. Though it was still too early to choose a victor for the familypetition, after all Berengar had many German sons, and it was impossible to know how Josef, Franz, and Lukas would turn out.


    Thus, Berengar chose to watch and wait, as Kristoffer continued to speak to his young fiancee as if they had been friends for a long time. The gentle nature of the German Prince was enough to coax the girl out of her shell, or at least after some time had passed. For now, she was still remaining silent where she could, and stuttering with each sentence she was forced to speak. This strange behavior caused Berengar to question King Alvar about the girl''s mental state.


    "Does your granddaughter always stutter like that? Or is this a symptom of her anxiety?"


    Alvar was quick to dismiss Berengar''s worries about a potential gic issue, even if he did not know what genes were, and assured the Kaiser that his bloodline was strong.


    "She has trouble speaking to strangers, but I assure you, among people she isfortable with, she is as quick as anyone."


    In response to this, Berengar could only nod his head in silence as he observed his son interact with the young princess of Denmark. The Kalmar Union was not a unified political entity, but rather a union of multiple Kingdoms each ruled by their own royal family, which was currently being presided over by the King of Denmark.


    After several moments of thought, Berengar continued the introductions of his family members. Eventually Berengar stopped on Linde, who wore a pretty smile as she curtseyed before the Kalmar King. Berengar wore a proud smirk as she introduced his favorite wife to his guest from the north.


    "This is my second wife, Linde. Without her, I would be nothing..."


    Berengar was slightly exaggerating, but not by much. Though much of Berengar''s sess was due to his heightened intelligence, and his knowledge of the future. In truth, Linde had been responsible in many ways for his rapid rise to power.


    Her gifts in intrigue were unrivaled on the world stage, and he would not be alive today without her efforts. Linde had a graceful demeanor as she greeted the Kalmar King. Though her words were kind, her eyes were that of a hawk, which went entirely unnoticed by Alvar.


    "King Alvar, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you!"


    More than one member of the Reichsgarde flinched when they heard thest part of the Kaiserin''s greeting. Few people outside of Imperial Intelligence knew that Linde was the spymaster who controlled the Reich with her web of intrigue. Those who did were aware just how terrifying the words "I have heard so much about you!" were when they came from this redheaded temptress''s luscious lips.


    King Alvar was ignorant of this reality and simply smiled and nodded his head. Allowing Berengar to move onto his son Hans, who he was about to introduce when Ingrid rushed out of her ce and hugged the boy tightly while shoving his head into her substantial bust. This action caught everyone off guard, including Hans, who was immediately suspicious of the woman''s intentions.


    "You must be Prince Hans. I could spot you immediately! Your father is so handsome, and your mother''s beauty is truly in a world of its own. It is no surprise that you yourself are a very handsome young boy! Oh, where are my manners? I am Ingrid your fiancee!"


    After saying this, the young woman shot a re towards Veronika, who gazed at her with shock. Ingrid had her own ways of finding out who Hans'' fiancees were, and she had used thatwork to dig up all the dirt she could find on Veronika and the others. As a devout Nordic Reformist, Ingrid did not approve of Polygamy and was determined to steal Hans away from his other women at any cost.


    Especially now that she finallyid eyes upon him. From the moment Ingrid first saw Hans, she knew he would be an incredibly handsome man when he finally grew up. The first step in her master n was to get Hans to fall in love with her while he was still a boy. She figured she had many years to influence the German Prince as she saw fit before he even began to have an interest in girls.


    Unfortunately for her, Hans''s brain developed much quicker than most boys, and he was already keenly aware of the opposite sex. Thus, as she stuffed his head into her cleavage, he became increasingly flustered. He eventually pushed the young woman away before his mother could interfere and recovered his calm demeanor. Thest thing he needed was for Linde to get angry over this harlot''s scandalous actions. With a stone cold look on his face, Hans introduced himself to Ingrid.


    "Princess Ingrid, I am Hans von Kufstein. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."


    It surprised Ingrid to see how calm Hans was. She thought at the very least her overly affectionate actions would annoy him. In reality, the German Prince was incredibly flustered by what had just happened, but he was a masterful actor, and could easily mask his heightened emotions with a stoic facade.


    This perceivedck of care caused the girl to pout, especially when she saw the younger Veronika sneer in disdain towards her. Veronika knew Hans well enough to know when he was acting, but the fact that Ingrid did not notice how the boy really felt was simple proof that the woman was out of her depth. Ingrid had expected Hans to be a mere child, when in reality, his mind surpassed her own by arge margin.


    Hans took notice of this brief exchange of nces between his bitches, and immediately understood what Ingrid''s intent was. She was staking her im over him, as if this were a monogamous rtionship and his other fiancees were mere side chicks.


    However, would Hans ever be trapped in such a horrific fate? He had watched for years as his father''s wivespeted for his favor, and he had learned much about the art of manipting women. If Ingrid thought she was going toe into his house and take him away for herself, she was out of her goddamn mind.


    Hans did not even need to look over at his mother to know that the woman was ring daggers at Ingrid. He could only sigh in defeat at the fact that his parents were so overprotective of him. Berengar gazed upon the awkward scene of Ingrid trying to intimidate her rivals and chuckled. A brief thought appeared in his mind before he continued the introductions of his family.


    My boy is growing up to be a true man of culture...

 Chapter 821 The Kingdom of France Submits tothe Reich

    Chapter 821 The Kingdom of France Submits tothe Reich


    Over the next week, Berengar''s family got to know the Danish Royal Family fairly well. During this time, more and more guests from across the Reich, and Europe, began visiting Kufstein, and paying their respects to the Kaiser. Many of them were housed within the royal pce for the duration of their stay.


    Thest King to arrive was one Berengar was not expecting to actually show up. If not, simply because of how poorly he had been treated in the past. King Aubry arrived with his siblings in tow. Not only did he have his sister Sibe by his side, but his younger brothers as well. When Berengar gazed upon the royal family of France, he could not help but wonder whether the seed of the former king was inherently wed.


    Aubry was a man in name only. Despite being an adult male, he was so feminine that he made most women look ugly. There likely wasn''t even an ounce of testosterone in the French King''s body. Sibi, on the other hand, was a second-rate beauty who had a screw loose in her head. Violent and psychopathic tendencies had gued the woman for her entire life, and now, thanks to her treatment in the German Labor Camps, she had severe PTSD.


    Surely Aubry''s other siblings would not be so defective? Or so Berengar had thought. However, it took one nce for the man to realize that the French Royal Family were truly cursed. Whatever the reason, Aubry''s two brothers were the personification of their dominant character traits.


    One of these brothers was a greedy coward, and as one would expect, he had the appearance of a rat. Not so much in his facial attributes, as he was at the very least mildly attractive. But more so in the way he moved and spoke. It could not so easily be exined other than the fact he just gave off the general vibe of a rat.


    The other brother of Aubry was a round tub ofrd, as if since the day he had been born he had done nothing but consume food and sit on his ass. It was truly remarkable that a man in this feudal era could be so fat.


    From the moment this man had entered the German Pce, he had rudely pulled out a chair and sat in front of the snack table that was set up to greet the foreign monarchs and their families. Since then, he had done nothing but shove his face with the delicacies that Berengar had prepared for everyone. Just by looking at the man devour sweets, Berengar felt as if he was going to contract diabetes.


    The French had a unique position in this ceremony. They had previously been a trading partner of Germany, but had also yed a leading role in economic sanctions against the Reich as well as the crusade against the Byzantine Empire. However, unlike all the other defeated nations of Europe, they had not actually taken up arms against Germany and remained neutral during the brief, but bloody conflict.


    Would they have done so if their army was actually capable of such a feat? Nobody was denying that, but by remaining neutral, France had fared better than their former allies and had even be thest bastion of Catholicism in Europe. Where the local clergy had made some vain attempts to preserve what little was left of their religion.


    King Aubry was slightly unnerved with the meeting in Germany, and had grown quite fearful of Berengar. Thest time they met, he attempted to seduce the man, and it had terrible results. Not only that, but the Kaiser had ruthlessly imprisoned his sister for a year for simply speaking out of turn, where unspeakable things had happened to the poor woman.


    If that wasn''t enough, Berengar hadpletely demolished Aubry''s former lover, and rival Duke Renault de Burgundy. Even now, the French King had no idea where the man''s body lie. It was for this reason that during the breakfast that was being held for all of Europe''s monarchs, Aubry kowtowed onto the ground as low as possible, feeling is if by pressing his head to the floor, he would be able to gain some redemption in Berengar''s eyes.


    Even Berengar had to admit that seeing Aubry in such a submissive position was a bit of a turn on. The French King was cross-dressing as per usual and looked prettier than his sister, who gazed in shock at her brother''s shameful actions. In a hyper-feminine voice, Aubry swore loyalty to Berengar and the Reich, an action that he was not beingpelled to do by virtue of being a neutral actor.


    "Oh Great Kaiser, Berengar von Kufstein. Please take pity on my petty Kingdom, and allow me King Aubry de Valois to swear my eternal loyalty and that of my dynasty to you and your sons. I promise that so long as my family reigns, the Kingdom of France will exist to serve you, and your desires, under the condition that your Empire act as our benevolent protector!"


    Both Berengar and Linde reacted with surprise when they heard the French King speak these words, not just the two of them but everyone in the hall. However, for the Kaiser and his lovely wife, this act of submission threw a wrench into their ns. Berengar and Linde had long since conspired to balkanize France and destroy its cultural unity. For Berengar, this was an act of revenge for Versailles.


    Since France had done everything in its power in his past life to divide the German people and steal theirnds. Berengar intended to do the same to them in this life. It wasn''t good enough for the French to find their natural ce on their knees, servicing their German Masters.


    To Berengar, this was a matter of pride. Germany needed to be avenged for the losses they suffered after the fall of the monarchy, and the failed experiment that was the third reich. Thus, it came as a surprise to everyone when he rejected King Aubry''s request by spitting upon him.


    "Do you really believe that your pathetic Kingdom is worthy of being subservient to the Reich? I have no intention of taking your sissy ass as my pet, nor do I n to protect your people from the myriad of threats they face.


    You have brought your downfall upon yourself, and now you must face the consequences of your actions and those of your forbearers. You, as King of France, are here in Kufstein to bear witness to a new era of prosperity, one that you and your Kingdom shall be excluded from. Enjoy your stay in my Pce, because I promise you these will be thest peaceful days that you shall see in your miserable life."


    The Kaiser''s response utterly dumbfounded Aubry and his siblings. But how could they understand the rage of a man whose homnd was taken from him before he was even born? Whose family was forced to flee the burning ruins of the greatest civilization the earth had ever seen? Whose heritage was spat upon and denounced by the world over because of the actions of a seeding government. One that was built upon the hatred the German people had for Versailles.


    To Berengar, France was to me for the pitiful state that Germany had be in his past life. A spiritual sessor to the failed Weimar Republic, one that was every bit as degenerate and weak as its predecessor. Germany had be a shadow of the nation''s former glory, one whose sole sense of pride came from its robust economy.


    In this life, Berengar had created a true nation-state. One which had a shared sense of heritage and culture. A nation that was entirely self reliant, and capable of protecting its borders without foreign intervention. This was not something that could be said about the Germany from his past life, at least not in hisst days, and to Berengar, this was the ultimate humiliation, especially when one considered the power and prestige the German nation once held as the Kaiserreich.


    Despite the unprovoked scolding that Aubry had suffered, nobody in the room dared to speak up on behalf of France. The reason for this was obvious: Berengar was the most powerful man in Europe, perhaps the entire world. He had just spent thest few months smashing the armies of the nations present for this ceremony, and killing their previous monarchs.


    However, perhaps equally as important of a factor was the simple fact that the men and women in this room were all Christians, many of which were steadfast in their religious beliefs, which is the primary reason this war was fought to begin with. Because of this, they had all long since held a sense of disdain for Aubry and his out-of-ce character. Why bother provoking the Kaiser when they already hated the man for his sexual preferences?


    Thus, France had offered submission to the Reich, and was thoroughly rejected. Though they did not know what Berengar had nned for them, the French delegates were in deep fear after the final words Berengar had spoken to them. One thing was certain: the Victory Day celebration had started with a bit of a rough start.

 Chapter 822 Victory Day Celebration Part l

    Chapter 822 Victory Day Celebration Part l


    Nearly five hundred thousand people had gathered in the streets of Kufstein to witness the Victory Day Parade, which was being broadcasted across the Reich via radios that were gifted by the Crown to every major beer house.


    The soldiers were lining up in their ceremonial uniforms, which were based upon the designs used during the German Unification Wars. The ck and gold outfits were on full disy as the individual soldiers proudly marched through the streets.


    Those who were high ranking had specialty plumed pickelhaube helmets, which swayed with the slight breeze on this warm summer''s day. Each soldier had a Gewehr 25 shouldered in his arm, with its bay attached as they moved forward to the beat of the drums.


    Many of the citizens of Kufstein recalled previous military parades that had been used to celebrate great victories. However, something was different this time around, something that shocked the city''s inhabitants. As the Infantry passed by the crowds of people, some terrifying new devices followed them


    A total of two Panther Tanks and two Fuchs IFVs drove behind the Infantry, disying the next generation of warfare to the people of Germany and Europe''s monarchs. More than one of the foreign Kings dropped their jaw when they saw the massive hunks of steel propel themselves through the streets.


    Following behind these armored prototype vehicles was a fleet of five-ton trucks, which were equally as impressive as the armored vehicles. Why was this? Because each and every one of these trucks was towing the new artillery pieces behind them.


    The people of Germany could see before their eyes the devices that Berengar would use to bring the world underneath his rule, and they could not help but cry out in cheers. Eventually, the Parade winded its way to the Reichstag, where the foreign Monarchs stood waiting for their host''s arrival. They thought for sure he was taking part in the Parade, but there had been no sight of the Kaiser or his family until now.


    The people of Germany were starting to be quite worried about the Kaiser''s absence until they noticed the sky darken. For the entire day, so far, the weather had been bright and sunny without a cloud in sight. So why now was the sky darkening all of a sudden? Most people began to pull out their umbres, expecting a sudden storm. That is until a young boy in the audience pointed to the sky above and screamed as loud as he could.


    "Oh my God! What is that!"


    One by one, the crowds that had gathered around the city stared into the air to see what was blocking the sun. Only to find that the day was still as bright as ever, instead a behemoth of an airship was preventing the light from shining upon the city.


    The miracle of flight was on full disy as a rigid airship the size of the Graf Zeppelin flew proudly through the air. The people of Germany could hardly believe their eyes. Had Germany conquered the skies?


    Among the guests who were in the city for the event was Sultan Sn of the Timurid Empire. He gazed upon the Zeppelin withplete and total fear in his heart. The words of the Kaiser flooded his mind as he recalled what Berengar had once said to him.


    "I simply have superior artillery. In a world where man can not own the skies, artillery is the most important weapon on the battlefield."


    The Sultan, like many in the audience, could not help but mutter a silent prayer as he thought about what this meant. He had invested significant time and resources into the development of artillery. After hearing Berengar''s words, and witnessing how effective artillery was in the recent Crusade, he was certain he could rebuild his army to rival any in the world. However, that dream was instantly dashed the moment he saw the Rigid Airship. Not only was the magnificent vessel blotting out the sky, but there was a notable painting on its sides.


    On the left side of the airship was a painting which disyed the stunning beauty of the second Empress Linde von Kufstein, who took a mourous pose. The people genuinely did not know how such a lifelike painting could be emzoned on the side of such a massive vessel. However, those who were lucky could witness a simr scene on the other side, depicting Kaiserin Ad von Kufstein in an equally alluring posture.


    Aside from the two heaven defying beauties, there was the city of Kufstein and the Tyrolean Alps painted behind them. As if the two women were posing while overlooking the capital of the Reich. This painting was a true masterpiece of propaganda and the people could not cheer enough.


    Eventually the Airship stopped above the Reichstag, where it was tied onto a nearby mooring station that had been established for the sake of the ceremony, and brought down to the ground, where the Kaiser and his family departed from inside the vessel.


    The people of Germany continued to cheer, as Berengar waved to them all before stepping foot on the highest steps of the Reichstag, where the monarchs of Europe kneeled around him in a giant circle. One by one, he called them up to sign a treaty with him. In the end, all of Europe''s Catholic Kings except for Aubry signed the treaty, officially bringing an end to the war that had been in a state of armistice for two months.


    Once thest man had given his signature to the treaty which pertained to his country, Berengar stepped up to a podium where a microphone sat waiting for his speech. The words he spoke on this day would be remembered throughout history as the first recorded speech of any politician.


    "I gaze upon you all, my people. The German people, and I can only smile at the thought of how far we have alle. Many of you already know this, but ten years ago I was nothing more than the spoiled son of a small time feudal noble. This city that we have all built together was but a small agricultural town ruled by my father, Baron Sieghard von Kufstein.


    Yet, throughout the years, we have all worked together to build the greatest city in the world. One whose only rivals are seen throughout the rest of the Reich. It has been my dream, since that day I came so close to death near Wildsch?nau, to unite the German People into a single Empire, one that has no equal in this world or its history.


    However, as I fought alongside the men you see here today in uniform, towards that purpose. The Papacy and their pawns sought to prevent our rise as a people at all costs. Through years of proxy wars, the Pope prepared to invade ournds, and butcher our people, and for what? Because we have a different interpretation of the bible? Surely that is the lie that the Church has said in the past. However, the reality was that our unification as one people, and one empire, posed a threat to the power that the Papacy as an institution had wielded for centuries.


    Because of that, we have not only fought against each other, but also against all the Catholic Kingdoms of Europe. Culminating into the massive invasion of our borders that these men who stand before you today, and many others, have bravely prevented through the might of German steel and ingenuity!


    For the first time in history, an army of a million men was gathered for a single purpose: to crush the reich, and yet despite their numerical advantage, our enemies could not step a single foot into our borders! We showed the world that a unified Germany has never been, nor shall ever be, defeated! The men you witnessed just now signing these treaties are the heirs of those foolish kings who marched their armies onto ournds, at the behest of the Pope.


    However, the papacy is gone, and so too are its pawns. Now I am a merciful man, and because of that, the onlynds I have taken in this campaign are those that rightfully belong to the German people! I could have marched my armies across all of Europe and put every man, woman, and child to the sword. But that is not who we are!


    It is the dawn of a new era, a German era! Because of this, the old families who have fought and conspired against us all for the past decade are stepping down, and in their ce, German houses, whose loyalty is to the Reich and its Kaiser, shall rule over the Kingdoms of Europe! Come, celebrate with me, as I reward the men who have made this reality possible through their blood, sweat, and tears!"


    Upon hearing Berengar''s epic speech, the crowd of German citizens erupted into thunderous apuse. Every soldier in the parade threw up their salutes to the Kaiser and responded with their chants.


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!


    After Berengar returned his soldier''s salute and responded with a quick "Hail Victory!", he walked over to a nearby page and grabbed hold of the first box that was waiting for him. From this moment forward, he would begin providing medals to those who were most influential in this victory.

 Chapter 823 Victory Day Celebration Part ll

    Chapter 823 Victory Day Celebration Part ll


    Berengar opened the small wooden box which contained a special medal where he gazed upon the nation''s highest award. The Imperial Order of the House von Kufstein, an award Berengar specifically invented to reward his wife Linde for her years of faithful service. Though Linde held the title of Grandmaster within the Order, there were still Knights and Commander sses that could be awarded to others.


    Berengar held back the tears that were forming in his eyes with a visible sign of difort, before taking his stance at the podium once more. The people of Germany had never seen the man look so vulnerable before, and were wondering just what was about to happen. Berengar took a moment to calm himself before recovering his signature stoic appearance, where he then spoke into the mic. His voice nearly breaking as he struggled to announce the words.


    "It... It is with a heavy heart that I posthumously give out this first award to a man who has been a hero to the people of Germany for many years. There is something I have been keeping a secret until now, from the entire world. If not for the critical strategic value of this information, I would have revealed it to you all sooner.


    Across the Antic Ocean are two whole continents ofnd filled with untapped resources that are critical to the development of the Reich. Over the past few years, I have established colonies in thesends and have sent men I trust to govern the regions.


    One of these men was Field Marshal Arnulf von Thiersee. A man who has proven himself a loyal subject, and a close personal friend. Unfortunately for all of us, the Field Marshal was betrayed by a group of native savages who he tried to help. These barbarians betrayed Arnulf''s trust, and attacked the hand that fed them, killing the man in cold blood as he tried to protect the colony from their onught.


    For giving his life, in defense of German soil, an entire world away from the fathend, I hereby award Field Marshal Arnulf von Thiersee with the highest honor within the Reich. The Commander''s Cross of the Imperial Order of the House von Kufstein.


    As you may be aware, Arnulf took no wife, and fathered no children before his untimely demise, and for that I will hand this award off to his younger brother to keep in his memory from this day until the end of days."


    After saying this, a man dressed in the uniform of a colonel approached the Podium where Berengar handed off the medal to the man, along with a fine painting of Arnulf and a folded g. Arnulf''s little brother was in tears, and tofort him, Berengar hugged the man and grabbed the back of his head while saying something to him that he would never forget.


    "I loved your brother as if he were a member of my own family. If you need anything to help you process your grief, I am here for you and your family."


    Arnulf''s brother had grown up in the era of Berengar''s rise to power. He was at least five years younger than his brother and practically worshipped both Arnulf and Berengar. Arnulf''s family was made aware prior to this event that the Field Marshal had died, but it did not hurt any less. After the man thanked Berengar, he stepped down from the stage and sat at the side.


    The crowd was astonished, and also depressed. It shocked them to hear that there was an entire other world across the antic filled with savages, but they were more disheartened than hopeful, and that was because Arnulf was a national hero who had been with Berengar since the very beginning. His prestige and fame throughout the reich were second only to Berengar and Eckhard.


    A moment of silence was taken for the loss of one of Germany''s greatest generals. After it was over, Berengar quickly transitioned to a more happy note. Where he handed off a Grand Cross of the Iron Cross to another officer who approached the podium.


    "General Arnwald Gerwig, for your heroic actions in aiding in the Defense of the Kaiser''s Pass, I hereby award you with the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. You have proven yourself a capable General not only in the mountains of New Swabia, but in the Deserts of Egypt!"


    The man saluted the Kaiser before allowing Berengar to wrap the medal around his cor. After it was over, Berengar saluted the man back. The following men to receive prestigious medals were Field Marshal Heimerich von Graz. General Willehelm Ritter von Krieger, Admiral Reitz Bettinger.


    Admiral Reitz Ritter von Bettinger, as he would be known from now on, was awarded the Knight''s Cross of The Imperial Order of the House von Kufstein for his efforts in defeating the Crusader Navy off the shores of Naples.


    Berengar spent some time handing out awards to various General Officers before moving onto themissioned officers. He had three separate military honors to issue to his first target. A man who had been in the ranks of his special operations since the very beginning.


    "Major Andreas Jaeger, or should I say Colonel Andreas Ritter von Jaeger, for your ndestine operations behind enemy lines, and the heroism that you and your men showed in the face of battle, I award you with the following honors: A Knight''s Cross of the Iron Cross, a Knight''s Cross of the Order of Saint George, and finally an Order of Merit! You have more than earned the honor and prestige associated with these awards!"


    The crowds cheered for the veteran Jagdkommando who received hismendations, but he himself had a stoic expression on his face. He had been at the forefront of special operations since Berengar created them and had seen many horrific things in the line of duty. He did not care for fanciful titles, and garish medals, he cared only about defending the fathend.


    Andreas and his men had recently been issued a string of new toys to y with, and were even more deadly on the field of battle now that they had ess to select fire and semi-automatic weapons. The battle-hardened veteran also knew by looking into the sky and witnessing the zeppelin that it was only a matter of time before he and his men began deploying fromnd, sea, and air.


    However, that wasn''t his concern for the time being. He was certain when the time came, Berengar would introduce new equipment that would allow him and his men to fulfill the task perfectly. Thus, he stood silently and waited for the Kaiser to wrap the medals around his neck and pin them to his chest.


    After Andreas had received his medals, Berengar gazed at the next name on his list and was slightly surprised. When he spoke the youth''s name, even Linde, who was standing nearby with a pretty smile, acted strangely.


    "Lieutenant Herman von Habsburg, please step forward."


    The name Habsburg caused rumors to spread among the older members of the audience. It had been years since anyone had heard that name. After all, the main line died off with the boy Conrad after Berengar had tossed him out the window. Although Linde had an elder brother named Liutbert, he was not exactly famous outside of his ancestral home of Innsbruck.


    Herman walked forward and stood before the Kaiser while in his dress uniform. He had no major medals, and a stoic expression on his face. If Linde were to be gender bent, she would look exactly like this young man. Berengar could see the family resemnce and smiled before pinning an Iron Cross first ss to his breast.


    "For your heroic actions during the invasion of the londs, I hereby award you with the Iron Cross First ss. Keep up the good work, and perhaps one day you will be leading more than just a toon of soldiers."


    The young man refused to smile. After all, he had mixed feelings about Berengar and his sister. The Kaiser noticed this and shifted his gaze towards Linde, who seemed distressed at the sight of her younger brother, whom she had not seen in years. Upon seeing his wife in such a sorry he state, the Kaiser decided to take the opportunity to shake the Herman''s hand, where he pulled the boy in close and whispered something in his ear.


    "You should forgive your sister already. What happened to your father was practically a lifetime ago, and well deserved. Life is too short for such hatred, especially against your own family."


    Herman merely red at Berengar before saluting him. He left behind a single word before stepping down from the stage.


    "Betrayal can never be forgiven!"


    Berengar could only sigh in defeat as the young man walked off, angrier than ever. He could not find fault with Herman''s words, after all, he used the same reasoning to execute his friend Arnulf just weeks prior. After epting this, he turned back to his list of names before calling out to the crowd.


    "Sergeant Major Lach Wickten. Will you step forward, please?"


    A man whose face was scarred from years of warfare stepped forward. He wore the uniform of a member of the Jaeger Corps. Meaning more often than not, he was deployed to the most heated war zones. It was no wonder that he had such a grizzled look on his face.


    The man stepped forward and saluted Berengar before awaiting his award. His chest was already brimming with medals that he had earned through years of bloodshed. However, it had been a while since the Kaiser personally gave him a medal.


    So much so that Lach truly believed Berengar had forgotten about him. Thus, it came as a surprise when the Kaiser wrapped a Commander''s Cross of the Order of Saint George around his neck and reminded him of old times.


    "Sergeant Major Lach Wickten or should I say Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten... I remember you. You were that man who brought back a prototype weapon to the battlefield after returning to Italy from your injuries. Ludwig''s first sessful needle rifle. Am I right?


    Man, if it weren''t for you, Ludwig would have waited until the end of the war to tell me about his newest invention, and we surely would have suffered dearly in the trenches outside Florence. Your actions saved many lives during thetter part of that war, and I haven''t been able to reward you properly until now.


    It appears you have been busy over the years. Getting promoted to a Sergeant Major in the Jaeger Corps. That is a very respectable position. You are the first nonmissioned officer to earn this honor, and it is thanks to your efforts that it is now avable to NCOs. You have more than earned a title of nobility.


    I present you with the Commander''s Cross of the Order of Saint George. From this day forward, your descendents will be Counts. Not that nobility means what it once did a decade ago. However, you and your family can hold your heads high as members of the noble ss going forward."


    Lach nodded his head in understanding before shaking the hand of the Kaiser. He was honestly surprised that Berengar remembered who he was, but pleased nheless. The Sergeant Major was thest man to receive a medal during the Victory Day Celebration. What woulde next was a night of feasting and a martial arts tournament.

 Chapter 824 Killzone

    Chapter 824 Killzone


    While Berengar was hosting his victory day celebration for the people of Germany, Itami was neck deep in the Taebaek Mountains. Her army had advanced beyond the limits of the southern half of the penins with little difficulty.


    Having defeated the Joseon Army in Busan, Itami and her soldiers faced little resistance as they pushed further north towards the capital of Pyongyang, where the Joseon King sat in defiance of the Japanese annexation of his kingdom.


    While the remnants of the Joseon Army tried on several asions to ambush Itami and her forces, their attempts thus far had failed miserably. Thus, the albino beauty had a smug smile on her pretty face as she rode on horseback through the mountains of Northern Korea, as if she herself werepletely untouchable.


    The young Empress of Japan waspletely unaware that the Ming had betrayed her, and gone to Germany in a desperate attempt to pit the two emerging superpowers against one another. Because of this, she could not anticipate the ambush she and her army were walking right into.


    ---


    A German Jagdkommandoy prone on a ridge across from Itami and her army. He was approximately three hundred meters away, but was dressed in a splinter camo smock, with a ghillie hood over his m35 pattern Stahlhelm. Lying in front of this soldier was his Mg 27(t) light machine gun, which was supported on a bipod as he aimed down the sights towards the Japanese soldiers who were unknowingly walking into an ambush.


    By his side were the members of his fireteam, one of which had a g27 sniper rifle equipped with a 4x magnified optic modelled after the WW2 era Zf4 optic, while the others had STG 27s which were equipped with the WW2 era Zfg 42 1.5x magnified optic. With the introduction of the newest weapons systems to his army, Berengar had instituted a policy that every sniper and rifleman be equipped with an optic on their weapon.


    The sniper of the fireteam gazed through his scope, and onto the advancing Japanese Army with a hint of surprise on his face. When he had heard from his superiors that his unit would be travelling to the far east to fight against an enemy which was nearly on par with the Reich, he did not honestly believe them. However, the evidence was as clear as day. He quickly called out to the other soldiers of his fireteam as they lied in wait for the attack.


    "Are you seeing this shit? Bolt action rifles, breechloading artillery, revolving cannons, and Schmidt guns. Where the hell did these yellow bastards get these weapons? As far as I''m aware, the Kaiser has not sold weapons to the east!"


    One of the rifleman in the fireteam gazed down his 1.5x magnified optic, and could just barely make out what he was seeing. He too was surprised as he expressed his shock through the use of colorful wordy.


    "Well, I be dipped in shit. These jungle monkeys actually have modern weapons! No wonder the Kaiser sent us here to train the local rabble to fight against them. Shit, it seems to me that we might actually have a fight on our hands, instead of the usual massacre... Or so I would say if these fuckers weren''t so foolishly about to walk into an ambush."


    From the moment Berengar had received word about another reincarnator attempting to invade Korea, he had dispatched his Jagdkommandos to the region. They arrived by the Bohai Sea in Northeast China, and made their way across the border into the Joseon Kingdom with carriages, which were filled with weapons and munitions for the sole intent to arm the Joseon peasants into a capable gueri force.


    With the assurances of Prince Zhu Zhi of the Ming Dynasty, Berengar did not wait for the emperor''s approval. After all, time was of the essence. Thus, over the past month or so, these men had been training the northern viges of Korea into a proper insurgency.


    Now that Itami and her army were stepping foot into the northern half of the penins for the first time, they were about to feel the sting of German steel. The Jagdkommandos continued to ther away while waiting for the signal to attack. Sure enough, as Itami''s forces crossed through the mountains, an explosion went off, and smoke filled the air as the Korean militias opened fire on the invaders. With this signal, the NCO in charge of the fire team gave the order to attack.


    "Alright boys, light them up!"


    A torrent of automatic fire followed after the initial attack, as thousands of Japanese soldiers came under fire from the front of their lines and from the right nk.


    ---


    Itami was thrown from her horse and onto the muddy ground below as her steed reeled in fright upon hearing the explosion up ahead. The Japanese empress was stunned. She did not know what possibly could have caused such an explosive st. The woman was just about to ask her subordinates whether there was a weapon''s malfunction when she heard the chugging of machine guns fire upon her army.


    A bullet ripped past Itami''s face and tore through a strand of her dirty hair as the German sniper just missed his target. As a woman who was never deployed to a modern battlefield in her past life, she quite literally pissed herself in terror when such a distant threat almost effortlessly imed her life. The mighty war goddess of Japan broke then and there as she fell to her knees and covered her head in fear of death.


    The German sniper cursed as he realized he just barely missed his target, and quickly modified his aim so that his crosshairs were directly on Itami''s bountiful chest, specifically her heart. Just when he squeezed the trigger, one of the Japanese soldiers jumped in front of his empress, and pushed her out of the way as the bullet passed through his chest as if it were a knife cutting through butter. The sight of her men sacrificing their lives for her drew Itami out of her shock, and she quickly barked orders to the soldiers nearby.


    "The enemy is up on that ridge! Form ranks and open fire!"


    As she said this, the Japanese soldiers bravely loaded their weapons, and fired a volley towards the location of the German fireteam. Though their shots missed, it was enough to prove that the Jagdkommandos location waspromised, causing the fireteam of battle-hardened veterans to abandon their position in search of another area to strike from.


    Itami breathed a heavy sigh as the pressure she was facing was temporarily relieved. Now all she had to do was muster her forces to attack whoever was in the front. At the front lines of the battle between the Japanese soldiers and the militia, the Japanese Army opened fire on the Korean rebels who hid behind rocks.


    After a few brief exchanges of fire, the peasant insurgents broke ranks and fled the scene of their attack. One month of training may be enough to teach someone how to shoot adequately, but it was not enough to instill the discipline necessary to stare down the rifle fire of a well-trained army.


    Thus, the insurgents fled the scene of their crime just as quickly as they had made their attack. Though the Japanese wanted to pursue them, Itami called them off. If not for the muzzle sh on the g27 sniper rifle, she never would have spotted the Jagdkommandos. She did not know who the enemy was, or where they had gotten such advanced hardware, but she could make an educated guess. Thus, she rallied her forces to her, and gave themand to press investigate the scene of the attack.


    "Do not chase after them. We don''t know how many there are, or what weapons they wield. I want to know who was up against! I need a team to investigate the corpses of the men we have killed while the rest of you stay on watch and maintain the perimeter!"


    Despite the engagementsting less than a minute, nearly a thousand Japanese soldiers had lost their lives or were seriously wounded. The overwhelming volume of automatic fire, as well as the proximity of the marching army, allowed for a literal kill zone who the Jagdkommandos, which sat on a ridge above their enemy''s position, expertly made use of.


    In the end, General Shiba approached Itami with a distressed look on his face, before handing two weapons over to the young empress and dering his findings. The two weapons were an old G22 Rifle whose markings were scrubbed, and a stick grenade.


    Though Itami could not directly trace the rifles back to Germany, due to the scrubbed markings, she could tell by the style of the weapons that they were in fact German weapons, or at least manufactured by a reincarnator who had a penchant for German weaponry.


    Whenbined with the fact that she already knew there was a reincarnator in Germany, Itami could easily surmise that Berengar was responsible for this attack. Thus, she quickly interrogated Shiba for more information.


    "There is no way such piss poor quality weapons could have such an overwhelming volume of fire. Are there any corpses of the enemy left behind?"


    Initially, Shiba did not know what Itami was referring to as throughout the brief conflict, he oversaw the defense at the frontline. It took only a moment for the man to gaze around at the sheer volume of dead bodies beside Itami''s position and quickly deduced that this was a two pronged attack.


    "I can''t say for the men who attacked you, but in the front they appear to be locals, armed with these weapons. Where and how they could get such advanced armaments, I do not know. Perhaps the Korean people have a war god of their own?"


    Itami bit her lip in frustration as she shook her head. There was no reincarnator in Korea. If there was, the Joseon Army would have been armed with such weapons from the start. Clearly, the reach of this Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein was far further than she had initially anticipated.


    If that was the case, she knew she was in for a long and brutal campaign in her attempt to conquer the Koran Penins, something she did not have time for. Before she could educate her General on her findings, the man sniffed in the air, and looked around in confusion before asking the question on his mind.


    "What''s that smell?"


    It was only now that Itami realized her panties were soaked with piss, causing her to flush in embarrassment before denying the reality she found herself in.


    "It''s not me, okay!"


    Upon seeing the young woman hold her skirt down, as well as her reddened cheeks, Shiba could take a guess at what happened, and decided to speak of this little incident no further. Instead, he made sure the Army tended to their wounded before marching further north into the lion''s den.


    As for the Jagdkommandos, they sent a radio-telegraph on their portable device to the reconnaissance vessel that lie in the Bohai Sea informing the fathend of the sess of their first operation, before regrouping with the insurgents and preparing for their next attack.

 Chapter 825 victory Day Tournament Part l

    Chapter 825 victory Day Tournament Part l


    Berengar sat in a VIP booth overlooking the Kufstein Town Square. In the center of the city was a boxing ring, with an awning above it, providing cover from the elements should they turn sour. A series of bleachers were constructed around the stage, allowing for thousands of people to be seated.


    The rest could stand and witness the event. Attendance was free, and alcohol was served at no cost. Because of this, as many of the people as possible crowded into the town center to witness the spectacr event in person.


    While people across the reich were feasting and celebrating the first ever Victory Day. Two fighters had gathered for the first match of the event. As Veterans of the Army, and men who had trained religiously over the past few years in mixed martial arts, these men were representing their individual states of the Reich, as they flew their local gs.


    One man held the banner of Bavaria, while another held the g of Austria over his back. The Bavarian fighter approached the ring as the theme of the event yed in the background. An orchestra was nearby and yed a tune that was remarkably simr to the one which the biggest MMA promotion in Japan during Berengar''s past life had.


    The Bavarian fighter stood at 195cm and weighed in at 120 kilos. He was a monstrous man of pure muscle who had trained his body and mind to fight in the ring for fame and fortune. While he walked his way towards the stage, an announcer spoke through a microphone, which was broadcasted throughout the entirety of the reich.


    "Heinz Nefen currently is undefeated with a professional record of twelve wins, and zero losses. He is also the current heavyweight champion of the Bavarian Fighting Championship, a state sponsored promotion located in the Kingdom of Bavaria. He was chosen for this tournament specifically because of his size and record. If he wins the Victory Day Tournament, you can bet you will be seeing him on the national circuit soon enough!"


    The moment Heinz entered the ring, he threw off his shirt and flexed his muscles in an attempt to intimidate his opponent, who was just now walking out. The man he was fighting against was an Austrian fighter by the name of Harthman Sackweber. He was significantly smaller than Heinz as he was 187cm tall and 90 kilos in weight. The announcer quickly began describing the fighter and his record to the people of the Empire.


    "Harthman Sackweber is currently walking out. You can tell just by looking at him that he is clearly outssed, at least in terms of height and weight. Most of you may already know this, but Harthman has a professional record of twenty-one wins and three losses. He is a current top contender for the National Title in the open weight division. That''s right, Harthman has always fought guys bigger than himself, and tonight is no exception. We will see if he will be able to emerge victorious against the new up ander!"


    After saying this, Harthman stepped into the ring and threw off his shirt. He was an athletic man, with muscles much bigger than Berengar''s. If Berengar had a prince''s physique, then this man had that of an elite level wrestler. However,pared to his opponent, he came off as somewhatcking in stature.


    The two men stared each other down in the ring as the ref ryed the rules to them. In the sport of Kampf, which was what Mixed Martial Arts was called in this world, there were only three rules: no biting, no eye gouging, and no groin shots. Everything else was fair game. The fighters didn''t even wear gloves, but instead wore gauze and tape.


    To put it simply, this was a bareknuckle fight to the finish. After exining the details, the men touched hands, before walking back to their respective corners of the ring where the fight began. Hans was sitting next to his father, and gazed upon the scene of the fight with excitement in his eyes, though he had trained in the martial arts himself, he had never seen a professional fight in person,rgely because his mother considered the sport too violent for a kid his age.


    However, his father insisted that the boy be front and present for the event, so even if Linde had not shown up to the witness the tournament, Berengar and his eldest son were eagerly anticipating the fight. As the father and son watched the spectacle together, they witnessed the two fighters meet each other in the center of the ring.


    Harthman was the smaller man, and because of this, he used his teep kick to keep his opponent at a distance. All while battering his legs with lightning fast leg kicks. Heinz responded to these legs kicks by attempting to check them with his shin, but Harthman was too fast, thus he decided to go for a different strategy. In the next moment, Harthman threw a solidbination, a jab, a cross, and a modified teep that was referred to as the monkey kick.


    Heinz skillfully moved out of the way of the punches, but ended up eating the kick. Despite this, he charged forward with a flurry of strikes of his own. A Jab, a cross, and a hook, before throwing a body kick. Most of which were masterfully evaded by his opponent and effectively countered.


    The two men were exchanging blows on the feet, neither of which was attempting a takedown. Ultimately, Heinz would throw an uppercut elbow which missed, though he followed it with a downward elbow that found its mark, where it tore open his opponent''s forehead, and spilled blood on the floor. The sight of which ignited the crowd into a violent symphony.


    Heinz Did not let the elbow go to waste and quickly grabbed hold of his opponent''s head with a plumb grip where here proceeded to knee and elbow the man against the ropes. Despite the brutal assault that Harthman was receiving, he did not go down, and instead threw a shovel punch into Heinz''s liver, causing the man to wince in pain as he slowly copsed backwards.


    One solid shot had sent the giant to his knees. As the man was falling back, Harthman grabbed hold of his head and forcefully stood him up, where he threw an elbow to the temple, followed by three consecutive headbutts. Heinz, realizing he was in a bad position, mustered his strength, and attempted a double leg takedown. However, Harthman masterfully sprawled and put his opponent in a front headlock, where he kneed him in the cranium thrice, before therger man copsed to the ground,pletely unconscious.


    Despite this obvious defeat, Harthman proceeded to the throw fists onto his down opponent''s skull and managed tond three of them before he was pulled off by the ref, where the bout was officially ended. The crowd roared with thunderous apuse. Though the fight was brief, only being one round, both men came barrelling out at the start, and assaulted their opponents with everything they had. It was a true disy of the warrior spirit that the German people had as a martial society.


    Berengar had to admit, if either of the men, simply wrestled the other to the ground, andid on top of them for twenty-five minutes, he would have walked out on the fight, and brought great dishonor to the participants, something he felt they would ultimately deserve.


    In the sport of mixed martial arts, at least in his past life, there were too manypetitors who yed it safe and used such a boring tactic to grind out a decision on victory. Berengar would be lying if he said that he did not hate those fights, and those fighters who became champions using such a dull strategy.


    The victor was dered for all to see, and eventually Heinz rose to his fee after such a brutal knockout, where he suffered his first loss like a man. Shaking hands with the victor, and briefly hugging him, all while congratting the man on his victory, and wishing him good luck in the remainder of the tournament.


    In Berengar''s Germany, there was no need for the pro wrestling antics of shit talking, disrespect, and poor sportsmanship. In fact, if a fighter acted in such a way, they would be fined, and possibly suspended from fighting. These men were warriors, not clowns, and they respected each other''s strength, honor, and integrity. Most of all, after the two men stood side by side, they threw up their salutes to the Kaiser and paid their respects to the man.


    "For Kaiser and fathend!"


    The battle cry was mimicked by the crowd as the first fight of the night came to an end. Hans gazed upon the scene with a newfound respect for those who fought for fame and fortune. Perhaps, one day, he too could step in the ring. He looked up at his father, who stood from his seat and saluted the men who had fought for his, and all of Germany''s, entertainment on this day of celebration. Wondering when one day he too could be so beloved by the people.

 Chapter 826 Sabotage

    Chapter 826 Sabotage


    Itami and her army soon found themselves at a vige which they decided to upy and use as a base of operations for their next push into the north. What was supposed to be a swift and easy conquest had now turned into a massive headache for the young Japanese Empress, who was deeply disturbed by the fact that her ns for expansion of her armed forces were met with a newfound difficulty.


    At the moment, she was in a small bathtub, soaking off the dirt and grime that had umted from the previous battle. Her mind was nk as she desperately tried to wash away the fear that had taken control of her heart.


    Itami had assumed that she would be fighting against a medieval army when she nned for this invasion, one who would not be able to touch her. However, now she realized that she would be fighting against an enemy armed with modern weapons, and that terrified her.


    Though Itami had fought on the feudal battlefields of Japan, exchanging blows with men muchrger than her, the threat of death was never truly present. After all, she had always been protected by capable warriors, and was armored so well that neither arquebus nor arrow could prate her vitals and im her life.


    However, in the face of modern weapons such as semiautomatic sniper rifles, battle rifles, and light machine guns, there was truly nothing she could create that would protect her against such advanced weapons, at least not at the moment.


    Itami had unknowingly made herself the prime target for this new insurgency. By wearing such shy medals and garish colors, she was a sitting duck on the battlefield, and yet she had personally led her army into the Joseon Kingdom. Had she known her rival, who lie a world away, would arm her enemies, she never would havee here herself.


    Still, Itami did not know how this Kaiser in the west had learned of her activities. Clearly, this was retaliation for selling modern weapons to the Bengal Emperor, which meant that at the very least, Berengar''s influence stretched to the Indian subcontinent. However, what she could not understand was how her rival had learned of her invasion of Korea.


    Then again, hernding in Busan had also been leaked to the Joseon Army. It was clear that one of her ministers was conspiring against her, but the list of potential traitors was sorge, she did not know where to begin in the process of identifying them. She supposed a more pressing concern was just how did this traitor manage to contact Germany? Itami could only sink back in the bathtub and sulk as she expressed her thoughts aloud.


    "Berengar von Kufstein, just who are you?"


    ---


    While Itami was soaking in the tub of the vige chief''s home. A small fireteam of Jagdkommandos had gathered in the nearby hills. Their jobs weren''t only to train the insurgents, they were also instructed to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations.


    These men''s faces were painted in a woond pattern, which, whenbined with their camouge uniforms and ghillie hoods, these German soldiers were practically invisible to the Japanese sentries during the twilight hours of the night.


    Though the leader of the fireteam knew that his men understood the n, he went over it one more time, specifically because one of his soldiers had deviated from their orders during the ambush earlier that day. He had a stern tone in his voice as he addressed the soldiers under hismand.


    "Normally, I would not do this, but I feel I need to rify something after what happened earlier. Our objective is not to kill the Empress. That would only embolden the Japanese resolve to fight us. The orders we have been given are to bog down the Japanese forces in these mountains for as long as possible and force them to withdraw southward. So, to make this clear, you are not to harm the Empress, though her officers are fair game.


    Now this operation is to be done with as few enemy casualties as possible. We are to infiltrate the camp and set fire to their supplies. That is it. Once we have seeded in the task, we are to silently withdraw back to the closest cell. If you must eliminate someone, do it covertly, with your boot knife. Is that understood?"


    The soldiers nodded their heads before responding to their NCO in the affirmative. <follow current="" novels="" on="" freeweb(no)vel.=""></follow>


    "Yes, sir!"


    Upon hearing this, the Sergeant smiled before issuing the order to begin the operation.


    "Alright, let''s do this!"


    The Jagdkommando fireteam silently made their way down the hill, as if they were stalking their prey. The Japanese sentries could not even see them as they slowly approached the makeshift defenses of the vige. Itami had surrounded the vige with her wagons, and in doing so built a primitive fortification. Though such a thing was easily breached, especially by the elite soldiers of the Reich.


    After approaching the perimeter of the defenses, the Jagdkommandos split up into separate roles. The Sniper, apanied by the light machine gunner, took an over watch position on the hill above, while the riflemen slung their weapons and unsheathed their boot knives. These men split up as they breached the defenses and silently took out the Japanese sentries by slicing their throats and covering their mouths.


    The sniper watched from afar as he saw hisrades enter the vige and make their way through the streets. All the while remaining unseen. Eventually, he lost sight of the men as they began entering into buildings, searching for the enemy''s supplies. He could only say a silent prayer for his fellow soldiers, as he no longer had the ability to protect them from potential threats.


    "Saint Berengar the Blessed, protect my brothers in arms so that they may carry out your will!"


    As for the NCO, he had picked the lock to the door of a building and forced his way inside. It became abundantly clear that this was the enemy''s food stockpile, or at least one of several locations. However, there was only one problem: there were two enemy soldiers guarding the supplies. Luckily for him, they did not notice his presence. Thus, he slithered through the halls like a sneaky snake, going entirely unnoticed.


    One of the Japanese guards walked off from his post. For what reason, the NCO did not know, but he followed the sentry nheless. After stalking the man outside the building, he noticed that the Japanese guard was pissing on the wall of the building, taking the opportunity that was given to him, the Jagdkommando covered the man''s mouth from behind, and repeatedly stabbed into his kidneys with the knife, silently ending the man''s life. He proceeded to hide the corpse in a nearby cask before continuing his attack.


    After taking care of one guard, the NCO covertly made his way back in side where he approached the other. The man was quite obviously bored out of his mind and was impatiently waiting for his friend to return. The veteran Jagdkommando saw this as an opportunity, and hid behind a wall which the enemy would have to pass by to get to the door that the other guard left through.


    After a few minutes, the man began to shout in his local tongue. Though the NCO could not understand him, he knew the man was cursing out his friend for taking too long. The Japanese guard carelessly walked past the Jagdkommando, and the moment he did, a de found its way buried in his neck, piercing through the carotid artery as if it were gtin.


    Once thest of the two sentries was eliminated, the german NCO proceeded down the halls and towards the food stockpile, where he stashed away his knife and took out an incendiary grenade from his load bearing equipment. After pulling the pin, he tossed it on the wooden crates which housed the Japanese Army''s rations, and immediately bounced, not wanting to be in the building when the thermite caught fire.


    Within seconds, the grenade exploded, causing mes to rapidly spread, consuming the entire building in its hunger. By then, the NCO had withdrawn and was already heading back to regroup with his unit. Bells rang throughout the vige as three distinctive fires simultaneously urred within the camp. However, by the time the Japanese Army could respond, the Jagdkommandos had already absconded into the night.


    ---


    As Itami was enjoying her bath, the door swung open and revealed the panicked expression on General Shiba''s face. Itami was both surprised and furious that her precious bath time had been intruded upon, and instantly covered her sensitive parts with her hands, while scolding the General for his actions.


    "You dare disturb my bath. Why I ought to-"


    Before she could finish reprimanded the man for his actions, he interrupted her with a single word.


    "Sabotage!"


    Itami''s fury faded as she soon understood what was happening. The gueris had struck again. She instantly gave out an order with a hint of rage in her blood-red eyes.


    "Give me a moment..."


    It was only now that General Shiba realized he was gazing upon something he shouldn''t be, and quickly lowered his head before withdrawing. Once he was gone, Itami got out of her bath and sighed heavily before gazing out the window and seeing the mes rising within the vige. She could only curse herself for stepping on the Eagle''s tail feathers. She swore in her heart at that moment that she would get back at Germany for their intervention in Korea.

 Chapter 827 Victory Day Tournament Part ll

    Chapter 827 Victory Day Tournament Part ll


    Hours had passed since the tournament began, and currently Harthman was fighting in the finals against the man who held the National Openweight Title. These two men were bound to square off sooner orter, but only one would emerge victorious and im the vaunted Victory Day championship belt.


    Harthman was pinned on the ground, and suffering from a barrage of strikes on his face. He tried to cover with his hands, but there was only so much that could be done. Fists, elbows, and headbutts all rained down upon his face as the referee watched closely, about to call off the fight. A verbal warning was given to the man just to make this point clear.


    "Fight back!"


    With this said, Harthman knew defeat was imminent. Thus, he decided to go all out. He grabbed hold of one of his opponent''s arms with both hands and pinned it to his chest. While simultaneously blocking the man''s leg, and knee with his elbow, and leg. After suffering a few more headshots, he bridged his hips into the air, and rolled over into a reversed position with what was called the upa escape.


    After doing so, Harthman got out of his opponent''s guard, and stood up where hended an axe kick on his rival''s face, before stomping it repeatedly. The crowd was going wild at the sudden reversal of fortune. After taking a few shots to the head, while he was lying on the ground, the opponent struggled to get to his feet with a technical standup, however he was instantly countered with a roundhouse kick to the head which sent him tumbling back to the ground.


    To finish the fight, Harthmannded a well-ced ser kick to his opponent''s head, which knocked the man outpletely. The ref immediately got in Harthman''s way and called off the fight. Causing Harthman to roar like a lion and punched his chest like an ape as the thousands of German citizens cried out and cheered for him. The man had showed true heart by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and the audience knew it.


    Even Hans was impressed by this performance, and cheered for the man from his VIP booth. As the boy looked up at his father, he saw Berengar standing up from his spot, and descending down from the staircase before entering the ring himself. Beautiful ring girls surrounded the champion, as the Kaiser took the stage with the exquisite championship belt in his hand.


    The belt was made of fine ck crocodile leather, solid gold, and tinum. In the center was an ornate golden que which had an additional hexagonal que in the center, which was made of tinum with diamond edges. In the middle of this hexagon was a pair of diamond eagle wings, with a solid letter S in the middle, that was made out of rubies. The S stood for Sieg, or in other words, Victory.


    Below this Winged S symbol, was the words Victory Day National Grand Prix Openweight Champion engraved into the golden que. Outside of this hexagon was an outline of diamonds which took the same shape,


    On the sides of this center que were a total of two smaller rectangr ques per side, each took the same style as the center que, though instead of a Winged S, they had the shape of the fathend carved out of solid gold, and imposed upon a hexagon of tinum. The overall inspiration for the belt design was one from Berengar''s past life, that belonged to an organization that was bought out in 2011 by the world''s biggest MMA promotion, and shut down in 2013.


    The people gazed upon this exquisite belt and cheered for the man who had earned it. As a reuslt, Berengar raised his hand to calm them down before taking the microphone from the announcer and saying a few words about the event.


    "Harthman Sackweber, you put on a performance tonight that few men in this world are capable of. You have more than earned the right to call yourself the Victory Day National Grand Prix champion, and it is my esteemed honor to present you with this championship belt. How are you feeling right now?"


    The fighter, who had fought through five opponents in one night, was exhausted beyond measure, and panted heavily into the microphone, as he answered Berengar''s question with overwhelming pride disyed on his face and a cheeky grin.


    "If I''m being honest, I feel a little lightheaded. But that''s probably just from the sheer amount of punches I took to the head tonight. So nothing serious, right?"


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled, as did the entire audience. It was good to see that the champion had a sense of humor. Berengar looked into his eyes to make sure he was truly okay, and the man seemed fine. Thus, he wrapped the belt around Harthman''s waist and thanked him for his performance.


    "On behalf of all of Germany, I want to thank you for the performance you put on tonight, as well as all of our athletes who participated in this monumental event. For the people who take this man''s words seriously, do not worry, there are doctors on standby, ready to treat all the fighters here tonight. Now to all the brave men who have disyed their strength, honor, and courage on this night, go and rest, you have more than earned it!


    As for the People of Germany, I hope you all celebrate the rest of this night with some fine cooking. I know in the city of Kufstein, as well as the other major urban areas, there are an ongoing feasts that will continue well into the night. Where you can all enjoy some fine German cuisine at my expense. So enjoy yourselves!"


    After saying this, Berengar shook hands with the tournament winner, before departing towards his pce with his son, and guards in tow. With the tournament over, he would have to entertain his many guests. Most of which were unbelievably shocked by what they witnessed in the parade.


    To no one''s surprise, upon returning to the Pce, Berengar was surrounded by his guests. Among them was his father-inw, Emperor Vetranis, who had a happy smile on his face as he approached the Kaiser before anyone else could gather his attention.


    Though the man was smiling, he was far from happy. In fact, he was utterly terrified by what he had witnessed during the day. Airships and armored vehicles. The idea that Germany now controlled the Land, sea, and skies was truly a frightening prospect. Though he kept such thoughts to himself and instead asked for a minute of Berengar''s time.


    "It was a wonderful ceremony. I can tell you put a lot of work into this, and I assure you, that the Byzantine Empire has no ideas about settling this new world that you revealed to exist across the antic. We wouldn''t want to step on the toes of our favorite ally. If you have a minute, I''d like to speak with you about something important regarding the future of our two realms. It will only take a minute."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head while he gripped Vetranis''s shoulder in a disy of dominance. Whatever the Byzantine Emperor was about to request of him, it was going to be big, and thus, Berengar had to show from the start that he was the man in charge. Thus, he led the man into a secluded area where they could discuss their business together.


    After sitting down, a servant poured the two men a couple of drinks. Which Berengar tasted before asking what was on his father-inw''s mind.


    "So, what could possibly be so important that you must take me away from my beloved guests? I suppose this is about Egypt and Palestine, is it not?"


    Vetranis had a guilty look on his face as he nodded his head in silence. It appeared that Berengar had seen through him entirely, and thus he was about to speak his terms when Berengar raised one finger to silence the man.


    Like a beaten dog, Vetranis quickly obeyed. After all, Germany had decimated the crusader forces, who he had surrendered to a few months prior. If Germany could devastate the entire Catholic World to such a degree, what hope did Byzantium have topete? As for Berengar, once Vetranis was obedient, he stated his terms.


    "I will return Egypt and Palestine to your rule, with the exception of the Sinai Penins under two conditions. For starters, I want you to evacuate Cyprus and hand it over to the Reich. This condition is non-negotiable.


    Second, you must establish the region of Syria-Palestine as an autonomous zone, which allows the peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims alike. Thest thing I need is for you to find yourself in another war with your Muslim neighbors. If you agree to these terms, you can consider the aforementioned regions a part of the Byzantine Empire once more. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"


    Vetranis thought about these conditions in silence for several moments. Whenpared with Egypt and Palestine, Cyprus was an insignificant region. However, it was clear to the man that Berengar wanted to create a naval base there and possibly an air base if such a thing could exist.


    This would undoubtedly be quite troublesome for the Byzantine Empire. However, if Berengar truly desired the ind, he could simply upy it with force, and there was really nothing Vetranis could do about it. Thus, after several moments of contemtion, the Byzantine emperor nodded his head and submitted to Berengar''s demands.


    "Very well. If that is the price I must pay, so be it..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar smiled, and patted the man on the back, before standing up from his seat. There was much to celebrate, and he did not want to spend any more time secluded in this tiny room with his father-inw.


    "Come, enjoy the festivities. There is much conversation to be had, and little time to do it in. I trust you will enjoy yourself."


    With this said, Berengar and Vetranis returned to the feast. Cyprus would be evacuated in theing days, where a naval base and an air base would be established, which would secure Berengar''s absolute dominance over the Mediterranean. As for Egypt and Palestine, they would return to the hands of the Byzantine Empire, with a small section on the Sinai Penins under the control of the Reich.

 Chapter 828 Rejected

    Chapter 828 Rejected


    While Berengar was negotiating with the Byzantine Emperor over the rights to Egypt, Palestine, and Cyprus, one of his many guests was on the prowl. Robert Stuart, the Crown Prince of Scond, had apanied his father to the Reich after being invited to witness the victory day celebrations.


    The Kingdom of Scond had little direct interaction with the German Empire, however, their markets were dominated by German goods. Why was this? Because of their trade with the Kalmar Union.


    The King of Scond, a man by the name of Charles, had cordial rtions with the King of Denmark who had warned him not to get involved with Germany''s affairs after it rose to the status of a Great Power.


    A warning Charles took to heart. Because of this, Scond was one of two Catholic kingdoms that had not suffered at the hands of the Reich during the brief war that saw the downfall of the Papacy and most of Europe''s royal families.


    From the moment Charles and his son Robert stepped foot in the borders of the Reich, they could tell that they were, in fact, living a different world than the German people. If the train ride over to the German Capital wasn''t shocking enough, then the airship, and the city''s lights were truly marvels that boggled the mind.


    Because of this, Robert seemed interested in taking a German woman as a wife, if only for the sake of bragging rights. After all, it was well known that German women struggled andpeted with one another to marry the best of the German Men. They had even developed a reputation for being cold to foreigners.


    This was definitely the case, as Robert chatted with a Princess of Bavaria. Anne von Wittelsbach was the youngest daughter of the Bavarian King. The once infamous Duke Dietger von Wittelsbach had been elevated to the status of King of Bavaria after the unification of the German Empire. Anne was a stunning beauty, and was not yet of marriageable age, thus the Prince of Scond thought that perhaps he could gain her interest.


    However, as he spoke about Scond, and the battles he had fought in, the girl seemed entirely disinterested, as if she were talking to a country bumpkin. The young beauty rolled her eyes before not so politely telling the Scottish Prince to go fuck himself.


    "I''m sorry, Prince Robert, was it? I''m sure your intentions are genuine, but I have no interest in marrying a foreign man. If you don''t mind, I have more important matters to attend to. It was a pleasure to meet you, though."


    Robert was shocked to hear this. He was a Prince, and he was handsome to boot. Why would the Bavarian Princess react so snobbishly towards him? Just who did she think she was? Her Kingdom wasn''t even independent, it was a subordinate state to Austria! He wanted to curse the woman out, but he noticed the stares he was being given.


    This was the third German Princess he had attempted to talk to, and the only one nice enough to even give him the time of day. He could hardly believe why these women were treating him in such a way. Though as he gazed around the room, he could tell that it wasn''t just him. Other foreign princes and dukes were having an equally difficult time approaching the German Princesses.


    Ultimately, the man decided that if he couldn''t gain the attention of a German Princess, he would have to go lower on the noble hierarchy. Though it stained his pride, he approached the daughter of a German Duke. Whose appearance was pretty, but not stunning.


    "Hello, I am Prince Robert Stuart of Scond. It would be my honor if I could have the name of a beautiful young woman such as yourself."


    The Duchess took two looks at the man and scoffed before returning to her conversation with another German noblewoman. This action stunned Robert. He was clearly better looking than the woman and was a Prince on top of that. Why would she not be interested in him? He had to find out the answer to this question, and once more tried to pry into the girl''s conversation.


    "Excuse me? Did you not hear me? I am a Prince! Shouldn''t you show me some respect?"


    The woman did not even spare Robert a nce. Shepletely ignored the man as if he were invisible. Such a rude gesture almost made Robert want to p the bitch across her face. However, with the multitude of armed guards present in this chamber, let alone the pce as a whole, he knew he would be kicked out of the venue were he to do such a thing. Thus, he could only take a deep breath and sigh heavily before trying his luck with another girl.


    After ten minutes, Rober had approached four duchesses, two countesses, and even a baroness, none of which were willing to give him the time of the day. Having suffered multiple strikeouts, he ended up at the bar drinking away his sorrows, where the other foreign noblemen who were in a simr position gathered together in depression.


    As Robert took his drink from the bartender, he noticed she was a particrly good-looking young woman. After all, Berengar enjoyed looking at beautiful women, and because of this, the pce staff was filled with them. Naturally, his personal bartender was no exception.


    After a few drinks, Robert decided to try his luck with amon girl. Obviously, he did not intend to marry a woman of low birth, but if she could ease his pain for some time, it would be something to brag about back home. Thus, he spit out the first line he could think of, expecting the woman to throw herself at him simply because he was a good-looking Prince.


    "Has anyone ever told you that you have the most gorgeous eyes?"


    The woman only sighed in annoyance as she cleaned an empty ss with a rag. Robert was just one of many guys she had seen strike out throughout the celebration, and she felt these idiots would continue in their ways until some girl told them the honest truth. Thus she did not show the Prince the respect a man of his position was usually afforded, and instead responded bluntly to his advances.


    "You should know that you are the seventh foreign prince so far tonight to try to pick me up. Believe me when I say, I have heard better lines from better looking guys and have turned them all down. Since you guys are having such troubles with thedies, allow me to exin to you exactly why you will never be able to court a German noblewoman.


    Here, in the Reich, we live a life of such luxury and convenience that even a bartender like me can im with the utmost certainty that I live in a life of greaterfort than you. In fact, my boss, the Kaiser, pays me exceptionally well to pour him drinks and listen to his problems. So much so that I likely have greater wealth than you, the Prince of Scond, do.


    To these noblewomen, whose families'' fortunes are above and beyond what I could ever dream of making, you foreign princes are a worse potential match than a Germanmoner. Because if they were to ever marry you, they would be forced to leave the wealth and prosperity of the Reich, and in doing so, live a life worse than our poorest citizens do, as the Princess of your backwards Kingdom.


    If I''m being brutally honest, you would be hard pressed to find any German woman who would be willing to marry you for the same reasons. Sure, they may gain the prestige of being a "Princess" but their lives would be worse off if they were ever to make such a foolish decision.


    Let me ask you something. You have partaken of the food that has been offered by the pce, yes? Are you aware that these are dishes that evenmoners can afford to eat regrly? Sure, the cooks are more skillful here in the pce, but you can find a simr level of quality in restaurants across the reich.


    Themon people of Germany have ready ess to luxuries that even your most wealthy nobleman would struggle to afford daily. Aside from the luxury and convenience that we have ess to, we Germans also live in a safe society with the confidence of knowing that no foreign army may enter ournds.


    Aside from our National defenses, we also have a robust legal system, which punishes criminals severely. Because of that, we don''t have to worry about pickpockets, or highwaymen, or murderers, and rapists. Can you say that your Kingdom is devoid of such crime?


    So before you get pissed off at all the woman who have turned you down, perhaps you should understand that their reasons for doing so are perfectly valid. The fact of the matter is, you offer less as a potential partner than a Germanmoner does and that is why you will never be able to sessfully court a German Woman. So please, take this drink and enjoy the evening, instead of sulking like a child because you were rejected."


    Robert could hardly believe his ears when he heard all of this, and he was not alone, all of the foreign nobleman who had sought to get friendly with the German noblewomen were stunned to hear all of this. Then again, when they thought about the marvels they had seen since they first visited the Reich, perhaps these bartenders'' harsh words were true?

 Chapter 829 A Chilling Toast

    Chapter 829 A Chilling Toast


    Berengar sat at the head of his table. Throughout the dining hall of his pce, many tables had been set up for his important guests from across the Reich, Europe, and the Mediterranean. He had spoken with many of them up until this point, but now, as the food was brought out to the tables, he had decided to make a proper toast for all to hear.


    With the clink of a ss, the room was silenced, as all eyes gazed upon the Kaiser, who was dressed in his most regal attire. A smiled curved upon his lips, as he gazed upon the rulers of the western world, as if they were all beneath him. Because, in fact, they all were. It was this aura of confidence that prevailed throughout the entirety of his toast.


    "If I could have all of your attention, I would like to make a toast. It has been ten years since I was first given any semnce of power in my life, and in a single decade, I have done more for this world than any man who has evere before me. From a pitiful Baron, I have created an empire that has no rival in this world. Or so I would like to say...


    I wish I could tell you all that the Reich had no true equal in this world. That from this day forward, we shall exist in a new era of peace and prosperity, not having to worry about things like external threats. However, this is not reality. Today I wish to announce that my agents have discovered a rising Empire on the other side of the world called Japan.


    This is not an Empire built upon the outdated system of feudalism. Nor is this an Empire whose soldiers wield primitive weapons like swords and bows. No, this is an Empire whose military capability is at a near-peer level to the Reich.


    Bolt action rifles, revolving cannons, breechloading artillery, steam powered warships, all the things that we have used to unite our Empire, and dominate the world, are in the hands of this Oriental Empire who is as we speak conquering their neighbors in a bid of military expansion.


    On an Ind in the far east, a woman was born during a time of war to a minor noble household. Through her own ingenuity and inventions, she had guaranteed peace and prosperity for her home, which attracted the greedy eyes of powerful men. In a series of wars, this young girl fought these men, which ultimately resulted in the unification of her people within a single Empire beneath her banner.


    It sounds familiar, doesn''t it? For the very same thing happened here in Kufstein throughout this past decade. Almost inconceivable that two people would rise to prominence in their sections of the world at the exact same time, through simr methods. I will tell you all something important. This woman is aware of our existence and has already shown signs of hostility to us.


    Should this Empire bare their fangs against the Reich, it will result in a war with casualties the likes of which this world has never seen. It is because of this threat, veiled deep behind the fog of war, that I am announcing an immediate military expansion in this time of peace that we now have avable to us.


    Previously, thews of conscription were established to ensure that the German Army was always capable of contending with any threat the Reich may face. However, I have beenx on thesews, primarily because I believed that there was no force on this Great Earth that could ever challenge our Empire.


    However, with this news of an emerging industrial power in the far east, I have no choice but to fully enact conscription. Hence forth, every man aged 18-21 shall be conscripted into the Armed Forces of the Reich for a total of four years. We shall also be epting volunteers aged 14-18 to serve part time in the armed forces should they choose to do so.


    There are those of you here today who thought that by ending the threat of the Papacy and the stranglehold they had over Europe, we would be able to spend less on our military and focus on peaceful ventures instead. I am here to inform you that you are dead wrong. For the foreseeable future, I am increasing the spending of our national military budget on the Military from 10% to 15%.


    Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the end of an era. The horse, as an instrument of war, has be obsolete. To the cavalry that we have spent a decade and considerable cost raising. We shall disband their regiments, and incorporate them into the Infantry, who shall not march into battle on foot, but ride into the mes of war in the back of armored vehicles.


    Our marines shall not row to the shores on wooden boats, but deploy onrge assault craft, designed explicitly to carry men and vehicles onto the shores of our enemies. Germany shall own thend, sea, and skies of this world, and any challenger to thends that we have imed shall beid to waste!


    This means the new world, the entirety of it, is off limits to those petty monarchs here who think they have a chance to expand now that the papacy is out of the way. And to all of you, who think that because a rival to Germany has appeared in this world, that you can just switch sides and gain the support of the Japanese Empire. I want you to know that should you engage in such foolish action, I shall not stop until you and your people are crushed beneath the boot of the Reich."


    After making this speech the room as silent, the news of a new, and powerful rival did not bode well for the Germans in the audience, and the threats that Berengar had issued to the other Kingdoms was enough to turn anyone''s stomach sour, especially after they all knew the might of the reich.


    Linde, who sat next to Berengar, red fiercely at the man. Did he really have to go and sour a day of celebration by telling everyone that the peace they had fought a decade to achieve was only temporary?


    The redheaded beauty could only sigh and take a sip of her wine. She was already aware of Berengar''s strategies to counter Itami''s rapid rise to power. However, that was not important, at the moment she decided to take the opportunity to inform Berengar that she had already cleaned up Arnulf''s mess.


    "You should know, the issue in the new world has already been taken care of..."


    Berengar looked over at Linde with a hint of surprise on his face before asking for rification.


    "What do you mean? How did you take care of it?"


    Linde ate a piece of her schnitzel with the graceful demeanor of an empress before informing her husband about what she had done while he was busy orchestrating today''s event.


    "It is simple. Nobody really knows what has happened, so in order to control the narrative, I dispatched my agents to the New World. The official story is that Arnulf was manipted by the natives into attacking the Citizens of Berenwalde.


    The savages lied to the man, and informed him that the Colony of Berenwalde was preparing to attack New Vienna, forcing Arnulf to send troops to investigate these ims until he could receive proper orders from you.


    In order to close up this little lie, I informed the survivors of Berenwalde the only way to absolve themselves from the crimes of attacking peaceful soldiers of the crown was to corroborate my story, and to im that the natives had given them false intelligence suggesting that New Vienna had nned to annihte their colony.


    As we speak, the citizens of Berenwalde are spreading the rumor that the Natives had nned from the start to instigate conflict between the two colonies, and that the only reason they survived was because you had given the order to retreat.


    The survivors are also saying that Arnulf was betrayed by the savages and killed in cold blood. Before long, the anti-native sentiment will spread, and the people of New Vienna will be lining up to join the Colonial Army, so that they can personally avenge their fallen governor."


    Berengar wore a handsome smile as he kissed Linde on the lips in front of the entire audience. None of them had heard what she had said, as there were a thousand conversations taking ce, and she was particrly quiet as she spoke of her schemes. However, after kissing the woman, Berengar whispered something in her ears that only she could hear.


    "I love how much of a devious little bitch you can be. As a special thanks for cleaning up my mess, I will reward you in any way you so desire after the celebration is over."


    Linde merely smiled at the praise she had been given. Berengar often used words like bitch, slut, or cunt as terms of endearment towards Linde. As a hardcore masochist, she got off on it. However, if anyone else were to say such vile words to her, they would probably end up dying from a poison potato. Thus, Berengar and Linde enjoyed the rest of the celebration, before absconding towards their quarters and enjoying the night in each other''s loving embrace.

 Chapter 830 More Military Advancements

    Chapter 830 More Military Advancements


    Berengar sat back in his office and sighed heavily as he took arge gulp of his beer. Weeks had passed since the Victory Day celebration ended, and the royal families of Europe had returned to their homes.


    With one notable exception. During the feast that Berengar had hosted for his guests, he had negotiated with King Alvar for his young granddaughter Astrid to stay behind in Kufstein and receive a German education. Perhaps out of jealousy, Ingrid insisted that she do the same.


    Berengar''s reasoning for such an arrangement was two-fold: firstly, it ensured the continued loyalty of the Nordic Countries, and secondly it fostered a healthy rtionship between his son Kristoffer and his little fiancee. Ingrid forcing her way into his house was an unexpected surprise, but a wee one. Berengar could tell the girl nned to have Hans all to herself, and he wanted to see his son knock her down a peg.


    As for what Berengar had been up to in the weeks since the celebration ended. He had been designing new weapons designs for the eventual conflict with the Japanese Empire. Itami was a wildcard, and because he did not know her the exact extent of her technological capabilities, or the extent of her knowledge as a reincarnator, he had opted to prepare for the worst-case scenario.


    Though he had begun production of Panther Tanks, Marder IFVs, and modern infantry weapons. There were still some things he feared would be necessary in a conflict with a near peer adversary. Among the list of new weapons Berengar had designed over the past two weeks. One was a self-propelled 15cm artillery piece that was known in his past life as the Hummel. Berengar intended for the majority of his field artillery to be mechanized, so it could keep up with his other mechanized units.


    Because of this, he had chosen the WWII self propelled artillery gun used by the Germans in his past life. The hummel was built on a special chassis known as the Gesch��tzwagen III/IV. It blended the driving and steering system of the Panzer III with the suspension of the Panzer IV. It also made use of one of Berengar''s more modern engines, and because of that, was both powerful and reliable.


    Aside from the mechanics of the vehicle, it had a 15 cm sFH 18 field gun mounted on its back. Which Berengar also designed towable artillery of the same pattern to rece his existing 7.5cm FK 27 field guns, as well as the more powerful 10cm K 27 field guns. The 15 cm sFH 18 fired a 149 mm �� 260 R Separate loading cased charge with a maximum firing range of 13,325 meters and a rate of fire of 4 shells per minute.


    With both the towable, and self propelled 15cm artillery pieces deployed as standard to his Artillery Units, Berengar had a good feeling about the destructive power he would be able to unleash on the battlefield. However, there was another critical piece of battlefield equipment that Berengar had developed for use in his army.


    Anti-Aircraft weapons were needed if Germany were to fight an opponent armed with aircraft. Though Berengar had already designed several of the smaller designs for use on his warships, he now needed a piece that could be towed into battle, made static for use in fortifications, and even self propelled via an armored chassis. For this option, Berengar chose the 12.8cm K 40.


    The 12.8cm K 40 fired a 128 x 958mm R explosive shell which weighed 26 kilograms. It had an elevation of -3 to +88 degrees, and a maximum firing range of 14,800 m. Needless to say, as an anti-air weapon, it would be able to take out even his own aircraft.


    Aside from the K 40, which could not only be towed onto the battlefields by a five ton truck but also could be created into a self-propelled armored vehicle known as the kzwilling 40. Berengar had devised another self-propelled anti-aircraft piece. However, unlike the K 40, which was designed for taking out aircraft at higher altitudes, the nkpanzer IV Kugelblitz was specifically intended to take out low-flying aircraft.


    The Kugelblitz made use of the Panzer IV chassis, which was modified to ept Berengar''s superior engine designs. It had a dual mounted MK 103 30mm anti-aircraft auto-cannon inside a closed turret. Each gun was capable of firing 450 rounds a minute and made use of the 30x184B explosive shells. If a ground attack aircraft were to get anywhere close to this vehicle, it would be shot out of the sky with ease.


    Aside from the anti-aircraft weapons and the new artillery pieces, Berengar made three additional pieces of infantry equipment. Specialty weapons, so to speak. The first was a methrower modelled after the mmenwerfer 41. It was a lightweight, and rtivelypact methrower that was cappable of werfing mmen at a range if 32 meters.


    The second specialty weapon that Berengar designed was the Panzerfaust 250, it was thest model of Panzerfaust issued to German troops during the second war of his past life, and was more akin to an RPG 2 than it was the older models of the Panzerfaust. Not only was the Panzerfaust 250 reloadable, but it was also capable of an effective range of 250 meters, while prating a maximum of 200m worth of armor.


    Though Berengar did not know if Japan would have tanks by the time their armies met in battle, he felt that arming as many soldiers as possible with shoulder fired anti-tankunchers and anti-aircraftunchers was a good idea.


    Thus, the third and final specialty weapon he designed was the Fliegerfaust B, which was a 20mm shoulder fired anti-aircraftuncher designed and issued to German troops in the final days of the war. Perhaps had such an innovative weapon been introduced earlier in the war, it would have made a significant impact on the German war effort. However, in reality it was introduced toote, and with too few numbers to have any real effect.


    The Fliegerfaust B fired nine 20mm rocket propelled explosive shells with a wide spread in two separate bursts. Though its range was severelyckingpared to other means of anti-aircraft weapons, it could prove to be useful if fielded inrge numbers, against low-flying aircraft, especially ground attack craft.


    Thus, Berengar wanted as many soldiers to have either a Fliegerfaust or a Panzerfaust in the event of war against the Japanese Empire. These were all weapons that Berengar had made over the past few weeks. However, at the moment, he had just finished working on one very important type of ship.


    If Berengar wanted to fight with Japan, he would need to establish colonies, or at the very least military bases in the Pacific, so he could rearm and refuel his war effort. This meant he would likely be fighting a war against Japan for control over the region. If that was the case, he needed a specialtynding craft to ferry his troops and vehicles into battle.


    Naturally, he modeled this vessel after the Mark 8 Landing Craft Tank. Which was argending craft designed by the Americans to ferry tanks and other armored vehicles onto the shores of the Pacific inds. Though they could also be used to ferry troops.


    The vessel was 225 feet long and could carry eight tanks, thirteen trucks, or 350 tons of cargo across a range of 4,000 nautical miles. It also had an armament of four MG 151 20mm auto cannons.


    Having just now finished the blueprints for these designs, Berengar had earned himself a break. Which he was thoroughly enjoying until a knock resounded on the other side of his door, followed by a meek voice which he instantly recognized.


    "Your majesty, are you busy?"


    Berengar finished his beer and effortlessly chucked the bottle across the room and into the trash before responding to the girl who patiently waited on the other side of his office door.


    "It''s open Priya, you can enter."


    With that said, the door opened to reveal the figure of the teenage Indian Princess. Whom had rapidly developed since her first arrival in Kufstein nearly a year ago. Priya had suffered from malnutrition for most of her life, and because of this, she was rather petite and slender when she first showed up in the Reich.


    However, after nearly a year of not only proper nutrition, but regr exercise, she was now beginning to resemble a stunning young woman, and why wouldn''t she? She was already fourteen years old.


    Though the girl still had a few years before she was fully grown, Berengar was pleased with her progress. However, he did not let his inquisitive gaze show on his face, instead he merely rested his chin on his curled hands as something else caught his sight.


    In Priya''s hand was a tray filled with two tes. On these tes were what appeared to be Curry, and another staple of Indian cooking. Berengar was rather surprised that the girl had brought him the food of her homnd and was about to inquire about its origin when the girl spoke up with a proud smile on her face.


    "I''ve recently gotten into cooking. It''s something to pass the time when I''m here in the pce after school hours. There''s some interesting books in the market about the culinary techniques of foreign countries.


    Apparently German Merchants have travelled across the world, and recorded the recipes of various cultures which they now sell for profit. I particrly took a liking to my homnd''s food. This is chicken pakora and curried goat. I was hoping to share a meal with you and congratte you on your victory."


    Berengar gazed cautiously at the girl sitting in front of him. He was deeply suspicious of her behavior. There were few things better in this world than having a pretty girl make you a home-cooked meal, and it was one of his weaknesses. He thought for sure the girl was after something as he shamelessly grabbed a piece of chicken from the te and tasted it.


    Priya, however, seemed keenly interested in how Berengar felt about her cooking, and innocently gazed at him with hope in her emerald eyes. Which ultimately forced Berengar to sigh in defeat and reveal his thoughts on the dish.


    "It is really good. I forgot how much I missed Indian food..."


    This statement confused Priya. From the sound of Berengar''s tone, it was as if he was speaking as if he had eaten Indian food a long time ago, but trade between that region of the world and the Reich was rtively recent.


    Despite her curiosity, she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to offend the mighty Kaiser. Berengar then took a bite of the curried goat, and eximed in pleasure as he pointed his fork at Priya andplimented her.


    "Mmm! This is really good. You have a lot of talent as a chef. Keep this up, and one day you will make your husband a very happy man!"


    Berengar had just casually said those words without putting much thought into them, but Priya had read into them more than he had intended, and immediately blushed while lowering her head. Too embarrassed to meet the Kaiser''s gaze. Thus, she spent the rest of the meal in silence, taking great joy in the sight of Berengar enjoying her cooking.

 Chapter 831 Japanese War Crimes in Korea

    Chapter 831 Japanese War Crimes in Korea


    Itami sat in a building set within the northeast borders of the Ming Dynasty. She had a frustrated expression on her pretty face as she sat across from the Joseon King. Their discussion was being mediated by the Ming Emperor. The trio of Asian monarchs had gathered today to discuss a solution to the ongoing war in the Korean Penins.


    Six months had passed since Berengar''s victory day celebrations had ended, and while the Kaiser was busy mechanizing his armed forces in preparations for his invasion of the Anangpur Empire. Itami was stuck in a brutal stalemate.


    Despite her best efforts, the Japanese Empress and her soldiers had failed to push into the north. Every attempt to do so was met with a fierce exchange of gunfire between the Joseon Insurgents and the Imperial Japanese Army.


    Tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers lie dead in this campaign, and hundreds more fell with each day. She had even been forced to withdraw her soldiers from the upied cities in the south and move them northward towards the front lines. A strategy which ultimately backfired.


    As her forces redeployed from the south, to support the war effort in the North, the German Empire made use of their Joseon proxies to arm, and supply would-be rebels in the Japanese upied territory. Fighting an insurgency on two fronts, Itami was forced to withdraw her forces south of what was once known as the 38th Parallel in her past life, and deal with those who dared to rebel against her rule.


    Since the Japanese Empress did not have the manpower to fight a two front war, she had begrudgingly met with the Joseon King to settle their dispute in a way that favored her Empire. She sipped from the tea provided by the Ming Emperor with a scowl on her face before pointing towards the map, and the line she had chosen to divide her enemy''s kingdom with.


    "Everything north of this line will belong to the Joseon Kingdom. As for the South, all shall recognize its annexation into the Japanese Empire. These are the terms I have decided upon, and nothing in this world shallpel me to change my mind. Either take the peace I offer you, or I will crush your pathetic little Kingdom even if it''s thest thing I do!"


    Though the Joseon King wanted to refuse Itami''s offer, before he could do so, one of his delegates, who whispered something into his ear, quickly nudged him in the ribs. He nodded his head in silence three times before agreeing to Itami''s terms. An act which ultimately surprised the young woman.


    "Very well, if these are the terms you present to me, I shall ept them... For now... However, make no mistake, one day thends you have stolen from me shall return to my dynasty''s hands. I do hope I will be around to see your face when such a realityes to existence."


    After saying this, the Joseon King rose from his seat and bowed to the Ming Emperor before leaving the room along with his delegation. As for Itami, she merely pouted. Though she had gained some territory with iron reserves, as well as other industrial resources, she felt as if she had lost to a certain somebody in the far west.


    While her proxy in the Bengal Empire had not yet even begun the conquest of his neighbors, The Kaiser had swiftly deployed his forces to the Korean Penins, and countered her invasion. She now needed to fight gueris in the territory she upied, all the while ensuring that the iron ore was harvested and sessfully shipped back to the Japanese maind.


    For now, she would give up on her ambitions to conquer Northern Korea, and instead focus her efforts on the territory she controlled. The purpose of her invasion was not total victory, but gaining the raw materials she needed to modernize her military. She had seeded in that endeavor to some extant and thus she could bite the proverbial bullet, so to speak.


    Itami thanked the Ming Emperor before leaving the meeting herself. She spent the next few hours on a ship back to Busan, where her control was most secure. Upon disembarking from her vessel, Itami was met with a messenger from her Army who had a grim look on his face. Before the woman could ask him what was wrong, he blurted out the answer.


    "Itami-sama, a situation has urred in your absence..."


    Itami could only gaze at the frightened soldier''s expression and assume the worst. She sighed heavily before leading the man into a nearby building and instructing him to inform her of what had happened while she was negotiating with the Joseon King.


    ---


    While Itami was busy meeting with the Joseon King and the Ming Emperor to discuss an end to the current hostilities. Her soldiers were conducting anti-insurgency operations in a vige outside Gwangju. As with many of the towns in the south, themoners had taken up arms against their Japanese upiers.


    Germany supplied these arms through their trade routes with the Ming Empire, that had opened up after the Ming Prince Zhu Zhi returned to his homnd and sessfully convinced his father to agree to Berengar''s terms.


    After nearly a year of intensebat operations in the Korean Penins, the soldiers of Itami''s army were bing filled with paranoia and angst. A year ago, these men were simple peasants, attending to rice fields in Japan.


    Now, they were soldiers, armed with weapons they did not fully understand, and sent to a foreignnd to fight against an unknown enemy for the sake of securing iron. Whether it was in the Taebaek mountains or the streets of the cities, these conscripts would randomlye under fire by weapons that rivaled their own.


    These men were promised a quick war that would inevitably result in a total victory for the Japanese Empire. And yet now their Empress, a woman who had risen to her position by killing the previous divine Imperial Family, was negotiating with the Joseon King for partial control over the penins.


    Thus, one might be somewhat understanding when they realized that the Japanese soldiers who were slugging through a random vige were drunk from sake, high from opium, and paranoid beyond belief as they marched forward, wondering when and from where they would be opened fire upon.


    A young Corporal''s dted eyes were darting back and forth, throughout the vige, looking for any sign of potential attack. His heart was racing, perhaps from the opium he had just smoked, as he raised his rifle and clutched it tightly to his chest. As if it were his lifeline. While he panicked, his NCO, who was heavily intoxicated by an entire bottle worth of sake,ughed at him.


    "Tanaka-dono, if you keep that up, you''re going to get me anxious! The vige has already been searched for contraband. We are merely here as a show of force! So quit freaking me out!"


    The man named Tanaka did not sigh in relief, instead he continued to look across the vige, wondering if what he was seeing was reality. Just as he was about to respond to his NCO, a loud thunder crackled in the air, causing him to raise his weapon and fire aimlessly into the vige.


    Despite there being no casualties inflicted upon the Japanese soldiers, they panicked from the sound of gunfire and instead fired randomly towards the nearby buildings, hoping to hit the unseen threat. Instead, the bullets shredded through the thatched homes, and killed any living thing that they made contact with.


    Women, children, the elderly. The bullets did not discriminate, nor did the men who fired them. The Captain, who was a veteran of Itami''s army, tried to rally his forces in a desperate attempt to maintain order, but it was toote. With the first shot fired, men like Tanaka, who were hopped up on some illicit substance, had no rhyme or reason. They simply shot at whatever moved.


    While the Soldiers of the Japanese Army fired randomly into the vige, the Joseon vigers began to flee their homes. However, the sudden exodus of people caused the Japanese soldiers to panic, and they quickly opened fire upon the unarmed civilians, massacring them on the spot.


    Without knowing where the insurgents were, if there even were any, the Japanese soldiers lobbed their newly issued grenades which were modelled on the WW2 era Type 97 into the buildings, sting anyone who remained behind into meat chunks, and lighting their homes aze.


    It was only after this massacre was concluded, that the Japanese soldiers investigated the scene to find that there were no armed vigers to begin with, and instead the explosion that had started the aimless killing was the result of a little boy ying with a firecracker.


    When Itami learned that her soldiers had ughtered an entire vige, down to thest woman and child for no valid reason, she would personally decapitate the one hundred men involved as a public disy of her authority, an act which would only worsen the morale of the Japanese Army.

 Chapter 832 Japanese Military Advancements

    Chapter 832 Japanese Military Advancements


    Another three months had passed since the day that Itami''s soldiers had massacred an entire vige. An incident which sparked an entire new wave of insurgency to appear within the southern portion of the Korean Penins.


    Itami, perhaps fearing for her own personal security, had returned to the Japanese maind, leaving the control of the forces in Korea under themand of her lead General Shiba Kiyohiko. Upon her return to Japan, she had instantly begun developing new technologies to increase her industrial output and her military capabilities.


    By securing vast deposits of iron, coal, and other major industrial resources within the Taebaek mountains. Itami had immediately shifted her focus to building a powerful fleet of warships that was capable of contending with the Reich.


    Though it would be several years before the first of these steel behemoths could set sail, she felt that these battleships which she modelled after the Nagato-ss Dreadnoughts of her past life were more than capable of dealing with anything the Reich had built to conquer the seas, and she was right, assuming she could build enough of them to counter the Kriegsmarine''s numbers.


    She also began the production of Momi-ss destroyers, Kongo-ss Battlecruisers, and Kaich�� VI (Ro-33 ss) submarines. Just how many vessels she would be able to create in theing years remained to be seen. However, unlike Berengar''s current fleet of Great War era ships, Itami''s would be modelled after those introduced during the inter-war period of her past life, giving her a slight technological advantage.


    Naturally warships were more than just steel and turrets, and because of that Itami had established the blueprints for the development of radio, and other important sensors. She knew enough about their design to get the ball rolling, so that in two to three years'' time when the hulls of her ships werepleted, her scientists could rapidly convert the ships to ept radar, radiomunications, and sonar.


    Other military innovations that she designed were new infantry weapons such as the Type 4 semi-automatic rifle. While only existing as a prototype design in her past life, Itami was an expert at mechanical engineering and quickly finished the weapon''s design so that it was theoretically a reliably and durable pieceo f military hardware. She also designed a copy of the Type 99 Light Machine gun, the Type 92 Heavy machine gun, the Type 14 semi-automatic pistol, and the Type 100 submachine gun, making improvements where needed.


    Aside from infantry weapons she had also ordered the manufacture of the Type 38 75mm Field Gun which she had previously designed, but halted production of due to ack of resources, and even expanded upon her artillery by addingrger guns like the Type 92 10cm Cannon.


    Though Itami could design the basic blueprints of these weapons, they would require thorough testing and improvements from her own staff of engineers. A process that could easily take a year or possibly even two before they could be manufactured in any functional capacity.


    Itami selected these engineers for their intelligence and understanding of mechanics. From the moment she assumed power as the Empress, she had given them a crash course in basic education and engineering principles, and had in the years since expanded their knowledge based upon the information she knew from her past life.


    Since gaining the iron and coal needed to fuel her growing industry, Itami had focused on the expansion of her armed forces, and equipped them with thetest uniforms, modelled after those issued to Japanese soldiers in WW2 of her past life.


    The young Empress knew it would be some time before she secured the oil deposits necessary to create modern vehicles, and had outlined an invasion n for her rapidly growing armed forces to take Hokkaido, the Ryukyu Kingdom, and Indonesia within the next two to three years.


    With the introduction of modern weapons onto the battlefield by the German Empire, Itami no longer had the nerve to lead her troops into battle, and would instead focus all her efforts on administration, ensuring the proper growth of the Japanese Empire.


    However, before she could reform the Empire into a more modern state, she needed to eliminate the traitors in her midst who had leaked her invasion to the Joseon King, and had alerted Berengar von Kufstein to her presence. Though she did not know who the men were that had betrayed her, she ordered her Kempeitai to conduct a secret investigation into their identities.


    At the moment, Itami had been up for three days straight working on her technological innovations and government reforms. She had not showered and had barely eaten. It was only now that she had a moment to think for herself that she realized how badly she stunk. With this, she decided to visit her personal hot spring and wash away the filth that had umted on her otherwise pristine body.


    After grabbing a proper change of clothes, Itami entered the hot spring, where she scrubbed herself clean before descending into the steaming pool of water. She could not help but exhale heavily in rxation as she leaned back against the onsen''s edge while gazing up at the stars above.


    Now that the young woman was finally alone with her thoughts, she could not help but reflect on the disaster of the Korean invasion. She kept repeating a name over and over again in a slight whisper as she tried to understand the man she was fighting against.


    "Berengar von Kufstein... Berengar von Kufstein.... Just who are you?"


    The more Itami had time to think, the more she realized that an all-out war with the Reich was a losing battle. Though she could make the Germany army bleed, defeat was all but a certainty. If she was really dedicated to fighting with Germany, she would need to make them suffer to such a point that they would be forced to negotiate with her. If she wanted to achieve such an oue, she needed to force them into a campaign simr to that which America fought in WW2.


    Itami still did not know exactly how advanced Berengar''s armies were, but she had a decent idea because of rumors that were floating across the Ming Dynasty about a farawaynd with rigid airships and armored vehicles propelled without the need of steeds.


    Zhu Zhi was so astonished by the Victory Day parade that he often boasted of what he had seen. Because of this, Itami had some semnce of an idea of where Berengar was at technologically speaking. In the words of Sun Tzu know your enemy, and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.


    Itami knew that She had started her reignter than in this world than her rival, and because of this, she was far behind him. However, was that truly the reason Berengar had beaten her in Korea? After all, aside from a few minor engagements with what she assumed was his special forces, most of her defeat came at the hands of the local insurgents armed with the same military capabilities that she herself had.


    When she thought about this, Itami felt conflicted. Berengar had beaten her at her own game. When nobody else in this life had. Though she felt bitter towards her losses, she also felt something else, respect for the man she was fighting against. Just as she thought this, the doors to the hot spring sprung open, and two feminine figures revealed themselves. Itami was stunned when she saw the sight of her little sister, and her mother enter her bath, and she could not help but voice her disbelief.


    "Momo-chan? Mibu-san-"


    Before she could even question why they were in the capital, Momo jumped into the bath, and hugged Itami, her own substantial bust pressed against the pale bosom of Itami creating a sight that any man would enjoy to see, as the teenage girl smothered her elder sister with affection.


    "Nee-sama! Are you surprised to see me?"


    Itami Riyo was indeed surprised to see her little sister Itami Momo in her private, secluded hot spring. She could only re at her mother, who gracefully sat down in the steaming pool of water next to her two naked daughters, and condemn the woman for viting her sanctuary unannounced.


    "Mibu-san, you should have told me you wereing..."


    The mature beauty red back at her errant daughter before lecturing her on her choice of words.


    "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Okaa-san? I brought you into this world, and yet you are always so cold to me! Besides, I did inform your servants that your sister and I were arriving in the capital, and they were the ones to lead us into the pce. How do you think I found you in here?"


    Itami''s brows raised when she heard this. Her own servants had not bothered to inform her of her family''s arrival. Then again, she had given very explicit orders not to disturb her study. She only had herself to me for this oue. Perhaps it was a mother''s intuition, but Mibu Saya could immediately tell something was up with her daughter, and she urately guessed what it was based upon the girl''s flushed cheeks.


    "Were you perhaps thinking of a boy before we walked in? Go on and tell your mother all about it!"


    Momo instantly looked over at her elder sister with an excited expression and asked her all about this mysterious man before Riyo could even deny her mother''s ims.


    "You found a man! I''m so happy for you! Who is he? Can I meet him?"


    Itami could only growl in frustration as she tried to convince the two nosy women that there was not a man in her life.


    "There is no man. I was just thinking about the enemy I currently face, and the defeat I suffered at his hands!"


    However, these words did not convince Itami''s mother in the slightest. Instead, a cunning smile formed on the woman''s lips as she repeated the words Itami had always said to her.


    "Aren''t you the one who always said, and I quote, I refuse to settle down and marry until I find the man who is capable of defeating me in battle? So are you saying you finally met this man? Who is he? Oh, is he perhaps the Ming Prince Zhu Zhi? I hear he is quite the handsome man!"


    Itami flushed red with embarassment as she heard her own words repeated to her. She had quite often said such shameless words in the past to avoid marriage, and it was only now that she was realizing that Berengar had met her qualifications.


    Even if it was only a proxy war, Berengar had still defeated her on the battlefield. Hell, the man had quite literally caused her to piss herself in fear. The moment she remembered that, Riyo grew even more embarrassed and covered her face before shouting at her mother and sister.


    "Get out of here! I''m taking a bath!"


    Mibu Saya immediately misunderstood Itami''s words and nodded her head with a smile on her gorgeous face before guiding Momo out of the hot spring.


    "I understand. You need some alone time while thinking about your man. We will be downstairs,e find us when you finish!"


    Before Itami could even respond to her mother''s shameless words, the woman had already absconded with her other daughter in tow. Leaving Itami as an embarrassed wreck as she hugged her knees to her chest and thought deeply about what her mother had said.

 Chapter 833 First Flight

    Chapter 833 First Flight


    Over the past year since the Victory Day Celebration was held, Berengar was busy enjoying his brief Pax Germania. An era of peace and prosperity for the reich the likes of which it had never seen before.


    Immediately upon finishing his newest weapon designs, Berengar got to work on revolutionizing the economy. With advancements in synthetic materials, Berengar could now make a polymer based paper-like currency to rece the use of coins. The advantages of this was that it was almost impossible for criminals to counterfeit.


    Since the Thaler was the mostmon currency used in the Reich, Berengar had decided to print banknotes based on its value. One of the new Gold Marks, which was named as such to represent the gold standard, was worth one hundred pfennigs. It could be printed in values of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred. One hundred marks being the equivalent of the previously issued Gulden coin.


    As for the pfennigs, they had long sincee in a variety of values such as one, five, ten, twenty-five, and fifty. So there was no need to mint new coins. As for the thaler and gulden coins, they were still a valid form of currency, worth as much as they were before the introduction of paper currency. However, the convenience of having banknotes caused the people to rapidly exchange their coins for bills.


    In these nine months, electricity became moremon across the reich. With entire cities undergoing modernization. The increase in demand for electricity caused the construction of hydroelectric power nts across the fathend.


    The onset of the electrical era also spurred new inventions by German scientists and engineers, such as the refrigerator, the refrigerated truck, and the refrigerated train car. Allowing for the transfer of meat and produce across the Reich without fear of spoge.


    Radios became moremon, as did cameras. With pictures being regrly taken across the reich by enthusiasts, as well as journalists. Not a day went by without a multitude of pictures on the paper.


    Because of this,panies had been working on ways to improve cameras, and they had seeded in their endeavors. No longer were there the old box cameras that were used in the past. In fact, the newest portable camera was simr to the Leica model one from Berengar''s previous life.


    Linde''s agents loved this device, as the rest of the world was entirely unaware of what a camera was, and they could easily snap pictures of their operations. Allowing for a much greater pool of intelligence to be gathered.


    These were just some of many of the advancements in German technology, bringing the Reich closer and closer to the interwar period of Berengar''s past life. As the reich entered a new era, so too did its military.


    The German Army was redesigned from the ground up to support the new mechanized vehicles, which became moremon among the ranks with each passing day. Because of this, Brigade Combat Teams had be the primary deployable unit of the German Army.


    As for the Border Guard, it was removed from the responsibility of the Department of Defense and transitioned into aw enforcement agency. Those who wished to still serve in the military were transferred to the active dutyponent of the Army. Whereas the rest were instructed in their responsibilities as peacekeeping officers.


    The Coast Guard was also transitioned into aw enforcement agency, where it no longer sailed on powerful armored frigates, but instead made use of fast attack craft modelled after the US Navy''s PT boats from the second world war of Berengar''s past life.


    These ships were designed to survey the coasts and intercept any uwful activities at the sea. They could alsounch torpedos in the event of a hostile naval vessel approaching the German territorial waters. Though such an event was unlikely.


    As for the Navy, it was undergoing rapid modernization. The old armored frigates were being retrofitted and sold off to the Ming Dynasty, all while being reced with battleships, battlecruisers, and destroyers.


    By now the number of Destroyers, and U-boats the German Navy had were in the dozens. It took roughly six months for these vessels to bepleted, and Germany had many shipyards. Speaking of which, the number of shipyards had nearly doubled in recent days, as more and more of them finished construction around the reich.


    Berengar''s n was to focus on the construction of carriers, to be supported by carrier strike groups. Each carrier strike group would consist of one carrier, one battleship, two battlecruisers, ten destroyers, and two u-boats.


    Thus, out of his currently active thirty active shipyards, four were constructing carriers, four were constructing battleships, eight were constructing battlecruisers, five were constructing destroyers, eight were constructing u-boats, and one was constructing fast attack craft. Half of these shipyards had already been in the production of therger vessels for nearly a year, and the other half were just starting.


    The reason so many shipyards were dedicated to therger vessels was because they took between two to three years to build. With five dedicated shipyards to destroyers and subs, Germany could construct between 10-15 destroyers and an equal amount of subs in the time it took to build one carrier, battleship, or battlecruiser.


    Finally, there was the Luftwaffe, which was not yet officially established. However, at the moment, Berengar was sitting on an airfield in the middle of Austria. This base had been constructed to test the prototypes of the numerous aircraft Berengar had designed. Through a year''s worth of coboration with his engineers, they had finally developed the first functional prototype.


    Naturally, as the man who never stopped chasing glory, Berengar had to be remembered as the first man to fly in this world. Because of this, he was dressed in a flight suit modelled after those issued to Luftwaffe Pilots in the second world war of his past life. Over this flight suit was a ck leather jacket. He wore a ck leather skullcap which integrated hismunications, as well as an oxygen mask which was connected to the vehicle.


    Berengar had never flown a ne before, even in his past life, and had gone through minimal training for this endeavor. I mean, what training could you really do without functional aircraft and advanced simtions? Because of this, he wore the ring of sol, in case he crashnded, which was a likely possibility. He could hear the voice that belonged to one of his generals over thems as the man expressed deep worry over the Kaiser''s safety.


    "My Kaiser, I think this is a really bad idea. We have no idea if this thing will even work. You could fall straight out of the sky for all we know! You should really delegate this responsibility to someone else!"


    Berengar merely chuckled and turned off hisms as he waved to the people in the crowd who had gathered to witness this monumental asion. After doing so, he started the engine of his prototype trainer aircraft modelled after the Arado Ar 96 and steered it onto the runway. Among the many people in the crowd, Hans and Linde were standing there, waiting anxiously as they watched the head of their household, the Emperor of Germany, do something incredibly dangerous and stupid.


    Before long, the trainer ne picked up speed, and with a little help from Berengar, it lifted into the air. The moment it did so, the people gathered below stopped breathing for a second, in fear that the ne might fall out of the sky. Yet it did not. It continued to soar high above, as Berengar steered the ne to make ap around the airfield.


    Adrenaline and endorphins flowed through his veins in a way that mimicked that which he felt on the front lines of war. No, perhaps it was an even greater high. Berengar did not know the answer to that, but what he did know was that he could no longer contain his excitement. He switched thems back on and hollered to the ground control in a recording that would go down in history.


    "God in heaven, I am so hard right now!"


    Berengar was not thinking about his choice of words, and just shouted the first thing that came to mind. However, his words caused them operators on the ground to break out intoughter. As for the sight of the ne flying high in the sky, a journalist who was invited to the event to take pictures captured it into the archives of history.


    Berengar flew a victoryp around the airfield before touching down. After shutting down the engine, he crawled out of the cockpit to monumental apuse. Linde, who was in the crowd with her son, immediately rushed over to Berengar and jumped into his embrace, while passionately kissing him in front of the entire audience.


    The redheaded beauty had nearly died of fright, watching her idiot of a husband take off into the air in such a death trap. Thus, the moment after she kissed her man, she scolded him severely for his actions.


    "You dummy! Do you have any idea how worried I was? Promise me you will never do anything so foolish ever again!"


    Berengar only chuckled and petted the woman''s silky strawberry blonde hair with a confident grin on his face. The sight of Linde glomping him after he emerged from the cockpit was forever recorded in history thanks to the quick hands of the journalist, who took a shot of the heartwarming scene.


    Berengar had made the first sessful flight in human history, an achievement that was just one of many in his long life of aplishment. With the proof that these nes could fly, as well as a working prototype, the first generation of pilots could now be instructed and trained for the uing war with Japan. Berengar had nned to greatly expand the line of aircraft in the uing years to cover all aspects of aerial warfare. For now, he would return home and celebrate with his family.

 Chapter 834 Aerial-Warfare Academy

    Chapter 834 Aerial-Warfare Academy


    Roughly a year and five months had passed since the first Victory Day Celebration had taken ce. At the young age of ten, Prince Hans von Kufstein had graduated from High School and despite his mother''s many concerns he immediately enrolled in the Military Academy. However, this was not the War Academy in Vienna, which housed the many potential officers of the Army.


    Instead, this was the newly established Aerial-Warfare Academy in Kufstein. Five months ago, Hans'' father, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, had taken part in the first manned flight of a heavier-than air object. It was a monumental achievement for the reich, and what followed afterward was the establishment of the Luftwaffe.


    Naturally, with a new branch of service dedicated to aerial-warfare, there needed to be a specialty university for cadets to learn the necessary skills at. Thus, it was established in Kufstein, where the first major Air Base of the Reich was located. Young men from around the country who had just finished high school, and were intending on a military career, all gathered at this university to learn the new style of warfare.


    After Berengar had introduced the rigid airship during the first victory day celebration, the people of Germany became obsessed with flight. Even more so after the Kaiser flew with the first prototype ne. However, the aerial-warfare academy was not just going to take in every kid who wanted to learn how to fly. Nor was everyone who entered going to be a pilot. As a military branch, there were plenty of positions to be had, and most of these cadets would never earn their wings.


    Hans currently sat in his seat, in a specialty tailored cadet uniform. It was loosely modelled after those that would be worn by the Luftwaffe in theing years. Most of the members of his ss were between the ages of seventeen and neen, and naturally, as a military academy, it was filled with young men.


    However, as a departure from standard protocol, the German military had, for the first time, opened its ranks to women. In a bid to get more men intobat positions, Berengar had allowed women entry into the three military academies so that they could fulfill roles in administration and medicine.


    One of these girls was in his ss, and she immediately caught Hans''s interest. The young woman had long blonde hair which flowed from her hair like a river of gold. In many ways, this girl was remarkably simr to the boy''s aunt in terms of appearance. In fact, at first nce, Hans thought this woman was indeed Henrietta.


    Upon further inspection, the woman had deep sapphire eyes, like Berengar and Ad. In fact, the more Hans looked at her, the more he thought she resembled his father, as if she were a gender bent version of the man. The notable exception being that shecked an eyepatch.


    Despite this uncanny resemnce to both Berengar and Henrietta, or perhaps because of it, she was a beauty among beauties, and because of this, the men of the ss had gathered around her, attempting to woo the young woman over with their charm. Despite acting friendly, it was clear from the girl''s eyes that she had no interest in any of the guys who approached her.


    It was only after the instructor came to the head of the ss did the men disperse and jump to attention. Causing the beautiful blonde girl to sigh in relief. Hans was likewise at attention, where the instructor quickly followed up with the words "At ease" after staring at the young boy in the cadet uniform for several seconds. Obviously, he was curious why such a young child was among the ranks of his cadets and quickly asked Hans to introduce himself.


    "You there, boy, introduce yourself, and exin the reason why a child such as yourself is in my ss!"


    The instructor had not been informed that Hans was in his ss, nor that a boy as young as him would be. He did not immediately recognize the Prince, which was not at all unusual as outside of the Cadet Corps, Hans mostly spent time in the pce with his family and fiancees. This did not surprise Hans, and he quickly announced his identity.


    "Hans von Kufstein, I have already graduated from High School and have elected to spend my years of higher learning here at the aerial-warfare academy. Is that a problem, sir?"


    The moment the words "von Kufstein" escaped the boy''s lips, the entire ss stared at him in awe. None of them expected to be in the same ss as a member of the imperial family. Primarily because Berengar''s kids were all so young, but the boy had clearly stated he had already graduated from high school, and he had obviously been admitted into the aerial-warfare academy.


    The instructor immediately began sweating bullets upon realizing that an Imperial Prince was a member of his ss. Having one of the young Princesses of Bavaria present in his ss was shocking enough, but to have the Imperial Prince, the boy who most people suspected would one day seed his father, in his ss, the honor was simply too much. He immediately broke his strict facade as he spoke to Hans as if he was his superior.


    "My apologies your highness, I was not alerted that you would be in my ss."F


    Hans cocked a brow when he heard this response before politely reminding the instructor of his duties.


    "Sir, might I remind you that in section two, paragraph four of the student handbook, it clearly states: All cadets are to be treated as equals, regardless of noble heritage. Therefor it is of my opinion that it is simply uneptable for you to refer to my by my royal title. Please refer to me by my cadet rank!"


    Anne von Wittelsbach immediately gazed over at Hans with curiosity in her sapphire eyes as she heard him reject the preferred treatment. She had never thought the Kaiser''s son of all people would consider himself just another cadet.


    This unusual behavior caught the girl''s interest. As she was certain that any other man in this room would need no excuse to unt their privilege, as many of them had done when they introduced themselves to her.


    Anne was sixteen years of age this year, and had graduated early from high school just like Hans had. Despite her father''s resistance, Anne had enrolled in the aerial-warfare academy. What were her reasons for doing so? To put it simply, her reason for joining the military was so that she could avoid an unfavorable marriage.


    Not long after the victory day celebration, where she rejected the Scottish Prince''s advances, Anne found herself engaged to the third Prince of Saxony. There was just one major problem with that: the man was a morbidly obese glutton, and a sadistic asshole. If rumors were to be believed, the third Prince of Saxony treated his wives rather cruelly, and from her few encounters with him, Anne was convinced they were true.


    So long as she was in a military academy and saw active service in the armed forces, she had the right to refuse any potential marriage candidates that her family might set her up with. This was a stiption acted intow for a single purpose, to install an additional sense of loyalty into Berengar''s officers.


    In other words, "So long as you are part of my armed forces, you are not beholden to the whims and wishes of your family, no matter how powerful they might be." Thus, there were many young men who sought to enter a military academy in the hopes of avoiding an unfavorable betrothal. Anne just so happened to be a woman with the same goal.


    However, after witnessing Hans and his respectable behavior, Anne immediately reconsidered her previous ns. Though she knew that the boy had four fiancees, Hans was allowed up to five wives, and despite his young age, he was certainly a better choice than that fat bastard.


    She would rather buy herself a permanent escape from her father''s wishes, then temporary freedom. After all, the moment she concluded her mandatory military service after graduation, her father could easily pull the strings to have her discharged.


    Thus, after some careful thought, the girl shot Hans a smile and a wink, an action which immediately drew the ire of the rest of the men in the ss. Hans had a stoic facade as he saw the beautiful Bavarian princess show her interest. However, internally, his heart was racing. It was only now that he realized the same rules that applied to Anne applied to him as well.


    Ingrid had been a massive pain in the ass to the boy ever since she first arrived in Kufstein. Though she was beautiful and had an ideal body. The woman was constantly feuding with his other fiancees. Causing Hans nothing but headaches over the past year and a half.


    If he really desired, Hans could use his military service as a means to marry his other three girls when he came of age, but refuse the engagement to Ingrid. All while marrying another two women of his choice.


    Of course, he could simply tell either his father or his mother that he was unhappy with Ingrid, and they would easily void the betrothal. However, Hans did not know this, and was deeply afraid of disappointing his father. Because of that, he had soldiered through thest year and a half to the best of his ability.


    It was with this in mind that Hans eventually smiled back at Anne and waved. Thinking that perhaps he should get to know such a beautiful young woman, in case he could not get rid of Ingrid''s strict monogamous notions that fueled her incessant bitching. Thus, Hans''s first day at the aerial warfare academy had gone quite well.

 Chapter 835 son of the Feathered Serpent

    Chapter 835 son of the Feathered Serpent


    Tlexictli sat topless in the middle of her father''s pce within the city of Tenochtin. A golden-haired babe was clutched to her breast, as it sucked away at the milk stored behind her puffy brown nipples. The Aztec Princess petted the child''s silky hair while speaking to him in a gentle and loving tone.


    "My son Cualcoatl, you are a golden-haired god, one day you will rule over this Empire and bring our people into a new era of prosperity. However, first you must drink your mother''s milk and grow strong, just like your father."


    Though Tlexictli was aware that Berengar was not a true divine being, she had nowe to worship him as such. After spending years travelling between her homnd and Kufstein, the woman had to admit that what Berengar had done for his people was nothing short of a miracle.


    The rtionship between the Aztec Princess and the German Kaiser was unknown to the man''s family, or so she thought. They maintained this secret to avoid unecessary drama with some of the man''s more jealous wives. It was because of this Tlexictli had not yet been able to show off her healthy baby boy to his father.


    As far as anyone in the Aztec Empire was concerned, the infant boy Cualcoatl was literally the son of the feather serpent, who had chosen the warrior princess Tlexictli as his bride. Or at least this was the story Tlexictli had spun upon returning home pregnant. The boy continued to drink of his mother''s milk until he could do so no more. After which, Tlexictli ced him in his crib.


    After letting her young son rest, the Aztec Princess returned to the great hall of her father''s pce, where the man sat in wait for her. Itzcoatl had arge smile on his face as he announced the good news to his daughter.


    "I have great news, my beloved daughter. Your brothers have agreed to forgo their im to my throne in favor of your divine son. When I finally pass from this world, Cualcoatl will be the new emperor of our people!"


    Tlexictli could only smile upon hearing these words, and hug her father in celebration. Only she and the old man were aware that the German Empire was not really thend of the gods. After revealing the fact that she was pregnant with Berengar''s child to her father, she had coerced him into supporting the lie that her son really belonged to the god Quetzalcoatl.


    It had taken some time to get her the support of her brothers, but together, Tlexictli and Itzcoatl were able to convince the Princes of the Aztec Empire to allow their nephew to take the throne. This was good news for many reasons. Not only did Berengar support his sons, regardless of their legitimacy, but it meant the Kaiser would be more favorable during his future dealings with the Aztec Empire.


    However, Tlexictli did not care about any of this, and was more concerned with how the war effort was going. Thus, she did not hesitate to ask her father about this subject.


    "Are the Mayans still giving you trouble? You know I could go out there and help, right?"


    Despite Tlexictli''s offer, her father declined with the shake of a head and a slight chuckle.


    "Your are the feathered serpent''s wife now. If you were to get hurt on the battlefield, or worse, it would cause significant problems for our society. I''m sorry, Tlexictli, but you are no longer going to be fighting battles.


    You will raise your boy to be a proper ruler. Maybe you can convince his actual father to help with that. You are always telling me how impressive Germany is. Perhaps it is time for you to move there full time with Cualcoatl.


    I don''t know what exactly led to you choosing that man to father your child, but the boy will need his father if he is to grow up to be a proper man. If I''m not mistaken, the German fleet will be sailing back to Berenstadt some time in the next few weeks. You should follow them back to the Reich and convince Berengar to help raise your son.


    As for the war with the Maya, it is going slower than I''d like, but victory is assured. You do not need to worry about such things any longer. Perhaps in another year or two, we will have fully conquered our southern neighbors. Your eldest brother currently leads the war effort, and as you know, he is more than capable of achieving victory on his own. I only want what''s best for you, and that is not the battlefield."


    Tlexictli bit her lower lip in distress. For her entire life, she had trained and fought in war. Now she was being demoted to the role of a housewife, and she did not like it. If that weren''t troublesome enough there was nother matter which concerned her.


    As far as Tlexictli was aware nobody in Berengar''s family knew of their affair, and if she were to show up at the pce with a boy that looked liked a blend between the Kaiser and herself, demanding that the man raise her son, it would only cause problems.


    However, her father was right, and thus she sighed heavily before nodding her head in agreement with her father''s words.


    "Alright, I will bring Cualcoatl to Berenstadt and take the next ship back to the Reich. Thanks father, for all the support you have given me and my son. I promise that he will be raised in Kufstein to be a proper ruler, and when we finally return, he will lead our people into a new age of prosperity!"


    The Aztec Emperor nodded his head and smiled, before hugging his daughter and kissing her on the forehead. After doing so, he helped her depart for the Reich. Within a few weeks, Tlexictli was back in Kufstein with her young son in her arms.


    Immediately upon arriving in the German capital, Tlexictli and her son were escorted to the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence by a few heavily armed soldiers. Evidently, Linde had already be aware of her reason for visiting and had made the first move.


    The redheaded beauty wore a gentle smile on her face as she gazed upon Tlexictli and her son. Despite this, Tlexictli''s eyes were focused on another part of the woman''s body. Linde''s stomach was rounded, so much so that the Aztec Princess suspected she could give birth at any moment.


    It was immediately apparent that Berengar had been busy procreating during his brief period of peace. However, this wasn''t important, instead Tlexictli wanted answers, but before she could question why she was dragged into Imperial Intelligence, Linde spoke with a stern tone in her voice.


    "I know about your rtionship with my husband, and I also know that the boy in yourp is his son. Allow me to will make this brief. The Crown will provide you with a vi and a proper staff to help take care of the child.


    I will also make sure that my husband visits your home regrly to help provide a stable life to the child, and obviously to take care of your needs. You can have as many bastards as you want with him for all I care.


    My condition is that you do not approach the pce without a proper appointment, and never with your son or any of your future children. The bnce in Berengar''s rtionship with his wives is fragile.


    Currently, all of us are either pregnant, or have recently given birth to children of our own. Thest thing the other girls need is another woman iming that Berengar is the father of her child. Do you understand?"


    Upon hearing this, Tlexictli bowed her head with respect. She was incredibly thankful for the benevolence that Linde had shown, and because of this, she verbally expressed her gratitude.


    "Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart."


    Linde merely smiled at Tlexictli and her son before gently pinched the boy''s cheeks whilementing on his appearance.


    "He''s so cute. I bet when he grows up he will look just like his father, you know, if the man got a tan. Make sure to raise this boy right. He is going to be the future Aztec Emperor after all."


    It surprised Tlexictli to see Linde being so friendly with her son. She had thought for sure the woman would be offended by the very existence of Cualcoatl. Then again, the Aztec Princess did not understand just how much Linde loved Berengar.


    From Linde''s perspective, any child that Berengar had was an extension of himself and was to be cherished. This was one of the many reasons that all of Berengar''s children, especially those with his other wives, considered Linde to be their mother. Though Linde was intently focused on the raising of her own children, she had helped the other girls with their kids as well. Naturally, she intended to do the same with Cualcoatl.


    From this day forward, Tlexictli would raise her son in the borders of the reich. Every chance Berengar got, he would spend it at her ce, making love to his mistress, and being a part of his bastard child''s life. After all, it was very difficult for a boy without a father to be a proper man, and Berengar knew this all too well.

 Chapter 836 The Cure for Malaria

    Chapter 836 The Cure for Mria


    It had been nearly a year and seven months since the Pax Germania first began, and during this time of peace and prosperity, many advancements hade into existence within the borders of the Reich. Engineering, medicine, chemistry, physics, these were among many scientific fields that were advancing at a rapid rate.


    From the moment the Pax Germania began, Berengar had given an order to the Nation''srgest pharmaceuticalpany, which he had personally owned roughly 15% of the shares in. That order was to research mria, and find an ability tobat its effects. Millions of marks had been thrown into the research and development of a cure for mria, and finally, a viable medication had been created.


    Currently, Aldo von Passau was sitting across from Berengar in the middle of the Kaiser''s office. He ced a small white pill on the table with a proud smile on his face. Upon looking at the medication, Berengar was dumbfounded. From his perspective, it appeared as if it were no different from over-the-counter painkillers. Thus, he was quick to ask for rification on just what this object was.


    "Aldo, what the hell is this? You barge into my office saying that you have made a breakthrough in god knows what, and then you just drop a single pill on my desk? Exactly what have you made a breakthrough in, and what medication is this?"


    Aldo''s smug smile somehow became even more so as he lectured Berengar on his newest invention.


    "Thanks to your investment, my corporation Eir Medical Industries has had a major breakthrough in the field of mria medication. The chemical name of this medication is Hydroxychloroquine-"


    Aldo was about to go on a massive rant about chemistry when Berengar raised his hand and silenced him with a single phrase.


    "Say no more, I understand..."


    How could he not understand what Hydroxychloroquine was? After all, it had be quite infamous in his past life. About a year before his death as Julian, a global pandemic had urred. During the initial stages of the outbreak, there were people making all kinds of wild ims about what had caused it, and how it could be cured. Among them was the idea that Hydroxychloroquine was a cure for the disease.


    Despite the ims made about the medication and its effectiveness inbating a certain virus, hydroxychloroquine was still one of the most proven ways to treat mria. It honestly surprised Berengar that his scientists had skipped over the earlier medications of quinine and chloroquine and instead went straight to the most effective treatment. Or at least the most effective treatment that didn''t have horrible side effects.


    Although Aldo was even more surprised than the Kaiser. He had difficulty epting the fact that Berengar already knew about the medication. How the hell did the man have time to read over the reports from his studies when he had so many more important things to do?


    Still, this confidence in knowing what the chemical was only made the aging scientist all the more impressed with his Kaiser. As much as a brown nose as Aldo was, it came from a genuine ce of respect, and that was why Berengar could tolerate the man. Berengar held the pill in his hand and expressed his views on just how important this was to his future ns.


    "We now have the means to treat the most dangerous disease in this world. With it, our troops will be able to advance into anynd without fear of contracting mria. I must say I am thoroughly impressed. You and your team have truly outdone yourself this time, Aldo. As Impressed as I am with your results, I am afraid that I have more to ask of your talents.


    Now that we have found a way to treat mria, I want you to research a cure for smallpox. Don''t worry about the funds, I promise you that I will support you in every way I can. I must admit that although I don''t know much about the virus, I can still give you a clue where to start in your efforts to cure it.


    You and your team should look into the rtion between cowpox and smallpox. All I know is that milk maids tend to not suffer as severe reactions from the smallpox virus. Find out the reason why this is, and you and your corporation will be able to quickly develop a proper cure for such a nasty disease."


    Aldo bowed his head with respect to the Kaiser once more. As he eagerly epted this responsibility.


    "Of course, as always, I thank you for your patronage. It may take a decade, but I am sure we will have a cure for smallpox before long!"


    Aldo had a tendency to highball the estimates he gave on timeframes. With the clue Berengar had given him, it would probably take at most five years before a proper cure for smallpox was developed. Berengar always imed he knew little when it came to the study of medicine and chemistry, but somehow he always had a hint that would get the ball rolling.


    The genius chemist was very curious about where the Kaiser got his knowledge from. It was a question that had been eating away at his mind for years. However, Berengar would never allow Aldo to investigate his background, and if the man was being honest with himself, he didn''t have a proper reason to do so.


    He would genuinely prefer it if the origin of Berengar''s knowledge forever remained one of life''s greatest mysteries. Most people who lived in Germany did not know just how much of the modern Reich was built upon the knowledge that Berengar had stored within his mind. Knowledge that seemingly had no reasonable exnation for its existence.


    Though Aldo did not want to admit it, perhaps the German Reformation''s im that Saint Berengar the Blessed was a prophet gifted by God with limitless knowledge was the only valid exnation for this question. Then again, he knew this im originated from Ludolf, who introduced it as a means tobat the growing members of his parish, who had begun to revere Berengar more than Christ himself.


    After all, if Berengar was a prophet of the Lord, then it was truly God in heaven, and not one man who had enriched the German people to such a degree. The only w with this reasoning was the fact that Berengar had never imed to be a prophet. Nor had he imed his knowledge came from God himself.


    Still, that did not stop the Church from trying to save face. Ironically, this attempt by the Church to get the reformists to stop worshiping Berengar ended up backfiring spectacrly. The fact that Ludolf, who was the head of the Church, proimed Berengar to be a living saint, as well as a prophet of the Lord, only increased the zeal of those who prayed to their Kaiser.


    While these thoughts were going through Aldo''s head, Berengar could see the way the man was staring at him, and immediately suspected that he might have something on his face. He quickly pawed at his handsome visage with his hand before asking the question on his mind.


    "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?''


    Aldo merely chuckled at Berengar''s gesture and shook his head before answering the man''s question in earnest.


    "No, I was just wondering if perhaps you really are a Prophet sent by the Lord to lead the German people to prosperity."


    Berengar was dead silent for a few moments before breaking out into a fit ofughter. This was genuinely the first time he had heard such a ludicrous statement. He decided to throw the chemist a bone, but he did so in a concealed manner.


    "Me? A prophet? Perhaps... Or maybe I am a man from the future who was pulled back in time by some pagan deity. Either way, it doesn''t matter where my knowledge came from. All that matters is I use it for the betterment of my people. If there''s nothing else to say, then I suppose you have your work cut out for you. Until we meet again, my friend."


    Aldo merely chuckled at Berengar''s words. The man was clearly having a joke at his expense. Being pulled back in time by a pagan deity? Truly, that was utter nonsense. After sharing augh with the Kaiser, he left the Pce and returned to hisb, where he immediately began to investigate the link between cowpox and smallpox.


    As for Berengar, he stared at the small white pill in his hand with a wide grin on his face. This medication would allow his troops to traverse the world, without fear of what could quite possibly be the most deadly disease in human history.


    If the soldiers of the Reich nned to spend any significant time in India and South-east Asia, they would need this medication to survive. Luckily, he had developed it long before his invasion of the Anangpur Empire began, because by the time he dropped his troops into India to secure the throne for Dharya, he would have a stockpile of mria medication.

 Chapter 837 The Majapahit Delegation ArrivesPart l

    Chapter 837 The Majapahit Delegation ArrivesPart l


    Standing on the docks of Trieste was a delegation from the Majapahit Empire, which was located in what would beter considered Indonesia and Mysia. The members of this delegation gazed in astonishment at the German port city. The First Fleet of the German Navy, or what currently existed of it, was on active duty, sailing across the Mediterranean while maintaining German hegemony over the sea.


    Thus, the foreign guests had not seen the true extent of the German maritime supremacy. However, there existed several smaller ships that patrolled the bay. These fast attack craft were the boats issued to the German Coast Guard, and they patrolled the coastline to ensure no illegal activity was taking ce within German territorial waters.


    In the Harbor, overlooking the entire city, was a colossal bronze statue that took the form of a woman who carried a torch in one hand, and a sword in the other. This woman was Germania, who was the anthropomorphic representation of the German Nation.


    The Colossus of Trieste, as it was known, had been modelled after both the niederwalde statue from Berengar''s past life and the statue of liberty. It was not only a monument of German victory but also a lighthouse which had beenmissioned by the Kaiser for the second annual victory day celebration.


    The sight of such a monumental statue, along with the myriad ofrge steel cargo shipsing in and out of the bay, brought a great sense of astonishment to the Majapahit host. Though they had seen these steel cargo ships passing through the a straight for the past two years or so, they had never expected the Reich to have so many of them.


    An elderly man who was among the Indonesian delegation quickly spoke up to a beautiful young woman who headed the host. The sights he was seeing intimidated him. Not only was the harbor beyond impressive, but the vehicles in the streets which propelled themselves, made the German Port City another world entirely.


    "Princess, what is this ce? Have we perhaps entered the city of the gods?"


    Despite the fear on the faces of the Majapahit delegate, the young woman referred to as a princess merely shook her head. There was a mix of wonder and awe in the woman''s eyes as she observed every peculiar sight and sound that existed in the city of Trieste.


    "It may seem like it, but that is not the case. I think we have just stepped foot in and that is far more advanced than our homnd... To where I genuinely believe these people rival the power of the gods."


    The young woman''s words struck an ord with the rest of her delegation. Although only for a moment before, the trantor who apanied the delegation chuckled while expressing his views on the matter.


    "If you think this is impressive, wait until you see the train..."


    The Indonesian host looked at the trantor with curiosity. They did not know what a train was, but they looked forward to finding out. After all; they were aware of his background. The interpreter was a man from the Indian subcontinent who had done trade with both the German and Majapahit empires.


    Over the years, he had spent much time learning the german tongue so that he could be a trantor for other merchants, a position which was highly sought after and paid extraordinarily well. When the royal family of the Majapahit Empire searched for someone who could trante their words into German, they found him to their liking.


    Thus, they eagerly awaited to see what this mysterious device known as a "train" really was. Unfortunately, in the next moment, the Majapahit delegates'' hopes were dashed by a tall German man dressed in a formal suit.


    "I''m afraid you will have to ride the train another day. The Kaiser''s schedule is busy, and he does not have time to wait around all day for your arrival. Thus, I have been tasked with bringing you to the capital in one of his personal vehicles."


    The man had an imperial mustache, and a gold sash across his suit vest. As well as a cross pinned to the left breast of his suit ck suit jacket. In one hand was a walking cane, and atop his head was a top hat. The man courteously bowed to the delegation before introducing himself.


    "My name is Balthaser Ritter von Stotzer and I am the ambassador who has been assigned to wee you to the borders of the Reich. On behalf of Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, I would personally like to wee you to Germany. Now that my introduction is out of the way, if you would follow me to the airship, we shall set off for Kufstein immediately!"


    The interpreter tranted the words, and nearly shat himself as he did so. Rumors that the Germans were capable of flight had spread ever since the first victory day celebration. However, nobody had really confirmed them until now. After all, there was a limited number of airships, and aircraft, though currently under mass production, were a closely guarded military secret.


    To think that he would be able to ride in an airship as a mere interpreter, it was the ultimate honor for a man who had previously made his living off of selling spices across Asia and Europe. Thus, the Majapahit host was in for an astonishing surprise as they followed the ambassador towards the mooring station where the rigid airship currentlyy.


    After getting into a series of cars that had been provided by the crown, the Majapahit host travelled to the airship, which they gazed upon with disbelief. It was a massive airborne vessel that was bigger than anything they had ever seen before. Because of this, they had a hard time believing such a thing could fly.


    However, after stepping on board, they were even more surprised by the overwhelming opulence that existed within the interior. As if Berengar had designed the Airship as a means of ultra-luxurious travel, the airship was practically a pce in the air, with all the gold ents and marble counter tops to prove it.


    Once everyone was inside, Balthaser spoke up to the guests of Kaiser with a wide smile on his face.


    "Make yourself at home. Would anyone perhaps like a stiff drink? There''s a full bar with a bartender who can mix anything you can think of. If not, perhaps a nice meal? Despite the higher speeds of this airship, it will still take a few hours to reach the Capital. Make yourselvesfortable as we head take off."


    After saying this, Balthaser pulled out a vinyl record from a sleeve and ced it on the gramophone that sat aboard the vessel. As the airship lifted up into the air, a song that was famous across the reich, known as the flight of valkyries, began to y throughout the cabin. The Majapahit delegation reacted with shock once more while they searched for the origins of suchplex music. This caused the ambassador tough as he pointed to the device.


    "A recent invention, by some of our talented scientists. It allows us to y music in thepany of our own homes. The Kaiser bought this device for use on the airship, sit back, rx, and enjoy the music as we drift towards our destination."


    Despite the friendly tone in the Ambassador''s voice, none of the delegates were capable of rxing. After all, they were flying in the air, and they could not help but gaze out the windows at the Reich below, which continued to shock their brains until they arrived in Kufstein."


    After several hours, the Zeppelin arrived in Kufstein, where it was properly brought to a stop. After descending from the aircraft, the Majapahit delegates entered the city''s streets, where they were astonished by their sights.


    Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the city of Kufstein was truly a sight to behold. Yet another colossal statue stood in their midst as they gazed upon the foothills to see the old Bronze statue of Berengar and his steed, Erwin, which stood as the eternal guardian of the German Capital.


    The Majapahit princess, and the other members of her host, had a sudden desire to walk through the streets aimlessly, as they gazed upon the immacte architecture which existed across the well-nned city. However, Balthaser did not leave them with such free rein, and quickly guided them into another series of cars which escorted them to the pce.


    After passing through the gates of the Imperial Pce, the Majapahit Princess gazed in wonder at the members of Berengar''s Pce guard, who wore superfluous ck and gold uniforms while shouldering G-27 rifles. The men carefully watched the Indonesian delegates as they opened the doors for them, allowing the foreigners ess to the most luxurious home on the.


    As the Majapahit princess stepped foot in the great hall, she saw the magnificent sight of the German Kaiser sitting on his immacte throne. Before she could even introduce herself, the golden-haired man spoke in a firm, but weing tone.


    "So, you have finally arrived?"

 Chapter 838 The Majapahit Delegation ArrivesPart ll

    Chapter 838 The Majapahit Delegation ArrivesPart ll


    For nearly two years now, Berengar had been shipping goods to and from the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, these massive steel vessels had to go through the a strait. A region controlled by the Majapahit Empire, and despite the constant traffic through the area, Berengar had paid no tax. Though there had been attempts by the Majapahit empire''s navy to force the German vessels to stop, they were all met with failure.


    At first, the Majapahit Royal Family did not know who these steel behemoths belonged to, and had used various means to investigate their origin. Finally, after nearly two years, they had found the answer, when a Ming delegate had visited their homnd and described the ships as German Vessels, followed by the advice that the Majapahit should let them be.


    After careful consideration of how to deal with the Germans, the Majapahit King had sent a delegation to Kufstein to reach an eptable agreement. The leader of this delegation was the King''s daughter, a beautiful young woman by the name of Anggraini.


    In the Majapahit empire, the women of the royal family often acted as advisors to the King, and this young woman in her early twenties was no exception. Still, the moment she gazed upon the German Kaiser, she could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe. Before she could introduce herself, however, a screaming child rode into the Great Hall on the back of a full grown leopard.


    This child was none other than Josef, Berengar''s youngest son, with Linde. The boy had the golden hair of his father, with the sky-blue eyes of his mother. In a way, he resembled Henrietta more than either of his two parents. The boy wastching onto the back of the Leopard as it rushed through the great hall at great speeds. That is, until Berengar shouted at the two of them.


    "Josef! Genseric! Out!"


    Both the child and the leopard lowered their heads in shame before sulking out of the room. Berengar sighed heavily and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. It took him a few moments to recover his mood, and after doing so, he stood up from his throne and walked towards the Indonesian Delegates.


    "Apologies, my son can be a bit yful with my pet. I hope they did not frighten you."


    The Indonesian princess''s jaw was fully dropped upon seeing a small boy ride on the back of a fully grown leopard as if it were amon mount. It was an African leopard, and because of that, it was a bit bigger than the ones she was familiar with in Java.


    Of course, Genseric would not allow any child to ride on its back. Linde had taken responsibility for the beast and raised it as if it were one of her own children, and because of that, the mighty leopard grew up alongside the young prince Josef. The two were practically inseparable, and often yed together.


    Genseric was, after all, the child of a deity''s familiar, and because of that, it had heightened intelligence, practically to the level of a human child. Thus, it was able to get along with the boy as if they were actually brothers. Naturally, as a leopard, it grew up quicker than the human boy, and because of that, it often yed around by taking the boy for rides across the massive pce.


    This exceptionally tamed behavior out of an apex predator was quite possibly the most puzzling thing the Indonesian delegation had seen all day, and they were left without words. As for Berengar, he was admiring the Princess''s natural beauty.


    When it came to Asian women, Berengar''s preference was for jade skinned beauties from the Northeast of the continent. However, he had to admit this princess was to his liking. As he inspected the woman''s rather humble chest, he remembered Linde had said it was fine if he spread his seed among the world''s princesses. Naturally, he intended to take advantage of this, even if he did not n to have an actual long-term rtionship with the woman.


    It was amon adage that Genghis Khan had tens of thousands of children with thousands of women. Assuming such an old tale was not an exaggeration, then Berengar had to admit he was severelygging behind. The man was already in his thirties, and yet he had less than twenty offspring, with a handful of women.


    Thus, he decided to be on his best behavior as he stood in front of the woman, well over 30 centimeters above her, and gazed down upon her pretty face before asking the princess for her name.


    "You stand here in my pce, as my guest, and yet I still do not know your name? That''s a bit rude, don''t you think?"


    The woman had to look up in order to see Berengar''s handsome face smiling down at her. She had never met such a tall man before and was quite surprised. Then again, everything she had seen in the borders of the Reich thus far had left a memorable impression on her. After the trantor conveyed the Kaiser''s words, the woman knelt respectfully before introducing herself to the man.


    "My name is Anggraini of the Rajasa dynasty. It is truly a pleasure to meet you, oh mighty Kaiser."


    Whatever ideals of justice Anggraini had when she first set off to the reich were now dead. She knew there was no way she could request that the Reich pay taxes as they passed through the a strait. For christ''s sake, she had just flown in the air for several hundred kilometers. Such a thing was simply inconceivable.


    Her civilization was advanced enough to know that Berengar and the Germans weren''t gods, unlike the natives of America. However, she still struggled to believe everything she had seen so far on this day. So much so that she was convinced the german people might as well be deities with how advanced their civilization waspared to hers.


    The airship had a particrlyrge effect on the woman. In this world, Im had not spread beyond the borders of the near east, and North Africa, because of that Hindu and Buddhist teachings were the two greatest foreign influences on Javanese people.


    Though they had some differences, she was at the very least aware of the legendary Vim��na within the Hindu sacred texts, and the airship she had taken to reach Kufstein was quite literally a god''s floating pce. It simply could not be exined in any other manner.


    Thus, despite meeting the Emperor of Germany for the first time, she treated him with the utmost respect as she kneeled before Berengar as if he were the equivalent of a god. It surprised Berengar to see the princess of a foreign empire kneel before him so respectfully. He was not the only one. The unusual behavior of their usually proud princess also surprised those men who apanied the woman.


    What astonished Berengar was that she treated him so respectfully, when her people were so far away from the Reich, that they could not possibly be aware of the brutal wars that he had fought to unify his people, and establish German hegemony over the west. Without this knowledge, there was no way this young woman would be able to properly fear and respect him. Yet, the look in her eyes was more of a reverence which confused him further.


    It was at this moment that Berengar thought that perhaps Germany had advanced so far beyond the rest of the world, that even the civilized people of the east consider him to be a god? Was that even possible? As he thought about it, he felt as if this exnation was usible, and merely smiled before finally answering the girl''s introduction with apliment.


    "Anggraini... Am I pronouncing that, right? That''s a pretty name. At the very least, it sounds a hell of a lot more pleasant to say than my own..."


    Once these words were tranted, the woman giggled. She did not expect this man of such power to have such a self-deprecating sense of humor. She was curious about what a rough sounding name like Berengar actually meant and was quick to ask about it.


    "Pardon my insolence, but I''m curious. What does the name Berengar even mean? Is itmon in Germany?"


    To this, Berengar scoffed and shook his head before answering the woman.


    "Until recently, it was rare toe across a man named Berengar. It''s a name from a much more ancient era. Maybe two or three centuries ago you would see a bunch of Berengars running about, but you won''t meet many men my age with such a name. Though, nowadays it is the most popr name for baby boys. What it means can roughly be called an amalgamation of the old high german words Bear and Spear."


    After saying this, Berengar quickly shifted the conversation to something more important, and forced the woman to express her reasoning for visiting the Reich.


    "Enough with the introductions. Tell me why are you so far away from home, here in my little Empire. Have I perhaps done something to offend you? This is the first time we have ever had interaction, is it not? What is it that you desire from me?"


    The Majapahit Princess felt as if her heart would explode should she ask the man what her father had requested. Just how was she supposed to force this man to pay a toll for the use of the a strait? If she were to ask such a thing, he would justugh in her face and kick her out of his pce.


    Rather than try to get the Germans to pay taxes, she decided she would instead attempt to open up trade between their two empires. And with such overwhelming technology must be wealthy, and if that were the case, it would be better to establish a healthy sense ofmerce between their two realms. Although whether he would agree to such a request remained to be seen. Thus, with a silent thought as if she were speaking to her father, she apologized before making her request.


    I''m sorry, father, but I can''t convey your request. There is no way the Germans would ever be willing to recognize our control over the a strait. To insist upon it would only bring disaster to our Empire. I''m afraid I must take an alternative path.


    After thinking this, the Princess took a deep breath before speaking of her desires.


    "I would like to establish trade between the German Empire and my homnd!"


    After hearing the words tranted into the German tongue, Berengar thought about it for a few moments. Having ess to Indonesia would be good for the future war with Japan, and he had no doubt that the Empress Itami would eventually try to take the inds for herself.


    After all, there was rubber and oil on them, something she desperately needed topete with the Armed Forces of the Reich. Thus, after several seconds, Berengar sighed heavily, as if he were in deep thought, before revealing his thoughts to the beautiful young woman.


    "I suppose I can ept such a thing, however I have one condition that must be met before I do so..."


    Once Berengar''s words were tranted to Anggraini, she smiled and grabbed hold of his hands with a pleading expression on her pretty face, before stating her thoughts.


    "Anything, so long as I can give it, it is yours!"


    A devilish grin curved on Berengar''s lips as he whispered something in Sanskrit into the woman''s dainty ears.


    "Sleep with me..."

 Chapter 839 The Majapahit Delegation Arrives Part ll

    Chapter 839 The Majapahit Delegation Arrives Part ll


    Princess Anggraini''s pretty face grew red as she heard Berengar''s demand. Though she was not revolted by the suggestion, she was incredibly embarrassed. After all, she was a married woman whose husband found more pleasure in his concubines than in her own body. So much so that she was beginning to think that perhaps she was undesirable.


    It took Anggraini a few moments to get control of her thoughts before she nodded her head slightly, struggling to agree to Berengar''s request. From her perspective, her body was a small price to pay for the prosperity of her family''s kingdom.


    Besides, she was aching for the touch of a man and a child in her belly. She had been married since she was sixteen years old, and yet her husband had not given her a single child. It was because of this that she epted the Kaiser''s request. With her head hanging low.


    "O...Okay...."


    Berengar knew very little of the Sanskritnguage, he had learned just enough to hold a conversation with Dharya and Priya in their native tongue. However, he did understand the Indonesian Princess''s response, which honestly startled him. He did not expect her to ept his offer and quickly broke out into a fit ofughter. The interpreter tranted his words.


    "Oh wow, you are serious? I was only messing with you. I would never use a position of power to coerce a woman to sleep with me. It''s no fun if you don''t genuinely desire me. However, if you decide you want to be intimate with me out of your own ord, you need only ask and I will be happy to pleasure you."


    This response immediately filled the Majapahit delegation with fury as they protested Berengar''s behavior. As for Anggraini, this practical joke embarrassed her greatly, and because of this, she hid her pretty face in shame. However, it made sense in her own mind. After all, why would this attractive and powerful emperor desire her wretched body?


    Berengar could tell the woman felt a bit depressed, but he did not apologize for his actions. Why did he make such an inappropriate joke when meeting with a foreign princess for the first time? It was because he saw the way the woman was worshipping him with her deep brown eyes, and decided to snap her out of her delusion.


    As he said, if she genuinely desired to sleep with him, he would have no qualms doing it. However, there was no fun in pressuring a woman to sleep with him. To Berengar, it was a matter of pride to conquer a woman''s heart. The thrill of the hunt, so to speak. Thus, he had never been serious from the start.


    After taking several moments to recover from the shock and embarassment of Berengar''s prank. Anggraini sighed heavily before quieting her delegates, who were practically on a verge of a riot after hearing the Kaiser''s scandalous words. With a pretty but painful smile on her face, the Majapahit princess responded to Berengar''sments.


    "It would appear that you have an interesting sense of humor. However, I would request that you be serious about these negotiations. I must ask, what is that you truly desire in order to establish trade between our two realms?"


    Berengar respected the woman''s ability to stay on task, even after such a heavy blow to the mind. However, he was a man who enjoyed negotiations over a nice meal and a few drinks. Thus, he invited Anggraini and her host into his dining area where his Kitchen staff were already at work on preparing some local delicacies.


    "I appreciate your enthusiasm Princess, however you have had a long journey, and I have yet to show you some proper hospitality. How about we discuss this over a nice, warm meal? How does that sound? I promise you, you will enjoy our cultural cuisine. Everyone always does."


    Anggraini felt her stomach ache, as she thought about how long it had been since she dined on some proper food, and thus she was quick to agree to Berengar''s request with a smile on her stunning face. As she followed Berengar into the dining hall, she was quick to inquire about his family life.


    "So you have a child. Does that mean you also have a wife?"


    Berengar smirked when he heard this before raising four fingers.


    "I have four wives and two mistresses. I have children with each of them. The boy you saw riding my pet leopard just now was my second son with my second wife. Though if you do decide to share a bed with me, I don''t mind taking a third mistress. However, I doubt we could maintain a proper rtionship, what with you being married and all. Sooner orter, you would have to return to your husband."


    The Majapahit princess was shocked to see that Berengar knew about her marriage, and was about to ask him about how he had ess to such information, when a waitress entered the scene and poured some fortified wine for the guests. Berengar was quick to change the subjectment.


    "Go ahead and taste it, this wine is made in the southernmost regions of my Empire. It is rich and gloriously red, with plum and berry notes. I think you will enjoy it."


    The fortified wine that Berengar''s personal winery created was a knockoff of Port from his past life. A special type of wine made in Portugal. Usually Port would not be made for another 200 years, but Berengar had used his knowledge of the future to manufacture it in the provinces of South Tyrol and Trent ever since the early days of his conquests.


    It surprised Anggraini at how strong the wine was, though she greatly enjoyed the taste. She was not ustomed to drinking such a high volume of alcohol, and because of that, she stopped after one ss. Luckily, that was long enough for the food to arrive, which Berengar had already set his chefs on the task of making since the delegation arrived.


    All the staples of German cuisine were brought out for the Majapahit delegation to taste, and it was only after Anggraini had eaten half her te that Berengar began to discuss what his ns were.


    "You asked what it would require to open trade with your homnd. In truth, I ask for very little. Or perhaps from your perspective quite a lot. What I want is somend to establish a naval and air base on. Preferably on the straight of a.


    I ask this not out of malicious intent, but because there is a threat to your Kingdom that lies in the far east, and soon they will send their armies to your inds. If you have my forces already stationed on your sovereign soil, this hostile force will surely be deterred."


    It surprised Anggraini to hear such information, and she was quick to deny Berengar''s ims.


    "No, that isn''t possible. We pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. Nobody would be foolish enough to attack us!"


    Berengar did not make a singlement and instead pulled out a few pictures from his coat pocket. These photos were taken from the southern Joseon, where Japanese troops currently upied. One look at them, and one could easily tell that they were far from ttering.


    The first photograph depicted Korean men and young boys working in the mines while under the supervision of armed Japanese troops. While the second disyed the mass graves of the dead insurgents. Though this was misleading, as they were not easily identifiable as rebels by an uneducated eye.


    The woman and her host reacted in shock as they saw the photos. Though they could tell the victims in them were Joseon, Berengar had to exin in detail just what had urred over the past year and a half.


    "About a year and a half ago, the Japanese Empire sailed to the Joseon Kingdom and conquered the southern half. If not for my support, they would have taken the whole penins. Unfortunately for the Joseon, I was in a war, and was not able to send the proper amount of support in time.


    Since then, my agents embedded in that region have reported that the Japanese have invaded and annexed the ind of Hokkaido, as well as the Ryukyu Kingdom. At the moment, they are preparing their forces to attack these inds, which lie northeast of your own. Once they have conquered the various warring states of the region, they intend to invade into your territory.


    The Japanese Empire, have showed hostility towards my Empire, long before I ever got in their way. What I know is that they are currently modernizing their armed forces for a single purpose: to wage war against the Reich.


    Despite the intelligence I have received from the Joseon Kingdom, I do not know the extent of their military prowess, nor the height of their ambitions. However, what is clear to me is that they need to conquer your inds in order to gain the resources that are required to fight my forces on an equal footing. Until then, they will merely be a near peer at best."


    After saying this, Berengar pulled out a map that represented south-east Asia. His fingernded on a single spot, which he had marked for the woman to see. The location was known as Singapore in his past life. With a confident smile on his face, he made his actual demand.


    "Give this location to me, and the surrounding coastline. I will build a naval base there, and an airbase further north. With these two things, the Japanese will have to think twice before they invade your Inds. This is all I ask, and, in return, I will trade with you the goods that have made all my other trading partners prosperous."


    Anggraini struggled toe up with an answer. Though she had been given the power to negotiate with the Kaiser, she did not know if her father would ept such a stringent demand. However, if what Berengar had said was true, and the Japanese were nning to invade the Majapahit Empire, she knew in her heart that her people would not be able to resist.


    Especially since Berengar had openly stated that the Japanese were a near peer to the Reich. Thus, after several moments of consideration, she nodded her head in silence before agreeing to Berengar''s request. However, she made one stiption before doing so.


    "Okay, but I have one condition..."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before nodding his head and agreeing to the woman''s request.


    "Name it, and if it is within my power, it shall be done..."


    As this was said, the young princess blushed before leaning in close to Berengar''s ears and whispered in the Sanskrit tongue.


    "Give me a child..."

 Chapter 840 A Den of Rats

    Chapter 840 A Den of Rats


    General Shiba Kiyohiko sat in a Japanese-style pce in the city of Seoul. After her conquests, Itami had chosen this city as the capital of the southern half of Korea, which currently existed under the upation of Japan. For roughly a year and a half, the young general had been stationed here fighting wars against an insurgent force.


    New weapons had entered the field inrge numbers, and with the increase in firepower, the Japanese Army was now making progress against the South Korean gueris. Germany had withdrawn 4950 of the Jagdkommandos it had initially sent to Korea, and was currently training them in airborne operations along with the Jaeger Regiment.


    This meant that a small amount of German operators were supporting the Joseon Dynasty in the North, as well as the gueris in the south. Currently Shiba was meeting with a high-ranking member of the Kempeitai who was reporting to him about the purges that were taking ce against the Japanese old guard, who were resisting Itami''s rule in various ways.


    "Another minister has been arrested and convicted of treason. It appears that the minister of trade was the man who leaked the information about the Invasion of Busan to the Joseon. By now, Itami-sama has begun to expunge the conservative elders of our government, and is recing them with young blood like the two of us. It won''t be long before our society ispletely overhauled to match the ideals of the War Goddess."


    Shiba had poured two cups of sake while he listened to the Officer of the Secret Police inform him of the ongoing efforts to purge the conservative elements of Japanese Society. He handed one off to the Officer and proposed a toast before taking a sip of his own.


    "kanpai!"


    It was only after he had drunken the alcoholic beverage did Shiba reveal his thoughts on the matter.


    "It was only a matter of time before those old fogeys caused trouble. Many of them have their heads stuck in the era of the sword and spear. I don''t me them. Their world came crashing down around them far too quickly for their aging minds to adjust to.


    Their expertise has served its purpose in raising a new generation of ministers and bureaucrats. However, they have outlived their usefulness, and need to be discarded if Itami-sama is to fully industrialize our nation.


    We are going to need such a thing if we are to fight this so-called German Empire in the west. Luckily, Itami-sama had the wisdom to invade the Joseon Kingdom. The iron and coal which the mines supply to the homnd will be more than enough to fuel our army.


    However, what concerns me is the rate at which our beloved Empress is expanding. I fear she is biting off more than she can chew, so to speak. Tell me, Mogami-san, how fares the conquests of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the Ainu on the ind of Hokkaido?"


    The Kempeitai officer, whose name was Mogami Yukihira, nodded his head in agreement with most of what Shiba had said, at least until the end of the statement where he was quick to inform the man of what had transpired across the sea.


    "With that old treacherous bastard Kono Masakuni out of the way, our Empress has been able to annex Hokkaido and the Ryukyu Kingdom without a shot even being fired. It just goes to show that the ongoing purges of the conservative element are of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, a few of the bastards have been able to escape our grasp. We believe they have fled to the Ming Dynasty, but their emperor denies it.


    It doesn''t matter though, even if they are alive, they are no longer in a position to leak our ns to the enemy. Thus, the Empress''s ploy to invade what she refers to as the Philippines will proceed as nned. I just hope the Germans don''t interfere this time around, or else we may be looking at another Joseon situation. Speaking of which, how goes the war effort?"


    Shiba could only sigh in defeat as he poured another round of sake for himself and his guest. He was quick to bitch about his problems, knowing that no matter what he said, as long as he did not defame the war goddess, this man would keep his words a secret.


    "It''s hell, I literally can not think of a more fitting word to describe it. It is as if I am trapped in the underworld and Izanami is personally inflicting pain and suffering on those around me. Though the armistice has been dered with the North, this has not stopped those Joseon bastards from supplying the southern gueris with arms, munitions, and grenades.


    The morale of our soldiers is low, despite the newest equipment, which gives them a significant advantage over the enemy. They have no will to fight. I don''t me them, Itami-sama has practically tied one hand behind our backs. I know her intentions are good, but it is incredibly difficult to fight an enemy that hides among the people when you can''t take reprisals against those same people who harbor them.


    Seoul and Busan are practically the only safe ces left in this hellhole. Luckily, we have been able to establish a railway between them, as well as up to the mines. Because of that, we are able to rapidly transport the goods down to the harbor, where we can safely send them back to the homnd for production.


    However, we have had our fair share of derailments. Constant supervision needs to be maintained over the railways, or else the gueris will attack and sabotage our trains. Because of this, I have reported our needs to the Empress, and she has promised to deliver an armored train that will be resistant to the enemy''s firepower. But you didn''te all this way just to ask about the war effort. Why are you really here, in Seoul, Mogami-san?"


    A cruel smirk appeared on Mogami''s lips as he informed the Japanese General on the reason he had sailed to the Korean Penins.


    "I have intelligence that suggests there is a traitor among your ranks. You ask why I am here? My answer is simple: I havee to find this little rat and eliminate him. Won''t you help me, Shiba-san?"


    Shiba pondered about this for some time. His soldiers were dispirited, sure, but there was no reason to suspect there was a traitor within his army. He was curious about how this was the case and quickly investigated the im.


    "You say there is a traitor among my troops? Prove it! There is no reason thates to mind that I should suspect the brave men who fight for the glory of their Empress!"


    Despite Shiba''s outrage over the suggestion that his men were disloyal, Mogami''s cruel smirk did not disappear. Instead, the man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out several ck and white photos. This surprised Shiba, as he was not aware of what photography was, or how an image in time could be captured. He gazed at the realistic pictures and quickly inquired about them.


    "Who painted these? They look so lifelike!"


    In response to this, the Kempeitai officer scoffed before educating the ignorant man about his findings.


    "These aren''t paintings, but some form of German technology. You have conscripted many of the Joseon to fight in your army, have you not? We have sent many of these men to Hokkaido and the Ryukyu Kingdom where they conspired with the conservatives in our ranks, and took these. Tell me, what do you see in these photos, Shiba-san?"


    The answer to this question was so obvious, Shiba did not know why the officer was even asking it. However, he decided to y the game and thus answered the question.


    "Casualties of war. What of it?"


    Mogami sighed heavily before cing the photos on the table and clicking his tongue thrice.


    "tsk. tsk. tsk... Not casualties of war, Shiba-san, casualties of the upation. As I said earlier, we took Hokkaido and Okinawa without needing to fire a shot. However, when we demanded that every young man aged sixteen and to twenty be conscripted, the locals rioted. What you see here is the aftermath of these riots. Documented by the Joseon conscripts, and conservative traitors among our army''s ranks.


    Now we caught one of these bastards in Okinawa, and after a particrly gruesome interrogation, he ratted out hisrades. Saying that they were on their way to Seoul to meet up with the rest. There is a den of rats among your soldiers, and I want to find them before these pictures end up in the wrong hands!"


    This news shocked Shiba, who carefully looked at the pictures, and saw that these mass graves consisted of Men, women, and children. It was highly likely that the troops in Okinawa simply resorted to firing on the natives when they showed the first sign of disobedience.


    However, he could not prove this. Either way, the Empress would not have given the order for such a fierce retaliation. Thus, Shiba could only believe that there were officers among the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army, who were not following the Empress''sws that prohibited so called "war crimes".


    The very fact that the man in front of him knew that these crimes existed, and did not report them directly to the Empress herself, was simple proof that the Kempeitai were not as loyal to Itami as they imed. Regardless of Mogami''s loyalties, the fact remained that there were still traitors among the ranks of the army in Korea, and thus, Shiba sighed heavily before agreeing to the man''s request.


    "I will help you look for these traitors, but when we capture them, they are to be tried in a military court, under my jurisdiction. Do you understand?"


    There was a fierce glint in Shiba''s dark eyes as he emphasized this point, causing the officer of the secret police to shiver in fright. As if he were a mere hare, gazing upon a ravenous tiger. He nodded his head in silence. Where Shiba then sent him away.


    "Good, now if you don''t mind, I am busy fighting an insurrection. You can speak to my Executive Officer about your hunt for these rats."


    Mogami nodded his head and saluted the General before departing. After he was gone, Shiba poured himself another cup of sake and downed its contents before muttering his thoughts under his breath.


    "Oh my sweet Itami, why have you gone and made so many enemies? Could you not have been satisfied as a mere Shogun after avenging your father? I fear for your safety when we are so far apart..."


    With that said, Shiba had no choice but to report this incident to Itami. Even if she could not rely on her secret police, he would be there for her.

 Chapter 841 A Private Conversation with theMajapahit Princess

    Chapter 841 A Private Conversation with theMajapahit Princess


    Berengar looked closely into the Majapahit princess''s deep brown eyes and could tell that, unlike his earlier prank, she was not joking in the slightest when she made this request. This woman was desperate for a child, so much so that she had propositioned a foreign monarch that she had just met to be the father.


    The truth was that Berengar did not know enough of the Sanskritnguage to inform the woman of his exact thoughts. Not only that, but their affair would have to be concealed from the rest of her host, and because of this, he did not make any overt moves, and instead nodded his head before approaching the interpreter to convey his thoughts to the woman.


    "Tell the Princess that I ept her terms, and am willing to discuss them further at ater time. Perhaps this evening she can stop by my study, and we will be able toe to a more thorough agreement."


    The interpreter quickly tranted Berengar''s words to Princess Anggraini, causing her to smile and nod her head in agreement. After which they the continued to talk about business for the next hour before parting ways.


    Hours had passed, and Berengar was in his study awaiting the Indonesian beauty''s arrival. A quick voice over the inte informed him that she was outside his door, which he responded by pressing a button below his desk which remotely unlocked the entrance to his study, allowing the woman to enter.


    Though she had brought her interpreter, Berengar quickly informed the man to leave the room. After all, he had someone far more trustworthy to properly trante his words to the foreign princess.


    Priya sat down in a chair across from Berengar, and next to Anggraini, who was immediately curious at the sight of the beautiful teenage Indian girl who just so happened to be apanying the Kaiser. Before she could ask, Berengar exined the situation to his guest from the east.


    "This is Princess Priya Tomara of the Anangpur Empire. She is a guest of mine, and will be acting as our trantor during this little discussion of ours."


    Priya quickly tranted the words into the Sanskritnguage so that Anggraini could understand Berengar''s words, which she reacted by nodding her head in silence. Where Berengar proceeded to cut the woman off before she could ask a question, proposing his own instead.


    "Tell me about your rtionship with your husband..."


    Princess Anggraini lowered her head in shame as she quickly spoke of her past to the man she wanted to be the father of her child.


    "I was married the day I turned of age. Aside from our wedding night, my husband has not touched me. Instead, he spends his time with his concubines, which he has impregnated numerous times. My family is constantly pressuring me to have a child, but the man had no interest in me. What am I supposed to do? Am I that undesirable? Is my body that grotesque?"


    Priya was shocked by what she was hearing, and did not know how such a conversation had urred. Despite this confusion, she expertly conveyed the woman''s words to Berengar in anguage he could understand. He nodded his head thrice after hearing of the woman''s plight, before asking her to do something which caused the young Indian princess to blush in embarassment.


    "Strip, let me see for myself whether there is something wrong with your body, or if you husband is just an idiot."


    Berengar knew the Majaphit princess had a pretty face, and usually that was enough for him. However, he had not seen her naked yet, and perhaps there was something unexpected lying beneath her clothes. Anggraini blushed almost as much as Priya, but did as she was instructed, slowly taking off her clothes before revealing her petite body.


    Berengar closely inspected the woman''s bare figure, and could not find a single fault with it. Though she was petite and slender, there were no blemishes on her skin, or any other issues he could find. She might not be busty, but she had a solid b-cup, which was more than enough for Berengar to be satisfied.


    Just to be sure, the Kaiser made sure the Indonesian princess showed both her front and back side. Where, upon further inspection, he was greatly satisfied by the results. Though the woman did not have a substantial bottom, it was perfectly toned and shaped. He could already envision himself making love to the girl from behind.


    The entire time this was going on, Priya was trying to avert her gaze. Luckily for her, shortly thereafter, Berengarmanded the Indonesian beauty to get dressed once more. Once Princess Anggraini was fully dressed, she sat down with a worried expression on her face. That is, until Priya tranted Berengar''s words.


    "You are a very beautiful woman, and though you are not exceptionally curvy, that is not a problem from my perspective. In fact, I find it quite appealing. I don''t know whether your husband is an idiot, impotent, or a man of poor taste, but I would be d to take you as my mistress. After taking this into consideration, I agree with your terms. I will establish trade with your father''s empire. In exchange, you will provide me with thend I have requested, and I will give you a son."


    Priya could hardly believe the words she had to repeat back to Princess Anggraini, but she did so nheless, blushing profusely as she did so. In the end, she ended up conveying the Indonesian beauty''s words back to the Kaiser with a bit of jealousy deep within her heart.


    "Meet me in my quarters tonight..."


    The sheer embarassment on Priya''s face caused Berengar to misunderstand her words, where he quickly smiled and responded to the words she had spoken with a charming facade.


    "As much as I''d love to, I''m afraid I will have to wait until you are a bit older, Priya..."


    Priya''s mind nearly exploded as she heard this. She could not even look Berengar in the eyes, as she shifted her head away from his sight before muttering beneath her breath.


    "Those were her words... Idiot..."


    Despite the harsh name-calling, Priya''s heart was pounding as she looked out of the corner of her eye to see Berengar scratch his cheek in embarrassment. He truly felt like an idiot for misunderstanding the situation. Luckily, Anggraini did not know what he had said, and thus gazed upon the scene with confusion in her eyes until Berengar spoke up again.


    "Tell Princess Anggraini that I look forward to tonight..."


    It took Priya a few moments toe back to reality, but when she did, she quickly conveyed Berengar''s thoughts to the Indonesian Beauty, who had a pretty smile on her face. For the first time in a long time, a man had called her beautiful, and was looking forward to sleeping with her. She felt anxious about what would happen between the two of themter in the night, but thanked Berengar before regrouping with her host.


    Once Princess Anggraini was out of the room, Berengar sighed. Priya was still sitting awkwardly by the side in silence, trying to get her emotions under control. Berengar noticed this and poured a ss of fortified wine before handing it to the girl. She had never drank alcohol before, but there was no actual age limit for drinking in the Reich, thus it as perfectly legal.


    After some hesitation, Priya took the cup into her hands and sipped on the liquid, which immediately had a calming effect on her mind. As Berengar drank from his own ss, the teenage Indian Princess posed a question to him.


    "Don''t you already have enough women?"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this, before cing his ss down on his desk, and leaning forward into his chair while gazing into Priya''s deep emerald eyes. With a confident smirk on his handsome face, he answered the girl''s question with zero shame.


    "An ambitious man can never have enough women by his side. You wouldn''t understand it, but having a harem of is a matter of status. I currently have four wives, one lover, and now two mistresses. I will probably end up marrying a fifth woman eventually, but as of right now, I have no immediate candidates in mind. As for my lover, there are good reasons why I can''t marry her, but I still love her with all my heart.


    My mistresses, however, to me they are just attractive women of highborn positions who I have sex with. From my perspective, it is impossible to unite this world by conquest, at least during my lifetime. Besides, such a foolish endeavor would cause more problems than it would solve. However, what I can do is unite the earth under my banner by cing my children on all the major thrones, and that is something I intend to do."


    Priya carefully listened to the Kaiser''s words, and felt as if the man was a bit arrogant. However, when she truly thought about it, he had every right to be. All the amazing sights she had seen ever since she first visited the reich existed solely because of Berengar. Thus, she could only sigh in defeat and admit to herself that perhaps exceptional men were entitled to harems of beautiful women.

 Chapter 842 A Shocking Surprise

    Chapter 842 A Shocking Surprise


    The darkness of night had taken over the sky and the city below. The kaiser had requested the presence of Priya Tomara as he walked towards the quarters he had given to the Majapahit Princess. Because of this, Priya''s heart was beating faster than ever as she looked at the man who had saved her from the brink of death and taken care of her for the past few years. She knew exactly what Berengar was about to do with the foreign princess, and for whatever reason, that made her bitter.


    Despite these feelings, Priya did not express them, and did as she was told following Berengar to Anggraini''s quarters, where opened the door and gazed upon the sight of the beautiful intonation princess who was dressed in a set of red lingerie.


    Earlier in the day, Berengar had issued an order to his maids to prepare the woman for their evening of pleasure. They had bathed her, shaved her, and gotten her measurements so that they could provide the Majapahit Princess with an appropriate set of undergarments.


    Though she was short and slender, the woman looked spectacr in the cherry redce thong and the matching garter belt. Her rear, though small, was well toned and shaped, causing Berengar to be filled with desire.


    Anggraini had a sheepish expression as she approached the man who was about to give her a child. She wrapped her arms around and his neck, and tried to kiss him, but to her surprise she was quickly stopped by the man who spoke in his native tongue.


    "After tonight, no other man shall touch you. You will be my possession from now until the end of your days. Do you understand me?"


    Priya tranted Berengar''s words into anguage that the Majapahit Princess could properly understand. After doing so, the Indonesian beauty nodded her head in silence before passionately kissing the German monarch. While entertaining their tongues, the woman began to remove Berengar''s trousers, where he quickly called out to his trantor.


    "That will be all Priya, shut the door behind you as you leave, and have a good rest of your evening..."


    Priya tried to stay for a second longer, just so she could see what it was that Berengar concealed beneath his trousers, but just before she could see the big reveal, the man red at her and growled like a beast.


    "Get out!"


    Uponing to her senses, Priya quickly lowered her head in shame before departing from the room, shutting the door behind her. Though unlike what Berengar had expected, she stayed behind and pressed her ear to the door, listening to the entire sinful disy.


    Anggraini eagerly pulled down Berengar''s undergarments. She was just as excited as Priya to see what the man was packing. However, when she gazed upon the massive shaft which nearly pped her in the face, she could hardly believe her eyes. In fact, she could not fullyprehend what she was seeing until she grasped it in her dainty hands where she immediately expressed her confusion.


    "I didn''t know they could get so big. Aren''t they supposed to be like this?"


    Upon seeing that Berengar did not understand a word she just said, the woman sighed before scrunching her index finger and thumb together, keeping them less than two inches apart. Berengar gazed at her gesture and scoffed. Was she trying to say that her husband had a micropenis? If that was the case, then he truly felt pity for the woman.


    Berengar quickly grabbed hold of Anggraini''s this waist and effortlessly lift her into the air, where he carried her over his shoulder before dropping her on the plushy mattress. The woman had never experienced a bed so soft before, and instantly felt as if she was resting on a cloud.


    The Kaiser did not give her time to enjoy the experience, and quickly removed the woman''s thong, where he assaulted her puffybia with his broad tongue. She had never experienced oral sex before, and was quick to call out to Berengar in an attempt to stop.


    "No, that ce is dirty!"


    However, Berengar did not understand a word she said, nor did he care. Instead, he licked away at her bud, until the Indonesian beauty eventually climaxed. While Berengar was introducing Anggraini to a new world of pleasure in her bedroom, Priya was outside the door, intently listening to the woman''s moans while ying with herself.


    The adolescent girl covered her own mouth with one hand, while thinking about the time she had first seen Berengar half naked, the day he was in his harem room, surrounded by his women, who gave him an oil massage.


    To Priya, that was the first time she had ever be conscious of the opposite sex. Years had passed since then, and now she was an adult by thews of Germany. Yet, despite this, Berengar still would not look at her, at least not in the way she desired.


    Of course, Berengar did not know that Priya was on the other side of the door, and instead got quick to work with his newest mistress. As he yed with herher regions, he noticed something peculiar. The woman''s hymen was still intact, which further confirmed Berengar''s thoughts that perhaps her husband had a micropenis.


    After the Anggraini''s tight hole was thered in her own juices, Berengar had decided she was properly prepped and slowly began to insert his cock. The Indonesian beauty cried out in pain as Berengar impaled her, which caused the man to grab hold of her head and kiss her passionately, hoping that it would help ease the burden she currently felt in her loins.


    After inserting his full length inside, Berengar stopped for a moment, to enjoy the vice like grip the woman''s pussy had over him. He had to admit, he never got tired of fucking virgins, and though the woman had sex with her husband once, his dick was obviously too small to tear her hymen, making her practically a virgin.


    After giving Anggraini a moment to regain her senses, Berengar slowly began to pump in and out of her tight hole, while suckling on her small yet firm breasts. As the woman became ustomed to the overwhelming size of Berengar''s shaft, he began to pump faster.


    Anggraini''s heated moans filled the room and exuded into the hallway as she climaxed all over Berengar''s thick cock. This was the second time in her life that she had ever experienced an orgasm. Despite this, Berengar continued pounding away at the woman, alternating between sucking on her nipples and kissing her luscious lips.


    The Indonesian princess instinctively wrapped her thin legs around Berengar''s back and locked them in ce. She did not want this pleasure to end. Nor would it. This was Berengar''s first time having sex with an Asian beauty, and he intended to keep it going for as long as possible.


    As he thought about this, he worked himself closer to the finish, before he finally pressed his hips as deep into her as possible, and ejacted a giant load of his spunk into the woman''s depths, causing her to climax yet again.


    Anggraini naively believed it was over and attempted to kiss her man on the lips as he pulled out of her. However, Berengar could easily endure another three loads, and thus, rather than his lips, the girl soon found that she was kissing the head of his cock.


    She was immediately surprised when she saw this. The sex had gone on longer than she had ever anticipated, and she thought for sure men were only capable of going once. Yet Berengar was as excited as ever. He instantly took the lead, where he repositioned the woman on her hands and knees, where he once more began to thrust into her tight hole.


    Berengar grabbed hold of the woman''s small breasts and yed with her nipples as he pounded her from behind. Her moans were louder than ever, causing Priya, who was in the hallway, to climax all over the floor.


    Berengar would continue having sex with Anggraini well into the night, where he made sure she was properly pregnant, before falling asleep while spooning with the petite beauty. As for Priya, after the Indonesian Princess stopped moaning, she figured it was over and returned to her quarters, deeply embarrassed and ashamed about what she had done in the hall.


    By the time Berengar exited the room on the next morning, the maids thoroughly cleaned the mess that Priya had made up, and because of this he waspletely unaware of what had transpired just outside the room he was in.


    However, one thing was certain to Berengar, he would have to instruct the Majapahit princess in the German tongue if he ever wanted to have any meaningful conversations with her. After all, he could not keep using Priya to trante his words for him. But that would have to wait for another time. For the next three days, Berengar spent his time breaking in his newest toy, and making sure that she waspletely addicted to his love.

 Chapter 843 There is Another

    Chapter 843 There is Another


    Veronika sat in the dining hall of the royal pce. Across from her were the girls Natalia, and Noemi, both of which shared a simr position in so far as in they were from subordinate realms to the Reich and fiancees of the First Prince Hans von Kufstein.


    By now, Veronika and Noemi were both sixteen years old, while Natalia was eleven, and despite the age disparity between the three girls, they had all be close friends. Especially after thest year and a half.


    Hans had recently gone to the Aerial Warfare Academy, where he was studying to be an officer in the Luftwaffe. As for his weekends, he generally spent them at the nearby Air Base learning how to fly a ne.


    Pilot training usually only urred after one graduated from the academy, but Hans had the special privilege of being a Prince, and thus used his father''s influence to get him into flight school while he was also attending the academy giving him a head start over the other candidates.


    The fact that he had never visited since he first attended the academy, and would only write home, was a major point of contention for his three young fiancees, who were currently discussing the root of the problem over coffee and cake. Veronika had a calm expression on her pretty face while she expressed her detest for a certain someone who was not present for this meeting among fiancees.


    "There is no doubt in my mind that the reason our dear Hans has not returned home is because of Ingrid. What I can''t understand is how that bitch is so different from her niece. After all, Astrid is the sweetest little girl, and yet Ingrid is simply intolerable."


    Noemi giggled when she heard Veronika refer to Ingrid as a bitch. The girl usually never used such crassnguage. To do so clearly showed the level of contempt she had for Ingrid. Noemi was surprisingly friendly as she addressed Veronika''s ims.


    "Hey, if there''s one good thing that hase out of this situation, it is that we have amon enemy. It truly boggles the mind that a year and a half ago, we were at each other''s throats. Now we are practically sisters."


    This remark caused Veronika to break out into a fit ofughter. She found itical how quickly enemies turned into allies. They were once both fiercelypeting for Hans'' affections, and now they condemned Ingrid for doing the same. They hade a long way since the two of them first met, and were now practically sisters. Noemi merely sighed before making another remark on the current situation.


    "If it weren''t for Linde''s advice, I think I would have turned out like Ingrid. You know, I am pretty sure the whole reason the Kaiser''s harem doesn''t fall apart is because of the efforts of that woman. It is clear that he loves her the most of all his wives, and yet the others never seem toin."


    Noemi had not lived in the pce long enough to understand just how turbulent Berengar''s rtionships were in the past. Thus, Veronika took a sip from her coffee before exining the dirty details.


    "It wasn''t always that way. Ad used to be a lot like Ingrid. Conceited, nosy, entitled, envious, and just a real bitch in general. I used to think that Berengar would either divorce her or kill her off in some kind of "ident". Her problem was the same as Ingrid''s. It was her monogamous mindset that had really created a rift between her and Berengar.


    As for the others, they seemed to be fine with the whole polygamy thing. However, somehow Ad came around to the idea, and now she is really close to Henrietta. They''re practically sisters. She also doesn''t seem to be jealous when Berengar spends time with his other women anymore."


    It was at this time that a familiar voice erupted from behind the girls, startling them to the core.


    "You know who was behind that transformation? Me..."


    The girls looked around to see Linde standing behind them with the grace befitting a woman of her position. She was as stunning as ever, despite recently giving birth to yet another child. So much so that it intimidated the trio. Linde had been eavesdropping for some time, and sat down at their little gathering as if they invited her to it in the first ce.


    "So, you''re all sick of that little cunt too, huh? If it has be a problem for all of you, and for my little Hans, then it appears that I need to have a talk with my hubby about that bitch. I won''t allow Hans to go through the same heartbreak his father had to endure with Ad. You have no idea just how much work I put into convincing that little minx into epting the status quo."


    The three girls looked at Linde as if she were a different person than they were ustomed to. In the past she had been so refined and formal around them, yet, now she was speaking with such familiarity and vulgarity that they could hardly believe these words wereing from the honored lips of the second Kaiserin. Linde immediately noticed their expressions and giggled before responding to them.


    "What? You weren''t expecting me to be so informal? You''re all practically my daughter-inws now. I don''t think I need to put on the act of an overbearing mother anymore."


    It took the girls a few moments to realize that perhaps Linde had endured so much shit with Ingrid over this past year and a half that she had slowlye to ept her other future daughter-inws as ideal candidates for her eldest son. With this in mind, Veronika was quick to ask the woman for some advice.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, how did you convince Ad to ept a polygamous rtionship?"


    The other two girls intently listened to what Linde had to say, as if she were some divine prophet bestowing upon them the wisdom of God. Linde giggled when she saw how focused they were before gently whispering the answer into Veronika''s ear.


    The heterochromatic beauty''s pale face instantly reddened when she heard such a shameless response. Though Noemi did not know what exactly was said, she could make an educated guess based on the reaction on Veronika''s face. Causing her to suffer from second hand embarassment.


    Natalia could tell something was going on between the other two girls, but could not quite surmise what it was. Thus she could only pout, seeing as how Linde did not want to tell her the truth. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Veronika spoke up, despite still being visibly embarrassed.


    "I can''t do that... it''s so... dirty..."


    When Linde heard this, she giggled once more before responding to her statement.


    "I never asked you to... You and I both know you''re not cut out for such y. But you asked how I managed to tame that little bitch, and that is how. Though I seriously doubt it would work on Ingrid. She''s not so much of a prude as she is just in selfish.


    Ingrid just doesn''t want to share a man, and she uses her religious upbringing to justify it. There are genuine nun-like girls, and then there are selfish bitches pretending to be pious to excuse their poor behavior. Ad was of the former, while Ingrid is of thetter. However, it''s not Ingrid you three need to worry about. You are aware of the new rules at the Military Academies, right?"


    Veronika and Noemi looked at each other in confusion before simultaneously asking what Linde was referring to.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Linde sighed, partially because she felt bad about these girls'' ignorance. In truth, she already knew about Anne, and how she was currying favor with Hans in her spare time. Though there was not much Linde could do about it.


    Anne was a Bavarian Princess, and rtions between Bavaria and Austria were still somewhat tense after the whole invasion and upation ten years prior. If she tried to interfere, it would onlyplicate matters. Thus, Linde decided to warn the three girls about their new potential rival.


    "As of this year, the military academies are epting female students so that they may fulfil nonbative roles in the military. Primarily in Administration and Medicine. Normally, this wouldn''t be a big deal, but you should know that the military has be a haven for young men seeking to escape undesirable matches, and these rules now apply to the women who join as well.


    For all you know, there might be a beautiful young princess in Hans''s ss who sees him as a better match than the man she ran away from. Because the Aerial Warfare Academy is a boarding school, the two of them could be spending lots of time together, while the three of you patiently await his return to the pce."


    The three girls who were set to marry the First Prince of Germany instantly became riddled with doubt. Had they known such a thing, they would have tried everything they could to dissuade Hans from going to a military academy.


    However, it was toote. The boy was already enrolled and was guaranteed at least 8 years of military service after graduation. They could only sit back and conspire against Ingrid, and this new unknown foe.


    Linde, on the other hand, merely smirked as she drank from one of the girl''s coffee. If she could not directly intervene on Hans'' emerging rtionship with the Princess of Bavaria, then she could indirectly apply pressure to her son, via his three existing fiancees.


    After learning the truth about Anne, Linde feared the girl was just using her son to escape an unfavorable marriage, and she would never allow such a petty bitch to be the future Kaiserin of the German Empire.

 Chapter 844 Descent

    Chapter 844 Descent


    "Sir, with all due respect, I don''t think this is a very good idea! You really shouldn''t be doing something so dangerous!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar merely grinned as he sat on board the Ju 390 transport ne whose rear hatch slowly opened up. The daring emperor stared down at the Iberian Penins below and made a quick, witty retort before jumping out.


    "I don''t pay you to think Sergeant, now let''s fucking drop!"


    After saying this, Berengar sprinted out of the hatch before jumping off the ramp and dropping down to the ground below. The wind whistled past Berengar''s ears as he rapidly descended through the sky like a fallen angel..


    Twenty thousand feet soon became ten thousand feet, and ten thousand feet became five thousand, until finally at one thousand feet he pulled his parachute, rapidly falling out of the device designed to conceal it, and catching the Kaiser in the air like a moth who had hit a sudden burst of wind.


    The Kaiser, along with his Jaegers, quickly descended from the sky andnded on the ground below, within the courtyard of the Royal Pce of Granada. Much to the surprise of everyone present.


    The sight was so spectacr that the Royal Guards of Al-Andalus did not know how to react. By the time they realized they could potentially be under an assault, Berengar had already drawn his submachine gun, and waved in the air, calling out in Arabic that he was the regent and was merely dropping by to visit his old friend.


    Before long, an entirepany of Jaegersnded on the ground beside them, and quickly contained the situation before a trigger-happy Andalusian could open fire on the Kaiser. From start to finish, the Special Forces Operators believed this to be an incredibly stupid idea. Nevertheless, the Kaiser had insisted on surprising the Field Marshal, and this was surely one way to do such a thing.


    ---


    While this shocking scene was taking ce outside of his home, Adelbrand sat in his office, while signing thetest bill intow. By his side was a young woman with an infant boy in her arms. This woman was Brigida von Chur, the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke of Switzend.


    During his visit to Kufstein during the first Victory Day Celebration, Berengar had forced Adelbrand to mingle with the single noblewomen who were in attendance. While the Prince of Scond could not even get the attention of Brigida, Adelbrand had ended up walking away from the event with a new Fiancee.


    Since then, they had been married, and even had a child together. While Adelbrand wanted nothing more than to return to his ancestral home of Salzburg, he was currently tasked with governing the Sultanate of Al-Andalus on behalf of Berengar''s young son, Ghazi. Thus, his wife had left the luxurious confines of the Reich and instead travelled to the war-torn capital of Iberia.


    It had been nearly two years since the wars in Europe ended, and Berengar''s Pax Germania was dered, and in this time Adelbrand had spent every waking hour rebuilding the region he was tasked with governance of.


    What Adelbrand was about to sign intow was an important measure to bridge the gap between the Moorish peoples of southern Iberia and the rest of the ethno-linguistic groups which inhabited the penins. He was currently signing a bill which petitioned the dual use of Arabic and Spanish as the primarynguages of the Sultanate of Al-Andalus.


    Thisw would establish that Arabic and Spanish were thenguages taught in school and used in all government documents. As for the othernguages, the schools would have an optional thirdnguage course in whatever was locally spoken.


    After signing his name away on the document, Adelbrand let out a heavy sigh before handing the bill off to his secretary. He gazed affectionately at his wife before expressing his thanks for all the things she had to put up with by moving to Granada.


    "Thank you Brigida, I know I have asked a lot of you since our marriage, and despite your reservations about this life, you have notined once to me. I really appreciate it."


    The woman smiled and nodded her head before returning the man''s words.


    "It wasn''t easy, but little Berengar here is worth the stress!"


    Berengar was the name that Adelbrand had chosen for his son, like so many other fathers in the Reich. However, unlike those men who named their sons off of the saintly Kaiser. Adelbrand personally knew and admired the man with a deep sense of passion. Thus, he was honored to name his firstborn after one of his closest friends.


    Adelbrand gazed fondly at his infant son and was about to say something when his secretary burst through the door with a panicked expression on her face.


    "Sir, the Kaiser is here to see you..."


    Adelbrand could hardly believe his ears, he had not received a single notification that the Kaiser would be arriving by sea. Normally, whenever Berengar travelled to Iberia, he would alert his Field Marshal of his visit well in advance.


    Yet all of a sudden, Berengar was here to see him. What madness was this? However, before he couldin and assert that his secretary was mistaken, Berengar walked through the doors with a fat smile on his face.


    The Kaiser was not dressed in his usual regalia. On the contrary, he was wearing a camouge tunic in the Leibermuster pattern. On top of his head was an m38 style paratrooper''s helmet, with a matching cloth cover. His pants were feldgrau in color, as were the gaiters which wrapped over the ankles of his short ck boots.


    His load bearing equipment made use of a ck leather harness and belt, with leibermuster pattern cloth mag pouches for his Mp-27 submachine gun, which was slung around his back. The man looked like he hade straight out of a war zone, as he hugged Adelbrand in a purely tonic manner, before kissing the man on the forehead and ruffling his hair.


    "Adelbrand, my friend, it''s been too long! As I was on my way to Cairo, I thought I would drop by and say hello!"


    Adelbrand had more than a few questions to ask of his Kaiser, who was standing before him, dressed in abat uniform. For starters, how the hell did he manage to stop in Iberia when his intended destination was in fucking Egypt? Although he quickly decided there were more important questions to ask. Like how exactly was Berengar here in Granada, and why wasn''t he informed in advance?


    "I''m sorry. How are you here right now? I mean no offense, but I was not informed of your arrival. If I was, I would have prepared a grand weing!"


    Berengar scoffed as he heard this, before grabbing hold of the man''s shoulder and wrapping his arm around it. Evidently the kaiser was in a good mood as Brigida watched on in astonishment. Although his next words truly stunned the woman.


    "Adelbrand, I just descended from over 6,000 meters in the fucking sky. After a fall like that, I think I''m in need of a drink. So how about we hit the nearest tavern, and I will tell you about everything I have been up totely?"


    As a Field Marshal of the German Army, Adelbrand naturally knew about thetest developments in military technology. However, he was stunned when he gazed over at Berengar''s chest and saw a pair of silver wings pinned onto his tunic. He could barely believe his eyes before asking the question on his mind.


    "You went through Airborne school? You, the Kaiser? Unbelievable..."


    Since the moment Berengar''s transport nes first took flight, he had immediately recalled his special forces units back to the fathend to train in Airborne School, naturally as an adrenaline junkie, he himself had taken part in this training, and had earned his own pair of paratrooper wings. Berengar immediately justified his actions with what he might refer to as "solid logic."


    "Hey, if I can be the first man to pilot a ne in this world, then I''m damn well going to be the first man to jump out of a ne as well!"


    Adelbrand simply shook his head beforementing on the whole situation with a mncholy tone in his voice.


    "One of these days you''re going to get yourself killed..."


    After saying this, he looked over to his wife and apologized before following Berengar off to the nearest tavern.


    "Apologies dear, but the Kaiser is requesting my presence... Duty calls..."


    The woman was still trying to get over the fact that the Kaiser had just imed to have fallen over 6,000 meters from the sky, and lived to tell the tale. Thus, she merely nodded her head in silence, with her mouth agape as her husband walked off with what could only be described as the most daring man she had ever met in her life.


    As for Berengar, the Jaegers he brought with him acted as his security detail, but the man was not wearing his eyepatch, nor was his hair slicked back in its usual manner, so it was highly unlikely that any potentially hostile elements remaining in the region would recognize him.

 Chapter 845 War Crimes in Burma

    Chapter 845 War Crimes in Burma


    Emperor Asha sat upon the back of a war elephant in the rice fields of the Kingdom of Ava. For nearly two years now, the Bengal Army had marched in a not so glorious campaign against their eastern neighbors. From the mountainous regions of Nepal and Bhutan all the way into the dense tropical jungles of Myanmar, the soldiers of the Bengal Empire conquered all who stood in their path.


    Though the Bengal Army was equipped with new weapons which were purchased from the Japanese Empire, they were forced to rely on maintaining aplex logisticswork all the way back in the ports of Bengal.


    Because of this extensive supply line, they had suffered many losses early on. However, the army had been tempered through these conflicts, and had be far more ruthless in the pursuit of overwhelming victory.


    Currently, the soldiers of the Bengal Army raised their Lever action rifles and pointed them towards the skulls of the kneeling captives. The people of this vige had harbored the enemy and in doing so incurred the wrath of Asha, who ordered their execution.


    "Kill them!"


    With the pull of a trigger, each soldier of the Bengal Army fired their weapons into the skulls of their victims, sttering their brains into the rice patties. The women and young girls of the vige, who had been tied up, cried out in tears as they witnessed their husbands, brothers, and sons mercilessly ughtered by the Bengal troops.


    Among these survivors was a young woman no older than twenty who sat within thep of the Bengal Emperor as he fondled her bountiful breasts through her dress. She was crying just as much as the other vigers did, or perhaps more so. When she had woken up this morning, she had never expected that she would be a foreign emperor''s ything.


    Due to her beauty, Asha had chosen her to be histest concubine. Something he did in every vige his army passed through. As for the rest of the women and girls who were currently held captive, they would be given to his soldiers, where they would follow the army and service the men. Unlike Berengar, and Itami, who came from the modern world, this Indian Emperor had no qualms about taking sex ves.


    To viges like this, who resisted his rule, there was only one penalty that they could face. The massacre of all boys and men, and the captivity of all women and girls. With each passing second, another volley of shots was fired towards the vigers, whose bodies were mercilessly dumped into the rice fields, as if to act as fertilizer for future crops.


    Even the Japanese Advisors who apanied the Bengal Emperor did not flinch when watching the ongoing ughter and rape of the vigers. Though that was not so much out of agreement with the actions taken by the Bengal Army, instead it was more of desensitization, having witnessed roughly a dozen of such events over the past two years.


    After the male vigers had all been killed, Asha gave the order to move onto the next vige. He would not stop his conquests in the east until he had taken Dagon, which was known in Berengar''s past life as Yangon or Rangoon.


    "Forward march!"


    With this, the Bengal Army was on the move once more, while the women and girls of the vige that had just been wiped out were forced into carriages, to apany the Bengal Army on their conquests.


    ---


    Further to the east, in the city of Heian-ky�� which was the current capital of the Japanese Empire. Itami was sitting in her room reading over intelligence reports from the various theaters of war that her armies were personally involved in, as well as those her pawns were ying at.


    Despite keeping a set of eyes on Asha and his army at all times, this was the first time she had received a report about the Bengal Army''s war crimes. News was just now reaching the Japanese Empress''s ears of Asha''s war crimes after nearly two years of conquests. Why was that? Because at least one Japanese Officer sent to advise the Bengal Army could no longer stand by and watch the atrocities unfold.


    Unbeknownst to Itami, many of the troops she had deployed to Hokkaido, and the Ryukyu Kingdom, had resorted to some rather underhanded methods to quell the local unrest. Because of this, the officers who were advising the Bengal Army had stubbornly refused to report Asha''s war crimes for two primary reasons.


    Firstly, the Japanese Officers did not want the Empress investigating the potential war crimesmitted by the Imperial Japanese Army within their own colonies. After all, they knew of how she would react to such news. As for the second reason, it was of the opinion of many of these Japanese officers that it was simply not their responsibility to stop the Bengals despite supplying them with the weapons that allowed them to behave so atrociously.


    After reading these reports, the Japanese Empress had to admit, she had made an error when arming a man like Asha. She knew little of his background, his beliefs, or how he treated others prior to making a deal with him. Itami simply saw the man as a valuable pawn, one which was now acting out of control. If this was how he waged war in Nepal, Bhutan, and Burma, then how would his troops acting in the central regions of India?


    Having learned who Asha really was, and what he was capable of doing, she despised the man and everything he stood for. So much so that she reviled after thinking about the way he looked at her during their first and only meeting. Though Itami felt this way, she still needed the Bengal Empire to act as a proxy against Germany.


    After thinking about this, Itami sighed heavily. She was at a loss for what to do. If she tried to demand the Bengal Emperor cease such criminal behavior, he might call her bluff, thus weakening her bargaining power overall. However, if she sat back and did nothing more innocent people would get hurt because she had sold a viinous figure powerful weapons.


    Before Itami could find an answer to her current predicament, the door to her room slightly crept open, revealing her little sister, who had a smirk on her face. The young woman stealthily approached Itami and was about to grab ahold of her when Itami''s stern voice stopped her movements.


    "I know you''re there Momo..."  Libread.


    The teenage beauty known by the name of Itami Momo immediately sprinted towards her elder sister and glomped her. Causing Itami Riyo to sigh in defeat before lecturing the girl on her errant behavior.


    "Momo, I don''t have time for this."


    Despite saying this, Momo had her pinned to the floor, where shemented on her gloomy expression.


    "I''m sorry, but it looked like you needed a hug. What''s wrong?"


    Though Itami did not want to stain her sister''s innocent mind with the horrors of war, she felt as if she had nobody else to talk to. If she even mentioned her feelings to any of her advisors, they would take it as a sign of weakness and try to remove her from the office.


    Itami Riyo needed to present an image of masculine authority, despite being a woman. Such constant pressure had caused the albino beauty to have many doubts over the years. Ultimately, she sighed once more before telling her sister about her thoughts and feelings.


    "I''ve enabled a monster to do terrible things and I don''t know how to stop him..."


    Momo looked at her elder sister with an innocent expression as she tried to understand just what Riyo had meant by her statement.


    "A monster? You mean like a big scary Oni?"


    This na?ve expression caused Itami to giggle bitterly. She clutched Momo''s head to her breast and stroked her jet ck hair while lecturing her on the reality of human nature.


    "No Momo, I''m talking about the most dangerous monster of all, a man..."


    The adolescent girl''s eyes lit up with excitement as she heard this,pletely misunderstanding what her sister was trying to tell her.


    "Oh, is this the same man from that time you were sulking in the bath? The one who made you suffer a loss? My future brother-inw?"


    Riyo''s cheeks flushed red as she heard this. Ever since suffering her first loss to Berengar in North Korea, she had been interested in the man more than usual. However, what information she could gather on Berengar waspletely unreliable. I mean, seriously, there were travelling merchants who imed that they had seen the man light himself on fire and survive without a single burn on his flesh.


    Depending on who you asked, Berengar was either a living saint, or a devil in human flesh. Either way, regardless of the perspective, everything she heard about him was so exaggerated it was practically mythical. Itami quickly tried to exin what had happened, but she was so flustered it came out wrong.


    "No, not that man, someone far worse!"


    Momo rolled her eyes when she heard this. She could not believe her sister was already two-timing on her future husband. No matter what Itami might say, Momo was aware of her condition for getting married, and whoever this mysterious man was, he was the only person she knew of that met the harsh requirement. Momo was so disgusted by her sister''s scandalous behavior that she feltpelled to scold her.


    "You know, Nee-chan, it''s never eptable for a woman to cheat on her man, even if she is an empress. What would brother-inw think if he found out you were behaving so shamelessly behind his back?"


    Upon hearing this, Itami''s face grew even redder. Just what the hell was this little idiot thinking? Cheating? On who? Berengar? She had never even met the man. How was she cheating? Itami took a deep breath before pulling on her sister''s cheeks and lecturing the girl on her choice of words.


    "Cheating! Whose cheating? I''ve never even met the man. How can I be cheating? And just what the hell do you mean by your brother-inw? Since when am I getting married? Stop joking around! I''m trying to be serious here! You know what? Just forget I ever said anything. Clearly, you''re not willing to listen to my actual problems!"


    Momo could only sigh and leave her sister''s room. It was clear to her that Itami was not in the mood for teasing. However, just before she closed the door behind her, she left once piece of serious advice.


    "You know, if you have enabled a monster to do horrible things, then it is your responsibility to stop him..."


    In response to this, Itami remained utterly silent. Causing Momo to sigh once more before shutting the door behind her. Though Itami didn''t say anything, she took her little sister''s words to heart. She had decided in that moment that she would write a strongly worded letter to the Bengal Emperor, informing him to cease his criminal behavior, or suffer the consequences. Whether the man would call her bluff or not remained to be seen.

 Chapter 846 Likewise!

    Chapter 846 Likewise!


    Berengar sat at a bar beside his friend and Field Marshal. While Adelbrand was dressed in a rather exquisite uniform that was appropriate for a man in his position, Berengar was dressed like amon paratrooper, with a submachine gun wrapped around his back. At first nce, one would assume that Berengar was just amon footsoldier, that is, until they gazed upon the Reichsmarchall tabs on his cor and shoulders, as well as the red stripes on his trousers.


    The Kaiser was chugging a beer, as if it were the greatest form of replenishment, before exining how he just jumped out of a ne to his old friend.


    "I''m telling you, it''s the best feeling in the world. The only thing that could make it even better is if the enemy were firing upon us as we descended! It is honestly not like anything you have ever felt before!"


    When Adelbrand heard these words, he merely shook his head and smirked before taking a sip from his own beer. After doing so, he scolded Berengar for his behavior.


    "Over my dead body, am I ever letting you drop into a fucking war zone! We are no longer fighting the same kinds of wars that we were ten years ago where personal skill determined who survived. If what you say is true, and this Japanese Empire has the weapons you think they do, you will get yourself killed without ever seeing the man who took your life. The modern battlefield is no ce for emperors! So why in the hell are you dressed up as a paratrooper? And what the hell did you mean by stopping here on your way to Cairo?"


    Berengar chuckled as he finished his drink. Afterwards, he signalled for the tavern wench to pour another. She was a Moorish woman despite her line of work and cast a friendly smile towards Adelbrand before handing over two more mugs of beer.


    "For you, these are on the house."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this before, looking at the woman as if she had offended him. The busty beauty gazed back at him with a nce that said "go fuck yourself" before Adelbrand sent her away. After she was gone, Berengar scoffed once more before expressing his thoughts.


    "It''s like the people here forgot what I did for them!"


    Adelbrand merely rolled his eyes in response to this before taking another gulp. After doing so, hemented on Berengar''s appearance before shifting the subject to something more pleasant.


    "You could trick your own people with that getup, never mind her, don''t change the subject, tell me what you''re doing here, and why you''re headed to Egypt!"


    Berengar chuckled before reaching into his satchel and pulling out a letter. He quickly handed it over to Adelbrand beforementing on the document.


    "Right, I meant to give this to you when I saw you, but I was so pumped full of Adrenaline I kind of forgot. To put it simply, Adelbrand, you''reing home..."


    The man gazed at Berengar in shock before ripping open the letter and reading the official summons, which was stamped with Berengar''s seal. He could not believe that the day had finallye.


    "You mean it? You found a recement for ruling over this country? I can finally return to Austria?"


    Berengar nodded his head while responding to Adelbrand''s questions.


    "I need my best General to help me n something big. In the past, I promised you Eckhard''s vacant position before the situation deteriorated in Iberia. The offer still stands if you want it. Naturally, if you ept, you will be working in Kufstein, but themute between the capital and your hometown is short enough by train that you can live in Salzburg full time if you wish.


    As for why I''m headed to Cairo, my archeology department has dug up something interesting in an old tomb that needs my immediate attention. So I will be in Egypt for a few weeks before returning home. I figured I''d make a little detour and give your summons personally before setting out. By the time I return, you should be properly adjusted to civilized life and no longer have to deal with this primitive shithole."


    There were practically tears in Adelbrand''s eyes as he heard the words he had been longing to hear for years. He immediately hugged his old friend and thanked him before taking another swig of his drink. After doing so, he sighed heavily in relief.


    "It''ll be good to go back home. It''s been too long. Hell, thest time I was in the fathend, I had to do something shameful but necessary. That stupid bastard. What the hell was he thinking? I know it was not easy for you to do, but thank you, thank you for letting me be the one to put my pathetic brother out of his misery."


    The Kaiser''s expression sank when he heard this. The two men stared in silence for several moments before Berengar raised his ss in a toast.


    "To the Kinying club, I finally have another member to share my woes with..."


    Adelbrand nearly chuckled when he heard such a crass remark, but suppressed his desire to do so as he nked his mug against the Kaisers. The two of them shared a brief drink before staring off into space while dwelling on what had happened.


    Two years prior, after having his first visit to the fathend since his elder brother Wolfgang had assaulted the First Prince. Adelbrand had made a request to Berengar that if the fool was still alive, then he should be the one to kill him.


    Berengar pulled a few strings with the justice system, and allowed Adelbrand to have onest conversation with his elder brother, who was a shadow of his former self after being in abor camp for so long. In this conversation, Adelbrand had vented his sheer hatred of his brother for abandoning him to defend their homnd against the Bavarian Army by himself.


    After saying just how much he despised Wolfgang, Adelbrand plugging his brother''s skull with a 9mm. The body was buried in an unmarked grave behind thebor camp, where most who died within its walls were entombed.


    The silence between the two men went on for nearly a minute, where it was Berengar who broke it once again.


    "You should know that his ex-wife and kids are doing just fine. Luckily, Ava was able to divorce that idiot before you killed him. I know it doesn''t mean much, but at least she won''t have to bear the shame of being a sentenced traitor''s widow.


    Her kids are doing fine. For a while, they lived in my family''s old castle, but I ended up buying a vi for them to stay in. Ava is hopeless, but luckily she has a full staff to help raise her kids. Ad also drops by when she can to help out.


    You will be happy to hear that though the little buggers may be your brother''s kids, they don''t share his defective mind, or that of their mother''s. You should visit them some time, you know when you get back. They need a real father figure in their life, and I don''t see ava remarrying any time soon. Who knows, maybe you can do her favor and take her as one of your wives!"


    Adelbrand was silently nodding his head in agreement about Berengar''s entire speech until thatst part. He could not help but gaze at Berengar inplete shock before pleading with the man to spare him such agony.


    "Please, not her... You... You know as well as I do how she is... Don''t make me marry her!


    Berengar sighed when he heard this and shook his head before expressing his thoughts on the matter.


    "If you''re not even willing to marry her, then she is doomed. It''s a shame, she has such a nice rack..."


    The two men remained silent after these words were spoken for a total of three seconds before they broke out intoughter. After a few moments of calming themselves, Adelbrand asked the next most important question on his mind.


    "Pardon my ignorance, but since when does an archeological expedition require your presence? I''m curious. Just what did you find?"


    Berengar merely scoffed as he swallowed down another gulp of beer before responding to his friend''s question.


    "You wouldn''t believe me even if I told you. If you''re curious, you can apany me, but I can''t guarantee your survival..."


    Now it was Adelbrand''s turn to scoff as he voiced his sarcasm about the whole situation.


    "Right, I must have forgotten just how dangerous archeology is. You know if you don''t want me to go, just say it."


    Berengar reacted in a manner which Adelbrand did not expect. He quickly mmed his mug onto the countertop before pointing towards the Jaegers, who were standing guard.


    "Listen, there is a reason that my bodyguard consists of men from the Jaeger Regiment. This is noughing matter. I could very well die in there. You have no idea what lurks in the shadows of this world. If you want toe, you cane, but I''m telling you to think about your position before you do something so dangerous."


    Adelbrand gazed over at the soldiers that Berengar had opted to take with him, and only now realized that they were not members of the Reichsgarde, but were special forces operatives whose primary task was direct action against hostile forces. After realizing how serious Berengar was, Adelbrand scoffed once more before responding to Berengar''s ims.


    "If what you say is true, then I can''t possibly let you go alone. I''ming with you. Better make room for one more on that ne of yours!"


    Berengar merely took another sip from his drink before responding to Adelbrand''s words.


    "Just so you know, if you do kick the bucket, I''m telling your widow that this was your idea."


    In response to this, Adelbrand merely smiled and raised his ss before making a snarky remark.


    "Likewise!"

 Chapter 847 Life in the Colonies Part I

    Chapter 847 Life in the Colonies Part I


    Anton Von Lackendorf sat at his desk within the governor''s mansion in the City of New Vienna, which was thergest German Colony in the world. After his predecessor Arnulf von Thiersee was killed by natives, the Kaiser selected him to fulfill the vacant position.


    Imperial Intelligence hadpiled a list of potential candidates from those within the German Reichstag who would make ideal governors for the Colony. After careful consideration, Berengar ultimately selected Anton for the position.


    Largely because the man was a rare talent in politics, having served through his term limit in the Reichstag with the utmost level of performance, but also because he was a fierce loyalist of the Kaiser and the von Kufstein Dynasty.


    Currently, Anton was sitting across from another German man. However, the appearance of the two could not be more different. Anton was dressed in a luxurious three-piece suit, in a style that would have been popr during the 1920s of Berengar''s past life. He also had a fine derby hat, which he ced on his desk.


    As for the man standing across from him, he was the Governor of Berenwalde, and was dressed like a factory worker from the same era. His name was Dietrich Fritzen. This was the first time that either of the two men had sat in the same room since the massacre of Berenwalde two years prior.


    Though they had begrudgingly cooperated, after Berengar shifted the me for the incident on the natives, their two popces were far from cordial with one another. The only reason they had even bothered to work together was because both the people of Berenwalde and the people of New Vienna knew the colonies existed solely to support the fathend.


    Since Berenwalde did not have ess to the sea, they would have to rely upon the colony of New Vienna to ship their goods back to the fathend. Because of this, they had constructed a railway between the two colonies, allowing for ease of transport.


    The reason these two men were meeting was because of the problems Berenwalde was facing with native war bands within the boundaries of their territory. Though Dietrich did not want to admit it, he needed the aid of New Vienna. Thus, he could only put his pride away as he requested support from the rival governor.


    "It pains me to say this, but the natives around Berenwalde have be a problem for my people. We need more soldiers if we are to repel them. It would be best if we were to enact a simr purge of thend as you have done, but we simply don''t have the manpower. I need you to put in a request to German High Command for more troops in the area."


    Anton scoffed as he heard this while ying with a fountain pen on his desk. Requesting further troops in the Colonies would be a hassle. First, he would need to convince the colonel in charge of the Regiment that was stationed in New Vienna that Berenwalde was worth supporting.


    Although the chain ofmand had changed, many of the men who formed the troops stationed in the colonies were those who had taken part in the brief battle between the two colonies and lost many battle-brothers to the rebels at Berenwalde. They were not exactly keen on the idea of deploying North to protect the interests of those they deemed to be traitors.


    This was the reason New Vienna and the surrounding regions were cleared of natives, but the Colony of Berenwalde were still gued with them. After several moments of thought, Anton posed a question to his rival from the North.


    "Why should I? Your colony has its own forces to protect it, are they not enough?"


    Dietrich practically flipped the table in his anger, but restrained the urge to do so as he gritted his teeth and curled his fists before responding in a not so pleasant manner.


    "You know damn well we have only have a singlepany of soldiers stationed up north. They do their jobs of protecting the colony as a garrison, but they are spread too thin to protect our infrastructure. This problem is about more than just Berenwalde. It affects you as well!


    Those savages are attacking the railway, and if you don''t do something soon, we will have a major derailment on our hands! I doubt it would please the Kaiser to know that this petty rivalry between our two colonies caused such a massive blunder, and you and I both know that he will ultimately hold you responsible for such a catastrophe!"


    When Anton heard this, the pen dropped from his hands and nked on the floor. Its echo could be heard in the brief silence that appeared during this time. He quickly sat upright in his seat and pulled out a nearby radio, where he contacted the nearest operator among the German Army.


    "This is Governor Anton Von Lackendorf. I need to speak with Colonel Arendt Trossinger right away!"


    the static existed on the other end of the line for several moments before a gruff voiced appeared on the other end.


    "This is Colonel Trossinger. What the hell do you want, Anton? I''m busy!"


    Anton sighed as he ced his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose, gently massaging the area before responding to the military officer on the other end of the radio.


    "The savages are attacking the railway up north near Berenstadt. I have received an official request from the Governor for military support. You either need to send your men to clear the area and protect the railway, or you need to make a formal request to a highmand to send more troops to Lindeheim!


    Static prevailed for another few minutes before the Colonel responded.


    "Roger that. I''ll send a request up the chain ofmand for an additional regiment to be deployed. You can expect new troops to arrive in the next two weeks. In the meantime, I''ll send apany up north to patrol the railway. Thest thing we need is a fucking derailment. Trossinger out."


    After hearing this, the two colonial governors sighed in relief. It was true that the colonies had expanded rapidly across Northeastern Lindeheim. While most of the towns were small, they were spread out across the coasts of what was once known as the Northeastern United States in Berengar''s past life.


    From the coasts of what was once considered Boston to the shores of DC, Tens of Thousands of Germans had settled within thosends. Making it difficult for a mere five thousand men to patrol. Luckily, Anton had spent considerable resources over the past two years creating a railway to connect the towns. Otherwise, it would be impossible to protect them from vengeful natives.


    Especially since they werecking in mechanized capabilities. Unlike the troops in Europe, the Colonies were given low priority for armored vehicles and motorized trucks. They still relied heavily on horse-drawn carriages for travel outside of the railway. Now that they were getting more troops, the German Army would be able to better protect its citizens in Lindeheim. Thus, the two governors sighed in relief as they came to this realization.


    "As you can see, the issue has been handled. If that is all you needed, then I believe this meeting is adjourned."


    After saying this, the Governor of Berenwalde silently nodded his head before departing from his counterpart''s office. His troubles with the natives would soon be solved, and that''s all he really cared about.


    With this in mind, the expansion of the colonies in Northeastern Lindeheim was going as nned. As for the other colonies on the continent, as well as those in Adelheim, they were facing their own difficulties, but that is a tale for another time.

 Chapter 848 The Eye of Horus Part I

    Chapter 848 The Eye of Horus Part I


    In the skies above Egypt, Berengar sat on the ne next to Adelbrand, who was as stiff as a board and as pale as a ghost. With each rumble of turbulence, the man practically jumped out of his seat in fright. Air travel was a recent innovation of the German Nation, and it was restricted to the military for the time being.


    As a result, Adelbrand, who had been stationed in the Sultanate of Al-Andalus for thest few years, had never experienced the sensation of flight before. The veteran Field Marshal was still trying to get over the fact that they were over six thousand meters in the air. Meanwhile, Berengar could tell the man was about the hurl, and merelyughed at him.


    "First time flying, huh? Trust me, you get used to it."


    Adelbrand could only re at the Kaiser. The man knew damn well it was his first time in the air, and he still decided to make fun of him. However, he would not break so easily and instead shifted the topic to something more important.


    "Just what the hell are we looking for in this desert shithole, anyway? I told my wife that you were requesting me to apany you on a diplomatic mission to Egypt, and that she should pack our stuff and return to Kufstein to await my return. If I''m going to lie to the woman I love, then I at least want to know the truth about what we are doing here!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. He had already briefed the Jaegers who apanied him on the ssified details of the mission. Though some of them were a bit skeptical about the nature of the mission.


    They chose to believe in the Kaiser and protect him on this perilous journey. However, he had not said a word to Adelbrand, knowing the man would never believe him until he saw the truth with his own eyes.


    "Would you believe me if I told you we are searching for a divine artifact?


    Adelbrand gazed at Berengar as if the man had suddenly be mentally defective. Did he seriously just say something so absurd? However, Berengar grinned before pulling out his sidearm and handing it to Adelbrand. The man sat there dumbfounded until he heard an ordere from the Kaiser''s lips that he never thought he would hear in his life.


    "Shoot me!"


    Adelbrand''s jaw dropped nearly to the floor when he heard this. It took him a few moments toprehend the Kaiser''s words. However, when he did, the man quickly shook his head while rejecting Berengar''s orders.


    "No fucking way, man, that''s suicide. Have you gonepletely mental?"


    About a year ago, Berengar had reced the P-25 Service Pistol, which was modelled after the P-07 Luger, with a new sidearm which was based on the Walther P-38. This pistol was the standard issued sidearm to German soldiers during the second world war of his past life.


    The reason for this change was ease of manufacture. He could produce far more P-38s or P-28s as they were known as in this world, then he could P-25s. Though the P-25 still saw active service among the officers who favored the sidearm for its sophistication, Berengar tended to carry a run of the mill p-28.


    After Adelbrand rejected hismand, Berengar clicked his tongue three tames in disappointment before handing the firearm to the nearest Jaeger. He looked the man sternly in his eyes and gave him the same order he had given the Field Marshal.


    "Shoot me!"


    There was only the briefest hint of hesitation before the Jaeger pointed the pistol towards Berengar''s chest and fired a shot. After all, the special forces of the Reich were fiercely loyal to the Kaiser. Whatevermand he issued, they would not hesitate to follow, even something as insane as what had just been ordered.


    The sh of gunfire erupted in the enclosed space as the bullet propelled three feet before striking Berengar''s chest, however it did not pierce the man''s flesh, instead a golden barrier covered The Kaiser''s body and in doing so turned the projectile into ash.


    Though most of the men were still recovering from the thunderous echo of gunfire, they had all witnessed the scene, causing all of them to drop their jaws in shock. Berengar chuckled as he patted his chest before exining what had happened.


    "The gods of every religion are real. They hide in far-flung corners of the world, far from human existence. Some of them have even left behind artifacts for their worshippers that have immense power.


    For example, hidden away in the Vatican was a powerful artifact which has the power to protect its wielder from any potential threat. I plundered it from the Papacy after marching on Rome. How else do you think I survived my trial by fire?


    You don''t actually believe that the Abrahamic God genuinely wasted his strength to save me from my own madness, do you? No, it was an artifact left behind by an ancient roman god. Ironic that the Pope wielded such an item, yet use me of heresy."


    Those who had thought Berengar was insane prior to the artifact''s disy were now sudden believers in the mission details. Adelbrand was busy sticking a finger in his ear in an attempt to rid himself of the ringing beforeining to Berengar about his methods.


    "Alright, I believe you, but did you seriously have to disy your divine power by such a method? I don''t know if my hearing will ever return to the way it was before that bullshit!"


    Berengar merely scoffed when he heard this and told his old friend to suck it up like a man.


    "You''ll survive..."


    Before he couldment further on his antics, the green light appeared within the ne''s interior, and the hatch opened. Upon seeing this, Berengar grinned before yelling hismands to his troops.


    "Alright, you know the deal. The drop point is at the great sphinx of Giza. If any of you fuckers get blown off course, find your way there. Adelbrand, you''re with me!"


    Adelbrand was stunned into silence when he heard this. When he initially embarked on this journey, he did not know that they would be airdropping into Egypt. He was about to refuse when Berengartched up his harness to the back of Adelbrand''s before jumping off the ramp, sending the two of them down towards the earth below.


    Since Adelbrand had never gone through proper paratrooper training, Berengar would never allow him to jump out of the ne himself. Instead, he had forced the man into a tandem sky dive, which meant they were both secured to the same parachute.


    Both Adelbrand and Berengar were screaming as they rapidly descended from the sky, but while Berengar''s scream was that of an adrenaline junkie going through the ultimate high, Adelbrand''s was filled with terror.


    It was not until they reached a height roughly 300 meters that Berengar decided to pull his chute, where he continued to guide the two of them towards the drop zone. The Egyptian natives gazed up into the sky with fright in their eyes as they saw thepany of Jaegers descend with their parachutes.


    In the end, the groupnded not far off from the drop point and quickly rendezvoused at the great sphinx of Giza, where Berengar and Adelbrand hadnded. By the time the Jaegers arrived, they witnessed Berengarughing at Adelbrand, who was practicallyatose while lying in the fetal position on the dirt.


    "Adelbrand, get up. We''re on solid ground now. There''s nothing to fear! Stop being such a woman and grow a pair!"


    It took several moments of coaxing for Adelbrand toe back to reality, and when he finally realized he was safely on the ground, he felt like slugging Berengar across the face. However, he could only take a deep breath and sigh before cursing out the man.


    "You asshole! You should have warned me!"


    Berengar merelyughed at this idea before pointing out the w in its logic.


    "Hey you said you wanted toe on this journey. If I had told you we were jumping out of a ne, would you have followed me here? Now get your shit together. This was the least dangerous part of our quest.


    The moment we enter that pyramid, shit is going to get real weird, real quick. So all of you stay on me, and don''t waste your shots. If what the archeology department has reported is true, we might be in for some fierce fighting."


    The various Jaegers merely saluted the Kaiser before responding to his assertions with a battle cry.


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    After a few moments, Adelbrand finally dusted himself off and cursed Berengar beneath his breath one more time before unslinging his Mp-27. He had been properly equipped for the journey before setting out. While Berengar and Adelbrand used submachine guns, the rest of thepany was wielding the more standard loadout of Stg-27s, G-27s, and Mg-27(t)s.


    They were about to step foot into a dangerous territory, in search of a long forgotten divine artifact. Whether the ancient gods of Egypt would wee them into theirirs, or prove to be hostile, had yet to be seen.

 Chapter 849 The Eye of Horus Part ll

    Chapter 849 The Eye of Horus Part ll


    Berengar marched his soldiers from the base of the Great Sphinx to the entryway of the Great Pyramid of Giza, where a group of German Archeologists had quarantined the area. Upon seeing the Kaiser and his soldiers arrive, the leader of the expedition quickly saluted his monarch before responding with a hint of surprise in his tone.


    "My Kaiser, I did not expect you to personally grace us with your presence. Although you have made a long journey, I can''t in good conscience allow you to descend into the abyss!"


    An arrogant smirk appeared on Berengar''s lips as he quickly informed the man that he did not need his permission.


    "Apologies Doctor Arendt Fritlingen, but like it or not, I''m going into that pyramid, so why don''t you exin to me what this abyss is and how I should face it?"


    The lead archeologist seemed quite nervous as he heard this, but ultimately sighed in defeat before revealing what little he knew about the pyramid.


    "Under your orders, we have been searching for signs of the supernatural within the boundaries of the Reich and the borders of our Allies. As you know, I reported the incident to the Kaiserin, who has closely watched over our expeditions from the very beginning.


    Roughly two years ago, during our investigations of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, we found a ck stone, which contained both the egyptian hieroglyphs and the ancient Greek characters. This allowed us to be able to urately trante the ancient egyptian tongue into modern german.


    Upon reading some primeval inscriptions, we found an obscure reference to the eye of Horus, being a divine artifact bestowed upon the ancient rulers of Egypt. After some careful digging, we now believe its current location is buried somewhere within the Great Pyramid of Giza.


    However, upon first trying to enter the tomb, a ck miasma which we call the abyss blinded our explorers, and every team we have sent into the pyramid has yet to return. We fear it is some kind of curse that is preventing outsiders from entering.


    It would exin why in the thousands of years of this pyramid existing, there has never been a report of a sessful grave robbery. There are even local rumors that no man who has entered the great pyramid has ever returned to tell the tale."


    Berengar nodded his head when he heard this before responding to the Archeologists'' ims.


    "Alright, I understand. Either way, we''re going in there. So tell your team to prepare the entrance."


    Doctor Fritlingen could only sigh once more before nodding his head in silence. He quickly informed his team to open the gates that sealed the dark miasma away. Meanwhile, Berengar and his team marched towards the entrance, where they ensured that their weapons were locked and loaded.


    After careful consideration, Berengar decided to snap one of his chemlights before tossing it into the ck smoke whose whisps tried desperately to enter the outside world. The red light was immediately suppressed upon entering the miasma, proving to Berengar that this was indeed some kind of supernatural presence.


    The soldiers felt their spines tingle as they gazed upon the abyss which swallowed the chemlight''s illumination. However, Berengar was not deterred. He shouldered his submachine gun in one hand, while lifting his right hand and pressing it forward.


    After a brief incantation in the Latinnguage, the light of sol spread forth from his ring and dispersed the dark miasma. With a confident smirk on his face, Berengar lifted his soldiers'' spirits before boldly taking point into the cavern.


    "We do not need to fear the darkness, for we have the light of Sol on our side!"


    Berengar had experimented with the ring ever since he first came to possess it, and this was hisst resort, as using the light to disperse the darkness prevented the ring from protecting his person. Meaning that so long as he wished to see in the Great Pyramid of Giza, he would be prone to danger. However, it couldn''t be helped and thus he pressed forward, boldly, without fearing the power of whatever ancient deity guarded this tomb.


    Adelbrand was thest to follow Berengar into the tomb, deeply regretting his choice to apany the man into such a dangerous territory. Despite this, he ultimately decided to follow the group and protect the rear.


    With each step, the shadows of the abyss tried to consume the light of sol, but were quickly forced to retreat. As Berengar walked forward into the darkness, he heard a spectral voice called out to him.


    "Dog of Sol! You dare to desecrate this tomb with your presence? I will have to judge you for your crimes!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar looked around to see if his Jaegers had heard these words, but he found that once again, he was by himself. He could only sigh and shake his head as cursed out loud.


    "Every fucking time!"


    It was at this moment that the darkness dispersed, and a giant scale appeared before him. At one end of the scale was a feather, yet the other was empty. Berengar felt his heart sink as he gazed at the sight. He knew exactly what this was. He had just entered the domain of Anubis, and the ancient god of death was about to judge him.


    Berengar quickly turned around with the intent to flee. However, the moment he did so, he came face to face with the Jackal headed god, who plunged his fist straight through Berengar''s chest. The Kaiser felt an immense pain in his chest, as the hand that plunged into it gripped itself around his heart, before mercilessly pulling it out.


    Berengar gazed in disbelief at his beating heart, which was in the hands of the ancient deity. He was still alive, and yet he could feel his heart missing from within his chest. Anubis had no expression on his face as he slowly walked over to the scale and ced the beating heart on the opposite side of the feather.


    Berengar could only stare in awe at the scene before him, kneeling on the ground, while gripping his chest, which was in intense agony. The scale swayed back and forth until finally the side with the heart began to lower beneath the feather.


    Anubis sneered in disdain towards Berengar as he was about to judge the man guilty and sentence him to oblivion. However, in the next moment, the feather plunged down to the bottom of the scale, while Berengar''s beating heart hung at the greatest height. It was at this moment that the ancient god of Death reacted with intense shock. He could not help but voice his disbelief.


    "Impossible! I know what you have done. I could see your memories the moment I grasped your heart. How is this possible? How do you feel no guilt?"


    At this moment, Berengar broke out intoughter, realizing that he had passed Anubis'' test. A feat that few men in history could possibly achieve. He rose to his feet in defiance and approached the ancient deity before ring at him with the utmost confidence.


    "Everything that I have ever done is for the sake of my people! Why would I feel guilt for that? Now give me back my heart, and release my men!"


    Anubis red at Berengar, snarling like amon beast as he did so. For nearly four thousand years, no man who had entered his divine domain and ever escaped. They had all had heavy hearts, and yet Berengar''s was lighter than a feather. It was truly remarkable. He could not help but question Berengar''s identity.


    "You wear the ring of Sol, but you stink of Odin. Has that old bastard in the north broken our agreement and summoned a champion? Hmmph, it matters not, you passed the first trial. If you seek the eye of Horus, you must undergo more than just one test. I will release your men and send them outside my Divine Domain, but you will remain here and fulfill the Trials of Anubis. If you fail, your soul will belong to me!"


    Berengar merely smiled when he heard this and nodded his head in agreement. There was a look of the utmost confidence in his eyes as he swore to be victorious.


    "I''ll ept your wager. However, when I am victorious, you must answer a few of my questions!"


    Anubis merely scoffed before snapping his fingers, revealing the horrified expressions on Berengar''s soldiers'' faces as they entered the same room as the kaiser, as if appearing from thin air. Before they could speak, the god of death lifted his scepter and cast them out of the tomb. After doing so, he spoke to Berengar once more before opening the next path for the man to follow.


    "They are lucky they have such a daring leader, for their hearts were not as light as yours. Are you sure you are willing to risk your soul for theirs?"


    It was now Berengar''s turn to scoff as he looked at Anubis with a look of contempt in his eyes before responding.


    "What kind of leader would I be if I left my men to suffer in eternal damnation, while I alone walked away with freedom? I will take your trials, and when I have finished them, I will walk out of here with my prize in hand!"


    After saying this, Berengar did not wait for a response and entered the path to the next trial that had been provided to him. When he was finally out of earshot, Anubis said one word before disappearing into the darkness.


    "Well said..."

 Chapter 850 Saving the Stranded Agents Part l

    Chapter 850 Saving the Stranded Agents Part l


    Colonel Andreas Ritter von Jaeger sat in the Joseon capital of Pyongyang within the royal pce across from its King. The two men were sharing tea, as they yed a game of Janggi while speaking about current events within the Koran penins. The King poured another cup for his guest before revealing information about his army.


    ? "I must thank you for thetest weapons that you have sold to us, or should I thank your Kaiser? The introduction of these so called G-25 bolt action rifles, Mg-25 Machine Guns, and 10cm K 25 Field Guns have made an enormous difference in the deterrence of the Japanese Empire.


    Though their weapons seem to be a bit better in design, we are now fully capable of defending our borders against them. Who knows, in time, when I have arge enough army trained and equipped with these new weapons, I might just make a push to reim my lost territory."


    Andreas smiled as he took a sip from the tea andplimented the man before advising against his thoughts.


    "I must say, we don''t have much of a culture of drinking tea in the reich, but this is truly excellent. I thank you for the hospitality you have shown me during my stay here in Pyongyang. However, I would advise against an assault on the South.


    The liberation of your people wille, but it might take a few years. I will have you know that the Reich is currently preparing for a long-term conflict with the Japanese. We eventually intend to invade the South in an attempt to wrest its control from the Japanese and return it to its rightful owner.


    When the timees, you will be able to push in from the North, while we strike in the heart of the South. However, in the meantime, I would advise you to be patient and to continue supplying the old weapons we gave you to the southern Gueris. The more pressure we put on the IJA, the better."


    After saying this, Andreas advanced one of his pieces at the expense of the Joseon King, causing him to scrunch his face in displeasure. After making a counterattack, he responded to the Colonel''s words.


    "I do not wish to wait here in Pyongyang while my people suffer in the south. However, I understand your perspective on the matter. Tell me something if you are permitted to do so. Why have you sold us such exquisite weapons? Surely, if we turned on your army, it could pose a threat?"


    In response to this, Andreas made one fell swoop on the board, and emerged victorious in their little board game, shocking the Joseon King, who immediately harrumphed in defeat. After winning their match, Andreas exined the exact reason Berengar sold them such advanced hardware.


    "The Kaiser has a vast stockpile of weapons we consider being obsolete, and while it is true that he would never sell such advanced hardware to the Kingdoms of Europe, the Kaiser has no ambitions for Northeast Asia, and therefore does not see you as a potential threat.


    Since he has no ns to conquer yournds, he would rather sell you the most expensive weapons he has avable so that he can profit off your war with Japan. Besides, with each bullet fired, you need to purchase another from the Reich, making your military entirely dependent on us. If you were to turn hostile against us for whatever reason, we could easily cut off the supply of munitions, essentially neutering your army."


    In response to this, the Joseon King chuckled and shook his head beforementing on Berengar''s personality.


    "Your Kaiser is very forward thinking. It would appear I have yed right into his hands, much like I have done yours in this game of Janggi. However, I can rest easy knowing he has no ambitions for mynds or that of my neighbors.


    Incidentally, there is a bit of a situation that I need you and your fellow Jagdkommandos to deal with. Unfortunately, at the moment, I do not have any soldiers who could possibly fulfill the task, and therefore, I must be indebted to you."


    Andreas raised his brow when he heard this, before interrogating the Joseon King on just what he wanted from Germany.


    "What exactly do you require of us?"


    The Joseon King quickly downed his tea before pouring himself another. After doing so, he sighed heavily while responding to Andreas''s question.


    "Unfortunately, several of my intelligence agents who have infiltrated the Japanese Military and recorded their crimes have been identified by the Kempeitai, and are being searched for as we speak.


    Though they have been able to throw their pursuers off thus far, I''m afraid the south is no longer safe for them. I need someone to go deep behind enemy lines, and ex filtrate them back up to my territory. So that I can rece them with other agents.


    I would send my own men, but none of them are quite well suited to the task. Since I know how capable your men are, I am afraid you are my only hope. After all, the intelligence they carry is just as valuable to you as it is to us. I promise you that you and your men will be handsomely rewarded upon your return."


    Andreas thought about the prospect for some time. It was a dangerous operation that could easily cause the deaths of the men he sent down south. However, the intelligence that was in the hands of the Joseon agents was invaluable and thus, he could only sigh in defeat before agreeing to the request.


    "I will dispatch a team to ex filtrate your agents. However, the payment better be worth it. I don''t want my men dying for nothing."


    The Joseon King smiled as he heard this before pping his hands. In a matter of moments, a young woman, no older than eighteen, rushed into the room and bowed respectfully to the Joseon King and his guest. She was dressed in a traditional hanbok, and had a face that appeared as if it were sculpted from white jade.


    Andreas did not show his astonishment on his face, but this young woman was by far the most beautiful he had evere across. Perhaps, the Kaiser''s wives were better looking, but there was a certain appeal to the petite jade skinned beauty that a proper German woman did not have. Or at least from his perspective.


    The veteran special operations soldier was already married to two women, a German girl from Thuringia, and a Nordic woman. Until now, he had felt satisfied with his current family. However, when the Joseon King introduced the Korean beauty, he felt utterlycking.


    "This is my niece, Tae Su-Min. She is currently in need of a husband. If your soldiersplete their task, she is yours, and I will provide a beauty of equal caliber to all of your men who return. I will also pay you each with ten taels of gold. What do you say? Is your reward satisfactory enough?"


    Andreas slowly nodded his head as he gazed at the foreign beauty, who smiled and bowed towards him. He slowly finished his tea in silence before responding to the Joseon King''s offer.


    "I will inform my soldiers to deploy at once. One way or another, your agents areing home."


    With this said, Andreas had made a decision to deploy his Jagdkommandos deep behind enemy lines in an attempt to rescue the exposed Joseon agents from General Shiba and his Kempeitai, who were ruthlessly hunting down the rats who had recorded their empire''s crimes.


    As for Berengar, when he found out that the man he had tasked with leading his Special Operations in Korea hade home with such a beautiful Korean wife, he would be quite envious. If there was one type of womancking from the Kaiser''s Imperial Harem, it was a jade skinned northeast Asian beauty. Something he would seek to rectify in the near future.

 Chapter 851 Boon of the Nine-Tailed Fox

    Chapter 851 Boon of the Nine-Tailed Fox


    While Berengar was in Egypt, undergoing the Trials of Anubis in an attempt to seize the eye of Horus for himself. Itami was back in her capital. She was currently walking through the streets in her imperial regalia.


    Though the Japanese Army had rapidly modernized into a fighting force on par with the armies of the Meiji Era from her past life. With some specialized units even having WWII era of weaponry. The Majority of her society was still feudal in nature. Not only did they wear the old style of clothing, but the peasant ss still existed.


    However, they no longer worked in the rice fields, or at least not the majority of them. But instead toiled away in factories on assembly lines to produce the newest era of weaponry. Since the days of her rebellion, Itami had perfected industrial technology, at least in a sense that was capable of using steam power. However, after she became Shogun, andter the Empress, she spent much time expanding these factories across the country.


    Themon people of the city passed her by, bowing respectfully to the Empress when they saw her. Though their living conditions and pay were nowhere near equal to that of themon citizens of Germany, they were just happy to have food in their bellies, and stable employment.


    While Heian-kyo was a major industrial city, producing much of the arms that went into the military, it was not the major shipyard. Even though some vessels were constructed in the capital, the majority of the new warships were being constructed in the cities of Osaka and Nagoya.


    In the city of Osaka, Itami''s shipyards were currently creating the newest generation of warships. Though she had designedrge steel-hulled vessels with powerful guns, she was still working on the technology behind Radar, radimunications, among other devices required to effectively wield these ships in battle.


    Unlike Berengar, Itami was not born with an incredibly gifted memory, and because of that, much of which she had learned in her past life, was rather fuzzy. Thus, she was currently taking a break, trying to get her memory to boot up like an oldputer, so that she could properly remember the critical advancements in her old life.


    While Itami was walking on the streets of her capital city, a pale white fox approached her. Which she quickly called out to in a friendly tone in an attempt to pet its silky fur.


    "Aren''t you a little cutie? Are you lost by any chance?"


    The Fox smiled and wagged its fluffy tail as Itami petted its head. However, in the next moment, it bit onto her sleeve and tried to drag her somewhere. Itami realized that the lovely little creature wanted her to follow it, and she quickly smiled before nodding her head in agreement.


    "You want to show me something? Very well, lead the way!"


    Once the pale white fox had seen that Itami was being obedient, it let go of her sleeve and pranced off into the distance. Where Itami chased after it. Eventually, the dynamic duo ended up in the foothills below a shrine on the edge of the city. However, to her surprise, the entire area was shrouded in a dense fog. She could not even see a few feet in front of her, causing her to lose track of the little creature.


    "Little fox, where have you gone?"


    Itami continued to climb the steps, albeit with some difficulty considering she could not see far ahead of her, until finally she reached level ground. In that moment, the mist dispersed to reveal a shrine that was inhabited solely by little white foxes.


    The young Empress gazed around her in shock at what she was seeing. There were no shrine maidens, nor any priests. Only a horde of small critters which gazed upon her with curiosity in their eyes. Perhaps because she was in such an unfamiliar position, Itami felt a sense of dread in her heart, and had taken a step backwards before voicing her intent to flee.


    "Okay... I''m sorry to disappoint you, but I think I forgot something back home. I will just be going now!"


    However, the moment she turned around, she came face to face with a mature albino beauty. The woman was taller than Itami and sported an even more curvy figure with an oundish bust. Her white and red kimono could not fully conceal her massive breasts, and because of that, ample cleavage was on full disy.


    However, this was not the most noticeable feature of the beautiful albino woman, instead it was the fact that she had long-white fox ears on top of her human head, as well as nine matching tails behind her. Before Itami could properly freak out over what she was seeing, the nine-tailed fox spoke in a sultry voice while grasping the Empress''s dainty chin with her slender fingers.


    "I have been waiting for you, Itami Riyo, or should I say Mizuno Ai..."


    This sudden revtion that this strange woman knew of Itami''s past life, as well as thebination of her fox like features, nearly made Itami pass out. She quivered as she struggled to find the words to express her thoughts.


    "Who... Who-"


    Before she could finish her question, the Nine-tailed fox smiled seductively before leaning over and whispering in Itami''s porcin ears.


    "Who am I? I am Inari ��kami, and I know all about you... Come inside, we have much to discuss."


    Itami was having difficulty believing her ears, and gazed in awe at the woman''s ample bottom as her hips swayed with every movement she made towards the shrine. Though the empress wanted nothing more than to flee at that moment, somethingpelled her to follow after the woman iming to be a goddess.


    Upon entering the shrine, Inari sat down at the table, while her foxes scurried about and prepared some tea for her and her guest. Itami merely gazed in awe at the nine-tailed-fox as she sat down across from her. The two remained silent until the tea was served by a particrly energetic young fox. While Inari took a sip from her teacup, Itami still gazed in astonishment before asking the immediate question on her mind.


    "How-"


    However, yet again, Inari beat her to the punch, and voiced the same question Itami had within her own thoughts aloud, followed by her answer.


    "You are wondering how this is all possible? There are things you don''t know about this world, things lurking in the shadows. This is my divine domain, and it is separate from the mortal ne. What, you did not think you reincarnated into this world, because that''s just what happens when you die, did you?


    The goddess Amaterasu gave you a second life and brought into this world for a single purpose: to be shogun. And yet you have repaid her kindness by ughtering her descendents, the imperial family. The rest of the Kami have forsaken you because of this, but we dwell in the same city, and I have watched your actions very carefully through the eyes of my many little pets.


    First you butchered the Imperial Family, iming the title of Empress for yourself. Then you armed a madman and his army with your greatest weapons, allowing them to cause untold suffering across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.


    In doing so, you have provoked the wrath of Odin''s champion, a man far more capable than yourself. A man you were brought into this world to negotiate with, and ensure the survival of our religion.


    After provoking the might of the German Empire, you invaded Korea, and somehow botched that as well. Just how the hell did you manage to screw up so badly that you now only have half of the penins under your control? And for what, so you can build your navies to challenge the Reich on the seas?


    You should really stop calling yourself the war goddess. It is insulting to Hachiman, for you are nowhere near his equal. To put it simply, you have fucked up so badly that now I am forced to intervene on your behalf."


    Before Itami could even defend herself or her actions, Inari reached over and grabbed her chin with her delicate hands, before nting a kiss on the young empress''s forehead. The moment she did so, Itami felt as if the shadows of her memories were cast away, revealing every memory she had ever had from her past life, and her current one.


    As if overwhelmed by what she was seeing, Itami broke out into tears, while Inari removed her lips from the girl''s forehead before sitting back down and finishing her tea. With a confident expression on her cheery red lips, the Nine-tailed fox exined what she had done to the young empress.


    "I have given you my boon, and in doing so, cleared up your memories. Now you can rival Odin''s chosen and hopefully lead your people to a fate that is not one of destruction and servitude. This will be the first andst time we meet until you fix the mess that you have caused!


    Onest thing, before I send you away, you should really look into those ancient relics that you have inherited from the previous dynasty. They might be of some use to you. Goodbye Itami Riyo, and may we meet again under better circumstances."


    After hearing this, Itami woke up on her futon, gazing around her room in shock, wondering if what she had seen was truly reality. Though in the next moment she searched her memories, which were far more clear, as if she were simply pulling up the information stored within her mind like it was from a website. With this, she knew that everything she had seen and heard was in fact real.


    Itami sighed heavily before climbing out of bed and heading over to her desk. She uttered a single phrase before opening her notebook, where she proceeded to write down the blueprints for the technology that effortlessly came to her mind.


    "It''s time to get to work!"

 Chapter 852 The Eye of Horus Part lll

    Chapter 852 The Eye of Horus Part lll


    Berengar stood in the chamber of the next trial. He stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. In the dimly lit corridor was a bridge. However, the middle section was broken, leaving a giant gap between the two sides.


    Within this gap was a darkness. However, it was not like the dark miasma which sought to consume him upon entering the tomb, instead; it was filled with starlight. As if the cosmos themselves would devour him should he fail to pass the obstacle.


    Berengar gazed upon his surroundings, looking for some way to pass through the gap. However, the more he inspected the bridge, the more he knew it was a physical impossibility for him to jump over the gap. Nor were there any other obstacles or resources for him to utilize so that he reach the other side.


    The voice of Anubis cackled in the distance, as the god of death watched the man attempt to ovee the obstacle.


    "Go ahead and silently observe your surroundings. You have all the time in the universe. Either way, you will never guess the answer to this bridge. As Berengar inspected the broken path, he quickly noticed a discernable pattern in the stars.


    As if they were foreign constetions, unobservable from Earth. Upon closer inspection of these constetions, Berengar realized one of them was within leaping distance. He took a deep breath before silently muttering his thoughts.


    "You only live once..."


    After saying this, he jumped towards the first constetion, narrowly missing it with his feet. As he almost fell into the dark abyss of the cosmos, he reached up and grabbed onto the edge of the constetion, which quickly turned into a glowing tform.


    Despite the tens of pounds of equipment on his body, Berengar used all the strength in his body to pull himself up on top of the illuminated tform. Where he heard the voice of Anubis call out to him once more.


    "Well well.. consider me impressed. I did not think Odin''s champion would know the ancient constetions of my people."


    Berengar merely smirked before jumping about five feet into the air and grabbing onto the next constetion, which turned into a monkey bar, rather than a tform. As he gripped onto the glowing bar, he began to swing in circles like a gymnast, gaining enough force tounch himself onto the next constetion.


    The constetion turned onto another tform. However; it did not give him much time to think as it quickly began to fade away beneath his feet. Berengar had yed enough tformer video games in his past life to know that this constetion beneath his feet was one of the three second tforms, and thus he quickly jumped into the air once more, andnded on a constetion that was moving horizontally across the section of the bridge''s gap.


    From here, it was a matter of waiting until the constetion lined up with the other side of the bridge, which he timed perfectly before stepping onto the sandstone flooring with a confident smirk on his face.


    "Is that all you''ve got?"


    Berengar could hear the bestial snarls of the jackal headed god as he forcibly opened the doorway to the chamber of the next trial. This only caused the Kaiser tough as he proceeded down the path and into arge clearing.


    If the first trial was one that judged his character, and the second trial was one that judged both his agility and perception, then the third trial was a judgement of his intellect. Lying in a small room between Berengar and the next entrance was a living Sphinx.


    The creature had the face and upper body of a woman, the lower body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. It gazed at the Emperor of Germany curiously beforemunicating telepathically with the man.


    "It has been over four millennia since I havest had a proper meal. However, I am bound by the rules of the gods, and can only eat the flesh from your bones if you fail my riddle. Answer it correctly, and I will allow you to safely pass to the next trial."


    Berengar could only smile and nod his head in agreement with these questions. In his past life, he hadmonly posed and answered riddles with Mizuno Ai as a way topete against one another at lunch. He was already ustomed to the majority of difficult riddles, and knew their answers by heart. Thus, he fiercely gazed upon the sphinx before giving her an answer.


    "Go ahead and ask your riddle. I am not afraid..."


    In response to this, the Sphinx''s expression fouled, and it raised to its feet, before approaching Berengar and sniffing him. She could immediately tell there was a supernatural presence around his body, and thus greatly desired to dine upon his flesh. After thinking about it for some time, she posed the question to him.


    "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but Ie alive with wind. What am I?"


    Berengar thought about the riddle for the briefest of seconds before answering the Sphinx with a shit-eating grin on his face.


    "An Echo..."


    The creature''s expression immediately became grave. It was Furious that the man had solved its riddle without even thinking about it. The fierce beast was about to bite Berengar''s head off when the familiar voice belonging to the god of death called out to it.


    "That is enough, Shani. He has solved your riddle. Let him pass!"


    The Sphinx could only cower under the might of Anubis, and quickly allowed Berengar to pass through its chamber and into the final trial. Upon gaining entry into the next room, Berengar gazed around him with a sense of wonder. The final trial was held within arge treasury, filled to the brim with gold, silver,piszuli, and any number of luxuries from the ancient world.


    Despite the temptation, Berengar did not grasp hold of a single object, and instead made his way to the center of the vault, where a small golden chesty in the center. Berengar closely inspected the container and noticed that there was notch to open it, only a spherical slot designed to contain something. Though he did not know what. Before he could ascertain what would open it, the familiar voice of Anubis called out to him.


    "You have passed the Trial of Judgement, the Trial of Perception, and the Trial of Logic. Now all that remains is the trial of Sacrifice. To gain the power of the eye of Horus, one must first blind themselves by carving out one of their eyes and cing it within the designated slot. Only then will the chest open to reveal your prize. So tell me Champion of Odin, do you have the determination it takes to gain that which you seek?"


    Berengar immediately noticed two objects near the chest. One was a small dagger with a golden hilt, and the other was a hand mirror. Upon realizing what these things were for, he broke out into a fit ofughter. This deeply confused the God of death, who immediately asked why the man wasughing.


    "What is so funny? Do you not know the severity of this trial? One wrong move, and you will end your life with your own hand!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar finally calmed down before asking a question of his own.


    "Tell me this Anubis, if I were to rece my missing eye with the eye of Horus, would I regain the ability to see?"


    This question confused Anubis, who did not even think why such a thing would matterpared to the power that was gained from the divine artifact. He simply responded in a natural tone to the Kaiser''s question.


    "Of course! Though you will gain a very powerful ability on top of that!"


    Berengar unfastened his belt and ced it into his mouth as he gritted his teeth, while bracing for the uing pain. Without a second of hesitation he unsheathed the nearby dagger without, and began to dig the de into his right eye socket, slowly, but precisely carving out his already blinded eye, that he had lost the use of in a battle with his brother over a decade ago.


    It was an incredibly painful process, and Berengar thought more than once that he would ck out, but in the end, he perfectly severed his eye from its socket. Where he carefully ced it into the lock of the golden chest, which caused the container began to glow.


    Even Anubis was amazed at how recklessly Berengar hadpleted the trial and called out to him with a hint of surprise in his voice, trying to understand the madness thatpelled Berengar to take such a dangerous action.


    "Without a second thought, you would carve out your own eye in pursuit of power? Perhaps you are truly worthy of this divine artifact, after all.


    Berengar stood over the glowing chest, which grew brighter with each second that passed before mocking the god of death for his ignorance.


    "I did not hesitate because I have had to endure blindness in my right eye for thest ten years. The simple fact that this divine artifact will allow me to recover my sense of sight is enough for me to maim myself!"


    Blood poured from Berengar''s empty eye socket as the chest burst open to reveal a small crystal sphere whose color was gold. This sphere was the size of a human eye, and Berengar could tell with a single nce that it was inspecting him. Without any further hesitation, Berengar reached into the container and pulled out the golden sphere before cing it into his mutted eye socket.


    The moment he did so, he felt a searing pain, as if the eye of Horus was burning his brain with its divine light. Berengar struggled to contain the urge to scream as the holy artifact fused with flesh, before forming into a proper eye.


    Once the pain had subsided, Berengar fell to his knees in exhaustion. It took him a few moments to recover from the physical and mental anguish he had just endured. However, immediately upon opening his eyes, he could see that his vision had returned to him.


    Berengar immediately grabbed hold of the nearby mirror and gazed upon his own reflection. The Kaiser noticed that his right eye looked like any other human eye except for that fact that it had a golden iris, and that the scar from his previous battle remained upon his eyelids.


    Berengar gazed over towards Anubis, about to ask the man just what had happened, when he saw that there was a golden aura around the god of death, as well as a smirk on his face. The confusion on the Kaiser''s face gave away his thoughts, causing the jackal tough at him for his ignorance.


    "What you are currently seeing is my divine aura. The more radiant a deity''s aura, the more powerful they are. It works on humans as well. The color of a human''s aura depends on their feelings towards you.


    Thus, you will always be able to tell how someone really feels towards you despite what they might say. A word of caution: if you ever see a ck aura, you should run. It symbolizes murderous intent."


    Anubis spent the next thirty minutes exining to Berengar the properties of the Eye of Horus. Afterward, he would live up to his promise to answer Berengar''s questions revolving the gods of this world, and their supernatural abilities.

 Chapter 853 Trolling Yahweh

    Chapter 853 Trolling Yahweh


    Berengar admired his own appearance in the mirror, as if he had be a character straight out of an anime. He now had a condition known as heterochromia, meaning his two eyes had separate colors. One was a deep sapphire, as if it were carved out of the gemstone itself. The other was a beautiful yellow gold. Though his eye itself no longer had a scar upon its flesh, the mark of his old injury was still on his eyelids. Giving him a distinctive appearance.


    Anubis red at the kaiser in silence, as the man shamelessly inspected his own appearance for longer than any man naturally should. After nearly five minutes, he could not sit back and wait any longer.


    "Hurry up and ask your questions, mortal. Though you have passed my trials and earned my respect, I do not have all of eternity to wait for you!"


    Berengar was instantly reminded of his reason for staying within the tomb, and dropped the mirror by his side, without a single thought to its durability. The expression on the Jackal headed god''s face as the ancient artifact shattered into pieces on the ground was priceless from Berengar''s perspective. Ultimately, Berengar did not allow the God of death to scold him as he asked the first question on his mind.


    "I suppose the first question on my mind is how exactly did you, the Egyptian God of Death,e to guard the eye of Horus?"


    Anubis looked at Berengar as if the man was wasting his time before questioning his intentions.


    "Do you honestly care the slightest about how I became the guardian of this divine artifact?"


    Berengar merely shrugged his shoulders and answered the question honestly.


    "I mean, I''ve got time, so let''s hear it."


    Anubis sighed heavily and ced his forehead in the palm of his hand before exining theplex origin of how he hade to guard the eye of Horus.


    "In ancient times, before the pyramids were even built, the god Set betrayed his nephew Horus in a bid for power. The two deities fought a ferocious battle where Horus lost an eye. After emerging victorious, Horus had imbued his severed eye with his divine power, turning it into an artifact which he bestowed upon his descendent. So that he would never suffer the same fate.


    The eye of Horus passed through the lineage of Kings for several generations without incident. However, in the end, thest Pharaoh to hold on to the divine artifact had taken it with him to the afterlife. Where he revealed to me that he had done so, because each of his sessors had conspired to kill him.


    I reached a deal with this Pharaoh and swore that I would hold on to the eye of Horus until someone worthy had appeared within the world to im it. Nearly four thousand years have passed since then, and until today, nobody had even passed the first trial.


    So imagine my shock, when a foreigner invades my tomb long after our religion had died out, and ims the artifact for himself. However, I doubt you came all this way for a history lesson. So let''s get onto the more important questions already."


    Berengar nodded his head in understanding of the deep lore behind this divine artifact. After hearing what Anubis had to say, he instantly became curious about something in particr, and was quick to inquire further about it.


    "You said you made a deal with this Pharaoh? Is it possible for you to make one with me?"


    Anubis red at Berengar with suspicion in his eyes. The price of a deal with a god of the underworld was noughing matter. Thus, he could not help but be curious about what the mortal man had in mind.


    "I''m listening..."


    Upon hearing that the Jackal headed god was interested in his proposal, Berengar did not hesitate to ask the question on his mind.


    "I have a bit of a problem on my hands. Though I am freed from eternal damnation due to the actions of a certain goddess of the underworld, my family will end up suffering for my actions. After all, I have crippled the power of the Abrahamic God, and since he can''t get revenge on me personally, I fear he will take it out on my family in the afterlife.


    What if I were to tell you that within the next ten years, thesends will fall into the control of one of my sons, and that I can influence him to restore the old religion of Egypt? It won''t be easy, but after several generations of friendly emperors, the power of your pantheon will return to you all.


    In exchange for this, you will remove the seals from my family''s souls and allow them to go to an afterlife of my choosing. What do you say? Are you interested?"


    Anubis thought about this prospect for several moments. If the people of Egypt turned away from their Abrahamic religion, and returned to the old faith of their ancestors, it would indeed create a river of power and influence for the Egyptian Pantheon to take advantage of.


    As of right now, there were few if, any, believers left in the world, and because of this, the egyptian gods were constantly draining away at the power they had conserved for centuries. Sooner orter, they would be useless, not even able to sustain their divine domains within the mortal realm.


    Thus, after ample consideration, Anubis called forth his staff and mmed it into the ground, where a dark miasma spread forth. After Berengar gazed into the abyss for some time, it dispersed, where the jackal headed god made a fierce promation.


    "the Abrahamic God''s ims over your lineage have forever been removed. You could even baptise your children, and he would gain nothing from it. However, I have exerted quite a bit of power in order to achieve this. Thus, you must swear to me that you will fulfill your end of the bargain. If you do not, your soul will belong to me, and I will devour it to restore that which you have taken from me!"


    An excited grin appeared on Berengar''s face as he asked for further rification.


    "What about my wives and my mistresses?"


    In response to this, Anubis snarled before rifying the extent of how much divine energy he had expended.


    "Any woman who conceives your child, or a child of a man belonging to your lineage, will be exempt from the im of any other deities. Now that you understand the price that I have paid. Answer one of my questions for me, will you?"


    Berengar grinned and nodded his head. After what Anubis had just done for him and his family, he was more than happy to answer some of the god''s questions.


    "I''m an open book feel free to ask."


    Anubis red at Berengar in silence for several moments before asking the question on his mind.


    "In your past life, did you worship the Germanic gods?"


    Berengar shook his head before answering this.


    "No, I was an Atheist. Why is that important?"


    Anubis rested his chin in his hand as he gazed upon Berengar with a more interested light.


    "Curious... You may not be aware of this, but there is an ancient pact among the world''s various deities not to interfere in the world directly. At least not in any serious capacity. Though champions were chosen in the past to fulfill certain objectives, they were never wielded with the intent to change the bnce of power that exists between the various gods of this world.


    By summoning you, a man from the future of an alternate world, Odin has spit in the face of this pact, and has undoubtedly used up most of his energy. If he were to bring a capable believer into this world to restore his religion, then that would make sense.


    However, you were an atheist in your past life. The only reason I can possibly think of as to why the All-father of the Germanic pantheon would summon you to this world is because he was severely pissed off at the Abrahamic god, and wanted a champion that would disrupt his power."


    Berengar was dumbfounded at this logic and for several moments he stood in silence before asking the immediate question that came to mind.


    "You''re telling me that I was brought into this world so that Odin could troll Yahweh?"


    Anubis merely looked upon Berengar with a curious glint in his eyes before answering his question.


    "I have no idea what that means, but judging from the context of your statement, I would say yes."


    Berengar could only chuckle and shake his head in response to this. It was as if the two deities were in a heated shootout on some multiyer FPS, and Odin pulled out a hack for the sole reason to piss off his opponent, because he knew that he was already too far behind to possibly win.


    When the Kaiser thought about the disputes between various deities as such aughable scenario, he could only chuckle at his fate and ept his lot in life. As for Anubis, he had no idea why Berengar found the whole scenario to be so funny. However, as long as the man lived up to his end of the bargain, he did not care.

 Chapter 854 One Last Question...

    Chapter 854 One Last Question...


    Light shone through the darkness within the divine domain that belonged to the ancient egyptian god of the underworld. The Jackal headed god, and the German Monarch stood beside one another in silence as they gazed towards the entrance of the pyramid, which acted as the barrier to the heavenly realm. With a heavy sigh, Berengar revealed that the time for his departure hade.


    "I must say, this was a more pleasant experience than thest deity I came into contact with, but I''m afraid I have much work to do, and am thus forced to leave you behind. Before I go, I just have onest question, if you don''t mind answering?"


    Anubis gazed down at the mortal man standing by his side. Though Berengar was tall for a human being, whenpared to the ancient deity, he was but a child in stature. Perhaps the jackal-headed god would have found this truth to be amusing in the past, but Berengar had clearly shown that he was capable for a mortal, and for that, Anubis had nothing but respect for the man. Thus, it came as no surprise when he nodded his head in agreement.


    "Very well. I suppose I owe you at least this much. Ask away, and if it is within my power to answer, I shall tell you."


    Upon seeing that Anubis had agreed to his request, Berengar did not hesitate to ask the question that had been burning a hole in his mind for some time now.


    "What do you know about the other? The other reincarnator, that is. I don''t expect you to know much, but based upon my experiences with deities, you all seem to have some form ofmunication with each other."


    It slightly surprised Anubis when he heard this question. He could only scoff in disbelief. Ever since Berengar had first step foot into his divine domain, the man had constantly shocked him with his performance and knowledge. When the jackal-headed god actually thought about it, it was not surprising that Berengar knew about Itami.


    However, this put Anubis in a difficult spot, for starters he did not know much about Itami to begin with, but even if he did, it wasn''t his ce to inform a mortal about her existence, thus he tried his best to figure out just how much Berengar knew about this topic before answering.


    "I will answer this question to the best of my ability on one condition. You must first tell me what you know of the woman?"


    Unknowingly, Anubis gave Berengar a huge hint. Though Itami Riyo ruled over the Empire of Japan in this timeline, Berengar had no concrete proof that she herself was the reincarnator. In fact, he had considered the possibility that she was a mere puppet for his actual rival. Thus, he deliberately responded to Anubis'' question in a vague manner.


    "I don''t know much. What I can tell you is that seemingly out of nowhere, an Empire has risen on the other side of the world that should not exist in this time period. Normally I would consider this a minor difference in this world from the one I came from. However, this Empire has ess to technology that nobody in this world possesses besides myself.


    I also know that this reincarnator presents a threat to my Empire, and the Dynasty which I have built. They have challenged me in India, an action I am still preparing to respond to. Needless to say, if she wins in the uing war between us, I won''t be able to fulfill my promise. Thus, it is in both of our best interests to cooperate and share our knowledge on thismon enemy."


    Berengar had put the Anubis into a figurative checkmate. By exposing the fact that Itami posed a genuine threat to the deal that they had just made, he forced Anubis to reveal information he would not otherwise leak. In fact, Berengar could even witness the frustration on Anubis''s jackal-like face as the God wrestled with the fact that a mere mortal had yed him. After a fierce roar, Anubis broke down and revealed everything he knew to Berengar.


    "You unscrupulous cunt. I have to admit that I severely underestimated you and your ability to manipte others. I will suffer this loss just once. If anyone daresin, I will simply put the me on Odin and those Japanese bastards for throwing all of our conventions out the window in the first ce!


    In truth, I honestly don''t know much about the girl. What I know is that the gods who have brought her into this world have likely abandoned her. Those of us who have mortal descendents often go through great lengths to protect them, and this little bitch ughtered Amaterasu''s divine lineage before naming herself Empress.


    So, at the very least, you can rest easy knowing that divine intervention in your little conflict will not happen. Aside from that, there areints she is too stubborn and prideful. So much so that she refuses to get married until a man defeats her on the battlefield.


    Which is a shame, because the way the Japanese gods speak of her, you would think she was the incarnation of physical beauty. More than one of those cunts wants to create a little Demi-god with her."


    While Berengar was initially content with just hearing this information, he immediately thought of something upon hearing the conclusion to Anubis''s statement, and was quick to inquire about it


    "You mean to tell me that Demi-gods are an actual thing?"


    Anubis did not fully understand Berengar''s intent behind this question and, thus, quickly nodded his head before speaking further about the topic.


    "Of course they are a thing, not so much anymore. However, in the past, it was not umon for gods to choose the most beautiful mortal women for a one-night stand. Sometimes those encounters resulted in a pregnancy. However, after the whole debacle with the Abrahamic God''s son, there was a tacit understanding between the various pantheons that it was best not to risk such a thing.


    So don''t worry, those Japanese bastards may have broken the rules by bringing this woman into the world, but I doubt they would go so far as to create an actual Demi-god with her, even if they might desire to."


    Berengar thought about this and nodded his head several times. He had encountered more than one beautiful goddess since he reincarnated into this world. Though he had thought about sleeping with some of them. He never actually considered the possibility of fathering a Demi-god. Thus, before departing from Anubis'' divine domain, Berengar decided to have onest joke at the deity''s expense.


    "I see... So, can you introduce me to Hathor by any chance?"


    This question baffled Anubis. Not understanding Berengar''s intent behind it, he tried to exin, logically, and rationally, why such an encounter was unlikely.


    "I''m sorry, but she is in a worse state than I am at the moment. As a god of the underworld, I still have ess to the souls of our believers, and can thus gain power from them. A goddess of beauty and fertility who is no longer worshiped is like a wilting flower. I doubt she has the strength to see you. Besides, why would you want to meet a goddess of beauty when you-"


    It was at this moment that Anubis put two and two together, and realized that Berengar was asking the jackal headed god to hook him up with some divine pussy. His expression was priceless, so much so that Berengar almost couldn''t contain hisughter. In the end, Anubis cast Berengar out of the tomb in a fit of fury, not willing to entertain his shenanigans any longer.


    Before Berengar could even apologize for making such a shameful request, he found himself standing on the other end of the entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza, behind his soldiers who were preparing to st the entry way open with a massive supply of TNT. Adelbrand was screaming at the entranceway as loud as he could while he stacked the TNT around the doorway, hoping that Berengar could hear him within the tomb.


    "Don''t worry Berengar, I''ming to get you! I won''t let you die alone in there!"


    When Berengar saw how desperate his jaegers were, he couldn''t help himself but to break out inughter.


    "What the fuck are you stupid cunts doing? Do you really think TNT is going to break down the barrier to a divine domain?"


    Upon hearing these harsh words, and the sound ofughtere from behind them, Adelbrand, along with the German Jaegers, gazed in shock at their Kaiser. The first thing that was notable about his appearance was theck of his signature eyepatch, instead the man now had a golden eye in ce of his previously blind one.


    Adelbrand rushed over to Berengar and grabbed onto his face, without any thoughts towards his actions, as he closely observed the brand new golden iris before questioning if the man was really standing in front of him.


    "Berengar? My Kaiser, is it really you?"


    Berengar responded to this incident with a frown on his handsome face, before pushing his Field Marshal away rather violently.


    "Yes, it''s me, you dumbass. Who the hell gave you permission to touch my face, anyway?"


    Though it felt like hours had passed to Berengar as he fulfilled the Trials of Anubis and imed his prize. In the mortal world, only a few minutes had urred since the party was separated. Long enough for them to stack TNT in a desperate attempt to force their way back into the divine domain of the egyptian god of the underworld. Thus, they could only stand in disbelief at the sight of their Kaiser, returned to them, and in better condition than before.

 Chapter 855 The Light of God

    Chapter 855 The Light of God


    Roughly eight hours had passed since Berengar first exited the Great Pyramid of Giza, and he had spent most of that time on the ne back to Kufstein. During his flight, he exined in great detail what he had witnessed within the depths of the tomb. So much so that Adelbrand and his men never would have believed him had they not seen the egyptian god of death themselves.


    Berengar forced the men to take a strict vow of silence on what they had seen. They could not even inform their families about it. If the truth about the existence of all religions spread across the Reich, it would cause a serious disruption to his society as a whole. Thus, only a select few were entrusted with such a level of security clearance.


    Uponnding in Kufstein''s air field, Adelbrand practically fell to the ground and kissed the dirt beneath his feet. He was immensely happy that they did not AirDrop into the city like they did in Cairo. Berengar, on the other hand, was as calm as usual as he ced his hand on Adelbrand''s shoulder and informed him of his newest task..


    "Take the next two weeks off and get ustomed to the life in the Reich. The train will take you to Salzberg, where you can enjoy the wealth of your family''s estate. You have more than earned a break, my friend. I will summon you when I require your assistance. Until we meet again..."


    Upon hearing this, Adelbrand saluted his Kaiser, who responded in kind, before the two men departed via separate methods. Berengar would take a car to his pce, where he would regroup with his family. Meanwhile, Adelbrand would take a bus to the train station before heading home via the national railway.


    Berengar rxed in the back of his car, which was driven by a member of his leibgarde. He enjoyed the sights of the city of Kufstein, which had undergone monumental changes over the past decade. From a small medieval farming town to a thriving metropolis straight out of the roaring twenties, the city of Kufstein was without a doubt the greatest city in the world.


    Eventually Berengar''s car reached his pce, where before he could even fully step foot into the building, the redheaded beauty that was his favorite wife assaulted him. Linde gazed upon Berengar with a loving expression, as she stuffed his head into her substantial bust.


    Though travel was much faster in this era of flight, it did not mean that Linde was not worried about her soulmate''s very survival. After all, she knew all about the dangerous missions to the Great Pyramid of Giza, and thus, had been drinking topensate for her woes.


    Berengar could smell the booze on the woman''s breath, as she kissed him passionately, entirely unaware of the major change that his appearance had undergone. Ultimately, Linde released her grip and smiled, before slowly shifting into a state of shock. It was at this moment; she noticed the golden iris of Berengar''s right eye, and quickly grabbed hold of his face, worried for the man''s safety.


    "Oh my god, what happened? Why is your eye gold? Don''t tell me the eye of Horus fused with your own? Are there side effects? Did you have to pay a certain price? Please tell me everything is fine!"


    Linde, as intelligent as was, quickly guessed what might have happened to her man while he was away, causing Berengar to chuckle and hold her tightly in an attempt to calm her down.


    "Rx, I''m fine. In fact, I''m better than ever. My sight has returned to me. Nevermind the details, after twelve years, I can once more gaze upon your beauty with two eyes instead of one. There is nothing to worry about."


    Like a dog who had received praise from her master, Linde immediately became obedient as she nuzzled her head into her husband''s broad chest. It was at this moment Berengar activated the effects of his newfound treasure, in an attempt to see how the woman he loved truly felt in this moment.


    Upon seeing such an overwhelming pink aura, Berengar had nearly vomited. Even the radiant gold light of Anubis''s divine aura failed topare to what he was seeing right now. As if the aura of her love was a nuclear fusion reactor, it hadpletely illuminated the pce with a glowing neon light. So much so that Berengar temporarily went blind once more, as he struggled to deactivate the divine artifact''s affect.


    Once his sight had returned to him, Berengar gazed at Linde with a hint of concern on his face. What he had witnessed was too much love for one man to possibly handle on his own. Just how the hell did she think of him? He began to feel a bit concerned that perhaps he was failing to live up to Linde''s expectations when the woman grabbed hold of his hand and asked him what was wrong with him.


    "Is everything alright? You look a little spooked?"


    Berengar shook his head in disbelief beforeing back to reality. Obviously, he could not tell the woman that the sheer volume of her love had frightened him. Instead, he just sighed in defeat, realizing that perhaps it was a good thing she loved him so much.


    After all, should Linde ever turn on him, she would easily be the most frightening enemy he would have to face. Thus, after taking a deep breath, he patted the woman on the head, before assuring her that everything was fine.


    "Everything is fine, my love. I was just a little overwhelmed by the stench of booze. You have been drinking, haven''t you?"


    Linde looked away in shame at this moment. She had indeed been drinking. After all, it was the only thing that could calm her nerves when she thought about the precarious situation her man had once again put himself in. She was ready to receive a scolding, but instead Berengar shocked her by wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.


    "Thank you for always worrying about me. I promise you, I won''t do anything to get myself killed. Besides, I couldn''t leave you all alone to raise our five kids by yourself. After all, Bruno was just born recently. Who would be his father if I were to perish in some forgotten tomb?"


    Before Linde could respond to hisments, Yasmin walked down the stairs and noticed Berengar''s return. Though she did not know what perilous journey he had gone on, she could tell that something serious had happened now that his right eye was golden. The Moorish Princess immediately yelped in shock, which alerted the entire Pce to Berengar''s return.


    "Oh, my goodness! What happened to your eye?"


    Before long, Berengar''s other women scurried into the entryway of the Pce, along with several of his children as they gazed upon the man''s strange appearance. Berengar was struggling to exin how he hade to possess a new eye when Veronika stumbled in and stiffened on the spot.


    Unlike Berengar, the Bohemian Princess was born with heterochromia. Because of this, she had suffered dearly early in her life. To see the man who had saved her from her family''s abuse suddenly share the same curse as her.


    It was too much for the young woman to handle, and she instantly broke out into tears. Upon seeing this, Berengar felt the need toe up with some form of excuse, and he suddenly exined his condition as a miracle from God.


    "Everybody, make no mistake, I am perfectly fine. In fact, I am better than fine. The lord God almighty has restored my sight to me. I was in the holynd, saying my prayers to Christ at Golgotha, when all of a sudden a golden light enveloped me. In that brief moment, I felt a divine warmth soothe my wounded eye and when it finally vanished, I could see again!


    After nearly twelve years of blindness, my sight has returned to me. It is truly a miracle. I can not exin why the eye color is different from before, but all I know is that for the first time in my entire life, I can now gaze upon my beloved family with two eyes. So do not fret, for this is the will of God."


    If Hans were here to witness his father''s shameful preaching, he would have merely scoffed at the notion that divine intervention healed his father, and instead assumed that the man was hiding things like usual. However, the majority of his family chose to believe his words, and gathered around to hug the head of their house, who had been healed by the lord himself.


    This would be the same lie that Berengar peddled to the public about his sudden transformation, further strengthening the idea that he was a man chosen by God. Clearly, the eye was golden because it contained the light of God. Or so the people would think.


    Incidentally, this bit of propaganda would cause some less educated people to forget their prejudice toward Heterochromia people, something Veronika had suffered through, even during her school life.


    As for Linde, she could only shake her head in disbelief before muttering a single phrase under her breath. Even she found the propaganda that Berengar had thought up of on the top of his head to be a bit too shameless.


    "Your ability to bullshit your way through life never ceases to amaze me..."

 Chapter 856 Stumbling Upon Divine lnspiration

    Chapter 856 Stumbling Upon Divine lnspiration


    While Berengar was returning home from his journey to the Great Pyramid of Giza. Itami was busy hiding away within her own quarters in a state of total depression. Inari''s boon had cleared her mind up, allowing the young empress to have many memories of her past life that she hadpletely forgotten until now.


    Sitting on Itami''s desk were blueprints, chemical equations, and educational materials for subjects that had faded from her mind over the years. As well as three divine artifacts that she had been experimenting with over the past six hours.


    Yet currently the woman was sprawled naked on her bed, with a bottle of sake in her hand. Her crimson eyes red up at the ceiling of her quarters as she thought about all that had happened in her past life. A very vivid image of the only man she had ever truly loved yed in her mind.


    Julian was a stubborn and arrogant ass whomonly treated her past self as nothing more than a nuisance. However, she knew that deep down he was just a man with a wounded heart, too afraid to get close to anyone. Despite these ws, there were times of genuine warmth.


    However, what was currently floating in her mind were two scenes that she knew had never happened, and yet they were as clear as day. Despite knowing that these memories were false, they held a massive emotional sway over her heart, and caused immense confusion in her mind.


    In the first of these two memories, Itami is watching Julian graduate from Westpoint. When after receiving his diploma, he approaches her, and confesses that he understands her feelings. He seems bbergasted, as if he had never noticed until this very moment. And yet, despite the moment that should be the happiest in her life, the bastard rejects her, saying that it is simply toote for them to have a rtionship.


    If this weren''t confusing enough, the second memory that she knows to be false, is one where she was married to Julian, and pregnant with his child. He returns home from a long deployment alive and well, where the two of them share a wonderful meal together in a state of absolute bliss.


    Yet in the end, Julian says goodbye, and leaves behind an ominous message, saying that the time they had spent together had allowed him to gain some closure, and that he pitted the fact it took him two lives to realize what could have been.


    Upon repeating these words over and over again, Itami took another swig from her bottle, drowning away her sorrows with the intense vor of alcohol. Tears streamed from her eyes, the notion of being rejected by the man she loved, and then abandoned by him while she was pregnant with his child was too much to handle. Was this really the fate she would have suffered had she actually confessed her feelings to the dense idiot?


    Unlike Berengar, Itami never really had the time to properly process the grief she had over her past life, nor did she have a string of lovers to help her through the process. Aside from her annoying mother and overly affectionate sister, she was all by herself in this world, surrounded by potential enemies.


    Itami was too drunk to realize that perhaps the goddess imnted these "memories" in her mind, as a hint about the other reincarnator''s true identity. Instead, she saw it as a potential fate, the result of her actions had she actually pursued her affections in her past life.


    The only thing these two memories caused was an overwhelming sense of confusion in Itami''s mind, and a perpetual longing in her heart. Though she did not know why things ended so horribly within these false memories, she simply wished she could go back to her old life and rectify her mistakes.


    After drinking and crying by her lonesome for some time, Itami finally rose from her bed, upon hearing a knock on her door. She slowly walked over to it, with a defeated expression on her wless face, before opening the door just slightly enough that her face was revealed. When she saw the smiling face of her little sister, she mmed the door shut and called out to the girl in a shrill voice.


    "Not now, Momo!"


    Despite these words, Momo forced her way inside, what started as a chance to chaotically drop in on her sister, and make her life more difficult, was now a cause for concern, by the stench of Itami''s breath, and the look on her face, she had secluded herself in her room, doing nothing but drinking and crying for thest six hours.


    Obviously, something was terribly wrong and because of that, Momo was quick to console her precious big sister. However, upon opening the door, and realizing that Itami Riyo waspletely nude, Momo flushed in embarassment. Before chastising the woman for her appearance.


    "Nee-chan, put some clothes on!"


    In response to this, Itami merely scoffed, before falling onto her futon, and pulling the covers over herself. She was not in the mood to chat right now.


    "Go away!"


    Momo realized that something was seriously wrong with her sister. Itami never acted like a child, and yet here she was screaming and throwing a tantrum while buck naked. Her lips quivered as she struggled to address the root of the problem.


    "Nee-chan, is this about a man?"


    Itami froze beneath her covers, and said nothing, merely sulking as she did so. Momo merely sighed in defeat when she saw this. She had no idea who was causing her sister such grief, but she internally swore that whoever the bastard was, she would never forgive him.


    Instead, Momo merely approached the desk, which contained her sister''s blueprints, educational materials, as well as the Imperial Regalia of Japan, which were, in reality, divine artifacts. Momo knew very little about science, chemistry, and engineering. You could say she had a basic high school level of education like most of the people in the Itami domain had learned under Riyo''s rule.


    However, as the light of the sun reflected upon the mirror, it began to shimmer, and under its light, Momo was able to gain a much greater understanding of the material than she normally would have.


    With a sense of divine inspiration, Momo quickly looked at the book that Itami had writtenbeled Biology 101, and after studying a random section of its contents for several minutes, made ament about the material.


    "Hmmm... so there are microorganisms everywhere called bacteria, and some of these bacterium can cause food to spoil? Where did you learn this?"


    Itami was about to curse her sister for intruding upon her session of grief. However, when the girl started speaking about biology, she could not help but wonder just how her airheaded sister hadprehended what was written in the book. Itami quickly hopped out of her bed and grabbed hold of Momo''s shoulders before interrogating the girl.


    "Momo, you understand what I wrote here and the meaning behind these words?"


    Momo gazed at her sister in shock. It was as if she was apletely different person. However, she slowly nodded her head beforementing on her sudden source of inspiration.


    "I don''t know what it is. Normally I would have no idea what these words even mean, but for whatever reason, I understand it!"


    Itami unknowingly stepped forward into the light reflected from the mirror and instantly felt herself overwhelmed with the same sense of divine inspiration that her sister was undergoing. She quickly looked at the mirror and identified it as the likely culprit which was causing this strange aura.


    This mirror was one of three pieces of the Imperial Regalia of Japan that Itami had inherited from the imperial family after she yed them and took their ce. It was known as Yata no Kagami and was supposed to represent the virtue of wisdom. After hearing from Inari that the Imperial Regalia were actually divine artifacts, she had been experimenting to find out their uses, but without proper instructions, it was easier said than done.


    However, what she was experiencing right now was perhaps a temporary state of heightened intelligence, and she was not the only one undergoing this change. To put this in the terms of RPG elements, it was as if the Yata no Kagami had an area of effect that caused those within it to undergo a temporary buff to their intelligence.


    When Itami realized this, she broke out into a state of uncontrobleughter, causing her little sister to worry about her, which she vocally expressed.


    "Nee-chan, are you alright, you are worrying me right now!"


    However, Itami merely nodded her head with a fat grin on her pretty face when she heard this. After calming her heart, she kissed her sister on the forehead before thanking her.


    "Thank you, Momo. If not for you, I would never have figured out how this damn thing works. Now I can finallypete with that bastard!"


    Unlike Berengar, who had a nationalwork of scientists, engineers, and other schrs. Itami had a small elite corps of such brilliant minds, however their education wascking,rgely because until recently, Itami could not recall all of her memories. Because of this, she was severely behind Germany in terms of pretty much every metric.


    Now she could have her scientists and gifted students bask in the light of the Yata no Kagami, and wield divine inspiration as they rapidly progressed their understanding of science and education. This would allow the Japanese Empire to quickly fill the gap between them and the Reich in terms of educated minds within their societies.


    Though Itami would not be able to catch up to Germany as an equal, she would now be able to create a society that could cause immense difficulty to the Germans should they attempt a conquest of her Empire. All she needed to do was make Germany bleed enough to bring them to the negotiating table. With this divine mirror, she could now achieve that goal. Thus, on this day, Itami Riyo, the Empress of Japan, had gained a valuable tool in the fight against her rival reincarnator.

 Chapter 857 Saving the Stranded Agents Part ll

    Chapter 857 Saving the Stranded Agents Part ll


    Colonel Andreas Ritter von Jaeger sat within a truck as it rode through the border outpost that the reformed Joseon Army had established. The Korean soldiers they passed by wore brown uniforms based on a design that looked like it would exist in the great war of Berengar''s past life. Matching puttees wrapped around their ankles, preventing dirt and grime from entering into their short boots. All the while, brown Adrian pattern helmets protected their skulls.


    These men were equipped with G25 Bolt action rifles, and a few of them wielded the portable variant of the MG-25. Compared to the equipment of the Imperial Japanese Army, they were practically a generation behind in terms of military hardware.


    Despite this, Itami knew that the losses she would suffer if she were to make a second push into the region would be too great for her troops to endure. Thus, for the time being, she maintained the armistice that had been dered between the Joseon Kingdom in the North and the Japanese Empire in the South.


    There was a single motive for the Jagdkommandos to be here, at the border outpost. That was to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, and extract a group of Joseon Agents who possessed vital information about the Japanese Empire.


    The soldiers of the Joseon Army saluted the German Jagdkommandos as they passed by an artillery position which housed the new 10cm K 17 field guns which were used to intimidate the Japanese soldiers on the other side of the border.


    Eventually, the truck carrying the German Jagdkommandos ascended to the peak of the mountain where a small teau existed. This would be the location where they would deploy from. Sitting on the edge of the mountainside was a military glider, that German scientists had developed for use among special operations embedded in the eastern theatre.


    Knowing that they could not reveal the existence of turboprop aircraft to the Japanese, the German Scientists had developed gliders at the request of the Jagdkommandos, who were now airborne qualified, and thus,w preferred to deploy from the skies.


    This glider was resembled the DFS 230 used by the German Military in the second world war of Berengar''s past life. By the time Andreas and his team arrived at the location, it was already cabled up to a bungee, which would be used tounch it into the air from the edge of the cliff. All they had to do was enter the glider, and begin their journey deep behind enemy lines.


    The engineers who had set up thisunch were soldiers from the German Army Corps of Engineers, and they had been dispatched to the Joseon Border to help aid in the construction of proper defenses that would work against the Japanese. They had been instructed to oversee theunch of this operation. These engineers saluted the Jagdkommandos who piled into the back of the aircraft. There were ten of them in total, and Andreas would be the pilot.


    Once everyone was inside, Andreas give the order tounch, and in a matter of seconds they were slingshotted over the cliff, where the glider took flight towards the outskirts of Seoul. They had specifically nned this operation in the dead of night, so that the enemy would not see their glider flying in the air. Because of that, the aircraft soared through the skies without the Japanese Army being any the wiser.


    As the special operators approached their destination, Andreas called out to them to ensure that they were ready for the mission that was about to take ce.


    "Alright, you boys know our objective. We willnd roughly two clicks out from Seoul, where we will scuttle the glider, before heading into the city. Our maps are marked with the location of the safe house. We get in, get out, and exfiltrate these sorry sons of bitches back to the North. Any fucking questions?"


    The nine other soldiers were unanimous in their response. Which caused Andreas to smirk.


    "No, sir!"


    The glider was designed with a parachute break, allowing it to descend at an angle of 80 degrees. Because of this, it was capable ofnding precisely on its target. Thus, after careful piloting, the aircraftnded almost exactly at its destination. After doing so, the soldiers quickly embarked, where they proceeded to secure the area.


    Once they were sure that they were alone, the Jagdkommandos dismantled the aircraft as silently as possible, to ensure that it could not be reverse engineered by the Japanese, before marching off into the night. By the time the Japanese found the glider, it would be a pile of rubble.


    The squad of Jagdkommandos covertly made their way into the outskirts of the city, where they made use of the cover of night and foliage to silently infiltrate the city of Seoul without incident. Though there were soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army on patrol, they were blissfully unaware that the german special operators had entered the city.


    Andreas gazed through his scope and silently observed the equipment that a squad Imperial Japanese soldiers were issued. Their uniforms were updated to those that were in use by the IJA during the Second World War of Itami''s past life, and the rifles in their hands were easily identified as semi-automatic by the experienced Jagdkommandos.


    Upon seeing this, Andreas silentlymunicated over the wire, back to the German Radio Operators about the weapons in use by the Japanese Soldiers.


    "This is Falcon, over... We havended in the eagle''s nest. I repeat, we havended in the eagle''s nest, over..."


    The radio had static for several minutes, before the response came over.


    "Roger that. What seems to be the problem, falcon? over..."


    Andreas sighed heavily before reporting thetest find.


    "These japs have got better hardware than we initially thought. It seems their elite troops have guns on par with ours. Report this to Imperial Intelligence immediately, over..."


    Static once more was present on thems before the voice finally responded.


    "Roger that. Imperial Intelligence has been alerted, over..."


    Andreas did not hesitate to ceasemunication as he sent onest message.


    "Roger that, over and out..."


    With this said, he quickly reaffirmed his orders to the soldiers beneath hismand, who had a look of hesitation in their eyes as they saw the equipment the enemy was wielding.


    "This changes nothing. We get to the safe house and extract the targets to a safe location. Shoot if you have to, but silence will be the key to victory."


    After saying this Andreas took point, and stealthily entered the city limits, where the Jagdkommandos continued to sneak past the enemy forces. While the Jagdkommandos were on the move, so were the Kempeitai, who were fiercely searching for the rats who kept alluding them over these past few months.


    Ultimately, in their desperation, they had decided to go door to door in the middle of the night to search for the traitors. Thus, it was a race against time to see who would arrive first. In the end, the Jagdkommandos were just a bit quicker, as they arrived at the door to the safe house, and knocked in a special way. That allowed those inside to know that they were friendly.


    The door narrowly opened to the reveal the face of a young Joseon woman who gazed upon the German soldiers with a glint of hope in her eyes. Though these men had painted their faces in camouged, she could tell by their weapons and uniforms that they did not work for the Japanese. Andreas was quick to rify this, as he spoke in code to verify each other''s identities.


    "What is the Color of night?"


    The Agent immediately knew what Andreas was asking, and quickly responded with the corresponding phrase which identified her as an agent in league with Imperial Intelligence. She spoke in the German tongue, which she and herrades were trained in prior to deployment.


    "Sanguine, my brother!"


    Berengar created these codes as a means of identifying friendly agents in the field. He straight up ripped them off from an old video game franchise in his past life, where one must utter such a phrase in order to gain entry to the sanctuary of a certain faction.


    Unless Itami had yed this specific video game, which was released in the mid-2000s, and remembered it word for word, neither she nor her agents would ever be able to break this code. Berengar was counting on the fact that his rival had not. After all, the sessor to this game was far more popr than the one he had used for the basis of his code. With the code exchanged, Andreas quickly began to issue his orders to the agent.


    "Gather everyone and bring them out here. Bring whatever evidence you have collected with you. It is our job to safely escort you back to the Joseon Kingdom. Anything that can''t be carried with you must be burned. We don''t have much time, so hurry."


    With this, said. The Joseon Agents and the German Jagdkommandos now had to march on a perilous journey back north. Hoping that the Kempeitai did not catch up to them. For if they did, it was unlikely that they would survive.

 Chapter 858 Japans National Railway is Completed

    Chapter 858 Japan''s National Railway is Completed


    As she awoke in the morning, with the sound of a mechanical clock ringing, Mizuno Ai quickly rushed to her wardrobe, searching for her cadet uniform. Her hair was a mess, and there were bags under her eyes from a long night of heavy drinking. As she opened her dresser, she muttered a thought out loud without paying any mind to it.


    "I can''t bete for ss or that bastard Julian will hold it over me for the rest of the day!"


    After saying this, she realized that there was no cadet uniform in her drawers, and that she was currently in the middle of her second life. A sinking sense of depression took hold of Itami''s heart as she realized that she was all alone in this world. Forcing her to fall to her knees in despair.


    The boon of Inari turned out to be as much as a curse as it was a gift for the young empress. Though Itami''s memories had expanded vastly, to epass everything she had endured in both lives and all the knowledge that came with it, memories she had forgotten began to haunt her. Her mind struggled to separate the distant past from her present reality.


    The young empress struggled to fight back the tears in her eyes when the divine mirror caught her attention. Causing her to have a single question in her mind.


    Would Julian waste his life away grieving over his past life?


    The very thought of failing to live up to a dead man''s expectations was enough inspiration to temporarily calm Itami''s heart. She rose to her feet and took a deep breath, before muttering a single phrase beneath her breath.


    "Thank you, Julian..."


    After saying this, the woman collected the clothing that she intended to wear for the day, and went towards the bath. Where she spent the next hour soaking the alcohol out of her bloodstream. When she finally returned to her quarters, there was a bowl of ramen, along with some takoyaki which had been prepared by Momo, she knew that her sister had made the meal based upon the letter that was on the tray.


    Onee-chan, I don''t know what grief you have in your heart, but you need to eat properly. I hope you feel better after you consume the love I have put into this meal.


    This caused a bitter smile to form on Itami''s pretty face, which was no longer haggard from the previous days'' worth of intoxication. She sighed heavily before muttering yet another phrase beneath her breath.


    "Perhaps I''m not as alone as I once thought..."


    Despite this sense of relief, she was still bitter in her heart, as memories shed through her mind with every second. Unlike Berengar, Itami was not born with a perfect memory. She did not know how to cope with the constant information that flowed through her mind as if her brain was a search engine, and her thoughts were the query.


    These memories were intensely vivid, as if an augmented reality was oveying her sight. Such an overwhelming ability would be enough to break most people if they were to suddenly acquire it. After all, who didn''t want to forget things in life? But for Berengar, who was born with such a powerful gift, he had grown up knowing how to ovee its disadvantages and used it to achieve sess in both lives.


    After struggling to maintain her thoughts in a manner that would allow her to get some work done. Itami sat down at her desk and witnessed the currentyout of the Japanese maind. For some years now, she had been working on a national railway system to connect the nation.


    Since the pax Germania had begun, the Reich had begun a transition to diesel lotives which ran on the ever present bio-diesel which the German industry produced from hemp seeds. The newest lotives were extremely powerful, and based upon the InterCity 125 design in use by the British from Berengar''s past life. It was capable of high speeds up to 148 mph or 201 km/h, bringing Germany to a new area of nationwide transportation.


    From the initial conception of Berengar''s railway, he had designed it in a way that would allow it to be modified for high-speed use within the next few years. He had included concepts such as standard gauge tracks, with grade-separated rights of way andrge radii. He also used primarily steel and concrete in the construction of his rails.


    However, the thing he wascking at the time to truly make a high-speed rail was continuously welded rails. Something that could only be aplished with welding. As his industry improved, and several types of welding were introduced, such as thermite welding, he had ensured that the rivets which held the rails together were removed, and the tracks were welded together.


    Naturally, Japan was decades behind the Reich in terms of technological capabilities, and because of this, they were operating entirely with steam powered lotives within their recently finished National Railway. They also had far more primitive means of construction, such as a heavy use of wood and wrought iron.


    However, a railway was a railway, and because of that, Itami had to look pretty for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Thus, she quickly got to work on her appearance, making sure that she was the wless empress of Japan, and not some heartbroken drunk.


    After dressing in her mostvish attire, and putting on her makeup. Itami stood up from her seat and exited her room. As she entered the great hall of her pce, she came across the ministers of her Empire. Chief among them was the minister of transportation.


    The minister of transportation was a young man by the name of Asai Arikatsu, after the political purges which removed the conservative element of Itami''s government, and reced them with what many called the Young Guard, the overwhelming majority of her ministers were now men in their 20s and thirties. Along with a few women in certain positions.


    These men no longer wore the traditional appearance of the samurai, and instead dressed in more modern clothing, with matching hairstyles. Asai Arikatsu was one of such men and had a pleasant smile on his face as he bowed before the young Empress and spoke to her in a servile manner.


    "Kami-sama, we were afraid you would bete for the ceremony. Please, we don''t have much time. Will you follow me to the local rail station?"


    Inari''s words rang through Itami''s head as she heard the words "Kami-sama" causing her to raise her hand in displeasure.


    "Please, don''t call me that. Itami-sama is good enough..."


    Though the cult of the war goddess was the primary political party in the Empire of Japan, Itami feared the wrath of the actual gods after meeting them, and thus she tried to stop her follower''s worship. Unfortunately, the hearts of men were not easily changed, and the group of ministers who were a part of her cult kowtowed before the young empress and professed their faith.


    "Absolutely not! The war goddess is our only goddess, and we shall refer to her with the proper honorifics. Kami-sama, please tell us the name of whoever has convinced you that you are unworthy, so that we may behead him!"


    Itami merely rolled her eyes, and she was not the only one. Not every minister was a member of the cult, and they too shared her same sentiment. Though they were surprised when they saw the same expression on the alleged war-goddesses'' face. Itami wanted to hide in her room again after hearing how fervent these fools were, but she knew that she needed to project strength, and thus sighed before shifting the subject.


    "Whatever, just lead me to the venue, and I will cut the ribbon so that we can be done with this already!"


    Upon hearing this, Asai Arikatsu quickly rose to his feet, and marched alongside with Itami, and her royal guard towards the site of the ceremony. People from all over the city had gathered in the street. Though the trains had been operable throughout various portions of Japan, it was not until this moment that the national railway was fullypleted, and because of this, many people had gathered to celebrate. Itami stood in a traditional J��nihitoe among her people, as she gave a brief speech.


    "Today marks a monumental action for the Japanese people. As of this moment, we have truly entered the age of industry, where no power in the east can rival our might. Until today, we had difficulty traversing our greatnds, but no longer. With this national railway, people and cargo can be transferred across the Japanese maind with little effort, allowing for the rapid industrialization of our cities.


    However, just because we are greater than our neighbors does not mean we can grow slothful. We must maintain diligence, for there is a threat in the far west of this world. One whose industry is greater than our own. This Empire seeks to establish themselves as the supreme world power, and make no mistake, they have the means to do so!


    However, under my reign, I shall never permit a foreigner to dictate what the Japanese people must believe, or how they should behave. If this so called German Empire wishes to force us to our knees, and obey their demands, they have another thinging. I will show them the might of our people. Today is just the beginning. Soon we will produce more machines that shall be a staple in our daily lives. For the future, for Japan!"


    The various people who had gathered to witness this event broke out into apuse for Itami''s speech as the woman cut the ribbon and signalled the beginning of a new age of industry. Though they pped and cheered, Itami knew that she and her people were in for a tough fight ahead.


    Which only added to the pressure she was currently facing. For how much longer she could continue like this, Itami did not know, but she would keep going until she was no longer able. She had to, for Julian... Because it was what he would do.

 Chapter 859 Saving the Stranded Agents Part lll

    Chapter 859 Saving the Stranded Agents Part lll


    The Agents of the Joseon Kingdom had gathered outside the safe house, where they stood among the ranks of the Jagdkommandos. Though not all the German special forces were present, one of them had been sent inside the building to ensure that all vital documents were either recovered or purged, while three more were sent to set up a distraction in another part of the city.


    The agents appeared anxious, and why wouldn''t they be? At this very moment, they were being hunted by the secret police of their Japanese upiers. If they were to be found, they would undoubtedly be tortured brutally before being summarily executed. Though they had faith in the Jagdkommandos abilities, there were only a handful of them, which was not nearly enough to contend with an army.


    Colonel Andreas Ritter von Jaeger noticed his man had returned from inside the safe house, with a hand gestured that signalled they were clear to depart. Upon seeing this, he nodded his head before giving the order.


    "Move out! Stay close to me. If you stray from the group, I will leave you behind!"


    The thought of being abandoned sent chills down the spines of the Joseon Agents, and the Japanese traitors among their ranks. They quickly nodded their heads in understanding of their orders, and began to move out with the Jagdkommandos, who covertly led them through the alleyways of the city of Seoul, narrowly avoiding the Japanese soldiers who were on patrol.


    ---


    Roughly five minutes after absconding into the night, the leading officer of the Japanese Kempeitai stationed within Seoul arrived at the safe house with his soldiers behind him, they had kicked through the doors of several dozen buildings within this residential district over thest hour, and had yet to find their targets.


    When they entered the safe house, they immediately found traces of burned documents, stockpiles of food, and water, and other supplies that revealed the true identity of the building they were standing in. A member of the secret police closely investigated the scene before informing the officer inmand of his findings.


    "They appear to have just left moments ago. I don''t know where they are headed, but we are close!"


    The officer sneered in disdain before pointing at another one of his soldiers and giving him amand.


    "Put the city on lockdown. I want every soldier within Seoul to scour the area for their location. They can''t have gotten far!"


    The soldier immediately rushed from his position and headed towards the headquarters of the Kempeitai, which had a siren used to alert the troops within the city. While this soldier had run off, the officer was about to follow in the exact direction the Jagdkommandos had taken. How did he know where they had run off to? He didn''t. It was a matter of chance, and a small one at that.


    However, in the next moment, a massive explosion urred in another part of the city. It was not a matter of a few grenades being thrown into a building, but a substantial st. It was at this moment that the officer realized the exact location that the enemy had targeted.


    "The munitions depot! Fuck, the gueris are attacking! Quickly, we must respond!"


    The echo of gunfire urred within the direction that the explosion had erupted in, caused the Kempeitai Officer to be certain that the gueris were attacking. He hadpletely forgotten about the rats he was chasing, as assisting withbat operations against the Joseon Insurgents was his primary responsibility. With a click of his tongue, the Officer muttered beneath his breath.


    "Tsk lucky bastards! This coincidence might buy you some time, but you can''t run from me forever, sooner orter I will find you."


    The officer did not even think of the possibility that this explosion was a diversion set up by the enemy to help the agents escape. Thus he was sessfully deterred from the Jagdkommandos trail, who quietly made their way out of the city.


    ---


    The three Jagdkommandos who had conducted the raid, where firing their Stg-27s on the automatic setting towards the enemy. Despite being a full caliber automatic rifle that weighed roughly ten pounds, the weapon was extremely controble, allowing for well-ced groups when fired in bursts.


    With their twenty round magazines, the Jagdkommandos were quickly able to mow down the enemy forces who came to intercept them, before silently running off into the darkness. Their objective was to regroup outside the city at the rendezvous point with the rest of their team. The leader of this extremely small fireteam began to curse as he rushed through the alleyways with his rifle in hand.


    "I''m telling you, this Joseon pussy better be fucking worth it! The Colonel ims that the King has promised us peerless beauties as wives for this. However, I''ve got to tell you, I''m starting to regret volunteering for this operation!"


    The other soldiers of the fireteam chuckled when they heard this beforementing on the local women.


    "Have you seen some of these girls? One thing''s for sure, they are prettier on average than our women. They also seem to like foreigners. I''ve heard of some of the guys on base already taking the local women as their wives. If our reward is going to be the most beautiful women in the country, then I''d dly give my life in a chance to obtain such a treasure!"


    The third soldier merelyughed in response to this statement before pping the other guy on the back of his m38 pattern helmet.


    "Fucking idiot! No pussy is worth dying for! I''m in this for the glory of the fathend. We need that intel! Fucking christ these guys have automatic weapons now. How the hell did they advance so quickly? We are currently in a cold war with the Japs, but who knows when it will go hot? The more intel we have, the better prepared we are to make sure our boyse home in one piece!"


    The leader of the small fireteam quickly began to scold the other two men but was cut short.


    "Keep it down you fucking-"


    Before the man could finish, the rms rang throughout the city. Though without radimunications, it was impossible for the average Japanese soldier to know the intent behind them. Because of this, they merely reacted to the explosion and headed towards the location of the st site. Upon hearing the sirens roar, the leader of the three Jagdkommandosmented on it.


    "Shut the fuck up and follow me. They''re heading for where we just were, so now''s not the time for your bullshit!"


    In reality, the sergeant was scared out of his wits. If the entire Japanese army converged on this sector of the city, there was no way they would escape. He was certain they were dead meat. However, in the next moment, more gunfire and explosions urred in a different part of the city. Causing the three Jagdkommandos to stop in their tracks.


    Based upon the sound of the gunfire, they could tell it was not in the direction where the others were headed. Thus, they were quite confused, until the sergeant broke out intoughter.


    "Hahaha. Oh shit, that explosion set the local gueris into motion. They''re on the move as we speak. We might just make it out of here alive. Well, don''t just stand there, move!"


    ---


    As gunfire and explosions continued to crackle within the city of Seoul, the Jagdkommandos regrouped outside the city, within the nearby mountains. After confirming that they were not pursued, they began to head north towards the border of the Japanese upied territory, and what remained of the Joseon Kingdom.


    Andreas was d to see that all of his men had made it out of the danger zone alive, andplimented them on their efforts.


    "Good job. I gotta ask, how the hell did you get the Gueris to cover our retreat?"


    The Joseon Gueris operated as various independent cells within the city. Having been trained by the Jagdkommandos, they were left to their own devices, aside from resupply. Because of this, there was really no way to make contact with them during the mission. In response to this question, the leader of the small fireteam, which was sent to cause a distraction, shrugged his shoulders before responding to hismanding officer.


    "I have no idea. I suppose they just saw our explosion and saw it as a signal to attack the Japs. Anyway, we should probably get moving. This battle won''tst for much longer, and when they find out that we are responsible, they will send teams after us."


    Andreas nodded his head when he heard this before giving the order to head north.


    "Move out!"


    Despite the Japanese soon learning that the Jagdkommandos were responsible for the raid on the munitions depot, due to the unique shell casings left behind. They would not be able to pursue the fleeing agents, as they had be bogged down with intensive urban warfare. By the time they were finally able to send out forces to hunt down Andreas and his team, the group was already safe in the north.

 Chapter 860 The Frankish Revolution

    Chapter 860 The Frankish Revolution


    A French peasant stood in the middle of the town square in the city of Paris. He appeared to be in his twilight years, and haggard at that. Despite this, the man was actually middle-aged. The years of conflict, famine, disease, and poverty had stripped away what little youth he had left in his body, leaving but a feeble old man in its ce.


    This man was preaching his honest thoughts about the current Kingdom of France and its ruling family. Something that could easily get him a death sentence. Despite this, the Man-at-Arms, who acted as the Garrison of the city, did not make a move, and instead joined the crowd that had gathered as they listened to the old man speak.


    "I see you all gathered here, huddled together, and starving. Broken by the wars that have ravaged ournds for thest few decades. In the East, Burgundy has been split in two. Half of it lies in the Reich, and in thosends, the people feast on delicacies that only our most wealthy of nobles can dream of affording. They live carefree lives devoid of pestilence, crime, and bloodshed.


    While disease and starvation ravage our half of thosends! Brigands roam throughout our entire Kingdom free to act with impunity. And why shouldn''t they? There is no Army to keep the King''s peace! The King''s peace, now that is the mostughable phrase I have ever heard in my life.


    What is the King''s peace? I''ll tell you what it is! King Aubrey de Valois sits in his high castle, surrounded by his knightly lovers, and feasts on what little food remains in our Kingdom. All while his people suffer from the choices that he has made.


    Make no mistake, my brothers and sisters, the reasons the Germans hate us, and do not provide ourmon people with support that we so desperately need, is strictly because of the sins of our King, and his wicked family!


    In the Reich they curse the Kingdom of France, and its people, as degenerate two faced instigators. They have no sympathy for our people, and why should they? What have we as a people done for Germany, other than spit in the face of their Kaiser''s good graces, and attack them unprovoked!


    The only reason our Kingdom still exists is because the English betrayed us in Jerusalem! Perhaps it would have been better if the Germans invaded ournds, and deposed our King like they have done to their other enemies!


    The Normans know this to be true. It is why they have taken up arms against their noble masters, and have dered their independence. Not only as a State but as a people! What little remains of the Duke''s army can not contend with the power that the masses hold.


    The people of Normandy are rioting, rebelling against the rule of the Nobles whose ipetence, and perhaps outright malice, has led them to such horrific conditions. And they are not the only ones. In the south, the Duchy of Aquitaine faces an unprecedented threat.


    Tens of thousands of Catholic refugees flee the Iberian Penins, in search of religious freedom. They bring with them nothing but crime and poverty. And the good people of Aquitaine have had enough. Violent conflicts are urring between these refugees and the local poption as we speak. Who will win? Only God can decide!


    nders and Cis have been seized by the Reich, and with it, they have seen a new age of prosperity. Within a hundred years, the people of that territory will be no different from the Germans in Kufstein! Perhaps a slight dialectal difference, but make no mistake, they are converting to the German faith, culture, andnguage at a rapid rate.


    My friends, we were once no different from the Germans. Our ancestors emerged from the east of the Rhine and conquered thisnd from the Romans, creating a Germanic Kingdom who was unrivaled in those years. However, the Catholic Church has done more than just drag us down with them. They have made us into an unholy offspring of Rome, and I think it is about time we rectify that.


    Frankia, that was the name we once held, when we were Germans. And if we wish to remain a unified Kingdom, and not a broken mess of smaller states. Then we must revert back to the old ways. The old tongue, the old culture, and perhaps even the old gods?


    It is time for the French to perish from this world, and for the Franks to reim their ancient glory! First, we must bring down this wretched King, and this dynasty of sphemers! Then we will throw ourselves at the mercy of the Germans, and ask them to teach us in the ways of our ancestors so that we may reunite with our shared heritage!"


    The crowd erupted in cheers and shouted their own slogans such as "Death to the King!" "Down with France!" "Restore Frankia!" etc. Among the members of this crowd were Linde''s agents, who were quite surprised by this turn of events.


    The speaker was a native Frenchman who had been recruited into the service of the Kaiser. However, he was supposed to give a speech about the destruction of France and the rise of smaller independent states based upon shared culture and dialect. Instead, he had done aplete one-eighty and spoke about reiming their lost German heritage. However, before the Agents could interfere, the speaker had continued his rant.


    "Take whatever weapons you may find and march with me to the castle. It is time we bring an end to this dynasty of sinners! Off with their heads!"


    What started as a small crowd of curious peasants immediately turned into a giant enraged mob. Even the city''s guards were on their sides, as they took the front position, unafraid of whatever knights may be guarding Aubry.


    The angry mob marched through the streets of Paris heading towards King Aubry''s castle with the intent of executing him and his family. As for the German agents, they stayed behind and quickly got on their portable telegraph, sending a distinct message back to Imperial Intelligence.


    Balkanization has failed, adjust strategy for total Germanization of France.


    ---


    Within minutes, this message reached Berengar''s desk as he gazed upon the entire correspondence in shock. He quickly called out to Linde, who had given him the message with a hint of fury in his mismatched eyes.


    "How did this happen? Weren''t your agents supposed to ensure total Balkanization of the realm? Why now are the people of France marching to usurp Aubry and ce a German King on the throne?"


    Linde held her head low, seemingly without an answer to this question. She quickly voiced what little she knew about the situation, in an attempt to make up for her failure. For years, she and Berengar had nned to dismantle French identity and create a bunch of border states which could not pose a threat to the Reich under any possible circumstances.


    Though the Germanization of France posed some unique advantages, Berengar was not a fan of his ns, resulting in failure. Thus he was quite enraged by the very prospect that the French People could be returned to their Germanic heritage. As for Linde, she tried to persuade her husband to adapt to their current circumstances.


    "My only guess is that the man we selected to give the speech of Balkanization has betrayed us, and instead sees a better fate for his people through re-germanization. It''s not entirely an unfounded concept. Many of the French territories favor Germany and its people over their own Kingdom. Especially after we seized nders and Burgundy, turning them into economic powerhouses.


    The only people who really care about the cultural identity of France are the nobility. If we can overthrow them and rece them with Germans, the people will quickly follow. Within a few decades, France will be speaking German, and will have reimed their identity as Franks. Simr to what you have nned for Bohemia, nders, and Burgundy. It''s not a bad alternative, though it is a bit unexpected."


    Berengar rested his chin on his knuckles as he contemted what this meant. Theoretically, if the Franks were to re-germanize, they could be incorporated into the German Empire within the next few hundred years as just another German state.


    Meaning the only threat his descendents would have to worry about in the west would be Al-Andalus, which would be ruled by a cadet branch of his dynasty. Perhaps the re-germanization of France was the greatest vengeance the German people could ask for. After thinking upon this for several moments, Berengar sighed heavily before giving an order to Linde that she was not expecting.


    "We must Re-adjust our ns for France. I want you to arm these so called Frankish rebels with whatever arquebuses, and muskets we have left in our stores. Meanwhile, you are to put out propaganda so that the Franks desire a member of the von Kufstein Dynasty to be their new King. Perhaps one of my sons with Henrietta will one day be the King of the Franks. Either way, a member of my dynasty needs to sit on their throne when hees of age."


    Linde scoffed when she heard this before questioning Berengar''s mind.


    "Sons? Currently, you only have a son and a daughter with your sister. Are you telling me you want more children with her?"


    Berengar gazed at Linde as if the question was merely preposterous before responding to her.


    "Of course, Heidi is my beloved daughter with my darling little sister, but Lukas needs at least one little brother from the same mother. Besides, Henrietta is still young, she can easily bear more children. Anyway, that''s not important right now. Just make sure this little change of ns doesn''t blow up in our descendents'' faces."


    Linde took notice of the words "our descendents" and smiled before bowing her head with reverence. By what Berengar had just said, she could surmise that the man had already decided on Hans to be his heir, even if it wasn''t publically announced. Though things could change at any moment, Linde would make sure that it was her precious firstborn that seeded his father. Thus, she was in a particrly good mood after hearing this.


    "I will ensure that the transition from France to Frankia is smooth. You do not need to worry about a thing..."


    After saying this, the redheaded beauty departed from the Kaiser''s quarters, leaving the man alone with his thoughts.

 Chapter 861 Life in the German Tributaries

    Chapter 861 Life in the German Tributaries


    Within Windsor Pce, two men sat across from one another. Both were dressed in the embellished military uniforms of the German Nobility. One of these men was none other than the Kaiser himself, who spoke up in a friendly tone towards the man sitting across from him.


    "So, how goes the current state of affairs within the Kingdom of Ennd? I named you my steward for a reason. I hope you have been able to salvage the situation here, like my other stewards have managed."


    The German nobleman who was sharing coffee with the Kaiser was a man by the name of Bernd Von Z?mmern, he was a noble by birth, and was a promising talent in terms of managing the affairs of a nation. Berengar had chosen him to look after Ennd and help it adjust to the new era. The man had a confident smile on his face as he spoke about what he had aplished over these past two years.


    "Since the English have submitted to the Reich, I have done my very best to repair the damage that has been done to this country. As you know, many of the Ennd''s young men died in the war leaving few to work the fields.


    The aid from the fathend has been essential in preventing widespread famine across thend. I feel pity for those French bastards, as they have been excluded from the German supportworks that you have established for the sake of your tributaries.


    With the food crisis resolved, I put what remained of Ennd''s young men to work in the fields. After all, the English people can not exist solely by the good graces of Germany. They are using the agricultural practices you have set forth as a means to lessen the dependency on foreign food aid.


    Of course, they are entirely reliant on the importation of German fertilizer, but the four field system, along with irrigation piping and the animal powered machines that you have sold to Ennd, has been instrumental in oveing the issues that their agriculture faces. Within the next ten years, I expect a boom in Ennd''s food surplus.


    The biggest issue that Ennd faces is ack of young men. Those who survived the war have married young women, however, the ratio of men to women ispletely out of bnce. Leading to a problem where much of the female poption is without a proper husband. I suppose this means that much of these girls will be heading to the reich in search of husbands. But what is your policy on that?"


    Berengar sipped the coffee in his cup before responding to this question with a smirk on his face.


    "The Anglo-Saxon people share amon heritage with our own. One that foreign influence has yet to taint. Like the Nords, they are practically our cousins from an ethnic and cultural perspective. If you have an excess of young women that can bear children, then I can lessen the restrictions on immigration for them, as well as thews pertaining to citizenship for their offspring. So long as they marry German men and integrate into our culture, I will permit these young women to enter ournds. What else are you having difficulty with?"


    Bernd sighed when he heard this question before exining his next biggest issue.


    "It''s the damned nobility. They are still French at heart and refuse to adapt to the Anglo-Saxon way of life. I don''t know what to do with them."


    In response to this, Berengar merely scoffed before giving his opinion on the matter.


    "The solution to this problem is simple: arrest them, eliminate them, and rece them with talentedmoners. France shall lose its influence over Ennd one way or another. I will not allow the Anglo-Saxon people to be Romanized. Do whatever is necessary, I truly do not care about these pathetic nobles who drove this Kingdom into near copse."


    The Steward nodded his head in response to this. He knew that was the most effective solution, but he did not want to be the one who had to enact such a ruthless policy. However, it was necessary for Ennd, thus after hearing Berengar''sments, he no longer objected to the idea. Instead, he switched the subject to something else.


    "So How goes the progress in the other tributaries?"


    The Kaiser once more took a sip from his cup before responding to this question.


    "About the same as Ennd. First, they must replenish their ability to produce food. So that they may eventually stand on their own two feet as a capable tributary. While I have prevented famine from spreading by supplying these states with an overwhelming surplus of food aid, I refuse to allow my tributaries to be entirely reliant on the Reich for their very survival. `


    If they do not ween themselves off, our support, the german people will be sending them food for centuries. Something that will undoubtedly drain at our national budget. Thus, I have sent all my stewards the same agricultural technology that I have given you. Within the next few years, my tributaries should be capable of providing for themselves even with the limited amount of young men at their disposal.


    It will take a generation or two before they have arge enough poption to transition away from the fields and into an urban environment. Thus, for the meantime, my tributaries remain purely agrarian societies. However,pared to France, they are doing exceedingly well for themselves."


    Bernd nodded his head in agreement. From what the Kaiser had said, it sounded like the other stewards were going through the same difficulties that Ennd was enduring, thus he decided to change the topic once more.


    "What about this threat in the far east? Is it going to be a problem?"


    Berengar finished his coffee and ced his cup on to the table while wearing a confident smirk on his face. He shook his head before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "From what I can gather by current intelligence reports, Japan is considerably far behind the Reich from a technological standpoint. By the time my forces are ready to begin our invasion of the East, the enemy will at most be able to give us a flesh wound. However, theypletelyck the means to win the war. You can rest assured, we have supremacy over the seas, and the air, and that is all that will matter.


    It is the dawn of a new era of warfare, my friend. Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy inpletemand of the air, fights like a savage against modern German troops, under the same handicaps, and the same chances of sess. We will emerge victorious, no matter what the cost."


    Berengar had just paraphrased Erwin Rommel, but as far as this world was concerned, it was his own words. After all, the year was 1430 AD, and the desert fox would not be born for more than a few centuries. The confidence in Berengar''s tone as he spoke about how important air superiority was led the steward of Ennd to believe in the Kaiser''s words. After all, he had not been wrong yet.


    Thus, the two men chatted for several hours before Berengar boarded his flight home. As far as themon citizen was concerned, life in the German tributaries was better than it had been under the reign of their previous sovereigns. And though they no longer had the ability to decide their own international policies, the wealth and luxury which entered theirnds as a result of their submission to the Reich was well worth the price.

 Chapter 862 A Guest Lecture on Air Supremacy

    Chapter 862 A Guest Lecture on Air Supremacy


    Nearly a year had passed since Prince Hans von Kufstein had first entered the Aerial Warfare Academy within the Capital of the German Empire. Though he was not far from his home, he was not permitted to visit his family except on weekends. Even then, he needed written permission to do so. Though he might be an Imperial Prince, he was still a cadet.


    In reality, Hans rarely visited his home, as if to stay away from his most annoying fiancee. Instead, he spent most of his weekdays on campus with a beautiful young woman who seemed to share his passion for intellectual pursuits. While his weekends were reserved for flight school.


    Currently, the dynamic duo was sitting across from one another in the cafeteria. Though the table wasrge, only the two of them were seated, as their high noble status was a deterrent to most other cadets.


    Though Anne was initially popr with the boys at the academy, the moment she started showing interest in the First Prince, they cut their losses. How could they possiblypete with the boy who was most likely to be the next Kaiser?


    The young Bavarian princess had a pretty smile on her face as she inquired about just why Hans had signed up for the Military academy.


    "You know, we have known each other for close to a year now, and you still have not told me what exactly you want to do with your military career. Let me guess, you want to be a pilot?"


    Hans had a smile on his face, rather than his usual stoic facade. He appeared to be incredibly friendly with this girl, so much so that he let his defenses down around her. He nodded his head in agreement before sharing his views.


    "I don''t just want to be a pilot, I want to be a fighter pilot! I want to fly a Ta-152 into battle and intercept the enemy in the air!"


    In response to this, Anne scoffed. The very idea that any other nation had ess to aircraft was simply preposterous, and because of this, she was quick tobel the young Prince as an idealist.


    "Who are you expecting to fight the other Germans? There is no nation on this that has ess to aircraft besides the Reich. Besides, those nes are designed to provide air support. How would you even go about fighting other aircraft in the skies?"


    Hans had a smug smile on his face as an Imperial Prince who was already undergoing pilot training in the Ar 96 trainer aircraft. He knew a thing or two about the types of aircraft that the Luftwaffe used.


    He also knew quite a bit about Japan''s current military capabilities. Though it was a closely guarded military secret, Hans had his ways of getting his hands on such information. And that was through his mother. Thus, the boy had a haughty smile on his face as he lectured the girl for her ignorance with a cryptic statement.


    "If only you knew..."


    Before the girl could question Hans on his words, the bell rang, signalling for the two of them to return to their ssroom. They put their lunch trays in the proper bing before heading back to ss, where the two cadets took their seats.


    Surprisingly, a figure entered the room alongside their instructor. When Hans saw this man, he immediately looked away with embarassment. Meanwhile, Anne gazed upon his handsome visage with an excited expression on her lips, as if she had just met her idol for the first time. The rest of the ss was in disbelief as the Kaiser took the chalkboard and wrote down his name while giving his introduction.


    "My name is Berengar von Kufstein, though I am sure you are all aware of this already. Today your professor has asked me to give a lecture on the importance of Air Superiority on the modern battlefield.


    Though I may have been the first man to take flight in this world, there are many men among the ranks of the Luftwaffe who are more suited to the task of lecturing you all, however I will conduct this lesson to the best of my ability.


    Now I am sure that each and every one of you has at the very least been properly instructed about the importance of Air Superiority on the modern battlefield, but allow me to pose a question. What is Air Supremacy?"


    The ss remained silent. Perhaps they were too shocked that the Kaiser was teaching them in person, or perhaps they simply did not know the answer, causing Berengar to chuckle before making another statement.


    "Anybody? Anybody at all? Don''t be shy, if one of you does not volunteer the answer, I will be forced to call upon you."


    Ultimately, Anne snapped out of her shock and raised her hand before anyone else could.


    "Sir, while Air Superiority is the act of having an advantage in Aerial Warfare, Air Supremacy is the concept of havingplete and total dominance of the skies over a battlefield!"


    Berengar nodded his head with a smile on his handsome face before responding to this statement.


    "Straight out of the textbook. Excellent, but do you understand why Air Supremacy is so important to not just a battle but warfare in general?"


    Upon hearing this Anne''s proud smile wavered, as she realized such a lesson had not yet been given to them, she began to stutter as she attempted to think of different reasons, but before she could reply, Berengar raised his hand and cut her off before beginning his lecture once more.


    "Air Supremacy is the difference between a warsting 12 hours, and a warsting 12 years. If a nation holdsplete and totalmand of the skies, then they have already effectively won the war. It is only a matter of time before the enemy is defeated.


    In a world without flight, artillery is the king of the battlefield. Even with the introduction of armored vehicles, artillery is still the single most criticalponent on the field of battle to obtaining victory. However, when you can bomb an artillery battalion from the skies of above with impunity, such a powerful weapon of war bes effectively useless.


    Without being challenged in the skies, a Nation can disruptnd-based operations, decimate entire armored divisions,nd troops deep behind enemy lines, along with supplies for those forces, and they can even attack protect their coastlines against a hostile navy without the need for ships.


    Imagine, if you will, we find ourselves engaged in warfare with a nation that has no air based capabilities whatsoever. Essentially, any country in the rest of the world as of this moment. Why would be bother sending in troops onnd to move towards the enemy''s capital in a bitter campaign, when we can simply drop a battalion of paratroopers onto the enemy''s pce from the sky above? We now have the means to end a war within half a day. That is Air Supremacy!


    You will all graduate from this academy one day, and enter the Luftwaffe. Some of you will be pilots, others will work behind the scenes. Either way, your objective as members of the German Air Force is to obtainplete and total dominance in the air. If we control the skies, then we control the battlefield, and victory is only a matter of time.


    Your fathers fought in wars onnd, against an opponent centuries behind them in terms of technological capabilities. You are different. Your generation will fight against a near-peer adversary, one which I have no doubt will be able to manufacture aircraft within the next few years. It is your goal to dominate the skies and obtain air supremacy, so that ournd-based forces can move forward without fear of a bomb falling on their heads.


    So, in a way, you have all decided to join the branch. That will be most crucial in achieving victory over the Japanese Empire when the dayes that we go to war with one another. To conclude my lecture, I will say this:


    The future battle on the ground will be preceded by battle in the air. This will determine which of the contestants has to suffer operational and tactical disadvantages and be forced throughout the battle into adoptionpromise solutions."


    Once more, Berengar had channelled the spirit of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel from his past life, as he concluded the lecture with a quote from the Desert Fox. The words Berengar had spoken inspired the ss. Both Anne and Hans had taken his lecture seriously and had written them down for future reference.


    Though Hans was partially aware of how important Air Superiority was, after all, he had been training in flight for a year now. He did not fully grasp just how critical it was to the sess in a war. When he thought about the concept of Air Supremacy, which was still foreign to a world where only one nation had the ability to use aircraft. He realized that this knowledge had to havee from his father''s past life.


    After all, Hans was the only child of Berengar who knew the man''s greatest secret. Thus, he made sure to ingrain this lecture into his mind, as these words were not spoken by a forward thinking General, but a man who had been involved in the conflicts of the future.

 Chapter 863 The Council of Wives

    Chapter 863 The Council of Wives


    Berengar''s wives gathered in arge meeting room within the Imperial Pce, each and every one of them clutched a newborn babe to their breasts as they spoke about their husband, and his most recent affair. Linde was leading the conversation, assuring the women that it was her idea, so that they did not me their husband for his infidelity.


    A red hair, blue-eyed baby boy named Bruno von Kufstein was suckling at Linde''s teat as she began to speak. Despite the numerical improbability, all of Linde''s kids shared a variation of her red hair. It had pretty much be a symbol of Berengar''s children who shared Linde''s lineage as a Habsburg.


    "I gathered you all here to discuss something important. I must admit I have been keeping a secret from you all for some time now. However, I will say that I did so for the sake of keeping our family together, but I fear you will all find out sooner orter, and me Berengar for his actions.


    Berengar has fathered two bastards. Well, outside of Henrietta''s children, no offense... Of course, he did so with my insistence that he spreads his seed among the world''s many princesses, ensuring that his bloodline eventually rules over the earth.


    One of these children is with a woman some of you may be familiar with. The Aztec Princess, Tlexictli. I assure you their rtionship is nothing more than friends with benefits, so you don''t have to worry about his heart lingering.


    The other is with the Majapahit Princess. Who is more of a passing fancy than anything else. Though I don''t doubt he will sleep with the woman while he visits her family''s empire, I know for certain that he feels nothing other than physical attraction to her."


    The reactions on Berengar''s wives and lovers'' faces were not what Linde was expecting. Their expressions appeared to be one of eptance and understanding as they nodded their heads. Linde was about to question whether she was seeing things before Henrietta spoke up and confirmed her suspicions.


    "I suspect my brother would sooner orter find another woman he wanted to pleasure himself with. He''s not exactly a man who knows how to control his urges. In all honestly, I me that aspect of his character on his previous incarnation.


    From the story he told me, it sounded like he was a very bitter virgin when he died. He is probably taking advantage of his good looks, wealth, and power in this life to sleep with as many beautiful women as he can to fill the void in his heart.


    I already know that I am nothing more than a mistress, one who naturally shouldn''t have a right to sit on this council. But I really don''t care if my big brother sleeps around, so long as he doesn''t fall in love with another woman."


    Clutched to the Princesses'' bosom was a young girl who looked like an infant variation of Henrietta herself, though she had Berengar''s sapphire eyes. This girl was named Heidi and was the woman''s daughter.


    Ad smiled and grabbed Henrietta''s hand, reassuring her that she had every right to sit and speak with the rest of them about domestic matters.


    "You may not bewfully wed to Berengar, but you are every bit a part of this family. Something that can''t be said for his other mistresses. I think I speak for us all when I say that I consider you to be one of my beloved sisters.


    As far as Berengar''s infidelity is concerned. I must say that I have already epted the fact that my husband has a harem. Honestly, what is the difference between having four wives, and having four wives plus a few concubines? Besides, you all need to remember that Berengar is allowed five wives as per thews in ce within the Reich.


    And you just know he is going to take advantage of that. I suppose we should just be thankful that these are a few flings, and not another wife who will cause needless drama. Though we should prepare ourselves for the worst. Perhaps one day he will find another woman that he actually loves."


    Clutched to Ad''s breast was a blonde-haired and blue-eyed girl named Irene. Like so many of Berengar''s other children, there appeared to be an intelligent gleam in her eyes despite her young age.


    Honoria was the next to speak up, causing Linde to be surprised when she heard the words that the Byzantine Princesas uttered. There was a baby boy with dirty blonde hair, and emerald eyes clutched her bosom named Constantinus.


    "I''m in agreement with Ad and Henrietta. I''m already sharing the man with all of you, and knew that I would have to do so since I first met him. If he sleeps around, so be it. As long as he returns home to us, I don''t really care. As for the issue about his fifth wife, it is a bit tricky. Aside from Linde, all of our marriages been political in origin.


    For example, Berengar married me so that he could gain thend required to build the Kaiser''s Pass. He married Yasmin so that he could gain ess to the strait of Gibraltar. We all know the reason Berengar agreed to marry Ad was so that her father could protect him from Lothar''s wrath.


    But if you take a moment to think about this, there is no nation left on this earth that can offer Berengar something he doesn''t already have. So wouldn''t he marry his fifth wife for love? Or perhaps he will marry this Empress Itami Riyo of Japan, as a way to hold control over her empire after we defeat them in the uing war. I hear she is quite the rare beauty."


    Yasmin finally spoke up as she nodded her head in agreement with this im before expressing her views on the matter.


    "I would much rather my husband marry this Japanese Empress for political reasons than take another wife because he loves her. As much as you all, I value the rtionship I have with Berengar, and though he loves all of us, I know in my heart that he loves one of us more than all others. I would honestly be afraid to see what happens if his final wife were topete for his affections with that terrifying beauty..."


    All eyes shifted over to Linde, who had a conceited expression on her luscious lips. Though she looked calm and confident, the very idea that some whore could rece her as Berengar''s number one wife deeply enraged the redheaded beauty within the depths of her heart.


    By the looks on the other women''s faces, they could easily guess what dark and twisted thoughts were brewing in Linde''s mind at the moment. Thus, Henrietta began to shift the topic to something else.


    "By the way, how many kids do you girls want? I know I want at least five!"


    The various women looked at each other withplicated expressions, thinking about how best to approach the subject. Yasmin, however, gazed at the floor in depression. She was now in her mid-thirties, and the likliehood of her giving birth to another healthy child grew slimmer with each passing day. She could only admit her fate aloud.


    "I''m fairly certain that little Aayan here will be myst. Isn''t that right, my little cutie?"


    Clutched to Yasmin''s substantial breast was a brown hair, and blue-eyed boy named Aayan. Though the boy looked like a perfect blend of his mother and father, he had skin much lighter than that of his siblings.


    The other girls of Berengar''s harem took a deep breath, realizing that sooner orter, they would end up like Yasmin. Incapable of having any more children. This sparked the intense desire in some of the younger women to perhaps take advantage of their youth.


    As for Linde, she bit her lower lip in displeasure. She had just turned thirty recently, and knew that in a few years, she would be like Yasmin. Ultimately, silence prevailed in the room for the next few moments. Eventually, Linde sighed before announcing a closure to their little meeting.


    "On this depressing note, I hereby conclude the 7th meeting of the Council of Wives. You are all dismissed."


    After saying this, each woman rose from their seats and gave one another a hug before leaving the meeting room. Yasmin''s words had left Linde much to think about in regards to who Berengar''s fifth wife would be. Perhaps she should intervene so that the man did not marry another woman out of love.


    Linde knew deep within her heart that she could tolerate any number of women around her man, but only if he loved her most of all. If a woman were to rece her as Berengar''s most beloved wife, she might lose her sanity altogether. Thus, Linde remained in the room for some time while staring out the window in silence, with her youngest son clutched to her breast.

 Chapter 864 The Majapahit Empire Prepares forwar

    Chapter 864 The Majapahit Empire Prepares forwar


    Princess Anggraini sat within the Majapahit pce. In one hand was a German newspaper, which was printed in the Javanese script. In the other was a cup of tea. This particr newspaper had the most recent intelligence gained from the Joseon Agents, and the Japanese traitors who had fled to safety in the Northern half of the Korean Penins.


    Upon reaching Pyongyang, the Joseon Agents handed the negatives over to the Germans, who quickly shipped them back to the Reich so that they could be processed into proper photographs and used in Propaganda. At the request of Anggraini, Berengar had ordered the propaganda to be tranted into the Javanese Script, and sent to the Majapahit Empire so that its people could realize the threat that lie to the east.


    The Majapahit King sat across from his daughter, who was now visibly pregnant, with a hint of fury in his eyes. Though he had given his daughter permission to use whatever means were necessary to coerce the Germans into paying taxes. She had instead returned home with the news that the Germans would take over the region that would one day be known as Singapore.


    Though nearly six months had passed since the Majapahit Princess first returned from her diplomatic visit with a foreign monarch''s child in her belly. King Suratman had not forgiven his errant daughter for her infidelity. Or her perceived betrayal. He could only glower at the woman as she seemed to enjoy her morning breakfast. This ultimately caused Anggraini to chastise her father for his hostility.


    "Father, what''s done is done. I am pregnant with Berengar''s child, and my husband does not seem to care in the slightest. If it were not for your insistence, I never would have married that fat fuck to begin with! Besides, though we may have lost somend, what we have gained in these six months is simply immeasurable."


    Suratman groaned when he heard these wordse from his daughter''s lips. Internally, he had to admit the luxuries which the Reich provided were a nice bonus. However, the Majapahit King could not get over the fact that this stranger had vited his daughter''s marriage and impregnated her. Thus, he was quick to voice his discontent.


    "Pfft, these are frivolous luxuries, nothing more! Our people do not need them to survive!"


    When the King said this, Anggraini looked at him as if he were an idiot, before dispelling his words with some hard truth.


    "Father, don''t be a hypocrite. You are quite literally wearing a suit that was purchased from the Reich. You even went to Kufstein to personally have it tailored to your body! Do I need to point out the fact that you have even gone so far as to manufacture your own orders of Merit so that you can dazzle yourself in prestigious awards like the German Officers wear?"


    These words caught the man off guard. He did not expect his daughter to speak to him so bluntly. However, the woman did not seem the slightest bit sorry for pointing out the obvious, and instead took another sip from her tea as she read from the newspaper. This calm expression on his daughter''s pretty face caused Suratman to change the subject.


    "How goes the Germans'' efforts to settle the a strait? I know you''re in contact with them."


    Anggraini gazed up from her newspaper with a confident smirk on her face before cing her teacup down and exining to her father what he should already know.


    "It''s been six months since the Germans arrived and began constructing a military base in the region. They call it Singapore, don''t ask me why. Anyway, from what I have been told, things are nearingpletion. In another half a year, there will be 30,000 Germans permanently stationed at the Naval Base in Singapore, and another 10,000 at the attached Air Base.


    The Germans seem to have no intentions to invade ournds, and steal our resources. They are merely concerned with the growing threat that is Japan. Something you should be more worried about. Tell me father, how goes the training of our army?"


    The Majapahit King gazed into his daughter''s dark eyes, and could tell she was testing him. Clearly, she knew about the current state of affairs. The Majapahit Kingdom was not a centralized monarchy like the Reich. Most of its territory were vassal states. Because of this, he had to request young men be taken from viges in order to serve in the King''s Army, an idea that was not popr among his subjects.


    Still, the German Jagdkommandos who were dispatched to the area worked hard to train the Majapahit conscripts in the use of G25 bolt action rifles, 7.5cm FK 25 Artillery, and Mg-25 static machine guns. Thus, after careful contemtion, the man sighed heavily before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "In all honesty, things are going better than I thought they would. Though it bereaves me to align with the Germans, especially after their emperor forced you to carry his child-"


    Before the man could continue, Anggraini frowned while interrupting her father''s assessment of his armed forces.


    "He did not force me. I have told you a thousand times, I was the one who requested he impregnate me. Why must you malign him so?


    Suratman red at his daughter once more, struggling to contain his hostile thoughts in his mind. However, he did not have the mental fortitude to do so, and quickly began to verballysh out at his own daughter.


    "Because you have dishonored our dynasty with your infidelity! You have also dishonoured me personally! I chose your husband for you, and yet at the first given opportunity you cheat on him with a foreign man, and carry this man''s child? It is simply wrong. If you weren''t my daughter, I would have imprisoned you for your crimes!"


    The Majapahit Princess frowned once more while she listened to her father''s passionate speech before asking him a simple question.


    "Are you done?"


    After taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Suratman nodded his head in silence. Though his fists were still clenched with rage, he would not dare strike his daughter, no matter how much he desired to do so. Upon seeing the King calm down, Anggraini voiced her reasoning.


    "The reason I cheated on my husband is that he is a fat old bastard, with a micropenis, who has never once shown any interest in me as a wife, or as a woman. Aside from our honeymoon, he had not touched me once. Instead, he spends all day with his concubines, though I sincerely doubt they are pleased by him, either.


    You wanted a grand child did you not? Well, that was not going to happen with that bastard. So, naturally when Ie across a man who treats me right, and is actually interested in me as a woman, I requested he give me a child.


    In fact, I made it part of our negotiations. I refused to give the Kaiser a single inch of our soil until he impregnated me. And now, you have a grandchild to look forward to, and a powerful ally to help our Dynasty against the Japanese Empire, and yet, you continue to treat me like dirt. Perhaps I should flee to the Reich and have Berengar halt his support. Let''s see how you deal with the Japanese then!"


    Suratman was stunned by his daughter''s response. She had never been so bold in her life as to chastise him, not until recently. Perhaps it was the fiery heart of the Kaiser''s child within her belly that had caused her to act so brashly.


    Or perhaps Anggraini had always been this way, but was too fearful to show her true self. Either way, the Majapahit King could only bow his head in silence and receive his daughter''s scolding as if he were a mere dog. When the Indonesian beauty realized that her father had been humbled into silence, she quickly followed up with her previous point by handing the man the newspaper.


    "If you don''t believe me, then take a look at what the Japanese have done to the Ryukyu Inds, and their other subjected territories. Make no mistake, father, they areing for us, maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon the Japanese soldiers willnd on our shores, and we will need the Kaiser in our corner if we wish to survive..."


    The Majapahit King looked upon the content that was in the newspaper and was horrified at the images he was seeing. very, murder, forced prostitution, and torture weremon practice among the ranks of the Japanese Army to their subjected peoples. The idea that the Majapahit Kingdom could turn into a such a state instantly froze whatever rage existed within Suratman''s heart. Causing him to sigh in depression before handing the paper back to his daughter.


    "If what you say is true, I will have your marriage annulled. As for the Germans, though I disapprove of your rtionship with their emperor, I must admit that trade with the Reich has benefited our Kingdom in more ways than one. So, I will stop giving you such a hard time..."


    A pretty smile appeared on Anggraini''s luscious lips as he nodded her head in silence. After six months of dealing with her father''s shit, she had finally reached an ord with the man. As for the Japanese, she was not afraid, for she knew the German military base in Singapore would provide enough support for her people, that even if the Japanese Army were to invade, they would have a fighting chance.

 Chapter 865 The German Embassy in MingChina

    Chapter 865 The German Embassy in MingChina


    In the city of Beijing, a German man dressed in avish suit sat patiently while drinking from the tea that had been provided to him by a rather beautiful Chinese woman. Sitting across from the man was the Ming Prince Zhu Zhi, who had visited the German embassy, which had been established over the past two years as a means to maintain friendship between the two empires.


    The man in the exquisite suit was the ambassador that Germany had selected to represent their interests in the East. In truth, he was Ad''s older brother Gerhard. Though Gerhard had once nearly sparked a conflict between his father and Berengar, he had since redeemed himself in the eyes of the Kaiser.


    Zhu Zhi had a stern expression on his face when he heard the words that were spoken by Gerhard. He could only ask for the German ambassador to repeat himself, believing that perhaps he was mishearing things.


    "I''m sorry. Can you repeat what you just said?"


    Gerhard had a stoic expression on his handsome face as he finished sipping from his tea before cing it down on the small te that was provided for it. He looked Zhu Zhi square in the eyes before repeating himself.


    "The Kaiser demands that the Japanese political refugees that you have taken custody of be handed over to the Reich."


    The Zhu Zhi took a deep breath. Obviously, thest thing he wanted to do was hand over such valuable assets. After all, many of these political refugees knew things, things that could help advance the Ming dynasty. However, the Ming Prince knew the lengths the Reich would go to in order to get what they desired, thus he tried to negotiate with Gerhard.


    "What exactly do you need them for? I can''t in good conscience hand them over to you, if you intent to harm them?"


    The expression on Gerhard''s face was priceless, as if the mere notion that Germany harmed its prisoners deeply insulted him. He sat upright in his seat before lecturing the man on German hospitality.


    "We are not savages. The Kaiser intends to offer them asylum within the Reich, far from the reaches of Empress Itami''s agents. In return for his good will, all he asks in return is information. However, this is not a simple request, it is a demand. Hand over every political refugee you have taken from the Japanese Empire, and all that you will gain control of in the future."


    The real reason Berengar wanted these Japanese refugees was simply so that they could not not leak any industrial tech to the Ming Dynasty. Thest thing Berengar needed in this world was an industrialized China. Such a fearsome adversary would be difficult to deal with. Thus, if he could prevent them from industrializing until they naturally achieved it on their own, it would be best for everyone.


    Prince Zhu Zhi sighed when he heard Gerhard''s bullshit. He knew the real reason the Reich was making this demand, but there was not much he could do. If he were to refuse, Germany was sure to use some unscrupulous means to achieve their goals. Whether it was kidnapping or outright total warfare, the Ming Prince knew from personal experience that Berengar would not hesitate to use whatever means was required to gain that which he desired.


    The official Ming policy in the Cold War between the German Empire and the Empire of Japan was one of neutrality. However, in secret, they favored the Reich, if not simply due to the fact that Germany and its Kaiser had no interest in the region, whereas Itami wanted to control the east as her personal domain.


    Berengar had even made some promises to the Ming Emperor that he would not interfere with the Ming Dynasty''s sphere of influence once the Japanese had been defeated in the uing war. To Berengar, it wasn''t a matter of whether war would happen; it was a matter of when the fighting would begin. From his perspective, he was already at war with Itami and her Japanese Empire.


    After thinking about Gerhard''s words for several moments, Zhu Zhi let out a heavy sigh, and rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. Just why did the great Ming Dynasty have to endure the whims and wishes of these two foreign empires? Had they really fallen so far behind the rest of the world? Ultimately, he nodded his head and submitted to the power of the Reich, even if he didn''t want to.


    "Very well, I will hand over the Japanese Refugees to the Reich. To be honest, it has been an ordeal harboring them. Empress Itami demands that we hand them over to her so that she can execute them, and is even threatening sanctions against us if we refuse to do so.


    In case you are not already aware. Our people have be ustomed to Japanese luxury goods. If we were to suddenly stop receiving shipments, it would cause a great deal of civil unrest. All I ask is that when you take these refugees off our hands, you make it seem as if they voluntarily came with you. Thest thing I need is Empress Itami, cutting off trade."


    Gerhard scoffed when he heard this before taking another sip of his tea. There was a very obvious solution to this problem, which he did not hesitate to voice.


    "You know anything the Japanese can manufacture, the Reich can copy. Hell, I guarantee you that we would be able to make a better product, and in muchrger supply. Why don''t you just purchase these luxury goods from us?"


    Zhu Zhi shook his head, which was a bit unexpected to Gerhard, but the reasoning he used to reject the offer was solid, and thus the German Ambassador could not be mad at the Ming Prince.


    "If I were to do that, the economy of Japan would crumble. Which would cause their empress to be desperate. If you want to see what happens when that woman bes desperate, just look at what happened to the Joseon Kingdom. Or India, for that matter. You have heard the news about Itami''s little puppet, right?"


    Gerhard once more took a sip from his tea and nodded his head before responding to the man''s question.


    "The Reichs'' stance on Emperor Asha''s atrocious actions within South-east Asia is one of condemnation. However, the Kaiser has ns to deal with the man soon enough. Which is why I wanted to discuss something else with you. Something that will prove to be of vital importance to the Japanese Empire''s defeat.


    The Kaiser wishes for the Ming to begin their expansion into South Indochina. I''m sure you can cook up an excuse that would validate your conquest of the region. Besides, it will give your troops the field experience they need to be proficient in the use of their new weapons."


    Zhu Zhi raised his brow when he heard this. It was well within his power to reject this request. After all, the Ming were not a subordinate to the Reich, however he wanted to hear the reasoning behind this suggestion and was thus quick to inquire about it.


    "What exactly is in south Indochina that is so important for you to request that our Empire go to war?"


    Gerhard wore a crafty smile when he heard this question and was happy to oblige with an answer.


    "There is a rather vast deposit of a specific resource within the region, one that Itami will need if she wishes to contend with the Reich on the battlefields. Currently, she is making use of her Bengal puppet to import the mineral, but once the Indian subcontinent is under our control, she will be forced to look elsewhere for it.


    Currently, the only ce in Asia that has this mineral, which isn''t already under our sphere of influence, is south Indochina. Since you already control the north as a vassal, I figured you would like to take this opportunity to cut off the Japanese from this critical resource, one that could be the deciding factor in our future conflict."


    It immediately startled the Ming Prince to hear this news. He had many questions, and not enough time to ask them all. He was also fairly certain Gerhard would be rather obstinate if he were to actually press him on the matter. Thus, after several moments of silence, the Ming prince asked the most important question on his mind.


    "If we do this, won''t Empress Itami see this as a deration of war? After all, we will be depriving her of this supposedly valuable resource. One that could determine the oue of her war with the Reich."


    Despite this concern, Gerhard appeared to bepletely calm, as he raised his finger and wagged it as if lecturing the Ming Prince for overthinking things.


    "Not at all, Empress Itami, has her eyes set on India. She believes that Asha can provide her with as much of this resource as she desires, and the fool would dly do so. In truth, the Japanese have vastly underestimated our military might.


    Within three years, all of India will be under the control of our puppet, and Asha will be dead. By the time she realizes this, and begins searching for an alternative source, you will have already taken thest deposit.


    If she decided to call you out on this, you can simply deny any knowledge of this material, as I doubt you would understand what it is, let alone how to refine it. So how about it? Don''t you think it''s about time all of Indochina became your great Empire''s vassal?"


    Zhu Zhi sipped from his teacup while he reflected on this notion. Ultimately, he sighed once more before giving his response.


    "I will try to persuade my father on the merits of your suggestion. However, I can''t guarantee he will respond in the way you desire. If that is all you have to discuss for the day, then I will see myself out."


    Gerhard merely smiled and nodded, allowing the Ming Prince to return to his family''s pce. As for whether the Ming Emperor would agree tounch an invasion of south Indochina, Gerhard was fairly certain he would do so. The benefits outweighed the costs, and if the Ming Emperor was as wise as he was said to be, he would surely act on this intel.

 Chapter 866 Flammenwerfers, and Simunitions

    Chapter 866 mmenwerfers, and Simunitions


    On a distant frontier in Lindeheim, or what was once known as North America from Berengar''s past life. Apany of German infantry loaded their weapons from within their IFV as their radio operator called in an artillery strike on an unsuspecting native vige.


    The thunder of the 15cm guns echoed in the air before their shellsnded on the vigers, sting their longhouses to bits. Blood-curdling screams filled the air as the tribesmen cried out in agony. However, after a single barrage, the guns ceased their assault, allowing the infantry to advance into the vige and clean up the survivors.


    Disease had ravaged thends of North America over the past two years, as the Germans withdrew their medical support of the native poptions. Though the Germans settlers were unaffected due to the marvels of modern medicine. The native popce had taken a massive hit from the coasts of Neu Wien all the way to the shores of California.


    With Arnulf''s death, Berengar had taken a far more hostile stance towards the native tribes and had elected to fully purge them from existence. Those who could escape the Germans'' wrath fled further westward, while viges like this one suffered a cruel fate.


    The German soldiers quickly deployed from behind their IFVs as they opened fire with their automatic rifles into the vige. With a spray of lead, those who had survived the initial barrage were quickly gunned down.


    Hiding behind arge rock was the chieftain, who had in the past personally requested Arnulf to attack Berenwalde. Miraculously, he had survived the initial purges and had fled with his people westward. Yet in the end, the German vengeance still caught up with him.


    It was because of this man that the native peoples of North America had suffered so much over these past couple of years. Just as the chieftain was about to make a break for it, he heard the voice of a nearby German soldier calling out to hisrades.


    "Fritz! Get the mmenwerfer!"


    As the man turned around, he saw a grinning golden haired soldier with a peculiar device in his hands. The German said something in his native tongue, which the chieftain did not quite understand. However, if his trantor was nearby, he would know that the German soldier had cursed him.


    "Burn in hell, you savage bastard!"


    After saying this, the German soldier spewed fire from the muzzle of his mmenwerfer, a fire that was mixed with napalm coated the Native chieftain. The man screamed in agony as his flesh cooked beneath the mes. He iled about for several moments before falling to the floor, dead. Though he was deceased, his body continued to burn.


    The German soldiers shared augh as they watched the man name Fritz light the remainder of the vige ame with his mmenwerfer. The era of peaceful coexistence between the Reich and the native tribes hade to an end. With Arnulf''s death, followed by several incidents of raiding and raping of German settlers by the native tribes of Florida, the Kaiser had taken the gloves off so to speak.


    This was just one vige in Lindeheim among many which suffered a simr fate. There was simply no way for the primitive North American tribes to fight against a modern army. In the eyes of the Kaiser, who lost one of his greatest friends as a result of the Natives'' interference, no amount of blood could satisfy his rage.


    ---


    While the tribes of North America burned in the mes of war. The German military had begun hosting war games in two separate locations within the New World. The first of these two locations were within the Jungles of Neu Schwaben. While the second was within the Caribbean. Supported by a fleet of ships, the German marines and their allies from the Army prepared to assault a chain of Inds in a series of simted battles.


    The German soldiers made use of special weapons that were converted to use the new non-lethal training ammunition. Simply referred to as simunitions by the soldiers, these specialty cartridges were designed to provide a realistic training scenario for the German Army.


    The soldiers acting as the German Marines were known as blufor, and they were equipped with thetest weapons and uniforms that were issued to the German Military, which was modelled after those used by German troops during the Second World War of Berengar''s past life.


    As for the German soldiers who opposed thendings, they were known as opfor, and wore uniforms loosely modelled after those used by the Imperial Japanese Army during Berengar''s past life. Despite the difference in appearance, these opfor soldiers were still equipped with the same weapons as their blufor counterparts.


    While the Landings were taking ce, a fleet of Ju 390 transport nes dropped their Fallschirmj?gers from the skies above. A double attack designed to break the trench system on the shores, while attacking from behind enemy lines. Much like what had been done on D-Day.


    Tank Traps were established on the beachheads to prevent the German tanks from moving forward. Despite this, the Landing Craft were designed to carry tanks, IFVs and infantry alike, which they did. Even if the vehicles couldn''t move forward, they could act as a means of cover for the infantry.


    When the firstnding craft opened their hatches and revealed the armored vehicles within, the opfor soldiers opened fire. Obviously, they were not permitted the use of panzerfausts during this exercise, and because of this, they were focusing on the soldiers who hid behind the armored vehicles.


    MG-27s, which were modelled after the MG-42, sprayed their simunitions downrange, and towards the blufor soldiers who hid behind their tanks as if they were an all protecting barrier. Though some men were tagged by the simmunitions, and fell down to the ground while ying dead. Others continue to press forward with the tanks.


    If this was a real battle, the Panther Tanks, along with their apanying Marder IFVs, would have fired their guns on the enemy defenses. But because this was a mock battle, they were not permitted the use of their main guns, and instead used the machine guns embedded in the turret, to spray the opfor defenders.


    Eventually the Tanks reached the tank traps and could progress no further. In the next moment, Lieutenant Herman von Habsburg saw his men falter, too afraid to move forward. Though the men knew that these rounds weren''t lethal, they still represented death, and the fear of facing a simr situation in east Asia had crippled many of those who had never experiencedbat before. Upon seeing this, Herman took the lead and courageously called out to his soldiers over the sound of gunfire.


    "Come on you apes, you wanna live forever?!?!"


    After saying this, he charged past the Tank that his toon was hiding behind, and rushed through the gunfire while unleashing a torrent of his own upon the enemy forces. The mere insinuation that they were cowardsbined with theirmanding officer''s courageous actions caused thepany of army soldiers to charge forward, igniting a chain reaction where every blufor soldier on the beach rushed through the gunfire, and towards the enemy''s trench line.


    Those who were hit fell to the ground, acting as if they had died. However, the overwhelming number of blufor soldiers was simply too much for the opfor defenders to handle. Before long, the trenches were breached, and the blufor soldiers ruthlessly gunned down the opfor defenders. Taking the beachhead on the first ind for the blufor faction.


    ---


    While the German Marines and Soldiers worked together to take the beachhead, the Fallschirmj?gers dropped onto the ind from the skies above. Thousands of men descended through the sky in a massive HALO jump, before pulling their chutes, where they continued to fall to the ground.


    After safelynding on the ind, the German Fallschirmj?gers regrouped, before making an assault on the beachhead. Thus, while the Marines assaulted the front of the fortifications, the Paratroopersunched an attack on the rear.


    With a perfect pincer attack, the Opfor soldiers soon emerged from their tunnels waving the white g. Though the initial defenses of the Ind had been taken in a matter of hours, there was still much more to this exercise that lie ahead. From the beaches, the blufor troops would have to make their way to the enemymand post. Which lie at the greatest height of the tropical ind.


    All along the way, the opfor soldiers would hamper the advance of their enemy, and try to repel the blufor faction from the ind altogether. If blufor seeded in their objective, then they would be shipped off to another ind, to repeat their conquest.


    The overall casualties that existed among the blufor soldiers from the initialnding were in the thousands suggesting to the German Generals, and Admirals who observed the operation, that their troops would need to regrly undergo simted events like this one, in order to gain the most experience possible. Otherwise, they would see simr results when the war with Japan finally broke out.

 Chapter 867 Further Conflict in the IndianSubcontinent

    Chapter 867 Further Conflict in the IndianSubcontinent


    Emperor Asha gazed upon the letter in his hand, which was written by the Japanese Empress herself. As he read its contents, a slight shiver made its way down his spine. The following words were written by Itami as a means to condemn the Bengal Army, and ensure that they fell back in line as a proper puppet.


    "Dear Emperor Asha Sarkar,


    I have learned that you have only recently began your conquest of Ava. The reason behind your dy is that your army spends more time looting and raping than it does fighting. I am most disappointed by your leadership; perhaps I have chosen the wrong state to support in India.


    I am certain your neighbours would be most interested in the weapons I sold you. Correct your ways, ept the advice of my officers, and do not disappoint me again. Your Empire will not survive the consequences of doing so.


    Sincerely,


    Empress Itami Riyo"


    While Asha may not be aware of the current difficulties that the Imperial Japanese Army was suffering through, he knew enough about their capabilities to know that if he truly enraged the young Empress, then his own army would not stand a chance.


    The Bengal Emperor was also keenly aware that, without Japanese military support, he would not be able to fulfill his conquests. Nor keep thends he had already seized. Perhaps worst of all, he had enraged the woman he sought to take as a bride.


    Thus, with a heavy sigh, Asha epted his fate. Though he would not free the prizes that he and his army had taken during their campaign. He would make sure that his troops were focused on what truly mattered.


    Thus, after careful consideration, the man summoned his officers, as well as the military advisors that Japan had provided him with. Once they were all within his grand war tent, Asha began to speak of his newest orders.


    "As of right now, any and all looting, very, and rape are strictly forbidden. Any man caught engaging in such activities will be summarily executed. Our men may keep what they have already imed for themselves, but we have a war to focus on. I want our conquest of the Kingdom of Ava to bepleted within the month, so that we may focus on ourrger ambitions!"


    The Japanese attach�� was relieved to hear that Asha had begun to take things seriously, so much so that they let out a deep exhale. As for the Emperor''s personal military officers, they were rather upset by this news and immediately began to protest.


    "You are saying that you will be denying our soldiers their rightful spoils of war? This is simply uneptable. Our men fight hard for your glory, and yet you refuse to allow them to take their share of wealth? Do you intend to keep them all for yourself!?!"


    This insinuation deeply enraged the Bengal Emperor, who mmed his hand upon his table, and cursed out the General who had dared to use him of selfishness.


    "You are relieved of your position! As is anyone else who dares to question my orders. Regardless of whether you agree or not, these are yourmands, and you will follow them, or I will find men who will! If you dare sow dissent among my troops, I will have you shot!"


    The Bengal General was absolutely horrified by what had just happened. He had lost his position in the army as a mighty General, who knows what he would be demoted to now. As for the others, they refused to speak up on his behalf, in fear that they too would lose the wealth and glory of being a general.


    With these orders, the Bengal Army was forced to conduct itself in a better light, as well as readjust their priorities. Without the overwhelming number of ves to slow them down, the Bengal Army would be quick to advance through the rest of Burma, before turning west toward their true goal.


    ---


    While Asha and the Bengal Army concluded their conquest of Burma, a council of Indian Kings met together within the borders of the Pandya Dynasty in the south of the Indian subcontinent. The only Indian Kingdom that was not represented in this meeting was the Bengal Empire, and that was because their aggressive expansion was the topic of discussion.


    Emperor Chandra Tomara sat in the chamber where the meeting was taking ce with a scowl on his face. Why was he in such a poor mood? Because all the other Indian Kings were far wealthier than he was. There was one reason for this: trade with the Reich.


    While Germany had long since dominated the trade within the Mediterranean, it was not until the opening of the Kaiser''s pass wheremerce with the rest of Asia could be easily established. Nearly three years ago, the Kaiser''s pass opened up, and the Indian subcontinent was weed to the luxuries of Germany.


    The trade routes with Germany had made all of these Kings exceptionally wealthy. All except one. After usurping the title of Emperor from his nephew, and forcing the boy and his sister to flee for his life. Chandra thought that he would be able to live out the rest of his days basking in what little wealth his family''s Empire still had.


    Instead, his nephew and niece had fled to the Reich, where it was discovered that Chandra had been poisoning the young girl. In response to this, Germany had enacted strict economic sanctions against the Anangpur Empire.


    At first, this was not too big of a deal because there was limited trade with the Reich. However, once the Kaiser''s pass had opened up, all sorts of luxurious goods made their way to the Indian subcontinent, yet because of his poor rtionship with Germany, nobody was willing to trade them to him.


    Thus, whenpared to the rest of the Indian Kings within the chamber, Chandra appeared as if he were a beggar. As a man who wanted nothing more than to unt his wealth and power, this was the ultimate insult. He was still mulling over this loss when he heard something interesting be reported by the Pandya King.


    "Recently, the merchants of the Reich have begun selling a rather peculiar article in my realm. These so-called newspapers shed some rather horrifying light on how the Bengal Army is conducting their war in the east."


    After saying this, the man pulled out multiple newspapers which were written in Sanskrit. They contained images of multiple atrocities beingmitted by Emperor Asha''s troops. The Pandya King then passed them around to his peers, who all read the contents in silence.


    The ck and white photos in the papers surprised most of them. Some even confused them for rather poor paintings. It was not until the Pandya King cleared up the confusion did the various Indian Monarchs realize the extent of the issue.


    "These are called photographs. It is some new technology the Germans have invented that allows them to capture an instant in time. What you are looking at is not some artists'' interpretation of the events that have unfolded in the east, but the actual scene of Asha''s crimes as they urred.


    If this is how the Bengal Army treats their neighbors in the east. Then how will our people fare, when he marches his troops on the west? Make no mistake, Emperor Asha seeks to conquer the all of our realms. Which means all of us are at risk of this happening to our people.


    My suggestion is simple. A defensive alliance between all our kingdoms. If one of us is attacked, then we are all attacked. At the very least, the sight of our unity against foreign aggression will be enough to send Asha a message, that if he wishes to conquer all of ournds. He will have to fight us all at once."


    It took the Indian Kings a few moments to properlyprehend the newspapers, but once the reality set in, they were all quick to join this defensive alliance. All but one. Emperor Chandra scoffed as he heard this so-called notion of unity before pointing out the hypocrisy of it all.


    "So, when one of our neighbors poses a threat to one of you, you all decide tobel him a foreigner and seek toe together against his aggression. However, when my Empire is sanctioned by a foreign power in the far west, none of youe to our aid? You can take your defensive alliance and shove it up your asses. The Anangpur Empire has no need of your war!"


    After saying this, Chandra Tomara stormed out of the room where the meeting was being held, and in doing so, had made the greatest mistake of his life. He was now all alone, with no allies to speak of. While it was true that he may need to worry about the Bengal Army, there was a far more ravenous wolf that had already set its sights upon him, and that wolf was Germany.


    Thus, two things urred within the Indian subcontinent on this day. The Anangpur Empire, in an act of spite, had enacted a policy of istion. While the rest of the Indian Kingdoms formed a defensive alliance. Both of which benefited Berengar and his ambitions for the region more than anyone else.

 Chapter 868 The Mines of Wildschonau Part l

    Chapter 868 The Mines of Wildschonau Part l


    Berengar was currently sitting in a VIP booth within the grand concert hall of Kufstein. The seats within the venue had been filled to the brim with members of every level of society. Though it was not a concert that would be entertaining the German public tonight, but rather a brand new type of media.


    Within therge VIP booth was every member of Berengar''s family, who sat with excited smiles on their faces, along with buckets of buttery popcorn, on theirps. A treat that Berengar had specifically invented for theplete cinema experience.


    That''s right, today was the day that the world''s first movie premiered. Soon, cinemas would be constructed around the Reich, where this masterpiece of propaganda would be disyed for all of Germany to witness.


    The story was written and directed by a team beneath Ad''smand. In fact, she had been instrumental in ensuring everything was just right. This caused Berengar to lean over and kiss the woman on the cheeks before whispering something in her ear.


    "Thank you for this. I know it must not have been easy, opening up old wounds..."


    Ad merely smiled and nodded her head, before shooshing Berengar with a finger. She left behind a final remark before the movie begin.


    "Shh, it''s starting! We''ll talk after the movie is over!"


    Berengar merely smiled and nodded his head as the lights darkened and the crowds fell silent. Within the next few moments, the movie was projected onto therge screen where the title appeared in ck and white:


    The Mines of Wildsch?nau


    Immediately after the title screen passed, the movie opened, with the sight of peasants advancing in ranks within a field outside the old castle of Kufstein. All the while, a middle-aged man yelled out his orders to them.


    "Prime! Load! Fire!"


    After firing their shot into straw dummies a mere one hundred meters away, the front line knelt down and began to reload their muskets. Once more, the haggard voice of the middle-aged man could be overheard in the distance.


    "Advance!"


    The line behind them moves forward between the gaps of kneeling soldiers, and the older officer repeated hismands. As this is happening and the rank of soldiers advance closer to the targets, the scene cuts to a tall handsome blonde man no older than 20. He continues to silently watch until the soldiers get close to the targets, at which point, after firing their shots, they pull out bays and equip them to their muskets. Where the officer gives onest order.


    "CHARGE!"


    The soldiers break ranks and do an organised bay charge into the dummies. Skewering their triangr des through the straw torsos. Once the drill is over, the young man approaches the troops and says the following.


    "Good work, gentlemen. Go clean up and get some food. You have more than earned it."


    The militia all had excited smiles on their faces when they heard this. They would dly train how to fight in return for an extra meal a day. After all, this was the feudal era, and peasants rarely ate their fill. Before they departed, they saluted the Lord with a fist to the heart, then dispersed. Immediately following their departure, the officer approached the young man and asked the following.


    "Well, my lord, what do you think?"


    The handsome young man gazed around the training grounds, and witnessed the destruction wrought by the muskets. Straw littered the field, and dummies, or what remained of them, were knocked to the ground. Upon observing all of this, He nodded his head eagerly with a smile on his face before informing the officer of his opinion.


    "Well done Eckhard, you''ve turned this peasant rabble into an effective fighting force. The battalion will be more than capable of defending Kufstein against our neighbours should they turn on us."


    The old officer smiled and nodded his head in agreement with the young Lord''s assessment.


    "In truth, I did not do much. I was only following your instructions, Sir. What should bemended is your invention. Though itcks the range of a longbow, it takes a fraction of the time to train an able-bodied man in its use. It is truly a revolutionary instrument of war. But enough about that, I wanted to ask you something. I heard you will be heading out tomorrow. Is this true?"


    Berengar nodded his head and began to walk in the castle''s direction. As Eckhard followed by his side, he exined in detail his ns for the next day.


    "Yes, it is. My little fiancee has returned with payment for the steel ingots which I sold to her father. After careful consideration, I have decided to use the money to expand our mining sector. Tomorrow morning, I will be heading to the mines near Wildschonau to oversee the work.


    I should be gone for no more than a fortnight. In the mean time you should continue your work with the militia. After witnessing today''s events, I can confidently say that I trust in your abilities. The men are in good hands."


    Despite thepliment, Eckhard had a hint of worry in his eyes as he heard that his Lord and Master would be gone for so long. Even though the man would not be travelling far, Eckhard still felt the need to propose an escort, which he did not hesitate to ask.


    "Do you want me to arrange an escort?"


    Berengar immediately brushed off this idea with a smile on his face. It was clear by the expression he made that he was still filled with youthful wonder, and trust towards others that only an inexperienced man could have in his heart.


    "No need for concern. The lord of the territory is a vassal of my father. He would never harm me. Besides, I feel like it would be inappropriate to take away from the men''s training. They belong here with you. I''ll be fine."


    Though Berengar said this with utmost certainty, the old man had clearly seen his fair share of betrayal in life and looked concerned for the Lord''s safety. Despite this, he sighed in defeat, knowing that his insistence would get him nowhere. Instead, he parted ways with ast bit of fair advice.


    "Hmm, just be careful."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head as he walked into the castle with Eckhard by his side. Just before they enter its gates, he leaves behind his final remark.


    ""I will do that, my friend."


    Immediately after this, the movie transitions to the next scene where Berengar walks into his family''s Dining Hall. Seated at the table are his entire family, and a few guests. Including a 12-year-old blonde girl who seems excited to see him.


    He pecks the girl on the cheek and sits down next to her. Immediately after this, the camera transitions to a beautiful young redhead sitting across from Berengar, who seems incredibly agitated at the sight of the man kissing his fiancee on the cheek.


    Berengar notices this and silently shakes his head, causing Linde to control herself where she immediately lowers her head and bites her lower lip. As this is going on, Lambert is sitting by her side, ring at his elder brother with a hint of hate in his ocean blue eyes. Ad ispletely unaware of the tension in the room and breaks out into excitement when she sees the servants bring out the food.


    "You wouldn''t believe how much I missed the food of Kufstein while I was back home. Perhaps even more than I missed you!"


    Berengar chuckles at this remark while dinner continues as the camera zooms out. We next see him walk into his room with a tall candle and sit down at his desk, where he begins to spread out some paper. A timepse follows, showing the young Lord working as the candle melts.


    He scribbles his signature on thest blueprint of a flintlock musket, then blows out the candle, which has melted, indicating it''s been hours since he started. In the next scene, we see Berengar rise early in the morning and leave the castle at dawn.


    In the courtyard below, there is a carriage waiting outside for Berengar. As he steps into the carriage, he looks up and sees the redhead from dinner looking out the window at him. The girl smiles and waves at him. Implying that there is a certain rtionship between the two of them. Upon seeing this, the young Lord smiles back before blowing a kiss in her direction. This causes the girl to panic and scurry out of sight.


    With this brief interaction out of the way, Berengar merely chuckles before entering the carriage as it drives away. The carriage then joins up with more from the town, forming a convoy which makes its way down through the muddy path toward Wildsch?nau.

 Chapter 869 The Mines of wildschonau Part ll

    Chapter 869 The Mines of wildschonau Part ll


    As the movie was ying, Berengar reached behind his seat and into thep of Henrietta, where she kept her popcorn. The spectacle of the film thoroughly enthralled the young woman. She was very young at the time that these events took ce and thus was not fully aware of the story.


    After all, she had simply trusted Berengar''s word, and not investigated the matter with Lambert. As Berengar grabbed a handful of her popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth, she leaned forward and whispered something in his ear.


    "So you were seeing Linde even back then? I did not know that your rtionship had started so early. No wonder Lambert wanted to kill you!"


    In response to this, Berengar merely smirked before correcting his precious little sister''s thinking.


    "Actually, he tried to kill me before I ever met Linde. If you want to know the truth, she tried to seduce me the night we met, and make me into her ything. However, it seems I somehow managed to turn that around. As far as I''m aware, when this film takes ce, Lambert was unaware of our rtionship. He only began to suspect things after this."


    The movie continued during their hushed conversation, as the scene shifted to one where Berengar steps out of his carriage after arriving at his destination. There is a rather sinister looking nobleman who greets the Baron''s son with a smiling facade.


    "Lord Berengar, it is my honor to host your visit to my family''snds. Is there anything in particr you would request of my household during the duration of your stay?"


    Berengar shook his head. He had a confident look on his face as he pulled out a wad of papers and handed it to the man.


    "Your generosity humbles me, but I''m afraid I will be spending most of my time at the mine. Maybe some other time...''


    Ulrich quickly looked at the papers with a hint of shock on his face before requesting an exnation of what information was inscribed upon them.


    "What is this?"


    The Baron''s son merely smiled and exined just what it was that he had given his father''s subordinate.


    "Nothing too impressive, just some basic information on how you can improve your crop yields..."


    This news surprised the subservient Lord, who hastily skimmed over the contents with an eager expression on his face. Though he knew little of agriculture, what was written at least made some sense to him. The minor nobleman practically fell to his knees as he thanked Berengar for his generosity.


    "My Lord, this gift is too great. How can I possibly repay you for your kindness?"


    Once more, Berengar wore a charming smile as he gazed upon the fields, and the peasants working in them. After a mor shot of how destitute themon people were, the camera shifted back to Berengar''s handsome face while he spoke his thoughts aloud.


    "All I want is for my people to have enough food to satisfy their hungry bellies. Nothing more is needed on your part..."


    This response seemed to have shifted the expression on Ulrich''s face, as if this young man had said something utterly contemptible. However, Berengar seemed not to notice it, for when he next took a look at the minor nobleman, he had returned to his smiling facade.


    "A noble gesture. I will see to it that these ideas of yours are implemented as soon as possible. Now, shall I escort you to the mines?"


    Berengar proceeded to thank Ulrich before stepping into another carriage, which took them to the mines. The distance between the vige of Wildsch?nau, and the mines themselves was significant enough that an impoverished shanty town was established at the base of the mountain.


    The miners appeared filthy, destitute, starving, and just generally woesome. Berengar noticed this and sighed deeply before speaking his thoughts aloud.


    "When I have built a substantial enough treasury, I will make sure that these poor souls are properly looked after. No man should ever have to live in such horrid conditions, especially not my own people."


    The look on Ulrich''s face was once more filled with contempt, for only a second before it shed back to being friendly. In the following scene, Ulrich introduced Berengar to the mines and the workforce before departing. Another brief montage of work takes ce where Berengar is seen personally helping with the improvements to the mine until finally he is awoken at dawn by a particrly nervous individual.


    "My Lord, the mines have copsed. Come with me, quickly!"


    Without hesitation, Berengar follows the man into the mine shaft, looking for the alleged copse, and the potential survivors. However, after delving deep into the cavern, Berengar has not seen another man. Befuddled by this revtion, he quickly interrogates the miner about his previous ims.


    "Just where is this mine copse that you speak of?"


    A vicious smile appears on the miner''s face as he says his farewell to the Baron''s son. A hint ofughter can be heard in his voice as he does so.


    ""Right here, my lord... Your brother Lambert sends his regards!"


    Berengar is visibly panicked as he realizes what is about to happen, however before he can make a run for it, an explosion urs and the mine copses around him. Immediately after this, the scene cuts to Lambert and Linde, who are back in the Kufstein castle. Lambert, in his arrogance, reveals his plot to the young redheaded beauty with a haughty smirk on his face.


    "My brother? Oh, did I not tell you? I have arranged for him to suffer a little ident in the mines. By now, that pitiful bastard is already dead, buried beneath a mountain of rubble!"


    Linde immediately freezes, and it is apparent to everyone watching the film that her heart had just imploded. However, being the professional that she is, she quickly recovers her sense of calm and nods her head. Her voice slightly breaks as she withdraws from the room, leaving behind a pitiful excuse.


    "I... If you will excuse me, I must go and write to my father so that he may hear the good news."


    From the corner of her eye, it is clear that the young redheaded beauty is struggling to contain her tears, however; she holds on just long enough to exit the room with grace. Once the door is shut behind her, the waterworks enter full effect as she covers her mouth so that her sobbing can not be overheard by any unwanted ears.


    It takes Linde a few moments to ovee her pain, however when she realizes the potential of Berengar still being alive, panic sets in and she sprints through the halls of the Castle and out towards the vige below where Ludwig''s workshop is located.


    As Linde burst through Ludwig''s doors, tears thoroughly stained the woman''s pretty face. Causing the old armorer to be a bit suspicious of who he knew to be Lambert''s fiancee. However, before he could question just what this harlot was doing in his workshop, she blurted out her thoughts.


    "Berengar is in trouble!"


    These words stunned Ludwig, who had be close friends with Berengar, leaving the man even more suspicious than he was moments ago. After interrogating Linde on her loyalties, the woman reveals that she is in love with Berengar, and has been having an affair with him for some time. This response leaves Ludwig speechless, but ultimately convinces him of the woman''s allegiance.


    Ludwig quickly knocks on Eckhard''s door and informs the man of what had transpired, causing him to rally the troops in Berengar''s defense. The scene ends with the soldiers marching towards Wildsch?nau as they sing the song "Erika". Which is contrasted with visuals of Linde praying for Berengar''s survival, while the man is alone, in the darkness, trapped beneath the rubble, and losing all hope for survival.


    The next scene depicts Eckhard and his troops seizing control of the mines where they interrogate the miners while rescuing Berengar. The miner''s reveal that Ulrich was responsible for the cave-in, and that they had been paid to maintain their silence. Cementing the Lord''s guilt in the eyes of the haggard old knight.


    Despite all odds, the cave in is cleared, and Berengar is rescued, much to the joy of his soldiers. He is immediately treated for his wounds. While also given food and water. However, despite his injuries, Berengar quickly organizes the defense of their position, knowing that Ulrich will not allow him to leave the mines alive.


    The scene then cuts to Lord Ulrich, who is informed of Berengar''s survival, and the militia that upies the mines. He knows he can not allow Berengar to live, for his betrayal would instantly be revealed to the boy''s father. Thus, he rallies an army of 1600 men,posed mostly of peasant levies and marches them towards the mines where Berengar lied in wait for him.


    An epic battle ensues, where Berengar personally leads his troops to victory. The power of the muskets easily prevails over the heavily armored knights and the men at arms who followed them. Before long, Ulrich''s elite troops force the peasants towards the front lines, under threat of death where they suffer heavy casualties.


    As the battlees to a close, the viinous Ulrich panics, and just as he is about to order a full retreat, the thunderous echoes of cannons fill the air. The traitorous Lord nearly has a heart attack as he witnesses 12 pound cannonballing straight for him.


    However, before he could snap the reins of his horse, the projectile effortlessly barrels through his chest and ims his life. Those forces loyal to Ulrich, who were not killed in the battle, quickly routed following the death of their Lord, leaving Berengar''s militia with an overwhelming victory.


    The final scene starts after the battle is over, where Berengar is seen sitting on a rock in contemtion with a musket on hisp, while he watches the aftermath of the battle. Eckhard observes the man''s behavior from the side for a while before approaching him. It bes clear that Berengar is still deep in thought, and thus to catch his interest, Eckhard tosses the man a coin before posing his question.


    "Pfennig, for your thoughts?"


    Berengar catches the coin and smiles as he inspects it. He is still in the process of gathering his thoughts, and thus says nothing for several moments of silence. After a while, he looks at the bodies being piled up into a mass grave and speaks his mind.


    "Feudalism is dead. I just killed it. You saw that battle, Eckhard. No longer will mounted knights win wars, but it will be themon man armed with one of these, who will determine the fate of nations. How long will they fight for their ungrateful lords as peasant levies?... A restructuring of society is now inevitable, and without a guiding hand, it will be a bloody affair."


    Eckhard was surprised when he heard this, to say the least. Berengar''s vision up until this point was to seed his father, and ensure that his family''snds were prosperous, but there was no great desire for revolution. Thus, he could not help but inquire further about the young Lord''s intentions.


    "You intend to restructure our society?.... The nobles will resist it. The catholic church will name you a heretic. We will make many enemies."


    In response to this, Berengar merely smirks before turning his head to look at Eckhard and the camera, where he says the following.


    "Then we just need a bigger army..."


    With this said, the screen fades to ck, where the words "The End" took the screen. The theater immediately broke out into thunderous apuse and cheers of joy. As the credits rolled, the lights appeared, and the actors who were present for the premier took a bow in front of the entire audience.


    Berengar joined in and apuded them for their efforts. Though the film was in ck and white, its quality truly impressed him. Perhaps it would go down as a genuine ssic. A movie to be watched for generations toe.


    More than one member of Berengar''s family had been moved to tears by the film. Such as Ad, Henrietta, and surprisingly even Linde, who wrapped her arms around her man, and cried in his shoulder. Overall, the World''s first film was a monumental sess, and the department of Propaganda would continue to make use of films as a means to show off the grandeur of their Nation, and its ruler.

 Chapter 870 The Fall of Anangpur Part l

    Chapter 870 The Fall of Anangpur Part l


    A month passed by as quickly as it came, and in the east, the tides of war were rising. With the promation of a united defensive pact against the Bengal Empire and its bloodthirsty emperor, the forces of the Bengal army were left with only one option for their initial invasion of the subcontinent.


    Emperor Asha, with renewed focus, had quickly conquered what little remained of Burma, and well within his estimated time frame. Currently, he was debating who to attack first, along with his ministers.


    Though the Anangpur Empire had foolishly isted itself from the rest of the Indian Kingdoms, and would be the easiest territory to annex, the sheer insolence of Pandya and its allies had driven the Bengal Emperor mad with rage. So much so that he was ready and willing to take on the challenge presented to him.


    Though the Japanese Advisors who had been sent to oversee his campaign were far from agreeable with this foolish n. So much so that one of them quickly pointed out his perspective with a rather stern tone in his voice.


    "Only a fool would react to this tant provocation with an invasion. Especially when there is another juiciermb to be ughtered in the west. The Anangpur Empire, in an act of spite, has isted itself from their neighbors. This is the perfect opportunity to take arge chunk of the territory in which you im.


    With little effort, the Anangpur Empire will submit to you, and from there you can conscript their men to serve in your armed forces. In doing so, you can more than double your army, allowing you to be better prepared for whatever paltry resistance the coalition has formed to defend against you. I implore you to listen to reason!"


    Emperor Asha was just about to go on a tirade against his Japanese Advisors, who sought to undermine his authority at every turn, when a messenger entered into the war room of the Bengal Pce. The man had a panicked expression on his face as he kneeled before his emperor and reported thetest news, which he had received.


    "Your majesty, Emperor Chandra Tomara of the Anangpur Empire is here to see you!"


    This news shocked both Asha and his Japanese Advisors, and quite honestly neither of them knew how to properly react to it. Ultimately, after several awkward moments of silence, Asha cleared his throat before making a decree to the messenger.


    "Send him in!"


    The messenger initially thought that perhaps he had misheard, however after a moment''s hesitation he could see the fierce re that his Emperor was giving him, and scurried off to go bring in Asha''stest guest.


    A few momentster, Chandra Tomara appeared in the room. He had a smug smile on his face as he approached the Bengal Emperor, as if the two were equals. Though they had never met before, the shameless emperor of Anangpur acted as if they had been good friends for a long time.


    "Emperor Asha, it is so good to finally meet you atst. After that nasty business with the others, I have thought about my position carefully, and have decided that I am willing to form an alliance with you. All I ask is that you speak to the Japanese Empress on my behalf, so that I may open up trade with her mighty Empire."


    Asha''s brow twitched when he heard this nonsense. He could honestly not tell whether the man was mocking him, or if he was earnest about his offer. After taking a few moments to calm himself, Asha walked up to Chandra, and stared the man in the eyes before posing a simple question.


    "What benefit do I gain by making an alliance with your pathetic little kingdom? Last time I checked, the Anangpur Empire was in decline, so much so that its true emperor fled its borders to go live a life of luxury within the Reich.


    Give me one reason why I shouldn''t have you lined up against a wall and shot right now? You show up to my pce unannounced, and demand that I not only make an alliance with you, but go out of my way to make you look good in front of Empress Itami? The sheer audacity of it all!"


    Chandra did not quiver in fear. Instead, he became rather angry. Perhaps he was unaware of just how powerful the Bengal Army had be after gaining the support of the Japanese Empire. Or perhaps he was simply too proud to acknowledge the truth. Either way, his response wasughable, and yet filled with contempt.


    "You dare mock thends of my ancestors? If they had not overthrown the Gurjara and united the northwest into a mighty Empire, you would be speaking Arabic right now! You should show me some fucking respect!"


    Thoroughly enraged by this response, Asha broke out into a fit of manicughter before pointing at Chandra and threatening him.


    "You know what? I havee to a decision! I will save Anangpur for thest of my conquests. For the sheer degree of disrespect you have shown me on this asion, I will allow you to return to your homnd alive and well just so you can sit back and watch as I unite the entire subcontinent beneath my banner.


    And when you are truly alone, with no friends to turn to in your time of need, I will set your petty little Kingdom aze. The once proud history of your people shall forever be purged from this Earth. So prepare yourself, if you can, because one day soon you will feel my wrath! Guards, send this fool away!"


    With that said, the Bengal pce guards dragged Emperor Chandra Tomara away from Asha''s sight and cast him into the muddy streets. Though Chandra was enraged, there was nothing he could do about such an insult. He could only curse Asha''s name, and return to his homnd with his head held low.


    After Chandra was thrown out of the pce, Asha turned his sight to the map disyed on his war table, and moved a figure representing his army into the position of his western neighbor, the Ganga. With a vicious smile on his face, he announced his intentions aloud.


    "We will start our invasion here and move south until we have conquered the Pandya. From there, we will work our way up north until the entire subcontinent is under my banner. As for the Anangpur Empire, as promised, I will burn their civilization to the ground once I have annexed the others."


    Though Asha didn''t know it, Germany had long since embedded spies within the Bengal Emperor''s pce. More urately, they paid servants to inform them about Asha''s schemes. Thus, a young maid had overheard everything said in this meeting.


    The moment her shift was over and she was supposed to return home for the night, the young woman entered the docks, where she covertly met up with a German merchant. The man handed her a bag of silver coins for the information she provided and sent her on her way. After which he got on the telegraph and informed the fathend that the war in India was about to begin.


    More importantly, the agent reported to the fathend that the Anangpur Empire had been spared Asha''s wrath, for now at least. Though if the Reich waited too long, there would be nothing but ruins to rule over. Thus, after a single heated conversation between two monarchs, the Fall of Anangpur had begun.

 Chapter 871 The Fall of Anangpur Part ll

    Chapter 871 The Fall of Anangpur Part ll


    Berengar stood in his war room, with the exiled Anangpur Emperor Dharya Tomara by his side. Aside from Berengar, there were also German Officers from each branch of the military, along with Intelligence Agents who ryed thetest information from the field.


    Emperor Asha Sarkar of the Bengal Empire had officially marched his army into his western neighbor, known as the Ganga Dynasty. In doing so, he had proimed that the Anangpur Empire would be thest of his conquests of the Indian Subcontinent, but the most brutal of them all.


    This gave Berengar the perfect opportunity to wage war against Chandra Tomara and ce the rightful emperor back on the throne, but as a puppet beneath the control of the Reich. Berengar was now within his pce''s war room, discussing the invasion n with his officers.


    Dharya was permitted to attend since he was the man who would be established as the new ruler of the Anangpur Empire. The room was in chaos, as locations were constantly being marked on the map that contained reported zones of conflict within the Indian subcontinent.


    While this chaos was unfolding within the war room, Berengar moved a bunch of figures which represented a carrier strike group, and the attachednding craft near the shores of the Anangpur Empire.


    Three years had passed since Berengar began his Pax Germania, and the first batch of Germany''s Carrier strike groups were now operational and deployed around the globe to project power in different spheres of influence. The one that was being dispatched to the Indian Subcontinent was currently located at the Naval Base in the a strait. After moving his pieces to their correct locations, Berengar boldly states his n for the invasion of the Anangpur Empire.


    "We will dispatch the Sixth Fleet to the shores of the Anangpur Empire, where our dive bombers on board the Carrier will attack vital military outposts and garrisons from the skies above. As this urs, we will send our marines onto the shores who will make their way to the Capital here in Anangpur. It will be a long trek, but by the time they arrive, the Pce will have already fallen, and the false emperor will be captured!"


    Dharya was in a state of disbelief when he saw the strategy Berengar hade up with. It took him several moments to understand everything that was in y, and when he did, he had one simple question in his mind.


    "How do you intend to take the capital before the main force can plow their way through the half of the Empire?"


    In response to this, Berengar merely snickered before moving another group of models from the ind of Cyprus straight towards the Capital of the Anangpur Empire. These models were Ju 390s, and were meant to represent troop transports. When Dharya figured this out, he quickly asked another question, but was cut off before he could finish.


    "You don''t mean to-"


    Berengar smiled, nodded his head, and patted the young man on the back with approval before responding.


    "It is exactly as you are thinking. I will air drop two battalion''s worth of Jaegers into the Capital, who will secure the Pce, and the city, while the Marines push through the rest of the Empire. With such overwhelming firepower in their hands, along with the knowledge and experience to properly wield it, even your uncle''s most elite soldiers will not stop them."


    A hint of excitement appeared on Dharya''s face as he realized after all these years, he was finally about to gain his vengeance against his uncle, who usurped his position and poisoned his sister. He gazed fondly upon the man in front of him before cracking a joke at Berengar''s expense.


    "My Uncle always feared an ancient and obscure prophesy. He believed that the Anangpur Princess would seduce a one eyed devil from the west into invading her homnd, and destroying it. However, looking at you now, you have two eyes, don''t you?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this remark beforementing on it with his fucked up sense of humor.


    "If you want, I can remove this eye and take your sister as my mistress. Would that make you feel better?"


    Dharya stared at Berengar in silence for a few moments, knowing the man''s personality. It was entirely possible he would do something so outrageous, just to add an additionalyer of icing to the cake, so to speak. However, he simply shook his head in response, and denied Berengar''s solution to a non-existent problem.


    "Nah, I think it would be best if you did neither of those two things..."


    In response to this, the two men broke out into a sharedughter, whichsted for several seconds. After calming themselves, Dharya shifted to a more serious topic, and asked the most important question on his mind.


    "So, when do we begin?"


    Berengar cocked a brow at the boy emperor before responding to his question.


    "Didn''t I already tell you? This is already in motion. Within six hours, your uncle''s reign wille to an end, and your throne will be returned to you. You will be able to return to your homnd and restore your dynasty to its former glory."


    Dharya had an excited expression on his face as he nodded his head in agreement. That is, until the moment the Kaiser opened his mouth once more.


    "Of course, Priya will stay here in Kufstein with me."


    The moment the exiled emperor heard these words, his excitement turned to fury as he red daggers at his benefactor, who had a smug smile on his face. Dharya was not willing to ept this oue and immediately rejected the very notion of Priya staying with Berengar.


    "Absolutely not. I will never allow such a thing toe to pass. Priya belongs with me in our home! What gives you the right to keep her here under lock and key?"


    It was at this moment, Berengar''s smug smirk turned to a frown, as he walked up to Dharya and stared down at him. There was a fierce glint in the Kaiser''s mismatched eyes as his voice echoed with the authority of a tyrant.


    "I swore to protect your sister from any and all threats. You may be Emperor of Anangpur once more, but that does not mean that it is safe for your sister back in your ancestral home. If your uncle believes this prophecy, then how many of his followers do as I well? Will they not strike at her from the shadows as they have done in the past?


    I assure you, I will treat the girl the same way I have treated her for years, as if she were one of my loved ones. However, she''s not returning with you to Anangpur. You can bitch and moan all you want, but in the end, we both know you will agree to my demands. You can think of this as assurance..."


    Dharya had always known that Berengar was never helping him and his sister out of the kindness of his own heart, but he never expected the man to make such an outrageous demand. If Berengar wanted Priya to stay in Kufstein, he should have married the girl, like was once suggested to him. Yet he declined this offer, thus the exiled emperor could only ask the question that was currently guing his mind.


    "What kind of assurance?"


    A wicked grin appeared on Berengar''s handsome face as he leaned over and whispered into Dharya''s ear.


    "So long as your sister lives with me, I can be assured that you will toe the line. After all, thest thing I need is a puppet who does not obey his master. So long as you obey yourself, I won''t coerce the girl into joining my bed.


    But if she just so happens to decide that is what she desires on her own, I won''t reject her. After all, she has grown into such a beautiful young woman. As a man, how could I send her away when she''s begging for my love?"


    Dharya clenched his fists in response to this. He had every urge in his body to strike the Kaiser, and yet, his fear prevented him from doing so. All he could say was once simple phrase.


    "You bastard!"


    Berengar merely feigned offense as he corrected the errant youth for his poor choice of words.


    "Bastard? No, I''m afraid I am something far worse. You really should have listened to your uncle. I may not be the devil, but I am the closest thing in this world to it. Now run along and let the men handle this operation. You just need to look pretty for your triumphant return."


    With this said, Berengar turned his back to Dharya, leaving the young man to fume in his rage. Despite Dharya''s reservations, Berengar was correct in everything he said. In the end, the boy emperor did nothing, and agreed to the Kaiser''s demands. No matter how much he wished he could refuse.

 Chapter 872 Holding Ones GeneralsAccountable

    Chapter 872 Holding One''s Generalsountable


    Itami sat at her dining table, feasting upon a delectable breakfast. However, her chopsticks had not moved an inch since she firstid eyes on the document in her hands. It was a copy of the newspaper that Berengar had shipped to the Majapahit Empire.


    The pictures in the paper were undeniable proof of her soldiers'' war crimes within the Korean Penins, Ryukyu Kingdom, and the ind of Hokkaido. Piles of corpses, makeshift brothels, and literal very were all taking ce across the theaters of war that the Imperial Japanese Army waged.


    An overwhelming sense of fury rose within the young woman''s heart as she saw this. Without her knowledge, the soldiers of her army weremitting atrocities left and right, and the Germans had documented it all, using her actions as propaganda to fuel the fear of the people she wished to subject to her influence.


    Learning from her failures in Korea, Itami had nned to move into the region one known in her past life as the Philippines, not as an overt military action, but as an "alliance of mutual cooperation." She had nned the same for Mysia and Indonesia. Unfortunately, before she could enact this new strategy of conquest, her soldiers had given the Germans the fuel they needed to light a fire within the hearts of her targets.


    Itami did not know who to even hold responsible for these atrocities, as they were being conducted in nearly every theater in which her soldiers operated. Aside from maybe her most trusted advisor, General Shiba Kiyohiko, all of her general staff were guilty of the most heinous of crimes. However, if she were to execute them all for their actions, she would have nobody left to lead her troops.


    This issue with the chain ofmand had be something that was practically unsolvable. As she tried to reacquire her appetite, the young Empress could only reflect on her past life and have a conversation with a man who had long since been deceased.


    "Oh Julian, what would you do if you were in my position?"


    A memory shed in her mind, as if she were reliving it all over again, a conversation she had once had with Julian about the nature of war crimes.


    "It is the threat of strict punishment that keeps soldiers in line, and the responsibility of the leadership to ensure that these punishments are enacted. Thes two things will prevent arge majority of war crimes from happening. The soldiers must both fear and respect the chain ofmand, more than they trust their base human instinct to dominate the enemy after they have proven victorious."


    Itami repeated the words she once said aloud as if she were still Mizuno Ai having this exact conversation with Julian Weber.


    "But what if the Generals are the ones who give themand to enact said war crimes? Who will hold them responsible?"


    Julian sighed as he exined the potential scenarios where such a thing urs as if he were lecturing a toddler on the basic principles of the Englishnguage.


    "Generally, war crimes are only enforced by two means: In the first scenario, a nation will hold itself to the same standards as the enemy, which throughout history is rare,. By doing this, the military itself, or the civilian government, will try to convict their own soldiers for their crimes, no matter their rank.


    The second scenario is where the defeated nation is held ountable for their actions by the victors. This is the far moremon scenario. This means that the winners of the war will use their might to punish those they believe to be responsible, such as the nuremburg trials.


    In WWII the Germans were heavily punished for their war crimes, while the Allies, who were just as bad in many cases, especially the soviet union, walked free, without a single repercussion for their own atrocities. That''s what they don''t teach you in history ss. Both sides of that warmitted their fair share of crimes against humanity, but since we were victorious, we paint the conflict as a war between saints and sinners.


    Let''s say for the sake of argument that you are in a position where you can punish your own general whomits some atrocity on the battlefield. It is not only your responsibility to inflict upon them the most severe penalty there is, as they are a high-ranking General who either ignored the crimesmitted by his troops, or outrightmanded them.


    But it is also your duty to the soldiers beneath hismand to hold him responsible, for if he is not punished, then they will continue to believe they can behave so horrendously. And if you truly believe in the concept of war crimes, and or crimes against humanity, then you must enforce them, for if you don''t, then ultimately you are the one responsible for whatever suffering your troops cause.


    If you draw a line in the sand, you must enforce it, even if it means recing your entire general staff with less experienced officers. However, such a thing can have disastrous effects, so you must decide was it was more important to you as a leader, total victory, or moral superiority."


    Ai sighed in understanding as she nodded her head in agreement with Julian''s assessment. With a wide smile on her face, she called out to him as if he were still in front of her.


    "Thank you Julian, you are always there to help me when I need you..."


    However, in the next moment, he vanished, and Itami realized she was all alone in her dining hall. She immediately became overwhelmed with grief, knowing that during that conversation in her past life, she had cursed out Julian for implying that victory was the most important goal of a military, and that war crimes were simply a part of conflict. It was only now, after living in a world where she was forced to undergo a simr situation, that she realized how right Julian was.


    However, because of this memory, Itami now drew a line in the sand. Disregarding coteral damage in pursuit of a hostile target and gunning down fleeing enemies was one thing. But rape, execution of POWs, murder of civilians, and outright very were simply intolerable. Because of Julian''s advice, she had now gained the resolve to do what was necessary.


    She quickly got up from her seat and fetched the nearest servant. She was no longer in the mood to eat. After finding her target, she gave the woman an order.


    "Bring thismand to the nearest telegraph station. Every General who is currently in the field, as well as every officer above the Rank of Major who is with them, is to be immediately recalled to Heian-ky��. I must have a word with them all."


    The pce servant quickly nodded her head before rushing off to deliver the Empress''s orders. In the time since Itami had regained control of her memories, she spent whatever time she was not overwhelmed with grief at advancing the technology of her society.


    Among these innovations were research into radiomunications, radar, sonar, and other pieces of technology that were necessary for the function of a warship. After all, though her people may be able to manufacture the hulls to her warships, those vessels would still not be functional without these critical pieces of technology.


    The light of the divine mirror she had inherited from the previous dynasty provided significant benefits. The only problem was that it needed twenty-four hours to charge in the sun for every twelve hours of use.


    However, this was enough to allow her toplete the development and production of radio-telegraphs which she fielded in limited numbers across the Japanese maind, and her areas of upation.


    With this order given, Itami returned to her room. Exhausted by theplicated emotions she felt, she immediately changed into something morefortable before hopping into bed where she hugged onto arge body pillow roughly the size of her long deceased love interest. Itami immediately pulled the covers over her and smiled as she fell into a deep sleep. Her final words before her consciousness were a whispered pleasantry.


    "Goodnight Julian..."

 Chapter 873 The Fall of Anangpur Part ll

    Chapter 873 The Fall of Anangpur Part ll


    Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten sat within the cargo bay of a Ju 390 heavy transport ne. For the past eight hours or so, he and hispany had been flying from Cyprus to Anangpur with a single purpose in mind: To capture the False Emperor of the Anangpur Empire. As for the rest of the two battalions'' worth of Jaegers, their job was to secure the Capital in an airborne operation.


    The battle-worn veteran stared stoically at the red light that was disyed within the aircraft''s hangar bay. The moment it turned green, the hatch would open, and he would jump out of the aircraft. It had been many years since he had been an average enlisted soldier, basking in the glory of the Kaiser''s repeated victories.


    Now he was no longer so na?ve, he was a veteran Jaeger, and a man who had seen his fair share of conflict. Hell, the scars on his face were proof enough about the action he had seen. Despite this, there was not a hint of emotion on his face. Why would there be? With the amount of men he had killed in war, to take another life was to add to a statistic, and nothing more.


    As for his own life, he already swore it to the Kaiser. He lived and breathed for the glory of the Reich, and nothing else. Though he had been given a noble title for his efforts, he did not desire it, nor did he crave for arge family, full of useless descendents. His ce was on the battlefield, and he knew it.


    Thus, despite the fact that he was about to jump out of a ne that was well over six kilometers in the air, there was not the slightest sense of dread in his heart, nor was there excitement, only mind numbing calm.


    As the green light turned on, and the hatch opened, the veteran sergeant major racked the charging handle of his suppressed MP-27 submachine gun, ensuring that a round was loaded before taking his ce on the ramp. Before the Captain of hispany could even bother taking the foremost position, he had secured it for himself.


    This was not an act of disrespect. Rather, the Captain relied on Lach to boost his soldier''s morale by charging into the fray, headfirst, on every asion. The sergeant major red at hispany before nodding his head once. His words were short, but to the point.


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    After saying this, he turned around and leaped into the air without the slightest hint of fear in his eyes. Lach continued to fall towards his destination, focused entirely on hisnding point, rather than the men who had his back. Naturally, the rest of thepany deployed, but he was too busy to see it.


    With every second, he fell a few hundred meters. The earth''s gravity pulled him closer to the ground as if it wanted nothing more than for him to turn into a giant pile of meat paste. While ordinary soldiers would pull their chute at roughly 185 meters. Lach continued to propel towards the earth below. It was only when he was sixty meters in the air did he pull his chute, which caught him in the air, and slowed his descent.


    It was the dead of night when the Sergeant Majornded in the Anangpur Pce''s courtyard. Although he was the first to make his descent, he did not wait for backup. Immediately skulking in the darkness, he forced his way towards the pce gates where a troop of guards stood on watch.


    These men were dressed in medieval armor, and armed with Arquebuses, they were the esteemed Tiger Guard who were once loyal to Dharya. However, in the years of the true Emperor''s absence, their allegiance had been swayed towards Chandra with the promise of wealth and women.


    The legendary Tiger Guard did not even see death as it approached them. Lach merely aimed down the iron sights of his suppressed submachine gun and pulled the trigger. He held the trigger just long enough to send three rounds down range and into the chest of his first target.


    The muffled crackle of subsonic gunfire was not nearly loud enough to stir the nearby sentries. Which Lach took advantage of as he rapidly shifted his target and plugged another three rounds into the next enemy.


    For this mission, his unit had all been equipped with suppressed MP-27 Submachine guns, along with specialized subsonic rounds. The noise signature fired from their barrel was not only hearing safe, but only noticeable at close distance.


    Before the squad of Tiger Guardsmen could even react to this crackle in the darkness, Lach had rapidly shifted his targets and fired a small burst into each of their chests. The power of the subsonic 9mm round was more than enough to prate through their medieval armor, and puncture their hearts. One man gunned these so-called elite soldiers of the Anangpur Empire down in the darkness before they even knew he was there.


    Following the spilling of first blood, the rest of Lach''s unit made their way to the ground, where they witnessed his work. They could not help but be impressed by the man''s professionalism. After killing five guys with three bullets each, Lach still had seventeen remaining in his magazine, which was more than enough to deal with a few more pests.


    The Sergeant major did not hesitate, nor did he speak. He merely motioned in the darkness for the men of his unit to form on the door as he slowly picked the lock. While hispany hadnded in the courtyard of the Pce, the rest of the two battalionsnded throughout the rest of the city. Their jobs would be to silently eliminate the garrison.


    After silently opening the door, Lach took point where he lead the members of his toon down one hall, while the other progressed down the other. The moment they turned the corner, they witnessed a group of ten sentries, who they gunned down in a matter of seconds. The overwhelming volume of gunfire could barely be heard throughout the corridors as they made their way through the rest of the pce in search of the usurper.


    Like knives in the dark, the Jaegers dispatched every hostile they came across, as if their god was the reaper, and he had bestowed upon them the gift of death. Not even the servants of the pce were spared in fear that they would run to their master and alert him to the invasion.


    Eventually Lach found the bedroom of the Pce, where the target was sure to be sleeping. He once more alerted his soldiers to form up on the door, however instead of picking this lock he merely pointed the muzzle of his suppressor towards it, and fired a burst of rounds into it, which did the trick.


    As the Jaegers moved into the room, they witnessed Chandra Tomara engaging in an orgy with his wives and mistresses. The sudden intrusion of camouged men shocked the arrogant usurper, who immediately called out to his guards for support.


    "Guards! There is an intruder!"


    Lach merely snarled as he approached the naked emperor, and pinned him to the bed. Meanwhile, his soldiers ziptied the women and tossed them into the corner of the room, where they pleaded for their lives with tears in their eyes. The Sergeant Major had apletely stoic look on his face as he pointed his P-28 pistol to the back of Chandra''s head and cursed the man out in his native tongue.


    "Emperor Chandra Tomara, your reign hase to an end. You areing with me. Now you can either put some pants on ande willingly, or I will put a fucking bullet in your brain and drag your corpse out myself. Choose!"


    Chandra did not realize who was threatening him. Their uniforms were alien, and they masked their white skin with camouged paint. Thus, he foolishly tried to buy their loyalties.


    "I don''t know who you are, but if you let me go, I will give you untold riches, and however many women you desire. Did Asha send you? Please, I can pay you more than he ever can. Just let me go!"


    This remark caused Lach to sneer in disgust as he pistol whipped Chandra across the back of the head and tossed him over his shoulder. After doing so, he pointed his pistol towards the naked women and gave amand to his unit.


    "Take care of them, while I radio back to highmand that we have captured the target."


    With this said, the German soldiers silently nodded their heads before raising their submachine guns and plugging a few rounds into the heads of the naked brides of the false emperor. Leaving behind no witnesses to their actions.


    Thus Chandra Tomara had been captured, and nobody was any the wiser. As for the capital city of the Anangpur Empire, it was still under siege by nearly 2,000 airborne Jaegers. All the while, the shores of the Empire were under assault by thousands of marines and their armored vehicles.

 Chapter 874 The Fall of Anangpur Part lV

    Chapter 874 The Fall of Anangpur Part lV


    It was the dead of night as one of two German U-boats lurked beneath the surface within the Arabian Sea. In advance of the Sixth Fleet, Commander Arendt Tapphart had been ordered to annihte what few ships the Anangpur Navy had protected their territorial waters.


    The Commander lit up a cigarette as he stood within the helm of the Type I U-boat, which was essentially an improvement over the Type XXI design from Berengar''s past life. The Sonar beeped continuously as it disyed several vessels in the distance. Judging from the size of these ships, they were no mere merchant vessels.


    After taking arge drag from his cigarette and exhaling a plume of smoke, Commander Tapphart gave the order to begin the assault.


    "Launch the Torpedos!"


    The German sailors nodded their heads and saluted theirmander before doing as they were ordered. With the pull of a lever, the torpedos wereunched towards the unsuspected wooden sailing ships.


    Within seconds, the torpedos struck their targets and sted them into the smithereens. The fiery explosion illuminated the dark sky, so much so that those who dwelled within the coastal cities could see their light.


    With this, the Anangpur Fleet was thoroughly obliterated, allowing for the Carrier strike group to progress to the Coastline unopposed. Despite sinking several vessels, the crews on board the two U-boats did not cheer. After all, sinking a primitive sailing vessel was no aplishment. Instead, they radioed into the Carrier Known as the SMS Prinz Hans that the deed had been done.


    Once the news of the Anangpur Fleet''s destruction reached the Admiral aboard the SMS Prinz Hans, he dispatched his orders to the fleet.


    "Begin the Assault!"


    With this said, the German battleships and battlecruisers began to bombard the harbors within the coastal cities with their guns. While this urred, forty-two different Stukas took flight, and headed deep ind towards the Anangpur Empire.


    Their objective was to strike the fortresses and garrisons that the Anangpur Empire had throughout its territory. Allowing the Marines to progress to the Capital without resistance. Under the cover of darkness, their attacks were simply unobservable by any third parties who might be spying on the German attack. All they would hear were loud sirens before the detonation of explosions.


    The Stukas took flight, while the Landing Craft, which carried five thousand German Marines and their armored vehicles, prepared to hit the shores. The initial wave wouldnd the Mechanized Infantry, as well as the self-propelled artillery, while the secondary wave wouldnd trucks filled with supplies such as bio-diesel, munitions, and rations.


    Because the Anangpur Empire was not expecting an invasion, the German Marinesnded unopposed, where their armored vehicles began to progress deep ind. They would not stop their conquest until they reached the capital.


    Against such overwhelming Military Might, what little remained of the Anangpur Army quickly surrendered their arms, and were taken captive by the German Marines who treated them with respect. After all, German militaryw strictly forbid the mistreatment of prisoners, and unlike the Imperial Japanese Army, the soldiers of the Reich were instilled with a strict sense of discipline.


    ---


    After speaking with Dharya Tomara about the invasion n, Berengar had taken the next flight to the Anangpur Empire, along with his newest puppet. The two men were currently hovering over the coast of western India. Dharya was gripping the edge of his seat in terror. This was the first time he had ever travelled on a ne, and the turbulence had practically made his skeleton jump out of his skin.


    While the boy was white knuckling the journey, he saw the explosions ur beneath them through the windows. Dharya could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the power of the German torpedos which sunk his uncle''s warships and instantly expressed his shock.


    "My gods, what the hell was that?"


    Berengar merely chuckled when he heard this before responding with a confident smirk on his face.


    "That would be the destruction of the Anangpur fleet. Just you wait, things are about to get a lot more exciting..."


    As Berengar said these words, evenrger explosions urred on the coastline. These were the devastating sts of the 38cm guns onboard the Linde-ss Battleships which destroyed the Anangpur Harbor. The intimidating sight of his family''s ports being sted to bits by a single barrage had nearly made the young man wet his pants in fright.


    He decided at that moment to no longer look out the windows, as he asked the Kaiser just what he had nned for their visit to an ongoing battlefield.


    "So tell me again why we flew nearly twelve hours from the safety of your pce to an active war zone?"


    A wicked grin appeared on Berengar''s face as he racked the charging handle to his automatic rifle. Ensuring that a round was loaded in its open bolt chamber. After doing so, he switched the gun to safe before exining the purpose of this visit.


    "I want you to see with your own eyes what my military is capable of. I sent two battalions of Jaegers to the Capital to secure the city for the Reich in advance of our invasion. Meanwhile, I dispatched apany of my Jagdkommandos to the coasts prior to our assault to establish an airfield for our nes tond.


    They have had the past twelve hours to construct this makeshift airfield, where we are about tond. Once we hit the ground, we will regroup with a Marine Mechanized Infantry Regiment, where we will ride in an IFV and witness this campaign unfold."


    Dharya had no idea what any of this meant, but he had never expected he would be riding into his family''s capital on the front lines of war. This was not what he had signed up for, and he wanted to refuse. However, there was nothing he could do. He was already six kilometers in the air, and there was nowhere for him to escape to.


    The ne began its descent, which made Dharya grip the edges of his seat even tighter, a sight which made Berengarugh. In the end, the nended on the makeshift airfield without incident, where Dharya quickly fled the vehicle before falling to the ground and spilling out the contents of his stomach.


    Berengar responded to the boy''s pathetic state by kicking him in the back, which forced Dharya tond face first into his puke. Dharya was about to turn around in a rage when he saw the Kaiser ring at him.


    "Get ahold of yourself, boy. This is an active war zone. The enemy could be surrounding us as we speak!"


    Dharya immediately tightened his grip over his automatic rifle and took a deep breath as he looked around into the darkness, searching for enemy troops. When the German Jagdkommandos approached thending zone from the shadows, he pointed his rifle towards them in fear, where Berengar immediately kicked the boy in the back of the knee, sending him back into his vomit.


    "Oi, those are my men! Get your shit together, you fucking dumbass! You know what? I''m confiscating your weapon. You are liable to shoot my troops if you keep this shit up!"


    After saying this, Berengar dragged the boy out of the filth, and took his rifle away from him, before slinging it around his back. When the Jagdkommando Captain approached the Kaiser, he saluted him before speaking.


    "Sir, we will escort you to thending zone, if you will follow me..."


    Berengar nodded his head before shoving Dharya forward. As he did so, he responded to the special forces officer.


    "Lead the way, Captain."


    After saying this, a squad of Jagdkommandos led the Kaiser, and the Anangpur Emperor, towards the coast, where the Marines were currentlynding. By the time they arrived, the first and second waves would already have control over the shores of the Anangpur Empire, and would be preparing to advance forward into the night.

 Chapter 875 overwhelming Air Defense

    Chapter 875 overwhelming Air Defense


    Itami sat within the confines of her office. She had a depressed look on her face as she drank from a bottle of sake in one hand. The days seemed to have gotten longer, while the nights appeared to have gotten shorter.


    Perhaps it was because of her depression, but she felt as if she could never gain enough sleep. Often going to bed once more shortly after waking up in the morning. Where she would eventually awaken some time in the afternoon feeling fatigued.


    Itami had recently recalled her generals from the field, but that was a process which took some time. Thus, at the moment, she was awaiting their arrival. Currently, she was looking at the intelligence report in her hand. That her agents had observed from the Bay of Bengal.


    A German fleet had passed by the area as they sailed towards the Anangpur Empire. Though Itami did not know their destination, the overall design of the ships was well documented. Thergest vessels employed by her adversary were obviously dreadnought style battleships, although by the overall size described, she would say they were most likely super-dreadnoughts.


    She was intimately familiar with the ships employed by the Germans during both world wars, as Itami often had arguments with Julian in her past life about the superiority of warships, and whether the IJN or the Kriegsmarine had the best overall designs.


    Though there was something off about this design. From the overall size of the vessel, it appeared to be a Bayern-ss battleship, which was a WWI design. However, it was retrofitted with k guns, and quite a few of them of varying sizes. As if Berengar had anticipated her to have aircraft.


    Aircraft? Japan was years away from developing a solid ne. Itami still needed to introduce electricity, and get her hands on a stockpile of bauxite if she wanted anything that could be considered a proper ne.


    She could not tell if this design meant that the Germans had already developed aircraft, or if they were simply preparing for the future. Either way, she knew that the warships which were currently being developed were superior to those fielded by the Reich, which gave her some confidence.


    However, the idea that Germany was operating such powerful vessels in the a strait gave her some concern. In addition to these massive battleships, there was another vessel that was described in the report, which filled her heart with an overwhelming sense of dread.


    As far as Itami was aware, there were no aircraft carriers ever deployed by the Kriegsmarine in her past life, and she would be right about that. However, in this world, Germany possessed at least one long ship, with a t deck that was described in the intelligence report that her agents had sent to her.


    Judging by theposition of the fleet described in this intelligence report, and the presence of such a peculiar ship, Itami could urately guess that this was not just any fleet but a carrier strike group. If that were the case, then she had a serious problem on her hands.


    If Germany was already manufacturing aircraft and carriers, then that meant Itami was decades behind them in terms of technology, and the gap between their two nations was growingrger with each passing year. She began questioning once more what Julian would do if he were in her position, as her mind drifted into another memory.


    "Are you seriously asking me this? Isn''t the answer a little too easy? You''re just testing me, right?"


    Itami pouted when she heard these words and looked the other way before responding to Julian''s voice. As if she were still in her past life.


    "Just answer the question, Julian!"


    Julian sighed as he heard this and remained silent for several moments while taking a sip of his coffee. It was only after Ai looked like she was about to scold him did he respond to her question.


    "Very well, if you insist. To put it simply if your enemy is able to produce superior aircraft. There are two solutions to emerge victorious. Either spam the crap out of your inferior aircraft, and train as many pilots as you can manage. Or the more simple method is to invest heavily into Air Defense.


    Whether that is in the form of surface-to-air missiles, or AA guns such as the vulcan, you muste up with some means to shoot down enemy aircraft from the ground, if you can''t take them out in the air. Not only that, but you should also be equipping your infantry with as many MANPADs as you can manage. You have no idea how effective that can be.


    I mean seriously, whatever ground you are defending should just be covered in Anti-Aircraft weapons. Make it as difficult as possible for the enemy to fly above your territory. Did you know that the Germans came up with an early MANPADs system at the end of WWII? Such a weapon could have been a game changer if they had developed it earlier on.


    The Fliegerfaust as it was called was essentially a man portable air defense system that fired nine unguided 20mm rockets into two separate bursts to create a wide area of effect. The range was limited, but it was more than capable of taking out low-flying aircraft such as a Close Air Support.


    If the Germans had covered every inch of the fathend in k guns and given every squad a Fliegerfaust, they probably could have defended their territory long enough to sue for a white peace. I mean, just look at what the Cound Pocket managed to achieve with limited resources, and while being surrounded on all sides.


    So to answer your question, if I was in charge of an army or a nation during your proposed scenario, that is what I would do. Focus on Air Defense, and manufacture as many of whatever aircraft I can manage to mass produce. I mean, if you think about it from a numbers perspective, ten Mig 29s have a far better chance of shooting down an f-15, then a single Su-35, Right?"


    Itami came back to reality as the memory concluded. She could only smile bitterly as she nodded her head and wiped a tear from her eye before expressing her thanks.


    "Thank you, Julian..."


    After saying this, she activated the divine mirror and began to work on devising k Guns and a device simr to the Fliegerfaust. The divine light of the mirror enhanced her intelligence and understanding greatly, allowing her to work at a speed she had never thought she was capable of before.


    Unknowingly to Itami, Momo was on the other side of her door, and listened to her imaginary conversation with Julian. The young woman felt deeply worried about her elder sister''s mental state, as she seemed to be progressing further and further into madness. However, she did not know how to help Itami, and thus she merely sighed in defeat before walking off, leaving the young empress to her own devices.


    Within hours, Itami had devised the blueprints for two different k Guns modelled after the type 99 88mm AA gun, as well as the Type 4 20 mm twin AA machine cannon. Once she had finished designing these weapons, she shifted her focus to a device simr to what Julian had described when he talked to her about the Flieger Faust.


    Like Berengar, she had fixed the Fliegerfaust''s range deficiencies by modifying the design to ept specialized 20mm unguided rockets, rather than using rocket propelled shells. Which greatly extended the weapon''s effective range to well over a thousand meters. She called this device the Type 5 Anti-Aircraft Rocket Launcher.


    In theing years, Japan would be sure to produce as many k guns and Type 5s as possible. Where they would litter them across their controlled territory, in an attempt to disrupt any air based operations the German Military may conduct within her airspace.


    This would pose immense difficulties for the Luftwaffe in their goals of obtaining Aerial Supremacy. Ironically, it was the Kaiser himself who had proposed this strategy to the Japanese Empress, albeit in their past lives.


    For the time being, Itami had put her depression aside and was filled with divine inspiration to advance her society so that it could contend with her enemy. However, the moment the mirror needed a recharge, she would fall back to her same depressive state. For the memories of her past life were too much for the young empress to handle for the time being.

 Chapter 876 The Fall of Anangpur Part V

    Chapter 876 The Fall of Anangpur Part V


    Berengar and Dharya quickly regrouped on the beachhead, where thousands of German marines and hundreds of armored vehicles hadnded without opposition. Opposedndings were always a rare phenomenon in history, as it was difficult to ascertain where and when the enemy wouldnd.


    The Second World War of Berengar''s past life was a notable exception to this norm. As there were plenty of famous battles where the allied forces had tond against a heavily fortified region. Such as D-Day and Okinawa.


    The Marines were a bit surprised to see the Kaiser already on the shores, as well as the young Indian man by his side. However, Dharya was dressed in a german uniform, and thus they could immediately recognize him as friendly.


    Berengar met with the colonel of the Marine Combat Brigade, who was in charge of the march towards the city of Anangpur.


    "Colonel, I hope you don''t mind if we ride along in the back of one of your IFVs. I assure you, I will leavemand of this operation up to you. We are only here to witness the carnage."


    The Colonel immediately saluted the Kaiser and responded in the affirmative.


    "It would be my honor, Sir!"


    The title "your majesty" was forgone during military operations, as Berengar was both the Kaiser and the Reichsmarschall. He preferred his soldiers treat him as another member of the military, and thus they referred to him with the same honorific as any other superior officer. Berengar smiled and nodded his head before pointing at the media, who were filming thending.


    "Make sure they get a good shot of thebat. I want our everyone back home to know the glory of the Reich!"


    The Colonel nodded his head before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, Sir!"


    After giving these orders, Berengar waved towards the Cameras which were focused on him, as the reporter who was equipped with a bullet-proof vest, and a Stahlhelm reported the news.


    "As you can see, we have justnded on the shores of the Anangpur Empire. Thousands of men and hundreds of armored vehicle are preparing for the journey north. We are just waiting on the logistical support trucks, which are on their way now that the beach is secure.


    If you look over there, you can see that Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein has personally taken part in the invasion of the Anangpur Empire, whether we will get to see him lead his forces into battle from the front lines like the days of old has yet to be seen.


    However, judging by the fact that the exiled emperor Dharya Tomara is by his side, I suspect that he will simply be taking an observational role in this conflict. Ultimately, we will have to wait to find out!"


    In the next moment, a fiery explosion took ce in the distance. However, the cause of it was unseen. In truth, the darkness had hidden the dive bombers, and the nes were simply unobservable at this distance.


    The Stukas that were sent on this mission were painted ck, and werecking the infamous sirens that they were known for during Berengar''s past life, allowing them to stealthily conduct air raids on the Anangpur strongholds.


    The bombs that were used were filled with napalm, and cooked the enemy alive within their stone fortifications. Blood-curdling screams filled the air as the enemy soldiers burned to death before the main German army could arrive to engage in armedbat. The reporter quickly voiced what he believed to be the cause of the attack.


    "It would appear that our nation''s Jagdkommandos have already deployed deep behind enemy lines, and have begun to annihte the enemy with their mmenwerfers. Since that is the case, I suspect we will see little conflict on our path to the Empire''s capital. For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    After saying this, the reporter was forced into a nearby five ton truck, where they filmed the ongoing conflict from the rear of the armored column. As for Berengar and Dharya, they had long since taken a back seat in one of the many Marder IFVs, where they waited in silence for the conflict to begin.


    Berengar pulled out a cigarette and lit it before taking a long drag from it. After doing so, he breathed out arge plume of smoke, while considering his options. After several moments, he unslung the rifle he had confiscated from Dharya and handed it back to the young man. There was a stern look in his eyes as he gave a strict order to the boy.


    "You''re going to need this. I swear to god if you shoot one of my men by mistake I will have you castrated. Do you understand me, boy?"


    Dharya gazed at Berengar in disbelief as his hands trembled while gripping the pistol grip, and hand guard of the automatic rifle. He looked at the man in confusion before asking the question on his mind.


    "If you''re so concerned about such a scenario, why are you giving it back to me?"


    In response to this, Berengar took another drag of his cigarette before responding.


    "Because you''re going to need it. You''ve got to look good for the Cameras, boy. That means doing your part in this war. Even if it just means firing randomly towards your uncle''s troops."


    In the next moment, the chug of the 20mm machine gun that was the IFV''s primary weapon could be heard within the passenger area. Along with the detonation of artillery shells fired by the Hummels. A wicked grin appeared on Berengar''s face as the hatch opened up from behind.


    "Looks like the enemy has decided to meet us in the field. Come on boy, it''s time to get your hands dirty!"


    After saying this, Berengar grabbed Dharya by the back of the neck and forced him out of the rear of the IFV, along with the eight other soldiers. The men took positions behind any cover they could find, while Berengar and Dharya stood on both ends of the IFV''s rear.


    A series of res had beenunched by the German troops, which illuminated the night sky, and allowed the soldiers to acquire their targets. A couple hundred meters out was an army of some three thousand men.


    They were clearly a medieval force who had gathered to stop the steel behemoths that were advancing through theirnds. Among the piles of dead bodies that were obliterated by artillery and the main guns onboard the IFVs was a man who was dressed in borate armor, most likely a local Lord.


    The enemy forces had already begun to break ranks and flee when the Marines deployed from the back of their armored vehicles. As for Berengar, he was filled with adrenaline. This was the first time in a long time that he could fire an automatic weapon on the battlefield. Thus, he took aim with his zfg 42 optic, and fired a burst of rounds downrange and into the backs of the fleeing enemy.


    Blood sttered from the torso of the heavily armored soldier as his body fell to the ground, lifeless. Berengar was not the only soldier who had gunned down the fleeing soldiers. Every marine was spraying lead down range along with the hundreds of IFVs within the Brigade Combat Team, and the Hummel self propelled artillery.


    The Media personnel who were in the rear of the armored column captured thebat footage on their camcorders with great excitement on their faces. This was the first recorded instance of battle that was avable to the German public, and it was exciting to watch.


    They could already imagine broadcasting it across the many cinemas that had been constructed in the past few months under the headline "News of the World: Today"


    The lead reporter was quick toment on the footage.


    "As you can see, this brigade of German Marines has encountered arge force of enemy soldiers. However, despite the size of their army, they are butmbs to the ughter. The overwhelming firepower in the hands of German troops, as well as the armored vehicles, ensures absolute victory on behalf of the Reich with minimal casualties.


    If you look closely, you can see the Kaiser, and exiled Anangpur Emperor, fighting side by side against the Usurper''s forces. Though the enemy may be retreating, German doctrine says to continue firing until they are out of range. To allow the enemy to flee is to allow them to regroup for another attack, and it is better to eliminate the threat at the first given opportunity.


    Whenpared to Germany''sst armed conflict against the Papacy, you can clearly see that the nature of warfare has changed. Soldiers no longer have to march for miles on end to the battlefield, and instead can ride into it within the safety of armored vehicles while knowing that they are secure from any weapons the enemy may present."


    Shortly after the reporter concluded their statement, the battle was over, and what few forces the Anangpur Empire could gather were thoroughly massacred by the advanced German Marines. As for Berengar, he and Dharya would re-enter their IFV and continue the long march to the enemy capital.

 Chapter 877 The Fall of Anangpur Part Vl

    Chapter 877 The Fall of Anangpur Part Vl


    The German Marines travelled for several days across the Anangpur Landscape. After a few small scale skirmishes, the local lords surrendered their territory willingly, rather than risk fighting against the might of the German Military. Before long, the armored column made its way to the capital, whose gates were wide open, awaiting their arrival.


    Since the earliest hours of the operations, the Jaegers had captured the city, eliminated its garrison, and put it under martialw. The entire campaignsted under 72 hours, which was the quickest victory in a war that the world had ever seen. With a single fleet, and a single brigade of marines, the Anangpur Empire had fallen.


    Berengar and Dharya departed from the back of the IFV, though the Kaiser was invigorated from days ofbat on the front lines. Dharya felt like he was going to puke. He had no idea if he had actually taken a life, as he simply fired randomly into the crowd of his uncle''s troops. However, the very thought of doing so made him sick to his stomach.


    The moment they walked upon the steps of the Anangpur Pce, Dharya nearly hurled, which Berengar was forced to help him to his feet for the sake of the cameras. Thest thing he needed was his puppet to be remembered as a gutless coward. Thus, Berengar grabbed hold of the boy and whispered in his ear while forcing him forward.


    "Keep it in and keep moving forward. You can throw up all you want after we have announced your victory."


    After seizing the pce, the German Jaegers had turned it into their forward operating base. It was also where they kept their high value prisoners, such as Chandra Tomara and his son, Ishwar. Berengar and Dharya moved forward while nked by marines until they reached the Great Hall, where the usurper was kneeling with his hands bound behind his back.


    As for Ishwar, his eyes lit up when he noticed his cousin enter the building. Dharya had grown up into a handsome young man and he could not be more proud, despite his father''s fall from grace. The man attempted to get to his feet and greet the true Emperor, but was quickly struck in the gut by a Jaeger and fell to his knees. The Jaeger cursed the man before making sure he knew his ce.


    "Stay down, cunt!"


    Berengar led Dharya to the Throne of his ancestors, where he motioned for the boy to sit down. The German media then entered the pce and recorded the scene of the usurper kneeling before his nephew.


    During their journey to the capital of the Anangpur Empire, Berengar had instructed Dharya on what to say, and thus the boy red fiercely at his uncle, with all the hatred he could muster. Chandra''s face was stained with tears after realizing that his wives, and concubines were all in.


    As for Ishwar''s mother, she had died in childbirth, and thus he was not particrly close with any of the women who were silenced by the Jaegers. In fact, he was a bit relieved that he no longer had to call any of them "mother".


    After ring at Chandra for several moments in silence, Dharya spoke the lines he had been given.


    "On this day, the 4th of August, 1430 of the German Calendar. I, Dharya Tomara, third of my name, hereby ascend to the throne, which was stolen from me by my uncle Chandra Tomara. With the support of the German Empire, I have brought the reign of the Usurper to an end, and hereby dere a new age of prosperity for my people.


    The Kaiser, in his infinite wisdom and benevolence, has promised to help me restore mynds, which my uncle has pilfered for his own profit. As for the usurper Chandra Tomara, I have decided to be merciful and ce him under arrest. Where he will live out the rest of his days as a prisoner of the Reich.


    To my cousin Ishwar Tomara, for the mercy you have shown me, and my sister Princess Priya Tomara, by helping us escape your father''s sinister plot to thends of the Reich, I will name you my sessor, until a time when a true heir can be born by either my line, or my sister''s. With that said, I will now allow Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein to say a few words."


    Berengar gracefully stepped forward and took the stage, stealing Dharya''s thunder as he opened up his speech to all those present, and to all those who would one day watch this event unfold.


    "I, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, First of my name. Hereby lift the sanctions which I have imposed upon the Anangpur Empire, in response to the sinister actions of the usurper Chandra Tomara. Not only am I ending the hostilities between our two nations, but am pledging my support both through trade, and through military action, to protect the borders of my new ally from those who would seek to take advantage of their weekend state.


    For the next five years, I shall provide a lend-lease which will allow the Anangpur Army to be rebuilt into a modern fighting force, capable of protecting their people against the atrocities of the Bengal Empire and their Japanese puppeteers. I will also provide military advisors to help establish a proper cadre of officers who can lead the soldiers of this new army to victory.


    In the meantime, as the Anangpur Empire reforms into a modern state, I will look after the Princess Priya Tomara, where I shall ensure her safety and security as I have done for the past few years. Once the Anangpur Empire has returned to its previous level of stability, I shall return the princess to thend of her ancestors should she so desire. I look forward to working with Emperor Dharya Tomara to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for the Anangpur Empire, and all its citizens."


    After saying this, the media ceased their filming, and began to take pictures. As for Chandra, he was quivering in fear of what might happen to him now that he was a prisoner of the Reich. However, Berengar merely ignored him before approaching Dharya and shaking his hand.


    "To a better tomorrow..."


    Dharya forced a smile as he epted the Kaiser''s gesture. However, the words he muttered under his breath were far from cordial.


    "You just make sure to keep up your end of the bargain..."


    Berengar continued to smile despite the boy''s rudeness, and even pulled him in close, where he wrapped an arm around his shoulder as if they were close friends. Where he responded to the boy''s aggressive statement in a voice so low only the two of them could hear.


    "As I told you before, I''m a man of my word. You need not fear for your sister''s chastity. I won''t touch a hair on her pretty head unless she makes the first move..."


    Dharya''s teeth clenched when he heard this. Despite the rage in his heart, he continued to force a smile as he once more whispered his vile thoughts.


    "Priya would never fall for an old bastard like you!"


    Berengar continued to smile and wave for the cameras as he leaned in close and whispered into the boy emperor''s ear.


    "I wonder..."


    After saying this, he broke his grip over Dharya''s shoulder and distanced himself before the boy could take a swing at him. Where he gracefully addressed the press.


    "I thank you all for risking your lives to record this event in history. However, now that the battle is won, I have a flight to catch. I will be returning to the fathend. As for the future of the Anangpur Empire, I have left behind the means tomunicate with Emperor Dharya here on a regr basis. So there is no need to fear the steady development of thend. Sergeant Major, if you will be so kind as to escort the prisoner to my transport..."


    After saying this, Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten grabbed hold of Chandra and forced him out of the pce and towards the makeshift airstrip that had been established to house Berengar''s personal transport. Once they had all gathered inside the ne, Berengar sat on a rather luxurious sofa where a beautiful young flight attendant poured him a whiskey on the rocks.


    Berengar''s personal aircraft was a modified Ju 390, which was equipped with six fuel efficient turbo-prop engines. It flew at roughly 30,000 feet or 9km in the air at a cruising speed of roughly 400 mph, or 644 kmh. Unlike the standard Transport variant, this aircraft had a range of 8,100 nautical miles or 15000 km.


    The interior was like one would expect of an ultra-luxurious private jet from Berengar''s past life. After everyone was onboard, the aircraft took off, and began to head back towards the reich. It was only after they reached their peak altitude did Berengar re at Chandra and mutter his thoughts.


    "So... What am I going to do with you?"

 Chapter 878 Now What Should l do with You?

    Chapter 878 Now What Should l do with You?


    Berengar sat on his ne as it reached peak altitude, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. Kneeling before him was the former self-proimed Anangpur Emperor. The man was bound, while the muzzles of several loaded submachine guns were pointed towards his face.


    There was an intense fear in the man''s eyes as he gazed upon the Kaiser''s mismatched irises. It was clear that he was confused why Berengar was not one eyed, like had been previously reported to him. With a slight chuckle, Berengar took a sip from his drink before answering the question Chandra had in his mind.


    "You''re wondering if the prophecy you feared for all these years was wrong? I''m afraid not, at least not in its entirety. Until rtively recently, I did in fact have one functional eye, though it was still well contained within its socket.


    I won''t bore you with semantics, but by the grace of God, my sight has been restored to me. However, before this happened, your little niece did, in fact, seduce me. At the very least, she attempted to do so in her own childish way.


    I have promised your nephew, Dharya, that I won''t seduce his sister, but he''s entirely unaware that the little minx has long since set her eyes on me. I can say with some certainty that her attempts to win my favor did contribute in some small way contribute to my decision to invade the Anangpur Empire.


    I have no doubt that it won''t be long before the girl approaches me for intimacy, and when that happens a child will be born of our, what was it called? Ah yes, unholy union. Who will seed your nephew onto the Indian Throne, though by then the entirety of the Indian Subcontinent will be united under his banner.


    Now the question that I have in my mind is just what am I supposed to do with you? Why should I keep you alive? After all, you are another imant to the throne, which could pose some difficulty for me in the future."


    Chandra squirmed around in his bindings, hoping to break free from them. That is, until Berengar ced his ss on his end table rather forcefully. The sound instantly silenced the usurper, who quivered in fear of the mighty Kaiser. Berengar leaned in close and folded his hand together in contemtion while staring at Chandra for several moments in deep thought.


    While he did this, the flight attendant returned with the bottle of whiskey, and refilled Berengar''s ss. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back on his sofa and took another sip of his drink before taking a long drag from his cigarette. After releasing arge plume of smoke in Chandra''s face, Berengar put out his cigarette on the ashtray and tossed it aside before pointing towards his Jaegers and giving them amand.


    "Release him!"


    The Jaegers did not hesitate to follow their orders. Where one of the men pulled out a gravity knife from his boot before unleashing the de. He immediately cut the stic zipties which bound Chandra, causing the man to rub his wrists. The markings his bindings had left behind were visibly imprinted on his bronze skin.


    Despite his rough treatment, the man kowtowed before Berengar, going so far as to kiss his shoes before swearing his utmost loyalty.


    "Thank you for your eternal benevolence. I swear from this day until myst, I will serve you faithfully, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein!"


    Berengar merely sneered in disgust at the man''s sycophantry before pressing his skull to the floor with the heel of his foot. Despite this, Chandra had a happy smile on his face which further caused Berengar''s lips to curl in disgust. Eventually, Berengar kicked the man aside before exining what he had nned in store for the usurper.


    "Here''s what''s going to happen. You will return with me to the Reich, where I will keep you under house arrest. You will have a vi of your own, where I will import wives, concubines, and servants from your homnd to look after you.


    I will keep you well fed and happy in the event that Dharya betrays me, and I need to ce another puppet on the throne. My only rule is that you do not, under any circumstances, ever leave the house that will be provided for you.


    Officially, you will be serving a twenty-five-year sentence in one of mybor camps. To escape from the quarters I have alotted to you is to break this facade, which will only make me look bad in the eyes of the public, something I will not tolerate under any circumstances. Do this, and I will feed your corpse to the hounds. Understand me?


    Chandra had the appearance of an excited puppy as he nodded his head up and down in understanding of Berengar''s words. All he ever wanted was to live a life in the upmost luxury, something that Berengar could easily provide to him, far more so than his own family''s riches could.


    Upon seeing the man so obedient, Berengar silently motioned for the Flight attendant to pour another drink, which she quickly did so before handing the cup to Berengar. Berengar then handed the cup to Chandra and spoke to him in a far morex tone.


    "Now sit down, have a drink, and exin to me the origin of this so-called prophecy..."


    Chandra quickly did as he was instructed and took the sofa opposite of Berengar. He took one quick gulp of the 112 proof liquor and quickly began to hack up a lung. Berengar merely shook his head beforementing on the usurper''s unsightly appearance.


    "Fucking lightweight..."


    After taking a few seconds to get himself together, Chandra began to spill the tale of the Oracle who had predicted Berengar''s emergence in this world.


    "Centuries ago, the Muslims made their way east with a fury the likes my people had never seen before. It was only yearster where we learned they were horribly defeated in a series of wars known as the crusades, which saw Anatolia and the levant fall back into the hands of the Byzantine Empire. Out of the ashes of this war, the Muslims invaded our western most borders, where our overlords the Gurjara dynasty utterly failed to stem the tide.


    In this darkness, a member of my dynasty, Kap Tomara, overthrew our masters, and united the western kingdoms of what you call the Indian Subcontinent to fight against the Muslim invaders. It was a hard fought battle, but in the end we repelled them from our borders, and established the Anangpur Empire. This was only possible due to Kap''s older sister, Aasiya Tomara.


    Aasiya was born blind, but not without sight. She could see the world around her in ways that we cannot. If you believe the rumors, she could also see the past, present, and future. It was she who predicted every movement of our enemies and allowed us to easily ovee their invasion, despite their superior numbers and equipment.


    After the war was won, Aasiya made a series of prophecies, thest of which foretold theing of a one-eyed devil from the west, who would be seduced by a princess of the Tomara dynasty, into invading and conquering the Anangpur Empire. It would be the offspring of this unholy union who would one day rule over the Empire and bring forth its end.


    The reason I believed so heavily in this prophecy is because all the others havee true so far. Because of this, I shamefully poisoned my niece in an attempt to kill her. However, that was only after I learned of your existence. Before that, I was content with keeping her confined for life."


    Berengar sneered in disdain when he heard this, before taking another sip of his whiskey. After doing so, he wagged a finger in the face of Chandra and lectured the man on his foolishness.


    "The likelihood of me having a child with Priya increases with each day. Lately, she visits me in my study more often than not. It is only a matter of time before she begs me for my love. When that happens, I will happily oblige. The prophesy seems to be true. However, there is one fatal w with your thinking. The end of the Anangpur Empire does not necessarily mean the end of your dynasty."


    Chandra looked up with confusion in his dark eyes, questioning just what Berengar meant with his gaze. Berengar could easily understand this and quickly concluded his speech.


    "The Anangpur Empire will fall, and in its ce, the Indian Empire will rise. Under the leadership of my son with Priya, it will be more powerful and prosperous than you could ever imagine. You see, there is not a new dark age on the horizon, but a golden one.


    As for the child of our union, he may be a bastard, but that means he will be of your dynasty. In other words, your family will continue to rule for generations toe, and will be a close ally of my own."


    Chandra gazed at Berengar inplete and utter shock. Never would he have guessed that the end of the Anangpur Empire would be a transition to a new and more prosperous state, which his family continued to rule over.


    In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to leap off the ne and fall to his death simply for his own stupidity. However, he didn''t. Instead; he broke out into tears, praying to his gods in his native tongue for forgiveness. As for Berengar, he continued to sip his whiskey and enjoy the scene.

 Chapter 879 Nobody is Above the Law

    Chapter 879 Nobody is Above the Law


    Itami gazed into a hand mirror and examined her face closely. It had been six years since she first defeated the Ashikaga shogunate and rose to power. During this time, she had brought her people into the age of industry. Despite that, she was still decades behind the Reich in terms of technological capabilities.


    However, over the past few months, she had been using the divine light of the Yata no Kagami mirror to foster exceptional talents within her scientificmunity as a means of closing the gap as quickly as possible.


    With the political purges of the old conservative government nearingpletion, a new generation of talented minds had taken over to fill her imperial bureaucracy. These men and women were loyal strictly to herself, and would no longer get in the way of the War Goddess, and her ns for a mighty Asian Empire.


    Currently, Itami was sitting within the War Room of the Imperial Pce in the city of Heian-ky��. Every one of her generals, along with the senior officers, was sitting around her in arge square formation. Itami continued to apply makeup to her immacte face as she red at everyone present.


    She was not dressed in the traditional j��nihitoe, instead, she wore a female variant of the Army Uniform worn during the early days of her international conquests. Across her shoulder and down to her waist was a sash belonging to the Order of the rising sun. On her left breast were all the medals she had awarded herself for her years of battlefield exploits.


    Instead of trousers she wore a rather short skirt, with stockings, and knee high ck leather boots. All in all, her appearance was very regal, but by a western standard. As for her Generals they were all dressed in the new uniforms based upon the Imperial Japanese Army from the second world war of her past life.


    On Itami''sp was a Katana, was a rather borate Kyo-Gunto which stood as a symbol of her martial authority. As she continued to apply her makeup, one of her Generals spoke up, with a rather stern voice as he could no longer patiently wait aside as the woman prettied herself up.


    "Itami-Sama! I believe we have waited long enough for your exnation! You forced us out of the field and ordered us to return home without the slightest bit of reasoning. As we speak, our soldiers could be putting down rebellions across our newly conquered territory! Instead, you have us sitting here in silence while you apply lipstick!"


    The moment Itami heard these words, she ceased her activities, and red with her crimson eyes towards the man who had spoken up. He was an old bald man with a white beard. A previous member of the Samurai ss.


    He had been the man who had given the order to treat the Ryukyu people so horrifically after the Imperial Japanese Army had conquered their inds. Itami quickly put her makeup away, and licked her cherry red lips before addressing the malcontent.


    "General Chiba Fusatame... I am all too aware of the activities you have engaged in abroad, and I have to say I am sorely displeased with your actions and those of your troops."


    The elderly general felt a chill tingle down his spine as Itami pulled out photographs of his crimes and tossed them across the long table, and towards his position. Before he could even speak to his defense, Itami''s blood-red eyes practically glowed as she yelled at him with a voice filled with authority.


    "Sit down, and remain silent! I am not finished!"


    The man gulped down whatever words he had concocted to fake his innocence and did as he was told. Once Itami saw the fearful looks within the eyes of her Generals, she stood up, and mmed her fist on the table, nearly breaking it in two with her force.


    "It is not just General Chiba here... All of you, with the exception of General Shiba, have either engaged in crimes explicitly forbidden by mymand, or have looked the other way as your soldiers engaged in them.


    Do you have any idea what the result of your foolish actions has been? The Germans have used this as a means of propaganda about our Empire to stir fears in the hearts of our neighbors. Nobody wants to trade with us, let alone align with us! Because of you all, our economy is facing a potential copse altogether!


    This has forced me topletely rethink my ns for the annexation of the Philippines, and the Majapahit Empire. It is one thing if our ally; the Bengals behave in such an unscrupulous manner, but for my own soldiers to act as brigands in the field. I can only say the fault lies with all of you! For I know that I made it clear that such actions are prohibited byw.


    As far as I''m concerned, all of you are as guilty as one another. Consider your lives forfeit. From this moment forward you shall all be arrested, and publically executed in front of your victims and your soldiers, to live as a permanent reminder of what happens to those who vite the rules of war! I wanted to have the pleasure to tell you to your faces what your fate has be. Guards! Arrest these men, all but General Shiba!"


    Immediately after saying this, hundreds of Itami''s personal guard entered therge war room, and pointed their semi-automatic rifles, and bays towards the various Generals, and senior officers. Even Shiba was surprised by the actions which Itami had taken on this day. He tried to climb out of his seat and dissuade her, but it was no use.


    "Itami-sama, I would advise against this. If you-"


    Before he could finish, Itami unsheathed her de and pointed it toward''s Shiba''s neck with a fierce re in her crimson eyes.


    "Shiba-kun, sit down and know your ce, or I will have you executed along with the rest of these war criminals!"


    Shiba nearly pissed his pants upon hearing this and immediately did as he was instructed. As for Itami, she had onest penalty in mind which she was quick to voice.


    "As if at this moment, every single one of you is stripped of all titles and honors that were previously held. Your families shall no longer be subject to the privileges associated with them. I want you all to reflect on your actions before the executioner takes your heads. Guards, take them away!"


    It was only after the war criminals were no longer in sight that Itami sighed heavily and poured herself a ss of sake. It was at this moment that Shiba approached Itami and lectured her on her actions.


    "Itami-sama, what have you done? Those were our generals! Who shall lead our men into battle now?"


    In response to this, Itami merely scoffed before retorting to Shiba''s words.


    "It is an entirely new generation of warfare. Believe me when I say having some fresh minds in charge will be a good thing. Less to forget, so to speak... The Empire of Japan is one of conscience or not at all. I refuse to tolerate such horrendous actions by the soldiers in my army. Let this be a lesson to the men beneath mymand. Nobody is above thew! You are dismissed Shiba-kun, have a nice night..."


    After saying this, Itami left Shiba alone in the war room all by himself, and returned to her room, where she was quick to disrobe, and hop in bed with her Julian-sized pillow. She wrapped her arms around the object and sighed heavily before whispering to it in a mncholic tone.


    "Julian, did I do the right thing?"


    Having said this, Itami drifted slowly into a deep sleep, and would not awaken until the next morning.

 Chapter 880 Honorias Present

    Chapter 880 Honoria''s Present


    Berengar awoke within his bedchambers the morning after he returned from the Anangpur Empire. In his arms were two of his beloved wives, who were absolutely naked beneath the silk sheets. On the right was none other than the angelic beauty, Linde von Kufstein, Berengar''s most beloved bride. However, on his left was the Princess of the Byzantine Empire, Honoria Piologos.


    She stared lovingly at the man as he struggled to open his eyes. Though the sun shone through the windows, it had utterly failed to awaken Berengar from his slumber. In an act of passion, Honoria decided to awaken her man by kissing him on the lips. The soft and tender feeling of a woman''s kiss had managed to seed where the natural light of the sun failed.


    Berengar''s mismatched eyes slowly opened to reveal the sight of his third wife, who gazed lovingly at him. With a wry smile on his handsome face, he greeted the woman.


    "Morning, love..."


    Honoria smiled and nuzzled her head in her man''s broad chest as she enjoyed the warmth of his naked body.


    "Morning..."


    Linde had witnessed the entire disy despite concealing her eyes. She ultimately rolled over and into Berengar''s other arm before scolding the couple on their overly intimate behavior.


    "Do you two have to do this every morning?"


    Berengar merely chuckled in response to this before rolling over on top of Linde and kissing her in a far more passionate manner. After he was finished, he whispered in the woman''s ears, something that made her cheeks flush.


    "What''s the matter? You jealous that Honoria isn''t waking you up with a good morning kiss?"


    Linde was left speechless as she tried to hide her embarassment from her lover. Ultimately, Berengar did not wait for a response and tossed the sheets off the bed before climbing out of it. The two women''s eyes lingered on his exquisite form as he covered his manhood with a towel.


    "You two hurry up, it''s bath time... Once we''re finished with our morning routine, I have a surprise for one of you..."


    The two women gazed at each other in confusion. They did not understand what Berengar meant by his choice of words, but were excited nheless. Both Linde and Honoria desired the surprise to be for themselves.


    The trio found their way into therge bathhouse that was used for Berengar and his wives. Where they found Ad, and Henrietta already inside, bathing with one another. Upon seeing the man of the house enter through the doors of their soapy sanctuary, Henrietta jumped out of the water in excitement and ran after her elder brother.


    "Big brother!"


    The woman''s body jiggled in all the right ces as she hugged her man and spread the suds that adorned her flesh onto his own. Berengar responded to this by lifting Henrietta into the air and kissing her on the lips. What was supposed to be an intimate moment shared by two lovers turned sour when he then tossed the girl into the pool of water before jumping in himself.


    Berengar would spend the next hour bathing with his women before emerging into the dining hall, where he enjoyed a meal with hisrge family. After it was over, he approached Honoria, and grabbed hold of her dainty hand before kissing it. He looked into her mint green eyes and smiled before posing a question to her.


    "Honoria, my love. Won''t you apany me to the docks in Trieste? I have a present for you..."


    Linde heard these words and pouted in her seat. It would appear the surprise was not meant for her after all. Then again, she had received the greatest gift of all when her man returned home from hisst journey abroad.


    She was now unbound by the Abrahamic god, as were all the others in Berengar''s family. Meaning she could finally share an eternity with the man she loved. Thus, in that moment, the redheaded vixen decided it would be best to let Honoria have this one.


    Honoria nodded her pretty little head with a wide smile on her face as she followed her man out of the pce and into the car. Which led the two of them to the nearest rail station where they boarded the Royal Train, which had been updated to make use of a diesel powered high-speed lotive.


    The two sat together on therge sofa, where Honoria rested her head on Berengar''s shoulder throughout the entire journey. It did not take long for them to reach Trieste, and when they step foot outside the railway, a car was already waiting for them, which quickly took them to the docks.


    Honoria could already guess what the present was based upon the fact that it was located in Trieste, but she decided to keep her mouth quiet, and feign surprise. Still, when the two of them stood before the mighty vessel, she could no longer remain silent. With a burst of gleeful energy, Honoria shrieked like a banshee before hugging her man and kissing his face fifty times.


    Berengar sat back andughed as his wife showed him such affection. When she was finally finished, he pet her on the head and looked her sternly in the eyes before voicing his concerns.


    "The uing war with Japan will be fought with weapons you have never encountered before. It will be more dangerous than you can possibly imagine, so much so that I could never permit you to take part.


    However... I know you are still young and have some adventure left in your heart. Because of this, I gift you this corvette, so you can have onest hurrah before retiring here in Kufstein. It is almost time for you to put aside your youthful self and be the mother that your children truly need.


    Before this happens, I have onest goal, which I can only entrust to you and your crew. I want you to sail to Singapore, where you shall refuel before heading to a distantnd. I want you and your girls to nt the German g on its soil, so that I may im it for our Empire.


    This corvette was specifically designed to be operated by a minimal crew, with long range capabilities and high speeds when you need them. You can sail up to 42 knots, but I would not rmend it unless you absolutely have to."


    The corvette was an entirely new design. There was no real-life counterpart to it in Berengar''s past life. Despite itspact size, it made use of two separate steam turbines, along with two screw propellors. The ship used oil-fired boilers and was designed with long range in mind.


    The Honoria-ss Corvette, as Berengar called it, had a 10cm naval gun as its main armament and was supported with two 2cm k 38 cannons. It also carried four torpedo tubes in case its crew came face to face with arger vessel.


    Honoria was utterly stunned by the vessel. It was truly a masterpiece of modern German Naval engineering. She was still hugging Berengar as tightly as she could when she whispered the words in his ears.


    "Thank you..."


    Berengar kissed the woman once more while he held onto her. The two of them admired the ship for several moments before Honoria made anotherment.


    "I promise, I will return to you both alive and well... Once I finish this mission of yours, I am done with the privateering life for good. Alexandros is no longer a young child, and his sister grows by the day. I have not been in their lives as much as I should have. I won''t make that mistake with Constantinus..."


    Berengar merely wrapped his arm around the woman''s shoulder and kissed her forehead before reassuring her that she would do fine as a mother.


    "I know you won''t. Besides, you can thank Linde for raising your kids as if they were her own. I don''t know what I would do without that woman..."


    In response to this, Honoria merely nibbled on Berengar''s neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but forceful enough to illicit a response. When he shifted his gazed towards her, she prodded his chest with a single finger.


    "You have some nerve talking about another woman on my special day..."


    Berengar merely chuckled and kissed the woman on her forehead once more. After doing so, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her towards the car, where he began to tease her for her choice of words.


    "If today is your special day, then you''re going to have to contain all of my lust yourself. Are you sure you''re ready for that?"


    A look of fear spread across Honoria''s wless green eyes. In an attempt to hide this, she looked away. She knew that Berengar''s libido was practically superhuman, and if she were to bear the brunt of it herself, she would be sore for days on end. Thus she muttered beneath her breath in a tiny voice, hoping that the man could not hear her.


    "Maybe Linde can join us after all..."


    In response to this, Berengar chuckled once more before opening the car door for Honoria and setting her inside. Once she was safely belted into the seats, he took the opposite side, where the two of them returned to the pce together as a royal couple.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at https://ko-fi/zentmeister

 Chapter 881 Family Reunion

    Chapter 881 Family Reunion


    While Honoria was preparing her crew for onest hurrah, Berengar was hosting a celebration inside his pce in the city of Kufstein. It had been thirteen years since he first reincarnated into this world. During this time, many things had happened in his life. However, despite being reborn into a new body, he still considered his family in this world to be just as important as the one from his past life.


    Today was his mother''s birthday, and like every year, he had his parentse out of the countryside and visit the city for the asion. Gis stepped out of the car that her son had provided for her and into the driveway of the imperial pce.


    Though over a decade had passed since her husband abdicated his position as Baron of Kufstein, she had aged gracefully, and her beauty was still to be admired. As for Sieghard, the years had been kind to him as well. Though he had aged rapidly during his brief spout of depression, his years of retirement had helped rekindle his love for fishing and the more calm aspects of life.


    Upon seeing everything that his son had aplished, he realized that he was never truly fit for the life of a nobleman. Everything he could ever ask for was provided by his son, arge vi with akefront property that was fitted with all the modern luxuries one could dream of. He had a staff of young women attend to his every need and spent his days with his lovely wife enjoying their marriage together.


    Berengar and his wives were standing in the driveway waiting for his parents'' arrival. Though Gis had first despised her many daughters-inw due to the fact that they were in a polygamous marriage with her son. Over the years, she hade to ept them.


    However, when she gazed upon the redheaded beauty who she once hated most of all, there was not the usual passive aggression in the mature woman''s blue eyes, instead a loving smile on her face. This confused Linde, who was even more surprised when her mother-inw hugged her tightly and whispered in her ears some shocking words.


    "I''m sorry for the way I have treated you all these years. If I had known earlier what you have done for my son, I would have epted you as my daughter-inw. Even if I don''t necessarily approve of my son''s womanizing ways."


    Gis had seen the movie The Mines of Wildsch?nau, it shocked her to see that it was Linde who had saved Berengar from Lambert''s sinister assassination attempts. The scene had moved the woman to tears and filled her with an overwhelming sense of regret.


    Berengar was equally surprised to see his mother apologize to his favorite wife. The two women had never been on good terms, partially because of how Linde had treated Lambert. Not only did she abuse the boy for sadistic pleasure, but she even cheated on him with his elder brother. To Gis, who was a devout Christian, this was unforgiveable. After seeing his mother be so friendly to Linde, Berengar smiled and approached Gis, where he opened his arms for a hug.


    "Happy birthday, mom. It is good to see you and father are doing so well."


    Gis smiled and hugged her son for several moments. It had been too long since she had seen her baby boy.


    "My son, words can not describe all that you have done for our family and itsnds. Everywhere I go, I hear people saying prayers for your continued health and that of your children. To think the sickly little boy I raised would be such a revered man. The chapel I attend has even begun to say prayers to you as the patron saint of the German people. I see you have even changed your coat of arms again. I must say that it is truly fitting..."


    The tapestries that hung from the Gates to the Pceplex disyed the new coat of arms of the von Kufstein dynasty. The two crowns above the eagle''s heads were reced with saintly halos, with a single crown above them. As for the shield within the eagle''s chest, it was now surrounded by a chain which contained the eye of Horus.


    When Berengar announced to the world that the lord God almighty had restored his sight to him, he established a new Chivalric Order that was ranked the highest among all honors within the Kingdom of Austria.


    This Chivalric Order was appropriately named the Order of the Golden Eye. Its chain was modelled after that of the Order of the Golden Fleece from Berengar''s past life, however rather than a gildedmb in its centerpiece, it included a pyramid with the eye of Horus within. It was simr to the symbol associated with the Illuminati, except the pyramid was surrounded by what can only be described as angelic wings.


    From now until the end of time, the head of the von Kufstein Dynasty, or in other words, the reigning Kaiser, would hold the position of Grand Master of the Order. It was a symbol of Imperial Authority, as much as it was a representation of the von Kufstein Dynasty. Incidentally, this new coat of arms was updated on the g of Austria, as well as that of the German Empire.


    Berengar smiled when he heard his mother approved of histest designs for the family''s symbols. He nodded his head in agreement beforeplimenting Ad on her efforts.


    "I was just as impressed when Ad showed me the new design. She had an entire team work on it. However, it was her vision that saw it carried through to fruition."


    Gis smiled and greeted her favorite daughter-inw before hugging the young woman.


    "Ad, is it nice to see you again I hope you are doing well?"


    Ad bowed her head with grace towards Gis, and spoke to her in a kind tone. The two of them had always gotten along well, even when Berengar''s other women had not.


    "Mother, it is great to see you. Even after nearly a decade, your beauty lights up the room. I hope I am half as youthful as you when I am your age..."


    Gis spoke with Ad for some time before giving her greetings to the rest of the women in Berengar''s harem. She also introduced herself to Berengar''stest batch of offspring. Despite treating many of her grandchildren as outsiders in the past, she seemed to have been much kinder to them this time around, as if she finally epted them as part of her family.


    After saying her greetings, along with Sieghard, Berengar led the way into the pce, where he had prepared a feast for his mother''s birthday lunch. The woman had a wide smile on her face as she chatted with her family members. Though she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.


    For the past few years, Gis had gotten acquainted with Berengar''s many wards. Among them was the young Princess Priya Tomara, who had grown into a beautiful young woman as time passed. With her ever-watchful eye, Gis could tell the girl was interested in her son, which only caused her to sigh in defeat and mutter something under her breath.


    "Thirty-two years old, and you''re still catching the fancy of teenagers. What am I going to do with you, my son..."


    Gis did not know if Berengar was already in a rtionship with the young woman, but by the way the two of them looked at each other, she could tell if they weren''t already romantically involved. It was only a matter of time before they became so. Obviously, Gis did not know just how many mistresses Berengar had. If she did, she would scold the man for his inability to keep it in his pants.


    Ultimately, the birthday celebration went on without a hitch. Family and friends surrounded Gis, and it would appear that she had finally begun to ept her many daughters-inw''s as well as their plentiful offspring as members of her family.


    As for Sieghard, he looked on in envy at his son. Wishing that he could live in the man''s shoes for just a day. He was much too old to start a polygamous lifestyle, and his wife would never approve of such a thing. However, he admired Berengar''s ability to keep his women in a sense of harmony, as they all appeared to be on better terms with one another than they had been in years past.


    The night ended with a share of drinks and a toast on behalf of Gis, which was undertaken by Berengar. She and her husband would stay within Kufstein for the next week before returning to the countryside, where they would once more live out their days in peaceful tranquility, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital city.

 Chapter 882 Rise of the Golden Horde

    Chapter 882 Rise of the Golden Horde


    Chagadai sat on horseback as he gazed upon the great ins of the Caucasus mountains with a hint of greed in his eyes. Over the past few years, the Golden Horde had suffered from intense infighting, and now, after years of warfare, he had risen to the position of Khan.


    The copse of the Catholic Church had overreaching consequences beyond the continent of Europe. In order tobat the rising threat of the Kingdom of Austria, andter the German Empire. The Papacy had used its wealth to import mass quantities of saltpeter from India through their trade routes with the Golden Horde.


    In exchange for the criticalponent of gunpowder, the church traded gold, silver, and muskets. Which by now the Golden Horde had learned to replicate. However, when the Papacy fell, and the Kingdoms of Europe submitted to the Reich, this lucrative trade vanished. ming the previous Khan for this disaster, various factions rose to power and assassinated the man in his sleep. From there, it was all out warfare within the Golden Horde.


    From the Russian perspective, this was a good thing. It allowed the Rus States to once and for all free themselves from the influence of the Mongols, but from the perspective of the Golden Horde, this was just another disaster caused by the rise of Berengar. With Europe firmly under the boot of the Reich. Chagadai knew he had no chance of victory, thus he shifted his focus southward.


    The Byzantine Empire was in a state of chaos. Vetranis had be massively unpopr, as had his eldest son, Quintus. The peace they had bought with the Catholic Church came at a massive price, and though it wasn''t paid in full, enough gold and silver had been transferred to the papacy to thoroughly cripple their economy.


    However, that was not the worst of it. By agreeing to cede all of Egypt, including the Kaiser''s pass to the Papacy, the Byzantines had strained their rtions with Germany, whose Kaiser seemed disinterested in helping them recover from their imminent economic copse.


    With their armies defeated in the crusade for the Holy Land, and little money to rebuild them, thends of the Byzantine Empire were ripe for the taking. Thus, Chagadai stared off the edge of the cliff which his horse stood upon, and gazed upon thends of the Kingdom of Georgia with an avaricious expression on his face.


    An army of one hundred thousand horsemen rode behind him and down the cliff side. Each man was equipped with a matchlock carbine and a saber. Their goal was simple: conquer the Kingdom of Georgia and invade the Byzantine Empire.


    After looking upon thend he intended to conquer, Chagadai snapped the reins of his horse, and rode down the mountainside, passing by his troops and taking the foremost position at the head of the column where he met up with his younger sister, a woman by the name of Khorijin.


    The Turko-Mongolian princess was no older than eighteen and still made use of a traditional bow and arrow rather than the newer firearms. Despite her young age, she was her brother''s most trusted advisor. It was her instincts that convinced Chagadai to march his horde south.


    Khorijin was a Tengrist shaman, and thus as part of her duties she conversed with the spirits of this world. Often she would seek them out in the wild for advice, which she lived her life by. It was these spirits who had informed her that the weakest of her brother''s potential opponents would be the Byzantine Empire and their Georgian puppets.


    Despite this reality, Khorijin seemed displeased. Though she had a look of concern on her face, she was far from displeasing to look at. The Turko-mongolian beauty had long jet-ck hair which flowed down the left side of her heart-shaped head. The right side of her hair contained a set of side-braids which showed off the barbarous side of her nature.


    Though the Turko-mongolian princess had a slender build, she also had curves in the right ces. Even then, her excellent body could not easily be observed beneath the thickmer armor that she wore. The fur-lined cloak which she adorned over her armor was doing her no favors either.


    Despite her beautiful appearance, no man within the army dared to look at her with lust. To do so would anger the spirits, or so she had told them. However, at the moment, she was concerned with none of this, and could only sigh as she voiced her worries to her elder brother.


    "As I said earlier, dearest brother, if you fail to conquer Georgia and the Byzantium within a single year, a great cmity will befall our people, and you will be thest of the Khans. I implore you to head north and subjugate the Rus once more. Though they have overthrown the yoke of your predecessors, the winds are in your favor, and victory is certain, despite the difficulties you will endure in the process."


    Chagadai merely spat on the ground when he heard his sister''s worries and dismissed them once more. The spirits had said that the Byzantines were the weakest, and thus they would be the first among his conquests. He was quick to voice these beliefs as he rejected his sister''s notions.


    "You said out of all our neighbors, the Byzantines and their Georgian puppets are the weakest. A year will be plenty to subject them to our conquest. After all, I have no intention of going south into the Levant. All I need is the Caucasus, and Anatolia. From there, I will make my way west into Persia."


    Khorijin gripped her hands with anxiety in her deep, dark eyes. Though she didn''t say what she was thinking, she feared what the spirits had told her. If her brother failed to achieve peace within a year, a double-headed eagle would swoop down from the western sky and devour her people.


    The spirits did not speak directly, their words were more like parables. It was up to her to decipher their meaning. Despite this reality, she had never been wrong. Khorijin was an educated woman, and she knew about the current geo-political situation, at least as best as she could manage in her position as a nomadic shaman. There was only one way to interpret a double-headed eagle, and that was the Germans.


    Though she had not personally witnessed the wars that Germany had waged across the world, she had heard rumors from those who traded with the Golden Horde about their invincibility. It was because of this that she had dissuaded her brother from marching on the Reich. After all, the Golden Horde had its fair share of grudges against the Kaiser.


    Of course, after taking down the Catholic Kingdoms as if they were a mere ant colony. Even the nomadic horsemen of the Golden Horde learned to fear the Reich, and its vast military might. Khorijin was deeply afraid of Germany for two reasons: the threat they posed to her people, and the warning the spirits had given her when she became a princess.


    "Beware the golden eyed man, he will devour you..."


    She had never told her brother about this warning, nor did she know who the golden eyed man was until recently. As Khorijin thought about this foreboding message from the spirits, she reached into one of her saddlebags and pulled out a hardcover book. The words were written in German and spelled the following.


    "The Holy Bible."


    However, this bible was different from all others in the world. Its cover was a painting of Saint Berengar the Blessed. This was a recent version of the holy book that included Berengar''s golden eye, which supposedly contained the light of God. Khorijin had recently acquired this book as a gift from a missionary who had recently made his way to their encampment.


    The man was giving bibles away for free while preaching of the gospel as well as the achievements of Saint Berengar the Blessed, which had practically be their own book of the Reformist bible. Naturally, as a curious woman, the turko-mongolian princess had decided to take one for study.


    Though she could not read the words, she often spent her time staring at the handsome man painted on the cover, and knew in her heart he was the one that the spirits had spoken of. Knowing that the Golden-eyed man was the Kaiser of the German Empire, and that the Germans were the double-headed eagle that the spirits had spoken of. The turko-mongolian beauty sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts to her elder brother.


    "Dearest brother, if you fail to achieve your goals within a year, I will be forced to flee to the east. I will not standby and watch the Germans ughter our people. Nor will I allow myself to be taken captive. I will do what I can to ensure that you are victorious, but my abilities are limited."


    Chagadai did not pay the slightest bit of attention to his sister''s ramblings. He was confident in his heart that he would emerge victorious and instead snapped his reins once more before propelling his mount forward. Causing the young woman to watch his back with a sense of dread about what was soon toe.

 Chapter 883 Keeping the Russians Down One Bottle At A Time

    Chapter 883 Keeping the Russians Down One Bottle At A Time


    Berengar sat in his office with a ss of ck spiced rum in one hand, and a cigar in another. The German empire had control over the world''s tobo trade, and because of this, there were manypanies that had popped up over the years to produce cigarettes, cigars, and bunt wraps.


    The two most popr brands of tobo products manufactured their goods on the Ind of Lindstadt. Which was known as Cuba during Berengar''s past life. Out of all the items that were produced on this Ind, tobo and rum were among the most popr.


    Though the colony of Neuhafen was a city of vice run by B?cker Entertainment. The agricultural fields outside of it were owned and operated by the Gunther Merchant Company. This, however, did not stop Henrick from sending his goons to seize nativends for his own uses.


    Because of this, a father and his son ran the two biggestpetitors in the cigar market. Berengar personally favored the Gunther Merchant Brand of tobo products, but that was partially because he had a close rtionship with the owner of thepany.


    Sitting across from the Kaiser was his most favorite wife. Linde had a folder in her hand, which contained information she had recently collected. The redheaded beauty gently ced the documents on the table and passed them over to the man while wearing an expression of amusement on her pretty face.


    "You know, when you suggested that we distill liquor from potatoes and ship it into the Rus states for pfennigs on the thaler, I thought for sure you were out of your mind. After all, how could we gain a profit on such a thing? However, I understand now what your intentions were all along. I must say, even I am impressed with how far you are willing to go to destabilize a region..."


    A brief chuckle erupted from Berengar''s mouth as he took a slight swig from his ss of distilled spirits. He had to admit, the scheme he had concocted was fairly impressive, even by his own standards.


    "Vodka... Something so simple, yet so destructive... Personally, I can''t stand the stuff, but those ruskies are addicted to it. It was the same way in my past life. Aside from the massive corruption that gued their society, this simple drink was the primary reason they never achieved anything great without the aid of other civilizations. Their greatest contribution to human history was a failed state that survived as long as it did because of foreign material support and captured German scientists.


    I figured all I needed to do in this life to prevent the rise of Russia as a unified state is to sell a simple beverage to the Rus dirt cheap and leave them to their own devices. With the amount of vodka we are funneling down their throats, they will never be a threat to our dynasty."


    The strawberry-blonde locks of the angelic beauty flowed in the air while she shook her head in feigned disagreement. A mischievously smirk appeared on Linde''s luscious lips as she made a rather crass remark about her lover''s character.


    "Tsk...tsk...tsk... You are one devious bastard, you know that?"


    A brief chuckle erupted in the room as Berengar leaned back in his chair and feigned a defensive gesture. He quickly pointed out that while what he did may have been morally bankrupt, it was not his initial intention.


    "Hey, I''m not the one who carved a smile on the Grand Duke of Moscow''s face... I had other ns for the Rus, but your little boy ruined them. So now I have no choice but to poison their poption with more vodka than they can handle..."


    A finely tapered brow raised on Linde''s exquisite forehead as she heard these words. While it may have been a jest on Berengar''s part, she took the words rather seriously, and quickly interrogated the man for a proper answer.


    "My little boy? Are you ming me for what Hans did to that little bastard?"


    With a sip of his rum, Berengar narrowed his mismatched eyes into a rather serious expression. What had started as a yful ribbing had turned into a full-scale argument, and he was quick to point out his perspective with a single question.


    "Who else would he get it from?"


    Linde could hardly believe the words she was hearing, and quickly reached over to a nearby desk mirror, and shifted it so that Berengar could look at his own reflection. She had a confident smirk on her pretty face as she pointed out who she believed to be at fault for their son''s violent actions.


    "I think you already know the answer to that..."


    With a slight nod of his head, Berengar epted the woman''s statement. He had to admit that he set a certain example as a parent and thus took part in the me. Even still, he refused to ept the entirety of the responsibility for this matter and quickly interjected.


    "I suppose the little monster does take after me in some ways, but you still have your fair share of me on the matter."


    The redheaded beauty continued to drink from her ss, not willing to dignify such a statement with a response. It was only after several moments of awkward silence that she switched the subject.


    "So how is that little eunuch doing, anyway?"


    A slight gasp of air escaped Berengar''s lips as he began to pour the two of them another ss of rum. After taking a sip from his own cup, he responded to his wife''s question with a hint of pity in his voice.


    "He''s an androgynous teenage boy who has been castrated and forced into abor camp filled with men. Men who no longer have women to abuse thanks to the treatment that little French harlot received. How the hell do you think he is doing? I bet he is real popr with the prisoners."


    Rather than what he expected, Linde simply giggled like a schoolgirl upon hearing about the horrific fate that awaited the young Grand Duke of Moscow. She was quick to voice her opinion on the matter.


    "He deserves it after what he tried to do to Veronika..."


    Berengar took another sip of his rum as he silently nodded in agreement with the woman''s statement. He fully agreed with his wife. There was no ce for rapists in his society. The price for such a crime was steep in Germany, and the Grand Duke of Moscow had suffered dearly for it. It was at this moment Berengar thought of something important and quickly voiced his concern.


    "So... When was thest time you saw Hans, anyway? I feel like he''s avoiding us now that he''s at university. Were we really that bad of parents?"


    After taking a sip from her ss, Linde scoffed before correcting Berengar''s perspective. She knew her firstborn boy better than he knew himself and could urately surmise what the problem was that was preventing him from returning to the pce.


    "First off, the boy is at that age where he is getting rebellious. So it wouldn''t surprise me if he had some negative feelings towards us. Especially you, Mr I''m going to go on a campaign every six months while my son is but a small child!


    But no, he''s not avoiding us, he''s avoiding Ingrid. I think it''s about time we send the bitch home and break the betrothal. She has done nothing but cause problems for Hans and his girls. Why the hell did you even agree to that proposal in the first ce?"


    A feigned expression of offense appeared on Berengar''s handsome face as he leaned back into his chair and spread his arms into the air in an attempt to defend his actions.


    "The boy likes beautiful older women with big breasts. I thought they would hit it off. How was I supposed to know she was a spoiled cunt who wanted to turn Hans against his other girls? The next time I see the boy, I''ll ask him what he wants to do about her. One thing has be clear to me, though. Ingrid is not worthy of the von Kufstein name. As for Astrid, she''s a sweetheart. It''s amazing the two are rted..."


    A sharp glint formed in Linde''s sky-blue eyes as she heard these words, causing her to switch the subject to something else once more.


    "Speaking of sweethearts, what are you going to do about Priya? She''s practically following you around the pce like a little puppy now. It would be wise of you to give her a son sooner rather thanter. If Dharya finds a woman and impregnates her before you put a baby in Priya''s belly, the consequences could be dire..."


    After taking a swig from his drink and a drag from his cigar, Berengar cast his woman an intimidating re with his mismatched eyes while he responded to her question.


    "I gave the boy my word that I would not touch a hair on his precious little sister''s head unless she approached me first. She has yet to work up the courage to ask me to be intimate with her, and thus I will leave this matter be until she feels ready.


    I know it may not mean much to you, but as a man, when I give my word to someone, and I mean it, I must abide by it. I will not coerce the girl into my bed, nor will I force myself upon her. Judging from the puddle I saw outside my door this morning, I''m guessing she is close to making up her mind about what she really wants. She just needs only to reach out and ask."


    Fearing that an argument was about to ur about the foolishness of a man''s pride. Linde swallowed the choice words she had in store for Berengar and instead, decided to steer the conversation in a more constructive direction.


    "She and Yas seem to be getting along alright. I see the two of them in the kitchen together every day. I think I have even caught the two of them in the bath together once or twice. Perhaps your Moorish bride can help move things along. Wouldn''t that be the dream threesome for you? Two busty exotic beauties servicing you together?"


    Berengar narrowed his eyes when he heard the woman''s lewd suggestions before asking the question that was most immediate on his mind.


    "Let me guess... You want to watch?"


    A yful smile appeared on the busty redheaded beauty''s face as she licked her lips seductively. She leaned over across the desk and whispered into her husband''s ears the words she knew that would entice him.


    "Only if you''d let me..."

 Chapter 884 Young Love

    Chapter 884 Young Love


    Kristoffer stood sat within arge room of the Kufstein Imperial Pce. This particr area of the Pce housed a grand piano. He had grown up in this extravagant home since the day he was born, and his mother Ad had paid him the utmost attention and care as he progressed through childhood.


    If the First Prince Hans was said to have inherited his father''s brilliance, and his mother''s cunning nature. Then Kristoffer was known for his intellect and kind heart, which he undoubtedly received from his mother.


    At the moment, the boy was ying the Piano to a masterful disy. Since the age of four, his mother had taught him how to y the musical instrument, and as the years passed, his understanding of it advanced well beyond his years.


    As he pressed the individual keys and yed a joyful song that he had written himself, a doll-like figure appeared from behind the door, silently observing the boy as he yed. Kristoffer did not notice her at first, as the girl hid her body and half of her face. Only one blue eye peered into the room, and observed the boy as he yed the piano with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Eventually the song came to an end, where Kristoffer reached for a ss of water which was kept on a nearby table. He drank from the clear liquid and sighed in satisfaction before preparing to y the next song. It was at this moment; he spotted the shy figure of his young fiancee hiding behind the doorway. With a friendly tone in his youthful voice, the boy called out to her in an attempt to coax her into the room.


    "I see you Astrid. Are you perhaps interested in the piano?"


    The girl named Astrid immediately shivered upon hearing her name, and hid fully behind the door. It had been three years since she hade to live in Kufstein, and despite being well acquainted with her future husband, she was still so reserved around him and his family. To Kristoffer, this timid nature was nothing but appealing, and thus he called out to the girl, as if she were a frightened rabbit, in an attempt to bond with her.


    "You know, if you are interested in the Piano, I can teach you how to y..."


    With the twitch of her dainty ears, Astrid slowly peaked behind the corner and gazed upon Kristoffer, who had a kind expression on his youthful face. She slowly appeared in the doorway. The girl was roughly the same age as Kristoffer, meaning she was currently eight years old.


    Astrid was as cute as can be. She had long tinum locks and round ice-blue eyes. Her heart-shaped face with a button nose gave her the appearance of a living doll who was sculpted out of the finest porcin.


    Astrid was dressed in what can only be described as a Victorian lolita style dress whose color matched her eyes perfectly. Further giving off the impression that she was not a living being, but a perfectly sculpted doll. Despite her adorable appearance, she was extremely shy, not willing to look Kristoffer in the eyes, instead gazing upon the floor while holding her dainty hands together in front of her.


    The German Prince knew that if he made one sudden move, Astrid would bolt out the door like a jackrabbit who was fleeing a pursuing coyote. Because of this, he slowly scooted over on the bench where he yed the piano, and patted the space he had made for the girl.


    There was a look of hesitation in the girl''s ice-blue eyes as she questioned whether or not she should take Kristoffer up on the offer. With the slight bite of her lower lip, she decided to take a chance, and cautiously approached her fiancee before sitting down next to him. This caused Kristoffer to smile in appreciation before cing his hands on the keyboard and showing Astrid the basic position to keep her fingers in while ying the instrument.


    "Like this... Follow my lead."


    Kristoffer spent the next hour teaching Astrid the basics of the keyboard before stopping. He figured it was not wise to overwhelm her with too much information and instead smiled andplimented the girl on her quick learning ability.


    "We''ll stop here today. You did well. If you keep this up, I''m sure you will be ying like a pro in no time!"


    Astrid blushed and looked away as she heard thispliment. Kristoffer had thought his eyes were deceiving him when he observed a slight smile on the girl''s doll-like face until he heard her mutter in a voice so low that he thought perhaps he was hallucinating.


    "...Thank you..."


    After confirming that the girl did in fact thank him, and smile for the first time that he had observed in thest three years, Kristoffer broke out into a beaming expression of his own before nodding his head and responding to the timid girl.


    "It''s no big deal. Anytime you feel like learning how to y, I will be here for you..."


    Astrid''s face became beat red as she heard this, and could no longer look Kristoffer in the eye. In an act of embarassment she scurried off, leaving Kristoffer behind with a fat smile on his adorable face. He sat there in silence for several moments before Ad walked in andmented on the progress of his rtionship with Astrid.


    "I think she likes you..."


    Snapping out of his daze, Kristoffer looked over at his mother, and instantly ran into her arms with a firm hug, all the while screaming in delight.


    "Mommy!!!"


    Ad had been busy with work recently and had not been avable during the day. Seeing his mother home so soon brought great happiness to the young boy''s heart. Ad merely smiled and hugged her eldest son, while stroking his golden hair in aforting manner.


    "How''s my little boy doing? Are you getting along with your little fiancee?"


    Kristoffer smiled and nodded his head thrice before responding to his mother''s query.


    "Yes, she''s still really shy, but I think she is starting to warm up to me!"


    Ad continued to hug her son and pet his hair, as sheforted him about his rtionship with his fiancee.


    "Astrid is a good girl. She is just a bit timid. You should make sure to take care of her. After all, she is your responsibility. One day, the two of you will be married, and it will be your job to take care of her."


    Kristoffer nodded his head in agreement with his mother''s words, while having a wide smile on his face. He was quick to make a promise to Ad, one that he did not fully realize the gravity of.


    "I promise I will make Astrid happy!"


    Ad kissed her son on the forehead and released her hug, before kneeling down so that she was on his level.


    "I am sure you will... Now let''s go eat lunch!"


    After saying that, the mother and son departed for the kitchen,pletely unaware that Astrid had hidden nearby and heard Kristoffer''s promise. Her heart was thumping like crazy, and her face was as red as can be. She had known the boy for three years, and he was among the kindest souls she had ever met.


    Despite this, she kept her distance from him. It was not intentional; she was just an incredibly introverted girl. However, even at her young age, she could be moved by the boy''s words, and felt that she was beginning to develop a crush.


    Perhaps it would be best if she were to follow them to lunch. After a fierce internal debate within her mind, Astrid ultimately decided to take a chance of rejection, and ran after Kristoffer and Ad, where the two of them were surprised to see her. Before they could question why she had followed them, she spit out the thoughts in her mind, knowing that if she hesitated, she would not be able to speak them.


    "Can I join the two of you for lunch?"


    The girl shut her eyes when she said this and braced her heart for rejection. However, Kristoffer surprised her by walking over to her and grabbing hold of her hand before leading her towards the dining hall. She opened her eyes when she felt his touch and was surprised to see the kind expression on his face. With a slight nod of the head, Kristoffer epted her request.


    "Of course you can! I would be delighted to eat with you, Astrid!"


    With this said, Astrid remained silent and followed Kristoffer and his mother into the dining hall, where the three of them shared a meal together. Though she was quiet, and reserved as she usually was, she was not alone, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a genuine sense of belonging within the von Kufstein household.

 Chapter 885 Rebuilding the Anangpur Army

    Chapter 885 Rebuilding the Anangpur Army


    Deep within thends of the Anangpur Empire there existed a makeshift military base which had been established by the German Army Corps of Engineers the moment after Emperor Dharya Tomara reimed his throne. Though it was not a proper base inparison to those used by the Reich, it was capable of fulfilling its current task, and that was to train a new generation of soldiers for the Royal Anangpur Army..


    In an act of mandatory conscription. Dharya had made a legal decree that every abled body man aged 16-20 was taken out of the fields, and forced into armed service. Though it did not aid with his poprity as a man who recently ascended to the throne, it was entirely necessary for the continued survival of his people.


    These youths were currently undergoing physical training via the methods that had been established by the German Army over a decade prior. Pushups, situps, pullups, long distance running. These were all things that thousands of young men were currently engaging in across the military base.


    Despite the fact that this was an Anangpur Military base, the drill instructors were not Indian, nor were they German. Instead, they were from the Majapahit Empire. Due to a sharednguage, Berengar had requested his lovely little concubine to convince her father to send officers to the Anangpur Empire to train its newest recruits. After all, the Royal Majapahit Army was already two years into their training, and could easily fulfill this task.


    The Majapahit drill instructors yelled towards the young recruits in the Sanskritnguage as they continued to perform pushups to build strength so that they could be fully capable of armed conflict in the months toe.


    While this was urring, Emperor Dharya Tomara watched the scene as it unfolded. He was no longer dressed in the traditional attire of his home country. Rather; he wore a military uniform loosely based upon those used by the British Indian Army during the second world war of Berengar''s past life.


    By the young emperor''s side were the two Generals who had been dispatched to oversee the progress of the Royal Anangpur Army. General Arnwald Gerwig from the German Empire, and General Budiono from the Majapahit Empire.


    The two men were giving Dharya a tour of the facility. As they passed by the field where the recruits performed their daily physical training, Arnwald discussed the purpose of these exercises.


    "Basic training is about building strength of mind, character, and most importantly, the body. While also teaching the soldiers to obey allmands given to them without hesitation. We also provide fundamental use of arms and tactics.


    Due to the fact that the enemies you will be facing are equipped with repeating firearms, the Kaiser, in his infinite wisdom, has seen fit to equip your soldiers with the G25 Bolt-Action rifle as the standard issue armament.


    Once the soldiersplete their basic training, they will be sent to specialized training based on their talents. Most of these men will be assigned to either the infantry or artillery. Come this way, and I will show you a presentation of the weapons your soldiers will wield into battle."


    Dharya nodded his head in silence as he followed General Arnwald Gerwig to the range, where hundreds of his soldiers lie prone, firing their G25 bolt action rifles towards the steel targets that existed one hundred meters down range.


    The explosive st of the 8mm round as it broke the sound barrier crackled in the air as each soldier pulled the trigger to their weapon before racking their bolts and chambering another round. After doing so, they aimed down their sights and pulled the trigger once more after acquiring their target.


    Dharya was impressed that the men scored their hits, and nodded his head in satisfaction. Arnwald continued to exin the training as they walked past the shooting range.


    "The marksmanship training is split into different grades based upon how many hits a soldier scores, as well as the time it took them to do so. The best of your soldiers will be issued a rifle with an optic when they finally deploy to the battlefield, which should increase their lethality by a wide margin."


    Dharya nodded his head as he heard the words that Arnwald had spoken. He knew little about managing an army, luckily he had the experience of Germany on his side, or else he would never be able to resist the might of the Bengal Empire.


    The tour of the facilitysted for some time before the sun began to set, and Dharya grew tired. He had observed many things today that he never thought he would see. It was truly an enlightening experience.


    As an end to the tour, Arnwald led Dharya into the Officer''s mess, where they cracked open a few bottles of German whiskey and began to speak about the facts of life. After several drinks when the three men had enough alcohol in their bloodstream, Dharya was quick to ask the Majapahit General about how his nation hade to align itself with Germany.


    "So tell my General Budiono, as I am naturally curious. How did Berengar manage to get your King''s support?"


    The Indonesian General took a sip from the whiskey that had been imported from the reich and sighed in relief. There appeared to be a conflicted expression on his face as he told the tale of how the Majapahit Empire had sold its soul to the Reich.


    " Approximately two years ago, the princess of our Kingdom visited the borders of the Reich. Her father, the King, had tasked her to negotiate with the Emperor of Germany in regards to taxes that were supposed to be enforced on all who passed through the a strait.


    Imagine our surprise when she returned home, pregnant with the man''s child. iming that the Japanese Empire intended to invade ournds and subject our people to the same atrocities they weremitting abroad. Evidently she had some proof in her hands, as the woman managed to convince her father to agree to the Kaiser''s demands.


    Over the past two years, the Germans have been training our army and selling us weapons so that we may resist the uing invasion. Though many of the nobles in our society are a bit skeptical, believing this to be a lie concocted by the King so he can centralize power in his hands. Regardless, there is nothing they can do, as the army is loyal to him alone.


    The reason we are here in your realm is that the Kaiser has requested we assist with the training of your forces. His reasoning is that we are more effectively able tomunicate with your troops since we share amonnguage.


    Naturally, due to the nature of their rtionship, our Princess decided to ept this request, and so here I am. I must say that I am surprised by the audacity of the Japanese Empire. Arming and supplying the Bengal Empire to conquer the entire subcontinent. If their Empress was aware of the Reich, she should have known they would never let such a thing ur."


    Dharya nodded his head in understanding as he heard this. It was quite a tale, and he was surprised that Berengar had not told him this earlier. Though he remembered the Majapahit Princess visiting the Pce, he was unaware that Berengar had slept with her during the visit. This in itself filled him with various worries. However, he quickly shook them out of his head and prepared a toast to this new alliance.


    "To our Alliance, may it stand strong in the face of Japanese aggression!"


    The other two men nked their sses together in the toast before downing the contents. Though Dharya was upset with Berengar for turning his family''s empire into a puppet, as the weeks went by, and he was burdened with the responsibilities of leadership, he hade to ept German support, as he realized he would never be able to rule thisnd effectively by himself.


    However, after hearing that Berengar had knocked up the Princess of the Majapahit Empire, he became increasingly concerned about his sister''s chastity. Judging by the way that Berengar treated foreign princesses. It was only a matter of time before Priya conceived his child.


    Ultimately, there was nothing he could do about that, and so Dharya decided to have his fair share of alcohol. The three men would continue drinking long into the night until they passed out at the bar. When they awoke the next morning, they would forget all the things they had discussed the night before.


    ---


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 Chapter 886 A Little Bit of Trolling

    Chapter 886 A Little Bit of Trolling


    For the First time since the cold war began between Germany and Japan, a representative of the Reich had sailed to the ind nation with diplomatic intent. What was his purpose in this visit? Well, it was certainly not about ceasing hostilities.


    The man in question was a German Lawyer by the name of Tilicke Schauffhusen who was from the Kingdom of Austria, and he had a briefcase in his hands, as the passenger ship made its way to the port of Heian-ky��.


    This was not a German ship, as such vessels were not allowed to dock on the Japanese maind. Instead, it was a Ming Junk. Tilicke had sailed from the Borders of the Reich to the Ming Dynasty before taking a merchant vessel to the Ind of Japan.


    Upon docking in Heian-ky��, Japanese authorities boarded the vessel in search of contraband or any other illegal content. When they witnessed the blonde-haired, and blue eyed Austrian man sitting on the vessel, they began to yell at him in their native tongue. The interpreter that Tilicke had hired in the Ming Dynasty quickly tranted their words into the German Language.


    "You there? What is your business here? Speak quickly!"


    Thew enforcement officers had their hands on the pistol grips of their revolvers. They were clearly showing hostility to the European man. As for Tilicke, he smiled peacefully before stating his business in his native tongue.


    "I am Tilicke Schauffhusen. I represent the interests of the Kufstein Royal Armory and am here to present a letter to your Empress."


    The Law Enforcement officers gazed at each other with confusion for several moments before they decided to ask for support from their superior. Ultimately, Tilicke was detained for several hours, where he and his belongings were thoroughly searched.


    It was not until Itami had personally granted him an audience, was he allowed to depart from the police station, and enter the Royal Pce, where he saw the beautiful young albino woman sitting on her throne with a rather intimidating expression on her pretty face. Before he could introduce himself, Itami spoke in an authoritative tone.


    "I must say, your Kaiser has some audacity to send a legal representative here to my Empire. Tell me, just what reason do you have to visit the Empire of Japan? What were you hoping to aplish bying here?"


    Tilicke bowed respectfully towards the foreign monarch before pulling out his briefcase and unlocking it. Where he handed a document over to Itami with a stoic expression on his face. The words were written in the Japanese Script.


    The beautiful young empress took one look at the title of the document and felt an intense fury in her heart. Despite her anger, she quickly skimmed through the rest of the document before asking the question on her mind.


    "Is this some kind of joke? Because I am not amused..."


    Thewyer raised his head with a confident smirk on his face as he began to outline just what the document entailed.


    "I am afraid not... The Kaiser demands that you immediately cease and desist the production and sale of your uwful domestic copy of our Mk2 Schmidt Guns. As you can see in the documents which I have provided, the patents for this weapon were filed and approved as early as 1422, which was years before you copied our design.


    If you do notply, we will be forced to seek legal reparations. Which we will obtain one way or another. I suggest you agree to our demands, or else you might be facing a blockade within the Indian ocean. Something I''m sure your Bengal allies would heavily disapprove of. The choice is up to you, but I suggest you think of your position before making a permanent decision..."


    Itami''s scarlet eyes fiercely gazed upon the smug bastard from the western world. She could hardly believe this man was threatening her with military action in the safety of her own domain. She was so baffled by this behavior that she was forced to ask the man for rification.


    "Are you threatening me?"


    The words the two exchanged were tranted by the interpreter that Tilicke had brought with him. However, he did not feel the slightest bit of fear as he responded to the Japanese Empress''s words.


    "It is not a threat, but a promise. If you do not cease the production and sale of these weapons, which originate in the Reich and are still under patent by the Royal Kufstein Armory, then we will be forced to take matters into our own hands and blockade the Indian ocean.


    That is all I have to say on the matter. If there are no further matters of importance that you wish to discuss, then I will be taking the next ship to the Ming Dynasty. As nice as your Empire is, I do not feel safe within your borders, and thus will be taking my leave.


    You have thirty days to respond with your answer, which you can deliver to the German Embassy in Beijing via your own representative. Goodbye Empress Itami Riyo, and good luck in your endeavors..."


    After saying this, Tilicke Schauffhusen left the Imperial Pce of Japan with a confident stride, leaving Itamipletely speechless. Obviously, the German Empire could not force her to pay them for viting the patent, but they could very easily prevent her ships from delivering future aid to the Bengal Empire.


    After gazing at the cease and desist letter and reading its contents thoroughly, Itami spotted a coded message, which was hidden in the script by the first letter of every paragraph. After writing it down on a piece of paper, a single word followed by an emoticon appeared, which filled her heart with overwhelming rage.


    Trolololol XD


    Immediately upon reading this, Itami ripped the legal document in half and cursed as loud as she could manage in the modern English tongue.


    "That fucking bastard!"


    She could not believe that Berengar had the audacity to send a representative to hernds solely to troll her. She could tell by the hidden message that the Kaiser did not care in the slightest if she continued to supply the Bengals with Gatling Guns. He simply used the coincidence that they managed to develop the same weapons as a means to antagonize her.


    It took everything Itami had not to order the beheading of the German Lawyer who had just left her presence. Ultimately, she took a deep breath and sighed in distress as she leaned back into her chair and voiced her thoughts aloud.


    "Julian? How do I get back at this cunning bastard?"


    Unfortunately for her, Itami did not receive an answer, which simply caused her to pull at her snow white hair in annoyance. One way or another, she would find a way to return this insult in kind, without provoking an armed conflict. After all, she knew deep in her heart that she could not yet afford a war with the Reich.


    After tossing the documents aside for the maids to clean up, Itami rose from her seat and departed for her hot spring. After being stressed out by the whims of the Kaiser, she needed a good soak. She would stay in the bath for another hour before returning to her room. Where she would crawl into bed and lie with her Julian body pillow until she fell into a deep sleep.


    Perhaps tomorrow she would have the mental energy to deal with this mess. But for now, she wanted nothing more than to get some rest. After all, she had been using the divine mirror a lottely, and it consumed a sufficient amount of her focus.


    Itami would ultimately fall asleep, while having dreams of a peaceful life with Julian as her husband. By the time she awoke early in the morning on the next day, she would be fully energized and prepared for another day''s work. Where she would eventually agree to Berengar''s demands and cease the production and sale of Gatling guns.


    ---


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 Chapter 887 Missile Testing

    Chapter 887 Missile Testing


    Berengar stood within the Kufstein Arms Testing Facility, which was stationed on the far outskirts of the capital city''s limits. He was currently being led towards a restricted area by the engineers of the Kufstein Royal Armory. Including Ludwig''s son, and prodigy Jakob von Thurgau, who was apparently the lead designer on this ssified weapons project.


    Though Berengar was busy preparing for Honoria''s journey to thend down under. Jakob requested an urgent meeting to demonstrate the newest weapon that his department had devised. More specifically, this weapon was the brainchild of a promising young engineering talent by the name of Wernher Kuhne.


    Berengar was not the slightest bit excited and was, in fact, quite irritated that he was forced to take time out of his busy schedule to witness the testing of a new weapon. Such things were no longer his responsibilities.


    However, Jakob was confident that Berengar would want to see this new weapon in action. Despite this, Berengar was scowling as he made a deliberate threat to the men who had forced him toe all this way.


    "This had better be worth my-"


    Before he could even finish his sentence, the doors opened to a shielded room, where he and the scientists gazed upon arge open-air facility. What Berengar witnessed in that moment truly astounded him as he gazed upon the magnificence of therge object which sat, prepped, and waiting. Berengar immediately halted what he was about to say and expressed his disbelief as he gazed upon the magnificent weapon which stood fourteen meters tall.


    "My god... Is that a fucking rocket?"


    The young man named Wernher had a fat smile on his face as he saw the Kaiser enter the room. He quickly greeted the man and confirmed that this was a rocket.


    "Yes, my Kaiser. This is, in fact, a rocket. More specifically, it is a guided missile, which makes use of inertial guidance and active radar homing to lock onto its target. This is the third prototype, but the first functional model. Knowing your temperament, Jakob thought you would like to be among the first people to witness a sessful rocketunch in our world''s history, and we are all confident that you will enjoy the results."


    What can only be described as a visual copy of the v2 rocket was sitting in the middle of the facility, just waiting for its chance at explosive glory. Berengar could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the thing. However, his mind immediately shifted to the many possibilities that missiles presented on the battlefield.


    Among the many uses of this missile, and others that would be developed in the future, was to scale down and modify it for use onboard cruisers and destroyers. This would effectively make his battleships obsolete, allowing him to send such quaint vessels into fleet wide battles with Japan''s navy, while protecting his carriers with guided missile cruisers and destroyers.


    Despite just being a prototype, if thisunch was truly sessful, it could open up a new world of warfare. With Surface to Air missiles, Cruise Missiles, Air-to-Air Missiles and many other types of munitions that could effectively be used against his enemies.


    Why send in an armored division when you canunch a ballistic missile on an enemy stronghold from the safety of your own home? Berengar was truly shocked by what he was looking at, but had one immediate question on his mind, which he was quick to ask.


    "Wernher is it? Just how long has your team been working on this project?"


    The talented young engineer by the name of Wernher Kuhne was about to answer with a satisfied smile on his face, when Jakob interject with his own answer to the Kaiser''s question. While a bit rude, he was the lead engineer on the project, and though his personal contributions failed inparison to Wernher''s, he felt that he was the most capable of answering this question.


    "Approximately two years, my kaiser. As you can see, this is just a prototype of the weapon. However, it presents unlimited possibilities. Rocketry is truly a new era of warfare. With these, our enemies will live in constant fear of having a missile dropped on their heads from the sky above! If this test goes as nned, I would very much appreciate an increase in funding to the Rocketry department so we cane up with all kinds of new weapons for your grand army!"


    Berengar was still getting over the shock that his scientists had already managed to create a guided missile. Though he had spent an ungodly sum over the past thirteen years raising and funding scientists in all fields of study, especially engineering, even he didn''t know how to create a functional guided missile from scratch. That was a different path of engineering from what he had learned in his past life.


    For his scientists to create a working prototype of a guided missile, truly showed how his money was well spent. With the near unlimited wealth of the reich,bined with punitive anti-corruptionws, the vast amount of coinage that went into funding research and development provided results quickly, especially with amazing talents like Jakob and Wernher popping up in each field of study.


    Berengar was no longer irritated in the slightest and actually felt a bit of childlike wonder in his heart. Rocketry and missiles were something that could achieve devastating results on the battlefield, but it was also the path to space travel.


    Though this was just a cruise missile, with the right amount of funding and enough years of research, he could put a man on the moon within his lifetime. This was simply inconceivable to Berengar. Ultimately, the Kaiser had a wide grin on his face where he asked the most important question on his mind.


    "What are we waiting for? Let''s light it up!"


    Wernher had an equally emphatic smile on his face as he moved towards theunch button. He inserted his key into the device, which started an rm signaling anyone within the vicinity to vacate the area. Once everyone was clear, he moved out of the way and asked Berengar the question he wanted to hear the most.


    "My Kaiser, shall you do the honors?"


    Berengar felt like he could die happy upon hearing this, and thus he quickly began a countdown before pressing the button.


    "Five..."


    "Four..."


    "Three..."


    "Two..."


    "One..."


    "Liftoff!"


    After saying this, he pounded the button with his fist, causing the missile to ignite. The burning of the propellent, which was a mixture of ethanol and liquid oxygen, sent the missile into the air and off of its carriage, which was pointed towards the direction of the nearby Alps. After firing, the missile used its active radar homing to lock onto it an abandoned panther tank, which existed some 320km into the mountains.


    The massive explosion of the 1,000 kg amatol filled warhead created a significant st that was visible from not only the testing sight, but the capital city of the German Empire as well. The citizens of Kufstein gazed up towards the mountains where the explosion urred in awe.


    In preparation for this event, a radio broadcast urred throughout the reich warning people in advance of the test, so that they would not fear the impact when it urred. In fact, many people had been eagerly awaiting it, and saw the rocket take off into the sky, and head towards its abandoned target.


    The room where the Kaiser and all his scientists stood was filled with utter silence for several moments before they all broke out into cheers. Berengar was so excited by the sessful missile test that he approached Jakob and Wernher before giving them the news they wanted to hear.


    "Whatever funds you need to further develop missiles like these, and whatever other designs you can think of, put in a request, and it will be fulfilled. In fact, I have a few ideas of my own that you might be interested in!"


    Upon hearing the Kaiser say this, both Jakob and Wernher were quick to bow their heads in respect before responding to Berengar''s words.


    "Anything you can think of, simply send your ideas our ways, and we would be happy to see them be a reality. My Kaiser, on behalf of the Kufstein Royal Armory''s Rocket Engineering Department, I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule for being here today."


    Berengar simply chuckled as he gazed at the explosion in the mountains, which was still clearing up, before muttering the words on his mind.


    "It was my pleasure..."


    On this day, the German Empire had developed the first functional supersonic missile. In theing years, endless funding would be funnelled into the Rocket Engineering Department of the Kufstein Royal Armory, where they would produce many new weapons designs for use on the battlefield. As for Berengar, he would be quick to work on new ship designs that could act as proper escorts for his carriers. After all Battleships, and Battlecruisers were not the most ideal candidates for the task.

 Chapter 888 An Unexpected Rejection

    Chapter 888 An Unexpected Rejection


    Berengar sat at the personal bar that existed within his pce. The young bartender he employed to mix drinks for him leaned against the edge and gazed upon the handsome face of the kaiser as he drank from a ss filled with twelve-year-old rye whiskey. Her favorite part of her job was that she could be so close to the Kaiser.


    As the pretty young woman stared at him, Berengar silently swallowed the amber colored liquid that was produced by a distillery which he owned a fair amount of shares in. As he did so, the sight of an incredible bronze skinned beauty approached him. Priya was now a young woman, and though it had been years since she first started developing feelings for Berengar, she had never truly expressed them.


    However, in her heart, the young Indian princess knew that the man was a creature of habit, and because of that, he was downing the nicest whiskey he could find on this Friday evening. Usually Berengar was apanied by one of his many women, and because of this, Priya had never found the right opportunity to approach the man.


    However, tonight he was all alone, with only thepany of his bartender. Because of this, she knew it was her chance to finally express theplex emotions she felt towards a man who was practically twice her age. Thus, she sat down next to Berengar with a pretty smile on her exquisite face. Berengar was surprised to see Priya sit down at the bar, and quickly voiced his surprise.


    "Never in my life would I dare to believe that the young, and pure Anangpur Princess who ispletely devoid of vice would sit down at my bar and order a drink. Honestly, Priya, do you even know what you want?"


    The young Indian woman could only pout as she heard this remark before gazing over at the bartender with fierce determination in her eyes and ordering the drink she desired.


    "I would like a coconut daiquiri please..."


    There was a clear hesitation in the girl''s voice. This made Berengar chuckle as he took another sip of his whiskey. In his mind, he scoffed to himself, thinking that, of course, the little girl would order such a fruity drink.


    The Bartender didn''t say a word, and merely observed the way Priya was looking at the Kaiser as she prepared the girl''s drink. After doing so, she passed the beverage to her guest before pulling out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes, where she informed Berengar of her intentions.


    "Hey boss, I''m going to go take a quick smoke break. Is that alright with you?"


    Berengar merely nodded his head in silence, signalling the woman that she was free to leave. He could tell by the exceptionally anxious look on Priya''s face that there was something she wanted to tell him in private, and he was d that the woman he hired to serve him drinks was socially conscious enough to take a hint.


    After the young woman left the two together, Berengar smiled before taking another sip from his whiskey, where he was quick to interrogate his ward and why she had approached him on this fine evening.


    "So tell me, Priya, what''s on your mind?"


    The girl blushed slightly as she took a sip from her drink. Though there was a little taste of the rum within the drink, it was still strong enough to cause her to feel the effect of alcohol. Priya was visibly shaking. There was obviously something important on her mind, but she just couldn''t voice the words properly.


    Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, or maybe it was the extreme anxiety she felt within her heart. Whatever the reason may be, the extensive n that Priya hade up with to seduce Berengar into taking her as one of his many lovers immediately flew out the window, as she bluntly asked the question that had gued her mind for months now.


    "I like you! Will you please take me as your mistress?"


    Berengar nearly spat his drink out of his mouth upon hearing the girl be so blunt. However, he managed to only slightly choke on the burning liquid as it stained his esophagus with its overwhelming strength.


    After several heavy coughs, he ced his whiskey ss down on the bar, ensuring that he did not spill a single drop of the highly valuable substance. It was only after a few moments was he was able to fully recover his senses before asking the immediate question on his mind.


    "A little blunt, don''t you think? I mean, honestly Priya, there were about a thousand ways you could have asked me this question that would have been more romantic! Do you even know what you are asking?"


    Priya had an innocent glint in her eyes as she ced a finger on her lips before asking another question in her mind. Despite her na?ve expression, there was a fierce determination on her pretty face.


    "Of course I know what I''m asking! What, don''t you don''t like me? I know that can''t possibly be the case. After all, I see the way you look at me as I pass by in the halls... Won''t you take responsibility?"


    The final words that Priya had said caused Berengar to feel a headache. He did not know if this girl was deliberately being cute, or was truly so pure of heart that she did not understand the depths of her request.


    However, one thing was clear to him. This girl was simply too innocent to properlyprehend what she was asking. If he were to pounce at this opportunity, even he felt like he would need to be locked up. Thus, he took another sip of his whiskey before responding to her request.


    "You''re going to give me a heart attack if you keep this up... I have to ask. You are aware of what your request entails, right?"


    Perhaps it was the fact that the girl had had downed a rather heavy drink for the first time in her life, but the moment she heard Berengar''s question Anangpur princess immediately thought back to a few years prior when she witnessed Berengar receiving an oil message from his wives within his harem room. Her cheeks immediately flushed an even brighter red as she turned her head away and nodded in silence. The voice she used to respond to him was so faint Berengar practically didn''t hear her.


    "You mean naughty stuff?"


    Berengar gazed upon the cute expression of this young woman who had just barely be an adult, and could feel as if the police were going to drag him away from jail. He both had an intense desire to protect this girl, and also a desire to y a trick on her. Perhaps it was because of this conflict in his heart that he made his next move.


    After finishing the contents of his drink, Berengar approached Priya, and shocked the young woman by grabbing hold of her chin and cing a childish peck on her lips. Though the girl''s heart beat heavily, she turned her head away, fearful of what was about toe next. Not even aware that the kiss she had received was far from one of passion. However, Berengar''s next words truly shocked her.


    "You''re still too young... You can''t even kiss a man properly without being terrified. I mean, you may be an adult now, but you still have the mentality of the child, and I won''t take advantage of your naivety. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I did.


    Should the daye when you are fully aware of the depths of what you ask, and you still desire to be my mistress, I will happily allow you into my harem. However, you need to mature a bit more before that bes a possibility. I have neither the time, nor patience to entertain a child..."


    Priya immediately broke out into tears after hearing Berengar''s rejection and quickly scurried off. Though her heart was beating like crazy, it was also filled with despair. As for the bartender, she walked in at just the right time to see the girl run away with tears in her eyes. She quickly approached the counter and poured Berengar another ss of whiskey beforementing on what she had just seen.


    "Damn... That was brutal. I never thought I''d see the day where you turned down a beautiful princess. I''m curious now. Why did you reject Priya?"


    Berengar had a confident smirk on his face as he heard this before responding to the young woman''s question.


    "She''s still young, and I am in no hurry to take another mistress. When her mind matures, and her character develops, I''m sure she will be a fine young woman. At the moment, Priya is nothing more than a child, even if she is physically an adult. Even I have too much of a conscience to corrupt such innocence..."


    This response merely caused the bartender to chuckle. She could never tell what the man was thinking.


    ---


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 Chapter 889 Designing a Guided Missile Cruiser

    Chapter 889 Designing a Guided Missile Cruiser


    Berengar stood within the war room that existed within his imperial pce as he gazed upon the map which represented the ongoing war in the Indian Subcontinent. In a corner of the room, an intelligence operative decoded a message that was sent by field agents regarding the movements of the Bengal Army. They used an enigma machine to properly trante the transcript before handing it over to the Kaiser.


    Upon seeing this news, Berengar sighed before pulling out a long stick which he used to push the wooden pieces which represented the Bengal Army, and their Japanese allies into ce. The Bengal Army had moved into the eastern Ganga dynasty, and within three months, they had seeded in capturing the territory. Currently, their forces had split into two armies, one moving towards the Kakatiya Dynasty while the other was pushing into thends belonging to the Chandrapur.


    To Berengar, who had subjected all of Europe to his influence, he knew how easy it was for a semi-modern army to trample over medieval dynasties. Thus, he was honestly surprised that it had taken them three whole months to defeat the Gangas. If he were in Asha''s shoes, he would have finished such a conquest in a matter of weeks.


    This was not the only news he had received from the radio operator. After moving the pieces which represented the Bengal Army into their newest positions, he turned to the Pacific Ocean, where he shifted a few ships that represented the Imperial Japanese Navy. It would appear that they were beginning to establish contact with the region that was once known as the Philippines during his past life.


    Thetest intel on the Imperial Japanese Navy proved that they had several destroyers in their fleets. Though they werepletelycking inrger warships, for the time being Japan had been able to produce a few small steel vessels, though what capability their radar and sonar had achieved that was still unknown.


    These destroyers did not at the moment pose a problem for Berengar''s Sixth Fleet, which was stationed at the German Naval/Air base in Singapore. However, the presence of inter-war era warships was slightly concerned to the Kaiser, who felt an increasing desire to modernize his navy.


    It was because of this, and the recent development in missile technology, that Berengar decided to take a step back from the operation room and head towards his office. The look on his face was enough for anyone of his subordinates to know not to interrupt him.


    After shutting the doors behind him, Berengar quickly got to work on the basic design of a new type of warship. He would submit these designs to his shipyards, where his maritime engineers would work alongside his rocket engineering department to create the perfect guided missile cruiser.


    In his past life, the united states had begun producing guided missile cruisers shortly after the Second World War. However, these were big, clunky warships outfitted withrge guns and surface-to-air missiles.


    These vessels were essentially nothing more than retrofitted heavy cruisers from the second world war. Though Berengar could follow this path with his heavy and bulky battlecruisers. It was ultimately not the design he wanted. After all, those massive warships still had a role to y in the uing war with the Empire of Japan.


    Essentially, what Berengar had decided to use as the basis for his new ss of guided missile cruisers, whose intent was to act as escorts for his carriers. Was the Leahy-ss cruiser, used by the United States Navy during the Vietnam war of his past life.


    This was a steam-powered warship, with two steam turbines, two shafts, and four boilers. Giving it an impressive speed of 32 knots, with an even more impressive range of 8,000 nautical miles. Therge guns of earlier warships had beenpletely stripped away, allowing the vessel to be much morepact in size with an overall length of 162m.


    Berengar designed the ship to make use of his nation''stest developments in sensors and processing systems, including a missile fire control radar. The armament of this vessel included two surface-to-air missiles, four anti-ship missiles, one anti-submarine missile system, six torpedo tubes, and two point defense systems modelled after the m61 Vulcan cannon.


    Though the ship was utterlycking in cold war era technology likeputer systems and weapon control systems. As Berengar had yet to invent such technology. Because of this, most of these weapons were manually operated in some way. Should his scientists develop such technology within the next three years, they would be retrofitted to include them.


    Berengar had decided to name this Guided Missile Cruiser as the von L?tzing-ss Cruiser, after his first Grand Admiral Emmerich von L?tzing, who was still a man of great renown within the Kriegsmarine despite retiring from his military position and taking a political role.


    Immediately after designing his von L?tzing-ss cruiser, Berengar pulled out another sheet of paper and began to draw the blueprints for a guided missile destroyer. Like the previous design, this vessel was open to interpretation from his naval engineers, and any changes necessary toplete the requirements would be wee.


    Germany had yet to transition away from steam turbines on warships. In fact, until Berengar''s scientists invented nuclear power, he intended for all of his warships to continue to operate with steam turbines. Thus, the basis for this guided missile destroyer was the US Navy''s Charles F. Adams-ss destroyer, which was also used during the Vietnam war of his past life.


    Destroyers were naturally smaller warships than their cruiser counterparts and because of that, this vessel had an overall length of 133m. Like the von L?tzing-ss cruiser, it used two steam turbines, two shafts, and four boilers, giving it a high speed of 33 knots with a range of 4,500 nautical miles.


    Just like the guided missile cruiser he had just designed, this ship would make use of the most advanced sensor and processing systems that the German Empire had at its disposal. As for its armament, it made use of one dual mounted missileuncher, which he intended to carry dual-purpose missiles capable of both anti-ship and anti-air roles.


    The other major armaments on this vessel were two 5-inch guns modelled after the mk 42 US Naval guns. This weapon had both anti-ship and anti-air capabilities, making it ideal for a carrier escort. This vessel also had one anti-submarine missile system, as well as four torpedo tubes, and two anti-submarine torpedo tubes.


    Berengar had marked this vessel as the Ritter von Bettinger-ss Destroyer, after Admiral Reitz Ritter von Bettinger, who defeated the Crusader navy on the coast of Naples, during the German-Catholic War.


    With these two warships, Berengar felt that his carriers would be well protected against any and all threats that Japan could possibly field against him. The best news about these vessels is they were much smaller than battleships and battlecruisers and, because of this, he could produce many more of them during the same amount of time it took to build one Linde-ss Battlecruiser.


    This would essentially allow Berengar to create enough of these warships in time to rece his Battleships, and battlecruisers within his Carrier Strike Groups. As his intention was to use his carriers to project air superiority over the skies of the inds that his marines would invade, while using the older battleships and battlecruisers to annihte the Japanese Fleet.


    It was only after Berengar ced down his pen that he felt secure about the uing war with the Japanese Empire. The presence of inter-war era warships made him feel dread over the prospect of losing a carrier. Nothing would be more humiliating, as such vessels were built with substantial cost. In fact, there was a smug grin on the kaiser''s face as he leaned back into his chair and voiced his thoughts allowed.


    "In two to three years when this war begins, I believe Empress Itami Riyo will be quite shocked to see the power of my Navy. As for what I should do with my old destroyers, I suppose they can escort my merchant fleets."


    Immediately after saying this, he stamped his approval on the designs and sent them to his various Naval Shipyards. It would be up to his shipwrights and his missile engineers to figure out how best to turn these blueprints into a reality. However, Berengar was certain that within one year, the first batch of these vessels would enter production across all shipyards.

 Chapter 890 Little Pilot

    Chapter 890 Little Pilot


    Hans sat within the cockpit of a Ta-152 fighter-interceptor, after nearly two years of private instruction by the best pilots of the Luftwaffe, he had now finally been certified to fly not only the Ta 152 fighter-intercepter but also in the Ju 87 "Stuka" divebomber.


    At the moment, he was in the air above the city of Kufstein. It was the weekend and because of this, he naturally had flight instruction. However, today wasn''t a simple matter of how to fly the aircraft, but how to fight in one.


    Though the weapons onboard these nes were unloaded, they were very much military aircraft. The fact that a twelve-year-old child was currently flying one of these machines of war was impressive enough on its own and was only possible due to his father''s position.


    The First Prince of the German Empire had already gained a fearsome reputation among the pilots of the Luftwaffe. The boy had a natural gift for flying, and because of this, he had "shot down" many aircraft during simted battles. So much so that even the most veteran of the Luftwaffe''s fighter pilots did not dare to dogfight with the boy.


    However, today he was going head to head with his instructor, who was among the first people in this world ever to fly a ne. The two of them had taken off at the same time from the airfield, and were now searching for each other at an extremely high altitude. Among the clouds, Hans gazed through his goggles, but could not spot his target.


    Little did the young Prince know that he had already been spotted by his instructor, who wasing up behind him. It was only after he looked towards the rear of his cockpit did he notice the rival aircraft tailing him. His instructor was in a hot pursuit, and closing the distance fast. The moment he radioed in the words "I have you in my sights" the battle would be over.


    Thus, Hans began to serpentine his ne in the air as a hope of avoiding his instructor''s optical sight. Hans had never lost a simted dogfight before, and he did not intend to do so now. Just when his instructor was about to lock on target, Hans decided to take a gamble and immediately pulled on his joystick, causing his ne to rapidly elerate vertically into the sky. He could hear the instructor''s words as he cursed Hans over the radio.


    "Fuck!"


    After saying this, the man quickly followed Hans into the sky, knowing exactly what the boy intended to do. He began to warn the Prince as the two of them propelled vertically at a rapid rate about what would happen if he continued this madness.


    "Keep this up, Hans, and you are going to stall. If you have to eject and your ne crashes, it ising out of your own pocket!"


    Hans Merely smirked as he continued to go higher in the air, avoiding the optical sights of his instructor as he responded in a single phrase.


    "We will see who stalls first!"


    Despite the risk of not only the destruction of their nes but also potential death, neither Hans nor his instructor broke off, and the two men continued vertically in the air, until their engines stalled.


    The propellers of both nes gave out at the same time, where the noses of the aircraft dropped vertically towards the ground below. As they were in free fall, the instructor desperately tried to kick-start his engine, fearing that he would be held responsible for the destruction of his ne.


    However, Hans had a different goal. The electrical optic system onboard his ne lined up perfectly with the tail of his instructor, allowing him to confirm the kill. With a haughty tone in his voice, the young boy spoke over the radio.


    "I''ve got you in my sights!"


    Upon saying this, the dogfight was won by the boy prince. However, the instructor had more things to worry about as he cursed into the radio.


    "Boy, I have bigger concerns than this stupidpetition!"


    After saying this, he finally got his engine to work. As the propellors quickly kick-started into action, he was able to salvage his ne, while also allowing him to avoid a fatal mistake. As for Hans, he tried his best to start his engine, but it no matter what, the thing continued to stall.


    A thousand feet became five hundred feet, and five hundred feet became two hundred feet. The young prince could hear the screaming voice of his instructor giving him amand as he desperately tried to start his engine.


    "Hans, eject! Now!"


    However, the German Prince was far too stubborn to obey thismand, and just when his ne was rapidly falling from the sky at a hundred feet, he managed to start the engine. With a fierce pull of the joystick, Hans barely managed to pull up the ne in time, so much so that the bottom of his aircraft skidded across the branches of a tall tree as he began to regain altitude.


    The look on the instructor''s face was as if he had seen a ghost. The First Prince of the Empire, the pride and joy of the Kaiser, had nearly lost his life, all because he refused to admit defeat in a dogfight.


    He could hardly believe what this foolish child was thinking. However, the fact remained that he was now once more airborne, with the only damage to his aircraft being a scratch on the paint job. A sigh of relief could be heard over the radio, before a childish voice spoke.


    "Whew... That was a close one..."


    Despite being safe and sound, the instructor gazed at the Prince''s near suicidal attempt at victory, and sighed heavily before expressing his thoughts aloud.


    "Your Father is going to kill me..."


    This remark had caused Hans to chuckle over the mic, and though the instructor did not think it was funny, the boy''s next words terrified him to the marrow of his bones.


    "You can rx. My father won''t kill you, but my mother? Who knows the lengths she will go to in order to protect her precious baby boy..."


    A beautiful image appeared in the instructor''s brain as he continued to fly by Hans''s side. He had once had the honor of seeing the Second Kaiserin in person. He had to admit, despite the fact that Linde already had given birth to five kids, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.


    The gorgeous smile on her immacte face was enough to make any man risk certain death, just for a glimpse. However, he could never imagine that behind such wless beauty was a sadistic mind that would not hesitate to engage in the most brutal torture as an act of revenge on behalf of her family.


    The very thought of such a thing was practically heresy to a man who figuratively worshipped Linde von Kufstein as if she were the Goddess of the German Empire. As such, his response was far from the dread that Hans expected.


    "Fear your mother? You must be joking, the Kaiserin is the guardian angel of the reich. How could she possibly be so bloodthirsty?"


    However, Hans merely sighed and shook his head before gazing down at the city below. Was he the only one in this world who realized just how terrifying his mother really was? Even his own father did not seem to understand just how frightening that woman could be.


    Luckily, his mother was obsessively in love with his father, or else Hans could only imagine the consequences the man would face if Linde were the jealous type. Ultimately, he decided to say nothing, but the prince thought to himself of one simple phrase.


    "Ignorance is bliss..."

 Chapter 891 lnterrogating the Refugees

    Chapter 891 lnterrogating the Refugees


    For quite some time now, the refugees who had fled the Japanese Empire, and more importantly Empress Itami Riyo''s wrath, had found their way into the German Empire, where they lived a quiet and free life.


    Under the orders of the Kaiser they were to be treated with exceptional kindness, and because of that many of these refugees hade forward and volunteered the information they had about The Japanese Empire and its modernization efforts.


    This so-called conservative element of the Japanese Empire was the old Samurai ss, which refused to bend the knee to the new Imperial Dynasty. It was only after they entered the borders of the reich did these traditionalists fullyprehend the threat that the Germany posed to Japan, and why their newest empress had practically gone crazy in her attempts topete with a foreign power on the other side of the world.


    Among these newest refugees was actually a man who had been intimately involved with Japan''s shipbuilding projects. Because of this, he was now sequestered by German Imperial Intelligence who interrogated him on what information he knew.


    This man was named Ogura Yoriie, and he sat within the headquarters that belonged to the world''s greatest spy agency with a rather anxious expression on his face. It was only after several minutes of silence that a particrly beautiful blonde woman in her mid-tote twenties appeared in the room. Her hair was styled in a simple ponytail as she sat down across from the Japanese Shipwright. By her side was a native Japanese woman who interpreted her words perfectly.


    "Mr. Ogura, my name is Catharina von N��fran, it is my responsibility to wee refugees into the borders of the Reich. I must make you aware, we do not often let foreigners into our country, and because of this you should realize that it is your most esteemed honor to reside within the fathend.


    You do not need to worry about your family. They are currently being taken to your new residence in what we like to call Little Kyoto. In thismunity, you will find many Japanese refugees like yourself. However, before I let you go, it is my duty to find out some information.


    Naturally, as someone who has escaped from the Japanese maind, you must have had a certain degree of influence within the Japanese Empire. It is my job to find out what that is. So, if you don''t mind, would you please exin to me what your upation was in your homnd?"


    Despite the cold tone with which Catharina spoke with, as well as the indifferent expression in her pale blue eyes. Ogura found her to be rather approachable and thus decided not to conceal the information that he knew. It took him a few moments to fully befortable enough to speak, but when he was, he held nothing back.


    "I was a shipwright within the Empress''s foremost shipyard. It was my responsibility to help bring her designs to life. You have to understand, just a few years ago we were making ships out of wood, and the idea of making a steel hulled vessel was simply a dream. It wasn''t something that anyone ever thought was possible.


    However, in a few short years, the empress introduced new steelmaking processes, and new tools for our trade. By the time we started building her so-called destroyers, we barely knew what we were doing. The length of time it took us to finallyplete a single vessel was beyond the Empress''s expectations, and because of this, she became enraged.


    My superior was arrested, and I never heard from him again. After this, I was made the foreman of the shipyard, and was given a great amount of pressure to build these ships on a tight schedule. It was because of this that I learned a great deal about not only the destroyers we were building, but the so-called battleships that should be under production as we speak.


    Luckily, I managed to take a few copies of these blueprints with me. Please, I don''t ask for much, nor do I know much beyond these designs. All I ask is for me and my family to live a simple life in this magnificent city. The blueprints should be in one of the satchels you confiscated from me when I first entered your borders."


    Catharina nodded her head in understanding as she heard this and immediately pulled out the blueprints that the man had spoken of. Though she was not a shipwright herself, even she could tell the designs were simr to those of the Kriegsmarine''s current fleets.


    However, Catharina had a confident expression on her face, and did not immediately ask about just how capable these warships were. Instead, she stared at the man in silence for several moments, causing him to be filled with great difort. Eventually, he asked the question that was most present in his mind.


    "Is there anything you need my help with?"


    Contrary to his expectations, Catharina did not speak in the slightest about the ship designs. Instead, she instantly asked a question that was entirely unrted to his expertise as a shipwright.


    "Tell me, how did you escape from your homnd? As far as we are aware, there are tight restrictions regarding travel aboard. It appears that Miss Itami is doing everything in her power to keep people like you under her control. I know you must have smuggled yourself out somehow. I just want to know the specifics."


    Ogura shifted his eyes back and forth with a look of guilt on his face. It was apparent that he had paid a serious price in order to leave the ind. Of course, Catharina never would have guessed by his expression that it was something she herself did not consider being of importance. Thus, his words somewhat surprised her.


    "I was forced to interact with some smugglers from the Ming Dynasty. Though it was dishonorable to associate with such criminals, I had no choice. We were behind schedule, and I feared that if I were to stay in my homnd, the Empress would call for my head next. I could not leave my family behind in this world by themselves. So I brought shame upon myself and my family. However, we are alive, and safe, and that is what truly matters..."


    Catharina''s brow raised slightly as she heard this. Naturally, after interacting with so many refugees from Japan, she was aware of what the concept of honor meant to them. At least to some degree. However, by the looks on this man''s face, he was indeed guilt ridden by what he had done. Not that that was of any importance to the veteran agent. Instead, she quickly asked the next question on her mind.


    "Is it possible for you to get in contact with these smugglers? If I were to give you the means to do so, could you arrange a meeting for me?"


    Upon hearing this, Ogura looked slightly shocked, but after several moments of contemtion, he nodded his head thrice before responding.


    "It''s not impossible. Though I must warn you, my homnd has be incredibly paranoid, and foreigners are to be viewed with suspicion. If you are thinking about infiltrating the Empire, I would not rmend it. Such a thing would only result in certain death."


    A faint smile formed on Catharina''s lips as she rejected the shipwright''s advice before standing up from her seat. Her response was one that he was not expecting.


    "All death is certain. I appreciate your cooperation. In theing days, I will send someone to your new residence who will get the proper information from you regarding these Ming smugglers. As for your family''s safety, you can rest assured, so long as you dwell within the borders of the Reich, no harm shalle to you."


    With that said, the federal interrogated left the man alone within the room, where she quickly reported the information she received, along with the blueprints directly to the Deputy Director of Imperial Intelligence.


    Hemma sat within her office as the pony-tailed agent entered the room. She had a lit cigarette in one hand and a mug of ck coffee in the other. One could tell by the bags under her eyes that she was suffering from overwork, but what else was new? With a slightly jittery tone, as if she had consumed too much caffeine, the woman snapped at her subordinate for barging into her quarters.


    "What is it? This had better be important!"


    The blonde-haired agent bowed her head in respect before giving a response to her superior''s question.


    "I found a way to infiltrate the Japanese maind. One of the recent refugees appears to have a reliable method of smuggling our people into Japan."


    The deputy director took a long drag of her cigarette before exhaling deeply. As she did so, arge plume of smoke appeared within the office. It was only after she washed down the smoke in her throat with some coffee did she respond to her subordinate''s statement in a somewhat crude manner.


    "Is that all?"


    The pony-tailed agent nodded her head in silence, but before she could give an answer, Hemma barked at her.


    "Then get back to work!"


    After saying this, the woman left, leaving the deputy director by herself, with the copied blueprints on her table. Though she was not a naval engineer by any means, she had a deep sense of worry in her eyes upon seeing how simr these ships were to the ones currently employed by the Kriegsmarine. As she took another drag from her cigarette, Hemma expressed herment aloud.


    "It appears this war is going to be a bloody one..."


    ---


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 Chapter 892 Visiting an Old Friend

    Chapter 892 Visiting an Old Friend


    Berengar sat within the castle of Marienburg with a wide grin on his face. The man across from him was none other than an old friend, one who he had not seen in some time. Eckhard sap from a cup of a tea, as his wife Martha sat beside him.


    No longer was there a look of disgust or disdain on her face as she gazed upon her much older husband. Nor was there any malice in her eyes. Instead, there appeared to be a deep sense of trust and loyalty. So much so that even Berengar was surprised.


    In the woman''sp was a small infant boy, the first of Eckhard''s children to be born a male. Though the retired Field Marshal had several daughters over the past few years, this was well and truly his first son. Eckhard gazed upon Berengar''s mismatched eyes as he took a sip from his coffee before making ament about the man''s peculiar appearance.


    "So the rumors are true. The Lord has blessed you with the gift of sight. After all these years, I honestly thought you would be one eyed until the grave. It''s a pity the scar wasn''t healed, though."


    Martha immediately disagreed with her husband in a yful manner as shemented on Berengar''s unique appearance.


    "I don''t know about that. I rather like the scar, it gives him character. If anything, it adds to his handsomeness."


    Eckhard merely scoffed when he heard this before giving a stern re towards his kaiser.


    "You always did have an amazing ability to bewitch women. So tell me, my Kaiser, what can this old king do for you?"


    Berengar merely chuckled when he heard these words. He shook his head lightly as he took a sip from his coffee cup before responding to the man''s question.


    "I''m just going on a tour across my Empire, to see how much progress has been made in thest few years. To think that even Prussia now has electricity, it is truly a miracle. It is all thanks to the tenacity of the German people that we have aplished so much over the years."


    In response to this, Eckhard raised his brow as he took another sip of his coffee. He was perhaps one of the few men on the who dared to question the Kaiser''s words, let alone be informal with him.


    "Oh, is that so? It''s the tenacity of the German people who brought us this far? Are you sure you''re not deliberately selling yourself short? You don''t have to y the role of a saint with me. I know your character better than most. The fact that you amended your coat of arms to include a pair of halos over the eagle''s heads is proof enough that your are not nearly as humble as you present yourself."


    Martha gazed at her husband in shock, though she knew the two men were on good terms in the past. It had been years since they had seen each other, and to be so rude to the Kaiser was simply intolerable. She immediately bowed her head and apologized on her husband''s behalf.


    "My Kaiser, please forgive my foolish husband for his words. He did not mean to offend."


    The worried look on the woman''s beautiful face caused both Eckhard and Berengar to break out intoughter at the same time. When they did so, she instantly became confused until Berengarmented on the whole situation.


    "You old bastard! You already have one foot in the grave, and yet you dare to tease your wife in such a manner. Since when did you be so yful?"


    In response to this, Eckhard narrowed his eyes in a feigned attempt at fury before responding to his Kaiser''s words.


    "You little prick! Don''t you speak to your elders this way. I''ll have you know with advancements in medicine I may very well live to be a hundred! How dare you say I have one foot in the grave when I''m not even sixty!"


    It was at this point that Martha simply gave up and sighed heavily. She could tell by the tone in the two men''s voices, they were not the least bit angry with one another. She decided to sit quietly and wait for their conversation to end.


    After thatst remark, Eckhard quickly asked about Berengar''stest journey throughout the Reich.


    "So, how goes your trip? If you''ve already made it to Prussia, then I assume you have been through Bavaria, and Saxony already? Or did you skip those two kingdoms ande straight to me?"


    Berengar shook his head as he heard this before responding to Eckhard''s question with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "I passed through them. Dietger is doing well, though I don''t think he''s yet aware of what his youngest daughter is up to..."


    Such a response invoked a sense of suspicion in Eckhard''s eyes, which narrowed in curiosity as he asked the question that immediately came to mind.


    "Oh really? Do tell, just what is little Anne up to? Last I heard, she joined the Aerial Warfare Academy. Why are you so interested in what the Bavarian Princess does in her spare time?"


    In response to this, Berengar merelyughed lightly before giving his answer.


    "Because she''s seducing my son... I must say, from what Linde has been able to collect on the girl, she''s certainly a better option for Hans than Ingrid is."


    Eckhard was not aware that Hans was studying in the Aerial Warfare Academy at his young age and quickly interrogated Berengar on what he meant by those words.


    "How is that possible? Your boy should only be twelve. How does he have contact with the Bavarian Princess?"


    It was now Berengar''s turn to raise his brow as he heard this. There was a hint of shock on his face as he began to interrogate Eckhard.


    "You don''t know? Hans is the greatest Genius in the history of the Reich. At the age of ten, he graduated from high school and is now attending the Aerial Warfare Academy, where he is pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering.


    That son of mine is already halfway through his education and is a certified pilot. After getting his diploma, he will ship off to the Luftwaffe, where he will be piloting a Ta 152 intobat against the Japanese Empire."


    This news shocked not only Eckhard, but Martha as well. The King of Prussia was quickly able to deduce that the Austrian Prince had met the Bavarian Princess in the Aerial Warfare Academy, and in doing so, started a rtionship with the girl. After realizing this, he shifted the conversation to something more dreadful.


    "About the Japanese Empire. How far do you think they will be able to progress by the time the war starts?"


    Berengar thought about this for several moments before dering his perception of the Japanese Empire''s strength.


    "Right now, they are still years behind us. Though they have entered the era of industry, they are still utterlycking in electricity. At least on a societal level. From my understanding they have a basic understanding of batteries, and can even power some electronic devises on their warships. However, their homnd is dreadfullycking in power nts. It would honestly appear that Empress Itami has opted to put all her efforts on military production.


    If this is the case, then within the next two to three years, we can expect a limited number of warships that are technologically on a par with our current fleets, if not slightly superior.However, this isn''t a concern. I have already started the development of new warships that make use of our greatest technological assets to rece our existing escorts.


    As for the battleships, battlecruisers, and destroyers that we have put into production these past few years, I will send those obsolete warships to fight the Japanese Navy with superior numbers. While the dozens of destroyers we have built will protect the merchant fleet. So as far as a naval conflict is concerned, we can easily win by sheer volume of numbers.


    However, what worries me is that Itami is likely to very soon begin production of airnes, if she has not already. Obviously they won''t be as capable as our Ta 152s, but I fear the stubborn woman might focus on quantity over quality, especially if she is making them out of wood. If that were the case, she could have superior production capabilities over what we have.


    If she is able to produce several dozen of her warnes, for every one we can produce, it could cause a serious problem. Though I''m not too worried, I have invested a substantial sum of money and effort into raising an entire generation of scientists and engineers. Their achievements thus far have even astonished me. I''m sure they will produce something to counter this potential overwhelming volume of aircraft very soon."


    Eckhard merely narrowed his eyes and nodded his head as he heard this before responding.


    "I certainly hope so..."


    ---


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 Chapter 893 Fleeing Georgia

    Chapter 893 Fleeing Georgia


    The invasion of the Golden Horde was as swift as it was deadly. Merely three months had passed since the great cmity had begun, and yet within that time more than half of the Kingdom of Georgia had been either ransacked, or razed to the ground. Though Georgia was reliant on the Byzantine Empire for its protection, their allies had yet to mobilize a proper force to retaliate against the rampaging horseman.


    Currently, within the city of Poti, a German Merchant by the name of Berndth Bentzinger stood among the crowds of Georgian citizens who were seeking to flee the carnage of the turko-mongol invasion tonds that were safer and more prosperous. Under themand of King Besarion Bagrationi, every man and boy capable of bearing arms was conscripted into his army in the vain hope of defeating the enemy invaders.


    However, the women, children, and elderly were free to flee the Kingdom, and because of this, anyone who had any semnce of money saved up were chartering ships to sail to the Byzantine Empire in the hopes that they would be allowed refugee status. Those who would remain within the city were the poor and destitute.


    Berndth Bentzinger hade to Georgia with two purposes in mind. The first was to sell a load of arms and armor to the Georgian Army. The Second was to take as many refugees with him to Constantinople on his journey back to the Reich. For a man who owned a Dominion II ss cargo vessel, a single round trip was an enormously prosperous business.


    His crew were busy unloading the weapons as the man met with an officer within King Besarion''s army, who had the payment transferred onto the ship. The two men were in the middle of signing the transaction as Berndth inquired about the ongoing war effort.


    "I heard the eastern half of your Kingdom has fallen, is that true?"


    The officer''s lips curled into a frown as he silently nodded his head while signing away his name on the contract. As he gazed upon the refugees that were being taken on board the ship, he sighed heavily before giving the man a proper exnation.


    "The east has fallen, more urately to say it has beenpletely razed to the ground. Anyone and everyone who lived there prior to this invasion is either dead or enved. Though we have managed to halt the advance of the enemy, we have paid a severe price.


    You have no idea how much these arms mean to us. With the weapons and munitions you have provided us, we might be able to stem the tide of the Golden Horde until our allies arrive. However, King Besarion has already given up on reiming the eastern half of the Kingdom."


    Berndth merely smiled and nodded his head. There was no way that this petty German Officer knew just how much of a profit he was making off of this arms deal. The German Empire had rapidly risen to prominence in the span of a decade, and within that time frame, they had developed new weapons and reced their old ones several times over. Because of this, they had entire warehouses dedicated to stockpiling old weapons that they often used to equip allied nations.


    However, with the defeat of the Catholic World, and their subjection to the German Empire, these nations now faced heavy restrictions on military capabilities, and because of this, there were too many of these old muskets, and muzzle loading cannons in storage for the Germans to sell.


    Thus, in a stroke of genius, the Kaiser had decided to sell off bulk quantities of these massively obsolete weapons in auctions to private merchants who intended to sell them to regions that the German State had no major diplomatic interests in. Creating a win-win scenario for private arms merchants, and the German Government.


    Berndth had previously served in the Austrian Royal Army as an officer, so he was entirely familiar with these weapons, and preferred selling them to states like Georgia that currently found themselves embroiled in a massive war. This was the most military aid that Germany had provided to the Kingdom of Georgia, and it was not even the Kaiser himself who did it.


    After checking to make sure the weapons were in serviceable condition, the officer nodded his head and stamped his approval on the document as his men carried the crates off towards the training grounds where they had begun to instruct rapidly conscripted peasant levies in the use of these new weapons.


    After doing this, he spoke in a stern tone, but one could see a glint of hope in his eyes as he said the following words.


    "I look forward to seeing you again. Lord knows we need all the help we can get."


    A smile emerged on Berndth''s lips as he nodded his head and tipped his hat to the officer.


    "Of course, I sail for the Reich as we speak. I will take a brief stop in Constantinople to drop off these refugees before returning to the fathend. Once I arrive in Trieste, I have a crew of men waiting to load the next shipment on board the vessel. I do hope your army can hold on long enough for my next arrival."


    The Georgian officer nodded his head in silence before departing. There was nothing left to say between the two men, and thus Berndth approached the docking area for his ship and spoke into a bullhorn so that everyone could hear him.


    "We only have room for 1,600 people on board this vessel. All 1,600 ces will be determined by the highest bidder. So step up and give me your offers!"


    The ruthlessness of the man''s statement was unexpected. Though carrying 1,600 people onboard a single ship was unheard of outside of the German Empire, it was still not enough to put a dent in the number of people gathered in the harbor trying to charter their way out of their falling Kingdom. For those who knew they could not afford such a price, they could only go elsewhere and hope to charter a much smaller ship like a Caravel to flee the crumbling borders of Georgia.


    It was not Poti alone where such a sight existed. In fact, every port city in the Kingdom of Georgia shared simr scenes of panic. Luckily, Berndth was not the only German merchant doing business in the region, and because of this, several Dominion II-ss cargo vessels were sailing through the ck sea, regrly taking refugees to the Byzantine Empire for an exorbitant price.


    However, no matter how many ships made their way in and out of Georgia''s ports, it would never be enough to carry the millions of women and children who sought to flee the wrath of the Golden Horde. Thus, if Besarion''s forces could not hold out against the threat of the foreign invaders, then even the western half of their country would bleed miserably in theing days.


    ---


    While panic had spread across the western half of the Kingdom of Georgia, the east had fallen to the Golden Horde, and like the officer at the Port of Poti had said, every living being was either killed miserably, or enved by their new mongol masters.


    Princess Khorijin sat upon horseback and gazed upon the ming wreckage of another Georgian town, whose name would soon be lost to history. Piles of corpses littered the streets, and the fields burned in the background.


    But it was not this aura of death which concerned the young woman. Instead, her eyesid west, towards the ck Sea, where she knew the enemy had entrenched themselves. The savage beauty could only let out a sigh of depression as she voiced her thoughts aloud.


    "It has already been three months... It would appear that we are doomed to fail..."


    Despite the cheers of victory among her men, who had just triumphed over more of Besarion''s forces, Khorijin appeared quite concerned about the pace that they had achieved. Despite having 100,000 riders at her brother''s back, they had spent three long months conquering the eastern half of the Kingdom of Georgia, and had not even stepped foot into thends of the Byzantine Empire.


    From what the spirits had told her, she had a year before the Germans turned their attention to the Caucasus, and when they did, there would be no hope of survival for the Golden Horde. She did not know just what power the German Army possessed, but in her heart the Turko-Mongol princess could feel the fear which the spirits contained.


    Since the day her Brother had voiced his intention to march on the south, she had been overwhelmed by a sense of constant anxiety which grew with each passing day. Thus, despite their effortless advances, she feared for the worst. Yet she could not tell her brother, for he no longer cared for her advice regarding the matter. All she could do was witness what was toe...


    ---


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 Chapter 894 Relationship Advice

    Chapter 894 Rtionship Advice


    For the past few days, Priya had held herself up in her room. There was a gloomy expression on her delicate features as she considered Berengar''s blunt response to her selfish request. She did not know why the man had rejected her advances. It was obvious from the glint in his mismatched eyes that he was physically attracted to her, and yet the man had turned her down in a rather cruel manner.


    The teenage beauty clutched a stuffed elephant to her chest as she thought about what the man had said. Was she really so immature that he thought of her as nothing more than a petty child? Thinking upon this, she had only been in Kufstein for a few years, and had rarely journeyed out among the public. Perhaps her emotional development was truly stunted?


    It was during this moment of reflection that a knock resounded on the door, and an alluring voice was heard from the other side.


    "Priya, are you in there? I''ve brought some food for you!''


    This voice belonged to none other than Berengar''s fourth wife, Yasmin Al-Fadl. Who had had in a way be a maternal figure to the young Indian Princess. Upon hearing the voice that had such a gentle and caring tone to it, Priya wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled before responding.


    "Y... yeah..."


    The door to her bedchambers slowly opened to reveal the curvy figure of the Moorish Princess, who was now in her mid-thirties. She had a heartwarming expression on her face as she brought in a tray of roden, Schupfnudeln, and potato pancakes, which had quickly be the Priya''s favorite meal.


    Despite the irresistible aroma that flowed throughout therge room, Priya merely sulked before voicing her thoughts.


    "I''m not hungry..."


    Even though Yasmin had put quite a bit of effort into the meal, she simply smiled and ced the tray on the girl''s nightstand before sitting next to her. There was a hint of pity on the woman''s face as she expressed her apologies.


    "I''m sorry. I heard what happened from Berengar. Do you want to talk about it?"


    Priya sighed heavily as her eyes gazed nkly towards the doors that led to her walk-in closet. She could not help but bite her lower lip in contemtion before expressing her deepest sentiments.


    "I''m such an idiot, I should have known I wasn''t worthy of him..."


    Aforting smile appeared on Yasmin''s immacte face as she wrapped her arms around Priya''s shoulder and dragged her head into her substantial bosom.


    "Don''t talk like that... You are at the very least more worthy than that woman from the Majapahit Empire."


    Priya heard Yasmin''s kind words, but continued to sulk in her embrace as she muttered under her breath.


    "Then why didn''t he ept me..."


    In response to this, Yasmin began to stroke the young woman''s hair, as she spun a tale about Berengar''s past troubles with young women.


    "Berengar is getting to be at that age, where women as young as you are more... how do I put this delicately... troublesome than their worth. You have to understand. By the time the man got married to Ad, she was your age, and he was already in his mid-twenties.


    The drama that erupted between Ad and his other womensted for years and nearly ended their marriage. She was just too emotionally immature to handle such aplex rtionship. I believe it is Berengar''s fear that you will be the same way...


    I know how you feel, as I felt the same way when I first met him, and I must admit, I did not have to wait nearly as long as you before we became intimate. However, I think it would be best for everyone if the two of you progressed your rtionship slowly. You see, Anggraini was just a ime fling. She will never be able to live in this pce, or have Berengar raise her kids. Tlexictli is the same way.


    But you, Berengar has raised you for the past five years, and because of that, there is definitely a closer rtionship between you and his flings. Though you may not hold the same significance in his heart as Henrietta, you are more than just a mistress to him, even if he doesn''t intend to marry you. I think you just need to be patient and mature a little before he takes that final step with you."


    Upon hearing this, the tears within Priya''s eyes suddenly dried up as she gazed upon Yasmin''s caring expression with a hint of hope in her emerald eyes.


    "You really think so?"


    The mature beauty nodded her head with a smile on her face before responding to what she perceived to be a silly question.


    "Of course, if Berengar didn''t intend to have that kind of rtionship with you, he would have shipped you off to the Anangpur Empire after reiming it for your brother. You have nothing to worry about, and all the time in the world. So be patient and work hard to prove to Berengar that you are capable of being in a proper rtionship with the man."


    Upon hearing these words, a faint smile appeared on Priya''s luscious lips as she gazed over at the food that sat on her nightstand with a voracious look in her eyes. Yasmin merely giggled when she noticed this before posing a question to the young woman who still clung to her like a child.


    "Are you perhaps hungry now?"


    Priya nodded her head silently, causing Yasmin to release her grip on the girl. After doing so, she brought the tray onto the bed and handed Priya the fork and knife thaty upon it.


    "Then enjoy yourself... I put a lot of effort into this meal, so I hope you enjoy it."


    After saying this, Yasmin turned around and headed for the door. It was only after she reached the entryway where she hesitated before turning around and gazing upon the sight of the young Indian Princess digging into her home cooking. She smiled before departing with one final statement.


    "When you''re finished,e and find me. There''s something I want to show you..."


    With that said, the demons that lie in the Anangpur Princess''s heart were quickly dispelled, and a new determination rose in her mind to prove to the man she desired that she was worth his affection.


    As for Yasmin, she was just d to help the girl that she thought of as her own daughter, and quickly left Priya''s room before heading to Berengar''s office. Surprisingly, the door was open, and the man was standing in front of the windows with his arms held behind his back. Yasmin did not even need to alert Berengar to his presence, as he immediately questioned the Moorish beauty.


    "Is she feeling better?"


    Despite facing the other direction, all Yasmin needed to respond with was a silent nod of the head. Which caused the Kaiser to turn around with a smile on his face.


    "Good. I wouldn''t want my little princess to be depressed for too long. I''m d to see she''s filling better after your little chat with her..."


    Yasmin could only silently nod her head in agreement as the couple sat down and discussed matters of importance. As for Priya, she wouldter seek Yasmin out as she was instructed, but that''s a story for another time...


    ---


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 Chapter 895 The lnsurgency Continues

    Chapter 895 The lnsurgency Continues


    Within the southern half of the Joseon Kingdom, which was currently upied by the Japanese Empire, a young boy no older than thirteen stood in his vige. This boy''s name was Cha Jong-Su, and he was the son of a local rice farmer. However, despite his young age, the boy did not have the slightest look of innocence in his dark eyes.


    Instead, a glint of fierce determination unleashed itself upon the nearby Japanese soldiers, who were conducting anti-insurgency operations within the vige. Luckily for him, they did not catch a sight of the boy as he hid behind the exterior wall of a small house.


    In his hands was a submachine gun of crude manufacturing that had been developed in the borders of the German Empire as a means of armed support for the Joseon Gueris. This sub-machine gun was modelled after the MP-3008, which was said to be the German variant of the infamous Sten Gun, which was produced as ast ditch effort during the final days of the Second World War within Berengar''s past life.


    Strapped over the boy''s average clothing was a harness that contained six MP-27 magazines which also functioned with his weapon. He was not alone as he gazed across the street and saw grown men armed with simr equipment. The two sides nodded their heads in silence before the boy pointed his weapon beyond his concealment, and aimed down the crude sights.


    With the squeeze of a trigger, the loud crackle of gunfire thundered across the skies, immediately alerting the Japanese troops that they were under assault. However, how could they possibly react faster than the speed of sound?


    The bullets hit their mark, as the five round burst chugged away into the air, and imed the life of the officer who led his troops in a thorough search of each house within the vige. The moment after Jong-Su fired his shots, the rest of the gueris hiding behind cover revealed themselves and sprayed lead down range and into the torsos of the Japanese Soldiers.


    The Entire squad was eliminated in a matter of seconds as their bodies hit the floor, and their blood spilled onto thend. The moment after the smell of death spread throughout the vige, the gueris moved silently through the streets while the rest of thepany chased after them, no longer concerned about the lives of theirrades.


    Jong-Su ran through the alleyways desperate to avoid the men who were chasing after him, however he could overhear the gunshots ring throughout the town. The violent cries of Japanese Soldiers, and Joseon vigers alike caused a great sense of dread to fill his heart.


    As the boy rounded the corner, he came across a Japanese soldier who gazed upon him with shock. Both men raised their weapons at the same time, but Jong-Su was just a bit quicker, after all his submachine gun was not only lighter weight than the semi-automatic rifle that the enemy was equipped with, but also shorter in length allowing for greater maneuverability.


    Firing a controlled burst, the bullets impacted the torso of the Japanese Soldier who appeared no older than eighteen and ripped his chest apart as he fell back onto the ground, groaning as he lie on the brink of death. A single curse escaped the boy who had just recently entered his teenage years, while he aimed his sights at the dying soldier''s head and mercilessly pulled the trigger.


    "Jap bastard!"


    The 9mm projectile tore through the man''s steel helmet with ease and sttered his brains on the ground behind him. After killing the Japanese soldier, Jong-Su quickly reloaded his weapon before scurrying back through the alleys until he found the house where his mother and sister hid in fear for their lives.


    Upon opening the door, a woman who was far too beautiful for her lowly position gazed in shock as her son mmed the door behind him. Just what was going on in the vige, and why was her baby boy armed to the teeth? The mother of two could only scold her son as she saw the fear and panic in his eyes.


    "Jong-Su, what have you done?"


    Perhaps it was because of his age, or maybe it was because he did not have much time to waste, but Jong-Su ignored his mother''s cries of shock, and opened up a small hatch in the floor where he quickly unslung his submachine gun, and unequipped his load bearing harness. He hid them beneath a few nkets before closing the crawlspace and covering it with a fur rug.


    It was only after he gazed upon the blood which soaked his clothing that he began to panic. It was not his blood, but that of the soldier he had killed who was merely three feet away from him. Without regard for his mother and sister, who were gazing upon him with extreme panic in his eyes, Jong-Su stripped out of his clothes and tossed them in the crawlspace, before concealing it once more.


    Immediately afterwards, he climbed through theundry and adorned new clothing. Perfectly concealing the fact that he had just engaged in an act of war against the mighty Japanese Empire. It took some time for the boy''s mother to collect her thoughts, and just when she was about to scold her disobedient child for his horrific actions, a knock resounded on the door, followed by a Japanese voice. Though the family did not speak the samenguage of their upiers, they were experienced enough with raids to know that they hade to search the house.


    The mother panicked once more, but Jong-Su quickly opened the door with a calm expression on his face as he gazed upon the Japanese Officer, who had a menacing expression on his scarred face. Jong-Su and his band of rebels had killed a lieutenant, but this man was the Captain of the Infantry Company whose forces upied this vige.


    nking this Captain''s side were a few soldiers who had bloodstains on their uniforms, it was clear that they had killed several of Jong-Su''s fellow rebels. However, when they gazed upon the boy, they did not have the slightest expectation that he was a part of the attack, instead the Captain posed a question in the Joseon tongue.


    "Little boy, is your father home?"


    Jong-Su red at the Japanese captain with an overwhelming sense of hatred. He merely spat on the officer''s foot before responding to his question.


    "No, you killed him..."


    The Japanese Captain spoke nodded his head in understanding. He had taken the lives of many rebels in his brief time within the Korean Penins, and because of this, he could not remember each man he had killed.


    However, he did not think for a second that this boy, who stared at him with such hatred, could possibly have been a part of the attack just now. Instead, he ordered his troops in his native tongue to search the house.


    The Japanese soldiers pushed Jong-Su aside and barged into the building, where they quickly searched each room. It did not take them long, as it was a small farmhouse, and after finding nothing that pointed to an act of rebellion, they left as quickly as they came. Just when they were about to leave the area, the Japanese Captain''s lustful gaze fell upon Jong-Su''s mother and older sister.


    However, before he could act upon such wicked intentions, he remembered the price that the Generals who previously held a position of great esteem within the Japanese Army had paid for their war crimes. The fear in his heart that he held towards his empress suppressed his evil nature, and instead abruptly left the small home.


    It was only after the boy''s mother was out of earshot did she violently p her son across the face and scold him severely.


    "Jong-Su, do you realize what you have done? You have brought great danger to our family! Your father never wanted this for you! You should be ashamed of yourself!"


    Jong-Su gnashed his teeth in disdain before rebuking his mother''s words with a gaze that could only be described as wrathful.


    "My father is dead, and those Jap bastards murdered him! Who the fuck cares what he wanted?"


    Once, a more loud smack resounded in the air as the boy''s mother pped him across the face and chewed him out once more.


    "You are not going to step foot outside this house for the next three months. Do you understand me? Now go to your room and reflect on your actions!"


    Though the Joseon Gueris in this particr vige may have seeded in taking out a small echelon of troops, they were ultimately defeated, and it would only be in theing days where Jong-Su realized he was the sole survivor of his cell.


    However, battles like these were a daily urrence across the southern half of the Joseon Kingdom, and this vige was not the only one affected by the ongoing war to resist the Japanese upation. Unknowingly, the region had be a proving ground for new troops of the Japanese Army to be battle tested, and this would not end anytime soon.


    ---


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 Chapter 896 There Will Never Be Another ManLike You

    Chapter 896 There Will Never Be Another ManLike You


    While war was being waged across the other side of the world. The city of Kufstein, no, the entirety of the German Empire, sat in a level of peace and security that few civilizations could possibly understand throughout the history of human civilization.


    Though a small military action had taken ce in India, thatsted less than seventy-two hours. The Reich was enjoying a level of peace and prosperity that it had never seen before. New inventions came out every day, and the modern luxuries allowed for substantial ease offort.


    Today Berengar was sitting in his physician''s office with his shirt off. His well-defined muscles spoke to the level of physique he worked effortlessly to maintain, despite his lean appearance. After only three years, his bio-chemists hade up with the world''s first vine, and it was the cure to an especially nasty virus.


    With a slight nudge in the right direction, the brilliant minds of Aldo von Passau and his team of chemists were quickly able to produce a vine for the smallpox virus. After extensive human testing on those prisoners whose crimes were deemed so heinous that they warranted a sentence to a ck site, the smallpox vine was now deemed safe enough for widespread inoction.


    Naturally, the Kaiser was the first man to receive this vine, and he was confident enough in his scientists'' ability to produce an effective countermeasure to the virus he feared the most in this world. Ewald prepared the injection before sticking the hyper-dermic needle into Berengar''s left biceps. After distributing the vine into the Kaiser''s bloodstream, he swiftly withdrew the needle and disposed of it into a proper medical waste bin.


    Berengar smiled as he moved his arm around, knowing that the smallpox virus no longer presented any danger to his life. He then gave an order to the doctor to prepare a dose for each of his family members.


    "Now that I have been inocted, it is time for you to inject the rest of my family with the vine. I will not feel at ease until we are all protected from such a horrific disease!"


    Naturally, Ewald did as was instructed, and began with the Second Kaiserin. It was evident by her position in line how much Berengar was concerned over Linde''s safety. After her, the rest of his wives went in order of their position within Berengar''s household, followed by all the Kaiser''s children. Aldo watched as the royal family was bestowed immunity to the smallpox virus, andmented on the miracle of vine technology.


    "It may not seem like it at this moment, my Kaiser, but without a doubt, this would have taken many more years of research if you had not pointed us in the right direction. The people of Germany have you to thank for this heavenly medicine which shall prevent the smallpox virus from iming their lives."


    Berengar smiled as he heard this before shaking his head in disagreement.


    "I gave you but a small hint it was your efforts, and that of your team, which made this a reality. I suggest you work on a polio vine next. With the resources at your disposal, I have no doubt that in theing years you may very well find the cure for many ailments which affect small children. So if you don''t mind me asking, how long will it be before you can produce enough of these small vines for everyone in the reich and its colonies?"


    A smile formed on Aldo''s lips as he heard his Kaiser''s praise, causing him to bow respectfully before responding to all his questions.


    "You honor this humble servant with your praise. I assure you, if you deem polio to be a concern, then we will work on curing that next. However, with our new understanding of virology and vine technology, which is all thanks to the teachings you have left us, I assure you we will be able to wipe out most of the heinous diseases that affect our poption within theing decades.


    As for your question regarding the manufacture and distribution of smallpox vines, within the next five years at thetest of our entire poption will be inocted. By the time the following decadees around, the smallpox virus will be entirely ineffective against the German poption."


    Berengar merely smiled and nodded his head as he heard these words. Though it was his basic understanding of human biology and disease thatid the groundwork for virology, it was the brilliant minds of the Reich''s many scientists who had aplished this monumental feat in human history.


    In fact, with Berengar''s rise to power, he was able to bypass the centuries of scientific repression that were supposed to ur with the timeline, and bestow upon his people an immediate understanding of math, science, and engineering that it would normally take a millennium to discover.


    Thirteen years ago, Berengar introduced the general poption of his family''snds to an undergrad level of understanding within the core fields of academics. As time flew by, the exceptional minds of Austria, andter Germany as a whole, were able to fully understand this knowledge and expand upon their selective fields at an exponential rate of growth.


    With unlimited resources funnelled into academic pursuits, along with the free sharing of all knowledge between the scientificmunity, the German Nation was able to excel at a rate that was unimaginable. To think that not even fifteen years after reincarnating into this world, Germany would develop the means to eradicate deadly diseases. It was shocking, even to Berengar, who hadid the foundations for this rapid growth.


    He could only gaze in astonishment as his family received the first approved doses of the smallpox vine, which would make it so that the German people never again suffered such a horrific disease. Berengar struggled to imagine what this world would look like when it finally reached the era of his past life.


    Ultimately, Linde broke him out of his daze as she walked over to her man and wrapped her arms around his neck before passionately kissing him in front of his entire family. She had a sultry voice as she whispered in his ears.


    "To think you would gain the power to eliminate disease, sometimes I wonder if you really are a god? For what mere mortal could possibly achieve all of this in a little over a decade..."


    Berengar scoffed as he heard this. Though he was without a doubt the most powerful man on the, he was still just a man. If not for the aid of those like Aldo and Ludwig, he would never have aplished a fraction of what he managed to achieve in this life, even if he lived to be a hundred and fifty. Thus, he responded to Linde''s statement with one of humility.


    "I am just a man, even if I am an extraordinary man... Everything I have aplished is not only thanks to myself, but the tireless efforts of the German people as a whole."


    When Aldo heard these words, he felt like he was about to cry tears of joy. Despite being the reason a man like him could develop such powerful technology, the Kaiser was still as humble as a man in his position could possibly be.


    Aldo could only sigh in defeat, knowing that even if a man more brilliant than the Kaiser were to seed him, that man would never have the character which made Berengar so beloved by his people. The aging chemist could only mutter his thoughts beneath his breath, too fearful that his superior might react the wrong way.


    "There will never be another man like you... My kaiser."


    ---


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 Chapter 897 lnvading lndochina

    Chapter 897 lnvading lndochina


    Years had passed since the German Empire and its Kaiser first had contact with the mighty Ming Dynasty, and during this time, trade flourished from west to east. In an act to deter the Japanese Empire from attacking the Chinese maind, Berengar had agreed to supply the Ming with weapons that could sufficiently hold off the Japanese Army.


    These weapons were the same that were supplied to the Joseon Army, and though they were not as advanced as what Japan or Germany was equipped with, they were more than enough to prevent the Japanese from subjecting the Ming Dynasty to their influence.


    By now, all the old Armored Frigates had been retrofitted and shipped to the Ming Navy, and though the Chinese were dependent on the munitions the Germans provided them, they had stockpiled enough that Japan did not dare invade Ming waters.


    As was previously suggested by the German Ambassador to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Army had spent thest few years painstakingly preparing an invasion into south Indochina in a desperate bid to cut off the Japanese from the precious mineral known as Bauxite.


    Currently, the Ming Army was operating in South Indochina. They had marched through the jungles without the slightest hint of fear in their eyes. Because they were fighting a primitive force armed with swords and spears, the Ming soldiers had not discarded their mountain pattern armor, and instead were d head to toe in such equipment.


    Despite their medieval armor, their weapons were considerably more advanced, with the G25 bolt-action rifle being the standard issue weapon of the infantry. Perhaps in a moment of ingenious innovation, the Ming cavalry had cleverly mounted MG25 machine guns on the back of horse-drawn wagons creating a vehicle simr to the Russian Tachanka which was used by the red army during the Russian Civil War during Berengar''s past life.


    Combining the rapid fire capabilities of the bolt-action rifle, along with the mobile firepower of a heavy machine gun, the Ming Army had advanced through the jungles of Indochina with rtive ease.


    Currently, Zhu Zhi, who was the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, sat in the passenger seat of one of these Tachanka knockoffs as his army pressed forward into South Indochina. He could only sigh in defeat as he thought back on what had urred these past few years.


    The Ming Dynasty had found itself dealing with two superpowers who were at odds with one another. Though they maintained friendly rtions with Japan and had long since established trade with the Empire, the reality was that the Ming Emperor was fearful of their neighbor''s rapid rise to power.


    Tobat this growing threat, he had sent his eldest son to the mysterious German Empire in the west. The result was a growing friendship, and despite the Kaiser''s assurances that he had no ambitions for East Asia, the Ming still felt unsettled.


    This campaign was enacted as a means to counteract the Japanese Empire''s rising industry by denying them a critical resource that the Germans had been particrly vague about its uses. Though the Ming had stayed neutral in the conflict between Germany and Japan, they had often covertly sided with Germany, seeing the Reich as the lesser of two evils.


    Thus, this invasion of Indochina that was yet to be seen as an act of hostility against Japanese Interests could not be anymore vicious. Once the Japanese Empress came to this realization, it was likely that her fury with the Ming Dynasty would not be easily curbed.


    As Zhu Zhi was reflecting on this, he heard a shoute from the front of his marching formation, followed by the crackle of gunfire and the blood-curdling screams of the locals who dared to resist the invasion.


    It was clear that the Indochinese had jumped out of the nearby forests and attacked his troops in an ambush. However, the moment the Tachankas shifted their guns onto the rampaging enemy, the battle was swiftly decided.


    The slow chug of heavy machine guns resounded in the air, as the scent of blood overwhelmed the senses of all who could smell it. Zhu Zhi swiftly pulled his revolver out of its holster and pulled back the hammer in fear that perhaps the enemy would make their way to his location.


    As he expected, his entire column was soon beset on all sides as thousands of Indochinese warriors rushed through the jungles and attacked the Ming troops, who quickly fixed their bays and fired the cartridges which were loaded in their chambers.


    The Ming Prince raised his revolver with one hand and gazed down its sights before pulling the trigger towards the oing opponent. The .38 special cartridge flew down range, and burst through the enemy''s chest, tearing through his heart, and ending his life on the spot. However, Zhu Zhi did not dare to hesitate to shift the direction of his handgun before firing another round.


    While he was firing his weapon at the enemy, the gunner behind him pulled the trigger of his machine gun, and sprayed lead towards the enemies which surrounded him. In a matter of minutes, hundreds of rounds flew into the chaotic battle and impacted the torsos of the enemy, sting their chests apart, while sying blood and bone fragments across thend.


    Several of the Ming Infantrymen grabbed the stick grenades that existed on their belts, before pulling the fuse and throwing the explosives towards the tree line where the enemy archers stood behind the cover of the thick foliage.


    The screams of those who were affected apanied the explosive sts, as their limbs were torn apart. The bloody scene quickly faded away as those few Indochinese warriors who survived fled for their lives back into the thick jungle. Despite this, the Ming did not pursue the enemy, and instead treated their wounded.


    Zhu Zhi let out a cold sigh as he reloaded his revolver, which had used up all six of its shots. It was a slow process which forced him to remove each spent cartridge with an ejection rod, but after nearly a minute of reloading, he hadpleted the task before stashing the revolver back in its holster.


    The General beneath hismand quickly approached the Ming Prince as he checked on the royal figure''s condition.


    "Your highness, are you alright?"


    The Ming Prince silently nodded his head before asking the question in his mind.


    "How many men did we lose?"


    A frown appeared on the General''s face as he answered the question to the best of his ability.


    "We''re still counting the dead, but a few dozen at the most. Nothing you need to concern yourself with. If we continue like this, the rest of the region should fall in another half a year. It is clear that they are getting desperate judging by their repeated ambushing tactics."


    Zhu Zhi nodded his head once more before responding to the General''s statement.


    "Half a year, huh? I wonder just how long it will take that man to bring India under his control. If we fail to subject the southern half of Indochina to our rule before then, the Japanese Empress will know that we have conspired alongside her enemies. Though I have never met her, I a must shamefully admit that I fear her. Just look at what she has done to my little brother."


    The General frowned once more, but he did not openly voice his belief on this matter, for such a thing would most certainly offend the Crown Prince. In the eyes of the General, the Prince Zhu Li was a wastrel who was not even worth considering in the same breath as his elder brothers.


    However, ever since the boy returned from the Empire of Japan, he had be absolutely obsessed with the Empress Itami, even if she had been excessively rude to him. So much so that the fool had never once slept with his concubines upon his return, as if the venomous words of the Japanese Empress tamed his lustful nature.


    Judging by the woman''s ambitious nature, and her allegedly bewitching beauty, Zhu Zhi was right to fear Itami Riyo, even if he had not met the woman in person. Thus, even though he was givenmand of this campaign, he felt rather anxious as the days passed, fearing that perhaps the Japanese Empress would discover the Ming''s intentions within the region, and dere war on the entire Dynasty.


    Ultimately, the General bit his tongue regarding his thoughts, and instead spoke words of encouragement to the Crown Prince, knowing that his actions had brought with them a sessful deterrence that even the Japanese Empire had to fear.


    "You do not need to worry so much, young master. Empress Itami will have to think twice before attacking ournds. After all, the Germans have guaranteed our independence, and to do attack us would be to invoke their ire. Something she is not yet willing to do. During this time, you should focus on the campaign, and how to win it most effectively. Rather than your internal dread towards that woman..."


    Zhu Zhi could only sigh and ept his advisor''s words as truth.


    "Indeed, I will do as you suggest..."


    ---


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 Chapter 898 Living in Another World

    Chapter 898 Living in Another World


    Itami sat within the confines of her personal quarters. On the table was hertest invention, something that was incredibly easy for someone like herself, who majored in mechanical engineering to create. What existed on this paper was none other than a basicbustion engine.


    With the light of the divine mirror, not only had Itami received inspiration, but so had the scientists beneath her banner. They were progressing at a rate far quicker than they had previously. Thus, she had decided now was the time to create abustion engine so that she could advance her military''s capabilities.


    There was just one problem with this, and that was the fact that she herself was severelycking in means to powerbustion engines. Whether it was oil or diesel, Itamicked the means to power her newest invention, and this was of considerate concern.


    By now, the German Empire had enough bio-diesel to fuel their cars, tanks, IFVs, etc. They had also begun pumping and refining gas to power their aircraft. In this manner, the German Empire was vastly superior to their Japanese counterparts.


    Itami was faced with a losing scenario. If she could not get her hands on a region rich in oil and natural gas, she would naturally fall behind the German Empire, and would ultimately fail topete with them.


    Since this had be her reality, Itami needed to advance her ns to seize the Philippines as quickly as possible. In her past life, there were an estimated 4.8 billion barrels of crude oil within the Louisiana Marsh, as well as 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. If she could seize this for herself, she would have no problems powering tanks and aircraft.


    The young Japanese Empress had decided to make use of the distraction she had created within the Indian Subcontinent tounch her invasion of the Philippines. Initially, she had desired to coax the local tribes and petty kingdoms into annexation with exceptional gifts, but after word had spread about what Japan had done within Korea, Hokkaido, and the Ryukyu Inds, few were willing to even ept her merchants let alone submit themselves to her.


    If not for the fact that the Ming continued to exist as herrgest trading partner, the Japanese economy would have tanked by now. Especially since it had be reliant on the export of luxury goods to sustain itself.


    Thus, Itami could only sigh as she spent the next six hours drafting an invasion n for the region that was known in her previous life as the Philippines. After she had finished devising her ns, she sent them to one of her newest generals, a man by the name of Saito Korenari, who she intended to lead the charge against the primitive popce of the isles.


    With this order given, and the stamp of her approval. Itami could finally rx as she ced down her pen, and walked towards her bed, where she decided to finish the rest of the sweater that she had knitted for some time.


    During days like this, where her brain had trouble recognizing reality for what it is, she liked to close her eyes and fulfill a simple task while daydreaming about a life together with Julian as a couple. The vivid sights in her mind were practically another world that she was living in her own head.


    It was only after an hour passed, and the sweater was finished, that a smile formed on the albino woman''s beautiful face. She quickly took hold of the finished product and ced it around the body pillow she had made to represent her long deceased love interest.


    After adorning the pillow with the sweater, she smiled and hugged it before speaking to the inanimate object as if it were the man himself.


    "Do you like my present, Julian? I made it for just for you!"


    She could practically hear the man''s words in her head and see his smiling face in her eyes as she said this. However, just when she was about to nt a kiss on the pillow, the door to her room opened and her little sister witnessed the scene.


    Itami''s snow white cheeks flushed red as she halted her actions and stared at her little sister, who had a concerned look on her face. The young woman could not help but question her older sister''s sanity at that exact moment.


    "Onee-chan... What''s going on here?"


    An overwhelming sense of humiliation and fury rose in the young Empresses heart as her blood-red eyes pierced into her sister''s soul. With a shout that shook the room, she issued amand to the girl.


    "Get out!"


    Momo could only sigh as she heard this before shutting the door, and leaving her sister alone with her rapidly deteriorating mind. A slight mutter escaped beneath her breath as she voiced her thoughts aloud in a voice so low even she could barely hear it.


    "Onee-chan, you really need a man in your life..."


    Once Momo had left the room, Itami sat still for several moments, ring at the pillow which represented her deceased lover. As if she could see a smirk on its non-existent face, she simply pouted before voicing her thoughts aloud.


    "What the hell are you looking at?"


    After saying this, she struck the pillow with her fist and knocked it over, and in doing so, brought herself back to reality. After taking several moments to recover her state of mind. Itami realized that the boon she had received from the Goddess Inari was actually a curse in its own right. She was wondering if she had be schizophrenic, as this delusion she found herself randomly dwelling in was bing more and more intense.


    It took Itami several moments to fully re-enter the real world, and once she had done so, she climbed to her feet and left the pillow behind. She searched through the halls before she found her sister in the great hall speaking with their mother. However, the two women had yet to spot her presence, and thus she hid herself while listening in on their conversation.


    "Okaa-san... Onee-chan is getting worse. I''m really worried about her. What should we do?"


    Mibu Saya sighed as he heard her daughter''s words and nodded her head. She did not know what was going on with her eldest daughter, but it was something serious. Something that she held no power to aid with. The mature beauty could only respond with her best intentions as she came up with an excuse that would hopefully dispel her youngest daughter''s worries.


    "Your sister is under a lot of stress right now. After all, she is the Empress of Japan. You don''t need to worry too much. I assume what you witnessed was just her coping with things. It''s probably nothing serious..."


    Though Saya said this, there was a hint of worry in both her tone and expression. Even she was not convinced by her words, let alone Momo. However, this was a primitive world, and the field of psychology was not fully developed. Nor were these two women aware of Itami''s grief, so how could they properly understand how she processed it?


    Ultimately, they decided to let things be for now, but should things be more serious as time went by, Saya decided that she might have to find a Shinto priest to cure her daughter of whatever demons ailed her.


    Itami walked away without saying a word. She knew she was worrying her family with her actions, but there was not much she could do to control these delusions that gued her mind. In the end, she went to her liquor cab and grabbed a bottle of sake before returning to her room in depression once more.


    She had to put the past behind her and focus on the present. What mattered now was invading the Philippines and seizing their natural resources. If she could not manage that, then no matter how hard she fought against Germany when the time came, she would lose miserably.


    The idea of admitting defeat made her blood boil, and thus the young woman found herself drowning her incessant rage with copious quantities of alcohol and getting back to work on her ambitions.


    ---


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 Chapter 899 Poker Night

    Chapter 899 Poker Night


    Berengar sat in his harem room with a serious expression on his face. In one hand was a bottle of beer, and the other was a hand of cards. Sitting across from him were two of his women, who were already topless. Despite this, they did not dare cover their bare breasts, and instead grinned beneath their translucent blue veils.


    As Berengar took a sip from his beer, he looked at his ownck of clothing and felt slightly fearful. To think that his own sister would suggest a game of strip poker to liven things up. This was hardly the first time he had yed such a game with Henrietta, but never before had Ad joined in on the gambling. Until now, that is.


    When Berengar really thought about it, it was a miracle that a woman who was once so pious, now engaged in all the hedonistic pleasure that he had thrust upon her, and with a pretty smile on her face, nheless.


    He himself was down to a pair of sapphire blue harem pants. Every other article of clothing he had had already been discarded. Berengar''s well toned body glistened with his sweat as the two girls failed to take their eyes off of the man''s abdominal muscles.


    Despite this merely being a game of forey, Berengar was determined not to lose. After all, there was one thing he hated most of all in this world, and that was losing. To calm his nerves, he pulled on one of the hookah''s hoses, which sat in the middle of the poker table and took a deep hit of the concentrated hash before puffing out the smoke into the air. After doing so, Berengarid out his hand for the two girls to see with a sadistic grin on his face.


    "I''m sorry, girls, but you know the rules. You now have to take off an article of clothing. Which shall it be? Your veil or your pants?"


    Ad immediately frowned when she saw that her man was hiding a royal flush, But Henrietta behaved in the exact opposite manner as she smiled seductively before pulling off her translucent blue harem pants and tossing them towards her brother. It truly would have been no fun if the man had given up at the end.


    Shockingly, the girl wasn''t wearing any underwear, and was nowpletely exposed aside from her veil. Berengar gazed upon his own sister with lust in his sapphire eyes before shifting his sight towards his cousin. He was just about to mock the woman once more about her choice when Henrietta interrupted him.


    As if possessed by an amorous spirit, Henrietta immediately pushed her cousin onto the floor, and stripped her pants off of her. Surprisingly enough, she wasn''t wearing any underwear either. The spoiled princess took one look at her cousin''s firm bottom before kissing the left cheek. In doing so, she left a mark from her cherry red lipstick. Ad did not fight back in the slightest, and insteadid her head down on Henrietta''s nakedp before taunting her man.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to concede? We could be having so much more fun right now..."


    Despite such tempting words, Berengar''s spirit didn''t break, and instead he dealt the next hand before pushing his chips forward and dering his intent. It was not just strip poker, there was real money behind this game as well.


    Not that any of the three actually cared. By now, the von Kufstein family was so wealthy they would be considered worth trillions from the standards of Berengar''s past life. A few million marks were practically worthless in their eyes.


    Still, it was the idea of gambling that turned Ad on, and thus she refused to do so without cash being on the table. Ultimately, the cards were dealt and Henrietta had the winning hand. She immediately jumped in the air, her body jiggling as she did so before screaming in excitement.


    "I won!"


    This caused Berengar to frown. Though he was able to see a feast for the eyes, he was still rather sore about losing. But rules were rules, and he was about to take off his trousers when Henrietta leaped over the table and stopped him. There was a voracious look in her azure eyes as she seduced her elder brother.


    "Allow me!"


    After saying this, Henrietta slowly pulled down the sapphire blue harem pants her brother wore. By the time she lowered it beneath his crotch, he was already harder than diamonds, which immediately caused the girl to get pped in the face by her brother''s shaft.


    Despite this, the golden-haired beauty did not react in shock, and instead she grabbed hold of the raging dragon and stuffed into her mouth. The moment Henrietta started sucking her brother''s cock, is the moment that Ad rushed over to help.


    The two young women pressed their lips on both sides of the shaft and rubbed them back and forth while licking it as if it were the sweetest lollipop on the. Berengar gazed upon the two beautiful women who serviced him and slowly sat back on the nearby sofa, where Henrietta and Ad pressed their breasts against the shaft and lick the tip together.


    As the women became more excited, their perfect pink nipples leaked milk, whichbined with their saliva to create a tasty treat. The sensation of which brought Berengar closer to the edge. Which he eventually spewed his seed all over their pretty faces. Despite this, the two women were not the least bit aggrieved, and instead licked the semen off of each other with a great appetite.


    It was only after the two girls were fully clean did Henrietta push her brother back on his seat and straddled him. Without waiting for Ad''s approval, she shoved his member inside of her moist twat and moaned out like a whore as it reached the depths of her womb.


    Ad merely pouted over the fact that she wasn''t first, but did not hesitate to tongue Henrietta''s asshole as the young woman rode up and down like a beast in heat. Berengar was so enthralled by the pleasure that he barely noticed when his little sister wrapped her arms around him and kissed his lips as passionately as she could manage. After breaking away, she whispered something in his hear that stirred the animal in his heart.


    "Big brother... I love you!"


    As Berengar heard these words, a thousand thoughts when through his mind, among them were just how he managed to end up in such a taboo rtionship with his sister. If this were the world he came from, the entire world would surely shame him. However, it had been years since he entered a romantic rtionship with his flesh and blood, and he had already had several children with her.


    He could not help but question whether or not he was a monster for breaking such a serious taboo. However, as his sister''s insides wrapped around him tightly, as if they were perfectly molded for his genitals, he no longer cared about such thoughts.


    No matter how many times he slept with Henrietta, he would have these concerns, only for them to disappear mid-act. Perhaps it was the taboo of incest that made him so enthralled with the woman. Whatever the reason among all of his women, Henrietta was without a doubt the one that stirred the lust within his heart the most.


    Eventually Berengar came inside his little sister''s womb, which caused the woman to climax herself. After doing so, he tossed her aside before grabbing hold of Ad. Though Henrietta was younger than her cousin by two years, she had grown muchrger, in height, and bust size. Ad was petite in stature and had the smallest breasts of all his women. Even then, they were still impressive by the norm of the world. Thus, he seldom cared about such a trivial matter.


    He passionately twirled his tongue with Ad''s as he inserted his shaft deep within the depths of her tight hole. Just like Henrietta, Ad moaned like a bitch in heat the moment her husband entered inside her. However, unlike Henrietta, she did not ride him, instead; sheid back on the ground and allowed the man to drive himself into her as if he were a piston.


    Ultimately, Berengar would continue pounding the woman''s twat until he could no longer take it anymore, where he finished inside her, just like he had done to Henrietta. After doing so, he allowed the women to rest as he walked back over to the table where his beer sat.


    Where he downed the rest of the bottle as if he had been wandering through the desert for the past thirty years without a single drop of water. Once the man''s thirst was quenched, he looked over at his two women and sneered before taunting them once again.


    "Oh? Do you think I am finished? It''s time for round two!"


    With this said, Henrietta and Ad smiled as they prepared themselves for the night ahead of them. By the time the dawn rose on the next day, the trio were exhausted, and thus another poker night had devolved from simple fun to amorous pleasure.

 Chapter 900 The Fall of France Part l

    Chapter 900 The Fall of France Part l


    War hade to the Kingdom of France quicker than anyone had realized. Over the past two years, the Frankish Revolution, armed by the German Empire, had spread across the realm rapidly. Nobles were dragged from their homes and executed in public, while thest remnants of the Catholic Church fell into the hands of the German Reformation.


    In the city of Paris, blood and corpses filled the streets, while the citizens starved and begged for scraps. Violence prevailed at every corner of the city. The Frankish Revolutionaries killed in the name of their beliefs, while the soldiers who still swore loyalty to King Aubry struggled to stem the tide.


    Nobody knew how much longer the war would go on for. Despite the revolution''s best efforts, they had still yet to break into the Pce where Aubry and his siblings had secluded themselves. Their ancestral home had be thest stronghold of the Royal Family, and every knight and man at arms they could muster had been sent to protect it.


    If there was one safe haven that existed within the French Capital aside from the Pce, it was the Cathedral of Notre Dame. What had once existed as a bastion of Catholic power was now a symbol of the German Reformation, and by extent, the Frankish Revolution. Outside the entrance of this gothic cathedral hung tworger tapestries which disyed the divine visage of Saint Berengar the Blessed.


    Nuns gathered within the astonishing interior where they distributed food and beer for free to the poor and unwashed masses of the French Capital. Where did these provisionse from? Why the German Empire, of course! Paid for by the Kaiser himself. Such kindness in an era of strife had turned many to the Frankish cause.


    The only price one would have to pay for a warm meal, and a liter of beer, was to hear the words spoken by the local priest. Who spread the gospel of Berengar as if it were another book in the holy bible.


    Though the German priests acted withpassion, they were far from na?ve. The Cathedral of Notre Dame had been converted into a stronghold, where a small militia,posed of peasants, and former men-at-arms alike, protected the clergy with their muskets, and 12 pdr cannons.


    This militia was known as the Order of Saint Berengar, and their solemn duty was to safeguard the clergy of the German reformation who spread their beliefs to the French popce. As well as those who converted to the Frankish cause.


    A young French girl by the name of Aelisia Vigouroux, who was no older than thirteen, was dressed in the robes of a nun as she handed out the freshly cooked meal towards the patrons who had showed up today.


    In the pot, which simmered over a wood-burning stove, was a delicious pot of soup that came in the form of zwiebelsuppe. Or in other words, German onion soup. Two rolls of freshly baked Br?tchen were also provided to each patron. Aelisia had a pretty smile on her face as she handed out a portion to an elderly man who thanked her with a phrase that had be all toomon across the Kingdom of France.


    "Blessings of Saint Berengar be upon you..."


    The young girl simply nodded her head and smiled. To her, this was her solemn duty as a nun of the German Church. Just as she was handing out the next serving, a group of men d in three-quarters te armor rushed into the room with their muskets in hand. The local priest quickly approached and greeted them with a stern expression on his face. He spoke in the German tongue as he did so.


    "What news have you? Has the Pce fallen yet?"


    The leading member of the squad shook his head in disgrace. No matter how hard they tried, the enemy continued to hold on. He could only sigh heavily as he revealed the current status of the war effort.


    "Unfortunately no, Aubry and his family of sinners are dug in there like ticks. No matter what methods we have tried, every advance into the courtyard has been quickly repelled. I don''t know how much longer the enemy can withstand our assault. The loyalists should be running out of powder by now."


    The Priest nodded his head in understanding when he heard these words. Though the Reich had provided arms and armor to the revolutionaries, they had not engaged in direct military support. For the Germany army, they could wipe out the French Royal Family as easily as waving one''s hand.


    However, this war was designed to prove the determination and loyalty of the Frankish Revolution. If they could not eliminate their French masters on their own, then they were of no use to the Reich. Thus, the Germans had provided them with a simr level of hardware that the loyalists were equipped with.


    The Priest did not seem entirely concerned with the slow results. After all, he was not a Frenchman, but a German who had been sent to the ruined city to help guide the souls of those poor citizens who were forced to endure this conflict. It was at this moment that the girl Aelisia approached the Priest. She bowed her head respectfully before speaking to the man.


    "Father, this humble servant knows a way to gain entry into the pce. After all, my mother was a handmaiden to the witch Sibi before she passed. I grew up within those very walls. If you would permit it, I could show the faithful how to take advantage of the secret passages so that they mayplete the will of Saint Berengar, the blessed."


    The nonmissioned officer of the militia gazed with astonishment towards the young girl. He had never expected that such a useful pawn would present themselves at this moment. However, a look of pity appeared in the priest''s eyes. He knew better than anyone why Aelisia would volunteer this information so willingly. He could only sigh and shake his head before scolding the girl.


    "Aelisia, what happened to your mother was a tragedy, but you should not risk your life just to gain vengeance on that sinful woman. You have saved many souls by simply giving out provisions these past years. Your mother would be proud of you..."


    Despite his words offort, they appeared to fall on deaf ears as the girl shook her head and responded with determination in her narrowed green eyes.


    "It is not a matter of vengeance. With each passing day, this conflict ims the lives of more innocent souls. How much longer are we to sit by and allow our people to suffer at the hands of the French nobility, who foolishly hold on to their heretical beliefs?


    If Revolution can capture the sinner Aubry and his family, then this conflict will be over, and we can finally redeem ourselves in the eyes of the Reich. It is my duty as a faithful member of the German Church to save as many lives as possible!"


    The nonmissioned officer of the militia nodded his head with a firm gaze. He admired the girl''s passion and was quick to support her convictions.


    "The girl is right, if she can lead us through the enemy''s defences, this war will be over soon enough, and no man, woman, or child will have to continue to suffer the indignity that the nobility has forced upon us all. Please, father, allow this child to lead the way!"


    With a heavy sigh, the Priest conceded defeat, and nodded his head. Thest thing he wanted was for any harm toe to this girl, but her thirst for vengeance was too great. He knew that no matter what he said, he would not be able to convince the girl of any other path.


    "Go with my blessing and end this war. May the light of Saint Berengar protect you during these troubling times. If you do return alive, know that your ce in this Chapel will remain the same..."


    Aelisia bowed once more while she responded to the Priest with an earnest expression on her cute face.


    "Thank you, father..."


    After saying this, she followed the militia members out of the church and towards the Royal Pce. The Priest could only gaze upon the smoke in the air and shake his head. He did not know whether the girl would survive, or whether her vengeance would finally appease her troubled soul. He could only lower his head and pray for her safety.


    As for Aelisia herself, she was protected by a wall of armored musketeers. Finally, after these two long years, the Order of Saint Berengar would do more than just safeguard the church. They intended to march straight into the heart of the French Pce, and eliminate King Aubry and his family of sinners.


    As for the Priest, after saying his prayers, he withdrew to his private quarters where he got ahold of his radio and sent an encryptedmunication back to the Reich. Informing them that the war in France was about toe to an end.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at https://ko-fi/zentmeister

 Chapter 901 The Fall of France Part ll

    Chapter 901 The Fall of France Part ll


    Aelisia had marched towards the encampment outside the French Royal Pce. Battle lines were drawn between the loyalists and the revolutionaries, and if one so much as popped their head up behind cover, they were likely to have their brains blown out.


    Despite this, there was not the slightest bit of fear or hesitation in the young girl''s eyes. Only the fired that one who had been consumed by hatred could understand. Nearly two years ago, when the war broke out, it was the Princess Sibi who had personally killed Aelisia''s mother.


    There was no rhyme or reason to this sin. Rather, Sibi, in her increasingly erratic state of mind, had grown paranoid and assumed that the young woman had conspired against her. This could not be further from the truth, but that did not matter to the cruel and merciless French Princess.


    As a result, Sibi had tossed Aelisia''s mother out of a window, leaving the poor girl to fend for herself. If not for the charity bestowed upon her by the German Church, her fate likely would have been worse than death.


    Aelisia was apanied by the Order of Saint Berengar, or at least a small toon of them, who quickly made their way through the camp. The tabards they wore over their army signalled who they were, and all the Frankish Revolutionaries kneeled before them. For they were the militia who protected the church in these bloodstainednds.


    They were surprised that a young nun had guided these brave warriors of Saint Berengar, but they thought nothing of it. Ultimately, the Lieutenant of this toon spoke with themander of the siege camp as he introduced Aelisia to the man.


    "This girl''s name is Aelisia. Her mother was a handmaiden to the witch Sibi. She knows how to elude the defenses and gain entry into the Pce. We are tasked with protecting her life, so that our forces may prevail."


    Themander of the siege camp gazed upon the young girl with a hint of curiosity. However, he did not dare question the Order of Saint Berengar. If they were acting now, then it meant that the German Church had finally decided to intervene in this conflict. A toothy grin appeared on the man''s face as he responded in the affirmative.


    "Very well. If that is the will of the Church, who am I toin? I''ll send my best men with you. Once you have infiltrated the Pce, make sure to open the gates so that our men can flood through them."


    The Lieutenant nodded his head in silence as he approached Aelisia and asked her the question that was most important to him.


    "Are you sure you want to do this? It is quite dangerous, you could just point the way and leave this matter to us!"


    However, the young girl did not waver, and instead shook her head before responding with a fierce tone.


    "No, I doubt you or your men would be able to locate the entrance, even if I told you where it was. They have concealed it well. I must do this, for the sake of my mother, and all the Franks!"


    Upon hearing this, the Lieutenant sighed before nodding his head. In that moment, he unsheathed his bay and affixed it to his musket. He vowed in his heart to protect this girl from any harm as he gave the order to his men.


    "Protect this girl with your life. Leave the heavy lifting to the revolutionaries!"


    The soldiers nodded their heads and pounded their fists on their chests in a primitive salute. They waited another thirty minutes until the cover of night could conceal their advance. Where Aelisia led them towards the edges of the walls while narrowly avoiding detection from the defenders on the ramparts above.


    After following the outer walls for some time, they eventually found themselves in an area that was otherwise unnoticeable, however there was a small stone that was protruding from the wall, where Aelisia was quick to press it inward. She used all the strength in her petite body to do so, and once the stone was embedded in the wall, a section of it fell down, revealing a small stone drawbridge.


    The soldiers reacted in shock as they saw this, there was more than one stone that was slightly protruding, if they had not brought the girl who was intimately familiar with the secret tunnel, they would never have guessed its location even if she told them. Aelisia looked at them with a hint of impatience as she was the first to enter the cavern.


    "Well? What are you waiting for?"


    Upon hearing this, the soldiers followed the young girl through the dark tunnel. It became increasingly clear that they were going underground as they moved forward. However, nobody spoke a word, instead Aelisia pulled out a small shlight and ignited it, allowing them to see their way into the narrow passage.


    Once they had reached the other side, they noticed a small chain on the wall, which the Lieutenant of the Order quickly pulled, allowing another hidden doorway to open up. It was at this point that the men realized they were already within the walls of the French Pce, and thus their n to open the gates to allow the main force entry had failed.


    Despite this, Aelisia did not appear the least bit concerned, and instead motioned for the men to follow her towards a certain room. This was the quarters of the princess Sibi, but only Aelisia knew this. As the men prepared to kick down the door, they heard girlish moans on the inside. It was clear whoever was behind these doors was engaging in amorous activity. Ultimately, it was the young nun who chose to break the soldiers from the stupor.


    "Are you going to kick it down or what?"


    The soldiers looked at each other with a hint of shame before nodding their heads. After doing so, thergest man of the bunch approached the door and violently kicked it open. The scene that they all witnessed was truly shocking.


    Unlike what they expected to find upon gaining entry to the princess''s quarters, these feminine moans of pleasure were noting from the lips of the Princess Sibi, but from King Aubry instead.


    Sitting on the Princess''s bed was the woman herself. However, in herp was her brother King Aubry, who was dressed in women''s undergarments, riding on his sister''s strapon. The scene was so shocking that none of the revolutionaries knew how to react.


    Immediately upon seeing the intruders, Aubry and Sibi screamed, but it was toote. The Order of Saint Berengar and the Frankish Revolutionaries had sprung into action. They immediately lept forward and pinned the two sinners to the ground, where they bound their limbs in iron shackles.


    Aubry desperately struggled free from their grasp, but it was no use. There wasn''t a hint of muscle in his entire body. How could he possibly break free from his bindings? All he could do was vent his frustrations aloud.


    "Unhand me, you filthy peasants. Who the hell do you think you are?"


    Aelisia was still getting over the shock of what she had just witnessed, her cheeks flushed with embarassment. She could not believe that the French King and his sister were in such a rtionship. Only one word entered her mind as she reflected on this.


    "sinful"


    Truly, it was the most sinful thing she had ever seen. However, she could not revel in her vengeance for long, as the shouts that Aubry and Sibi made had alerted the guards of the Pce, and thus a great battle was about to ensue.


    ---


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 Chapter 902 The Fall of France Part lll

    902 The Fall of France Part lll


    Aelisia peered past the door of the French Princess''s bedroom and into the halls. She could see shadows on the wall, which moved in tandem with the voices that erupted within. The guards of House de Valois were on the move. Their intent was to safeguard the King and his sister.


    The revolutionaries quickly lowered the muzzles of their muskets and pulled back the hammers, preparing for the moment the enemy turned the corner. They fully intended to kill their way through the royal guards and capture Aubry''s other siblings. Once the royal family was firmly in their hands, the war woulde to an end. Or so they hoped.


    Aubry continued to scream at the top of his lungs for help, but was eventually knocked unconscious by the soldier who held him down. After several moments, a group of knights flooded the hallway, where the echo of gunfire resounded throughout the stone corridors. The musketeers had fired their shots straight into the chests of the enemy knights, a mere meter away from them.


    Blood sprayed onto the walls as the bodies tumbled to the ground. Those who died on the spot were the lucky ones, as the survivors were too wounded to move. They could only grunt in agony as they slowly but surely bled out.


    After killing the initial wave of Knights, the revolutionaries rapidly reloaded their muskets before charging through the hallway. However, before they fully rounded the corner, the leader of these men gave a quickmand to the Order of Saint Berengar.


    "Quickly, escort the prisoners back to the siege camp!"


    The militia members nodded their heads, and carried King Aubry and his sister Sibi out of the room, while protecting Aelisia from any harm. The group quickly made their way through the tunnel and outside of its confines before rushing back towards the camp.


    As they did so, the sound of armed conflict erupted from within the pce. The revolutionaries boldly charged forward with the intent to capture Aubry''s other siblings. After all, even if Aubry died, there were two more men who could fill the vacancy that the King left behind, even if they were puppets of a dying realm.


    By the time Aelisia and the militiamen reached the siege camp, they were exhausted. However, that did not prevent the Lieutenant tasked with leading the toon from reporting the ongoing situation to the revolutionaries.


    "We''ve captured the King and the Princess. However, your men went after the remaining two princes. I do not know if they yet draw breath..."


    Just as the officer spoke these words, the gate of the outer walls opened, revealing the figure of a lone revolutionary who was signalling the army to advance and seize the pce.


    "Hurry! Before the enemy catches up! Storm the Keep!"


    Without a moment of hesitation, the army of some two thousand revolutionaries rushed out of their siege camps and towards the pce''s entryway. The entire garrison was busy fighting those brave souls within the building, allowing the rebels to charge through the gates without resistance.


    Aelisia sat back in the camp, along with the Order of Saint Berengar, who had secured King Aubry and Princess Sibi. She could still not get the sinful sight she had just witnessed moments prior out of her head.


    In fact, both the King and his sister were still naked, as they lie on the floor bound and gagged. There was a murderous glint in Sibi''s eyes as she gazed upon the young nun who had led the enemy through the secret passages and into the pce.


    Upon seeing this visceral reaction, Aelisia stared into Sibi''s eyes with an equally fierce intent before preaching to the sinful woman about her misdeeds.


    "Princess Sibi, it has been some time since west met. I''m sure you don''t remember me, but I want you to know that without my help, we would have been forced to shed much more blood in the pursuit of justice. I want you to reflect on that as you march to the gallows."


    It was true that Sibi did not recognize the girl or understand the reason for her grievance. However, she could not speak a single word in her defence as she had long since been gagged and could only curse the little nun with her gaze.


    Not long after, the sounds of violence settled and the banners of the Reich flew high above the French Pce. Within minutes, the Frankish revolutionaries reappeared with the King''s two other siblings in tow, who they forced to kneel in the dirt. The Royal Family of France had fallen into captivity, and the remainder of the great noble houses within the Kingdom who had yet to be trampled into dirt would soon face their maker.


    Aelisia sighed heavily, her growing bosom heaving as thest remainder of vengeance disappeared within her frail heart. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, her mother''s killer would face justice. In theing weeks, the Kingdom of France would stabilize as thest remnant of nobility were dragged from their homes and executed, leaving only the peasant ss to reforge the destiny of their people.


    ---


    Weeks passed following after the day that Aubry fell into the hands of the Rebels, and during this time the Kaiser was invited to the city of Paris by the leaders of the Frankish revolution. Berengar spared no effort and arrived in the city within the confines of his armored car.


    Aside from a column of armored cars and trucks which housed the members of his Leibgarde, Berengar was well and truly alone in this visit to the neighboring Kingdom. There was only one reason the Frankish Revolutionaries would ask for his presence, and that was because they wanted him to be the judge who would decide the fate of the previous monarchy.


    The uniforms that these elite members of the Reichsgarde wore were not the typical ceremonial at garb that they normally dressed in. Instead, these men were equipped with all ck uniforms, with matching Stahlhelms and greatcoats. On the left arm was a ck, white, and gold armband which housed the von Kufstein coat of arms in the center.


    On their cors were a pair of tabs. The right side contained a white odal rune, while the left side contained a rank insignia. If someone from Berengar''s past life were to gaze upon these distinctive uniforms, they would immediately associate them with the Schutzstaffel. Which is precisely what Berengar had modelled them after.


    As the members of his Leibgarde opened up the door to his armored car, Berengar gracefully stepped out and revealed his figure to the French Public. The contrast between the medieval people of France and the modern attire of the Germans was truly a sight to behold as the Kaiser approached the town square, where Aubry and his family members were currently bound in chains and awaiting their sentence on a center stage.


    As Berengar entered the scene, the members of the Frankish Revolution who had gathered to witness their previous monarch''s execution raised their arms in the typical salute that the German Army somonly used and shouted at the top of their lungs.


    "Hail to the Kaiser!"


    Berengar waved to the men before approaching the leaders of the revolution, who stood by, waiting for the Kaiser''s judgement. He proceeded to shake hands with every leader before announcing his judgement to the public.


    "Long ago, you and I shared amon heritage. Through blood and culture, we were the same. However, due to the influence of the Church, the nobles of your realm have changed into something unrecognizable by the German people. Two years ago, during the height of your crisis, these men and women came together and dered their intention to go back to their roots, to be Germans once again.


    At first Iughed. The very idea that the people of France could reforge the bonds that have long since been severed was truly a joke in my eyes. Yet your determination has enlightened me. Today, all of you have proven you have what it takes to re-enter the German world. From this day forward, the Kingdom of France, and its degenerate culture, is hereby annihted from this world in perpetuity.


    I announce here today that you all are now Franks, and I wee your realm into the Reich as the Kingdom of Frankia. The Monarch who presides over you shall be a member of my own dynasty. As for these sinners who have led you all to ruin, there is only one price that must be paid for the devastation they have caused: Death! Bring out the guillotine!"


    With these words spoken, the Leibgarde reached into one of the trucks they brought with them, and carried out a guillotine which they carefully ced on the stand. The Franks gazed upon this cruel device with fascination as they chanted repeatedly in the German tongue.


    "Death!"


    Berengar''s cruel gaze fell upon the members of the French Royal family as a sadistic grin curled upon his lips. Among the vicious cheers of the crowd, he posed the question that he had been waiting to say for a very long time.


    "Now... Who shall we start with?"


    ---


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 Chapter 903 The Fall of France Part lV

    903 The Fall of France Part lV


    Berengar gazed into the eyes of King Aubry and what remained of his royal family. For the hell of it, he activated the eye of Horus as he gazed upon the true emotions hidden behind their expressions. Aubry was filled with terror and disbelief. There was not a single ounce of hatred in his aura, only deep regret.


    Sibi''s aura was as ck as the abyss. Only killing intent appeared within her eyes. For the injustices she had suffered in the past, for the current situation she found herself in, she could only me Berengar. It was such an overwhelming hatred that even Berengar thought perhaps the woman would be a vengeful spirit upon her death.


    As for the other two siblings, they had the same aura as Aubry. The entire royal family had been gagged, not even permitted theirst words, as Berengar yed a game of Eeny, meeny, miny, moe with his left index finger to determine which of these four siblings he would execute first. In the end, his fingernded on the fat bastard. With a cruel smirk on his face, Berengar announced the result of his little game.


    "It appears that this little piggy is destined to die first... Remember to lift with your legs!"


    Berengar did not even bother to remember the man''s name, nor did he care to do so. The gluttonous pig squealed as he was lifted off the ground by the members of the Leibgarde and pushed towards the guillotine. After shoving the man''s neck down into the alotted space, Berengar nodded his head slightly and, in doing so, sealed the man''s fate once and for all.


    The soldiers of the Leibgarde pulled on the rope, and the de fell from above, cleanly severing the man''s head from his shoulders, where it tumbled into a whisker basket below. Aubry and his siblings screamed as loud as they could, but the rags that were stuffed into their mouths muffled their words.


    Upon seeing this, Berengar merely pped and cackled as if he was witnessing an exciting show. The act of which did not cause the slightest bit of concern to arise in the hearts of the Frankish revolutionaries. After the death of the glutton, Berengar pointed towards his next target, which was the craven fool.


    "He''s next!"


    Without the slightest hesitation, the soldiers of the Leibgarde dragged thenky man towards the guillotine and stuffed his head into the device. The man''s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as they gazed upon the fat severed head of his brother.


    He screamed as loud as he could, and struggled out of the device, but it was no use. The executioners pinned the man down before pulling the rope. Once more, sending the uneven de downwards, and in doing so, decapitating the poor prince.


    Upon seeing two of her brothers in in a matter of seconds, Sibi gazed furiously at Berengar, and struggled with all her might to spit out her gag. Shockingly enough, she managed to do so, where she proceeded to curse Berengar in her most shrill voice.


    "Berengar von Kufstein! I endured the torment you put me through in your prison for an entire year. I swore from the first day I was confined that I would have my vengeance against you. It appears that such a thing was not part of god''s n in this life. However, I swear to you that should we meet again in the next life, I will do everything in my power to y the flesh from your bones!"


    The soldiers who held onto Sibi immediately punched her in the sr plexus after hearing her wicked words, which caused the princess to double over and vomit out her bile. After striking Sibi, the Leibgarde stuffed her head into the guillotine when they received a shocking order from their Kaiser.


    "Wait! This woman''s remarks cannot go unpunished! Cut out her vile tongue, then you may execute her with the guillotine..."


    The soldier nearest to Sibi unsheathed his boot knife without hesitation and pulled out the woman''s tongue before ruthlessly cutting through the organ as if it were mere butter. Blood sprayed onto the stand as the French Princess choked on the sanguine liquid. Yet, her suffering did notst long, as immediately after, her head was stuffed into the guillotine and the de decapitated her.


    Finally, all that remained of the royal family was Aubry, who fell to his knees in agony over his sister''s death. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, the feminine King of France spat the gag out of his mouth and pleaded for mercy.


    "My Kaiser, please spare this foolish boy''s life. I promise to serve you in any way you desire. Whether it is as your footstool, or as your personal fuck toy, so long as you let me live, I will do anything you desire!"


    The crowd reviled in disgust as they heard these shameful words and immediately threw refuse towards the stand. Shockingly, the Kaiser raised his hand and signalled the crowd to cease their hostilities.


    He approached the feminine king of France and grabbed the boy''s dainty chin. A smile formed on Aubry''s face as he thought that perhaps his life would be spared, however in the next moment, as Berengar whispered into his ears, his heart sank into a bottomless abyss.


    "In an alternate life, assuming I was gay, and you were not such a filthy slut, perhaps I could have fallen for your feminine charms. However, from the moment I firstid eyes on you, all I have ever felt towards you is pure disgust. This world is better off without your degeneracy! Now go to your death, with the dignity of a man, not that you even know what such a thing is!"


    After saying that, Berengar punched Aubry in the face as hard as he could and in doing so broke the boy''s nose before giving the order to execute the fallen King.


    "Off with his head!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers as Aubry was dragged towards the Guillotine. It was clear by the words they shouted that the Frankish people despised their King and his sinful dynasty. In his final moments, all that remained in the feminine king''s mind was an overwhelming sense of regret.


    Thest thing that Aubry saw before the de fell were the three severed heads of his siblings. Tears fell from the boy''s eyes as he was decapitated by the guillotine. Thus, marking the end of the de Valois dynasty and the Kingdom of France.


    The cheers of the crowd continued for some time, before Berengar lifted his hand to silence them once more. With the death of Aubry and his siblings, as well as the nobles who once ruled over the realm, a power vacuum was immediately created, but Berengar would not allow this to continue for more than a second, and because of this he made yet another announcement which concerned the fate of the Franks.


    "With the death of King Aubry and his dynasty of sinners. I hereby announce the annexation of the Kingdom of Frankia. I shall ce my son, Prince Franz von Kufstein as the King of Frankia, where I shall rule as regent until a time where hees of age. In theing days, yourws, customs,nguage, and culture shall be shifted to match those of the Reich. With your annexationes a solemn promise: From this day forward, not a single Frank shall go hungry!"


    Cheers erupted across the city of Paris as these words were swept by as swift as the wind. Now that the nobility was purged, and the previous dynasty was eliminated. Germany would use its food surplus and the migration of its existing popce to re-germanize the French until they were just another Germanic ethnic group. On this day, the Kingdom of France and its unique culture had truly fallen into the annals of history...


    ---


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 Chapter 904 Setting Sail for the Last Time

    904 Setting Sail for the Last Time


    After the defeat of France and the annexation of itsnds, Berengar returned home, where he found that Honoria was fully prepared for her journey to the east. There was a hint of unease on the woman''s face as she realized this was very likely to be thest time she set sail towards unknown destinations in the pursuit of fortune and glory. Berengar could only smile as he wrapped his arms around Honoria''s waist and whispered words of encouragement in her dainty ears.


    "You''re going to do fine... Once this is over, there is a new life ahead of you. You would be surprised how much you will enjoy spending time with your kids."


    A bitter smile appeared on Honoria''s lips as she heard this. Her youthful days would finally be behind her once she returned from this journey, after all, by now she was in herte twenties, and she knew no matter how much she wanted to continue her carefree lifestyle, she had responsibilities that she needed to fulfill. Responsibilities that she had run away from for long enough.


    However, what happened next shocked the woman as a servant rushed down the stairs of the pce with an extra set of luggage before handing them off to the Kaiser and bowing deeply with respect.


    "As per your orders, I have packed your luggage, your majesty..."


    Confusion existed within Honoria''s mint green eyes as she nced over towards Berengar with a wry expression on her pretty face before posing the question that she felt the need to ask.


    "You''reing with me?"


    With a slight nod of his head, Berengar confirmed the woman''s suspicions, however his next words acted as rification over the matter.


    "Just until we reach Singapore. I have business with the Majapahit Empire that I need to undertake. I will fly back to the Reich afterward. It will be up to you to reach your destination from there."


    Honoria was surprised to hear this, as her husband had notmunicated his ns to her in advance. She did not know what was so important in south-east Asia that the Kaiser personally needed to attend to matters, but she chose not to say a word and merely bit her lower lip as she nodded her head in agreement.


    It was at this moment that Honoria''s children appeared in the hallway. Alexandros and his sister Helena were present. The young girl was holding the infant Constantinus in her arms with a worried expression on her face. She had seen her mother go on many perilous journeys within her short lifespan, and every time Honoria left her behind, she could not help but feel anxious within the depths of her heart.


    "Mother, are you leaving again?"


    Honoria''s smile faded as she heard the concern in her young daughter''s voice. In the next moment, she kneeled down and hugged the girl before answering her question.


    "I promise. This will be thest time I leave you three behind."


    Upon saying this, Honoria kissed the infant boy''s forehead before repeating her action to Helena. As for Alexandros, he was pouting, as he held his arms together stubbornly. His mother had seldom been in his life growing up, leaving his raising to Linde. Even after years of effort, he found it difficult to fully forgive Honoria for her selfishness. After kissing Helena on the forehead, Honoria approached her eldest son and wrapped her arms around him, bringing the boy into her substantial bosom.


    "Alex, my son, I know I haven''t been the best of mothers, but upon my return, I promise to shower you and your siblings with all the love and affection that you deserve..."


    The young boy remained silent as his mother said farewell before approaching her husband. Berengar gazed upon his children and activated the eye of Horus. In doing so, he was able to see not only their affection for him, which was through the roof, but their feelings towards their mother. Upon seeing Alexandros'' aura, Berengar could only frown. Judging by the color of his aura, there seemed to be some deep-seated resentment towards Honoria within the boy''s heart.


    However, dispelling such negative emotion was easier said than done, and Berengar would leave that job to Honoria herself, for only she could make up for her past mistakes. After seeing that the woman was ready to depart, Berengar sighed once more before addressing his three children.


    "I will be joining your mother for the first half of her journey. So while I''m away, listen to what Linde has to say, and behave yourselves. Upon my return, I will take you both out for a special meal, just the three of us. There are some matters which I need to discuss with you."


    Obviously, Berengar was leaving Constantinus out of this family meal, as the boy was too young to be taken to a restaurant. Alexandros and Helena reacted with a silent nod of the head, not willing to speak any further. Upon seeing that they were agreeable, Berengar smiled faintly before departing from the pce.


    He and Honoria entered a car which took them to the closest rail station where the royal train was waiting for them. After nearly three and a half hours they arrived at their destination, which was the city of Trieste where Honoria''s corvette was awaiting her.


    The crew of privateers were dressed and equipped forbat. The majority of which were wielding Mp-27 submachine guns. When Berengar gazed upon them, he could only recognize the two women. One was the vice-captain Malissa, who had been instrumental in Honoria''s escape from her homnd all those years ago, and the other was the explosives expert Elfrun.


    However, Berengar almost didn''t recognize the woman, as she had long since matured into an astounding beauty. Elfrun had a bottle of rum in one hand, while wrapping her other around a teenage girl''s shoulder, who appeared to be a recent recruit. Her firm, yet dainty hands were squeezing the girl''s breast, clearly marking her territory in front of the Kaiser.


    Upon seeing Honoria enter the scene Malissa, and Elfrun stopped what they were doing and greeted their captain. They knew that this was herst journey with them, and they had decided to make the trip a memorable asion.


    Elfrun quickly approached Honoria and wrapped her arms around the woman''s neck, hugging her tightly as she whispered in her ears the words she had wanted to say since she first learned of this retirement voyage.


    "I''m going to miss you cap''n... If not for you, I would have taken my life long ago..."


    Honoria returned Elfrun''s hug and embraced the woman for some time before letting go. She had a bitter smile on her face as she responded to Elfrun''s affections.


    "I know... But I have responsibilities to fulfill, and I have run from them for long enough. This will be myst voyage, and after that you can all elect your next captain. The ship is a gift to you all, so let''s enjoy ourselves this onest time..."


    Elfrun red at Berengar upon hearing this, it was clear that he was the primary reason that Honoria was hanging up piracy. She had never liked Berengar, most likely because he was Honoria''s most beloved person, and she was envious of him for that. However, she did not dare act disrespectful in front of the man and quickly bowed her head before speaking.


    "My kaiser, may I ask if you will be granting us the honor of sharing this voyage with your esteemed presence?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this. Upon a brief activation of his Eye of Horus, he could see just how bitter Elfrun felt towards him. However, he really didn''t need a divine artifact to know this. The woman wore her emotions on her sleeve; it was clear as day that she despised him. Thus, he responded in a casual manner to the woman''s question.


    "You can rx Elfrun. I will only be sharing your journey for the first half. Once I''m in Singapore, I will depart so that you can enjoy your expedition in peace."


    Elfrun felt slightly better about the whole ordeal as she took another swig from her bottle of rum, before giving orders to the crew of young women who all sought adventure and fortune.


    "Well, what are we waiting for? Time to set sail!"


    With this said, the ship was boarded, where it quickly departed from the harbor in Trieste. Honoria stood upon the bow and gazed upon the city with a solemn gaze. Over the years, she had set sail from Trieste time and again. However, she knew this was likely to be thest time she gazed upon such a scene, and thus she engrained it into her memory.


    ---


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 Chapter 905 Trolling the Empress

    905 Trolling the Empress


    Itami sat in her great hall and sighed to herself as she gazed upon the one man she least wanted to see. From the beginning of the cold war that existed between the German and Japanese Empires until this very moment, there had only ever been one means of contact between the two realms.


    Tilicke Schauffhusen was thewyer that Berengar had selected to troll the Empress Itami Riyo in the past, and his very presence continued to act as an insult to the woman. The woman''s bosom heaved heavily as she struggled to calm herself after once more seeing this man enter her pce.


    There was a hint of a smirk on Tilicke''s face as he bowed respectfully before the Japanese Empress. Despite this act of decorum, Itami knew it was done in a mocking manner, and thus she hissed through her teeth as she asked the man just what reason he had to visit her once more.


    "Pray tell, to what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Schauffhusen? I have already done as your Kaiser requested and ceased the manufacture and sale of the so called Mk2 Schmidt Guns, so what possible reason could you have to pester me once more?"


    Judging by the tone in the woman''s voice, Tilicke could tell she was greatly displeased by his presence. So much so that he felt like the task he had been given wasn''t even required. By simply entering her home, he had caused Itami to be distressed.


    However, the Second Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein had specifically given him the order to present the Japanese Empress with a gift, an item even he did not know the identity of, nor did he dare to take a peak. After hearing Itami''s words of displeasure, the man could only bow once more before exining the reason for his visit.


    "The von Kufstein family has decided to impart a gift to the magnificent Japanese Empress. It is their hope that you will enjoy this present to your heart''s content."


    After saying this, the man whistled, and two German men approached with a wooden crate, causing Itami and her guards to observe it with caution in their eyes. Itami did not know what kind of prank Berengar was ying on her now, but she would not easily fall for it. With a sharp tongue, she issued an order to her royal guardsmen.


    "Open it, but do so with caution..."


    After saying this, she red at the Germanwyer before threatening the man in a severe tone.


    "I don''t know what kind of games you, or your emperor, are ying, but make no mistake. If your precious ''gift'' offends me in any way, I will have your head!"


    Tilicke gulped heavily as he heard these words. From the expression on Itami''s face, he knew she was not making an empty threat. He was seriously concerned over just what kind of ''gift'' Linde had prepared for Itami. Clearly, it was something meant to antagonize the woman.


    The Japanese guards pried the crate open with a crowbar, and pointed their weapons towards it, in fear that it might be some kind of threat. However, when they peered inside, they found nothing more than a framed painting. After pulling it out, they disyed it towards their Empress as they kneeled before her.


    The Look on Itami''s face caught Tilicke by surprise. It was as if she was stunned into silence. The painting was none other than a portrait of Berengar within his Imperial Regalia. It was entirely photorealistic, and was done by the hands of the First Princess of the Reich, who had signed her signature in the bottom right corner.


    Itami slowly raised from her seat and approached the painting without even realizing it. The act of which caught everyone who witnessed it by surprise. It was as if she was in a trance. She had to admit that she never imagined Berengar would be so handsome. Then again, she tried her best to deny this reality, as she slowly regained control of her thoughts once more. After doing so, she red at the Tilicke before questioning him about the painting.


    "This is your Kaiser? And why would he send me a portrait of himself?"


    The Germanwyer scratched the back of his head before responding to the woman''s question. He didn''t even know what the present was prior to this moment, let alone why Linde had sent it to Itami. Initially he thought it was as a means to antagonize the woman, however, there was simply nothing antagonistic by the extravagant portrait. Thus, he could only answer honestly.


    "A minor correction, while this is a paintaing of his majesty, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, this Portrait was sent by her majesty Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein. I don''t know the exact reason she sent it, and a lowly servant like myself could never speak on her behalf. However, this is my only reason for making such a long journey, so if that is all, then I will be departing."


    Itami was lost in her thoughts as she gazed upon the image. She hadpletely failed to notice thewyer''s departure while she tried her best to find some hidden meaning behind this gift. Though she had no way of knowing it, Linde was a master of maniption, and the redheaded beauty knew how to get into a woman''s head better than anyone.


    By presenting a portrait of Berengar when he was at his most handsome, Linde was gambling on the notion that the lone Japanese empress who was known throughout the world for her unreasonably high standards would subconsciously find Berengar to be more desirable, and in doing so weaken her resolve to fight a life or death struggle with the Reich.


    Itami had no way of knowing Linde''s intention, nor that she had actually seeded. Though she had never met Berengar, Itami had been bested by the man at every turn, thus far. Whenbined with Momo''s insistent nudging by calling the man brother-inw, along with personally witnessing Berengar''s exceptional appearance, Itami''s heart had been affected in a way she had yet to realize.


    Ultimately, it took Itami several moments of silence before she realized that Tilicke had departed. Upon seeing that she was alone with her guards, Itami sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts about the gift.


    "Hang this painting within my quarters... At the very least, it is a decent piece of art."


    The royal guards did not hesitate to do as Itami had asked and were quick to whisk the gift away towards Itami''s bedroom. As for the woman herself, only she knew whatplex emotions she was feeling after witnessing her greatest rival''s appearance.


    Itami had to admit that she had underestimated the Reich. At first, she thought that they had focused entirely on the path of war. But after seeing such a magnificent work of art, she realized that Berengar had not only progressed the industry of Germany but also the culture in ways she could not properly fathom.


    A deep sense of jealousy stained Itami''s heart as she was starting to realize just how far behind she was from the Empire that her rival had created. She posed a question to herself in her mind as she silently stared at her throne.


    If I were to have ruled for the same amount of time as Berengar, would I have aplished the same feats?


    Despite dwelling on this question for some time, Itami knew the answer within the depths of her heart. Which solicited a sigh from the beautiful young woman as she slowly walked back to her throne and sat upon it.


    Itami sat there for some time, lost in thought, until the sun began to set. In the end, she returned to her room, where the portrait was hung across from her bed. With a bottle of sake in one hand, she continued to observe it in silence. The young Japanese Empress reached out her hand and touched the painted cheek of the German kaiser before mindlessly expressing her thoughts aloud.


    "So handsome..."


    However, after saying this, Itami looked back towards her bed where her Julian body pillowid with a tinge of guilt in her blood-red eyes. This caused the woman to drop her bottle of sake and run towards the pillow where she dragged it into her bosom, and consoled it as if she were speaking to Julian himself.


    "Julian, it''s not like that! It''s just... It''s just a fantastic piece of art, that''s all. I don''t have any feelings towards that smug bastard at all!"


    Utter silence prevailed in the room, as Itami''s gaze drifted between the body-pillow she had created which represented her deceased love interest, and the extravagant portrait of the German monarch. Until finally she fell asleep.


    ---


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 Chapter 906 Sailing to Singapore

    906 Sailing to Singapore


    Berengar stood onboard the Honoria-ss Corvette, which had reced the previous iteration of the ship known as Queen Honoria''s Revenge. This corvette was essentially a Ritter von Bettinger-ss Destroyer that was scaled down to the size of a corvette.


    The ship had aplement of 65 people, and consisted of a limited armament of one 127mm automatic gun, two 20mm point defense systems, and four torpedo tubes. At the moment anti-ship missiles were still under development, but once the technology was perfected, Honoria''s crew would be able to modify their vessel to ept a such weapons.


    There were a total of three Ad-ss Destroyers which acted as escorts to the smaller ship. These ships each housed a detachment of marines who would be apanying Honoria and her girls on their journey to Australia.


    At the moment, Berengar gazed upon the Mediterranean sea as the sun descended from the sky with a ss of his finest 12-year-old whiskey in his left hand. He sipped the amber liquid slowly, as if to savor the intense vor.


    While the Kaiser was drinking alone, his third wife Honoria approached him. The two of them were currently dressed in naval uniforms, though Honoria adopted the appearance of a sailor, and Berengar wore that of an admiral.


    While Berengar had noticed his woman''s approach, he silently stared off into the sea while she wrapped her arms around him from behind. There was a faint smile on her perfectly sculpted face as she whispered the words just loud enough that the two of them could hear.


    "It''s hard to believe this is thest time we will sail off into the sunset together..."


    In response to this, Berengar merely scoffed as he turned around and ced his hand on Honoria''s cheek. There was a look of hope in the man''s eyes as he spoke the words that his wife wanted to hear most.


    "On the contrary, I believe there will be many voyages that await us in the future... However, rather than being militant in nature, they will be pleasure cruises which our entire family can enjoy. Perhaps after the war with Japan is over, and the oceans are safe for us to travel, I willmission a grand yacht for our family to sail across the world, and see all which it has to offer..."


    Honoria rested her head on Berengar''s chest. She gazed up into his deep blue eyes with a more noticeable smile on her pretty face before uttering the words that she felt deep within her heart.


    "that sounds nice..."


    Unfortunately for the couple, their romantic disy was interrupted by the giggles of three women who rushed onto the deck in their underwear. From what Berengar could tell, Elfrun was yfully chasing after a few of the new recruits with a bottle of rum in one hand and a dildo in another. The veteran pirate called out to these young women as she wrapped her arms around one of them and stuck the toy in the girl''s delicate mouth.


    "Come on, girls! It''s time for your initiation!"


    As if Elfrun had utterly forgotten that the Kaiser was onboard the vessel, she pushed the recruit down onto the ground, and began to y with her body. Berengar merely sipped from his whiskey as he enjoyed the show. However, Honoria was in the middle of facepalming as she sighed in disappointment before alerting the trio of women towards her presence.


    "Elfrun, did you forget that we have a guest onboard? It''s fine if you want to y with the girls in your own room, but to do so in the middle of the deck is inappropriate, don''t you think?"


    A shameless smile appeared on Elfrun''s lips as she finished kissing the recruit''s exposed breasts before nodding her head in agreement with her captain''s words.


    "I suppose you''re right, girls. Let''s head back to my quarters, and I''ll show you the true meaning of sisterhood!"


    The two recruits blushed in embarassment as they heard these words, but they did not resist in the slightest. It was only after the three women were gone did Berengar sigh and shake his head.


    "She seems to be enjoying herself..."


    Honoria merely snatched the ss of whiskey from his hand and quickly downed its contents before responding to the man''s statement.


    "A little too much, if you ask me. However, most of these girls joined the crew to get away from their civil responsibilities. It''s not really a surprise that half of them experiment with one another..."


    A slight chuckle erupted from Berengar''s lips as he wrapped his arm around Honoria''s shoulder and dragged her close. The next question he posed caused chills to go down the woman''s spine.


    "What about you? Have you ever ''experimented'' with your crew?"


    A single nce into Berengar''s chilly gaze told Honoria that this question was more than just a mere curiosity. She was forced to calm her nerves before answering it with the honest truth.


    "No... As much as Elfrun has wanted to get into my pants, I''ve never yed with any of my crew. As a member of your royal harem, I felt it was inappropriate to lower myself to suchmon pussy. The only women I have ever been with are your other girls."


    Utter silence prevailed for several seconds, as Honoria waited for her man''s reply. In the end, a single word escaped his lips as he nodded his head in approval.


    "Good..."


    Not long after, Malissa entered the scene while shaking her head in disapproval. She couldn''t help butment on Elfrun''s lustful behavior.


    "Good god, that woman sure knows how to take advantage of the new girls... I think she''s just coping with the fact that this is probably thest time she will ever see you."


    Malissa brought with her a bottle of rum, and a pair of sses which she filled up for herself, and Honoria, along with Berengar''s empty cup. The trio clinked their drinks together as the former prostitute gave a toast to her captain.


    "To a new tomorrow! I truly hope that you can be happy after putting the life of a privateer behind you."


    A bitter smile appeared on Honoria''s lips as she heard this, but she refused to say anything, and instead took a sip of the ck spiced rum. Her eyes drifted to the sea as she contemted what the future had in store for her. After several moments of silence, she finallymented on her situation.


    "I''m sure you''ll make a great captain Malissa, after all, you have led these girls on more adventures than I have..."


    However, in a shocking response, Malissa shook her head and sighed heavily. There was a defeated expression in her eyes as shemented on the whole ordeal.


    "This is myst voyage as well. I''ve made a vast fortune during the time I''ve spent pirating with you girls. If I''m beingpletely honest, I don''t even recognize half the faces onboard this ship anymore. Most of the girls who I''ve seen as sisters have either perished in conflict or retired in peace.


    I can rest easy knowing Elfrun intends to continue what you started. Perhaps I''ll settle in Neuhafen. I hear the city is a den of vice, and that sounds like it is my kind of ce. I might use the wealth I''ve gained to open up a brothel and treat the girls nicer than I was treated during my years in such a profession.


    I''m not going to lie. The only reason I have stayed on this long as a member of this crew was to make sure you were safe. Once you retire, I will go with you. Besides, there''s something else that deeply concerns me. Be honest with me, this uing war with Japan is going to be more dangerous than anything we havee across before, isn''t it?"


    Honoria didn''t answer Malissa''s question, instead it was Berengar who replied to her with a solemn tone in his voice.


    "More than you can possibly imagine. For the first time since I granted you girls a letter of marque and reprisal, you will be facing an adversary whose vessels are at the very least on a near-peer level. If this ship is unfortunate enough to be intercepted by a Japanese Fleet, it is game over for you all. If I''m being perfectly honest here, this is the primary reason I am forcing Honoria to step down."


    Malissa simply nodded her head and sighed once more while she heard this before responding to the Kaiser''s im.


    "I understand... While I know that I can''t force Elfrun to retire, at the very least, I can alert her to the danger she will be facing. Thank you for being honest with me. The two of you enjoy yourselves for the rest of the evening. I''m going to go make sure the crew is aware of their responsibilities over the uing days."


    After saying this, Malissa abruptly departed, leaving Berengar and Honoria alone on the deck together as they gazed upon the setting sun with troubled looks in their eyes. Only time would tell how much devastation would result from the war between Germany and Japan. However, one thing was certain to Berengar, the end result would be a new world, where Germany reigned unchallenged for generations toe.


    ---


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 Chapter 907 wars in the East

    907 wars in the East


    Emperor Asha gazed upon a group of prisoners with a pitiful glint in his eye. He could hardly believe matters hade to this, but without punishing these men, he would never be able to retain his Japanese Backers.


    Months had passed since the Bengal Emperor first began his campaign to unify the Indian Subcontinent beneath his banner, and during this time, his troops, under fear of death, behaved themselves quite well.


    However, as the war continued, and these men were forced to march endless miles in pursuit of a goal they themselves did not fully believe in, it was inevitable that some men would break the rules of war which were imposed upon them by a foreign empress. One which their own monarch desperately sought to win the favor of.


    Nearly two hundred and fifty soldiers of the Bengal Army were bound and gagged as they kneeled on the ground in front of a ransacked vige. These men hadmitted mass rape and murder of the territory they now knelt upon. Killing every man and boy, while forcing themselves upon every woman and girl, regardless of their age.


    In the past, these actions would be overlooked as a natural consequence of war. However, the Empress Itami had already punished the Bengal Army by withdrawing support in a certain critical aspect. As an act of reprisal for their previous abhorrent behavior, Itami Riyo had halted the sale of Gatling Guns to their Bengal Proxies.


    In reality, this was done as a measure to avoid invoking the ire of the Reich who imed to have patented the device years prior to her own invention. However, Itami did not exin this to Emperor Asha, and instead said her actions were punishment for his previous crimes.


    Such a thing had prompted Asha to take immediate action upon realizing that his soldiers were not following the rules of war that the Japanese had insisted they followed. In fear that the Empress Itami might cut military support in other aspects. As a result, Asha did not look the least bit fierce as he sighed heavily before condemning two hundred and fifty of his own soldiers to death. In fact, one might say he was overwhelmed with fatigue.


    "You were all made aware some time ago about the rules and regtions which you were to abide during this conflict. Yet, here we stand. A devastated vige, brought to ruin by your own lust and greed. Such crimes can not be tolerated, and thus I can only sentence you all with the harshest of punishments: death! Soldiers of Bengal, let this be a lesson to you all about the consequences of your actions... Do it!"


    After saying this, the man looked the other way. Ironically, he was not able to face the consequences of his own actions. Despite the hesitancy on the part of their Emperor, the most loyal soldiers of the Bengal Army chambered a round into their lever action rifles before pulling the trigger. A loud crackle of gunfire filled the air as the two hundred and fifty war criminals were sent to the afterlife.


    Though Asha wanted this to be an example toward his army, he would be remiss to find out that it would ultimately have the opposite effect. Upon seeing their own brothers in arms gunned down formitting acts which they had all previously engaged in, the bengal soldiers would soon find themselves embittered towards their Emperor and his Japanese masters.


    Despite these treacherous thoughts, the war continued, and soon enough the Kakatiya Dynasty would fall to the Bengal tide. Allowing Asha to advance on the most powerful of the Indian States outside of the Anangpur Empire: The Pandya Dynasty.


    ---


    While the Bengal Army waged war in India, Itami had dispatched her own forces to the inds that were once known as the Philippines during her past life. Unlike in Itami''s past life. The religion of Im had never spread to Asia, and as a result, the Philippines was split in between Hindu states in the south, and Chinese states in the North.


    Under themand of the recently appointed General Saito Korenari, the Imperial Japanese Indnded on the ind chain with little resistance. In fact, the entire invasion was something the local petty kingdoms were entirely unaware of until it was toote.


    For months, Japan had been flexing its increase in Naval power by protecting cargo ships which traversed to the Philippines. As a result, the local realms did not suspect a full scale invasion of their homnds as a possibility. Even when arge amount of Japanese ships gathered off of their coasts.


    The Japanese Empire was facing a crisis as they came to understand more about the capabilities of their rival, which was located in the western world. Empress Itami Riyo knew that if her armies were to stand a chance against that of the Reich, then she needed to mechanize, and quickly. However, in order to do this, she needed oil, and that was something thend that her Empire currently upied was utterlycking in.


    Luckily for her, the ind of Mindanao was home to the Liguasan Marsh, which housed a ratherrge reserve of oil and natural gas. It was the secondrgest ind in the entire archipgo. Mindanao was home to several petty kingdoms who, in the past, Itami had attempted to bribe into epting annexation. However, after word got out of her soldiers'' war crimes in other upied regions, this option was no longer avable, and thus the Japanese had resorted to a full scale invasion.


    Under the cover of night, the Imperial Japanese Army embarked from the vessels that carried them, andnded on the shores of Mindanao. Nobody was any the wiser that an entire brigade of Japanese soldiers hadnded on the shores of the ind.


    After securing the beachhead, the Japanese Army ferried their cavalry and logistic caravans. Much like the Ming Army, Itami had equipped her forces with Tachanka like vehicles, in the hopes of providing mobile firepower to her infantry, who werepletelycking in armored vehicles.


    Within an hour, 5,000 Japanese soldiers hadnded on the shores of Mindanao, where they swiftly conquered the vige that was nearest to theirnding spot. To those families who rested in their homes on this silent night, it came as a sudden surprise when the Japanese soldiers kicked down their doors and mercilessly gunned down those who resisted their sudden upation.


    It took less than thirty minutes for the soldiers to seize control of the vige. After the area was secure, General Saito stepped foot into the captured town and nted the Japanese g on its soil. The man spoke in his native tongue as he called out to the locals with an intimidating shout.


    "As of this moment, the Rajanate of Maguindanao is hereby annexed into the Japanese Empire! All heil your new Empress! All heil the rising sun!"


    Naturally, the native inhabitants of the ind did not understand a word he said, but the moment the general pulled out his sidearm and fired it into the air, the vige folk knelt on the floor in fear for their lives. Unfortunately for the local poption, they did not have a say in the matter of their annexation.


    Though news would rapidly spread throughout the ind of the Japanese upation, there was simply nothing that the primitive Filipino states could do to prevent the Japanese takeover of their homnd. Any resistance against the advanced Japanese Army was met with swift retaliation. In the face of overwhelming firepower, it would only take a matter of weeks before the Japanese Army had upied the entire Rajanate of Maguindanao.


    Thus, while Berengar was sailing to Singapore for a diplomatic visit to the Majapahit Empire. Itami had made the first move towards taking the Philippines for herself. An action which would ultimately gain the ire of the Ming Dynasty.


    ---


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 Chapter 908 Re-uniting with the Majapahit Princess

    908 Re-uniting with the Majapahit Princess


    The Journey to the German naval base in Singapore was a lengthy one. Because the ship was only a corvette, its range was vastly inferior to some of the otherrger warships which saw service within the Kriegsmarine. As a result, the vessel was forced to stop within the Anangpur Empire to refuel, before finally making their way to the a strait.


    Upon arriving at his destination, Berengar said a brief farewell to his wife Honoria before departing from the vessel and entering the military base in Singapore. The moment he stepped onto the docks, he found that the admiral who had been tasked with overseeing the daily operations of the Naval base was there to greet him. A wide grin formed on Berengar''s face as he approached the man who had saluted him.


    "Admiral Nolthe Schriber, it is a pleasure to see you again. I trust you have been well over these past few years?"


    The Admiral had a tanplexion, and was dressed in a short sleeve navy blue cotton uniform that was designed for use in the tropics. He wore a pair of sunsses and had an officer''s cap on his head. It was clear that the environment had affected his appearance, as he was utterlycking the fine porcin skin that wasmon among those who dwelled in the alps. Despite this, the man smiled and nodded his head before responding to his Kaiser''s question.


    "Of course, my Kaiser. I must say, I very much enjoy the environment here. However, I doubt you came all the way here to speak to me about such simple matters. So tell me, how can I assist you?"


    Berengar gazed across the a strait for several moments in silence. It was clear that his attention was elsewhere. Though what his exact thoughts were, only he truly knew. After several moments of silence, he gave the Admiral an order, one he could not refuse.


    "You are correct in your assumption. I came all this way for a diplomatic visit to the Majapahit Empire. I need a ferry and an escort. Prepare your fastest craft, and a squad of your finest Kampfschwimmers. I want to depart within the hour!''


    Admiral Schriber had heard rumors that the Kaiser had taken the Majapahit Princess as a concubine, but he never dared to believe them until now. It was clear by Berengar''s appearance that he was a bit anxious about this meeting, something the man would not normally express if this were a mere diplomatic visit to a primitive realm. However, Nolthe did not speak of these matters, knowing better than to pry into the Kaiser''s private life, and instead nodded his head before epting his orders.


    "As youmand, my Kaiser. I will prepare your team to depart within the hour, as you have requested."


    After saying this, Admiral Schriber sent off a runner to get these things in order, while he showed Berengar around the Naval/Air base that had been established in Singapore. As the closest area to the zone of conflict, that was sure to ur within the future. The Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe had invested ample amounts of time, resources, and manpower into the region.


    Well over 1,000 aircraft were stationed in the airbase, along with their crewman, making it thergest Air Base in the world. This was excluding the aircraft which were stationed aboard the Carrier. As for the vessels that were within the area, the Sixth Fleet called Singapore its home, while various destroyers, corvettes, u-boats, and fast attack craft protected the a strait.


    There were also special operations units attached to the Naval Base. These were not, however, the infamous Jagdkommandos, but were instead known as Kommando Spezialkr?fte Marine, or KSM for short. They were also called Kampfschwimmers.


    This Naval Special Forces unit was modelled after the US Navy SEALs from Berengar''s past life and were primarily active in Asia, hence why arge number of them were concentrated on the Singapore Naval Base.


    Those who became Kampfschwimmers were recruited from the ranks of the Naval Infantry, also known as the Marines. They then went through a three-year pipeline to be special warfare operators. The intense training had a 99% attrition rate, meaning one in one hundred men would seed in bing Kampfschwimmers.


    As promised, within the hour the ship was prepared, along with the escort of Kampfschwimmers. Who all saluted their Kaiser as they gazed upon him. These special warfare operators were not dressed in the usual uniforms that the soldiers of the reich wore.


    Rather, they were dressed in what could approximately be described as a gorka mountain suit that was dyed in the blumentarn camouged pattern. Over this, they wore te carriers in the style of the ssic Defender 2, which were feldgrau in color. The load bearing equipment they utilized was loosely modelled after the SPOSN SMERSH and matched the te carrier in color.


    Atop their heads were feldgrau m56/76 Stahlhelms, which had feldgrauting over them. Their boots were modern in design, as were their gloves, which were both feldgrau in color. The weapons that these special operators carried were not the usual Stg-27s, which saw standard service among the German Military. Instead, they were a copy of the infamous Stg-44 from the second world war of Berengar''s past life.


    This was the new equipment issued to the special operations units within the Reich''s military. Such as the Jaegers, Jagdkommandos, and the Kampfschwimmers. Berengar gazed upon their advance equipment and nodded his head in approval before giving the order to move out.


    "Time waits for no man. Let''s depart!"


    After saying this, the operators boarded the fast attack craft, which would carry Berengar across the a strait, and towards the heart of the Majapahit Empire, where the King and Princess were awaiting his visit.


    Some time passed as Berengar enjoyed the journey before arriving in the Majapahit port city, where they took a convoy was already prepared for the Kaiser''s arrival. After arriving on the docks, Berengar, along with his escort, quickly entered the vehicles that were provided for him, where they slowly but surely made their way to the Majapahit Pce.


    The moment Berengar stepped out of the carriage and into the courtyard, he saw Princess Anggraini rush out to meet him. She had in her arms a small child who was no older than two. It was apparent by this boy''s features that he was half-European.


    Obviously, this was Berengar''s child, causing the man to smile fervently upon witnessing the sight of his son. Berengar hugged the Majapahit Princess as they reunited into each other''s arms, before kissing his son on the forehead. After doing so, he was quick to inquire about the boy''s name.


    "I presume this is my son. What have you named him?"


    Anggraini gazed upon Berengar''s handsome face for some time. Thest time they met, he still wore an eyepatch. Yet, for whatever reason, he now had a pair of mismatched irises. The very sight of which caused her heart to flutter. It took the woman a few seconds to calm down before announcing her son''s name to the boy''s father.


    "His name is Darma, and yes, he is your son. Is that all you have to say to me? You don''t know how much I missed you..."


    Berengar nodded his head in approval when he heard this. At the very least, it was a name he could pronounce, unlike whatever the hell Tlexictli had named their son. Berengar could tell the half German half Indonesian child would grow up to be a handsome man, and thus he felt nothing other than pride when gazing upon such a young son.


    Part of the reason he hade to the Majaphit Empire was to see the son he had never met, and now that he saw the boy, he was satisfied. After reuniting with his concubine, and their child Berengar felt at ease, which caused him to take charge of the situation as he led the mother and child into her home.


    "Yes, yes, I missed you, too. However, I have note all this way just to see my child. There are important matters to discuss, so let us go meet with your father. I have many words which I wish to speak to him..."


    Anggraini did not refuse, even though she was a bit aggrieved by how little emphasis Berengar seemed to put on their reunion. She quickly followed her man into the pce where her father was resting. The Majapahit princess had no idea what Berengar wanted to say, but she could make an educated guess. It most likely revolved around the threat of the Japanese Empire, and for this, she was worried about what her father might say.


    ---


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 Chapter 909 Meeting with the Majapahit King

    909 Meeting with the Majapahit King


    Berengar stood within the great hall of the Majapahit Pce, where a middle-aged man sat upon his golden throne. The man stared at the German Kaiser, who he had heard so much about from the lips of his errant daughter. Upon seeing the man in all his glory, Suratman had to admit, he was slightly disappointed.


    Berengar had shown up in his imperial regalia, with all the bells and whistles on full disy. First impressions were important, especially to the father of a girl you were screwing. He could have worn his military uniform with his sleeves rolled up and his cor unbuttoned, but he had chosen to disy the prestige that he was afforded as the Kaiser of the Reich.


    The Majapahit King carefully observed Berengar''s appearance before speaking his thoughts on the matter in the Sanskrit tongue. He did so because he believed Berengar would not be able to understand his words.


    "So this is the mighty Kaiser, whose armies are so vast they can cover allnd beneath the sun? I must say, when I first heard of such a man, I had assumed he would be more fearsome..."


    Berengar remained utterly silent when he heard these words. He was in his thirties now, but he still looked young for his age. Perhaps it was good gics, or perhaps it had to do with his diet. Either way, the man looked no older than histe twenties. It was because of this youthful, and princely appearance that Berengar did not give off the impression of the world''s most powerful man to those who first gazed upon him.


    Anggraini pouted when she heard her father''s words and quickly scolded the man for his rude remarks. As someone who had witnessed the power of the reich first hand, she could not fathom anyone being stupid enough to make such a crass remark about the Kaiser''s appearance. Let alone her own father.


    "Father, you would do well to remember the German fleet that sits across the a strait. Even though you are King of thesends, it is not appropriate to be so rude to the Kaiser. I suggest you mind your words carefully when you speak to him in anguage he can understand!"


    In truth, Berengar was not the least bit offended by the man''s statement. His youthful appearance was actually something he took pride in. Thus, he raised his hand to silence his concubine before speaking in the Sanskrit tongue, an act which surprised the both of them.


    "There''s no need for the man to mind his manners. He''s right. My appearance is far from that of what most people would think of me when they consider the power that I wield. I fully admit I am far from the most intimidating looking man. Though I may not be a fearsome person to look at, I assure you that with a stroke of the pen I could condemn any Kingdom on this into oblivion..."


    It surprised Suratman when he heard Berengar speak in the Sanskritnguage with such fluency. He felt deeply ashamed for the words he had spoken prior, as he was unaware that the Kaiser couldprehend them properly. After several moments of silence, the Majapahit King raised his voice with a stern look in his eyes.


    "Why are you here?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this before raising two fingers as he expressed his reasoning for visiting the south-east Asian empire with a carefree expression on his face.


    "I came here for two reasons. My first reason for visiting this Kingdom of yours was so that I could see my son with my own two eyes, who, until this day, I had yet to meet. I must say, though I have not been with the boy for long, I already approve of him.


    As for the other reason for my visit, to put it simply, King Suratman, I havee to discuss the threat which the Japanese Empire poses to your borders. Are you aware that as of this moment, the Imperial Japanese Army is waging war across the ind of Mindanao? Soon the entire region will be embroiled in conflict, and you will lose a valuable trading partner.


    If the nobles beneath your banner are not yet convinced of the threat that the Japanese Empire poses to your sovereignty, then I would suggest that they look towards the east and carefully observe this conflict.


    Your Kingdom has no chance of defending your isles against the Japanese Military, unless you can seize absolute control over both the nobles beneath your banner, and the vassals who swear fealty to you. So I havee with three proposals that I think you will find interesting..."


    The Majapahit King gazed upon the Kaiser with a shred look in his eyes, he was entirely unaware that the ind of Mindanao had been invaded by the Japanese, but if this was true it was the excuse he needed to rally his vassals beneath his banner, and assume direct control over his Empire. Thus, he slowly nodded his head as he spoke the words.


    "Go on..."


    Berengar smiled upon hearing this simple phrase before speaking of his propositions, which he knew that Suratman had no way of rejecting.


    "First, Princess Anggraini and our son Darma will return with me to the Reich as a permanent ambassador to my Empire. This is non-negotiable. I intend to raise my son in an environment that will allow him to thrive in the future, and as great as your Kingdom is, it is a far cry from the Fathend.


    Second, I demand that you recognize my im over the Australian continent. As we speak, my agents are sailing to the region so that they can nt our g on its soil. It would not only be beneficial to my Empire, but yours as well to support this im.


    Lastly, I suggest that you allow further cooperation between our armed forces. I will continue to supply your army with weapons and training, so that by the time the Japanese set their sights on Borneo, your forces can be adequately prepared to repel them."


    Suratman gazed upon the German Emperor with intense focus. By the tone in Berengar''s voice, the man was essentially giving an order to the Majapahit King instead of making a friendly request. However, after seeing the massive steel warships that existed across the other side of the a strait, he could sessfully say that if there was one man who could walk into his home and give him orders, it was the Kaiser.


    After several moments of silence, Suratman nodded his head in agreement. Now that he was aware of the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines, he could use it to his advantage. With further German support, he would sessfully be able to centralize his authority, something which the Majapahit King greatly desired.


    "Very well. I will agree with these demands of yours. However, I must say that I am greatly displeased by your tone. Still... I will admit that I need your support if I even have a hope of holding off the Japanese when they finally decide to invade mynds. If you don''t mind me asking, how do you know they will attack Borneo first?"


    Berengar wore a smug smile on his face as he answered this question in a rather cryptic manner.


    "Let''s just say there is a resource on that ind that is critical for the development of Empress Itami''s armed forces. One that she won''t be able to get her hands on anywhere else. Thus, I am fairly certain when she finally decides to attack your Kingdom, she will do so bynding her troops on Borneo first..."


    Though Suratman did not know how Berengar knew this information, he did not immediately reject it as if it were false. Instead, he considered it in earnest for some time before nodding his head in agreement.


    ''Very well, consider me convinced. I look forward to working with you and your Empire in the future. Please stay. I have arranged a feast for your arrival. You should enjoy your time here in mynds to the best of your ability..."


    Berengar simply smiled and nodded as he spoke the words that immediately came to his mind.


    "I thank you for your hospitality."


    With this said, Berengar would enjoy the rest of his evening, drinking, and feasting to his heart''s content.


    ---


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 Chapter 910 A Brutal Rejection

    910 A Brutal Rejection


    Itami sat upon her throne with a disinterested look in her sanguine eyes. Standing across from her was someone she had never wanted to see again. However, against her wishes, the Ming Prince Zhu Li had returned to Japan, and in doing so appeared to have the goal of gaining Itami''s favor. The young man bowed respectfully before the Japanese Empress as he presented gifts to the woman who he longed for most in this world.


    "Empress Itami, your beauty is renowned across the world. I fear whatever gift I may bring is inadequate for a woman of your caliber. However, it is my humble opinion that these furs and fine jades will help enhance your noble bearing."


    The fur shawl was as white as Itami''s hair, and was masterfully crafted. One glimpse of such a fine essory would be sure to drive most women crazy with envy. However, in Itami''s eyes, it was a gift she would rather not ept.


    Aside from the exquisite white furs, there was also a dragon pendant made from imported german white gold, and the purest white jadestone. It, too, was manufactured by the best of craftsmen that the Ming Dynasty had to offer.


    Though Itami wanted nothing more than to deny these gifts, and send Zhu Li packing once more. She knew better than to antagonize herrgest trading partner, and as a result, she sighed heavily before nodding her head in silence. A few servants stepped forward and epted the gifts on her behalf, causing a smile to curve itself upon Zhu Li''s lips until the moment Itami finally chose to speak.


    "How goes your brother''s conquests in Indochina?"


    These words caused the Ming Prince''s heart to sink. Itami had not even thanked him for the gifts, nor given them any mind. Instead, her servants merely dragged the presents off to some unknown location. As for her first question, it was in regards to his elder brother, and not himself.


    Though Zhu Li had been sent packing thest time he visited the Japanese Empress, the woman left an impression on his heart that had caused him to fall madly in love. He had forsaken all of his concubines and had tried toe up with the best ways he could think of to win Itami''s affections. However, his gifts had no impact on the woman''s icy heart. Instead, she seemed more interested in his elder brother. As a result, Zhu Li did his best to smear his brother''s reputation.


    "My brother is doing his best to conquer Indochina, but his results are slow, and father oftenins about his methods. He has apparently been quite cruel in his campaign thus far. I begged father to allow me to undertake the effort on his behalf, but unfortunately, he chose Brother Zhi. As a result, the amount of innocents who have perished in this invasion is no small number. However, I''m sure as the Empress of the mighty Japanese Empire, you have no concerns about such small matters."


    Itami said nothing, nor did she react in any way to this news. She had not met Zhu Zhi and thus was not aware of the man''s personality. Her agents were also stretched thin as it was, and she could not get any reliable intel about the war in Indochina. Despite this, she did not trust a word Zhu Li had said about his elder brother. After all, the man seemed to be willing to lie through his teeth to aplish his goals.


    After careful consideration, the Japanese Empress simply nodded her head in silence. Not willing to waste the breath that was required to entertain this fool''s fantasies. Instead, after several moments, she responded rather cruelly to the Ming Prince.


    "Since you havee all this way to visit, I shall show you my hospitality. There will be a feast tonight for your pleasure, but unfortunately I have other matters which I must attend to and will not be present for it. Enjoy your stay, and have a safe journey back to your homnd, Prince Zhu Li."


    Zhu Li could not believe his ears. After all the effort he had gone through, the woman was only willing to meet with him once, before sending him packing again. He was struggling to ept this oue, even as Itami stepped off her throne, and began to depart from the great hall. He could not help himself but call out to the aloof woman, who seemed to be entirely disinterested in worldly affairs.


    "Empress Itami, wait! I havee all this way to see you, and yet you are not even willing to dine with me? What is so important that you must abandon your guests?"


    Itami stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to re at the man who was so impudent that he would intervene in her personal affairs. She had a murderous glint in her blood-red eyes as she spoke the honest truth to the man.


    "Zhu Li, out of respect for your father, I have taken time out of my busy schedule to see you and ept your gifts. Though I have taken these items which you have presented to me, it does not mean that I have responded positively to your affections. In fact, I find your attempts to woo me quiteughable, especially after the shit you pulled thest time you visited my domain.


    Allow me to make this clear to you, so that you can abandon your wild fantasies, and go on with your life, free from the chains that bind you. I shall not belong to any man who has not bested me at my own game. You are no warrior, nor are you a great schr, or even a talented artist.


    You are a pitiful Prince who has no extraordinary talents to speak of whatsoever. Your greatest assets are the fact that you are your father''s son and are somewhat good looking. Unfortunately for you, there is a man in this world whose appearance makes you look mediocre byparison. To put it simply, you are entirely incapable of winning my affections. You are not even qualified to make an attempt. So go home, before you make a further fool of yourself."


    After hearing all of this, Zhu Li was enraged beyond measure. He had grown up with an exceptional background and appearance. Because of that, women from around the eastern world were willing to throw themselves at him. Never before had he been rejected, let alone so ruthlessly. Just who did Itami think she was?


    He could forgive some of the things she had said, as they were urate, and even he could not deny such statements with a straight face. However, the one thing he could not forgive was her insulting his appearance, which caused him tosh out at the Japanese Empress, who was kind enough to host him in her home, despite his ill intentions.


    "You say there is a man who makes me look mediocre byparison? Who is this bastard? I''ll maim him in a such a way that no woman will ever dare to gaze upon his mangled flesh! So much so that you will forget the words you have spoken to me today!"


    Despite his threats, Itami merely wore a pitiful smirk on her perfect face as she dashed the man''s dreams with a single name.


    "Berengar von Kufstein... Tell my Zhu Li, do you dare say the same words now that you have heard his name?"


    Berengar von Kufstein was a name that the entire royal family of the Ming Dynasty was keenly aware of. Mostly because it was the crown Prince who spoke so highly of the man. However, no matter what praises escaped Zhu Zhi''s mouth, the man had never said a word about Berengar''s appearance, even when cornered by his sisters about the topic.


    Naturally, Zhu Li had researched into Berengar''s background, and the words spoken about the man were almost fantastical. So much so that he had a hard time believing even 1/10th of the man''s history was urate.


    However, there was one thing that was undeniable: Berengar von Kufstein had brought the entire western world beneath his heel in a matter of ten years. That alone was enough to make the Ming Prince understand that the Kaiser of Germany was not a man to be trifled with.


    Thus Zhu Li backed down, and lowered his head upon hearing these words, an act which only gained contempt from the object of his affections. In fact, a mocking smile appeared on Itami''s face as she once more spoke with vicious intent.


    "The fact that you are willing to bow your head and swallow your pride at the mere mention of his name proves that you are unworthy of my attention. Enjoy your stay here in Heian-ky��, because it will be yourst time you ever step foot in my pce.


    The arrogance you have disyed to me today has persuaded me to revoke your rights as an ambassador of your people. The next time your father wants to get in touch with me, tell him to send someone more respectful!"


    After saying this, Itami walked off, leaving the Ming Prince and his delegation in shock as to what had just transpired. Ultimately, Zhu Li''s hopes of getting into Itami''s pants were thoroughly dashed, and he could only return home with his head hung in shame.

 Chapter 911 Meeting the Princes Mother

    911 Meeting the Prince''s Mother


    Hans drove through the streets of Kufstein with aplete disregard for his own safety. Currently, he was riding on a motorcycle, with the Princess of Bavaria seated behind him. The girl wrapped her arms around the Austrian Prince, as she prayed to the heavens for her own safety.


    A smile etched itself upon the thirteen-year-old boy''s face as he gripped the throttle and propelled himself through the city''s streets at high speeds. Hans had been granted permission to leave the Aerial Warfare Academy this weekend, so that he may visit his family. He had decided to bring Anne along with him as a way to thoroughly outrage his most annoying fiancee.


    This was the first time that the Bavarian Princess would be meeting with the boy''s mother, and if she was not currently preupied by the terror which gripped her heart, then the girl would be incredibly anxious at the thought of meeting the legendary Linde von Kufstein.


    In the past, Anne''s father had seldom spoken of his meetings with the von Kufstein family. In fact, despite being the current King of Bavaria, and a direct subordinate of the Kaiser, Dietger seemed to hold a great sense of dread towards the Royal Couple. When he used such words, Dietger was describing only two people: Berengar and Linde von Kufstein.


    Dietger had once described to his daughter the power dynamics of the Royal Harem. Though Ad von Kufstein was the First Kaiserin, she was in name only. In reality, it was Linde who Berengar doted on the most, and who controlled the other women in his life like a group of marites.


    It had been years since Anne had first started developing a rtionship with Hans, and though they had never made an official deration of their feelings for one another, Dietger knew that his daughter had fallen for the boy. As a result, he had given her a stern warning about how to act in front of the second Kaiserin.


    Ultimately, this sense of anxiety finally revealed itself on the girl''s pretty face when the motorcycle pulled up in front of the Imperial Pce. Hans did not seem the least bit concerned as he approached the building''s gates and forced his way inside.


    Anne had no choice but to follow him, however she did so meekly, afraid of what Linde might think of her. The moment Hans stepped inside, his mother assaulted him. The busty redheaded beauty wrapped her arms around the Teenage boy''s neck and shoved his head within her hefty bosom while expressing her delight.


    "My baby boy has finally returned!"


    After saying this, she let her child free from her clutches before taking a stern tone with him.


    "You should know better than to worry your mother to such an extant. I have heard of the risks you have been taking in your flight instruction. Don''t make me pull you to the Aerial Warfare Academy!"


    As the woman said these words, her sharp gaze fell upon Anne. Despite this, she did not say a word to the girl, and instead waited for her son to respond to her scolding. Which he was all too eager to do so.


    "Mom, even you can''t get me out of the Aerial Warfare Academy. Once a man enrolls in a military academy, he is signing 12 years of his life away to the military!"


    Despite the uracy behind the boy''s words, Linde was far from persuaded and instead pulled on her son''s ear and lectured him further.


    "Don''t be so sure about that, young man! I have my ways. If I really wanted to, I could have you transferred to Imperial Intelligence! Hemma has been buried up to her eyeballs in work these days, and she could use a little helper!"


    The idea of being transferred to Imperial Intelligence, and carrying out twelve years of his life beneath his mother''s clutches, sent a chill down Hans'' spine, causing him to bow his head in submission and apologize for his reckless actions.


    "I''m sorry mother, it won''t happen again..."


    Linde gazed upon the submissive state of her son and sighed before expressing her discontent with his reckless behavior.


    "I swear, you are just like your father! Always jumping head first into unecessary danger. If I knew you would grow up to be such a careless young man, I would have never permitted you to join the Military!"


    Hans merely scoffed at his mother''s remarks before reminding her of thews that were in ce within the Empire.


    "By the decree of my royal father, all young men must serve in the military for at least four years. Even if you wanted to keep me to yourself, you would not be able to convince father to make an exemption for me."


    Such words invoked fury in Linde''s heart, she was well aware that Berengar had the ultimate say on how they raised their kids. Even if she were to go on a sex strike to force his hand, the man would not falter. He was as stubborn as he was reckless. All she could do was scold her son with a rather pathetic choice of words.


    "Don''t talk back to your mother, young man! Now, are you going to introduce me to your little girlfriend or not?"


    It was at this moment that Anne stepped forward and curtseyed before the Kaiserin as she introduced herself.


    "Princess Anne von Wittelsbach, at your service, your majesty..."


    Linde closely observed the girl for some time before nodding her head in approval. Her words shocked both Hans and Anne.


    "I like this one. She knows how to show respect. Unlike that Nordic harlot who does nothing but lounge around and mooch off of our family''s good graces. This girl will make a good wife. I''ll have to talk with Dietger about your rtionship. In the meantime, wee to our home. Make yourselffortable as I go fetch Hans''s other girls."


    After saying this, Linde quickly departed, allowing Anne to release her breath, which she had been holding in anxiety since the moment she introduced herself. She finally revealed her thoughts when she saw Hans''s gaze never leave his mother''s figure.


    "Your mother is really beautiful. However, she is just as my father said, an utterly terrifying woman..."


    In response to this, Hans chuckled before shifting his sight over to Anne. He wore a gentle smile on his face as he spoke about his mother with a hint of fondness in his tone.


    "At least she likes you. Trust me, if you think she is intimidating right now, wait until you do something that really pisses her off. I almost feel bad for Ingrid, because I just know my mother is scheming how to get rid of the girl in the most humiliating manner possible."


    Anne had no words for such a statement. Though Linde had been incredibly friendly to her, Anne still felt a suffocating pressure from the woman''s gaze. As if her approval was the most important thing in the world. She carefully thought about this when Linde returned to the room with Hans''s other women in tow.


    By now, Noemi and Veronika were both adults, whereas Natalia was the same age as Hans and was growing up to be a beauty in her own right. When Anne gazed upon these young women, she felt a tad bit unworthy, as if their appearance was a step above her own. In reality, this was far from the case. However, the doubt remained within the girl''s heart.


    Noemi and Veronika hugged Hans at the same time and sandwiched him between their sizeable breasts. Yet there was not a perverted expression on the Prince''s face like one would expect from a boy his age. Instead, there seemed to be a look of annoyance as he pushed his two fiancees aside.


    "Enough. My mother has already smothered me. I don''t need the same treatment from you two!"


    The girls simply pouted, as Natalia approached the young Prince, and hugged him as well. She seemed to be rather excited to see the boy, as it had been some time since hest visited his family.


    "Hans, we missed you! Stop being a brat and ept our affection already!"


    The only one who did not make an immediate move to smother Hans was Ingrid, who rested on the wall and gazed upon the scene with a hint of disdain in her eyes. She had never epted that the man she was supposed to marry had a harem of his own. However, now that the boy had brought another girl home, the young woman became absolutely vicious as she approached her fiance and flicked his forehead.


    "You brought another girl home? What have I told you about falling prey to a bitch''s schemes? You should be ashamed of yourself Hans, such tant cheating cannot be tolerated!"


    Linde was nearby and heard Ingrid''s remarks. A look of displeasure appeared on her stunning face as she quickly swatted the woman on the bottom, causing Ingrid to yelp and stare at the redheaded beauty in fear. The Kaiserin was like a tigress when it came to protecting her cubs and was not afraid to get violent when Ingrid spoke out of turn.


    The subtle spanking did not go unnoticed by those who witnessed it. However, Linde acted as if it had never urred and merely red at Ingrid, forcing the girl to lower her head in submission. She steered the conversation elsewhere in order to avoid bringing up what had just happened.


    "Lunch will be ready soon, so how about you all follow me to the dining room? Your siblings will be joining us Hans, it has been some time since youst saw them, and they are excited about your return. Ingrid, since you seem so displeased with our guest, you are not invited. Go back to your room and think about your actions."


    Ingrid felt wronged by this sudden change of events, but she merely gritted her teeth and bowed respectfully to Linde before doing as she was instructed.


    "Yes, your majesty..."


    After Ingrid left the party, they all followed Linde towards the Dining Hall, where they would be met with a feast the likes they were not expecting. After all, it was a chance for Linde to show off her cooking skills, and she had recentlye up with a dish that she felt both her husband and eldest son were sure to enjoy. Unfortunately, Berengar was away on business, and thus he could not share this meal with the group.


    ---


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 Chapter ?912 Submission to the King

    ?912 Submission to the King


    While Linde was having a conversation with Hans and his multiple fiancees. Berengar was enjoying himself across the world in a foreign Kingdom where he was treated as their most esteemed guest. Aside from Princess Anggraini, who was sitting in the man''sp and feeding him local delicacies. Several other beauties were attending to Berengar''s every need at the feast.


    Despite the attention of the other women, Berengar was not the least bit interested. For a man like him, only the most beautiful princesses caught his interest. Every other woman on the was simply beneath his notice. Still, he did not shoo them away, and allowed these noble women to y around with him while the Majapahit King was forced to watch the shameful disy of flirtation.


    As Berengar was enjoying himself, he shot a nce over towards King Suratman, who was surrounded by the fathers of these women. Each of which was a prominent nobleman, and many of them were opposing the efforts to centralize the Majapahit Kingdom''s authority under its monarch. As if to fan the mes, he posed a simple question to one of the girls, who was reaching her hand underneath his shirt so that she could feel the definition of his abdominal muscles.


    "So tell me, sweetheart, what do you think about the potential Japanese invasion of your homnd? Are you perhaps scared?"


    Unknowingly, Berengar had posed this question to a prominent nobleman''s daughter, one who bitterly refused to buy into the notion of an uing Japanese invasion, let alone cede his authority as a vassal to the Majapahit King.


    The woman was beautiful, though not quite in the same league as Anggraini, however she was happy that she had caught Berengar''s attention, and simply spoke her thoughts on the matter as if it weren''t a big issue.


    "I''ve heard tales of Germany''s strength. I''m sure that with such big, strong men protecting us, our people won''t need to fear the Japanese and their petnt schemes. Isn''t that the case?"


    However, Berengar''s reaction shocked the woman, as he merely chuckled before responding to her, and by extension, her father.


    "Do you really believe I would deploy my army to protect you from Japan? I might be willing to sell your realm arms, and munitions, but I have no intentions of defending your Kingdom from the avaricious gaze of Empress Itami. That will be something you have to do yourselves..."


    This response astonished the woman, her father, and the other nobles who had presumed the German fleet would counteract Japan''s attacks. After all, the German military had taken up residence in their backyard. Surely that meant that had ambitions for the region?


    The woman''s father gazed sternly at the Majapahit King, believing that perhaps it was Sarutman who convinced Berengar not to intervene in their defense as a means of ensuring their submission. After ring at his liege for several moments, he could no longer hold his silence.


    "What is the meaning of this? Do we not have an alliance with the German Empire? Is that not why you have ceded control of the a strait to their navy?"


    Suratman glowered at the unruly nobleman and was about to speak when Berengar did so on his behalf.


    "Alliance? I''m afraid you are mistaken... I merely promised to provide arms, munitions, and training to your troops at an affordable price. Though I have taken a liking to your Princess, I have never made a defensive pact with your King. If your reason for resisting centralization of authority was because you thought that I would send my forces to fight a war with Japan on your behalf, you have severely miscalcted the geopolitical situation.


    Make no mistake, the future of the Japanese Armed Forces relies on one critical resource. How do I know this? Because my Empire also makes use of it, and unlike Empress Itami, I actually have an ample supply of the mineral. Once the Japanese realize that they can no longer gain ess to this resource from the Indian subcontinent, they will be presented with two options. Invade the Ming Dynasty, or seize Borneo.


    Naturally, the Japanese will not invade the Ming Dynasty. The Chinese have too muchnd and have too many people. Any territory which the Imperial Japanese Army gains would be faced with stiff resistance by the local poption. The fact of the matter is, the Japanese Empire does not have the required manpower tounch a sessful invasion of the Ming Dynasty.


    Since this is the case, there is really only one option that Empress Itami will be left with. Now that you know the truth, are you really willing to say that this is merely a hypothetical threat that doesn''t require immediate action on your behalf?


    Whether your realm survives the uing war is based entirely upon the level of cooperation that you are all willing to make in your defense against the Japanese. I can provide you with the means to resist, but I will not risk an all out war with the Japanese Empire just for your sake."


    These words were like a massive bombshell, as they evoked an emotional response from all the nobleman, and vassals present. It was just as Berengar had said, their resistance to the centralization of authority was based entirely upon the false belief that the German Military woulde to their aid. Now that they were presented with evidence to the contrary, they had to rethink their actions.


    Anggraini smiled as she did the unthinkable and kissed Berengar on the lips with such passion in front of all her guests. Though they were aware of the rtionship between the Kaiser and the Indonesian Princess, they did not expect her to behave so shamefully in a public setting.


    Berengar merely epted the woman''s kiss and twirled his tongue with her own for several seconds before breaking apart. Anggraini then whispered something in his ears that nobody else had heard.


    "Well yed... With a single speech, you have forced these old fogeys into action. I must say that I am impressed..."


    Berengar simply ignored the woman''s words before speaking to the nobleman, whose daughters were now trembling with fear at the prospect of a Japanese invasion.


    "It is the dawn of a new era, gentlemen. Just like how in Europe feudalism has gone extinct, so too must you all face this reality. Power lies in the hands of Kings, not the nobility. You can either peacefully hand over your authority to King Suratman, or he can bring your noble houses to ruin with the weapons and training I provide to his troops. I suggest you take a few moments to think about your choice..."


    The nobles and vassals of the Majapahit Empire exchanged various worrying nces with one another. Not all of them could swallow their pride and hand over their power at the sudden drop of a hat. They needed time to think about this carefully.


    There were even those who would rather die than give up the power they currently held. However, Berengar did not care about any of this. Instead, he was drinking wine from his ss while fondling Anggraini''s breasts.


    The woman was deeply embarrassed by this action, but she did not halt his movements. She knew better than to upset the Kaiser, and it was clear by the glint in his mismatched eyes that he was putting on a disy of his authority.


    Even King Suratman gazed upon the sight of the foreign emperor groping his daughter in shock. Though he wanted to say something, he knew just how powerful the Reich was, and did not dare utter a word of grievance.


    This alone told the King''s errant subjects that if they were to cling onto their feudal powers, it wasn''t simply a matter of dealing with Suratman''s personal forces. By taking such a scandalous action in front of them, the Kaiser was practically dering that he was the one who held the authority to decide their fates.


    The only sounds that could be heard within the dining hall of the Majapahit pce were Anggraini''s muffled moans as she held her hand over her mouth, trying not to give voice to the pleasure she was receiving. Finally, Berengar halted his actions, and the room came to a sudden silence. He took another small sip of his wine before posing a question to all the Indonesian noblemen who were present.


    "So... Have youe to a decision?"


    Upon realizing the capabilities that the Reich possessed, and the fact that they had set up a massive military base in their backyard. Not a single one of the Majapahit vassals dared to utter a sound of disagreement. Instead, they got up from their seats and kowtowed before King Suratman before surrendering their feudal powers to their King.


    "We hereby dere our eternal loyalty to King Suratman and his bloodline. If you so desire to revoke our feudal powers, who are we to disagree?"


    Suratman was still shocked by the shamelessness Berengar had disyed just a few minutes prior. However, though he did not want to admit it. The Kaiser had his ways of forcing people to submit to his will. After several moments of silence, the Majapahit King epted his vassals'' loyalty, and officially incorporated their territories into a single state.


    ---


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 Chapter ?913 Computers, Portraits, and Sibling Drama

    ?913 Computers, Portraits, and Sibling Drama


    In the following days, Berengar aided the Majapahit King as the man stabilized his newfound power over his vassals. Feudalism within Indonesia had a quick death as the forces that Germany had helped train secured control over their territory and put those who resisted the new order to the sword.


    After nearly a week of effort, Berengar left the Majapahit pce with his concubine and infant son in tow. The two of them boarded the Kaiser''s personal transport aircraft before having a long flight back to Kufstein.


    With little effort, Berengar used one of his many properties to house Princess Anggraini and her young son while also hiring a staff of talented professionals to make sure all their needs were met. The woman was given the same treatment as her Aztec counterpart, while living a life of utter luxury within the world''s most advanced city.


    Upon spending some time with Anggraini and their son Darma, Berengar returned to the pce alone, where he quickly got to work on a critical piece of technology that was absolutely required for the further advancement of the reich.


    For some time now, Berengar had invested extensively into the field of science and engineering, and those investments had already paid off in more ways than one. With an entiremunity of Germany''s greatest minds working together, new technologies were being discovered with each passing week.


    Among these inventions was the vacuum tube. Which Germany''s scientists had already widely adopted in the fields of radio, television, sound recording and reproduction, long distance telephoneworks, among others.


    Though Berengar knew how to create such devices on his own, fundamentally his work in the fields of engineering was nowrgely being superseded by his nation''s scientists, while he focused his efforts on important matters of the state.


    However, every now and then, much like today, he would take time out of his busy schedule to use his vast knowledge to advance certain fields of study. At the moment, he was using the basic technology behind vacuum tubes to create a first generationputer, or at the very least the design of such a device.


    Why was such a critical piece of technology necessary to create? Because it would allow a single man to do a day''s worth of calctions within 20 minutes. This was monumental for civilian applications, as well as the continued development of technology in general, but it also had military applications as well.


    To put this in perspective, when used on board naval vessels, this would allow for the rapid calction of a missile''s trajectory. Meaning that Berengar could implementputer-based attack and defensive programs to use his anti ship, and anti-air missiles most effectively. Theseputers could also be used to effectively break ciphers. Giving Germany an enormous advantage in the field of information during their uing war with the Japanese Empire.


    While vacuum tubes were used for logic circuitry, maic cores were used for memory. Essentially, this was achieved by using rings of semi-hard ferrite transformer cores, where each wire threaded through the core functioned as a transformer winding. Two or more wires passed through each core while maic hysteresis allowed each of the cores to "remember", or store a state.


    By making use of maic core memory, Berengar''sputers were already more advanced than those used during the second world war of his past life. After going over the basic design several more times, perfecting any ws with it. Berengar approved the document before sending it off to the appropriate department, who would bring the design into reality.


    After finishing his work on theputer design, Berengar decided to call it a day, and walked through his pce, where he found his eldest daughter Helga in the middle of painting, it was not unusual for the young girl to be doing such an activity, as she had a fascination of art ever since she was a child. However, her skills had vastly improved over the years, to the point where she could make photo-realistic portraits.


    At first, he silently observed the girl''s efforts until she noticed his presence. With a rather shy expression on her face, she shockingly called out to her father, who was just about to leave the girl alone.


    "Father... If you''re not too busy at the moment, do you mind if I paint you?"


    This sudden request slightly surprised Berengar. In the past, he hadmissionedvish portraits of himself and his family by Germany''s most talented artists, but his daughter had never shown any interest in doing it herself. However, upon hearing such a request, Berengar could only smile and ept the offer.


    "Of course... I would be delighted if you would paint a portrait of me. However, do you mind if I change into something more militant first?"


    The girl nodded her head silently, her eyes never wavering from ncing upon her father''s figure. Upon receiving approval, Berengar silently departed from the room and tidied himself up in his military uniform. Until now, every portrait he hadmissioned was of him, dressed in extravagant noble attire. However, since his daughter was doing the painting this time, he wanted to give her something special. Thus, he dressed in his Reichsmarschall''s uniform, with his greatcoat over it.


    Atop his greatcoat was a ck leather Sam Browne style belt, with his holster that contained a p-27 pistol. The only medal that was visible was his grand cross of the iron cross, which hung gracefully from his neck. After adorning himself in this military uniform, Berengar returned to the room where his daughter was waiting for him.


    Upon seeing her father reappear in his military uniform, a glint of fascination appeared in Helga''s blue eyes, yet there was no smile on her lips. As if she were too shy to show any emotion in front of her own father. Instead, she gave him a simplemand.


    "Please, sit..."


    Berengar did as he was instructed and wore a charming smile as he sat down in a fine oak chair, where he waited for his eldest daughter to paint his portrait. He held his cap in hisp as he sat there in silence.


    Some time had passed before the door to the room abruptly opened, revealing the lithe figure of one of Berengar''s other daughters. The seven-year-old child had a magnificent smile on her face as she rushed over to her father and jumped into hisp before expressing her glee.


    "Daddy, Daddy!!! Come y with me!"


    Berengar smiled as he stroked Zara''s sandy hair. The girl had been born with her mother''s amber eyes and tan skin. Yet her hair took after her father, albeit diluted from a pure gold, to a less saturated color. Among all of Berengar''s children, only Zara could match Hans in terms of sheer intelligence.


    Though Berengar spent as much time as he could manage with his family, he could only spare so many hours of the day, and he had too many children to evenly distribute them with. As much as he wanted to entertain the girl, he had promised to sit still for the portrait for Helga, who rarely approached him forpany. Thus, he could only sigh and reject the girl. However, before he could do so, something peculiar happened.


    Helga showed the first bit of human emotion he had seen on her doll-like face since the day she was born. The girl who was already in her pre-teens pouted at her little half sister and spoke up on her own behalf.


    "Zara, please leave father be.... He is spending time with me right now."


    Zara was confident that she could easily steal her father away from Helga. Thus she put on a deliberately childish act, one fitting her own age as she shook her head and stuck out her tongue before refusing Helga''s request.


    "I don''t wanna!"


    After saying this, the girl shifted her gaze towards her father and innocently looked to the side as if she was in trouble.


    "Daddy... Why won''t youe y with me? Are you perhaps mad at Zara?"


    The sight of his daughter practically in tears nearly broke Berengar''s heart. He honestly did not know the girl well enough to understand that she was just manipting him. However, Helga knew the truth about her younger sister''s personality and bit her lip in displeasure.


    She wanted to speak up and assert that her father had promised to spend time with her, but her anxiety held her tongue. Berengar''s spirit of resistance ultimately broke as he petted Zara''s'' hair beforeing up with apromise he believed would work.


    "How about this? You sit here on daddy''sp, and the two of us will get painted by your sister together?"


    Zara immediately agreed to this suggestion, after all she was able to sit in her father''sp, something she knew Helga desperately wanted to do, but was too shy, and too old to actually aplish thus she nodded her head with a cheeky smile on her cute face.


    "Sure!"


    However, just as Zara said these words, an ugly expression appeared on Helga''s face as she shouted at the top of her lungs for the first time in her life.


    "No! Absolutely not! I am painting father, and father alone! He promised me he would let me paint him! Now get out of here Zara, you''re being a nuisance!"


    Both Berengar and Zara were both surprised by this turn of events. The man had never seen his usually quiet and reserved daughter respond so explosively. Clearly, she took her painting very seriously. Or so he thought.


    In reality, she had for the first time worked up the courage to spend time with her father, who she knew to be an important man, and he had agreed. So no matter what, she would let none of her siblings steal this precious time away from her. No matter what the cost.


    Naturally, Berengar did not know how extreme the girl felt about this minor dispute, but he could tell by her outburst that Helga was serious over this matter. Thus he could only sigh as he lifted Zara off hisp, and petted the girl''s sandy hair once more before sending her on her way.


    "Zara, this painting means a lot to your sister. So I will fulfill my promise to her. I''lle find you after we''re finished here and y with you as much as you desire. So until then, just wait for me, okay?"


    Zara merely pouted before nodding her head in silence. She had never believed that Helga would stand up for herself like she had done today. The girl had to admit she had miscalcted and could only ept her defeat.


    Thest thing Zara wanted was for her father to think she was a spoiled brat. Thus, she walked out of the room as she was instructed to do, but only after making her father promise her that he would spend time with him after the painting was over.


    "Daddy, remember your promise! Okay? I won''t forgive you if you forget about me!"


    After saying this Zara left, and Berengar once more resumed his pose, though this time he had difficulty maintaining his smile. As for Helga, she was just relieved that her father did not abandon her to go spend time with one of her other siblings. And though her painting would not turn out as she wanted now that her model was in a rather poor mood, she could be happy knowing that she still managed to paint her father''s portrait at least once in her life.


    ---


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 Chapter 914 A Father and his Daughter

    914 A Father and his Daughter


    Zara was pouting as she strolled through the halls of the Imperial Pce. Despite her age, or perhaps because of it, the little girl was as brilliant as she was mischievous, and she enjoyed making use of her adorable facade to manipte others intovishing her with praise and affection.


    However, there was one person whose attention she desired most of all, and that was her father''s. Zara, like all of Berengar''s children, knew that the man was the most powerful person in the world. Unfortunately, that also meant that her father was dreadfully busy all seven days of the week.


    There were only so many hours of the day the man had avable to spend time with his family, and much of that was spent satisfying his multiple women. Berengar''s children were forced to contend with one another for his love and affection. Zara knew this well, and when she was not in school, wouldmonly wait outside her father''s office door, hoping to be the first to capture his attention the moment after he was finished with his work.


    Unfortunately, Zara was not expecting him to take a half day, which was a rarity in his line of work. Thus, before she could meet up with her father and monopolize his free time, Helga had struck first. Now Zara was in a pitiful mood. Despite the man promising to spend time with her after he was finished being painted by his eldest daughter. She knew it was entirely possible that some other matter woulde up, and he would be forced to neglect her.


    As a result Zara was sulking in her room alone, when her mother appeared in the doorway. Yasmin was the only one of Berengar''s wives who was older than he was. She was currently in her mid-thirties, and was going through a crisis, feeling that she could no longer have another child.


    Thus, she spent the overwhelming majority of her days spending as much time with what few children she had. When she saw her only daughter in such a sour mood, the caring woman approached the girl and inquired about what had caused her to be so distressed.


    "Zara, what''s wrong? You look like you''re about to cry!"


    The girl sniffled, as if to choke back the tears that were pooling in her amber eyes, before responding to her mother''s question.


    "It''s nothing mother, I just fear that daddy won''t be able to spend any time with me today, like most days... Stupid Helga, howe she beat me to him!"


    Yasmin could understand her daughters'' feelings quite well. It was not only Berengar''s kids who werepeting for his affection. His wives often had to vie with one another for intimacy. Some of them had even adopted strategies of pairing together. Ad and Henrietta being the most notable duo, who almost always spent time together with Berengar rather than be alone by his side.


    The mature Moorish beauty could only sigh and wrap her arms around her daughter before whispering some advice in her ears.


    "If you want your father to pay attention to you, you need to do something that will draw his attention. Helga can get your father''s love because she is a talented painter, Hans because he is a brilliant young man who has pursued a simr path to his father. You are just as intelligent as that boy, but rather than apply yourself to some field that your father can take pride in, you use your wits to manipte people.


    Perhaps you should find something you enjoy doing that your father will also want to participate in. You''re still young, so you have plenty of time to spend with your father. So I don''t believe you should be worried so much about chasing after him."


    Zara nodded her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. Just as she was about to say something to her mother, Berengar entered the room, and gazed upon the emotional scene of his wife and daughter both having depressed looks in their eyes. He couldn''t help but question if he had done something to offend them.


    "Am I interrupting something?"


    The moment Zara heard her father''s voice, all of her sadness dispersed within her heart, and a warm smile appeared on her face as she ran out of her mother''s arms in an attempt to tackle Berengar with a hug.


    "Daddy!"


    Berengar merely chuckled as he caught the young girl and lifted her in the air, where he swung her around. Her golden dress swaying as she spun in the air. Berengar kissed the girl on the forehead before letting her down.


    "So Zara, now that daddy is finished spending time with your sister, what is it that you wanted me to do?"


    Zara was about to make a request when she looked at her mother''s exhausted expression. She decided to alter her ns in that moment to something that would include the three of them.


    "I want mommy, and daddy to take me to the park!"


    The way the girl referred to her mother was different when her father was in the room. Something only Yasmin knew, as she hadrgely kept the girl''s hyper intelligence a secret from Berengar. After all, in Berengar''s eyes, Zara was just an adorable little girl, and was nothing more than that. A perspective Yasmin wanted him to keep for as long as possible.


    After hearing her daughter speak up on her behalf, a pretty smile appeared on Yasmin''s luscious lips as she nodded her head before responding to the girl''s request.


    "If it''s not too much trouble, I would be happy to apany the two of you to the park."


    Berengar thought about it for a few moments before nodding his head in response.


    "Sure, it sounds like a great idea!"


    After saying that, Berengar, Yasmin, and Zara headed out from the pce and took the royal car to the local park, where the families of Kufstein gathered to enjoy their time off. It shocked everyone present when they saw the Kaiser and one of his wives appear with the young girl in tow.


    However, they did not dare approach the man. As an armed unit protected him and his family at all times. After entering the public park, Zara saw that one of the swings was free and quickly ran up to it with a wide smile on her cute face.


    "Daddy! I want to swing!"


    The girl expressed in the most childlike tone she could manage to utter. Berengar merely chuckled as he held Yasmin''s hand while ultimately nodding his head before agreeing to the girl''s request.


    "Sure, Zara, why not?"


    The sight of the Kaiser pushing his young daughter on the swing was forever embedded in the minds of those who witnessed it. Right now, Berengar did not look like the Emperor of the German People. He instead looked like your average loving father.


    The dignity and grace of an emperor was missing. Only thepassionate expression of a young man fawning over his daughter was visible. Zara felt her heart flutter as her father pushed her on the swing, calling out to the man while demanding that he put in more effort.


    "Higher! Daddy pushes me higher!"


    Berengar did as he was told and pushed the girl with a bit more strength. The yground equipment was designed with safety in mind, and thus Berengar was free to push the girl to her heart''s content.


    Yasmin gazed upon the heartwarming scene and felt thankful that her daughter had dragged her along on this asion. It was not every day that Berengar was able to cherish his children like he was able to do so today, and it warmed the mature beauty''s heart to see that the man she married still had such apassionate side to him.


    Ultimately, Berengar, Yasmin, and Zara would spend the rest of the daylight hours at the park enjoying time together as a family. As for Helga, she sat alone in her room, gazing upon the portrait she had painted of her father with a satisfied smile on her face. On this day, Berengar had made two of his daughters'' dreamse true, and he did not even realize it.


    ---


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 Chapter ?915 A Second Chance

    ?915 A Second Chance


    Alexandros had a stern expression on his youthful face as he looked at the menu with intense focus. It was evident by the lines on the boy''s forehead that he was having difficulty choosing something to eat. Meanwhile, the child''s father was far from impatient, instead he gazed around the room with a hint of nostalgia in his mismatched eyes. Finally, after several minutes of indecisiveness, the boy ced down the menu and sighed before he gave voice to his frustrations.


    "I don''t know what to get!"


    A simple snort resounded in the air as Helena retorted to her brother''s statement with a look of contempt on her doll-like face.


    "That''s no surprise. You never know what to order whenever we go out to eat. In fact, it weren''t for dear old mommy Linde you would have probably starved to death by now..."


    The young boy''s face grew red with both embarassment, and frustration as he heard his sister''s venomous words. As for the two siblings'' father, he gazed upon their dynamic with a bit of amusement before lecturing the boy on his behavior.


    "Alexandros, one day you will rule over the Byzantine Empire, and a monarch needs to be decisive in everything he does. However, you''re still young, and since you can''t decide what to eat on your own, do you mind if I tell you what I''m having?"


    The boy nodded his head, though as he spoke, his sight never left his sister''s figure.


    "Go ahead..."


    Berengar smiled before cing his finger on a picture which represented the meal he was going to have himself.


    "It''s a foot long crispy buffalo chicken sandwich, with pepper jack cheese, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. As for an appetizer, I figured I would order a round of buffalo wings we can all share together. How does that sound?"


    Upon hearing his father''s rmendation, Alexandros nodded his head in agreement. However, his excitement was ruined by hearing Helena''s next remarks.


    "That sounds really good. I''ll have one too!"


    After hearing such words, he could only re at his sister, knowing that her reason for selecting this particr sandwich was just to piss him off. Despite the two siblings squabbling over petty shit. Berengar had made a note of the order, and when the waitress came around, he was surprised to see a familiar face.


    A woman who was now in her forties was dressed in rather casual clothes as she gazed upon the Kaiser and his two kids. There was a hint of emotion on her face that only Berengar could recognize. She struggled to find her voice as she curtseyed before the Kaiser, a man she had known since he was a small boy.


    "My Kaiser, it is an honor to have you in my establishment once more. Can I get your order, or do you three still need some time to decide?"


    Berengar shook his head and smiled before handing over the menus to the woman. He gave her their order before posing a personal question to the woman.


    "Helga, I''m surprised to see you''re still working in this old shop. As far as I''m aware, you and your husband have opened up locations all across the Reich. Yet you still undertake mundane tasks such as serving?"


    A smile spread across the woman''s face when she realized that Berengar still remembered her, which dispelled the worries she previously had. It was over a decade ago when the man first introduced the sandwich to Austrian Cuisine. She and her husband had invested in opening up the world''s first sandwich shop, which Berengar had attended on his first date with Ad at this exact location.


    The woman wanted to tell the Kaiser all about how he had changed her life for the better, but she could see he was sharing a meal with two of his children, and thus she decided to only briefly detail why she was acting as a waitress on this night.


    "One of my girls had a family emergency, and because of that, I decided to pick up her shift. My husband typically runs the daily operations of the chain, while I act as manager in the original location. As for your orders, I will have them right out! Please enjoy your stay."


    Helena gazed at her father with curiosity. She was wondering why the man had taken them to the old quarter of town, which still maintained the frachwerk architecture which was popr in the preceding era. To think that he had a connection to this woman. Berengar saw the way his daughter was eying him and chuckled beforementing on his rtionship with Helga.


    "Helga was one of the original inhabitants of Kufstein back when it was just a small farming town. You may not be aware of how unimportant our family''snds were until just thirteen years ago, but the thriving metropolis you see today was entirely non-existent. Anyway, that''s not why I dragged the two of you out to dinner. I want to talk to the two of you about your mother..."


    The air grew stale as both Alexandros and Helena squashed their petty rivalry for a single moment and instead they red at their father together. They had much love for the man, despite the fact that he was an incredibly busy person with a veryrge family. The fact that he was able to spend so much time with them was already a god send.


    But these two siblings universally agreed on one thing: that Honoria was the worst among their mothers. Unfortunately, she just so happened to be the one who had given birth to them. Berengar could tell they were displeased with his words, and sighed heavily as he took a sip from his liter of beer. He wiped the foam from his mouth before addressing thergest issue at hand.


    "I know the two of you are not exactly the biggest fans of your mother. Alexandros more so than you Helena. I''m not going to excuse the fact that she was not the most present part of your upbringing. However, your mother is looking to put that behind her, and be a proper parent to you and your younger brother.


    I''m not asking the two of you to forgive the woman for her neglect. I just want you to give her a second chance. By all means, you two can still consider Linde or any other of my wives as your actual mother, but I want you both to know that Honoria cares about the two of you, even if she doesn''t always show it."


    Before the two siblings could speak, Helga returned with a tray full of buffalo wings and several tters of both blue cheese and ranch dipping sauce. Berengar had a wide smile on his face as he saw this, before thanking the woman for her efforts.


    "Thanks, I''m sure my kids will enjoy these."


    The woman smiled and nodded her head before departing, allowing the trio to eat their meal in peace. Berengar did not wait for his two kids'' answers, and immediately dipped one of the buffalo wings into the ranch dressing before taking a bite out of its chunky meat.


    Alexandros and Helena stared at each other. They both had words they wanted to say, but they were also both hungry. Thus, they decided to wait until after they had eaten their meal to give their father an answer. It would also allow them to silently think about their response. After Helena ate her first hotwing, Berengar noticed that she had a bit of sauce on her face, and dabbed it off of her with his napkin. The girl pouted as she scolded her father for stealing her sauce.


    "Daddy! I was going to lick that!"


    Berengar merely chuckled and licked the napkin to further tease the girl before taking a bite into another buffalo wing.


    "toote!"


    Eventually, the sandwiches appeared, and the two siblings devoured the food with gusto. They both very much enjoyed their father''s selection. It was only after every scrap of food was eaten that Berengar gazed sternly at his children and asked for their answers.


    "So, how about it? Are you willing to give your mother a second chance?"


    The two kids stared at each other once more, and silently nodded their heads before Helena spoke up on her brother''s behalf.


    "We will give Mother another chance, but not for her sake..."


    Berengar''s brow raised a little as he immediately followed up to that answer with a question.


    "Oh, is that so? Then may I ask for whose sake are you willing to do it for?"


    In the next moment, the two kids voiced their thoughts at the same time, as if they shared the same mind.


    "Yours!''


    Berengar washed down the spicy meal with the rest of his beer before even attempting to respond to this bold statement. After doing so, he sighed heavily before praising the two kids for their generosity.


    "I must say, I have two great kids, if they''re both willing to look over their mother''s faults, for my sake... Very well, when your mother returns from her journey we will all go out to eat together as a family."


    After saying this, Berengar paid the bill, and gave Helga a rather big tip in the form of a thousand mark bill. Despite running a sessful chain of restaurant, he still felt the obligation to generously tip his server. After all, he had so much wealth that a mere 1000 marks were nothingpared to the service and meal he had received.


    After doing so, Berengar led his children back to the car, where members of the Leibgarde were ready to escort them back to the pce. Though Alexandros and Helena had not forgiven their mother for being absent in their childhood, they had decided to give her a second chance. After all, they both still had many years left as children, and it would be a waste to give up on their biological mother so early on in life.


    ---


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 Chapter 916 Ambush in the Outback

    916 Ambush in the Outback


    While Berengar was spending time with his family, Honoria was about to reach the shores of Australia. The corvette was at the front of the formation, nked by several destroyers, and protected by two submarines beneath the ocean''s surface.


    After god knows how long at sea, Honoria and her crew were about to step foot on the soil. Soil that had been untainted by human civilization, and was ripe for the taking. Upon seeing thend in the distance, Honoria plugged her magazine into her submachine gun''s mag well, and racked the bolt back so that a round was chambered in ce.


    Nobody knew what awaited them in this foreignnd, and Honoria''s experiences with native poptions were a mix of outright hostility and potential friendliness. What she did know, is that whoever dwelled on this massivendmass had little contact with the outside world, if any at all.


    No longer were there wooden rowboats that Honoria and her crew made use of to reach the shore. Instead, RHIBs existed as the primary choice ofnding craft for this corvette, and the attached destroyers. RHIB standing for Rigid Hull Intable Boat.


    The front of these RHIBS were mounted with MG-27 general purpose machine guns, which was modelled after the MG-42 from Berengar''s past life. This mounted weapons tform ensured firepower that was capable of defeating anything the crew mighte across in this section of the world.


    Luckily, the girls did not need to use the weapon as they safely approached the shores with Honoria in the lead. Shortly thereafter, the marine attachment deployed from the destroyers in a simr method. All in all, several hundred people from the Reich were now standing upon the shores of what was once known as Australia in Berengar''s past life.


    The moment the Marinesnded, they unfurled a g of the Reich, and stuck it into the ground, iming the entire continent for themselves. Though it may seem like a small action, it was the first step in Berengar''s n. A n which Honoria was an integral part of.


    Over the following days, the German Marines and the privateers did nothing but begin construction of a small military base. In the typical fashion of Germany''s early colonization efforts, the base that was established was a small star fort made of mostly timber. This acted as their means of defense against the local poptions, and proof of settlement for any international ims Germany may make in the near future.


    As the German Marines were constructing the base and the apanying dockyard. Honoria and her girls had begun to explore deeper ind. Berengar had explicitly warned the woman of the sheer amount of dangers that existed in Australia.


    From poisonous snakes, spiders, and octopuses to saltwater crocodiles, heavyweight kangaroos and, of course, the dreaded emu. And that was just the wildlife. If one were in the joking mood, they might even suggest thend of Australia itself wanted to snuff out all the human life that existed within its borders.


    Thus, Honoria''s expeditions further ind were done with a bit of caution. It did not take long for Honoria and her girls toe across one of these fabled beasts, especially considering they were operating out of the back of a kubelwagen.


    Honoria was in the middle of taking photos of herself and her girls as the car drove through the westernmost portion of the Australian outback. The loud roar of the vehicle''s diesel engine sent a nearby pack of kangaroos into a panic as they leaped off and away from the crew of western women.


    The girl mounted on the back of the machine gun within Honoria''s car, aimed down her sights at the fleeing animals and was about to pull the trigger when Honoria halted her. She had a stern gaze on her pretty face as she scolded the woman for the unecessary violence.


    "What do you think you''re doing? They''re obviously not a threat at the moment. Don''t shoot unless you have to!"


    The woman looked down in shame as she nodded her head and lowered the weapon, ensuring that she would not identally fire a round at the native wildlife. It was not until they were reaching the limit of their vehicle''s range did the small convoy of womene to a stop. Honoria sighed and began to apply her makeup when she gave an order to the girls in the convoy.


    "Fill up the tank with the Jerry cans. I suppose we should head back now. We have yet to see any natives. So perhaps thisnd is entirely uninhabited."


    While making this statement Honoria did not know that a group of aboriginals were hiding in the nearby bush, gazing upon the white women withplicated expressions. They did not know who these foreigners were, why they hade to thisnd, and just what vehicle they were using to propel themselves through the outback. After all, they had yet to invent the wheel, let alone steel, rubber, or even thebustion engine.


    One of the hidden aboriginals stepped back in a hint of panic andnded upon on a dry branch which cracked beneath his weight, signalling to the woman that they were not alone. Honoria immediately stashed away her makeup and mirror where she unslung her MP-27 machine gun and aimed down its sights towards the direction in which the noise had urred. She did not even have time to deploy the under folding stock, and merely held it forward with the tension of the sling.


    As for the girl on the mounted MG, she also aimed down the weapon''s sights and pointed it in the direction where the branch had broken. Though she would not fire until her captain had given the order. Honoria narrowed her gaze and called out in the Germannguage, not knowing which tongue the local poption spoke in, or even if intelligent life was surrounding her.


    "Come out with your hands up! I will count to three. If you do not reveal yourselves by then, don''t me me for not being polite!"


    After saying this, Honoria called out to the girls who were refuelling the cars.


    "Hurry the fuck up! I don''t want to be stranded out here in the middle of fucking nowhere, surrounded by savages!"


    After saying this, she began to count.


    "One!"


    Yet not a single movement could be detected.


    "Two!"


    Still, not a single voice could be heard.


    "Three!"


    Finally, after three breaths, Honoria held down the trigger of her submachine gun, and unloaded its magazine into the bush blindly. The moment she did so, screams filled the air, indicating that she had indeed hit something.


    The moment Honoria started spraying lead was the moment that the mounted gunners, as well as those members of the convoy who were not already in the act of refueling, noticed movement. With the first gunshots fired, the aboriginals had emerged with wooden spears in hand. They were less than thirty meters away, and because of this, Honoria deemed them as a threat.


    "Kill them all!"


    With this order given, thousands of rounds flowed from the mounted general purpose machine guns, and the handheld submachine guns. Ruthlessly gunning down the two dozen men who had approached the foreign convoy and its members.


    Honoria spat on the ground, and reloaded her weapon, before raising her hand in the air, signalling her girls to halt their actions. After doing so, she sent a few girls to check out the bush and see if there were any survivors.


    "Check it out!"


    After saying this, a small squad of young women walked through the bush and found several corpses riddled with bullet holes. Their blood oozing onto the dirt beneath their corpses. However, there were indeed no survivors. Having confirmed this, the women returned to the convoy, which was now fully refuelled and ready for action.


    "They''re all dead, nothing but a bunch of stone age savages. Typical..."


    Upon hearing this, Honoria knew that the natives here posed no threat to her, or the rest of thending party, and gave the order to return to the encampment.


    "Alright, fall back. For now, we will report what we have found to the marines. It is up to them to establish operational security. I think we have learned enough."


    After saying this, the woman hopped back into her Kubelwagen, where the convoy departed back towards the shores where their encampment was located. Leaving behind a pile of corpses that would confuse the aboriginals who came across them.


    ---


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 Chapter ?917 International Diplomacy at Work

    ?917 International Diplomacy at Work


    Word quickly spread of the Japanese Empire''s conquest of Maguindanao, so much so that the Ming Emperor was quick to call a meeting with the German embassy in Beijing. Currently, Ambassador Gerhard von Graz sat in his seat, while being attended to by two young Chinese women. These girls were twins, and they poured a cup of tea for their master with the utmost grace and civility. After filling his cup, they turned to the Ming Prince and did the same for him before scurrying off out of earshot.


    That''s right, the Ming Prince. Although the Emperor had called for this meeting, he would not dignify a mere ambassador with his esteemed presence. Thus, he had sent his son Prince Zhu Li to speak with Gerhard.


    The German ambassador was ustomed to meeting with the crown prince. Unfortunately, Zhu Zhi was the general ced in charge of the conquest of Indochina. Thus, his younger brother, a man who had served as ambassador to Japan in the past, was reassigned to speak with the Reich''s representative.


    Zhu Li was not a tenth of the man his elder brother was. He was neither an intelligent nor a cunning man. He also had a misced sense of pride both in himself and his family''s empire, which,bined with his low intellect, made for a ratherughable ambassador. It was no wonder that he had failed so miserably to move Empress Itami''s heart.


    Though Gerhard was aware of the rumors surrounding the young prince, he still treated the young man with respect. After all, he could not afford to damage rtions with the Ming Dynasty. He had alreadymitted one grave mistake against the Kaiser in years past, and spent nearly a decade making up for it. Now that he had afortable position in Beijing, why would he screw it up? Thus, the man''s tone was filled with reverence as he spoke with the haughty prince.


    "It is my pleasure to host your highness. Tell me, Prince Li, what is so urgent that I must clear my schedule for this meeting?"


    Zhu Li was entirely unaware of how advanced the German nation had be. He knew not of their supreme military might that even the Japanese Empress feared deep within her ck heart. The Prince also had a general disdain for Germans and what he perceived to be an air of arrogance that surrounded them. In other words, his ignorance and pride had caused him to behave in a less than friendly manner when Gerhard spoke to him.


    "Who do you think you are? You cleared your busy schedule for me? As if that is supposed to be a problem? You should feel blessed that I decided to grace an ambassador from a backwater nation like you with my presence. You have no right to speak with me with such a tone, barbarian!"


    It surprised Gerhard that the Ming Prince would act this way. After all, he said his words with an irreverent tone, and meant no offense whatsoever. He had heard stories that the man was rather ipetent, but he never knew it was to such a degree.


    When Zhu Li was enamored with Itami''s beauty, he had never raised his voice to her. Even if she was a barbarian, he would never say such uncouth words to her pretty face. However, at the moment, he was speaking to a man from the western world. How could a man as esteemed as a Ming Prince possibly bite his tongue for such a person?


    Despite the misunderstanding that had just urred. Gerhard did not grovel and beg for the Ming Princes'' forgiveness. He could not afford to sully the reputation of the Reich, and its glorious Kaiser. Even in a private conversation between two ambassadors.


    After all, Germany only treated the Ming as an "equal" because they did not wish to worsen rtions between them, and East Asia, which they had no long-term ambitions for. If Berengar really wanted to, he could utterly crush the Ming dynasty with his vast military power. As a result, Gerhard had lost all respect in his tone when he responded to the Ming Prince''s harsh words.


    "If this is how you speak to foreign ambassadors, it is no wonder that you were kicked out of Empress Itami''s pce. Though why your father would send such an utter buffoon to my residence is beyond me. Perhaps he was hoping you would reflect on your previous actions and learn from your past mistakes. It is clear the man has put too much faith in you.


    Let''s cut the bullshit. You''re here because your father is worried about the Han Minority within the Inds that the Japanese Empire is currently invading. It is the Ming Emperor''s concern that if the Imperial Japanese Army were to push even the slightest bit north, they would be attacking another Ming tributary, and he wants to know what our stance on the issue is?"


    Zhu Li''s expression soured when he heard this. He was about to open his mouth when Gerhard interrupted him after taking a sip of his tea.


    "Judging by the look on your face, I''m right, aren''t I? Let''s save us all some time, and allow me to convey to you our Kaiser''s will. It is his belief that should Empress Itami send her forces northward towards Caboloan, then the only solution is economic sanctions.


    Withholding trade from the Japanese would cripple their economy, and would force Empress Itami to printrge quantities of paper currency topensate. In doing so, she would most certainly cause hyperintion to ur, which would only lead to future problems for her Empire.


    The Kaiser will do his part to rally his allies so that they all agree to engage in these economic sanctions. However, if we wish our response to be truly effective. The Ming Dynasty, as the Japanese Empire''srgest trading partner, will have to do its part and cut off all trade with Empress Itami.


    I''m sure you have no idea what I''m talking about, but if you repeat my words to your father, he will understand the Kaiser''s intent. Now, were there any other questions your father had for me, or do you n to continue to waste my precious time?"


    Gerhard''s words iparably offended Zhu Li. It was one thing for Itami to kick him out of her pce. As angry as he was when she had done so, he could tolerate it. However, this western barbarian was asking for a beheading. Thus, the Ming Prince rose from his seat with a fierce glint in his eyes before rebuking the German Ambassador for his vicious remarks.


    "You wille to regret your words today! I, Zhu Li, am not a man you can so easily afford to offend! I will be back, and when I have done so, I will have your tongue removed!"


    Gerhard was not the least bit intimidated. The Ming Emperor needed Germany''s aid if he were to resist the rising threat of the Japanese Empire. Because of this, Gerhard could fearlessly provoke the foolish Prince. However, just to ensure that the idiot did not deliberately misinform his father of their meeting out of pure spite. The German Ambassador made one final remark before sending the Ming Prince on his way.


    "Just for the record, I will send over an urate report of what we have discussed today to your father in a few hours. I''m sure he would like a written copy for his records. He can consider this a gift from the Kaiser..."


    Zhu Li''s face turned ghastly when he heard this, wondering in that moment how he could have been seen through. It was exactly this clown''s intent to go back to his father and say that Germany intended to do nothing, and gave no suggestions whatsoever, before rudely sending the Ming Ambassador packing. Gerhard had enough experience with durds and fools to know their thought processes. Thus, he could urately predict and preempt Zhu Li''s intended actions with a single sentence.


    Ultimately, the Ming Prince was speechless as he trotted out of the German Embassy in a huff. He swore one day he would have his vengeance on Gerhard and the Reich as a whole for treating him this way. As for the German Ambassador, he sat back in his seat and sipped on his tea in silence.


    As he did so, the two Chinese maids from earlier entered the scene and kowtowed before their master. There was a look of worry on their faces as they silently conveyed their thoughts with their mind. Ultimately, the elder of the twins spoke up and inquired about the sincerity of the situation.


    "Master, is something wrong?"


    A slight sneer appeared on Gerhard''s face as he ced his teacup down on the saucer which sat upon the table. A nk resounded in the air as he shifted his gaze over to the two women and red sternly at them before responding to their question.


    "Send a message to Imperial Intelligence. Prince Zhu Li is going to be a problem..."


    The two Chinese maids had worked for the German Embassy long enough to understand what these words meant, and because of this, they silently nodded their heads before departing from the room. One of the two young women entered a secret room and sent an encrypted radio message back to the Reich. Informing them of the German Ambassador''s words. As for Zhu Li''s ultimate fate, that was up to Linde to decide.


    For now, both the German Empire and the Ming Dynasty would watch and wait to see how the Japanese Empire proceeded with their invasion of the Philippines. One wrong step, and they could find themselves buried by international sanctions.


    ---


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 Chapter 918 Japans First Power Plant

    918 Japan''s First Power nt


    While Berengar was spending time with his loving family. Itami was utterly alone. Though it was true that she had both her mother and sister looking after her. The woman was more annoyed by these two family members, thenforted by their presence.


    However, today was not a day that Itami could sit back and wallow in her loneliness. Rather, she had to get ready early in the morning and dress herself in her nicest attire. Why would she have to do such a thing? Because after nearly two and a half years of development, today was the day that Japan''s first power nt had finished construction.


    Unlike Germany, which was filled with rivers that could be used to generate clean and renewable electricity. Japan did not have such a luxury and was, for the time being, forced to rely on coal. However, now that her workers had concluded their construction of the first power nt, she could provide electricity to Heian-ky��. Which would greatly improve her workers'' efficiency, as she could employ workers on rotational shifts, with some of them working through the dead of night toplete their industrial projects.


    If the German Empire was a state whosemon citizens enjoyed the benefits ofbor protectionws, countless luxuries, and a vibrant economy. Then the Japanese Empire was the exact opposite. It had be an industrial ve state, where its citizens considered themselves lucky that they could eat three bowls of rice a day.


    The work conditions in Japan were abysmal, and there had been no major shift in the social structure. The Samurai ns continued to dominate as the primaryndowners. However, rather than be a ss of feudal lords and warriors like they were in the past, they now enjoyed the pampered lives of wealthy industrialists. Meanwhile, the Peasant ss still remained. It''s just that the majority of them had been shifted from the fields to the factories, which continued to prop up the ever increasing Japanese war machine.


    It was arguable who in Japanese society had it worse. The young conscripts who were forced at gunpoint to fight and die in foreignnds, for natural resources they could have easily gotten by trade. Or the middle-aged factory workers who toiled endlessly for a pittance of pay. It went without mentioning that what little sry these workers received was spent entirely withinpany stores, whose rigged prices were designed to keep the peasant ss in an increasing amount of debt.


    The only reason this dystopia had not copsed on itself was because of the fear which Itami Riyo ruled over her people with. While Berengar was a beloved figure to the German people, the Japanese saw their Empress as nothing more than a merciless tyrant and a vicious despot.


    Itami was entirely aware of these criticisms. Though she disagreed with them entirely. The young Empress honestly felt the fact that she had forced Japan to unify under her banner, and industrialize in such a rapid capacity, was an achievement for the history books. It was her belief that the suffering of her people in this era was necessary to achieve a state of Global Dominance. It was only after Japan was left without a rival could she focus on the welfare of her people.


    These were the thoughts the young woman was having as she dressed in a rather elegant gown. For some time now, she had worn a military uniform in public as a show of force. However, today was not a military achievement, but rather one of the civilian sector. As a result, she had chosen a pretty dress to wear as a peaceful statement to her people.


    Though Itami was in a cold war with Germany, she was forced to admit their taste of fashion was extravagant. She could not easily introduce such revealing designs to her poption without some form of bacsh from the more conservative members of her society. As a result, she had purchased a few exquisite dresses from the Reich in secret.


    She couldn''t decide whether she wanted to wear a blood-red princess style gown, or a snow-whitecey cocktail dress. While Itami was garbed in nothing but her underwear,she held up the two dresses towards her Julian love pillow, and asked the inanimate object for its opinion.


    "Julian, what do you think? Which should I wear to the event today?"


    Utter silence prevailed in the room. However, in Itami''s head, she could practically see the man pondering over the question before giving her his honest thoughts. From an outside observer''s perspective, nothing was said in between the question and the response that Itami had given shortly thereafter.


    "I agree. The white dress will go better with my hair. Thanks Julian, you always did have a great taste in aesthetics!"


    After saying this, Itami hugged the pillow before tossing the blood-red gown aside and slipping into thecey white cocktail dress. Once she was fully dressed, she put on a pair of white leather heels before doing a strut about the room. She posed a question to the pillow once more, which resounded throughout the air.


    "What do you think?"


    Again, silence prevailed for several moments, but this time, the woman responded to her own question in a rather peculiar manner. She shifted her gaze over to the painting of Berengar and frowned before scolding it.


    "Not you! I was talking to Julian!"


    Almost immediately after hearing this, a smile erupted on Itami''s wless face and she rushed over to the pillow and hugged it once more, before nting a kiss on what would be its lips if it were a human being. She snuggled in its arms for several moments before responding to the inanimate object''s non-existent answer.


    "You''re the best!"


    As Itami was enjoying herself within her delusional state of mind, a knock resounded on the door, followed by the sultry voice of her mother.


    "Riyo, we are heading in five minutes. Do not bete for this event!"


    Itami frowned before speaking to her pillow once more in a voice that was hushed so that her mother could not hear her.


    "I''ll be back in a bit Julian, please wait for me!"


    After saying this, the woman rushed out the door and down towards the Great Hall, where her mother and sister were awaiting her arrival. The two women were dressed in yukatas and were surprised to see the rather liberal state of dress that Itami wore. Momo pouted in jealousy, as her eyes were drawn to the exquisite craftsmanship of the western style dress.


    "Nee-chan, where did you get that?"


    Itami panicked upon hearing this, not wanting it to be known that she had abused her authority to smuggle German fashion into her personal wardrobe. Despite her best efforts, she was a terrible liar and looked the other way before making something up on the spot.


    "Oh this, I had my tailor make it especially for this asion!"


    Though Momo was na?ve enough to believe her elder sister''s words. Thier mother was not so foolish, and could immediately tell Riyo had done something rather scandalous in order to obtain such a fine dress of foreign design. However, the mature beauty did notment on this reality, and instead sighed before walking down the steps of the pce with her two daughters in tow.


    The trio were nked by an entire battalion of soldiers, who protected them as they marched through the streets and towards the new power nt. Berengar''s Leibgarde was more of just a redundancy than it was a practicality. The people of Germany loved him and his family so much that it was entirely unlikely that any of them would ever attempt to harm a hair on his head.


    Because of this, the Kaiser only kept a few of his most elite soldiers to protect him and his family''s persons when they were out and about throughout the borders of the Reich. Sort of like the United States'' Secret Service during his past life.


    However, for Itami, things were vastly different. There were many within Japanese society who despised their empress, and because of this, when she travelled through the streets, the roads were cleared in their entirety, while a thousand soldiers of her Royal Guard protected her from any potential threats.


    Ultimately, she and her family would arrive unharmed at the Power nt, where she gave a brief speech about Japanese advancement and the need for unity during these troubling times. For some, the Empress''s words struck an ord and dispelled a portion of their internal resentment. While for others, the speech only fell on deaf ears. In the end, Itami cut the ribbon, and opened Japan''s first power nt, which in theing days would provide electricity throughout the capital of the Japanese Empire.


    ---


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 Chapter ?919 Awaiting Logistics

    ?919 Awaiting Logistics


    Honoria sat on the beach with a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She had returned from the outback not long ago and had already reported her findings to themander of the marine attachment which apanied her and her girls on this perilous journey. As a result, the small outpost which was established on the shores of Australia''s western coast was on high alert.


    German marines rushed through the base, loading up their magazines, and stashing them away in their load-bearing equipment. To be frank, they did not know howrge this ind was, nor how many people were present here. However, because they had encountered hostiles within a one hundred kilometer radius, they were not willing to take any chances.


    As for Honoria, she was rather stoic as she took a puff from her cigarette and blew out the smoke into the air. Malissa was by her side, and was questioning what their next objective was.


    "So wended on the ind, established an outpost, and raised the German g. What else are we supposed to do here?"


    Honoria scoffed as she heard this before responding to her first mate''s questions with a hint of disinterest in her voice.


    "Nothing... We''re supposed to wait until a proper supply line is established from here to Singapore. Once that is made, the German military will invest heavily in taking control of the ind. As for us, we will move on to the inds north of here and repeat what we have just done.


    Right now, Berengar is concerned that the Japanese will invade thesends and take them for themselves. Thus, Berengar wants to establish control over the entire region himself, before Japan can im they already have a presence here.


    I don''t know what his whole strategy is, but from what I can tell, he intends to establish small military outposts throughout the region and use his power to coerce his allies into recognizing his ims over the entire inds.


    Then if Japan tries to settle any ind where there is a German outpost, he can use international pressure to remove them. I honestly feel sorry for Itami. I doubt she is a match for my man. He is an expert in many things, including geo-politics.


    Anyway, the point is it will probably be another week before we set sail for our next destination. In the meantime, you can tell the girls to go on regr patrols. The marines are already stretched thin as is. We need to do something to help out. Once we have maintained a direct supply line so this base can be a permanent part of German soil, we will be off to the next location."


    Malissa listened to every word which her captain had spoken and took note of all the small details. After thoroughlyprehending everything that was said. She nodded her head and saluted Honoria before leaving the woman behind.


    "Aye, aye, cap''n..."


    After saying this, Malissa went to dispatch the orders to the rest of the crew. While Honoria sat on the shore drinking coffee in silence.


    ---


    Honoria was not the only one who was sitting quietly on the battlefield waiting for supply lines to catch up. Emperor Asha of the Bengal Empire sat within arge stone fortress that was established by the Pandya Dynasty centuries prior. He and his army had recently moved into the southernmost region of the Indian Subcontinent and had made great progress in their conquests of the region.


    However, after extending his forces too far, Asha realized his army was running low on munitions, and well beyond his supply lines. Thus, he sat back and waited for the logistic units to catch up to him, without the slightest worries that they might be ambushed.


    Ambushed? That wasughable, considering how many war elements had Gatling guns mounted on their backs. However, as he was waiting in the stone fortress, one of the Japanese advisors who was attached to the Bengal Army came forward and spoke his worries.


    "This campaign is taking too long. The Germans took over the Anangpur Empire in a single day. Since then, they have been doing their best to equip and train the Anangpur Army to a standard that is on par with your forces. If we do not make swifter progress, then by the time our armies reach the borders of the Anangpur Empire, they could very well pose a threat to your ambitions."


    Asha frowned when he heard these words as he gazed off into the dense jungles of Southern India. There was a stern look on the man''s face as he turned around and stared deeply into the Japanese Advisor''s eyes.


    "Do you truly believe that we can advance into the jungles, without supplies, and ovee our enemies who lie in wait for us? The Pandya Dynasty may be equipped with obsolete firearms, but those weapons are still deadly. I know what your Empress thinks of me, but I am not the fool that she believes I am.


    If I march into the jungle without a constant supply of resources. My soldiers will run out of food, water, and, most importantly, ammunition. We will be forced to use our bays. Meanwhile, the enemy will have the advantage, because they will have ess to firearms, primitive though they may be.


    They can make use of crude ck powder and a small rock to punch through our armor at close distances. They do not need primers for their weapons to function! That is their advantage. Since I can not manufacture my own ammunition, I must wait for supplies to arrive from your homnd in order to continue the fight. Something your Empress should be entirely aware of! Do not fret. Within the hour, thetest batch of supplies should be reaching this outpost."


    Though the Japanese advisor wanted to press Asha into advancing, he understood the Bengal Emperor''s words to be true. Thus, just when he was about to capitte, a bell rang in the distance. Signalling an enemy''s approach.


    The Pandya Dynasty had raised an army and equipped its soldiers with ck powder muzzle loaders. Normally this would not be a problem for the Bengal Army, and yet they had to conserve their ammunition.


    In the entire stronghold, they had less than 3,000 rounds to fire. As for the Pandya forces, they had well over 10,000 men gathered. Asha immediately cursed in his native tongue when he saw this and quickly gave the order to attack.


    "Make sure those fucking cannons don''t make it within firing distance. I want you mother fuckers to shoot anyone who tries to move them closer!"


    With this order given, gunshots echoed in the air, as the men wheeling the cannons forward were sted in the chest. Their lives were lost without even seeing who it was who had imed them. However, whenever a body dropped, another man would take his ce and push the cannons forward together as a team.


    The Pandya troops did not fire on the stronghold, instead they advanced further, wanting to conserve their shots for closer range in order to ensure maximum uracy. While they marched forward towards the stronghold where the Bengal Army was held up. The soldiers who hid behind the ramparts fired their shots wantonly into the dense formation of Pandya soldiers.


    With each shot fired, a body fell, however the men werecking in munitions, and because of this, they tried to make every shot count. Every time a Bengal soldier missed his target, he would grit his teeth in frustration before racking the lever and firing another down range.


    Eventually the muzzle loading cannons reached firing distance, and the artillery crews fired off a barrage of cannonballs which struck the ancient forces, and turned its stone walls to ruin. Asha nearly bit his tongue in rage as he realized that he did not have enough munitions to hold off the enemy, and because of this, he gave another order to his troops.


    "Protect the gates! Fix bays and protect the gates!"


    As the Bengal soldiers continued to expend what little ammunition they had avable to them. The Pandya troops marched forward through the gunfire without any regard for their own wellbeing. Their strategy was to bleed the Bengal forces dry of their supplies before breaking down the gates and engaging in an all out melee. If they could cut the head off of the Bengal snake, then the body would die with it. Or so they believed.


    However, as the cannonballs reigned down upon the stone fortress, the sound of an elephant''s roar raged in the air, causing all the men on the battlefield to look to the east, where the supply caravan came into sight.


    Upon seeing an army of the enemyying siege to the fortress, the war elephants which protected the supply lines, aimed their Gatling guns towards therge army, and began indiscriminately spraying lead down range.


    Within a minute, hundreds of Pandya soldiers fell to the ground, their lives rapidly fleeing from their bodies. In the end, the battle was won in Asha''s favor, and the Bengal Army received their supplies. With a smug grin on his face, the Bengal Emperor approached the Japanese advisor and spoke with a haughty tone.


    "Now we can advance further ind!"


    ---


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 Chapter 920 Death of a Prince

    920 Death of a Prince


    The Ming Emperor sat in his throne room while reading a letter in his hand. The words contained within the document were so jarring that the man was forced to close his eyes and breathe heavily just so that he could calm his nerves.


    Before sending his young son Zhu Li to the German Embassy, he had properly scolded the man for making an ass of himself within Japan. The Emperor truly thought his words had humbled the young man who was always misbehaving.


    However, the letter that he had received from the German embassy was not a friendlymunication. In fact, it was a document which aired Gerhard''s grievances with the ambassador that was chosen to represent the Ming Dynasty.


    Emperor Zhu Wudi, who in this world was known as the Xuande Emperor, was a wise man, who knew full well the vast disparities in strength between his Empire and that of Germany. In fact, judging by the words spoken by his eldest son, it was entirely possible that Germany was a nation well beyond the capabilities of the Japanese Empire.


    If this were true, then the man only felt pity for Empress Itami, yet great fear towards the Germans. He did not believe for a second that their Kaiser had no ambitions outside of trade with the far east. However, challenging Berengar von Kufstein was practically suicide, as every man who had ever threatened the Kaiser was now dead.


    Zhu Wudi knew all too well just how capable a man had to be to rise from the lowliest form of nobility, to an Emperor who subjects all his neighbors to his will. It was an aplishment few men in history could boast. Thus, after taking a few deep breaths, the Ming Emperor called out to his nearest servant and said four simple words.


    "Fetch me my son..."


    Even though Zhu Wudi had many sons, the servant instinctively knew which one he was referring to. For there was only one of the Ming Emperor''s children who would cause the man to speak in such a heavy tone. A few moments passed, and eventually Zhu Li strode proudly into the great hall of the forbidden pce, where he bowed before his royal father with a wide smirk on his face.


    "Father, I have done as you asked, and spoke to the German embassy."


    The servant was about to leave the room when the Ming Emperor called out to him.


    "Stay..."


    After saying this, Zhu Wudi rose from his throne, and pulled out a nearby bottle of whiskey which had been imported from the reich. He poured two sses and handed one to his prideful son without saying a word.


    Zhu Li quickly took a drink, however before he could swallow its contents, his father had reached out and punched the man in the gut, sending him to his knees where he vomited the alcoholic beverage onto the floor. After doing this, Zhu Wudi threw a towel towards his own son and gave him a simplemand.


    "Clean it up!"


    Zhu Li did as he was instructed, but he felt aggrieved and was about to protest his treatment when the man spoke to him in a stern tone.


    "You fucked up!"


    The Ming Prince clearly did not understand his father''s words and quickly protested.


    "What do you mean, I did as you asked? I spoke to the German embassy and got their support!"


    Upon hearing this, the Ming Emperor kicked his son in the face and sent him down to the floor, where his headnded in the pool of vomited whiskey.


    "You did what I asked? Really? Answer me this, you little cocksucker. Did I tell you to insult the German Ambassador? Did I give you instructions to threaten the man in his own home? Huh? In what way did you do as I have asked?"


    A pitiful expression was on Zhu Li''s face. He was greatly enraged and confused by his father''s words, causing him to speak out against him.


    "No, but that barbarian disrespected me-"


    Before he could finish his statement, the man''s father red at him with a murderous gaze before scolding the fool for his mistake.


    "That barbarian is the brother-inw of the fucking Kaiser! Do you understand what that means? It means that the Kaiser sees diplomatic rtions with our realm to be a matter of supreme importance. Yet you, in your infinite wisdom, did not just insult the man, you fucking threatened him! The fact you threatened a member of the Kaiser''s family means that you threatened Berengar von fucking Kufstein himself!


    I can''t save you... In fact, I don''t even want to try. The Germans wille for you now. There is no ce on this, not even my fucking pce, that can grant you a safe haven. So get out of my fucking sight before you drag me down with you!"


    Zhu Li gazed in horror at what his father was saying, but even more so at his father''s reaction. The mighty Ming Emperor was trembling, but not out of rage. No, there was a deep sense of fear in the man''s eyes.


    Despite the Ming Emperor''s cruel words, the Ming Prince could not ept what he had done, nor could heprehend just how screwed he was. In the end, he spoke two simple words, as there was nothing else he could say.


    "Father... Please!"


    However, The Ming Emperor once more rebuked him before ordering the guards to escort him out of the pce.


    "You are no son of mine! Guards, take this dead man out of my home and cast him into the streets. If he dare show his face again, kill him on the spot!"


    Zhu Li continued to scream, but it was no use. The royal guards of the Ming Emperor were too much for the man to handle. They lifted him into the air and threw him into the mud outside the pce gates before closing them. Locking the Ming Prince out of his own home.


    Rain poured from the sky as Zhu Li continued to lie in the mud, contemting just what he had done to deserve such a fate. After nearly thirty minutes, he rose to his feet and began to walk the streets of Beijing like a zombie.


    Though he did not know it, he soon found his way into the market, where a beautiful young German woman approached him with a map in her hands. It was clear that her mandarin was not the best, and yet she politely asked the man a question.


    "Excuse me? Can you tell me how to get to the Pce district?"


    It was not these words that pulled the Ming Prince out of his fugue like state, but the push dagger that pierced his heart moments after they were spoken. Zhu Li gazed in astonishment at the pretty blonde woman, who had a stoic expression on her face as she withdrew her de and walked away, blending into the endless crowds.


    Zhu Li could only gaze in astonishment at the blood which soaked his muddy robes before falling to his knees helplessly. Within an hour after he had been expelled from his home, the Kaiser''s assassins had struck, leaving the once proud Prince of the Ming Dynasty dying alone in a pool of his own blood.


    However, by the time the crowds realized that the man had died in the streets, it was toote. For the female assassin had long since escaped from the scene of her crime. Leaving the Ming Prince as nothing more than a corpse in the streets of Beijing.


    As for the Ming Emperor, he sat back on his throne and gazed at the letter in his hands with tears streaming down his eyes. Before burning it over the me of a candle. As the mes devoured the paper document, thest words to remain visible were the following.


    "Only death awaits those who have threatened the Kaiser and his family."


    ---


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 Chapter ?921 Getting Old

    ?921 Getting Old


    News of Zhu Li''s death spread across Asia fairly quickly. The death of a Ming Prince was no small matter, and because of this, soon everyone knew that the man had been killed in the streets. Though the identity of the assassin was entirely unknown.


    Neither the German Embassy nor the Ming Emperor spoke about this incident after it had urred. What was done was done, and there was no turning back in time. Though the Ming Emperor mourned for the death of his errant son, he did not me the Reich for their cruelty. He knew that if he were given the same circumstances, he would have reacted the same.


    Because no hostilities emerged between the two powers, business continued to boom between the Reich and the Ming Dynasty. Goods flowed from west to east, and vice versa, creating a new silk road, one that was traversed by sea. With the might of the German Navy protecting international trade, there was not the slightest risk in sailing from East Asia to Europe.


    Both the German and Ming Empires prospered during this time of peace. Though both Berengar and Wudi knew that these days would notst forever, they did their best to make the most of the peace while it stillsted.


    While Berengar used this time to advance his society at a rapid rate. Itami had other ns in mind. The war for the Philippines continued as a month went by without issue. In the end, the ind of Mindanao was conquered within this short time frame. Thend was fully annexed by Empress Itami, and she immediately began construction of oil wells and refinement facilities.


    This, whenbined with the fact that Japan had already constructed its first power nt, meant that the Japanese Empire would soon enter the era of mechanized warfare. However, for the time being, they still had many hurdles to pass through before they could truly manufacture armored vehicles.


    Meanwhile, in Australia, Honoria found herself increasingly isted from her crew. They had yet to begin their Ind-Hopping campaign as they still awaited for the supply lines to catch up to the new colony. And it was during this time that the Pirate Queen realized that she no longer found joy in exploration.


    Since Honoria and her crew made first contact with the Aboriginal tribes of Australia. Conflict was a regr part of life within the small outpost that had been established. Patrols were regrly ambushed, and though the German Marines and Privateers were equipped with modern weapons, that did not mean they were invincible.


    After suffering their first casualty, the German Marines responded with a series of punitive raids. Located and attacking the Aboriginal viges without a hint of mercy in their hearts.The only reason the conflict did not spread further ind was simply because the German marinescked the resources to make a proper campaign.


    While the Marines conducted their raids, Honoria''s crew were left to support roles. They did everything they could to pass the time before they set out on their next adventure. During this time Honoria spent nearly every waking hour on the beach staring off into the distance as she drank from her rum.


    Perhaps it was due to her age, but she no longer found joy in exploring, privateering, and fighting with natives. In fact, the whole thing seemed rather silly when she considered how advanced the German Military was. Was there truly a need for privateers like herself in this day and age?


    In the Past Berengar had legalized privateering simply because the German navy wascking in ships to effectively fight against their enemies. Though Honoria''s crew was the most famous of these sea dogs, they were not the only one out there. However, with the advancements in the German Navy, and the overwhelming reach of the Reich, privateering was dying out, and with good reason.


    Currently, Honoria was in a state of contemtion. Thinking about her lot in life. Out of the entire crew, Honoria only recognized Elfrun and Malissa. Malissa was often busy overseeing the more critical tasks that were required of her, and Elfrun spent most of her free time fraternizing with the new recruits.


    As for the rest of the crew, they were a bunch of wide-eyed eighteen-year-old girls, who looked up to Honoria as if she was a living legend, but at the same time they viewed their mighty captain as a relic of the ancient past.


    Honoria merely sipped from her drink as she sighed in depression before muttering her thoughts aloud.


    "Perhaps I really am too old to be sailing around the world with a bunch of young women..."


    It was at this moment, while she was reflecting on why she had even bothereding on this journey, that Elfrun approached her. The woman had a bottle of rum in one hand, while the other was wrapped firmly around the waist of one of her girls. When Elfrun saw the depressed expression on Honoria''s face, she could not help but speak up.


    "Captain, is everything all right?"


    Honoria looked over and saw the girl she had once saved from a life of very. Only she was no longer a young and defenseless girl, but rather a fully grown woman. One who knew how to take charge and kick ass. Perhaps this was the final nail in the coffin, but upon seeing such a drastic change Honoria could not help but sigh and express her true thoughts.


    "I want to go home..."


    Elfrun was taken aback when she heard these words. In all her years of pirating and exploring, she had always seen Honoria as the most adventurous spirit she had everid eyes on. Currently, the crew was exploring unchartednds and conquering them for their homnd. Yet, there was no sense of wonder in Honoria''s mint green eyes, only a deep longing for her family.


    If she was being honest, Elfrun had never seen Honoria in such a homesick state. In fact, in years past, the byzantine Princess would alwaysin about having to go home when the voyage was nearing its end. Yet they had only been gone for a few months, and the woman was already wanting to call it quits.


    This was behavior that wasmon among new recruits, but was definitely not something the Captain should be expressing. Before Elfrun could even try to convince Honoria to cheer up. The woman spoke with a stern tone in her voice.


    "When the ships arrive, I will be sailing back to Singapore... For the first time in my life, I think I have had enough of fleeing from my responsibilities. I should have put an end to this youthful indiscretion of mine a long time ago.


    Elfrun, the ship and the crew are yours tomand. You can do with them as you please. Just remember that you fly the colors of the Reich, and should do nothing that would bring dishonor to your homnd or your Kaiser... I think it is about time that I return to my home."


    Elfrun always knew this day woulde, but she did not think that Honoria would call it quits before they even reached the half-way point of their journey. She was struggling to find the words to respond to this decree. Tears formed in the woman''s eyes as she gritted her teeth andshed out emotionally.


    "It''s that bastard''s fault, isn''t it? Every chance you get, you always abandon us and go running back to his arms! Did you know that out of the original members of our crew, half of them are dead? They died for you! Most of them met their deaths in the Andes, but others passed away on voyages where you weren''t even present! The rest of those girls retired with enough gold to live in luxury for the rest of their lives!


    There''s only the three of us, and I know for a fact once you go, Malissa will follow. After everything I have done for you, you are just going to give up halfway through your retirement journey? Do I mean nothing to you?"


    Honoria had always known that Elfrun had strong feelings for her, but she had chosen to ignore them. Rather than break the girl''s heart. Today, however, it would appear that thendmine she had been avoiding had finally been stepped upon. Thus Honoria took a deep breath before responding coldly towards Elfrun''s statements.


    "I have a family waiting for me back home, one which I have neglected for too long. Over the years I have tried my best to mend the rift between us, but they always feared that I would go on another journey and get myself killed. Because of this, they still treat me as if I am a stranger. I havee here, an entire world away from my home, sitting in the burning son, and for what? Onest chance at a youthful hurrah? I should have known better. I should have rejected Berengar''s kind offer.


    I will always be thankful for what you and all the girls have done for me. I will also always mourn those who have passed away in pursuit of fame, fortune, and adventure. Lord knows I have done everything I can topensate their loved ones for their loss. However, Elfrun, since the day I first took you in, I made you aware that my heart belongs to Berengar. You will always be my most precious friend, but nothing more than that.


    I gift you this crew, and this vessel, because I know you can still do many great things for the Reich. You can lead these girls on the adventures we had all shared together in the past. Perhaps even more exciting ones, now that you don''t need to fear death as we once did. However, you will have to do these things without me..."


    After saying this Honoria did not wait for a response, and merely hugged Elfrun as the girl cried in her arms. The two of them would not speak again, until the day that the supply ships arrived, and Honoria set sail for Singapore. Where she would take the first flight back to the Reich.


    As for the crew of the Queen Honoria''s Revenge, they still had a role to y in Berengar''s expansion, and he would not forsake them even though his wife was no longer their captain. For now, they would continue on their voyages across Austrsia, iming all thend they could for the German Empire.


    ---


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 Chapter 922 welcome Home

    922 wee Home


    Weeks passed by, and the long awaited supply ships arrived in Australia. Along with a significant number of men who could begin the construction of a proper military base. Honoria said her goodbyes to her crew before departing with Malissa back to Singapore. It wasn''t an overly emotional affair, as Honoria had already said everything that was needed to be said to Elfrun. As for the rest of the crew, she barely even knew half their names.


    The two women flew together back to Kufstein, where they shared onest conversation before saying their goodbyes. Honoria struggled to fight back the tears in her eyes as she gazed fondly upon her old first mate. It was difficult for the woman to find her voice, but in the end, she posed the question she was most curious about.


    "So... Where will you go now?"


    Malissa was equally emotionally stricken as she sighed heavily and gazed off towards the west. There were several moments of silence before she revealed her ns.


    "I think I''m going to buy a ticket for Neuhafen. The city is a den of vice. Gambling, Prostitution, drugs, alcohol and plenty of it. It sounds like my kind of ce. I might use my vast fortune to open up a casino, as well as a brothel or two.


    Obviously I know the business pretty well, and for a lot of foreign girls, it''s a better option than remaining in their homnds. I''ll treat them right, maybe even re-invent the game when I''m at it. What about you Honoria? I suppose I already know the answer, but what are you going to do now that you have finally retired from the pirate''s life?"


    Honoria merely scoffed as she wiped the tears from her eyes before responding to the woman''s question.


    "What else can I do? Get down on my knees and beg my children for forgiveness. The looks in their eyes when they saw me going on myst journey. It was truly gut wrenching. I owe it to my kids to be the mother that I should have been all those years ago. I wish you the best of luck, Malissa, and hope that one day we may meet again..."


    Malissa said nothing and merely nodded her head. The two women exchanged a brief hug before departing. It was entirely unknown whether they would see each other again in this life. But Malissa could sigh in relief, knowing that Honoria was no longer the naive girl who recklessly ran away from home all those years ago.


    Honoria had not informed Berengar that she would be returning home so soon. But nothing within the reich escaped Linde''s ears, even in a distant colony like Singapore. Because of this, a car was waiting for Honoria at the airbase, which quickly brought her back to the pce.


    The moment she stepped out of the vehicle, she saw her three kids waiting for her, along with her husband and Linde. Alexandros and Helena gazed upon their biological mother withplex emotions in their hearts. They had honestly never expected the woman to quit half-way through her retirement voyage ande home.


    As for Constantinus, he was merely an infant, and was held in Linde''s arms as if he were her own child. A sight that was all toomon among Honoria''s children. Berengar approached Honoria, who had a long expression on her face, and hugged the woman before whispering into her ears the words she wanted to hear the most.


    "Wee Home..."


    Home. This was where she was meant to be all along. It suddenly seemed so preposterous that she had spent so many years running away from this ce when it was the source of all her greatest memories. Honoria nodded her head and repeated the words as if she were in a trance.


    "Home... Yes, I am finally home..."


    Linde had aplicated expression on her face. Honoria and she had a special bond, one that was second only to the ones they both shared with their husband. She could tell Honoria had a difficult timeing to terms with her retirement. Even she was surprised when she heard that Honoria had boarded the supply ship and abandoned her crew.


    While Linde was reflecting on this, Berengar and Honoria continue to embrace each other for several moments before the man let go of his wife. After doing so, he smiled and grabbed hold of the woman''s luggage, preparing to bring it inside their home. With a wry smile on his face, he mentioned what he and their kids had been up to during her absence.


    "I promised the kids we would go out to eat as a family when you finally returned. I honestly didn''t expect it to be so soon. However, I know what the flight from Singapore does to a person, so I will let you get a few days'' worth of rest before we have our little family outing."


    Honoria was honestly surprised to hear this. She looked over at her two oldest children with a hint of suspicion in her heart before posing her a question to her husband.


    "The kids agreed to this?"


    Berengar smiled, but before he could even respond, Helena spoke up on his behalf.


    "Alexandros and I have both agreed to give you a second chance at being our mother. Something we would have never done before you retired from your life of Piracy."


    These words broke a barrier within Honoria''s mind that she had erected to prevent herself from sumbing to the tears that were ever present in the back of her eyes. The moment she heard her kids say they were giving her a second chance, she fell to her knees and bawled like a bitch.


    The sight was so startling that both of her Kids rushed forward to help the woman, as did Linde and Berengar. When Alexandros and Helena came near, Honoria wrapped her arms around them while struggling to say the following words between her sobbing.


    "Thank you... I promise... To do everything I can... To make up for all those years..."


    Alexandros and Helena were still young kids, and they did not have the mental fortitude to remain calm in such a situation. All it took was for one of them to begin crying before the other one followed suit. Surprisingly, it was the older of the two siblings, Alexandros, who broke down first.


    Linde smiled at the scene. Though the mother and two kids were crying, the redheaded beauty knew this was a good sign. It was the start of a new and healthier rtionship between Honoria and her kids. Even Berengar was nearly moved to tears.


    However, he was a man, and as a man he had resolved himself never to cry, especially not in public. Perhaps, at three in the morning, he might take a smoke break and go bawl his eyes out on the patio by himself. But at this moment, he was as firm as a rock, even when everyone else was moved to tears. Theck of emotion on his face actually caused Linde to be a bit enraged. She balled up her fists and lightly pounded Berengar on the chest as he gazed coldly at the scene.


    "How can you not be crying at a time like this? Are you really that much of an unfeeling asshole?"


    Berengar did not scoff. There was no disdain on his face, nor was there any anger about the sudden "assault". Instead, he gazed upon his most beloved wife and wore a pitiful expression before revealing his thoughts to the woman he loved.


    "I do not have the luxury to cry..."


    Linde heard Berengar''s words and did not understand them at first. However, as she looked around, she realized they were still within the driveway of the Imperial Pce. When she realized they were in public and behaving so shamefully, the woman sniffled for several seconds, and fought back the tears before nodding her head thrice. After doing so, she hugged her man and whispered something in his ears.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it..."


    Berengar merely nodded his head before responding to her apology.


    "I know..."


    With this said, Berengar allowed his third wife and their two kids to cry out all their emotions. After doing so, he led them inside and hosted a special retirement meal for Honoria. Every member of his family was present, and he made sure to do his best to shower Honoria with the love she needed during this painful transition in her life. As for the family outing that he had promised, that would ur on the weekend.


    ---


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 Chapter ?923 Trolling the Japanese Empresspart lll

    ?923 Trolling the Japanese Empresspart lll


    Itami sat within her personal quarters while filling out paperwork. If there was one thing that never changed about her daily life, it was this. She had half a mind to jump out her window and flee the pce every time a stack found its way to her desk.


    While the young empress signed away at the dotted line, there was one other person in her room, a young woman by the name of Nakamura Hana, who was the person Itami had selected to lead her Kempeitai. In other words, her intelligence agency. The woman had visited the Empress to inform her of some rather important matters that needed to be attended to.


    "As you are probably already aware. Prince Zhu Li has recently passed away. After a thorough investigation, we have concluded the reason for his untimely demise. It would appear that after endangering the rtionship between the Ming Dynasty and the German Empire, Prince Zhu Li was disowned by his father and cast into the streets. Apparently, the pampered fool somehow ended up in the middle of the ck market, where he was stabbed and robbed, ultimately resulting in his death.


    Tenn�� Heika-sama, I am aware that the rtionship between you and the now deceased prince soured thest time he visited, but I believe it would be appropriate to send a gift to the Ming Emperor to express our condolences. Though the fool was disowned, he was still Zhu Wudi''s son."


    Itami ced down her pen and shifted her gaze towards her Intelligence Director. She immediately caught notice of the portrait of Berengar, which lie on the wall directly behind the woman. As Itami stared at Berengar''s smug smile, a thought urred within her mind, causing her to unintentionally voice it aloud.


    "Is it possible the Germans had something to do with the Prince''s death?"


    Nakamura immediately shook her head and dismissed this im entirely. From her investigation, there was no evidence to support the idea that German Intelligence had yed a role in the foolish prince''s assassination.


    "That is entirely unlikely. It is far more probable that the spoiled prince pissed off a local gangster and got himself stabbed. Though the German Empire is a force to be reckoned with, even they treat the Ming Dynasty with respect. There would have to be a good reason for why the Kaiser would dispatch his assassins to deal with someone like the errant prince."


    Itami nodded her head with this line of reasoning and sighed before picking up her pen and getting back to her paperwork. As she did so, she expressed her irritation with being interrupted.


    "I guess I''m just being paranoid. Still, I can''t help but feel like that bastard got the best of me yet again... Anyway, I doubt you interrupted my work solely to talk about that idiot''s death? Did you really need my permission just to send a gift to the Ming Emperor? Tell me, why are you really here?"


    Nakamura hesitated for a few moments before speaking her mind. It was clear by the look in her eyes that she did not want to say what she had to say. But in the end she still said it, knowing that ignoring such a thing would only invite future disaster.


    "While it is true that this is old news, it is in fact rted to my primary reason for visiting. It would appear that the Kaiser has gifted a rather modern warship to the Ming Emperor as an act of condolence for Zhu Li''s recent passing..."


    Itami was in the middle of signing her name on yet another document when she heard these words. She was so shocked by this news that her hand slipped and ruined her signature. However, she paid this no mind, and instead red at Nakamura with an intimidating gaze before interrogating her on the nature of this warship.


    "Just how modern are we talking here?"


    Nakamura could only shift her eyes away from the enraged Empress, unwilling to meet her chilling gaze. Instead, she had a meek voice as she revealed news that she knew Itami would find displeasing.


    "It appears to be a direct copy of ourtest cruiser''s design..."


    A loud bang resounded in the air, as Itami mmed her fist onto her wooden table, which was apanied by the sounds of deep breathing. The young Japanese Empress was clearly enraged, and in a state of panic as she tried to think through how this was possible. She voiced her thought process aloud as she did so.


    "How is this possible? Have our designs been leaked? No, the Germans have no agents on the Japanese maind... Wait a second... Oh, those fucking traitors!"


    It was clear by herst words that Itami had realized how the Germans had gotten their hands on her blueprints. During her purges of the old guard, there were plenty of Japanese citizens who fled the Empire towards the Ming Dynasty.


    Not long after, Germany announced that it would be taking in these refugees. Clearly, someone important had fled her country without her noticing, and brought with him the designs he helped bring into reality.


    Of course, Itami had no way of knowing that there were in fact German Agents conducting espionage on Japanese soil. However, they came in the form of Koreans and Japanese turncoats. Because of this, even her Secret Police could not easily detect their activities.


    In fact, Germany had made use of the knowledge gained by these refugees to contact Japanese smugglers, which allowed them to infiltrate the Japanese Maind. All of this had gone entirely unnoticed by Empress Itami Riyo, and her Kempeitai.


    What worried the woman the most was that the Germans had built a cruiser from scratch, using her own designs to construct an entire warship quicker than she herself could produce such a vessel. Right now, her navy was almost entirely reliant on destroyers and submarines. Larger warships were still under construction. As her shipyards relied on semi-skilled workers, who were previously thrown into a crash course on building steel hulled warships.


    It would not be an understatement to say that the Japanese style cruiser the Germans created was a superior product to the ones that were currently under construction in Japan. All of this information aggravated Itami, for several reasons.


    Firstly, it was only recently that the Japanese Empire was able to apply pressure to the Ming Dynasty. After all, Berengar''s bold move of supplying the Ming with Armored Frigates had forced Itami to take a step back in international diplomacy.


    However, after constructing a sizeable fleet of Destroyers and Submarines. Itami was once more able to pressure to the Ming into giving her more favorable trade deals. Unfortunately, now that a modern cruiser existed within the Ming''s fleet of warships, she was once more forced to re-evaluate her diplomatic methods.


    Though she had no doubt her current military strength was enough to obliterate the Ming Fleet, any military action would be costly to her own navy, and she needed to save her strength for the eventual war with the German Empire. At the very least, the Ming now had the confidence to reject her requests.


    The Second reason that Itami was concerned had to do with the discrepancy in manufacturing ability between her nation and that of the Reich. She had invested substantial time and effort into designing these cruisers, and yet before she could even field one of such vessels, her rival on the other side of the world had gotten hold of her blueprints, and manufactured a superior product based upon her own designs.


    The speed that the German shipyards could manufacture warships was leagues ahead of her own. Even if their designs were outdatedpared to her own vessels. This meant that by the time they finally engaged in a war, the Germans would have many more vessels than she had, and quantity was its own form of strength, especially on the sea.


    Finally, thest reason this news irritated Itami was actually one of personal pride. She could not believe that after all her efforts these past few months, which were spent in creating a powerful navy. In the end, Berengar had bested her once again. It was utterly infuriating to think about. After reflecting on all of this in a matter of seconds, Itami red fiercely at her Intelligence Director and said two simple words.


    "Get out!"


    Upon realizing just how enraged the Empress had be, Nakamura bowed respectfully before fleeing Itami''s personal quarters. Once the Empress was all alone, she fell back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, utterly depressed by her most recent defeat.


    It took several moments for Itami to shift her gaze towards her body pillow, but once she did, she felt a bit better. The albino beauty wrapped her arms around the pillow and brought it into her embrace before speaking to it as if it were her lover.


    "Oh Julian, what am I going to do about this?"


    Naturally, utter silence prevailed. However, Itami could practically hear Julian''s voice in her head, giving her advice on how to handle the situation. Ultimately, she hade to the conclusion that she needed to focus more on naval output.


    If Itami had any hope ofpeting with the Reich on the seas, she would need to have men working all hours of the day on building warships. Luckily for her, she had just invented electricity, and soon enough the cities would have light, even in the dark of night.


    Of course, she knew that putting her workers on graveyard shifts would cause further dissent. However, she did not have the luxury to worry about her people''s wellbeing. Not when such a monumental threat existed on the horizon.


    ---


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 Chapter ?924 An Average Morning in the Villa

    ?924 An Average Morning in the Vi


    Khorijin sat on horseback as she gazed upon her elder brother with a stoic expression on her pretty face. For the past few months, the Golden Horde had been bogged down in the mountains of Georgia, fighting a series of protracted sieges.


    It had be increasingly clear to the woman that they would not be able to beat both Georgia and the Byzantine Empire within a year''s time. As a result, she had begun to counsel her brother on a new strategy.


    "My dearest brother, it is the advice of the spirits that we move on from Georgia and focus our efforts on Anatolia. The western half of the Kingdom of Georgia has dug in their heels and is fighting to thest man. There is no surrender, and no retreat. If we continue to assault this petty Kingdom, we will not make it to Constantinople in time."


    Chagadai nodded his head in understanding as he gazed upon the vast wastnd that was their most recent conquest. He had lost thousands of men to take one simple city. It was bing increasingly clear that his little sister''s words were true, and as a result, he feltpelled to agree with her approach.


    "Very well... If that is the advice that the spirits have given me, who am I to reject such wisdom? I will gather our troops and we will abandon what remains of this petty Kingdom. It''s not like they have the means to take back thend we have already conquered."


    After saying this, Chagadai snapped the rains of his horse and rode off to rally his troops and give them their new orders. As for Khorijin, she sat on her horseback and gazed up at the sky as the wind kissed her regal face. She could hear the spirits speak to her, as they issued their warnings once more.


    "Beware the eagle in the west. In six months'' time, it will spread forth its wings and bring ruin to your people..."


    Time was passing quickly, and yet at the same time, incredibly slow. It felt as if every single moment Khorijin was on edge. The more the spirits spoke to her, the more she felt uneasy about her people''s fate. Though her brother had promised a quick conquest, the mountains of Georgia, and the castles that the people dwelled in, had presented more difficulty than they expected.


    Now she only had six months left before the eagle spread forth its wings and brought ruin to her people. It was a warning she had heard too many times to count, and with each passing month, the time became less. Eventually, Chagadai returned to his sister''s side with a wide grin on his face as he nudged her forward.


    "The army has been gathered. The orders are given. We ride to Anatolia."


    Though Chagadai expected some form of happiness to appear on his precious little sister''s face, in reality, all he saw was a deep-seated anxiety, which spread from the depths of her heart. As if she had already seen their defeat before they had even begun their conquest of the Byzantine Empire. The Mongol princess appeared to be within in a trance. The woman paid no attention to her brother''s words and instead repeated what she had heard from the spirits.


    "wings of iron will bring forth volcanic rain.... What does it mean?"


    She could never have guessed that the Germans had mastered the skies, and were capable of dropping bombs on her brother''s army without evering within range of the Golden Horde''s weapons. Because she did not know what an airne was, or the power of a modern bomb, she could notprehend the warning the spirits were giving her.


    As for Chagadai, he was stunned speechless. For once, his sister was listening to the spirits, but could not understand what they meant. It was not umon for the woman to enter a trancelike state whenever she tried toprehend the meaning behind the parables which the spirits spoke to her in. However, she always deciphered their meaning correctly and rather swiftly at that.


    Yet this message hadpletely stumped her. She could not figure out what these words meant, no matter how much she tried. Because of thisck of understanding, there was a deep sense of fear in her ck eyes. It was only after she recovered her whereabouts did she plead with her brother once more. There was an expression of panic on the young woman''s face as she grabbed hold of her brother''s sleeve and held onto it for dear life.


    "Dearest brother, I implore you once more to move your armies north and abandon your dreams of conquering the south. I fear that the fate that awaits us in constantinople is unimaginable. For the first time in my life, I can''t decipher the spirit''s meaning. Please brother, I beg you!"


    Chagadai was utterly speechless. His sister had, on more than one asion, implored him to march his army north. However, she had not done so in some time, as if she had epted her fate. Whatever it was the spirits had told her, it had thoroughly spooked the girl. She was practically shaking as she stared deeply into her brother''s eyes.


    However, no matter how fearful Khorijin might be, Chagadai would not be deterred. His goals of conquering the Byzantine and Timurid empires were too great to abandon now that they had made some progress. Thus, he did not attempt to persuade his sister, and instead wore a stern expression as he gave her a direct order.


    "Enough! I have obeyed the wills of the spirits far more than any of my predecessors. Just because you can''t seem to decipher the meaning of their words, doesn to mean that a horrible fate awaits us. The Byzantines are weak, and the Timurids are on theirst breath. Now is the time to strike! Now is the time to conquer an Empire that will make the entire world fear our might!"


    Khorijin was practically moved to tears as she heard her brother so thoroughly rebuke her. She did not know why he was so stubborn about this. Nor did she understand why she was so fearful. Perhaps he was right. The Spirits had previously assured her that so long as Constantinople fell within a year, there was nothing they needed to worry about.


    Thus, she took a deep breath, and found her resolve while she silently nodded her head in silence several times. After a few moments has passed, she released her grip over her brother''s sleeve, and responded meekly to hismands.


    "I will do as dearest brother hasmanded. We will ride south, and I will bring with me the wisdom of the spirits..."


    Upon hearing this, Chagadai smiled and grabbed hold of his sister''s dainty chin before reassuring her everything would be fine.


    "You don''t need to worry so much, I would never let any harme to my precious little sister..."


    After saying that, the two noble mongols sat in silence for several moments before leaving behind the wastnd and rejoining with the main army. However, Khorijin could not help but look back with an intense anxiety in her ck eyes. As if this were thest gasp of the Mongol people...

 Chapter ?925 Family Outing

    ?925 Family Outing


    Currently, Berengar was sitting in a booth with his wife Honoria by his side, and two of their children seated across from them. Out of all the local eateries within the city of Kufstein, Berengar had selected what could only be described as a barbecue joint to share a meal with his family and mull over some of their deep-seated issues.


    Honoria had a pleasant smile on her face as she bit into the ribs and savored their taste. Though it had only been a few days since she returned from her journey to Oceania, she seemed to be taking her retirement rather well. At least on the surface. Humans were naturallyplicated creatures, and a mere few days was clearly not enough time for the woman to properly process her emotions.


    Still, that did not get in the way of Honoria spending time with her family. In fact, since her return, she had spent nearly every waking hour with her children or her husband. She had even been rather aggressive in the bedroom, having an intense desire to bear more children. After all, though Honoria had been with Berengar for almost as long as Linde had, she had fallen behind the redheaded vixen in terms of progeny.


    Thus, Berengar was in a rather pleased mood, as Honoria had been taking advantage of every given opportunity to sleep with him. Though he nevercked thepany of woman, he did enjoy it when his wives were so eager to please him.


    While Berengar and Honoria had fat smiles on their faces as they happily ate away at the barbecue ribs and pulled pork. Their children, Alexandros and Helena, were not nearly as pleased. Though they had given their mother a second chance, and were pleased to see their efforts were not going to waste. It was not easy to remove the damage of neglect. Ultimately, it was Berengar who broke the silence as he decided to question his young son about what he had been learningtely.


    "So, Alexandros, why don''t you tell your mother about your academics? You and Ghazi should be going through special leadership courses. How have your grades been as ofte?"


    In addition to their regr school work, which Berengar made sure that his children were not cking off in. Alexandros and Ghazi were also being groomed to be the perfect leaders for their mother''s homnds. Ghazi was technically already the Sultan of Al-Andalus, but he was too young to actually rule, and because of that, his father was Regent.


    As for Alexandros, though he was not yet officially the heir of the Byzantine Emperor, Berengar hadid the groundwork that would lead to Quintus and his wastrel of a little brother being stripped of their rights to session. In the end, Vetranis would choose Alexandros to seed him. Berengar was extremely adamant about that.


    Because of this, the boy had to sit through many courses regarding administration of a realm, military tactics, the art of diplomacy, and economics. In fact, Alexandros and Ghazi were in a bit of a friendlypetition to see who received the best grades, thus, the boy was quick to brag about histest scores.


    "I scored a ny-eight on myst economics exam. I beat Ghazi by three whole points!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head. He had nothing but praise for both of his boys, but he still needed to reward the winner of their littlepetitions. Thus, he took a rather yful tone as he addressed this fact.


    "Good job! I''ll tell you what, just for that I''ll let you order a desert of your choice. How does that sound?"


    Alexandros nodded his head with an excited smile. As for Honoria, she was happy to see her boy was doing so well and was quick to add something to the conversation.


    "I didn''t expect you to be going over suchplicated topics at your age. You must be mommy''s little genius."


    Alexandros forced a smile when he heard his mother''spliment. While he was aware that he was naturally more intelligent than other kids his age. Whenpared to his eldest brother, Hans, he was by no means an actual genius. But he did not correct his mother. She seemed to be genuinely happy for him, and thus he did not want to ruin the moment. However, Helena was not so polite.


    "What''s so great about a ny-eight on an intro to economics course? When Hans was his age, he was already studying mechanical engineering!"


    It was clear by the look in Helena''s eye that she had great admiration for her eldest half-brother. So much so that she was willing to insult her full-blooded brother and counter her mother''s praise. Normally, such a thing would provoke a mother, but she had such a close rtionship with Linde that she also considered Hans to be her son. Thus, she only wore a faint smile before replying to her daughter''s sharp remarks.


    "Hans is an exceptionally gifted child. It''s unfair topare anyone else with him. I am even willing to bet that when he finally matures into an adult, his mind will be greater than even his father''s."


    Berengar was in the middle of drinking a beer when he heard this statement, and nearly choked on the liquid. While it was true that Hans was a genius on the level with history''s greatest minds, Berengar still did not want to admit that his son would one day be more intelligent than him, let alone hear his wife praise the boy in such a way. His reaction to Honoria''s remark had caused the woman and her two children tough at his expense. With Helena roasting Berengar on the spot.


    "Haha, even daddy can feel inferior to someone else. Don''t worry daddy, you''re still the greatest in your daughter''s eyes! Even though Hans will one day be smarter than you!"


    Berengar remainedpletely silent when he heard his daughter mocking him. He did not have the face to argue with a child about a point he knew to be true. Instead, he merely sighed in defeat, knowing that his son''s supreme intellect would be used to advance the Reich beyond how he personally left it.


    To Berengar, his legacy meant everything to him. It was not just good enough to build the world''s greatest empire. It had to be stable and survive in all its glory long after he himself passed away from this world. He did not want to be like Alexander the Great, who worked his entire life to build a mighty empire, only for the empire he forged with his own hands topletely copse after his death.


    Though Berengar rarely thought about the session issue, Hans was indeed the most ideal candidate, at least for the time being. He had many children, and the majority of them were still toddlers. It was impossible to know just what great things the offspring of Berengar the Blessed would achieve in their lives. After several moments of beingughed at, Berengar pushed away his pride and admitted the truth in front of his family, something they never thought he would actually do.


    "So what if Hans will be more intelligent than me? That just means that I can rest easy in the afterlife, knowing that the Reich will be in good hands. Besides, it''s not just Hans. I foresee a future where all of my children are extreme talents in whatever fields they choose to pursue within their lifetime. A golden generation of the von Kufstein Dynasty who shall work together to keep my dream alive. I feel no shame in admitting this, rather a deep sense of pride!"


    Helena pouted when she heard her father boast about his kids in such a haughty manner. Her next words were like a bucket of ice water dropping on Berengar''s head.


    "Daddy is really shameless, isn''t he?"


    This critical strike had pierced through Berengar''s heart and made him sigh in depression. The very look on his face was enough to make Honoria break out into a fit of giggles. She could not believe her little girl had spoken so ruthlessly to her father. It was absolutely adorable to the woman who was once known as the Pirate Queen. However, after seeing Berengar sulk like a kid who was just robbed of his lunch money. Honoria wrapped her arms around the man''s shoulder andforted him with her words.


    "Daddy truly is shameless, but that''s one reason why I love him so much!"


    This was the first time Helena and Alexandros had heard their mother call their father by the term "daddy". It was usually a pet name the woman reserved for the man in private. However, she had instinctively used the term after hearing her daughter call her man such a name.


    Despite being so ruthlessly burned by his daughter, Berengar could only chuckle and take it in stride. After all, the kids appeared to be warming up to their mother, which was a good thing. This entire meal was about getting together, and hashing things out, and it appeared to have a good start.


    The rest of the meal would be shared with lighthearted conversation and an overall enjoyable experience for Berengar and his family. When the group finished, they returned home. Where Honoria tucked her kids into bed before spending the night with her man. Though tonight''s venture seemed like a minor thing, in reality, it was a big deal to both Alexandros and Helena, who for the first time felt like they had a mother who would not be leaving them behind.


    ---


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 Chapter ?926 The Kufstein Zoo Part l

    ?926 The Kufstein Zoo Part l


    It was an average spring day in the City of Kufstein. The air was warm, and the people were going about their daily lives. However, outside of the city limits, there was a new attraction which crowds had gathered about to witness. This attraction was none other than the Kufstein Zoo.


    Since acquiring the leopard Genseric, Berengar had gone out of his way to pay trappers around the globe to capture magnificent beasts that were not found in the fathend. After substantial effort and funding, there had been enough beasts to fill an entire zoo.


    Currently, Berengar was standing among the crowds with hisrge family. It was a Saturday, and because of that, he had taken the day off so that he could escort his loved ones to the newly opened zoo. Naturally, the man paid for all their tickets before walking into the establishment with a wide smile on his face.


    Berengar now had a total of seventeen different legitimate children from as many as five different women. Two of his sons were engaged to at least one girl, meaning that there were more people within the Kaiser''s group than just his immediate family.


    Upon entering the zoo, the various children of the Kaiser had excited smiles on their faces as they witnessed the many sights. As for Berengar, he already had an exhibit in mind that he wanted to show his kids first. Thus, Berengar pointed at the map in his hand and gave out an order to his family.


    "We''re going to check out the leopard exhibit first. From there, we will make our way around the big cats section before going towards the Wolf exhibit."


    Linde, who was pushing a stroller that contained her youngest children, had a warm smile on her face as she nodded her head in agreement.


    "It sounds like a n to me!"


    The other women nodded silently. For dates like this, they usually just followed whatever their man had nned for them. Thus, therge group made their way to the leopard exhibit. Where they witnessed Genseric, along with several females of various different leopard subspecieszing about in their confined area.


    Genseric roared loudly when he saw his former master. He quickly jumped up onto the edges of the confined space, where his head pressed against the cage. The sight of which scared most of the people in the crowd. The only thing separating them from this magnificent predator was a thinyer of steel fencing.


    The exhibit wasrge. In fact, all of them were. Whenpared to the zoos within Berengar''s past life, the Kufstein Zoo was several timesrger. Each beast was given a proper living space to run around in and enjoy themselves. The leopard exhibit was no exception.


    Though many in the crowd were initially frightened by Genseric''s actions, in the next moment, the leopard simply rolled onto the ground and exposed its belly to its former master as if it were a mere house cat.


    Berengar gazed upon the big cat with aplicated expression. In years past, he had raised this leopard as his personal pet. It was also the son of a deity''s familiar and, because of this; it had a superior intellect to other members of its species. However, Genseric was also raised around Berengar''s family, and as a result, it was an incredibly social creature.


    The leopard seemed to be genuinely happy to see its former master visit him. After all, Berengar''s schedule was busy, and he did not often have the time to visit his old pet. However, after gazing at the five female leopards, along with the many cups they had spawned together, Berengar knew his decision to send the beast to the zoo was correct. Thus, he could only wear a smile as he pet Genseric before giving the creature amand.


    "Go on, get back to your family. You''re startling the crowd!"


    Genseric responded by licking Berengar''s fingers before doing asmanded. The entire sequence had thoroughly shocked the crowd, who were entirely unfamiliar with the fact that this mighty beast had once been the Kaiser''s pet. As a result, rumors would randomly begin to spread of Berengar''s superhuman connection to animals, and how quickly he could tame them.


    After seeing therge cat, many of Berengar''s children had cried out in joy, as they were well ustomed to the mighty leopard, and had missed him since he departed from the Pce. Overall, it was a pleasant experience for the family, who stayed and watched the beast as it forced its children and mates to line up in front of the Royal family, as if giving them a proper salute.


    Those humans in the crowd who had portable cameras on them had taken photos of the event, which would find themselves in the paper''s headlines on the following day with the following caption.


    "The Kufstein Zoo''s leopards pay respect to the Kaiser and his family."


    After taking their time enjoying the leopards, Berengar and his family moved onto the next exhibit within the section of the park, which contained big cats. Lions, Tigers, Cougars, and even Jaguars from the Amazon, there were plenty ofrge cats to go around. Perhaps the most exciting exhibit was the rare white tiger, which had been purchased as a cub from an Indian trapper for a substantial price.


    All of Berengar''s children enjoyed the sights of the mighty beasts. However, after seeing the cats, Berengar led them to another area of the park, which was reserved for canines. In this area, there was a wolf exhibit. Where Hans gazed in awe at his former pet.


    Linde had never been happy about her little boy having such a dangerous beast as his personal minion. Unlike Genseric, this was no deity''s familiar. It was a wild, vicious beast, which the boy had raised from a pup. Still, a tamed wolf had the ability to bite the hand that fed it, and in the end, after Hans had left for college. Linde forced young Wulfgar into the Zoo, where he now was the alpha of a pack of wolves.


    Despite being an ordinary wolf, Hans could immediately tell that the alpha of the pack was his boy. Thus, he walked over to the edge of the railing, where a simr scene from earlier urred. Wulfgar rushed towards the fencing, where he nuzzled his head against the cage. A solemn expression came from Han''s mouth as he petted the beast''s ears with a hint of sadness in his eyes.


    "Good boy..."


    Though Hans knew the pup was better off in the zoo with a pack of its own. He still felt bad knowing that he could no longer look after it. Despite this, he held no ill will towards his mother for sending such a dangerous beast away. At the very least, the creature could live a long and fulfilling life in captivity.


    However, despite this rationalization, there were still tears forming in the boy''s eyes. Just when these tears were about to break free and fall from the boy''s cheeks, his father ced a hand on his shoulder before giving him someforting words.


    "Wolves are not solitary creatures. Though you raised him since he was a pup, there was no chance of him truly being happy while confined in the pce. Here he has a family, and the Zoo''s caretakers meet all of his needs. It is a better life than releasing him back into the wild. Your mother did what was best for the family. A wolf is not an appropriate house pet, especially when you have a bunch of infants running around. I only let you raise the beast so that you could learn some discipline."


    Hans silently nodded his head and choked back the tears in his eyes. He had long since heard his father''s speech about being a man, and not crying around others. He was not a little kid anymore and knew this was not an appropriate ce for him to lose control over his emotions. His response to his father was one that was far too mature for a boy his age.


    "It''s good that he''s happy, and that''s all that really matters..."


    While Hans was having a moment with his former pet, the rest of the family gazed upon the que which described the history of these wolves. On this board of information was a photo of the young prince Hans hugging Wulfgar, while the two of them had wide smiles on their faces.


    A passage described how the Alpha of this pack was raised by the German Prince since it was a mere pup, and was donated to the Zoo when Hans went off to college. After a few moments of silence, Berengar patted Hans on the head before giving him aforting smile.


    "Come, let''s go find something to eat. You would be surprised how good the food is here!"


    Hans looked off at Wulfgar onest time before nodding his head in silence and departing from the area with his family. The beast continued to gaze upon its former master until he was no longer present, only after Hans was gone did it turn its attention back to its family.


    ---


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 Chapter 927 The Kufstein Zoo Part ll

    927 The Kufstein Zoo Part ll


    Berengar and his family approached one of the several restaurants that existed within the Kufstein Zoo. The zoo had many exhibits, habitats, and sections. If it were to exist in Berengar''s past life, one mightpare it to the Disney World of Zoos. It was sorge that it was technically created outside the city''s limits in a special zone of its own.


    Because of this, there were not only multiple restaurants that existed throughout the entire zoo, but there were also food stalls, merchandise stores, and even animal themed roller coasters and water slides for families to enjoy when they weren''t looking at animals.


    Naturally, Berengar found an appropriate ce for his family to eat at. A local burger joint that was grossly overpriced, as wasmon in theme parks, and zoos in this world, and his previous one. Despite this, he had to admit that they made some excellent burgers. As a result, he and his family sat down in an outdoor dining area when he ordered for them.


    After a lengthy order that resulted in spending hundreds of marks, Berengar returned to his family with several trays of food and beverages in hand. Upon cing the trays upon the table and distributing the loot to his family, Berengar sat down in between Ad and Henrietta.


    Just as Berengar was about to take a bite of his burger, three of his daughters bolted towards hisp in a fiercepetition to see who could get their father''s attention first. In the end, Katherine emerged as the winner. She was a year or two older than Zara and Helena, giving her greater speed. After sitting on her father''sp, Katherine wore a smile and struck a victorious pose. As for Berengar, he stared in silence at his daughters, two of which were now pouting and expressing their discontent.


    "No fair!"


    "Katherine, you''re too old to sit in daddy''sp!"


    In reality, Katherine was roughly nine years old, and she felt she was well within her rights to sit in her father''sp. As for Berengar, he merely shook his head and ignored the three girls and their pettypetition. Though the next moment after, Katherine raised one of her steak fries and dipped it in range before shoving it in her father''s face.


    "Daddy! say ah!"


    The girl was treating him like a child, which Berengar thought was rather amusing. As for her mother Ad, she had pulled out a camera and captured the moment of Berengar''s ufortable expression for the sake of human history.


    Ultimately, Berengar would bite the proverbial bullet, so to speak, and snatched onto the girl''s fry with his teeth before swallowing it. The moment he did so, the girl pped in excitement before digging into her own food.


    Upon further inspection, Berengar realized it was not just Zara and Helena who were pouting in an act of envy. All of his women were gazing at him with jealous stares. When he realized this, he quickly defended his actions.


    "What are you looking at? Can''t a father show his affection for his daughter? Eat your damn food!"


    The moment he said these words, Katherine looked up at her father with her deep blue eyes and scolded him for hisnguage.


    "Daddy has to put a gulden in the swear jar!"


    That''s right, Berengar''s family was so wealthy that they tossed guldens into a swear jar. In fact, Berengar was so casual with his profanity around his family that he had practically filled the jar every month. Whose value, when filled, was on par with a standard single family home in the city of Kufstein. The man gritted his teeth as he heard this, before calmly expressing his eptance of his fate.


    "Fine... I will do it when we get home..."


    As for what the swear jar was actually used for, Berengar would distribute its contents evenly among his children for their monthly allowance. Yes, that was how much of a problem Berengar had with vulgarity. It was, in fact, Ad''s suggestion in the first ce for such a device to exist within their household.


    In truth, Berengar did not really care about the value of the money he ced in the jar. It was a miniscule amount to him. What he despised was the fact that his wives punished him, the Kaiser of Germany, for speaking in the casual manner he was ustomed to around his own children. However, as every man knew, there were some battles in marriage that you just had to ept defeat in. The swear jar was one of these struggles.


    After sharing a meal with his family, the group packed up their refuse and tossed it away in the recycling bin before heading out to see more animals. The immediate stop after the canine and feline section was the primate section. Where the children of the Kaiser gazed upon the great apes, monkeys, and other primates with excitement in their eyes.


    When it came to the habitat that contained the Bonobos, Berengar had to advance his family through it rather quickly, as the beasts were in the middle of mating, and he did not want his children to witness such a disy.


    Having gone through the primate section, Berengar led his family through other areas, such as the so called "African Safari", and the "Congo Jungle" where they rode on trains and river boats through an area filled with wild animals of various species. In one area, they even spotted the legendary dodo bird, which had yet to go extinct in this age.


    There were all kinds of sights to enjoy, and it was not justnd based lifeforms. There was even a section for aquatic based life, such as manatees, sharks, dolphins, alligators, crocodiles, caymans, among other species. Ultimately, after nearly six hours of enjoying themselves at the zoo, Berengar and his family had not even explored half of the habitats.


    However, as the sun began to set, a voice erupted over the PA system alerting all visitors that the Zoo would be closing in an hour. As a result, Berengar instructed his family that it was time to depart.


    "Well, let''s make our way back to the parking lot where the car awaits us. The zoo will be closing soon, and we don''t have enough time to look at another exhibit."


    Voices of protest immediately erupted as several of Berengar''s children refused to leave, even after six hours of walking about.


    "I don''t wanna!"


    "But we haven''t even looked at the elephants."


    "I don''t care about the elephants, I want to see the leopards again!"


    Berengar could only gaze sternly and give his children a direct order. At a time like this, there was no point ying along with their delusions. They were on the other end of the park and had an hour to exit the facility. Thus, he had no patience for their childish resistance.


    "We''re leaving, and that''s final. If you all behave yourself, I''ll bring you back here next month so that we can see the rest of the park..."


    This time, none of Berengar''s childrenined, though they were regretful that they couldn''t experience everything the Zoo had to offer. They were happy that they would get to have such a fun experience with their father again next month. Still, it seemed like too much time in between visits, but all the kids knew their father was a busy man, and couldn''t take entire days off to spend at the zoo very often.


    With that said, Berengar and his family made their way out of the zoo, and entered a group of stretch limousines which carried theirrge party back to the pce where the Kaiser spent the rest of the evening with his family. After a long day, he retired to his bedroom, where all five of his women were awaiting him. For the first time in a long time, he would share his bed with all of his legal wives, and his younger sister.

 Chapter ?928 lndochina Falls

    ?928 lndochina Falls


    Zhu Zhi sat atop his carriage with a proud smile on his face as he strode through the streets of the southern capital of Indochina as a victorious conqueror. For the past few months, the Ming Dynasty had been waging a war in the region to unite it under the tributary system. Previously, only the northern half of the region paid tribute to the Ming Emperor, however, with the fall of Panduranga, the south had officially entered into the Chinese sphere of influence.


    The Ming Prince was visibly ecstatic as he waved to the various onlookers with a friendly smile. Though he hade as a conqueror, he had no intent to punish the defeated for their resistance. After all, he was not a petty man, and understood that the Indochinese had fought for their sovereignty, which was a respectable cause in Zhu Zhi''s eyes.


    While the Ming Prince strolled through the southern capital, a beautiful young Vietnamese woman tossed flowers towards him. This immediately caught the prince''s eye as he blew a kiss to the woman, which caused her to blush in embarassment. Despite his mboyant nature, Zhu Zhi had no real interest in taking the woman as a concubine.


    It was only after the troops came to a stop outside the Indochinese King''s pce did the Ming Prince step off from his carriage and approach the man who had submitted after months of brutal warfare. An interpreter tranted Zhu Zhi''s words as he greeted the defeated King with a tone filled with respect.


    "Th?o Kh?i Tam, your people have fought well, but in the end, it was a foolish endeavor to resist our kind offer. I hope that after your defeat, you have learned to be more humble towards my father..."


    The once proud King of South Indochina bowed his head respectfully. Though he gritted his teeth in frustration over his defeat, he did not dare voice his discontent. Instead, he forced a pleasant smile to appear on his face as he greeted the Ming Prince as his conqueror.


    "Prince Zhu Zhi, I have heard rumors of your legendary experience as a battlefieldmander. It was my foolishness to believe that I could ever resist a brilliant general such as yourself."


    Though Kh?i Tam spoke these words, he knew in his heart that the only reason the Ming had so easily trounced his resistance was because of the advanced weapons that they wielded. Nheless, his defeat was certain, and if he could retain his title as King, then he would dly kneel before the Ming Crown. However, Zhu Zhi''s lighthearted response has startled him.


    "I believe I warned you before my invasion that it was in your best interest to submit to my father. However, you stubbornly refused my advice and caused this unecessary suffering to take ce. Still, I respect your spirit, which is why I am speaking to you here in front of your pce, rather than having you bound in chains.


    I want to make this clear to you and all your people that we are not your enemies. We merely came into yournds as your protectors. If the Japanese were to have invaded your country as they have done to the Joseon, the Ryukyu, the Ainu, and most recently the ind of Mindanao, then believe me when I say that you and your people would not have been treated with such kindness after your defeat."


    It startled the Indochinese King to hear of this news. Though he had heard rumors of Japanese expansion, he had never thought in his life that hisnd would be the target of their greed. However, from what Zhu Zhi told him, it sounded as if the Ming invasion of hisnds was done as a countermeasure to the rapid expansion of the Japanese Empire.


    If that were the case, then the Ming Dynasty must have some sort of proof that the Empress Itami eyed thesends with avarice in her heart. As a result, he could not help but ask for this evidence, even if it could be viewed as inappropriate on his part.


    "You must have some evidence to support the im that the Japanese intend to invade mynds? Just because they are invading their neighbors does not mean that they have any intent to annex mynds!"


    Though Kh?i Tam''s tone was overbearing, Zhu Zhi did not take offense, and merely reached into his satchel and pulled out several photos taken by agents of the German Empire. They were of bauxite deposits located within southern Indochina. After handing the photographs over to the Indochinese King, Zhu Zhi wore a smug smile as he responded to the man.


    "These are images taken by our friends in the German Empire. In case you don''t recognize this resource, it is plentiful within your borders, and the Japanese Empire will soon be looking for an alternative source of this mineral.


    While Empress Itami does not realize it yet, the Germans soon enough will defeat her proxies in India. When this happens, she will need to search elsewhere for this mineral, which is critical to her ns of industrial expansion.


    If you were to remain independent, she would surely strike at yournds, and enve your people to mine this resource, as she has done to those in the southern half of the Joseon penins. By subjecting you to our tributary system, we have given you a shield. Which will force the Japanese Empire to decide between attacking the Ming Dynasty, or the Majapahit Empire.


    Based upon our calctions, it would be much easier for her to take Borneo, and transport this mineral back to her homnd, than it would be for her to secure it from a Ming controlled Indochina. Thus, by subjecting your petty Kingdom, we have spared you a great deal of suffering, more than you have already endured during our brief campaign."


    Though Zhu Zhi''s words were convincing. Kh?i Tam did not understand what Bauxite was, or what possible use it had. Thus, he had a hard time believing that the Japanese Empire would invade hisnds for such an obscure resource.


    If the Ming Prince was being honest, he himself doubted whether these ims were true. However, they were spoken by the Kaiser, and if anyone knew what the Japanese were up to, it would be the Germans. Despite Zhu Zhi''s unwavering belief in Berengar''s words, Kh?i Tam was far from convinced, and quickly voiced his doubt.


    "What evidence do you have that the Japanese would invade mynds for this mineral?"


    If Zhu Zhi were a less intelligent man, this question would have stumped him for sure, but unlike his now deceased little brother, he had a sharp mind and a quick wit. Thus, he did not even need to think of a satisfactory answer as he gave voice to it.


    "Only the word of the Germans, but if anybody knows what Empress Itami is nning, it would be them. After all, the Germans have long since infiltrated the Japanese maind, so much so that they were able to get their hands on many secret weapons designs. In fact, the Kaiser recently gifted my father a ratherrge warship that is aplete replica of what Empress Itami is currently constructing for her fleets."


    To the Indochinese King, this news was utterly shocking. While German merchants had long since made their way to hisnds, and brought with them many items that could only be acquired via trade with the Reich. He had never expected the Germans to infiltrate the Japanese Maind, and conduct espionage to such a level that they could recreate Japanese warships.


    After all, the Indochinese King had seen the German and Japanese fleets pass by his territorial waters, and was deeply frightened by what he witnessed. He honestly did not know which of the two great powers would emerge victorious if they ever came to blows.


    Neither Zhu Zhi, nor Kh?i Tam were aware that Germany had only recently infiltrated the Japanese Maind within thest year, and had been extremely cautious in their ndestine operations. Rather, the replication of the Japanese Cruiser was achieved by taking in Japanese refugees who had worked on the project prior to their defection.


    Despite this ignorance, it was this misconception that thoroughly convinced the Indochinese King to fullyy down any resistance that he might still harbored in his heart, and ept the Ming Dynasty as his new overlords. If this was an era of Great Empires who controlledrge swaths of the earth, then he would rather be swallowed up by the Ming than the Japanese or Germans. At least his people had a long history of contact with the Chinese.


    Thus, just like this, thest resistance in Indochina came to an end, and the Ming had sessfully subjected the entire region as a tributary state to their mighty Empire. In doing so, they had yed right into the hands of Berengar, whose goal was to deny the Japanese Empire a valuable source of bauxite.


    ---


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 Chapter 929 Synthetic Fertilizers

    929 Synthetic Fertilizers


    Throughout the past decade, crop yields within Austria, andter the German Empire, had risen to an unimaginable degree. So much so that there was no such thing as a hungry German Family whether they live in the fathend, or the many colonies that had popped up across the globe.


    With an extensive welfare state which prioritized reintroducing workers back into employment and a robust economy founded on the gold standard. The people within the reich had almostpletely neutralized homelessness and starvation from their society.


    There was such a food surplus that currently Germany was giving out massive food aid to its tributary states, who were suffering from ack of young men to toil in the fields. This was, of course, the result of their own stupidity, forcing a war with the Reich which saw a million men from across Europe perish.


    However, as advanced as German agriculture may be, it was still not on par with the world Berengar came from, if not for one very specific reason. They had still yet to invent modern synthetic fertilizer. Why was this the case? Until recently, Berengar did not feel that it was such an important aspect of his technological development. After all, they had a massive food surplus already.


    However, with the rapid increase in the German poption over the past decade and the continued poption growth that was projected, there was an ever-increasing demand for food. Meanwhile, the colonies in Lindeheim, and Adelheim, were not expanding fast enough topete with the baby boom. As a result, the Kaiser had tasked a small team of chemists toe up with a solution to the synthetic fertilizer problem.


    Miraculously, they needed roughly three toplete a finished product and another three months to show the results, which Aldo von Passau was quick to introduce to Berengar. The two men were currently standing in one of the many chemicalboratories that existed across the Reich. Where the syntheticpound was demonstrated in its use of growing potatoes.


    Standing before Berengar was a small plot ofnd which was divided in half. One half used the new synthetic fertilizer, while the other made use of the traditional fertilizer that had made use of g from the Bessemer converters to help increase the phosphate content.


    Aldo had a proud look on his face as he demonstrated the massive difference in crop yields between the two. There were practically five times as much potatoes grown on the same sized plot ofnd as there was from the traditional fertilizer. With a haughty tone in his voice, the aging chemist informed the Kaiser of his discoveries.


    "As always, your preliminary instructions were right on the money, your highness. After a brief amount of experimentation, we were able to create a synthetic fertilizer that is rich in potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which all aid greatly in the growth of nt life!


    For the nitrogen content, we made use of ammonia, which was synthetically created by abination of natural gas and air. We made the phosphorus content using abination of sulfur, coal, and phosphate rock. While we made the potassium content from potassium chloride,


    We also added secondary nutrients such as calcium and magnesium. The calcium was obtained from limestone, which contains the chemicals of calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate, and calcium magnesium carbonate. While we derived the magnesium source from dolomite.


    As for additional nutrients, we included sulfur, copper, molybdenum from molybdenum oxide, andstly Iron which is obtained from ferrous sulfate. It''s all a bit technical, but the end result is this amazing new fertilizer which we can produce vast quantities of, that achieves a growth rate in potatoes which is nearly five times our current crop yields!


    As you know, the potato has be the staple crop of our diet, and because of this, our poption has grown not only in numbers, but in stature as well. I can''t believe that the youth of today is already on average tens of centimeters taller than those who were born in my day... It is truly a miracle what you have aplished in thirteen short years!"


    Berengar as well and truly astonishment at how quickly his chemists came up with a solution to this problem. However, when he thought about it, this was an obvious conclusion. These men were introduced to an undergraduate understanding of science thirteen years ago and had advanced the field by themselves to the point where they could now manufacture vines for serious illnesses.


    His number of chemists also grew with every year, as more and more young men and women graduated from university with majors in the field. Expanding his ever-increasingwork of scientists and engineers. Thus, something as simple as modern fertilizer, whenpared to those scientists who just recently begun understanding the principles of nuclear physics, was a rtively tame achievement.


    It was no exaggeration to say that by providing a basic foundation of all modern sciences to his poption, as well as a heavy emphasis on education, the sharing of knowledge, and hard work, that by the time Berengar passed away in this life, he might very well leave behind a civilization that was on par, or greater than those that existed within his past life. Either way, Berengar was proud of his chemist''s achievement, and was quick to hand out the due rewards with a fat grin on his face.


    "And here I thought I would have to worry about rationing food in twenty years. Aldo, when you get the chance, send me a list of names of the men and women who worked on this project. I''ll reward them each with an Imperial Order of Science and Art!"


    A wide smile formed on Aldo''s lips as he heard these words. It appeared with each passing year, more and more scientists and artists received this prestigious award. Berengar knew that only a handful of men and woman worked on this project, and thus he was willing to give out what was essentially the Nobel prize to these talented chemists.


    After all, though the introduction of modern synthetic fertilizers may not seem like a big deal to the ignorant, it would allow the Reich to feed the exponential growth of future generations without ever having to worry about running out of food. Especially since Berengar''s Germany had a culture of not wasting food.


    With this said, Aldo was swift in his response, though as always he was over the top of his performance. He took a deep bow and ced a hand on his heart as he swore an oath that was utterly meaningless.


    "Your magnificence. I swear on my life, I will have this list of names on your desk before the workday ends!"


    Berengar could only sigh and smile in response to this. He had known Aldo long enough to no longer get irritated by the man''s stunning ability to kiss ass. As a result, he nodded his head silently in eptance before dering his departure.


    "Well, if that is all Aldo, then I will let you and your talented team get back to what you do best. I look forward to seeing the crop yields next year!"


    After saying this, Berengar returned to his pce with a pep in his step. His society would not only be able to producerge quantities of food, but unlike the United States of America of his past life, there would be strictws in ce that ensured all food was of the highest quality. For example, all animals would be free range, and were fed with natural diets.


    To Berengar, the health of his people was more important than the quantity of food. Thus, everything in German society, even deserts such as pastries and cookies, would be produced with the most healthy and natural ingredients. There would be no high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, or corn fed beef like was ever present in the American diet of his past life.


    In fact, the moment he got home, Berengar decided to contact the Loyalist party, and have them draft a bill that prioritized food health and safety over quantity, to ensure that future generations had the benefit of healthy meals and weren''t being fed a bunch of junk food.


    With the introduction of things such as synthetic fertilizer, thew which forced corporations to create food with mostly natural products, and an education system which had arge focus on hard work and physical fitness. Berengar could rest easy knowing the future german poption would have a hard time degenerating into a nation ofzynd-whales.


    ---


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 Chapter 930 The March Of Civilization

    News of the Ming Dynasty''s annexation of over all of Indochina quickly reached the ears of both the Japanese Empress and the German Kaiser. At the moment Nakamura Hana, who was the head of the Kempeitai, was informing Itami Riyo of what had recently urred in the south-east.


    "ording to our intelligence, it would appear as if the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty has led a brief campaign throughout the jungles of south Indochina in a sessful attempt to subject them to the tributary system.


    Why, all of a sudden, the Ming Dynasty has decided to aggressively expand its sphere of influence, we are uncertain. However, it would appear that the German arms they have purchased have yed arge role in their swift victory."


    Itami portrayed herself in a calm and collected manner, but in reality she was slightly perturbed. For some time now, she knew that the Ming Dynasty was being supplied with weapons from the German Empire, however the amount of money Germany was raking in by selling weapons to the Ming was surely arge sum.


    While the Ming Dynasty was the Japanese Empire''srgest trading partner, the goods that were exchanged werergely luxury items. Not once had the Ming Emperor requested the sale of arms. It was almost as if he was spitting in her face by doing so.


    Thus, Itami could not help but expect that Zhu Wudi was secretly viting his neutral stance by supporting the German Empire. Of course, she had no way of proving this, and thus she could only vent her frustration on the Ming Prince.


    "At the very least, this Zhu Zhi is more capable than his fool of a younger brother. I wonder why that old dog Zhu Wudi did not send this child as his ambassador to my Empire. Is he perhaps looking down on me?"


    Nakamura had no answer to this question, and instead looked aside, not willing to gaze into the fury that devoured the Empress''s crimson eyes. After several moments of contemtion, Itami gave a simple order before changing the subject.


    "Keep an eye on Ming activities within the Southeast. If they begin expanding further, I want to know about it. Besides that, update me on the status of the German warships in the Indian Ocean. Were they not previously spotted by our own fleets sailing westward?"


    Upon hearing her Empress''s question, the intelligence director quickly flipped through her notes before stumbling upon the most recent news of the German Fleet.


    "Yes, here it is! A small fleetposed of what appears to be a corvette, and a few destroyers sailed to the southwest before going beyond our range of detection. I don''t know precisely where they were headed, but just recently they have re-appeared east of the Majapahit Empire."


    A frown formed itself upon Itami''s luscious lips. She could guess where this fleet was headed, though why it had done so was up to interpretation. It could not feasibly be that the Germans had begun to explore Austrsia with the intent of colonizing the region, could it? Upon expecting this possibility, Itami eye''s darted towards Nakamura before giving her a direct order.


    "Ry mymands to the appropriate branches. I want an expeditionary fleet assembled and sent south-west in the direction that the German fleet was headed. If you find any presence of the Germans within the region, immediately report it back to me!"


    Nakamura had no way of knowing why the Empress was so concerned about such a small fleet. But she did not refuse her orders, and instead bowed her head humbly in response.


    "Yes, Tenno heika-sama"


    Itami barely noticed the woman''s response and was instead in deep thought. Austrsia, as a whole, was filled with many natural resources, especially Australia itself. If the Germans colonized the region before she did, they would not only gain an additional industrial advantage. They would also have the ability to nk her forces with military bases posted in Singapore and Australia. Such a scenario was a nightmare for her future war efforts.


    It was only after several moments of silence did Itami realize Nakamura was still present, and quickly dismissed the woman with a rather irritated tone in her voice.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?"


    This shrill remark nearly made the director of intelligence jump out of her skin, as she quickly bowed her head once more before scurrying off like a scared cat. Once she was gone, Itami gazed upon the portrait of Berengar intensely as she questioned what the man was thinking.


    "Just what are you up to?"


    Naturally there was no response, but Itami felt as if she was peering into the eyes of a very mysterious man, one who had repeatedly one upped her. As a result, she could only frown before cursing at the painting.


    "Fucking bastard!''


    ---


    Berengar felt the need to sneeze, as if someone was speaking ill of him. Despite this sudden urge, he mustered his will and prevented himself from doing so. After all, he was in a very important meeting with a man he had not seen in years.<sub> </sub>


    In the colony of Berenstadt, Berengar sat in a lovely vi, which acted as his perosnal abode during his visits to the region. The colony of Berenstadt, like most German colonies, had developed rapidly into a sprawling city.


    One whose technology was simr to that of the fathend. With the thousands of Dominion II ss cargo ships constructed over the years and operated by German Merchants, the exchange of resources between the German colonies and the fathend was a constant flow of goods.


    This allowed the Colonies to develop at a rate simr to the fathend. In this city, electricity was amon sight, as were indoor plumbing and flowing water. Waste treatment facilities existed, as did recycling nts.


    In the nearby farnds,bine harvesters and tractors, which were powered by hemp based bio-diesel, did all the work. In other words, the colonies of the German Empire, or at least those that had been established years ago, had simr living conditions to the fathend.


    Meanwhile, the neighboring Aztec Empire was still in a simr state as its previous iteration. The primary difference being the use of steel tools, which were purchased by the reich, and in an increase in agricultural output.


    In fact, the rapid progress that had urred in the colony of Berenstadt astonished Emperor Itzcoatl. If this city was a fraction of the glory that existed in what the Germans referred to as the fathend, then they indeed were no different from living gods. Ultimately, Berengar had to snap the Aztec Emperor out of his daze, as he spoke to the man in a rather courteous tone.


    "So... I heard that you sessfully conquered the neighboring Mayan Empire. Is that correct?"


    Itzcoatl immediately snapped to attention as he heard these words by nodding his head in silence thrice. Upon seeing this, Berengar smiled before proposing an opportunity for the Aztec Emperor.


    "Good, I have ns for the southernmost regions of the territory which previously belonged to the Mayans. I intend to invest a substantial sum of time, effort, and resources into building a great canal that would allow my ships direct ess to the pacific ocean. Though in order to do this in the most timely manner, I will need the support of your empire. More specifically, the vastwork of ves you have ess to. You can fulfill my requirements can you not?"


    Though the Aztec Empire was technically a tributary state, its entire existence relied on the protection and trade that the Germans provided them. So much so that Itzcoatl was willing to do whatever Berengar asked of him. Thus, he nodded his head with a submissive smile on his face as he responded to Berengar''s ''request''.


    "That won''t be a problem. We captured far too many ves from the Mayans. Now that we no longer sacrifice people, we have more ves than we know what to do with. How many do you need?"


    A sadistic grin curved itself on Berengar''s face as he thought about this particr issue. While the man had ouwed very, he was not so delusional that he was unaware of its practicality. In fact, very was a rather efficient means ofbor. One that had been used throughout the entirety of human history to aplish grand feats.


    The reason Berengar had ouwed very was not because he found the practice to be morally abhorrent. In fact, in this world, it was still a regr practice outside of the reich, and he had done nothing to stop that. As he did not see such a thing to be his personal responsibility.


    No, Berengar ouwed very, and inflicted severe punishments on his citizens who were caught engaging in such a crime because he wanted to avoid the disastrous consequences that Western Civilizations had endured in the centuries that followed after the Antic ve trade ended during his past life.


    Thest thing he needed was for future generations of Germans to be a bunch of spineless, self-loathing cowards who spat at their own civilization''s history solely because theymitted an act which had been normal for the entirety of human existence.


    Nor did he desire the existence of a substantial ethnic minority which demanded reparations for this past deed, while ming all the problems which theirmunity faced on this historical practice. If there was anything that the failures of the United States of America had taught Berengar, it was to avoid a multi-ethnic and multicultural nation at all costs.


    Thus, the importation and trade of ves was strictly ouwed, specifically to avoid the civil strife caused by such a failed society. As a result, Berengar had no qualms about using the vebor of the Aztec Empire to build the Panama canal as quickly as possible. As it was in a foreignnd, with a foreign popce. Thus, he responded with the number he desired.


    "At the bare minimum, ten thousand. I can import workers from the fathend and the equipment needed to build the canal. However, the project would still progress much quicker with the aid of vebor. If you can promise me ten thousand ves, I will be able toplete this effort in less than five years."


    Itzcoatl chuckled upon hearing such a paltry sum and immediately began to boast of his abilities. If there was one metric the Aztec Empire beat the Reich in, it was the number of ves they had ess to. Something he, as an Aztec, took great pride in.


    "Ten thousand? I can double that, and still have tens of thousands of ves too many within my markets. Why don''t we just call it fifty thousand, and you can do what you want with them after you have finished your work?


    This number surprised even Berengar, but ultimately he nodded his head in response. If he had five times the number of ves, he could finish the project five times as quickly. Perhaps all he needed was a year to finish the Panama Canal. Thus he smiled and nodded his head silently, and in doing so condemned fifty thousand ves to a year''s worth of brutalbor.


    ---


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 Chapter 931 Global Chess

    It had been years since the Pax Germania first began, and during this time the German people had spread across the globe, colonizing massive swaths ofnd for their own purposes. Perhaps the first of the German Colonies, New Vienna, had undergone the most monumental change.


    Years had passed since Arnulf''s death, and during this time his widow and young son were forced into a life of house arrest within the colony of New Vienna, or Neu Wien, as it was known in the German tongue. The native woman was forced to sit back and watch as her people were driven out of theirnds and hunted for sport by the German settlers.


    Berengar had promised to look after Arnulf''s family if he chose the easy way out, and he had lived up to that promise. The mother and child had lived a life of utter luxury, though despite this, Kahwihta suffered from a depression that only one who caused the death of their culture could feel.


    The Colonialists who came to New Vienna began to spread around the east coast of Lindheim, which was previously known as North America in Berengar''s previous life, like a swarm of locusts. With the overwhelming number of cargo ships that existed in the German Empire''s possession, goods were transported in between the colonies and the Fathend on a regr basis, allowing for these colonial towns to develop rather quickly.


    It was no exaggeration to say that the entire coastline from Maine to Texas was littered with German Colonies which varied in size. After all, the ownership of cheapnd in the New World without having to sacrifice too much of the standard of living which was found in the fathend was a tempting prospect for many young German men who had just ended military service and were seeking to start a peaceful life with a family of their own.


    Naturally, each colony grew its own food surplus and developed their own resources. Jobs of all kinds were plentiful in the colonies, and yet despite the distance between them and the fathend, the colonials still considered themselves Germans of the purest breed.


    Culture flowed from Austria and spread across the rest of the German Empire like a wildfire. What was popr in Kufstein would end up being popr in the colonies months after its invention. However, Lindeheim was not the only ce that was being developed.


    In the Caribbean, small ind colonies appeared on every habitable ind. Where there wasnd to settle, the German people took advantage of it. These colonies could exist in the size of a few hundred people, to a few thousand. The natives of these inds soon found themselves entirely obliterated by either disease or conflict with the German poption.


    In Adelheim, or what was once known as South America, in Berengar''s past life. German colonies spread from Gran Columbia to Brazil''s coastlines. The R��o de ta in particr became widely settled by prospectors looking to make it rich with the discovery of mass quantities of gold and silver. Ultimately, Berengar was forced to enactws which restricted the amount of silver and gold that could be extracted every year, so as to not crash his economy.


    Finally, the Colonies in Southern Africa had extended northward. With the invention of hydroxychloroquine, the German people no longer needed to worry about mria. As a result, they began to spread further ind, taking thend with a storm of blood and iron.


    Madagascar was settled, and a naval base was established. As a result, not only did the German Empire control trade through the Kaiser''s pass, but also any merchant traffic that made its way through the southern tip of Africa.


    The African Goddess who Berengar had previously made a deal with led her tribe north into Zambezi, where she forged herself a mighty Empire. The Zulu culture was born early as a result of this expansion, and their Empire paid tribute to the Reich.


    Why she had gone so far north? Because Berengar had previously told her he intended to expand all the way into the area that was once known as Rhodesia in his past life, and thest thing she wanted was another conflict with the Reich.


    With the surplus of goods flowing in from the colonies, as well as the establishment of a global tradework. The German Empire had reached a new height of prosperity. Hence, the Pax Germania had be considered by many within the borders of the Reich to be a new golden age. One that was greater than any civilization had ever faced throughout history.


    Though the percentage of GDP which was spent on defense was a t rate of 15%, this was a staggering sum of money which was astronomically higher than what the united states of America spent on its military during Berengar''s past life.


    It was because of this that Berengar could throw barrels of cash into the construction of hundreds of naval vessels, thousands of aircraft, and ten thousand plus armored vehicles, Most of which were still under production.


    The arms industry of the German Empire was in a state of daily production. Unlike Japan, Berengar did not feel the need for the time being to work his citizens to the bone. Because of this, the manufacturing of weapons systems only took ce during daytime hours.


    Even then, with each passing week, more and more armored vehicles and aircraft entered service. They were no longer simply found protecting the fathend, but were, in fact, deployed to colonies around the world.


    For the most part, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft made their ways to the new world, and southern Africa. While fighter nes were stationed in the fathend, and within the Pacific. As a result of this increase in aircraft, Officers were upon request transferred from the Army to the Air Force, where they underwent pilot training topensate for theck of qualified pilots.


    While this era of Global Expansions was urring. Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein spent most of his time at home, where he worked hard to ensure that his civilization was heading in the right direction. What little free time he had he spent with his family. <sub> </sub>


    Currently, Berengar was sitting in the living room, ying a game of chess with his daughter, Zara Al-Fadl. The girl had a keen glint in her amber eyes as she watched her father''sckadaisical move of his pieces. By the expression Berengar was making, it was almost as if he did not care about the match.


    However, Zara could tell that with each move, her father had expertly anticipated her own, and in doing so, was ying to the best of his ability. Still, the girl had a mind as brilliant as her eldest Brother, and because of that, she was not the least bit concerned.


    While Berengar may be a great intellect, he was far from the level of a super genius like his children. Sure, he had a high IQ, but what really made him shine was his perfect memory, which allowed him to actively call upon what he had learned in his past life, and implement it within this alternate reality.


    In terms of sheer intelligence, he wascking whenpared to Zara and in a game of chess, which relied on such a thing. It was only a matter of time before she beat him. Whether that would happen today, or at ater age, that had yet to be decided.


    Upon moving her Knight in a way which took out her father''s Bishop, the man grimaced. He had long since yed every possibility he could think of that Zara would make in his mind, but he had failed to ount for this specific action. The moment Zara saw her father''s expression, she giggled and made fun of the man.


    "Daddy wasn''t expecting that, was he?"


    Berengar sighed and nodded his head as he moved his queen to im his daughter''s knight. The moment he did so, her excitement turned to bitterness as she pouted towards the man, hoping that perhaps her expression would distract him. As for Berengar, he simply scolded the girl for her action.


    "While it was true that I was not expecting such a move, in the end you left your Knight open to a counterattack. I fear as if you are still young to best your old man."


    Zara continued to pout for some time as she debated on her next move, which she ultimately made after a few moments of thought. The game would continue for another hour before ultimately Berengar won.


    Though Zara didn''t cry, there were clearly tears in her eyes as she pouted towards her father. She could not help but express her discontent to the man as shetched onto his arm and tugged on it in a fit of fury.


    "No fair! Daddy''s smarter than me! Why can''t you give me a handicap!"


    In response to this, Berengar merely scoffed, before dragging his Zara into hisp, and hugging her. The action of which caught the young girl off guard, and in doing so silenced her long enough for her father to lecture her.


    "Because if I gave you a handicap, you would never learn. You are getting better at the game of chess with each defeat. I''m sure that before long you will beat your old man. However, for now, you need to focus on learning from your defeats and improving at each attempt."


    Despite this being the same lesson her father taught her every time she lost, Zara gazed upon the man with sparkling eyes, as if his words of wisdom hade from God himself. Her mood had throughly changed from one of fury to happiness as she smiled and nodded her head before responding to Berengar.


    "I''ll do that!"


    After saying this, the two of them shared augh before another one of Berengar''s children interrupted them. The Kaiser would spend the rest of his day with his family before waking up the next morning, and engaging in a game of chess on a global scale against the Japanese Empress.


    ---


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 Chapter 932 First Contact With The JapaneseNavy

    A young marine by the name of Johan Visel stood on watch within the German outpost that had been established on the western coast of Australia. The man was barely eighteen years old and had just graduated from his training to be a marine.


    For his first deployment, he was shipped an entire world away from the fathend, and ordered to sit in a watchtower that faced the ocean. His objective was to keep a lookout for any potential threats that might exist on the horizon.


    Alone, he stood there and smoked a cigarette while his g-27 semiautomatic rifle rested on the edge of the window. He could not help butin to himself about how shitty his job was.


    "Man, if I knew I was going to be sitting in a fucking watchtower all day, I would have purposely fucked my rifle qualifications score so that I wouldn''t be issued the damn marksman''s rifle."


    As he said this, a brief chuckle erupted from the stairwell as a gruff voice called out to him in a lighthearted tone.


    "You think this is bad? You should count your lucky stars that you are not a kampfschwimmer. Those fuckers are deep behind any lines engaging in ndestine operations against the Japanese. Meanwhile, here you are bitching about being safe and sound in an outpost where the only threat to you is the local wildlife, and a couple of stone age savages.


    Just pray that your entire service is as easy as this, because at any given moment we could be given the order to hop on board a ship and sail to the Japanese Empire, where we will have to fight against a force armed with automatic weapons and modern artillery."


    Upon hearing this voice, Johan smiled before pulling out one of his cigarettes and offering it to the man who had just climbed into his tower.


    "Erich, your words of wisdom are enlightening, as always. Assuming I believe you know what you''re talking about, exin to me how we are at risk of entering a war with the Japanese at any given moment?"


    The man named Erich, who wore the stripes of a corporal, chuckled as he grabbed hold of the cigarette and lit it ame with his own lighter. After taking a hefty drag from the device, and expelling the smoke from his lungs. He lectured the bored private on the current geo-political situation.


    "Empress Itami has done her best to provoke a conflict with the Reich at every given opportunity. Though I don''t expect a war to break out at this very instant. Her aggressive expansion into her neighbor''snds has alerted the Kaiser to her ambitions.


    As you may be aware, the bitch is already arming and supplying the Bengal Emperor who intends to conquer all of India. Including our ally in the Anangpur Empire. By doing so, she has shown her hostility to the Reich. All it will take is one small incident and-"


    Erich trailed off on his speech and gazed in astonishment at the direction of the Ocean. The moment he did so Johan looked behind him to see what had stunned the man. In the distance, a fleet of ships was visible. This was nothing new, as supply lines had been established between the Naval base at Singapore and the German outposts across Austrsia.


    However, what was weird about this was the fact that they were not scheduled to receive supplies for another month. As a result, Johan pulled out his binocrs and inspected the fleet while questioning the odd scenario aloud.


    "What the hell? We''re not scheduled for resupply anytime soon, are we?"


    However, in the next, Johan dropped his binocrs to the floor and trembled on the spot. His peculiar reaction caused Erich to quickly replicate the private''s actions. The moment he looked through his binocrs, he saw the g of the rising sun waving on the back of the destroyers. Instantly spurring the man to action.


    Unlike the recruit who was standing next to him, Erich was a veteran, and knew that right now the base needed to be alerted to this hostile presence. Thus, he quickly grabbed hold of the microphone which was attached to the nearby radio and sent out an alert to the headquarters of the outpost.<sub> </sub>


    "Red alert! Enemy Fleet spotted on the horizon, this is not a drill!"


    The moment after saying this, the rms resounded across the outpost, spurring the German soldiers who were stationed within its interior into action. Quickly the naval guns that existed on the coastline were loaded, and aimed in the direction of the oing Japanese fleet, awaiting orders on whether they should open fire, or wait until their enemies proved their hostility.


    ---


    Onboard the lead destroyer of the Japanese fleet, was a man by the name of Admiral Izumi Hiramori. He was a rtively young man in his early thirties and was a member of the cult of the war goddess. As a fanatical follower of the Empress Itami Riyo, he had been chosen to lead the expedition to Australia in search of what misdeeds the Germans were nning.


    Coincidentally enough, the moment he came within the vicinity of the continent, he noticed a small but well fortified military outpost, where the g of the German Empire waved proudly in the sky above. One look through his binocrs and the man could tell that the coastal guns were being shifted in the direction of his fleet.


    A sneer of disdain appeared on the man''s face. Though he was only equipped with destroyers and submarines, he still felt as if his fleet were superior to the coastal defenses. This sentiment was not grounded in reality, but rather absolute arrogance, as the Japanese Fleet was equipped with mere 12cm guns at thergest, while the German coastal defenses made use of triple mounted 28cm naval guns.


    These massive artillery pieces were not only protected by steel turrets, but were embedded in steel-reinforced concrete bunkers. This was the standard coastal artillery that Germany deployed to protect the shorelines of its mighty Empire. One of these shells was more than capable of ripping through the hull of a mere destroyer.


    Where the Japanese Admiral got his overwhelming confidence from was unknown, but he felt that even if they were to engage in a conflict with this German Outpost, the Japanese would emerge victorious. Luckily for everyone involved, the executive officer beneath the Admiral''smand was quick to remind him of their orders.


    "Sir... Our objective is to find out what the Germans are up to. It would appear that the Empress''s fears have turned out to be a reality. The Germans are colonizing this region. We should immediately report back to her highness and withdraw before this visit our ours esctes into a full-blown conflict."


    It took the Japanese Admiral several moments to calm his bloodlust, but in the end he sighed heavily before nodding his hand and responding to this advice.


    "Very well. Tell the fleet to withdraw and head back to our homnd. We must inform the Empress of this reality as quickly as possible."


    Thus, with themand given, an all out war between Japan and Germany was narrowly avoided. However, Berengar''s colonization of Austrsia was revealed to his rival in the east. Which would force the young Empress to respond.


    As for the German soldiers in the outpost, they sighed in relief as the Japanese Fleet turned around and departed. The shells were removed from the coastal batteries only after the hostile ships disappeared behind the horizon. Each man understood all too well that had they opened fire without receiving the order, they would have plunged their Empire into a major war. One which would have imed the lives of tens of thousands of their own people.


    ---


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 Chapter 933 Order 227

    The young Empress Itami sat within her quarters as her director of intelligence, Nakamura Hana, reported the incident that had urred off the shores of Australia. She had a timid tone in her voice, as if fearful of how the young Empress would respond.


    "Admiral Izumi Hiramori reports that the Germans have established a naval outpost on the western shores of a ratherrgendmass located in the southeast Pacific. He came close to engaging in a battle with the Germans, but ultimately decided not to at thest moment. By now, the Germans are aware that we know of their actions and should be formting a response. What are your orders?"


    A hint of rage shed in Itami''s crimson eyes as she red towards her director of Intelligence. She was not angry at the woman, but rather at Berengar''s actions. The man had boldly made a move towards Austrsia before she could manage to do so. This was simply outrageous as she had ns for the coal and bauxite that existed within the continent.


    However, if Itami were to make a move for Australia now, she would be inviting open warfare with the Germans. This put her in a precarious situation, as she was not ready for such a conflict. For now, all she could do was open up negotiations with the Kaiser over the issue.


    "What else can we do? Send a diplomat to the German embassy in Beijing. I want to speak with their ambassador in person about this colonization effort."


    Nakamura nodded her head and responded in the affirmative. She was slightly relieved that the Empress had notshed out in anger over this news, as was evident by the tone in her voice.


    "I will do so at once. However, before that, is there anything else you need of me?''


    A stoic expression appeared on Itami''s immacte face as she slowly nodded her head in response to this question. There was indeed another question she had for Nakamura, and thus she was quick to voice it.


    "Have you fulfilled Order 227 like I have asked? Have you attached members of the Kempeitai to every military unit to ensure that the men beneath mymand are ideologically pure and have proper morale?"


    A slight tingling sensation went down Nakamura''s spine as she heard these words. She knew the real reason that Itami had attached members of her secret police to each military unit. While it was true that their official objective was to ensure loyalty to the Empress, and her cult of the war goddess.


    <o>,m The reality was that these operatives were given submachine guns and issued the orders to shoot down any soldiers who fled the battlefield. While desertion was a rarity among Japanese troops, Itami had taken a page from the book of Stalin as a precautionary measure to ensure that when the time came to fight the German Empire, her troops would fear her more than they did the enemy. </o>


    Naturally, this was what Nakamura was thinking about as she heard Itami''s question. It took her a few moments to find her voice. After all, she believed this secret imperative to be morally abhorrent. However, she also did not expect the soldiers to desert en masse when the order was given to face Berengar''s buzz saw head on. After coordinating her thoughts, Nakamura nodded her head meekly before responding.


    "Yes, tenno heika-sama. I have done as you instructed, though if I may be allowed to voice my opinions, I don''t think it is a necessary measure, and is outright cruel to the men-"


    Before the director of intelligence could finish her statement, Itami red coldly at her, before lecturing the woman about her ce in the world.


    "Did I give you permission to speak your opinion? Know your ce!"


    The woman immediately kowtowed and pressed her head to the floor while begging the Empress for forgiveness.


    "I''m sorry, this servant should know better. I did not mean to offend!''<sub> </sub>


    Itami merely raised her hand to silence the woman before scolding her further.


    "Your opinion is noted, but let me ask you this. When the timees for war with the Germans, and I give the order for my soldiers to rush into the trenches. Do you think they will stand and fight with honor as they rush into the rapid fire of machine guns and explosive artillery?


    No, I have not had enough time to cultivate an armed force of fanatically loyal men who are willing to throw their lives away for their Empress. When they hear the sound of Berengar''s buzz saw echo through the air, and see their brothers in arms be torn apart by its bullets, they will abandon their weapons and run for their lives, and they would be right to do so.


    These are mere peasants, conscripted to fight for my will. Do you honestly believe that I do not know what the average citizen of my Empire thinks of me? Tyrant, despot, dictator, usurper! These are the words that my people speak of me behind closed doors. They do not the have loyalty and reverence that the German people have for their Kaiser.


    The average German man would willingly give up his life in pursuit of the Kaiser''s glory. They will sail half a world away, and step foot on a battlefield, facing machine guns and artillery all for the sake of their leader''s honor and that of their homnd.


    Yet, such values do not exist among themon man of Japan! This is why I need my most loyal fanatics to be at the rear of formation, ensuring that these cowards will not break ranks and flee once they have been tossed into the meat grinder!


    As for those who are disloyal among the ranks of your organization, make an example of them. I believe there was one specific officer of the Kempeitai who worked alongside General Shiba in the Joseon Kingdom.


    Apparently, this man not only knew of the war crimes that my generalsmitted abroad, but actively conspired to withhold that information from me. I want him beaten to death by the members of his unit!"


    Upon hearing Itami''s speech, Nakamura could only lower her head and do as she was ordered. Itami''s words had thoroughly educated her on the difference between the soldiers of the Japanese Military, and those of the German Empire. She knew now not to question the cruelty of the Empress''s orders. Thus, she was quick to respond.


    "Yes tenno heika-sama, I will do as you have instructed..."


    After saying this, the woman departed from the room, just as the door was about to shut behind her. Itami called out oncest time.


    "Make sure to send in Hwa Min-Ah on your way out. I have words that I would like to speak with the woman!''


    With that said, Nakmura had left Itami alone to think about what was about to transpire next. Her victory, no, her very survival, depended on the woman known as Hwa Min-ah, even if she did not know it yet.


    ---


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 Chapter 934 Know Your Enemy, And KnowYourself

    Though Nakamura did not respond to Itami''s words, she immediately fetched the Korean beauty and sent her to the empress. It took a while, but eventually the young woman known as Min-ah was standing in front of Empress Itami, wearing the attire of the Japanese Empire, rather than that of her homnd. As she walked into Itami''s quarters, and prostrated herself before the young Empress. She spoke in perfect Japanese while she introduced herself.


    "Tenno heika-sama, you asked to see me?"


    Itami did not immediately respond, and instead poured herself, and the young woman, a ss of sake. After doing so, she took a sip and contemted her words carefully before voicing her concerns.


    "It has been years since I first took you in, and taught you the ways of chemistry. Since then, you have worked faithfully beneath me, and produced many results, such as the invention of smokeless powder. As a reward for your services, I have decided to grant you a gift. For an hour every day, I will allow you to make use of the divine mirror to help aid in your research. Do not disappoint me!"


    Min-ah bowed respectfully upon hearing this and thanked the young empress for her generosity from the bottom of her heart.


    "You honor me, tenno heika-sama. I will do my best to prove that I am worthy of such a grand gift. However, surely you did not request my presence solely to tell me this. Is there something else that you perhaps needed from me?"


    With a slight raise of her ss, Itami downed its contents before gazing sternly at the Korean woman. Her blood-red eyes practically pierced into Min-ah''s soul as her words sent a shiver down the young beauty''s spine.


    "You lied to me... About your lineage, that is. You are not the daughter of a wealthy Joseon Merchant, at least not really. No, your lineage is far more noble. It took me a while to find out the truth, as your true father had buried it well. You are the daughter of the Joseon King and his third concubine, are you not? Should I still call Hwa Min-ah? Or would you prefer me to use your royal surname Yi Min-ah?"


    The Korean beauty, who was previously prostrating herself before Itami, quickly straightened her back, and narrowed her gaze as she met Itami''s cold appearance with one of her own. No longer willing to hide behind her alias, the woman spoke to the Japanese Empress as a woman of equal standing.


    "How did you find out?"


    Utter silence prevailed for a few moments, as Itami did not immediately respond. Instead, she took her time to refill her ss of sake and sip from it once more. As if each motion was carefully selected for the purpose of intimidation. Only after she felt the time was right, did she answer the question.


    ? "I won''t lie. It was difficult. But in the end, my agents eventually sniffed out the truth. Your father is surrounded by turncoats, and those who do not trust in the strength of the German Empire havee running to me, offering all kinds of secrets in exchange for lofty positions. Truly, theck of honor your people have is astounding.


    One of these rats gave me a peculiar piece of advice: to look into your mother''s identity. Imagine my surprise when I found out the truth. The cause behind your mother''s death was rather mysterious. Supposedly, she died of fever when you were young. But your father suspected one of his other concubines had poisoned her. Still, he could not prove such a theory.


    Thus, for your protection, he shipped you off to a family friend who lived far away from the capital, one who had no ce in court politics. Ultimately, this man adopted you and weed you into his home, where you eventually began to treat him as if he were truly your father. So tell me, what''s the real reason you approached me? Was it to spy upon my operations on behalf of your actual father?"


    Min-ah''s response was surprising to Itami. She merely scoffed and gritted her teeth in rage before vocally expressing her inner fury.


    "Spy on you? For that old bastard? Not a chance! That bitch killed my mother, and instead of punishing her, that old dog sent me away from my home! He does not deserve to be King. Initially, I was content to live my life with my foster family, but then you showed up, and gave me an opportunity to get revenge! If you want to take my life, so be it. At least promise me before you do so that you will send my father to join me in the afterlife soon after!"


    Itami could tell by the look in Min-Ah''s eyes that she was not lying, and as a result she sighed in relief, before giving the woman an option that stunned her.


    "Since that is a case, I will give you onest chance to prove your loyalty to me..."<sub> </sub>


    A look of shock appeared in Min-ah''s eyes as she cautiously gazed upon Itami''s pristine figure. She did not immediately fall to the knees and prostrate herself for such a god given opportunity. In fact, as a brilliant young woman, she was naturally wary of what Itami had to say, and could only voice her suspicion in the most respectful manner possible.


    "Just what did you have in mind?"


    A cruel smile emerged on Itami''s lips as she raised her brow. After doing so, she approached the Korean beauty, and even passed herfort zone before gently whispering in the woman''s dainty ears.


    "I want you to seek refugee status within the German Empire and get close to the Kaiser. After years of investigation into the man, I can conclude that he has only one weakness: attractive women of high status. It would appear that he can''t help himself but im beautiful princesses as part of his harem. This is where youe in...


    Once you have made your way to the German embassy in Beijing, I want you to reveal your identity, and say that you were discovered secretly acting as a spy on behalf of your father, and that you request Asylum in the borders of the Reich.


    Once you have said this, I want you to present some intelligence about my Empire''s current chemical capabilities to German Intelligence, nothing that would put my realm in danger, of course. From there, you will make your way to the German capital and find a way to seduce the Kaiser. When he has finally taken you as his woman, I want you to keep a close eye on him, and report to me any viable intelligence about his Empire.


    The terrible truth is that I know next to nothing about the Reich or its Kaiser. I don''t know howrge their empire is, how substantial their industry has be, or how massive of a military they have. I barely even know the background of the man I am fighting. With thisck of information, you can imagine my concerns, yes?


    Sun Tzu once said, If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will sumb in every battle.


    It has be clear to me that Berengar von Kufstein has the upper hand in intelligence. If I am to pose any chance of aplishing my war aims, I will need to know what he''s hiding from me. The only way to do that is to get a spy that I can trust to infiltrate his inner circle. So, tell me, are you willing to put your life and chastity on the line to prove your loyalty to me?"


    Upon hearing what Itami was demanding of her, Min-Ah took a moment to find her resolve. The Japanese Empress was asking a lot of her, probably more than any person she had met in her life. However, if it meant ensuring that her father and that bitch paid for their crimes, then she was willing to do whatever it took. Thus, after a long silence. Min-ah nodded her head before responding.


    "Yes, I am your humble servant, tenno heika-sama. Your will is mymand!"


    Upon hearing this, a sadistic grin emerged on Itami''s lips. After doing so, she gave one finalment before ordering the girl to leave her to her devices.


    "Excellent... You have one month to continue your work as the head of my chemistry department while finding a suitable recement. After that, I will issue an order for your arrest, where you will then flee to Beijing. The rest of your task is up to you... Now go prepare yourself, you don''t have long."


    Min-ah did not say a single word. She merely bowed respectfully onest time before departing from Itami''s quarters. She had a long and arduous road ahead of her. But Itami''s sess relied entirely upon her shoulders, and thus she would bear the burden no matter how difficult it may be to do so.


    ---


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 Chapter 935 From One Woman To Another

    It was an average day in the city of Kufstein. The Kaiser was hard at work, maintaining the growth of Germany''s industry and civil structure. While his family were all engaging in their personal responsibilities, whether that be work or school.


    However, there were two distinctive individuals sitting across from one another in a room of the Imperial Pce. These two women had pleasant smiles on their pretty faces as they discussed matters of the heart.


    Linde took a sip from her borately painted bone china teacup and savored the vor of the eastern delicacy. While coffee had revolutionized German society and was served to every economic ss as amon beverage. Tea was imported from the Ming Dynasty at considerable expense, making it something that was almost exclusively consumed by the middle and upper sses.


    After swallowing the dark liquid, Linde''s sky-blue eyes lit up with an intense focus as she gazed upon her guest for the day. The young girl that her husband had taken in as a ward nearly ten years ago was now a fully grown woman. Her beauty was in a ss that only the wives and lovers of the Kaiser couldpete with.


    However, if there was one thing that Linde personally found enviable about Veronika, it was her youth. After all, the redheaded beauty was now in her thirties, and though her man showered her with the same amount of love and affection that he always had, she felt a bit sore about her age.


    Veronika''s natural tinum blonde hair flowed from her delicate ivory shoulders and down upon her hefty bosom, concealing her cleavage, which was exposed from her unusually tightly fitted dress. She was, after all,peting with many women for a teenage boy''s affection, and as a result she typically wore rather revealing clothing around the house, even when Hans was not present. With the grace of a princess, the heterochromatic beauty sipped on the tea, and expressed her delight to the woman she thought of as her own mother.


    "I am grateful for the treat. It is not every day I get to taste such a delectable vor of tea."


    A pretty smile emerged upon Linde''s immacte face as she nodded her head, and responded by pouring herself another cup. She expressed herment over the fact that she did not get to share such a delicacy with the man she loved.


    "I''m d to hear that someone enjoys my personal stash. Berengar can''t stand the stuff. I don''t know what is wrong with his palette but he only enjoys thatmon swill known as iced tea. Even then, he only really drinks the stuff when it has lemon juice mixed in with it."


    A slight giggle erupted from Veronika''s mouth as she heard this. There were truly only a few things that could get a woman like Linde to sigh in such a way. The Bohemian princess found the rtionship that existed between the redheaded Kaiserin and her husband to be an inspiration, and she was quick to voice this thought.


    "I truly admire the love that exists between you and Berengar. I hope that one day Hans and I can share a fraction of what exists between the two of you."


    Upon hearing this, Linde smiled once more while she nodded her head in contemtion. Her thoughts drifted back nearly thirteen years ago, when she and Berengar had first met. Looking back, she could say with certainty that the very moment sheid eyes on the man, it was love at first sight.


    Of course, being the spoiled and sadistic brat that she was at the time, her concept of love drifted to a rather unhealthy ce. However, with the experience she now had, Linde could confidently say that although it was a perverted image of love, her desire for Berengar to be hers and hers alone was genuine.


    After so many years with her man, Linde understood that her initial desire to control and dominate him was naivety at its finest. Berengar was a man destined for greatness, more than she had ever anticipated. Naturally, he would not settle for one woman by his side.


    All she could do was carve herself into the very depths of his soul, so that at the end of the day, she was the woman he loved most, and that was something she had done sessfully. Aftering back to reality, Linde decided to impart some of her wisdom on the young woman in front of her.


    "If you want to have a simr rtionship with Hans that I have with Berengar, then you must understand a few things. Firstly, Hans will grow up to be a man like his father. He will be of man of focus,mitment, and sheer will. A man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.


    You cannot control a man like that. In fact, any attempt to do so would be seen as an offense by my son. So give up any notions you might have of doing so. What you need to focus on is how you can support him and his goals better than any of his other women.


    For example: Ad handles propaganda, Henrietta controls the nation''s finances, while Honoria and Yasmin secured the thrones of Berengar''s greatest allies for his progeny. Meanwhile, I built the intelligencework that has allowed my husband''s Empire to grow so rapidly, and secures him from the threats in the shadows. I also control the other women in his harem, to make sure there is not any unecessary drama. <sub> </sub>


    Put yourself in charge of your rivals, learn to manipte those bitches so that they stay in line, and be someone irreceable to Hans, and you will be his favorite. You have made progress in some of these areas, for example Natalia, and Noemi seem to be open to the idea of following you. However, there is one mistake you made that my baby boy has yet to forgive. Something that you need to make up for, or else he will always question your loyalty."


    p This shocking revtion caused Veronika to choke on her tea. As far as she was aware, there was nothing she had done to make Hans so angry at her. Everything she had done in the past that had visibly upset the boy had been forgiven already. She was very curious about what she could have possibly done to offend him to such a degree, and naturally asked Linde what she was talking about.</anda>


    "I''m sorry. I don''t know what you''re referring to. Why would Hans hold such a grudge against me?"


    Linde sipped from her tea once more and sighed heavily before revealing what she knew about her eldest son.


    "I understand what you were thinking at the time. Berengar has done much for you. He saved you from your abusive mother, raised you as if you were his own child, and given you everything you needed to seed in this world.


    He has even made your peculiar condition something that is revered by the German people rather than shunned. It is no surprise that you approached him and asked him to marry you when you were young and confused.


    You may not know this, but Hans heard what you said at that time, and for the past few years he has always considered himself second in your eyes, even though you are his fiancee. Unless you do something to ease his worries, he will always fear the possibility that you love his father more than you do him.


    If this continues, it is likely that this new girl, Anne, will be his favorite, and will be the mistress who presides over you, and the others, even if she doesn''t want to. So, your objective in theing years should be to mend this rift, and find some skill that makes you irreceable in my son''s eyes. Then you can have your fantasy..."


    Upon hearing this, Veronika had a serious expression on her face. She did not know that Hans harbored such thoughts towards her for all these years. It was true that at the time; she had strong feelings for Berengar, but those feelings were misced, to say the least.


    Veronika''s rtionship with her biological parents was turbulent. Her mother had abused her, and her father did not even recognize her existence. It was because of this that she confused familial love with romantic love.


    Now that she was older, Veronika understood that Berengar was the father figure that she never had growing up, and was extremely embarrassed that she had asked him to marry her when she was in early adolescence.


    After several moments of reflection, Veronika swallowed her embarassment and nodded her head. A serious glint emerged in her mismatched eyes as she stared towards the woman she thought of as a mother and made a promation to her.


    "I understand. I will do everything I can to make up for that moment of youthful indiscretion, and ingrain myself in Hans''s heart so that I am his number one from now until the end of days. Thank you Linde for this advice. It has helped me understand what I need to do."


    Linde merely smiled when she heard this and nodded her head silently as she sipped from her tea once more. Among all of her son''s fiancees, Veronika was her favorite. If it were any of the other girls, she would not have bothered giving them such advice. It made her happy that the girl was intelligent enough to take her words to heart. Thus, the two of them continued to have a tea party until lunch time came around.


    ---


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 Chapter 936 International Diplomacy Part L

    A Japanese diplomat by the name of Saitou Morouchi sat within the German embassy located in Beijing while patiently waiting for a chance to speak with the German Ambassador. There was a scowl on his face as he did so.


    Why was this the case? Because for thest six hours he had been sitting in this exact spot, waiting for the German Ambassador to meet with him. A man could only sit quietly and wait patiently for so long before he lost control of his emotions. It simply wasn''t in his nature.


    As each moment ticked by on the clock which hung on the wall, the man''s face twitched uncontrobly. On more than three separate asions he had spoken with the receptionist, who had simply told him the Ambassador was busy with important matters, and he would have to wait until the man was ready to see him.


    After six hours of waiting, Saitou had finally lost his patience and was just about to stand up and scream at the receptionist when a door opened to reveal a handsome golden-haired man, dressed in a fine three-piece suit.


    If anyone from the Reich were to witness this man''s appearance, they would say that he had an uncanny resemnce to the kaiser. Gerhard had a confident smirk on his face as he approached the Japanese diplomat while introducing himself to the man in the Japanese tongue.


    "Saitou Morouchi, am I correct? Come with me, I am sure we have much to discuss..."


    There was no exchange of pleasantries, nor was there a sense of respect in Gerhard''s tone. As far as he was concerned, the man he was speaking with was an enemy. The fact that he was showing him any face by allowing him to step foot on German soil without any consequences was kindness in itself.


    As for Saitou, he merely frowned when he was treated in such a way, but he did not immediately voice his displeasure. Instead, he did as he was instructed and silently followed the man to a conference room, where the two of them sat cross from one another. Once they were all alone, Gerhard broke the tense silence that existed in the air with an arrogant tone in his voice.


    "Let''s cut the bullshit and get straight to the point. You''re here because of the recent incident that urred between your fleet and our military outpost on thatrge ind in the south Pacific, am I correct?"


    The six hours of waiting, followed by an utterck of respect, made Saitou want to jump up from his seat and throttle this foreign bastard. But he remembered the Empress''s words and remained calm before speaking his piece.


    "Empress Itami Riyo summons you to Heian-ky�� to discuss-"


    However, before he could even finish, Gerhard cut the man off, and voiced over his demands with a loud and belligerent tone.


    "Your Empress summons me? Who the hell does she think she is to tell me Gerhard von Graz, the German Ambassador to the Ming Dynasty, that I must leave my ce of residence, and travel across the Pacific just to listen to her demands?


    In case you haven''t noticed, I''m an incredibly busy man, and I don''t have the time to drop everything just to listen to some entitled bitch lecture me about what she perceives to be a slight against her. Go back and tell Itami Riyo these words.


    The Reich has settled the region that we currently refer to as Austrsia, and we have no intentions of giving it up. Our ims to the region have already been recognized by the Ming Dynasty, the Anangpur Empire, and the Majapahit Empire.


    If your Empress disagrees with this and wishes to discuss the matter in length, then she cane here and meet with me herself. Though I assure you, no matter what she has to say, the Kaiser will not budge on this issue. Nevertheless, my invitation still stands. If that was all you wished to discuss, then you are free to leave!"


    Saito was utterly stunned by the sheer audacity the German Ambassador had. He wanted more than anything to duel this man to the death for the sake of his honor, and that of his empress. However, the man did not do so. Instead, he begrudgingly bowed his head and made onest statement before departing.


    "I will make sure the Empress hears everything you have said..."


    The words sounded respectful, but they were filled with venom, as if to point out that Gerhard had called the Empress an entitled bitch. Even then, this did not intimidate the German Ambassador in the slightest, instead he smirked before responding to this veiled threat with the utmost confidence.


    "Don''t forget to tell your Empress that I called her an entitled bitch. If she still dares toe to Beijing after hearing what I have said, then she will have earned my respect and I will treat her ordingly, something a worm like you will never receive. Now get the fuck out of my sight!"


    With this said, the first real act of diplomacy between the Empire of Japan and the German Reich ended with a somewhat explosive result. Aside from a few trolling attempts in the past, there had never really been an official exchange of dialogue between Japan and Germany.<sub> </sub>


    For Gerhard to rebuke the Japanese diplomat so ruthlessly, and openly refer to the Japanese empress as an entitled bitch, was surely a sign that the Germans refused to budge on their stance, and werepletely unafraid of esction.


    As for Saitou Morouchi, he left the German embassy with an unbridled rage in his heart, and returned to the Japanese capital where he would inform Empress Itami of the insults she had received.


    ---


    A few dayster, Saitou Morouchi arrived in the pce of Heian-kyo where he kneeled before the young Empress and reported exactly what was said to him during his brief exchange with the German Ambassador.


    The woman''s snow white brows twitched as she heard the word''s ''entitled bitch'' repeated to her by her servant. She could honestly not believe that she had been treated so rudely by a foreign Empire''s diplomat. It was as if the Germans were not giving her the slightest bit of face.


    The fact that the Germans had treated her so rudely caused nothing but outrage to exist within Itami''s mind, but when she recalled that she had been invited to Beijing to discuss this matter personally, she calmed her inner fury and thought about the situation for a few moments in silence. After carefully considering the words that were spoken on this matter, she asked Saito to repeat Gerhard''s final statement.


    "Repeat to me thatst part. What were the exact words that this Gerhard von Graz spoke before sending you on your way?"


    Saito was a smart man and could easily decipher the exact words that his empress wanted to hear. As a result, he kowtowed before her and uttered them exactly as Gerhard had said.


    "He said, and I quote If she still dares toe to Beijing after hearing what I have said, then she will have earned my respect and I will treat her ordingly..."


    Itami''s sanguine eyes shed with thought as she reflected on the exact meaning behind these words. It was abundantly clear that Gerhard was posing a challenge to her. She could sit back and simmer in her pce with the dignity of an Empress, but in doing so, she would be openly tolerating the insult that the Germans had given her.


    However, if she lowered her head and sailed to Beijing to personally meet with the Gerhard, she would receive the respect of the Germans, but in doing so would lose the prestige of a sovereign empress. As she would essentially be saying that one lowly ambassador had the power tomand her to meet with him in person.


    Itami gritted her teeth in rage. She really wondered who this man was to be so confident that she would personally drop everything just to meet with him. It was at this moment that Nakamura Hana, the director of Itami''s secret police who was standing nearby, voiced her thoughts on the matter.


    "You said the ambassador''s name is Gerhard von Graz. Is that correct?"


    Both Itami and Saito immediately snapped their attention towards Nakamura as the Japanese diplomat silently nodded his head in response. Upon doing so, Nakamura''s lip quivered slightly before revealing what she knew.


    "There is a rumor that the German Ambassador to the Ming Dynasty is a rtive of the Kaiser. If that is the case, then he''s a member of the German royal family, at least by some extension. So he would certainly have the right to behave so arrogantly. I think it would be wise to speak with this man in person, if not only to get an impression about who the Kaiser really is from such a close rtive."


    When Itami heard this, she sighed heavily and sank back into her seat. Though she did not want to bow her head to the Germans ande visit them like a trained monkey, she desperately wanted to know more about Berengar, and she was wise enough not to put all of her eggs into one basket. Thus, she saw this as a golden opportunity to at the very least see what those close to the man in question truly thought about him. After careful consideration, the albino beauty voiced her decision aloud.


    "I will go to Beijing and meet with this Haughty Ambassador. Let us see how arrogant this man can be to my face!"


    ---


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 Chapter 937 Lnternational Diplomacy Part Ll

    Several days had passed since Itami first received Gerhard''s taunts, and now she was sitting across from the man within the confines of the German Embassy. The woman was not dressed in her usual militant attire, rather she wore the traditional J��nihitoe as a sign of her civil intentions. A confident smirk emerged on the German Ambassador''s face as he closely examined every inch of the young Empress beforeplimenting the woman on her pristine appearance.


    "I must say, I did not expect you to be so beautiful. The Kaiser would be very pleased with your appearance were he here to speak with you himself..."


    A slight frown emerged on Itami''s luscious lips as she furrowed her brows in discontent. Though these words sounded like apliment, she could tell that the man was simply mocking her as just another foreign beauty. As a result, she was forced to suppress her internal fury before asking the man to be serious in this exchange of dialogue.


    "Let''s not sit here and waste our time with empty pleasantries. I came here to deliver my demands to your Kaiser. Thends south of the Majapahit Empire are Asian, and because of this, your people have no im to them. Abandon your military outposts in the Pacific and hand them over to me. I will only ask once!"


    Despite the frightening tone which Itami spoke in, Gerhard was not the least bit intimidated. There was a rather carefree expression on his face as he responded to these demands with a smile.


    "And if we don''t? What will you do? If military action was a viable option, you would have used it from the start. I have studied you extensively over these past few years. It would not be an exaggeration to say that at every given opportunity you have used violence as a means to get what you want. How has that worked out for you so far?"


    Upon hearing this question, a slight scoff emerged from Itami''s lips as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms before giving voice to her discontent.


    "It was working fine before you started supplying my enemies."


    The moment she said these words, the confident smirk disappeared from Gerhard''s face, and was instead reced with a stoic expression. He picked up his teacup once more and drank from it before giving the young Japanese Empress a piece of his mind.


    "If you did not wish for such an oue, then you should have stayed out of India, my dear Empress. The Kaiser is just returning the favor you have shown us. You should know that sooner orter, we Germans always settle our debts, more often than not, with a substantial interest."


    If looks could kill, Itami''s re would have imed the life of the German ambassador. She sneered in disdain before voicing her words with every bit of intimidation she could muster.


    "Two can y that game..."


    As a response to this threat, Gerhard raised his finger and wagged it in the woman''s face as he lectured her on the foolishness of such a statement.


    "Tsk tsk tsk... You ought to be more careful with your words. At the moment, the Kaiser has not deemed you an enemy. If anything, he thinks of you as amon nuisance. A capable one at that, but nothing more.


    I give you this advice as a man who has once enraged the man during my younger years. There is nothing in this world that is more frightening than his majesty when he is infuriated. If you truly wish to go down that route, he will bury your inds beneath the waves of the Pacific ocean.


    We can overlook the situation with the Bengal Empire, as at the time of your interference, we had not yet had a presence in Asia. However, if you supply any other group which we consider to be hostile, it will be an outright deration of war..."


    Itami scoffed once more while she leaned back into her chair with a face filled with disdain. If Gerhard thought she was intimidated by his statement, then he was dead wrong, and she was quick to give voice to this misced bravery.


    "You think I am afraid?"


    Despite calling the German ambassador''s bluff, the man merely grinned and leaned back in his chair. The only people he had met in his life who had such a disregard for Berengar''s name were those who knew nothing of the man or his capabilities, thus he could only scold the woman for her ignorance.


    "You should be. His majesty is not the kind of man one should take lightly. If you want to see what he is capable of, you should investigate the fate of the Catholic church. In their arrogance, they thought they could crush a simple Baron. In the end, the foundations that their power was built upon, one that existed for over a thousand years, were torn to the ground in a single decade.


    Unlike you, the Kaiser is not a man who is easily incited to violence. However, continue to disrupt his ns, and you will see just how cruel the man can be when he has no other option but force to achieve his goals. It would appear that the ease with which you have conquered Japan has made youcent. I pity you..."


    Itami had a mocking expression on her face as she rested her chin on her dainty hand and dismissed Gerhard''s warning as if it were the ravings of a madman. There was a hint of disdain in her voice as she uttered her thoughts on the matter.


    "Berengar von Kufstein... I have heard far too many ludicrous rumors about the man to take anything you say seriously."


    Until this moment Gerhard had not shown any serious sign of hostility with his words, but upon hearing Itami reject his warning as if the Kaiser was some farcical character, it had truly gotten on his nerves. Thus, he narrowed his gaze before responding to the Japanese empress with a hint of venom on his tongue. <sub> </sub>


    "Perhaps, rather than spending your time listening to rumors, you should instead develop apetent intelligence agency. Then you could verify the truth, rather than listening to the whispers of the envious."


    Itami continued to have a lighthearted expression as she heard these words. In fact, there was a faint smile on her pretty face as she joked with the German Ambassador as if his words wereughable.


    "Who says I don''t have one already?"


    Rather than burst into anger like Itami had expected, a cold smile existed on Gerhard''s lips. His retort was a single word, but the moment he spoke it, the atmosphere became heavy, and Itami felt a chill go down her spine.


    "Thirty-two..."


    When Itami heard this word, it was as if a bucket of ice water was poured over her head. However she quickly managed to calm her nerves as she thought to herself that perhaps she was over thinking things. However, there was a nagging suspicion in the back of her mind that ultimately forced her to ask for rification.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Despite her acting ignorant, Gerhard refused to show Itami any mercy, and was quick to reveal just what he had meant by his previous response.


    "There are thirty-two Japanese Agents embedded across the city of Beijing. Do you want me to speak their names and locations as of this moment?"


    After hearing this, Itami realized her fears had been urate. Thirty-two was the exact number of agents she had embedded in Beijing at this very moment. The fact that the Germans knew this meant their counter intelligence capabilities were well beyond her means. Before she could question what the man was going to do with this information, he broke the silence with a rather unexpected suggestion.


    "Shall we y a game? I suggest we ask each other some straightforward questions, and we answer the ones that we feel the desire to. Simple enough, right?"


    This suggestion caught Itami off guard, but she did not outright reject, and instead she slowly and silently nodded her head, resulting in a rather peculiar smile to emerge on Gerhard''s lips.


    "Alright,dies first. Go ahead and ask me any question you desire. That''s why you''re here, isn''t it? To gain information about the Reich and its Kaiser?"


    Though Itami was stunned by these words, she did not let it affect her mind. She quickly thought of a basic question to ask, one that Gerhard would not shy away from. After several moments of awkward silence, she finally came up with a response, which she immediately gave voice to.


    "What does Germany think of Japan?"


    Gerhard took a deep breath as he folded his fingers in contemtion. It was clear that he was formting a response, but Itami was on the edge of her seat waiting to hear it. After several moments, the man exhaled before giving voice to his thoughts.


    "I suppose you could say that we view Japan as a valuable lesson, one that needs to be remembered. In the eyes of the Reich, Japan is living proof that even a modern state can be a failure. Especially if those at the top of society refuse to use their power and privilege to help those less fortunate than themselves.


    The Kaiser has led by example, his sense of righteousness, and noblesse oblige has caused the nobility and wealth elites to use their lofty positions not for their own greed, but as a way to help themon man.


    Sure, those at the top of German society have unimaginable wealth, but they also give away more money to charity than anybody else. Compared to the dystopian state that you have created, I would say that the Reich is a bastion of mankind''s inherent virtue, even if not everyone is as good-hearted as his Majesty.


    Now that I have answered your question, it is my turn..."


    ---


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 Chapter 938 International Diplomacy Part Lll

    The German ambassador and Japanese empress sat across from one another with stern expressions on their faces. Though Gerhard was about to pose his question for Itami, the woman boldly interrupted him with a fierce look in her sanguine eyes.


    "You say that the elites of the Reich use their wealth and power for the benefit of the average citizen? If such a thing were remotely possible, the world would have seen a society like it already. Your ims are truly inspiring, but I sincerely doubt that any gathering of human beings could actually aplish such a thing."


    Gerhard merely smiled when he heard these words and posed a simple solution to Itami''s doubts.


    "If you have trouble believing me, you are more than wee to visit the Reich and see for yourself how we have eliminated poverty and famine. Just because you don''t believe in the good in people doesn''t mean it doesn''t exist. All humans need to treat one another better is a sense of belonging to the group, and leaders who are benevolent. Naturally, for a warmonger like yourself, achieving such a pleasant society is an impossibility."


    A slight scoff erupted from Itami''s luscious lips as she heard these words. Warmonger? While it may be true that she had used violence to achieve her goals, was Berengar any different? The man built an Empire that should not exist in the world within the span of a decade. Obviously blood was spilled in pursuit of this, and as a result she was quick to voice her perceived hypocrisy in Gerhard''s words.


    "You call me a warmonger, and yet as far as I''m aware, your so called benevolent leader fought his own series of wars to carve his Empire into this world''s history. Leaving behind a pile of bodies and a river of blood in his wake. How are he and I any different?"


    The German ambassador''s lips curved into a sneer. Since the discussion had gone this way, he would have to entertain the young empress seated across for him. Though he had an important question on his mind, he decided it would have to wait untilter. Instead, he spoke the words that had truly stunned Itami in her heart.


    "The difference between you and his Majesty, is that the Kaiser has never fought a war of aggression. Every war that the man has ever fought was either defensive or retaliatory in nature. He has never once entered his neighbors''nds as an act of aggression.


    You may not be aware of this, but I have known his Majesty since we were both small children. If given the opportunity, the Kaiser would rather have chosen to stay in his own family''s meagre holdings and spend his life developing thends into a prosperous barony. Fortunately for us all, fate had different ns for the man.


    The crown of an emperor is a heavy burden to bear, and I have no doubt that there are days where his majesty would rather hang it all up and retire to akeside manor to spend the rest of his days with his loving family. However, for the good of his people, he endures, and leads by example, so that those who follow him may use their power and privilege for more than just their own greed.


    Unlike you, Berengar von Kufstein does not lust after wealth, and power for its own sake. He seeks to create a society where his people can live in peace and prosperity. How can such a man ever possiblypare to a woman like yourself, who treats her citizens as if they are nothing more than living resources?


    Now that I have answered more than just one of your questions, I believe it is rightfully my turn. So if you would be so polite, why did you decide to interfere in India?"


    The albino beauty was utterly stunned into silence. She could hardly believe Gerhard''s words. However, there was one thing she was certain of. The German ambassador had a genuine sense of respect and reverence for the Kaiser. Something that went above and beyond her most loyal followers, who worshipped her as a literal war goddess.


    It took the young empress several moments to calm down before realizing that the German ambassador was politely waiting for her response. Time passed as the woman collected her thoughts before she eventually tried to lie her way out of the question.


    "I needed gold to stimte my economy, and I decided that selling weapons was a viable solution. As for why I chose the Bengal empire as my target of trade, I knew they were far enough away from my territory to ever pose a threat to myself. There is truly nothing more to it than that."


    The moment Gerhard heard these words, he narrowed his gaze ever so slightly before sighing in dissatisfaction. His words were like a knife that pierced Itami''s soul when he spoke next.


    "I thought we agreed to answer these questions honestly, or not at all. While I admit, at first nce, this is a valid excuse. However, when looked at under the tiniest amount of scrutiny, your words do not hold up.


    Let''s start by discussing the grade of weapons. If you truly wanted to just gain wealth to stimte your economy, you did not need to sell weapons that were so advanced that they could cause casualties among the Reich''s soldiers. You could have easily sold the Bengal Army arquebuses and they would have been happy to hand over hoards of gold in exchange for such weapons.


    Then there is the fact that you only supplied the Bengal Army, when if you really wanted to generate the most wealth, you would have sold weapons to all the states in the Indian subcontinent.


    Finally, there is one other point that disproves your words, and that is the fact that the initial batches of these weapons were manufactured with Sanskrit markings, as if to deliberately hide the origin of their manufacture. The only reason to do this would be if you feared that some foreign power would be able to trace the weapons back to you.


    With all of this evidence, the Kaiser has concluded they you were not only aware of our ambitions in the region from the moment you decided to interfere, but you deliberately supplied the Bengal Empire as a capable armed force that could shed German blood via proxy.


    From the moment you engaged in such belligerent action, you had provoked the Reich, and what his Majesty wants to know is simply this: why have you made an enemy out of us? Especially when we showed no signs of hostility to you or your people."<sub> </sub>


    Itami gritted her teeth as she heard these words and looked away without responding. She did not have an appropriate answer to this question. Why was that? Because the reason she had locked horns with the Kaiser from the get go was because she saw him as a threat.


    Even though Berengar had shown no real ambitions for East Asia, and despite the fact the German and Japanese Empires had never made any contact, by simply existing as another reincarnator, Itami perceived the man as a threat to her life.


    Since Itami could not respond with this as an answer, she instead looked away and remained silent. Which resulted in Gerhard sighing once more in disappointment. After several moments of rtive silence, the man spoke up with a grim tone in his voice.


    "It is not toote to cease hostilities. Withdraw all funding and support from the Bengal Empire, and pull your advisors out from the region. If you do this, the Kaiser will be willing to meet you face to face, and negotiate a solution to the East Asia question. I must make this clear to you. This is the only time that his Majesty is willing to make this offer. Reject it now, and it will never be discussed again, even if youe begging to us on your knees."


    After hearing this demand, Itami immediately responded to Gerhard''s peace offer with a figurative p to the face.


    "That''s impossible! You and your Kaiser have a lot of nerve to make such demands of me, especially after what he has put me through. Tens of thousands of Japanese men have lost their lives in the Joseon theatre thanks to you bastards. This debt of blood can not be so easily washed away!"


    Gerhard could only shake his head and sigh in defeat. Itami was clearly delusional, and since she had chosen the path to war, he did not mind responding to her ims with a bit of vitriol.


    "You really think we are to me for your current predicament? Your failures in the Joseon Penins are your own. Instead of establishing trade agreements with the local nobility, to peacefully acquire the resources you needed, you invaded theirnds and took it by force.


    You know what the Kaiser would have done if he were in your shoes? He would have established Trade with the Joseon. Where he would proceed to bribe the upper ranks of Joseon society and negotiate setting up permanent mines in the region. Eventually, he would have used the threat of the Ming Dynasty to sign a mutual defence pact and, in doing so, created a powerful ally.


    Had you done this, your nation would probably be more advanced than it is now. You would have an ally in Korea, and tens of thousands of young Japanese men would still be alive to contribute to the development of your nation. Everything you did waspletely unnecessary and resulted in an unjustified war. Who do you think the families of your soldiers me for their deaths? Here''s a hint: not the Koreans!"


    This alternative solution stunned Itami into silence for a long time. She had to admit; she did not expect the war with the Joseon to end in the way it had. From what Gerhard said, it sounded like Berengar was several leagues ahead of her in the game of global politics. She could not help but ask about this.


    "Is this really what Berengar would have done?"


    The fact that the anger in Itami''s voice hadpletely drained away, and instead was reced with fear, caused Gerhard to rx a bit more while he sank back into his chair while nodding his head in response to the woman''s question.


    "More or less. I''ve been around his Majesty long enough to know how he thinks. Especially after he made me his ambassador to the Ming Empire. I have no doubt that he would probably also use propaganda to culturally convert the Joseon so that he can peacefully annex thend at ater date.


    If the Joseon broke any of their signed agreements, he would have a just cause to fight them. He would not be a foreign upier inviting gueri warfare, nor would he alienate the Ming like you have done.


    Just because you have guns doesn''t mean they should be used to solve all your problems. If you had decided on the path which I have outlined, you would also have better intelligence capabilities outside your borders by now.


    The fact that you sit here and me the Reich for your problems is a sign of your emotional immaturity, and is the same exact thinking that has led you to your current predicament. Since you have spat at the Kaiser''s offer for peace, I can only pity you.


    I dare not think of where the world will be in a few years, for the topic weighs heavily on my heart. If our two nations should ever enter a state of armed conflict, I want you to know that it will be nobody''s fault but your own. For we have done everything in our power to cease this pointless esction once and for all."


    Itami sat in silence for some time, not willing to make a response while she reflected on everything Gerhard had said. A deep sense of dread had overtaken her heart after hearing just how meticulous of a schemer her rival was. She was beginning to regret sending Min-ah into the lion''s den, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. The ns were already set in motion.


    ---


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 Chapter 939 Lnternational Diplomacy Part LV

    Itami sat in silence for a long time after hearing Gerhard''s speech. There were many things that she needed to rethink after having a simple conversation with the German Ambassador. While she attempted to expand her power on a global scale, things had not gone the way she had nned. Her first instinct was to me the Germans for interfering in her operations.


    However, when given an alternative solution to her ambitions, one that did not involve aggressive expansion. Itami realized that perhaps the time she spent conquering Japan with firearms had affected the way she viewed geo-politics as a whole.


    It was fine to use force topel her neighbors to obey her whims if she was the only one with ess to such advanced hardware. However, the moment she realized that another power existed which had ess to the same level of weaponry. She should have taken a more diplomatic approach to global expansion. This was where she had gone wrong, and why the Germans were beating her at every step of this cold war.


    Though Itami had advanced her military might topete with the technological advantage that the Germans had over her; she had not changed her mindset and how she approached the securing of crucial resources. As a result, the people she conquered despised her and were prone to rebellion.


    If her own troops were fanatically loyal to her, such a thing could be quelled with ease. However, Itami had viewed her own poption as living resources, whose sole purpose in life was to extend the capabilities of the Japanese Military. This naturally did not do her any favors in morale.


    In fact, the only reason there were not open rebellions taking ce across the Japanese maind at this very moment was because the people of Japan did not understand that there was a better life across the world''s oceans. They were ustomed to the lifestyle of a peasant, and were simply happy to have full bellies, even if they were worked to the bone every day.


    If what Gerhard had said was true about the German Empire, and the people lived good lives, with great conditions, then the moment this news spread to the Japanese people, those who had any modicum of intelligence would begin to question why the people of Germany who lived in a nation with a simr level of technological ability, had such better lives than them? Such a dangerous question would undoubtedly lead to open rebellion.


    As Itami was dwelling on these questions, Gerhard simply examined her facial expressions while sipping from a ss of tea. He had learned a lot about the young Japanese empress during their brief discussion. But the more he learned about the albino beauty seated across from him, the more confused he became.


    There was a single question that existed on the man''s mind that he had yet to ask. As time passed, and no words were spoken, Gerhard felt the increasing need to give it voice, and in the end, that''s exactly what he did.


    "Pardon my interruption of your thoughts. However, there is one thing that has beguiled me since the moment we first sat down and started our conversation. Now this is admittedly a bit of a personal question, thus, if you find it too offensive, feel free to remain silent. However, I must ask you, what exactly haspelled you to take up the mantle of Empress?


    I mean, I understand your reason for rebelling against the previous Shogunate. The thirst for vengeance is a me that ignites one''s very soul, one that can not easily be quenched. But after avenging your father, why did you choose to be the next shogun? Let alone overthrow the royal family and dere yourself, Empress?"


    This question broke Itami out of her fugue like state, where she gazed upon the German ambassador with a hint of confusion on her face. Why had she taken the mantle of Empress? After avenging her father, what was her reason for seizing absolute power over Japan? What caused her to create an overseas Empire?


    Was she the most suited to rule over her people? Absolutely, without her, they would surely be doomed to fight one another for the next hundred years, at least. However, is that what she wanted in life? To rule over her people? If so, then what did she desire out of it? Wealth? Power? Prestige?


    When Itami really thought about it, her position as Empress had brought her nothing but unnecessary suffering. In fact, there was only one reason thatpelled her to do everything she had done, and surprisingly, she spoke the word aloud without even realizing it.


    "Responsibility..."


    This response caused Gerhard to furrow his brows before questioning the intent behind this word.


    "Responsibility? Exin?"


    Itami sighed heavily as she reflected on her past actions with a grim smile on her face.


    "I suppose you could say that after breaking the system, I felt responsible for putting it back together. If I had not assumed the mantle of Shogun, then my people would be fighting for the next hundred years or more to determine the sessor to the previous Shogunate.


    Rather than sit back and watch as an ocean of blood swallowed my homnd, I chose to be the stabilizing force. This was working just fine, before your Kaiser decided to interfere in my business."


    Gerhard rolled his eyes when he heard this before responding in an exhausted tone to the woman''s ims.


    "Have we not been over this already? We would have never gotten involved in the Joseon Penins had you not created an armed proxy in India. I can tell you are too proud to admit that you are responsible for your own predicament, and this pride will ultimately be your downfall.


    I will say this: your desire to take responsibility for your actions is admirable. If only you cared for the wellbeing of your people, more than you did about your pride. Perhaps Japan would be as great as a nation as the Reich.


    But I don''t me you, not entirely. You have no husband, nor any children of your own. So you can''t truly understand the desire to work hard, so that the next generation has a better life than you do now."<sub> </sub>


    These remarks were as if knives pierced through the depths of Itami''s soul. Even though Gerhard had often given her advice on how to improve her situation, he had always done it in a way which only stoked the woman''s ire. She could only scoff at this remark before posing a question of her own.


    "So, I presume you have a wife and children?"


    A proud smile emerged on the man''s face as he heard this question, one that Itami had only seen when he spoke of the Kaiser. After nodding his head thrice, Gerhard did not hesitate to give an appropriate response.


    "I have three wives and at least two children with each of them. However, as much as I love my own kids, they will never be as talented as my nieces and nephews. In fact, I want to share something with you. If you would hold on for just one minute."


    After saying this, Gerhard rose from his seat and fetched something from the closet. It was a piece of vinyl which had been recorded in the Reich. He carefully ced the recording into the gramophone as if it were the most precious possession he owned before starting the device.


    Instantly a song began to y in the room, one which Itami actually recognized. Though it was slightly different from the version she was used to, as it was yed on the piano, there was no mistaking the chorus. A single phrase escaped the woman''s lips without her knowledge as she spoke the name of the song from her past life.


    "The price of freedom..."


    This immediately caused a misunderstanding, as Gerhard looked over at the woman with confusion in his eyes before voicing his thoughts aloud.


    "You''ve heard this before?"


    Itami did not answer, and instead she continued to listen to the music, as it was skillfully yed on the recording. She could not help but investigate the origin of this song, and who had written it.


    "Who wrote this? Who is ying it?"


    Gerhard was no longer concerned about whether Itami had actually heard the song before, instead he had a proud smile on his face as he gave her the answer.


    "My youngest sister Adposed the song from a series of hummings that her husband, the Kaiser, would sing around the pce from time to time. As for who is ying it, it is actually my nephew Kristoffer. The second Prince is skilled with musical instruments, and has even performed in concert halls across Kufstein despite his young age.


    The boy is talented, more so than any of my meagre offspring, and I can only hope to see what he will aplish one day. Even if he doesn''t seed his father, his contributions to the Reich will be no lesser than his siblings."


    Itami immediately felt a sense of longing in the depths of her heart. The false memory of her and Julian starting a family together immediately came to mind as she sulked in silence. There was a hidden resentment within her sanguine eyes as she thought about the love and happiness Berengar must feel every day, considering he was surrounded by beautiful women and had a family with each of them.


    Whenpared to herself, who was terminally single, she felt nothing short of envy, and that made her bitter. Ultimately, sheshed out at Gerhard for making her feel this way by demanding he stop the music.


    "I''ve heard enough. Don''t we have more important things to discuss? My time is limited, and I do not wish to spend it listening to some child''s poor attempt to y the piano!"


    This remark immediately caused Gerhard to frown, to insult his nephew in such a manner. It was not something he would take lying down, and thus he simply responded with an utterck of courtesy.


    "I think I have entertained you long enough. I have tried my best to be polite to you, despite the fact that you have made yourself an enemy of the reich. But I will not sit here and listen to you disrespect my nephew. Get out!"


    This vtile response had truly shocked Itami, but she did not let it show on her face. Instead, she stood up abruptly and departed without saying a word. From the beginning, she knew that nothing fruitful was going toe from this diplomatic meeting.


    However, despite the tension between Germany and Japan, the young empress had much to think of as a result of this discussion, something she would do the moment she returned to the safety of her own home.


    ---


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 Chapter 940 Hostile Takeover Part L

    Vetranis sat in his office with a haggard look on his weary face. The years had not been kind to him, and if Berengar were to gaze upon the man, it would appear as if he had aged over a decade since thest time he saw him.


    Not only was the Byzantine Empire struggling to prop up its failing economy, it was now facing an invasion from the north. The Golden Horde had broken through the Caucasus and was now raiding Anatolia with impunity.


    Whatever paltry force could be mustered to defend the region was quickly ughtered by the enemy. The only force that Vetranis had to call upon in this war that was remotely intact was those that belonged to the Strategos of the Balkans.


    As a result, Padius was standing here in the Byzantine Emperor''s office, awaiting his orders. Despite this, Vetranis did not immediately make a move, and instead gazed upon the photograph that sat on his desk, which was of his only daughter and her young children.


    "Oh my sweet Honoria, I hope you are doing well in Kufstein, because things are chaotic here in your homnd..."


    It had been many years since Honoria had visited her family. This was naturally a result of her killing Decentius during herst visit. An action which Vetranis had forgiven after learning the truth behind his son''s vile actions. However, that did not mean that the rest of her family had done so. While the byzantine emperor was moping about in his office, Padius was quick to give him advice on the dire situation that they were currently facing.


    "Your majesty, it will take me at least two weeks to deploy my forces from the Balkans to Anatolia. I highly suggest you call upon Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein for military assistance. Even though rtions have soured between the two of you, there is still a defensive alliance in ce, and he will be obligated to send troops to our aid!"


    Just as Vetranis was about to respond to this advice, a knock resounded on the door to his office, which was followed by a familiar voice.


    "Father, I have urgent news from the south. Will you allow me an audience?"


    Over these past few years, Vetranis rarely spoke with his son Quintus. As the architect behind the treaty with the Papacy, which was responsible for much of the Byzantine''s current woes, Quintus''s reputation had suffered greatly.


    The treaty with the Catholics had cededrge swaths ofnd to the Church, which was in itself a monumental act of humiliation. However, it was also responsible for the transfer of almost all the Byzantine Empire''s treasury to the papacy.


    This Gold and silver was now in the hands of the German Empire, who stubbornly refused to give it back to the Byzantines. The reasoning behind this? The Germans considered this wealth aspensation for the betrayal they had received from the Byzantine Empire when Quintus had foolishly decided to hand over the Kaiser''s pass, at least on paper, to the Papacy.


    This had caused the Byzantine economy to almostpletely copse on itself. Bankrupt, impoverished, and incapable of funding its own army, the mighty Romans were now at the lowest point in their nearly two thousand years of history.


    Quintus, who had orchestrated this disastrous treaty, was naturally held responsible for its effects, and as a result, rtions between the father and son had worsened to the point where they seldom talked with one another, even though they lived in the same house.


    After a deep sigh, Vetranis nodded his head before getting up from his seat and opening the door to his office. He did not even look his eldest son in the eye, as he returned to his chair and poured himself a ss of German whiskey. His silence was all Quintus needed to speak his mind.


    "Father, it would appear in our weakened state that the Mamluk and the Jyirid Sultanates believe us to be defenseless. Intelligence suggests that they are amassing their troops on our southern borders. If we do not send a peace delegation, they will inevitably invade Egypt and Palestine. Something we can not defend against, especially when the Golden Horde is ravaging Anatolia as we speak. I urge you to send me to speak with the Saracens. I will-"


    Before the man could even finish his statement, his father snapped at him with a rather vicious re in his weathered eyes.


    "You will do what? Sell half our country away? For what? Peace? What point is there in peace when we must give up thends that we have fought all these years to regain? Our treasuries are empty, are armies, nonexistent! We as a nation are deeply in debt to our German allies, with no hope of ever escaping!


    The only reason we can somewhat keep ourselves afloat is because of the wealth that Egypt and Palestine bring us. If you give them away, like you did to the fucking Catholics, our Empire will notst another decade! <sub> </sub>


    I am tired of your peace. I am tired of your failures. No, we will not send a delegation. Instead, I will gather what little remains of my army, outside of Padius'' forces, and march them to the south to deal with these invaders myself."


    Quintus could no longer hold back his thoughts, and was quick to wrestle the bottle of alcohol away from his father while scolding him about the morality of this conflict.


    "Father, violence never solved anything! You could die. Who would rule over our Empire if that were to ur?"


    It was at this moment that Vetranis could no longer control his emotions, causing him to backhand his eldest son across the face before screaming at the man in a fit of rage.


    "Have I no capable sessors? You and your brothers, you are all a monumental disappointment! You dare say that violence never solved anything? Tell that to the Germans who in ten short years have eclipsed our millennia''s worth of history to be the supreme power in the west!


    How do you think the Germans aplished this? With violence! You are a pathetic coward, and will never inherit my position, for the day you do, it will be the end of the Romans not only as an Empire, but as a people!


    Get out of my sight! No, you know what? I want you to gather your drunken wastrel of a brother, your mother, and all my advisors. I have an important announcement to make."


    Though Quintus felt wronged by the p he had received, he gritted his teeth and bowed respectfully before fulfilling his father''s orders. Once the door was mmed behind him, Padius gazed at the weary Byzantine Emperor, who copsed into his seat, and asked the question on his mind.


    "Don''t tell me you intend to-"


    Before he could finish speaking, Padius drank from the bottle of whiskey directly, and nodded his head in silence three times. There was an utterly defeated look on his haggard face as he scoffed before answering the question that his greatest general intended to ask.


    "You think, after all these years, I don''t know what you and your faction have been up to? At first, I resented you for it. The fact that you thought so little of my sons was borderline treasonous. Or so I foolishly believed.


    However, after all these years, I can say with certainty that you were right all this time. It''s funny, when Berengar first proposed the idea of a matrilineal marriage with Honoria to me. I thought he was insane. After all, his kids with my daughter would remain in my dynasty, and that could be perceived as nothing but a loss on his part. But I was na?ve...


    It is only recently that I can look back on that moment, and realize the depths of this man''s schemes. It is no exaggeration to say that he is responsible for the current state of the Byzantine Empire. He has driven me, and my dynasty, to the point where I have no choice but to name his son as my sessor. It is true that Alexandros is a Piologos, but he is a Piologos in name only.


    The boy was born and raised as a member of the von Kufstein Dynasty, and that is where his loyaltiesy. I have no doubt that he will one day create a cadet branch, the House of von Kufstein-Piologos, effectively ending our family''s reign over the Byzantine Empire.


    However, at this point, I have no other options. My sons are not fit to rule, and if, by appointing Alexandros as my sessor, I can end this feud with the Reich and gain their military support during this crisis of our times, then so be it. I was never a match for Berengar von Kufstein. From the moment my daughter fled to his arms, his goal has been to usurp control over my Empire. Well yed..."


    Padius gazed upon the defeated Emperor and shook his head. Even he did not expect Berengar to n for this hostile takeover so early on. After all, until this very moment, he had thought he was the one to nt the idea in Berengar''s head all those years ago when they first met. It was only now, when gazing upon the hopeless expression of the man he had served for so many years, that Padius truly understood how terrifying the Emperor of Germany really was.


    ---


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 Chapter 941 Hostile Takeover Part Ll

    Vetranis sat in his office with an exhausted expression on his face. The man had been through much during his reign as the Byzantine Emperor, however with the world changing so drastically in such a short period, he wanted nothing more than to retire to a peaceful life in the countryside.


    Of course, now was a time of crisis, and thus the man was needed. In fact, he was not the only one. All heroes of Byzantium were required to stand up and defend the glory of Rome from the barbarians who were at the gates.


    Times had changed before the Romans truly understood what was happening. A thousand years ago. It was the Germans who were at Rome''s gates. Yet now the descendents of these barbarians were not only Constantinople''s greatest ally, but were also the supreme hegemon of the western world.


    As Vetranis sat in his office, he was surrounded by his wife, two of his three surviving children and all of his advisors, who had crammed into the room for an announcement from the Byzantine Emperor. Normally such an important deration would be held in the Great Hall, but in all honesty the man was too tired to give a shit about formalities.


    With a ss of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in another, both of which were imported from the Reich. Vetranis sighed heavily as he made his decree, knowing that it was sure to infuriate more than half of those who were present.


    "The barbarians are at the gates, and our Empire is surrounded on all sides. It is with this in mind that I am announcing the conscription of arge force of men. Who will be supplied with weapons that remain in our storage. Beneath mymand, we will march south to deal with the Saracens who seek to take advantage of our current weakened state.


    This campaign of mine is likely to result in my death, and it is because of this that I now formally announce my sessor. As you all know, my second son Decentius died years ago, after plotting against his sister, where he murdered thete Strategos Arethas. He sired no children and thus left no potential heirs.


    As for my other two sons, Quintus has repeatedly proven he is unfit to rule through his pacifistic mindset, which has undoubtedly led us to our current crisis. In fact, I can say with the utmost certainty, should my position fall into the hands of my eldest child, our Empire will not survive another decade.


    Normally, this would leave me with one option. My youngest son Aurelius, as you all know, has spent his entire life fleeing from the responsibilities he, as an Imperial Prince, is burdened with. Rather than take an interest in court politics, he has chosen to live his life in absolute hedonism. Caring more about wine and women than his own family. As a result, he is equally unfit to rule as his elder brothers.


    This leaves me with only one clear choice. Though my chosen sessor may be a bit young. I feel as if he has been raised in a way most suited to bing emperor. It is with a heavy heart that I announce my grandson, Alexandros Piologos, as my one and only heir. Should I pass from this world before the boyes of age to properly sit upon my throne, then let it be known that his father, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, shall be regent over all of Byzantium."


    This announcement was so shocking that nearly everyone who was gathered immediately voiced their discontent. Chief among them was Vetranis'' wife Olympia.


    "What did you just say?"


    However, despite the tone in the woman''s voice, Vetranis did not back down, and merely red at her before responding.


    "You heard what I said. As of this moment, Alexandros is my heir!"<sub> </sub>


    After saying this, Vetranis signed a document in front of dozens of witnesses which proimed his grandson to be his sole sessor. Among everyone present, only Padius remained calm when witnessing this decree.


    The German ambassador to the Byzantine Empire was also present for this deration, and though he was aware of Berengar''s ns for the region, he did not expect such a thing to ur so soon. However, after dwelling upon the dire situation that Constantinople now found itself in, the ambassador could only nod his head in agreement with Vetranis'' decision.


    For the first time in a long time, Aurelius, the errant son, spoke up in discontent. Throughout his entire life, he had never bothered with court politics, but at this moment, he felt wronged, and could not help but express his grievance.


    "Father, you can''t be serious. Alexandros is an outsider. He may be a Piologos in name, but he has been raised since his birth in Austria. I doubt he even speaks ournguage! How many times has the boye to visit his homnd? This alone is proof of where his loyalties lie. If you were to give the throne to such a child, then when the timees for his ascension, our Empire will be nothing more than a puppet of the Germans!"


    There were several heads which nodded in agreement with Aurelius'' words. For once in the man''s life, he had made an astute observation. Even a broken clock was right twice a day. However, despite his concerns, the response his father made hadpletely surprised him and everyone else in the room.


    "And what of it? By having a von Kufstein sitting upon our throne, we can gain many benefits, far more than if I selected you or your brother to lead this Empire. I am not merely looking after the good of our family, but all Romans.


    Though Alexandros may be Piologos in name only, he is still a member of my dynasty. And the fact of the matter is, the boy is the best candidate to seed me, and he is the most likely to restore the glory of the Romans that we once held many years ago."


    Though Aurelius wanted to argue against this point, he really had nothing to say. He had never wanted to be a ruler, and wasted his life running away from such responsibilities. Decentius got himself killed pursuing the role, and even then he would not have made a great emperor.


    As for Quintus, he was a man that Aurelius despised more than all, and would with certainty lead the Byzantine Empire over the cliff, so to speak. Thus, after careful contemtion, the man bowed his head before responding to his father''s words with a begrudging eptance.


    "Very well, if that is father''s wish, then who am I to reject it..."


    Though Quintus wanted to say something in his defense, he chose to remain silent. Since his father had made up his mind, there was no use trying to convince him. Especially with their current rtionship. Still, he did not feel right allowing that warmonger''s son to take the throne. If such a thing were to ur, he felt as if the Byzantine Empire would find itself embroiled in wars for centuries toe.


    Despite Quintus'' concerns, nobody spoke up on his behalf, and because of this, the Byzantine Empire''s fate was sealed. Though Vetranis knew it would be the end of the Piologos dynasty as it currently stood. He also knew that the Empire would thrive with a von Kufstein on the throne, and had chosen to put his faith in his grandson, or more specifically, the man behind him.

 Chapter 942 All Things In Moderation

    Berengar sat in his office with a round white pill twirling between his fingertips. His gaze was not one of fondness, rather one of serious contemtion. At the moment the kaiser was facing a moral dilemma, one that his lead chemist Aldo von Passau was unaware of as he touted the benefits of this new wonder drug.


    "It''s called methamphetamine. To put it simply, it''s a stimnt, and a highly effective one at that. Some of our Chemists have been working for sometime on apound that will help increase a soldier''s performance on the battlefield. As far as our testing shows, it''spletely safe in limited doses, and aids in things such as focus, energy, and overall willingness to engage inbat."


    There was a proud smile on Aldo''s face as he waited for the Kaiser''s response. He was quite pleased with the results of his team''s research. However, Berengar was far from happy. There was a grim expression on his face as he outlined a certain side effect that this drug most certainly had, one that Aldo and his team of chemists hadpletely overlooked.


    "It is also highly addictive, and you would know that if you had done any long-term studies. You have put me in a precarious situation, as this drug will be highly beneficial tobat operations in the short term, but will leave our soldiers in an addicted state when the war is over. But, I suppose sooner orter I would have to face this dilemma. I must congratte you on being the first person to make me consider a solution to this previously non-existent problem."


    Aldo was utterly astonished by Berengar''s words. He himself did not know that methamphetamines were highly addictive. As a result, he was quick to voice his doubts.


    "My Kaiser, how do you-"


    Before he could even finish his question, Berengar sighed heavily, before responding in a depressed tone.


    "I just know... Let''s leave it at that. However, now I am stuck in a rather unfavorable situation. The fact that this drug now exists, and that people know how to make it, means that it is only a matter of time before people start reproducing it for their own gain.


    Once this drug hits the streets, it will cause serious societal problems. So I have two options. I can ouw the substance, and wage a war against drugs, to ensure that it no longer exists in my society. This is, of course,pletely unfeasible, and any attempt to do so would only cause more problems than it would solve.


    Or I can regte the production of methamphetamine and establish treatment centers across my Empire for people who suffer from the eventual addiction that this synthesizedpound will cause.


    While I''m at it, I might as well invest in mental health facilities to aid those who have endured trauma, such as our veterans. The fact that I have neglected such a thing up until this point is practically criminal.


    Now that I have talked myself into epting this. Allow me to ask you a simple question: how much methamphetamine can you produce within a week?"


    Aldo went into silence for several moments, reflecting on everything that Berengar had said. He was amazed at how quickly the kaiser coulde up with an appropriate solution to a problem he was immediately faced with. Though he did not doubt the Kaiser''s words about methamphetamine being an addictive substance, he was actually rather curious about how the man knew such a thing.


    People often referred to Aldo as the Father of Modern Chemistry, but in reality it was Berengar who introduced him to the basic concept of science. He still, after all these years, had no idea how the man knew so much knowledge that the rest of the world had yet to discover.


    In the grand scheme of things, this was far more astonishing than simply knowing that meth was addictive, and yet Aldo had never questioned it before, thus he decided to drop the subject, and instead focused on calcting how much methamphetamine he could create within a week. After a brief moment of thought, he gave a simple answer.


    "Assuming we receive enough funding, and have one or two men working on it as their primary task. We could produce roughly 136 kilograms of methamphetamine every week." <sub> </sub>


    Berengar nodded his head in response to this question. He pondered about the subject for several moments in deep contemtion before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "When you leave here, I want you to make an expense report, including everything you need to start up a dedicated production facility. Once you have done so, send it to Henrietta and she will approve the funding for your newb. Just to make it clear, I want a clean, and pure product, that is made in low enough doses as to not cause any harm to the user.


    Within a month, I want as much meth as you can produce. I intend to use the Anangpur Army as a testing pool to see just how effective this drug can be on the battlefield. If there isn''t anything else, then you are free to leave."


    Aldo bowed his head with respect and thanked the Kaiser for his support before making an exit.


    "I thank you, as always, for the unconditional support you have shown me and my team. Since that is all, I must bid you farewell."


    After saying this, the man left the room. It was only after he was gone that Berengar stared at the small white tablet in his hands with intense curiosity. After several moments of wracking his brain around the idea, he popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it with a bottle of sparkling water.


    It did not take long for the effects to hit, where Berengar felt as if his mind had entered a state ofser like focus. He quickly pulled out an empty paper and began working on designs for a recement for the vacuum tubeputer that he had recently introduced.


    Since he had already introduced maic core memory, all that was left to upgrade theputer was the invention of circuit boards and transistors. Which he quickly got to work producing. In fact, his progress was far greater than in the past, as the drug flowed through his veins, and propelled his mind at a rate he never thought possible.


    Within two hours, a series of fully detailed blueprints were created, and shipped off to the proper research departments. So that the poorly efficient vacuum tubeputers, which required high maintenance, could be phased out of service and reced with second generationputers.


    In fact, by the time the new guided missile cruisers and destroyers were finished, they would make use of these more efficientputers to guide their missile systems. If not for the methamphetamine flowing in Berengar''s veins, he would never have bothered developing such advanced technology so early on.


    However, with his stimted focus, and a body filled with enough energy to power a Dyson sphere, Berengar was able toplete a day''s worth of work in a mere two hours. Even then, once he was finished with these designs, the energy had not dissipated, and instead, he worked on other matters with a simr level of intensity until he finally came down from his high.


    Despite what Berengar was anticipating, he did not feel irritated, drowsy, or depressed when he was no longer in a state of stimtion. Perhaps his body had not developed an addiction to such a substance on the first try, like he had expected it would.


    Or perhaps, like everything, Meth was best used in moderation. In truth, Berengar did not know the answer to this, but he did not want to be a worthless junky, and despite the advantages that the drug had showed during his use of it. He made a conscious decision not to take it again.


    ---


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 Chapter 943 A Critical Blow

    While Berengar''s Empire spread across the globe at a rapid rate, there was one major yer beneath his control who was suffering from anxiety. Emperor Dharya Tomora had been instilled on the Anangpur throne as a puppet for the Reich. In doing so, he had practically sold away all sovereignty.


    For the most part, the German "advisors" who were sent to India in an attempt to help Dharya rebuild his country into a peak pre-industrial state were the ones running the country behind the scenes. Dharya merely needed to be the public face of Indian rtions with the Reich.


    Even the Anangpur Army was nothing more than a "foreign legion" to the German Empire. Being equipped and trained for the sole purpose of acting as Berengar''s shock troops in the war for Indian hegemony.


    At the moment, Dharya was standing in his war room, overlooking a map of the current battlefields outside his Empire, and listening to the advice of a German General, along with his own military officers who spout their ideas on how to best handle Bengal aggression.


    "Our agents in the field report that the Bengal Army has moved its forces into the Yadava Dynasty. As you all may be aware, this is thest holdout within the Indian subcontinent, aside from the Anangpur Empire. When the Yadava capital falls, the rest of the country will submit to Bengal rule.


    Once this urs, Emperor Asha will provoke a conflict with the Anangpur Empire. It is my belief that we should not wait for the Bengals to attack, and should instead use the fall of Devagiri as an excuse to invade the Yadava dynasty and push the Bengal Army out of the region.


    The strategy I havee up with is what the kaiser refers to as the Blitzkrieg or lightning war. We will use the Armored Division that is stationed on the border to break through the bulwark of the Bengal Army, while the Anangpur Infantry surrounds the enemy, and eliminates them.


    Once we have broken through the front lines of the Bengal Army, we can push through full steam ahead, and liberate each Kingdom they have seized in their campaign. Against the overwhelming might of German steel, the enemy will copse within three months'' time."


    Dharya gazed upon the map of the Indian subcontinent, and the wooden figures that represented the various factions engaging in this conflict. He had a stern expression on his face as he thought of one major problem with this n, and thus he was quick to give voice to it.


    "Your armored vehicles are much faster than my infantry can march. How can we possibly keep up with the speed of your invasion?"


    A confident smirk appeared on the German General''s face as he exined the tactic he intended to use so that he could circumvent this issue.


    "You see, the solution to this problem is actually quite simple. While the German infantry will ride within the interior of our armored vehicles. Your soldiers while ride on top of them, and deploy into battle before thebat begins. This way, we can move thousands of soldiers at the speed of our armored division."


    Both Dharya and his officers were slightly surprised to hear this. It would appear that they had much to learn about warfare and the tactics necessary to emerge victorious. It was indeed true that they could simply ride on top of the German armored vehicles and deploy into battle before thebat actually began.


    After several moments of thought, Dharya nodded his head in response. He was much too tired to worry about this conflict before it began. With the support of the German Army, he knew that victory was a certainty. Thus, he would leave the fighting up to the men who were trained for it.


    "Very well, if that is all, then I believe we are finished for now."


    After saying this, Dharya swiftly departed from the room without waiting for a response. His reason for doing so was simple. He had a very limited opportunity to speak with his sister over the radio, and thus he did not want to waste any more of his time on petty matters like war.


    The young emperor made his way to the room where the German radio-operators conducted their business. Upon seeing Dharya enter the room, the Germans carried on. Only one man ceased his activities and took the opportunity to speak with the visitor.


    "Emperor Dharya, you are just in time. It would appear that your sister is on the other end, awaiting your response."


    The radio operator then handed a headset over to Dharya and allowed him to sit down in his seat, where he activated the push to talk button and spoke to his precious little sister on the other end.


    "Hell, Priya, are you there?"


    Static filled the headset for several moments before a delicate voice emerged on the other end.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, big brother, I am here. How have you been?"


    A wide smile formed on Dharya''s lips as he heard his sister''s voice. He had to admit, the technology of the German Empire had been astounding. The Reich had invested a substantial sum of money and effort into investigating radio ways, and had discovered ways ofmunicating via high frequency across intercontinental distances.


    They managed to do this with a method called sky wave, which allowed the radio waves to reflect off the ionosphere and back down to the earth. As a result, every naval vessel, all aircraft, and each major german settlement across the globe built massive radio stations to make use of this technology. Because of this, there was a constant stream of information flowing from the fathend to its colonies, and back again.


    Due to the importance Berengar ced on the Indian subcontinent, he had established one of these radio stations within the Anangpur Capital. Which was operated by German intelligence officials. Naturally, all of thesemunications were encrypted, to prevent the Japanese from spying on German radiomunications.


    Berengar allowed Priya and Dharya to speak at certain times of the day. As a means to encourage the Anangpur Emperor to remain loyal. This was one of those moments. After taking several moments to think of a response, Dharya replied to his sister with a bitter smile on his face.


    "I''ve been well. Things are progressing smoothly here, and I am perfectly safe under the protection that the Reich provides. You do not need to worry about me. What I''m more concerned about is how Berengar treats you..."


    Priya''s voice erupted on the other end and sounded like that of a love-struck schoolgirl. The moment her brother asked her about the Kaiser, she gushed out her thoughts without any filter.


    "Berengar treats me well. However, he has spurned my advances at every given opportunity. It is truly disheartening. I think he''s deliberately ying hard to get. Either way, I need to work hard to gain his affection. Luckily, Yasmin has taken me under her wing, and has been teaching many things. I''m certain that soon enough I will be able to get the man to fall head over heels for me!"


    This honest response caught Dharya by surprise. He had known for some time that his sister had developed feelings for their benefactor, but he was simply living in denial up to this point. However, to hear her speak the words so tantly it caused the man to react in desperation.


    "Priya, you shouldn''t idolize the man so much. He''s not a good person. You deserve someone better!"


    Her brother''s response surprised Priya, who did not understand why Dharya had such a negative opinion of Berengar, and because of this, she was quick to defend the man with a bit of a pouty tone in her voice.


    "What do you mean? He took us in when nobody else would. He saved my life. Provided an education for the both of us, that we could not have received elsewhere, and gave you back your throne when any hope of achieving such a goal by yourself was impossible. He also cares deeply for those he loves, and his people.


    There is not a better man in this world for me to pine after than his Majesty. Are you sure you''re not being jealous? Perhaps you should find yourself a wife instead of fawning over your little sister. It was cute when we were children, but I''m an adult now, and your over protective nature is starting to be creepy..."


    Dharya felt as if he had received a critical blow at this moment and felt his heart wrench in pain. His worst fears had been realized, and his sister had fallen for that man. He was just about to argue with Priya more, but she interrupted him.


    "Oh, it looks like I''m out of time. I will talk to you again at the soonest opportunity, big brother. Remember to do your best!"


    After saying this, there was utter static on the other end of the line, and Dharya fell into a deep sense of depression. He sat in silence in the chair for several moments, reflecting on his sister''s words.


    Ultimately, he sighed in despair before rising to his feet and exiting the room dedicated to radiomunications. After doing so, he returned to work, for a man in his position could not afford to remain idle for long.


    ---


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 Chapter 944 A Fierce Debate

    Berengar sat in his office across from one of the many women he loved. The redheaded beauty had a bit of an infuriated expression on her delicate features, while she cast doubt on her husband''s virility to his face.


    "Why haven''t you slept with the girl yet?"


    Berengar was in the middle of drinking coffee when he heard this words and quickly choked on it. He was not expecting the conversation to suddenly shift to something so risque. After swallowing down the brown liquid, he gazed upon his most beloved wife and questioned her sanity.


    "You know, most women in this world would be infuriated if they found out their man was sleeping with other women, especially one half their age. Yet here you are pestering me for the sixteenth time this week to sleep with Priya. I''m beginning to wonder if you''re a cuckquean."


    Linde merely scoffed at this notion before lecturing her man on his inability to perform, in a way the sent chills down his spine.


    "It''s not a matter of whether I personally get off on my man sleeping with another woman. Which, for the record, I do. This is a matter of securing Indian hegemony for your lineage. Priya has been encouraging Dharya to seek out a wife. Something that threatens your control over the region. I would think that you would have a sense of urgency.


    Especially when we consider the fact that the girl has disyed her willingness to be your woman on numerous asions, and yet you keep denying her. Never in my life have I seen you restrain yourself around beautiful women, especially if they''re of high status. So why now? Are you perhaps not attracted to her?"


    Berengar merely sipped from his coffee mug while narrowing his gaze at the woman. She was clearly not going to let this issue go until he popped the Indian princess'' cherry. However, for whatever reason, he stubbornly refused to do so.


    "She''s a very attractive young woman, one that I''m sure any man would be happy to call their lover. However, I practically raised the girl. I''m the only paternal figure she has ever had, so I have a hard time epting the premise of sleeping with a girl who is practically my daughter. It''s the same reason I rejected Veronika all those years ago."


    The moment she heard this excuse, Linde broke out into a fit of giggles. She couldn''t help herself. Knowing who Berengar was, and who he had fucked, the notion seemed entirely ludicrous to her, and she was quick to voice why this was the case."


    "You, the man who slept his sister, married his cousin, and has one of his wives call him daddy in private is having a difficult time oveing the notion of ''incest'' with a woman who not only ispletely unrted to you but also looks nothing like you? Pardon mynguage, but I have a very fucking hard time believing this excuse of yours. So try harder..."


    Berengar sighed heavily, already exhausted from the conversation before attempting to exin his reasoning behind his inaction to the angelic beauty sitting across from him.


    "Okay, let me put it this way. Hypothetically speaking if say, Alexandros was a fully grown young man right now, and he approached you in an attempt to sleep with you. How would you feel?"


    Linde''s expression turned to one of pure disgust when she heard these words, which was all Berengar needed to know her answer. However, she still feltpelled to chew the man out for putting such an image in her head.


    "Of course I would feel disgusted! I raised that boy, I even breastfed him when he was an infant because his mother was never around. That would be practically the same as if Hans approached me with such intentions! The very idea is absolutely repulsive!"


    When Berengar heard this, he gave the woman a condescending gaze. Which obviously outraged her as she quickly tried to exin why Berengar''s hesitation was not the same as hers.


    "Don''t look at me like that. Our circumstances arepletely different. You merely provided for the girl when she was practically an adolescent. The very reason that boy is alive is because of my milk. These things are not the same!"


    In response to this, Berengar merely rolled his eyes before debating with the woman he loved on why she was wrong.


    "What is a father''s foremost responsibility? To provide for his family! I took the girl in when she was sick. I was there for her when she climbed her way back to health. I gave her a ce to stay when she had nowhere else to go. I fed her as a member of my family, I paid for her education, and I raised her as if she were my own child.


    I practically adopted the girl in everything but name. If I am not a father to her, then who is? Now that she is old enough to marry, she wants me to be her partner, and I''m supposed to ept that? It is every bit the same as the scenario I have proposed to you."


    Upon hearing Berengar''s reasoning, Linde was almost throughly convinced if not for one thing that the man had overlooked. A cunning smile appeared on the woman''s luscious lips as she rebuked Berengar''s words in a way he did not seeing.


    "If that were truly the case, I would respect your wishes. Except... you are forgetting one very important thing, are you not?"


    Berengar''s brow raised as he listened to Linde''s words. As far as he was concerned, his logic was wless, and thus he red at the woman who had the most confident expression he had ever seen. So much so that he was beginning to feel that he had indeed made a critical mistake, and thus he feltpelled to ask what it was.


    "What do you mean?"<sub> </sub>


    Linde''s confident smirk curled even further as she approached her man and whispered seductively in his ears.


    "All of those things also apply to your dear little Henrietta. Not only were you raised as her elder brother, but since she was ten years old, a simr age to when you took in Priya, you raised her, and acted as her paternal figure, and yet, at the first given opportunity you slept with her, and have gone to exceptional lengths to conceal your rtionship with the girl from the public eye.


    On top of all of this, Henrietta is your aunt by blood. If what you said was true, and the idea of sleeping with Priya indeed disgusted you, then how do you exin your preferential treatment towards Henrietta? I would argue that out of all your women, you treat Henrietta the best of us all, and that is specifically because of the rather taboo rtionship the two of you have...


    So tell me, now that I have disproven your petty excuses, what is the real reason you still reject Priya?"


    An overwhelming sense of coldness washed over Berengar, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on his head. He merely narrowed his gaze towards Linde and made one simple remark.


    "You are far too cunning for your own good, you know that?"


    A slight giggle erupted from Linde''s lips as she once more whispered in her man''s ears.


    "So I''ve been told. Now answer the question!"


    Berengar sighed heavily in defeat. He could no longer hide behind the myriad of excuses he had concocted and instead thoroughly admitted defeat to the women.


    "Very well, if you must know my reasoning for rejecting Priya, it''s because I already have enough women already. Any more, and I will no longer have the time to fulfill my duties as the Kaiser. It is a simple matter of priorities. At the moment, I must spend every waking hour of the day managing my time perfectly.


    There is a war on the horizon, and I can''t waste any more time than I already do on familial matters. You want me to take another mistress? Impregnate her? Then I will have to be there for the woman''s emotional needs, and raise the child, among my many other responsibilities.


    Unlike Anggraini and Tlexictli, I don''t have the luxury to force Priya out of the Pce to live in some other part of the city, where I can visit her once a month when I have the time to spare. I would have to actively participate in the rtionship I build with the girl."


    Linde''s lips curled into a wicked smile when she heard these words, easily deciphering the true meaning concealed behind them. As if to provoke her man into action, she said one simple phrase that would permanently change the rtionship between Berengar and Priya.


    "So in other words, you''re saying that if you took another woman into your harem, you wouldn''t be able to satisfy us all?"


    Upon hearing such clear provocation in Linde''s words, a fire was lit within Berengar''s mismatched eyes as he stood up from his seat and headed to the door without saying a word. This action caught Linde slightly by surprise, which caused her to call out to the man while he was still within earshot.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    A simple shout responded from the other end of the hallway in response to the woman''s question.


    "To prove you wrong!"


    Upon hearing this, a devilish grin appeared on Linde''s lips, as she took a satisfying sip from her coffee before responding in a voice so low that only she heard it.


    "Men are far too easy to manipte..."


    ---


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 Chapter 945 Ravaging The Lndian Princess

    Princess Priya Tomara was standing within the Royal Pce of the German Empire, baking some sweets for the man who held the keys to her heart. Though Berengar had rejected her advances at every turn, he had given the Indian beauty some hope that once she was emotionally mature enough, he would take her as one of his women. Little did she know that today was the day she had always dreamed of.


    While she was in a state of bliss, the man in question entered the room with a stern expression on his face. At first, she did not notice his presence. In fact, it was only after Berengar had grabbed hold of her waist from behind did the young woman finally know she was not alone.


    With a shocked expression on her pretty face, the Indian princess twirled around to see who had dared toy their hands on her. Just when she was about to smack her attacker across the face, she gazed into the mismatched eyes that belonged to the Kaiser and lowered her hand in passivity. She immediately questioned why the man was intruding upon her baking session.


    "Your Majesty why-"


    However, before the girl could finish her sentence, Berengar had pressed his lips against her own, and passionately twirled his tongue with her own. Priya no longer dared to question whether this was reality, or a dream, and instead went limp in the man''s arms, letting him take control of the situation.


    Luckily, Berengar was strong and caught the woman as she fell back in a state of bliss. While holding her close to his broad chest, he whispered a suggestion in her dainty ears, one she could not refuse.


    "How about we go somece more private?"


    Priya silently nodded her head, not knowing how best to answer this question with words, and was quickly dragged off to a private bedroom, where Berengar began to strip out of his clothes. Though the Indian beauty''s emerald eyes could not take their sights off of the man''s chiseled body, they did in fact wander astray when he began to take off his undergarments. A slight reddish tone filled the woman''s bronze cheeks, as she looked away in embarassment.


    However, Berengar was far from finished, and quickly stripped the young woman out of her dress, revealing the green lingerie she wore beneath her clothing. The moment he saw her exceptional figure, his lower half stiffened up, and in doing so shocked the Indian Princess with its sheer size.


    Berengar kissed Priya once more, and in doing so caused her to be dreadfully excited as her lower lips became thered in her love juices. She could hardly believe that this was reality, and immediately voiced her shock aloud.


    "It''s so big..."


    In response to this, the German Emperor merely smirked in confidence, before grabbing hold of the young woman''s dainty hands and wrapping them around his crotch. The moment Priya felt the warmth of the man''sher regions, she averted her gaze in embarassment. Despite this, Berengar grabbed hold of her dainty chin and dragged it towards his face as he assaulted her lips with his own once more.


    As if it came naturally to her, Priya began to stroke her conqueror''s cock with her tiny hands, making the man more excited with each attempt. After several moments of this, Berengar lowered the woman to her knees and pressed the tip of his shaft against the Indian beauty''s luscious lips.


    Though she had never engaged in oral sex before, Priya knew the basics, as she had secretly spied on Berengar when he was engaging in lovemaking with his many women. There was a look of determination in her emerald eyes as she wrapped her lips around the head and tried to take the shaft into the depths of her throat.


    It did not take long for therge cock to reach the young woman''s gag reflex, where she immediately spat the phallus out of her mouth, coughing as she did so. Since she was not ustomed to the action, Berengar led Priya down on the nearby bed and unhooked her bra before stuffing his cock in between her massive bronze breasts.


    He pressed the tworge mammaries against his cock as he pumped his hips forward. A flushed appearance covered Priya''s pretty face as she sucked on the man''s cock every time it made its way to her lips. Eventually causing Berengar to spray his first load all over Indian beauty''s face.


    Despite this ejaction, Berengar was far from finished, as he smirked before taunting the woman beneath him.


    "Enough forey. This is where the fun begins!"


    Priya merely nodded her head. After the sinful acts she had justmitted, her pussy was as wet as a well. Sheid back on the plush mattress, and allowed Berengar to strip her panties from her hips, where he examined the woman''s tight virgin hole before lining the tip of his cock against its entrance.


    The very feeling of her genitals interacting with those of the man she desired nearly sent the Indian beauty into climax. However, she held on and waited for the big moment. With a slight whisper in her ear, Berengar said the following words before plunging his cock into the woman''s entrance without mercy.


    "This is going to hurt a bit, but bear with it."


    After saying this, Berengar entered inside Priya''s moist cave, where the woman immediately bit down on her finger in agony. She had always heard that the first time was painful, but with such arge partner, she felt as if her insides were tearing apart.


    A slight tear formed down the woman''s shut eyes as the man began to move his hips. A gasp of agony revealed the Indian''s beauty''s thoughts as she struggled to deal with the pain of her chastity being taken.


    "so... big..."<sub> </sub>


    Berengar chuckled, as he pushed his cock as deep as it would go into Priya''s love canal before kissing the woman on the lips in an attempt to take her mind off the pain. With each thrust of his hips, the woman beneath him murmured in agony, though as time passed this sound eventually turned into a moan of pleasure.


    As if taunting the girl beneath him, Berengar had a wicked grin on his face as he continued to pound away at Priya''s depths like a piston. Her virgin pussy had wrapped around him like a vice grip, and it was not letting go. Thus, he could not help but mock the girl.


    "You like that, huh? Well, if you keep squeezing onto me like this, I''m never going to stop."


    Priya, now lost in the pleasure of sex, no longer cared about her regal image, nor did she have time to think about what she said. The girl merely spouted out the first thing that came to mind.


    "Don''t ever stop!"


    These words stroked Berengar''s ego, and he merely smirked once more before lecturing the girl on the naivety over her request.


    "Be careful what you wish for!"


    After saying this, Berengar increased the intensity of his thrusts, immediately bringing the woman to climax. However, despite her condition, he did not stop for a second, and continued to pound away until he released his seed into the depths of her womb.


    By this point Priya had cked out from the pleasure, and would not remember the rest of her session. Berengar did not relent, as he was still incredibly excited from taking yet another princess''s chastity, and instead flipped the girl over onto her stomach, where he pped her juicy ass before taking her from behind.


    Perhaps because Priya was passed out, but the girl was tighter than she was before, which only made Berengar want to fuck her more. He continued to pump his shaft in and out of the woman''s moist twat with an increased intensity. Putting her into a variety of positions as he fucked her senseless.


    Berengar would spend the next two hours ravaging the girl''s body and releasing a total of three loads into her womb in an attempt to impregnate her on the spot. When he was finally exhausted, he pulled himself out of the Indian beauty and copsed on the bed beside her.


    The moment he did so, Linde revealed herself from her hiding spot. She was naked, and wet as can be, clearly having cum at the sight of her man fucking another woman senseless. When Berengar saw this, he scoffed before voicing his thoughts aloud.


    "Of course you would be here lurking about..."


    Linde did not deny this, and instead crawled into the bed, and spooned with her man. She prodded his chest with her finger before questioning Berengar about his previous activities with the Anangpur Princess.


    "So how was she?"


    Berengar merely smiled in response to this, as he gazed upon the lust filled expression on the sleeping beauty''s face before nodding his head in approval.


    "She was everything I thought she would be. I had almost forgotten how good it felt to take a woman''s virginity."


    Linde smirked as she heard this, and kissed Berengar on the lips, before whispering in his ear something he did not expect.


    "Over the next few weeks, I want you to spend at least one hour a day pumping this little whore full of your seed. She needs to bear you a son before Dharya can find a wife. Once she''s pregnant, then you can do as you wish."


    Berengar did not reject thesemands, and merely dragged the redheaded beauty into his embrace. He would lie with her in his arms, and Priya by his side for another thirty minutes before climbing out of his bed and getting back to work.


    ---


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 Chapter 946 Infiltrating The German Empire

    While Berengar was ravaging the Princess of the Anangpur Empire, another Princess had entered into the jurisdiction of German customs. Sitting in an office in the city of Trieste, Yi Min-Ah was waiting patiently for the arrival of the German Intelligence officers who intended to interrogate her on her escape from Japan.


    Since first stepping foot into the port city, Min-ah was shocked by what she had seen. The city of Heian-ky�� had just received electricity not long ago. And yet it had to be redesigned from the ground up to properly make use of this critical technology. Thus, aside from some critical infrastructure, electricity was practically nonexistent.


    However, this port city had street lights on every corner, along with traffic signals and all other forms of technological marvels. Busses roamed the streets, along with other automobiles belonging to the police, the fire department, and the hospitals. The difference between the Japanese capital and this port city was staggering, to say the least.


    Despite this shocking revtion, Min-ah did not have long to witness the overwhelming prowess of the Reich, as she was funneled into customs upon arrival and escorted to the nearest police station, where she sat in custody, waiting for her interrogator to arrive.


    Hours passed before a young blonde woman entered the room, dressed in a military style uniform. She had a folder in one hand and a mug of coffee in another. Without introducing herself, the woman sat down and opened the folder, where she sipped on her beverage for several moments in silence before finally speaking.


    "Yi Min-ah, also known by the alias of Hwa Min-Ah. Known coborator with the Japanese Empire. Lead of Empress Itami''s chemistry department, and third Princess of the Joseon Dynasty. During Empress Itami''s diplomatic visit to the German Embassy within the city of Beijing, she curiously brought you with her.


    However, rather than apany your empress to visit the ambassador, you fled from your security detail and approached the Ming Pce, requesting asylum. Empress Itami was furious upon learning about your defection, and immediately requested that the Ming Emperor hand you over to face justice for your betrayal.


    Despite the myriad of threats which the Japanese Empress made in order to get you back, Zhu Wudi did not budge, and instead shipped you off to the Reich, like he has done to all other Japanese defectors.


    Immigration and customs saw fit to permit your entry into the country. However, it is my job to interrogate you, and find out your true motives. So let''s start with this: why did you defect from the Japanese Empire? As far as I''m aware, you had an incredibly prestigious position within Empress Itami''s inner circle."


    Min-ah sat back in her chair with a noble bearing. She was, after all, a princess, and because of this, she spoke with a sense of authority as she clearly and calmly stated her reason for defection.


    "Few people know this, but Empress Itami has be increasingly unstable. She locks herself in her room for hours a day, drinking a dangerous amount of sake. While speaking to her pillow as if it were a living human being.


    Since her mental condition is clearly deteriorating at a rapid rate. I now believe she is no longer capable of contending with the Reich in the event of an armed conflict. I merely used the first given opportunity to flee from her control, and present myself, along with my talents to the side that I know will emerge victorious.


    I was never loyal to Empress Itami or her Empire. I simply made the best of a bad situation to give myself the most advantages. Since I am no longer wee in my homnd, or in the country which adopted me. I felt the only ce I could live a half-decent life was in the Reich. Thus, when Empress Itami told me to apany her to Beijing, I had plotted from the start to defect to the Reich."


    Though Itami had told Min-Ah to present herself as a spy, which her father had embedded in the ranks of the Japanese government. The Korean beauty felt as if this could be easily disproven. After all, it took one telegram from Berengar to her father to determine if this was true or not. Thus, on a whim, she had switched her cover to that of a shameless opportunist. Something she felt was far more believable.


    As for the woman interrogating her, she furrowed her brows at the mention of Itami''s mental state. This was news to German Intelligence, one they could not easily verify. Especially if it was a closely kept secret that did not leave the Japanese Pce. However, if true, it could prove useful in counter-propaganda efforts within the Japanese maind.


    The German agent considered Min-Ah''s ims about being an opportunist. It made logical sense. She was a Korean Princess who had been abandoned by her family and forced to live in the south. When the Japanese invaded the region, she was among the first to present herself to Empress Itami. The only reason someone would do such a thing is if they were an opportunist, looking totch onto the new power and gain the most benefits by doing so.


    Upon judging Min-Ah''s expressions, there did not appear to be a hint of deceit within them. Thus, the interrogator was somewhat convinced by the Korean Princess''s statements. Which caused her to ask the next question on her mind. <sub> </sub>


    "Assuming what you say is correct, what intelligence can you provide the Reich regarding the Japanese Government, its military capabilities, as well as the extent of chemical knowledge they possess?


    No foreigner gains entry into the borders of the German Empire without providing some form ofpensation. There is no free lunch in this world, and if you want your request for asylum to be approved, you need to provide us with something tangible."


    Min-Ah reflected on what Itami had told her and was careful in the way she responded to this question. She could not easily reveal information that wouldpromise the Japanese Empire, but she also needed to provide something that would allow her to pass the test the Germans had set for her. Thus, she started her response with a list of viable excuses.


    "I''m merely a chemist, so I can not give you information regarding the engineering projects that the Japanese Empire is undertaking. Nor can I inform you about the inner workings of Japanese politics more so than anyone else.


    What I can tell you about the Japanese Empire is that it''s an absolute military dictatorship, with the Empress at the top. The upper echelons of Itami''s military run every facet of society. Many of these men and women, if not all of them, are members of the old Samurai ns, and as a result, there is still a strong sense of feudalism, despite their efforts to industrialize.


    The only difference is that the peasants who used to work the fields are now in the factories producing military equipment. While there are still many peasant families growing crops, with the introduction of modern machinery, their numbers have dwindled.


    As far as chemical advances go, almost everything we create is geared towards the advancing of the military industrialplex. With your level of technology, I would not doubt that you already have ess to everything that we create. If you want a list of what me and my team were working on prior to my defection, I can give it to you. Though I doubt it will be of any use to you."


    The interrogated nodded her head in understanding before signing away her name on a document. After doing so, she gave Min-ah one simplemand before departing from the room.


    "After I leave this office, I will have someonee in with a pen and some papers. I want you to write down every chemical equation that you can think of that your team has worked on. Once you are finished, you will be transferred to the city of Kufstein, where housing will be provided for you within the Little Kyoto district.


    As for your living expenses, you will be required to get a job like everyone else. Naturally, due to the sensitive nature of your previous position, you will not be allowed employment in the chemical industry for a minimum of two years. So I suggest finding work at one of the local businesses in Little Kyoto. If there is nothing else you need me for, then I will be leaving. Farewell, and wee to the German Empire..."


    After saying this, the interrogator departed. Leaving Min-Ah alone with her thoughts. Though she had sessfully convinced the German authorities to allow her entry into the Reich, she was immediately presented with several issues that impeded her immediate goals.


    Most notable was the fact that she would have to live like amoner, working some menial job in order to pay for her living expenses. This made it extremely difficult for her to evere in contact with the Kaiser.


    Which Min-ah would be required to do if she wanted to seduce the man so that she could learn his secrets. She knew that if she tried to force an audience with Berengar, it would arouse suspicion and could easily blow her cover. The consequences of which would be terrifying.


    For now, the only thing that the Korean Princess could do was y her role and wait for an opportunity to show herself. Thus, she could only sigh in defeat as she waited for her escort to arrive, so that she could start her new life within the borders of the German Empire.


    ---


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 Chapter 947 Ambushing The Japanese Advisors

    A group of german operators hid within the brush outside the city of Devagiri. Their skin was not the standard pale that wasmon in the fathend. Instead, it had been tanned from the excessive heat of the harsh Indian environment. While their golden hair had been stained brown with mud, making them indistinguishable from the local poption from a distance.


    These men did not dress in military uniforms, but rather in the clothing stylemonly found among Indian peasants. The only noticeable difference between them and the natives at first nce was the weapons slung around their shoulders and the load bearing equipment used to house their munitions.


    These men were not Jaegers, nor were they Jagdkommandos, for both groups of soldiers wore military uniforms. Instead, these elite warriors were the highest tier operators of the German Army, men who worked side by side with the agents of Imperial Intelligence. These men were the Sturmkommandos. A special forces group designed to conduct ndestine operations deep behind enemy lines.


    If, for whatever reason, these elite soldiers were captured alive, the German Empire would deny their existence and abandon them to their fates. For the activities they conducted required total deniability if discovered by the enemy.


    The leader of these operators was named Horst Bauer, and the group had been dispatched to the Indian Subcontinent nearly half a year ago to keep an eye on the advance of the Bengal Army. While Horst was doing his job, and gazing through a pair of binocrs onto the unsuspecting army in the distance, the radio operator who was attached to his unit approached him with a stern expression on his face.


    "Captain, we''ve got new orders..."


    The special forces officer lowered his binocrs and red at the man with a stoic face. He simply nodded his head once in silence, signalling for the man to continue.


    "The Kaiser wants us to start a humanitarian crisis when the Bengal Army marches on Devagiri, so that the Anangpur Empire has a casus belli to interfere in the conflict before the enemy reaches their borders. Highmand has left the means by which we achieve this up to our discretion. So, what are we going to do?"


    Horst did not immediately respond, and instead gazed in the direction where the Bengal Army marched. He remained silent for several seconds in contemtion before giving voice to his thoughts.


    "Tell me, Sergeant, what is the one thing that is keeping the Bengal Army frommitting war crimes?"


    The radio operator needed only a moment to dwell upon this question beforeing up with an answer.


    "That would be Asha''s unwillingness to antagonize his backer. So long as the Japanese advisors keep a close eye on him and his troops. Then the Bengal Army won''t act up. Wait a second, you can''t possibly mean to?"


    A wicked grin appeared on Horst''s face as he nodded his head thrice before expressing the n he hade up with to antagonize the Bengal Army.


    "The solution to our problem is simple. We ambush the Bengal Army and a eliminate the Japanese Advisors with a coordinated strike. Then we fall back to Devagiri and prepare the city''s defenses so that a long and bloody siege urs.


    Without the eyes and ears of Empress Itami, keeping a close watch on her Bengal puppets, they will respond to the bitter losses they suffer in this siege by ravaging the city after they have emerged victorious. Thus, giving the Anangpur Empire the only excuse they need to intervene.


    Fritz, I want you to go to the nearest weapons cache and get your hands on a Panzerfaust as well as a few additional rockets. Bring it back here as quickly as possible."


    The man named Fritz nodded his head silently with a cold expression on his face, before rushing off into the wilderness by himself with nothing but his Stg-32 in his hands. The Stg-32 was a replica of the Stg-44 from Berengar''s past life, and currently saw service among all special operations groups.


    However, the weapons in the hands of these sturmkommandos were modified with short barrels, under folding stocks, and an integrated front sight post, and gas blockbo. Giving them a distinctive look. The overallpact nature of these weapons made them highly maneuverable in the thick jungle of central India.


    Fritz returned before long, with a Panzerfaust on his shoulder, and a rocket-propelled grenade loaded in its barrel, ready for action. Upon seeing this, Horst smiled and nodded his head before letting his soldiers in on the n he concocted.


    "We will ambush the Bengal Army when they pass by our location. They are not far away, and within five minutes will be within engaging distance. Once the Japanese advisors are in sight, we will fire three rockets, one of which willnd precisely on those fucking Japs. As for the other two, they will target in front of and behind the Japanese in an attempt to obscure our intent.


    After clearing out the Japanese advisors, we will continue to open fire on the enemy for a bit before falling back to Devagiri, where we will take charge of the defense. The Yadava are armed with smoothbore cannons and rifled muskets. With our tactics, they can at the very least kill a few thousand of the Bengals. So get ready, because once the Japanese Advisors are eliminated, the Bengal Army will be unleashed from the chains that bind them." <sub> </sub>


    The Sturmkommandos nodded their heads in agreement with their orders, before taking up over watch positions on a cliff above the main road. They waited patiently for several minutes before the first of the Bengal Troops passed them by.


    A massive column consisting of nearly one hundred thousand soldiers proceeded to march through the road, and towards the Yadava capital, when finally in the middle of their ranks the Japanese Advisors were spotted by the German Sturmkommandos. They were close by to Emperor Asha himself, so much so that one might misinterpret the target of their attack upon first inspection. This was an unexpected surprise, but a wee one.


    Fritz knelt down on the hill which overlooked the road, roughly one hundred meters away, and checked to see if the area of his backst was clear, before pressing the trigger on his panzerfaust, which hurled the rocket-propelled grenade forward where it detonated behind the Bengal Emperor, and the Japanese advisors, in doing so iming the life of a few dozen Bengal soldiers.


    Before the enemy could even react to the sound of the Panzerfaust firing in the distance, the rocket struck their location and exploded on impact. The st wasrge, as the Panzerfaust which the German Empire used was modelled after thest design known as the Panzerfaust 250. It was referred to as such, because it was capable of sting apart 250mm worth of steel armor. Thus, when deployed against soft targets, it was nothing but certain death.


    After firing one rocket, the Sturmkommandos fired their assault rifles and machine guns into the general direction of Emperor Asha and his Japanese advisors. All the while Fritz quickly loaded another rocket, and fired it towards the front of where Japanese Advisors hunkered down, who were in the process of reacting to the ongoingbat.


    This time the rocket blew up another few dozen men, standing in front of both Emperor Asha and the Japanese Advisors. However, before they could react to this attack, a third rocket fired and precisely struck their targets. Instantly sting the half dozen or so Japanese advisors into meat paste.


    It took several moments for the Bengal Army to return fire, but when they did, they came under the assault of the belt fed Mg-27, which was moremonly referred to as Berengar''s BuzzSaw, the weapon sprayed its entire 250 round belt towards the Bengal Army, cutting through their bodies as if they were mere sacks of blood. This devastation was achieved in a matter of seconds.


    After ensuring that enough carnage had urred to mask their intent, the Sturmkommandos packed up their belongings and rushed off towards the distance, leaving behind not even a single shell casing. As their weapons were equipped with a device which caught the spent rounds.


    As for the Bengal Emperor, he was cowering on top of his war elephant from the moment he first heard the attack. He dreaded the very idea of popping his head up in case a stray round found its way into his skull.


    However, after roughly a minute ofbat, the gunfire ceased. Even then, he still did not dare look in the direction where the attack had urred. It was not until one of his officers approached him and reported what their troops had seen did the man finallye to his senses.


    "Your Majesty, the Japanese Advisors are dead, along with several hundred of our soldiers. The enemies who fled the attack appeared to have been locals. I don''t know where they got their hands on such hardware, but there was no mistaking it. They were neither German nor Japanese. Shall we send word to Empress Itami and request reinforcements, or better supplies?"


    It took several moments for Asha to properly understand what he was told. But when he did, he shook his head beforeing to a conclusion based upon a misunderstanding.


    "Whoever they were, I''m guessing they were either from the Yadava Dynasty or the Anangpur Empire. Their intention is clear. This was theirst breath of resistance, where they wanted to im my head, hoping that our army would dissolve after my death.


    Unfortunately for them, they must be either poorly trained with these weapons, or the weapons themselves were not as precise as our own. For theypletely failed to hit their mark, even after three attempts.


    You ask where they got their hands on such advanced weapons? There is only one ce thates to mind: the German Empire. However, we need not be afraid. Judging by the scale of their attack, and the fact that the men fled before they could aplish their objective. It is highly likely that these were the only examples of such weapons they had, and now they are out of ammo.


    As for the Japanese Advisors, we are already so close to winning this war, and their presence is no longer required. We can inform Empress Itami of their deaths at ater date. This instead gives us a unique opportunity to act as we please from here on out, without having to worry about that bitch and her frivolous notions of "war crimes". We march on Devagiri at once! Let us teach these bastards a hard lesson about what happens when you poke a sleeping bear!"


    The German attack on the Bengal Army had the desired effect. Not only had it invoked a fury in Asha''s heart, but as expected, the foolpletely failed to properly identify the perpetrators, and what their true objective was. Soon the Bengal Army would descend on the capital of the Yadava Dynasty, and they would bring with them a cruelty that had not been seen in this world since the Bengal conquest of Myanmar.


    ---


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 Chapter 948 Lnventing Rocket Artillery

    Berengar sat in his office with a pen in one hand as he intricately designed a new weapon system. One that he intended to deploy to the battlefield along with his other self-propelled artillery tforms that were already in service.


    While Germany had invested heavily in the mechanization of its armed forces. The simple 15cm self propelled Hummel had be the primary artillery of choice for the German Army. However, if there were two things that Berengar found particrlycking in this mighty piece of military equipment, it would be its rate of fire and effective range.


    With an emphasis on improving rocket and missile systems taking ce within the German scientificmunity. Berengar felt it was about time to introduce a new piece of artillery, one which made use of these advanced weapons to annihte the enemy from long range.


    This weapon system was known in his previous life as the multipleunch rocket system, or the MLRS, and was in use by various countries during the Second World War, and the years that followed.


    While modern weapon systems hadplexputer targeting systems, the earlier designs werepletely manually operated, with the overwhelming volume of rocket artillery making up for theck of precision that only aputer could provide.


    It was true that Berengar had invested a substantial sum into developingputer systems, particrly for the guidance of missiles onboard his warships. However, he was still far from a level where these targeting systems could be integrated intond-based vehicles. As a result, he went with an earlier design in mind for his MLRS.


    The basis for Berengar''s MLRS was actually a soviet design: the BM-21 Grad. The reason this vehicle was chosen was because it was mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis. Berengar already had thousands of 6x6 five-ton trucks in service among his armed forces, and more were being manufactured every day. With some slight modifications, these trucks could remove their cargo bay and rece it with a multipleunch rocket system.


    Berengar designed the missileunching tform to include five rows of ten barrels, each of which were capable of holding a single 122mm rocket. This meant that for each barrage fired from one of these weapon systems, fifty rockets would fly towards its target.


    With the ongoing improvements in rocket technology, Berengar had no doubt that by the time these vehicles saw service, the effective range of their ordinance would be 52 kilometers. Which was several timesrger in reach than his current self propelled 15cm field guns.


    The design for this weapon was simple, as Berengar already had the chassis in production. All that was really needed to draw from scratch was the rocketuncher, which itself was a simple device. At least whenpared to other weapon systems that Berengar had designed previously. Thus, Berengar had finished his work rtively quickly.


    However, before he could transition to another task, the inte on his desk erupted, where a woman''s sultry voice erupted from the other end.


    "Your Majesty, your wife Linde is here to see you..."


    Berengar did not even need a second thought on how to respond to this news. He pressed the button and transmitted his message to his secretary, who sat on the other side of his office.


    "Send her in."


    Not a second passed after saying that before the door opened to reveal Linde''s heavenly figure. However, despite the woman''s near divine level of beauty, there was a stern expression on her perfect lips as she sat down across from her man and tossed a document onto his desk. She did not care in the slightest what technology he had just finished inventing, and instead seemed pressed about other matters, which she was quick to give voice to.


    "A rather peculiar refugee has just made their way into Little Kyoto. I have her under close observation, but I thought you would want to know, considering she''s the daughter of one of your puppets."


    Berengar was in the middle of pouring himself and his wife a ss of wine when he heard these words. His brow slightly raised in curiosity as he asked the question that Linde was waiting for.


    "And who might that be?"


    Rather than answering Berengar with words, Linde opened the folder to reveal the immigration information of Yi Min-ah. There was a photograph of the foreign beauty, along with other information regarding the Korean Princess''s immigration. Berengar took one look at the woman, as well as her name, before voicing his concerns aloud.


    "I don''t remember the Joseon King having a daughter named Min-Ah. However, if you are showing me this document, then you have thoroughly vetted her identity. So why are you bringing this to my attention?"


    Linde merely smirked confidentially before giving out all the details she knew about Min-ah, and her background.


    "Because this Korean princess has a bit of an interesting background. For starters, her mother died when she was young. The identity of her murderer was one of the Joseon King''s other concubines. As a result, she was shipped to the southern portion of the Kingdom where she was taken in by a foster family who was close friends with the King. <sub> </sub>


    I mention this because it could give us a clue about her actual motives. What really interests me about this little girl is the fact that she was just recently employed by Empress Itami herself, and was the lead of the Japanese Chemistry department. You could say she is Japan''s Aldo von Passau..."


    Berengar''s expression turned grim when he heard these words, his mind was filled with questions, but chief among them was the one he immediately spoke aloud.


    "Then why is she here?"


    Linde''s grin grew wider as she educated her man on what she had found out, even if it was mostly hearsay and heavily suspicious in nature.


    "That''s the interesting part. Yi Min-ah is a defector, and our highest ranking one yet. She ims that empress Itami''s mental state is copsing, and as a result, she has chosen to jump ship, andtch onto the side she knows will emerge victorious in theing war.


    However, we can not confirm whether any of this is true. As a result, I have her confined to Little Kyoto, where my agents keep a close watch on her at all times. The first thing she did when settling down in Kufstein was get a job at a local restaurant.


    She has not made any concerning movements yet. However, I wanted to inform you of her existence to see how you would choose to react. Should we leave her be? Or do you wish to meet with her in person so you can get an understanding of her character?


    If this little princess turned out to be a spy, or an assassin sent by your eastern rival, then it would be best for you to verify such a thing with your divine sight before she is given a chance to act. Don''t you think?"


    Berengar reflected on this information for several moments in silence. Min-ah''s background was suspicious, to say the least, and the best way to root out her intentions would be to use the eye of Horus on her. If she did turn out to be a spy or assassin sent by the Japanese Empress, then there was much information he could gain from interrogating her.


    The only downside was, if this were to be the case, then he would essentially be inviting a potential assassin into his own home, which was a dangerous prospect. Thus, after several moments of silence, Berengar sighed heavily before asking a question that would be critical to his decision.


    "You say she works at a local restaurant? What is her job there?"


    A confident smile emerged on Linde''s pretty lips. Perhaps she alone knew Berengar well enough to urately predict his thoughts. Thus, she answered his question in a way that thoroughly convinced the man to act.


    "You don''t need to worry. Min-ah does not work in the kitchen, nor does she work as a server. She is the hostess. I presume you are asking this question because you intend to visit the Korean princess at her workce."


    A slight smirk emerged on Berengar''s lips. As per usual, his wife had seen through his intentions perfectly. Thus, after nodding his head in affirmation, he gave voice to his thoughts on the matter.


    "You understand me so well. I was just thinking that it has been too long since west went out on a date night with just the two of us. In my honest opinion, Japanese food sounds like the perfect ce. What do you think?"


    A hint of excitement shed through Linde''s sky-blue eyes when she heard this. It had indeed been too long since she had been on a proper date with her husband. Even though this time around it would be work rted, she did not dare reject the man''s offer, and responded with a light-hearted quip.


    "It''s a date!"


    After saying this, Berengar and Linde discussed the details of their date n for the uing Friday night. The investigation into Min-Ah''s intentions was only a part of the evening. Berengar truly did desire to take his wife out properly. It just so happened that the two of them would be conducting some counter-espionage during their meal on that evening.


    ---


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 Chapter 949 Date Night Part L

    The week passed, and soon enough, it was time for Berengar to take his favorite wife on a date. Currently, the man was getting dressed in his formal attire. This was not a military uniform or some variation of it like he normally wore. Instead, it was a three-piece suit with a trench coat.


    Today Berengar had gone all out on his appearance, and had changed his usual slicked back hair style, to a textured quiff. When he was done dressing himself, the man gazed into the mirror and witnessed his own reflection, where he promptly smiled at his extravagant appearance.


    The maid who had helped pick out the clothes was blushing when she saw the Kaiser dressed in civilian clothes for the first time in a long time. She could not help but have amorous thoughts about the handsome man who reigned as the supreme hegemon of the western world.


    She was young, and beautiful, and for the briefest of moments, she felt perhaps she should make a move. However, before she couldplete her thoughts, the door opened to reveal a heavenly beauty like no other.


    Linde von Kufstein was in her early thirties, and had already given birth to five children. Despite this, her figure was sublime, and the years had clearly been kind to herplexion. The mature empress had an innocent appearance, despite her cunning and seductive nature.


    The redheaded beauty was dressed in a sky blue evening dress which cut itself short at the knees. It was a strapless design, which showed off the natural curves of her body. Her bountiful cleavage enticed any man who dared to gaze at it.


    Upon witnessing her man all dressed up for her sake, Linde quickly attached herself to his arm, and rested her head in his chest, a love-struck expression, like that of a schoolgirl who gazed upon her crush appeared on the woman''s wless face as she asked the question she had been waiting to say all week.


    "Are you ready?"


    Berengar, who was closely observing his wife''s immacte appearance, smiled lovingly while he nodded his head. He rested the palm of his hand on the woman''s delicate cheek before nting a soft kiss on her lips. The act of which caused the maid to gush with envy. The man''s response to his wife''s question was like that of a charming prince.


    "Of course, my love... It has been far too long since we have had a night to ourselves."


    After saying this, Berengar grabbed hold of his woman''s hand, and dragged her out of the dressing room, leaving the maid behind with her thoughts as if he had not even been aware of her presence. While Berengar and Linde descended from the staircase, several of their children approached them, with the young boy Josefmenting on his mother''s appearance.


    "Mommy is so pretty!"


    While Linde always paid exceptional attention to her appearance to ensure that she was the living personification of female beauty, she had gone the extra mile today, so much so that even her own son could not help but express how wonderful she looked. Thepliment of her second son caused a smile to appear on the redheaded temptress''s lips while she bowed down and petted the boy''s hair.


    "Mommy and daddy are going out tonight, so you and your siblings behave yourselves."


    Josef smiled and nodded his head while basking in his mother''s affection. As for his sister Isle, she approached her father and was quick to express her thoughts about the man''s appearance.


    "Daddy, you look very handsome today, make sure to treat mommy right!"


    In response to this, Berengar merely smiled before picking his little girl up into the air and kissing her on the forehead. After doing so, he set her on the ground before petting the girl''s hair like her mother had done to her brother.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I have always treated your mother well."


    After saying this, Berengar''s gaze set itself upon his eldest daughter Helga, who was hiding behind her other siblings. There was a peculiar expression in the girl''s eyes while she gazed upon her father and mother, who had dressed up exceptionally well for this asion. Berengar did not take notice of this affectionate gaze, and instead barked amand to the girl.<sub> </sub>


    "Helga, make sure your siblings behave themselves. If there are any problems, go fetch one of your other mothers, and have them take care of it."


    The girl remained silent and only responded with a slight nod of her head. Upon seeing that she understood her duties for the night, Berengar sighed in relief before grabbing hold of Linde''s hand and leading her out the front door of the pce.


    The loving couple descended the staircase and entered the courtyard, where a limousine sat, waiting to take them to their destination. A member of the German Leibgarde stood outside the vehicle, where he opened a door for his Kaiser and Kaiserin.


    The man was dressed covertly for the evening. As such, he wore a ck three-piece suit, with a white dress shirt underneath, and a solid ck tie. He also wore a pair of sunsses. He was not alone in this regard, as every member of the leibgarde who would be watching over their Kaiser''s safety was also dressed in an identical fashion.


    Berengar ensured that Linde was safely inside the limo before entering himself. After doing so, the bodyguard closed the door behind him before entering an armored SUV. Two of such vehicles existed in the front and rear of the Kaiser''s limo, creating a caravan.


    The drivers already knew of the destination which the Royal Couple desired, and thus they headed towards Little Kyoto, which was the section of the German Capital dedicated to the Japanese Refugees who had fled the horrors of their homnd, seeking asylum in the Reich.


    Berengar watched the streets pass him by as he sat in the limousine with his arms wrapped around his wife. The woman was resting her head on the man''s shoulder, while thinking about all the fun she was going to have tonight. After several moments, Berengar interrupted the silence with a rather serious question on his mind.


    "Assuming Yi Min-Ah proves to be a hostile, should we arrest her on the spot, or find a reason to do so at ater date?"


    Linde''s smile shifted upside down as she heard these words, before looking up towards her man''s handsome face. She had a stern expression on her face as she said the following words.


    "Arresting her on the spot would cause nothing but problems. We can''t use your divine sight as a legal justification to have her detained. I will have to concoct some evidence and nt it in her apartment. Once we have evidence, we can arrest her at will at any ce, and at any time. So if she does prove to have ill intentions towards you, then it will take me at most three days to have her in custody.


    Thus, you do not need to worry too much. As soon as you ascertain her true motives, we will treat this night as a normal date. So you just sit back, rx, and just enjoy yourself. After all, it has been a long time since the two of us have gone out together like this."


    As per usual, Linde was a master when it came to matters of intrigue. Thus, Berengar would refer to her judgement. Instead, he smiled and stroked the woman''s silky red-gold hair. He owed a great deal to this woman. It was a debt he could never fully repay.


    Thus, as Berengar sat there in silence, his thoughts drifted to what he would do after he defeated the Japanese Empire. For the past ten years, every moment of his life had been spent either preparing for a war, or fighting one.


    Though he had done his best by his family. As a man who built an Empire from scratch, there was only so much time he could spend with them. It was not his fault, for every time he thought he gained some semnce of peace, a new and more powerful threat revealed itself beyond the horizon.


    However, once Japan had fallen, there would no longer be anyone left in this world to challenge his will. No rebellion, nor any resistance that he could not easily ovee. Since that was the case, he would have a lot of free time avable to him. Time that he would spend with his family.


    While Berengar thought about his ns for the future, the convoy approached the Japanese restaurant where Min-Ah was employed as a hostess. Once the car came to a stop, Berengar and Linde would enter the lion''s den, where they would engage in a battle of counter-espionage, before enjoying their night as a couple.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 950 Date Night Part Ll

    Little Kyoto was a small but thriving part of the German capital. Though it was safe, clean, and exotic, it was anything but a paradise. In reality, this small section of town was a glorified internment camp for the Japanese refugees who sought safety within the borders of the Reich.


    Despite the fact that all refugees were thoroughly vetted before permitted entry into the German Empire, they lived under constant surveince by German Intelligence. After all, it was unwise to leave a poption which defected from a hostile Empire to themselves.


    In fact, Little Kyoto acted as an experiment in both counter-intelligence and crime prevention. Cameras were around every street corner, which fed their video and audio recordings to a remote viewing station within the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence, where a team of observers kept close watch for any signs of crime or rebellious intent.


    Thus, despite being its own little enve in a foreign nation, there was not the slightest hint of organized crime developing within Little Kyoto. Despite the fact that the suburb enve acted as a free range prison, the people who dwelled within were friendly to those Germans who visited for a taste of the exotic.


    Thus, when Berengar and Linde entered the restaurant, all eyes were on the royal couple, as even the most recent asylum seekers were aware of who the Kaiser was. Min-Ah was stunned into silence when she saw Berengar approach her podium. She hadpletely forgotten to ask about whether her guests had a reservation and instead gawked silently for some time.


    This awkward meeting allowed Berengar to activate his eye of Horus and gaze upon the woman''s hidden intentions. A ck miasma shrouded the Korean beauty, though it was not thick enough to signify murderous intent. The result was obvious. This woman hade to the Reich with malicious intent.


    Despite the fact that Berengar just confirmed Min-Ah as a hostile agent. It did not show on his face, instead an amused smile formed on the man''s lips as he made a joke to the enemy spy.


    "What is it? Am I so handsome that I stunned you into silence? It happens all the time."


    Linde merely pouted when she heard this and nudged her man in the ribs with her elbow with just enough force to garner his attention. In response to this, Berengar chuckled before addressing Min-Ah once more.


    "I have a reservation for two, under the name Berengar."


    It was only after observing this calm facade that Min-Ah snapped out of her daze and realized that her target had note to her ce of employment in search of her. Instead, he was just looking to take his woman out for a nice meal.


    The Korean Princess was not a trained spy, and because of this, she struggled to do anything other than re at Berengar with a serious expression on her face. After taking a moment to calm her nerves, she forced a smile before pulling out two menus and leading the couple to their seats.


    "Of course, right this way."


    Berengar grabbed hold of Linde''s hand, and led the redheaded beauty to the table, where he pulled out her seat like a proper gentleman. Linde smiled and thanked her man before sitting down. Once she was properly seated, Berengar took his own before looking at the menu. He knew immediately what he wanted to eat. Whereas Linde hadn''t the slightest idea. To her, the entire menu was alien, and she could not easily decipher what it was that she craved.


    After seating Berengar and Linde, Min-Ah bade them farewell and returned to her podium, where she gazed upon the royal couple from the corner of her eyes. Linde immediately noticed this, and then questioned Berengar on what he had seen, despite already being keenly aware of the woman''s intentions after one brief interaction with her.


    "So? What did you see?"


    Berengar did not lower his menu and continued to eye its contents with a perfect facade of stoicism. He did not reveal the slightest facial expression as he whispered in a voice so low only the two of them could hear it.


    "As expected, the woman is a spy, and a rather poor one at that. To send a hostile agent, one that is adept in the art of poisoning into my own hometown. Itami has truly underestimated me. Have the woman arrested and taken to a ck site for interrogation. I want to hear everything she knows from her own lips."


    Linde merely smiled and nodded her pretty head before questioning her husband about a matter that was far more important to her.


    "Of course, it won''t be a problem. Now that we have gotten that troublesome business out of the way, I have a far more important question to ask. What the hell am I supposed to eat? I have no idea what any of this means, even if it is tranted into our esteemed tongue."


    With a swift move of the hand, Berengar ced his menu down on the table while smirking at the woman. He knew what he wanted and was quick to voice his suggestion.


    "For an appetizer we will have Tokoyaki. They''re fried octopus dumplings, and they are incredible. I would order five tes of those damn things and just have that as a meal if I could. However, it''s merely an appetizer, so we will get two orders, one for each of us. As for the entr��e, I suggest the pork tonkatsu ramen. Trust me, you won''t regret it."


    Though Linde had no idea what Tonkatsu was, and had never tried octoupus before. She smiled and nodded her head,pletely trusting her man to select an enjoyable meal for her. Shortly after deciding, the server approached. For the sake of security, Berengar gazed upon the young man with his eye of Horus, and saw a positive aura.<sub> </sub>


    At the very least, there were no hostile intentions in this man''s heart. The man wore a broad smile, and it was not the typical forced smile that one wore in the service industry. Instead, it seemed to have a deep sense of respect.


    Whatever the man was thinking, he was a true professional, and did not mention once the fact that he was serving the Kaiser, instead he simply requested the order.


    "What shall I get started for the two of you on this fine evening?"


    Linde shot Berengar a gaze, implying that she wanted him to order for the two of them, and as a result, the man immediately took charge while he smiled in response to the server''s positive attitude.


    "A bottle of your finest sake will do. As for the appetizer, the misses and I would each like an order of the takoyaki. I hear it is the best in town. For the main course, she and I will both have the pork ramen tonkatsu, and if you could add an additional cutlet, and egg into mine, that would be most appreciated."


    The man simply smiled in response as he wrote down the order to perfection on his notepad. After doing so, he asked one more question before departing.


    "I assure you that won''t be a problem at all. Will that be all for the night? Or is there something else I can get for you?"


    Berengar shook his head with a polite smile on his handsome face before responding to the man in with an equally positive energy.


    "That will do for now, whether or not we choose to have desert will depend on how we are feeling after we eat what we have already ordered."


    Upon saying this, Berengar grabbed the two menus and handed them back to the man, who promptly went back to the kitchen to give the cooks their order. He did not mention to the staff that the guests were the kaiser and his wife.


    As long as they were unaware of the identities of their guests, there would be no funny business, and as a man who owed his life and that of his family''s to the Kaiser, he would be remiss if he created an opportunity for hostile action against his benefactor.


    While Berengar sat back in his seat with afortable expression, he decided to break the silence and posed a question to his favorite wife, one regarding one of her closest subordinates.


    "So, now that we have a moment to ourselves, I have a question that''s been lingering in the back of my mind for some time. I just haven''t found the right moment to give voice to it. I''m curious. Did your subordinate Hemma ever find a proper man to marry, or is she still overwhelmed with work?"


    Linde wore a mischievous smile as she responded with a whisper in her man''s ear, one that sent chills down his spine.


    "Oh? You''re on a date, alone with me, and you''re thinking of other women? Bold... very bold..."


    When Berengar heard this, he immediately took his statement back. If there was one thing in this entire world he was afraid of, it was getting on Linde''s bad side. He knew the woman well enough that if she were to ever turn against him, it would be his undoing.


    "I''m sorry, that was rather inappropriate of me to ask. I''m just curious, is all. She seems like she is overburdened with the workload you give her."


    When Berengar said this, the bottle of sake arrived, along with two crystal sses where the server poured them to the brim before handing them off to his guests. After doing so, he departed, leaving Linde to sip on her rice wine while ring at her man with a curious glint in her eye. After taking several sips, the woman responded to his question in a mocking tone.


    "It''s not like it''s a secret or anything. If you''re that curious, I won''t hide it from you."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 951 Date Night Part Lll

    Berengar took a slight sip from his ss of sake, before leaning in close and waiting for Linde''s answer. The redheaded vixen had a sultry smile on her face as she first feigned offense before giving her man a proper answer.


    "To think that you are so interested in that chain smoker, of all people? Hmph, I''m disappointed in you. There is a beautiful, young, foreign princess in this very room, and yet you have no intention of making her your woman.


    Anyway, yes, Hemma has found herself a man. Though I am a bit surprised by her choice. The man is rather simple. I thought that after my years of influencing the woman, she would havended herself a big shot. To think of all people, she married her dry cleaner..."


    Berengar nearly choked on his sake when he heard this. Out of all the men that Hemma could have ended up with, she chose such a simple man. Linde was right. It was truly befuddling, and what had just been a random topic to start a conversation now turned into genuine interest as he prodded his wife for more information.


    "Her dry cleaner? How the hell did that happen? What kind of man is he to win the heart of the Deputy Director of Imperial Intelligence?"


    A mischievously smirk appeared on Linde''s face as she took another sip of her sake before responding to the questions presented to her.


    "I swear, this has got to be the most cliche story I can possibly think of. However, I swear on my life it is one hundred percent urate. About two years ago, Hemma ran into some doofus in the lobby of our building, spilling her pumpkin spicette all over her uniform.


    As a result, she sought out a dry cleaner, where she found a particrly average young man who ran his own small business near our headquarters. She and the man ended up having a brief dispute over payment. Apparently, one of the men he hired had messed up her order, and the man was forced to apologize.


    When she asked why he hired such an ipetent fool, the man suddenly became angry and informed her that the employee was a member of his old unit from his days in the military. Apparently, this employee had suffered mild brain damage inbat. In fact, the owner of the dry cleaner only hires disabled veterans, and gives back as much as of his earnings as he can to hismunity.


    Naturally, with all of the government aid that is given to your veterans after their service ends, there isn''t much of a need to donate solely to helping wounded veterans, thus he helps out everyone in any way he can.


    Well, it turns out this generosity, and overall positive outlook on life, confused Hemma, and she asked the man how he could possibly care so much for his fellow man, after witnessing all the evil humanity as a species has to offer.


    The man''s response was that he would only inform her if she would let him buy her lunch sometime. At first she refused, but the man''s character had left her with many questions, and it wasn''t long before she stopped by his business once more with another stain, where she took him up on his offer. They have been together for nearly two years now and will soon be getting married."


    Berengar was stunned by this information, to think that such a thing had actually happened. It was almost as if he was watching one of those cheesy holiday romanticedies that were aired on a specific channel during his past life.


    While Linde was discussing Hemma''s personal affairs, the appetizers arrived. Where the woman was hesitant to taste the dumplings. However, after seeing her man effortlessly pop one of them into his mouth, and chew on it with a blissful expression on his face. Linde could not help but try it.


    She did not regret this experiment, and immediately fell in love with the appetizer. The shocked expression on Linde''s face told Berengar all he needed to know, thus with a confident smirk, he goaded the woman on while taking another bite of his takoyaki.


    "It''s good, right? I told you that you would enjoy it!"


    Linde did not respond to this, and merely took a bite out of another octopus dumpling. Before long the main course arrived, where the couple was served both chopsticks, and western silverware. Berengar had opted to use the chopsticks. But the devices confused Linde, and she was forced to eat the ramen with a fork.


    Ultimately, it was a pleasant meal, where Berengar and Linde continued to talk about minor things about their personal lives. In the end, the check came, and Berengar paid it while giving a substantial tip.<sub> </sub>


    As the Kaiser, the only bills Berengar carried in his wallet were thousands. He did not care what he was paying for, he always tipped whoever helped him. For this meal, he pulled out a thousand dor bill for each of the staff, who would be splitting the tipster that night before gently cing them on the table.


    When the server came over to collect the money, his eyes nearly shot out of their sockets as he saw the Kaiser depart from the restaurant. This one encounter made a favorable impression on the young man''s heart. He would never forget the casual kindness that Berengar had given him on this night.


    Once Berengar and Linde had left the restaurant, they had climbed back into the limo before departing for the movie theater. There was an excited look in the redheaded beauty''s eyes as she leaned in close to her man and rested her head on his shoulder. She could not help but ask just what kind of movie they were watching tonight.


    "So, what are we seeing? I hope it is something good!"


    Berengar wore a wry smile on his face as he responded to his wife''s enthusiasm with a cryptic tone in his voice.


    "Trust me, I think you will enjoy it."


    Shortly thereafter, Berengar and Linde arrived at the local theatre, where a single bold word was written on the exterior of the building.


    "Drac"


    That''s right, a recreation of the ssic 1931 film Drac from Berengar''s past life was being disyed in the theatre tonight. In fact, the entire book it was based on was written by Berengar in his spare time, under the pseudonym Bram Stoker.


    Some things could not be forgotten just because Berengar had changed the history of this world. Among them were the ssics in western literature. The book was a best seller, and Berengar had donated all the proceeds to charity. Including the money he made from selling the movie rights.


    Even Linde did not know that Berengar was the author behind the popr work. In reality, he was not the creator of this masterpiece. He was merely the medium which allowed its existence to transcend time and space. This was the reason he had not used his own name as the published author and instead used that of its true creator.


    Berengar and Linde first got themselves a bucket of popcorn and some sodas before sitting down in the very back of the theater, where they watched the entire film together. Berengar seemed to enjoy the work, as he was an avid fan of the original. Whereas Linde was actually terrified by many of the scenes, after all, it was a horror movie, and women were generally weak to such things.


    The most enjoyable aspect of the viewing was that whenever Linde was too scared, she would cling onto her man and shriek. This was endearing to Berengar, as it disyed a side of the woman''s character he had never seen before.


    When the film was finally over, Berengar walked out of the theatre with a fat smile on his face, while Linde was pouting, shivering, and still clutching herself tightly to her man''s arms. She wanted to scold him for taking her to see a horror flick, but in the end she could not do so. As despite the fear that the movie had caused her to feel, she had to admit she thoroughly enjoyed it, and the time she spent together with her man as a result of it.


    The date was far from over, as Berengar and Linde once more entered the car, before heading off to the next attraction: the carnival.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 952 Date Night Part LV

    The door to the armored limousine opened to reveal the bodyguard who stood at attention, waiting for his Kaiser to exit the vehicle. As a proper gentleman, Berengar allowed his wife to exit first, before moring to her side.


    A look of excitement filled the redheaded beauty''s sky-blue eyes as she gazed at the shing lights of the local carnival, which was in full effect. Hundreds of families walked through the streets, ying games, and eating tasty treats while enjoying their Friday night.


    Berengar could only smile upon seeing how exhrated his beautiful wife was. With a simple gesture, he grabbed hold of the woman''s hand and dragged her off into the streets, seemingly carefree, knowing that he and his woman would be protected by the valiant soldiers of the leibgarde.


    Everywhere the royal couple walked, eyes were set upon them. The carnival was not a location that the nobility frequently visited; instead, it was a ce which was ruled by the middle ss. However, with the Kaiser and his wife freely walking about, with wide smiles on their faces, themon people of German could not help but take photographs.


    Berengar had no way of knowing this, but his actions on this night would spur many members of the nobility to venture to future carnivals and mingle with themon poption. In doing so, breaking the social barrier that existed between the two sses to some small extent.


    The Kaiser had no real n upon stepping foot in the carnival and instead gazed upon his wife with a humble smile before asking her what it was that she desired to do first.


    "So... What do you want to do first? Shall we go get a tasty treat? Or shall we take part in some of the games? Perhaps we could enjoy some of the rides, like the ferris wheel?"


    Linde smirked when she heard this. She had a bit of a guilty look on her face, but she couldn''t help but voice her desires to the man she loved.


    "I know we just ate a nice meal, and snacked on popcorn at the theatre, but I''ve always wanted to try a corn dog. Can we go get one?"


    Berengar did not need a second word. He swiftly dragged his wife off to the nearest snack booth, where all kinds of delicious, but rather unhealthy, fried foods were on disy. Though the line attempted to part way for their Kaiser, Berengar did not allow their courtesy, and merely smiled before speaking his mind.


    "Please, you were all here first. It is only right you get your food before us. Besides, we already ate beforeing here, so we''re not too terribly hungry. I insist."


    Themon people were stunned that the Kaiser refused to use his position to scale to the front of the line, and instead stood there patiently with his wife, while speaking casually with one another. As the royal couple continued to advance in line, Linde brought up one of their children.


    "I''m sure Hans would enjoy something from this snack bar. He always enjoyed junk food."


    Berengar''s gaze swept the crowd where his sight coincidentallynded upon his son, and a young woman, the two of which were feasting on pretzels and fried pickles while sitting on a nearby bench. A smirk appeared on the Kaiser''s face as he nodded his head in agreement with his wife''s assessment before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "It would appear that he indeed does enjoy the food at the snack bar. I hope I will like whatever we get half as much as the boy does..."


    At first Linde did not know what her man was talking about, but then she gazed over at her son, and his girlfriend Anne, who appeared to be out of uniform, and on a date together on this fine evening. A concerned tone entered the doting mother''s voice as she realized that her son was currently absent without leave from the Aerial Warfare Academy.


    "That little scoundrel, ying hooky, to take his newest girl to the carnival. I should give him a piece of my mind!"


    While Linde was cursing out her son, Berengar had paid for a couple of corn dogs, and received the food. He stuck one of the two treats into his wife''s mouth without her notice, causing her to react with shock. After doing so, Berengar whispered suggestive words into Linde''s ears while grabbing hold of her dainty hand once more.


    "Be a good little girl, and suck on this while I go see what our errant son is up to."


    The scandalousments that her husband had made caused Linde to blush in embarrassment. However, rather than look like a fool with a corn dog stuck in her mouth, she quickly bit into the treat with a soundable crunch before chewing and swallowing its contents.


    After taking a bite from her treat, Linde was dragged off by her husband to interrogate their son about his rogue behavior. The young couple approached the boy, and his date, who were feeding each other fried pickle slices, when Anne noticed the presence of the Kaiser, and more importantly, his most terrifying wife. <sub> </sub>


    Hans, however, did not notice his parents approach and continued tough while his girlfriend pulled on his sleeve. He was about to say something when a stern voice interrupted him. It was not that of his father, but rather his doting mother.


    "My oh my, if it isn''t my beloved son, ying hooky on a Friday night, are we? Do you realize how much trouble the two of you could get in if anyone were to find out you were here?"


    The boy slowly, but surely, shifted his sight behind him as a dreadful expression filled his face. He took one look at his mother and knew for a fact that he wasn''t hearing things. The upset expression on the woman''s wless face was truly terrifying to the boy, who knew all too well what the woman was capable of.


    "Mother... I...''


    However, Linde looked away from her son, as if she did not want to speak with him, and merely took another bite from her corn dog while pouting in silence. She would leave the scolding of her child up to the boy''s father. Berengar merely sighed before expressing his disappointment in his son.


    "Boy, you''re in the Luftwaffe now. You can''t simply abscond from base anytime you want to go meet with a girl. You could be seriously reprimanded for this. I suggest the two of you finish your snacks and then head back to the Academy before somebody finds out about your unscheduled absence."


    Though Hans wanted to protest, he knew better than to speak back to his father, and thus, he simply lowered his head in shame and agreed to the tyrant''s demands.


    "Yes, father, I will do as you have suggested. Come along Anne."


    After saying this, Hans dragged Anne off, whose sight did not leave Linde''s chilling gaze. Undoubtedly, this little scandal was caused by the young woman. As Hans was a rather obedient child, who seldom questioned the rules, let alone broke them. If there was one thing Linde hated more than anything, it was when her children acted in disobedience.


    Even though she never wanted her son to enter Aerial Warfare Academy, he had received his father''s blessing, and thus there was nothing Linde could do about it. However, to enter the Military academy, and then disregard its rules, such a thing was not only a p in the face to the military as an institution, but to the royal family altogether. Thus, the redheaded beauty was scowling as she watched her son and his little girlfriend run back to their barracks. A solemn remark escaped the woman''s luscious lips as she sighed in pity.


    "It''s a shame, he used to be used an obedient child..."


    In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before taking a bite from his own treat.


    "You''re being too harsh on the boy. He''s at that age where rebellion is nature. If he didn''t y hooky once or twice, I''d truly be concerned about his development. As long as he doesn''t get caught, it''s not an issue.


    However, if he were to be found out, I would not interfere on his behalf. Every choice we make in this life has consequences, and the boy needs to learn that. Now, how about we forget this matter, and go y some games?"


    A warm smile appeared on Linde''s pretty face as she devoured the rest of her corn dog before throwing the stick into the trash. Her previous mood was back in full swing, as she disregarded her eldest son''s truancy, and dashed off towards the games, leaving her husband to chase after her.


    "I''ll race you!"


    Berengar merely smiled and shook his head while gazing up at the stars above, all while muttering to himself one simplement before charging after his wife.


    "I wonder how long these peaceful days willst..."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 953 Date Night Part V

    Linde shouldered a pellet gun as shepeted for the grand prize of the local shooting game. What was this grand prize? It was arge stuffed fox. The fox''s fur matched Linde''s hair, and the woman wanted it more than anything. In fact, Berengar was shocked at how childish the love of his life was being, but he had to admit there was a bit of an appeal to that, just like every other aspect of the woman.


    Linde was not by any means a marksman, and thus she pulled the trigger with jarring force. In doing so, missing the small steel ducks which were set up, and moving about on a machine. With each shot she would have to break the rifle in two, before inserting another pellet.


    The strength required to do this was more than Linde could muster, and thus she was forced to pout each time, and hand the pellet gun over to her husband, who easily broke the action down, and reloaded the weapon before handing it back to his wife.


    One miss turned into five, and five into twenty. The amount of money Berengar was pouring into this stuffed fox was more than the thing was worth. But Linde seemed to be enjoying the challenge, and thus he could only smile and watch as she continuously failed. Eventually, the woman flipped out into a state of rage and stomped her foot on the ground before cursing the game itself.


    "Urrgghh, this whole game is rigged."


    Berengar smiled before making ament which would change the oue of the match.


    "How about you adjust the rifle''s rear sight?"


    The Kaiser had been silently observing his wife''s attempts to shoot down the steel ducks. It wasn''t simply a matter of poor marksmanship. There was clearly something wrong with the rifle that those who were unustomed to weapons would easily mistake.


    Thus, it was no surprise when the carney who was operating the booth gave Berengar a concerned nce. After all, the pellet rifles were set with their sights on maximum range, which would easily throw off any shooters'' attempt who failed to adjust them. What Linde had said was true. The game was rigged, but it was an easy fix if one knew the basics of firearms.


    Linde did as her man had suggested, and adjusted the rear sight of the weapon so that it was in its lowest setting. After doing so, she took aim and led her target before squeezing the trigger. A loud ng resounded in the air as the steel pellet struck the metal duck and knocked it over. Upon seeing that she had shot down her first target since she had started ying this game, a wide smile emerged on the woman''s pretty face while she jumped in the air with joy.


    After doing so, she handed the pellet rifle back to her husband, who broke down the action and reloaded the weapon once more. Within another five shots, Linde had sessfully knocked down all targets. The Carny was especially cautious, as he had just scammed the Kaiserin, and was gazing upon her husband, who was also his monarch with a pleading expression.


    After handing the stuffed fox to Linde, whotched onto the lifeless object and hugged it with a loving smile on her face. The carney leaned over and whispered to Berengar something which caught the man''s attention.


    "I''m sorry, your majesty, I''m just following the rules my boss has set in ce. Please don''t punish me for scamming your wife."


    Berengar merely chuckled and patted the man on the shoulder before reassuring him that nothing bad would happen to him.


    "Rx, see that beautiful smile? That''s worth far more than what I paid to get that stuffed fox. Besides, your little scam is nothing much. Anyone who is remotely familiar with firearms can fix it at first nce. Enjoy the rest of your evening, kid."


    After saying this, Berengar grabbed hold of Linde''s hand and led her on a journey throughout the rest of the carnival. The royal couple yed many games, and rode many rides, all while enjoying an ungodly amount of unhealthy food. In the end, they ended up in line for the ferris wheel, where Linde had long since handed over her stuffed fox to her man. Who carried it on the back of his shoulders as if it were a young child.


    Berengar and Linde gazed up into the night sky, which was lit up by the rainbow lights of the carnival. There was a warm smile on their faces, as Linde leaned against her man''s shoulder and said something under her breath that Berengar almost missed.


    "Thanks for this..."


    Berengar merely turned and looked at his wife with an affectionate grin on his face. He responded with a simplement.


    "No problem" <sub> </sub>


    He then grabbed ahold of her hand before leading her onto the ferris wheel. The woman was slightly shocked that he had heard her words, especially with all themotion that was going around. As the Royal couple sat next to one another in the ferris wheel, which drifted further into the air. A series of fireworks exploded, causing the two of them to gaze at its brilliance with awe in their eyes.


    While Linde''s sky-blue eyes sparkled, Berengar reached over and grabbed hold of her dainty chin before cing a passionate kiss on her lips. The woman reacted with a slight bit of shock at first, but then quickly gave in to her man, and returned his gesture with her own.


    Under the bright moonlight, which was at its fullest, as well as the sparkling colors of the fireworks exploding in the air, Berengar and Linde shared a moment together, as a couple, that neither of them would ever forget.


    They had been married for close to ten years, and yet despite this, the spark of their love was at its brightest on this fateful night. On a mere whim, they went out on a date as a means to cover their acts of counter-espionage. In the end, they ended up having a date that was truly memorable. One that Linde would treasure until herst dying breath.


    After kissing for some time, the ride came to an end, and Berengar stood up with a wide smile on his face. Grabbing hold of his wife''s hand, he led her out of the ferris wheel, with her prize on his back. A simple phrase escaped his lips as he led his woman back to the car.


    "I wish this night would never end. But you know what they say, all good things, so on and so forth. Come, my love, let us return to the home that we have built together..."


    Linde epted Berengar''s gesture, and was dragged into his embrace as the Royal Couple walked back to the armored car together. Where they returned to the pce. Entirely unaware that their evening together had been spied upon by a mystical being.


    In the sky above, a pair of azure eyes gazed through the explosive fireworks and onto the scene below. They werepletely invisible to the mortal ne, but they had witnessed everything that had urred between the royal couple.


    Deep within the ck forest of Germany, a solemn sigh escaped the mists, which was followed by a sultry voice that resounded in the air.


    "I truly envy their love..."


    After saying this, the divine spirit''s eyes faded away from the night sky. Upon doing so, a gorgeous red-haired woman who was oddly reminiscent of Linde regained her sight. She gazed into the woonds of ancient Germania and sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts aloud.


    "The time is near. Soon the champion will visit my domain. Are there any words you wish for me to speak to him, old man?"


    A single glowing red eye emerged from the mists, along with it a gruff, and elderly voice erupted in the air. Its tone wasnguid and fatigued, as if its mere presence caused its bearer exhaustion.


    "Tell the champion to meet me in thend of ice, on the day of the midwinter solstice. I''ll be waiting for him there..."


    Freya nodded her head in agreement before licking her lips with a seductive expression on her divine face. Knowing that the All-father had ceased his line ofmunication, she let her true desires escape her lips, which echoed into the misty forest.


    "Allow me to taste this champion of yours for myself, old man! Berengar von Kufstein, I hope you won''t disappoint me..."


    ---


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 Chapter 954 Apprehending A Foreign Spy

    Yi Min-Ah sat behind her podium as she waited for guests to enter the restaurant that she was employed at. It was an hour of the day that was ultimately slow for business, and thus she scribbled some thoughts on a notepad as she patiently waited for a paying customer to arrive.


    There were many thoughts on the Korean Princess''s mind. Among them was the Kaiser himself, who had appeared in her restaurant a few days prior. Though the man and his wife did not act in a suspicious manner. She could not help but have the feeling deep within her heart that her cover had been seen through during their brief encounter.


    What was more troublesome was that she had still yet to think of a way to meet with the man, let alone seduce him. Though she had always been confident in her appearance, the moment sheid eyes on the redheaded beauty by the man''s side, Min-ah instantly felt as if she were inferior in every way.


    As if her thoughts had manifested themselves into reality, the door to the restaurant opened, however it was not a customer which greeted her. Instead, it was a tear gas grenade, which upon detonation spread the vtile substance across the restaurant''s interior, forcing the employees to flee from their workce.


    The moment Min-Ah managed to gather her resolve and rush out the back door while choking on her own snot, a SWAT team was waiting for her. These were agents of Imperial Intelligence, who were trained by the German Sturmkommandos. They were essentially the German equivalent of the Russian FSB Alpha from Berengar''s past life.


    These men were armed with micro sturmgewehrs, which made use of primitive reflex optics mounted above their rear sight base, and suppressors attached to their muzzles. The camouge they wore was an urban variation of the blumentarn pattern which currently saw use among German Special Forces, and their gear was simr in design but colored ck.


    The men wore gas masks, as they pointed their muzzles towards the Korean Princess, before announcing her arrest to everyone present.


    "Yi Min-Ah, you are charged with conspiracy to assassinate the Kaiser and the Royal family. For your treasonous actions, you are hereby under arrest!"


    Min-Ah was still choking on the tear gas, but when she heard these words, her expression went from pale to ashen. She had never once conspired to assassinate the Kaiser. If she were to be charged with conspiracy tomit espionage, then she might be more epting of her fate. But to say that she was a potential assassin waiting to strike, this was too much.


    The Japanese poption of little Kyoto had gathered to witness the scene of the SWAT Team''s arrest. They were outraged that a chemical agent was deployed inside a peaceful establishment. However, when they heard the charges that were presented against the Korean princess, none of them spoke up, and instead they slunk back into the shadows, unwilling to interfere with the German intelligence officers'' work.


    The Korean Princess struggled to get to her feet, but the tear gas was still affecting her, before she even had a chance to flee, she was pinned to the ground, and bound with zipties, before being escorted off to an armored van, where the SWAT team escorted her out of the city, and into the mountains where a government ck site existed in secret.


    Sometime during the transit, Min-Ah overcame the tear gas, and realized that they were no longer in the city of Kufstein. There was a look of horror on her face, as she came to suspect that they were going to execute her in the wilderness without a trial. Thus, the Korean beauty began to plead for her life to the men who guarded her with their loaded weapons.


    "Please... There must be some kind of mistake! I did not conspire to assassinate the Kaiser, only to spy on him! Surely that isn''t enough to warrant an uwful execution!"


    Though the men who escorted Min-Ah wore bvas, the woman could still make out a faint smirk beneath the mask which veiled their appearance, as if the men were mocking her. It was only after several seconds of sobbing had passed, did one of the agents inform her of her fate.


    "Execution? Is that where you think you are headed? I assure you, the Kaiser has a far worse fate in mind for your treachery. Now keep quiet, for every time you make a noise, I will smack the shit out of you!"


    Suddenly, the woman''s whimpering stopped, and she remained quiet for the duration of the journey. After nearly an hour had passed, the van came to a stop. The confinement area of the vehicle, where Min-Ah was held in, was opened from the outside where more men dressed in a simr ckened attire greeted her with their weapons in hands.


    Min-Ah gazed around at the heavily guarded facility, and could not help but voice her internal questions aloud.


    "What is this ce?"


    The same man who threatened to smack her during the drive smirked once more beneath his bva before answering the woman in a single sentence.


    "This is the end of the line... Now get moving!"


    The man quickly nudged the woman forward with the muzzle of his rifle. An entire squad of the elite agents of Imperial Intelligence forced Min-Ah forward and into the facility. Upon observing her surrounds, one thought immediately came to mind: maximum security was an understatement when it came to this ce.<sub> </sub>


    This ck site kept the Reich''s worst criminals and foreign adversaries under lock and key. The type of criminal who was arrested and condemned to a ck site was typically one who had acted against the State in some manner.


    Terrorists and rebels from the Reich''s allies and client states, gangsters and brigands from Germany''s sphere of influence, smugglers and ck market dealers who foolishly brought contraband into the Reich, corrupt politicians, foreign spies, andstly those who had personally wronged the Kaiser in some unforgiveable way. They all lived in solitary confinement, without ever seeing the light of day.


    Their sole interaction with another human being was spent during sessions of intense interrogation conducted by the agents of Imperial Intelligence. This was the fate that awaited Itami''s precious spy. Naturally, Min-Ah did not know any of this, nor could she see through the cells where the Reich''s worst enemies were confined for life.


    Eventually, the Korean beauty was forced into her cell, where the agents of Imperial intelligence stripped her naked, and performed a full cavity search. Only after they were certain that she did not smuggle in anything that could aid with her escape did they give her a set of orange prisoner clothes. After doing so, the soldier who had previously taunted Min-Ah left onest remark before shutting the woman in the dimly lit cell.


    "Wee to your new home. Get used to it, because you are here for life..."


    Once alone, Min-Ah did not even struggle. She merely curled up on her bedroll and cried in the fetal position. She did not know how she had been found out, or what kind of evidence the Kaiser had cooked up against her. However, she was certain that she had fucked up somehow, and not even her Empress could save her now."


    In another room of the secret government facility. Linde stood dressed in an intelligence uniform. She gazed upon the monitors which disyed the feed of the cameras which were located in each cell. Specifically, she was monitoring Min-Ah''s actions.


    By Linde''s side was the captain of the SWAT team, which apprehended the foreign spy. He stood at attention and waited silently for the redheaded beauty''s response. With a stern look on her wless face, Linde gazed over towards the captain and finally spoke.


    "You said she confessed to espionage during transit?"


    With a silent nod of the head, Linde received the only answer she needed. A sadistic smile spread across the woman''s luscious lips as she voiced her next thoughts aloud.


    "Excellent. This is all the evidence I need to have her convicted in a court ofw and officially sentenced to death. As for her actual punishment, she will be confined to this facility from now until the end of her days.


    Prepare her for interrogation. I want to find out everything this little bitch knows about the Japanese Empire, and their so-called war goddess. We have been in the dark about our enemy''s full capabilities for far too long. Report to me once you have verified the contents of what she reveals to you."


    The Captain performed a full salute to the woman, before responding to her orders.


    "Yes, Director!"


    A satisfied expression appeared on Linde''s face as she nodded her head thrice in silence before speaking her thoughts aloud.


    "Good. I will be returning to Kufstein. Don''t disappoint me!"


    After saying this, Linde departed from the secret facility and returned to Germany''s capital. She had better things to do than oversee the gruesome business of interrogation. As for Min-Ah, the pain that awaited her was something that only the worst enemies of the Reich had endured in the past. Sooner orter, she would reveal everything she knew. It was only a matter of time.


    ---


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 Chapter 955 De-Escalation Part L

    Itami Riyo sat within the German Embassy in the city of Beijing for the second time within a single month. Herst meeting with Ambassador Gerhard von Graz had opened her eyes to many things regarding her enemy. After careful thought, she had decided to take an approach of De-esction, in the hopes that she could ultimately avoid an unecessary war with the Reich.


    Thus, the albino beauty currently sipped on tea while sitting across from the German Ambassador. Her expression this time around was far more pleasant. As for Gerhard, he was practically choking on his beverage after hearing what the Japanese Empress had just proposed to him. After taking a second to calm himself, Gerhard finally spoke. The sheer shock he was feeling at this moment slightly heightened his tone.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t think I heard that right... Repeat what you just said to me!"


    A confident smile appeared on Itami''s lips as she lowered her cup onto its saucer before gazing Gerhard straight into the eyes while she repeated her words with the most clear enunciation she could manage.


    "You heard me. I am requesting open ess to the German Markets, particrly in the field of medicine. I am ashamed to admit that my chemistry department has been focused almost entirely on war material for the past few years, and as a result, I am dreadfullycking in medical supplies for my people.


    I will be frank with you, I had some time to sit upon your words, and realized that you were right. It is no exaggeration to say that I have not done nearly enough for my people and have treated them rather cruelly during my reign. I know it is a bitte, but I seek to rectify that.


    If I''m being honest, it will be some time before I am able to locally manufacture basic medicines such as anti-biotics, and anti-inmmatories, both of which, as you know, can be the difference between life or death when ites to many illnesses and injuries.


    You don''t need to conceal it from me. If your nation has half the quality of life that you boast, then you must have a robust medical industry. Surely you have these items, and enough of them to trade. I assure you, whatever surplus you may have, I will pay for it with gold and silver. Just name your price."


    Gerhard was stunned into silence for many moments as he tried to wrap his mind around what he was hearing. He was aware that he had given the Japanese Empress a rather vicious verbalshing during theirst encounter. However, he had never expected that she would take his words to heart, and do aplete one eighty after a few weeks of thought.


    Itami was cing the man in a difficult position. Though the German Embassy in Beijing existed as the sole means of contact with the Japanese Empire, the two factions were embattled in a bitter cold war. Until this moment, the prospect of trade with the Japanese had never urred within not only the German Ambassador''s mind, but that of the Kaiser''s as well.


    Medicine was a critical resource in warfare, and if what Itami had said was true, then she was woefully unprepared in this aspect. She could be using humanitarian reasons as a means to fuel her war machine. After all, she would not be the first dictator to pull on the heartstrings of more benevolent rulers in an attempt to manipte them in such a fashion.


    However, assuming Itami was not, in fact, concealing ulterior motives, and was true to the cause of helping her people, then the Reich would suffer few losses by engaging in trade with Japan. Ultimately, Gerhard did not have the power to make such a diplomatic y. But before he agreed to send this request further up thedder, the man had wanted to delve more deeply into the Japanese Empress''s ims.


    "Say I believe you, and you do actually want to make amends to your people by curing them of their illness and injuries. Do you honestly believe that alone will quell the mes of rebellion that are brewing across your homnd?"


    Itami scoffed when she heard this and gazed upon the man as if he were insulting her intelligence. She took another sip of her tea before responding in a stern tone.


    "Of course not... But it''s a start. I also n to focus on agricultural development while improving work pay and conditions, so that my people are not simply ving away in some factory for the benefit of the noble ss.


    Feudalism has existed for far too long in Japan, and it needs toe to an end. It is truly an inhumane system of governance, one which I have relied on because I was foolish, and did not immediately solidify my rule after seizing the throne.


    I know I am not trustworthy in the eyes of your Kaiser. Even I must admit that perhaps I have been paranoid about his intentions all along, and acted upon my fears in haste. However, I am genuinely extending an olive branch here. At the very least, it is better than the current unhealthy rtionship that exists between our two Empires, is it not?"<sub> </sub>


    Gerhard closely examined Itami''s expressions. She was behavingpletely differently than she had during their past encounter. Though there was still a hint of pride on her face, one that he doubted would ever fade away, there was no denying that she was no longer hostile. In fact, he was starting to believe that her words were sincere.


    After several moments of silence, Itami finally voiced her next thoughts aloud. In doing so, she hadpletely caught Gerhard off guard.


    "If what you say is true about the Empire your Kaiser has created, then the Reich is a civilization that will act as an inspiration for the creation of future governments. Though I still have a hard time believing your fantastical ims, if true, then the German Empire will one day be the envy of the world."


    There was no double meaning behind Itami''s words. She had a hard time believing that such a state could exist when she first heard about it. However, after further reflection, she came to the conclusion that it wasn''t entirely an impossibility under the right circumstances.


    This was a medieval world, where monarchs had always ruled over society for as long as it existed. The enlightenment and its ideals had not yete into existence. In fact, with the way the world was currently heading, Itami doubted they would ever be prominent, let alone the guidance of western civilization like they had in her past life.


    If a genuinely benevolent, and well-educated ruler was toe into this world, and overhaul his society in a way that all sses work together for the benefit of every citizen. While creating a government that roots out corruption and ipetence as the greatest evils. Yet still gives the people some form of representation. Then perhaps the ims about the German Empire were not unfounded.


    Of course, the only way such a civilization could continue to exist for any meaningful time was twofold. Firstly, all seeding monarchs would have to be selected based upon merit, and character above all else. Second, the nation itself would have to be fiercely nationalistic. They would have to be willing to preserve the society that they have created at the expense of the rest of the world.


    In other words, this society would be internally generous, but externally selfish. For those within its borders, they would be living in a healthy society, which cared for all its citizens. For everyone on the outside, they would likely be deemed as barbarians, unworthy ofpassion, empathy, or pity. Much like how the ancient Romans and Chinese viewed the rest of the world.


    Depending on one''s worldview, this was either the most ideal society ever to exist, or the most inhumane. For Itami, she had nothing but admiration for the concept that the German Ambassador had introduced to her.


    And upon realizing that such a state was actually capable of existing in this world, she felt ashamed for the way she had managed her own internal affairs. After several moments of silence, Gerhard finally sighed as he spoke up with a hint of hope in his voice.


    "I''ll pass your request onto the Kaiser. Whether or not he actually agrees to, it is up for him to decide."


    A genuine smile appeared on Itami''s wless face as she nodded her head in excitement before responding to the man''s words.


    "I appreciate your help in this matter. If there is nothing else to discuss, I will be returning to my homnd. I must say, this trip was much more pleasant than thest one. I look forward to meeting with you again, ambassador."


    After saying this, Itami got up from her seat, and left Gerhard alone with his thoughts. The man was deciphering his memories of the conversation he just had with the Japanese Empress to see if there was any indication that she was perhaps ying him. In the end, he came to the conclusion that her intentions were genuine, and thus decided to put this sentiment in his report to the Kaiser.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 956 A Civilized Lnterrogation

    Min-Ah sat within her cell, on the padded bedding, which acted as the only means of furniture within her confinement. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her wrists were covered with self-inflicted scratches.


    For the past seventy-two hours, the Korean Princess had been kept constantly awake via a mixture of chemical, audio, and physical stimtion. Without the slightest bit of sleep, her willpower was quickly being ground to dust.


    The Agents of German Imperial Intelligence did not even need to physically torture Min-Ah. All they needed to do was apply psychological pressure, and soon enough, the woman would spill her guts of her own volition.


    The clock struck twelve, and just like every twelve hours, the door to the cell swung open, where a group of armed guards immediately bound and gagged Min-Ah. This was a necessary precaution to ensure the safety of those involved with the interrogation.


    Once the room was secure, a young man entered the room with a sadistic grin on his handsome face and a revolver in his hand. Like every time he entered the prisoner''s cell, he would stand in front of her and make a grand statement before he began his work.


    "It has been seventy-two hours, my sweet little Min-Ah. How about you stop resisting and give us everything we need to know? Do this, and I promise I will end your suffering. I might even throw a nice desert into your next meal. How about it?"


    Min-Ah gazed upon the revolver in the man''s hand, knowing full well what was about toe next. However, she did not nod in eptance of her fate, instead she red fiercely at the man with murderous intent.


    This caused the interrogator to sigh in defeat before opening up the revolver''s cylinder, where he ced a single cartridge inside one of the six empty slots. After doing this, he spun the wheel before locking the cylinder in ce and pointing the weapon at Min-Ah''s forehead. There was a hint of pity on his face as he spoke in a mocking tone.


    "For your sake, I hope you will stop torturing yourself and answer my questions. However, since you have refused my request, a punishment is in order. May God show you mercy in this round of our little game."


    After saying this, the man pulled the trigger, causing Min-Ah to shut her eyes and flinch in terror. Despite the pull of the trigger, the round did not go off, and Min-Ah had evidently survived yet another round of Russian roulette.


    In reality, this simple interrogation trick was a matter of sleight of hand. With a bit of trickery, the interrogator made it look like he loaded a round into the revolver''s cylinder, but in reality, he had not. Yet, Min-Ah did not know this. Thus, she genuinely feared the 1/6th possibility of death every time the man pulled the trigger. Min-Ah did not open her eyes until she heard the same sigh that the man made every time he failed to set off his weapon.


    "It looks like you are truly blessed by God, my sweet little Min-Ah. You live to resist another day. Release her restraints."


    After saying this, the interrogator departed from the cell, while the guards unbound Min-Ah, leaving her alone with her thoughts once more. The moment after the guards left the room, the woman broke out into tears. It had been seventy-two hours since shest hadst slept, or ate anything. Though she was continuously hydrated, her captors had forced her into starvation as a way to weaken her resolve.


    She knew that she would notst through the next trial. What little remained of her willpower was thoroughly defeated by thisst game of Russian roulette. The next time the interrogator entered the room, she would give up everything. At the very least, she would finally be able to eat and sleep. Which was worth more to her than her loyalty at this moment.


    For the next twelve hours, Min-Ah was kept awake, as she sat in silence staring at the entrance to her cell, counting every moment that passed. Once the door opened, she did not resist the guard''s attempt to restrain her. However, when they tried to ce the gag in her mouth, she spoke rather weakly.


    "Wait... I''ll talk... I''ll tell you everything you want to know..."


    Upon hearing this, the interrogator felt a bit let down. He truly enjoyed ying his psychological games with his captive. For her to break within four days was simply too woeful. However, his orders was to obtain intelligence from the Japanese spy, and thus he did not persist with his methods of interrogation.


    Instead, he nodded his head towards the guards, who brought in a small wheeled desk, a typewriter, and a chair. Once he had sat down and prepared himself, the interrogator began to ask questions about Min-Ah''s background.


    "I must say, yousted longer than I thought you would. For a woman with no formal espionage training, you resisted longer than most in your situation. That is to bemended. However, now that you have finally decided to speak, I have a few questions on my mind. First and foremost, why did youe to the Reich? I must remind you to answer truthfully, or else I will be forced to go back to our little games."


    Min-Ah took a few moments to collect her thoughts, her mind was jumbled from ack of sleep, starvation, and a healthy dose of methamphetamine. Aftering up with the best possible answer in her head, she sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts.<sub> </sub>


    "Empress Itami asked me to infiltrate the Reich as a refugee, so that I may seduce the Kaiser, and spy on his activities. Unfortunately, before I could even make an attempt, I was discovered."


    The interrogator''s brow rose slightly when he heard these words, and he was quick to ask a followup question.


    "So, you had no intention to poison the Kaiser or his family? I have a hard time believing that considering your background. Why else would Empress Itami send you, of all people, here for the simple task of seduction?"


    Surprisingly, a scoff erupted from Min-Ah''s lips as she glowered at the interrogating officer. Since she had decided to answer the man''s questions, and honestly at that she would tell him the truth.


    "While it would be within my capabilities to do so, my orders were rather strict. The reason Empress Itami selected me for this task was because she knew that your Kaiser has a tendency to fawn over foreign beauties of high social status. As a Princess of the Joseon Dynasty, and a beauty in my own right, I was truly the only option my Empress had avable.


    Empress Itami wants information, not assassination. She''s wise enough to realize that if she harmed the Kaiser or a member of his family, it would result in total warfare, a war she is not yet ready to fight.


    The reality of the situation is, the Empress knows very little about your Empire, and its capabilities. My job was to infiltrate the Reich, find out about how advanced your country is, especially in regards to military matters, and, most importantly, analyze what kind of man the Kaiser is."


    The Interrogator typed everything Min-Ah had said into his typewriter, before asking her another question that came to mind.


    "And do tell me, how exactly were you supposed to ry this information back to your homnd? We searched your apartment quite thoroughly and found no means ofmunication that could traverse that kind of distance."


    In response to this, Min-Ah merely lowered her head in silence for several moments. She took a deep breath before responding to the question.


    "After I had gained the Kaiser''s trust, and entered his inner circle. I was supposed to learn as much as I possibly could. Once the Kaiser was truly in love with me, I was to request time off so that I could visit my homnd, where I would meet up with Japan''s agents in Northern Joseon, and ry to them the intelligence I had gained from my time in the Reich.


    Such long distancemunication is impossible in the Japanese Empire. We have only begun to scratch the surface of radio technology. Whereas, from my brief time in the Reich, I can tell that your people are quite advanced in this field.


    I may not have lived here long, but the things I''ve seen during this brief time are enough to convince me that Empress Itami does not have a chance of winning a war against the reich. She can only make you suffer long enough to force your Kaiser into a more favorable peace."


    The interrogator continued to write down the information that the prisoner provided him. It was not until he had finished recording what she had said did he ask her the next question on his mind.


    "Alright, since you are being so co-operative, I want to understand everything you know about the Japanese Empire. From its civil structure, to its military and industrial capabilities, to political factions we can make use of, and even the amount of agents the kempeitai has in the field, as well as their location."


    Min-Ah bit her lower lip when she realized just how much she was about to betray Itami, however for the sake of rest, and a nice meal, she was practically willing to do or say anything. Thus, she spent the next few hours giving German Imperial Intelligence everything they needed to know about the Empire of Japan. At least as much knowledge as she herself held as a member of Empress Itami''s inner circle.


    ---


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 Chapter 957 De-Escalation Part Ll

    Berengar sat within his office while gazing upon a recent report from the German Embassy in Beijing. He was honestly quite befuddled by what he was reading, and could only look upon his favorite wife with confusion in his eyes as he asked for her opinion on the matter.


    "She can''t be serious? Is this some attempt to get me back for my efforts to antagonize her? If so, I don''t see how... What do you think of is this, Linde?"


    Linde had already read the report and verified its contents. She was equally as surprised as her husband when it came to what Empress Itami had requested of Gerhard. Normally, this would be a simple matter of trade between two industrial powers.


    However, the Reich and the Japanese Empire were currently embattled in a brutal cold war. Trade between the two factions had never existed prior to this moment, and both sides were in the middle of fighting proxy wars against one another. To request open ess to the German markets, in particr the medical industry, it was simply absurd. Nevertheless, the words were as clear as day.


    "The Japanese Empress, Itami Riyo, requests that we sell her people a substantial supply of basic medicine, especially anti-biotics, and anti-inmmatory drugs. Apparently, she has invested next to nothing into the medical industry, and upon learning of our capabilities, had decided to open up the markets. She promises to pay for the requested items with gold and silver.


    At first I found her request to be suspect, however, after thoroughly vetting the woman''s ims. It appears her intentions are sincere. She wants to help better her people. Perhaps the words I spoke to the Japanese Empress during herst visit were enough to convince her to change for the better. Thus, I am willing to rmend that we open up the markets with Japan and begin trade between our two Empires. At the very least, it is a sign of de-esction."


    Berengar continued to read the document in his hand for several moments in silence, where he then posed a question to the redhead beauty who was sitting across from him.


    "Tell me, have we received any information from our newest prisoner? I have a hard time believing that Empress Itami has any ns of de-esction when she so wantonly sent a potential assassin into my homnd with the intent to infiltrate my household."


    Linde smirked when she heard this before responding to her husband''s question with a sadistic look on her pretty face.


    "The Korean Princess held out longer than I anticipated, but make no mistake, my agents are quite thorough. Through a mixture of sleep depravation, starvation, and psychological torture, she broke within four days. I have received extensive intelligence from the woman, however, none of it is verified yet.


    ording to her, Empress Itami had no intentions of harming you, or our family. She simply wanted intelligence, considering she knows next to nothing about the Reich or its capabilities. Supposedly, the reason Itami selected her lead chemist to infiltrate the Reich is not because of her potential as an assassin, but her status as a foreign princess.


    I must say, out of all of Itami''s failures, she at the very least did make one right assessment, and if not for your eye of Horus, perhaps she would have seeded in her endeavors."


    Berengar narrowed his gaze towards his wife, as he asked the question that immediately came to mind.


    "Oh, and what assessment might that be?"


    A smug smile appeared on Linde''s pretty face as she spoke in a taunting tone towards the man she loved.


    "Your greatest weakness is your lust for beautiful women of high status. Though Min-Ah may not be as beautiful as yourwful wives, her appearance is on par with your concubines. She is also a princess of the Joseon Dynasty, making her status high enough for you to take an interest in.


    Regardless of Itami''s intentions, the fact of the matter is, she sent a woman who was entirely capable of killing your family to your country with the intent to infiltrate your household. Any woman who is willing to go to such lengths is not to be believed when she ims she wishes to de-escte.


    Thus, we can only presume she has used some means to trick Gerhard, as he is not aware of her machinations. If this is the case, then Itami will most definitely use the medical supplies we send her for military purposes. Meaning we will be directly supplying the enemy with the means to save their soldiers'' lives. Something that would be foolish beyond belief."


    The Kaiser keenly listened to every word his woman had spoken. Out of every advisor he had avable to him, Berengar valued the opinion of Linde most of all. Her logic was wless, and she managed to suppress whatever rage she was feeling towards Itami, in order to make such a valid assessment of the current situation.


    After careful consideration, Berengar nodded his head in agreement before speaking the words which would dash Itami''s hopes of peacefully resolving the ongoing dispute between Japan and Germany.


    "Very well. Inform Gerhard that we will be rejecting the Japanese Empress''s requests to open trade. I also want him to know why we have chosen to do so. When he bes aware of what Itami has attempted to do here in the fathend, he will surely rebuke the woman to her face."


    Linde nodded her head and smiled as she heard her husband''s decision. It was the wisest course of action, even if it meant that a war between Japan and Germany would be inevitable. She would ry the orders at the first given opportunity.


    ---


    Not long after, Empress Itami Riyo sat within the German Embassy in the city of Beijing with a friendly smile on her pretty face. She had received word from the German Ambassador, that the Kaiser hade to a decision regarding her request, and was rather hopeful for the good news she was about to receive.<sub> </sub>


    However, the moment Gerhard entered the room, and Itami saw his chilling expression, she knew instantly that something had gone terribly wrong. Gerhard sat across from Itami, and did not waste his time. He immediately denied her request with the most stern appearance he could muster.


    "The Kaiser has decided that we will not be opening our markets to Japan. To put it simply, we do not find you trustworthy, and do not feel safe allowing our citizens to enter your country, or allowing your citizens to enter ours. There is also nothing you can offer that we can''t get somewhere else, or make ourselves."


    This response dumbfounded Itami, as she had just days ago met with the man, and settled much of their disputes. There was a modicum of trust between the two of them by the time they had finished talking. Naturally, she quickly voiced her discontent as she raised from her seat in agitation.


    "What do you mean, you don''t trust me? A few days ago, you said my attempts to reform my country were admirable. You even expressed your intent to express my sincerity to your Kaiser. Why all of a sudden has your position towards me and my people changed?"


    Despite Itami''s words, Gerhard''s expression did not change. He merely red at the albino beauty seated across from him and rebuked her to the fullest extent.


    "Am I supposed to apud you for finally seeing your people as actual human beings deserving of basic rights?"


    Itami felt wronged by the man''s statement, and sunk back into her seat, crossing one leg over the other, and looking at the man sitting across from her with a gaze filled with contempt. She could not help herself but tosh out at the German Ambassador and his master.


    "So, in the end, the Kaiser you so fondly speak of is nothing but a warmonger. So much for being a benevolent ruler who cares for the lives of his people. I offer him peace, and he spits in my face!"


    Until now, Gerhard''s face was entirely stoic, albeit a bit intimidating. However, the moment he heard these shameful words, his brow twitched in rage. He was forced to take a deep breath to calm himself, otherwise he was bound to go off on the Japanese Empress in the most vulgar way possible. After several moments of deep breathing, the man opened his eyes and red at Itami with an intense hatred before responding to her with a stern voice.


    "You have a lot of nerve saying that after the shit you pulled..."


    Despite her previously rude statements, Itami was genuinely taken aback when she heard these words. She had no idea what the German Ambassador was talking about and thus was quick to inquire about the meaning behind his words.


    "What do you mean? What have I done to offend you and your kaiser?"


    Gerhard could not tell if Itami was simply ying dumb, or if she had sincerely forgotten her grievous actions. Thus, he did not hesitate to inform her of his genuine opinion regarding her recent behavior.


    "To think I actually trusted your words enough to advise Berengar to give you a chance. You im to offer an olive branch, but only after you have already sent your foremost expert in poisons to Germany with orders to infiltrate the home Berengar shares with my sister and her children...


    Anyone who knows the Kaiser will describe him as easygoing, but even the most uneducated beggar in Europe knows not to fuck with the man''s family. You fucked up Itami Riyo. Now there is no more mercy for you, only retribution."


    Itami suddenly realized exactly what she had done to invoke the ire of the Kaiser. She was horrified to find out that her spy had been identified and captured so soon. However, she did not let her concern show on her face.


    If she admitted to this, it would mean the end of rtions between Japan and Germany. Such a thing might even result in an immediate conflict between the two great powers. Thus, she wore a stoic facade as she denied any knowledge of Min-Ah''s actions.


    "I have no idea what you are talking about..."


    Gerhard''s face was filled with an overwhelming since of disdain. He merely snorted before rising from his seat, leaving behind onestment before departing from the room.


    "Since that is how you wish to y this game, there is nothing left to be said. Go back to your homnd and don''t return. You are no longer wee on German soil."


    With this said, any hope of de-escting the rising conflict between Germany and Japan had thoroughly been trounced. War had be an inevitability, just like Linde had predicted.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 958 One Last Goodbye

    Vetranis sat in his pce library with a warm smile on his aging face. Seated across from him were his only daughter and her three young children. This was perhaps the first time that the Byzantine Emperor had met all three of his grandchildren, and because of that, he felt at ease for the first time in a long time.


    However, Honoria''s visit to her homnd was not as simple as a family reunion. Her father had deliberately summoned her and her children to his home. She did not know what he was nning, but surely it was something significant.


    Despite her concerns, she had not yet had the ability to speak with her father alone, as the man was too enthralled with his grandchildren to bother speaking with her. Currently, the man was ignoring his daughter and instead showing off the ancient records which the Byzantine Pce held within its personal library to his young grandson.


    There was a look of excitement on Alexandros'' face. Even though he knew much of this knowledge was obsolete, it was an archive of the ancient world, and he deeply respected the historical value of everything within. The boy carefully sifted through scrolls and books, reading everything he could, perhaps to gain a new perspective on his mother''s homnd.


    After a while, Alexandros closed the tome he was currently upied with, and spoke up to his grandfather with a pleasant smile on his youthful face.


    "Grandpa, thank you for letting me read these books! I will remember this kindness forever!"


    Upon hearing his grandson being so pleased with a few dusty tomes, Vetranis could only smile. Perhaps Honoria was just seeing things, but the way her father looked at his grandson made it appear as if he had regained some of his long-lost youth. The man''s next response stunned Honoria, as she was not aware of the inner workings of the Byzantine court.


    "I''m d you''re happy, Alexandros. If you enjoy these ancient texts, then you can read them to your heart''s content. The more you learn about your people''s history, the more I am sure you will make a great emperor when you finally seed me."


    Both Alexandros and Honoria looked up at Vetranis with surprise in their eyes. Though the boy knew he was being groomed to seed his grandfather, he was also aware that this was one of his father''s schemes, and had not been decided upon by the Byzantine Emperor himself.


    Or so he thought. After all, Berengar had concealed the fact from both Honoria and his son that Vetranis had already announced his sessor to the world. But before the young boy could ask for rification on the matter, his mother had beaten him to it.


    "Father, you don''t mean to tell me that you have chosen Alexandros to be your sessor?"


    Vetranis merely smiled with pride as he heard these words. He rustled the boy''s hair before responding to his daughter with a haughty tone in his voice.


    "Oh? Your husband did not inform you? By now, it ismon knowledge in Constantinople that I have stripped your brothers of their rights to inheritance, and have dered that my eldest grandson shall seed me.


    I thought for sure Berengar would have told you. Perhaps he does not want to spoil Alexandros'' development. Maybe I should not have said anything after all."


    After saying this, Vetranis wrapped his arm around his grandson''s shoulder before lecturing the boy on his responsibilities.


    "Now that you know the truth, you must work hard to be the best emperor you can be. Your people will depend on you to restore the glory which we have lost thesest few years. I''m afraid I won''t be around long enough to advise you, nor am I truly worthy of such a position. If you ever need help, you can always ask your father or your siblings. I am sure they wille rushing to your aid at the first opportunity."


    For the first time in his life, Alexandros felt the weight of the world crushing down upon his shoulder. Yet he did not falter, and despite his young age, there was a hint of resolve in his eyes as he nodded his head in eptance before responding to his grandfather''s ims.


    "You can count on me, grandpa! I will restore the glory of Rome!"


    There was a hint of worry in Honoria''s eyes after hearing thest part of her father''s speech. She could tell something was going on with him, and she was quick to send her children off so she can have some privacy with the man who raised her.


    "Alexandros, Helena, why don''t you take your little brother to the kitchen and get some sweets? There''s something I wish to ask your grandfather."


    Alexandros and Helena gave their mother a concerned look, but ultimately did as they were instructed. They had be much more obedient to their mother ever since she returned to their lives, and made a significant effort to be a part of them.


    After grabbing the infant Constantinus, Alexandros and Helena departed from the library, leaving Honoria alone with her father. Once they were out of earshot, the Byzantine Princess posed a question to her father, with a hint of worry in her tone.


    "Father, what''s going on? You''re not ill, are you?"


    The old man sighed heavily and copsed into his seat before resting his forehead on the palm of his hand. He was visibly exhausted, and he quickly gave voice to his thoughts.


    "I won''t hide it from you, Honoria. I''m tired, so very tired. The Golden Horde is ravaging Anatolia, while the Jyirid and Mamluk sultanates invade Egypt and the Levant. I have tasked Padius with driving the mongols from ournds. However, I have personally decided to take upon the task of defeating the Saracens.


    The war with the Catholic Church has left us bankrupt. We can barely afford to maintain what little troops we have left. Nor do our soldiers have the will to fight that they once had. I expect that I will die in battle with our enemies.


    I have left behind strict orders that your son is to be named emperor upon my death, and that his father will be made regent of Byzantium until the boyes of age to rule properly. The reason I asked you to visit me this time was twofold.


    Firstly, I wanted to meet my grandchildren before my death, but more importantly, I wanted to apologize to you for everything that I put you through during your youth. Despite everything, you turned out to be a wonderful young woman, who I am proud to call my daughter..."


    Tears formed in Honoria''s mint green eyes as she hugged her father tightly. It took the woman a few moments toe back to her senses, where she was quick to ask the man about a rather serious matter.


    "Father, you know as well as I that the alliance between Byzantium and Germany still exists. If you would just call upon Berengar to honor this allegiance, he will surely send troops to settle your disputes. Why do you not do so?"


    A tinge of guilt appeared on the Byzantine Emperor''s face as he turned his back to his daughter and contemted carefully on how he should choose his next words. In the end, he simply sighed before revealing the truth.


    "I betrayed your husband''s trust the moment I sold the rights to the Kaiser''s pass to his enemies in a vain attempt to save my own hide. Now that I am in peril once more, how could I have the face to beg the man for his help? No, this is a matter I must solve on my own, even if I must die trying.


    I hope that you and your children enjoy your stay here in Constantinople. However, I suggest you return to the Reich as soon as possible. It won''t be long before it is no longer safe for you all here.


    As for me, I march to war at dawn. I am d that you answered my summons, so that I could rid myself of some of my guilt before the Lord condemns me to hell for eternity. Goodbye Honoria, and remember the words which I have spoken. Your son is the future of this Empire."


    After saying this, Vetranis left the room, leaving his daughter to weep by herself. She, too, felt a deep sense of guilt towards her family, and her father''s death would only add to that. After several moments of sobbing, a fierce resolve reced the woman''s depression as she wiped the tears from her eyes and curled her fists.


    "Just because you refuse to ask Berengar for his help doesn''t mean I have to. I won''t let you die, father, not until you have a chance to see with your eyes the miracle my son will create for our people!"


    After saying this, Honoria too departed from the library. She was headed to the German Embassy located in the city of Constantinople. It was the only ce in the city with a means to instantaneouslymunicate with the Reich.


    ---


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 Chapter 959 Abandon Hope

    Khorijin sat on the horseback as she gazed upon the massive wastnd that had be the region of Anatolia. Piles of men''s corpses were at every street corner, while women and children were huddled and bound in servitude, crying their eyes out, and praying to their God for deliverance from their cruel fate.


    Yet these barbaric sights were nothing new in this medieval world. Perhaps if a person from Berengar''s past were to witness this scene, they would feel their heart wrench. Yet the Mongol beauty''s mind was as cold as ice in the face of such transgressions.


    There was no guilt, no pity, and no remorse. In this world, absolute strength ruled above all, and those who could not defend themselves were not worthy of the life they clung to. Yet despite this utter coldness, there was a troubled expression on the woman''s face.


    It was not because of the horrific acts that her brother''s menmitted. Rather, it was because the clock was ticking. Though the spirits'' assessment was correct when they said that the Byzantine Empire was weak. This would not matter if the Golden Horde could not achieve victory within the next three months.


    The fact of the matter was it was truly shocking for the Mongol Princess to see just how pitiful the Byzantine''s attempts to resist the Golden Horde actually were. If not for the fact that the Golden Horde had to march through the mountainous wastes of Georgia, then perhaps the Byzantine Empire would have fallen by now.


    However, despite this utterck of defense. Khorijin knew that in less than three months'' time, her brother''s army would be defeated. That is, unless they could take Constantinople, and bring an end to the Byzantine civilization once and for all during this limited timeframe.


    Defeat was not that which gued the Mongol Princess''s heart, but rather the fate that awaited herself. The spirits spoke in parables. However, recently, they had beenpletely silent. All except for one, this particr spirit was the one who warned Khorijin of the fate that awaited her should her brother fail to achieve his war aims.


    Yet, until recently, this fate was rather cryptic. All she knew was that the golden eyed man would devour her. However, as time passed, and the appointed hour became ever closer. This spirit exined in greater detail just how miserable her fate would be.


    The more she deciphered the spirit''s words, the more the Mongol Princess flushed in embarrassment. As her fate revealed itself to be no better than amon whore''s. To be the mere ything of a man, that was the ultimate disgrace for a warrior princess.


    While Khorijin was deep in thought, her brother Chagadai approached her. There was a haughty smile on the man''s face as he boasted about his most recent conquest.


    "With the fall of Ankara, all that lies in our path towards Constantinople is the city of Nicea. I hear that the Byzantines have mustered the remainder of their Army''s strength within the city''s walls. It is no matter, we will crush the Romans like we have done thus far. Fear not, little sister, the war ising to an end, and swiftly too. At the current rate, we will achieve total victory before that time limit of yours has passed."


    While Chagadai said this, a German reconnaissance ne flew high above, taking images of the Golden Horde and its massive army. This aircraft, along with several others, had beenunched from Cyprus, and was currently monitoring the war between the Byzantine Empire and its three adversaries.


    As for the Golden Horde whose actions were being documented from above, they were not the slightest bit aware of this reality. However, it was at this moment, while the Great Khan of the Golden Horde was boasting of his imminent victory, that the mongol princess heard the words of a spirit who had not spoken to her in some time.


    "The Iron Eagle is watching you. Turn back now, or your fate is sealed."


    This was perhaps the first time that the spirits had spoken to the Mongol Princess so directly. The moment she heard these words, it was as if all life left the young woman''s body. It took her a few moments to react to this warning. Instead, her body immediately trembled, and her eyes gazed into the distance,pletely devoid of consciousness.


    Eventually Khorijin regained rity and quickly looked up into the sky in search of this Iron Eagle, which the spirit spoke of. Yet, to her dismay, she found nothing. The ne was at such a high altitude that she could not see it from her position. Chagadai quickly noticed his little sister''s weird behavior and questioned why she was acting so strange.


    "What''s wrong? What do you see?"


    With a simple shake of her head, Khorijin revealed her thoughts, and the words of the spirits.


    "Nothing... But the spirits say that the Iron Eagle is watching us as we speak. If we don''t turn back now, our fate is sealed. Brother, I have never heard the spirits speak so directly to me before. This isn''t just a warning, it''s ourst opportunity to escape with our lives intact. We should flee north and attack the Rus like I initially suggested. If we advance a step further, we will inevitably be defeated and I...."


    Khorijin chose to cut her words short, for she did not dare reveal what the spirits had said about her fate should her brother be defeated. Perhaps if she did, the man would take her words more seriously, but to her, it was simply scandalous, and far too embarrassing to say aloud. However, unlike what she expected to happen, Chagadai merely scoffed at her warning and ignored the spirit''s wisdom.


    "To hell with the spirits, we are so close to victory. Constantinople is nearly within our grasp. The war will be over before the deadline the spirits gave you. I don''t want to hear any more of this nonsense!"


    Chagadai had always taken his sister''s words seriously, or at the very least, he considered them to be a valid possibility. However, now he was openly rejecting the dire warning she received, and Khorjin did not understand why. She was quick to defend the spirits'' words, even if her brother did not want to hear them.


    ? "That was then, and this is now. Something has clearly changed. From the warning the spirits gave me, we have already run out of time. I swear to you on my life, dearest brother, if you advance your armies a step further, you will be condemning yourself, and all of your men, to a terrible death, and what remains of your people to a life of servitude.


    As for myself, I would rather die than endure what fate has in store for me. I warned you long ago that should the appointed hour arrive, and you still have not emerged victorious, then I would leave you behind and return to our homnd. That time is now. You must choose: Follow me back to thends we have lived in for centuries and turn your ambitions onto the Rus. Or stay here and face your death alone..."


    Chagadai was outraged to be given such an ultimatum by his little sister. Though he may be rejecting the spirit''s wisdom. His warriors revered his sister as their priestess. If she were to speak of her worries to the masses, arge chunk of the army would follow her back to theirnds and abandon this war altogether.


    If that were to happen, then his progress would be hampered, and he might evenck the might necessary to take the legendary city of Constantinople. Thus, the Great Khan was forced into an undesirable situation. After several moments of thought, Chagadai bowed his head and sighed before responding to his sister''s demands.


    "Very well. If that is your wish, you are free to leave the army. Under one condition, you do not breathe a word about this matter to anyone. I can''t have my army abandoning me, now that we are so close to victory."


    Khorijin bit her lower lip in displeasure as he heard this condition. She had a duty to her people, and it was her intent to lead as many of them back to safety as possible. However, she knew what her brother would do to her if she refused his demands. Thus, with a heavy heart, the mongol princess nodded her head before expressing her agreement.


    "Very well, though I have a duty to our people. I also know what you will do to me if I refuse your offer. I''m afraid I will have to find my way back home by myself. Come morning, you will not see me again. This is farewell, my dearest brother..."


    After saying this, Khorjin snapped the reins of her horse, and rode back to the camp to gather her belongings. While Chagadai gazed upon her back in rage. If the princess were around to hear her brother''s remark, she would immediately flee for her life, however she was not, and thus only the Khan knew the words he spoke.


    "You think that I will just let you pack up and abandon me after everything we have been through together? Oh, my sweet little sister, you are far too na?ve. Whether it is victory or death that awaits me at the end of this journey, I''m afraid you will be by my side until the bitter end!"


    ---


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 Chapter 960 A Vow Of Silence

    Immediately after her conversation with the Great Khan of the Golden Horde, Khorijin ran off to her tent, where she began packing up her personal items with haste. She had every intent to flee the battlefields in Anatolia now that the spirits had told her the war was a lost cause. Her brother even promised to allow her to make such a decision, and throughout her entire life, she knew Chagadai as a man of his word.


    However, she was given only a single night to pack up her belongings and abscond from the scene. Thus, she was quick at work, making sure everything she could possibly need was strapped to her horse. Just when she was about to set off into the night, a group of the Khan''s most veteran warriors approached the Mongol Princess.


    At first Khorijin thought that perhaps her brother had made them aware of her decision, and that they hade to see her off. Yet her own naivety was quickly revealed as the men unsheathed their des and pointed them towards the young turko-mongol princess.


    "By orders of the Khan, we are to bring you to the royal tent. Resist, and we will drag you there by force. Princess, do not make this any more difficult than it has to be."


    The moment Khorijin heard these words, and gazed upon the five men who encircled her, she knew that her dearest brother had betrayed her, and intended to keep her as a hostage until this war was over.


    With a look of disdain on her face, Khorijin unsheathed her sword, and pointed it towards her adversaries with a fierce glint in her eyes. Her words were far from what the mongol warriors wanted to hear.


    "You tell my brother that his betrayal disappoints me, and I will no longer pray for his safety. If you insist on dragging me to that oath-breaker by force, then don''t me me for being hostile!"


    The warriors knew not what oath Chagadai had sworn to his sister, but their orders were absolute, even if they did not want to fight the princess who the spirits had favored. Before they could even respond to the Princess''s threat, she attacked.


    Khorjin lunged through the air like an acrobat with her saber in hand, and cut towards the lead warrior''s throat, instantly slicing his jugr vein and spilling his blood all over herself. The otherbatants gazed in astonishment as their captain fell, and his blood stained the Princess'' beautiful face.


    There was no emotion in Khorijin''s eyes, nor did she hesitate to attack the next man. The warrior was caught off guard by the speed with which Khorijin swept towards his legs. Because of this, he was quickly knocked off bnce, where he tumbled to the floor. The matchlock cavalry carbine, which was slung around the man''s shoulder, fell to the ground, where Khorijin was quick to retrieve it.


    The mongol beauty knew she could not fight the remaining four men by herself, however she could intimidate them into letting her flee. As a result, the cunning beauty pulled back the matchlock''s hammer, and quickly lit a match which she ced in the crook. Afterwards she aimed the weapon towards the four men who were closing in on her, shifting the barrel onto each of their bodies as a deterrence.


    In truth, she did not know at first whether the weapon was loaded, however in the following moments the man who once wielded it raised to his feet, and dropped his de with a panicked expression on his face.


    After this, everyone knew that the weapon was indeed loaded, causing the four warriors to back off from their assault. With a murderous appearance on her face, Khorijin cursed the men out while slowly approaching her steed.


    "You tell my brother that I will not patiently wait for my death. If he wishes to make me his hostage, he will have to find me himself!"


    As Khorijin slowly made her way to her horse, a voice interrupted from behind her, one she was all too familiar with.


    "It would appear I have underestimated you, my precious little sister. You are more fierce than you have let on all these years. It is a good thing I decided to personally oversee your capture. Now, drop the weapon, or I will have my men fire upon you. I would rather you die here in our camp than flee from my reach. The choice is yours!"


    Khorijin turned her head around and saw that several dozen Mongol warriors armed with cavalry carbines were pointing their weapons in her direction. She was just about to sigh and embrace her death when the man who had his weapon stolen smacked the princess across the jaw and knocked her out cold. After which, he retrieved his weapon.


    During her state of unconsciousness, Chagadai ensured that Khorijin was properly bound, and taken to his tent. He also ordered for those present to witness this betrayal to keep their mouths shut. Thest thing he needed was rumors of the Golden Horde''s great priestess abandoning them in their hour of need.


    Some time passed, and Khorijin awoke within her brother''s tent with a severe headache. She gazed upon the lying bastard with a look of intense hatred in her dark eyes. The murderous intent was enough to swallow a lesser man whole, yet Chagadai merely grinned arrogantly as he drank from a bottle of wine that had been plundered from a Byzantine city.


    "You really thought I would allow you, the princess of our great nation, and our most blessed priestess to escape? How would I face my men if the woman who conveyed the will of the spirits abandoned them? Such a thing is no different from the spirits themselves abandoning our people.


    Since you are my sister by blood, I will keep you alive and well fed. However, you will not be allowed to leave this tent except for ceremonial purposes, and when we ride, you will always be by my side. I am disappointed in you, sister. Not only did you intend to abandon me, but you killed one of my greatest warriors in your vain attempt to escape.


    I do not know what madness haspelled you to do such a thing, but I will never permit you to leave my side. From this day, until the day that constantinople falls, you will be under my protection. Once we have defeated our enemies, then you will help me rule over the Empire that I will have created."


    Khorijin merely spat on her brother''s face in an act of spite. She was practically growling like a beast when she informed her brother of what the spirits had told her.


    "You will not make it to constantinople. The iron eagles watch our every move, and they will rain fire upon our people the moment we approach the city. Your ambitions were doomed to fail from the start. It is only now that I realize this. You and your army will die before you ever step foot into the ancient roman capital.


    As for me, my fate is far more cruel, and you have just prevented my one chance of escaping it. I curse you with every fibre of my being. To think I once thought of you as my most precious family. If you ever loved me as your sister, then you would kill me right now, and spare me the torture of bing the golden eyed man''s ything!"


    Chagadai was shocked to hear thisst part, out of every warning his sister had given him over the past year. She had never once mentioned such a thing. A frown emerged on the man''s lips as he grabbed hold of his sister''s dainty chin and stared into her eyes with rage filled pupils.


    "What golden-eyed man? You think I, the Great Khan, would ever allow another man toy his hands on you, my most precious sister? Bah, do you really have so little faith in me? What iron eagles? There is nothing in the sky above us but the clouds and the stars.


    If such mighty beasts existed, don''t you think someone would have seen them by now? You have clearly misinterpreted the will of the spirits and are acting on your own delusions. Wake up sister, there are no iron eagles, there is no golden eyed man, there is only victory!"


    Khorijin refused to look in her brother''s eyes any longer. She merely sighed and admitted defeat before expressing her thoughts aloud. They were not meant for her brother, but to simply vent her frustrations.


    "Fate is truly cruel, isn''t it?"


    After saying this, Khorijin took a vow of silence. No matter how she was treated in the future, she would not say a word. As if she had gone mute. For the world was no longer worthy of the spirit''s wisdom.


    ---


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 Chapter 961 Napalm In The Morning

    While Khorjin was being detained by her older brother in Anatolia, Honoria was visiting the German Embassy within the city of Constantinople. After learning that her father intended to sacrifice himself on the battlefields against the Saracens, Honoria was in a state of panic.


    The Byzantine Princess rushed through the doors of the German Embassy, and did not even stop to speak with the ambassador. As the wife of the Kaiser, she had this privilege, but it was still an enormous act of disrespect.


    However, the thought that she was disrespecting the German Ambassador did not even cross Honoria''s mind. Instead, she swiftly made her way through the building, before arriving in a small room in the back where half a dozen intelligence operatives were busy conducting radio traffic.


    The agents took one look at the panicked expression on the Byzantine Princess''s face and knew that a serious development had urred. Before Honoria could even give voice to hermands, the agents were already dialing in the private and encrypted frequency which belonged to the Kaiser''s household.


    "I want to speak with my husband. This is an emergency! Get him on the line!"


    These were Honoria''s words. Yet they did not need to be spoken. A radio operator nodded his head before speaking into the device and issued amand to the other side, who sat idly by in the city of Kufstein several hundred kilometers away.


    "Priority message from Princess Honoria, this is an emergency. I repeat an emergency. Requesting the presence of the Kaiser immediately. Over."


    Static existed on the other end of the line for several moments before another voice spoke in the german tongue.


    "Roger that. The Kaiser has been informed and is on his way. Eta three minutes, over."


    With every second that passed, Honoria felt as if she had endured a lifetime. Finally, after what can only be described as three minutes of mental anguish, Berengar''s voice erupted through the headset, and in doing so calmed Honoria''s troubled heart.


    "What''s the matter? Has something happened? Are you and the kids alright?"


    It was entirely unusual for Honoria to make an emergency call to her husband via the radio. In fact, the moment Berengar was alerted to this message, he was within his war room, discussing with his generals the ongoing situation within the Indian subcontinent. He dropped everything and rushed to themunications hub where his agents patched him through to his wife. Hence, there was a hint of urgency in the man''s tone.


    Honoria''s voice was filled with dread as she responded to her husband with tears in her eyes. She could barely make out the words, and thus her initial message was unclear.


    "Berengar... Save my father!"


    This statement stunned the Kaiser into silence for several moments. Though he was aware of the current crisis that Byzantium was facing, as far as he was aware, there was no real threat to the Byzantine royal family, or the city of Constantinople, for that matter.


    For Honoria to make this request of him via an emergency call, something serious must have happened. Thus, the man''s voice was filled with fierce resolve as he responded to his wife''s concerns.


    "Tell me what has happened, and I promise I will immediately dispatch my forces."


    ---


    Nearly a week after this conversation took ce, Vetranis and his army had gathered within the city of Ascalon, where the forces of the Jarid sultanate prepared toy siege to. Nearly a hundred thousand Saracens were armored and ready for war as they pointed their weapons to the coastal city.


    The aging Byzantine Emperor was dressed in borate armor, which harkened back to the days of feudalism. His soldiers were dressed in a wide variety of gear, while wielding a mixture of arquebuses, flintlock muskets, and medieval weapons. Whatever armor and weapons the Byzantines had left over in their storehouses were used to equip their poor excuse for an army.


    Vetranis sighed as he gazed over the city''s walls and upon the massive, and well equipped Saracen army. Since the Timurid Empire''s lust for the Holy Land was quelled by Berengar''s negotiations, they had invested substantially in the development of firearms and artillery. So much so that they were able to create rifled matchlock muskets and rifled muzzle loading cannons. Which they sold to the Muslim world in massive numbers, including the Jarid sultanate.


    The overwhelming power of the enemy was not something a weakened Byzantine Army could contend with, and Vetranis knew this. Thus, he could only say his prayers before the battle began. Within the hour, the Saracen artillery opened fire on the city''s walls. While inert, the projectilesunched were enough to deal significant damage to the primitive medieval walls which were not designed to withstand cannonballs.


    The Byzantine defenders loaded their weapons and fired them in retaliation towards the enemy, but it was no use. The Saracens had an advantage in range, and thus they merely sat back and unloaded their artillery upon the city''s defenses.


    Before long, the Byzantine''s morale was at an all-time low. These were not professional soldiers to begin with, as most of those who could im to be such a thing were dead and buried after the Catholic Church''s previous crusade.


    Nor could the Empire''s coffers afford such an expense. These were peasants conscripted from the fields and given weapons with little training. They weren''t being paid to fight, nor were they experienced in the art of war.


    Vetranis gazed upon the wavering mental state of his troops as the walls crumbled around them and sighed. He would need a miracle if this peasant rabble were to sessfully defend the city, let alone win the war. Gone were the days where the Byzantine Empire was the mightiest force in the Mediterranean, their position usurped by the Reich. Now they could not even defend theirnds from aggressors.


    Perhaps this truly was the end of the Roman Empire and its ancient culture. Or so he thought. The man did not realize that his prayers had long since been realized, and help was on the way, even if he did not want it. It was only after he heard the shrieking cry of one of his soldiers did hee to understand this.


    "My God, what is that?"


    In the sky above the besieged city, a hundred nes flew in the air. These were no normal aircraft. Rather, they were strategic bombers, flown without escorts. The Me 264 nes were painted with a desert camouged pattern, and wore the Balkenkreuz on their wings and fusge. Which proudly disyed their allegiance to the Luftwaffe.


    Vetranis nearly shat himself when he saw such advanced weapons of war. He was there, in the city of Kufstein, when the Germans first revealed to the world that they had mastery over the skies. However, the aircraft they showed at the time was a rigid airship, and failed topare to the sheer volume of bombers which currently flew by. It took him several moments to recover his thoughts, but when he did, the aging emperor called out as loud as he could with a voice filled with hope.


    "It''s the Germans! The Germans havee to save us!"


    The soldiers of Byzantium could not believe these words, as they had not witnessed the Germans'' mastery of the air. These were uneducated peasants. How could they possibly understand theplexities of modern aircraft?


    However, in the next moment, what can only be described as thousands of projectiles fell from the bottom of the bombers and descended towards the earth below. Even Vetranis did not know how these German aircraft would save them. However, in the next moment, his doubts were cleared as the first wave of bombs carpeted thebat zone outside the city with explosive sts and fiery streaks.


    The Germans had not simply used explosive projectiles, instead they decimated the Saracen lines with napalm bombs. The hellish mes scorched the earth as if the devil himself had ascended from the depths of his fiery prison.


    To the uneducated masses of these medieval peasants, it was truly as if the apocalypse had begun. Those unlucky Saracens, who were not instantly consumed by the mes, were left coated in napalm where their horrific shrieks filled the air as they slowly burned to death.


    Even Vetranis himself hid behind the merlons, too afraid to gaze upon the ashen wastnd that was left behind from the German attack. Nor did he wish to face the heat of the mes, which seemed to suffocate the city from the outside.


    To the survivors of this incident, they would speak rumors that the Germans had mastery over hell itself, a im that few would believe. What remained of the Saracen Army was quickly mopped up by the Byzantine Army. However, it took some time before any of them were willing to step foot outside the safety of their city''s walls and into the wastnd that was left behind from the German attack.


    Before anyone could even react to the nightmarish bombing, the hundred nes were already en route back to the Air Base in Cyprus which they had deployed from. Where they would rearm, and refuel, before flying to Egypt where they would unleash the same hellish mes upon the Mamluk sultanate who dared to invade the Byzantine Empire''s southernmost region.


    As for the Byzantine Emperor, this incident would cause him to develop a sense of deep fear towards his son-inw, who had the ability to destroy the ancient city of Constantinople with a singlemand. The capital of the Byzantine Empire, which had stood strong for a thousand years, was nothing in the eyes of the German Empire and their overwhelming power.


    ---


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 Chapter 962 Divine Lntervention

    Before the world could even react to the utter destruction of the Jyirid Sultanate''s army outside the city of Ascalon. The Bombers had already returned to Cyprus, where they quickly rearmed and refueled before taking flight again.


    This rapid action was unbeknownst to the Mamluk Sultan, who sat on his steed outside the city of Alexandria with a wide grin on his face. He was confident that with the city''s fall, the rest of the region would quickly surrender to his might. Thus, he was boastful and arrogant as he spoke to his eldest son, who sat by his side waiting to take part in the conquest.


    "You see how the walls crumble before the overwhelming might of my artillery? Sultan Sn once said to me that in a world where man has yet to reach mastery over the skies, that artillery is king on the battlefield.


    At first I thought that old bastard was simply peddling me bullshit so that I would purchase more of his cannons. However, it appears as if the Byzantine defenders truly do not have an answer for our artillery! Before long, the city will fall, and we shall im Egypt for our empire once more!"


    The Mamluk Prince merely sat back on his horse and gazed upon the battlefield with a stoic expression. Much like how the Jyirids had chosen to fight in Palestine, the Mamluk army simply sat back at a far enough distance that the Byzantines could not harm them, and bombarded the city''s walls. Waiting for them to crumble before advancing into the city itself and ughtering its pitiful defenders.


    There was no joy, excitement, or even wrath visible on the young man''s face. Instead, if there was any emotion that could be discerned, it was that of pity. Pity for the Byzantines who, just a few years prior, had driven his father''s armies to a state of desperation. Now they could not even defend a single city.


    His father was right to sit back and wait for the christians to fight among themselves. For what remained afterwards was a shadow of the Byzantine Empire''s former glory. Now, after nearly a decade, his people would finally reim Egypt, and of wealth and prosperity.


    The first section of the city''s walls copsed not long after, where the Muslim soldiers of the Mamluk Sultanate shouted their battlecries before charging towards the gaps in the city''s defenses.


    "Ahu Akbar!"


    The moment the walls came down, the Mamluk Sultan broke out into a state ofughter as he proimed his victory over his ancient rivals all but imminent.


    "Ha! You see how the stones crumble against our might! It is only a matter of time before our banners fly over Cairo!"


    It was at this moment that something peculiar was spotted in the distance. At first, the Mamluk Prince thought that it was perhaps a massive flock of birds. However, as the peculiarity rapidly closed in on their position, he realized that it was something else entirely.


    For the first time since stepping foot in Byzantine Egypt, the Mamluk Prince had expressed something other than pity. While his father was enjoying his uing victory, the Prince tugged on the man''s shoulder and pointed towards the sky with absolute fear in his dark eyes.


    "Umm... Royal Father?"


    Perhaps it was because he was so filled with excitement, but the Sultan did not see the one hundred nes that were rapidly approaching his army. It was not until his son said something, where he began to notice.


    "By Ah, what is that?"


    While the Mamluk Sultan and his eldest son were gazing towards the sky in terror. A German pilot looked down on the field below where the hostile army was located. His headset was ying the musicposed by the Kaiserin Ad von Kufstein. This track was known as the Ride of the Valkyries, and was one of Wagner''s most popr songs during Berengar''s past life. A sadistic grin appeared on the man''s face as he gave a strict order to the crew of his strategic bomber.


    "Bombs away,ds!"


    With the pull of a lever, the hatch opened, and hundreds of bombs fell free from the aircraft, down towards the enemy troops below. The ny-nine other aircraft followed his lead and unleashed their payloads, with thousands of explosive projectiles raining from the sky like a group of avenging angels.


    On the ground below, the Mamluk Sultan gazed in terror. He did not know what was happening at this moment, but in the next second, the first of the bombs detonated, and lit up the front lines of his army with hellish mes.


    The screams of his soldiers filled the air, as the men were quickly melted into ash. Before the army could even react to the fires of Armageddon, the next line of bombs reached their targets and quickly burned away another section of the army.


    With each passing second, the sacred mes of divine judgement rapidly approached where the Sultan and his son were located. Thest thoughts of the once proud monarch were cursing out his Jyirid ally for convincing him to join in on this conquest.


    ''Why the hell did I listen to that bastard? What kind of hellish nightmare is this?"


    In the next second, the mes of purgatory reached the Mamluk Sultan and devoured his entire being. His screamsted long enough to signal his death, before rapidly turning to ash, along with his eldest son and heir.


    With the Bulk of the Army defeated in a matter of seconds, and their payloads dropped. The German pilots turned their aircraft around and headed back to Cyprus, where they would rearm and refuel beforeunching their attack on their next target.


    Meanwhile, the city''s defenders gazed upon the ashen wastnd that was left behind from the German attack, and prayed to their God in heaven, thanking him for sending his angels to save them from their imminent destruction.


    ---


    In the city of Kufstein, Berengar sat in his office, while signing away his signature onto a piece of legition. One that would establish government subsidized orphanages across the Reich. Thisw would not only send out propaganda across the Nation to encourage the adoption of parentless children, but would make the process easy, swift, and affordable.


    Berengar himself had taken in a few children over the years as his wards, which in reality were adopted in everything but name. He intended to use this as propaganda, to lead by example so that those poor unfortunate children, who for whatever reason were left alone in this world without parents, would have a family and home to call their own.


    It was during this act that the sound of the inte erupted within the Kaiser''s office. Berengar''s secretary voiced the arrival of someone that he was not expecting.


    ? "Your Majesty, Field Marshal Adelbrand is here to see you. Shall I send him in?''


    Berengar finished signing his name on the document before pressing the button on the inte and speaking to his secretary, who sat on the other side of his office.


    "Thanks doll, you can send him in now..."


    In the next moment, the door to Berengar''s home office swung open, and a man in his early thirties dressed in a military uniform stood before his Kaiser with a stoic expression on his face. It was not until Berengar rose from his seat, and embraced the man as his brother, did Adelbrand finally begin to smile.


    "Adelbrand, it is good to see you, my friend. Come sit down and share a drink with me!"


    Upon saying this, Berengar rushed over to his wine rack and pulled out a fine vintage before pouring it into a pair of crystal sses. He handed one off to his General before sitting back down in his seat. Adelbrand took one sip of the substance before cing his ss on the table while handing over a folder to his Kaiser. After doing so, he began to summarize its contents.


    "The Armies of the Jyirid and Mamluk sultanates have been extinguished in the fires of war. The locals are saying that it was an act of divine intervention. All that remains is to deal with the golden horde. Shall we do so in a simr manner?"


    Berengar merely smirked when he heard this and nodded his head before giving his honest opinion on the matter.


    "Of course! What''s the use of having stockpiled so many napalm bombs, if we don''t use them against the primitive formations of our enemies? Honestly, these barbarians make it far too easy for us to eliminate them.


    Deal with the Golden Horde as you see fit, however I want you tounch the attack when they have approached the city of Constantinople so that our allies will know just how powerful the Reich really is. Divine intervention? What a joke! This is the power of mankind himself!"


    Adelbrand merely smirked and shook his head in pity for the Reich''s enemies before responding to his Kaiser''s orders.


    "Very well, I will inform the General in charge of the Cyprus Air Base of your orders. However, once we have defeated the Golden Horde, our attention will need to be focused on India. It won''t be long before the Bengal Army reaches the capital of the Yadava Dynasty."


    Berengar took another sip from his ss and nodded before dismissing his greatest General.


    "Of course, we will cross that bridge when wee to it. For now, focus on annihting the Golden Horde."


    Adelbrand stood up and saluted Berengar, leaving onest statement before departing from the room.


    "As youmand my Kaiser!"


    ---


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 Chapter 963 Fall Of The Golden Horde Part L

    While the armies of the Jyirid and Mamluk sultanates were turned to ash on the field of battle. The Golden Horde had advanced upon the city of Nicea like a swarm of ravenous locusts. Padius and his Army were stationed within the city and fought bravely to defend its inhabitants from the wrath of the Mongols.


    However, in the end, the enemy army was too vast, and too well armed for what remained of the Byzantine Army to properly defend against. After several days of brutal fighting, the aging Strategos of the Balkans were forced to order a full retreat.


    Had the Golden Horde chosen to pursue the fleeing defenders, it would have surely resulted in a massacre, but instead, as Padius had expected, they were more interested in looting the city. Which bought thest vestige of the Byzantine Army enough time to escape back to their capital.


    As the city of Nicea burned, Chagadai stood within its interior and inhaled the smoke with a satisfied smile on his face. His sister Khorijin who was both the Princess of the Golden Horde, and the great priestess, was bound and guarded by several of the Khan''s most elite soldiers. She remained utterly silent as her brother boasted about histest victory.


    "Where are your Iron Eagles now, dearest sister? Anatolia is mine. In under a year, I have brought the once mighty Byzantine Empire to its knees, and soon I will march on its capital and im it as my seat of power. Yet the warnings your spirits have spoken to you have yet toe to pass. Are you not yet certain that you have failed to interpret their words, and were merely acting on your own delusions?


    Khorijin merely red at her brother with murderous intent, yet she did not speak a word, the act of which brought a frown to the Great Khan''s face. The man swiftly approached his little sister and violently grabbed hold of her dainty chin. He stared deep into her dark eyes before releasing the woman. After doing so, he expressed his contempt.


    "Your refusal to speak wille to an end soon enough. When I have taken constantinople, you will realize that I was right all along, and that you were mistaken. Once thises to pass, you will be on your knees begging for my forgiveness. However, in the meantime, I will entertain your defiance. You are, in fact, my precious little sister, and it would be cruel of me to strike you for something as childish as this!"


    After saying this, a warrior approached Chagadai and gave him a status report.


    "The city''s valuables are all within our hands, and we have taken its inhabitants as ves. The army is ready to move when you are!''


    Once more, a smile appeared on the Khan''s face as he shifted his attention towards the men who guarded his defiant little sister.


    "Bring the princess to her horse. As for the rest of you, give my orders to the horde. We ride out immediately. Time waits for no man, and soon Constantinople will be ours!"


    With this said, a hundred thousand riders mounted their horses and marched off to the city of constantinople.


    ---


    With Emperor Vetranis Piologos in Ascalon, the defense of the ancient roman city fell to Padius, who had just failed in protecting the city of Nicea, which was now consumed in a sea of mes. This fact alone caused the city''s inhabitants to enter a state of unrest.


    Within a single year, their Empire had copsed to the point where now only the Balkansy firmly in the hands of Byzantine authority. It had been years since the people had any faith in their emperor or his sons, and now, in their state of near total defeat, this resentment had reached a boiling point.


    What started as simple protests against the Royal family had turned into full-scale riots upon Padius'' shameful return. For her safety, Honoria and her children had fled to the German Embassy, which was protected by a battalion of marines. As for her mother and brothers, they stayed within the confines of the royal pce, guarded only by those few elite soldiers who still swore their loyalty to the Piologos bloodline.


    The Byzantine Princess sat in the German embassy. Her anxious state was visible to her children, who appeared far less calm than their mother. Alexandros, who had been trained by his father on how to best quell unrest, stood firmly at the window, gazing upon the ongoing riots with a hint of disdain in his eyes. This entire situation was a learning experience for the boy who had not yet hit puberty.


    "It is truly amazing how grandfather has allowed the city to descend into such a state of turmoil. I have no doubt that those who wish to see his dynasty unseated are instigating these riots from the shadows. It has be clear to me that my uncles are not capable of handling this dire situation we now find ourselves in."


    Honoria gazed upon her young son and his assessment with a bit of surprise. He had always been an intelligent boy, but she had never expected him to make such a calm and collected statement about the current state of affairs. By the tone in his voice, Honoria could tell that her son was about to do something serious, and she was quick to voice her disapproval.


    "What do you n to do? Alexandros, you can not, under any circumstances, leave this embassy!"


    Despite his mother''s orders, Alexandros merely shook his head with pity, before approaching Honoria with a determined glint in his eyes. He spoke the words that needed to be said, even if the woman did not want to hear them.


    "Mother, I may be the Prince of Germany by blood, but I am of your dynasty, which means the safety and security of Constantinople is my responsibility. I will not sit by and watch the ancient capital of our people be burned down by rioters from within. In times of emergency such as this, I have the power tomand these marines, Colonel!"


    Upon hearing his rank being called, The Lieutenant Colonel, who was tasked with leading the German Marines at the embassy, was quick to approach the young Prince. He stood at attention before saluting the boy with his response.


    "Yes, my Prince!"


    There was a look of regal authority on the young Prince''s face, one that Honoria had only ever previously seen Berengar make. In this exact moment, her anxiety faded, because she knew that her son was more than capable of takingmand, despite his young age. As for Alexandros, he made a shocking announcement to everyone present.


    "I want Alpha, Bravo, and Charliepanies kitted up in riot gear immediately. Have them take charge of whatever remains of the Byzantine Imperial Guard and deploy them into the city with less than lethal weapons to deal with the masses. I''m talking about tear gas, rubber bullets, beanbags, nightsticks, and whatever other means they need to quell the unrest.


    As for Deltapany, they are to remain at the German Embassy. Their orders are to prevent any of the rioters from entering German soil. They are permitted to use lethal force as ast resort! Should any harme to my family, then I will hold you responsible!


    What few men we have dedicated to intelligence are topile a list of potential rebellious nobles who are making use of this chaos to cause a revolt. They have my permission and, by extension, that of both my royal Father and grandfather to detain these traitors. As of right now, we have one objective: to save Constantinople from itself!"


    The Colonel quickly saluted the Prine once more. He responded in the affirmative before departing to deliver his orders to the Battalion of German Marines. Once he was gone, Honoria looked upon her son with a sense of deep worry in her heart before expressing her concerns.


    "Alexandros, what are you going to do? I do not want you endangering yourself simply for the sake of this rotten city!"


    Upon hearing his mother speak so poorly about her own homnd, a bitter smile emerged on Alexandros'' youthful face. He did not have the heart to be angry at his mother, even after everything she had done during his life. Instead, he merely approached the woman and wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to calm her anxiety before responding to her statement with a stoic expression on his face.


    "I will do what I must to bring this city under control, so that when father''s reinforcements arrive, they won''t have to fight a bloody war in these streets against our people! I am the future emperor of this "rotten city" and since the rest of your family is woefully ipetent, the task of ending this revolt falls to me."


    Honoria could only gaze upon her son as if he were a stranger. She did not know he had such a forceful side of him. In fact, at this moment, he was practically the spitting image of his father, at least in terms of authority and noble bearing. So much so that Honoria was left stunned in silence.


    Ultimately, the Byzantine Princess copsed in her seat, and relented to her son''s stubborn ways. History would speak of the boy who took charge of Constantinople''s defenses in its darkest hour, and quelled the revolt that would have otherwise meant the end of the Piologos Dynasty. All without spilling a single drop of blood.


    ---


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 Chapter 964 A City On The Verge Of CollapsePart L

    A singlepany of Marines protected the German Embassy in the city of Constantinople, while the remainder of the battalion advanced forth into the city with less than lethal weapons in hand. A veteran captain stood at the front of thepany, armed with a single barrel grenadeuncher. This weapon was based upon the m79 thumper from Berengar''s past life, and currently saw limited service among the German Armed Forces, as well as peacekeeping units.


    He, like all his men, was protected by bullet and stab resistant body armor, covering him from head to toe. While also wearing a gas mask. To the medieval poption of the Byzantine Empire, these German soldiers appeared as if they were aliens who descended upon their primitive world.


    With a bullhorn in one hand, the man spoke with a stern tone, giving his orders to the rioting popce, who had momentarily ceased their criminal activities to gaze with awe upon the futuristic-looking soldiers. As a Marine attached to the German Embassy, the captain naturally spoke the localnguage which he made use of to convey hismands.


    "By order of the Imperial Prince Alexandros Piologos, heir to the Byzantine Throne, you are to cease your criminal activities and return to your homes. I will detain any man still present in the streets after this message as an enemy of the state!"


    The rioters wielded makeshift weapons like pitchforks, cksmith hammers, and torches. They were far from an organized militia. However, when facing down a hundred grenadeunchers filled with tear gas, they felt no fear.


    Perhaps because of the powerful nobles backing them or maybe due to sheer ignorance of the threat which they faced. Either way, a ringleader of this armed revolt stepped forward and made a suggestive gesture to the Captain before screaming at him in his native tongue.


    "Fuck you! The Piologos dynasty has failed us long enough. Now is the time to take power into our own hands!"


    A simple sigh escaped through the gas mask of the German captain, who pointed his grenadeuncher at an elevated height, andunched a 40mm tear gas grenade into the crowd. He was not the only one to do so, as the rest of the German marines fired a volley along with him.


    Tear gas filled the streets of constantinople, which caused the rioters to gag and cry as they struggled to breathe. With a single volley of the chemical agent, many of the rioters began to disperse and flee to their homes in search of safety.


    However, those who remained were quickly rounded up by the German marines and bound with zipties. Any resistance was met with a savage beating from the expandable batons, which the marines carried as a tertiary weapon. After being gassed and beaten, the rioters were taken to the local dungeon to await a criminal trial which would only ur afterw and order had been restored to the city.


    The riots were not just in this one section of the city, and because of this, the German marines had a lot more work cut out for them. Yet they seeded in clearing a path between the royal pce and the German Embassy. where the young Prince Alexandros stepped forward, guarded by a squad of Kampfschwimmers who escorted him into his grandfather''s estate.


    When the young boy entered the Pce he did so not as a visitor, but as the man who had taken charge of the city''s defense. He was quickly greeted by his grandmother and two uncles, who had watched from the safety of their home as the German marines interfered in their current crisis.


    Quintus, in his ignorance, approached the boy with a wide smile on his face. He did not think that this young child was actually the one to be giving the orders, and was quick to voice his thanks to the boy''s mother.


    "Your mother has my praise. Thank her on my behalf for using Germany''s forces within the city to quell these ungrateful plebeians'' unrest."


    Despite his uncle''s gentle gesture, Alexandros did not smile, rather the boy had a stern appearance, as if he was above the elder who stood before him. Thus, he was quick to rebuke his uncle for his repeated failures.


    "Shut it! I don''t want to hear your nonsense in this time of crisis! We are in this situation entirely because of your cowardly tendencies. My mother has nothing to do with this, as of this moment, I Prince Alexandros of the Byzantine Emperor, and sole heir to the throne hereby dere that until the moment my royal grandfather returns from his campaign in the Levant, that I will be taking over the defense of this city. As you and Aurelius have clearly disyed, aplete and utter ipetence in this regard.


    You there, guardsmen by royal decree, I order you to gather the remainder of your unit and report to my Lieutenant Colonel! He will outfit you and your men with proper riot gear. You are to follow themands of the German Marines, and restorew and order to this city!"


    It shocked everyone in the room to see such a young child speak to them with such an utter disregard for their positions. However, the Byzantine Royal Guards did not question the boy''s orders, and instead immediately saluted him in their primitive fashion, before responding in the affirmative to hismands.


    "It will be done, your highness!"


    After saying this, the guards scurried off to ry their orders, where Alexandros shifted his attention to his grandmother. He had a much warmer expression when he gazed upon the aging beauty, and his tone was much kinder.


    "Grandma, I suggest you gather your family and servants and allow my soldiers to escort you to the German Embassy. You will be safe there, and I can not expend the limited manpower at my disposal to protect the Pce. Your royal estate is too sizeable and has too many vulnerabilities for my troops to ensure your protection."


    Olympia nodded her head and smiled before she curtseyed in the fashion that wasmon among the German peerage. She had nothing but the utmost respect for her grandson, especially now that he was proving himself a worthy sessor of her husband. Her only regret was that her own sons were too useless to do anything in this dire situation that they now faced.


    "I thank you for your hospitality. Follow me boys, and don''t you dare speak back to me!"


    It was at this moment that an exhausted Padius entered the scene, and witnessed the progeny of Berengar, the boy he had ced all his faith in for the survival of his homnd, takingmand over the grim situation the Empire''s capital now found itself in. The aging Strategos of the Balkans could not help but kneel before his prince, and offer the boy his service.


    "My Prince, my soldiers are at yourmand. Just let me know what we need to do, and I will give the order!"


    Alexandros gazed upon the elderly general and was quick to inquire about his forces.


    "Tell me, Padius, how many men do you have left over from your retreat?"


    A look of shame appeared on the elderly man''s face as he bowed his head in regret before informing the prince of his request.


    "Roughly three thousand, your highness..."


    An intelligent glint appeared in Alexandros'' eyes as he remained silent for several moments while thinking about how best to deploy the soldiers. After a while, he sighed heavily before giving out hismands.


    "I do not wish to spill any unecessary blood, even if these criminals are running rampant in our city. Your men are armed with lethal weapons and are best deployed in the city''s defense. Secure strategic locations across the city. I''m talking about warehouses where weapons are stored, guard posts, gatehouses, the ramparts, etc. Thest thing we need is for these rioters to turn into well-armed revolutionaries.


    The barbarians will soon be at our gates, and we need to hold out long enough for my father''s reinforcements to arrive. It is your solemn duty to ensure that no man escapes or enters the city. Especially not any nobles.


    I have a sneaking suspicion that one, if not both, of the political factions in the Byzantine Court is backing these rioters. You can rest easy and leave the quelling of the riots and the arrests of ringleaders up to my father''s marines."


    Padius did not rise from his kneeling position before he was given themand to do so, and merely nodded his head in eptance of his orders before responding in the affirmative.


    "As youmand, your Highness!"


    After saying this, Alexandros dispatched Padius and his men to do as they were instructed, while he personally took charge of the Byzantine Royal Guard, and the German Forces as they attempted to quell the riots through less than lethal means.


    Whether or not the City of Constantinople, let alone the Piologos dynasty, would survive the current chaos had yet to be seen. However, Alexandros had faith in both the men beneath hismand, and his father. One way or another,w and order would be restored, and the Golden Horde would be defeated. There was no other option for the Byzantine Prince.


    ---


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 Chapter 965 A City On The Verge Of CollapsePart Ll

    ?


    Cyril Kerrios was a prominent Byzantine nobleman who currently acted as the leader of the hawkish faction within the Byzantine court. After the untimely death of the second Prince Decentius Piologos, he and his allies lost a significant amount of power and influence within the Empire''s politics.


    What was supposed to be the resurrection of a glorious, and expansionist Roman Empire instead devolved into a pacifistic if not outright cowardly Greek State led by the First Prince Quintus Piologos and his dove backers.


    It was precisely because of this that the eastern sessor of the ancient Romans now found themselves in the most precarious position since the fall of Rome nearly one thousand years prior. With the ever decreasing poprity of the Piologos dynasty and the disastrous consequences of their actions. Cyril had been working tirelessly in the background to see the royal bloodline dethroned, and instead reced with his own dynasty.


    Currently, the man sat back in his noble vi and watched as the city of Constantinople burned in the mes of revolution. He had a sneer of disdain on his face as he sipped from a ss of wine. Behind him was a young woman who was his household ve. She approached the man and rubbed his back, knowing that his ns were finallying to fruition.


    "Dominus, the city burns, and soon you will rise as the new emperor! All is going as nned."


    However, when the man heard these words, he instantly groaned in regret. Recent intelligence from the rioters reported the German troops stationed at the embassy were intervening in his schemes by deploying a poisonous mist. He could not help but curl his fists in rage as he thought about those up jumped barbarians getting involved in this foreign affair.


    "Everything would be going to n if those filthy barbarians hadn''t interfered. The rioters are dispersing, and my agents, who act as instigators, are being arrested. If something is not done soon, I fear that my years of nning will have been for nothing. I have no choice but to siege the German Embassy. With the Kaiser''s wife and children held as my hostages, the German troops would not dare to intervene any longer."


    When the young ve heard these words, a hint of malice formed in her eyes. As a result, she reached into her waistband and pulled out a small folding knife, which she had hidden away in her person. Without the conspirator even realizing it, his ve had turned against him. The woman silently caressed the back of Cyril''s neck with one hand, and whispered into his ears something sinister.


    "So you have chosen death?"


    Before the man could even react to this threat, the steel de slid across his neck, and cut open his carotid arteries. Spilling blood across the windowsill. The man instantly lost the strength in his body as the blood flowed out of his body like a river and copsed to the floor with shock and terror in his eyes.


    Cyril struggled to call out his ve''s name, but it was no use. He could not speak now that his throat was cut open. As the man gurgled on his own blood, a sadistic smile formed on his ve''s pretty face as she grabbed hold of the man''s gilded chalice and drank the wine that was now mixed with his blood.


    "Prince Alexandros sends his regards..."


    With this said, the light faded from the Byzantine nobleman''s eyes as he fell to the ground, truly and utterly dead.


    ---


    On the other side of the city, an intelligence officer approached the young Prince Alexandros Piologos who was in the act of coordinating the attempt to restore order to the Byzantine Capital from the safety of the German Embassy.


    Unlike the Byzantine Pce, the embassy was designed from the ground up as a covert fortress. Even if Cyril had managed to mobilize his forces to attack the building, it would have ended in a brutal ughter of his agents. The Intelligence officer had a list of reports in her hand from her field agents embedded in the city, which she quickly spoke about.


    "Your highness, as you have anticipated, it would appear that the majority of the politicians within both the hawk and dove factions are guilty of conspiring against the Piologos Dynasty. I have ordered the agents your father has long since embedded in their households to eliminate them.


    As far as their deaths are concerned, you won''t have to worry about being held responsible. I have given themand to our agents to raid their vis to make it look like an act of murder done by the rioters. By the end of this ordeal, only those noble households who support your im to the throne will have survived."


    The boy prince stared coldly out the window and gazed at the burning city in the background. It was only after he had taken control of the German forces within the city of Constantinople did he realize the depths of his father''s preparations.


    An entirework of spies and assassins was hidden in the household of every Byzantine Noble family. A single order from the von Kufstein dynasty was all that was needed to eliminate those who opposed the Kaiser''s vision. All Alexandros needed to do was take advantage of this hiddenwork, and eliminate his rivals.


    The boy may be young, but he had learned enough from his father''s tutge over the years to know when the best time to strike was and that time was now. Thus, there was not even the slightest hint of emotion on the Prince''s youthful face as he ordered the death of hundreds of people with a singlemand.


    "I have to admit, my father''s preparations for my ascension to the throne are beyond anything I could have anticipated. It would appear that he had never trusted Padius to actually live up to his end of the bargain, and had prepared these assassins so that the moment my royal grandfather died, all backers of his other heirs would be eliminated, leaving the crown in my hands.


    Though my royal grandfather has enough wisdom to name me his sessor, I can''t dare to allow the chance that my uncles will betray me in a bid for power. For the sake of my mother''s mental health, I will permit them to live, but any semnce of political authority they once had is now gone forever. Even if those fools were to attempt to rally others to their ims, there is now nobody left to support them. Well yed father..."


    The intelligence officer shuddered in silence. She had known about the fail-safes Berengar had established long ago. In fact, her job as an agent under the purview of the German Embassy was to coordinate these efforts.


    However, the woman had never expected that a boy as young as ten would be the one to enact these orders. Let alone do so without a single regard for the lives that he had ended with a simplemand.


    The progeny of the Kaiser were truly frightening. Born and raised by their father to be benevolent rulers, but those who would do whatever was necessary to ensure the survival of their dynasty and civilization.


    Alexandros, Ghazi, and Berengar''s other potential heirs had all been raised to follow a Machiavellian philosophy of rulership. One mixed with a sense of noblesse oblige. In other words, they were trained to do whatever was necessary to maintain power, but to use that power for the benefit of their people.


    It was because of this that the young Prince was so easily able to give such a frightening order to his father''s agents, knowing that he would be condemning hundreds of people to death, some of them innocent, all for the sake of maintaining control over his future throne.


    Thus, while the city of Constantinople burned from civil unrest, all while a barbarian horde gathered outside its gates. Alexandros Piologos had ruthlessly cemented his future as the next ruler of the Byzantine Empire, and nobody was any the wiser.


    ---


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 Chapter 966 Fall Of The Golden Horde Part Ll

    Khorijin gazed upon the city of Constantinople with intense anxiety in her dark eyes. Though the iron eagles which the spirits had forewarned her about had yet to reveal themselves. She knew it would be soon before her brother''s army fell, and along with it, any hope of the Golden Horde bing a true power.


    For whatever reason, smoke was in the air. Its origins appeared from within the ancient Roman Capital. The Mongol Princess did not know what form of civil unrest had been going on within the walls of Constantinople, but she could make a fair assessment. After all, she was more than just a pretty face.


    However, she would not say a word, as her vow of silence was still in effect, instead she red into the sky, waiting for the threat that would usher in a life of servitude to arrive. While this was happening, Chagadai merelyughed at his sister''s foolishness.


    "You see! The only thing that separates us from the gates of Constantinople is the Bosporus itself, but there are no iron eagles who will bathe our forces in fire. Do you not feel foolish now, my dear sister?"


    Despite his taunts, Khorijin did not even bother looking upon her scoundrel of a brother, and merely continued to watch the skies above. The act of which caused the great Khan to clench his teeth before giving an order out of frustration.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Begin the construction of ships at once. I want to cross this section of water as soon as possible!"


    During the Golden Horde''s conquest of Georgia and Anatolia, many talented individuals had fallen into very, as a result, there were more than one shipwright, and plenty of ves capable of manualbor to build a fleet to ferry the Golden Horde across the waterway which separated them from the mighty Theodosian walls.


    Chagadai was an impatient man, especially since he desperately wanted to prove his sister''s ramblings false. Thus, he was a rather cruel taskmaster, as he ensured that those who failed to endure their brutal workload were whipped into shape.


    ---


    Days passed since the Golden Horde arrived on the other end of the Bosporus, and in that time plenty of barges were constructed. Whatever trees they could find in the nearbynd were chopped down and converted into timber.


    While they reforged the weapons and armor that they had previously scavenged from the battlefield into nails. The effort of tens of thousands of ves had constructed the vessels necessary to cross the Bosporus in merely a single week.


    Thus, with his fleet constructed, Chagadai gave the order to sail, andy siege to the mighty Theodosian walls, which had stood proudly for nearly a millennium. As Chagadai boarded the first barge, he gazed upon his younger sister and gave his soldiers amand that would ultimately save her life.


    "Keep my dearest sister in my tent, under guard. I don''t trust her to enter the battlefield by my side."


    Khorijin merely sighed internally as she heard this, knowing from the spirits warning that this would ultimately be why she survived long enough to find herself in captivity, while her brother and the majority of his army died horribly in the mes of war. Yet she did not say a word to remind her brother of this fate, and merely abided by hismands, knowing that resistance to her fate was no longer an option.


    A small squad of the Khan''s most elite warriors did as they were instructed, and locked up the Mongol Princess into her brother''s tent, ensuring that she could not escape. In fact, they felt rather irritated that they would not take part in the glorious conquest of Constantinople, yet they did not speak a word of their misgivings.


    After securing his sister, Chagadai boarded the first barge, along with as many of his troops and their equipment that could fit on board. Several other barges set sail at the same time, as they slowly ferried the troops across the strait which connected the western world to the east.


    Within a matter of hours, all one hundred thousand mongol horsemen were standing across from the gates of Constantinople, gazing savagely upon its glory. None more so than the Khan, who impatiently eyed the city, which would be the capital of his great empire. With a confident grin on his barbarous face, Chagadai spoke the words which he believed would be written in history until the end of time.


    "These walls have stood defiantly for a thousand years, protecting the city''s inhabitants from the horrors of the outside world. I think it''s about time they came crumbling down. Unleash the cannons!"


    With thismand given, a series of cannons, which had mostly been scavenged from the scattered Byzantine and Georgian forces, were loaded and primed before the first barrage opened fire upon the mighty Theodosian walls.


    There were three sections of walls which guarded the city from the outside world, and until now no hostile army had ever breached them. However, this was no longer the age of trebuchets and crossbows. This was the era of steel and shot. Because of this, Alexandros knew that they would not hold out for long.


    Thus, in an act of desperation, the young Prince had ordered the German Marines who were stationed at the Embassy to deploy their machine guns to the inner wall. Assuming the Mongols were able to breach the first two sections of the City''s defenses, the only thing that would await them at their final destination would be a torrent of bullets.


    During this past week, after the riots had been quelled, the German Marines had spent some time instructing Padius'' legions on how to wield these modern weapons of war. Their training was brief, but not much was required to learn how to operate Berengar''s BuzzSaw from a static position.


    The Marines brought out whatever 8x57mm munitions they had stored away within the embassy, and supplied them to the Byzantine machine gunners. All that remained to defend the German embassy were two machine guns and two thousand rounds of ammunition.


    While the Mongol artillery pounded the outermost defenses. Alexandros stood on top of the inner wall with a hint of disdain on his youthful face. A small group of German Naval Special Forces, as well as Padius and his elite guard, nked him. The aging Byzantine General had but a single question on his mind as he asked the boy about his overall n for defense.


    "Do you really think we can hold out long enough for your father''s forces to arrive?"


    Despite the young age of the child next to him, there was not a single hint of fear in the boy''s green eyes. Instead, he merely scoffed in response to this, before stating with the utmost confidence that there was not a reason to worry.


    "My father''s forces are stationed in Cyprus, which is roughly 761 kilometers away from our current location. I have received word that they have already deployed and are en route as we speak. With a speed of roughly 400 kilometers per hour, it will take less than two hours for reinforcements to arrive. When they do, the enemy is as good as dead.


    With our current defenses, and the weapons we wield, the enemy won''t even be able to breach the outer wall before the Luftwaffe arrives to save the day. You do not need to worry so much, Padius, from the moment my father married my mother, the Byzantine Empire''s future was secured.


    Just make sure your men stationed on the outer wall use their artillery to target the enemy''s cannons. If these barbarians actually manage to breach our second line of defense, then they will be walking straight into machine gun fire.


    Now that I think about it, you haven''t had the chance to witness how affect my father''s weapons are, have you? If I''m not mistaken, my father defeated the Hungarian Army before you could arrive to witness their ughter. If that''s the case, then you should treat this as a learning experience."


    Padius had been stunned by how quickly the boy had taken charge of the city''s defenses and quelled the riots. He vowed from that moment on not to underestimate Alexandros simply because he was a child. If the boy had such confidence in this battle, then he need not worry. Ultimately, he could only sigh in defeat and express his true thoughts on the matter.


    "I sure hope you are right."


    Thus, the Golden Horde had arrived at the gates of Constantinople, but they only had two hours to breach through three sets of walls before the Luftwaffe arrived. Whether they could aplish their goals in this amount of time would ultimately decide whether or not the Khan and his horde of nomads would emerge victorious.


    ---


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 Chapter 967 The Luftwaffe Arrives

    An exchange of artillery fire took ce between Constantinople''s defenders and the besieging army belonging to the Golden Horde. While this was urring, Alexandros stood firmly upon the inner walls of the city, watching the battlefield from afar. Since he had decided to take control over the city''s defenses, the boy prince had chosen to remain on the battlefield, even if he was standing in the furthest area away from immediate danger.


    Standing Beside the young prince was a group of German Naval Special Forces operatives who acted as his security detail. Along with those members of the Byzantine Royal Guard who were steadily waiting for the walls to crumble so that they could make use of the advanced weapons their allies had temporarily gifted them.


    Padius watched the outermost wall be filled with cracks. He was very concerned about the fall of this barrier. It had not even been an hour since the siege had begun, and yet one of the three levels of defense was already on the verge of copse. He quickly voiced his worries to the young Prince standing by his side.


    "If the low wall falls, then we will be left with only two means of defense. Are you sure these weapons of yours can hold off the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive?"


    There was not the slightest hint of worry on Alexandros'' face as he nodded his head in agreement before boasting about the capabilities of the machine guns referred to by German troops as "Berengar''s Buzzsaw".


    "A single Mg-27 General Purpose machine gun is capable of firing roughly 1200 rounds per minute. With such a high volume of fire, along with multiple guns covering the area directly outside this wall, we will be able to kill tens of thousands of these barbarians in a matter of minutes. The only problem is that we don''t have much ammunition.


    Still, the attack will be enough to make the enemy think twice about attacking thest barrier. So even if the outer wall copses, the inner wall will be perfectly safe, at least long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Once the Luftwaffe is here, we do not need to worry about the enemy, even if they were to have one million men standing outside our gates."


    It shocked Padius to hear the rate of fire these weapons were capable of. As a man who was most ustomed to his troops wielding flintlock muskets and muzzle loading cannons, which were could fire perhaps two to three rounds a minute, this was simply an absurd amount of firepower.


    Though the men had been trained on how to load, aim, and fire the weapons, they had not actually fired any shots from the guns. This was specifically because of the limited amount of ammunition which was stored in the German Embassy. Under current circumstances, every round was precious and had to be conserved for the actual battle. Assuming it was actually needed.


    In fact, outside of the two guns posted within the walls of the German Embassy, there were only four of these guns in total. Thus, the Byzantine defenders would have to make use of four machine gun crews mounted on their inner wall if the enemy were to break through all other defenses.


    Padius was practically biting his nails in anxiety while the bloodcurdling screams of men shot by musket fire filled the air. However, the defenses were set in stone, and the aging general could do nothing but pray for his men''s safety. After all, they had the advantage of hiding behind therge stone walls to aid in their protection from the enemy fire.


    Not long after, a gap appeared in the outermost wall, where the nomadic warriors of the golden horde rushed through with their muskets in hand. Unfortunately for them, they found themselves in a dire situation.


    The distance between the three walls was notrge by any means. Once they had broken through the outermost barrier, they were, in fact, stuck between the men behind them and the defenders on the wall above. The Byzantine soldiers made use of this opportunity to rain fire down upon the mongols with their muskets.


    A plume of smoke filled the air, as lead balls propelled down from the ramparts above, piercing through the thick armor which the Mongol warriors wore, as if it were made of butter. The projectiles tore through their flesh and imed their lives without remorse, causing the front line of the Mongol Horde to be utterly devastated.


    However, the men behind them quickly retaliated by firing upon the Byzantine defenders, who hid behind the stone merlons for cover, all while reloading their weapons as quickly as they could manage, before once more firing a volley upon the attackers below.


    Unfortunately for the Mongol Artillery, once they had breached the outermost wall, they were not able to advance into a position where they could fire on the second, without actually thoroughly destroying the outermost wall.


    Thus, their cannons suddenly became far less effective in destroying the next barrier which prevented the Mongols from conquering the city. Their only option was to continue to fire upon the outermost wall, hoping to create enough space to attack the next defense.


    Another hour passed, and by now Padius was far more calm. He could understand now why the boy standing next to him waspletely free of anxiety. For the Mongols to sessfully bring down the Theodosian walls, they needed their siege to go on for weeks or even months at a time.


    While the Golden Horde had managed to prate through the outermost wall, they had only created small gaps for their infantry to pass through, and any attempt to bring indders or artillery were immediately met with retaliation by the Byzantine Defenders.


    Ultimately, it was not long before the Luftwaffe was seen in the sky above. When Alexandros witnessed this, he decisively made an order to the Byzantine General standing next to him.


    "Withdraw your troops to the city. The Luftwaffe has arrived..."


    Padius did not dare question the boy''smands, as only Alexandros was aware of the destructive capability which the German armed forces were capable of unleashing. With a quick order, the Byzantine defenders fled into the city. Padius himself was about to follow suit when Alexandros grabbed hold of his sleeve and shook his head before uttering one simple word.


    "Observe..."


    ---


    Chagadai was calm as can be. Within the first hour of his assault, the Mongol artillery had prated through the outermostyer of Constantinople''s defenses. While it was true that he could not advance his siege weapons beyond the low wall, and into a position where they could attack the second barrier. He had all the time in the world to thoroughly dismantle the city''s defenses. Or so he thought.


    The Great Khan would never have believed that the Germans were en route with an explosive payload that could send his entire army to the depths of hell in a matter of seconds. Thus, he sat back in the rear of his forces and munched on a piece of citrus while casually watching the battle unfold. It was not until the sky darkened above that he became concerned. At first he thought the weather had turned sour, and as a result he would have to dy his ns to siege the city.


    However, upon further inspection, he realized that the clouds did not blot the sun out above, but instead it was done by hundreds of aircraft. That''s right, for the defense of constantinople Berengar had not just sent the hundred bombers previously located at Cyprus Air base.


    Over the past week, when word first reached the Kaiser''s ears that the Golden Horde was constructing barges on the other side of the Bosporus. Berengar had dispatched every Me 264 bomber, from across the fathend, and the Mediterranean to Cyprus with the intent to engage in one massive bombing campaign.


    This time around there were roughly one thousand strategic bombers, all outfitted with a payload of napalm bombs flying in the sky above constantinople. When Chagadai gazed upon this scene, he instantly dropped the food that was in his hand and repeated the two words that his little sister had always warned him about throughout the entirety of his campaign.


    "Iron Eagles..."


    He instantly regretted mocking his sister''s words and feltpelled to ride off and escape from the fiery fury which he knew he was about to receive. However, before he could do so, the first wave of bombs dropped. They not only dropped outside the outermost defense of constantinople where the bulk of his armedid, but in between the outermost and secondary walls as well.


    A sea of mes erupted upon the earth''s surface as they reached towards the heavens above, as if their goal was to devour God himself. Naturally, they could not aplish this, but they had seeded in consuming everything in their path.


    Before Chagadai could even yelp in fright, he himself had been lit ame. His dying screams filled the air, andsted for a matter of seconds before his body turned into ash along with that of his entire army. The only thing remaining between the city of constantinople and the area where Chagadai once stood were the scorching stones of the city''s outermost defenses.


    The attack had disappeared as quickly as it had begun, leaving Padius and all the city''s inhabitants in a state of utter shock. Even Alexandros was surprised at the level of destruction the Luftwaffe was capable of. Though he had heard from his father just how powerful a fleet of Me 264 bombers were, words did not do it justice.


    Gazing upon the fiery pirs which consumed the area in a sea of mes, while smelling the stench of napalm turning a hundred thousand bodies to ash. It was an experience that Alexandros was certain he would only ever see once in his lifetime. After taking several moments to calm his nerves, the boy recovered his stoic expression before turning to the Byzantine General and asking him one simple question.


    "Now that you have witnessed it for yourself. Are you finally convinced of the Reich''s power?"


    ---


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 Chapter 968 Fall Of Devagiri

    With the Golden Horde defeated, and the city of Constantinople under the direct authority of Prince Alexandros Piologos, the crisis which the Byzantine Empire was facing had ended quicker than it hade.


    However, Alexandros was far from pleased with just the elimination of the Golden Horde''s army, he would not rest until the barbarians were driven back into thends from whence they came. Thus, he quickly ordered the Byzantine Troops to sail across the Bosporus with the Byzantine Fleet, and attack the enemy''s camp where thete Chagadai kept the women, children, and ves of his massive following.


    Khorijin had watched as the skies ckened under the wings of the iron eagles. She had borne witness to the sight of her brother and his army being consumed by what could only bepared to a volcanic explosion. Yet, she did not weep, for the spirits had warned her long ago that this would be her people''s fate should they march on Byzantium.


    Rather than encourage the men who guarded her to flee for their lives, the Mongol Princess stood her ground and waited to be greeted by the Byzantine Army, knowing full well that her fate was sealed.


    As for the remainder of the camp, many of the women, children, and ves tried their best to flee off into the wilderness of Anatolia taking their chances on an arduous journey home, rather than face the wrath of the Byzantine Empire who until just seconds ago were at the mercy of the great Khan and his mighty horde. Though most of them would not get far.


    Soon enough, the Byzantine Army, or what remained of it, arrived in the encampment, where Khorijin, guarded by the men her brother had tasked with restraining her, knelt before Padius. She still did not say a word, as she had taken a strict vow of silence, one that she would not break even after Chagadai''s defeat.


    It took one nce at the woman, and the men who guarded her for Padius to understand that she held a prestigious position among the Khan''s horde, though he did not know the exact role she yed. He could still make an educated guess. Thus, with a swift voice, he ordered for the woman to be detained.


    "Arrest her!"


    The Mongol guards raised their muskets in an attempt to defend their princess from harm, but Khorijin merely shook her head and forced them to surrender. The men beneath Padius''mand quickly bound the Mongol beauty and dragged her back to the city, where she would wait in the dungeons until her identity was ascertained.


    With this, the Golden Horde had been thoroughly defeated, and what remained of their people was either scattered to the wind, or captured by the Byzantine Army. Ultimately, their fate of their culture would be left up to the boy Prince to decide.


    ---


    While the enemies of the Byzantine Empire had been thoroughly trounced by their German Allies. The Indian subcontinent was not as peaceful. Currently, within the Yadava Dynasty, the siege of Devagiri was taking ce. The Bengal Army had broken through the capital''s defenses, and intense fighting was urring in the streets.


    In truth, the Bengal Emperor was not expecting this level of resistance. Every house that his troops tried to take over was filled with brutal urban warfare. As men, women, and children made use of matchlock muskets and primitive explosives to deal a death blow to as many of their attackers as possible.


    All of this, of course, was coordinated by Germany''s Sturmkommandos, who had the intention of inciting a massacre. These elite warriors had long since fled the city, and were simply observing the mes of war unfold below as the Bengal Army struggled to deal with this new type of warfare.


    Asha sat at the rear of his forces and cursed as his men struggled to gain control of the city. The more casualties his troops suffered, the more enraged he became. Eventually the man could not endure his growing wrath any longer, and gave amand that even his troops found shocking.


    "If these Yadava mongrels continue to resist their fate, then bury them! I will not lose any more men in this conquest. Load the cannons and wipe this pathetic city off the face of the earth! You are free to do what you wish to any of the survivors!"


    Though the officers in the Bengal Army found this order shocking at first, they did not dare to disobey. Quickly the Bengal Army was given the order to withdraw from the city, where the locals sung their victory cries, foolishly believing they had driven back their attackers.


    However, in the next moment, the boom of artillery echoed in the air, as explosive shells came raining down upon the city''s inhabitants. Those who had gathered in the streets to celebrate now found themselves sted into meat paste by the advanced weapons of their enemies.


    The barrage continued, and while it urred, the hidden Sturmkommandos recorded every moment of it. This would be all the evidence they needed for their Anangpur allies to justify their intervention in the Bengal''s conquest of the Indian subcontinent.


    The bombardment continued for several minutes, as hundreds of guns unloaded their shells, destroying buildings, and annihting most of the life within the city. However, after a while, a white g flew over Devagiri''s destroyed gates, causing the Bengal Army to halt their hostilities. If only for the briefest of moments.


    The Bengal Army quickly responded to this state of surrender by rushing into the city and taking the survivors captive. Starved from their lust, the Bengal Army, who were no longer restrained by Itami''s so-called rules of war, raped every woman and girl they could find, while killing the men with bays, and enving the boys.


    All of these atrocities were recorded by the nearby German Sturmkommandos. No longer wanting to watch such human suffering unfold, the Captain of the Sturmkommandos ceased his recording and gave the order to withdraw back to the borders of the Anangpur Empire.


    "We''ve seen enough. Now is the time to present this evidence to the Anangpur Emperor so he can interfere before anything worse urs."


    Annihting a city that continued to resist? That was something the Germans had done more than once in their previous campaigns. Enving and raping the survivors? Such a thing was simply barbaric and could not be tolerated.


    In fact, after witnessing such a sight unfold before them, many of the Sturmkommandos wanted nothing more than to interfere. However, orders were orders, and their job now was to withdraw from the field and use what they had seen as a justification for war.


    ---


    Berengar stood in his war room surrounded by his General Staff. The highest ranking military officers of all branches of the German Military were standing nearby, all of whom were observing the map that was sprawled out across arge table.


    As new intelligence came in from the field, the pieces representing all factions in y were shifted. One thing was certain: the enemies of the Byzantine Empire were annihted, and what remained of the Golden Horde was either captured or scattered to the wind.


    Though this was good news, there was no time for celebration, as immediately afterward, the fall of Devagiri was announced by a nearbyms officer. In doing so, the next stage of the Indian Proxy War had truly begun.


    Generalfeldmarschall Heimmerich von Graz, who was the leading officer of the Reichsgarde, immediately moved the pieces representing the Heer''s 12th Panzer Division, along with the Anangpur Army forward, and into the borders of Bengal upied Yadava. There was a sadistic grin on his face as he announced his thoughts to his Kaiser and all of his peers.


    "The War for India is now in full effect. Any moment now, we will receive word that Emperor Dharya Tomara has dered war on the Bengals, and as nned, he will be calling upon our alliance to aid him in his campaign to expel the Bengals from the Indian subcontinent. Let us show the Japanese what our armies are truly capable of!"


    Adelbrand, however, was far less enthusiastic about the uing war in India. In fact, he shook his head before responding to the man''s ims.


    "Let''s just pray we can defeat the enemy before Emperor Asha calls upon his Japanese allies. I have a sneaking suspicion that this proxy war might escte into something more serious."


    It was at this point Berengar finally broke his silence. With a confident tone in his voice, he assured all of his generals that everything would be alright.


    "Whatever happens, we will be ready to face it. We have prepared for years just for this moment. The Bengal Army will fall, and India will permanently enter our sphere of influence. Not even Empress Itami Riyo can prevent this from happening."


    With this, the Byzantine Empire''s troubles hade to an end, while the war in India had only just truly begin.


    ---


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 Chapter 969 An Enchanting Dream

    Berengar stood within a thicket of the densest woonds he had ever stepped foot in. He was not dressed in his usual regal attire, which signified his authority as the Emperor of all Germans. Instead, he was dressed in rather primitive wool clothing fashioned in the style of the ancient Germanic people. There was blue war paint across his handsome face, as well as across his chiseled body.


    The most powerful man in the world stood in bewilderment, with a sword in one hand and a round shield in another. He had no idea how he had gotten to this mysterious area, nor why he was dressed in such a barbaric fashion. All he knew was that someone, or something, had brought him here.


    Whatever their reason, Berengar did not want to stick around to find out, and as such, he quickly sheathed his de, before cautiously making his way through the dense forest. He could not see far into the distance, as a mysterious fog obscured even his immediate surroundings.


    As a man who had previously encountered several hidden deities, Berengar knew exactly what this meant, but that did not mean for one moment that he would leave his guard down. No matter where he stepped into the mist, he appeared to be led by some mysterious force to a specific destination.


    In the end, the German Emperor found himself at the base of a small pond which was surrounded by ancient runestones, and a treerger than any other in the forest. The tattooed back of a redheaded woman could be seen seated within the pool, whose water was steaming. The mist of which exuded into the air, and out towards the rest of the forest. Before Berengar could ask a question, a sultry voice that he was all too familiar enveloped his entire being.


    "So you have finally arrived, and here I thought you would keep me waiting for another few years."


    After saying this, the woman turned around to expose her divine face and perfect body. However, what shocked Berengar the most was that this was a woman he knew, and loved more than any other, and yet despite this, she was so foreign to him at this moment. The redheaded beauty''s sky-blue eyes gazed seductively at the man standing across from her, as she enticed him to join her in the heated pool.


    "Won''t you join me Berengar son of Sieghard?


    Berengar looked around at his surroundings and immediately concluded that he was dreaming, which he was quick to give voice to.


    "I''m dreaming, aren''t I? And you are not the woman I love..."


    A pouting expression which Berengar was oh so familiar with appeared on the strawberry blonde haired beauty''s face as she feigned her offense. She was quick to confirm his suspicions.


    "You are correct. However, I promise you I can be so much more than your little lover. So how about it, won''t you join me for a bath?"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this. However, he did not deny the beauty''s request and immediately dropped his shield before undressing himself. The moment his trousers came off, a hint of lust appeared on the stranger''s beautiful face, her eyes never gazing away until the moment the misty water concealed her prize. Before she could speak again, Berengar exhaled heavily as if all his pent up stress was being released by the boiling pool.


    "This may be a dream, but it has been some time since I have enjoyed the experience of a hot tub. I give you points for making this so realistic. So which divine figure do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"


    A sly smirk appeared on the woman''s face as she swam across the pool, and entered Berengar''sp, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her substantial bosom up to his broad chest before whispering seductively into his ears.


    "I''ll give you three guesses..."


    Berengar leaned back in the pool of the water, not falling for the temptresses wiles as he thought carefully on the matter for several moments in silence. There were plenty of goddesses, like her, across the many religions of this world. However, if he thought about it clearly, there was really only one name that fit this divine beauty sitting naked on hisp.


    "Freyja... To what do I owe the pleasure of you invading my dreams?"


    A satisfied smile appeared on the woman''s pretty face as she rested her dainty chin on the man''s muscr shoulder. She was thoroughly impressed by his ability to guess her identity so quickly. Thus, she could not help herself but topliment him.


    "You are good, as good as they say. No wonder why little Wyrd has be so enamored with you. I must say, I wouldn''t have to visit your dreams if your little lover was half as good as her job as she thinks she is. Despite years of effort, she has found very little trace of little old me, thus I have no choice but to y this little trick. We need to talk. Meet me in the ck forest at the dawn of the midwinter solstice."


    Berengar merely scoffed when he heard this, before bonking the goddess on her nose with the tip of his finger. The act of which caught Freyja off guard, who quickly blushed in response. No mortal had ever dared to treat her in such an irreverent manner before. However, before she could protest, Berengar lectured her.


    "Are we not speaking right now? Why must I travel all the way to the ck forest, simply to speak with you? The Winter solstice is quickly approaching, and I am in the middle of war. I do not have time to y your games. Why don''t you just tell me what you need to say here and now?"


    A fierce glint appeared in the redheaded beauty''s sky-blue eyes as she gazed upon the man sitting under her as if he were no simple mortal. After all, there was at the very least one part of a divine being infused with his flesh. When she recalled what the Norns had told her, the man had also drunk from the well of fate and a substantial amount at that. This alone made him a being above that of your average mortal.


    Despite these factors, there were some things better off said within the safety of her divine domain. Thus, she was rather insistent on her previous point. With a stern expression on her gorgeous face, Freya chastised the man for hisck of reverence.


    "You darey a finger on my divine face? Bold... Very bold Berengar. If you were not Odin''s chosen, I may have forced you to pay a hefty price for yourck of worship."


    Even though there was a fearsome tone in the woman''s alluring voice, Berengar scoffed once more before responding to the goddess''s while ims.


    "Your the one sitting naked on myp, so what, you have the right to touch me however you desire, but I can''ty a finger on you?"


    Freyja red menacingly at Berengar, however in the next moment her expression changed from wrathful to charming as she leaned in close and whispered into Berengar''s ear with all the seduction she could muster.


    "Exactly... Now be a good little boy, and do what I say. If youe to visit me at the appointed hour, I promise you will be well rewarded for your efforts."


    If it were any other man in Berengar''s position, they would have fallen under the Goddess'' spell then and there, however Berengar remained entirely unphased and instead responded with a sly grin on his face.


    "We''ll see..."


    After saying this, Berengar forced himself awake, where he found himself entangled in the loving arms of his favorite wife, Linde. She looked identical to the appearance Freyja had chosen to show to him. Other than one slight detail, her skin waspletely wless, and utterly devoid of tattoos. After cing a gentle kiss on the sleeping beauty''s lips, Berengar rested his head in the woman''s substantial bosom and drifted back into sleep, this time free from Freyja''s influence.


    ---


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 Chapter 970 Preparations For A Brief Journey

    Berengar awoke the next morning with a fierce internal debate in his heart. As of this moment, the war in India had entered its next stage. However, when a divine being invades your dreams and summons you to her domain, you typically do not reject her call.


    Since the beginning of Berengar''s rise to power, he had established the means for his military to act independently, without his oversight. Now was the time to test these preparations. However, currently the man was seated across from his foremost lover, who looked almost identical to the appearance which Freyja had shown to him the night before.


    There was a hint of a concern on Berengar''s face, and Linde was quick to notice. After all, she was well ustomed to her man''s behavior, so much so that the slightest fluctuation in his expression was instantly detected, almost as if it was instinctual. Without a second of hesitation, the redheaded beauty was quick to inquire about just what was troubling her man.


    "So... You want to talk about it?"


    Berengar instantly looked up from his cup of coffee, and his te filled with breakfast, and gazed into the loving eyes of his favorite wife. There was genuine concern on her face, which Berengar could not help but feel thankful for. With a heavy sigh, he began to spin his tale of woe.


    "Nothing gets past you, does it? Very well,st night I had a rather peculiar dream. In this dream, the goddess Freyja appeared to me, and told me to visit her during the autumn solstice within the ck forest. She had something important to say to me.


    However, the proxy war in India has recently started heating up, and because of that, I feel like I am needed here in Kufstein. I can''t seem to make up my mind about what to do. Besides, the thing that bothers me most is she attempted to charm me during my sleep."


    Linde''s face frowned ever so slightly when she heard thest part of her husband''s words. A goddess was trying to steal her man away from her? Absolutely uneptable! She did not mind sharing Berengar with the world''s most beautiful princesses, but an ancient goddess known for her beauty and fertility. That was simply out of the question.


    Despite these concerns, Linde was also aware of some details regarding the ancient Germanic deities. After all, she had been searching for their whereabouts for some time now. If one of these divine beings had reached out to Berengar and voluntarily revealed their hidden location, it was an immense opportunity for the man. Thus, after thinking about the situation carefully, Linde sighed before giving her husband her thoughts on the matter.


    "If the gods are reaching out to you now after all this time, it must be something important. I suggest that you follow this path, and meet with Freyja at the time and location she has given you. However, if that bitch so much as touches a hair on your head, I will never forgive her!"


    This fierce response startled Berengar as he chuckled to cope with the intense fear he was feeling at this moment. Linde was a terrifying woman when she wanted to be. Berengar was incredibly lucky that she was so supportive of his harem. One might even call her the glue that kept them together as one giant family.


    The thing Berengar feared most in this world was that one day, his loving wife would turn bitter and filled with envy. When that happened, there would surely be hell to pay. For Linde to suddenly refer to a woman who attempted to seduce her man as a bitch that was unworthy of her forgiveness, it meant that she felt threatened by the Goddess.


    Thus, Berengar immediately tried to calm the woman down, who was practically trembling in rage at the idea of Freyja seducing her man.


    "Rx sweetheart, Freyja tried her best to seduce me during our time together, but she got no response from me. I have no intentions of sleeping with her. After all, you are far more beautiful."


    Linde flushed in embarassment when she heard her man say she was more beautiful than the Germanic goddess of beauty and fertility. She was instantly curious what her rival looked like and was quick to ask about it.


    "Oh really? How did she appear to you?"


    Berengar chuckled and sipped from his coffee,pletely unaware that his next words were about to trigger his wife beyond hisprehension.


    "Actually, she looked almost exactly like you, the primary differenced being that her skin was marred with tattoos, such a shame that she would defame your beauty in such a way; thinking that it would appeal to me."


    Linde was already aware from her previous discussions with Berengar about his past encounters with supernatural beings that they could take the form of whomever they pleased. For her rival to seduce her man with her own appearance, the insult was too great. So much so that Linde had unknowingly cracked the ceramic cup that was in her hand out of sheer rage.


    Berengar immediately became concerned as the coffee mug shattered, sprinting to his woman''s side, and checking to see if she had been cut by any of the ceramic shards. Luckily there was not a scratch on Linde''s perfect hands, and thus he could only kiss them gently and thank the gods that she was alright. An act of which immediately pulled the redheaded beauty out of her state of fury.


    Though she was no longer consumed by rage, there was still a hint of bitterness in the woman''s tone as she made a vow that even Berengar found to be frightening.


    "If I every eyes on that bitch, I''m going to make her pay for what she has done!"


    There wasplete and utter silence when Berengar heard these words, partially because he did not know how to calm down the enraged beauty from her state of wrath, and partially because he was terrified to think about what would happen if Freyja and Linde ever met in person.


    After several moments of awkward silence, Berengar finally spoke up, and in doing so, had sealed his fate.


    "Well, as you previously suggested, it would be unwise to ignore a goddess''s summons. So these next few days, I will be preparing for my journey to the ck Forest. I promise you, nothing will happen between me and Frejya. You have my word!"


    Berengar''s word was worth more than most kingdom treasuries. He had seldom made promises to Linde regarding other women, and for the most part, the redheaded beauty was tolerant of his polygamous tendencies.


    However, the man could see how upset his woman was over Freyja''s advances, so much so that he was convinced if he were to ever make a move on the Goddess, his wife would never forgive him, and no woman, not even a divine being was worth such a terrible fate.


    Soon enough, Linde finally managed to gain control over her emotions. There was a stoic expression on her wless face as she nodded her head in silence three times. She trusted her man to keep his word, even in the face of a goddess. Still, she would not sleep easy these next few days, knowing that the love of her life was about to enter a divine temptress''s domain.


    With this journey determined, Berengar shifted the topic to something that was arguably less troublesome. He sighed heavily as he poured his wife another cup of coffee before exining his thoughts.


    "As for the proxy war in India, I trust you to ensure that my Generals don''t do anything foolish while I''m away. The n is simple enough, and as long as the Anangpur Infantry does their part, victory is assured. Are you aware of the current situation?"


    Linde gracefully sipped from her new ss of coffee while pondering over what she knew of the strategies that the German and Anangpur Armies would employ within the Indian subcontinent.


    "Your n is essentially to ferry the Anangpur Infantry into battle by having them ride on top of our tanks and IFVs, which will provide direct fire support and a means of cover. While you do this, you also intend to make use of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine to collect intelligence on the enemy forces and blockade their ports so they can''t receive aid from their allies in Japan.


    It''s a bold strategy, one that will undoubtedly result in a quick victory. However, it will also invoke the ire of the Japanese Empress, but since we have damning evidence of the Bengal Army''s wrongdoings in Devagiri, that should be enough to shut the bitch up regarding the matter."


    Berengar simply smiled when he heard his wife''s assessment and was quick to praise her.


    "I''m d to hear you agree with my strategy. Since you are already aware of how we will wage this war, just make sure my generals don''t do anything foolish. Okay?"


    Linde merely smirked in response to this and nodded her head.


    "Of course, you just focus on enjoying your journey. Just leave everything to me."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 971 Japanese Military Reforms

    While Berengar had been dealing with matters regarding their Byzantine Allies, Itami was hard at work overhauling her Empire from the ground up. Naturally, any significant reforms that seized power from the nobility and distributed it across the realm was not going to be a popr move.


    Until now, Itami''s Japan was essentially still a feudal state. One that had transitioned from an agrarian society to and industrial one. All of the major factories were owned by the samurai ns of old, and their workers were still the peasant ss. Nothing had really changed, except for the work that was being done.


    One could even go so far as to say that the overwhelming majority of military officers were also members of the samurai ss. This made things extremely difficult to change. Unlike Berengar who had made strives to gain the support of themoners early on. Itami had pretty much alienated that section of her poption as mere subjects whose value was determined by how they contributed to the war machine.


    Any attempt now to liberate the peasant ss could easily provoke the samurai ns who held immense financial and military power within the Empire. Because of this, Itami had to take things slowly, and designed a five year n topletely overhaul Japanese society.


    The first item on her list was to pass aw which allowed educated peasants to climb the ranks of the military. This would be a controversial move, but with enough coercian on the Empress''s part could ultimately prevent any form of insurrection that she could potentially face in theing years.


    Thus, Itami was hard at work, creating thisw. She used the light of the divine mirror to enhance her political understanding. After all, she was not the best politician, which was evident by the Empire she created. It took significant effort on her part to draftws that were any good, and something as important as this needed her utmost effort.


    After several hours she finally dropped her pen, and sat back in her leatherbound recliner in total exhaustion. She honestly could not believe how strenous such a task was on the mind. After calming her shot nerves with a bit of sake, she gazed over at the potrait of Berengar which hung proudly in her room and sighed heavily.


    She honestly did not know what the man had done to her spy, Yi Min-Ah, but Itami hade to deeply regret her decision of sending the woman over to Germany. The fact that she was discovered so quickly, meant that the Germans had an unbelivably robust intelligence organization.


    Itami had no way of knowing that it was Berengar''s divine eye that had granted him the ability to see a human being''s true intentions. If she had, she obviously would not have sent her spy deep behind enemy lines with the intentions to seduce the man.


    Thus, after signing the bill intow, Itami decided she would do everything in her power to get Min-Ah back. However, it would not be an easy task. All Itami knew about Min-Ah''s fate was she was caught in her actions as a foreign spy.


    This meant, that any appeal to Germany would be met with mockery, as her enemy would not willingly hand back such a valuable asset. Itami did not know that as far as the world atrge was concerned, Yi Min-Ah was already dead, executed on the grounds of conspiracy to assassinate the Kaiser and his Family.


    In reality, the woman had been dragged to a ck site, where she was kept for interrogation purposes. Everything Min-Ah knew about Itami and her Empire, she had given to German Intelligence, and as a result they kept her alive, butpletely confined to a padded cell.


    Any criminal who was valuable enough, or haditted heinous enough crimes to warrant a lifetime of torture, was kept in these ck sites. They were officially executed, and therefore nobody would evere looking for them. Their treatment varied upon the severity of their crimes, and their level of cooperation with the German Authorities.


    If Itami wanted to save Min-Ah''s life, then she needed to first condemn her as a traitor, and request extradition back to Japan so that she could face her punishment at the hands of her own people. Naturally, Itami did not want to do this, but it was the only way to get Min-Ah back.


    Thus she spent the next few moments drafting a formal request to the German Embassy in Beijing to hand over Yi Min-Ah to the Japanese authorities. Once she was done, Itami called upon a servant to ship the message to its destination.


    It was only after her work was done that she crawled into bed, attaching herself to her Julian body pillow. She was close to entering a deep sleep, when a knock resounded on her door, followed by a voice which she wanted nothing more than to dismiss.


    "Onee-chan. Mother has ordered the kitchen to prepare a feast for you, won''t youe down, and spend some time with your family?"


    Itami had locked herself away in her room for several days, only escaping from its confines to take care of her personal hygiene. She realized that if she stayed indoors any longer, her family, and perhaps even her subjects would be concerned.


    As a result, she instantly jumped out of her bed, with a rather irritated expression on her pretty face, before dressing in a white kimono. After doing so, she opened the door, with a frown, and red at her younger sister. The act of which frightened the girl, until Itami sighed and revealed her true intentions.


    "Very well, lead the way."


    Arge smile appeared on Momo''s face, as she hugged her sister, and stuffed her face into the ablino beauty''s substantial bosom. The very act caused Itami to flush red in embarassment, before forcing her little sister away.


    Momo responded to this aggression by tightly gripping Itami Riyo''s forearm, and dragging her off to the dining area, where their mother, Mibu Saya was waiting for the two of her girls with a drink in her hand. Upon noticing Riyo had finally climbed out of her room, Saya smiled before offering her daughter a drink.


    "Riyo, it''s good to see you, I was getting worried about you after you have secluded yourself away in your room again..."


    Itami Riyo merely sighed and sat down before epting her mother''s gesture, downing the sake like it was water before expressing her discontent with her life.


    "I''ve just been busy working Okaa-san. I am in the middle of drafting some very important reforms, and I can''t be distracted."


    Mibu Saya was a cunning woman, more than she let on. The moment she heard the words important reforms, she immediately became curious, and also protective of her precious daughter.


    "What kind of reforms?"


    Itami drank another ss of Sake as quickly as it was poured before informing her mother of her work, if there were two people in this world she did not need to hide any secrets form, it was her mother, and sister, thus she was rather carefree as she vented about her lot in life.


    "Military Reforms, it is time I ended the stranglehold overmissions that the Samurai ss has. So long as a peasant is educated, they should be allowed to rise through the ranks of the Armed Forces the same as any man."


    This remark caught Saya off guard, in fact she was deeply concerned about the impacts this would have. If one Samurai n took offense to this, which was incredibly likely, Itami could be facing a potential coup. Thus she was quick to voice her disagreement with this sudden transition.


    "Far be it from me to tell you how to run an Army, but I think that is very unwise. There are many among the nobility who see your reign as illigitimate and are looking for the first opportunity to depose you. If you step on their traditions, any moreso than you already have. They are likely to act against you."


    Itami smirked with a face full of confidence when she heard this, and responded to her mother''s warning with a hint of disdain on her face.


    "If that should happen then I would crush those rebels the same as I have done to all others. It is the dawn of a new age, and unless we reform our society, we will be left behind by the Germans and their fucking Kaiser! I will start with the military, and once I have consolidated it under my authority, then I would like to see how those damned nobles resist my will!"


    Saya could only shake her head in disagreement. Her daughter was so focused on chasing after the aplishments of the Reich, and its Kaiser, that she was starting to expect that the girl had be infatuated with the man. In the end, all she could do was cheer her daughter on as she pursued her ambitions.


    "I sure hope you are right..."


    Not long after the food arrived, and Itami, and her family enjoyed bountiful feast.


    ---


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 Chapter 972 A Union At War

    With the fall of Devagiri, and the multitude of war crimesmitted by the Bengal Army, the Anangpur Empire and by extension, their German allies now had a reason to interfere in the conflict. At this very moment, General Arnwald stood by Emperor Dharya Tomara''s side as he addressed the troops who had gathered on the border.


    "For too long, we have sat idly by and watched as the Bengal Empire conquered our neighbors. Without warning, or just cause, Emperor Asha has marched his soldiers throughout the region, and put any resistance to the sword. Today thates to an end!


    Thanks to the intelligence provided by our German allies, I havee to learn of how atrociously the Bengal Army treats their newly conquered subjects. I will not sit by any longer and wait for our borders to be invaded, nor will I bear witness to the rape of Devagiri without responding!


    As of this moment, I, Emperor Dharya Tomara, first of my name, hereby dere war on the Bengal Empire, with the intent to liberate our neighbors from the cruelty of the Bengal Army! Soldiers of Anangpur, stand proudly and act as the spear which will save India from a thousand years of darkness!"


    Those men who had the distinguished honor of serving beneath Dharya Tomara saluted their emperor after his brief speech had concluded. They stood by awaiting orders to deploy to the Battlefield.


    Dharya looked over towards his German advisor and spoke in a voice so low that nobody besides the two of them could hear it.


    "Are you sure a single armored division is enough to deal with the Bengal Army? They have been supplied and trained by the Japanese for some time now. I am worried that our numbers won''t be enough..."


    Despite the Anangpur Emperor''s concerns, Arnwald merely grinned, before speaking to the Anangpur Emperor in a casual manner.


    "My men have spent thest year training in the art of Jungle Warfare within the colonies of Adelheim. I would say there is no greater ally you could call upon in this hour of need."


    After saying this, Arnwald raised his voice and addressed the Armored Division, who sat in the background of the gathering, waiting for the fighting to begin.


    "Men of the Reich? Who are we!?!"


    Immediately, the twenty-five thousand men who were sitting back and waiting patiently jumped to attention before shouting in unison at the top of their lungs.


    "We are proud warriors of the German Empire! We fight for the glory of the fathend, and the prosperity of the German people! We serve the Kaiser and his vision with honor, loyalty, and valor above all! Second to none!"


    Having heard this chant, which was engrained in the German soldiers from the moment they graduated basic training, Arnwald smiled before epting their pledge with a simple response.


    "Second to none!"


    Having heard this, the soldiers stomped in unison before throwing up their salutes to their General who responded in kind. Once they had concluded the ritual, Arnwald turned to the Anangpur Emperor, who was standing by his side while stunned into silence, and smiled before confirming that a single division was more than enough to deal with their enemies.


    "A single division of support should be enough..."


    After witnessing such a powerful disy, the Anangpur Emperor no longer had any concerns. Thus, with a far more confident expression on his face, he gave the order to invade the Bengal upied territory.


    "Go forth and liberate India from our enemies!"


    Immediately after saying this, Dharya and Arnwald departed from the scene, returning to the safety of the Anangpur capital, where they wouldmand this campaign from afar. As for the Anangpur soldiers, they reached into their pouches and pulled out a small tube which, when opened, revealed arge collection of pills.


    As instructed by their officers, the Indian soldiers quickly swallowed one of these pills before stashing them away on their person. Once they had done this, they climbed onto the backs of the Panther Tanks, and Marder IFVs whose engines were howling upon activation.


    They had no way of knowing it, but what they had just taken was a healthy dose of methamphetamines. The moment the substance entered their bloodstream, the soldiers of the Anangpur Empire would be far more focused and far less concerned with death.


    After every avable soldier had climbed onto an armored vehicle, the army began to move forward, into the borders of the Yadava Dynasty, which was now upied by the Bengal Army.


    ---


    The Bengal Army''s discipline hadpletely copsed following the death of the Japanese Advisors. Not expecting any resistance after seizing the city of Devagiri, the soldiers of Asha''s army had taken up residence in the ruins, while digging up anything of value so that they could keep it for themselves.


    The women and girls who had survived the siege were treated as ythings by the soldiers who when they weren''t looking for treasures, took advantage of in every way they could. At the moment, there were not even any sentries protecting the borders of the city, nor were there scouts in the field keeping a lookout for a possible Anangpur Advance.


    After all, they had not expected Dharya Tomara to capture evidence of their misdeeds, and use it as an excuse to not only dere war on them, but to drag their most powerful ally into the mix. As for Asha himself, the man was sitting in a rtively intact dwelling, surrounded by a harem of the most beautiful women he had seized during his campaigns. A pipe existed in the man''s hand, which he smoked opium from. He had a fat smile on his face as he dered his thoughts about his current existence.


    "There is nothing better in this world than conquest!"


    However, the man''s peaceful state was interrupted by a sudden growl, which could be heard in the distance. Neither he nor any of his soldiers knew what this noise was, but whatever was responsible for it appeared to be closing in on his location.


    As the irritating noise became louder and louder, Asha got up from his seat and decided to investigate it. Perhaps it was sheer luck, or maybe even the will of the Gods, but the moment after he stepped out of the building, a loud thunder crackled in the air, and a 15cm shellnded upon the dwelling where the Bengal Emperor''s harem currently rested in.


    The resulting explosion turned the building into dust, and those within it into freshly ground meat. Asha had been knocked to the ground by the st which caused him to be covered in blood and debris. The Bengal Emperor had entered a state of total shock as he gazed upon the destruction, struggling to believe it was real.


    Before he could evene to his senses, the crackle of machine guns and other weapons resounded in the air, followed by the blood-curdling screams of his own soldiers who rushed out of their hiding holes and into the fray.


    What Asha saw next, was a steel behemoth,rger than any of his war elephants, roll onto the scene, nked by an entire squad of Indian soldiers. The Panzer easily crushed the meager barricade which stood in its path, and in doing so rolled over one of the Bengal Troops who could not get out of his post in time.


    The man''s screams as he was trampled to death by 45 tons of German steel would forever be engrained in the Bengal Emperor''s brain as he gazed upon the sight in total confusion. He could not help but shout as he slowly came back to his senses.


    "What the hell is that!?!"


    Before he could even understand what it was that was destroying his army, a Bengal Soldier rushed forward towards his Emperor, with his lever action rifle in hand, and fired a shot towards an oing enemy. The bullet tore through the Anangpur Soldier''s stomach, but did not halt the man in the slightest.


    With a bay attached to his rifle, and pupils so wide one might think that perhaps he had gone mad, the Anangpur soldier rushed towards the Bengal Emperor despite having blood flow out of his gut like a river.


    The inhuman tenacity of the enemy frightened Emperor Asha to his core. As the battle raged on around him, all he could see was the inches of sharpened steel which fastly approached his person. His life shing before his eyes, Asha braced for death, but it did note.


    Instead, a wave of Bengal soldiers rushed into the area at the exact moment, and fired a volley into the enemy''s body, cutting him down just before he could im the Bengal Emperor''s life. Everything had happened so fast that Asha struggled to believe this was his reality. Ultimately, it was the words of his soldiers who fiercely gripped onto his arm that woke him from his stupor.


    "Your majesty! We have to get out of here!"


    While his mind was still muddled with confusion, Asha was escorted out of the area by his soldiers, while the rest of his army crumbled beneath the union of the Anangpur and German armies.


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 Chapter 973 Rejecting A Goddess

    Transportation within the Reich had evolved tremendously since Berengar first came into contact with a supernatural being all those years ago. The journey from the Tyrolean Alps to the ck forest was a brief one. Travelling via high-speed rail before transferring to a five ton truck, Berengar was able toplete the journey in a matter of hours.


    Here in the woonds of old Germania, Berengar waspletely free from all his concerns. There were no worries that gued him regarding ongoing proxy wars with Japan, nor was he concerned about the internal development of his nation or even important matters of the state, such as managing the economy.


    Instead, the Kaiser stalked through the forests of his homnd, desperately searching for his prey. What was this prey? The Germanic Goddess of beauty and fertility, known mostmonly by the name of Freyja. Who surprisingly enough had made the ancient woonds her home.


    This was not the first time that the man had encountered a divine entity, and he was most certain it would not be hisst. However, this time was different. This time, Berengar hade alone. Perhaps it was because of his brief interaction with the goddess within the depths of his dreams, but he knew deep within his heart that Freyja meant him no harm.


    Despite walking through the vast terrain of the ck Forest, which had been named a national park via an act of Parliament. Berengar had still yet to find his target. Ultimately, the sun began to fall from the sky, and in its ce the light of the moon shone down upon the lone wanderer. As a result, Berengar had no choice but to establish camp. Which he did via a lightweight backpacking tent meant for two people.


    After eating a healthy serving of military rations, Berengar took a swig from his sk, andid down for the night, expecting to begin his search once he had woken up at the next dawn. It was only after he had finally fallen asleep that his fire extinguished itself, and a great fog had taken over his campsite.


    An alluring smile appeared on the lips of a naked redheaded beauty, who slowly walked through the camp without leaving the slightest footprint. She approached the small backpacking tent, and reached through its barrier as if she were nothing more than a spirit, silently invading the Kaiser''s retreat, and entering into his covers beside him. It was only after the goddess was clinging tightly to the man that her physique became corporeal once more.


    The sleeping face of the German Kaiser was far too tempting for Freyja to resist, and thus with a flushed expression she leaned over and kissed the man, who was entirely unaware of the goddess''s presence. After sucking on his lips for several moments, Freyja broke away and pouted, realizing that her prey had entered a deep sleep and would not easily be woken up.


    Although after several moments of thought, she thought this was perhaps a good opportunity, spurring her to reach under the covers and remove the man''s undergarments. The material was foreign to the goddess, as his shorts were made of spandex, but she did not struggle to remove them.


    It was only after Berengar''s naked body was exposed did Freyja lick her luscious lips. Just when she was about to taste her prize, the Kaiser''s mismatched eyes opened wide and gazed upon the sight of the ethereal beauty attempting to lick his cock. With a slight sigh, Berengar pushed the goddess away, and sat up, causing her to pout once more while she muttered a single phrase beneath her breath.


    "So close..."


    Berengar sighed in a simr fashion before shifting his stern gaze onto the goddess''s naked figure, which was virtually identical to his favorite wife''s, but with one exception. The Germanic runes were tattooed across her body, giving her a more primal sense of beauty than the sophisticated nature of his most beloved. With a hint of disappointment in his voice, Berengar lectured the divine woman, as if he were scolding a child.


    "I find it hard to believe that you enticed me toe all this way just so you could suck my cock. If you don''t exin your reasoning for summoning me, I will be leaving."


    Freyja had beenpletely astonished by this brief interaction with this man. There was no mortal on this who could resist her charms, and yet despite giving herself away to Berengar, he still refused to take part in her flesh.


    There was one thing she had instantly be certain regarding the Kaiser: His will was superhuman. With an alluring tone in her voice, the goddess began to exin her reasoning for summoning Berengar, no longer willing to test his patience.


    "I asked you toe here for two very important reasons. The first of which is that the God who summoned you into this world desires to speak with you in thend of ice on the day of the winter solstice."


    Berengar was stunned. For some time he had wanted to meet with the man who had brought him into this world, and gave him a second chance at life. However, he had not been able to find any trace of the divine entity.


    He had heard previously that the allfather was responsible for his transmigration, and was easily able to guess by that title that Odin was the god behind it. However, Berengar never expected the deity to be hidden away in d, a region that waspletely out of contact with the rest of the world. Hell, it was very likely that the secluded ind was entirely unaware about the power shift that Europe had undergone throughout the past decade.


    After hearing this, Berengar was certain that he would make the voyage at the appropriate time, however, after reflecting on this for a few moments in silence, he recalled that Freyja had said there were two reasons why she had summoned him, and was quick to ask about this.


    "You said there were two reasons you dragged me here. What is the second?"


    Freyja instantly licked her luscious lips in the most seductive way possible, before leaning in close to the man and whispering in his ear the words she thought for sure would break his resolve.


    "The gods have decided that I am to bear your child. What do you say, champion? Do you not desire to bring a demigod into this world?"


    Berengar was stunned when he heard this enticing offer. Who was he, a mere mortal man, to deny the will of the gods? However, he had made a promise to the woman he loved that nothing would happen between him and Freyja, and despite being overwhelmed with an intense lust at this very moment, Berengar merely sighed in defeat, and whispered back to the divine woman who was doing her best to seduce him.


    "It is a pity... Though you take the form of the woman I love, you are not her equal. In fact, you are inferior to my dear Linde in every imaginable way... I''m afraid I''m going to have to reject your request."


    A hideously twisted expression formed on Freyja''s pretty face when she heard such a brutal rejection. At first she could not believe her ears, but the stoic expression on the man''s face, and theck of a reaction from his lower body, proved that his words were true. She, the Germanic goddess of beauty and fertility, a figure whom all gods lusted after, had been rejected by a mortal man. To add insult to injury, Berengar made another statement that thoroughly outraged the woman.


    "Perhaps if you were Nerthus I might be tempted, but s, this is not the case..."


    Upon hearing this, Freyja could no longer contain her rage. With the clench of her fists, the mist in the air suddenly turned into a chilling hailstorm, which fell at such a high velocity that it tore through the protection of the tent and pelted the man who lie naked beneath.


    Blood began to pour from the wounds which had umted over Berengar''s chiseled body, but he did not make a single move. Instead, he stared down at the madwoman while she screamed obscenities at him.


    "Nerthus!?! Nerthus!?!? That old hag!?!? You desire her over me, the great Freyja? Have you gone mad!?!?! No... if it was just a matter of preference for another deity, then I would not be so enraged, but to think you dared to say that I am inferior to a mere mortal woman!?! I should hang you from the world tree with your own intestines for such a grave offense!"


    Freyja''s eyes suddenly glowed the color of frost, as an icy aura spread across Berengar''s body, and began to freeze even his own blood. Yet there was still not the slightest look of concern on his face as he patiently waited for the goddess to vent her fury. Just before his heart froze over, a loud but aging voice echoed throughout the entirety of the forest, in doing so shattering whatever power Freyja hadmanded.


    "If you dare toy your hands on my champion, I will bury you in the lowest pit of Helheim!"


    The old, but gruff, voice immediately instilled a sense of dread inside Freyja''s heart as she fell to her knees and bowed in the direction of d with reverence. With tears flowing from her eyes, the enraged goddess was practically kowtowing as she pleaded for forgiveness from the allfather.


    "Odin, I apologize. I did not mean to offend. But this mortal, he has rejected the will of the gods. Surely he needs to be punished!"


    Bitter, enraged, and hopeless, Freyja continued to bow on the floor, awaiting a proper decision from the man who stood at the peak of her pantheon. In the end, Odin''s voice was as authoritative as ever as he released Berengar from his constraints.


    "My champion is free to go. He has deemed you unfit to carry his child. If it is Nerthus he desires, then it shall be arranged at ater date."


    These words stung Freyja''s already wounded heart, but she did not dare to speak up any further. Instead, she merely red in silence at the first man to ever reject her in her entire life. Berengar cupped his hands and bowed with respect in the direction that Freyja was kowtowing too before thanking the benevolent deity for his interference.


    "I thank the Allfather for his assistance in this matter. I promise to visit you at the appointed hour. Until we meet again."


    After saying this, Berengar quickly dressed himself, and packed up his belongings before hiking his way out of the divine domain, no longer wanting to be anywhere near the enraged beauty whose gaze was filled with murderous intent.


    ---


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 Chapter 974 The Battle Of Devagiri

    Emperor Asha was dragged through the ruins of Devagiri by his own soldiers. Everywhere he turned, an armored vehicle, supported by thebined might of Anangpur and German Infantry had broken through his meagre defenses, and unleashed a killing spree upon his people.


    Still in disbelief by the sudden, rapid onught, Asha gazed towards his war elephants in hopes that they could break through these hunks of steel and tear through the enemy lines. However, as he witnessed one of his men sitting on the back of these beasts, unleash the might of his Gatling gun upon a single Panther Tank, his heart immediately imploded.


    The .45-70 bullets barely even scratched the paint job of the Panther tank, which responded to the attack by shifting its turret in the direction of the war elephant, and unleash a 7.5cm high explosive shell onto the target.


    The war elephant''s massive body burst apart, like a beached whale, as it fell over onto the ground lifeless in a pool of its own blood and guts. The sight of which had thoroughly destroyed whatever morale the Bengal Army had left in their hearts.


    Perhaps it was because copious quantities of methamphetamines fueled them, but the Anangpur soldiers rushed through the battlefield,pletely unafraid of the Bengal Army''s attacks, gunning down their enemies and running them through with bays. The zealous manner in which their Indian allies attacked the Bengals shocked even the German soldiers.


    As for the German infantry who had deployed from the interior of the IFVs, they were standing behind cover, and aiming their automatic rifles down upon the enemy, providing support to the Anangpur troops who boldly charged forward without a slightest care in the world.


    It took all of five minutes for the Bengal Army''s front lines to break, causing a massive upheaval of tens of thousands of troops who fled through the ruined city''s various districts as if the grim reaper himself was chasing after them.


    No matter what the enemy attempted, they could not damage the steel behemoths, which boldly pushed through the city''s streets, using their twin mg-27 belt fed machine guns to gun down any hostile infantry who entered their vicinity.


    The Bengal troops hid behind barricades, and attempted to fire their lever action rifles at the tanks, but to no avail. No matter how many bullets they fired at the heavily armored vehicles, they could not even dent them.


    The Panther tanks protected the less armored Marder IFVs, whose main armament was a 20mm auto-cannon which fired fiercely upon the Bengal troops, shredding through their cover, and iming their lives without mercy.


    As the second line of defense crumbled even quicker than the first, Asha had practically fainted from shock. His men continued to drag him further, and further into the interior of the city, trying to avoid the enemy armor as best as possible.


    In the end, the Bengal Emperor regrouped at the very rear of his formation, where the horses were located. One of the man''s highest ranking generals approached him and asked just what the hell was going on. Being so far removed from the front lines, he did not even know the horrors which his troops were currently facing..


    "Your Majesty, what is happening? Why are so many men fleeing towards the rear of our defenses?"


    Asha had barely managed to recover his senses and was exhausted from the long sprint. He panted heavily, as if trying to recover his wits when responding in a rtively incoherent manner.


    "No chance... We must retreat!"


    The General was stunned to hear this, and did not entirely understand the circumstances that they were facing. He shook his Emperor with an intent to wake the man out of his crazed stupor, but the looks on the faces of the soldiers who had brought the man this far into the rear lines told him everything he needed to know. Something extraordinary had urred, and the chances of the Bengal Army emerging victorious had dropped significantly.


    The Bengal Emperor was in no condition to give orders, and thus, the General looked towards the nearest high-ranking officer who had seen the front lines. The man was ghostly pale, having witnessed the steel behemoths tear their war elephants apart as if they were made of butter. When he heard the General''s shrill voice, he nearly shat himself in fear.


    "Just what the hell is going on up there?"


    After taking a moment to calm himself, the officer was quick to report what he had seen.


    "I don''t know. I''ve never seen anything like it. The Anangpur Army has advanced into the city, supported by some kind of massive steel beasts. These vehicles arepletely impervious to our weapons, and can tear apart a war elephant with a single shot.


    Most damning of all is the fact that no matter how much we fire upon the enemy infantry, they continue to advance forward, as if their wounds do not harm them in the slightest. It is utter madness. The Emperor is right; we have no chance of victory. We must withdraw from the city!"


    The sound of gunfire, explosions, and the screams of dying men filled the air. So much so that theypletely drowned out the noise of the tanks'' engines. However, one thing was certain: with each second the Bengals spent arguing about what to do, their enemies gained more ground.


    Bloodied and battered men rushed through the city, and towards the rear lines, only resting when they felt that they had gained safety in numbers. Many of them refused to believe that if they joined hands and fired upon the steel beasts all at once, that the enemy would remain unharmed.


    However, Asha knew better. Whatever the Anangpur Army had used to attack them, it was not something they could face. Perhaps not even the Japanese, with all their advanced weapons, could resist such overwhelming might.


    There was only one power in this world that the Bengal Emperor was aware of that could possibly create such machines of death. The German Empire had interfered in his conquests, but why they had done so, he did not know.


    If Asha knew that Germany had a dozen armored and mechanized divisions at their disposal, simr to the one that was assaulting them right now, he might just jump onto his own sword. But he did not know this, and instead made the assumption that Germany had deployed its full might into the region.


    However, one thing was certain: against such overwhelming might, their defenses would notst for much longer. It was impossible to know just how many men he had lost in this brief assault, but it was surely within the thousands, if not the tens of thousands.


    With a hysteric voice, the Anangpur Empire cried out to all his soldiers, themand that would see the undoing of his army.


    "Flee! Flee for your lives!"


    After saying this, the man struggled to his feet, and grabbed the nearest horse, where he was quick to mount it, and ride off away from the battlefield. His cowardly actions had happened so suddenly, that his soldiers stood there in shock for several moments in awkward silence, before finally realizing that their Emperor hadpletely abandoned them to save his own skin.


    Aftering to this conclusion, the men who had witnessed this dropped their weapons and fled from the city. As for the thousands of poor souls who were holding onto their positions with everything they had, they werepletely unaware that the bulk of their remaining forces had abandoned them. As a result, they were soon encircled by thebined might of the German and Anangpur Armies, and were thoroughly massacred.


    The Battle of Devagiri would go down in history as an absolutely masterful disy of the German Empire''s brilliant means of adapting to theirtest weapons with the most effective tactics. By the time Berengar returned home from his visit to the ck Forest, he would be met with news of the Bengal Army''s total copse.


    ---


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 Chapter 975 Run Through The Jungle

    Thebined forces of the German and Anangpur Armies did not stop its onught after surrounding and eliminating the remainder of the Bengal troops who stayed within the confines of the ruined city. Instead, they quickly marched forward, with the Anangpur Infantry hopping back on top of the panthers and marders, before riding them towards the fleeing enemy.


    Unfortunately for the Bengal Army, most of them were on foot, and against the overwhelming speed of the panther tank, modified with a superior suspension and a modern engine, they could not outrun the pursuing enemy. The Jungles were thick with the scent of blood as the German Armored division rode down and opened fire upon tens of thousands of fleeing men.


    It was as if the apocalypse had descended upon the earth, and the Bengal Army was facing the wrath of the heavens. Hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles plowed through the trees, and rained hellfire upon the enemy who desperately fled for their lives.


    Against such war criminals, there was no reprieve. Many of the men screamed for their lives as the forty-five tonne steel tanks ran them over and squashed them like bugs. The ughter continued until the sun fell, where the Germans holed up in their tanks in a defensive formation and refueled before preparing their next attack on the following morning.


    As for what little remained of the Bengal Army, they continued to run for their lives. This included Emperor Asha. He wanted to get as far away from the enemy as possible, however after so many hours of flight, his horse was exhausted, and he knew it would no longer carry him forward without rest. Thus, he had hid in a barn within the countryside of the Yadava Dynasty, hoping that the enemy, which was not far behind him, would overlook his location.


    What Asha did not know was that in the sky above, a reconnaissance aircraft had tracked his every move since he abandoned his army behind in the city of Devagiri. At this very moment, a transport aircraft was flying in the air above the barn where the Bengal Emperor hid.


    Colonel Andreas Ritter von Jaeger was standing in the cargo bay, with a Stg 32 in hand. This weapon was modelled after the Stg 44 from Berengar''s past life, but was equipped with a new prototype device. A scope was mounted on this rifle. However, this was no ordinary optic and was instead a primitive night vision device.


    The night vision scope was attached to a battery pack, which Andreas and his Jagdkommandos wore on their backs. This imaging system was based upon the WWII era Vampir, which saw service in the German Army at the end of the war during Berengar''s past life.


    There was a stoic expression on the battle-hardened veteran''s face as he ryed his orders to the squad of special operators beneath hismand.


    "Men, our orders are to capture the Bengal Emperor alive, and bring him back to the city of Anangpur where he will undergo trial. Lethal force is only authorized in the event of clear and present danger to one''s life. Otherwise, shoot to maim!"


    The soldiers beneath Andreas''mand saluted their officer before responding to his words with the battle cry that the German Armed Forces were all too well known for.


    "Hail victory!"


    Immediately after, the green light appeared within the cargo bay, and the hatch opened, allowing Andreas to jump before any of his soldiers. The rest of the men followed him shortly thereafter. Where the unit of elitemandos fell from the sky without the slightest bit of emotion on their chiseled faces.


    After deploying their chutes at an extremely low altitude, the Jagdkommandosnded in the jungle below. Utter darkness prevailed in the region, as dark storm clouds covered the light of the moon and stars. Despite this, the Germanmandos simply activated their night vision scopes, and looked through them, giving them a clear sight of their immediate surroundings.


    Once they regrouped on the ground below, Colonel Andreas led his soldiers towards the location that the Luftwaffe had marked as Emperor Asha''s hiding ce, where they proceeded to surround the building.


    ---


    Emperor Asha held onto his revolver while his hands shook with an overwhelming sense of anxiety. He had found this location only after his horse had nearly run itself to death. In fact, the only reason he dared to stop and hide within this barn, which was filled with farm animals, was because he heard the screams of his soldiers die down.


    Despite this, there was no sense of ease within the Bengal Emperor''s heart. In fact, he struggled to remain calm, as he constantly searched through the darkness, in fear that at any moment the enemy would reveal themselves.


    It was at this moment that Asha heard a slight creak near the barn''s gates, causing the man to raise his revolver and fire all six shots towards the entryway. Though his ears were ringing from firing a weapon in an enclosed space, he did not see any movement, and thus sighed in relief.


    However, in the next moment, he felt a fist collide with his face, knocking him down to the ground. A bonus to this attack was that the empty revolver fell from his hands and onto the floor, where another man secured the weapon. <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Asha screamed at the top of his lungs, but there was nobody nearby who would aid him, and even if a soldier of his army had heard his cries for help, he would not answer. After all, Asha had abandoned his army to their fate, and those few who survived the German onught would not easily forgive their leader for such a cowardly move.


    "Help! Help! I''m being attacked!"


    Despite his words, no aid appeared. Instead, this merely prompted the Jagdkommandos to behave viciously, striking their captive with their fists in order to beat the man into submission. Andreas merely sneered in disdain as he gave his captive amand with a stern tone in his voice.


    "Shut the fuck up before I cut your vocal chords!"


    As a result, Asha remained quiet and submitted to the Germanmandos, who quickly finished their task. Once the Bengal Emperor had been secured, and was no longer able to make a noise, he was thrust over a soldier''s shoulder and dragged out of the barn.


    The first part of the Jagdkommandos mission wasplete. However, unfortunately for them, this was also the easiest part. Now they needed to haul ass through the jungle, which was filled with anxiety stricken Bengal troops seeking to flee the German advance. If they were to encounter any of these men, they would be in for a firefight.


    Thus, the German Jagdkommandos began their journey to the extraction point, which was located at the Tapi river. It only took them a half a click before they made contact with a hostilepany. Deep within the jungles of India, apany of Bengal soldiers were trekking through the night. Though they could not see much, they managed to find their way through the darkness with a series of improvised torches.


    Naturally, the Germans spotted the enemy long before they could see them. Thus, they hid behind the cover of trees and bushes, while waiting for the bengal soldiers to pass. If not for their camouged uniforms, it was highly likely that the enemy would have spotted them, however under the cover of darkness the Bengal soldiers merely marched by,pletely unaware that a squad of Germany''s elite soldiers were nearby, with their Emperor as a captive.


    Asha tried to make some noise to alert his soldiers to his position, but was quickly knocked out by the Jagdkommando, who carried him. As a result, Andreas red at the man, who made a simple gesture which conveyed his thoughts.


    ''What? We were ordered not to kill the guy, but we were never told not to harm him!''


    As ifmunicating telepathically, Andreas merely nodded his head in silence, while clutched his rifle to his shoulder, continuing to aim down his sights at the passing Bengal troops in case their situation was to turn hot.


    Luckily for the Jagdkommandos, the enemies simply passed them by without notice, and only after they were out of earshot did Andreas give the order to continue moving. Before long, Andreas and his men reached the river Tapi, where a river patrol boat was waiting for them.


    The squad of soldiers tossed the Bengal Emperor on board before hopping in themselves, where the boat''s crew activated the engines, and sent them down the river and to the Bay of Khambhat. The entire time they coasted through the jungle, a soldier in Andreas''s squad sang the lyrics to Run Through the Jungle, which was a ssic rock song used by US GIs during the Vietnam War of Berengar''s past life.


    Under Berengar''s influence, the song made its way into the German Army, specifically in use by the troops under Arnwald''smand, who had spent thest year training in the art of Jungle Warfare within the German colonies of Adelheim.


    The Germanmando continued to sing the song until he and his unit had reached the safety of the German Fleet, who would provide the means to transport Asha back to the Anangpur Capital. With Asha in the custody of Dharya, and the Bengal Armypletely copsed. The war in India hade to a swift and brutal end. All that was left was to capture the remaining regions of the Indian Subcontinent under the banner of the Anangpur Empire and make one final push into the hearnd of the Bengal Empire.


    When Empress Itami Riyo finally learned of her proxy''s stunning defeat, and the implementation of tanks among the ranks of the German Army, she would feelpelled to make her own machines of war, in whatever limited capacity she could manage.


    ---


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 Chapter 976 The Will Of The Gods

    Berengar returned home as quickly as he had left. His journey was one of mixed results. While he had learned of Odin''s location, and when to meet with him. He had also somehow managed to severely piss off the goddess Freyja, who might have just be an eternal enemy of his.


    Perhaps she would get over his rather brutal rejection of her offer in time, but in his experience, women, especially the most beautiful among them, tended to hold on to their petty grudges until death.


    When Berengar finally entered his Pce, Linde was there waiting for him. She was not smiling. In fact, she appeared to be in a rather foul mood. Perhaps she did not trust Berengar to restrain himself around a literal goddess of beauty. However, before the man could defend himself, Linde merely asked him a single word.


    "Well?"


    Though it was just one word, it was enough for Berengar to feel the killing intent behind it. As if she were threatening to seriously harm him if he had broken his promise to her. Berengar merely chuckled at the petty jealousy which was exuding from Linde''s heavenly figure, and instead approached her with a smile on her face, before wrapping his arms around the woman and kissing her passionately.


    This startled Linde, who was not expecting such an intimate response, and while she was being kissed, she tried to work out in her head just what this meant. Was this the act of a guilty man, or a loyal husband who had returned from the trap of a temptress unharmed? Ultimately, Berengar''s whisper into her ears confirmed this to be thetter.


    "You should trust your master more..."


    Linde merely blushed in embarassment and looked away in shame. She had nothing to say, but the thought of her man getting it on with an actual goddess filled her with rage, especially one who was shameful enough to take her appearance. Knowing that her man had resisted such an immense temptation filled the redheaded beauty''s heart with pride.


    As the director of Intelligence, Linde''s mind quickly came back to important matters regarding his meeting with the goddess, and thus all of her shame, envy, and embarassment flooded away, and was instead reced with strict professionalism. Albeit still with a hint of spite in her words.


    "So tell me, what did the harlot want?"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this. He knew the answer would outrage Linde even more, but he decided to be honest with her. He had never hid things from the woman in the entire time they had been together, and he would be damned if he started to do so now.


    "She had two things to tell me. One is that Odin is waiting for me in d, and two, apparently the Gods, or at least her pantheon, have decided they want me to sire a demigod. It would seem that Freyja was the one chosen to do so.


    However, before you get all pissed off, just know that I rejected her. It nearly costed me my life, but I remain unsullied. Still, I''ve got to admit, I was quite tempted. Though I may have gone too far in my rejection and earned Freyja''s ire by mistake...."


    Linde''s heart was immediately filled with a variety ofplex emotions, enraged that Freyja wanted her man''s precious seed, concerned for Berengar''s safety, and curious about just what he had said to piss off the Goddess to the point where she nearly killed him. Ultimately, she could not help but ask thisst question.


    "What exactly did you say to her?"


    Berengar smiled as he dragged Linde through the hallways, and to a more secluded spot in his office, all while exining what he had said.


    "I told her she was inferior to you in every way, and that if the gods insisted on me breeding with one of their goddesses, it would have to be someone like Nerthus. Apparently, she did not take either of those two things well. If not for Odin''s interference, I would certainly be a dead man right now...."


    Linde was deeply shocked that Berengar had gone so far in his rejection. A simple no would have sufficed. Either the man had a death wish, or he was a goddamned fool. On the one hand, she was filled with joy, knowing that her man thought so highly of her. However, she was consumed with envy at the mention of Nerthus. Which was what her next question was about.


    "You''re not actually going to go through with it, are you?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard this and brought Linde into hisp as he sat down at his desk. He stroked the woman''s silky strawberry blonde hair, before confirming that if the gods did present such a gift to him, he would not reject it.


    "Who am I, a mortal man, to reject the will of the Gods? I''m sure the birth of a demigod into their pantheon must be some way for them to ensure their continued survival. It''s the least I can do to pay back all the goodwill they have shown me. After all, without the aid of Odin, I would not have ever entered into this world, where I was able to meet the love of my life.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The only reason I rejected Freyja was because she had made the foolish decision of taking your appearance. And also because I had promised you that I wouldn''t have sex with her."


    Linde merely pouted when she heard these words. After all these years, she could still behave so childishly. However, Berengar enjoyed that aspect of her character. It took some time, but in the end, Linde sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts on the matter.


    "Very well, since you owe the gods a debt, you must repay it. However, I don''t want her in your harem. This has to be a ime thing!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before petting Linde''s hair softly. He kissed her on the lips once more before whispering something in her ear that made her blush again.


    "Are you so worried that a little divine pussy is all it will take to sway my favor away from you? You should know by now that you''re my soulmate, so why are you acting so jealous all of a sudden?"


    Linde had no response to this remark and merely rested her head on her husband''s shoulder. She deeply enjoyed being called the word ''soulmate'' by her man. It was a term he had never uttered to any of his women before, and she knew that out of all of them, it was a title only she could have.


    Though Berengar loved all of his women with all his heart, there was only one woman who his soul belonged to, and that was Linde. The redheaded beauty had known this for some time, but had never heard it from her man''s lips before. Thus, at this moment, she genuinely no longer cared if Berengar hooked up with a goddess or not.


    After calming down his wife''s wrath, Berengar was quick to ask about more important matters, things he desperately wanted to know about during his brief journey to the ck forest.


    "So how goes the war in India?"


    It was only after hearing these words that Linde snapped out of her daze and regained her professionalism.


    "Better than we had anticipated. Within less than thirty minutes, the Bengal Army crumbled beneath the might of our forces. Emperor Asha fled the scene, abandoning his army to their fate. He waster captured by our Jagdkommandos and is currently being transported back to Anangpur to await his trial.


    As you had expected, the use of methamphetamines in the field greatly increased the performance of the Anangpur soldiers. Now all that''s left is to study their addiction rates, ande up with aprehensive treatment for our own soldiers.


    I estimate the war will end within a month. All we need to do is allow Dharya''s forces to upy the rest of India, and make one final assault on the Bengal Empire. Though their Emperor is captured, there are still troops in their home territory which need to be eliminated.


    As far as the Japanese are concerned, they have yet to realize that their advisors were assassinated, or the crimes that Asha''s troopsmitted in Devagiri. We might even be able to take over the entire subcontinent before that albino bitch realizes that her proxy has been utterly defeated."


    Berengar was not entirely surprised that the war was already over, or at least in any meaningful capacity. He had invented abat doctrine that even a true peer would find difficult to ovee. Bybining the advantages of German Blitzkreig at a tactical level with the Soviet Deep Battle doctrine at a strategic level and organizing his troops in a manner simr to thete WW2 US armored warfare doctrine he doubted anyone in this world would be able to defeat his military. Let alone a second-rate power whose army was operating at a technological level on par with the Victorian era.


    Thus, all the man could do was smile and nod as he made a simple statement about the grand scheme of this world''s affairs.


    "Good... Everything is going ording to the n..."


    ---


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 Chapter 977 Seeking Vengeance

    Freyja red towards the three Norn sisters, who were the masters of fate within the Germanic Pantheon. After being thoroughly rejected by the target of her desires, the goddess was not only outraged, but on a warpath, seeking a way to get back at Berengar for his most heinous of sins.


    Never before in her life had Freyja been rejected by a man. The gods of all pantheons would fight among themselves to get a chance at entering her pants. And yet, one minor emperor from the mortal ne had thoroughly disregarded her advances. It not only hurt Freyja''s pride as a woman, but as a goddess of beauty as well. If she could not seduce a mortal man, then she was undeserving of her position.


    In an attempt to seek vengeance for this humiliation, she had opted to learn more about her target. As a result, she decided to visit the various deities and supernatural being who hade into contact with the man to learn more about him, and especially his destiny.


    Wyrd gazed at the redheaded beauty, who, as if in an act of defiance, stubbornly clung to Linde''s form with a nervous expression on her cute face. No longer was the weaver of fate wearing Ad''s adolescent appearance.


    Instead, she wore the form of a teenage blonde-haired girl, with a petite and skinny figure. Her hair was tied into twintails like before, but instead of modelling them after Ad''s appearance, they were curly, and mid-length, along with center parted bangs. Her arms, shoulders, and upper chest were covered in Norse tattoos the color of blood.


    She appeared as an unnatural mixture of a na?ve, and innocent teenage girl, while still having the mature stoic expression of one who had seen the weave of fate, and understood everything that had ever happened, and would eventuallye to pass.


    Naturally, she knew why a major yer like the Goddess Freyja would be visiting her and her sisters. Thus, with a slight sigh of defeat, Wyrd was quick to give voice to her thoughts.


    "You havee to inquire about Berengar, son of Sieghard. Am I correct in this assumption?"


    A petty sneer appeared on Freyja''s pretty face as she crossed her arms beneath her hefty bosom and pouted in silence. This response was enough for Wyrd to understand the truth of the matter. She was quick to give voice to her past dealings with the man, even if she knew it would bring him some trouble. After all, though she herself had a bit of attraction to Berengar, she would rather not make an enemy out of Freyja.


    "It is true that he once came here, where I spoke with him about matters of fate. He drank from Urearbrunnr and saw that which destiny had in store for him. If you wish to do the same, then I can summon forth my well. However, not even you, as powerful as you are, can change the man''s fate."


    After saying this, Wyrd summoned forth her well, where she handed adle filled with the starry water over to the goddess Freyja. Without hesitation, the divine beauty drank down the contents of the well of fate. In doing so, she witnessed Berengar''s destiny, from birth to death, in both lives. When she finallye to her senses, she shuddered in confusion as a simple question escaped her lips.


    "How can this be possible?"


    For the first time since meeting with Freyja, a slight smile emerged on Wyrd''s lips as she taunted the goddess without fear.


    "Now you see why Odin has chosen him... Do you still wish to get your vengeance now that you know the truth?"


    The clenched fists that Freyja had arrived with suddenly loosened as her determination wavered upon learning the truth. After a heavy sigh, she shook her head, before a wicked grin appeared on the goddess''s wless face.


    "No... Now that I know the truth, I won''t harm the man. However, I suddenly have thought of a much more devious way of getting my revenge on him."


    A look of concern appeared on Wyrd''s face as she shook her head in silence. Just why did Berengar have to go and provoke a frightening entity like Freyja? However, now that the goddess had learned the truth, there was no turning back. Thus, Wyrd could only ask her to leave the world tree in peace.


    "Now that you know, you are free to leave..."


    Despite the rude tone in which Wyrd spoke to Freyja, the goddess did not take offense, and instead, with a glint of determination in her sky-blue eyes, she left the domain of the Norn sisters willingly and without incident. Only after she was gone did Wyrd manage to sigh in relief before uttering her thoughts aloud.


    "I hope he is okay..."


    ---


    Berengar lie in a muddy trench with his rifle in hand. He was dressed in thebat uniform that was currently issued to the German Jagdkommandos. However, instead of a weapon modelled after the Stg-44, he was wielding an Mpi-Kms 74N, which was the East German Aks-74N from his past life.


    As a 75mm shell erupted nearby, and the shrapnel pinged off of his steel helmet, Berengar screamed the words he never thought he would say in his life.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Die you jap fuckers!''


    Afterward, he took aim down the iron sights of his AK series rifle and squeezed the trigger with his finger just long enough to fire a three-round burst. The trio of bullets flew through the air and rapidly collided with the enemy''s torso before spewing blood and flesh across the mud below. After killing this hostile soldier, Berengar released his trigger finger and readjusted his line of sight before firing towards another oing enemy.


    It was at this moment that a chemical shell containing mustard gas erupted in his trench line, causing the men beneath hismand to spill out of the defended position and into machine gun fire in a desperate attempt to equip their gas masks. However, Berengar was too slow, and as he choked to death on the poisonous miasma, a beautiful figure appeared in his vision. Hisst dying breath was the names of the woman he longed for.


    "Linde?"


    In the next moment, everything faded into a white mist. All that remained of the previous scene were Berengar and the redheaded beauty. It was only now that Berengar realized he was dreaming. Knowing that the beauty standing across from him with a pleasant smile on her pretty face was not his wife, he threw up his hands in defeat and sighed.


    "I didn''t think you would be invading my dreams again so soon, Freyja. I find it hard to believe that you wasted so much energy just so you can apologize to me. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"


    An alluring smile appeared on Freyja''s lips as she gazed at the heavenly light that existed within their surroundings. In an instant, she closed the distance by dragging Berengar into her arms with an invisible force. Once the man was in her embrace, she vited his tongue with her own. An act that Berengar immediately tried to refuse, but suddenly realized he was powerless to do so. After Freyja finally let the man go, she whispered something in his ears that made him shudder.


    "Here, in your dreams, I am in control. If I can''t have you in the real world, then I''ll just have to visit you while you sleep. Get ready Berengar son of Sieghard, because I am going to vite you every night, until you get on your knees and beg for me to be the mother of your child! Nerthus? How dare you mention that old hag as a superior alternative to me? I will show you why I am the most desired woman in all the cosmos."


    After saying this, Freyja''s appearance shifted. She no longer took the form of Linde, but instead her appearance was that of a golden-haired tattooed beauty who was so remarkable that even Berengar could not resist her charms.


    With the snap of her fingers, both Berengar''s clothes, and her own disappeared, meanwhile the two of them appeared within a peaceful meadow that Berengar could only surmise was Folkvangr, the legendary hall of Freyja, an afterlife for half of those who died on the battlefields.


    In the next moment, Freyja, and Berengar were transported inside of a longhouse, where a bed filled with furs was waiting for the two of them, meanwhile a fire was zing in the center of the house, whose warmth spread to every corner of the building.


    Berengar could not say a thing, as if an overwhelming force was restricting him from doing so. He had no choice but to y along with the will of the goddess, who dragged him onto the bed and stuffed his face into her wless twat.


    As much as the man wanted to resist, he could not do so, instead he was forced to lick at Freyja''sher regions for what appeared to be a lifetime. Bringing her to climax on his face, over and over again.


    Perhaps Freyja had enjoyed herself too much during this time, because for the briefest of moments Berengar felt her control over him fade, which he used to teach her a valuable lesson, As she was squirting from the skill of his tongue, Berengar repositioned the goddess, and stuffed her tight twat with his massive cock. An act of which caught her by surprise. She immediately called out and tried to stop the man, but hermands no longer worked.


    "Stop! Please... You aren''t supposed to..."


    However, Berengar ignored the woman''s request, and pulled tightly on her long braided hair while ramming her as hard and fast as he could.


    "You think you can take advantage of me while I''m asleep?! I''ll show you just how much of a man I am! By the time I''m done with you, you will being to my dreams every night just to worship me!"


    Thus, Berengar had taken control of the situation, and within this dream where time and space were what one made of it, Berengar fucked Freyja in every position he could manage for what seemed like a hundred lifetimes. In the end, he awoke with a fat smile on his face. One which his women would not understand when they saw it.


    As for Freyja, when she awoke within her divine domain, she felt vited. What was supposed to be an act of vengeance against the man who had rejected her had turned into the man''s personal pleasure system. Out of all her years as a goddess of fertility, she did not believe that she had been ravaged so ruthlessly, and for so long.


    Though she gritted her teeth in rage, thinking about how to teach the man a lesson the next time he fell asleep, there was something engraved in Freyja''s beating heart that she did not yet realize. An unhealthy obsession for the man who rejected her.


    ---


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 Chapter 978 Ready When You Are

    Berengar awoke the next morning in the arms of his wife, Yasmin, and his concubine, Priya. Though Yasmin had always struggled to embrace the idea of sharing her man in bed. She had taken charge as a motherly figure of the young Indian Princess, and by extension had guided her through the art of lovemaking.


    As a result, whenever he shared his bed with Yasmin, Priya was insistent on joining in. There was a wide smile on Berengar''s face, and for the first morning in over a decade, he had woken up without pitching a tent in bed.


    This fact surprised Yasmin, who was well ustomed to relieving her husband''s condition every morning that they woke up together. With a mocking expression on her pretty face, Yasmin made a joke at Berengar''s expense.


    "You''re getting old..."


    At first Berengar did not know what the woman was talking about, but when he looked down beneath his covers and realized that he waspletelyid, he felt the need to exin that he had just endured a hundred lifetimes of rough sex with a literal goddess in his dreams. However, after thinking about this for several moments, he realized how insane this sounded and thus did not disclose the reason behind his morning impotence.


    When Priya finally awoke a few secondster, there was a look of excitement on her face, as she was prepared for the morning ritual that happened every time she woke up by the Kaiser''s side. However, upon gazing at the man''s current state for a few seconds in confusion, she began to pout as she questioned whether Berengar was alright.


    "Why is it so soft? Are you alright? Do I need to fetch a physician?"


    Berengar had never felt sopelled to p a woman in his life until this moment. However, he restrained the urge to do so, and forced a smile before responding to the woman''s question by turning her against her mentor.


    "Yasmin already took care of it while you slept. You snooze you lose, my sweet Priya!"


    A look of offense appeared on Priya''s young and na?ve face as she glowered at Yasmin for stealing her morning''s fun. Yasmin merely smirked in response. She did not deny her husband''s statement despite it being patently false, and instead remained silent on the subject. However, her amused expression caused the young Indian Princess to misunderstand, and as a result, the girl simply pouted.


    Upon witnessing all this, Berengar merely chuckled before climbing out of bed and getting himself dressed for the day. After taking a bath and eating his breakfast, the Kaiser returned to his office, where he undertook his daily burdens of paperwork, wondering the entire time whether Freyja would actually visit his dreams again, now that he had taught her a lesson.


    ---


    The War in India Progressed smoothly. As the days passed, the German Armored Division, along with the Anangpur Army, strolled through the Indian subcontinent as liberators, cing the Anangpur Banner across every town and city they passed through.


    After the cruelty of the Bengal Army and their upation. Much of the local inhabitants were happy to see the Anangpur troops rece their previous rulers. Unlike their Bengal counterparts, the Anangpur Army, along with a German engineering brigade attached to the division, helped reconstruct many of the towns that had suffered in the fighting against the Bengal invasion.


    At the very least, they repaired critical structures like roads, wells, irrigation systems, etc. Though the pale-skinned foreigners initially frightened many of the vigers, their acts of kindness in support of the reconstruction effort gained them a reputation of kindness and generosity. One which would spread far beyond the borders of India.


    The 12th Panzer Division continued to steamroll through the continent, splitting up into smallerbat brigades to cover more ground as swiftly as possible. Fighting was virtually non-existent after the Battle of Devagiri, as the overwhelming majority of Bengal soldiers had stripped out of their uniforms and abandoned their equipment, before fleeing to the borders of the Bengal Empire disguised as civilians.


    Those who were intelligent enough merged in with the viges of Central India, knowing that their homnd was doomed. With Emperor Asha''s disgraceful defeat, and theplete and total copse of the Bengal Army, there was not a slightest chance that what little troops remained in the homnd could defend against the overwhelming power of the German Army.


    Currently, within the Anangpur Empire''s capital. Emperor Dharya Tomara stood beside General Arnwald Gerwig as the two men discussed their absolute victory. Dharya''s youthful face was no longer filled with the creases of unecessary worries.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    In fact, after smashing through the enemy''s lines and crushing their entire army in a single battle, he felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from his heart. So much so that he looked as if he had lost five years of age on his face. For the first time since he had be Emperor, Dharya felt truly thankful to Berengar, and after having one too many imported beers, he said something that he probably shouldn''t have.


    "When you finally return to Kufstein, inform the Kaiser of my thanks, and tell him he can have my sister if he really wants..."


    Arnwald chuckled when he heard this. Even though he had been outside of the fathend for the past year. If the Priya truly desired to be intimate with Berengar, then they were already likely involved in a rtionship. Thus, he could not help but make a joke at Dharya''s expense.


    "You want me to tell the most powerful man in the world, a man who sent a single division of his armed forces to crush your enemies, that he has your permission to fuck your sister? Since when did he need your permission to do anything? I''ll convey your message, but don''t be surprised if it offends him."


    It was as if a bucket of cold water had washed over Dharya''s head as he heard these words. He now felt foolish for suggesting such a thing. With a bitter smile on his face which exemplified his embarassment the Anangpur Emperor muttered under his breath just loud enough for Arnwald to hear him.


    "On second thought, you can forget I said anything...''


    Though Dharya did not know how many armored divisions the German Army had avable, he knew it was more than one, and one was all that was needed to end his reign. After a bit of curiosity, Dharya could not help but inquire about the exact number of troops the German Army had in its service.


    "So, how many Panzer divisions do you guys actually have at your disposal?"


    Arnwald did not mind sharing such details with Dharya. It was not like this was ssified information. After taking a sip from his beer, he smirked with arrogance before responding to the man''s question.


    "We have roughly two dozen Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions at the moment. Each with about 12,000 men and roughly 561 armored vehicles. The tanks that were used in this campaign are of an older design. The newest models that are being released have improved main guns, superior turrets, and infrared optical systems, allowing our tank crews to see in the dead of night.


    In fact, once this war is over, the tanks that have taken part in this conflict will be shipped back to the Fathend to be retrofitted with the newest improvements. As you may already be aware, the Kaiser is preparing for war with the Japanese, and he wants the best equipment he can field in the hands of our soldiers.


    In case Berengar hasn''t already told you, we expect your support in the war. Maybe not fighting on the front lines, but in terms of logistics, we will call upon you when the appointed hour arrives. You can consider it a down payment on the debt you owe us..."


    Dharya remained silent as he took another swig of his beer, while gazing off into the setting sun through the windows of his pce. He knew sooner orter Berengar would call upon him for his uing war with Japan, and had been doing everything he could to prepare for it.


    After witnessing the results of a single Panzer division in action. The Anangpur Emperor couldn''t help but feel sorry for the Japanese. They had foolishly provoked a truly fearsome opponent. With a single sentence, Dharya responded to Arnwald''s ims.


    "I am ready when you are..."


    ---


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 Chapter 979 The Fate Of The Golden Horde Part L

    Khorijin sat in silence within the darkness of her cold cell in the city of Constantinople. She had not seen the light of day for some time. Despite this, she was rather content with her situation. By the warning the spirits had given her, she assumed that by now her purity would have been tarnished by her captors. Instead, they treated her to three square meals a day, a nice cot with proper coverings, and a proper chamber pot, as well as a bronze tub to bathe herself in.


    The fact that she was being treated so well, despite being a prisoner of war, was something that truly astounded the young woman. It was, in fact, the orders of Prince Alexandros that had caused her and herrades to be cared for with such humanity.


    Currently, the Turko-Mongol Princess was meditating, listening to the winds, hoping that she could catch a glimpse of the spirits and their infinite wisdom. However, since she had been taken captive, the spirits had gonepletely silent, as if the defeat of her brother marked the end of their support for herself and her people. With a heavy sigh, Khorijin expressed her sense of defeat in silence.


    In the next moment, the sound of the doors to the dungeon being opened echoed throughout the cold and dark corridor. In doing so, Khorijin straightened her back, and waited for the unknown visitor to arrive.


    As she had expected, the boy Prince who first oversaw her captivity hade to speak with her again. Though she continued her strict vow of silence, the boy would reveal his thoughts to her, and in a way the two of themmunicated without a proper exchange of words.


    However, this time, Alexandros was not alone. Instead, a tall, and handsome blonde man, who wore a far more extravagant uniform, stood by his side. Under the illumination of the candlelight, Khorijin caught a glimpse of Berengar''s mismatched eyes, and could not help but voice her surprise aloud.


    "The Golden-eyed man..."


    This caused Berengar''s brow to raise slightly, whereas Alexandros reacted in shock. Since he had taken the beautiful mongol woman as a prisoner, she had not once said a word. Yet upon witnessing his father in the flesh, a peculiar expression emerged on the woman''s face, one that was riddled with dread, along with a chilling yet alluring voice. One he did not expect the princess to have.


    A third man stood by Alexandros'' side, a man Khorijin was all too familiar with. This man was the trantor who converted the greek tongue into the mongol one. However, Khorijin''s eyes were not focused on this background figure, and were instead ring at Berengar as if she were his worst enemy. With a confident smirk on his face, Berengar gazed down upon the woman in front of him, and introduced himself to her.


    "My name is Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, Ruler of the German Empire. My son here has told me that you are an important figure within the Golden Horde. Is this true?"


    These words were tranted into the woman''s native tongue, where she reacted by looking away, not willing to dignify this question with a proper response. As for Berengar, he remained stoic and motionless. Gazing upon the woman''s beauty with a hint of admiration in his eyes. In the Reich, there were plenty of beautiful women, their looks enhanced by the high grade cosmetics that were produced within the Empire''s interior.


    However, it was rare for such a primitive woman to appear so lovely, and yet so barbaric at the same time. Among Berengar''s current lovers, only one was remotely martial in any way, and that was the Aztec Princess.


    Most of Berengar''s women were living dolls who appeared as is they were sculpted from the finest jade. Tlexictli, on the other hand, was an example of what a woman could be when she trained her body for the sole purpose of warfare.


    Yet, Khorijin was a fine bnce between the two types of beauty. She was athletic, and fit, but not overly muscr. While at the same time, she was refined and soft in all the ces that mattered. A true barbarian princess, if he had ever seen one.


    Khorijin understood the way Berengar was looking at her, and could not help but bite her lower lip in frustration. The spirits said this man would consume her. She could only assume this meant that he would take her purity and treat her as his ything.


    Judging by the way the man introduced himself, the iron eagles who rained volcanic fire upon her people belonged to him. If she dared resist, her fate would be worse than death. Yet to be nothing more than a sex ve to this man was a dishonor and humiliation she would never endure.


    The Turko-Mongol beauty was about to bite her tongue off in an attempt to end her own life, when Berengar''s words caught her by surprise.


    "Release this woman, have her bathed, and dressed in the most extravagent attire you have avable. Then bring her to the dining hall so that she can enjoy a nice, fresh meal. I''m disappointed in you, boy, treating a princess in such a rough manner. She deserves better."


    Alexandros was stunned by the mongol beauty''s identity. He knew that she was important, but for her to be the princess of the Golden Horde, he did not expect it. As for Khorijin, she gazed upon the golden eyed man with caution.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Though his actions sounded benevolent, she was certain that it was a trick. Ultimately, it was the humble bow of the Byzantine Prince''s head which convinced her to y along with Berengar''s games.


    "I''m sorry father, I did not know.... I will make sure she is well taken care of.''


    After saying this, Alexandros ordered the guards to release Khorijin and for the maids to take make sure she was properly bathed and groomed. Meanwhile, Berengar took the boy back to the dining hall, to have a private chat with him while he waited for the Mongol Princess''s arrival.


    Alexandros bowed his head respectfully to his father at the dinner table, while silence prevailed within the room. It wasn''t until Berengar finally spoke that the boy jumped to attention.


    "During the siege of Constantinople, you, a boy no older than ten, not only took charge of the City''s security, by quelling the riots in a timely manner without shedding unecessary blood. But you alsomanded the city''s defenses, allowing enough time for the Luftwaffe to arrive so that they could save you from the Golden Horde.


    In doing so, you not only brought peace to the city, but secretly eliminated the political backing of your rivals so that they will pose no threat to your ascension when the timees for you to be crowned emperor of Byzantium.


    To say I''m impressed is an understatement, the fortitude you disyed during a time of crisis, as well as the fact that you took advantage of every opportunity which presented itself to you while under immense pressure. I must say even the most veteran of rulers would fail to live up to your results.


    If your brothers disy half the capability that you have shown here when they finallye into their own thrones, then perhaps our dynasty may be able to create a better world after all. Well done Alexandros, you have made me proud to be your father, and you have my utmost thanks for protecting your mother and siblings when I could not."


    Berengar seldomplimented his children in such a way. In fact, he was a very strict parent, one who believed only the best results should receive praise. Alexandros hadpeted for years with all of his brothers for his father''s affection, and yet in all that time the man had never spoken to him in such a manner before today.


    To suddenly receive such words from his father, who he deeply admired, brought tears to the boy''s eyes. But knowing how Berengar felt about men crying, the boy quickly wiped them away before wearing a stoic expression. He bowed his head respectfully to the man and spoke the words contained within his heart.


    "You do not need to praise me so dearly father, I only did what was necessary..."


    Berengar''s lips turned into a smile when she saw the boy conquer his emotions before ultimately humbling himself before his father. A lesser child would be basking in the praise he was just given, which if not corrected could negatively affect his ego. Yet Alexandros was not a lesser child. Ultimately Berengar praised the boy once more.


    "There are times when a man must be humble, but there are also times when he should take pride in his achievements. What you aplished here in Constantinople was truly remarkable. You do not know it yet, but your actions have changed the course of the Byzantine Empire''s fate.


    For the first time in many years, the people of Byzantium have hope. Hope of a better tomorrow. The actions of your grandfather, and his errant sons over these past few years have ruined this Empire, and yet in the darkest hour a young boy rose to the assion and saved Constantinople.


    This selfless act has restored the people''s faith in the monarchy. As a result when the time finallyes for you to wear your crown, you will have the support of the people, and that is a powerful weapon in the world of poltics."


    Alexandros finally allowed himself to smile as he looked up at his father''s proud gaze. He silently vowed to remember the words that were spoken by the man on this day for the rest of his life.


    ---


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 Chapter 980 The Fate Of The Golden Horde Part Ll

    Shortly after speaking with his son in private, Berengar noticed the arrival of the Turko-Mongol Princess. No longer was she dressed in such simple attire, which was covered in furs. Instead, she wore a fine red and gold dress in the fashion that was popr in Austria.


    The high heels which adorned Khorijin''s precious feet were a cause for concern, as the woman struggled to walk in them properly. Despite her fumbling about, Berengar''s eyes could not escape the woman''s face. The minor amount of makeup which had been applied amplified her beautiful, Asiatic features.


    Alexandros could tell by the look on his father''s face that he might have just identally set the man up with his next lover. He could not help but sigh in defeat as he gazed with envy upon the man who had so many beautiful women by his side.


    Seeing that Khorijin was having a difficult time moving within her new shoes, Berengar rose to his feet, and offered to escort the woman to the table.


    "Please, allow me to assist you..."


    Despite his polite tone, Khorijin red upon the man, expecting him to have arranged this whole thing just so that he could look good in her eyes. Even with this cynical nature, she had to admit she did not want to walk the distance without the support of someone else. Thus, she sighed internally before epting the man''s gesture.


    Berengar led the Turko-Mongol princess over to her seat, where an empty porcin te and some fine silverware were waiting for her. Khorijin was honestly surprised that such valuable substances were being used to eat with.


    When she had finally settled down, the Byzantine Pce''s kitchen staff brought out some choice dishes, which had been prepared during the woman''s absence. Despite being treated rtively well during her captivity, it had been a long time since Khorijin had eaten anything besides basic German field rations. Though they tasted better than anything she had ever eaten in her life, she had to admit nothing beat a nice, fresh cooked meal.


    While being overwhelmed by the alluring aroma, Khorijin was still ever vignt, worrying that perhaps Berengar had drugged her food. When Berengar saw this, he sighed, before ordering for their tes to be switched. It was only after she was eating the meal reserved for the Kaiser that Khorijin began to dig in. Berengar allowed the woman to eat for some time before surprising her with an interesting bit of information.


    "Princess Khorijin, that is your name, isn''t it? I must say, you are nothing quite like how I imagined you would be. Tell me, now that the Khan is dead, and your people have routed. What are your ns for the future?"


    Khorijin debated whether or not she should break her vow of silence within her own mind, while ring at Berengar in an attempt to get a gauge of his character. Seeing how the woman still did not wish to speak, Berengar sighed before revealing his thoughts to the woman.


    "I once had a field agent, erm... I suppose the closest thing your people have to this would be a scout. This man was a father and a loyal husband, but most of all he was a man who served the crown with his entire heart. I had sent him on a ssified operation that involved spying on your people, among other ndestine activities.


    In the end, the Golden Horde caught him, and brutally tortured the man until hisst breath. Though his body was recovered, where he was buried with full honors, I must admit that I have never been able to properly avenge him. At least not in any capacity that would do his exemry service justice.


    So Imagine my surprise when your brother, the newest Khan of the Golden Horde, attacked the Byzantine Empire. A nation with which my realm has a military alliance with. I must say, I have your brother to thank for giving me the perfect opportunity to finally put J��rgen Speck''s spirit to rest.


    It was simple, really. All I needed to do was wait for you all to converge on Constantinople, where I deployed my bombers to wipe them out with a single coordinated strike. Now that J��rgen has been avenged, as well as my soldiers who fought your people in Pnd all those years ago, I can say that I have no animosity towards you, or what remains of your horde.


    However, just because I hold no grudges against you does not mean that the Byzantines and Georgians will be so forgiving. They will demand more blood than has already been spilled, as well aspensation for your horrific acts. So, I genuinely want to know, what are your ns?


    Will you go back to thends which your people have roamed for centuries and rebuild your strength? Because I warn you, the world had changed deeply thesest few years in a way which you nomads can neverpete with.


    Or will you try to settle yournds properly in an attempt to create an actual civilization instead of your society of over-glorified raiding tribesmen? Perhaps you will simply abandon your people to their fate and flee to the east in an attempt to live the remainder of your days peacefully. A noble choice for a princess of a defeated nation, but one I believe will be difficult to achieve..."


    Khorijin honestly hadn''t thought of what she would do after her brother was defeated, and she was captured. She figured her life would essentially be that of a ve. As for her people, they would be on their own. The fact that Berengar was asking these questions made it seem like she had a choice in the matter. Thus, she was finallypelled to break her vow of silence and pose a question to her captor.


    "Am I not your captive? What does it matter what I intend to do?"


    Berengar gazed at the women with a questioning look on his handsome face. He made a simple gesture, pointing to the woman''s wrists, before smiling and speaking in a polite tone.


    "Do you feel like a captive? I have freed you from your bondage. You are no longer in a cell, and here you are eating at my table. How is that the life of a captive? Say the word, and I will help you return to yournds safe and sound. Though I wonder if a life herding sheep is truly what a woman of your caliber deserves..."


    Khorijin eyed Berengar with a suspicious gaze. She could not help but ask a second time whether or not she was truly a prisoner.


    "I am free to go?"


    Berengar maintained his smiling and polite facade as he nodded his head before speaking once more.


    "If that is what you desire... Though, I have a counterproposal if you are willing to hear it..."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    This statement made Khorijin even more suspicious of the man''s intentions. But she was certain if she did not hear him out, then he really would take her as a prisoner. Thus, she nodded her head in silence, signalling for the man to continue, which he quickly did.


    "To put it simply, thends that you already upy are rich in minerals and resources that you have yet to discover. If you were to build an actual civilization in yournds, it would be a thriving state within the next hundred years. What you need is investment and I can provide that for you.


    If we go with this n, your people who have been rounded up and captured will be freed and deported back to thends which your tribes upy. I will make sure both the Kingdom of Georgia and the Byzantine Empire take no reprisals against you or your people, under the condition that you promise to pay them back tenfold in reparations for the damage you have caused. You do not need to repay them immediately, but will be given a span of fifty years to fulfill the terms of our treaty.


    I will allow you to reign as Queen of this mighty Kingdom. After all, your brother left no sessors, and all the mighty warriors within your horde are now nothing more than ashes on the steps of Constantinople. With my assistance, I will help you build a wealthy and semi-modern state."


    This offer sounded too good to be true, and Khorijin was quick to realize that Berengar left out just what he got out of this deal. Thus, she immediately inquired about this fact.


    "And what exactly do you get out of this treaty? You mentioned what I will obtain from it, and what your allies shall receive. Yet, you have not spoken a word about what I will have to pay you in return for your generosity..."


    A slight smile carved itself upon Berengar''s face as he nodded his head before voicing his approval.


    "You''re smart, I figured as much, but it''s good to see you''re not some na?ve little princess, otherwise my ns will most certainly won''te to fruition. I''ll be honest with you, I will get several things of importance from this treaty.


    First, I gain a powerful ally, one who can keep the Caucasus under control for me. Two, I have a new and wealthy trading partner, one who can easily spread my goods across Asia from the trade routes I don''t currently have ess to.


    Three, I want exclusive mining rights to the territory which your Kingdom will be founded upon for a fixed period of one hundred years. And finally, thergest demand I will make of you will be that you will carry my child, who will be your sole heir. Though thisst point doesn''t need to happen until you feelfortable with the idea. I''m a patient man. I can wait a few years for you to develop feelings for me."


    Khorijin did not react with the slightest bit of shock, which honestly surprised Berengar. Instead, she merely scoffed. She knew since she first set eyes upon Berengar that he would "devour her". It was just as the spirits had said.


    However, she assumed the man would take her by force and make her his ything. Instead, he was offering to crown her as a queen, and only enter her bed when she approved of it. Compared to what she initially expected, this was a far more favorable situation.


    The Turko-Mongol Princess also knew that this was likely the only chance her people had for survival. They were already in a dire situation when Chagadai marched the Horde to the Byzantine Empire. Their goal was to permanently settle down and build an empire off the spine of the Romans.


    Why would they attempt such a thing? Because they truly believed theirnds were a barren wastnd. Yet ording to this man, whose knowledge, and might far surpass what Khorijin had ever expected, they were actually rich in natural resources.


    Knowing this, how could Khorijin possibly let her people fade away into the pages of history? After several moments of serious contemtion, she nodded her head and sighed heavily before agreeing to Berengar''s terms.


    "Very well... I ept your terms. If you can really do as you im, I won''t mind taking such a capable man as my husband..."


    A smile emerged on Berengar''s lips as he nodded his head with a hint of joy on his face.


    "Good, I am d to see you are as wise as I expected you to be. Please, enjoy your meal, if there is anything you need in theing days, you need only ask and I shall provide it to you. I''m afraid I have another meeting that I must attend, so if you will excuse me..."


    After saying this, Berengar tidied himself up before departing from the room. Leaving Khorijin alone with Alexandros. There was a curious expression on the boy''s face, one that immediately drew the Turko-mongol princesses attention. After being stared at for so long, Khorijin spoke in a bit of irritation.


    "What is it?"


    Alexandros had an innocent expression on his face, one that a boy who had just recently purged his political rivals was not supposed to have. He raised his brow before posing a question that Khorijin thought she would never hear.


    "Do I have to call you mommy now?"


    The mongol beauty nearly spat out blood when she heard this remark. Instead, she simply choked on the water she was sipping on. Ultimately, after calming herself down, Khorijin did not dignify the childish question with a response, rather she continued to eat her meal in silence.


    ---


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 Chapter 981 Paving The Way

    Vetranis stood upon the docks of Constantinople. Though he had just returned to the capital of his Empire after campaigning against the Saracens in the south. His vision was drawn away from the pce where his family lie in wait for him, and to the area immediately outside the Theodosian walls.


    The vibrantndscape which had for centuries weed visitors to the grand city of Constantinople was now a scorched wastnd of ash and dust. The Theodosian walls themselves were undergoing reconstruction efforts after the damage they had received during the siege.


    Unlike what the aging emperor expected, there was not an immediate greeting by Padius, or the men of his royal guard. Instead, a group of German Marines were standing at the docks with instructions to escort Vetranis back to his family''s home.


    The sight of this immediately made the man concerned, but he decided not to resist. Having witnessed the power of the German military first hand against the Saracens, he could easily guess that such an overwhelming disy of force is what defeated the golden horde, if that was the case any resistance to the Kaiser''s will was a futile effort.


    After being escorted to the Byzantine Pce by the German Marines, Vetranis found himself forced into a small room, where nothing but a table and a set of chairs awaited him. Seated upon one of these chairs was the Kaiser himself, who seemed to be sipping from a cup of coffee with a satisfied expression on his face. When Berengar noticed Vetranis''s arrival, he did not stand to greet the man, but rather gave him amand, as if the Byzantine Emperor was his subordinate.


    "Sit..."


    Vetranis did as he wasmanded, and waited for the Kaiser to speak his thoughts, knowing that any attempt on his part to defend himself would only enrage Berengar who continued to sip on his coffee for several moments of awkward silence before finally informing the Byzantine Emperor on just what had transpired during his absence.


    "It is quite a thing to march into the Levant with a half-baked army, expecting to sacrifice yourself in a vain attempt to defeat your enemies. If not for your daughter''s pleas, you would be a dead man, and your Empire a ruin. I don''t know what you were thinking, but you have Alexandros to thank for the very survival of this city."


    This statement caused Vetranis to raise his brow in suspicion. He could not fathom what role the young prince had yed in the city''s defense, and thus could not anticipate the story Berengar was about to tell him. Before he could ask any questions, the Kaiser continued his tale in a rather mocking tone.


    "While you were off seeking your own death, a riot had broken out in Constantinople. Your sons hid behind their mother''s skirt while the city burned in the background. It was Alexandros who tookmand of the situation and quelled the riots without shedding any unecessary blood.


    He then seized control of the city''s garrison and established a proper line of defense against the golden horde. Just long enough for my reinforcements to arrive and annihte them. The boy fought a hard battle and came out on top. He is to bemended for his efforts, don''t you think?"


    Vetranis said nothing, instead he slightly nodded his head just enough to convey his understanding of Berengar''s intentions. Upon seeing this, the Kaiser smiled before speaking of other matters.


    "As for the Golden Horde, their army was burnt to ashes, and their khan along with them. Only their princess and a few thousand followers remain. I have negotiated with the Princess Khorijin, and promised her people safe passage back to theirnds, under the condition that they pay you, and the Kingdom of Georgia back tenfold for the damages they caused over a fifty-year period.


    In addition, the Jyirid and Mamluk Sultanates have been weakened to a state which matches your own. For the next few decades, they will not be a problem. You can now rebuild in peace. When the timees for Alexandros to seize his throne, he will lead his armies in a conquest of these pests, so that they kneel beneath the banner of Byzantium once and for all.


    Now that I have solved all your problems for you, is there anything you wish to say to me, father-inw?"


    ? Vetranis bowed his head with humility. He faced the German Emperor as if he were a lesser man before responding to the Berengar''s question with an overwhelming appreciation on his weathered face.


    "Thank you, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, for once again aiding my family''s Empire in our time of need. I don''t know how I can ever repay you for what you have done, but I will make sure the court does not cause any petty squabbles once your son seeds me."


    Berengar simply scoffed when he heard this response before lecturing the man about the current state of his court.


    "You won''t need to worry about such a thing. That boy is a far more shrewd politician than I gave him credit for. It seems he has taken my lessons to heart. To put it simply, there is nobody left in your court who will cause Alexandros any trouble when he takes the throne." <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    A look of confusion spread across Vetranis'' face when he heard this, before questioning how this was possible. Never in a million years would he suspect a boy as young as ten to be so ruthless as to purge his political opposition and me it upon the rioters.


    As for Berengar, he had an exceptionally proud smile on his face, but despite this, he told Vetranis the official story that Alexandros had concocted to cover his tracks, rather than the truth of the matter.


    "It would appear that ack of faith in the monarchy and the aristocracy in general is what motivated the rioters. Before my son could fully mobilize what little forces he had to quell the unrest, many of these men took it upon themselves to break into the homes of the wealthy elite and murder their families in cold blood.


    Coincidentally enough, it just so happened to appear that the majority of these aristocrats who were killed belonged to the factions which acted against our interests. Thus, as it stands now, your court is united for the first time in a very long time."


    Vetranis knew this was no mere coincidence and suspected that Berengar himself was behind these murders. It never would have dawned on him that it was the boy Alexandros, not his father, that had ordered the deaths of his political rivals.


    Still, even if the Byzantine Emperor expected his German counterpart of foul y, he would never openly use him of such a thing. The difference in power between their two realms was as vast as the distance between heavens and the earth.


    Upon recognizing this, Vetranis chose to remain silent, knowing that a petty matter like this wasn''t worth pursuing. Instead, the Byzantine Emperor had one question on his mind, which he was quick to give voice to.


    "Just what do we do now?"


    A slight smirk appeared on Berengar''s face as he finished what little coffee remained in his cup before responding to the man sitting across from him.


    "Now you rebuild. At least as best as you can. Ultimately, it will be Alexandros, not you, who restores the glory of the Romans. Oh, by the way, you should work on finding a proper fiancee for the boy. If you wish, I can arrange for a nice German Princess to marry him. Or you can betroth someone from one of your noble houses to the boy.


    Did Arethas not leave behind several small children? By now, they should be of a simr age to my son, if not a bit older. Perhaps my old friend''s daughter would be the most appropriate bride for Alexandros. What do you think?"


    Vetranis thought about this question for several moments in silence before nodding his head in agreement. Though he did not promise Berengar anything, instead he responded with a simple notion.


    "I will look into it. If Arethas'' daughters are unwed, then we can see fit to betroth one of them to the boy. If not, we will have to look elsewhere. Is that all you needed me for? If so, I would very much like to speak with Padius about some important matters of state."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before motioning for Vetranis to leave.


    "You may leave now, go and rebuild..."


    With this brief meeting, Vetranis had regained his purpose as a ruler, even if it was only to pave the way for his grandson''s eventual coronation. Thest thing the man wanted was for his sessor to inherit a state on the edge of copse. Thus, with all of their enemies beaten into submission, the next few years would be a time of reconstruction within the Byzantine Empire.


    ---


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 Chapter 982 Brutal Retaliation

    A young Korean boy in his adolescent years clutched the stock of his Mp-3008 submachine gun to his shoulder. His arms were shaking from anxiety as he aimed down the barrel towards the face of a middle-aged man who was pleading for his life and that of his family.


    Cha Jong-Su had been a member of the Joseon Resistance for some time now, narrowly avoiding a cruel fate at the hands of the Japanese Army by virtue of being a young child. In fact, he hadmitted many attacks against the Japanese upiers over the past few months, and had gotten away with them all.


    Now, under the orders of their German backers, Jong-Su and his squad of insurgents had invaded the home of Princess Yi Min-Ah''s adopted family, and taken them hostage. All across the Korean Penins, attacks on coborators and their families were taking ce as an act of revenge against the Japanese Empress for sending a potential assassin into the home of the Kaiser.


    Hwa Jin-Sang was a middle-aged man who was a wealthy merchant within the southernmost tip of the Joseon Dynasty. For many years, he had ties to the Royal Family, and as a result, was selected to be the foster father of Yi Min-Ah when she was just a little girl.


    He did not know why his family was being targeted by the Joseon Insurgents, as he was entirely unaware of his daughter''s misdeeds. In fact, he himself had supported the rebels'' cause by aiding them with intelligence on the Japanese Army, and plenty of resources. With tears in his eyes, the man begged for himself and his family to be spared.


    "Please, boy, I beg of you. Just walk away, and I will pretend like this never happened. I will even continue to provide your people with the support I have given them since this upation began. You''re a freedom fighter, not a terrorist! You don''t have to do this!"


    A cold light existed in Jong-Su''s dark eyes. He had witnessed far too much cruelty to have the sense of innocence a boy his age should normally have. There was not a hint of mercy on the boy''s face. Instead, there was only disdain.


    Though Hwa Jin-Sang may have been an avid supporter of the resistance movement. His daughter, Hwa Min-Ah, was among the worst traitors. Rumor had it the Japanese Empress Itami Riyo had ordered her to assassinate the Kaiser and his family. Though this was a foreign matter, the very idea of attacking an innocent man and his family filled Jong-Su with disgust.


    For a man who had raised his daughter to be such a horrible human being, Jong-Su could only surmise that Jin-Sang was supporting the resistance for the sake of mary value. Thus, he was nothing more than a merchant taking advantage of the Joseon people''s crisis to make himself a hefty profit. War Profiteers were not allies, only useful tools, and Jin-Sang had lived out his use.


    With a heavy sigh, Jong-Su lowered his submachine gun for the briefest of moments, the act of which caused a slight bit of hope to emerge on Jin-Sang''s face. However, itsted for a but a mere second before Jong-Su raised his weapon once more, and spoke thest words that Jin-San and his family would ever hear.


    "I''m sorry, but I really do..."


    With this said, Jong-Su pressed the trigger, and held it down as he sprayed Jin-Sang and his family full of lead. The bullets effortlessly tore through the family''s flesh, and turned them into a bunch of bloody sieves.


    Once they were dead, he took a deep breath to calm his heart before reloading his weapon. While this happened, the members of the boy''s squad gazed at him with a bit of dread in their eyes. No matter how ugly the task was, Jong-Su would handle it and without the slightest bit of hesitation.


    The boy had earned himself quite the fearsome reputation among the members of the Joseon Resistance. Though they were thankful that he was on their side; it did not mean that his ruthless actions did not scare them. Ultimately, it was the deadpan childish voice that waspletely devoid of any joy which woke the grown men from their stupor.


    "What are you waiting for? This was just a sideshow. Our real target is the Kempeitai headquarters. Hurry up!"


    With this said, the gueris quickly disregarded the corpses that lie in the home, and bailed from their current location. They stalked through the alleyways for some time while making their way to their target.


    Once they were about fifteen meters out from the Kempeitai headquarters, the gueris halted their advance and gazed upon the entryway of the building that was more akin to a stronghold than an actual office area. <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Despite the attacks urring across all the Korean Penins, where coborators and Japanese spies were being eliminated left and right. The soldiers of the Kempeitai had not been dispatched away from their headquarters to deal with this ongoing crisis. Instead, they hunkered down, waiting for further orders.


    Jong-Su tookmand of his unit, and waited for the Japanese sentries to pass, before stealthily leading his troops through the fencing that blocked off the headquarters from the outer world. To silently make their way into the enemy stronghold, these men needed more than just luck on their side.


    With some bolt cutters, they were easily able to cut through the chain-link fences and make their way through thepound. Though they were very careful in the way they moved. If one agent of the Kempeitai spotted them, then the entirepound would be on their asses, like butter on toast.


    Luckily for the gueris, Jong-Su had nned extensively for this operation, and thus he was able to sessfully navigate the Japanese defenses without him or his men being spotted. Once they had made their way to their target, the gueris sighed a breath of relief.


    The target of the Gueri''s attack was the munitions storehouse located within thepound. If they applied a couple pounds of thermite to the munitions, it would cause the entire stronghold to light up in mes. Which is exactly what the gueris did after breaking open the lock.


    Jong-Su and his men stacked a pack of thermite grenades onto thergest pallet of explosive munitions. After doing so, the boy held one of these grenades which had been supplied to him by the reich, and ordered his troops to withdraw.


    "Alright, this is it, boys. Once I pull this pin,pletely disregard stealth, and run like hell, because we only have so much time before this whole ce is consumed by fire. On the count of three... One, two, three!"


    After his brief countdown, Jong-Su pulled the pin on his thermite grenade and threw it onto the pack which contained the other grenades. Once he had done so, he bolted out of the storehouse like a bat out of hell.


    He and his men quickly came under notice of a nearby squad of Japanese sentries, but before these men could bother with the fleeing insurgents, the munitions storehouse exploded in a massive st. Its fire rapidly spread across the stronghold, consuming everything in its path.


    Rather than fight one another pointlessly in apound filled with mes, the Japanese sentries took flight, and ran alongside the Joseon insurgents. Completely afraid of being caught up in the mes, which were spreading at a rapid rate.


    As ifpeting with one another in an Olympic sprint, the Joseon gueris and Japanese Soldiers ran side by side until they were far enough away from thepound to ensure their safety. After the group caught their breath, they realized that they were both hostile to one another.


    Before the Japanese could raise their semiautomatic rifles, Jong-Su had hip fired on them at a distance of three meters. Unloading his entire magazine into the five or so men, which killed them on the spot. Once they were well and truly dead, Jong-Su spit on their corpses before giving the order to his men to retreat.


    "Withdraw to the rendezvous point. There is nothing left for us to do here."


    With that said, both Min-Ah''s adopted family and the Kempeitai headquarters in Busan were utterly annihted by the Joseon gueris. Thus concluding Berengar''s brutal retaliation against Empress Itami and her most beloved agent.


    ---


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 Chapter 983 Convicting A War Criminal

    Emperor Asha Sarkar sat within the confines of a cell in the city of Anangpur. For the past few weeks, the Anangpur Empire had held him captive, while the German Army and their Indian allies liberated his newly conquered territories.


    Despite being a prisoner of war, being charged with a multitude of war crimes, the cell which Asha sat in was not, by any means, inhumane. A simple cot existed for his sleeping needs, along with a chamberpot, and a bathtub. This was obviously the influence of the German Empire, who treated their prisoners of war with some dignity and respect.


    Two guards protected the cell, but they were given strict orders not to interact with the prisoner other than to help fulfill his basic needs. They were prohibited byw from insulting or degrading the man, despite the horrific damage he had caused to the region. Thus, all they could do was stand and protect a war criminal until the trialmenced.


    Asha was currently enjoying his breakfast, which came in the form of German field rations. Though they weren''t the most extravagant of meals, they were nutritious and free from any possible poisoning attempts.


    After scarfing down the field rations, as if it were hisst meal. The door to the cell opened, and a finely dressed German man stood before the Bengal Emperor. Asha knew who this man was, as he had several encounters with him over the past few weeks of captivity. The man was named Rolf M��ller, and he was thewyer attached to Asha''s case.


    However, after weeks of dealing with this man, there was something different about today, for today Rolf was not alone. Instead, he was nked by several armed guards. There was also a noticeable expression on the man''s face, one which showed a tinge of pity, which he was quick to express the reason behind it.


    "I''m afraid your trial has been moved up to today. Emperor Dharya is convinced the war wille to a close in the following weeks, and as a result, he wishes to put you on trial before its end. Come with me, and I will do my best to get you a fair sentence."


    Asha could only sigh in defeat after hearing such grave news. Though he supposed it was better to get this over with now, rather than live under what he perceived to be abysmal conditions for the next few years. Thus, he stood up from his seat, and followed after the Lawyer. Where he was led into a courthouse.


    When Asha was escorted out of the back of a wagon, German reporters had gathered to take photos of the man and ask him questions. The first of which was a bombshell of a blonde woman who stuck a microphone in his face.


    "Emperor Asha Sarkar, is it true that you gave the orders to your soldiers which protected them from criminal acts such as a rape, torture, and the mass murder of unarmed civilians? Are you going to plead guilty today?"


    Emperor Asha quickly heard the words tranted into his native tongue. Where he feltpelled to respond to, however, before he could do so, he felt a shove from his back, which came from hiswyer, who took charge of the conversation..


    "My client will not be taking any questions at this moment. Thank you for your understanding!"


    After saying this, Rolf pushed Asha forward and into the building, where the reporters quickly followed after. After a while, the two men entered the courtroom, where the Bengal Emperor was stunned by what he saw. Gathered together in the seating assigned to the jury was a group of world leaders.


    Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein was immediately noticeable, however seated by his side was a young boy, no older than ten, who had bronze skin, golden hair, and amber eyes. He was dressed in the Imperial Regalia, which belonged to the Sultan of Al-Andalus.


    Next to Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl was Emperor Vetranis of the Byzantine Empire, along with Sultan Sn Mirza of the Timurid Empire, who was in turn nked by Emperor Dharya Tomara of the Anangpur Empire, and Emperor Suratman of the Majapahit Empire.


    Thest defining figure in the jury was none other than the Ming Emperor Zhu Wudi, who sat gracefully with a keen expression on his face. The Ming Emperor knew that this trial was a farce created by Germany in an attempt to establish some semnce of internationalw under their authority. It was the whole reason that Empress Itami Riyo of the Japanese Empire was not invited to this event, as she was the Kaiser''s only true rival.


    On another note, the petty Kings of Europe, though present for this international trial, were not permitted to partake in the jury, as their realms were now client states of the Reich, and therefore they were not Asha''s peers. It was only now that he was surrounded by so many important figures, where Asha truly began to understand the severity of his situation.


    The judge entered the courtroom, but to nobody''s surprise except for Asha, it was not an Anangpur official who was presiding over this trial, but a German one. Everyone, including the Jurors rose when the Judge entered the scene, and only sat down when they were given permission to do so.


    With the Judge now present, the trial had begun. Though Asha''swyer did his best to defend his client''s actions. It truly did not matter. For the defense had video evidence of the Bengal Army''s atrocious actions.


    Once the video of Asha''s war crimes was shown to the court, a look of overwhelming condemnation appeared on the faces of the jurors. All except for one. Berengar was as stoic as could be, knowing the oue of this trial long before a decision was actually made.


    In the end, after hours of debate between thewyers, the Jury was brought to a secluded area where they were left to deliberate on Asha''s fate. It was only now that Berengar, who was the foreman of the jury, spoke to the other jurors. <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "With the evidence presented, I believe there is no possible oue except for a guilty verdict. Under Germanw, which as we all know, is the most advanced, andprehensive legal system in the world. Emperor Asha is guilty of a multitude of war crimes. If any of you disagree with my assessment of the situation, then speak now or forever hold your peace."


    The room went dead silent for several moments. None of the world''s rulers were willing to defy the Kaiser, or his whims. None except for Zhu Wudi, whose pride had forced him to speak up against what was clearly an attempt on Berengar''s behalf to assert his authority over the entire world.


    "So, we are allowing Germany to dictate what is eptable in warfare now? Have any of you actually agreed to this? Did Asha ept these conditions before engaging in his campaign? It sounds to me like you are just attempting to punish the defeated even more than he has already suffered.


    Tell me, why should Asha be convicted under German Law, when he is not a German citizen? Just because your Empire is the world''s most pre-eminent power, does not mean you can force yourws and customs on the rest of us!"


    Berengar smirked when he heard this. He honestly did not expect Zhu Wudi to speak up against him. However, he was d to put the man in his ce. After all, if he truly wished to impose some semnce of internationalw under his authority, then he would need the Ming Dynasty''spliance in the matter.


    "I know it is hard for you to ept Zhu Wudi, but do I need to inform you that we are living in a new era? This is not the age of trebuchets and crossbows. Weapons now exist in the hands of many of our nations that are far more destructive than anything we once thought possible. I myself must admit I have underestimated the power of these weapons and used them to horrible effect.


    We are talking about weapons with the capability of annihting an entire city, and all its inhabitants with rtive ease. Can any of you honestly say that if you were to break out into a full scale war with another Empire present here, that you would desire to wage war in apletely unrestricted manner?


    Think of the sheer loss of life we are talking about. Your entire nations could be destroyed in a single war. Centuries, or even millennia of history, burnt to the ground, never to rise again. All because technology had advanced faster than thews of our people!


    Make no mistake, if we, as the world''s rulers, do note up with some form of internationalw regarding warfare that we can all agree upon, then I assure you, the only thing that will await this world is utter annihtion.


    If you wish to behave like barbarians where the destruction of cities, the envement of their people, and the rape of their women and girls, is not only tolerated, but actively encouraged. Then I am afraid I have misjudged you and your ancient civilization..."


    Zhu Wudi did not expect a bloodthirsty man like the Kaiser to y the humanitarian card. After all, he himself was the one with ess to the most destructive weapons in the world. Yet he was willing to limit the way in which he waged war from today forward.


    The Ming Emperor could only surmise that Japan''s capabilities were not far behind the Reichs and that Berengar wanted to ensure that if Itami conducted warfare in such a barbarous manner, that she would be punished severely for it after the war was over.


    Having reflected on this point, the Ming Emperor''s opinion of the Kaiser had risen slightly. Perhaps there was a way to conduct warfare in a more civil manner. However, if such a thing were to ur, then a lengthy discussion would be needed, one where all parties present would have to agree upon. Thus, he was quick to voice this idea.


    "I apologize if you misunderstood my intentions. I am not advocating on behalf of a scoundrel like Asha Sarkar. In fact, what he has done is utterly reprehensible, even by the standards of the most callous society.


    I am simply fearful that you are using this situation to impose yourws and customs on the rest of us. If we are toe to some form of international agreement regarding how warfare should be conducted, then it will need to be unanimously agreed upon by all of us. So long as you promise to have this convention, then I will agree with the guilty verdict."


    This was the exact response Berengar was looking for. After all, if he were to create an international treatise regarding the rules of warfare, he needed to make sure that it appeared as if he was working with the other world leaders to make a better future, rather than simply imposing his will on the world. Thus, he could only smile his head and nod to Zhu Wudi''s suggestion before asking for rification onest time.


    "So we are all in agreement, then?"


    With this said, Emperor Asha Sarkar of the Bengal Empire was found guilty of multiple war crimes in ordance with German Law. What followed after this trial was over would be the world''s first international convention regarding the rules of warfare. One which Berengar would make use of to pressure Japan into fighting fairly when the war finally arrived.


    ---


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 Chapter 984 Hallowed Be Thy Name

    Emperor Asha Sarkar sat in his cell with an eerily calm expression on his face. He was given a guilty verdict earlier in the day after all the evidence of his misdeeds wasid out for a jury of his peers. The leaders of the world''s most powerful empires unanimously agreed on this. He was guilty, and the penalty for his crimes was execution.


    Having been convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death, Asha now sat in his cell, dining on what the German guards referred to as hisst meal. There were no tears in the man''s eyes, nor any indignation towards his destiny. From the moment he had witnessed the overwhelming might of the German Army first hand, he knew this would be his fate.


    Time passed, and Asha''s meal soon came to an end. The Bengal Emperor wiped his mouth with his napkin, and listened to the bells chime, knowing that he did not have much time left. Shortly thereafter, a priest and several armed guards entered his cell, symbolizing that this was truly the end.


    There was a grim look on the Hindu priest''s face as gazed upon the convicted war criminal, knowing full well what awaited him the moment he stepped out of this room. The priest could only shake his head before saying a slight prayer to his gods.


    "I pray that you enter the cycle of reincarnation safely, and live a better life after you have been reborn."


    Asha simply snorted in response to this before regaining his silent and solemn state. With the Priest having said his prayers, the guards grabbed hold of Asha, and bound his hands and feet in chains where they dragged him through the cell block and towards the courtyard where his fate awaited him.


    It was only after Asha was led out of his cell that the tears he had worked so hard to conceal began to flow. But why was he crying? Was he not already resigned to his fate? Surely he did not feel the fear of death in this moment. Perhaps it was the lingering regrets of all he failed to aplish in his rtively short life.


    As the Bengal Emperor passed by another cell, a prisoner called out to him, giving the words he hoped one would say to him when he himself finally walked to the gallows.


    "Gods be with you!".


    To Asha, this was preposterous. If there were truly any gods in this world, why would they let him go on this journey to the afterlife? Yet he did not rebuke the man, and merely nodded silently to him before taking the final steps into the courtyard where the rope awaited him.


    Standing on arge tform was a noose held high where an executioner waited patiently to fulfill his duties. With each step of the way, Asha felt his feet be heavier, and yet despite the monumental effort it took to walk towards his death, he continued to do so.


    In the end, the Bengal Emperor wore a solemn expression as he stepped onto the tform, and allowed the rope to be ced around his neck. He had nost words to give to a world that had gone terribly wrong for him. Withplete and utter silence, the ground beneath his feet let loose, and the fall broke his neck.


    ---


    With Asha''s execution as a war criminal, the world had taken its first real step towards a form of internationalw. As for the convention where the rules of war would be discussed by the world''s leaders, Berengar had convinced his ''peers'' to hold them in Vienna a monthter.


    Why was this monumentally important global affair being held in the secondrgest city in Austria? Well, for two major reasons. Firstly, as the leading world power, it was only right for this international treaty to be signed within the borders of the Reich.


    However, what was probably Berengar''s most important reason for holding this diplomatic conference in Vienna rather than his capital was because he felt like the name ''Vienna ords'' sounded better than the ''Kufstein Conventions''.


    Thus, after Asha''s execution, Berengar returned to the Reich, where he began to make the preparations necessary to hold such arge meeting of the World''s many leaders. As the foremost power in this world, Berengar ensured that the Reich would handle everything.


    Transportation, security, amodations, logistics. The leaders of the world would not have to worry about any of that. They just needed to step on the ne, which the Reich provided for them, and fly to Vienna. The full hospitality of the German Empire would be on disy for those rulers who were a part of Germany''s sphere of influence.


    Before he knew it, a month came and passed, and Berengar was seated on a train heading towards Vienna. With his high-speed rails, it took a matter of hours before the Kaiser would arrive at his destination. Aside from the young boy Ghazi, he did not take any other family members with him to this important meeting.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Ghazi gazed up at his father with a hint of pride on his youthful face. For the past few years, he had been training daily on how to be an effective ruler like the man sitting next to him. The boy had learned a lot, and knew that at this moment, he was merely a puppet of the Kaiser. But as the Sultan of Al-Andalus, his presence at this monumental asion was required. The father and son sat in silence in the royal train car for some time before Ghazi finally spoke up.


    "Father, I know my ce, and will support whatever stiptions you wish to establish, just like I did at Asha Sarkar''s trial. I just want you to know that you can count on me. I won''t speak out of turn, nor will I go against your will."


    Berengar was holding onto a newspaper and reading its contents when his son spoke up to him. There was a hint of curiosity in the boy''s eyes, and Berengar could tell that Ghazi was wondering just what he had in mind for holding this convention. With a slight sigh, Berengar revealed his ns to the boy.


    "Ghazi, you are the Sultan of Al-Andalus, and though I am your regent, I suppose I have left you in the dark long enough. You''re probably wondering why I was so adamant to establish universally agreed-upon rules of war? Especially when Imand the world''s most powerful military, and can do whatever I want to foreign powers. Is that correct?"


    It did not surprise Ghazi in the least that his father had seen through his intentions, and thus, he nodded his head in silence, letting the man continue his speech like an obedient child. Which Berengar was quick to do.


    "The Japanese Empire rises in the east, and they havemitted many atrocities to their enemies in the wars of expansion they have waged. Not only against disarmedbatants, but against the civilian poption as well.


    It is no secret that their military poses a threat to our own. Will they actually be able to defeat us in a war? Absolutely not. There is no doubt in my mind that should our two Empirese to blows, the Reich will emerge victorious.


    However, what I worry about is how they will treat my soldiers who are captured in warfare. Though Japan is not invited to this convention, for obvious reasons. I will use the internationalmunity as a way to pressure them into fighting with a degree of respect for their opponents.


    As for any limitations on weaponry in warfare, or the treatment of insurgents and rebels. I will fight against any prohibitions on these matters. For the security of our state, we must be free to manage our own internal affairs as we see fit. Anything else will be an attack on our sovereignty, and such a thing can never be tolerated.


    Thus, this treaty will explicitly apply to two or more internationally recognized states fighting wars against one another, and will have no bearing on internal revolutions, civil wars, and other means of quelling civil strife. Do you now understand why this matter is so important to me?"


    Ghazi had a glint of understanding in his amber eyes. He was initially worried that perhaps the Japanese were posing such a threat to the Reich and its allies, that Berengar feltpelled to limit himself and his adversary in what weapons they might use.


    Instead, this whole ordeal was merely a way for the Kaiser to force his enemies to treat his civilians and soldiers with the respect and dignity they deserved, even in a time of war. This made Ghazi sigh in relief before nodding his head in agreement with his father''s vision.


    "Of course, father, I am much more relieved after hearing your intentions. Don''t worry, I shall do my part to support you in any way I can!"


    Berengar smiled and ced down his newspaper before rustling his son''s golden hair while speaking words of encouragement.


    "I know you will. You are my son, and I know that you will make me proud..."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 985 The Vienna Accords Part L

    In the center of Vienna''s city hall, there was arge gathering of monarchs from across the globe. From the petty kingdoms of Europe, who bent the knee to the mighty German Empire, to the North African and near eastern sultanates, all the way to India, and beyond. If you were a monarch in this world who had even the smallest amount of respect from your peers, you were invited to this meeting. All except for one.


    What was noticeable to everyone was the distinctiveck of representation from the Japanese Empire. A statement which spoke to the host''s true intentions. Berengar had personally greeted all of his so-called peers and shook their hands. Weing them to the first ever international peace conference, which would go down in history as the Vienna ords.


    Among these guests was one High King Alvar of the Kalmar Union. As if following the previous trend, the man had grown even more rotund than hisst visit to the Reich. Evidently, life was good for the man, as his realm prospered from the overwhelming amount of trade which flowed from Germany into hisnds. Alvar stood in front of Berengar and greeted the man who was once his lesser, with a wide smile on his face.


    "To think in less than two decades you could aplish so much. When I first met you, you were nothing more than a minor upstart. One who had a target on his back from the almighty Vatican. Yet here you are, having the entire world''s many leaders answering to your beck and call. I am so d I decided to align myself with you, rather than listen to the poisonous whispers of the church."


    Berengar smiled at what he could only describe as the distant past, even if it were not been too terribly long ago. He had indeed aplished much during this time. Perhaps in all of human history there was only one man who was his equal, and that was Alexander.


    No, that would not be right to say, for Alexander did not have the benefit of having future knowledge to build his Empire. Nor did he have the military advantage of overwhelming superior technology. Perhaps Alexander the Great had no equal in history, nor would he ever. Still, that was not a point of contention to Berengar, and thus, he could only smile and nod his head before expressing his thanks to Alvar foring to this event.


    "I am d to see you here, old friend. Make yourselffortable and enjoy the food and beverages that I have provided. Soon enough, the meeting willmence."


    Alvar had a hearty expression on his face as he bellowed inughter while grabbing hold of his massive gut.


    "I am sure I will take you up on that offer. Until we speak again, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein..."


    After saying this, Alvar walked off towards the food table where a bountiful assortment of treats were arranged for the guests.


    Over the next hour, Berengar greeted every guest who entered through the gates of the city hall before finally leading them into the conference room where the meeting would take ce. Once everyone had sat down in their assigned seats, Berengar took his own, which was at the head of the room, where he spoke into his microphone, and introduced himself to his guests.


    "I am sure you are all aware by now, but I am Berengar von Kufstein, Kaiser of the German Empire. I want to take this time to thank all of you for visiting today. I look forward to engaging in a civil discussion with all of you about the future of our world and how we conduct ourselves in warfare.


    Recent events in the Indian Subcontinent have shown us the atrocities that those in possession of more modern weapons canmit. Without some form of strict, international guidelines, it is entirely possible for the most heinous of crimes to bemitted against those who are the most defenseless. I''m talking, of course, about civilians, and unarmed prisoners of war.


    Yes, that is correct. This meeting will not be a discussion about limiting the type of weaponry that we all use in warfare. I am sure you all have your own opinions regarding this, instead our conference will be about protecting civilians, and prisoners of war, from the disastrous consequences of conflict.


    Some of you may be more aware of this than others. However, I would like to say that for the most part, I have always had a policy of conducting warfare in the most civil of manner. Since my first campaign against the Barony of Kitzb��hel thirteen years ago. I have specifically ouwed things which I find reprehensible, such as the rape and murder of civilians and prisoners.


    So the first topic I would like to debate is ouwing the rape and murder of civilians and prisoners. I am opening up the floor to whoever wishes to contest this point. Simply press the button at the base of your microphone and speak clearly into it. Thank you."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Berengar knew that this stiption would definitely catch the ire of those who were not directly under his control. After all, this was still for therge part a medieval world, with medieval notions of morality, justice, and especially warfare. To convince everyone here to unanimously agree on the prohibition of rape and murder in war itself would be a difficult task. Or so one would think.


    The first to speak up against Berengar''s demands was the Sultan of Tlemcen, who had yet to have the honor of witnessing the wrath of the Reich in person. One of the many trantors who existed in this room tranted his words. Just like Berengar''s speech had been done to his guests.


    "For centuries, rape has been a natural part of warfare. It is the right of every victorious army to treat the defeated as they wish. Are you suggesting I tell my soldiers not to ravage the women and girls of the conquered territory, as is their right as warriors?"


    Berengar wore a smiling facade when he heard this, but was quick to contest it in the most ruthless manner possible.


    "I am not only saying you are tomand your soldiers to behave themselves while engaging in warfare, but you as a monarch are to punish them with death should they break thew, as I have done to my soldiers in the past who have fallen out of line. If you fail to do so, you will be held responsible should you be defeated.


    Discipline is the backbone of any modern military, and if your soldiers vite the rules of war, then they are not warriors, as you say, but are in fact nothing more than wild beasts. Regardless of how warfare has been conducted in the past, we are in a new era. One where newws and regtions muste into y in order to limit the devastation that wars can cause. If you do not wish to sign these ords, that is your choice.


    However, I assure you, if you refuse to sign and ratify these ords, then you and your entire realm will not protect by them. Meaning, that any nation here who does sign them is free to behave however they wish to your Kingdom should they find themselves at war with you.


    Imagine, if you will, a scenario where you have chosen not to agree to this stiption and you find yourself at odds with the Reich. In this proposed scenario, I, for whatever reason, decide to order a full scale invasion of your country.


    If my soldiers were to act out of line while invading yournds, and say forcefully put a German baby in the womb of every woman and girl who is capable of bearing offspring within your realm. While killing every man and boy who draws breath, I would not be obligated to punish them. Despite having signed these ords myself.


    Now would I punish them? Absolutely. However, I would not be obligated to do so, and nor would anyone else here who signs and ratifies these ords into internationalw. I am proposing an end to the rape of civilians in warfare, and you should be grateful that your people will no longer have to suffer such a heinous act. Because I assure you, if I wanted to, I could make this proposed scenario a reality."


    The Sultan of Tlemcen, along with every other world leader who had initially nned to object to this stiption, was now covered in a cold sweat. The mere prospect of a foreign militarying into theirnds, and annihting every man and boy, while forcefully impregnating every woman and girl, had silenced thempletely.


    To do such a thing would be the destruction of their very civilization, hell it would mean theplete and total eradication of their people as a whole. This was something that everybody in this room knew for a fact that Germany was capable of. For their leader to voluntarilye forward, and make this illegal in warfare, they could count their lucky stars that Berengar was such a benevolent person.


    Thus, after a brief speech about the virtues of this rule and how these ords would function, not a single monarch dared disagree with the stiption prohibiting the rape and murder of civilians and prisoners in a time of war. How this would be defined would be their next subject of discussion.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 986 Trolling The Japanese Empress Once Again

    In the city of Heian-ky�� within the Imperial Pce of Japan, Empress Itami Riyo sat upon her throne, with an extremely displeased expression on her wless face. For the past few months, she had a total ckout inmunication with the advisors she had sent to the Bengal Army. So much so that she had sent a team to investigate the issue.


    However, without a means of long-range radiomunications, it had taken some time for her to receive the news of her pawn''s defeat. After all, her agents had to dock in the bay of Bengal and make their way across the Indian subcontinent in search of their men. Before making the same journey back to the Japanese Maind.


    While the investigation was ongoing, Itami was forced to worry about other more important matters. The invasion of the region that was once known as the Philippines in her past life was going smoothly.


    The southernmost isles were now under her full authority, however the northern inds still remained within the Ming Dynasty''s sphere of influence, and if previous negotiations were anything to go by, Emperor Zhu Wudi would not allow another tributary to fall into the hands of Japan.


    Still, Itami had gained what she wanted, and that was ess to the vast reserves of oil and natural gas which lied within the Philippines. Something she had begun the extraction of almost immediately after taking the region.


    In fact, Itami had been in the process of designing a proper tank for her armed forces when she was summoned to her great hall by one of her servants. Normally, she would reject any visitors at such an important time. However, the man who had visited her on this asion was someone she could not dismiss easily.


    Unfortunately for the Albino beauty, her visitor hade from the German Empire, and was a man she was all too familiar with. Tilicke Schauffhusen was awyer of well renown, one who was employed by the German Embassy in Beijing.


    After being so rudely thrown out of the German Embassy, Itami had to rely on this particrly troublesome individual to convey her intentions to her rivals in the far west. Whenever Tilicke presented himself to the Japanese Empress, he always had some means of antagonising her. Today was no different.


    The Japanese Empress was in an exceptionally foul mood, after hearing about the difficulties that had presented themselves to her rule within the Korean Penins. No doubt, agents of the Reich orchestrated these attacks as an act of retaliation for Yi Min-Ah''s espionage attempts. Thus, Itami wanted more than ever to extradite the poor woman, which she was quick to announce.


    "Mr. Schauffhusen, I would like to say it is a pleasure to see you again, however I can not in good conscience lie to you, so before we get to your reason for visiting me at this ungodly hour. I would like to thank you for the trouble your people have caused me in the Joseon Dynasty. I must say, I did not expect you to brazenly carry out such attacks against my people without a fear of the consequences!"


    Tilicke was an experiencedwyer and diplomat. To him, navigating this minefield was a simple task. He was quick to deny the allegations that the Japanese Empress hadid upon him and his homnd.


    "Empress Itami, you are as beautiful as ever. Unfortunately, I have no idea what you are talking about. The Reich is not responsible for what the Joseon people do. I am well aware of the insurgency you are currently facing, but to me us for these attacks, it is a baseless im. Wouldn''t you agree?"


    The eery sound of teeth being ground echoed throughout the great hall as Itami Riyo tried her best to control her internal wrath. After taking a deep breath and releasing it, the Japanese Empress stated her demands.


    "You can deny these acts of terrorism all you want, but in the end, you have made your stance clear, so allow me to do the same. You will extradite Yi Min-Ah into Japanese custody, or I assure you, I will make your Indian proxies bleed in the same way that my soldiers have!"


    Despite her threat, a smug smile emerged on Tilicke''s face, which caused Itami to be incredibly unnerved. This was not the response a man in his position should have. She was just about to threaten him again when the man spoke up.


    "You know, that actually reminds me why I havee to visit you today. I have a gift, and would be honored if you ept it!"


    A pair of blood-red eyes gazed upon the German Lawyer with caution. The Japanese Empress was hesitant to ept his gift, but ultimately she decided to do so. When Itami opened the package and gazed upon its contents she nearly had a heart attack.


    Inside the box was a severed head which belonged to the Bengal Emperor Asha Sarkar, along with photographic evidence of his war crimes. Below these photos was a letter written, and signed by Berengar, which read as follows.


    "Dear, Empress Itami Riyo


    Do you enjoy my gift for you? I must say you should have chosen a better dog. One that doesn''t bite the hands that feed him. As for my pup, he is a good boy, one that is loyal to his master. I would know. After all, I was the one who raised him.


    I don''t know whether you are a sadistic psychopath, one who enjoys arming war criminals of whommit the most heinous of crimes, or whether you are indeed nothing more than a foolish woman devoid of moral virtue. But your puppet was found guilty by a jury of his peers and executed for his crimes against humanity.


    In this package lies the photographic evidence which Emperor Asha Sarkar was convicted upon. I figured after all the trouble you have given me these past few years, the least I could do was give you a souvenir of your efforts.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    As of now, the Indian Subcontinent has fallen into my sphere of influence. The Bengal Army is defeated, and with each passing day, morends are liberated from their tyranny. It won''t be long before what remains of the Bengal Empire enters the control of their Anangpur rivals. When that happens, Dharya Tomara will announce to the world that he is the one true emperor of all Indians, and in doing so, he will create the Indian Empire.


    In addition, I know you are concerned about your little friend, Princess Yi-Minah. Unfortunately for you, she was executed after being convicted of conspiracy tomit assassination. I assure you that the recent attacks on your government holdings within the upied section of the Joseon Kingdom, as well as any murders of known coborators and their families, has nothing to do with my Empire, and is merely the result of your own actions.


    With love from your most ardent admirer,


    Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein


    P.S. As a result of the atrocities which your puppet has engaged in, the world leaders will be gathering in the city of Vienna to discuss international regtions in regard to warfare; and for the record, you are not invited."


    Itami''s substantial chest heaved with her heavy breathing as she read the letter over and over again. No longer caring about the severed head sitting within the box in herp, nor the photos which disyed his crimes. All the Japanese Empress cared about was thest part of the letter.


    "With love.... from your most ardent admirer...."


    After re-reading this several times, Itami expressed this signature aloud, an act of which that caught the German diplomat by surprise. In truth, he had no idea what was in the letter, as it was not for his eyes.


    However, judging by the sheer rage in Itami''s sanguine eyes, he felt like he had just delivered yet another attempt on his master''s part to troll the albino beauty. Surely enough, in the next moment, Itami howled with rage, and ripped the document in half. Her fury now focused entirely upon Tilicke, the Japanese Empress screamed at him with a shrill voice.


    "I don''t believe for a second that you executed Min-Ah. I demand you give her back to me, or there will be war. Do you understand me?! I have had enough of your Kaiser''s games!"


    Tilicke was one of the few individuals who was aware of Min-Ahs actual fate. As the only man who had contact with the Japanese Empire, and who would be negotiating with their empress, he was educated on the truth of the matter. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he admitted this fact to Itami in a rather obscure way.


    "If the Joseon Princess was still alive, the Kaiser would not give her up easily. She would be a valuable asset. You would need to pay a hefty price to retrieve her, assuming she is still alive, that is..."


    Itami gritted her teeth and narrowed her gaze as she just barely managed to hiss out the following words.


    "How much?"


    In response to this, Tilicke smiled before giving the enraged Japanese Empress his master''s demands.


    "1814.369 kilograms in gold. If you do not pay this in full, then you should understand the consequences."


    Itami''s eyes narrowed as she heard the price. It was a very specific amount of gold. One which she could immediately recognize. When converted into the Imperial system, it was 4,000 pounds. The same amount of gold Rome was forced to pay the Visigoth King ric as a ransom to prevent him from invading their Empire.


    In other words, if Itami did not pay the expressed amount, then Berengar was more than willing to meet her on the field of battle. Something she was not yet ready for. After careful contemtion, Itami sighed and nodded her head in silence, agreeing to the terms presented to her.


    With a satisfied expression on his face, Tilicke spent the rest of his meeting with Itami negotiating the details of Min-Ah''s release. As for Itami, she was secretly conspiring on how she could crash this international conference that she was explicitly not invited to.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 987 The Vienna Accords Part Ll

    Itami''s wrath had settled after lengthy negotiations with the German diplomat. Though the man had a way of getting on her nerves like few others, she had finally conceded to a point which was satisfactory for both parties.


    The Japanese Empire would pay a ransom of 4,000 pounds of gold in exchange for Princess Yi-Min''ah. It would be conducted covertly as to not raise any brows from the German or Japanese public, as both sides would be outraged to learn of this matter.


    As part of the negotiations, the German Empire had agreed to bring Min''ah to the Beijing Embassy, where she would be handed off to Itami''s royal guards in exchange for the agreed upon price. Though the amount of gold was staggering, especially for Itami, who did not have ess to the plethora of gold mines which the Germans owned. She could easily make up for the loss by introducing a form of fiat currency.


    Thus, after a brief period of silence, Itami posed the next question which she was most curious about.


    "So, Mr. Schauffhusen, when is this international conference happening?"


    Tilicke was in the middle of drinking some fine Japanese tea when he heard these words. His brow twitched slightly as he gazed up from his steaming cup and into the sanguine eyes of the Japanese Empress. With a smug grin on his face, he told her the words she least wanted to hear.


    "Hmm? Oh, it''s currently ongoing. I believe you are not invited, since you are probably one of the most notorious war criminals in the world right now. All of Asia knows what you have done to the people you have conquered.


    I''m afraid to say that it would most certainly go against the spirit of the conference to invite you after executing Emperor Asha for the same very crimes... In fact, we are still investigating if you are directly responsible for his actions, or if he acted independently."


    The calmness within Itami''s heart was once more stirred into a frenzy as she red fiercely at the man sitting across from her. Not only had the Kaiser sent her this taunting message, but he had also ensured that there was no feasible way for her to crash the party. Thus, she could only let go of her previous ns to interfere with the Vienna ords and squash her growing fury before she did something foolish.


    ---


    "What defines an internationally recognized state? What exactly is a civilian, and in what way is an enemybatant considered a prisoner of war? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. If you would all take a look at the board behind me, I have outlined the answers to these questions myself. Now whether we can all agree on these definitions, that is another story."


    After saying this, Berengar moved out of the way, where a projector disyed the contents of his report onto the board behind him. The various world leaders reacted in shock at this alien technology, but managed to contain their curiosity, if not simply for the fact that they were currently in an important meeting.


    Compared to the airnes which flew them out from their home countries, this projector was far less impressive. Thus, after a brief upset, the world''s leaders sat back down in their seats and paid attention to the presentation. Berengar nodded his head in approval before continuing on his lecture.


    "We will first start with what we can define as a legally recognized state. For this, I have established six key principles which we must abide by. If we are to recognize a state that is to be protected by this treaty, it must meet these requirements:


    Centralized government


    Organized religion


    Job specialization and social sses


    Arts, architecture, and infrastructure


    Writing


    A permanent poption


    A defined territory


    The capacity to conduct international rtions


    Any culture or society which does not meet these conditions is not to be considered a legally protected state. Instead, they are more akin to savages, and thus are not afforded the protections guaranteed by these ords.


    So, for example, if you find yourself in some piece ofnd that does not have a pre-existing state with these elements, and is instead inhabited by various tribes. You are free to conduct warfare and conquest however you see fit. Does anyone have any arguments with this proposed definition of an internationally recognized State?"


    Berengar left the room up to discuss where the various monarchs debated with themselves for several minutes. The savage use was greatly appreciated by several of the Monarchs, as many of their Empires had what could be considered barbarians at their borders. In the end, there was no resistance to this point, and Berengar was allowed to continue, which he was quick to do so.


    "As for how we define a civilian, if you will look at this next slide, you will see what I havee up with. Like the previous topic it is open to discussion, but I would appreciate it, if you all considered this carefully.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    A Civilian is defined as anyone who is neither a member of a State''s armed forces, nor a member of an organized armed group with a continuousbat function, nor a participant in national conscription.


    If someone meets these requirements, then they are to be considered a civilian byw, and are thus protected from murder, torture, rape or any other form of brutality. Nor are they to be directly targeted by any military operation.


    Now allow me to make a clear distinction here. If you are attacking a military target, but there are civilians in the vicinity, you are allowed to disregard the coteral damage in the pursuit of military victory. However, directly targeting civilian poptions is prohibited. Are there any disagreements with the information I have provided?"


    Once more, the room broke out into a brief debate, but ultimately Berengar''s opinions were settled pretty quickly as the appropriate definition of a civilian, as well as their legal protections. Which allowed the Kaiser to quickly move onto his next point.


    "Now, as for the definition of a prisoner of war. I define a prisoner of war as any of the following who have fallen into the power of the enemy.


    Members of the armed forces of a party to the conflict as well as members of militias or volunteer corps forming part of such armed forces.


    As for the legal protections that prisoners of war are afforded. First and foremost, any enemy soldier who has made an attempt to surrender is to be taken prisoner, where they are to be treated with dignity and respect. Such as being afforded three meals a day, being given a proper shelter, etc.


    Prisoners of War shall also not suffer insult, or injury of any kind, and of course, we are all prohibited from executing prisoners of war, unless, for example, theymit a crime worthy of such a sentence while in captivity and only after having gone through a proper trial to determine his guilt. Now you are all free to deliberate as you please."


    It was no surprise that a minor discussion formed among the world''s leaders. Though some argued against certain points, and required some convincing, in the end, they all agreed that these definitions and protections were all perfectly valid. However, it was ultimately the Ming Emperor who spoke up about a certain concern.


    "What about rebels and terrorists within one''s own borders? Do these definitions and protections apply to them as well?"


    Berengar smirked when he heard this, before shifting to the next slide where he presented the information he had regarding this concern.


    "As I said before, these ords are only regarding wars between two internationally recognized states. Internal security is not rted to this treaty. Thus, if, for example, one were to have a rebellion on their hands, they will be free to deal with the rebels and their supporters however they believe is most appropriate.


    This also applies to newly conquered regions and any resistance movements which might appear. So long as thend is legally annexed, you shall be free to deal with any rebels, terrorists, revolutionaries, criminals, freedom fighters or what have you, as you see fit. Are there any other questions?"


    It took several minutes of debate among the various world leaders, however, in the end, they all came to a unanimous agreement regarding the treaty Berengar had established. They, of course, each read the fine print of the treaty, to ensure that there were not other stiptions, or definitons that Berengar had glossed over.


    However, as promised, this meeting was merely to afford protections to civilians and prisoners of war during an armed conflict between two internationally recognized states. As for Berengar, he was truly losing nothing from this treaty, as he had ensured that there were loopholes allowing him topletely disregard civilian casualties in a zone upied by enemybatants.


    There was one minor exception to this rule. If, for example, one were to bombard a city that was upied by a military force. Then, they would first have to inform the civilian poption of their uing attack, giving them a chance to flee before all hell let loose.


    Of course, Berengar had already operated under simr rules in the past, and now with the ability of air power, dropping leaflets into a city before attacking it was a simple enough task. Thus, he had barely, if at all, restricted how he waged warfare.


    Thus, after every major Monarch west of Japan signed and ratified the Vienna ords, Berengar smiled, and concluded the meeting with a simple gesture of gratitude.


    "Very well, with this, we have all agreed to these rules of war, and thus will be held ountable by the internationalmunity if any of us were to break them. Just to make this clear, you are also protected by these rules.


    So for example if you engage in a military conflict with a foreign power who has not signed or ratified these rules of war, and you emerge victorious, you can hold them ountable for breaking thesews with all of our support.


    Since you are all here in thends of my Empire, I would appreciate it if you took the next few days off and followed me around my realm, so you can experience everything the German Empire has to offer. I assure you, you won''t regret this."


    With that said, the Vienna ords hade to an end, and Berengar now had a powerful weapon to leverage against his rivals in Japan.


    ---


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 Chapter 988 Matters Of Intrigue

    Yi Min-Ah sat in her cell with her knees held closely to her chest. She did not know how long she had been in captivity, but it felt like a lifetime. In truth, the days and nights just seemed to blend together when you no longer had ess to sunlight.


    Since she had begun cooperating with the agents of German Intelligence, her life had be much better, but she was still nothing more than a pretty bird trapped in a cage. It was while she was reflecting on this that the door to her cell opened. However, unlike before, there were no longer any guards who would forcefully bind the Korean beauty.


    She had proven herself a submissive prisoner, and as a result, her captors no longer took such precautions against her. To nobody''s surprise, the same interrogator who used to y russian roulette with her had entered the woman''s cell.


    For the past few months, this man had been the only human contact the Joseon Princess had received. Perhaps out of a sense of Stockholm Syndrome, she had begun to see him as a close friend and possibly even more than that.


    Unlike past visits where the interrogator was usually in a cheerful mood, today, the man had a grave expression on his otherwise handsome face as he approached Min-Ah with a folder in his hands. After sitting down on the woman''s bed, he gave her the bad news.


    "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your release has been secured. In theing days, you will be taken to Beijing, where you will be handed off to the Japanese Empress in secret. However, before we do so, I feel as if there is some information you are entitled to. I don''t really know how to say this, my sweet Min-Ah, but I will juste out and say it... Your family is dead..."


    A simple scoff escaped Min-Ah''s luscious lips, followed by a single word. Her indifference was present on her face as she did so.


    "Good..."


    However, unlike what she was expecting, the man sighed and shook his head before handing the folder he carried over to his captive. After doing so, he said the words that broke the woman''s heart.


    "Not that family..."


    Upon realizing that the man was not talking about the Joseon Royal family, but instead her adopted one, Min-Ah quickly grabbed hold of the folder and surfed through its contents. A detailed ount on what had happened to her loved ones was written inside, along with several pictures that were taken after the fact.


    A stream of tears fell down the Korean beauty''s face before she became overwhelmed with rage. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to rip out the throat of whoever was responsible with her teeth.


    Upon seeing the young woman''s sobbing, the German Agentforted her by wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and dragging her in close. A sigh escaped his lips, as he informed Min-Ah just what had happened.


    "We were hoping to keep your coboration with the Japanese a secret from your people. However, it would appear that in order to sell your cover, Empress Itami Riyo ced a warrant for your arrest across the entirety of her empire, saying that you were a traitor to the crown along with a detailed list of your alleged crimes.


    Because of this, the Joseon Resistance considered you a top priority to eliminate, however since you had fled to the Reich, and were already ''executed,'' they turned to your adopted family for vengeance. They, along with several dozen other known coborators, were murdered in their own homes as an act of retaliation for the ughter of an entire Joseon vige by the Imperial Japanese Army.


    I''m sorry, I know you''re my prisoner, but I genuinely feel bad that a group of innocent people were caught up in your mess and were killed as a result. It would appear that Empress Itami Riyo did not anticipate such a violent reaction from the Joseon people, nor did she make any preparations for it. If she had, perhaps your family would still be alive right now."


    The German Agent''s words were both true, and yet filled with hidden intentions. By ming this attack on Empress Itami Riyo, he knew that he could turn Min-Ah against the woman. In doing so the Reich would gain a valuable asset. That is assuming of course she were to harbor a great hatred against her former master.


    As for Min-Ah, she easily fell prey to this scheme. In the depths of her grief, a newborn hatred had consumed her, and yet it wasn''t ced towards her captors, nor towards the Joseon rebels who had killed her family, but the Japanese Empress herself.


    Knowing that she would soon re-enter the service of the woman who was responsible for her family''s death, the Joseon Princess began to grit her teeth in rage while the tears streamed from her eyes. For now, she continued to lean on the German Interrogator forfort in this time of darkness. Which the man was more than happy to allow.


    ---


    Linde sat at her desk within the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence. She was currently dressed in her uniform, something she had seldom worn over the past few years. Hemma was standing in front of the woman, with the usual bags under her otherwise pretty eyes. A cruel smile emerged on the redheaded temptress''s face as she read over the report she had received from the hidden cksite.


    "It would appear that everything is going as nned. Princess Yi Min-Ah''s release has been properly negotiated, and she will be returning into the arms of the Japanese Empress soon enough. Unknowingly, Itami Riyo has just paid a fortune to acquire an agent of her own destruction. On a more important note, how''s the rtionship between Agent Friedrich Ziegler and our pretty little captive progressing?"


    Hemma scoffed when she heard this question, before cing down a report written by the German Interrogator. In this document was the exact exchange of words and gestures between himself and Min-Ah over the past few months. When Linde read this, her lips curled into an even crueler sneer. As for Hemma, she outlined the contents with a brief summary.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "As you expected, the Joseon Princess has developed feelings for her captor. It would be no exaggeration to say that, after learning about her family''s death, and Itami''s betrayal, he is the only friend she has left.


    I would go so far as to suggest Agent Ziegler to be the primary contact between Min-Ah and the Reich from now on. After all, he is the only one who will be able to calm her wrath, and keep her from doing something stupid like attempt to assassinate the Empress."


    Linde nodded her head in agreement with this assessment before adding her opinions on the matter.


    "I agree. However, you should stall the exchange for as long as possible. Give Min-Ah some time to process her grief, before presenting the option of bing our operative. This way we will have an agent embedded in Itami''s inner circle.


    Once she has agreed to our request, and tempered her rage, Min-Ah will be a valuable asset. After a bit of training in the art of espionage, we will ship her to Beijing, where, upon returning to the Japanese maind, she will begin working for us."


    Hemma nodded her head before taking a sip from her sk. After doing so, she stashed the container, which was filled with alcohol, away before asking the next question on her mind.


    "What about the counterfeit operation? When will we begin?"


    A smug smile appeared on Linde''s face as she ced the folder down on her desk before reaching into a filing cab and retrieving another. After doing so, she handed it off to Hemma, while summarizing its contents.


    "This trade will bankrupt Japan. In order to keep her economy running, Itami will need to print massive amounts of banknotes to rece the gold she will be giving us. Once she does so, our agents in Japan will smuggle some of them back to the reich where we will begin printing counterfeit copies en masse.


    However, we will not be shipping this false currency back to the Japanese maind until after the war has already started. With the war underway, Itami will be far too busy to notice the counterfeited banknotes flooding her economy until after it is already toote."


    Hemma nodded her head in understanding before leaving one finalment.


    "I''ve got to say, Linde, your cunning knows no bounds. Is the Kaiser even aware of your scheme to undermine the Japanese economy?"


    A proud smile emerged on Linde''s wless face as sheid back into her chair and rested her dainty chin on the palm of her hand. After doing so she responded with utter confidence to her subordinate.


    "No, not yet. However, I don''t need his personal approval when ites to matters of intrigue. When he finally learns of what I have done, I am sure my reward will be... excessive..."


    The excited expression in Linde''s sky-blue eyes immediately alerted Hemma to the woman''s amorous thoughts. Causing her to blush and look away. When Linde saw this cute reaction, she giggled before dismissing the deputy director.


    "If that is all, then you are dismissed, Hemma. If you desire, you can take the rest of the day off. I have things covered from here."


    A day off? Hemma did not remember thest time she had one of those. Thus, all she could do was bow her hand and thank her boss for her generosity.


    "Thank you Linde, I promise to make good use of it!"


    After saying this, the woman departed from the room, leaving Linde to her work.


    ---


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 Chapter 989 Japans Weapons Of War

    Empress Itami Riyo spent a significant amount of time speaking to the German diplomat after negotiating Min-Ah''s release. During their discussion, she had learned a lot about just what had happened in India, something she was entirely blind to.


    It was true what they say, you can''t teach an old dog new tricks. Despite doing her best to keep Asha Sarkar on a tight leash, he had rpsed into his wicked ways the moment after her officers were no longer around to keep an eye on him.


    Itami had no doubt that Germany''s Special Forces had eliminated her advisors to the Bengal Army in an attempt to provoke Asha Sarkar and his band of misfits intomitting war crimes. However, she could not prove this. Thus, the Japanese Empress tried her best to glean as much information about the conflict as she could manage.


    After drinking a few sses of sake with the German Diplomat, Itami smiled pleasantly. This was the first discussion the two of them had endured, which did not make her want to tear the man''s eyes out. After building such a raport with Tilicke, she could not help but bait him into answering one of her deepest questions.


    "Still, to break the Bengal Army''s advance in a single battle. I wonder just how your Anangpur allies managed to aplish this feat. As far as I''m aware, the weapons that your Kaiser equipped them with were on par with those I had sold to the Bengals.


    Even then, to traverse the difficult jungle of the Indian Subcontinent within a month, all the way to the Bengal Empire''s core territory, this is not an easy feat. The logistics alone must have cost your allies a fortune."


    There was a proud smile on Tilicke''s face, which obscured his obviously reddened cheeks as he made ament he otherwise would not have, had he been sober.


    "Please, Empress Itami, you tter me and my people. It was really a simple matter, something that a Panzer division could easily aplish!"


    When Itami heard the word''s panzer divisione out of the German Diplomat''s mouth, she trembled. The very core of her being was shaken. Panzer Division? Just what kind of military might was that? It immediately dawned on her why the Anangpur victory had been so swift. Against the armored hull of a proper panzer, no weapons which the Bengals employed would stand a chance.


    Itami was so shaken from this news that her fingers instinctively released the grip they had over her sake cup, which fell to the floor and instantly shattered. It was only after this urrence that Tilicke realized he had made an unforgiveable offense.


    After neatly cing down his cup on the table that lie in between him and his host, the German Diplomat stood up and struggled to find his bnce before making anotherment that he should not have.


    "Well... I believe I have spent enough time here in your lovely homnd. However, if I am going to catch the next flight out of Beijing, I will need to set sail at once. Until we meet again, Empress Itami."


    After saying this, Tilicke swayed out of Itami''s pce and towards the docks where he immediately set sail for Beijing. As for the Japanese Empress, she sat there in utter disbelief for several moments. Panzers, aircraft? How had she fallen so far behind the Reich?


    Now that she had begun the extraction and refinement of oil, there was no longer a need to hesitate. After careful consideration, the young woman immediately rose from her seat, and quickly made her way to her quarters where her desk, along with the divine mirror, lied in wait for her.


    After activating the divine object, and ushering in the light of wisdom, Itami began to draft the designs for a new weapon, one that would be the backbone of her army in the war she feared would soon transpire between herself, and her German rivals.


    Based upon the Type 4 Chi-To Medium tank, which was a weapon designed and developed by the Imperial Japanese Army in extremely limited numbers towards the end of the Second World War in Itami''sst life. Itami had brought to life a tank that could have been a major game changer for the Japanese, had they designed and implemented it earlier in the war effort.


    The Type 4 Chi-To Medium tank had 75mm of hardened steel armor, along with a 75mm main gun. The armored vehicle had a secondary armament of two 7.7mm Type 97 Heavy Tank Machine Guns. The Vehicle made use of a supercharged V-12 diesel engine, gaining a max speed of 45 kmph and a max range of 250 kms.


    All in all, it was an equivalent to the German Panzerkampfwagen V Panther which Berengar had modelled his own tanks off of. The difference was that Berengar''s tanks had improved suspensions and engines to maximize reliability and performance.


    Aside from the Type 4 Chi-To Medium Tank, Itami designed a fully enclosed variation of the WW2 Era Type 1 Ho-KI Armored Personnel Carrier to use as a means of transport for her army. The only other vehicle Itami designed for use in her Armed Forces was a five-ton transport truck of a simr design to Berengar''s.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    After designing armored and motorized vehicles for her Army, Itami suddenly realized that she had a significant problem. Until now, she had been relying on her Bengal puppets for a very critical resource, one that they had only really just begun the extraction and shipment of beforepletely copsing against thebined German-Anangpur offensive.


    Bauxite was a very important mineral, one that was used to create aluminum. If she desired to construct an air force of any actual significance, then aluminum was of the utmost importance. However, she no longer had a reliable source of bauxite, nor had she acquired much before her puppet was defeated.


    ? When Itami first heard that Asha had fallen, shepletely forgot about this fact. In truth there were far more pressing concerns to be worried about. However, now that she actually sat down and started developing aircraft, she realized what a serious issue this was.


    After thinking through everything that had transpired over the past few years, Itami''s pen suddenly came to a stop. Her eyes shifted to the portrait on her wall before she began cursing at it.


    "You fucking bastard! This was your n from the start! No wonder the Ming dynasty invaded south Indochina. You were making sure that I couldn''t get bauxite after your victory in India! Clever, real fucking clever!"


    Everything Itami used the Berengar''s portrait of was one hundred percent true. Berengar had emboldened the Ming Dynasty and helped them conquer South Indochina so Itami would not have the means to acquire its vast bauxite deposits.


    While at the same time, Berengar had stoked fears among the Majapahit Empire, and trained their army to properly resist a Japanese invasion. Betting that Itami would, in fact, choose to invade Borneo, rather than Ming upied territory.


    When Itami realized this fact as well, she was livid. Her hands trembled with wrath as they reached into her pockets and grabbed hold of a torn slip of paper. After pulling this scrap out of her pocket and reading itsments, the woman felt betrayed.


    "With love, from your most ardent admirer


    Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein"


    Was such cruelty an act of love? She hardly agreed. Even if the letter was nothing but an attempt to troll her, Itami had been slightly smitten with her rival when she saw those words for the first time. Now she knew they were nothing more than the false pretense of a smug asshole.


    After realizing such a thing, Itami brought the slip of paper over to a nearby candle, and set it ame, before shifting her attention back to her work. Since she did not have an immediate ess to aluminum, she would have to make a ne mostly out of wood. There were obvious drawbacks to such a design, but if she manufactured enough of them, she doubted the German Air Force would not feel the sting of her wrath.


    Luckily for Itami, the Japanese had designed one such fighter at the end of the war, as sort of ast ditch effort to field aircraft after their logisticalwork was thoroughly trashed by the Americans. The Tachikawa Ki-106 was an aircraft modelled after the infamous Nakajima Ki-84, but was designed almost entirely out of wood. What little aluminumponents it had could easily be reced with steel, even if such a thing would decrease its overall performance.


    In her past life, this aircraft only ever made it to the prototype phase with three ever being built. However, with her engineering skills, she could easily make it a reality in this world. Though she doubted it would be a match for whatever fighter-interceptor the Germans were employing; she nned to make a swarm of them topensate for its clear deficiencies. Something that was much easier and less expensive to do with wood being the main material.


    As for bombers, transport nes, or anything else that Itami would need to activelypete with the Reich, these simply weren''t feasible, not with wood, she ultimately would need to secure a new source of bauxite if she wanted to produce such weapons of war.


    Thus with all this work done Itami could only sigh in relief. As long as she began production of these weapons immediately, she might have a chance of defending her Empire from the German Empire and its Kaiser. It was beginning to look like defeat was more and more certain. The Japanese Empress could only hope that she could make Germany bleed enough to enter negotiations.


    ---


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 Chapter 990 A Whole New World

    The City of Vienna was one of Austria''s most developed locations. As the former capital of the region, its importance was second only to Kufstein, where the Kaiser and his family resided. As a result of this, much effort had gone into producing arge and functional city with all the modern wonders that existed in the Kingdom''s capital.


    The leaders of the world''s most prominent states were all gathered in this city. After signing and ratifying the Vienna ords, they were free to explore the city. Zhu Wudi, among many others, took this opportunity to see just how powerful the Germans really were.


    The Ming Emperor, like many of his counterparts, was utterly surprised, and albeit a bit terrified by the ability to fly in the air. The Germans aplished an ancient dream that had long since been deemed impossible by the rest of the world. This was more than enough to show how distant their two realms were in terms of technology.


    However, when it came to the sights that the man saw in the streets of Vienna. One might say he was even more surprised. Trucks, cars, and busses roamed the streets where they followed the directions of the lights hanging above. Theplete and utterck of horses was an astonishing sight to these medieval Kings. Zhu Wudi was so astonished by this that he feltpelled to ask Berengar the question most prominent on his mind.


    "Where are all your horses, and what are these metal beasts I see everywhere?"


    Berengar pondered this question carefully, hoping not to scare the foreign monarchs too much with how well developed his nation had be.


    "Horses? We have no need of beasts of burden anymore. Abination of busses, trolleys, trains, trucks, and nes manages transport. While agriculture has beenpletely mechanized, with tractors,bine harvesters, and any other number of machines being used in the fields.


    A few years back, we used to have a massive amount of the mighty beasts, but nowadays they have all been either shipped to the colonies to use in their less developed agriculture, or have been sold off to foreign countries for the same purpose. What horses remain in the fathend are the purest breeds, who are the pets of the wealthy elite."


    Zhu Wudi was stunned to hear these words, and carefully contemted them, beforeing to a false understanding, which he was quick to voice.


    "I see, so aside from being used in your colonies and sold abroad, the primary use of horses in your Empire is for your cavalry."


    Berengar sucked on his teeth, as he realized his next words would probably deal a major blow to the Ming Emperor, but after thinking about it carefully he decided it would be best to inform the man of the truth, that way Itami would learn just how out of depth she was, and perhaps back off from her aggressive stance.


    "You see... about that... In the military, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored trucks have reced the need for horses in our cavalry. To put it in terms you understand, think of the machines you see here on the streets, butrger, and made out of hardened steel. Capable of resisting bullets and explosives alike."


    Zhu Wudi had practically had a heart attack on the spot. Germany had gotten rid of horses in agriculture, transport, and warfare. Just how far behind was his own Empire which once stood at the top of this world. It was only now that he was finally understanding the vast difference between Germany, Japan, and the Ming Dynasty.


    Upon seeing that the man was close to fainting, Berengar grabbed hold of his shoulder and brought the man, along with the other world leaders, who were equally stunned, to the nearest bus stop. After sitting down on the bench for some time, the men gave voice to their confusion.


    "I''m sorry, but what are we waiting here for?"


    Berengar smiled before pointing at arge double-decker bus which was approaching their location while exining the reason to them aloud.


    "The bus! We''re going to take it deeper into the city. There''s a local tavern where we can get some good food and some great beer. I figured I''d show you what''smonly avable to my people."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Berengar had used the term tavern, rather than beer hall, because in his Empire there was a distinction. A beer hall served traditional german food and was in a setting like one would expect should they visit Munich during Oktoberfest in his past life. As for a tavern, it was basically just an American bar, with the same style of food that they were known to serve.


    Once the double-decker bus arrived at its stop, Berengar and the rest of the world leaders climbed aboard, where they sat next to themon men and women of Germany. Judging by therge party, of exotically dressed men, the people on the bus could tell the Kaiser was hosting some kind of meeting, but they could not fathom why he had opted to take a bus with the men who gazed around at their surroundings as if they were looking at a whole new world.


    After choosing their spots, Berengar and his guests patiently awaited to arrive at their stop. Where they disembarked from the vehicle, and walked further down the street towards a decent sized tavern, which had music ying on the radio loud enough to be heard from the streets.


    The name of the tavern was disyed on a bold neon red sign which spelled the name Erwin, along with arge neon pink horse. Berengar had a bitter smile on his face as he saw the tavern, which was clearly named after his first horse. Afterward, he boldly entered into the building where he saw a bunch ofmon men dressed in tailored three-piece suits, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, and eating hot wings and burgers.


    When the Kaiser and the other world leaders entered the room, the people already inside gave Berengar a nod of respect before getting back to their drinks. Even though Berengar was the Kaiser, he did not require his people to get up from their seats and bow every time they saw him. A simple sign of respect was more than enough. Which they were happy to voluntarily fulfill.


    Though the men started whispering to themselves, Berengar did not mind, he was well ustomed to such attention. Instead, he sat down at arge enough table to amodate him and his guests. Once the world leaders were seated, they gazed over to a particr attraction, which was arge ck and white television that sat in a corner of the bar disying a live kickboxing fight.


    The motion pictures astonished Zhu Wudi and the others where they gazed upon it for several moments in silence before finally asking just what the hell the contraption was.


    "Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. There have been a lot of things in this Empire of yours that have truly shocked me to the core, but how are those men fighting inside that small box?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before ordering a round of drinks for his guests. After doing so, he began to exin just what the television was.


    "A recent invention on the part of my scientists. We call it a television. What you''re seeing is a live fight, taking part in some other corner of the Reich, but it is broadcasted via radio waves across the Empire and can be seen anywhere there is a tv."


    Just as Berengar was saying this, one of the fighters on the tv threw a head kick thatpletely knocked his opponent unconscious. Screams erupted in the bar, some in excitement, some inment. Clearly, by the expression of more than a few of the patron''s faces, they had lost money on the fight.


    When Berengar saw this feat, he pped in joy. Clearly, it was a good fight up until this point. After the knockout urred, a round of drinks showed up at their table, where Berengar made a toast to the other world leaders.


    "For the future of warfare, may it be as civil as a German diplomat!"


    After saying this, he downed his beer, along with the other world leaders. They would spend the rest of the night travelling across the city of Vienna and witnessing all it had to offer.


    ---


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 Chapter 991 An Average Day In The Reich

    An elderly man sat within a lecture hall belonging to the University of Vienna, with a confused expression on his aging face. Throughout his entire life, he had studied the art of alchemy within the University of Oxford, where he had been amongst its most honored professors.


    However, after their crushing defeat at the hands of the German Empire, which saw their entire army obliterated in a matter of minutes. The Kingdom of Ennd had entered the German sphere of influence as nothing more than a puppet of the Reich.


    As a result, this aging professor had been dispatched to the University of Vienna in an attempt to learn what secrets the German people held within their sacred halls of higher learning. Currently, the man sat in a lecture hall where he was being taught the coursebelled as Chemistry 101.


    In this ss were a bunch of bright eyed, twenty-two-year-olds, who were fresh out of military service. These young men, like all who attended this prestigious university, would form the backbone of the Reich''s future academic pursuits.


    Naturally, having learned the basics of science from the robust education system that the Kaiser had established, these young men understood every word that the professor spoke, and quickly jotted down their notes.


    Whenparing himself to these students who were nothing but children in his eyes, the old man felt as if he was a fish out of water. He had spent a lifetime pursuing the field of alchemy, only to realize that it was all utter nonsense. Chemistry and its basic foundations hadpletely shaken the aging alchemist''s reality.


    Currently, the ss was being lectured on the basics of atomic structure, something that the alchemist could hardlyprehend. As a professor at the University of Oxford, which had existed centuries before, any German University had sprawled up in this world. The old man hade to this school with a haughty attitude. However, after spending a single day listening to the German lecturers, the aging alchemist now realized how utterly foolish he had been.


    While he scribbled down his notes, the old man could not help but question the information he was writing. The words used in this course might as well be ancient egyptian hieroglyphics, as he could not decipher their meaning in the slightest. Seeing that he was falling behind, Nigel feltpelled to ask the question on his mind, which he did by raising his hand.


    Upon seeing that the guest from Ennd had a question, the German professor, who was less than half the old man''s age, had a smug grin on his face as he called upon the man.


    "Professor Nigel Bradshawe from the University of Oxford, was it? Do you have something to add?"


    All eyes were cast upon the old man and his hunched back as the German students whispered and chuckled at his expense. Every word spoken wasced with arrogance, something which Nigel found hard to endure. Finally, after several moments of awkward whispers, the old man rose from his seat and spoke the words that filled his mind.


    "What exactly is this Atom you keep speaking of?"


    Immediately, the entire ss broke out intoughter, as the German students openly mocked the elderly English professor in their native tongue. With the raising of the German professor''s hand, they suddenly silenced themselves.


    The German Professor tried to keep a friendly facade, but deep down he had only contempt for the old fool who had dared to enter his lecture hall without having so much as a basic high school level understanding of science. Naturally, his response was as arrogant, if not more so, than the students who openly mocked the English professor.


    "Sir, I believe it would be best if you spent your time in a less advanced course. If you do not even know what an atom is, then I''m afraid you are not fit to study at our prestigious university. I''m sure one of our many high schools would be happy to educate you on the basics of physics and chemistry."


    Nigel was stunned into silence, never before did he ever think in his wildest dreams that he would beughed out of a foreign university''s lecture hall. However, with the German Professor''s crass remark, this is exactly what happened.


    ---


    In the city of K?nigsberg, a finely dressed young woman sat within a doctor''s office with her child in herp. The little girl was in her formative years and had a wide smile on her face while ying with the toys left in the lobby for her and the other patients'' entertainment. Suddenly, the door opened, and a nurse appeared with a clipboard in her hand. She called out into the lobby with a single name.


    "Monika Wagner?"


    The mother immediately grabbed hold of her child, and stashed the toy away back where it came from, before walking toward the nurse with a rather nervous expression on her face.


    "That would be us!"


    The nurse had seen such a sight too many times to count, and thus had aforting smile as she handed the mother the clipboard while giving her a brief summary about what would soon ur.


    "Just fill out your daughter''s information, and we will have her immunized in a matter of minutes."


    The mother was obviously anxious. As someone who had been immunized herself, she felt as if sticking a hyper-dermic needle into her little girl''s arm was a bit excessive. However, the Kaiser had decreed that all children were to be immunized against certain diseases such as smallpox, polio, measles, and several others.


    Thus, she had no chocie but to fill out the form regarding her daughter''s personal information, and health background. The girl followed her mother into the doctor''s room, where they waited for his arrival. It was not long before the pediatrician arrived with a wide smile on his face.


    "So this is Monika? She''s gotten big since thest time I saw her. Well, I''ll make this quick so you don''t have to waste any more of your time."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    After saying this, the man pulled out the measles vine and held onto the girl''s arm. There was a slight bit of fear in the girl''s eyes as she saw the needleing her way, but she did not resist. Instead, she looked at her mother with a pleading gaze, but the woman simply responded to her daughter with a defeated tone.


    "Monika, be a good girl and stay still for the doctor. Once we are done here, mommy will take you out for some ice cream."


    Upon hearing she was getting a treat after this, Monika looked away from the needle, which was quickly approaching her arm, and gritted her teeth. Without even realizing it, the needle had entered her flesh, and the vine had been distributed into her bloodstream. By the time Monika looked back, the needle was already retrieved where the doctor properly disposed of it. With a friendly smile, he handed the girl a lollipop beforeplimenting her for her ''bravery''.


    "Monika is really brave. Here''s a lollipop as a reward for your courage."


    Upon seeing the piece of candy, a wide smile formed on the girl''s face, as shepletely forgot about the vine she had just been given. After it was over, the mother sighed a relief, and had a brief discussion with the doctor about the girl''s next checkup before departing from the hospital.


    For the German Empire, urrences like this were amon thing, and with the robust public health system in ce, the parents of the children need not worry about the expense. After all, in Berengar''s eyes, healthcare was a necessity in life, and the people should not be charged for such services.


    ---


    A group of highschool boys walked through the streets of Kufstein in their uniforms. With sses over, they had decided to hit the town where they would enjoy themselves in some fashion before finally going home for the evening. However, the trio could not easily agree on what to do at this time, and were thus debating on how to spend their afternoon.


    "Man, I think we should go to the cinema. There''s a new movie that just recently came out called Frankenstein! I doubt any of you guys would be able to sit through it without pissing your pants!"


    However, another of the friends immediately disagreed with this proposal and presented his own ideas.


    "Nah man, screw that. We should go to the carnival. I hear it''s back in town again! Think of all the fun we could have there. Games, prizes, food! Who needs the cinema when we have such an option?"


    The third boy, who had remained silent until this moment, was quick to dismiss both ideas as he spoke about something the other two had neglected.


    "Hey, isn''t there a fight at the Grand Kufstein Arena tonight? Why don''t we see if we can get ourselves some tickets? If not, we can always hit up the local tavern and watch it there. Hell, I could go for some hot wings right now. What do you guys say?"


    Immediately upon hearing this option, the other two boys dropped any notions of going to the cinema, or the carnival, and nodded their heads in agreement, however before they could speak a feminine voice interrupt them.


    "That''s the best idea I''ve heard all night. You boys mind if we join you?"


    Upon hearing this, the trio looked around to see three girls roughly their age, dressed in uniforms from a different school. Two out of the three of the boys instantly became nervous when they saw the girls so boldly approach them. As for the boy who suggested watching the fight, he had a confident smirk on his face as he approached the leader of the three girls.


    "Sure, I don''t mind, but won''t your parents worry if you don''t return home before it gets dark?"


    The teenage girl responded with an equally confident expression while crossing her arms.


    "I''ll just tell daddy that I was at a friend''s house. However, don''t think that just because we''re joining you that you can take advantage of us. If anything happens, I''ll have you take responsibility!"


    The boy merely chuckled when he heard this and nodded his head before responding to the girl''s taunt.


    "I can ept those terms. After all, I wouldn''t mind having a girl as cute as you as my wife."


    Upon hearing this, the girl blushed and looked away for but a moment, beforetching onto the boy''s arm and following him to the Grand Kufstein Arena along with their friends.


    ---


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 Chapter 992 A Devious Scheme

    While Berengar was spending the weekend in Vienna, entertaining the world''s leaders. Linde was hard at work in the city of Kufstein. It was not easy negotiating a high level defection. For Min-Ah to switch sides, and learn how topetently spy on Itami, it would be among the most difficult tasks the redheaded spymaster had ever participated in.


    Naturally, she could not get involved herself. However, Linde had a very powerful pawn, one who would be able to thoroughly convince Min-Ah to side with the Reich. Since she had first been taken captive. The Joseon Princess had unknowingly begun to develop feelings for the German Agent responsible for her interrogation.


    After informing Min-Ah about her family''s deaths. Agent Friedrich Ziegler apanied the woman for some time, ensuring that she received thefort she needed before finally returning to the headquarters of German Imperial Intelligence.


    Where the veteran agent knelt before the Kaiserin and bowed his head as if he was the most obedient of dogs. Linde did not even pay the man any attention as she looked through the report in her hands. To her, it was only natural that her agents kneeled before her.


    This was a level of respect that not even the Kaiser was afforded by his soldiers. Why did the men of Imperial Intelligence bow their heads and kneel before their boss in such a submissive manner? Because she was without a doubt the most terrifying human being on the. If they identally gazed upon the woman with lust, she would have them blinded for their sins.


    Or so the rumors had said. In truth, no agent had ever been so cruelly punished, but no man was foolish enough to test the Director''s patience. Everyone knew how much Linde loved her husband. The devotion she showed the man was borderline fanatical. Any man who gazed upon her with lust was practically tainting her, something she would never allow.


    In fact, in the entirety of German Imperial Intelligence, Linde had practically be a goddess, worshipped by her own cult of devotees. An idol, never to be tarnished with impure thoughts. If Agent Ziegler even so much as looked at her the wrong way, he would have to deal with more than a few of the woman''s angry admirers.


    Thus, he was sweating bullets as he kept his head hung low. Never before in his life had he been graced with the presence of the Director. Now, kneeling before her, he did not dare to even speak in fear that he might upset her.


    After several minutes of intense silence, Linde finally sighed before tossing the folder aside, as if its contents had disinterested her. After doing so, a stern expression appeared on her wless face as she scolded the man for hisck of effort.


    "I am told that it is highly likely that one of your prisoners has developed feelings for you. It''s no surprise, after all, you are a rtively handsome man, and an experienced girl like Min-Ah is bound to fall for a pretty face, especially one who treats her nicely.


    This is actually the reason why I selected you to interrogate the Joseon Princess. Well, that, and your apparent psychopathic tendencies. At the very least, I know that whatever happens, you will never grow attached to the woman. So answer me this, Friedrich, how certain are you of your ability to charm Min-Ah further?"


    Cold sweat dripped from Friedrich''s forehead as he contemted a precise answer to this question. He feared that if he was off by even a single percentage, it would be the end of his career. After several moments, he spoke up with a cracked voice.


    "I... I am ny-nine percent certain that I can make Min-Ah fall for me. In fact, now, in her depressed state, she is certainly most vulnerable to such a thing. However, forgive me for asking god- Director, but what purpose would such a scheme have?"


    A slight sneer appeared on Linde''s lips as she heard the agent''s slipup. Naturally, she was aware of the cult of personality that had been formed around her. In fact, she did not mind what her devotees called her behind her back.


    After all, the only woman fitting to be Saint Berengar, the Blessed''s soul mate, was a goddess. However, she never wanted to hear such unprofessionalism in person. After careful consideration, Linde ultimately decided to ignore this slipup, and simply lectured the man on his responsibilities instead.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "I want you to make Min-Ah fall so head over heels in love with you that she will do whatever you say without question. Once she is charmed, I want you to float the idea of working for Imperial Intelligence. I want her to spy on Empress Itami for us.


    If she resists such a suggestion, I want you to assure her that you will be in her corner as her sole means of contact. Once she agrees, I will have her appropriately trained in the art of espionage before selling her back to Japan. I''m sure this won''t be a problem for you, will it?"


    Agent Ziegler shook his head frantically. There was a noticeable sense of anxiety was written all over his face, but not because of his orders. Rather because of the cold re that Linde was giving him. After taking a few moments to find his courage, he finally spoke in agreement with the terms that were presented to him.


    "No... No problem. I assure you that I will follow your orders to the letter..."


    Linde''s stern expression turned into a warm smile as she heard these words, a smile which was more than enough to melt even the most cold-hearted killer''s heart. Agent Ziegler gazed upon the beautiful expression for but a single moment, before bowing his head once more, afraid that is he was to continue to gaze upon the woman''s wless appearance for even a single second more than the redheaded temptress would steal his soul away.


    The man''s panicked expression caused Linde''s pretty smile to sneer into a sadistic grin while she nodded her head three times in approval. Only after silence prevailed in the room for several moments did she deign to grace the man with her heavenly voice.


    "Good... Then I won''t keep you any longer. If you find yourself having anyplications with your task, report them to your direct superior. I am sure that I don''t need to remind you about the consequences of wasting my precious time..."


    Agent Ziegler immediately nodded his head and gathered his thoughts before departing from the room. When he left, he gave onest gaze towards the Director who had immediately returned to her paperwork as if their discussion did not even phase her in the slightest.


    With a sigh of relief, the agent departed from the headquarters, only letting his thoughts escape from his mouth once he knew nobody was listening in on him.


    "Such a terrifying woman. I will never know how the Kaiser has managed to tame her..."


    As for Linde, she continued to fulfill her work, until the sun began to set, where she departed from her office, and returned to her home. Although her beloved husband was not there to greet her, four out of five of her lovely children were. Seeing their brimming smiles was enough to fill the woman with a joy that only a mother could truly experience, and thus allow her to rx after a stressful day at work.


    ---


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 Chapter 993 Formation Of The Lndian Empire

    As the Vienna ords came to an end, and in doing so ushered in a new era of human rtions, so too did another world-changing event ur on the other side of the map. In the jungles of Burma, the 12th Panzer Division, along with the Anangpur Army, poured through the easternmost territory of the Bengal Empire, and brought the local poption beneath their heel.


    Unlike the time when the Bengal troops entered the jungles of Burma, where they proceeded tomit any number of atrocities. There was no major act of bloodshed this time around. In fact, the German soldiers had been exceptionally kind to the natives of the region, understanding full well just how they had been treated in the past by their previous conquerors.


    What could only be described as a celebration urred when thebined forces of the German and Anangpur Empires swept through the streets and rid Burma of any Bengal presence. When the people realized that they had been liberated, they greeted the allied soldiers with open arms.


    The war for India, a conflict that had been ongoing for quite some time, hade to a close. Naturally, this news was transmitted back to the Reich as quickly as it had urred. When Berengar heard of this news, he was at a local tavern with the other world leaders. A member of Berengar''s leibgarde had entered the facility, and reported the words to his Kaiser in a slight whisper.


    Upon hearing the good news, Berengar ordered another round for himself and his guests. Right before they were all about to take a sip, he stood up and announced his victory to the rulers of the world''s mightiest empires.


    "I have some good news to discuss with all of you. As we speak, thest bastion of Bengal resistance within Asia has fallen. The war is over, and because of this fact I now proim in front of all of you that Dharya Tomara is no longer the Emperor of Anangpur but of all of India!"


    Dharya was stunned to hear this news. Though he knew that any day the Bengal Empire or what little remained of it would fall. However, now that the day had finallye, he was finding it a bit too hard to believe.


    Surprisingly, to no-one but Dharya himself, all the other monarchs who were seated alongside the man gave him their congrattions. After all, a unified India allowed for many trade opportunities between their Empires.


    Despite their words of praise to Dharya, more than a few of the monarchs eyed Berengar with envy, fully aware that this newly formed empire with unlimited potential was nothing more than a puppet of the Reich and its cunning Kaiser. It was only after things had settled down that Berengar posed a question to Dharya that the man had not considered.


    "So tell me Dharya, will you be proiming the formation of your new empire here in Vienna, or will you wait to make the announcement until you return home?"


    The boy emperor looked over at the man, who had in many ways been his foster father, with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. He had not received much training on how to be an effective ruler. In fact, all he really learned was how to be an exceptional puppet.


    However, if Berengar was asking this question, he clearly had ulterior motives. Thus, Dharya was forced to think about it clearly, which he did so for several moments of awkward silence. While pondering on this topic, all the other monarchs exchanged nces between the two men, wondering what the boy would choose.


    Everyone knew the meaning behind the act of announcing the formation of the Indian Empire within the city of Vienna. Dharya was invited as a guest to the Reich for an international peace conference, and while he was away, his forces emerged victorious in a campaign against the army of a convicted war criminal.


    Even though the monarchs had technically finished their work early, the Vienna Peace ords were officiallysting all weekend. To announce the formation of an Empire during this conference was a strong statement ofmitment to the ideals which this treaty was founded upon. It was also, in a sense, a symbolic recognition of the German Empire''s role in the formation of this newly unified Indian state.


    While Dharya sat in silence thinking about how he should proceed, Berengar sipped from his drink with a smug smile on his handsome face. In truth, he already knew how Dharya would respond, even if the boy himself didn''t realize it.


    Not only did Berengar have the eye of Horus, which disyed one''s hidden emotions towards him, but he was also a master maniptor and an excellent judge of character. To put it simply, from the moment Berengar first sent his forces into India, he had nned for these two events to converge at approximately the same time. All for this very moment. After several moments of awkward silence, Dharya sighed, and forced himself to smile as he responded to Berengar''s question in affirmation.


    "It would be my honor to announce the formation of my new empire here in Vienna, assuming you are willing to ept this."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Berengar chuckled lightly before gripping Dharya on the shoulder, partially to show his approval of the boy''s actions, but also as a sign of dominance before all the other major world leaders. With a satisfied expression on his face, Berengar said the words Dharya was already expecting.


    "My friend, the honor is all mine."


    After saying this, Berengar, Dharya, and the other world leaders enjoyed a night out within the city of Vienna, celebrating all which they had aplished on this day.


    ---


    The following day, the world leaders gathered at the City Hall of Vienna once more, where in front of arge audience of journalists from across the Reich, they made a major announcement. Berengar stood by Dharya''s side as he eloquently spoke the words that would usher in a new era of Indian politics.


    "As ofst night, thest remnant of the Bengal Army surrendered to the coalition of German and Anangpur troops. With this, the war for the region hase to a close, and I would like to formally announce the unification of the Indian subcontinent beneath the Anangpur Empire.


    Since we are no longer just a small state in the northwestern portion of the Indian Subcontinent, but rather now epass the entire region, I hereby announce the formation of the Indian Empire, to be ruled over by the Tomara dynasty from this day, until the end of days!


    I assure you all that I will work hard alongside Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein to ensure that rtions between India and the Reich are well maintained. Thank you all for your time."


    With this said, the Indian Empire was officially formed, and Dharya was now the ruler of Berengar''srgest and most powerful puppet, one he intended to mobilize against the Japanese when the time for war finally arrived.


    As for how India developed, like all of his allies, Berengar fully intended to transform it from a feudal state, to a peak pre-industrial civilization. The military, of course, would be well funded and supplied by the Reich with a level of technology on par with the Joseon Kingdom and the Majapahit Empire, if not slightly superior.


    In theing days, Berengar would work side by side with Dharya to overhaul the Indian military and introduce agricultural reforms to the entirety of the newly established empire. He also had ns to smuggle tea nts from the Ming Dynasty into India, so that he could produce his own supply of such a valuable substance on German ownednds.


    After all, if there was one luxury good that Berengar wascking domestic production of, it would be tea. Something many of his citizens had begun to enjoy as much, if not more so, than coffee. With this in mind, Berengar intended to upy a section of the market for himself, which was now a possibility with the formation of the Indian Empire.


    As for Dharya, he would stay within the borders of the Reich for a few days longer, visiting Kufstein and his much beloved sister. Little did the Indian Emperor realize his German counterpart had already impregnated his dearest little sister. A fact that would cause quite a bit of concern in the man''s mind when he learned about it.


    Who was the Kaiser, if not the most cunning and maniptive man to ever walk the Earth? For the Indian Princess to enter the man''s harem and carry his child, it only meant one thing, that Berengar von Kufstein had intentions to ce his own offspring on the Indian Throne, one which Dharya had only recently established. Upon understanding this fact, Dharya would be deeply concerned about his future.


    ---


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 Chapter 994 One Lineage To Rule Them All

    In the middle of the German Aerial Warfare Academy''s cafeteria, a pretty young blonde woman sat alone while staring at the contents contained within one of the nation''s more popr tabloids. An image of herself seated on the back of the German Prince''s motorcycle was stered across the front page, along with a scandalous headline.


    "Is the Princess of Bavaria Prince Hans''s new side piece?"


    It took significant effort on Anne''s part not to scowl at this piece of trash. However, she maintained a pretty face, albeit a stern one, while waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. After all, thest thing she needed was to be scowling when Hans finally sat down next to her.


    Despite her facade, the moment Hans arrived at the table with a tray in his hands, he immediately noticed that Anne was in a sour mood, and thus he was quick to inquire just what had caused her to be so angry.


    "Anne, what''s wrong?"


    The Princess of Bavaria remained silent, and instead handed the tabloid over to the boy, which quickly caused him to smirk. A confident expression was on Hans''s handsome, yet youthful face as he was quick to console his girl.


    "Is this it? So what? Isn''t this a good thing? Now that news is spreading about our rtionship, that fat sack of crap wille into the limelight. In fact, if I really wanted to, I could get my mother to manipte the media to expose his sinful behavior. Once everything he has done is in the public eye, Prince of Saxony or not, he will be in hot water."


    Anne merely sighed as she nodded her head. She understood that this would undoubtedly help expose her fiancee''s cruelty, and in doing so might actually get her out of the betrothal her father had forced upon her. However, she still found fault with the headline, and was quick to express her grievances.


    "Is this all that I am to you? Just a side piece?"


    It astounded the young Prince that the woman had taken such offense to what was clearly a scious headline designed to attract the audience from a quick nce. Even so, there was a clear expression of discontent on Anne''s face, which caused Hans to grab hold of her hand andfort her with his words.


    "Of course not. I already told you, once my betrothal to that bitch is broken, I will dly take your hand in marriage as one of mywful wives. I''m not like my father. I have no intention of keeping several mistresses despite having four wives. Five women are more than enough for me to be happy."


    If Anne had grown up in the previous generation, she would have found that statementughable. However, she was raised for the most part in the polygamous society that Berengar had created. As a result, the idea of one man having several wives was as normal to her as having breakfast every morning.


    As for the concept of mistresses or concubines, whatever one might call them, it was not exactly a normal practice in the Reich. However, as the Kaiser, Berengar could pretty much do whatever he wanted, thus he kept a few women on the side.


    This was something that Hans took exception to, believing these women, aside from his aunt Henrietta, were unworthy of his father''s time and energy. In fact, Hans sighed inment when he thought about the idea of his father taking another mistress. Which he could not help but express his thoughts on.


    "I heard that my father took another foreign beauty into his harem. This time, it was the princess of the Golden Horde. Apparently, it was part of his negotiations with her that she bear his child. I can''t help but think that my father intends to seat his own offspring on all the world''s major thrones."


    Anne scoffed at this remark. Her first instinct was to deny it, frankly, because it was ludicrous. However, when she thought about it more clearly, Berengar had taken wives and concubines from across the world. The Sultan of Al-Andalus was his own child, and the heir to the throne of Byzantium was another one of his sons.


    It would be no exaggeration to say, with the right amount of scheming, the future Emperor of India would also be a child of Berengar. The same could be said for the Majapahit Empire. Now the princess of the Golden Horde had fallen into the man''s clutches as well?


    Upon further inspection, all the petty kingdoms in Europe had at least one of their princesses engaged to one of Berengar''s sons. Those who didn''t would actually be ruled over by one of the German Princes when they finally came of age.


    After several moments of awkward silence, Anne stared at Hans with a gawking expression. She could hardly believe it, but the more she thought about it, the more this theory turned out to be true. She could only shake her head and sigh before expressing her thoughts on the matter.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Your father is truly unfathomable. Such a scheme is nigh impossible, and yet in a hundred years every Kingdom and Empire in this world will be ruled by members of your father''s dynasty. If you had not said a thing about this, I never would have expected it..."


    Hans scoffed when he heard this before shifting his gaze to Anne. There was a look of fear in his eyes as he murmured his thoughts beneath his breath.


    "I highly doubt this is my father''s doing. There''s only one person in this world with the cunning andscivious nature to even concoct such a massive conspiracy, and that would be my mother. No disrespect to my father, but I doubt he would even think of such a thing without my mother whispering it into his ears."


    When Anne heard this, she did not know how to react. She could not fathom why any woman would want her husband to go around impregnating other women. In fact, she was quick to disagree with Hans''s assessment.


    "No, that doesn''t make sense. What would Linde possibly get out of such a thing? After all, these are not her children who will be ruling over the world, but her husband''s."


    A bitter smile emerged on Hans'' lips as he shook his head in disagreement before arguing his point. When he did so, a look of shock appeared on Anne''s face, as well as a flush of embarassment.


    "You don''t know my mother very well, do you? First and foremost, the woman can be incredibly petty, possibly more than anyone else on the. Though she was elevated to the level of Empress, she was born a lowly count''s daughter.


    I don''t doubt for one second that she gets some form of sick joy, watching the man she chose, deflower, and taint those noble princesses, taking them as mere concubines, rather than giving them the wedding ring they would surely get with any other man.


    Second, my mother is what you might call a cuckquean. She derives pleasure from watching the man she loves be intimate with other women. In fact, the entire Royal Harem is her brainchild. You have no idea what levels of degeneracy my father gets up to with his wives and concubines, and my mother is the mastermind of it all.


    Third, and most importantly, my mother is fiercely devoted to my father. She loves him more than anything in this world. I mean, she practically worships the man as her god. Naturally, because of this, she wants nothing more than to help him aplish his goals in whatever way she can.


    Building an Empire that willst a thousand years is something my father has already set the foundations for. But making that Empire rule above all others as the world''s only superpower? That requires a level of stability that can only result from all the world''s leaders sharing amon lineage. My father''s lineage."


    After hearing all of this, Anne could no longer look Hans in the eye. She felt like she had learned more about the boy''s mother than she ever wanted to. To think that the stunning and beautiful Kaiserin who she always looked up to actually had such a fetish, it was something she had never expected. However, after thinking about this for some time, Anne had one question on her mind, which she waspelled to ask.


    "I''m sorry, but how do you know all this about your mother?"


    Hans simply sighed and shook his head before answering the girl with a defeated expression on his face.


    "I''m a keen observer. Let''s leave it at that..."


    Though this only created more questions for the girl. She decided to leave the topic be, fearing that if she delved further, she would discover something even more intense than she had already heard.


    ---


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 Chapter 995 Training Day

    In the Austrian Alps there existed arge military base where thousands of conscripts worked together to pass their basic training. A young man, no older than eighteen, was doing pushups while dressed in his feldgrau fatigues, along with the rest of his unit.


    Manfred Krause was a young man from Austria, who had recently concluded his time in high school, as well as the German Cadet Corps. Now he was nothing more than just another cog in the German War machine, fulfilling his mandatory service, like all other young men had to do.


    As Manfred continued to engage in the physical exercise, he heard the shouting of his drill instructor, who was screaming at another conscript.


    "You unbelievable fat sack of shit, when I was your age, we had nothing to eat but a single roll of bread a day. How on earth did you manage to get so fucking huge, yourd assnd whale? You are an utter disgrace to the fathend. Look at those around you. They are effortlessly doing this exercise because they have trained their entire lives for this. If you do not fulfill my quota of pushups today, I will have you scrubbing thetrines with your toothbrush. Do you understand me, private?"


    There were practically tears in the eyes of the heavyset fellow as he heard these words. He was by no means morbidly obese. In fact, he wasn''t all that big, at least not whenpared to the American people during Berengar''s past life.


    However, in the Reich, where discipline, exercise, and martial training were the virtues of all men, to have anything other than a six-pack was to be considered fat. Maintaining such a physique was more difficult for some than others, and this young conscript simply liked his beer and hot wings a bit too much. Because of that, his muscles were not clearly defined like everyone else.


    Despite the insults hurled at him, the conscript endured, and responded to the drill instructor with an enthusiasm that Manfred struggled toprehend just where the man had conjured it from.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After this brief incident, the physical training continued for some time, before Manfred and the others were lined up at the firing line and issued their training rifles. Like most soldiers of the German Army were issued, these training rifles were modelled after the Fg-42 from Berengar''s past life.


    After loading the 20 round box magazine into the side of the gun, Manfred aimed down his sights and pulled the trigger. The bipod stabilized the weapon, allowing for much easier hits on the steel tes, which sat at a distance of roughly one hundred meters.


    Having hit all his targets in a sufficient amount of time, Manfred was scored fairly for his shooting capabilities, where he and the rest of the men continued on their daily routine. After all their work was done for the day, Manfred arrived at the mess hall, where he saw the ''fat'' man eating all alone. After careful consideration, he took his tray of food and sat down next to the guy while introducing himself.


    "I''m Manfred Krause. What''s your name?"


    The ''fat'' man looked up from his tray of food and gave Manfred one nce before staring at his te again. He responded in a rather dejected manner as he did so.


    "Wolfgang... Wolfgang Bergmann."


    Upon getting a name, Manfred smiled and tried to ease his way into a friendly conversation. He honestly felt bad for the guy after what he went through earlier in the day. Thus, he had opted to befriend the man on a whim.


    "So, what job did you sign up for? I''m a Panzer crewman. Personally, I want to ride into battle in one of those new Panther tanks, you know the model B? I hear they have a sighting system that allows them to see in the dead of night? Isn''t that awesome?"


    When Wolfgang heard this, he was pleasantly surprised. At first, he thought Manfred was being an annoyance, but after learning that they both had the same job, he suddenly became more interested in the conversation. Thus, he was quick to respond with a rather enthusiastic tone in his voice.


    "Really? Huh, I thought I was the only one in our unit. It''s nice to see there''s a guy I can rely on who isn''t just another numbskull with a rifle."


    Manfred chuckled when he heard these words. It was true that there were alot of men in this camp who wanted nothing more than to rush into machine gun fire with a rifle in hand at some vain shot of glory.The infantry was nevercking in those wished to enter its service.


    However, in Manfred''s opinion, it took a more cultured man to operate a panzer, and thus, he felt something akin to a bond forming between him and Wolfgang. With this in mind, he expressed good intention to the man before continuing to eat his meal.


    "Well, I hope we end up in the same unit."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    With a simple nod of his head, Wolfgang silently expressed the same sentiment.


    ---


    While Wolfgang and Manfred shared a meal together within the mess hall, another group of German conscripts were training on the sea outside Trieste. These men weren''t going through basic, but rather their specialized training, which consisted of learning how to operate a German U-boat.


    One man in particr was eyeing the sonar as the U-boat and its crew slipped beneath the surface of the Mediterranean. For their mission, they would be making a short journey outside Gibraltar, where they would intercept a dummy target and destroy it with their torpedos.


    The Type I U-boat was modelled after thete war Type XXI submarine with some much needed upgrades. It was a submarine that was designed to operate primarily under water, and as a result it could go several days beneath the surface without ever revealing itself.


    As the sonar operator watched his device closely, he noticed a few blips appear, which he was quick to report to themander.


    "Sir, there appears to be a small fleet of what I presume to be wooden merchant ships approximately two hundred clicks to the west. We are quickly approaching them. What are your orders?"


    Themander of the submarine simply scoffed before giving his orders to the crew. There was a hint of arrogance in his gruff voice as he did so.


    "Maintain our current speed and depth. As long as we are not on a course for collision, you do not need to report your findings to me. Continue as you were."


    With a slight sigh, the sonar technician epted his orders. Upon seeing how the man''s overeagerness was rejected so swiftly by theirmanding officer, a nearby sailor patted the man on the back before attempting to cheer him up.


    "Rx, Reiner, you don''t need to be so uptight. I know we''re underwater, but these things are pretty solid. There has yet to be an incident regarding a submarine sinking."


    Reiner Schulze took a deep breath and sighed in relief upon hearing this. When he first heard about the existence of submarines, he had be fascinated with them. However, now that he was actually inside of one, he felt as if his stomach was twisted into a hefty knot.


    It turns out that exploring the depths of the Mediterranean, let alone the world''s oceans, was a lot more terrifying than the man had thought it would be. He was not alone in this regard, as the man whoforted him appeared to also be sweating bullets, which Reiner was quick to joke about.


    "You alright there us? You don''t seem to be faring any better than me..."


    Despite being visibly anxious, us chuckled, andughed off Reiner''s attempts to console him as if they were one giant joke.


    "Me? I''m fine. It''s you I''m worried about."


    The two men shared a briefugh before going about their business. Their slight interaction helped calm one another''s nerves, even if they were not willing to outright admit how terrified they truly were at this moment.


    ---


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 Chapter 996 Settling Affairs Part L

    Berengar sat in the dining hall of his royal pce. Seated across from him were both the Byzantine Emperor and the Princess of the Golden Horde. Despite the treaty that both sides had agreed to, neither of them had ever actually spoken in person, and simply relied on the Kaiser to draft and organize the event.


    In the wake of the Vienna Peace ords, Berengar ensured that both Dharya and Vetranis had stayed behind, and followed him back to Kufstein for two separate reasons. While the Indian Emperor was off visiting his sister and catching up on their lives. Berengar sat down with these two rivals to settle their affairs once and for all.


    Khorijin had a cold expression on her beautiful face. She did not seem to care for Vetranis in the slightest, nor recognize his authority as the once mighty Byzantine Emperor. Whereas Vetranis sat across from the mongol princess with a stoic expression and a graceful facade.


    Upon witnessing the atmosphere that was created when these two rulers came together, Berengar felt as if the air had gotten colder. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he expressed his thoughts on the treaty that he was practically forcing the two monarchs to sign.


    "As I have already informed the both of you, the terms of this treaty are that the Byzantine Empire will make their best effort to help relocate the scattered Golden Horde back to their previous holdings. Any ground gained in this war by the Golden Horde shall be forfeit and returned to their previous owners.


    The Golden Horde will pay reparations to both the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Georgia in the form of silver and gold. Which they are obligated to pay within the next fifty years in an amount that is worth roughly ten times the damage they have caused in their conquest.


    As for the Reich, by virtue of brokering this agreement, the Golden Horde recognizes our right to mine wherever we see fit in the borders of their new kingdom for the next hundred years. In exchange for these liberties, I, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, hereby pledge to invest in the creation and development of your new state for the foreseeable future. As a token of my sincerity, I will start with a sum of five hundred billion marks. How does that sound?"


    Vetranis nearly choked on his own spit when he heard this figure. Five hundred billion marks? His entire Empire in its current state wasn''t even worth such a massive fortune. All of a sudden, he felt like he was the one being cheated here.


    After all, he had to invest his own money into the reconstruction of his Empire. Yet Berengar was going to invest five hundred billion marks into the creation of a semi-modern state in the middle of the Caucasus, all in exchange for mining rights? Just what natural resources was the Golden Horde sitting on?


    Despite the Byzantine Emperor''s expression of utter shock, Khorijin did not seem the slightest bit phased. This wasrgely in part because she had no idea just how much five hundred billon marks were worth. However, judging by the Byzantine Emperor''s reaction, it seemed to be a lot. Thus, she nodded her head in silence, signalling for Berengar to continue. Which he was quick to do so.


    "Alright, since we have all agreed on these terms, then if you would sign your name on the dotted line, we will be able to wrap things up shortly."


    Having said this, Berengar took the initiative and signed away his own name on the document before handing the treaty over to Emperor Vetranis. The man had barely recovered from his shock, perhaps if he was in a more coherent state he would have tried to re-negotiate his part of the agreement, but because he was so stunned by this news, Vetranis mindlessly signed his name away on the document while still thinking about everything he would do if Berengar had given him such a vast fortune.


    Khorijin made use of her interpreter to make sure everything was in order and was just about to sign her name when she realized something important was missing. Her brow raised slightly as her cold ck eyes shifted over to Berengar''s handsome face. There was a rather stiff expression on the woman''s plump lips as she struggled to find the resolve to voice herint. After taking a deep breath, she went all out and boldly stated her problem with the treaty.


    "Where is the stiption that demands I carry your child?"


    When Vetranis heard this, his eyes nearly shot out of their sockets. Did Berengar seriously force this woman to agree to such a thing? He could hardly believe his ears. The Kaiser already had four beautiful wives and three stunning concubines, which Vetranis himself was aware of. Yet the man so shamelessly wanted another foreign beauty added to the list? Just what kind of sex drive did this man even have? <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    What was even more shocking was that Berengar did not deny this, and simply smiled politely before responding to the woman''s concern.


    "Pardon me, but I genuinely did not think such a thing needed to be written intow. You can imagine the trouble I would be in if such an agreement came to lightter in life. It would be quite the scandal. So I have decided to leave that particr stiption to your own discretion. I am sure you will live up to your promise when the time finallyes. Now, would you just sign your name so we can be done with all this mess?"


    Vetranis was practically gawking at his son-inw when he heard the man so openly admit to this usation. He thought for sure that the mongol beauty would fly into a fit of rage when he rejected her cause for concern, but instead she simply sighed in defeat before doing as she was told.


    "There, I have signed your treaty. Now you have to fulfill your end of the bargain!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in agreement, before responding to the woman''s curt behavior.


    "Oh believe me, I always live up to my agreements. After your people have been rounded up and returned to theirnds, I will send my men and their equipment to begin the construction of a proper city. Perhaps somewhere close to the ck sea, so trade between our realms is easier.


    We will teach your people proper agriculture and begin the construction of our mines. Which, as agreed, will be leased to the Reich for a period of one hundred years, after which you and your people will have full rights to whatever remains. You have my word."


    Khorijin didn''t entirely trust the golden eyed man. If she could trust him, the spirits would not have warned her about him. However, they had been oddly quiet ever since she was first taken into captivity, and thus she could only rely on her instincts to navigate theplex rtionship that had been forced upon her.


    As for Vetranis, he was still in disbelief. No matter how he thought about it, he could notprehend why Berengar was investing so much into the development of an Empire in the Caucasus. Naturally, he would feel this way as the man waspletely unaware of the rich deposits of oil, natural gas, uranium, and other critical resources that lied across its vastndscape.


    With the treaty signed, Berengar felt like he had more important matters to take care of, and thus he stood up from his seat and bade his guests farewell for the time being.


    "I will speak to the both of you at ater time. For now, I have some affairs to settle with the Indian Emperor and his little sister. Until we meet again..."


    Having said this, Berengar exited the room, leaving the Princess of the Golden Horde and the Byzantine Emperor alone together in awkward silence.


    ---


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 Chapter 997 Settling Affairs Part Ll

    While Berengar was negotiating with Emperor Vetranis and Princess Khorjin. Dharya was in a room alone with his sister. The beautiful young Indian woman had a healthy glow to her appearance, and a wide smile on her face as she was finally able to see her brother after what felt like a lifetime away from him.


    For the early part of her life, Priya had been locked up in a small room, where the only person who ever bothered to care for her was her elder brother. However, the life she once knew had drastically changed when the boy emperor willingly went into exile, all for the sake of her health.


    In the years Priya had spent in Kufstein, she had developed a love of the German culture, and the people who contributed it. She no longer dressed in the traditional Indian attire, and instead wore some of the finest silk dresses that the Reich had to offer. The only time she ever bothered to wear a saree was when Berengar was feeling in the mood for it.


    The Indian Princess had even fallen in love with her foster father and was now carrying his child. Which was thanks in part to Linde''s maniption of the man. Though she wasn''t an official wife, Priya felt content with her lot in life, as she lived invish luxury and was showered with love from her foster family.


    It wasn''t just Berengar who Priya had fallen in love with, but his entire family, especially his wife Yasmin, who was the mother which the girl had never known. Though she was still a bit na?ve and immature, the man she loved more than anything wholly protected her from the dangers of the world.


    As for Dharya, since he had retaken his family''s throne, his life had been harsh. He had no time to worry about taking a wife, or a lover, and spent nearly every waking hour of every day managing his realm.


    Agriculture, plumbing, waste recycling, advancement of the military, and the sale of spices abroad. These were just a small list of the intense matters which required his constant management. If not for the brief education he had received in the Reich, he would surely have failed by now.


    Restoring a copsing state to its former glory was something that Dharya could not manage on his own. Instead, he had a long list of German advisors who assisted him with every step. He thought for most of his life that he wanted to be free of his uncle''s tyranny and to reign as he saw fit. But in reality, the throne itself was a chain that he could never be free of.


    Where his sister lived the fantasy life of a spoiled princess, he had been neck deep in the filth that only a ruler could properly understand. To top it all off, he did so not for the glory and prosperity of his own people, but for the sake of his foreign masters, who were themselves wolves in sheep''s clothing.


    While the Germans were the most powerful ally he could ask for, one who was willing to invest countless funds and effort into the construction of a prosperous client state, they were also the worst enemy one could make. If Dharya ever had any thoughts about liberating his people from the servitude of their German masters, his fate and that of his people would be worse than death.


    Naturally, Dharya could not tell any of this to his beloved sister, as she had fallen in love with the Tyrant who presided over the Reich. He was certain that should his lips be loose, the girl would undoubtedly tell everything he had said to the man. Thus, the conversation he had with Priya was entirely superficial. However, the young woman''s next words hadpletely caught the young Indian Emperor off guard.


    "By the way... I''m pregnant."


    Dharya stood there in silence, as if his head had just been hit by a baseball bat, and he was trying to recover his senses. What did his sister just say? She was pregnant? Then who was the father? Of course, he already knew the answer to this, but he could not help but question the words Priya had spoken to him.


    "What? Who? Who daresy their hands on my precious sister? I''ll rip his intestines out and nail them to his body inch by inch!"


    Before Priya could properly react to her brother''s sudden rage, a slight knock resounded on the opened door behind the two of them. Berengar stood in the doorway with a smug smile on his face, before gloating at the young man.


    "That would be me. Are you going to rip my intestines out and nail them to my body inch by inch? Though I don''t know how such a thing would be possible, I''m pretty sure you would run out of torso long before you could aplish such a feat."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Of course, it was Berengar. There was literally nobody else who could have impregnated the Indian Emperor''s little sister. However, to see the man so boldly admit it in front of him caused Dharya to be filled with rage. He instantly turned around to Berengar and walked up to the man as if he intended to strike him.


    Which Berengar foundughable, as he was substantially taller than his Indian counterpart. However, before he could make ament about this, Dharya went off on him.


    "You promised you wouldn''t! As long as I obeyed yourmands, you swore to me that you would not touch her!"


    Berengar frowned when he heard this while looking down on Dharya. He was very quick to clear the air in front of Priya.


    "I promised you that so long as you did not make my life difficult, I would not force myself on the girl. However, I do believe I made it abundantly clear that if she approached me of her own ord, I would not deny myself the pleasure of bing intimate with her. I lived up to my promise, so don''t go making me out to be the bad guy here."


    Dharya had no words for this. Everything Berengar had said was urate. Perhaps he was simply deluding himself, believing that his sister would never fall for the man. It was only now that he realized that Priya had developed feelings for Berengar long before he left to reim his birthright.


    He could no longer stare at Berengar, whose expression became more smug with each passing second. Thus, Dharya simply turned away and walked out the door. Priya was about to run after her brother, but was caught by her lover before she could do so. With a cautious tone in his voice, he asked Priya the question that was most prevalent on his mind.


    "Is what you said true? You''re really pregnant?"


    Priya nodded her head in silence before looking away. She thought that her brother would be happy for her, but in the end, he was just as childish as she remembered him to be. She could only sigh in defeat before expressing her thoughts to the man she loved.


    "I''m sorry. I should have told you sooner. If I had, we could have avoided this mess. Had I known that Dharya would act this way, I would''vee up with a better n. If you will excuse me, I need to go console my brother."


    Berengar pecked Priya on the cheek in a disy of affection before sending her off to go find Dharya. He honestly did not expect such a situation to devolve into such a sorry state. With Priya''s cute bottom exiting his vision, Berengar could only sigh and express hisment.


    "That boy is way too overprotective of his sister. I believe we used to call guys like him a sis-con..."


    ---


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 Chapter 998 A Friendly Visitation

    After the Vienna peace ords came to a close, and all the world''s major rulers had returned to their homes, Berengar found himself with a shocking amount of free time on his hands. Aside from the issues with Dharya, which Priya was in the act of smoothing over at this very moment, Berengar had few concerns to deal with for the time being.


    Perhaps because of this, he found himself dreadfully bored. So much so that he was soonining to Linde about hisck of stimtion. His words had slightly perturbed the redheaded beauty who was busy with work of her own.


    "Linde, my love, how about you take some time off and we go take a bath together? It has been a while since it has been just the two of us!"


    While making this suggestion, Berengar was clinging onto his lovely wife, and kissing her neck passionately, an act that would normally elicit a positive response. However, for whatever reason, the woman was not pleased with her husband, and instead shoved him away as if he was nothing more than a nuisance.


    "Berengar, my love, though your offer is tempting, I simply don''t have time for such a thing at this very moment. If I don''t get this work done by the end of the day, there could be disastrous consequences.


    If you have so much free time on your hands, why don''t you go visit your parents? I can count on one hand the amount of times you have spent with your mother and father since you so callously forced them into exile over a decade ago."


    Berengar feigned offense when he heard these venomous wordse from the luscious lips of the woman he loved most of all in this world. In truth, he knew that she had said such falsities because she was annoyed with his suffocating behavior, but still, forcing his parents into exile? Such a thing was practically nder. However, before he couldin, Linde sighed and stood up from her seat, before pushing her man out of the room.


    "Go shoo, you''re being a bother!"


    Berengar was left speechless as he soon found himself alone outside Linde''s closed door. Ultimately, he decided to take the woman up on her offer, and soon found himself departing from his house in casual clothing, while taking a car out to the countryside where his parents'' vi was located.


    After a substantial drive outside of the city of Kufstein, Berengar found himself in the midst of the Austrian alps, where arge estate was located. In the past ten years, he had been so busy that not once had he visited his parents in their own home. In fact, despite designing the vi, this was the first time he had ever seen it in person.


    Thus, he took a moment to take in the scenery. That was until he noticed another car parked in the driveway. With a hint of confusion on his face, Berengar approached the vi''s door and knocked on it, where a young maid was quick to open it.


    The cute young girl who served his parents gasped when she saw who it was who hade to visit. After taking a moment to calm her nerves, the girl responded with a curtsey while she greeted the Kaiser into his parent''s home.


    "My Kaiser, I was not expecting you. Pleasee in!"


    Berengar took the girl up on her offer, and entered the vi, where the young maid led him towards amon area where his parents were sitting enjoying tea with another guest. Though he was gazing at the back of the man''s head, Berengar immediately recognized who was visiting his parents, and quickly smiled while he expressed his shock.


    "Ludwig? You old bastard, is that you? I haven''t seen you in years!"


    Ludwig had retired from his job as the lead engineer at the Kufstein Royal Armory some years ago, leaving his position for his eldest son, Jakob. In his twilight years, the man had surprisingly moved nearby Sieghard and Gis''s estate, where he visited them quite often.


    Both Berengar''s parents, and his old friend, were stunned to see him visit, where Sieghard and Gis immediately rose from their seats and greeted their son.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Berengar, my baby boy, what are you doing here? Don''t you have a country to run?"


    Gis was quick totch onto her son and shove his head into her hefty bosom. While Sieghard was equally speedy in his shaking of his son''s hand. Berengar could only smile and greet his parents, who he had not seen in quite some time.


    "Mother, father, I''m sorry that it has been so long since west met. Truly, I am unworthy of being your son."


    Sieghard shook his head when he heard this before responding to his son''s shame in aforting tone.


    "Speak no further. You have brought a level of honor and prestige to our house that I never would have believed possible. It is I who am unworthy to be your father. I left you with a small barony, and you have turned it into a mighty Empire. I can only imagine how busy you must be. To take the time out of your schedule toe visit your parents is in itself the greatest gift you could give us."


    Berengar smiled bitterly when he heard this and nodded his head in eptance of his father''s praise. After reconnecting with his parents, the man approached his old friend and grasped the man''s shoulder.


    "Ludwig, you are looking well. How has retirement been treating you?"


    The old man had a bitter smile on his face as memories of what only seemed like a lifetime ago flooded his head. Despite it only being a short few years, he indeed felt like he had been in retirement for decades. Upon seeing the man who made his current luxurious lifestyle a possibility, Ludwig only had words of praise for his old friend.


    "Your Majesty, it is good to see you after so long. Though I miss working in that old factory, I can say with certainty that my life has never been better. What you have done to your family''s territory, no, for all of Germany, it is something I never would have imagined growing up. My sones to visit me from time to time, and tells me of how far our engineering department hase, and I simply find the things he tells me to be unbelievable.


    I can assure you that I am well taken care of in my twilight years, and I have no regrets. The wealth that you have allowed me to create has gone a long way to providing a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps I might even live a few decades longer, thanks to the advances in medicine that your scientists have created. I would love to see my grandchildren grow up to be fine additions to that old department I helped build."


    Berengar could only smile and nod his head as he listened to Ludwig speak about what he had been going through in life. Among all the friends Berengar had made aftering to this world, Ludwig was the first. Thus, there was a special bond between the two of them.


    Ultimately, Berengar would spend the rest of the day catching up with Ludwig and his parents. By the time he finally returned home, he felt reinvigorated, knowing that his family and friends were doing so well, even though he was no longer an active part of their lives.


    However, as much as he might desire to make visits to his parents'' ce a regr thing, he was far too busy to do so. A day like this, where he had little to do, had only urred once within the past thirteen years, and he was likely not to see another for at least another few years.


    ---


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 Chapter 999 Escalation

    Itami stood in her war room, surrounded by her highest ranking generals who were not already deployed to some theatre of war. Sitting on the table was arge map, which represented all of Asia. In the region once known as the Philippines in her past life, sat a mostly conquered chain of inds. With one major exception.


    In the north of the Philippines lies a territory which was currently upied by several petty kingdoms who owed their allegiance to the Ming Dynasty. For the sake of strategic value, the Japanese Empire needed these inds. After all, if war broke out between Japan and the Reich, the German Army could use these inds as a staging ground to invade the rest of the region.


    Such a potential reality could not be allowed to exist, and thus, Itami had spent a considerable amount of time negotiating with the Ming Dynasty in regards to the ownership of the Philippines. Ultimately, these discussions resulted in nothing but animosity between the two realms.


    Thus, Itami had decided to take the only option she had left, and that was a full scale invasion of the northern inds. With a wave of her hand, the Japanese Empress motioned for the wooden figurines which represented her first fleet to invade the Philippines. A confident expression emerged on her wless face as she made a bold im to her general.


    "The time hase! We can no longer sit idly by and wait for our enemies to buildup their forces on our own borders. In exactly six months, I willunch an invasion of the Philippines'' northern inds.


    Our Strategy is simple enough, our first fleet will blockade the port of Man, as well as any other ess to the territory that the Ming Dynasty might use as a means of support. From there, our soldiers in the first division will move forward from the Ind of Panay and into Luzon.


    Once Man is under our control, we will announce the official annexation of the entire ind chain, and, in doing so, route out any further resistance that might still exist within the region. Are there any questions?"


    The various generals gazed upon Itami and the fierce glint in her blood-red eyes, with a hint of caution on their faces. They knew that to invade Luzon and the surrounding inds would most certainly draw the ire of the Ming Dynasty. So much so that it might risk outright warfare between their two Empires.


    While Japan''s Armada of Destroyers, submarines, and cruisers could easily defeat the Ming Navy. The Ming Army was an entirely different beast. Supplied and trained by the German Empire, the machine guns, and bolt action rifles which the Ming Soldiers wielded, as well as their overwhelming numbers, could prove to be a matter of concern.


    There was also the fact that if the situation were to devolve into open warfare, then the Imperial Japanese Army would bepletely incapable of making any significant gains into the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Ultimately, it was one General, by the name of Abe Katsusue, who voiced this concern to the Empress.


    "Tenno heika-sama, with all due respect, are the northern inds even worth the risk? I understand your concerns regarding the area being used as a staging ground by the German Army, but if we do this, we could risk open warfare with the Ming Dynasty. Presuming we do eventually end up in an armed conflict with the Reich, then the only thing this would aplish is weakening our forces."


    Despite this obvious concern, Itami simply scoffed before responding to the General who dared to question her orders.


    "Of course I understand the risks. However, I assure you, even if the Ming Dynasty is foolish enough to dere war on us, we will emerge victorious and with minimal casualties. After all, we have new weapons that will be entering the field soon enough.


    These are weapons that are entirely capable of drowning the Ming Dynasty in a sea of blood! When those Ming bastards see what our Empire is truly capable of, they will think twice before making any rash decisions. Now, are there any more concerns?"


    The Japanese Generals did not dare utter another word of discontent. After all, they were aware of what these weapons Itami spoke of were. Machines of war, fuelled by oil, and entirely impervious to the majority of weapons the Ming could throw at them. Thus, Itami''s six-month n to invade and annex the rest of the Philippines was officially underway.


    --- <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    While Itami was announcing her ns to invade and annex the remainder of the Philippines to her Generals, Berengar was in a simr meeting with his own Generals who were reporting on the ongoing mission to provide military aid to the Asian powers.


    Generalfeldmarschall Adelbrand von Salzburg, who was Berengar''s Chief of Staff, held a list of reports in his hands from the Asian continent.


    "My Kaiser, the sale of arms to friendly nations in the east, such as the Joseon Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, the Majapahit Empire, and the recently formed Indian Empire, is at an all-time high. We have simply run out of our stores of old equipment. Yet the demand for more weapons is still there. What do you propose we do about this?"


    This turn of events did not surprise Berengar in the slightest. Since he first formed his army over ten years ago, he had reced the standard armament of his army every few years, while also expanding his military at the same time. Thus, it was an inevitable that this day woulde to pass. However, he was not dismayed. After all, the weapons he sold had cleared up storage, andted him a hefty profit.


    With the threat of the Imperial Japanese Military looming over the rest of Asia, Berengar doubted his trading partners would feel safe with a mixture of single shot bolt action rifles, repeating bolt action rifles, Gatling guns, and Vickers.


    Thus, the time hade to sell more modern equipment to the armies in Asia, after all he had few if any actual ambitions for the region, and thus, he was more than happy to sell weapons to the armies of the East that were more than capable of making Itami''s life difficult. After careful consideration, Berengar gave an order that shocked all of his generals.


    "The solution to this problem is simple. I authorize you to increase the production of G27 Semiautomatic rifles. The Japanese Empire currently fields a semi-automatic rifle as their primary weapon, and it is only fair that we equip our trading partners in the east with a simr degree of firepower.


    As for their machine gun needs, you can reopen a line of manufacture for the old Mg-25 heavy machine guns. We also need to restart the production of 10cm K 25s. With all of these weapons in the hands of our eastern proxies, we can rest easy knowing that Japan will have a difficult time making any advances in the region."


    Adelbrand and his peers were slightly befuddled by this order, such weaponry was indeed more than enough to make the Japanese pay the price of any invasion attempt, but it would also have a simr effect on the German Army should they ever find themselves at odds with their current trading partners. However, Adelbrand knew that Berengar had taken this fact into ount, and thus nodded his head in approval before voicing his opinion on the matter.


    "Very well, within a year we can effectively rece the obsolete equipment in the hands of our eastern trading partners with the weapons you have listed. I''m assuming you will also want to increase the production of P-27s pistols to see service as their sidearms. So I will make a note for that as well. Is there any other weapon you can think of selling to our allies in the East?"


    Berengar shook his head when he heard this before responding to Adelbrand''s question with a polite smile on his face.


    "No, that will be all for now. If the need for more advanced weapons arises, then we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Until we meet again, gentlemen..."


    After saying this, Berengar departed from the room to take care of more pressing matters. Not knowing that on this day, the esction between the German and Japanese Empires had reached a new level. One that there was no walking away from.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1000 A Battle Between Two BeautiesPart L

    Vetranis was among thest of Berengar''s guests to leave the borders of the Reich. Currently, he was standing in a room with his daughter and her three children. It took some time for the Byzantine Empire toe back to reality after hearing the astronomical figure that Berengar had agreed to give to the Golden Horde as an investment.


    Fifty billion marks were the equivalent of two hundred and fifty billion united states dors from Berengar''s past life. Naturally after hearing that such a monumental sum would be given to a group who was only just recently hostile to him, The Byzantine Emperor was now scowling as he vented his frustrations to Honoria.


    "I still can''t believe that your husband is willing to invest so much into a bunch of barbarians. For over a decade, we have supported the von Kufstein Dynasty and their ambitions, and yet the amount of wealth that the Kaiser has invested into our Empire is a fraction of what he is now giving the golden horde!''"


    Honoria was about to defend her husband''s actions when her eldest son interfered. Alexandros was in the midst of ying with his younger brother Constantinus, whose age could be counted on a single hand.


    The two of them were using stic building blocks to create a castle. Upon hearing his grandfatherin about ack of investment into his empire on the part of his German allies, the boy prince was quick to remind the man just what such a thing entailed.


    ""You know my father, grandpa. Are you sure you want to ept his money? Because I assure you, he will take something far more valuable in return... And with the German army at his back, you will not be able to go back on the agreement. It''s how he got mother, and the canal, remember?"


    A heavy sigh echoed in the room as Vetranis let out all of his frustrations in a single gasp of air. He looked over at the boy and responded with a single phrase while expressing a tone filled with defeat.


    "all too well my dear boy, all too well..."


    Upon seeing how exhausted his grandfather was with the current state of things, Alexandros was quick tofort the man with some words regarding the future.


    "Khorijin isn''t educated enough to understand what she''s doing. I can onlymend father for taking advantage of her in such a manner. If you really think about it, the money father is investing into this new state will eventually make its way back to us, in the form of reparations. Not to mention, by being in such proximity to the Golden Horde, we will be their most valued trading partner.


    However, I suppose that in the meantime I can talk to father about financing some cheap loans for our empire to help you get started on your reconstruction efforts."


    A bitter smile formed on the Byzantine Emperor''s face as he gazed upon his adorable grandchild, who was already more capable ruler than he had ever been. With another heavy sigh, he expressed his thanks to the boy.


    "Thank you Alexandros. I''m d to have someone I can count on.. I haven''t had someone like that since Arethas left us. Speaking of... Your father has left the matter of your engagement up to me to decide.


    Because of this, I think the most suitable match to be your future wife is Arethas'' granddaughter. Serena is an adorable little girl who is currently eight years old. I think it is a match your father would approve of. How about I introduce you to her the next time you are in Constantinople?"


    Alexandros was stunned to hear that his father had left the matter of his engagement up to his grandfather. However, the boy had heard tales of Arethas Maniakes from his father, and it seemed like the two men had quite a solid friendship before the Strategos of Ionia''s unfortunate demise.


    Thus, after careful contemtion, Alexandros nodded his head with a stoic expression on his youthful face. He responded to his grandfather''s proposition with a tone filled with indifference.


    "Whatever grandpa thinks is best."


    Honoria closely observed her son''s expression when her father had brought up an engagement. Such a thing was no small matter, as whoever was chosen would be the boy''s partner for life. Yet, her son did not react in the slightest. This caused her to worry just a little about her son''s future. However, since Alexandros had agreed to this proposal, she would not interfere.


    ---


    While Vetranis was speaking with his grandson, Berengar was mediating a conflict that was brewing between two of his concubines. Khorijin had maintained her ce in the Royal Pce, not wanting to return to her homnd, until all of her people had been gathered.


    However, on this day, there was another barbarous beauty who had entered the pce, As the Aztec''s ambassador to the Reich, Tlexictli regrlymuted between her vi, and the pce to discuss matters of importance with her lover.


    However, today, of all days, she had encountered Khorijin, wandering through the pce with aplicated expression on her pretty face. Since first arriving in Germany, Khorijin had been thoroughly stunned by everything she had witnessed. Trains, trolleys, busses, electricity, refrigerators, televisions, radios, these were just some of the few inventions that had made the barbarian Princess''s head spin.


    As a nomadic warrior princess, Khorijin had grown up in a vastly different society, and yet in this city, things she could not even imagine not only existed, but weremonce. The grand feats of architecture alone were beyond her wildest dreams.


    Being so lost in such a vast and opulent pce, Khorijin often struggled to find her way around. Which is how she ran into the Aztec princess. Like usual, Tlexictli was dressed in loose-fitting clothes, which she vastly preferred over the intricate dresses worn by German women of the upper ss.


    From the moment the Aztec Princess gazed upon her Mongol counterpart, she knew that Khorijin was a warrior, thus she had decided to test the woman by getting in her face. After all, for such a foreign beauty to be wandering the pce, it only meant one thing, that she had anotherpetitor. With this in mind, Tlexictli immediately approached Khorijin and looked down upon her, while insulting herck of muscle.


    "Berengar must be getting soft, the amount of delicate flowers he keeps around keeps increasing. To think that he would take another helpless woman into his harem. I mean look at you, you arepletelycking in the muscle that is required to be anything more than a victim. At the very least you are no warrior!"


    Khorijin''s understanding of the German Language was extremely limited, but she could just manage to make out how Tlexictli had insulted her. The woman''s finely trimmed brow raised slightly as she looked up at the Aztec Princess and judged her.


    This muscle stacked woman had appeared out of nowhere, and insulted her appearance. Though she might not be quite as ripped as this brown skinned woman, Khorijin had quite a bit of pride in her aplishments on the field of battle, let alone her appearance. So much so, that she would not let such an insult slide, and was quick to counter Tlexictli''s venomous words with her own vile tongue. <novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "You think those muscles make you a great warrior? I''ll have you know that speed and agility are a great asset. After all, no matter how strong you are, you will never be a man''s equal. You im you are a great warrior, yet here you are, walking around the Kaiser''s pce as another one of his ythings. Clearly you have already been conquered, and are thus not worthy of my time and effort."


    Tlexictli''s brows narrowed when she heard such a bitter remark. Conquered? Was this arrogant woman not the same as she? Little did the Aztec Princess know that Berengar had yet to taste her mongol counterpart. Thus, she became rather enranged, and pushed Khorijin against the wall before chastising her.


    "You think you are better than me? Fine, I call your bluff, there is a simple way to prove who among us is the better warrior."


    It was about this time that Berengar walked in on the two women and noticed that they were butting heads. He quickly broke the duo apart before asking them what was going on.


    "What the hell? I presume this is the first time you have met, and yet here you are, fighting like you are mortal enemies. Just what the hell has happened between you two?"


    Before Tlexictli could even speak, Khorijin responded to the woman''s previous words,pletely ignoring the presence of the Kaiser as she did so.


    "Very well, I ept your challenge. How shall we test our might?"


    This remark caught both Berengar and Tlexictli off guard. However, after thinking about it for a second, the two of them could understand the reasoning behind such a bold move. Khorijin was a warrior, and her pride had been hurt by Tlexictli''s remarks.


    Naturally she would never let such a thing slide. Thus, Tlexictli shifted her gaze towards Berengar and smirked sadistically as she informed the man of the little game she was about to y.


    "It''s a good thing you stopped by. You can bear witness to the winner of this contest. Let''s go to the Pce''s gym!"


    After saying this, the Aztec Princess dragged the Kaiser and her opponent to the gym that existed within the pce. Though Berengar was confused about how things had ended up like this, he would not deny the chance to see whatever challenge Tlexictli had concocted.


    In the middle of the gym was arge mat space, where Tlexictli was quick topletely strip out of her clothes, before bouncing around like a wild beast. Khorijin witnessed the primal beauty of the naked warrior princess and felt slightly embarassed. When she epted the woman''s challenge, she did not expect that she would have to get naked. Thus she was quick to call out her opponent''s shamelessness.


    "Just what the hell do you think you''re doing? Why have you dragged me here? What is this test of yours?"


    Tlexictli merely grinned before shifting her gaze towards Berengar who was watching her finely toned body bounce around, as if he had beenpletely mesmerized by her beauty. With a pleading tone, she made a request of the man.


    "Berengar, will you be so kind as to fetch us some oil? Obviously there is only one way to settle this dispute, this stuck up bitch and I are going to wrestle to determine who is the better warrior!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in agreement with Tlexictli''s assessment. Khorijin needed to be knocked down a peg, and the best way to do so was to put her through the humiliation of naked oil wrestling. Thus he was quick to do as requested.


    Before long Berengar found some hempseed oil, and quickly brought it into the room, where the two princesses were staring each other down. Without hesitation he stepped forward, and started applying the oil to Tlexictli''s finely toned body, an act which caused Khorijin to blush in embarassment.


    This was perhaps the first time Berengar had seen the woman make any real emotional expression. Which he found cute. After applying the oil to every inch of Tlexictli''s body, he approached Khorijin, whose first instinct was to run away.


    However, would Berengar allow such a thing? He quickly grabbed hold of the woman and forcefully stripped her out of her clothes. He took one long look at the woman''s fit body, and nodded his head in approval before applying the oil to every crevice of her figure. Once Khorijin was nice and slippery, Berengar walked stepped off the mat and stated the rules of thepetition.


    "You will be fighting under basic submission grappling rules. The two of you will wrestle until one of you taps, or is injured to the point of no longerpeting. All forms of submission are allowed, and it is your responsibility to protect yourself at all times. Understood?"


    Tlexictli smiled and nodded her head. She was bouncing in anticipation, an act which immediately caught Berengar''s interest. As for Khorijin she feltpletely out of herfort zone, but since she had been challenged she had decided to do everything it took to win, after all wrestling was a pastime of her people, and even she herself was quitepetent in the practice.


    With both fighters having epted the conditions, Berengar smiled and hung back to the side, nning to witness this feast for the eyes with his fullest attention. As he paced around the mat, he gave themand to begin.


    "Ready? Fight!"


    With these orders given, an epic bout was about to take ce between two warrior princesses. One that only Berengar had the privilege of witnessing.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1001 A Battle Between Two BeautiesPart Ll

    The very moment after Berengar had announced the beginning of her fight, Tlexictli had pounced on her rival like a jaguar. In a matter of seconds, the experienced warrior had tied up with her opponent before the woman could even react.


    However, it was at this moment that Tlexictli realized the disadvantages of the oil which smeared the two naked beauties'' bodies. She could barely secure a grip as her fingers slipped across the Khorjin''s smooth skin.


    Before the Turko-Mongol beauty could take advantage of this fact, Tlexictli fell to one knee and secured a double leg takedown where she lifted Khorijin into the air before mming her on the mat. The veteran mongol warrior took the fall well and immediately tried to reverse her position. However, as she tried to turtle up, Tlexictli got her hooks in, and spread the woman out face down across the mat.


    A vicious re formed on Khorijin''s face as she realized she had vastly overestimated her chances against her Amazonian opponent. Tlexictli had proven her strength and agility with a single takedown. However, rather than work for a submission, the Aztec Princess decided to y with her prey like the beast whose hide she wore into battle.


    With one arm wrapped around her opponent''s neck, and her weight pressing down on the woman from behind. Tlexictli used this time to blow into Khorijin''s ear, an act which flustered the turko-mongol princess beyond belief.


    When Berengar went to fetch the oil, he also grabbed hold of a camera, knowing that whatever was about to happen would be something that needed to be recorded. Since the moment this fight began, he had been recording it on his camcorder. As such, he filmed with his entire focus as Khorijin''s pretty face grew as red as an apple, all while she squirmed beneath the weight of therger woman how lie on top of her.


    As if to humiliate her opponent, or to stimte herself, Tlexictli moved lower on her rival''s body, securing one hand on Khorjin''s left breast, while the other wrapped itself around the mongol princess''s hairy snatch.


    In surprise at this sudden assault, Khorijin used all her strength to squirm out of the awkward position and into guard, however all this did was aid Tlexictli in her perverse acts. Now being trapped between her rival''s legs, the Aztec princess ground her lower lips against Khorijin''s while stuffing her face into the woman''s moderately sized breasts.


    Upon realizing that Tlexictli was no longer concerned about obtaining a submission, and instead wanted to dominate her with an entirely different method, Khorijin began to panic. However, no matter how she tried to get out from underneath her opponent, the Aztec Princess continued to have her way.


    Even Berengar was stunned when he realized what Tlexictli had nned for her opponent, but he did not interfere. After all, this footage was worth its weight in gold, and could easily be used to ckmail Khorijin in the future should she step out of line.


    As for the turko-mongol princess, she struggled with all her might to get out from underneath Tlexictli, however, Mongolian folk wrestling was not known for its ground game. And having served her time beneath Berengar on the mat. Tlexictli was now an experienced grappler, both on the feet and on the ground.


    With this knowledge and experience, the Aztec Princess was easily able to manipte her prey, which she did by grabbing double under hooks on the woman''s meaty thighs, before using them as a means to apply a proper pressure pass.


    Immediately after gaining side control, Tlexictli passed into the mount by sliding one of her legs over Khorijin''s belly. Now that she was on top, the Aztec beauty did not intend to let her victim go. While cing one hand on Kohrijin''s throat, in an attempt to pin her to the ground, Tlexictli leaned back and dug the fingers of her free hand into her rival''s tight twat.


    Khorijin immediately responded with a gasp of shock, as well as a request to end the fight.


    "No... stop! I yield! I yield!"


    Despite her verbal submission, Berengar did not interfere, and allowed Tlexictli to continue her assault of the turko-mongol princess. The more she yed with Khorijin''sher regions, the more the woman moaned in pleasure, despite resisting against her opponent with all her strength.


    In a desperate gamble to get out of Tlexictli''s control, Khorijin bucked her hips, which managed to send Tlexictli forward and onto her face. Where she wrapped her opponent up into a mounted triangle. However, the Aztec Princess did not apply pressure to the choke, and instead sat on the woman''s face in a secure position, forcing her hairy muff onto her rival''s lips where she berated her withmands.


    "Lick it! Submit to me, and I promise I will let you go when I am done with you!"


    The thought of pleasuring another woman had never entered Khorijin''s mind before, but after finding herself in this unresolvable situation, she felt she had no choice but to do so. Without the slightest bit of skill, the turko-mongol princess licked away at her Aztec counterpart''s puffy lower lips. All the while, Tlexictli ground her hips against her victim''s pretty face.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Berengar was no cameraman by any stretch of the imagination, but he had managed to make the most use of his camcorder, as he recorded the assault from the best possible angles. Caught in a submission hold with no way out, Khorijin licked away at Tlexictli''s wet pussy as if her life depended on it. After several minutes of this, Tlexictli squirted all over her victim''s face before releasing her chokehold.


    While Tlexictli was panting for breath after her intense climax, Khorijin had sat up and wiped off her face with a nearby towel. She was thoroughly enraged by the humiliation she had just suffered and desired vengeance. With her opponent panting in exhaustion, she deiced now was the time to strike.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Khorijin grabbed hold of Tlexictli''s waist and forced her into a scissor hold where she mindlessly ground her hips against the woman who had just seconds before utterly humiliated her, all while shouting what little obscenities she knew from the Germannguage.


    "You fucking bitch! How dare you humiliate me in such a manner? It''s time to teach you a lesson!"


    Though Tlexictli was already stimted from her previous session with the turko-mongol princess, she did not resist, instead she took her punishment straight on, biting her lower lip in pleasure as she did so.


    Berengar recorded the continuing saga with his mouth agape. He had no idea that when Tlexictli dragged him into this fight as a witness, that it would result in such fierce lesbian sex. Now that he thought about it, this might literally be the first pornographic film in the history of the world. So he made sure to film the ongoing sex scene to the best of his ability.


    Before long, Tlexictli was squirting again, yet Khorijin did not relent in her assault, as she continued to grind her hips with fierce intensity. The two women continued to scissor for another thirty minutes, and it was only after Tlexictli had climaxed a total of three times did Khorijin stop.


    Tlexictli had practically passed out from the pleasure she had endured up until this moment, and just when Berengar was about to end the recording, Khorijin''s abrupt actions stopped him. After suffering what she could only consider to be the ultimate humiliation by the Aztec Princess, Khorijin refused to halt her revenge until she could get equal. Which she managed to do so by squatting over Tlexictli''s face and giving the woman a golden shower.


    Perhaps if the mongolian beauty was aware that she was being recorded, she might not have stooped so low, but it was only after her dder was fully released all over Tlexictli''s pretty face that Khorijin considered the two of them equal in shame.


    Berengar was utterly dumbfounded by what he had just witnessed, but there was a proud expression on Khorijin''s wless face, as if she had just avenged the greatest humiliation with an even greater one.


    It was only after she hadpleted her vengeance that Khorijin realized Berengar was still in the room, and that he was holding onto a peculiar device. With the twitching of her brow, she pointed towards the camera Berengar was holding and questioned the man about its function.


    "What is that which you are holding?"


    Berengar immediately shut off the recording and smiled awkwardly. There was no way he was ever going to inform the woman that her greatest shame had been recorded on film, or that Berengar would hold on to the tape as if it were a sacred treasure. Thus, he immediately pulled the first bullshit he could think of out of his hat as he misled the Turko-mongol princess about his actions.


    "This? Umm, it''s just a machine that gauges your temperature. I feared that the two of you would be overheated after such fierce... stimtion... Do you perhaps want some water?"


    Khorijin was naturally suspicious of the man and his camera, but ultimately she had decided to say nothing. Instead, she quickly got dressed in her clothes before walking out of the room without saying a word. Leaving the ''victorious'' Tlexictli in a pleasure filled daze.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1002 The Completion Of The Neuschwaben Canal

    While Berengar was solidifying his hold over the Indian subcontinent, and Itami was preparing for an outright invasion of the northern Philippines, a great effort was being undertaken on the borders of the Aztec Empire.


    In the territory once known as Panama during Berengar''s past life, an army of ves toiled away in an attempt to dig through the rough terrain. Why, you might ask? Because the German Empire had nned to build a massive canal through this area.


    Well over a year had passed since Berengar first approved the monumental undertaking, and during this time, thebined efforts of the German Empire''s finest engineers, along with the Aztec Empire''s horde of ves, had produced positive results. Soon enough, perhaps even today, thest vestige ofnd blocking the way from the Antic to the Pacific would be obliterated.


    Under the watchful eye of German and Aztec soldiers, tens of thousands of ves dug away, while the German construction crews sted and cleared the earth with machines and explosives. Currently, thend just south of this canal was owned and colonized by the German Empire. The Germans had spread rapidly throughout Adelheim over the past decade, and in doing soid im to all thends known previously as Gran Columbia in Berengar''s past life.


    At the moment, Governor Emmerich von L?tzing was overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal. After serving as the Austrian Navy''s first Grand Admiral, he had retired to be the Governor of New Swabia. In doing so, he had led the expansion and development of the German colonies south of the Aztec Empire.


    The current wealth and stability in the region was a direct result of the policies that Emmerich had put in ce. Perhaps because he still had the Kaiser''s trust, he had been granted the privilege of watching over this massive project.


    Something he paid close attention to, but rarely took direct control over unless it waspletely necessary. Standing by the man''s side was a German engineer, who had a set ofrge blueprints in one hand. With a satisfied grin on the man''s face, he reported his findings to the Governor.


    "Governor von L?tzing, I have good news! The construction of the Canal is nearly finished. All we need to do is st away onest bit of rock, and we will finally have achieved our goal. Now is the time to withdraw the equipment from the area, as well as any personnel, because once this walles down, the canal will be flooded!"


    Emmerich gazed upon the progress that was made in nearly two years'' time and nodded his head with a wide grin on his face. The results of his efforts, and that of every man involved, were clear as day. From this day forward, the Reich would have a much easier time establishing a foothold on the western coasts of the new world and thends that lie beyond.


    "Excellent. Inform the men to withdraw their equipment from the canal. Once everyone and every piece of machinery is ounted for, we will blow the dam, and in doing so, finish our job. I will arrange for a feast to be prepared back in New Swabia for all of our men once this is over."


    Upon hearing this, the engineer was much happier than he was just moments before. Though they had used an extensive amount of vebor in this canal''s construction, it was still a significant effort on the part of the German construction crews to oversee and mange the project.


    Thus, he was happy to be rewarded for his efforts, now that the canal was about to finish its construction. With a nod of his head, he departed from Emmerich''s side and informed the men of their orders.


    Within the hour, all equipment had been retrieved, and all men, both free and ve, had been ounted for. After which, Emmerich gave themand to detonate the barriers which kept the oceans at bay.


    A loud st erupted into the jungle as two fiery explosions urred. In doing so, the walls crumbled into tiny bits before being washed away by the ocean''s tide. Having witnessed this in its full glory, an excited smile appeared on the man''s face as he hollered out in joy.


    "Yes!"


    For years, Emmerich had fought to establish a foothold on the other side of New Swabia, and though he had achieved some results, trade between the main colony and its satellite cities had be difficult to manage.


    With the construction of this canal, that was no longer an issue, as goods could freely flow through the region via shipping. This was not just a monumental asion for the Reich, and its military ambitions, but for the colony of New Swabia as well.


    As the ocean''s waves crashed through the canal, and built a proper path, Emmerich turned to his nearest radio operator and gave him amand.


    "Send a message to the main colony, with the intent of being ryed back to the fathend. The construction of the Neuschwaben canal is nowplete. The Kaiser is free to send his ships through."


    Overwhelming apuse could be heard in the background as the radio operator ryed this message to the proper department. Soon enough, word would reach Berengar''s ear about this news, and he could not be happier.


    ---<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar stood in the middle of his gym, while dressed in nothing but his Vale Tudo shorts. Standing across from him, in a basic wrestling stance, was the princess of the Golden Horde, who was dressed in a simr fashion. Since she had thoroughly defeated by her Aztec rival, Khorijin had been spending as much time as she could in the gym, learning the ways of grappling from the German Kaiser himself.


    Though Berengar wanted nothing more than to roll on the ground naked with the woman, while thered in oil, there was no way that was happening, at least not in the current stage of their rtionship. Thus, he had opted to wear the bare minimum of clothing, and for the sake of practicality, he had forced Khorijin to do the same.


    The two grapplers started on their feet, where they fought for position. The result was a quick hip toss to the ground, where Khorjin soon found her perfectly smooth tummy enduring the weight of her opponent''s knee.


    In the past few days, she had learned the basics of what grapplers referred to as ''shrimping'' as well as the other basic escapes. In fact, Berengar had been drilling escapes into the woman''s brain since they first began training. Escapes and takedowns were the only two things the duo had done for the past three hours. Now was the woman''s first test to prove what she had learned under pressure.


    With all of his years of training both in this life and the past, Berengar was practically a ck belt by his previous world''s standards of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, while also being the equivalent of an Olympic qualified wrestler.


    Whenbined with his superior size and strength, Berengar was able to effectively manhandle this woman, who was an utter novice on the ground. Yet for the sake of learning, he restrained his intensity, so that the woman could process her game n.


    It was as the woman was shrimping out from her opponent''s knee that lie directly on her belly, that a voice which Berengar was all too familiar with interrupted their fun. There was a look of disappointment on Linde''s face when she entered the room, no doubt caused by that fact that the duo of grapplers were actually clothed. She was well ustomed to walking in on Berengar''s intense training sessions with Tlexictli, where the twobatants were almost always naked and oiled.


    To witness her man entangled with another woman, but fully clothed in the parts that mattered, it was effectively the same as blue balling the royal cuckquean. With a heavy sigh, Linde interrupted her husband''s grappling session with some important news.


    "Berengar, my love, we have something important to discuss."


    Berengar could only sigh, and stop what he was doing, as he climbed off of the mongol beauty and stood at attention before addressing his wife''s concerns.


    "Yes, dear?"


    He could very clearly see the disappointment on the redheaded vixen''s wless features that were undoubtedly for the same reasons that he himself felt such chagrin. When Linde saw this reflected expression, a bitter smile appeared on her face as she decided to focus on business rather than pleasure.


    "The construction of the Neuschwaben canal isplete. I figured you would want to begin the colonization of the west coast of the New World, as well as the Pacific, as quickly as possible."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar nodded his head, before wiping off his sweat with a towel. He shifted his attention to the mongol princess, who stood patiently by his side before dismissing her.


    "Khorijin, I''m afraid we will have to cut our daily session short today. Go enjoy yourself. I have work to do."


    Though Khorijin wanted to protest this decision, she knew better than to interfere with the Kaiser and his work. Although she had agreed contractually to carry his child, there was still no real romance in their rtionship.


    Even the skinship they shared as grappling partners was nothing more than tonic, at least for now. However, at this moment, she felt an intense desire to steal the man away from his wife, so that they could continue what they were doing.


    Despite this urge, Khorijin lowered her head, and thanked the man for his lesson, before departing from the Pce''s gym. Where Berengar proceeded to sit down on a bench, and have a lengthy discussion with his wife, about how the Reich was going to colonize vast swaths of territory which they suddenly had ess to.


    ---


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 Chapter 1003 Manifest Destiny

    With the construction of the Neuschwaben Canal having beenpleted. It was only a matter of time before a massive fleet of warships and cargo vessels alike made their way through the pass. The Germans nned to make use of this strip ofnd, to further fuel their colonization efforts of the West coast of the new world, and thends that lie beyond.


    While this was happening, a simr effort was being conducted onnd, in the continent of Lindheim. On a train, there existed a group of settlers, from the east of the Mississippi, who were moving westward and into the great ins.


    Over the past ten years, nearly one million ethnic Germans had moved from Europe and into the continent of Lindheim. Where they constructed a variety of small cities, which ranged from the east coast, all the way to the Mississippi river.


    Through the efforts of the Imperial Germany army, they had pushed the native poption westward in a brutal campaign to drive them out ofnds imed by the German Empire. Those who were wise went south, and were finding their way to the safety of the Aztec Empire, which had in a way be a haven for native tribes.


    As for the rest, they would be continuously pushed west, until there was nond left for them to dwell upon. This was Berengar''s revenge on the betrayal he had suffered at the hands of the man he once considered to be among his closest of friends. A man whose thinking was corrupted by his native wife.


    On this train, were various families, who were riding westward and into the recently settled city, which went by the name of Arnulfshafen, named after the man who helped first settle the new world. After all, Berengar had not revealed the truth of Arnulf''s betrayal to his Empire, and instead buried him as a proper war hero.


    Thends west of the Mississippi were currently inhabited by a variety of warring tribes. Those great ins indians who previously inhabited thends, as well as all the other tribes who were pushed out of the east at the hands of the Reich.


    Because of this, the trains which carried the german passengers were actually armored and outfitted with military personnel who manned a series of cannons and k guns, in the event of native attack. Which was a moremon urrence than one might think.


    Sitting on the train, and sipping a cup of a tea, was a sharply dressed man, who appeared to havee directly from the fathend. This man was a veteran of the German Army, and was selected by The German Parliament''s Committee for Colonial Affairs to be the first mayor of the recently chartered city in thend that was once known as Kansas in Berengar''s past life.


    This was Germany''s first major attempt to colonize west of the Mississippi and, as a result, they had faced fierce resistance from the natives. Thus,pelling the Fathend to dispatch a man more than qualified to oversee the city''s development in such a petty region of the world.


    Cuert von Horgen continued to sip on his tea, and read from his newspaper, while silently observing the other German citizens who sat in their seats with anxious expressions. Though there were many opportunities fornd ownership and wealth in the newest colonies, they were also at the forefront of danger.


    It was at this moment that an overwhelming crackle of thunder resounded in the air, which shook the train just slightly. Causing the German mayor to spill his tea. He quickly got up from his seat, and grumbled before looking out the bullet resistant ss, where he saw arge war-band of great ins indians charging towards the train, and firing their arrows at its imprable defenses.


    Naturally, the loud crack of the air came from the firing of one of severalrge bore artillery pieces which was embedded in the armored train as a turret. With a single explosion, the 15cm gun ripped apart the horses and their riders without even the slightest bit of effort.


    Immediately after the explosion urred, the sound of chugging filled the air, as one of the k guns mounted on top of the train, shifted its aim to the field below and sprayed what remained of the natives with a torrent of 2cm high explosive shells. <novelnext></novelnext>


    The quad mounted k guns rained their automatic fire upon the area where the shell had exploded, ensuring that not a single ounce of life remained within the zone of impact. Once the operators had fired a short burst, they readjusted their position so that they were not a threat to anything or anyone.


    Cuert simply sat back down upon witnessing such an utter annihtion of the savages and began sipping his tea while reading his paper once more. With train tracks made entirely out of steel and concrete, it was unimaginably difficult for these stone age tribes to damage the German railways, and thus the Reich was free to expand into Lindheim with impunity.


    As for the other citizens on the train, they were slightly spooked by what had urred, but after everything settled down, they sighed in relief. When Cuert saw this, he was quick to ask why they had been so anxious.


    "Tell me, what''s got you so riled up about a bunch of stone-age savages? They pose no threat to the reich, or its people. So why are you so terrified of them?"


    The man whose family had shuddered in fright gazed upon the middle-aged man and immediately questioned how long he had been in the new world. Judging from his statement, he must not realize the difficulties that many of the German settlers faced.


    "I''m guessing you haven''t been here in Lindheim long. While the cities arepletely safe, the agricultural sector outside of their stone walls is a lot more dangerous. The German Army can''t possibly patrol such vast territory with the limited amount of soldiers they ship to the colonies. Ultimately, so many of us farmers are left to defend ourselves, especially the further we are out from a city.


    From the looks of it, you were probably called in from the fathend to help Arnulfshafen and its development. Which is fine, but my family and I came out here for the discountednd the government is selling to its citizens. We practically pay nothing for entire square kilometers ofnd, the condition being we are mostly left on our own to defend it.


    Unfortunately, we are not permitted to own the advanced weapons that the military has ess to, so we get by with bolt action rifles and revolvers. Still, sometimes things end poorly, and a homestead might get ransacked by the savages. When that happens, the army usually responds with annihting the tribe responsible, but that hasn''t deterred their attacks. If anything, it has increased their intensity."


    Cuert was surprised to hear this news, as it had not made its way into the fathend. Upon hearing that the German colonialists were suffering such a plight, he decided to help design a strategy that would actively counter these raids on German homesteads. Thus, he nodded his head in understanding before assuring the family that he would help.


    "Now that I''m aware of the situation, I promise to do my best to help homesteaders defend their property from these filthy savages. When we arrive in Arnulfshafen, it will be my first priority."


    Despite his kind words, the family did not feel the slightest more secure, and instead sighed in defeat, knowing that they would be forced to endure the burdens that came with seeking opportunity in a strange and foreignnd.


    ---


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 Chapter 1004 A Failure To Amuse

    Tilicke Schauffhusen sat patiently while waiting for his meeting with the Japanese Empress. After having a few many too drinks during hisst visit to Japan, he was heavily scolded for his mistakes regarding the leaking of information that could prove critical to the war effort.


    As a result, he had been assigned a chaperon, a young woman, roughly Henrietta''s age by the name of Dorethe Schubert. Since graduating from the same high school as the Austrian princess, Dorethe had worked hard to be awyer, and was now in a position of power she had never dreamed possible while she was growing up.


    It was not just her career that this young woman put a significant effort into, but her appearance as well. No longer the frazzled haired, four eyed girl of her youth. Dorethe had be quite the beauty in her own right.


    Thanks to advancements in the field of optometry such as primitive contact lenses, as well as the multitude of hair and skin products widely avable in the reich, Dorethe had be what one might consider the ideal German Woman.


    A curvy figure, an hourss waist, long, blonde, and straight hair, along with mesmerizing sky-blue eyes. Her appearance was enough to charm most men, not that she ever cared for such a thing. In fact, Dorethe was solely dedicated to her work, which was one of the reasons she was extremely nervous now that she sat in the great hall of the Imperial Japanese Pce.


    While Tilicke had be well ustomed to purposely antagonizing Empress Itami Riyo on behalf of the Kaiser. Dorethe was nervous that such a provocation could have disastrous consequences. Noticing the young woman''s anxiety, Tilicke simply chuckled and shook his head before assuring his chaperone that everything would be fine.


    "There''s no need to worry so much, as much as the Japanese Empress may hate my guts, she would never harm a hair on my head, or yours, for that matter. She fears the Reich, and for good reason. You just leave the talking to me, and I''ll make sure the Kaiser''s gift is epted."


    Dorethe could only respond with a silent nod of her head where immediately after Itami emerged from the hallway which led to her quarters, while dressed in a full military uniform, adorned with all the medals she had awarded herself.


    While she was informed that the pain in her ass, whose name was Tilicke Schauffhusen had arrived in her court, Itami was not alerted of Dorethe''s arrival, and the moment she gazed eyes upon the German Beauty, her brows furrowed with a bit of envy. Not because she was jealous of Dorethe''s looks, for she herself was a beauty on another level, but because Germany had progressed far enough socially for beautiful women to hold positions of power.


    While it was true that Japan had a female monarch, that was an exception and not the norm. In fact, the entire government was almost exclusively made up of men, and that was not something Itami could change by force. To do so would incite rebellion from the staunch conservative samurai ss who held significant power in Japan.


    With this in mind, the albino temptress was quick to throw shade at the German emissaries while she sat down on her throne in a conceited manner.


    "Is this your secretary? I assume she does more than just haul your paperwork around and organize files for you. Have your superiors ordered her to warm your bed at night as well?"


    Both Tilicke and Dorethe immediately took offense to this remark, as the man was quick to defend himself and his chaperone.


    "With all due respect, Empress Itami, but I find your remarks to be nothing short of nder. Ms. Schubert is a valued associate of our firm and is a professional of the highest caliber. For you to insinuate that she is my ything is not only egregious but alsopletely reprehensible. I demand that you apologize."


    Itami took one look at the enragedwyers and simply smirked in response. Why would a monarch such as herself dare to lower her head in apology to a few lowlywyers? Upon seeing that she had no intentions of expressing regrets for her callous remarks, Dorethe becamepletely enraged. The young woman took a deep breath to calm herself before responding to Itami''s insinuation like a true professional.


    "Empress Itami, I don''t know how things are done here in the Empire of Japan, but in the Reich, women are more than just ves. Your remarks, if true, would be a gross vition of the Women''s Protection Act of 1429, which prohibits harassment of any kind against women in the workce.


    Perhaps in a backwater nation like yours, the mistreatment of women is not only deemed eptable by society but also is alsomonce. However, in the German Empire, we conduct ourselves to a higher moral standard." <novelnext></novelnext>


    Several moments of silence followed Dorethe''s rebuking of Itami''s words. In this time, the air was as tense as a battleground. One could tell by the look in Itami''s blood-red eyes that she was furious at her opponent''s words, but could not speak against them, because in many way''s Dorethe''s remarks regarding the treatment of women in Japan were correct.


    After things became dreadfully awkward, Tilicke broke the silence by pulling out his briefcase and presenting a copy of the Vienna ords to the Japanese Empress.


    "For your ease, I have taken the liberty of personally tranting these documents into the Japanese script. This is a copy of the Vienna ords, which the majority of the world''s leaders have signed and ratified as internationalw. Though I don''t expect someone such as yourself to find an agreement with this treaty, let alone adopt it yourself. I would hope that it will provide you with some insight.


    ? The Kaiser still believes that it is in his best interest, and yours, to show you how he has and will continue to conduct warfare, specifically in regards to the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war. If you would, please take a look."


    Itami did not hesitate to snatch the documents out of Tilicke''s hands, where she read through the treaty multiple times, ensuring that she did not miss a single stiption. As Tilicke had said, the treaty was primarily about the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war, something she would not disagree with. As she herself was concerned about such a thing in this medieval world.


    One thing that the Japanese Empress immediately noticed was that there was a use which stated that rebellions in legally annexed territory were exempt from the treaty, and that a ruler could put them down however they saw fit.


    There was only one problem with this stiption regarding the ongoing insurgency in the Korean Penins. The Joseon Dynasty had never actually ceded its southern territory to Itami and her Empire.


    The Joseon still contested her upation of the region and was still technically at war for its control. There was simply an armistice that was dered at the 38th parallel, simr in many ways to the end result of the Korean War in Berengar''s past life.


    This meant that if Itami made a move to purge viges which harbored insurgents, she could very easily be tried as a war criminal in the event she loses the future conflict against Germany. Which was starting to seem like the most likely oue.


    Obviously, this stiption was designed with two purposes in mind, to give the Germans impunity to act however they wished in their colonies against troublesome native poptions, while at the same time dewing the Imperial Japanese Army in its attempts to fight against the Joseon Insurgents.


    It would appear that every time Tilicke appeared in her court, it was from some form of taunting on behalf of the Kaiser. This game of cat and mouse that she could never win was driving Itami mad, more so than she already was. Thus, it came as a surprise when she gently ced the document down and sighed heavily in defeat.


    "Tell your Kaiser that I will need time to consider adopting these policies. In the meantime, I am still waiting on the previous agreement we have made. As far as I can tell, no time and date has been arranged for the transfer of Min-Ah, and I will not cooperate with your Empire any further until such a thing urs. If that is all you have for me, then you can return from whence you came."


    After saying this, Itami got up, and abruptly left the two Germanwyers alone in her great hall. The sudden act caught both of them by surprise, none more so than Tilicke, who was shocked that Itami had entertained him without flipping out for once.


    As for Dorethe, she was just happy to keep her head, after deliberately insulting the Japanese Empress in her own home. Before long, she was begging Tilicke to leave, which he, of course, agreed to. Despite his curiosity over what hade over, the usually prideful Empress Itami.


    ---


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 Chapter 1005 Manufacturing Setbacks

    Currently, Berengar sat in his office, surrounded by a pile of documents, as well as a group of his finest engineers from multiple fields of study. While Berengar had worked hard to create some truly astonishing weapons designs, the timeframe he had set for their manufacture had be a losing battle, and as a result, many of his Empire''s most talented minds hade to propose alternative solutions.


    Among these men was a man by the name of Eckart Roth, who had taken over as the Reich''s lead naval weapons designer after the Italian shipwright Evio retired years ago. Eckart had a nervous expression on his face as he passed forward documents regarding the failures to create guided missile cruisers, and destroyers within the alotted time frame, there was even a hint of guilt in his voice as he admitted his wrongdoings to the man he respect most of all in this world.


    "I''m sorry, my Kaiser, I have discussed the matter at length with Wernher and we both agree that the development of ship-based missile tforms is not possible to achieve within the next five to ten years. Though we could alter your designs of these ships to make use of more conventional weapons, it is our belief that we should improve our previous designs as a viable alternative.


    As you can see, we have proposed multiple solutions to the current problem of our battleships, battlecruisers, and destroyers, reaching a point of obsolescence. With the expansion of our shipbuilding capabilities, and thebor force dedicated to this field. It is our belief that in no more than a year, we could have these new designs up and running as the proper escorts to your carriers. Especially when one considers that the hulls are already under partial construction, and can easily be modified to meet the requirements."


    Berengar gazed upon these proposed designs and sighed heavily in defeat. Not because they were poor attempts at building appropriate vessels. Quite the contrary, these weapons were more modern than anything Japan was currently fielding.


    Case in point being that these newest designs were essentially Bismarck-ss battleships, Admiral Hipper-ss cruisers, and Type 1945 destroyers. Which were some of the most modern warships Germany designed in the second world war of his past life.


    No, what caused Berengar to be distressed was the fact that he had pushed for the advancement of arms, at a pace his Empire could not keep up with. In doing so, he had wasted everyone''s precious time, energy, and resources. As a result, he sat back in silence for several moments with a gloomy expression on his face. When the man finally spoke, he astonished all of his engineers.


    "I''m sorry... This is all my fault... It pains me to admit, but I got ahead of myself and pushed for modernization too quickly, failing to ount for our current limitations. In doing so, I wasted so much of your time, resources, and energy. I will immediately approve the manufacture of these vessels and push our ns for the others back a few years. I hope you can all forgive me for this slight oversight..."


    Nobody in the room was willing to ept that this was Berengar''s fault. They would rather take the me for failing to live up to the Kaiser''s expectations, then to ever believe the man had made a mistake. Still, the look on Berengar''s face proved that he was serious about apologizing, and thus the next man to speak up was an engineer at the Kufstein Royal Armory, who was quick to change the sour mood that permeated the air.


    "My Kaiser, I believe I have some news that will cheer you up... With the armored vehicles designs that you have graced us with, my team has developed improvements, which will also ease the burden of manufacture.


    As you can see, this here is a k panzer, which uses the same chassis as the Panther Tank. We have increased the size of the guns over the older model, with an improved dual mounted 3.7 cm k 341, which is enclosed in a rotating turret. Have a look and see for yourself."


    Berengar was stunned by this development. In truth, when he was designing his own version of the k panzer, he had neglected the design of the kpanzer 341, which had never been more than a wooden mockup in his past life. However, without even having the basis of this prototype to work from, his engineers had created a functional concept that was simr in design. This led Berengar to immediately think about a variety of possibilities where he posed his next question without hesitation.


    "Is it possible for you and your team to design a self-propelled artillery piece that makes use of the 15 cm sFH 18 field gun, while being based upon the Panther Chassis?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    The engineer simply smiled and nodded his head before responding to this question.


    "Of course, we have actually already designed a prototype, though it does require a bit of lengthening of the chassis. Still, it is entirely doable and will save us considerable expense and time moving forward.


    Luckily, as things are, there has not been a major focus of manufacture on the kpanzer and Hummels. We can easily scrap what few models exist in our armed forces and begin production of these improved variations immediately!


    I would also like to add that in the same spirit of the Panther Chassis redesigns, we have altered the Marder IFV that you have made to the same effect. We Call it the Sch��tzenpanzer Ausf. B "Marder" As you can see, this machine has the same capabilities as the current Marder, but is easier to manufacture, and requires the same production methods as all of these other vehicles, rather than a dedicated line of assembly.


    It is our hope that with this new line of weapons, we will be able to cut the costs of manufacture, while also increasing rates of production. In doing so, we will create a much more efficient production line of these valuable machines of war."


    To say these improvements impressed Berengar was as an understatement. These weapons would allow his Empire to use the same tooling, and parts to mass manufacture armored vehicles of every kind. This would allow the German arms manufacturing industry to outpete their Japanese rivals by a wide margin.


    In fact, he felt a bit ashamed for not doing this in the first ce. After all, many of these designs existed in his past life, and the ones that didn''t were easy to design. The Panther Chassis, especially with the improvements Berengar had made to its engine and suspension, was arguably the best tform for all of these armored vehicles that he could currently manufacture.


    The fact that he had been so strict about using other designs that found his fancy honestly made the man feel foolish. Bias had blinded him and in the end, Berengar could only sigh once more in defeat, realizing that perhaps the men who worked beneath him had begun to outshine his own brilliance.


    By pulling out his stamp, Berengar made sure that each and every one of the designs presented to him were approved for immediate manufacture. Though his military would not be entering the capabilities of the cold war within the next decade, it would at the very least be operating with peak second world war era technology by the time war broke out with Japan.


    ---


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 Chapter 1006 The Lberian Empire

    Jonas Giering sat silently on a beach located on the coast of Portugal. For years he had served in the German Empire''s Jaeger Regiment, as a frontline soldier kicking down doors during the Iberian Campaign. However, after the war had concluded, he found himself unable to leave behind the wastnd he had helped create.


    As the retired soldier sat back with a peaceful expression on his battle-worn face, a feminine voice filled his ears, followed by the sensation of a cold beer being pressed against his face.


    "Honey, if you stay out in the sun all day, you will be dehydrated."


    With a gentle smile, Jonas looked up to see the love of his life, a woman he had once saved from a band of rapacious brigands. It had been close to a decade since the couple first met, and during this time, their love had flourished, creating arge family of their own.


    Rosalina Giering gazed upon her German husband with a loving smile as she handed off the cold beer to the man, who was quick to chug its contents. It was only after he had drank half the bottle, did Jonas sigh in relief. Upon seeing that his wife was alone for the day, he was quick to ask the question which concerned him most.


    "Where are the little ones? Shouldn''t they be out of school already?"


    The brown-haired Portuguese beauty smiled and nodded her head before informing her man of where she had sent their kids.


    "I sent them off to spend time with their grandmother. After all, today is your first day off, since you took that position as a diplomat. It''s been years since we have had a day all to ourselves. Yet here you are on the beach, sitting by your lonesome. What''s on your mind?"


    Jonas stared off into the distance as he watched the waves of the Antic crash against the Portuguese shore. A multitude of thoughts shed through his mind, memories of a life filled with unimaginable chaos.


    The War in Iberia was a long a brutal one, filled with deadly urban warfare. The things that Jonas had done, the friends who had been killed in the conflict. He could never forget, nor did he want to. However, such pain was hard to mask, and thus he simply took a sip from his beer, hoping that the alcohol could numb his wounded spirit.


    Rosalina gazed upon her man as he stared off into space and sighed in defeat. Since the moment he had first saved her life, she had felt a great deal of debt towards the man. One that she felt she had not yet been able to repay, despite the years of happy marriage she provided him.


    In truth, she was not aware of all the horrors the man had seen on the field of battle, but she knew whatever he had endured, it ate at his very soul. Thus, she could only do her best to keep his mind off of such troublesome matters. With a grip of his hand, she wore an endearing smile as she propositioned the man to y in the sun with her.


    "Are you going to sit there all day drinking beer? Come, enjoy the water, you know as well as I do how wonderful it is at this time of year!"


    A bitter smile formed on Jonas'' face as he silently nodded his head, cing his beer in the sand before chasing after his wife, who was so full of energy. The two of them would y on the beach like children until the sun began to set, where they were quick to flee back to their beachside vi.


    ---


    Jonas awoke the next day to the smell of breakfast being cooked in his kitchen. With such a tantalizing scent filling his room, he could not help but leap out of bed and rush to the dining area where his children were waiting for their mother to finish cooking.


    It felt like a lifetime before the eggs and bacon were ced on his spot at the table. Which Jonas was quick to thank his wife for her efforts, where he followed up with a short prayer. Having concluded his morning meal with his family, Jonas departed from his vi and took a carriage to the City Hall where the governor of Portugal was waiting for his arrival.


    Dressed in a slim fitting three-piece suit, Jonas entered the building with a swagger that practically said he owned the ce. As one of several German diplomats sent to aid in the reconstruction of Iberia, he held significant power and influence over the region.


    After entering the Governor''s office, Jonas sat down in a leather-bound chair, waiting for the man to finish reading a letter. Surprisingly, the man began to curse in Portuguese as heined about the newest changes to the government. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "This is what we get for having a child as Sultan. It does not surprise me in the least that the boy would make such a rash decision."


    A frown appeared on Jonas'' face as he heard these words, expecting the worst. He was just about to question the governor about what he was referring to when the man handed him a notice, written and signed by the young Sultan himself.


    Essentially, it was a decree, officially changing the name of the Iberian state from Al-Andalus to the Iberian Empire. While Ghazi''s title would remain Sultan, the empire he ruled over would no longer have an Arabic name.


    There were several reasons for this decision, but the two most prominent were the fact that the Sultan was attempting to align his Empire further with the Western World, while also increasing the secrization of the Iberian government.


    To Jonas, this was a great sign of things toe, and he could not fathom why the Governor was so perturbed by this sudden news. Thus, he was quick to investigate just what had enraged the man so much.


    "Is this not good news? The Sultan is making a statement that Iberia is a part of the Western world, and is a secr country ruled by thews of man, not God. How could you possibly be angry over such a gesture? If anything, this name change will appease the Christian majority, which will help aid our reconstruction efforts."


    It was true that the majority of Iberia was, in fact, Christian, with only the southernmost region remaining Muslim. However, it was a Muslim dynasty that ruled over the penins. In order to appease these two opposed groups, the previous governor, Adelbrand von Salzburg, had created a dual legal system for the citizens of Iberia to follow based upon which faith they called their own.


    For the Muslims, they practiced shariaw to a limited extent. Specifically, in regards to personal status issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody. As for other legal matters such as criminal behavior, etc. They were conducted in the same fashion as the Iberian Christians, which was secr rule, based upon German Law.


    However, what concerned the Governor of Portugal, was not whether this action would appease the Christian majority, or the slight possibility of invoking the ire of the Muslim minority, but was instead the overwhelming amount of paperwork he would have to deal with because of this matter. He was quick to voice his frustration as he mmed his fists on the desk.


    "Do you think I care about that? The amount of fucking paperwork I''m going to have to deal with due to a ''simple'' name change is more than enough to give me a headache!"


    Upon hearing such a ludicrous reason for being upset, Jonas sneered at the governor with a look of disdain in his eyes. Was this man always so petty? He did not hide his discontent as he gave the man some words of ''encouragement''.


    "Suck it up. This might require a bit of paperwork, but it is actually a good sign of things toe. Iberia is transitioning away from religious rule and into a more secr government. One modelled after the German Empire. That''s a good thing! We can''t allow our religions to rule over our State forever, or we will surely begging behind ourpetitors.


    When the Byzantine Empire recovers from its current crisis, it will quickly surpass Iberia if we continue to be so dogmatic in our approach to the world. Only under the secr rule of man can we be the second most powerful state in the western world.


    The name ''Iberian Empire'' distances our government from the Muslim faith and instead bes a term that epasses all Iberians, whether they are Christian or Muslim. If you can''t see the value in such a thing, then you are probably not the best man suited for your job. So buckle up, and endure the paperwork, or I''ll report to the Sultan just how upset you were over something so minor."


    The governor stared at Jonas with a ck-jawed expression, before grumbling something iprehensible. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, where he began to get to work on the matters that were required to change the nation''s official name. As for Jonas, he would get back to his own work, helping restore the war-tornndscape of Portugal. A task he took great pride in doing.


    ---


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 Chapter 1007 A Secret Engagement

    In the city of Mn, King Bruno Haselrieder sat in his throne room while contemting unimportant matters, such as what he wanted to eat on this fine afternoon. As a native of South Tyrol, the man had witnessed Berengar''s conquest of his homnd during the early years of the Kaiser''s quest for power. In a sense, Bruno had seen the world transform around him in rapid fashion.


    Born as a child of a minor German house, in the Italian-upied territory of southern Austria, Bruno had learned both the German and Italian tongues in his formative years. When Berengar annexed the region under his control during his war against the rebel Count Lothar, Bruno was among the first of the locals to join the von Kufstein Army as a fledgling officer.


    His time in service to this army did notst long, as Bruno was soon forced to march into Italy as a part of the Austrian War for Independence. Where he witnessed the true might of the man who had earned himself the nickname ''The Tyrant of Steel''.


    Surprisingly, he, a low-ranking officer in the Austrian Royal Army, was selected to act as the puppet king of the newly established Kingdom of Lombardy. Where he ruled ording to Berengar''s whims and wishes for years. Never doing much more than maintaining the peace and prosperity of the territory he had been given control over.


    During this time, he had married an Italian noblewoman from Mn, and fostered a family with her as the monarchs of Austria''s first real puppet state. As the years passed, Bruno had lived a life of peace and luxury, provided by his German masters in return for his continued loyalty and support.


    Eventually, when Italy had been reunified following the abysmal defeat of the Catholic Church in its war against the fledgling German Empire, Bruno was named the new King of Italy. Where he continued to go along with the whims and wishes of the Kaiser.


    In truth, he enjoyed this peace, even if Italy would never be a major world power. He had more than learned his lesson while in the service of Berengar that the man was truly indomitably on the field of battle, while also being a shrewd politician. Only a fool would seek to re-establish his sovereignty, especially when he continued to bask in luxury as a result of this state of servitude.


    In all his years as a petty King, the amount of times Berengar had visited Bruno''s realm could be counted on one hand, and it was usually in regards to joint military exercises. Thus, it was a monumental surprise when a servant came hastily rushing into the room with a panicked expression on her face.


    "Your highness, the Kaiser is here to visit you!"


    Bruno had been sipping on a cup of coffee when he heard these words, and was so panicked by the news he had just been given that he dropped the porcin mug, which shattered upon impact, spilling his drink all over the ce. Upon realizing his mistake, he was quick to give orders to the servant.


    "Clean up this mess. I will go stall for time and meet up with the Kaiser myself!"


    The young woman was just about to answer in the affirmative when a smug voice filled the great hall.


    "That won''t be necessary. I assure you, I will simply avoid the mess you have made while your maids clean it up."


    Bruno recognized the man who the voice belonged to immediately upon hearing it, and was quick to climb down from his high throne and kneel before the man who stood arrogantly in the middle of the hall.


    "Your Majesty, forgive this humble servant for failing to greet you properly. Allow me to inform my kitchen staff of your arrival. I will have a meal prepared for you shortly!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head upon hearing this news, before following Bruno into the dining hall, where a maid was quick to serve them some imported German beers. Berengar sniffed it only momentarily before taking a sip himself. After which he spoke about his reason for visiting Mn. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "I bet you''re wondering why I am here, and I must apologize for not announcing my visit earlier. This was merely a whim of mine, as I only recently came to an important decision regarding the future of our two realms."


    An audible gulp filled the air as Bruno swallowed the saliva that pooled in his mouth. He had no idea why Berengar of all people would visit him so suddenly, or what more the Kaiser could possibly ask of a petty king like himself, but he did not dare interrupt the man as he continued to speak.


    "As you may already know, by Germanw, a man is allowed up to five spouses. Now my son Hans currently has four official engagements and one that has yet to be revealed to the public. However, after the poor performance of one of these young women, my wife Linde and I have decided to break the betrothal, and instead marry our eldest son off to one of your daughters.


    I presume you have raised your girls to be proper wives and mothers. Because I assure you, I do not intend to break such an arrangement a second time. Such a thing would poorly reflect upon my reputation, and that of my household."


    Bruno was stunned when he heard this remark. He never would have imagined that the Kaiser of all people would deem the daughter of a petty king such as himself worthy of his eldest son''s hand in marriage.


    As much as the Italian monarch wanted to stay out of international politics, while basking in the protection the Reich provided him. He knew deep in the depths of his soul that rejecting this offer would be the end of himself and his dynasty.


    In fact, the Kaiser''s intentions were as clear as day. He wanted to usurp all the Kingdoms of Europe, and ce cadet branches from his own dynasty upon their thrones. Ultimately, it would not be the house of Haselrieder, which continued to rule over Italy, but the house of Kufstein-Haselrieder.


    Of course, if Bruno rejected such a proposal, then Berengar would simply find another man to rece him, who was more than willing to ept such a ''gift''. After careful thought, the Italian King nodded his head in agreement with the engagement.


    "You honor me, Kaiser, my house is unworthy of such a gift. None of my daughters are currently engaged, and you are free to select the one you find most fitting to be your eldest son''s bride. I''m sure they will be delighted to hear that one of them will be marrying a German Prince and moving to Kufstein when they finallye of age."


    Berengar responded to this over-enthusiastic praise with a curt smile, followed by a long sip of his beer. After consuming nearly half his drink, the Kaiser finally spoke up about his thoughts regarding this matter.


    "Sounds good to me. I would very much like to stay here in Mn for some time, and get to know your daughters as well as their personalities. Only after I confirm they won''t be a burden will I choose one to marry my son when they bothe of age. Does this sound agreeable to you?"


    Like a trained dog, Bruno nodded his head repeatedly in agreement with these conditions, however before he could bark for his master, a tray of dishes entered the scene, where Berengar witnessed what can only be considered modern Italian cooking, something he himself might have had a hand in secretly creating.


    Chicken Alfredo, baked ziti,sagna, garlic bread, all the staples of fine Italian cooking were revealed to Berengar, making his mouth water in anticipation. It had been too long since he hadst had Italian food, and he was now dying to feast upon it. Thus, the Kaiser of the German Empire, and the King of Italy began to catch up on the past few years, over a fine meal.


    ---


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 Chapter 1008 Japanese Naval Expansion

    Itami sat alone in her pce, isted from her guests. Men from the Samurai ns, who ruled over Japanese society, as well as their wives and children, had all gathered to celebrate what can only be described as a holiday.


    Perhaps in her past life, Itami might be mingling with her guests like a social butterfly, but in this world, she had to be cautious of who she interacted with, and what she said. Too many of these guests were nothing more than buzzards, circling around her, waiting for the moment she dropped dead.


    With this in mind, the young Japanese empress kept herself at the back of the party, and mostly sober, while she watched her guests socialize like normal human beings. One man noticed this and was quick to approach the woman''s side.


    Out of everyone who had ever supported Itami, he had been the most loyal. General Shiba Kiyohiko had taken a brief vacation from his duties as the Supreme Commander of the Joseon Theatre to return to his homnd for the sake of this holiday. In reality, this was simply an opportunity to see the woman he longed for.


    Upon seeing the woman he admired most in this world alone and bitter, Shiba had no choice to approach her in a vain attempt to put a smile on her face.


    "Tenno heika sama, it is my greatest honor to return from the battlefields for the sake of this holiday. You have done a wondrous job with the festivities. I am sure everyone here agrees with this sentiment."


    Itami did not even look Shiba in the eye as she sipped from her drink with a bitter expression on her wless face. A simple phrase escaped her lips, as if she did not care in the slightest what those beneath hermand thought of her.


    "Vultures, the lot of them. If you think for one second that anyone here other than yourself actually supports me from the depths of their hearts, then you are a damned fool, Shiba. I''m the only thing keeping this Empire united, and these bastards would rather soak up wealth and power on the sidelines, then fight among themselves for the position of emperor.


    The only reason most of these men support me is because the only alternative is total warfare. There''s a reason you''re the only one toe and greet me, other than the minimum amount that is required. So rather than talk about me, I''m more concerned with the Joseon Theatre. Have you retaliated against the terrorists for their attacks on our people?"


    Shiba was slightly taken aback at how crass his goddess''s words were. However, this onlysted a moment as he regained his professionalism before answering the woman''s question.


    "Indeed, I have ordered for several of the viges which are known to harbor these terrorists to be annihted. As we speak, our forces are bombarding these locations with our artillery. By now there should be no survivors to speak of."


    This news did not calm Itami''s heart, rather, it stirred thetent rage that dwelled inside. The moment she heard these orders were given, her blood-red eyes shifted onto Shiba''s figure, and locked onto him as if they were a missile targeting system. She could hardly believe her ears upon hearing this news, and was quick to question whether she was hearing things correctly.


    "What did you just say? Are you telling me you deliberately ordered an attack on civilian targets? You are aware that all the world''s major yers have signed an agreement prohibiting this exact scenario, right? If the Germans were to learn of your retaliation, they would have a field day painting us as War Criminals who vited the recently established Vienna ords.


    Despite this, you thought it would be wise to exterminate several viges, all because you suspect they are harboring terrorists? Did you even give the vigers a chance to give up these filthy criminals, or did you just outright order their annihtion?"


    Shiba trembled upon hearing such a vicious rebuking from the woman he fancied. Everything he had done was to appease her, so why was she acting as if he had justmitted some unforgiveable offense? He quickly began to protest this scolding.


    "tenno heika sama... I thought that-"


    Before he could finish his sentence, Itami cut him off and red at him with murderous intent. The act of which frightened the General to his core.


    "No! You didn''t think! If you had, you would have realized that such a brutal action would only unite the world further against us! I am already nning to disregard our rtionship with the Ming, in pursuit of a strategic advantage against our adversaries.


    An act which will surely invoke the ire of the internationalmunity, but now you have given that smug bastard ammunition to use against me. I want you to reflect on your actions and atone for your mistakes. Find a way to make this right, before news spreads across the globe of your misdeeds."


    Shiba lowered his head in submission, and muttered beneath his breath his response. It was in a voice so low, that Itami almost misheard him.


    "Yes, your majesty..."


    After saying this, Shiba departed from the room. Searching for the nearest radio-telegraph so that he could coordinate with his forces on the Korean Penins in an attempt to make these brutal exterminations of civilian poptions look like proper sieges against armedbatants.


    As for Itami, she felt the need to drown her thoughts in booze at this very moment, and thus she got up from her seat, and approached the bar, where the server poured her another ss of sake. While she was reaching for her drink, another member of her faction approached her.


    Admiral Izumi Hiramori was dressed in his military uniform, with all his medals proudly on disy. He had a confident expression on his face as he handed the Empress his own drink, knowing that she was not in the mood to stay sober. <novelnext></novelnext>


    The wless beauty nodded her head in silence, and took the man''s drink, along with her own, before walking back towards her table, where Izumi was quick to follow. Noticing his persistence, Itami glowered at the man, and quickly asked for his intentions.


    "What do you want?"


    Despite the rude tone in her voice, the Admiral did not flinch in the slightest, and instead presented the good news he had just received not long ago.


    "Your Majesty, I can see you are in a rather foul mood at the moment, so why don''t I cheer you up? If you would follow me to the docks, I have something that might interest you. Something I am sure will make you happy..."


    Itami gazed upon the young admiral with a hint of suspicion in her sanguine eyes. However, upon ncing around at the drunken fools who partied in her home, she realized that perhaps being in the night''s cold air was a better alternative, thus she sighed heavily before nodding her head in agreement.


    "Fine... Let me fetch my escort, and then I shall apany you to the docks."


    Despite an act which clearly showed her distrust to the Admiral, Izumi was not the slightest bit offended, and instead responded with a simple smile.


    "Of course..."


    As she had said, Itami quickly gathered an armed escort of her Imperial Guard before following the admiral to the docks. It was a quiet journey in the dead of night. The streets were empty, despite the recently established lights illuminating the darkness.


    A cold breeze kissed Itami''s pale cheeks as she slowly marched to her destination. When she finally arrived, she stood in awe at what was lying in the harbor. A massive warship, farrger than anything else her navy previously possessed, proudly sat in the water, its massive guns challenging the world itself as they pointed westward towards the location of their enemy.


    The Itami-ss Dreadnought was modelled after the Nagato-ss Battleship from Itami''s past life, particrly the 1944 retrofitted model. It was a true steel beast, and a warship that was superior to the Linde-ss Battleships currently employed by the German Empire. Though whenpared with the newest battleships, which Germany was currently manufacturing, it was slightlycking.


    When Itami gazed upon this magnificent warship, she was quick to ask the most important question on her mind.


    "How many of these do we have?"


    A satisfied smile appeared on Izumi''s face as he saw how excited the young empress was. A beauty of her caliber was a woman that all men instinctively sought after. Shiba was not alone in his affections. The fact that his rival had struck out, while he had lightened the empress''s mood, was a win in Izumi''s books. With this in mind, he had a hint of pride in his voice as he answered Itami''s questions.


    "Currently, this is the only one we have built. However, by this time next month we will have five in total, with another five set forpletion sometime next year. Whenbined with the amount of cruisers, destroyers, and subs we currently have in the field, plus the ones under construction, I can confidentially say, that so long as the war does not break out within the immediate future, we will have the means to engage the Germans on the oceans."


    When Itami heard this, her lips parted into a wide smile. It had been a long time since the woman had made such an expression, so long that even Izumi himself, one of her highest ranking officers, had nearly forgotten just how beautiful the woman was when she smiled. To see her so happy nearly melted the man''s heart. However, before he could make a move, Itami spoke her mind.


    "You have done well Izumi, this is the first good news I have received in a long time. Whenpared to the military power that the Reich has, we are behind in almost every aspect. Still, for our navy to be able topete with them, at least for some time. That is my greatest wish."


    While the German fleets wererger than their Japanese counterparts, their empire was also significantly more vast. The amount of areas the Kriegsmarine had to protect were not just limited to the shores off the coasts of the fathend.


    By simply sacrificing a small amount of subs to harass the Kriegsmarine in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Itami could divert much of her rival''s naval strength from the conflict that had be inevitable.


    Ten battleships would be enough to buy time for her navy to expand its capabilities during the war effort. Thus, for the first time in a long time, Itami was truly proud of what one of her subordinates had aplished.


    ---


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 Chapter 1009 Coronation Of The Indian Emperor

    Dharya Tomara sat in the capital of his newfound Empire. For the first time in its history, the Indian subcontinent had been united under one banner. And though the man had proimed himself to be the emperor of all of India. The other monarchs who had gone into hiding after having theirnds invaded by the now extinct Bengal Empire had yet to recognize his ims. That is, until today.


    In an image that would make the headlines of the German Media, the petty Kings of India knelt before Dharya, and presented their gilded crowns to the man. Having realized the threat that the Japanese posed to their continued existence, these men were more than happy to rally behind Dharya and his German allies, even if it meant submitting to a higher power. One by one, these men professed Dharya to be the one true emperor of India.


    "Dharya Tomara, I hereby swear fealty to you, and your dynasty from this day, until the end of days. Please ept my crown as proof of my submission!"


    The former ruler of the Yadava Dynasty was not the only one to express such a gesture. All the other petty Kings had spoken the same words, and presented their crowns to a man who was roughly half their age. An act which Dharya epted as he pooled their crowns together on arge pillow. Before cing the most dazzling upon his head.


    At the end of the ceremony, these crowns would be melted down and reforged into a single symbol of the Indian Emperor''s overwhelming authority. However, for now he needed one of such device to ce upon his head for the sake of his coronation.


    Dharya''s alliance with the Reich had made him a figure who all the Indian kings and princes could rally to. Any attempt at resistance had died when these men witnessed the might of a Panzer Division roll through their territory.


    While they knew this was not the power that Dharya directly wielded, he could still call upon his allies for aid, in the event that anyone was foolish enough to rebel against his reign. Ultimately, at the end of the day, violence was the supreme authority from which all other authority was derived. With the Germans at his back, Dharya had the ability to take and hold what he wanted. This could no longer be denied.


    Despite knowing in advance that these other monarchs would be travelling to the city of Anangpur to submit to him, Dharya still found it to be a stunning sight. However, he could not remain petrified for long, and thus he immediately took control of his emotions, and wore a stoic facade, as if to imitate the man who had taught him how to rule.


    "I ept your fealty. From this day forward, you will have a ce in my new empire. Though to what extent will be determined based upon your own abilities? Now rise my subjects..."


    The various monarchs were pleased to see that they would not be tossed aside likemon refuse. In fact, now a fire had been lit in their hearts,pelling them to work hard for a better ce than their peers in this new empire.


    With this ceremony out of the way, Dharya soon found himself copsing in the back of the room. A servant came forward and brought him a bottle of purified water, which had been distilled in the heart of the German Empire. Without hesitation, the man opened up the lid, and gulped down the contents.


    The bottle was made from bio-degradable hemp stic, which was the mostmon form of stic manufactured in the reich for use in a variety of fields. Berengar had taken great lengths to limit the effects that his industrialization had on the environment, something that Itami had been far less concerned about.


    After gulping down the entirety of the water bottle, Dharya handed it off to the servant, who would toss the stic container into a recycling bin, which would be taken back to the Reich for the material to be repurposed into something else.


    Naturally, Dharya was not aware of this, or the great lengths that the Reich went to in order to prevent pollution, littering, and any other forms of environmental hazards. Nor would he actually care, as he could not understand the significance of such a thing.


    He was just happy to have a ready supply of purified water for days like this, where he was filled with stress. Now that Dharya had epted the fealty of India''s petty kings, he was forced to deal with a grand ceremony. Thus, he could no longer sit idly by in the back of the room, avoiding his responsibilities.


    After finding his resolve, he got up from his seat and walked back into the dining hall, where his hundreds of guests mingled with one another while eating appetizers. Dharya sat down at his seat, where one of the other monarchs was quick to greet him.


    "Our esteemed emperor returns! We were just discussing the notable absence of your sister. Tell me, where is Priya? I have heard of the horrors she was forced to endure in her childhood, and would very much like to meet a woman of such tenacity."


    Upon being reminded of his sister, Dharya frowned. Thest time he had seen her was shortly after the Vienna ords. The girl had informed him of her pregnancy, which caused the man to fly off the handle in a fit of rage. Not only did he sour rtions with the Kaiser that night, but he hadid into his sister, verbally speaking, and strained their sibling rtionship. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Though Priya had attempted on many asions to contact him via the radio, Dharya had ignored all her calls. Obviously, he could not admit to this fact, and thus could only sigh and shake his head as he made up an excuse off the top of his head.


    "My sister is my ambassador to the German Empire. She spends most of her time in their capital city. As important as this event is for our people, I''m afraid she couldn''t make it."


    The moment Dharya had said these words, he heard a familiar voice that should not exist in this room call out to him.


    "Oh, is that so? Here I thought that perhaps my invitation was lost in the mail, but it turns out my dear brother was simply thinking of my well being. Well, I assure you, big brother, I would not miss this ceremony for anything in the world. Even the Kaiser couldn''t keep me away!"


    When Dharya heard these words, his gaze shifted over to two distinct figures, neither of which he wanted to see at this time. Standing side by side with wide smiles on their faces, Berengar and Priya had entered the dining hall in extravagant fashion.


    Seeing that his sister had entered his home without notice, all while being held in the arms of the man who had taken her purity, Dharya clenched his teeth in an act of fury, but did not give voice to it. Berengar wore a confident smirk on his face as he strode forward into the room as if he owned the ce. He was quick to greet those who held power in India, as if he was their master.


    "It is a pleasure to be acquainted with you all on this fine evening. As you know, I have an alliance with Emperor Dharya Tomara, and as a result, I have taken time out of my busy schedule to witness his coronation. I look forward to working with all of you in the future."


    Though he did not show it, Berengar was quite bitter over the fact that he had arrivedte for this ceremony. He himself wanted to ce the crown on Dharya''s head as if he were the kingmaker. Unfortunately, because he had learned about this event on such short notice while he was spending a week in Mn getting to know Bruno and his family, he had missed this opportunity.


    As for the former Indian Monarchs, word had long reached the ears of these petty kings about the overwhelming number of aplishments that this one golden-haired man had achieved over the past few years. The fact that he had bothered to show up for such a minor event showed them all just how much he valued his alliance with Dharya.


    Of course, they had no way of knowing what Berengar''s true intent was for showing up at this coronation ceremony. However, not one of them intervened as Berengar pulled out a couple of chairs for himself and his concubine before shamelessly sitting down at the head of the table next to Dharya. There was a calm smile on the man''s face, yet a fierce glint in his eyes as he spoke to the Indian Emperor, as if they were the closest of friends.


    "This is quite the event you have thrown. After we are done dining on your people''s delicacies, I believe you and I need to talk about a few matters..."


    All the rage that Dharya had felt moments ago immediately imploded into a ck hole in his heart. What remained was a life sucking dread, one whichpelled him to bow his head like an obedient dog, and respond to his master''s wishes.


    "I understand..."


    With this, Berengar and Priya enjoyed a night filled with festivities, waiting out the clock until they were all alone with Dharya.


    ---


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 Chapter 1010 A Pound Of Flesh

    Berengar had spent the night mingling with those men who would be major yers in the newly formed Indian Empire''s political system. In fact, he had stolen the spotlight from Dharya, something that the young emperor was actually quite thankful for, if he was even remotely capable of being honest with himself.


    Of course, Dharya watched silently from the side, while drinking whatever alcohol he could get his hands on. He continued to do this until the only remaining guests in his pce were his sister and Berengar himself. Once the trio were all alone, the Kaiser sighed and shook his head before addressing his Indian counterpart.


    "Truly, I can think of no worse way to spend an evening than socializing with these parasites. It''s the same no matter where you go, opportunists looking to gain your favor. Don''t you agree, Dharya?"


    It struck the young Indian emperor speechless when he heard how open Berengar was about how he felt regarding so-called ''socialites''. After recovering his senses, Dharya simply red at his guest before asking the man why he had travelled such a long distance for such a minor asion.


    "What''s your actual angle for being here? I don''t presume you came all this way just to watch me put a crown on my head in front of a bunch of ''parasites''..."


    In response to this, Berengar took a sip from his wine and gazed out the windows into the night sky with a solemn expression. He remained quiet for several seconds before answering the man''s question.


    "My reason foring here was two-fold, firstly I wanted to help mend the rift that has formed between you and your sister as a result of our rtionship. Personally, I can''t understand just what your qualms are with us being together.


    I mean, just look at your sister and how beautiful she has be over the years. To think that when I first saw her, she was once a scrawny little girl months away from death. I thought you would be pleased with this development. She is happy and healthy in my household, and now, under my protection, she will never be forced to suffer such a horrific fate again. That''s something I cannot guarantee for a mere hostage.


    I understand you have an attachment to the girl because of your childhood trauma. Perhaps even an unhealthy one at that. If it is such a serious issue, then might I suggest a meeting with one of my many military psychiatrists that I have posted here in Anangpur? If not for yourself, then for your sister''s sake? She''s worried about you."


    Throughout the entirety of Berengar''s speech, Dharya had be increasingly agitated, to the point where his fingernails were practically digging into the palms of his hands. Having noticed this, Priya quickly closed the distance and hugged her brother, who seemed to be on the border of a mental breakdown.


    "Big brother, it''s time to let go of the past. Our Uncle is gone. You have reimed your birthright, and I am now safe, happy, and healthy. None of this would have been possible without Berengar''s aid. Please, get some help. I have heard that German psychiatrists have helped many soldiers ovee their trauma. They can do the same for you!"


    Upon feeling his sister''s warm embrace, Dharya''s fists uncurled, and his teeth unclenched. In the next moment, tears ran down his cheeks as he returned his sister''s gesture, and hugged her with all his strength.


    Berengar remained utterly silent during this exchange, instead he merely sipped upon his drink and watched as if he was nothing more than a bystander. Several minutes passed in silence as the two siblings continued to hug before Dharya finally let go. After wiping the tears from his eyes, the Indian Emperor sighed heavily, before nodding in agreement at his sister''s suggestion.


    "Fine... I will do as you ask... All I ever wanted in life was for you to be safe and happy. If this old bastard can provide that for you, then I guess I can finally let go..."


    Berengar''s face immediately scrunched up when he heard this remark, as if he had just eaten something too sour for his tastes. His thoughts were immediately drawn to the boy''sments, even if he didn''t voice them.


    ''Old bastard? I''m thirty three, you little fucking cocksucker! I still have at least two years before I am no longer considered young! How fucking dare you!''


    Priya noticed Berengar''s expression from the corner of her eye and broke out into a fit of giggles. Seeing the man she loved get offended about being called old was simply endearing to the young woman. It was at this moment that Dharya remembered Berengar''s previous words and was quick to rify the issue.


    "Earlier, you said you had two reasons for visiting today. What''s the second?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Now was the perfect time for Berengar to get revenge on Dharya for his crass remark, thus with a smug grin on his face, he slowly approached the boy while finishing his drink. After doing so, he ced a hand on the boy''s shoulder and gave him an intimidating re.


    "I havee to collect my pound of flesh. Over the past few years, I have invested heavily in your Empire, and it was thanks to my forces that you were so swiftly able to defeat your enemies. In return I ask that you cede Sri Lanka to the Reich. I intend to use it as a naval and air base to counter Japanese naval operations in the Indian ocean. Consider this partial repayment for the debt you owe me."


    Having heard these demands, Dharya sucked on his teeth. He knew that sooner orter Berengar would demand repayment on the debt that India owed him. He just didn''t expect the price to be so high. However, after thinking about it for some time, Dharya nodded his head before responding to this request.


    "Alright, Sri Lanka is yours. Do with it as you will. It''s the least I can do for all the help you have given me."


    With Dharya having agreed to his demands, Berengar smiled and nodded his head. His next words startled both Priya and Dharya as he ced his ss down on a nearby table.


    "Well then, that concludes my business here today. Priya, we should return to our home now. I''m afraid I have other important matters to attend to, and if we do not leave at this very moment, I might bete for them. A mistake I can not afford to make. After all, it is a very long flight back to Kufstein."


    There was a look of longing on Priya''s face as she heard this, but ultimately after giving it thought for several seconds, she nodded her head and chased after her man. She left one final farewell to her brother before doing so.


    "I''m sorry Dharya, we are on a tight schedule, we will talk more when after I get back to the Pce. Remember the promise we made today, okay?"


    With that said, the Indian Princess had run after the Kaiser, as the two prepared to depart from the city of Anangpur. Dharya was left by his lonesome, with a head full of thoughts regarding the past, present, and future.


    As for Berengar, what he said was true. The winter midwinter solstice was rapidly approaching, and soon he would need to cast off for d. Should he miss the event, it would certainly anger the gods. Something he had already done once, and was still living with the consequences of.


    Thest thing he wanted was for another deity to see him as a target for vengeance, and thus, even though the Kaiser may want to spend a bit more time in India, he did not have the opportunity to do so. He and Priya caught the first flight out of Anangpur, where Berengar immediately fell to sleep on arge bed.


    Though Priya was by his side, it was not she who he dreamt about, instead the moment he fell to sleep he was once more visited by the goddess Freyja, who had for the past few months been entering the man''s dreams every night, in an attempt to have her way with him.


    The dreams were enjoyable, as Berengar was not limited by his mortal body''s stamina, but they had one side effect. Whenever he woke up in the morning, he would be fully satisfied, meaning that he could not please his wives and their early morning urges. Something that had begun to take its toll on their rtionship. If he did not resolve this dispute between him and Freyja soon, he feared that his harem might copse around him.


    Thus, Berengar truly meant the words that he could not afford to bete for his meeting with Odin. If he did, the consequences would be disastrous.


    ---


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 Chapter 1011 Landing In Reykjavik

    On the shores of Reykjav��k, a thick mist persisted in the air. A fog so dense that one could barely see a few feet in front of them should they be foolish enough to visit the snow filled coastline during the dead of winter. Yet, despite the dangers one might encounter in this scenario, a young girl no older than thirteen sat silently in the frozen wastnd by her lonesome.


    Her reasons for visiting the frost bitten beaches at this time of year, where the days were coldest, were known only to herself. However, as Siv Eriksd��ttir lie in the snow with a gloomy expression on her childish face, she noticed something appear within the fog.


    At first, the girl thought that perhaps a trader hade to visit her isted homnd. However, as time passed slowly by, the form of a massive steel warship gradually revealed itself from among the mist, soon enough the towering guns on board the deck arrogantly pointed towards the city, causing an intense sense of dread to ovee the young girl''s fragile heart.


    By the time Siv even realized that this massive warship was heading towards the port, she had already begun running towards the city''s heart, where her father''s castle lie. Frightened out of her mind by what she had just witnessed.


    The young girl frantically pounded the door to her father''s home, screaming for the man toe out and see her. Nearly a minute of her terrified shrieks filled the air, before the door opened and revealed a tall, and muscr blonde haired man, who gazed upon his own daughter with a sense of fury in his pale-blue eyes.


    Erik could see that something had terrified his daughter, but not the slightest bit of fatherly warmth existed on the man''s face as he groaned in displeasure at being interrupted during his nightly session with one of his ves. There was an obvious tone of irritation in the voice as he practically yelled at the girl, who had be scared witless.


    "What the hell is wrong with you Siv? Pounding on my door at this hour of night! You should be asleep in your quarters, so why are you out here alone in the snow, screaming at me as if it is the end of times?"


    Siv did not bother to deal with her father''s usual callousness, and instead spoke of what she had seen with a terrified tone in her voice.


    "Father, on the coast, a giant warship,rger than anything I have ever seen, is approaching! It has no sails, and is made entirely out of steel!"


    A look of contempt was on Erik''s face as he gazed upon his daughter as if she was a foolish child mistaking a simple nightmare for reality. He immediately responded to this im by backhanding the girl across the face before chastising her.


    "Stupid girl! You''re seeing things again. What you are describing is impossible. There is no Kingdom in this world that is capable of making so much steel! You interrupted me for something so foolish! You''re lucky you are getting off with a simple p! I should spank the hell out of you for this! Now get to bed!"


    Though Siv wanted to protest her father''s cruelty, she simply bit her tongue and bowed her head in submission. There was no use trying to reason with the man when he was already in a state of fury. Thus, the young girl was quick to walk off to her own quarters within the castle''s courtyard.


    A small thatched hovel existed in a corner of the courtyard, where the young girl resided. She was not allowed to live in the main house, as she was nothing more than a bastard. Once she was inside her home, she lit a fire and climbed into bed, yet she did not sleep. She was too terrified about what was about to happen. As she knew full well, what she saw was no trick of the mind.


    Someone hade from across the sea, and they must have wielded unimaginable power to create such a monstrous warship. Whatever their reason for visiting, it could not be good.


    ---


    Berengar was asleep in his own quarters when the Linde-ss Battleship arrived off the coast of Reykjav��k. He had no idea that his vessel had been spotted by a young girl in the dead of night, while pulling into the harbor.


    ? Not that it really mattered, this wasn''t a stealth mission, and King Alvar had given him permission to visit the Ind with however many troops he saw fit to ensure his own protection. While the German sailors properly docked the vessel, Berengar continued to sleep. Dreaming of the same thing he had dreamt of for the past few months.


    Freyja lied naked beneath the weight of Berengar''s chiseled body, as he finished inside her womb for the twenty-seventh time since he had first entered this dreamscape. The goddess of fertility had her tongue hanging out of her mouth and her eyes crossed as she climaxed alongside herpetitor. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Despite giving Freyja the same treatment he had used to condition Linde into bing the perfect woman, the Germanic goddess of sex and fertility had yet to fullye under Berengar''s control. Even though their amorous actions felt like the real thing, it was still just a dream, after all.


    However, after finishing this time around, Freyja suddenly stopped grinding her hips, and sat up straight. Staring Berengar deep within his mismatched eyes, before sighing heavily in defeat.


    "It appears you have finally arrived. You will be talking with Odin soon. I doubt he would appreciate my scent all over you. In fact, I fear how he might react if he were to ever learn of our little nightly exercises and how they began. I will leave you now, and will not return to your dreams until after you leave this ce."


    Berengar did not respond to the goddess''s words, and instead silently nodded his head in understanding, an act which caused Freyja to bite her lower lip in irritation. The least this man could do was say goodbye after all they''ve been through. Sometimes she did not know why she even bothered with these nightly visits.


    In the end, Freyja''s naked figure vanished into thin air, allowing Berengar to finally return to the real world, where he found himself alone in his private quarters. With a heavy sigh, the man got up from his bed and shook his head before dressing himself for this monumental asion.


    After stepping out of his quarters, the two marines who constantly stood guard immediately greeted Berengar. The Kaiser simply nodded his head towards the two men as they stood at attention and saluted him, before going deeper into the interior of the battleship. Eventually Berengar arrived at the helm, where the Captain of the vessel was quick to approach him.


    "My Kaiser, we have arrived in Reykjav��k just as nned. It would appear the local poption still hasn''t noticed our docking. As a result, I have dispatched apany of marines to secure the harbor. Once you are ready, you can begin your journey to wherever it is you wish to visit!"


    Berengar nodded his head and looked out upon the frosty wastnd that was d. A snow filled fog filled the air, and obscured his vision. In all honesty, he could barely make out the shape of the ship, let alone the harbor where they were now docked.


    With a deep breath, Berengar calmed the nerves within his heart before giving his orders to the crew.


    "I want the marines who are not currently protecting the vessel to form a convoy. We will be heading deep into the icy wastnd. Make sure we have enough provisions for the journey. As for the rest of the crew, they are to stand by, and await for my return. Try to foster some ties to the locals if you can. We are going to be here for a while."


    The captain snapped to attention and saluted Berengar before responding in affirmation to his orders.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After saying this, Berengar simply waited for his convoy to be established. While this was happening, the local poption had begun to emerge from their homes, and witness therge steel warship which was docked in their port, while flying the banners of some foreign nation they had never heard of before.


    d was truly isted from the rest of the world and had not been the slightest bit aware about the monumental shift in power during that had urred under Berengar''s rise to power. In fact, it might be safe to say that it was thest bastion of Catholicism left in this world.


    Having beenpletely spared from Rome''s war against the Reich, and the monumental social upheaval that followed. Even the Bishop of Reykjav��k was entirely unaware of the papacy''s cruel fate. Thus, the interactions between the German sailors and the local poption was sure to cause some civil strife for the isted ind.


    ---


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 Chapter 1012 Acquiring A Guide

    Berengar stepped down from his battleship and onto the docks of the Reykjav��k harbor. Where he was immediately greeted by the local poption, who gazed upon therge steel vessel, and the strangely dressed men with a mixture of awe and terror.


    Even the simplest of minds would understand that with their medieval level of technology, there was no conceivable way they could harm this warship which had appeared in their harbor during the dead of night.


    Though Berengar was fluent in many tongues, he did not understand the dguage. Thus, he required a trantor hired from the Kalmar Union to speak with the people of this ind. Which he was quick to make use of.


    "My name is Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. You may or may not have heard of me, but I am the Emperor of Germany. This is not an invasion, but merely a leisurely visit. I assure you, neither me nor the men beneath mymand will take any hostile action against you, unless, of course, you attack us first. Now, whoever among you can point me towards the location of one Siv Eriksd��ttir, will earn this pouch of gold!"


    After saying this, Berengar reached into his greatcoat''s pocket and pulled out a small pouch of German Guldens which he presented to the crowd. ording to the goddess Nerthus who visited his dreams earlier during the night, Siv was the only one who could lead Berengar to the grove where the entrance to Valha was located. Thus, it was paramount that he located the young girl as quickly as possible.


    At first, the crowd did not budge. After all, Berengar was a stranger, from a foreignnd, arriving on a massive steel warship. They were too enamored with the hyper-advanced technology that they were witnessing to even bother listening to the man''s speech. However, after several moments of silence, Berengar''s words finally resounded in their minds, and the people of Reykjav��k struggled to recall just who Siv Eriksd��ttir was.


    As the crowd chatted with themselves, a teenage boy no older than fifteen stepped forward. There was a stern expression on his face as he stared down the Kaiser and his marines without the slightest hint of fear in his eyes.


    "What do you want with Siv?"


    The words the boy spoke were quickly tranted into the German Tongue, where Berengar raised his brow in interest. Clearly, this boy had some kind of connection with the girl, and thus he could not afford to scare him off. With a friendly facade, Berengar stepped forward and informed the boy of his intentions.


    "I have heard from a reliable source that she is the only person here who knows the location which I wish to visit. Thus, I am willing to pay a hefty price to hire her as my guide. If you can lead me to her location, I would make it worth your while."


    It took several moments of internal debate for the boy toe to a decision, but ultimately he agreed to the Kaiser''s request, albeit with one condition.


    "I''ll take you to her, but don''t you dare harm a hair on her head!"


    In response to this statement, Berengar chuckled. He had no ns to harm his guide. In fact, he needed her more than anyone else on this ind. Obviously, he would ensure her protection above everyone else in d.


    "You can rest assured, so long as she agrees to be my guide, she will have the greatest protection that money can afford. Now enough talk. Lead me to the girl."


    With that said, the boy lead Berengar and his marines to the castle which presided over the city. The guards were quick to notice the Germans'' approach and were immediately hostile to the presence of the foreigners. One had even fired an arrow directly in front of Berengar''s feet before shouting at him to stop.


    "Take one step further, and the next one will find its way into your heart!"


    Berengar had initiallye to this castle with the hopes of peaceful negotiations. However, how could the mighty Kaiser possibly suffer such a threat to his existence and not retaliate? Berengar fiercely red upon the sentry and called out to him, his voice filled with fury."


    "Try it, and I willy waste to your castle with a single strike. Go fetch your lord for me, before I have this entire city raised to the ground!


    The dic guards broke out into a fit ofughter. They could hardly believe the words they just heard. Rather than fire another shot, the archer pointed to Berengar and mocked him.


    "You and what army? Do you honestly think you are enough to bring this castle down? You would need an army of at least a thousand men to break through these walls, and you have no siege weapons!"


    Berengar sighed heavily and looked towards his nearest radio operator before giving the man amand.


    "Contact the SMS Linde and give them themand to open fire on the nearest iceberg." <novelnext></novelnext>


    The Marine instantly got on the radio, and ryed the Kaiser''smands to the Captain of the SMS Linde, who ordered the 15-inch guns to lock onto their target. As the guards continued tough at Berengar''s statement, the loud crackle of gunfire filled the air surrounding the city of Reykjav��k while a series of massive explosions urred off the coastline, tearing a nearby iceberg apart as it did so.


    Despite the heavy fog which persisted in the air, the sight of the explosion was clearly visible from the ramparts of the city''s castle. Causing the guards to nearly shit themselves as they fell back in fear. Once thoroughly intimidated, Berengar added fuel to the fire as he shouted at the fools once more.


    "I am only going to ask this onest time, go fetch your Lord for me, or my next strike will fall directly upon this petty castle you are all so proud of!"


    By now, even the dullest of men would realize that Berengar really did possess the might to bring down their castle with a single strike. Thus, the guards scrambled off of their asses and towards the main house where the local lord resided.


    The thunder of the guns had inadvertently awoken Siv herself, who was quick to bail from her little hovel, and investigate just what madness had urred while she slept. She was immediately reminded of the massive steel warship and felt as if Ragnarok had just begun.


    Coincidentally, Siv entered the courtyard at roughly the same time as her father, who was outraged by the sudden explosion that had interrupted his sleep. The man ordered quickly ordered for the gates to be opened before he stared at the sharply dressed German man who stood on the opposing side of the castle''s mighty walls.


    When Berengar saw the man, he raised his brow before asking the question on his mind.


    "Are you the lord of this castle?"


    The local lord grumbled and nodded his head before screaming at Berengar at the top of his lungs.


    "I am Erik Friesson, Lord of Reykjav��k! Who the hell are you, and why do you disturb my sleep!?!"


    Berengar sneered in disdain when he saw the man so haughtily stand before him as if he were an equal. His response was filled with contempt as he educated the backwater Lord about just who he was.


    "My name is Berengar von Kufstein, Kaiser of the German Empire, and conqueror of Rome. All of Europe kneels before my feet, so how does a petty little lord like yourself dare to stand straight before me? Let alone make such usations against me. Your guards threatened me, so I retaliated in kind.


    I havee to your pathetic castle for one reason only. This boy says that Siv Eriksd��ttir resides here, and I require her assistance. For a matter, I would prefer to remain private. Initially, I came here with the intent to shower you with gold, if you would allow her to enter my employ. However, after being so rudely treated by the men beneath yourmand, I demand you hand the girl over to me, or else I will rain fire upon your city."


    Erik''s face was twitching so much, Berengar was beginning to suspect that the fool might have an aneurysm. Just when the local lord was about to reject Berengar''s demands, one of his guards whispered something in his ear and handed him a spyss. Which Erik used to look towards the east, where he noticed a distinctiveck of a certain iceberg. Upon seeing this, the man froze and shuddered in fear.


    It took Erik a few moments to fullyprehend that the loud crackle of thunder had been an attack by the man standing in front of him, simply as a means to demonstrate his strength. When Erik finally understood this, the color vanished from his face. He gazed over at his bastard daughter, who he did not care for in the slightest, and was quick to sell her over to the German stranger.


    "Fine, she''s yours. I don''t ever want to see her face around here again! With this I hope my warriors transgressions are repaid."


    Siv honestly didn''t know if she should feel relieved that she had escaped her father''s contempt, or if she should feel frightened by entering the clutches of a terrifying man. However, she had no choice in the matter. The girl was quickly rounded up by her father''s guards and handed over to Berengar''s side, where the man gazed upon the young girl with a friendly smile on his face.


    "I''m sorry Siv, this is not how I wanted to gain your assistance, though I promise you, once I have concluded by business, you will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts. Enough to buy yourself arge house and plenty of servants to look after you from now until the end of your days."


    So many things had urred so suddenly that Siv had no idea how to react. She simply bowed her head and followed this powerful foreigner back to his ship. Not even sparing her family a second nce as she walked away in silence.


    ---


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 Chapter 1013 A Subtle Introduction

    Siv followed Berengar back to his ship, where she was finally able to get a good look at the monstrosity and its well illuminated interior. The girl was in a state of shock, not only from the mind-boggling wonders she witnessed on board the SMS Linde, but also the fact that she had been so swiftly taken away from her family before she even had time to react.


    The girl sat in Berengar''s cabin with a nk look on her cute face, as if she was struggling to understand how she should feel at this moment. The only other person who existed in this room besides herself and the Kaiser was one of several interpreters Berengar had brought with him on this journey.


    Naturally, since the girl was in such a poor state, Berengar brewed her a pot of coffee while preparing breakfast for the two of them. This breakfast consisted of a bowl of Bauernfr��hst��ck, along with a te of bratwurst served on top of sauerkraut, as well as two bierocks each.


    The SMS Linde was Berengar''s personal battleship, and as such his quarters were more like a luxury suite, filled with all the modern luxuries one could ask for, including a small kitchen,pleted with a refrigerator, a stove, an oven, and an espresso maker.


    After handing off the warm coffee to the girl, Berengar sat down in a seat across from her with a drink of his own. There was a look ofpassion on his handsome face as he exined his reasons for visiting this isted ind.


    "I know this is sudden, but I have heard from a reliable source that you are the only one who can get me in touch with a group of outcasts deep within the dic mountains. I hear they worship the olds gods, and I need to visit them."


    Siv''s expression suddenly stiffened. She gazed at Berengar, up and down, not believing a word she was hearing. The people he was asking to meet had a limited contact with the rest of d, let alone the outside world. She struggled to believe that a man from across the sea had learned of their existence. Or what his intentions might be.


    The girl was about to deny having any knowledge of these people when Berengar sighed and reached underneath the cor of his tunic before pulling out a white gold ne fashioned in the style of a Mj?lnir pendant. This shocked the girl even more while she listened to the words that the Kaiser spoke.


    "I believe in them myself, and havee to provide protection for these people. There''s not many of us left who believe in the old gods, and it is my opinion that we should stick together. I get the feeling that you follow the ways of your ancestors the same as I do. So why don''t you help me out? Especially when you consider what I can provide as a reward for your assistance."


    Not willing to immediately give the man an answer, Siv sipped on her coffee, and was astonished at the vor of such a foreign drink. She could hardly believe her taste buds as she continued to gulp down more of her coffee. Berengar simply chuckled in response to this before getting up and checking on the breakfast he was making, which was nearingpletion.


    Having finished cooking, Berengar turned off the stove and oven before splitting the meal in two, where he handed Siv her own portions. The scent of this food was more tempting than anything she had ever eaten previously throughout her life. She looked over at Berengar with a pleading gaze, as if begging him to share with her. This caused the man to chuckle once more while he began to dig into his own serving.


    "That''s your portion, and there''s more where that came from if you''re still hungry afterward..."


    The teenage girl was quick to ept the Kaiser''s kindness and immediately tasted a whole new world of cooking she never knew existed. As a bastard of the local lord, Siv was afforded rations that were superior in taste and nutrition whenpared to themon popce of d, but she had always received the scraps which her family dined upon.


    Thus, having a fresh meal, cooked especially for her, was a new experience. The girl ate down the food that was provided to her as if she hadn''t eaten in three whole days. While washing it down with her cup of coffee.


    Berengar found a bit of joy in her udylike appearance, which he did not me her for in the slightest. If he had been dining like a medieval peasant for the past thirteen years, he probably would have killed himself by now. <novelnext></novelnext>


    After she had eaten the entire meal, Siv sat back at her end of the booth as if wholly satisfied with life. Berengar found this amusing, where he was quick to ask once more about the location he was looking for.


    "I''m going to set out when the sun rises. I need you to guide me to my destination. So are you willing to do it? Or should I just send you back to your family?"


    The idea of being sent back to her father, after enjoying such kindness from a total stranger, immediately filled Siv''s heart with dread. As a result, she lowered her head, too fearful to meet Berengar''s gaze before speaking for the first time since they had met.


    "Please don''t send me back there... I will do what you ask."


    Berengar did not know what kind of existence the young girl had back in her home, but he could tell by the look on her face, and the tone in her voice, that it wasn''t a pleasant one. Thus, he was quick to respond with an empathetic gaze and a voice filled withpassion.


    "I promise you, when this is over, you will be paid in a level of wealth beyond your wildest dreams. If you desire, I can even have you immigrate back to my homnd as an emancipated teen. Where you can live as a free and wealthy woman in a luxurious life so profound that you can not even imagine it.


    Where Ie from, even the mostmon citizens eat food like this every morning. So if you enjoy this, you have a lot to look forward to. Germany is and of wealth and prosperity like no other in this world. So if you want to get away from this frigid, and cold ind once and for all, I can also provide that for you."


    In Siv''s mind, she struggled to imagine what such a kingdom would look like. However, judging by what she had seen on this battleship, which was practically a mobile town on the sea. She could believe the words that Berengar spoke.


    She struggled to evenprehend the lights that illuminated this room, let alone the other wild technology that existed in Berengar''s quarters. After several moments of contemtion, Siv spoke up once more.


    "That sounds nice... I would very much like to see this Empire of yours..."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head when he heard this before assuring the girl that such a future awaited her. Thus, he was quick to get up and pour the two of them another coffee while waiting for the sun to arise. Now that the girl had agreed to have been his guide, the Kaiser felt a lot morefortable walking into the frozen wastnd.


    ---


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 Chapter 1014 Entering The Whirlwind

    Hours passed as Berengar and Siv sat in the Kaiser''s cabin, chatting about all the things that had urred during thest fourteen years within continental Europe. The girl listened to Berengar''s tales of adventure with wide eyes. On more than one asion, she found herself staring at the handsome, older man in disbelief.


    From the errant son of a minor nobleman to the leader of the western world''s most supreme power. Berengar had lived a life filled with excitement. Something Siv had always longed for. She could hardly believe half the things she was told, and yet, looking around her at the magnificence of the SMS Linde, and all its technological wonders, she could not deny the reality behind them.


    Eventually the sun rose with the dawn, and Berengar had not evenpleted one tenth of the stories he could tell. As much as he might wish to do so, the Kaiser would not dy his journey simply for the chance to enthrall a young mind. Instead, he rose from his seat and gave the girl amand before shooing her out of his room.


    "I have to get dressed for the journey ahead. There is a cabin next door that you can use for the same purposes. A tailor will arrive at your cabin shortly, and they will modify a uniform so that it fits your slim frame perfectly."


    Siv had no response to this. She did not know why Berengar was treating her so kindly. As even her own family provided the girl nothing more than hand-me-downs to wear. In fact, she was already a bit too tall for her current clothing, something that Berengar took notice of during their brief time together.


    Another few hours passed, and the girl''s uniform was finally ready. It was the same as the deep winter pattern clothing that the Marines wore for this expedition. Based upon the clothing worn by the Volksgrenadiers during the battle of the bulge, it was more than enough to provide protection against the harsh elements of d''s cold winters.


    Berengar exited from his cabin and guided Siv out of the ship''s interior, where together they descended onto the docks of Reykjav��k. Upon first nce Berengar noticed a convoy was already waiting for them.


    A mixture of 6x6 five-ton trucks, and 4x4 thee-ton technicals based upon the Opel Blitz tform from Berengar''s past life, Berengar grinned as he led the young girl into the passenger seat of a technical, while he himself took the driver''s seat.


    Siv looked around in astonishment, not realizing what she was sitting in, or how it worked. When the engine roared to life, she was slightly intimidated, until she realized the warm air that was exuding in the cab. The girl could only look at her benefactor with sparkles in her eyes as she questioned just what this means of transportation was.


    "What is this thing?"


    A slight smile curved itself upon Berengar''s handsome features as he put the transmission into gear, and began to drive off as the head of the convoy. As the trucks passed through the city of Reykjav��k, Berengar exined to the girl what he was driving.


    "It''s called a truck. We''re the lucky ones, sitting in this warmed interior. If you look behind you, you will see our gunner. Poor bastard has to sit there in the frosty wind as we venture further into this icy wastnd."


    The young girl, whose hair was as light as tinum, and whose eyes were as blue as ice, looked behind her and witnessed the stoic expression on the Marine''s face, who operated the 2cm k gun that was mounted in the bed of the truck. Siv felt a bit guilty upon seeing this, but Berengar assured her that the man was fine.


    "Don''t worry, he''s a marine, he will be fine, I assure you he has been through far worse than this..."


    After saying this, the convoy left the city, with Berengar''s truck in the lead, and Siv as his guide, the journey through the wastes of d was not a particrly long or eventful one. The convoy had packed more than enough supplies to make the trip without any incidents, and before long, they found themselves at the entrance of a valley which was surrounded by a whirlwind of hail.


    Berengar closely observed the location, and was quick to guess that this was indeed thend protected by Odin, to serve as the entrance to Valha, and thest bastion for those who still worshipped the old gods. However he still asked for rification on the matter.


    "Is this the ce?"


    Siv silently nodded her head in agreement, which confirmed Berengar''s suspicions. With a grit of his teeth, Berengar pressed the button, which allowed him to talk through the radio, and alerted his troops.


    "We''ve arrived. Brace yourselves boys, I don''t know how nasty of a storm we are about to plow through, but we need to get inside that whirlwind."


    There was not the slightest bit of hesitation among Berengar''s marines. They simply gritted their teeth and prepared themselves for the journey. After alerting the men, Berengar pressed his foot on the gas petal, and drove his truck forward, into the hailstorm. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Contrary to what he thought would ur, not a single bit of hail scratched the paint of his truck, or any of those within his convoy. In fact, the hail storm allowed the Germans to pass through without resistance. Just as quickly as they had entered the whirlwind, they soon found themselves on the other side, and what revealed itself was astonishing.


    Perhaps what could only be described as a paradise existed within the depths of the whirlwind. There was no snow, and only greenery. Argeke lie in the center of the territory, which the people who dwelled within drew sustenance from. It was as clear as a crystal and sapphire in color.


    The trucks drove through the area to the astonishment of the locals, who had not exited this hidden domain in centuries. They dressed in the primitive attire of the vikings and lived in longhouses. Their fields were plentiful beyond what was natural, and their livestock were plump and healthy.


    Berengar, along with all of his soldiers, could hardly believe their eyes as their trucks came to a stop. A group of locals gathered with swords and spears in hand, afraid that perhaps the Christians had finally found them. There was no fear in their eyes, even though they gazed upon the marvelous technology of the distant future. As if death held no meaning to them.


    Berengar was first among his convoy to step out into the open, and when he revealed himself, he was quick to speak his thoughts, though he was truly surprised when he heard his voice speak a foreignnguage, one that he could only assume was old Norse.


    "I am Berengar von Kufstein. I havee to thesends at the behest of the gods. I mean you no harm, and instead bring you gifts from the world outside."


    Though the people were cautious at first, they were quick to change their mind when Siv stood next to the foreigner''s side. She smiled, as if she were among her real family, before running towards a woman who appeared to be in herte twenties who stood among the gathered crowd.


    "Mother, I am home!"


    Berengar was only slightly surprised to see that his guide had familial connections to this hidden valley, which the world had seemed to have forgotten. Judging by the look on her face, she was filled with joy to be back in this ce, something that the Kaiser found endearing. While Berengar was enjoying the sight of the familial reunion, arge red-haired and bearded man, who wore a shirt of mail, and a cloak of fur, stepped forward to greet him.


    "Berengar, son of Sieghard, we have heard from the valkyries that you would be arriving. Come, we must prepare you for the winter solstice. The Allfather is expecting you in Valha. I assure you, your men will be well taken care of in your absence."


    When Siv heard these words, she was more shocked than she had ever been prior to this moment. Even after witnessing all the wonders of technology that the Germans brought with them, the fact that Odin had brought this foreigner here was the most unbelievable thing she had ever heard."


    Berengar smiled and nodded in response to this man''s words. He was astonished that allnguage was converted to the old Norse tongue in this location, but thought nothing of it after a few moments of adjustment. He was quick to give orders to his men to bring out the gifts he had prepared for the vigers.


    "Bring out our gifts!"


    In the very next moment, the Germans exited from their vehicles and began to carry items such as furs, silk, beer, cheese, bread, meat, and the finest swords the locals had everid eyes upon. Berengar then stepped forward and greeted the vigers once more.


    "These are my gifts to you, those brave few who still follow the ways of my ancestors. I hope you will make use of them in whatever way you best see fit."


    With this, Berengar had made a good first impression upon the town folk who lived in this hidden paradise. Over the next few days, he would be forced to undergo several trials and rituals in order to ensure that he was worthy of entering Valha. It was only after, Berengar had gained approval of these vigers, would he be able to meet with Odin himself.


    ---


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 Chapter 1015 Dismantling The Last Bastion OfCatholicism

    While Berengar, and apany of his finest marines had entered a hidden paradise which was protected by the god Odin. The majority of his sailors and marines who had apanied the SMS Linde on this fateful journey were enjoying what one might call shore leave in the city of Reykjav��k.


    Even though Berengar had rather violently taken the girl Siv as his guide. The people of Reykjav��k did not dare make a move on the German soldiers who were visiting the city. After all, theplete annihtion of a nearby iceberg left an impressionable image in the minds of those who had witnessed it.


    Thus, the German soldiers were able to enjoy mingling with the local poption to their heart''s contents. Naturally, after hitting the town and having a few drinks, a few German soldiers had gotten quite rowdy. Among these men was one Chief Petty Officer Wolf Engel, who had been serving beneath the banner of the Kriegsmarine as far back as when it was known as the Austrian Royal Navy.


    Over a decade had passed since the man first enlisted in the service of Berengar, and during this time, he had fought many enemies at sea, none of which had given him a challenge. However, if there was one enemy he hated more than all the others, it was the Catholic Church.


    Berengar had done an impable job demonizing the Catholic Church. So much so that the average German citizen now considered it to be one of the greatest evils humanity had ever devised.


    When a citizen of the reich heard the words Catholic priest, they immediately thought of a liar, a thief, a swindler, a drunkard, a sphemer, and worst of all, a child molester. This was Berengar''s propaganda at work.


    Thus, when Wolf Engel, and the sailors beneath hismand got hammered and stumbled upon one of the world''sst Catholic Churches, they were immediately reminded of the propaganda they had been bombarded with for thest fourteen years of their lives.


    Whether they intended to liberate the dic people from the clutches of damnation, or they simply wanted to vent some of their frustrations against an enemy that had long since been defeated. Nobody really knew. However, on this night, Chief Petty Officer Wolf Engel, and his band of misfits, would engage in an act of brutality that would turn the entire city of Reykjav��k against the Germans.


    After drinking more than his fair share of booze, Wolf Engel stumbled through the streets of Reykjav��k with hisds in tow. The men could barely even walk straight, and yet the locals parted a way for them, as if they were too terrified to get in their way.


    Wolf gazed upon the bills in his wallet and cursed aloud. After having the Reich''s mostmon currency rejected, he was forced to pay in silver thalers for a few watered down beers. A price that was obviously not worth the product he received.


    "Damn them all to hell! Why can''t they be civilized and ept our currency? Do these barbarians not realize that a single mark is worth more than its weight in gold?!?! What kind of man carries a sack of thalers around these days? Fucking hell, I want something to eat!"


    One of the men beneath Wolf''smand simplyughed in response to this, and patted his superior on the back before pointing towards therge battleship which made berth in the harbor.


    "I''m sure the mess would be happy to cook you something. After all, who the hell wants to eat whatever it is the locals are serving? Do you remember the crap we had to eat a decade ago? I bet the local dishes are just as bad as that!"


    As the men were stumbling through the city, andining about their lots in life, Wolf noticed a glimmer in the distance. After observing it closely, he noticed arge golden cross atop arge wooden cathedral.


    It took him all but three seconds to realize that this isted ind could quite possibly still be catholic. When he understood this, a deep sense of rage overtook the man''s heart as he threw off his subordinate''s friendly gesture and growled like a beast.


    "Damn Catholics! You remember all the evil they have done to this world? How much you want to bet that these barbarians are still being led astray by those filthy swindlers! I say we go march into that cathedral and give those bastards the telling of a lifetime!"


    It was only now, after hearing it from Wolf''s lips, that these sailors noticed therge cathedral in the distance. Each man reacted differently, with one scoffing at the very idea that there were still Catholics in this world.


    "Ha! You think anyone is still foolish enough to follow such a tainted faith? This ind may be isted, but it is still beneath the rule of the Kalmar Union. I highly doubt King Alvar has allowed these barbarians to still follow the Catholic traditions. You''re getting pissed off for no reason, Chief!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Despite the sailor''s words, Wolf was far from convinced and was quick to make a bet with the man.


    "Alright, I wager one month''s sry that these bastards are still Catholic!"


    The Sailor was surprised that his superior was willing to go so far, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, he chuckled and agreed to the conditions.


    "Very well, however, when I''m right, don''tin to me that I swindled you out of this month''s wages while you were drunk! Let''s go find out who is correct."


    With this said, the group of drunken sailors marched towards the Cathedral, where Wolf was quick to kick its doors open. In doing so, he interrupted the Bishop of Reykjav��k while he was giving a sermon to a group of worshippers. While the dic citizens were gazing in shock at the abrupt interruption, Wolf screamed at the Bishop like a howling beast.


    "I knew it. You fuckers are Catholic, aren''t you? Don''t you know about Papacy''s wicked deeds? And how they were damned to hell in a trial by fire conducted by the lord God almighty himself? Yet you dare to brainwash these poor, uneducated fools with your evil filth! Have you no conscience!?!"


    Only the Bishop knew what Wolf was saying, as he spoke in the Latin tongue. He could hardly believe his ears when he heard of the Pope''s death at the hands of the Lord. In fact, he thought that Wolf was nothing more than a madman spouting his fever dreams as if they were reality. As a result, the Bishop tried to cate the man in an attempt to avoid violence.


    "Please, sir, I have no idea what you''re talking about. The Pope is dead? Are you sure you haven''t been drinking? Why don''t you get some rest, and we can discuss your inner demons at ater date?"


    This only served to further provoke the Chief Petty Officer, who quickly grabbed hold of the Bishop''s cor, and pointed his pistol to the man''s head.


    "Inner demons? It is you who worships the devil. Ie here today to liberate these poor fools from your wicked lies! Die heretic!"


    Without hesitation, Wolf pulled the trigger of his pistol, thus killing the Bishop of Reykjav��k on the spot, as a bloody hole appeared in the man''s head, sttering blood and grey matter all over the floor.


    The parish screamed in terror as they witnessed the Bishop''s death, many of which froze on the spot. However, despite this, Wolf allowed them to leave the Cathedral unharmed, all while sending onest message to the people of d.


    "Go, you are now saved by the devils of the Catholic Church! I, Chief Petty Officer Wolf Engel, hereby execute this devil worshipper in the name of Saint Berengar the Blessed. Let us cleanse thisnd of this satanic religion!"


    With this said, the parish fled from the building, in fear for their lives. Once they were gone, the German sailors began to ransack the Cathedral before lighting it ame. They watched by the wayside as the fire consumed the holy ce until only ashes remained.


    Having murdered the Bishop of Reykjav��k, and burned down his home, the German Empire had thoroughly rid this world of the Catholic Faith, once and for all. In doing so, they had invoked the ire of the locals, who could not understand why the visitors had behaved so atrociously. It was only after Berengar returned from his heathen trials that he would be able to mitigate the damage caused by a group of drunken sailors.


    ---


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 Chapter 1016 The Trials Of Odin Part L

    Despite being located in the frozen wastes of d during the mid of winter. Berengar did not feel the slightest bit cold. In fact, if anything, he felt overdressed in this hidden paradise. The leader of the tribe of outcasts who still followed the traditions of their ancestors was quick to lead the Kaiser deeper into the vige. He did not hesitate to introduce himself to the man who had been invited by the gods.


    "My name is Wulfgar, son of f. My people have lived here for centuries, free from the persecution of Christians. The gods provide us sanctuary, and in return, we worship them with all our hearts.


    This is the first time in our entire history of seclusion that an outsider like yourself has been allowed entry. Normally the barrier would im the lives of any intruders, but Odin has warned of us about your arrival, and the preparations that need to be made."


    When Berengar heard this, he immediately became confused. If no outsider had ever entered thesends, then how could Siv havee to be? Obviously, her mother was hidden in this sanctuary, but her father was that bastard Erik, Lord of Reykjav��k. With this in mind, he was quick to ask about the girl''s past.


    "If no outsider has entered thesends, then how was Siv born? As far as I''m aware, her father is an outsider..."


    A grim look appeared on the man''s face as his gaze cast over to the teenager girl who was reconnecting with her mother. He shook his head and sighed before refusing to answer the question.


    "That is a question best left answered by the girl''s mother. It is not my ce to say... Come, we have much to do, and little time to do it in. There are three trials you must pass before entering Valha''s gates. Though you have proven yourself the world''s greatest conqueror, your skills as a warrior arecking."


    Berengar''s brows immediately furrowed as he heard these words. He cast an intense re towards Wulfgar as he questioned what the man meant.


    "Are these Odin''s words? If I am not a warrior worthy of Valha, then who is? I have fought in more battles than any man in this tribe and have always emerged victorious!"


    Wulfgar did not take offense at Berengar''s statement, and instead scoffed in disbelief as he quickly corrected the man in his delusions.


    "Oh sure, you have fought many battles, some of them you have even participated in the front lines. But with every major feat of glory you have achieved in personalbat, you have done so by oveing your rivals with superior technology, or the aid of your allies. It is not your will to fight that is questionable, but your own personal strength.


    Odin has set forth three trials ofbat, ones you must ovee solely with your own ability. Only then shall you enter Valha''s gates. Make no mistake, these are exceptional feats, ones that even the most hardened berserker will probably fail to achieve.


    You must prepare yourself for the possibility of death. However, the gods are not cruel. They have given you a fighting chance. Follow me and we shall see you reborn as a man like no other who hase before you.


    Berengar did not understand what Wulfgar meant by this, but willingly followed the man to a mysterious pool of boiling water. There were several naked maidens kneeling in the pool, among which was a woman adorned in feathers and bones, which Berengar could only assume was some kind of Seeress. Just when he was about to ask Wulfgar what was going on, the man spoke of his own ord.


    "As I said before, the gods have given you a fighting chance, and have chosen to bless you with a ritual. You will cleanse your body and mind of any impurities here in this pool. Once you have done so,e meet me in the vige below and I will lead you to the first trial."


    Though Berengar was confused by what Wulfgar had meant, did not bother rejecting the offer, and instead stripped himself naked before entering the mystical pool, where he immediately felt as if every fiber of his being was being soothed by the magical water.


    Once submerged from the neck down, the Seeress''s attendants began to message every inch of Berengar''s body with the magical water, ensuring that it fully soaked through his pores. They did not dare waste a single milliliter of the valuable substance.


    As someone who had always kept himself in great shape. Berengar prided himself on his body, and what it was capable of. However, as a mortal man, there were natural barriers that prevented him from bing something more.


    In this pool, the physical impurities that existed in Berengar''s body were melted away, creating the perfect human form. Though it was only after the seeress dunked his head beneath the surface of the magical water, and chanted her ritual, did Berengar feel his mind washed over by the same mystical energy.


    When Berengar finally resurfaced, he was born anew. Though he had not be superhuman, he had be the apex of what a human could achieve in both body and mind. A blessing from the gods, to ensure that his body would endure the trials that were toe.


    After exiting the pool, Berengar looked back upon his reflection, and noticed that his skin was softer, his already handsome features were enhanced, and his age seemed to have decreased back to his early twenties. <novelnext></novelnext>


    The scars he had gained in warfare had disappeared, and any blemishes that previously marked his flesh were now gone. Perhaps, most notable of all, was the fact the eye of Horus had been forcefully ejected from his skull, and in its ce a brand new sapphire eye, like the one he had born with, appeared.


    Berengar quickly scrambled into the pool to recover his divine artifact, where he stood in disbelief for some time. At the moment, he waspletely incapable of understanding the transformation his body had undergone. Berengar was just about to ask the Seeress what she had done to him when the woman spoke of her own ord.


    "You have now reached the absolute limits of the human body and mind. Use this gift wisely, for I can only conduct such a ritual once in my life. I pray for your safety in these uing trials. It would be a pity if such a blessing were to go to waste."


    Though Berengar could feel the difference in every fibre of his being, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, to hear it spoken by the seeress, it truly boggled his mind. He could only think that the gods of Germania must have something great in store for him to bless him with such a mighty boon.


    After bathing in the mystical pool, a pair of wool trousers were brought forth for Berengar to wear, and nothing else. Despite thisck of attire, he did not question it, and adorned himself with the article of clothing before regrouping Wulfgar, who led him to the first trial.


    When Berengar arrived at the trial ground, he nearly shit his pants. The entire tribe had gathered to witness this event, and the man could only stare like a dimwit at what was presented before him. He may have just reached peak human condition, but what waited for him in the pit below was a monstrous pr bear, which wasrge even by its own species standards.


    A look of shock appeared in Berengar''s eyes as he frantically cast a gaze over to Wulfgar, who was smiling at his misery. Before the Kaiser could even speak, the Chief bellowed inughter before pushing Berengar into the pit.


    "Kill the bear with your newfound strength, or die trying!"


    Siv stared at Wulfgar as if the man had gone mad, before shifting her gaze over to her benefactor''s figure, who had taken a wrestling stance as he circled the beast that lie in the pit below. Even if Berengar had reached the pinnacle of human ability; to fight with a pr bear with nothing but his own strength, it could only be described as suicidal.


    Despite the dire situation that he found himself in, there was not a hint of emotion on Berengar''s exceptionally handsome face. Rather, He continued to circle the beast, looking for an opportunity to ovee it. The slightest mistake would undoubtedly result in his death, and yet there was an intense desire for survival emanating from his mismatched eyes.


    No longer content with the dance, the beast charged forward recklessly, in an attempt to maul its opponent to death. The creature''s ws narrowly avoided Berengar''s neck, as it slid to the side and rammed its head into the stone wall, which separated the pit from those who stood above it.


    As if the heavens had presented him this opportunity, Berengar gnashed his teeth and roared as if he were a bear himself before charging his opponent and putting the beast into a headlock, where he proceeded to use his newfound strength, and leverage to lower the mighty bear onto the ground, and suffocate the creature with a choke known as the D''arce.


    The beast attempted to break free from Berengar''s grasp, and even inflicted several severe shes onto the man''s body, but due to the awkward position it was in, and the weight of its opponent bearing down on its neck, it could only give onest struggle before its consciousness faded.


    Once the massive pr bear had passed out, Berengar put the beast into a rear headlock before breaking its neck with his overwhelming strength. He could hardly believe how strong he had be. Although, he recognized that if the creature had not mmed its head into stone, and dazed itself, he likely would be a dead man right now.


    With the creature''s death, the crowd roared in excitement as they jumped into the pit and began to skin the beast. Its hide would be turned into a cloak, one for Berengar to wear, symbolizing his ascendance to the status of Berserker. Wulfgar nodded his approval and announced an end to the first trial.


    "Berengar Sieghardson, you have passed the first trial. Though you lucked out by outmaneuvering the beast, you still achieved your victory by using only your own strength. I assure you, the next trial will be far more dangerous. So prepare yourself."


    Berengar sighed heavily, and gazed upon his bleeding flesh, with a hint of regret in his eyes. If he had known that such a dangerous series of tests were awaiting him, he might have thought twice before attempting to meet with Odin. However, aftering so far, there was no way he was going to quit, even if it meant his death.


    ---


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 Chapter 1017 Advancing Ahead

    While Berengar was undergoing the Trials of Odin in a distant corner of the world. Linde was conducting her own operations in the fathend. After learning about the deaths of her adopted family, Min-Ah had agreed to be an agent of German Imperial Intelligence.


    Currently, the Joseon Princess was undergoing strict training in the arts of espionage and assassination. Beneath the tutge of one agent, Friedrich Ziegler, Min-Ah had learned rather swiftly how to be the perfect spy.


    As time passed, and the Japanese Empress became impatient about the return of her little pet, a romance began to blossom between the German interrogator and his Korean captive. A situation which was closely monitored, and orchestrated by Linde''s hands.


    Currently, the Director of Intelligence sat within her office, overseeing a report written by the agent in question who continued to train their newest recruit. With a slight smirk on her wless face, Linde responded to this information with a satisfactory nod.


    "Good, it seems everything is going as nned. The only problem I have now is stalling for more time. Empress Itami Riyo is bing quite impatient with the matter regarding Min-Ah''s release. Any longer, and I believe she will start to expect our n.


    I must admit, the Japanese Empress is a very intelligent woman, however she is very unwise to say the least. I can''t help but question many of her decisions since she had first assumed power in her homnd. What do you think, Hemma? Is Min-Ah ready to begin the operation?"


    The deputy director of German imperial intelligence was in the process of sipping on a thermos filled with coffee when she heard her superior''s question. She was quick to nce over the information before speaking her opinion on the matter.


    "In regards to espionage, the Joseon Princess has learned as much as she needs toplete the task. However, it would be dangerous for Min-Ah if we sent her to Japan now before her training is fullypleted.


    Itami Riyo is many things, but trustful is not one of them. The bitch is paranoid, and the moment her ns are leaked to her rival, she is going to know that someone close to her hasmitted a grave betrayal. It will only be a matter of time before she finds out Min-Ah is responsible, and when that happens, we will lose one of our greatest assets in this cold war."


    Linde nodded her head in agreement with this assessment and sighed heavily as she sat back in her chair and stared at the documents in her hands. It was times like this, while her husband was away, that she often threw herself into her work as a coping mechanism.


    In the past, she had tried praying for the man''s safety, but after learning of the existence of the supernatural, the woman had no faith left in religion. For whatever the Abrahamic god might be, he was not all powerful, and all knowing like the Christians had always imed. Hemma could tell her boss was distracted and tried to cheer the woman up.


    "Linde, you know what your worst trait is? Over worrying. I''m sure Berengar is fine. How many times has he encountered the supernatural before? And how many times has he returned to your loving arms in one piece?


    The man isn''t stupid, he doesn''t take unecessary risks, especially not for the approval of a bunch of ancient pagan ''gods''. He will be fine, he always is. When was thest time the man did something needlessly stupid that put his own life at risk?"


    The sentiment which Hemma expressed was greatly appreciated by Linde, who wore a bitter smile as she tried to pass the worries from her mind. Of course, if she knew that at this very moment, Berengar was wrestling a pr bear in a fight to the death, she would be livid at her man''s sheer stupidity.


    Luckily, she had no way of knowing such a thing, and thus, her mind was able to ease itself after some deep breaths. In the past, Hemma could not understand such worries, however after entering into a rtionship with a man she deeply cared for, she too would feel nervous if her man were to go out onto an expedition into an icy wastnd for a reason as crazy as interacting with an ancient pagan deity.


    As the deputy director of German imperial intelligence, Hemma was one of the few individuals in this world who was aware of its hidden supernatural elements. A secret she dared not share with anyone for fear of beingbeled insane.


    After sitting in silence for some time, Linde sighed heavily, before shifting her attention to matters of importance.


    "I''ll give Friedrich a month toplete Min-Ah''s training. If they''re not finished by, then, we will have to begin the operation either way. I''m starting to run out of excuses to give to the Japanese Empress that she will believe."


    Hemma nodded her head in understanding and agreed with the assessment.


    "I understand. I will let Friedrich know of your decision. Hopefully that psycho pretty-boy can get his act together by then. Is there anything else you need before I depart?"


    Linde thought about it for a moment, before shaking her head. She had everything she needed at the moment, and would not hold up her deputy director any longer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You are dismissed."


    With this said, Hemma bowed her head before departing from her superior''s office, leaving Linde alone with her myriad of worries.


    ---


    Itami sat at her desk, while gazing upon a map of the known world which her agents had recovered from the markets of Anangpur. Though Germany had practically mapped out the entire world, they officially used maps that excluded their colonies as a means of counter intelligence.


    After all, Berengar did not want the world to know of just howrge the new world was, or how much of it he had already settled. Still, as Itami gazed upon this map, she could only gain a sense of intense anxiety. So much had changed in this world, from the one she was used to.


    In truth, the Japanese Empress did not know how much of this was the result of the butterfly effect caused by Berengar''s actions, and how much of it was already in ce before his reincarnation in this world. What she did know was that Europe was all wrong.


    Berengar had done what all others had failed to do in his previous life, and that was to unite the world''s German speakers into a single, cohesive Empire, one which his dynasty sat upon as the ultimate rulers.


    From there he had forced the entirety of Europe, and the middle east to kneel before him, as the supreme Hegemon of the Western World. In contrast, Itami had brought all of Japan beneath her rule, yet she had struggled to establish an international empire.


    If Berengar did not exist in this world, then perhaps she would have chosen a different path to gain hegemony over the east. However, the realization that another person like herself lie to the west, and was building an Empire. It caused the young woman to panic and make many foolish decisions. She had built an empire on sinking sand, while Berengar had built his on solid rock.


    No matter how Itami looked at the geopolitical situation, she had been outyed. If her rival emerged victorious in this uing war, it was very likely that his Reich could trulyst a thousand years. Meanwhile, Itami''s empire was one step away from total copse.


    Though she sat upon the throne, those beneath her only tolerated her reign because it was still useful to their purposes. No matter how much she might regret her choices in life, Itami only had one move to y, and that was to continue her course full steam ahead.


    With a heavy sigh, she took a bite out of a chocte bar which had been imported from the reich. Whether in this life, or her past, the young woman enjoyed the taste of chocte, a treat which helped soothe her worries.


    While munching on this treat, Itami gazed upon the portrait of Berengar which hung in her room, and suddenly halted her actions. It was only now that she realized what she was doing. Her eyes darted back and forth between the painting of Germany''s emperor and thebel on her candy bar, which was clearly written in the Germannguage.


    A deep sense of shame overwhelmed Itami as she realized she was giving her enemy exactly what he wanted. Her first reaction was to toss the candy bar towards the portrait. When the chocte impacted, it tore a hole in Berengar''s handsome face, which caused Itami to cry out in agony as she rushed towards the painting.


    "Oh, no! What have I done?"


    Tears streamed from the Itami''s blood-red eyes as she gazed upon the damage she had caused. In the end she picked up the candy bar once more, and trembled as she ate what remained, as if she were some kind of junky, incapable of stopping herself from injecting heroin in to her veins, despite wanting nothing more than to be sober.


    Having finished the treat, and thrown away the wrapper in shame, Itami climbed into her bed, and cuddled with her Julian pillow while crying herself to sleep. She waspletely and utterly done with politics. She hoped that when she woke up the next morning, it would not be in this luxurious pce, but in her old bed at Westpoint, where she would be able to meet Julian in the library once more. Unfortunately, wishes were seldom granted.


    ---


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 Chapter 1018 Berengar The Berserker

    The sun began to set over the hidden corner of the world where Berengar found himself a guest of a long forgotten n. Havingpleted the first of his trials, a great feast was set for the Kaiser in celebration of his victorious contest.


    Berengar sat near a campfire with a horn of mead in one hand, and two local beauties clinging to each of his arms while he spoke of his previous conquests. The two young women''s full attention was on the handsome man and his tales of wonder.


    "I must have been no older than twenty when I killed my first man. You see, my brother had sent assassins after me, in one of his many attempts to im my rightful position as heir to our father''snds and titles. These bastards thought they would ambush me in the mountains during a hunting trip, but you see, I knew they wereing.


    So, in the middle of the night, while my party was asleep, I grabbed my rifle and stalked through the hills, eventually entering a wooded clearing. As I silently made my way through the thicket, I identally stumbled upon one of the assassins who was relieving himself.


    Naturally, uponing face to face with a man who wanted to kill me, the two of us fought to see who could arm himself first. Fortunately, that night I was the quicker man, as I swiftly attached my bay, and stuck its de into the man''s throat before he could even call for help from hisrades.


    Shortly thereafter, I climbed up on a hill above and sniped at the remaining assassins. I killed a total of four men that night, and in doing so, gained critical evidence of my brother''s misdeeds. Later on, I was able to use said evidence to banish the little cunt from my family and its holdings.


    Of course, the bastard came back some timeter searching for vengeance, and in the heat of battle, I yed him. It''s funny, if my brother had just chosen to support me, rather than usurp my birthright, he would be living a life of unimaginable luxury and happiness right now..."


    Berengar had lost himself in thought for several moments after telling this story. It had been many years since hest thought about Lambert, and how things could have been had the boy not been such a scheming prick. Looking back on the past over a decade after the fact, he could not help but think had he reincarnated into this world a few years earlier, he might have been able to prevent such a cruel fate.


    Inadvertently, by staring into the fire while remainingpletely silent for several moments, Berengar had further charmed the two young women who sat in his arms. They wanted to know more about this mysterious guest''s life, and how he had made his way from the heart of Europe all the way to this secluded valley.


    Siv watched the scene of her two elder cousins staring at Berengar with sparkling eyes and felt embarrassed on their behalf. It was almost as if the two young women were meeting a man for the first time in their lives. When the girl''s mother saw this, she giggled before teasing her daughter.


    "A bit jealous, are we?"


    A slight snort escaped from Siv''s nostrils as she shook her head and rejected the very idea.


    "As if! The man is practically old enough to be my father!"


    This remark only caused Siv''s mother to giggle further, an act which caused the young girl to pout. As for Berengar, he continued to enjoy thepany of the two young women for a little while longer before the food was brought out. Though the food was nd, Berengar did not mind. He was just about to dig in when the Chief of the n stood up and made a toast.


    "To Berengar Sieghardson, may heplete his second trial tomorrow, with the same skill and fervor as he did so today!"


    The entire n, along with thepany of Marines who escorted Berengar to this location, lifted their horns of mead, and chanted the toast back to the chief.


    "To Berengar!"


    Berengar had long since be used to being the center of attention and was the first to drink the mead. After doing so, he dug into the roasted reindeer and enjoyed the savory vor. Before long the meal waspleted, and the same seeress who had bathed Berengar in the pool of magical water stepped forward.


    Like before, a headdress made of a reindeer''s skull and raven feathers obscured the top of her face. When Berengar noticed the seeress'' approach, he felt as he had when encountering other supernatural beings. Though the seeress was human, she dabbled in seier, which left a mystical energy around the woman. Something Berengar was easily able to pick up.


    There was a white fur cloak, with the head of a pr bear in the woman''s hands, as she brought it forward, and ced it upon Berengar''s skull, the front paws of the beast, wrapped around Berengar''s chest, and could be tied into a knot, or pinned with a broach to tightly fasten the cloak to the user''s head.


    Berengar was slightly surprised by this, but felt the spirit and characteristics of the bear overwhelming him. He gazed up at the seeress in shock, where a slight smile emerged on her eerily pretty face.


    "This hide contains the hamr of the Pr Bear which you have in. It took some effort on my part to calm the beast''s spirit, but now you will embody the power, and spirit of the bear when you wear this cloak! On behalf of our n, I proim you: Berengar the Berserker!"


    In truth, Berengar knew very little of norse traditions, and beliefs. He had no idea what hamr was, but he could feel the might of the bear flowing through him. Whatever magic the seeress had performed was as real as anything else in this world. He could only nod his head in eptance of this gift while continuing to drown himself with mead.


    Thus, Berengar continued to feast, and charm the women of the n, with stories of past conflicts and victories. By the end of the night, nearly every women and girl of age in the vige wanted the man to take them to bed. However, he remained chaste, after all, he had enough drama with women in his life, and thest thing he needed was to add another to the list.


    Eventually Berengar entered the longhouse that was provided for him, and fell asleep by the fire, not realizing that he was sleeping within the home that belonged to Siv and her mother. After only a couple of hours, Berengar awoke, with the need to relieve himself, where he walked outside into the dead of night and took care of business.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After returning from his little venture, he noticed Siv alseep, her head lying on her mother''sp, who appeared to be alert to his arrival. An awkward expression appeared on Berengar''s face, as he realized he had been sleeping in this woman''s home, without paying proper respects, and thus he sat down by the fire and apologized.


    "My apologies. I was so drunk that I didn''t realize whose house I was sleeping in. Oddly enough, I feel sober already, with only a couple of hours of sleep. I should thank you for your hospitaltity even though I haven''t been the best of guests."


    A gentle smile emerged on the woman''s face. It was only now that Berengar was realizing that she was roughly his age, perhaps even younger. Despite this, her beauty was that of a younger woman. As if age had yet to really affect her. She nodded her head in understanding before assuring Berengar he had done nothing wrong.


    "There is no need. You underwent a difficult challenge today, and you will have an even more precarious time tomorrow. I understand the need to celebrate a great victory. However, if you''re wondering why you feel sober so quickly after drinking more than your fill, it likely has to do with the ritual you went through.


    It has been many years since the gods have blessed a member of our n with such a gift, but I''ve heard that such individuals are capable of eating and drinking more than before, without suffering ill effects such as weight gain or hangovers. So it is not at all unusual given the circumstances."


    The more Berengar learned about his newfound abilities, the more impressed he became. For whatever reason, he recalled his previous curiosity, and feltpelled to ask the woman about herself and her daughter.


    "Can I ask you a personal question?"


    The woman could tell exactly what Berengar wanted to know, and was quick to interrupt him.


    "You have yet to even ask me my name, and yet you want to know the specifics about how my daughter was born? Have you no shame?"


    There was a very clear teasing intent from the woman''s words, especially when Berengar gazed upon her pretty face and saw the lighthearted expression she wore. Just when he was about to apologize and ask the woman for her name, she volunteered it.


    "It''s Brynhildr, by the way..."


    This caused Berengar to chuckle as he made a joke regarding the woman''s name.


    ? "You mean like the valkyrie?"


    Brynhildr simply smiled and nodded her head before continuing her story.


    "That''s correct, however if you wish to know the origin of my daughter''s birth, then that is a story best left for after you finish your trials. Assuming you live through them, that is."


    A feigned expression of offense appeared on Berengar''s handsome face as he cracked another joke with the woman, as if they were old friends.


    "What do you mean if I live through them? Obviously, I''m going to survive. It''s what I do best!"


    This lighthearted response caused the woman to giggle. She knew just how severe Berengar''s trials would be, and yet the man did not appear concerned in the least, even after wrestling a pr bear. Despite her initial reservations, Brynhildr unconsciously found herself falling for the man''s charm, like every other woman in the vige.


    Of course, she knew why this was. Not only had Berengar''s appearance improved with the ritual, but so too did his charisma. So much so that despite knowing this reality, Brynhildr couldn''t take her eyes off the man, as if he were a shooting star, who would disappear in the next moment, leaving her awestruck.


    Noticing the atmosphere that was forming around him and this woman he barely knew, Berengar decided that now was the time to call it quits before he ended up making a big mistake. He bade Brynhildr good night, before hopping onto a nearby straw mattress while wrapping himself up in his new fur cloak. Leaving the woman on the other side of the room, staring at his sleeping self with a hint of regret in her eyes.


    When the dawn rose on the next day, Berengar would be faced with his second trial, one that would challenge him, mentally, physically, and spiritually.


    ---


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 Chapter 1019 Dismantling The Last Bastion OfCatholicism Part Ll

    While Berengar feasted and slept within a secluded vige, hidden in the frozen wastes of d. The majority of the soldiers which he had taken on this journey were fast at work, investigating the bishopric of Reykjav��k. Two teams of Marines worked together to bring down the Bishop and his allies.


    Sergeant Wolf Engel, led a squad of Germany''s finest Marines to the city''s cathedral in the dead of night. By now, nobody was left in the building, which gave them the ability to sneak in unnoticed. After picking the lock, Wolf was first to enter, where he used the shlight in his hand to search for the church''s misdeeds. Upon entry, Sergeant Engel and his squad were quick to notice how luxurious such a backwater cathedral was. Which they were quick toment about..


    "It''s one thing for the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein to be filled with gold and silver everywhere you look. After all, we built the damned thing to mock the Papacy and their greed. However, this timber fucking chapel in the middle of goddamn nowhere is still sovish? Something smells fishy here..."


    A corporal nodded his head and looked over at arge golden cross, which had the figure of Jesus Christ carved into its main beam. He couldn''t help but break the thirdmandment upon witnessing such a thing.


    "Jesus fucking christ, look at this. How much do you think such a thing is worth? It''s got to weigh at least thirty kilos! Now that''s a cross to bear!"


    The marines continued to sh their lights throughout the building, looking for any possible evidence of wrongdoing. Eventually they made their way to the back, where the Bishop''s personal office was. Once inside, they dug through books, letters, and any documents they could get their hands on. It was Sergeant Engel, who was the first to find any real damning piece of evidence.


    "Take a look at this? It''s a correspondence between Lord Erik and the Bishop of Reykjav��k. It''s dated roughly four years ago, shortly after the fall of the Papacy. In this document, the Bishop informs Lord Erik of the Pope''s demise, and suggests keeping it a secret from the people of d so they can be extorted!"


    The next one to speak was the corporal who had previously found the golden cross.


    "Over here, I think I''ve got something! It''s the church''s ledgers. I see an absurd amount of moneying in and going out. I mean, from what I can see here, the people are clearly being extorted, and arge chunk of that is going back into Erik''s pockets. Clearly, this is bigger than we initially thought it was!"


    The more the marines dug through the Bishop''s documents, therger this conspiracy became. There were letters of correspondence written to other parts of the Kalmar union, exposing an enormous human trafficking ring of young boys and girls. Many of which were being sold into very.


    One thing quickly became certain: throughout northern Europe there was awork of former catholic priests, and catholic sympathizers, who were running an illegal ve trade. Most of which were children taken from d and sold throughout Scandinavia, where they suffered god knows what abuse.


    Upon learning such a thing, Sergeant Engel could only confiscate the evidence and bring it back to his superior. This was way beyond his paygrade. Once on board the SMS Linde, he handed the documents over to Captain Viktor Weiss, who gazed upon them with a grim expression on his face. After several moments of silence, the Captain spoke to his subordinate with a grave tone in his voice.


    "Does anyone other than your squad know about this?"


    With a slight shake of the head, Sergeant Engel confirmed that only he and his men knew about this conspiracy. Which allowed the Captain to breathe a sigh of relief, where he then exined in detail what exactly was about to happen.


    "Once the other squad reports to me, I will give them the same talk I am now going to give to you. What I am going to do is report this directly to imperial intelligence. I''ll allow them to handle this from here on out. As for the rest of you, not a single word about what you have found will ever escape your lips. Do you understand me?"


    It slightly surprised Sergeant Engel when he heard this cautious remark. He did not understand why they should not directly inform the Kaiser about this matter when he finally returned from wherever the hell he had gone to, and was quick to voice this concern.


    "Shouldn''t we alert the Kaiser? If he were to find out about this, then surely he would be able to do something about it!"


    With a heavy say Captain Weiss shook his head before informing the lowly Sergeant on why this was a bad idea.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "The Kaiser is a brilliant man, one with the upmost virtuous character. However, he is also a passionate man, and passion leads to impulsiveness. If he were to discover this horrific conspiracy, then it is entirely possible that he gets so enraged that he does something foolish like dere war on his own allies, in some vain attempt to rid the world of these evildoers.


    While the Kaiser might seed in his endeavors, he would likely turn the world against him for doing so. Believe me when I say such matters are best reserved for the spider queen and her myriad of minions."


    This cautious response was understandable when one understood Berengar''s character. If there was one crime that the Kaiser despised most of all, it was the abuse of children. In fact, the Reich''sws regarding such crimes were brutal, butpletely justified.


    Once convicted, the offender would be castrated where they would then be sent off to endure the rest of their miserable lives inbor camps that were so atrocious you might as well call them ggs. In the modern world, such a sentence might be considered inhumane, but then again, Berengar didn''t consider child abusers to be human beings in the first ce.


    Naturally, Sergeant Engel understood this and nodded his head in understanding. However, there was just one question on his mind, which he was quick to give voice to.


    "Wait... Who is the spider queen?"


    In response to this, Captain Weiss simply snorted as he chuckled. It wasmon knowledge among the higher-ranking officers of the military just who was in charge of Imperial Intelligence, but for the rank and file, such information was rtively unknown. Thus, when he answered the Sergeant''s question, the man had trouble believing it.


    "The Spider Queen is what most people who are in the know call Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein behind her back. She may appear to be pretty and innocent on the outside, but in reality she is the director of Imperial Intelligence, and is bar none, the most terrifying woman on this.


    When you get to be my rank, dealing with Imperial Intelligence is amon urrence. And I assure you, the Kaiserin is the most capable person to track down these conspirators and make them suffer a fate more miserable than death, all without causing an international incident."


    Sergeant Engel could hardly believe his ears. The two Kaiserins were practically idols in the Reich. Every man and boy had their own fantasies about the two beauties. Their supporters were in the millions, and generally one was either a rabid fan of Linde or Ad, but rarely both.


    For Wolf Engel, who was in Linde''s camp, he could hardly believe that the goddess of his heart was such a person. It took him some time to snap out of his stupor, and when he did, he heard Captain Weiss barkingmands at him again.


    "That is all Sergeant, you are dismissed, and before you go, remember to give my words to your Squad. Not a single word about this incident is to escape their lips, understood? I will only warn you onest time. This has be a ssified matter that is up to Imperial Intelligence to solve."


    Sergeant Engel was still in disbelief over the fact that Linde was known as the Spider Queen, and simply nodded his head in a daze before walking out the door. As for Captain Weiss, he could not help but curse aloud once he was all alone.


    "Fucking catholics!"


    ---


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 Chapter 1020 The Trials Of Odin Part Ll

    Berengar awoke with the dawn. However, something was different on this morning. His mind was fresh and clear, unlike the groggy state hemonly found himself after first waking up. Usually, the man would need a cup of coffee before he could even think about getting any work done. Yet at this very moment, his mind was awake, perhaps more so than it had ever been in his entire life.


    After rising out of his fur cloak, which he had used as covering the night prior, Berengar noticed that Brynhildr was in the act of cooking breakfast. Meanwhile, Siv was still asleep in another corner of the longhouse. His first instinct was to y a trick on the mature beauty, but the moment he stepped out of bed, she heard his feet touch the floor, and was quick to greet her guest.


    "Awake already? Come, enjoy some eggs, sausage, and a ss of fresh milk. You are going to need your strength for today''s trial."


    Partially disappointed that he could not be mischievous so early in the morning, Berengar sighed and did as he was instructed, and in doing so, admitting defeat on this particr day. He was quick to scarf down a lion''s share of eggs, sausage, and milk. It immediately became apparent that his appetite had increased, which was no doubt due to the rebirth that his body had gone through.


    Despite this, Brynhildr continued to feed the man with a happy smile on her face. It was as if her storehouses were unlimited, as the woman gracefully cooked more and more servings for Berengar until he no longer felt the need to eat. Once satisfied, he leaned back in his chair and thanked his host for her hospitality.


    "It was truly delicious. Thank you for putting up with me."


    Exactly as Berengar had expected, the woman was quick to bow her head and reply with a humble response.


    "It was my pleasure. Assuming you make it back from your trial alive, I will prepare a simr breakfast for you tomorrow. If you have any requests, you can tell me when you return."


    After finishing his milk, Berengar ced his horn on the table, and wore a confident expression as he stood up from his seat and headed for the door. He left behind one simple response before exiting the long house.


    "I look forward to it."


    It was only after the man''s figure disappeared that Siv awoke from her slumber. She wiped her eyes in an act of exhaustion before looking across her home, noticing that Berengar had already left. When she realized this, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck the girl, causing her to scramble out of bed and into some proper clothes.


    Brynhildr only smiled and shook her head as her daughter ran out of her home, and after her benefactor, with a piece of bread in her mouth. By the time Siv finally caught up with Berengar, he was in the center of the city, wearing nothing but wool trousers as he entered a small clearing which was used to host duels.


    This time it was not Wulfgar, but the seeress who was announcing the trial. There was a stoic expression on the woman''s eerily beautiful face as she announced just what horror Berengar would be facing on this day.


    "Berengar Sieghardson, you are a conqueror who is unrivaled throughout history, and though you have fought in the front lines of war, you did not use your own strength and skill to defeat your enemies. Rather, you relied on superior technology and the aid of your allies to ovee your opponents.


    The gods have seen fit to give you a proper contest, with an enemy from your past who had once bested you in singlebat. You will not be fighting here in the mortal realm, but rather in a temporary ne created by the god Odin to oversee your duel. Step forth, and enter the battleground, where only the gods shall bear witness to your trial.


    After saying this, Berengar stepped up towards the seer, who ced two fingers on his forehead, and in doing so instantly sent the man into a pocket dimension. The world around Berengar looked nearly the same as where he previously stood, but he found himself alone with nothing but a sword in one hand and a shield in another. Just when Berengar was about to search for his opponent, a voice called out to him, one that sent shivers down his spine.


    "Brother..."


    Berengar immediately turned around and gazed at the other end of the dueling pit, where, to his dismay, he witnessed the sight of a teenage boy, one he had not seen in over ten years. Lambert stood at the opposing side with a hate filled gaze in his ocean blue eyes. Berengar could only stammer in shock as he tried to express the thoughts in his mind.


    "I.... It can''t be..."


    Despite struggling to cope with this reality, there was no mistaking it. The boy who existed on the other end of the dueling ring was his long deceased brother Lambert, or should I say, the spirit of Lambert. The hatred that was contained within the boy''s eyes was enough to devour entire gxies as he cursed at the men who had sent him to the depths of hell.


    "What? Are you surprised to see me? It''s the head, isn''t it? I know what you did to my skull after you killed me. It''s not just that. I know everything that has happened after you shot me through the chest.


    Hell has been especially cruel for me, as when I''m not being tortured in a boilingke of blood, I''m forced to watch what is transpiring in the mortal ne, specifically everything that my dearest brother has aplished after he sent me to the pit! <novelnext></novelnext>


    However, now I''ve been given another chance. If I kill you here, we will trade ces. That is the agreement that Odin has made with Satan. You will take my ce as a tortured soul in the realm of the devil, and I will be given a new life. Where the first thing I will do is rape that redheaded bitch of yours and dine on the flesh of her ursed children! Come at me, brother, let''s end this once and for all!"


    Berengar did not even get a chance to respond to Lambert''s hatred, as the boy jumped into the ring and unleashed his sword. Knowing what was at stake, Berengar silently cursed Odin in his heart before raising his shield in defense.


    The two brothers circled one another in silence for some time before Lambert unleashed an attack with his sword. With an angled sh toward''s his brother''s neck, the boy attempted from the get to go to im Berengar''s life.


    It had been a long while since Berengar hadst trained with a sword, and he knew practically nothing about using a shield. However, he did his best to reflect the boy''s attack, before piercing towards his heart.


    But was defeating a skilled knight so easy? Berengar could only curse himself for forsaking his swordsmanship these past few years, as he struggled to block and or deflect the oing blows that Lambertshed at him with.


    In fact, Berengar was at aplete disadvantage, as he was well ustomed to training with the sword while only having one eye. Now that his sight had been restored, everything felt off. Soon enough first blood was spilled, as Lambert''s cut nicked his brother''s abdomen, spilling the sanguine liquid of life all over the grass beneath their feet.


    Berengar gritted his teeth as he pressed forward and swung his sword towards Lambert''s face with a reverse sh. In doing so, he cut the boy''s cheek, an act which would only further aggravate his opponent.


    Realizing that he had been careless, Lambert re-adjusted his position, and attacked with increased intensity, for every third strike he made, it would pass by Berengar''s defenses and cut the man. Just when Berengar thought he had gotten ustomed to the duel, a sword sh came out of nowhere. A vertical strike from a high guard cut through Berengar''s right eye, in the exact same way it had done so many years ago.


    After losing the sight in his right eye, for the second time in this life, Berengar was thoroughly enraged. He gazed upon Lambert with his one good eye, and cursed the boy, who was mocking him from afar.


    "You fucking bastard! I just got the damn thing fixed, and yet for the second time in my life, you have stolen my sight. The Joke''s on you, after you died I became quite proficient in the sword with only one eye. Now I can finally test what I have learned!"


    As if he was a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Berengar stepped forward with newfound zeal, and increased the intensity of his attacks. For every sh or stab that Lambert attempted, Berengar expertly avoided it before providing a counter attack.


    In the end, the two men had cuts all over their bodies and pools of blood beneath their feet. Their shields shattered from the sheer volume of blows which they had received in this fight. The hatred that existed between these two brothers could not be buried without one entering the grave.


    In a desperate attempt to kill his brother, Lambert lunged forward. However, to his surprise, Berengar did not attempt to avoid it. Instead, he took the de into his gut before grabbing hold of Lambert''s wrist with his free hand.


    The boy struggled to get free, but he could not, After all, Berengar''s strength was superior to his own. He looked in horror at his brother''s murderous smile, before feeling the burning sensation of cold steel piercing through his heart. Thest thing Lambert saw in this temporary ne of existence was the sight of his elder brother spitting upon his face before saying the words he least wanted to hear.


    "Go back to hell where you belong!"


    Having said this, Berengar pulled his sword out of Lambert''s heart, before decapitating the boy as he fell to his knees. The severed head of the tormented spirit rolled for several feet before it, along with the rest of the body turned to ash, which faded away with the wind. No longer capable of standing up on his own, Berengar fell to one knee, where he heard the sound of pping in the distance, followed by a single phrase.


    "Well done..."


    That was thest thing Berengar remembered before he fell to the groundpletely unconscious. By the time he awoke the next day, his wounds would be healed, as if they had never urred, all but one. The right eye, which had been restored during his rebirth, was beyond repair. Luckily, he still had the eye of Horus in his possession.


    ---


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 Chapter 1021 The Trials Of Odin Part Lll

    Berengar awoke the next day, his body sore all over from the physical contest he had endured the day before. One thing that became immediately noticeable was theplete and utterck of sight in his right eye. He quickly touched the wound and noticed a scar that was almost identical to the one he had prior to his body''s rebirth.


    With a heavy sigh, Berengar climbed out of bed and realized that he waspletely naked. Rather than get dressed, like one might do first thing in the morning, he was quick to rummage through his belongings in search of one particr item.


    After several moments of searching, he found what he was looking for. A crystalline sphere, whose color was gold. It was only after Berengar gazed upon this device did he sigh in relief. Without hesitation, he pulled out his boot knife from among his belongings and slowly, but surgically, removed his blinded eye, like he had done during his time in Egypt. Once the socket was empty, he gently ced the golden gemstone in its ce. Where it rapidly transformed into a functional eye.


    With his sight regained, Berengar fell back onto his bedding and sighed once more while he reflected on everything that had urred the day before. He didn''t even have time to process his emotions while he was fighting the same brother he had killed nearly fourteen years prior in yet another battle to the death.


    The look of hatred on Lambert''s face, and the ims of what he would do should he be given a second chance at life. It would appear that hell had transformed the boy into a monster. It was only now that Berengar realized whether it be in this life, or the next, there would be no chance at reconciliation between him and his brother, a thought that weighed heavily on his heart.


    It was while he was thinking of this, that the door the door to the longhouse opened, to reveal the figures of Siv and her mother Brynhildr, they gazed upon the naked man, and his chiseled body for several seconds before he realized the state he was in.


    The young girl immediately blushed and ran out the door, while Brynhildr wore a seductive smile on her mature face. Perhaps this was the chance she was looking for, but the dic beauty was quick to take advantage of the situation. She ced down her basket of eggs before walking to Berengar''s side.


    "My gods, are these the scars left over from your duel? They''re so... manly... Here, let me help you get dressed!"


    Though Berengar wanted to reject the woman, his body was still sore, and thus he was ultimately left with no choice. Brynhildr did her best to help the man get dressed in the clothes which were provided by the hidden vige, before aiding him on his walk to the dining table, where she was quick to prepare breakfast. It was during this time that Siv reentered her home, not daring to look Berengar in the eyes.


    In a moment of curiosity, Berengar activated the eye of Horus and used it to survey the thoughts and general feelings the mother and daughter had towards him. The aura Siv was presenting was one of overwhelming embarassment, while the one that surrounded Brynhildr contained an intense lust.


    Ultimately, Berengar de-activated the divine artifact in fear that if he gazed upon the mature beauty''s feelings for him much longer, then he would lose control of his own emotions and act in a way he otherwise shouldn''t.


    Before long, Brynhildr brought out a few tes worth of food, and set them down on the table in front of her guest and young daughter. There was ascivious smile on the woman''s face as she grabbed hold of Berengar''s wrist and whispered something suggestive in his ears.


    "I do believe I promised to take care of you should you survive your previous trial..."


    Though Siv did not dare look Berengar in the eye, she could tell that her mother was trying to tempt the man, and was quick to intervene.


    "Mother, I believe Berengar has another trial today. So you should cook some more eggs and sausage so that he has enough energy toplete it."


    A look of disappointment appeared on Brynhildr''s face as she realized that her own daughter was, forck of a better term, cockblocking her. She could only sigh in defeat and go back to the kitchen, where she prepared another serving for her guest.


    After eating his fill, Berengar left the longhouse without saying a word, not wanting to get any further involved with the mature beauty and her young daughter. After all, thest thing he needed was to sire a bastard in this farawaynd. <novelnext></novelnext>


    When Berengar entered the vige, he was once more greeted by the Seeress, who was surrounded by the entire n. There was a stoic expression on her eerily beautiful face as the woman dered the next trial.


    "Since your arrival in this vige. Odin has demanded you pass three trials. While you may not have realized the significance behind these tests, there has always been a hidden meaning behind them. Firstly, you demonstrated your courage and tenacity by fighting a creature superior in strength and size to yourself, with only your own means.


    For your second trial, you have corrected your past dishonors by defeating a man who should have rightly killed you if you had not relied on petty trickery to emerge victorious. In doing so, you proved your ability inbat, something all warriors should take pride in.


    Now, for your third and final trial, you will leave this hiddennd and climb up the nearest mountain. From there, you will stand at the top of the world and gaze into the fiery bit below, where you will jump into the pool of molten magma.


    If your faith is strong, you will find yourself whisked away by the rainbow bridge to Valha. However, if your heart wavers for even a moment, you will plunge to your death. Ultimately, it is up to you whether you live or die..."


    Berengar nearly shat himself when he heard of this trial. Wrestling a pr bear, fighting a spectral image of his long deceased brother to the death, these were easy things to aplish, and required the strength of the body, more than that of the mind. However, to have faith in anyone besides himself, and willingly throw himself into the jaws of death. That was a true challenge for the man.


    Every instinct in Berengar''s body wanted nothing more than to retreat and abandon this foolish quest. Yet, he hade so far, and the path ahead of him was clear. If he seeded in this endeavor, if he chose to put aside his logic and reason, and show faith in Odin, he would finally learn the answer as to why he was brought into this world, and what the gods had nned for him. But was the answer to this question worth his life?


    Berengar stood still for some time, not knowing whether or not he would be able to achieve this leap of faith. Or so he thought. In reality, he had been subconsciously making his way towards the top of the mountain while lost in his own mind, pondering the pros and cons of this trial.


    When Berengar finally awoke from this stupor, he was standing at the edge of the volcano. He knew not how many hours had passed, or how he had managed to find himself in this exact spot. Perhaps the journey in itself was the work of the gods. However, as he stared into the fiery chasm below his feet, his heart began to palpitate.


    If he took one step back from this cliff, he would fail the trial, and never be able to learn of his purpose in this life. However, he would be able to return safely to his family, and live the rest of his life in the ultimate luxury.


    No matter how Berengar thought about it, if he were to take a step forward, he would most certainly fall to his death. It was only logical that such an oue would ur. However, in his mind, he also knew that there were many things in this world that defied thews of physics, or at least his current understanding of them. He had seen and heard with his own eyes and ears the figures and voices of supernatural beings.


    He hade into contact with these deities, and in some cases, even felt their flesh with his own hands. Even if logic dictated only death awaited him, how could he rationally defy what he knew to be true? The gods were real, and they had been guiding his journey in this world from the very beginning. Thus, after careful consideration, he stepped forward and allowed his body to fall into the active volcano.


    As Berengar fell closer, and closer towards the pool of magma below, his mind wanted more than anything to curse himself out for being so foolish, yet an aspect of his character whose will was indomitable was certain, in his faith, that he would not die from this trial by fire. Just as he was about to close his eyes and embrace his death, a rainbow appeared in front of him and whisked the man away from the fiery pit that was just millimeters below.


    In its ce appeared a rainbow bridge, known as Bifrost, and on the other end of this bridge, was a great mead-hall, whose roof was made from shields, and whose rafters were fashioned from spears. After exhaling in relief, Berengar took one step onto this rainbow bridge and walked forward towards the entrance of Valha where Odin and his Einherjar lie waiting for his arrival.


    ---


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 Chapter 1022 An Unexpected Truth

    Berengar stood on Bifrost and gazed into the distance, where arge mead hall stood before him. He had done it; he had survived the final of Odin''s trials. No matter how much his mind had told him he would die, he had entered Valha safely.


    His mind still couldn''t believe it, every aspect of his character was fighting against his faith, and yet, he had somehow swallowed his pride, his logic, and his sense of reason, and dared to believe that Odin, a mythical figure, one which he had never set eyes upon before, would save him from his predicament.


    As Berengar stood on the rainbow bridge and walked forward, he heard the sound of a horse neighing in the distance, where he looked towards its origins and gazed upon an eight-legged steed, with a rider on its back.


    The rider was no man, but a beautiful woman, perhaps better looking than any Berengar had everid eyes upon. Yet this woman was vaguely familiar beneath her mask. It was only after the horse stopped in front of Berengar did the man recognize the mature beauty for who she really was. He could only stand there and gawk in disbelief as the name escaped his lips.


    "Brynhildr..."


    A seductive smile formed on the woman''s lips as she grabbed hold of Berengar''s wrist and hauled him onto the back of the mighty beast. Once he was firmly seated behind her, she nodded her head and responded in an affectionate tone.


    "The one and the same..."


    Berengar could hardly believe that the mother of his young guide, and the woman he had been flirting with the past few days, was none other than the Valkyrie herself. However, she did not say another word, and instead snapped the reins, which bridled Sleipnir''s mouth, and ferried the Kaiser across the rainbow bridge.


    Berengar wrapped his arms around the woman''s waist to secure his position and continued to gaze in awe as the gates to Valha swung open to reveal arge gathering of men and women who weed their newest brother into Odin''s hall.


    Once inside, Brynhildr stepped off the eight-legged horse before dragging Berengar down and presenting the man to the leader of the Aesir. Sitting upon a throne fashioned from swords was none other than the one eyed god of war himself. Odin smiled as he witnessed his champion finally enter his hall. He was about to stand up and greet the man when a terrible cough overcame him, forcing the deity back into his seat.


    There was a look of concern on Brynhildr''s beautiful face, as she attempted to step forward, and yet her movements were halted when Odin raised one hand before gaining his bnce and standing on his own two feet. He then red at the woman for not introducing his newest guest.


    "Well... Aren''t you going to introduce this man?"


    The hall suddenly became silent as everyone waited for an answer. As a result, Brynhildr nervously introduced the man kneeling next to her.


    "Your majesty, this is Berengar von Kufstein, also known among our people as Berengar Sieghardson. The Emperor of all Germans, and the man you have chosen to be your champion."


    When the word ''champion'' escaped the Valkyrie''s lips, a gasp of shock emerged from the mouths of every man and woman present, followed by a variety of whispers. Berengar struggled to raise his head so he could get a good glimpse of Odin''s features.


    The man was tall, and robust, with arge white beard, an aging face, and an eyepatch over one of his eyes. For a man who appeared as if he were in his sixties, there was no doubt that he was in considerable shape. Perhaps even greater than Berengar himself. There was a prideful smile on the god''s face as he posed a question to Berengar, one that he had been waiting to the hear the answer to since he first reincarnated into this word.


    "Berengar Sieghardson, or would you prefer me to call you by your original name? Julian Weber, do you know why I have used up a considerable amount of my power to drag you into this world?"


    Berengar''s heart began to palpitate rapidly as he heard this question posed to him. The first thing he did was correct the god, before answering honestly.


    "That name no longer holds any meaning to me. Please, your majesty, call me Berengar. As for your question, I have been looking for an answer to it for a very long time."


    The room echoed withughter, as Odin began to bellow like a madman. Once he had finally calmed himself, he responded to Berengar''s statement as if the two of them were old friends.


    "I figured you would still have some sentiment towards your old identity. It would appear I was wrong. Berengar, the reason I have brought you into this world, was to fuck with that little cunt Loki, and what a marvelous job you have done! It was well worth the sacrifice!"


    This reply only caused Berengar to have more questions. This answer was hardly what he was expecting, and because of that, he was quick to voice his thoughts.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t understand. I have never had any interactions with Loki, as far as I''m aware."


    Odin began to cough again and took several moments to calm himself before rifying matters further.


    "Oh, don''t be so sure. Have you ever wondered how Yahweh can be worshipped by his followers as all powerful, and all knowing, and yet leave so little of an imprint into this world? It''s because he isn''t real.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Yahweh, Satan, Jesus, they are all identities that Loki has created to divide the power of the Germanic pantheon, and cause chaos in the world. Thanks to that little bastard, the old gods of every religion have lost their power over this world, and all others like it.


    Julian Weber, a brilliant engineer, who has dedicated his life to understanding how the world works. Politics, Warfare, Economics, Engineering, these are just some of the few subjects you have mastered in your previous life. You alone held the knowledge and abilities that were capable of building a mighty empire, and bringing down the christian faith once and for all.


    You have dismantled the Catholic church and brought Europe under your direct influence. Meanwhile, you have fostered a culture of logic, reason, and science that will inevitably lead to the erosion of the western world''s faith in Christianity all without me even needing to personally interfere.


    Soon the Arab world will fall under your influence, or at the very least your descendants, and they too will have a scientific revolution, one which will further degrade the so called Abrahamic religions of this world. In the end, the power base, that Loki has spent a millennium fostering, will copse on itself, and our time wille to reim our ce in this world. And it is all thanks to you!


    When the timees, d will be a bastion of our faith once more, then Scandinavia, and perhaps one day, even the German people wille to ept some reformed version of our faith, and traditions, that go along with their scientific ways of looking at the world. Even now, my power is restoring itself at a rapid rate, and it is all thanks to you. How can I ever repay you?"


    Berengar was stunned into utter silence when he heard this revtion. The Christian god he was raised to believe in during in his past life, and whose followers he fought tooth and nail against in this life, was all a lie. It was a trick, by the world''s most notorious trickster. All to sow chaos among the various pantheons of the world. Never in his wildest dreams would he believe this to be true.


    Then again, this theory began to make sense, when he considered the fact that he was able tobat Lambert''s soul, who should be in the Abrahamic hell. Why would Yahweh, or Satan, agree to Odin''s request, unless it was a duel between two gods who despised one another and their mortal pawns?


    Still, it took some time before Berengar could fully ept this theory, and move onto the more important matter. A powerful supernatural being owed him a favor, and all Berengar could think of was one thing.


    "Promise me one thing, and I will consider us equal..."


    Odin raised his brow when he heard this, expecting somevish condition that he would have to work for centuries to fully repay. Thus, he had a bit of a concerned tone in his voice when he responded to Berengar''s request.


    "Name it, and so long as it is within my power, I promise to fulfill your request."


    With a heavy sigh, Berengar made his request, half expecting that Odin would not be able to fulfill it.


    "When I finally perish from the mortal world, and my family follows me into the void, I want an afterlife of my own, one where my family and I can live in peace and serenity for eternity. No more wars, no more worries, just our own little corner of heaven to live happily ever after together as a family."


    Odin''s response was one that Berengar had not expected. The man bellowed withughter as he heard this request. It was such a trivial thing that he did not even need to lift a finger to fulfill it. Berengar took this the wrong way and instantly became concerned. He was just about to further interrogate the deity when the man calmed down and responded.


    "That''s it? That''s all you want from me? Fine, I can make such a thing a reality with little effort. You don''t need to worry. When you die, even if you haven''t fulfilled your agreement with that jackal faced shit, I will make sure you and your family have your own little afterlife. No matter how many generations of your family perish from this world, they will be united with you for eternity. I assume you want your mother and father on this list as well, huh?


    No problem. For what you have done for me, and my kind, it truly does not amount to one tenth of what we owe you. If you think of anything else down the road, just let me know, and I will make it happen."


    Upon hearing that his most ideal ending woulde true, Berengar smiled and bowed his head in thanks to the one eyed god before responding to him with a reverent tone.


    "You have my thanks, your majesty. So... What now?"


    Odin looked around at his hall, which was filled with whispers about what they had just heard. After which, he made an announcement.


    "Tonight we feast! As for tomorrow, I believe you still have a war to fight with the Japanese. So I will let you go back to the mortal ne. Heed my words, Berengar Sieghardson, you must treat the Japanese Empress with dignity even after you have achieved your victory, for that little Albino bitch holds a secret identity, and if you were to end her miserable life, I''m certain that you would live with a heavy sense of guilt for the rest of your life."


    Though Berengar could not fathom what Odin was referring to, he decided to keep the god''s words in mind. In truth, up until this moment, he had not even considered what he was going to do to Itami after the war was over.


    However, Odin would not have spoken these words unless they were important, and thus in that moment Berengar decided at the very least, he would not execute Itami after he emerged victorious in their petty dispute. As for what followed next, Berengar would have the party of a lifetime.


    ---


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 Chapter 1023 A Heartrending Tale

    The party had begun, and Berengar was the belle of the ball, so to speak. Yet, this was no sophisticated event thrown by a prominent German nobleman. No, this was a celebration among warriors. Those who had earned the right to enter Valha were few and far between, and yet Berengar stood among their ranks as they showered him with praise for his aplishments in this life.


    With a horn of mead in one hand, and a mutton chop in the other, Berengar celebrated his victorious trials with the warriors of Valha. Among these men were the greatest warriors the Germanic people ever created, Arminus, Merovech, Ragnar Lothbrok, Harald Hardrada, and many others, all of which stood by Berengar''s side, and treated the man as if he were the greatest among them. For in a single decade, he had created an Empire that these men could only dream of.


    Brynhildr poured the mead from heier��n''s udders, and continued to wait upon Berengar''s every need, an act which did not go unnoticed by the god Odin, who watched over the feast, and celebration as if he were a proud grandfather. Eventually, the one-eyed deity summoned the Valkyrie to his side, where he was quick to approach the subject.


    "You''ve fallen for my champion, haven''t you?"


    The tinum blonde haired beauty''s cheeks flushed red with embarassment as she looked away with a hint of shame. She would not go so far as to say that she had fallen for Berengar, but there was definitely an intense attraction to the man, and a lingering desire she could not dismiss no matter how hard she tried. This reaction was all that Odin needed to see, and thus with a heavy sigh, he asked another question regarding the matter.


    "What about your daughter? How does she feel about your attraction to this man?"


    Upon hearing this, Brynhildr''s mind immediately snapped back to reality. She bowed her head in respect before responding to the allfather''s words.


    "Siv seems to be resistant to the idea. Though she admires Berengar, I doubt she would actually approve of me getting involved with a man. After what happened between her father and I, it is doubtful that she will ever trust a single man to fulfill that role."


    A hint of concern emerged on Odin''s face as he continued to watch Berengar engage in a drinking contest with the Einherjar. He shook his head at the sight before redirecting his attention to the mature Valkyrie and her concerns.


    "Berengar is destined to have five wives. On top of that, he already has many lovers. The number will only increase as the years pass. Though his stamina may have grown with his body''s rebirth, do you really think you and your daughter will receive the attention you deserve from this mortal man?


    Besides, you are needed in d. Without your presence, the n will not have the strength to grow powerful enough to take over the entire ind. If you were to follow Berengar back to his homnd, it would only be disastrous for the people who have taken you in and shown you such kindness these past few years."


    Brynhildr bit her lower lip in frustration as she heard these words. The hidden n had been nothing but kind to her since she first started living with them. Odin''s n was for them to spread their culture and teachings around the entire ind until d was a domain where the old faith lived strong. As a Valkyrie, she yed a substantial role in this operation.


    Despite this, there was a deep, hidden desire in Brynhildr''s heart that wanted Berengar to be the father that her daughter never truly had. She was well aware that he already had multiple wives and lovers, but what great King in history didn''t? After mulling it over for several moments, Brynhildr came up with an idea, one that shocked Odin when she gave voice to it.


    "What if I convince Berengar to vassalize d, and name our son as King? He has the power, and the influence, to force Alvar to agree to d''s independence, where he can then dere it a protectorate of the Reich. Once it is under his control, he can actively work to help restore the people''s faith in the old gods. It would be a much safer, and quicker, way to achieve your goals."


    Odin was taken aback by this statement, but after having several moments to think about it, he had to agree that the proposal had some potential. He reflected on the pros and cons of such an arrangement for some time before breaking out into a chortle ofughter.


    "It seems you have more brains than I gave you credit for, girl. Very well, if you can convince Berengar Sieghardson to agree to this arrangement, I will have no qualms about your union. Go now, the man''s cup is almost empty!"


    A wide smile formed on Brynhildr''s face as she bowed her head in thanks, before leaving Odin''s side, and returning to Berengar, where she was quick to fetch him another drink. Berengar gazed upon the mature beauty, who had been gone from his side for a while, and was about to ask about her just what she had been up to, when she grabbed hold of his hand, and led him to another corner of the room. Once they were alone together, she sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I believe I made a promise to you after your first trial. If you survived all three, I would tell you about my rtionship with Siv''s father. If you still want to hear it, I am more than willing to share the details with you. But I must warn you, it is not a story for the faint of heart."


    Berengar cautiously eyed the Valkyrie, judging by her actions, and the tone in her voice. Something had changed between the two of them. They were no longer two adults flirting for fun. Instead she seemed serious about bing his woman. It took the man several seconds to think about whether he actually wanted to get any further involved with her.


    After all, she already had a kid, and if he were to take Brynhildr, a Valkyrie nheless, as one of his concubines, it meant he would have to care for a child that was not his own. However, when Berengar thought about it, he actually enjoyed thepany of the mother and daughter, and he could always marry Siv off to one of his sons. Thus strengthening his bloodline with the DNA of a Valkyrie.


    After several moments of internal deliberation, Berengar smiled and grasped the woman''s dainty cheek with the palm of his hand. With a gentle expression on his face, he nodded his head before giving the woman permission to continue.


    "Very well, I''m listening..."


    A bitter smile formed on Brynhildr''s lips as she began to spin her tale of woe.


    "About fourteen years ago, when I was fetching the soul of a fallen warrior, something happened to me. Something I''d prefer to forget about. While I was fulfilling my duties as a Valkyrie, I came under attack by one of Loki''s minions.


    I was lucky to have survived, but when I awoke, I had no memories of who I was prior to the assault. Instead, I found myself naked, and alone in and of ice. That was when Erik found me. He was immediately attracted to my beauty, and yed the part of a kind gentleman in an attempt to lure me into his home. Which I''m ashamed to say that in my dazed state I was foolish enough to do so.


    Once inside, he forced himself upon me, and made me his concubine. Something that I was powerless to resist at the time. A yearter, Siv was born, and with her birth, I recovered my memories, along with my powers. The first thing I did was take my baby girl and run to the vige, where I knew an entryway to Valha existed.


    Once the vigers learned of my true identity, they did everything they could to provide for us. I raised Siv by myself for nearly ten years, before one day she just disappeared. She left behind a note that said she was going out to search for her father. I was devastated, especially since I knew what a piece of shit Erik was.


    For three whole years, Siv was gone, and I could only sit back and imagine what horrors she endured while living in that man''s house. However, in the end, you brought my baby girl back to me, safe and sound. Something which I am eternally grateful for."


    Needless to say, Berengar was not expecting such a wild scenario, and instantly found his fists curled in rage. If there were two things he hated most in this world, it was rapists and child molesters. He had every intention of taking Erik''s skull as a trophy the moment he returned to the mortal ne.


    Seeing how angry Berengar had be, Brynhildr decided to help calm his wrath in the best way she knew how. Seemingly out of nowhere, the woman grabbed hold of his face with both hands and kissed him passionately.


    Within seconds, the fire in Berengar''s heart faded away, and was instead reced with a burning passion. One which would not go away until he had made love to the woman in front of him. Which is exactly what he did. By the time the dawn rose on the next day, Berengar and Brynhildr had made love a total of thirteen times.


    ---


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 Chapter 1024 A Divine Union

    When Berengar awoke the next day, he found himself once more in the hidden valley where the n of Vikings continued to follow their old traditions. He lied in the arms of Brynhildr, who pressed his head into her hefty bosom. The Valkyrie was still asleep, and did not dare let go of the man she had found herself intertwined with by virtue of fate.


    A memory shed in Berengar''s minds, as he enjoyed the substantial, yet soft mounds that he used as a pillow. The night before, he had gotten into a conversation with Odin, who said something that forever changed his perspective on the woman in his arms, and her young daughter.


    "So Brynhildr has told you about her history with the mortal realm? I was a bit surprised that she was so willing to be honest about her past. What she doesn''t know is that the trauma she suffered is exactly the reason I sacrificed so much to bring you into this world.


    Normally, I would have waited an additional few centuries before a more suitable host was avable for your spirit to inhabit. After all, the original Berengar of this world was just barely a viable candidate. Preferably, I would have bided my time until after the enlightenment before I summoned you into this world.


    However, Loki''s actions were so reprehensible that I feltpelled to deal him a mortal blow as swiftly as possible. Thus, in retaliation for his attack on Brynhildr, I summoned you, so that you may dismantle everything he has built over this past millennium. And what a marvelous job you have done in this regard!


    While you were building an empire and enjoying your life to the fullest extent, Brynhildr and her daughter were suffering in a remote corner of the world. You could say that your fates are intertwined with one another. I''m just d the woman has moved past her trauma, and found a man she loves. I give the two of you my blessing, so don''t go breaking her heart!"


    These words repeated themselves in Berengar''s mind as he reflected on everything he had been through over the past fourteen years. While he was thinking about these matters, a scream filled the longhouse, which startled Berengar and caused Brynhildr to awaken from her slumber.


    "Mother, what the hell? Why is Berengar in your bed? You barely even know the man!"


    Lying on the bed were the naked figures of Berengar and Brynhildr, though the sensitive areas of their bodies were covered by a reindeer fur nket. Standing opposite to them was the young girl Siv, who was furious at what she was witnessing.


    The voluptuous Valkyrie raised from the bed, and in doing so exposed her breasts as she wiped her eyes in an attempt tobat her groggy state. The act of which caused Siv to look away in embarassment.


    It was only after a few seconds passed did Brynhildr realize she was back at home. When she did so, she wore a warm smile on her pretty face before kissing Berengar on the lips, all while acting as if it were the most natural scenario in the world.


    "Siv, say hello to your new father, Odin himself has approved of our union. Which means, as far as I am concerned, we are now husband and wife."


    Berengar was stunned when he heard this news, and gazed upon the mature beauty with an incredulous look in his mismatched eyes. Married? Since when? Why didn''t anybody tell him about this? Is that what that old bastard meant by giving his blessing? In this moment, Berengar could only imagine Odin looking down upon him andughing at his current state.


    He had initially intended to keep Brynhildr and Siv in this secluded vige as a secret from his wives, and only visit them once every three months. However, judging by how the Valkyrie was clinging to him at this very moment, such an oue now seemed like a distant dream.


    The word father, visibly upset the teenage girl, who was well aware just how big of a piece of shit her biological father truly was. In her naivety she had gone to find Erik, because her mother would never speak of who he was, only to find herself in an abusive environment. One she had no chance of escaping from.


    If not for Berengar, she likely would still be living in that tiny hovel, eating from the scraps, and wearing old worn out clothing passed down from another family member. Thus, after simmering for a few moments, Siv calmed herself down, as she began to question just what her mother had done the night before.


    "Yesterday, when you told me that you would be visiting Valha, I never expected that you would bring a man home. Much less get married in my absence. You''ve known this man, for what, three days? Four? I just can''t fathom why you would do such a thing!"


    Brynhildr did not feel like exining herself to her daughter. Even though she didn''t know the specific details regarding how her fate was tied to Berengar, she had felt the connection in the depths of her soul from the moment she first came into contact with him.


    Four days were more than enough for her to fall in love, especially after witnessing the lengths the man was willing to go to just to prove himself worthy of a declining pantheon of long forgotten deities.


    Brynhildr simply responded to her daughter''s questions with a vaguement while dressing herself in front of Berengar and Siv, who were watching the woman with multiple questions in their minds.


    "You just need to know that he and I were fated to be together. Let us leave it at that. Now, who wants breakfast?"


    Without waiting for a response, the woman ran off to the kitchen area of the longhouse, where Siv was quick to follow, all while unleashing a torrent of questions which her mother refused to answer.


    As for Berengar, he got dressed in his clothes before sitting down at the table, waiting for his breakfast. His mind was filled with thoughts regarding how he would handle his rtionship with Brynhildr.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''As far as Germanw is concerned, Brynhildr is not my wife, and I only have one slot left, which should be reserved for an important political marriage. However, the rtionship between us surely isn''t as shallow as the ones I have with Tlexictli, Anggraini, Priya, and Khorijin. Which means she will probably fall on the same level as Henrietta. As in, she is my wife in everything but name.''


    Very quickly, Berengar was able to deduce where Brynhildr would fall in his harem''s hierarchy. The only question he was unsure of was how his wives and lovers would react to him bringing another woman into their home.


    Brynhildr could tell there was a bit of unease in Berengar''s mind regarding their recent union, and thus when the woman set down his food at the table, she climbed into hisp, and whispered something in his ear.


    "I know you have many beautiful women by your side. If my daughter and I are a burden to you, we can remain here in d. Your wives will never have to know about us. All I ask is that you visit us a few times a year. I promise you I will do everything I can during your visits to make you happy. What do you think?"


    Berengar gazed upon the mature beauty with a hint of shock in his mismatched eyes. He could tell by the expression on Brynhildr''s gorgeous face that she actually did not want to leave the vige behind, and had simr thoughts to himself regarding their rtionship.


    This left the man smiling as he nodded his head in agreement with the words his newest ''wife'' had spoken. In doing so, he released the woman from any worries she might have about being dragged away from her home.


    "I think that''s a wonderful idea. I just have one question. You''re immortal, right? So when I finally perish from this world, will you be able to join me in the afterlife?"


    Thisment caused the woman to giggle as she nodded her head before responding.


    "I''m a Valkyrie. It''s my job to ferry the souls of the valiant dead into Valha''s gates. You should know that I have the means to traverse through the various nes of existence. I will have no problems getting into whatever little slice of heaven Odin cooks up for you and your family.


    When you and my children finally pass from this world, I will have nothing left to bind me here, naturally I wille to live with you then. However, I have a question for you as well. Just how will you exin my existence to your many lovers when I suddenly appear in your afterlife iming to be your wife?"


    Berengar could only imagine the fury Linde would have if he kept Brynhildr''s existence a secret from the woman. Linde knew everything there was to know about her man, any and all secrets were strictly taboo in their rtionship.


    If Linde were to only find out about Berengar''s little dalliance in d after her death, she was likely never to forgive him. An eternity with a pissed off Linde was the worst hell that Berengar could imagine.


    This caused a shiver to go down the man''s spine as he gazed up at his newest ''wife'' and immediately decided that he would inform his other wives of her existence the moment he returned home. Upon seeing the newfound resolve in the mismatched eyes of her ''husband'', Brynhildr smiled before asking another question which gued her mind.


    "Now that you have passed your trials, and learned of the reason behind your existance, what do you n to do?"


    There was not the slightest bit of hesitation in Berengar''s voice, as he wrapped his arms around his bride, and told her the words she wanted to hear most.


    "I will bring Erik to justice for the crimes he hasmitted against you and your daughter. Then, I will establish d as a protectorate under my dominion. Where I will reside here for some time, ensuring that the revival of the Germanic faith is a smooth process. Only after I have set d upon this path will I return home, and in doing so, put an end to my rivals in the East. But first, I think I need to give you a son..."


    The Valkyrie''s cheeks flushed red when she heard this shameless remark. As for Siv, she was in the middle of eating when she heard Berengar''s words. The teenage girl nearly choked on her eggs when she learned that she would be getting a little brother soon. Her mother''s response was even more shocking.


    "I don''t doubt your ability. After all, Freyja long ago blessed you with the ability to conceive a son as your firstborn child with any women you share your bed with. In fact, I look forward to experiencing this gift myself!"


    Siv could only respond in disgust, as she stood up from her seat and took her meal outside, no longer willing to gaze upon her mother and her shameful behavior. With his trialspleted, Berengar intended to do exactly as he said he would. Thus, in theing days, Erik''s ve empire was about toe crumbling down.


    ---


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 Chapter 1025 Uncovering A Vast Conspiracy

    By the time Berengar returned to the mortal world from his visit to Valha. Linde was already aware of Erik''s sins. When Captain Weiss said he was going to inform Imperial Intelligence about the conspiracy that his men had identally uncovered, he did not hesitate to do so.


    Within minutes, the information had found its way to the desk, which belonged to the redheaded beauty, where she began to cast a wide web for the conspirators to be entangled in. Whatever agents Germany had embedded in the Kalmar Union were given a new priority task: infiltrate the human trafficking ring, and identify the conspirators.


    Within four days, the agents of German Imperial Intelligence had sessfully found leads and began to work their case. All that was left for Linde to do was sit back and watch as her minions tore apart a syndicate of criminals, which spanned across Northern Europe.


    Thus, Linde was rather bored, as she sat by and waited for news of her agents'' activities. As a result, she was sitting in the bar located within the Kufstein Pce, where she sipped on a cocktail while discussing familial matters with Honoria.


    "So, how has the life of retirement been for you?"


    Honoria rolled her eyes as she drank from her own cocktail. She had rtively recently retired from the pirate''s life, and dedicated herself to raising her children. Though the kids were at first resistant to her, they hade around, and she was quick to express this.


    "Raising the kids isn''t as exciting as raiding ships or hunting natives. But it has its own merits. The one thing I will say is that Heraclius'' chicks have grown up, and it is a bit difficult getting the kids to look after them."


    A smile emerged on Linde''s pretty face as she nodded her head in agreement. Since Honoria first arrived in Kufstein, she had that abnormally intelligent pet eagle by her side. Heraclius had built his own nest on the Pce''s grounds and had raised his chicks to be the pets of Honoria''s offspring. However, after learning about the gods and their familiars, both Linde and Honoria had begun to suspect the eagle''s lineage. Something Linde was quick to ask about.


    "You ever wonder if Heraclius is the descendant of some deity''s familiar? Having spent enough time around Genseric and his cubs, I can say with certainty they are a cut above the normal members of their species. They''re so friendly to humans that Berengar has even pulled them out of the zoo and allowed them to live in our gardens.


    The leopard gardens of house von Kufstein, it''s funny just saying it aloud. Still, having a bunch of big cats running around as if they have been domesticated does give our house some form of prestige."


    Honoria could only nod her head in agreement as she took another sip from her cocktail. She thought about Linde''s question for some time before responding to it.


    "Looking back upon my life, I am almost entirely certain that Heraclius is at the very least descended from some deity''s familiar. Though who? I have no idea. The bird is way too smart for his own good. Even his offspring are, like you said, a cut above the rest of their species. Which makes them the best pets for my kids. If only the little brats would look after them properly!"


    A slight giggle escaped from Linde''s lips when she heard Honoria''sst remark. She could not help but express her true thoughts regarding the woman''s frustrations.


    "I''m happy your kids have forgiven you for your adventurous past. The life of a mother may not be as morous as that of a pirate, but it has its own rewards. Speaking of... When Berengar finally returns home, why don''t you convince him to give you another? It''s about time, and I don''t need to be rude, but the concubines are catching up to you.


    In fact, out of all Berengar''s women, only you and I are currently not pregnant. Well, excluding Khorijin, that is, but she has yet to really embrace her part in the harem. And you just know our man is out there finding a new lover in d. I wouldn''t be surprised if he was in the arms of some blonde haired bimbo right now! You''ve got to step up your game while you''re still young and fertile!"


    At first Honoria was taken aback by Linde''sments, but when she thought about her husband taming some unknown beauty from the far north, she could not help but bite her lip in jealousy. An act which Linde was quick to take note of. Rather than discuss her ownck of procreation whenpared to Berengar''s other women, Honoria went on the offensive and questioned Linde''smitment.


    "What about you? Do you not want another child?"


    Contrary to what Honoria had expected, there was a look of content on Linde''s face as she shook her head, before denying the desire to have another child of her own.


    "I already have five of the little ones running around. You may not know this, but Ad and I have both agreed to call it quits after we both have five kids. It''s a way of preserving the peace between us. I suggest you do the same. After all, five is a pretty good number, don''t you think?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Honoria''s thoughts dwelled upon the idea for several seconds. She already had three kids, but even she felt like it wasn''t enough. After all, she waspeting for Berengar''s affection like every other girl in his harem. What was the greatest indicator of the man''s love? It was how many children he sired with each of his wives. Thus, after thinking about it for some time, Honoria agreed with Linde''s suggestion and nodded her head before expressing her thoughts.


    "I have no doubt Berengar is going to bring another woman home, most likely one who is half his own age. Which just means I will have yet anotherpetitor to worry about. I''m getting older, and I fear my time is limited.


    Somehow, Yas was lucky to get pregnant despite the fact that she''s in herte thirties now. However, we all know this child will be herst. So maybe it''s time to give it another go. I''ll just have to steal Berengar''s attention from whatever young piece of ass he brings back from d."


    Linde was about to respond to this statement when a subordinate of hers entered the room. Though she wanted to continue this discussion with her friend, matters of the State were of a much higher priority. Thus she sighed and chugged down thest of her drink before tapping Honoria on the shoulder and bidding her farewell for the time being.


    "Sorry Honoria, but work calls, and we are currently in the middle of a very important investigation. I wish you all the best, and make sure to give your children my love. I will see youter."


    After saying this, the redheaded beauty walked by, leaving Honoria by her lonesome. The Byzantine Princess could only gaze upon her friend with a look of envy, knowing full well that their husband loved her most of all. Once Linde had left the room, she was quick to inquire about the reason behind this interruption.


    "What do you have for me?"


    The agent handed over a dossier which contained all the information they had gathered in the field regarding high-ranking members of the human trafficking ring.


    "It''s worse than we initially thought. Though they have gone underground in fear of persecution, the Catholic Priests and their most ardent supporters have been enving women and children from d, and selling them throughout Northern Europe.


    These conspirators are using the funds to acquire weapons from corrupt officials in the Danish Army, weapons we sold them. They intend to overthrow Alvar''s government and create some form of Catholic theocracy within the borders of the Kalmar Union.


    It would appear that old Alvar hasn''t been as thorough in stomping out Catholicism as he said he was. Whether this is a deliberate act on his part, or just pure ipetency, has yet to be verified. However, our agents are working on uncovering any ties that might exist between these conspirators and any of the Nordic Royal families.


    Give us two weeks, and we should have the identities and locations of everyone who is involved in this human trafficking ring. As well as those responsible for selling arms to the conspirators."


    With this update, Linde could rest easy, knowing that soon they would be able to put a stop to this evil. Like Berengar, she had a strong sense of justice when it came to the abuse of women and children, maybe even more so than the Kaiser himself. Thus, she would stop at nothing to destroy the lives of those who were responsible for such wicked acts.


    "Good... Continue as nned. I want to know just how far this conspiracy goes. Use whatever methods you deem fit to uncover the truth."


    The agent quickly nodded her head and responded in the affirmative before going back to headquarters, where she would convey Linde''s orders to the appropriate apartments. As for Linde, she was no longer in the mood to drink with Honoria, and instead went back to her office, where she oversaw other important matters of the state.


    ---


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 Chapter 1026 A Broken Betrothal

    In the dead of night, a storm gathered above the city of Stockholm, nketing its streets with a torrent of snow and ice. It was in these white streets that a middle-aged man with a blood-soaked tunic ran through an alleyway while pressing one hand to his open wound. Yet it was not enough to stop the bleeding, and thus a sanguine trail followed behind him, marking his every move.


    Despite the wound in his gut, he did not stop for a single second of rest, for the sound of snow crunching beneath a man''s boots echoed throughout the alley, closing in on him with each passing second. Like a bat out of hell, the man ran for the nearest safe house.


    Upon turning the corner, the man found his destination. At the end of the alleyway was a small building whose door he frantically knocked upon, calling out to whoever was on the other side.


    "f, open the fucking door. It''s me Anders. Hurry, someone''s after me!"


    The door opened in the next second. However, when the man named Anders gazed upon who stood behind it, he fell on his ass into the frozen streets with a look of horror on his face. It was not f who awaited him in the safe house, but a stranger, who held a bloody knife in his hands.


    It immediately dawned upon Anders that f was dead, and he was next. Before he could cry out for help, the man behind the door lunged forward and cut his throat. Anders bled to death in the streets of Stockholm while his killer cleaned up the scene of his crime, leaving behind not even a hair of evidence for the authorities to find.


    ---


    Contrary to what one might believe, this violent scene was not the least bit umon, at least not for thest two weeks. Thousands of men lie dead in this brief window of time. Some were petty criminals, while others were high-ranking members of the Danish Army. However, most peculiar were the deaths of the Swedish Royal Family, who were covertly assassinated in a single night by an unknown force.


    For the people of the Kalmar Union, it was as if the apocalypse had begun. Everywhere they looked, bodies were piling on the streets. Naturally, the entity responsible for these deaths was none other than German Imperial Intelligence. Who in Berengar''s absence had identified and eliminated every single member of the Catholic conspiracy to overthrow King Alvar and his reformist government.


    Currently, King Alvar was sitting in a room alone with Linde. There was a stern expression on his fat face while he demanded answers to this encroach on his sovereignty.


    "Who gives you the right tomit these heinous acts on my sovereign soil? You have gone too far! Thousands of men lie dead and in only two weeks'' time. The people are asking questions, and only now am I finding out the answers.


    You say that there was a conspiracy, which sold women and children as sex ves across my realm, and whose profits were spent on funding a catholic uprising! What evidence do you have of these wild ims?


    The Swedish Royal Family has been murdered. The only surviving members are a bunch of small children! Do you have any idea what this means for the stability of my realm? It will be an all out war between Denmark and Norway to see who can gain the upper hand! This is utter madness!"


    Despite the man''s rude tone, Linde had apletely calm expression on her wless face. She continued to sip her tea as if none of this information bothered her in the slightest. It was only after she had finished her cup that she pulled out a document and handed it over to King Alvar.


    The folder was filled with photographs, written testimonies, and nearly every form of damnable evidence imaginable, and this was just the dirt that Linde had on the Swedish Royal Family and their involvement with the conspiracy. Alvar read through the folder and could note up with a single word in response, which Linde took advantage of to insult the man.


    "Is that enough to convince you? Or do you want to read through the literal pallets of boxes which contains the evidence we have collected on this case thus far? Under your reign, anywhere between two and three thousand children from d has been sold into very! This does not include the number of adult women who have also been trafficked throughout the borders of your Empire.


    My husband has allowed you to reign over your Nordic states without interfering in your affairs because he judged you capable of doing so. However, all you have managed to do is stuff your face while a civil war was brewing within your realm without you being the slightest bit aware.


    Do you have any idea how outraged my husband will be when he finds out about all of this? He is currently gearing up to fight a war with a near peer on the other side of his globe, and his ally, which sits on his northern border, is on the verge ofplete and total copse! Ipetent would be too kind of a word to refer to your rule as High King.


    So, Here''s what''s going to happen. You are going to cede d to the Reich as payment for the monumental expenses andbor that went into uncovering and eliminating this conspiracy. Then, you are going to take your bitch of a daughter and go home to get your house in order.


    Ingrid is no longer wee here, nor is she worthy of my son. You can consider the engagement between the two of them to officially be null and void, though good luck finding her another fiance as my son has already taken her purity."


    It was bad enough to have to cede d to the Reich, but when Alvar heard about the scandal between his daughter and the German Prince, he could no longer contain his rage, and was quick to raise his voice.


    "He what? Impossible, your boy is only thirteen! You''re telling me that my Ingrid has slept with the little prick already? I don''t believe you!"


    Despite having her precious baby boy insulted in front of her, Linde did not frown. Instead, she wore a sadistic smile as she added salt to the wound that had appeared in Alvar''s heart.


    "Hans is a charming young boy, and he is at that age. Is it really that hard to believe? In truth, it was easy for my son to convince your slut of a daughter to spread her legs for him. Though Ingrid is not worthy of being his wife, I must admit she has been excellent practice for the boy. It''s a shame she has to leave so soon. I can only imagine the incessant whining Hans will make without his ything around to entertain him."


    Linde had been looking forward to this moment for years. She could not stand Ingrid, and had been patiently waiting for her son to take the woman''s chastity so she could kick the bitch to the curb. It was only recently that she found out the things Hans was doing with Ingrid in private.


    Perhaps the boy could only tolerate such a bitch if he was plowing her. Whatever the reason behind his actions, it came as a great surprise to Linde when she learned that her eldest son was already sexually active. She could only sigh and recognize the fact that Hans was indeed his father''s son. As for Alvar, he was practically boiling with rage, and demanded that Hans take responsibility for his actions.


    "If what you say is true, and they have already *ahem* slept together. Then your boy must take responsibility for his actions and marry my daughter. After learning such a scandal, there is no way I will let you weasel your way out of this engagement!" <novelnext></novelnext>


    Despite the man''s harsh tone, Linde was as calm as ever. Her sky-blue eyes were oozing malicious intent as she made her next threat, one Alvar could not ignore.


    "You are aware of the Reich''s punishment for child molestation, right? Your daughter is an adult, one who took advantage of my teenage son and had her way with him. If you refuse to nullify this engagement, I could easily have her sterilized and sent to abor camp for the rest of her life. Would you prefer such an alternative?"


    Alvar was at aplete and utterck of words. Regardless of whether this scandal was true or not, he knew that Linde most definitely had the means to fabricate sufficient evidence against his daughter. It was clear as day that the redheaded beauty sitting across from him hated Ingrid with every fiber of her being, and would stop at nothing to break this betrothal.


    After grinding his teeth in a fit of rage for nearly a minute, Alvar finally took a deep breath to calm himself, before making a move, one that Linde was already expecting.


    "Bring my daughter here. I want to speak with her..."


    A Satisfied smile appeared on Linde''s face as she called out to a nearby servant who was quick to fetch the Danish Princess. Ingrid arrived in the room with a wide smile on her face. She was in a particrly good mood after recent events.


    From Ingrid''s perspective, she had made a bold move and taken a head start on the teenage boy''s developing sexuality, securing Hans for herself, before he could y with any of his other fiancees. It was her belief that this would help convince the boy to adhere to a monogamous lifestyle with her as his only wife.


    However, when Ingrid saw that her father was sitting across from Linde with a furious expression on his face, she froze instantly, barely managing to get out the question in her mind.


    "D...Daddy, what''s wrong?"


    Alvar immediately rose to his feet, and in doing so, his belly jiggled slightly with the shift of gravity. He walked over to his daughter and grabbed hold of her shoulder with a tight grip before staring into her eyes while tantly asking the question on his mind.


    "Tell me the truth... Did you sleep with the boy!?!"


    This question shocked Ingrid to the core. She looked at her father, and then at Linde and was able to piece two and two together. She thought she had been covert in her actions, but she was na?ve to think she could put one over on Linde. Ingrid looked away from her father, no longer willing to look the man in his eyes as she stammered out an answer to his question.


    "Y...Yes... But-"


    Before she could even finish her sentence, her father had backhanded her across the face. An act which left the girl stunned in disbelief. In the next moment, Alvar had grabbed hold of Ingrid''s wrist and led her away while screamingmands at her.


    "Get your things! We''re going back to Copenhagen!"


    Ingrid tried to protest, but she could only say so much before her father responded to her.


    "But daddy, I-"


    Rather than another p, Alvar simply stared at his daughter with disgust before shaking his head and expressing his thoughts.


    "I''m disappointed in you..."


    After saying this, Alvar was quick to help Ingrid gather her belongings, and it was only right before he stepped out of the door to the Kufstein Pce that he gritted his teeth and epted Linde''s terms.


    "d is yours, and you can consider the betrothal between Hans and my daughter to be annulled... You canugh all you want, but I promise you this, I won''t forget this insult to my house..."


    Despite the man''s vague threats, Linde continued to smile as she saw him walk out of her door. She left onestment before shutting it behind him.


    "If I were you, I would worry about getting your house in order, before you go challenging others. Just a friendly reminder. The betrothal between Astrid and Kristoffer still stands. So you should remember your ce the next time youe to visit..."


    With this said, d officially fell under the Reich''s direct control. Hans and Ingrid''s betrothal was broken, and the rtions between the Kalmar Union and the German Empire had temporarily soured. All the while Berengar was on a brief honeymoon with his newest ''wife''.


    ---


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 Chapter 1027 Leaving Paradise

    Nearly two weeks passed, and all Berengar managed to do in this time was foster rtions with the secluded viking vige and make love to Brynhildr. With the Kaiser''s increased stamina and the Valkyrie''s supernatural endurance, the duo were breeding like rabbits all day, every day, something which forced Siv out of the house during daylight hours.


    Siv had spent this time walking around the vige, and getting to know the German marines who were on standby. She listened to their tales about the Reich, and all its wonders, with wide eyes. Wondering what life would be like in such a different world than the one she lived in.


    The German marines helped out the vige in every way they could, but in truth, there was not much that needed to be done. Thend which the n inhabited was secluded from the outside world, and was practically a paradise in its own right.


    Food was plentiful, pestilence was non-existent, and war was a world away. Thus, these marines were more than happy to interact with the vigers, and tell them about thends they hade from, and the battles they had fought.


    As much as Berengar wanted to stay in the loving arms of his newest ''bride,'' he knew that he had to get back to the Reich. After a two week long honeymoon, the time hade. Thus, on the morning of new year''s eve Berengar climbed out of Brynhildr''s loving embrace, and stroked her wavy tinum blonde hair, before bidding the woman farewell.


    "I must admit, part of me doesn''t want to go. This has been the best two weeks of my recent memory. However, I have an Empire to run, and a war to wage. Before I leave d behind, I promise I will deal with Erik personally. That bastard will pay with his life for what he has done to you and your daughter."


    A bitter smile formed on the mature beauty''s face as she nodded her head in silence. She didn''t want Berengar to depart so soon after they had be a couple, but she knew what fate had in store for the man, and she would never wish to be an obstacle in his path to glory. However, she would not allow the man to leave without her parting thoughts, which she was quick to give voice to.


    "I want you to know that my home is your home. Whenever you feel the desire, you can return this little slice of paradise and spend the weekend with me and Siv. As much as the girl might protest our union, she still wanted to go with you back to the Reich. However, I didn''t allow it. Maybe when she''s older, she can explore the world, and all it has to offer, but for now, she belongs under my protection."


    Though Brynhildr had said this, she honestly thought it was nothing more than an ill-fated desire. After all, the journey from Austria to d was a long one, which took several weeks to aplish by sea.


    Never would she imagine that Berengar had the ability to traverse such a vast distance in a mere five hours. Thus, it came as a surprise when the man kissed her on the lips and made a solemn pledge to her.


    "I promise that once a month, I wille to visit the two of you for a weekend away from all my worries. After all, it''s only a five-hour flight from here to my home. So don''t look so sad. You will be seeing plenty of me from here on out. Now I better get going. If I dare to remain a second longer, I fear I might never leave your side. Not that there''s anything wrong with such a thing."


    With that said, the couple kissed once more, before Berengar raised from their bed and dressed himself in his military uniform. He stepped one foot outside the door and noticed that Siv was waiting for him. The girl had a flushed expression on her cute face as she leaned forward and kissed Berengar on the cheek before saying her farewells.


    "Goodbye, father..."


    After saying that, she rushed inside her home, and shut the door behind her, not having the courage to look the man in the eyes. Berengar touched his wet cheek and sighed before gathering his marines.


    "Alright, men, we''ve been here long enough. We''re returning to Reykjav��k, where I have some personal matters to attend to before we cast off for the fathend."


    Roars of excitement filled the air, as the men were just happy to finally leave this secluded vige behind. Though the locals were polite, there simply wasn''t much for the men to do here, and they had been not only bored out of their minds, but incredibly envious of their Kaiser, who spent practically the entire time making love to a beautiful woman.


    With the roars of the trucks'' engines, Berengar climbed into a vehicle, before entering the convoy which departed from the secluded vige in style. He looked out the rearview mirror, where he saw the figures of Brynhildr and Siv waving him goodbye, and continued to gaze upon their figures until they were no longer visible. Where he then focused his attention on the long journey ahead of him.


    After a few hours, he arrived on the outskirts of Reykjav��k, where the outline of the massive battleship was visible from kilometers away. Berengar quickly got on the radio and informed the marines of his ns. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Converge on the Castle. I think it''s about time this ind came under new management..."


    Having spent thest two weeks wasting away in idleness, thepany of marines was filled with excitement at the prospect of finally doing some damage. The drivers shifted their trucks into full gear before speeding towards their destination, where they surrounded the castle''s exterior with their vehicles.


    The vehicles in Berengar''s convoy came in many forms. Some of them were supply trucks, while others were technicals. The 4x4 pickup trucks had a variety of weapons mounted in their beds, everything from 2cm k cannons, to 75mm recoilless rifles, and even nebelwerfers. Which were essentially multi rocketunchers.


    These trucks were designed to be fast, reliable, and capable of engaging a multitude of threats such as infantry, light armor, and fortifications. Thus, it came as no surprise when one of the 75mm recoilless rifles tore through the timber gates as if they were were made of wet tissue paper.


    A rather substantial explosion urred, and as a result the wooden gates were sted into smithereens. Before the castle''s guards even had time to react, the German marines had vaulted out of their trucks, and begun to open fire on the garrison.


    Berengar simply sat back in his truck, with the windows rolled down, while smoking a cigarette. Waiting for his highly trained marines to eliminate the medieval threat they were attacking. Gunshots rang throughout the air, and the screams of men, women, and children alike resounded in the vicinity.


    After no more than five minutes ofbat, things became quiet, too quiet. Just when Berengar was about to exit his vehicle and investigate the scene, he witnessed his marines drag Erik out of his castle, and into the courtyard, where they forced the bastard to kneel in the bloodstained snow.


    Upon seeing this, Berengar exited his vehicle and took a long drag from his cigarette while he approached his newest prisoner. Erik could not help but curse Berengar for his treachery with a rather vile tongue.


    "You fucking two-faced bastard! You said you''d leave me alone if I gave you the girl! What is the meaning of this? When King Alvar hears about how you have treated me, I will have your head!"


    Berengar could only scoff at Erik''s delusional mind while he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and put it out in the man''s right eye. The miserable bastard screamed in agony as the burning sensation blinded him. However, before he couldsh out in anger, Berengar pulled out his sidearm and pointed it towards Erik''s forehead. A single phrase escaped his lips before he pulled the trigger.


    "Brynhildr sends her regards..."


    A look of horror overwhelmed Erik''s face, and just as he was about to defend his actions, a loud bang resounded in the air. In the next moment, Erik''s corpse fell to the floor, his brains sttered all over the snow. There was a stoic expression on Berengar''s face as he gazed upon the scene of his deed, as if he had done nothing more than take out the trash.


    Though the Marines didn''t know why they were assaulting this castle, they honestly didn''t care. Orders were orders, and if the Kaiser wanted Erik dead, the man must have done something horribly wrong. Thus, they did not give it a second thought, and instead waited for Berengar to give hismands, which he was quick to do so.


    "Scour the castle, and free any prisoners you mighte across. As for Erik''s family, leave them be. There''s no reason to cause any further bloodshed."


    With Erik''s death, d would end up under new management as a Protectorate of the Reich, where Berengar would work tirelessly to restore the ancient Germanic faith as the primary religion of the ind.


    ---


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 Chapter 1028 The New Year

    After setting up a provisional government in the city of Reykjav��k, Berengar and his soldiers soon departed for thends of the Reich. In theing days, a new influx of german soldiers and government officials would arrive in d, where they would begin reconstructing the Ind into a semi-modern state.


    Officially, d had been ceded to the Reich as a colony by King Alvar during his negotiations with Linde. However, Berengar was unaware of this, and thus he made his own ns. Berengar recognized that d had its own unique culture, and he wanted it to stay this way.


    Thus, after investing heavily in the ind, and its reconstruction. Berengar intended to grant d its independence as a Kingdom beneath the Reich''s protection. Naturally, the son that would eventually be born between Brynhildr and himself would be d''s King.


    Other ns for the ind were to lease somend for a German Naval/Air base. As well as establish thend as a foothold for the resurrection of the Germanic faith. Berengar wanted to fully convert the local poption within the next hundred years. An act which would grant the Germanic Pantheon a considerable boost in power.


    Speaking of a considerable boost of power, though Berengar had not mated with a goddess, and had instead chosen a Valkyrie as his chosen bride, the offspring of their union would be close enough to a Demigod that Odin''s ns regarding such a being would stille to fruition. Especially when said Demigod would eventually be king of d.


    As for Siv, she was a mortal being, and the reason for this was because the girl was conceived while Brynhildr''s divine essence was stolen by N��eh?ggr. Though the woman eventually regained her status as a Valkyrie and all the powers that came with it. This urred long after her daughter was born. The same could not be said for the son she bore in her womb at this very moment.


    Currently, Berengar stood on board the SMS Linde as it sailed off from the coast of d. For some time the Kaiser gazed upon the ind as it slowly disappeared from his sight. Thinking about what he was leaving behind.


    Though he had promised to visit Brynhildr once a month, for a weekend getaway, a part of him felt like such a thing was a mere constion prize for a woman he owed his entire existence to. If not for her, he would have never been reincarnated into this world and given a second chance at life.


    In a way, everything Berengar had gained in this world was owed entirely to Brynhildr and the suffering she endured. Words could not express how thankful he was to the woman, nor how attracted he was to her. Even now, a part of his heart felt empty, despite knowing that he would be returning to the loving arms of the woman he recognized as his soul mate.


    It was with this in mind that Berengar felt he needed a distraction. Thus, he went to the battleship''s gym, where he immediately found a weight rack. If there was one thing the Kaiser was unsure of, it was just how strong he had be after undergoing a physical rebirth.


    After observing the weight rack for some time, Berengar decided to test his limits, and piled on all the weights that existed in the gym onto the barbell, for a total of 500 kgs. After which he began to deadlift the weight as if it were nothing.


    During his deadlifts, a marine entered the gym and noticed the Kaiser''s impable feat of strength. The man had dropped his protein shake onto the floor in shock as he witnessed what could only be described as a miracle.


    Berengar did not even break a sweat as he concluded five sets before sighing heavily in defeat while voicing his inner thoughts.


    "It looks like I will have to wait until I get back home, before I can truly test my limits..."


    It was only now he noticed the marine gawking at him, as if he were superhuman. This caught Berengar by surprise, causing him to put one finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. When the marine saw this, he nodded his head in silence, before slowly backing out of the weight room.


    Realizing that his body was truly at the peak of human ability, Berengar felt like he would need to update his personal gym to amodate this change in strength, endurance, agility, and stamina. Thus, he spent the rest of the day reflecting on how he would go about this.


    Night fell before Berengar even realized it, and he had prepared himself for an important broadcast. Onboard the SMS Linde, a film crew gathered to record their Kaiser and broadcast his speech across the fathend.


    In a few moments it would be the new year, and Germany had aplished much throughout 1431. Thus, Berengar wanted to take a moment to congratte the German people, and inform them of the difficulties that lie ahead.


    After going through makeup, Berengar stood at the bow of the ship, as it passed by an iceberg. The full moon was on disy in the night sky, whose light perfectly illuminated Berengar''s handsome appearance. With a microphone in one hand, the kaiser began to make his speech. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Happy New Year, citizens of the Reich. If you don''t mind listening, I wanted to take a few minutes to speak of all that we have aplished this past year, as well as the future of our people as I envision it.


    Throughout this past year, Germany has made monumental aplishments. Where should I even begin? I suppose I should start with the field of medicine. Thanks to the efforts of our many scientists, a multitude of medicines and vines have been developed to help treat, and potentially even eliminate,mon diseases that have gued humanity since the dawn of our species.


    Small pox has been eradicated among the German poption, along with polio, and measles. With many more illnesses to follow in theing years. Dangerous diseases from beyond our borders, such as Mria are now preventable, and our brave colonists are now able to expand intonds previously thought impossible.


    The Child mortality rate is now at an all-time low, as well as the rate in which women die inbor. Because of this, we are able to haverge and healthy families. Something which was inconceivable for the average family just a decade ago. As a result, our poption is rapidly climbing.


    Which brings me to the economy. I am happy to announce that within the fathend, poverty no longer exists. With the poorest of our citizens, now capable of living a life without fear of whether they will be able to afford food, shelter, medicine, or any other basic requirements for life.


    Unemployment is virtually non-existent within the Reich, and the average wage of a German worker is enough to make the nobles of the rest of the world seethe with envy. Intion is kept at a healthy 2% thanks to thepetency of our treasury department, and our goods have be sought-aftermodities across the globe.


    With ample investments into public education, even the highest levels of academia are free for our students to pursue. Literacy rates are at an all-time high, and the average intelligence of the German poption is the highest in the world. Our universities have be the envy of the world, where even professors from other nations have a hard timeprehending our material.


    This has led to an increase in scientific achievements across all fields. Something which can be seen in everyday life. The very fact that most households are now able to witness this broadcast on their own televisions is proof of this rapid increase in technology. For those of you who still have to listen to my words over the radio, do not fret. With new innovations, television sets will be moremon and affordable within the next few years.


    As for the Infrastructure of our great nation, with each year, new railways are opened, connecting every town and city within the fathend to one another. Plumbing is nearly universal, as is waste management and water treatment. Electricity is bing more and moremon across the reich, with nearly every major city already being connected to the national power grid.


    Our roads and bridges are kept under constant repair, with public transportation bingmonly avable throughout cities. While our harbors are thergest in the world, capable of amodating a constant flow of goods throughout our vast Empire. I am proud to say that the city of Trieste has be the primary trading hub of the Mediterranean and the western world as a whole.


    As great as this year has been for our people, I will end my speech with a warning. Our current peace and prosperity is under threat, for conflict with Japan seems increasingly likely as they refuse to change their warmongering ways.


    It is my fear that very soon, diplomacy will no longer be on the table, so tonight, celebrate and wee the arrival of a new year, but tomorrow, we must return to our quiet preparations for the war that will be fought in East. Thank you all for your time, and have a wonderful night. God with us!"


    After saying this, the cameras cut, and the production crew congratted Berengar on his speech.


    "An excellent speech, my Kaiser. Our people have a lot to celebrate this year!"


    Berengar remained silent, and instead pulled out a cigarette, which after lighting it ame, he took a heavy drag while gazing off the bow and towards the east, where the only threat to his Empire that remained in this world existed. Seeing that he wasn''t in the mood to talk, the film crew bowed with respect before departing, leaving the Kaiser alone with his thoughts.


    ---


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 Chapter 1029 Returning Home From An EpicAdventure

    When Berengar returned to Kufstein, he immediately found himself in the arms of his loving wife, Linde. The woman had a wide smile on her face when she saw her man return from his journey. That is, until she noticed something peculiar.


    The scar over Berengar''s right eye was just slightly different from how it had been for years. Normally, one would not be able to notice such a minor change, even under the highest scrutiny. Yet Linde knew her man''s body and mind better than anyone. The slightest shift in his appearance was immediately noticeable. Thus, she frowned when she realized this small detail, something which caught Berengar off guard.


    "What is it?"


    Linde pouted and turned around, no longer willing to look at her man, fearing he had done something foolish. She was quick to give voice to her inner thoughts..


    "Your scar is different. Were you ever going to tell me what happened?"


    Berengar could not believe his ears, he had just entered his home, and was greeted by his woman''s loving embrace, and yet in the very next moment before he had time to say what had transpired during his absence, she had already determined that something major had happened.


    One thing was certain, Linde''s deductive skills were top-notch, for even he himself had not noticed the small difference in his scar''s appearance. With a bitter smile on his face, Berengar forced his wife into his arms, and pet her strawberry blonde hair in an attempt to soothe her anger before proposing a solution.


    "Come with me to my office, and I will tell you everything that happened in my absence. I assure you it is a tale you will find interesting."


    With a heavy sigh, the redheaded beauty acquiesced to her husband''s demands and followed him into his study, where the two of them had a long discussion about just what Berengar had gotten up to in his absence. After hearing everything, Linde waspletely stunned into silence for several moments. She had to carefully think about just what she wanted to ask first.


    "A Valkyrie? You married a Valkyrie? One who was, in a way, responsible for bringing you into this world?"


    Berengar was slightly amused that this was the first thing the woman asked about. He smiled mischievously and nodded his head before insisting that the marriage was not something she needed to worry about.


    "Although our union was blessed by the god Odin himself, it has no legal bearing in the Reich. So I think I will marry my fifthwful wife for political purposes. Like I had nned in the past. You don''t need to worry about Brynhildr. She''s content staying hidden away in d and waiting for my eventual return."


    Linde bit her lip in frustration over the idea that her husband was connected to this other woman via the weave of fate. If there was one thing she always prided herself on, it was the fact that she was the most important woman in Berengar''s life. However, Brynhildr''s existence created some form of conflict in the redheaded beauty''s mind.


    The only thing she could take sce in was the fact that Berengar had secured a ce for their family in a special afterlife all to themselves. Berengar could see the frustration on the woman''s delicate features, and was quick to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her neck from behind, all the while whispering soothing words into her ears.


    "Though Brynhildr and I are connected by fate, you will always be my one and only soul mate..."


    It was only after hearing these words that Linde''s heart finally found some semnce of peace. After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, which felt like they were set aze, Linde turned around and spoke of what had transpired during his absence.


    She spoke for some time in discovering and eliminating the conspiracy, as well as Alvar''s reaction to it. When Berengar heard how the man had acted so rudely to his wife, and insulted his son, he felt a deep sense of rage overtake his heart, which he was quick to give voice to.


    "That fat bastard. He dares to make such trouble for you while I am away? Very well, if that''s how he wants to behave, then I have no choice but to temporarily close our borders and halt all trade with the Kalmar Union.


    Let''s see how long he can act defiantly until he realizes just how much his petty realm relies upon my support. Soon enough Alvar wille crawling back to me on his knees, begging to be my dog once more." <novelnext></novelnext>


    There was a satisfied expression on Linde''s wless face as she heard the lengths Berengar was going to in order to protect the dignity of herself and her son. She could only nod her head in agreement with the man''s words as he continued to vent his frustrations.


    After cursing aloud for several moments, Berengar took a deep breath and sighed heavily before locking eyes with his wife. There was a look of passion on his handsome face asplimented Linde for her efforts.


    "You eliminated a threat to our borders, and secured d for our Empire all while I was off gallivanting in some foreignnd. I am so proud of you. Come here, love, it has been too long since you have been absent from my arms."


    A sultry expression formed itself on Linde''s lips. She had noticed since the moment Berengar returned home that he had only be more handsome in his absence. And after hearing about his body''s transformation in the magical pool, she wanted nothing more than to test the limits of his newfound stamina.


    Since she first gazed eyes on his new appearance, Linde wanted nothing more than to have her man inside her, and yet she restrained herself for the sake of getting caught up. Now that there was nothing left to discuss, she could no longer hold back, and immediately threw herself into the man''s arms. Where they would make love for the next three hours until Linde''s body could no longer take the punishment any longer.


    By the time the couple emerged from the Kaiser''s study, it was already dinner time, and Berengar was more than ready for some nice food. Just as he was finishing getting dressed, Linde voiced a matter which was concerning her.


    "I can''t believe you had to fight Lambert again, and he even scarred your body to such an extent. Not that I have anyints. Your body is a lot more masculine when marked with symbols of your many victories. Just promise me you won''t be getting yourself into another fight any time soon..."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard his wife''s remarks and kissed her passionately on the lips once more. He was ready for another round, but unfortunately, it would appear that Linde could no longer match his newfound virility. The upside to this was that he would no longer feel spent pleasuring his many wives and concubines.


    Thus, Berengar and Linde concluded their business, and left the study to visit the dining hall, where Berengar''s many wives and children were all gathered. What was immediately noticeable was that Hans was sitting at the table. It had been some time since Berengar had seen his eldest son, and the boy just seemed to keep growing.


    His fiancees, who were fawning over him, surrounded Hans, the same way Berengar''s wives did to him. Veronika and Noemi were fully grown women and quite beautiful at that. While Natalia was roughly the same age as the boy, and was developing in to a fine young woman.


    When Berengar and Linde entered the room, everyone jumped up from their seats and greeted them. Hans specifically walked towards his father and saluted the man, where Berengar responded by hugging the boy and rustling his hair. He then whispered into Hans'' ears something which surprised him.


    "I''m going to need some detailster, but I''ll leave it be for now..."


    Naturally, Hans knew his father was referring to how his rtionship had progressed with Ingrid to a point of physical intimacy, thus he could only blush and look away as he struggled out of his father''s grip.


    As for Berengar, he let his eldest soon go before he took his ce at the head of the table, where he was greeted by his four wives, and his younger sister, who all weed him home with a kiss. He then shared a meal with his family and spoke with each member about what they had been up to in his absence.


    It was onlyter that night, where Berengar was able to fully demonstrate his newfound stamina in the bedroom, when, for the first time in a long time, he took all his women into his bed. He finally fell asleep at two in the morning, after being fully satisfied, where he awoke four hourster with the dawn, fully refreshed. From this day onward, Berengar would work hard to prepare for the uing war with the Japanese Empire.


    ---


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 Chapter 1030 Familial Matters

    Berengar sat in his study with only his eldest son to keep himpany. There was an awkward atmosphere as the two of them remained silent, too afraid to broach the subject that needed to be discussed. After drinking nearly three beers, Berengar finally decided he could avoid the question no longer and swiftly inquired about it.


    "How long?"


    A shiver went down Hans'' spine as he heard his father''s crass tone. Naturally, he felt as if he was in the most trouble of his life and thus he looked away as he gave the man an honest answer.


    "About a year..."


    Berengar silently nodded his head while ring at his son. His distant gaze pierced through the boy''s heart, and froze him in ce. After another few moments of awkwardness, he posed the next question that was on his mind.


    "What about the others?"


    Hans could no longer endure his father''s icy gaze, and was quick to reveal everything that had transpired between himself and his fiancees.


    "Only Anne. In fact, she was my first. On my thirteenth birthday, she gifted herself to me under the condition that I marry her when Ie of age. We''ve been seeing each other ever since. As for Ingrid, she approached me roughly three months ago, thinking that she could win me over by giving her body to me.


    Ingrid may be a monumental bitch, but she is a great beauty, and when presented with such an opportunity, I didn''t have the strength to reject her. I would have never thought that mother would kick her ass out at the first given opportunity..."


    Berengar sighed heavily as he heard this. At the very least, Hans hadn''t slept with all of his fiancees. Still, this created some diplomatic issues, not only with the Kalmar Union, but with the House of Wittelsbach, who ruled over Bavaria. After several moments of contemtion, Berengar responded to his son with his thoughts.


    "You have put me in a rather ufortable situation, but what''s done is done. I will get your mother to expose the Prince of Saxony''s dirty secrets to the public, so that his engagement to Anne will be annulled. After that fat slob has been arrested and sentenced, I will speak with Dietger personally about your rtionship with his daughter and arrange a marriage between the two of you. As for Ingrid, she is no longer your concern. Just tell me one thing... Did you at least wear a condom with the bitch? Thest thing I need is for you to have an illegitimate child!"


    Hans simply scoffed when he heard this question. Though the boy was still too frightened to look his father in his eye, he could at the very least confirm that he wasn''t an idiot.


    "Don''t worry, father, that won''t be a problem..."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar sighed in relief before giving his son onest scolding.


    "I will give you one warning. If you dare to get any ideas about Veronika, Noemi, or Natalia, I will transfer your ass to the fucking corps. Lay a hand on any of them before youe of age and you can say goodbye to your nicemission and your flight certifications, because you will be front line infantry for the next eight fucking years!


    As for Anne, you have already gone past the point of no return with the woman, so I will look the other way when ites to her. Just don''t get discovered until after I have secured your engagement, you little shit! Now get the hell out of my office! I have a mess to clean up, thanks to you."


    Hans flinched when he heard how furious his father was. The very idea of spending eight years in a trench on some far-flung corner of the world made his skin crawl. No matter how tempted he might be to take his rtionship with his fiancees to the next level, he would never allow himself to do it. Just as the boy was about to step out the door, his father called out to him, which halted Hans in his tracks.


    "Oh, onest thing. I thought you should know that you will also be marrying the Italian Princess udia Haselrieder. She''s a few years younger than you, but she''s a bright girl with a good personality and a pure heart. I will arrange for a meeting between the two of you within the next few weeks. So be on your best behavior when the day finally arrives."


    Hans could only sigh as he left the room. Though he did not enjoy being scolded, he felt lucky knowing that his father and mother were willing to clean up his messes. Shortly after the boy''s departure, his mother entered the room with a smirk on her wless face. She was quick to ask her husband just how his little discussion went.


    "So? How did it go?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar responded to this by pulling out two beers from his mini fridge, where he handed one to his wife before answering her question.


    "It''s not as bad as we expected. The boy has some self-control. He hasn''t been intimate with any of his fiancees aside from Ingrid. Although, I''m not gonna lie. If I was his age, and had women like Noemi and Veronika throwing themselves at me, I would not be able to resist the temptation.


    Though there is one matter we need to take care of. Apparently Ingrid was not his first. That honor goes to Anne, who gave her purity to the boy when he turned thirteen in exchange for a marriage vow. So it would be best for everyone if you take care of that fat Saxon slob once and for all. As for the negotiations with Dietger, you can leave that to me."


    After hearing this, Linde was quick to take a sip from the beer before expressing her thoughts on the matter.


    "To think my little baby boy would cause so much trouble. Oh, Hans, you are just like your father... Alright, I''ll take care of it. The Saxon Prince will be discredited and dragged through the court system for his crimes. I''ll make a proper circus of the whole thing.


    As a result, Dietger will have no choice but to break the betrothal, where you can sweep in before any other suitors for his daughter line up and secure an engagement for our boy. I must say, I underestimated Anne and the lengths she would go to just so she can marry our son."


    Upon hearing thisst part, Berengar smirked at his wife before posing a question he thought would annoy her.


    "So, does that mean you like the girl?"


    Immediately after he had said this, a scowl appeared on Linde''s face. Though she knew her man was deliberately antagonizing her, she remained silent and drank from her beer. It was only after several moments of awkwardness passed did she reveal her thoughts on the matter.


    "At the very least, I approve of her determination. With the right guidance, she might be a proper fit for Hans. But enough about our son. I have news regarding Frankia."


    This statement caused Berengar''s brow to raise in curiosity. He quickly sat down in his seat, and ced down his beer, before giving his wife his full attention. When Linde noticed that her man was listening, she began to summarize recent events that happened west of the fathend.


    "The Dominion of Frankia, as we call it, is currently undergoing a monumental shift. We have established public schools throughout its borders, where German is the only eptablenguage. As a result, literacy rates are rising, and the cultural conversion rate is up by 25% this year alone.


    Crime is down by 82% this past year. As we have begun to implement properw enforcement throughout Frankia''s borders. Brigands, highwaymen, and cutthroats have practically been eliminated from the countryside. Allowing themon people to live a rtively peaceful existence. To process these criminals, we have established proper court systems based upon German Law.


    Agricultural yields are up by nearly triple the previous amount. With the introduction of horse-drawn mechanized tools, along with synthetic fertilizers imported from the reich, and the four field system. Frankia is estimated to be agriculturally independent within the next five to ten years.


    With fewer people working in the fields, urbanization has bemonce, and we have begun investing in proper cities. Housing, plumbing, waste management, and ready ess to clean water being the primary concerns.


    With our current progress, I estimate that within twenty-five to fifty years, Frankia will be properly converted into yet another German State. Where we can then annex them as an official province of the Reich. For now, our borders remain secure, and any uwful attempts to enter German soil are met with a swift deportation."


    Berengar nodded his head in approval with these results. They were more or less in line with what he had expected. After dealing with this matter, he dismissed his wife, and allowed her to go back to her work. For the next few months, the Kaiser would have nothing on his table, except for war preparations. Something he took very seriously.


    ---


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 Chapter 1031 A Hefty Ransom

    Yi Min-Ah stood in the German embassy within the city of Beijing while waiting for the Japanese Empress to arrive. Over the past year, the young woman had been through a rough time. First, she was tasked by Empress Itami Riyo to spy on the Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, where she was immediately discovered and taken to a ck site.


    After intense psychological torture, Min-Ah revealed many of Japan''s state secrets to the agents of the Reich. Where she was kept in solitary confinement for many months. During this time, her only human interaction came in the form of her conversations with the interrogator.


    Eventually she learned of her foster family''s deaths, and in her depression agreed to join the ranks of German Imperial Intelligence for the sake of getting vengeance upon her previous employer, who she med for this tragedy.


    Now, after several months of intense training in the field of espionage and covert operations, Min-Ah would finally return to the Japanese maind. As one might think, her nerves werepletely on edge, as she felt an intense desire to dispatch Itami to the afterlife the moment she got alone with her. The only thing which kept her sane were the words of her lover, Agent Friedrich Ziegler, which resounded in her mind over and over again.


    "Do your job, and we will ensure your step-mother faces justice. Itami cannot give you what you want. Not with German agents protecting the Joseon Royal Family."


    Thus, as Min-Ah calmly waited for Itami''s arrival, she only managed to suppress her killing intent by remembering her true enemy. The one who had forced her from her home in the first ce. If not for that woman, she would currently be basking in the luxury of the Joseon Royal Court without the slightest care in the world.


    Eventually the doors to the embassy opened, revealing the Albino beauty who was the Japanese Empress along with her royal guard. Gerhard stood by Min-Ah''s side, and along with his own security detail, and was quick to introduce himself to Itami in a voice filled with sarcasm.


    "Empress Itami Riyo, as always, it is my foremost pleasure to see you in the flesh. Some congrattions are in order. After all, I had previously stated that you were never allowed to step foot into this building again, and yet here you are, a guest of the Kaiser. I trust you have brought the agreed-upon amount."


    There was a hate filled gaze in Itami''s blood-red eyes as she snapped her fingers. The moment she did so, her guards brought forth several chests filled with solid gold bars. The men quickly opened the crates to reveal the treasure inside, where Gerhard gazed upon the bounty with avaricious eyes.


    It took the man a moment to calm himself before he ordered one of his own men to weigh the the gold. While the German marines were ensuring that the proper weight of gold was in order, Gerhard made small talk with the Japanese Empress.


    "1814.369 kilograms of gold is no small amount. Tell me, Empress Itami, were you forced to empty your treasury in order to pay this ransom? You must care for this girl quite a bit, huh? Are the two of you perhaps romantically involved? I won''t judge if you are..."


    It was evident by the look on Itami''s wless face that she was not the slightest bit amused by the German ambassador''s words. Instead, she chose to ignore the man, as she interrogated her chemist on the spot.


    "Did they hurt you?"


    Contrary to what Itami was expecting, Min-ah shook her head before briefly summarizing what she had been through.


    "No, the germans didn''t hurt me physically, but they attempted various types of psychological torture."


    Itami narrowed her gaze towards Gerhard, who had a smug smile on his face. The man was quick to retort to this statement, in a way he knew would further provoke the Japanese Empress.


    "Who do you think we are? A bunch of savages? The Reich has plenty of more efficient means of getting the information we want than to just start cutting into a prisoner''s flesh. Something I''m sure you have no understanding of."


    Itami wanted nothing more than to scream at Gerhard in her loudest possible voice, but she forced herself to remain calm. Before the man could taunt her further, a German marine approached him and whispered something into his ears. In doing so, a wicked smile appeared on Gerhard''s face as he walked over to the scale, and dropped his pistol onto one end. Which immediately imbnced the amount.


    When Itami saw this, her eyes nearly jumped out of her skull. She could not believe the man was so shameless. However, before she could retort, the man responded in a way that infuriated her beyond belief.


    "Hmmm? It appears you are a little short..."


    Itami could hardly believe what she was hearing. She had properly measured the amount multiple times to ensure pinpoint uracy. Obviously, the only reason the scales were off was because the man had ced his pistol on one end, adding more weight. The Japanese Empress could not believe the shamelessness of this man and immediatelyshed out at him for it.


    "We had an agreement Gerhard! 4,000 pounds of gold was the ransom for Min-Ah, just what do you think you are doing?"


    There was a smug smile on the German Ambassador''s face as he stared down the Japanese Empress with the utmost confidence.


    "What was the Latin term again? Oh right, Vae Victis. If you can''t make up for the imbnce, then I''m afraid that Min-Ah will remain in the hands of the reich."


    Itami could hardly believe her ears when she heard this. Earlier, when Gerhard had asked her if she emptied out her treasury to afford this ransom, he waspletely correct. Almost all of Itami''s gold was on this scale, and in order topensate for the loss of such a fortune, she had begun printing banknotes operating under the concept of fiat currency.


    If Germany wanted more gold, she had none to offer. All she had were banknotes whose intrinsic value was worth nothing more than the paper they were printed on. She was so outraged by this turn of events that she wanted to attack the man for his sheer audacity.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, in the end, Itami calmed her heart with a few deep breaths before reaching around her neck and pulling off a gold pendant which she wore. She then began to strip her rings and bracelets off of her body, and even her earrings before cing them on top of the scale. Which she hoped would counterbnce the pistol.


    Unfortunately, she was short on gold, and thus she bit her lip in dissatisfaction, before ring over towards Gerhard, who wore a smug smile on his face. Just when Itami was about to curse the man out, he withdrew his pistol from the scale and ced it in his holster. All while chuckling as if this entire offense was nothing more than a joke.


    "Itami, you are far too serious. If you keep furrowing your brows like that, you will get some wrinkles. Which would be a shame, considering your legendary beauty. I assure you, I was simply ying a prank. For the Japanese Empress to sacrifice her jewelry for a mere prisoner, it is a bit unbing of your position, don''t you think?"


    Having fallen into such a trap, Itami wanted to scream at this man, but once more calmed herself with a few deep breaths before retrieving her jewelry. After she had done so, she looked over towards Gerhard and chastised him..


    "Enough games, you have your ransom, now free Min-Ah!"


    Contrary to what Itami expected, Gerhard simply smiled and unlocked Min-Ah''s bindings, before pushing the girl towards the Japanese host. With a graceful bow, he made onest remark, knowing that it would irritate the woman.


    "As always, it has been a pleasure, Empress Itami Riyo. I know it may not seem like it, but I always enjoy our dealings. You have the most expressive emotions and they are simply adorable. You are free to leave the Embassy, and return to your home with your little pet. Thanks again for the gold..."


    In response to this, Itami merely snarled before dragging Min-Ah off towards her ship which was docked in the Bohai Bay. Once they were safely onboard, Min-Ah asked a question with a hopeful look on her pretty face.


    "Before we leave for Japan, may I go see my family? I missed them very much."


    A remorseful expression twisted itself upon Itami''s face as she looked away, incapable of exchanging eye contact with the Joseon Princess. Naturally, Min-Ah picked up on this and quickly inquired about the Japanese Empress''s attitude.


    "What is it? What happened?"


    Itami found it difficult to speak the words and struggled to express them. There was a very clear, painful expression on the woman''s face, as she clutched her chest in agony before revealing the truth.


    "I''m sorry, but your adopted family has perished in a terrorist attack..."


    Although Min-Ah had already known about this for some time and wept for her family''s loss, in this moment she began to break out into tears once more, as she grabbed ahold of Itami''s kimono and demanded answers from her.


    "What do you mean? You didn''t attach a security detail to my family? You send me into the lion''s den, and you don''t even bother to protect my loved ones? What is wrong with you?"


    Itami immediately grabbed hold of Min-Ah''s hand, and tried to calm the woman down, as she exined what had happened from her perspective.


    "Of course, I attached a security detail to your family! I even kept them in the most secure area of Busan! However, the Joseon terroristsunched several attacks across the region. They even bombed the Kempeitai headquarters in Busan.


    In those dire circumstances, it would appear that the soldiers tasked with protecting your family were recalled to deal with the attacks, which gave the terrorists an opportunity to assassinate your family.


    I''m sorry Min-Ah, I know I promised to look after your family, and I failed you. However, I won''t make that mistake again. I vow to do everything in my power to bring those who have wronged you to justice. This is the fault of those damned Germans. They are the ones who armed the Joseon rebels with machine guns! And I will make sure they pay for their crimes!"


    Even though what Itami had said was absolutely true. Min-Ah was operating under a bias and could not find herself to believe the woman''s words. After all, humans were likely to cling to the first source they heard information from especially in regards to tragedies. The Germans hadid out a perfect story to turn the Joseon Princess against the Japanese Empress, and after months of brainwashing, she no longer doubted their words to be true.


    Thus, even though she was working for the architects of her family''s assassination, Min-Ah believed with her whole heart that Itami was the true culprit. However, despite wanting nothing more than to kill Itami on the spot, Min-Ah remained calm.


    After all, she would never get her vengeance on that woman if she acted out of turn here and now. Thus, Min-Ah secluded herself in one of the cruiser''s bunks, not willing to speak with Itami until after they had returned to Japan.


    ---


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 Chapter 1032 Formation Of The Crimean Khanate

    Khorijin stood at the bow of the SMS Linde and gazed upon the coast of the Crimean Penins. Where a small harbor and a sizeable settlement existed. Months ago, this city did not exist. Yet now it housed tens of thousands of her people. Though it was far fromplete, more and more buildings were being finished every day.


    In the months that followed Chagadai''s defeat in Constantinople, Berengar had made use of his resources to rally the broken members of the Golden Horde and corral them into the Crimean penins. Where the Germans assisted with the construction and development of the region.


    Outside of this city, whose architecture was eerily reminiscent of Russia''s from Berengar''s past life, were fertile fields, which made use of imported german fertilizer and mechanized tools which were drawn by beasts of burden. What was once a rather deste area now contained a semi-modern settlement.


    Though it would be some time before the region became self sufficient, a strong foundation had been built for Khorijin and her people. Something which brought a tear to the woman''s dark eyes. It was only after staring at the developing city for several minutes in awe, did the young woman turn her head towards Berengar to speak her thoughts.


    "Thank you... My people have never known a life beyond being nomads, and in half a year, you have helped us build a city of our own... I don''t know how I can repay you..."


    Berengar smiled as he heard this, before cing his arm around the woman''s shoulder. Their rtionship had always been one strictly of business, though after months of grappling with one another, the Turko-Mongol princess no longer feared physical contact between herself and the Kaiser. As Berengar brought the woman into his arms, he pointed with a free hand towards the settlement.


    "I have only done what I have promised to do. Besides, most of what you see is still under our construction. This is just the beginning. Under our guidance, your people will be able to live here and prosper on your own within the next decade. For now, we will continue to build and show your people how to maintain what we have established. However, if you think this is great, wait until you see your pce."


    Thisst statement only further added to Khorijin''s shock, as she looked Berengar dead in the eye, and repeated his words back to him.


    "My pce?"


    Berengar simply nodded his head as he responded to the woman''s question with full confidence.


    "You are now a Queen, and a Queen deserves a proper pce. Come, I will take you to your new home and show you around."


    Khorijin followed Berengar onto a boat, which ferried them from the SMS Linde to the shores of Crimea, where they proceeded to walk through the developing city''s streets until they eventually entered the grounds which belonged to a small pce that was loosely modelled after the Russian Tsaritsyno Pce from Berengar''s past life.


    Berengar had spared no expense in the construction of Khorjin''s pce. Tens of thousands of German workers, armed with the most modern equipment, had spent thest six months building a city from scratch.


    With the extensive work experience of the German engineers, architects, and construction crews. They were able to design a city that had no rival outside of the fathend. Naturally, they were able to build a sizeable estate that was fit for a minor queen.


    Like the Royal Pce of Kufstein, Khorijin''s home was embellished with the finest furnishings and internal details. Gold was around every corner, and the opulence was truly fit for a queen. Obviously, her home was considerably smaller than Berengar''s, but it was nicer than any pce outside of Germany.


    Khorijin gazed around at her new home with excitement. She could hardly believe such a wonderful pce was hers alone. So much so that she was quick to question Berengar for his generosity.


    "This is my new home?"


    A seductive smile emerged on Berengar''s face as he closed the distance between himself and the woman before whispering something into her ear.


    "Well, yours and our future children..."


    Although Khorijin had agreed to carry Berengar''s children, every time the subject was brought up in the past, she would distance herself from the man. However, after witnessing everything that Berengar had gifted to her, she could not help but feel attracted to him.


    Upon seeing he had seeded in his endeavors, Berengar smiled and grabbed hold of the woman''s dainty hand, before whispering another phrase into her ears.


    "Come, how about I show you the bedroom?"


    Khorijin could only nod her head in agreement as she allowed herself to be whisked away by the man. Soon she found herself in an extravagant master bedroom, with arge and plushy mattress. There was a canopy around the bed to hide what the two monarchs were about to do from the outside world.


    For the rest of the night, Berengar made love to Khorijin, and by the time the dawn rose on the next day, the woman was physically exhausted from the sheer volume of exercise she was put through. As for Berengar, he got up from the woman''s bed and entered the kitchen, where he prepared a pot of coffee.


    He sat down at the table with a German newspaper, and red its contents. The headline was not the least bit shocking to Berengar.


    "The Third Prince of Saxony''s cruel abuse is revealed!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    An entire article showing off the abuse the prince of saxony put his wives through, and the lengths he went to silence them. There were photos of the man''s arrest, and a sub-article about King Dietger von Wittelsbach breaking off his daughter''s engagement to the prince.


    Linde had done an impable job, and now all that was left was for Berengar to return to the Reich and approach the Bavarian King about a proper engagement between Anne and Hans. Something Berengar knew the man would not reject.


    The history between Austria and Bavaria was aplicated one. It was only a little over a decade ago that the Bavarians invaded Austria, eliminated the Habsburg line, and put most of the eastern portion of the duchy to the sword.


    Naturally, the Austrians did not forget these crimes. However, the Bavarians had more than paid an appropriate amount in reparations, and made up for their past mistakes by aligning themselves with Austria during the unification war. After a decade of peace and prosperity, the wounds between the two kingdoms had begun to heal.


    With the Austrian Prince marrying the Bavarian Princess, one might say it was truly the end of hostilities between the two realms, even if Bavaria had already been subservient to Austria for nearly a decade.


    Much like his father, out of all of Hans'' brides, only two of them would be capable of bearing children who had the right to inherit the throne, one of which was still open to legal interpretation. Princess Veronika Brezinova of Bohemia, and Princess Anne von Wittelsbach of Bavaria.


    With Bohemia''s Germanization in full effect, her offspring would just barely meet the qualifications to seed Hans, should the boy be the next Kaiser, which was bing ever more likely as the years passed.


    While Berengar was dwelling on these thoughts, Khorijin emerged from the bath while dressed in nothing but avish silk robe. She surprised Berengar by approaching him from behind, and wrapping her arms around his neck before kissing him on the lips. After which, the Crimean Queen sat down in the man''sp, and asked him a question.


    "So I guess this means I''m your woman now?"


    Berengar simply nodded his head in response before giving Khorijin a fair warning.


    "Now, until the day you die, you are mine, and mine alone. I''ll have you know I''m a very jealous lover. Should you take another man into your bed, I will raise this Kingdom of yours to the ground, and ce someone else upon its throne."


    This remark only caused Khorijin to giggle as she grabbed hold of Berengar''s mug and took a sip of his coffee, before responding to his threat with a flirtatious look on her pretty face.


    "I''ll keep that in mind... So what now?"


    Berengar sighed and ced his paper upon the dining table before looking Khorijin square in the eye and dering what needed to be said.


    "Now I return to the Reich. I wille back here once a month to pay you a visit and help you manage your Kingdom''s affairs. In the meantime, I have left a list of things you need to do as the new Queen of Crimea and the surrounding regions.


    In time, I will help you build an army which will be capable of conquering your neighbors to the east. After all, it is not just thisnd that you inhabit that you and our children are destined to rule over. However, for the meantime, internal matters are more important.


    You are a newly established Kingdom, and it will take some time to build a proper reputation and, more importantly, gain respect from the other world leaders. For now, you have the protection of the Reich, so should anyone try to bully you, give me a call, and I will set them straight."


    Khorijin responded to this information by kissing the man one more time. She then held onto her belly, which was still filled with the man''s seed, and nodded her head before epting the terms of their rtionship.


    "In nine months, I will give birth to your son. I hope you will be with me on that day."


    Berengar simply chuckled in response to this. After all, he had missed the births of almost all, if not all, his children. The likelihood of him being present for such an event was dreadfully low, still he did not outright say this and instead gave the woman hope.


    "We will see..."


    With this, the Crimean Khanate was officially established, and would be yet another puppet of the Reich.


    ---


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 Chapter 1033 Settling The West Coast

    While the German Empire had invested an ungodly sum of money and resources into the creation of a new kingdom located in the Crimean Penins and the surrounding regions. They had invested an evenrger sum into the development of its colonies abroad.


    Few people in this world knew just how much money Germany had spent constructing towns, cities, farms, and military bases across the globe, but the figure was certainly in the trillions of marks. And yet, in nearly a decade, many of these colonies had paid back this debt in full, and then some.


    Gold, silver, rubber, oil, coal, cash crops, iron, copper, among countless other resources. Each colony produced something of value, which was then shipped back to the fathend for refinement and production, where it would then make its way across the world in the form of trade.


    The wealth which was generated from this trade would then be invested into the development of the Reich as a whole, including the colonies where these resources were extracted. It was an ever-increasing profit stream. The more resources Germany came across, the more wealth that was generated.


    Naturally, this gave the Reich some liberty in how fast they could settle newnds and create new colonies. For example, at this very moment off the coast of what was referred to as California in Berengar''s past life, lie a massive fleet of merchant ships which were protected by a small naval escort.


    A total of fifty Dominion II-ss cargo ships were sailing towards the bay area. The goods they carried on board were specifically designed for a single purpose. The rapid establishment of a colony and military base within the west coast of Lindeheim.


    With the opening of the Neuschwaben Canal, Germany now had easy ess to the other side of the New World, something they nned to take advantage of in preparation for the uing war with Japan.


    Admiral Horst Schwarz stood on board the bow of a Henrietta-ss Battlecruiser as he looked through his binocrs and gazed upon the newnd, which Europeans had never set foot upon before.


    There was an expression of excitement on his gruff face as he gazed upon the untapped resources of the region.The Admiral quickly gave an order to a nearby deck officer, one which would change the fate of California forever.


    "Prepare thending craft and send the Marines ashore. If they encounter any savages, they have my permission to shoot on sight. By now, they should know the colonial policy of the Reich!"


    The deck officer quickly saluted his superior officer before rying the orders to the proper departments. Within the hour, a group ofnding craft which were being towed by the Battlecruiser hit the water and sped off towards the direction of the shoreline.


    On board thesending craft were a series of the newest models of the Sch��tzenpanzer Marder IFVs known as the Ausf B. Based upon the chassis of the Panther Tank, these armored vehicles were filled with German Marines whose task was to secure the region.


    Within one of these armored vehicles was none other than Linde''s little brother himself. Captain Herman von Habsburg had transferred from the German Army to the German Marine Corps in preparation for the war with Japan.


    It became abundantly clear to him that in this uing conflict, the Marines would see the majority of the action. Thus, in the need to prove himself, he had transferred to the Corps, where he now sat in a Marder IFV with his STG 27 Automatic Rifle in his hands. Soon enough, the armored vehicle hit the shores and began to press forward.


    Naturally, the arrival ofrge steel warships, as well as thending craft, and IFVs had drawn the attention of the local tribes, who raced to the coast to see just what was going on. Before long, there were hundreds of tribesman that had gathered near the coasts, and gazed upon these machines of war, as if they were witnessing the arrival of aliens themselves.


    The loud roars of the engines spooked the natives, who did not know how to react to what they were seeing. As for the IFVs, the moment they noticed the natives, they deployed the marines from the back hatch and aimed their auto cannons onto the gathered mobs.


    The Ausf B model of the Marder IFV upgraded its main turret from a 2cm auto-cannon to a 3.7cm auto-cannon. In doing so, it increased its lethality against soft targets and armored vehicles by a wide margin. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Thus, when the IFVs opened fired on the gathered mobs, the high explosive shells practically tore the natives'' bodies to pieces before the marines could even get a shot off. The savages did not even have the ability to react to these strange machines before they had already perished. With what little survives being mopped up by the marine infantry. Herman gazed upon the utter annihtion of the locals with a stoic expression on his face before issuing orders to his troops.


    "Back inside, we will storm the local settlements and annihte them before the main host arrives!"


    With that said, thepany of marines quickly piled back into the back of the IFVs, who sped up their engines and ran over the bloody remains of the ughtered natives without the slightest bit of remorse.


    Naturally, the thunder of the guns which apanied therge steel ships in the bay alerted the local tribes to the hostility of the Germans. Causing each local tribe to prepare themselves for war. However, what could they do against such an advanced empire? Sticks and stones had no ce on the modern battlefield, something which was about to be painfully obvious to these savages.


    The ten IFVs split off into groups of three, with themand vehicle staying behind on the beach to coordinatems with the main fleet. These three groups went in separate directions, looking to clear up the immediate vicinity of any local settlements, which is exactly what they did.


    When the first group of IFVs encountered a nearby vige, they immediately came under fire from arrows, whichughably bounced off the sloped steel armor of the Marders. The response to these attacks was swift retaliation via the automatic fire of a 3.7cm k gun, which effortlessly tore apart the grass huts, as well as those who lived inside.


    As for the German Marines, they deployed from behind the IFV and used it as cover, where a machine gunner mowed down the Natives with his MG-27, a gun modelled after the MG-42 from Berengar''s past life.


    The Angel of Death had descended from the heavens, and imed the lives of every viger, whether they be young or old, he did not discriminate. It was only after every single life was snuffed from existence did the methrower operator clear what remained of the straw structures with his weapon. The mes eroded away at the vige and the surrounding areas. All the while, the perpetrators re-entered their war machines and headed off into the distance to kill again.


    The German death squads deployed to every vige in a 100 sq km radius of thending zone, using the same tactics. First, they would light up the vige with the 37mm high explosive shells of the auto-cannon, then they would deploy machine gunners and auto rifleman to deal with the survivors, before finally using methrowers to burn what remained to ash.


    By the time the sun had set, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of lives, had perished, without the Marines suffering a single casualty. It was through this fire and smoke that the bay area was cleansed of its original inhabitants, an act which made thend itself ripe for colonization.


    It was only after the all clear was given by Captain Herman von Habsburg did the shipsnd on the shore, whose crews immediately began the construction of a harbor, naval base, airstrip, and settlement.


    The names of these tribes would forever be lost to human history, for the Germans had massacred them without even bothering to learn such a thing. All that would be written was a small passage about the cleansing of thend and the word ''savage'' being universally applied to all cultures which inhabited the bay area.


    Upon these countless graves, a massive settlement would be built, one which would one day be the pride of Lindeheim and the Reich''s gateway to the Pacific. From here, trade would traverse from sea to shining sea, and the German colonists would benefit dearly from the location.


    ---


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 Chapter 1034 Kneeling Before The Lndian Crown

    In the city of Anangpur, Emperor Dharya Tomara sat at his dining table. Today was not a normal day for the man who ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent. A prestigious guest from beyond his eastern border hade to visit.


    King Kriengsak of the Uthong dynasty, who ruled over the Ayutthaya Kingdom, had travelled a long way to visit the young Indian Emperor. With the world rapidly changing around him, Kriengsak felt a need to seek protection from a major power.


    If he failed to do so, then his realm would soon fall prey to the more predatory Empires of this world. However, the man was still undecided between bing a tributary of the Indian Empire or the Ming Dynasty, thus he had decided to meet with both Emperors and discuss what concessions he could gain in exchange for his allegiance.


    By now Dharya had be an efficient statesman, at least capable enough to be a proper subordinate to the Reich, and thus he had put on arge feast for his foreign guest, while showing off the wealth he had obtained from his ties to Germany.


    "King Kriengsak, I must say, it is indeed my greatest honor to host you here in my home. I understand you have some concerns, specifically regarding the current political crisis which faces southeast Asia.


    I want to assure you that if you choose to align yourself with India, I will allow you to rule over your ownnds with little interference. A yearly tribute is all I ask in exchange for my protection. As you may already be aware, the alliance between my Empire, and the Reich is a strong one.


    Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein is, in many ways, like a father to me. He took me in when I was forced into exile and provided a proper education for me regarding how to effectively rule over a nation. I assure you, if Japan, or the Ming dynasty were to attack yournds, then not only would the full weight of the Indian Army be at your beck and call, but the German Army would also be avable to aid you. This is something that the Ming Dynasty can not provide you with."


    Though there was a lot of truth to these words that Dharya had spoken, King Kriengsak was not entirely convinced. It wasn''t just a matter of defense of hisnds that had caused the man to seek an ally, there were other concerns which he had. Naturally, he was quick to give voice to these.


    "While it is true that the Indian Army has been armed, and trained by your German counterparts, your navy is severelycking whenpared to the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Zhu Wudi has purchased arge amount of warships from the Reich, including a heavy cruiser. Even Empress Itami herself isn''t foolish enough to interfere with their territorial waters.


    By aligning myself with your Empire, and by extension the Reich, I will be opening up my maritime borders to the Japanese Navy, should Germany and Japan end up in an armed conflict. Who will protect my trade then? Certainly not you! Whereas the Ming are neutral in this brewing conflict, and their navy can provide more than enough protection for my trade fleet in the event of an all out war in the east."


    Dharya knew this matter would be mentioned eventually and was quick to throw shade at his rival''s naval capabilities. He did so after drinking from his chalice, which was filled with imported wine from South Tyrol.


    "While it is true that the Ming Dynasty boasts a more capable navy than my Empire. I must remind you that the majority of the warships they have purchased from the Reich are none other than littoralbat ships. Small craft designed to protect the Ming coastline. They are not capable of deploying into deep waters, let alone protecting your trade fleets.


    As for the Ming''s actual deep water naval capabilities, they have a few dozen obsolete armored frigates, and one cruiser. Which, if I''m being honest, is entirely ceremonial, as the Ming sailors do not even know how to properly operate the vessel. The only reason they have such an advanced warship is because the Kaiser wished to antagonize Empress Itami.


    Should the Japanese Navy truly turn hostile against your trade fleets, then the Ming do not have the ability to protect your maritimemerce. Something which isn''t an issue for the Germans. By submitting to me, you are, in turn, submitting the Reich, who are more than capable of protecting their tributaries and allies."


    Silence prevailed in the room for some time, as the Thai King considered his options carefully. Dharya''s words were mostly correct. The warships that Germany had sold to the Ming were designed with one purpose in mind: coastal defense. As for the others, they were so obsolete they had no chance of standing against the might of the Japanese Navy.


    There were even rumors that Japan was watching Indochina with a close eye and could pounce on the region at a moment''s notice. If the Japanese were to truly invade the area, then it would be all out warfare between them and the Ming Dynasty. <novelnext></novelnext>


    If he were to side with the Ming, and this scenario were to ur, then he would be dragged into a war either way. The only difference was, the Ming could not protect him, while the Indians and their German allies could.


    Initially, Kriengsak had nned to speak with both Dharya and Zhu Wudi, but after hearing the Indian Emperor''s argument, he was fully convinced that siding with India was by far the better option. Thus, with a heavy sigh, the Thai King bowed his head in respect before announcing his decision.


    "You make a solid argument. I am more inclined to pledge my allegiance to your Empire than the Ming, however if I were to do this, then I would demand ess to the German markets in exchange for our allegiance."


    Upon hearing that he had seeded in convincing the man, a wry smile emerged on Dharya'' lips as he nodded his head in agreement with this demand, before voicing his thoughts.


    "I would expect nothing less. Do not fret, such a thing can be easily arranged. For now, let us enjoy this feast. We can discuss the exact details of this treaty in theing days. Please enjoy yourself!"


    King Kriengsak did not refuse this offer, instead he made a toast to the Indian Monarch and their newfound rtionship. After drinking his fair share of wine, and eating more than enough food, the man scampered off to the quarters he was afforded for the night where he passed out.


    As for Dharya, he stayed upte into the night, thinking about the uing war that was bound to be bloody. The new equipment that the Germans had sold to his army was terrifying, to say the least. Though he did not know whether Japan''s army was more advanced, he knew that as long as India received support from Germany, they could y a pivotal role in the war that was on the horizon.


    However, he couldn''t help but feel worried about the near future. Not only for himself and his people, but specifically for his sister. Priya had been living with Berengar for some time, and now carried his child in her womb. This worried the man. Although he had witnessed just how effective the German Army was in warfare, rumors from further east said that Japan''s army was just as mighty.


    Undoubtedly, a bloody conflict was about to take ce, and in the event that the Reich was defeated at the end, Priya would surely suffer dearly for her rtionship with the Kaiser. Dharya needed no further proof than the horrific acts he had seen in the Japanese Army and their alliesmit in the field of war.


    In the end, all that Dharya could do was put his faith in Berengar, and the man''s ability to emerge victorious. After all, he doubted Japan had the ability to project strength a world away. That was something only the Germans were capable of in this world.


    Thus, after drinking quite a bit of wine, Dharya made his way to his bedroom, where he was all alone. Despite being an Emperor, Dharya had yet to marry, nor had he taken a lover. His life was far too busy to entertain a woman. Instead, he lived a lonely life in this pce by himself with nothing but his servants to keep himpany. After climbing into his bed and pulling the covers over him, he fell into a deep sleep.


    In theing days, the Indian Empire would sign a treaty with the Ayutthaya Kingdom, establishing the realm as a tributary beneath their Indian overlords. In doing so, Dharya opened up thend to German trade routes. Something which had helped many a nation prosper over the past decade.


    ---


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 Chapter 1035 Alvars Disgrace

    It had been months since rtions had soured between the Kalmar Union and the German Empire. In retaliation for how poorly Alvar had treated his wife, Berengar had not only closed the Reich''s borders with their northern neighbor, but had also halted any and all trade.


    The official reasoning for such a drastic measure? The human trafficking ring that had previously existed within the Kalmar Union. As far as the German people were concerned, it was no longer safe to travel north.


    At first, Alvar hadughed at this petty response by the Kaiser. However, now he was beginning to be desperate as the Kalmar Union''s reserves of both luxury goods and necessities, which had previously been imported from the Reich, were now drying up.


    For too long, the Nordic Kingdoms and their economies had relied upon the overwhelming amount of trade which existed between their region and their southern neighbor. Without these resources, the economy of the Kalmar Union was now in shambles, and even worse, people were dying. Not only from malnourishment but also diseases which had previously been cured by German medicine.


    Public outrage among the Nordic people was at an all-time high, and the demand to deal with these human traffickers had sparked protests outside High King Alvar''s pce. As a result, the man, and his family were trapped inside their own hold, waiting for the people''s wrath to pass.


    Ingrid was particrly worried about the whole ordeal. She had thought that her rtionship with Hans was going great, but instead, the boy merely used her to feed his growing desires. Now she was left without an engagement to the boy who would one day be the most powerful man in the world.


    Self-reflection was not in a woman''s nature, and yet at this moment, Ingrid sat in her room, disparaged by everything that had urred in thesest few months. No man wanted her, after rumors of her actions had spread across the Nobility of Scandinavia.


    At most, she would be able to marry the second or third prince of some backwater, like Scond. Something she could never be satisfied with after living in the Reich for the past few years. Needless to say, her future was utterly ruined.


    While Ingrid sulked in her depression, Alvar bit his nails with anxiety. If he did not solve this dispute soon, then his reign woulde to a bitter and bloody end. However, after so rudely biting the hand that fed him, he would have to grovel like a properly beaten hound, something which he knew Berengar would take full advantage of. The price for his sins would be heavy, and Alvar did not know if he could actually afford it.


    Despite this reality, the Danish King had no option but to escape from the mob outside his gates and enter the German Embassy in Copenhagen, hoping that they would have some means to contact the Kaiser of the German Empire. With this in mind, he carefully plotted his venture before embarking towards his destination.


    ---


    The call camete in the night. So much so that when the maid entered the Kaiser''s bedchamber to awaken her master, Berengar was lying naked in his bed, next to his sister and cousin, all three of whom were fast asleep.


    After being physically reborn, Berengar''s body no longer required many hours of sleep. Four was a healthy number, and despite this fact, he hated more than anything to be unnaturally awoken from his slumber.


    Thus, when the servant entered his room and quietly woke him, Berengar red at the woman with intense fury. An act which caused the girl to shiver in fear. She could barely get the words out of her mouth as she informed the man of what had urred north of his borders.


    "M... My... Kaiser... There is a telephone call for you from the German Embassy in Copenhagen. They apologize for contacting you at thiste hour, but the ambassador says the matter is urgent."


    Berengar rose out of his covers and sighed heavily when he heard this, his pale white figure glistening under the moonlight. A sight which caused the maid to flush in embarassment. Though she had on more than one asion seen her master naked, she had never gotten ustomed to the sight.


    Naturally, as a man who was confident in his own appearance, Berengar did not care in the slightest that his flesh was exposed for the young woman to see. Instead, he climbed out of his bed nonchntly, and wrapped a silk robe around his body, before informing the girl to make some preparations for his call.


    "Prepare me a cup of coffee. If I''m going to be entertaining Alvar thiste at night, then I will need something to help keep me awake."


    The girl instantly nodded her head before running off from the room to do as she was instructed. Meanwhile, Berengar yawned as he left his bedroom and strode through his halls until finally entering his study, where he quickly shut the door behind him. Berengar then sat down at his desk where he dialed the German Embassy in Copenhagen on his telephone.


    Over the past two years, Berengar had invested a substantial sum of money into establishing andline phonework, which extended across the entirety of the fathend, as well as into Denmark, for swift contact with the German Embassy in the region.


    Currently, there were even efforts toy down transantic underwater cables so that Berengar could have easier contact with his colonies. His n was for in the next five years to have an empire wide phonework, which would allow all citizens from every corner of the Empire to contact one another with their personal telephones.


    After his call went through, Berengar heard a rather timid voice answer the line. The Kaiser recognized who it was immediately. The voice belonged to the German Ambassador to the Kalmar Union.


    "My Kaiser, I am terribly sorry to awake you at this ungodly hour, but the High King of the Kalmar Union is sitting in my office, begging for a chance to speak with you. I figured this matter was urgent enough to warrant this terrible sin of mine."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar sighed and rubbed his fingers onto the bridge of his nose, as he struggled to deal with this matter with some form of tact. He was silent for several moments before speaking to his ambassador.


    "It''s fine, put Alvar on the line..."


    The obvious hint of dissatisfaction in the Kaiser''s voice did not go unnoticed, but rather than further waste his superior''s time, the German Ambassador quickly did as instructed. The moment Berengar heard Alvar breathing on the other end, he began to chew out the man.


    "You have a lot of nerve for calling me sote at night. Whatever you have to say, get on with it. I don''t want to waste any more time than I have to..."


    Despite the obvious rudeness in Berengar''s tone, Alvar bit his tongue and spoke like a properly beaten dog, with the utmost respect in his voice.


    "Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. I ask this as your friend and ally. Hasn''t this blockade gone on long enough? My people are dying! You''ve already eliminated those who were responsible for the grave sin of human trafficking. Won''t you lift your sanctions already and restore the peace between our realms?"


    Contrary to the response Alvar was expecting, Berengar merely scoffed. The moment he did, so the door opened to reveal his maid, who had prepared him a proper cup of coffee. She handed the cup over to her master before silently leaving. Once she was gone, Berengar took a sip from his drink before responding to Alvar''s questions.


    "Where was this respect when you werest in my pce? While I am away on important matters of state, my wife saves your kingdom from open rebellion, while your bitch of a daughter takes advantage of my underage son.


    And yet, you dare behave so rudely to my woman, even after everything she has done for you? Maybe it would have been better to have removed you along with the catholics. You have disappointed me, Alvar."


    Berengar could practically hear the Danish King bow his head in regret on the other end of the line. However, he did not give the man a chance to speak, and instead made his demands outright.


    "There is only one way that I will reopen my borders and continue trading with your realm. The day that my son Kristofferes of age and marries your granddaughter Astrid, you are to name him your sole heir. You are then to abdicate your throne and forsake any ims your family has to it. This is non-negotiable.


    It has be increasingly clear to me that only a member of my household is fit to rule over the North. Swear to me that you will do this under pain of death, and I will restore things to the way they were prior to yourck of respect."


    Alvar had known when he first visited the German Embassy that he would have to pay a heavy price to re-establish ties with the Reich. However, to give up his throne to an outsider. That was far too cruel for him to ept.


    And yet, the man had no choice. If the flow of goods from the Reich was not restored soon, the most likely oue would be open rebellion. Something he was not prepared to face. Especially if Berengar decided to fund the rebels.


    Not only that, but his granddaughter was essentially a hostage at this point in time. She had remained in the Reich while Alvar had taken his daughter home with him. If he refused this demand, any number of things could happen to the sweet little girl.


    Of course, Berengar would never harm a hair on the innocent girl''s head. He was many things, but a monster was not one of them. Still, Alvar did not know this, and thus he sighed heavily before finally epting his utter defeat.


    "Very well. If that is the price to pay, I shall pay it in full. I swear to you, that the moment your sones of age, and marries my granddaughter, I will name him my sole heir, before abdicating my throne, and forsaking any ims my family might have to it, once and for all. If I fail to live up to this vow, then you may im my worthless life whenever you see fit."


    The line remained silent for several moments as Berengar continued to sip on his coffee with a sadistic sneer on his face. It was only after he had finished his drink did he respond to the Danish King''s vow.


    "Good... Get a good night''s rest, Alvar, for tomorrow I will reopen my borders and restart the flow of goods into yournds. I trust you won''t disappoint me a second time."


    After saying this, Berengar hung up the line, not giving the man a chance to respond. Though Alvar had no way of knowing it, Berengar had recorded the entire conversation. Thus, even if Alvar did try to back out of this deal, the evidence of his pledge would still exist, and could easily delegitimize the Danish King and his entire family line.


    ---


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 Chapter 1036 The New Lndian Capital

    Roughly eight months had passed since Dharya was named Emperor of India, and during this time the German Military had been hard at work constructing one of theirrgest naval/air bases in Sri Lanka. Which had been ceded to them in the treaty which ended the war.


    For years, Singapore had been the primary means of naval operations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, however, that was now changing. With each passing year, more and more warships were being produced by Germany''s many shipyards.


    So much so that there were now ten carrier strike groups in total, most of which boasted the most modern warships at the Reich''s disposal among their ranks. Naturally, in preparation for the uing war with Japan, Berengar had ced two of these strike groups in the east. One stationed in Singapore, while another was docked in Sri Lanka''s harbor.


    However, with recent investments into the Pacific, it would not be long before a third carrier strike group was permanently stationed in Hawaii, while a fourth was docked in Australia. This meant that the Kriegsmarine had effectively cornered the Imperial Japanese Navy into a tiny section of ocean to operate within.


    Currently, Berengar stood on the shores of Sri Lanka, gazing upon his most recent naval base with a sense of pride in his mismatched eyes. He could hardly believe how quickly the German Empire had expanded across the globe.


    For the first time in world history, a civilization now had the means to control the world''s oceans and project force around the globe. This was something that both Germany and Japan had beenpeting for. But only one of the two Empires was able to achieve.


    By Berengar''s side was the admiral he had ced in charge of the carrier strike group which sat in the harbor. Because his was a fleet that was tasked primarily with countering the Imperial Japanese Navy, he had received priority for the newest battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, modelled after Germany''s most efficient designs from the second world war of Berengar''s past life.


    While the two men gazed upon the fleet, the Admiral, whose name was Herbert von Hess,mented on the power which just one of these carrier strike groups was capable of wielding.


    "Excuse me if what I''m about to say is inappropriate, but I truly pity the Japanese. They are a paper tiger which has provoked a mighty dragon. Just one of these fleets is more than enough to sink the entire Japanese Navy, and yet you want four of them located in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. I can''t tell whether you''re a sadist, or a man who is overly cautious..."


    This remark caused Berengar tough for some time. It was rare for his subordinates to speak to him in such a way. The only men who usually dared to do so were close friends like Ludwig, Adelbrand, Heimerich, and, of course, Eckhard. For this Admiral who was not particrly close with his Kaiser, to make such a statement was truly amusing. Thus, it came as no surprise when Berengar made a lighthearted remark of his own.


    "Can''t I be both?"


    The two menughed at Berengar''sment before remaining utterly silent. After several moments had passed, Berengar ced his hand on the man''s shoulder and gave him a nod of approval.


    "Everything looks in order. I have noints. My journey here was not wasted. To see such a mighty fleet in person, it is as you say, the Japanese are truly pitiful. Keep up the excellent work, I''m afraid I can''t stay and chat must longer for I need to catch a flight to Anangpur. Continue as you were, Admiral."


    After saying this, Berengar approached the airfield where he took his personal ne to the city of Anangpur, where Emperor Dharya Tomara awaited his arrival. After stepping out of the aircraft, Berengar was greeted by his foster son.


    Since seeing a military psychiatrist, Dharya was able to work through a lot of his issues regarding his past trauma, and his overly protective nature of his sister. He hade to ept Berengar and Priya''s rtionship, albeit begrudgingly. Thus, there was not the usual animosity between the two men as they approached one another.


    "Dharya, it''s good to see you. How have you beentely?"


    Dharya smiled and led Berengar towards the carriage, which would take the two of them to the pce. Once inside, he was quick to answer the Kaiser''s question.


    "I have noints. I have been busytely working on your proposal, and I think you will be interested in what I havee up with."


    Berengar nodded his head slightly in approval and maintained a casual conversation with Dharya until the two men entered the Anangpur Pce, where a scale replica of a conceptual city existed on arge table. The Kaiser closely observed the city and all its details, while Dharya exined what it represented.


    "I must say, when your Architects and Engineers arrived in my pce with your rmendation of building a new capital city closer to the coastline in order to improve trade between our two realms, I thought that you were out of your mind. However, your men worked together with my own architects to create something reasonable.


    What you see is an effort to reconstruct the city of Dwarka into a modern capital. The architecture is our own, but your civil engineers designed theyout of the city, and how it is structured in order to amodate things like plumbing, waste management, roads, bridges, etc. Your men preach how you yourself are an aplished engineer, and thus they wanted you to give our model a proper look before we begin investing into its construction."


    Berengar examined every single corner of the city with his advanced mind for several minutes before concluding that the men in his employ had done an excellent job in making sure this new capital would have everything it needed to seed. <novelnext></novelnext>


    While the Kaiser was closely examining the model city, his engineers had gathered and were practically biting their nails in anticipation of the man''s verdict, which he was quick to give once he had concluded his survey.


    "It looks good. I have no major rmendations. When will you begin construction?"


    Dharya did not hesitate to answer this question, as he wore a proud smile on his face.


    "Effective immediately. We project that within five years, Dwarka will be fully reconstructed into a modern city, one worthy of being my Empire''s new capital."


    Berengar simply nodded his head with approval while maintaining his silence on the matter. He was not going to personally invest arge sum of money into this venture. Most of the finances wereing out of Dharya''s own pocket.


    However, having a coastal capital, when onecked the infrastructure to swiftly transport resources across their empire, was a good idea. Especially since India was bing more and more reliant on trade with the Reich.


    After waiting for Berengar''s response for over a minute, Dharya decided to switch the subject to something he thought would interest the man more.


    "Oh, by the way... The Ayutthaya Kingdom is now a protectorate of my Empire."


    Berengar smirked when he heard this before responding to Dharya''s statement with an expression of utter confidence.


    "You think I didn''t already know that? Since the moment the Ayutthaya King first set sail towards yournds, I was already aware of his intentions. I must say I am proud of you. The man was leaning more towards the Ming Dynasty as his protector, but you convinced him otherwise. It would appear that I have taught you well."


    Dharya did not know why, but he felt a sense of pride overtake him as he heard Berengar''spliments. In the past, he had been bitter and resentful towards the man for taking his sister as a mere concubine.


    But now, Dharya was grateful for everything the Kaiser had done, for without Berengar, Priya would be dead, and he would still be a puppet of his uncle. Thus, he bowed his head respectfully before responding to Berengar''s praise.


    "Thank you for your kind words, but I do not believe I am yet worthy of your praise."


    A simple scoff emerged from Berengar''s lips as he heard this humble remark, before changing the subject to something else that had been lingering in his mind for some time.


    "By the way, Priya has been pestering me to ask you: when are you going to find yourself a proper bride? She''s beginning to worry that you might be a homosexual."


    Dharya could feel his cheeks burn in embarassment as he heard what his own sister thought of him. He could only shake his head and sigh before answering the man honestly.


    "I have been much too busy to even think about entertaining a wife, let alone marrying one. Besides, I''m still young. I can wait a little while longer before I take a bride.''


    Berengar did not respond to this and only nodded his head silently in understanding, all while making a mental note to prepare a bride for the poor and lonely man. Although such a union could pose problems for session, Berengar had already nned for this eventuality.


    The two emperors would spend the rest of the day catching up before Berengar flew back home to the Reich. After inspecting the Naval Base in Sri Lanka, and discussing with Dharya about the construction of his new capital, he had aplished both his goals in visiting the region.


    ---


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 Chapter 1037 The Lnvasion Of Borneo Begins

    In the midst of a midsummer night, dozens ofnding craft waded through the waters off the shores of Borneo. Tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of armored vehicles lie in wait for their boats to hit the shore. The moment they did so, an invasion would begin.


    Empress Itami Riyo had given no notice to thends which were on her newest list to conquer. While these soldiers prepared for a war against the Royal Majapahit Army, another invasion force was heading towards the northern Isles of the Philippines.


    It was bad luck that these soldiers were sent towards the heavily fortified and well-guarded region of Borneo. Unlike the Philippines, the Royal Majapahit Army was well armed and trained by their German Allies.


    A Japanese Lieutenant by the name of Ide Katsumitsu clutched the hilt of his sword with both hands, fearing the possibility of an opposednding. Only the darkness of the night concealed their presence from the Majapahit defenders who had entrenched their coastline with steel reinforced concrete bunkers, heavy machine guns, and coastal artillery.


    In the next moment, a loud crackle filled the air as res wereunched high into the sky, revealing the Japanesending craft to the enemy defenders. Anguage which Lieutenant Ide did not understand could be overheard shouting from the bunkers as the Majapahit defenders loaded their guns in preparation for an invasion that hadpletely caught them off guard.


    Thunder echoed in the air as 10cm field guns lined up their shots and opened fired on thending craft, which slowly made their way to the shore. The water of the ocean sshed onto Lieutenant Ide''s face as a shell narrowly missed his boat, and instead exploded in the water beside it. Causing the man to feel an intense tingle down his spine, as if the angel of death was watching him closely, waiting for the precise moment to im his life.


    Othernding craft were not so lucky, as artillery shells struck their sides, forcing the men and armored vehicles to bail out before they were ready. Screams filled the air as machine guns echoed in the distance, their bullets shooting into the water, where the Japanese infantry now tried their best to swim to the shore.


    While Lieutenant Ide was throwing up from his own anxiety, the door to hisnding craft opened, as the ship hit the shore. The moment it did so, the heavy machine guns began to rain fired into thending craft.


    Bullets pierced through the torsos and limbs of the Japanese soldiers who were unfortunate enough not to be sheltered by the armored vehicles, while others bounced off the Type 4 Chi-To Tanks and their apanying armored personnel carriers.


    With thending craft open, and the armored vehicles roaring to life, Lieutenant Ide gave the order to advance while unsheathing his de and restoring his warrior spirit.


    "Tennoheika banzai!"


    The bugel resounded in the air, and the charge began as multiplending craft hit the shores, allowing the Japanese Invasion force to charge forward and into the machine gun fire as if their lives depended on it.


    Lieutenant Ide took the lead with sword in hand as he scaled across the beaches, where barbed wire lied in ce, to hold off the advance of the infantry. Unfortunately, the Majapahit Empire had not expected the introduction of Japanese Armored vehicles, and thus these meagre defenses were quickly steamrolled by therge tanks which aimed their 75mm guns down onto the bunkers and fired their shells without relent.


    The explosions rocked the bunkers, clearing out machine-gun nests, and artillery pieces alike. All the while, the armored vehicles provided protection for the Japanese troops from the enemy defenders. Ide stacked up behind a tank, along with several men of his unit.


    In one hand, he carried a pistol, while in the other, he carried his sword. He randomly fired his shots towards the heavily defended bunkers, while the riflemen and machine gunners of his unit did the same.


    However, the Majapahit artillery fire was still a threat, and in retaliation of the tank''s bombardment of their positions. The Majapahit soldiers quickly adjusted the aim of their field guns to target the tanks, and fired at the massive war machines.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The 100mm high explosive shells of these artillery pieces were more than enough to severely damage the tanks at close range, let alone the armored personnel carriers. However, so too were the Type 4 Chi-To''s main guns, capable of eliminating the entrenched artillery pieces, and unfortunately, the Japanese had more tanks than the Majapahit had artillery.


    Very soon, the Imperial Japanese Army, where men like Lieutenant Ide, entered the trenches with bay and swords in hand overran the first line of bunkers and trenches, all while screaming their battle cry.


    "Tennoheika Banzai!"


    With this shout, Ide shed down at a majapahit defender''s chest with his Katana, splitting open the man''s unarmored torso, and ending his life on the spot. He then aimed his pistol towards an oing attacker and fired his shot straight into the man''s heart.


    The Majapahit defenders did not give up so easily, and shifted the aim of their semiautomatic rifles towards the Japanese invaders, gunning down hundreds of men in a matter of seconds. While the Majapahit did not expect the Japanese to be armed with tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers, so too were the Japanese unaware of the capable small arms which the Majapahit defenders wielded into battle.


    Despite this fact, the Japanese fought their way into the bunker system, and though thousands of their men fell by the wayside, they continued to advance forward with absolute ferocity. After all, the cultists of the War Goddess wielded submachine guns and ruthlessly gunned down those among their ranks who dared to take one step back.


    The sight of which spread fear among the Majapahit troops as they retreated from the first line of bunkers, and back inward towards the second line of defense. All the while, the Japanese Army fired upon them from behind.


    Once the retreating men had cleared the trench line, the second row of defenders returned fire into the Japanese ranks. Men were cut down left and right as they tried to navigate through the barbed wirebyrinth. That is until the Type 4 Chi-To''s caught up to their advance, and plowed through the wire barricades as if they posed not even the slightest of challenges.


    Once beyond the first line of defense, Ide waited to charge forward, until he could hide safely behind the protection of a tank. The armored vehicles of the Imperial Japanese Army had be the spearhead of this invasion, allowing the Japanese soldiers to escape from the wrath of machine gun fire until they were close enough to take the trenches and bunkers.


    However, as Ide jumped into the second trench, he was immediately shot in the gut by an 8mm projectile. He struggled to remain standing, as defied his death, and charged towards the man who shot him. With a sword in one hand, he decapitated his opponent before turning around to find another soldier''s bay lodged into his waist.


    A cry of pain erupted from the Japanese officer''s lips as he pointed his pistol towards the man who had stabbed him and fired through shots into the enemy''s chest. Soon after his own troops entered the trench to protect him, however the fighting was fierce, and as Lieutenant Ide was struggling to reload his sidearm, a Majapahit Machine gunner, armed with a Mg-27(t) sprayed a burst of lead into his chest, iming the officer''s life.


    Lieutenant Ide Katsumitsu fell back into the muddy trench and gazed up towards the sun, which rose in the east. Dreaming of his homnd and wondering why they were fighting such a pointless war while he drew hisst breath. As for his unit, they continued to advance without regard to their superior''s demise.


    By the time the dawn had risen on this day, the Imperial Japanese Army secured the first section of Borneo''s beach, all while another invasion was taking ce in the Northern Philippines. Despite the initial victory for the Japanese, the price they had paid was steep. Over three thousand of their soldiers had died, and several armored vehicles were no longer operable. Thus, setting the stage for a long and brutal war.


    ---


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 Chapter 1038 The German Reaction

    Berengar sat back in his war room and gazed upon a map which was sprawled across arge table. The Ind of Borneo in particr had caught his interest while his military officers continued to update the positions of the wooden figures which represented the factions at y.


    Empress Itami Riyo of the Japanese Empire had invaded the Majapahit Empire in a bid to secure a stable supply of bauxite. Something Berengar had not only anticipated, but had an active hand in deciding.


    However, in her hubris, Itami had also invaded the Northern Philippines at the exact same time. As a result, two areas of conflict were urring, and while the Majapahit Empire managed to hold some of its ground, Mani had fallen within the hour of the Japanese invasion.


    Despite all of this, there was a stoic expression on the Kaiser''s face while he listened to ams operator report on thetest losses the Imperial Japanese Army had suffered.


    "It is confirmed three out of three floatnes are KIA. The credit goes to Majapahit k guns stationed in the interior of Borneo. As of this moment, the Imperial Japanese Army is advancing while blind!"


    In the next moment, a German officer approached the map and removed the wooden figures which represented the three float nes that the Nagato-ss Battleship carried onboard its deck. These reconnaissance aircraft were crucial to the Japanese War effort, and had only been taken out so early on because the Japanese had not expected their enemy to be equipped with anti-aircraft capabilities.


    No doubt Itami would be seething when she finally learned of this disaster. Despite this good news, Berengar remained pletely unfaced with an ice cold expression on his face while he continued to listen to the iing reports.


    "It has just been confirmed, five Type 4s KIA. The Japanese Army has made first contact with Majapahit Anti-Tank guns."


    The weapon thems officer was referring to was none other than the 8.8cm Pak43, which Berengar had invested arge sum into mass producing for the sake of his allies in the east. The Indian Empire, the Majapahit Empire, the Joseon Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty had been sold thousands of these weapons over the past six months in direct preparation for this conflict.


    After learning that Itami had begun the mass production of tanks and aircraft, Berengar made sure that not only were he allied equipped with proper countermeasures, but he himself was. In doing so, Berengar created a modified variant of the Jagdpanther from his past life as a dedicated Tank Destroyer. It wasn''t difficult to make, as the tank destroyer used the same chassis as all of his armored vehicles, while also making use of 8.8cm Pak43 as its main armament.


    Though Germany had yet to fully dedicate its forces into this war, as Berengar did not have a defensive pact with the Majapahit Empire. He knew it was only a matter of time before Itami fucked up and gave him a casus belli. Thus, with every day that passed, the German war machine toiled to produce more equipment.


    Updates continued to stream into the room, while the map continued to be updated ording to thetest intel. Until finally, thems operated gave Berengar the words he wanted to hear most.


    "The Japanese advance in Borneo has halted. It appears they are waiting for more men and supplies before continuing their assault. However, it would appear that the northern isles of the Philippines arepletely under Japanese upation."


    Since the moment the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the two regions, Berengar had remainedpletely emotionless. It was only after hearing thisst bit of news that Berengar had finally begun to smile.


    Naturally, the Ming Emperor would be upset about this recent invasion of the Northern Philippines. After all, the territory was owned by several Ming Tributaries. However, now that the entire region had fallen into the hands of the Japanese Empire, Berengar could make use of this tragedy to spring a trap against his rivals in Japan. Thus, it came as no surprise when he issued a direct order to one of thems operators after hearing this news.


    "Get the Ming Emperor on the line. I need to speak with him."


    Thems operator did exactly as he was told and within a few minutes Berengar was having a private discussion with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.


    "Zhu Wudi, I suppose by now you have heard of what the Japanese have done?"


    There was an obviously disgruntled voice on the other end, as the Ming Emperor spat back to Berengar in a rather foul tone.


    "Have youe to gloat, oh mighty Kaiser, or do you actually have a solution to my current headache?"


    This crass response elicited a chuckle from Berengar''s lips, before a deep sneer stretched itself across his face. His next words would deal a mighty blow to his rivals in Japan. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "For this unprovoked attack on several of your tributaries, I feel that economic sanctions are in order, don''t you think?"


    Despite Berengar''s suggestion, the only thing which was on Zhu Wudi''s mind was his fury, and the man was quick to vent it.


    "Economic Sanctions? How many times has this little bitch gone out of her way to provoke me? And what have I ever done to her? I have half a mind to sail my troops across the pond and attack her home directly for this outrage!"


    Berengar lowered the phone from his ear, and allowed the Ming Emperor to continue his rant for some time, briefly checking in every few seconds. The level of obscenities which Zhu Wudi had cast upon Itami were no small amount. In the end, the man had calmed himself enough for Berengar to get a word in, which he was quick to take advantage of.


    "Wudi, my friend, you need to calm down and think rationally here. If you were to actually invade Japan at this moment, all you would manage to aplish is create a power vacuum for the next greatest asshole to take advantage of.


    Listen to me, Itami''s economy is struggling as it is. If you were to cut off her only means of trade, it willpletely copse upon itself. Then she will have to deal with the outrage of her starving people as she sends their sons to die in vain for some foreign country.


    Your response should be simple, but effective. Cut of all trade with Japan, and together we will convince the rest of the world to do the same. Once we have done this, her paper currency will be worthless.


    Besides, you may not be aware, but Itami''s transition away from the gold standard has already upset many of the Samurai ns under her reign. Make that paper worthless, and they will be lining up to cut off the bitch''s head!


    First, we respond with economic sanctions, then if the bitch still continues to act like this, military interventiones next."


    Naturally, Berengar had left out the part about his wife''s counterfeit operations, which were set to take ce the moment the Ming Dynasty ceased trade with the Japanese Empire. By now, millions of false banknotes were already within the borders of the Japanese maind, just waiting to enter cirction.


    As Berengar was thinking about this, one of thems operators reported some news that Berengar had not expected.


    "It is just now confirmed, two Japanese Destroyers have struck mines off the coast of Java, and have been destroyed. The Japanese invasion force that was inbound to the Majapahit capital is turning back to Borneo."


    Berengar nearly shouted in excitement when he heard this news, but he retrained himself because he was still on the radio with the Ming Emperor. He had not only made ample preparations by supplying the Majapahit Empire with weapons and training for this war.


    But over the past six months, the Kriegsmarine had alsoid thousands of mines throughout critical waterways within the maritime borders of the Majapahit Empire, making it nigh impossible for Itami''s fleet to attack their capital.


    After calming himself, Berengar returned his focus to the radio, where he could hear Zhu Wudi pondering Berengar''s suggestion. Ultimately, after several moments of silence, the man responded.


    "Very well, we shall do it your way! Together, we will convince the entire world to halt trade with the Japanese Empire. If the bitch continues to struggle, then I will be forced to intervene in the Northern Philippines and the Joseon Dynasty."


    Itami had made a grave mistake by invading the Northern Philippines. It was one thing to seize Borneo for its vast bauxite deposits. However, by taking the strategically importantnd in the Northern Philippines, Itami had stabbed herrgest trading partner in the back, an act which they would not tolerate a second time.


    As for Berengar, he simply sat back and fanned the mes of war so that they burned his enemies and his enemies alone. It was not yet time for the Reich to disy its true power to the world. Not until a proper casus belli had urred. But when it did, Japan would feel the wrath of the German Empire like no other had endured in history.


    ---


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 Chapter 1039 The Japanese Reaction

    Itami stared at the map, which disyed the most recent information about her current operations overseas, with a gaze of disbelief on her immacte face. She did not understand how this had urred.


    For six months she had kept her ns to invade Borneo as an absolute secret, so much so that the majority of the troops who were sent to conquer the Ind had no idea they were headed to Borneo until the day of their assault.


    Instead, all effort was directed towards the Northern Philippines being her target. And yet, the Majapahit Empire not only knew she would be attacking, they had made ample preparations. While Itami had known for some time that Germany was supplying and training the Majapahit Army. She had assumed it was at a technological level on par with the Anangpur and Bengal armies.


    Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected heavy machine guns, light machine guns, semiautomatic rifles, antitank guns, k guns, and advanced artillery to spread across the inds. Let alone ocean mines protecting the Majapahit capital from her fleets.


    The war had only just begun, and in a single day, Itami had lost roughly ten thousand troops, twenty-four armored vehicles, six floatnes, and two destroyers. All for a measly fifty square kilometers ofnd in Borneo.


    Luckily, the operation in the Northern Philippines had gone off as nned. Within a single day, the Imperial Japanese Armypletely upied the entire region, and Itami had half a mind to conscript the locals and send them into Borneo in order to replenish her losses.


    Ultimately, Itami was forced to halt her advance in Borneo and rethink her strategy. It had be abundantly clear that a single division was not enough to defeat her enemies in the region. She would have to send at least fifty thousand men if she wanted to take Borneo, and that was a low estimate. As the albino beauty was wallowing in her losses, further distress entered the room, as one of her statesmen interrupted her brooding session to add to her pile of disappointments.


    "Tennoheika sama... The Ming Dynasty has responded to our invasion of the Northern Philippines, they have ced economic sanctions against our Empire. As of right now, we have no trading partners."


    A murderous re appeared in the Japanese Empress''s blood-red eyes as she heard this news. She knew this was a possibility, but she at the very least expected a diplomatic discussion about her surprise invasion.


    To just outright sanction her over this minor offense, there was only one man responsible, and she knew exactly who to me. Through her gritted teeth, Itami hissed the name of her greatest enemy.


    "Berengar von Kufstein..."


    Itami''s mind was already at its limits of stress, and when she heard this news, she could not help but shriek at her Generals as if she was a banshee.


    "Everyone out! Now!"


    Not wanting to upset the Empress, every man and woman who stood in Itami''s war room fled, as if nerve gas had flooded the room. Once they were gone, and the door was shut behind her, the Albino beauty flew into a fit or rage, knocking the wooden pieces which represented the factions at war off the map with a swipe of her hand.


    While she gazed upon the scattered figures, she felt a deep sense of calm overwhelm her enraged heart, as if the arms of her most beloved had wrapped themselves around her. In Itami''s mind, she heard the words of a man she knew did not exist in this world. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "My love, what is wrong? So your ns did not go your way. Such a thing is natural in life. What you should be doing is adapting to your circumstances, and thinking how best to make your counter attack.


    If the enemy is heavily entrenched in the jungles, with weapons that are capable of halting your advance, then there is really only one solution, is there not? Did you not prepare the DH.98 Mosquito specifically for this possibility?"


    Itami sighed heavily, as she looked behind her, and gazed upon the figure of her past life''s love interest, which she knew was only a figment of her imagination, and yet in her mind it was so vivid, as if he was truly standing right there in front of her.


    "But, Julian! They have sufficient anti-air capabilities, and I don''t have any carriers! How am I supposed to get enough bombers into the air above Borneo to perfectly bombard their entrenched positions?"


    The ghost of Julian grabbed hold of Itami''s dainty chin and wiped the tears from her eyes while he assured her that such a thing was entirely within her power.


    "As usual, my love, you are overthinking things. Your bombers have a range 2,400 kilometers, and you have already established air bases in the southern Philippines. You have more than enough mosquitos for a round trip. Sure, you might lose a few of your bombers, but your industry is more than capable of recing them, especially since they''rergely made out of wood!


    There''s a reason you invested into aircraft like the Ki-106, and the DH.98 Mosquito, it''s because you know that youck ess to bauxite. However, you can mass produce wooden nes at a quicker rate than the Germans can manufacture their aluminum ones, and thus you have the advantage in terms of how many aircraft you can spam against your enemies.


    The solution to your problem is simple. First, you must tten the enemy bunkers and trenches, and then, when they are reeling from the damage, you should advance your armor and infantry from all sides. Once they are surrounded, and their most heavy weapons are destroyed, they will fold like a paper tiger."


    The tears in Itami''s eyes had long since dried, and a smile appeared on her lips as she thanked the spectral image of her dead love interest before attempting a kiss.


    "Thank you Julian, I don''t know what I would do without you!"


    However, just when the Japanese Empress was about to kiss the figure in front of her, he disappeared, leaving her all alone in the war room. A slight pout emerged on Itami''s lips, as she realized yet again she wasn''t able to fulfill her desire. However, she quickly snapped out of it, and summoned her forces into the room, where she ryed ''Julian''s'' orders to the lot of them.


    With this strategy in ce, Itami had nned her second offensive. One that she felt she would have much more sess in. As for Berengar, when he learned of how quickly the woman was able to adapt against him, his opinion of the Japanese Empress would raise ever so slightly.


    ---


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 Chapter 1040 Negotiating A Betrothal

    While Itami was focusing all her efforts on her campaign in Borneo, Berengar was ratherx about the whole situation. He spent very little time in his war room, catching up on thetest updates. The reason behind this was simple.


    Over the past fifteen years, he had established a highlypetent chain ofmand that was entirely capable of waging war without his input. And since this was a proxy war at the moment, there really wasn''t much that Berengar needed to do himself.


    This was something that Empress Itami Riyo waspletelycking in her own government, and as a result, she was forced to micromanage every second of the war that she was awake for. As for Berengar himself, he had a very important meeting with another German Monarch.


    The political structure of the German Empire was split into several small kingdoms, principalities, and grand duchies, at least as far as the fathend was concerned, with the King of Austria also being the Emperor of Germany.


    However, there were other "monarchs" in name only, and one of these men was Dietger von Wittelsbach, the King of Bavaria. It had been some time since the engagement between Anne and the third prince of Saxony had been broken, and suitors had lined up at the door of the Bavarian King looking for the girl''s hand in marriage.


    Naturally, Berengar had sent a letter to the man informing his intentions of marrying Anne off to his eldest son, Hans von Kufstein. A prospect which Dietger took interest in, but decided to y hard to get in an attempt to gain a more considerable dowry from the Kaiser.


    This was a game Berengar did not want to y, and thus he said nothing for several months, while working behind the scenes to spread rumors about the girl''s romantic involvement with his son. After a while, Dietger had no choice but to visit the Kufstein Pce, where Berengar sat on his throne with a cup of tea in his hands. All the while, his Bavarian counterpart kneeled before him. With a cruel sneer on his face, Berengar spoke to the Bavarian King in a haughty tone.


    "Dietger, my old friend. How nice of you to visit me on this fine morning. Tell me, have you considered my offer? You should already be aware of how smitten your daughter is with my boy, and I think it would be best for everyone if the two of them ended up together. Who knows, the child born between the two of them one day might even be the Kaiser himself."


    There was a frown on Dietger''s face as he rose from his kneeling position and stood before the Kaiser. He had attempted to win a greater prize and had lost. Once news had spread about Anne being one of Han''s girls, nobody dared step on the toes of the firstborn prince. Soon enough, everyone who had presented an offer to Dietger withdrew it, all except for one, the man sitting in front of him. Thus, with a heavy sigh, King Dietger von Wittelsbach admitted defeat.


    "I should have known I couldn''t win against you, my Kaiser. You are far too powerful for a petty king like myself to y against. Very well, I ept your offer. My daughter Anne will be betrothed to your eldest son, Hans. In exchange for this, I ept a substantial dowry. After all, the girl is highly sought after."


    However, Berengar''s response nearly drove the man mad as the Kaiser sipped on his tea before speaking with an arrogant smirk on his handsome face.


    "Was highly sought after. I''m afraid her value has been heavily diminished. In fact, you are unlikely to find any man but my boy Hans to be her husband, should the truth of their rtionship be revealed."


    Thisment caught Dietger by surprise, and the man was quick to inquire just what meaning Berengar hid behind his words.


    "What do you mean? What has your little brat done to my precious daughter?"


    A frown appeared on Berengar''s face as he slowly ced his teacup on a nearby saucer before ring at the man standing across from him. There was a hint of malice in his tone as he gave the King of Bavaria a strict warning about hisnguage.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Careful Dietger, have your forgotten your ce, or where you currently stand? You are in my house, and I demand respect. As for who is at fault here, I would wager that your daughter was the one who took advantage of my underage son. Quite the temptress that one; spreading her legs for a teenage boy in return for amitment to marriage. Truly a devious scheme, wouldn''t you say?


    I''ll give you this. Your daughter knows what she wants and how to get it. Now, if you want this delicate matter to remain a secret between our two houses, I suggest you ept what I decide to give you in exchange for your daughter''s hand in marriage to my eldest son."


    Dietger''s face had turned unsightly as he thought of the prospect of his youngest daughter doing such a scandalous thing. He quickly retorted to Berengar in a voice filled with fury.


    ? "You lie! My daughter Anne would never do something so scandalous!"


    To this, Berengar simply scoffed before bringing the roof down on Dietger''s entire world.


    "You can ask your daughter if you wish, though if she hasn''t elected to share her ns with you by now, then I doubt she will be honest should you corner her about this subject. I assure you, my son cares for her deeply, and though he has been manipted by Anne, he doesn''t seem to mind.


    Your daughter will marry the First Prince of Germany, a boy who, as it currently stands, is the most l likely to seed my position. A boy who your daughter has already willingly gave her body to, and who she seems to deeply respect.


    In the event that Hans does be the next Kaiser, your daughter will be one of two women whose bloodlines are capable of seeding the throne. Is that not enough for you? Are you really so impoverished that you would demand arge chest of gold from me?"


    Dietger had no words. He did not know what aggravated him more, the fact that his daughter had done something so scandalous behind his back, or that the Kaiser just insinuated he was poor for wanting a proper bride''s price.


    At this very moment, Dietger wanted more than anything to break into the Aerial Warfare Academy and interrogate his daughter about just what she had been doing without his notice. However, the confidence in Berengar''s voice as he tantly announced the young woman''s shameful actions was very convincing. So much so that Dietger had no choice but to bow his head and once more ept his defeat at the hands of the man sitting upon his gilded throne.


    "Very well. I ept whatever offer you are willing to give me in exchange for my daughter''s betrothal to your eldest son, Hans. If that is all you have to say on the matter, then I will be returning home immediately. I wish I could say it was a pleasure speaking to you, but it rarely is..."


    With that said, the King of Bavaria marched out of the Kufstein Pce with his tail between his legs. As for Berengar, he would inform Hans of this good news upon his graduation, which was rapidly approaching. For now, the boy still had to meet with yet another of his fiancees, and Berengar did not wish toplicate matters further.


    ---


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 Chapter 1041 Meeting With Klaudia

    udia Haselrieder was a young princess of the Kingdom of Italy. Her lineage was aplicated matter. Her father was an Austrian soldier from South Tyrol who had been chosen by Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein to rule over the Kingdom of Lombardy, andter Italy as a whole.


    While her mother was a native Italian from a rather minor, but notable, noble family known as the Da Vinci''s. The Da Vinci bloodline had nearly been wiped out during Berengar''s war for independence, but one young woman remained, who won the heart of King Bruno Haselrieder.


    udia was a kind and gentle girl, no older than ten. She had olive skin like her mother, dark hair, and matching eyes. In fact, one might mistake her for a full blood Italian at first nce, something she shared inmon with her siblings.


    Out of all of Bruno''s daughters, Berengar found udia to be the most fit for his eldest son to marry when the two of them came of age. For starters, her intellect was superior to her sisters, and her appearance was adorable, as if she were a living doll. The Kaiser knew that when udia grew older, she would be a beauty to rival any of Hans'' current women.


    Hans had been given the day off from University at the orders of the Kaiser to visit udia in her home within the city of Mn. He sat in Bruno''s pce in full uniform as he sipped on a cup of tea, and awkwardly spoke with a girl four years younger than himself, who he was meeting with for the first time in his life.


    It became immediately apparent that the girl was shy, or perhaps this was just around Hans himself. As she struggled to give voice to her thoughts and silently ate her sweets while drinking her tea like a refined young princess.


    Hans was well experienced with the opposite sex, well beyond what a boy his age should have. Thus, he could only smile, and be charming as he spoke to the young girl about his future career as a pilot in the German Air Force, a topic which seemed to garner udia''s interest.


    "Well, you see, udia, in Germany we have these machines that are capalbe of flying high in the sky. We call them airnes or nes for short. These nes can be used as a means to transer goods and personnel, or as dedicated attack craft.


    I''m personally certified to fly several types of aircraft, and when I graduate from university, I will join the ranks of the Luftwaffe. Erm... that basically means Air Force, which is a branch of our military that deals with airnes."


    The young princess gradually began toe out of her shell as she looked upon her prince charming with wide eyes while he spoke about technological wonders she could only dream of. Naturally, she had her own questions regarding air travel and was quick to give voice to them.


    "Really? You mean you have flown in the sky before? That''s amazing!"


    To most of the people Hans usually associated with, that was par for the course. He associated mostly with other pilots, or those who would be a pilot after graduating from the Aerial Warfare Academy.


    However, in this little girl''s eyes, what was a basic function of his job was the most amazing thing she could think of. It sort of caused the boy to have an over-inted sense of pride, as he further talked about his career.


    "There''s a waring udia, it''s not something you have to worry about, as Italy won''t be involved. But I will soon be flying over the Pacific, fighting against the Japanese pilots in the air. Far above the ocean. I hope to make my family proud when I am finally let loose on the enemy."


    udia had a hint of worry in her dark brown eyes. She had just met this boy, but she already enjoyed spending time with him, and the idea of him marching off to war not only filled her little heart with fear, but confusion as well.


    "Why must you go to war? Aren''t you a little young for that? Father says that only men eighteen and older are allowed to join the Italian army!"


    Hans simply chuckled and petted the girl''s wavy hair as he exined his exemption to this rule. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "In Germany, when a man turns eighteen, he is required to join the Armed Forces. However, I am a little smarter than most boys, and am already about to graduate from College at the age of fourteen.


    My father has decided to make an exception, and allow me to join the Luftwaffe four years early. I already have my flight certification. All I need to do now is graduate from the Aerial Warfare Academy and officially enter the ranks of the Luftwaffe.


    You see, my father believes that this war with Japan will be thest war that Germany faces for a very long time. Thus, he has decided that as his future sessor; I need actualbat experience to effectively lead the German Military when I finally be the next Kaiser.


    From the moment I saw my father take flight as the first pilot in this world''s history, I knew that I wanted to spend my years of service as a pilot, and as the Imperial Prince, my father has made sure that my dreamse true. Even if it means sending me to the battlefield at a young age."


    The young girl''s eyes sparkled as she heard how impressive her fiance was. She blushed and looked away as sheplimented the boy for his courage.


    "You must be very brave, facing such dangers at such a young age. I doubt even father would have the courage to do so when he was your age."


    Unbeknownst to the young couple, the King of Italy was closely listening to their conversation from the other side of the door. He immediately grasped hold of his wounded heart when he heard his precious daughter insult him in such a manner. There was a look of unimaginable agony on his face, as if he had just had his heart thrust through by ance.


    Naturally, neither Hans nor udia saw this, and thus they continued their conversation, with Hans blushing the slightest bit before responding to the girl''s question.


    "Well, I wouldn''t call myself brave, more so confident. I know my own abilities, and I am certain that they can''t be matched in the air. Thus, I have no fear of being able to return home safely, no matter what difficulties I may face in Asia."


    udia smiled when she thought of how much of a war hero her future husband would be, and nodded her head beforeing to a decision, she leaned over and kissed Hans on the cheek before saying something that he would remember while he was at war.


    "Well, I''ll be waiting here for your safe return. I don''t know how long warsst, but when you next visit me, I hope we are old enough to get married!"


    Hans''s face was fully flushed upon hearing thisment. Compared to his other fiancees, udia was just too young, pure, and na?ve for him to properly respond to. If Noemi or Veronika had said such a thing, he would have been able to respond with a stoic facade, but the innocence in udia''s words had forced him to look away in embarassment.


    Thus, with this first meeting, Hans could definitely say that he looked forward to visiting udia often, and see what kind of women she eventually grew into bing. As for whether he would be able to do that, only time would tell.


    After all, war with Japan was not far away, and the moment he graduated from university, Hans would be assigned to a unit, before being shipped off to some airbase, or carrier across the globe. For now, he just enjoyed the time spent with the girl. Because tomorrow he would be back in Kufstein finishing up his sses.


    ---


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 Chapter 1042 The Invasion Of Borneo Continues

    What was perhaps the first instance of Anti-Aircraft weaponry being used in warfare was disyed over the ind of Borneo. The Japanese invasion of the Majapahit Empire continued, and it became clear very quickly that the 8.8cm k cannons employed by the Royal Majapahit Army were more than capable of annihting the floatnes used by the Japanese battleships as a means of reconnaissance.


    Within the first twenty-four hours of the invasion, Itami had lost six nes and six pilots from these AA installments. As a result, she had be desperate to eliminate these instations and had issued the order to dispatch a hundred bombers from the Japanese Airbase in the southern Philippines to bomb the fortified positions where these anti-aircraft guns were located.


    Lieutenant Ishino Sadayori was among Japan''s first pilots, and yet this was his first actual mission. Inside the cockpit of the mostly wooden DH 98 mosquito multirolebat aircraft, he carefully flew the ne towards the destination.


    This mission was extremely dangerous as the weapons the Germans had sold the Majapahit Army were more than capable of taking out these bombers if they were not careful, and Lieutenant Ishino knew that there was a high probability of death.


    Yet for the War Goddess, he was more than willing to give up his life, and thus, he flew at full speed towards the Ind of Borneo where several fortifications housed the anti-aircraft guns he and his fellow pilots intended to destroy.


    The crewman in his aircraft were shouting towards the pilot as explosions detonated left and right, rocking the feeble aircraft as it continued to pursue forward.


    "Keep it steady! Thest thing we need-"


    However, before the airman could finish hisint, he peered out the left side of the ne and saw another bomber no further than fifty meters away get sted into pieces by an anti-aircraft shell. What remained of the ne was lit ame and fell from the sky at high velocity.


    This frightening sight immediately caused the man to shut his trap, as Lieutenant Ishino focused on surviving just long enough to drop the payload. Left, right, front, and back, dozens of the hundred or so bombers that were taking part in this operation were torn apart by the heavy fire of the Majapahit k guns.


    The airmen said their prayers to their gods as they feared the next explosion would im their lives, and indeed one had detonated nearby, causing one of the engines onboard the aircraft to be lit ame.


    The bomber quickly began losing altitude, as the Airmen prepared their parachutes to escape through the side hatch. Once thest crewman was in the doorframe, he gazed back at Lieutenant Ishino and urged him to join with the rest of his crew.


    "Lieutenant, it is time to bail! We must jump now, or we won''t make it!"


    However, the pilot refused to do, and yelled back at his crew with determination in his voice.


    "Go! It has been my honor to serve alongside you!"


    The airmen hesitated before saluting the pilot oncest time where he proceeded to plunge into the sky, and freefall until he was at the maximum depth to pull his chute. As for Lieutenant Ishino, he quickly ced a rising sun headband over his pilot''s cap and screamed a battle cry as he drove the ne directly into the nearest Anti-Aircraft instation.


    "Tennoheika Banzai!"


    In the very next moment, he dropped the payload of four two-hundred and thirty kilogram bombs onto the facility before crashing directly into thergest gun. Thebined explosion was enough to demolish the fort and everything within it. <novelnext></novelnext>


    As for the rest of the Japanese bombers, fifty out of a hundred wouldplete their mission, and only twenty five of those would return to the airbase in the Philippines. Where they would re-arm, refuel, and head straight back out again with reinforcements.


    Within a single week, Itami had lost nearly two hundred bombers, but had effectively eliminated 90% of the enemy''s antiaircraft capabilities, allowing the remainder of her bombers to pelt the surface of Borneo with impunity, and in doing so weakening the Majapahit fortifications.


    ---


    Within a week after their initial invasion, the Japanese had effectively mobilized fifty thousand soldiers. Many of which were conscripts from the colonies, who were given a uniform, rifle, and told to charge a machine gun nest under threat of death from behind.


    The more veteran ethnic Japanese troops had begun to march in the rear, pushing these conscripts forward. It was only after a total of 52,000 men and hundreds of armored vehicles hadnded on the shores of Borneo did the Japanese n their next stage of advancement.


    Since the Imperial Japanese Army had halted in its tracks, they had been sending out advanced troops to burn down the thick jungle foliage with methrowers to carve a path for the Tanks and APCs. These pioneers hade under attack a multitude of times by Majapahit gueris, and the overall losses suffered in this invasion to date were roughly 8,000 men in total.


    Relieved to have new reinforcements at their backs, the Japanese soldiers were quick to advance forward. Among these men was Staff Sergeant Oyama Hirayori, who was themander of a Type 4 Chi-To Medium Tank. He sat in the small confines of the vehicle as it advanced on the path that had beenid out for it.


    ? After traveling for nearly thirty kilometers, they finally reached what could be considered the front lines of the ongoing conflict, where an infantry brigade was assaulting a heavily fortified enemy trench line. A smug look appeared on the tankmander''s face, as he received his orders from the tank in front via the waving of a g out the hatch to advance forward and trample over the barbed wire perimeter.


    However, as the tanks began to fan out and attack, a curious sight appeared through Sergeant Oyama''s periscope. An explosive projectile hit the lead tank of their battalion and exploded on the spot. The type 4 Chi-To Medium tank proved incapable of resisting a single shot from the 8.8cm Pak 43 Anti Tank Guns that the Germans had supplied the Army with.


    The sight of their leader being obliterated with a single shot caused Oyama and his crew to nearly soil themselves in fright. However, before they could react, another cloud of smoke emerged from the trench line, along with a crackle of thunder. Before they knew it, another Type 4 had been obliterated.


    In the spur-of-the-moment Oyama instantly ordered the gunner in his tank to target the Pak-43, and with a precise shot an explosion urred in the trench line where one of many Anti-Tank guns was located. Oyama instantly cheered, however in the next moment his tank was targeted by another Pak-43 and before he and his crew could fully celebrate, an anti-tank shell prated through their vehicle''s armor and detonated inside the cabin. Killing the entire crew, including Oyama.


    Despite the death of yet another tank, the Japanese conscripts were forced forward through machine gun fire in what could only be referred to as a Banzai charge, as they overwhelmed the trench line with superior numbers and firepower.


    Though the assault was costly, the fortifications were in the end seized by the Japanese, and any prisoners of war were rounded up and hauled off. After all, Itami had been forced to sign the Vienna ords in exchange for Min-Ah, and because of this, the Imperial Japanese Army was now held at a higher standard than before.


    The war for Borneo would continue to be a bloody business, and the Imperial Japanese Army would suffer heavy losses. However, bauxite was needed to create weapons that could go against those of the Reich, and thus Empress Itami Riyo was willing to pay any price for victory.


    ---


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 Chapter 1043 A Thorough Debriefing

    It had been months since Yi Min-Ah had returned to the Japanese maind, and during this time she had shut herself away in order to properly grieve her family, or so Itami thought. In reality the girl had been skulking about, listening into the Japanese Empress''s conversations, while never making contact with her.


    She secretly reported this news to German agents embedded in Japan who would convey it back to the Reich. Of course Itami knew none of this, and instead was operating under the policy of giving the woman time to properly settle her emotions.


    However, the war in Borneo hadsted for a little over a week at this point, and during this time, Itami''s losses were substantial. She had not expected such fierce resistance in the region, nor was she able to navigate her fleet to the Majapahit Empire''s capital in a bid to end the war swiftly.


    Thus, as the bodies continued to pile, Itami had no choice but to force aconversation with Min-Ah and learn what the woman had seen and heard during her time in the Reich. Currently Min-Ah was lying in her vi''s bed, when she heard a knock on her door. She had mistaken the interruption for one of her servants, thus it came as a monumental surprise when she opened the door to reveal Itami''s sublime figure.


    The albino beauty stood in the doorway. Over the past few weeks, she had been styling her snow white hair a bit differently than normal. Though it was still long and straight, she wore double buns on the side much like her younger sister. The ends of her hair and bangs were cut with squared ends, giving her a rather unique appearance.


    This change in hairstyle had only increased the young woman''s beauty, to the point where even Min-Ah was having a hard time taking her eyes off of Itami. For the first time in a long time, Itami wore a pleasant smile as she motioned towards the room and asked permission to enter.


    "Is it alright if Ie in? I would like to have a chat with you about something important."


    In truth, Min-Ah did not know how to respond. Every inch of her soul wanted nothing more than tosh out at Itami and im her life at this very moment. However, she forced herself to remain calm, and mustered all strength to wear a false smile on her face, before leading Itami into her bedroom and preparing some tea.


    "Of course, your majesty, what did you wish to talk about?"


    Itami''s brow raised slightly when she heard the way Itami referred to her. Such a western title was not what she was ustomed to. However, she suspected that this was the result of the psychological torture the girl had endured and decided to let it slide as she posed the immediate question on her mind.


    "I need to know. Did you meet with him? Did you meet with Berengar von Kufstein?"


    Min-Ah eyes drifted aside, as she noticed the tea was ready, and was quick to avoid the subject. Naturally Itami noticed this, and thus her voice grew a bit more firm as she asked the question again.


    "Min-Ah, I need to know who he is, and what he is capable of. I''m already struggling to conquer a proxy he has funded. Something he had no difficulty of achieving against my own. If you had the chance to meet with him before your capture, I need to know what you think of him."


    Memories resurfaced within Min-Ah''s mind about the one time she had seen the Kaiser in the flesh. The man was confident, charming, and, above all else, handsome. However, what stuck out the most to her was the redheaded beauty by his side. Aside from perhaps Itami herself, Min-Ah had never seen such a beautiful woman before, one who made her feel deeply envious.


    Naturally, Itami noticed the look in the woman''s eyes as she recalled these memories, and called out to her once more.


    "Min-Ah!"


    It was at this moment, the Joseon Princess snapped back to reality, where she sighed heavily before pouring the tea. It was only after she had concluded this task did she kneel down at the table and report what little she knew about the man in question.


    "I only interacted with him once, but it was enough for him to tell that I was up to no good. You see, after entering the Reich, I was effectively quarantined to a small area of the capital city called Little Kyoto. It is where the Germans keep the Japanese defectors.


    During this time, I was forced to seek employment, and thus I worked at a small restaurant as a hostess. One night the Kaiser came in with his wife-"


    Min-Ah seemed to lose track of her thoughts as she reflected on the overwhelming beauty of Linde, and sighed lightly, as if she were a schoolgirl with a crush. Itami mistook this for an attraction to Berengar and immediatelyined.


    "I know he is attractive, Min-Ah, but keep your mind on track!"


    Min-Ah once more snapped back to reality and was quick to clear any confusion Itami might have. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m not thinking about him! Although he was rather dreamy... No, I''m talking about his wife! wless baster skin, long legs, thick thighs, a perfect hourss body with curves in all the right ces. And her breasts! I dare say they are every bit as perfect as your own.


    Her golden-red hair which flowed like locks of fire, and her stunning face. Her eyes were as blue as the azure sky. In all my years, I have never seen such a breathtaking woman, and the way she smiled, it''s enough to melt even the most stubbornly heterosexual woman''s heart! Oh Itami, she was marvellous!"


    Itami could only re at her subordinate, who looked like a love-stricken schoolgirl, and shuddered at just how stunning this woman was to make the Joseon Princess y for the other team. Min-Ah continued talking about the dinner date Berengar and Linde had for some time, before Itami snapped at her.


    "Min-Ah! I want to know about Berengar, not his wife! You''re telling me, all he did was have dinner at your restaurant and he immediately pegged you for a spy? There was nothing else? No other interaction? Just this?"


    Min-Ah quickly gulped down some of her tea before responding with a nod of her head. She was quick to give voice to her thoughts regarding the matter as well.


    "I think... I think it was his wife who noticed me. Although she never directly looked over at me, I could tell that she always kept my figure in the corner of her eye. Then there were rumors I overheard while listening to some of the guards who spoke outside my cell. Rumors that the leader of German Imperial Intelligence was one of the Kaiser''s wives.


    If that redheaded beauty was the one these guards were speaking about, then it wouldn''t surprise me if she had pegged me for a spy the moment I immigrated to the Reich, and decided to use dinner with her husband as an excuse to verify my intentions. I don''t know for sure, we never spoke. Nor did I say anything to the Kaiser beyond my employment as a hostess."


    Itami was beyond frustrated with how inept Min-Ah had been during her time in the Reich. She had paid a monumental price for the woman''s return, and the only information Min-Ah had about Berengar was how beautiful his wife was, and unverified rumors about her being the leader of German Imperial Intelligence.


    There were simply no words in Itami''s mind about how to deal with this situation. She could only inquire about the Reich''s technological capabilities and infer some information from them, thus she was quick to change the subject.


    "Enough about the Kaiser and his beautiful wife. I want to know about what you saw while living in the Reich, you know, before your capture."


    Min-Ah sipped from her tea slowly before giving Itami her honest opinion with a single phrase.


    "If I were to tell you that you were out of your depth, would you believe me?"


    This hadpletely and utterly shocked Itami, who was quick to voice her disagreement.


    "What do you mean? Just how advanced were they!?!"


    The Joseon Princess looked around the room and sighed heavily before responding.


    "In my honest opinion, even with your divine mirror, it would take you another five to ten years to catch up to the Reich. Maybe more. I can''t exactly exin all the technological wonders I witnessed during my time in Germany, because I myself don''t understand them. Just know that you aregging behind, and the gap is gettingrger with each passing year.


    The good news is, the Germans have an overseas Empire to manage, one that even I don''t know howrge it is. This means the amount of forces they will be able to dedicate to their war with you will be limited. So maybe, just maybe, you might have a fighting chance..."


    Itamiter left the room stunned at this news, and severely disappointed in herself. She had nearly tanked her economy to get Min-Ah back, and what she gained in return was an abysmal amount of intelligence.


    She had hoped that Min-Ah would be able to provide her with an insight into Berengar''s character, but in the end, all Itami learned was that even with her most recent advancements in technology, the Germans were still far ahead of her.


    ---


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 Chapter 1044 The War For Borneo Continues

    Itami sat within her war room with a frustrated expression on her pretty face. The war in Borneo had been going on for roughly two weeks at this point, and the losses she suffered were growing with each passing day.


    Still, the ground she gained was no meagre amount. Many of the Majapahit fortifications within the Northern portion of the ind had beenpletely seized by the Imperial Japanese Army, and yet the gains she had made were met with new difficulties.


    In a shocking disy of events, the anti-aircraft guns that the Japanese bombers had eliminated were quickly reced, and once more Itami''s nes were denied air superiority. Without the ability to safelyunch reconnaissance aircraft in the skies above Borneo, it was anyone''s guess at just how the Majapahit had been preparing their defenses.


    As if things couldn''t get any worse, Itami was, of course, met with more bad news, as was spoken by an agent of Japanese Intelligence, who had a nervous expression on his chiseled face as he summarized the reports in his hands.


    "As a result of our conquest of the Northern Philippines, the Ming Emperor has officially condemned us, and cut off all trade as well as any diplomatic ties. Our merchants in China have been expelled, and we have lost contact with our intelligence agents in the area.


    If that wasn''t bad enough, Every Japanese citizen currently located within the Majapahit empire has been arrested and detained under suspicion of espionage and sabotage. Furthermore, we have received letters of condemnation from every major power that has signed the Vienna ords.


    In other news the German navy has secured the waters leading to Java and Sumatra, iming they are protecting their trade routes to China and ess to their colonies in the south. This means that attacking the Majapahit capital to end this war quickly will not be possible without going through them. So far, they have shown no direct aggression, but they are preventing us from attacking the supply lines which they are providing for the Borneo defenders.


    This is actually how the anti-aircraft guns which we have destroyed were so quickly reced. It would appear the Germans either have a bunch of these weapons lying around, or have an industrial capacity that we have sorely underestimated."


    Itami could only sigh in defeat. Even though the Germans were supplying her enemies, there was no way she would dare to give the order to attack German shipping. That would be counter productive. The entire reason she had invaded Borneo was to get her hands on aluminum which was required for more advanced aircraft.


    If the Germans were to be directly involved in this conflict, then it was truly only a matter of time before her forces were thoroughly defeated. The Japanese Empress had to think carefully about how she would move forward with her ns. If she made one wrong move, she would have to face the full fury of the reich.


    Itami sat in silence for several moments before dismissing the Intelligence Agent. Where she began to concoct the next phase of her offensive.


    ---


    While Itami was sitting back in her pce coordinating the war effort in Borneo, the Majapahit defenders were doing everything they could to hold the line. After years of listening to German propaganda against the Japanese, few men were willing to surrender willingly, and most units had fought to utter annihting in the face of the Japanese advance.


    In the jungles of Borneo, a few camouge men rushed through the woods with their weapons in hand. Suddenly the Sergeant of this squad raised his arm and immediately the unit halted in their tracks. They could hear the engines of the Type 4 medium tanks roaring in the distance, and thus the men slung their rifles over their shoulders, and reced them with a peculiar weapon.


    Not only had the Germans been selling the Royal Majapahit Army dedicated anti-tank guns to be used in their trenches against the enemy armor, but they had also been selling Panzerfausts to the Majapahit Empire. Each man in this gueri squad was equipped with one of these weapons, and thus they hid in the foliage, waiting for the enemy armor to reveal itself.


    Among these Majapahit gueris was a boy no older than sixteen. He loaded his Panzerfaust two fifty and ensured it was ready to fire while aiming down its sights onto the dirt road in front of him. Soon enough, the tanks and APCs began to roll buy, where the sergeant of the squad gave the order to attack.


    With the pull of a trigger, a series of rocket-propelled grenades flew through the woods before exploding against the enemy''s armored vehicles. The damage was devastating, as the type 4 tanks in the front and rear of the formation were rendered inoperable. This forced the Japanese soldiers to bail from their APCs only to be weed by machine gun fire.


    Among these Majapahit gueris was a man with an Mg27(t) light machine gun, who immediately began to spray lead into the Japanese ranks. Blood burst forth from the torsos as multiple bullets found their way into the bodies of the Japanese soldiers.


    Though they desperately tried to return fire, the Japanese were perfectly caught in an ambush, and those who left the safety of their vehicles were quickly ughtered. As for those who did not dare to present themselves, they were unfortunate enough to die where they sat. As the Majapahit gueris opened up the hatches to the armored vehicles and tossed stick grenades inside, which killed any living being contained within.


    It would be some time before the Japanese realized that this armored column was annihted, and by the time they did, the gueris who had taken it out would be long gone. The Majapahit gueris looted whatever weapons and munitions they found useful from the corpses of the in before hauling ass back to camp.


    ---<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar sat in his office, with the Majapahit Princess on hisp. Anggraini. was naturally deeply worried about her people, and had visited her lover to hear about thetest updates of the conflict in Borneo.


    The man had not said much, and instead stared at a document on his desk. The folder contained a detailed report about the Royal Majapahit Army''s capabilities and was written by German field agents embedded in Borneo. This caught Anggraini''s glimpse who was quick to inquire just what her lover had been staring at.


    "What''s in the folder?"


    In truth, Berengar did not want to have to make an immediate decision on what was contained within the document, however since the woman had asked he was quick to give her the honest truth, especially when it was about her people.


    "It''s a report about the ongoing conflict in Borneo. There are a few suggestions from my agents in the field on how to increase the zeal of the Majapahit defenders."


    This caught Anggraini''s curiosity, and thus she looked over at her man and interrogated him about his hesitation.


    "Suggestions? Like what?"


    Berengar sighed heavily before taking arge swig from his chalice. It was only after he felt the effects of the alcohol did he reveal what was troubling him.


    "One of my agents has suggested we introduce a bounty system where we would pay Majapahit soldiers for every Japanese soldier they kill. It''s a minor sum really, but for them it would be quite a bit of money. This would, of course, increase morale and make your people more willing to engage inbat."


    Anggraini did not understand why Berengar was hesitating to implement such a system, which she was quick to give voice to.


    "Is there any reason in particr you haven''t yet agreed to this bounty system?"


    The Kaiser could only sigh, and take another swig before announcing the issues he had with such a thing.


    "Eventually my people will go to war with Japan, and if we were to introduce such a system against them in Borneo, then they would likely retaliate in kind. Thest thing I need is for my soldiers to be dismembered for proof of a kill."


    Though Anggraini understood Berengar''s reasoning for hesitating, she still wanted to do everything she could for her people, and thus she pleaded with her man to take the risk and implement the bounty system.


    "I know I''m being selfish, but if this bounty system can help increase the morale of my people in their defense, then I think it is worth the risk. Won''t you at least consider it?"


    Berengar gazed over at the document once more and took another sip from his chalice before opening up the document and given his stamp of approval. He knew that this idea wouldpel the Majapahit defenders to begin hunting the Japanese soldiers as sport, and as long as he could deny that this was an idea of the Reich, then he could ensure that such a brutal system was not implemented against his own armies when the time came for war.


    Upon seeing her man stamp his approval on the document, Anggraini jumped with joy before kissing Berengar passionately on the lips. The two of them would spend the next few hours getting reacquainted with one another, as it had been some time since Anggraini had been intimate with her lover.


    ---


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 Chapter 1045 A Deadly Outbreak

    In the Bay of Brunei, a fleet of ships sat transferring loads of men, equipment, and supplies onto the ind of Borneo. The Imperial Japanese Navy was far fromrge enough tond multiple divisions'' worth of men in a single go. Instead, they had spent well over a month ensuring that a constant influx of personnel and resources ended up in their theater of war.


    After being at war for nearly two months now, the Imperial Japanese Army had seized Brunei and thends which sat north of it where they had already begun searching for bauxite deposits to mine. However, despite this progress, the war was going far less smoothly than Empress Itami Riyo and all her Generals had anticipated.


    The Royal Majapahit Army had adopted a strategy ofbined warfare, mixing gueri units with conventional forces to a deadly effect. The death toll climbed with each day. By now, over ten thousand Japanese soldiers lie dead in the jungles of Borneo.


    The willingness of the Royal Majapahit Army to never surrender was the result of years of German Propaganda, which showed the horrific acts that the Imperial Japanese Army hadmitted in past campaigns. The men of Borneo were more than willing to die in battle against the enemy invaders, rather than subject their families to the atrocities the Japanese were known to engage in.


    However, with each mile the Japanese gained, they were forced to step over a mountain of bodies, and in doing so they had unknowingly stumbled upon a deadly disease. One which the Germans had nted for them.


    In an act of biological warfare, Berengar had ordered his scientists to create a deadly bioweapon, which came in the form of fleas, fleas who carried cholera. By now, thousands of Japanese soldiers were puking and shitting themselves to death in the trenches. So much so that they could no longer maintain their advance. Instead, the Imperial Japanese Army had dug themselves into their upied territory, waiting for the disease to pass.


    In the capital of the Japanese Empire, Itami Riyo stood in astonishment as he heard reports of the outbreake from her front lines. The Albino beauty was furious, but not because a sudden outbreak of cholera had hampered her soldiers'' advance, but because she knew with every fiber of her being that the ones responsible for this pandemic were her German Adversaries.


    In a fit of rage, Itami suddenly found herselfcking the means to contact her enemies. After all, the Ming Dynasty had forsaken all ties with the Japanese Empire as a result of their invasion of the Northern Philippines, and the Germans had only ever contacted her through their embassy in Beijing.


    With no ess to China, Itami had no way of screaming her thoughts at Berengar or one of his representatives. Biological warfare was not a possibility that she had considered when she first challenged the Reich. From Itami''s perspective, such a thing was not only criminal, but a great evil. One that no sane man would ever take part in.


    Of course, the woman had no proof of these usations, and for all anyone knew, it was entirely likely that an outbreak of cholera naturally urred in the region. But Itami knew better, or perhaps she just wanted someone to me, and her rivals in the west were the easiest target to pin on. Eventually she could no longer hold her tongue, andshed out at one of her generals who was standing by her side.


    "This is Berengar''s fault. I know it is! I don''t know how he managed to do it, but the cholera outbreak in Borneo had to havee from Germany!"


    Itami''s general gazed upon the woman as if she had gone mad with paranoia. Unlike the German Empire, the Japanese utterlycked the medical industry to pull something like this off, and were only slightly better off than they were in the field of medicine than they were prior to Itami''s reign.


    The idea of the Germans being capable of introducing a disease to the battlefields of Borno when they had very little presence in the area was simply absurd to them. On some levels, humans had been engaging in biological warfare since time immemorial, however, it was very crude, usually by disposing disease ridden carcasses into an enemy''s stronghold. Obviously, no such thing had urred. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Never would the Japanese Generals had suspected that the Germans had deliberately taken fleas infected with cholera and bred a colony of them. Only to deliver them to the ind of Borneo as a means of infecting the Japanese soldiers.


    Such an idea was simply preposterous to the Japanese Generals who knew virtually nothing about biology, let alone its weaponized form. Thus, one of the men was quick to voice his disagreement with the Empress of Japan.


    "While the outbreak of cholera among our forces is unfortunate, I would hardly say the German Empire is responsible. How would they even manage such a thing without infecting themselves? It would be an utterly foolish endeavor to attempt."


    But Itami knew better than these men, for she hade from a world far more advanced, a world where anti-biotics were prevalent, and biological warfare was ouwed by internationalw. Though Itami did not know how advanced the German Empire was, she still knew they were more advanced than her own civilization. But to think they had advanced medicine to such a degree, it was truly staggering.


    Perhaps if Itami still had the Ming Dynasty as a trading partner, she could pay a hefty price for some antibiotics which made their way into China via trade with the Reich. But that was no longer a possibility. Now Itami had no choice but to pull back her forces, who were still deploying to the region, in fear that the Cholera outbreak would spread to them.


    She could not afford to send tens of thousands of men to a disease ridden area, where they were more likely to die in a puddle of their own waste, than they were to the enemy''s bullets. Thus, she gave an order that her generals were not expecting her to.


    "Quarantine our upied territory in Borneo. Until this outbreak is over, not a single soldier is to step foot on the shores of Brunei. Our men who are already stationed there will have to fend for themselves..."


    To just leave tens of thousands of men to their deaths, it was far too cruel of an order for any of these Generals to stomach. And yet, they would not dare defy the orders of the Empress. Thus, they were forced to put a temporary halt to their invasion, until a time where the outbreak had passed.


    As for the soldiers still stationed in Brunei, they were given an order to advance upon the Majapahit positions, even if it cost them their lives. Any ground conquered would be worth the price in lives that Empress Itami Riyo had already considered lost.


    No longer willing to listen to further reports, Itami returned to her bedroom, and went to sleep at night thinking of all the ways she nned to get back at Berengar for this greatest of injustice. However, when she finally fell asleep, her unconscious mind had other thoughts, as the Albino Beauty dreamt of a rather intimate moment with the man she hated most in this world.


    ---


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 Chapter 1046 A Pitiful Massacre

    The Cholera outbreak in Borneo had temporarily halted the number of soldiers, equipment, and supplies which the Imperial Japanese Navy transferred to the shores of Brunei, where their primary outpost was located.


    The situation in Brunei was absolutely dreadful for the Japanese soldiers, many of which were too ill to even march. Vomit and feces coated the trenches where the Imperial Japanese Army sat back and awaited for medical support, which never arrived.


    Morale was at an all-time low for the roughly fifty thousand men who had already deployed to the battlefield. With each passing day, their numbers dwindled as men sumb to the disease, which made their lives a living hell in this tropical environment.


    As for the Majapahit Defenders, though they too were initially afflicted with Cholera, it was not long before antibiotics manufactured within the borders of the German Empire made their way into their ranks. By now, the cholera outbreak was a one-sided affair, killing off the Japanese invaders in the thousands, while not even harming any of the Majapahit defenders.


    In fact, the Majapahit Emperor had, under Berengar''s direction, ordered his troops to stand down, and wait for the Japanese numbers to dwindle to such a point that they would have a fraction of their men left defending the territory which the Japanese currently upied.


    However, how would Berengar ever anticipate the utter madness of a woman once she had been scorned? In what perhaps could only be called an act of spite, Itami had ordered all the Japanese soldiers who still remained living in Borneo, regardless as to the degree of sickness they suffered, to charge the Majapahit fortifications which acted as a barrier between them, and the southern half of the ind.


    Encouraged by the cult of the War Goddess who threatened to torture any man who did not willingly die for Itami, tens of thousands of sickly Japanese soldiers were forced to march with their equipment towards the Majapahit lines. Those who fell were left to die in the mud, as the sickly Japanese soldiers marched to certain death.


    Naturally, the Japanese left behind their armored vehicles for the next wave of Japanese troops to take advantage of. It was one thing to lose infantry. They could easily be reced, but to lose an entire armored division''s worth of vehicles, that was a loss the Japanese Empire would not easily recover from.


    Thus it came as a surprise, when in the following days gunfire echoed in the air outside one of thergest fortifications the Royal Majapahit Army had built in preparation for this war. The crackle of rifles, machine guns, and artillery alike resounded within the Majapahit trench line, as the defenders quickly rose from their slumber and ced their helmets on their head.


    What could only be described as a lethargic army of zombies was slowly making their way up the hill with weapons in their hands, as they struggled not to soil themselves in the midst of their assault.


    One officer, who held his Katanazily by his side, doubled over and hurled into the mud, as a bullet whizzed past where his head just was, before once more walking towards the trench as if all the strength had left his body.


    The Majapahit defenders aimed down their semi-automatic rifles and heavy machine guns towards the horde of Japanese soldiers, ruthlessly spilling the blood of the ill all over the jungle. Despite this slow and clearly suicidal charge, it was by no means easy to repel. As the Japanese forces numbered in the tens of thousands, while the defenders of thisrge outpost were only a fraction of that.


    Eventually, the same sickly officer who narrowly avoided death in moments prior made his way into the trench with his soldiers by his side. The man struggled to raise his pistol and fire shots at the Majapahit defenders, which missed their targets before running forward with his sword raised. It was evident that the officer was using all the strength in his body to do so as he yelled his battle cry.


    "Tennoheika banz-"<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, before he couldplete the sentence, he puked all over the soldier he was trying to stab, and fell to his knees, no longer capable of standing in the tropical heat. The Japanese Officer only red at the Majapahit soldier with hatred before he tried again to raise his sword, however, for he could do so the enemy plugged his skull with an 8mm projectile.


    There was a look of utter pity in the Majapahit soldier''s eyes as he gazed upon the now deceased officer. In the next moment, a stray bullet narrowly missed his helmet, causing the man to look up and aim his Gewehr 27 at a Japanese rifleman who was standing rather weakly above the trench with his rifle raised. The gaunt man tried to jump into the trench with his bay, but was shot twice in the chest by the Majapahit Soldier before he could do so. The sickly body fell into the trenchpletely lifeless.


    More and more Japanese soldiers died trying to make their way to the trench line. Perhaps if they were in a condition capable of running, they would have overwhelmed the position, and easily in the meagre numbers of Majapahit defenders.


    However, the Japanese were too sick to run in most cases, and struggled with all their strength to even ce one foot in front of the other. Many of them passed out in the field of barbed wire before they could properly meet their deaths at the hands of the defenders.


    For the Majapahit Defenders, this was both a horrific and pitiful sight. The Japanese Army continued to march to their deaths in a rain of machine gun fire, as they struggled to ascend the hill and attack the defenders. If not for the fact that these men had invaded their homes, the Majapahit soldiers might have pitied their Japanese counterparts.


    Despite everything, the Japanese continued to move forward, for the fear of the men behind them, those fanatical cultists who worshipped their empress, were leaning on trees with submachine guns in their hands, ruthlessly gunning down any man who even took one step backward.


    In the end, the Majapahit Defenders ran out of ammunition, and were forced to defend their trenches and bunkers with their bays, which ultimately proved to be their downfall. The Majapahit soldiers had in between ten to twenty thousand Japanese who attacked the fort, but it did not matter, for there were another twenty thousand men who forced themselves forward with theirst breaths to attack the defenders.


    Bays were driven through the bodies of Majapahit and Japanese soldiers alike, and in the end, the defenders of the fort were forced to retreat. While the Japanese had suffered what could only be described as a massacre at the hands of the Majapahit Defenders, there were still enough of them to break through the front lines, and hold it long enough for reinforcements to arrive, not that they were likely to live to see the day.


    On this day, Itami had lost nearly half of her forces, who she had spent thest month sending into Borneo, but she had broken the stalemate that existed for well over a week. However, for these deathly ill soldiers, this was not the end of their journey, as those who survived were on the march again to assault take the next target, many of which died on the way there.


    By the time the next wave of Imperial Japanese soldiers arrived in Borneo, all that would remain of the previous fifty thousand men were a bunch of trench lines filled with disease riddled corpses and tattered banners. Itami would ensure that the bodies of her soldiers were properly disposed of in order to helpbat the Cholera outbreak from affecting her newest invasion force.


    ---


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 Chapter 1047 The Haunting Of Borneo

    The deaths of nearly 50,000 men came as a shock to the Generals beneath Itami''smand, however only the Empress of Japan herself realized just how efficient biological warfare was. Some ground was gained in this stage of the war, as tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers threw themselves into the meat grinder, knowing that they were already dead from the affliction they suffered through.


    However, without the Japanese being capable of fielding ample reinforcements to take advantage of this, the Royal Majapahit Army used this opportunity to reim ground which had been upied by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was only with swift action via the use of costal bombardments and bombing campaigns that Itami was able to hold on to her newfound territory.


    Before long, tens of thousands of more Japanese soldiers were tossed into Borneo, with thousands of men arriving each day, where they worked hard to retake the gains their predecessors had made. During this time, Itami did her best to mitigate the damage caused by the cholera outbreak by quarantining those with symptoms, and disposing of their bodies after they had perished with methrowers.


    Some Japanese soldiers survived by confiscating anti-biotics from the trenches they invaded, while others evaded the deadly disease mostly by luck. What had been the cause for thousands of deaths on a weekly basis slowly trickled down to roughly a hundred in the same time frame.


    Currently, a Japanese private by the name of Tanuma Morisada was tightly clutching his rifle in his hands while on a nightly patrol. He was one of many recent conscripts to join the War, and like so many others, he found that the jungles of Borneo were dreadfully frightening, especially after dusk.


    Private Tanuma and hispany had been sent deep into the jungle, to secure a trench line that had been abandoned after thest invasion force was nearly wiped out in its entirety. Nobody knew whaty in this earthen fortification, but some said the spirits of the dead continued to haunt the jungles at night.


    Most Japanese soldiers thought such a thing was nothing more than a scary story that their counterparts made up to entertain themselves. However, on this night, as Tanuma stalked through the Jungles beneath the moonlight, he and his fellow soldiers heard something mysterious.


    In the distance, within the trenches, an eerie moan could be heard, followed by heavy sobbing. The Japanese soldiers immediately halted in their tracks as they heard this ghostly wail. Eventually, they heard voices spoken in the Japanesenguage, which spoke of being stuck in this mortal ne of existence, cursed forever to roam thends where they had died in battle.


    A cold sweat broke out across Tanuma''s forehead as he called out the origin of this voice, his heart beating heavily as if he were about to have a heart attack in the very next second.


    "Who is out there? Show yourselves!"


    In the next moment, a transparent figure appeared in the distance, hovering in the air. It took the form of what could only be described as a wounded Japanese soldier, the sight of which caused the living soldiers to jump with fright as they aimed their weapons and fired towards the ''ghost''.


    However, as if what they had just encountered was truly a wandering spirit, the bullets ran through the transparent figure without doing it the slightest harm. It then called out to itsrades and gave them a grim warning about their fates.


    "Flee now! As I should have done, for if you stay here, you will join me in this ursed state! Doomed to wander the Jungles of Borneo for eternity!"


    After witnessing this baffling scene, the Japanese soldiers threw down their arms and ran as fast as they could in the other direction. It was only after they disappeared that the ''ghost vanished''. In reality, this was not a haunting, but an illusion created by German field agents via the use of an illusion known in Berengar''s past life as pepper''s ghost.


    As for the voice, it was a recording yed loudly for the Imperial Japanese soldiers to hear. This was a clever method that German Imperial Intelligence hade up with to wage psychological warfare against the Imperial Japanese Army.


    All over the jungles of northern Borneo, Japanese night patrols reported sights of these hauntings. Which in turn had inspired hundreds if not thousands of soldiers to strip out of their uniforms and desert their ranks.


    When news of this mass desertion, and low morale spread to Empress Itami Riyo, she was extremely furious. Standing in the war room of her Pce in Heian-ky��, the Albino beauty was practically raging at her subordinates who were discussing how to make these restless spirits move on from this ne of existence.


    If not for the fact that she had physically witnessed a living deity in the flesh, Itami never would have entertained such superstitious nonsense. However, if deities existed, then perhaps ghosts did as well. The idea that her soldiers hade back from the dead, and had inspired her forces to break ranks and desert the Imperial Japanese Army, was not something that Itami took lightly.


    As much as her own Generals pressured her to stop the night patrols, as morale was rapidly deteriorating as a result of these ''hauntings''. Itami was not entirely convinced that this was the work of the supernatural, and instead suspected it might be a trick by the opposition, specifically the agents of Germany, which she knew were embedded in the field.


    After all, she remembered reading in the Westpoint library about a simr tactic being used by the CIA during the Vietnam war of her past life. Though they didn''t manifest ghosts visually via illusions, they did y recordings of ''spirits'' of the dead Vietnamese soldiers in the jungles as an attempt at psychological warfare. <novelnext></novelnext>


    In the modern era, this was generally seen as a failed attempt on behalf of the American Military, as the North Vietnamese soldiers and the Vietcong who such methods targeted knew that the voices didn''t really belong to ghosts.


    However, this was still the medieval era, and Itami had not done much to dispel the myths of Yokai, ghosts, and other fictitious monsters among her poption. Thus, they were far more likely to believe the spirits of their deadrades, especially after the recent massacre, were indeed haunting the jungles of Borneo.


    This presented a problem, as her people were already suffering from biological warfare, to be the targets of an extensive psychological warfare operation on top of it, Itami could only clench her fists and anger, and deter further desertion via strict punishments for those who were caught in the act.


    The Japanese Generals gazed upon their Empress who refused to halt the night operations, and instead chewed them out for being a bunch of superstitious old fogeys.


    "You think Borneo is haunted? Fat chance! This is far more likely an extensive operation of psychological warfare that the Germans are ying at. I say the next time one of these so called ''ghosts'' are spotted, we drop an artillery barrage on its position, and see if it still remains unharmed!"


    Looks of utter disbelief appeared in the war room. As Japanese Generals and intelligence operatives gazed upon their Empress with total shock, many of them had indeed believed that the sightings of these wailing spirits were indeed reality.


    Yet their Empress was sure that this was merely a trick the Germans were ying. Nobody in this room aside from Itami herself knew exactly how such an illusion could be created, and thus they thought that she had lost her mind for daring to challenge the supernatural.


    Still, not one of these men denied the orders of the Japanese Empress, and instead gave her a solid salute before dispatching the orders on how to deal with these hauntings. As for Itami, she was no longer feeling well enough to look after the war effort, and retired to her bedroompletely exhausted from the day''s work. She could not help but voice her true thoughts aloud now that she was alone.


    "Idiots, the lot of them! Believing that our dead are now ghosts haunting the battlefield and encouraging our soldiers to desert! Utter foolishness! How can they not see that this is clearly the work of the damned Germans!"


    Itami then gazed over longingly at her Julian pillow and wrapped her arms around it before asking it a question as if it were the man who she longed for in the flesh.


    "Oh Julian, how would you handle such utter foolishness among your own ranks? I can''t very well disprove the idea that these are actual hauntings, but I know in my heart that this is the work of that bastard Berengar!"


    After saying this, Itami gazed over at a portrait of Berengar which hung on her wall. This was not, however, the one that previously stood in its ce. After all, she had damaged that piece of art in a fit of fury.


    Instead, Itami had paid a small fortune to a Ming art collector to smuggle in a new painting of the Kaiser. Interestingly enough, Princess Helga von Kufstein had actually painted this portrait, and as such, it was of an even greater quality than thest one.


    However, one thing Itami noticed was that in this new portrait, Berengar was even more handsome than before. After all, it had been painted by Helga after her father hade back from d and undergone a physical rebirth.


    Even Itami herself would get lost in thought, staring at this portrait from time to time. Thus, it came as no surprise when she finally bit her lip and admitted defeat to the man who she imed to despise most of all in this wretched world.


    "Well yed Berengar, it seems you have outmaneuvered me once again, but I assure you just because I have lost this battle, that does not mean I have lost the war!"


    After saying this, Itami stripped out of her clothes, ced a whitecey nightgown over her wless body, and climbed into bed where she would get more sleep than she had over the past three daysbined.


    ---


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 Chapter 1048 Naval Preparations

    Berengar sat in his office with Adelbrand and Linde by his side. They both had reports in their hands about the ongoing conflict in Borneo and the preparations which the Reich was making for the eventual war with Japan.


    Adelbrand seemed happier than usual, possibly because he had just taken another wife, which Berengar had attended the wedding as his best man. There was a smirk on the German Field Marshal''s face as he handed over a document, which was a summary of the ongoing efforts to establish military bases in Australia, Hawaii, and the west coast of Lindheim.


    "As you can see, over the past year, we have made significant progress in the region you refer to as Australia. Though the natives initially proved somewhat difficult to remove due to the sparsity of their settlements, I can proudly say that we have now exterminated an estimated 82% of their total poption.


    We have also invested a considerable sum in the construction of arge naval/air base in the northeastern corner of the continent, which acts as a refueling station for our fleets in the Pacific. Speaking of which, progress is underway for the establishment of a simr base within the ind chain of Hawaii, and on the west coast of Lindeheim.


    ording to reports from the field in each location, the natives are being purged at a significant rate. In an estimated two to three years, there will only be Germans inhabiting the regions. With the finished construction of the base in northeastern Australia, we now have three carrier strike groups permanently stationed in the east. One in Sri Lanka, one in Singapore, and one in Australia. With a fourth on the way in Hawaii.


    You will be proud to know that the Kriegsmarine has berge enough to properly project force anywhere on the globe. We have ten carrier strike groups in total located around the world, eachposed of a single carrier along with itsplementary carrier air wing, which consists of 30 dive bombers and 12 fighters.


    One of our newest ss of battleships, as well as two of ourtest cruiser designs, protect the carrier of each strike group. A single Destroyer Squadron also guards the carrier for a total of six destroyers of our most modern variations, and two U-boats. There is also the matter of two supply ships which provide logistical support such as fuel, food, ammunition, etc.


    In total, this means we have ten carriers, ten battleships, twenty heavy cruisers, sixty destroyers, and twenty submarines spread out across the world''s oceans. As for protection of maritime trade, we have delegated that role to a mixture of our older battleships, battlecruisers, destroyers, and plenty of U-boats.


    Aside from the dedicated warships, we have manufactured thousands of Dominion-II ss cargo vessels since their introduction, along with an estimated two hundred and fifty LCTs, which are more than capable of transferring multiple armored divisions and their supplies across the seas in a single journey."


    The reason Adelbrand knew so much about the Kriegsmarine''s capabilities, despite being an Army Field Marshal, was because Berengar had selected the man as his chief of staff. Other than the Kaiser himself, who acted as Reichsmarschall, which was his Empire''s variation of America''smander-in-chief, Adelbrand held the most authority in the German Armed Forces.


    Adelbrand''s work was cut out for him as he was in constantmunication with Generals from the Heer, and Luftwaffe, as well as admirals from the Kriegsmarine. As for Linde, as director of Imperial Intelligence, whose foreign operations branch worked closely with the military, she knew all of this information by heart as well. Thus, it came as no surprise when the redheaded beauty added to the list of information.


    "In addition to what Generalfeldmarschall von Salzburg was speaking about, I am pleased to announce that our spies report that the Imperial Japanese Navy is severelycking in the ships required to ferry their troops and resources from Japan to Borneo. As such, they have resorted to making multiple trips topensate for theirck of transports.


    It would appear that Empress Itami has put a heavy emphasis on the manufacture and deployment of battleships and heavy cruisers. In terms of her battleships, she has seven or eight of them in total, with another batch on the way. As for cruisers, Japan has a dozen, maybe more, but no more than twenty. They also have thirteen destroyer squadrons for a total of 78 of such warships, and of course, as many if not more submarines.


    While it is true that our navy is far more vast, and capable, a significant majority of our ships are of older designs which are inferior to the Japanese warships. Luckily, all of our carriers strike groups, which will be the heart of our maritime operations in the uing war, consist entirely of ourtest developments and are more than capable of taking on the Japanese Navy.<novelnext></novelnext>


    While the battle capabilities of the Imperial Japanese Navy are at a threatening level, it has be abundantly apparent by this invasion of Borneo that the enemy ispletelycking in means of transport and shipping. With a severeck of dedicatednding craft and cargo ships being theirrgest concerns at the moment.


    I suggest removing some of the older warships from their current job of protecting the merchant fleet, and instead task them with forming into raiding flotis who will be dedicated to harassing Japanese shipping and transport. This will inevitably make matters worse for Japan as they struggle to resupply and reinforce the Inds that we will most likely be fighting on."


    Berengar looked up from the reports in his hand and smiled as he questioned his trusted friend about his opinion on the matter.


    "Adelbrand, you''re in regrmunication with the Admiralty. What do you think of my wife''s suggestion?"


    Linde slightly frowned when Berengar did not take her advice at face value, but she allowed Adelbrand to speak his piece. The man merely smiled and bowed his head with respect before responding.


    "My Kaiser, I believe the Kaiserin is correct in her assessment. The fighting against Japan''s warships can be left to our carrier strike groups. However, we have hundreds of submarines and dozens of destroyers of the old design lying about. Not to mention the ungodly sum of old battleships and battlecruisers we have, which are dreadfullycking in Anti-Air capabilitiespared to the newest warships.


    I believe we can protect our merchant fleets with destroyers and submarines alone. However, if we were to dedicate theserger obsolete warships to attack Japanese shipping and transport, there''s not much they will be able to do to stop them, short of chasing them off with their own battleships and heavy cruisers."


    Upon hearing both his director of intelligence and chief of staff share their united opinions, Berengar nodded his head before handing the dossiers back to them and responding in agreement with their assessment.


    "Very well. We will begin the formation of dedicated raiding flotis immediately. Adelbrand, select the ships you think are most qualified for the job, and send them to Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Australia to stand by and wait for the war to begin. If that is all, then you are both dismissed. There are plenty of matters at hand to concern myself with regarding this uing war."


    After saying that, Linde and Adelbrand paid their respects before leaving the room behind. Where Berengar continued to work on organizing the fleets and the armored divisions for the sake of the eventual war with Japan, which was rapidly approaching.


    ---


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 Chapter 1049 An Act Of War

    Despite Itami''s best attempts to squash the so called ''hauntings'' of Borneo, they continued to pop up here and there during the dead of night. By now, morale was at an all-time low for the Imperial Japanese Army as they continued to push forward into the meat grinder in an attempt to take the Ind by storm.


    Currently, a squadron of Me 264 strategic bombers and their fighter escorts were flying through the night sky over Borneo. Though instead of bombs, these nes carried propaganda leaflets which were written in the Japanese script. Their mission was simple: dump the pamphlets over the northern half of the ind before returning to Singapore.


    As tensions rose in Borneo, the German Empire became more and more active in nonbatant roles. As such, many of the Reich''s greatest talents were flooding into the region, preparing themselves for the day the fighting truly started.


    Among these men was Hans'' former flight instructor, who was now a colonel of his own air wing. Colonel Ernst Meier was peering through the corner of his eye at his radar, as he noticed a small blip appear, which was followed my several more in the seconds that followed. He snarled in disgust before getting on hisms and alerting the rest of the unit.


    Just our luck, we''ve gotpany boys! Do you think these fuckers have radar?"


    Another voice appeared on the end with a slight chortle before responding to the question.


    "If they did, they would be pounding us with AA right now. I think it''s just a small patrol. Remember our orders. Do not attack unless we have been fired upon. I''m sure we can all agree that we don''t want to be the fools who caused this war to begin!"


    After that, the voices went silent over thems as the Japanese nes entered the same airspace. No matter how Colonel Meier looked on the radar, it appeared that the Japanese nes were inbound, and when the enemy noticed their airspace, they would surely attack. With a heavy sigh, Ernst gave amand to the bombers in the wing.


    "Bombs away boys. Better drop those flyers before the enemy mistakes them for explosives!"


    A voice responded on the other end of thems, with a short and simple acknowledgement of the orders.


    "Roger that!"


    In the next second, the bottom hatches opened and thousands of paper leaflets dropped from the night sky above Borneo onto the Japanese positions below. Naturally, they got picked up by the wind and were carried for some time. It waspletely unknown how many of these flyers made it to the proper region.


    However, after dropping the leaflets, the Japanese pilots took notice of the German Air Wing and began to immediately intercept them. When Colonel Meier saw this, he immediately broke off from the bombers and gave them an urgentmand.


    "You guys head back to Singapore. We''ll make sure these yellow bastards don''t intercept you! Go!"


    Thest thing they needed was for the Japanese Anti-Aircraft guns on the ground below to open fire on their bombers. With this in mind, the Ta-152 fighter-intercepters began to take to the skies, their altitude rapidly increasing as theyid out the bait for the wooden Ki-106 fighters to follow.


    The Japanese Pilots did exactly as Ernst thought they would, and desperately tried to keep up with the German fighters who were both too fast for Ki-106s to keep up with. This caused the Japanese pilots to be extremely frustrated with one of them losing control of his emotions before opening fire on the Germans.


    The Germans had no way of knowing whether the Japanese had been ordered to shoot them down, or had acted out of frustration. Either way, now that shots had been fired, this little game had quickly turned into a deadly dogfight. Ernst, who was very high in the sky, quickly maneuvered his ne around so that it was facing the Ki-106s who were quite a bit away from him, and put the pedal to the metal.


    Descending rapidly from the sky, Colonel Meier fell upon the first three Ki-106s to enter his sight with guns zing. Thebined might of a single 30mm auto-cannon, and two twenty 20mm auto-cannons sprayed the nose of the first enemy ne, sting it into bits within in the air. The moment the high explosive rounds touched the wooden fusge, the Ki-106 practically fell apart in the sky. Needless to say, the pilot was killed instantly.


    Yet Ernst did not stop them, and quickly aimed down his optical sight onto another ne which flew side by side with the one he just shot down. With a burst of fire from his auto cannons, so too did this Ki-106 detonate in the air. <novelnext></novelnext>


    However, before Ernst could take out the third ne in front of him, a burst of fire rained down from above, where another German pilot had taken a shot directly through the Ki-160s cabin, killing the pilot instantly, and shredding the enemy fighter apart.


    Ernst felt a bid irritated, having his third kill stolen from him. However, he continued to fly through the enemy fire, who missed their shots before being quickly gunned down by the overwhelming number of Ta-152s which were in the air.


    In less than five minutes, all twenty-four of the Japanese nes were shot out of the sky, without a single German casualty. Once they were sure that there was nobody left to oppose them in the air, Colonel Ernst gavemand to the rest of the fighters to head home.


    "Alright boys, let''s get out of here before the AA realizes we are still up here. I just hope that we didn''t just kick-start the war!''


    With that said, the German fighters pressed their gas pedals and flew as fast as they could back to Singapore without looking back to where they had just wiped out an entire Japanese fighter squadron.


    ---


    Word quickly arrived on the Japanese maind about the loss of an entire fighter squadron. In fact, Itami was awoken from her sleep, and personally alerted by one of her Generals. The albino beauty rose from her bed and rubbed her eyes in her groggy state, barely hearing what the man had heard.


    All she knew was that one of her generals was within her personal quarters, without permission, standing over her with a stern appearance. Itami immediately assumed perhaps a coup was taking ce, and thus reached under her pillow and pulled out a pistol, which she pointed at the man''s head with a murderous glint in her blood-red eyes.


    "You have exactly three seconds to exin why you are here in my room before I put a bullet in your brain!"


    The General raised his hands in his defense and quickly informed the woman of what had happened in the given time frame.


    "The Germans have attacked!"


    Itami thought that perhaps she was till half asleep, and gazed at the General as if he were a moron. She quickly demanded he repeat what he said.


    "I''m sorry what? For a second, I thought I just heard you say that the Germans have attacked us!"


    The General remained silent as he eyed the pistol still pointed directly at his forehead. He simply nodded, confirming that was what he had said. In doing so, Itami tossed the gun aside and jumped out of her bed, before pulling a coat over her nightgown.


    "Summon my Generals and inform me just what has urred while we head to the war room!"


    What was about to take ce were two separate meetings on both sides of the world which would determine whether or not war wouldmence as a result of this aerial engagement.


    ---


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 Chapter 1050 The Borneo Crisis

    After a brief encounter with one of her generals, Itami ced a military jacket over her nightgown and followed her subordinate into the war room, where her generals and admirals were already gathered. Before anyone could speak, she had already begun to barkmands at the men.


    "Status update now!"


    During her walk over to the war room, she had been alerted about what had transpired in the skies above Borneo no more than an hour ago. What she was more concerned about was how the Germans were responding to this incident. A balding fat man who looked almost like a turkey stuffed into a military uniform was quick to speak as he addressed the Empress of Japan with the utmost respect.


    "Tennoheika-sama. In case you are not already aware, we have made contact with the German Air Force over the skies of Borneo. They have gunned down one of our squadrons before fleeing back to their air base in Singapore. What are your orders?"


    Itami was naturally already aware of this and was quick tosh out at her general for repeating the same story that the other had already told her.


    "I am already aware, General. What I need to know is how are the Germans reacting? Do not waste my time!"


    The gluttonous General who had just spoken had a nervous expression on his oversized face as he began to sweat bullets after receiving such a violent outburst from the Empress, he knew she would be furious at his next words, but he also knew hiding the truth would only get him into further trouble. Thus, he sighed heavily before admitting that they knew absolutely nothing about the Germans'' movements.


    "As of right now, we have limited knowledge about German deployments outside of Borneo. However, there seems to have been an increase in activity from the Royal Majapahit Army. It is as if they are preparing to go on the offensive. Arge gathering of troops is being deployed to the front lines as we speak!"


    Itami frowned when she heard this. She wanted more than anything to curse out her subordinates for being so useless in a time of crisis. However, she knew screaming at them would get her nowhere and thus she did not hesitate to respond to this news with a strategy of her own.


    "Advance the First and Second Armored Divisions from the rear lines to the front. We must stop this attack before they have a chance to press forward into our upied territory. I also want as many fighters and bombers that we have in the Philippines to hit the air and take over the skies of Borneo. We must establish Air Supremacy before the Germans can arrive or else the war will be lost before it has even begun!


    As for our First and Second Fleet, have them immediately set sail from Osaka and head to Singapore. I doubt the German Navy will sit still after such an attack. Gentlemen, as of this moment, we are officially at war with the German Empire!"


    A look of dread appeared on the faces of every General and Admiral gathered to witness Empress Itami Riyo''s bold deration. Not a single soul dared to inform her that it was their men who had first opened fire on the Germans.


    For some, they had grown impatient in waiting for the war with the German Empire to begin, and made use of this opportunity to spark conflict between the two industrial powers. For others, they were fearful of how the Empress would respond if their blunder was to be discovered. Either way, unless Berengar made some move to halt hostilities before they began, it would appear that war had now be inevitable.


    ---


    Berengar was awoken in the middle of the night and immediately alerted to the crisis which the entire German Nation was currently facing. It was a crisis quite unbeknownst to the public atrge, but the consequences of inaction would surely mean the deaths of thousands, if not tens of thousands.


    Knowing that he would get no further sleep on this night, Berengar rushed out of his bed and dressed himself into a military uniform before storming through his halls and to his Pce''s war room, where soon enough Generals, Admirals, and politicians would gather to discuss a very dire situation that urred over the skies of Borneo no more than an hour prior.


    It did not take long for these men of great importance to gather in the war room, and discuss the crisis at hand, in fact the moment Generalfeldmarschall Adelbrand entered the room Berengar snapped at him, still rather irritated at being awoken from his slumber sote into the night.


    "Just what in the hell is going on in Borneo that I have to be woken up at 0200 hours?"


    Adelbrand, having just been informed about the situation himself from his staff, was quick to point towards the map where the problem currently lies. He did not hesitate to voice everything he had learned on his march to the Imperial Pce.


    "It would appear that during a propaganda mission, a squadron of Japanese fighters had intercepted and fired upon our Air Wing. In doing so, our pilots retaliated and shot down the enemy squadron.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As far as we know, there were no casualties on our side. However, this incident is clearly an act of war, and we must react before the Japanese have a chance to attack! Which they most certainly appear to be mobilizing as we speak!


    Berengar was startled that such a scenario had happened while he slept, and was deeply concerned about the potential ramifications of the incident. He was quick to ask a follow up question about the enemy and how they had responded to the incident.


    "You say Japan is currently mobilizing its forces? I need to know the exact details! Have they begun to deploy their fleets, and where are they headed? Have the Japaneseunched their nes stationed in the Southern Philippines? Is there any noticeable activity from the Imperial Japanese Army?"


    Adelbrand was quick to move wooden figures representing the First and Second Fleet of the Japanese Navy which had departed from Japan where it was headed to Singapore, he then moved the figures representing two different Japanese Armored Divisions advancing forward to reinforce the front lines in Borneo, from which the Field Marshal then exined in detail what their agents had reported.


    "It appears that there is a mass mobilization effort on the part of Japan. As we speak, their First and Second Fleet are moving from Osaka to Singapore in what appears to be a pre-emptive strike. In total, there are roughly two dozen warships in this attack group.


    As for their Air Force, they haveunched every fighter and bomber they have in the Southern Philippines, and are preparing tounch more from the Northern Philippines who willnd in the south and refuel before taking flight to Borneo. We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of enemy aircraft attempting to establish Air Superiority over the ind.


    As for the Imperial Japanese Army, they have mobilized the First and Second Armored Divisions, which were held back in Brunei towards the front lines in preparation for the Royal Majapahit Army''s attack. I am proud to say that we have already reported to our allies about the incident in skies above Borneo, and they have responded with a mass mobilization of their own forces.


    There are also signs of civilian ships being appropriated in Korea and the Japanese maind to act as a means of transport for the Imperial Japanese Army. If they seed in this endeavor, then we are looking at potential region wide conflict."


    Berengar gazed upon the movements that the Japanese Military had made, and had felt that war was imminent. If he were to respond in kind, there would be no avoiding an armed conflict. However, he still had hope that the Japanese Empress could see reason, and was quick to give out his instructions.


    "Send a message to ambassador Gerhard von Graz at the German Embassy in Beijing. I need him to get in immediate contact with the Japanese Empress. Tell him not to go out of his way to infuriate the woman, and to patch me through to her the moment he has made a connection.


    As far as our own forces are concerned, I want you to immediately mobilize carrier group Six stationed in Singapore and send them to intercept the Japanese fleets outside Borneo. We can not allow the enemy to trespass into our maritime borders.


    As for the Luftwaffe, have every fighter stationed within range to take off, and head to Borneo, however, keep them above the Majapahit lines, make sure they do not trespass into Japanese-upied airspace, until we have attempted contact with Japan.


    As for our ground forces, prepare the LCTs stationed in Singapore and dispatch both a Panzer Division and a Panzergrenadier division to the shores of Borneo. If this war bes hot, I want German troops on the ground.


    I must emphasize once more that nobody is to attack Japan unless we have first been fired upon, or I have given the signal! There is still time to salvage this crisis and prevent it from escting into a full-scale war!"


    Adelbrand snapped to attention and saluted Berengar before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, my Kaiser!"


    As for Berengar, he concentrated on the map, as thems operators began making their calls to deliver the Kaiser''s orders. All while thinking to himself that he hoped to god, Itami was not the psycho bitch he always thought she was.


    ---


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 Chapter 1051 Narrowly Avoiding All Out Warfare Part I

    Both the German and Japanese Empires were facing an imminent crisis. The war rooms of both pces were filled with generals, admirals, and politicians alike, all of whom coordinated together with their forces who, as of this moment, had begun mobilizing to war.


    Itami was anxiously staring at the map, which was continually updated by one of her officers to represent thetest news they had received from their forces on the front line. It would appear that the Germans had responded to this crisis in the same manner she had. War seemed to be inevitable, and the Japanese Empress knew that her armed forces were currently not up to the task.


    However, as Itami struggled to keep herself from biting her nails, a message came through from the German Embassy, who had contacted a Japanese ry ship stationed in the Bohai Bay. Just when she thought that all hope was lost, the other side had reached out to her, which was reported by one of herms officers.


    "Tennoheika-sama, it would appear the German Ambassador in Beijing has sent a priority message dering that the Kaiser wishes to speak with you! Shall I patch you through?"


    Itami could hardly believe her ears when she heard this, and as a result it took several minutes for her to understand just what she had been told. However, after a few moments of awkward silence, she quickly responded with a nod of her head and a voice filled with anxiety.


    "Y..Yes! Absolutely, give it here!"


    Itami then walked over to the radio and picked up the headset, which allowed her to speak to the other side. She heard a familiar voice, one which was usually filled with a taunting tone. However, today the voice was grim, as if he were preparing himself for the deaths of thousands of his own people.


    "Hello, Empress Itami Riyo, it''s a shame we must speak again under such dire circumstances. However, I have been instructed to tell you that my Kaiser wishes to speak with you about today''s incidents. Are you willing to ept his call? Or shall I tell him that our two nations are now officially at war?"


    Itami''s heart pounded rapidly as she heard these words spoken by the German ambassador. Though she was outraged that her own forces were attacked without provocation, or at least as far as she was aware. She was not so enraged that she would throw away an attempt at peace. Thus, after taking a few breaths to calm her anxious mind, she responded with a nod of her head.


    "Yes, I would very much like to speak with your Kaiser. Patch me through!"


    Gerhard''s voice immediately erupted on the other end of the line with what appeared to be an excited tone in his deep voice.


    "One moment, please..."


    ---


    Berengar was standing in his war room with a smoking hemp cigarette ced firmly between his two fingers. He exhaled a great puff of smoke before immediately taking another drag of the herb. Though his appearance was as calm as can be, his actions spoke otherwise. In the past five minutes, this was his third cigarette. He was smoking like a chimney as he attempted to calm his nerves, which seemed to be lit ame.


    Then, thems operator handed him a headset and informed him that the Japanese Empress was on the other line. He took onest drag of his cigarette before stamping out its me and reaching for the device. Despite the fact that his heart was beating like a steam piston, he spoke with a voice that was filled with tranquility.


    "So, we finally meet atst..."


    There was total silence on the other end of the line for roughly five seconds before a hyper-feminine voice appeared in his ears. Itami sounded shocked as she voiced her disbelief.


    "You speak Japanese?"


    Berengar had to prevent himself from scoffing as such a gesture would appear rude, and instead spoke with a warm tone in his voice, as if he were chatting with an old friend.


    "But of course! I knew our meeting was inevitable and so I took it upon myself to learn yournguage, I must say I''m rather surprised you have not done the same..."


    Despite the fact that he could not see the face which the voice belonged to, he could definitely see a scowl on the woman''s face within his own mind as she spoke back to him with a rather bitter tone in her voice.


    "You think awfully highly of yourself, don''t you?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar immediately pulled out his pack of hemp cigarettes and lit another one ame, the sound of his drag was overheard by the Japanese Empress along with his exhale. She remained silent, patiently waiting for his response. Which eventually came with a rather stern tone in the man''s voice.


    "I''m afraid Empress Itami, it is you who thinks awfully little of me, after all, is that not how you and I got here to begin with?"


    Berengar gain could see in his mind''s eye the woman frowning at this statement as she began to question his words with a rather shrill tone in her feminine voice.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    In response to this, Berengar sighed heavily before responding in a rather cryptic manner.


    "There can only be one! Can''t there? Or so you thought when you first learned of my existence. I''m not wrong, am I? When you finally realized that there was another person like yourself on the other side of the world, you immediately thought the worst of me and plotted to interfere in my affairs. If you had just stopped to think for a moment that perhaps I am not a wicked man, then maybe we would have gotten along, you and I..."


    Itami held her breath for several seconds, and it was clear to Berengar that she had been bewildered by hisment, it took her a moment or two to grasp hold of her thoughts, which she was quick to speak with a venomced tongue once she had done so.


    "Your men shot down my nes!"


    Berengar''s brow raised ever so slightly as he swiftly responded to the woman''s ims with a confident smirk on his face.


    "Only because they were fired upon first, naturally they had a right to retaliate, or do you believe they simply should have waited for their deaths at the hands of your fighter pilots? Funny, isn''t it? This seems to be a perfect example of the rtionship between our two nations. You attack us, we retaliate, and then you me us for the blood that has been shed.


    However, I am not a particrly vicious man, nor am I a warmonger like you seem to think I am. In fact, every war I have ever fought in this life has been defensive or retaliatory in nature. I don''t believe you can say the same. Despite our differences, I think it would be prudent if we coulde to apromise before we start blowing each other''s heads off.


    I must inform you that my men are willing to die for kaiser and fathend, even it is in some foreign part of the world. I have already deployed a carrier strike group to intercept your fleet, which is heading to my base in Singapore.


    A thousand nes haveunched from our bases in Singapore and the Majapahit Empire, and as we speak, two armored divisions are making their way across the sea to reinforce our allies in Borneo. I dare say this is more than enough to counter your efforts, is it not?


    Now, I think it would be best for everyone if we cane to some kind of agreement that will prevent the deaths of tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, but to do so I need your word that you will immediately tell your forces to stand down as we negotiate things, I am more than ready to do the same."


    There was utter silence on the other end of the line for nearly a minute. Berengar had no way of knowing that Itami was confirming with her generals whether her forces had opened fire first, and then screaming at them when one of them finally revealed the truth of the matter. Finally, after waiting some time, her voice, which seemed to be in a state of suppressed rage, responded.


    "I am willing to negotiate a ceasefire. If you are, I have just ordered my troops to stand down, and I expect you to do the same! If not, then there is nothing we need to talk about..."


    Berengar looked over to his generals and ced down the headset for a second to confirm that the Japanese military had indeed stood down. Once he was ensured of this, he ordered his men to do the same before cing the headphones back on his skull while responding to Itami.


    "Very well. I have just ordered my men to do the same. Now shall we begin?"


    ---


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 Chapter 1052 Narrowly Avoiding All Out Warfare Part II

    Berengar stood in his war room, with a headset on his head, which allowed him to effectivelymunicate with the Japanese Empress. The two monarchs were in a heated discussion regarding the recent events in Borneo, which saw an entire Japanese squadron shot out of the sky.


    Having agreed to a ceasefire for the duration of their negotiations, the topic of discussion was aboutpromises that would have to be made for both sides to agree not to bear their fangs at one another. There was a tranquil tone in Berengar''s voice as he opened the negotiations with his rival from the east.


    "So, where do we begin? There are so many things I want to ask you, though most of these questions have nothing to do with our current predicament, and thus I will wait until ater date to speak with you about these matters.


    I suppose I should start by asking what demands you have of me? It is abundantly clear that if we wish to avoid all out warfare between our two nations, then something has to be given from both sides. Tell me, Empress Itami Riyo, what is it you want me to concede on the most?"


    Itami remained silent for several seconds. She was expecting the man to start out by making demands of her, but instead he had asked what she wanted from him. She could hardly believe her ears, but when she finally realized that she was not being deceived by her own senses, the Albino beauty spoke up with a rather stern tone in her high-pitched voice.


    "You want to know what I want? It is a rather simple demand. Withdraw all support from the Majapahit Empire and allow my campaign to continue without your interference!"


    Immediately, Itami could hear Berengar sucking his teeth on the other end, which was an obvious sign that he would not concede this point. Naturally, such a response followed shortly thereafter.


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that. You see, I have ns for the Majapahit Empire, and I will not so easily surrender an ally to your conquest. It''s funny, this whole situation reminds me of something simr that happened in another life. I''m sure you know what I''m referring to.


    It''s notmon knowledge, I''m afraid. Naturally, after their victory, the allied powers wanted to control the narrative of the war, and the evils their enemiesmitted, while tantly ignoring their own crimes.


    However, the fact remains that the non-aggression pact between the Third Reich and the Soviet Union copsed because the USSR made an ultimatum to Germany. Give up your easternnds, and abandon your allies to Soviet conquest, or we wille marching into Berlin.


    Of course, this threat waspletely valid. In fact, before it was even made, the Soviets had amassed a fair amount of their divisions on Germany''s eastern borders. Naturally, Germany would never allow itself to be bullied into submission, especially not after Versailles, so on the twenty-second of June, the German Army invaded the Soviet Union and began the notorious operation Barbarossa."


    There was a very clear irritated tone in Itami''s voice as she swiftly interrupted Berengar''s speech.


    "And how, pray tell, is such a thing relevant to our current circumstances?"


    A slight chuckle emerged from the other end of the line, followed by a smug voice, which instantly got on Itami''s nerves.


    "It''s relevant, because you are acting just as Stalin did before he got millions of his own people killed. Do you truly want to be remembered in such a likeness, Empress Itami? I''m afraid, just as in that timeline, I, the ruler of the German Nation, must put my foot down, and dere that under no circumstances will I be abandoning my allies to your conquest.


    After all, I have seen what your troops do to their conquered subjects, and I can say with certainty that I would not desire for even my worst enemies to suffer such a horrific fate, let alone my allies. So, now that abandoning the Majapahit Empire is off the table, what else would you ask of me? Something I hope that is far more eptable for the both of us."


    Itami did not like beingpared to Stalin. After all, the man was a monster, one who was responsible for such levels of human suffering that only a few men in history could possiblypare to him.


    However, despite her fury at beingpared to the man, she understood the intent behind it. Abandoning the Majapahit Army was not in the cards for Berengar, and thus she had to think of something else that would help her cause.


    "Very well, you say that you can not withdraw your support from the Majapahit Empire, then, at the very least I demand you cease your aerial operations over the ind of Borneo, after all, reports areing in of propaganda fliers designed to worsen the morale of my troops, something that I find to be intolerable!" <novelnext></novelnext>


    The only thing Itami could hear on the other end after making this demand was silence, whichsted for several moments as Berengar pondered the ramifications of such a move would have. The Japanese Empress waited patiently for a response for several seconds until finally the voice, which she now recognized as the Kaiser''s emerged on the other end.


    "Very well... I can concede this point. I swear that I will prohibit the Luftwaffe from flying over Borneo for the extent of your campaign in the region. However, in return I want something from you... I need you to publically recognize that the attack on my pilots was unwarranted, unjustified, and aplete vition of your militaryw.


    I also need you to hold the man ountable who was responsible for authorizing the attack on my pilots. An example needs to be set, that firing upon my forces ispletely uneptable unless your troops have been attacked first. This way, we will be able to avoid any unfortunate incidents like this in the future.


    After all, if something like this were to ur a second time, I will be far less forgiving. You are just lucky that none of my men were injured in this incident, or we would not be having this discussion."


    In truth, there was little Itami could give Berengar in these negotiations. There was nothing tangible that the Japanese Empire had in its possession that the German Empire did not. In fact, Berengar''s goal in this whole conflict was to bleed the Japanese Empire dry of its manpower and resources before he himself got involved in the war.


    Thus, while there were some things Berengar could do like implement a no-fly zone, to aid his allies, in the end they would be detrimental to his own cause, as this would effectively take Itami''s pilots out of the war zone, and they were one Itami''s greatest resources, one that Berengar hoped to drain in this conflict.


    However, a public recognition of fault on behalf of the Japanese Empire for this incident? That was worth its weight in gold. The German Propaganda machine would have a field day using Itami''s own statement against her.


    Itami knew this was exactly what Berengar wanted, butpared to the other demands he could have made in exchange for keeping his own air force out of the war, it was definitely the most tolerable. Thus, after thinking about it for several moments, a loud sigh erupted from the albino beauty''s mouth as she agreed to this condition.


    "Very well, I will publically announce that the attack on your pilots was unwarranted, unjustified, and aplete vition of militaryw. I will also hold the man who authorized the attack responsible for his actions, and of those pilots who acted on his orders. Is that really all you want from me in order to maintain the fragile peace that exists between our two nations?"


    A confident smirk emerged on Berengar''s lips as he spoke into the microphone with a smug tone in his voice.


    "As long as your only demand is that I prevent my nes from flying over Borneo, then yes, that is all I ask of you."


    Itami did not hesitate to respond to this, though there appeared to be a defeated tone in her voice as she did so.


    "Fine, I will do as you ask, and I expect you to do the same. If that is all there is to be said, then I suppose these negotiations are concluded. I would say I look forward to hearing your voice again, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, but I fear the next time I am able to do so, we will be at war."


    Berengar managed to get onestment out before the other line went silent.


    "Good luck..."


    With this conversation said and done, the German Empire and the Empire of Japan had just narrowly avoided all out warfare between their two nations.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1053 Punishing Treason

    Having narrowly avoided all out warfare with the Japanese Empire, Berengar sat down in his seat within the war room, and took a deep breath to calm his nerves before exhaling it sharply. He could hardly believe he and Itami hade to an agreement and ceased hostilities for the time being.


    Berengar had to admit, although there was a hint of irritation in the woman''s voice, it was deeply alluring. For perhaps the first time in his life, he began to wonder what the Japanese Empress looked like. Berengar had long since heard of the woman''s esteemed beauty, but he had never been curious enough to ask about it.


    After all, he had one of the most beautiful women in the world by his side, and he had always assumed no matter how pretty Itami might be, she could neverpare to Linde. Or so he thought, however after hearing Itami''s charming, albeit frustrated voice, he began to consider that maybe the rumors were true.


    As swiftly as these thoughts entered Berengar''s brain, so, too, did they disappear. He had far more important things to think about than how beautiful the Japanese Empress was, and thus he was quick to order his gathered generals around.


    "Have our troops return to their previous positions. We have just narrowly avoided a war with the Japanese, and thest thing I need is for their Empress to think I am going back on our arrangements. Also, from this point until I say otherwise, our nes are not to fly over Borneo. Any attempt to do so will be seen as a breach of our agreement. Am I understood?"


    The gathered military personnel all snapped to attention and saluted the Kaiser before responding.


    "Yes, sir!"


    With that said, Berengar nodded towards his generals while leaving one final statement prior to his departure from the war room:.


    "Excellent. I trust you all to keep track of things. In the meantime, I''m going to go make sure breakfast is prepared for my family. Until we meet again."


    Having said that, Berengar left the war room and returned to the more peaceful areas of his pce, specifically the kitchens, where he ordered the staff to prepare an exceptionallyrge breakfast for hisrge family.


    ---


    On the other side of the world, it was already well past eleven in the morning. The Japanese Empress had an unseemly habit of sleeping inte, possibly as a means to cope with her growing depression. Perhaps on a normal day she would have slept in past noon, but instead, due to the crisis she faced, Itami had been woken two hours prior.


    Naturally, because of this, and everything else that had urred within the past hour, she was not happy. Itami red with her sanguine eyes towards her Generals, a chilling gaze pierced through the hearts of her followers, and they knew that one of them would not survive for long.


    "I want the truth, and nothing but the truth. Who was the officer who had authorized the attack on the German Pilots? You all have been withholding information from me yet again, and I am not the slightest bit amused.


    Had you told me that it was our forces who first engaged, I would have been prepared to properly deal with this incident. Instead, you all told me that the Germans had opened fire on our troops. If not for General Katano, and his honesty, I would have used the Germans of lying to me, and in doing so, started a war, which we are not yet prepared to wage. So, unless you all want to lose your heads, like your predecessors, I believe it is in your best interest to start talking... Now!"


    Wada Masaari, who was the fat, and balding General who looked like a turkey stuffed into a military uniform, had begun to sweat bullets. He knew exactly who was responsible for giving the order, but he did not dare to say it, for if he did, his life would be forfeited. After all, he had heard Itami agree to Berengar''s demands, which was to punish the man responsible for this attack. <novelnext></novelnext>


    However, contrary to what the General was expecting, none of these colleagues stepped forward and volunteered this information. At least at first, however, no more than three seconds had passed until General Katano stepped forward, and spoke the truth, like he had done when Itami was forced to investigate if Japan was really at fault for this incident.


    "Tennoheika-sama, I know who authorized the attack. It was General Wada Masaari. I do not understand his reasoning for doing so, especially when the German aviators had shown no sign of hostility, but when asked permission to open fire, he was quick to give his approval. This disaster was entirely his fault."


    Itami''s icy gaze focused itself upon General Wada as her eyes narrowed into a murderous re. She was quick to unsheathe her de and point it to the man''s fat neck as she interrogated the errant general on the spot.


    "The only reason you are still alive is because I have to make a public deration of your folly. In doing so, I intend to make your execution an example of those who would dare to act so foolishly while I am asleep.


    Honestly, Wada, what in Ameratsu''s name possessed you to give the order to open fire on the German pilots? Could you not see that such an attack was as good as a deration of war? Or perhaps is this what you wanted?


    You do realize that in our current state; we have no chance of defeating the Reich in an all out war. To deliberately provoke the Germans into an armed conflict, well, I''d wager that his high treason is it not? Does anyone here disagree with my assessment?"


    It was no secret that many among the Samurai ss, who made up the majority of Itami''s officer corps, had desired war with Germany. Many among them were growing impatient, such as Wada, and wanted to spill the blood of those who had interfered in their Imperial Expansion for the past few years.


    There were even those in this very room who agreed with Wada''s decision, and were scornful about the fact that Empress Itami had not only negotiated a ceasefire before the war could truly begin, but had ended the conflict in its infancy.


    However, now that General Katano had spoken out against Wada, and his actions, none of them would voluntarily join the man on the chopping block, and thus they remained silent, even if they silently agreed with the man''s actions. Thus, they all remained speechless when Itami asked for their opinion.


    This had caused Itami to frown in disappointment, as she quickly gave an order to her Imperial Guard, who stood at the ready in the war room.


    "Arrest General Wada Masaari for acts of high treason against the Empire of Japan, and prepare a public venue where I can dere his guilt. As for the rest of you, I suggest you remember Wada''s fate, for if any of you dare to think about provoking a war before I decide we are ready to wage it, you will share his fate. Dismissed!"


    After saying this, Itami departed from the room, while still dressed in nothing but a nightgown and a military jacket. At the moment, she desired more than anything to have a proper bath after such a stressful morning.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1054 Graduation Day Part I

    Having sessfully deterred a full scale conflict, Berengar fulfilled his promise and returned his forces from whence they came. As for Itami, she quickly held a public deration of guilt for the General who was responsible for the attack on the Luftwaffe. General Wada Masaari was executed by beheading in the following day, and the event was captured on video by German Agents embedded in the Japanese homnd.


    With both sides fulfilling their obligations, the war in Borneo continued as it had prior to this incident. The Majapahit Army, while initially emboldened by the backing of German Marines, was soon filled with despair as those same men abandoned the ind and returned to Singapore.


    However, this was not any of Berengar''s concern, for today was a special day for the Kaiser and his family. Why, you may ask? Well, because his eldest son was finally graduating from the Aerial Warfare Academy.


    It had been roughly four years since Hans von Kufstein first entered the German Military Academy which was dedicated to the Luftwaffe, and in this time he had not only met another young woman who he would soon call his wife, but had also learned the skills needed to be a proper officer.


    Berengar and Linde sat in the crowd of parents and rtives who had gathered to witness their children getting their diplomas. As the top student of his graduating ss, Hans was invited on stage to give a speech, and to receive his diploma before all others.


    The boy was now fourteen years old and had grown remarkably simr to his father in terms of appearance. However, he had his mother''s signature red-gold hair. Something which Hans wore with pride.


    After stepping onto the stage, the dean of the university handed Hans his diploma. In doing so, the crowd erupted into thunderous apuse. The boy then stood up at the podium and spoke into the microphone so that all who had gathered today could hear his words.


    "Thank you all foring here today, I must say that it is with remarkable pride that I find myself among the first men to graduate from the German Empire''s Aerial Warfare Academy. Though I am by far the youngest in my ss, I have also received the highest marks, and because of that I have been asked to say a few words to you all.


    First and foremost, I would like to thank the administration of this school, who have spent thest four years diligently preparing all of us cadets for the difficulties we may face in the uing months.


    Many of us who stand here today receiving our diplomas will spend the next eight years of our life in service to the Luftwaffe as the officer corps which all other airmen should be proud to follow. And although today is a cause for great celebration, I fear that it is my duty to remind all of you about the threat that lingers in the east.


    It is not my intention to be deliberately grim in this speech, but I know that I must speak out about something that few of us in this Academy have truly thought about. For as of today, we will now be embarking into unknown territory.


    For years, the German Empire, and the Kingdom of Austria, has had an enormous technological advantage over our rivals, thanks to the brilliant mind of the Kaiser and all who follow him. An advantage I must admit that has led to a monumental reduction in casualties on the battlefield. Something which I dare say has led to a certain sense ofcency among our service members.


    However, for the first time in thest fifteen years, we now find ourselves with a near-peer adversary on the other side of the globe. The Japanese Empire, and their warmongering ways, bring our two realms closer to a full scale conflict with each passing day. Something which was just only narrowly avoided days ago.


    And although nobody wants to hear such a sobering reality, it is my belief that when this war finally breaks out, we the German people will see more death and suffering than we have be ustomed to during this brief period of peace that my father likes to refer to as the ''pax Germania''.


    It is why I am honored to stand beside those here today, who now risk everything to stem the tide of the yellow menace. However, I feel that as a Prince, and more importantly as yourrade that I must remind you all that although you have graduated from the world''s greatest school in regards to aerial warfare, that your lives going forward will not be without peril.


    In fact, by this time next year, I suspect that half of this graduating ss will no longer be among the living, and that I myself may very well not survive long enough to see what bes of Germany.


    So celebrate today, as we have all earned the right to do so, for tomorrow we begin our careers as soldiers of the German Armed Forces, and must be prepared toy down our lives for the eternal glory of the Fathend! For the blood and soil of the German people must never be tarnished! God with us!"


    Utter silence existed in the air for several moments, as Hans'' speech had an astonishing impact on the graduates and their families. However, itsted only briefly as Berengar soon stood in the stands and began to p for his son, which was eventually followed by Linde, andter the entire crowd.


    Yet the cheers for the Prince, were not as excited as they had been when he received his diploma, instead there was a grim and sobering nature behind them, as if the people who attended this ceremony were finally waking up to the threat that lied in the far east.


    After saying his speech, Hans left the stage and stood among his fellow graduates, where he waited until thest man had received his diploma. After doing so, he approached his father and mother, both of which seemed to be incredibly proud of the boy. Linde stuffed Han''s head into her hefty bosom, as she stroked his strawberry blonde hair.


    After several embarrassing moments of being smothered by his mother, Hans finally broke away from her embrace, where Berengar gave the boy a firm handshake. However, when the man finally spoke, Hans was surprised by what he had to say.


    "Linde, dear, do you mind going back to the Pce without us? There is somewhere that Hans I need to attend to, alone..."


    Hans looked at his mother and noticed an extremely anxious expression on the woman''s face. It was an expression he was all too familiar with, as the redheaded beautymonly wore it when her husband was away at war. This filled the boy with dread as his thoughts began to drift to just what horrific thing his father had in store for him.


    Linde bit her lip, and red at Berengar with an expression that almost looked as if she was silently scolding the man. However, he returned her gaze with one of fierce authority, causing the woman to back down. She forced a smile on her pretty face before kissing her son on the forehead onest time.


    "Hans, you go with your father. I will see you soon..."


    After which, Linde fled from the scene, looking over her shoulder anxiously as she entered a car which would take her home. As for Berengar, he firmly grasped his son''s shoulder before motioning towards an all ck car which waited nearby.


    "Follow me Hans, there is something important that I must show you."


    The cold tone in his father''s voice caused the boy to immediately be concerned. However, he remained silent as he obeyed his father''smands and entered the car with him. Before long, the vehicle had left the city and headed deep into the mountains, which finally forced Hans to question just where they were headed.


    "Father, where exactly is our destination?"


    However, Berengar remainedpletely silent until the car had arrived at a peculiar area. What appeared to be a heavily restricted government zone lied in front of the car, as the vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint. The driver handed over certain documents before the gate opened, and allow the car entry to the facility.


    Before long, the vehicle stopped in front of what appeared to be a small fortress, where Berengar exited the car with a stoic expression on his face. Hans obediently followed his father into the facility, where he saw that it was heavily guarded by men in ck uniforms, with the most modern body armor and weapons avable.


    There was an eery atmosphere to the facility, as they began to pass by padded cells, whose steel doors only had a small window for viewing. In fact, the only sound that could be heard were screams of agony.


    Which caused Hans to gulp his pooled saliva in anxiety. Just when he was about to ask his father what exactly this ce was, they stopped in front of a certain cell, where Berengar pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.


    Hans gazed into the room to see a man, bound in a straight jacket. There were scars all over his face, and his eyes werepletely devoid of thought. It would appear that he had been tortured to the point of insanity. Naturally, Hans could no longer hide his curiosity after seeing this, and was quick to ask his father about the nature of this facility.


    "Father? Where are we exactly?"


    Berengar had a chilling expression on his face as he looked into the cell before answering his son.


    "This is one of several government ck sites that exist across our Empire. Those few prisoners who call this ce home havemitted crimes so heinous that death would be considered a mercy. Naturally, rather than wasting their lives with a swift execution, we have deemed it fitting to perform human experiments on these twisted individuals."


    Hans examined the near paralyzed state that the man lying cell was in and shuddered at the thought. However, his curious mind was quick to ask a followup question.


    "Human experiments? For what purpose?"


    Berengar''s brow raised slightly as he gazed upon his son, before answering him honestly.


    "Mostly for the development of medicine. What, you didn''t think our rapid development in the field was due to extensive animal testing, did you? No, these prisoners have all undergone medical experiments. After all, that''s all their lives are good for now. If some good cane from the evil, these men havemitted, then I see nothing wrong with it.


    Most die of harmful side effects, but the knowledge we gain from their deaths has helped us rapidly advance the field of medicine. This man, however, is guilty of a crime so severe that I felt that only a life of torture could make of for his sins. Apparently, after years of suffering, his mind finally broke, and as you can see, he is just shy of a vegetative state."


    After saying this, Berengar withdrew his sidearm from its holster and handed it to Hans. A curious look appeared in the boy''s sapphire blue eyes as his gaze shifted from the prisoner to his father. However, the Kaiser remained stoic as he gave his son instructions.


    "Your speech today was truly marvelous, so much so that I feltpelled to give a present that only you are worthy of receiving. You will now understand what it feels like to kill a man. So that you will not hesitate when the timees for you to pull the trigger on the battlefield."


    A look of dread appeared on Hans'' face as he questioned whether he would be capable of following the orders he had just received. Before he killed this man, he had to know what he had done that was possibly deserving of such a fate, and thus, with a frightened tone in his voice, he asked his father.


    "F... Father.... What exactly did this man do to deserve such cruel punishment?"


    There was not the slightest bit of emotion on Berengar''s face as he informed his son of that which he wished to know.


    "He is the man responsible for the attack the nearly imed your Aunt Henrietta''s life..."


    Upon hearing this, there was not a second of hesitation, as Hans aimed the pistol at the former Duke of Luxembourg''s head, and pulled the trigger, sting his brains across the padded wall of the cell. After doing so, Hans handed the sidearm back to his father, and took one nce at his first kill, before spiting upon the corpse.


    Berengar was evidently pleased with this result, as a sadistic grin curved itself upon his lips, he swiftly stashed away his pistol into its rightful ce, before leading the boy out of the facility and back to the car, where once safely inside he held the boy''s shaking hand and assured him that everything would be alright.


    "I''m sure you can tell that your mother did not want me to take you here today. She thought you were too young to bloody your hands. However, as of today, you are a soldier, and thest thing I need is for you to hesitate on the battlefield. Such a thing will surely get you killed.


    Now that you have experienced firsthand what it feels like to kill a man, you will be able to pull the trigger much more easily when the timees. You will be fine. There is much to celebrate today, and I have several gifts for you once we have returned to the pce. It will help take your mind off things."


    However, Hans did not hear a word of what his father had said, as he was staring nkly out the window of the car as it drove out of the facility and down through the mountainous path towards the city below.


    ---


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 Chapter 1055 Graduation Day Part II

    Hans stared out the window of the car in utter silence. Rain pelted the vehicle as it descended from the mountains and into the city of Kufstein below, and yet the boy had barely taken notice. His mind was a storm of thoughts.


    Most boys his age would be worrying about their final exams. But not him. No, Hans was a particrly exceptional child, one who had graduated from high school at the age of ten, and college at the age of fourteen.


    He had just received his diploma from the prestigious Aerial Warfare Academy in the field of mechanical engineering. This was the university of choice for students wishing to join the Luftwaffe. For the next eight years, he would be deployed around the globe where it was unknown whether he would survive. Yet it was not this sense of impending doom that troubled him.


    No, instead it was the fact that he had just killed a man in cold blood. An unarmed prisoner, to be precise. Despite the fact that his victim was well deserving of the punishment, such cruelty did not bode well in the young boy''s mind. Of course, he was quick to rationalize it as a necessary evil.


    After all, his father was right, if he had hesitated to pull the trigger after entering the battlefield, he would be a dead man, and though at the moment it may not seem like it, the boy quite enjoyed life, and had much to look forward to.


    These were the thoughts that swirled in the boy''s mind as the car pulled into the driveway of his family''s pce. By the time he realized he had returned home, he was already inside the building. Hans had expected his mother toe rushing over to him in an attempt tofort her child.


    However, to his surprise it was not Linde''s bosom who his head was quickly clutched to, but his fiancee Veronika. Hans looked up at the young woman''s mismatched eyes and struggled to find the words to speak.


    He quickly gazed over at his mother, who stood at the other side of the room with a rather anxious expression on her pretty face. It appeared as if the redheaded beauty wanted nothing more than tofort her son in his time of need, but was forcing herself to allow that task to fall to his fiancee.


    Just when Linde was about to falter and rush over to her son, Berengar ced a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her in ce, before speaking to his son.


    "Hans, why don''t you go upstairs with Veronika while your mother and I wrap your presents? Take as much time as you need, son."


    There was a warm smile on Veronika''s face as she led the boy upstairs and into his room, where he sat next to him on the bed, and clutched his head into herrge bosom. She knew the boy was forcing himself not to cry as she pet his hair and whispered softly to him.


    "There there Hans, everything will be alright. I''m here for you, now and forever."


    Naturally the girl had been alerted to what her fiance had done, a passing of the torch, so to speak, from his mother. It was under Berengar''s orders that Linde was not allowed tofort the boy, who had now be a man. This was a task best left up to his future wives.


    Before long, Noemi and Natalia entered the room, each of which hugged Hans dearly, and did their best tofort him as he struggled toe to terms with what he had just done. While Hans was being pacified by his women, Berengar was arguing with his wife down below, who was absolutely livid with him.


    "I can''t believe you did that! He''s just a boy! He should not have to stain his blood at such a young age!"


    As much as Linde raged on at Berengar, not once did he move, his expression ever emotionless as exined his perspective on the matter.


    "Do I need to remind you that our son has just graduated from the Aerial Warfare Academy at the age of fourteen? He has alreadypleted his flight training, and in a few short weeks he will be shipped off to Singapore, where he will be stationed onboard the SMS Osterreich, a carrier in which he will be a pilot in its air wing.


    I must remind you, that should war break out with Japan, our son will be among the first deployed to the battlefield. He needed to know what it was like to kill, and how to process such a thing so that he does not hesitate while he is in the air above the Pacific!"


    Linde began sobbing as she clutched hold of her husband''s suit and held him tightly, repeatedly whimpering into his coat.


    "Hans is just a boy... He is just a little boy... My precious baby boy!"


    Berengar stroked the woman''s strawberry blonde hair in an attempt tofort her as he corrected her views of their son.


    "No... He is a man now, for he has already gone through both rights of passages that a boy must undertake to truly be a man. This is why it is so important for his fiancees tofort him as he processes what he has just done."


    It had been quite some time before Hans descended from the gilded staircase that led to the upper floor with his women in hand. However, the young man seemed to be much calmer now after having processed his internal turmoil and was quick to inquire about his graduation presents.


    "Father, you said there were gifts for me?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before leading his son into the great hall where several presentsid wrapped. On top of these presents was a small clip board which Berengar handed to his son. A look of shock appeared on Hans'' face as he gazed upon the document. He quickly shifted his sight back to Berengar, who smiled and nodded his head before confirming the boy''s thoughts.


    "It''s official, your marriage to Anne is set a few weeks after you have turned sixteen. I must say, her father was not happy to hear about what the two of you have gotten up to, but I persuaded him to see reason. Congrattions, my son, you have a harem almost as beautiful as my own."


    Linde immediately nudged Berengar in the ribs and pouted after he made such a crass remark, but that only seemed to make their sonugh, as he smiled and put the clipboard which contained his marriage contract aside. After doing so, he unwrapped a small box which he could only assume contained a ring.


    However, when Hans gazed upon what lie inside, he was truly surprised. It was indeed a ring, but it was one that his father had worn for years. It was a treasure he had taken after sacking Rome and executing the Pope. The boy could not help but voice his disbelief.


    "Father, this is?"


    Before he could finish his question, Berengar smiled and nodded before informing the boy of his gift.


    "The ring of Sol. Promise me one thing, boy, that when you are deployed overseas, you will always wear this ring, no matter what. After all, It has a powerful charm which protects its user from any and all harm."


    Hans simply scoffed when he heard thisst part. He did not believe in such superstitious nonsense. However, in the end, he made a solemn vow to his parents that he would always wear this ring while overseas.


    Linde, however, had stared at her husband as if he were the greatest father in the world. Unlike Hans, she knew all about the gods and divine artifacts. In fact, that very ring had kept her husband safe from harm for years, and yet now he was giving it away to their son. She could hardly believe he, of all people, would be so selfless.


    After examining the ring for some time, Hans ced it on his finger. At the very least it was an aesthetically pleasing essory, and since his father had made him swear to wear it at all times while overseas, he would never remove it, even if he didn''t personally believe in the so-called protective charm ced upon it.


    Shortly thereafter, unwrapped all his presents. They were mostly shiny essories, and things he would need for his career as an officer in the military. He thanked his parents by hugging them both. Where they proceeded into the Kitchen to have arge feast with the rest of the family.


    By the time night fell, and Hans retired to his room, he had left behind the turmoil of killing the bastard of luxembourg, and internalized it as a necessary lesson in life. Instead, he was rather anxious about his uing deployment to Singapore.


    Hans had no idea if his father had specifically chosen him to be among the vanguard for the uing war as a way of proving himself, or if he had just been particrly unlucky. However, there was fierce ambition in the young man''s heart, as he wanted more than anything to prove himself worthy of the surname von Kufstein, for which inherited from his illustrious father.


    ---


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 Chapter 1056 Shipping Off To Singapore

    Hans stood at the entrance of his family''s pce with his luggage sitting near the door, waiting for his eventual departure. There was a calm and collected expression on his youthful face, despite being deployed to the vanguard of the German Armed Forces, which would no doubt be the first to intercept the Japanese Navy when war finally broke out between the two mighty empires.


    The boy was surrounded by family, who all prepared to say their goodbyes. It was entirely unknown when the war would begin, but the idea of having a member of their own family march to war was a sobering and grim thought for most.


    After all, it had been some time since Berengar hadst step foot on the battlefield, and in these peaceful years none had expected the next generation to take up arms so soon. Linde was in tears as she hugged her son and kissed him on the forehead goodbye. Naturally, she was deeply concerned about the boy''s safety and continued to whimper a single phrase.


    "He''s too young... He''s far too young..."


    After saying her farewells, Hans was approached by several of his fiancees who had gathered with the rest of his family to say goodbye, each of which gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, before whispering their own words of encouragement into his ears.


    "I love you Hans, promise me that you return to me in one piece..."


    "Hans, if you die out there, I will never forgive you!"


    "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I am yours, now and forever."


    "Be safe out there, little brother, and whatever you do, don''t be a hero!"


    Hans smiled and nodded his head silently to each of the four young women''s statements, however when he heard what Noemi had to say, he could not help himself but to scoff. For how could the Prince of Germany not be a hero on the battlefield?


    Soon after each of the boy''s fiancees had said farewell, his siblings approached him one by one. With Helga being the first. The girl reached into her bag and handed Hans a small framed painting which contained an image of all the boy''s women. She then hugged him with all her strength and kissed him on the cheek before bidding her older brother farewell.


    "Good luck Hans! I know you will be brilliant!"


    After this brief interaction, the remainder of Hans''s siblings, including those who had been born by other mothers, hugged the boy and said farewell. Once Hans had said all his goodbyes, his father approached him and lifted his luggage before opening the door.


    "Come on, boy, the ne is already waiting for you. If we dy your flight any longer, you will be chewed out by your CO."


    Hans wore a bitter smile as he nodded his head in silence and cast onest nce over his shoulder before following his father into the car, which took them to the nearest airfield. Like his son, the man was dressed in a military uniform, however while Berengar wore an Army variant, Hans wore a pale blue uniform that symbolized his service to the Luftwaffe. In fact, the uniform was almost a replica of those worn by pilots during the Second World War of Berengar''s past life.


    The car drove through the city of Kufstein while Hans looked out the window and examined his hometown, wondering perhaps if he would ever see its glory again. It was during this thoughtful observation that his father spoke to him for the first time since they entered the vehicle together.


    "I feel like a broken record saying this, but I must give you onest reminder that no matter what happens, you are not to remove that ring! I know you find the idea ridiculous, but I assure you that specific piece of jewelry has the power to save your life.


    I will be honest with you. I don''t know when the war with Japan will begin, but when it does ur you will be right in the thick of things. So... Trust your instincts and remember your training. Do this and I have no doubt that you will be marvelous..


    I know that you wish to prove yourself on the field of battle, and right you should, however you must always remember to be smart and vignt. Do not take any unnecessary risks, and whatever you do, don''t hesitate. This is the best advice that I can give you from one man to another."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Hans remained silent as he continued to stare out the window. Despite this, Berengar felt that the boy had understood every word he said, and decided to leave it at that. Shortly thereafter, the car arrived at the military air base stationed outside Kufstein, where Hans was forced to regroup with his unit. However, before he could do so, Berengar pulled his son aside to give him onest farewell. Berengar held Hans tightly and whispered in his ear something that the child had not expected.


    "I love you, son... And I know that no matter what happens, you will make me proud. I will see you sooner than you might think. So until then, obey your orders, and keep your head on a swivel, you got that?"


    Hans remained utterly silent as he broke away from his father''s embrace and saluted the man. Which Berengar was quick to return, before watching the boy head off with the rest of his unit. Unlike the rest of his graduating ss, who now had toplete specialized training, Hans had alreadypleted flight school and was the first among his peers to enter active service.


    Thus, the pilots whoposed of Han''s unit were all strangers, who gazed curiously at a boy who appeared far too young to see service. Despite this, Hans did not break under pressure and regrouped with his unit, whosemanding officer was starting roll call.


    Berengar silently watched his eldest son until the moment his ne took off, where he then sighed heavily and returned to his car. He said nothing throughout the entire drive home, instead he gazed out the window, much like Hans had done during the journey to the airfield.


    Eventually the Kaiser returned home, where, for the first time in his life, he witnessed the atmosphere that existed in his pce when he had gone off to war in years past. It was a depressing silence. The only sound which echoed throughout the halls asionally was that of a woman''s wails. Whether it was his wife, or one of his daughter inws who was crying so profusely, Berengar did not know, nor did he seek an answer.


    Instead, he sat down in his study and broke out a bottle of whiskey, where he poured himself a cup, and drank in silence while gazing out the window and onto the drearyndscape which was covered in rain.


    Berengar immediately thought that the scene was cliche, a storm raging in the background as a young member of the household marched off to war. If he were superstitious, he might take this as a bad omen about his son''s future, but he was not, and thus he drank his whiskey silently while watching the torrent of rain crash down upon the alpine city.


    It would be some time before the Kaiser emerged from his study, and when he did so, he noticed that more than a few of his family members had puffy eyes. It became immediately apparent, that he as the head of the house needed to give his family a pep talk, and thus he gathered all his wives, his daughters-inw, and his many children into one room where he poured every one of them a drink.


    For those old enough, they were given an alcoholic beverage, while the young drank from fruit juice. As the members of his family gathered around him, Berengar gave a toast to Hans, who had just embarked on a perilous journey.


    "You all should know why I gathered you here on this gloomy evening. A member of our house, my eldest son, Hans von Kufstein, has now entered military service, and is deploying to Singapore as a member of the Vanguard. Should war break out with Japan, he will be among the first to take part inbat.


    This is indeed grim news, and I understand your feelings regarding the matter as I, too, share them. However, Hans is now a man, and a man must defend his family and fathend, as I have done in years past.


    It is his duty, as a Prince of this great nation, to stand at the front lines of war, and lead his troops by example. For if Hans were to sit on the sidelines and watch as young men died around him, then he would not be a man, but a coward. And no son of mine is a coward!


    So, to Hans! May the gods protect him during his service to the fathend and may he return to our loving arms safe and sound!"


    Every member of Berengar''s family lifted their sses in the air and toasted Hans before drinking their fill. As for Linde, she gulped down the wine as if she had been dying of thirst. Berengar could only do his best tofort his wife, who seemed to take their son''s deployment the hardest. It would appear that for the next few days, he would have to be by her side, along with his other wife Honoria, who had a special rtionship with the redheaded beauty.


    ---


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 Chapter 1057 Mass Desertion

    On the ind of Borneo. Thunder echoed in the air as the k guns pounded the skies and the Japanese nes who flew above. With each passing second, these magnificent weapons shot an enemy aircraft out of the air.


    Despite their losses, the Japanese bombers continued to move forward. Their goal was simple: drop their payload onto the enemy forces who were currently blocking the Imperial Japanese Army''s path into the southern half of the ind. As explosions rocked the aircraft, one of the airmen on board called out to the pilot, who had a determined expression on his face.


    "The enemy is too strong!"


    At this point, the bombers had already dropped their bombs on three separate locations. The mes from the explosions spread across the area, causing massive damage to everything around it. However, despite the losses they sustained, the Japanese pilots still had enough fuel in the tanks to make another round. Despite this, it would appear to the crew onboard the ne were convinced that they would not survive their next attempt.


    "Our losses are far too high! We''re going down for sure!"


    Irritated by the negativements made by his crew, the pilot cursed back to them in an attempt to gain some much needed silence.


    "Will you shut up already!?!"


    After saying this, he steered the aircraft further towards the next target, which was a ratherrge bunkerplex. Inside this fortification were several k guns, artillery pieces, and anti-tank guns. If they managed to seed in this next attempt, then the battle was sure to shift into Japan''s favor. With an eager expression on his face, the pilot yelled out to his crew themand which would earn them great prestige.


    "Bombs away!"


    With this said, and the pull of a lever, severalrge bombs fell out of the hatch, dropping down onto the unsuspecting targets below. The explosions echoed in the air, and the mes engulfed the fort''s defenders. Nothing could have possibly survived such destruction. Upon realizing this, the flight crew broke out into cheers as they turned their ne around and headed back to the Japanese Airbase located in the southern Philippines.


    ---


    While the Japanese Air Force continued to bomb the Majapahit Empire''s fortifications into ruin, the Imperial Japanese Army was on full march. Two armored divisions had been deployed to Borneo in the wake of the cholera outbreak.


    The disease continued to spread and ravage the ranks of the Japanese Army and in doing so morale continued to suffer. Although Itami had reached an agreement with the Kaiser for his nes to remain outside of Borneo''s skies. He had already conducted an operation which had caused significant effect on Japan''s forces.


    Tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of propaganda fliers had been dropped into northern Borneo, written in the japanesenguage, as well as Korean, and several fillipinnonguages. These leaflets warned the Japanese conscripts to surrender willingly, for the real enemy was stationed behind them.


    This had caused a growing sense of unrest among the Imperial Japanese Army, many of which were from recently conquerednds, and who had been forced into service at the barrel of a gun. There was no love or loyalty for the Japanese Maind for these men, nor did they care much for their new empress.


    However, despite the effects that these propaganda posters had on the Imperial Japanese Army''s morale, they had continued to march forward and into machine gun fire. In the ongoing battle, these cultists sat back and only acted when their own men had begun to flee.


    However, as they sprayed their submachine guns onto the fleeing conscripts, and riddled their bodies with bloody holes, something interesting happened. Mortar shells fired upon the cultists, from where they did not know. However, the explosions had begun to st these barrier troops into mincemeat. Those who were not killed by mortars were quickly taken out by sniper fire.


    Eventually, the Japanese Conscripts realized what was happening behind them. If they moved forward, they would be walking into a minefield, and perhaps if they were lucky gunned down by a machine gun. However, now an opportunity had emerged for them to escape from their predicament.


    The cultists of the war goddess were being assassinated left and right, and this might be their only chance to escape with their lives intact. Yet nobody dared move, as they hid behind their cover, trying not to get killed by the ind''s defenders.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In the end, one man dropped his rifle, and ran off into the distance, fleeing the scene whileughing like a madman. Once he had done so, another man followed in his steps, and then another, and finally entire units were abandoning their military equipment in the mud before running off into the jungle away from friend and foe alike.


    The Majapahit troops gazed in awe as thousands of men abandoned their duties and fled the battlefield. Some of them even forgot to fire upon the enemies, who still remained. In the end, over ten thousand men deserted the battlefield, leaving only those from the Japanese maind behind to fight.


    However, these men had much more resolve to fight than the conscripts, and thus during the bewildering scene they had boldly advanced forward into the enemy''s defenses without fear for their lives.


    Many of them stumbled uponnd mines and were torn apart by the vicious weapons. While other were hit by machine gun, or rifle fire. Still, this did not deter the Japanese advance. With the banner of the rising sun in hand, a Japanese soldier stormed through the minefield and somehow miraculously made his way into the Majapahit trench line, where he was quickly gunned down by the defenders.


    However, as he kneel on the ground, the life fading from his eyes, he used thest bit of his strength to stake the banner into the ground, as a guide for hisrades to follow. Soon thereafter, thousands of Japanese soldiers poured through the minefields, and into the enemy trenches with rifles and bays at hand.


    They fired their shots into the bodies of the Majapahit Defenders, and with a zealous warcry yed any man who was not Japanese.


    "Tennoheika Banzai!"


    The battle raged, and the Majapahit defenders stood their ground, knowing that if they lost this battle, then the gateway to the south would be breached, and it would not be long before the Japanese took the ind of Borneo as their own.


    With every ounce of their strength, and pride, the Majapahit defenders continued to fire their rifles and machine guns into the advancing ranks of the Japanese. When the enemy came at them with their bays, they met them in kind.


    The echo of machine guns resounded in the air, as the Majapahit defenders struggled not to drown in the mud of their trenches. Meanwhile the Japanese continued to pour through the minefield, explsions urring with every few steps. As ifpletly unphased by the prospect of death.


    Though the bulk of their army had deserted, these men were true believers in the Empire, and they would dly give their life for their homnd. After all, whenpared with the rest of Asia, Japan was the most advanced state in the east. That was something which these men took great pride in.


    With the trenchline invaded by the enemy, the Majapahit defenders tried their best to drive out the Japanese, but to no avail. Before long, thest Majapahit soldier fell to the de of a Japanese officer. Where the banners of the rising sun were raised over the trench line, symbolizing the Japanese victory.


    On this day, the Imperial Japanese Army had broken through their greatest barrier on the way to the south. However, they had also faced mass desertions, something which would force Empress Itami Riyo to reevaluate her position when it came to making use of foreign conscripts.


    In theing days, the Majapahit gueris would begin attacking the cultists in the rear lines. In doing so, they would cause chaos and panic on the battlefield as the Japanese struggled to maintain their ranks. However, this would do little to stem the tide of the Japanese invasion.


    As a result of losing half of Borneo, the Majapahit King would send another 100,000 men to reinforce their position in the south. Forcing Empress Itami Riyo to respond in kind. Though the Japanese had seeded in breaking through the southern half of the ind, they would soon find that the war for Borneo was far from over.


    Naturally, Germany would do everything in their power to make the lives of the Japanese soldiers as miserable as possible. However, ultimately their goal was not to retake Borneo for the Majapahit Empire, but rather force Empress Itami to bleed as much manpower and resources into the conflict. For the Kaiser knew that the true war was just on the horizon.


    ---


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 Chapter 1058 First Day On The Job

    Hans stepped foot off of the ne''s ramp and immediately felt as if he was being barraged from the sun on all sides of his body. The humidity of Singapore was something the boy, who had throughout his entire life grew up in the Alps, could not easily handle.


    In fact, the first instinct Hans had was to roll up his sleeves and unbutton his cor, which appeared to be themon fashion of those men deployed in the tropics. While Kufstein had its own airbase, it was actually a rather small facility.


    Truly, whenpared to the vast naval/air base that existed in Singapore, which housed tens of thousands of German soldiers, Hans felt as if the facility which he had first learned to fly was utterly inadequate.


    However, the boy did not have much time to take in his surroundings, as the highest ranking officer who sat on the same ne as Hans was quick to give out his orders to the men who disembarked. You see, not everyone on this ne was in Hans'' unit. In fact, he seemed to be one of the few pilots who was leaving Kufstein.


    Most of these men were veterans who wereing off of their leave of absence. Now returning to the tropical paradise, which housed the German Empire''srgest coalition within the eastern half of the world.


    The officer gave Hans the directions to where he would be stationed, which was onboard the SMS Osterreich, where it sat proudly in the bay as thergest warship Hans had ever seen. The carrier was massive, enough to support thousands of crew, and the forty-two nes which sat on its deck. It was practically a floating city, as far as the boy was concerned.


    Though many people stared at what they considered being a child in a Luftwaffe uniform, none dared to get in his way. After all, Hans was a well-known celebrity throughout the Reich. Known as the First Prince of Germany, and an exceptional genius, his name was frequently in the tabloids over the past few years. Specifically, in regards to his rtionships with his multiple beautiful fiancees.


    Thus, Hans had no difficulty entering the massive ship, where he was pointed in the general direction of the pilot''s quarters. Once entering the room, Hans noticed that the pilot''s quarters were a rather spacious area, with several bunks where men dressed in nothing but their trousers lied in their cots, while reading books, or letters from home.


    Others appeared to be ying a game of cards, betting their own currency and contraband as they did so. However, all eyes darted towards the teenage boy who had just entered the room, causing Hans to remain silent as he approached the bunk, which had his name written over it.


    The pilots gazed in awe at the boy, who ced his bag in the allotted cupboard before jumping into his bed. After the lengthy flight that Hans had endured, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep for the next few hours. Unfortunately, he would not be afforded such a luxury as a particrly tall and lean man approached him.


    "I didn''t believe it when I saw them writing your name on that bunk. After all, there aren''t many men with the name von Kufstein in this world. However, it appears the rumors are true. The little prince has graduated from the academy and is now a part of our unit!"


    Hans sat up from his covers, knowing that he would not get any sleep, and silently nodded his head, where the man quickly introduced himself.


    "Sorry, where are my manners? Lieutenant Johannes Wagner, but you can call me Haywire."


    The man then reached out his arm in an attempt to shake the boy''s hand. Hans lightly smiled before returning the gesture as he introduced himself to the unit, despite everyone already knowing who he was.


    "Lieutenant Hans von Kufstein, it is a pleasure to meet you, Haywire."


    Lieutenant Wagner nodded his head in approval before introducing the rest of the unit


    "That surly looking fuck over there is Lieutenant Walter Vogel, but we just call him Apex. Over there shuffling the deck of cards is Captain Werner Kraus, his callsign is Caveman. And back there, jerking off to a picture of your mother, is our good friend Rudolf Kruger, however he is moremonly referred to by our unit as Ghost. There are several others in our bunk who are out and about. I''ll introduce you to themter, so what''s your callsign, anyway?"


    Hans swiftly looked over to Ghost to see if he was actually jerking off to a picture of Linde, and while the man wasn''t actually engaging in such a scandalous act, he was indeed admiring the beauty of the Kaiserin whose picture was posted on the front page of some fashion magazine. Hans''s attention was immediately shifted when he heard Haywire''s question, which he was quick to answer.


    "They call me Prince..."


    The crew broke out into a fit ofughter and Hans could distinctively hear one of his newrade''s mock him for such an obvious callsign.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s not very creative, is it? I guess your ss wasn''t the most imaginative bunch, were they?"


    Callsigns were nicknames given to pilots during flight school, any number of things could inspire them, from certain behavior, to surnames that people had. However, Hans was given his callsign simply because of his unique position in life as the eldest prince of the Imperial Family. In all honesty, he too felt it was a bitckingpared to some of the others he had met.


    However, there was no useining, at the very least it wasn''t something distasteful, and thus heughed together with his new unit, as Haywire volunteered to show him around the ship. Hans and Johannes continued through the interior of the SMS Osterreich as the man asked him more questions about how such a young boy had be a pilot in the Luftwaffe.


    "So, Hans, tell me how did you end up in this position at such a young age? I always heard you were a genius, but as far as I''m aware, the minimum age for military service is seventeen, and that''s with your parents'' permission."


    Hans sighed heavily as he repeated the same story he told to practically everyone at the Aerial Warfare Academy when he was first admitted nearly four years ago.


    "I graduated from high school when I was ten years old. Where I convinced my father to allow me to attend the Aerial Warfare Academy. I then went through four years at the school, while also undergoing flight school at the same time.


    Again, it was due to my father, who decided to get my flight training done with before I actually entered active service. Naturally, as the Kaiser, he pulled some strings in order to get me admitted at such a young age. If I''m being honest, I think he desires that I seebat, knowing that this uing war with Japan might be myst chance to actually serve with distinction.


    After all, once we have broken the Japanese Empire, there will be no real threats to the Reich, and any wars we wage in the future will be against savages armed with bows and spears. It''s not really all that interesting of a story. Sorry to get your hopes up."


    Haywire nodded his head in agreement with Hans''s perspective. He thought that there might be something more interesting to why such a young boy was already a pilot in the military, but it ultimately came down to the least entertaining reality, nepotism.


    Ultimately, the Reich was a meritocracy, but there were some instances where those in power, like Berengar, used their connections to give their particrly gifted kids a head start over others their age. However, it was still an umon urrence. This led Johannes to change the subject and ask Hans another question that was burning in his mind.


    "Alright, I get it, so what nes are you certified to fly? I need to know if you''re going to be my wingman or not..."


    Hans did not hesitate to answer this question with a confident smirk on his youthful face.


    "Aside from the standard trainer, I certified to fly both the Ta 152 fighter-intercepter, and the Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber. Though if I''m being honest, I would much rather be in the fighter-intercepter. However, I will fly whatever I am needed to."


    Johannes stared at Hans in disbelief when he heard the boy was certified to fly two different war nes. Nobody else on this ship had aplished such a feat, thus he was quick to pat Hans on the back andpliment him.


    "You really are a genius, aren''t you? Though I should remind you, the Stukas on board this carrier aren''t your standard variation. The Kriegsmarine have redesigned them with foldable wings, and to carry torpedos rather than bombs. Though I''m sure whatever you''re ordered to fly, you will manage just fine. Alright, we should be getting back to our bunks. The Wing Commander will be gathering us soon enough for flight exercises. Sorry kid, no sleep for you!"


    Hans could only curse underneath his breath at the thought of doing flight exercises while suffering from horrific jetg. However, he was in the military now, and naturally had no say over his own sleep schedule. Thus, he hauled ass back to the bunk with Haywire in tow, where they would wait for the Wing Commander to arrive.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1059 Experimental Flight

    As the war in Borneo continued to rage on, the Reich continued to produce more weaponry on a massive scale. It was not just the German military that weapons were being manufactured for, but to allied nations in the east as well.


    The Indian Empire, the Majapahit Empire, the Joseon Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty were all fighting against each other to purchase as many weapons and munitions from their German trading partners as they could get their hands on.


    Germany had invested a substantial sum into research and development, particrly in the field of military weapons. After all, there was currently an arms race between the Empire of Japan and the German Empire. One that Germany was winning. Still, Berengar did not dare to lie idly about and hadmanded his best engineers to continue the development of weapons systems.


    Currently at the Kufstein Royal Armory, a group of engineers led by Jakob von Thurgau, who was the eldest son and sessor to the legendary Ludwig von Thurgau, was working on a top secret project, one that would allow an entirely new era of aerial warfare to take ce.


    Sitting in the bay of an aircraft hangar was a single prototype fighter aircraft. What made this fighter different from the currently mass produced Ta 152 fighter interceptor was the fact that this ne no longer made use of turboprop engines. Instead, it had a single turbojet engine, embedded in the fusge.


    After much experimentation, and some input from the Kaiser himself, a new jet fighter was produced in this hangar. Though it waspletely experimental and had yet to fly, the men who had worked on the project were rather proud of their creation.


    This jet fighter was simr to second generation jet fighters from Berengar''s past life, such as the F-86 Saber, and the Mig 15, as well as theter Mig-17. All of which were somewhat based upon the Ta 183 prototype jet fighters that the Germans had experimented with during the Second World War.


    The jet fighter was capable of transonic flight and came with a radar. Since this was a prototype, it was not yet armed with weapons, but in the future when this model went into production, it would be equipped with four thirty millimeter auto-cannons, and eight air-to-air missiles. Overall, the aircraft shared the appearance of the Focke-Wulf Ta-183/III jet fighter, which in a particrly popr video game was erroneouslybelled the Focke-Wulf fw252.


    As the engineers gathered around the experimental fighter, they could hear the sound of boots nging against the hard floor of the hangar. From the sound of it, there appeared to be multiple people approaching.


    Surely enough, when Jakob looked over at who had dared to disturb them, he saw an overly excited Berengar gazing upon the jet fighter with a fat grin on his face. Jakob was just about to introduce the prototype to the Kaiser when the man broke out into a fit of joy.


    "My god! You mads have actually done it. A fully functional jet fighter. I would not believe it if I were not looking at it myself. As soon as we get these bad boys in the air, the war with Japan is as good as over!"


    There was a grim look on the engineer''s face as he told Berengar all he needed to know about when these nes would be capable of mass production. Jakob cleared his throat as he began to exin in detail the schedule for this particr aircraft.


    "We were nning to have the first flight tomorrow, but since you are already here, we might as well bump our schedule by a day. Assuming everything goes well, we project at least six months before these aircraft enter full production.... Maybe a year at the most."


    Berengar could only smile as he heard this, and nod his head. He was d to hear that these nes would likely see service at some point during his war with Japan. He was perhaps a bit too excited as he immediately began to climb into the cockpit to the sounds of several of his engineers'' dismay.


    "My Kaiser, what are you doing? Get out of there, it is not safe. We have a test pilot who is more than happy to take the risk for you!"


    It took Berengar a moment to realize that he was not safe in the slightest. Unlike his previous attempts at experimental flights, he was not equipped with the ring of sol, and therefore could not guarantee his own safety. As a result, he was forced to restrain his urges to test out the world''s first jet fighter, and in doing so, climbed out of the cockpit with a sullen expression on his handsome face. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Very well, you''re right. I shall wait for your test pilot to arrive."


    Shortly thereafter, the engineering team moved to notify the test pilot of their change in schedule, where he was quick to arrive, fully suited up for the adventure he was about to have. The man was one of Germany''s top pilots and was happy to see the experimental aircraft sitting in the hangar. He had been one of many pilots to share his insights with the engineers, and his input had been critical to its development.


    After sitting in the cockpit and getting a feel for the controls, the pilot ignited the engine and began to drive the ne onto the airstrip. Where he waited for permission to take off. Once he had been cleared, he held down the throttle and lifted the jet into the air, which took off at a much higher speed than any previous aircraft he had ever flown. There was a distinctive cry of joy on the radio as the many expressed his euphoria as he raced through the air at speeds higher than any man in this world had ever endured.


    "Wooo! This is the fastest ne I have ever flown!"


    Berengar looked up into the sky with a hint of jealousy in his heart as he watched the experimental jet fighter fly around the airbase at rapid speeds. Though it was a far cry from what he had seen operated by the American Military during his past life, it was still a remarkable sight.


    The engineers continued to run tests on the ne andmunicate with the pilot for some time before they were convinced of their results. The pilot thennded the jet onto the airstrip and continued to drive the ne back to the hangar, where it would be kept under lock and key.


    There was an overwhelming expression of euphoria on the man''s face as he stepped out of the cockpit where he witnessed the cheers of the Engineering team, and the Kaiser, who were all amazed at the performance of the experimental aircraft. Berengar waited for the engineers to interview the pilot before forcing his way into the conversation.


    "So, I assume things are looking good, then?"


    Jakob smiled and nodded his head before expressing his contentment with the tests.


    "Everything went as expected. However, we will have to undergo much more thorough testing before we can approve this fighter jet for production. If we don''t run into any significant issues along the way, then I am sure that within another six months, this ne will be seeing regr flight over the skies of Borneo and perhaps even japan."


    Berengar nodded his head and looked back at the prototype aircraft before voicing his approval.


    "Very good. I look forward to it."


    After saying that, he walked off from the hangar and left the engineers and the flight crew to celebrate by themselves.


    ---


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 Chapter 1060 No Bullets Fly

    Hans awoke at the crack of dawn, along with the rest of his unit. He had officially been in active service for two weeks now, and he had to admit he was not the slightest bit thrilled with his career choice. Though military service was mandatory for all men in the German Empire, he was beginning to feel that he should have just enlisted instead. That way, he only had toplete four years of service.


    While the environment in the Aerial Warfare Academy had been strict, it was still located in the boy''s backyard, where his father was able to get him out of trouble. Because of this, Hans was given a lot of leeway during his years at university. This was no longer the case.


    It turned out that in the Luftwaffe, being a prince had no advantages. He was expected to behave like all other soldiers, and if he acted out, he was thoroughly disciplined. Perhaps his status as the eldest son of the Kaiser, and a renowned gifted child, increased his burden rather than lessened it, as hismanding officers expected more out of him than he did his other pilots.


    After taking a shower and getting dressed, Hans regrouped with his unit on the flight deck. Where forty-two different nes sat ready for takeoff. There were thirty Ju 87 Stuka torpedo bombers, and twelve Ta 152 fighter-interceptors. As the most skilled pilot during flight school, Hans was naturally selected as one of the twelve fighter pilots.


    Hans stood on the deck and struggled to prevent himself from yawning as themanding officer stood before them, exining the details of their daily operation. Themander was none other than Hans'' former flight instructor, and much like Ghost, he was an avid fan of the boy''s mother.


    In fact, it was impossible to find a man within his unit who did not have a thing for one of the boy''s many mothers. Usually, these men would argue in their spare time about whether Linde or Ad were the most beautiful woman in the world. However, Caveman''s life ambition was to marry the Princess Henrietta.


    Hans could only scoff as he heard the Captain getting into a dispute with his fellow pilots regarding this subject, knowing full well that his aunt was, in fact, her brother''s most beloved concubine. Of course, the official story was that Henrietta was a pure maiden, incapable of having kids after receiving a bullet to the womb on that fateful night. However, as a member of the Imperial Family, Hans knew that Henrietta had given her brother three children, and that there were more toe.


    These were the thoughts on Hans'' mind as he listened to Colonel Ernst Meier''s speech about their daily operations, which was, in fact, yet another day of pointless patrols around the a strait. The Carrier strike group had departed a week ago today, and during this time the nes were constantlyunched.


    Though all they did during this time was patrol the fleet''s immediate vicinity, something radar was more than capable of doing on its own. The reality was that these operations were meant to do one thing: get the pilots experienced with taking off andnding on the carrier''s massive deck. However, as the long and rather boring speech came to an end, something shocking was announced by the Colonel.


    "As the CSG (Carrier Strike Group) approaches the ind of Borneo, it will be the duty of our fighter pilots to fly just outside restricted airspace and conduct aerial reconnaissance on the nearby conflict. Though we are not allowed to fly over Borneo itself, we are more than able to fly around it. Alright, that''s about it, gentlemen, prepare to takeoff!"


    All of a sudden, Hans was rather excited. Instead of just doing some basic patrols, he would actually be skirting just below the limits of their restrictions, at least ording to the agreement between the Kaiser and the Japanese Empress. As Hans had never seen a battlefield before, he was a bit anxious. Despite this, he found his courage as he jumped into his ta-152 fighter interceptor before being catapulted off the deck.


    It was not long before Hans and the other eleven fighters approached the ind of Borneo. Almost immediately, they could make out explosions in the air, which were undoubtedly the result of the k guns down below.


    As the Luftwaffe pilots further approached the ind, they were able to make out a few dozen mosquito bombers which were being picked off left and right by the Majapahit anti-aircraft installments. Though some bombs made their way onto their targets, it would appear that with each passing second, more and more bombers were being blown out of the sky.


    Hans had begun taking photographs of the battle below when his unit began to veer off from the ind. They had reached the edges of restrictive airspace, andmunicated overms that they would have to circle the ind. However, Hans did not hear this and continued to fly over the ind of Borneo by himself. <novelnext></novelnext>


    It was only after several minutes had passed, and Hans began to realize that he was perhaps too far ind and that he had vited the treaty made between his father and Itami. He immediately began to climb in the sky, to reach a high enough altitude that the k guns could not reach him, while turning out to the left and towards the Philippines.


    While he was climbing, Hans noticed a Japanese bomber with a damaged airframe and a smoking engine trying desperately to escape the battlefield. The bomber was entirely isted from the rest of its allies, and was an easy kill.


    Knowing that there was no possible way for anyone to witness his actions, Hans began to dive on the target, which climbed further and further out of the conflict, and towards the sea. As he approached the side of the aircraft, it became abundantly apparent to the Japanese crew that they were being tailed by a fighter, which at first they thought was their own.


    That is, until the two nes were side by side, and the Japanese airmen noticed not only was this fighter painted in camouge, but it also had arge balkenkreuz stered on the rear of its fusge.


    The Japanese crew was mortified to see a German fighter tailing them, and Hans could see in their eyes the dread which had overtaken them. He slowed his ne down a bit to line up his optical sight with the tail of the aircraft, and only when he was about to pull the trigger and gain his first kill did another k shell fire up from the ground below which detonated just far enough away from the damaged bomber to notpletely destroy the aircraft.


    However, shrapnel struck one of the crew members and he fell back into the airframe, holding a bloodied gut. In reaction to this, Hans bit his lip as he struggled to decide what he should do in this situation. Ultimately, after thinking it through, the boy flew up towards the cockpit of the Japanese bomber, where motioned to the rival pilot with his hands that he was not a threat.


    Because Hans was flying a German aircraft, the Majapahit AA crews knew not to fire upon him, and had instead assumed that he was protecting a captured bomber. It was only after the two nes were safely escorted out of the kill zone that Hans give a short salute to the rival pilot, who was quick to return the gesture, before swiftly departing back towards the formation where hisrades continued to take photos of the battlefield from afar.


    Despite viting several Luftwaffe regtions, nobody in the German Military would learn of the boy''s actions on this day. Thus, Hans wore a rather satisfied smile on his face as he flew back to his unit while reying the scene that had just taken ce in his mind.


    In the heat of the moment, Hans had rationalized to himself that since the German Empire was not officially at war with Japan just yet, that by shooting down the rival pilots he would bemitting an act of murder, and had thus chosen instead to escort them out of the kill zone and towards safety.


    Unknowingly, Hans'' actions on this day would have a tremendous effect on the Japanese Air Force as a whole, who wouldter hear of this story from the surviving crew and think that perhaps they had been lied to by highmand regarding the alleged bloodthirsty and vicious nature of the German people.


    This would ultimately result in an unspoken pact between Luftwaffe and Imperial Japanese pilots, who, when the time for war between their two nations came, would both refuse to shoot down those pilots and their crews who had ejected from aircraft.


    ---


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 Chapter 1061 A Mothers Lament

    Ad sat within the Nursery of the Imperial Pce of Germany, she like many of Berengar''s other women had recently given birth to another child. As per her agreement with Linde, this would be herst. The infant boy slept in her arms, as she carefully cradled him as if he were the most delicate being in the world.


    While Ad was looking after her child with a loving smile on her face, Henrietta entered the room, with her newest offspring in her arms. The woman rushed over to her cousin and sat down next to her as she asked the question on her mind.


    "How is little Manfred doing?"


    Ad gazed upon her young son, who was fast asleep in her arms, and grinned before looking over at Henrietta with an excited expression on her face.


    "Manfred is doing well. Ewald says he''s a perfectly healthy little boy. What about you? How is little Berengar doing?"


    There was a tinge of envy on Ad''s face as she spoke the name. Out of all of Berengar''s women, Henrietta alone had been blessed with a son who carried his father''s name. This had not only created a slight rift between the two cousins but also all of Berengar''s wives, who wondered why Henrietta was given such preferential treatment.


    While Berengar loved Linde with all his heart and, in fact, considered the woman to be his soulmate, he doted on his little sister like no other. Henrietta had said she wanted to name her youngest son after her brother/lover, and the man could not deny her request.


    Berengar II, much like his half-brother Manfred, was an infant boy with a full head of golden hair. His sapphire eyes were the exact same as his father''s, which was no surprise considering the close blood ties that existed between his parents. Like so many other of his siblings, there was an intelligent glint in the boy''s eyes as he closely examined all his surroundings with a curious gaze.


    Berengar II seldom ever cried, which was considered an oddity even among his father''s most intelligent children. However, the family physician, who was one of the most educated men in the world regarding biology and medicine, had determined there was nothing wrong with the boy.


    Henrietta had reflected on all of this after hearing Ad''s question, and wore a proud smile as she spoke about her newest son.


    "Never better. In fact, Berengar suspects that Little Berengar might one day be the most brilliant of all his children! Though I don''t exactly know what basis he has for this assumption. All he will tell me is that he can see it in the boy''s eyes, and that the boy is worthy of his name. Naturally, as far as the public is concerned, little Berengar here is your son. I must say that you have a remarkable ability to conceive twins, Ad..."


    Thisment caused both the women to giggle. As far as the public was concerned, all of Henrietta''s children were Ad''s. This thought was amusing to the two cousins who considered the story to be wholly unbelievable. Still, if the Kaiser said that his wife Ad was giving birth to multiple sets of twins, then the public had no reason to doubt his word.


    After having their share of fun at the public''s expense, Ad and Henrietta ced their young sons, Manfred and Berengar II, into two different cribs before leaving the nursery while holding hands. Much like Linde and Honoria, Ad and Henrietta shared a special bond between the two of them, and preferred each other''spany while their husband was not around to shower them with love and affection.


    Ad took the lead, and led Henrietta to the Pce''s bar, where the usual bartender was working her normal hours. When she witnessed their entrance, she quickly pulled out two shakers and began mixing a couple of martinis for the two women.


    After all, she had been serving the members of the royal family drinks for several years now, and knew exactly which drinks, which women liked. However, when Ad and Henrietta sat down at the table, they noticed they were not alone.


    Linde''s sublime figure was spotted at the other end of the bar, where she looked to be in a dreadful state. The redheaded beauty was slurring her words as she repeated a single name over and over again, all while being consoled by Honoria.


    "Hans... Oh Hans... My baby boy!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was no secret that Linde had entered a state of depression and anxiety ever since her eldest son first deployed to Singapore. Perhaps because she was the director of imperial intelligence, she had a more difficult time than most parents when their sons went out to war, because she had the ability to check constantly just what dangerous missions her boy were being sent on.


    When the bartender handed Ad and Henrietta their drinks, she leaned over and whispered something to them, which they weren''t expecting.


    "I''d hate to ask you a favor, but this is the third time this week I''ve had to cut the Kaiserin off. Honoria doesn''t seem to be of any help. Can the two of you please get her out of here? Judging by the sound of her sobbing, she hasn''t had any real rest in days. I''m afraid if I keep serving her, the Kaiser will start to get angry at me for putting his beloved wife''s health at risk..."


    Ad and Henrietta looked at each other, and silentlymunicated with a nod of their heads before giving the bartender their answer.


    "No problem."


    After saying this, the two women pounded their martinis before approaching Linde and Honoria, who both had sullen expressions on their faces. Ad quickly grabbed hold of Linde''s arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, while Henrietta did the same for her other side.


    "Come on, Linde, let''s get you to bed. You need some sleep!"


    Linde, however, struggled to get out of the two women''s arms, and continued to cry as she refused to leave the bar.


    "I''m not going! I haven''t had enough to drink yet. Besides, I can''t sleep, not when every time I close my eyes I see..."


    However, the words did not escape the woman''s lips, as if they were too horrific to speak aloud. Even so, both Ad and Henrietta could make an educated guess about what was haunting Linde. Ultimately, Ad sighed heavily before whispering something in Linde''s ears that made the redheaded beauty blush. With a silent nod of her head, she agreed to be carried to her room. Where Honoria followed after the group.


    Once alone, in a particrlyrge bedroom, with a rather substantial mattress, Ad and Henrietta lowered Linde on the plushy bedding, before stripping her out of her dress and undergarments. Once they had done that, Ad did the same, which quickly caused Henrietta to raise her brow in curiosity. However, before she could ask the question, Ad red at both Henrietta and Honoria before posing one of her own.


    "Well, are you two going to strip and join us? Or are you just going to watch?"


    Honoria did not hesitate to strip out of her clothing and enter the bed with the other two women, which caused Henrietta to sigh before following suit. Once they were all undressed and under the covers, they spooned with Linde, who had passed out from her own intoxication. The warmth of their bodies spreading into the redheaded beauty''s heart and mind as she slept with a smile on her pretty face for the first time in days.


    After waking up the next day, and feeling refreshed, the four women would have a lengthy conversation about Linde''s worries, and by the end of it, she would be feeling much less aggrieved regarding the dangerous situation her eldest son now found himself in.


    ---


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 Chapter 1062 Counterfeit Operations

    While the war in Borneo waged for all the world to see, a much more ndestine conflict was urring on the Japanese maind. It had been some time since the German Empire had infiltrated Japan with their field agents, many of which were Japanese defectors recruited into the ranks of German Imperial Intelligence for just this purpose.


    Linde had plotted long ago to begin counterfeiting Japanese banknotes, and now was the time to implement this n. A native Japanese man by the name of Yoshida Akihira was currently in a discussion with a group of criminals within the domain of the Shimazu n while posing as a rogue agent of the Japanese Treasury Department.


    In her rush to build a Japanese Empire capable of contending with the Germans across the sea, Itami had neglected many of the things necessary to create a solid, centralized state. As a result, the old samurai ns, especially those who were once Daimyos, held a significant amount of authority over administrative regions and the military. One of these belonged to the Shimazu n.


    Yoshida Akihira held a money printing te in his hand and a stack of counterfeit bills in the other, as he tempted a local gang leader with ideas of wealth and prosperity.


    "I''m sure by now you are aware of the fact that the Treasury Department has stopped minting silver coins, and has instead begun the production of paper banknotes. As I informed your subordinate when I first came to him with this offer, my name is Ayanokouji Moriyori and I am an agent of her majesty''s treasury department.


    I know your gang has been battling with your rivals for turf in this domain. However, wars are expensive, and I am sure, as you well know, that a substantial supply of currency is needed if you wish to buy the tools that you need to be sessful in your ambitions.


    What I''m about to offer you is an opportunity that you alone will be given. As you can see here, this is what is called a printing te. It is a tool that is used by the treasury department to print new banknotes. I just so happened to be lucky enough to snatch one of these from my ce of work.


    With this, you will be able to createpletely undetectable counterfeit banknotes. That can be spent anywhere in the entire Empire. You will have so much money that you will even be able to bribe armorers to give you military weapons. No more swords and spears. Your crew will be armed with pistols and submachine guns. You will be able topletely sweep away any and allpetition! How does that sound?"


    The leader of the gang, who was a middle-aged man, with a goatee, long unkempt hair, and severe scarring on his face, smirked, and, in doing so, revealed his missing teeth. When a subordinate of his had informed him of this opportunity, he did not honestly believe what he had been told.


    However, looking at the printing te, along with the fat stacks of counterfeited cash that Yoshida Akihara had disyed as proof of the te''s abilities, the gang leader could not help but be interested. Still, he had his doubts about all of this, and he was quick to interrogate the man posing as a federal agent.


    "Tell me this, if these so-called printing tes of yours are capable of achieving everything you have imed, then whye to me with them? Why not print your own stacks of cash to buy whatever it is that you need? I''m curious. Why would you ever bother selling such a valuable object?"


    Naturally Yoshida had a response for this prepared in advance, and he feigned exhaust as if he was a perfect actor before exining his supposed woes.


    "Well, to be honest, I currently find myself in a bit of a dire situation. As you may already be aware, when her Majesty bes particrly agitated, she has a tendency to purge those who she deems inadequate or disloyal that are among her ranks.


    My performance has not been exactly up to par as ofte, and I fear as this war continues to amass losses, that she will perhaps turn her sight onto me. After all, the economy is not doing too well if I''m being honest, especially after all the sanctions ced against our Empire. I truly believe that it is only a matter of time before she starts lopping off heads at the treasury, and I fear I will be first among them.


    Judging by the fact that you are part of the underworld, I''m assuming you know that the Ming smugglers do not ept Japanese banknotes as a valid currency, and as a result, I am in a desperate need of silver to smuggle myself, and my family out of Japan. The only valuable thing I possess is this printing te, and thus, I decided to sell it to you."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The gang leader thought carefully about Yoshida''s response. He strictly examined the story to see if there were any plot holes, or any risks to himself for epting this trade. Naturally, as the leader of one of the most prominent gangs in the Shimazu domain, he knew fully well that the Ming smugglers only epted silver as their currency of trade. So he had no doubts about this aspect of Yoshida''s story.


    He was also aware of the many political purges that had urred in recent years, and how far down thedder they affected employees of the government. So this aspect of Yoshida''s tale was also believable. What the gang leader had a problem with was just how Yoshida had acquired this invaluable device, and whether the treasury department would notice its disappearance. Thus, he was quick to ask about this.


    "Alright, say I believe your story. There''s just two things I am curious about. How exactly did you nick such a valuable object, and will the treasury department notice it is gone? Because if they do, they can easily trace it back to me once I have begun counterfeiting banknotes!"


    Contrary to what the gang leader was expecting, Yoshida wore a confident smirk on his face as he leaned back in his chair as if such a question were awfully silly. He shook his head before responding with the most assured tone he could manage.


    "You don''t need to worry about such a thing. The treasury department has a policy where, after a certain amount of bills are printed, they dispose of these tes. However, despite the fact that they have been marked for recycling, these printing tes are still more than capable of producing a few million more bills that are adequate enough for cirction.


    I simply skimmed one of these out of the waste bin. I assure you nobody noticed what I have done, and this te is still extremely serviceable. Even after your counterfeit bills enter cirction, they will be entirely undetectable. So the treasury department will have quite a hard time tracing them back to you and your gang.


    So if you are interested then my price is a reasonable one thousand taels of silver. If you can give me that, then the printing te is yours!"


    The gang leader thought about this price for several moments while scratching his goatee. In the end, he smiled and nodded his head before epting the trade.


    "Deal!"


    A wide smile emerged on Yoshida''s face, not because of the meagre amount of silver he had gained, but because he knew all across the Japanese Maind, printing tes likes these were being handed over to criminal gangs who would begin producing a massive sum of counterfeit banknotes which would cause intion to rise rapidly, thus tanking the Japanese economy in the days toe.


    After making the trade, Yoshida returned to the safe house, where he reported back to his superiors about the sess of his mission.


    ---


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 Chapter 1063 One Final Act Of Service

    Months had passed since Hans first graduated from the Aerial Warfare Academy and entered active service. It was now the midst of Autumn, and during this time the Japanese had suffered heavy casualties during their campaign in Borneo.


    Within the borders of the Reich, a conversation was being had between an active duty soldier and his physician. Though neither of them knew it at this time, the effects that this meeting would have on the fate of the world would be monumental.


    The aging medical practitioner gazed upon the grizzled veteran with a look of pity in his eyes. He sighed heavily before revealing the bad news.


    "I''m sorry to say this, but it would appear that you have terminal lung cancer..."


    The soldier in question was none other than Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten. A man who had spent his entire adult life in service to Berengar and his house. As someone who had faced death on numerous asions, Lach reacted to his grim fate better than most. Instead of questioning whether the Physician was off his rocker, he merely asked one simple question.


    "How long do I have?"


    The physician was honestly surprised that the man was sofortable, despite hearing that he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Lach was not the first man toe into his office within the past month, who had a simrly fatal condition. However, he had been the quickest to embrace death. With this in mind, the doctor admired the soldier''s bravery beforementing on his condition.


    "You have at most six months to live. Though you are likely to perish before then. I suggest you get your affairs in order as soon as possible."


    After hearing that he only had six months to live, Lach sighed and nodded his head before leaving the doctor''s office. As an active duty special operations soldier with a family, he had long since written hisst will and testament.


    However, he was only an enlisted member, and because of that, his savings were far from sufficient to support his family after he had passed away. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to his loved ones, nor how they would survive once he was dead and buried.


    ---


    News reached Berengar''s ears about Lach''s condition almost as soon as it had been discovered. The man was a war hero of the highest caliber and had served Berengar for many years. Naturally, Berengar paid attention to the man''s career as he continued to conduct warfare across the globe.


    To lose a man of such status, and to cancer nheless, Berengar felt it was an unfitting end to a lifetime of glory and valor. Thus, after learning of Lach''s diagnoses, he dropped everything to meet with a man who had been loyal to him for over a decade.


    Lach did not immediately return to his home and inform his family of his condition. Though he was on his leave of absence, he had decided to spend this day alone at his favorite diner while contemting his fate in silence. The man was currently sipping on a cup of coffee when the most unexpected thing happened.


    The kaiser entered the diner, dressed in civilian clothing before sitting down in the booth across from him. Immediately, Lach guessed exactly why such an important figure had stopped by to visit him and scoffed before making a crass remark.


    "I should have known you would find about my condition before I even had time to alert my family. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar had a stern expression on his face as he ordered a cup of coffee for himself. The moment it arrived, he pulled out his sk and poured a shot of whiskey inside before offering Lach the same. The man did not refuse such a generous gift, and thus the two of them sat there in silence for some time before Berengar finally spoke up.


    "You have served in my armed forces since I was nothing more than a lowly count. During this time, you have proven yourself a war hero of the highest order, and you have been awarded for your efforts in the field of battle. What you have sacrificed for Kaiser and Fathend is beyond my ability to repay in full, and I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I require one final act of service from you."


    After spending years serving in Berengar''s army, Lach had a general idea of what was about to be requested from him, and thus he silently nodded his head, allowing the Kaiser to make his request. Once he had done so, Berengar wore a bitter smile before speaking again.


    "What I need from you is a casus belli. A justification for war with Japan. I know that you have at most six months to live, and I also am aware of your current financial situation. If you do this for me, I will make sure your family is looked after for the rest of their days."


    Naturally, Lach was expecting such a request, and simply sipped from his coffee in silence for several moments before responding to Berengar. When he did so, there was a smug look on his face.


    "Rather than spend myst days in the loving arms of my family, you would ask me to give my life in service, so that you can provoke a war with Japan? I assume you have an entire unit of forsaken souls like myself prepared for the task, and you want me to lead them?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before leaning back into his booth with a smile on his handsome face. He nodded thrice before responding to Lach''s question in a jestful manner.


    "You know me so well... So, will you do it?"


    Lach did not even need to think about his reply, after all, it was better to die early on the battlefield as a true hero of the Reich, and in doing so leave behind a vast fortune for his family so that they could survive without him, then die a withered old husk with nothing to show for his life''s efforts. Thus, it came as no surprise to Berengar when the man epted his offer.


    "My life is yours, my Kaiser. Use it how you see fit..."


    Once more, a bitter smile emerged on Berengar''s face. Though he didn''t know Lach personally, he was sad to see such an exemry soldier lose his life before he could even retire and bask in his glory. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he stood and prepared to depart, but before he did so, he left behind onest statement.


    "I''m truly sorry to see you go. I assure you that when the timees to bury you, it will be a state funeral. You deserve at least that much after all you have done for me over the years."


    In response to this, Lach simply nodded his head in silence and watched Berengar leave the diner with a grim expression on his face. When he returned his sights to the table in front of him, he noticed that Berengar had left sufficient payment for both of their drinks, along with enough for him to order a nice meal. He decided in that moment that he would not inform his family of his illness, because he would rather have them remember him as a man who gave his life in service to his Kaiser and fathend.


    ---


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 Chapter 1064 A Declaration Of War

    Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten had spared no time to prepare for hisst mission. He bade farewell to his family, who had no idea that this was thest time they would see him, before departing on a ne for the Ind of Borneo.


    During the journey, Lach and his unit of terminally ill soldiers were informed that their task would be a simple one. Their objective was to bait the Imperial Japanese Army into attacking their unit. How they would do this was a rather simple method.


    ording to the treaty between Germany and Japan, the Reich was prohibited from ying an active role in the conflict, and was not allowed to fly above the ind of Borneo. However, they were permitted to provide nonbative support to the Majapahit Empire, which was exactly how Lach and his men would provoke the Imperial Japanese Army into attacking them.


    When Lach and his unit arrived on the ind of Borneo, they were given Majapahit camouge pattern uniforms to wear for their operation. However, there were a few minor distinctions between these fatigues and the ones that their allies wore.


    In fact, these garments had German markings, which were hard to notice as their color was an olive drab green, which blended in with the uniform fairly well. After applying camouged paint to their faces and forearms, the German soldiers grabbed hold of their G27 semi-automatic rifles and hiked it to the front lines of the conflict, which were rapidly copsing to the Japanese invasion force.


    Lach and his men eventually made their way towards the brush, where they began to survey the area. They could see a Japanese infantry brigade marching through the Jungle roughly a five hundred meters out, which they began to report via their radio operator back to the rear lines.


    At first, the Japanese did not spot the Germans and continued marching closer and closer to their position. But when Lach intentionally shifted his position, a soldier about fifty yards away spotted his movement, and did not hesitate to open fire on the German position.


    There was barely a squad''s worth of men selected for this operation, and once they had been fired upon by one soldier, a hundred more shot at thier location. Though they knew their duty was to die on this mission, they took cover and returned fire, hoping to at least bring down enough of the enemy to bring honor to Kaiser and Fathend.


    Lach aimed down the iron sights of his semiautomatic rifle, and pulled the trigger, instantly sending an 8mm projectile downrange and into the torso of the enemy. The Japanese soldiers had not even noticed who the Germans actually were and continued to fire on their position.


    One by one, the German soldiers fell to bullets and mortar fire alike. After all, they were facing down thousands of soldiers who were rushing to their position, and there were only ten of them to begin with. Still, they managed to take roughly apany''s worth of the Japanese.


    In the end, Lach was all alone. Knowing that his death was near, he pulled out one of his grenades and stood up to throw it towards a nearby enemy. He shouted with every inch of his strength his battle cry before tossing the grenade into the air.


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    As the grenade flew through the air, a burst of bullets tore through his chest, causing him to fall back onto the muddied floor, spreadeagled, with his rifle in one hand. As Lach took hisst breath, he could have sworn that he saw a tinum haired winged beauty swooping down towards him with her hand stretched out. In the next moment, the life faded from the Sergeant Major''s eyes, and the Japanese surrounded the corpses of the in reconnaissance team.


    It was only after they had carefully observed the corpses, did the Japanese soldiers realize just how much they had fucked up. Contrary to what they thought, these were not Majapahit soldiers. their features were far too angr, refined, and regal. While the markings on their uniforms were different than what the Japanese had encountered before.


    Despite the obvious european features, the enlisted personnel of the Imperial Japanese Army still didn''t recognize who they had killed. It took an officer''s examination to realize that they had vited the treaty and in a German support unit. A look of fear emerged on the Officer''s face, as he left the scene with panic in his eyes. He quickly approached the nearestms officer and gave him amand. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Report back to base. The treaty has been vited, and war is now inevitable."


    ? ---


    Due to the advanced nature of Germanmunications, the death of Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten, and his reconnaissance unit, was immediately reported to German High Command, far before Itami was able to learn of this development.


    The immediate response by Berengar was to send a team of Sturmkommandos to retrieve the bodies of the fallen. Meanwhile, he took to a public broadcast which was echoed across the entirety of the Reich, including the colonies that were spread across the world.


    Unlike his usual public appearances, Berengar did not wear his imperial regalia, instead he wore his military uniform, which was a telltale sign to anyone with a brain that the Kaiser was about to dere war. Berengar''s brows were furrowed, and his expression was furious as he took to the mic and made his deration.


    "At approximately 0900 Hours, on the Ind of Borneo, a squad of German soldiers, who were providing nonbative support to the Majapahit Empire, were murdered by the Imperial Japanese Army in an unprovoked attack. Among the deceased was Sergeant Major Lach Graf von Wickten. Who, as most of you know, is among the most decorated war heroes of the Reich.


    Over the past few years, I have made my stance clear on the Japanese Empire and their warmongering ways. And yet I have gone out of my way to maintain peace between our two realms. Because it is my belief that war is undesirable, and must only be waged as ast resort!


    By now you are all aware of my patience, and even after our pilots were attacked in the skies above Borneo, I went out of my way to negotiate with Japan and, in doing so, I am ashamed to admit that I made certain concessions that in no way benefited our Empire. All for the sake of peace.


    But no longer! I am proud to announce today that I am taking this battle on atst, and I am taking it on with the same determination with which I always take on battle. And that is... Fight until the veryst! They wanted it! They shall have it! They wish to destroy Germany. It is I who will show them who shall be destroyed!


    To the Japanese people, for which I only have sympathy, you can thank themon criminal Itami Riyo for this! Ms. Itami Riyo has, with this war, started the greatest military nonsense, for which any leader or warlord has ever been responsible. She is fighting a war, which one way or the other will destroy Japan!"


    Upon concluding this deration of war, thunderous apuse echoed all across the Reich with repeated shouts of a single word. War! War! War! War! The German people had been fighting primitive savages on the frontiers for too long. The repeated setbacks in their negotiations with Japan had created a bloodlust like no other, and with the death of one of the greatest war heroes of the reich, this fury had reached the boiling point.


    Immediately after making this announcement, Berengar deployed all forces located within the Indian and Pacific Oceans to converge on the Japanese Empire. The German Empire was now officially at war. A war that the Germans would not stop waging until the very foundations that Itami had built were burnt to ashes.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1065 Countering The Enemy

    Shortly after Berengar''s deration of war, Itami received news of her own troops'' misdeeds. Just as Borneo was about to fall into her hands, her soldiers had killed a group of German scouts, and in doing so, brought war upon her empire.


    Naturally, the albino beauty was suspicious of the circumstances. From what she had been told, the German soldiers were equipped in Majapahit pattern uniforms, and had painted their skin in a woond camouged. It was almost as if Germany was deliberately baiting her troops to attack.


    Itami would not put it past her rival to stage a false g like this. She just couldn''t understand why he would sacrifice a national war hero in the process. The Japanese Empress would never know that the sacrificialmbs were all terminally ill soldiers who died in service of their country in exchange for having their families looked after by the state.


    None of that was important at this moment, though. What she needed to do was address her Empire, and because of this, Itami was currently dressed in her most militant attire, while having her makeup done by a team of professionals. After they were sure that their Empress looked ferocious. Itami stepped forth onto the balcony of her royal pce and addressed the gathered soldiers with a stern expression on her otherwise beautiful face.


    "By now, I''m sure many of you have heard the news... The German Empire has dered war on our mighty nation. In doing so, they have brought upon themselves the wrath of the Japanese people! We will face this horde of western barbarian''s head on, and we will do so with the utmost ferocity!


    The Kaiser ims that we do not understand war the way the Germans do however; he is sorely mistaken. For in the beating hearts of every Japanese citizen, there is a soul of a warrior! So, soldiers of Japan, show your unwavering determination to these foreign invaders as you step forward and defend your Empire!


    As of this moment, every man and boy who is capable of bearing arms is hereby conscripted into the Japanese Armed Forces. For everyone else, you will dedicate your lives during the duration of this conflict to manufacturing the supplies and equipment necessary to continue this fight for our very survival!


    We will not be bowed, we will not be broken, and we will continue on as the world''s mightiest Empire! Tennoheika Banzai!"


    With the closing of her speech, the final words that Itami spoke were repeated back to her by the tens of thousands of young men who had gathered for the sake of her response to the German Empire.


    "Tennoheika Banzai!"


    After hearing this, Itami smiled before returning inside her pce, where she was quick to meet with her Generals and Admirals, who stood at the ready in her war room, waiting to report on their enemies'' movements.


    "Tennoheika-sama, the German Empire, has already deployed their troops to the Pacific. I am afraid to say that we are facing a far greater invasion than we first expected. From their base in Singapore, the Germans have sent a fleet of warships towards Borneo, and the Philippines, with the intent to liberate the two regions. They are being backed by the entire might of the Majapahit Royal Army. We estimate that within the next two weeks, a total of two hundred thousand troops will be deployed to the area.


    While at the same time, our borders with the Joseon Dynasty have utterly copsed. It would appear that abined force of German and Joseon troops have marched south with the intent of liberating the territory which we have conquered. An estimated one hundred thousand troops have been mobilized for this invasion, which is mostlyposed Joseon soldiers.


    We have begun deploying three divisions'' worth of the units who have previously been tasked with protecting the homnd to reinforce our troops stationed on the Korean Penins. Along with another five divisions to the Philippines and Borneo."


    Itami nodded her head in agreement with these deployments, before staring at the General directly in the eyes. Her chilling voice echoed in the otherwise silent room.


    "As of this moment, we are at war with the most powerful enemy we have ever faced. We must give everything we have to defeat the German Empire, or else, I fear it will be the end of Japan as we know it. Let it be known that right now none of you are fighting for my sake, rather for the sake of your entire race and culture! So any of you who have had mutinous thoughts in the past, I implore you to focus on what matters, and that is the survival of your homnd!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    All the Generals in the room steeled their resolve after hearing such a speech. In the past, many of the men in this room had conspired in their own minds against Itami, however at this moment such thoughts had suddenly disappeared, instead reced with the utmost loyalty. If not for the empress, then for Japan itself.


    Very quickly, the Japanese Generals began to counter the German deployments, as one admiral began to speak of his own n to defeat the German Fleet, which was being sent to support the invasions of Borneo and the Philippines.


    "I am not afraid of the German Navy. I will personally embark with my fleet to intercept their position before they reach Borneo. However, might I suggest sending two fleets so that we outnumber the Germans?"


    Itami silently nodded in agreement with the Admiral''s request, which caused the man to salute her, before departing from the room so that he could begin his deployment. As for the rest of the high-ranking officers, they each voiced their ns about how they would proceed with the war effort. Among these men was a rather rotund air force General who was quick to speak about his particr field.


    "Tenno-Heika sama, it would be most wise to begin the deployment of our warnes stationed in the Philippines and Borneo to intercept the Luftwaffe. If we allow the Germans to assume Air Superiority over the region, the conflict will be lost before it can truly begin!"


    Itami once more nodded her head in silence towards the General''s suggestion, which caused him to barkmands at a nearbyms operator. Who ryed the General''s message to the troops stationed in the affected regions.


    There was just one thing which worried Itami, and that was the fact that she knew the Germans had colonized Australia. Perhaps a second fleet was heading towards Japan itself, which would be disastrous if she could not intercept it. Thus, she gave an order that her admiralty thought was peculiar.


    "Ensure that there is at least one fleet protecting the maind from German forces."


    The moment after she said this, Itami noticed the frowns on the faces of her Admirals who wanted to deploy their full naval might to the Philippines, expecting it to be the major zone of conflict. However, when Itami saw these reactions, she scowled before reminding them whose orders they followed.


    "Do I need to remind you where your loyalties lie? It seems you have all forgotten that we have previously made contact with the German Navy in the region I have referred to as Australia. Perhaps they have a fleet located there, which is heading towards our homes as we speak. We can''t afford to deploy all of our naval forces to the Philippines. If we are left unprotected here in Japan, then the war is as good as over!"


    After being reminded about the German forces in Australia, the Admirals looked ashamed, as they found themselves in agreement with Itami''s course of actions. The Japanese maind could not afford to be invaded by a German expeditionary force. Not while the rest of their empire was burning in the mes of war.


    Thus, the Empire of Japan had begun to counter their enemy''s movements, while the Germans themselves had gone on the attack.


    ---


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 Chapter 1066 The Crimson Prince

    As Berengar had anticipated, his eldest son Hans was among the first units to respond to his deration of war. Hans rushed into his flight suit early in the morning and hit the deck, where he was quick to hop into his Ta-152 fighter-interceptor, along with the entire fighter wing of the SMS Osterreich.


    They were to be the spearhead of the invasion of Borneo, along with the nes stationed in the Singapore, and Majapahit Air Bases. Their objective was to secure Air Superiority within the region, so that their strategic bombers could get to work against the Imperial Japanese Army on the ground below.


    For the sake of this operation, the carrier borne Stukas reced their torpedos with bombs, before beingunched after the fighter-interceptors. Hans felt a deep pit of anxiety in his gut, as he his ne was catapulted off the carrier''s deck. As he took to the skies, Hans prayed to whatever god was listening to protect him.


    It did not take long for the carrier''s air wing to regroup with those nes who hadunched from Singapore and Indonesia. Hundreds of German fighters were in the skies, heading towards Borneo where the Japanese pilots and anti-air defenses lie in wait for them.


    Eventually the German fighters and dive bombers reached their destination, where Hans heard over the radio a voice which belonged to his wingmander.


    "Alright boys, keep your eyes on the prize, and watch each other''s backs. I hear the enemy nes are made out of wood, so if any of you fuckers get shot down, I will piss on your graves! Let''s do this!"


    After hearing such a vulgarment, Hans could only scoff before pushing his ne higher into the sky. As he gained altitude, he saw the enemy on his radar, who was gathered below. Once he was certain that he had gained enough of an advantage, Hans began to dive towards the nearest enemy fighter.


    The Ki-106 was a wooden variant of the infamous Nakajima Ki-84 from Berengar''s past life. It was a fast ne, with greatbat capabilities, however itsrgest weakness was the wooden fusge, which could easily be torn apart by a ta-152''s auto cannons.


    With the altitude in his favor, Hans dived onto the nearest Ki-106 and aligned his optical sight onto the cockpit of the enemy fighter. Remembering the graduation gift he had received from his father, and the warning behind it, Hans did not hesitate to pull the trigger, and when he did so the explosive projectiles sted through the cockpit, and tore apart the pilot''s, spilling his blood across the shattered ss.


    The ne quickly fell out of the sky and towards the ground below, where it exploded on impact. However, Hans did not pay attention to this, and instead quickly aligned his sights with a second enemy fighter, where he once more fired a short burst, which tore off one of the wings, and sent the ne spiraling towards the earth below. This pilot was fortunate enough to eject, where he safelynded on the ind. Hans could hear a cheer resound in his ears as a familiar voice congratted him on achieving first blood.


    "Haha, Prince just scored two kills! Leave some for the rest of us, why don''t you?"


    The voice belonged to Haywire, who had flown beside Hans and gunned down a Ki-106 which was tailing him. Hans, however, did not pay attention to this and continued to swoop through the skies like an eagle, ruthlessly shooting down ne after ne. Every time he did, he could hear haywire''s voice congratte him for another kill.


    Within five minutes, Hans had achieved as many kills while remainingpletely unscathed, much to the shock of his unit, who, while outperforming the Japanese pilots, had taken a few losses of their own.


    As Ghost shot down a Ki-106, Hans saw another Japanese ne sweep across hisrade''s topside, and in doing so, damaging Ghost''s engine. Immediately the ne ignited and began to lose altitude, as Ghost''s voice could be heard on the radio.


    "Shit, I''ve been hit! I''ve got to eject!"


    After saying this, the man ejected from his ne, his parachute immediately deploying as he slowly fell to the ind below, which was now fully upied by the Imperial Japanese Army. Rather than worry about his brother in arms, Hans decided to avenge him, and thus quickly shifted his ne around so that he followed the Ki-106''s tail. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Hans fired a single burst. However, the explosive projectiles missed, causing him to fire another spray, and then another before finally hitting his target on the third try. The Ki-106 practically disintegrated midair, and in doing so, killed its pilot. Hans could not help himself from cursing the man he had just killed.


    "That''s for Ghost you jap fuck!"


    After saying this, a burst of fire shot just above Han''s cockpit as he noticed a Ki-106 diving upon him. He swiftly maneuvered his ne out of the firing line, which caused the enemy fighter to follow him.


    Despite being an exceptionally gifted pilot, Hans had a difficult time dodging this ne. Everywhere he turned and twisted, the enemy would follow him. Just as Hans was about to make an evasive maneuver, a burst of the enemy''s auto cannons shot through the rear of his fusge and into his cockpit. He closed his eyes and braced himself for death, knowing that such a burst was good enough to kill him.


    However, death never came for him, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a slight golden shield surrounding his body, which was protruding from the ring his father had made him swore to wear. Hans stared inplete disbelief for several moments before realizing that he was still very much alive and still had an enemy on his tail.


    Rather than try to make sense of just how he had survived the attack, Hans immediately began to climb as high as possible into the air, knowing that the enemy pilot would follow him. Which he, of course, did. As he began to twist his ned into a three sixty, narrowly dodging the bullets that followed him, Hans''s engine began to stall, as did the Ki-106.


    Just like the maneuver he had practiced during flight school, the two nes began to fall out of the sky, nose first towards the dirt below. As Hans fell, he aligned his optical sight on that of the enemy, who should have killed him, and pulled the trigger, sting the ne into bits as he continued to descend through the air.


    Realizing that he was about to crash into the ground below, Hans continued to y with his engine until his propellor began to spin just in time to avoid hitting the dirt. He pulled with all his strength on the joystick and climbed just high enough that the bottom of his fighter hit the tops of Borneo''s trees. Where he screamed in joy as he climbed back into the sky so that he could get into the fight once more.


    After shooting down a total of twenty-five fighters, Hans'' ne was too damaged to continue fighting, and thus he had informed his unit that he would be returning to the carrier to undergo repairs. Hans hit the deck with absolute precision before jumping out of his cockpit, where he was greeted by the cheers of the other pilots who had been forced tond.


    Among these pilots, was Haywire, who himself had gained five confirmed kills. However, that was nothingpared to Hans. The man grabbed hold of the teenage boy and hugged him tightly before giving him a nickname that wouldst until the end of time.


    "There he is! Our Crimson Prince!" Twenty-five confirmed kills in one battle, absolutely fucking legendary! You''re now not only an Ace, but I''d be willing to bet my left nut that you get an iron cross after what you just did!"


    Hans could only smile and take in the cheers that he was receiving from his fellow pilots and several of the deck crew, who overheard just what the boy had aplished during his firstbat operation.


    The war between the Germany and Japan had only just begun, and yet in the first stage of aerialbat, the Germans had emerged victorious. A hundred Japanese fighters lie in ming wreckage on the Ind of Borneo, nearly half of their pilots killed in action. Out of these one hundred kills, a quarter of them had been scored by a single German Ace, a young man who would forever be known from this day forth as the Crimson Prince.


    ---


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 Chapter 1067 Assaulting The Southern Beachesof Borneo

    Captain Herman von Habsburg sat silently in the interior of his squad''s infantry fighting vehicle. Days had passed since the hostilities between the Reich and the Empire of Japan had begun. At the moment, several divisions'' worth of German Marines were being deployed to the ind of Borneo in their attempts to liberate the region from its Japanese upiers.


    While the rest of his unit were saying prayers, while their armored vehicle sat on board argending craft, Herman was instead gazing at the interior lining of his Stahlhelm. There was a photograph embedded within the liner of a rather gorgeous woman. In the eyes of many, this woman was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world.


    Since his father''s execution, Herman had a conflicted rtionship with his elder sister, who was now one of the two kaiserins of the Reich. Linde had, in his eyes, betrayed their family, and for the longest time he had deemed her unworthy of forgiveness.


    However, after battling natives across the colonies of the New World for most of his military career, and witnessing the expansion of the German Reich into the world''s foremost superpower. Herman hade to terms with his sister''s betrayal, and now had a photograph of her tucked safely away within his helmet''s lining. One which he had clipped from a popr fashion magazine that Lindemonly modelled for in her spare time.


    Despite being in his twenties, Herman was still unmarried. He would rather not leave behind a wife and several children without a father in the likely event of his death. Thus, he had been a bachelor for many years.


    However, there was amon tradition among the Reich''s soldiers to keep photographs of their loved ones with their helmets. It was considered by many to be a good luck charm. Naturally, the only woman who was remotely a part of Herman''s life was his elder sister, and thus, he had rather shamelessly used Linde''s photo without her knowledge.


    Of course, he was not the only one in the ranks of Germany''s armed forces who had done such a thing. Many of the Linde''s admirer who had no sweethearts of their own took her public photographs and used them as good luck charms.


    With this in mind, Herman scoffed before stuffing the photograph back into his helmet''s lining. He was not so foolish as to kiss it for extra luck, like so many men in his unit did to the photos of their loves ones. After cing his helmet upon his head, Herman racked the charging handle of his assault rifle to make sure that his weapon was loaded.


    Any minute now, thending craft would be hitting the shores of southern Borneo along with about a hundred others, which by now, the coastline would be heavily fortified by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was ironic, the fortifications which Germany had built for the Majapahit Empire to deter the Japanese from invading were now being used by those same invaders to prevent a German assault.


    In order to ount for this, a group of outdated German battleships and battlecruisers had sat off the coastline for thest three days, during which they had bombarded the coastline with everything they had. It not looked like a barren hellscape devoid of all life.


    However, for good measure, the Luftwaffe, who had gained Air Superiority of the ind, had begun a campaign of strategic bombing, any and all positions which remotely disyed signs of life were carpet bombed by the Germans in preparations for their invasion.


    After such a fierce campaign of bombardment, it was assumed by many of the enlisted troops that there would be nothing left to fight when they finallynded on the shores of Borneo. However, Herman knew better. In fact, with the defenses that the Germans had made, and the Japanese now upied, it was entirely likely that their enemies had just hid underground, and were now waiting for the German assault.


    Herman could not count the number of times he had taken part in military exercises specifically designed to replicate opposedndings. And if there was one thing he had learned from these mock battles, it was that the assaulters were always left with high casualties.


    Sure enough, thending craft had hit the beach, and opened its gates for the Panther Tanks and Marder IFVs to assault the shores. Unfortunately, as Herman had expected, they immediately came to a stop, as not far in front of them were a sereis of tank traps, and other obstacles designed to prevent the tanks from advancing forward.


    All the while machine gun fire, and explosions echoed in the air. Sending chills down the spines of those less veteran soldiers. It would appear that the coastal bombardment, which hadsted for three days and three nights, had done nothing to stamp out the Imperial Japanese Army, who now made use of the Majapahit Anti-Tank guns which were left behind during their evacuation.


    Eventually, the rear hatch opened, and Herman gave themand to deploy, which as the Captain of thepany, he was the first to step into battle. In doing so he narrowly avoided his death, as the moment he stepped foot onto the beach, an 8.8cm anti tank round hit his IFV and sted it apart, killing the other nine men who were stationed in the rear of the vehicle along with the crew.


    Herman was sent flying face first into the sand from the explosive st. It took him a few moments to look up and see that the men in his squad were all dead. Rather thanment their loss, he racked the charging handle of his Stg 32 assault rifle, and rushed through the enemy machine gun fire towards the Japanese upied bunkerplex.


    While running through thebyrinth of tank traps and barbed wire that littered the beach, Herman noticed his fellow soldiers falling left and right. Yet he did not pay attention to this, his attention was distracted by the sounds of German battle cries resounding in the air, and echoing alongside the side of machine gun fire.


    "God with us!"


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hail Victory!"


    Herman squeezed the trigger and held it down for a second, allowing a controlled burst of four rounds to fire towards the entrenched enemy. After doing this, he charged again, before repeating his actions over and over again.


    Every few bursts his bullet would hit its mark, and im the life of a Japanese soldier. However, when he was roughly 30 meters out from the trench, a bullet hit him square in the chest, which knocked the air out of his lungs.


    An intense pain erupted from Herman''s torso, but this was not the sharp pain of being pierced by a bullet, rather, this was the agony one received from the blunt force trauma of an airborne projectile which smashed itself to bits against a ceramicposite te.


    Rather than stay in one spot for too long and risk getting shot again, Herman mustered his strength and rushed into the trenches, where he sprayed down a line of Japanese soldiers who had fixed their bays in anticipation of his arrival.


    After changing his magazine, Herman began stalking through the trench, ruthlessly gunning down any Japanese Soldier he could get in his sights. The enemy waspletely unaware that one man had entered their trench with an automatic weapon, and that he was wreaking havoc on their forces.


    One soldier became two, two became five, five became twenty. The more Japanese blood that Herman spilled, the more of his men could enter the trench line and begin to seize the shores of Borneo. By the time the surviving members of hispany had caught up with him, Herman was covered in the blood of his enemies, his uniform stained beyond recognition.


    When they entered the trench and witnessed one man standing alone among dozens of corpses, they could hardly believe their eyes. Yet Herman did not look the slightest bit remorseful. No, there was a look on his face, as if what he had just done waspletely normal. After all, he had spent most of his military career within the colonies, purging savages, and iming theirnds for the Reich. He had no remorse left in him for those he deemed to be enemies.


    Once the front bunkerplex was taken, the German soldiers began to mount their machine guns towards the Japanese rear lines, and began to open fire on the enemy. With the overwhelming rate of fire which the MG-27 produced, the Imperial Japanese Army was effectively pinned down in their own trenches, while Herman, and the rest of the German Marines scaled over the walls of their recently captured bunkerplex, and charged towards the Japanese with reckless abandon.


    By the time the sun had set, the Germans had secured the southern coastline of Borneo for their ownnding operations. Nearly ten thousand Japanese lie dead in their bunkers, while the German casualties amounted to less than half that. Perhaps the Germans would have suffered far more deaths if not for their advanced body armor, which, for the most part, limited their casualties.


    As for Herman himself, he washed the blood off his body the best he could manage before regrouping with hispany and giving themmands.


    "Alright boys, I know we suffered some losses. However, the objective is clear. The Kaiser wants this war ended as swiftly as possible, thus there will be no reprieve. I want your magazines loaded, and your methamphetamines digested. Because from here on out, we are storming Borneo in full force.


    Now that the tanks have cleared through the obstructions, we will be able to rely more on our armor for protection. Make no mistake, thending was bound to be the most dangerous part of our mission here in Borneo, but that does not mean any of you can rx. Keep your heads on a swivel and shoot anything you think looks hostile."


    Herman was right, of course. Opposedndings, while rare throughout history, always made for some of the bloodiest battles. The fact that they had lost only a few thousand men in this assault was actually rather mild, considering how well defended the southern beaches of Borneo were.


    After loading his own magazines from the supplies which made its way to the shores of Borneo after the assault had finished, Herman reced his fractured front te with a new one, as did many of the men in the army.


    Soon enough, Herman would find himself once more the spearhead of the invasion of Borneo. One which he hoped would be far less bloody than the Japanese conquest of the ind, which urred just months ago. Luckily, so far, casualties appeared to be low, but he began to wonder for just how long they would remain so.


    ---


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 Chapter 1068 Wolfpack/Armored Wwarfare

    Roughly four days had passed since the war between the Reich and the Japanese Empire had begun. During this time, fierce conflict had erupted on the southern shores of Borneo. However, this was not the only theater of war, and while Hans soared above the skies of Borneo like a majestic eagle, a sinister shiver of sharks lie off the coasts of Southern Korea.


    If there was one thing which the Empire of Japan was severelycking whenpared to their German rivals, it was a way to swiftly deployrge numbers of troops to the regions most affected by the war. Thus, they had relied on a mixture of dedicated transports, and civilian ships to get the job done. Naturally the Imperial Japanese Navy seized whatever they could get their hands on to transfer their soldiers from the Japanese maind and to the battlefield.


    While the First and Second Japanese Fleets were sailing towards Borneo to engage in a massive battle with the Sixth German Carrier Strike Group, a group of U-boats were converging on the Japanese shipping convoys who were headed to the Korean penins.


    Reiner Schulze had been operating as a submarine sonar technician for several months now, and was among the many men within this so-called wolf pack. The Wolfpack was a german tactic from the Second World War of Berengar''s past life, which used groups of submarines to attack and sink enemy convoys.


    It had proven highly effective, and was the major naval strategy of the Kriegsmarine during the Battle of the Antic. Now, in this new world, Berengar had nned to use this very same tactic against his own enemies.


    The sonar continued to bloop for several moments as Reiner watched its disy, waiting for his targets to present themselves to him. After patiently waiting for nearly five whole minutes, the Sonar revealed the presence of several Japanese ships in the water off the coast of the Yellow Sea.


    Undoubtedly, these ships were carrying troops and supplies to the Korean penins to help reinforce the Japanese position against the invading Joseon Army. Upon noticing roughly ten ships in total, Reiner called out to hismanding officer, alerting him that they would soon be converging on the enemy.


    "Sir, there are ten ships in total, roughly forty-five hundred meters north of our current position!"


    A wicked grin emerged on the Captain''s face, as if he were a shark who had just caught the scent of blood in the water. He quickly ordered the submarine to advance towards the enemy, while alerting the rest of the Wolfpack of their findings.


    A total of twenty five German U-boats began to speed off towards the Japanese convoy, who werepletely unware of their presence. Among the Japanese convoy were a handful of destroyers, which were escorting therger transport ships to their destination. These were the initial targets of the Wolfpack, who silently converged around their enemies like a shiver of sharks. Once within range of the enemy vessels, the orders resounded on the German radios, which were encrypted by enigma machines.


    "Open Fire!"


    Thus, twenty-five torpedos sped through the water and towards six destroyers. There wasplete and utter silence as the German U-boatmanders gazed through their periscopes, watching as the torpedos closed the distance between their targets until finally a loud thunder echoed in the air above the ocean''s surface.


    One might call it overkill, but all twenty-five torpedos had hit their marks, and in doing so, sent the six Japanese destroyers to the depths of the Davy Jones'' Locker. The explosions caught the interests of the troops onboard the transports, who gazed in dread at the sight of their escort so suddenly eliminated before their very eyes.


    Nobody had seen the German U-boats, nor their torpedos, which nimbly swam through the ocean''s depths, and towards their targets like silent assassins. However, it did not take long for the Japanese soldiers to realize that the predators who had so easily devoured their escort were still lurking in the waters.


    Soon enough, another series of explosions urred as the German torpedos struck the front, rear, and aft of therge transports. Three simultaneous detonations sted the vessels apart, causing them to rapidly sink into the ocean''s depths, as if a whirlpool had begun to swallow them whole.


    Those fortunate Japanese souls who had survived the threerge explosions onboard their ships quickly deployed their life rafts, and jumped into the Yellow Sea, hoping that the rafts would be enough to carry them to shore.


    Reiner had arge grin on his face as he sat beneath the ocean''s surface, seeing the blips on his radar disappear before his eyes. One by one, the ships of the Japanese convoy were being sunk. Each German U-boat had six torpedo tubes, and could carry twenty-four torpedos on board.


    On the shores of Southern Korea, the Imperial Japanese Army watched in horror as their reinforcements sank beneath the sea. They could not believe what they were witnessing. No German vessels within the region appeared. From their perspective, it was as if the Japanese ships had spontaneouslybusted. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Before long, all the Japanese vessels were sunk, along with their supplies, and most of the men they carried. Perhaps maybe a thousand or two of the Japanese soldiers and sailors had made their way to the life rafts in time, while the others sank with the tides.


    For the Empire of Japan, which was already severelycking in transport ships whenpared with their German Rivals, the loss of these vessels was not one they could easily rece. Not only were the ships irreceable on short notice, but the men who were carried on board, and had now drowned beneath the ocean''s surface, would also be difficult to rece.


    ---


    While the Japanese convoy was sunk off the coast of Southern Korea, the Royal Joseon Army had marched south into Japanese-upiednd alongside a German Panzer Division. The same tactics which were used in India to rapidly route the Bengal Army in India were now being used in Korea.


    Inside a Panther Tank was a man by the name of Manfred Krause, who was the gunner of the tank. On top of the vehicle was a squad of Joseon Infantry, who were using the panzer to ferry them into battle. The moment after Germany had dered war on Japan, the Panzer Division, along with several Korean infantry divisions, sprang forth from their southern border, and into the Japanese upied half of the penins.


    Resistance hadpletely crumbled during the initial stage of fighting, and the Imperial Japanese Army was currently retreating southward in the hopes of reinforcing their lines outside Seoul where the bulk of their army lie in wait.


    Manfred looked through his sights, and aimed the bore of his gun downrange, where he spotted a Japanese Type 4 tank aiming up at his unit from the foothills below. It took only a second for the German gunner to shoot a 7.5cm shell down towards the enemy vehicles, which struck the front armor of the tank and detonated.


    Despite this shot, the enemy''s armor had sessfully prevented an outright kill, and thus, Manfred began loading another shell into his gun before firing it again, this time at a weaker part of the vehicle. Though the enemy tank had fired a shot towards him, it had utterly missed, allowing Manfred''s follow-up shot to pierce through the Japanese armor and kill every living being inside its interior.


    It became abundantly clear after rounding the corner, and gazing upon the wreckage of the enemy tank, that over a thousand armored vehicles lie in the foothills, waiting for thebined Joseon-German advance. As the first in line, naturally, Manfred and his crew were fired upon by several of the tanks down below.


    Perhaps it was the will of the gods, but for whatever reason a dozen shells detonated within the general vicinity of the lone Panther tank, and all this managed to aplish was killing the Joseon Infantry who sat atop the vehicle.


    However, before another volley could be fired on Manfred''s location, several more Panther tanks who weregging along behind in the convoy maneuvered alongside theirrade and opened fire on the Japanese Tanks.


    It became abundantly clear to the German Panzer Division that they were severely outnumbered by the Imperial Japanese Army. It would appear that Empress Itami Riyo had sent the majority of her armored vehicles to the Korean Penins in anticipation of the war with Germany.


    With this exchange of fire, the first true instance of armored vs armored warfare was about to take ce in this world. In the mountains of Korea, the Germans and Japanese were now determined to eliminate one another.


    Whoever emerged victorious in this battle would be given an excellent advantage in this particr theatre of war. Whereas the loser would suffer severely. Even for the industry of the Reich, the loss of several hundred tanks was not easy toe back from. Thus, the fate of Korea was about to be determined by this one battle.


    ---


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 Chapter 1069 The Battle Of Taebaek

    While the war between Japan and Germany continued to wage on. A coalition of troops from both the German and Joseon Armies had steamrolled over the southern border with the intent of fully expelling the Japanese upiers from the Korean penins.


    A wall of steel existed between the Taebaek mountains and the city of Busan. Which was the Imperial Japanese Army''s only hope of escaping thesends with their lives. Yet High Command had dictated that the war for Korea was not yet lost, after all, it had only truly just begun.


    Thus, in anticipation of the Germans movements, Japan had dispatched three of their armored divisions to the Taebaek mountains with the intent of intercepting their enemies before they could gain too much ground.


    Manfred Krause was just one of many within the lone Panzer Division who had swiftly moved beyond the borders of the Northern Joseon Dynasty in this blitzkrieg like assault. Now, he and hisrades were surrounded by the enemy, and yet there was not the slightest bit of fear on his face as his vehicle''s dedicated loader ced a shell into the bore of his weapon.


    After aiming his sights on the nearest target, Manfred pulled the trigger, and in doing so, sted the enemy''s turret off of the top of the chassis. Whether the crew inside the Type 4 Chi-to had survived or not was of inconsequence, for the vehicle was thoroughly eliminated from the battle.


    With a ferocious cheer, Manfred listened to the ongoing thunder of guns which echoed as the Panther tanks unleashed a torrent of shells upon the enemy''s type 4s. With each explosion, another piece of armor was destroyed, and their crews were either wounded or dead.


    While this exchange of gunfire had erupted, the Joseon Infantry deployed from the top of the German armored vehicles, and quickly moved to the nking positions so that they could box the enemy in. Every soldier was equipped with a Panzerfaust 250, which, when used at close range, could be deadly even to the most heavy of Japanese Armor.


    Though the Japanese tanks outnumbered the Germans by three to one, the Germans hade prepared with a superiorbination of firepower. A typical Panzer division was equipped with Panther Tanks, Marder IFVs, kpanzers, and Hummel self propelled artillery, all of which were fully capable of defeating the enemy armor.


    While the Japanese hade to battle with mostly Type-4 Chi-To medium tanks, and a few Type 1 Ho-Ki Armored Personnel carriers, whose main armament was none other than a Type 92 heavy machine gun. Unfortunately for the Japanese, while the 3.7cm auto-cannon mounted on the German IFVs was capable of piercing the armor of their enemies, the 7.7mm projectiles of the Type 92 heavy machine guns was far from adequate enough to so far as leave a dent on the German armor.


    If one were to observe the battle from a bird''s-eye view, they would see an exchange of cannon fire and rocket-propelled grenades, which eliminated the armored vehicles on both sides. Though thebined might of the German weapons were indeed a fearsome opponent, the overwhelming number of Japanese tanks appeared to be an equal match.


    As the battle continued to wage on, the Japanese infantry deployed from the back of their armored personnel carriers to counter the German-Joseon grenadiers, who stood behind cover and fired rockets towards the enemy tanks and, in doing so, added further insult to injury.


    While the armored vehicles and grenadiers fought within the foothills of the Taebaek mountains, a more intense battle was taking ce in the skies above. Hundreds of nes from both sides had gathered to support their troops on the ground below.


    Among these aircraft were the Luftwaffe''s BF-110 Heavy fighter, HS 129 strike fighter, Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, and, of course, the Ta 152 fighter interceptor. The Japanese who had utterly failed in their war aims to acquire bauxite from Borneo were flying their Ki-106 fighters, and their DH.98 Mosquito multirolebat aircraft, both of which were primarily made of wood.


    From a purely technical standpoint, the Germans had the advantage in the air, who were supported by their kpanzer 341 self propelled k guns, which were moremonly given the nickname of kpanther by the German soldiers.


    The dual mounted 3.7cm k guns peppered the Japanese aircraft as they scrambled through the skies for dominance. Streaks of mes shot through the clear blue sky like shooting stars before crashnding on the earth below.


    With each passing second, the intensity of the battle continued. Soon enough, the Germans gained an advantage as their air support swept through the ranks of the Japanese aircraft and unloaded their auto cannons and bombs upon the unsuspecting Japanese Armor.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The sirens of the Stukas were particrly terrifying to the Japanese tank crews. The closer the Stukas came to the ground, the louder their sirens became, and just before hitting the ground, they would drop a bomb directly on their target before taking flight once more.


    The Japanese had little counters for these dive bombers, as theycked any self propelled AA guns, and at the same time their fighters were held up dogfighting with the Luftwaffe''s superior aircraft. It was not just the dive bombers that were proving a problem to the Japanese Amor, as the Hs 129 Strike Fighter was specifically designed to fly low, and pepper the Japanese armor with its semi-automatic 40mm cannon, which in high volumes was more than capable of prating the Japanese tanks.


    With such overwhelming air support, the Japanese armored divisions had quickly lost a significant portion of their fighting force, and while being nked by both the German and Joseon armies who had thousands of grenadiers in their ranks, they were ultimately forced to fall further and further back.


    Manfred had the widest smile a man could make on his face as he scored yet another kill. His vehicle was at the forefront, pushing the Japanese Armored Divisions back against the Taebaek mountains. However, just as he was about to fire another shot, his tank came to a sudden halt, as did the rest of the German armor. He quickly shouted towards the Tank Commander, as he questioned why they had stopped when they were so close to total victory.


    "Hey! Fritz! What the hell is this? Why aren''t we pursuing the enemy?"


    Rather than answer the question worth words, the tankmander remained silent, as the Japanese tanks pressed further and further towards the mountain range, hoping to make a slick escape. It was in the next moment that a roar louder than anything that Manfred had ever heard erupted in the air, and it was continuous at that.


    Manfred gazed through his sights and towards the mountains above, where he saw what looked like thousands of rockets take to the air. The veteran tanker could not help but exim his shock in the next moment, as he stared in disbelief at what his eyes were seeing.


    "Jesus Christ!"


    Stationed in the mountains above the battlefield, the German rocket artillery had been waiting for the Japanese Army to make their way into a trapped position, where they then unloaded all of their rockets onto the grouped together enemy armor. Within seconds, the rockets had begun exploding all across thendscape. Theirbined sts were so powerful that Manfred began to fear that maybe their vehicle would be swept up in the after current.


    Cheers erupted over the german radiomunications as the explosions continued to rock the foothills of the Taebaek mountains. The fiery sts melted the Japanese armored vehicles, and consumed the lives of those who dwelled within, and yet they did not stop.


    Manfred was did not know just how many rockets had been fired onto the three Japanese Armored Divisions, or what remained of them, but he was certain it was at least ten thousand. By the time the mes died away, and the smoke cleared, all that was left of the enemy vehicles was a giant st zone. Thend itself had been scorched by the rocket artillery, and Manfred truly believed he saw arge crater standing before him.


    With the enemy armor utterly annihted, the Journey to Seoul, and Busan would be a swift one. Afterying siege to those two cities, the German and Joseon Armies would be able to swiftly expel or eliminate what remained of the Imperial Japanese Army on the Korean Penins.


    ---


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 Chapter 1070 Cracking The Code

    While the war between Germany and Japan continued to wage in full intensity, Berengar was sitting back in his pce''s war room with a stoic expression on his face. He had just now heard from Adelbrand about the breakthroughs that the German soldiers had made in both Korea and Borneo.


    While Berengar''s heart with heavy, after hearing that in bothbined fronts, the Germans had lost nearly ten thousand soldiers within the first week of the war. The casualties inflicted upon the Japanese were two to three times the number, at the very least. While men and machines could be reced, every drop of German blood which was spilled in this war was seen as a monumental waste by the Kaiser.


    Still, that did not deter him from doing what was necessary. Thus, he had been sitting in his war room, waiting for the most recent reports from the battlefield. He was almost in a trance as he took in the various information that was being discussed by the agents of Military Intelligence, along with the Military officers who ran each major branch.


    This trance was eventually broken by a particrly gleeful shriek which urred in the Luftwaffe''s dedicated section of the war room. Before he could even acquire as to what had just happened, a familiar face appeared before him.


    Anne von Wittelsbach, the youngest princess of Bavaria, and the fiancee to Berengar''s eldest son, had entered into service shortly after graduating from the Aerial Warfare Academy. She had opted to be a leading part of the Luftwaffe''s Cryptanalysis department, whose entire task until this point was to break through the Japanese code of encryption. After much effort, the day had finallye, and Anne rushed forward towards the Kaiser with a tranted document in her hand.


    "My Kaiser, please take a look at this!"


    Berengar swiftly looked over the document and was surprised to see the report from Japanese Highmand to its Naval forces.


    "Priority Command: To the Admirals of the first and second fleets, by order of the Empress herself. You must eliminate the German fleet stationed outside the southern tip of Borneo by any means necessary!"


    Berengar had suspected for some time that Itami was targeting his Carrier Strike Group which was currently conducting operations off the coast of Borneo. However, he had no idea where the Japanese fleet was located, or how many ships would be involved in the battle.


    The document further continued withmands of each ship. In total, the Japanese had dispatched roughly twice as many ships to defeat Berengar as he had in a single carrier strike group. This was definitely concerned, but judging by the fact that Itami had only a few years to prepare her Navy, Berengar suspected that this was at most 2/3s of her entire Navy, if not all of it. Thus, he had a sadistic grin on his face as he gave amand to Anne that she would ry to the Sixth Carrier Strike Group.


    "Order Admiral Nolthe Schriber to withdraw the CSG from Borneo''s coastline, and force the Japanese fleet to give chase to midway. By the time he and his fleet reach there, they should have the full support of the 8th and 10th CSGs. It''s time that Japan learns just how outmatched they are in this war!"


    Anne did as she was instructed and quickly ryed Berengar''smands to the three Carrier Strike Groups stationed in the Pacific. Though she was internally worried, knowing that Hans would be partaking in the massive naval battle that was sure to ur as a result of these orders.


    ---


    While Berengar was making ns to entrap the Japanese fleets, Itami was blissfully unware that her codes of encryption had already been cracked by the Agents of the Reich. Currently, she was facing a crisis like no other.


    Barely a week had passed since the war had begun, and already she had lost anywhere between thirty and fifty thousand men, over a thousand armored vehicles, six destroyers, and a quarter of her transport ships. This was frankly a disastrous start to the war, and was made even worse by the fact that most of her best pilots had been shot out of the skies above Borneo and Korea.


    nes could be swiftly reced, but pilots took two years of training, and she knew in her heart that she did not have that much time to end this war. Especially as her front lines had already copsed in both major theaters ofbat.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar had chosen the most optimal time to dere war, she had at most three days from the start of the war, to take what little remained of Majapahit Borneo, while also reinforcing the beaches to withstand a full-scale german invasion. Unfortunately for the Japanese, less Germans died in thendings of Borneo than Americans did on D-Day in her past life.


    Itami knew that if the war continued on like this, it would be a matter of months before her army was isted on the Japanese maind, awaiting a German invasion from all sides. Once that had urred, there was no hope of victory.


    Currently, the Albino beauty was looking over the maps within her pce''s war room, intensely focused on the figures which represented the German carrier strike group. Any minute now, the first major naval battle of the war would ur, outside that small incident off the coasts of Korea, where her transport convoy had been sunk.


    She knew Japan had to win this battle, or else there was no conceivable way she would be able to build enough ships to rece her losses. Which seemed to be amon theme for Japan at the moment. Thus, she patiently waited for her Admirals to inform her of the battle''s status.


    Naturally, it came as a monumental surprise when the Admiral looked up at her with a rather grim look on his face. Itami could not believe that two of her fleets had been sunk so quickly, and quick to bark at the timid Admiral, every word she spoke wasced with venom.


    "What is it!?!"


    The Admiral tried his best to gain hisposure, but his voice still cracked as he gave the news he knew would enrage the young empress.


    "Tenno-heika sama... The German fleet has taken off in the opposite direction. Should we pursue the fleet or bombard the German position on Borneo?"


    Itami knew that the one fleet in Singapore was not the Reich''s full naval strength, and she was also aware that if they stopped their pursuit of even a moment, it was entirely possible for the German fleet to regroup with another. If such a thing urred, her chances of total naval supremacy woulde to a swift end. Thus, she did not hesitate to give the order to hunt down the German fleet.


    "Under no circumstances are our fleets to halt their pursuit. I want the German fleet sunk before they have time to regroup with their allies. Do you understand me?!!?"


    Naturally, the Admiral nodded his head in agreement before rying the Empress''s orders to the two fleets in question. The room remained dreadfully silent as Itami red at the map, waiting for the moment the decisive naval battle had begun. A single questioned escaped her lips as she did so.


    "Just where are you headed?"


    ---


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 Chapter 1071 Battle Of The Marshall Lslands Partl

    Hans was resting in his bunk after a long day''s work. Over the past week, he had been an instrumental part of the war effort against Japan. By now, he had shot down a total of 50 Japanese aircraft and was considered Germany''s premier fighter ace.


    Following his initial victory, the crew of the SMS Osterreich had painted Hans'' ne crimson, with the fore end of the ne being painted in a white and ck checkered pattern, along with a matching spiral propellor.


    Obviously, the pattern was not designed to blend in with thendscape which Hans flew over, and instead was a statement about his identity as the greatest fighter pilot in the world. The fighting had been intense for the first week, as the Japanese forces came from the Philippines inrger numbers to contest the German invasion of Borneo.


    Hans had already lost five members of his squadron to the Japanese fighters, shot down over the Borneo, and never recovered. It was uncertain whether they were KIA or MIA, but their loss had a noticeable effect on the carrier, whose pilot''s quarters were down by five men.


    Haywire had miraculously survived, despite his reckless piloting, and continued to fly as Hans'' wingman. He had scored quite a few kills himself, enough to be an ace in his own right, butpared to Hans, his glory fell short.


    However, before the 6th Carrier Strike Group could fully perform their duties, they were ordered to pack up and embark towards the midway inds in an attempt to regroup with the 8th and 10th carrier strike groups.


    The reason for this was obvious: arge battle group of Japanese warships which were roughly twice the number of the 6th CSG had been spotted in hot pursuit of the German fleet. However, Hans still felt a bit dissatisfied over the fact that he and hisrades were now essentially running with their tails between his legs.


    As much as the boy wanted to rest, he was more concerned about getting out there and doing his job. Thus, he waited patiently as the night passed by, slipping in and out of sleep, before looking over at his rm clock to check the time.


    For days, Hans endured such an existence as the war continued in Borneo, and Korea, with more casualties piling up by the day. He felt it was his sworn duty to assist the men on the ground by eliminating the air forces of the enemy. Yet now that they were so far out at sea, there was truly nothing that he could do.


    After nearly two weeks at sea, the Sixth Carrier Strike group found itself outside the Marshall Inds, which were still a bit further away from their ultimate destination. However, the 8th CSG located which was normally stationed in Australia, along with the 10th CSH which was usually housed in Hawaii, were not far away, and thus, despite their orders to continue on to Midway, Admiral Nolthe Schriber decided to engage the enemy.


    The siren interrupted Hans''s half-asleep state shortly before the crack of dawn. With this, the entire crew of the carrier rushed into uniform and to their positions in preparation for the uing battle. After getting dressed in his pilot''s uniform, Hans rushed to the meeting room, where his Wing Commander had gathered to give a speech to the pilots who would be taking the most risk on this day.


    "Alright men, any moment now, a battle will take ce between our fleet and the Japanese Armada. Luckily for all of us, we have thirty-seven of the best damn pilots this world has to offer. Lieutenant Hans, I want you to lead our fighters to engage the enemy floatnes. As for the Stukas, I will takemand. Remember, you are to get within an eptable distance andunch your torpedos at the enemy''s ships. Those same vessels will have extensive Anti-Aircraft capabilities, so don''t get yourselves killed!"


    With that short speech given, that pilots saluted their wingmander before embarking towards the deck, where they hopped into their nes and begun to take off. Immediately after hitting the air, Hans saw the enemy fleet in the distance. Out of the roughly twenty-five Japanese warships that were visible above the surface, roughly eight of them were battleships, while the rest were a mixture of cruisers and destroyers.


    Still, that an enormous amount of firepower whenpared with the German Carrier strike group, which deployed its sole battleship, and two cruisers in front of the carrier to protect it against the enemy''srge bore guns.


    Still, if the enemy thought their battleships would win this engagement, then they were sorely mistaken. In the distance, Hans could see the 8th and 10th carrier strike groups nking the Japanese Armada. In total, there would be well over a hundred German nes in the air, most of which were torpedo bombers. Thus, Hans had a good feeling about the battle that was about to take ce.


    Thunderous echoes roared in the air as the German and Japanese warships began to engage one another on the seas. While the Japanese anti-aircraft weapons fired into the skies, trying their best to nail the 37 nes that had just entered the air space after beingunched by the SMS Osterreich.


    One of these k guns narrowly missed Hans''s wing, as he tilted his ne out of the st radius of the 20mm shell. Hans could not worry about the ships below, as his job was to deal with the Japanese floatnes.


    The Japanese floatnes which wereunched from the battleships were loosely modelled after the Nakajima A6M2-N from Berengar''s past life. There was however, certain extensive modifications in ce to make the aircraft primarily constructed from wood. Steel was used in ce of aluminum where necessary, however, this ultimately made the aircraft heavier and slower than it otherwise would have been.


    There were perhaps at most sixteen of these fighters, which were roughly the same number, give or take a few, as the German fighters that hadunched from the SMS Osterreich. As for the rest of the warnes attached to the other CSGs, they had yet tounch from their respective carriers.


    Knowing that it was now do or die, Hans began to take altitude, making sure he could get an advantage over the enemy fighters, which were not designed to go nearly as high as the German Ta-152. However, he could guess that the sight of the legendary crimson warne was enough to install a sense of dread into the other pilots.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was right to assume this, as the moment the Japanese pilots witnessed his noticeable ne, they all began to chase after him, not a single one paying attention to the other German pilots. Looping through the air, Hans used his superior speed and altitude to get behind the envy floatnes, where he opened fire on his first target.


    The 30mm auto cannons on board his ne mercilessly tore the tail off the Japanese float ne, sending it spiraling down into the ocean where it crashed on the deep blue surface. While he was engaging another ne, the rest of the German pilots began to pick their own targets and dogfight it out in the air.


    Since the two sides were roughly equal in number, Hans decided to give a bit of encouragement to hisrades as he spoke over the radio towards them.


    "If any of you fuckers manage to get shot down without killing a single enemy, I will piss on your graves!"


    Hans knew that the other pilots wereughing in their cockpits, even if they did not voice it over the radio. He then swept down and shot another Japanese floatne which was about to unleash its twin 20mm auto cannons onto Haywire''s backside. Who was in his own reckless way chasing after another Japanese ne in front of him?


    Naturally, Hans felt the need to scold his fellow pilot, which he was quick to do so after breaking off from the man''s tail and pursuing another fighter.


    "What did I just fucking say?"


    Hans could hear haywire''s voice on the radio, apologizing for not watching his six properly.


    "Sory boss, you know how I get with my tunnel vision!"


    However, Hans did not want to hear it, instead from the corner of his eye saw Haywire shoot out one of his target''s engines, who was rapidly spiraling down towards the ocean''s surface. However, he noticed something peculiar. The Japanese pilot had not ejected, and was instead aiming his ne towards the surface of the SMS Osterreich.


    ? This caused Hans to curse out loud as he dived as fast as he could to intercept the enemy ne before it could cause serious damage to the carrier.


    "Fuck!"


    Hans began to count down the seconds until the enemy ne collided with the carrier''s deck as he dived from the opposite direction. Luckily for him, his ne was substantially faster, and thus he was not only able to close the distance, but surpass the other pilot, where he nearly hit the ocean''s surface before pulling on his flight stick, and shooting up towards the underbelly of the Japanese floatne.


    Just as the two aircraft were about to collide in mid-air, Hans veered to the side and fired his auto cannons. In doing so, he had sted off the floatne''s wing, causing its trajectory to veer off course. Ultimately missing the SMS Osterreich and crashing into the water''s surface where the ne and its pilot disintegrated upon impact.


    Seeing how he had just saved a German Carrier from sinking, Hans expected a Knight''s cross for such a feat, and he would make sure that Haywire nted the idea into the wingmander''s brain.


    Thus, while Hans and his fellow fighter pilots had utterly annihted the Japanese floatnes, the two fleets were engaged in a frightening disy of firepower.


    ---


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 Chapter 1072 Battle Of The Marshall Lslands Partll

    While Hans and his fellow pilots fought in the skies above the ocean''s surface. The German warships continued to unload theirrge bore guns onto the Japanese fleet. However, it became abundantly clear that the Kriegsmarine was heavily outnumbered. Within thirty minutes of the entire disy, the 6th CSG had lost all six of its destroyers, what remained of their crew, had hit the lifeboats and entered the water as theirrge steel vessel sunk to the bottom of the ocean.


    However, it was not all fun and games for the Japanese Armada, as the German battleship and cruisers focused their fire on the enemy''s fleet. In these thirty minutes, the Japanese had lost a total of two battleships, four cruisers, and six destroyers.


    How was this possible, you might ask? Well, for starters, the German battleships had vastly superior uracy over their Japanese counterparts. The reason for this was theputers on board, which were used to make the calctions necessary to fire a precise shot.


    The second reason behind why so many Japanese vessels had been sunk by a single carrier strike group was because of the thirty torpedo bombers who had taken to the sky and done their best to drop their payloads in a way that urately hit their targets.


    And while the Japanese AA had eliminated roughly half of these nes, with most of their pilots ejecting, enough torpedos had struck the Japanese warships to cause significant damage to their armada.


    The echo of naval guns roared through the oceans as Admiral Nolthe Schriber gazed through the bridge of his carrier, and towards the distant ocean, where he could make out the shapes of his reinforcements. It had been thirty minutes, and all he needed to do was hold out for another fifteen before the 8th and 10th CSGs arrived to support him.


    He gazed up through his binocrs and saw something terrifying. A Japanese floatne was heading right towards the carrier''s deck. There was no knowing how much damage such a thing would cause if it were to impact the ship. He was quick to shout hismands as his heart nearly exploded with fright.


    "Brace for impact!"


    However, just as the Japanese ne was about to crash upon the deck of the carrier, a crimson ne came out of nowhere and shot off the enemy''s wing, causing it to veer off course and into the water''s surface.


    As respectable and dignified as the Admiral was, he could not break out into a hystericalugh as he saw the Crimson Prince pull off a mind shattering feat.


    "Holy fuck! That little bastard just saved us all!"


    It took several seconds for the Admiral to realize that he had just called the Kaiser''s eldest and most beloved son a bastard, which caused him to quickly cover his mouth, and look around to see if anyone else had heard him.


    Luckily, nobody appeared to have done so, or at the very least, they were being polite enough to pretend that they didn''t. However, the joy of seeing the carrier saved came to a sudden end, when a German Cruiser was struck in the center by a Japanese battleship.


    The explosion rocked the cruiser however; it did not outright sink it. Yet it did appear to have devastated the vessel''s engines, as it immediately became dead in the water. German sailors were quickly abandoning ship, as they knew it was only a matter of time before another barrage sank them entirely.


    With only two ships left to protect the carrier. Things were looking grim, however, that was until the Japanese gship was struck from behind by a full barrage of the German Battleship attached to the 8th CSG. All twenty guns had fired their shots, and urately hit the Japanese gship across its entire surface, blowing it into smithereens before it even had a chance of properly retaliating.


    With another battleship in the game, along with two more cruisers, and six more destroyers, it would appear that the German Fleet now had a fighting chance against the Japanese Armada. Soon enough, the thirty additional torpedo bombers took to the skies and got down to their business, doing their best to avoid the Japanese k guns while dropping their payloads into the water.


    As much as the Japanese tried to fight back, it would appear that with each passing second, an explosion rocked one of their ships. Whether it was from a torpedo or a naval gun, nobody could really tell.


    Within another five minutes, another Japanese Battleship was sunk, meaning that Japan had effectively lost half of their greatest warships. Shortly thereafter, another Japanese cruiser had been sted apart. <novelnext></novelnext>


    It was only after losing so much of its Armada, along with the gship which housed the highest ranking admiral, that the Japanese Navy realized they were not going to win this battle. Swiftly an order to retreat was given, but the only way out was through the gap where the 10th CSG lied in wait for them.


    Of course, the Japanese, whocked long range radars, did not know that they had effectively be surrounded, and thus broke away from the battle, while firing off as many shots as they could towards the enemy ships which had begun to pursue them.


    Soon enough, the Air Wing on board the carrier which belonged to the 10th CSG hadunched into the skies, and in doing so brought with them more torpedos, which struck the Japanese warships over and over again, sinking what remained of their destroyers who had been deployed with the fleet.


    Now all that left were two battleships, and a handful of cruisers, which, if the Japanese could not escape their encirclement, would soon sink beneath the ocean''s waves, just like the rest of theirrades.


    On board one of the two remaining Japanese battleships, the Admiral was quickly reporting what was happening to the Japanese maind.


    "I repeat, we have been walked into a trap! The German fleet led us to the Marshal inds, where they had another fleet lying in wait for us. We have lost most of the Armada, and are now retreating."


    A shrill voice erupted on the other end, which the Admiral knew belonged to the young Empress. There was a very heavy tone of anger, along with an overwhelming sense of panic in her tone.


    "How? How did you lose so many ships? I sent eight battleships with you! Eight! Along with enough cruisers and destroyers to wipe away the ten or so ships the Germans had. Exin to me how almost 2/3s of my navy is gone!"


    The Admiral was practically sobbing. After receiving such a verbalshing, in truth he didn''t know how the Germans had so much firepower, he could only make educated guesses, which he was quick to voice.


    "I don''t know for sure, but their battleships and cruisers are far too precise. Every shot they firednded on one of our vessels, whereas even our most experienced gunners had missed a fair portion of theirs.


    Then there were the nes. We thought they were mere dive bombers, like we have seen in Borneo and Korea, but they were equipped with torpedos. No matter how many of our AA killed, they just keeping anding. And finally, I think there are a few submarines beneath the surface. But they have never surfaced, so I can''t say for certain! Oh dear god what is-"


    However, themunications stopped there, as the Japanese Battleship was struck by another twenty guns belonging to its counterpart, which was attached to the 10th CSG, who had finally shone themselves.


    After being surrounded by three German carrier strike groups, the Japanese Armada, whichposed of 2/3s of the entire Japanese Navy, waspletely sunk beneath the surface of the Pacific. Those who survived the ordeal had been taken aboard the German ships, and captured as Prisoners of war, where they would be treated with the utmost humanity by their German captors.


    The battle of the Marshall Inds had achieved what the Americans had disyed in Midway during Berengar and Itami''s past life. Proof that the battleship was effectively obsolete, and that the carrier strike group had be the basis for all modern naval tactics.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1073 Hyperinflation

    After the battle was over, and the Japanese Armada was sunk, the Germans spent the next few hours rescuing as many men as possible from the Pacific ocean. Whether they be Japanese or German sailors, those onboard the vessels of the Kriegsmarine did everything they could to save the men whose ships had sunk.


    Meanwhile, back in the city of Kufstein, Berengar''s war room was lit with celebrations. Everyone was extremely happy with the results of the battle, all except for one. The Kaiser himself wasmenting the loss of not only his warships, but his sailors who had died during the battle.


    The casualties of this war were rapidly increasing by the day. Several thousand sailors had lost their lives in the Battle of the Marshall Inds, while even more were killed during the ground wars of Borneo and Korea.


    Between ten to twenty thousand Germans had died so far in this war, and Berengar was far from pleased with this result. Adelbrand noticed his gloomy expression and approached him with a stiff drink in his hand.


    "I know what you''re thinking, but you should be celebrating. It is true we lost several warships, but it was less than we had expected to ur, and at the same time we wiped out two-thirds of the Imperial Japanese Navy during a single battle.


    The cruisers and destroyers that were sunk can instantly be reced with the older Henrietta-ss Battlecruisers and the Ad-ss Destroyers which are already in the Pacific collecting dust as we speak. It turns out the wolf packs are far more effective at raiding Japanese shipping than we anticipated, thus those old warships are no longer needed for that role.


    It is clear from this engagement that the Japanese have vastly underestimated our Naval forces. I would rmend taking some time to replenish the losses that the 6th CSG has suffered. While sending the 8th and 10th Carrier Strike Groups to patrol the South China Sea to ensure that Japan can not reinforce and resupply their troops in Borneo.


    My Kaiser, you should not fret over the casualties, instead you should worry about winning the war as quickly as possible. So that we may preserve as many of our people''s lives as possible. So celebrate today''s victory while you can, because tomorrow we will need you tomand our forces once more."


    Berengar silently listened to Adelbrand''s speech of encouragement while drinking from the alcoholic beverage he had been handed. Though he felt a sense of loss at the shedding of so much of his people''s blood. He knew that the casualties were an eptable figure, judging by the fact that they were fighting a properly industrialized enemy. Thus, he silently nodded his head in agreement with Adelbrand''s words and joined in with the celebrations.


    ---


    On the other side of the world, the news of the Japanese defeat at the Marshall Inds was not met with celebration, but rather with frustration and depression. Itami sat in a chair with a lifeless expression on her face. Ever since thatst transmission, she had remained utterly silent.


    Even though she wascking details about the botched operation, Itami knew in her heart that the Germans had dispatched at least three fleets to trap her armada and eliminate it in a single battle. If Germany could spare three fleets for the war in the Pacific, despite having an empire on the other side of the world, then it meant that she had overwhelmingly underestimated the might of the Reich.


    Thinking about it now, the Germans have sent at most five armored divisions to Korea and Borneo, which she doubted was even half of their ground forces. If they could project such overwhelming force across the globe in such a short amount of time, then it was abundantly clear that she had been doomed from the start.


    Her generals, of course, demanded their losses be repaid tenfold, but the young empress could not think how such a thing was even possible. Still, all was not lost. The Imperial Japanese Army in Borneo and Korea continued to put up a fierce resistance, and if she could make the Germans bleed a little more, they might be willing toe to the negotiating table.


    However, with each passing second, Itami began to believe such a n was utterly na?ve. Still, she could not outright surrender, at least not now. Thus, after nearly an hour of silently sitting in her chair, she finally rose to her feet and gave amand to her nearest officer.


    "I want a new fleet constructed as quickly as possible. Do whatever is necessary to ensure that this fleet has been constructed before the Germans attack our homnd. I don''t care if you have to work our peasant ss day and night until they drop dead from exhaustion. We must replenish our losses!"


    While it was true that Japan was already in the process of manufacturing a fleet of warships that was close to beingpleted, their industry simply could not keep up with the demand of creating two new fleets at the same time. Thus, it was no surprise when an advisor quickly approached Itami with a grim expression on his face. He knew he was going to get chewed out by the Empress for telling her the truth, but if he concealed this fact, then his punishment would be far more severe. Thus, he sighed heavily before announcing the problems with this order.


    "Tennoheika-Sama, such a thing will at the very least cost us six trillion yen..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    When Itami heard this, she thought that perhaps her hearing had suddenly be impaired. She gazed over at the Secretary who said this with her blood-red eyes and carefully questioned what she had heard.


    "I''m sorry, I must be hearing things. Repeat that again!"


    The man could not endure the woman''s fiery gaze, and thus stared down at his feet as he meekly repeated the statistic.


    "In order to construct a second fleet, it would cost us at least six trillion yen..."


    Itami was stunned into silence for several moments. She could only rub her temples in an attempt to decrease the monumental headache she was feeling at this moment. Six trillion yen? Since when did it cost six trillion yen to construct a new fleet? She was quick to inquire about this fact.


    "That''s ten times our national budget! Exin to me exactly how we are going to get the funds to construct this new fleet, or should we just admit defeat here and now, and allow the Germans to enter our homnd without the slightest resistance?"


    Nobody in the room wanted to help the Secretary after hearing the shrill voice of their Empress echo throughout the war room. Ultimately, the man found the strength to speak about the measures that the Japanese Treasury Department was taking at the moment.


    "Tenno-heika sama... The treasury department is currently working overtime, printing enough cash to support the war effort. Give us two weeks and we will have the six trillion yen in hand!"


    While Itami was not the most proficient in economics, she understood that by simply printing money; they were going to create a massive intion problem. This would be disastrous for her already struggling economy, and she was forced to voice this concern.


    "Your solution is to just print money, and pay for our military with worthless paper? Intion is already up over one hundred percent in thest year! Do you want it to go up by one thousand percent, or perhaps even ten thousand percent?"


    Though Itami was already furious about her increasingly unstable economy, she was more concerned about the war she was waging at the moment, which was against a seemingly invincible power. In this moment, she began to wonder just how badly the German economy was suffering, if it even was at all.


    If Itami were to know that the Reich''s yearly spending was at a monumental surplus rather than a deficit, and their intion was tightly controlled at a healthy two percent, she might just surrender then and there, and give Berengar a personal call where she would speak the words "annex me senpai" to him in the most shameless way possible.


    But Itami did not know this, and thus she could only sigh, and ept her lot in life, as she approved a measure which she knew was not only desperate, but would surely be catastrophic to the already struggling Japanese economy. After sinking back into her chair in a state of depression, she somehow managed to speak the words that she never thought she would say.


    "Fine... Just do it... Tank our economy, if that''s what it means to resist a German invasion."


    Thus, while Germany was enjoying a time of prosperity, even while at war, Japan would now enter the stage of hyperintion that had been the ruin of so many great nations in human history.


    ---


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 Chapter 1074 A Month Goes By

    Nearly a month had gone by, from the start of the war between the German and Japanese Empires, and the casualties were high on both sides. Though considerably less so for the Reich. So far, the German Empire had suffered approximately twenty-five thousand casualties, most of which were either wounded or missing in action. As for those killed in action, they were a minority of the statistic.


    The Japanese, however, had suffered greatly in this time, with their casualties being nearly twice as men as the Germans, most of which were killed in action. During this time, the Germans hadpletely cut off their Japanese adversaries from reinforcing the Ind of Borneo. Rather than rush the conflict in the region, they adopted a strategy of sitting back and bombarding the enemy forces for weeks on end.


    Knowing the exact details of the fortifications constructed on the ind, as the Germans were the ones who built them in the first ce, it was a simply matter of coastal, artillery, and aerial bombardment, Berengar did not know how many conventional and cluster munitions were dropped over Borneo during this time, but it was enough to drastically change thendscape in certain portions of the ind.


    While the Germans continued to bombard the ind, the survivors of the Majapahit Royal Army who were initially stationed in Borneo to resist the Japanese invasion had begun engaging in gueri warfare against the Imperial Japanese Army, adding to the losses they suffered.


    As for the conventional forces of the Royal Majapahit Army, they had begun taking the front line roles ofbat, while the Germans supported them via air and armor. The German marines had seen littlebat after the initial invasion, preferring to use their Majapahit proxies as the primary fighting force.


    The same could not be said for Korea. Initially, the Germans made significant progress in the region. However, after the battle in the Taebaek foothills, the Japanese had done everything in their power to reinforce their front lines and prevent them from copsing. To helpbat the armored threat that the Germans presented, the Osaka Armory hade up with a rather crude improvised rocketuncher design that intended to be used once and then thrown away.


    Though not enough to prate through the heaviest portions of a panther''s armor, this rocketuncher was more than capable of blowing out a tank''s tracks, or damaging other criticalponents. Thus, the Blitzkrieg hade to a sudden stop, and instead the German Panzer Division which was supported by their Joseon allies, slowly began to march through every vige, town, and city, facing rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank mines, IEDs, and machine gun fire on every street corner.


    Unlike in previous conflicts, the Germans couldn''t just bombard these urban war zones into oblivion, as they were technically providing support to liberate them for the sake of their Joseon Allies, and naturally bombing the Joseon''s civilians, who had endured the atrocities of the Imperial Japanese Army was not something Berengar was willing to do.


    Just like in the Bornean Theatre, the German infantry had taken a back step, and allowed their Joseon Allies to do most of the fighting. The Royal Joseon Army was equipped and trained by their German allies, and as a result, they were more than capable of fulfilling the task.


    In fact, they were not at all dismissive of the Germans'' approach to the war. This was theirnd, and they wanted to be the ones to liberate it from the Japanese upiers. If all the Germans did for the rest of the war was provide armored, naval, and air support, then they were happy enough.


    ---


    Currently, Hans was sitting in his bunk on board the SMS Osterreich. It had been weeks since the battle of the Marshall Inds and during this time, the Sixth Carrier Strike Group, which he was stationed with, had returned to Singapore for repairs, resupply, and reinforcements.


    Germany had lost one cruiser, and all six destroyers, in their battle against the Imperial Japanese Navy, and these ships needed to be reced, along with a fair portion of their crews. They had also lost quite a significant amount of aircraft. With the Sixth Carrier Wing losing over half of their nes and a quarter of their pilots, mostly due to Japanese k guns.


    Thus, it had taken some time for these things to get in order. During this time, Hans had received not only a promotion, but one of the highest awards for valor the German military offered. Upon returning to Singapore, Admiral Nolthe Schriber had presented the young pilot with the Knight''s cross of the Iron Cross with swords, oak leaves, and diamonds, gold variant.


    Aside from the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, which was almost exclusively awarded to Generals who were responsible for victories over major theatres of conflict, this was the highest award a German soldier could be given for an act of valor.


    Why had Hans been awarded this medal? It was because not only did he now have fifty five confirmed kills as a fighter ace, but because he had gone above and beyond the call of duty, by risking his life in a dangerous maneuver that ultimately saved the SMS Osterreich from a Kamikaze pilot''s daring attempt to sink it. The Admiral''s exact words during the presentation ceremony continued to ring throughout the boy''s mind.


    "Never in all my years of military service have I seen an act of valor so deserving of this award."


    Rumor had it, the Admiral had to argue with Berengar whether Hans was truly worthy of such a prestigious honor. Something Hans knew was true because of his father''s exceptionally strict requirements for his children.


    As a Prince of Germany, Hans'' ascension through the Ranks of the Luftwaffe was actually harder than the average airmen. Berengar did not like being used of nepotism, and thus he made it deliberately difficult for his eldest son to receive the awards any other pilot would be given.


    However, Hans'' achievments as a pilot were so great, that even the Admiral of the carrier he served on was willing to go to bat for him. After receiving a rather persistant request from Admi Nolthe Schriber, as well as from Air Marshal Willehelm Krieger who was tasked with leading the Luftwaffe as a whole, Berengar was forced to agree to the award.


    While thinking upon all of this, Hans sat on top of his bunk and polished the prestigious medal before hanging it around his cor once more. Once he had done so, he stood up and jumped off his bunk, much to the chagrin of Haywire, who was trying to rest below him. The man was quick to voice hisints.


    "Jesus christ you nearly kicked me in the fucking face. Just because you''re a Captain now doesn''t mean you can abuse us peasants!"


    By now, Hans was ustomed to the man''s odd sense of humor and merely chuckled in response to it. Just when he was about to retort with a quip of his own, another member of their unit rushed into the room.


    "Hey, if you guys need anything from Singapore, now is the time to get it. I just got word, repairs are finished, and all of our reinforcements have finally arrived. Within an hour or so, we''re going to be heading back to the South China Sea!"


    Haywire immediately tossed his magazine aside and jumped out of his bunk before questioning the pilot who had brought him the news.<novelnext></novelnext> "You say all I have is an hour?"


    The man responded with a subtle nod of the head, which caused Haywire to swiftly pull his tunic out of the rack and ced it over his torso while making sure that all his medals were in ce, and easily noticeable.


    After doing so, he looked into the mirror andbed his hair. Hans could only scoff as he knew exactly where the man was headed, but the other pilot, who was a recent arrival as he was one of the recements for those who had been lost in the Marshall Inds, was confused by this, and was quick to inquire about the man''s odd behavior.


    "Liuetnant Wagner, sir-"


    Haywire had also been promoted from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant. However, if there was one thing he hated most, it was being called by his rank and name. He sharply turned his head over to the new pilot and red at him before correcting him on his ''proper'' title.


    "I told you, it''s Haywire!"


    The pilot lowered his head in fear of Haywire''s stern gaze, it took several seconds for him to find his courage to ask the question on his mind.


    "Haywire... Sir... What exactly are you doing?"


    Haywire wore a charming smile after turning away from the mirror and cing down hisb. He then spoke withplete confidence as he adorned his socks and boots.


    "We have an hour before we depart for sea! God only knows how long we wil lbe gone! I''ll have you know that the localdies love a man in uniform, and I will be damned if we leave before I get to say a proper farewell!"


    Hans, who had climbed back into his bunk after hearing they were soon departing, snorted before responding to thisment.


    "What he means is that he is going to have onest trip to the nearest whorehouse."


    Haywire shot Hans a re as he heard this before responding with a quick quip as he rushed out the door.


    "Hey, we can''t all have five beautiful princesses betrothed to us by our royal parents!"


    Hans merely flipped the page of the book that he was reading while making onest sarcastic remark as he saw Haywire rush out of their cabin.


    "Good luck!"


    The new pilot had a bewildered expression on his face as he looked over at Hans and asked another question.


    "Is he always like that?"


    Hans response was far from reassuring as his sight never left the pages of his book. Still, he managed to respond with a casual tone in his voice.


    "You get used to it..."


    Just like that, within the next hour, the Sixth Carrier Strike Group would depart from the German Naval Base in Singapore, and begin patrolling the south China sea like the other two fleets who had already been dispatched to the region.


    ---


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 Chapter 1075 Overcoming Dread

    While the war continued to wage in the East, Berengar had other matters to attend to. Governing an entire Empire that is at war with another industrial power was no easy feat. Even though the war was arge part of his focus, Berengar needed to keep his attention on a wide variety of issues.


    Currently, Ad was working on the important task of setting up the Memorial Day Festival. Like the United States of America in Berengar''s past life, the Reich had several national holidays dedicated to the military and thebor force.


    Memorial day was a time of mourning and remembrance for all those who had died in the many wars that Austria and the Reich had fought over thest fifteen years. However, it was also a time of celebrating those who had given their lives for the reich. Thus, there was arge festival and feast conducted in all major cities of the Reich that were held every year in the autumn.


    Ad had approached Berengar on this day, to get his thoughts about some of her ns for the uing festival. She was dressed in a rathervish sapphire blue gown which matched her eyes perfectly. The jewelry which adorned her neck and fingers was made of rhodium and sapphires. There was a pretty smile on the woman''s elegant face as she detailed what she had in mind for the festivities.


    "I was thinking that along with the festival and the feast, we will hold a tournament this year. I don''t know if you''re aware, but there is a new sport which is rapidly gaining poprity across the reich. It''s called football, and the athletes whopete in it are very talented. Unlike the other major sports, this one ispetition between teams."


    Ad then spent a lengthy period discussing the details of football, or as Berengar knew, it ''ser'' which had sprung up over the past few years in some variation. As a former American, Berengar could not care less about the sport, but since it was gaining poprity within the Reich of this world, he felt it would be a good way to entertain the public. Thus, he nodded his head before expressing his approval of the n.


    "Very well, we can host it in the Grand Kufstein Arena. Some work will have to be done to convert the facility from abat stadium to a football field, but we should have the renovationspleted in time for the festival. What else did you have in mind?"


    Ad quickly pulled out a binder, which had all of her notes regarding her, and her team''s ideas for the memorial festival, and she spent well over two hours discussing the details with her husband, who in the end approved everything she hade up with.


    It was not until the sun had begun to set that the two of thempleted their preparations, where Ad finally spoke about some more personal issues that their family was facing.


    "I don''t know if you have been paying attention, but Linde isn''t doing too well. I have tried all I can to help her process her anxiety, but I think it is getting worse... When was thest time you spoke with her?"


    Berengar leaned back in his chair and thought about when thest time as that he had a proper discussion with Linde about her worries, and ultimately he sighed heavily before pouring himself a drink. He did not hesitate to down the entire ss before answering the question.


    "It''s been about two weeks. This war has kept me so busy, I can seldom find the time to be a proper husband to my wives and father to my children. In fact, I''m not going to lie. It has been rather nice to talk about something other than strategy, tactics, and casualty reports. Perhaps I should have a word with Linde now that I have some spare time. Would you care to apany me in this endeavor?"


    Ad could only smile, albeit with a bit of bitterness, as she shook her head and declined the offer.


    "I have done all I can to help Linde through her dread. However, I think she needs you right now more than any of us. This should be a discussion that the two of you have alone. If I''m not mistaken, she''s probably at the Pce''s bar right now. I''m not sure if you know this, as you have always been the one to go to war in the past, but she always copes with her worries by drinking rather excessively, however I think she has set the bar so as to speak this time around."


    Berengar nodded his head in silence before standing up and approaching the door. He gave Ad onest smile before departing from his office, leaving the woman all alone in his study. Berengar then journeyed through the enormous estate that was his home and masterfully glided through its corridors until he found the location which he desired to enter.


    After walking into the bar, Berengar noticed Linde was not alone. In fact, there were several members of his home''s staff who were off duty, and enjoying a drink. As well as a few generals and admirals who had slept in the Pce''s guest rooms during the length of this war.


    In fact, the massive Pce had kept quite a few guests over these past few weeks, all of which were military personnel. As the Kaiser, and a bit of a natural introvert, Berengar preferred spending time in the safety of his home. Because of this, it had everything he needed not only to manage day-to-day operations of the reich, but also to conduct warfare across the globe.


    Thus, rather than wait for his generals and his office cadre tomute to the pce, he set them up in their own quarters so that they could respond at a moment''s notice to critical developments. Adelbrand was sitting at the bar, and instantly snapped to attention and saluted Berengar when he saw the man enter the room.


    Either Berengar took no notice of this, or he deliberately avoided the man, because he made a direct line towards his sulking wife, who sat at the bar with a cocktail in her hands. The young bartender who had worked in Berengar''s pce for several years, had a wary expression on her face when she saw the Kaiser enter and approach his wife, she made a wide birth to give the royal couple as much space as they needed, as did everyone else in the room.


    Berengar sat down next to Linde and ordered a whiskey highball, before grabbing hold of her dainty and kissing gently. The act of which caused Linde to look up at him with a bitter smile on her face. Though her eyes were both puffy and stained with tears, which, despite her dreadful appearance, was still attractive in its own right. As a result, he wrapped his arms around the woman, and hugged her tightly, before kissing her forehead, and whispering in her ears words offort.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I know this war has been especially hard on you, more so than any of my other women. And I want to apologize for not being there for you when you needed me most. I thought that perhaps Honoria and the others could properlyfort you while I managed the war effort, but it is evident to me now that this was the incorrect course of action.


    Linde, my love, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I am all yours. If you need a distraction from your woes, I am here for you, and if you need a friend to confide your worries with, I am your man. So please, stop torturing yourself about our son. He is a man now, and is fulfilling his role better than I had ever expected him to."


    Linde pressed her head into Berengar''s shoulder, and let out all the tears she her body could muster as she had done so many times before over this past month. Berengar could only sit there and stroke her strawberry-blonde hair as he drank from his beverage, letting the woman sob away until there was nothing left.


    After some time, Linde wiped the tears away from her eyes, revealing her stained makeup as she began to speak about the crippling anxiety that had overtaken her since her eldest son had first marched off to war.


    "I don''t know it is, but I just have this wrenching feeling in my gut that our baby boy won''t return to us. I''ve never felt this way whenever you went off to war. Sure, I was anxious, but I always knew you woulde back to me in one piece. It''s not the same with Hans."


    Berengar grasped the woman''s hand firmly with his own and wore a reassuring expression as he tried to calm her dread.


    "Linde, I gave the boy the ring of sol! Even if his ne was struck by a surface-to-air missile, which, as you know, the Japanese do not have in their arsenal, the boy would still survive and remain entirely unharmed.


    There is nothing you need to worry about. He has the power of a literal god protecting him. The weapons of man, no matter how powerful they are, have so far proven incapable of piercing the ring of Sol''s defences. You know as well as I that I thoroughly tested the thing as much as I possibly could after first gaining it in my possession."


    Linde once more sniffled as she nodded her head, knowing full well that Berengar''s words were perfectly logical and reasonable. However, she could not shake this ominous feeling she had, thus she was quick to give voice to it, not willing to hide anything from the love of her life.


    "I know, I just still feel worried, no matter how much I try to rationalize it!"


    She was just about to take another sip of her cocktail when Berengar snatched it from her hands before lecturing her on her recent excessive alcohol abuse.


    "I think you''ve had enough. In fact, I think we need to get you on a detox. We will be limiting your alcohol intake until your body can properly process all the poison you have forced into it this past month. You will do Hans no good if you kill yourself on this stuff.


    I''m not saying that your worries are invalid, you''re the boy''s mother, and you should be worried for his safety, because even though he has sol''s protection, he is still in an active war zone. However, you should not let your anxiety overwhelm you and prevent you from doing your duty to your family.


    I hear you have taken a sabbatical from work, during the most critical time of our Empire''s development, and that you have left the raising of our kids up to the others while you waste away here in this bar.


    So, take today to cry out thest of your tears. I will be here with you all day and night if I must. But tomorrow we get back to our normal lives. No more excessive drinking, no more skipping work, and certainly no more neglecting your family. I love you, Linde, and you know that I want what''s best for both you and our family."


    After saying this, Linde got right back to crying. A flurry of conflicting emotions bombarded her after hearing her husband''s speech, and thus the couple spent the entire day together to help process these feelings.


    ---


    If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1076 German Saboteurs

    Since the battle of the Marshall Inds, the Imperial Japanese Navy hadpletely lost the ability to ferry troops and supplies to the ind of Borneo. What with the German fleets patrolling the South China Sea, and eliminating any Japanese vessels which dare to enter the region.


    Meanwhile, the German wolf packs continued to harass Japanese shipping, and transport as far north as the Sea of Japan. Causing a massive headache to the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army alike.


    As a result, the only means of support the Japanese were able to give their troops on Borneo was via the Air. With their air bases stationed in the northern and southern Philippines, the Osaka Armory could pump out aircraft and hop them across the inds until they reached Borneo.


    However, due to the losses they had suffered in the past month, Japan had been forced to conscript pilots, and give them a crash course style of training before sending them off to fight in the skies over Borneo and Korea. Naturally, this only increased the casualty rate among Japanese pilots, which attributed them the grim nickname of ''coffin jockeys''.


    As a result, the Germans were facing continuous waves of Japanese Aircraft, and while each Luftwaffe pilot had gained their fair share of kills before being shot down, the overwhelming number of wooden aircraft, with poorly trained pilots was beginning to take its toll on the Luftwaffe who would have to ferry more nes from the fathend to the Pacific in order to make up for their losses. A process which took months.


    Thus, the Sturmkommandos had been called in for a special mission. At the moment Colonel Andreas Ritter von Jaeger sat onboard a ne, which flew above the skies of the Man during the hour of twilight. There was a stoic expression on the man''s face as he gazed upon the vampir night vision device which he had tucked away in his rucksack for the sake of the drop.


    He and a about a dozen other special forces operatives were about to jump from a high altitude, and into the Japanese Air base stationed in the Northern Philippines. Their objective was simple: sabotage the facility, so that the Japanese could no longer hop their nes from Japan to Borneo.


    After all, the Air Base outside Man was critical to refuel the Japanese fighter nes before they could send them down to the South. Without this Air Base, the Japanese Military wouldck the means to contest the skies above Borneo, which were mostly already in the hands of the Germans aside from a few battles for supremacy which urred once a week.


    Without saying a word throughout the entire journey, Andreas sat there, waiting for the green light to illuminate the cabin, which, once it did, he was the first to jump. Having made more HALO jumps than he could urately remember, Andreas effortlessly fell from the sky with the grace of an angel, before opening his chute at thest possible second. A mere 80 feet above the ground.


    The cloudy night sky, which blocked out even the moon, had provided the perfect cover for the German soldiers, who quietly descended from the sky like a group of ravens, before hitting the dirt, where they covertly disposed of their parachutes, while attaching their night vision optics to their assault rifles.


    The Germanmandos were equipped with short barrelled STG-32s, which fired special subsonic 8x33mm kurz ammunition, along with suppressors threaded to their muzzles. These weapons also made use of under folding stock, along with a specialty front sight gas blockbo.


    The barrels of these rifles were also ported in a way that reduced muzzle velocity, as such, even a standard supersonic load would end up being subsonic after being fired from the rifle. Thus, whenbined with a suppressor and subsonic ammunition, the sound signature of these rifles was dreadfully quiet.


    The Sturmkommandos did not bother to regroup afternding on the airfield. They each had their own objectives on this ndestine operation. Thus, they each set off in a different direction. Andreas'' job was to find a way to disrupt the runway so that no nes could take off ornds.


    Hiss job was actually the most simple of them all. After running through the night, and towards the center of the airfield, he pulled a small device out of his rucksack and tossed it into the dirt. He then threw a small camouged webbing over the device to conceal it from the naked eye.


    This device was a radar beacon that would interact with the V-1 cruise missiles that were stationed onboard a nearby destroyer. Once locked onto the beacon and fired, a total of three cruise missiles wouldunch from the destroyer and pulverize the airstrip.


    As for the rest of the men in his unit, they were attaching thermite bombs to the nes that were currently located on the air base. Ideally, they would not have to eliminate a single enemy soldier. However, in Andreas''s experience, these kinds of missions never really went as nned.


    After ensuring that the beacon was giving out a strong signal, Andreas spoke through his radio as he patched himself through to the nearby destroyer.


    "This is Hunter, the raven is roosting, I repeat, the raven is roosting!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Static existed on the other end of the line for several moments before another voice spoke up.


    "Roger that Hunter, we are receiving your signal. We will fire when you give us the signal."


    With his end of the operation finished, Andreas stealthily made his way back to the rendezvous point. As he did so, he thought he heard the low thuds of a suppressed weapon firing off nearby. Thus he decided to investigate, and when he found the hanger where the noise originated, he saw that there were three dead Japanese soldiers, along with another Sturmkommando, standing above their bodies. Andreas approached the soldier, and pped him on the back of the helmet, before scolding him for the mess he made.


    "You couldn''t have taken the fuckers out any other way? I know these guns are suppressed, and designed to be as quiet as possible, but you can still be heard fifty yards away with ease. What the hell were you thinking?"


    The soldier was slightly offended, but made no gesture of it. Instead, he ignored his superior officer''sints before attaching the thermite bomb to the bottom of the Ki-106''s wooden fusge. After doing so, he sighed before finally speaking to Andreas.


    "That should be all of them. Let''s withdraw..."


    Rather than continue his scolding, Andreas silently nodded, before making his way to the rendezvous point where the rest of his soldier lie in wait. After confirming they all had no difficulty with their tasks, Andreas called in the strike.


    "This is Hunter. The crows have taken flight. I repeat, the crows have taken flight."


    Again, static remained on the other line for a few seconds before a response was given.


    "Roger that Hunter, standby for evac."


    Shortly after hearing this, the sound of the radio was muffled as an overwhelming roar thundered across the sky. The three V-1 Cruise missiles buzzed through the air beforending on the airfield and detonating on the spot. Thoroughly demolishing the air strip in its entirety.


    Once the Airstrip was consumed in a devastating explosion, the various Sturmkommandos hit their detonators, which caused what little aircraft that still remained standing to be consumed in hellish mes.


    After watching theplete and total destruction of the Airbase, Andreas gave the order to move out to the evacuation point, where the group was picked up by a Fa 266 Hornisse helicopter which had deployed from the deck of the destroyer.


    By the time the Japanese realized that their critical airbase had been destroyed, the culprits were already long gone. However, the actions of Andreas and his team on this night had undoubtedly made the Japanese defense of Borneo that much more difficult.


    ---


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 Chapter 1077 Breaking A Strike

    Another month came and went as the war continued in the Pacific. With the Germans taking a step back and allowing their allies to take the brunt of the conflict, they had severely reduced their casualties.


    Korea had turned into a major conflict, where the Joseon and Japanese troops battled for supremacy in the cities and towns. As the war continued to wage in the region, the Southern Joseon Resistance continued to strike at the heart of their Japanese upiers, all while the conventional army of the north continued to press south with German support.


    Meanwhile, in Borneo the Royal Majapahit Army had forced itself into the meat grinder, and continued to press forward towards the bay of Brunei, where the bulk of the Japanese forces had fortified their position, and lied in wait for their enemy''s advance.


    If the massive losses suffered during the war weren''t bad enough for Japan, then the hyperintion had only made things worse. With the over printing of Japanese bank notes in order to keep funding the military during this disastrous war, the treasury department had created an intion rate which rose rapidly by the day.


    Just one month ago, there was an intion percentage of one hundred percent within the Empire of Japan. Now it was at one thousand percent. The currency which the soldiers of Japan were paid with had be worse less than a bowl of rice. Meanwhile, thepensation their families received as a result of their deaths was no better.


    For some time now, morale had been low in the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army, but now, with the economy in the toilet, thisck of morale suddenly turned to dissent. This same spirit of rebellion was not only found among the ranks of the Japanese Army, but among thebor force back home.


    While the Empress sat back in her pce, feasting on the most luxurious delicacies, the people starved. This cause resentment among themon popce until it had finally reached a boiling point. Currently, at the Osaka Armory, there was a massive strike of workers, who demanded to be paid more for their arduousbor.


    While this strike was urring, Empress Itami Riyo sat in her war room, wondering just what drastic measures she would need to take in order to get her workers to do their jobs. On the one hand, she wanted more than anything to send in her Imperial Guard to break off the strikes, and force her people back into the factories.


    On the other hand, Berengar''s words stung her heart. Whether it was from the brief discussion they had during their sole conversation, or the speech he had made when dering war on Japan. For too long, Itami had seen her people as nothing more than resources to ensure her ambitions came to pass.


    Yet, after being lectured by her rival about her overallck of humanity, she now found herself struggling to give the order to put down these revolts before they could get out of hand. Her people were starving, while forced to work long hours with dangerous machinery, and those were the lucky ones. The young men of Japan had been sent to die off in some foreign war, caused by their Empress''s own greed.


    The only reason the people had stuck by her for so long was because she had guaranteed them a better future than that of medieval serfdom. Yet, how was their current state any different? No, it was even worse.


    As a result, A General of the Japanese Imperial Guard by the name of Otagi Kiyotsune stood by Itami''s side and watched the conflicted expression on her exquisite face. He was quick to give his own input on the situation in order to alleviate her suffering.


    "Kami-sama... If we do not put an end to these strikes soon, it will lead to revolution. You must use a heavy hand to force these ungrateful peasants back into the factories where they belong. If you do not, you could lose everything!"


    Thesest words spoken by the leader of the Imperial Guard caused Itami to scoff before repeating them with a hint of defeat in her voice.


    "Lose everything, huh? At this point, that doesn''t sound so bad..."


    Seeing that his goddess was on the brink of despair, the man stood firm in his resolutions and began to scold the woman for losing her faith in her own ability.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Kami-sama! You are the War Goddess of Japan. You deposed the tyranny of the Ashikaga shogunate and pressed your im to the throne without concern for anybody''s opinion. You have always done what was necessary for the continued survival of our people. Do not lose faith now, just because these blue-eyed devils are posing more of a challenge than you initially thought! You must take control and do what is necessary for the good of your people!"


    Though only one man spoke to her, Itami could hear the voices of two different individuals speak their opinions on how to proceed. On the one side was the leader of her Imperial Guard, suggesting violence and tyranny as a means of solving this crisis. However, in the other ear, whispered the voice of a ghost from her past life. In fact, Itami could even see Julian in his cadet uniform, shaking his head in disgust before giving his voice of wisdom to her ears.


    "Tsk... Tsk... Tsk... My dear Ai, you have listened to these wicked men and their ill advice on how to run your country for far too long. I am disappointed in you. Since you first took up the sword, you have used violence and tyranny to aplish everything you have achieved in this life, and look where that has led you. Your people bleed for your avarice, and their families starve while you work them to the bone to support your ambitions. All with the promise of a better life, but is such a thing even viable at this point?


    In pursuit of your goals, you have burned all the bridges that once existed between you and your former trading partners, and in doing so, alienated your Empire from the rest of the world. As a result of your reckless behavior, you now found yourself at war with a superior foe. And yes, Ai, before you raise your voice at me, Berengar is indeed your superior in nearly every way. He has proven such a thing time and again.


    If you continue to listen to the advice of evil men who only have their own interests at heart, then I am afraid I will have to leave you. Though I do not wish to do so, I will not sit here and watch as you be more of a tyrant than you already are. It is not toote for you to choose another path. You can still redeem yourself in the eyes of your people!


    Do not respond to these strikes with more violence and oppression. All that will cause is further division and strife. Instead, give the people what they need so that they continue to believe in you. Do whatever is necessary to pay these men so that they can afford to feed their families, or better yet, offer food itself as payment, rather than your worthless fiat currency. This is my advice to you, and I hope you will take it."


    Though Itami had heard an entire speech from Julian about what she should do to redeem herself. Not even a second had passed from the time the leader of her Imperial Guard given his advice to her. After listening to the advice of Julian''s ghost, or should I say the part of her mind which manifested such a thing, Itami knew what she had to do. In fact, the words her General had spoken suddenly seemed toughable to her now, which elicited a scoff along with a slightly mocking tone in her voice.


    "The good of my people? And what, pray tell, would you, a butcher whose only value is putting down rebellion, know about that? Perhaps it is time I send you and your men to the battlefield so you can prove to me just how loyal you really are?


    My the young men of my country are dying by the hundreds of thousands in a war against an enemy that seems invincible. If that weren''t bad enough, then there''s the fact that the families of those same men are being starved to death while simultaneously working themselves into an early grave.


    What my people need isn''t more violence and bloodshed, but food, water, medicine, and shelter. Something that is nearly impossible to provide during these grim times. No, I will not use force to coerce these poor souls back into the factory, while their payment doesn''t even cover the cost of a daily meal for their families.


    Instead, I will pay these workers with food, even if I have to give up my own reserves to do so. Now, unless you want to be sent to the front lines, I suggest you begin distribution of proper payment to my workers immediately!"


    Though the General of the Imperial Guard was stunned by this response, he did not dare disobey. Partially in fear of serving in actualbat, and partially out of respect for the War Goddess, even if she had taken a different approach to dealing with this internal strife.


    While Itami had taken measures to prevent a total rebellion on her hands. The appeasement of themon people could onlyst so far as Itami''s food reserves did, and they would be depleted at most in another three months. So, in a way, all she had managed to aplish was buy herself time.


    ---


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 Chapter 1078 The Liberation Of Seoul

    The War in Korea had be far more intense than the Germans initially expected. While the Reich provided naval, air, and armored support to the Joseon Army, it was the Korean people themselves who shed the most blood in pursuit of liberating theirnds, which had been upied by the Japanese Empire for years.


    Among these fighters was none other than Cha Jong-Su, a teenage boy who had been fighting the Japanese for years as a member of the Southern Joseon Resistance Movement. In the city of Seoul, machine guns echoed in the air, along with artillery, and explosions. Whether these came from artillery, grenades, improvised explosive devices, or rocketunchers, it was difficult to tell.


    While the Joseon-German coalition forced invaded from the northern tip of the city, and battled through the streets against the Japanese upiers. The Southern Joseon Resistance had begun their attack.


    Jong-Su loaded his type 100 submachine gun, which he had scavenged from a dead Japanese officer some time ago as he peered over the edge of a brick wall. On the other side of his cover was a squad of Imperial Japanese soldiers, who were hidden behind a barricade, armed with a captured 8.8cm PaK 43 anti-tank gun, as well as a few shoulder fired rocketunchers of their own design.


    These men were shaking as they heard the roar of a Panther''s engine progressing down the street, along with the sound of its steel tracks mbering over the ground. In their experience, one of these anti-tank guns was capable of piercing the armor of the panther at close range, whereas their rocketunchers were not nearly as effective.


    The Type 4 AT rocketuncher was not only extremely heavy, but hardly what one would call mobile. It could only be fired prone, with the support of a bipod in the front, and a monopod in the rear. It was also only really effective against the least armored regions of a panther tank, and at close range only.


    However, these weapons had proven effective at holding up armored columns while in cities, and slowing down the German advance, and thus, they had been produced in massive quantities back in the Japanese maind while being shipped solely to the Korean theatre. After all, the South China Sea was effectively controlled by the Kriegsmarine now that the Imperial Japanese Navy was left with only one fleet to guard the maind.


    Jong-Su knew that if he did not take out this squad, then the Joseon-German army would be walking right into a trap. Thus, he and a small fireteam of Southern Joseon rebels armed primarily with Submachine guns, took a deep breath to calm their nerves before attacking the Japanese who were too focused on the road ahead to know that enemies were lurking no more than thirty feet away.


    After calming his heart, Jong-Su raised slightly above his cover, just enough to aim his weapon, and sprayed the entire magazine towards the Japanese troops. He was not alone as three other men did the same. The sudden ambush, along with the overwhelming volume of lead, hadpletely caught the Japanese off guard, and by the time the squad realized they were under attack, they were already dead, or bleeding out.


    After swiftly reloading his magazine, Jong-Su dumped another wall of lead into the bodies of the Japanese soldiers just to make sure they were really dead, and perhaps as a means to vent his frustrations with the ongoing conflict, which he had been a part of since he was a small child. With the Japanese squad dead, Jong-Su quickly gave an order to his fireteam while scavenging supplies from the enemy.


    "Scavenge what you can, and plug that anti-tank gun with a thermite grenade. Thest thing we need is it being used by our allies. You''ve got thirty seconds, now go!"


    The Southern Joseon rebels did as they were instructed before running away from the area. And just in time too, as they heard the sounds of a Japanese Type 4 medium tank rolling up the street. Shortly thereafter, the sound of an 8.8cm gun firing could be overheard in the distance, along with an explosion.


    In the next second, a Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer rolled down the street, and pointed its gun past the smoking wreckage of the Japanese tank, before firing another shot towards a different hostile target. The Joseon rebels cheered as they saw the Royal Joseon Army rush through the streets, supporting the German Armor, as they fought another Japanese barricade further down the line. <novelnext></novelnext>


    An officer of the Joseon Army who was trailing behind his unit noticed the rebels who were hiding nearby and quickly approached them. The man had a submachine gun of german design in his hands and a rather stern expression on his face. He was quite cautious after seeing the rebels. After all, the rebels were equipped with mostly scavenged Japanese weapons.


    "You there! Present yourselves, or I will open fire!"


    Jon-Su walked forward with his hands held in the air as a sign that he was not hostile. However, the Joseon officer continued to raise his weapon and bark orders, which immediately got on Jong-Su''s nerves. Rather than get himself shot, Jong-Suplied, albeit with a bit of a conceited tone in his voice.


    Cha Jong-Su, I''m with the Southern Joseon Resistance. You''re wee, by the way. If not for us, your tank would have just walked straight into an ambush. I reckon that PaK-43 would have made short work of it at such a short distance, let alone the rocketunchers. Those Japs were carrying."


    The officer did not dare look behind him to confirm what Joseon said, not when there were several heavily armed men in front of him. He instead slightly lowered his weapon and nodded his head before giving the rebels orders as if he were their superior officer.


    "The Army is advancing south. If you are as capable as you im, then you can regroup with mypany and support our efforts. Now get moving!"


    Jong-Su, however, was not pleased with this remark, nor the tone in the officer''s voice. He had operated independently as a gueri fighter for years now, and did not want to take orders from some fence sitter. Thus he spat on the ground before responding to the Officer''smands with what he truly thought of them.


    "Fuck you, you think now that you finally decide to do something about the fucking japs that those of us who have been fighting and bleeding for years have to listen to your orders? This is our city, and we know it best. We''ll support you alright, but if you think I''m listening to a damn thing you have to say, then you''re out of your mind. Come on boys, we''re going to go fuck up some more Japs."


    After saying this, the rebels departed, leaving the Officer in a bit of a foul mood. He had never expected that he would be greeted by the local resistance in such a disrespectful manner. However, all he could do was swallow his pride and regroup with his unit as they pushed further south into the city.


    Despite the Imperial Japanese Army''s best efforts to put up onest bit of resistance against their enemies. The city of Seoul would fall back into the hands of the Joseon Dynasty after another three days of fighting. Where the Joseon-German coalition would continue to march further south with the intention of liberating everything between them and Busan.


    ---


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 Chapter 1079 Memorial Day

    Berengar woke up bright and early, as he always did. As the ruler of the single most powerful nation in the world, he had no chance to sleep in, even if he wanted to. Thus, at the crack of dawn, he rose from his bed and climbed into the shower before getting dressed in his imperial regalia.


    It was not every day that Berengar wore the highly decorated military dress uniform. However, today was no ordinary day. The Memorial Day festival had arrived, much in thanks to Ad''s efforts. Thus, Berengar would have to make another public appearance, something he found himself enjoying less and less as the years passed by.


    He would absolutely choose to be a hermit if he had the option, but hiding from the public when you were the head of state was never a good sign. Thus, after perfectly grooming himself, Berengar gazed into the mirror, where he saw his handsome features.


    Age had begun to catch up with the man, which until now he had not taken notice of. No longer was there the youthful and exuberant face of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him. Instead, there were various signs of aging, whether it be the slight wrinkles above his brow, of the lines beneath his eyes.


    However, he did, in fact, age well, especially when one considered that his job was perhaps the single most stressful upation in the history of mankind. His good looks had not faded and perhaps had even been enhanced by the signs of age which now marked his face.


    When winter finally reared its ugly head, Berengar would be thirty-six years old, no longer what one would consider being young. Despite this, his physique was wless. After all, he worked tirelessly to maintain his physicality and ensured that he stayed away from the traps of an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle.


    It was hard to believe that fifteen years had passed since he was first reincarnated into this world, as it all seemed to have gone by so quickly. He had aplished more than any man in history during these fifteen years, except for perhaps Alexander, and still had so much more to do.


    After closely examining his aging appearance for some time, Berengar sighed heavily, before leaving his bathroom and entering his study. A pile of documents was neatly stacked on his desk. No matter how much paperwork he filled out, at the start of the next day, just as many papers would be sitting in the same exact spot.


    It was an endless cycle of sweat and toil, and though most men envied Berengar for his position, the truth was if they had to do the overwhelming workload that he had to endure each day, they would quickly find themselves wishing for their previous meagre existence. Few men were cut out for the life of a ruler, and even less were any good at it.


    It would still be many hours before Berengar had to make a public appearance, and thus, after sipping on his cup of coffee, which had already been prepared for him by his kitchen staff, he began to read each and every document. Those which would be signed intow he would write his signature upon, those which he felt were against the interests of his dynasty or the German state were vetoed, and thus tossed aside for recycling.


    Many hours passed before the clock struck noon, which woke Berengar from his studious stupor. Realizing that it was now time to present himself to the people and make a speech, he stood up from his seat, dusted himself off, and exited the room.


    Berengar continued through the pce, where he rendezvoused with his wives, Linde, and Ad, along with his sister Henrietta, at the bottom of the staircase which leads to the entryway of the pce.


    Linde had spent thest month undergoing detox, and looked as beautiful as ever. She no longer had puffy eyes or a sickly tone. Instead, it was as if a burst of renewed energy had rejuvenated the woman to her pre-depressive state. After hugging and kissing each of the three women, Berengar ced a hand on Linde''s shoulder andplimented her appearance.


    "You look absolutely ravishing. It''s hard to believe you are the same woman as that depressed drunk who spent all her time in my bar..."


    Linde flushed in embarrassment while thinking about how poor her behavior had been during the initial month following her eldest son''s deployment. After getting her act together, and focusing on her health, she had made a full recovery, and was now back at work, monitoring the war with Japan, which to the German people seemed so disconnected from their peaceful and prosperous daily lives.


    Berengar led Linde, Ad, and Henrietta to the car which was waiting for them, before travelling to the venue for today''s festival, which was about to begin. After arriving at the location, Berengar sat down in a special booth where his family was already waiting for him.


    The moment he sat down, a military parade began. Where soldiers wore their ck and gold dress uniforms as they proudly marched through the street, in the attire that they had worn nearly a decade ago. <novelnext></novelnext>


    The ck and gold, steel pickelhaube''s shone underneath the light of the sun as the German soldiers marched. Drums and trumpets were yed by the military bands, while men on horseback rode through the street.


    The German Military was an industrial behemoth, so much so that Berengar had shipped less than 1/3rd of his entire armed forces to fight the war with Japan. There were more troops guarding the fathend and the colonies than there were actively engaging inbat against the Empire of Japan.


    Many of those men were marching through the streets of all major German cities, dressed in uniforms that resembled a past era, while wielding weapons of the same age. Finally, after the parade waspleted, Berengar took the stage, where a podium sat with a microphone. Cameras were stationed on every corner to broadcast the Kaiser''s speech to the entire German nation. With a stoic expression on his face, Berengar began to speak.


    "It is difficult to believe that fifteen years have passed since I first took up arms in pursuit of a dream. In fact, the events of those days seem like a lifetime ago, and yet, at the same time, it was as if they had urred only yesterday.


    What was this dream, you might ask? A united Germany, where the German people are their own masters. In these fifteen years, I have fought and struggled to create and build this Empire from practically nothing.


    However, I was not alone in my efforts to do so. In fact, during this time, millions of young men have followed me into battle. And though I am no longer in a position to stand on the front lines, I continue to do my duty to defeat our enemies.


    Though I stand here and speak to you all today about my ambitions that have led to the creation of this great Empire, I must humbly admit that today is not about me. No, today is about something much more important than any single man. Today is a day that is dedicated to those brave men who have sacrificed everything to build and maintain this nation, which we call home.


    Today, we remember those who have fallen in defense of our great nation. And it is with a heavy heart that I must remind you all the price that has been paid, and must continue to be paid for the prosperity that we all are fortunate enough to possess.


    The price of freedom is steep, and it is paid with the lives of the brave and the bold who are willing to take up arms to defend folk and family. So, as we all celebrate today, I want you all to remember those who have died to ensure that our nation can continue to thrive and prosper. Thank you all foring today, and I hope you enjoy the festivities that my wife Ad has prepared for all of you."


    With that said, Berengar saluted the troops who stood at attention below the stage, who returned his gesture. After doing so, he departed from the scene and joined in the public feasts that were urring in every town and city across the reich.


    Berengar had spared no expense, ensuring that the finest German cuisine and alcohol were freely avable to every citizen of the Reich. Then, after the feast had ended, he took to the Grand Kufstein Arena, where he rather patiently watched a ser tournament unfold.


    While the crowd went crazy for the game, Berengar was personally disinterested in any sport other than those which involved mutualbat. Still, for the sake of ceremony, he sat and watched, as did the rest of the Reich, either in person or on their television sets.


    After the game was over, Berengar returned to his pce with his family, where he spent the rest of the night enjoying his time with them. Wishing that his eldest son was home to partake in the festivities.


    ---


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 Chapter 1080 Advancements In Weapons AndTactics

    The day after the memorial day celebrations, Berengar awoke early in the morning once more. Like usual, he filled out a mountain of paperwork while drinking copious quantities of coffee. By the time he had finished with his daily tasks, the sun had already set, and he was just about to get up and stretch his legs when he noticed an unusual proposal on his desk, which until now had been buried beneath what can only be described as a mountain of paperwork.


    Berengar carefully observed the document, which turned out to be blueprints for a new and improved helicopter. Until now, the German Army had manufactured a limited number of primitive choppers for use with special operations.


    The design that had been approved by the Kufstein Royal Armory was essentially a WW2 era Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache, which was severelycking in nearly every aspect whenpared with more modern helicopters.


    In fact, the helicopter currently employed by the Reich was practically a ne without wings and two propellors mounted in a rather unconventional method. Since there was a desperate need for improvement, Berengar decided to alter the blueprints just enough to push his engineers in the right direction.


    If there was one criticalponent of the German Military, that was preventing it from being a modern fighting force, it was a severeck of air assault capabilities. With this in mind, Berengar altered the designs of the blueprints which had been submitted to him for approval by transforming the overall shape of the aircraft to match that of the UH-1D Huey from his past life.


    This helicopter was designed primarily for utility purposes, and thus its main armament were two double-barreled, dual feed mg-27s which were mounted to the doors. These guns were modelled after the MG 14z from Berengar''s past life and had a cyclic rate of roughly three thousand rounds per minute.


    After making these upgrades, Berengar sent the design back to the Kufstein Royal Armory so that they could figure out how to make it work. He expected the production of the vehicles to take ce within the next few months. Perhaps if his troops were lucky, they''d be flying in these bad boys over the Japanese maind by the end of the war.


    Having concluded this, Berengar then began to write out a new doctrine for Air Assault, so that the proper training structure was in ce by the time the new helicopters entered mass production. It took many hours for the man to conclude these efforts, and in the end, he finally ced down his pen after midnight had already passed.


    It was not unusual for Berengar to burn the midnight oil to speak. In fact, more often than not these days, he went to bed after his wives had already fallen asleep. Thus, after finishing his work Berengar rose from his desk, and approached the nearest bedroom he could find, which just so happened to be Henriettas where he stripped before climbing into bed, where he found his sister, and wife spooning together as they slept with smiles on their faces.


    ---


    While Berengar finally got some rest after a hard day''s work, Itami was wide awake, in her own bedroom, working on a design of her own. It had be abundantly clear that the German army possessed an overwhelmingly superior amount of firepower. From the infantry to the armored units, the Germans had overwhelmed her forces with sheer volume of fire.


    Initially, Itami had suspected that semi-automatic weapons in the hands of her infantry would be more than enough to deal with her adversaries. However, the average German rifleman was armed with either an automatic rifle in the form of the Stg-27, or a modern assault rifle in the form of the Stg-32. From everything Itami understood, these weapons were simply Fg-42s and Stg-44s. Which, when produced in such massive numbers, had a serious effect on battlefield performance.


    The Imperial Japanese Army would need to increase its overall volume of fire if it could even hope of defending the Japanese Maind from a German invasion, and thus Itami had spent thest three days under the light of the divine mirror, trying toe up with the ultimate infantry rifle.


    The weapon that Itami ended up developing was essentially a Howa Type 64 select fire battle rifle. However, rather than be chambered in 7.62x51 NATO like during her past life, she made the rifle use the venerable 7.7��58mm Arisaka, which her armed forces currently made use of.


    After designing her new Battle Rifle, Itami grabbed another piece of paper and began to work on another design. What had be perfectly clear during the war with the German Empire was that the Panther Tank and the Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer were vastly superior to her Type 4 Chi-To Medium Tanks. <novelnext></novelnext>


    As a result, Itami''s armored divisions were being shredded in the Korean theatre. She knew that it was only a matter of time before a German invasion of the Japanese maind urred, and thus, she had wanted to increase her armored divisions capabilities so that they could properly contend with even the heaviest armor that the reich employed.


    Thus, the first of these two armored designs was that of the Type 5 Chi-Ri, which was essentially arger and heavier variant of the previously manufactured Type 4 Chi-To. The vehicle had 75 millimeters of armor ting, a 75 mm primary gun, as well as a 37mm secondary gun. It also made use of two 7.7 Type 97 heavy tank machine guns. The type 5 also had an operational range of 250 kilometers and was capable of 45 km/h speeds.


    If anything, this massive behemoth of a tank was closer in size and ability to the Wehrmacht''s Tiger II Tank from the second world war of Itami''s past life, then it was to this world''s Panther Tank. Which would mean that it was more than a match for Germany''s armored divisions.


    The only problems that Itami had would be the production of these vehicles. Assuming she ended up losing Korea, that meant that her ability to produce steel, let alone manufacture it into armored vehicles and engines, would be severely depleted. Thus, it was her intent to make as many of these tanks as she could while she still upied some territory in the Korean Penins.


    Aside from the Type 64 Battle Rifle, and the Type 5 Chi-Ri Medium Tank, Itami also nned the production of a dedicated tank destroyer. Which came in the form of the Type 5 Na-To. Which, like the Chi-Ri, and the Chi-To was a prototype weapon designed by the Empire of Japan during the finals days of the second world war in Itami''s past life.


    The Na-To was more of a self-propelled gun, then it was a dedicated tank destroyer. Unlike the Jagdpanther, it was not fully enclosed, instead it was an armored chassis with a giant gun mounted on top. The crew would load the weapon from an exposed behind, simr to the German Hummel Self Propelled Artillery.


    However, rather than its historical counterpart, which made us of the same gun that was on the Type 4 and the Type 5 Medium tanks. Itami nned to use an upscaled 88mm High Velocity Tank Gun, which was based upon the type 5 75mm Tank Gun. Essentially giving it the same amount of firepower as the German Jagdpanther.


    With these three weapons, Itami nned to make the Germans pay the price should they dare to set foot on the Japanese Maind. So far, the war had not been going in her favor, and she was wise enough to realize that in a matter of months her homnd would be under threat of a massive German invasion.


    If these new weapons could not deal with the German Army when theynded on her shores, then nothing she could possibly design would fill such a role. Thus, while Berengar extended his aerial warfare capabilities, Itami focused on the ground, knowing full well thatpeting with the Reich in the skies was a losing battle.


    Afterpleting these designs, and reflecting on her grim future, Itami recalled a quote by Erwin Rommel from her past life.


    "Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy inpletemand of the air, fights like a savage against modern European troops, under the same handicaps, and with the same chances of sess." -Erwin Rommel


    With that depressing thought, Itami turned off the lights to her room, and crawled into bed, no longer wanting to think about just how horribly this war was going for her, and her Empire. By the time she fell asleep, her mind had drifted to thoughts of her past life and her rtionship with Julian. When she awoke the next day, she rue the fact that she had not died peacefully in her sleep.


    ---


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 Chapter 1081 The Battle Of Brunei

    In less than three months, the Borneo theatre had copsed around the Japanese. Currently, the Imperial Japanese Army was trapped in the bay of Brunei with no way out. Since the Kriegsmarine had begun patrolling the South China Sea, there had been no opportunity for the Imperial Japanese Navy to rescue their soldiers from certain death.


    After fighting bitterly to thest man in every battle so far, what remained of the Japanese forces in the region hadpletely fallen back to thest avable territory they could upy. They had fortified the bay of Brunei in every conceivable position, watching and waiting for the German-Majapahit coalition''s attack.


    Captain Herman von Habsburg sat on top of a Panther tank with his rifle in hand. He, along with his entire squad, would be riding these machines of war to the edge of the battlefield, where they would then deploy alongside their Majapahit allies to assault the enemy''s position.


    This was the final battle in the Bornean theatre, and for thest three days, the Kriegsmarine along with the Luftwaffe had bombarded the coast of Brunei with everything they had. Despite this, Herman was quite convinced that the Japanese defenses were, in fact, well intact, and thus he was expecting a bloody battle to unfold.


    Just as he was prepared to say his prayers, the roar of the Panther''s engine echoed in the air as the tank''s crewmen activated the machine. With this, Herman and his men would be deploying to the front lines of war. Not long after, the Armored Division reached the edges of the battlefield where German and Majapahit soldiers deployed from the tops of thanks, and the interiors of infantry fighting vehicles.


    While the German armor bulldozed through the Japanese defenses without the slightest hesitation, the infantry stayed back and opened fire on the enemy soldiers. Herman hid behind the cover of sandbags as he fired his assault rifle down range and towards the Japanese defenses.


    He aligned the rear and front sights with one another, onto the torso of a Japanese rifleman, who fired wildly towards the coalition forces. It was immediately apparent that the man was a conscript who had been rushed into service, as his shots widely missed anything they were remotely aimed towards. If they had been properly aimed at all.


    With the squeeze of the trigger, a single shot flew down range, and into the man''s chest, as it tore through his insides, and buried itself in the soldier''s heart. Because the Germans were not facing enemies with body armor, they had been issued ammunition that would have been banned in the use of war during Berengar''s past life.


    Hollow-point bullets were designed to pierce the flesh, and expand rapidly upon impact, creating a muchrger body cavity. They were especially deadly to soft targets. However, the one fault with these rounds was the shape of the bullet, which wascking in precision at longer ranges.


    As a result, the German army had manufactured 8x57mm ammunition and 8x33mm ammunition with polymer tips that gave the bullet the proper Spitzer shape, which allowed it to excel at long ranges. While still having the same performance as a standard hollow point round once it had prated the flesh of its target.


    In Berengar''s past life, these projectiles were used primarily in hunting, as hollow points of any kind were prohibited inbat by international rules of war. However, in this world, the only rules regarding warfare were designed by Berengar to protect civilians and prisoners of war. Despite this, he had explicitly insured that no prohibitions were made on the types of weapons and munitions that were permitted inbat. Thus, these specialty hollow-point munitions were fair game.


    After firing a single shot into the chest of the Japanese soldier, Herman aimed down his sights, and fired a controlled burst towards another target, at least two of the four bullets hit their mark, as the man howled in pain and fell to the floor, if he was not dead already than he would be soon.


    Herman continued to fire his shots, as did the men of hispany, as well as their Majapahit allies. After using up one magazine, Herman hit the release on his rifle and swiftly swapped out the magazine for a fresh one, where he pulled back on the charging handle and released it just as he was aiming down his sights at another target. <novelnext></novelnext>


    By now, the German armor had broken through Brunei''s defenses, and had paved a way for Herman and his men to advance forward, thus with the blow of a whistle, he signalled to all his troops to charge the enemy defenses. Which he led by example.


    Holding his assault rifle in his hands, Herman rushed through rifle and machine gun fire alike as he charged towards the gap in the enemy''s defences. Once inside he aimed down the bore of his weapon and fired a shot into the bodies of the enemy at extremely close range.


    The selective fire capability of the Germans'' weapons proved themselves invaluable in close quartersbat, as they just needed to point the muzzle of their weapon towards the torsos of the enemy and hold down the trigger.


    This could not be said for the Japanese who were primarily armed with long, semiautomatic rifles. Which could only fire as fast as one could pull the trigger. In fact, the confusion between automatic and semi-automatic function had led to some seriously stupid government restrictions on a wide variety of firearms and essories within certain states of America during Berengar''s past life.


    Without mercy, Herman and his unit rushed through the fray, and fired controlled bursts towards the torsos of the enemy, who tried their best to stem the rising tide of German and Majapahit soldiers who charged through the gaps in their defences.


    Try as they might, the firepower in the hands of the Germans, as well as the overwhelming number of Majapahit soldiers, had quickly overrun the Japanese defences, forcing them further and further back towards the coastline, until finally they had nowhere left to run.


    Thest remaining Japanese soldiers, realizing their imminent deaths, had chosen to fix their bays and charge at the coalition forces in onest attempt to kill the enemy. Unfortunately for them, they werepletely surrounded by armor and infantry alike, who unloaded their weapons onto the Japanese troops without a single hint of mercy.


    Ask for no mercy and expect none. That was the motto that the Imperial Japanese Soldiers were drilled with by their officers, who were mostly Samurai from an era now passed. The Japanese Army did not even think to surrender, instead they died with swords and rifles in hand, with their honor intact.


    With this victory, the battle for Borneo was finallypleted. With the aid of their German Allies, the Royal Majapahit Army had reimed the ind for their Empire, and annihted thest remnant of their enemy who had dared to invade in the first ce.


    Though Itami would grieve the loss of her soldiers, andment the fact that she could not evacuate them from the ind, ultimately she would double her efforts to remain in control of the southern half of the Joseon Penins, while reinforcing her position in the Philippines which she was certain would be the next area to be invaded by her enemies.


    ---


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 Chapter 1082 Next Generation Of Flight

    Word reached Heian-ky�� shortly after the Japanese Defeat in Borneo. Itami was understandably quite glum after hearing that she had already lost a theatre ofbat after merely three months of warfare. As a result, she had quickly responded to the incident by reinforcing her position in both Southern Korea and the Philippines. Which she felt would be the next region to suffer a German invasion.


    Another month came and passed, as the fighting in Korea continued, and yet during this time, an invasion never came to the Philippines. Instead, the German Empire had taken a step back, and fortified their position in the South China Sea. With the Philippines cut off from the rest of the Japanese Empire, Berengar had no ns to rush an invasion.


    Instead, he began to ferry troops from the Indian Empire to Borneo, along with more regiments of the Royal Majapahit Army. Until now, Dharya had stayed out of the war, at least as far asbat was concerned. Instead, he provided logistical support and raw materials to his German allies.


    However, with the victory in Borneo, Dharya decided now was the time to win some glory for his own Empire, and thus he had dered war on Japan the day after the Battle of Borneo was decided. As a result, a hundred thousand fresh soldiers from the Indian Empire were now moving towards Borneo, and Phuket, where they, along with their Majapahit allies, would invade the Philippines.


    With the Indians getting involved in the conflict, Berengar no longer needed to send his own troops to the South China Sea. Instead, he began ferrying his divisions north towards Korea, to make aplete and total push against the fortified Japanese defenses. The Kaiser expected that within a month, Korea would fall in its entirety back into Joseon hands. From there, it was a simple matter ofying siege to the Japanese Maind.


    In the mean time, the 6th and 8th carrier strike groups had returned to their respective ports to rearm and refuel. Hans was currently standing on board the SMS Osterreich''s deck as he gazed upon the newest acquisition that his Carrier Wing had been gifted.


    Two new aircraft were recing the older Ta 152 Fighter Interceptors and Ju 87 Stuka Torpedo bombers. The Kufstein Royal Armory had truly outdone themselves as they managed to produce an entire Carrier Wings'' worth of thetest generation fighters. What was supposed to take six months to a year had been aplished in half the minimum estimated time frame.


    The Ta 183/III Jet fighters were sitting on board the deck of the carrier as Hans walked over and touched the hull of the new aircraft he had been issued. He was utterly astonished by thetest creation of the fathend, which the deck crew was currently painting his particr jet red, white, and ck.


    Hans climbed into the cockpit of the fighter, and looked at the controls, which were more advanced than his previous turbojet powered fighter-interceptor. Not only were the avionics vastly improved over the old design, but there was an extra button on the joystick. Which Hans suspected was the controls for the missile system he saw hanging off the wings.


    The Ta-183 jet fighter that the Germans employed in this world was far more advanced than the prototype design the Nazis hade up with at the end of the second world war in Berengar''s past life.


    If one were to ssify this aircraft by the previous world''s standards, it would be considered a Generation 2+ Jet. The only reason it wasn''t considered a generation three jet was because the designcked supersonic flight, as it was not equipped with afterburners.


    Aside from the Ta-183 Jet fighters, there was another design that was simultaneously developed alongside it. The Ar 234 was a Jet powered bomber that was small and lightweight whenpared torger designs.


    In the second World War of Berengar''s past life, these bombers saw limited use at the end of the war as a reconnaissance aircraft. However, Berengar had been inspired by the design, and modified it for a single purpose. To be used on board carriers as an anti-ship bomber.


    The Ar-234s that were stationed on board the SMS Osterreich could carry either 1500 kg worth of bombs, or multiple torpedos within its bay. And while this was impressive enough on its own, these bombers were also equipped with a far more deadly weapon.


    On top of each of the Ar-234s was a single V-1 cruise missile. Which could beunched at an enemy target while mid flight. Naturally, Berengar intended for these missiles to take out Japanese ships. These bombers were not only fast enough to evade Japanese Anti-Aircraft weaponry, but they could alsounch a lethal strike against an enemy vessel from two hundred and forty kilometers away. <novelnext></novelnext>


    To put it simply, even if the Imperial Japanese Navy was five times its current size, a single German carrier strike group armed with these bombers would be capable of annihting it. However, even though only one CSG was currently armed with these most advanced weapons, Berengar intended to rece the air wings aboard each carrier with these new jet-powered aircraft by the end of the war, thus giving Germany the ability to own the world''s oceans.


    Hans could only smile as he thought about just how much of an advantage the Reich would have over any opponent it may face in the future. While Japan had struggled to produce wooden aircraft, Germany was now capable of mass manufacturing jet fighters and bombers.


    The next generation of flight hade as quickly as the previous one had disappeared. With this first foray into Jet technology, the Luftwaffe would continue to develop and produce new jet aircraft to rece their current propeller designs.


    However, what was most certain was the fact that these jet fighters and bombers on board the SMS Osterreich would be the first of such technology to wage war in this world. Something that Hans took pride in.


    ---


    Shortly after inspecting the new aircraft, Hans was called back into the section of the ship where he and his fellow pilots resided. The Wing Commander had an announcement he wanted to make, and as a captain of his own squadron, Hans was standing beside him.


    The Commander gazed upon his pilots. Some of them were experienced veterans by now, and others were fresh recements for those who had been lost in the war. Either way, they all had wide smiles on their faces as they were discussing among themselves the newest aircraft that they would be first in the entire Luftwaffe to fly. However, themander did not seem pleased, and thus was quick to give his thoughts.


    "By now you have all seen the new aircraft our carrier wing has been assigned to fly. I won''t lie to you. We are being used as guinea pigs to test thetest equipment, and we now have limited time to get ustomed to these new so-called jets before we are sent to war in them.


    Though our superiors deny it, I have no doubt that you can thank the Crimson Prince for our newest upgrades. As the greatest flying ace in the Reich, and the son of the Kaiser, he has undoubtedly caught the eye of the Air Marshal, who seems to think our wing is the best test subjects in the entire Luftwaffe.


    So, once we have finished loading these new nes onboard the carrier, I want each and every one of you to be as acquainted with them as possible over the next few weeks. That means no shore leave, especially you Haywire! From now until the moment we depart, you all will be logging in as many flight hours as you can possibly achieve. That is all. Dismissed!"


    Despite themander''s harsh words, the rest of the air wing seemed ecstatic to test the newest equipment. Things had been rather stale since they had begun patrolling the South China Sea. With Borneo now back in the hands of the Majapahit Empire, and the invasion of the Philippines still quite some time away, these men had not seenbat in some time. Though that was about to change soon enough.


    ---


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 Chapter 1083 Fall Of The Lmperial Japanese Navy

    Since the battle of the Marshall Inds, Itami had been keeping her navy within the sea of Japan as a protective measure. Japan only had four battleships left, and a handful of cruisers. The rest of what remained of the Imperial Japanese were small flotis of destroyers and submarines, which did their best to protect the Japanese transport convoys.


    However, Berengar was determined to eliminate what was left of Japan''s naval forces, and thus after a few weeks of his pilots getting intimately familiar with their new aircraft, the Kaiser tasked the pilots of the 6th Carrier Air Wing to conduct an all out attack on the Japanese Navy which was currently patrolling in the sea of Japan.


    Currently, the sixth carrier strike group was roughly halfway between Taiwan and the Bohai Sea. Their official objective was to enter the region and provide air support to the Joseon-German coalition force. However, in reality, they had a much more secret mission.


    Hans was awoken within the dead of night by his fellow pilots, who were already dressed in their flight gear. Haywire had a particrly sinister grin on his face as he tossed the boy''s uniform onto his half awake face, before yelling at him.


    "Hans, get the fuck up! We''ve got a mission toplete!"


    With that said, the Crimson Prince dragged himself out of bed before adorning himself in his flight uniform. Once that waspleted, he joined the rest of the pilots on the deck of the SMS Osterreich. Where he saw the wingmander suited up and was ready for battle. Naturally, the man had prepared a speech for his unit of highly trained pilots.


    "Gentlemen, today we will be conducting a covert operation in the Sea of Japan. As we speak, the Third Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy is patrolling the region. Needless to say that this fleet is our enemy''sst remaining naval force of any significance. Thus, our objective is to take flight with our new aircraft and strike them from a distance with our v-1 cruise missiles.


    As for our fighter pilots, your objective is to safeguard the bombers in case wee across any threats. You have your orders, so get ready to take flight. Captain Hans, since your skills as a pilot are so renowned, you will be the first tounch."


    It was times like this that Hans suspected that his Wing Commander, and former flight trainer was deeply envious of his achievements thus far. However, he had no n toin, and thus saluted the man before doing as instructed.


    Once inside the cockpit, Hans ignited his engine, while aligning his aircraft with the steam powered catapult whichunched him into the air, where he began to pilot his fighter to the coordinates he had been given. Immediately after, another ne wasunched, and then another, until all forty-two aircraft were airborne and headed to the Sea of Japan.


    The journey did not take too terribly long. While traveling at roughly 1223 kph, it took roughly half an hour from theirunch point to reach their destination. The wing of fighters and bombers was a long way from any naval support that they may receive, however they were also at a high altitude while in the middle of the night.


    While the German jets were equipped with extensive radar capabilities, the Japanese Ki-106s were utterlycking such technology. The only thing they had to worry about was the possibility that a Japanese radar station would pick them up.


    Unfortunately for them, there was one located on the ind of Tsushima, which quickly located the German radar signatures as a foreign adversary when they began to approach the Jeju Strait. After which, the Japaneseunched a series of fighters to intercept them.


    However, the Japanese fighter nes could only travel at roughly after the speed of the German jets, and thus, they had no chance of reaching the German position before theyunched their attack. With each passing second, the German carrier wing approached their target at a rapid speed. It was only a matter of time before the Third Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy was sunk.


    ---


    Itami was awoken in the middle of the night by one of her aides. There was an anxious look on the woman''s face as she rather hurriedly exined the details of what the Japanese Generals had to say. As a devout member of the Cult of the War Goddess, the aide used the honorific that was only reserved for deities in Japan when speaking to Itami.


    "Kami-sama, I am sorry to wake you at such an ungodly hour. However, you should know that our radar station at Tsushima has picked up multiple signatures of what appear to be German aircraft..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Itami red at her aide, furious that she had been woken up over such a trivial matter. She was quick to scold the woman for her foolishness.


    "So? Dispatch our fighters to intercept them! Do you really need to wake me up over such a petty matter?"


    However, the anxious look on the aide''s face only worsened as she bit her lip, struggling to give voice to the concerns of the Generals who had dispatched her to awaken the young empress.


    "Kami-sama, you should know, the German aircraft were travelling at such high speeds that our fighters were not capable of intercepting them before they approach their target, which appears to be the Third Fleet!"


    What Itami just heard was simply ludicrous. There was no feasible way the Germans could aplish such a thing. Unless... Suddenly Itami had a gut wrenching feeling in her innards. She quickly jumped out of bed and threw her coat around her nightgown, where she immediately proceeded to the war room of her pce without saying a single word.


    Once inside, the Generals all looked to Itami with looks of concern on their faces. They did not know how the Germans had achieved such high speeds with their aircraft, but it was deeply concerning. Before these men could even question their orders from their Empress, she had barkedmands at them.


    "Get Admiral Izumi Hiramori on the line this instant, and warn him that the Germans are fast approaching. I don''t know how they managed to achieve it, but we can not underestimate their sudden attack. Quickly, or I will have your heads!"


    Admiral Izumi Hiramori was a staunch fanatic of the Cult of the War Goddess. He would listen to anything Itamimanded and fulfil her orders without hesitation, no matter how absurd it was. Itami knew that the fleet could not possibly outrun the possibility of German Jet fighters and Bombers, and thus she had given her naval forces the order to be prepared for an immediate attack, hoping that the k guns onboard the vessel would be more than enough to stop the Germans in whatever dastardly plot they had conceived.


    At the same time, Itami stared at a screen which disyed the radar signatures of her Third Fleet, which located somewhere in the Jeju Strait. However, in the next moment, Itami''s worst fears were realized as one of the ship''s radar signatures immediately disappeared from the map, followed by another, and another, until the entire fleet had vanished.


    Itami could not exin how such a thing had happened so quickly, nor could she realize that the German bombers had attacked from a distance of two hundred and forty kilometers, with their cruise missiles and in doing so utterly decimated the Japanese fleet.


    Thirty cruise missiles had beenunched, their targets locked onto the Japanese ships with radar, their explosive payloads more than enough to destroy a battleship, let alone cruisers or destroyers. In the blink of an eye, before anyone could even react, the Third Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy had been sunk.


    Neither Itami nor her Generals wanted to believe that theirst fleet was gone. Still, the evidence was damning. Despite this, there were multiple attempts to contact the sunken fleet. However, all that remained on the line was static. Causing Itami to sink back into her seat in a deep depression.


    Her entire Navy was gone, aside from a few submarines and destroyers which were protecting her transport ships. She no longer had the ability to fight the Germans on the sea. Nor did she have the ability to contend with them in the air, as most of her air force had been destroyed as well.


    This was the final nail in the coffin. Itami had lost all hope of even bringing the Germans to the negotiating table. All she could do now was mount onest defense of the Japanese maind. Her next course of action was abundantly clear. She must evacuate all of her troops from the Korean penins before the Germans could disrupt her. At the very least, she would spare what remained of her army a brutal death in a foreignnd.


    ---


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 Chapter 1084 Evacuating Busan

    In a sudden turn of events, the Imperial Japanese Army hadpletely withdrawn from their fortified positions. Previously, the German and Joseon troops had battled the Japanese army to the death on every asion, and not because they were particrly ruthless, but because the Japanese soldiers were possessed with an undying loyalty to their Empire. Believing this conflict to be a war of aggression started by the German Empire.


    However, suddenly, before the ground forces in Korea had time to confirm the destruction of the Third Japanese Fleet, the Imperial Japanese Army had made a full withdraw. As a result, the German-Joseon coalition effortlessly made their way south through the Korean Penins. Everywhere they looked, there was abandoned military and industrial equipment.


    The mines in the Taebaek mountains had beenpletely deserted, withrge heaps of iron ore and coal stacked in carts. It would appear that the Japanese were in such haste to flee, that they had abandoned the natural resources which were the initial cause of their invasion and upation of the southern half of the Korean penins.


    Naturally, Berengar knew why this was the case. Itami realized that her position in Korea was doomed without a navy to protect her transports. Since she could no longer continue to fight for the region, she was now withdrawing her forces to the Japanese maind for oncest defense.


    However, would Berengar allow how her to do so? By no uncertain means this was Itami''s Dunkirk, and if he let a hundred thousand, or possibly even more Japanese soldiers, withdraw, then Japan would never give up its fight, not without a long and bloody conquest of Japan. Something Berengar wanted to avoid, if at all possible.


    However, there was a disagreement between the Kaiser and the Joseon King on how to proceed, and thus, Berengar was currently engaged in a bitter argument with his ally in the east.


    "I understand your concern about looking after the civilians who have been traumatized by this Japanese upation, however if we allow the Japanese to retreat back to their homnd, they will never end this fight, until we have fully invaded the Japanese maind itself.


    They will fight us on the beaches, they will fight us on thending grounds, they will fight us in the fields, and in the streets, they will fight us in the hills, and they will never surrender. We must push forth to Busan and disregard everything else. For if we don''t, this war willst for years, and will cause untold suffering to the young men of our nations. If you do notmit your forces to this attack, then I will conduct it alone!"


    The Joseon King sat in silence for some time, as if debating internally on his next course of action. Which, in the end, he responded with a heavy sigh before agreeing to Berengar''s demands.


    "Very well, we shall do as you say. I willmit my troops to attack Busan alongside your forces."


    With this said, the German Empire and the Joseon Dynasty immediatelymitted their troops to a hasty push southward to Busan in an attempt to intercept the Imperial Japanese Army before they could retreat back to their homnd.


    ---


    Word came suddenly in the night. The Third Fleet was no more. With this loss, Japan no longer had the ability to project force abroad, and thus General Shiba Kiyohiko was forced to withdraw his forces from Korea.


    This did not sit well with Shiba, who considered this loss the biggest humiliation of his life, in fact he was so outraged by the Imperial Japanese Navy''s destruction, that he had been among the first to withdraw from the theatre in order to speak with Itami, and beg the woman to give him another chance to redeem himself. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Currently in the city of Heian-ky��, Shiba and Itami were in a fierce argument about how to proceed with the ongoing war. Itami''s face was flushed red with anger as she screamed at the top of her lungs at the man who she had trusted to win the Korean front for her.


    "I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand my reason for retreating. We must reserve what is left of our forces to protect our homnd. That means both ground and air forces. Even if the majority of our current pilots are nothing more than conscripts given a crash course on how to fly, it will have to suffice.


    Without proper naval and air support, we can not hope to defend Korea. Now is the time to withdraw our forces from abroad and defend our maind from a German invasion to the best of our ability. If we can do this, we might be able to surrender on favorable terms. I don''t care what you have to do, even if you have to arm the youth and elderly, but we must defend our homnd from the enemy, no matter the cost."


    Shiba had patiently listened to Itami''s words, but found himself inplete disagreement with her approach. Surrender? How could he possibly surrender? To do so would be to admit that Itami was Berengar''s inferior. Did the woman not always say that she would only marry a man who could best her on the battlefield? No, surrender was not an option. Instead, Shiba wanted onest chance to prove himself worthy of his goddess.


    "Kami-sama, please.... I beg you, do not withdraw our forces to the maind. Instead, pull them back to Tsushima. The Germans will have to cross through the ind in order to get to our shores. If I can just lead our troops in Tsushima, I know I can give you the victory you need!"


    Itami thought about this for several moments. It would be easier, and safer, to withdraw her forces to Tsushima rather than the maind. However, she did not want Shiba in charge of the defense. His talents were better suited to preparing the maind''s defenses in the event that Tsushima falls. Thus, she sighed heavily before relenting partially to his request.


    "Very well, we shall withdraw our forces to Tsushima. However, I am not granting you authority over our forces in the region. I need you here, on the maind, preparing our defences in case the Germans manage to break through our lines on the ind.


    I will have to find another suitable candidate for the task of defending Tsushima. I will also need to begin the immediate evacuation of all citizens on the ind. Things are about to get ugly in the area, and I do not want any civilians caught in the crossfire. "


    Though Shiba wanted to debate Itami further on this point, he was immediately silenced by the woman who raised her finger, and pressed it against his lips the moment he uttered a sound, there was an intense re in the albino''s beauty''s sanguine eyes, which told the man all he needed to know. With a heavy sigh, he finally agreed to her orders, before walking away and leaving her on her own.


    "Very well, I understand. I will immediately begin to prepare our nation''s defenses..."


    After Shiba had vanished from Itami''s sight, she fell back into her chair and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. If she could not gain a victory at Tsushima, then the war was as good as over. She had to prepare herself to do what was necessary for the safety of her people, even if it did not sit well with her generals.


    ---


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 Chapter 1085 The Battle Of Busan

    After the victory in Borneo, Captain Herman von Habsburg and his unit had been moved from the ind to the Korean Front, where he and the men beneath hismand fought on the front lines of war. However, seemingly over night, the Imperial Japanese Army had begun to withdraw to Busan with the full intention of entirely abandoning the theatre.


    Now it was a race against time, as the soldiers of the German and Joseon armies bulldozed their way through the Koreanndscape in an attempt to reach the shores of Busan before the enemy could escape back to their homnd.


    Herman von Habsburg was not the slightest bit nervous, as proof of this he rested on the sloped armor of a Panther tank, with his Stahlhelm covering his face so that it could block out the light of the sun. Other member of his unit were smoking cigarettes to cope with the stress of battle which they had endured for months on end.


    An entire generation of German youth had been raised for the purpose of war, and though these young men were tried and tested long before they stepped foot on the battlefield, they were still human. Enduring stress, especially when it came to the form of bullets and artillery, was something a person could only handle for so long without reprieve.


    Yet it was their duty to storm the beaches of Borneo, and advance through the mountains of Korea, without regard to their one single life. Self-sacrifice was the first basis for human civilization, and thus these men would dly give their lives for family, folk, and fathend if they had to, and notin as they did so.


    Before stepping foot on the battlefield all those years ago, Herman had been conflicted with a variety of familial issues stemming from his sister''s betrayal that led to the death of their father. However, now he could not care less. War had be his home, after years of battling savages, and nowpeting against the only other industrial power in this world, he was now ustomed to the echoes of gunfire and the scent of blood.


    Whether he lived or died, it ultimately did not matter to Herman. After all, he still had an elder brother to continue the family name. Such a thing was not a life that Herman found particrly attractive. Instead, he found himself morefortable in a muddy trench surrounded by his men, then he did at peace in the fathend. Perhaps this was why he was still unwed, even as he approached his thirties. Thus, as the echoes of gunfire crackled in the air, from the Japanese defenses in Busan, he slept.


    Eventually the sound of the Panther''s main gun going off awakened the Captain as he realized the rest of hispany had hopped off their tanks, and out of their Infantry Fighting Vehicles, leaving him alone as bullets barreled towards him.


    After casually tossing his Stahlhelm over his skull, Herman jumped down behind cover and racked the charging handle of his assault rifle. A nearby automatic riflemen, had deployed his bipod over the crumbled stone wall, and was firing off a burst of bullets towards the Japanese who hid behind sandbags.


    The advantage of the Stg-27 which had been modelled after the FG-42 from Berengar''s past life, was that it fired from an open bolt while in the automatic setting, while also firing from a closed bolt in the semi-automatic setting. Allowing for reliable bursts of fire, as well as precise shots.


    Each soldier had been issued a 1.5x magnified scope, which greatly enhanced their ability to hit targets, while also allowing a perfect co-witness of the iron sights. Whether they were issued an automatic rifle or an assault rifle, these optics performed exceptionally on the battlefield, especially whenpared with the Japanese who were forced to use irons sights. After firing a barrage of hollow-point bullets towards the enemy, Herman heard the ordere through from a nearby radio operator.


    "Captain, our orders are to withdraw from the front lines. It appears the artillery has arrived!"


    Rather than risk being caught in danger close territory, Herman, along with all other officers deployed to the front lines, quickly gave the order to retreat back to the armored vehicles. As thousands of German and Joseon troops withdrew from firing range, the Japanese soldiers hollered insults, as if they truly believed it was they who forced the enemy to retreat.


    However, in the next moment their cheers came to an end, as tens of thousands of rockets took to the skies, and fell rapidly upon the Japanese defences. The fiery explosions consumed all who were tasked with resisting the German-Joseon advance. They were dead before they could even scream.


    What followed this rocket artillery was an overwhelming barrage of the Hummel self propelled artillery, which numbered in the hundreds. They ruthlessly pounded what remained of the Japanese defenses with their 15cm guns.


    By the time the German mechanized infantry was permitted to attack again, nothing was left of the Imperial Japanese Army''s first and second lines of defense except smoldering ruins. With this, the German-Joseon coalition was one step closer to the beaches, where they could cut off the Japanese escape.


    ---<novelnext></novelnext>


    While the German and Joseon Armies made their way to the Coast in an attempt to cut off the Japanese escape. The Luftwaffe was in the air, doing their best to sink the transport ships. The primary means of attack were the Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers, who dropped their payloads as often as possible.


    Most of these pilots hade from an airbase further north. As for the few carriers borne bombers, they came from the Sixth Carrier Strike Group, who were further out in the Bohai Sea. Thus, rather than dive bombers, these were Ar 234 Jets, which were equipped primarily with torpedos, this time around. As the SMS, Osterreich only kept a small supply of V-1 cruise missiles on board, which had been used up during the previous attack on the Japanese Third Fleet a few days prior.


    Hans, as usual, was tasked with protecting the bombers as he flew in his Ta 183/III Jet Fighter, zipping through the air with minimal effort, as fought against what limited aircraft the Japanese had deployed to protect their convoy.


    The Ta-183 jet fighter was capable of twice the speed as the Ki-106 fighter, it was also equipped with radar guided air-to-air missiles. Thus, Hans had an enormous advantage over the enemy. The X-1 Air-to-Air missile was modelled after the Ruhrstahl X-4 from Berengar''s past life. However, unlike its predecessor, it was modified to make use of radar-locking technology rather than wire-guided technology. As a result, it could seek and destroy Japanese fighters with ease.


    Hans had by now mastered the new weapon, and expertly piloted the aircraft around the skies while locking onto enemy targets with minimal effort. At the press of a button, he fired the first air-to-air missile that would score a kill in this world.


    The missile took off and flew through the air as it chased down its target. It could hit a target at a distance of 3.5 kilometers and travel at a speed of 880km/h. There was simply no feasible way for the Ki-106 to escape its path.


    Faster than Hans could even count the seconds it took, the X-1 missile collided with its target, and exploded upon impact. There was nothing left of the mostly wooden ne or its pilot as theypletely disintegrated mid air.


    Haywire, who was Hans'' wingman, eximed in shock over the radio as he witnessed the destructive power of their new weapons.


    "Jesus fucking christ!"


    As he said this, Hans had locked onto another target and fired yet another X-1 missile. In the blink of an eye, the explosion consumed another Japanese pilot''s life.


    The battle on the ground below was just as intense. German wolf packs,bined with Torpedo dive and jet bombers, worked in tandem to destroy the Japanese convoys, all while the German armored divisions pressed forward to the beaches where the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army all gazed in horror as their lifeline sank beneath the ocean''s surface.


    On this day, less than twenty thousand Japanese troops escaped from Korea with their lives intact to the nearby ind of Tsushima, which was only one fourth of the troops Itami hoped would survive from the ughter.


    As for the rest of the Imperial Japanese Army in Busan, like all other major battles, the Japanese had utterly refused to surrender and instead fought until theirst dying breaths, ultimately giving their lives in a pointless struggle.


    ---


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 Chapter 1086 The Gassing Of Tsushima

    Weeks passed since the Battle of Busan had ended, and during this time, the German Army surprisingly did nothing. Naturally, Japan took advantage of this time to withdraw their civilians from Tsushima while recing them with several armored divisions'' worth of soldiers.


    With the loss of Korea, the Imperial Japanese industry was now relying on the stockpiles of iron and coal that they had gained from their upation of the region to further manufacture weapons of war. It was bing increasingly clear to Itami that these supplies would notst another six months, and thus she was desperate to pump out as many weapons as she possibly could in this time frame.


    Nearly two months passed before Itami finally heard word of the German''s movements, and when she did, it came in the form of a direct message from the Kaiser himself. Berengar had reached out to Itami via the embassy in Beijing to personally request her surrender.


    When Itami picked up the line, she was absolutely livid to hear from the man who had dered war on her only a few months after they both fought so hard to retain the fragile peace that previously existed between their two realms. She was quick to give the man a piece of her mind.


    "Are you happy now? Hundreds of thousands of my people lie dead, my Empire is in ruins, and yet I am still l determined to fight for the continued survival of my people. Let it be known Berengar von Kufstein, if you send your forces to Japan, I will make them bleed for every inch of ground they steal!"


    Silence remained on the other end for some time until, finally, Itami heard a rather loud and forceful sigh.


    "If you and your men are so determined to fight to the bitter end, then so be it. I will give you three days to reconsider. If you fail to surrender to me in this time frame, then don''t me me for taking the gloves off. Until now, I have fought this war with a certain amount of chivalry. However, enough of my men have suffered for your greed and avarice. But no longer. This is your final warning. Surrender, or suffer the consequences. That is all I have to say on the matter."


    Before Itami could even properly respond to this statement, Berengar had hung up the line, causing her to be furious at his actions. She vented her fury for some time, but ultimately ignored Berengar''s orders.


    ---


    Three days passed, and Berengar stood in his war room, watching his wrist watch, waiting for the exact moment to give the order to attack. As the hands struck twelve, he sighed heavily in defeat before picking up the radio-phone, where he immediately contacted a man he had dispatched to Korea for a specific purpose. The familiar voice of Berengar''s Reichsgardemander immediately resounded on the other side of the line as he spoke with a hint of malicious glee in his tone.


    "So, I''m assuming the bitch has still refused to surrender?"


    Berengar silently nodded his head before realizing that Heimerich could not see his actions, and thus immediately gave voice to his thoughts.


    "Indeed. You know what to do..."


    After saying this, Berengar hung up before the man could respond, and swiftly retreated to his chair within the war room, where he sat down and stared out into space. Knowing full well what was just about to unfold andmenting that things had ultimatelye down to this.


    ---


    Somewhere in Korea, an attractive golden haired man smiled cruelly as he held a phone in his hand. He nimbly dialed the number that would connect him to his immediate subordinate. Who was standing by and waiting for the orders to begin their dastardly plot. The moment the line connected, Heimerich gave the order to initiate the attack.


    "The Kaiser has given his approval to proceed as nned. I think it is about time we test our newest weapon on the battlefield."


    The response to this statement was a brief reply, but with a stern tone in the voice.


    "Yes, Generalfeldmarschall."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Upon hearing this, Heimerich smiled, and hung up the phone, where he quickly proceeded out of the ps of his tent, and onto the edge of a nearby cliff, where he gazed off into the distance to where Tsushima lied. He spoke only to himself as he aired his thoughts aloud.


    "If Empress Itami does not surrender even after this, then I fear I may be able to finally get my fill of enjoyment in this war after all..."


    ---


    An entire wing of jet bombers flew high in the skies above the Korea Strait. They hadunched from the German Air Base in Singapore, and had been travelling for thest few hours at high speeds and altitude. These were not the standard carrier borne Ar-234 light bombers. Instead, these were long range jet bombers of recent manufacture.


    The Messerschmitt P.1107 also known as the Me 462 was a long-range strategic jet bomber designed as a prototype by the Germans during the Second World War of Berengar''s past life, and during the past two months, had recently entered production in this world. Currently, this ne was being mass produced to rece the aging Me 264s which were currently in widespread service.


    On board these strategic bombers was a special payload of a deadly ordinance, that Berengar had only decided to deploy now that the war was nearingpletion. Initially Berengar was willing to give Itami a chance to surrender, but predictably she had stubbornly refused to do so, and thus brought a disastrous fate upon her troops.


    It was beginning to seem that this war was taking an awfully simr turn as the Pacific Theatre during Berengar''s past life. Since he had not yet begun the refinement of nuclear material, and had no ns to develop nuclear weapons in this lifetime. Berengar had to make use of a different weapon of mass destruction to prove his point to the emboldened Empress, who would rather see her civilization destroyed, then surrender.


    The crew on board these bombers were rather hesitant to drop their payloads, knowing full well just what kind of horrific fate would await those affected by these weapons. However, they had been assured before this mission began that the Empire of Japan had evacuated all civilians from the Ind of Tsushima, and thus an element of guilt that would otherwise grip their hearts was not present.


    Eventually, the bombers flew over Tsushima, where they dropped their payloads. Each aircraft carried four thousand kilograms worth of ordnance, for a grand total of three hundred and fourteen thousand kilograms.


    As the bombs fell from the skies above Tsushima, the Japanese Defenders rather instinctively took cover in their bunkers and tunnels. However, when the ordinance finally detonated, it was not, in fact, a fiery explosion that urred, but rather a clear and colorless mist, which spread across the entire ind, killing every living thing.


    What was dropped was not an explosivepound, but rather three hundred and fourteen thousand kilograms worth of sarin gas. Sarin was a deadly nerve agent, most notably used by German forces during the second world war of Berengar''s past life. It was capable of absorbing through the skin, so even if one wore a gas mask, they would still die a brutal death.


    No bunker, tunnel, or armored vehicle could save the Japanese soldiers stationed in Tsushima from their horrific fate. In fact, the only thing that could possibly have spared them was a readily avable CBRN suit, which Japan was utterlycking the technological capability of creating, let alone mass producing.


    The mist surrounded the ind for some time, killing every living creature who dwelled on Tsushima. The loss of life was not limited to humans alone. Instead, the entire ecosystem had been annihted in a matter of minutes. Turning Tsushima into a barren wastnd, that would be incapable of supporting life for years toe.


    By the time the mist finally dissipated, Berengar was immediately alerted to the Attack''s sess where he swiftly got Itami on the line, who was entirely unaware of what had just urred. Berengar''s voice was grim as he spoke to Itami and if she didn''t know any better, she could have sworn there was a hint of remorse in his tone.


    "I warned you what would happen if you refused to surrender. I will give you some time to discover what has be of your precious ind stronghold, and those who dwell within it. After you realize the fate that has befallen your troops, I will give you another seventy-two hours to surrender. If you fail to do so in the allotted timeframe, I can promise you that Kyoto will be next."


    After saying this, Berengar hung up the line once more, not giving Itami a chance to respond. When she finally realized what horrific fate her troops had suffered, any resistance she still had to the idea of surrender was immediately broken. What came next would be a conversation between herself and her most trusted General that would seal the fate of Japan''s once mighty Empire.


    ---


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 Chapter 1087 The Shiba Shogunate

    Itami was utterly stunned by Berengar''s message. As far as she was aware, there had been no news of an attack on Tsushima. However, from the foreboding tone in Berengar''s voice, she knew something horrendous had urred.


    Over and over again, Itami repeated the words Berengar had spoken to her within her mind, and no matter how she attempted to decipher the message, there was always a noticeable hint of remorse in the man''s voice. At first she thought that she was hearing things, but after recalling the memory so vividly time and again, she realized that Berengar had done something that even he had found to be abhorrent.


    Panic immediately began to set in Itami''s mind and heart. She quickly looked over to her Generals, with her phone still in hand, and a horrified expression on her face, ultimately struggling to let the words escape her mouth.


    ".... G...Get in touch with Tsushima this instant! I want to know what has happened!"


    Though the Generals did not know why Itami was so shooken, they immediately did as they were told, and attempted to contact that main base on the now lifeless ind. However, all attempts ha failed, because there was not a single surviving lifeform to answer the phone.


    Seeing as how all attempts atmunication had utterly failed, Itami quickly began to lose her mind, as she hysterically screamed towards her Generals to find answers.


    "Find out what has happened this instant! I want a thorough investigation on this matter at my desk by sundown!"


    After saying this, Itami fled from her war room, and back to her quarters, where she struggled to cope with the ill feeling she had. There was something about the guilty tone in the man''s voice that led her to believe something horrible had happened, and that she was entirely unaware of what it was.


    Itami remained in a state of panic for several hours before General Shiba knocked on her door and voiced his arrival.


    "Kami-sama, we have news from Tsushima... May Ie in?"


    Itami red at her door with a hint of fear in her eyes. Her voice cracked as she responded to her General''s message.


    "Yes... Yes, hold on just a second!"


    Itami quickly climbed out from underneath her covers and tidied her snow white hair, making sure that she was in a suitable state as she straightened the medals pinned on her jacket. It was only after she had an appearance that was fitting of her position that she opened the door, to reveal a rather impatient Shiba, who entered the room, and handed Itami the report which their investigators hadpiled after visiting the Ind of Tsushima and witnessing the horrific disy.


    Itami could barely believe her eyes when she read the words all life on the ind is extinct. She had rather understandably be even more anxious as she shouted at her General for answers.


    "All life is extinct? How is this even possible? Was there any signs of a struggle?"


    The barrage of questions nearly caught Shiba off guard as he sighed heavily before answering the question.


    "We are not entirely sure how the Germans had managed it, but the prevailing theory is that they used some form of chemical weapon. The gas appears to have cleared from the ind itself, however, it is still heavily saturated within the bunkers and tunnels. We know this because one of the investigators climbed down into theplex and almost instantly died of an unknown cause.


    They must have dropped it from the sky. Though it is hard to tell, because there are no survivors on the ind who can inform us of what our radar station picked up just before the attack."


    Chemical weapons, the very notion that the Germans had gassed an entire ind into extinction, were simply too horrible for Itami to properlye to terms with. Then suddenly she remembered the final words Berengar had given her: Kyoto would be next. Kyoto was the modern name from her past life for Heian-ky��, which was her Empire''s capital. Was the man seriously willing to condemn a million innocent souls to a horrific death just because she continued to resist his aggression?


    After thinking this through, Itami finally realized why there was such ament in Berengar''s voice. It was not for the lives of her soldiers who were lost in the attack, but for the overwhelming number of flora and fauna which lived peacefully on Tsushima, whose entire existence was snuffed out at a moment''s notice like a candle in the night.


    Knowing that Berengar grieved the loss of the nt and animal life, and still conducted the attack, led Itami to believe that he was by no means bluffing when he said he would attack Heian-Kyo. Nor could she possibly take such a risk. Japan had no choice no but to surrender.


    What happened to Tsushima was an atrocity, but luckily innocent civilians had not suffered. For Itami had evacuated the ind in preparation for a brutal campaign. Knowing this, she quite honestly got off easy.


    Even if a hundred thousand young Japanese men had perished on Tsushima in the blink of an eye, their families were safe and sound in the maind, and over time her nation could repair the damage that they had been dealt. <novelnext></novelnext>


    However, the loss of Heian-ky�� would be unrecoverable, and would have a severe impact on Japan''s demographics for generations toe. Knowing all of this to be true, Itami sat back on her bed inplete and utter silence for several minutes, trying her best to prevent herself from crying.


    Shiba tried tofort Itami by wrapping his arms around her back, but she instantly rejected the offer rather violently as she pped his arm away from her figure and screamed at him at the top of her lungs.


    "Don''t fucking touch me!''


    Though this vicious response shocked Shiba, he prevented his thoughts from escaping his lips. He was just about to offer words offort when Itami openly dered her intent to surrender.


    "We have no choice now. We must surrender and endure whatever terms the Germans give us. If we do not, then Heian-ky�� is next, and perhaps after that, the rest of Japan."


    After saying this with a grim tone, Itami chuckled in defeat, before muttering a phrase that would send Shiba over the edge.


    "I have finally been bested by a man, though I never thought it would be in such a cruel manner..."


    Knowing exactly what this meant, Shiba suddenly lost his cool as he backhanded Itami across the face, an act whichpletely surprised her. Itami gazed in shock towards a menacing Shiba. She was just about to protest her treatment when the man scolded her for her attitude.


    "Japan will never surrender, not when I, General Shiba Kiyohiko, have a say in the matter. Your attitude is utterly disgraceful, and unbefitting our esteemed Empress. It has be clear to me now that I must assumemand of our Empire''s military in order to secure a victory against these white devils!"


    After saying this, Shiba immediately shouted in a voice loud enough that it carried into the hallway outside.


    "Guards!"


    Itami''s Imperial Guard immediately entered the room to see what all themotion was about, only to see Shiba looming over the Empress, who had a red mark on her face. At the next moment, Shiba gave them amand.


    "Our goddess is hysterical after suffering such a loss at Tsushima and is not well. She is to be confined to her room for the foreseeable future. In the mean time I will be assuming fullmand of her responsibilities. Until a time where I deem she is fit once more to lead our people."


    Itami scoffed when she saw Shiba giving her Imperial Guardmands. These were men who were devout members of the Cult of the War Goddess. How could they possibly stand by and see her treated as nothing more than a puppet?


    However, in the next moment, she saw the sinister look in Otagi Kiyotsune''s eyes, as well as the cruel smirk on his face as he nodded his head in obedience to Shiba''s orders.


    "Of course, Sir, you can count on the Imperial Guard to protect the Empress and her family..."


    Itami gazed between the two men, and suddenly understood that her position had just been usurped by her most trusted advisor. A man who had followed her since the early days of her conquests had so suddenly betrayed her and stolen the power she embodied as the Empress of Japan.


    As much as she wanted to protest, Itami knew that she had no power to stop what was happening at this very moment. Her most loyal followers had turned against her, and in doing so, she was now confined to her personal quarters, for now, and until the foreseeable future.


    As for General Shiba, he wouldter that day announce to the world that the Empress of Japan had suddenly suffered a bout of illness, and that he would be the de facto ruler of Japan until she was once more fit to reign. This ushering in the age of the Shiba Shogunate.


    ---


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 Chapter 1088 Rescuing A Damsel In Distress Part L

    A few dayster, Berengar stood within the confines of his war room while listening to an intelligence report from his operatives, who were embedded deep behind enemy lines within the Japanese capital of Heian-ky��. This report was actually a video recording, which was currently being disyed on arge screen for the Kaiser and all his generals to witness.


    A man that Berengar recognized as General Shiba Kiyohiko was giving a speech to the remnants of the Imperial Japanese Army. The man had a stern expression on his face as he condemned the German attack on Tsushima, while simultaneously dering the formation of the Shiba Shogunate.


    "I stand here before you all today to deliver some grim news. The Attack on our brave soldiers in Tsushima, which has left the indpletely devoid of all life, has caused our beloved Empress to be delirious.


    As Empress Itami Riyo is no longer in a state of mind that is capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of her position, I General Shiba Kiyohiko, hereby announce that I will be assuming the vacant position of Shogun until a time where the Empress is fit once more to rule over Japan.


    For the barbarians who are at our gates, who I know are watching this speech even as I make it, I want you to know that you will be held responsible for your atrocities. We will never surrender, and we will fight you until the bitter end. One way or another, you will break your backs on the shores of Japan! This I assure you!


    If you still dare to continue your aggression, then we will meet you with equal ferocity. Do not me us for taking the gloves off, for you have brought this upon yourself!"


    Berengar sat in silence as his generals contemted the meaning behind this speech. As they argued among themselves, Adelbrand appeared bewildered while he looked towards his Kaiser for guidance.


    "What does this mean?"


    Berengar could only sigh and shake his head as he stood up from his seat, and approached one of the windows of the war room, gazing off towards the east as he made things abundantly clear for his General Staff.


    "This means that General Shiba Kiyohiko has led a coup against Empress Itami Riyo. If I''m not mistaken, the little bitch is currently a prisoner in her own home. A mere puppet so that Shiba may maintain some legitimacy to his im of Shogun.


    It would appear that we now have to adjust our ns. So long as the Japanese Empress is a prisoner of this new regime, they will continue to use their newfound authority to resist our demands for surrender at every turn. We need to expose this act, and to do this I''m afraid we must dispatch a team of Sturmkommandos to rescue the little damsel in distress from her captivity.


    Once Itami is in our custody, we can effectively me all of Japan''s misdeeds on Shiba and his fellow traitors. In doing so, we can turn the Japanese people against him, and inspire a rebellion without ever needing to personally set foot on the soil of Japan."


    Adelbrand was rather shocked by this sudden turn of events, and was quick to question the Kaiser''s words. Apparently unconvinced that this was the best course of action possible.


    "Can''t we just gas Heian-ky�� like we had nned earlier? Why do we need to go to so much effort to rescue an enemy from a mess that she has created for herself?"


    When Berengar heard Adelbrand''s words, he turned around and red at the man with an intense amount of disgust on his face. He was quick to lecture his chief of staff on his cruelty.


    "I never intended to gas Heian-ky�� to begin with. It was merely a bluff to convince the Japanese Empress to surrender. Which, judging from the look of things, worked as nned, albeit I had not anticipated a coup taking ce as a result.


    Need I remind you that Tsushima was a valid military target, one where Japan had already evacuated all civilians in preparation for a gruesome battle? Heian-ky�� however, has a million innocent souls who live within its boundaries, maybe even more. Are you seriously telling me to condemn that many people to such a horrific fate?<novelnext></novelnext>


    These are not mindless savages who butcher babies, and roast men alive like we have found in our colonies. The Japanese are an intelligent, and industrious civilization that has proven themselves deserving of at least some modicum of respect.


    Just because Japan is ruled by a military dictatorship which denies its people their most basic rights, does not mean that we can just wantonly massacre them all. I am actually rather ashamed that you have suggested such an inhumane course of action.


    I expected such cruelty toe from Heimerich, as the man thrives in such ruthlessness. But you Adelbrand? Needless to say, I am disappointed in you. Now prepare a team to extract Empress Itami and her family from Heian-ky��. We will think of our next move after they are in our protective custody. You are dismissed..."


    Adelbrand was utterly shocked that Berengar had reacted in such a way. After all, this would not be the first time the man had used a chemical attack on a city filled with innocent people. In years past, Berengar had ordered for the city of Madrid to be shelled with chlorine gas, an act which killed roughly twenty thousand people in total.


    Despite this double standard, Adelbrand did not give voice to it, and merely saluted his Kaiser before withdrawing from the room in silence. After his generals had departed from the room to give him some space, Berengar sat down in his chair and sighed heavily as he poured himself a drink.


    The truth of the matter was Berengar still believed the massacre of Madrid to have been a necessary act of cruelty. After all, what were the deaths 20,000 civilians, many of which who were enemybatants, whenpared to the lives of his own soldiers?


    After all, at the time, Berengar was fighting against a gueri insurgency supported by the Papacy. One which had resulted in brutal urban warfare. It was impossible to tell who was an innocent civilian, and who was a terrorist waiting to kill German soldiers.


    As a result of thisplicated matter, Berengar had ordered to gas the city of Madrid which had be a stronghold for the catholic insurgents. If anything, he had attacked a military target while disregarding the coteral damage, which was how he had always and continued to conduct warfare.


    However, Heian-ky�� was different. There was no major military presence in the city. And since Itami had first formed her empire, and industrialized it, she had begun a rapid rate of urbanization. By now, over a million innocent souls lived within her capital. To murder them all in pursuit of a quick victory, even he found the idea to be somewhat chilling.


    As Berengar had stated to Adelbrand and his other generals, he had no problems purging vicious and mindless savages from thends he had conquered in pursuit of living space. Such was the nature of conquest. But this war was not about conquest. It was about deciding the world hegemon between two industrial powers.


    Thus far, the Japanese had shockingly abided by the rules of war that Berengar had set in ce during the Vienna ords. And he would not dare be the first to break them. To do so would stain his legacy for centuries toe.


    Berengar''s hope was to incorporate Japan into his sphere of influence after this war was over, and to do that, he needed two things: Firstly, he needed Itami Riyo alive and well, so that she could continue on as Empress of Japan. Though, in reality, she would be just another one of his puppets.


    And the second requirement that Berengar need to achieve his goal was to present a friendly image to the Japanese people. He could not have the public perception of the German people to be one of murderers and criminals. Instead, they would have to present themselves as liberators against a corrupt regime which has thus far denied the Japanese people their basic human rights.


    Thus, Berengar could not justify the ruthless ughter of a million innocent Japanese civilians. Besides, even if he wanted to gas Heian-ky��, he had used up his entire stockpile of Sarin on Tsushima. No, there was only one solution to this problem: rescue Itami Riyo, and use her as a means to incite rebellion against the newfound Shiba Shogunate.


    ---


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 Chapter 1089 Rescuing A Damsel In Distress Part Ll

    Nearly twelve hours had passed since Empress Itami Riyo had her position usurped by her most trusted general and was ced under house arrest. Currently, she sat within her room staring longingly at the Julian pillow, which she was hugging tightly while beneath her covers.


    For the first time in a long time, Itami had no desire to work on improving her nation, or its efforts tobat the uing German invasion. In the blink of an eye, everything she had worked so hard to achieve had been taken from her by her most trusted advisor.


    She could hardly believe that Shiba would betray her like this. After everything the two of them had been through together, the man had utterly backstabed her during her hour of need. Perhaps at this moment Itami should be feeling the need to cry, but there were no tears running down her eyes, rather there was an endless pit of darkness that had reced her heart, filled with a desire for vengeance.


    As Itami lied down, and struggled toe up with a way to avenge herself, something peculiar happened. The sound of explosions and the felt force of their wake startled her out from under her covers. The Germans were attacking. When she looked at the clock, Itami realized that it had indeed been seventy-two hours since Berengar made hisst demand of surrender.


    Perhaps she would finally know peace as the sarin gas snuffed her life away. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for death''s cold embrace. One second passed, then two, until finally five whole minutes had gone by, and yet while the sound of explosions continued to go off in the background, no lethal gas had entered her room.


    Bewildered by this sudden change, Itami was quick to rise to her feet as she approached the locked door to her bedroom. She ced one ear on the hard wooden door and listened for any sign of infiltration.


    Itami could hear numerous shouts urring through the pce, as her former soldiers hustled about, as if they were looking for something. However, in the next moment, a burst of gunfire echoed through the halls, and Itami realized that the Germans had indeed infiltrated her pce.


    She immediately fled back to her desk, and opened a drawer, where the divine sword of her imperial regaliay hidden away from Shiba''s grasp. She quickly pulled the object out of its scabbard and pointed it towards the doorway,pletely unafraid in that moment, as she prepared to attack those she believed hade for her life.


    However, in the next moment, two gun shots echoed just outside her door before it finally opened to reveal a familiar face. In one hand was a smoking gun, as Min-Ah entered the room with a shlight in her other hand. When the Joseon princess noticed that Itami was safe, she sighed in relief, before stashing her weapon away and holding out her empty hand to the wary empress.


    "Come with me. Your mother and sister are already waiting for you at the extraction point!"


    Itami was instantly bewildered by Min-Ah''s statement. In fact, she did not trust a single word the woman had said to her. Extraction point? What extraction point? Just who hade to her rescue? These were not the echoes of Japanese weapons shooting off within her darkened halls. In fact, that was another matter of concern. Why had all the lights gone out at such an hour?


    These were the questions on Itami''s mind, but before she could ask a single one of them, she had been grabbed by the wrist and pulled away from her desk. Realizing that Min-Ah was not giving her a choice, Itami screamed at her to stop.


    "Wait! I need to get the other artefacts! I can''t allow them to fall into Shiba''s hands!"


    Min-Ah silently nodded her head, and allowed Itami to collect the divine mirror and jade stone, before the two of them rushed out of the corridor and into the halls. Narrowly avoiding the gunfire that was being exchanged between the German sturmkommandos and the Japanese Imperial Guard.


    Finally, after crossing over numerous corpses, Min-Ah led Itami around a corner, where a group of men with assault rifles gged them with their weapons. Before the German soldiers could shoot, Min-Ah said a code word to rify her identity as a German agent.


    "Innsbruck!"


    When the German Sturmkommandos heard this, they lowered their weapons before grabbing hold of the two women and leading them away from thebat zone. Andreas Jaeger was leading this group of special operations operators, and as he dragged the two women through the halls, he could not help but curse Min-Ah out.


    "You took your sweet fucking time! I was told you would have the Empress out of her fucking room and ready for extraction before we infiltrated the pce. Do you have any idea what you put us through by failing to achieve this? If I didn''t know any better, I would say you are the worst field agent I have evere across."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Itami did not speak German, and thus had no idea what these men were saying, however she knew now that she had fallen into the hands of her adversaries there was no escape. She supposed she should not be surprised that her other most trusted confidant had also betrayed her. Not after what had happened with Shiba.


    The group fled through the walls of the pce, and out into the courtyard, where the ming ruins of the nearby power nt were immediately visible. Itami could easily understand what the Germans had done now that she had seen this mess.


    Berengar had ordered for surgical strikes on critical areas of Heian-ky��''s infrastructure to draw attention away from the pce. It worked like a charm too, because not nearly as many members of the Imperial Guard had been around to protect the Empress and her captivity.


    After carefully making their way out of the city, and towards a nearbyke, Itami saw a German sea ne waiting on the water''s surface. The German sturmkommandos did not bother waiting for her questions, and instead carried the Japanese empress through the waters and into the boat, where Itami saw her mother and sister waiting with frightened expressions on their pretty faces. It was only now that they had been reunited that the three women broke out into tears.


    However this reunion was short-lived, as Min-Ah piled into the aircraft, and squeezed herself by Itami''s side, immediately after that the ne took off, and headed to the Wakasa Bay where the German Sixth Carrier Strike group sat and waited for their arrival. No longer able to contain her curiosity and outrage, Itami began to berate Min-Ah for answers while mid flight.


    "Just what the hell is going on here, Min-Ah? Why have the Germans infiltrated my pce, and where are they taking me?"


    There was a rather irritated expression on Min-Ah''s face as she scoffed before informing Itami of what she knew.


    "After the deration of the Shiba Shogunate, the Kaiser figured you had been ced under house arrest. Thus, he decided to change his ns, from a chemical strike on Heian-ky��, to your liberation. I don''t know much, but he intends to use you to rally the people of Japan against Shiba and his military dictatorship."


    Naturally, Itami did not take this news well. She had already suspected from the moment Min-Ah cooperated with the German soldiers that she had been an agent of the Reich. However, she did not care about such a betrayal at this moment, and was more outraged by Berengar''s schemes.


    "So I am to be that man''s puppet as he tears my empire apart from the inside?"


    It was at this moment that Min-Ah gawked at Itami as if she were looking at an idiot. Though she did not want to exin everything to the woman, the Joseon Princess feltpelled to do so, and thus spoke to Itami as if she were a mere child.


    "Yes... In case you have not yet realized it yet, you have lost this war, Itami. If you want to keep your pretty little head intact, as well as those of your loved ones, then it is in your best interest to work with the Kaiser and see Shiba''s illegitimate government overthrown. By all means, continue to resist Berengar, but I can tell you from personal experience it is best just to submit to the Germans..."


    There was a look of pain and suffering on Min-Ah''s face that did not go unnoticed by the albino empress. Itami realized in the next moment that it would be best if at the very least she heard Berengar''s proposal. After all, she had nothing to lose at this point.


    Thus, the remainder of the journey to the SMS Osterreich waspleted in total silence, as nobody felt the desire to speak about what was unfolding in Heian-ky�� at this very moment.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1090 Rescuing A Damsel In Distress Part Lll

    Immediately afternding on the deck of the SMS Osterreich, Itami and her family were sequestered away from the public eye. Min-ah, however, had been taken towards themand center with the intention of a full debriefing during her time in the Imperial Pce.


    The Joseon Princess stood at attention in front of Admiral Nolthe Schriber, as well as her personal contact Agent Friedrich Ziegler, the two men stood and listened to Min-ah''s report on what had transpired within the Japanese Imperial Pce over thest few days.


    "It is exactly as you have suspected. General Shiba had taken the Empress captive, and forced her into house arrest, after she dered her intention of surrender. The man has gone mad, and I expect I know why.


    Shiba is deeply infatuated with Itami, and has been trying to gain her hand in marriage for several years now. I have no doubt that Itami herself ispletely oblivious to this fact. She dug her own grave the moment she said she will only marry the man who can best her on the battlefield.


    By dering her intent to surrender to Shiba, he may have confused her words, that she desired to marry Berengar, because after all, the Kaiser had bested Itami at every turn. As a result, Shiba has led a coup d''��tat, and is now the effective ruler of the Japanese Empire. He is exhausting every resource to prepare for the Reich''s invasion.


    I wouldn''t doubt that the fool is probably going mad at this very moment, knowing that Itami has escaped from his clutches. This means he will probably be even more erratic when ites to the defense of the Japanese maind. Germany must be prepared to fight even the civilians of Japan, or else I fear you will suffer heavy casualties."


    After hearing this report, Admiral Schriber nodded his head in silence for several moments as he contemted the next best course of action. After a while, he finally spoke, which immediately attracted the attention of Freiderich and Min-Ah.


    "Send word to the Crimson Prince, and tell him that I have a special job for him... It has be clear to me now that we must transport Itami and her family to Kufstein as quickly as possible. The Kaiser will know how to best proceed from here."


    Min-Ah did not say a word in response to this. Instead, she was quickly dismissed, where she immediately began to flirt with Agent Ziegler, who had captured her heart some time ago. As for Itami, she was pacing around the room that she and her family were held in, wondering what horrific n the Germans had in store for her.


    After nearly an hour, the door opened to reveal several heavily armed german soldiers, as well as a and adolescent boy, who Itami noticed was no older than fifteen. She was quite curious why someone so young was dressed in what was clearly an officer''s uniform. However, in the next moment, Hans introduced himself in perfect Japanese.


    "Captain Hans von Kufstein... I have been ordered to fly you and your family to Kufstein. My father wishes to speak with you in person."


    Itami immediately put two and two together when she heard the boy''s surname, as well as the mention of his father. She frowned heavily, realizing that Berengar had sent his young son off to war at such an early age.


    Of course, Itami did not realize that Hans''s brain was highly developed for his age, and that his maturity was well above that of his peers. If she did, she might be more impressed by his appearance here on this carrier. As a result of this misunderstanding, Itami was rather rude when she replied to Hans''s introduction.


    "I would very much like to meet the man who thinks it is appropriate to send a young boy onto the battlefield, let alone his own son. I can''t wait to scold him for such inhumane treatment of the youth!"


    Hans''s lips curled slightly upside down into a frown. From this brief interaction, he could already tell why his father referred to this woman as "the bitch". Itami was clearly very entitled, and had a disagreeable nature. These were two qualites that Hans found repulsive in a woman, no matter how pretty she might be.


    However, he maintained the grace of an officer, and thus ignored Itami''s taunts, before leading her to the deck of the carrier, where arge jet bomber sat waiting for them. Admiral Nolthe Schriber had ordered all pilots to hit the air in order to amodate this aircraft, which had been en route to the SMS Osterreich since the start of the operation.


    Itami was stunned to see that the Germans had already managed to make long range jet bombers. However, when she stepped foot in the vehicle, she realized that this aircraft was no bomber; it had been hollowed out of its military equipment, and reced with the luxury interior of a private jetliner.


    The conditions inside the aircraft included beds, bathrooms, and even a shower. As well as a dedicatedpartment to prepare food. Where several beautiful German women were already on board waiting to attend to the guests'' needs.


    Itami was not the only one surprised about this luxurious aircraft, so too were her mother and sister, who could not fathom that such a massive ne was capable of flight. After all, they had previously taken a float ne and were terrified by the experience. Yet this jet was so muchrger, and so much morefortable.


    Hans had already entered the cockpit and was preparing to take off, as Itami sat down in the copilots'' seat to demand answers from him.


    "What the hell is this? Why does such a jet exist?"


    Hans merely scoffed as he activated the engines of the aircraft before responding with a simple tone in his voice. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "My father appreciates the finer things in life. As a man who routinely travels across Europe and Asia, he prefers his personal transports to be asfortable as possible. I''ll admit, this ne is a much needed improvement over the previous model. Now take your seat. I don''t have time to entertain your questions."


    After saying this, Hans forced Itami out of the cockpit and locked the door behind her. Once he had gotten approval from themand deck of the SMS Osterreich, he took flight, sending the massive jetliner into the air, and towards Singapore, where he would need to refuel before journeying onward to Kufstein.


    Once in the air, Haywire, Ghost, and several of the other pilots of his unit, flew by his side, though it was impossible for the Imperial Japanese Air Force to target him at such an altitude, these men wanted to say their brief farewell to the best pilot they had ever seen.


    Having reached a safe distance away from the front lines, Haywire made a short salute before turning his tail and running back to the Carrier Strike Group, as did the rest of the fighter pilots. The journey to the Reich would take nearly an entire day to achieve, but once the ne had touched down in Kufstein, Itami and her family were both anxious and relieved.


    Anxious for what awaited them as they entered the capital of their enemy, while relieved that they could finally step foot on solid ground. Only Itami seemed to not care about the flight, as if it were the mostfortable thing she had ever experienced.


    Afternding in Kufstein, Hans led Itami and her family to a car, which had been prepared for them upon arrival. This was the first time he had step foot in his homnd since he had first deployed to war, and as he sat in the seat beside the driver, gazing off into the city of Kufstein there was an odd sense of nostalgia that entered his mind.


    As for Itami, she was utterly dumbfounded by what she was seeing while the car zipped through the streets of Kufstein. Everything from street lights to trolleys, high-speed trains and double-decker busses it was all beyond what she had been able to achieve on her own in Japan.


    It was not just the means of transport that shocked Itami, but the standard of living that the German people enjoyed. There were no homeless people begging on street corners, and every citizen she watched walk through the streets was dressed in clean and tidy clothes of thetest fashion.


    Even the blue-cor workers worevish suits and ties, while their wives and daughters adorned fine dresses. Itami had actually mistaken this to be the wealthy district of the city. Which caused her to express her disbelief aloud.


    "I can''t believe how wealthy your upper ss is here in Germany..."


    Hans instantly looked back at Itami with an embarrassed expresion on his youthful face, which she immediately noticed and called out.


    "What? What is it?"


    Hans looked away as he struggled to find the ability to express his thoughts to the Japanese Empress, fearing that she might be hysterical if she were to learn the truth of the matter. In the end he felt it was better not to keep it a secret and thus sighed in exhaustion before speaking to her.


    "Empress Itami, I don''t know how to say this, but this is the old quarter of the city. Our poorest citizens reside here. If you think this is an impressive standard of living, then I suggest you close your eyes when we enter the Pce district for the sake of your own mental health. I am now afraid to ask how your citizens live..."


    Itami waspletely stunned into silence for several moments when she heard this. This boy had to be lying to her. After all, she had just witnessed arge screen television through one of the local bar''s windows just now.


    Was Hans seriously saying that even the poorest of Germany''s citizens could afford a television of their own? Such a thing was only aplished by the United States in her past life towards the end of the 20th century. Just how wealthy were the Germans to aplish this already?


    Thus, Itami sat in utter silence for the rest of the journey to the pce while she took in all the bewildering sights with careful observation. By the time she entered Berengar''s home, it was as if her soul had left her body. A single word repeated itself over and over again in her mind throughout this time.


    Failure


    ---


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 Chapter 1091 Arriving At The Lmperial Palace Of Kufstein

    After driving throughout the city of Kufstein, and reaching the Pce district. Itami gazed upon the extreme luxuries that the upper ss of Germany had ess to with awe and envy in her sanguine eyes. The capital of the Reich, and its many extravagances, had utterly dumbfounded her.


    However, this shock did notst for too terribly long, as the car eventually pulled into the driveway of the Imperial Pce, where a group of soldiers invish dress uniforms stepped out and opened the car door allowing Hans to exit the vehicle first, followed by Itami and her family.


    Momo''s eyes were filled with excitement. She had lived quite the impressive lifestyle in Heian-ky�� with all the luxuries that the Empire of Japan could provide, but whenpared to the Reich''s mostmon citizens, let alone their wealthiest ss, the young woman felt as if she were nothing more than a simple peasant girl.


    Itami and her family were under strict observation from the soldiers of the Leibgarde who escorted the Japanese empress into the interior of the pce. Once inside, Itami was shocked to see some twenty odd people of varying ages waiting for her arrival.


    Except in the next moment she realized thisrge family was not waiting for her, but the boy prince who had apanied her on this journey. Immediately a total of five women rushed forward and glomped Hans in the middle of the pce''s entryway.


    Linde had failed to control her emotions and fought her way to the front position, where she stuffed Hans'' head into her substantial bosom while kissing his forehead and whimpering.


    "My baby boy is back, and he is just fine. Oh, thank the gods he is alright!"


    Itami saw the affection that the boy''s mother was giving him and stared at the redheaded beauty as if she had be enthralled. Though Linde was quite a bit older than she was, there was an air of maturity about her that Itami herself did not have.


    Suddenly, Itami was reminded of how Min-Ah spoke of a beautiful redheaded woman who was the wife of the Kaiser. It was almost as if the Joseon Princess had be obsessed with this woman with just a single nce. At that moment, Itami now understood the sudden unrequited love that had taken over her subordinate.


    While Itami was gawking at Linde like an idiot, Hans was being surrounded by several other beautiful women, which were his fiancees. Anne, Veronika, Noemi, and Natalia. Who all hugged and kissed him as his wee home. It was at this moment that Berengar descended from the stairs and gazed upon the scene. He shot once stern nce towards Itami before separating his son from his women, and giving the boy a pat on the back..


    "I have heard rumors about the Crimson Prince, and his aplishments in the skies above Borneo and Korea. To think my son has be the world''s greatest fighter ace. I knew you would make me proud, boy. For the next few weeks, you will enjoy a much deserved leave of absence. I''m sure your mother and fiancees would love to hear about your heroic tales over dinner and drinks."


    Berengar was a stern father, and he only everplimented his son when the boy had done something to deserve it. Hans had always been held to a higher standard than his siblings, both as the firstborn and as a genius of some renown.


    It was for this reason Berengar had often been harsh on him, especially after Hans had entered service into the Luftwaffe. However, in this moment, the Kaiser was treating his eldest son like a true War Hero, something that Hans felt he didn''t truly deserve despite his valiant feats on the battlefield.


    Itami''s sight had never left Berengar''s handsome face. There were a series ofplex emotions in her heart as she gazed upon the man who had bested her in every conceivable way. Not just on the battlefield, but as a politician as well. She was utterly humiliated after learning how prosperous the Reich was whenpared to her own failed state.


    So much so that she had not even noticed that the heater was on within the Pce. In fact, it was Momo who was the first to make a remark on this, as she looked around the pce searching for the source of the warm air before voicing her curiosity aloud.


    "Pardon me, your Majesty, but do you mind exining to me where the source of the heat is located?"


    It was only now that Berengar gazed upon Itami and her family for more than a single moment. He approached the young Japanese beauty who was Itami''s little sister and kissed her hand before introducing himself.


    "You must be Itami Momo, I have heard your beauty is well renowned in the East, and yet you are still single, despite your age. Perhaps I can introduce you to a man in my service who would be most deserving of a woman such as yourself.


    As for your question, it is with great pride that I must inform you that every house in the reich has been retrofitted to make use of electricity, heating, and air conditioning. As a result, even our poorest citizens do not have to suffer through the harsh cold of the winter or the zing heat of the summer."


    The Japanese Empress, while initially shocked by this boast, eventually became outraged at Berengar''sments about her sister. As for Momo, she had not heard a thing Berengar had said in response to her question. Instead, she flushed in embarrassment and looked away.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She had never seen the Germans in person before, but after travelling through the city of Kufstein and meeting the Kaiser himself, she felt somewhat attracted to their golden hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and refined features. At the very least, she would not deny such an offer. However, before she could thank Berengar for his kind words, Itami Riyo spoke up in protest.


    "If you think you can charm my sister with just a few empty titudes, then you are as arrogant as I have always thought you were!"


    Berengar''s smile immediately turned upside down when he heard these words. He swiftly withdrew his hand from Momo''s grasp before ring at Itami with a bit of contempt in his mismatched eyes.


    "Atst, we finally meet Empress Itami Riyo. I would say that your beauty lives up to my expectations. However, I must admit that I find your attitude to be utterly repulsing. As a result, I am forced to dock a few points from you.


    Here you are, in my home, meeting my family for the first time, and as I try to extend my generosity to your loved ones, you spit in my face and use me of being arrogant. It is no wonder that you are still single, despite your age. You should take a few lessons from your little sister if you ever wish to find yourself a proper man."


    Itami''s mother giggled slightly when she heard Berengar''s words. Like Momo, she had be utterly mesmerized with Berengar since the moment he first made his appearance. In fact, she agreed with Berengar''s assessment of her eldest daughter''s haughty behavior, and itrgely being responsible for the girl''s utterck of a love life thus far.


    Itami, of course, grew increasingly frustrated, but forced herself to remain calm. After all, she was in the enemy''s pce, and was effectively his prisoner. She would not dare to speak out of turn any further, or things could turn out ugly for herself and her family. However, in the next moment, Berengar shifted his view back to Momo and Miyu, as he extended his wee with a rather gracious offer.


    "I am sure the three of you are tired and in need of much rest after such a long flight. Asfortable as I have tried to make my personal transport, I must admit that the sudden change of time has a certain ill effect on the body. If you would like to catch up on your sleep, then I won''t insist on bothering you anymore. However, if would like to join me and my family for a feast, you are more than wee to do so."


    Although Itami found Berengar''s attempt to be a proper host rather irksome, this generous behavior of his only further solidified himself into Momo and Miyu''s good graces. For the life of them, they could not understand why Itami had found herself at odds with such a kind and gracious man, especially after the hospitality he had decided to show them, despite the fact that they were indeed his enemies. Before Itami could refuse Berengar''s offer, both her mother and little sister epted on her behalf.


    "We would love to share a meal with your lovely family. Just give us a short while to tidy up, and we will join you shortly. I must say I look forward to eating German cuisine!"


    This response by Itami''s family left her dumbstruck. She could not believe she would be dining with the enemy, nor how quickly her own blood rtives had betrayed her in order to get in the good graces of this shameless man. However, since they had already epted Berengar''s offer on her behalf, she could not reasonably weasel her way out of the meal. Thus, Itami could only sigh heavily in defeat, before following a member of the Pce''s staff to the quarters she and her loved ones were given for the time being.


    Once inside, she immediately found that a fine dress in her exact measurements was set out for her to wear, along with a pair of fine leather heels and jewelry that was so exquisite it was fit for an empress. It would appear that Berengar had spared no expense to ensure that Itami had clothing and essories that were truly fit for her position.


    Rather than ept this as a token of friendship, Itami inwardly thought that Berengar must be ying at something, and though she bathed before dressing in the clothing provided to her, she felt no great pride in doing so.


    When she finally emerged from her temporary quarters, Itami found her mother and sister in a simr set of luxurious attire. The two of them had excited smiles on their faces as they examined themselves in the mirror with great intensity. Upon seeing that Itami had joined them, Momo immediately ran up to her elder sister and hugged her tightly before whispering something shocking in her ears.


    "You''re so beautiful. I bet even the Kaiser will have to treat you differently after he witnesses how gorgeous you look. Come, let''s go join our hosts for a nice meal!"


    Before Itami could even react, she was dragged off by her little sister as the trio followed the guide that had been provided to them, towards the dining hall where Berengar and hisrge family were already gathered. What came next would be a feast that would forever change the rtions between the German Empire and their Japanese rivals.


    ---


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 Chapter 1092 ALavish Feast

    Itami entered the dining hall of the German pce to find that Berengar had pulled out all stops for the event. A full feast of the finest German cuisine, along with a small band which yed ssical music, were awaiting the Japanese Empress and her family in the venue.


    The moment Berengar saw Itami enter, he stood up from his seat as a sign of respect, even if his face wore a rather stern expression. He quickly snapped his fingers, causing the members of his Leibgarde to pull out Itami''s, Momo''s and Mibu''s seats for them.


    Momo and Mibu were more than happy to sit down, and stare at the plethora of dishes which sat in the center of the table, waiting to be scooped onto the individual dishes of Berengar''s exceptionallyrge family, as well as those of their guests.


    Once seated, Berengar motioned for a servant to appear, and ordered a round of fine wine from the South Tyrolean region to be served to everyone of age. It was only after the sses were poured that Berengar stood up once more and made a toast.


    "I would like to take the moment to say a few words. Though we have had our differences in the past, I think it is now time for us two monarchs to put aside our animosity towards one another and work together to restore the bnce of this world. To friendship!"


    Berengar spoke the words first in Japanese, and then in German so that everyone present could understand them. Then he took a hefty gulp of his wine before sitting down once more. As for his guests, there were rather excited smiles on Momo''s and Mibu''s beautiful faces as they lifted their sses in reciprocity before taking a drink of their own.


    Itami, however, said nothing and merely sipped from her ss while eying Berengar carefully. This action did not go unnoticed by Berengar and Linde, who exchanged nces but said nothing to one another.


    Upon Itami''s inspection, there were multiple beautiful women sitting at this table, many of which were helping their youngest offspring eat their meals. While others appeared to be fawning over the young Prince. To Itami, this scene was extremely confusing, and as a result, she could not help but ask Berengar the most important question on her mind.


    "Just how many women do you have as a part of your harem?"


    Linde red menacingly at Itami and felt the need to say something in Berengar''s defense. However, the Kaiser saw this and quickly raised his hand in response, which ultimately silenced his wife. For the first time since he had met Itami, no more than an hour prior, Berengar smiled at her when he answered her question.


    "I have ten women, in total, all of which whom love me dearly and have birthed my children. As you can clearly see, not all of these finedies are currently present. Though it breaks my heart, it is a matter of necessity that a few of my women live elsewhere. Some are present in Kufstein within their own chateaus, while others reside abroad.


    To be precise, I currently have four wives and six concubines. For the record, in the Reich, a man is permitted to have a maximum of five wives. However, marriage is aplicated political issue for a man in my position, and in many ways my concubines fall short of meeting the requirements for one reason or another."


    Momo wore a bright and cheery smile as she leaned over and whispered something in Itami''s ears, which caused the woman to blush. After which, Itami took a sip from her wine and tried to steer the subject away from whatever it was that Momo had told her.


    "I''ve heard rumors that you have taken your sister as a lover. I hope these usations are not true."


    Berengar wore a stoic expression, before telling Itami the truth of the matter. It was clear that he did not care in the slightest about these rumors.


    "It''s true. Henrietta and I are in love, though the matter of our familial rtions is ratherplicated. While Henrietta was raised as my sister, since I was very little, we are not actually blood rted siblings. She is, in fact, the bastard daughter of myte grandfather, who was adopted by my father while she was still an infant.


    The truth of Henrietta''s lineage is not publically disclosed. The reason being that if this matter were to be revealed to the public, then I would be forced to revoke her royal status, as she is, in reality, not an official member of my dynasty.


    Henrietta is perceived by the public as a pure maiden who has dedicated her life to folk and fathend. After an attempt on my life that left my beloved sister wounded, we decided to inform the people that she was incapable of bearing children, and has instead decided to live her life through acts of charity.


    My sister ys an important role in society by leading the Henrietta foundation. Which is the leading sponsor of orphanages, and the less fortunate in our Empire. If people were to find out that she was in reality a bastard, and the mother of several of my children, it would ultimately cause more harm for our nation, then it would do good. Sometimes bitter truths are best left unrevealed.


    I can tell by the look on your face that you are judging me inwardly, and that is fine. By all means, I don''t expect most people to sympathize with our rtionship. However, it is my belief that we do not choose who we fall in love with, and that is all the justification I need." <novelnext></novelnext>


    Momo seemed to be inspired by the story Berengar had told about his rtionship with his adopted sister. However, Itami looked at Berengar with a hint of disgust on her face. She could not believe the man had so many women by his side, and one of them was his sister. However, when she gazed upon the many women who could not understand the Japanesenguage and were instead helping feed their youngest children, there was a hint of envy and despair in Itami''s own heart.


    Berengar''s family wasrge, and seemed to be genuinely happy, despite the unorthodox nature of its structure. This was something that Itami was definitelycking in her life. After interrogating Berengar for some time, Itami finally took a bite into the venison jaeger schnitzel which sat on her te and nearly orgasmed from the vor. There was a slight moan that escaped her lips, that was far more lewd than it should have been. Causing several eyes to cast themselves upon her.


    Naturally, Itami flushed in embarrassment, as she quickly took another bite from the delicious meal. Not wanting to waste a single bit of it. Whether it was this life, or her past one, she had never tasted German food before.


    After all, Julian never had the ability to cook for her. However, when she thought of this, a slight tear emerged from her eyes. This was the same food that Julian would have eaten in his past life, and yet, she never had the opportunity to share it with him.


    Berengar noticed that Itami had suddenly be emotional, and simply looked away, not willing to gaze upon the albino beauty''s pitiful appearance. As if right on time, a distraction presented itself, which came in the form of a leopard cub, which chased Linde''s cat, midnight through the Dining Hall.


    Running after the two felines was a maid with a dishevelled appearance who was calling out to the naughty kitty, who was once more misbehaving himself.


    "Spots, get back here this instant! You must not interrupt the master''s meal!"


    Linde immediately began to scowl as she shouted across the room towards the yful leopard cub, instantly stopping him in his ce, as he was just about to tackle the solid ck house cat.


    "Get down, you naughty child!"


    Spots instantly jumped off the table, which Midnight was now sitting upon while hissing at the leopard cub. Midnight''s entire fur was standing on end, as the cat made its annoyance clear to the misbehaving leopard. Spots looked up to see that Linde was already towering over him with a vicious look on her face. This had caused the cub to lower its head and look away in fright.


    Linde merely picked up the leopard cub from the nape of its neck, and wagged her finger in its face, all while berating him for his misbehavior. Once spots had received a thorough talking to, he was handed off to the maid, who scurried out of the dining hall with her apologies to her employers. Berengar naturally had a smug grin on his face as he made a joke at his wife''s expense.


    "Damn Linde, even the leopards are afraid of you..."


    Linde did not immediately respond to Berengar''s jest, and instead picked up her aging ck cat, and held it to her substantial bosom while petting the creature in an attempt tofort it. Finally, after Midnight seemed to be satisfied, she let the cat down before responding to her husband''s remarks.


    "If those damned leopards weren''t chasing my poor Midnight all the time, I wouldn''t have to be so intimidating."


    Berengar chuckled, while Itami gazed inplete and utter shock at what she had just witnessed. Did these psychos seriously have a pack of leopards running around the pce grounds? Naturally, Itami could not understand Linde as she spoke in German, but by the way the redheaded beauty was reacting, this appeared to be amon urrence.


    After that little incident, Berengar continued to have a conversation with Itami and her family in their native tongue. All the while, the rest of his family enjoyed their meal together. If one thing was aplished by thisvish feast, it was the fact that Berengar was somewhat humanized in the mind of the Japanese Empress.


    ---


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 Chapter 1093 The Japanese Empress Tours The German Capital Part L

    Itami went to bed at night in utter silence. She was feeling fairly conflicted after seeing how exceptional her greatest rival''s life was. There appeared to be no trace of stress that she could detect, and yet her entire life was stressful.


    However, she utterly refused to believe that life in the Reich was all it was cracked out to be. Surely there were faults in Berengar''s tales about how great his empire had be. Luckily for her, she was to be given a tour of the capital city the next day, and Itami knew that she would be able to find something that was out of ce.


    Thus, Itami slept rather soundly that night, dreaming about how she would finally be able to call out Berengar for his misdeeds. However, the next morning she was surprised to find that it was not Berengar himself who would be guiding her through his capital city, but instead his young son, Kristoffer.


    Hans was too busy at the moment, with every spare second of his time being upied either by his mother or four of his fiancees. While Berengar himself had a country to run, and decided that was more important than entertaining his esteemed guest from a rival nation.


    Thus, when Itami and her family arrived at the front door of the pce, they were shocked to see an adolescent boy, who looked very much like his father, standing there with a pleasant smile on his face, while dressed in a fancy suit. Kristoffer had a trio of white roses in his hand, which he gave to the three Japanese women as a gesture of good faith, before introducing himself, shockingly, to Itami. He spoke fluent Japanese.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Empress Itami Riyo, Princess Itami Momo, and Queen-Mother Mibu Saya. I am Prince Kristoffer von Kufstein, the second son of Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein and the eldest child of his wife, Kaiserin Ad von Kufstein. It is my honor to be your guide throughout the city today. Is there any ce in particr you would like to visit? Or shall I lead the way?"


    Itami examined the boy for quite some time, noticing that there were no ws whatsoever in his appearance or his manners. Despite this, she did not seem pleased. Momo and Mibu were entirely different. They perceived the boy to be the perfect example of a young gentleman and were both quick to pamper him as they epted his gift.


    "Oh my, isn''t he so cute onee-chan? Okaa-san, can we keep him?"


    Mibu was practically pinching the boy''s cheeks as she nodded her head in agreement with her youngest daughter''s sentiment.


    "I would very much like to do so. s, he already has a family..."


    These unexpected responses caused Kristoffer to blush as he gazed up at the two beautiful older women who were pampering him as if he were their most prized pet. Despite this treatment, he did not shoo them away, and instead cleared his throat in an attempt to get things back on track.


    "Well, if none of you have any preferences, then perhaps we will start in the old district. Though it is where our city''s poorest citizens reside, and with some of the oldest buildings in Kufstein, I assure you, it is perfectly safe to travel its streets, even without an escort."


    Itami found this hard to believe: where there was poverty, there was crime, this was no secret, and had been the case for every major civilization in human history. Thus, when she stepped out of the Pce and into the car, she was expecting to see some human suffering.


    However, when the car finally arrived in the old district. Itami realized that she had misunderstood just what the Germans considered being poor. Kufstein had no slums or ghettos. The old district was considered poor, but it was by no means unkempt or unsafe. Women walked through the streets alone, or with their children, and they had smiles on their faces.


    In fact, the buildings themselves might be a bit older, but they were well maintained, without the slightest hazards sticking out. Old and impoverished were far from what Itami would use to describe the old district. In fact, there was a word for what she was witnessing: quaint.


    While stepping out of the car, and escorting the three foreigndies, Kristoffer noticed a nearby cart which was selling hot dogs. However, these were not the typical American hotdogs from Itami''s past life, but instead were grilled beer bratwursts served on buns, with sauerkraut, and brown mustard.


    With a wide smile on his face, the German prince led the three Japanese beauties over to the cart, where a middle-aged man with gray hair, blue eyes, and a mustache was currently serving a few brats to a group of customers.


    The man was dressed in a fine cotton dress shirt, tailored trousers, and leather oxford shoes. Over his torso, he wore an apron. Despite living in the old district, the man had a joyous smile on his face, as if he was happy just serving food on the streets to the city''s residents. When Kristoffer approached, the man broke out into a fit of joy and introduced himself to the Imperial Prince.


    "Prince Kristoffer?!?! It is my greatest honor to see you on this day. What can I do for you? I''m sorry I''m getting ahead of myself. My name is Paul Brauer. It is a pleasure to meet you!"


    Kristoffer smiled and epted the man''s praise graciously before getting straight to the point. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Mr. Brauer, the honor is all mine. It is good to see the people of Germany working hard to provide for themselves and their families. These threedies and I are in the mood for something tasty, and I was wondering if I could purchase four of your brats."


    Paul looked over at Empress Itami and her family, and noticed that they were foreign women, simr to those in Little Kyoto, he did not know what status they must have for Kristoffer to be their guide, but he was quick to greet them as well.


    Although it became abundantly clear that they did not speak a lick of German, thus he turned his attention back to Kristoffer, as he smiled and shook the boy''s hand before carefully preparing four brats for his customers. When Kristoffer reached into his wallet and pulled out a thousand mark bill, Paul''s eyes nearly shot out of their sockets. He was quick to dismiss the need to pay, let alone in such a high amount.


    "Your highness, you do not need to pay for my product. If not for your father, then I would not be living such afortable life, doing what it is that I love to do. Please, they''re in the house!"


    However, Hans rejected this notion immediately, and forced the hefty sum of money into the man''s hands, assuring him that it was perfectly eptable for him to pay for the services provided.


    "I assure you, Mr. Brauer, yourbor is worth the price you charge. As I only carry thousand mark bills on me, consider this my treat for all you do for Kufstein and the Reich as a whole. Some people may say that you do not provide an essential service to the people of this city, but I disagree, without street vendors like yours we Germans would not be able to enjoy such a fine treat on wonderful days like this, and is that not the essence of what makes a society prosperous?"


    Itami watched the disy, and though she could not understand what the two germans were saying, she could tell that Hans was vastly overpaying for the product. This was further proven when Paul wiped a tear from his eye and gratefully epted the substantial sum of money that Kristoffer had used to pay for the product.


    After which, the man threw up a proper salute to the prince and continued to maintain the pose even after Kristoffer returned his gesture. Paul would continue to salute Kristoffer until the boy was out of sight. Where he and the three Japanese beauties enjoyed the brats to their heart''s content. It was only after they had all finished their treats did Momo exim in excitement at what she had just witnessed.


    These were no small sausages. In fact, a single brat contained about a third of a pound of meat in the bun, which was thoroughly covered in its toppings. Momo found it simply unbelievable that such a massive amount of food was being sold in the streets of the poorest section of the city, and she was quick to voice this disbelief.


    "You''re telling me that even your poorest citizens can afford this much meat for a single meal? How is that even possible?"


    Kristoffer wore a proud smile on his face as he exined the agricultural system of the Reich to his father''s guests.


    "Unlike other societies, we see our agriculture and medicine as a means to feed and heal our citizens, and not as a means of profit. Because of this, everything is grown sufficient quantities, while medicine is stockpiled here in the fathend, and abroad in our colonies across the globe. They are then sold in the markets for the minimum price that still allows thepanies to profit in a way that they can continue their business.


    As a result, even our poorest citizens have a healthy diet, which enables our people to have proper nutrition in every meal they eat. While our medical industries invent products that maintain a happy and healthy popce and are provided free of charge, at the government''s expense."


    It was not only Momo and her mother who were blown away by this news. But Itami herself waspletely astonished by this. Even more so than her family. ording to this boy, the Reich had Universal healthcare that was actually high quality, and an agricultural system that was not driven by profit, but rather the need to feed every citizen of the reich. Such a thing was simply astonishing, if true.


    What kind of utopian ideas was this little boy spouting? As a ruler of an Empire herself, Itami found the very notion of what he had said to be unobtainable. Thus, she suspected Kristoffer was merely speaking propaganda points, and ignored everything else he had to say on the matter.


    Of course, Kristoffer was speaking the truth, and thus he continued on with the tour of Kufstein without paying heed to Itami''s skeptical attitude.


    ---


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 Chapter 1094 The Japanese Empress Tours The German Capital Part Ll

    Kristoffer led Itami and her family through the streets of the old district of Kufstein on a rather exciting tour, which gave the three foreign woman a rather mind altering perspective on the Reich, and how its citizens lived.


    After visiting a few shops and pubs, which had items reasonably priced for even the lowest ss of German citizens. Kristoffer led the trio back to the car. Where they got inside and prepared to enter another section of the city. As they passed by thergest hospital in the city of Kufstein, Kristoffer posed question to Itami that he had not thought about until seeing the building.


    "Pardon me for asking something so personal, but are the three of you up to date on your immunizations? Because if not, we can take a quick stop at the doctor''s office and get you vinated."


    Itami gazed upon Kristoffer''s innocent looking face with a look of pure bewilderment on her own. Did this boy seriously just say that the citizens of Germany already had ready ess to vines? As for Momo and Mibu, they had no idea what the boy was talking about and thus appeared puzzled. This alone was enough for Kristoffer to pick up that something was seriously wrong, but it was Itami''s own statement which thoroughly shocked him.


    "Do you mean to tell me that Germany already has vines? For what diseases exactly?"


    Upon hearing this, Kristoffer was utterly stumped. He had thought for sure Japan was a near-peer adversary. That was what he was always told by his father. Yet they did not even have vines yet? Surely they did not spend all their resources on developing military technology, did they? Thinking that this could actually be reality, Kristoffer shuddered in horror before informing the Japanese empress that Germany, in fact, had several vinations.


    "Currently, we haverge stockpiles of vines for smallpox, measles, polio, rabies, and influenza, with new vines being developed every year. Surely you don''t mean to tell me that your people don''t have ess to such life saving medicine, do you?"


    Itami simply averted her gaze, which was all Kristoffer needed to know that he had been correct in his assumption. He could hardly believe this news and was quick to insist that Itami and her family get vinated.


    "Driver, pull up into the hospital''s parking lot. We need to get these women vinated at once."


    Though Itami knew what Kristoffer was offering, her mother and sister had no idea what the two of them were talking about. The driver immediately did as instructed and dropped off the group at the entrance of the hospital.


    The hospital wasrge and fully staffed with an extravagant waiting room where several dozen people sat with filtered masks on so as to prevent the spread of illness. In fact, Kristoffer and his guests were all handed masks at the entrance which they were instructed to adorn before entering the facility.


    The Reich''s rapid development in the field of medicine was in arge part due to widespread practice of human testing on death row inmates. As a result, there was not only widespread use of antibiotics and vines for various illnesses but also extensive surgical operations that had been thoroughly tested on the most heinous criminals.


    While some from Berengar''s past life may consider this human experimentation to be immoral, it had helped rapidly develop the German medical industry, to the point where German citizens could receive a rtively modern standard of medical care for no charge. Even foreign monarchs woulde to the Reich and pay a king''s ransom to be treated by German medical professionals.


    Kristoffer registered Itami and her family at the front desk before meeting with them in the waiting room. Where he informed them that they would be able to see a doctor in at most an hour. With multiple hospitals in every major city that were filled with arge and ever present staff, the German Empirecked many of the failings that universal healthcare systems had suffered from during Berengar''s previous life, such as extended wait times.


    Within thirty minutes, Itami was called up to the doctor, under a pseudonym as to not alert the public to her identity. Kristoffer followed her to the back of the office as her trantor. Seeing how it was Itami''s first time being treated by a medical professional, they ran a thorough physical examination, and concluded that she was healthy, before giving the Japanese Empress her vinations.


    After no more than an hour, all three of the Japanese beauties had received their physicals and vinations, where they then departed from the Hospital in a state of utter shock. Itami could not believe how modern the hospital was.


    Nor how friendly the staff was despite her being a foreigner. The medical professionals seemed to genuinely care about her health and were not just in it for the substantial paycheck. She remained utterly silent as the car pulled into the trade district, where Kristoffer finally spoke before stepping out of the vehicle.


    "You three can stay here for the moment. I just need to pick something up for my wife..."


    The trio of women looked strangely at Kristoffer before Mibu finally voiced her confusion aloud.


    "You have a wife? But you''re so young!"


    Kristoffer thought about what he had said for several moments and then blushed in embarassment befor correcting himself. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "What I meant to say is that we will be married in the future. I don''t seem to recall the Japanese term for it..."


    Mibu and Momo grew excited at the prospect of this little boy having a fiancee, and quickly pinched his cheeks while teaching him the Japanese word for fiancee. After receiving enough attention from the older women, Kristoffer ran off towards the local sweet shop, where he picked up a bag of cookies that Astrid was particrly fond of.


    As Itami waited around for Kristoffer to return, she noticed there was a ratherrge television in the sweet shop which disyed a cartoon about a cat-and-mouse duo, who were always fighting. Though the art and animation was its own unique style, Itami felt that it wasrgely inspired by a show from her past life.


    Evidently, it was popr, as the kids wereughing and cheering while eating their snacks, and even some of the parents joined in on the fun. Not long after, Kristoffer emerged from the shop with a bag of freshly baked cookies in his hands, which he ced safely in the trunk of the car before taking the passenger seat next to the driver''s side. Once his seatbelt was in ce, Kristoffer ordered for the car to continue to one of the oldest fashion stores in the city.


    The shop was popr among women, and had been the ce where Linde, Ad, and Honoria oncepeted against each other while shopping for lingerie. However, it did not just sell undergarments, but dresses of the finest kind as well as all kinds of essories, including shoes.


    The fashion these days was vastly different from what it had been over a decade ago. The mature beauty who once ran the shop had long since retired and sold ownership to arger chain. Despite this, the store continued to be a ce which dressed women in the finest clothing avable.


    Once inside, Itami and her family marvelled at the wide selection, whose fashion style was reminiscent of that of the early 20th century from her past life. Fashion was rtively conservative, especially by modern standards. Men wore three-piece suits, trench coats, andvish hats. While women wore exquisite dresses whose length went below the knees.


    It was only really in the ballrooms of the nobility that an older more refined style was still in fashion, and as a store which sold almost exclusively to the upper echelons of German society, it was this Imperial sense of fashion that was sold within this store.


    Itami looked around the store and was truly surprised. These were what one might call "princess dresses" much like what she was currently wearing, that Berengar had provided to her and her family free of charge.


    Itami did not know how much German currency was worth, but it was apparent by the price tags, that these dresses and essories weren''t cheap, and yet there were dozens of women in this shop getting their sizes checked in order for these items to be properly tailored to their bodies.


    However, before she could inquire further about this, Momo had set her eyes on a satin ck dress of a rather exquisite design, which matched her hair and eyes perfectly. Since the moment Berengar had given her a royal dress, the young woman had be infatuated with the German sense of fashion, and was quick to beg Itami for the one which was now in her hands.


    "Oh onee-chan, please convince the young gentlemen to get this dress for me! I am sure I will be able to win any man''s favor in such a fine garment!"


    Though Kristoffer was standing a bit aways from Itami and her sister, he had still heard Momo''s words and was quick to inform them about his reason for visiting this particr store.


    "Father says I am to provide our guests with whatever it is they desire. So if you want this dress, I suggest picking out some shoes and a handbag which matches with it. Just don''t look at me for advice on that subject. I''m not exactly what one would call a fashion aficionado."


    Momo quickly ran up to Kristoffer and hugged him tightly while kissing him on the cheek, before scurrying off to find more items, which she wanted to add to her collection. As for Itami, she sighed heavily, thinking that perhaps her sister had more boobs than brains. Still, no matter how much she wanted to deny it, Itami always wanted to be dressed as a western princess, especially after growing up in America during her past life.


    Thus, Itami, Momo, and Mibu spent the next few hours picking out the finest dresses and essories they could find, not worrying in the slightest about the price, for it was all being paid for by the Kaiser.


    ---


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 Chapter 1095 The Japanese Empress Tours The German Capital Part Lll

    After sessfully shopping for more hours than Kristoffer ever wanted to participate in, Itami and her family were ready to move on. Out of all the three women, Itami had purchased the least amount. Partially because she did not want to be in Berengar''s debt, and partially because she still felt that something sinister was being plotted by the man who sat on the German Throne.


    Kristoffer seemed to be perpetually happy, despite Itami''s many irksome remarks. The boy just let it go over his head. Maybe he was confident in his own ability and that of the fathend, or perhaps he just pitied Itami for being such a rueful woman.


    Either way, Itami remained silent for much of the tour. Her reason for doing so? She was processing so many thoughts and emotions that she could not keep her mind on the conversation. Which had now turned to Momo and Mibu,plimenting everything they saw in the reich.


    From ice cream to movies to forms of entertainment, such as bowling alleys and carnivals. The trio of women continued on their journey throughout the city of Kufstein until the sun began to set. Itami had seen so many shocking things that she could no longer keep her mouth shut. Especially after Kristoffer took her to one final destination.


    Standing below the Colossus of Kufstein, Itami gazed upon the massive bronze statue of a young Berengar sitting on the back of his old mount while pointing his sword southward. To build such a massive statue must have cost a considerable amount of manpower and resources, and finally, after seeing this, Itami was forced to speak.


    "How? How did Berengar create such a wealthy and prosperous society in such a short amount of time?"


    As if waiting for this question for decades, Kristoffer wore a cunning smile as he looked up into Itami''s sanguine''s eyes, and spoke what needed to be said.


    "My father aplished all of this by defeating his opposition. It might surprise you how many of my father''s enemies have underestimated him. Which he naturally took advantage of, and used to his advantage.


    What you see before you is the Kufstein Colossus, a monument that wasmissioned by my father as a testament to his resistance against the corruption of Rome, a city we now rule over. This is emphasized by the sword, which is pointed in the direction of where the Pope once reigned supreme.


    From the moment my father first took power as a lowly Viscount, he focused on education and industrialization. Where my father has failed to innovate, others have taken his ce and proved their worth.


    Not everything you see around you was invented by my father. What man could possibly aplish all of this on his own? Even if he had ten lifetimes, he would not be capable of building everything you see around you.


    No, my father found naturally intelligent, and capable men, and he educated them to the best of his ability, and then these men innovated and improved upon what they had learned. Until today, we have a healthy and prosperous civilization.


    The Reich was not built by a single man''s efforts. But by an entire society of men who followed my father''s beliefs of self sacrifice for the good of folk and fathend. Thousands of young men have perished in pursuit of this dream, and their families now reap the benefits of their sacrifice.


    Nobody works harder than my father. My entire family knows this well. Believe me, he has often put his work as a ruler above the wellbeing of his family. In fact, the harmonious nature that exists between our dynasty is not his effort, but Linde''s. She is a mother to us all, even those of us she has not given birth to.


    I do not know much about Japan, other than the fact that you unified it beneath your banner, and that your military is more advanced than any enemy we Germans have ever fought. However, if your reactions are anything to go by, then my guess is you had to build everything yourself, and thus, it is no surprise that you havegged so far behind the Reich.


    My father built a self-sustaining nation, one that will be capable of thriving long after he is gone. While you built a dictatorship that is entirely reliant on yourself. Without you, and your hard work, Japan will not be able to function, which I''m guessing we will see soon enough now that you are our guest here in the Reich."


    Itami listened to the boy''s lecture and bit her lip in displeasure. Though she had no words to refute Kristoffer, she still felt wrong for him to so tantly point out her missteps as a ruler. Thus, it came as no surprise when the Albino beauty refuted thest bit of what Kristoffer had said, which was the only thing she could find fault with.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Guest? More like prisoner..."


    This sudden remark caused Kristoffer to look at Itami in shock, he had been given strict orders to treat his father''s guests with the utmost courtesy, and to show them a good time around Kufstein. Even after everything Berengar had done for Itami to show his good faith, she still felt she was nothing more than a prisoner. He was just about to let his tongue loose, when he heard an exasperated sighe from Mibu''s mouth.


    "Ara ara, I knew that you could be stubborn, but to think that my precious daughter is so intelligent, and yet so stupid at the same time, it truly makes me embarrassed as your mother..."


    Itami suddenly shot a re towards her mother, which was responded in kind. Just when she was about to protest, Mibu spoke up in Berengar''s defense.


    "Itami Riyo, do you honestly believe that if Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein ever meant us the slightest bit of harm, that he would provide such a warm weing to our family? He could have had us killed at any time, especially within the confines of your pce, when he sent that team to rescue us.


    Yet instead he saves you from confinement, brings you into his home, throws you a feast, and gives you an all expense paid tour of his capital city. If you are truly a prisoner like you im, then why would he trust us to walk free in his city, with only a small child as our escort?


    You have a bad habit of seeing the worst in people, and stubbornly refusing to believe that they are perhaps not as malicious as you first thought, even after being proven otherwise. It is no wonder you are still single, despite your good looks."


    Itami felt aggrieved after hearing her mother scold her so openly, and quickly looked at Momo for support, who was wearing a smug expression on her pretty face. Her next words were the nail in the coffin.


    "Onee-chan, Berengar still is permitted one more wife ording to Germanw. If you do not marry him, I will! Weren''t you always saying that you would only marry the man who has bested you on the field of battle? Well, Berengar hasn''t only defeated you in every conflict, but even his Empire is better than the one you have built.


    I don''t know what exactly he has nned for you, but if Berengar is willing to go to such lengths to show you that he''s not as bad as you think he is, then you should probably at least hear the man out."


    With both her mother and sister so tantly telling her that she was refusing to see the truth, Itami was forced to confront her preconceived notions. Was she really the bad guy in this whole dispute between their two nations?


    The Japanese Empress gazed up towards the stars in the sky above and felt for the first time in a long time that she truly needed to be alone in order to hash out her thoughts. Thus, she made one simple request before remaining silent the entire journey back to the pce.


    "Please... Bring me back to the pce... I have much to think about."


    Kristoffer responded with his signature smile before doing as requested. He could tell that his father''s efforts had some sort of effect on the mind of the Japanese Empress, albeit only as a result of her family''s insistence to stop being so damn stubborn.


    ---


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 Chapter 1096 Discussing Terms Of Surrender

    When Itami finally returned to the pce, she had many thoughts on her mind, so much so that she had remainedpletely and utterly silent throughout the journey back. Once inside therge residence, she thanked Kristoffer for the tour and allowed the boy to take her mother and sister to the dining hall for a nice meal.


    Itami herself had more important matters to take care of, and after having a member of Berengar''s staff lead her to his location, she found herself staring at a locked door which led to the Kaiser''s office. Evidently, the receptionist had gone home for the day, judging by herck of presence.


    Without consideration of what the Kaiser may be up to, Itami knocked repeatedly on the door, until it was opened by a golden-haired beauty that Itami recognized as one of Berengar''s wives. Ad looked at the albino empress with a hint of surprise before allowing her entry to the room.


    It was only after entering the office did Itami see that Berengar was having a discussion with two of his wives. Ad was not the only woman present. There was also the mystifying strawberry blonde haired vixen who was standing over the desk where a map was sprawled out while dressed in what was clearly a military style uniform.


    Linde smiled when she saw Itami enter, while Berengar frowned. He had clearly lost track of time, because the moment he saw the Japanese Empress enter his study, he spoke with a rather stern tone in his voice.


    "Shouldn''t you be on a tour right now?"


    Partially offended by the callous remark, Itami crossed her arms beneath her substantial breasts, and red at the man before asking one of the myriad of questions which currently gued her mind.


    "I knew you were up to something. You send me off on a tour around your capital while you sit here and skulk in the shadows with two of your women. Tell me this, just what are you trying to pull?"


    Shockingly, it was not Berengar who spoke up, but Linde who spoke in perfect Japanese as she insulted the foreign empress for her rude behavior.


    "We wee you into our home, spare no expense to show our generosity, and here you stand, using my husband of misbehavior. I would have thought after an enjoyable day around our homnd you would find yourself more agreeable, but it is now clear to me that you are an impulsive and overly emotional woman whose nature is one of conflict-"


    Just as Linde was about to continue scolding Itami, Berengar raised his hand and silenced her. He then spoke in the Japanese Empress'' native tongue as he struggled to maintain his manners.


    "If, even after everything I have done for you, you still can not find it within your heart to hear me out, then perhaps I should just send you and your family back to Japan. I am sure the new Shogun will be more than forgiving regarding your escape from his captivity..."


    The idea of being sent back to the imprisonment of that traitor was enough to finally shut Itami up. She lowered her head while curling her fists in rage, as if she wanted to say more, but couldn''t. Once she had settled down, and her posture transitioned to a more submissive state, Berengar finally made his speech.


    "You ask what I am plotting? Has it ever urred to you that I never wanted a war with you to begin with? Enough of my men have lost their lives because of your ego. As a result, I n to sit back and do nothing for the remainder of this conflict.


    From here on out, the German strategy is to blockade the Japanese Maind, and allow Shiba''s so-called shogunate to copse upon itself. Naturally, we will bomb Japan''s means of military production, while sending propaganda fliers to convince themon man to take up arms against their new dictator.


    If you feel like cooperating, I would prefer that you publically dere your surrender, so that your citizens know that you are not in fact hysterical, but have been forcibly removed from your position because you had the best interests of the Japanese Nation in mind.


    With the help of my wives here, I can attribute every misdeed that has ever urred under your reign to General Shiba. In the eyes of both Germany and Japan, you will be seen as the victim of a madman''s ambitions, coerced into supporting heinous acts through deceit and intimidation, only to be detained when you stood your ground and dered enough is enough.


    This is an easy enough tale to spin. After all, Shiba has been by your side since the very beginning of your conquests, has he not? The murder of the previous dynasty, the invasions of Korea, the Philippines and Borneo, the massacres of unarmed civilians in upied areas, and the envement of your conquered subjects. All of these can be wiped away from your responsibility.


    Of course you are free to not participate in this scheme of mine, and if you choose to do so, I will be able to find you a small plot ofnd in one of my tributaries where you can live the rest of your life in exile. However, your name will be dragged through the mud, and your legacy will be one of tyranny, which ultimately resulted in anarchy."


    Upon hearing all of this, Itami could only sit down in the nearest seat, and think the proposal through. Though many of these heinous acts had urred without her knowledge, it was a fact that they had happened beneath her reign. Even though she had punished the perpetrators, the crimes they hadmitted would forever be a ck mark on her legacy.


    At this point, she could not return to Japan and reim her throne without Berengar''s support, and if it meant surrendering, which she had already nned to do, before Shiba usurped her position, then she saw no reason to refuse. Even if she was suspicious of every word Berengar had said. Thus, Itami could not help but sigh as she gave into Berengar''s demands.


    "Very well, I will announce my surrender whenever you think is best. Though I still do not trust you, I have to admit that you are my only hope of regaining my throne. So I guess I have no choice but to y along with your schemes." <novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar smiled when he heard this, and quickly pulled out a document, which he handed to Itami. The Albino beauty took one look at it, and could immediately tell what the entire document entailed. She carefully read every detail, knowing that the terms presented in this treaty would forever change the fate of Japan. The terms were as follows:


    1) The Empire of Japan takes all responsibility for causing the war by instigating violence in the Indian Subcontinent with the intention of causing German casualties.


    2) The Empire of Japan must pay reparations to Germany for the cost of the war, and the suffering endured by the Reich.


    3) The Empire of Japan recognises the independence of the Joseon Dynasty and returns all of itsnds that it once held prior to Japanese upation.


    4) The Empire of Japan agrees with the German Empire, seizing all remaining Japanese war assets.


    5) The Japanese armed forces shall henceforth be restructured into the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and limited to the numbers necessary to maintain order within the country. They will also be outfitted solely with equipment purchased from the German Empire.


    6) The Empire of Japan will agree to German upation and re-education of their country and its people for as long as necessary. As a result, the German Empire will handle the Empire of Japan''s internal and foreign affairs for the duration of their upation.


    7) The Empire of Japan is henceforth banned from conducting weapons research. The Empire of Japan acknowledges that the equipment provided to the newly formed Japanese Self-Defense Forces by the Reich is advanced enough to deal with any threats they may encounter. Furthermore, the only reason they would develop improved weapons is to start another war with the German Empire.


    8) Empress Itami Riyo permits her family being taken to Kufstein to live as guests of the Reich in perpetuity.


    10) The Empire of Japan will cede control of the Philippines to the German Empire


    11) The Empire of Japan will recognise Germany''s ownership of the New World and its territories in Austrsia, Oceania, and Asia.


    Itami looked up from this list of demands, and frowned. There were many things she wanted to argue against, however she was in no position to do so. Thus, she sighed heavily before handing the document back to Berengar. With a defeated tone in her voice she spoke the words she knew Berengar would understand.


    "Vae Victis... Very well, I will sign your treaty as is..."


    Upon hearing this Berengar nodded thrice with a wide grin on his face, before discussing his ns for Itami''s surrender.


    "You will sign this treaty in a fortnight, in the Tokyo Bay on the deck of the SMS Berengar, which is my personal Battleship. I am sure you understand the significance of this..."


    While it was true that Itami had invested in the construction of Tokyo which would normally note into existance for several centuries. She had not yet moved her capital from Heian-Kyo to the fledgling city.


    However, the significance of this location came from her past life, where the Empire of Japan surrendered to the United States of America on board the USS Missouri within the Tokyo Bay. In other words, Berengar was reenacting this scene as a way to further get his point across.


    Despite finding this aplete and utter humiliation, Itami bowed her head, and agreed to this stiption, knowing full well that she had no way of resisting.


    ---


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 Chapter 1097 Surrendering To The Reich

    Two weeks came and passed, as Itami and her family lived in the pce of the Kaiser. Though Berengar went out of his way to make his guestsfortable, Itami still stubbornly refused to believe his intentions were genuine. Thus, she continued to sulk about, and wait for the dreaded day which she had to publically announce her surrender to the reich.


    Eventually, the Japanese Empress boarded onto a ne, alongside the Kaiser. The destination was Tokyo Bay, where the Sixth Carrier Strike Group was located. After some shuffling about, Berengar and Itami boarded the SMS Berengar, which was no longer a Linde-ss Battleship, but one of the newest designs.


    Itami was given her own private quarters where she was dressed in the traditional garb of the empress of Japan, which the Reich had provided for her. A team of professionals who made her appear as beautiful as humanly possible did her makeup and hair until she was practically a living goddess.


    As for Berengar, he was garbed in his ck and gold imperial Regalia, with all the medals he had awarded himself for his various feats in battle over the past few years. Standing next to him on the deck of the SMS Berengar were several high-ranking officials in the German empire, including Generalfeldmarshall Adelbrand von Salzburg, and Chancellor Otto von Graz, who was by now getting close to the age of retirement.


    Itami walked onto the deck in her most gorgeous appearance yet, and in doing so stunned every man present, including Berengar. Her snow white hair was tied up into double-buns, while still flowing down the back of her neck. The ends of her bangs and hair were cut blunt for the asion, which apanied her heart-shaped face perfectly.


    Itami had a stoic expression on her face as she walked towards the center of the ship where Berengar stood opposing to her. The two monarchs nodded silently before both signing the peace treaty. Once it was over, Itami got on her knees and kowtowed to Berengar as a sign of submission.


    Though the event was short, it was filmed and photograph extensively to be used in propaganda materials. Within a week, fliers would be pouring into the Japanese maind, showing the capittion of the Japanese Empress to her German master.


    Once the cameras were no longer present, Itami rose to her feet and scowled before making a bitter remark to the man who had defeated her at every turn.


    "You must be extremely happy with yourself having a beautiful Japanese woman like myself bow to you so submissively..."


    Despite the obvious maliceced into her words, Berengar smiled and countered Itami''s remark with his own shameless statement.


    "I''m not going to lie. It has been a fantasy of mine for as long as I can remember. It is a shame you exude such masculine energy. It kind of ruined the whole thing for me. Now, if there was a more proper feminine Japanese woman like your sister or mother submitting to me, then perhaps I would be more thrilled at the prospect. But we can''t get everything we want in life."


    Itami simply scoffed when she heard thisment. She had no words for Berengar''s shamelessness. However, in the next moment, he said something that surprised her.


    "So now that we have gotten that ugly business over with, how about we hit the mess hall and get something for lunch?"


    The Japanese Empress''s sanguine eyes warily examined Berengar to see if he had any hidden intent. However, to her surprise, for the first time since she had actually met the man, he appeared to be rather carefree. Naturally, she could not help but inquire why that was the case.


    "You''re smiling? Over the past few weeks since you first kidnapped me, I don''t believe I have ever seen you smile in this manner. What gives?"


    Ignoring the kidnapping remark, Berengar instead gazed off towards the Ind of Japan where the sound of bombs detonating echoed in the distance. Germany had just conducted itsst air raid over the skies of Japan, where they bombed the entire Japanese Infrastructure into oblivion. He took a deep breath before exhaling with a rather excited smile on his face. After doing so, Berengar exined to Itami just why he was so happy.


    "I can finally rest easy knowing that the war hase to an end. You smell that? It''s the scent of victory. From this day forward, I will build a new golden age for my people, a second Pax Germania, one that willst for centuries toe.


    All of my life''s ambitions have finally been fulfilled. The only thing that is left in my story is to continue to build and expand my empire into the world''s supreme power. One that under my guidance shall endure the test of time. Oh sure, Shiba still needs to be dethroned, but my troops will no longer be actively engaging in the front lines. Now, how about that meal?"


    Berengar had already begun to walk off by the end of his brief speech, one that left Itamipletely stunned into silence. It was only now that she realized that she knew very little about who Berengar von Kufstein actually was, or what his life''s ambitions were.


    He was a man with two lifetimes like herself, and yet she had been so angry with him for ruining her ns, that she had never stopped to ask just who the hell was he? Whether she realized it or not, Itami began to chase after the man where he led her to the mess hall. The two of them sat down at their own table, where the rest of the crew gave them a wide berth.


    There were whispers among the German sailors about the Japanese Empress, and the role she had yed in all of Japan''s actions. If the media was to be believed, which most Germans found to be trustworthy, then Itami had been a victim of Shiba''s ambitions, a mere puppet of the madman who now stubbornly refused to surrender. Thus, these sailors had no animosity in their hearts to the albino beauty who supposedly bravely took a stand against Shiba which resulted in her captivity.


    Itami did not pay attention to any of this, instead sat in silence as Berengar returned from the line with a pair of brats and beers for them to consume at their leisure. Whether Itami wanted to admit it or not, ever since her visit to the food stall in the streets of the Old District, she had be addicted to the taste of bratwurst.


    The duo remained utterly silent for some time, before Itami posed one of the many questions which she currently had regarding Berengar''s identity.


    "May I ask a personal question?"


    Berengar looked up from his half eaten brat, and swallowed what remained in his mouth before nodding his head in approval.


    "Knock yourself out, nobody here can speak Japanese, anyway...."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Itami shuffled in silence with a rather anxious look on her previous face for several seconds before finally spitting out her question.


    "You are like me, right? Someone who reincarnated from another world?"


    Berengar''s gaze suddenly turned serious as he nodded his head in silence before taking another bite from his dog. After doing so, Itami exhaled deeply before asking another question.


    "So... Who were you in that past life? Were you German then too? Or have you simply created your Empire as a result of your circumstances?"


    Berengar took a sip from his beer before responding to this question in a way Itami did not expect.


    "That life no longer holds any meaning to me. However, since you are curious, I will give you a brief summary. The world I came from was simr to the one we find ourselves in now, with some minor differences in history prior to my actions which have forever left their mark on this world. I came from the distant future, and lived a meaningless life, before dying tragically in some foreignnd, which I should have never been to in the first ce.


    When I reincarnated into this world, I was a sickly fool, who was on the verge of death. Contrary to what you might believe, things were not easy for me. Nobody took me seriously, and my own brother was constantly plotting my demise. Worst yet, I quickly made enemies with men far more powerful than myself.


    The only thing that kept me alive during those days was Linde''s watchful eye, who was able to detect and eliminate any covert threats to my existence. If not for her, I would have died a second time before I could have aplished anything significant."


    This turn of events surprised Itami. She had not expected Berengar to give up on his past life so easily. Lord knows that her own past haunted her to this day, and she was quick to inquire about this for the sake of her own mental health.


    "So you have no regrets from your past life? You left nobody behind?"


    Berengar scoffed as he took one final bite from his brat before answering Itami''s question with a bit of disdain in his tone.


    "My only regret from that world is that I was unable to give my parents the grandchildren they always wanted. Aside from them, I had nobody else in my life. No friends, no wife, no children, absolutely nothing. Nobody besides my parents gave a damn that I died so miserably. I can guarantee you that."


    Itami was utterly baffled that the man she had fought for so many years had such a pitiful backstory. She couldn''t help but connect dots that didn''t exist within her own mind as she voiced this conclusion aloud.


    "So that''s why you built an Empire? You felt that you lived a meaningless existence and tried to make up for it in this life!"


    However, Berengar''s response was entirely out of Itami''s expectations. The man broke out into a fit ofughter, as if what Itami had said was the funniest joke in the world. This response naturally caused everyone in the mess hall to look over at him with a hint of curiosity in their eyes. Once Berengar had settled down, hepletely shattered Itami''s expectations.


    "Not at all! You know, when I first entered this world, I was wholly content with living a peaceful life in my family''s holdings, spending my days ensuring that the barony became prosperous, and perhaps marrying a nice girl to have a small family with.


    But for some reason, people just kept trying to kill me. First, it was my brother, who had conspired with my liege, and the Bishop of Innsbruck to have me killed. Then, after surviving their attempts, the Papacy tried to have me condemned as a heretic, so I responded by creating the German Reformation, which ultimately led to the destruction of the Catholic Church.


    Before I knew it, I had an army which kept growing in size, and had gained the territory to support it. I kept rising through the ranks of nobility with each major victory until I ended up as the Emperor of all Germans.


    I did not n to be the Kaiser of the world''s greatest Empire; I was forced into it as a means of ensuring my own survival. With each passing victory, my ambitions grew and eventually I ended up with everything you see today.


    When ites to my colonization efforts, that started simply because I had a craving for potato pancakes and chocte. Literally, for no other reason."


    Itami gazed at Berengar as if she were looking at an entirely different person than the one she thought she knew. She could not fathom any of this to be true. Was this man seriously saying that he became the world''s most powerful emperor not by his own ambition, but as a response to actions that werepletely out of his control?


    If the nobility and the papacy had just left Berengar alone, what would this world be like? The Japanese Empress had a sudden urge to curse out whoever the idiot was who first decided to fuck with Berengar.


    There were so many more questions in Itami''s mind now that she had learned about Berengar''s origins. She thought that her questions would confirm what she already knew to be true about this man and his personality, instead she now felt as if her entire existence in this world had be aplete and utter joke. Naturally, she had many more questions, which she intended to ask now that she had some alone time with Berengar.


    ---


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 Chapter 1098 Discussing The Past Part L

    Berengar sat beside Itami within the mess hall of the SMS Berengar. After finishing their brats and beers, Berengar fetched another round for their continued conversation. Once seated, Berengar handed off the cold beer to the Japanese Empress, which she gulped down with ease.


    Itami had proven greatly interested in Berengar''s past, a topic the man himself did not wish to discuss more than he had to. With her sanguine eyes peering deeply into Berengar''s soul, Itami asked the next question in her mind. However, she did so not in her native tongue, but in American English.


    "So, do you speak English at all?"


    Berengar did not hesitate to nod his head as he spoke the words of anguage that, in many ways, did not exist yet. While English was anguage spoken in the British isles, it was a primitive form that was unrecognizable by modern speakers such as the two monarchs. For the first time in nearly fifteen years, Berengar found himself speaking thenguage of his past life, with a simr ent as he had done so during those days.


    However, despite a simr ent, Berengar''s pitch and tone were widely different from that of his past life and as a result, Itami could not identify that he was, in fact, the man she loved. Naturally, she had the same problem, as the two conversed in an advancednguage that should not belong in this world.


    "Indeed, I grew up in a country that spoke the Englishnguage, a pity that this world''s variant of the tongue will probably never develop into the form I know so well. Not after the ongoing Germanization of the British Isles."


    Itami nced towards Berengar with a hint of curiosity on her gorgeous face, as she quickly asked just what exactly the man meant by his words.


    "What do you mean?"


    Berengar smiled as he recounted his tale of the great crusade against the German Nation.


    "Well, as you are probably aware, the English were Catholic when I first encountered them. As we previously discussed, I almost immediately had difficulties with the Catholic church upon entering this world. Things kept escting, and proxy wars were fought between myself and the papacy.


    Eventually, a grand crusade was dered against the German Empire shortly after I had founded it, and in doing so, all the major European Kingdoms had united against me. The English were among them. In a rather foolish attempt to take control of what you know as the Suez Canal, which I had only recently finished construction on, the King of Ennd marched his army to the Sinai Penins, where they were utterly massacred by my forces.


    As a result, I sailed to the Kingdom of Ennd and dethroned the fallen King''s sessor, and in doing so ced myself as steward until a time when my son Lukas cane of age to be the next King of Ennd. Currently, Ennd is nothing more than a puppet of the Reich, as are all my neighbors. Most of which will have a member of my dynasty on their throne within a generation or two."


    Since Itami''s spywork was not nearly as advanced as Berengar''s, she actually had very limited information about his rise to power, and thus most of what she was hearing from the man himself was new information. She was quick to interrogate the man further on just how he had aplished so much during his brief life in this world.


    "You''re saying that all of your neighbors are your puppets? How did you manage to aplish that?"


    Berengar took a swig from his beer with a smug smile on his face as he further borated on his diplomatic policy over thest fifteen years.


    "It is a long and ratherplicated story, but to make it short, I essentially legalized polygamy and through marriages either to myself or my potential heirs, I have secured the thrones of most European Kingdoms for my dynasty or cadet branches that will be formed in theing decades. Especially after the crusade where most of the previous monarchs had died in battle.


    It''s not just Ennd, the Iberian Empire will one day spread across North Africa during my son Ghazi''s reign. Under the rule of my son Alexandros, the Byzantines shall conquer eastward until they reach the borders of India. From India, my bastard child with their princess shall inherit his uncle''s throne, his borders already reach those of the Majapahit Empire where my son with their Princess shall seed his grandfather.


    You could say that I have spent thest fifteen years ensuring that my bloodline rules from the western shores of the new world to the western borders of China. The only region of this Earth where my descendants are unlikely to reign as sovereign is Northeast Asia. I dare say, China, Korea, and Japan are out of my sphere of influence."


    Itami could hardly believe what she was hearing. Did this man seriously intend to unite the world with his bloodline? From the sound of it, the descendents of Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein would one day rule everything west of China. The idea was truly bold, and Itami had to admit the fact that Berengar had been scheming for this oue for over a decade was truly impressive.


    If only Berengar wasn''t such a womanizer, then perhaps she too might have fallen for him. However, Itami doubted she would ever be able to share the man she chose in this life to be her partner, and thus as much as she respected Berengar for his ability to manipte the world around him, she also held a strong sense of disdain.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In Itami''s eyes, there was nothing more beautiful and romantic than a loving monogamous rtionship, and Berengar was the farthest thing from those ideals. Still, every day she witnessed how happy the Kaiser''s family was, she felt her convictions being challenged. This ultimately forced Itami to sigh heavily and drink from her beer before asking Berengar a far more personal question.


    "Okay, I understand your reasoning for a polygamous lifestyle. It is a political weapon you used to assert your authority over all the world''s major kingdoms and empires. However, be honest with me, there is no way that you could possible love all of your women equally, right?"


    Berengar simply chuckled when he heard this and took another sip from his beer before responding to Itami''s ims. For the first time since she had met the man, he had smiled at her the same way he did when he was around his family.


    Although Itami knew this was because the man was reflecting on his memories, she still found the warm expression on his face to be more attractive than she wanted to admit. After thinking about his answer for some time, Berengar let out a heavy sigh before speaking the words in his heart.


    "You pose an interesting question. Is it possible for one man to love ten women equally? I believe the answer to that is a resounding no. There is no doubt in my mind that some of my rtionships, particrly the ones with my concubines, are more shallow than the ones I have with mywful wives. And even my rtionships with my wives vary in intensity between the four of them.


    I would be lying if I said that my rtionships with the Aztec Princess, the Queen of the Crimean Khanate, the Princess of the Majapahit Empire, and the Indian Princess were equivalent to what I have with Linde or Ad. In fact, in those scenarios, our feelings towards one another are more akin to mutual attraction and friendship than actual romantic love.


    After all, I only have so much time in the world, and as the ruler of the world''srgest and most powerful Empire, my ability to spend time with my loved ones is severely limited. Despite all of this, I still care for and provide for those women and the children we have together in the way a husband should. So at the end of the day, so long as everyone is happy, then I don''t see a reason why I should not have so many women by my side."


    Itami bit her lip in frustration when she heard this. She honestly did not expect Berengar to outright admit that his feelings were unequally distributed among his many women. Thus, she waspelled to ask the question that immediately appeared in her mind.


    "So you don''t believe in soul mates then?"


    Berengar simply smiled and shook his head before responding to Itami in a rather gentle tone.


    "Oh, quite the contrary, I do have a soul mate. She has been there for me every step of the way since I entered this world, almost as if she was waiting for me throughout the entirety of my two lives leading up to our first encounter. As I previously mentioned, if not for her, I would have likely died a horrific death a long time ago.


    There is one other woman who I was bound by fate to meet and love. Unfortunately, we do not get to spend much time together, and it has not been long since our rtionship first began. She lives in a different world entirely, and our reunions are always short-lived. Once a month, I fly across the sea to visit her. However, I can only stay for the weekend before I must depart back to my home..."


    There appeared to be a look of longing on Berengar''s face, one that Itami had never seen before. The man had ten women in total, several of which did not even live with him, and yet this one woman had touched his soul in such a way that just thinking about her brought him visible pain.


    Naturally, Berengar was referring to Brynhildr. From the moment he met the Valkyrie and learned that she was the reason he was brought into this world, he felt a deep personal connection with the mature beauty.


    However, he would never inform Itami about this. As far as Berengar knew, the Japanese Empress had never made contact with the gods and would find his tale about mating with a Valkyrie to be entirely unbelievable. If she thought he was lying about such a thing, she might disregard everything he had since they first met, and thus undo weeks'' worth of diplomatic progress.


    Itami closely examined the pain on Berengar''s face as he briefly and cryptically spoke about this mysterious woman who she had yet to meet. It was almost the same sense of agony she endured after being apart from Julian for so long. Thus, she instinctively and silently grabbed hold of the man''s hand tofort him. Something Berengar did not even take notice of, as he was lost in his thoughts.


    ---


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 Chapter 1099 Discussing The Past Part Ll

    After briefly talking about Berengar''s pasts, and his rtionships. The man had some questions of his own for the Japanese Empress, which he was quick to discuss in an attempt to shift away from his own memories.


    "So I have told you about myself. It is now time for you to reciprocate. I''m not to entirely curious about who you were in your past life. As I have said before, that life no longer holds any meaning for me, and if I''m being honest, you should move on from it as well.


    What I want to know is how in the middle of medieval japan, a woman of all people, rises to the top, and bes Empress. Naturally, I know all the dirty details already. After all, my wife Linde has spent thest fifteen years creating the world''s most advanced intelligence agency, but I want to hear it from you.


    What drove you to build an Empire? Was it your father''s death? I think not. You clearly showed signs of advancing your father''s territory, and preparing for war long before the Ashikaga shogunate threatened you."


    Itami waspletely and utterly shocked by this revtion. She had no idea that all this time, Berengar knew so much about her. It was honestly rather impressive how far his intelligencework had spread in such a short period of time. This was something that she had utterly failed to aplish on her own, and had been arge reason behind why the Germans had defeated her so soundly.


    After thinking about her response for some time, Itami took another sip of her beer before answering Berengar''s question in a very long speech.


    "I suppose if you must know my ambitions for creating the Empire of Japan, it would have to go back to my past life. You see, my grandfather was a WWII veteran. He had fought in the Imperial Japanese Army, and told me many tales of the war growing up. In many ways, you could say that he inspired my career choice in that life.


    Unfortunately, I died rather miserably before I could make my mark on the world around me and was reincarnated into the body of a teenage girl during the years of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Unlike you, I was never really content with my position in life.


    My father in this life was Itami Yasutane. He was a minor nobleman in this world''s version of feudal Japan. The man had utterly failed to sire a son, and as a result, he was especially hard on me growing up, where he forced me to be raised like a boy.


    When I was thirteen, I suffered severe head trauma in a training ident, and when I finally woke up, I suddenly had memories of another life. Once I finally realized I was a teenage girl in feudal Japan, I knew my fate would be worse than death.


    You see, my father had gotten one of his concubines pregnant, and it was my fear that she would bear him a son. If she did, I would no longer be his heir, and would suffer the same humiliating fate that all young girls endure in this medieval world. Namely, being married off to some fat old bastard to live the rest of my miserable life in a loveless marriage.


    Thus, in order to avoid such a horrific fate, I decided to make myself useful, and began advancing the agricultural systems of my father''snds. It was not an easy task. As a young girl, nobody took my suggestions seriously, and I was forced to build a friendship with one of the old peasants from the vige who held some sense of seniority among my father''snds.


    It was only after this old man approached my father with my ideas, as if they were his own, did my father take an interest in them. Of course, the old peasant died shortly after, but he had been useful enough to trick my father into implementing my designs across his territory.


    The next nine months were rather stressful. I prayed to the gods every morning and night for this newest child to be born a girl. All the while, my father began developing hisnds with my inventions.


    Before long, we had gained a considerable amount of wealth, where I then manipted the vige cksmith into manufacturing matchlocks and cannons. Which were presented to my father, who immediately took an interest in them.


    My hope was that by the time I inherited my father''snds, that I would have an army ready for war. Nine months passed and it would appear that the heavens took pity on me, for my father''s concubine passed away while giving birth to her son, who turned out to be a stillbirth.


    With his most beloved concubine and his unborn son both dead, my father became extremely depressed. He often locked himself away in solitude for long periods of time. When he did finally reveal himself, he made my usual training much more difficult, as if to take out his frustrations on me for being born a girl.


    Eventually he lost interest in the governance of ournds and left most of his responsibilities up to my mother, who was more than happy to implement my inventions for the sake of the Itami ns'' continued prosperity and security.


    Of course, this only attracted the avaricious eyes of those in power, and within a couple of years, the Ashikaga Shogunate had sent theirckeys to seize our wealth. A tax that only applied to the Itami n. What a fucking joke. I mean, honestly, could they note up with a more reasonable excuse to plunder our coffers!?!


    As you apparently already know, my father refused to give into their demands and ended up dying a miserable death in the battle that ensued. If you ask me, he had been looking for a way to die with honor since his concubine and son passed away. With the old bastard''s death, I imed my rightful ce as his heir, and used my father''s passing at the hands of the Ashikaga Shogunate to wage war against them.


    In truth, I did not really care that my father had passed away. After all, he was never truly a parental figure to me. Not even my mother grieved his death for longer than what was socially eptable. While my father in this life was ultimately nothing more than a stranger who looked after me, I did form a bond with Mibu-san and Momo, who I now ept as my actual mother and sister. <novelnext></novelnext>


    As for what came next, I rallied those who had been oppressed by the Ashikaga shogunate and began my rebellion. If you must know why I was so insistent on building an Empire in this world, it has to do with my aforementioned grandfather from my past life.


    If there was one thing you could say about my grandfather, it was that he had always regretted the fall of the Japanese Empire. What reced the Empire of Japan was a shadow of its former self, as far as he was concerned. Thus, I used my newfound power to build that very Empire in this world.


    Things were going well until I found out there was another person like me on the other side of the world. You could say that I panicked when I learned of your existence and, in my state of paranoia, believed there could only be one of us.


    So I did what I do best, waged war against my neighbors in an attempt to gather resources so that I could industrialize my fledgling Empire. It would have worked perfectly if you didn''t constantly meddle in my affairs like the nuisance you are! In the end, you proved me correct. In this war, you have thoroughly destroyed my empire and my life''s ambitions. So I suppose I should congratte you on that..."


    Berengar had silently listened to Itami''s entire tale with hisplete attention. However, in the end, he was forced to argue with her about herst few words.


    "I would have never beenpelled to fight with your Empire, if you did not send troops and resources into India for the sake of causing German casualties. You only have yourself to me for how things turned out..."


    After hearing this, Itami bit her lip in frustration. Obviously, she knew this was the case, but she still had a hard time letting go. Nearly ten years of effort, and it was now all down the drain. The Empire of Japan would never rise again, not with the treaty Berengar had forced upon her.


    If there was one thing she could be thankful of, it was how Berengar had treated herself and her family, even after all of her actions. Still, the idea of losing everything after all her hard work it made the albino beauty incredibly bitter. Berengar immediately noticed this fact and quickly shifted the discussion to something more lighthearted in an attempt to avoid further conflict between himself and the Japanese Empress.


    "So I take it you were a man in your past life? I honestly don''t know how I would have reacted if I was reincarnated into the body of a teenage girl..."


    This remark had the exact opposite effect that Berengar had intended. Itami instantly shot him a dirty look, visibly offended by his remarks. She raised her voice as she began to interrogate the man about his statement.


    "What makes you think I was a man in my past life!?!"


    This question immediately caught Berengar off guard, but that did not prevent him from speaking his mind, which he was quick to do so with a confident expression on his handsome face.


    "Well, I mean, If I''m being honest, it kind of exins a lot about your personality. Besides the fact that there seemed to be a hint ofment in your voice when you expressed the idea of being reincarnated in to the body of a teenage girl.The idea that you were a man in your past life would exin your overly masculine personality.


    One thing I have noticed in all our interactions is that you are ambitious, disagreeable, and outright aggressive. These are just a few, among many other traits you have that characterize a masculine nature. No offense, but these aren''t exactly traits that a woman would normally possess, nor should she. So it would make sense if you were really a man living in a woman''s body."


    By now, Itami was grinding her teeth in displeasure as the words narrowly escaped her lips, sounding more like a hiss than a statement.


    "I was a woman! I am a woman! And I will always be a woman! How dare you!"


    Realizing now that his assumptions were incorrect, and that he had said something quite offensive, Berengar averted his gaze from the albino beauty and sipped on his beer in silence. Had Itami been a man in either of her two lives, then perhaps he would have apologized for his remarks.


    But she was a woman through and through, and if there was one rule, a man should follow. It was that he must never apologize to a woman, for if he did, she would expect him to do so every time she thought he was wrong. Thus, the two monarchs sat in utter silence for sometime with a rather awkward atmosphere between them.


    ---


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 Chapter 1100 Stalking The Kaiser

    Several days passed since Berengar and Itami signed their peace agreement, and before long, the two monarchs were back in Kufstein, where Berengar quickly got back to work. While the Kaiser continued to fill out paperwork throughout the day, Itami herself had begun spending most of her time bing acquainted with the Germannguage.


    While Berengar spoke both Japanese and modern English, and was thus able tomunicate effectively with Itami, the albino beauty did not wish to rely on a trantor for everyday conversation with the staff of Berengar''s pce.


    Thus, she spent several hours studying the Germannguage with the aid of her divine mirror. Which greatly enhanced her ability toprehend the foreign tongue and its script. By the time Itami had used up all the artifact''s stored power, the sun had begun to set, and thus she set out from her seclusion to find Berengar and test her newfound knowledge of his mother tongue.


    Itami made her way through the halls, where she found Berengar emerging from his office with an exhausted appearance on his otherwise handsome face. The man was craning and messaging his neck, which was naturally the result of spending the past fourteen hours in a chair.


    Just when Itami was about to surprise Berengar with her understanding of the German tongue, the man walked off and continued through the halls of his pce with a determined look on his face. Convinced that he was about to do something important, Itami pursued him through the corridors from afar, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever the Kaiser was about to do.


    Soon enough, Berengar found himself in front of an open doorway, peering into a room with a silly smile on his face. Unable to contain her curiosity, Itami approached the doorway to the best of her ability without alerting the man to her presence where she saw his warm gazending upon a beautiful young redheaded girl roughly the age of thirteen who was in the act of painting a marvelous picture.


    Helga''s canvas was stained with oil-based paint as she made soft strokes with her brush. The objects of her artwork were lying in front of her. There were two leopards lying in the center of the room on a finely woven rug in front of a firece, where many of the Princess''s other esteemed works hung above.


    One of the leopards was quiterge, and obviously a full-grown adult. Hey in a rxed pose on the rug with his paw ced firmly upon a much smaller beast of its own species who was clearly a cub, holding the child in ce to ensure that it did not misbehave.


    Immediately, Itami noticed that the small leopard was the mischievous little cub named Spots, who had left a thorough impression on her during her first night in Kufstein. Therger leopard swiftly took notice of Itami''s presence and raised his head while ring at her, however he detected no hostility from the albino beauty, and thus corrected his posture so that he maintained the previous pose.


    The young girl was too engrossed in her activity to notice the sudden movement, and thus continued about hertest work. Suddenly the sound of music appeared within the hallway, which Helga clearly took notice of. As she listened to the song and hummed its tune, her cold exterior melted away, leaving a warm smile on her pretty face. She continued to paint her masterpiece without ever realizing that her father was standing in the doorway, watching her with a gentle gaze in his mismatched eyes.


    Itami had be lost in thought, wondering perhaps if the girl purposely left the door open, waiting for the music to begin. The Japanese Empress had spaced out so much that by the time she regained her whereabouts she noticed that the object of her stalking was already gone, moving down the hallway towards the origin of the sweet music where he stood in the doorway with the same gentle smile he had while watching the redheaded girl paint.


    As a result, Itami quickly pursued the man, and stared into the doorway where she saw two young children, one she recognized to be Kristoffer, the other, however, was a young and doll-like girl who was anxiously trying to keep up on her violin with the boy sitting in front of her.


    Though Kristoffer could not see the girl behind him, he could tell that she was struggling to keep up, and thus he lowered his tempo with a warm smile on his face as he spoke to the girl with a tone filled with kindness.


    "I know you can do this Astrid, if you can y the piece slowly, then it is only a matter of time before you can match my tempo. So how about we just take it slow for now until you get the hang of it?"


    Upon hearing this, Astrid wore a pretty smile and blushed slightly as she continued to y the piece at her own speed. Something which Kristoffer had matched perfectly. However, Itami was quite shocked that she had understood what the boy had said, proving that indeed her German lessons wereing along nicely.


    Both Berengar and Itami continued to watch the two children y the rest of the song in silence. Oncepleted, Astrid put her violin down and sat next to Kristoffer on his bench. In an act which shocked Itami, the doll-like girl pecked the boy on his cheek, causing him to blush in embarassment. In response to this, Astrid merely giggled childishly as the two children sat in silence while staring at each other with loving eyes. <novelnext></novelnext>


    When Itami saw this scene unfold, she felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. This damn brat was not even twelve years of age, and yet he already had a better love life than her! How was that even possible!?!


    Unable to continue looking at the little lovebirds flirt with each other, Itami scrambled off, and found that Berengar had shared the same mentality. It was only now that she realized that Kristoffer was probably the kid whose music she had randomly insulted in front of Gerhard during one of their previous encounters.


    Having met the sweet child and witnessed his warm and gentle personality, Itami now understood why Gerhard was so protective of the boy. Which caused her to feel a deep sense of shame as she followed Berengar through the hallway, where she rounded the corner and immediately halted in her tracks when she heard arge shoute from the other side of the hallway.


    "Daddy!"


    What Itami witnessed was a young tan skinned girl with golden hair and amber eyes run up to Berengar and glomped him. The man chuckled and shook his head as he embraced his daughter, realizing that he had been spotted in the act of observing his children.


    Zara had a wide smile on her face, as if this were the happiest moment of her entire life. She continued to hug her father with a fierce grip. Obviously, the little girl did not want to be torn away from the man''s arms. Berengar proceeded effortlessly to pick the young girl and kiss her on the forehead while wearing a heartwarming expression on his face.


    "Let''s go see what your big brother is up to."


    After saying this, Berengar continued to carry his young daughter in his arms throughout the hallway. As Berengar walked further down the corridor, Itami noticed that his prior weary expression hadpletely vanished after spending the slightest bit of time with his kids.


    It was only now that the albino beauty realized that Berengar probably had more important things to do than test her new understanding of the Germannguage, and thus had a sullen expression on her otherwise pretty face while she walked through the hallways and returned to her quarters alone.


    For some time, Itami sulked in silence, thinking about all the misconceptions she had about Berengar and his unorthodox family. Though the man was a polygamist, he genuinely seemed to care about each and every one of his women. The fact that he worked a minimum of twelve hours a day, and continued to check up on each of his kids, showed that he was at the very least a father who loved his children.


    Perhaps Itami was mistaken when she had assumed that the Kaiser was some womanizing yboy. Actions often spoke louder than words, and though Berengar had defended his unusual lifestyle during their previous conversation, he had still been unable to convince Itami that he was anything but a man who used women for their bodies.


    This perception hadpletely and totallye crashing down, along with Itami''s entire perspective of Germany and its mighty Kaiser, as she struggled to cope with the deep sense of envy she was feeling at this very moment. Though she did not realize it yet, Itami had begun to see Berengar with a hint of attraction, rather than the disgust she previously felt for the man.


    ---


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 Chapter 1101 The Kaisers Kindness

    A few more days passed, and Itami had been directly avoiding Berengar during this time. Despite the overwhelming size of the Kaiser''s pce, it was impossible to avoid the man forever. Thus, Itami was quite surprised when she saw the man sprinting down the halls with an anxious expression on his face.


    If there was one major fault Itami had, it was never knowing when to give up on her curiosity, and thus she swiftly followed the man through the halls, wondering what could have gotten him so panicked. In the end, she found Berengar running into a bedroom, where a beautiful womany on a mattress with a wet towel over her forehead.


    This woman was obviously not German. One could easily tell by the color of her skin that she was not of European descent. However, when her amber eyes caught a sight of Berengar''s entrance, a warm smile appeared on her gorgeous face.


    While this mature and exotic beauty lied beneath the covers of her bed, an older man was in the act of taking her temperature. Berengar waited patiently for the man to finish, but it was clear by the sweat on his brow that he was quite anxious about the results. After a rather swift examination, Ewald looked up at Berengar and sighed in relief before giving him the good news.


    "Your wife will be fine. You have nothing to worry about. She is just suffering from amon cold. All she needs is some rest, and some warm soup. Though I suggest picking up something to help with her congestion, you can send out any of your servants to the local drugstore and they will be able to acquire some over-the-counter remedies, which will work fine enough in this regard."


    Berengar sighed in relief, and wiped the sweat from his brow, as he kissed Yasmin on the forehead before thanking the physician.


    "Thanks Ewald, you have always been there for my family. I will do as you suggest. You can take the rest of the night off. If somethinges up, I know how to contact you."


    A gentle smile emerged on Ewald''s face. He had been the von Kufstein family physician since before Berengar was even born. The man had watched Berengar grow up from a petnt and sickly child, to the man he is today, and had learned quite a lot from the Kaiser in regards to the field of medicine.


    He could hardly believe how different the world had be in a short fifteen years, and looked forward to his retirement years, when he could live a luxurious life in the peaceful and prosperous society that Berengar had built. Thus, there was an enormous sense of humility in the man''s tone as he shook his head and assured Berengar that he was just happy to fulfill his job.


    "Believe me, your Majesty, that fact that I can continue to work for your family, even in this era of modern medicine, is a testament to the faith you have in me. The honor is all mine..."


    After saying this, Ewald departed from the room, leaving Berengar and Yasmin alone together. As he passed by Itami on the way out, the Japanese Empress was utterly dumbfounded by the way Berengar''s subordinates treated him.


    It was one thing for the man''s family to love him to such an extent, but the look in Ewald''s eyes as he assured Berengar that Yasmin would recover without incident, and that he was grateful to be in the Kaiser''s service was one of pure reverence. This was something that she had never experienced from her own staff. While Itami was slowly climbing her way back to reality, Berengar grasped hold of Yasmin''s dainty hand, and smiled gently as he assured her everything will be alright.


    "Don''t worry, the doctor says that you will be fine. Just get some rest. I''ll look after the twins until you get better."


    Yasmin chuckled, but coughed as she did so. During herst pregnancy, she had conceived and given birth to twins. Which was the happiest moment of her life, as she was able to give Berengar five children, despite her age. This made her on par with both Linde and Ad, who had given birth to the same number of children.


    Despite this, the very idea of Berengar himself going out of his way to look after two infants while she was mildly ill was simplyughable in Yasmin''s eyes. The man had never been good with newborns, and she would honestly prefer if Linde or one of his other women were the ones to care for her newest babes. As a result, she ced her palm on Berengar''s cheek and shook her pretty head gently.


    "Don''t worry about it. I will just ask Linde to look after the twins in my absence. Ah knows that you are dreadfully busy with managing the Reich, especially now that we are in a time of war. I can''t possibly keep you from your responsibilities. If Linde is incapable of looking after Nizar and Safiyya, then I will have Priya look after them. Though I think she''s a bit overwhelmed with little Arun..."


    Arun was the name of Priya''s son with Berengar, and like Nizar and Safiyya, he was an infant child, born not too long ago. As a first time mother, Priya had been gaining a lot of pointers from Yasmin regarding motherhood. Thus, Yasmin did not want to pile too many worries onto the young woman''s te. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar smiled as he heard Yasmin''s decision and respected it. He kissed her once more on the forehead before responding to her statement.


    "Very well, I will inform Linde to look after the little ones. In the meantime, I will go and order the kitchen to prepare some fresh kohlsuppe for you. I know it''s your favorite."


    Yasmin smiled and tucked herself further beneath her covers as she nodded her head in agreement with her husband''s words.


    "Sounds tasty..."


    With this said, Berengar kissed Yasmin on the forehead one final time before departing from the room to make the preparations. It was only now that he saw Itami staring at him with a stunned expression on her face. She struggled to find the words to speak, but ultimately she managed to voice her disbelief.


    "Aren''t you in the middle of a war? How could you take the time out of your busy schedule to look after a pair of twins and a sick wife? Isn''t that what servants are for?"


    Berengar looked slightly offended at first, before an appearance of pity and understanding formed on his handsome face as he shook it slightly and clicked his tongue.


    "Tsk...Tsk...Tsk... Oh Itami, I''m guessing you have never been in love, have you? I would move mountains and split the seas themselves if it meant I could make my loved ones happy. I''ll have you know that since I first establish this Empire, I have created a very robust government that is more than capable looking after my country while I am indisposed.


    Why would I not spend time with my family when they truly need me? It might be amon cold, but my presenceforts Yasmin, so I will dly take some time off to help her get better. Now, if you need me, I have some things to take care of."


    Itami stood there in disbelief as she watched Berengar run off and take care of the three errands he had promised to fulfill. Before long, he was back with a bowl of steaming cabbage, potato, and pork soup, as well as a bag of cold medicine. Which he personally fed to Yasmin as she rxed in her bed.


    Itami did not leave until Berengar had closed the doors behind him, insisting that his wife Yasmin get some proper rest after she had her fill of soup. It was only after he had done this did Berengar get back to his work for the day.


    Before long, Yasmin would get better. As the sickness passed, however, this incident had changed Itami''s perspective of Berengar entirely. The Kaiser had always imed that he genuinely loved and cared for each of his women, and on this day, Itami had witnessed that to be true.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1102 White Hair Mommy

    It did not take long for Yasmin to recover from her illness. Soon enough, she was up and about again, performing her duties as the motherly figure of so many children. While Berengar was hard at work, Itami was wondering about the castle where she came across her younger sister ying with a group of Berengar''s younger children.


    By Momo''s side were Ad and Henrietta, who were both taking a day off from work to look after the young ones. As many of Berengar''s wives and concubines yed essential roles in German society, they often rotated on what days they took off during the week to help look after the children.


    Momo appeared to be in her element around the young ones, as she wore a warm smile on her face, and yed with them as if she herself were their mother. Something that neither Ad nor Henrietta took offense to.


    As for Itami, she watched from a distance with a bit of an envious expression on her otherwise pretty face. She had no children of her own, and being around Berengar''s many kids, especially the younger ones, made her quite nervous.


    However, just when Itami was about to leave the scene behind, she felt a tug at the hem of her dress, and looked down to see a young boy no older than five, who was gazing up at her with a curious expression on his face.


    At that moment, Itami became paralyzed as she looked around for someone to assist the child. Yet Ad, Henrietta, and Momo were quite some distance away. Before Itami could call out to them, Bruno spoke to her.


    "Mommy, I''m hungry!"


    Itami gazed at the child in disbelief, as he looked up at her with a whimpering expression on his face. Did this boy seriously confuse her for one of Berengar''s women? At this moment, a bunch of thoughts went through the albino beauty''s mind as she debated with herself about what to do in this troublesome situation.


    As Itami continued to think about a proper solution, the boy''s stomach grumbled, causing her to take sympathy on him. Thus, rather than fetch someone who could properly look after the child, she smiled and bent down to grab the boy''s hand.


    "Then how about we find you something to eat, shall we?"


    Bruno''s face lit up into a smile as he grabbed hold of Itami''s pale and dainty hand before following her off to the dining hall. Despite Itami''s best efforts, she could not find a member of the kitchen staff in sight, and thus decided to make a meal for the boy herself. With a rather gentle tone in her voice, shemanded Bruno to stay seated while she prepared him something to eat.


    "Be a good boy, and wait here for a few minutes while I prepare something for you, okay?"


    Bruno smiled and nodded his head in silence as Itami fled from the scene and into the kitchen. Where she found that it wasrger than she could ever have imagined. This was no mere home kitchen, but amercial size kitchen, with stations for every possible part of the cooking process.


    Butchering stations, sinks, ovens, stoves, fryers,mercial dishwashers, you name it. Normally, an entire staff of over a dozen people would be here preparing food for the royal family. However, they were currently on their lunch break, and thus nobody was there to assist Itami.


    Ultimately, Itami resulted in making tonkotsu ramen with pork broth, and a side of both takoyaki and ebiyaki for the boy, which was a meal she herself very much enjoyed. After some time, she emerged from the kitchen with a bowl in one hand and a tter in the other, which had three octopus dumplings and three shrimp dumplings. She then handed them over to Bruno before rushing back into the kitchen to fetch him some iced tea.


    Bruno looked at the foreign food, which was strange to him for several moments, before looking back at Itami, who continued to smile at him. After a few more seconds of thought, he tried one of the pieces of takoyaki and instantly fell in love with it. He then proceeded to eat the entire meal as his curiosity peaked. Itami sat down next to Bruno, and ate her own portion of what she had cooked, whileplimenting the boy.


    "You keep eating like that, and one day you will grow big and strong like your father!"


    Upon seeing that the boy had some sauce on his face, Itami pulled out a napkin and dabbed it off, before getting back to her own food. As Itami and Bruno continued to eat, Henrietta came rushing into the room, shouting out the boy''s name.


    "Bruno, where are you?"


    Bruno looked up and gazed at his other mother and smiled before responding to her.


    "I''m with white hair mommy!"


    The term white hair mommy was definitely a new one for Henrietta, who rushed into the dining hall and saw the troublesome child snacking on some food. It was only after seeing that the boy was okay, did Henrietta finally sigh in relief before expressing her deepest fears.


    "There you are! Do you have any idea what your mother would have done to me if I lost you?"


    Naturally, Henrietta was referring to Linde, who was Bruno''s biological mother. It was only now, after seeing the boy safe and sound, did the golden-haired princess realize that Itami was sitting next to the child while fawning over him. Suddenly, Henrietta realized that the boy had mistaken Itami as one of his mothers and was quick to scold him for being so careless.


    "Is this white hair mommy? Bruno, you are mistaken. Itami is not one of your mommies!"


    After saying this, Henrietta bowed to Itami before asking for forgiveness.


    "I''m sorry if little Bruno here caused you any trouble. I will make sure that he doesn''t do so again."


    Bruno was naturally confused as he looked between the two women. He was young enough not to fully understand the concept of polygamy. As far as he knew, every woman who was as beautiful as Itami that lived in the pce was one of his mothers.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Thus he could not understand why Henrietta was one of his mothers, and Itami wasn''t. Yet he did not voice this thought process, instead he watched with wide eyes as Itami raised from her seat and assured Henrietta that she was fine with looking after the boy.


    "I assure you it is no trouble at all, Henrietta, is it not? Bruno here approached me and said he was hungry, so I thought I would find him some food. Especially after considering that you and Ad were so busy with the other children. I actually enjoyed spending time with him. He''s a well-behaved kid."


    Henrietta looked at Itami differently after hearing this. From her first impression, the Japanese Empress was a cold, and stubborn woman who was overly aggressive and hardly agreeable. She had expected Itami to be unfit for motherhood. Yet the albino beauty had cared for Bruno when nobody else was nearby to do so. It also appeared that the boy enjoyed eating her cooking.


    Thus Henrietta had begun to look at Itami in a new light, as she quickly sat down at the table and waited for Bruno to finish her meal. Upon seeing this, Itami looked over at Henrietta with curiosity and made a friendly gesture.


    "Are you hungry as well? There''s still a bit let over from the batch I made. I''m sure you will enjoy the food if you give it a try."


    Henrietta gazed upon the strange-looking food for several moments, hesitant to try something so foreign, but ultimately nodded her head in curiosity after seeing Bruno scarf it down. Before she could give Itami her answer, Bruno held up his bowl with his big, round eyes and pleaded for seconds.


    "More, please!"


    Itami smiled and rustled the boy''s hair before taking his bowl and tter back to the kitchen, where she prepared another serving for Bruno, this one a bit smaller than the first. She also made use of what remained of the food to prepare a serving for Henrietta as well.


    Once she had given the Prince and Princess their food, Itami sat down and examined their reactions. Henrietta, like Bruno, was hesitant to try the Japanese cuisine at first, but after doing so, she too fell in love with the meal. Although she ate with a bit more grace than the young boy sitting next to her. After tasting the Takoyaki, Henrietta could not help but give herpliments to the chef.


    "This is really good. What is it called?"


    Itami smiled upon seeing that her cooking was so well appreciated before listing out the three dishes.


    "What you just ate was Takoyaki. It''s essentially a fried octopus dumpling, whereas the ones on the right side of the tter are basically the same thing but with shrimp instead of octopus. They are called Ebiyaki. As for the noodles, we call that Tonkotsu."


    Henrietta appeared to have memorized the names within her mind, as she clearly enjoyed the meal. After it was over, however, the German princess bade farewell to the Japanese Empress.


    "Well, thank you for feeding Bruno, but it''s about time I get him back to his siblings."


    Itami smiled and nodded her head in agreement before responding.


    "It was my pleasure."


    Just as Henrietta had grabbed hold of Bruno''s hand and begun to lead him out of the room, the boy wrenched his grip away and ran towards Itami, where he hugged her tightly. The act shocked the albino beauty and Henrietta alike, as the boy looked up to the Japanese Empress with his round blue eyes and smiled.


    "Thanks, mommy!"


    After saying this, he ran off with Henrietta, who had scolded Bruno once more.


    "What did I tell you? Itami is not your mother!"


    However, Henrietta''s lecture appeared to fall on deaf ears as Bruno smiled and waved to Itami onest time before passing by through the corridor. Itami was left speechless as she sat in silence for several moments before finally responding.


    "White hair mommy, huh? I wonder why he thought I was his mother..."


    After dismissing the idea as simple childish ignorance, Itami returned to her room, where she thought about all the things that had happened since she first arrived in Kufstein. By now, the war in her homnd was the least of her worries, instead the Japanese Empress struggled to cope with her rapidly changing worldview that was the result of her time spent living with the Kaiser and his family.


    ---


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 Chapter 1103 The Terrifying Consequences Ofthe Friendzone

    The walls were copsing around Shiba as he tried desperately to maintain the Empire that Itami had built. The entire infrastructure of Japan had suffered repeated bombings, and without an influx of resources from their previous colonies, the Empire of Japan was no longer capable of repairing what had been destroyed.


    Shiba was currently standing in the middle of Itami''s old bedroom. The Japanese Empress had left in such a hurry that most of her belongings were still around. Within Shiba''s hand was acey nightgown, which he held to his nose and took a deep inhale of its scent. The very smell that Itami had left behind wasforting to the man.


    After sniffing Itami''s used nightgown for several moments, Shiba flew into a fit of rage and tore it to pieces with his bare hands before tossing the scraps aside. The woman of his affections had betrayed him. How could she not see that he was keeping her locked up for her own benefit?


    Instead, she had escaped to the Reich, and submitted before the Kaiser with a proper kotow. Shiba had no doubt that by now, Itami was servicing that golden-haired shit like amon whore. The very idea drove him to the brink of madness.


    Shiba began to breathe rather heavily as he attempted to calm his nerves. Contrary to his knowledge, another General who had supported Shiba in his coup d''��tat witnessed the entire scene. Despite this, the man did not reveal himself until after the Shogun had calmed himself.


    "Sir... The Germans have begun dropping fliers across the Japanese maind. They depict a photograph of Itami kowtowing before the Kaiser with a title "The Japanese Empress Surrenders!" By now, most citizens who are capable of reading know that the Empress is not under your protection and has instead escaped to the Reich.


    It would appear in the pamphlets that the Germans have made up a story. They im that all the war crimes and atrocitiesmitted under Itami''s reign were in reality your orders, and that the Empress had been nothing more than your puppet throughout the duration of her reign. This news has outraged the public, who are looking for restitution.


    Worse yet, rumors of weapon caches being air dropped into Japan are spreading about, as the Germans seem to supply those malcontents who wish to rebel against your reign. If we do not act quickly, then I fear we will have a full-scale revolution on our hands."


    Shiba did not respond for some time, instead he gazed upon the portrait of Berengar which hung on the wall of Itami''s bedroom. Why the Empress had a painting of her mortal enemy hung on her wall, Shiba did not know, but he felt as if the smug smile on Berengar''s face was mocking him. Thus, rather than respond to the General, Shiba unholstered his pistol and fired a magazine into the portrait''s center.


    The echoes of gunfire resounded throughout the halls of the pce, causing the Imperial Guard to scramble towards the source. Where they saw a frustrated-looking Shiba, pulling the trigger of his now empty handgun repeatedly as if trying to vent his anger towards the portrait of the Kaiser. It was only after Shiba dropped his pistol to the side did he scream at the intruders with all his might.


    "Leave us!"


    Perhaps disturbed by what they had witnessed, the members of the Imperial Guard fled the scene where Shiba hadpletely lost his mind. Once the Shogun was alone with his General, Shiba red towards the man before giving him amand.


    "If the people wish to rebel against my rule, then we will just have to dispatch the Imperial Guard to deal with them. We pay those fools quite a bit to lounge around and eat to excess. Now is the time for them to prove their loyalty to the new regime. Hunt down these dissidents and kill them where they stand. Do not hesitate and show no mercy. Those are your orders. So, what are you still doing here?"


    The terrifying look in Shiba''s eyes did in fact confirm for the General that the Shogun hadpletely lost his mind. However, he did not dare reject these orders. After all, what remained of the military was currently loyal to Shiba.


    However, this sense of loyalty was fragile, and if one man disobeyed orders, it would spark a rebellion, until all of Japan was embroiled in a brutal and bloody civil war, where the old samurai ns of old fought with modern weaponry to determine who shall sit upon the vacant throne. Just when the General was about to leave, Shiba called out to him with a rather intimidating tone in his voice.


    "Oh, I almost forgot. I want the German ambassador on the line by the time I get to the war room. If he is not, you can kiss your head good bye!"


    Naturally, the General would do everything in his power to make this meeting a possibility. However, when Shiba finally made his way to the war room to take the call, he was surprised to find that it was not Gerhard''s voice that was on the other end of the line, but Itami''s. There was a stern tone in Shiba''s voice, as Itami spoke to the man as if she were scolding a child.


    "For the sake of the friendship we once had, I will give you onest chance, Shiba-kun. Tell your men to stand down and ept the terms of my surrender. Or don''t me me for starting a revolution that sees your head on a pike!"


    There were many things Shiba wanted to say to Itami, but he struggled to find his voice. It was only after taking several seconds to collect his thoughts, did Shiba unleash a verbal torrent of abuse onto the woman he had secretly longed for with all his heart.


    "Give me onest chance? Who do you think you are talking to? Do you honestly still believe that the people of Japan consider you to be our Empress? You betrayed Japan and all its citizens when you ran off to be that white devil''s ything!


    You filthy whore! You always said that no man was good enough for you, and yet you kowtow before that bastard for all the world to see! How dare you call yourself our Empress! You are nothing more than amon slut!


    I will not surrender, not until I have defeated my enemies and bound you to my side in perpetuity. If you wish to take back your throne, then you will have to fight for it. Let''s see how much that golden-haired shit is willing to sacrifice just so that you can continue to y the role of an empress! You know where I am, soe at me, you foolish little girl!"


    Despite his enraged actions, Shiba still wanted nothing more than to take Itami as his wife, and thus he was rather convinced that all he had to do was defeat Berengar to ensure that the albino beauty woulde crawling back to his side. However, the tone in Itami''s voice when she responded was one of utter disgust and contempt as she said her farewells to a man who had once been among her closed advisors.


    "You can consider this ourst exchange. The next time you see me, I will be sitting back upon my throne, and you will be right where you belong, hanging on a cross, begging for death. Goodbye Shiba-kun, and may the gods show you mercy, for you shall receive none from me." <novelnext></novelnext>


    After saying this, Itami hung up, leaving Shiba more outraged than ever. Shiba immediately reacted in a fit of fury as he trashed the radio in his rage. He then stared at the rest of the men in the war room with a fierce gaze before giving them their orders.


    "Execute anyone who dares to show their support for our traitorous empress. The time hase to defend our homnd from these foreign invaders that she who must not be named has sided with!"


    ---


    As for Itami, she sat in Berengar''s war room with a sulking expression on her face, though she shed no tears. She was very upset by the way Shiba had responded to her. If there was one person who she could consider a friend, it was Shiba, and yet the man had clearly been driven mad though by what she did not know.


    Berengar was by Itami''s side and quickly took off his headset. He had listened to the entire conversation, and felt a bit bad for Itami after seeing the depressed look on her otherwise gorgeous face. He ced a hand on her shoulder andforted her with some words she did not expect to hear.


    "You should notment the loss of your friendship with that man. He was never truly your friend. He merely acted as such so that he could get in your pants."


    Itami looked up and saw a warm expression on Berengar''s face. Despite his kind words, she felt outraged at what she had heard and was quick to vent her emotions onto the man, since he had made himself an easy target.


    "What would you know? You don''t know anything about Shiba! He was my friend!"


    Berengar simply gazed upon Itami with a stern expression before lecturing her on the nature of men.


    "You''re right, I do not know Shiba, or the extent of your rtionship with the man. However, what I do know is the nature of men. It may not have been your intention, but from the very beginning, you never considered a man like Shiba to be good enough for you to settle down with.


    Despite this, he had feelings for you, probably from the very beginning. After all, you are an incredibly beautiful woman, even if your personality is a bitcking. As a result, you forced him into the friend zone. I''m honestly impressed with the man''s tenacity. The willingness to sit by side for so many years, just for a chance to be with you.


    It''s a frustrating thing for a man to endure. He probably thought that so long as he won the Korean theatre and defeated me in battle, then you would consider him to be a man worthy of your hand in marriage. However, you ordered him to withdraw from Korea before he could mount a proper resistance, and then you denied him the glory of defending Tsushima in your honor. Something which ultimately saved his life.


    Despite this, he did not repay you the way he should have. Because the moment you announced your intent to surrender to me, he realized that not only would he never be able to prove himself as the man you desire, but instead, in his desperate mind, he thought that I would fulfill that role.


    In that moment, he could no longer endure the thought of losing you to another man, especially one who had so thoroughly defeated him at every turn. As a result, he imprisoned you, so that you could not go through with your surrender, and thus buying him enough time to prove his worth by defeating me in what he perceived to be an impending German invasion of the Japanese maind.


    Unfortunately for him, he never got this chance, as I had you extracted back to the Reich for your safety, and that of your family, as well as to end this bloody war once and for all. I bet there is still some part of him that wants to marry you, even after what he thinks you and I have done in the back of his mind. But such hope is buried beneath the rage he nows feels after what he perceives to be your betrayal."


    Upon hearing Berengar''s assessment, Itami was shocked. She had never even thought of Shiba as a potential partner, and if what Berengar was saying was true, she had indeed forced the man into the friend zone without even thinking about it. Though she felt pity for the man, and his copsed mental state, which she was responsible for, that did not change her mind about what needed to be done.


    After thinking about all of this for several moments in silence, Itami rose to her feet and scoffed with a determined expression on her face.


    "So what? None of that really matters. The fact is, Shiba has betrayed me, and is now leading my people towards the edge of the abyss. If we do not stop him, all of Japan will bleed for the sake of his wounded pride. I can''t get my throne back on my own, so I am forced to rely on you from now on. Thank you for enlightening me about this sad reality. I dare say it has helped me move on from my grief."


    With that said, Itami left the war room. She had better things to do than mettle in Berengar''s ns, now that he was the only one capable of removing Shiba from power, and reiming her throne. As for Berengar, his stern expression twisted into one of interest as he watched Itami walk away. He sighed shortly thereafter before expressing his thoughts aloud.


    "Seems like she is warming up to me..."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1104 Perceived Infidelity

    The sun shone brightly upon the von Kufstein Royal Pce, and as the light trickled through the crystal ss windows, it set itself upon a familiar scene. Berengar lie naked under the sheets of his bed, alongside Ad and Henrietta, who clung tightly to his firm and muscr body.


    On this morning all was well within the German nation, and Berengar opened his mismatched eyes to see the two golden-haired beauties by his side. A warm smile emerged on his lips as his gaze caught the sleeping expressions of his cousin and sister, who both had the grace of angels, even in their most vulnerable state.


    Berengar gently kissed the two women on the forehead before rising out of bed, and in doing so, awaken his bedmates from their slumber. Henrietta rubbed her azure blue eyes gently in an attempt to break free from her groggy state, while Ad gave her man a morning kiss. Upon seeing this, Henrietta began to pout, before giving her brother a kiss of her own.


    This was a perfectly normal scene in the House of Kufstein, where Berengar shared an intimate rtionship with his many wives and lovers. After getting up from the bed, Berengar haphazardly tossed on his bathrobe, before giving his girls a wink as he departed.


    Starting off his day with a proper bath and a nice warm meal was a must for the man who worked an average of fourteen hours a day. After Berengar concluded his morning rituals, he found himself at work within the confines of his office, where he would spend the rest of his day.


    ---


    While Berengar started off his day at the crack of dawn, Itami had an entirely different set of habits, which she practiced in the morning. Because there were very few things for the Japanese Empress to do while she was living in Exile within the borders of the Reich, she often slept until noon, where she would rise from her bed and take a bath.


    Once finished, Itami would descend to the dining hall where the kitchens'' chefs had worked hard to prepare the meals which she enjoyed from her homnd as well as a variety of local dishes. However, on this day, as Itami stepped into the bath, she noticed something unusual. She was not alone in therge pool, instead the redheaded beauty she recognized to be Linde was being rather intimate with her favorite ymate.


    Itami peered through the mists of the private bathhouse, only to see a scandalous scene. Linde had her hands wrapped around Honoria''s breasts, and her crotch while passionately making out with her. This caused Itami to immediately be flustered as her ivory skin lit up into a pristine red. As much as the Japanese Empress wanted to look away, her attention was fixated on the couple and their obscene actions.


    That''s right, Itami considered the two women''s illicit rtionship to not only be an act of adultery but also one that was taboo. The scenes only continued to get more perverted, until finally Itami could watch no longer and fled from the bath, seemingly without alerting the others to her presence.


    She hastily dressed herself before rushing to Berengar''s office, where the receptionist sat outside his door with a pleasant smile on her pretty face. The woman took one look at the distraught expression on Itami''s face and immediately became worried, hitting the button on her inte to speak with her boss.


    "Umm... Your Majesty, the Japanese Empress is here to see you and she looks rather distressed. Should I send her in?"


    Berengar''s voice was filled with a stoic tone as he nonchntly replied to his receptionist.


    "Sure, send her in..."


    After which, the doors to his office unlocked, and Itami burst through the entrance, where she saw Berengar signing away at a mountain of paperwork with a carefree expression on his face. The man did not even look up at his guest as he responded calmly to her visit.


    "So what''s gotten you so riled up today?"


    Itami did not have time to think about her words, and instead quickly blurted out her thoughts without even considering the potential ramifications.


    "Your wife is cheating on you!"


    When Berengar heard this, his pen came to a sudden halt, as he ced it by down on his desk where he proceeded to gaze up at the albino beauty with a stern expression on his face. Contrary to what Itami was expecting, Berengar spoke with a hint of intimidation in his voice.


    "That''s an awfully serious usation you have just made. Do you have any proof of this im?"


    Itami could not tell why Berengar was so angry. She suspected that the very idea that one of his women was unfaithful had stoked his ire, thus she calmed herself before making her next point clear and concise.


    "I saw her, Linde, she was in the bath with a brte girl, and they were.... Doing unspeakable things!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar simply scoffed when he heard this and got back to his paperwork. As he did so, he calmly exined the situation to Itami in a way she found was unbelievable.


    "You''re referring to Honoria? Yes, I am quite aware of their rtionship, and I have already given the two of them my seal of approval, so to speak."


    Itami had bepletely bbergasted as she gazed at Berengar with a look of bewilderment, as if what she had heard waspletely and utterly insane. Thus, she was quick to voice her disbelief.


    "You knew? And even ept it? Why?"


    A slight smirk emerged on Berengar''s face as he once more ced down his pen and stared at Itami with a smug expression on his face.


    "Well, aside from the obvious benefits of having bisexual wives, I have in the past often found myself at war. Rather than worry about my women cheating on me with some knave while I am busy fighting in the trenches, I have helped encourage them to experiment with each other as a way to satisfy their urges.


    It''s not just Linde and Honoria. There''s also Ad and Henrietta, who are quite fond of one another, as well as Yasmin and Priya. Quite often, while I am sharing a bed with one or two of my wives, the others are sleeping with each other. The rtionship that my women share is not a simple harem, but a sisterhood, that they each take very seriously.


    So, while I am d that your first instinct was to alert me to the first sign of infidelity, I assure you it is not a problem. I would rather have my wives and lovers be intimate with each other, then constantly fighting amongst themselves for their position in my life. Now, if one of my women were to lie with another man, that would be a serious problem..."


    Itami could hardly believe what she was hearing? Was the Kaiser''s pce in reality a den of lust? The very idea that all the women by Berengar''s side were also intimate with one another had made her skin crawl. Berengar could see that the Japanese Empress was ufortable with his lifestyle, and thus decided to do something about it.


    "If it makes you that ufortable, I will tell my women to restrain themselves while within your vicinity."


    Itami had known for some time that Berengar was living a polygamous lifestyle, but until now, she had never considered the possibility that he shared his bed with more than one of his wives at the same time. The very idea made the Japanese Empress feel as if she had just been dunked into a pool of filth.


    However, there was also another thought in Itami''s mind as she envisioned a scene where Berengar was with all ten of his women at the same time, with a fat smirk on her face. Yet this thought did not end there. Instead, Itami saw herself kneeling before the man''s feet, naked, with only a cor and leash as a means of clothing.


    This perverted thought immediately caused the albino beauty''s ivory skin to once more flush red, which Berengar took notice of. However, he did not want to question just what the woman standing in front of him was thinking of in order to sumb to such a condition. Thus, he picked up his pen and started writing once more, waiting for Itami to climb her way out of whatever trance she had found herself in.


    After several moments of awkward silence, Itami shook her head in order to wake herself from this vivid dream of perversion, and found herself staring at Berengar who was ignoring her presence entire. It was only after taking a deep breath to calm herself did the Japanese Empress respond to Berengar''s previous statement.


    "Very well, you do that..."


    After saying this, Itami swiftly departed from Berengar''s office while mming the door behind her. It was only after he was alone, did Berengar ce his pen down once more, as formed his fingers into a triangle while contemting what he had just seen.


    For the slightest moment, the eye of Horus had reported a deep sense of attractioning from the Japanese Empress. It was so overwhelming that Berengar had been forced to avert his gaze. It was very clear by this powerful aura that Itami had thought of something awfully perverted about him, and it had aroused her.


    Thus, in this moment, Berengar formted the idea that perhaps he would take Itami as his fifth and final wife, ensuring that the throne of Japan passed onto his future descendents. How would he achieve this? By continuing to behave towards Itami as he already had done so since their first encounter. After all, it was clearly working in his favor.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1105 Conspiring Against The JapaneseEmpress

    It had been nearly a month since Itami first entered exile, and found herself living in the home of the man she once considered being her most bitter enemy. In this time, she had seen and experienced quite a bit of things that had changed her perspective on how she viewed the Kaiser.


    Berengar was much more than Itami had ever believed him to be prior to actually meeting him. He was not the monster she had originally expected him to be. In fact, all the rumors she heard from various sources turned out to be false. The Kaiser was not some vicious warlord who drank blood from a skull chalice. Nor was he a rapacious fiend who took advantage of young girls.


    If anything, Berengar appeared to be the opposite. He was a loving husband and father, and a caretaker of his people. The way themon man treated their monarch within the boundaries of the German Empire was nothing like Itami had ever seen before. Whether it was this life, or the one prior.


    Each day, Itami grew more intrigued with her host, and had begun silently stalking him through the halls in an attempt to gain a better perspective of his character. And while Berengar noticed the presence of the Japanese Empress, he ignored her and continued with his daily life.


    By now, Itami was thinking about Berengar, more than she thought about Julian. No longer was the albino beauty sulking in her bedroom, talking to a pillow as if it were a living being, and as time passed, her delusions about her non-existent love interest seemed to be less frequent.


    However, this blissful existence did notst long. When Itami realized that Julian had faded from her mind, at least temporarily, she felt a great sense of remorse. As if she had done something horrible to the man she yearned for. Thus, today, after nearly a month of general happiness. The Japanese empress entered a state of solitude and depression.


    Berengar did not take notice of this unusual behavior. After all, he worked an average of fourteen hours a day, sometimes more, and when he wasn''t in the office, he was spending time with his family. Thus, it came as a sudden surprise when he had two uninvited guests show up at his office.


    Itami Momo and Mibu Saya stood outside Berengar''s office arguing with his receptionist, who was following the orders she had been given by her boss. Which was that he should not be disturbed under any circumstances. Eventually, the conflict became so loud that Berengar''s voice interrupted the heated debate via the inte.


    "Just let them in..."


    The receptionist had a bit of fear on her face, suspecting that she might be fired for allowing her boss to be interrupted by these two foreign bitches, but she ultimately did asmanded and allowed Momo and Mibu ess to the Kaiser''s office.


    Contrary to what the women expected, there was a gentle expression on Berengar''s face as he invited his two uninvited guests inside.


    "I''m guessing there is something troubling the both of you? How about I pour the three of us some drinks, and we discuss it in private?"


    After saying this, Berengar closed the door behind him, where he proceeded to pour some wine for himself and his guests. Though Momo appeared more anxious than her mother, she still epted the gift, and sat down in one of the two seats across from the Kaiser''s desk. Once the alcohol had taken the edge off of things, Berengar broke the ice by responding with a kindhearted tone in his voice.


    "Now that you two appear to have calmed down, how can I help you?"


    Mibu and Momo looked at each other as if they did not believe they ever would have gotten this far, before the eldest of the two finally spoke with a heavy sigh.


    "It''s about my daughter..."


    Berengar naturally took this to mean Itami Riyo, and not Momo, who was sitting in front of him right now. And was thus quick to follow up with a question of his own.


    "I''m assuming you mean Itami-chan. What about her?"


    Even though Momo and Riyo shared the same surname, Berengar usually only referred to the elder of the two sisters by that moniker. Especially after Momo had insisted he call her by her first name. Seeing that they were on the same page, Mibu sighed once more before exining her request.


    "My daughter is very... temperamental. Every once in a while she enters a state of depression, and secludes herself away from the world where she tends to drink heavily. Right now she is going through one of these phases, and I was hoping that you could cheer her up." <novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar''s mind immediately went straight to mental illness. If Itami was having frequent mood swings that resulted in severe depression, it was entirely possible that she was suffering from a psychiatric disorder such as Bi-Pr disorder. However, the world of psychology was still in its infancy, and he was by no means an expert, thus he was not in a position to make a diagnosis.


    Instead, his question was one filled with concern, something that neither Mibu nor Momo had anticipated.


    "How frequent are these mood swings? When did they begin? How long do theyst? Do either of you know what could have triggered them?"


    Mibu and Momo looked at each other for a second, as if telepathicallymunicating their thoughts, before Momo finally spoke up with an answer.


    "This has been going on for a few years now. I will say that onee-chan was never like this prior to her ascension as the Empress. For a while, we did not live with her in the pce, so we don''t really know what could have caused these sudden bouts of depression, but they were definitely what you might call debilitating. These mood swings canst anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. We have tried everything to cheer her up when this urs, but nothing has ever worked."


    Berengar''s expression was grave, as if he had assumed the worst about Itami''s mental health. Perhaps the stress of the job had gotten to her, and she had suffered a mental breakdown. It was impossible to tell, since all he knew about the field of psychology was the result of self study from inte sources during his past life. However, it was thest thing that Momo had said which caused Berengar to raise his brow in curiosity.


    "If nothing has ever made your sister feel any better, then what exactly do you expect me to do?"


    This time it was Mibu who spoke as she looked at Berengar with a pleading gaze before telling him something he had already suspected.


    "Honestly? My daughter seems to be most happy these days when she is spending time with you. I have never seen her grow so attached to another human being before who wasn''t a member of her family. We were hoping that at the very least you could try to cheer her up for us."


    Berengar contemted this for several seconds before sighing heavily, as if the very idea had exhausted him. However, his response was contrary to what the two women were expecting.


    "Very well, I won''t make any promises as to whether I can actually help your daughter through her depression, but at the very least, I will make an attempt to do so."


    A look of glee appeared on both Momo''s and Mibu''s faces as they hugged Berengar and kissed him on the cheek as a means of thanking him. However, Berengar simply ignored these gestures and departed from his office with haste. Leaving the two women behind to speak about their conspiracy in silence.


    "If Riyo doesn''t react to even this, then I''m afraid she will be single forever..."


    Momo smiled and shook her head towards her mother before speaking of her hopes with bright eyes.


    "I have a good feeling that even onee-chan won''t be able to resist such a kind gesture!"


    Thus, Berengar had, without even realizing it, been manipted by Itami''s loved ones into pursuing her. By having Berengar help Itami ovee her depression, it was in the hopes of Momo and Mibu that she would fall head over heels for him and finally be able to move on from whatever weighed so heavily in her heart.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1106 Curing Depression

    <h2 style="font-size: 22.4px;">?1106 Curing Depression


    </h2>


    After leaving Momo and Mibu behind within his office, Berengar did not immediately visit Itami, instead he ordered a servant to fetch the Japanese Empress two gifts. First, Berengar ordered an assortment of choctes to be obtained from the finest sweet shop in the city of Kufstein.


    Second, hemanded the servant to purchase the cutest and cuddliest plushy they could find at the local toy store. While such qualifications were, in fact, subjective, he felt that a woman''s eye would be better suited to performing such a task, rather than his own.


    Thus, after nearly thirty minutes had passed, the servant returned to the Pce with the gifts in hand, which Berengar took from her, before giving the woman a hundred mark bill, partially as a thanks for her efforts, and partially as a means of reimbursing her for the cost of the gifts.


    When Berengar opened the bag which contained the plushy, he saw that it was in fact a white fox, which immediately reminded him of the Japanese goddess Inari. This begged the question as to whether Itami actually had encountered this world''s gods, or if she was still ignorant of their existence.


    Either way, it truly did not matter in the grand scheme of things, and as such Berengar ced such thoughts to the back of his mind before approaching the door to the room in which Itami had been granted for the duration of her stay in Kufstein.


    Just when he was about to enter, Berengar heard the sounds of whimperinging from within the room, and thus he took a deep breath before gently knocking.


    "Itami-chan, are you in there? I wanted a moment to speak with you..."


    Immediately the sobbing stopped, as Berengar waited for the door to open, he urately envisioned the albino beauty wiping her eyes. The second after this thought concluded, the door opened to reveal the Japanese Empress, whose makeup had run down her face.


    Itami was evidently quite distressed and was about to scold Berengar for interrupting her istion when she saw the gifts in his hands. She cocked her head as if she did not understand the man''s intent before questioning him about it.


    "Are those for me?"


    Berengar wore a gentle smile as he nodded his head before forcing his way into the room where he saw that Itami''s bed was in a mess, as if she had casually thrown the covers off of herself when she came to open the door.


    Once inside, Berengar set the white fox plushy onto the bed, along with the box of choctes, before expressing his concern about Itami''s current state.


    "Your mother and sister said you weren''t feeling well, so I figured I would bring some gifts to help cheer you up. If you don''t want to see me right now, I understand..."


    Itami gazed over at the white fox plushy, which immediately reminded her of her brief contact with the kami Inari. However, she did not know if Berengar knew that the ancient deities existed in this world, and thus she decided to remain quiet about these thoughts, instead she sat down on the bed beside Berengar, and in doing so signalled that he was free to stay.


    After carefully expecting the plushy for some time, Itami held it against her breasts, as if its fuzzy exterior helped warm her broken heart. Berengar remained silent for some time, before finally speaking his thoughts.


    "I don''t know what you could have gone through to end up in this state, but your mother and sister say this behavior of yours is quitemon and has been going on for some time. If you want someone to talk to about whatever is upsetting you, I wouldn''t mind listening..."


    Itami wiped the tears that were pooling in her eyes once more, while shaking her head. There was no way Berengar could understand what she was going through, although he was also someone who had reincarnated into this world, the man had clearly said that he had nobody in his past life that he really cared about, or more specifically that actually cared about him. However, since he was the only person in this world that was in a simr situation, she felt as if she could finally express herment. Thus, with a heavy sigh, Itami opened up to Berengar.


    "You wouldn''t really understand, but I guess you''re probably the only person who can hear my story, and not think I''m aplete nutter. The reason I''ve been so depressed these past few years is because of my past life.


    When I was in college, I really liked this guy, even if he didn''t seem to understand my feelings. However, I never actually told him how I felt, partially out of fear that he would reject me, and also because I know my parents would have never approved of him. Not because he was a bad guy, but because his background was from the lower ss, while my parents were from the upper ss. And they were very strict about finding me a rich guy to marry.


    Anyway, we became separated for a while after he graduated from university, and before I could reach out to him, he got himself killed in the war. It was only after his death did I realize how foolish I had been, and I grieve for him even to this day.


    Eventually I listened to the advice of my friends and family, and tried to move on from him. My superior was approaching me at work, and I figured I might as well give him a chance. Our rtionship did notst long, because before we could even kiss, one of my peers murdered me out of envy.


    After being reincarnated into this world and having the ability to reflect on that life, I realized that I did not even care for my superior, and was just going through the motions, trying to appear normal so that my friends and family would stop bothering me about putting myself out there...


    I still miss him to this day, and I often think about what could have been..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar remained utterly silent after hearing Itami''s tale of woe for some time. He could easily surmise by thest sentence she had said that she really cared for whoever this guy was. Contrary to what Itami had expected, Berengar simply scoffed and shook his head before expressing his thoughts on the matter.


    "I had something simr happen to me... I don''t like to think about it specifically because it leaves me with an overwhelming sense of dread. However, since you have told me your story, I might as well tell you mine. While I was in college, I knew this girl, who at the time I thought was more of a nuisance than a friend. But even so, we spent a considerable amount of time together and had grown rather close.


    Anyway, after I graduated, I ended up in the army where I got myself killed in some pointless war without ever realizing how she felt. However, I doubt she mourned my death, or was ever even made aware of it because we lost contact shortly after I had graduated. By the time I died, she had probably already moved on."


    Itami nced up at Berengar with a look of pity on her face. In a way, they were one and the same. The primary difference was that Berengar had moved on rather quickly, and taken a whole harem of lovers, while she was perpetually alone. This idea had caused the Japanese Empress to inquire about thest thing the Kaiser had said.


    "Wait, a second. Something doesn''t add up with your story. If you never knew how she felt in your past life, then how did youe to realize that this girl had feelings for you?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this ever so slightly before responding with a satisfactory answer.


    "Well, for starters, I have a really good memory, but aside from that, a few years back, I had a dream about the day I graduated, where this girl was in the stands watching me receive my diploma. There was a certain look on her face, which I instantly remembered her giving me time and again when she thought I wasn''t looking.


    In my past life, I had been too inexperienced with women to properly understand what this gaze meant, but by the time I had this dream, or memory, I should say, I knew all too well what the look in her eyes meant.


    Perhaps it was my subconscious mind twisting the reality of what had urred on that day, but after the dream, I looked back into my memories about that life and confirmed that she had indeed looked at me in such a way quite often."


    Itami broke out into a fit of giggles when she heard this. For whatever reason, she could not control herughter. However, the tears that once stained her eyes were now dry, as she remembered all the times she had stared at Julian in that exact same way that Berengar had described. Eventually, Berengar joined in on theughter and responded with a self-deprecating remark.


    "I was pretty fucking stupid, wasn''t I?"


    Itami made a gesture with her hands as if she were measuring the amount of his stupidity Berengar possessed before expressing her thoughts in between her giggles.


    "Just a little! It''s okay, the guy I had feelings for was the same exact way. As dense as a Japanese harem protagonist."


    Berengar forced himself to calm down hisughter or else he might choke on it, where he then made another remark that was detrimental to himself.


    "Oh, believe me, I was worse... But I''m d to see you smiling. You should really do it more often. You look a lot prettier when you''re happy."


    This remark caught Itami by surprise, whose ivory skin immediately flushed red with embarassment. She looked away from Berengar in that moment, knowing that if she continued to stare at his handsome face, she might bepelled to kiss him.


    Upon seeing that Itami was no longer in her depressed state, Berengar stood up from the bed, and offered his hand to Itami with a weing smile.


    "Come on, let''s go get some fresh air. I think you have been cooped up in here long enough."


    For a split second, Itami internally debated within her own mind whether this was a good idea, however she subconsciously grabbed hold of Berengar''s hand and was dragged to her feet before she even had a chance to properly decide. Seeing that she had alreadye so far, the albino beauty decided to take a chance, and followed the Kaiser out of his pce and towards an unknown destination.


    ---


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 Chapter 1107 First Date

    1107 First Date


    Itami took Berengar''s hand without even thinking about it, and before she knew it she was already in the car, driving through the town, with the most powerful man in the world by her side. Unlike nearly all previous instances where Berengar and Itami had been together, there were no kids to worry about, nor any other women for the Japanese Empress to contend with.


    Though there was a quiet voice in the back of Itami''s mind reprimanding her for cheating on Julian, she felt as if it were more of a nuisance than a voice of conscience. After all, Berengar shared many of the best qualities of Julian, but without the defects. If there was one thing the albino beauty had a problem with, it was the man''s polygamous lifestyle, but with each passing day, she found herself bing more tolerant of it.


    Berengar had something special in mind for his date with Itami, something that wasn''t necessarily high profile, and would help her cheer up. Thus, he took the woman to the local carnival, where had taken Linde and his other women on multiple asions.


    After stepping out of the car, all eyes were on Berengar and Itami. Berengar himself was dressed rtively casually. He wore a pair of denim jeans, cavalry boots, a cotton dress shirt which was opened at the color, and a leather jacket. His hair was not in its formal slick state, but was left deliberately messy. If not for his mismatched eyes, nobody would have noticed that he was, in fact, the Kaiser of the German Reich.


    As for Itami, she wore a whitecey cocktail dress and a pair of matching slippers. She was instantly noticeable by the crowd due to her albino state and her foreign features. In fact, nearly everyone knew from a single nce that Itami was the exiled empress of Japan. However, rather than look at her with disgruntled expressions, there was instead pity on the faces of the German people.


    By now, the German propaganda machine was in full effect, and to the people of Germany, Itami had been seen as a puppet for the self-dered Shogun. The entire war with Germany and all other past aggressions had been effectively pinned onto Shiba, with Itami being a mere figurehead. As a result, the German people felt sympathetic to the albino beauty rather than hateful.


    Once outside, Itami''s eyes lit up as she gazed upon the bright shing lights of the carnival, along with its many games, rides, and prizes. Like a kid in a candy shop, Itami immediately felt gleeful. Memories of her past life filled Itami''s head as she instantly dragged Berengar off his feet and towards the nearest game. Specifically, a memory of the time she and Julian had gone to the carnival with a group of her friends. A strength test was located nearby, with a local carny hollering at the crowd to try his machine.


    "Step right up, step right up! Come onee all and prove your strength. If you can pass this test, you will be able to select one of these fabulous prizes!"


    The prizes were everything from little trinkets to plushies. Though Itami had just received a stuffed fox from Berengar, her eyes were immediately drawn to what could only be described as an exceptionallyrge teddy bear. She slowly tugged at Berengar''s sleeve, with a shy expression on her face as she witnessed the giant plushy in all its glory.


    Berengar did not take notice immediately, but after a few attempts by the Japanese empress, he looked down upon her pretty face and saw an eerily familiar expression. A memory of the time Ai had asked him to win a simr prize flooded his brain, and caused him to look away with a slight bit of pain on his face.


    Though Itami did not notice this as she too looked away, too embarrassed to say what was on her mind, and yet as she tugged away at Berengar''s sleeve she mustered the courage and thus muttered under her breath the same words Ai had once spoken to him during his past life.


    "Please... can you win that bear for me?"


    In that past life, Berengar hadpletely failed to win Ai the stuffed bear, but seeing Itami with the same embarrassed expression on her face. Berengar could not allow himself to stand idly by. He immediately took off his jacket and handed it to Itami before rolling up his sleeves while approaching the carney.


    There was a look of utter disbelief on the carney''s face as he saw the Kaiser of all people approaching him with a rather intimidating re in his mismatched eyes. Berengar was now determined to win that stuffed bear, and if his physically enhanced body could not win this contest of strength, then it was clearly rigged and he would have this man behind bars by the time the night was over. Berengar reached out his hand and said two words to the carney, as the man stammered constantly.


    "Hammer, now!"


    The Carney did not even dare ask Berengar for a ticket, and instead handed the man the hammer, where he then lifted it up in the air as high as he could manage before mming it down on the tform with all his might.


    A loud ping rang through the air as the tform was struck by the sledgehammer, causing the puck embedded within the machine to shoot up to its maximum height. Shockingly to everyone who bore witness, the puck did not stop there and instead shot straight through the top of the strength machine, and went flying into the air, where it flew all the way to the nearby pier and into the river.


    Apletely defeated expression appeared on the Carney''s face, as Berengar handed the man his ticket, which he had forgotten to give before demanding the extrarge, fluffy white bear as his prize.


    "The bear..."


    The carney was left speechless as he handed therge stuffed bear to Berengar, which he lifted up with one hand before giving it to Itami, who, like the carney, was utterly speechless. The albino beauty''s sanguine eyes were as wide as possible, as an expression of shock filled her pretty face. However, once Berengar had approached her with the bear, his frightening expression had shifted to one of warmth and kindness.


    "For you... I hope you treasure it always..."


    Even Berengar was slightly embarrassed by the cheesy words he had said. However, Itami was already hugging the bear with all her strength and did not notice. Her heart waspletely fluttering for the first time since she hadst seen Julian.


    Even she did not know whatpelled her to act, however she stood up on the top of her toes and just barely managed to kiss Berengar on his cheek, before hiding behind therge white bear so that he did not see her flushed expression. Itami''s actions had surprised Berengar, so much so that he too was left speechless for several moments, before awkwardly shifting the subject to something else.


    "How about we go get some snacks? Do you like kettle corn?"


    Itami finally stopped hiding her face and silently nodded her head. She was stillpletely flushed in embarassment from what she had just done. However, Berengar found this inexperienced side of the Japanese Empress to be cute, and thus he smiled before grabbing hold of her hand and leading her to a snack cart, where a variety of different popcorns were being served.


    Popcorn with butter, cheddar, and white cheddar popcorn, kettle corn, caramel corn, chocte popcorn, S''mores popcorn, there were so many different types of popcorn, that even Berengar had a hard time deciding what he wanted.


    Ultimately, Berengar decided on chocte popcorn, as Itami pointed toward it with great interest on her face. Thus, he purchased arge bag of chocte popcorn, which the two of them snacked on as they walked through towards the pier so that they could gaze upon the river Inn.


    As Berengar and Itami leaned against the railing while snacking on chocte popcorn, Itami finally broke the silence as she gazed upon the river, which glistened under the light of the full moon.


    "I could never traverse through the streets of Heian-ky�� without an escort. However, you can so effortlessly walk among your own people, and the most they will do ise up to you and thank you for all your hard work.


    This ce, your Empire, is exactly how I envisioned Japan would be under my reign, except maybe less western influence, and more Japanese traditions. However, I have utterly failed to bring about such an advanced civilization.


    I have failed as a ruler in more ways than I can count, and shamefully enough I used to me all my mistakes on you, but it was me who overreacted to the news of someone like myself existing in the world, and thus causing all the problems Japan now faces.


    How can I ever live with myself, knowing how many lives were lost because of my ego... Will I ever be able to redeem myself in the eyes of the gods?"


    Itami once more had a sullen expression as she set the giant teddy bear on the ground, while looking down upon her own feet. Berengar had expected to cheer her up with this trip, but it would appear that she was right back where she started. Thus, he grabbed hold of her chin, and forced her to look him in the eyes, as he stated his beliefs.


    "You will be able to redeem yourself! I will help you regain your throne, and together we will fix every mistake you have ever made. Maybe it is true that thousands have perished in pursuit of a dream that will nevere to exist, but with the aid of the Reich, Japan will be a modern nation, one which won''t ever have to bother wasting money on its own defense.


    Your entire economy can be dedicated to the benefit of your own people. You can''t change what you have already done, but you can move forward and improve the lives of your citizens so that their sacrifices were worth something! And I will be there with you every step of the way."


    Tears flooded down Itami''s face, and without thinking she stuffed her head into Berengar''s chest, and wrapped her arms around him, and in doing so she let out all the sorrows that had gued her for years on end.


    Berengar epted Itami''s embrace, and hugged her tightly, while kissing the top of her forehead. He did not know why, but after getting to know Itami, she suddenly reminded him so much of that girl he had let get away from him so many years ago.


    In this moment, Berengar silently vowed to himself that he would never allow himself to repeat the mistakes he had made with AI, and would see through this fragile rtionship, which was blooming between himself and the Japanese Empress.


    ---

 Chapter 1108 Metamorphosis

    Itami sat in the back of Berengar''s limousine with a flustered expression on her pretty face. By her side was the man she had just gone on a date with. No matter how the young Japanese empress tried to spin the night''s events, she could only conclude that it was, in fact, a date.


    The very idea that she would be dating the man who she had once seen as her nemesis was quite bewildering. Over the course of a month, Berengar had gone from a hated enemy, to the object of Itami''s affections, and yet she did not dare say how much fun she had at the carnival, nor would she dream of hinting that she would enjoy another outing with the man by her side.


    She even found it difficult to grab hold of the man''s hand as he smoked a cigarette out the window. Inch by inch, Itami''s dainty fingers slowly nudged their way towards Berengar''s hand until the two ovepped.


    This sparked a slight reaction from the man, who finished his drag before ncing over at the albino beauty''s direction. With a charming smile on his face, he properly grabbed hold of Itami''s hand while remaining silent. Thus, the Japanese Empress and the German Kaiser did not say a word, as they stared into each other''s eyes until the vehicle pulled into the Pce''s driveway.


    Once the door to the vehicle opened, Berengar stepped out, before helping Itami to her feet, where the two of them proceeded up the steps and to the doorway. Knowing that the date was truly at an end, Itami knew this was herst chance to express her thoughts. With a meek voice and an averted gaze, the Japanese Empress dered her feelings aloud.


    "I had a wonderful time tonight... Thank you for everything..."


    Berengar could only smile when he gazed upon the flustered appearance of the albino beauty. In this moment, it was as if all the bitter disputes they had previously engaged in had never urred in the first ce. Instead, the Empress of Japan had turned out to be a rather delightful young woman, once she had been properly humbled.


    Seeing this as a good opportunity to permanently imprint himself into Itami''s memories, Berengar did something unexpected. He gently grabbed a hold of the albino beauty''s dainty chin before kissing her softly. An act which shocked Itami to the core of her being, and yet she did not refuse the man''s advances.


    Before the couple could enjoy themselves in the throes of their passion, the doors to the pce swung wide open to reveal Linde, who gazed upon the two love birds with a confident smirk on her gorgeous face.


    As Berengar pulled himself away from Itami''s lips, he noticed the woman''s face has be beet red, as she quickly hid her embarrassment within the palms of her hands, all while muttering a single phrase over and over again.


    "My first kiss..."


    As for Linde, she immediately felt the need to mark her territory, and thus mocked Itami openly with a hint of irritation in her voice.


    "You call that a kiss?"


    After saying this, the redheaded beauty grabbed hold of the back of Berengar''s head and kissed him with a level of passion and experience that Itami had been utterlycking. With a confident smirk on her face, Linde proimed her superiority.


    "Now that''s a proper kiss!"


    Naturally, the young Empress of Japan noticed Linde''s actions as she gazed in horror through her fingers. Just one look at the albino beauty would reveal that she had been overstimted after witnessing such a sight. First she had been kissed by a man, and then, in the next moment, that same man was kissed more passionately by another woman.


    Such a thing was simply unbelievable, and thus rather than stay and fight for her position in Berengar''s heart, the albino beauty scurried off through the halls of the pce, and to her room, where she instantly locked the door behind her.


    Berengar simply chuckled once Itami was gone, before swatting Linde''s plump ass with his open palm. A slight yelp erupted from the redheaded beauty''s lips as she gazed over towards her husband with a fierce glint in her eyes. Berengar chuckled when he saw this before scolding the woman for her actions.


    "You just couldn''t help yourself, could you? Everything was going great between Itami and me, but you just had to mark your territory."


    There was an intense expression on Linde''s gorgeous face as she gazed off into the direction where Itami had run to. She then spoke in a voice so low, Berengar had almost missed it.


    "Someone had to put that na?ve little girl in her ce..."


    Berengar could only chuckle once more, thinking that Linde was being her usual yful self. Thus, he petted her strawberry blonde hair while holding her in his arms before expressing his love for her.


    "Yes, yes... You''re my number one!"


    Contrary to what Berengar was expecting, Linde did notugh off this remark, like she usually did whenever he acquired a new woman. There was something serious in her sky-blue eyes, as if she had suddenly felt threatened by Itami for some unknown reason. The words that Linde spoke were rather callous and foreboding before she stormed off in a fit.


    "And don''t you forget it!"


    ---


    While Berengar was wondering just what hade over Linde, and why, she had acted so strangely. Itami had locked herself up in her room, where she sat on her bed with the arms of her giant teddy bear wrapped around her. Though her face was still rather red from embarrassment, the entire night''s events had not escaped her mind.


    On more than one asion, Itami touched her lips, to see if she could still feel the sensation of Berengar''s kiss. She. continued to contemte her feelings for both Berengar and Julian in silence for some time, before a slight knock resounded off of her door, followed by a voice she was all too familiar with.


    "Onee-chan, are you alright? Can Ie in?"


    It took Itami several seconds to recognize that Momo hade to check up on her, and thus after a few moments of silence, she rushed towards the door and opened it. What awaited Momo was not what she had expected.


    If Momo couldpare her elder sister to any animal, she would say that Itami was akin to a lioness. She had always been strong, confident, and capable of handling her own business. However, in this moment, Itami resembled a frightened rabbit, as she slightly poked her head out the door, with a flushed appearance and zed eyes.


    Naturally, Momo became concerned when she saw this, and forced her way into the room, while asking her elder sister just what had happened to reduce her to such a state. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Onee-chan! What happened! Are you alright?"


    Itami sank back onto her bed. While reminiscing about all that happened tonight, she silently nodded her head, still lost in thought. An act which only made Momo more concerned. Momo assumed the worst and was quick to jump to conclusions which she was not afraid to voice.


    "Did he hurt you in any way?"


    Itami slowly shook her head before expressing the thought that still consumed all of her mental energy.


    "He... He kissed me..."


    Momo''s expression immediately turned from one of concern to one of glee as she hugged Itami and squealed like a little girl.


    "Are you serious? What happened? I want to know everything."


    Itami spent the next hour vividly retelling everything that had happened between her and Berengar on this day. At the end, Momo was so excited that she was pacing around the room, expressing her thoughts aloud. Even Itami was taken aback by Momo''s sudden increase in intelligence.


    "This is really good! I didn''t expect your rtionship to progress so quickly, but this is good for us. And by us I mean all of Japan. I have been talking to Yasmin and Honoria. They both say that after marrying Berengar, the quality of life in their homnds improved drastically. Berengar appears to be more than happy to help out the kingdoms where his wives originate from.


    Albeit, both the Byzantine and Iberian Empires both had a hard fought road to sess, but Japan is different. We have no more wars to fight after we eventually end Shiba''s reign of terror. Every ounce of German investment will go into rebuilding what has been destroyed.


    I heard that Berengar had given 50 billion marks to one of his concubines so that she could build a kingdom of her own in Crimea. He will be a lot more generous to awful wedded wife, don''t you think?"


    Her little sister''s remarks bbergasted Itami. Lawful wife? Just who is she talking about? It only dawned on Itami that Momo was speaking about her when the girl grabbed hold of her hands and expressed her next thought.


    "I can''t wait for the wedding. Where do you think we shall hold it, here or Japan? Oh, I think you will look absolutely fabulous in one of those German white wedding gowns, don''t you think?"


    Suddenly, the dots connected in Itami''s mind that Momo was insisting she and Berengar get married. But that could never happen, could it? Thus, she was quick to voice her disbelief.


    "Me, and Berengar? Married? Have you gone mad, Momo? Obviously, that could never happen!"


    Momo''s expression had shifted from one ofplete excitement to a look of pity. As if she were looking at a particrly dull child. With a heavy sigh, Momo shook her head before expressing her thoughts aloud once more.


    "How dense are you?"


    Itami immediately became offended at the idea of being dense. After all, if there was one quality about Julian that Itami hated most, it was the fact that he had been as dense as a neutron star. Thus, the Japanese Empress was quick to fire back at her younger sister, who was still looking at her as if she were a durd.


    "What do you mean? I''m not dense! There are good reasons why Berengar and I can''t get married?"


    Despite Itami''s protests. Momo simply raised her brow and responded with a challenge.


    "Name one!"


    For perhaps the first time in Itami''s life, she was left utterly speechless at her little sister''s intelligence. It was true; she did not have a single logical exnation on why she should not marry Berengar. Contrary to this, there were quite a few reasons Itami immediately thought of that exined why she should marry the man. Thus she sat there stammering for several seconds like an idiot, before Momo cut her off.


    "See you can''t! I don''t understand onee-chan, you like him don''t you? I mean, I haven''t seen you this happy in years and it is all because of Berengar! So why wouldn''t you want to marry him? Obviously, he likes you, so why are you so hesitant with the idea?


    Itami knew exactly why she was so hesitant at the thought of marrying Berengar, but she could not express this concern to her little sister, and thus she sighed heavily before asking for some peace and quiet.


    "Momo, I need some time to think. Can you please leave me alone for a bit?"


    Momo could tell that her elder sister was about to go through a metamorphosis, and thus she decided to no longer bother Itami. With a brief hug, she departed while leaving behind some heartfelt words.


    "Get some rest Onee-chan, you deserve it."


    Thus, Itami went to bed that night thinking about all the things she had lost over the years, and the prospect of entering into a serious andmitted rtionship with a man who was not Julian.


    ---


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 Chapter 1109 An Act Of Insanity

    The following days after Berengar had taken Itami to the carnival for their first date, were filled with some unexpected changes around the pce. Seemingly out of nowhere, Itami had be much more cheerful and had even begun helping out around the house.


    When Itami wasn''t cooking delicious Japanese dishes for Berengar and his family, she was generally finding some excuse to speak with the man himself. These chats usually ended in some harmless flirting and some mild kissing. No matter how much Berengar wanted to strip the albino beauty from her dress, and have his way with her, he restrained himself. Thus,ing across as a proper gentleman.


    If there was one person who was rather upset with the sudden shift in Berengar and Itami''s rtionship, then it was Linde. Though the Queen Spider could not exin why she felt a sudden hint of danger from the Japanese Empress, her intuition was seldom wrong, and thus she kept a watchful eye on her husband''stest fancy. Yet, despite going the extra mile, Linde could not find any reason to exin her sense of anxiety.


    ---


    While Berengar and Itami''s rtionship blossomed, the war with Japan had reached a new height. In the wake of German propaganda efforts, a group ofmon citizens now gathered outside the pce, demanding to see the young Empress. Shiba gazed out the window of the Japanese pce with a look of contempt in his eyes, as he read the signs of the protestors which were written in red ink.


    "Free the Empress!"


    "Down with the Usurper!"


    These were just a few of the slogans which were being thrown around as the Japanese peasants demanded to see their Empress Itami Riyo. Shiba watched the protesters for some time as his hands curled into fists.


    After seeing enough dissent, Shiba turned away from the window where he was immediately met with the head of the Imperial Guard. A feral look appeared in Shiba''s dark eyes as he screamed at Otagi Kiyotsune for his failures.


    "I thought I said that I wanted everyone who openly supported the exiled empress to be executed for treason! Why are there now thousands of people gathered outside the pce demanding to see Itami!?! Should you have not beheaded them already?"


    Otagi bowed his head as he responded to the Shogun''s fury with a shameful look on his face.


    "Your highness, I have given the orders to round up and imprison those who dared to question your legitimacy. However, many of the men in the Imperial Guard are diehard members of Itami''s cult. When they heard the order to act against the exiled empress and her loyal followers, they abandoned their posts, and fled to the countryside.


    It also doesn''t help that the Germans are producing propaganda that portrays the exiled empress as a pure maiden who was used as a puppet for the vain ambitions of a tyrant. They even say that you were the true mastermind behind the previous royal family''s demise and that everything Japan has done since then has been under your orders. If the enemy is to believed, then Itami has always been a simple figurehead.


    Despite our best efforts to counter these ims, more and more people are demanding to see Itami. We simply do not have the resources to execute them all! In fact, the more we persecute these people, the more the German propaganda seems legitimate in the eyes of the public!"


    Shiba did not take this news well. Itami had fled from his side, to that bastard Berengar and no doubt by now had already submitted to him thoroughly. There was no denying this fact. After all, she was happily obliging with the German propaganda which she knew to be false.


    The very idea that Itami had be physically intimate with another man drove Shiba mad. Perhaps it was this thought thatpelled him to give the following orders, which would forever leave their dark mark on Japanese history.


    "How many men do you have that are loyal to me, here in Heian-ky��?"


    Otagi had no idea what Shiba was thinking of, but was quick to answer nheless.


    "Around a thousand, maybe two..."


    Shiba turned his back to the windows where the protesters were visible. A cruel smile emerged on his face as he gave an unthinkable order to the head of the Imperial Guard.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That is more than enough. Gather them here at the pce, and have them dispose of these traitors properly. Needless to say, lethal force is authorized!"


    Otagi shuddered at the thought of employing such violence. He had done everything in his power to secretly ensure that the men and women used of being traitors for supporting Itami were given fair trials. Despite being among to first betray the exiled empress. After all, though he may be a traitor, Otagi would never condemn unarmed civilians to a horrible death without a valid reason for doing so.


    There were thousands of men and women gathered in the streets outside the pce while peacefully protesting against the current regime. The very fact that Shiba wanted to use lethal force as their first option to remove them from the premises had proven that the man hadpletely lost his mind Thus, at this moment, Otagi decided to take a stand, and in doing so openly refused Shiba''s insane orders.


    "Absolutely not! I may not be the most moral man on the, but massacring thousands of our unarmed citizens, simply because they are concerned about Itami? Have you gone mad? Do you really expect my men tomit such a heinous act? These are our people, and not some filthy savages in some foreignnd! If you do this, you will be remembered in history exactly how the Germans portray you! I will have no part-"


    Before Otagi could even finish his speech, Shiba withdrew his pistol from its holster and fired a single shot straight through the man''s forehead. Killing the highest ranking member of the Imperial Guard on the spot. The moment he did so, a group of Imperial Guardsmen rushed to the scene and saw their boss lying dead in a pool of his own blood and brain matter.


    The gun in Shiba''s hand was still smoking as he pointed it towards the group of soldiers, who struggled toe to terms with what they were witnessing. After several moments of awkward silence, Shiba raised his brow before givingmands to the highest ranking officer present.


    "Congrattions, you are the new leader of the Imperial Guard. If you do not wish to share the same fate as your forbearer, then I suggest you follow my orders without question. First dispose of this trash, and then gather all the men you can manage, and eliminate these traitors who have gathered outside my gates in an act of rebellion!"


    The officer remained still as he gazed upon the corpse of his superior, and the Shogun, who continued to point the smoking gun in his direction. In the end, he decided to forego his honor and salute Shiba while following his orders to the letter.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After saying this, the new leader of the Imperial Guard motioned for his men to clean up Otagi''s corpse, before rallying all the troops he could manage at the pce. Once both tasks werepleted, he stepped forward among the ranks of his fellow soldiers, who pointed their semi-automatic rifles towards the crowd of protestors.


    The protestors, perhaps in an act of hubris, remained standing still while spitting upon the Imperial Guardsman, and shouting their slogans towards them. They were so rowdy, that none of them noticed the tear forming in the officer''s eyes nor the apology he said before giving the order to kill them all.


    "I''m sorry... I''m really sorry... Open fire!


    Nobody could have anticipated that the members of the Imperial Guard, who were thus far untested in battle, would flip their rifle''s safeties off and unload their magazines into therge crowd of unarmed civilians, who were doing nothing more than peacefully protesting. Yet that is what exactly happened, and before anyone could react, hundreds of men and women lie dead in the streets.


    Bloodcurdling screams followed the echoes of the gunfire, as hundreds of Japanese citizens dropped dead in the center of Heian-kyo, however even after the guns of the Imperial Guard ran dry, they simply reloaded and continued to fire upon the scattering protestors.


    They did not stop there, but instead actively pursued the crowd and gunned down anyone they saw, even if they had not participated in the organized protest. By the time the sun went down, nearly three thousand Japanese citizens lie dead in the Capital.


    Unknowingly to Shiba, who watched the event unfold from the safety of his pce, German agents had recorded the entire massacre with their camcorders. In a few days, the violence disyed on this day would be used in German propaganda, to prove to not only to the Japanese themselves, but the entire world that Shiba was everything the Germans had imed him to be. Thus, in a way, exonerating Itami of all the crimes she had been previously used of.


    As for how Itami reacted to this massacre, the moment she saw Shiba open fire on the unarmed protestors, she feltpelled to do more than sit back and funnel propaganda into her homnd. Though what measures she would undertake to achieve this is a story for another time.


    ---


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 Chapter 1110 Government In Exile

    It did not take long for the footage of the Heian-ky�� Massacre to reach the Reich. By now, the German Empire had mastered the means of smuggling resources and people in and out of Japan. When Itami and Berengar firstid eyes on the tape, they were horrified.


    While both monarchs had their fair share of blood on their hands, neither of them had ever actually ordered their troops to fire upon their own civilians. Let alone as a means of putting down a peaceful protest. To Itami, who had forsaken her people for most of her reign, this was the final nail in the coffin.


    The guilt she felt in her heart, especially after witnessing the civilization that Berengar had built, was at a breaking point. She had unified Japan as a means of advancing her own ambitions and had used her people as pawns to secure her power. Now, after being exiled to the Reich, Itami realized that those same people were sick and starving as a result of her own actions.


    After suffering the abuse of the Itami Regime, the Japanese people were now ruled over by a tyrant, who sought to stamp out any and all dissent. What was the most shocking was his willingness to use lethal force at the first given opportunity. Clearly, this was not the same Shiba that Itami had known for so many years.


    The Japanese Empress hung her head low, knowing that she was at fault for all of her people''s woes, including Shiba''s erratic behavior. However, until now, she had left the war for Japan''s soul up to Berengar. Spending thest month or sozing about, and enjoying a peaceful and prosperous existence far away from the troubles of her people.


    Berengar could easily tell that the albino beauty was suffering from the pressure of everything she had done in this life, and thus wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her close to him. However, this did little tofort Itami, who had a serious glint in her blood-red eyes?


    Itami''s fists were curling in rage as she gazed upon the scene of her own soldiers ruthlessly gunning down a crowd of peaceful protestors. What she said next had caught Berengar off guard.


    "It''s time for me to take a stand against Shiba as more than just a pretty face for the purposes of Propaganda!"


    Berengar''s mismatched eyes shifted down onto Itami''s stern expression as he questioned just what the woman had in mind.


    "What is your n?"


    The Albino beauty shook herself away from Berengar''s arms as she closely examined the video of the massacre one more time before finally speaking her thoughts.


    "I n to establish a government in exile here in Kufstein. The samurai ns are a lost cause. I have known this for years but have been avoiding a solution until now. I will establish a cadre of talented and educated officials selected among those who have already been living here in Kufstein for some time. Your Little Kyoto district is the perfect ce to establish a proper embassy within the Reich. Don''t you think?"


    Though Berengar''s propaganda had shifted the public perception of Itami among his own citizens, he was a little fearful that it had not worked as well on those within his small Japanese enve. Perhaps Itami''s life would even be in danger if she visited the area. Thus, he was quick to advise against this course of action.


    "I have a counterproposal. Allow me to conduct a survey among the people living in Little Kyoto regarding their favorability towards you. Though I have done everything in my power to clean up your image. I fear that there will be many residents who still hold some animosity towards you.


    If the general poption is forgiving of your past actions, and genuinely believes that Shiba was at fault the entire time, then we can establish a proper embassy in Little Kyoto, and begin recruiting talented individuals to help build your government in exile. After all, many of these people have received a german education, and are thus much more capable than those who were a part of your previous administration."


    Itami thought about this proposal for a second before nodding her head in agreement. It was clear by the look in Berengar''s eyes that he was simply acting out of concern for her safety, and even though this would dy her ns by a short bit of time, it was still worth considering. Especially if Berengar''s fears were proven correct.


    "Alright, we will do as you have said. I will wait until we hear back from your survey..."


    After saying this, Itami left the war room, where she had headed off to in this gloomy hour, only she knew. As for Berengar, he quickly got in touch with Linde and had her agents conduct the survey. Within a few weeks, Berengar had the answer he wanted. Thus, he sat Itami down and discussed their options with her.


    "It would appear that my propaganda efforts have had quite arge effect on the poption of Little Kyoto. Most, if not all, of them had never actually directly answered to you, and thus were willing to believe that Shiba was the mastermind behind their exile. There are still a few holdouts who are suspicious of this news, but they don''t appear to be any danger to you, and even if they are, Imperial Intelligence is keeping a close eye on them.


    A tform has been prepared for your speech to Little Kyoto, and once we have the security detail in ce, we will be able to formally dere Japan''s government in exile. I have a speech being written for you as we speak. I also have a seamstress who has created a perfect replica of your J��nihitoe so as to appeal to your people. Are you ready to take this next step?"


    Itami nodded her head in silence, as she realized that she would be taking the first major step to reiming her throne, and when she did so, Japan would enter a new golden age, even if it became upied by the Reich.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Since her first arrival in Kufstein, Itami had never believed that the man who had once been her most bitter enemy would help restore her rule over Japan. Nor that she would grow so attached to him. Life was mysterious in this way, and Itami decided not to think about it, and instead for once in her life just go with the flow.


    Thus, after changing into her imperial regalia and undergoing makeup, Itami followed Berengar to Little Kyoto, where she took the stand with a stoic expression on her beautiful face. The Japanese Empress approached the podium, where a microphone was present, and began to speak with all the charisma she could manage.


    "To all Citizens of Japan, whether you are abroad, or trapped beneath the yoke of General Shiba''s tyranny, hear my message! By now, most of you are aware of the truth regarding my rise to power, and ascension as the Empress of Japan.


    At a young age, my father, Itami Yasutane, resisted the corruption of the Ashikaga Shogunate, and died doing so. It was at that moment that a young Daimyo by the name of Shiba Kiyohiko saw the potential of using this scandal to spark a rebellion. However, he did not have the strength to rise to power on his own. Instead, he saw the weapons I had designed for the defense of the Itami Domain and coveted them.


    Shiba inserted himself into my life, now that I had inherited the Itami n, and coerced me into bing his puppet, where he used my father''s death as the rallying cry to rebel against the Ashikaga Shogunate. After years of struggle, we had emerged victorious, where he convinced the previous royal family to dere me Shogun.


    However, that did notst for long, as Shiba found that I would be a better puppet if I were the Empress rather than a Shogun. Thus, he had the previous Imperial Dynasty executed, and ced me upon the vacant throne. Where I was to remain unmarried, until my death, so that he may inherit my throne.


    Over the next few years I watched from my prison, as Shiba put down rebellions, and unified Japan beneath his banner. The moment he heard that there was another advanced nation on the other side of the world, he became fearful and decided he would do everything in his power to halt their progress.


    Thus, rather than incorporate our neighbors into our sphere of influence. Shiba began the invasion of Korea, to expand our Empire into all of Asia. This was only after he had made ns with a man we all now know as the convicted war criminal, Asha Sarkar. Who he promised to supply with weapons and munitions so long as he resisted the Germans'' attempts to spread their influence to the east.


    This was the first among many provocations which led to the war with Germany that we now endure the consequences of. However, in the buildup to this conflict, Shiba had centralized all authority under his control, and hadmitted many heinous acts against his conquered subjects.


    Until finally, he had been beaten back by the German Empire to the point where the only thing left under hismand was the Japanese Maind. I admit to my shame that it was only after the attack on Tsushima, which left the entire ind void of all life, that I decided to take a stand and demand Shiba surrender to the Kaiser.


    After all, I overheard the call where the Kaiser threatened tounch a chemical strike on Heian-ky��, and he was going to do it, too. Because of this, I pleaded with Shiba to surrender; but he refused. Instead, he had me confined to my room, and threw away the facade he had so carefully constructed over the years, and in doing so proimed himself Shogun.


    As a result, I escaped to the Reich and officially surrendered to the Kaiser in the hopes that he would spare the lives of those who dwell within Heian-kyo. As a man ofpassion, he took pity on the Japanese people after learning the truth about Shiba''s tyranny and recognized my right to surrender to him.


    Thus, I entered a life of exile like so many other Japanese citizens have done in the past. I will admit, I had thought of giving up my title as Empress, and living a life of peace and prosperity here within the borders of the German Empire. However, just recently I witnessed a film, taken by German agents embedded in Japan, of the dire situation my people now find themselves in.


    I have failed you all as your Empress, and allowed this tyrant to use me as a puppet, but no longer! After witnessing the massacre of several thousand peaceful demonstrators outside the Pce in Heian-ky�� I feltpelled toe out of hiding, and take action.


    As of this moment I, Empress Itami Riyo am formally dering the formation of a new Japanese Government here in Kufstein. One that is opposed to Shiba''s reign, and whose purpose is to see my proper ascension to the throne, where I will end this pointless war, and work alongside the Germans to create a better world for our two nations and the people who live in them!


    For those who remain loyal to me, and are still within the confines of the Japanese Maind, I have convinced the Kaiser to supply you with arms, food, and munitions, so that you may defend your lives and homes against this illegitimate and tyrannical government that Shiba has created!


    As for those of you who live here in Little Kyoto, I call upon you all to join me in the creation of this new government in exile, so that we may return to our homes and create a brighter future for our people! Long live Japan!"


    After giving her speech, Itami descended from the stage, and returned with Berengar to the Pce. Her message was clear, both to the people of Little Kyoto, and those living in the Japanese maind. Shiba''s reign of terror wasing to an end.


    ---


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 Chapter 1111 Second Thoughts

    The car ride home was especially difficult for Itami, as Berengar remained utterly silent with a cold expression on his face. Every attempt that the Japanese Empress had made to hold the man''s hand was quickly rejected, causing her to feel quite glum.


    But what exactly was going through Berengar''s mind at this moment? Well, it was aplex web of issues. Although Berengar''s agents had written the speech that Itami made to rally her people, one that he personally stamped his approval on. He still had a difficult time listening to the woman pin all the me for her past actions on hertest political rival.


    In truth, nothing really changed regarding Itami''s character, or so far as Berengar believed. While she had revealed herself to be a rather innocent and shy woman in private. The reality was that she waspletely incapable of taking ountability for her actions, which was something that Berengar found both disgusting and repulsive.


    Thousands of German soldiers lie dead as a result of Itami''s past actions. Could he really ept sweeping that under the rug for the sake of a marriage of political convenience? While Berengar was silently brooding over these issues,Itami noticed that something was terribly wrong, and was quick to inquire about it.


    "Did I do something wrong? Why won''t you talk to me?"


    Berengar, however, did not respond, and merely rolled down the window, where he pulled a cigarette packet out of his coat pocket and lit one me before taking a long drag from the nicotine. He continued to smoke in silence for the rest of the drive home.


    Once the car had pulled into the driveway, Berengar had quickly entered his home without even bothering to help Itami out of the vehicle, who stood by the wayside with an expression of utter shock on her face.


    After Berengar had entered his pce, he rushed to his war room, where he saw Linde was currently overseeing thetest reports from the field. When she noticed her husband enter the room, her face lit up with a pretty smile. The redheaded beauty hugged her man and kissed him passionately before giving him a brief summary of how effective Itami''s broadcast had been.


    "While we only have information regarding the citizens of Little Kyoto at the moment, I expect that once we send these videos into the field, they will prove equally effective. I must say, Itami did an excellent job pinning all the me onto Shiba, and announcing the formation of her new government in exile.


    We are already receiving reports from Little Kyoto that many talented individuals who have received a german education are flocking to her cause. Within the next few weeks, we will be able to officially dere that the legitimate government of Japan is currently in exile here in Kufstein. This will have an enormous international effect on Shiba''s regime."


    Berengar had seemingly not heard a word that Linde had said, and instead stared at her with a cold gaze. Linde could count the amount of times on one hand that Berengar had been so distant with her, and because of this she immediately knew that something was wrong with him.


    Thus, Linde grabbed hold of Berengar''s hand and led him to his office, where she then shut the doors behind him, sealing off the room from any would be eavesdroppers. Once the royal couple were alone together, Linde was quick to inquire about just what hade over her husband.


    "What has happened?"


    Berengar sighed heavily as he sat down in his chair, before expressing what dread had overtaken him after witnessing the speech that Itami had made.


    "I know it was your idea to pin all of Itami''s past mistakes on Shiba as a way to restore her people''s faith in her reign, but I am having a hard time even looking at the woman after hearing the speech she just gave.


    This is it? Thousands of German lie dead as result of Itami''s actions, and we are just going to treat the woman as our honored guest, and pretend that nothing she has done to our nation ever happened?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Until now, Linde had been surprised with how forgiving Berengar had been to Itami, especially after everything the woman had done in the past. But it would appear that the man had been forcing himself for the sake of political necessity.


    To Berengar, the lives of his soldiers were worth more than the entire nations of his enemies. It was why he had specifically sought out to establish internationalw regarding the treatment of civilians and, more importantly, prisoners of war.


    And while Japan had abided by this treaty during the duration of their conflict, the fact still remained that Itami had been responsible for thousands of dead German soldiers, and tens of thousands more wounded. Despite knowing how Berengar felt about this whole situation, Linde gave him advice that was counter to his nature.


    "The reparations that Japan will pay to the Reich will go towards the families of those brave soldiers who have perished in this war. Itami will pay for everything she has done, however she will do so financially rather than with her life.


    What the Reich needs now is for you to continue to get along with the Japanese Empress. I don''t care what you have to do, but you must keep courting her until she decides that she is ready to be your wife. Do I need to remind you what is at stake here?


    By having Itami sit upon the Japanese throne as our puppet, we are providing stability to the region. If Shiba is not taken care of soon, the Samurai ns will rebel against him in a bid for power, and in the ensuing chaos every scientist, and engineer will flee the country, who will most likely end up in ces like the Ming Dynasty where they will use their knowledge to kick-start the industrial revolution.


    Such a thing would be disastrous to the world hegemony you have built. Especially in the long term! So suck it up and continue building your rtionship with Itami, for the sake of the Reich and our dynasty!"


    Berengar looked up at Linde and saw the serious expression on her face. Just a few hours ago, she was still acting rather territorial with Itami, and now she was saying that it was a matter of national security for him to marry the bitch. Just how temperamental could a woman be?


    Naturally, Berengar knew that Linde had always intended for him to marry Itami. Her standoffish attitude these past few weeks was just her way of establishing dominance. However, the moment Berengar began disying second thoughts, the redheaded beauty was forced to ce her foot down.


    It would be a disaster if the Japanese scientists and engineers who Itami had fostered ended up in the hands of another nation. However, despite knowing this was the logical conclusion, Berengar still had a hard timeing to terms with marrying a woman with so much of his people''s blood on her hands. What he needed was some time to think through his emotions, and thus he sighed heavily before voicing this thought aloud.


    "I need some time to think. You should get back to the war room, and continue to help orchestrate Itami''s government in exile. Once this recording ends up in the hands of the Japanese people, it will be sure to spark a rebellion against Shiba''s regime. By then we will need a n on how best to arm and supply these loyalists."


    Linde saw that Berengar was conflicted, but she had already given her advice, and thus nodded her head obediently before leaving her man behind with nothing but his thoughts to keep himpany.


    Berengar would spend the rest of the day thinking through just what he should do with Itami. There was no doubt that had been some form of budding romance between the two of them, but the blood that stained the woman''s hands had caused him to grow rather cold towards her.


    ---


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 Chapter 1112 Arming The Japanese Loyalists

    In the southernmost portion of Japan, a young captain leaned his Type 4 rifle onto his shoulder as he smoked a cigarette within the courtyard of the Satsuma n''s castle. The man''s appearance was unkempt, as his mid length ck hair ran ragged down to his neckline. His unshaven face gave this officer the look of a rogue, which wasplimented by his uniform that had been tattered and stained beyond repair.


    This man was named Tsugaru Akihiko, and he had been among the ranks of many young peasants who found themselves conscripted into the Armed Forces of the Japanese Empire. Unlike many of his peers, Tsugaru had showed great ingenuity in the field, and had even earned himself a battlefieldmission as he fought against the enemies of Japan.


    However, after General Shiba had dered himself Shogun, and in doing so, reinforced the power and influence of the old Samurai ns, Tsugaru became increasingly rebellious, to the point where he and his entirepany deserted from the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army, while taking all their equipment with them.


    For months Tsugaru and his rebels had wandered the Japanese maind with no true aim until they found themselves in thends that belonged to the Satsuma n, where they quickly seized and upied a small town.


    For some time, Tsugaru and his men had been living in this town within the borders of the Satsuma n''s territory, exploiting the locals and theirbor to their own ends. As if they had suddenly be their own feudal lords.


    Naturally, the Satsuma n had taken offense to this, and as a result, a small skirmish had broken out. The result of this battle was disyed around the rebel leader, who gazed upon the mountains of dead bodies that were now piled within the courtyard of the Satsuma n''s main castle.


    Kneeling in front of Tsugaru was the head of the Satsuma n, who had a bullet hole in his gut. The man kept whimpering and begging to the point where now Tsugaru found it tiresome.


    "Please... Give me a sword so I can have an honorable end!"


    Perhaps this constant begging for an honorable death had taken a toll on Tsugaru, but the rebel leader quickly raised his rifle and fired a single shot through the old Daimyo''s head, thus ending his life, and in doing so killing off thest of an ancient bloodline.


    Once the elder of the Satsuma n had passed, the sound of slow pping emerged from somewhere else in the courtyard, where Tsugaru quickly raised his rifle and aimed his iron sights in its direction.


    Stepping out of the shadows was a gorgeous Korean woman that Tsugaru was not expecting. The smile on Min-Ah''s face was enough to force the rebel leader to lower his weapon. Where he gazed upon the foreign beauty with a hint of lust on his face. However, before he could say something smooth, Min-Ah opened her mouth and exined her reason for visiting such a remote location.


    "It seems you have done well for yourself, Captain Tsugaru Akihiko... Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nam Soon-Hee, and my employer wishes to make use of your services."


    Tsugaru raised his brow in curiosity as he slowly approached the woman who had decided to reveal herself. He was quite cautious after hearing that she had been sent by someone to contact him and was quick to inquire about this.


    "Your employer? And who might that be?


    A confident smile emerged on Min-Ah''s face as she pulled something out of her sleeve and activated it with a click of a button. Immediately Itami''s voice began to y throughout the courtyard, causing Tsugaru''s men to rush towards the source of this sudden disturbance, only to find the scene of their leader speaking with a stranger.


    The recording was the speech Itami had made in Kufstein, which caused these deserters to stand by silently and wait for it to finish. Once the speech was over, Min-Ah smiled once more before continuing her introduction.


    "My employer has sent me here, because we have gotten word of groups like yourself, deserters, who are upset with the current establishment. The Empress assures you that if you take up arms for her cause, you will be handsomely rewarded. And that expresses that she sympathizes with your plight.


    The old system that has ruled over Japan for countless generations is clearly broken. It is time to burn it to the ground and start from scratch. In the Empress''s vision of this new Japan, there will be no samurai, no daimyos, and certainly no shoguns.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Men like yourself, who are intelligent and capable, can rise to prominent positions through their personal merit. I assume that''s why you and your men provoked a fight with the Satsuma n? Because you are sick of the Samurai and the power they unjustly wield in this society?"


    Min-Ah had nailed the issue on its head. That was precisely why Tsugaru and his men had provoked a conflict with the Satsuma n. They were sick of the Samurai telling them what to do and wanted to change the status quo.


    If this foreign beauty really worked for the Empress, and her ims were true, then Tsugaru did not see a reason why he should not join Itami''s cause. However, he led only a singlepany of men, and they were already running low on supplies, especially after this battle. Just what could they do against the might of Shiba''s legions? Thus, he was quick to express this point.


    "As much as I find myself entertained by your offer, I''m afraid that my men and I are incapable of helping you. Even if we wanted to fight against the usurper, and end his reign of terror. We don''t have the means to do so..."


    Naturally, Min-ah had a solution to this, and instead of exining her n, she merely pointed up to the sky, where arge cluster of crates was falling from the sky. Tsugaru had not even seen the aircraft which had dropped the cargo, but he had seen enough fallschirmj?gers deploy from the sky to know what a parachute was. Thus, he and his men raised their rifles in preparation for a heated conflict.


    However, as the parachutes came closer to the ground, the Japanese rebels noticed that they were not in fact soldiers, but crates, carrying what could only be supplies. These cratesnded softly in the courtyard, where Min-Ah gestured towards them with a confident smirk on her pretty face.


    "Open them..."


    Tsugaru did as Min-Ah had said, and motioned for his men to open the crates. Which when they did, they found all kinds of supplies. From vacuum sealed MREs to cases of munitions, and hundreds of weapons.


    Food, medicine, mines, grenades, mortars, semi-automatic rifles, panzerfausts, fliegerfausts, light machine guns, pistols, shotguns, and everything else the rebels needed to fight a war against the Shiba Shogunate. There was even a field guide on how to wage gueri warfare. It was all there for the rebels in these crates. Tsugaru reacted in utter disbelief, but before he could voice it, Min-Ah spoke once more.


    "The Reich sends their regards... As you may be aware, the Empress has aligned herself with the Germans, and they intend to provide you, and others like you, with the means to fight against the Shiba Shogunate. So how about it, Captain Tsugaru? Or should I say, General Tsugaru? Will you swear your undying loyalty to the rightful empress of Japan, Itami Riyo?"


    The fact that there were rations and medicine included in the supplies was more than enough for the men to decide in that moment where their loyalties lied. Even after capturing a small town and a castle, food was still a raremodity in Japan during these troubling times.


    More and more people starved to death with each passing day. By simply giving these rebels food, Itami had earned their loyalty. Thus, the men threw up their salutes and shouted a war cry they had not uttered in some time.


    "Tennoheika Banzai!"


    It was not just Tsugaru and his men that the German agents had begun to approach. All around Japan there were thousands of Japanese deserters, just like Tsugaru, who Berengar''s agents were recruiting to Itami''s cause.


    Without even realizing it, Shiba now found himself opposed by an army of veteran soldiers who, for the sake of food and medicine, had dered their loyalty to their Empress. Thus setting the second stage of the German-Japanese War.


    ---


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 Chapter 1113 A Lovers Dispute

    The revolution had begun, seemingly overnight, thousands of deserters had gathered together in the southern portion of Japan, and had begun attacking the Samurai ns who ruled over the region. Even without dedicatedrge bore artillery, the attackers made excellent use of their mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades to bring down the walls of the ancient castles.


    The Fall of the Samurai hade, and without even expecting it, Shiba found that many of his highest ranking officers and their families hade under siege. At first, he thought that this was perhaps a group of unconnected attacks conducted by various groups of troublesome deserters.


    However, it became increasingly clear by the banners that these men flew, and the weapons that they wielded, that this was an organized rebellion. In retaliation, Shiba ordered what remained of Japanese Armored and Air power to invade the South, and route these rebels before they caused some serious harm.


    ---


    While the war within the Japanese Maind reached a new level of intensity, Berengar found himself cornered by Itami, who, after being neglected for so long, had forced a situation where they could talk.


    The Kaiser had quite literally been caught in a corner of the pce by the young Japanese Empress, who was pouting at this moment. An expression Berengar found to be quite adorable, even though he himself had conflicted emotions regarding his rtionship with this woman. However, before Berengar could even think about this, Itami vented her frustrations on the man.


    "What gives? You have been avoiding me for weeks now! I know I did something wrong, so why don''t you just tell me what it is so I can fix it? You can''t just kiss me, and then the next day start avoiding me for weeks on end!"


    Itami''s voice was so loud that it echoed through the halls, alerting several of Berengar''s children about the conversation that their father was having. Ultimately, Berengar sighed heavily, and decided that hiding from Itami was no longer an option. His expression suddenly became cold as he expressed what had been troubling him.


    "There''s nothing you can do to fix this. I thought I could get over the past between us, but I am having a hard time envisioning you as anything other than the woman responsible for the deaths of thousands of my citizens. I won''t avoid you any longer, but I can''t say for certain that you will receive the same sense of hospitality that I have previously given you..."


    The albino beauty was struck speechless by this sudden change in Berengar''s mindset. What the hell did he mean by this? Everything was fine when they went on their first date a few weeks ago, so how did he suddenly be so upset about this issue?


    It was at this moment that Itami realized when and why Berengar had suddenly be so cold to her. It was that damned speech. She curled her fists in rage when she realized that the speech which was written by german agents, and approved by Berengar himself, had been the cause of the sudden rift between the two of them. She could not believe this. Thus, Itami began to shout at Berengar with all the fury in her heart.


    "It is that damn speech, isn''t it? The one you signed off on, and made me say in front of my people! I''m right, aren''t I?"


    Berengar neither nodded nor shook his head. He simply remained silent and uncaring as Itami struggled to cope with this news. She had finally found a guy she liked, and who treated her right, only for him to fall out of love with her because of a speech he had personally approved of. It was utter insanity. She could not help but voice her disbelief.


    "I don''t believe you. Your agents wrote that speech. You personally signed off with your approval before I even uttered a word of it to the public. How can you condemn me for something that you came up with?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    Perhaps Itami had gone too far with her shouting, but Berengar responded to this usation with a sharp tongue, and a heightened tone.


    "You just don''t get it, do you? Thousands of my people lie dead because of you! Tens of thousands more have been wounded, some even crippled. All because of your fucking ego. And yet, you have not taken ountability for your actions. Instead, I am forced to wipe the te clean for you, and lie to everybody so that you can regain your throne, and provide some semnce of stability to Japan.


    This entire clusterfuck could have been avoided, but because you could not stand the idea, of another powerful nation existing on the other side of the world, you have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and untold suffering to so many more. How am I supposed to just ignore all of that?"


    By now, tears were streaming down Itami''s eyes as her fists instinctively uncurled. She could not believe Berengar was saying such things to her. Especially after everything they had been through. Why now? If he had such a problem with her, then why did he take her out on a date and kiss her? It was just too cruel. Thus, she said onest thing in her defense before storming off to her room.


    "You think I don''t know that? Every single day, I have to live with the fact that I have fucked up so badly. I thought you, of all people, would be able to see how much I am hurting because of the mistakes I have made.


    You have every right to be angry at me, but I just don''t understand why you pretended to be in love with me, and stole my first kiss, when you really felt this way the whole time. You bastard! How dare you y with my emotions like that! I hope I never see you again!"


    After saying this, Itami ran off towards her room, where she locked herself away in the darkness for some time. As for Berengar, he suddenly felt a bit guilty for going off on the girl like that. He honestly did not know how he felt about Itami right now. It was a deeply confusing situation.


    On the one hand, he had grown quite fond of the girl after epting her into her home. He had not necessarily pretended to be in love with Itami. In fact, there was a genuine connection between them that he could not easily exin.


    Even now, with all of the conflict in his heart, Berengar foudn himself wanting to chase after Itami, and mend the rift in their rtionship. But he couldn''t, too many of his men had lost their lives because of her actions. And though he himself was resonsible for the deaths of millions, they were not his people, and thus he could not bepelled to care about them.


    He suddenly had an urge to defenestrate whoever the bastard was who came up with that damned speech. Perhaps, if he had not heard the woman avoid ountability for her actions with her own words, then he would have been able to ignore this feeling of confliction within his heart.


    Thus, like Itami, Berengar no longer felt the need to associate with the world atrge, and locked himself inside his office, where he drank heavily to cope with the confusion he felt deep within his heart and mind.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1114 Reflecting On Ones Mistakes

    As the war in Japan reached a new intensity, Itami found herself alone and isted within the Kaiser''s Pce. During this time, she struggled to understand the reason behind Berengar''s sudden shift in behavior towards her. The fact of the matter was that the albino beauty could not get over the fact that the first man she had liked since Julian''s death now hated her guts. Or so it would seem.


    The reality of the situation was that Berengar did in some way care for Itami, and he could not deny that there was a genuine bond that had formed between them, especially after their first date. However, after witnessing the woman reprise her role as the Japanese Empress once more, he could no longer deny that she was the enemy who had killed so many of his citizens.


    Itami did not know this, and had assumed that she had been dumped so shortly after her first date with Berengar. Thus, she was in her room crying her eyes out while self medicating with whiskey. Ultimately, the sound of a knock on the door interrupted her sobbing, as she cried out towards the intruder with a rather shrill tone in her voice.


    "Go away! I want to be alone!"


    Contrary to what Itami had expected, the door seemed to unlock itself from the other side. Standing in the middle of the doorway was the redheaded beauty, who Itami knew to be Berengar''s most favored wife. As a result, she immediately felt bitter and envious over this fact and was quick to scream at Linde for intruding upon her sorrows.


    "I said go away!"


    However, Linde did not obey thismand, and instead shut the door behind her and locked it. Once she had done so, she slowly approached the Albino beauty before pping her across the face. There was a genuine look of fury in Linde''s eyes as she scolded Itami for behaving like a child.


    "It is hard to believe that the enemy I spent years preparing to fight against is nothing more than a selfish and immature little girl! You have gotten ustomed tomanding inferior men with that shrill tone of yours and have lost any sense of respect you have for others. You should be well aware by now that this is not Japan, and Berengar is not your subordinate.


    After everything you have done, did you really think that Berengar would fall for you so easily, and not have any conflictions within his heart? Did you forget that you are responsible for the deaths of thousands of his men, and that you have shied away from taking the responsibility which you owe to their families?


    Here''s a bit of advice: if you want to repair the broken bond between yourself and Berengar, then you might want to take some time out of your busy schedule ofzing about and actually visit the victims of your policies. Perhaps if they can find it in their hearts to forgive you, then Berengar will no longer be ashamed when he thinks about being intimate with you."


    Linde did not wait for a response to her scolding, and instead walked out the door without saying another word. The door mmed behind her, leaving Itami alone with the words she had just heard.


    Not long after Linde''s departure, another knock appeared on Itami''s door. This time, it was followed by a familiar voice. Momo spoke up as she tried to gain entry to Itami''s bedroom.


    "Onee-chan, please open up. We need to speak to you.


    Itami sighed, as she swallowed down another swig of her whiskey before flinging the door open, where she witnessed not only her little sister but also her mother looking at her with pitiful eyes. Thest thing Itami wanted was to be pitied, and thus she scoffed before falling back to her bed, where sheid down with a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and the white fox plushy that Berengar had previously given her in the other.


    Momo was quite surprised that her elder sister had suddenly resorted to her usual depressive self. For the past few weeks, Itami had been nothing but happy. Momo could not imagine what had caused her sister to so suddenly fall off the wagon, and was quick to ask about this matter.


    "Onee-chan, what happened? I thought everything was going well between you and Berengar-sama?"


    Itami broke out into another fit of sobbing as she exined between her tears what had happened.


    "Berengar broke up with me!"


    While Momo reacted with shock to this news, Mibu simply grabbed hold of her daughter and hugged her with a pitiful expression on her gorgeous face.


    "Oh my dear little Riyo, I feared this would happen. He is having a hard time oveing the fact that you were both once mortal enemies. Am I right?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    Both Momo and Itami gazed upon their mother with startled expressions. Momo because she had not anticipated such a roadblock to ur in her sister''s rtionship with the Kaiser, and Itami, because her mother was right about everything she had just said. The albino beauty gazed up at her mother with her sanguine eyes and was quick to voice her disbelief.


    "How did you know?"


    Mibu sighed and stroked her daughter''s snow white hair as she held the young woman in her arms whileforting her daughter with her wisdom.


    "I''ve spoken with Berengar-sama enough to get a good grasp on his character. He has a soft spot for damsels in distress, which is probably why he became so fond of you so quickly. Because at the time, you were no longer the Japanese Empress who rivaled him, but was instead a beautiful young maiden in need of assistance.


    However, as chivalrous as he can be towards women, Berengar is also a man who is ruthless towards his enemies. That much is clear by what he did to the ind of Tsushima... I suppose his views on you shifted the moment he saw you in that J��nihitoe, once more reiming your ce as the Japanese Empress.


    You suddenly went from a pitiful young woman in need of his help to the mortal enemy he had spent years fighting against. It''s not easy for a man like him to ovee such a sudden shift in his perspective. Especially when he takes into ount how many men he lost in both the proxy wars against your Empire, and the actual war itself..."


    Mibu''s words were enlightening to both her daughters. However, Itami had a hard time buying her mother''s perspective. Especially when she thought about how many deaths Berengar had been responsible for.


    "Why does he act all high and mighty when ites to the blood on my hands, while he practically bathes in an ocean of the stuff? In this war, he has killed over a hundred thousand of my men. Yet he acts as if the few thousand deaths his army has suffered are worth so much more than that!"


    Mibu looked upon her daughter with a sense of pity, not because of her daughter''s situation, but because of the girl''s ignorance. She wiped the tears from Itami''s eyes before lecturing her further.


    "I suppose that is because Berengar-sama cares more about his citizens than you ever have ever felt for your own. To you, a couple hundred thousands casualties are nothing more than a statistic. But to him, the losses he has suffered in this conflict are a tragedy. Especially when you take into ount that he most likely mes you for the war to begin with.


    It was your aggressive stance towards Germany that led to this conflict, thus Berengar-sama probably justifies his actions as defensive in nature. And the deaths of aggressors are nothing to weep for. It is true that the Reich has killed far more of your men, then they lost in this war. But I need to remind you that you are the one who started it. Thus, you will never be meless in the Kaiser''s eyes. Not until you truly atone for your sins..."


    After hearing her mother''s words of wisdom, Itami suddenly reflected on what Linde had told her not long before. That if she wanted things to go back to normal between herself and Berengar, then she would need to work hard not only to prove that she was remorseful for her actions, but to also earn forgiveness from those affected by her mistakes.


    Thus, the tears immediately ran dry, as Itami''s blood-red eyes were filled with resolve. She could never undo her past mistakes, but she was now living in the Reich, where the families of her victims dwelled. Including those who had been forced into exile because of her policies. With this in mind, Itami spoke with fierce determination as she made her decision to move forward.


    "Thank you, Okaa-san. I think that I now have a better understanding of what Berengar is feeling. It would appear that I have a lot to make up for. Perhaps I will start to atone for my sins by visiting Little Kyoto and help those who have been forced into exile as a result of my past mistakes."


    A warm smile appeared on Mibu''s face as she hugged her daughter once more, before congratting her on growing as an individual.


    "That''s my little girl!"


    ---


    After re-reading chapters 1111 and 1113, I have decided to partially rewrite them to better rify the reason for Berengar''s sudden shift in perspective. You can read the edited versions of chapters 1111 and 1113 at /book/tyranny-of-steel_20627562705133205.

 Chapter 1115 Broken Arrow

    While Itami was in the act of visiting Little Kyoto so that she may speak with some of her exiled citizens, and help them ovee their difficulties. Shiba was facing a full scale rebellion in the southernmost region of the Japanese Maind.


    General Tsugaru Akihiko was currently in the act of leading a gueri forceposed of old veterans from the Imperial Japanese Army and the Japanese Imperial Guard. For the sake of food and medicine, he had taken up arms on behalf of Empress Itami Riyo in an attempt to overthrow the Shiba Shogunate and reim the throne for the exiled Empress.


    Tsugaru kneeled in the middle of the woods, with a Panzerfaust 250 in his hands. He aimed down the top of the high explosive anti-tank missile as he waited for the Type 4 Chi-To medium tank, which was at the head of the Shogunate convoy to cross his path.


    Five hundred meters became four hundred meters until finally the tank was effectively two hundred and fifty meters away from Tsugaru and his men. Yet, they did not open fire. Instead, they waited for the armored column to continue down the road until the final vehicle was within firing distance.


    Once the rear tank crossed the two hundred and fifty meter mark, Tsugaru gave themand to attack. He quickly looked behind him to make sure nobody was within the range of his backst before pulling the trigger on his Panzerfaust.


    "Open fire!"


    The roar of missiles echoed in the air as the explosive projectiles collided with their targets. Each of the one hundred men beneath Tsugaru''smand was equipped with either a Panzerfaust or a Fliegerfaust, which they made use of to target the enemy armor, hoping to annihte the Japanese troops embedded inside the APCs before they could deploy to counter attack.


    Explosions rocked the strip of road where the Armored column was located, causing massive damage to all vehicles present. Immediately, the front and rear tanks were taken out ofmission, while their crew scurried out from beneath the ming wreckage.


    These tankers were quickly gunned down by the semi-automatic rifles and light machine guns, which the Itami Loyalists wielded with excellent efficiency. As for the two dozen armored personnel carriers trapped in between the two ming wreckages, most of them were struck by at least one HEAT missile. Which left the armored vehicles either wholly destroyed or incapable of operating any longer.


    What remained of the Shogunate''s infantry emerged from their destroyed vehicles and immediately began to open fire on the tree line, where Tsugaru and his men hid behind thick trees while engaging the enemy.


    Despite the damage dealt to the Shogunate''s armored column, the Itami Loyalists were still vastly outnumbered, not to mention there were still a few tanks and armored personnel carriers whose primary weapons were still functional. The moment the Type 4 tanks unleashed their 75mm guns onto the treeline, Tsugaru ordered his men to withdraw.


    It was unknown how many had already perished during the attack, but judging by the numbers of bodies he saw on the ground, his men had at least killed twice as many Shogunate soldiers as they had altogether.


    After reloading his rifle''s magazine, Tsugaru fled further through the woods, seeking to shake off his pursuers. However, the enemy were like a swarm of angry bees as they chased after the Itami loyalists and wantonly fired their weapons into the woods.


    As the pursuit continued, Tsugaru overheard the engines of nes in the sky, and knew that the Shiba Shogunate had deployed what remained of their air forces to intercept him and his men. Knowing that he could not outrun the DH.98 Mosquitos, Tsugaru epted his fate and ordered his men to hunker down for a counter attack.


    "Get behind some cover. We will make ourst stand here!"


    The men knew in this moment, their only hope was to repel the air attack with their fliegerfausts, and to stand their ground against the oing infantry. Thus, the riflemen and machine gunners took cover behind thick trees and rocks, while those with MANPADs aimed their weapons into the air, while preparing for the oing nes.


    Bullets flew through the air, and the echoes of gunfire surrounded the woonds. Where Tsugaru and his men made theirst stand. With each passing second, the Itami Loyalists lost more men, but not without killing three or more of the enemy beforehand.


    Finally, the bombs began to drop around them, as the mosquitos got in close. Without regard for their own safety, the anti-air soldiers aimed their fliegerfausts towards the sky, and fired a torrent of 20mm rocket propelled shells.


    This was something that the Mosquito pilots were not expecting, and thus they were incapable of getting out of the way, as dozens of rocket propelled shells detonated across their nes. Because the Mosquitos were primarily made of wood, they were quickly ignited by the fliegerfaust''s projectiles and crashnded into the mountainside.


    However, despite killing the first wave of Mosquitos, the joy that the Itami Loyalists felt did notst long. Their position was rapidly being overrun by the soldiers of the Shogunate, and they were forced to withdraw further into the woods.


    Before long, Tsugaru had run out of Ammo, which he cursed about the moment he realized this had urred. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Fuck fuck fuck, I''m out!"


    Another voice resounded in the air, which Tsugaru recognized to be from one of his men, and then another, and another.


    "Me too!"


    "I''m dry!"


    Things were looking grim for the Itami Loyalists, and just when they thought things couldn''t get worse, a familiar sound echoed in the distance. The Shogunate had deployed another round of mosquitos, who were rapidly closing on their position.


    Knowing that his death was near, Tsugaru took off his helmet, and pulled his Katana out of its sheath, prepared to fight to the bitter end. He kissed the cold steel de before giving amand to the nearest radio operator.


    "Send a message to the Luftwaffe, Broken Arrow..."


    The radio operated did not hesitate to fulfill his orders, and quickly contacted the Luftwaffe, who were providing air support to the Itami Loyalists.


    "We''re being overrun, requesting air support! Broken Arrow on my coordinates!"


    After saying this, the radio operator gave his coordinates, before sitting back against arge rock while watching the sky above, hoping for immediate air support. Finally, a voice erupted on the other end of the radio after several moments of static.


    "We hear you loud and clear, Broken Arrow, ETA two minutes..."


    As for the rest of Tsugaru''s men, those who still had ammo continued to fire their weapons towards the pursuing enemies until they ran dry. Once they were finished, they equipped their bays or unsheathed their swords. Waiting for the close quartersbat to begin.


    Just when the mosquitos were about to unleash another payload of bombs, the sound of jet engines resounded across the sky. In the lead of a wing of Ta 183/III fighters was one that was painted red, whose nose was checkered in ck and white. This fighter immediately fired a missile towards the bombers, who they rapidly approached from behind. After this attack, the rest of the Jet Fighters followed suit.


    Before the mosquitos could even react to the sudden arrival of the Luftwaffe, they were already detonated in the skies above the battlefield. Once the Shogunate''s nes had been defeated, Hans looked down at the battlefield below, and grinned, before dropping a bomb from the bottom of his fighter.


    The bomb fell from the sky andnded directly on top of the tree line where the Shogunate''s infantry were advancing towards the Itami Loyalists. When it detonated, a wide streak of mes ignited towards the sky, as the screams of those affected resounded in the air.


    Each fighter jet dropped their own napalm bombs on the enemy before flying back towards the nearest carrier. They had done their job, now all that was left was for these gueris to finish off what remained of the enemy.


    Tsugaru gazed in disbelief at the woods no more than a hundred meters in front of him, which were consumed by hellish mes. The sword in his hand fell from his grasp, as he himself dropped to his knees in astonishment. In a single attack, the Shogunate''s forces had been nearly obliterated in the worst way possible.


    Those who remained alive were currently suffering a fate worse than death. The fact that the Itami loyalists put these men out of their misery with their remaining bullets was truly a mercy. The battle was won, even if Tsugaru had lost nearly half of his men. And yet, for whatever reason, the gueri general felt as if he was lying at the bottom of the abyss.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1116 Asking For Forgiveness Part I

    While the war in Japan reached a new stage of intensity, Itami had decided to redeem herself, not just by shifting the me of her past sins onto hertest political rival, but by seeking forgiveness from those who were most affected by her reign of tyranny.


    In Little Kyoto, thousands of exiled Japanese citizens lived a peaceful and plentiful life. Though they were not citizens of the Reich, nor would they be eligible for such a privilege unless they underwent the process of Germanization, which took generations. They were still treated like any other resident of Germany.


    While the Japanese poption of the Reich was concentrated in Little Kyoto, there were plenty of interactions between the Germans and these refugees. In fact, Japanese cuisine was considered an exotic treat by many German citizens who ventured into the ethnic enve in search of a nice meal.


    Itami sat in the back of one of Berengar''s cars, as the driver took her to the heart of Little Kyoto. She did not know where she would begin to seek her redemption, but luckily the driver had a few ideas. In the center of Little Kyoto there was an orphanage, where minors who had lost their parents but still somehow managed to achieve refugee status resided.


    Berengar ensured that all orphanages were well funded across the Reich, even those in Little Kyoto, and while adoptions were extremelymon in German households, the same could not be said for the Japanese minority.


    Thus, some of these kids had been living in the orphanage for years on end, without even the slightest hope of gaining new parents. When the car stopped in front of the orphanage, Itami gazed upon the sign, and immediately felt her heart bleed. Because she already knew that she was likely the reason these kids had been left without parents.


    It took the young Japanese Empress several moments to step out of the car, and when she finally did so, she found it difficult to walk towards the entrance of the facility. Ultimately, it was one of the bodyguards Berengar had assigned to her that led Itami into the building.


    Contrary to what Itami was expecting, the caretakers of the facility were not Japanese, instead they were German nuns, who immediately reacted with surprise when they noticed the Japanese Empress had visited their establishment out of the blue. The headmistress bowed slightly as a sign of respect towards Itami before greeting her in fluent Japanese.


    "Empress Itami Riyo, I was not expecting your visit. Is there perhaps anything I can help you with?"


    Itami nced around at the facility, and noticed the orphans numbered in the dozens, and ranged wildly in age. Some of them were as young as infants, while others were nearly adults. The kids had all lined up at the dining table, and were eating from bowls of Ramen, which had been prepared by the kitchen staff.


    Evidently, it was cooked well enough, because the kids appeared to be quite happy with their meals, as they sat and dined with wide smiles on their faces. It was only after the headmistress spoke again, did Itamie out of her trance.


    "Miss Itami? Are you okay?"


    Upon realizing that she was being spoken to, Itami snapped back to reality and nodded her head, stammering over her words briefly as she exined her reason for visiting.


    "I... I''m sorry for the intrusion. I had heard that there was an orphanage here in Little Kyoto, and I feltpelled to drop by. If you''re busy, then I will see myself out and visit some other time..."


    The headmistress smiled and shook her head before assuring Itami that she was more than wee to sit down and speak to the children as they ate.


    "It is no trouble at all. Shall I prepare you a seat at the table? I''m sure the kids would be happy to see their Empress in person..."


    Itami was already having second thoughts, as she felt that the atmosphere was quite oppressive, not for the children. In fact, the Orphanage appeared to be extremely well funded. Not only did the building have proper electricity, but it also had ess to modern luxuries such as radio, television,fortable bedding with clean sheets, and a wardrobe for each child that did not in any way appear to be tattered or impoverished.


    The reason Itami felt the atmosphere was oppressive was because she knew that she was most likely the one responsible for these children not having any parents, and felt that the guilt might suffocate her if she spoke to her victims.


    However, after a moment of thought, Itami sighed heavily, epting that she needed to make amends to these children before she could ever redeem herself. And thus, the young Empress epted the polite invitation.


    "Sure, lead the way..."


    Itami was quickly led into the dining hall, where the children looked up at the albino beauty and instantly recognized her. By now these kids had been flooded with German propaganda painting Itami as a victim of Shiba''s tyranny, and thus rather than feel contempt for the woman who had forced them into this situation, they instead flocked to her side, and greeted her with cheerful smiles on their young faces. A young boy who was no older than ten rushed over to Itami and dragged on the sleeves of her dress while questioning whether or not this was reality.


    "Itami-sama, Itami-sama, is it really you?"


    The young empress forced a smile on her face, as she leaned down and rustled the boy''s hair before greeting him.


    "It is, and who might you be?"


    The boy smiled and hugged Itami''s waist as he quickly introduced himself.


    "My name is Inoue Yoshimori. I can''t believe it''s really you. You are so much prettier in person!"


    Itami giggled when she heard thispliment, but before she could respond, a feminine voice hollered after the young boy from across the table.


    "Yoshi! Just what do you think you are doing to the Empress?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    A teenage girl who was roughly sixteen years of age immediately approached the boy and forced him away from Itami. She then kowtowed to the empress and apologized for her little brother''s inappropriate behavior.


    "I''m sorry, your majesty. My stupid brother doesn''t understand the importance of your position. He acted out of turn... Please forgive him!"


    Itami did not react in the way that the teenage girl expected, instead she wore a gentle smile before assuring the girl that everything was alright.


    "It is fine. I''m used to it by now. Would you believe me if I told you that one of the Kaiser''s kids has mistaken me for one of his mothers?"


    At the mention of the Kaiser, the teenage girl blushed and looked away from Itami, as if too embarrassed to show her empress the expression she currently had. Itami did not immediately recognize why the girl had reacted in such a way until she spoke once more.


    "You''re living with the Kaiser, right? Can I ask what he is like?"


    This question was like a p in the face to Itami. After all, she had experienced two different sides of Berengar''s personality. Currently, the man was keeping his distance away from the Japanese Empress, and she was quite salty about that. Thus, Itami instinctively pouted, before giving a surprisingly honest answer to the teenage girl.


    "He is distant..."


    This pouting expression caused the girl to giggle, as she immediately realized that she had no chances of ever ending up with her celebrity crush, not when a woman as fine as the Empress of Japan was pining after him. Itami looked at her with confusion in her sanguine eyes, but before she could ask what was so funny, the teenage girl introduced herself.


    "I''m Saiko, by the way, Inoue Saiko, and you have already met my little brother. May I ask why you havee to our home?"


    Itami looked around at the orphanage once more before expressing her reason for journeying so far into the city.


    "I havee to visit this orphanage because I fear it is my fault that you are all in this situation, and I wanted to see how I can possibly make up for that. In doing so, I hope to atone for my past mistakes..."


    Saiko looked at Itami with a peculiar expression. There was very clearly an expression of guilt on the albino beauty''s face, but for the life of her, Saiko could not understand why. Thus, she was quick to dismiss the underlying reason behind the Itami''s depressed appearance and even tried to cheer her up.


    "You don''t need to apologize. It is not your fault we ended up in this ce. It is that bastard shiba''s. You were only doing what you had to in order to survive."


    This was thest thing Itami wanted to hear. It felt as if she was having a rusty iron stake driven into her heart. Though she could not admit the truth of the matter, not after the efforts Berengar had gone through to white wash her image, she still felt the need to take responsibility, and thus decided to ask just what had happened in order for this girl and her younger brother to end up in Little Kyoto.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, how exactly did you and your brother end up as orphans here in Kufstein?"


    Saiko looked away with an expression of dismay on her face. For a moment Itami thought the girl would not tell her story, but in the next moment Saiko took a deep breath before exining her circumstances.


    "We have been here for a few years already. During the early days of Shiba''s conquests, my father and elder brother both perished in Korea after being conscripted into the armed forces. As a result, my mother was forced to sell her body to care for Yoshi and me...


    Luckily she grew quite close to a smuggler, and as after scraping by for some time she was able to afford to smuggle my brother and me to beijing. Eventually, the Kaiser took in all the Japanese refugees with open arms and thus we both ended up here.


    My mother didn''t want me to share the same fate as her, nor did she want Yoshi to die in another pointless war like our father and elder brother. Unfortunately, our mother could not afford to smuggle herself out, and because of this, she is still in Japan. I hope that she has survived this horrific conflict, so that we can one day return to our home, and be a family again..."


    By the end of the girl''s brief tale, Itami had begun to cry. It was only now that she was starting to realize the extent of the damage she had caused to the average citizen of Japan. With a heart full of remorse, Itami made a promise to the young girl and her brother, one that she intended to keep.


    "I promise to do everything in my power to get back to my throne and reunite the two of you with your mother. So please forgive me..."


    Neither of the two kids understood why Itami had asked them to forgive her, or why she had been driven to tears after hearing their tale of woe. But they simply nodded their heads in silence, thus giving Itami some form of reprieve from the guilt that was tearing her insides apart.


    After speaking with Saiko and her brother for quite some time, Itami helped out around the orphanage for the rest of the evening before retiring back to the Pce for the night. However, she had a difficult time falling to sleep after hearing about the depressing tales the orphans had told her about how they had lost their parents and ended up in Kufstein.


    ---


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 Chapter 1117 An Annoying Fiancee

    Over the past year or two, the Byzantine Empire had been engaged in reconstruction efforts, both in terms of the territory that had been devastated as a result of multiple wars, and their economy, which had beenpletely and utterly crippled.


    At the head of these efforts was the young prince Alexandros Piologos, who had been named the sole sessor of Emperor Vetranis Piologos. Though the boy continued to live in Kufstein, he had begun spending a considerable amount of time in thends he would one day inherit.


    Alexandros was not even in his teenage years, and yet he had proven a more capable ruler than his grandfather. Whether it was overseeing the defense of Constantinople during the previous invasion by the Golden Horde, or simply managing the Byzantine Empire''s economy, Alex had begun the process of recovery for thends he would one day inherit.


    Currently Alexandros was within the confines of the Byzantine Pce for another one of his biweekly visits. However, rather than travelling to the Byzantine capital on his own, like he normally did, this time around, the young prince had been apanied by his mother and siblings. After all, Honoria had wanted to introduce her newborn daughter, Valeria, to her parents. Which she was currently in the act of doing so.


    After retiring from the mourous life of piracy and exploration, Honoria had spent nearly every waking hour with her children. An act which had caused both Alexandros and Helena to forgive thier mother for the neglect they had received during their early childhood.


    While Honoria was catching up with her parents. Alexandros was hard at work overseeing the proposal for the next year''s budget. There were many projects that the Byzantine Empire had to invest in if they hoped to repair the damage that had been dealt to their nation. However, there was also a severeck of funds. Thus, it required quite a bit of effort on Alexandros''s part to achieve the maximum benefit with the Empire''s limited ie.


    It was during this intense process, the door to Alex''s study crept open, where the faint sound of feet slipping across the tile made their way over to the boy, whose focus was entirely upon the budget. Before Alexandros had even realized it, a pair of hands had reached out, and wrapped themselves around his eyes, while the youthful voice of a young girl called out to him in excitement.


    "Guess who!?!"


    Alexandros sighed heavily as he ced his pen down before responding to the intruder.


    "Zenobia... I have told you a thousand times not to interfere with my work."


    The young girl named Zenobia immediately pouted as she withdrew her hands and averted her gaze from her young fiance. As the granddaughter of Padius, she had been selected by the Byzantine Emperor to marry Alexandros when the two of them came of age. This was purely a political marriage, one that Alexandros personally did not approve of.


    Zenobia was roughly the age of Helena and appeared to have quickly be infatuated with her young fiance. No matter how cold Alexandros remained to the girl, she still insisted on visiting Constantinople every time her grandfather visited the Byzantine Capital.


    The girl named Zenobia had long and wavy xen blonde hair, light olive skin, and hazel eyes. She was practically a living doll, and yet despite her energetic personality and cute appearance, Alexandros found herpany to be nothing but tiresome.


    Despite this, the girl continued to intrude on his work, and pester him about stupid things. For example, at this very moment, she began to bother Alexandros about something she had forced him to promise her.


    "When are you going to finally take me to Kufstein? I want to see your homnd and whether or not it is truly as amazing as you say it is!"


    Alexandrospletely ignored the girl as he continued to write away at the budget he was currently in the act of carefully crafting. It was only after the girl began throwing a tantrum did he finally respond.


    "I will take you to Kufstein when you are older! Besides, no offense, but a savage like you will clearly be out of ce in such a modern city. For christ''s sake, you people don''t even have electricity here! Your military is obsolete in both structure and equipment. And If that wasn''t bad enough, you require an adolescent child to make a properly bnced budget. How are you all so ipetent when the origins of your civilization are thousands of years old?"


    After being berated by Alexandros once again, for things that were clearly out of the girl''s control, Zenobia pouted once more, as she began tosh out at the Prince for his cruel remarks.


    "Who are you calling a savage? Quit acting like you are not one of us. You are the Prince of Byzantium who will seed the Emperor. If you keep pretending like you are a German, then don''t me me for running away and marrying someone else like your mother did!"


    This remark had clearly gotten under Alexandros'' skin, causing him to ce down his pen, and red at the young girl with fierce eyes. His words were filled with an enraged tone as he hissed out his thoughts through his teeth. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "I am German... That''s why I have the right to call you a Savage. Your civilization is clearly inferior to ours!"


    Despite the anger in Alexandros'' voice, and the rage in his emerald eyes, Zenobia did not falter under the pressure, and instead doubled down on her previous remarks.


    "No, you are not! Your father is German, but you are a roman like the rest of us. You want further proof of this, just look at yourst name. You are a Piologos, not a Kufstein. If your father actually considered you to be a German like him, he would have made you a member of his dynasty. Face it, you are one of us!"


    By now, Alexandros'' fists were curled with rage. He had never been so inclined to strike a girl before in his entire life. However, Zenobia knew exactly what his weakness was, and how to exploit it. She was far more clever than she acted. The fact of the matter was that Alexandros had never quite gotten over his mixed heritage, and still considered himself to be a German above all else.


    The blow to his pride after being told that he was actually a lowly Roman was something that he was still too immature to handle. Thus, he quickly kicked over his chair and thrust his finger towards the door, which just so happened tond right in front of Zenobia''s nose.


    "Get out! This instant!"


    After seeing that she had once more gotten the better of her fiance, who continually flouted his superior German heritage and education, Zenobia stuck out her tongue in an act of victory before skipping out of the room with a satisfied smirk on her cute face. Once she was gone, it took Alexandros some time to calm his nerves before he was able to get back to his work.


    Every time Alexandros encountered Zenobia, the girl would do her very best to start some childish argument between the two of them, before reminding him about his mixed heritage. Which usually resulted in the boy flipping out and sending her running off. It was a game he had never been able to win, and it was starting to get on his nerves.


    As for Zenobia, after she had left Alexandros'' study, she rushed into the room where Vetranis, Olympia, and Honoria were all gathered and fawning over the infant girl, Valeria. When the emperor saw his future granddaughter inw, he smiled before asking Zenobia whether she was enjoying herself.


    "Are you and Alexandros getting along well?"


    Despite the fact that Alexandros had just lost his temper with the girl, Zenobia did not inform the Emperor that she had sessfully managed to piss him off, instead she wore a cute and innocent smile as she nodded her head before responding to Vetranis like a good little girl.


    "Oh yes, Alex and I are getting along just fine. I believe he is starting to fall head over heels for me!"


    This response evoked a smile on the three adults'' faces, causing Honoria to nod her head in approval and speak to the little girl as if she were already her daughter-inw.


    "Good, you take care of my little boy, After all, one day soon you two will be married, and Alex will have to rely on you instead of his mother."


    An innocent smile erupted on Zenobia''s cute face as she nodded her head before responding to Honoria''s statement.


    "Don''t you worthy mother, I will make Alex a very happy man!"


    Thus, while Alexandros was still in the process of cooling down after his most recent outburst, Zenobia had sessfully ensnared the boy''s mother. Ensuring that she would one day be the future Empress of Byzantium. As for whether or not she actually cared for Alexandros, only she knew the answer to this question.


    ---


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 Chapter 1118 Monthly Visit

    As the war in Japan continued to wage on, and while Itami had begun to make daily visits to little Kyoto in the hopes to earn forgiveness both in the eyes of the gods and men. Berengar had flown out to d to engage in one of his monthly visits to the woman who his fate had been tied to since the moment he reincarnated into this world.


    Berengar was a man who fulfilled his promises, and as a result, he had spent thest year visiting d for one weekend every month, where he would reacquiant himself with the mature valkyrie and her young daughter.


    d had begun to change quite rapidly. With the fall of the Catholic Church within the region, the people had be lost without their religion. Due to Berengar''s influence, the pagan vigers had begun to spread the message of the old gods, and in doing so, conversion rates of the dic Christians were at an all-time high.


    Uponnding in Reykjav��k''s airfield, Berengar observed the many changes that had urred since his first visit in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Though d was a protectorate in its own right, it fell under the control and influence of the Reich. As a result, Berengar had invested a minor sum into the overall improvement of the living standards that the inders endured, as well as a military base for his soldiers to upy.


    Whatnd could be farmed, had received modern agricultural innovations, meanwhile the cities and towns were restructured to make use of proper sanitation and recycling facilities. Indoor plumbing both for water and waste management wasmon ce. While indoor heating was bing a necessity for the people who lived in the frozen wastnd.


    However, in one isted region of the ind, there was a persistent hailstorm, which continued to block outsiders from entering. Only those who had been approved by the gods could visit this hidden paradise, and that is exactly where Berengar drove to.


    Berengar effortlessly made his way through this hailstorm, where a warm, and hospitable climate revealed itself, despite the frozen wastes just outside the barrier. With a smile on his face, Berengar continued to drive his truck through the valley where eventually a small vige presented itself to him.


    As he exited the Vehicle, Berengar was suddenly glomped by a gorgeous teenage girl, whose hair was the color of tinum. Siv wrapped her arms around Berengar''s torso and weed him home.


    "Wee home, father. Mother is waiting for you inside the house. She has prepared a warm pot of soup for you!"


    Berengar gently kissed the girl''s forehead before breaking away from her tight embrace. He wore a mischievous smile as he asked his step-daughter for a favor.


    "Can you leave your mother and I alone for a bit? We have some catching up to do..."


    Naturally, Siv knew what this meant, and thus she pouted and averted her gaze before silently nodding her head. Every time Berengar came to visit, he and Brynhildr would go at it like a couple of horny rabbits for the first few hours. During this time, Siv would have to leave the house and y around in the vige by herself.


    After hearing Siv agree to his selfish request, Berengar walked through the vige with a pep in his step before arriving at the longhouse where he knew the mature valkyrie was waiting for him. He did not even bother knocking on the door, as he entered his home away from home, only to find that Brynhildr was standing over a steaming pot, dressed in nothing but an apron, while stirring the soup.


    Upon seeing such an enticing sight, the lust that Berengar had been containing for the entire journey sprang forth into his loins, causing the man to silently strip out of his clothes without the mature valkyrie even realizing that a hungry wolf had caught her in his eyes.


    Berengar silently stalked Brynhildr until he was positioned directly behind the woman, where he grabbed hold of her exceptionallyrge breasts and stuck his erection deep within her moist twat. A yelp of surprise escaped Brynhildr''s lips as she looked behind herself to see that her ''husband'' had returned home after so long. She did not even bother to say a word, and instead grabbed hold of the kitchen counter, and epted Berengar''s repeated thrusts, while moaning in excitement.


    The Kaiser continued to pound the tight hole of his mature lover as if his very life depended on pleasing her. The ecstatic moans that escaped Brynhildr''s lips travelled through the longhouse and outside where Siv was sitting on a stone, chucking small stones at squirrels. The girl''s pale face turned bright red as she heard her mother''s cries of pleasure. No, how much she wanted to get up and walk away. Her legs failed to provide her the strength to do so.


    Meanwhile, within the interior of the longhouse, Brynhildr had also lost control of her legs, and slipped onto her knees, where Berengar pressed her pretty head down upon the kitchen floor, and continued to pounder her pussy like a steam piston.


    After enjoying herself for another minute, Brynhildr''s hole convulsed around Berengar''s cock while squirting all over the kitchen floor. Despite climaxing all over her lover, Brynhildr was not given any sense of reprieve. Instead, Berengar lifted the woman''s curvy body into the air and pounded her even more fiercely while holding the mature beauty in a full nelson position.


    With each thrust, Brynhildr felt her insides spasm, as she was brought to climax over and over again. Until finally, Berengar shot his load deep inside her womb. It was only after the man was satisfied that he noticed the cries of an infant child from within the interior of the longhouse.


    This caused Berengar to chuckle, as he gazed upon his mature ''wife'' who was lying in a pool of her own excretions, with an intoxicated expression on her beautiful face. Noticing this, he pped the valkyrie''srge and round ass to wake her from her lust filled stupor.


    Which worked like a charm, as Brynhildr finally realized that her infant son was wailing in the background. She quickly recovered her bearing before shooting Berengar a nasty re, while scolding the man as if he were one of her children.


    "Dammit, Berengar, you woke the little one!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even though he had just been scolded, Berengar simply scoffed before reminding the woman that she was the one making all the noise just now.


    "Actually Brynhildr, it was your moans that woke the boy."


    Before Brynhildr could properly respond to this statement, Berengar swiftly changed the subject to avoid another scolding.


    "How is our little Bj?rn doing, by the way?"


    Brynhildr quickly walked over to the infant boy, her cavern still leaking the seed that it had just received. She proceeded to sit down on her bed and pulled the boy from his cradle. She then stuck her bare breast in the child''s face, where he began to drink his mother''s milk. A warmhearted smile emerged on Brynhildr''s face as she looked over at her naked ''husband'' before answering his question.


    "He''s better now that his father is home. Honestly, you couldn''t have waited until after we ate?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before shaking his head. His tone was filled with joy as he thought about what he had just done with the woman.


    "I tried to restrain myself, but after seeing your fat ass standing there looking so weing, I couldn''t resist. Besides, we only have two days together before I have to get back to the Reich. Every second counts!"


    After hearing the man''s defense, Brynhildr simply clicked her tongue and shook her head before lecturing him once more.


    "Tsk... Tsk... Tsk... You are such a naughty boy. What am I going to do with you?"


    In response to this line of questioning, Berengar smiled mischievously once more, before approaching the mature beauty where he kissed her passionately before whispering something enticing in her ears.


    "I can think of a few things?"


    Despite the urge to go another round with her man, Brynhildr pushed Berengar away before scolding him yet again.


    "Not now, I''m feeding our son, besides you have to be hungry after that flight. Go eat the soup I have prepared, and after I have put little Bj?rn here to bed, we can have as much fun as we want..."


    A slight pout emerged on Berengar''s face as he bowed his head before answering obediently to the mature valkyrie as if he were her child.


    "okay... mommy..."


    As Berengar turned away to enter the kitchen, he felt a firm swat on his butt before overhearing a giggle escape Brynhildr''s luscious lips.


    "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"


    ---


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 Chapter 1119 The Walls Are Closing In

    In the skies above Japan, the Luftwaffe reigned supreme. By now the entire Japanese Air Force had been reduced to rubble, the factories that produced the Japanese aircraft destroyed, and the supply lines to facilitate their manufacture nonexistent.


    The only thing that could possibly harm German pilots was what little remained of the anti-aircraft weaponry which was sparsely spread across the Japanese Maind. However, with each shell fired, there would be no recement. Not to mention that German bombers were capable of flying at such heights that the Japanese k guns were incapable of hitting them.


    Hans flew his Ta-183/III Jet fighter, which was specifically equipped with air-to-surface missiles and napalm bombs, as there were no longer any enemy aircraft to fight. All in all, Hans had shot down a total of two hundred and fifty enemy aircraft within this war, and by now had destroyed fifty Japanese tanks and another thirty Japanese armored personnel carriers.


    Orders were to support the Japanese Loyalists in their fight against the Shiba Shogunate. As a result, Hans flew daily over the Japanese maind at a rtively low altitude, searching for enemy targets to hit with his missiles.


    He had even been promoted to the rank of position of Major and had been given control of his own squadron of fighter jets which were stationed on board the Sixth Carrier Strike Group. At the moment, Hans was strafing over the southernmost tip of Japan, where he spotted a small group of Shogunate Armor, primarily Type 1 Ho-Kis, with only a single Type 4 Chi-To supporting it.


    In total, there were five armored vehicles, which were being supported by arge amount of infantry, who marched alongside the armor. Most of the Japanese armor that had survived the initial phase of the war with Germany, had now been reduced to scrap metal as a result of the Itami loyalists Panzerfausts, as well as the close air support provided by the Luftwaffe.


    Upon seeing that there was only one tank in the group, Hans targeted it first, with an air-to-surface missile. He swiftly pressed the button once the radar had locked onto the tank, and in doing so, sent an explosive projectile raining down on top of the armored vehicle.


    Arge explosion urred as a result of this attack, which was quickly followed by Hans spraying the tops of the armored personnel carriers with his auto cannons. With the rtively weak armor of the Type 1 Ho-Kis, this barrage of small explosive projectiles was all that was needed to instantly shred the Japanese armor to bits.


    By the time the supporting infantry realized they hade under attack, all they could hear was the sound of the Jet Fighter''s engines passing them by. However, theirment had not ended, as a napalm bomb dropped from the bottom of Hans''s jet as he flew past the infantry. The moment it detonated,rge streaks of mes flew into the air, consuming everything in their path, including most of the infantry, who were a part of the small armored column.


    Seeing the amount of destruction that could be conducted by a single multirole jet, whilepletely unopposed in the sky, Hans thoroughly understood why his father was so keen on recing the old propellor driven nes as quickly as possible.


    What the German Military was capable of doing on a global scale was something no other civilization in history had ever been able to achieve. The Reich no longer needed to send boots on the ground to defeat their enemies. A small squadron of multirole fighters was all that was required to force the surrender of every other state on the.


    These thoughts flooded Hans'' brain as he flew around the southern tip of Japan, using the remainder of his payload on whatever enemy targets the Itami Loyalists called in an air strike upon. Within no more than two hours, the weapons on board Hans'' jet werepletely empty, forcing him to fly back to the carrier which sat in Tokyo bay.


    ---


    Meanwhile, in Heian-ky��, Shiba was rapidly losing his mind. With his air force depleted, and his anti air defences rapidly running out of munitions, he was forced to realize that total defeat was bing an inevitability. With each tank destroyed, the Shiba Shogunatecked the means to rece it, meanwhile Itami''s loyalists grew in number with each victory they achieved.


    As much as he wanted to me Itami for this result, Shiba could not find it in his heart to stay mad at the albino beauty for long, and instead, coped by spending most of his free time in what remained of the woman''s old room.


    At the moment, the Shogun was sifting through Itami''s drawers, looking for something to pleasure himself with. After several moments of searching, he noticed the hamper out of the corner of his eye, which contained the Albino beauty''s unwashed clothing.


    In the hamper was an entire pile of unwashed clothing that Itami had left behind when she fled. Including a pair of red silk panties, which matched the albino beauty''s sanguine eyes. As if he had found a treasure, Shiba''s hands began to tremble. Just as he was about to pick up the undergarments, a thought shed across his mind, and he was quick to close the door behind him while locking it to ensure that nobody intruded upon him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Once the man was all alone, he lifted the silk panties out of the hamper and pressed them against his face, inhaling the scent of the exiled Empress''s crotch, after which he proceeded to stroke them against his tiny member.


    After he had finished his decadent act, Shiba covertly stashed the pair of used panties into his pockets, and fled from the scene of his crime. Shiba then entered his office, where he locked the silk undergarments inside of his desk. He did so just quick enough, because in the next moment, an officer entered the room with a grave expression on his face.


    Upon realizing that the man was just about to give him some grim news, Shiba sighed, and messaged the bridge of his nose before ordering the officer to spit it out.


    "No need to sugarcoat it, just get on with it already!"


    The officer trembled on the spot after hearing the sharp tone in Shiba''s voice and took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking them aloud.


    "As you already know, we no longer have any nes left in our arsenal, nor the means to manufacture new ones. A good 90% of our Anti-Aircraft weaponry has also been destroyed. Estimates say that by the end of the week, we will have nothing left tobat the Luftwaffe.


    However, that is not the worst news. By now, a good 85% of our armored vehicles have been scrapped during the conflict with the rebels. And we estimate that by the end of the month, what little remains will also be destroyed. Which means we have roughly one month left at the most, before our only advantage against the Itami Loyalists is gone.


    When that happens, we will be relying on infantry tactics to fight against the enemy, and even then, our munitions are already running low. Without the means to produce more smokeless powder and primers, we will essentially have another three months'' worth of munitions to fire through our small arms, and artillery before our supplies have runpletely dry..."


    Shiba appeared perfectly calm after hearing this dire news, for only a single moment, before he flipped his desk upside down in a fit of rage. In doing so, the drawer where he locked Itami''s panties broke open, and the now semen stained undergarments fell out of the desk and onto the floor, clearly visible by both men who were present in the room. The officer stared in disbelief for some time before stammering in fright.


    "I... I didn''t see anything..."


    However, Shiba could not let this man escape after seeing his guilty deed, and thus quickly pulled out his sidearm and plugged a round into the officer''s head. Where he then swiftly snatched up the silk panties and stuffed them into his pocket, just before what remained of the Japanese Imperial Guard entered the room to witness the murder of another Japanese Officer.


    Without even needing to wait for orders, the men quickly dragged the corpse out of the room, and began to clean the bloodstains off the floor. Leaving Shiba to think about how the walls were rapidly closing in around him.


    If he could not find some way to stop the Luftwaffe, and acquire more munitions, then this war would be over within the next three months, and Itami would have him executed, just like she said she would... No matter what, Shiba could not allow such a fate to ur, he just didn''t know how to prevent it from happening.


    ---


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 Chapter 1120 Getting To Know Honoria

    While Berengar was spending nearly every waking hour of his weekend away getting reacquainted with the mature valkyrie, and her tinum haired daughter. Itami was hard at work. In the city of Kufstein, the albino beauty had been taking time out of her day to visit Little Kyoto and speak to its residents, while offering help wherever she could manage.


    After a hard day of charitable service, Itami found herself back in the Kufstein pce, taking a much needed bath. She soaked her aching bones in therge pool of steaming water for nearly thirty minutes before finally climbing out. Where she proceeded to dress in the attire she had been given by her hosts before exiting the facility.


    It was only after Itami had exited the bath, did she feel the need for a stiff drink thus she managed to make her way to the Pce''s bar, where several members of Berengar''s family, as well as his staff had gathered to enjoy themselves after a hard day''s work.


    Among the many women at the bar was one that Itami immediately recognized. The woman had long wavy brown hair and mint green eyes, along with a face so beautiful that Itami believed perhaps she had been sculpted from marble.


    Honoria had just gotten back from her trip to Constantinople, and had decided to seek out her mommy at the bar, where Linde frequently spent her nights off from work. Unfortunately, with the war going on, the redheaded beauty''s schedule was quite full, and as a result, Honoria was left to drink by her lonesome.


    Itami had not forgotten the scene she had witnessed in the bath where the two women had be quite intimate with one another, and thus blushed as she sat down next to the Byzantine Princess, who had a glum expression on her face.


    The Bartender noticed the arrival of the Japanese Empress and handed her a menu which contained a list of food and drinks she could order. Since this bar was exclusive to the Kaiser''s pce, everything was paid for out of Berengar''s own pocket, and thus many of those who were fortunate enough to spend their nights here in this ce, could drink and eat to their heart''s content.


    Itami saw the menu and felt her mouth watering. This ce did not serve the fine german cuisine she often ate alongside Berengar''s family, but rather your typical bar food. Buffalo wings, mozzare sticks, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizzas, chicken tenders, you name it. Something she had been severely craving after being reincarnated into this medieval world.


    Upon seeing such arge list of food, Itami did not even know what to order. It was only after Honoria saw the woman struggling with her options did she give her advice.


    "If I were you, I would order some hot wings and mozzare sticks. Trust me, you won''t regret it... If you''re still not sure what you want, we can always split an order."


    Itami gazed over at the roman beauty and smiled before agreeing to her suggestion.


    "That sounds fine to me, what she said, and bring me a nice coldger while you''re at it!"


    The bartender wrote down Itami''s order and began to pour two beers, one for Honoria, and one for Itami. After handing over the drinks, she entered the small Kitchen and began to prepare the food that had been ordered.


    Honoria nced over at Itami and noticed the woman was quite anxious. Thus, she was quick to introduce herself with a bit of a snide remark.


    "d to see you have recovered..."


    This remark caught Itamipletely off guard, and thus she choked on her beer for a second before asking just what Honoria had meant by that.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    A slight giggle escaped from Honoria''s lips as she took a sip of her beer before exining the taunt she had just now made.


    "Well, I heard that Linde gave you a pretty hard smack after you yelled at Berengar. In case you haven''t realized it yet, the entire pce is talking about it. I have been back in Kufstein for no more than two hours, and I already know the gist of what happened between the two of you. I hate to say it, but Linde let you off easy, considering how protective she is of the ones she loves."


    Itami''s face immediately turned red after hearing this, causing her to cool herself down with another sip of her beer. After wiping the foam off her mouth, Itami said something that Honoria took personally. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah... Well, I will get her back for that. That bitch has no idea who she is messing with..."


    Contrary to what Itami was expecting, Honoria justughed at the woman''s response before saying something whichpletely shocked her.


    "No offense sweety, but I think you''re the one who hasn''t a got a clue about who you are messing with. I mean, before I retired, I was a privateer, licensed by the crown, to attack enemy shipping and explore the uncharted regions of this world.


    I don''t mean to brag, but I have fought against men twice my size on nearly every continent and every ocean that this world has to offer. Despite this, even I would not dare dream of getting back at Linde. They call her the spider queen for a reason..."


    Itami stared at Honoria inplete disbelief for several seconds. It was enough to get Honoriaughing once more. The look on the Japanese Empress'' face was priceless, and Honoria was quick toment on it.


    "If you don''t believe me, just ask around. Everyone here will vouch for me, especially the navy officers. Though I was never an official part of Berengar''s navy, I am a bit of an icon among sailors within the Reich. You would be surprised by how many posters of me are hanging in the bunks of every naval vessel."


    Itami looked briefly over at the bartender, who was carrying two baskets of food in her hands, and without even saying anything the woman nodded her head in silence before handing off the buffalo wings and mozzare sticks to the women who had ordered them. An even greater look of disbelief appeared on Itami''s face before she finally asked the question on her mind.


    "You were actually a pirate?"


    Honoria giggled once more while she took another sip from her beer before responding with a yful smile on her face.


    "I prefer the term privateer, but essentially, yes. I was pretty wild when I was younger. You see, I was born and raised exclusively within the Byzantine Pce. It was a cage I thought I would never be able to escape from. Eventually one day I managed just that and ran away from my home after being offered as a political marriage to the French Prince, who, erm... how do I say this politely? Enjoyed thepany of other men.


    Through the help of some friends I made along the way, I eventually managed to find myself in Kufstein, where Berengar and I hit it off pretty quickly. After getting to know one another, I promised to marry him under one condition. He must give me my freedom. He did this by signing a letter of mark and reprisal for me, as well as giving me a ship, and all the tools that I needed to sail the world''s oceans.


    It wasn''t long before I put together a crew and we sailed across the Mediterranean, to the New world, and back past the southern tip of Africa. I even made my way to Australia towards the end of my career. After a decade of this adventurous lifestyle, I decided to hang up my guns so that I could focus on what really matters: my children, who I had been neglecting for years.


    Anyway, my point is that even after living such a life, there are two people in this world who I never want to get on the bad side of. One of them is obviously Berengar. I probably know better than most, just what he is capable of when he is thoroughly provoked... And the other is Linde. I swear those two are perfect for one another.


    In another world where Berengar chose to live a monogamous lifestyle, I have no doubt that she would have been his only bride. Luckily for me, neither of them actually care about such a thing, and I was able to find myself in a loving rtionship with both Berengar and Linde.


    You should know that with the snap of her fingers, Linde can condemn just about anybody on this to death, and has done so on more asions than I can count. So I warn you for your own good, do not try to get even with Linde, it will only end badly for you."


    After saying this, Honoria dipped a buffalo wing into the ranch dressing which the bartender had provided her, before taking a bite out of it. Itami stared in silence towards Honoria for some time. After hearing everything the pirate queen had to say, Itami suddenly realized that she was not the baddest bitch in this house. In fact, there appeared to be at least two women by Berengar''s side who had a more frightening past than she did.


    Thus, at that moment, Itami decided to never again get on Linde''s bad side, for the consequences would be horrific. Once she came to this epiphany, the albino beauty began to share the two tes of food with Honoria, who was watching thetest fight on one of the tv screens, which was sitting in another corner of the room.


    ---


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 Chapter 1121 A Den Of Vice

    With the focus of the German military primarily being on the war with Japan, the ongoing efforts of the Reich to purify and settle the new world and its other colonies had taken a back step in the public eye. By now, the Reich''s military was so advanced that they no longer suffered any significant casualties when engaging in wars against primitive natives.


    Whether it was the use of precise air strikes, or armored vehicles, the German soldiers no longer needed to fear the stone arrows of the native tribes, and while the Imperial German military continued to conduct raids against the Native tribes of what were once known as the Americas in Berengar''s past life, the Caribbean was far more peaceful.


    Currently, Malissa was standing on the balcony of her presidential suite within the most popr casino and resort that existed in the city of Neuhafen. The former prostitute turned pirate, was dressed in nothing but a luxurious silk bathrobe, while pouring herself and her guest a ss of champagne.


    Sitting across from Malissa was none other than the CEO of the B?cker Entertainment Group, who owned the lion''s share of Neuhafen and its many casinos, resorts, and brothels. Henrick, who was the son of Gunther B?cker, had been running Neuhafen since it was first settled, and while the majority of the ind once known as Cuba in Berengar''s past life continued to operate as an agricultural colony, Neuhafen had be the primary destination of those German citizens who had a little too much money to spend.


    Malissa took one look at the city of neon lights and skyscrapers from the top of her balcony and smiled before sitting down in Henrick''sp. She kissed the man passionately before speaking about their illicit rtionship.


    "To think that my biggestpetitor is also my secret lover, if the public were to find out that the eldest son of the venerable Gunther B?cker was dating the woman who was once the most popr whore in Constantinople, I wonder how they would react?"


    Henrick smiled and kissed the woman back while groping her mid sized breasts. After which he chuckled before ttering the woman about her background.


    "Oh, you are so much more than amon whore. You were the second inmand of the most sessful crew of pirates and explorers this world has ever seen, and is the owner of the most popr destination in the world outside the fathend.


    What you have done in a few short years with this ce is amazing. I must say I feel ashamed that none of my resortse close to matching the quality of the Queen Honoria''s Pce. Tell me, why did you name this ce after the Kaiser''s third wife? Were the two of you that close?"


    Malissa snickered as she took another drink from her crystal ss before informing the man of why she had named her casino such a thing.


    "While it is true that Honoria and I were on fairly good terms. In reality, the name of my casino and resort has nothing to do with woman herself rather it originates from the vessels we sailed upon. I know you haven''t returned to the fathend in some time, but even you should have heard about the exploits of Queen Honoria''s Revenge and her crew?"


    The wealthy German business owner chuckled as he nodded his head before speaking about some of the rumors he had heard about the legendary pirate crew.


    "Indeed, a pirate crew made entirely of women. I have heard a thing or two about your exploits, and I daresay some rumors that nobody has been able to prove."


    Malissa giggled when he heard this, before confirming that these rumors were, in fact, true.


    "You mean the fact that we were all sleeping with one another? Well, for the most part, that is true. We often spent months alone at sea without ever seeing a man, and during this time, some of us became quite friendly with each other, so to speak.


    However, Honoria herself never joined in the fun. She was always loyal to Berengar. Though I honestly believe there was something going on between her and Linde, I just have never been able to prove it."


    Henrick took a particr interest in this gossip and raised his brow in curiosity as he asked the next question on his mind.


    "You think that Honoria and Linde were intimate with one another? Why do you think so?"


    To Henrick''s surprise, Malissa simply chuckled before saying some even more shocking news.


    "Not only do I suspect that Honoria and Linde were physically intimate with one another, but I suspect the two of them were in love, maybe even to the same extent that Honoria loved Berengar. I can''t prove it, as I never caught the two of them in the act, but whenever I saw Honoria and Linde together, I would always see a look in their eyes that hinted there was something more between the two of them. But that''s not important... What we should be discussing is the expansion of Neuhafen. How many marks did you bring in this year?"


    A wide grin appeared on Henrick''s face as he expressed his joy with the fortune he had made through his majority control over Neuhafen''s many casinos, resorts, and brothels. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "About fifty billion. Of course, the Reich gets twenty percent of that due to corporate taxes, but I suppose you could say it is my way of giving back to the people, considering how much they waste on entertainment here in Neuhafen. But enough about my finances. How much did you make thisst year?"


    Malissa frowned when she heard such a substantial figure before admitting defeat.


    "Around three billion, but I only own this ce, while you own multiple locations across this city. So I suppose if wepared your most profitable casino, vs Queen Honoria''s Pce, I would stille out on top."


    Just when Henrick was about to respond to this news, the inte rang, and a familiar voice shocked Malissa to the core.


    "Malissa, you dirty little whore, I know you''re hiding in there. How about you open these damned doors and let an old friend inside! I would st them open myself, but your fucking guards disarmed me at the door!"


    Malissa sighed when she heard the intoxicated voice of an old friend before downing the rest of her crystal ss and opening the door to her suite. Standing there in the doorway was a very drunk Elfrun, who immediately smiled and wrapped her arms around Malissa before kissing the woman passionately. Malissa had to fight the busty pirate captain off of her, and once she did so, the girl pouted before expressing her disappointment.


    "Geez, I haven''t seen you in like two years, and yet you won''t even kiss me. What gives girl?"


    It was only now that Elfrun noticed a rather handsome German man, in a fine suit, bedazzled in expensive jewelry, sitting on a sofa located within the balcony. When she saw Henrick, she lowered her voice so as to not catch the man''s attention.


    "Oh, you havepany. Perhaps I should visit you some other time, then?"


    Despite the fact that Henrick was watching the two women rather patiently, Malissa did not hastily return to him. She was more interested in Elfrun and why she was in Neuhafen.


    "Elfrun, what the hell are you doing here? Last I heard, you were raiding shipping in Asia?"


    Elfrun immediately began to bitch about her circumstances to her old friend while she hugged the woman once more.


    "Oh, Malissa, it''s horrible. Japan is on the verge of copse, and they arepletely blockaded by the Kriegsmarine. There''s nothing left to raid, and Berengar will not permit us to attack the shipping over other powers in the region like the Ming Dynasty. So my girls and I have nothing left to do but retire...


    After Honoria walked out on us, I felt it would be inappropriate to visit her in Kufstein, so I brought some of the girls here to Neuhafen, those who wanted to stick around with me, anyway. They''re waiting in my room. If you want, you can join us. I''m sure we have a lot to catch up on."


    Malissa bit her lip in distress, as she thought about whether it was a good idea to get wasted with her old crewmates, or stay with Henrick and discuss business. After all, those few girls who were left over when Malissa retired were rtively unfamiliar to her, aside from Elfrun, that is. Still, since Elfrun had asked, Malissa could not deny her.


    "Fine, your stay here is on me. Order as much alcohol, drugs and girls as you want. I have quite a few exotic beauties in my collection who would be more than happy to service you and the girls. Just give me a moment to finish things up here, and I will head to your room."


    Elfrun smiled and kissed Malissa once more. This time the woman did not resist, and became rather intimate with her old crew mate, before returning to Henrick and informing her that ns had changed for the night. Though Henrick was rather disappointed in how the evening ended up, he understood the need for Malissa to reunite with her old friends.


    Malissa and Henrick would discuss at ater date how best to further develop the den of vice that was Neuhafen.


    ---


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 Chapter 1122 Ghazis New Fiancee

    While Alexandros had begun bi-weekly visits to his mother''s homnd in an attempt to help bring the copsing Empire under order. Ghazi was given a simr task. Roughly the same age as his half-brother, Ghazi had just as much ability as the Byzantine Prince, but had yet to truly prove himself.


    Thus, while Berengar was enjoying a weekend away from home, Yasmin decided now was a good time to take her family to visit her homnd. After a rather short journey to the Capital of the Iberian Empire, which was the city of Granada, Yasmin and her children rxed themselves in their ancestral home.


    Ghazi was currently sitting in his office while hard at work, with some new reforms. During his absence, Berengar had left the daily administration of Iberia up to an educated official from the Reich. The seat, which had once been upied by Adelbrand, was now in the young Sultan''s hands.


    At the moment, Ghazi was currently introducing a simr form of cultural conversion that his father was forcing upon the Dominion of Frankia. The old identity of the Visigothic, and Suebi peoples who once inhabited what was now referred to as Spain and Portugal, was making aeback thanks to Ghazi''s efforts.


    Because of Iberia''s close ties to the Reich, as well as his personal heritage, Ghazi had begun using propaganda to stoke a desire within his people to return to their Germanic roots. As a result, he introduced policies to teach the Gothguage in schools as a tertiarynguage, with the intent of it eventually recing Spanish and Portuguese altogether.


    After all, the Kingdom of Spain was a short-lived and failed state that had only been united in this world as a means ofbating the Austrian-Granadan Alliance. Thus, no real culture had formed from it. In actuality, thest of the Spanish monarchs lie dead and buried while the religion which had been the basis of Iberian culture for so long was nothing more than a memory of darker times.


    In the ce of the Catholic Church, the Iberian Reformation had taken root, which in many ways was a blend of Im and the German reformation. An Iberian christian was permitted to have up to four wives. The eating of pork was considered taboo while beer and wine were also prohibited. However, distilled spirits such as rum, which were locally produced in Iberia, were allowed for recreational consumption.


    While Ghazi was instituting these cultural and religious reforms, his mother knocked on the already open door. The boy did not even look up to see her and instead responded with a simple phrase.


    "You may enter..."


    Yasmin had a warm smile on her beautiful face, as she saw her son fulfilling his role as the Sultan. Despite being only roughly twelve years of age, Ghazi already looked so much like his father. Especially when he was overseeing a mountain of paperwork.


    However, the boy could not sit in his seat all day, and sign his signature. After all, he had other responsibilites to take care of, as the head of state. Thus, Yasmin was quick to remind him about such a thing.


    "I just wanted to stop by to inform you that your little fiancee will be arrriving within the hour, so it would probably be best if you called it a day, and prepared yourself or her arrival."


    This simple statementpletely shocked Ghazi. This was the first time the boy had ever heard that he had a fiancee, and as a result there were quite a few questions on his mind. First and foremost, why the hell was his mother only informing him of such an important matter now?


    However, thest thing a boy like Ghazi would ever do in his life would be tosh out at his mother, especially over such a petty matter. Thus, Ghazi ced down his pen and forced a smile as he questioned her in the most polite way he could manage.


    "I''m sorry mother, I thought you said my fiancee would be visiting me. I am going to need some rification on this matter. Since when have I been engaged?"


    A warm smile appeared on Yasmin''s face after hearing her son be so respectful, even though it was clear by the strained smile on his face that he had been rather irritated with this sudden bombshell of information. She quickly approached the boy and clutched him to her rather substantial bosom as she stroked his silky golden hair while exining the situation.


    "Your father and I have figured that it would be a good idea to begin solidifying your im to all of Iberia. As a result, the two of us have arranged for the daughter of the former king of Nevarre to marry you. Think of it as a way to bring together your two peoples. I heard she is a rather delightful young girl. You will like her!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ghazi had to search his memories for anything rted to the Kingdom of Nevarre. It was a small and petty kingdompared to its other Iberian neighbors, and hadpletely remained neutral during the Iberian war until it was ultimately annexed by the Aragonese King Felipe de Trast��mara after he united the Spanish People into the Kingdom of Spain.


    As a brother of Felipe, the former King of Nevarre took a step aside, and kept his family out of the conflict which eventually consumed the entire penins, and even went so far as to refuse the papacy''s attempts to make them a figurehead to rally behind during the Catholic Insurgency which followed immediately after Felipe''s death.


    With the Andalusian annexation of the Kingdom of Spain, Nevarre became just another administrative region of Ghazi''s empire. However, the young daughter of their former king would certainly make a formidable tool in politics. At the very least, it wouldpel many of the more unruly Iberian Christians to be more epting of the new regime. Thus, after thinking about this for some time, Ghazi smiled and nodded his head before epting his mother''s instructions.


    "Okay, I understand. I very much look forward to meeting her."


    As Yasmin had said, within the hour the representatives of House de Trast��mara arrived at the Granadan pce, and Ghazi went out to meet his young fiancee. The boy had grown into a fine resemnce to his father, but with slightly tanned skin, and his mother''s amber eyes. He even slicked his hair just as how Berengar had done for thest fifteen years.


    Thus, when the young princess firstid eyes on Ghazi within his imperial regalia, she dropped her jaw. She could have never have believed that a half-moor would be so dreamy, and until this moment was rather regretting her engagement to the boy.


    The Princess of Nevarre was practically a living doll with wless pale skin, fiery red hair, and fierce blue eyes. From a single nce, Ghazi could tell that this girl was among thest of a dying bloodline. She was a pureblood Visigoth. Which would be the perfect piece of propaganda for his ongoing process of cultural conversion.


    Though Ghazi was cautious of ever stranger he met, he did not outwardly behave as such. Instead, he quickly approached the young princess, who was roughly the same age as him, and introduced himself to the girl with all the charm he had learned from observing the way his father interacted with his women.


    "I am Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl. May I perhaps have the pleasuring of knowing your name?"


    The girl slightly blushed and averted her gaze before whispering her name in a voice so low, Ghazi nearly missed it.


    "Isabe, Isabe de Trast��mara..."


    Immediately after hearing this name, Ghazi gave his future bride a pet name with a wide smile on his face.


    "Well Be, how about I show you around my pce?"


    The young girl smiled and nodded her head silently before grasping hold of Ghazi''s firm biceps. The moment she felt the boy''s muscles, Isabe was shocked to see that he had such muscle definition despite being so young. As a result, the princess wore a pretty smile and obediently followed the boy into the pce, while his mother spoke with her own parents about more important matters.


    ---


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 Chapter 1123 Zaras Mischief

    Ghazi led Isabe through the pce in Granada, which he would one day reside in when he had be an adult. It was not nearly asrge as his father''s home, but the previous sultan had spared no expense during his reign to outfit it with the most luxurious trappings he could afford.


    While the Pce in Granada was impressive to the young princess of Nevarre, it was in fact aplete disappointment to the Sultan. Even still, he walked around the building, and showed off its many modern features, which were not found anywhere else within the Iberian Empire.


    After his first visit to Granada, Ghazi had contracted a German constructionpany to rennovate his pce with the most modern luxuries Germany had to offer. From its own generator, which was powered by German bio-diesel, to the building''s light fixtures, internal heating, and even air conditioner for those hot summer nights. What were normal appliances in your average German household was a form of supreme luxury here in Iberia that only the Sultan had ess to.


    During Ghazi''s tour of the pce, his little sister Zara was in the gardens while tinkering with a very peculiar device. Like her elder half-brother Hans, Zara had inherited a form of superior intelligence whenpared to the rest of the children her age. As a result, she spent her free time studying various topics, which intrigued her while also engaging in scientific pursuits.


    If there were two fields of study, which Zara found the most interesting, they would be astronautical engineering and astrophysics. The field of rocketry was a rtively recent advancement in German history, and at the moment it had a use limited solely to the battlefields.


    However, Zara saw the potential in rockets for uses outside the military, especially after the recent verticalunch test of a V-2 which passed the Karman line, thus bing the first man-made object to enter space. It was Zara''s dream that one day, a man would be able to walk on the moon, and she desired to be a critical part of that mission.


    Thus, over the past few months, Zara had begged her father to allow her ess to the Royal Kufstein University, where all the documents pertaining to the study of rocketry were widely avable for the Reich''s academicmunity.


    Zara had spent nearly every moment of her free time in the Royal Kufstein University, studying the written material, as well as listening to lectures by some of Germany''s leading rocket scientists and astrophysicists. All of which praised the girl for her exceptional intelligence and innovative ideas.


    Thus, while Ghazi was leading his new fiancee on a tour, Zara was ying around with a rocket of her own design within the Granadan Pce''s gardens. This was a small scale rocket that was more designed as a proof of concept than anything else. She knew with this project that she would not be able to reach space, but as a ten-year-old girl, the fact that she could even build this was proof of her ability.


    In order to get theponents to build this thing, Zara had wandered onto the nearest German air base which existed just outside the city of Granada, and politely asked for scrap materials from the machinists who worked on the nes.


    The only reason she was able to even achieve such a thing was because Zara was the Kaiser''s daughter, and was thus granted ess to restricted zones that normal civilians would not be able to enter.


    The rocket she had essentially built in the backyard was entirely her own design. Until now, all rockets used either solid or liquid propents. However, both had their drawbacks, and Zara was determined to blend the best of both worlds.


    Thus, what Zara hade up with after extensive research and experimentation was a hybrid rocket propellent which utilized a solid fuel, and a liquid oxidizer. Such as polyethylene as the fuel, and liquid oxygen as the oxidizer.


    The rocket she designed was roughly the height of one and a half full grown german men, but was more narrow. It had been moved into arge clearing within the Granadan pce''s gardens, by a few of her bodyguards, who recorded the young girl and her experiment as she began the countdown.


    "Ten!


    Nine!


    Eight!


    Seven!


    Six!


    Five!


    Four!


    Three!


    Two!


    One!


    st off!"


    After saying this, Zara punched the button which would ignite the rocket, immediately sending the thing flying through the air. In preparation for this event, the pce gardens had been cleared of all personnel.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Zara watched as the rocket climbed higher into the air than she ever thought possible. Upon seeing that her rtively small rocket had been an enormous sess, Zara let out a scream of joy before whispering to herself.


    "Daddy, are you proud of Zara? Your daughter finally seeded!"


    Upon realizing that her father was not around for her significant advancement in rocket technology, the girl began to pout as the rocket flew to even further heights, before the parachute deployed and it began to slowly fall towards the earth below.


    ---


    While Ghazi was taking his young fiancee around the pce, and Zara was experimenting with her rocket design, Yasmin was entertaining the former King of Navarre and his wife. Yasmin had a warm smile on her face as she served her guests a batch of tea and a warm meal while speaking of the newly formed rtionship between their two children.


    "I think Ghazi and Isabe have hit things off rtively well. I was a bit worried there when I dropped this news on my son so suddenly. However, I believe he will enjoy spending time with your daughter."


    The former king of Nevarre was a man named Alfonso, and he was significantly older than his wife. As a middle-aged man, with a head of hair and a full beard that was beginning to gray, he was still quite attractive for his age. His wife, however, was quite obviously younger than even Yasmin and was quite beautiful in her own right. Alfonso began to speak about his first perception of the young Sultan.


    "I must admit, I was a bit concerned when I first received a request from your house to ask for an arranged marriage between my daughter and your son. After all, the history between the Iberian Christians and Muslims is a long and bloody one.


    However, I do believe after all the death and suffering that we have both endured these past few years, it would be a good sign to the people that we can move forward, even after everything that has happened between us. I must say, your boy appears to be quite the gentleman and I would be d to-


    Dear God in Heaven, what is that!?!"


    During mid sentence, Alfonso and his wife had widened their eyes in disbelief as they heard a loud explosion ur. They quickly looked out the window to see that a rtivelyrge projectile was flying straight into the sky. Yasmin turned around to find the source of all themotion and simply facepalmed before expressing her thoughts aloud.


    "God dammit Zara..."


    Thest thing Yasmin needed was to startle her soon to be inws. Yet Zara had chosen today of all days to test another one of her rocketunches. All the previous prototypes that the girl had tested had been quite disastrous. It was a miracle that nobody had been hurt thus far. The fact that the Zara had chosen to use the Pce''s gardens as herunch point, despite knowing how dangerous her little projects were, meant that she would be receiving a massive scolding in the near future.


    Just as Yasmin was thinking about this, Zara came rushing through the door with an excited smile on her face while screaming with joy.


    "Mommy! Look! I did it! I finally did it! My rocket works! Daddy should give me an Imperial Medal of Art and Science after I tell him about this! Look at it go! Do you think it will be able to make it into space!?!"


    It was only after Zara had expressed herplete joy with her sessfulunch test did she realize the terrified expressions on the face of the former King and Queen of Nevarre, as well as the stern and disapproving look on her mother''s face. As a result, she immediately pulled out the cute card and knocked her knuckles to her forehead while sticking out her tongue.


    "Teehee!"


    In the past, this was all that Zara needed to convince her father to let her off the hook for her shenanigans, but Yasmin was far less forgiving than her husband. She quickly pointed in the direction of the girl''s room and yelled amand at her.


    "Go to your room! I will speak with you when I have finished calming our guests!"


    Zara simply responded by pouting, and deliberately stomping her feet in a fit, as she begrudgingly obeyed her mother''smands. Once the girl was out of sight. Yasmin sighed heavily before apologizing to her guests for the sudden disturbance.


    "I''m sorry about that. My daughter is... Extremely gifted, and likes to experiment with things that are quite dangerous. I assure you, the worst has passed. Please, sit down, and drink some tea. It will help calm your nerves..."


    Alfonso and his wife continued to stare in disbelief out the window even as they did what Yasmin had suggested. It was only after absent-mindedly sipping on their tea for several moments did they finallye back to reality.


    ---


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 Chapter 1124 Earning Lindes Approval Part I

    While Berengar was still in d enjoying his time with the mature valkyrie, and Ghazi was in Granada with his family. Itami continued to set up her government in exile. By now she had a functional cab of educated officials who could help her manage what few tasks she had.


    And even though Itami was hard at work trying to fix the mess she had created, and making amends with her victims. There was one thing that continued to bother her. The albino beauty took Berengar''s absence as a personal slight against her, having not been informed of his actual reason for departing from the Reich.


    As a result, she wanted to more than anything to make up with the man. Thus, Itami decided to look for Honoria hoping the Byzantine beauty might be able to smooth things over for her. Honoria was once again at the bar, snacking on hot wings, and jpeno poppers while watching a kickboxing fight. It was no surprise to her that Linde was once more busy working at the headquarters of Imperial Intelligence, and thus could not meet up with her.


    When Itami saw this, she quickly sat down next to the woman and sighed heavily before ordering herself a stiff drink. Once the bartender had returned with the beverage, the Japanese Empress did not hesitate to gulp down its contents.


    Upon seeing the frustrated expression on Itami''s face, Honoria simply chuckled, while tossing a bone into her tray that she had picked clean. After licking her fingers and wiping her mouth with a nearby napkin, the byzantine princess finally responded.


    "Rough day, huh?"


    Itami responded to this rhetorical question with a simple glower, before snagging one of Honoria''s jpeno poppers, and dipping it into a small container of ranch dressing. She then proceeded to gobble it down like it was the tastiest treat on the. It was only after she had swallowed the entire thing did she speak up.


    "You don''t know the half of it. I have been doing my best to coordinate with your foreign intelligence agency about the ongoing efforts to dethrone Shiba, but I keep getting the runaround. I am starting to get the feeling that Linde doesn''t like me..."


    Honoria giggled as she took another swig from her beer before responding to Itami''s exasperatedment with a bit of a snicker in her tone.


    "You are just figuring this out now? Linde is known for many things, and holding a grudge is definitely one of them. You are responsible for her man''s conflicted heart, and she will not easily forgive you for that. If you want my advice, you should do something that shows your sincerity. Maybe then she will be able to take you more seriously..."


    Itami groaned after hearing this, before resting her head on the table with a defeated expression on her face. It was only after several moments of awkward silence did she reveal her thoughts.


    "I have done everything I can think of, not only have I been helping out in Little Kyoto, I have also been doing charity work for the local veteran affairs office. I understand why she hates me, after all, a lot of those men are injured because of me, and if I could take back my mistakes, I would do so in a heartbeat. I just don''t know what I can do to make Berengar and Linde see how sincere I am in making amends!"


    Honoria was slightly surprised to see how far Itami had gone to make things right, and though she could never undo what she had done, the albino beauty had at least made a good start on putting things right. Still, the byzantine princess would not let this white fox get away with her crimes so easily, and thus did not give her any further rmendations. After another awkward silence persisted between the two women for some time before Itami raised her pretty head from the bar, and posed a question that Honoria had not been expecting.


    "You said previously that if there were two people in this world that you didn''t want to get on the bad side of, it would be Berengar and Linde. I understand why you wouldn''t want to anger Berengar. After all, I have found out the hard way just how capable the man is. But why does Linde frighten you so?"


    Honoria remained silent as she ate another hot wing, seemingly ignoring the question, and just when Itami was about to give up on getting answers from the woman, she spoke up with a rather grim tone in her voice.


    "Do you know what the second most stable civilization on this is?"


    Itami was rather surprised by the sudden shift in conversation, but decided she was going to y along and thus sighed heavily before responding.


    "I don''t know what, Japan?"


    A single scoff escaped Honoria''s lips before she responded to Itami with a condescending look in her eyes.


    "Obviously not..."


    The conceited look on Honoria''s face immediately enraged Itami, causing her to demand an answer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Okay, fine then, what is it then?"


    Honoria finished her beer and motioned for the bartender to get her another one before she finally answered the Empress of Japan''s question.


    "That would be the Iberian Empire. Though it wasn''t always this way. When Berengar was still a minor nobleman, he sailed to the Emirate of Granada. and met with their Sultan. He formed an alliance with an Imic State, something that was unthinkable in the catholic world. This is actually how Berengar came to marry Yasmin. He did this because he needed allies who would fight against the church with him.


    Over the next decade, Berengarmitted troops to the region, to end reconquista once and for all, but in the favor of the moors. Fourteen thousand German soldiers lost their lives in the conflict, and the only reason it was finally ended was because of Linde''s actions.


    After defeating the Iberian Catholic Kingdoms, and uniting the penins beneath the Sultan''s rule, the Catholic Church resorted to creating an insurgency. Brutal urban warfare popped up all over the country. This was actually the phase of the war where the most casualties urred on the Reich''s side.


    Now, if it was up to Linde, or Heimerich, they simply would have gassed the cities where the insurgents were located into extinction. But Berengar did not permit this. Instead, he tasked Linde with sending her agents to infiltrate and identify the terrorists, where the woman would then send elite death squads to extract, interrogate, and execute these individuals.


    For every insurgent Linde''s agents captured, they would be able to identify two more, and after years of this process, the Iberian Insurgency had been reduced to a shadow of its former self. In onest act of defiance, they bombed a Moorish General, killing him on the spot. In retaliation for this attack, Berengar ordered to gas the terrorists''st stronghold, which was the city of Madrid.


    Some say it was Linde''s idea to conduct the chemical attack, but it is impossible to know who was the mastermind behind the attack, as both Berengar and Linde share a simr cruelty towards their enemies. Regardless as to who came up with the n, the result was the deaths of roughly twenty-two thousand people.


    Oh sure, Berengar ordered his men to send fliers into Madrid, informing the innocent civilians to evacuate before the attack, but they were not able to do so, since the insurgents had the city on lockdown. A lot of innocent people died to prove a point that the Reich does not tolerate terrorism, especially towards national leaders.


    The moral of the story is that it doesn''t matter who ordered the chemical attack on Madrid. Because the very fact that the terrorists were driven to such a desperate state in the first ce is the result of Linde''s abilities in finding and eliminating people around the globe. As I said before, with the snap of her fingers, Linde can condemn just about anyone on this to death. And it will happen when they least expect it. I was not joking about that..."


    Itami gazed at Honoria''s stoic expression with a look of horror on her own face. Partially because she now understood just what kind of woman she was dealing with. But also because she could not believe that Berengar had gassed a civilian target. It took several moments for Itami to gather her thoughts before she eventually voiced her outrage.


    "That''s horrible! How does he have the nerve to condemn me for my own crimes, when he has done just as bad, if not worse, in the past?"


    It was at this moment that Honoria red straight into Itami''s blood-red eyes. She had taken offense to the albino beauty''s statement, and was quick to counter with one of her own.


    "The attack on Madrid was ast resort. You have to understand, when I say there was brutal urban warfare going on across the entire region, I''m not just talking about adults taking up arms to fight for the Catholic Church.


    The Papacy became so desperate to get a win over Berengar that they eventually resorted to encouraging young children to blow themselves up with grenades that were stolen from the corpses of German soldiers. There was simply no way of knowing who was innocent and who was in league with the insurgents.


    A lot of young German and Moorish men lost their lives, because they did not dare open fire on the myriad of child soldiers employed by the Iberian Catholic League. When nobody fled the city, which was a well-known stronghold of the insurgents, Berengar assumed its entire poption supported the enemy, and thus wiped it out. That is not nearly in the same league as the atrocities that have beenmitted beneath your banner.


    So, I would suggest that you don''t make such a statement again... The wounds to our society caused by the Iberian War are still being treated to this day. If a veteran of that conflict were to hear youparing their actions to those that your own troops havemitted, you might find yourself in a precarious situation. "


    Itami remained silent as she thought about everything Honoria had told her, both about Berengar and Linde''s character. One thing was certain, if Itami were to make up with Berengar, and move past her past mistakes, she would first need to earn Linde''s approval. Thus, she decided to begin doing everything she could to get herself within the redheaded beauty''s good graces.


    ---


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 Chapter 1125 Returning Home After A Brief Vacation

    Berengar awoke in Brynhildr''s bed to find the mature valkyrie clinging tightly to his body. His head had been stuffed into her substantial mounds, proving that he had once more used them as pillows. Today was the day that Berengar said goodbye to his second family and returned home to the Reich.


    Despite this reality, a certain part of him wanted to stay behind and look after the woman and her two kids. One of which was his. Thus, he continued to lie in bed, within the arms of his lover, until she eventually awoke from her slumber.


    Brynhildr wore a warm smile on her pretty face, as she kissed her man passionately on the lips. As he did so, she began to stroke Berengar''s erect shaft, giving it a warm wee in her tight grip, like she did every morning that the man spent here in the vige.


    Before long, Berengar and Brynhildr were breeding like rabbits yet again. Eventually waking both Siv, who lied in a different corner of the longhouse, and their infant son with their moans. Siv could only pout as she listened to the sounds of her mother and step-father make love yet again.


    Eventually Berengar and Brynhildr finished, where they climbed out of bed, and got dressed. Once they had done so, Siv popped out of her own mattress and greeted the two of them, entirely ignoring what they had just been up to.


    "Good morning mother, good morning, father!"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in silence, as he sat down at the kitchen table, and drank from a cup of coffee which Brynhildr had just served him. The mature beauty was already in the act of cooking breakfast, in order to ensure that her man was well fed for his journey back home.


    Once the woman hadpleted the breakfast, she sat it down on the table, where she finally began to speak.


    "So you''re leaving today, isn''t that right?"


    Berengar was snacking on a piece of bacon when he heard the rather glum tone in the woman''s voice, and thus quickly finished chewing before hastily responding to her question.


    "Yes, I''ll be back in exactly one month. I know it is quite a long time, but I can''t help it. My offer still stands, by the way. I would be more than happy to take you and the little ones back to Kufstein. There is more than enough room on my jet..."


    Despite the offer, and the excitement in Siv''s pale blue eyes at the prospect, Brynhildr simply smiled bitterly before shaking her head and rejecting it.


    "You know our ce is here in the vige. Your efforts to convert the local poption back to the old faith is a slow and continual progress, and my presence here strengthens the morale of the vigers.


    Maybe one day when you are an old man, and our son rules over d, then you can take me away from this ce, but for now I must reject your offer..."


    Both Berengar and Siv sighed in defeat at the same time. Siv wanted nothing more to explore the world outside d, and see the wonders that Berengar spoke of every time he mentioned his homnd. But her mother would never permit her, and thus she could only dream about the Reich from afar.


    As for Berengar himself, he simply wanted to be with one of the women he loved, and the monthly visits were not nearly enough for him. And even though he knew Brynhildr felt the same way, he would notpel the woman to leave her home. Thus he could only eat the rest of his breakfast in silence, as he stared off into space.


    Eventually the time came for Berengar to depart, and thus he kissed Brynhildr once more before saying his goodbyes.


    "I promise I will be back as soon as I am able. In the mean time take care of little Bj?rn..."


    A bitter smile appeared on Brynhildr''s luscious lips as she nodded her head thrice before responding to this request.


    "You know I will..."


    After hearing this, Berengar smiled before kissing the infant boy on the forehead, where he then proceeded over to where Siv stood silently with a depressed look on her face. Berengar forced a smile as he ced a hand on the girl''s shoulder andforted her to the best he could manage.


    "Maybe next time your mother will allow me to take you away from this ce, until then continued to help her out. Now that she''s looking after an infant without me, your mother will need all the help she can get..." <novelnext></novelnext>


    A single tear fell down Siv''s porcelein cheek as shetched hold of her stepthfather and hugged him tightly. She murmured something into his chest as the man forced her away from him.


    "I will... I promise!"


    Berengar heard just enough and thus smiled before petting the girl''s tinum hair. After doing so, he sighed heavily and said onest thing before departing.


    "Well... This is it... I will see you all one month from now... Farewell..."


    After saying this, Berengar climbed into his truck and activated the engine, where he began to drive out of the whirlwind, which protected the hidden paradise from the outside world. He gazed into the left side mirror with a longing expression on his face as he watched his second family, along with the entire vige, wave him goodbye.


    Once out of the whirlwind, Berengar drove to the German Air Base just outside Reykjav��k. Since the ind was officially under the authority of the Reich, German soldiers patrolled its streets. Which he watched as he passed them by. Once entering the airfield, Berengar found his private jet waiting for him on the airstrip, ready for takeoff.


    The crew saluted their Kaiser, which the man returned before stepping into the jet''s cabin. Once seated, the stewardess prepared him a cup of coffee, which he was happy to drink, as he looked over at thetest newspaper which sat on board the ne.


    Before long, the ne had hit the runway and taken off into the air, where it began to journey towards the Reich. All the while, Berengar read an interesting headline, which nearly caused him to choke on his coffee.


    "Rocket Spotted over Granada. Secret German Weapons'' Project, or an Iberian Challenge to the Reich?"


    When Berengar saw this, he could only think of one thing... His little girl had finally seeded in her efforts to build a functional rocket of her own design. Immediately, all the depression he was feeling about leaving Brynhildr and her children behind had evaporated from his heart. Instead, a warm sense of fatherly approval reced it. Speaking to no one in particr, Berengar shook his head as he let out his thoughts on the matter.


    "That little girl has actually pulled it off? Tsk tsk tsk... One day soon she will be a very valuable asset to the Reich..."


    Immediately Berengar''s thoughts shifted towards the near future, where his daughter Zara would be an instrumental part of the German Space Program which he nned to create. He could be no prouder as a parent at this very moment.


    After thinking about this for some time, the man shifted to the next page of the paper, where he saw another interesting headline pop up.


    "The Empress of Japan, patron of Little Kyoto''s Orphans, and helper of the Department of Veterans Affairs."


    This particrly caught Berengar''s interest as he read through the paper, and saw information about Itami helping out around Little Kyoto, and the VA. A subtle smirk etched itself upon the man''s lips as he once more expressed his thoughts on the matter.


    "It seems she is really trying to prove herself to me... A pity, this is not nearly enough to earn back my favor. But it is a start... We will see how things proceed from here."


    Berengar would continue to get caught up with what had been transpiring across the Reich during his brief absence. Eventually, the nended in Kufstein, where Berengar took a car back to his pce. Once he stepped inside the door, he noticed that the majority of his family was there waiting for him.


    Although Linde was absent, probably because she was hard at work on something important. As were Itami and Yasmin. In thetter''s case, she was still in Granada. Berengar hugged and kissed those of his wives who were present before chatting with each of his children. He would spend the rest of his day catching up with his family about what they had been doing during his time away from home.


    Even though there was a war being waged on the other side of the world. All was good with the von Kufstein family, and the Reich in general. Though now that the Kaiser had returned to his homnd, he would be forced to forget his brief vacation, and instead focus on ending the conflict with Japan once and for all.


    ---


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 Chapter 1126 Putting A B*Tch In Her Place

    The day after Berengar returned home from his monthly visit to d, Itami found herself alone in the pce. Berengar was busy overseeing the war effort, and Linde was nowhere to be found. Of course, Itami did not know this, and thus she had looked for Berengar in his office.


    Perhaps the receptionist was on her lunch break, but when Itami arrived at the entrance, there was nobody to greet her. Thus, she took a deep breath to resolve her courage, before knocking gently on the door.


    Contrary to what Itami was expecting, the door was unlocked, and left slightly ajar. Thus the impact of her knuckles pushed it open ever so slightly, revealing Berengar''s office in all its splendor to the Japanese Empress. Itami opened the door in its entirety and voiced her entry aloud as she did so.


    "Hello, Berengar, are you in here?"


    After forcing her way inside, Itami realized that she was all alone, and let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. She was just about to turn around and leave when she saw a man folder on the top of Berengar''s desk, with big and bold red lettering that spelled out the word "ssified."


    This document immediately caught the interest of Itami, causing the young woman to debate internally on whether or not she should intrude on the Kaiser''s private business. After a brief internal debate about the subject, Itami looked around to see if anybody had seen her, before closing the door behind her.


    Once she was all alone, the albino beauty proceeded to the desk and opened the file, where a ck-and-white picture of Itami in her old military uniform was boldly disyed on a dossier. Now Itami could not help but look at the document where she read the following:


    "Possible Ramifications Of Non-interference With The Japanese Empire:


    After a thorough investigation, I have concluded that the perhaps in an act of ignorance, or outright ipetence the young Japanese Empress has handed advanced weapons and the technology needed to produce them to random samurai, who were just months ago all ready to go to war against each other.


    In doing this, the subject has simply ced herself on top of a rotting pile, without doing much to establish proper loyalty. Her frequent purges have been to put it politely, sloppy and only have only seeded in building resentment against her. Even the cult of personality which the subject has built around herself is filled with people who are simply trying to expand their own power, with no real loyalty to the so called War Goddess.


    It is of my opinion that the moment Empress Itami Riyo reaches her limit and has nothing new that she can provide to her sycophants, the samurai will overthrow her. Contacts in the Ming Dynasty have already confirmed multiple Japanese ns seeking an alternate source of ammunition, leading me to believe that they are currently plotting a coup against the Itami Regime.


    The end result of a coup will be nothing short of civil war, one involving protracted trench and mountain warfare. It is entirely probable, and damn near certain that some warlord will forcefully marry the subject and rape her until she bes pregnant with a son in order to better his own im.


    Use of violence against the subject''s family is likely, especially as a means to prevent her from killing herself and thus carrying the pregnancy to term. It is quite certain that Japan will eventually fracture into tens of feudal fiefdoms vying for supremacy. Causing thousands of people with industrial knowledge to flee to china, where they will undoubtedly kick-start the industrial revolution.


    Naturally, such an oue will cause significant problems down the line for the Reich. As an industrial nation with nearly five times our poption, the Ming Dynasty will be a difficult geopolitical rival to contend with, even with our current technological edge.


    Psychological Profile of Target:


    After further investigation, which has included the opinions of several military psychologists it would appear that Empress Itami Riyo seems to have a misced belief in her own capabilities and a habit of underestimating her enemies, I believe this is because she has not met anyone more capable topare herself with.


    By making herself Empress, the subject seems to be a simple case of the Dunning-Kruger effect, where someone inexperienced and unknowledgeable tends to overestimate their expertise. We can use her overconfidence to cripple her nation''s military in a small number of decisive victories should ite to war.


    Conclusion:


    Non-interference in the Pacific Region is not a viable option simply due to the fact that Empress Itami Riyo has demonstrated remarkable ipetence for a woman in her position. As a result, the Reich is now forced to intervene in Asia in order to contain the chaos which will inevitably result from the subject''s actions.


    Furthermore, it would be in the Reich''s best interest to ept Japanese refugees who will inevietably flee to Ming China in order to prevent the leak of knowledge. However, it would be wise to establish allies in the region, and arm them to resist future Japanese aggression.


    Suggested ns of Action:


    Pressure the Ming Dynasty into handing over all Japanese refugees.


    Expand intelligence operations inside the Japanese maind and the surrounding areas.


    Establish diplomatic ties with the Joseon Dynasty and supply their Army with weapons and training.


    Heavy investment into the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine.


    Secure bauxite reserves in Indochina and the Majapahit Empire. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Colonize Australia, denying Japan ess to its resources.


    Establish greater Naval Presence in the Pacific


    -Signed,


    Director of Imperial Intelligence, Linde von Kufstein."


    After reading all of this, Itami froze in ce for what seemed like hours. Her mind appeared to be working at the slowest possible capacity. The dating of this document was shortly after the first contact was made between Japan and Germany.


    From the very start, the Germans had interfered with her ns as a matter of national security. Though there were parts of the dossier she felt quite offended with, Itami could not deny that it was a most, if not entirely, urate assessment of her reign, and the troubles that would have eventually resulted.


    The part that was perhaps the most chilling was when the dossier outlined her potential fate after the coup d''��tat, which, if not for Berengar''s help, surely would have happened to her. As Itami continuously reread the report, the words that Honoria had spoken to her not long ago shed into her mind.


    "Honey, all of Germany''s criticism is just propaganda to make Japan seem like the viin. If Berengar personally disapproves of how you ran your empire, it is because of how sloppy you were. You killed, but the deaths were absolutely pointless and yielded no results... You simply ruined your reputation without getting anything substantial in return. Berengar has distaste for your ipetence, not your methods."


    It was no wonder why Berengar had such a hard timeing to terms with Itami as a romantic prospect, especially after the speech she had made to her people. For a brief moment, she was a damsel in distress who needed her rescue. But after once more assuming the mantle of Japan''s Empress, Itami had be in Berengar''s eyes the ipetent and ruthless dictator who had caused nothing but problems for the Reich, and the world as a whole.


    She had killed hundreds of thousands of people, with little to show for it. Everything in this report hade to pass, or was prevented only because of Berengar''s assistance. Such a thing was so obvious to Linde and Berengar, yet she had beenpletely blinded by her ambition, ego, and avarice to actually see it.


    In this moment, Itami realized that she was not Berengar''s equal, and never would be. Even if Berengar''s Germany did not exist in this world, or if they had never interfered with her ns, a coup d''��tat was inevitable, and her fate without the Reich''s interference would have been far worse than what she ended up with.


    Itami did not say a word, as she stashed away the dossier back into its proper ce, and exited from Berengar''s office with apletely dumbstruck expression on her pretty face. There were so many things she needed to think about, and not enough time in the world for her to do it.


    The Japanese Empress was so lost in thought that she did not even notice Linde skulking in the shadows, watching her every move. The redheaded beauty had a conceited smirk on her gorgeous face as she entered Berengar''s office, and stashed away the old file, which she had explicitly left out for Itami to find.


    In the next moment, Berengar entered the room, and spotted his wife, standing at his desk, where he was quick to ask just what she was up to.


    "And what are you doing here, in my study all by yourself?"


    Linde simply smiled as she wrapped her arms around Berengar''s neck, and whispered her response into his ears.


    "Putting a delusional bitch in her ce..."


    Berengar nced back at his desk, and did not spot anything out of ce. Whatever had urred, it was not his ce to ask, and thus he smiled before kissing Linde passionately on the lips. Where he eventually broke free and whispered something to her.


    "You are one devious bitch..."


    Despite the harshnguage, Linde did not get upset, and instead began to unbutton the man''s shirt, while taunting him.


    "Indeed, I have been a bad girl, and I am in much need of punishment, don''t you think master?"


    What followed was an intimate session between Berengar and his favorite wife. The man waspletely unaware that Linde had put Itami in her ce, with nothing but a document that had not been read in years.


    ---


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 Chapter 1127 The Princess Of Granada Fund

    While Itami was alone in her room, reflecting on her entire life, and the many choices she had made along the way. Yasmin and the kids returned home with wide smiles on their faces. Ghazi was quite happy with his little fiancee who was still living with her parents in Nevarre.


    As for Zara, she was extremely pleased with her first sessful rocket test. She held a video cassete in her hand while shaking with excitement. The little girl could not wait to see her father and inform him of her achievement.


    Not long after Yasmin entered the pce with her many children, did Berengar rush to meet them. The excitement he felt at the mature Moorish beauty''s return was something that only a man who had been separated from his love could truly understand. He quickly picked up the woman and spun her around, while kissing her passionately, an action that she did not anticipate. Once Yasmin finally had a moment to breathe, she was quick to ask about her husband''s journey abroad.


    "So, how did things go? Was your little vacation without incident?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head before shifting the subject to something else.


    "It was quite enjoyable. Now tell me, how was your visit to Granada? Did the boy learn some things?"


    Before Yasmin or Ghazi could even respond, Zara had lost her patience and butted in.


    "Daddy! Look what Zara did!"


    Without waiting, the girl thrust the video cassette into Berengar''s hands, where the man smiled and petted the girl''s hair.


    "Oh? What did you do while daddy was away? Shall we go watch it together?"


    Despite the enthusiastic expression on Zara''s doll-like face, Yasmin was far from pleased and quickly spoiled the girl''s fun.


    "Zara is to be punished forunching a rocket in the Granadan Pce gardens. What she did was incredibly dangerous and spooked more than a few people. I have decided to defer to you to decide just what punishment she receives!"


    Though Yasmin was visibly upset, Berengar was quite excited. He wanted to see the footage that Zara had caught of her first sessfulunch. Though he had read about it in the daily paper, there were no first-hand ounts. Thus, the man faked a stern expression on his face as he gave out a "punishment" to his young daughter, which he deemed to be fitting.


    "Well Zara, since your mother says you are to be punished for your actions, then you must apany daddy to the home theatre so that I can witness with my own eyes just what you have done that deserves punishment."


    Berengar did not wait for Yasmin''s approval, and quickly picked up his young daughter and carried her off to the home theatre. He did not dare look back, because he knew for certain that his wife was fuming with anger. Knowing that once more, the man had let his daughter off scot free for her repeated shenanigans.


    Naturally, Berengar''s presumption was entirely urate as Yasmin had her arms crossed beneath her substantial bosom while ring at her husband''s back. Even though she knew this was exactly what was going to ur, she still deferred judgement to the man. Thus, in the end, she could not remain mad at him.


    After reaching the home theater, Berengar reached into a cupboard that had a bag of caramel corn within, along with two soda can from the mini refrigerator. He then brought the snacks over to the reclining sofa where Zara satfortably, waiting to y the video. Once he was seated, Berengar shared the treat with his daughter, where the two of them leaned back in their seats and watched the footage unfold.


    On therge screen, Zara was counting down the time until lift off rather casually, until she finally pressed the button that sent the rtively small rocket into the air. The camera then panned up and followed the rocket as it went higher and higher into the sky until finally safely falling down back within the garden with its parachute.


    The film suddenly ended, and the lights turned back on, revealing Zara''s smiling face. She was eager for her father''s praise, and waited patiently to receive it, despite her impatient nature. As for Berengar, he was quite shocked by what he had seen.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Though he did not know the details of the rocket''s design, and how it functioned, it was quite possible that such a small rocket had actually passed the Karmen line, there would need to be more thorough studies of the rocket Zara had built from what was clearly mostly scraps and perhaps a few speciality parts crudely put together by machinists. But there was no mistaking the range of this rocket.


    Zara began to pout as she saw her father continue to stare at the now nk screen with a peculiar expression on his face. She was just about to pound his shoulder with her little fists when the man broke out into a wide smile and patted the girl''s head with fatherly affection.


    "That''s my little girl! I can''t believe you made such an exceptional rocket at such a young age! Mark my words, one day when we finallynd on the moon, it will be thanks to you. I just had a sudden bout of inspiration. I think I am going to establish a fund to help gifted children like you pursue their scientific dreams. What do you think about the name The Princess of Granada Fund?"


    Zara broke out into a smile twice the size of her father''s when she heard this and quickly hugged the man while thanking him for his praise.


    "That''s sounds wonderful! Daddy, did Zara do good?"


    Berengar once more began to pet the girl''s silky hair as he responded with further praise.


    "Zara didn''t just do good, Zara did amazing! I''m truly astonished you were able to build such a thing at your age. Don''t tell your brother this, but you might be a little bit smarter than Hans!"


    Such praise was the most Zara had ever received in her young life. Hans was considered an icon in the Reich, a war hero, and the most promising young genius in the nation''s short-lived history. To bepared with her older half-brother, by her own father, was the most joy she had ever experienced. Thus, she was quick to express her disbelief.


    "You really mean it?"


    Berengar continued to smile and pat the girl''s head as he responded once more.


    "I can''t say for certain, but it is entirely possible. Your mother was wrong to admonish you. You don''t deserve to be punished for this, instead I will reward you for your achievements. How about daddy builds you your own private testing facility? Where you will be free to experiment with your rocket designs to your heart''s content. I will even have whateverponents you need specialty manufactured by the professionals at the Royal Kufstein Armory! How does that sound?"


    Zara''s amber eyes had practically be as golden as her hair, as they sparkled with abination of joy, anticipation, and excitement. She could not believe her father was willing to spare such an expense for her and quickly hugged him once more.


    "Thank you, daddy!"


    Berengar simply chuckled and continued to pat the girl''s head. He could hardly believe that he had sired two exceptional geniuses. Naturally, he could not have the girl testing her rockets in the pce gardens, but to hamper her ingenuity would be a criminal act. Zara needed to have an environment where she could safely experiment with her designs, and because of this, Berengar was more than willing to spare the expense.


    Thus, it would not be long before rockets were regrly beingunched over the skies of Kufstein. Though Zara''s designs were innovative and had proven sessful, it would still be several decades before the Reich was able tond a man on the moon. After all, they were only just scratching the surface of astrophysics and astronautical engineering.


    ---


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 Chapter 1128 Formation Of The Japanese Constitution

    Weeks had passed since Itami first found the dossier that Linde hadpiled about her during the early days of the diplomatic rtions between Japan and Germany. And during this time, Itami had spent nearly every minute of her free time reflecting on just how big of a fuckup she was as the Empress of Japan.


    While the prosperous and peaceful state of the Reich had a major impact on Itami''s perception regarding those she once considered to be her enemies. A part of her had continued to fight and struggle to be seen as Berengar''s equal.


    Yet, now, all the previous confidence she once had in her own ability had seemingly dissipated overnight. Despite this sudden shift in personality, Itami continued to do her best to redeem herself in the eyes of gods and men.


    At the moment, the Albino beauty was gathered at the temporary Japanese Embassy located in Kufstein, where she and her appointed cab members were currently discussing the creation of a new Japanese Constitution.


    Itami furrowed her brows as she looked at the proposals given to her by the various members of her cab, which she had chosen from among the highly educated popce of Little Kyoto. No matter how she looked at the various suggestions, they were primarily modelled after Germany''s constitution. What immediately stuck out to her were the governmental protections reserved for the Japanese nobility, which Itami was quick to argue against.


    "There shall be no house of lords within our government. While I know that the nobility is a critical part of Germany''s traditions, and society as a whole, there will be no ce for it in Japan. Specifically, because I intend to fully abolish the Samurai ss when I reim my throne. Instead, we should make the bicameral legiture something more unique to our own circumstances.


    I propose, we establish a house of representatives which is directly elected by the people. Whereas we have a Senate which is elected by the representatives within each prefectural legiture. Furthermore, I believe we should limit the number of senators to two per prefecture. Whereas the number of federal representatives per each prefecture should be based entirely on each prefecture''s poption. What do you all think of this proposal?"


    The Cab members spoke among themselves for several moments, before a young woman, not much older than Itami herself, posed a question.


    "With this system, who shall be the electorate? Here in Germany such a privilege is reserved for full-blooded german males who can pass both a political literacy test, and score quite high on an IQ test. These men also must be active taxpayers and have served the state in some capacity, whether as a soldier or first responder. Are we also going to limit our electorate to such individuals, or do you have other ns?"


    Naturally, Itami was already aware of these provisions within the German constitution. As an American woman from the twenty-first century, there were manyints she had about these stringent requirements to vote.


    Though Itami knew very little about the Berengar''s past life, it sounded like he came from a simr time as herself, and from a simrly western civilization. Such overbearing requirements regarding the right to vote were definitely not something most people in the United States would have agreed with.


    However, after thinking carefully about this subject for several moments, Itami realized the many benefits of having such an elite electorate. Many of the problems which the American society in her past life faced were as a result of giving the average person the right to vote.


    The sad fact was that most Americans were simply too ignorant about the political process, and were far too susceptible to whatever they heard from other people, to really be trusted with such a monumental responsibility.


    Thest thing Itami needed was for Japan to suffer a near total copse in the next three hundred years, because the masses voted for representatives who created policies that did not benefit the people or the state, but themselves and their corporate overlords.


    However, at the same time, Itami believed Berengar''s voting restrictions were still too intense, and thus decided to be more lenient than him with who was permitted to vote in her society.


    "I believe that so long as a citizen of Japan pays his or her taxes and can pass a basic political literacy test, while having an IQ above one hundred, they should be permitted to vote for their representatives.


    As for the executive branch, we shall follow the example that Germany has set forth with a monarch, whose sessor is chosen based upon their merit and character, and is selected by the monarch themselves. If, however, the monarch passes away before selecting their heir, the sessor shall be chosen from the monarch''s dynasty based upon a simple majority vote from the Royal Council (cab). Does anyone disagree with this sentiment?"


    The same woman who had previously spoken before raised her hand once more before asking the next question on her mind.


    "So I am assuming that all prefectural governors will be chosen and dismissed by the monarch, just like how it is done within Germany?"


    Itami simply nodded her head in agreement with this remark, causing the cab members to write this sentiment down on the piece of paper which was acting as their official constitutional document. After noticing this, Itami remembered something important which she was bound by a treaty to add to her constitution and thus mentioned it briefly.


    "Also, make sure to add an amendment to the constitution that rifies that The Empire of Japan is to limit itself to a Self-Defense Force that consists of the minimum amount of soldiers required to defend the Nation from foreign and domestic threats. As part of my treaty with the Kaiser, this is a non-negotiable condition. So I do not want to hear anyints." <novelnext></novelnext>


    Itami spent several more hours undergoing lengthy discussions about minute details regarding the Japanese Constitution. In the end, it turned out to be something very simr to the current German Constitution, but less restrictive to the electorate, while also including women into positions of political power.


    As night fell upon the city of Kufstein, Itami returned to the pce, where she saw that Berengar was waiting for her arrival. The man had a stoic expression on his face as he expressed his desire to speak with the Japanese Empress.


    "Empress Itami Riyo, if you have the time, I would like to speak with you in my office..."


    Though Itami was exhausted from the previous deliberations, she did not deny Berengar''s request. After all, this was the first real opportunity she had to speak with the man in weeks. Thus, the albino beauty followed the Kaiser to his office.


    Once inside, Berengar shut the door behind him before pouring two sses of wine. He handed one off to Itami as he sat down in his chair. Once fully rxed and having a sip of the alcoholic beverage, Berengar began to speak.


    "I heard that you just had what could be considered Japan''s first constitutional convention. I also understand that you have decided to model your government inrge part after my own. May I ask why?"


    Itami was surprised that Berengar had already learned about these details, even though it had not even been thirty minutes since she finished the deliberations. Then again, with how robust the man''s intelligencework was, Itami realized that maybe it was not that surprising. Thus, she took a sip from her wine, while staring Berengar deep into his mismatched eyes before responding to his question with an equally stoic tone in her voice.


    "I will be honest, the government you have established in this world appears to be rather robust, and designed for long-term stability at all costs. You single-handedly went out of your way to provide the people with some form of representation, while still holding a significant amount of authority in your own hands.


    You have also eliminated the most troubling concern that monarchies traditionally have, and that is the selection of an appropriate heir. The oneint I truly have with the society you have built is how limited women are in it.


    Oh sure, women can serve in the military but only in support roles, and they can work for both corporations and government agencies if they so choose, but they have no right to vote or hold office. I decided that needed to be rectified in my own society."


    Berengar scoffed when he heard thisint before making a remark that Itami was not expecting.


    "Women have their own role to y in German society. One that is equally as important as the role that men must fulfill. But politics? That is the realm of men and should remain as such..."


    Itami did not know how to respond to this statement. She wanted to argue against Berengar''s words, but somehow she knew deep inside this was not the best idea. Thus, she could only remain silent and drink from her beverage before shifting the conversation to something else entirely.


    "So... How is the war going?"


    Berengar raised his brow slightly before reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a folder, which he then handed to the woman. Itami took one look at the photo, which was on top of a pile of documents and nearly had a heart attack.


    "This... this can''t be?"


    Berengar took one sip from his wine before responding to the woman''s shock with a grim expression on his face.


    "I''m afraid things have progressed in a way which neither of us has anticipated. I now have no choice but to order a full-scale invasion of the Japanese maind. I would suggest that you do your best to coordinate with your loyalists in the field. Because things have just be a lot moreplicated..."


    ---


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 Chapter 1129 The Shoguns Downfall

    Roughly seventy-two hours before Itami had finished the first draft of Japan''s new constitution, Shiba was contained within the royal pce in Heian-ky��. The man had barricaded himself and what remained of his followers inside his pce.


    Why would he do such a thing? Because after suffering months of abuse at the hands of the current Shogun, the forces who were once loyal to him had taken up arms in rebellion. Yet they did not side with the Itami Loyalists, who were currently pushing in from the South. Instead, each man followed a different General, who dered himself the new emperor.


    By now there were at least thirteen different imants to the throne that Itami had left vacant, not including Shiba himself, and at least five of these warlords'' armies were battling in the streets of Heian-ky�� for supremacy.


    Shiba peered outside the boarded-up windows as a bullet ricocheted off the edge, sending him falling back onto his ass in fright. He could not believe that such a crisis had urred so swiftly, and was now panicking as he struggled to find a solution to the problem he currently faced.


    "There has got to be a way to get the situation under control. What about Colonel Fujii Mochisuke? Is his brigade not nearby? Can we not sent a message to him for assistance via the radio?"


    Unfortunately for Shiba, the nearest officer shook his head with a grim expression on his face before responding to the question.


    "No, Sir, even if we could get into contact with the Colonel, which we can not due to the destruction of the pce''s radio tower. He has already sworn his loyalty to the Takeda n! In fact, I would not be surprised if the Colonel''s brigade was one of the factions currently besieging the city!"


    Shiba immediately pounded his fist on the nearest piece of furniture as he heard this. Any minute now, thest few defenders of the pce would be overrun, and the enemy woulde pouring through the entrance, ready to im his life.


    Suddenly, the sounds of gunshots and mortar fire stopped, and all had be eerily silent. Shiba felt a shiver go down his spine, just as a loud voice rang throughout the Pce''s courtyard.


    "This is Colonel Fujii Mochisuke speaking on behalf of the Takeda n. The city of Heian-kyo is now under our control and we have the pce surrounded. While we have the ability to blow up the pce and everyone in it, we are giving those inside onest chance to surrender.


    Come out with your hands up, and give us General Shiba Kiyohiko, or prepare to face the consequences. We will give you five minutes to decide your actions, after that we will be detonating the TNT which we are currently cing around the Pce.


    Shiba immediately began to panic. He was in a room filled with armed men, none of which truly wanted to die so pitifully. These soldiers were beginning to whisper among themselves just what they nned to do.


    As for the most loyal of Shiba''s men, they formed ranks around him and aimed down their rifles. Themanding officer in charge of these few soldiers gave one simplemand to the rest of those barricaded inside the pce.


    "Do not even think about it. We owe the Shogun our lives, and we will die before we surrender him to the Takeda n! Anyone one of you who even thinks about acting against the Shogun will be shot on the spot!"


    This act of hostility by the most loyal of the Shogun''s men had caused the rest of the soldiers within the pce to surrender their arms. Just as Shiba exhaled a deep breath of relief, he felt the piercing cold edge of steel stab through one of his kidneys.


    Shiba looked behind him in shock, as one of his bodyguards had silently withdrawn his bay, and had begun repeatedly stabbing the Shogun in the kidneys, thus quickly ending his life. Thest thing Shiba saw before light faded from his eyes was the sight of his killer being gunned down by the rest of his bodyguards, followed by the chaos that ensued.


    ---


    Chaos immediately followed Shiba''s death as gunfire echoed throughout the interior of the pce. It was impossible to know who was on whose side. The first death was the soldier who had assassinated the shogun. Those bodyguards, still loyal, immediately aimed their Type 4 semi-automatic rifles towards the man''s torso and plugged him full of over a dozen rounds.


    In the next moment, those who wanted to surrender raised their rifles in turn, and fired upon the bodyguards. The echoes of their gunshots resounded in the courtyard, causing the Colonel to hastily give amand to his men.


    "Break down that barricade now!"


    The men quickly did as they were instructed, and blew open the entrance to the pce, where they saw a few dozen bodies lying dead, along with another twelve men fighting against one another with their bare hands.


    Quickly the Colonel entered the scene and found Shiba''s body lying cold on the ground. He was beyond furious and quickly shouted at those men who were still fighting among one another.


    "What has happened here?"


    Realizing that they had been surrounded, the soldiers stopped their petty conflict, and quickly answered the colonel, hoping that he would spare their lives.


    "Sir, one of Shiba''s bodyguards killed him before we could decide on how to proceed. What followed was the chaos you see now."<novelnext></novelnext>


    ? The colonel''s brow twitched with rage as he immediately ordered the execution of the lot of Shiba''s surviving men.


    "Take these men out back and shoot them. Once they are dead, dismember their corpses. I have no pity for traitors."


    Upon realizing that a gruesome fate awaited them, the survivors rushed towards the colonel in onest act of defiance before being gunned down before they could even get within three meters of the man. The colonel then spit on their corpses before departing from the scene.


    ---


    Three dayster Itami gazed upon a photo which had captured the aftermath with utter disbelief in her eyes. What was disyed in the picture was the corpse of General Shiba Kiyohiko, lying on top of a pile of dismembered corpses outside the Japanese Royal Pce in Heian-kyo. Most notable were the Takeda banners flying proudly on top of the building, disying the change in ownership.


    She had never expected Shiba to be killed so quickly after betraying her, and felt that she had been robbed of the pleasure of executing the man herself. It took Itami several moments to collect her thoughts before asking Berengar a single word.


    "How?"


    Berengar ced down his cup of wine, and stared at Itami with a peculiar expression on his face, almost as if it were one of remorse.


    "I know only what I have heard from my agents in Heian-ky��, and even then, their knowledge of the incident is limited..."


    This did not stop Itami from asking the same question she had just said prior to this remark.


    "How?"


    Berengar sighed heavily before exining just what had urred. He seemed to be thinking about the consequences of Shiba''s death as he described it.


    "Approximately seventy-two hours ago, what remained of Shiba''s army in the north turned on him. Apparently, the man had been executing his top officers left and right, and those who still lived had decided that enough was enough. A total of thirteen of Shiba''s generals dered open rebellion and each of them named themselves emperor.


    A battle took ce in Heian-ky�� between Shiba''s forces and five of these warlords. In the end, the Takeda n came out on top and surrounded the pce, threatening to blow it up if Shiba''s men did not turn him in.


    Supposedly, a conflict broke out between those men still inside the pce, and in the ensuing chaos, one of them stabbed Shiba to death from behind. This caused the survivors to fight among themselves. In doing so, the Colonel in charge of the Takeda''s forces ordered to storm the building.


    He was so enraged by this sudden betrayal that he ordered the death and dismemberment of all those involved in Shiba''s death. That pile of bodies you see in the photo belong to Shiba and the men who betrayed him.


    This has put me in a very precarious situation. My hands are tied. The Japanese maind is about to erupt into a state of total warfare. In order to stabilize the situation and bring an end to this crisis before it gets out of hand, I must begin a full-scale invasion of Japan.


    This was something I had wanted to avoid, if at all possible, but Shiba has proven to be even more ipetent of a dictator than you yourself were. It surprises me that you fostered a nation of such useless men.


    I have already made the calls to the necessary departments. As of this moment, a hundred thousand German marines are being deployed across what remains of your Empire, and in doing so, they shall eliminate these thirteen warlords, and restore order to the region.


    It is a good thing you have already created the foundation of your new government here in Kufstein, because within a month''s time, you shall be sitting back upon your throne. So I suggest you get some rest, because in theing days, I am going to need you by my side as I takemand of the situation."


    Itami was still having a difficult time believing everything that had happened, and so suddenly at that. Perhaps if she had been aware of Shiba''s mental breakdown, and the repeated executions of his officers in advance, then maybe she would not be so shocked. However, despite everything that had happened, there was still one good that hade from this entire debacle.


    And that was the fact that she would be in close proximity with Berengar, working hand in hand with the man to help restore order to her homnd. Thus, she could not help but find herself excited as she exited Berengar''s office and returned to her room for a good night''s rest.


    ---


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 Chapter 1130 Taking The Palace

    The order came in the middle of the night. A full-scale invasion of the Japanese maind and the ind of Sakhalin had begun. One hundred thousand German Marines deployed with their armored vehicles to the shores of Japan. While tens of thousands of paratroopers jumped from the skies above.


    The Kriegsmarine continued to blockade the ind, ensuring that no refugees could escape to the Ming Dynasty, while the Luftwaffe bombarded strategic locations from the skies above. All around what remained of the Japanese Empire, Germans began flooding into the country like a tidal wave.


    However, the most critical mission of this invasion was left to the Reich''s most elite special operations unit. The sturmkommandos, led by none other than Colonel Andreas Jaeger, were currently sitting in a turbojet, long range cargo ne, waiting for the moment to drop.


    For over a decade, Andreas had served in Berengar''s army. The world had rapidly changed around him, andbat evolved to a level he never thought possible. One thing was certain in his mind: when this war finally came to an end, Germany would no longer have a rival on the world stage, and his job would be one primarily ofbating savages.


    Perhaps after this deployment, he should finally hang up the gloves and retire. He had two wives waiting for him back home, one of which was a Korean beauty who had been gifted to him by the Joseon King. Each of his women had born him three children, who had utterly failed to be a proper father to.


    Yes, once this mission was done, a proper retirement was in order. Perhaps he would even make use of the GI bill and attend a university. After all, the only reason he was an officer was because he had gone through the crash course training that Berengar provided to those soldiers who were the first to join his ranks all those years ago. Unlike most of the other officers in the German military, he had not attended a university, and thus would need to make up for that once his service was finallyplete.


    Just as Andreas was thinking of this, the green light which signalled it was time to jump appeared within the cabin. Causing the man to silently stand up and approach the door, which he opened up. Without saying a word, the veteran special forces operator jumped from the ne and rapidly descended to the city of Heian-ky�� below.


    Eventually, the remainder of the unit jumped out of the ne and deployed their chutes, where they rendezvoused with Andreas on the outskirts of the capital city. Intelligence, which had been conducted by aerial reconnaissance prior to their deployment, suggested that the Takeda n was still unware of the massive invasion that was currently taking ce. As a result, the soldiers who were garrisoned in Heian-kyo were not on high alert, something which Andreas and his men could use to their advantage.


    What had been confirmed was the fact that the leader of the Takeda n had entered the city and imed the pce as his personal residence. This was an act meant to challenge the other warlords to unseat him. However, as a result of making this challenge, the Germans had also epted it. Thus, the mission that Andreas and his men were given was none other than the assassination of Takeda Minori and the capture of Heian-ky��.


    Silently, Andreas motioned for his soldiers to converge on the city. Where they quickly found intoxicated Japanese soldiers, strolling the city with their firearms in hand. They spoke in their native tongue as they joked about the death of the previous Shogun.


    "Were you here for Shiba''s death?"


    However, before the other soldier could respond, Andreas and his fire team jumped out from the shadows, while dressed in their urban camouge, and plunged their boot knives into the necks of the intoxicated enemy. The two men did not even have time to react before their lives were imed by the German operators.


    After silently taking out the two soldiers, Andreas nodded towards the other four men by his side, who lifted the two bodies, and hid them in a nearby wheelbarrow, which was filled with bags of rice. Evidently, these were the rations of the city''s garrison.


    Having sessfully in the two enemies, the German operators quickly raised their rifles, and continued through the city''s streets, where they, and the other fireteams covertly eliminated any and all Japanese soldiers they came across. While slowly making their way to the pce where the primary target resided.


    ---


    Takeda Minori was dressed in an extravagant military uniform. Most, if not all, the medals which were pinned to his chest were created and awarded to the man by himself. Prior to Shiba''s coup d''��tat, he was a low ranking General, who had just barely managed to rise through the ranks of Itami''s military through his position as the head of the Takeda n.


    He was among the few generals and high-ranking officers left in whatever remained of Itami''s old military structure, who was among the first to dere himself emperor after Shiba''s mental decline. Currently, the man was posing for a painter, who did his best to create a portrait of the man that was in the German art-style.


    However, because Itami never truly furthered the advancements of the arts, his skills were incrediblycking, and were nowhere near photorealistic. Still, the painter tried his best to mimic the foreign style, and when he was finished, appeared quite nervous as he handed the piece over to the man who hadmissioned it.


    Takeda, who had been expecting a masterpiece on par with the painting of Berengar which hung in Itami''s old bedroom, was quite enraged when he gazed upon the poor craftsmanship of his own portrait and was quick to chastise the painter as a hack.


    "You call this a portrait? What is this shit? This looks nothing like me? How can you even refer to yourself as an artist when you are incapable of making a painting like those that are somon in the Reich?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    The painter''s voice trembled as he spoke up in his defense.


    "Your majesty-"


    However, before he couldplete his sentence, the ss windows shattered, and a peculiar object flew into the room from the outside. A white smoke appeared in the room, as Takeda, and everyone else who inhabited the room, began having difficulty to breathe.


    In the next moment, the sounds of guns firing off throughout the pce could be overheard, as Takeda forced his way out of the room, looking for fresh air. However, what awaited him was arge mist, as whatever mist had gued his personal chambers appeared to be present throughout the entire building.


    Eventually, Takeda fell to his hands and knees as he struggled to crawl through the corridors. The muzzle shes of the assault rifles firing their projectiles were visible just down the hallway, and yet the warlord could not find the strength in his body to run the other way. Instead, he crumpled over, like a sack of potatoes, and gasped for air.


    In the next moment, a group of men d in ck camouged and gas masks entered the room, where they saw their target lying on the floor, fighting for breath. A voice in anguage which Takeda knew to be German erupted from behind the ck gas mask.


    "Is this our target?"


    Though Takeda could not understand what these men were saying, he did not need to in order to know that his life was forfeit. For in the next minute, one of the soldiers pushed his way to the front and raised his loaded pistol towards the warlord''s head.


    In the next moment he pulled the trigger, sending the man who would emperor to the afterlife before he even had a chance to cement his rule. Andreas then stashed his sidearm away in its holster before giving further orders to his unit.


    "Get on thems, and inform High Command that the city of Heian-ky�� is secured, and the target is eliminated. It is up to our superiors on how we respond from here..."


    The soldiers did exactly what they were ordered to do, and within a few moments thems operator spoke up.


    "It would appear that our orders are to hold the city until reinforcements arrive..."


    A heavy sigh escaped from Andreas'' lips, as he pulled his gas mask off. By now, the tear gas had dispersed, and he was free to breathe fresh air. He looked towards the moon outside the windows and muttered something beneath his breath briefly before giving additional orders.


    "I figured as much.... Alright boys, I want this pce fortified in case any other warlord sends their army to take the pce. We can''t defend the entire city, but we can make life hell for whoever decides to approach the pce. Oh, and while you''re at it, pop some of those pills you have been given. We are going to be here all night..."


    The pills Andreas was referring to were the methamphetamine tablets, which weremonly issued to German soldiers. Thus, after taking a healthy dose, the Sturmkommandos were wired to the gills as they watched and waited for enemy movements.


    Of course, the rest of the warlords were already preupied with defending their own homes, and thus, by the time the dawn rose on the next day, significant reinforcements had arrived in Heian-ky�� allowing these special operators to deploy to another region.


    ---


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 Chapter 1131 Swiftly Advancing Through Japan

    By the dawn of the next day, the German invasion of the Japanese Maind was fully underway. Major Herman von Habsburg, who had previously been promoted for his actions on the battlefield, sat on top of a panther tank with a cigarette in one hand as the armored vehicle strolled through the smouldering ruins of a Samurai n''s castle.


    Thest of an ancient bloodline had holed themselves up in the most fortified part of the castle, and were refusing to surrender. As a result, Herman had ordered for a tank to enter the courtyard. The 7.5cm gun of the Panther tank was aimed right at the castles''s entrance, while Herman continued to smoke his cigarette.


    After taking onest drag from his cigarette and stamping the device out, Herman grabbed hold of a bullhorn and began to speak in the Japanesenguage towards the Samurai family, which continued to resist the German Marines.


    "I''m giving you onest chance toe out with your hands up and surrender. If you still refuse to do so after thirty seconds, I will bring your castle down upon you!"


    After saying this, Herman looked at his watch, and waited for the hand to pass the thirty-second mark. When there was still no answer, he raised his hand, just about to signal the attack. However, before he could do so, the castle''s entryway opened, and several small children younger than the age of twelve came out with their hands up while bawling their eyes out.


    Herman sighed, when he saw that none of the adults had chosen to surrender, and thus gave an order his troops closest to the door before continuing.


    "Secure the kids and then get the fuck out of the st zone!"


    The German Marines were strict professionals, and quickly picked up the children and led them away from the door. Where once they were safely out of range, Herman gave themand to attack.


    "Open fire!"


    A loud st erupted in the vicinity as the 7.5cm main gun on the Panther tank fired a shot directly at the foundations of the castle. Arge explosion urred, dust and debris scattered into the wind, and pelted the cover which the German soldiers hid behind.


    Without a proper foundation, the castle copsed on itself, and buried the adults of the Samurai n, who hadpletely and utterly refused to surrender. Herman could only sigh at the sight of such devastation, before giving the order to move out. There was no point surveying the wreckage, nothing could have possibly survived such a thing.


    ---


    All around Japan, simr scenes were taking ce, as the Samurai of a bygone era, and the various Daimyos who all imed to be the Emperor of Japan had their homes bombed and bombarded into oblivion.


    Without being contested in the air, the German pilots unleashed hell upon therge stone structures that had been used to house the Samurai and their families for countless generations. Hans was among the spearhead of fighter jets which soared through the sky and unleashed havoc on these ancient castles.


    Currently, outside the home of one of the Japanese Warlords, Hans was flying in low, with his crimson fighter, as he locked onto the target with his radar guided air-to-surface missile. On both of his sides were Haywire and Ghost, who werepeting with the prince to see whose missile would copse the "emperor''s estate."


    The transonic jet fighters whipped past the building before circling around at such high speeds that the 2cm k guns could not even catch the tail end of the nes. When Hans spotted this anti-aircraft weapon, which miraculously survived up until this point, he target it with his 30mm auto-cannon and sprayed the device with the explosive projectiles. A short brrtter, and both the k gun and its crew were utterly annihted.


    In the next moment, Hans heard the voice of Haywire over the radio as the manined about the boy stealing his kill.


    "You little bastard, you stole my kill!"


    Hans did not bother responding to such nonsense and instead aimed his radar onto the top of the Castle before firing an air-to-surface a missile at it. Naturally, the projectile made its way to the target and exploded upon impact, bringing down arge portion of the castle upon its inhabitants.


    In the next moment, Hans noticed that Haywire had fired all of his missiles at the castle, and in doing so, destroyed what remained. Whether the warlord and his family were inside when the ce erupted in explosions or not did not truly matter. Even if they survived, it would only be a matter of time before they were routed out and destroyed.


    ---<novelnext></novelnext>


    A Panzer Division rolled up through the southern half of the Japanese maind, while supported by German marines and Itami loyalists. These Japanese soldiers were distinguishable from their warlord counterparts by the rising sun bands they wore over their arms and helmets.


    After fighting for so long on their own, the men who still swore loyalty to the Empress were quite excited to see the massive wave of German steel roll through their countryside. General Tsugaru Akihiko''s worst fears were realized when Shiba''s generals turned against him. One enemy became thirteen, and the men who followed the warlords had all begun to fight among each other.


    For a brief period, chaos had erupted across Japan, and the Itami loyalists did not have the numbers to stem the tide. That was, until a hundred thousand German marines and tens of thousands of German fallschirmj?gers deployed to the region.


    Rather than sit back and wait for the Germans to clean things up, General Tsugaru had rallied his forces to support their new allies, and were now riding on the backs of German tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles, while steamrolling through the ranks of the various warlords armies.


    Currently, Tsugaru was smoking a cigarette on the back of a Marder infantry fighting vehicle while conversing with a German officer.


    "It''s about damn time you guys showed up. Here I thought you were going to let us fight this entire war ourselves..."


    There was not the slightest bit of shame on the German officer''s face when she smiled and chuckled before responding to the man''s ims.


    "Oh, we fully intended to do so, however Shiba was so ipetent that the situation rapidly deteriorated into a state we could no longer sit by and watch."


    After saying this, the German officer grabbed the cigarette from Tsugaru''s hand and took a drag before handing it back to the man. Though he feigned offense, the Japanese general was more than happy to share his tobo if it meant that he received German support.


    As the two men conversed and joked around as if they were long-time friends, the echo of gunfire crackled in the air. Just up ahead, a roadblock was made by what remained of one of the warlord''s armies. In an act of desperation, they fired their machine guns and mortars towards the German armored vehicles, who retaliated by spraying the enemy position with their autocannons and 7.5cm main guns.


    The enemy broke ranks and scattered after receiving this heavy barrage of enemy fire, where the men sitting on top of the armored vehicles took pot shots at them with their rifles. It was not long until the entire Japanese force was wiped out. When Tsugaru saw this, he shook his head and sighed before expressing hisment.


    "It''s a shame that so many of my people are so stupid. The moment the empress fled to the Reich there was only one way this war could have ended. To think that even now these morons are clinging on to whatever power they still hold... Utterly disgraceful."


    The German officer could not help but agree with the Japanese General''s statement, which he was quick to voice as he posed another question to the man.


    "It truly is astonishing. At this rate the war will be over in a matter of weeks, don''t you think?"


    Tsugaru took a look into the distance where the city of Heian-ky�� lied, and pondered on this question for several moments before responding.


    "At most a month, but at the rate we''re going, I''d say we have a fortnight before total victory is achieved. After that it is a matter of cleaning up whatever is left of our country and rebuilding...."


    Both the German officer, and Japanese General remained quiet after this, shortly there after they would walk into another ambush, and swiftly ovee it. Those Japanese warlords who remained alive after the first forty-eight hours of the German invasion, would flee to the mountains, and continue their resistance until they were no longer able to.


    ---


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 Chapter 1132 Do You Forgive Me Now?

    The war for Japan was rapidlying to a close. Afternding over one hundred thousand troops on the Japanese Maind within a period of forty eight hours, those few warlords who had not yet been eliminated fled to the hills with what little men and munitions they could bring with them.


    As for those Japanese soldiers left behind, they began surrendering to the Germans the moment they spotted a panther tank rolling through town. By now, the German Empire, and its allies, had too many prisoners of war to properly handle, and had thus begun the construction of temporary internment camps within the southern half of Japan.


    With the city of Heian-ky�� under German upation, and the warlords on the run, Berengar decided now was the perfect time to announce an end to the war, and thus at this moment, he was in flight towards Japan with Itami sitting across from him.


    An awkward silence remained between the two monarchs as they struggled to find something to speak about. Previously, their rtionship had been progressing rather well, however, after unforeseen circumstances, the couple drifted apart.


    Now that they were truly alone together, for an extended period of time, there were many things that both Itami and Berengar wanted to vent. Yet neither of them spoke a word for the first few hours of the flight.


    It was only after the stewardesses brought out a few tes with a hot meal, and a cup of coffee for each monarch, did Berengar finally break the silence.


    "I want you to know that I will be living in Heian-kyo throughout the duration of the German upation. Though you have done a fine job establishing a proper, legitimate government in exile, you will still require my assistance and approval if you wish to rebuild your country in the most efficient means possible."


    Itami''s glum face lit up in a bit of excitement, though she tried to hide such an expression. She had wanted to be alone with Berengar for some time, to try and convince the man to take her back. However, she had a difficult time expressing this sentiment or finding the proper moment to ask. It would appear that now was the perfect opportunity to tell the man how she really felt. Thus, she smiled silently as she sipped from her coffee. After several moments of further silence, Itami finally spoke up. Albeit shifting the conversation to something more personal.


    "I don''t believe I ever had the chance to apologize to you... I''m sorry..."


    Berengar raised his brow as he gazed above the paper he was reading and looked upon the rather ufortable expression on Itami''s beautiful face. He ced down his newspaper, and took a sip from his coffee, before asking the woman to continue her apology.


    "For?"


    It was obvious by the ufortable look on Itami''s face that she was having a hard time quelling herbative nature, and thus after squirming around for a few moments while internally debating whether or not she should retort, the albino beauty sighed in an attempt to calm herself before whispering a voice so low Berengar almost didn''t hear it.


    "I''m sorry for all the trouble I caused you... I know I may never be able to make up for my mistakes, or redeem myself in the eyes of gods and men. But I am truly remorseful for myplete and utter ipetence as a leader that has led to the deaths of so many people.


    I know it may not sound convincinging from someone like me. But I promise, from here on out, I will follow your every lead, and I swear with all of my heart that I am very appreciative of the help you are giving me... Especially since I don''t deserve it..."


    Berengar looked at Itami with a cautious glint in his eyes. He did not know what had so suddenlye over the woman, to force such a positive change in her character, and thus he was inclined to study her for any possible crack in what he perceived to be a facade. The inquisitive re of the man''s mismatched eyes only caused Itami to squirm even further while she asionally took a nce in his direction before averting her gaze once more.


    Naturally, Berengar was activating his eye of Horus, and using it to its fullest extent to scan the woman''s emotions and inclinations towards him. In this moment, he could detect that there was not a hint of malice or mistruth in her words, and instead that she was sincere in her attempts to make up for her past actions. In fact, the pride and arrogance that had always been a defining trait in Itami''s character appeared to be at its lowest point since Berengar firstid eyes upon her.


    After several moments of awkward silence, Berengar sighed heavily before grabbing hold of his paper and shifting his attention back to thetest news. Itami began to pout as the man did not respond until the next moment when he finally broke the silence.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I ept your apology, but I do not forgive you. If you choose to continue on this path of redemption that you are following, then maybe one day I can look past your misdeeds and ept you for who you will be. As of right now, you still have a long way to go before you have earned my forgiveness. Patience is a virtue, and it is also the mark of a great leader. Without it, you will only cause problems for yourself and others. A lesson you should be all too aware of..."


    Itami sighed heavily upon hearing this and sulked in silence for several minutes. It was not entirely clear what she was thinking about. But Berengar detected a slight hint of determination in the woman''s aura. As a result, he continued to read his paper and watch Itami closely, until his food began to get cold, which he immediately dug into with the grace and refinement of his position.


    As the hours passed, Berengar had shifted from reading the daily paper to fulfilling his work as Kaiser until finally the sun began to set. Causing him to get up from his seat and enter the shower, before climbing into bed. Not a word was spoken between him and Itami, since the two had shared their breakfast with one another.


    Before long, Berengar''s eyes began to shut as the man drifted into a deep sleep, however before he could do so, he felt something unusual press against his chest. A soft, yet substantial mound was pressing against him, causing the man to open his eyes, where he was immediately kissed by the Japanese Empress.


    For Itami, this was the first time she had initiated such intimacy with a man, and she was flushed with embarrassment as she did so. Throughout the day, as she sat in silence, Itami had concocted a n that would force Berengar to be closer to her, and thus she had silently entered his bed, and kissed him in a fit of passion, hoping such a thing would rekindle what they had prior to their unfortunate breakup.


    Despite Berengar''s reservations towards Itami, he did not remove himself from the situation, and continued to kiss the woman after she had climbed into his bed, in nothing but a silk nightgown. Her jade like skin was glistening with water from the shower she had just taken, and her snow white hair was soaking wet while smelling of shampoo.


    Mustering all the courage she could manage, Itami pulled away from Berengar''s lips, and whispered something into her ears in a seductive voice that she did not even know she was capable of making.


    "Do you forgive me now?"


    Berengar, however, simply scoffed and rolled over onto his other side as he faced the ne''s window, leaving a simple response before drifting off into sleep.


    "Not even close..."


    Itami instantly began to pout after hearing such a cold response, but she did not allow herself to flee the man''s bed in disgrace. Instead, she wrapped around his backside and spooned with Berengar. Whether he wanted her or not, the albino beauty was not going to let go of the man she was now determined to be with.


    For too long, she had waited for Berengar to make a move after they had broken up, but no longer. If Berengar wasn''t going to actively pursue her, then she would chase after him, until he recognized that she was the only woman in this world worthy of being his fifth and final wife.


    As for Berengar, he did not turn around and face Itami for the rest of the night, but he did fall asleep with a confident smirk on his face, knowing that the woman who had been nothing but a hassle to deal with was beginning to shift her personality to something far more appealing, and all he had to do for this change to ur was neglect Itami for a few months.


    ---


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 Chapter 1133 Landing In Heian-Kyō

    Berengar woke up six hourster, where he noticed that Itami was still wrapped around him while fast asleep. He simply smiled as he rolled onto his back and gazed upon the albino beauty''s immacte face.


    There appeared to be a tinge of distress on the woman''s face, and Berengar realized that perhaps she was having a bad dream. Thus he reached over, and grabbed hold of the Japanese Empress''s dainty hand, which caused her to suddenly smile.


    The rtionship between Berengar and Itami was aplicated one, and in all honesty, the man did not know how he felt about the woman sleeping next to him. It was moments like this where Berengar suspected that deep down inside Itami was just a na?ve, and scared little girl, who had been given too much power and authority too early on, causing her to make many mistakes as the Empress of Japan.


    Though Berengar knew very little about Itami''s past life, from what she had told him, she must have been just out of university when she died. She was incredibly inexperienced with men, and like most woman in the modern world, was immature to a fault. But then again, Berengar couldn''t me her for that. In the world he came from, most women never needed to take ountability for their actions, especially if they were beautiful.


    That was a fault with modern western society, one that Berengar did not n to replicate in this life. Much like in her past life, Itami was never held ountable for her actions after entering this world. After all, she was surrounded by a group of opportunistic yes-man who pretended to worship the very ground she stood upon.


    The one redeeming feature of Itami was that she had not used herck of ountability to whore herself out to the public. At the very least, she had practiced chastity, but even then it was out of a sense of entitlement, believing no man was worthy of herself. Perhaps if she had been raised better in both lives, she would not have resorted to causing such a disastrous scenario to unfold in this world.


    As Berengar stared at the woman, and reflected on these truths, he noticed her eyes were slightly open. The young woman raised from under the covers and yawned while rubbing her eyes with her free hand. It was only after several seconds did she realize that Berengar was still grasping onto her other hand, which she quickly withdrew like a frightened rabbit.


    Itami covered her partially exposed breasts and looked away with a flush of embarrassment on her pretty face, before muttering a single word beneath her breath.


    "Pervert..."


    Berengar simply chuckled at this, before responding to her usations with a confident, yet kind, tone in his voice.


    "Apologies if I upset you by holding your hand while you slept, but you appeared to be having a nightmare, and I felt that the warmth of another human being might be able to help calm your mind."


    Itami blinked in disbelief for a second, before scurrying off from Berengar''s bed and into the shower, where she intended to prepare for the day. As for Berengar himself, he rose from his bed and dressed himself in his imperial regalia before sitting down at one of the booths which existed throughout the rtivelyrge private jet. Though he had wanted to steal a nce at Itami''s sublime physique while she was in the shower, he ultimately decided not to.


    While sitting in the booth, the stewardess prepared a cup of coffee for Berengar, before informing him how many hours were left on the flight.


    "We still have another three hours before we arrive in Heian-ky��. The pilots have assured me that the city is fully under the control of the German Army and is essentially under martialw until your arrival.


    As you have previously requested, I also made sure to have our pilots ask about the ongoing war effort, and by now, the fighting has died down across the country, with only a few pockets of resistance in the mountains. Within theing weeks, the remaining warlords and the remnants of their forces shall be eliminated by special operations units. With all that said, is there anything else I can help you with?"


    Berengar smiled and shook his head, before reaching into his wallet and pulling out a hundred mark bills which he handed to the stewardess as tip.


    "Just breakfast..."


    The stewardess wore a pretty smile while nodding her head before responding to the Kaiser''s remark.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Of course. How would you like it prepared?"


    It took only a moment for the man to think about this question before he responded with a polite smile on his handsome face.


    "I would prefer a spinach omelette with a side of bacon, sausage, and toast. Thank you for all your hard work."


    The woman wrote down Berengar''s order before curtseying to the man, where she was quick to inquire about Itami''s breakfast.


    "And what about your guest? Shall I prepare the same thing for her?"


    The only response Berengar made was a simple nod of his head, where he was quick to then take a sip from his caramel mochatte. The stewardess smiled one more time before heading off to the kitchen, where a dedicated staff prepared Berengar''s and Itami''s meal for them.


    Before long, Itami emerged from the shower dressed in neither a J��nihitoe, nor a military uniform. Instead she wore an exquisite strapless dress which cut off slightly below the knees and was as white as the woman''s hair. She had dressed her hair in a style that Berengar found to be particrly attractive, which was long hair, with two braided buns and blunt bangs.


    Itami sat down in the seat across from Berengar and noticed that a hot cup of coffee had been prepared for her. She was quick to take a sip, and when she noticed it was a particrly sweet cup, she smiled before posing a question to the man.


    "How did you know I like my coffee, sweet?"


    Berengar wore a confident smirk on his face as he took another sip from his own drink before responding.


    "You have been living in my house for the past three months now, or close to it. There isn''t a thing I don''t know about you. I also know that you are particrly fond ofgers, buffalo wings, and jpeno poppers, which I must say, you have very fine taste in bar food."


    Itami blushed slightly, and averted her gaze when she heard this, she had no idea that Berengar had been keeping tabs on her, nor where he found the time to do so. The man worked harder than anyone she knew, and yet he was always up to date with what was going on around his home.


    Judging by the expression on the albino beauty''s face, Berengar figured she had been rather pleased with the fact that he knew her likes and dislikes. Not that it was a difficult matter for him to discover, he simply asked his pce''s chefs and bartenders about it.


    Before long, the food was brought out, and Itami, like Berengar, was quick to dig in. The two of them talked about some rather trivial matters for some time and joked around until finally the ne began its descent. It was at this moment that the captain''s voice echoed throughout the cabin as he dered the estimated time fornding.


    "In approximately thirty minutes, we will bending at our destination. So please clean up and take your seats."


    The stewardess came around to clean up any trash while Berengar and Itami found a pair of seats which had seatbelts on them. There was a nervous expression on Itami''s face as she gazed out the window, and looked upon her homnd, which she had been exiled from not too long ago. Upon seeing the woman shaking with anxiety, Berengar grabbed hold of her hand once more tofort her. A single thought escaped Itami''s lips as she continued to stare out the window in a trancelike state.


    "I''m finallying home..."

 Chapter 1134 The End Of An Era

    When Berengar and Itami arrived in Japan, they were greeted by over ten thousand German troops. The most elite of which were assigned to be their escort. Standing at attention, with his arm raised in the air, was none other than Colonel Andreas Jaeger, the man who had practically founded Berengar''s multiple special operations units, and who was in the eyes of many the ideal soldier.


    The man was not dressed in the same WW2 style uniform that the rest of the German soldiers wore. Instead, he and his men were wearing the typical special operations uniform, which included an East German M56/76 pattern Stahlhelm, withting, a Russian defender 2 style te carrier, with a smersh style load bearing equipment, and a blumentarn camouged uniform.


    Berengar knew that in theing years, this advanced body armor, helmet, and camouged uniform would be the standard for the German Army, but for now, only a proud few had the privilege of wearing it.


    After swiftly returning the salute, of the ten thousand soldiers, Berengar and Itami continued to walk towards the armored car which had been prepared to take them towards the Japanese Pce, or what remained of it after several intense battles. First with Shiba''s downfall, andter with the Sturmkommandos assault. The General who had been tasked with controlling the Japanese Capital was swift to approach Berengar and Itami as they made their way to their vehicle.


    "My Kaiser, you will be proud to know that the city ispletely under our control, and is under a total lockdown, until the time where you and the Japanese Empress make your speech. From there naturally, you and the Empress will have full authority on how you wish to proceed with the upation."


    Berengar nodded his head in silence, and Itami simply followed by his side like a loyal puppy. She did not even want to make ament, knowing that it would make Berengar look bad if she were to suddenly voice her opinion.


    After all, she was from this day forward, nothing but the Kaiser''s puppet. Having noticed Itami''s obedience, Berengar smiled and nodded his head once more, before posing a question that she was not expecting.


    "Empress Itami Riyo, what do you think? Shall we continue to enforce a state of martialw until a time where your poptiones to trust the new regime? Or do you believe such a thing to be an unnecessary act?"


    For the first time since she had met the man, Berengar had actually asked for her opinion on something, and thus she stammered momentarily before shedding her insights on the matter.


    "I.... I think it is best to continue with the martialw until a time where we have disarmed the public. It is impossible to know how many weapons lie in the hands of my civilians, and whether they will wee the transition back under my rule.


    Though things have been chaotic since I was first forced into exile, and we have been bombarding the local popce with our propaganda, it is too early to tell how many of my people have wholeheartedly embraced our narrative, and how many are still resentful towards me. Thest thing I would want is to present a security risk to you and your men after you have decided toe all this way to help me restore my country."


    Berengar silently nodded his head in approval with Itami''s words, it became abundantly clear that the only reason the Kaiser had asked for her opinion was as a test, which she was happy to pass as she continued to chase after the man towards the armored car.


    Once at the door, Berengar allowed Itami to enter the vehicle first, before sitting next to her. The car was nked by a number of infantry fighting vehicles and Panther tanks as it rolled through the streets of Heian-kyo. Itami gazed out the tinted windows of the SUV and noticed that her people were still confined to their houses, staring out at the armored column. While the car continued to make its way to the pce, the driver said something which caught the woman''s interest.


    "Since before your arrival, a number of our special operations units have begun raiding each and every building, thoroughly searching for illegal arms and munitions. You may already be aware, but to reiterate, the order to surrender any and all weapons other than swords has been given across the country, and anyone who is found in vition of the disarmament decree will be arrested and interrogated as a rebel where they will then be tried in a proper court ofw.


    This process will take some time, but we estimate that within six months to a year, there shall be no weapons other than old swords in the hands of the civilian poption. The Itami loyalists have surprisingly agreed to the disarmament process, and General Tsugaru states that he and his men willply, so long as they are given a favorable position in the new Japanese Self-Defense Force, which will be formed once the German upation is effectively over.


    Currently, there is a warehouse in the city, which is being filled with whatever weapons wee across, whether they be domestic manufacture, or our own designs. With each passing day, the stockpile besrger and is under heavy security to ensure that nobody steals from it."


    Itami was surprised by how quickly the Germans had already begun to disarm her people. However, before she could ask further about this, Berengar spoke about something which surprised her.


    "What about the foreign aid regarding food and medicine? Have you begun handing out rations to the local poption, and curing their ails? I don''t mean to sound too impatient, but by now the Japanese poption must be severely malnourished and riddled with illness.


    The sooner we show this country that we are here to help, and not to oppress them, the better. Also, I want a team of engineers dispatched to fix Heian-ky��''s power nt. If it is beyond repair, then they need to build a new one pronto."


    Itami waspletely caught off guard by Berengar''s remark. He seemed less interested in maintaining security, and more interested in helping the Japanese people recovering from their losses. Of course, this was only natural to Berengar. After all, the sooner the local poption epted the German upation, the sooner it would enter a secure state.


    Despite her shock, Itami remained silent as Berengar continued to discuss the reality of the situation within the Japanese Maind. That was until they arrived at the Pce, where she immediately noticed arge gathering of German and Japanese soldiers, along with a clear and present media.


    The moment the Kaiser and the Japanese Empress stepped out of the vehicle, they were bombarded by questions from the media. However, Berengar did not say a word, and instead grabbed hold of Itami''s hand and led her to the podium. Itami had been stunned into silence as the cameras zoomed in on her pretty appearance, while Berengar took to a nearby podium and began to speak to both the German and Japanese public. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "I want to thank you all for gathering here on this monumental asion. We stand here today in the ruins of Heian-ky�� to formally put an end to this war, which has needlessly cost the lives of countless men, women, and children.


    Over the past few years, a sinister regime has bled the Japanese people dry, while waging war across the world for the sake of one man''s ambitions. The Tyrant known as Shiba Kiyohiko lies dead. Killed by his own men in a desperate power struggle.


    Each and every one of these so called Japanese Warlords have thus far either been eliminated by the German Armed Forces and its allies, or are currently on the run, where they will be hunted like dogs until theirst miserable breath.


    Humanity will never forget the atrocities that Japan hasmitted beneath Shiba''s reign of terror. Nor should they. However, now is not a time for vengeance. The people of Japan have suffered far too much during this war, nor are they at fault for the actions of one madman, and his army of fanatics. Thus, rather than further punish the Japanese people further than they have already endured, I have decided in an act ofpassion to do everything in my power to help rebuild their once great civilization from the ground up.


    As many of you know, the Japanese Empress, Itami Riyo, has previously fled to the German Reich, where in her absence she has created a government in exile, one that has been instrumental in the downfall of the Shiba Regime. As an era of strife and turmoiles to an end, a new one shall rise in its ce.


    It is the dawn of a new age, one of cooperation and prosperity between the German Reich and the Empire of Japan. And to solidify this partnership between our two realms, I havee to a critical decision, which not only affects my life personally, but the entire world as well..."


    After saying this, Berengar fumbled through his pockets before pulling out a small case. To the shock of the entire world, he then got on one knee and opened the container to reveal a tinum ring encrusted with diamonds with one exceptionallyrge heart-shaped red diamond in the center.


    Itami gazed upon Berengar''s actions withplete and total shock, as did the entire audience, both those who were present at the pce in Heian-kyo, and those watching the broadcast across the Reich. Berengar wore an exceptionally charming expression as he voiced his thoughts aloud for everyone to hear.


    "Itami Riyo, though I once perceived you to be my worst enemy, someone who waspletely beyond the realm of redemption. Things could not be further from the truth. During the time you have spent as a guest in my pce, I have gotten to know you on a deeply personal level, and though things have been difficult between the two of us, especially as ofte, it is my belief that we are somehow connected by fate. Even if I can not rationally exin how that is possible...


    Though I do believe that we both have a long way to go before our bond is as strong as the one that exists between myself and my other wives, I would be honored if you would marry me, and work towards such a bright future together as husband and wife. For the sake of whatever rtionship we may have, and that of our two Empires, I implore you to consider my offer..."


    Itami gazed upon Berengar, and therge heart-shaped diamond ring he was offering her with a trancelike expression on her immacte face. Though she did not know why, tears had begun rushing down her crimson eyes.


    She had no idea that Berengar had nned to propose to her with the entirety of the Reich as his audience. If she had known she would be put on the spot like this, she would have never bothered getting on the ne with the man in the first ce.


    Though a hurricane of emotions was urring within Itami''s heart and mind, she could not help get the words ''connected by fate'' out of her head. For she had felt the same way ever since she first met Berengar. As the entirety of the Reich watched with their breaths held for the answer, Itami wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded her head thrice before hugging the man.


    "Yes... Of course I will marry you!"


    Berengar smiled, and ced the ring on Itami''s dainty finger, before passionately kissing her for the entire world to wtiness. Whether through the live broadcast, or the many reys which would be shown across the Reih and Japan.


    Meanwhile, Itami was in a state of utter bliss. Never in both of her two lives did Itami believe she would actually say these words to a man, but she had always secretly hoped she would. Nor did she have any idea that Berengar would be the one to ask, especially after how cold he had been thesest few months.


    To Berengar, this was a simple business decision. The best way to cement his influence over Japan was to marry Itami, and have a child with her who would one day rule over the entire region. And though his emotions regarding Itami were still a bit conflicted, he believed the woman was on the right path to redeem herself. Thus, he could live with the current rtionship that existed between the two of them, and build upon it with each passing day.


    After Itami''s answer, the crowd broke out into cheers, as did every bar and every house across the Reich. It was truly the end of an era. What lie beyond was new Pax Germania, one that wouldst for centuries and would establish German hegemony across the globe.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1135 Forced Into Isolation

    In the days that followed Berengar''s arrival in Japan, news rapidly spread about the end of the German-Japanese war, and the political union between the two nations that would result from the uing marriage between the Kaiser and the Japanese Empress.


    To some, this was the sign of a new golden age, where Germany''s vastly superior military might would ensure an era of peace and prosperity across the globe. However, for others, this was the worst possible scenario that could have urred after the war hade to an end.


    In the city of Beijing, within the forbidden pce, Emperor Zhu Wudi sat upon his throne, with a rather ufortable expression on his face. Standing before him were many of his court advisors, including his eldest son, and heir Zhu Zhi. These advisors were currently in a fierce debate about how the Ming Dynasty should respond to this sudden news.


    "Contrary to what we expected, the Imperial Japanese Military proved to be nothing more than a minor nuisance to the German Empire. In less than a year, the war hase to an end, while the Germans have suffered no serious damage. Instead, their economy appears to be stronger than it has ever been, while their military is in its most advanced state.


    While Japan has been thoroughly bombed into submission, their Empress has not been held ountable for her crimes, and instead the Germans have pinned the me for all her actions on thete General Shiba Kiyohiko. Who, as we all know, had conveniently been killed off before he could stand trial and assert his innocence.


    If such a thing was not bad enough, then perhaps the worst toe from this whole conflict is the fact that he Kaiser has actually chosen to marry the Japanese Empress as his fifth and final wife, and in doing so, he intends to help rebuild the country after the catastrophic damage it has suffered. If such a thing is allowed to persist, then it will only be a matter of time before Japan eclipses our influence over the eastern world."


    Zhu Zhi was quick to add to this point before his father could give his opinion.


    "It would also appear that we were incapable of smuggling any talented individuals out of Japan during the chaos that ensued after Shiba''s coup. The German blockade was simply imprable, and as a result we have not achieved our real aim of acquiring Japanese scientists and engineers to help advance our Empire.


    I am afraid that with the economic support of the Reich, and the military aid which the Japanese will receive once the German upation ends, the Japanese Empire will be the dominant power in the East, even if they are forbidden by the terms of their treaty to aggressively expand their borders. Our economy simply can notpete with either of the two industrial powers."


    Zhu Wudi took all of this into consideration, as he sat upon his throne and thought about a valid solution to the problems the Ming Dynasty currently faced. Though they had been neutral throughout the majority of the conflict, and even supported the Reich behind the scenes towards the end, there was no reason to believe that Germany would support the Ming Dynasty over the Japanese Empire in this potential trade war. Especially not after the marriage between Berengar and Itami was concluded.


    Thus, after carefully examining the problem for some time, Zhu Wudi came up with a drastic solution to the crisis that his dynasty was currently facing. One that had shocked both his eldest son and all his advisors.


    "It would appear that my worst fears have been realized. This union between the Kaiser and the Japanese Empress will create a new stranglehold of German influence over the eastern world. Japan is now nothing more than a puppet of the Reich, like so many other nations in this world. Germany will use Japan as a naval base, and by doing so will police the Sea of Japan.


    It was already bad enough that the Joseon submitted to these golden haired foreigners, but now with Japan beneath their boot, the Germans will control the world''s trade without resistance. Soon enough, the Germans will be exporting their ideals to our own country, like they are currently doing to Japan and the Joseon.


    If we wish to remain an independent nation, with our own culture and civilization, then we have no choice but to shut down all maritime trade, and rely on our tributaries for economic support. Henceforth, I am expelling all German citizens from the Ming Dynasty and closing our maritime borders so that neither the Germans nor their Japanese proxies can spread their imperialistic influence to ournds!"


    Both Zhu Zhi and his father''s many advisors broke out into a fit when they heard these words. Close down their maritime borders? The people of the Ming Dynasty were already well ustomed to German goods, and there was still a healthy tea trade to the western world via their trade routes with the Reich. Such a thing would have terrible consequences for their economy. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Not to mention the fact that the Ming Military was already heavily reliant on German weapons and munitions. If they cut all trade with the Reich, then it would mean the eventual copse of Ming military influence outside their borders. Unless, of course, they were somehow able to purchase the goods from the Joseon instead.


    However, whenpared with the idea of bing the next subject in the German Sphere of Influence, both Zhu Zhi, and all of his father''s advisors, agreed that a stagnating economy, and being forced to rely on their own military industrialplex was a better alternative.


    At the end of the day, Zhu Wudi was the current Emperor, and his word wasw, thus after squabbling amongst themselves for some time, the Ming advisors bowed humbly before their monarch, and submitted to his will.


    ---


    Word immediately spread to the fathend about the Ming Dynasty''s decision to expel all Germans from their borders, and to close all maritime trade. As a result, Linde quickly became concerned about the copse of the tea trade, which was a major luxury item which the people of the Reich had be reliant on.


    As a woman who was quick on her feet, Linde almost immediately dispatched an order to her agents that were still within the Ming Dynasty''s borders to secure a variety of tea nts and transport them to the Indian Empire.


    Thus, while the chaos was unfolding across the Ming Dynasty as a result of the new istionist policies that were being implemented. The German agents who had not yet been expelled quickly found their way to the markets of Beijing, where they purchased as many tea nts as possible. The idea was to bring all the types of tea that the Germans enjoyed, to the Indian Empire, and grow them there.


    After all, the Indian Empire was a subordinate State of the Reich, and thus Germany would no longer have to pay a premium to get ess to tea. Instead, it could be sold back to the fathend for pfennigs on the mark.


    The Ming Dynasty had no idea that by expelling the Germans from their borders, that they would bring with them the means to start their own tea industry abroad, and thus cut many of the profits that the Ming would have otherwise made as the primary grower and exporter of tea to their tributaries.


    Before the Ming officials could even inspect the German ships which were carrying their diplomats and agents back to the Reich, they had already set off for the shores of India with a cargo hold full of a variety of tea nts.


    Thus, before Berengar could even receive word of the Ming Dynasty''s sudden actions, Linde had already acted on his behalf, and secured the tea trade for the Reich. Something he would reward her for in theing days.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1136 Rebuilding Japan Part I

    The sun shone through the window of Itami''s office, revealing Berengar''s figure as he sat at the Japanese Empress''s desk. As for Itami herself, she stood patiently by the side and listened to the report that the Kaiser was giving her. There was a grim expression on her otherwise pretty face, while she was just now getting an urate ount of how many people had perished during this brutal conflict.


    "Roughly half a million Japanese soldiers are reported to be KIA, with another two hundred and fifty thousand missing in action. If we count the total casualties from your side, including the number of wounded, we are looking at just over one and a half million men.


    This is bad enough, but after having my marines sweep through every vige from the ind of Sakhalin to the southernmost tip of Japan, we are looking at an estimated two to three million additional deaths from your civilian popce. Mostly as a result of starvation and disease, but also from thewlessness that had taken ce across the country during Shiba''s reign of terror.


    You started with a poption of twelve and a half million people when you came to power, and now you have roughly eight. This war has been aplete and total disaster for the people of Japan. Luckily for you, I have decided to provide emergency assistance.


    As of this moment, every soldier I have stationed in the region is providing food and medicine to your entire nation. While I have also ordered for three-fourths of my corps of engineers to be dispatched to Japan so that we can rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed in the conflict."


    Itami remainedpletely silent for some time as she thought about the untold suffering that had been the result of her actions. While she was not responsible for the millions of her civilians who perished after Shiba''s coup, as she fully intended to surrender to Berengar before he could invade the Japanese maind, the amount of young men who had been marched to their deaths abroad was simply staggering.


    Previously, she had never thought about the damage that could be done to her country in this war, and it was only now, after spending so much time in Kufstein, and witnessing the nation that Berengar had built, did her heart begin to bleed for her people''s suffering. Berengar could tell that Itami was deeply troubled by this news, and was quick to point out the good news in an attempt to cheer her up.


    "While this was has been aplete and total disaster, there is some good news that I can give you. At the moment, the Kriegsmarine is working hard to transfer those Japanese soldiers stranded in the Philippines back to the Japanese maind, as well as ferry the tens of thousands of prisoners of war that Germany has taken during this conflict back to their homes.


    It isn''t much, but at least some of your soldiers will be able to return to their families, assuming they haven''t been killed off during the chaos that followed Shiba''s coup. What matters now is helping rebuild the nation.


    As such, I have posted an offer to repatriate the exiles in Little Kyoto. Those with exceptional talents are being called upon to return to Japan and help rebuild what has been destroyed. In return, the reich will pay them three times what they are currently making.


    For the time being, I have begun to introduce the mark as the only valid currency in Japan to rece your hyper inted and let''s be honest outright worthless fiat currency. I have also invested five billion marks from my personal treasury in the reconstruction of Japan and its economy. You can consider it my wedding gift to you..."


    Itami finally pulled herself out of her grim trance as she heard the word wedding gift and slightly blushed as she averted her gaze from her fiancee while looking at the dazzling engagement ring he hd given her. She could hardly believe that she was getting married, and to the world''s most powerful man at that.


    However, five billion marks did not sound like a lot, after all, Itami had not actually done the math to determine the rtive value of the standard german currency, after all Berengar had paid for everything she desired whilst she was living in Kufstein and thus she was quick to ask about this.


    "Berengar, just how much are five billion marks worth rtive to the US dor?"


    By now, both Itami and Berengar had guessed that each other were Americans in their past lives based upon their fluency in English, and their american ents. Thus, Berengar simply scoffed when he heard this, already guessing that Itami hadpeltely misunderstood the amount he was giving her. WIth a confident grin on his face, Berengar informed Itami of just how powerful his currency was.


    "Five billion marks in this world are worth roughly two hundred and fifty billion dors, as of when I died in the early twenty twenties."


    Itami gazed at Berengar in disbelief when she heard this. Such a figure was a staggering sum of money, and Berengar said he was transferring it from his own treasury, she feltpelled to ask just how wealth the man was.


    "You''re telling me that you have two hundred and fifty billion dors lying around that you can just gift to me for a wedding present? Pardon me if it is not my ce, but I''m curious. Just how wealthy are you?"


    A slight smile curved itself on Berengar''s lips as he reclined in the chair and informed Itami of just how much money he had.


    "Well, if you consider the fact that I am the primary investor of every German major corporation, and have built my own fortune with the variousrgepanies that I personally own. I guess if you were to put my worth in terms of the US Dor, it would be at least ten trillion."


    Itami nearly had a heart attack as she heard this and fell backwards, where she supported herself against the wall. Berengar simply chuckled when he saw the woman stammering.


    "Ten.. Ten trillion? Ten trillion fucking dors?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    To add further insult to injury, Berengar made a particrly snide remark.


    "At least ten trillion. You should be happy that your fiancee is so capable of providing for you, and your entire nation. I''m giving you more money than the United States gave Europe with the marshall n during our past lives."


    Itami was having a hard time breathing as she slowly slid to the ground, where she rested her knees against her chest while babbling in disbelief.


    "I think I''m going to faint..."


    It was only now that Berengar stopped teasing the woman and quickly approached her to help her ovee her current anxiety attack. He patted the woman''s snow white hair, while wearing a charming smile as he spoke soothing words to her.


    "There... There... It is alright. Now that vast fortune is being used to help your people rather than wage war against them... And your citizens have you to thank for that!"


    It took Itami several minutes to calm down to a point that she was finally able to speak without hyperventting. She had so many questions, but the chief among them was simply.


    "How? How are you so damn wealthy?"


    In order to not freak the albino beauty out again, Berengar grabbed hold of her head and clutched it to his chest, while petting her silky white hair before responding to her question.


    "Well, like I said, I was the first and primary investor for every major german corporation, and most of the minor ones. Meanwhile, over half of the world''s resources are at my disposal, which will only increase in the future as the German Empire expands.


    Think of it this way: if one man was the primary investor for every fortune five hundredpany from our past life, how wealthy would he be? Combine that with the superiority of the German economy and the vast resources at its disposal, and I just so happen to have a significantly higher worth than even Mansa Musa."


    Itami''s sanguine eyes flickered back and forth, trying toprehend what she had just heard, however the only remark to escape from her lips was as follows.


    "That''s insane!"


    In response to this, Berengar simply chuckled before making another snide remark.


    "It really isn''t. Just like you, I reincarnated into this feudal world from a much more advanced society. However, unlike you, I used my knowledge of economics from the distant future to achieve the maximum benefits in this life."


    Thisment wounded what little pride Itami had left, causing her to sigh in defeat before expressing her thoughts on the matter.


    "Well, I suppose I should be grateful that you didn''t use your overwhelming economic and military might tomit genocide against my people..."


    A slight smirk emerged from Berengar''s face as he lifted the woman off of her ass, and to her feet, where he hugged her before whispering something in her dainty ears.


    "Now, shall we get back to rebuilding your nation?"


    Itami smiled and kissed Berengar gently on the lips before responding to his remark.


    "Of course! Now that I know I have such a capable provider, I feel alot better about this whole situation."

 Chapter 1137 Urgent Matters

    News came the following morning that the Ming Dynasty had begun expelling all German citizens from its borders, while closing off maritime trade for the foreseeable future. At first Berengar was outraged at such an urrence, and thus the first thing he did upon receiving this news was get in touch with his wife Linde, who would know more about the situation at hand.


    Over the radio, Berengar voiced his frustration with the ongoing crisis, while reflecting on a simr turn of events from his past life, that would naturally ur in theing decades if Berengar had not interfered with this world''s timeline.


    "Just what the hell caused that old bastard to turn on me so suddenly? His nation was literally basking in the wealth the tea trade provided him!"


    Linde sounded calm as can be while she properly exined the reason for this incident, that Berengar was apparently blind to.


    "Zhu Wudi was never on our side. The Ming Dynasty had been supplying us with information, hoping that we would crush the Japanese Empire and eliminate theirrgest rival. However, because you decided to marry Itami, and invest in the reconstruction of her nation, the old man has no choice but to close his borders.


    I have no doubt that Zhu Wudi believes you will leave the Ming Dynasty alone, if they simply iste themselves from the rest of the world. Which in my opinion is a wise move. Further interaction with the Reich, could only cause problems for the Ming Dynasty, especially if they have another incident like that foolish prince.


    Luckily for you, the moment I became aware of the situation, I ordered for our agents still within the Ming Dynasty''s borders to buy up all the tea nts that they could get their hands on. As a result, they are currently on their way to the Indian Empire with a treasure trove of tea nts.


    This might just work out in our favor. Aside from our newfound colonies in the Philippines, and our efforts to rebuild Japan, we really have no interest in East Asia other than the tea trade. However, now that India will be able to grow the nts themselves, we will be able to assert our control over the industry, and be able to ship the products back to the fathend, and our colonies at a discounted price.


    I have already gotten in touch with Dharya, and he has agreed to lease out thend required to farm the tea nts for a period of a hundred years, in exchange for continued economic support. After all, his Empire is exceptionallyrge, and will require further investment to turn the entire thing into a semi-modern country..."


    Berengar was only mildly surprised that Linde had been able to act so quickly, and had indeed salvaged the troubling situation. The next statement she posed, however, was one that caused Berengar to reflect on the current political reality.


    "The problem this presents is that we will have very limited contact with the Ming Dynasty going forward, and they will probably enforce their control over their tributaries in order to ensure their loyalty.


    This could naturally affect the Joseon Dynasty, who have been a tributary of the Ming Dynasty for the past three decades. Though the Ming abandoned them to Japan, the Joseon Dynasty will not be so forgiving of our stance in rebuilding Japan, especially after what they have endured these past few years. This might cause them to respond in a simr manner to the Ming.


    Considering how much personnel and equipment we have in the region. The demand for our withdrawal would be quite the troublesome affair. Need I remind you of how many agents we have recruited from the Joseon Dynasty, who are still capable of infiltrating their Ming neighbors and providing valuable intelligence to the Reich?


    Because of this, it is in your best interest to contact the Joseon King as quickly as possible and find some form of agreement between our two realms. If we lose our agents who we have recruited from Korea, then we will truly be limited to aerial reconissance when ites to gathering intelligence of the Ming Dynasty''s progress. As for interference in their development as an industrial state, when the timees to take such action it will be an extremely difficult affair."


    It was at this moment that Itami entered the room with a bowl of ramen in hand, and a side of octopus dumplings. Which she knew Berengar was particrly fond of. When the Japanese Empress realized that the Kaiser was in the middle of a ssified phone call, she left the meal on his desk while preparing to leave the room. However, Berengar quickly called after her.


    "Itami-chan, please, stay. This matter involves both of our realms."


    However, despite Berengar''s gesture, Itami began to pout and curl her fists as she approached Berengar and scolded him for his words. Which he did not in the least bit expect.


    "Why are you still referring to me as my surname? We are going to be married soon, so you best better get used to calling me by my given name!"


    Berengar could tell that this remark had struck one of Itami''s nerves. The awkwardness he was feeling was enhanced by the snicker that he hearde from Linde''s end of the line.


    "Heh... Trouble in paradise?"


    Upon hearing the mocking tone in Linde''s voice, Berengar red at the radio before apologizing to Itami.


    "I''m sorry Ita- I mean Riyo-chan..."


    However, before Berengar couldplete his sentence, Riyo wagged her finger in the man''s face and spelled out her name one letter at a time. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "R-i-y-o! Not Riyo-chan, Riyo!"


    The feeling Berengar felt at this moment was as if he was an anime protagonist getting scold by the female lead. This was further exacerbated by Linde''s continuous mocking on the other end of the line.


    "heh heh heh, it looks like you are having fun. Should I just handle the matter with the Joseon Dynasty myself, or are you done ying house for the time being?"


    After hearing this, Berengar took a deep breath to calm himself, before responding to Linde''s taunts.


    "I''ll handle it myself! While I butter up the Joseon King, you can fulfill a promise we made to Min-Ah. She has proven herself a valuable asset, and as a result, we owe her a debt of gratitude."


    The mocking tone in Linde''s voice suddenly vanished, as she immediately became much more obedient.


    "Understood. I will take care of it after your diplomatic visit is concluded. Since Min-Ah is currently in Japan, it would be best if you took her with you to Pyongyang. For whatever it is worth, she is still a Joseon Princess. That''s all for now, I will update you on the situation with the Ming once I know more. In the mean time make sure to have fun with your little fiancee, since this will be thest time you get married."


    After saying that, Linde hung up on her end of the line, and began to move the pieces in ce to assassinate Min-Ah''s step mother. As for Berengar, he looked over at the food Itami had prepared for him and smiled before asking her to sit down across from him.


    "Thank you for your patience. I appreciate the meal. It is much needed after a long day''s work."


    Itami simply smiled and watched Berengar eat the food with a look of delight on his face. The two of them discussed the ongoing situation with the Ming and Joseon Dynasties, while Berengar continued to devour his meal. Once her man was finished, the Albino beauty looked rather surprised and voiced her thoughts on the sudden istionist policy undertaken by the Ming.


    "This is indeed troublesome. The Ming Dynasty was myrgest trading partner before everything went to shit. As a result, I am well versed in just how big that market is. I don''t doubt that by going into istion, they will be taking many of their tributaries with them. It appears that they want to close off the entire eastern markets to the Reich and what remains of my Empire in retaliation for our marriage..."


    Berengar noticed the glum look on Itami''s face, it was clear that she was ming herself for these turn of events. And while that may be true, Berengar assured her that everything would be fine.


    "It is fine. You don''t need to worry so much. The truth of the matter is that we have already secured an alternative source for tea, and that was the most important product we were obtaining from the Ming Dynasty. As for the closure of the eastern markets, this hardly affects my Empire.


    In truth, the Reich was not doing much trade with the Ming Dynasty and its tributaries prior to this sudden istion. Other than arms sales and the aforementioned tea trade, that is. In fact, most of our economic ties on the Asian continent were in the southeast, which, for the most part, is still within my sphere of influence.


    What I am worried about is the Joseon Dynasty, and because of this, I will have to go visit Pyongyang and speak to the Joseon King myself. Ultimately, they will be forced to take a side, whether they wish to remain in the Ming''s sphere of Influence, or enter the new world that I am creating.


    So I''m sorry to say, but I will be leaving you here in Heian-ky�� for a few days. In the meant time, I will leave control of the efforts to rebuild Japan in the hands of my eldest son Hans. He is well versed in what is required to lead a nation, and you will find his help to be almost as effective as my own."


    Upon hearing that Berengar would be leaving her side so soon after bing engaged, Itami felt her heart bleed, but she knew that as the Kaiser of the German Reich, Berengar had many responsibilities to look after.


    The fact that he was present in Japan during this critical transition was more than she could ever ask for. Thus, she simply nodded her head before kissing the man on the lips. Thus proving her obedience as she whispered in his ears a small prayer.


    "I will pray for your safety while you are away..."


    With that said, Berengar left the temporary office which he had established for himself while staying in Heian-ky��, and prepared for an immediate departure to Pyongyang. The future of the Joseon Dynasty would be decided in these discussions.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1138 Arriving In Pyongyang

    Immediately after setting off from his office, Berengar found Min-Ah and dragged her onto a flight towards Pyongyang. The Joseon Princess was rather nervous as she sat on afy sofa while dressed in a traditional hanbok. Berengar immediately took notice of this and chuckled as he tried to calm the young woman with someforting words.


    "Rx, you should not feel so anxious. After all, once we have concluded our visit, the debt that my Empire owes you will be paid in full..."


    Min-Ah stared at Berengar in disbelief. The price she had asked in return for serving the Reich was two-fold. Itami''s head for causing the deaths of her adopted family, and the untimely demise of her stepmother, who had been responsible for her biological mother''s death.


    Naturally, as the war progressed, and Min-Ah came to realize that the death of her adopted family was not in actuality Itami''s fault, the Joseon Princess had rescinded her first condition. However, she still demanded the head of her stepmother served on a silver tter.


    This was something that her superiors kept telling her would ur soon enough, but until now, it had never manifested. Thus, she was quite surprised when she heard the wordse from Berengar''s own mouth, and was quick to inquire about the details.


    "How? How will you do it?"


    Berengar simply smirked and wagged his finger before responding to the young woman''s question.


    "You don''t need to know the details. All you need to know is that the day after we leave Pyongyang and return to Heian-ky��, your stepmother will die a miserable death. The pieces are already in ce. We just need to wait until after this diplomatic visit is concluded.


    As far as your father is concerned, his favorite concubine will suddenly be ovee with illness, and will perish within twenty-four hours after the fact. I assure you; he has no cure that can possibly save her life. And there will be no evidence left behind that we are responsible."


    Immediately, Min-Ah''s mind shifted to a very specific poison, which she had been informed of its use during her training as a German field agent.


    "You''re going to poison her with ricin?"


    A confident grin curved on Berengar''s lips as he nodded his head before leaving a brief remark.


    "You have been trained well... Now let''s leave this discussion here, because soon we will bending in the German airbase outside Pyongyang, and not a soul should know of the conversation we just had."


    Naturally, Min-Ah agreed with this sentiment and was quick to disembark from the ne by Berengar''s side once it hadnded. Immediately, an armored truck was on the airstrip, ready to greet the Kaiser, along with a unit of Joseon special operations soldiers.


    After a brief greeting with the Joseon diplomat who had been sent to receive him, Berengar and Min-Ah entered the car, which led them to the royal pce, on the way there, the diplomat spoke with Berengar about his visit.


    "It is so nice of the Kaiser to visit us here in our capital. You have done much for our Kingdom thesest few years, and we are eternally thankful. It is just that these are troubling times, and while the Ming Dynasty seals itself off from the rest of the world, you are rebuilding the Japanese Empire, something which our King finds incredibly troublesome."


    Berengar forced a smile as he heard these words, before responding to the diplomat with the utmost courtesy.


    "I assure you, my efforts in Japan are purely humanitarian in nature. We will not be building up their military, aside from those limited numbers that are required to protect their current borders. Meanwhile, the Empire of Japan has been explicitly forbidden, in their new constitution, from waging any wars which are not defensive in nature.


    If memory serves correctly, I have also invested a significant sum in the reconstruction of the Joseon Dynasty. I am not asking you to forgive the Japanese, as I am all too aware of the damage they have caused to your great nation. What I am asking is that we all simply ept the peace that currently exists, and not exact further vengeance on the Japanese poption for the misdeeds of a few madmen who have already been punished.


    There are terrible consequences for having a peace based upon vengeance, and I would prefer not to suffer them in the near future. I assure you, in theing decades, my troops will still be stationed in Japan, and will monitor the Japanese Defence Forces and any imperialistic sentiments they might still have among their ranks.


    Princess Yi-Min-Ah here can attest that I am still as dedicated to my alliance with the Joseon Dynasty as I have been in the past. The reason I am here today is twofold. One is to express my assurances that the new Japanese Empire will not be a threat to your great nation, and two is to convince your King, that it would be in everyone''s best interest if he did not go along with the Ming Dynasty''s new policy of istion."


    The diplomat looked over at Min-Ah and adjusted his sses. He had not recognized her as the missing princess. While he had heard tales of Min-Ah''s exploits during the war, he did not believe his ears. For a Joseon Princess to be a double agent, working for the Germans to spy on the Japanese, it was simply unthinkable. Thus, he posed a question to the young woman with a hint of doubt in his voice. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Are you really Princess Min-Ah?"


    Min-Ah simply scoffed and looked away from the man, as she expressed her identity in a way the man could not question.


    "My father will be able to confirm my identity..."


    Thus, the Diplomat remained silent for the rest of the journey to the pce, where they then were greeted by the Joseon King, who immediately upon seeing the daughter he had given up for adoption in her fully grown state, began to weep as he forced the young woman into his embrace.


    "Min-Ah! I thought the worst had happened when I heard that your adopted family was murdered in their own homes. I am d to see you are alright. Pleasee inside. We have much to catch up on!"


    However, Min-Ah''s response was cold as she forced herself out of her father''s hug, and simply gestured towards Berengar who was the real star of this diplomatic visit.


    "I am only here to act as a diplomat on behalf of the Kaiser. You no longer have the right to call yourself my father. Not after everything you have done..."


    The Joseon King was shocked that his daughter had be so indifferent towards him. As for Berengar, he cleared his throat before reaching out his hand in a friendly gesture.


    "King Yi Sung-Jin, I must say, it is a pleasure to see you again. I believe thest time we were in the same room together was during the Vienna ords? How have you been?"


    The Joseon King gazed up at Berengar and closely examined him for some time. He was not dressed in a military uniform, but rather his imperial regalia, and was somehow more handsome than thest time Sung-Jin had seen the man. After several moments of awkward silence, the Joseon King looked back and forth between his daughter and the golden-haired man standing next to her, and suddenly came to a misconception.


    "Don''t tell me you have taken my daughter as another one of your lovers! What is the Japanese empress not enough for you? You need a Korean Princess too?"


    Min-Ah instantly blushed, while Berengar felt like coughing up blood. He was dumbstruck by this singlement and was quick to calm the enraged Joseon King.


    "Certainly not. Min-Ah is one of my most valued employees. I assure you that I have no such intentions towards her..."


    Everyone who was present for this conversation stared at one another in awkward silence until finally the Joseon King broke outughing. As he did so, he unintentionally insulted his daughter while patting Berengar on the back.


    "Hahaha! Of course, why would you fall for someone like my daughter, when you have such world ss beauties by your side? No, Min-Ah is not a proper fit, but I assure you that I have more than a few daughters who might be up to your standards. Pleasee inside. We have been out in the cold long enough!"


    Min-Ah silently red at her father as she followed Berengar into the Joseon Pce. Meanwhile, Berengar felt bad for the girl. She had just now reunited with her father, and already he had said that she wasn''t as pretty as her sisters.


    If Min-Ah was the least pretty of her sisters, then just how gorgeous were the other Joseon Princesses? Berengar was quite curious about this question as he walked into the pce by King Sung-Jin''s side.


    What awaited Berengar and Min-Ah was avish feast, in which they would discuss the current political situation with the Joseon King over a nice hot meal.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1139 A Difficult Decision

    Berengar sat down in the dining hall of the Joseon Royal Pce. At his side was none other than Min-Ah, who stared angrily at her stepmother. The woman was quite beautiful despite her age and appeared to be the mother of at least five of Yi Sung-Jin''s children. Despite this, she was still nothing more than a concubine, with the primary wife being seated next to the Joseon King himself.


    Several of Min-Ah''s sisters were equal to if not superior to her in regards to beauty, but Berengar took no notice of these young women, no matter how they might try to gain his attention. He already had enough women by his side, and had pledged to himself that Itami would be thest.


    While one of Min-Ah''s many sisters poured Berengar a ss of wine, the man himself was in the middle of a conversation with the Joseon King. For whatever reason, Yi Sung-Jin wanted to conduct this diplomatic meeting over dinner, rather than in a more quiet space.


    The Joseon King had be rather rotund over the years, the girth of his belly increasing as the days passed by thanks to the traffic of German goods which entered hisnds. To Berengar, this was a sign that the man would not so easily give up on the luxurious lifestyle he now lived, especially not to curry favor with the Ming Dynasty.


    Thus, Berengar''s tone was filled with confidence as he spoke about the ongoing situation just a few hundred kilometers north of the city of Pyongyang.


    "Zhu Wudi has decided, for the good of his nation, they he is cutting off all maritime trade with foreign powers, and is instead only conductingmerce overnd, with his remaining tributaries. In part, I believe this is because of my annexation of the inds which I currently refer to as the Philippines.


    It appears this policy of istion isn''t just being practiced by the Ming Dynasty itself, but all within their sphere of influence. The Northern Yuan, the Jurchens, the Tibetans, as well as Indo-China are all now withdrawing themselves from the outer world.


    If this is their decision, then I shall respect it. However, thest time I checked, you still pay tribute to the Ming, and as an important ally of mine within the Far East, I wanted to personally visit you and see just what you had nned in store for the future."


    The young woman who was pouring Berengar''s wine finished just as the man concluded his introductory statement, and withdrew back to her seat after realizing that Berengar had no interest in her.


    Yi Sung-Jin paid close attention to Berengar''s actions, and entirely ignored his own daughter Min-Ah, who was exchanging a vicious re with the woman who responsible for her own biological mother''s death. It was clear by the look in the mature beauty''s eyes that she had never expected Min-Ah to return to the pce, and was quite displeased to see her again.


    After several moments of thought, the Joseon King voiced his opinion on the subject that Berengar had brought up, only after drinking an entire cup of wine. The red liquid spilled all over his mustache and goateebo as he did so.


    "I must admit, I have considered following the Ming Dynasty into istion. Especially after the shit you just pulled with the young Japanese Empress. I mean honestly, you and I both know that this me that is being shifted onto thete General Shiba Kiyohiko is nothing more than German propaganda.


    If memory serves correctly, the woman personally led an army into my territory, and nearly got herself killed doing so. Now, why should I continue to maintain military and economic ties with your Empire, when you have decided to spare that albino whore and even marry her?"


    Berengar did not immediately respond to this quip, and instead took a sip of the wine, which he did not at all find to his taste. After controlling his expression so that he did not grimace, he gently ced the chalice on the table and folded his fingers before calmly answering the Joseon King''s question.


    "Careful Sung-Jin, Riyo is my fiancee, and by speaking such nder towards her character, you are in fact defaming me as well. The Japanese Empress is many things, but a whore? That is not one of them. I suggest you think about your words before you speak them, or you and I might have some serious problems. It would be a pity if all the investment I have made into your Kingdom suddenly came to a stop..."


    The threat of pulling back funding from the Joseon Dynasty''s reconstruction efforts immediately caused Sung-Jin to flush with anger. However, he bit his tongue in fear of provoking a more violent response from the Kaiser.


    However, one woman in the room could not keep her mouth shut. It was, in fact, none other than Sung-Jin''s favorite concubine, the woman who had killed Min-Ah''s mother.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You dare speak to my esteemed husband in such a way? Who do you think you are!?!"


    Before Sung-Jin could calm his concubine''s fury, Berengar leaned back in his chair and scoffed. With a confident smirk on his handsome face, he tore into the woman.


    "Husband? That is a bold im. ording to my intel, you are nothing more than amon concubine. You should hold your tongue when the men are speaking sweetheart, if you do not, you will just make your ''spouse'' look bad in the eyes of far more powerful men..."


    Upon hearing Berengar''s verbalshing, Sung-Jin scowled at his concubine, which immediately caused the woman to shut her trap. Before the Joseon King could properly apologize, Berengar began to speak again, this time with a bit more venom on his tongue.


    "You speak ill of my fiancee so casually, a woman who must I remind you would have conquered and enved your entire nation. If I had not given you my support; meanwhile, your whore here speaks out of turn as if she is my equal. Just what kind of backwards court are you running here, Sung-Jin?


    If I didn''t know any better, I would say that you and your family have the manners of barbarians. Luckily for you, I owe your daughter Min-Ah here a debt of gratitude, so I will not hold you ountable for your previous remarks..."


    Though Sung-jin and his family felt outraged at Berengar''s words, they remainedpletely silent. After all, who was the monster who was sitting peacefully across from them? He was none other than the Kaiser of the German Reich, a man so powerful that even the Empress of Japan had failed to do anything other than piss him off with her repeated acts of aggression. Thus, the Joseon King forced a smile and bowed his head with respect before responding to Berengar''s words.


    "I apologize for if my family and I offended you in any way. We are not ungrateful for all the assistance you have given our kingdom. We are just a bit unsettled about the fact that you have gone out of your way to marry the Japanese Empress and absolve her of her crimes in the eyes of the world."


    Berengar''s gaze shifted to that, as if here were gazing upon a durd. His voice was cold as he responded to the Joseon King''sst statement.


    "My reasons are my own, but since you asked so ''politely'', I will inform you of my thoughts. The fact of the matter is, leaving Japan in a state of civil warfare between a few power hungry warlords is a threat to this entire region of the world.


    To stabilize the situation in northeast Asia, I needed to ce a unifying figure, one with some semnce of a im, on the vacant throne. This figure needed to be willing to listen and obey mymands. After being thoroughly trounced in what I can only really refer to as our little skirmish, Riyo has be quite the obedient puppet.


    I made that woman see the damage that her ego had caused to the world, and what kind of ruler she could have been if she did not have her own head up her ass. This had quite the humbling effect.


    After whitewashing her image with a bit of propaganda, and ming her past mistakes on an easy scapegoat, Itami became the perfect puppet to reim her throne, and unify the Japanese people beneath her banner, and by her banner, I really mean my own.


    Japan is no longer a threat to you, or anyone else in this world. I have ensured they will remain as such for theing centuries. So, now the question remains... Will you follow the Ming dynasty into an era of istion, where you will inevitably fall behind the rest of the world? Or will you follow me into a new golden age of peace and prosperity? The choice is yours..."


    ---


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 Chapter 1140 The Fall Of The Last Bastion Of Feudal Japan

    While Berengar was in the midst of a diplomatic discussion regarding theplete integration of the Joseon Dynasty into the German Reich''s sphere of influence. Hans had been left in control of the efforts to rebuild the once mighty Japanese Empire.


    Though it was not just the civilian sector that Hans had been tasked with leading, instead he coordinated with the Generals in the region on the ongoing efforts to hunt down and eliminate the remaining Japanese warlords who had fled to the hills in hope of escaping their gruesome fates.


    Unfortunately for these men, and their foolish followers, the power of German aerial reconnaissance was enough to easily locate them, and thus after looking over the images which clearly identified the targets Hans gave the order to put an end to Japan''s feudal era once and for all.


    Itami sat in the room, along with General Tsugaru, as they posed their own ideas on how best to drive the warlords out of their mountain strongholds.


    "I believe if we deploy our most elite troops to engage in direct conflict with the warlords, we will be able to eliminate them with little casualties! Since the Imperial Japanese Army has been disbanded, and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces have not yet been established, naturally this role will have to fall to the Germans..."


    Itami gave Tsugaru a look of approval, and yet Hans was as stoic as ever. He sat in his chair while resting his chin on the top of his knuckles as he carefully inspected the photographs that had been taken of the makeshift strongholds which the warlords used to continue their rebellion. After several moments of awkward silence, Hans emitted a single sound, which was a haughty scoff, before finally speaking his opinion on how best to deal with the remaining warlords.


    "The enemy is nothing more than a bunch of rats who have been cornered and are now awaiting their deaths. They want us to attack, so that they can go out in a ze of glory. I won''t give them such a luxury.


    The fact of the matter is there is not a single valid reason to risk the lives of our soldiers when we can easily annihte each warlord, and those idiots who still follow them with a series of surgical strikes... General Gearwig... How many V-2 Ballistic Missiles do we currently have in Japan?"


    General Arnwald Gerwig looked over at the Crown prince with a hint of surprise on his face, however nobody in the room was more shocked than Itami. The fact that Germany had brought V-2 ballistic missiles onto her shores was a frightening prospect. After all, she was familiar enough with the weapons to know just how much damage they could cause. She was about to protest this decision when the German General cut her off by answering the Prince''s question.


    "We currently have five ballistic missiles on Japanese soil. Is it my understanding that you wish to target the remaining warlords with such weapons? Pardon me for saying this sir, but those aren''t actually-"


    Hans''s expression remained cold as ice as he immediately cut the General off and dered his authoirty.


    "I don''t want to hear your excuses General! Even though a few days ago my father had dered an official end to this war, there are still quite a few dregs who wish to resist the new order that we are establishing here in Japan. It is the end of the Feudal Era, and while my father eliminated such primitive notions a decade ago within the fathend, sadly, a few stubborn old men cling to their ancient ways in this part of the world.


    I dare say it would be a bit anti-climactic if the old world did note crashing down around us without a spectacr bang. Don''t you agree? General, I am officially giving you my authorization to deploy the missiles as you see fit.


    Of the original thirteen pretenders to the Japanese throne, three remain, and we have five missiles. So I suggest you be as precise as possible, because I do not want to have to wait another few months in order for another missile to make its way to these shores."


    After hearing Hans'' cold and calcted speech about bringing an end to Feudal Japan once and for fall. Itami could no longer hold her tongue and was quick to disagree with the German Prince''s decision.


    "You want to use ballistic missiles to take out a few makeshift strongholds? Have you gone mad? You will destroy far more than just the warlords if you use such weapons on my home soil!"


    Despite Itami''s resistance to the idea, Hans did not even take her opinion into ount, and was quick to remind the Japanese Empress just who was in charge.


    "Funny, I don''t remember asking for your opinion... Need I remind you that the responsibility of rebuilding Japan, and ending this petty rebellion once and for all, has fallen to me while my father is away on an important diplomatic mission? My word is thew until the Kaiser returns to sort things out himself.


    I have decided the risk of besieging these strongholds with a direct assault is not worth what little benefit is to be had. Especially when you take into ount the fact that we can just drop a ballistic missile on their heads!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Besides, you have nothing to worry about. The warlords and their men are far enough away from any civilian structures that our attack will not harm any innocents. Nor will it cause any long-term effects on thendscape."


    After saying this, Hans shifted his attention back to General Arnwald Gerwig, where he spoke in an authoritative tone.


    "You have your orders, General. Do not disappoint me..."


    With this said, Hans walked out of the room, leaving Arnwald to stare at Itami with an awkward expression on his face. After staying silent for several seconds, the German General followed Hans'' lead, and exited the room where he immediately ordered the use of ballistic missiles.


    ---


    In one of the mountain strongholds where thest of the Japanese warlords was currently hunkered down, a rather refined looking man stood not in his Imperial Japanese Military uniform, but rather in a full Tosei Gusoku. The man was none other than the head of the Yamana n.


    As a staunch traditionalist, he sought to restore the feudal structure of Japan, but with himself as the Emperor. Of course, his efforts to do so had beenpletely halted by the sudden invasion of the German Empire.


    Thus, the man was at his wit''s end, as he and his soldiers secluded themselves in a makeshift mountain stronghold, hoping to have a heroicst stand. As he held his sword in hand and gazed upon the foothills below, one of his soldiers approached him with some urgent news.


    "Your majesty, the German troops stationed in the foothills below have begun to withdraw. It appears that they have given up onying siege to this fortress. Our luck has finally turned around!"


    The haughty Daimyo chuckled when he heard this, before boasting of his perceived victory.


    "Ha! Those filthy barbarians from the west are too afraid to try to take thisnd from us. I should not have expected so much from such backwards savages! The glory of Japan shall be restored once I im my throne! And you will have a critical ce in my new empire!"


    However, the momentary happiness that both men felt suddenly came crashing down around them as a load roar erupted in the skies. After careful observation, arge missile could be seen flying through the sky. It was at this moment that the warlord knew the reason why the Germans had so suddenly begun to withdraw.


    They were not, in fact, breaking the siege, but were instead deploying a powerful weapon topletely obliterate thest of the Yamana n and those who remained loyal to it. An intense sense of dread overcame that Daimyo as he shrieked like a frightened little girl.


    "Run! Run for your lives!"


    He quickly cast his sword aside and began sprinting out of the fortress. But how could a man outrun a supersonic missile that had been deployed from across the country? Before long, the missile detonated in the air above the stronghold, as a fiery explosion began to consume everything within an eight hundred meter radius. Thest sound that the Daimyo made was a horrific scream as his entire body was consumed by the st.


    While the Yamana n was being consumed in a giant fireball, so too had missiles beenunched on the other remaining warlords. As Hans had stated in his speech to the Japanese Empress. On this day, the Feudal Era of Japan hade to a bitter end, along with the German-Japanese War, which had imed the lives of over a million Japanese citizens.


    ---


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 Chapter 1141 A Surprising Return From Pyongyang

    The discussions with the Joseon King were fruitful. By the end of the meal, the man had decided it would be in his best interest to further align himself with Germany. However, rather than openly dere his allegiance to the Reich, Berengar had something else in mind for Yi Sung-Jin and his entire Kingdom.


    Throughout most of the night, Berengar went over his ns to have the Joseon Dynasty act as the gateway between the German Reich and the Ming Dynasty. The n was for the Joseon Dynasty to follow the Ming Dynasty into istion, while leaving a single canton open to Maritime trade.


    This canton would be the city of Busan, which would act as the primary trading hub between the Joseon Dynasty and the rest of the world. Here, Germany and Japan would be free to trade their goods with the Joseon, and buy products that originated in the Ming Dynasty. Busan would also act as the new hub for the German and Japanese Embassies,


    This system would also allow for the Joseon Agents to infiltrate the Ming Dynasty, and continue to provide German Imperial Intelligence with urate and up-to-date information regarding the ongoing developments of the Ming Dynasty.


    As for the German troops currently stationed within the Joseon Dynasty, they would be given a year to permanently withdraw from the region. Where only a small detachment of German Marines would be assigned to protect their Diplomats at the German Embassy in Busan.


    Despite this appearance of entering a state of mostly istion, the German Reich would secretly continue to invest in the development and expansion of the Joseon Dynasty, especially in regards to its economic and agricultural centers. While also supplying them with sufficient arms and munitions to defend their own borders.


    Aftering to these conclusions, Berengar and Min-Ah returned to Heian-ky��, however not before the Joseon Princess gave her stepmother a particrly ''fond'' farewell. Berengar did not know what had raised Min-Ah''s spirits during the flight back to Japan, but he could tell she had sufficiently spoken her mind to the woman who was responsible for her mother''s death. Now all that was required was to wait a few days before the bitch suddenly caught an incurable illness.


    ---


    When Berengar stepped foot in the Imperial Pce of Heian-ky�� he was immediately met by Itami Riyo, who appeared to be in an excellent mood as she exined the good news to her fiance.


    "Thest of the warlords are dead, as are their followers. As we speak, what few small Samurai ns that remain are being stripped of their noble status, as well as their arms. ording to the Disarmament Act, they are only permitted to keep their old swords as family heirlooms.


    What Castles remain are being vacated, and preserved as Japanesendmarks, and museums. It is truly over. The era of feudalism has finallye to an end! Thanks to you and your efforts, I have finally been able to aplish the goal I had in mind, when I first imed the throne for myself! I never would have been able to pull this off without you!"


    Berengar scoffed when he saw how excited Itami was before reminding her of the price that had been paid to aplish such a feat.


    "All it cost you was a full-scale invasion by a foreign power, and the deaths of several million of your people, truly a monumental asion!"


    This callous remark suddenly brought Itami back to reality, as her appearance shifted from one of excitement to depression. Upon realizing that he had been a bit too cruel, Berengar sighed, and petted the woman''s snow white hair before trying tofort her.


    "Even though the cost was significant, the oue will be a brighter future for your entire nation. Besides, you may not have therge Empire that you previously conquered. But Japan''s borders in this world are stillrger than they were in our past life. After all, you now have Sakhalin Ind as part of your domain. And that''s a decent chunk ofnd!"


    A bitter smile formed on Itami''s face as she nodded her head in agreement with Berengar''s words. Seeing that she was still slightly depressed, Berengar decided to shift the subject to something more lighthearted.


    "So, how did Hans perform in my absence?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Itami looked up into Berengar''s mismatched eyes before averting her gaze. She felt that if she spoke her mind on the matter, it would only serve to upset Berengar and thus she tried to find the bestpliment she could think of for the boy.


    "He was.... certainly efficient..."


    Berengar broke out into a fit ofughter when he saw Itami''s expression, before saying something, which she found surprising.


    "He''s as cold as ice, isn''t he? The boy is practically aputer in how he solves problems. Whatever is the most logical and efficient course of action, he will choose even if it is inhumane. Let me guess, the little bastard decided to rather than risk a frontal assault on the remaining warlords that he wouldunch a few cruises missiles onto their strongholds?"


    Itami gazed up at Berengar with a hint of surprise on her face, before awkwardly looking away once more than she struggled toe up with the words to express just what Hans had done.


    "Actually, they were ballistic missiles. Heunched three of your V-2s..."


    Berengar was stunned into silence for several seconds before he eventually cursed out loud in a voice so filled with rage he had startled the Japanese Empress.


    "He fucking what!?! Riyo, those weren''t V-2s! They were experimental Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles that were designed to strike Pyongyang from Japan in the event the Joseon King turned on me! Did he seriously waste such valuable strategic assets on a few makeshift strongholds? I swear to god I''m going to tan that boy''s hide when I get my hands on him! Shit, why the hell didn''t Arnwald stop him?"


    Itami suddenly remembered Arnwald was about to say something regarding the use of the ballistic missiles before he was cut off by Hans. She immediately flushed in embarrassment before exining exactly what had gone down during the meeting. Which left Berengar in a state of bewilderment.


    When Berengar had finally gotten a clearer understanding as to why those missiles wereunched, he felt like he was the one who had failed to properly convey to the chain ofmand what exact circumstances would permit the IRBMs to be used. With a heavy sigh, he expressed hisment over the whole situation.


    "I should have been more clear with my orders before departing for Pyongyang. The me solely lies with myself. I guess we can always build more missiles. Consider the two remaining missiles as a gift to your Empire. You can use their threat as a friendly reminder to the Joseon Dynasty about what we have agreed upon."


    Itami was stillpletely stunned by the fact that Germany had already begun experimenting with Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles. At the Reich''s current rate of progress, it would not be long before they got their hands on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, which was a prospect that terrified the Japanese Empress.


    After careful consideration, Itami believed she was now eternally grateful that Berengar had taken pity on her, and not blown her up when he had the chance. Thus, the Japanese Empress could only silently hug her man, as she thought about the disaster that had been narrowly avoided.


    ---


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 Chapter 1142 Cat Fight VI

    In the following weeks, Berengar and Itami worked hand in hand to restore the Japanese Empire one step at a time. From the privatization and reseeding of the rice fields, to the reconstruction of power nts, and the national railway. Japan was being redesigned from the ground up to be a prosperous and peaceful state.


    Meanwhile, Berengar had announced the date for his wedding to Itami, which would be held at the Inari shrine just outside of Heian-ky��. From all around the world, important guests wereing to visit the reconstructed city in order to pay their respects to the mighty Kaiser and his newest bride.


    It had been weeks since Itami had seen her mother and sister, but when they finally arrived in Japan, they were quick to greet their rtive with open arms. Momo, in particr, was exceptionally happy at this moment, as she hugged her elder sister, and praised her for finally sealing the deal.


    "I''m so happy for you onee-chan. You have finally found yourself a husband! I''m so jealous! Who knows, maybe I will meet somebody special at your wedding!"


    Itami was quick to show off her expensive ring, which caused Momo to squeal with joy.


    "Oh, my god! It is so beautiful and matches your eyes perfectly!"


    In the center of the ring was an eight carat heart-shaped red diamond, which was set in ayer of white diamond encrusted tinum. Beneath the centerpiece, there were two tinum bands, which had been soldered together and encrusted with even more diamonds.


    Out of all the wedding rings Berengar had prepared for his wives, this was by far the most extravagant and expensive piece. Something he would have an extremely hard time exining to his other women. Luckily for him, he had alreadye up with a n to appease his wives in this regard.


    However, none of that truly mattered at the moment. Instead, Riyo was showing off her engagement ring to her family, as if it were her most prized possession. Even the woman''s mother gazed at the masterpiece with a hint of envy in her mature eyes. Despite this feeling, Mibu calmed her nerves, and congratted her daughter on her uing nuptials.


    "I''m not going to lie, Riyo. I have been worried about you for some time. Your standards have always been so extreme that I feared you would never get married. It seems I was mistaken in my assumption, and am happy that you have finally found a man who is worthy of your affections. I wish you all the best and hope to see my grandchildren soon enough."


    At the mention of grandchildren, Itami''s face flushed as red as her diamond ring, causing her to look away from her mother''s kind smile. The young woman was obviously too embarrassed to think about such a prospect.


    However, this did notst long, as in the next moment, her biggest rival appeared on the scene. When the redheaded beauty entered the room, all eyes were drawn to her, though in the next moment, many returned their sights to the Japanese Empress, who in many ways was just as stunning as Linde.


    Despite this sudden silence, Linde gave it no mind, and instead approached Itami with a smile on her gorgeous face. That is, until she caught sight of the exceptional ring on the albino beauty''s finger. The moment she saw this, her sky-blue eyes suddenly became dark and foreboding. Linde forcefully grabbed hold of Itami''s wrist and examined the stone with a cold expression on her otherwise wless face.


    "That''s a nice ring you have there. I suppose Berengar spared no expense to get you a stone that matched your eyes. What is that, ruby and white gold?"


    Itami exchanged Linde''s re with one of her own. She had never been one to back down from a fight. And since Linde was so obviously defensive about the ring, which the albino beauty proudly disyed on her finger, she decided to further add salt to the proverbial open wound.


    "Actually, it is tinum, and a red diamond. The rarest and most expensive of all gemstones. I suppose since I am an empress in my own right, Berengar felt the need to gift me a ring made from only the best materials."


    This remark instantly caused Linde''s brow to furrow, her ring was made of white gold and blue topaz, which was beautiful in its own right, but nowhere near as luxurious as the ring that Itami was sporting. In fact, she now had a sudden urge to force her husband tomission her a ring made of tinum and blue diamond just topete with her newest rival.


    What was also noticeable was the heart shape cut of the red diamond, which somehow seemed so much more romantic than the typical gemstone cut that her ring had. Linde could only admit her loss in this moment andpel her husband to rece her ring with something superior at ater time. Thus, she forced herself to remain calm as she released Itami''s wrist.


    "Hmph, it is indeed a splendid ring, but you, as the newest of Berengar''s wives, you should remember your ce. It would be a pity of if something happened to that jade like hand of yours."


    The veiled threat that Linde had just made,bined with her chilling re, immediately reminded Itami of Honoria''s words regarding the spider queen of Germany. Upon realizing that she had actually infuriated such a fearsome opponent, the albino beauty hid her precious ring behind her back, and lowered her head in deference to the Reich''s most fearsome empress.


    An act which caused Linde to ever so slightly calm down. Upon realizing that Itami had be more docile, Linde shifted her gaze elsewhere, and immediately began to search for her absent husband.


    "If you will excuse me, I must go fetch my husband. It was a long flight to this backwater of a country, and yet he still hasn''te to greet me!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Once Linde was gone, Itami let out a deep sigh of relief. The look on her mother''s and sister''s faces was one of concern. However, not for Itami, but for Berengar. Mibu ced her palm on the side of her cheek as she expressed her worry aloud.


    "Ara ara, I do fear Berengar is in for a bit of a spat with his beloved wife... Perhaps you should not have boasted so loudly about the expense the man had paid for your ring..."


    After hearing her mother''s worries, Momo could not help but voice her own.


    "Do you think Onii-sama will be alright?"


    Itami simply harrumphed and shifted her gaze away from her mother and sister, specifically so they could not see the flushed expression on her face as she expressed her thoughts.


    "Don''t worry about him, knowing those two, it won''t be long before they are humping like rabbits..."


    Momo and Mibu looked at Itami with a hint of surprise in their eyes before giggling like a couple of schoolgirls. Something which the Japanese Empress found to be rather irksome.


    ---


    Berengar was within his temporary office that he had established inside the Japanese Imperial Pce when the door was suddenly and violently kicked open. Standing in the doorway was none other than his favorite wife.


    However, for the first time in a very long time, Berengar noticed that the woman was utterly furious as she stared at him with a livid expression on her otherwise gorgeous face. Before he could even ask what was wrong, the redheaded beauty began to scold her husband for his misdeed.


    "tinum and red diamond! What is that, eight carats'' worth of red diamond? Just how much did you spend on that little whore!"


    It did not take a genius to understand why Linde was so upset with him, but rather than act like an intimidated little puppy, Berengar sighed heavily before opening up a drawer in his desk, where he pulled out a small container. He gently tossed it over to Linde, who barely caught it while in her enraged state. She was just about to continue her rant when Berengar finally spoke.


    "Open it..."


    Linde simply harrumphed before doing as she was told, where she was immediately greeted by an exceptional ring that was even more extravagant than the one she already possessed. Like Itami''s ring, it was primarily made of diamond encrusted tinum.


    Where the ring differed was in the center where a heart-shaped ten carat blue diamond lie. The piece of jewelry was almost identical to the one Itami wore, except for the fact that its centerpiece was slightlyrger, and a different color. One that matched Linde''s sky-blue eyes.


    Immediately after seeing this gift, the fury Linde felt in her heart, after being outshined by her newest rival, immediately vanished, and was reced with a burning desire. Berengar noticed the look in the woman''s eyes and smiled beforementing about the ring.


    "I knew you would get upset after seeing the expense I paid for Itami''s engagement ring, so I had a something more exquisite crafted for you. I alsomissioned simr pieces for the others. Basically, they are all the same design, but with different gemstones in the center to match your eyes and different precious metals of the bands.


    Just don''t wear that thing until after I marry Itami, this event is not about you, and you should know that. If you go around wearing an even nicer ring than the one I bought Itami before I even marry her, it is bound to cause problems."


    ? Linde smiled, and closed the small box which contained the exceptional ring, before forcing herself into Berengar''sp while kissing him passionately. As Itami had predicted, the couple immediately proceeded to hump like rabbits.


    ---


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 Chapter 1143 Berengars Final Wedding

    The day had finally arrived. After nearly two months of German upation, the Kaiser of the German Reich and the Japanese Empress were finally ready to be wed. For the sake of appeasing the Japanese people, Berengar had agreed to marry Itami Riyo in the traditional Japanese method.


    Thus, the bride, groom, and all of their guests had gathered at the Inari shrine just outside the city of Heian-ky�� to witness the monumental asion. Whether it was Berengar''s other wives and children standing in the front row, or his parents alongside them. All of his friends and family had gathered for the event. This included several of the world''s major leaders as well.


    Meanwhile, Itami''s guest were few and far between. Primarily they consisted of her mother, sister, and a few of her cab members who she had selected to help her run her Empire. What few friends she had prior to the war with Germany were either now dead, or had turned on her. However, Min-Ah did show up for Itami, proving that their friendship had not beenpletely terminated as a result of Itami''s carelessness.


    Currently, Berengar stood, dressed in the traditional attire of the Japanese Emperor, while Itami was garbed in her J��nihitoe. They were gathered before a Shinto priest who cleansed the new royal couple, before giving them each a cup of sake to drink from.


    After both Berengar and Itami downed the alcoholic beverage as if it were mere water, the minister then approached Berengar and spoke the following words, which Berengar then immediately repeated.


    "This woman, I marry


    No matter what the health situation is


    I will love this person


    Respect this person


    Console this person


    Help this person


    Until death


    Protecting fidelity


    I swear."


    With thismitment spoken, Berengar and Itami were now married, their first act as husband and wife was not to kiss like in a western ceremony, but to give their gifts to the shrine, and the goddess who inhabited it. Interestingly enough, within Inari''s divine domain, she was not alone, instead all of the major Japanese deities had gathered to watch the event.


    Though Inari wore a charming smile as she watched the wedding ceremony unfold, others were not so pleased. Especially after all the damage Itami had caused during her rise to power and the ensuing reign of tyranny. Still, at the very least, the initial goal they had in bringing Itami into this world had been realized, and thus, they could only be satisfied with the results.


    The ceremony was brief and to the point, however; the reception was quite different. After the bride and groom sat down at the head of a long table to enjoy their meal together, Sieghard proposed a toast for his eldest and only surviving son.


    "To my son, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. Berengar, when you were born, I had never thought that you would aplish so much in a single lifetime. In fact, as I raised you, I was convinced you would die before you even reached adulthood. Yet you have proven me, and all of your early detractors, wrong.


    Not only have you married five of the most beautiful women in the world, something which I am incredibly envious of. But you have raised our house from that of a bunch of lowly barons to the most prominent dynasty in the world. After seeing everything you have aplished, I can finally die in peace. However, I refuse to do so, until I see the grandkids that you and Mrs. Itami Riyo produce for your mother and me!"


    The whole room burst out intoughter, at least so far as the German guests were concerned. Everyone here knew that for years Sieghard had been saying that he can finally die in peace whenever speaking about one of his son''s many achievements, and yet every time he said this he would always preface it with another reason to live.


    After Sieghard gave his speech, he sat down, where immediately Itami''s mother, Mibu Saya, took the stand, and cleared her throat before making her own speech.


    "To my lovely daughter Itami Riyo, when I initially gave brith to you, your father said you were cursed as a result of your unique appearance. However, I raised you with all the love and care I could provide. And though you have been a rather stubborn woman, especially in regards to finding a proper suitor, I must say I am proud that you have finally found a man that you both love and cherish. I too can finally die at peace, but will refuse to do so until you and your sister give me grandchildren!"


    After saying this, Mibu gave a slight wink over to Sieghard, which caused Gis to give the man a murderous stare. Not only had her husband yet again expressed his envy of his son for having multiple wives, but he was so shamelessly flirting with the mature Japanese beauty who was the Empress''s mother. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Berengar noticed his parents'' lover''s quarrel and chuckled before announcing the beginning of the feast, which wouldst for the remainder of the evening. All of Japan''s best delicacies had been prepared for the many guests who paid tribute to the Kaiser and his newest bride on this day, and Berengar had spent the majority of the night flirting with Itami.


    Curiously enough, Linde did not fight for Berengar''s attention on this day, and instead she allowed Itami to experience her wedding without anypetition from the other girls in Berengar''s harem. And since Berengar''s entire attention was on Itami, Linde shifted her focus to her estranged little brother, who had been invited to the ceremony and reception.


    Herman was sitting across from Momo, and the two of them were in the act of flirting. Momo was exceptionally impressed with all the medals that were pinned to Herman''s uniform, and was asking multiple questions about him.


    "Oh, so you are Linde''s little brother? It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Itami Momo, Itami Riyo''s little sister. If my eyes aren''t deceiving me, you must be a Major in the German Marine Corps, am I correct? Did you participate in the war?"


    It was not that Herman was inexperienced with women, but he simply did not care for all the girls who had chased after him up until this point. However, there was something exceptionally alluring about the ditzy Japanese Princess, and thus he found himself stammering over his words as if he were a kissless virgin.


    "I... um... Yeah.... Yes, I fought in the war. In fact, I have fought in many wars, whether it be the German unification wars, or those against the savages in the New World and Africa. However, I must say, the closest I have evere to death was fighting against the Imperial Japanese Army. Why do you ask?"


    Momo wore a flirtatious smile on her pretty face as she prodded the Major''s iron cross first ss with her index finger.


    "Both an Iron Cross first ss, and a Knight''s Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves and swords. You must have been pretty heroic to earn such badges of honor, am I right?"


    Herman was more surprised than anything that this airhead knew what his medals meant, and how difficult they were to achieve. He immediately found himself blushing as he turned his face away so that Momo could not see his embarrassed expression. This was something that Momo found cute, and immediately giggled in response to, thus further adding to Herman''s embarrassment.


    Linde casually took a sip from her sake before shaking her head in disapproval while muttering her thoughts beneath her breath.


    "Momo is going to eat that boy alive..."


    Eventually, the festivities came to an end, and Berengar saw all his guests out before returning to the Royal Bedchamber. After closing the door behind him, Berengar noticed that Itami was lying on therge bed, dressed in a silk robe, that draped itself around her pure white lingerie.


    The girl''s cheeks were as red as apples, as she tried her best to get ahold of her own anxiety. Seeing that his newest bride was so nervous, Berengar chuckled, and put on some romantic music from the nearby gramophone, before stripping himself out of his clothes.


    When Itami finallyid eyes on the man''s enormous and erect shaft, she covered her eyes with her fingers, but not enough to fully conceal her sight. Berengar sat down on the bed next to Itami and wrapped his arms around the woman while kissing her passionately. He whispered in her ears as he attempted to calm her heart.


    "Rx... You are my wife now. It is only natural that we consummate our marriage..."


    Itami''s heart was thumping rapidly, while her mind was mixed with a flurry of emotions. However, she did not resist Berengar''s touch, and followed the man''s example. After kissing for some time, Berengar released the woman''s substantial breasts from their constraints before sucking on her pastel pink nipples.


    The young Japanese Empress began to pant heavily as she felt her body heat up to a new extreme. Yet still she did not resist. Berengar then began to move down from her lovely mountains, and towards her t belly, where he kissed the woman''s navel until he finally reached her lower lips.


    After gently pulling the woman''s thong aside, he began to service her moist cave with his tongue. To Itami, who was inexperienced with men in both of her lives, this was a brand new sensation, and before long, she had climaxed all over her husband''s face.


    Seeing that his bride was fully prepared for the night''s activities, Berengar smiled, and aligned the tip of his shaft with her virgin hole, and just as he was about to plunge into the albino beauty''s depths, and im her chastity for himself, Itami muttered something that blew Berengar''s mind.


    "I''m sorry, Julian..."


    ---


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 Chapter 1144 A Love That Transcends Time And Space

    Just when Berengar was about to take the final plunge, and be one with his fifth and final wife. The most peculiar thing happened. The Albino beauty, perhaps in the heat of the moment, had uttered a single name, in a voice so low, that Berengar initially thought he was perhaps mistaken.


    "I''m sorry Julian..."


    It was an ordinary name, and could be that of any man other than himself. However, it was a name that Berengar had not heard in some time, a name that was once his own in another world, and another life.


    Suddenly, as if his brain was rapidly expanding into the cosmos itself, Berengar began to connect the dots. In truth, he knew very little about this woman''s past life, so much so that he had neglected the possibility that they had once known each other. After all, the odds of such a thing were so improbable that they were nearly an impossibility.


    However, when his name was spoken, Berengar knew then and there that this woman was none other than Mizuno Ai and in his struggle toprehend this fact, he uttered a thought that he did not fully think through.


    "What did you just say?"


    Itami immediately flinched, thinking that she had been so foolish to speak another man''s name when she was about to consummate her marriage, and thus she averted her gaze with an awkward expression on her face.


    However, Berengar would not dare let this chance to learn the truth pass by, and in the next moment he said something that shocked the woman to the same state of disbelief that he himself was currently experiencing.


    "Ai... Is that really you?"


    The voice that Berengar spoke in was one that he had never used since he first reincarnated in this world. If one had to describe the sound of his words, they were filled with sorrow, disbelief, excitement, and hope all at the same time.


    Upon hearing her old name spoken once more, Itami immediately shifted her gaze towards Berengar, who was still hovering above her as if ready to pounce in the very next moment. She was immediately confused by what she had heard and was quick to seek an answer.


    "How do you know that name?"


    Seeing that Itami had not denied his question, a hopeful, yet fearful smile emerged on Berengar''s handsome face as he grabbed hold of the woman''s shoulders and shook her in disbelief.


    "Mizuno Ai? That''s who you were in your past life, weren''t you?"


    Itami was still in shock that Berengar knew who she was, and it only urred to her at thest moment that perhaps this was the man she had longed to reunite with for so many years. Yet she could not dare believe in the possibility, because if it turned out to be false, her heart would not be able to take it. Despite the fear and trepidation in her voice, the albino beauty seeded, albeit barely, in asking her next question.


    "Julian? Julian Weber? It can''t be..."


    Upon hearing his name in full, Berengar hugged his newest bride and kissed her forehead, while struggling to hold back the tears in his eyes.


    "Yes, it''s me... I can''t believe it... How? How is this possible?"


    The sudden admission that Berengar was, in fact, the man she once loved in a world long forgotten, was overwhelming to Itami, who immediately cried streams of joy from her sanguine eyes. She embraced Berengar as tightly as she possibly could, perhaps in fear that this was just a wonderful dream that would vanish from reality in the next moment.


    "Oh Julian, is it really you?"


    A single tear dripped down Berengar''s sole blue eye, as he kissed the woman on the lips with such passion and love that Itami was suddenly shocked. Though Berengar had kissed her in the past, it wasn''t in an act of love, but rather, from his perspective, an act of coercion. Yet at this moment, all the doubts he had about Itami suddenly vanished, as he realized this woman was the closest thing he had to both a friend and a lover in his past life. A woman he secretly longed for during those troublesome years at the Military Academy.


    Though no further words were spoken, this kiss was all that either of the two soulmates needed to confirm that they were, in fact, who they imed to be. For some time, Berengar hugged Itami and kissed her, fearing that if he were to let go, that she would once more leave him for eternity. Any bad blood that had previously existed between the couple was immediately washed away at this moment. <novelnext></novelnext>


    After nearly five minutes passed of nothing but kissing and hugging, Berengar finally pulled himself away from Itami''s embrace. Though she fought to wrap herself around him once more, Berengar pinned her down and positioned himself over her virgin hole.


    There was no longer a look of fear and intimidation on Itami''s face as she prepared herself for what was about to happen, instead her expression was one filled with love and excitement. Still, she felt somewhat fearful about the pain and was quick to ask her husband to hold himself back.


    "Wait!-"


    However, before she could continue her request, Berengar thrust his hips forward and skewered the woman''s moist cave with his substantial rod. With an excited expression on his face, he said the words that Itami never thought she would hear in her life.


    "I''m sorry, Ai, but I have wanted to do this for two whole lifetimes. I can''t hold back any longer..."


    With that said, Berengar embraced his woman, and kissed her once more, all while moving his hips, in a motion that was not too forceful, but neither too gentle. Tears once more spilled down Itami''s blood-red eyes, causing Berengar to halt his actions, believing that perhaps he had acted with haste. As a result, he was quick to ask if Itami was all right.


    "Are you okay? Should I slow down?"


    However, contrary to what he was expecting, Itami shook her head, and wiped the tears from her eyes while wearing the broadest smile possible.


    "I''m alright, I''m just so happy... I thought I had lost you for eternity! I''m so sorry Julian, I should have told you how I felt all those years ago!"


    Seeing that she was alright, Berengar increased the speed of his thrusts, and pinned the woman onto the mattress, while suckling at her breasts as if he was dying of thirst, and only her non-existent milk could save him.


    Before long, Itami''s cunt tightened around her husband''s cock, and an intense pleasure that she had never felt before flooded both her mind and body. Knowing that he had seeded in bringing the woman to climax, Berengar smiled and kissed her once more, as he attempted to make Itami cum a second time.


    It did not take long before Itami wasfortable enough with shifting positions, and as such, Berengar spun her around, and made his wife lie prone as he fucked her from behind. The loud ps of the woman''s bouncy ass cheeks as they smacked against her husband''s groin resounded in the room, along with Itami''s incessant moans of pleasure. Berengar forced Itami''s head to the side and kissed her passionately as he made love to her tight hole. In between breaths, the girl would scream things that Berengar found unbearably attractive.


    "Oh, my god! I never knew sex could feel so good... Don''t stop! Please!"


    Before long, Itami had climaxed once more, as Berengar filled her virgin womb with his seed. The act of which brought her over the edge, causing Itami''s mind to gopletely nk for more than a few seconds.


    Once Berengar pulled his shaft out of its sheath, he forced it into Itami''s mouth, where she mindlessly cleaned her husband''s messy cock with her tongue. After the woman had recovered from her trancelike state, Berengar lifted her up and positioned her on top of hisp, where the two of them continued to make love for the rest of the night.


    It was only after the sun rose with the dawn, did the newly married couple cease their breeding session, and lie silently in each other arms. As the two drifted towards sleep while spooning in an intimate fashion, Itami said something which Berengar found unexpected.


    "If this is nothing more than a sweet dream, then I hope I never wake up..."


    Berengar grabbed hold of the woman''s dainty hand and kissed her on the neck as she began to enter unconsciousness. Thest words she heard before fading into unconsciousness brought a smile to her pretty face.


    "I love you Ai..."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1145 Reunited And It Feels So Good!

    Berengar and Itami did not wake until midafternoon, and when they did, they were both happy to see that what they experienced the night before, in their act of intimacy, was not some fever dream, but was in fact reality. The two of them had been so enamored with one another after learning the truth behind their identities that they did not have time to ask any questions.


    Thus, while lunch was served to the newly married couple while they lied in bed, Itami began to ask the questions she had been meaning to ever since she learned that Berengar von Kufstein was in fact none other than Julian Weber. The man she knew and secretly loved during her past life.


    "Julian, I don''t mean to pry too much, but you really haven''t told me much about your early days in this world. I mean, I have heard stories, but I want to hear it from you. Just how the hell did that dense boy I fell in love with manage to seed in conquering the hearts of so many beautiful women?"


    There was definitely a hint of envy in Itami''s sanguine eyes as she asked this question, and while Berengar was swallowing some noodles, he nearly choked for a second before answering his newest wife.


    "Honestly, you probably won''t believe me, but it was honestly all because of Linde. When we first met, she was the fiancee of my little brother in this world, but the moment weid eyes on each other there was a mutual attraction. As a result, rather than follow her father''s orders and poison me, she instead wanted to drug me and turn me into her sex ve...


    I figured she was up to something, and reversed the drugged wine, and in doing so, turned the situation around. It was an enormous confidence boost. To know not only was I extremely good looking in this world, but enough so to convince a girl as beautiful as Linde to be my lover.


    After that, I gained more and more experience, with both Linde, and by flirting with Ad, who was named my fiancee by my parents, until it just became second nature to interact with women. I have had my ups and downs with my rtionships, but over the years, I have built a solid foundation with each and every one of my wives. As for my concubines, aside from Henrietta, those rtions began, and in many ways continue to exist as matters of either political convenience, or in the case of Tlexictli, a friend with a benefits situation."


    Itami epted this exnation with a stoic expression on her face. Despite nodding her head in agreement, one thing in particr stuck out to her, which she was quick to condemn the man for doing.


    "I still can''t believe you groomed your sister, seriously what is wrong with you?"


    Berengar''s face immediately became aghast, as he defended his actions while denying the usation Itami had just made.


    "I didn''t groom Henrietta! While it is true that I became a paternal figure to the girl after my parents retired to the countryside. I did not raise Henrietta with the intention of taking her as my concubine. Nor had I expressed any romantic interest in her. It was only after she kissed me, and quite literally took a bullet for me, did I begin to see my sister in a different light. Her feelings of affection for me were entirely her own until that moment.


    Besides, Henrietta is not my sister. I mean, not really. At least not ording to my father. In reality, she is my half aunt, which makes her as closely rted to me as a first cousin, like Ad, which is perfectly eptable.


    Although... Sometimes I have my doubts about my father''s exnation of Henrietta''s origins. After all, it is a family secret with only my father''s word to give it any legitimacy. So sometimes I think the man lied to make it easier for Henrietta and me to be together... But after everything that has happened between the two of us, I refuse to investigate any further. I don''t think I could handle the truth if the old man really did lie to me..."


    If there was one thing Itami had noticed when living with Berengar for the past few months, it was that the man really cared about all of his wives and the families he had created with them. In all honesty, such a thing had made her incredibly jealous.


    Until now, that is, after all, Itami was no longer an outsider, but an actual legitimate wife of Berengar''s, and their rtionship had shockingly transcended both time and space. If anything, after learning that Berengar was Julian, Itami no longer found it within her heart to me him for any of his questionable actions during this new lease on life. As for Berengar, he also had some questions for Itami specifically regarding what happened after he passed away in his old life, and was quick to inquire about them.


    "Okay, I have answered your questions. Now tell me, what happened to my parents after I died in Afghanistan? Surely you lived quite a bit longer after my death. You can at least tell me that much, right?" <novelnext></novelnext>


    Itami bit her lip with an anxious expression on her pretty face while she struggled toe to terms with whether or not she should tell the man the truth, but since he had been honest with her, she could only do the same, thus after taking a few deep breaths she sighed heavily before revealing what she knew.


    "I was at the funeral, in case you are wondering. It was an extremely depressing affair for all of us. But your parents were absolutely devastated. Their only son had perished in the final days of a war that turned out to bepletely pointless. You may not know this, but the month after you died the United States fully withdrew from Afghanistan, and it was aplete, and total unmitigated disaster.


    I mean, I don''t want to go into too much detail, but you weren''t the only US serviceman who lost his life in those final days. We pulled out of Afghanistan without even alerting our allies in the field, and as a result, all hell broke loose.


    Within less than thirty days, the Taliban hadpletely taken control of the country once more, and had taken every piece of military hardware that the US Military left behind. It was billions of dors'' worth of equipment!


    For you to die, with only a month left before we werepletely out of the region, I think that was a special kind of misery for your parents to endure. Sadly, your mother passed away shortly after from a broken heart, and thest I heard, your father had retired and moved to Thand, where he took a local bride who was half his age and started a new family.


    I lived for little more than a year after you died, and during that time I had never felt quite the same. I regretted more than anything not telling you how I felt for all those years we were together and never even came close to getting over you.


    Like I said before, after over a year of suffering from depression, my friends and family basically nagged me until I started seeing someone else. He was my superior officer, and in all honesty, I didn''t even really like the guy. I guess I can consider myself lucky that before we could even kiss; I was murdered by another man in my unit, who had be obsessed with me.


    It feels like a dreame true, that after so many years, we have been reunited in this world. I feel so stupid and selfish. If I had only made contact with you when I first learned of your existence and asked you about who you were in your past life, we would never have had to fight such a stupid and pointless war. I don''t know if I will ever truly be able to forgive myself for being so foolish..."


    Berengar simply hugged Itami, and kissed her on the forehead while assuring her that everything would be alright. Though his heart bled after learning of what happened to his parents in his past life, there was truly nothing he could do about that now, and thus he simply sighed before forgiving his newest bride for all the trouble she had caused him over thest few years.


    "Everything will be all right now... We can''t change the past, but together we can move forward and build a better future for our two nations. At the very least, you and are together atst, and nothing in this world will ever be able to separate us now that we have been reunited. I have said this before, but I''ll say it again: you have the rest of your life to make up for your past mistakes. Now that we are married, I will be by your side every step of the way..."


    Itami began to cry tears of joy once more, as she had done in the previous night, and immediately pushed Berengar down onto the sheets where she passionately embraced him. While whispering a single phrase between her pants.


    "Oh Julian, I love you so much!"


    With that said, just like the night before, the two lovebirds had begun to make love as if their very lives depended on it.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1146 Supersonic Flight

    Nearly Six Months had passed since the day Berengar first took Itami as his fifth and final wife, and during this time, he had spent nearly every waking hour helping his beloved Ai manage the affairs of her realm.


    Japan was left in a state ofplete and total devastation after its brief war with Germany. Its infrastructure had been bombed into oblivion, while its agriculture was in a state of despair. The most immediate concern that the two monarchs faced was the food shortage, which prevailed across thend.


    In order tobat starvation, the German Empire poured in a massive quantity of food aid for the nation of Japan. However, this was by no means a permanent solution to the problems which their society faced, and the sooner they could resolve this crisis, the better. Thus, a series of agricultural reforms, and most importantly the reseeding of the Japanese rice fields, was the immediate task that Berengar and Itami took care of.


    While Berengar and Itami were in the process of overhauling Japan''s entire society from the ground up. The German Reich was temporarily being led by Chancellor Otto von Graz, who by now was well experienced in performing Berengar''s tasks whenever he was away from home for long periods of time.


    However, Otto was getting old, and would soon be retiring from his position. Despite this, he decided to make this regency hisst one and, in doing so, would conduct his duties with the same fervor he had always done. Thus, while Berengar was hard at work repairing the damage he had inflicted upon Japan, his father-inw was managing the day-to-day affairs of the Reich.


    One of the many responsibilities that Otto was forced to endure was attending the first flights of new experimental aircraft. Which, as Otto discovered upon entering the testing facility, was being conducted by none other than Major Hans von Kufstein.


    After the war with Japan ended, Hans had requested a transfer to be an experimental pilot. Not only was Hans considered Germany''s greatest fighter pilot, but he was also an aerospace engineer in his own right. As a result, he was able to both pilot the new experimental aircraft and also give solid inputs on the designs.


    Over the past six months, since the war with Japan hade to an end, Hans had been working side by side with the aerospace engineers at the Kufstein Royal Armory to create a new supersonic jet fighter.


    Upon realizing, that there was simply no opponent who would be able to challenge Germany in the air for the foreseeable future, Hans had suggested rather than go for a jet that was designed to counter other aircraft, to instead create one that could adequately perform the multiple roles of fighter aircraft.


    In addition to performing multiplebat roles, the jet was also required to be easily mass produced, while being cost effective to manufacture. The end result was a modr light fighter which could eventually be equipped with various weapons based upon the roles it was designed to undertake inbat.


    Currently, as it stood, this experimental jet fighter was more of a proof of concept than a functional war machine, but it had been equipped with thetest technology which included supersonic turbojet engines, afterburners, vastly improved avionics, and everything else that was required for a fighter jet to properly function. The only thing the aircraft was missing was its weapon systems, but this wasn''t a problem for Hans, who would just be piloting the aircraft for a simple flight test.


    Hans was sitting in the cockpit of the experimental jet fighter while dressed in the new and improved flight suit, which had been based in arge part off of those from the height of the cold war during Berengar''s past life. Not only was he dressed in such an advanced garment, but he was also wearing a new and improved helmet, which had been painted red, with a ck and white checker design. If someone from Berengar''s eyes were to set their eyes on the teenage pilot, they would easily think he was a character from a popr aviation film, which was released in 1986.


    Every bit of technological innovation that the Reich coulde up with over the past few years of experimenting on aircraft had been put into this new jet fighter, and if everything went ording to n, Hans would be the first man in history to achieve supersonic flight. After checking his gauges to make sure everything was functioning properly, Hans ignited his engines and slowly began to steer the ne onto the runway.


    Watching from within in the air traffic control tower was not only the Chancellor of Germany but also the second Kaiserin, who clutched her pearls and prayed for her son''s safety. Linde gazed with an anxious expression towards the advanced jet fighter as she watched it take off from the runway.


    Only a few moments passed before the aircraft broke through the sound barrier. Causing arge crack to echo across the sky. The moment it did so, the gathered audience, especially the engineers who had participated in the project, broke out into cheers. <novelnext></novelnext>


    Linde watched carefully as the experimental fighter jet zipped through the air at speeds that were previously unimaginable. The maneuverability of this aircraft was beyond anything that the Ta-183/III was capable of achieving. After seeing her son in action for the first time since he left the nest, Linde could not help but cry tears of joy while shouting in a prideful tone.


    "That''s my baby boy!"


    Hans continued to fly in the air, testing the overall abilities of the aircraft for some time. Though he did not push the vehicle to its limits, in fear of causing a crash. It was not long before he was given the order tond, which he did so effortlessly on the exceptionallyrge runway.


    Whenpared to the deck of a carrier,nding on such a massive strip ofnd was as easy as eating a pie. Once the ne was properlynded, and Hans had climbed out of its cockpit, his mother immediately ran up to him and stuffed his head into her substantial bosom, all while kissing the boy''s forehead.


    "Mommy is so proud of you!"


    Hans could only blush and remain silent. He was already fifteen years old, and had even served in a war, yet his mother continued to treat him like a child. Ultimately, the embarrassing scene was interrupted by the lead engineer, who hade to congratte his test pilot on his monumental achievement.


    "Prince Hans, your contributions to this project were by no means insignificant. If we had not followed your suggestions, we may not have been able to design such a wonderful new aircraft for service in the Luftwaffe. In theing days, we look forward to working alongside you as we continue to test the limits of this state-of-the-art piece of equipment.


    As for when it will be ready for service, that''s hard to say. With such an advanced aircraft, there are many more things to consider before we approve it for mass production. Not only do we need to wait for our weapons'' capabilities to catch up with the advanced technology of this jet, but we also need to ensure that it is perfectly safe to fly even at its maximum speeds.


    What I can say for certain is that this jet will be the inspiration for an entirely new generation of supersonic aircraft. From jet fighters to strategic bombers, and perhaps one day in the near future, even passenger nes. You have given me a lot to think about, young man, and it has been the pleasure of a lifetime to watch you fly this thing."


    Hans smiled and epted the project lead''s praise, as he assured the man that he would continue to work beside them in order to ensure that the Reich continued to develop a superior aerospace industry.


    "The pleasure is all mine. If you ever need another mind to help contribute, you know where to find me."


    With that said, Germany had just advanced into the next stage of aerospace engineering. In theing years, the Reich would have an entire fleet of supersonic military and civilian aircraft, in most part thanks to the efforts of the Crimson Prince.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1147 Reviving Japan Part I

    Nearly eight months had passed since Berengar first married Itami, and during this time, he had spent the majority of it in Japan, returning to the Reich, and d only briefly before heading back to Kyoto. At the moment, Itami was nearing the end of her pregnancy.


    After breeding like rabbits at every opportunity given, it did not surprise Berengar that his newest bride had almost immediately be pregnant, and during the past eight months, he had been the one most responsible for running Japan''s affairs. After all, thest thing he needed was for Itami to be stressed while carrying his child.


    However, today was another day where Berengar would report to Itami the summary of what had been done since he had first seized power as the new Emperor of Japan. Thus, the albino beauty was sitting quietly in her office, while listening to Berengar exin the massive improvements that had urred in Japanese society over the past eight months.


    "We are just about out of the food crisis. That is to say, foreign aid is rapidly being supnted by local production. Thanks to my investment and training programs, nearly all the rice fields in this country have be mechanized withbine harvesters and rice transnters. Which has definitely improved the efficiency of the rice farms.


    With the introduction of artificial fertilizers, imported from the Reich, we can proudly boast that we have more than tripled the crop yields this year whenpared to what Japan was achieving prior to the outbreak of the war.


    Other areas of agriculture, such as the raising of livestock, are also up by a wide margin, with the average Japanese family now being able to afford some form of meat with each meal. This is in part thanks to the introduction of the German mark as the only eptable currency across Japan which has helped to stabilize the economy."


    Itami had been listening patiently to Berengar''s assessment of the situation, and ultimately smiled when she heard that the food crisis which had gued Japan for nearly a year was about to be resolved. However, she also had many questions on her mind regarding other sectors of the government, and as a result, was quick to ask about them.


    "That''s all well and good, but how is the government faring? Has the parliament been filled yet?"


    Berengar nodded his head. Before switching to another paper in the pile of documents he was reading from, one he found the correct report, he began to speak in full detail about the topic.


    "Elections were held two months ago, and Parliament has been filled with responsible and educated personnel. Many of which were once exiled to the Reich and have since returned to help rebuild Japan.


    As for the executive branch, I have taken the liberty of selecting prefectural governors based upon candidates most suited to the task. For the time being, they are in the process of setting up their local governments, but that will take some time to flesh out. Perhaps in another two years, the federal and local governments of Japan will be fully functional.


    The same can be said for the courts, we have a severeck of Japanese citizens who are capable of performing the role of judges andwyers. However, when the University of Kyoto is finally finished, we will have a school dedicated to Japanese Law. So that will help with the problem. Which reminds me, the proposition to rename the city from Heian-kyo to Kyoto was one of the first bills passed in parliament."


    Itami nodded her head in agreement with Berengar''s assessment once more. She had to admit; the man was an extremely hard worker, and had aplished more in the past eight months than she would have been able to do in two to three years, if she had just been given a sum of money and left to her own devices.


    Thus, the albino beauty smiled and pressed her hand against her pregnant tummy, thinking about how happy she would be if the child turned out to be a baby boy. Berengar immediately noticed this expression and shifted the topic to something more important in order to avoid the awkward atmosphere.


    "For the most part, we have been focused primarily on fixing the agriculture of this country, with an emphasis on stabilizing the economy, and fleshing out the government. However, because of the mechanization of agriculture, we have a lot of farmers who are now out of employment. As a result, we have been hosting trade schools, so that these now unemployed farmers can catch up to your citizens who were previously employed in the factories.


    Aside from the establishment of trade schools, we are also in the process of opening up a handful of Universities across your country, where those who seek a higher education can learn from your citizens who once lived in the Reich and attended German schools. It''s not much for the time being, but give it four years, and you will have another generation of properly educated youth to begin expanding your Empire''s technological capabilities." <novelnext></novelnext>


    Upon hearing this, Itami shifted her thoughts from the unborn child in her womb to the matters at hand. It was true that she and Berengar were essentially rebuilding Japan from scratch, and that it would take time before any significant progress could be made. Still, after hearing all of these updates. Itami felt confident that Japan was being set on a path towards a bright future.


    Thus, she wore a warm smile, before motioning towards herp, as if silently telling her man to take a much needed rest. There was no doubt that Berengar was exhausted, no matter how much he may refuse to admit it. The bags under his eyes could not be concealed even by the heaviest of makeup. When Berengar saw this, he simply chuckled and shook his head before denying his wife''s offer.


    "I am afraid that I am much too busy to take a break. Maybe once I have concluded my paperwork, I will be able to-"


    However, Itami did not allow Berengar to finish his sentence, instead she stood up from her seat, and grabbed hold of Berengar''s hand before dragging him to the floor, while resting his head in herp. Just when he was about to argue with her actions, the albino beauty raised her dainty index finger to her lips, and shushed her man, causing to him to begrudgingly obey.


    Itami then began to sing a melody, which slowly caused Berengar to drift into unconsciousness. Having functioned on an average of four hours of sleep every day for thest month. Berengar did not realize how tired he was until he actually fell asleep in Itami''sp.


    Soon enough, the darkness of his dreams was pierced by the light of the setting sun, where Berengar then rubbed his eyes gently, and rose from Itami''sp, who had been watching his sleeping face for several hours. Upon realizing what had just happened, Berengar felt dreadfully embarrassed, and blushed ever so slightly, which caused his wife to giggle before assuring him that everything was alright.


    "Don''t you feel better after having a nice nap?"


    Berengar could not stop himself from yawning, as he looked around and realized that it was already mid evening. He could only sigh in defeat, realizing that he had not gotten half the work done that he had aspired to when he first woke up in the morning. However, he could not scold Itami, because before he could do so the woman interrupted him.


    "You have been working far too muchtely. Rome wasn''t built in a day, and Japan will need many years before it has fully recovered from the state I left it in. Even if you worked yourself to an early grave, it will not recover any quicker. You need to take care of yourself, especially since you have so many people who love and cherish you..."


    Berengar was surprised to hear Itami speak these words to him. He was used to working many hours into the night in order to ensure the prosperous state of his Empire. And had never once thought that he was working far too much for his own good. In this moment, he was deeply happy that Itami had been the one by his side, and not one of his other wives, who did not understand the burden he bore as a monarch.


    Thus, after a deep exhale to calm his heart, Berengar smiled and stood up before giving his pregnant wife a helping hand. Once the two of them were on their feet, she spoke the words she wanted to hear.


    "Thank you. I didn''t realize just how tired I was until you pointed it out. How about I treat you to something nice as a token of my gratitude?"


    With that said, Berengar and Itami left the confines of the small office, and ventured out into the city to enjoy the fresh night air, and all that the city of Kyoto had to offer.


    ---


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 Chapter 1148 Ongoing Colonial Conflicts

    Herman sat in the back of a helicopter while smoking a cigarette. The air whipped past his face while he checked how many rounds were loaded in his magazine. Not because he had fired any shots recently, but simply because of how bored he was at the moment.


    In truth, the young officer would much rather be stationed in Japan, aiding with the reconstruction efforts. At least that way he could regrly visit the girl who had stolen his heart. After re-inserting the magazine into his assault rifle, Herman ced the weapon to the side as he pulled off his helmet and stared at a colored photograph.


    The miracle of technology was rapidly advancing with each passing day, and no longer did he carry a ck-and-white photo of his older sister in the lining of his Stahlhelm. Instead, Herman had a picture of the Japanese Princess Itami Momo. Which every time he looked at would force him to smile.


    Because he had proven himself among the most capable young officers in the German Marine Corps, Major Herman von Habsburg had been dispatched to the region known as German South Africa, where he and his new unit were currently conducting anti-terrorist operations against the local tribes, who continued to make trouble on the frontiers of the German colonies which by now had sprawled up in the region.


    This was the reason why a Marine Corps Officer was sitting in the back of a helicopter. As part of the quick reaction force, Herman was in fact required to get to the zone of conflict as quick as humanly possible, and because of that, he and his Battalion of Marines had specifically been trained in Air Assault.


    As for the Anti-terrorist operations he was currently engaging in, that was a polite way of saying that he was in the act of ethnically cleansing the southernmost region of Africa. By now, the German colonies had begun to spread up to the Limpopo river and, as a result, a new wave of African tribes had begun entering german soil with hostile intent.


    As the spearhead of the operations in German South Africa, Herman and his men were equipped with thetest weapons and body armor. Their equipment was simr to the ones worn by the German Special Forces during the German-Japanese War, which was quickly bing the new standard issue uniform, body armor, helmet, and load bearing equipment.


    As part of an ongoing modernization process for the German Armed Forces, both the STG-27 and the STG-32 which were modelled after the FG-42 and STG-44 rifles from the Second World War, were being reced with a new assault rifle.


    The rifle was based upon the east german experimental Stg-952 from Berengar''s past life and was named as such. The rifle was essentially a modernized AK-74 that the East Germans had designed for export just prior to the reunification of Germany. This model in particr was chambered in 5.45x39mm specifically the 7n6 "poison bullet" which it made use of to horrific effect.


    The magazines were made of a ck polymer with steel reinforcements, which matched the synthetic ck furniture of the rifle. Overall, it was a very modern-looking firearm, and was equipped with a PK-A red dot sight, which was mounted to the left side of the receiver, creating a rigid and stable tform.


    While the war with Japan was being waged, this weapon system had been in development, but was never produced outside of prototype models. For the sake of the war effort, Berengar felt it would be counterproductive to introduce a new firearm, with a proprietary cartridge.


    However, now that the peaceful era had begun, there was no time like the present to begin the modernization of the German armed forces, and as a result this new and improved assault rifle was quickly bing the standard arm for the German infantry of every branch.


    The Stg-952 was the first of many modern improvements to the existing small arms collection of the German military. However, these improvements were not just in small arms, but the entire military inventory. Within the next ten years, every aspect of the German Armed Forces would be overhauled from a Second World War era fighting force to a Cold War era military.


    None of this, however, was of Herman''s concern. Instead, he watched the river pass by, which appeared in the distance with a dull look on his face. This was the furthest that the Germans had settled so far, and upon witnessing the splendor of the Limpopo river, Herman could not help but poke his head out from over the side of the vehicle and gaze upon its glory.


    It was certainly not thergest river that Herman had ever witnessed, but it was by no means a small one, either. This river had thus far been the boundary between German South Africa and the native tribes who had been pushed beyond this point.


    While Herman was admiring the scenery, the helicopter came to a sudden stop, and thus jogging him back to reality. He immediately noticed a rather substantial African force of native warriors who were crossing the river with canoes.


    As a result, Herman simply scoffed before racking the charging handle of his new Stg-952. He aimed the red dot sight at the enemy targets before squeezing the trigger. A short burst of fire immediately made its way towards his first target and tore into the savage''s chest with ease.


    The crackle of gunshots rippled in the air, as the new assault rifles of the German marines, and the mg-27 mounted on the right side of the helicopter sprayed a river of lead towards the African warriors who were seeking to sneak into Germannds, most likely for a raid on an unsuspecting German town.


    The bullets pierced through the torsos of the savage warriors, who howled in agony as they lost their lives. With such an overwhelming volume of fire against such concentrated targets, the massacrested for less than a minute, before the river ran red with the blood of the native Africans. Once the war band had been eliminated, Herman cursed while shouting towards the deceased enemy. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Filthy fucking savages, that is what you get for attempting to cross into German soil!"


    Though Herman and his unit were quick to respond to the intelligence that they received regarding an African war band attempting to cross the Limpopo river, it would not have been a disaster if the savages had seeded in their attempt.


    Over one hundred thousand German troops were stationed across German South Africa. Their jobs were to protect the colonists from the savages beyond their borders, whose attacks only became more frequent with each passing year.


    Because of this, Herman and his unit were always on high alert, ready to be dispatched at a moment''s notice to respond to the savage''s aggression. It took them roughly ten minutes from the nearest base to reach the Limpopo river which acted as a natural border between German South Africa and the African tribes up north.


    Normally protecting such a vast swath of territory would be a difficult task even for the amount of men stationed in the region, but because of the Luftwaffe, the Germans were able to engage in a deep reconnaissance from the air, and detect the movements of African war bands before they were able to rape, murder, and pige their way through the German towns at the border.


    After detecting the savages, it was a simple matter of deploying a quick reaction force, whether through means of helicopter, or light vehicles to intercept the enemy. With the superiority of German weapons, it was practically a turkey shoot. In the eight months that Herman had been posted in German South Africa, not a single casualty had urred on the German side.


    With this group of pests wiped out, Herman smirked before giving an order to the helicopter pilot.


    "I think it is about time that we engage in some proper retaliation. How about we fly north of the Limpopo and attack the nearest vige?"


    The helicopter operator looked over at Herman with concern while mentally debating on whether he should follow these orders. After all, an attack north of the border was definitely an order that should be reserved for highmand, and not a Major in the field. However, upon seeing the eager looks on Herman''s face, and the men in his unit. The pilot could only sigh and act asmanded.


    The helicopter immediately took off north of the Limpopo and began searching for a new target, where they located no more than three hundred kilometers from their initial position. Upon seeing this, the helicopternded near the vige and dispatched the German troops, who were eager to test their new weapons to the fullest extent.


    Once they had surrounded the vige of roughly three thousand people, Herman gave themand which would seal the savage''s fate.


    "Light them up!"


    The crackle of gun-firing exploded in the air, while mortars were fired off into the unsuspecting vige. Bloodcurdling screams apanied the echoes of the german weapons until it suddenly ceased. After the smoke cleared, the Germans witnessed thousands of corpses twitching in the ruined vige. Just to ensure there were no survivors, Herman gave an additional order.


    "Fritz, get the mmenwerfer!"


    The man named Fritz immediately came forward with a methrower in hand and a sadistic smile on his face as he lit the vige ame. By the time he ran out of napalm, only ash remained in the once thriving African vige.


    The German soldiers gazed upon the wake of their destruction for several minutes before heading back to the helicopter. Where they immediately departed for the base. The destruction of this vige was just one of many that was urring all across southern Africa, and these attacks would not stop until the Germans had conquered the entire region and cleansed the natives from their newfoundnds.


    ---


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 Chapter 1149 Being Taught A Lesson

    While Berengar continued to oversee the immediate transition of the Japanese Empire from a military dictatorship where feudalism thrived, to a semi-constitutional monarchy with a middle ss. Alexandros had travelled to the ancient capital of the Byzantine Empire.


    His father had been away from home for quite some time, and as a result, his half-sister Zara was starting to be quite a problem child. As a daddy''s girl, the young princess of Iberia could not stand the fact that her father was currently on the other side of the and had been gone for quite literally months now.


    Zara had been too young to remember when Berengar would frequently march off to war for months at a time, and as a result, she had grown ustomed to her father being around nearly every day of the year. For Berengar to suddenly fuck off to Japan, and spend the majority of the year there, it was a mental blow that Zara couldn''t easily handle.


    In order to avoid the temper tantrums thrown by the girl, Alexandros had opted to make his bi-weekly visits to his mother''s homnd, a weekly thing. As a result, every weekend for the past eight months was spent sitting in the office of the Byzantine Pce. Currently the young Prince was looking over the expense report regarding the reformation of the Byzantine Army.


    Cash had begun to flow into the borders of Byzantium as a result of Alexandros'' initiative to secure foreign investors. And by foreign investors, this actually meant the wealthy elite of the Reich who had too much wealth to blow.


    While most of these funds were going towards the reconstruction of the Empire, a small portion was diverted to the Byzantine Military, which had been thoroughly obliterated during the past wars with the Golden Horde, the neighboring Sultanates, and before that, the Catholic Church.


    As a result of these military reforms, Alexandros had revoked the right of each Strategos to keep and supply their own army. Instead of forming one National Army, which had a united chain ofmand. Normally, this would spark a rebellion from the various Strategos, and the factions at y in Byzantine politics, but this was not the case. As a result of the ruthlessness that Alexandros had shone on that fateful night when Constantinople itself was burning in the mes of riots, there was nobody left to resist the new order.


    Thus, the Byzantine Army and Navy were slowly being reconstructed. In order to properlymand this new unified Army, Alexandros had selected to establish a Military Academy in the city of Constantinople, and over the past eight months, this building had been under construction.


    While the formation of new career officers was underway. Alexandros had also ordered the conscription of the Byzantine Empire''s massive unemployed poption topensate for theck of volunteers. These men were paid a proper wage, and taught how to effectively use the weapons which were purchased from the Reich.


    By now, the stockpiles of obsolete German arms had begun to dry up, what with the continued armament of the Indian, Majapahit and Joseon Armies over the past few years. Any and all bolt action rifles and semi-automatic rifles had been refurbished and sold off to the aforementioned nations.


    The stocks of hand cannons and arquebuses were far from modern enough to deal with Byzantium''s enemies and because of this, Alexandros had approved the acquisition of modern arms and munitions from the Reich''s armories, specifically the ones who specialized in export.


    Semiautomatic rifles, magazine fed light machine guns, water cooled heavy machine guns, and 7.5cm hydro-pneumatic field guns were the primary armament supplied to the Byzantine Empire. Unfortunately, even though Alexandros was Berengar''s son, he was forced to pay full price for these weapons, specifically because he was acting in the interest of another state.


    Meanwhile, the uniforms that the newly improved Byzantine Army wore had been fashioned in their ownnds from cotton. With only the Stahlhelm, and load bearing equipment being supplied via the German surplus.


    After reviewing the expense report with critical detail, Alexandros confirmed that not a single solidus had been embezzled, and as a result he personally signed his signature on the document. In doing so approving of the sale.


    With such detailed work out of the way, Alexandros sat back and sighed heavily as he tried to rx his weary eyes. By tomorrow morning, he would be on the first flight back to Kufstein, and would undoubtedly have to endure another one of Zara''s temper tantrums. Still, that was almost preferable whenpared to the fresh hell which the young prince was forced to endure during his weekly visits to Constantinople.


    Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. For the moment, Alexandros was thinking about this very topic. The door slowly crept open. It was just loud enough to catch the boy''s interest, which caused him to dart his eyes back behind his seat, and towards the intruder. A young girl who was roughly his age, had once again forced her way into Alexandros'' study while he was trying to work.


    Because of this, Alexandros pulled his feet off the ground and hugged his knees to his chest, while holding his breath in an attempt to conceal his presence from the predator which was now stalking him. Luckily for him, he preferred working in the dark, and because of this, he figured it would not be easy for Zenobia to see whether he was still inside the room.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, Zenobia''s eyes were almost catlike, and she could easily see in the dark. Noticing the fresh ink staining the documents on the desk, the little minx deliberately made a remark in the hopes of coercing her young fiance to let his guard down.


    "Oh? I thought for sure Alex was in here... Looks like he has already fled further into the pce. I guess I will just have to search for him elsewhere."


    Having said this, the girl deliberately made some steps, which sounded like she was leaving the room before closing the door in front of her. She then silently stalked over to a corner and hid behind a ratherrge chest. After believing the girl had indeed left the room, Alexandros ced his feet on the floor and began searching around the room in order to confirm if Zenobia was truly gone.


    The panicked look on the boy''s face was simply adorable from Zenobia''s perspective, and when he had finally turned his back to her and sighed in relief, she pounced on him. Tackling Alexandros to the floor, and smooching his cheeks, which she knew only further aggravated the young prince.


    "Alexi! I got you!"


    Alexandros struggled to get out from under the girl, and did his best to use the grappling knowledge that his father had taught him over the years. Thus he sessfully managed to shrimp out from under his fiancee''s mount, while tossing her aside, causing the girl to fall back on her small bottom. Once he had climbed to his feet, and wiped the spit of his cheek, Alexandros immediately began to chastise his young fiancee for her actions.


    "God dammit Zenobia, I thought I told you not to call me tha-"


    In the next moment the boy''s eyes were instantly drawn to the girl''s panties, which were visible as a result of her skirt being tossed up during the scuffle. At first Zenobia did not know what had caused Alexandros to suddenly be so stupid, but after noticing the direction of his gaze, she looked down and saw that her panties were on full disy. As a result, she quickly concealed her undergarments with her skirt and ran out of the room while screaming at the top of her lungs.


    "You pervert!"


    It was only after the little minx had scurried off did Alexandros finally snap back to reality, causing him to sigh in relief while he expressed his thoughts aloud.


    "That ought to teach her a lesson..."


    Meanwhile, Zenobia had not run far, and instead was on the other side of the door, blushing with embarrassment. She could not believe that such a thing had happened to her, and right when she had Alexandros exactly where she wanted him to be.


    She felt so bad that she began to cry in silence. However, like the clever little scamp that she was, a certain thought appeared in Zenobia''s mind, which she expressed in a voice so low that nobody could possibly hear her, all while smiling something sinister.


    "Now he will have to marry me!"


    ---


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 Chapter 1150 Accidentally Revealing The Truth

    While Berengar continued to work on his efforts to reconstruct the Japanese Empire from the ground up, he did not entirely forsake his responsibilities back in Kufstein. As a result, he had flown to the fathend, in order to get caught up on what had been going on in his absence.


    Immediately afternding in the Airport and travelling back to the pce via an armored car. Berengar was greeted by his family. However, before any of his wives could properly wee their husband home, the scream of a young girl filled the air as Zara ran up and jumped into her father''s arms.


    "Daddy''s home!"


    Berengar smiled and lifted his young daughter into the air, while kissing her forehead. The girl blushed and looked away in embarrassment as her father asked her a question she could not answer truthfully.


    "Has Zara been a good girl while daddy was away?"


    The look on the young girl''s face proved to Berengar that she had indeed been misbehaving herself, which was rified the moment Yasmin stepped into the room andid eyes upon her absent husband.


    "She most certainly has not been a good girl! Every week, she throws a tantrum over some minor urrence. I hate to say it dear, but your children need you to be a father to them, and these long-term visits to Japan are starting to take a toll on our family..."


    An expression of guilt appeared on Zara''s face as her father shook his head in disappointment. Berengar was quick to lecture the girl and her mother on the importance of his current mission.


    "Zara, you are old enough now that you should not be throwing tantrums simply because I am away on business for a few months. The work I am doing in Japan is critical to the continued sess of our family''s empire.


    I promsie you, I will only be gone for a few months longer, and then everything will be back to normal. You need to behave yourself, or I will begin restricting your ess to the test site which I hadmissioned for you."


    Chills went down Zara''s spine after hearing her father''s threat. Though she began to pout, she did not say a word in her defense, knowing that she had indeed been misbehaving and quite deliberately at that. After seeing the girl finally understand his meaning, Berengar smiled, and was quick to pet her hair.


    "Give daddy a few minutes to rest, and then you can show me the progress you have made on your rockets. Does that sound good?"


    Zara had indeed made great progress over the past eight months on her rocket designs and had wanted to show her father just how much she had improved since he initially gifted her a fully staffed testing facility to work on her projects. Thus, she smiled and hugged her father while holding him ountable to the promise he just made.


    "Remember your promise to Zara!"


    After saying this, the girl scurried off and allowed her father to reconnect with her mother. Yasmin shook her head and clicked her tongue in disappointment at Berengar''s actions before scolding him for his leniency.


    "You are spoiling the girl! If you keep this up, she will never learn how to properly behave herself!"


    However, Berengar simply scoffed at this remark while pulling the Moorish beauty into his arms. He began to kiss her neck passionately while speaking about their eldest daughter.


    "Oh please, Zara is more intelligent than either of us. She knows exactly what she is doing. Now that a proper threat has been established, it should deter the girl from acting out when I am away. Besides, I am quite serious about witnessing the progress that my little girl has made while I have been away. How about you fetch us both a ss of wine, so we can enjoy ourselves for a while in the gardens, before I fulfill my promise to the girl?"


    Yasmin simply rolled her eyes at thisment before responding with a reminder to her husband about her faith.


    "You know I don''t drink... I will fetch you a ss of wine, if that is what you desire, but I will not partake myself..."


    A simple chuckle emerged from Berengar''s lips as he brought his luggage further into the building before joining Yasmin for a drink in the gardens. Time had passed so quickly that Berengar had not had a proper opportunity to register that it was already a new year.


    Yet, standing in the alpine gardens of the Kufstein Pce, he could not help but take in the fresh air of spring while enjoying a ss of wine. Yasmin could not help but gaze upon the haggard appearance that her husband had taken since first returning from Japan and was quick to give him a back message while expressing her worry.


    "I don''t mean to sound rude, but you honestly look like shit. Just how hard are you working over there? Please tell me that at the very least, you are resting properly?"


    Despite Berengar''s exhausted appearance, he was still as yful as ever, thus he feigned offense while assuring his wife that he was indeed alright. <novelnext></novelnext>


    "Pfft, you sound just like Ai. Alwaysining about how I don''t get enough sleep. Believe me, I am far better off now than I was a month ago!"


    Berengar had not even realized that he so casually used the name Ai when referring to Itami, but just because he was oblivious to this fact, that did not mean Yasmin did not pick up on it. Her brow raised slightly as her hands suddenly halted their message.


    "Ai? Hold on a minute, I know I have heard that name before..."


    Immediately, the cogs began turning in Yasmin''s mind until her bright amber eyes suddenly shone with a new light of understanding. She slowly backed away from Berengar and covered her gaping mouth in an act of disbelief as she voiced her thoughts aloud.


    "Ai? As in Mizuno Ai? The girl from your past life? Don''t tell me that Itami is actually-"


    Before Yasmin could finish voicing her thoughts, Berengar sighed in defeat while nodding his head, thus confirming that she was indeed correct in her assumption.


    "I have been meaning to tell the lot of you for some time, but yes, Itami Riyo is also Mizuno Ai. I found out the truth about her identity on our wedding night."


    Though Yasmin had a hard time believing that such an improbable thing was indeed reality, she could tell by the tone in her husband''s voice that he was not lying. Thus, Yasmin looked away with a hint of sorrow in her eyes before speaking her mind.


    "So that is why you rarely return home these days... You have been making up for lost time with Ai... It all makes sense now."


    Berengar sensed that a misunderstanding was forming in Yasmin''s mind, and was quick to counter it with a proper defense of his actions.


    "No, that''s not it! I have genuinely been busy helping to restore Japan. As a result of the war, the nation was in such dire straits that Ai alone could not save it. Thus, I have been working 16-hour shifts trying to get Japan back on the right track. I promised Ai that I would help her for a year, and by the time I returned to the Reich, she would be able to manage things on her own.


    While it has been nice reconnecting with Ai, that has not been my primary focus. Everything I have done during these past eight months has been for the sake of stabilizing the region, and ensuring that nothing important is leaked to other countries.


    Once I can safely say that Japan is on the right track to total recovery, and that my personal assistance is no longer required, I will move back to the Reich full-time, and visit Japan once a month like I do to d. You have my word!"


    Yasmin sighed heavily once she had heard Berengar''s reasoning. Though it sounded like the man was making excuses for his actions, his word was ultimately worth more than gold, and thus, she would trust him to fulfill his promise. However, after identally learning the truth behind Berengar''s rtionship with Itami, Yasmin was now faced with further difficulties, which she was quick to voice her frustration over.


    "Alright, I will trust in your judgement. However, now that I know the truth about you and Itami, I feel as if I have an entirely new burden to worry about. Why you have kept something so important a secret from the rest of us? I do not know, but I am sure you have your reasons.


    However, the fact that I know now this secret leads me with two options: I can either maintain my silence on the subject, or inform the others. Personally, I feel it is best if you make the decision on on how to proceed. Whatever you tell me to do about this whole ordeal, I will obey."


    Berengar smiled when he heard that Yasmin would not turn him in. He could always trust on the woman''s loyalty. Thus, he wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her gently on the lips before responding to her request.


    "Let me tell the others when the time is right. For now, let us keep this little secret between the two of us."


    Yasmin remained silent as she silently nodded her head in agreement. Now that such a trivial matter had been temporarily resolved Berengar decided to shift his mind to more pressing concerns. As if all the exhuastion he previously felt had miraculously been stripped from his body, the man smiled while dragging his wife towards the nearest door. There was a look of excitement on his face as he expressed his intentions aloud.


    "Now where is our daughter? I am sure she has something spectacr to show me!"


    With that said, Berengar led his wife, Yasmin, in search of their eldest daughter, who was waiting patiently in her room for her father''s arrival.


    ---


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 Chapter 1151 Another Successful Launch Test

    Berengar and Yasmin found Zara in her room, reading over a notepad which contained a variety of advanced equations that she had written for some reason or another. A look of pride appeared on the man''s face, as he saw his young daughter, who was barely eleven years old, easilyprehending such high-level math.


    The moment Zara gazed up from her notepad, she saw her father standing in the doorway smiling, which caused her to fling the object aside and rush towards him in another attempt to hug the man.


    "Daddy!"


    Berengar''s smile grew even wider while he effortlessly picked the growing girl up and held her in his arms. Zara was so excited that her father was finally home that she did not even notice her own mother standing beside the man. Instead, she eagerly asked if Berengar was ready to see her newest rocket.


    "Is daddy ready to see Zara''s rocket?"


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in agreement, before assuring the girl that both he and her mother would be watching the disy.


    "Of course, your mother and I would be honored to witness yourtest developments. Do you have everything you need?"


    Zara nodded her head with excitement, causing Berengar to chuckle as he carried the girl out of her room and down to the car, which was waiting to take the trio to the testing facility. After a short drive, and some casual conversation with the girl, they arrived at the facility, where a rocket, which was considerablyrger than the one which Zara hadunched in the Granada Pce Gardens, sat upright on a dedicatedunch tform.


    Unlike the previous rocket, this design was six meters tall, and twenty-five centimeters in diameter. It did not make use of a hybrid engine, but instead made use of a solid propent, which was none other than ammonium perchlorate.


    Zara led her father and mother to a bunker likeplex, which provided safety to the team that worked on the rocket. Though this was nowhere near the size of a V-2 rocket, or the new intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles, the facility was designed to amodate such devices, and to an extent even more powerful rockets. The young girl had an eager expression on her cute face as she exined the capabilities of this rtively small rocket.


    "If my math is correct, then this rocket will definitely surpass the boundary of space! Last time I was just shy of reaching my goal. But not this time!"


    Berengar gazed at his daughter in shock. This rocket was not even half the size of a V-2, and yet, ording to Zara, it was entirely capable of achieving a simr altitude. When the man looked at the team who had supported his daughter in creating this technological marvel, they silently nodded their heads in confirmation that this small rocket, indeed, possessed the ability to aplish such a thing. Before Berengar could properly interrogate his daughter about how she had designed such apact yet powerful rocket, she had already begun the countdown.


    "Ten


    Nine


    Eight


    Seven


    Six


    Five


    Four


    Three


    Two


    One<novelnext></novelnext>


    st off!"


    With the hit of a button, the Rocket ignited, and quickly took off vertically into the air, flying higher and higher into the sky, while the observation team watched it carefully, and recorded the altitude and speed that it managed to achieve.


    Eventually, the rocket reached a height of 117.6 km, with a high speed of 5,800 km/h thus sessfully passing the boundary between earth and space. While this rocket was still a bit below the 170km altitude that the V-2 had sessfully reached during its previous test, it was in actuality a significantly smaller rocket, and thus the fact that it was able to enter space at all was already a massive achievement.


    Berengar was honestly quite stunned by what he had just witnessed. As for Yasmin, she was not entirely aware of how significant Zara''s achievement was, and thus could not fully appreciate the girl''s efforts.


    Eventually, the rocket began to descend back down into the facility after its parachute had been deployed. Zara had a smile, the likes that Berengar had never witnessed before, as she turned around and gazed upon her father in an attempt to see his expression.


    Naturally, Berengar was bewildered by the fact that his daughter had already achieved such a mastery of rocketry despite her young age, and as a result, it took him several seconds to recollect his thoughts.


    Zara began to pout, upon seeing that her father was not yet praising her, however, thatsted for only a moment before Berengar scooped the girl up into his arms while repeatedly pecking her on the cheek. The words of encouragement he spoke was more than Zara was expecting.


    "Zara is amazing! You have seeded in creating the second man-made object to enter space, and at such a young age, too. I have no doubt that you will one day be a valuable asset of our dynasty! I should have expected no less from my baby girl!"


    Yasmin could not fullyprehend the depths of what her young daughter had just achieved, and was quick to ask her husband if it was really all that impressive.


    "I''m sorry. I don''t entirely understand what just happened. Why is this such a significant feat?"


    Berengar and Zara both looked at Yasmin as if they were gazing upon an idiot in their final form. Something which caused the woman to stare back at her husband and daughter with an infuriated expression on her otherwise pretty face. Seeing that his wife was about to throw a hissy fit, Berengar sighed before properly exining their daughter''s achievements while still holding the girl in his arms.


    "What Zara just aplished is extraordinary, to say the least. Though my scientists have already achieved a simr feat, it was after years of collective experimentation and with a rocket significantly bigger than the one Zara has designed entirely on her own.


    In just one year, Zara has built a rocket that is almost on par with the V-2 which we have used as a weapon on the battlefield. At least when ites to the ability to reach space. As it currently stands, the Aerospace division of the Kufstein Royal Armory is dedicated solely to military applications of rocket technology. But Zara''s rockets are designed for an entirely different purpose!


    If our daughter continues on this path, I have no doubt that within our lifetime, we will be able tond a man on the moon. Something which has simply been inconceivable for all of human history until this moment!"


    Zara listened to her father continue to praise her with a wide smile on her cute face. She was so happy that hertest design had brought such inspiration to her father, and could not wait to build an even more powerful rocket in the near future. She had too many ideas, and not enough time to act upon them all, especially since she had just recently started to attend university as a full-time student.


    Still, the fact that her father was doing everything he could to support her creativity made Zara the happiest girl in the world, and thus she sat silently, while listening to the man exin to her mother just how impressive her achievements were.


    The idea ofnding someone on the moon was an entirely foreign concept to Yasmin, who was not the most educated woman in the world, and after a thorough lecture she felt that her brain was hurting, and decided to put a stop to her husbands ramblings.


    In the end, the trio left the testing grounds and returned to the Pce, where Berengar spent the rest of the night doting on his young daughter. Much to the chagrin of his other children. By the end of the night Zara went to sleep with a wide smile on her face, one that had never ceased from the moment her rocket sessfully passed the boundary of space.


    ---


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 Chapter 1152 Adelas Anniversary

    Ad sat in her personal office, where she was employed as the Reich''s Minister of Propaganda. Every day, a war was silently being waged in the background of society, a conflict to win the hearts and minds of the German people.


    Propaganda was more than just a shiny broadcast, or a powerful poster. It was an art form, and like every other form of art that Ad engaged in, the woman excelled at it. Currently, the first Kaiserin of the Reich was listening to a recording, which was a song from an up-anding artist, dedicated to the glory of the Reich, specifically on the field of battle.


    Whether this song was approved for public consumption, or was rejected, was up to Ad to decide. Thus, as she listened to the lyrics, which spoke of the brave spirit of Germany''s young fighting men, she paid extra attention to the words that were being sung, in order to see if there was any hidden message contain within them.


    After listening to the song on repeat for a total of an hour, Ad finally stamped her approval for the track before sending the paperwork off to the department, which would begin the production of the vinyl.


    With this actionpleted, Ad had finished her work for the day, and thus took off her headphones, and ced them to the side, while gazing out the window of her office, and towards the pce where she knew her husband was most likely being intimate with one of his many other women.


    The rtionship between Berengar and Ad was a rocky one, or should I say, had been in the past. At the moment Ad was lost in thought while reminiscing about all the petty squabbles she and Berengar had gotten into over the years.


    For most of their marriage, Ad''s wants and needs had taken a back seat. Whereas Berengar''s demands were met with nothing less than unquestionable loyalty. Thus, despite being a pious and monogamous young woman, Ad had been forced to conform to the standards of a hedonistic atheist.


    Throughout all of this, Berengar had broken multiple promises to the woman, but one in particr hurt Ad more than any other. Despite promising that she would always be the number one woman in his heart. The prestigious position of being her man''s most beloved had been usurped by Linde, and though Ad hade to terms with this reality, she still felt slightly bitter inside every time she thought about it.


    Even now, the pain of ranking among thest of Berengar''s wives was one that Ad wore in secret. To cope with this, the woman would lose herself in her work, hobbies, and family. Thus,tely she had been spending more time at the office, and less at home, especially while Berengar was away in Japan.


    However, the man was back in town, and yet, despite it already being three days since his arrival, the amount of times Ad had seen Berengar in person could be counted on one hand. Still, she could not hide in the office forever, and thus, Ad sighed heavily before grabbing her coat and heading out the door. Where an armored car was waiting to take her back to the pce.


    Whatever Ad had been expecting upon returning home, it was not what greeted her the moment she opened the door. Standing there in the entrance of the Pce, while dressed in his most luxurious civilian attire, was none other than Berengar himself.


    At first, Ad thought perhaps the man was waiting for one of his other women, yet this notion was immediately dismissed when his mismatched eyes gazed upon her petite figure. With a warm smile on his face, Berengar posed a question to his wife, which she had not been anticipating.


    "My sweet little Ad, don''t tell me you have already forgotten? Did we not promise to spend the night of our anniversary alone together? I have been waiting for your arrival for the past two hours and was beginning to think you were noting home..."


    At first Ad was confused, but then it finally dawned on her what the day was, and when she realized that today was indeed their anniversary, and that her husband had not only remembered, but had been waiting for her arrival for so long, a tear of joy fell from her eyes. Noticing this, and mistaking it for sadness, Berengar immediately became concerned and wrapped the woman in his arms. He kissed her on the forehead before whispering something in her ears, which she least expected.


    "There, there... I know things have not been easy for you these past few years, but I want you to know that I have always appreciated your unwavering loyalty, despite everything I have done to dishonor you.


    If I''m being honest, I am undeserving of the love you have shown me all these years, and yet you have never left my side. Thus, to reward you for your loyalty, I have decided to grant you one wish. So long as it is in my power, I will move mountains to make your greatest desiree to pass. Tell me dear, what is it that you want most from me?"


    Ad was slightly surprised by this gesture, at first she thought that perhaps she had fallen asleep at her desk, and was simply dreaming of this moment, but the pain in Berengar''s mismatched eyes told her this was indeed reality.


    In truth, Berengar had been having some rather wild dreamstely that were the result of his irregr sleep schedule. In these dreams, memories of his mistreatment towards a young girl who wanted nothing more than to receive his love manifested themselves.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Perhaps it was the fact that he had matured over the past sixteen years, or maybe it was because he was able to see Ad''s emotional state during these memories with his eye of Horus, but Berengar had suddenly realized after all this time, just how much he had hurt Ad with his womanizing actions. Not to mention the suffering he had caused the poor girl when he had utterly spit upon her attempts to save his soul from what she perceived to be eternal damnation.


    Upon realizing that this was not in fact a dream and was instead a genuine attempt on Berengar''s behalf to seek forgiveness for the harm he had done years ago. Ad thought carefully about what she wanted until she finally let her thoughts escape from her lips in a meek voice.


    "Just the two of us..."


    It was clear that Ad''s timid nature was resurfacing, causing her to not fullymunicate, and thus Berengar forced a smile as he attempted tofort the woman so that she could properly give voice to her thoughts.


    "Take your time Ad, I''m not disappearing any time soon."


    After hearing this, Ad took a deep breath to calm her nerves before blurting out her thoughts without any shame.


    "I want to go on a romantic getaway with just the two of us! No kids, and none of your other women interfering in our affairs. I don''t care where you take me, so long as the two of us are alone together..."


    Immediately after saying this, Ad looked away, perhaps fearful that Berengar might reject her request. However, Berengar could only smile and nod his head in eptance. He ced one hand on his heart and bowed before Ad as if she were his superior before voicing his agreement.


    "Your wish is mymand."


    Ad could hardly believe her eyes and ears. Berengar had so easily epted such a selfish request? Did he not need to return to Japan and help his newest wife rebuild her country? How long would such a tripst, anyway? Yet despite these concerns, Berengar showed no sign of changing his decision.


    Little did Ad know that Berengar was currently nning their trip in his mind. In theing days, the two of them would depart from Trieste in the private ocean liner Berengar had ordered to be built to act as the personal yacht for his family.


    From there they would sail towards the Caribbean and go on a cruise of all the German colonies in the region, before stopping at their own private ind, where arge beachside vi awaited the couple. During this time, Berengar would be attentive to all of Ad''s needs, and not respond to any messages that were dispatched to him, unless, for example, a national emergency urred.


    The trip Berengar was now nning in his mind, would be one that far exceeded Ad''s expectations, and would hopefully at the very least go some ways towards repairing the damage he had done to the woman''s heart, when he was a much younger and more selfish man.


    However, such a trip would take at least a few weeks to prepare for, and thus at the moment, Berengar would satisfy Ad by taking her out on the town, before returning home, and spending a night alone with her.


    ---


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 Chapter 1153 A Night To Remember

    After spending the night alone with Ad, Berengar could tell that the woman was more happy than she had been in a long time. Though Ad loved her kids more than anything, she had alwaysmented the fact that their father had never taken as much as an interest in them as he had done for his other offspring.


    Not to mention the fact that Berengar had not been the most loving husband to Ad. In fact, the majority of the time she was even able to be intimate with the man was when she joined him and his sister for nighttime activities. It was abundantly clear during these sessions that she was not the object of Berengar''s affections, instead that role almost always belonged to Henrietta.


    For the first time in a long time, Berengar and Ad had a night together, where they were not apanied by children, or any of the man''s other women, and to Ad this was like a dreame true. The first stop of the night was at the old sandwich shop where the couple had gone on their first date so many years ago.


    Then, after sharing a nice meal together, Berengar took Ad on a carriage ride through the old part of town, where much of the medieval infrastructure was still on disy. During this brief journey, both Berengar and Ad would recount their memories from what seemed like a lifetime ago, when the man was only a minor baron, and his bride was still a young girl.


    Finally, after concluding this journey, Berengar and Ad decided to retire for the night. However, they did not return to the pce, instead they entered the old castle, where Berengar had lived when the two of them first met.


    These days the old Kufstein castle existed as a musuem for the public to visit and learn the history of the von kufstein dynasty. Because of this, a small detail of guards dressed in ceremonial garb maintained watch, while an army of maids contiued to keep the ce tidy.


    The Kufstein Castle was one of the few buildings in all of Kufstein that had not been renovated to make use of modern luxuries. Instead, it was left, exactly as Berengar and Ad had known it sixteen years ago. The old banners of house von Kufstein prior to their ascension as the Emperors of Germany still hung proudly outside the gates when Berengar and Ad first entered the castle''s courtyard.


    For quite some time, the married couple stood by silently as the memories of a distant past flooded into their minds. Though the museum was officially closed for the night, it was still Berengar''s property, and thus he was able to escort Ad through the ancient structure, without being harassed by the guards.


    Once inside the Castle Berengar took Ad on a tour of the building, as the two of them spoke about the memories they shared in this ce, before finally arriving in Berengar''s old bedroom, where he chopped some firewood before lighting it ame in the firece. The chilling temperature immediately vanished and was reced with an intense heat.


    After warming up the room, Berengar sat down on the bed, and took off his boots, while resting his weary feet on the side of his old mattress. Ad joined the man as she sat by his side, and just when she was about to say something, Berengar hugged her. There was a solemn look on the man''s face as he revealed the thoughts he had kept hidden in the corners of his mind for so many years.


    "To think it all began here in this room... Out of all the paths I could have taken after reincarnating into this world, I followed the one most difficult. If I could take it all back, do you think I could have made you happy, as nothing more than a lowly but wealthy Baron? Should I have rejected Linde''s advances, and never marched to war against her father, do you think we could have lived a long and peaceful life together in this stuffy old castle?"


    Ad''s eyes began to water at the thought of Berengar having neglected the role that destiny gave him, and instead using his brilliance to generate wealth, but never venture beyond his familynds. A life where the two of them married and enjoying a monogamous lifestyle with their many children. The life she always wanted, and could have had if Berengar had not been pulled into matters of conflict and intrigue. With a bitter smile on her face, Ad released herself from her husband''s embrace before nodding her head ever so slightly.


    "Yes, I do believe we could have been happy with such a mundane life, and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more than whatever it is that we have now... After all, I have no doubt that without focusing on a life of never-ending warfare, you would have been able to make your family''s humblends into a paradise on earth. We would not be as wealthy and powerful as we are today, but it would have been enough.


    But it is toote to reflect on the past, and think about what could have been. You made your choices, and I have stuck by them. And though our marriage has not been the most ideal for either of us, it has created an Empire more powerful and prosperous than any other in history."


    After saying this Ad looked towards the clean sheets of the bed and was quick to voice her next series of thoughts with a bitter smile and a slight scoff.


    "I can''t believe that we have never been able to sleep together in this old bed. You and Linde used to go at it like rabbits, without ever alerting the rest of the Castle, here in this very room..."


    Berengar wore a mischievous smile as he leaned in close and whispered something suggestive to his wife. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well... It''s not toote... We are here, alone, together. With nothing but the warmth of a fire to keep uspany."


    After saying this, Berengar kissed Ad with a zeal that she had never felt before, all the while he slowly stripped the woman out of her dress. By the time the couple were fully undressed, Berengar remained still for several moments, while gazing upon the petite body of his first wife.


    Ad had never grown asrge as Berengar''s other women, out of all his wives and concubines, the only one who was smaller than Ad in terms of chest size was the Majapahit Princess. And though Ad was short, both Itami and Anggraini had her beat in that regard.


    The petite blonde beauty was slightly flushed in embarrassment as sheid back on the bed, spreading her body for her man to gaze upon. She had given brith to five children since she first married Berengar, and yet her body did not look like a woman who would have achieved such a feat.


    After taking in the sight for himself, Berengar lowered his face, so that it was directly in front of his wife''s moist hole. In this moment, it was just him and Ad, and he wanted nothing more than to end this anniversary with a special moment, that his wife would remember for the rest of her life.


    Thus, Berengar began to lick and finger the woman''s cavern with expert precision. Years of pleasing multiple woman had made Berengar an expert at forey, and thus he was able to quickly identify the sweet spot, and exploit it until his wife was panting in pleasure. Just when Ad was about to climax, Berengar withdrew his tongue and aligned his shaft towards the entrance of his wife''s moist cunt.


    Before Ad could even react, Berengar had prated her pussy, and in one go he had kissed the entrance of her womb with the tip of his cock. Such a sudden, and violent thrust, caused Ad to moan out loud as sheid back, and took the pounding that she was receiving like an experienced woman of the night.


    Though she had only ever been with her husband, Ad had years of experience under her belt, and knew how to move in a manner which her man preferred. Thus, the two of them thrust themselves into one another with such passion that Ad''s moans and Berengar grunts began to echo throughout the room.


    Yet despite the fervor in which the married couple copted, their voices did not escape into the halls, as if some magic force field had been cast on the door, preventing all sound from leaking beyond the confines of the bedroom.


    Before long, Berengar had withdrawn his sword from its sheath, and had sprayed his seed all over his wife''s face and breasts. Despite the fact that the married couple had just reached the pinnacle of pleasure, Berengar was not fully satisfied, and thus, he turned his wife over, and prodded her backdoor with the tip of his tongue. An act which caused Ad to instinctively squirm with excitement.


    It had been some time since she had entertained her husband with anal sex, and yet with nothing but his own saliva, Berengar lubed up the hole for immediate use. Before long he had skewered the tight hole, and in doing so, caused Ad''s tongue to spill out of her mouth, as her moans once more echoed across the room.


    The married couple would continue to engage in such debauchery until the sun rose on the next day. Though they did not return home to the pce that night, Berengar and Ad did spend the morning spooning beneath the covers of his old bed.


    Eventually, they would get up from under the covers, dress themselves, and return to their actual abode for a nice breakfast with the family. Ad had been wholly satisfied with the way her anniversary went, and was indeed looking forward to spending more time with her husband, who, for the first time in years, appeared to be willing to properly attend to her needs.


    ---


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 Chapter 1154 Prima Ballerina

    After a long week, spent back in the fathend, Berengar was ready to return to Japan, in order to help Itami finish what the two of them had started. He had made a promise to the albino beauty that he would give her a year''s worth of his time before returning to his homnd, where he would spend the majority of his time.


    However, just when Berengar was about to leave the house to take his flight back to Japan, he received word that it had been dyed. The weather conditions were abysmal in Kufstein at the moment, and the air traffic controllers would not permit any nes to take off until the storm cleared up.


    Thus, at the moment, Berengar was walking around the house, looking into the lives of his children, who, after a long day at school, had returned home to take part in their extracurricr activities. While Kristoffer was in the act of ying music, with his young fiancee Astrid, his twin sister Katherine was in the pce''s ball room, practicing for her uing ballet recital.


    The young girl was currently no older than twelve, and was mindlessly danced about the room with the grace of a butterfly. Berengar stood in the doorway and watched in silence until Katherine hadpleted her set. Once she was finished, the girl gazed over at her father, and broke out into a wide smile, before performing a curtsey.


    "I didn''t see you there, royal father. Please enlighten me if you will. How was my performance?"


    Berengar immediately went into his critique mode and carefully thought upon his memories of the dance that the girl had just finished performing. All the while, Katherine waited for a response, with her head bowed low in deference to her paternal figure. After several moments, Berengar finally answered his daughter''s question with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Well, I''m not an expert on all things ballet, but I''d say that you performed the set well enough to shine on the stage. I''m sure if you keep at this, one day when you are older, you will certainly be the prima ballerina of the Kufstein ballet."


    The girl slightly blushed as she heard her father''spliments before rushing over to his side. Out of Berengar''s many daughters, it was Zara and Helga who primarily captured their father''s interest. Helga was a master painter of the highest caliber, while Zara was a young genius without equal, aside from perhaps her elder half-brother, Hans.


    Meanwhile, Katherine had always struggled topete for her father''s affection, and despite her efforts, she had always found herself falling short. Much like her twin brother. And while Kristofer had no longer sought to impress his father with his own talents, Katherine had never given up the pursuit of catching the man''s attention.


    For Berengar to judge her performance so well, while assuring her that she was talented enough to one day be the Prima Ballerina, of the world''s most popr ballet. It was as if her dream had alreadye true. Once Katherine was by her father''s side, she hesitated to speak her thoughts, which Berengar instantly noticed and was quick to encourage the girl to speak her mind.


    "Is there something you wish to tell me, Katherine?"


    After several of awkward silences, Katherin grabbed hold of her father''s firm hand and pleaded with him.


    "Father, if it won''t be too much of a bother, would you allow me to perform another dance for you?"


    Berengar responded to this question by looking at his watch. He did not know how much longer it would be before the weather cleared up, but when it did, he would need to immediately depart for japan. Thest thing he wanted was to keep the pilots waiting for him for hours on end.


    However, the moment Berengar looked up from his wristwatch, he noticed that his young daughter was sulking. The expression on Katherine''s face told the man that she believed she was not even worth his time. Upon seeing such a depressing expression on his own daughter''s face, Berengar''s heart immediately crumbled, causing him to sigh heavily befoe acquiesing to the girl''s request.


    "Alright, I suppose I have enough time to watch one more dance..."


    When Katherine heard this, her sapphire blue eyes immediately lit up with excitement while a warm smile appeared on her cute face. She then rushed back to the dance floor within the ballroom and began to perform another dance for her father.


    In truth, Berengar was not particrly interested in ballet, but he had to admit his young daughter had the talent and determination to one day be a star on the national stage. Thus, he watched patiently until the girl was once more finished with her set. Where she again curtseyed before her royal father and asked for his opinion.


    "Well? What did you think?"


    Berengar did not need a moment to think this time around, and instead patted the girl''s golden head before giving her his honest opinion.


    "I think you have what it takes to be a true star. Keep up the hard work, and I am sure that in the future, all of your dreams wille true, Katherine. No matter what happens, I will always support you..."


    With this said, Katherine could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes, and began to cry something fierce. The act of which instantly shocked her father, who began to slightly panic.


    "Katherine, what''s wrong? Why are you crying so suddenly?"


    The young girl wiped the tears from her eyes on her father''s jacket when shetched onto him and refused to let go. This only confused Berengar further until the girl began to voice her thoughts in between her sobbing.


    "Daddy... Did I do good? Did I finally manage to impress you like Zara and Helga?"


    It was only now that Berengar was starting to realize that the coldness he had shown Ad in the past had in some way been passed onto the children he had with the woman. Had he never shown Katherine or Kristofer the same love and affection he had shown the kids he had sired with his other wives?


    Upon seeing the young girl crying, simply because she had finally received some form of recognition from her own father, Berengar wrapped his arms around his daughter, and kissed the girl on the forehead, while assuring her that she was every bit as impressive as her sisters.


    "Katherine, don''t cry. You are a very talented young dancer. One day, you will shine equally bright as Zara and Helga. Like your siblings, your name will be remembered throughout German history. You are my daughter. Because of that, you are destined for greatness. I feel ashamed as your father for never expressing my recognition of your talents prior to this moment. I promise you after I return from my visit to Japan, I will be spending a lot more time with all of my children, yourself included. So you don''t need to cry anymore. I am here for you..."


    Despite Berengar''s kind words, Katherine continued to shed her tears, as shetched onto her father, in fear that he perhaps would leave her in the very next moment. Berengar nced out the window and saw that the storm had indeed stopped, yet he did not make a move to leave Katherine. Instead, he stood there and hugged his daughter until she feltfortable letting go.


    Katherine remained in Berengar''s arms for nearly ten minutes before finally releasing her grip on the man. She then wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled before sticking out her pinky finger in an attempt to make her father swear to her that he would stay true to the words he had spoken.


    "You promise?"


    Berengar could only smile and nod his head as hetched his pinky onto the girls and shook it gently before responding with a solemn vow.


    "I promise..."


    Upon hearing confirmation, Katherine released her pinky finger and turned around with a wide smile and slight flutter as she once more got back to dancing. However, there was no music this time around, and only the flight of a young girl was happy beyond measure. Berengar continued to watch and smile until Katherine was too exhausted to continue. Once Katherine was panting for air, Berengar pat her on the head, and said goodbye.


    "Katherine, I have to go back to Japan now, and you won''t see me again for another few months. But once I return, I shall live up to my promise. I will begin delegating my responsibilities as Kaiser to trustworthy individuals and cut my workload in half. Allowing me to spend more time with you and all your siblings. So until then, continue to improve your skills, because when I get back from Japan I will want to see you perform for me again."


    This time Katherine was no longer crying, or sulking, for that matter. Instead, a warm smile was on her face, as she nodded her head in agreement before responding to her father''s words.


    "Goodbye father, I wish you luck with your endeavors while you are away in Japan. Until we meet again..."


    After hearing this remark, Berengar then departed from the Pce''s ballroom, and left his daughter alone, as she stared at his back until it had vanished from sight. Once Berengar was gone from the room, Katherine let out a deep sigh as she gazed out towards the gardens, whose leaves were now drenched in rain. Whatever the young princess was thinking about in that moment was something only she herself knew.


    ---


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 Chapter 1155 Avoiding Responsibility

    After a long flight back to Japan, Berengar spent nearly every waking hour with his pregnant wife for weeks on end. Within a month, the albino beauty finally gave birth, and having rested for a few days, the royal couple were now standing in a small bedroom while gazing upon an infant child who lie silently in his crib.


    The young boy was the perfect example of a Eurasian child. Perhaps too perfect, as his father''s Germanic genes had influenced more than just his facial structure. Most notably, the boy''s eyes were as blue as the ocean''s surface. Which made both his parents proud.


    While gazing upon his newest son with fatherly affection. Berengar noticed that Itami spoke in a voice so low that he nearly missed what she had said. Still, the albino beauty''s voice was filled with joy at the prospect of finally being a mother.


    "I can''t believe that after all these years, you and I have finally had a child together... It is almost too good to be true. I still struggle to determine whether this is reality, or just some wonderful dream that I never wish to wake from. If only I hadn''t been so foolish, we could have been happily married a long time ago..."


    Berengar could hear the remorse in his wife''s voice as she spoke thest part of her statement, and sighed as he ced his hand on the woman''s shoulder, while maintaining his focus on his young son.


    "Little Ryu here will make a great emperor. I will make sure of it. As for the circumstances which brought us together, they weren''t random. In fact, I suspect that the gods of your nation brought you into this world for a reason..."


    The moment Itami heard these words, her gaze shifted from her son to her husband. She had never before spoken to anyone about her brief interaction with the goddess Inari. And yet Berengar spoke as if he was already aware of this chance encounter. This caused the woman to be quite concerned, as she immediately began to interrogate the man about his knowledge of the supernatural.


    "You know of the gods? But how, you have not stepped foot in Japan until rtively recently, and I have never seen you wonder off to one of their shrines other than on our wedding night."


    When Berengar heard this, he did not make a noise and instead silently stared at his wife while pondering a question in his head. After a while, he smiled and shook his head before speaking of what he knew.


    "So you already knew of their existence? That''s good. It means I won''t have to convince you that I am not a madman. I won''t hide anything from you, dear. I was brought into this world by the Germanic pantheon. Their reason for doing so was a petty dispute with another deity. I won''t bore you with the details. After all, this did not have much of an impact on the life I have lived thus far.


    However, although I met the gods of my ancestors, they are not the only deities that I have encountered during my travels. In fact, since the moment I first found out you were a transmigrator like me, I figured that you were brought into this world by your own pantheon, but I have yet to determine what for...."


    When Itami heard this, a sudden realization washed over her mind, causing her to immediately fell as if she were the world''s greatest fool. The albino beauty instantly rested her forehead in the palm of her hand, as she let out a heavy sigh before speaking her mind.


    "It all makes sense now. If I am being honest, Inari was rather stern with me when we met. She mentioned something about me being brought into this world for a reason, and I now suspect it was to preserve her power and influence over Japan by appealing to you who would go on to establish global hegemony.


    Not only was Inari and the other deities upset that I had killed the previous dynasty, but Inari imed that I had fucked up in ways that I could not imagine. I suspect now that she was referring to the conflict I had started with you. Oh dear, I have so many regrets in this life, and if you were not by my side, I might just fall on my own sword to atone for them."


    Seeing the distraught expression on his wife''s otherwise beautiful face, Berengar ced the palm of his hand on her cheek, in an attempt tofort the woman, which she took full advantage of, for roughly three seconds before her young son awoke, and instantly started crying.


    Berengar could only wear a bitter smile as he saw Itami''s blood-red eyes shift over to their son. However, the moment she looked back at her husband, he was already gone. Having silently departed from the room in the brief moment it took the woman to shift her gaze. A curse escaped from Itami''s lips as she expressed her annoyance over her husband''s tendencies to avoid taking care of their child.


    "That fucking bastard..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After saying this, Itami sighed once more, before approaching her son, and realizing that the boy needed a diaper change. Which she took care of before departing from the room. After washing her hands, Itami found Berengar snacking on some takoyaki in the kitchen, where she immediately began to scold the man for his actions.


    "Every time! Every time the boy needs a diaper change, you are nowhere to be found! Can''t you at least help out with the raising of your own son?"


    Berengar simply scoffed as he heard this, before shoving another octopus dumpling in his mouth. It was only after he finished eating it that he responded to his wife''s fury with a calm, and conceited smile on his face.


    "Isn''t that the job of the mother? I can proudly say that I have never once changed a diaper in this life, and I have sired over twenty children. So if none of my other women have been able to convince me to do such a thing, what makes you think you have a chance of doing so?"


    Itami merely gawked in disbelief at her husband''s shamelessness, before averting her gaze and once more cursing under her breath.


    "You are such an asshole..."


    Berengar chuckled in response to this, before rising from his seat, where he proceeded to stuff hisst piece of takoyaki in the woman''s mouth. She was startled at first, but as she swallowed the octopus dumpling, she heard further shameless words escape from her husband''s mouth.


    "Yes... But I am your asshole..."


    Luckily, Itami had just swallowed the food, or else she would have choked on her ownughter. She could not help but giggle at the man''s response as he sessfully avoided taking responsibility for his own child yet again. No matter how much Itami wanted to stay mad at the man for his irresponsible behavior, she could not find it in her heart to do so, and thus she decided to kiss him. However, in the next moment, a heavy sigh escaped from Itami''s delicate lips as she looked out the window with a glum expression on her face.


    "It is hard to believe that we only have two more months that we can spend like this before you have to go back to the others. I wish Ryu and I could go with you. Unfortunately, I am needed here in Japan. I have learned a lot from watching you work this past year, and I believe I will be able to effectively continue what you have started. Still, I will miss you every day that you are away..."


    Berengar''s expression turned glum as he heard this. It was true that he found it difficult to be away from his other family for so long, but at the same time, he knew it would be just as painful to be away from Itami and their infant son for most of the year. In order to reassure himself, and his wife, Berengar spoke the words that were currently present in his mind.


    "I won''t be away for long. I promise to visit you at least once a month. Still, I know how hard it is to be separated from the ones you love. So the most we can do is make each day that we have together count. So how about you and I go take a bath together? After all, it has been some time since I have sat in the hot springs."


    Upon hearing this, Itami wore a seductive smile as she grabbed onto her husband''s hand and led him to the personal hot spring that existed within the pce. Once inside, the two of them rxed together for some time while in each other''s arms.


    ---


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 Chapter 1156 Next Generation Of German Small Arms

    Before he knew it, an entire year had passed since the day the German-Japanese war came to an end. And Berengar had said his farewells to his newest bride, Itami Riyo, as well as their infant son, Itami Ryu. After a long flight thatsted nearly an entire day, Berengar found himself in Kufstein once more, where he spent the weekend recovering from his flight.


    Once Monday was around, Berengar was hard at work again, however unlike in previous years, he no longer worked a minimum of twelve hours a day, and instead settled on a standard forty-hour work week, delegating much of the work he was previously responsible for to qualified individuals.


    After returning home, Berengar fulfilled his promise to Katherine and began spending more time with the girl and her siblings. Though Hans was still serving his in the Armed Forces, and while he was stationed close to home, he was dreadfully busy testing all kinds of new aircraft for the department of defense.


    The introduction of Generation Three Jet Fighters was not the only military inovation that was going on at the moment. There were recent developments in small arms as well. Which on this particr day, Berengar was bearing witness to.


    In the military testing grounds outside the city of Kufstein, Berengar stood in the audience, along with several of his generals and the engineers who had worked on the newest weapons projects. A group of Germany infantrymen, dressed in thetest military uniforms and body armor, were inspecting a new sniper rifle, light machine gun, general purpose machine gun, handgun, and rocketuncher.


    These weapons had been partially designed by Berengar himself, with their final modelspleted by the engineers at the Royal Kufstein Armory. For the sniper rifle, which would be issued to German marksman, Berengar went with a semiautomatic design that was infamous in his past life. The SVD was originally a semi-automatic sniper rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR.


    However, because the German Army still hadrge stores of 7.92x57mm Mauser Ammunition lying around, Berengar had no intentions of adopting a new and less potent cartridge. Instead, he chose to have the SVD converted to the superior German round.


    As a result, the marksman, who was testing the rifle, carefully inserted the ten round box magazine into the rifle before pulling back and releasing the charging handle. Once a round was properly chambered, he took aim with his 4x magnified optic, which wasrgely modelled after the PSO-1, and gently squeezed the trigger. Sending a round down range and into a steel target the size of a man''s torso, which was ced roughly eight hundred meters out.


    An audible ping followed the gunshot, signalling to those present that the shot had indeed found its target. After making the shot, the marksman followed up with another, and then another, until he had spent his whole ten round magazine.


    Needless to say, the prototype weapon functioned wlessly. When Berengar saw this development, he stood up and pped for the shooter, who, after ejecting the spent magazine and racking the charging handle a few times to ensure that the weapon was clear, saluted his Kaiser. Once that soldier was done with his weapon demonstration, Berengar spoke to the lead of the project with an excited smile on his face.


    "Bravo, you and your team should bemended for your efforts. This new sniper rifle is a vast improvement over the currently issued G-27. I look forward to the next performance!"


    After saying this, Berengar looked onwards towards the demonstration of the new light machine gun. This weapon was essentially an elongated, and reinforced version of the recently introduced recement to the Stg-27 and 32 rifles.


    In other words, it was an RPK-74. The only real difference between this machine gun, and those from Berengar''s past life, was that the weapon''s furniture was loosely modelled after that of the East German Mpi-Kms-74, and was simr in design to the LMG RPK-74 as seen in a popr military simtor video game.


    The soldier deployed the bipod, and entered the prone position, as he aimed down a fixed 2.8x magnified optic which had been modelled primarily after the 1p78 Kashtan from Berengar''s past life. The weapon functioned wlessly as its rounds impacted against the steel target set three hundred meters out. It was, after all, essentially an AK-74 with a reinforced receiver and a longer barrel, thus making it a reliable and capable firearm.


    After watching the demonstration of both the SVD and RPK-74, Berengar was quite pleased with the prototype weapons that he had seen thus far, and gave a silent nod of approval towards the lead engineer, who kept looking back at the Kaiser to see what the man thought of thetest weapon designs.


    As for the next weapon that was on disy, it was essentially a PKM chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser. The firearm was designed to rece the Mg-27 within infantry roles. While technically a general purpose machine gun, Berengar saw no reason to remove the Mg-27, which was modelled after the Mg-42pletely from service. After all, it was a superior machine gun when mounted on vehicles.


    However, the Mg-42 had a fatal w in infantry doctrine, and that was the fact that it required two people to operate effectively. Thus, Berengar decided to rece it with the lighter weight PKM, which could be entirely operated by one user, and quite efficiently at that.


    Like the RPK-74, the furniture was swapped out for a more East-German aesthetic, with a brown synthetic stock, pistol grip, and barrel change handle. The weapon was also given a slightly different muzzle device than what was seen on the standard issue PKM from Berengar''s past life.


    The operator aimed down the same 2.8x magnified optic which was used on the RPK-74, like the PK-A red dot, and PSO-1 magnified optic, the 1p78 would be standard issue to all german soldiers who used a machine gun as their primary weapon. After acquiring his target, the shooter squeezed the trigger, and in doing so, sent a controlled burst down range and onto the steel target. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The chug of the machine gun echoed across the test facility as the shooter effortlessly hit his targets. Causing Berengar and his generals to approve of the weapon silently with a nod of their heads. Once the weapon had fired all of its ammunition, the operator ensured that the weapon was properly cleared before cing it down for further inspection. Berengar then leaned over and whispered something to the project lead as hemented about the three weapons tested thus far.


    "So far, so good. I must say, I am impressed with how these weapons have turned out. If the handgun and rocketuncher prove just as effective, you can consider yourself, and your team, worthy of earning a raise."


    The engineer smiled and nodded his head, before exining what they were about to witness with an excited look in his eyes.


    "Though Handguns are rarely used in frontline service, I think you will be pleased with the improvements we have made in your initial design. Ah, here he is now, the man who will test our new service pistol, assuming it receives your stamp of approval, that is."


    Berengar nodded his head in silence as he shifted his gaze to the man who was standing in front of a few small targets which were ced no more than twenty-five meters out. The pistol in his hands looked exactly like the Stechkin automatic pistol from his past life, except for two primary differences.


    First off, the pistol was designed to be semi-automatic only. The reason for this was that machine pistols were generally wild and uncontroble, and this was most definitely the case for the APS, assuming it did not have a stock. And second, the firearm was chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. Thus making it a ratherrge service pistol, but capable of carrying 20 rounds of 9mm in a single magazine.


    The soldier held onto the weapon and inserted a fresh magazine before racking the slide back. He then aimed down the sights towards his first target and began to effortlessly fire three shots into each target, two to the chest, and one to the head. Once he had spent the twenty rounds, he ejected the spent magazine, while leaving the slide locked to the rear.


    The weapon while in semiautomatic was extremely controble due to the size and weight of the gun, and it was also very urate because of the length of the barrel. For a service pistol, Berengar had noints about the weapon and immediately approved it for service.


    Finally, thest weapon to be demonstrated, was the RPG-7, which wa designed to rece the Panzerfaust 250, like the previous weapons (aside from the APS) it too had an optic that was standard issue. Which the soldier carefully made use of to acquire his target before firing the HEAT rocket-propelled grenade down range and onto an old Panther Tank.


    The rocket immediately detonated against the tank''s turret, and caused critical damage to the entire vehicle. Which thankfully was not being manned by a crew. Proving once more that German troops had the ability to effectively counter any armor or fortification that their infantry may encounter. And though Germany would no longer be fighting opponents with armored vehicles, the RPG-7 could prove to be highly effective against native viges.


    Having witnessed all of these prototype weapons on disy, Berengar immediately congratted the project lead before posing an important question.


    "Wonderful, simply wonderful. With these weapons, our armed forces will enter a new age of efficiency on the battlefield. It is almost a pity that we now have no enemy to thoroughly test them against. Still, I need to know how long will it be before they can enter mass production?"


    The engineer epted the praise he received from the kaiser before raising three fingers in response to the man''s question.


    "At most three months, and we will be able to effectively deploy these weapons to units in the field. Give me a year, and they willpletely rece our old small arms!"


    After hearing this, Berengar nodded his head in approval before departing from the facility. Now that he had witnessed the weapons test, he would return to his home and spend some proper time with his family.


    ---


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 Chapter 1157 A Fresh Start

    Berengar stood on the docks of Trieste with his wife in hand. Two weeks had passed since he first returned to the Reich, after visiting Japan for an entire year. During this time, his days were filled with nothing but work and family. Which he managed to find a perfect bnce to, especially now that Germany was finally in a state of peace which wouldst for the foreseeable future.


    However, the man had several promises to fulfill, not only to his children, but his many wives as well, and because of that Berengar stood by Ad''s side, as the royal couple gazed upon arge, and magnificent ocean liner which was the personal yacht of the von Kufstein Dynasty.


    If the Titanic was known in Berengar''s past life as thergest ship of its era, then the Germania was a titan on the sea. Designed to carry the entirety of the von Kufstein Dynasty for the next fifty years, Berengar had gone all out with his personal yacht, which was more akin to a floating pce than an actual ship.


    The expense paid to construct this vessel was no small amount, and despite this, it was nothing more than pfennigs on the thaler whenpared to the vast fortune that Berengar had umted in this life.


    Ad waspletely surprised by the massive ocean-going vessel which, for the purposes of this visit, would house only herself, her husband, and the staff necessary to look after them during the entire journey.


    It was not just Ad who was surprised by this behemoth of a vessel, but all manners of citizens within the major port city had gathered to witness the spectacle. Having already said his goodbyes to the rest of his family, Berengar simply smiled as he grabbed hold of Ad''s hand and led her onto the massive ship.


    Ad could not help but exim her thoughts aloud, as she entered the luxurious interior of the vessel, which was constructed with the finest materials in the world. From polished marble, to gilded surfaces, Berengar had truly spared no expense, and this fact caused nothing but worry to flood Ad''s mind.


    "It''s so beautiful! Berengar just how much did you spend on this yacht?"


    Rather than answer his wife directly, and add to her worries. Berengar responded in a way which avoided the question at hand, but still made the woman happy.


    "Don''t worry about such a petty thing. There is no expense too great for the happiness of my family."


    Ad was still looking around at the luxurious interior with awe, and had barely heard a word that Berengar had said. Instead her attention was attracted to a distinctive sound echoing across the ship, which she recognized to be the muscal talents of an entire orchestra.


    When Ad realized this, her sapphire eyes fixed themselves upon the handsome face of her husband. Before she could question if what she was hearing was in fact reality, the man spoke with a haughty tone in his voice.


    "You noticed the music, huh? Yes, I hired an orchestra to perform for us while we are sailing across the antic. But that is not all, I spared no expense to ensure that we have plenty of things to entertain us throughout our journey. From the finest food and drinks money can buy, to an entire water park reserved for just the two of us. Trust me, this will be a trip that you will never forget. And you deserve it!"


    Ad did not respond to these bold ims, and simply smiled whiletching onto her husband''s arm like amprey. Seeing that his wife was happy, Berengar led her through the massive vessel and towards the dining hall, where he nned to share a nice meal with his wife, as the ship cast off.


    After entering the dining hall, Ad was amazed to see that the origin of the music was on arge stage at the very front of the massive room. Hundreds of tables were set up to entertain an increasinglyrge family. But since they were the only two guests at the moment they were able to sit anywhere, which Ad immediately chose to be nearest to the music.


    While Ad was gazing upon the magnificent performance with awe in her sapphire eyes, a beautiful young waitress approached the royal couple and was quick to inform them on a few important matters before taking their order.


    "Your Majesties, the captain would like me to inform you that we are ready to cast off whenever you desire. As for the Kitchen, it is fully staffed, and prepared to make you any meal that you may crave at any hour of the day. The bar is also fully stocked, and you need only ask for a drink, and we will provide it to you as quickly as possible. Shall I prepare your majesties a round of drinks as we set off for our destination?"


    Berengar was naturally aware of all of his wives tastes, and did not even need to ask Ad for what he wanted. Thus, he was quick to nod his head in approval before ordering a drink for himself and his lovely wife.


    "I''ll have whatever it is that you have on tap, while my wife here will have a strawberry margarita. As for the Captain, inform him that we are ready to cast off."


    The waitress wrote down Berengar''s and Ad''s drinks, before walking away. As she disappeared somewhere into the massive ship, she spoke into her radio, informing the Captain of the Kaiser''s orders. Within minutes, the ship had departed from the docks of Trieste and begun its grand voyage to the Caribbean.


    As for the drinks that Berengar and Ad had ordered, they were swiftly brought to the table by the waitress, where Berengar then ordered a nice meal for himself and his wife. Once the royal couple were all alone, Berengar finally broke the awkward silence that prevailed between himself and his wife, with a slight jest. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well, I can say this for certain. If I had just remained a minor nobleman, we never would be able to go on this cruise together..."


    It was clear that Berengar had taken Ad''s previous words to heart, and had decided to show off just what they would have sacrificed if they had lived a boring, monogamous lifestyle in the mountains of Austria. This remark caused Ad to giggle slightly as she raised her margarita in a toast.


    "To world peace!"


    Berengar joined his wife inughter as he clinked his beer mug against Ad''s ss before taking in the music that yed. Evidently it was a song that Ad enjoyed, because she waspletely captivated by the atmosphere, so much so that she did not even notice the fine Italian cuisine that arrived on her te.


    Ultimately, Berengar took a spoonful of the baked ziti and shoved it into Ad''s delicate mouth in order to catch her attention. Which caused the woman to react in shock at first, before chewing and swallowing the zesty dish.


    While Ad enjoyed the serving, Berengar bit into a piece of garlic bread and savored the vor. While it was true that he enjoyed German cooking more than anything, the man had definitely yed a role in bringing the Italian cuisine he knew and loved into this world. Even if King Bruno Haselreider would never admit to such a thing. After Ad had eaten several spoonfuls, she asked about the origins of the dish with genuine curiosity.


    "This is delicious. What is this? Some kind of new dish that you have made? It''s not like anything else we have eaten so far!"


    Berengar smiled and shook his head, even though he had beenrgely responsible for the new cuisine which was taking the Kingdom of Italy by storm, he decided to give credit where credit was due, and thus said the Italians were in fact responsible for this dish.


    "No, actually the Italians invented this. Once we introduced tomatoes to the region, they began making an entirely new cuisine that is their own. Naturally, our chefs are well versed in this style of cooking and so I decided to give it a try. It is really good, is it not?"


    Ad could not deny that the baked ziti was delightful, and thus she continued to dig into the meal, but with the grace of a woman of her position. Berengar did the same. It had been too long since he had a proper Italian dish, and thus was enjoying the meal to his greatest ability.


    Before long, Berengar had consumed three liters of beer, and and three servings of food to match, while Ad was already tispy from her third margarita. Seeing that the sky had already begun to darken, Berengar decided now was the time to take Ad onto the deck and gaze at the stars.


    Thus, he finished thest of his food, before grabbing hold of his wife''s hand, and dragging her to the forward most position of the ship''s deck. Once alone together beneath the stars, Berengar let his true thoughts escape from his lips.


    "It has been a very long time since I have been able to rx like this. I''m d you asked me for this trip. I really needed it..."


    Ad''s saphire eyes glistened under the starlight, as she shifted her gaze towards her husband who was wearing an unusually warm expression on his face. The words she wanted to say were caught in her throat for some time, causing several moments of awkward silence to persist, until she finally gained the resolve to speak her mind.


    "I heard from our children that you have been spending more time with them since you have returned from Japan. I''m d to see you are no longer working so hard that you neglect your veryrge family. Hopefully, after this trip is over, we can all have a fresh start. Especially now that thest of your wars havee to an end..."


    In response to this suggestion, Berengar leaned in close, and kissed Ad on the lips before whispering something in her ears that made her smile.


    "I''d like that..."


    With that said, the Royal couple enjoyed themselves under the light of the stars, before retiring to their room, where they spent the rest of the night in each other''s arms.


    ---


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 Chapter 1158 Wedding Bells

    After nearly a month away at sea, Berengar and Ad returned to the fathend, where they were greeted by their family. During the days that followed, Berengar would spend every waking hour either at work, or with his loved ones, trying his best to repair the bonds that were on the brink of copse between him and several of his children.


    Though it would be a long journey to fully make up for his years of absence, whether that was the result of marching to war, or simply working too hard. Berengar knew that he had made a great start. Something he strived to improve upon with each passing day.


    Before he knew it, six months had passed, and during this time Berengar had lived his best life, as Kaiser, husband, and father. Bncing the three roles to perfection, especially now that he no longer had to worry about defending the Reich from enemies on all sides.


    Without warning, the eldest Prince of Germany, Hans von Kufstein, had turned sixteen and thus entered the age of adulthood. Meaning that he was finally able to marry three of his young brides. After a rathervish celebration of the boy''s sixteenth birthday, Hans'' first wedding, where he would Mary Noemi, Veronika, and Anne was set to take ce within a fortnight.


    Two weeks came and went and at the moment Hans was in his room, adorning his Luftwaffe mess dress uniform, which he would be wearing to the wedding. As he was fastening his bowtie, a slight knock resounded on the door, followed by a familiar voice.


    "Hans, are you in there? Do you mind if I have a moment to speak with you?"


    The usually stoic expression on the young man''s face lit up with excitement as he responded to his father, who still stood on the other side of the door.


    "You may enter. I''m just about done here, anyway..."


    The door opened to reveal the figure of the boy''s father, who was dressed in his finest regalia. The man took one look at his son before grasping the boy on the shoulders and expressing his fatherly affection.


    "Hans, words can not express how much pride I have to be your father. You are only sixteen, and yet you have aplished so much in your life. It truly amazes me that you are already an adult. To think that just sixteen years ago, you were born in a primitive and feudal world. Oh speaking of, I don''t know if I ever told you this, but did you know that when your mother and I first met, that she was actually my brother''s fiancee?"


    Hans, who was still fussing with his bowtie, immediately looked up in shock towards his father, who was grinning ear to ear, as if he hadn''t just said somethingpletely earth shattering. It took the Prince several moments to think through in his head, just what his father had said before being able to form a proper response.


    "Hold on, mother was engaged to uncle Lambert? But she always told me that it was love at first sight when she first met you? What have the two of you been hiding from me for all these years?"


    Berengar responded exactly as Hans did when the boy first heard this news. Had he never actually told his son how he and the boy''s mother first met? Or did he tell some watered-down version of the story that was more appropriate for a child?


    In all honesty, Berengar could not remember the answer to this question. However, there was no point in continuing to hide the truth, and thus the man chuckled before sitting his son down where he proceeded to tell the boy the whole story.


    "Hah, love at first sight. Is that what she told you? Perhaps lust at first sight, but your mother did not love me until I properly drilled such a foreign emotion into her pretty little head. No, your mother was initially set to marry my brother Lambert.


    The engagement was a ploy by Linde''s father to secure the vast deposits of iron located within the mountains of Kufstein. That devious bastard wanted our resources to fuel his dream of bing the Duke of Austria, and he came damn close to achieving this. However, when my brother first poisoned me, I miraculously survived, and was thus reborn as a far morepetent man.


    It was because of this that your mother was first sent to Kufstein, where my brother had failed. She would seed, or so her father believed. He failed to ount for one thing, though. That I had climbed my way out of poor health, and had be quite the handsome young bastard.


    The moment your motherid eyes upon me, she no longer desired to kill me. Instead, you could say at that moment she wanted nothing more than to turn me into her ything. She even tried drugging me to aplish this, but after giving her the old switcheroo, she ended up being drugged instead, and I spent the next week training her to be my pet. "


    Hans immediately shuddered when he heard his father refer to his mother as his pet. The young man awkwardly averted his gaze and voiced his thoughts aloud, without even thinking about it.


    "Father... I did not need to know all of that..."


    An awkward expression appeared on Berengar''s face as he just now realized he had said something that perhaps he shouldn''t have. Thus, he quickly changed the course of the discussion to his primary point.


    "Anyway, the point is that you were conceived not long after, and were technically my bastard child when you were born, which I immediately legitimized. After all, I was still engaged to Ad at the time, but Linde had quickly stolen my heart, and I could never allow the product of our love to be shunned as a mere bastard. So at the first given opportunity I legalized polygamy, and took your mother as my second bride."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This news startled Hans even more. He had never known that he had been born out of wedlock, as he was far too young at the time to remember such an important detail. He was quick to inquire about this fact, hoping that perhaps his ears were ying a trick on him.


    "Wait, a second. Are you telling me that I''m a bastard?"


    Berengar quickly dismissed this concern without even really thinking about it, as he tried to readjust the course of the conversation once more.


    "Technically yes, but nobody really remembers such a minor detail, as your birth wasn''t exactly the most public of knowledge, and I married your mother shortly thereafter. Anyway, the point of this is that In time, you grew up, and immediately became a cut above the rest of your siblings. And while there is still some time for your brothers topete with you for my throne, I am already certain that you will end up being my sessor, whether you want it or not.


    I''m proud of you Hans, you have aplished far more in your limited lifespan than I had evere close to achieving when I was your age, and I am so happy that you and your fiancees have built a solid foundation to your rtionship over the years. In fact, I look forward to my future grandchildren, almost as much as your mother does."


    Any concerns that Hans had over being a bastard were immediately dismissed in the next second by his father''s kind words. Hans could count the number of times that Berengar had expressed the pride he felt towards having him as a son on one hand.


    Berengar was not the most affectionate father in the world, at least not towards his sons. Towards his daughters, the Kaiser was a bastion of love and affection, but to his sons, Berengar was a man of rigid discipline, a living example of what it meant to be a man.


    Berengar would onlypliment his sons when they had done something deserving of it, and that usually meant winning a national award of some kind. Hell, the man had been reluctant to give Hans the medals he deserved for his meritorious service to the state during the German-Japanese war, and was only convinced after the Admiral in charge of the Sixth Carrier fleet went to bat for the young Prince.


    To hear his father say the words, "I''m proud of you" always filled Hans with a sense of happiness, thus to hear it on his wedding day, right before he married three of the women he loved, it truly meant something to the young man. As a result, Hans held out his hand in a friendly gesture to his father, who was quick to grab hold of it.


    However, contrary to what Hans was expecting, Berengar did not shake the boy''s hand, instead he pulled his son into his chest and hugged him, just brief enough that Hans thought perhaps he had imagined the whole thing. After releasing the boy, Berengar threw up a salute towards his son, who was quick to respond in kind.


    "Come on, Hans, you mother and siblings are waiting downstairs. I''m sure she would be happy to see her precious baby boy on her wedding day."


    The term "precious baby boy" usually caused Hans to groan in dissatisfaction. No matter how old the boy became, his mother would always refer to him with such a tone of endearment. It was usually embarrassing for him, but today, he felt like he could easily endure such a thing. Thus, he wore a happy smile as he followed his son down the stairs to meet with his mother and siblings.


    Linde was waiting for the boy, while dressed in a lovely sky blue gown that was fit for an empress. Standing next to her was Helga, who was dressed the same. She had even changed her hair from her signature twintails to something more mature for the asion.


    Immediately after seeing Hans enter the room, Linde hugged him tightly, and stuffed his head into her substantial bosom, all while smothering the poor boy.


    "Oh, there he is! My precious baby boy is about to get married! I am so happy!"


    After forcefully breaking his way out of Linde''s grip, Helga also hugged Hans, but in a far less intimate fashion. She had a hard time looking the boy in the eyes as she congratted her older brother on his wedding day.


    "Congrattions Hans, I hope that your wives make you very happy!''


    Hans simply petted Helga''s strawberry blonde hair before moving onto each of his siblings, who likewise shared their praise for the boy. Once the Prince had heard everything his family had to say, he was escorted into arge limousine, which would take him and his family to the Grand Kufstein Cathedral for the wedding ceremony.


    ---


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 Chapter 1159 The Prince Gets Married

    Immediately after getting in the limousine with his family. Hans broke out into a cold sweat. Though he had been engaged to these three women for several years, and a had already been physically intimate with one of them. He was still extremely anxious about his big day.


    Marriage was no joke, and though he was marrying three of the most beautiful young women in the Reich, he had many concerns shing through his head. Particrly whether or not he was suited to being a proper husband and father.


    As the car continued to pass by, Hans had his attention taken away by his mother, who had the most excited smile on her gorgeous face that he had ever seen her wear. The moment she spoke her words offort, all the fear and anxiety which gued the boy''s heart vanished.


    "My precious baby boy is finally getting married. I am so happy for you. I have known these girls for so many years and have watched them very carefully to ensure that they are loyal to my little man. You need not fear a thing. Mommy has properly vetted your brides, and if they do get out of hand, simplye to me and I will make everything right again!"


    Though the words soundedforting, there was a bit of venomced within them, especially thest sentence spoken. Hans was no fool. He knew exactly who his mother was, and if not for the fact that he was her own beloved son, he would be quite fearful of her.


    Still, the boy doubted that the woman would make too much of a scene on his wedding day, and thus he was able to sigh in relief, knowing that his beloved mother was always watching out for him, even if he was about to finally move out, and get his own ce, with his three loving brides. As for Natalia and udia, they were still not yet of age, and thus Hans would have to marry those two girls at ater date, at separate weddings.


    After arriving at the venue for the wedding, Hans was surprised to see that so many guests had shown up for his big day. After all, there were three brides, and because of this, family and friends from each of their households had arrived to celebrate the monumental asion.


    Yet, most surprising of all, was the fact that the Japanese Empress herself had shown up to the venue, and was seated at the front along with Berengar''s other wives and concubines. An infant child sat in herp. Recognizing this as his half-brother, Hans simply smiled as he saw the child and nodded in passing. Where he approached the altar, to find the head of the German Reformation standing in the center.


    Ludolf was roughly the same age as Berengar, but had aged at a much faster rate than the Kaiser. Though the church and state were separate, that did not mean that the Kaiser did not have some sway over the church itself. In fact, the bond which was once strong between Berengar and this man had been strained over recent years, as Berengar began to push a more atheistic curriculum among his nation''s many schools.


    The introduction of the theory of evolution had caused quite the stir between Berengar Ludolf. As a result, they had seldom spoken over the past ten years. Berengar did not even make an attempt to appear in church these days, and thus the only thing that could get the two men in the same room at this time was a wedding like today.


    Hans was also not particrly fond of the church, as he was a man of science, and did not believe in the frivolities of religion. Yet he heeded his father''s words about the church being necessary for a just, and moral society. Thus, he tolerated the traditions of Christianity, even if he himself, like his father, was not a member of the faithful.


    At the moment, he was slightly anxious, as all eyes of the church gazed upon him, waiting for the ceremony to begin. This was a rather unusual day, because contrary to what was mostmon in the Reich for polygamist marriages, the Crown Prince would be marrying three of his brides at the same time.


    And as if perfectly nned in ordance, the moment Hans had this thought, the music began to y while three brides were led down the hall. Veronika was on the right, with Berengar acting as the paternal figure for the girl, as he held her hand and gave her off to Hans, who stood in awe at the beauty of his three soon-to-be wives.


    Noemi was in the center of the formation, being led down the aisle by her elder brother, who was the current king of Hungary. And finally, on the left side was Anne. All three of the women were dressed invish white wedding gowns, which showed off the assets of their voluptuous bodies. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hans could only smile as the three women reached the altar. He had so many things he wanted to say, but would have to wait until after the ceremony ended. Ludolf continued to speak the words that were traditionally spoken by the priest during the wedding ceremony until finally the part to say their vows waspleted. The young prince had entirely zoned out while exchanging gazes with his wives, so much so that Ludolf had to cough to get his attention.


    "Prince Hans? Do you, or do you not take these three women to be yourwfully wedded wives?"


    Upon realizing that the entire cathedral was waiting for his response, Hans blushed slightly before saying the words that all three of his fiancees wanted to hear.


    "I do..."


    This response immediately caused everyone in the vicinity to smile, before Ludolf asked the same vows of the three brides, who answered in unison with the same response.


    "We do..."


    After hearing this, Ludolf sighed and said his final words.


    "Then with the power invested in me, by the Kingdom of Austria, and the German Empire, I now pronounce you all husband and wives. You may kiss the brides..."


    With this said, Hans leaned in towards Veronika and was about to give her the first of the three kisses, when to his surprise, and the rest of the audience, all three of the girls leaned forward and kissed their husband at the same time.


    The sight of which caused Linde to break out into tears of joy. As a result, both Berengar and Honoria instinctively grabbed one of her hands in an attempt to calm the redheaded beauty down. The entirety of the Cathedral broke out into apuse as they witnessed the man most likely to seed the Kaiser take his first step into the world of matrimony.


    ---


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 Chapter 1160 Utterly Disgraceful

    Immediately after the wedding ceremony concluded, the venue was changed to the Kufstein Royal Pce, where everyone gathered within the exceptionallyrge dining hall to celebrate. Naturally Hans, and his wives were not seated at the head of the table, but were given positions of respect, where Berengar provided a toast to them all.


    "To my eldest son, Hans, and his lovely three brides. I hope that your marriage is as happy and wholesome as the one I have with your mothers...."


    Hans immediately drank to this toast, as did everyone in the audience, causing the snicker that escaped Henrietta''s lips to be drowned out by the sound of clinking sses. Naturally, the Princess of Germany wasughing over the choice of words Berengar had used in his toast. There were many words that could be used to describe Berengar''s marriages, but wholesome was not one of them.


    Luckily, nobody had heard Henrietta''s fit of giggles and was instead drawn to the immediate drama that followed the toast. Unexpectedly, Itami had opted to speak with Berengar personally and had chosen her words very poorly, as she congratted the man on the sessful raising of his eldest son.


    "Congrattions Julian, I am so very happy for you. It must be a hell of a thing to see your son married off to such lovely young women. I can only imagine the pride you must feel at this moment."


    Berengar simply smiled and hugged the albino beauty close, as he kissed her forehead and responded with an equally careless remark.


    "Thank you Ai. It means a lot to hear such a thinge from you, of all people."


    Most of the guests did not hear the exchange of these foreign names. However, the moment Linde heard this, the cup of wine in her hand shattered from the fierce grip which she held it with, drawing the immediate attention of everyone in the room.


    Linde had always had a nagging suspicion that only Itami could rival her ce in Berengar''s heart. This was a deep fear of the woman, as in her eyes she was Berengar''s one and only soulmate. All the other women were just ythings for the man to vent his unparalleled lust for, even if he did give some of them the title of wife.


    But after hearing the name Aie from Berengar''s lips, the redheaded beauty felt for the first time that her position as her husband''s number one woman was under a direct threat. She knew everything about Berengar''s life, both past and present. As a result, she was all too aware who Mizuno Ai was, and what she meant to Berengar.


    In that moment, a deep sense of envy, fear, and anger had overtaken Linde''s sanity, so much so that she hadpletely forgotten where she was, and how many people were watching her every move. It was almost as if the light in her sky-blue eyes had been suddenly darkened by a deadly storm.


    Naturally, Berengar was concerned over the fact that his wife''s ss just shattered, and was quick to check on her condition. Going so far to grab ahold of her dainty hand to examine it for any potential injuries. However, just when he was about to question what was wrong, Linde used her free hand to viciously p the Japanese empress across the face, all while cursing her with a venomous tongue.


    "You fucking bitch! I knew it! I have known since I first let you into this house! I could feel it deep down in my heart this entire time, like a cage of thorns slowly bleeding me dry! You''re trying to steal him away from me!"


    The entire audience gazed in shock at Linde''s vile words which she had spoken towards a woman they all recognized to be the most recent of Berengar''s wives. As far as everyone present was concerned, the rtionship between Berengar and his five wives was a harmonious one, but this incident clearly proved otherwise. However, before anyone could calm the redheaded vixen''s fury, she turned on her husband and immediately began to scold him as well.


    "And you! How dare you not tell me something so important! I thought we didn''t keep secrets from one another! What else have you lied to me about?"


    Seeing the state of fury that Linde was in, both Berengar and Hans rushed forward to try to calm the woman, who looked like she was about to stab Itami in the heart with her dinner knife.


    "Linde, dear, calm down!"


    "Mother, what''s wrong?"


    The two men voiced their sentiments at the same time, while the entire audience hall watched in horror at the scene which had so suddenly appeared. Linde then grabbed a hold of Berengar''s cor, and looked him straight in the eyes, with such a crazed expression, that even a man such as himself, who had waged war on the front lines, and faced down death a hundred times, found to be terrifying.


    Just when Berengar felt that his life might very well be in danger, Linde did not in fact harm him, but instead kissed him passionately, as if marking her territory like a feral dog. However, in the next moment, she was quick toce her words with venom once more.


    "You are mine! You have always been mine! Ever since we firstid eyes on one another! I don''t want you seeing this little bitch anymore! No more flights to japan, and no more half-breed children! Do you understand me?" <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Despite Linde''s sudden outburst, Berengar was not pleased, however before he could say anything in his defense, Itami jumped into the ring. She quickly grabbed hold of the man''s cor and tore him away from Linde''s grip, where she too marked her territory with a kiss on the lips. After doing so, she narrowed her blood-red eyes, and stared down at Linde''s crazed gaze with one of equal determination.


    "How dare you speak to Ju �� Berengar in such a hostile manner? Who do you think you are? I am also his wife. We have been married in witness to both gods and men, and I will not allow you to insult me, or my husband, in such a way! Where do you get off thinking you have the authority topel my husband to stay away from me?"


    Seeing that blood was about to be spilled in a fight for his father''s love, Hans was desperate to salvage the situation and was quick to try to intervene.


    "Mother, Itami, please calm down-"


    However, before he could finish his thought, Berengar grabbed hold of the boy''s shoulder and shook his head silently before taking the boy aside and speaking to him some words of wisdom.


    "This has been a long timeing. Just let them have their little catfight. Your mother can handle herself, and so can Itami. I highly doubt either of the two women will kill each other. More importantly, you have guests to entertain, and this drama is unbefitting of you and your brides."


    After saying this, Berengar forced a smile as he addressed the crowd, while two of his wives continued to bicker and p each other in the background.


    "I''m terribly sorry about all of this. There has been a minor dispute between two of my wives. I''m sure all of you who are married to multiple women are aware that these things happen from time to time. So please, if you follow me, we will move this reception to the garden, where we can enjoy our meals in peace."


    Immediately, the kitchen staff began to change the venue of the wedding reception, while Itami and Linde pulled at each other''s hair, as they continued to scream at one another. Hans noticed that his father sought to privately handle this matter, and thus he immediately fulfilled the role of the host while leading everyone outside in an attempt to give his parents some space.


    Immediately after everyone had departed from the room, Berengar used his overwhelming strength to force the two beauties apart. Despite what Linde was anticipating, her husband neither red at nor scolded Itami, instead his fierce gaze fell upon herself, whose dress was all scuffed from all the fighting.


    In a surprising turn of events, Berengar backhanded the redheaded beauty across the face, something which he had never done before. Leaving Linde in a state ofplete and total shock. As Linde gazed upon her husband, whose face had turned cold, she felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation ovee her fragile heart. Whatever fury she contained within her soul had vanished in that moment, as Berengar no longer looked at her like the woman he loved, but instead, as if she were a disgusting piece of trash, unbefitting to be his wife.


    "Get a hold of yourself, woman! It is your son''s wedding day, and you are making a fucking scene like amon tramp... Utterly disgraceful.... You want to know why I didn''t tell you about this matter sooner? It is because I knew you would act this way.


    Clean yourself up, and when you have calmed down, you can join the rest of us for the wedding feast outside. Until then, get your shit together. You have brought dishonor to yourself, and your family, with your petty actions!"


    After berating Linde, Berengar walked past her without giving the woman a second look, where he immediately grabbed hold of Itami''s hand and led the woman outside, while speaking some final words before departing with the deliberate intent of hurting Linde''s already wounded ego.


    "Come Ai, we have a feast to attend to... And with the way that woman has conducted herself tonight, she is unworthy of our attention."


    The moment Itami followed after Berengar, she looked over her shoulder and made a taunting face towards Linde before trying to keep up with her man, who was walking at a brisk pace. In doing so, both Berengar and Itami had left Linde alone with nothing but her thoughts to keep her thoughts to keep herpany. Causing the woman to break down and cry for the first time in a very long time.


    Unbeknownst to Berengar, there was another figure who had stayed behind and remained hidden during this heated exchange. Once Berengar and Itami were gone, Honoria climbed out of the shadows, and hugged Linde tightly, while whispering words offort. She had known for some time how the redheaded beauty felt about her albino rival, and yet she never expected such a scene to ur on the night of Hans'' wedding.


    ---


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 Chapter 1161 Establishing Dominance

    Berengar did not check up on Linde for the next hour, as he hosted the meal for his son''s wedding. Instead, Henrietta had taken the woman''s ce at his right-hand side. As for Hans, he was quite concerned about his mother''s outburst, but had decided to leave this matter to his father, who was more experienced in dealing with the redheaded beauty.


    The meal continued for some time, as everyone present seemingly forgot about the incident between Linde and Itami, until finally Hans and his three brides went back to their room to retire for the night. As for Berengar, he did not immediately make his way to his room. Instead, he took a shortcut to the room where Linde and Honoria usually slept when they were absent from his bed.


    With a brief knock on the door, Berengar could hear the sobbing on the other end, and rather than request entry, he simply forced his way inside. Where he witnessed Honoriaforting Linde, whose makeup hadpletely run down her face.


    Berengar did not put on a calm facade, or even a loving smile. Instead, he stood in front of his wife and looked down at her, as if the very sight of her appearance offended him. The words that escaped his mouth only further pierced the woman''s already wounded heart.


    "You fucked up... You let your jealousy get the better of you, and made a scene on the night of your son''s wedding... How disgraceful. After all these years of being together, and you would still dare to believe that my heart would drift away from you. Yourck of faith in me is disgusting. Can I even call you my soul-mate when you behave so atrociously?"


    For the first time in a long time, Honoria got visibly upset with her husband. She immediately stood up from beside Linde and red at Berengar while responding with an equally vicious tongue.


    "This isn''t entirely Linde''s fault! You knew exactly how she felt about Itami, and yet you kept something so critical to your rtionship with that woman hidden for so long. Do you even care how any of us feel?"


    Berengar simply clicked his tongue in disdain as he responded to the byzantine beauty with the same furious gaze that he was giving to Linde.


    "Of course you would side with her. After all, the two of you are so close... No, the fault does not lie with me. I was waiting for the right time to tell Linde. After all, I know the fears that torment her mind. I was waiting for a day where she would be happy enough that such news would not upset her. Yet, even on the day of her eldest son''s wedding, she still responded so viciously when the truth was revealed.


    You want the truth? Fine, I''ll give you the truth. I discovered Itami''s real identity the night of our wedding. Yes, she is Mizuno Ai, a woman I once cared for deeply in my past life. And yes, she and I share a bond that transcends lifetimes. But that does not mean that I have entirely forgiven her for the actions she has taken in this life, something she deeply regrets and tries to atone for each day.


    However, I didn''t think I would need to remind you both that I only knew Ai for four years in that miserable life, and we never developed a rtionship that came close to what Linde and I have built in this one. In that entire time, were nothing more than friends who secretly harbored feelings for one another. It is not like I was reunited with the mother of my children!


    Seventeen years! Seventeen years, you and I have been together, Linde. And during that time, you have learned everything there is to know about me. I held no secrets, and I expected you to do the same. Until today, have I ever shown you anything but love and affection? I spoil you in every way imaginable, and in hindsight, I probably shouldn''t have.


    But let''s not forget what you have done! You have supported me when I took other women into my bed and even coerced me to do so in certain circumstances. So imagine my surprise when you suddenly behaved so hostile towards Ai, especially when you consider the fact that you were fine with all the others.


    It turns out your instincts are far beyond what is humanly possible! Because deep down you knew that there was something between myself and Ai from the moment you first met her. Something neither of us realized.


    So, after we got married, you became increasingly bitter about the time we spent together. And would voice this sentiment every time I was around. It was not as if I was oblivious to this fact. No, rather I was intimately aware of how you felt.


    So naturally, I wanted to make things up to you before I told you the truth, which I know would cause you some heartache. I was even going to take you out on a trip, just the two of us like I had done with Ad, in order to ensure that you were in the best mood possible before you heard the truthe from me. However, I have be far too ustomed to calling Itami by her previous name that I slipped up today, and in doing so, you behaved exactly how I expected you to.


    I''m disappointed in you, Linde. I thought that what we had transcended the cardinal sin of envy. Yet, here we are... You do realize that you are behaving no better than Ad, when she was envious about the rtionship you and I shared. Something she has since moved on from, and learned to ept.


    You know how much I hate a woman''s jealousy. So, I will give you two options: relinquish your envy and return to my side as my most beloved. Or get the hell out of my fucking house! I will give you tonight to thoroughly consider your options, but I expect your answer first thing in the morning..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The moment Berengar turned away and began heading towards the door, he felt a firm yet delicate handtch onto his wrist. As he turned back to look upon which of the two women had stopped his departure, he saw Linde on her knees. The look in her eyes was no longer one of envy, jealousy, anger, or hatred. Instead, it was filled with desperation as she pleaded with her husband not to leave her.


    "Please... Don''t leave me! I''ll behave! I promise you that I will behave! If you abandon me, I swear to the gods that I will kill myself! I can no longer live without you! Please, I will do anything you ask... just don''t leave me!"


    A twisted smirk appeared on Berengar''s handsome face, as he kneeled down, and hugged the woman tightly into his chest, while she wept out thest remnants of her envy and hatred. If it was between quelling her possessive nature, or being abandoned by the man she loved, Linde knew what she had to do, and would stop at nothing to achieve it. The words Berengar used to coo the woman into submission slightly intimidated Honoria as she watched the scene from afar.


    "Oh my sweet, lovely, stupid Linde... How could you allow your emotions to control you like this? You know that I love you more than anything in this world, right? No matter who I choose to sleep with, nothing will ever change that fact.


    If you had only used that logical part of your brain that I love so much, you would have realized that nothing Ai could ever do in this life would ever steal the position you hold in my heart. Stop crying. You already look pathetic enough already. Come, I think a nice warm bath will help calm you down, don''t you agree?"


    Despite being told to stop crying, Linde could not prevent herself from letting her tears out. Throughout the past seventeen years, Linde had never been able to anger Berengar into the state that he was in today. And as a result, the fear of losing the man she loved more than anything was enough to overwhelm both her heart and mind.


    However, even without the strength to rise to her feet, Berengar simply lifted Linde up into the air like a Princess, and carried her to the bath. The entire time, Honoria watched until the royal couple had disappeared from the room.


    What Honoria had just witnessed shocked her to the core of her entire being. As much as she loved Berengar, and respected his will, Honoria had always believed that Linde was the most maniptive person in the world.


    So much so that Linde had managed to wrap the most powerful man on earth around her pretty little fingers. Even though Linde called Berengar master in private, Honoria truly believed until this moment that the redheaded vixen was actually the one pulling the strings.


    Yet, if anything, what Honoria just saw proved just how much Berengar had conditioned Linde into being his obedient pet. Berengar had witnessed his wife disy an unpleasant side of herself, and in doing so, she had not only embarrassed herself, but her husband as well. As far as the man was concerned, this behavior clearly needed to be corrected.


    So what did Berengar do? He presented his wife with two options: bend to my will or kill yourself. After all, everyone who was in the room to witness this scene knew that Linde was serious when she imed that she would take her own life if her husband had abandoned her.


    But the most terrifying thing about what Honoria had just witnessed was just how quickly Berengar was capable of shifting from the role of a domineering tyrant to a loving husband once his wife had chosen to conform to his standards. Going so far as to reinforce the conditioning with the reward of his love and affection.


    Thus revealing to the Byzantine Princess that everything she had previously believed about theplicated rtionship that existed between Berengar and Linde was false. Berengar was the true master, just as Linde so often professed him to be, and Linde was nothing more than a love-stricken ve, unwilling to live without the intimacy of her man.


    As for Linde, she did indeed conform to Berengar''s desires, and immediately squashed the jealousy and hatred she felt for Itami, while enjoying the rewards of her sudden shift in personality. Whether or not Berengar would actually abandon the woman that he loved more than anything for making such a disgraceful scene, only he knew the answer to that question.


    ---


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 Chapter 1162 The Morning After

    The next morning was awkward for Itami, as Linde hadpletely done a one eighty in personality. She was no longer cold or outright hostile, but instead had be friendly and cooperative. As much as Itami wanted topete with the woman for Berengar''s affections during breakfast, Linde would not do so.


    This sudden shift in personality triggered something in Itami that made her feel as if something just wasn''t right. As for Berengar, he behaved as if nothing had happened the night before. Instead, he showered Linde and all his other wives with his love, including Itami. This simply did not make sense to Itami, and she was not alone in this thinking.


    Hans could count the number of times on one hand that he had seen such a furious look in his father''s eyes. As much as the man tried to conceal the wrath he felt deep within his heart during dinner the previous night, Hans and the rest of his children could detect an oppressive aura. Yet, that was no longer present today.


    The crown prince was deeply confused by this and immensely concerned. However, his thoughts were distracted by his own wives, and fiancees, who were behaving just as lovey dovey with him, as his parents were. And then it suddenly hit him right when he was in the middle of being fed by Veronika. The words his father had spoken to him right before his wedding.


    "Hah, love at first sight. Is that what she told you? Perhaps lust at first sight, but your mother did not love me until I properly drilled such a foreign emotion into her pretty little head."


    The moment Hans thought of this, he choked on his food, which brought concern from the entire table. However, before he could face any harm, Hans coughed up whatever was lodged in his throat while panting for air. Not only did his wives immediately check to see if he was alright, but so did his mother, who appeared as worried as she normally did whenever the slightest bit of misfortune befell her child.


    "Hans, my precious baby boy, are you okay?"


    The worried look in his mother''s eyes only further intensified the dread that Hans felt as he thought of what the woman must have endured to so quickly ovee theplicated emotions she visibly disyed the night before, and without thinking he quickly asked his mother something he shouldn''t have.


    "Mother... What did father do to youst night, after I went to bed? Are you okay?"


    This question immediately caught the interest of Itami, who also felt that something bad had happened after everyone returned to their rooms. After all, she too found it strange that Linde was behaving so differently towards her after the fight they had gotten into the night before.


    However, Linde had a strange look on her face, as if she did not understand what her son was asking at all, and after a few seconds of dreadful silence, she smiled as her expression shifted to one of sudden enlightenment.


    "What do you mean? Oh, I know! After you all went to bed, your father and I took a long bath together so that I could properly calm myself. There''s nothing to worry about, my baby boy. I just had a bit too much excitement from the day''s festivities and behaved rather poorly. It''s so embarrassing when I think back on how I acted that night. Please forgive your mother for being so unsightly!"


    Linde then turned around and set her sight on Itami. The way that the redheaded beauty looked at her albino counterpart waspletely different from their past interactions. So much so that Itami believed perhaps Linde had been reced with a doppelg?nger. Naturally, the apology that came from Linde''s lips was just as eerie to those who knew of Linde''s proud personality.


    "I''m terribly sorry, Empress Itami, please do forgive me for how I behaved towards you. It was entirely unbefitting of me..."


    Itami felt awkward now that all eyes were on her and instead sighed in exhaustion before nodding her head. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s fine... I think we all had a bit too much excitement after the ceremony. I myself behaved rather poorly. Allow me to apologize as well."


    While the two women seemed to havee to an understanding, Berengar carefully eyed his son, fearing that he may have said too much regarding how he disciplines the boy''s mother. It was a passingment on his part, but only now did he realize that Hans might be suspicious regarding the rtionship between his two parents.


    If Hans dide to learn of the ultimatum that his father had given his mother the night before, then it was entirely likely that he would never forgive the man for being so cruel. After all, the boy would never quite understand the kind of woman his mother was, even if he had some inkling of the truth, nor the drastic measures that were needed to be taken in order to keep Linde in her ce.


    Linde had a bad habit of trying to dominate and manipte her man, and every so often would get out of control, like the night before. In those rare cases, Berengar needed to react with a firm hand to remind his wife who was in charge. It was simply the nature of their rtionship.


    Luckily, Hans seemed to have bought into his mother''s words. After all, he had never witnessed his father be cruel to the woman, and the love the two of them shared was something he aspired to emte in his rtionships with his wives. Thus, the prince was more willing to believe that his father reacted to his mother''s outburst withpassion, rather than cruelty.


    However, Itami was not fully convinced. She was still trying to uncover what kind of man Julian had be after living another life in this unforgiving world. When she really thought about it there were also some worrying rumors about Berengar''s cruelty towards the native poptions in the colonies.


    Though Itami had not personally witnessed exceptional cruelty by the man towards his loved ones, there was no doubt that Berengar was not the same person as Julian, at least not personality wise. Something had indeed changed within the man she once loved.


    Perhaps, he too could be a bit cruel towards his wives if they stepped out of turn. After all, Itami did, in fact, witness Berengar absolutely smack the shit out of Linde the night before, something she never thought would have been possible from Julian.


    Thinking about such a thing, Itami felt a deep sense of fear manifest in her heart. Was Berengar the domineering tyrant that she was led to believe so many years ago? After meeting the man in person, she believed these to be false rumors spread by his enemies to taint his image, but the sight of the man backhanding his wife in the previous night, and the furious look on his face when he did it, remained within her mind.


    However, after several moments of reflection, Itami sighed and shook her head. After the shit that she pulledst night, Linde deserved the punishment that she received, and so long as Berengar did not further inflict violence upon the womanter that night, then she could find his actions eptable. After all, if she were ever to act in such a disgraceful manner, she, too, would expect to be pped like that.


    Thus, any worries that Itami had towards Berengar being a man of cruelty passed in an instant, and instead, Itami decided to y along with the happy-go-lucky atmosphere that had overtaken the room. After all, everyone sitting at this table was now a member of her family, and she did not often get to interact with them due to the distance between their two homes.


    ---


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 Chapter 1163 The Atomic Age

    It had been twenty years since Berengar first reincarnated into this world. Despite all the trials and tribtions the man had faced, thest few years of his life had been utterly peaceful. Nearly five years had passed since the day the war with Japan ended, and during this time, Berengar had begun toy down the foundation that would make his Empire unchallenged for centuries toe.


    Since the victory in Japan, Berengar had been focused on the growth of the fathend both abroad via its colonies, and at home, especially in regards to the weapons introduced into service. From third generation jet aircraft, such as the F-5e Tiger II, to the introduction of the main battle tank in the form of the Leopard 1A5. The military technology of the Reich had propelled itself several decades further into the future in a mere five years.


    Yet until now, one critical piece of technology was dreadfully missing. Today was the day that Berengar''s scientists and engineers had finallypleted the project that the Kaiser had tasked them to fulfill over five years ago.


    Standing in a top secret facility, located in a small town safely outside of the Empire''s capital, a forty-year-old Berengar stood with a stoic expression on his handsome face. The man had aged quite graciously, and still contained his signature golden locks even now as he approached his middle years. Aside from the lines on his face, one other feature of the man''s appearance had changed. Berengar''s chiseled jawline was now obscured by a well-trimmed and oiled beard.


    The project lead looked over at his Kaiser with a confident expression on his face, as he exined in a brief summary just what they had aplished today.


    "Your Majesty, you will be pleased to know that the directions you gave use on how to most efficiently, and safely build a nuclear reactor have born fruit. What you see in front of you is a small modr molten salt reactor. Not only is it less prone to meltdowns than our previous designs, but it also produces less radioactive waste, which our people are prepared to store in the colonies. I assure you that we have found a way to safely dispose of the waste in a safe and environmentally friendly manner."


    Berengar silently nodded his head in affirmation of the news he had just received, while looking at the nuclear reactor which he and the project team were currently shielded from in a safe room. Though he was only a mechanical, and civil engineer during his past life, he knew enough about nuclear physics, and the proposed theories for improved reactors, that he had been able to set greater minds than himself on the correct path to achieve what it was that he desired.


    Since the Kaiser hade all this way, from his home, he did not want to wait any further and coldly gave the order to fire up the reactor.


    "Very well. I trust your calctions. Go ahead and turn the reactor on when you are ready. I dare say if you have seeded in your endeavors, then we now have a means to provide safe and clean energy for the entirety of the Reich. Soon enough we will no longer need to burn bio-diesel to power our cars in the streets, instead we can spend the next decade or two transitioning to electric vehicles, powered by nuclear energy."


    Though the logistics for such a futuristic society were not yet in ce, Berengar knew it would not be long before his Empire that he had built from scratch surpassed the society which he had lived during his previous life.


    It had only been twenty years since Berengar had reincarnated into this medieval world, and yet already the German Empire was in a technological state simr to the 1970s in many ways. With the introduction of nuclear power, Berengar would now be able to say that his state was fully on par with such an era.


    As for the Project lead, he did not hesitate to give the order, and in just a few short moments, the world''s first nuclear reactor had begun to power up. Theputer systems within the facility confirmed that everything was functioning as it should, and within minutes, the small modr molten salt reactor was providing 300 megawatts of energy for the capital of the German Empire.


    The Reich had never adopted coal power nts, and insteadrgely relied on hydroelectric and geothermal power until now. However, in the colonies where in many ces such natural sources of energy werecking, it had been difficult to establish reliable power without relying on some unclean source such as coal. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    If there was one thing Berengar was concerned with, it was mitigating the impact his civilization had on the environment. Because of this, there were strict environmental regtions across the board, and many conservationist policies were in ce.


    The introduction of safe and clean nuclear power was a right step forward for humanity, and with his resources dedicated to the further development of nuclear power, Berengar believed that within the next one hundred years, nuclear fusion would be a reality.


    As the reactor stabilized, and continue to produce a steady supply of power for the area, the team of scientists and engineers began to cheer. What they had just aplished would provide a bright future for the German Reich, and as a result, even Berengar found himself smiling. The Kaiser ced his hand on the project lead''s shoulder and congratted the man on his and his team''s sess.


    "Congrattions, it looks like you will be receiving the Imperial Order of Arts and Science for this outstanding feat!"


    The scientist smiled and nodded his head in response to this statement. He had always hoped that he would one day work on a project that would lead to this award, and was gracious to ept the Kaiser''s benevolence.


    "You honor me my Kaiser, but we never would have been able to achieve this, in such a short timeframe if not for the direction you provided us. Even so, I thank you for your generosity!"


    As for Berengar, he remained silent as he gazed upon the nuclear reactor. There were so many things that could be developed from this new technology. From nuclear-powered vessels, to nuclear propulsion for manned missions to others. The Atomic age was one of wonder, and was sadly squandered in his past life due to the failures of the Soviet Union and their Chernobyl disaster.


    However, Berengar had ensured that only the strictest possible safety regtions were in ce to prevent a nuclear meltdown on any scale. Thus, his people could freely develop nuclear technology without the fear of causing a worldwide disaster.


    Despite this new technology, and the unlimited possibilities it granted to the German people, there was still one application of nuclear technology that Berengar would utterly refuse to develop. And that was nuclear weapons. With the power his Empire held, especially in regard to the other major Empires in the world. He could ensure that no state, even his own, ever developed such foolish and destructive weapons.


    Thus, Berengar returned to his family that night in an exceptionally good mood. Luckily for him, his wives had been behaving themselves since the night of his eldest son''s wedding, and he no longer had to worry about petty catfights breaking out between them.


    ---


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 Chapter 1164 Shocking New Technology

    Itami stepped off of an aircraft with three small Eurasian children in tow. Her eldest son Ryu was nearly four years old, while her other two kids were even younger, and required her constant attention. As the Japanese Empress gazed upon the Kufstein Airport, she could not help but shake her head while voicing her disbelief.


    "To think that in only five years, you would be able to standardize supersonicmercial aircraft across your Empire. I can''t help but stand in awe of all that you have aplished, my love..."


    The Kufstein Airport had dozens ofrge supersonic aircraft contained within, many of which were headed to every corner of the earth. Whether it be the German colonies across the globe, or the many different nations which were either aligned with, or swore fealty to the Reich.


    As the wife of the Kaiser, Itami had received her own private transport, so that she could journey from Tokyo to Kufstein whenever she so desired. That''s right, as part of the reconstruction efforts of Japan, the city of Tokyo was practically built from scratch, and had be the new capital of Imperial Japan.


    If not for the fact that Itami regrly saw supersonic F-5s fly over her homnd, she would not have believed the progress that her husband had made in a few short years. Still, she did not reflect on it for more than a few moments, as she pushed her children''s stroller towards the car that awaited them in the parking lot.


    With little help from her servants, Itami was able to buckle her kids into the limousine, as it drove off, through the federal highway, and towards the Pce which lie in the heart of the city of Kufstein.


    After arriving at the pce driveway, Itami and her children were greeted by Berengar and the rest of his family. By now, most of his kids were in their teenage years, or quickly approaching them. With his eldest son nearly being twenty. Though he and his wives were visibly absent from the family gathering.


    One thing that Itami quickly noticed was just how beautiful her husband''s daughters had be. With Helga stealing the spotlight. Aside from her sapphire eyes, the young woman was the spitting image of her mother. Not that Itami knew what Linde looked like when she was seventeen years of age.


    Berengar was quick to approach Itami, as he hugged the woman and kissed her passionately. The bristles of the man''s beard caused the albino beauty some difort as she criticized the man for his facial hair.


    "Honestly, did you really have to grow a beard? It''s so... atrocious!"


    Berengar simply chuckled as he shook his head, and countered his wife''s opinion with his own.


    "What you don''t like it? I think having a beard is perfectly suitable for a man my age!"


    Seeing that she was not going to convince her man to shave, Itami simply sighed and shook her head before changing the topic.


    "Kids, aren''t you happy to see your father?"


    In all honestly, the kids did not recognize their father with his facial hair. It was only after their mother told them who this man was did they suddenly rush over and hug him. Berengar fell to the ground as he was tackled by three of his youngest children. All while smiling and ying with them in the grass.


    By now Berengar hadrge families with each of his wives, with Itami being the only one without five children. Even Henrietta had given birth to five kids. Though Itami knew she was also the youngest among Berengar''s wives, and still had plenty of time before she had to worry aboutpeting with those numbers..


    Linde was quick to greet Itami while their husband yed with his kids. No longer was there any mutual hatred between the two, and in fact, they had grown to be friends over the past five years of interaction.


    "Itami, it is good to see you again. How was your flight?"


    Itami scoffed ever so slightly, as she reflected on how long it took to fly from Japan to Germany in her past life,pared to this one. She could only sigh and ept the fact that Berengar was a man who put efficiency above profit.


    "I must say, it was shorter than I was anticipating. I still can''t believe that you guys have already developed supersonicmercial aircraft. The fact that you even make luxury versions of these jets for private owners is insane. I have no idea just how well off the Reich is as ofte, but you have truly left me speechless."


    The ne in question was the standard passenger aircraft of the Reich and was, in many ways, simr to the infamous concorde of Berengar and Itami''s past life. However, as Berengar rose to his feet, after crawling out of his youngest children''s arms, he was quick to inform Itami of just how advanced the Reich had be. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Would you believe me if I told you that we have recently invented nuclear power? As of right now, the fathend is powered entirely by clean energy, whether that be hydroelectric, geothermal, or even nuclear fission."


    Itami stood in disbelief as she heard this. While many of the technological feats that Germany had aplished so far were years ahead of basic nuclear energy, she knew that if Berengar had taken this long to invent a nuclear reactor; it was not a normal feat, and was quick to inquire just how advanced his reactors were.


    "Funny, I don''t remember seeing any cooling towers when I flew into the city. Please don''t tell me you have already achieved small modr reactors?"


    A guilty look appeared on the man''s handsome face, which told Itami all she needed to know. Just when she thought she could not be any more shocked, Zara entered the scene. After eavesdropping on her father''s conversation, she could not help but to butt in.


    By now Zara was already sixteen years old and was the perfect blend of her father and mother. She was nearly fully grown and had the same voluptuous body that Yasmin was so renowned for. If Berengar was not the girl''s father, even he would be tempted to take her as one of his lovers. Despite the girl''s shocking beauty, she was intelligent beyond measure, and was quick to inform Itami of what she had personally achieved these past few years.


    "Daddy! Don''t just brag about your aplishments, tell her about the satellites I haveunched into space!"


    Itami thought she had already heard the wildest news, but was shocked even further when Zara spoke about satellites. She was quick to inquire further about this particr piece of information.


    "Satellites, what satellites?"


    Berengar smiled, and just when he was about to exin theunching of several military satellites into orbit, Zara beat him to it.


    "The rockets I have designed are now capable of sending military satellites into orbit. We have already sent thirty-two of them into space within thest year. In doing so, we are now developing a new technology called the Global Positioning System, or GPS for short, which will allow our military to be far more urate with its intercontinental ballistic missiles.


    Within the year, we will be able to precisely hit any target on the with a ballistic missile! Although I disapprove of my rockets being used to ferry satellites into space for military applications, daddy says it''s necessary for the security of our family, so I have no choice but toply..."


    Immediately after saying this Zara began to pout, as she looked over at her father, who did not react in the slightest to her solid exnation. Meanwhile, Itami had a very difficult time processing all this information. The German Reich was developing so rapidly. While the nation of Japan, or what had been rebuilt, was still stuck in the 1930s when it came to most of their technology.


    If things continued at this rate, Germany would surpass the world Itami hade from in a matter of decades. It was truly unfathomable. It was at this time that Itami noticed that a few members of Berengar''s family were absent and was quick to question the man about their whereabouts.


    "I just now realized, I don''t see Honoria or her kids. Why are they not here?"


    Berengar and Linde looked at each other for a moment, before quickly giving Itami a satisfactory answer.


    "They are in Constantinople at the moment. The Emperor is very sick, even our best doctors say he doesn''t have long to live. Thus, Honoria wants to spend some time with her father before he passes away. We will be flying out to Constantinople soon as well. When Vetranis finally dies, my son Alexandros will be named the next Byzantine Emperor, and I will have to be there for his coronation.


    But let''s not worry about such grim matters. You have made a long journey to my home, and I have a meal being prepared for you and our kids as we speak."


    Itami simply sighed and nodded her head, as she followed Berengar and the rest of his family into the Pce. The shocking new technology which she now knew that the Reich was developing had thoroughly fried her brain. As a result, she wanted nothing more than to snack on some fine German cuisine, and spent some quality time with her husband, who she had been away from for too long.


    ---


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 Chapter 1165 Crowning Of An Emperor Part I

    Word spread across Europe almost overnight. Emperor Vetranis had done the unthinkable. After over forty years of sitting on the Byzantine Throne, the man had decided it was time to call it quits. Rumors immediately popped up about just what wouldpel the man to yield his throne to his grandson, and it did not take long for those who were curious toe to the conclusion that the Byzantine Emperor was very ill.


    Berengar had taken the first flight to Constantinople with his entire family in tow. His reason for doing so was twofold, one was that he needed to say a few things to the dying Emperor before he finally passed, and two, his son would soon be crowned Emperor of Byzantium, and thus, he would have to be there for the boy''s coronation.


    With ess to supersonic aircraft, it took less than an hour for the Kaiser to arrive in the ancient capital of the Byzantine Empire, where he, along with his family were greeted at the airport by Prince Alexandros, who had a wide smile on his face when he saw his father step off his ne.


    Despite being surrounded by armed guards, Alexandros did not fear his father''s embrace, and quickly hugged the man, as hemented on his arrival.


    "Father, it is good to see you. It has been some time since west saw each other. How have you been?"


    Alexandros was now eighteen years old, and Berengar could not help but notice how much the young man looked like himself when he was his son''s age. Aside from the obvious differences in skin tone, hair color, and eye color, Alexandros had the same princely features of his old man.


    After taking a few moments to admire the man that his son had be, Berengar smiled, and ced his hand firmly on the boy''s shoulder before assuring him that everything had been fine in his life up until this point.


    "I have been good son, thesest few years of peace have been good for my health. Your mothers ensure that I neither eat nor drink too much, and maintain optimal health. Perhaps it is due to their efforts that I have aged so gracefully, despite entering the halfway point of my life."


    Alexandros simply chuckled at his father''s words. The man was acting as if they hadn''t seen each other in five years. While it was true that he had moved to Constantinople after graduating from high school, that was not even a year ago, and even then he had quite frequently visited the fathend. Still, it was nice to see that the old man was doing well, and thus Alexandros smiled and nodded his head, before leading his family into the vehicles that awaited for them.


    "Well, I believe that is enough of pleasantries. Grandfather is very ill, and he does not have much time left. However, he wishes to see me crowned as emperor before he passes, and so I''m afraid time is of the essence. Come with me, and my drivers will take you to the pce."


    Berengar did not say a word, and instead nodded his head, as he and hisrge family gathered into several armored cars which took them back to the pce. Though Byzantium had the technological capabilities of a pre-industrial state, they did in fact purchase vehicles and bio-diesel from the reich, for the sake of safely transporting the Royal Family across the city.


    As Berengar drove through the streets, he noticed the changes in the city that had urred over thest five years. Undoubtedly, these changes were the result of his son''s hard work, who for thest five years or so, had been secretly running the Byzantine Empire from behind the scenes.


    What was once a medieval state had entered into the early modern era. Animal and water power were extensively used throughout the city, while plumbing now existed in every household, both for disposal of waste, and transportation of clean water.


    Hospitals existed throughout the city where doctors trained in the Reich were able to provide medication manufactured in the Reich for their patients. There were even a few surgeries being done in Constantinople. And while the Capital of Byzantium was a thriving metropolis, the rest of the Empire, especially those parts east of the Bosporus, was still ying catch up.


    The only things that were missing in Berengar''s eyes were the steam engine and electricity. If the Byzantine Empire had ess to those two things, then it would likely have entered into a state equivalent to thete Victorian era by now. That did not, however, mean that Byzantium wascking in means of transportation.


    As part of a grand effort on behalf of Prince Alexandros, and via coordination with the Reich, not only did arge high-speed rail system exist between the two nations, but there was also an airport, built, maintained, and operated by the Reich. This was the facility that Berengar hadnded in earlier.


    While the Reich rapidly advanced into the technological capabilities of the cold war and beyond, those European States which swore fealty to Germany were just now approaching the industrial revolution. However, something was holding them back, and the reality was that German Imperial Intelligence was keeping critical technology out of the hands of the other European states.


    Even Alexandros could not receive approval to start up his own chemical production, or industrial factories. His father would never allow the world to catch up to the Reich, and thus, the Prince of Byzantium could only sigh, and ensure that his people relied on Germany for all the luxuries they now took advantage of.


    After a brief trip through the city, Berengar and his family arrived that Pce, where he stepped out of the car, only to be immediately greeted by his daughter Helena, who rushed up and hugged her father, along with her little sister Valeria who was significantly younger than the teenage princess.


    By now, Helena looked almost exactly like her mother Honoria did when she first entered Kufstein all those years ago, which brought a tear to Berengar''s eye as he remembered the past with fondness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, Helena was no pirate queen, nor a free spirit like her mother. Instead, she spent most of her time in her room back in Kufstein. If anything, the girl was what one would consider a nerd. She enjoyed ying tabletop role-ying games with friends, and writing fantasy novels, where the main character was almost always inspired by her father in some way or another.


    When she saw her father finally visit constantinople, she and her younger sister jumped into the man''s arms, and hugged him tightly as they weed the man to their mother''s ancestral home.


    "Father, you''re finally here! It''s been so long since Ist saw you. Did you miss me?"


    Berengar scoffed when he heard this. All of his daughters were like this, and in a way greatly resembled their mothers in that regard. If he was away for just a few weeks, they would get all excited when he finally returned to them.


    Today was no different. It was only a fortnight ago that Honoria took her children to Constantinople to visit their grandfather onest time before the old man finally croaked. Yet, here the girl was pretending it had been a year or longer. However, Berengar did not mind this treatment, and instead pet both of his daughter''s heads, as he epted their affection..


    "Indeed, I did. Tell me, what have the two of you been up to while your elder brother is preparing for his coronation?"


    Helena and Valeria looked at one another for a brief second, before the two girls wore a coy smile while responding at the same time, with the same words.


    "It''s a secret!"


    Berengar simply shook his head and noticed that Alexandros was rather impatiently waiting for him to conclude such a pointless conversation. With a heavy sigh, he broke away from his daughters'' embrace before walking towards his son, but not before leaving one final statement.


    "Well, I''m sure I''ll be surprised then when you finally reveal it to me. Now, if you girls don''t mind, I have an important meeting with your brother and grandfather."


    After saying this, Berengar followed Alexandros throughout the Byzantine pce until they finally arrived at the main bedroom, where Vetranisy in his bed, narrowly avoiding death. Once outside the front door, the byzantine prince stopped his father, and gave him one warning before permitting entry.


    "Grandfather is very sick and is on the verge of death. Please, don''t say anything startling to the man or he might very well die on the spot..."


    Berengar nodded his head in silence before opening the door, where he saw the old Byzantine Emperor lying on his bed. The man had clearly been withering away these past few months because he was as gaunt as a skeleton.


    When Berengar first learned of his father-inw''s diagnoses, he figured the man would be dead within a month. And yet, stubbornly, the old bastard held on for three whole months, waiting for his grandson to take the throne, so that he could die knowing that his Empire was in good hands.


    Thus, Berengar was not surprised that the man was in such dire straights, and simply knelt down by the side of his bed, waiting for the Byzantine Emperor to notice his arrival. Several moments passed before a bony hand reached for Berengar''s own, while a raspy voice called out to him.


    "So... You havee atst..."


    ---


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 Chapter 1166 Crowning Of An Emperor Part II

    Berengar stood by the bedside of the frail and aging Byzantine Emperor. The man was on the brink of death, and only his stubborn heart had kept the reaper''s embrace away from him for so long. Vetranis voice was cold and raspy, as if his words were spoken by death himself, while he weed his son-inw into his home.


    "And here I thought you were going to wait until I entered the grave before finally visiting my home... Well, I suppose that you have some tact after all."


    The rtionship between Berengar and Vetranis was aplicated one, during the past twenty years there were multiple instances where Berengar had manipted the Byzantine Emperor into doing his bidding, and as a result, there were definitely some old wounds that had never quite healed properly.


    Berengar, however, did not respond to the disrespect he had just received, at least not how one would expect a man in his position to do so. Instead, he understood that these were the dying words of an old man, and thus he simply smirked before retorting to Vetranis'' words with a quip of his own.


    "You called me all the way to this city, just to say that? Come on, old man, I''m sure there''s more you want to say to me than justining about my tardiness."


    Vetranis coughed violently after hearing this before looking over at his son-in-Law with a stern expression on his gaunt face. Only the two emperors could tell what was silently being said between their eyes. Finally, after several moments of awkward silence, Vetranis spoke his mind for the first time in nearly twenty years.


    "You may be the man that my daughter loves more than anything in this world, and the father of my grandchildren, but I am sure it won''t surprise you when I say that I never liked you. Sure, you may have built an Empire that has eclipsed even the ancient glory of Rome, but you were never worthy of my daughter''s hand in marriage, and judging by the way you have treated her all these years, despite her love for you, I would say that I was always right about you."


    This response was well within Berengar''s expectations, but Alexandros waspletely and utterly stunned by his grandfather''s words. However, before the boy could defend his old man, Berengar spoke up himself.


    "The way I treat your daughter? That''s funny. I recall giving the woman everything she has ever wanted. Unlike you, who kept her locked up in this pce like a little bird, I gave the woman her freedom, and yet she chose to alwayse back to my side. If you ask your daughter how she feels about our rtionship, I am certain that she would say that she is satisfied. So tell me, old man, why do you think I have treated your daughter poorly?"


    Vetranis simply scoffed as he looked at his son-inw with cold eyes before responding in an equally chilling tone.


    "Because she is my daughter, the daughter of the Roman Emperor, and yet in your eyes she has always been, and always will be, nothing more than a side piece. From the moment I first saw the two of you together, I knew that she was not, nor ever would be, your favorite woman. She deserves better than that."


    His grandfather''s remarks immediately outraged Alexandros, who was quick to speak up before his father could.


    "Grandfather, with all due respect, but you have no idea what you''re talking about. My father loves my mother, and even married her. The same can not be said for all of his women. So what if she is not his favorite? He has never shown her any coldness or cruelty and has always supported my mother in everything she has ever endeavored. I suggest you let go of this resentment towards my father, especially now that you are so near death!"


    Though Alexandros had defended his father, Berengar simply stared at the dying emperor in silence for some time. It was not like he did not understand the man''s feelings. As a father himself, Berengar felt that no suitor who had ever asked for the hand of one of his daughters had ever been worthy.


    This was the primary reason that Helga and the others were still unmarried and unbetrothed, despite some of the girls being well past the age that was normal for such things. Thus, after several seconds of awkward silence, Berengar finally spoke.


    "So you summoned me to your death bed so you that could voice your disapproval towards me? It is not like I don''t understand your feelings. You are right, Honoria has never been, nor shall ever be, my favorite bride. And if one of my daughters married a man who felt that way towards her, I would resent him until the day I died as well.


    There is also the fact that on more than one asion, I have manipted you for the benefit of my own realm. I have also taken advantage of Byzantium time and time again, and am even now limiting its growth so that it shall never threaten my Empire. If I were in your position, I would hate me too.


    If that were all there was to it, then I would say you are justified in telling me all of this. But you are forgetting one criticalponent of yourints. On multiple asions, I have saved Byzantium from a gruesome fate, and without my interference in your affairs, especially regarding your session, then by now the Roman Empire, and what little remains of its culture would truly be dead.


    So as much as you may resent me for not favoring your daughter like I should, and for taking advantage of the debts you have owed me in the past. You should be on your knees kissing my feet, for my benevolence.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But you are an old man who is not long for this world. So I will not require you to do something so strenuous. Instead, I will ept your resentment and anger towards me, and will respond to it by roughly fucking your daughter in her childhood bed tonight."


    Alexandros looked up at his father, and did not say a word. He just wanted to get the mental image of what the man had just described out of his head. As for Vetranis, he simply sighed before shifting the subject by asking his grandson a question.


    "Is everything already prepared?"


    Naturally, Alexandros knew that the man was referring to his coronation, and as such he nodded silently, which Vetranis responded to by giving out onest order to his grandson.


    "Very well, then help me into my chair so that I can witness your coronation. I feel that the reaper is very close, and if we don''t act now, then I won''t be able to watch as my crown is peacefully passed onto my chosen sessor. Thus preventing my own foolish sons from doing something stupid and destructive."


    After hearing this, Alexandros helped his grandfather into his wheelchair, before wheeling the man out of the room, and towards the great hall, where the entire Byzantine and German Royal families were present, along with several other important guests from among the Byzantine Elite.


    Berengar followed his son into the Great hall, where he stood by, and watched as the coronation ceremony began. The event was very long winded, and rather dull for a man like Berengar who was the supreme power of this world, however he waited patiently until the very end without saying a word. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, Alexandros kneeled before his grandfather, who slowly, and carefully ced the crown on the boy''s head, before dering him the new Emperor of Byzantium.


    "With this act, I Emperor Vetranis Piologos, hereby name my grandson Alexandros Piologos as the new Roman Emperor, and in doing so, pass my office, and power unto him. Kneel before your Emperor!"


    All the Byzantine subjects in the audience immediately kneeled before Alexandros, while the boy stood up from his kneeled position, and faced his guests with a stoic expression on his face where he then made a shocking decree.


    "My first act as the newly crowned Roman Emperor is to henceforth change the name of my dynasty. As of this moment, I am creating a cadet branch of both my mother''s and father''s dynasties, known from this day forth as Piologos-Kufstein. In doing so, I hope to act as a symbol of the unity between Germany, and Constantinople from now until the end of days!"


    This news hadpletely caught the old Emperor by surprise, who, upon hearing such a shocking revtion, immediately passed away while sitting in his wheelchair. Alexandros took notice of this, and checked on the man, only to confirm that he had no pulse, where he proceeded to sigh, shake his head, and close his grandfather''s eyelids.


    "Emperor Vetranis if dead... Long live the new emperor!"


    Immediately, all the kneeling byzantine subjects reacted to this news by chanting the words.


    "Long live the Emperor!"


    As for Honoria, she had broken out in tears upon seeing her father so suddenly pass away. Where Berengar quickly grabbed hold of his grieving wife andforted her. All the while, Alexandros stepped past his grandfather''s corpse, and took his seat upon his new throne.


    ---


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 Chapter 1167 Long Live The Emperor

    The funeral for Vetranis was held not long after his death. As for Alexandros, he immediately became entrenched in managing the nation''s affairs and seldom escaped from his study. Even his young fiancee Zenobia was unable to get the man out of his office who was stubbornly preparing for something rather serious.


    It was only after the funeral was over, did Alexandros approach his father and mother, who were front and center for the entire ceremony. The moment Berengarid eyes on his son, and the stern expression he was making, he knew that the boy wanted something from him, and thus waited patiently for the new Byzantine Emperor to make his request.


    Alexandros sequestered his father away from his mother who was in tears for a private conversation before he spoke with the dignity of an Emperor. By the tone in his voice, and his choice of words, it became abundantly clear that Alexandros was speaking not as a son, but as the Emperor of Byzantium.


    "Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, as the newly crowned Emperor of Byzantium, there is a request I would like to make of you..."


    Berengar silently nodded his head, giving the boy his approval to speak. Which Alexandros quickly took advantage of.


    "As you know, several hostile states surround the Byzantine Empire on its eastern borders. I intend to remedy this by invading the near east, and annexing the sultanates. While my army is prepared and willing to wage war against our neighbors, I would humbly request that you honor our alliance and provide air support for my forces."


    Berengar instinctively wore a cruel smile when he heard his son''s request. It was no secret that over the past five years the Reich had been rapidly modernizing its forces, so much so, that there were several new supercarriers designed that were based on the Nimitz-ss from his past life.


    An entire fleet of these new carriers had already beenid down, and was only waiting upon the construction of a dedicated nuclear power supply in order to bepleted. It would only be a matter of months before they were outfitted with twin molten salt reactors that generated considerably more power than the small modr nuclear reactors, which were bing standard across the Reich.


    From then on, the ten Kaiser-ss carriers which were currently in service would be reced with the new and improved super-carriers. With another ten of such vessels being produced within the next ten years. By the end of the decade, the Kriegsmarine nned to have a total of twenty super-carriers operational across the globe.


    Naturally, Berengar wanted someone to test these new weapons on, especially his new F-5e Tiger II fighter jets, which were capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, and a 1100 kg bomb.


    By now, the Entirety of the Luftwaffe''s fighters had been reced with these new Jets, which not only served the role of an air superiority fighter but also as a multirole fighter, as well as a reconnaissance fighter depending on the variation produced.


    There had also been new supersonic Strategic Bombers based upon the B-1 Lancer that had reced all previous bomber designs, as well the introduction of attack helicopters such as the AH-1 Cobra, and dedicated close air support jets like the A-10 Thunderbolt II.


    Naturally with such new and overwhelming air power, Berengar wanted nothing more than to test it in the field, so after hearing his son''s request air support in his war against the Arab sultanates of the near east, he was more than happy to ept this offer.


    "Of course, my son. All you need to do is ask, and the Luftwaffe will be there to support you. Although I would prefer if you waited a few months before you dere war. The Reich is currently close topleting new aircraft carriers that would allow us to project an even greater amount of force abroad. Once the first of these vessels enters service, I will be more than happy to provide all the air support that you need."


    Alexandros thought about this carefully and nodded his head in agreement with the terms his father had set forth. He then shifted his sight back over to his mother, who was beingforted by Linde as she grieved her father''s recent passing. Concerned for the woman''s wellbeing, Alexandros finally spoke up.


    "How is mother doing? I know she was not particrly close with her family, but it must be a heavy thing to watch your father be interned into the earth?"


    Berengar did not even need to nce over at Honoria to understand her conflicted emotions. He sighed heavily before responding to his son''s question with a defeated expression on his handsome face.


    "Your mother will be fine. She just needs some time to process her emotions. After all, she was not exactly the best daughter, and she will have toe to terms with that. Still, to think, the old man finally kicked the bucket.


    I thought for sure he was too stubborn to die. Personally, I always wanted to go out on the battlefield in a ze of glory, but nowadays I think dying in my sleep would be more ideal. I never would have thought that Vetranis would die of shock after hearing you announce the formation of a new dynasty." <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alexandros shot his father a dirty look when he heard hisst few words. His grandfather was about to expire any minute from the moment he first entered the throne room. It was not his fault that death imed the man only after he made such an announcement.


    Seeing the way that his son was looking at him, Berengar chuckled before patting Alexandros on the back while reassuring the boy that he wasn''t being serious with what he had said.


    "Lighten up son, I was only joking. It''s honestly a miracle that the stubborn old bastard was even able to ce the crown on your head. Honestly, Vetranis was unfit to rule over an Empire as mighty as Byzantium. The wisest thing he ever did in life was make you his sessor. Speaking of, I trust you are keeping a watchful eye on your uncles."


    Alexandros could find no fault with what his father had said. After all, he had been working tirelessly these past few years making up for the horrific decisions his grandfather had made, which resulted in the near annihtion of the Byzantine Empire.


    After five hard years of work, the Empire was finally on the right track, so much so that they could now afford a war with their neighbors. Now was the time for the Romans'' vengeance, something that Alexandros nned to make an example of. While thinking about this, Alexandros looked back to his grandfather''s tomb before speaking about the man.


    "It is true that grandfather was not a very good Emperor, and the Lord only knows how much work I have been forced to endure just to bring this Empire back from the brink of copse. But he was still my grandfather, and your father-inw. You should show him more respect. But considering how he felt about you, I won''t force you to do so.


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement with his son''s words before switching the subject back to business.


    "Six months. In six months, I will have the first of my super-carriers operational, which I will deploy from Cyprus. Give me six months, and then you can have your war. Although, do you mind if I give you some advice? You know, from one conqueror to another?"


    Alexandros looked at his father with a stern expression on his face. The man had given him all the knowledge he needed to be an exceptional ruler in his own right and had created a powerful example for him to follow.


    Thus, whatever words he had on the subject of conquest were bound to be enlightening. With this in mind, the young Byzantine Emperor slowly nodded his head in anticipation of his father''s words, which were as follows.


    "If you are going to be waging a war of vengeance against the Arabic sultanates: a group of people who have spent thest millennium engaging in acts of aggression against your people, then you cannot show them any mercy.


    The Vienna ords be damned. You bring forth both fire and fury on such a scale that your newly conquered subjects never dare to rise up against you, or your descendents. I need to remind you that the Luftwaffe can only provide you with air support against military targets, however; it is up to you to determine what qualifies as such. Do you understand me, boy?"


    Alexandros soaked in his father''s wisdom for a few moments in silence, before nodding his head with a determined look on his face. When he finally opened his mouth, he made a solemn vow to himself, and his father one that would seal the fate of the near east.


    "I will bring the wrath of God upon the Saracens. When my enemies are defeated, and broken, they will kneel before me and dere that I am emperor."


    Berengar took note of the look in his son''s eyes and nodded his head with a smile on his face as he said a single word.


    "Good..."


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1168 Expansion Of The Iberian Empire Part I

    While the German Reich had entered an era of peace, prosperity, and expansion as the newfound global hegemon. Its allies were in the midst of fighting over who would be the number two power in the world.


    Japan was defeated. Their rebuilt industry served no purpose other than the civilian market, which only further increased the wealth of Germans, as it was the German nation who invested heavily in Japan''s reconstruction.


    Since The Japanese Armed Forces had been limited to a small number of troops for self defense only, it was only natural that the various other Empires of the world were now moring for their former position. The Byzantine Empire had been preparing for thest five years for the eventual invasion and annexation of its neighbors, but they were not alone in this regard.


    Currently, Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl stood at a podium on the steps of the Royal Granadan Pce. At Seventeen years of age, he had graduated from a German university with a degree in Public Administration, and was now living in Iberia full time while iming his rightful position as Sultan.


    Today was an important day for the Iberian Empire. After five years of preparations, Ghazi was making an announcement that would change the course of North Africa''s history forever. The teenage boy was the spitting image of his father, albeit with a different eye and skin color. This was something that aided in his natural charisma as he officially dered war against the Sultanate of Moro.


    "Many years ago, my uncle, the former Sultan, Hasan Al-Fadl, invaded the Sultanate of Moro in an attempt to expand the power and influence of his people. In that war, my uncle, along with the rest of his army, lost their lives.


    If the Sultan of Moro had simply ended the war there, then perhaps we would not be obliged to take vengeance, as I know many of you have considered doing on more than one asion these past few years. However, Moro did not simply call an end to the war with our defeat, like they should have, instead they mustered their armies and crossed the strait of Gibraltar to take advantage of our losses.


    In doing so, they were thoroughly repelled by our German allies. But we are no longer a weak state that is reliant on the power of others do defend our borders, nor are we a divided nation like we once were. Instead, today the Iberian Empire stands as one of the most prosperous and powerful states in the world, and because of that, I hereby dere that our day of vengeance has finallye.


    For the sake of my uncle, and all those brave men who perished in Moro all those years ago, I am officially dering war against the Sultanate of Moro, may they feel the wrath of our people, and ourbined might as we annex their state as a part of the Iberian Empire! Glory to Iberia!"


    Immediately after concluding his speech, Ghazi witnessed a spectacle ur. The ten thousand soldiers who had gathered outside the pce to hear this speech lifted their rifles into the air and chanted the war cry which their sultan had just said.


    "Glory to Iberia! Glory to Iberia! Glory to Iberia!"


    With this said, the war for Moro had officially begun, and within twenty-four hours, Ghazi would dispatch tens of thousands of young men across the strait of Gibraltar to invade the Sultanate of Moro, where he intended to take the lead personally.


    ---


    News reached the Kaiser''s ears almost immediately after it had been announced. His son, Ghazi, had dered war against the Sultan of Moro. The justification for the war was one of vengeance, but Berengar knew that this was just a means to rally the people for his conquest.


    In reality, Ghazi and Alexandros were nowpeting, much like they had done their entire lives. Both Emperors wanted to lead their nations to the position that Japan once held. They wanted to be the second most powerful state in the world, and because of this, both young men had mustered their armies for war with their neighbors.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The only difference was, Alexandros requested air support from his father, while Ghazi intended to wage this war entirely on his own. It had not even been a month since Alexandros'' coronation, and during this time Berengar continued to look after his own country, and the ongoing modernization of its military.


    However, at the moment, Yasmin had entered her husband''s office with a concerned look in her beautiful amber eyes as she voiced her distress over her eldest son''s decision.


    "I have not felt this way in a very long time. In fact, I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a loved one march off to war. I thought that in this era of peace you have established, I would never have to feel this way again, yet here we are... When I think about the possibility of my own son following my brother into the grave, I tremble with dread..."


    Berengar did not immediately respond to this, and simply stood up from his seat, and walked over to his wife, before hugging her tightly in his arms. At times like this, he needed to be there for Yasmin, especially since he had failed to do so when Hasan marched to his death in Moro. His words were reassuring to the woman who was about to have an anxiety attack.


    "This time, things will be different. Hasan had advanced into Morro when I was unable to support him, however with our satellites in orbit, I am able to closely monitor all events that go on in this world.


    If our son finds himself in trouble, I will send an airstrike to wipe out the enemy forces. Even now, the nes I have stationed in Iberia are on high alert. If the orders are given, they will immediately be sent to bomb the Moran capital.


    But that won''t be necessary. Our boy is not some minor yer. He rules over a powerful army, one whose capabilities are far beyond his enemy''s. Just watch, this war will not evenst seventy-two hours. Rib��? will fall in a matter of days, and our son will have brought your brother justice. Have faith, my love, our son will live and conquer, as he is meant to!"


    A single tear dripped down Yasmin''s amber eyes as she heard these words. She often criticized her husband for spoiling their daughters, but when it came to their sons, he had done his best to raise them right.


    Ghazi was more like his father than his uncle, and although the doting mother knew the boy would not make the same mistakes, she still dreaded the thought of his death. Yet Berengar''s words made sense to her, and thus she wiped the tear from her eye while smiling as she nodded her head in agreement with the man''s assessment.


    "Indeed, my little boy will bring my brother justice. I can''t wait to see how Ghazi treats the Sultan of Moro and his family after what they did to Hasan!"


    Though Berengar and Yasmin thought they were alone, they did not realize that their eldest daughter was just outside the door, which was slightly ajar, allowing her to overhear everything that was said. At the moment that Zara heard her brother was marching to war, she felt like she needed to do something to help him.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1169 Expansion Of The Iberian Empire Part II

    Immediately after dering war against the Sultanate of Moro, Ghazi mobilized the Iberian Army to march south. Due to the generosity of their allies, the Iberian Navy was able to field enough transports to effectively ship their soldiers across the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as a few old corvettes to protect them.


    While the German navy had begun to field nuclear-powered supercarriers and submarines, as well as guided missile cruisers and destroyers. The rest of the world was severelycking in terms of naval technology.


    Only those nations close to the Reich were able to purchase semi-modern brown water navies designed entirely to protect their maritime borders. These ships consisted almost entirely of old retrofitted Honoria ss corvettes, as well as river patrol boats. Both of which had been reced in the German Coast Guard by the new and improved Littoral Combat Ships, and the more modern patrol boats.


    As for the rest of the world, like Moro, they stilled used wooden sailing ships, armed with ck powder muzzle loading cannons. If they even dared to attack the Corvettes which the Iberian Navy fielded, they would be sunk without so much as causing a dent.


    Thus, the Iberian ships were able to make their way safely across the Strait of Gibraltar without incident. While the Iberian Navy was fielding vessels that were mostly on par with the Second World War from Berengar''s past life, the Iberian Army made use of a mixture of weapons from the First World War, and the Interwar period.


    Such as the G-43 semiautomatic rifle, the ZB-30 light machine gun, the Luger pistol, and the Vickers water cooled heavy machine gun. They also made use of interwar artillery such as the 7.5cm fk 16 na field gun, and the 10cm k17 field gun.


    Naturally, these weapons were mostly from the old stockpile of obsolete weapons that the German Army kept under lock and key and were retrofitted before being sold to Iberia for a hefty profit. Not only were the arms manufactured in Germany, but so were the munitions they used, thus making the Iberian military entirely reliant on Germany.


    In other words, the Iberian Military had the same capabilities as most of Germany''s allies and protectorates. And while their Weapons were fairly modern, so were their uniforms, which werergely based on those used by the Ottoman Army during the final days of the Great War of Berengar''s past life.


    Ghazi sat on board one of the ships and gazed off into the distance as his army approached Gibraltar. It had not been long since he was able to im his throne and end his father''s regency. Yet he was already marching off to his first war. His guts felt like they were twisted into knots, as anxiety took its hold over his heart.


    The teenage boy began to think about how his father felt when he marched off to war. Especially in those early days, when his armies were only slightly more advanced than his rivals. Was the man as anxious as he was at this moment? No, probably not. In Ghazi''s immature mind, his father was at the peak of what was considered being a man, and as a result, there was no way that he felt fear when marching to war.


    With this in mind, the boy sighed heavily, before opening up the buttons of his uniform and gazing upon the conceble te carrier, which his father had given him for the purposes of daily protection. He had heard rumors that Germans were issued this body armor during the war with Japan, and it had saved many of their lives. He could only hope that these rumors were true.


    After buttoning up his tunic one more, Ghazi looked at his semiautomatic rifle, and checked the chamber by slightly pulling back the bolt, where he noticed that a round of 7.92x57mm Mauser was indeed loaded into the rifle''s chamber. He then closed the bolt, and switched the rifle back to safe, where he awaited for the transport ship tond on the beaches of Moro. Which it did within a few minutes afterwards.


    As the ship hit the shores, Ghazi was just about to disembark from the ship, when the radio operator grabbed ahold of him, and informed him that someone close to him was on the other end of the line.


    "Your majesty, there is a woman on the other end of the line who ims to be your sister. She says she must talk with you. It is urgent."


    Ghazi had a befuddled expression on his face, but he did not dare reject Zara''s message. If he did, he would never hear the end of it. Thus, he approached the radio and put on the headset as he heard a familiar voice enter his ears. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hey big brother, I just wanted to let you know that your enemy is waiting for you in the mountains where our uncle died. They n to ambush you, just like they did Hasan. I would suggest not walking into their trap, and instead leveling the entire area with your artillery, and then cleaning up any survivors with your rifles and machine guns. Just a thought. Hope it helps!"


    This news surprised Ghazi, as even his scouts did not know where the Moran army was. In fact, he expected them to be defending the capital, but they were instead waiting in ambush for him and his men. He had no idea how his sister hade to this conclusion and was quick to ask her just how she knew this information.


    "Zara, how do you know all of this?"


    There was a slight sigh of exasperation, followed by a mocking tone filled with irritation as Zara informed her brother of just how she had received this intelligence.


    "Duh... I''m using daddy''s satellites to search for the enemy. These things are really useful, more than I initially thought they would be. In fact, if I switch to satellite number three, I can even see you standing on board that old transport with a dumb look on your face.


    Oh, by the way, don''t tell daddy that I broke into his war room tomandeer his satellites. He will spank me again if he learns I did so, and if that happens, I will never forgive you! Good luck, and don''t die out there!"


    With that said, the line went silent, causing Ghazi simply to scoff before making a crass remark beneath his breath.


    "You would like it if your daddy spanked you, wouldn''t you?"


    After checking to see if anybody had heard him say this, Ghazi sighed in relief before he hung up his headset, and gave the order for his troops to disembark from their ships, where they spent the next hour securing the beachhead and establishing a logisticalwork.


    Thest thing the Iberians needed was to get caught behind enemy lines without any support or supplies. It was only after the preparations had been made that Ghazi gave the order for his troops to march towards the area where the enemy army was lying in wait, which just so happened to be on the way to the capital of Moro.


    If the enemy nned to ambush Ghazi with matchlock muskets and muzzle loading cannons, just like they had done Hasan, then they had another thinging. After all, the Iberian Army was no longer the same renaissance style force it used to be.


    Instead, they now had ess to long range artillery, machine guns, and semiautomatic rifles. What was about to unfold was a ughter, except unlike how the Morans expected, it would be them who met the reaper.


    ---


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1170 Expansion Of The Iberian Empire Part III

    Immediately after giving her brother some valid advice on how to defeat his enemies, who were lying in wait for him. Zara positioned the Reich''s many satellites back to where they were supposed to be. She then covertly exited the war room of the pce, which aside from her was currently vacant as a result of the new peaceful era.


    Instead, all military matters of importance were coordinated through a structure simr in nature to the United States Pentagon from Berengar''s past life, which was located in the city of Vienna. The only conflicts the Germans had to worry about were with the native poptions of their colonies, and even then, those were heavily in the favor of the Reich.


    After making her getaway, Zara quickly progressed through the halls, whereupon turning the first corner she ran right into her father, and as a result fell on her plump bottom. The girl grimaced in pain as she looked up to see Berengar looking down at her with a suspicious gaze.


    There were only two locations in this section of the pce, the Kaiser''s office, and his war room. For Zara to be in this very hallway, she had to have been up to no good, and the man was quick to ask his daughter about her misdeeds.


    "Zara, what are you doing in this area of the pce? Were your prying into my private business again?"


    A guilty look appeared on Zara''s face as she stuck out her tongue in an attempt to act cute. She was no longer a little girl, and because of this, Berengar no longer entertained his daughter when she tried to escape punishment by acting this way. He responded by reaching out his arm to help the girl off the ground. Which she happily epted with a smile on her face as she thanked her father for his assistance.


    "Thanks daddy!"


    Berengar, however, was not pleased, and instead red at the girl with intense pressure, in doing so causing her to feel ufortable. He continued to stare in silence for some time until finally Zara sighed and admitted what she had done.


    "Okay, fine, Zara may have gone into the war room, and made use of the Satellites to spy on big brother''s enemies. But it''s not like the satellites were already doing anything in particr!"


    Zara had a bad habit of walking around the Reich like she owned the ce, entering restricted zones, and using her position as Berengar''s daughter to get out of trouble. The man had been dealing with his daughter''s misbehavior for many years now, and had finally had enough of it.


    Despite her good intentions, Zara was not allowed ess to the war room, which contained ssified documents. And thus, he could only sigh and shake his head before assigning a punishment he thought was fitting for his daughter.


    "For the next three months, you are not allowed to watch any kickboxing fights."


    Zara''s amber eyes widened in shock as she heard this. All the punishments her father had given her in the past had been rather mild, and more of a p on the wrist than anything. However, she was an enormous kickboxing fan, and watched most fights that were televised. Whether they were in minor league promotions, or world title fights, the girl had seen most, if not all, kickboxing fights that urred within the Reich.


    To have her biggest hobby taken away from her and for three whole months, it was simply too cruel. As a result, the teenage girl began to pout as she forced herself to cry, hoping that her fake tears would sway her father''s heart as they had always done in the past. When Zara realized that Berengar remained as stoic as a brick wall, she suddenly began to protest his decision.


    "That''s not fair daddy! Zara only entered the war room to help big brother! Zara could have very well saved his life. Why am I being punished?"


    Berengar had endured enough of his daughter''s misbehavior, and spoke coldly to the girl as he exined quite thoroughly why she was being punished.


    "Did your brother ask you for your aid? No, I think not. Do you realize what you have done? You have interfered in apetition between two of your brothers. These wars, that my two sons are fighting, are a means to expand their empires and bring glory to their houses. And you just gave Ghazi an enormous advantage over Alexandros by breaking into a restricting area, and hijacking government satellites to perform espionage on his enemies.


    I have no choice but to punish you. So be a good girl, and obey your father, because if I found out that you have watched a kickboxing fight, either in person or on tv, or even listened to a radio broadcast about a fight. I will spank you as if you were still a little girl!"


    Upon hearing such a threat, Zara instinctively clenched her buttocks, in fear of them being smacked until they turned red. It had been many years since Berengar hadst spanked her. After all, Zara was now an adult under Germanw, and yet she would never forget the sensation of her buns stinging from her father''s spanking. Thus, the teenage girl bowed her head and apologized to her father before walking off with a sullen expression on her otherwise pretty face.


    "I''m sorry daddy... I won''t do it again..."


    Once Zara was out of earshot, Berengar shook his head and sighed before voicing his thoughts aloud. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Honestly, what am I going to do with that girl?"


    ---


    While Zara was being punished for helping her brother ovee his enemies. The war in Moro had only truly begun. Currently, the eldest Prince of Moro stood in wait, with his musketeers in preparation for the ambush he had nned.


    Moro had spent thest few years training as many musketeers as possible, and now had a force of fifty thousand men, who had gathered in the mountains outside the Capital of Moro, where they intended to ambush the Iberian Army. With a smug look on his face, the man proimed his victory before the first battle had even begun.


    "It amazes me that the Iberians can walk into the same ambush twice. Those damned fools won''t know what hit them. When I return to Rib��? with that half-breed''s head in hand, my father will reward me with a pce of my own. I can''t wait to see the look on that infidel''s face when he realizes that he has not only lost a brother to Moro, but a son as well!"


    Themander of the Army smiled and nodded his head in agreement with his Prince''s words. After all, it had been many years since the Arabs interacted with the Reich, and their understanding of the German Army was outdated, to say the least. They truly did not know what kind of power the Wehrmacht had at its disposal.


    Just when themander was about to make ament, he heard thunder erupt in the distance, which immediately spooked all the men who were standing atop the mountain, waiting for the Iberians to march into the narrow ravine.


    In response to this thunderous echo, the prince of Moro wore a smug smile and tried to assure his troops that everything was alright.


    "What are you men cowering at? At this range, the enemy could not even hit an eleph-"


    Before the prince of moro could even finish his sentence, an artillery shell dropped right on top of him, and burst above his head, killing him, hismander, and the entirety of his royal guard within an instant.


    However, he was not the only one hit. In fact, a hundred different shellsnded within the ranks of the Moran army, sting men into meat paste. As the Morans began to panic, more echoes raged in the distance, while an additional one hundred shells fell on their heads.


    The cliffs where the Morans had nned to ambush the Iberian army turned into a hell on earth, as explosions rocked their army on all sides. It did not take long before the army broke ranks and began to flee the scene. However, would the Iberians allow them such a luxury?


    The further the Morans began to flee, the further the shells chased them. Like a grim reaper, iming the lives of all in his path, the Iberian Army continued to rain shells upon the enemy without the slightest bit of remorse.


    This continued until the forward observers could no longer spot any fleeing Moran soldiers. Allowing the Iberian Army to sweep in and finish off any man unfortunate enough to survive with their bullets and bays.


    Ghazi sat back and observed his victory from afar. He did not know why, but there was a deep sense of dissatisfaction in his heart. This was his first war, and he had just annihted the enemy army during first contact. He suddenly understood why his father stopped participating on the battlefield as the Wehrmacht advanced to greater heights.


    When you were so much more advanced than your enemies, there was no joy inbat. There were not even really any battles, just a ughter of men who might as well be animals. After achieving his victory, Ghazi felt no pride like he thought he would. Instead, he sighed heavily, before giving the order to his army to march onto the capital of the Morrocan Sultanate.


    With the Moran army defeated, there was truly nothing to stop the Iberians from conquering the region in its entirety. As for whether the Sultan of Moro would surrender, that was something Ghazi was not worried about. The man would either kneel before him, or he and his entire family would die.


    ---


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 Chapter 1171 Expansion Of The Iberian Empire Part IV

    Ghazi stood at the gates of Rib��? with a stoic expression on his youthful face. In under seventy-two hours, he had steamrolled through the Sultanate of Moro and obliterated their pathetic army. Now all that was left was to im their capital for himself, and force the Sultan to surrender.


    It had been many years since Hasan died in these verynds, and despite avenging his uncle, Ghazi did not feel an ounce of pride. The conquest of his neighbors was a feat so easily aplished that he was not even needed on the battlefield to begin with.


    The young man was not entirely sure what he was expecting his first war to be like, but certainly he expected something more than what had urred thus far. Even though he was at a loss on how he should feel in this exact moment, Ghazi still conducted his duty, and that was to surround the enemy capital in a bid to force his enemies to surrender.


    After having his entire army obliterated in a single battle, the Sultan of Moro did not dare engage with the enemy who now surrounded his home. Instead, he sought to negotiate, and thus, the city gates opened, while a man on the back of a camel rode out to meet with his Iberian counterpart.


    The two sultans could not be from more different worlds. Ghazi appeared dressed in a military uniform. Despite his lofty position, he had not awarded himself any medals or honors. Instead, he appeared like an average officer in the rank and file of the Iberian Army.


    Whereas the Sultan of Moro appeared dressed in medieval attire, the man was rather fat, and had long curly hair with a mustache. He was, in many ways, a stereotypical Arab from a western perspective. Or at least those from Berengar''s past life. This man had a stern expression on his face as he approached Ghazi and spoke with a murderous tone in his voice.


    "I''m assuming then that my son is dead? At least tell me how he died?"


    There was not a single expression of emotion on Ghazi''s face as he coldly informed the Sultan of Moro just how his eldest son had perished.


    "Instantly. I dropped a shell on his head. He was dead before he could even feel pain..."


    For just the briefest of moments, the Sultan of Moro''s face twitched. He did not exactly know what a shell was, but he supposed that an instant death was better than a long and painful one. Thus, he could only sigh in relief before getting down to business.


    "is that so? You invade mynds and murder my son. For what? What exactly is it that you want from me?"


    It was only now that Ghazi showed the slightest bit of emotion on his face as his lips curled into a sneer. He then chuckled briefly before outlining his desires.


    "It is not a matter of what I want, but justice that is demanded of you and your people. You killed my uncle, so now I havee to im yournds as my own. You will surrender, and agree to the annexation of Moro as a state of the Iberian Empire, or I will raze your capital to the ground. Every man, woman, and child, who resides within this city, will by dead by nightfall. The choice is yours."


    The Sultan of Moro was livid. His son had just been killed by this man, after his Kingdom was invaded with little warning, and now his family was being held hostage. He was just about to curse out Ghazi when a something frightening roared through the air.


    As the barrier of sound was broken, two F-5e Tiger II Jet fighters flew over the city. They were going so fast that the Morans barely had enough time to witness what it was that had zipped on by. As part of the fleet of F-5s stationed in Granada, these jets were painted with a distinctive arid camo pattern.


    The loud noise that resulted from the sound barrier being broken had struck fear in the hearts of every Moran as they gazed upon the invading army with utter terror. The Sultan of Moro even had a difficult time finding his words, as he stuttered his way through his question.


    "W..W...What was.. th...that?" <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ghazi chuckled when he heard this before boldly pointing out just what those two aircraft were, and who they belonged to.


    "That would be the Germans, who, as per our treaty, are allowed to keep a certain number of their armed forces in my country. Though I do not currently see a reason to get my allies involved, with a simple request, they will dispatch several hundred more of those fighter jets, each of which is more than capable of obliterating your pce with a single bomb. So, knowing this, will you still refuse my demands?"


    While Europe and Asia were dreadfully familiar with just how advanced the Reich had be, the arabic sultanates and emirates were not as well educated on the subject. They didn''t even know that the Germans could fly, let alone break the sound barrier, not that they knew what that was.


    To suddenly see two aircraft zip through the sky, and leave behind a thunderous roar that put artillery to shame, it was as if the gods had descended upon the earth themselves. Naturally, the Sultan of Moro could no longer hold any hope of stalling long enough to get the other Arab states involved like he had initially nned, and thus after realizing this war was lost from the moment the Iberians dered it, he fell to his knees. Sobbing has he epted Ghazi''s terms.


    "As the Sultan of Moro, I hereby ept your terms..."


    With this said, the Iberian Empire had fully annexed the Sultanate of Moro. Now that his enemies had surrendered to all of his terms, Ghazi felt like sitting upon the Moran throne and was quick to give his demands.


    "Good, now as my newest subject, you will lead me to your pce. I want to make myselffortable before returning to Granada."


    The former Sultan of Moro had to bite back the insults he wanted to say, as he obeyed themands of his conqueror, and thus he clenched his teeth when he spoke.


    "As you wish, your Majesty."


    After saying this, Ghazi was led into the Pce, while protected by his soldiers. The former Sultan of Moro''s family came to greet the man, curious as to how the negations had gone. They only needed one look at the man''s expression, and the modern troops marching beside him to know that all was lost. Included amongst the former sultan''s family were his teenage daughters. Where one of the three young women immediately caught Ghazi''s interest.


    She was roughly the age of his sister and was a beauty in her own right. Though her body was not as voluptuous as Zara''s, she was still very well endowed. However, what immediately caught Ghazi''s attention was not her pretty face, which was hidden behind a veil, or her substantial assets, but instead were her emerald eyes, which shone beneath the light of the sun.


    Ghazi was so stunned that he stood in silence for some time as he followed the former Sultan of Moro around his pce, his alluring daughter only steps behind. In the end, Ghazi was led to the great hall, where he mindlessly sat upon the throne, and stared at the beautiful young woman in front of him. Without even thinking about what to say, a single question escaped from his lips, one which would change his life forever.


    "You there... What is your name?"


    ---


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 Chapter 1172 The Sultan of Iberia Claims His First Bride

    Chapter 1172 The Sultan of Iberia ims His First Bride


    Ghazi sat on the Moran throne while gazing upon a woman who had stolen both his breath and heart. It had only been minutes since the Sultan of Moro surrendered to the Iberian Empire, and the entire pce was not yet made aware of the situation.


    However, judging by the way her father was acting, the girl was smart enough to surmise that the man had surrendered, and that her homnd was now annexed by her northern neighbor. As a result, she immediately made a conscious decision to get on the good side of her new liege, who was clearly smitten with her.


    The beautiful Arab woman bowed so lowed that her face was touching the ground as she introduced herself to the man who now ruled over her father''s kingdom.


    "My name is Amara Al-Haqq. I am the third princess of the Moran Sultanate. However, if I am understanding things correctly, my royal position is now in question, as you are the current ruler of Moro."


    Amara''s mother and sisters, who were a bit slower in the mind, gasped in shock as they looked towards the former Sultan for rification on this matter. They did not know what had happened, or why Ghazi was now sitting on their family''s throne, and werepletely in disbelief.


    Yet, Amara knew from the moment her father returned to the pce under the watchful eye of the Iberian soldiers that they had lost the war. Hell, she knew the moment that she saw the German Tiger IIs fly through the sky that they never had a chance at victory.


    Ghazi muttered the name Amara under his breath before nodding his head in approval. Without even asking the girls'' father, he made a decree that would change the destiny of their two houses forever.


    "Amara... Good, I believe it is most fitting, well Amara, you will be my first wife!"


    The girl did not even flinch upon hearing such news. In fact, she suspected either she or one of her sisters would at the very least be taken as the concubine of their newest conqueror. Since the moment she firstid eyes on Ghazi at the entrance, she knew she had captured his heart, and thus prepared herself for this exact moment. Without even conferring with her father, the woman nodded her head and rose from her kneeled position to sit at Ghazi''s side while responding in an alluring voice.


    "As youmand, Husband..."


    And while Amara may have been quick to adapt to this sudden and monumental change in her life, her father was not as keen at the idea, and was quick to voice his disapproval.


    "Absolutely not! My daughter is already betrothed to the Prince of Tlemcen! You have no authority to break the agreement that I have already made with the Emir of Tlemcen!"


    Ghazi did not pay attention to the man who would soon be his father-inw, and instead looked straight into Amara''s glistening emerald eyes and asked her a question she never thought she would hear in her life.


    "Give me your honest opinion, Amara. Do you wish to marry the Prince of Tlemcen?"


    The Prince of Tlemcen was a rotund and gluttonous man. There was no way a beauty like Amara would ever desire of her own ord to be in the same room as him, let alone be his wife. Especially not when a young and handsome golden-haired man like Ghazi was offering her an alternative. Thus she was quick to shake her head, as a solitary tear ran down her bronze cheek.


    The fact that the girl started crying at the thought of marrying the Prince of Tlemcen was all the answer that Ghazi needed. The boy quickly wiped the tear from the girl''s eye and spoke to her father with an authoritative tone in his voice.


    "Very well. You saw your daughter''s response. The very idea of marrying the Prince of Tlemcen brings her to tears. This matter is decided. We will join our houses and marry within a fortnight."


    Amara had been sizing up Ghazi since the moment he stepped into her father''s pce. Though she knew that the man was captivated by her beauty, he stood strong and rejected anything that got in his way. She found the confidence that Ghazi disyed to be quite an attractive trait, and had decided that she would not reject his proposal. Her father, however, was quick to disagree.


    "You can not marry my daughter. Tlemcen has already paid the bride price for her hand in marriage, and I have spent it on my army, which you just destroyed. They will need to bepensated, or there will be war!"


    The notion of war startled Amara, who believed she was not the slightest bit worthy of such a gruesome price. She quickly looked over at Ghazi to see if the boy was moved in the slightest. However, there was no sign of distress on his handsome face, rather he wore a confident smirk while he slicked his golden mane backwards, before scoffing at the very notion.


    "Then let there be war. If Tlemcen has the nerve to dere war on me, then I will march my army into theirnds and annex their emirate as well, and when I do, I will take a daughter of the Emir as my second wife! Let us see if they can pose a greater challenge than your pathetic army!"


    At this point, the former Sultan of Moro feltpelled to vomit blood. He could not believe that this boy would treat war as if it were some trivial matter. But then again, the weapons that Ghazi''s army wielded had proven to be powerful, and it was entirely possible that they would not suffer a single casualty if they fought against the entire Arab world alone. Thus, he decided to stop protesting, and agreed to Ghazi''s demands, albeit with clenched teeth.


    "Very well, if that is what you wish, then I will prepare the wedding ceremony to ur within a fortnight, as you have requested. Is there anything else I can get you for the duration of your stay?"


    Ghazi thought for only a moment about what he would need, before giving an order to the former Sultan as if he were a mere servant.


    "I require a room for myself to stay in and quarters for my men. We will be living in Moro for at least a fortnight, and I expect no treachery on your part, or I will have this city bombed into oblivion!"


    The very threat of having his capital razed to the ground is what caused the former Sultan to surrender in the first ce. He would not dare make a move against Ghazi, knowing now what kind of power the boy''s allies possessed. For fuck''s sake, the Germans were capable of flying through the sky at breakneck speeds. What level of technology their military possessed was simply beyond the Morrocan people''s imaginations.


    ---


    Meanwhile, in Germany, a report was given to the Kaiser about his son''s victory. Not even seventy-two hours had passed, and Ghazi had already annexed Moro. This was not the least bit surprising to the Kaiser, as he had spent years selling weapons to the Iberian Army and training them on how to wield the arms efficiently. The only thing preventing them from taking control of the entire nation in under twenty-four hours was a desperateck of mechanization.


    What was surprising, however, was the fact that Ghazi had announced his wedding in the report and sent out invitations to his entire family. Apparently the boy had be quite smitten with the Sultan of Moro''s daughter, and had on the spot decided to marry her. Berengar simply chuckled when he saw this before voicing his thoughts aloud.


    "To the victor goes the spoils! That is what I always say. Isn''t that right, honey?"


    As he said these words, Berengar handed the report to his wife Yasmin, who was by his side, desperately waiting for the news about her son, and whether or not he had survived the war. When she saw that the boy had indeed emerged victorious and taken a bride through conquest, she immediately frowned before voicing her thoughts on the matter.


    "At least you didn''t take any of your women through conquest. You won all of our hearts yourself! Shame on that boy, using force to acquire a bride. When we go to the wedding, I will be sure to give him an earful. That is not how I raised him!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before grabbing a handful of his wife''s plump bottom. Yasmin was already forty-three years old, and yet her body was as still as perfect as ever. Her face had aged ever so slightly. Upon first nce, one would suspect she was actually in her mid-thirties. When the mature beauty felt her rear get grabbed by her husband, she passively let the man enjoy himself, while waiting for his words, which came immediately after.


    "No, but that''s exactly how I raised him. Might is right, and if my son has the power to take a bunch of Arab and Berber princesses as his brides by force, then he might as well do so. I, for one, look forward to seeing just how beautiful this Princess Amara Al-Haqq is. Because no matter how pretty she might be, she''s got nothing on my Yasmin!"


    Yasmin simply could not stay mad at her husband when he sweet-talked her like that, and responded to his honeyced words with a passionate kiss on the lips, which eventually devolved into full scale debauchery.


    ---

 Chapter 1173 A Surprise Visit From A Foreign Beauty

    A twenty-year-old girl sat on board a small fishing ship as it sailed across the North Sea and towards the German Port city of Hamburg. She had long and wavy tinum hair with ice-blue eyes. Her skin was as white as snow, and her body was exceptionally curvy, just like her mothers.


    Though the men on board the fishing ship ogled the beautiful young woman with their eyes, they did not darey a hand on her, nor did they even approach her for conversation. They had seen what she had done to the first man who had attempted to have his way with the foreign beauty, and they knew better than to do something so foolish.


    Siv did not acknowledge the fishermen either, instead she gazed off into the distance towards the city lights which lit up the night sky. Finally, after all these years, she would be able to visit thend of her father.


    Eventually, the ship made its way to the docks, where Siv disembarked and entered therge port city. Normally, visitors to the Reich would have to go through customs. But considering Siv had smuggled herself into the country via a fishing ship, this was not a problem for her.


    The city of Hamburg immediately caught Siv''s interest as she walked through the streets. Having been born and raised in an isted medieval world, Siv had only ever heard of stories about the Reich from her stepfather, who imed to be its Kaiser. However, she never truly believed half of the tall tales that the man had said until this very moment.


    The city''s lights, the vehicles in the streets, and the trains which carried freight and people across the Reich. She was now witnessing all of these things for the first time, and it was overwhelming, to say the least.


    Going from a medieval Kingdom, to a modern world was something that Siv was not prepared for when she first made this journey. And thus, she mindlessly walked through the streets, not knowing the slightest rules about traffic.


    As the half-valkyrie beauty wandered aimlessly through the city, arge truck nearly ran her over, if not for a nearby good samaritan who grabbed hold of the girl''s arm and dragged her onto the sidewalk, then she would have been as good as dead. While Siv was still recovering from her shock and disbelief, she heard a feminine voice call out to her.


    "Are you crazy or just suicidal? Why would you walk in the middle of the street like that? You are just asking to get runover!"


    Siv had a hard time understanding the words which the woman spoke to her, as her only encounter with the Germannguage came from the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which Berengar had taught her how to speak. Thus, after processing the words for some time in her mind, she finally responded to the woman who had saved her life.


    "I''m sorry... I''m just... I''m looking for the Kaiser''s pce!"


    The woman looked at Siv as if she were an idiot. The tinum haired beauty might very well be the most pretty woman that her savior had everid eyes upon, but she clearly wasn''t right in the brain, if she was looking for the Kaiser''s pce in Hamburg.


    Though what truly baffled this woman was how Siv did not know that the Kaiser lived in Austria when she had an ent from the region. Even though the good samaritan had these questions in her mind, she still decided to help Siv find her way.


    "The Kaiser lives in Austria. You won''t find him here in Hamburg... And even if you were in Austria, he doesn''t just let anyone enter his home... Honestly, you should know this!"


    Siv had trouble processing everything that was going on, from the amazing technology of the city, to the truck that nearly run her over, to the knowledge that her stepfather lived in some ce called Austria.


    Despite the sensory overload that she was feeling, the Young Valkyrie was determined to reach her stepfather, especially after all the trouble she had gone through to smuggle herself out of d. Thus, she looked at the woman with a charming smile on her face and asked for directions to Austria.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I am his family. If you would only point me in the direction of Austria, I can finally be reunited with my father!"


    The woman looked at Siv in shock. She had heard rumors that the Kaiser had taken a few concubines in different parts of the world, but she never thought they were true. And yet this young woman was iming to be his family. She must be at least twenty by now? Does that mean that she was the same age as Prince Hans?


    This was truly some delicious gossip. However, seeing that the tinum haired beauty did not know her way to Austria, this only further added to the validity of the im, and thus the woman had decided to help. After all, who wouldn''t want to reunite such a beautiful young woman with her father?


    "The easiest way to reach the Kaiser will be to take the train from here to Kufstein. That is the city where the man lives. After that, you will have to find the pce on your own. I have never been to the capital, and thus I can''t help you. But you will need money to board the train..."


    Siv smiled and reached into her pockets. She then pulled out a wad of German Marks, which was quite the decent sum. This was far more than what a foreign visitor should have on them upon first entering the country, and this only further increased the curiosity of the good samaritan. Naturally, Siv did not know the value of the currency in her hands and was quick to ask if it was enough to allow her to board the train to Kufstein.


    "Oh, I do? Is this enough to get me to Kufstein?"


    The good samaritan was surprised to see so much money in the foreigners'' hands, she did not know where the girl had obtained so many marks, nor was she going to inquire about it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In reality, Siv had roughed up the fisherman on board the ship she had chosen to stowaway on, and had taken their hard earned cash after one of their crew members tried to have his way with her.


    Siv may be a woman, but she was half valkyrie, which means she was stronger than any mortal man, well aside from one that is. After confirming that this indeed was enough to buy her a ticket to Kufstein, Siv found her way to the train station, after being given directions by the woman, where she bought herself a spot onboard the high-speed train which carried the fathend''s citizens around its territory.


    Within a few hours, the young girl stepped foot into the Kufstein Station, where she once more found herself lost. However, she was able to find a police officer, where she inquired about the location of the Kaiser''s pce. Mistaking her as a tourist who just wanted to take pictures, the man pointed Siv in the right direction, where she eventually made her way to Berengar''s home.


    Inside the Kaiser''s pce, Berengar was currently balls deep in Yasmin''s ass. The couple were going at it like rabbits, that is, until a knock resounded on the door. Berengar was obviously quite perturbed at the interruption of his nightly fun and immediately barkedmands at whoever it was who was disturbing him.


    �Ѧ���d�� n?��a| ��om "Go away!"


    Despite thismand, a timid voice responded to his barking with some news, which surprised not only the Kaiser, but his Moorish wife as well.


    "Sir... It is urgent. There is a situation at the front gates. There is a young woman who ims to be your daughter... She won''t leave, and is currently resisting arrest."


    Yasmin looked up at her husband with a curious gaze as he was in the middle of thrusting inside her asshole. She smirked lightly before chastising the man for his lecherous nature.


    "Your daughter? Just how many bastards do you have, husband?"


    Berengar was just as confused as Yasmin and quickly barked anothermand at the servant.


    "My daughter? You say she''s a young woman? That''s impossible. I don''t have any bastards at that age. Tell the men to arrest this pretender!"


    A sigh escaped from the other side of the door, as the voice responded once more, albeit in a dejected tone.


    "Your Majesty, she says she is from d, and that her name is Siv. She is quite adamant about you being her father. Are you sure that name doesn''t ring a bell?"


    The moment Berengar heard the girl''s name, he pulled out of Yasmin''s plump ass and quickly began to dress himself in a panicked state, something which immediately caught his wife''s attention.


    "Wait, did you say that the woman''s name is Siv? Tell the guards to stand down and let her in. She is my daughter..."


    Yasmin was quite displeased that her husband had stopped pounding her ass, but she was more concerned about just who this daughter was, and was quick to ask about the subject.


    "You have a daughter named Siv? And she''s a young woman? I don''t understand? Who is she?"


    Berengar scoffed as he corrected Yasmin while pulling on his pants.


    "She is my stepdaughter. Her mother is the reason I go to d once a month, but I have no idea how or why she is in Kufstein. I have to investigate this. Sorry Yas, we will continue this some other time!"


    After saying this, Berengar sprinted out the door to go greet his step-daughter. Who hade a long way to visit him. Meanwhile, Yasmin was left to finish on her own.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1174 Entertaining A Sudden Guest

    Berengar showed up at the entrance of his pce dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts and a silk robe. It waste at night when Siv showed up at his doorstep, and he was in the middle of being intimate with one of his wives.


    However, if Siv hade all this way from d, it must be for something important, and thus the moment heid eyes on the tinum haired beauty, he hugged her tight and asked the questions which gued his mind.


    "What''s wrong? Is your mother alright? What happened? Why are you here in Kufstein?"


    Siv was relieved to see that her father was worried about her, and her mother, and thus smiled as she pulled herself out of his embrace.


    "I''m fine, mother is fine. I just wanted to see the Reich. You always said you would bring me away from that boring vige, and yet you have yet to fulfill your promise!"


    This answer baffled Berengar, who looked at his stepdaughter as if the young woman had truly gone mad, before questioning her sanity on the spot.


    �Ѧ���d�� n?��a| ��om "Does your mother know that you are here? No, I doubt she does. Don''t tell me you ran away from home?"


    Despite the gravity of the situation, Siv only smiled and confirmed that she did in fact run away from home.


    "Of course! I can''t be holed up in that ce my entire life! Mother just doesn''t understand! After what you told me about this ce, I needed to see it for myself, and boy, did you not let me down. The things I have seen on my journey through the Reich are just astonishing, more than that old battleship you once housed me on!"


    Berengar could hardly believe what he was hearing. When Brynhildr finally found out that her daughter had run away from home for a second time, this time to be with her stepfather, he was not going to get off easy.


    Just when he was about to scold the girl for her reckless behavior, Yasmin came down the stairs dressed in a Tyrian purple silk robe. She looked at the tinum haired beauty, and then at her husband before interrogating the man.


    "Is this the girl?"


    Berengar forced a smile when he saw that Yasmin had followed him to the entryway of the pce and responded with haste, perhaps fearful that his wife would be upset with him.


    "Yes, this is Siv. You could say that she is my stepdaughter. Though the "marriage" between myself and her mother isn''t recognized by the Reich, it has been recognized among her people. You could say it is more of a spirtual marriage, then a legal one..."


    Rather than act angry or distant, Yasmin walked down the stairs and approached Siv with a warm smile on her face. She then grabbed hold of the few bags that Siv had brought with her and began escorting the girl through the pce.


    "Well, we''re d to have you here. Siv was it? Let me help you take those to your room. I''m sure you are exhausted after making such a long journey."


    Siv was not ustomed to receiving help from others, as the vige she grew up in was all about self sufficiency, so she was happy to let Yasmin take her bags up to whatever quarters she was being given. As for Berengar himself, he watched as the two curvy women climbed the stairs, before realizing that he was not able to get a full release this night because of this interruption.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Still, he had more important things to worry about now, and was quick to approach his office, where he shut the door behind him. After a brief moment of hesitation, Berengar picked up the phone and dialed the General tasked with protecting d. The phone rang for several seconds before the line connected, where a gruff and weary voice resounded on the other end.


    "What is it? Do you have any idea what time it is? Why the hell are you calling me at this ungodly hour?"


    Berengar''s face went cold as he responded with an authoritative tone in his voice.


    "That is funny General, and here I thought that it was your esteemed honor to answer my calls at any time of the day?"


    The moment the man on the other end heard the chilling voicee out of Berengar''s mouth, he immediately changed his tone and apologized to his Kaiser.


    "My Kaiser, I''m sorry, please forgive me. I am half asleep. What can I possibly do for you at this hour?"


    The frightening expression Berengar was previously wearing immediately converted into a conceited smile as he gave his orders to the General.


    "There should be a beautiful and voluptuous woman, with tinum blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, and jade like skin searching for her missing daughter throughout d. Have your men search for her, and when theye into contact with this woman, inform her that her daughter is safe and sound with her father, and that she will be returned shortly. Do you understand?"


    The General had no idea what any of this meant, or why the Kaiser would be calling him about such a petty matter at such a dreaded time of the day, but he did not take his orders lightly, and thus, immediately climbed out of bed, and wrote down the information he had received before responding to the man on the other end of the line.


    "Yes, my Kaiser! I understand perfectly. I will have the men alerted, and searching for this woman all night if I have to. You can rest assured, she will be informed of your message. Is that all you have for me?"


    Berengar smiled when he heard that his men would be searching for Brynhildr, and nodded his head, even though he knew that his general could not see him, before responding in a calm tone.


    "Of course... Have a good rest of your night General... Oh and onest thing, should any man attempt toy hands on this woman, he will lose his head, understood?"


    A cold shiver went down the General''s spine, as he immediately realized that this woman was most likely one of the Kaiser''s concubines, and that the child he was referring to was probably a prince or princess of the Reich. Thus, rather than climb back into bed, he immediately pulled on his coat, and began to personally search for Brynhildr, but not before responding in affirmation to his orders.


    "Yes, I understand, and shall inform the men. Have a good rest of your night, my Kaiser!"


    Upon hearing this, Berengar hung up the phone and sighed in relief. Hopefully, Brynhildr would not be too displeased when she learned that her daughter was safe and sound. Now all that was left was to convince the girl to go back to her home. However, after seeing the excitement in Siv''s eyes, Berengar felt as if this would be a very difficult task to achieve.


    Regardless, it was toote to worry about such trivial matters, and he would hopefully be able to resolve these issues in the morning. All that was left to do was to find Yasmin and continue to plow the woman''s fine ass until they both were satisfied.

 Chapter 1175 A Battle Of Wits At The Dining Room Table

    The following morning was a bit awkward at breakfast. There was a new girl, who was happily munching on the food at the table as if what she was eating were the tastiest things she had ever consumed in her entire life.


    Nobody knew who she was aside from Berengar and Yasmin, but judging by her level of beauty, it was entirely likely that she was another one of Berengar''s flings. As a result, several of the Kaiser''s wives gave him callous stares as they watched the man smile at the sight of his stepdaughter devouring her food.


    "How is everything Siv, is it to your liking?"


    Siv was either oblivious to the tense atmosphere or just simply didn''t care, as she munched on a sausage with a wide smile on her face.


    "It''s amazing, father, thank you very much. I have never tasted anything so good before!"


    Berengar immediately yed coy and responded to his stepdaughter''s words with a warm tone in his voice. However, the fact that she called him father did not go unnoticed by everyone else at the table.


    p��nd��,no��?1,��o�� "Oh,e off it Siv, your mother''s cooking is very good. I quite enjoy the reindeer sausage she makes. In fact, I look forward to it every month I go to visit d."


    The moment Berengar said the word d, a sudden understanding washed over the room. However, it only created more questions. While Berengar had informed his wives that he did in fact have another lover in d, he had never quite exined that she had a teenage daughter. Thus, they were quite confused about why a fully grown woman was calling their husband by the term "father."


    However, not one of them dared to ask, as Berengar had not bothered to exin the situation until now, and thus they felt it was not their ce to pry into his personal matters while he was abroad. Still, this girl hade to their home, and they felt like they were deserving of an answer. Luckily for Linde, Ad, and Honoria, Henrietta finally asked the question that was on all of their minds.


    "Big brother, she calls you "father" but as far as I know you did not visit d until only a few years ago, how is it possible that this woman is your daughter? Isn''t she too old?"


    Berengar responded to his little sister''s question with a wide smile on his face, as he happily exined the situation that all of his wives were too fearful to ask.


    "Oh, it is very simple. Siv is my stepdaughter, we are not rted by blood. Her mother is one of my women, and because Siv never knew her biological father very well, she has taken quite a liking to me. And yes boys, that means if you are able to win her heart, you can marry her."


    Siv nearly choked on her breakfast sausage when she heard her father say these words. However, immediately after recovering, she noticed that several of Berengar''s sons were looking at her in ways she was not experienced to.


    After all, she was a foreign beauty, and quite exotic at that. Few human beings possessed her features if any, and that was because the girl was half-valkyrie. In the eyes of several of Berengar''s son, including Lukas, she was the most beautiful thing they had everid eyes on, and that included both their mothers and sisters who were all top tier beauties in their own rights.


    If there was anyone at the table who was not happy with Siv''s appearance in the house, it was Berengar''s many daughters. All of thempeted regrly with one another for their father''s affection, and now they had another contender to deal with. One who could very well win their father''s loves in ways they could not by virtue of not being rted by blood.


    Perhaps most displeased of all was Zara, who had always been known throughout the house as Berengar''s favorite daughter, not only was she still being punished for sneaking into the man''s war room, andmandeering his satellites, but now her beloved father way paying more attention to another girl who imed to be one of his daughters.


    As a result, the arabic beauty pouted at the dining table, and glowered towards Siv, which was something that the dic bombshell did not take notice of. Katherine, however, did in fact notice Zara''s displeasure and further added salt into the girl''s wound, while snacking on her omelette with the grace of a princess.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh, by the way Zara, I heard that kickboxer you are so fond if is having a major fight this Friday night. If he wins, he will be the number one contender in the middleweight division! What was his name again.... Oh that''s right! Brandt Zehntner!"


    Zara blushed when she heard the kickboxers'' name. In a way, Brandt was her celebrity crush. He was a rising star in the Middleweight division of the world''srgest kickboxing promotion. The man was undefeated throughout the entirety of his career and had won every fight via a knockout or technical knockout.


    Brandt was particrly famous not only for his aggressive fighting style, and exceptional power, but also because he was both young and a rtively handsome man, more so than anyone else in the sport. He had alsoe from an impoverished family in the Lindeheim Colonies, thus giving him a reputation for being an underdog, something which most people found appealing in a prospective champion.


    Zara snuck a nce at her father to see if the man had seen her coquettish reaction, and only pouted further when she realized her father had not once looked in her direction. As a resort, she responded to Katherine''s remark with a rather crass tone in her voice.


    "It is a shame that Zara won''t be able to watch it. Daddy is still punishing Zara for helping out her big brother. But Zara knows that Brandt will emerge victorious, like he always does!


    So Zara can only support him in her heart!"


    Katherine was slightly dismayed that her taunt did not cause her half-sister to have an outburst. Though Berengar had spent thest five years making up to Katherine and her siblings for his rather poor parenting, she knew that Zara was still his favorite daughter. This was something that Katherine had a hard timeing to terms with, and as a result, she kept pestering Zara whenever she got the chance.


    As for Berengar, he did not pay the slightest bit of attention to the dispute between his two daughters, instead he focused entirely on Siv while ensuring that the girl enjoyed her breakfast. This was, of course, until Zara realized that her father was so preupied with the neer that she might be able to coerce the man into ending her punishment early.


    Thus, a pleading look formed on Zara''s face as she addressed her father, who was not really paying attention to her.


    "Daddy, Zara was wondering if you might make an exception in her punishment for Friday night? It has already been so long since daddy first punished Zara, and Zara has been a good girl since! Won''t you please let Zara watch the fight this Friday night?" ''


    Katherine simply scoffed and wore a conceited smile when she saw that her half-sister had already be so desperate at the slight mention of that pathetic meathead''s name and was just about to mock the girl when Berengar responded.


    "Sure Zara, go ahead. Anyway, Siv, how was your journey to the Reich? You did not encounter any trouble on the way here, did you?"


    While Siv was exining the difficulties that she had endured when she decided to stowaway onboard a german fishing boat, Katherine was gawking like an idiot. She could not believe that Zara had seriously just managed to manipte their father in such a crude manner. The girl was just about to speak up and protest when Zara stuck out her tongue and held up her left hand with a sign of victory.


    Such a thing infuriated Katherine to no end. She had identally ended up helping Zara get out of her punishment. Even if she did want to protest now, it would do no good. Her father was too busy paying attention to the neer. Thus, she could only eat in silence, while the rest of her siblings chatted among themselves in their own cliques.


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 Chapter 1176 Preparing For The Wedding

    The Emir of Tlemcen sat on his throne, as his messenger reported the news. The Sultanate of Moro had fallen to the Iberian Empire''s conquest. In doing so, any and all previous treaties and agreements between their two realms were now null and void.


    This included the betrothal between the gorgeous Princess Amara Al-Haqq and his own son. While the Emir was a wise man, who could tell that times were changing out of his favor two decades ago, his son was a gluttonous, and lustful man, who cared little about the bnce of power. Worst yet, there were many yers in the Emir''s court who wanted to do away with him and ce his son on the throne as a puppet.


    To tell his son that one of the women he had been eying for several years was no longer going to marry him would only cause a tantrum of epic proportions. Still, it''s not like much could be done. The Sultanate of Moro was conquered, and to the victor goes the spoils.


    With this in mind, the bride price had already been paid, and despite the betrothal being broken, there were no signs of Iberia repaying Tlemcen for this voiding of their contract. Just when the Emir was thinking about how best to approach this dilemma, his rotund and lecherous son entered the room with a furious expression on his face.


    "Father, I just heard from Nazir that the Iberians have conquered Moro and have taken my fiancee hostage! What are you going to do about this outrage?"


    The Emir did not immediately respond to his son''s outburst. He knew that as a result of Iberia''s close ties to the Reich, that they would not be an enemy that could be easily defeated.


    The proof of this was in the fact that the Sultanate of Moro, which was a muchrger and more powerful state than the Emirate of Tlemcen, had fallen in under three days'' time to the Iberian Army. The man''s silence only further enraged his son, who was quick to voice his outrage once more.


    "Father! What are you going to do about this insult? I won''t let it stand!"


    With a heavy sigh the Emir gazed upon his fat son and shook his head before voicing his decision.


    "We have been invited to the wedding between Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl and his new bride, Princess Amara Al-Haqgq. I suppose all that can be done now is visit the ceremony and convince the new Sultan to pay back the dowry which the previous sultan of Moro has taken from me."


    This was not the answer which the Crown prince was looking for, and thus he was quick to respond with anger, as he approached his father, and grabbed hold of the man''s robes with a furious expression on his chubby face.


    "Uneptable! There is no woman in all of Africa who is as beautiful and fair as Amara. She will be my bride! Who does this filthy halfbreed think he is? Stealing my woman from me! I shall have his head!"


    Despite wanting more than anything to strike his son for his insolence, the Emir restrained himself, knowing that if he angered the young man enough, he would turn to those more sinister factions in the royal court.


    If such a thing were to ur, then it would not be long before the Emir lost his own head, and at the hands of his eldest son, no less. Thus, after taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, the Emir gave his eldest son a stern look, before doubling down on his decision.


    "We will attend the wedding, and you will be on your best behavior. I do not want you causing trouble for the Iberian Sultan, or his new bride. The betrothal has been broken, and it is out of our hands now. All we can do is pay our respects and ask for the return of the dowry we have paid. That is my final decision. I will not hear another word about this!"


    The fat young man was furious that his father was not willing to go to war for the sake of the woman who should be his bride, and immediately let go of the man''s robes before storming off from the room. The Emir could only sigh in silence, as he reflected on his failure as a father.


    While the Arabic world was preparing to visit Ribat for the wedding between Ghazi and his new bride. The man in question sat upon the Moran throne with a chalice in one hand, which was filled with distilled spirits imported from the Reich.


    The boy, like his siblings, was raised as both a Muslim, and a Christian, and yet he believed in neither faith. At leat not whole-heartedly. Still, for the sake of appeasing his people, he openly practiced Im, even if he was a secr man.


    Even then, he did not allow the Imic traditions to prevent him from drinking alcohol, or eating pork. After all, bacon was delicious, and he would not allow a religion to prohibit him from eating such a delicacy.


    Naturally, the fact that he was openly drinking alcohol in front of the Moran nobility was something which he knew would displease many of his new devout subjects, and yet he did not care in the slightest.


    Instead, he was more interested in the uing wedding ceremony, which would take ce within only a few days. He had invited his entire family to the asion, as well as many of the rulers over those European Kingdoms which aligned themselves with the Reich. He had also sent out invitations to every major Muslim ruler who were all already on their way to Moro.


    While Ghazi was half heartedly listening to one of his subjects announce the costs of the ceremony, a sudden disturbance urred. The great hall of the Moran pce was immediately made more lively as a loud, and masculine voice echoed across its halls.


    HYAT neem 21 sever mmm D YET mann tn en mi DI)


    VUE Unita vio 11001 1ILULLUULY 110LUIILILE LU LIL Ul 1110 SUL ULL UILIU LINE LIL LUDLO UL LIC CUALAIUILY) GU SUUUMLIL UIOLULUUIILE ULLULLUU, 4110 SILUL 11ULL UL LIC AVAULULLULL pUluLe vas immediately made more lively as a loud, and masculine voice echoed across its halls.


    "Where is my son? Where is Ghazi?"


    It was at this moment, Ghazi realized that his father had arrived, meaning the rest of his family were with him. He quickly got up from his seat, and rushed out to meet his loved ones, much to the dismay of his subject, who was still listing off the expenses.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ghazi immediately saw his father, mother, and full-blooded siblings standing in the middle of the Great Hall with prideful expressions on their faces. Yasmin immediately hugged her eldest son, while Zara teased her big brother about his uing nuptials.


    "Big brother is really amazing. He is finally getting married to a woman, and all he had to do was conquer her home and take her hostage to get her to agree. Truly, even Daddy''s legendary skills with thedies do notpare to yours, oh great Sultan of Iberia."


    The sarcasm that was practically dripping out of Zara''s delicate mouth did not go unnoticed by her elder brother. If not for the fact that they were siblings, then Ghazi would have demanded some respect from the young woman. But he could never stay mad at Zara. As for Berengar, he was quick to lecture his daughter for her tant disrespect.


    "Zara, watch your tongue. Need I remind you that you are still being punished for watching that kickboxing fight, even though I explicitly forbade you from doing so?"


    Naturally, Zara pouted when she heard this, causing her to argue with her father about the cruelty of her punishment.


    "But daddy promised Zara she could watch the fight at breakfast! Daddy is being unfair!"


    Berengar did not remember giving permission to his daughter to escape her punishment, and unfortunately for her, none of her siblings were willing toe to her defense. Zara''s sisters were envious of the attention their father gave her, while her brothers knew better than to meddle in the affairs of their sisters.


    If they were to speak up on Zara''s behalf, then they would be invoking the ire of their other sisters. Thus, it basically came down to Zara''s word, and Zara''s word alone. Something Berengar was not inclined to believe. After all, she had a history of being untrustworthy when it came to escaping punishments.


    So while Zara was able to watch the fight, in which her favorite fighter won decisively, and made himself the number one contender in the world. It hade at the cost of being punished for an additional month on top of her three-month sentence. Ghazi was entirely unaware of all of this, and was quick to ask why his beloved little sister was being punished.


    "What did Zara do exactly?"


    Berengar shifted his stern gaze from his errant daughter before looking back at his son with a curious expression on his face.


    "Oh, I am sure you are already aware of what Zara has done to deserve her punishment. After all, she did it for your sake..."


    This single statement was all that Ghazi needed to hear, to know that the girl was being punished for breaking into the war room and hijacking a number of military satellites. Zara''s actions were something that Ghazi had never asked for, but they proved to be invaluable to the war effort. Wich Allowed Ghazi and his men to identify and eliminate the enemy army without suffering a single loss, and thus, unlike the rest of the girl''s siblings, he was more than willing to speak up on her behalf.


    "If you are punishing Zara for that, then I am afraid you are indeed being unfair to her, father, for she is not the one at fault. I was the one who requested it. And like the good little sister she is, Zara was more than willing to follow my orders. If anyone should take the me, it is me..."


    Berengar eyed his son carefully after hearing his remark. The boy had never once stood up to him like this before, and to take the me on Zara''s behalf would immediately turn this little family dispute into an international incident.


    After all, Ghazi was now the Sultan of Iberia, and if he had coerced Zara intomitting espionage and treason. It would immediately destroy the alliance that existed between the two nations, as well as condemn his sister to death. This was a fact that Ghazi knew, hence why he did not deliberately say what Zara had done. Thus, leaving the ball in Berengar''s court.


    Either you can let my little sister off the hook, or you can execute her as a traitor. Which will it be, old man?


    This was essentially what Ghazi was telling Berengar, and because of this, Berengar had no choice but to end Zara''s punishment prematurely, because he would never, ever, intentionally bring harm to his family. Thus, with an exhausted tone in his voice, Berengar admitted defeat.


    "Well, if that is the case, then I see no reason to continue to punish Zara..."


    �Ѧ���d�� n?��a| ��om Zara looked at her brother and father with disbelief in her amber eyes. She knew exactly what had happened in this brief exchange of words and was surprised that her elder brother was willing to go so far, just to see her let off from her punishment. She quickly hugged the young man and thanked him for his support.


    "Thank you, big brother!"


    Berengar was naturally not pleased with this oue. He had been defeated at his own game by none other than his son. It was perhaps the first time that he had suffered a defeat since entering this world. At the very least, it was a trivial matter that did not affect his life in the slightest. Thus, he could only resign himself.


    The next few days would be extremely lively, as Berengar and his family prepared for Ghazi''s wedding.


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 Chapter 1177 A Bloody Wedding

    The Emir of Tlemcen and his family were riding in the back of a particrlyrge carriage as they wandered through the streets of Ribat as if they were foreign conquerors. No longer did the banners of the Al-Haqq dynasty fly proudly over the city''s walls. Instead, they were reced by the g of the Iberian Empire.


    It had only been a fortnight since the Sultanate of Moro fell to the conquest of their new masters, and while the European world was quick to recognize Iberia''s annexation of the region, the Arabic world had stubbornly refused to do so.


    Even so, the leaders of the Muslim world had all gathered in Ribat to celebrate the wedding of the Iberian Sultan and the Moran Princess. Among these rulers was the Emir of Tlemcen, who sat in his carriage while looking over at his eldest son, who was wringing his hands in excitement. No doubt the boy was nning to cause some trouble, and as his father, the Emir felt an intense need to warn his son not to misbehave.


    "Khalid, my son, I will give you one warning in advance. We are now entering potentially hostile territory. You must behave yourself at all times. If you do not, then I fear I may not be able to protect you from the wrath of the Sultan."


    Despite his wise father''s warning, Khalid was a fool who only cared about two things: food and sex. Everything else was inconsequential. Thus, the young man did not take his father''s warning seriously, and simply agreed to the man''s words without even bothering to understand the severity behind them.


    "Yes... Yes... Of course, father!"


    Naturally, the Emir of Tlemcen knew that his idiot of a son did not take his warning to heart and could only sigh, and pray to Ah so that the almighty deity might protect his boy from harm. Before long, the caravan arrived at the pce steps, where a servant of Ghazi had stepped forth to meet them.


    While the Emir was discussing the important matters regarding their stay in Ribat, Khalid''s attention had been caught by something else entirely. Everywhere he looked, there were world ss beauties, more so than any of the women he had ever slept with. Hell, these young women were even more perfect than Amara, and they came in many colors and sizes.


    Naturally, these young women were the daughters of Berengar, who were tasked with greeting important guests to the Moran Pce. The fact that the Emir of Tlemcen met with a mere servant, and not a princess, was proof of how little Ghazi thought of the Muslim leaders.


    If there was one young woman who became the immediate object of Khalid''s overflowing lust, it was Zara. The woman''s naturally tan skin and blonde hair made an attractivebination. But what was so desirable about the girl was her heavenly figure, as if she was a living fertility goddess.


    Despite wearing a modest dress of German fashion, the natural curves of Zara''s body could not be hidden, especially not to a trained eye like Khalid''s. In that moment, the young man hadpletely forgotten about his goal of reiming the Moran Princess, and instead wanted nothing more than to rip off Zara''s dress and see just how divine her body truly was.


    Thus, the fat tub ofrd instinctively approached the young woman, who was happily conversing with the King of Hungary and his young wife. Zara naturally knew all of her father''s vassals, and thus she was far more eager to speak with a man like Viktor than one of the many Arab princes who did not seem to understand their ce in the world.


    However, because of her half Arabic and half German heritage, Zara seemed to be the favorite of men like Khalid who wanted nothing more than to get into her pants. Thus, she had, on more than one asion so far today, been forced to politely decline their proposals. Something which the girl found utterly tiresome.


    Khalid was not privy to these incidents, and thus approached the girl with lust in his eyes, as he pushed the King of Hungary out of his way before forcefully grabbing hold of Zara''s wrist. He spoke in Arabic as he tried to drag the exotic beauty back to his father.


    "You! Come with me! You will be my fourth wife!"


    While some of the other Arab Princes had tried to get her to marry them, none of them had been so rude, or so forceful. Thus, the usually yful Zara immediately became enraged and pped Khalid across his fat face before cursing him out in front of the entire pce.


    "Get your filthy hands off of me, you fat ugly pig! Who the hell do you think you are to sully my royal hands with your grubby hooves?"


    The fact that Zara had referred to herself in the first person, instead of her usual cutesy third person speech, truly showed those who knew her just how outraged she was to have been touched by something so disgusting.


    The King of Hungary knew that what had just urred was not like thest few asions where Zara politely declined the requests for marriage that she had received from no more than six different Arab princes. She was truly enraged by this nobody, and if somebody did note to break up this conflict soon, blood would be spilled.


    But Zara was not the only one who was enraged. Khalid had a temper, and never before had a woman everid their hands on him, let alone referred to him as a fat, ugly pig. He quickly raised his fist, and struck Zara in the gut, before screaming at her in a voice gone mad.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I said you will be my fourth wife, and that is final! You will learn some respect even if I have to beat it into your pretty little head! I am the Crown Prince of Tlemcen!"


    Zara had fallen to her knees and was having difficulty keeping the contents of her stomach contained within her gut. However, despite the walloping she had just received, Khalid thought he had witnessed a sadistic smile form on the woman''s luscious lips. In the next moment, it was gone, and instead was reced with frantic sobbing as Zara called out for her father.


    "Daddy! Daddy! Zara needs her daddy!"


    It was only now that the Emir of Tlemcen witnessed his son''s disy of violence; he did not know who Zara was, or what important house she came from, but he had an ominous feeling as several heavily armed guards approached Khalid and restrained him.


    Khalid tried to resist arrest, but this only resulted in a savage beating where he was not only clubbed but was also tazed. Zara continued to cry and make a scene, but in the glimmer of her amber eyes, there was a look of bitter hatred and sadistic pleasure, as she witnessed the man who had struck her so thoroughly beaten.


    Eventually, news of the incident reached Berengar''s ears, causing him to rush to the scene, to see Zara being looked after by several of his physicians. Despite the fact that she was in good hands, Berengar immediately approached his daughter to see if she was alright.


    "Zara, my baby girl, are you okay?"


    p��nd��,no��?1,��o�� Zara winced in pain and bit her lip so that blood would spray out. In a deliberate act to milk this incident for all it was worth. She sniffled with crocodile tears in her amber eyes as shetched onto her father''s chest and cried into his tunic.


    "Oh daddy! It was horrible! That fat disgusting pig tried to abduct Zara and force her to be his wife. When Zara tried to break out of his grip, he punched Zara in the tummy! Daddy, please give Zara Justice!"


    Berengar did not know what part of this story outraged him the most. The fact that his daughter had been assaulted, or that this fat disgusting sack of shit tried to abduct her. He did not even need to hear a second ount before immediately walking over to Khalid and stomping on the man''s fat face.


    The look of rage in Berengar''s eyes was one that even those most familiar to him had never seen before. He continued to stomp on Khalid''s face before cing his knee on the man''s fat belly. Where he proceeded to beat the man with punches, elbows and headbutts.


    Zara watched the beating that her father put on the man who had assaulted her with sadistic pleasure in her amber eyes. However, even she did not realize the lengths her father would go to avenge her as he continued to scream at the fat fuck whose face he pummeled.


    "You darey your hands on my daughter! You fat sack of shit! I will kill your entire fucking family!"


    By now, Berengar''s knuckles were bloodied to the bone, as he continued to beat Khalid''s face in, even though it waspletely unrecognizable. He continued to punch away and elbow at the man''s skull with an increased intensity, as if no matter how many times he struck the man, it would never be enough.


    Though Khalid''s father attempted to get past the Leibgarde and rescue his son, it was no use; he was forced to watch as Berengar mercilessly beat his son to death. That was until Berengar finally grabbed hold of the Khalid''s fat head and dug his thumbs into the man''s eyes, thus causing his brain to hemorrhage. As the Crown Prince of Tlemcen passed away on the spot, Berengar condemned his soul to eternal damnation.


    "You fucking bastard! Forying your hands on my daughter, I will have your soul burn for eternity!"


    After brutally killing the man in front of an entire crowd, Berengar stood up, and grabbed a handkerchief from one of his leibgarde, who was standing by waiting to support, before wiping the blood off of his hands and face. Only after they were clean did he spit upon the corpse of the fat Arab prince.


    Zara gazed at her father with disbelief in her amber eyes. She did not expect Berengar to so brutally kill the fat prince in front of so many people. Yet, even though she was greatly surprised, Zara was not horrified. In fact, by watching her father kill a man in an act of rage, she found that she had discovered a new requirement for the man that she would one day marry. He had to be willing to kill for her.


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 Chapter 1178 I Am Become Death

    Perhaps Berengar had mellowed out with old age, after all maturity came with experience, but for whatever reason, over thest few years, the man had no longer felt the need to tten cities to prove a point to the world. However, despite having a long fuse to anger, once fully provoked. Berengar''s fury was one that was as destructive as a thermonuclear warhead.


    Despite maintaining the peace in the world for thest five years, or perhaps because of it, the world had seemed to have forgotten the warlord who twenty years ago rose from nothing, and trampled entire cities beneath his boot as he imed his ce as the global hegemon.


    At least that was what Berengar was thinking as he washed the fresh blood of his victim from his hands and face. There was no force on this earth. That was more terrifying than Berengar when one of his loved ones came under attack. Thus, after wiping the filth from his body that belonged to the crown Prince of Tlemcen, Berengar gave an order which shocked the world''s many rulers..


    "Find out which nation this fat sack of shit belonged to and execute his entire family."


    Upon realizing that her beloved father had not yet quelled his bloodlust, Zara thought to further endear herself to the man, as she milked her ''injury'' while informing the man of the information which he desired. After biting her lip once more, so that she could ''cough up blood��, the young princess immediately informed her father of just who had dared to trespass on his dynasty''s dignity.


    "Daddy... Zara knows who did this. The fat pig said who he was after he struck Zara. He was the Crown Prince of Tlemcen."


    Berengar immediately checked on Zara''s health when he saw the blood fall from her lips and gave an immediate order to get her to a proper facility for treatment.


    "Get my daughter on the first ne back to civilization. I want her thoroughly examined by a proper doctor within the hour!"


    �Ѧ���d�� n?��a| ��om The members of the Leibgarde rushed to be the first one to escort the princess back to the Reich via a supersonic transport. After all, it was their responsibility to look after the Royal Family, and they had allowed the Kaiser''s most beloved daughter to sustain such an injury. In an attempt to save their own necks, several men retrieved a wheel chair and immediately wheeled the young woman off to the transport. As for the rest of Berengar''s elite bodyguard, they were given an order that shocked the rest of the world''s leaders.


    "Arrest the Royal Family of Tlemcen and have them shot in the public square!"


    This was truly something unthinkable. Berengar was now acting as if he was the ruler of the world, and was not respecting the rights of other monarchs. Especially when one considered that the Emir of Tlemcen was not a subordinate state to the Reich. To the many rulers who still considered themselves Sovereign, this was outrageous, and thus a riot was about to take ce as they screamed obscenities to the Kaiser.


    "Who do you think you are to condemn the Emir of Tlemcen and his family to death?"


    "You think you have the right to kill a foreign monarch? Under what grounds!"


    Shouting urred, and many of the guests from the Arab world had begun throwing things at the Leibgarde. That is, until the Leibgarde racked the charging handles of their short barrelled Stg-952s, and aimed their red dot sights at those monarchs who dared to resist. The sudden threat of instant death immediately quelled those who were making trouble. As for Berengar, he stepped forward and introduced himself to the crowd.


    "My name is Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, and as of this moment, the German Reich is officially at war with the Emirate of Tlemcen. For crimes against my family, I will seize the members of their royal family, and have them rightfully executed. Any man who seeks to intervene shall share their fate..."


    After such a bold and chilling threat, no man step forward to defend the Emir of Tlemcen and his family, who were quickly rounded up, and brought away by the Leibgarde. Though the Arab rulers looked at Berengar withplete disdain, they did not say a word in retaliation.


    Berengar did not hesitate to look after his daughter. He went so far as to join Zara onboard a supersonic transport, which transported them both back to the Reich. Within the hour, Berengar and his daughter were back in Kufstein, where the girl was treated by medical professionals who confirmed that she sustained no real damage.


    Despite his relief at this much weed news, Berengar would not let things slide, simply because his beloved daughter was unharmed. The fact that a man had dared to touch her without his permission, let alone assault her, meant that there was only one fate which awaited his people.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thus, while Zara was enjoying the attention that her father was giving her, Berengar gave an order which would condemn the entire nation of Tlemcen to extinction. While the doctors performed a thorough examination of Zara''s body to ensure that nothing was wrong with it, Berengar found the nearest phone and dialed the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. His voice waspletely emotionless as he gave a chillingmand.


    "Verification code 12646A-K3... I hereby authorize a full-scaleunch of our nation''s arsenal of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The target is the Emirate of Tlemcen..."


    The verification code that Berengar used was just one step in unleashing the Reich''s massive arsenal of conventional intercontinental ballistic missiles. Each of which had the explosive yield of a small tactical nuclear weapon.


    Over thest five years, the Reich had rapidly developed its military capabilities and was now capable of producing thermobaric weapons of immense power. Thus, he decided tounch all twenty-five thousand missiles to annihte the Emirate of Tlemcen.


    After Zara hadpleted her checkup and confirmed that she was in perfect health, she snuck up behind her father and hugged him from behind. And yet he did not react like normal.


    Instead, his gaze was directed outside the window, staring into space. Her father''sck of reaction immensely confused Zara and, as a result, she was quick to inquire about why this was the case.


    "Why is daddy staring out the window?"


    A cold response came out of her father''s lips, along with a single sentence.


    "Wait for it..."


    Naturally intrigued by what her father meant, Zara stared out the window, just as Berengar was doing, and was suddenly shocked by what she saw and heard. All over the fathend and its colonies, as well as the world''s oceans, intercontinental ballistic missiles were beingunched from their silos and submarines, as they flew into the sky and darted off towards every single inhabited region of Tlemcen.


    Zara could not even count the number of missiles that streaked through the air. To the German people, it was as if the sky ha suddenly fallen. As suddenly, twenty-five thousand missiles shot out of the ground and into the sky.


    Many people gathered to witness the spectacr sight and recorded the scene on their camcorders. As for Zara, she was an astronautical engineer who worked for the German Space Program. As someone infinitely familiar with rockets, and the many types which the Reich employed in all of its sectors, she was horrified by that which she saw.


    Naturally, she knew exactly what it was that her amber eyes gazed upon. Her arms, which hugged around her father, suddenly began to quiver as her voice trembled in fear, and perhaps guilt, knowing that she was, in fact, to me for the untold destruction that was about to ur.


    "D.....Daddy.... What have you done?"


    A sadistic smirk curved itself upon Berengar''s lips as he continued to gaze upon his missiles which took to the sky, and in that moment he finally understood what Oppenheimer meant when he said the words.


    "Now I am be Death, the destroyer of worlds..."


    Which Berengar said aloud, to the horror of his beloved daughter.

 Chapter 1179 The Smoke Clears

    In less than an hour, the Emirate of Tlemcen was wiped off the map. The simultaneous detonation of twenty-five thousand thermobaric missiles which were capable of producing an explosive st that was equivalent to a tactical nuke was enough to wipe out all life in the small coastal country.


    Germany''s massive arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles targeted every popted area within the nation. What was perhaps most shocking of all was that the Reich, which had deliberately gathered the world''s leaders to sign the Vienna ords, specifically to avoid the destruction of innocent life, had suddenly snuffed out millions of lives, as if it were an afterthought.


    Even in Moro, the people who were gathered in the Royal Pce could feel the tremors, and see the mushroom clouds which appeared over the skies of what was once Tlemcen, as the explosions rocked the region. A permanent scar had been formed on the Earth''s surface as a result of Berengar''s fury, and everyone who stood witness knew who was responsible for such an apocalyptic scene.


    Ghazi was naturally aware of what had happened to his sister shortly after it had urred, but even he did not expect his father to go so far to avenge the girl. A military invasion was one thing, but to annihte the entire Kingdom? Something like this had never been heard of before.


    It was at this moment that many of the kings of Europe remembered exactly who their master was. A warlord, a tyrant, and despot who cared more about the wellbeing of his family than the lives of the rest of the worldbined. And now that same man had the ability to utterly destroy an entire Kingdom with a simple phone call.


    Why had nobody in Germany decided to resist this madness? If one man, along the chain ofmand, had decided againstunching these missiles, millions of innocent lives could have been spared? But what were the lives of backwards savages, whenpared to the will of the Kaiser?


    Berengar had led Germany to be the world''s supreme power. Nobody in the world could resist their will. It was not just the power that the German people enjoyed, but wealth and luxury as well. All the results of one man and his efforts. A man who had brought them from a backward feudal Kingdom to a mighty modern Empire.


    Of course, not a single German would dare to even think about disobeying an order from their Kaiser, especially not the upper echelons of the military, who had personally watched the man unite their people and lead their nation to unrivaled glory.


    For the rest of the world, however, this was both a shocking reality and a painful reminder. That the Kaiser and his family were explicitly off limits. Any harm that came to a member of the von Kufstein Dynasty, and its cadet branches, even something as superficial as a punch to the gut, were met with untold destruction.


    Ghazi gazed upon the smoke in the air, which emanated from the neighboring country, and could only take a deep inhale of the cold and chilling air. Today was supposed to be his wedding day, a day that was supposed to be joyous for all. And yet, it was a day now mired with the blood of millions of innocent people.


    Naturally, the man could not marry his fiancee with such an oppressive atmosphere exuding throughout the region. And thus, he had no choice but to postpone the wedding until ater date. It did not take long for Berengar and Zara to return from the Reich, and when they did, they came with many more soldiers, to ensure that their family was truly protected from any and all threats.


    The way the Arab leaders looked at Berengar was no longer one filled with disdain, instead of their eyes were filled with intense fear. Nobody knew how many of those missiles the Reich had, and to the more primitive monarchs, who had not witnessed the glory of the Reich in person until now, they did not even know how Berengar had achieved such destruction.


    Perhaps the man was a god, who called forth the fury of the heavens to obliterate his foes.


    What was certain was that Tlemcen, and every person who lived within its borders, except for maybe a few lucky souls, were now dead, its architecture destroyed, and its history burned. Nothing remained but ash and smoke. This was a feat that was entirely unheard of throughout the entirety of human history, and yet, Germany had achieved it.


    While Zara was still struggling to ovee theplicated emotions she felt, after witnessing the lengths her father had gone to in order to avenge her. Berengar had a calm smile on his face as he approached his son Ghazi and hugged the man, who was looking at his own father as if he were a demon incarnate.


    "I am so sorry about all that nasty business, but not that I have cleaned up that mess. I believe we now have a wedding to attend, do we not?"


    Though Ghazi had initially intended to call off the wedding, at least temporarily, until a time where people could ovee their shock and disbelief. Yet now he did not dare disobey his father. The young Sultan had always known that his father was a bit excessive in pretty much everything he chose to do. But this? How could anyone possibly remain calm in such a situation?


    It was simply unthinkable! And yet, there was no fluctuations in Berengar''s expression, and the wrath he previously disyed as he personally beat the Crown Prince of Tlemcen to death, had suddenly vanished, as if it were extinguished alongside the lives of the millions of innocents who died in the fiery sts of his missiles.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ghazi found it incredibly difficult to speak in this moment, and switched his gaze to Zara, who had yet to recover from the guilty she felt after believing that she was responsible for such destruction. What was perhaps even more unnerving was that the girl appeared perfectly healthy. As if she was never even really harmed in the first ce.


    Berengar only now noticed the look on his beloved daughter''s face, and quickly grabbed ahold of her, and stuffed her into his chest, as tears began to fall from her amber eyes, if he did notfort the girl now then it was likely that she would not survive the guilt she was currently enduring. Thus, Berengar personally took the me upon himself as he wiped the tears from the girl''s eyes.


    "Zara does not need to worry about a thing. You have done nothing wrong..."


    The girl looked up at her father, and noticed he was no longer wearing a frightening expression, instead it was the same loving and affectionate gaze he had always given her, which made the girl''s heart ease up just a slight bit. Even then, she still questioned what the man was saying.


    "But... It is all Zara''s fault! If Zara had not-"


    However, she waspletely cut off by her father, who ced a finger to his daughter''s lips, and quickly assured her that nothing was her fault.


    "No, it is not! You were assaulted, and I reacted in the way that any father would if they were in my shoes! You are a victim of all of this, and don''t let anybody tell you otherwise. If you must me anyone for the loss of life, then me me..."


    Of course, Zara could never find it in her heart to hold her beloved father responsible for all the death that his actions had caused, and instantly began to protest his words.


    p��nd��`no��?1--��o�� "No, it is not daddy''s fault!"


    Knowing that he had his daughter right where he wanted her, Berengar smiled and hugged his daughter once more, before saying something that would change her outlook on life forever.


    "Then, if you must me somebody for what has urred on this day, me it on that fat, worthless pig, who tried to have his way with you! If not for his actions on this day, then none of this would have happened.


    After all, it is only natural that a father will avenge his daughter when she is assaulted, is it not? One day, when you finally get married, I hope that the man you choose is willing to go to the same lengths that I am willing to go to in order to ensure that you are safe, happy, and most of all respected."


    Zara looked up into her father''s loving gaze, as the tears that had once fallen from her eyes suddenly dried up. She no longer felt guilty for the deaths of those millions of people who had been incinerated by the missiles.


    After all, it was like her daddy had said; she was a victim, and her father was simply responding the way any man would to a loved one who had been wronged. No, the ones who were truly to me for this catastrophe were the Royal Family of Tlemcen, who failed to recognize their proper ce in this world.


    Thus, on this day, Zara suddenly formed two new requirements for the man that she would one day marry. Not only did he have to be willing to kill for her, but he also had to be willing to take on the entire world for her, even if everyone else hated him for it.


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 Chapter 1180 Let It Burn

    After utterly annihting the Emirate of Tlemcen, Berengar wanted to continue on with the wedding ceremony, but Yasmin had ultimately convinced him that was a terrible idea, and thus the world''s many leaders decided to retire for the evening after such an exciting afternoon.


    The wedding between Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl, and Princess Amara Al-Haqq would be postponed for another fortnight, until a time where the smoke which filled the air dispersed. Giving the guests some much needed time to rest, ande to terms with the terror they had endured on this day.


    Back in the fathend, the German media reported to the people that the Emirate of Tlemcen had attempted to kidnap Princess Zara Al-Fadl, and had even assaulted the girl in the process. They then spun the tale as an act of necessary retaliation, and were vastly underestimating the casualties that Tlemcen suffered.


    Naturally, the German people supported their Kaiser''s decision, and even dered that not enough of Tlemcen''s people had died in their retaliation. After all, a foreign prince harmed a princess of the Reich, and there was no price too great to pay for osting the royal family.


    Meanwhile, reconnaissance jets flew over the smoldering ruins of the Arab state, surveying thend for any possible survivors. As Berengar had expected, the entirendscape of every popted area within Tlemcen''s borders was nothing but ashes floating in the wind. Every building, every life, every written record was snuffed out of existence, leaving nothing behind. It was as if nothing ever existed in the region to begin with.


    The reactions of Berengar''s family and guests differed per person. Some were horrified to see such a mindless ughter of the innocent. While others were happy to see the fire and brimstone still lived within the Kaiser''s spirit.


    As an outsider to the entire matter, Siv had watched in amazement as the rockets took to the air and annihted the neighboring country. Naturally, she had many questions on her mind, and thus after tossing and turning in her bed for several hours whilst unable to sleep, the girl decided to visit her father''s quarters to ask the man about the things that kept her awake.


    When Siv showed up at the Kaiser''s room, it came as a surprise to the Kaiser, who opened the door with a concerned expression on his handsome face.


    "Siv? What are you doing here at this hour? Are you okay?"


    Berengar was dressed in nothing but a silk robe, and was glistening with sweat. Leading the girl to believe that he had been busy entertaining one or more of his wives. Thus she blushed in embarassment as she asked the man the question that she found to be most pertinent.


    "Father, do you mind if we go for a walk? I have many questions I wish to ask you about today''s... events."


    Berengar looked back at his room, to see two of his wives looking rather upset that they had been interrupted, before smiling and nodding his head in agreement with his stepdaughter''s wishes.


    "Sure... It is not a problem."


    After saying this, Berengar shut the doors behind him, and followed the girl out to the balcony of the pce, where they gazed up at the stars above while the cool wind of the desert night gently passed them by.


    Siv''s tinum hair fluttered in the wind as she gazed upon the moon, not willing to look her father in the eye. She was truly stunned by what had happened earlier in the day, and it took her some time to think through just what she wanted to say. Eventually, she sighed heavily and decided on the blunt approach.


    "Father, if I have your permission, may I ask exactly what it was that I saw today? Such destruction... I have never seen it before in my life, nor have I ever heard of such a thing. And I grew up with the legends of the gods..."


    Berengar smiled when he heard this, before cing a hand on his stepdaughter''s shoulder while assuring her that there was nothing to be worried about.


    "Are you referring to my missiles? They are called Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles or ICBMs for short. They utilize a thermobaric warhead, which is capable of significant destruction as you witnessed today, especially when deployed in the tens of thousands.


    If you think they are a threat to you or your mother, you do not need to worry. They are perfectly safe and are under lock and key. Only I can authorize their use and there are plenty of safeguards in ce to ensure that they don''t fall into the wrong hands.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    You do not need to worry so much Siv, I would never harm you, your mother, or any of your siblings for that matter. You are all my precious family."


    Siv shifted her gaze towards the smouldering ruins of Tlemcen and shivered as a slight breeze passed through her sheer nightgown while kissing her jade like skin. She had finally learned what these weapons were called, yet she still had so many questions, and was quick to voice another one, while still refusing to look into her step-father''s eyes.


    "Father... how many people did you kill today?"


    Berengar looked at Siv with a befuddled expression on his handsome face. He did not even think about this question, even after the missiles had detonated. In fact, the death toll had not even factored into his decision. However, now that he had some time to think about it, he responded in a rather nonchnt manner.


    "I''m honestly not sure. My fighters are currently surveying the ruins of Tlemcen to see if there are any survivors. At most, a few nomadic tribes may have survived if they were lucky. I don''t know the poption of Tlemcen off the top of my head, but it ranges anywhere from a few hundred thousand to a few million. Why do you ask?"


    After hearing such a staggering figure, Siv''s heart began to bleed. Her ice-blue eyes shifted from the fires of retaliation to her stepfather''s carefree expression as she posed the next question she had to the man.


    "Why did so many people have to die? Was your vengeance really worth all of this?"


    Berengar did not immediately respond to this question, instead he thought about it for a few minutes before speaking his answer in a way that would not anger the headstrong young woman.


    "Indeed... A member of my family was attacked in an attempted kidnapping. And while I have the power to make the man responsible and his entire family pay the price. It was not sufficient. There is nothing in this world more precious to me than my family, even if it may not appear that way on the surface.


    Everything I have ever done in this life was to provide a better life to my family, and by extension my people. Thest time a member of my family came under attack, I raised the banners of war. The only reason the people of the region were spared my wrath was because they shared the same blood and culture as myself, and therefore, they were also my people.


    p��nd��,no��?1,��o�� These foreigners did not respect me, but more importantly, they did not respect my daughter, and for that, a price needed to be paid, and a lesson taught. Not only to the perpetrators, but to everyone else in this world who might dare think of harming my family.


    The world now knows what destructive power I possess, and every man who yet draws breath, whether they be royalty, or a filthymoner, will have to think twice before they decide to engage in an act of violence towards my family.


    Are the deaths of millions a worthy sacrifice to ensure that the world respects my family? I would say so. But then again, I know full well just how rotten the human race is. There is no such thing as an innocent person in this world, and thus I shed no tears for those who died in the fires of my vengeance."


    Siv nodded her head in understanding. Though she understood her father''s reasoning for his cruelty, she could not agree with his words or his actions. Still, she did not hold today''s massacre against him. Thus, she only had one more question in mind, which she was quick to ask.


    "If today, it was not Zara who was assaulted, but instead was myself, would you still go to such lengths to avenge me?"


    Berengar looked at his stepdaughter with a confused expression on his face. An act which in Siv''s mind confirmed the hidden thoughts she kept deep within her heart. It was always an intense fear of hers that this man did not really see her as family. However, the words Berengar spoke next utterly shattered this misconception.


    "Of course! You are my beloved daughter. Even if we are not rted by blood, that does not change the fact that we are family. As I have said before, my family must be respected by all and if the world chooses to disobey thisw, then let it burn..."


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 Chapter 1181 The Sultans Wedding

    Two weeks came and went, and during this time Berengar had been closely monitoring the reports from his armed forces who were sifting through the ashes of Tlemcen in order to rescue any survivors of the German attack.


    Those who were fortunate enough to have lived through the day of reckoning thought that perhaps the world hade to an end. After all, such overwhelming power was something that had never before been witnessed by humanity.


    Thebined might of the German thermobaric missiles was so powerful that it could even be seen from space, something which was caught on film by the Reich''s military satellites.


    Regardless as to what one thought about this incident, one thing was certain.


    A powerful message had been sent to the world: The von Kufstein Dynasty and its Cadet Branches were strictly off limits. Any harm done unto them would result in the total annihtion of not only your entire bloodline, but the Kingdom where you reside in.


    Because of this, Berengar and his family were able to enjoy the next two weeks in rtive peace. Even Zara, who was considered the belle of the ball, was left entirely alone by those Arab princes who wanted nothing more in the world than to marry the girl. This was ideal for Zara, as she would much rather spend her free time with her father. Which is exactly what the girl did as she followed Berengar around the Moran pce like a loyal puppy.


    Eventually, the day came for Ghazi''s wedding, and while the boy was getting dressed for the uing ceremony, his father visited him. A brief knock on the door, followed by Berengar''s deep voice, was all that Ghazi needed to permit entry. Once he saw his father standing in the doorway of his temporary residence, the young Sultan smiled and asked the question which was most important to him at this moment.


    "Father, how do I look?"


    p��nd��`no��?1--��o�� Berengar smiled with fatherly affection, as he ced a hand on his son''s shoulder before assuring him that he looked the proper part.


    "You look very handsome, my son. Almost exactly like I did when I married your mother, albeit with darker skin and golden eyes. I am sure that your young bride will be blushing the moment sheys eyes on you."


    Ghazi was dressed in a velvet tuxedo, and was indeed the spitting image of his father. The boy had even adopted his father''s signature hairstyle. As for Berengar, he was dressed in a simr fashion to his son. The two men stared at each other in silence for some time, before Ghazi finally spoke, and in doing so, told his father the words that he had been meaning to say to the man for two weeks now.


    "Father... I know why you did what you did... And even though I was a bit shocked, and admittedly terrified, when it happened. I can now say with certainty that I would have done the same if I were in your shoes. Our family can never be disrespected or harmed. And though Zara can be a serious pain in my ass sometimes, she is still my beloved little sister.


    When I heard what had happened to her I was preparing my military forces for an invasion of Tlemcen, I guess that was a bit foolish on my part, when one considers the fact that the girl''s father is not only the world''s most protective parent but also the most powerful man on Earth."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in approval of his son''s words. He was d to see that his children did not think any less of him for his cruelty. Speaking of which, this reminded Berengar that he had a wedding gift for his son, which he was quick to announce.


    "Oh, speaking of Ghazi, I have a wedding gift for you. Thends that once belonged to the Emirate of Tlemcen are now yours to do with as you please. Though in retrospect, I probably should not have utterly annihted their poption if this was to be the region''s fate."


    Ghazi immediately broke out intoughter at his father''s words. It was a grim topic to be sure, but just like Berengar, Ghazi had a dark sense of humor, and could not help but find that the whole situation was a bitughable. Thus, in between his chuckles, Ghazi made fun of his father for perhaps the first time in his life.


    "Yes, indeed, perhaps annihting every living soul within Tlemcen was not the best idea. After all, they could have been very useful in my workforce. Oh well, what is done is done, and thend itself is still valuable, even if it has been scorched to shit..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was not Berengar''s turn tough as he did so briefly before leading Ghazi out of his temporary quarters and towards the venue where the wedding was about to take ce. The Mosque was justrge enough to host the many guests who had arrived. However, whenpared to the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein, which was the world''srgest and most luxurious Church, Berengar felt that it was severelycking.


    Still, he would notin about his son''s choice of venue for his special day, and thus he entered the stands, where he found his wife, Yasmin, and their eldest daughter Zara waiting for him. After sitting down next to them, Berengar noticed that they were already in tears over the prospect of their beloved Ghazi finally getting married. Berengar simply shook his head in response to the overwhelming disy of emotions and made a crass remark beneath his breath.


    "Women..."


    Not long after the Ceremony began, Ghazi and Amara conducted the Muslim rights of marriage in front of all their witnesses. Berengar gazed upon the Arabic beauty, and instantly thought to himself that the woman was not the equivalent of his wife Yasmin, or his daughter Zara, but was still good enough looking for his son to marry.


    After the ceremony was over, the guests departed from the mosque, back to the pce, where they feasted on a variety local delicacies. To entertain the guests, the former Sultan of Moro had hired a bunch of belly dancers to perform. Zara watched the performance with an excited look in her amber eyes. The girl immediately mped onto her father''s arm as she expressed her interest in learning just how to dance like the performers.


    "Oh daddy, can Zara please learn how to belly dance?"


    Berengar looked at his daughter with a bit of an odd expression on his handsome face. While it was true that the girl''s mother knew how to belly dance, and performed for him quite regrly. Berengar felt weird thinking about his girl engaging in what to him was a very suggestive dance.


    However, his daughter was now a woman, and would soon be marrying a man of her own choosing. Thus, after thinking about the subject in silence for several moments. Berengar made one condition for Zara, before agreeing to her request.


    "I will permit it, however if you are going to learn how to belly dance, then you must swear that you will only perform for your future husband..."


    Zara instantly agreed to these conditions before hugging her father and pecking him on the cheek with her luscious lips.


    "Oh, thank you daddy! I promise!"


    Yasmin looked over at her husband and rolled her eyes, knowing that she would be the one tasked with instructing their daughter on how to perform the traditional arabic dance.


    However, she did not mind such a thing, after all it allowed her to be closer with her daughter. Thus, she said nothing about it.


    As for Ghazi, he was not interested in the performers. Instead, he was happily chatting with his new wife, who was performing her responsibilities as a proper Muslim woman. He was having such a splendid time that hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, the time hade for the reception to end. Causing the young sultan to send his guests back to their rooms. Before returning to his own quarters with his new wife. Where the two of them consummated their marriage.


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 Chapter 1182 Zara Meets A Man Part I

    The day after Ghazi''s wedding, Berengar and the majority of his family flew back to the Reich. The only members who had not done so would have been both Ghazi and Alexandros, who were preparing to return to their respective realms.


    With the annexation of Moro and Tlemcen. The Iberian Empire had taken its first real step into a bing a true Empire. They now had a solid hold over the western half of North Africa, and though there was much that needed to be done in terms of rebuilding Tlemcen into a proper Iberian province. Ghazi now held a sizeable Empire of his own.


    If there was one major concern that Ghazi now had to deal with as a result of his recent annexations. It was the fact that practically overnight, the Muslim minority in the Iberian Empire had now be the majority, and this majority would only increase with each further conquest of an Arab state.


    However, these were not any of Berengar''s concerns, and thus, he returned to Germany in a rtively good mood. And while Berengar continued to maintain the development of the Reich as its Kaiser, as well as take an interest in his family. His sons and daughters, specifically those who were now entering adulthood, were beginning to journey out from the nest and be a contributing part of society.


    Zara had long since graduated from university with a PhD in Astrophysics and Astronautical Engineering. Though she was lightly younger than a college freshman, she was, in fact, brilliant beyond her years. When the girl wasn''t lounging about the Pce, she was at the headquarters of the German Space Program, working on designing the rockets which carried satellites into space. As well as any other major projects that the government needed her expertise on.


    Once a week, Zara would go to the Grand Kufstein Arena and watch a fight in person. Whether that was boxing, kickboxing, submission grappling, or Kampf. She never failed to be entertained. Naturally, as the Kaiser''s daughter, she made use of the VIP tickets, which were reserved for him and his family as the stadium owner.


    Today, however, was a night that Zara had been waiting for, for a very long time. One she would not have been able to attend, if not for her brother Ghazi taking responsibility for her mischievous actions. Tonight, the Kickboxing Middleweight World Title was on the line, and it was a fight between two undefeated kickboxers.


    Currently, the announcer was speaking into the microphone as he introduced the first fighter for the audience, and those who would be watching the event on television, whether that was in thefort of their homes or at a bar.


    "In the red corner, standing at 187cm and weighing in at 83 kgs, is the reigning champion! Fighting out of Marienburg, Prussia is Reiner "The Predator" Kuhn!"


    Reiner was a rtively tall man, who frame was stacked with muscle. He had a scar over his face that looked like he had lost a fight with a bear and was not particrly good looking.


    The crowd roared with excitement when the man was introduced. Until the next moment, when the announcer began to introduce the reigning champion''s opponent.


    "In the blue corner, standing at 193cm, and weighing in at 83 kgs, is the challenger. Fighting out Kufstein, Austria, by way of Neu Wien, Lindeheim, is Brandt "the Ripper" Zehntner!"


    Unlike his opponent was a grizzled and rough man. Brandt was exceptionally more handsome. It was notmon knowledge, but Zara knew that the man had received several offers to act as a model, but had refused to do so. Though Brandt was slightly taller than his opponent, he looked exceptionally bigger.


    As an avid fan of the man Zara was all too aware of why this was the case. She suspected the man walked around at over 100 kgs when he was not in fight camp. If that were true, then it meant that he would cut close to 18 kgs for his fights. Giving him an enormous size advantage over his opponents. Weight cutting was a part of the fight game, but few men went to the lengths Brandt did.


    If the crowd roared with thunderous apuse for Reiner, then they went absolutely wild for the underdog of the event. While Brandt shadow boxed for the crowd, Zara went nuts screaming out from the top of the VIP booth in a voice so loud she thought that perhaps the fighter had actually heard her.


    "I love you Brandt!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, nobody seemed to have noticed her scream of excitement, and instead the two fighters met up in the center of the ring, where the referee summarized the rules. After the ref had finished with his standard procedures, the two fighters touched their knuckles together, which were only protected by abination of gauze and tape, before walking back to their respective corners.


    The fight had begun, and Brandt, in his usual hyper aggressive style, took no time to seize the center of the ring, where Reiner stood toe to toe with the man. Without even bothering to feel out his opponent, Brandt threw a jab and a cross, followed by a roundhouse kick to the body.


    Neither of the punchesnded on the opponent, who quickly parried them, however, just when the leg kick was about to be checked by the defending champion, Brandt adeptly swung his foot up into the air and changed the roundhouse into a question mark kick, which smacked Reiner right in the face. Brandt did not allow the man to recover, as he immediately closed the distance with his hands and began to throw a jab, followed by an uppercut, before finallynding a knee straight in his opponent''s gut.


    Reiner knew going into this fight, that Brandt would not feel his opponent out, and would instead charge like a wild bull, throwing with everything he had from the get go, and even after all the preparations he had made, the champ was still pushed up against the ropes where a heavy overhand left connected with his jaw, sending him to down to the canvas within the first thirty seconds of the fight.


    The crowd roared in excitement at the aggressive onught of the man they called the ripper, and with good reason. Every single one of Brandt''s opponents had been left in a bloody mess by the end of their fights, and the crowd was beginning to believe that Reiner would be no exception.


    Reiner was given a standing ten count, as Brandt went back to his corner to wait for the man to rise from his stupor. Which took no longer than five seconds. Once back in action, Reiner attempted to make aeback with a heavy cross.


    Perhaps in an act of intimidation, Brandt voluntarily lowered his hands and took the strike to the chin, where he proceeded to punch his own jaw with his fists, and shake his head as if it did not bother him in the sightest. Before Reiner even had a time to react he was kicked in the gut with a powerful rear teep kick, which caused him to fall back against the ropes.


    Immediately Brandt grabbed hold of his opponent''s head and clinched while sending a series of jumping knees straight into the man''s gut, followed be a downward elbow, and a head butt. The elbow split open the top of Reiner''s left eye, spilling blood onto himself and the canvas, while the headbutt knocked the man to the ground for the second time in the first round.


    The crowd screamed out in joy, as they witnessed the most dominant champion in kickboxing history get knocked down for a second time within the first three minutes of the first round. If there was one more knockdown, then the fight was over, and Brandt would be awarded the title by a technical knockout.


    However, Reiner had the heart of a warrior, and rose from the ground once more, this time after eight seconds. The blood which dripped into his eye prevented him from seeing clearly, and yet he was still determined to fight until he was no longer conscious.


    p��nd��`no��?1--��o�� Despite throwing everything he had into his strikes, Brandt did not even appear the least bit tired, and simply smirked at his opponent with a sadistic grin, while taunting him from his corner, with an elbow strike into the palm of his hand.


    This further enraged Reiner, who once the ref had started the fight again, came charging out like a wild bull. The two men went at it, throwing punches, elbows, and knees, while standing toe to toe, andnding a number of their shots on one another. Both men refused to back up an inch, as they went at it like savages.


    Just when Brandtnded a spinning elbow that staggered his opponent, the bell rang, and the first round was over. Despite the war the two men had just endured in the center of the ring, only Reiner looked like he had seenbat. There was barely a mark on the ripper, other than the blood of his opponent. With a sadistic grin Brandt walked back to his corner, who force fed him beer, while applying ice to his chiseled body.


    As for Zara, she watched from the VIP booth with her amber eyes glittering with excitement. She did not believe that Reiner would spend thest thirty seconds having an all-out brawl with Brandt in the center of the ring. After all, such a thing would be considered foolhardy by anyone who knew the ripper''s strengths.


    But then again, Reiner only had two options, and that was either to stand in the center and brawl it out like a man, or be hounded across the ring like a little bitch until he was saved by the bell. Thus, her respect for the reigning champion grew marginally. Now all that was left was Round Two.

 Chapter 1183 Zara Meets A Man Part II

    Zara sat in the VIP booth of the Grand Kufstein Stadium while munching on a pretzel. She had a wide smile on her face as she watched the one minute break between the rounds with eager eyes. In the blue corner, Brandt sat on a stool while drinking an ice cold beer. Though his team rubbed his chiseled body with ice, there was not the slightest bit of exhaustion on the man''s face.


    However, Reiner was a different story entirely. The reining champ was covered in cuts and welts, and though the cutman did his best to temporarily stop the bleeding, via the use of spreading vaseline. The reality was that the man had already taken some massive damage. There was simply no way this fight was going the distance, and the Reiner knew it. Even then, he refused to throw in the towel.


    Thus, as the bell rang, and the two fighters resumed the fight, the reigning champion did his all to win. With a double jab, followed by an overhand right, Reiner threw his hands with intent to harm. And while Brandt did parry the first three strikes, the third one go through his defenses, and clipped him on the side of the head.


    Despite the powerful attack, it did not have much of an effect on its target, whose chin was made of granite. And thus Brandt taunted his opponent with a jab, and a cross, purposefully missing the target, before kicking his front leg towards his opponent''s head. Evidently, Reiner had not expected this attack, which seemingly came out of nowhere, and thus, he leaned his head right into the strike as he avoided the two punches that set it up.


    The kick knocked Reiner down to the ground like a sack of potatoes, where his body twitched in its unconscious state. Knowing that the fight was over, Brandt ran around the ring and pounded his chest with his fists like a barbarian, before making a gesture that appeared as if he was cutting his own throat.


    Reiner was down for the count, and after ten seconds the fight was dered a victory by knockout for the new Middleweight champion of the world. After a total of thirty seconds, Reiner awoke and found that he had lost his title. With an expression of overwhelming shame on his face, he hung his head while the doctors checked on his condition.


    Not long after, the two men were lined up in the center of the ring, where the referee held onto both of their arms. Brandt used his free hand to make a number one gesture as he trembled with excitement. Meanwhile, the announcer officially concluded the fight.


    "This contest hase to a sudden end via knockout by the new Middleweight champion of the world, Brandt Zehntner!"


    The entire crowd screamed as the referee raised Brandt''s hand as a sign of victory. As the man celebrated his astonishing victory, the head of the World Kickboxing Commission wrapped a luxurious golden and ck belt around the new champion''s waist, which he fondled with joy. Afterward, an interviewer stepped forward towards the Brandt and asked him the question which was on everyone''s mind.


    �Ѧ���d�� n?��a| ��om "Brandt, you imposed your skill set, and dominated what many consider to be the greatest kickboxer in the world before finally knocking the man out in the first moments of the second round! You are now officially the youngest Kickboxing World Champion in the history of the sport. How do you feel right now?"


    Brandt immediately grabbed hold of the microphone and spoke his thoughts aloud. They had nothing to do with the question which was asked of him and were entirely unrted to the fight itself. But his words stirred a fire in the heart of everyone watching.


    "I hear there is a very special youngdy in attendance tonight. Princess Zara! You are the woman of my dreams! I have admired you from afar for several years now, and I would very much like to get to know you. You name the time and the ce, and I will be there waiting for you!"


    The crowd broke out into thunderous apuse, as cheers of excitement were shouted alongside it. Nobody expected the man to ask for a date with one of the Reich''s many princesses.


    Zara was sitting in the VIP box with a dumbstruck expression on her pretty face. Brandt wanted to meet her? He had been admiring her from afar for several years now? She honestly couldn''t believe it.


    More than anything, the girl wanted to rush down to the ring and publically ept the man''s confession. However, she knew that would not bode well for her reputation, and thus she decided to remain seated, as she smiled like she had never done so before.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Meanwhile, back in the Pce, Berengar was watching the fight in his personal bar. He was so stunned by the fighter''s sudden confession of love that he had dropped his ss, which shattered all over the floor. Out of every man who had attempted to win his daughter''s heart, a low-ss kickboxer from the colonies was, without a doubt, the least desirable match of them all.


    Zara deserved a Prince of the highest caliber, not some young twerp who was still wet behind the ears. Berengar did not realize it, but he was fuming with anger. The frightening expression on his face had even startled the bartender, who served the man another drink before making ament on Berengar''s behavior.


    "No offense, boss, but in case you haven''t realized it yet, your precious daughter is already a woman, I mean, I don''t mean to sound presumptuous but I could write a book on the things that I have seen go on around here, but I doubt even you see your own daughter in such a way.


    Zara is already an adult, and yet you have utterly failed to provide a spouse for her. Most girls her age, especially those among the nobility, are already married. Yet all of your daughters are still single. I think you should stop treating your girls like they are still children and actually find suitable partners for them.


    At the very least, Zara would never forgive you if you prevented her from meeting this guy. She has quite the crush on him. I have heard more than a few lectures about the "legendary"


    Brandt Zehntnere from the girl''s mouth. So you should invite the man to the pce, and have a personal meeting with him, to judge his character, before you let your daughter meet him."


    Berengar gazed coldly at the bartender who had served him and his family for many years now. He had never actually inquired about the woman''s personal life throughout the years he had known her. Thus, he was quite surprised to hear such wordse from her, and was quick to ask a question which had just popped up in his mind.


    "Are you married?"


    The woman wore a proud smirk on her face as she shed her ring off to Berengar. It was by no means exceptional, but she was indeed quite proud that it was hers. The woman then said something which surprised her boss.


    "Indeed, for nearly five years now. Actually, my husband hates the fact that I continue to work in the pce as your family''s personal bartender, but the pay is great, and unlike anywhere else in the city, I don''t have to worry about being sexually harassed here. Well, unless you count Linde''s drunken advances..."


    Berengar felt slightly ashamed of his wife when he heard that she had been flirting with their family''s bartender. But he did not say a word. Instead, he looked at the woman with a smile on his face before making a decision that he felt he would probably regret.


    "Very well, I will invite this new champion to the pce, but if he wants to marry my daughter, then he will have to prove himself worthy..."


    The bartender could already tell that Berengar was going to make this poor sod''s life a living hell. But she didn''t me him. For amoner from the colonies to dream of marrying a princess of the Reich, he would need to be more than just a wealthy man and a prizefighter to aplish this. In fact, the woman doubted he would actually seed in his endeavors.


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 Chapter 1184 Zara Meets A Man Part III

    Brandt gazed upon his shiny new belt while he sat in the locker room with an excited look on his face. He was only eighteen years of age, and yet today he was the Middleweight champion of the world. Naturally, it was not just an exquisite belt that he received with this sessful title fight, but also a substantial paycheck.


    The most popr sports in the Reich werebat sports, and they were broadcasted across the fathend, and all of its colonies. In fact, there was only one sport more popr than kickboxing, and that was kampf, which was this world''s version of mixed martial arts. With so many people spending their hard earned cash on pay per views, tickets, and merchandise. There was a substantial amount of money to be made in the ring.


    The paycheck that Brandt would be walking away with today, was worth the roughly five million marks, which was the equivalent of two hundred and fifty million us dors from Berengar''s past life. He was now a wealthy man, and yet,pared to the Reich''s most elite citizens, his personal worth wasughable.


    Still, he could easily provide a nice life for any woman he fancied. That is, except for a small handful of women who were well above his station in life. Still, from the moment Brandt firstid eyes on Zara when he initially moved to the fathend for work four years ago, he could not help but fall for the girl. Now she was more beautiful than ever, and he wanted more than anything to make her happy.


    It did not take long for Brandt to receive word from the girl''s father. In fact, no more than fifteen minutes had passed from the end of his title fight, before a representative of the kaiser approached the young man in the locker room. This servant of the world''s most powerful man gazed upon the kickboxing world champion as if he were some piece of refuse before speaking the message he had been ordered to convey.


    "The Kaiser invites you to the Royal Pce this Friday afternoon for lunch. You are to be on your best behavior, and do try to find something appropriate to wear. Why don''t you?"


    Brandt''s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. The Kaiser had requested to meet with him? He must have been watching the fight, and heard his public deration of love for the man''s daughter. The prizefighter was surprised that his words were taken so seriously. After all, he had spoken them in the heat of the moment, and thought that nothing woulde of them.


    Though he did not expect much from his uing lunch with the Kaiser, Brandt decided that he would at least he prepare for event, and thus, the newly crowned middleweight champion returned to his lodgings, and spent the next week making sure everything was perfect for the big day.


    A week passed and Brandt arrived at the Pce''s gates nice and early, a full thirty minutes before the hour of the meeting with the Kaiser. He was made to wait at the entrance under the scorching sun until the appointed time. Naturally, Brandt knew that this could only mean that the Kaiser was not pleased to meet him. Still, he stood at the gates until he was finally escorted into the pce. Where he was led into the great hall.


    Berengar sat upon his gilded throne, with a stoic look on his face. Over thest week, he had tasked Linde with finding out everything there was to know about his guest, and needless to say, Berengar was not the least bit impressed.


    Aside from Brandt''s rather exceptional kickboxing record, he had proven to be average or below average in nearly every other metric in life. Still, Zara had a crush on this man, and would never forgive her father if he forbade her from meeting with him. Thus, for the sake of formality, Berengar was now forced to entertain thismoner in his own home.


    Brandt kneeled before the Kaiser, as he well should, and did not say a word, waiting for the man to speak of his own volition. The fact that he had not been presumptuous enough to introducehimself marginally improved Berengar''s perception of the man, as he continued to sit in silence for five whole minutes before instructing his guest to rise.


    "You may rise..."


    �Ѧ���d�� n?��a| ��om Brandt did as he was instructed, and still did not say a word, until Berengar got up from his seat and walked towards the dining hall.


    "Come, lunch should be ready by now, and we have much to discuss."


    With that said, the two men exited the dining hall, which was entirely vacant aside from themselves. Berengar sat down at the table, as he motioned to the servants to bring forth the meal, which they immediately did. Once properly seated, and drinking from a liter of beer. Berengar began to speak. Though his words had slightly startled his guest.


    "Brandt Zehntner... Eighteen years old, born in Neu Wien, Lindeheim, and was among the first children born in the colonies. Your father was stonemason, and your mother a seamstress. You have seven siblings, all of which still reside across the pond.


    During your youth, you were educated in the colonial school system, where your marks were below average. Until finally, after turning the age of fourteen, you dropped out of high school, and moved to the fathend in search of work.


    While working in construction, you were able to provide for yourself quite well. Where at some point during your time in Kufstein you began training part time in kickboxing, before having your first fight only six months after first stepping foot in the gym. Finally, after stringing together a few exceptional finishes on the regional circuit, you were called up to the big leagues, where you havepeted ever since.


    Due to the fact that mandatory conscription ended with the German-Japanese War, there is no record of military service, nor any attempt at enlisting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Your Hobbies include alcohol, hashish, and psychedelic mushrooms. That is when you are not spending your spare time at your local message parlor. Of which your favorite whores appear to be Arabian girls, specifically those who dye their hair blonde. Did I leave anything out?"


    Contrary to what Berengar was expecting, Brandt did not appear the least bit shocked to hear his pathetic background so tantly spouted out at him. Instead, he calmly took a sip of his beer while washing down the piece of roden he had just swallowed.


    Knowing that the Kaiser did not approve in the slightest of his background, Brandt did not even attempt to sugarcoat his past, and nodded his head while responding to Berengar''s evaluation of him with a stoic look on his face.


    "That sounds about right..."


    Berengar''s brow raised when he heard the man so nonchntly answer his question. He had basically pointed out that aside from his expertise in fighting, Brandt was essentially a bum, and yet the man did not appear the least bit perturbed. Previously, Berengar had no interest in this low-ss kickboxer, but now he had to admit he was ever so slightly intrigued, and thus posed his next question to the young man.


    "So... Knowing all of this about your past, I can''t help but ask why do you think that you, of all people, would be an appropriate match for my daughter? I mean, you did not even attempt to exin the reasoning for your errant behavior."


    Brandt sighed in response to Berengar''s words. As he ced his beer stein back on the table, he then cast a gaze towards the world''s most powerful man and began to speak in a somber tone.


    "What exactly do you want me to say? I am everything you believe me to be. I won''t sit here and make excuses for my actions, or my hobbies, for that matter. If you don''t approve, that is fine. You have every right to do so, and I never asked for your approval in the first ce.


    Let me make something abundantly clear. I admire your daughter more than anything in this world. After all, she is a brilliant young woman who has already aplished things in her short life that few men will ever be able topare to.


    I am also attracted to her, and have been since I firstid eyes on her when I first moved to the fathend at the age of fourteen. And so in a moment where I felt like I was at the top of the world, I blurted out the only thoughts I had on my mind; not expecting anything to actuallye from it. At most, I hoped myments would generate some public interest to increase my poprity so that I can negotiate a higher payday for my next fight.


    I know full well that I am undeserving of a princess, especially one as exceptional as Zara. So I thank you for your hospitality, but I regret to inform you that I never once expected you to treat me as a sincere suitor. The fact that we are even having this conversation goes to show how protective you are of your daughter, and I truly envy that. So I apologize if I caused you any heart ache with my carelessness, but if you are just going to sit here and insult me, then I believe we are done here..."


    It surprised Berengar when he heard Brandt''s words. Few men in this world had the gall to speak to him in such a blunt manner. But everything the man said was true. Berengar had indeed invited Brandt to his pce, solely so that he could point out how the young man waspletely undeserving of his daughter, and to make him feel ashamed for even asking.


    However, unlike every man who had ever sought to win Zara''s hand in marriage. Brandt had not once broke down, and apologized for not being good enough. He had not spun some sob story to exin his less than ideal actions in life. Nor had he sucked up to Berengar in an attempt to curry the man''s favor.


    Instead, Brandt owned his actions, and told Berengar to politely go fuck himself if he had a problem with the way he had chosen to live. To Berengar, this was quite refreshing. There were literal Kings and Emperors in this world who would balk in the presence of the Kaiser.


    And yet, this meremoner, this simple kickboxer, had held no punches, and instead spoke his mind, without fear of retaliation, despite knowing fully well just what kind of trouble he could be in for speaking to his Kaiser in such a rude manner.


    Thus, after several moments of awkward silence, Berengar broke out intoughter. He looked over at Brandt, who still had an expression as cold as ice on his face before speaking the words that neither of the two men ever expected him to say.


    "I think I''m starting to like you... So you want to marry my daughter, huh? Prove to me that you are worthy of her, and maybe, just maybe, your dreams wille true..."


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 Chapter 1185 Zara Meets A Man Part IV

    Brandt was surprised to see that the Kaiser had taken a liking to him and was even willing to give him a chance. He could already tell that whatever it was that Berengar had in mind, it was going to be a gruelling test. Despite this, the champion kickboxer was more than willing to climb over mountains if it meant he could gain Zara as his wife. Thus, he sat back in his chair and said one simple phrase in response to the Kaiser''s challenge.


    "Go on.."


    Berengar eyed Brandt carefully as he took a sip from his beer stein. He continued to drink for a long while before silently cing the mug back on the table, where he then wiped his mouth with a napkin before listing his demands for the young man who wished to marry his most beloved daughter.


    "You will put an immediate hiatus on your kickboxing career, and enter one of the three Military Academies of your choice. Where over the next four years you will obtain a bachelor''s degree in one of the many STEM fields. You will then serve for a minimum of four years of active service within one of the ongoing colonial conflicts, where you will perform above and beyond the call of duty.


    p��nd��,no��?1,��o�� If you manage to make Captain within four years, and are awarded with a Knight''s Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds for your feats in battle, along with at least a Commander''s Cross of the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown, then I will consider you worthy enough to marry my daughter.


    On top of this, I want you to have a steady ie outside of fighting, making a minimum of five million marks a year by the time you get married. How you manage to aplish this, I will leave up to your discretion. If you can achieve all of this on your own, and without relying on the support of others, or the fame you have already achieved for yourself, then you will be deemed just barely passing of my minimum standards..."


    Brandt nearly spit out his beer when he heard the list of demands that Berengar had given him. Even if he managed to get epted into one of the three Military Academies, and obtain a degree in a STEM field.He would have toplete four years of active military service in a colonial conflict.


    Where he would then have to prove his valor inbat to such a degree that he was not only awarded a Knight''s Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds, which was the highest possible military award for valor outside of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.


    But Brandt would also have to earn a Commander''s Cross of the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown, an exclusive Order of Merit, which only recruited the most valorous, and chivalric soldiers from amongst the officer corps of the Wehrmacht. Which essentially meant he would have to earn the noble title of Baron through means of exceptional military service. A feat that was almost unobtainable on the modern battlefields considering the low intensity of the colonial conflicts.


    And to top it all off, Brandt would need to make five million marks a year, in a job outside of fighting. Which he only had eight to ten years to aplish. This was an absurd amount of money, which was the equivalent of two hundred and fifty million us dors from Berengar''s past life. The only way Brandt figured he could aplish something like this was by starting his ownpany and generate enough of a profit that it raked in well over a hundred million marks each year.


    The requirements Berengar had set for the man were enough to convince 99.9% of potential suitors to give up on pursuing Zara. After all, if they failed to aplish just one of these tasks, they could kiss years of hard work good bye. However, Brandt was a man who was not so easily deterred from his goals.


    Even if the odds were stacked against him, if there was still a chance that he might be able to marry Zara, then he was willing to take it. Thus, in an act which surprised Berengar, Brandt reached his hand out across the table with a confident smirk on his face before epting the Kaiser''s demands.


    "What is a decade of my life? Even if I somehow manage to fuck this up. At the very least, I will have some interesting stories to tell once it is all over. Alright, I will take on your wager, and when I aplish your list of impossible feats, I expect you to honor our agreement. Shall we shake on it?"


    Berengar waspletely surprised that Brandt had agreed to fulfill his list of what were indeed "impossible feats", and thus smiled when he saw that this man was unwilling to give up, even in the face of impossible odds. Thus, he grabbed hold of the young man''s hand and shook it, and in doing so, entered into a verbal contract with Brandt.


    "I look forward to seeing your progress..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Brandt no longer felt on edge, and began to dig into his food with gusto. He then said something in between bites which only further shocked Berengar.


    "I''ll apply to the War College in Vienna once I get home. In the mean time, am I permitted to speak with Zara?"


    Berengar mulled the thoughts over in his head for several seconds before nodding his head. He then hollered out in a loud voice to the other room where Zara was not so secretly listening to the conversation.


    "Well, aren''t you going to show yourself?"


    Zara stumbled into the room with a flustered expression on her pretty face. She gazed upon the champion kickboxer who had just agreed to sign away a decade of his life on a gamble that he might be able to satisfy all of her father''s demands.


    Needless to say, the man''s tenacity had moved her heart, and thus she sat down next to her father, while staring awkwardly at Brandt who continued to eat his fill of the pce''s fine cuisine. Eventually, he spoke up, but he too was flustered. It had been many years since he had seen the arabic beauty in person, and was stunned beyond words, when he had finally witnessed just how beautiful she had be with his own eyes.


    "H...Hello Zara... Allow me to introduce myself I am-"


    However, before the man could finish his sentence, Zara interrupted him and identally blurt her thoughts out loud.


    "I know who you are! You''re Brandt Zehntner, the kickboxing middleweight champion of the world! I''m a huge fan!"


    Upon seeing that he was no longer needed, Berengar decided to get up from his seat and depart from the room, but not before leaving behind a warning to his guest.


    "Well, I will let the two of you get acquainted. After all, it will be a very long time before either of you will speak again. However, I warn you, my Leibgarde will keep an awful close eye on you, and if you even think of touching my daughter, they have orders to shoot you on the spot. So do behave yourself..."


    Berengar did not even wait for a response, and left the room, allowing the two young lovebirds to be familiar with one another. As for the Kaiser himself, he immediately went to the pce''s bar to have a stiff drink.


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 Chapter 1186 Rise Of The Nordic Empire Part I

    Fall Brandt fulfilled his promise and applied to the War College of Vienna immediately after returning home.And though he was a high school dropout, he was given the opportunity to pass a series of tests in order to enter the university. After all, Germany was a nation built upon merit, and if one could prove they were intelligent enough to enter the War College, then they were free to do so.


    After acing the tests put in front of him, Brandt began the life of a cadet. Any and all prestige he once had was gone, as he became just another cog in the German War machine. This wouldst for another eight years of his life. During his time at the War College, he would not speak with Zara again, nor see her pretty face. Thus, beginning a decade long quest to earn the girl''s hand in marriage.


    As for Berengar, he was immediately interested in the subject the man had chosen to pursue as his primary field of study. Brandt was majoring in Bio-Chemistry, and had almost immediately begun to use the vast wealth he had umted during his years as a professional kickboxer to invest in a brewingpany. Whether or not it would achieve the desired results in the next ten years was yet to be seen.


    And that was the end of Brandt''s story for now. Instead, Berengar returned his sights to managing the realm, and expanding his Empire''s power. Before he knew it, nearly six months hade and gone. And just like that, his son Kristoffer and his young fiancee were both now of marriageable age.


    As a result, Berengar and his family immediately set off North of the Reich''s borders, where they found themselves within the city of Copenhagen to attend Kristoffer and Astrid''s wedding. Not only was today the day that the beautiful young nordic sweetheart married into Berengar''s family, but it was also the day that his son assumed the position as the new King of the Kalmar Union, an agreement that was brokered between Berengar and Alvar, years ago, after the betrothal between Hans and the Nordic Princess came to a bitter end.


    When Berengar stepped foot in the Kalmar Kings'' pce, he was immediately reminded of memories from what now seemed like the distant past. Nearly twenty years ago, he first stepped foot in this building to ensure that the Kalmar Union did not interfere in his ns to unite Germany into a single nation. He had seldom stepped foot in thesends since then, except for but a few asions, such as the time he visited Copenhagen after encountering the Norn sisters within Jund.


    While Berengar had aged gracefully, and maintained arge, and overbearing presence. Alvar had perhaps unsurprisingly aged rather poorly, his health was in full decline, and Berengar could now say with certainty that the man was morbidly obese. So much so that he suffered from a particrly nasty bout of gout.


    Thest time Berengar had spoken with his Nordic counterpart, they had departed on rather poor terms. After all, Hans had taken his daughter''s virginity and then kicked her to the curb. By now, the poor girl was probably married off to some minor Nordic nobleman in order to secure her father''s position.


    Which was evident by the fact that she was not present for the wedding. However, today the two men would have to put the past behind them, and move forward with their lives, thus Berengar forced a smile on his handsome face as he reached out his hand to shake Alvar''s beforeplimenting the man.


    "King Alvar... It has been a while, I am d to see that you are in good he-"


    Berengar was about to say good health, but he could not very well make such a tant lie in good conscience. As for Alvar, he immediately broke out intoughter as he heard Berengar abruptly silence himself, before throwing shade on himself.


    "Go ahead and say it. I''m a jolly old fat fuck, aren''t I? I just couldn''t help myself. The food that we import from your country is just too delicious! Hopefully, your son will have more restraint than me. Because it would be a pity of my granddaughter had to deal with a spouse like me..."


    A slight smile emerged on Berengar''s face as he realized that the man had moved past their former grievances, and embraced his current lot in life. Berengar then began to go along with the subject that his northern counterpart had started.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Indeed, we sure do make a bunch of tasty treats. However, I tend to avoid some of the less healthy options. If I did not maintain my current physique, I am afraid that my wives would begin to riot!"


    Alvar chuckled in response to this statement while he walked alongside Berengar with his cane supporting his massive weight. The two monarchs could not be any more different from one another. And while the two men walked down the hallway of the Nordic King''s pce, Alvar whispered to Berengar in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear.


    "At first I was angry with you, demanding that your son rece me the day he marries my granddaughter. But I realize now that if the Kalmar Union wishes to stay united, then it will need a member of the von Kufstein Dynasty to sit upon its throne.


    p��nd��`no��?1--��o�� The other Kings in the North are already scrambling for a chance to split apart, and if we do that, it is only a matter of time before Scandinavia falls into obscurity. Thus, I will do as you oncemanded, and will pass my crown onto your Son just after he marries my granddaughter."


    Berengar nodded his head as he looked over at the other end of the hall, where the other Scandinavian royal houses gathered to witness the asion. He leaned in closer to Alvar to ensure that only the two of them heard his words before saying something rather shocking.


    "For your information, my leibgarde are rather skilled at handling discreet matters. You only need to say the word, and your political rivals will not make it back to their homes with their lives intact. I will not make the same suggestion to my son, for his heart is too pure to even entertain the thought of staining his hands with so much innocent blood, but if you truly wish to cement Kristoffer''s reign, then I suggest you think about my offer."


    Alvar''s eyes darted back and forth across the area in an attempt to see if anyone had overheard the Kaiser, and when he realized that he was in the clear, he sighed in relief before saying the words Berengar wanted to hear the most.


    "Do it..."


    Berengar did not say a word, and simply smiled as he waved to the other royal families of Scandinavia, where he then nodded silently to the Captain of his guard as he slowly walked passed the man. In doing so, he signalled for the purge to begin, which would urter that night.


    Naturally, in order to avoid suspicion, these deaths would look like a series of idents, but in the end, only Kristoffer would remain as the unchallenged ruler over all the Nordic countries. As for the boy himself, he did not even realize that his father had given the order to spill blood on his wedding night, and was instead walking behind the man, with his lovely fiancee in hand. His mind was on far more trivial matters, like how he would kiss Astrid after they said their vows. Thus, without anyone but Berengar and Alvar being aware, the Nordic Empire was about to rise from the ashes of the Kalmar Union.


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 Chapter 1187 Rise Of The Nordic Empire Part II

    The Copenhagen Cathedral was not nearly as grand, orrge as the one in Kufstein, and its architectural style was definitely older than the Baroque fashion which Berengar had designed his own church in. Yet it was still more luxurious than most chapels in Europe. After all, the wealth of Germany had long since made its way into the Nordic countries via their close trade.


    Kristoffer stood at the altar, a man in his own right. If there were any of Berengar''s children that looked nearly identical to him, then it would either be Kristoffer of Lukas. And yet, the boy did not wear his father''s signature hairstyle, and instead had mid length hair, with curtained bangs.


    The young Prince of Germany was about to marry his fiancee, a girl he had known and loved for many years. And despite how close the two of them were, they decided to save themselves for marriage. After all, that was what the bible instructed, and Ad''s piousness had spread to her own offspring.


    As the golden-hairedd stood silently next to the priest, the music began to y, and the bride walked through the halls of the Cathedral with a wide smile on her face. Though it could not be seen due to the white veil which concealed her ethereal beauty.


    Eventually Astrid made her way to the Altar as her father walked her down the aisle. She then took off the veil and revealed her gorgeous face to her soon-to-be husband. Kristoffer silently nodded in approval with a gentle look in his sapphire eyes, while the Priest walked the couple through the typical wedding procedure. In the end, they both said the words "I do" before kissing one another in front of their families.


    The crowd which had gathered for this asion broke out into apuse, none more so than Ad, who had a wide smile on her pretty face. She wiped a tear from her pure blue eyes as she watched her son finally get married to the young woman he loved.


    However, before anyone could approach the bride and groom to offer their congrattions, Alvar stood up and made an announcement which shocked everyone in the room except for himself and Berengar.


    "Now that my granddaughter has married Prince Kristoffer von Kufstein. I feel it is appropriate for me to announce that I am stepping down as the King of Denmark and the Kalmar Union, and am appointing Kristoffer as my sessor! This has been a long timeing, and none of you will be able to change my mind!"


    Kristoffer was also shocked at this news, he was unaware of the deal his father had made with his new grandfather-inw, but it was a decision that immediately erupted protests from Alvar''s many sons, as well as the other Nordic royal families.


    Berengar stepped forward among the chaos, perhaps in an attempt to wrest control of the situation, and ced a hand on his son''s shoulder before whispering something in the boy''s ears.


    "Do you like my present? You are now the King of the Nordic Countries. I suggest you use this newfound power to create a mighty empire of your own..."


    Kristoffer looked at his father in shock. He knew exactly what this meant. Berengar had already chosen his sessor from among his kids, and it was without a doubt his elder half-brother, Hans. Kristoffer immediately felt as if he had been robbed of his birthright, without even having a chance topete for it. Being the Kalmar King? That was a mere constion prize whenpared to being the Kaiser of the German Reich. Still, the young man did not feel too surprised. Hans was infinitely more popr among the German people than he was.


    The Crimson Prince was a War Hero of the highest caliber, having served at a very young age during the German-Japanese War, and in doing so proved himself to be the world''s greatest fighter ace. Hans was also a genius of supreme intellect, and had earned the approval of the public before he had even finished puberty.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Inparison, Kristoffer was mockingly referred to as the "Golden Prince" in contrast to Hans. He was the eldest son of the first Kaiserin, and his only achievements worthy of note were his musical performances, for which he was considered a creative genius as well as his heavy involvement in both Charity and the Church.


    However, no matter how well respected these aplishments should be, they failed topare to Hans, at least not as far as the average German was concerned. Why was this?


    Because the Germans were a race of warriors and conquerors. The most well-respected achievements one could achieve in life were not through culture, or academia, but on the field of battle.


    This was the martial society that Berengar had fostered during his reign, and even though the Germans no longer had any rivals on the world stage, they continued to fight and kill for honor and glory even if their opponents were a bunch of mere savages armed with sticks and stones.


    Perhaps if Kristoffer was named his father''s sessor, then this would change during his reign, but as it stood, Germany would remain a nation who embodied the martial spirit of their ancestors. Kristoffer could only sigh in defeat and ept his father''s generosity for even bothering to give him an Empire of his own. After all, the Nordic people were of Germanic origin, and they were essentially the cousins of their continental counterparts who ruled over Europe with an iron first.


    The crowd continued to whisper amongst themselves, with several of Alvar''s sons stepping forward with menacing looks in their eyes. Upon realizing that he needed to stabilize the situation and quickly, Kristoffer pointed to the members of Alvar''s Royal Guard who now answered to him, and gave his first decree as the new Kalmar King.


    "Guards, arrest anyone here who even thinks about disrupting my wedding. As for the rest of you, you can either ept the new order, or spend some quality time in the dungeons until youe to your senses. The choice is yours!"


    Immediately, the members of the Danish Royal Guard moved forward and arrested Alvar''s more unruly sons, while the rest of the guests sat back down in their seats and remained quiet. Berengar could only shake his head in disapproval at his son''s refusal to outright execute his rivals even now, as they threatened to rebel against his rule. He would have to take care of these twats himself, or else his son Kristoffer would find himself eating a poison potato sooner rather thanter.


    p��nd��`no��?1--��o�� After the immediate troublemakers were arrested, Kristoffer led his guests back to the pce, where he threw a reception worthy of his new title. However, the atmosphere that existed throughout the dining hall was one of uncertainty.


    Few people couldprehend why Alvar had decided to step down and appoint Kristoffer as the new king. While those among the guests who were shrewd, understood that Alvar was forced to step down under threat of the Kaiser''s wrath. Thus, deciding in that moment to wholeheartedly support their new King. As having a von Kufstein on the throne was a good way to ensure future prosperity of the realm.


    After a not so joyous dinner, Kristoffer retired to his quarters with his new wife. Where he spent the rest of the night consummating his marriage to Astrid. However, he would be forced to awaken early the next day, and begin his new job as the Kalmar King.


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 Chapter 1188 Exclusive Oil Rights

    In the following weeks, Kristoffer''s political rivals, such as the royal houses of Scandinavia, and those nobles who refused to ept the new order, met with a series of misfortunes.


    Only those sons of Alvar who rebelled on the new King''s wedding night managed to survive. For many, they believed that Kristoffer engaged in a series ofplex political assassinations to cement his reign. Only a handful of people knew that these deaths were entirely Berengar''s doing.


    After his political opponents were wiped off the face of the earth, in what Kristoffer believed to be a bunch of freak idents. He dered the formation of the Nordic Empire, and named himself Kejser, which was the Danish word for emperor. As for Berengar, he returned to Kufstein with his family. Where he continued to look after the developments of the fathend and its many colonies.


    On a random Friday night, Berengar was engaged in an orgy with all of his wives and concubines. Something which they more routinely took part in, now that the man''s body had been reforged by the Germanic gods. While Berengar was balls deep in Priya''s puffy pussy, the phone in the harem room rang. And though he ignored the device until it went silent, it continued to ring again for an additional three times, before the man finally stopped what he was doing, and reached for the phone.


    "What is it!"


    There was a very clear and agitated tone in Berengar''s voice as he answered the phone. However, he quickly found that it was his son, Alexandros, on the other line, whose voice snapped him out of his horny state.


    "Father... It is time to fulfill your promise!"


    Berengar looked around the room to see that his other ten women were in the middle of having sex with one another, and sighed heavily, realizing that he could not have this conversation while engaging in an orgy. He quickly withdrew his cock from its tight sheath, much to the dismay of Priya, before responding to his son''s statement.


    "Give me five minutes. We need to have this conversation in private..."


    After saying this, Berengar hopped off the bed, where he wrapped his naked body in a silk robe before walking towards the door. On his way out, he saw Linde have an excited expression on her pretty face as she fucked Yasmin''s asshole with her strapon.


    The arabic beauty had her tongue out, and hearts in her eyes clearly enjoying the treatment she was receiving. Seeing how close his two women were to climaxing, Berengar pped Yasmin''s fat ass on the way out of the room, an act which caused both Linde and Yasmin to spray their love juices all over the floor.


    Once Berengar was out of the room, he walked down the stairs before entering his office. After closing the door behind him, the man sat down at his desk and reached into the drawer, where he pulled out a blunt and a lighter, which he immediately smoked before dialing his son''s phone number. While the phone was ringing, Berengar pulled out a ss and a bottle of whiskey, which he used to pour himself a drink. Eventually, the line connected, and Berengar spoke in a rather agitated tone towards his son.


    "You just had to call on a Friday night, didn''t you? Do you have any idea what you just interrupted?"


    Alexandros simply scoffed before responding to his father''s irritated voice.


    "Let me guess, you were having an orgy with all of your women?"


    The only noise that Alexandros could hear was the sound of his father sipping whiskey. Luckily for him, his father quickly switched the subject.


    "You will have your air support. The first super carriers arepleted, and I already have one patrolling the Mediterranean as we speak. They should currently be near the Kaiser''s pass. After this call is over, I will give them the order to enter the Persian Gulf and provide air support to your conquest of the Timurid Empire and the Jyirid Sultanate.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    By the way, boy, in exchange for Air Support, I want exclusive drilling rights to the Arabian penins for the next two hundred and fifty years... Also, it would be best if you gave Ma and Medina to your brother Ghazi. If you, an Orthodox Christian, take over the Muslim holy ces, there will be hell to pay... And trust me, neither of us wants to deal with that shit."


    Alexandros was immediately stunned by his father''s demands. Exclusive drilling rights to the Arabian penins, as far as he was concerned, that region was a desert wastnd with nothing of value. He was quick to determine that there was something valuable hidden in the area and was thus quick to chastise his father for his selfishness.


    "Father, there is a critical resource hidden away in the Arabian Penins, isn''t there? And your reason for these exclusive drilling rights is to hoard it for yourself? Can you honestly leave nothing for your sons?"


    Berengar took another smoke from his blunt and a sip from his whiskey before responding to his son''s question with a stern tone in his voice.


    "Let me be frank with you, boy, half of the world''s oil reserves are in the Arabian Penins. Now you can either give me exclusive drilling rights, so that I can extract the overwhelming majority of that oil for myself, or I can take the region by force and upy it with the Wehrmacht. The choice is yours."


    This news shocked Alexandros to the core of his being. Half of the world''s oil supply was in the Arabian penins? Naturally, as a man who grew up in the Reich, he knew the importance of oil. And though most machines ran on bio-diesel within Germany, there were certain things which bio-diesel could not rece, such as jet fuel.


    This was an enormous revtion, and he suddenly understood why his father made such an outrageous demand. If any other Empire were to get their hands on that much oil and enter the industrial age, they would be an extremely wealthy and powerful state. One that could eventually be a threat to the Reich''s global hegemony.


    As much as Alexandros wanted this resource for his own Empire, he was still a von Kufstein at heart. Germany was his home, thend he was raised in. It did not matter if he currently lived in Constantinople as the Byzantine Emperor; he had a duty to the fathend, and ensuring that his family reigned supreme. Thus, he silently nodded his head, before saying something which shocked even his father.


    "I understand... Very well, I will grant the Reich exclusive drilling rights within the Arabian Penins in perpetuity. The oil belongs to Germany, while the rest of thend will belong to Byzantium. As for the Muslim holy sites, Iberia can have them. You are right. I don''t want to deal with the constant fighting that wille with controlling those areas."


    Berengar smiled and nodded his head in approval of his son''s decision. The man had proven his loyalty to the fathend even though he was only half German. As a father, he could not be more proud, and thus, heplimented his son.


    "It is good that your newfound responsibilities have not obscured your loyalties. You are my son, now and forever, and your descendents will be my descendants. As for my nes, they will be in the region by the time you wake up in the morning. Have a good rest of your night, son."


    Alexandros smiled as he received his father''spliments before leaving onest statement as he hung up the phone and returned to his bedroom.


    "You too, father..."


    While Alexandros quickly went to sleep, Berengar returned to his orgy, and began having his way with Priya once more before turning to the rest of his girls. By the dawn of the next day, nes would by flying over the Arabian Penins, acting as the spearhead of the Byzantine invasion of the middle east.


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 Chapter 1189 A Cause For War

    At the dawn of the next day, Alexandros awoke in his bedchambers. He quickly climbed out of his covers and got dressed in a silk robe, where he proceeded to take a bath. Once finished, he had his breakfast while looking at the morning paper.


    The immediate headline alerted the man to something which was taking ce in his own backyard. As his father had promised, A Carrier Strike Group, whose gship was one of the new super-carriers, now sat in the Persian Gulf, waiting for the signal tounch an attack on the Arab sultanates which neighbored the Byzantine Empire.


    However, Alexandros would not simply start a war for the sake of conquest without a proper reason for doing so. After all, there was a certain degree of infamy which followed war mongers, which was a stigma that he wished to avoid.


    Alexandros had grown up in Kufstein watching his father masterfully manipte his neighbors into giving him a valid casus belli time and again, and thus he had nned to follow in the man''s footsteps.


    Thus, while Alexandros enjoyed his breakfast with some much needed peace and quiet, his men were currently on the borders of the Jyirid Sultanate with special orders to provoke a border conflict. This special task force of elite soldiers had disguised themselves as Arabs, and were currently in the act of harassing Byzantine merchants who were attempting to bring their wares to Ma.


    While pretending to be members of the Jyirid Sultanate''s Army, these Byzantine Operatives had set up a fake checkpoint, and were now inspecting all the goods which passed through their area. In doing so, they extorted the byzantine merchants out of coin and goods.


    While many of the Byzantine Merchants decided to pay this "toll" which had set itself upon their path, others were rather furious. And had begun to make amotion.


    "You can not do this! Who do you think you are to demand that we pay a hundred solidii just to pass through this canyon? You are no different frommon highwaymen!"


    The Byzantine operatives who were disguised as Arabs simply smirked as they spoke in Arabic to the disgruntled roman merchants.


    "If you don''t like it, then go around, but if you do so, I doubt you will make it to your destination alive!"


    As the Byzantine operative said this, he ced his hand upon the hilt of his scimitar, in a threatening gesture. The act of which did not frighten the outraged merchants, but instead emboldened them.


    One of the merchants, in particr, reached into his waistband and pulled out an old revolver, which he cocked back the hammer before pointing the muzzle at the Byzantine operative''s forehead. With a stern tone in his gruff voice, the Merchant began to threaten the men who he believed were members of the Jyirid Army.


    "Move out of my way now and you can keep your life!"


    This was exactly what the Byzantine operatives were waiting for, as the man pushed the revolver out of the way, while drawing his jambiya dagger, which he used to cut the merchant''s throat. With the spilling of fresh blood, the Merchants who had gathered in the ravine began to panic. Most of them simply wanted to pass through the ravine and were even willing to pay the toll that was asked of them.


    However, now that blood had been spilled, an all-out brawl broke out, where the Byzantine Operatives standing on the cliffs above aimed down their matchlock muskets, and fired upon the crowd. Thus ending several dozen more lives.


    As for the rest of the Byzantine merchants, they fled the way they hade, with two goals in mind. The immediate objective was survival. Considering the soldiers of the Jyirid Army had suddenly gone mad, they had no choice but to run.


    However, the second aim of these fleeing merchants was to spread word of the massacre that unfolded at the border between the Byzantine and Jyirid Empires, after all, they needed to seek restitution from these Arabs, even if it meant dragging the entire empire into a war.


    Once the surviving merchants had fled, the man tasked with leading the Byzantine operatives scoffed with disdain, before kicking the corpse of the man whose throat he had cut.


    "You can get up now. They are all gone!"


    With that said, the merchant who had started the whole border conflict, and who was seemingly dead, climbed to his feet, where he dusted off his clothes, and wiped the fake blood from his throat.


    He was not alone, as the twelve or so men who had been "shot" by muskets also did the same. Revealing that they were all a part of the byzantine task force designed to spark a conflict with the Jyirid Sultanate, who would, in turn, drag their Timurid allies into the war. With a smile on his face, the lead "merchant" chuckled before posing a question.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do you think they bought it?"


    The head of the task force nodded his head with a solemn expression on his face, before looking west towards Constantinople, where he knew that the young emperor was most likely preparing for the uing conflict.


    "Without a doubt, there is no going back to this. War is now inevitable. I just hope that our emperor knows what he is doing!"


    It took a few days for word to reach Constantinople about the supposed ''"Jyirid attack" on a group of Byzantine merchants. And when it did, rumors were flooding through the streets of the eastern roman capital of an uing war between the Jyirid Sultanate, and the Byzantine Empire.


    Unsurprisingly, the Byzantine people were outraged at their Arab neighbors and demanded blood in return for that of their own which had been spilled in the sands of the Arabian Penins. Naturally, Alexandros took advantage of this incident, and publically sent an ultimatum to his Arab neighbors. Specifically, the Jyirid Sultan.


    There were a list of demands regarding the immediate execution of the "Jyirid Soldiers" who were involved in the incident. Reparations for an unprovoked attack, restitution for the families of the in, and a public apology from the Sultan himself.


    If the Ultimatum were just these few things, then it was entirely possible that the Jyirid Sultan would agree to the terms, even if they were a tad bit excessive. However, thest demand that Alexandros made of his Arab neighbors was simply uneptable, and thus resulted in an immediate refusal.


    Thatst demand was none other than for the Jyirid Sultanate to submit to Vassalization. This would effectively end their sovereignty as a State, and would make them a subject of the Byzantine Empire.


    No matter what happened, the Jyirid Sultan would never ept such a stringent demand, and thus, after receiving the man''s response, Alexandros smiled sadistically, before arranging a public announcement to the people of Byzantium.


    Gathered outside of the Royal Pce in Constantinople, Alexandros stood by his lonesome at a podium. Which was wired with microphones provided by the German Media, as his voice echoed across the capital of Byzantium.


    "My fellow Romans, I stand here today to make a public deration of war against those who would unjustly y our merchants, and steal their wares! The Jyirid Sultan, has in an act of provocation spat upon the terms I presented to cease hostilities between our two realms, and in doing so, he has spat upon the lives of the in. These were innocent men who were killed by his soldiers for refusing to be extorted!


    It is clear that the corruption of our neighbors has be a problem that is bleeding into our own lives. This is something that I refuse to tolerate, and as such, I am officially dering war on the Jyirid Sultanate, and all of their allies!


    For your crimes against the Roman people, we will invade and annex yournds. So that a situation like this may never again befall the good and honest people of Byzantium. Glory to Constantinople!"


    The crowd of civilians who had gathered to hear the Emperor''s speech all broke out into cheers and began to chant thest words which Alexandros had spoken.


    "Glory to Constantinople! Glory to Constantinople! Glory to Constantinople!"


    With this, the drums of war had begun to beat, and the Byzantine Army, which was already mobilized and waiting for an excuse to invade their neighbors, would immediately depart and march into the Arabian Penins in a bid to annex the Jyirid Sultanate.


    As for the Kriegsmarine, and its Luftwaffe attachment, they were watching the Byzantine Emperor''s broadcast with excited expressions on their faces. They would finally be able to test theirtest weapons against an adversary. It was just a pity that the Arabs were so primitive that they did not even have trains. Regardless, the damage that a single Carrier Wing couldmit was no small amount.


    Thus, Byzantium and the Arab World were now officially at war. Perhaps the only Muslim state which would stay out of this conflict would be the Iberian Empire, who would take advantage of the chaos to annex their neighbors in North Africa.


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 Chapter 1190 An Easy Victory

    Immediately after Alexandros dered war on the Jyirid Sultanate, the fighter jets onboard the supercarrier took to the skies above the Arabian Penins, with a single mission.


    Drop bombs on critical targets.


    While the Byzantine Army crossed over the border and prepared themselves for a battle on thend. The Luftwaffe was flying at breakneck speeds, zoning in on the capital of the Jyirid Sultanate, where the majority of their civil and military leadership was concentrated.


    German Intelligence had long since infiltrated the Arab states, and was able to urately provide information on the current whereabouts of the Jyirid Sultan, and his top advisors, who were gathered in his pce, where they were discussing how they would deal with this invasion from the west.


    At the moment, the Jyirid Sultan was in a heated debate with his top generals, who each had a different idea on how they would deal with their enemies.


    "IT want a messenger sent to Sn! I need the support of the Timurid Empire if I am going to have a chance of winning this war! For years, he has been investing into firearms and cannons. If anyone has the ability to contend with these Byzantine rats, then it is him! Invoke our alliance, and call for the aid of the Timurid Army!"


    While the Jyirid Sultan was convinced that the only path to victory lie with the support of their allies, several of his Generals were quick to voice their disagreements.


    "As long as the Germans do not get involved, then we still have a chance of defeating the enemy! We should muster our musketeers, and send them to the borders, to deal with these damned invaders. Sure, send forth for aid from our allies, but do not act as if all is lost without their support!"


    Despite the General''s words, the Jyirid Sultan was not convinced. After all, his father had made the same mistake of underestimating his enemies many years ago during thest attempt the Arab states had made to secure the holynd.


    Back then, their entire army, along with the previous sultan, were burned to ash by the Germans. To this day, nobody knew how the Germans had achieved this. Perhaps they had used a more potent version of the Byzantine Empire''s Greek Fire.


    Thus, the man was just about to argue against his General''s point, when a terrifying sound startled everyone within the building. The roar of the supersonic jets filled the skies above Basra, giving the Jyirid Sultan an intense feeling of impending doom. He was just about to speak when several 1,100 kg bombs fell on top of his pce. Thus reducing it, and everyone inside to dust.


    With a single coordinated strike, the Luftwaffe had eliminated the entirety of the Jyirid Sultanate''s chain ofmand. And perhaps most terrifying of all was the fact that the victims had no chance of even preventing such an attack from urring.


    Immediately, the pilots who conducted the air strike reported that the target was eliminated back to the carrier''s bridge, who in return ryed themunications back to the fathend. Of which, Berengar then informed his son, the Byzantine Emperor, that the Jyirid dynasty and all of their generals were now deceased.


    Before the enemy could even muster their forces, they were now leftpletely leaderless. Thus, allowing the Byzantine Army free rein as they crossed their eastern border and into the Arabian Penins, where they would use lethal force to eliminate anyone who dared to oppose their upation.


    However, the war did not end there, after all, Alexandros had dered war on the Jyirid Sultanate and all of their allies, thus while one quarter of the Byzantine Army marched into the Arabian Penins, another quarter marched into thends belonging to the Timurid Empire, with the intent to conquer and annex the region.


    Berengar sat back in his office without a care in the world for what was going on in the middle east and north Africa. His sons were both men now, and they no longer needed him to hold their hands as they embarked on their first wars.


    By now, the Iberian, Byzantine, and Nordic Empires were now in control of his sons. However, if there was one more region that was left entirely forgotten, it would be the British isles.


    Berengar had long since been keeping a close eye on the region. Officially, Ennd''s current king was none other than his son Lukas. However, the boy had never one step foot on the British Isles despite already being fourteen years old. Instead, he had been spending thest fourteen years studying under his father to be the next king of Ennd.


    Berengar had a soft spot for the children he had with Henrietta, and Lukas was the oldest of them. He looked almost exactly like his father did when he was the boy''s age, except with one major difference: he was neither weak nor frail. Instead, he was a strong and healthyd.


    The boy was currently sitting across from his father in the man''s office, with an anxious expression on his face. Berengar was reading a report about his son''stest academic achievements. He was not the genius that Hans and Zara were, but he was intelligent enough to be an efficient leader. And Lukas had disyed many leadership abilities during his tenure in the German Cadet Corps.


    After carefully examining the reports, Berengar smiled before looking his young son in the eye and expressing his approval.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You have been doing quite well for yourself. Both your teachers and officers give you praise. I believe it is time for you and I to visit Ennd. It has been a long time since the Kingdom has submitted to the Reich, and I believe that your people should get to know their new King. What do you say? Would you like to take a family vacation to Ennd? Your mother will be able to join us."


    Though publically Lukas was Ad''s son, everyone in the family knew that he was actually Henrietta''s boy. Including himself. He was quite proud of his parentage, despite the taboo nature behind his mother''s and father''s rtionship. Yet he was also wise enough to know why his true mother could not be made public.


    Lukas'' father and mother were siblings by blood, and the only evidence they had that countered this narrative was the unreliable word of a sympathetic father. Berengar had dug into the family records to prove that his father''s story was correct and yet he found nothing about Henrietta being his half-aunt.


    Berengar was convinced that his father had lied to him, to make it easier for him to ept Henrietta''s love, but he could not prove either theory correct. And since he could not prove Henrietta was more distantly rted to him than the public knew, he would never reveal their rtionship to anyone who was not an immediate family member.


    It was because of thisplex rtionship that Lukas thought his father was referring to Ad, and not his actual biological mother. Thus, he wore a bitter smile as he sighed and epted his father''s gesture.


    "Sure... I would enjoy a brief vacation in Ennd with you and Ad..."


    Berengar''s brow raised slightly as he heard his son''s words, before correcting the boy on his intentions.


    "When I said your mother, I was referring to my beloved sister. It has been a while since we have gone anywhere as a family. Naturally there are good reasons for this, but in a backwater like Ennd, nobody will realize that your mother isn''t Ad. Or would you prefer that Ad make another public appearance as your ''mother''?"


    With this misunderstanding cleared, Lukas'' youthful face immediately broke out into a wide smile. This was the first time that his father had ever offered an actual family vacation. He was so ecstatic that he jumped out of his chair and boldly questioned whether the man was actually telling the truth.


    "Do you really mean it? It will be a real family vacation?"


    Berengar returned the boy''s enthusiasm as he nodded his head thrice before responding verbally.


    "Indeed, it has been a while since I have taken Henrietta anywhere meaningful, and I suppose Ennd is not the worst option in the world..."


    Lukas was so excited that he had forgotten that his father was technically engaged in a war right now, and when he remembered this fact, he calmed his heart before bringing up this concern.


    "What about the war? Won''t you be needed here in Kufstein?"


    Lukas was not the only one who had forgotten about the ongoing war with the Arab States. Berengar cared so little about the conflict, because he knew the oue already, that he had not even bothered to factor it into his ns. Thus, he responded nonchntly as he dismissed the idea entirely.


    "War? Oh, you mean what''s going on in Arabia? Not to worry, I am not needed for such a petty dispute. If something serious happens, my Generals have ways of contacting me, but I can''t think for the life of me, how your brother could possibly manage to bungle such an easy victory.


    We will depart in two weeks for Ennd, and spend three months going around the Kingdom, so that your subjects can be acquainted with their new King. Now run along, Lukas.


    I have much to prepare for..."


    Lukas could not stop smiling as he followed his father''s orders, and scampered off to tell his mother and siblings the good news. As for Berengar, he quickly got back to work, not even thinking twice about the ongoing conflict in the middle east.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeisterc

 Chapter 1191 The Young King Of England

    Time flew by, and while the Byzantine Army marched across the Middle East, annihting every opposing force they came across, Berengar had taken his sister, Henrietta, and the children they had together to Ennd for a brief family vacation.


    The journey to Ennd was a simple one. First, they would travel to Hamburg via the Reich''s high-speed rails, and then, from there, the family would sail from the German port city to London, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Ennd.


    Why could they not simply fly from Kufstein to London? Well, that was because Berengar had yet to actually invest in the construction of an airport for the medieval ind nation. After all, that would require an enormous effort, and it was not as if Berengar himself visited Ennd all that often.


    Thus, after a lengthy journey, Berengar and his family arrived in Ennd, where they were amazed to see that the old feudal system was still alive and well within the region. Aftering from a modern state, whose technological capabilities were on par with 1970s America. Berengar''s children were particrly bewildered at the sight of such a primitive and ancient society.


    Aside from the devastating loss in thest crusade, Ennd had never been forced to modernize on any aspect of society. As a result of this, the English remained in their steadfast ways. The only difference between Ennd today, and the way it was twenty years ago, is that the Catholic Church had officially been reced with the Church of Ennd. Something which would not normally happen for at least another few centuries.


    The Church of Ennd was Catholic in everything but name. They followed the Catholic traditions and maintained much of the same clergy. Only now there was no pope to answer to, and instead, the King of Ennd was the official head of the Church.


    This meant that Lukas now wielded both secr and religious authority over the English people. Something he could use to his benefit as he slowly reformed this medieval nation into an early modern state.


    Despite how different Ennd was from the Reich, Lukas and his siblings found the quaint and primitive city of London to be rather endearing. Berengar, however, looked around in disgust. Aside from the obviousck of proper sanitation facilities, everything about this ce screamed as if it were only a matter of time before it brew a major gue.


    It was not only Ennd that was like this, many of Germany''s protectorates and tributaries were also little more than medieval European states. And while Germany had provided some investment into these kingdoms to help them recover from their disastrous crusade, he did not bother help to advance them to the early modern era, like he had done with the Empires which his eldest sons would inherit.


    Thus, after a minor stroll to the Windsor Castle, Berengar and his family were unsurprisingly greeted by the various English noblemen, who had been running the Kingdom in the absence of a proper monarch for many years now.


    Berengar allowed his son to sit upon his throne, as each English Duke, Count, and Baron came forth to kneel before their new King. It had been some time since a manst sat upon this throne. Lawrence was presumed dead, and his son abdicated in favor of their German conquerors. Since then, Ennd had been a tributary state of the Reich, waiting for the day when their young King came of age to im his throne.


    Berengar could instantly tell that none of these feudal noblemen were particrly pleased that a German boy now sat upon their Kingdom''s throne, but under the threat of the overwhelming power which Germany had at its disposal, not a single one of these men would dare to utter a word of disagreement.


    As for Lukas, he was quite the astute leader himself, having been raised from birth to be a King, he had spent years building the skills necessary to fulfill the role, and because of this he could immediately understand that his new subjects looked at him with disdain behind their false smiles.


    Thus, when a particrly handsome Duke came forward to spout his titudes, Lukas could only look past the man''s facade, and see him for what he really was.


    "Oh, great King of Ennd, for years I have been waiting for you toe and sit upon your throne. I can say now that I have seen your majesty in the flesh, I can die happy knowing that Ennd will be well looked after in my absence.


    There is just one matter of importance that is keeping me from entering the grave, and that is my youngest daughter Olivia has yet to be wed. For years I have been waiting for the perfect suitor, and yet all who dared to attempt to im her hand had proven utterly disappointing. Yet you, my King are truly worthy. Would you do me the honor of taking my daughter as yourwful wife?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After saying this, the man reached into the crowd and pulled forth his daughter, who was a particrly beautiful young English woman. Olivia was roughly the age of Lukas and appeared to be rather meek and submissive. And though those were ideal qualities in a wife, Berengar suspected she was merely acting this way as part of her father''s ruse. After all, her posture was not that of a submissive woman, no matter how hard the girl tried to pretend she was such.


    Evidently Lukas also felt the same way as his father, because after narrowing his gaze towards the girl, he responded to her father, the Duke, with an empty gesture.


    "Though it would be my honor to marry such a beautiful young woman, I am afraid that I can not ept your proposal at this point in time. I have only now just entered Ennd and have yet to understand the proper political ramifications that such a marriage would impose upon me and my house.


    As the King of Ennd, I must choose my bride with much consideration, and thus, I will not make a decision until I have a proper understanding of this ce and all of its noble houses. However, I will keep your young daughter in mind, and look forward to getting to know her."


    The Duke and his daughter were clearly not happy that their proposal had been rejected. After all, if Olivia could be the new Queen of Ennd, then it meant she would be able to manipte this young boy quite easily. Effectively making her house the de facto rulers of Ennd.


    However, it was clear that both she and her father had underestimated Lukas. What they thought would just be another spoiled prince had in turn proven to be quite intelligent, and thus, the Duke and his daughter could only ept their defeat and move onto another scheme.


    Berengar nodded his head in approval at his son''s decision. There was plenty of time to marry a woman, and many alliances to be forged. This Duke had clearly proven himself an opportunist and a sycophant. One who would say and do anything to gain an extra inch of power.


    After the Duke and his daughter retreated back into the crowd, the rest of the English Noblemen greeted their new King. Lukas decided to host a small banquet, where the Kitchen staff at the Windsor Castle prepared a meal. Naturally, they were thoroughly vetted before Berengar and his family had ever stepped foot in Ennd. Thus, there were no concerns about them poisoning anyone.


    Though Berengar and his family did not necessarily enjoy the food, as it was quite nd. It was able to provide some nutrition to their bodies. During the meal, Lukas took note of everything that his new subjects had said. As well as the expressions on their faces. It was clear that though they were all obligated to greet their new King upon his arrival, that they were testing the waters to see how Lukas would rule over them.


    Lukas did not make any promises or ept any gestures on behalf of his guests. Instead, he maintained a perfectly neutral stance, at least until he could properly understand the political situation in Ennd, and while he cautiously maneuver through the minefield that was feudal politics, Berengar watched with silent approval.


    As for Henrietta, she was approached by several men during the evening, all of which wished to express their admiration of her. Though Berengar introduced his sister as his wife Ad, Henrietta was so beautiful, especially whenpared to the medieval women of Ennd, that these men could not help themselves.


    Because of this, Berengar found himself near his beloved sister''s side throughout the entire night, shooing away those men who did not know how close they were to losing their heads.


    After a night filled with festivities, Berengar and his family bid their guests farewell before retiring to the quarters they had taken.


    While Berengar and his family slept peacefully in their beds, the members of the Leibgarde stood watch throughout the dark corridors of the medieval castle, ensuring that no threat ever approached their master. Even in a primitive and feudalnd filled with scheming nobleman, the von Kufstein dynasty was perfectly safe. No harm would evere to a member of Berengar''s family, so long as his elite bodyguard stood watch over them.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1192 A Man On The Moon

    The three-month vacation in Ennd was done as soon as it had begun. Lukas had be more acquainted with the affairs of his new Kingdom, and had vowed to begin making changes that would see Ennd rise to a state simr to the other major Empires that Berengar''s sons currently ran. Thus, he began spending weekends in Ennd, like his brothers had done for their realms before him.


    Before Berengar even realized it, another five years had passed, and during this time the German war machine focused entirely on producing thetest generation of weapons for the German Army, technological advancement had slowed down, at least as far as the military was concerned.


    Berengar''s primary focus in this time span was to provide nuclear power to the entirety of the reich, and begin transitioning to a mostly electric powered state. The former of which he had aplished. By now, abination of Nuclear, hydro, and geothermal energy was powering every major city in the fathend and its many colonies. All three of which had a monumental effect on countering any possible anthropogenic climate change scenarios.


    Aside from environmental concerns, and sustainable energy, there was one other major development that had been going on for thest five years or so, and that was the German Space Program. Zara had been instrumental in the rise of the German austronautical sector.


    And today was an important day for the Reich and mankind itself. Standing in themand center today were a whole host of important personnel. Chief among them were the Kaiser himself, and the head of the German space program. Both of which were fawning over the young German Princess who had aplished the unthinkable.


    For years now, Zara had one particr dream in mind, one which she had been carefully working towards since she was a little girl. Today, if all went well, she would finally be able to achieve that dream. Zara looked at the monitors, which disyed the massive rocket of hertest design. She had tested this monstrosity quite thoroughly, and truly believed that it would result in her dreaming true.


    On one of the monitors was a screen which disyed the crewpartment on thending craft. There were three astronauts contained within, one of which was none other than Prince Hans von Kufstein, who, after hearing about a potential manned mission to the moon, volunteered on the spot.


    His father may have been the first man to ever fly a ne in this world, but he had been the first man to enter space, and would now be the first man to step foot on the moon.


    Currently, the young man was checking the gauges of the spacecraft, and making sure that everything was operating at optimal standards, because if they were not, he would be forced to abort theunch.


    After confirming that everything was in order, Hans spoke on his microphone, specifically back to Zara, who was watching the screen with fierce intensity.


    "You sure this thing won''t blow us up? I don''t mean to sound unfaithful in your abilities, little sister, but I remember more than a few of your little rockets blowing up in your face when we were kids."


    Zara simply scoffed before responding to her half brother''s taunt with an equally sharp remark. Obviously, by the words she said, she was quite confident in the sess of this mission.


    "It''ll be fine. I have thoroughly tested this rocket design, the failure rate is slightly below 1%. Besides, I remember more than a few times where your mother was worried sick after you were forced to eject from your experimental aircraft. If we want topare statistics on failures, I believe you have me beat big bro!"


    It was now Hans''s turn to scoff as he responded to his little sister''s remark with a fat grin on his face.


    "Alright, alright, let''s get this show on the road already!"


    Zara could not agree more with Hans'' statement and quickly shed her father an excited grin, who nodded his head in approval. Thus, giving the girl permission to begin the countdown.


    "Launch in ten nine eight seven six five four three two one!


    st off!"


    After saying this Zara punched theunch button with her dainty fist, which send the rocket propelling into the air. The screens continued to project the rocket and its crew


    4


    st off!"


    After saying this Zara punched theunch button with her dainty fist, which send the rocket propelling into the air. The screens continued to project the rocket and its crewpartment as the three astronauts held on for dear life as they took to the skies before passing through orbit and into space.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The three-stage rocket eventuallypleted itsunch as the control room broke out into cheers of excitement. Finally, Hans''s voice could be overheard throughout the facility as he slowly got ustomed to space.


    This was not the first time the man had entered space over the past five years. In fact, very early on, Hans transitioned from an experimental pilot to an astronaut, being the first man to enter space and step foot on the German Space Station, which currently orbited the Earth.


    "Mission control, we are inbound for the moon. Eta three days!"


    Berengar was perhaps the most proud parent in the world at this moment. Two of his children had made history on this day. His daughter Zara had built the rocket which would reach the moon, while his son Hans would be the first man to step foot on the moon.


    Thus, the man approached his daughter and hugged her tightly beforeplimenting her on her efforts, which certainly had not gone to waste.


    "Zara, daddy is very proud of you!"


    The young woman smiled and epted her father''s embrace in silence as the two of them waited patiently for the rocket to arrive at its destination.


    Nearly three days passed, and by now the German nation was sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for an update on the event which was being broadcast across the entirety of the Reich. They could hardly believe that mankind was about to step foot on the moon. It had been the dream of man for millennia to do so, and finally, it was about to happen.


    To think that just a quarter of a century ago, Germany was a feudal state, entrenched in the misconceptions of the catholic church. Now, they were a modern Empire, that spanned across the globe. One which was capable of putting a man on the moon.


    To the average German citizen, this was a matter of immense pride. Not only for their nation, but the Kaiser who led them to this bright future, and also the Prince who was so daring that he would even conquer space.


    As if like clockwork, the broadcast shifted to the cockpit of thending craft, which began to detach from the rocket, as it slowly approached the surface of the moon. On live television Hans stepped foot out of the vehicle, and ced his boot on the ground, where he immediately pulled out a German g, and ced it on the moon''s surface, before saluting it and saying the words that would be remembered throughout human history.


    "I, Prince Hans von Kufstein, first of my name, hereby im the moon for the German Reich!"


    All across the fathend, and its many colonies, cheers erupted from every household and every bar in existence. Even on the corners of the street in electronic appliance stores, people gathered and watched their Prince im the moon for their empire, with such pride in their hearts that they thought it might suffocate them.


    Having sessfullynded on the moon, the German Reich was one step closer to bing as advanced as the world Berengar had left behind in what seemed like a lifetime ago. As for the other world leaders, they were either made aware of this feat through messages sent by the Reich, or in the case of Japan, through the same broadcast which made its way across the German Empire.


    Itami gazed in disbelief at the feat, which she never would have considered being able to aplish when she first reincarnated into this world. The fact that she had been able to reunite with Julian in this life, and that the man had been capable of aplishing so much, in such a short period, reaffirmed her belief that he was truly the only man worthy of her love.


    As for Berengar and Zara, they were still at the Command Center, cracking open a case of champagne for themselves and everyone in mission control. They had sessfullynded a man on the moon. A feat that nobody ever thought was possible until this moment.


    This was a sign, that the Reich would have a very bright future, and thus, Berengar had begun considering what he would do with his eventual retirement. While drinking on a ss of champagne, Berengar reflected on the life he had lived up to this point, and the many hurdles he was forced to cross in pursuit of this grand achievement.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1193 A Better World

    Alexandros gazed upon the most recent map that was drawn of the world. The Byzantine Empire stretched from the balkans, to Egypt, and all the way to the borders of India. Muchnd had been gained in the past five years of conquest, and yet it still was not enough to satisfy his ambitions.


    No, there were three targets that needed to be conquered, if he were indeed going to make the Byzantine Empire the second greatest civilization on the. Thus, the young man ced his fingers on the objects of his desire. Wachia, Moldovia and Georgia.


    Though the King of Georgia was a distant rtive to Alexandros, the young emperor did not care about such matters. He was not a von Kufstein, who Alexandros saw as his only family.


    If that was the case, then Georgia would need to be annexed into the Empire he inherited from his mother''s side of the family.


    As for Wachia, and Moldovia, they refused to enter the sphere of German influence, and for that they needed to be annexed, whether they would voluntarily agree to such a drastic decision or not, did not matter, as Alexandros now possessed the second most powerful army in the world.


    Upon gaining the ability tond men on the moon, Berengar felt no harm in loosening the restrictions on his son''s empire and thus permitted them to begin entering the era of steam.


    The Byzantine and Iberian empires were busy constructing buildings and structures that would allow them to connect their empires via national railways.


    Something Germany had aplished decades ago, and because of this, the German constructionpanies worked alongside these nations to ensure that the railways were capable of epting their high-speed trains.


    Development of Byzantium was entering a new era, and though they were still a long way from having the chemical production capabilities to produce their own ammo, the Byzantine Army was now second only to Germany.


    Or so Alexandros liked to im. However, the Iberian Army was just as advanced, just asrge, and just as experienced as their Byzantine counterparts. So it was impossible to say who really was the number two power in this world.


    However, none of this mattered at the moment, as Alexandros gazed upon his young bride. In thest ten years, he had married his wife Zenobia and had even sired five children with her. She had be his right hand and was always present for his negotiations with foreign powers.


    Zenobia had a concerned look on her pretty face as she asked her husband if he really wanted to go through with the n to annex the Kingdom of Georgia.


    "Husband... The King of Georgia is in the other room, waiting for you... I must ask, are you sure this is the wisest course of action? After all, the man is your mother''s uncle, and I don''t believe he will ept the annexation of his kingdom so easily. Should we perhaps get your father to mediate in this discussion?"


    Despite his wife''s concern, Alexandros was not deterred from his goal, and simply scoffed before voicing his disagreement with her proposal.


    "My father? The man is half-retired at this point. Do you really want him here to mediate such a simple matter? If I can''t do this on my own, then he will consider me a failure as an emperor. It is a simply matter of annexation!


    No, I won''t lose to Hans, who my father has already named the Chancellor of Germany! To think that old goat Otto would suddenly retire after the moonnding, and my father would thrust the position onto Hans. He''s clearly prepping the boy to take over his position in theing years.


    If the man can''t be bothered to run his own Empire, why do you think he would want to mediate in a mere case of annexation between two foreign powers? I have learned from the best, and now it is time to prove myself."


    Zenobia could only sigh in eptance as she led her husband into the room, where the old king of Georgia was waiting for him. A smile appeared on the man''s face as he greeted his niece''s son with a firm handshake.


    "My, if it isn''t little Alexandros, to think it has been so long that you are finally a man? Tell me, boy, what is it that is so important that you requested that I meet with you?"


    Alexandros instructed the king of Georgia to sit down, as a servant entered the room with a tray full of tea and cookies. Something which immediately made the old man excited as he engorged himself on the treats while Alexandros made his proposal.


    "The time hase... I will be officially annexing the Kingdom of Georgia into the Byzantine Empire."


    The old man nearly had a heart attack as he heard the words which Alexandros spoke. He was quick to voice his disagreement, as he choked on the bit of cookie that was still stuck in his throat.


    "You can''t possibly mean that! For generations, the Kingdom of Georgia has been a vassal of the Byzantine Empire! We have never failed in our duties, so what gives you the right to annex us?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A cold look appeared in Alexandros'' green eyes as he stared down the King of Georgia with a fearsome expression on his face. He did not move the slightest muscle for several moments of silence before finally responding to the man''s question.


    "Nobody gives me the right... I take it... If you wish to reject my offer of peaceful annexation, then I can always march my army into yournds, and seize your kingdom by force.


    Though I would prefer to avoid such a scenario, as I already have wars nned in other regions. But if you force me to do this, just know that I wille with the fire and fury of a madman.


    So tell me, do you still wish to deny my proposal of annexation, knowing the dire consequences which face you, your family, and the citizens of your Kingdom?"


    It was at this moment that the old King of Georgia noticed several of Alexandros'' body guards armed with submachine guns, standing nearby awaiting orders. Their menacing gazes frightened the feudal king, who knew that his army did not stand a chance against his southern neighbors.


    With a heavy sigh, and a broken heart, the man agreed to Alexandros'' request, albeit with a hint of rage in his aging eyes.


    "Fine... You can have my kingdom. I suppose it would be better to retire in my old age to some beach in Anatolia, then it is to continue ruling such a backward realm. But I want you to know that I am thoroughly disgusted by your behavior. You are your father''s son..."


    After saying this, the old man got up and left the room without saying another word. Once he was all alone, Alexandros wore a prideful smile on his face, as he repeated the words that the King of Georgia hadst said to him. Though they were intended to be an insult, Alexandros could not be any more proud.


    "I am my father''s son..."


    With this in mind, Alexandros stood up with an extra pep in his step, as he approached his wife, and kissed her passionately on the lips. Something which shocked the young woman.


    However, before she could calm her husband down, he whispered something in her ears.


    "And you wanted me to summon my father for mediation. Don''t you feel foolish now?"


    Zenobia had to admit, she expected the old king of Georgia to be quite stubborn. After all, few men would give up the kind of power that he wielded, even if it meant they had to die.


    Yet, he had so easily agreed to the annexation. It was truly surprising to her.


    However, this just posed further questions, the Byzantine Empire had spent thest five years trying to rapidly develop its newly conquered territory, and yet it seemed like no matter how much of thend they improved, there was always more work to be done. Now that they had annexed the Kingdom of Georgia, and set their sights on Wachia and Moldovia, she could not help but feel like her husband was giving himself an entire life''s worth of work to do.


    Thus, Zenobia looked at her husband with an awkward expression before asking him the immediate question on her mind.


    "If you build such a mighty empire within your lifetime, then what will you leave for our son, Honorius?"


    A simple smile emerged on Alexandros'' face as he kissed his wife''s neck before responding to her question.


    "A better world..."


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1194 Annexing Scotland

    Five years had gone by since Lukas had first begun taking action as the King of Ennd, and though he was still yet to marry, he now lived full time in Ennd where he had begun developing the Kingdom from a primitive feudal state, to an early modern one. Not only that, he had even begun overhauling the political structure in a way that wasrgely based on the designs of the German Reich which his father had established.


    However, whenpared to his brothers, who had already gotten a head start on building their Empires, Lukas was quite far behind, he had not even managed to unite the entirety of the British isles, with the isle of man, and Scond both being independent of his Kingdom.


    Out of a desire to prove to his father that he was every bit as worthy as his brothers, Lukas had begun negotiations with Scond for a unification of their two realms. The old Scottish King had perished not long ago, and his son, the Prince, who was once rejected by a lowly bartender in the Reich, had be the new King.


    However, unlike his father, who clung to ancient glory, of a bygone era, the new King of Scond was a much more progressive man, and by that I mean he understood that the Reich was now the center of the world, and that if Scond wished to remainpetitive in the world market, it would need to bend the knee in some way to the Germans.


    Luckily, there was a German Prince sitting on Ennd''s throne, allowing the two men tomunicate quite easily. At the moment Lukas was sitting in his office, with the Scottish King seated across from him. The two men snacked on tea and cookies, as they discussed trivial matters such as the weather and their families. Lukas had a friendly smile on the face as he brought up a question that would directly lead to their negotiations.


    "King Robert, I must say, it is a pleasure to host you here in my pce, but now that we''re on the subject of our families, I hear you have yet to procure a husband for your youngest sister. What was her name again, Ailis? Am I correct?"


    Robert''s gaze narrowed on Lukas. He could tell exactly where this discussion was headed, and was thus quick to nod his head in agreement, hoping that these negotiations would go well.


    "Indeed, my youngest sister has just had her sixteenth birthday, and yet, I have still not managed to find a proper man for her. Why do you ask? Are you perhaps interested, King Lukas?"


    Lukas smiled and nodded his head as he made a proposal, which he thought that Robert would find entertaining.


    "Of course I''m interested. Thest time we met at the ball you held in Edinburgh, I had a delightful discussion with the young woman. She is also quite beautiful... I think it is time we unite our houses, as well as our kingdoms.


    Britannia will never achieve the greatness of the three major European empires outside of the Reich if we do not unite, and while my brothers are fighting over who will control what few countries are still independent, I fear one of them will turn their gaze upon Scond.


    Now my army is not as grand as the Nordic Empire''s, but it should be enough to prevent them from thinking twice about invading yournds."


    Robert considered the proposal for some time, but he still felt like giving up the title of King would be a disgrace to his ancestors, and thus he was quick to negotiate with a request he thought immediately would be shut down.


    "I understand your concerns Lukas, after all, I have the same worries. However, my ancestors have ruled over Scond for centuries, and I would bring dishonor to my house if I were to simply agree to annexation without a fight.


    One which I know I would sorely lose, but still, to my people, honor is of the utmost importance. If, however, you were suggesting something like a dual monarchy, then perhaps I would be able to entertain the idea of this union. "


    Like how Robert expected, Lukas did not ept this proposal, however the counterproposal that the English King made was more than generous enough to garner Robert''s interest.


    "A dual monarchy is a difficult proposal for me to ept, one that I can not easily agree to, considering that I am looking to overhaul the feudal system which still gues thesends.


    However, I do have a counteroffer, if you are willing to hear it..."


    Robert gazed up from his cup of tea, and wore a friendly smile as he silently nodded his head, allowing Lukas to continue his train of thought. Upon seeing that the man was being so amicable, Lukas returned his smile before speaking his ideas.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What I am proposing is the formation of a British Empire. I will be emperor, and you can remain king of Scond. I will also allow a King of Wales and a King of Irnd, simr to how my father has set up the German Reich.


    And while power would be centralized in my hands, as the Emperor, I will allow a certain degree of autonomy for Scond, Wales, and Irnd. You and your descendents can remain King of Scond, and yet we join together into a mighty Empire. What do you think of this proposal?"


    After visiting the Reich in the past, Robert had done his best to investigate just how the nation had risen to prominence so quickly, and all he could understand from the texts that he read, was that Berengar von Kufstein was a genius of the highest caliber. He was not only skilled in academic pursuits but also matters of military tactics and political intrigue.


    From this single conversation with the man''s son, Robert could tell that Berengar had raised his children to be capable monarchs in their own right. At the very least, Lukas would be far more capable than himself.


    With Scond subjected to Ennd, and following the whims and wishes of the new Emperor, it was only a matter of time before they rose to prominence on the world stage, rather than stagnate as a backward feudal state.


    But most importantly, with this proposal, he would remain a King, even if it basically was in name only. Thus, Robert saw no reason to reject Lukas'' offer.


    "If these are your terms, then I must confess I find them most agreeable. Very well, I will agree to joining this British Empire of yours, and I will also consent to wed my sister to you. I look forward to what we are able to aplish together in the future. After all, it has been my greatest fear for Scond to fall behind the rest of the world, something which was sure to happen without some form of union of our two houses."


    Lukas nodded his head in agreement with Robert''s words. However, he was quick to add another point to their agreement, which Robert may have overlooked.


    "Of course, the nobles beneath both of our rule will not be too fond of this new joint venture of ours. I suspect we will have to put down a rebellion or two. What do you say? Will you join me on the battlefield against our enemies?"


    Robert responded exactly as Lukas thought he would. A sadistic sneer curved upon his lips as he nodded his head before responding with a cruel tone in his voice.


    "Oh, I look forward to it!"


    Thus, with this agreement made, Scond would unify with the Kingdom of Ennd to form the British Empire. Once they had put down their enemies in their ownnds, and further brought their new empire up to speed. Lukas would then set his sights on west Africa, and which he knew his father had no ambitions to expand into.


    However, his brothers were another story. Ghazi had already imed most of North Africa as his domain, while Alexandros had begun to expand to East Africa. If Lukas did not get his shit together soon and join the fight, then the scramble for Africa would be lost before it could even truly begin.


    Thus, in theing days, Lukas would form an army worthy of contending with his brothers'' armed forces. Something which he hoped would prove more than capable of controlling his own piece of the pie.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1195 Debating Political Philosophy With A Long Forgotten Deity

    Berengar stood in the sands of Egypt, perhaps for the first time since he underwent the trials of Horus. For centuries, Im had been the dominant religion in thend, and yet as ofte there had been a neer which challenged this solid faith and its adherents.


    Perhaps new was not the right word. After all, this religion had been previously practiced by the Egyptian people for a millennium before the fall of their most ancient civilization. It was not just the ancient gods that were being worshiped, but a new take on the ancient style of fashion had been revived by many of the adherents.


    In the city of Cairo, arge statue of Anubis had been erected, unlike those in the ancient era which were made of limestone. This statue was made of bronze and was intricately crafted by the finest of modern craftsman.


    Berengar stood before the statue in the dead of night, when no other soul dared to walk its streets. He gazed into the inanimate object''s eyes while shrouded in a disguise and whispered some words in a long forgotten tongue. Just as he suspected, the statue began to speak to him, with the voice of the god he had once bested in a battle of wits.


    "Hmmmm... I never expected a mortal like yourself would be able to fulfill the promise you once so foolishly made to me, and yet at the current rate, it looks like I will not be casting your soul into the abyss. Not that I even have the power to do so anymore. Truly, I never expected to be bested by you twice. Just what deity did youe across that was powerful enough to break my control over your ckened soul?"


    Berengar scoffed as he heard this remark, before responding to Anubis with a rather conceited tone in his voice.


    "The same one who brought me into this world... It is not just your pantheon which is starting to be revived, but also those of my ancestors, who are making aeback in d as we speak. However, I did not travel all this way to simply make some small talk with you. As promised, your religion is flourishing, and might soon take over all of Egypt and Nubia.


    And even though you no longer have the power to condemn me to an eternity of darkness, I have still fulfilled my end of the bargain. After all, I am a man of my word. And though it will still be a long while before you and your pantheon fully recover, I will make sure that my son Alexandros maintains the safety of your followers. The Muslims will not be able to inflict harm upon your adherents so long as Byzantium remains in control of Egypt and Nubia."


    The jackal headed god simply scoffed when he heard this, clearly the fact that he was forced to rely on a mortal from an entirely different faith and culture of the world had wounded his pride as a god. But, in the end, he sighed heavily before admitting that he had underestimated Berengar.


    "I never expected you would be able to pull this off. The other gods have begun to recover some strength. Those who were at death''s mercy are no longer on the brink of non-existence.


    I truly have you to thank for all of this. However, I must ask, what are your ns for Africa? I am all too aware of the deal you have made with that sub-saharan child. But recent movements by your sons have made me uneasy."


    Berengar shook his head, and responded with an honesty, as he confirmed the Jackal headed god''s worst fears.


    "I can secure the future of the Zulu only so long as I still draw breath. However, my sessor is unlikely to honor the agreement I have made with that woman. Africa will be split between the European powers, and whether my sons will be more forgiving of the aggressive actions which the natives continue to engage in, this has yet to be seen. I know not what the future holds, for I am not a god, but a mere mortal man."


    A slight sigh emerged from the bronze statue of the jackal headed god, in that moment, Berengar expected that if the inanimate object was capable of moving, then it would have nodded its head in defeat, because the voice that followed was filled with exasperation.


    "So be it... Such a thing was inevitable. Even without your influence in this world, Africa would always be colonized by foreign powers. It was the same in the world you came from, and all other timelines which I can see...."


    Berengar nodded his head in agreement to these words. Even if he had never interfered in this world, the Europeans would arrive in theing centuries with guns, cannons, horses, and the wheel. Something which sub-saharan Africa waspletelycking in. And if the Europeans did note to conquer the region, then the Arabs, or the Asians, would.


    Knowing this, Berengar had no sympathy for those south of the Sahara. Civilizations sh, and those that are more advanced almost always win. That is the nature of humanity.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Something which Berengar was all too familiar with after living through two lives. However, the voice of the jackal headed god interrupted his thoughts, as it condemned him for actions he had taken during his colonization.


    "Still, what you have done in this world has made the situation so much worse. Countless different tribes and ethnicities have been pushed north because of your campaigns, those that survive the journey beyond your borders, now sh with the other tribes native to the regions they now find themselves in. There is more blood on your hands than you realize. I wonder if the world you came from knew about all that you have done in this life. Would they condemn you as the worst man in history?


    Berengar scoffed at this notion at what was perhaps the most disdain he had ever expressed since first being reincarnated into this world.


    "Most likely, but the real question that matters is why should I care? The world I came from was weak, depraved, and decrepit. I was born into a civilization that was on the brink of total copse and deservingly so. The peace that came after the second world war, had weakened the west, and turned all of its nations into a bunch of spineless apologists. I am not sorry for what I have done in this life, nor for what my ancestors had done in my past life.


    Everything I have done in this life was for the benefit of my people. It is not my responsibility to care for the entire world. I am the Emperor of Germany, and thus the lives and happiness of the German peoplee first.


    Even if ites at the cost of everyone else. That is what it means to be a proper ruler. The world can be damned for all I care. Their opinions are meaningless, for they are not my people, and thus they deserve no sympathy from me.


    Perhaps if there were more rulers like me in my past life, men who actually cared about the wellbeing of their people, then maybe western civilization would have be something more than just a dying society. But I have changed the oue of this world I now live in, and Germany shall reign supreme for the next thousand years.


    Without the enlightenment, which will nevere to pass in this world as a result of my actions, there will be no liberal school of thought, and without a liberal school of thought, none of the ills that gued my past life''s society wille to pass. All of which result from the selfishness of individualism!


    The world has now begun to emte the society which I have created. A strong society, a martial society, a society built upon the benefit of the nation, and not the individual. Condemn me if you will, Anubis, but I have saved Germany from total extinction, and now it reigns supreme above all else in this world. Perhaps even the gods themselves can notpare to what I have created. Could you withstand the power of twenty-five thousand thermobaric missiles? I think not!"


    Anubis went silent for nearly an entire minute before responding to Berengar''s argument with a grim tone in his voice.


    "It is true that you have created a world where Germany is its master, and perhaps in a few millennia it will be only your people who remain on this Earth. One, which undoubtedly benefits from the environmentally friendly and conservationist policies that you have introduced so early on into the timeline.


    But I wonder if perhaps your ego has gotten the better of you. Undoubtedly, the power you wield is magnificent, but to challenge the authority of the gods? Even in our weakened states, we have the ability to smite you from this world in the blink of an eye.


    For all that you have done for my pantheon, I will take your words, as a slip of the tongue. Never forget who brought you into this world, Berengar von Kufstein, or should I say Julian Weber? For without our powers, you would have never been able to achieve all which you have in this life."


    After saying this the Anubis statue went silent, as if it had never spoken in the first ce. Berengar, had simply been venting a frustration which existed inside him longer than he cared to remember, and had gotten carried away. Luckily Anubis was a good sport, or he would likely have entered the afterlife a few decades earlier than he nned to.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1196 The Passing Of Friend

    With his promise to the Egyptian Gods now fulfilled, and his empire at the peak of its power, Berengar now had little to worry about in his daily life. In fact, his workload had vastly increased as he appointed his eldest son as the Chancellor of the Reich, and forced much of his paperwork onto the young man.


    And while Berengar enjoyed each day of his peaceful life to the fullest of his ability, the rest of the world had scrambled to be the second most powerful empire on Earth. However, none of this was Berengar''s concern, and currently he sat in his room, while watching the television.


    As he was enjoying an ice cold beer while watching a kickboxing fight, the door to his room suddenly burst open, to reveal the heavenly figure of his concubine Priya Tomara, whose makeup had run down her face due to the tears which were flowing from her emerald eyes.


    This had caught Berengar off guard, and he immediately rose from his seat as he approached the woman tofort her, before asking her just what had caused her to enter such a dreadful state.


    "Priya? What''s wrong? Are the kids alright?"


    The bronze skinned beauty shook her head as she struggled toe up with the words to describe her woes. However, after several moments of crying her tears into Berengar''s chest, she finally spoke about what was haunting her.


    "Dharya is dead!"


    Berengar could not believe his ears. Dharya was perfectly healthy thest time he saw the man. In fact, he had just flown out to India no more than three weeks prior to have tea with the Indian Emperor, and yet he was suddenly dead? How could that have happened? Berengar had so many questions that he was immediately forced to ask Priya, even though she was not in a state, to answer them properly.


    "Are you certain? How is this possible? Dharya was just fine thest time I saw him. He was in perfect health!"


    Priya continued to bawl her eyes out as she silently nodded her head, once more struggling to find the strength to voice herment. Eventually she did so, but her words were far from helpful.


    "I don''t know! His doctors say he just dropped over dead. Oh Berengar, we have to go to India, and find out what happened. If somebody did this to my brother, I will never forgive them! I mean, he didn''t even leave any children behind. Who will rule over his empire now?"


    Berengar knew exactly why Dharya had never been able to have any children, despite his many attempts. Even though the man was technically his foster son, someone he had raised during his formative years. Berengar did not let this sentiment get in the way of what needed to be done, and thus, without anyone being the wiser, he had tasked Imperial intelligence with the unspeakable act of sterilizing the Indian Emperor.


    Of course, Berengar would never admit this to Priya, who he loved more than most of his concubines, and thus, he held her softly in his arms, while assuring her everything would be fine.


    "Don''t worry, my love, if someone did this to Dharya, I will have their heads. Your brother was one of my closest friends, and I will not forgive anyone who may have had a part in his death. As for who will rule India now, there is only one clear contender for the throne, our eldest son..."


    Priya looked up into her lover''s mismatched eyes, with confusion on her pretty face. She quickly shook her head in disagreement with the man''s words, and attempted to argue against his decision.


    "No! Arun is much too young to be an emperor, and if someone really did kill my brother, then they will only be after our son as well! I won''t put my baby boy in harm''s way!"


    Berengar could only sigh, what was done was done, though he did not know how Dharya had just suddenly dropped dead, he would know the answer soon enough. As for India, it needed an emperor, and Arun was most definitely too young to fulfil this role. But Berengar could always do the same to India as he did to both Iberia and Ennd, and thus he was quick to assure his lover that everything would be fine.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Rx, Priya. Our son won''t be in any harm''s way. He will continue to live here in Kufstein, as he has done his entire life, until a time when hees of age to take his rightful ce as the Emperor of all Indians, until then, I will rule as the steward, in our son''s ce, and ensure that India does not fall apart because of this horrible tragedy.


    In the meantime, we need to get to India as fast as possible, and find out the cause of your brother''s death, before anyone else has a chance to seize power during this time of crisis.


    Pack your things, my love. We''re going back to your homnd!"


    Priya was still troubled by the sudden news that her elder brother was dead, but as long as Berengar was by her side, she would be able to get through this tragedy. As for Berengar, he was quite curious about the cause of Dharya''s death, and had brought with him a host of physicians who could perform a proper autopsy of thete Indian Emperor, and determine what had actually killed him.


    The flight to India was not as long as it would normally be without supersonic flight. However, because of how advanced the Reich was, and its ess to supersonic transports, Berengar, Priya, and a host of personnel which included members of the Leibgarde, and several German physicians had arrived in the capital of the mighty empire within a single day.


    Before flying out to India, Berengar had contacted those in the region who were loyal to Dharya, and advised them to put the capital under martialw. Thus, when Berengar and his entourage arrived in India, they were greeted by a mix of Indian and German soldiers, all of which saluted the Kaiser with the utmost respect.


    Berengar returned their salute before entering an armored convoy, which led him and his people to the pce. When Priyaid eyes upon her brother''s corpse, she once more burst into tears, and Berengar had no choice but to hug her tightly in an attempt tofort the grieving woman.


    Thus, he took his lover out of the room, so that his physicians could perform an autopsy, while his Leibgarde questioned the Pce''s staff. In the end the Dharya''s death was determined to have been caused by an aneurysm in the brain.


    If Berengar still had one fear in this life, it was that such a fatal and random condition would one day affect him as well. To see Dharya die by such a thing, it really brought a new perspective to the aging Kaiser, who until now felt as if he waspletely invincible.


    Priya was naturally devastated, and Berengar spent much of the dayforting her, while his staff began to set up the means of his stewardship. Dering that Arun would be the new emperor, and that a temporary government would be set up to help the Empire function properly, until a time when the boy came of age to take his rightful throne.


    Obviously, funeral arrangements were immediately made for Dharya''s burial, but before his body was whisked away to the undertaker. Berengar decided to say onest goodbye to his foster son and friend. While staring at the cold corpse, Berengar had a stoic expression on his face, as he spoke the words that he felt were necessary to say.


    "Dharya... It pains me to see that you have stepped foot into the grave before me. I honestly expected you to outlive me. To have you enter the afterlife, in such a sudden and jarring way. It truly breaks my heart. I just wanted you to know that I will take good care of your sister, your wives, and your homnd in your absence...


    And that I am sorry for making it so that you were unable to have children of your own. Though I do not regret my decision, as it was a necessary evil to see the peaceful transition of power in India to my bloodline, I am sorry that I was forced to take such a drastic measure..."


    With this said, Berengar said goodbye to a man he consider being among his closest friends. One of the few he had left in this world. If there was one good thing that coulde of this, it was the fact that Arun, would be the next Emperor of India, a man born, and raised in the Reich, and trained to be a ruler better than any other potential candidate.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1197 Dharyas Funeral

    It did not take long for a funeral to be arranged for Emperor Dharya Tomara, for which Berengar had required his entire family to be present. It was an affair for the entire Indian Subcontinent, one that was broadcasted on television across the Reich.


    Berengar stood by Priya''s side, as she wept while watching her brother''s coffin be interred into the ground. She was not the only one who was crying, in fact, all of Dharya''s wives, were also in a simr state.


    Several of Berengar''s children had grown up with Dharya and Priya as foster siblings, and they too, showed their grief on their faces. Whether it was his daughters who cried for the loss of a man they considered being a brother, or the men who stared silently into the distance, remembering all the times they had shared with the man.


    For the von Kufstein Dynasty, the loss of its friend and ally at such a young age was a tragedy. Berengar in particr was rather solemn, as he reflected on how few friends he had left in the world. Ludwig had passed away a few years ago, after living a rather luxurious retirement, and Eckhard already had one foot in the grave.


    This was to be expected as these men were as old, if not older, than his father, who was nearing the end of his life as well. Still, Berengar had never thought that out of every one of his friends and rtives, Dharya would be the second to go.


    It was truly a sobering realization, one which he dwelled upon as heforted Priya, who cried profusely into his suit jacket. Berengar had attended a lot of funerals in his life, probably more than most people. As the Kaiser of the Reich, it was his duty to be present at the funerals of State Heroes.


    But a few of them stung as much as Ludwig''s and Dharya''s. Berengar was entirely unfamiliar with the Hindu''s cultural traditions when it came to burying someone the earth, and thus he sat by silently and watched as Dharya''s coffin was lowered into the ground, never to be seen again.


    Once the actual funeral was over, Berengar invited all its attendees back to the Indian Pce on behalf of Priya, who was too shaken up to say a word. Where he served food and drinks to everyone, while they reminisced about the man who had suddenly been taken from them all.


    For the first time, in a very long time, Berengar spoke with Dharya''s cousin Ishwar, who had been the Indian Emperor''s right-hand man since his ascension to the throne. The man barely appeared to be holding things together, as he downed an unhealthy amount of hard liquor to deal with the grief he currently felt in his heart. Berengar approached the man and began to speak of the first time he had met the deceased.


    "You know, when Dharya first came to Kufstein, he told me you had helped him escape the cruelty of your father, that you had given him hope about the society I created, one which he might be able to flee to with Priya, and live in exile. I''m sure if your father knew about this, he would have been furious with you."


    Ishwar wore a bitter smile on his face as he shook his head before saying something that even Berengar found shocking.


    "Good riddance to that ck-hearted bastard. He was not half the man Dharya was..."


    Berengar could not help but nod his head in agreement with this sentiment. In truth, Berengar had kept Chandra alive, in case he ever needed to rece Dharya, who had been a bit rebellious during his initial days as the Indian Emperor, but now that Dharya was dead, he felt no reason to keep the bastard alive. For the sake of Dharya''s memory, he would have the old bastard executed in the most brutal way he could think of once he returned to the Reich, where the man lived in exile.


    But that was something to be done at ater date, instead what he needed to do now was mourn the passing of a friend, and thus, Berengar grabbed the bottle of whiskey that Ishwar was drinking from, and poured himself an entire cup of the stuff. Where he took a swig from the alcohol as if he could not feel the intense burning sensation.


    Berengar had to have taken two to three shots'' worth of the liquid, and yet, he still did not feel drunk enough. Thus, he took another gulp, before patting Ishwar on the back and saying some final words before going back to Priya''s side, who was beingforted by Dharya''s widows.


    "Your cousin was a good man. The world is worse off with his death..."


    Berengar meant every word he had said, and slowly walked back to Priya, concealing the pain he felt in his heart with a stoic facade. As a man, he knew there were certain things you were not allowed to do in life. One of them was crying in public.


    And though all the women and children at this wake were weeping for the loss of their beloved Emperor, the men had remained as cold as stone. Choosing to drink away their grief, rather than vent it through tears.


    After sitting down next to Priya, the woman grabbed onto his shoulder and began crying into his coat once more, causing Berengar to simply stroke her jet ck hair, as if he were petting a wounded kitten. He had no more words offort to say, and could only help the woman process her grief with physical intimacy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As for Berengar''s wives and other concubines, they mostly stayed to themselves, allowing Priya to receive the attention she needed from the man she loved most in her hour of need.


    This would continue for the rest of the evening, where all the guests would then pack up and head back to their homes. Only Berengar and his family, as well as Dharya''s widows, remained in the pce.


    That night, Berengar slept alone with Priya. It was rtively umon for the man to sleep with only one of his women. But this was a special asion, and he knew that Priya needed him now more than ever. Thus, they cuddled together for the entire night, while talking about their thoughts. However, Priya asked a question, which Berengar was not expecting, in a voice that sounded as if she were angry at him.


    "I just don''t understand how you can remain so cold, even at my brother''s funeral. Did he mean nothing to you? I thought we were your family!"


    Berengar instantly shifted his head, which was stared at the ceiling of the room, as he was lost in thought, before looking Priya directly in her emerald eyes. He felt particrly wounded at her remark, which he knew was simply the result of her heightened emotions, but he did notsh out at her and instead sighed heavily before telling her the truth.


    "After you went to sleepst night, I wept for an entire hour alone in the dark. You think I don''t care about the two of you? Dharya was my friend, no he was more than that. Like you just said, he was my family.


    And though I have wronged him, in ways that I deeply regret, I still cared for the man, as if he were actually my blood. I may not be as heartbroken as you are right now, considering the many years that he was the only family that you had, but I am still grieving in my own way. I just don''t have the luxury to show it in public.


    I know you are hurting right now, and you didn''t mean what you just said, but I think you should realize that you are not the only one who is in pain right now."


    Priya felt ashamed of using Berengar of not caring enough for her brother after hearing his words, but there was one thing he said in particr that stuck out to her, which she was quick to ask about.


    "You said you had wronged Dharya in ways that you deeply regret... What did you mean by that?"


    Berengar immediately realized that he had said too much, but there was no stopping this can of worms now that it was opened. However, he would not dare to admit the truth to the woman, especially now when she was so aggrieved. Thus, he only admitted the half truth in a way that was more eptable.


    "I''m the reason that your brother couldn''t have children.. You have to understand, our knowledge of the effects which radiation has on the human body is a rtively recent discovery.


    Something I did not know many years ago, when Dharya first discovered a new mineral which we now know was Uranium, in the borders of his Empire, I asked him to collect some samples for my scientists to study. I know now that was the reason why he had be sterile, and I deeply regret being so ignorant of the world..."


    This was only the half truth. In reality, Berengar of course knew that exposure to radiation could quickly make one be sterile, and he had purposely subjected Dharya to its effects, so that he would indeed be incapable of siring offspring. But if he said that part out loud, he would immediately be hated by Priya, and the woman might literally kill herself as a result. Or she might even attempt to kill him.


    Thus, he had spoken a half truth, which Priya was able to ept, albeit, after much difficulty. The woman remained silent for nearly half an hour before she finally spoke her thoughts aloud.


    "That is indeed heartbreaking, but I don''t me you. You didn''t know that such a thing could happen. It is not like it was intentional. So, I forgive you..."


    After saying this, Berengar kissed Priya before spooning with her while they both fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1198 The Scramble For Africa Paart I

    It had been five years since the German Empirended a man on the moon and currently, the Iberian Army stood in the horn of Africa, facing across their Byzantine rivals. Both Armies wanted ess to the territory for the sake of economic development, and neither was willing to concede.


    Thus, after establishing trenches, and aiming their rifles at one another, the Iberian Sultan and the Byzantine Emperor, who were leading their armies, met in no-man''snd to discuss their differences and negotiate apromise that would have both sides satisfied.


    Ghazi stood in the center of no-man''snd with a white g in one hand ,and a conceited smile on his face. Meanwhile, Alexandros opposed him with a stern expression, and a rifle slung around his back. The Byzantine Emperor was in a sour mood. The scramble for Africa had already begun between three major powers, all of which werepeting for the most territory.


    While Ghazi had seized most of north Africa west of Libya, Alexandros had been busy expanding into Sudan, and the surrounding region. Yet, just as he entered into Ethiopia, he found that Ghazi had already beaten him to it, and was currently negotiating with the Ethiopian emperor for his daughter''s hand in marriage, which was a ploy to seize the region for himself.


    Realizing that they both wanted ess to the samend, for obvious reasons, the two men had positioned their armies across from one another, where war had be an imminent threat to the region. With a scowl on his handsome face, Alexandros spoke the words which gued his mind.


    "For the sake of our father, I will give you this onest chance, Ghazi. Stand down, and allow me to annex the horn of Africa, or face the wrath of the Romans. I will not ask you a second time..."


    Ghazi, however, did not seem the least bit intimidated by his brother''s words, as he countered them with a bit of snark in his tone.


    "Brother, why must we fight over thisnd? If I do not gain ess to eastern Africa, I will not have the means to conduct trade with our brother in India. Do you really want to fight me over such a petty matter?


    If you give me the horn of Africa, I will give you the Ivory Coast, meaning that you will gain ess to the Antic, and thus have the ability to trade with the colonies in the new world.


    Is that not a fairpromise?"


    Despite the logic behind Ghazi''s words, Alexandros merely scoffed, before exining why he thought that such a trade was a rotten deal for him.


    "I already have ess to the new world. I simply need to send my ships out of the Mediterranean. What a rotten deal for Byzantium. No, I will not concede defeat. I will have the horn of Africa, even if it means that our armies muste to blows!"


    Even though Alexandros was threatening outright war, Ghazi did not seem the least bit concerned, and instead clicked his tongue thrice, as if he was lecturing his half-brother on why his words were so foolish.


    "Oh really? Do you really believe that if you do not allow me to ess this region, that I will permit your ships to sail across the strait of Gibraltar? Every ship which flies the colors of Byzantium will be at the mercy of my navy. So tell me, brother, do you really wish to test this theory? Or do you want a port of your own, with ess to the antic?"


    Upon hearing this threat, Alexandros'' face turned ashen, he knew that his brother was not bluffing in the slightest, and he would rather not have to fight his way out of the Mediterranean every time he attempted to trade with the German colonies in the new world.


    Despite knowing that his brother Ghazi was right, Alexandros did not immediately back down, and instead remained silent as he thought about the proposal. Seeing that he was close to convincing his brother to ept hispromise, Ghazi threw in a bit of urgency to break Alexandros" will.


    "Come now, brother, we don''t have all day. As we speak, that little shit Lukas is sailing his armies across the North Sea. If he reaches the ivory coast first, then I will have no choice but to let him have thend. And if that happens, war between our two empires will be unavoidable. So what will it be, the Horn of Africa, for the ivory coast, or bloodshed?"


    A slight scoff emerged from Alexandros''s lips once more as he begrudgingly epted his brother''s offer. However, not without letting his tongue spit some venom first.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Father has taught you well Ghazi, I''m surprised you are able to be so coercive, despite the fact that your mother would be beside herself if you knew you were so willing to spill the blood of your family in pursuit of some Ethiopian pussy. Very well, I ept your terms. The Horn of Africa is yours, so long as you let me use your railway in North Africa to transport my troops to the Ivory Coast..."


    A slight smile emerged on Ghazi''s face, though he wanted to make a remark about Alexandros'' mother abandoning him in his youth, he knew that was a topic that was most likely to provoke an armed response, and thus he simply nodded his head, and epted his brother''s conditions.


    "Very well. You can use my railway to transport your troops. I suggest you hurry. If the Anglo-Saxons arrive in the Ivory Coast before your forces due, there will be war. Something I know that a father would be most disappointed in."


    Alexandros did not say a word, and instead headed back to his army, where he informed them to pack up their shit, and get on the nearest train. As for Ghazi, he sighed as he revealed the trembling hands he kept behind his back during the negotiations with his half-brother.


    No matter how calm and collected, he may have appeared to have been during their discussion. Ghazi was silently freaking out in his mind over the potential prospect of war with his brother. The Byzantine and Iberian militaries were equally matched, and if they were to fight here in Africa, it would be a bloody conflict that wouldst for who knows how long.


    Stomping over medieval armies and primitive savages was an easy feat, fighting an industrial power armed with semiautomatic rifles, heavy machine guns, and modern artillery? That was a serious problem.


    However, with the agreement made, the Byzantine Army withdrew from the region, and made their way to the Ivory Coast to conquer the region before the English could do so. As for Ghazi, he returned to the pce of the Ethiopian King, where he continued his negotiations for the Princess''s hand in marriage.


    The Ethiopian King was a man who knew very little about the monumental changes that had urred throughout the world over the past three decades. Though he had seen German ships sail through the red sea, he did not know who they belonged to, our what power they actually were capable of disying.


    However, all of a sudden, a foreign man hade to his Kingdom, and dered himself an emperor in his own right. One who intended to take his youngest daughter''s hand in marriage. This foreign man dressed in strange clothes, and his army used exotic weapons.


    At first, the Ethiopian King had entirely refused Ghazi''s demands, but then the Iberian Sultan disyed the might of his army. A single battle was waged between Ethiopia and Iberia, one which resulted in a total Iberian victory.


    Astonished by the disy of the foreign weapons, the Ethiopian King had been forced to the negotiating table, and just when he was about to give up his daughter to this foreign monarch, another group of foreigners arrived on the scene with weapons of equal formidability.


    At first he thought the two foreign monarchs would kill each other in pursuit of his daughter, and that he would be free to marry her to a man of his choosing. Yet, just when things were about to get interesting, the Byzantine Army packed up their stuff and disappeared. Leaving the Ethiopian King with only one option.


    Thus, with a heavy sigh, the Ethiopian King agreed to Ghazi''s demands, andmunicated with him via a trantor.


    "Very well, Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl, I will marry my youngest daughter to you. However, in exchange for her marriage, I want certain protections from you that will ensure that mynds do not end up in the hands of another foreign power."


    With that said, the two monarchs began to negotiate. Something which Ghazi would make use of to extract the most benefits possible. One thing was certain by the oue of this exchange, the Scramble for Africa had begun, and at any moment the three Imperial Powers of Britain, Iberia, and Byzantium could ignite a powder keg which would result in the deaths of millions.


    If you''re not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at /zentmeister

 Chapter 1199 Planning For Retirement

    It had been fifteen years since Berengar defeated the Japanese in a war against Itami''s Empire, and by now the Nation had recovered to the point where it was second only to the Reich.


    However, due to its treaty, it was not permitted to have a military of any considerable size.


    However, this was not the matter that was most important to the world. Instead, the union of the Japanese Empress, and her the German Kaiser had brought peace and stability. And currently Itami was visiting Kufstein where her mother and sister had both found husbands.


    While Momo had married Linde''s little brother, Mibu Saya had perhaps done the most shocking thing of all, and married Berengar''s father Sieghard. The day Sieghard took Mibu as his second wife came as a shock to both Berengar and Itami, who were convinced that Gis would never permit her husband to take another wife.


    Nobody knew what had convinced the woman to ept such a thing, especially not Berengar, who knew that his mother had always disapproved of his polygamous lifestyle, but he was just happy that his father was doing well, despite his old age.


    Currently, the Itami, and von Kufstein families were gathered together in the Imperial Pce while a 45-year-old Berengar, sat next to his fifteen-year-old son, Itami Ryu, who closer resembled his mother, than his father.


    Itami Ryu was set to be the next Emperor of Japan, after he came of age to relieve his mother, and had lived a life travelling between Germany and Japan. His father was a man of great renown across the globe, and because of that, he was prideful of his parentage. Though at many times he felt envious of his half siblings who were able to live with the man full time.


    It was not every day that he got to visit his grandparents, and thus the teenage boy was actually quite happy to see Sieghard, and Mibu, who appeared quite happy together as they shared a few drinks with their children.


    Mibu, in particr, was exceptionally friendly with Berengar, going so far as to hug him frequently, and tell him how much she always wanted a son. Something she had done repeatedly over thest ten years, since she first married his father. Today was no exception.


    "Oh, Berengar, it has been my greatest honor to have a son like you. You have no idea how much I have always wanted a son of my own, and now I have the most exceptional son in the world!"


    While Berengar was used to such praise from the woman, he was also ustomed to the angry nces his mother would shoot him, as if he was a traitor for being so friendly with this woman who had clearly stolen his father''s heart. Thus, when Gis red at him yet again, he could only smile, before cracking a joke which he knew would upset everyone at the table.


    "Well, if I am your son, then that means Riyo is my little sister. Is that not correct?"


    This was technically true. Not only was Berengar now married to Itami, but he was also her step brother, something which he constantly felt awkward about whenever herm other would bring it up. Perhaps because of all the weird porn that existed around such a fetish in her past life.


    But no matter how much Itami hated the idea of being step siblings with her husband, she could only sigh and ept it as defeat. After all, their parents married after they had gotten married themselves, so it was not like there was anything remotely gross about the whole thing.


    Of course, Riyo also hated how Berengar would bring it up when they were being intimate together, constantly calling her his precious imouto as he came deep inside her. Even though Itami was aware that her husband had a romantic rtionship with his actual sister, she still did not feelfortable being called his sister while they were together in bed, or in public. Thus, she punched him in the shoulder ever so slightly, which caused the man to feign offense with a conceited smile on his face.


    "Ow... What was that for?"


    Itami did not say a word, and simply snubbed her man, something which Mibu foundical as she added gasoline to the me.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Of course, you are one hundred percent correct in your assumption. You are my Riyo, and Momo''s big brother now, and you would do well to look after them."


    While Itami was ufortable with being referred to as Berengar''s little sister, Momo revelled in it. Not only had she been calling them a big brother, since before he had even married her elder sister, but now that their parents were married, she called him big brother every chance she got. Disying how much she always wanted an older brother of her own.


    "Big brother is so shameless in marrying one of his little sisters, at least he did not marry them both."


    Herman could only conceal his mild irritation with his wife''s jest, as he silently his brother-inw chat with his family. However, the look Itami gave his wife did not go unnoticed. As for Itami Ryu, he finally spoke up after watching the awkward atmosphere that existed between his family at the mention of theirplex family tree.


    "Wait, a second... If I remember correctly, mother, and father got married before grandmother, and grandfather, isn''t that correct?"


    Mibu smiled at her grandson and nodded her head with a warm smile on her face as she told the tale of how she and Sieghard had gotten married.


    "Of course, it was actually at your parents'' wedding that Sieghard and I met, and I just knew after that night that he was the man of my dreams. I was married once when I was much younger, much like Sieghard was already married to Gis here. However, your other grandfather died long before you were born.


    Anyway, after the wedding, Sieghard and I kept in touch, and for several years he kept promising me that we would get married. But he had to convince Gis first, and that was no easy task!"


    Gis scoffed at the mere mention of the whole ordeal. She had many an argument with her husband over his infatuation with the Japanese milf, and had on several asions told him she would divorce him if he dared to take another bride.


    However, divorce was damn near impossible in Germany, and could only be instigated under several scenarios. The mostmon reason a woman could divorce her husband was if she could prove in a court ofw that he abused her. While the mostmon reason for a man to divorce his wife was if he could prove in a court ofw that she cheated on him. There was no such thing as irreconcble differences in the Reich.


    Thus, ultimately, the say in whether or not Sieghard wanted another wife was entirely his decision. And Mibu had wrapped him around her fingers quite easily. To Berengar, this was not a problem. His mother''s feelings were antiquated, and it was only after he told her off that she had verbally consented to Sieghard taking Mibu as another bride.


    Still, this did not mean that she did not hold any resentment towards either of them. And thus she had begrudgingly been allowing Sieghard and Mibu to live the married life back at their estate. Upon seeing that the tension was so high, Berengar decided to make an announcement which shocked the entire family.


    "Anyway, I thought I should make my intentions clear to you all. When Ryu here is old enough to seed his mother, Itami will be moving in with me. In fact, I will also be handing over the reigns of the Reich to Hans within the next five to ten years, where I will retire to the countryside, not far away from your home with all of my wives and lovers.


    I have already aplished all that I have set out to do in this life, and to sit upon the throne any longer would be nothing but unecessary stress. If Hans ever needs me for anything, perhaps to mediate between his brothers, I will be more than happy to do so. But the time is near for me to hang up my gloves and retire in peace."


    The room fell silent after hearing Berengar''s words, everyone in the room was shocked that Berengar would be retiring at such a young age from his position, everyone except for Itami. As one of his wives, the two of them had been discussing when he would retire for some time now. In fact, Berengar had been vocal about this subject with all of his wives and lovers.


    The time for his sons to prove their worth and lead the world which he had created was nigh. All that was left for Berengar was to tie up a few loose ends andplete his political career. And then, he could live the rest of his life in peace with the women he loved.

 Chapter 1200 Discussing The Gods With The Heit To The Throne

    Berengar sat in his office while signing his name away on a document. By now, the man had endured enough paperwork tost ten lifetimes, and yet the work of a monarch never ceased. However, today he was not alone in his office, instead his eldest son, Hans von Kufstein, was sitting in the office filling out just as many forms as his father.


    Upon seeing that it was just about noon, Berengar ced his pen down, and sighed heavily, causing his son to look up at him with a rather irritated expression on his face.


    "Father, there is still plenty of more work to be done. And I will not have you pile your work load onto me again! If you wish to escape this paperwork, then just give me the damn throne already and I will assume all of your burdens!"


    A peculiar look appeared in Berengar''s mismatched eyes, as if he was genuinely contemting the idea. No doubt he had already nned his retirement, which was only a handful of years away, and yet there were still things he needed to do before stepping down as the Kaiser of the Reich.


    Thus, after several moments of awkward silence, Berengar began to speak. He did not know why now he had chosen to tell his son of a secret he kept from the world. Perhaps it was a way to give him some respite from his cramping hand, or perhaps he felt now his son, who was already a man, was old enough to know the truth. Whatever the reason, he began to speak about things he had not uttered a word of in a long time.


    "You were pretty young when you found out the truth about me... But I don''t remember you ever asking me how I came to this world. Haven''t you been curious for all of these years?"


    Hans immediately halted writing his signature upon hearing his father''s words and looked up at the man with a stern expression on his face before posing a single question.


    "After all this time, why now are you willing to reveal your secrets to me, father?"


    Berengar sighed heavily once more while he reached into his nearby cupboard and pulled out a pair of sses and a bottle of whiskey, which he poured for himself and his son, before handing one of the cups to the young man. After they had both had a sip of the whiskey, Berengar chuckled before revealing his story.


    "Who knows, perhaps I have grown tired of hiding it, or maybe I just want an excuse not to do today''s work. Whatever the reason, I am choosing to tell you now. Or are you too busy to hear an old man''s tale?"


    Hans simply scoffed when he heard his father''s statement before sitting back in his seat and taking another sip from his whiskey. His response was short, but to the point.


    "Go on..."


    Having received permission from his son to tell the tale, Berengar began to recount some of the secrets that Hans had never learned about his father.


    "Oh, it must have been twenty-five years ago, something like that... Somewhere around the time that I unified Germany into a single empire.


    I was travelling to the border, to check on the construction of our defenses. Which were made in preparation for the Catholic Church, when I stumbled upon a forest surrounded by fog.


    During the night, I slept walk into the woods, and there I met something which had changed my perspective on life entirely.


    A little redheaded girl called out to me, but she was no mere child, instead she had been on this earth longer than even the Christian faith. The Goddess Baduhenna spoke to me, telling me that I had been brought to this world for a reason, and she gifted me with the boon of courage, so that I may ovee and fear I might feel in life...."


    Hans looked at his father as if he had gone senile before posing the first of many questions, which he had after hearing the man''s tale.


    "A goddess? A pagan goddess in the flesh spoke to you, and gifted you with a boon of courage? Really? Father, I don''t even believe the crock of shit which the Christians preach. Why would I believe something so absurd?"


    To this, Berengar simply chuckled before taking another drink from his ss before asking his son a question which perplexed him.


    "Haven''t you ever wondered how my right eye suddenly had its sight restored, and became a perfect gold, rather than its natural blue state? Believe me, son, the gods are real, at least the pagan gods. You are right about Christianity though, and all Abrahamic religions. A total crock of shit.


    Unfortunately, the gods have lost a lot of power now that few men worship them, and as a result, they are fairly secluded from the world, and rarely interfere in mortal affairs."


    Despite the nonsense which his father was speaking, Hans decided to entertain him, if not for a thought experiment, and was quick to ask the next question on his mind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Okay... old man, tell me then, why would the gods choose you to enter this world? What were their ns for you?"


    Berengar once more took a sip from his whiskey before pouring another ss. It was only after he had done this that he began to speak up once more.


    "Ah, you see, to make a long story short, the gods wanted me to effectively end the stranglehold that Christianity had over Europe. Which I did by fracturing the Catholic church. The way their powers work is rather confusing, and in all honesty not well thought out. At least from my perspective, but essentially the more followers they have, and the more united those followers are in their belief, the more powerful they be.


    By fracturing the catholic church, and created a bunch of different branches, I have effectively weakened the power of the deity which bamboozled the world with the Abrahamic religions. Needless to say, I have lived up to their expectations. Paganism is spreading in d, giving the Germanic pantheon power once more, and as we speak Egypt and Sudan are returning to the ways of their ancestors.


    It was Anubis who gave me the eye of horus, by the way. This golden eye didn''t just restore my sight, but it also gives me the power to see people''s true nature, and feelings towards me. When I retire, I will pass the eye on you, but you will need to sacrifice one of your own to gain its power."


    Hans was definitely bbergasted by his father''s remarks. He could not believe that a bunch of pagan deities were hiding away from the world and had manipted his father into doing their bidding. But he still entertained the man, no less and was quick to ask Berengar if he had been rewarded for his efforts.


    "Okay, say you haven''t lost your mind, and you are speaking the god''s honest truth to me right now. What exactly did you get from helping them other than a new lease on life?"


    Berengar sipped on his whiskey with a conceited smile on his face before responding with one word.


    "Paradise...."


    Hans looked at his father with confusion before questioning just what he had heard.


    "Paradise? What the fuck does that even mean? You''re going to have to be more specific!"


    Berengar poured himself and his son another drink before responding once more.


    "It''s exactly what it sounds like. When I die, I get my own little heaven carved out for me in the afterlife. One where all my wives and lovers shall follow me, as well as all my children.


    You, Ghazi, Kristoffer, Lukas, Alexandros and all thirty plus of your siblings will join me in this afterlife, as will all of our future descendents.


    So you little shits damn well better behave yourself in this world, or things are going to be awfully awkward when youe to the heaven I have built for you, and have to answer to me about your crimes!"


    As crazy as his father''s words sounded, Hans knew his father was not a prankster, and could tell from the look in his eyes that he was quite serious. Thus, after some serious thought, he sighed heavily, believing himself a fool for believing such madness.


    "Alright... I believe you... But are you going to tell the rest of your kids about this little secret of yours? Or am I supposed to y the role of peacemaker between all of my siblings for the extent of my reign?"


    Berengar simply smiled as he finished his drink and ced the ss on his desk. His response only added to further infuriate his son.


    "I will tell them when the time is right. But you will one day be the leader of the world. It is only natural that you maintain the peace between your brothers...."


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1201 The Fate Of The Zulu Kingdom

    In the distantnds of what was once known as Tanzania in Berengar''s past life, the world''s most powerful man sat in a round hut made of rainbow arches with a half naked African woman. It had been many years since these twost spoke with each other, and despite this, Berengar had lived up to the agreement he made with the Zulu deity.


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa had not aged a day since herst encounter with the German Kaiser, and why would she? After all, she was a goddess, and her followers had only grown in number over these past few decades.


    The fact that she was willing to entertain the man who had caused so much damage to the African continent was for one reason, and one reason alone. She needed him. Thus, after drinking some tea which Berengar had brought with him from the reich, she set her cup aside, and spoke the words that were most present on her mind.


    "You have gotten old... Thest time I saw you, you were a young buck. Now you appear one step away from death''s door..."


    Berengar simply chuckled when he heard these words and shook his head. He knew when he had travelled so far from civilization that he would not be greeted like the emperor he was.


    Thus, he simply responded to the woman with a smile on his face.


    "Old? Yes? One step away from death''s door? Come on goddess, even you have to admit that is a bit of an exaggeration. After all, I still have many years before I fade away from this world... But then again, you would not have reached out to me if it wasn''t something important. So why am I here?"


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa sighed heavily, before waving her hand and upon doing so, Berengar was temporarily turned into his young self once again, at least in appearance. Where she then sized him up and smiled before revealing her thoughts.


    "There... much better... anyway, the reason I called you here is simple. Your sons are going to be a huge problem for my people, and I need to know that they will honor our agreement!


    Otherwise, I will have to take certain precautions against them."


    Berengar figured this was what the African goddess wanted to discuss and sighed heavily as he shrugged his shoulders before giving the woman the honest truth.


    "I have no idea what my sons will do after I am gone from this world. They could continue to work with your Kingdom, or they could burn it to the ground. Ultimately, it is out of my hands, as I am not an immortal unlike you..."


    This was not the answer which Mbaba Mwana Waresa wanted to hear, and thus she heavily scrutinized Berengar with her gaze? She looked up and down his body for several moments in silence before saying something which shocked Berengar.


    "Another deity has done something to your body. Your genes are much stronger than before. You are half a Demi-god in your own right. It''s just a shame that they left your natural lifespan intact Interesting.... Well, since you say that you have no control over the future, I have no choice..."


    After saying this, the busty African goddess stripped out of her skirt, and revealed her puffy lips, and thick fur. To which Berengar immediately averted his gaze before asking the goddess just what hade over her.


    "Honestly, Mbaba Mwana Waresa, what are you thinking? I know your people aren''t the most civilized in the world, but I am not so old that I can''t get aroused by such a heavenly figure..."


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa snorted as she giggled, before pushing Berengar down on the dirt and stripping him out of his clothes. Though he did not resist, he looked at the goddess with a strange look in his eye as she began to suck his massive white cock with the eagerness of a high-ss escort. After doing so for several seconds, she finally spoke her thoughts on the words Berengar had just said.


    "Good... Then you can give me a child. I can''t interfere with the mortal world. After you served your purpose to the Germanic Pantheon, all the world''s gods got together and decided to be more strict with the rules. Thus, I can''t save my people from your children.... But if you give me a son, not only will he be 3/4s of a god, but he will also be the brother of your other sons. Forcing them to respect the Zulu Kingdom!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Having said this, Mbaba Mwana Waresa lined up her moist snatch, with the tip of Berengar''s cock, before forcing it inside. She grunted out in pain as her hymen tore open, and thus reinvigorating Berengar''s body with the powers of a deity.


    Berengar felt oddly satisfied as Mbaba Mwana Waresa''s power flowed through his body, reversing much of the damage that had been dealt to it through age and stress. He had never had sex with a goddess before, but always secretly wanted to after learning of their existence. He had reconciled his inability to do so, by iming Brynhildr was close enough to a goddess, but in this moment, as Mbaba Mwana Waresa''s vice-like pussy wrapped itself around his shaft, he understood that couldn''t be further from the case.


    The African goddess bounced on Berengar''s cock like a baboon in heat, as the man of her desires suckled on her substantial breasts as if he were an infant who was breastfeeding.


    Despite not yet being pregnant, milk flowed from her perky ck nipples into Berengar''s mouth, feeding him with her divine essence, which only further added to the state of pleasure he was currently enveloped in.


    Even with a body that was essentially 1/4th god, and the legendary stamina which came with it, Berengar did notst long against such overwhelming pleasure, and voided his ballsack directly into the African fertility goddess'' womb.


    Where she immediately withdrew his cock from its sheath, before cleaning it up with her mouth. Berengar immediately hardened once more, as the woman stuck out her massively plump bottom for him to grab onto. Where he immediately thrust hisrge cock inside the weing hole and began to thrust his hips with all the power they could muster.


    Mbaba Mwana Waresa''srge breasts swung with enough force to knock a heavyweight kickboxer out, as she moaned like a bitch in heat. She had never experienced sex before, and now she believed that perhaps she was bing addicted to it. Without even knowing what she was saying, she said the words which could only turn Berengar on further.


    "Colonize me! Just like you have done the rest of Africa! Go on, breed me!"


    Berengar did not hesitate to do as the goddessmanded, as he bucked his hips so that his shaft was as deep as it could be, before unleashing another healthy stream of his seed inside Mbaba Mwana Waresa''s tight hole.


    It was only after they had spent the entire day fucking like rabbits, did Berengar and Mbaba Mwana Waresa finally cease their breeding session, to which the African Goddess simply smiled before rubbing her belly, as if it already contained a son inside.


    "With this child, the Zulu shall have a ce in the world you created. You are more than wee toe back here anytime you wish..."


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this, before dressing himself in his attire. He has never nned for things to go down this path, but when a literal goddess starts sucking your cock, you just go with it. Thus, he nodded his head before leaving the tent. Once he had done so, his age reverted back to its previous state, but there were noticeably fewer lines on his face, as if Mbaba Mwana Waresa''s virginity had blessed him with another ten years.


    "I''ll be back for sure..."


    Berengar then proceeded to leave the Zulu Kingdom, which as a result of his actions had been pushed much further north into East Africa, and reenter the German Colonies where he would take the first flight back to Kufstein.


    He would never speak of what happened on this day to his wives, but he would indeed inform his sons that the Zulu Kingdom was off limits, and that it was entirely possible that his bloodline would be ruling over it from now on.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1202 Project Odin

    For perhaps the first time in a long time, Berengar was sitting in his living room, watching the television which broadcasted any number of events around the world to the people of the Reich. He was sipping on a beer while enjoying a fight.


    Since the defeat of Japan over twenty years ago, Germany had put all of its effort into advancing their society, and because of this the Reich was now close to achieving the same level of technology that the United States had during the 1990s of Berengar''s past life.


    Wide screen televisions were in every household, and personalputers were bing increasinglymon among the citizens of the Reich. In fact, if Berengar took a moment out of his time, he might even be able to y a video game that was simr in technology to the ones he grew up with during the early stages of his childhood during his past life.


    Yet, despite all the advancements in technology, the Reich remained a staunchly conservative nation, thanks to the efforts of Berengar, and his government to prevent the spread of ideas that would leader to ideologies such as individualism and liberalism.


    It was only now, as Berengar was snacking on a bad of sour cream and onion potato chips, while watching a fight, did he realize just how close his society hade to mimic that of the world he came from.


    Which caused him to sit in utter silence without moving a single muscle. It had been nearly thirty years since he first reincarnated in this world, and from then until now he had led Germany from a filthy and backwards medieval state, to a modern Empire, with many of the luxuries he had sorely missed from his past life.


    With each passing day, a new technological marvel entered the world, and unfortunately for him, he was starting to be too old to enjoy them all. He could only sit by and watch as the world he built became increasingly simr to the one he had left behind, and yet distinctly different.


    After all, the depravity and decay which he had witnessed eat away at western society in his past life were nowhere to be found. Perhaps the world which Berengar had created was a more idealized version of the one he had left behind.


    It was while he was lost in thought, while reflecting on the simrities and differences between this life and the previous one, that one of Berengar''s daughters came forward to speak with him. She found it entertaining that he was not busy at work, like he had always been throughout her childhood, and was instead simply watching the television like so many other citizens of the reich. To which Zara could not help butment on.


    "Careful daddy, if you don''t go out and get some exercise, those potato chips will go right to your gut, and then you will lose that chiseled figure that mommy loves so much."


    Berengar simply chuckled when he heard his daughter''s words, and ced his snack aside, while heeding her warning. He then got up from his seat and hugged the young woman before asking her about what she wanted.


    "So, what brings you here today? Shouldn''t you be working?"


    Zara''s face lit up into a wide smile, as her father inquired about that which she had been meaning to tell him. If not for how busy she had been at theunch center, then the arabic beauty would have indeed told her father about the big news.


    "Well daddy, I''ve been meaning to tell you that my new prototype has been rather thoroughly tested, and I believe it will be possible within the next ten years to send a manned mission to mars. There are still a few kinks to work on, but the atomic propulsion engines which I have been working on are our best hope.


    After the creation of the Lunar Outpost, the next step in exploring space naturally will bending on mars. So I just wanted to let you know that we are one step closer to achieving the goal which you have set out for us!��


    Berengar was not entirely shocked to hear that mankind would bending on mars so soon. After all, America had shed NASA''s budget after the moonnding, giving barely any investment at all into space exploration.


    But not Berengar, you see he knew that humanity''s future lie in the stars, and thus he had spared no expense to ensure that his space agency was well funded, so that they could experiment with the best ways to expand humanity beyond the confines of the Earth.


    The Lunar Outpost which Zara spoke of was a military base and scientific research center located on the moon, which had only recently been developed less than two years prior.


    Naturally, it was not designed for long-term habitation, as Germany had not yet progressed in life support technology to maintain such a colony.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But, through strict rotations of personnel, the Reich was able to maintain a constant presence on the moon. Though this was not what Berengar was most excited about, nor was the manned mission to mars, instead he had one other major project ongoing in space that he was quick to ask his daughter about.


    "What about Project Odin? Is it nearlyplete?"


    Zara did not work on military projects, instead she strictly dealt with civilian matters when it came to space. However, due to theplex nature of Project Odin, her team of experts had been doing some cross work with the military division which handled the space-borne weapon. Thus, she could only sigh and nod her head before confirming that Project Odin would be online in a matter of months.


    "Nearly everything isplete. We just have to test it. I must say, it was a great expense to get those tungsten rods into orbit. But, yes, in at most six months your so-called rods from god will be operational. Honestly, daddy, I don''t know why you need such destructive weapons at your disposal. The rest of the world is so far behind Germany in terms of technology.


    It''s almost sad..."


    Berengar simply smiled and petted his daughter''s golden hair, before assuring her the reason why he wanted such destructive capabilities.


    "Zara, the answer to your question is quite simple. Nuclear deterrence. Though it will be some time before the other empires of the world discover nuclear technology, the fact of the matter is, when weaponized into a bomb, nuclear material can be destructive in more ways than you can imagine.


    Thus, if Imperial Intelligence ever reports to my sessors that another nation is in fact building a nuclear bomb, we can threaten them with Project Odin, and if they do notply, we can destroy their facility, and the entire city it is located in with the press of a button."


    Zara knew it would be centuries before anyone else ever discovered atomic theory, let alone how to weaponise uranium into a bomb. However, she understood that her father was looking out for the long-term benefits of the Reich, and thus while she deemed project Odin to not only be excessive, but a monumental waste of funding, she did not argue any further with the man, and instead epted his word asw.


    "Okay daddy... I understand. By the way, have you heard from Brandt at all? He should be nearing thepletion of his military service..."


    Even Berengar had to admit that never in a million years would he expect that man to aplish everything he had asked of him thus far. While there were still some things on the bucket list, Berengar had given Brandt in order to gain Zara''s hand in marriage. Brandt was getting closer and closer topleting it with each passing day. He was like a man possessed, and his service record proved that.


    Having already conducted numerous acts of heroism, which earned him both of the medals for valor which Berengar required of the kid, and achieving the rank of Captain, despite just barely meeting the minimum requirements, Berengar had to admit that the former kickboxer was beginning to shape up into a proper man.


    And while the rest of Berengar''s daughters who were of age had already married quality men of high standing, Zara continued to wait for the man she had been infatuated with for years. Thus, he would not hide his thoughts from the girl who was gazing at him with pleading eyes.


    "As far as his military careers go, the stubborn bastard has already aplished all the tasks I set out for him, even though I don''t believe it myself. All that is left is the financial requirements I set for him. If he continues to perform as he has been, then you can expect to marry him when he finally retires from military service."


    When Zara heard this news, she hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek, while thanking him for his benevolence.


    "Thank you so much!"


    After saying this, she fled from the scene, no doubt to start nning for her eventual wedding. Once Zara was gone, Berengar grabbed the bag of potato chips he had tossed away and opened up another can of beer before getting back to the fight that was on TV.

 Chapter 1203 Introduction Of The Internet

    Berengar sat in his own home, as one of his youngest children enthusiastically showed him something which he truly never believed he would see in this life. Though it was slow, undoubtedly due to its dial-up modem. Berengar''s eyes were not deceiving him.


    On his personalputer, which he kept in his office, Berengar witnessed the inte sprawl to life before his every eyes. Perhaps even the creators of this device did not know how substantial of an invention this truly was, and thus Berengar could only gawk in awe, as he searched through the only web browser which existed, typing in his own name to see what popped up.


    Aside from a number of schrly sources which were dedicated to the history of Berengar''s rise to power, there were even a few fringe sites which made many wild ims about Berengar''s past. Everything from he was a living deity reincarnated into the body of a man, to that he was an alien lifeform who had descended upon the earth, and shed its skin to appear as a human being with the intent of establishing a new and great society.


    The ideas that some people had when left to their own devices had always acted a source of amusement to Berengar, especially when he clicked on the site which proimed that Berengar was in reality from the Alpha Centarii system, and was a normal member of an advanced alien race who had left his homeworld in pursuit of grand ambitions.


    He honestly did not know how people thought of these wild ideas, but most certainly, drugs were involved. To which Berengar could only shake his head, and smile now that something which he had grown up with in his past life was a part of the one he now found himself in.


    The teenage boy, who was Berengar''s son, looked up at his father and sighed, thinking that perhaps the man was too old to properly understand the value of the inte. The subtle disdain in the boy''s voice caused Berengar to give him a stern gaze, and a warning as his father.


    "If you perhaps think that I am too old to understand the value that this invention provides to our society, then you are mistaken, boy. However, it is clear to me that certain limits must be put in ce, so as to prevent the spread of stupid and nonsensical ideas such as this."


    The boy looked at his father with shock before voicing his disagreement in the man''s remarks.


    "But father, would it not be best to allow people the right to say what they will, and allow society to weed out the bad ideas from the good?"


    Berengar wore a bitter smile as he reflected to his past life, and how illogical, irrational, and sometimes outright stupid ideologies had taken over the inte, partially as a result of censorship of opposing views, but mostly because of human stupidity and with that in mind he quickly shook his head before lecturing his son on the reality of the world.


    "You are much too naive boy, in an ideal world, we would allow people to do and say as they wish, so long as they are not physically harming anyone else. But that is not how the world works. The average human being is no better than a chimp when ites to their intellectual capabilities, and are also too easily swayed by their emotions.


    You can not trust human beings to make the logical and rational choice, as very few are capable of such action and thought. No, the masses need to be kept in check with a firm hand, or else society itself will unravel at the seams. After all, what is society? But the collection of human individuals.


    This is why we do not permit the average man to have the ability to vote in political matters, because this will inevitably lead to the stupid and foolish being swayed by the corrupt and the wicked. So no, I will not permit anything and everything to be posted on this new invention. Instead, it will be heavily curated to promote the ideals which make a civilization strong.


    If you disagree with my stance on this matter, then I challenge you to go out into the world, and have a conversation with the average man, have a conversation with twenty random men and women on the street, or perhaps a hundred and you will see what I mean.


    You think this way, because since the day you were born, you have been surrounded by the elite of humanity, and not the dregs who are somon among our streets. You are a prince, and one day you may very well lead a nation of your own. Thus, you must know how to rule, and a ruler does not concern himself with the idiotic notions of the masses. He does what is best for his nation, nothing more, nothing less."


    Despite the capricious nature of his father''s words, the Prince understood the intent behind them. And had begun to reflect on his own worldview, and whether or not it had been skewed based upon the caliber of those he associated with.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As for Berengar, he continued to scroll through the inte, looking at a variety of websites. One thing was abundantly clear: he would need to assign a task force to approve the establishment of websites, and what they posted, or else it may very well lead to the cesspool that was known as social media.


    Thus, in that instant, Berengar made a call to a certain department of his government, and dered the seizure of all servers and assets that led to the inte''s development, and those which were required to maintain its infrastructure. As of this moment, the Inte had officially been nationalized by the German Empire, and would be kept in the capable hands of its leaders.


    After scrolling taking control over the inte, Berengar began a purge of all material he be believed was harmful to society. Everything from pornography, to conspiracy websites, and those dedicated to discussing beliefs, which he found to be reprehensible on a moral level. What emerged in its ce was an inte dedicated to the growth and expansion of knowledge, rather than the vanity of narcissistic sociopaths.


    Months had passed since the German government took control over the inte, and during this time Berengar had barely essed it. In truth, he had gotten over the addiction to the inte that so many people had in his past life, after living without it for thirty years.


    He was not in any way tempted to ess his web browser, except for intellectual pursuits, which appeared to be the way that most people were using it after the inte had been nationalized. However, Zara was on the inte almost every day, using instant messaging applications to speak with her coworkers in the German Space Program, where she coordinated their efforts to finalize their nuclear propulsion rocket design.


    After a particrly dreadful day at work, Zara came home and downed a bottle of beer, where she approached her father for his opinion on a certain subject.


    "Daddy, I have a question regarding your ns for mars. Assuming we do in fact manage tond a man on mars within the next ten to twenty years. What do you n to do then? Mine it for resources? Or perhaps establish a colony?"


    Berengar simply scoffed at his daughter''s remarks before lecturing her on the viability of such aplex idea.


    "It will be half a century before the Reich is capable of maintaining a colony on mars, or the moon for that matter. But mining operations are a good start. Though I may not be able to see it in my lifetime, I anticipate that in theing century, the Reich will be able to effectively mine the asteroid belt which would relieve much of the material shortages that Earth will inevitably face if the human race does not expand into the stars.


    Speaking of, I believe the inte, as it currently stands, will be able to greatly help in that regard. As of this moment, the vast knowledge which has been built up in the Reich is but a click away from those who are curious about it. Should the inte continue to be used as a tool of knowledge, rather than one of social engineering, then I see great things happening in theing decades.


    I look forward to seeing the progress you make with your nuclear propulsion rockets, and hope that before I die, I might be able to see mankind reach Mars. Continue with your hard work Zara, because every day you make your father a very proud man."


    Zara slightly blushed when she heard her father''s praise before responding to it with a wide smile on her pretty face.


    "Don''t you worry daddy, I will!"


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1204 Expansion Of The Crimean Khanate

    Khorijin stood in the pce that her lover had once built for her many years ago. By now she had born Berengar five children, of which the oldest, whose name was Altan, was now in his early twenties. He had spent his youth in the Crimean Khanate watching his mother transform the once nomadic Golden Horde into a mighty power located within the Caucasus.


    He had spent far less time with his father than most of Berengar''s children, but had enough memories of the man to consider him family. Yet today was not a day about the German Kaiser. Today was a day about the new Khan who had just recently seeded his mother as ruler of the Crimean Khanate.


    Khorijin had decided to retire back in Kufstein, after leaving her people''s fate in the hands of her eldest son. She longed to be with the man who had given her a family, and had brought her youngest children with her. Thus, she was saying goodbye to her eldest children, as she nned to take the younger ones back with her to the Reich.


    Altan was a man with perfect eurasian features and was considerably handsome. He had short ck hair and dark eyes, just like his mother, who gazed upon him with affection, as she hugged him in her arms, for perhaps thest time, while speaking the words that dwelled within her mind.


    "You are the Khan now, and I know you will aplish great things in this life. However, my ce is no longer here with our people. I have done everything I can to leave you with a state that is prosperous. Now go forth and conquer the Caucasus like you were destined to do. The spirits in form me that our neighbors are buying weapons from India, and are preparing for war. Now is the time to strike!"


    Altan gazed at his mother''s beautiful appearance and smiled. She had provided a good life for him as he grew up in this pce, or perhaps he should say that his father had provided such a life for him. Regardless of semantics, he was sad to see his mother go, but she was right. Crimea was never where she wanted to be, at least not after she had fallen for the German Kaiser so many years ago. Thus, he kissed the woman on the forehead and hugged her tightly before giving her permission to leave.


    "Mother, I hope you find happiness in Kufstein. I know the burden you have endured these years, being so far away from the man you love, must have been tough. Do not fret about a thing, I will lead our people to victory over our neighbors, and when you and father return, you will see that I have built a mighty empire of my own..."


    Khorijin was practically in tears as she said goodbye to her eldest son, before departing from the pce she had lived in for over twenty years, with her youngest children in tow. Altan remained standing in the open doorway, watching for some time before the german car which carried his mother and siblings disappeared. Once she was gone, he let out a heavy sigh, before giving an order to his leading General who was standing in another room, watching, and waiting for his queue.


    ""Khada... The time hase, muster the horde, we march to war..."


    The man named Khada had a cruel smile on his face, as he nodded his head in agreement with his Khan''s orders, before departing from the room to inform the army of their orders.


    It took no more than two weeks to muster the army of 250,000 cavalry, who marched from the capital of the Crimean Khanate to their easternmost border, where the Uzbeks liepletely oblivious that a horde hade to conquer them.


    The Crimean horde consisted of individual cavalrymen armed with automatic carbines, horse-drawn carriages with heavy machine guns mounted on the back, and 7.5cm horse drawn pack howitzers, designed to easily traverse through the mountains.


    Altan sat on horseback in his military uniform. With his carbine in hand, he pulled back the bolt slightly to ensure that a round was chambered before sending it home. The weapon he wielded was a modified Gewehr 27, which was modelled after the Gewehr 43, but chambered in 8x33mm Kurz, and had select fire capabilities.


    This would not be a warlike the ones the Germans had waged in the past, as he held no serious technological advantage over the enemy. After all, the Indian Empire had been supplying many of their surplus weapons to the Caucasian tribes, and this meant that Altan would be fighting a foe that was near equally armed.


    The one advantage he had was that his weapons were designed for mobility, making it easier for him to traverse through the mountainousndscape, than those who had inherited the more stationary weapons which the German Army once equipped decades ago.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon seeing that there was Uzbek tribe no more than ten kilometers out, Altan gave the order for the pack howitzers to deploy, and begin their assault on the enemy. Within minutes, the light mountain guns were detached from the horses who carried them, and armed forbat, where the thunder of guns echoed throughout the air as the 7.5cm shells bombarded the enemy''s position.


    As if disregarding the dangers of close artillery fire, Altan ordered his horde to advance, with carbines in hand, as he snapped the reins of his horse, and scaled down the mountain into the valley where the enemy scrambled to get their weapons loaded.


    Over a hundred thousand horses charged down the hill, with automatic fire from their carbines, and heavy machine guns, which pelted the tribe of some fifty thousand Uzbeks, who werepletely caught off guard by the Crimean invasion.


    Altan aimed the sights of his rifle down range and squeezed his trigger, as he fired a burst of 8x33 kurz ammunition towards the enemy, who had just barely managed to get control of their rifles. The artillery fire continued to rock the encampment, sting men to bits, as the Crimean horsemen rapidly approach the limits of the safe zone. Where eventually the echoing thunder of the 7.5cm pack howitzers ceased, with only the slow chugs of the heavy machine guns and the rapid sprays of the g27 automatic carbines crackling across the region.


    As the charging horde of over a hundred thousand horsemen approached the encampment, the Uzbeks managed to get their rifles and heavy machine guns loaded, where they fired aimlessly into therge army which sought to encircle them.


    Thousands of Crimean horsemen hit the dirt as bullets either hit their bodies or those of their horses, and despite the immediate danger that Altan was in, he was not undeterred as he led his army through machine gun fire, while shooting his own carbine towards the enemy.


    He effortlessly aimed down his carbine, and sprayed a barrage of lead into the chest of multiple targets, all while holding onto the reins of his horse, while guiding it through machine gun fire. Eventually he depleted a magazine, where he was quick to reach into his homemade leather chest rig, and withdraw another thirty-round magazine before tossing the spent one aside.


    After inserting the magazine into the carbine, he racked the charging handle and continued to fire bursts as the enemy went down. Despite the losses his army suffered in this battle, they outnumbered the enemy five to one and easily encircled the tribe before ruthlessly gunning down all the men.


    As for the women and children, they were rounded up and enved, where they would be marched back to thends of the Crimean Khanate to work in the fields. The battle was over almost as quickly as it had begun, and after burying their dead, the Crimean Horde packed up their supplies, and marched off to war once more. Their next target would suffer a simr fate, as would the next, until the entire territory that the nomadic Uzbek tribes upied fell to the wrath of the Crimean Khanate.


    When Berengar learned that the son of one of his concubines had begun to personally lead his armies into war against an equally equipped force, he began to feel respect for the boy, who had shown he did not fear death.


    Something that several of his other sons, who ruled over vast Empires had not been able to do. Knowing this, a hint of pride emerged in Berengar''s heart, thinking about when the day finally came that he perished from this world, and entered the afterlife, that he would be able to share a drink with his son Altan, to him he had been a rather distant father, and speak of the battles they had both personally participated in.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1205 Midnight Drive

    Night had fallen over the city of Kufstein, and yet it was as busy as ever. The hustling and bustling of the metropolis was easily disyed from the skies above with the neon lights of the city''s many stores, and the headlights of the countless cars driving through the streets.


    Among these vehicles was a sports car, which drove at high speeds out of the city limits, and into the mountains. After driving through a particrly windy dirt row, the car stopped, where its engines suddenly shut off.


    Inside the fiery red sports car was none other than the second Kaiserin, Linde von Kufstein, and her lesbian lover, Princess Honoria Piologina. The two women had been through so much together throughout their lives, and their love for one another was second only to that which they held for their husband.


    Despite already being in their mid forties, these two women were as stunning as ever, the slight aging of their faces only adding an aura of maturity to their natural beauty. With the car off, and the keys out of the ignition, Linde reached over to Honoria, and grabbed hold of her dainty chin, while kissing her passionately.


    The redheaded bombshell did not even say a word as she reached into the glovepartment of the vehicle before pulling out a long and thick object. Which Honoria immediately realized to be the strapon which Linde had always used to make love to her.


    The byzantine beauty began to blush, as Linde stripped out of her clothes, before adorning the toy over her crotch. Bing dreadfully wet with excitement, Honoria climbed into Linde''sp, and began kissing the woman passionately while the redheaded vixen skilfully unhooked her bra, to reveal the rtively substantial bosom of her lover.


    While lowering her kisses to the neck, and eventually the nipple of Honoria''s breasts, Linde began to position her lover over her cock, who had spread her thong aside, and lifted up her skirt in anticipation of what was about to happen.


    Without even needing to give amand, Honoria sat down on Linde''s substantial cock, which was a replica of their husband''s, and began to ride it like an expert. While pumping her hips in and out of her lover''s moist hole, Linde reached into the glovepartment one more time, and pulled out a small jewelry box, to which she quickly unwrapped before cing a small golden heart-shaped locket over Honoria''s graceful neck.


    The locket contained a picture of both Berengar and Linde, and settled itself in the crack between Honoria''s perfect natural D cups. Seemingly out of nowhere, Lind shifted Honoria around, and ced the woman in the full nelson position, as she began to drive her cock in and out of the woman''s dripping pussy as if she had be a steam piston.


    While continuing to prate her lover''s exquisite hole, Linde began to sniff Honoria''s hair, taking in the fresh fragrance from the bath they had just taken together not an hour before, whilementing on how much she loved the woman she was fucking relentlessly.


    p��nd��---no��?1,��o�� "Honoria, I love you so much!"


    Honoria could only moan in satisfaction as she continued to have her pussy pounded by the cock which her pussy was so ustomed to. In that moment, Honoria lowered herself beneath the redheaded beauty as she used the woman''s official title in her response.


    "Kaiserin, I love you too!"


    Hearing her little pet sing such a pleasant tune, Linde became dreadfully excited. Whenbined with her clit which was rubbing against the base of the toy, she immediately orgasmed on the spot while continuing to thrust herself inside her lover''s wet pussy.


    It did not take long after this for Honoria to reach her limits as well, to which she released a giant stream of her squirt all over the vehicle''s dashboard. The heat that had generated as a result of the lovers'' ytime had steamed up the tinted windows, caused them to fog on the spot.


    After they had both cum from their actions, Linde hugged Honoria once more, and kissed her before whispering the same thing she had just said moments before.


    "I love you Ria..."


    To which Honoria replied with a simr response.


    "I love you too, darling..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After exchanging their remarks, the two women got dressed once more, before cleaning up the sports car, where they then drove back to the pce to get some proper rest.


    While Linde and Honoria were off on their own, Berengar was at home, in his bedroom, with two of his women eagerly sucking on his cock. Ad and Henrietta had begun topete for who could taste their man''s seed first.


    While Henrietta worked on suckling her brother''s balls, Ad had taken the entire length of her cousin''s shaft down her throat, and quite effortlessly at that. There was no gagging, or choking. Instead, Ad skillfully took the massive cock into the depths of her mouth, as if she were a love doll designed for such pleasure.


    After deep throating her cousin''s rod multiple times, Ad shifted her position down to his balls, while Henrietta began to engage in the exact same action that Ad had done. The two women worshipped their rtive''s genitals as if it were the creator of the entire universe. Before finally, after more than fifteen minutes of rotation, Berengar shot his load deep into the throat of his first wife.


    Ad swallowed her husband''s sperm with ease, while Henrietta pouted below, knowing that this meant that her precious big brother would not fuck her first. Instead, that prize went to Ad, who sat down on her cousin''s rod, and took its entire length into the depths of her womb.


    Berengar could only grunt in pleasure before Ad began kissing him passionately on the lips. All the while Henrietta yed with herself, while watching her big brother and their cousin make love. Ad bounced up and down therge shaft over and over again, and though she would never admit it, the girth of the shaft had filled her uppletely, and caused the mature blonde beauty to orgasm multiple times.


    And while Berengar noticed the cunt of his cousin tighten substantially, he did not say a word, instead he wanted to enjoy more of Ad''s body before moving onto his beloved little sister. Berengar lowered Ad from hisp onto the bed, where he took the missionary position, before thrusting his magnificent cock deep into the depths of her pussy.


    His hips moved with speed and proficiency, as they gouged out his cousin''s interiors, all the while he kissed the woman passionately on the lips. Ad practically had hearts in her eyes, as she excepted her cousin''s load inside her womb as he came, hoping that perhaps she was not yet too old to carry another of his children.


    The creampie which filled up Ad instantly brought the woman to climax for another time, allowing Berengar to withdraw his cock before forcing it into Henrietta''s beautiful face, causing the woman to clean it up with expert proficiency.


    After her brother''s cock was as clean as a whistle, Henrietta got on her hands and knees, and shook her plump ass in the rear, enticing her brother to choose whichever hole he felt like fucking. Without saying a word, Berengar line up his cock with Henrietta''s tight asshole before shoving his entire length inside, an act which caused the bitch to moan in ecstasy.


    Berengar then began driving his hips forward, and out, over and over again, enjoying every moment of the experience, before he finally shot a load into his sister''s tight asshole. Once he had finished, he approached her face yet again, with a silent demand.


    Though Henrietta had cum all over the sheets from the ass fucking she had just received, she was still conscious enough to follow her brother''s demand, and quickly cleaned his cock up onest time, before passing out next to her cousin.


    Berengar smiled as he gazed out the window, and towards the mountains where he was sure that two of his other wives were finishing up with their own midnight fun, to which he shook his head andmented on his age.


    "I am getting old..."


    Naturally, he was referring to the decrease in his stamina, which, while enough to put even a twenty-year-old man to shame, was no longer capable of satisfying eleven different women in one night. Before long, Linde and Honoria had returned home, and joined their husband in his exceptionallyrge bed.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1206 Fall Of The Uzbeks

    The war in the Caucasus continued to wage on, as the Crimean Khanate sent its forces into thends of its neighbors in an act of conquest. Altan led the army through the territory once popted by the Uzbeks with rapid speed. Because the enemy was not equipped with weapons that were as mobile as those which the Crimean Khanate wielded, they could not easily keep up with the pace that Altan''s Horde maintained.


    Battle after battle, the various Uzbek tribes had been utterly defeated by the Crimean Horde. Those men who were captured alive were enved just like the women and children, where they would be brought back to the Crimean Khanate to begin their training asborers.


    After all, the expansion of the Crimean Khanate into thends of their neighbors meant that they would be acquiring vast new territories. Ones which were sparsely popted by nomadic horsemen. If Altan wanted to expand his empire into a significant state in the middle of Europe and Asia, then he would need a vast amount of manpower toplete his construction projects.


    At the moment, Altan was loading one of his automatic carbine''s magazines. The rtively small 8x33mm Kurz cartridges were easily ced into the thirty-round magazine. While the thirty-round magazine of this weapon was difficult to use in the prone position, that was not a concern for Altan and his men, who waged war on horseback.


    In fact, the minor recoil from the shorter cartridge, as well as the rtively high rate of fire, was perfect for the mobile warfare strategy that the Crimean Khanate imposed on their enemies. Thus, after finishing loading thest of the magazines which he carried via a chest rig, Altan racked the charging handle, thus loading a cartridge before putting the weapon on safe.


    The war had been waging for well over a month at this point, and he had only suffered minor losses whenpared to his enemies. He had not deigned the Uzbeks worthy of a deration of war and had invaded their territory in a surprise attack.


    By now, half of the vast territory which the Uzbeks held control over was now under Crimean control. The soldiers of Altans army were dressed quite professionally, in Second World War pattern uniforms, and were armed with a mixture of submachine guns, automatic carbines, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, and pack howitzers.


    The brown fur lined greatcoats which the war, along with the matching Stahlhelms, gave off a civilized impression, especially whenpared to the Uzbeks who still mostly wore medieval armor, albeit with more modern weapons they purchased from the Indians.


    After looking around his camp for some time, the first light of dawn began to shine over the Caucasus, and thus Altan, who had not gotten a wink of sleep the night before, immediately awoke his army.


    After a quick breakfast, which consisted entirely of German MREs. The Army was once more on the march. Where they swiftly made their way to the next tribe, which inhabited the region. However, this time the enemy was ready for them, as apparently word has spread of a foreign invasion from the west.


    Thus, the moment Altan''s army appeared within the line of sight of the enemy, they began to unleash fire from their 7.5cm field guns. Realizing that his forces were under attack, Altan gave an order to his army, which would help mitigate casualties.


    "Fan out and surround the enemy!"


    With thismand given, the Crimean forces began to separate, where they did asmanded. And while the Uzbeks did their best to hit the charging Crimeans, the reality was that although they had purchased some modern weaponry from the Indians; they hadn''t the slightest idea how to use it effectively, nor did they have the mathematical skills to properly calcte their shots.


    Thus, while the power of the Uzbek field guns was on par with what the Crimeans wielded, they were anything but precise in their shots, which varied widely by ranges of several kilometers. Some of the charging Crimean horsemen were caught in the st, however, the damage was minimal due to the orders that Altan had given.


    Instead, the Crimean pack howitzers deliberately targeted the enemy''s artillery and took them out with precision shots. After all, the Crimean Khanate had been given twenty years to develop into a functional nation-state. Which under the guidance of Khorijin, who was the lover of the Kaiser, allowed for an entire generation to be educated on modern mathematics.


    It did not take long for the Crimeans to eliminate the field guns that their enemy wielded, where they then began to target the encampment, where the Uzbeki tribesmen recklessly fired their machine guns into the vicinity of the charging Crimean horde.


    Of course, ack of training with their new weapons had also limited their capacity to precisely hit their targets, as they did not even know how to properly aim down their sites, and while this was an issue at a distance, the closer the charging horsemen came to the blind spray of automatic fire, the more likely they were to be hit.


    Altan of course, led the charge, where he aimed down the sights of his automatic carbine and sprayed a controlled burst of three shots straight into the chest of the nearest enemy. He was not alone in his precision, as hisrades also urately sprayed their targets with lead.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What had started out as an advantage for the Uzbeks, quickly turned into a massacre, as the men of the tribe quickly threw away the weapons they did not know how to wield, and instead unsheathed their swords, hoping to meet the enemy in meleebat.


    But was such a primitive tactic capable of contending with modern weapons? Of course not! Instead, the Crimean horsemen simply evaded the oing hostiles and continued to kill them at a distance with their automatic weapons.


    What was initially a fierce battle suddenly came to an end, as Altan stood among those who remained, most of which were women and children. He quickly gave an order to his highest ranking general, which nobody found surprising.


    "Take the survivors back to Crimea. As for the rest of you, loot whatever weapons and munitions you can! We could make use of these more static weapons to defend our homnd!"


    The soldiers beneath Altan''smand did as they weremanded, and thus the semi-automatic g-27 rifles which were chambered in 8x57mm Mauser were taken back to the Crimean penins, along with all the munitions they could carry.


    Not only were the small arms seized, but so too were the surviving field guns, which the Uzbeks did not even have the slightest knowledge of how to properly wield inbat. With this petty tribe out of the way, Altan could shift his attention to the rest of the Caucasus, which was swiftly falling into his hands.


    What was abundantly clear to him was that he, like his father, would have to legalize polygamy. Because the amount of men who survived their conquest was vastly disproportional to the women. This was just one of many concerns that came with a brutal conquest like the one Altan was waging against the Caucasian people.


    As Altan was searching through the wreckage of his onught, he began to think about his mother and siblings, who had left the borders of the Crimean Khanate to go live a life with the German Kaiser in his home.


    When he finally got back to Crimea, how would he cope with such arge and empty home? Perhaps he would have to take a few wives of his own. After all, he was already a man, and yet, he had taken no woman as a wife, nor had he sired any children.


    If his father''s legacy was to endure the test of time, then he, like all the man''s children, would have to do his part in having children. Perhaps a few of the young women who he had captured in his conquest would make fitting brides.


    It was a curious thing to think about, while sifting through the ruins of a conquered person. How many lives would drastically change as a result of this war, and how would this help benefit his own Empire into bing a force to be reckoned with?


    Thus, after spending a long time thinking about the great philosophical questions in life, Altan sighed heavily and looked up to the skies, where he heard a voice that sounded almost like the whisper of the wind.


    "Your dynasty shall rule thesends until the end of time. Go forth and spread your seed, oh great Khan...."


    Altan looked around to see who the voice hade from, only to find that he was all alone. Perhaps he was losing his mind due to the stress ofbat, or maybe what he had just heard was the voice of the spirits which his mother had always talked about. Regardless, what the voice had said was true, and Altan nned to make it a reality.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1207 The British Army Lands In West Africa

    Lukas stood at the helm of his capital ship, which just so happened to be a retrofitted Linde-ss Battleship. The British Navy, after years of nning, had now begun its invasion and annexation of West Africa. However, after arriving at the Ivory Coast, Lukas realized that his brothers had already beaten him to the area, and because of this, he was forced to travel further south in pursuit ofnd and resources.


    Thus, after sailing for God knows how long, the First Fleet of the British Navynded in the region that had been once known as Ghana in Berengar''s past life. After sending the British soldiers ashore, who were dressed in uniforms like those worn during the end of the Great War, Lukas stepped foot on African soil for the first time in his life.


    Naturally, he and his men had purchased an ample supply of mria medicated from the Reich, and were thus mostly immune to the deadly diseases effects. At first the British Army did note into contact with any of the Locals, who unbeknownst to Lukas were currently engaged in a war with their southern Neighbors who were continuously being pushed out of theirnds, by those African tribes who were expelled beyond Germany''s growing colonial borders.


    Thus, after making camp on the shores, Lukas gazed through his binocrs further ind with a look of utter contempt on his handsome face. With a click of his tongue, he voiced his disdain to his General who had apanied him on this journey.


    "Tsk... It is exactly as father said... There are no cities, roads, bridges, or basic infrastructure to speak of. These people are truly savages, barely even human if you ask me...."


    The General nodded his head in agreement with his monarch''s words, before voicing his opinion on the matter.


    "I wonder if perhaps these savages have even discovered steel. This is truly pathetic.... I suppose we have no choice but to follow the Germans'' course of action. Forceful expulsion, if not outright extermination...."


    Lukas ced his binocrs back in their pouch before inserting a magazine into his g27 rifle. Once the 8x57mm round was fully loaded in the chamber, he switched on the safety. It was only after he was ready forbat that the British Emperor voiced something which the General was not expecting.


    "The Reich has an alliance with these savages somewhere in the East. He says that they are off limits. I have no doubt that the old lecher has managed to fuck one of these.... creatures and even sired a half-breed with her. So, do expel these beasts eastward when you begin burning their viges."


    The General saluted his emperor before responding in the affirmative.


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    Hours passed as the British Army secured a foothold in Ghana, and it was not until the next morning that they had begun their march beyond the coastline in search of natives to ughter. As they stalked through the woonds of the West African nation, the British soldiers eventually came across a peculiar sight.


    There was a vige approximately one thousand meters out, and after viewing through his binocrs, Lukas could see that it was under assault by another tribe of Africans. Though what the difference was between the two tribes, he could not tell.


    Not that it really mattered, as thisnd now belonged to Britannia. Thus, he gave the order for the heavy machine guns and mortars to move into position before ordering an attack on both sides of the ongoing tribal conflict.


    "Kill them all!"


    With thismand given, the British Soldiers began to fire their storm of bullets towards the unsuspecting vige, which was already burning from the southerners attack. The African Warriors from both tribes immediately halted their actions as the crackle of gunfire filled the air.


    They had never heard such a loud and destructive noise before, and immediately looked to the skies in search of rainfall. But it was not water with hit their faces, but the blood of their kinsman, which spattered from the wounds of those hit by the copper jacketed lead projectiles which the British soldiers fired en masse.


    While the heavy machine guns chugged in the distance, the British rifleman advanced further near the vige, with their bays affixed. They then hid behind cover, whether that was a rock or trees, before shooting the contents of their magazines towards the African tribesmen.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was not just the riflemen who advanced, but also the light machine gunners, who wielded their MG-27(t)s which were based on the Czech ZB-30 machine guns from Berengar''s past life. Bursts of automatic fire were shot from the light machine guns, which apanied the sustained fireing from the heavy machine guns.


    In doing so the British Army sent tens of thousands of bullets into the vige. Even after bodies dropped to the ground, they continued to fire their shots at the corpses, whether for sport, or simply to confirm the target was dead.


    It was only after five minutes of gunfire had passed that the whistles blowed, signalling the Army to cease their fire. Immediately afterward, the soldiers reloaded their weapons, ensuring that fresh magazines and belts were in their guns, before advancing through the vige, clearing the small mud huts in search of any survivors which they might need to kill.


    However, what few natives were not in by the torrent of bullets were fragged by the mortars which fired indiscriminately into the vige, iming the lives of men, women, and children. In the end, there were no survivors.


    Lukas gazed upon the carnage that his army had caused, and that he himself had participated in, and found that he did not feel a thing. Normally, the man would feel remorse and empathy if he had inflicted harm upon his own people, whether that was the Germans or the British. But after massacring an entire vige of Africans, all he felt was disgust over the gore which he was forced to witness.


    Despite the fires caused by the other invading tribe, the viges were not fully destroyed, at least not its structures. Thus Lukas gave amand to his soldiers.


    "Dismantle every structure that still remains and toss the bodies into the sea. Soon enough, thisnd will be colonized by our people, and thest thing we need is a bunch of half standing mud huts in the way of the constructionpanies.


    While you''re at it, build a star fortress upon thisnd, whether it is made with stone or timber I really don''t care, all we need is some sign of habitation for this region to be legally recognized as British soil by the other powers."


    �Ѧ���d��---n?��a| ��om The British soldiers immediately epted their orders, and began cutting down trees to use as timber, before making a crudely manufactured star fort which they then began to construct a road between this star fort, and coastal encampment which they had initially established uponnding in the region.


    Lukas waited nearly two weeks for these tasks to bepleted, rather impatiently. After all, his brothers had already made significant progress in Northern Africa, if he did not conquer his ownnds soon, then Britain would be left behind the Iberian and Byzantine Empires, and as the eldest son of Berengar and Henrietta, Lukas was technically a bastard, even if the world thought he was a legitimate child through Ad.


    Thus, he was quitepetitive with his brothers, who had already built mighty empires of their own. Lukas had gotten ate start, due to being a few years younger than Alexandros and Ghazi, and because of this he was ying catch up. However, now that he had a foothold in Africa, he could im that the British Empire now had its first colony, which would allow him to have an easier time invading and annexing morend within the massive continent.


    After two weeks had passed, Lukas was on the march again, and he would not stop his conquest until all of Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad were effectively under British Rule. Unfortunately, the British conquest of Africa would have to stop there, because in a few years Hans would hold a conference among the European Empires, and divide the rest of the continent between them.


    This would ultimately leave everything under Nigeria, and everything west of Tanzania, directly under German control. Whereas the native Africans would either perish in the mes of war, or flee into the Zulu Empire, which would be thest safe haven in Africa for its native peoples.


    The rest of the continent would be settled by a variety of European and Arab colonists. Which would change the fate of Africa from being nothing more than an impoverished third world continent to a modern and thriving utopia for its foreign colonists.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1208 Stalemate In The Mali Empire Part I

    While Lukas had invaded thend that was once known as Ghana in Berengar''s past life, his half-Brother Ghazi had begun to expand his borders, which currently resided in North Africa southward. And while a substantial force of British soldiers were in Ghana, rapidly expanding with each passing day. A second fleet of the British Navy headed towards the coasts of the Mali Empire, which, unbeknownst to their Emperor, was currently being invaded by the Iberians in the northeast.


    The British General who lead the Army as itnded off the coasts of the Mali Empire was a member of the previous ruling dynasty of Ennd. John Lancaster was dressed in his military uniform with his semi-automatic pistol in hand as he watched his army deploy across the sandy shores of Mali.


    For some time now, the Mali had been in fear that the western powers woulde for them, and that day had finally arrived. Thus, while the Iberian Empire invaded from the northeast, the British Empire invaded from the southwestern corner of the petty African Empire.


    Like the Iberian Army, the British army was primarily carried across the primitivendscape with horse-drawn carriages, many of which had a heavy machine gun mounted in the back. And While neither of the two European Empires had officially dered war on the Mali Empire, as they did not consider it a state worthy of such a response, both had deployed tens of thousands of men to the region. And it was now a race against time to see who woulde out on top.


    John Lancaster led his men three the territory of the Mali Empire, showing no mercy to the native poption. They simply fired at any moving target, regardless of the age or gender.


    At the moment, the British General was riding in the back of a carriage with his pistol pointed out the window, as he fired a few shots at some fleeing locals. Hitting a woman square in the back, and ending her life, and that of her unborn child.


    To the British Empire, which had only advanced so quickly with the aid of the Germans, these people were anything but. More akin to wild animals than human beings, and because of this, they did not have a shred of remorse for their vicious actions as they conquered thend which they saw as rightfully theirs.


    It was not until the British Army had advanced halfway through the Mali Empire, and after razing every town and vige they hade across, until they met an opposing force which was capable of not only resisting their aggression but also giving them a challenge.


    Yes, that''s right, the Iberian Army had advanced just as quickly as their British Rivals, and had engaged in a campaign equally brutal. Thus, both sides were rather surprised when they came across an opposing force that was equally armed and trained.


    Perhaps it was a mistake on the part of an English soldier who was only just a few years ago a filthy peasant who had never seen an Arab before, or perhaps it was an Iberian soldier who had taken his orders to kill everybody they came across a bit too literally. For whatever reason, a single gunshot was fired within the engagement zone between the two armies, which immediately had a domino effect.


    All of a sudden, both armies were ducking for cover, and exchanging machine gun fire with each other. As their bullets ripped through the torsos of their enemies, and thus iming their lives. Nobody knew how the massacre had begun, but soon, even General Lancaster took a bullet to the gut, for which he immediately began to blow the whistle to cease fire.


    Once one whistle was blown, the General of the opposing side did the same, who was also struck by gunfire, whether it was his own man''s or the enemy''s nobody really knew, as the battlefield had turned so chaotic so quickly, but by the time the bullets had ceased flying, over three thousand men lie dead in the African soil, with many more wounded.


    General Lancaster quickly made use of a white g as he struggled through the no-man''snd, which was littered with corpses, while applying pressure to his stomach, which was bleeding profusely.


    He was not alone in this regard, as the Iberian General did the same, before both men met in the middle of their two armies who were in the midst of reloading their weapons, and waiting for another conflict to ur.


    After so many years of German dominance, thenguage of the Reich had be the standard for international trade across the world, and thus the Moorish General spoke in the German tongue as he greeted the British General as an equal.


    "We were not expecting the British to be here in Mali. Why have youe here?"


    General Lancaster chuckled as he heard this before coughing a little. He then looked at his Iberian counterpart before making a rather grim joke.


    "I see we got you too..."


    Apparently, the Moorish general did not appreciate Johns'' sense of humor, and was quick to reiterate his previous question.


    "Why have youe here to Mali?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing as he had no other option but to answer the question, General Lancaster chuckled once more before responding in a defeated tone.


    "The same reason as you. Fornd and resources. The Byzantines have taken the Ivory Coast, so it was our monarch''s brilliant idea to seize Mali above them and encircle their territory, leaving them no way to trade with the rest of their Empire except through our colonies. Which we would naturally impose a tax upon them for travelling through our territory."


    The Moorish general scoffed as he heard this before responding with a phrase that left General Lancaster surprised.


    "I wonder if it would be better if you did... Still, I have my orders to seize Mali for the Iberian Empire, after all, there is quite a bit of gold here, and the Sultan would be re missed if he did not take advantage of it. I humbly request that you and your men withdraw back to whatever portion of this god forsaken Continent that you are currently upying, and leave thisnd to us..."


    Despite the polite request made by the Iberian General, General Lancaster sighed and shook his head before responding with a bit of pity in his voice.


    "I am afraid I can''t do that...."


    While General Lancaster continued to apply pressure to his wound, now with the white g he had brought with him. His Iberian counterpart scoffed as he did the same.


    "So what now? Are we to resume firing upon one another, and leave thisnd to thest whoever is left standing at the end of it all? You and I both know the only one who benefits from such heavy losses would be the Byzantines. So unless you have apromise in mind, I fear that is our only option."


    General Lancaster wore a wry smile as he made another joke about the whole situation they were in.


    "Or you could just surrender...."


    This time, the Moorish General actuallyughed at the joke, as the two men stood in a field of corpses while applying pressure to their bullet wounds via the use of their white gs.


    After several moments of silent thought, General Lancaster proposed an idea to his Iberian counterpart.


    "I suppose we should get on our radios and request rification on our orders from our superiors. Wouldn''t you agree?"


    The Iberian General sighed heavily as he nodded his head in agreement with this proposal before voicing his support of the idea.


    "That is beginning to seem like our best options. Shall we have a ceasefire until we receive word about what to do about this whole mess?"


    General Lancaster slowly nodded his head in agreement with these terms before the two men shook hands on it. Afterward they slowly approached their own forces, before getting on the radio, where they would contact their respective monarchs about how they should proceed with this troublesome situation.


    Thus, without anyone being prepared for it, a stalemate now existed among the ruins of the Mali Empire, where two European powers fought for supremacy in the region. Whether or not it would escte into a full-scale war, or this brief exchange of gunfire was simply the worst if it, nobody would know until Ghazi and Lukas could respond.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1209 Stalemate In The Mali Empire Part II

    Word immediately reached both Lukas'' and Ghazis'' ears, who were both surprised to see that each other''s forces were present in the Mali Empire, which they had both set their eyes upon. Blood had been spilled already, and this incident could easily turn into something significant.


    Perhaps this was the first test that the von Kufstein bloodline would have, with so many of its men being world rulers in their own right. However, both sides maintained level heads, and ordered their troops to stand down until a proper negotiation could take ce between the two monarchs.


    Thus, for the time being, what remained of the Mali Empire after getting attacked on two fronts was able to gain some respite, but it would clearly not be enough to save their fledgling civilization.


    Instead, Lukas and Ghazi immediately met in neutral ground to discuss this meeting. Where was this neutral ground? Kufstein, the city where the two of them had grown up. However, it was not Berengar who would act as the mediator between his son''s disputes.


    No, the Kaiser had actually considered this a major test for his sons, and thus he ced Hans, the current Chancellor of the Reich, to mediate the dispute between his two half brothers.


    And while both the British Army and the Iberian Army had begun to dig trenches at the front lines, the monarchs of the two empires had begun to travel to their destination for these peace ords.


    Lukas stared down at his older half brother with a rather confident look in his blue eyes. These two boys had grown up together in this pce, and though they were currentlypeting with one another overnd in Africa, they did not let it get in the way of their brotherhood.


    Thus Lukas approached Ghazi and hugged the young man, as if he was the same brother he had always known before discussing hisment that blood had been spilled over such a petty issue.


    "Brother, I have sorry that things have unfortunately led to this. And while I do not know who fired the first shot, I can assure you that you can expect me to pay for the damages that have been caused to your forces. I don''t want there to be any bad blood between us simply because of a small political dispute like this."


    Ghazi was initially quite hostile when he saw Lukas, believing the man hade to fight him to the bitter end in negotiations to extract the most benefits. But, when he saw how friendly his younger half-brother was being, even with the current conflict between them, he could not maintain his anger over the situation, and thus he was forced to smile as he epted his brother''s embrace before returning the man''s generosity.


    "If you are willing to pay for the damages I received, then I am more than willing to do the same. Come, let us sit down ande up with apromise that appeases us both..."


    Hans could only smile as he saw his two half brothers immediately bury any sense of hostility they had for one another. He was beginning to suspect that his father was an absolute genius for uniting the world through bonds of blood and brotherhood.


    Thus, once both Lukas and Ghazi were seated, Hans took his own seat before beginning the negotiations.


    "As requested by the two of you, I, Prince Hans von Kufstein, Chancellor of Germany, will be overseeing these negotiations, and moderating them to see that things don''t get any worse. Now, I know the both of you have vested interests in thends of the Mali Empire, and have already begun to draw battle lines in case things get worse.


    So, I will be frank, I believe that the best solution toe to a properpromise is to split the Mali Empire in two. If we give the southwestern portion of Mali to the British Empire, and the Northeastern portion of Mali to the Iberian Empire, then you both can get a decent amount ofnd, and the vast deposits of gold thate with it.


    However, judging by the number of losses sustained so far in this conflict, it would appear the Iberian Army has deal more casualties, and in my humble opinion after examining the military strength of both armies, I believe if this dide to a military engagement, then the Iberians would emerge victorious.


    Thus, after taking the strength of your two Empires into ount, I am advocating for 10% of thends which the British Empire currently ims to be handed over to the Iberians. You two may now both discuss your opinions on this matter."


    While Lukas maintained a pleasant smile, his eyes had narrowed into a sharp gauge as he immediately found disagreement in his eldest brother''s words.


    "Absolutely not. If we''re talking about military strength as the reason behind me having to give up 10% of my conquered territory, then I think this is a huge mistake. My army has more than enough power to contend with the Iberians, and it is entirely likely that if war were to break out, that we would emerge victorious. I am not demanding 10% of thends which the Iberian Army currently upies, I am merely requesting that all the territory that I have conquered is officially recognized as British soil!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hans looked over at his other brother Ghazi, who had a stern look in his amber eyes. He had suspected that Lukas would resist such a demand, even if he was not the one to make it, and was quick to counter with a threat that Lukas found to be difficult to counter.


    "Lukas, you might have constructed yourself a mighty Navy, but it still takes time to ferry your troops from Britain to Africa. Meanwhile, I have a vast swath of North Africa already under my control, if I decide to move my troops who are currently garrisoned in Moro and Algeria into Mali, your men will be encircled and defeated before you have a chance to mobilize your reinforcements.


    In fact, I have the exact opposite demands that either of you has voiced thus far. I want the western half of Mali. It would be good to incorporate the coastlines of both Moro and Mali into my domain. I am already aware that Lukas has been expanding from his current colonies into the surrounding regions, and I believe that the eastern half of Mali where my men currently upy would be more beneficial to his Empire. But if I must settle for the east, then I will only do so if I get 25% of Britain''s current upied territory, not 10%"


    Hans could only sigh as he sat back in his chair and waited for his two brothers to debate amongst themselves. Like he expected, Lukas had be frustrated over this remark and immediately voiced his outrage.


    "twenty-five percent? You must be joking! I have my own ns for the western half of Mali, which is why I invaded that particr region first. I will not settle for only the east. If you think I am scared of your ability to mobilize your troops quicker than I can, then perhaps I should remind you that my navy is more than capable of blowing your out of the water!


    If you dare to encircle my forces, then I will blockade your navy, and your merchant fleet from ever escaping from the Mediterranean. I will cut you from having any and all ess to the New World. Let us see how your Empire prospers without those critical resources!


    Upon seeing that both of his brothers were bing increasingly closer to an outright military conflict, Hans sighed heavily before whispering something in Lukas'' ear that only the two of them could hear.


    Lukas immediately looked perplexed when he heard his brother''s words before asking if the information was truly verified.


    "You are certain?"


    Hans simply responded with a silent nod of his head, to which Lukas immediately shifted his stance on the entire discussion and agreed to Ghazi''s immediate demands.


    "Very well, with this new information, I believe it is tolerable if I ept the eastern half of Mali, while conceding the western half to Iberia. However, in exchange for this, I want one million marks transferred to my Empire''s treasury!"


    Ghazi immediately narrowed his eyes upon hearing Lukas'' sudden shift in behavior, and looked towards Hans for guidance, who once more silently nodded his head, as if informing the Iberian Sultan that this was the best oue.


    Immediately after seeing this, Ghazi sighed heavily and contemted the offer for some time before finally reaching out his hand and epting it.


    "Very well, Lukas. I find these terms to be agreeable. We will transfer ownership of thends we currently upy immediately after signing this agreement."


    After saying this, both Lukas and Ghazi signed a treaty recognizing the ownership of thends they both agreed to. Thus, sealing the fate of the Mali Empire once and for all.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1210 Cross Of Honour Of The German Mother

    Berengar sat in a booth in a restaurant in the city of Reykjavik. Everywhere he looked, men and women were wearing Mjolnir pendants. The Protectorate of d had be a haven for Germanic paganism of all forms, which was undergoing a revival in the country.


    By the Kaiser''s side was his unofficial wife, the Valkyrie Brynhildr, and the many members of their family. Siv was noticeably not present, as she had taken a liking to one of Berengar''s sons, and had decided to stay in Kufstein as his wife.


    Instead, these were all of Berengar''s children with the mature beauty, who never seemed to age, despite being millennia old. As for Berengar, he was in his early fifties, and appeared the part. Despite this, Brynhildr did not stop pumping out kids for the man, as she was eternally fertile.


    In fact, by now the mature Valkyrie had the most children of all of Berengar''s women, with sixteen in total. Luckily, Berengar''s other wives and concubines were not aware of this fact due to the isted region which dy.


    The eldest son of Berengar and Brynhildr was already in his early twenties. The man named Bjorn was the spitting image of his father when he was of the same age. Except instead of golden blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, he had tinum blonde hair and ice-blue eyes like his mother.


    Bjorn was now the King of d and ran the daily affairs of the country. Since the day he was born, he would only see his father once a month, for a handful of days, but he still regarded the man with the utmost respect. After all, he had heard of the amazing feats that Berengar had done in life, and had witnessed d''s change in person.


    Because d was a protectorate of the Reich, and was ruled by one of his sons, Berengar did restrain the technology they were permitted to have. In fact, outside of Germany and Japan, d was the most technologically developed nation on the.


    The reason for this was the same as Japan. d had no military of its own. Instead, it was protected by the Reich, who maintained a constant military presence on the ind, with a forward deployment of one of its now thirty super carriers.


    Currently, Berengar was enjoying a nice meal with the extremelyrge family he had with Brynhildr. It was mother''s day, and he had decided to do something nice for the woman, something which was not expected. Thus, while all the kids were ying around in the booth while eating their meals, Berengar handed something over to Brynhildr, which came in a jewelry case. At first she thought Berengar had bought her another expensive piece of jewelry to which she rolled her eyes, before pushing the container back towards the man as a sign of rejection.


    "Keep it. I already have enough jewelry. Give it to one of your other women who is more impressed by shiny rocks!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before assuring the woman that this was something that none of his other women met the requirements to possess.


    "Oh believe me, I would, but this is a very special gift, that we only give to the best of mothers in the Reich, and as much as I love my other wives and concubines, only you meet the requirements for such a treasure."


    Brynhildr''s eye''s narrowed towards Berengar with scrutiny before she grabbed hold of the container and opened it, where she her eyes opened in awe at what she was seeing. This gift was not a standard piece of jewelry. Instead, it was a medal that the Reich awarded to its mothers who raised four or more children who would go on to be productive members of society.


    Each of his wives and concubines had earned the bronze tier of this award, which was the lowest ranking variation that required a minimum of four children. However, Brynhildr''s was different. The cross she had in her hand was made of twenty-four karat gold and was encrusted with diamonds.


    The design of the cross was nearly identical to the Cross of Honour of the German Mother which the Nazis had awarded to their best mothers during Berengar''s past life, but instead of having a swastika emzoned in the center, it instead had a solid gold medallion with Gis''s youthful appearance imprinted on it.


    The medal was not only Berengar''s way of honoring mothers across the Reich, but specifically as a way to idolize his own mother, who had given birth to him. So long as the Reich continued to exist in the world, this medal would be given to those mothers who had earned it.


    Brynhildr gazed upon the medal in awe for several moments, not knowing what to say. She had received all of the previous versions of this medal, bronze, silver, and gold, and she kept them all as treasured possessions, but she had never heard of a diamond encrusted variant before and was quick to inquire about why she was so special.


    "I don''t understand. I thought gold was the maximum variation of this award? So what is this?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before assuring Brynhildr that she had more than earned the award.


    "This is the maximum tier. Until now, nobody in the reich has had sixteen children, but you have. While it is true that it was much easier for you to achieve this award due to your eternal fertility, it is still something you have more than earned. After all, you could have said no, and stopped having children after the fifth...."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Brynhildr was truly at a loss for words as she gazed upon the award with reverence, and a wide smile on her gorgeous face. After a while, Berengar took the medal from her hands and pinned it onto the right breast of hervish dress. It took some time, but eventually Brynhildr finally blushed before speaking of her thoughts.


    "Now, how should I repay you for granting me this prestigious award?"


    Berengar immediately got the hint that she was trying to say and then added to it with his own words.


    "How about when we get back to the Pce we try to go for seventeen?"


    Brynhildr simply giggled when she heard this, before chastising Berengar for his never ending lust.


    "You are truly insatiable! Alright fine, I don''t see why we should stop at sixteen...."


    With this said, the food finally arrived at the family''s booth, to which the family said their prayers to Odin before digging in. Throughout the meal, Brynhildr''s many children woulde up, and give their mother''s day gifts to her. Some of them were handmade with their own skill, while others were purchased from shops and craftsmen.


    To Brynhildr, this might very well be the most precious day of all, because it was the first Mother''s day that Berengar had spent with the woman, and the only thing that could make it better, was if Siv was here to join them.


    But she would soon be a mother in her own right, and thus, Brynhildr had no realints. The exceptionallyrge family enjoyed their meal, before returning to the Pce that had been constructed for them long ago in the city of Reykjavik.


    Berengar and Brynhildr would continue to make love from sunset until sunrise. In the morning, Berengar lie in bed with his Valkyrie lover, where they talked about the future, particrly the one after Berengar had perished from the mortal world and entered his own personal afterlife. The look in the blonde milf''s eyes was one of concern, as she felt like her man did not have much time in the mortal world.


    "I wish we could be like this forever, here in the mortal world. But I feel as if every time I see you, you have aged beyond my recognition. I know you are only in your early fifties, but to me, who has lived for millennia, your small lifespan is truly heartbreaking.


    I want you to know that even though I won''t be able to be there for you when you finally have yourst breath in this world, I will be waiting for you on the other side. By then, our kids will be adults, and will no longer need either of us. Thus, we can spend the rest of eternity together, and hopefully, your other women won''t be too jealous when they finally realize how many kids we had together."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this before telling the woman the truth.


    "Oh, they will be pissed, but it''s their own damn fault for being mortal women. I mean, I tried to have more children with them, but the mortal body is so weak and fragile. After four kids, the odds of dying in childbirth significantly increase, but you don''t have that problem, since you are an immortal.


    They might be quite angry with me when theye to learn of this little secret, but they have all of eternity toe to terms with it, meanwhile I can have fun exclusively with you while they are all pouting. It will be a great reason to make up for all the lost time between us."


    After staying up all night fucking like rabbits, the two of them were extremely tired, and thus Brynhildr closed her eyes and fell to sleep, but not before making onest remark.


    "I look forward to it...."


    BY

 Chapter 1211 The New Aztec Emperor

    Cualcoatl stood by his mother''s side as they watched the previous Aztec Emperor''s corpse be lit ame. The entire city of Tenochtin hade out to watch the funeral ceremony of the man who had led them to conquer all their neighbors.


    By now, the Aztec Empire housed not only the surviving natives from North America but also those who had endured the conquests of the German Army and been pushed out of their homes in most of South America, as well.


    It was a massive native Empire, where various tribes and ethnic groups had gathered in one Kingdom. The world had so rapidly changed in the past few decades with the white maning across the sea and bringing with them weapons of war which the natives could simply notprehend.


    It was a miracle that the Aztecs had even managed to survive and integrate so many tribes into their Empire. The only reason this had urred was because Berengar had found Tlexictli to be sexually attractive, and had given her multiple children, the oldest of which stood before the massive pyre which burned his grandfather''s remains, with a solemn look in his eyes.


    Like Ghazi, Cualcoatl had light brown skin, and golden hair, but unlike the Iberian Sultan, he did not have amber eyes, instead his irises were an emerald green. In many ways his facial features were far more German than they were native Aztec, and as the crown Prince of the Aztec Empire he had a harem evenrger than his father''s.


    But today, he was no longer a prince, but the new Emperor, and thus after his grandfather''s remains had turned to ash Cualcoatl stood proudly before the gathering masses of his people, and wore the crown that his ancestors on his mother''s side had worn before him.


    As far as his people were concerned, Cualcoatl was the son of the feathered serpent, a true god in the flesh, but he knew better. He had spent many years in the city of Kufstein in his mother''s vi. His father would visit once or twice a week, where after spending some time with his bastards, he would make love to the Aztec Princess in what was probably the most rough sex that Cualcoatl ever had the displeasure of identally witnessing.


    Still, Cualcoatl was no mere savage, but nor was he a full-blooded German, and thus he had returned to the New World upon reaching adulthood to help his grandfather lead their people with the knowledge he had obtained after growing up in the German school system.


    While the German army had nearly finished their Conquest of North America, there was one area in South America whichid unconquered, and thus, Cualcoatl desired to incorporate the fledgling Inca Empire into his own domain before the Germans could bring war upon them.


    Thus, now that he wore the crown of his people, Cualcoatl made a shocking announcement to them all, one which had the men in the audience howling in support of.


    "I am Cualcoatl, son of Quetzalcoatl, and the new Emperor of the Aztecs. I hereby utter a new decree as my first act as the Emperor. We hereby dere war on the Inca Empire to the south! We will invade theirnds, and annex their homes, so that our Empire may grow stronger! Glory to Quetzalcoatl! Glory to the gods!"


    The Aztec warriors throughout the crowd raised their steel short spears, and banged on their steel scale vests, as they chanted a single war over and over again.


    "War! War! War!"


    Tlexictli was immediately concerned over her son''s deration, and quickly grabbed hold of his arm before asking him if he had gone mad.


    "Did you even bother asking your father for permission to do this? If Berengar wants control of the Inca, then he will have it one way or another. That man is not afraid to put his sons in their ces, and if you defy his orders, you will pay!"


    However, unlike Tlexictli, who had witnessed just how devastating the German Army could be when engaging in war, Cualcoatl was unafraid of his father, who sat on a throne across the Antic. Of course, he knew how powerful the Wehrmacht was. He had grown up in the Reich, but Berengar had a soft spot for his kids, and wanted them all to be mighty emperors in their own right. Thus, he Cualcoatl gently ced his palm on his mother''s chin before assuring her everything would be okay.


    "Father might be angry with me, but he would never harm me. He loves all of his children and wishes for his sons to be emperors like him. Now is the time to show that I am every bit as capable as my brothers.


    So mother, do not worry, I will return to you alive, and well, and I will convince my father to ept my conquests."


    After saying this, Cualcoatl left his mother standing on the top of the pyramid while he descended its steps alone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Tlexictli did not hesitate to rush back to the Reich, though her father had passed away, she was still the official ambassador of the Aztec Empire, and thus she had rushed into the pce with an urgent stride, before prostrating herself before her lover in the deepest kowtow possible.


    Berengar was not surprised to see the woman behave in such a manner, and thus he simply smiled before giving her the order to rise.


    "Tlexictli, after all these years of being together, do you still fear me to the point that you think I am capable of harming my own son? I see no reason to prevent the Aztec and Inca Empire from unifying into one state. After all, with the massive influx of natives from other regions, your Empire needs morend to expand. Our son knows this, and was wise to take action before asking for my permission to do so."


    Tlexictli looked up at her lover with shock in her deep brown eyes. There were even tears streaming down her face as she had prepared to offer everything she could so that Berengar would spare their son for his insolence. She was so shaken by this whole ordeal that she could not help but question if this was reality.


    "So you''re not angry?"


    Berengar simply scoffed when he heard this, before speaking of how he felt at this very moment.


    "Angry? No, but I am severely disappointed in you. Even after all we have been through, you still see me as a monster. It is such a pity, perhaps I should have bestowed you with more favor, then you would not be so afraid of me at this point in our rtionship...."


    Tlexictli averted her gaze, unable to even look at Berengar after hearing her words. She was quick to apologize for her actions.


    "I''m sorry?"


    However, Berengar responded in a way she did not expect him to. There was a hint of sorrow in his voice as he did so.


    "You shouldn''t be. I showed you a particrly monstrous side of myself when we first met all those years ago. At the time, I was so used to being in control of everything that the moment your people managed to kill a few of my men, I went crazy.


    You are one of the few women that I love who has witnessed what evil I am capable ofmitting when I am truly angered. Of course I knew you would have some lingering trauma, but to think that after all these years, you are still so afraid of me, that you would think I have it in my to harm my own son, because he did something which I disapproved off. If you are only with me because you are afraid of me, then feel free to go back to your homnd and stay there, I won''t stop you...."


    It was in this moment that Tlexictli realized the only thing she feared more than Berengar''s anger was the idea of losing him altogether. Thus, she quickly approached the man, and began to kiss him with a level of passion that she had never disyed before.


    Berengar was slightly surprised when Tlexictli did this. After all, he had been prepared to lose her forever after the fear she just disyed towards him. Still, he did not deny her. If she wanted to prove her loyalty to him was not one of fear, but genuine respect and love, then she was doing a good job of it.


    Thus, Tlexictli quickly undressed herself and Berengar before showing him her loyalty. The two of them would continue to fuck like rabbits well into the night.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1212 The Fall Of Machu Picchu

    Cualcoatl stood outside the gates of Machu Phu with his vast army of Aztec Warriors. The mighty Inca citadel was a proud symbol of what was perhaps thest bastion of sovereign native rule within the Americas.


    Over thest thirty years, the German army had swept through the new world, and conquered nearly the entirendmass, while incorporating all of it into their own empire. What few tribes that remained living after such a bloody and brutal conquest were pushed into the Aztec Empire, where they assimted to the local culture and society.


    Only the Inca remained free from the boot of German tyranny. And though the Luftwaffe flew regrly above the borders of the Inca Empire, the German army did not trespass upon theirnds. The reason for this sudden halt of military action east of the Andes was known only to Berengar.


    Or so most people thought, but Cualcoatl could understand his father''s intentions, even if he had never asked about them. After all, they were simr men in a lot of ways. The new Aztec Emperor revered his father, so much so that he believed this war of his would be a tribute to the mighty Kaiser.


    The Inca Empire was left alone for one reason, and one reason alone. For a bastard like Cualcoatl to prove himself worthy of his lineage, by dering war, invading, and annexing a near peer. And there was only one nation left in the world that could be considered as such.


    Thus, the man stood before the gates of the might Inca citadel, while dressed in a mixture of jaguar hides and steel scale armor. In his right hand was a short spear, made of a hardened wooden shaft, and a sharp high carbon steel head. In his left hand was a round shield, simr in design to those which the vikings wielded centuries ago. Albeit painted in the colors of the Aztec Empire, and adorned with beads.


    Cualcoatl did not intend to give his adversaries a way out, this was a war of conquest, one that would determine whether the new Aztec Emperor was worthy to share the same lineage of his brothers who were Emperors in their own rights, or was simply a backwards savage living in a primitive society across the world.


    The weapons the Aztec Empire wielded were primitive by the standards of the rest of the world, most of which had moved on from melee weapons, and instead now purchased firearms in bulk from the German Reich or its tributaries.


    There were no muskets, rifles, or cannons in Cualcoatl''s army. Instead, they made use of torsion catapults, short spears, and bows. Of which, the Aztec archers were currently raining arrows upon the Inca citadels'' inhabitants.


    While the arrows continued to rain down upon the foes of the Aztec Empire, the catapults flungrge stone projectiles into the citadel in an attempt to damage its structures. All the while, a battering ram continued to pound at the mighty gates. With each passing second, the Inca warriors dwelling within their fortress began to say their prayers to whatever deity was listening, and instead waited for the moment their enemies flooded inside.


    Soon enough, that is exactly what happened. The gates came crashing down, while the heavily armored Aztec foot soldiers forced their way into the city, with the mighty son of the feathered serpent, a demi-god in the flesh, and an emperor in his own right leading the charge.


    Cualcoatl bashed his immediate opponent with his shield, which pierced through the opponent''s wicker defenses aside, before he finally thrust his spear forward and into the soldier''s belly. After ripping the spear from its new home, blood and guts poured from the man''s abdomen, but Cualcoatl was not the slightest bit deterred.


    Instead, he ignored the man as he bled out, and moved onto another target, who came at him with a wooden club in his hands. Cualcoatl swiftly dodged the man''s attack before digging his sharp steel spear into the man''s throat, killing him on the spot.


    Violence surrounded Cualcoatl, and yet believed in the capability of his army, and pressed forward, believing that no harm could be done upon him. After all, his vitals were covered in steel, as was his skull, and no weapon the enemy wielded could possibly pierce such mighty defenses.


    Instead, Cualcoatl screamed like a madman in his people''s native tongue as he thrust his spear into the femoral artery of an unsuspecting Inca warrior.


    "Glory to the feathered serpent!"


    All around the Aztec Emperor, his warriors cried out, repeating the same words he had spoken.


    "Glory to the feathered serpent!"


    This caused Cualcoatl to smile as he thrust his spear forward and into the heart of another enemy. With each attack, he imed another man''s life, and his warriors were having a simr effect. The wicker shields of their opponents could not stop the weapons of the Aztec Army, and thus they mercilessly cut through their enemies.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not all of the Inca''s weapons were made out of wood and stone, a select few warriors made used of copper headed maces and battle axes, and if thesended on a particrly vulnerable part of an Aztec Warrior''s body, then they would cause significant damage.


    Yet, it was not enough to stop the onught. Steel was a vastly superior material for weapons and armor, and the Aztecs wore it from head to toe. And because of this, few of the men in the Aztec Army suffered any significant injuries from their Inca opponents.


    Eventually Cualcoatl made his way to the center of the fortress, walking through piles of corpses, which had fallen by the wayside as his army made their advance. The enemy General was standing behind a wall of his soldiers, who hid behind their wicker shields and pointed their weapons towards the Aztec Warriors who now surrounded them.


    However, just when the Aztec Army was about to pounce like the vicious jaguars who skins they wore, Cualcoatl raised his hand, and spoke in the Incanguage towards the enemy General, hoping to end the bloodshed before it went too far.


    "I have a proposal for you! Your men have fought bravely, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Join my Army and hold this fortress for me as I force the rest of your people to submit. Kneel before me along with all your men, and proim me your emperor, and I will spare you all!


    The alternative is death, whether at the hands of my army, or the Germans who have no regard for your people, considering them less than human. I am a far more merciful God than my father, and if you choose to worship me, I will give you all the benefits you can ask for! What say you?"


    At first when Cualcoatl first spoke, the enemy general was hesitant to ept the Aztec Emperor''s offer, but after hearing the man so boldly im himself to be a god in the flesh, the Inca general simply scoffed before spitting in the face of Cualcoatl''s peace offer.


    "You are not a god! You are a delusional man who has let his power go to his head. No, we will not surrender. We will die here in Machu Phu defending thends of the Inca Empire from any and all foes!"


    Cualcoatl could only sigh and shake his head in disappointment, before giving another order to his army, one which confused the enemy.


    "Bring out the crossbows!"


    Immediately upon receiving this order, the Aztec warriors brought out several hundred crossbows, all of which were more than capable of punching through the enemy''s wicker shields, and whatever padded textile armor they may be wearing for protection.


    With a simple order, the hundreds of crossbowmen let lose their bolts in a single volley, which indeed shredded the remaining enemies. Turning them all into a pile of pin cushions as their bodies bled out from the dozen or so bolts that had pierced through each of their bodies.


    The Inca general was thest to die, as he slowly bleed out from a single bolt lodged in his gut. Where he gazed in disbelief at the weapons the enemy wielded, which were so easily capable of piercing through his people''s defenses. His dying words voiced his disbelief.


    "How?"


    Cualcoatl approached the dying general and snickered as he pressed his boot upon the bolt which was lodged in the man''s gut. This only increased the rate that the man left this world behind. Thest words he heard came in the form of a capricious tone in the Aztec Emperor''s voice.


    "If you think crossbows are unbelievable, then I truly pity you. You sit here with copper and stone weapons, and think that you can endure the test of time? While the rest of the world is armed with weapons that are simply unimaginable to your feeble mind. Sorry, man, the truth of the matter is, the game was rigged from the start."


    After saying this, Cualcoatl thrust his spear straight into the man''s brain, before ripping it out. With this, the first major fortress of the Inca Empire had fallen into the Aztec''s hands.


    What was left was a swift and brutal conquest of an enemy, which time seemed to have forgotten.

 Chapter 1213 A Polite Conversation About Global Politics

    It had been over twenty years since Berengar first put an end to the war with the Japanese Empire, and the brief, but bloody, conflict with the Shiba Shogunate. And during this time, the world had changed in many ways.


    However, if there was one part of the world that had remained entirely the same, it was none other than the Ming Dynasty, which had retreated from the internationalmunity and had begun a policy of strict istionism.


    It was only two weeks again when Zhu Wudi had passed away. The Ming Emperor was already what many would consider to be elderly prior to the German-Japanese war, but after twenty years, he was now what one would refer to as ancient.


    On his deathbed, the Ming Emperor said one thing and one thing along. That he wanted his son Zhu Zhi to continue the empire''s policy of istionism. To Zhu Zhi who had seen all which the reich had to offer, and on several asions. He had never quite understood his father''s stern refusal to reopen the borders.


    However, since it was his father''s dying wish, Zhu Zhi had intended to honor these words, and continue to uphold the policy of istion, that had kept the Ming Dynasty from contacting the rest of the world.


    Currently, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty was being crowned the new emperor. Many of his subjects had gathered for his coronation to witness the spectacle with their own eyes. For whatever reason though, Zhu Zhi, who had always been considered a man of the people, did not hold the ceremony in the forbidden pce, but amongst the streets of Beijing.


    Thus, just when the crown was about to be ced upon his head, a loud and thunderous echo spread across the streets, followed by a horrific scene. Zhu Zhi, the prince who was beloved by the people, stared in disbelief at his chest, which was now bleeding profusely. He had been shot, and not by a simple matchlock.


    No, a precision rifle had ended this man''s life, one that was acquired through contact with the outside world. Panic took control of the minds of the citizens who had gathered to watch what was supposed to be a monumental asion, and perhaps it was, but for all the wrong reasons.


    Zhu Zhi was dead, as was his father, and though there were several other members of the Ming Emperor''s dynasty who could fulfill the position, none of them were strong characters, or heroes of the people. Instead, what immediately resulted from the assassination of the Ming Dynasty''s crown prince was a power vacuum, where all sorts of factions had begun vying for control of the isted Empire.


    Some wanted to open up their borders, and modernize their society so that they couldpete with their neighbors who had not followed them into istion, while others wanted to maintain the policy which had been in ce for twenty years.


    Regardless, the Ming Dynasty was about to be a hotbed for the sale of arms, and many of its neighbors would soon be flooding their guns and munitions into the isted region to determine what faction was left standing.


    Berengar sat in his office, while sharing a drink with his eldest son. The two men preferred a fine vintage of single malt whiskey that had been aged for a perfect twenty-five years, and both of them were thoroughly enjoying the liqgour while discussing some rather important matters of the state.


    Hans in particr took a slight sniff of the substance, before swishing it around in his mouth, ensuring that the maximum vor of the alcohol had spread to all his taste buds, he then swallowed that which had not soaked into his tongue beforementing on the ongoing geo-political situation.


    "I give it six months to a year for Altan subdues the other mongol and Turkish hordes. As for Cualcoatl, I give him at most five months before he has incorporated the entirety of the Inca Empire into his domain.


    As much as you wanted the war to be a challenge for the boy, I must say the advantage of steel weapons and armor is simply too much for a mere copper age civilization to ovee.


    The only real threats that his soldier''s face are from the copper maces, which only a few of the Inca wield."


    Berengar simply sipped on his whiskey before responding to his son''s assessment with a slight nod of approval. After doing so, he responded to the man by questioning his opinion in regards to Africa.


    "Have you drafted up your ns for the African partition yet? You brothers will soone to blows once more if something permanent, which is agreeable to all sides, is not established."


    Hans simply scoffed in regards to his father''s question. If push came to shove, he would just deploy the Wehrmacht, which had grown absurdly more powerful over the past twenty years. And he was quick to voice his sentiment.


    "Our most powerful rival on the world stage is operating entirely via the use of water and horse power. Theyck any electricity or the means to properly manufacture their own arms and armor. We have sold the limits of our stockpiles for semi-automatic rifles, which, if tested in battle, are nothingpared to the small arms of our current soldiers.


    We need only deploy a single carrier wing of our F-18s, and the enemy will be forced to surrender. Nothing came to harm the German Army in this word, and certainly not our Navy or Air Force. If my brothers decide that thend in resources in that god forsaken continent is worth more than their bond as brothers, then I will remind them of who their true master is.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    So you need not concern yourself with these matters, father. I have everything under control, and I assure you that the partition of Africa ising along slowly but surely. After all, you can''t rush these things. As you know as well as I...."


    Berengar slightly nodded his head in agreement with his son''s assessment once more. Hans was as shrewd as his mother, and intelligent as his father, or perhaps even more so than the both of them. By now he had been dered the Crown Prince and was proven to be a ruler who was even better at the game than his father.


    Thus, Berengar truly had nothing toin about when it came to his son eventually seeding him. But there was one more serious international matter which he wanted to speak about, which he was quick to give voice to.


    "Imperial Intelligence suggests that the assassination of the new Ming Emperor was done by a faction of radical globalists. They no longer wish to be isted from the international markets, and had even been studying abroad in political theory here in the Reich.


    It will not be long before your brothers began peddling their arms to every single warlord in the Ming Dynasty who wants to be emperor. How will you proceed?"


    Hans narrowed his eyes. There were multiple pathways which the Ming Dynasty could follow as a result of the recent assassination, and the one that best suited the Reich''s global goals was the most difficult to obtain. Thus, he said something that slightly surprised his father.


    "Allow the war to take its natural course, and in the end, we will support the istionists, who will no doubt be backing some other son of Zhu Wudi. No doubt a puppet, but still a legitimate contender to the throne.


    Thest thing we need is for a legitimate monarch to be deposed by foreign interests. The Ming has decided they wish to withdraw from the world, and who are we to force their hand?


    My brothers will naturally each want a piece of the pie, and I will deny them all until they starve on their own ambition.


    For the time being, we watch and wait until we can arm and supply the loyalists and istionists with weapons, and supplies in a way that does not suggest we have even taken a side.


    Have I answered all your questions adequately, father?"


    Berengar nodded his head and finished the rest of the whiskey, before asking onest question, but only afterplimenting his son for passing his tests.


    "You have proven yourself to be a very wise, and capable ruler, and soon enough the throne will be yours. But I have a bit of a curveball for you, one I do not believe you have ever thought about.


    What will you do with eastern Europe and Siberia?"


    There was a slight tremble in Hans'' hands, and for a second, Berengar thought he had seen a sh of anger in the man''s eyes, which he had never seen in all of his years as a father.


    But in the next moment, this wrath vanished and was reced with a confident and calm smile on Hans'' face, before the man revealed his ns for the regions previously mentioned.


    "I will annex it all for the Reich, of course. The vs have had their time. I will invade theirnds and conquer their homes. I will Germanize them until the vic race is a long forgotten footnote of history. Siberia is ripe with natural resources, and it would be foolish to leave them in the hands of a foreign power. Especially one as unpredictable as the remaining vic Kingdoms. After all, I have yet to fully repay them for what happened to Veronika all those years ago."


    Berengar simply chuckled as he came to an understanding about what his son was referring to before shaking his head in disbelief.


    "Hans, I have never known a man to hold a grudge with greater ferocity than myself. Until now, that is. Do what you wish with the vs. They, like everything else in the world, are yours for the taking. You have answered all of my questions, I suppose the time wille soon enough for me to retire, and for you to assume the throne, and when you do, I look forward to watching how you prove yourself to be greater than your father.


    The word Hans von Kufstein will surely be remembered throughout history, just as your mother and I have always hoped for you..."

 Chapter 1214 New Advancements In Military Technology

    Over the past twenty-odd years, the Armed Forces of the German Reich, along with the infamous Reichsgarde, had grown increasingly more powerful. Currently, Berengar was inspecting his troops, who were stationed within the borders of the fathend, as well as theirtest equipment.


    Many years had passed since Germany fought and won its war against the Empire of Japan, and during that time, the German Armed Forces had a technological capability on par withte-war Germany during the second world war of Berengar''s past life.


    But over twenty years had passed since then, and the direction that Berengar took with the development of arms was a mixture of soviet, and western doctrine. After all, Berengar had a lifetime of knowledge of what worked, and what did not, and thus he was able to steer development in a way that simply did not waste resources and funding.


    Thus, during the current year, which was 1455, the average German infantryman had a kit that was essentially and improvement to the Russian Ratnik 2 system, which was employed by the Russian Army starting in the year 2014 during Berengar''s past life.


    Not only did the German infantry have ess to modern ballistic helmets that were capable of incorporating hearing protection andms systems, but the men were also equipped with night vision devices, modern body armor, et cetera. All of which were made in a digital camouge pattern based upon the venerable flecktarn.


    The small arms which the Wehrmacht used were simr in design to many modern Russian weapons from Berengar''s past life. AK-74Ms, and AK-105s being the mostmon assault rifles, all of which were equipped with intricate rail systems, adjustable stocks, ergonomic pistol grips, electronic optics, ir-illuminators and weapon lights, et cetera.


    In fact, pretty much every small arm was modernized to such an extent, whether it was the SVD sniper rifles, RPKs, PKMs, or even double stack polymer framed pistols. The weapons which the German infantrymen wielded would have been on par with the most expensive and efficient loadouts on the modern battlefield.


    As for the vehicles which weremon among the German Army, the most prolific transport was without a doubt a JLTV, which was modelled after the American vehicle of the same name. But for when more firepower and armor were needed, the LYNX Infantry fighting vehicle seemed to get the job done.


    This was a modr chassis, much like the Panther System Berengar had used in his war with Japan, that could be used in a variety of roles for the military, from vehicle recovery, to a


    120mm mortar, or even an ambnce. These were just a few roles which the Lynx was designed to fulfill.


    However, if a 35mm auto-cannon was a bit too feeble to get the job done for you, then the Reich offered an alternative, and that came in the form of the Panther II, and no it was not modeled after the vehicle of the same name that was a prototype in the Second World War of Berengar''s past life, but was instead primarily based upon the Panther KF51 which had yet to see service on a modern battlefield, whether in this life, or thest one.


    Since the Army was the branch of service that saw the mostbat within this world, Berengar had focused heavily on investing in the best technology that his empire was currently capable of producing. However, the Luftwaffe, and Kriegsmarine, were a bit behind the times, or at least so far as the world Berengar hade from was concerned.


    The primary aircraft of the Luftwaffe was the F-15E Strike Eagle. It was a multirole fighter that could put just about all other aircraft designed for its role to shame. And yes, the Reich''s engineers figured out a way to put this bad boy on the deck of a carrier.


    It would be a very long time before stealth capabilities were required for the German Armed forces, and considering the cost of developing and producing these types of aircraft, Berengar had set a small set of funding aside to develop the technology so that they had it, when they needed it, but did not bother advancing to a dedicated stealth fighter.


    As for the attack helicopter of the Reich, it was none other than the legendary AH-64 Apache, and yes it saw plenty ofbat against the current "enemies of the Reich" though whether or not this was overkill, that was up for history to judge. Personally, Berengar was growing weary of not having a proper enemy to test his newest weapons against, but he supposed the peace that his almighty military created was better than the alternative.


    There were many more weapons modern weapons that the Reich employed, but these were the mostmonbat vehicles, and thus, Berengar could only observe them with a hint of pride on his face. The world was rapidly getting to the point where it was an improvement on the one he had left behind, and his military would remain unchallenged for generations toe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thus, after taking a brief trip through the military encampment, he returned to his home, where he sat down on his couch with a nice ss of whiskey in his hands. However, he did not receive the peace and quiet that he so desperately wanted. Instead, Zara came forward with what was perhaps the happiest smile on her face that Berengar had ever seen. The beautiful young woman made onement, one that instantly caused her father to frown.


    "Daddy! Brandt haspleted all the tasks you set out for him, all that is left for you to set a date for our wedding!"


    Berengar nearly dropped his drink when he heard this. He had made an impossible list of demands for the kickboxer toplete in a span of ten years, and it was not yet the deadline, but it was drawing near. To think that the stubborn bastard had actually aplished the impossible, it boiled Berengar''s blood.


    But then again, many of his other daughters were already married, and all that remained was for Zara to find herself a husband. Still, Berengar had always hoped that the veteran kickboxer would fail to achieve the goals that he had set out for the man, but it would appear that was not the case.


    As Berengar was about to demand to see the evidence, Zara pulled out a small electronic device, which disyed all the information about Brandt''s military service and his assets. Much to Berengar''s surprise, the man had indeed aplished the unthinkable, and thus he could only sigh and admit defeat, before informing his precious little girl that she could indeed marry the man she had set her eyes upon.


    "Fine... Ask your mother to begin preparations for the wedding. You will be married some time next year. In the meantime, now that the man is out of the Military, you should really get to know him, and see if that is what you truly desire. It has been ten years Zara, and that is enough time for a man to change."


    Zara, however, appearedpletely undeterred, as she smiled while nodding her head. At the same time, she hugged her father before running off to go see her new fiancee.


    "Thanks Daddy! I will go inform Brandt now!"


    With Zara''s departure, Berengar slid back into his sofa and turned on the TV, all the while sipping on his whiskey. Though his face would not reveal it, he was now heartbroken that his favorite daughter was all grown up, and would no longer need her beloved father any more. After a while of thinking, Berengar chuckled as he pulled out his pipe and took a hit of his hash. Where he then made a crass remark about the joys of being a father.


    "I cannot think orprehend of anything more cucked than having a daughter..."


    Berengar chuckled to himself as he said this, because in this entire world, he was the only one who could possibly understand such a reference. He then got back to drinking his whiskey and watching his tv, without giving a second thought to the idea that he would once more have to give away one of his daughters at their wedding.


    As for Zara, she immediately met up with the man she had chosen to be with and informed him of the good news. Where the two of them would spend the rest of the day discussing the future they nned to have with one another before retiring back to their respective homes for the rest of the evening.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1215 Partition Africa

    Out of all the interested parties in the African continent, as well as its vastnd and resources, none was perhaps more avaricious than the German Reich, which saw to control the entire southern half all for themselves.


    And while this had been Berengar''s objective, Hans had decided to take things a step further and advance his colonial borders further north. Naturally, this resulted in a bit of a conflict between himself and his brothers, and thus, after much effort, the various emperors gathered in neutral ground to speak of their disagreements.


    What was this neutral ground, well there was not a wide variety of nation states to choose from in this matter, as most were either directly subservient to the Reich, or indirectly so.


    Thus, after a lengthy debate on where to even host these negotiations, Hans and his brother had settled on the Joseon Dynasty.


    In the city of Pyongyang, four western emperors sat at a table, which was being moderated by the Joseon King, who watched these men with cautious eyes. They all sipped on their tea, and enjoyed the silence that existed prior to the start of what each and every one of them knew would turn into a fierce debate. Until finally Hans spoke of his demands, and with the authority as the Chancellor of Germany.


    "Alright, I''m just going to get right to it. From Nigeria to German South Africa, everything belongs to the Reich, except for thends that father has recognized as an independent empire for the native peoples.


    This is non-negotiable, and if any of you decide to oppose the Reich''s demands, we will be more than happy to test our newest equipment on the lot of you! This meeting is not to dispute the colonial borders of the German Reich, but rather to carve up what is left for the rest of you. So, you will each stake your ims, and I will determine what is the most fitting to achieve peace and stability. Emperor Alexandros, you have the floor."


    The moment the Reich put military force on the table as a valid way to retain in control of their ims, not a single other Empire could very well disagree. After all, the entire world could gang up against the Reich, and the Reich would win ten out of ten times. There was simply noparing themselves to the juggernaut that was the Wehrmacht.


    Thus, Alexandros did not bother disputing any of Hans'' ims, and instead focused on what he could obtain for himself.


    "As previously agreed upon with the Iberian Empire, we will be permitting the horn of Africa to remain in their control. However, we demand thend that lies in between the Horn of Africa and the Zulu Empire. Such as Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan."


    Hans immediately looked towards his brothers and posed a question that he knew at least one of them would respond to.


    "Does anyone have any objections to these demands?"


    Almost immediately Lukas objected to these ims that his half brother Alexandros had posed, while stating his reasons to do so in an almost fiery tone.


    "You''re damn right I do. Both the Iberian and Byzantine Empires both have colonies with ess to the Antic and the Indian oceans. If you were to give this swath of territory to the Byzantines, then the British would not be able to have a port city with immediate ess to the Indian Ocean. I demand all the regions imed by the Byzantine Emperor to instead belong to Britannia!"


    The animosity that shed through Lukas'' and Alexandros'' eyes was no small amount, and thus Hans immediately came up with apromise between the two of them before they could argue any further over this issue.


    "The Reich will grant Kenya to the British Empire so that they have some coastal territory with ess to the Indian Ocean. However, Uganda and Sudan will go to the Byzantine Empire as they already have military bases established in the region, and if you need evidence of this, I can give you photographs taken from our satellites. Are there any objections to thispromise?"


    Both Alexandros and Lukas looked at each other with far less anger and silently nodded their heads in agreement. Thus, Hans was able to directly move onto the next disputed territory.


    "Currently, the Byzantine Empire has colonies in the Ivory Coast, while the British Empire has colonies in both Mali and Ghana. Since the Iberians have already agreed to splitting Mali in half with the British, we muste to an understanding on the regions of Togo and Benin.


    I must state for the record that it is the opinion of the Reich that thesends should go to the British Empire, as they have already established military outposts in the region and have engaged inbat with the locals.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    We also believe that it is only fair that the British Empire gets control over the regions of Niger and Burkina Faso. Aspared to the other European Empires, they are severelycking in terms of colonialnd and resources. Are there any objections to these ims?"


    Although both Alexandros and Ghazi wanted to dispute these ims, they could tell that Hans was not truly willing to debate them, and thus they sighed heavily and epted their defeat. Leaving Hans to nod his head in satisfaction before making onest deration.


    "Alright, I am d we havee to an agreement on these matters. As a reminder, both southern and central Africa, aside from thosends which are recognized as a part of the Zulu Empire, are hereby annexed by the German Reich in perpetuity. With our furthest western colonial borders being the region that father has identified as Nigeria.


    With this in mind, the rest of the territory that has not already been covered in these negotiations is up for a free for all, and I trust that you will use your best judgement in how you divvy up control. I must also remind you all that you are more than wee to exchangend with one another based upon your needs if you can manage toe to such an agreement.


    If that is all, then these partitions of the African continent have been concluded, and thus, we are done here. Thank you, gentlemen, and may we all have a safe trip back home?"


    After saying this, Hans left the room without saying another word, while his brothers remained in awkward silence.


    Berengar sat in the living room of his giant pce in front of a television. A game console had been hooked up to the TV while several of his grandchildren, who were in their formative years, were ying an RPG that focused on capturing and battling cute little monsters.


    It took one look at this game for Berengar to have a vague sense of d��ja vu, as it seriously reminded him of a game he used to y in his past life. And thus, while these young kids were busy arguing about what to name their most recent captures, their grandfather simply smiled and shook his head.


    By now, much of the Reich''s internal affairs were looked after by his son Hans, and thus Berengar ironically spent more time with his grandchildren, then he had actually spent with his own kids when they were growing up.


    Berengar was drinking a ss of whiskey, and reading from the paper when he noticed one of his grandsons fighting with his sister about what type of monster was weak against another type, and if this game was remotely simr to the one Berengar had in mind, then he knew the answer, and thus in between sips of his whiskey he decided to inform his kids of which monster they should be using.


    "If your opponent is a water type, then you might want to try an electric type monster..."


    The young boy looked at his grandfather as if he had said something foolish, and mocked the man straight to his face, perhaps not realizing just how fearsome Berengar had been in his younger years. Even if he was only currently in his fifties.


    "Grandpa, no offense, but what do you know about video games? When you were my age, they didn''t even have electricity, let aloneputers!"


    Just when Berengar was about to scold the little brat, his little sister clearly demonstrated her superior intelligence, not only as a gamer, but as a person.


    "Grandpa is right. I read in a game guide that water monsters are weak to electric monsters and grass types. We should listen to him! Maybe if you paid more attention in science ss, then you would know that water conducts electricity!"


    After saying this, the girl snatched hold of the controller and swapped out the monster for an electric type, where she then took out the opponent with a single attack. She then stuck out her tongue at her brother, who immediately ran off and rage quit.


    Berengar simply chuckled when he saw this, and spoke in a curious tone, as he asked a question that he had never thought about before in his life.


    "Hmm... I wonder if my own children were this energetic when they were still kids..."

 Chapter 1216 A Stubborn Old Man

    Berengar sat in the gardens of his Imperial Pce while dressed in a rather simple outfit. He was wearing nothing more than a silk dress shirt, a pair of nice tailored cks, and some leather oxfords. Meanwhile, the man sitting across from him was a dear old friend.


    Eckhard was a man well past the prime of his life at this point. In fact, he was in his seventies now, and had grown quite feeble over the years. In truth, he did not know how much longer he was for this world, and as a result, he wanted to visit the Kaiser onest time before finally entering the grave.


    It had been over thirty years since these two men first met, and at the time, Eckhard was swayed by Berengar''s vision for the future, but no matter what the man may have told him, the wayward knight never would have believed that within his lifetime, the world would change so vastly.


    The two men sat at a table in the gardens. The air was nice and warm, but cool enough that the small breeze was nothing but soothing. While sipping on some tea, the two men yed a game of chess, which Eckhard could not help but curse with each move he made.


    Ultimately, as time passed, he focused less on the game, and more on the conversation he was having with the Kaiser, who seemed to be in quite a cheerful mood despite both of them knowing this was likely thest time they would ever meet.


    As the game came to a close, Eckhard sighed heavily, and gave voice to the thoughts he had kept locked away inside his heart and mind for so many years.


    "I look around the world today, and I must admit that I do not recognize it. So much has changed, and in such a short time. I wish I had been younger, so that I could see all that your children will aplish after you have retired, but unfortunately I fear I am not long for this world."


    Berengar did not say anything for the longest time, and it appeared at first that he was focused entirely on the game of chess, and how to best his opponent. However, just when Eckhard thought he might never be able to beat the man in a noble pursuit, Berengar made a gesture of solidarity, as he advanced his King straight into one of Eckhard''s pawns.


    Eckhard gasped as he saw the Kaiser make such a suicidal move. And was quick to voice his disagreement with it with a rather foul tone.


    "I do not need your pity, Berengar! Thirty years we have been ying this game, and I will be damned if the one time I win is because you felt pity for me and decided to give up!"


    These were just the words Berengar wanted to hear, as he wore a bitter smile and posed a question to Eckhard that the man was not the least bit expecting.


    "Are you sure I am the one giving up?"


    At first, the meaning behind these words went straight over Eckhard''s head until he realized just what Berengar was asking him. When he heard this, his expression turned into a frown before the elderly man scoffed in disdain.


    "Is that what you call it? Berengar, from my perspective, I should have been dead a long time ago, and if not for your damned medicine, I would have! Are you trying to tell me to keep living when my body has practically given up on me? What would be the point of such suffering?"


    However, upon hearing this, Berengar responded to Eckhard''s remark in the same way he had done to him, a scoff filled with disdain.


    "Yes, it is the medicine I introduced to this world that has allowed you to live well beyond that which men are supposed to. But does that mean you can throw yours away so easily? I know men in their eighties who are still vibrant and healthy despite being older than you are now.


    You have no terminal illness, so what is your excuse for wasting away these past thirty years? If I knew this was what you would be in your old age, I would have ensured you had a personal trainer whose entire job was to encourage you to maintain a strict workout routine!


    Your mind broke long before your body did, and that is where the problem lies. You retired at such a young age, for a man with such a prominent position, and it was because of what you had seen in the wars I waged. Something which haunts you even now. Am I wrong?"


    Eckhard did not speak, instead he simply looked away from Berengar and clicked his tongue in disagreement. Which Berengar immediately spoke up against.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Try as you might to deny it, you have given up, and you did so decades ago. How many grandchildren do you have Eckhard? As far as I know, you took five wives, and over thest thirty years, you had several children with all of them.


    By now, some of them must have gotten married and started families of their own. Do you not look forward to the smiles on those kids'' faces each and every day? Are they not a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and ensure that you are healthy, so you can see them grow up, and get married?


    When I finally die of old age, I hope it is when I have lived to be a hundred, or perhaps even older, and can gaze upon four or five generations of my family, and the world they have built together. That is my reason to get up each and every morning, and fulfill the same daily exercise that I have been doing since I was twenty.


    Have you ever considered that by allowing yourself to waste away to such a state, you were engaging in the ultimate form of selfishness? So, you have two options Eckhard, you embrace your death, and enter the grave at the age of eighty, or you can get out of that damned chair, and run across these gardens with me and live another thirty years, and see just what this world has to offer, now that our people no longer have to worry about war, or famine, or disease like we used to!"


    Eckhard stubbornly refused to answer Berengar''s question, and sat still for several moments inplete and utter silence, so much so that Berengar thought perhaps death hade for the man at that very moment. But when he saw the man finally breathe, Berengar couldn''t take it any longer and began to yell at Eckhard.


    "Damn you, old man! My father is even older than you, and he is still running around with his two wives, as if he could not possibly be happier! Even after all the guilt he has had to suffer through for the way that Lambert turned out, he still has the strength to live! So why don''t you? Exin to me, just what you have done that is so horrific, that you must embrace your death, when you could still live another thirty years!


    We did what we had to, against a world of enemies, to create the world as it is today! Look around you Eckhard! And you tell me, if the world would have been better off, without the actions you took! Without the wars you fought! Would the world be any better under the tyranny of the Papacy? Because I assure you, far more men would have died in theing years if we had not stepped up and took control!"


    After hearing all of this, Eckhard stood up from his chair and knocked the chessboard onto the stone tiles which sat beneath his feet. He then stared at Berengar in silence for the longest time, before saying the words that Berengar wanted to hear.


    "Damn you Berengar! Damn you to hell for making an old man suffer through another thirty years of aging! Alright, fine! You want to me to run around this garden! I will show you just who has gotten old!"


    After saying this, Eckhard began to jog at a pace that was considerable when taking into ount his current feeble state. And though Berengar who was in the peak of physical condition, even in his fifties, could runps around Eckhard, he strolled by the man''s side, matching his speed, while taunting him, knowing that every venomous word he spoke, would inspire the man to live, and improve his condition.


    By the time Eckhard had run a singlep around the garden, he copsed to his knees and stared up at the setting sun with a smile on his face. After thirty years of wasting away, he had forgotten what it was like to get his blood pumping so fiercely, for which he could not help but shake his head and sigh inment, whilementing about his current physical state.


    "So weak... How did I ever let myself deteriorate to such an extent? Damn that woman!"


    Obviously he was referring to his first wife, who he had married for political purposes, and had caused him quite a bit of grief throughout their twenty odd some years of marriage.


    When Berengar heard this he chuckled, before making ament which Eckhard could not help butugh at.


    "It''s like I always say, a woman can either make or break a man! Clearly Martha has taken a toll on you, one you should not have had to endure. Well, you can''t let the bitch have thestugh now, can you? Live Eckhard, and together we can enjoy the peaceful world that we have created through our sweat, blood, and tears..."


    Eckhard took a deep breath in order to get his heart rate under control, and after inhaling and exhaling for several moments, he finally responded with a single word.


    "Aye..."

 Chapter 1217 Fall Of The Rus

    Hans had begun his ns to annex the Rus states. He had never quite forgiven them after what the previous Grand Duke of Moscow had attempted to do to his fiancee, and his grudge was one that could only be settled with blood. More than the miniscule amount he had already spilled.


    For years the Reich provided discounted alcohol to the Rus, to keep them drunk, andcent, and while the rest of the world had gone on to form mighty Empires, or get conquered by them. The Rus had maintained their own small city states and principalities.


    The first objective that Hans had regarding the annexation and germanization of the Rus was through the eastern orthodox church, whose priests were paid excessively to preach German propaganda.


    This would affect the people''s view towards the way their noblemen mismanaged their kingdoms, and instead have them see the German Empire in a more favorable light. In some frostbitten corner of the Novgorod Republic, an orthodox priest was speaking of the city of gold, one where its people flew in the skies, and had even reached the heavens. His parish was in disbelief at these words, as well as enthralled by them as they listened with open ears.


    "Now, let me tell you about a ce called Kufstein. It is the capital of the German Reich, and blessed by God with a powerful and benevolent emperor. One who has led his people to prosperity the likes of which the world has never seen before.


    The Germans do not travel by horse or cart like you and I, instead they fly in the sky, as if they had grown wings, and soared to the heavens! They have even slipped the bonds of our mortal ne of existence and stood face to face with the creator himself!


    All thanks to one man, and one man alone. Yet this man is getting old, and in a few years he will step down and leave his eldest son in control of his throne. But who is this young man, who will be the next Kaiser?


    Well, he is a man from which the heathens in Moscow have greatly offended. A man who will have no pity or remorse as his armies invade thends of the vic people, and im it for themselves. Hans von Kufstein is the Crown Prince of the German Reich, and unless we can depose those noble fools who have run Novgorod into the ground, then we will suffer the same fate as Moscow!


    Let me tell you good people of Novgorod, the time of the sword and axe is nigh! If we do not repent for the sins of our neighbors, then we too shall be swept up in the wrath of God, and make no mistake, the Germans wield divine weapons imbued with the creator''s power.


    I have seen with my very eyes what has be of thend that once belonged to the Arabic Emirate of Tlemcen. They too had invoked the ire of the German Royal Family, and their entire Kingdom was lit ame, with all life having been snuffed out in a single instant!


    The Germans have been blessed by God in ways we can not imagine, while our own masters drink themselves into an early grave. I say, now is the time for revolution, now is the time to prove to the Germans that we are repentant, and we are brothers in Christ who seek to atone for the sins of our neighbors, who have so thoroughly angered the royal family!"


    The men in the chapel instantly threw their arms up into the air, in support of their priest''s words, while shouting their own calls for bloodshed.


    "Down with Moscow!"


    "Death to the Boyars!"


    The mes of war were rising in the Rus states, and it was not Novgorod alone whose priests had begun to spread the message of a holy revolution, one which would save the Rus people from a gruesome fate.


    A stunning blonde woman stood in Han''s office. The man had overtaken much of his father''s work in recent years, and because of this, he required his own study. This woman handed Hans a document beforeplimenting his plot to destroy the Rus states from within.


    "I must say, you have done quite well, Prince Hans. It is only a matter of time before the vic Monarchies, which are not yet under our direct control, are overthrown and reced with factions who are friendly to Kufstein. Well yed..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hans scoffed as he signed his name away on a document before looking up at the woman in front of him. She was the new director of Imperial Intelligence after Linde had stepped down from her position to spend more time with her grandchildren.


    Now that the reich was no longer in a state of near perpetual war, it no longer needed its fearsome spider queen to protect it, instead, this woman, who went by the name of Emma Wagner had been selected as Linde''s recement, and thus far, she had been doing an excellent job. So much so that Hans could not help butment on how it was truly through her efforts that things had progressed so smoothly within the vic states.


    "Oh please Emma, you and I both know that without your assistance, I would have never been able to achieve such aggressive results, and so quickly, no less. You have learned a lot from your tenure in my mother''s service, and you are more than worthy of filling her shoes.


    The only problem I have now is that woman never seem to leave my home, and are instead constantly around my kids, who she treats as if they were her own. Which at first might not seem like a bad thing, but there are reasons why she vexes me so..."


    Emma chuckled when she heard these words, naturally understanding the "difficulties" that would result from such a thing. She then made ament that surprised Hans, a suggestion that he had not previously thought of.


    "Perhaps you should take a break, your highness. A brief vacation. After all, you are not your father. That man was a workaholic, and how he did not work himself into an early grave I will never know. He has built a solid foundation for you to take control over, and there is no reason to follow his example so religiously.


    I am sure your wives and kids would enjoy a visit to one of the many resorts that have been established across the colonies. I hear the beaches in Lindeburg are nice at this time of the year..."


    Hans scoffed once more while he heard this suggestion. He had never realized how much he had idolized his father, and sought to follow his every example until this exact moment.


    But Emma was right. His father worked way too hard, and he was able to do so, specifically because he maintained peak physical fitness, something Hans did not know how the man found the time to achieve.


    With this thought in mind, he ced the paper in his hands down upon his desk, and smiled as he leaned back in his chair before agreeing with Emma''s suggestion.


    "I think you are right. I am in need of a vacation, hell I haven''t had one in at least three years. The Reich is in good hands, and I trust those who have been put in charge of it. Very well, I will inform my wives immediately that we are going on a family vacation. It will be a good chance for us to have some quality alone time, away from the prying eyes of my mother..."


    This remark simply caused Emma to giggle. She had known Linde quite well while working beneath her, and understood why so many men were afraid of her. But to think that even her own son shared this dread, it was simply too funny.


    As for Hans, he would do exactly as he had said he would, and would take the rest of the day off, while nning a brief vacation for his wife and kids to the region of the world that was once known as Florida during Berengar''s past life. Specifically, the beaches of Miami.


    And while Hans took this vacation, the mes of war would spread to the Rus states, as a revolution had only just begun. One which would see the fall of thecent Boyars, and instead ce figures who were sympathetic to the Reich in control.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1218 The Great Khan Of Crimea

    All across the world, small scale conflicts were being waged between the empires which Berengar''s children had inherited. However, as Altan led his Crimean horde into thends of his neighbors, they soon realized that even with the weapons which they had purchased from the Indian Empire, the organization, strategies, and tactics of the Crimean horde were too much to ovee.


    By now, Altan''s armies had marched well past the regions inhabited by the Uzbeks, and the other Turko-mongol peoples who lived in the area. Instead, they were on the borders of the Oirats, Chagatai, and the Mongolian people themselves.


    Much ground had been conquered, and because of this, the three opposing Khans finally decided to submit to this foreign power from the west. And they did this in the best way they could think of. After raising the white g of war, the three Khan approached Altan''s encampment, where the members of his armor were busy loading their weapons, cleaning their bays, and any other jobs which soldiers did in their downtime.


    It was not long before these foreign horsemen were spotted by the Crimeans. In fact, with their advanced equipment, they could have opened fire on the enemy at a vast distance.


    However, due to their own handling of these weapons, the three Khans and their caravan travelled with multiple white gs flying.


    An was not surprised that these men hade to surrender. After all, he had viciously wiped out the Uzbeks and the other Turko-mongol tribes that got in his way. All that was truly left were these three forces. All he needed was the slightest bit of bloodshed to convince these men to surrender, and that is exactly what he had done.


    Thus, the Crimean encampment had weed the Turko-Mongolian caravan with open arms, an act which surprised the three Khans, who were beginning to believe that they might have been driven into a trap.


    Still, they steeled their resolve and moved forward, as they opened up the exceptionallyrge tent, which had a massive furnace built within, andid eyes upon the young Crimean Khan, who was dressed in rtively modernbat fatigues.


    As the man who personally led his horde into battle, An did not care much for the shiny ornaments that the Germans wore on their dress uniforms, no, he admired a practical approach to uniforms, and thus he wore the same attire that all his soldiers wore. Perhaps this was the modern form of what a proper khan should look like, utilitarian, and martial, rather than ornamental.


    As An saw the three Khans enter his home, who were all dressed in far more primitive attire, he reached out to the nearby table that had been set up, and pulled out several packages of MREs, which he quickly prepared along with several canteens worth of rice wine.


    He then handed these portions over to his guests, and spoke to them, quite to their surprise, in their own tongues.


    "I know why you have alle here on this evening, and that is to surrender. You wish to spare your people from my wrath, and though I wee you into my tent, and allow you to feed upon my rations, and drink my wine, I can''t help but wonder what you will offer me in exchange for my benevolence.


    Give me one good reason why I should not just conquer you all myself, and absorb your hordes into my modern state, like I have done with the others?"


    This was the perfect time to introduce the gifts which the three Khans had brought, and thus, the whistled, allowing their troops to escort in three beautiful young maidens, all of which shared the same DNA that Altan himself had received from his mother''s side of the family.


    These descendents of Genghis Khan entered the tent and kneeled before the man which their fathers had chosen to be their husband, with such grace, that Altan thought they might perhaps be mongolian angels. He was just about to ask what these three old Khans meant by this, when the man who ruled over Mongolia spoke to Altan with a hint of respect in his voice.


    "Oh, Great Khan of Crimea, you have proven yourself worthy of leading our people, from the ck sea, to the steppes of Mongolia, all of our descent should follow your example, and be something greater than we are now, then we have always been. It is because of this that we three Khans have decided to gift our eldest daughters to you, so that you may carry on your bloodline. Will not you ept our surrender?"


    Altan took another look at the three women, who were kowtowing in front of him, on the canvas of the tent, and decided then and there that he would ept this peace offering, and in doing so, annex the remaining regions which the turko-mongolic people resided in.


    "Very well, I ept your gifts, and shall take your daughters as my brides. You may consider is us kin now, and thus I will drink to your health, as my new fathers-inw. From this day forth, the Crimean Empire is born!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With this said, thest of the Turko-Mongolic regions had fallen to Altan''s conquest, and he had built himself a mighty empire, where he would forever be known as the Great Khan of Crimea. However, there was much work that needed to be done, if he intended to turn his newly conquered territory into a modern society, and thus, Altan would return to Crimea with his new three brides, where he would begin the expansion into the east, so that his people could live lives on par with the other empires which the sons of Berengar ruled over.


    It was not long after this that Berengar was in his office, seemingly alone. But in reality, there was a sexy little minx beneath his desk, who was currently giving him head. Ever since she had first moved to Kufstein, Khorijin had spent every hour of the day which she could manage being intimate with Berengar.


    In fact, she was not alone, as many of Berengar''s women who had been forced away from his arms, for whatever reason, were also nowpeting heavily for his affection. Itami was one of these women. As an Asian beauty of the highest caliber, she actually took great offense to the amount of time which Berengar spent with his Mongolian and Indonesian concubines.


    But she did not try to interfere in this regard. After all, she had long learned to ept the harem lifestyle, especially after moving in with Berengar when their oldest son hade of age to seed her as the reigning Emperor of Japan.


    Thus, at the moment, Berengar was spending some time with the mongolian beauty, who he had given several children thus far. The woman continued to suck on his cock with fierce intensity, as if she was dying to drink his seed. Something which she had long since gained a taste for.


    She eventually achieved what she was hoping for, and thus, Khorijin wrapped her lips around the tip of her lover''s cock, where she then drank his sperm, all while messaging the shaft with her dainty hands.


    Berengar seemed quite satisfied as Khorijin swallowed every drop with a look of ecstasy on her beautiful face. After which the Kaiser dragged the mongol beauty into hisp and began to speak to her about recent matters which he had discovered in the East.


    "You should be aware that our son is now proimed the Great Khan of all Turkish and Mongolian peoples. He is marrying three women in Crimea within theing months, and has invited us to attend his wedding.


    I think I will gift him with a 4th bride, After all, I can''t let the German bloodline be bred out my sons'' lineage so quickly, so I might just gift a half-german woman to him. What do you think?"


    Khorijin smiled as she slowly inserted her man''s massive cock into her moist twat, and moaned with intense pleasure as she felt its size deep inside her. She began to slowly bounce up and down as she answered Berengar''s question with the answer he was hoping to hear.


    "I think that would be wonderful! I would love to see my grandchildren with golden hair and blue eyes, just like their grandfather!"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this and continued to pound Khorijin''s tight and moist hole with all the strength and speed he could muster. As he shot onest load deep into the woman''s womb, he responded to her statement with one of his own.


    "It is settled then..."


    With this said, Berengar had set his son Altan, the Great Khan of Crimea, on a path that would ensure the German lineage ever faded from his bloodline.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!


    Comment

 Chapter 1219 Disrespecting The Scion Of Berengar

    The world was rapidly changing, as the major empires, which were now ruled by the sons of Berengar, began expanding their borders through military conquest. However, some of these empires simply did not have much room to expand to, due to the nature of their geographical position.


    India, for example, was smack dab in the middle of the Byzantine Empire, and the Ming Dynasty, whose sovereignty Berengar was respecting for the time being. Leaving them with no chance to expand, not that they really needed to.


    However, after Arun came of age, and decided to marry the Princess of the Ayutthaya Kingdom to cement their rtionship as Suzerain and Vassal, he was shocked to find that his request for betrothal had been rejected by the Thai King.


    Thus, at the moment Emperor Arun Tomara was sitting in the Ayutthaya Kingdom''s capital, with a small troop of his personal bodyguards, and the Ayutthaya King himself. There was a stern look on the middle-aged man''s face as he shook his head and declined Arun''s most generous offer yet again.


    "With all due respect, Emperor Tomara, it is not a matter of payment which I find sufficient for my daughter''s hand in marriage. However, it is the bloodline which you descend from that I find so troublesome... I would never permit a member of my dynasty to marry a bastard, even one as powerful as yourself..."


    This was perhaps the first time in his entire life that Arun had been openly referred to by such a disrespectful term. Technically, he was a bastard, as his mother was only a mere concubine of his esteemed father.


    Yet Berengar treated all his children equally, so much so, that the idea that anyone would think less of him, simply because his mother was a concubine, filled the young Emperor with rage. So much so that he stood up from his seat and smacked the solid gold table with the palm of his hand.


    "What did you just call me? Where do you get the nerve to speak to your Suzerain in such a manner?"


    Contrary to what Arun was expecting, his intimidating disy did not have the slightest effect on the Thai King who simply scoffed in disdain at his Suzerain''s remarks, before once more reiterating the troubling nature of the man''s heritage.


    "What did I say that was inurate, which could possibly cause you offense? Your parents are not married, and you have only managed to obtain your throne because your uncle left no heirs to speak of after his untimely death.


    Dharya was a man who understood respect and how to wield it properly. You are a boy who has not done anything to deserve my respect, and because of this, I will speak the truth where I see it. A bastard, no matter how respectable his father may be, is still a bastard, and my precious daughters are too good to be married to an illegitimate ruler like yourself."


    Arun could only gnash his teeth in rage as he heard such disrespectful words, before voicing his intent clearly to the Thai King who was technically his subordinate.


    "Such words could be considered treason. Do you intend to rebel against me?"


    There was a cold look on the man''s face as he shook his head, and in doing so, revealed his thoughts to the Indian Emperor.


    "You have my loyalty, as I simply have no alternative to seek protection from. But you do not have my respect. The Tomara Dynasty is dead, because there are no legitimate heirs left to sit upon the throne. The only reason your people have not rebelled against you is because they fear the power that the Germans wield, and they are a particrly violent race who would stop at nothing to cement their rule over this world.


    So, no, I do not intend to rebel against the Indian Empire, even if the legitimate dynasty died with your uncle. But you will never take one of my daughters as your wife, let alone multiple. I have shown you enough courtesy by entertaining you in my home, but I believe I have reached my limits. Be gone from my real, and do not return again. Because the next time I see you at my pce''s gates, I will not open them for you."


    Arun had suffered the ultimate humiliation from a man who was supposed to be his servant and was naturally outraged. Thus, after returning to the capital of his Empire, he got on the phone and dialed his father, who at the moment was making love to his mother.


    It took Arun several attempts to get into contact with his father, and when he finally did, he heard a rather irritated tone in the man''s voice.


    "What is it? I''m busy, so make it quick!"


    Naturally Arun could hear his mother''s moans of ecstasy on the other end of the lien, and thus he sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, as he struggled to cope with his father''s never ending lust, before finally voicing his concerns.


    The moment Berengar heard that the Ayutthaya King had dared to disrespect his son, he said one simple phrase before hanging up without waiting for a response.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will call you back in a few minutes..."


    Sure enough, the phone rang fifteen minutester, no doubt after Berengar had finished fucking Priya, where Arun then heard a far more rxed tone in his father''s voice.


    "Alright, tell me in detail exactly what this little prick said to you."


    Arun then summarized the meeting he had with the Ayutthaya King, before he heard a tone of scorn in his father''s voice as the man responded. But it was not towards the disrespectful monarch, but towards Arun himself.


    "And you just let that fucker speak to you like that? I mean, you had armed guards with you, right? Men with machine guns? What exactly was that feudal prick going to do if you just started sting? Son, you have the same weakness as your uncle. He relied on me to get his throne back and maintain his power. And though I loved the man as if he was my own son, I expect better from my actual blood. I thought I have told you this before, but in case I haven''t remembered these words, my son: Nobody in this world ever freely gives you any respect, you have to take it!


    The answer to your problems is really simple, our bloodline can never be disrespected by an outsider. So raise that army of yours, which I have invested so much into over the years, and teach that little fucker a lesson of obedience. It is unwise to tolerate a vassal who tantly disrespects you to your face, sooner orter he will turn on you. It is better to put that bastard in his ce now, before ites to such a thing.


    Never forget, son, no matter what the world may say about your lineage, you are my son, and I have done enough in this life to ensure that you receive the respect that you deserve.


    And if an outsider dares to speak to you with disrespect, then you force him to curb his tone. Understood?"


    Arun was slightly surprised that his father''s first thought was to start a military conflict over such a petty matter, but when he thought about it, the man''s entire history was forcing the world to bend to his knee via violence and bloodshed. Something he alone managed to achieve in human history.


    After thinking about this, Arun sighed heavily, before nodding his head. He then responded to his father''s words with a newfound determination.


    "I will do what is necessary. Thank you father, I have learned a lot from this chat of ours."


    A slight chuckle emerged from the other end of the line as Berengar said the words that his son wanted to hear the most.


    "Any time son, now if you don''t need anything else, I have to get back to my erm... work. I will talk to youter, and when I do, I hope to see some results with this little problem of ours..."


    Arun smiled and nodded his head, before hanging up the phone, but not after leaving onest sentence behind for his father to hear.


    "Thanks, Dad. I will remember your words for the rest of my life."


    After hanging up the phone, Arun''s gaze turned towards the globe, where he saw the Ayutthaya Kingdom lying next to his Empire as a mere vassal state. Berengar was right, respect is earned in this life, and more often than not through the spilling of blood.


    Thus, the Thai King may not have realized it, when he so tantly disrespected a scion of the Great Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, but he had just signed a one-way ticket to hell for himself and his people.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1220 The New Majapahit Emperor

    It had been many years since the war with Japan had taken its toll on the Majapahit poption, and during this time, Emperor Suratman had been leading his nation to a new golden age. When Berengar found the Majapahit Empire, they were already headed towards a total copse.


    But with the influx of tradeing from around the world, and the export of its spices, the Majapahit Empire had be one of the wealthiest states in the world. And while they maintained a rather sizeable army to deter any would be invaders. They did not actively engage in wars of conquest, unlike the realms which Berengar''s sons currently ruled over.


    However, on this day, an Era truly came to an end. As Darma and his siblings stood by their parents'' side as they watched their grandfather, the great Emperor Suratman was lit aze on a mighty pyre. The old man had passed away, at the ripe old age of eighty-three, leaving his throne not to any of his sons, but his eldest grand.


    Why would the mighty emperor do this? Because he was wise enough to see where the world was heading? Germany had be the center of Earth. They owned over half of the world''sndmass, and all of its resources, while having a level of technology that the Majapahit Emperor simply could not believe.


    Every time he had visited Kufstein over the past few decades, to see his daughter, he had nearly had a heart attack at how quickly it seemed to have developed. Finally, old age had imed his life, and before he died, he decided to give up his prosperous Empire to Darma, who was the eldest son of Berengar von Kufstein and Princess Anggraini.


    Anggraini wept as she saw her father''s pyre burn. She had aged quite gracefully. Now that she was in her forties, she looked as if she were not even thirty. Perhaps it was her Asian genes that allowed this, but whenpared to her lover, who looked the proper age, it was quite the scene to behold, at least from an outsider''s perspective.


    In fact, Berengar found himself spending much more time with Itami and his Asian concubines, simply because they aged so much better than his other wives. Something which irked Linde to no end. And naturally, he hade to Anggraini''s side when her people sent off her father to the afterlife.


    The tears streamed down the Indonesian beauty''s face, causing her lover to grab hold of her hand, and hold it tightly in an attempt tofort her. This seemed to have done the job, as she began to rest her weary head on the man''s chest.


    As the fire turned Suratman''s flesh and bones to ash, the funeral hade to an end, and all that was left to crown Darma as the new emperor. Thus, the young man looked towards his new subjects, who gazed upon him with a hint of reverence, as a Hindu Priest ced a crown upon his head.


    Darma''s gaze shifted to that of his father and mother, who looked at him with a mix of grief and pride. As he spoke his first words as the new emperor of the Majapahit people.


    "As Emperor, I promise to rule with a since of justice and righteousness. As great as a man as my grandfather was, he was not nearly as educated as I am about how to run a country.


    For I have learned from the world''s best teacher on exactly how to do this. I promise you, this is not the end of our golden age, rather, it is just the beginning.


    Under my reign, I will expand our wealth and power so that we, the Majapahit Empire, can stand toe to toe with the world''s other major Empires. In the hope that they will treat us as their equals. Glory to the Majapahit Empire!"


    Having said this, the audience broke out into a roar of apuse. They may have lost one of their greatest emperors, but they had gained a new hope with Darma, and his words had given them thefort they needed to know that the world had not suddenlye to an end.


    Berengar then approached his eldest son with Anggraini, and shook the man''s hand, before hugging him tightly. He then released the man and said in front of everyone in the Sanskritnguage just what he was thinking.


    "I look forward to working with you, Darma, and your people for many years toe. There are very few nations on this earth who have fought beside the Reich when we found ourselves at odds with powerful enemies, and I take pride in knowing that you are among them.


    Together, as father and son, but more importantly, as two independent monarchs, I believe we will be able to make the world a better ce. Especially in this era of peace and prosperity that both of our realms have managed to achieve."


    Once more the crowd broke out into cheers, perhaps none more so than Anggraini, who was reflecting on the past twenty-plus years of her life, as if they were the most happy and fulfilling she possibly could have lived.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Once the funeral and coronation ceremony was over, Berengar and his family returned to the Majapahit Pce, where Darma looked around as if he were slightly worried about his new life as the Majapahit Emperor. It was so obvious that Anggraini giggled before hugging her eldest son and smothering him like a proper doting mother.


    "Oh, is my little Darma perhaps anxious about finally leaving the nest behind? Well, it was about time you grew up, and took your rightful ce on my father''s throne. You should find yourself a wife now that you are the emperor, or maybe three! After all, you can''t be a mommy''s boy forever!"


    This had naturally embarrassed the man who was already in his twenties, and he was quick to break free from his mother''s grasp and blush as he averted his gaze. This only caused Anggraini to be an even more doting mother as she smothered her son''s forehead with her kisses.


    Eventually Darma had enough and pushed Anggraini away, while raising his voice.


    "Enough mother, I''m not a little kid anymore! Please stop treating me like one!"


    This sudden outburst had naturally caused the woman to pout, as she fled back to her lover''s side andined about her son''s errant behavior.


    "Oh Berengar? What am I going to do? Our son seems to be going through his rebellious phase!"


    This caused Berengar to chuckle, as he shook his head in disbelief. Out of all of his woman, the one who had always been the most doting mother, to the point where it was a bit excessive, was none other than Linde. But in all honesty, Anggraini could give the redheaded beauty a run for her money, because even Linde had known when to stop treating her children as little kids. Thus, he gave Anggraini a bit of a talking to.


    "Enough dear, our son is right. He is a man now. He will be living on his own here in Trown for quite possibly the rest of his life. You really should stop treating him as if he were a mere child. Though I do expect routine visits to the Reich. If not for diplomatic reasons, then naturally for vacations."


    Darma chuckled as he looked around at the state of this primitive pce and shook his head in disappointment before voicing these thoughts.


    "I never once thought that I would eventually be the emperor of such a backwards nation. Having Grown up in the Reich, I became quite ustomed to certain conveniences and luxuries that I''m afraid I will never see here in thends of my grandfather. But, I will do my best to improve upon the Empire which I have inherited. At the very least, I will make the two of you and grandfather proud."


    Berengar and Anggraini both smiled as they heard this, before nodding their heads in agreement with their son''s words.


    "I am sure you will, but improving a nation is not a marathon. It takes many years, and I am afraid for many things you will have to start from the ground up. But your mother and I have raised you right, and I have given you the skills you will need to aplish these things. So, my son, I believe this is time we part ways, at least until you decide to visit your homnd again..."


    Darma had to force back the tears that were forming in his eyes as he heard his father''s words. After all, he knew how his father felt about men openly disying signs of weakness, and thus, in order to ensure that now a single tear crashed around him, he raised his arm in salute, before shouting the old German battle cry he had heard a million times before.


    "Sieg Heil!"


    Berengar chuckled as he saw this before returning his son''s salute. After doing so, he and his lover left the Majapahit Pce, and returned to the Reich along with the other children they had together.

 Chapter 1221 Lawrence Of Arebia

    The winds were changing, and over thest few years, many changes hade to the Arabian Penins. German oilpanies had made their way into the region after Emperor Alexandros Piologos sold the mineral and oil rights of thend to the Reich.


    But perhaps the man most bewildered by these vast and sudden changes were the native Bedoin tribes, among which was a noticeably European man. Though his skin had been kissed by the sun above, after years of exposure. The features of this man were clearly English.


    It was none other than the previous King Lawrence Lancaster, who had ruled over the English throne during the days prior to the Catholic Church''sst crusade. The man had abandoned everything after witnessing his army so spectacrly massacred by the German Reichsgarde within the Sinai Penins, and as far as the rest of the world was concerned, he had died a long time ago.


    Yet in this foreignnd he had found himself epted by the locals, and had even converted to Im, where he now lived the life as a desert nomad with his four Arabian wives. He had hoped by doing this that he would never have to see the German army ever again in his life.


    But were the ambitions of the von Kufstein dynasty so miniscule? For years, the Bedoin tribes had been forced out of thends they once roamed, for the sake of German oil drilling, and by now many of them were getting fed up, believing that they should take action against these foreign invaders.


    Currently, while sitting at a campfire, there was a gathering of several tribes. Lawrence listened to their woes and sympathized with them as he did so. A particrlyrge Arab man was quick to spit on the ground as he cursed the Germans for being outsiders and non-believers.


    "These foreignerse into ournds, and kick us out of them, and now they dig deep within the earth, causing who knows how much damage to the environment. Well, no longer! I say we gather the tribes and force these filthy Kafir off of ournds once and for all!"


    This sentiment immediately gained the approval of most of the tribes, but Lawrence, who had gained a position of prestige among the bedouin, due to his fierce talents in diplomacy, was quick to rise to his feet, and voice the exact opposing position.


    "My brothers, do not get so frustrated that you be blind to the power that the enemy possesses. Many of you know this, but I have tangled with the Germans before, and back then my army was far more vast and powerful than all the tribesbines.


    In those days, the Germans were still drawing their carts by horses, and not the machines they have now. They did not fly in the skies above, nor did they rule the world''s oceans. What you are talking about will only result in the massacre of our people.


    I implore you to think this through, and negotiate with the Germans to have rights so that we may pass through and hunt on thesends. For if we were to take up military force, we would all perish, and quite horribly at that!"


    Though the older generation practically venerated Lawrence as a Wiseman of their tribe, the younger generation was not so generous in their views. And were quick to speak against him.


    "Your failures are your own, old man. Back then, you were a kafir, just like the rest of them. You did not have the strength of Ah backing you in your wars. But we do, and there is no power greater than Ah in this world!"


    Lawrence sighed heavily and shook his head as he tried to think of a way to exin to these people just how wrong they were, withouting across as sphemous. He quickly thought about what happened to the Emirate of Tlemcen, and shook with horror, before speaking of that horrible incident with pleading eyes.


    "I beg of you, think abut what happened to the Emirate of Tlemcen. One man, in a privileged position, managed to offend the Kaiser, and he unleashed fire and fury across the entire nation, leaving no survivors! Please, my brothers, I understand your fury, I do, but the German Army of today is so much more powerful than the one I faced decades ago. They do not even need to step foot into thesends if they wish to kill us all!


    I know the way the Germans think, if even one Bedoin tribe attacks their men, they will respond as if all of us are guilty, and will attack us with everything they have until we go extinct. Do not let our customs and culture pass from this world, simply because of one minor outrage!"


    The older members of the Bedoin tribes quickly spoke up in favor of Lawrence''s opinion on the matter at hand and even went so far as to shame the younger generation for their disrespect towards their elders.


    "Lawrence is right. We do not have the strength to contend with the Germans. Our swords and arrows would not even be able to pierce the chariots they drive around. In fact, you should all apologize to Lawrence for the way you have treated him. The man has settled many disputes between our people without a cause for blood, and I am sure he can do the same with the Germans!"


    As the younger generation bowed their heads and apologized, Lawrence was practically shitting bricks. These idiots wanted him to go and engage in diplomacy with the Reich? Were they insane? He had no idea what happened to Ennd after the war, but if he were to show his face to the Germans, then they would certainly consider him a threat to whatever puppet regime they set up in his former Kingdom.


    There was simply no conceivable way he was going to do this, not when he had such afortable life, with his four wives and many children. Screw you, you go speak to the Germans!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Though this was what he was thinking, Lawrence sighed heavily, and looked to the stars for guidance.


    The truth of the matter is, after what he saw on that fateful day, there was nothing he feared in this world more than the Germans finding out he was still alive. Why the hell do these people think he joined them at the first given opportunity? He never thought the Germans would make their way to Arabia.


    But they had, and by the look of their current weapons, he did not even want to guess what technological marvels these people had achieved over thest three decades. Ultimately, it was a voice of another tribal elder who interrupted Lawrence''s thoughts.


    "What say you Lawrence, will you negotiate with the Germans on our behalf, so we can freely enter thends which we have roamed for centuries?"


    Lawrence looked over at the pleading eyes of his new people, and could hardly believe that he found himself willing to do as they asked. He sighed heavily before nodding his head and epting the job.


    "Alright... I will do it... I will speak to the Germans... But.... I fear they may kill me before I have the chance to make my case...."


    The Bedoin tribesmen looked at Lawrence with curiosity as one of them posed the question he had avoided answering for thest twenty to thirty years.


    "Why would they do that? Are they so barbaric that they would kill a messenger?"


    Lawrence obviously shook his head and sighed once more before telling everyone the truth.


    "No... It''s because I''m the King of Ennd, and because of that, I am a threat to whatever puppet regime they have imposed over my homnd...."


    At first, Lawrence thought that these people would gaze upon him with astonishment and respect, but in the next moment, they all broke out intoughter as they heckled the man for making such boastfulments. One man in particr pped Lawrence on the back before making a sarcastic remark.


    "Right, and I am the Jyirid Sultan! Get the fuck out of here, Lawrence! You''re the King of Ennd? Good one!"


    Naturally, Lawrence took offense to this, and immediately began to protest in response.


    "Not it''s true. My name is Lawrence Lancaster, son of Edward Lancaster! I was the King of Ennd for nearly a decade!"


    This only elicited furtherughter from all the Arab tribesman, who continued to heckle the man for his remarks. It was so bad that even his wives stepped forward to patronize him.


    "My husband, the King of Ennd, then that must make me a Queen!"


    "What a lovely King!"


    Erich could feel his tanned cheeks turning rosy as he endured theughter that resulted from his wives'' own jests. He could not believe he was going to risk his life for these assholes.


    But they were his family, and he would do anything for his family. Thus, he sighed heavily as he epted his fate.

 Chapter 1222 Lawrence Of Arebia Part II

    A group of German soldiers leaned against their JLTV as they drank from their hydration packs with exhausted expressions on their faces. They had been born and bred in the cold climate of mother Europe. To be stationed in this sandpit was perhaps the most gruelling outpost a German soldier could be assigned to. And yet, that was their job.


    So the two men continued to wait, and guard the excavators which pumped Arabia''s oil out of the ground, and into the German war machine. Why they couldn''t just do this while sitting in the vehicle, with their air conditioning? None of them knew, but they were forced to patrol the area on foot. All the while a sniper sat in the guard tower, watching the horizon for potential hostile activity.


    Among these two soldiers was a young man, barely eighteen years old, who was clearly just out of high school. The man could not help butin about the heat, as he drank nearly half of his hydration pack in one go.


    "God dammit! I wanted to be deployed to Africa so I can fight some savages. Why the hell am I here in this godforsaken desert?"


    The other soldier simply smirked as he lit a cigarette and began to smoke like it was hisst day. After doing so, he responded to the green soldier with a big of snark in his tone.


    "Guess your rifle scores were shit, now weren''t they? How the hell do you suck that bad when basic marksmanship is part of the school system''s curriculum?"


    Since the war with Japan ended, the German Cadet Corps had been merged with the National School System as part of every male student''s curriculum, it was no longer optional to join the German Cadet Corps, or the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps as it was now known. It was mandatory.


    The man who was speaking to this fresh recruit was a veteran of several colonial dustups himself, and had taken a position in Arabia, guarding oil rigs, specifically because the pay was superior. And because he got sick and tired of being ambushed in the jungle every time he went out on patrol.


    With modern German protective equipment, it was extremely difficult to kill a German soldier with stone arrows. One would basically have to hit them square in the eyes, or in the femoral artery to do so. Because not only were their skulls protected by modern ballisticposite helmets, but their necks and torsos were covered in ballistic protection, which was more than enough to stop an arrow in its tracks.


    The young soldier was just about to retort to the veteran''s remark when he noticed something shimmering in the distance. He quickly ignored the veteran''s taunts and pointed towards what he saw while expressing his shock.


    "Hey, man, do you see that? Something''s out there?"


    On a hot day like this, it was not exactly easy to see through the hazy air, but after squinting a little, the veteran confirmed something was out in the distance. Which he immediately responded to by pulling out his binocrs and getting a proper visual. After doing so, he was shocked to see a rather small convoy of what appeared to be desert nomads. This caused the veteran to sigh as he got on thems and reported them to the garrison.


    "Potential hostiles spotted at the following coordinates"


    After saying this, the veteran listed off a number of urate coordinates, where he waited for a response by his superior officer. Which came shortly thereafter.


    "Roger that. We see them. Weapons hot boys, but do not fire unless the enemy engages you. You know our rules of engagement."


    Sure enough, after reaching a certain point, a man sitting on the back of a camel began to wave a white g. Which the German soldiers immediately took notice of.


    "Sir, they''re waving a white g. How should we respond?"


    A slight sigh emitted over thems before the officer in charge of the base spoke up.


    "Let''s see what they want. Hopefully, we can send them packing with some water..."


    After saying this, the small military outpost which was formed around the excavation site opened its gates and waved the Bedouins in. Who among them was none other than Lawrence. He had a particrly anxious expression as he got a close look at the weapons and uniforms that the Germans soldiers now wore, which looked even more advanced than the ones he had seen so many years ago.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lawrence immediately stepped forward and greeted the garrisonmander in Arabic, hoping that the man had a trantor around. Luckily enough, the man was also fluent in thenguage and thus they were able tomunicate quite easily.


    "My name is Lawrence, and I am here to represent my people, who wish to roam freely in thends of their ancestors once more!"


    The German officer looked at the man with confusion before expressing his most immediate thought.


    "Your name is Lawrence.... Isn''t that an English name?"


    Judging by the fact that he still had his head intact, Lawrence sighed with ease as he nodded his head before informing the man of his situation, albeit while leaving out some critical details about his identity.


    "Indeed, it is. Years ago I was part of an army which attacked a canal quite some distance away from here, one that connected the antic to the Indian Ocean. Those few men who survived scattered and fled with the winds.


    I found myself alone, in the desert, without food or water. I was quickly approaching death when the Bedoin came upon me and offered me their hospitality. But enough about me. I wish to speak about my people, and the rights they have to thisnd!"


    The Officer looked at Lawrence with a bit of confusion; he was naturally aware about the battle the man was speaking of, as were all German citizens, he just was not aware that anyone had actually survived the battle, as the reports stated that there were no survivors left in what was clearly a one sided massacre.


    Still, he supposed it was possible, so the officer did not disagree with Lawrence, and instead sighed heavily and shook his head. These desert nomads were speaking about rights to thend? That was way beyond his paygrade. And thest thing he wanted was to get up in a diplomatic mess. Thus, he simply pointed Lawrence in the direction of the nearest embassy.


    "I assume you know where Ma is, yes? It is now under the control of the Iberian Empire, so I suggest you go to Ma and visit the German Embassy within the city if you wish to file aint about thend which we are currently standing on. I would try to deter you by saying how pointless of an endeavor this is, but it appears your minds are made up. I''m a soldier, not a diplomat, so unfortunately I can''t help you. But the ambassador in Ma can."


    Lawrence was immediately surprised that the Germans had not just shot them in sight, and even were willing to hear him and his people out. Because of this, he bowed respectfully to the German officer and said farewell before leading his people off to Ma. Once Lawrence was gone, one of the German soldiers scoffed before voicing his shock.


    "Talk about going native! God damn, did you see that guy? I couldn''t even tell he was an Englishman!"


    After hearing this, the officer in charge snorted before calling the soldier an idiot.


    "That''s because you''re an inbred retard. Of course, he is an Englishman, or at least a European of some kind. His skin may have darkened due to the climate, but you can''t mistake those facial features unless your parents were siblings! Now stop lollygagging and get back to work!"


    As for Lawrence and his people, they were debating among themselves whether this was a good or bad sign for their tribes. The fact that the German soldiers had not openly fired upon them and were willing to hear them out was a good thing. But to go all the way to Ma to speak with someone who had the power to make a political decision, well, they just did not understand why the officer could not make a decision for them.


    But what would a bunch of desert nomads know about Imperial bureaucracy and modern nation states? Thus, Lawrence and his people began the long treck to Ma, where they intended to bring their case before the German ambassador.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1223 Lawrence Of Arebia Part III

    The city of Ma was the Muslim holy city, and because of this after the Byzantine Empire had conquered their neighbors, they had ceded control over it, and the city of Medina, along with a bit ofnd connecting the two of them to the Iberian Empire which was ruled over by the Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl. Who, at least on the surface, appeared to be a rather devout Muslim man.


    Naturally, due to the significance of this city, Berengar had elected to establish an embassy inside it, not to the Iberian Empire, for that embassy was within Madrid, but instead as an embassy to the Muslim Faith.


    It was quite rare that the Ambassador to the city of Ma had to actually do any work, but today was not one of those days. Because immediately after waking up and opening up the facility, he and his staff found a group of desert nomads waiting for them.


    At first, the German ambassador to the city of Ma thought that these men might have found themselves lost, but it became immediately clear after Lawrence spoke about what their intent was.


    "We havee to request migratory ess to our ancestralnds, which your people have now built military bases upon!"


    The German ambassador immediately looked at the delegation of the Bedouin tribesman as if they had suddenly lost their marbles, and just when he was about to politely refuse their request, Lawrence became rather persistent.


    "Please, sir, we don''t mean any harm. We just wish to travel through thends we always have, and perhaps hunt for the game we find within them. We do not know what you are doing, nor do we care to ask. I promise, no harm wille to any of your people."


    The German ambassador was bbergasted by this sudden request. And thought that perhaps he was being pranked. But upon realizing that he was not, he quickly allowed Lawrence entry, and sat down with him. In the meantime, tea and cookies were served to the ambassador and his guests, and only after he and the others had taken a few sips did he finally speak.


    "First off, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Ambassador Walter Krause. Can I ask who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"


    Lawrence nodded his head. Though he appeared a bit anxious to give his name, he ultimately decided to act in good faith for the sake of these negotiations and did as requested.


    "You can call me Lawrence...."


    It suddenly dawned on Ambassador Krause who he was speaking with, as a few weeks ago he had received amunication from the German military that there might be a possibility of some desert nomadsing to speak with him, and that their representative was named Lawrence. Needless to say, the military exined the background information that Lawrence had given the officer, and thus Ambassador Krause now understood what was going on.


    "Okay, Lawrence, it is a pleasure to meet with you. Now, I am going to pull out a map of the region, and you can point to the areas which you consider being disputed, Okay?"


    Lawrence nodded his head and waited rather anxiously for the ambassador to do as he had imed. Which only a few momentster, arge map of the region was sprawled out on the table. Where there were plenty of markings that Lawrence did not understand. However, he did know where the disputed territories are and thus he outlined them to Ambassador Krause with a simple gesture.


    "Right there! These are the regions were are requesting migratory ess to."


    Ambassador Krause sighed heavily as he gazed upon the areas that Lawrence had marked. They wererge oil fields, and because of this, there was naturally a lot of work that was going on in the region. It would be entirely unwise to allow a bunch of desert nomads to just wander through and gaze upon the restricted areas. Thus, he immediately shook his head and rejected Lawrence''s request.


    "I am sorry, sir, but that region is filled with oil fields. To put it simply, with the amount of work going on there, it would be incredibly unsafe to allow your people to migrate through the area. I am afraid you will simply need to look for new routes to travel."


    The other nomads who had followed Lawrence immediately became outraged as they expressed their disapproval of Ambassador Krause''s words.


    "This is an outrage. Our people have traveled through thisnd for hundred of years. What gives you the right to take them over and prevent ess to all others?"


    Ambassador Krause'' eyes narrowed with slight hostility as he responded to this statement with one of his own.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "After the Byzantine Empire''s conquest of the Arabian Penins, the Reich was guaranteed exclusive rights to the minerals and resources within the area for supporting their war. It was not just the Byzantine Emperor who signed this agreement, but also the Iberian Sultan. I am afraid thatnd is bought and paid for by the Reich, and since we own it as private property, your people have no right to trespass."


    Ambassador Krause immediately turned to Lawrence and then smiled before speaking in a slightly more friendly tone.


    "Surely, as an Englishman, you know about property rights? Am I correct in assuming this?"


    Lawrence could only sigh heavily in defeat. If what this ambassador said was true, then thend truly belonged to the Germans, and there was nothing he or his people could do to force them to change their minds. Thus, he nodded his head before speaking his opinion on the matter.


    "I understand. I will do everything in my power to convince my people to travel elsewhere from now on. As I know better than anyone what fate is in store for those who oppose the Reich. However, my people have wandered through thosends for centuries, and without them, many of us may day in search of a new oasis. Is there not something you can do to aid us?"


    Naturally, as a career diplomat, Ambassador Krause knew that Lawrence was simply asking for a token gesture so his people could feel like they had earned something valuable in exchange for their losses. With this in mind, Ambassador Krause began to think about what was most valuable to a group of desert nomads, and was quick toe up with an answer.


    "Can I ask you how much water your people are capable of carrying during your travels?"


    Lawrence thought about this question for some time, before finally giving an answer in an ancient system of measurement which the Reich had long since stopped using. It took the Ambassador several moments to transfer the units into the metric system, before he finally responded.


    "Since you are losing ess to such a valuable oasis, I can perhaps offer you and your people as much water as you can carry. And for the next one hundred years, if you ever find yourself near any of these cities where we have military personnel stationed, then I can guarantee free refills as well."


    Fresh water was indeed the most valuable resource for a group of desert nomads, but for a people who were capable of desalinating the world''s oceans, it was practically worthless. Of course, Lawrence and his people did not know that the Germans were capable of such things, and because of this, they were more than happy to ept what they considered being a generous offer.


    "Thank you, Ambassador, you are truly generous!"


    Ambassador Krause merely smiled, before handing the desert nomads a list of Byzantine and Iberian cities where the Germans maintained a military presence, as well as a token which allowed them to request free refills for one hundred years.


    And though this small gesture may not seem like much to the Germans, it had allowed Lawrence to gain quite a bit of prominence among the Bedouin tribes. Far more so than he had before. In fact, for the next one hundred years, Lawrence and his descendents would be treated like royalty by the Bedouin people.


    Of course, Germany was naturally aware of Lawrence''s identity ever since he first stepped foot into the military outpost. But they did not seem to care about a King from a long forgotten era, one whose own people had given up on decades ago. So rather than assassinate the man for being a potential "contender" for the English throne, they decided to monitor him, and his bloodline, and if they ever decided to press their ancient ims for Ennd, it would simply be a matter of a drone strike to end the problem once and for all.


    As for Germany themselves, they thought of this incident as nothing more than a token gesture to a group of Muslims who were not yet ustomed to the modern world, and hoped that in a few decades they would cease their nomadic ways, and enter polite society once and for all.


    But most importantly, the Germans had ensured that the Bedouin tribes would stop poking their heads around the massive oil fields, which the Reich now controlled. Because thest thing they needed was for a group of primitive nomads to stick their noses where they don''t belong.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1224 Failre To Lauch

    Berengar stood in the middle of the marshal inds, which had been evacuated of all life except for a small number of German scientists and military personnel. In the middle of the ind was aunch tform with an exceptionallyrge rocket.


    As the head of rocket design within the German Space Program, Zara was naturally by her father''s side, with a wide smile on her pretty face. Her wedding to Brandt was quickly approaching, and during this time she had made great strides towards creating a proper atomic propulsion rocket.


    Zara was more happy than usual today, as she exined to her father exactly what he was looking at. Something which shocked him, perhaps more so than anything had ever done so in his life. The girl''s alluring voice spoke aloud, exining a brief summary about how this rocket functioned.


    "Okay, so, Daddy, this is what Zara likes to call the Mjolnir Rocket! It is the first prototype that we have made of a proper nuclear propulsion rocket. Zara doesn''t want to go into too much detail, but essentially the nuclear fission reactor generates an insane amount of heat, which is then transferred to the liquid propent, that is then expanded and exhausted through a nozzle to propel the spacecraft.


    As always, when handling nuclear material, we have used the utmost caution to construct this rocket, and have made sure that if something goes terribly wrong, that we are far enough away from any major civilization to cause any serious harm.


    There is a fortified bunker from which we will be viewing theunch from, so even if this thing explodes, we will be more than safe from the effects. If this rocket works, then we are one step closer tonding on Mars! Zara dares to say, that if everything goes as nned over theing decades, then it will be another fifty years or so, before we have established mining colonies on the surface of the red! So, are you ready to watch the Mj6lnir take off?"


    Berengar looked over at his daughter''s excited expression, before nodding his head in agreement with her words. He then pet her golden hair, which caused the woman to blush, before voicing his own excitement towards this project.


    "Show me what you are capable of, Zara."


    After hearing this, Zara wore a pretty smile and hugged her father before informing her team to send the rocket into space. And after a brief countdown, theunch had begun.


    The rocket instantly began to take off from the marshal inds, and towards the sky above. There was a look of intense anxiety on Zara''s pretty face as she watched the rocket climb higher and higher, each passing second felt like a lifetime for both the young woman and her father, as they watched the rocket continue to head straight for the barrier of space.


    However, something went wrong, and just before the rocket could pass the Karman line, it detonated, creating a massive explosion within the atmosphere. This immediately caused Zara to curse out loud, in a way that she had never done so in front of her beloved father before.


    "God fucking dammit! I swear to fucking christ! Just when I thought we had something fucking viable, it has to go and fucking explode! Fucking shit!"


    Berengar looked bewildered at his daughter, who had so suddenly broken character, and when she realized this, she immediately put on cutesy disy, in a desperate attempt to conceal what she had just said.


    "What I... What Zara meant to say was oh noes! Daddy, Zara''s rocket exploded!"


    The young woman then reached out to her father for a hug while wearing a pouting expression on her beautiful face. Berengar had decided to totally ignore his daughter''s sudden change in character, and instead hugged the woman, pretending that he had not seen a thing. Which caused her to smile as she nuzzled her pretty little head into her father''s broad chest.


    It was only after several minutes of silence passed that Berengar posed a question to the woman that dumbfounded her.


    "So, has Brandt seen this side of you yet?"


    A perplex look appeared in Zara''s eyes, as she suddenly stopped hugging her beloved father, but it was quickly masked by her normal cheerful and childish facade, as she avoided the question entirely.


    "Zara has no idea what daddy is talking about...."


    Berengar chuckled when he saw this behavior, before informing Zara that she had nothing to worry about.


    "Don''t worry Zara, your secret is safe with me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This only caused Zara to smile and hug her father once more, while expressing her familial love for the man.


    "Zara loves daddy!"


    Berengar did not really care what kind of masks Zara wore, instead he was more concerned with just what kind of damage such a catastrophic failure would have on the world''s environment.


    "Well... I suppose you should figure out just how much damage that explosion is going to have on the world. Believe it or not, a single nuclear detonation within the atmosphere can have long-term effects on the, and I would be seriously pissed off if after all the work I had done preventing the weaponisation of nuclear power, that we still end up with background radiation in all of our steel production..."


    When Zara heard this, a look of horror appeared on her face, as she immediately yelled at one of her staff members to immediately research the effects that the nuclear detonation would have on the world.


    "You heard the man! Get to work and find out an answer! ASAP!"


    As the local task master of the German Space Program, nobody dared to disobey Zara''s orders, especially when they considered the fact that she was perhaps the Kaiser''s most favored child, and thus they immediately got to work searching for an answer to the question that Berengar posed.


    Zara then assured her father that he would have an answer soon enough, before shooing him out of the facility and back to the Reich.


    "Daddy, Zara promises to have an answer within a month''s time, maximum, so just go back to your business in the Reich while Zara cleans up this mess."


    Berengar chuckled and kissed his daughter on the forehead before doing as she suggested. It was only after he was on the jet back to the Reich that she began to tear her team a new one. She had never shown her father one of her failures before, and she was previously assured by her engineers that this rocket would function wlessly.


    Yet, it had blown up, and had potentially caused quite the disaster for the world. At least in terms of steel production. This was perhaps the worst day of Zara''s life, as she was forced to clean up the mess she had made.


    Berengar, however, did not hold a grudge against his daughter for her failure. After all, a functional nuclear propulsion rocket was something that had not even been sessfully produced even in his past life.


    The fact that the Reich now had a semi-functional prototype design for such a device, and only after a decade or two of the German Space Program, existing was beyond impressive.


    The fact that Zara had been instrumental in its creation was more than enough for Berengar to be proud of her.


    And though this test had resulted in a failure, it would provide valuable data for theter attempts that the German Space Program would make in theing years. And the next time Zara attempted tounch a nuclear propulsion rocket, she would make damn well sure that, at the very least, the damn thing did not explode within the Earth''s atmosphere.


    Thus, the German Reich continued to invest heavily into the space industry, something which the United States of America had all but abandoned after defeating the Soviet Union during the great Space Race of the Cold War during Berengar''s past life.


    After all, Berengar was a forward thinking man, and he knew that the future of Germany was not Earthbound, but in the stars themselves. And though he would probably never see the day that humans began settling other worlds, much like he had failed to do in his past life, Berengar could take pride in knowing that he had set humanity on the path to achieve this, far earlier than they would do in that alternate timeline.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1225 A Generation Of Excellence

    While several of Berengar''s sons had gone on to be world leaders in their own rights, and his daughter Zara had be the lead engineer at the German Space Program. The many other children of Berengar had begun to flourish in their adult lives.


    For example, in the city of Munich, Princess Helga von Kufstein lived with her husband, whose named was Prince Karl von Wittelsbach of Bavaria. If Kufstein had be the capital of the Reich, both in terms of politics and industry, then Munich had be a city renowned for its art and culture.


    This wasrgely in part due to Helga''s influence, as she had spent years transforming the city into a den of artists, all of which disyed their projects in the many art galleries of the city. Currently in one of the exhibits, the Princess of Austria and Bavaria was currently walked hand in hand with her husband, who was an attractive young man in his own right, as both of their work were publically disyed for free to the poption.


    Helga had only improved as an artist over the years, and was now renowned as one of the world''s greatest painters, if not the greatest. Whereas her husband was particrly fond of sculpting. And had made many marble statutes of his wife''s most renowned family members.


    Gone were the days when Helga was timid and shy, like during her childhood. Instead, she had blossomed into a confident and intelligent young woman. This was noticeable when she was around her family and her work. For example, at this very moment, she was practically dancing around the art gallery she had helped establish with her husband and kids. All of which gazed upon their beloved wife and mother and the exceptional works of art she had created over the years.


    Everything from her very first painting when she was a small child to her most recent masterpiece was all on disy for the public, free of charge. Karl in particr had always praised his wife''s ability to bring fiction into reality with her work, and could not help but do so again, as he saw how far she hade as an artist over the years.


    "Helga, my love, your work is always inspiring. I can''t wait to get home and sculpt another statue, perhaps this time one of you!"


    Helga simply blushed as she heard this before wrapping her arms around her husband''s neck and kissing him on the lips. His sweet words, his kind personality, and his talent as a sculptor were what ultimatelypelled her to marry the man. And she could not be happier with her current lot in life.


    While Helga was touring her art gallery in Munich, Katherine was in the middle of performing as the prima ballerina for the Austrian Ballet. She had performed her dance moves all over the country to millions of fans, and today was no different. The stunning footwork which she made use of was enough to astonish even aymen, who knew nothing about the higher arts that those among the nobility so prominently enjoyed.


    And as the performance came to a close, she took a deep bow, with a wide smile on her exceptionally pretty face. All to the thunder of apuse and the cheers of more than a few men and women. Roses were tossed onto the stage for the woman who had taken the breath of so many men, none of which she epted.


    After all, Katherine''s heart belonged to one man in particr, and that was her husband. He was also in the crowd, cheering for his wife''s performance. Perhaps most peculiar of all, was the fact that Katherine had chosen to marry the Prince of Prussia. That''s right, Eckhard''s eldest son, who was quite a few years younger than Katherine, was the man who could boast of being the prima ballerina''s husband.


    Prince Berengar von Marienburg was named after the Kaiser, which was no surprise one when considered his father was none other than King Eckhard von Marienburg, the man who many considered being Berengar''s greatest General.


    And he waited patiently for his wife to descend from the stage, and return to his loving arms, which she did so, to an audience of many German noblemen, who could not help but cheer for the Princess of their Empire, who had disyed her talents once more for them all.


    Standing by Berengar''s side were three young children, all of which looked like they were proper members of the von Kufstein Dynasty. When Katherine saw her youngest daughter, she quickly picked the girl up, and clutched her to her bosom, as the young and vibrant beauty kissed the little girl on the forehead.


    She, like Helga, waspletely happy with her current life, and would change nothing of it if she were given the chance to do so.


    Helena stood on the balcony of a particrlyrge mansion, which was located on the coasts of Krain. She could gaze out into the Adriatic and witness the oing traffic of ships whose final destination was the port city of Trieste.


    During her years as an adult, Helena had chosen a quiet, but luxurious life as one of the Empire''s most famous authors. But she valued her anonymity, and because of this she used the pseudonym Erika Khune when she wrote her romance novels, which were so incredibly popr among the Reich''s female audience.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As with the stories that she wrote when she was a teenager, the male protagonist was almost always based on her father in some way, and she had gone so far as to emte this in real life, by marrying one of her distant cousins from Gis''s side of the family.


    Helena''s husband was named Wilhelm, and he looked considerably simr to Berengar did when he was young. Like his distant uncle, Wilhem had even served as an officer in the German military, and had been awarded many great distinctions during his tenure in the Colonial conflicts.


    However, those days were long past, and now the man was actually a business partner with Zara''s fiancee, helping Brandt run a brewery which had quickly be the premier choice of beer among the German poption.


    Both Wilhelm and Brandt had been awarded with titles of nobility of equal standing, and because of this, the beerpany they managed was simply called "Freiherr" which meant Baron in the German tongue.


    The Freiherr Brewing Company had made so much money that Wilhelm and Helena retired to the coast of Krain, within the Adriatic Sea, where they lived a quiet but luxurious life with their family. After taking in the fresh sea air, and drinking a ss of wine, Helena heard her kids call out to her, and thus she entered the living room, where she saw several happy children ying a popr multiyer video game. With a wide smile on her beautiful face, the young woman sat down next to her children and joined them in this endeavor.


    Helena could easily bebelled a nerd, and she was passing this tradition down onto her kids. No matter how quickly the video game industry advanced, she kept up with it, and it was times like this, where she hade to enjoy her life, as she fell behind one of her kids in the race, and then another, until finally they had all beaten her at her own game.


    To which she smiled, and hugged all her kids, and congratted them on their victory.


    "That was very good! Mommy is very proud of you all! You havee a long way, and in such a short time, too. But do you think you will still be able to beat mommy, if we up the difficulty a little?"


    A young girl wore a wide smile on her adorable face as she challenged her mother to another race, with confidence that she would emerge victorious.


    "Of course! Mommy sucks at this game. There is no way I can lose!"


    When Helena heard this she frowned, before upping the difficulty to the maximum, so that she could teach her arrogant child about the values of humility, and thus she began another game with her kids, on their most favorite console.


    The stories of Berengar''s many children were much in the same way as these. No matter what careers they chose in life, and what paths they pursued. They all emerged at the top of their industries.


    Because of the strict way they were raised, not a single one of Berengar''s children wasted away and relied on their family fortune to get by. Each of them managed to aplish something significant and had proven that the von Kufstein Dynasty had very strong genes. Something which would continue well into the next century, and beyond.


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at /book/interster-age_ 26235247006730205


    Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1226 The Indian Empire Invades

    ?Arun stood at the head of his army, who had just passed through the region that would one day be known as Burma, and into thends of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The young half German and half Indian man had never stepped foot on a battlefield before, nor had he ever dered war during his brief time as India''s monarch.


    However, as an emperor in his own right, and a son of the Great Kaiser, there were certain things he could not tolerate. Such as an insult to his lineage. And that was exactly what the Ayutthaya King had done to him. Thus, he had dered war on his own vassal state, to earn the dignity and respect that a man in his position should be afforded.


    In all honesty, the Ayutthaya King had never expected that his Suzerain would raise his army and march into hisnds, even if he had insulted the man and his lineage. Thus, when he heard that the Indian Army had entered the Ayutthaya Kingdom, he nearly shit himself in fear.


    If this was a few decades ago, then he would have nothing to fear. After all, the Thai people were as hardy and battle-tested as one could be. But, the powerful martial arts of the southeastern Asian Kingdom were no match when they were facing down the barrel of machine guns.


    Despite this, the Ayutthaya King knew he would have to order his army to defend his borders, and thus he dispatched his greatest general to intercept Emperor Arun Tomara and the Indian Army at his western borders.


    At the moment, Arun was dressed in a military uniform, simr to that which would have been worn by the British during the Second World War of his father''s past life. Albeit with Stahlhelm''s instead of Brodie helmets. He gazed through his binocrs as the thunder of the Indian artillery pounded the medieval army of the Ayutthaya Kingdom who boldly, but foolishly, charged at their enemies with swords and shields in hand.


    The overwhelming power of the 10cm high explosive artillery shells shredded their victims to bits, turning their bodies into meat paste, as they detonated in the air just above the ground. Each explosion not only imed the lives of several dozen Ayutthaya warriors, but left a scar upon the earth.


    Craters formed in the wake of the artillery, while Arun watched the weapons of his father so swiftly eliminate the enemy army. In truth, he did not even need to deploy the numerous heavy, and general purpose machine guns that his army were equipped with, because the artillery got the job done just fine. And he had thousands of these 10cm K17 field guns. All of which were lined up on his side of the border, where they continued to fire off ten shots each per minute.


    A generation hade and passed since thest time the Indian Empire had marched to war, and though its army still wielded the same equipment as those days, they were by no means ipetent at their jobs.


    A constant influx of new recruits, and old veterans to teach them, left the Indian Army in a battle ready state, and thus when the call to war finally arrived, they were more than prepared to spill blood for the glory of their nation, and its mighty Emperor.


    It took roughly five minutes, before the entirety of the Ayutthaya Army, and their generals to bepletely obliterated by the Indian Artillery, where Arun finally ordered a ceasefire.


    The artillery crews quickly ejected their live rounds and began to shackle up their guns onto the horses who would carry them further ind into the Ayutthaya Kingdom.


    Despite his overwhelming victory, Arun somewhat felt a bit dissatisfied with the result. After all, he had heard from his father the stories of the wars which the man faced when he was approximately the same age as his son was now. And during those days, Berengar actually fought on the front lines, as a cavalry officer, and a rifleman in a multitude of exciting battles where he could have lost his life at any moment.


    But with such overwhelming weapons in the hands of the Indian Army, and while fighting a foe who at best had medieval technology, there was no grand battle to ur, there was no chance of defeat, nor a possibility of death.


    And thus, there was no exhration to be had. Instead, it was just a ughter, like wheat to the scythe, as the Indian Army marched forward into thends of the Ayutthaya Kingdom after having massacred their entire army in a single battle.


    The people did not resist their invaders, for how could they? Without ess to modern weapons, it was impossible to stop an army like the Indians, who relied on German technology to stomp out their foes as if they were mere savages, while facing modern European troops.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And while Arun rode forward towards the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, he thought about how much more advanced the German Army was today, and how if he dared to oppose his father''s reign, or soon to be his half brother''s reign, then he would be in the same exact position as the Ayutthaya, who had no means of defending themselves against such overwhelming power.


    Luckily for Arun, Berengar''s children were all on rtively good terms with one another, and he did not believe it was likely in the least that his Empire should one daye to arms with the Reich. Thus, he continued to march forward until he reached the capital of his enemy.


    By the time Arun arrived in the Ayutthaya Kingdom''s capital city, the white gs were waving over the city''s walls, and the gates were opened, allowing full entry of the Indian Army, and their mighty Emperor who had obliterated the Ayutthaya Army in a single battle.


    In fact, the Ayutthaya King hade out to greet Arun, a man he once called a bastard, while kneeling in the mud, and presenting all of his daughters who were of age to the man, so that he could pick which one he deemed worthy to be his wife.


    The Ayutthaya King was practically in tears as he spoke the words that Arun most wanted to hear from him.


    "I am sorry, my Emperor, my master! I was wrong to insult you and your lineage. You are more than worthy enough to have any one of my daughters as your wife. Please, choose whichever one you deem the most fitting in your eyes!"


    However, Arun simply smirked with disdain on his face, before jumping down from his force, and pressing the Ayutthaya King''s head into the muds, and in front of his five three beautiful daughters no less. He then said the words that served as a great insult to the Ayutthaya King, ones which he did not expect.


    "You think your pathetic dynasty is worthy of my lineage? I no longer have a desire to marry your daughters, for they are no longer princesses. Yournds are now mine, your people are now my subjects, and I hereby strip you and your family of all titles and wordly possessions. Perhaps you might be able to survive if you sell the bodies of your wife and daughters, because that is all they are now worth!"


    An intense sense of dread filled the Ayutthaya King''s dark eyes as he begged for mercy.


    "Please, your majesty, I beg of you, do not throw me out into the streets with nothing but the clothes on my back! I won''t survive!"


    But it was toote. Arun had been thoroughly insulted by this man, in a way that had even enraged his mighty father. The only way to repay such a debt was with an equal humiliation, and thus the Indian Emperor was quick to reject the Ayutthaya King''s pleas.


    "Clothes on your back? You think you will be afforded such a luxury? Did I not already say that everything you possess now belongs to me? So strip out of your clothes, you and your entire family, because you will be given nothing! And you will thank me for my generosity!"


    The Ayutthaya King''s broke out into tears, but he did not dare disobey, especially now that his army was so ground into meat paste on his western borders. Thus, he instantly stripped naked, and ordered his family to do the same, all of which were crying as much as the head of their house, because they had just gone from mighty monarchs, to mere street urchins, ones who did not even have any clothing to call their own.


    After doing this, Arun sent the former royal family of the Ayutthaya Kingdom on their way, he did not care what happened to them now, but since they had invoked his ire in the first ce, then he had been sure to repay them for their kindness, orck of it.


    Thus in an instant, the Ayutthaya Kingdom had been annexed by the Indian Empire, and in doing so, had unknowingly created a border crisis with the Ming Dynasty who were currently undergoing a bloody civil war.

 Chapter 1227 A Generation Of Excellence Part II

    Franz stood over the unconscious body of his opponent while pounding his chest like a barbarian and screaming at the top of his lungs. Had the referee not stopped the fight, then his victim would have been sent to the afterlife. After all, the German Prince''s wrapped knuckles were currently stained with the blood of the fallen.


    Immediately after emerging victorious in this contest of strength, a beautiful, young tinum haired beauty rushed into the ring from the nearby stands and hugged this champion among men, while kissing him passionately in front of the crowd.


    Siv could not contain the excitement in her voice, as she congratted her future husband and current step-brother for his victory in the ring.


    "You did it! I knew you would be my champion!"


    Franz could not believe his ears. He had fought hard to win the favor of the half-valkyrie, but the only thing a woman like her would respect was martial strength. However, today''s colonial dustups were hardly the proving ground of warriors, as it was incredibly easy to shoot a stone age savage from a thousand meters out with the right weapon.


    No, those German men who wished to prove their strength did so in the ring. And there was one sport above all others that was considered the embodiment of the German warrior spirit, and that was Kampf.


    Kampf was essentially no holds barred fighting. There were only two rules: no eye gouging, and no biting. Everything else was legal. On top of this, the only way to win was either by knockout, tapout, or doctor''s stoppage. There were no points in Kampf, and if neither fighter finished the fight, then it would end in a draw.


    But Franz had an unbeaten record of fifteen and zero, and had earned the nickname of the Austrian Warlord. Today, however, he had proven himself a champion among champions, by fighting the national open weight champion, and decisively finishing the fight with a brutal head butt knock out.


    Out of all of Berengar''s sons, Franz was the only one who had taken up prize fighting as a career in life. In fact, he had just won a prize of what would be the equivalent of five hundred million us dors. Which was more than enough for him and his future bride to live on for the rest of their lives. And yet, there was no way that such a young and hungry fighter was content with retirement. No, his legend had only just begun!


    Josef was deeply entrenched in the jungles of Myanmar, though he carried a semiautomatic sniper rifle for his own protection. He did not intend to use it on this trip. After all, his job was to survey and study wildlife, not kill them.


    In fact, he was such a well-renowned naturalist, that he even had his own TV show, known across the reich as the "Tiger Hunter", ever since he was a small child, he had gotten along exceptionally well with wild animals, notably his father''s pet leopard Genseric. And though the royal gardens of the Kufstein Pce were infested with semi-intelligent leopards, this was not enough to satisfy Josef''s curiosity.


    Thus, he had studied wildlife biology at the university of Kufstein, and had gone on to search through the world''s most dangerous wilnds in pursuit of the earth''s most capable predators. Today, Josef was looking for a legendary albino Indochinese tiger, which locals had imed to spot not long ago.


    As the man carefully stalked through the jungles of myanmar, he heard a loud and ferocious howl. One which caused him and his cameraman to suddenly halt their movements. Josef then looked at the camera with an excited look on his handsome face and spoke the words the audience most wanted to hear.


    "You hear that? That is the sound of wild Indochinese tiger. No doubt he has caught onto our scent and is feeling threatened by our presence. We have got to be extremely careful, as we sneak up on the little bugger!"


    After saying this, Josef moved forward into the forest, and saw a pale white tiger emerge from the nearby river, he then pointed with his free hand towards the magnificent beast, and eximed in shock, before making a reference to a particrly popr cartoon which had previously made fun of him, and his show.


    "0i, you see that! That right there is an albino Indochinese tiger! Now, this mighty beast has enough power in its jaws to rip my head right off! I''ve got to be careful, so what I''m going to do is sneak up on it and jam my thumb in its butthole!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The moment Josef said this, nearly his entire audience broke out intoughter, as they knew he was referencing the parody cartoon that was renowned for its particrly foulnguage and crude humor.


    Naturally, Josef did not actually sneak up on the beast and jam his thumb up its butthole. Instead, he simply got close and took a picture of it, before scurrying off from the scene with haste. After all, sneaking up on a tiger of any size was a good way to get yourself killed. And it would be a particrly pitiful end to a prince of the German Reich if a tiger, of all things, managed to kill him.


    Nevertheless, Josef continued to lead the way of studying the world''s diverse wildlife, and was an expert in the field. His show managed to inspire future generations to protect the environment, and prevent the extinction of endangered species.


    While Franz was fighting in the ring for fortune and glory, and Josef was trekking through the world''s harshest environments in search of the world''s diverse wildlife. Another one of Berengar''s children was leading the industry of the career which they had chosen in life.


    Ilse was Berengar''s and Linde''s second eldest daughter, but growing up, she never seemed to disy the intelligence and creativity of her elder siblings. However, if there was one thing she had more so than any of her sisters, it was beauty.


    Having inherited the best physical traits from both of her parents, Ilse was a beauty above all others. Even Linde had to admit that her daughter had grown up into a woman who could rival the goddess Freyja in terms of looks.


    How did Ilse make the best use of her heaven defying appearance? By being a runway model. Currently, she was strutting through the high fashion industry of the Reich, wearing a particrly exquisite, yet modest, dress. Modesty was a virtue which the Reich pushed on its people, and because of this, there were few instances of skimpy clothing being tolerated in public.


    Still, the dress clung tightly to the young woman''s perfect curves, as she made a gorgeous smile to the cameras with a slight wave of her hand. It was as if every aspect of her figure exuded femininity. No doubt there would be many young men who would be thinking about Ilse while making love with their wives. Especially after these photos were released to the public.


    After taking a few dozen more photos, the shoot came to an end, and Ilse returned to her seat, and sighed, as she pulled out her cell phone, and called a number. The man who picked up was none other than her husband, who was the Prince of Holstein- Mecklenburg, and an exceptionally handsome man in his own right. There was an excited tone in the woman''s voice as the man picked up his phone.


    "Hello babe, I was just checking to see if we are still on for dinner?"


    The man''s voice appeared to be equally excited to hear from his wife, as he confirmed that they were indeed still on for dinner at Ilse''s favorite restaurants, which was located in Hamburg where she currently lived.


    "Indeed, I look forward to chatting with you about how your day was while enjoying some nice Finkenwerder Scholle. But babe, I''m a bit busy right now with the board meeting. We''ll have to talkter...."


    Isle sighed and nodded her head in silent agreement with her husband''s words. As a member of the board of the Reich''srgest naval contractor, her husband was very busy, and thus she would have to wait until dinner to speak with him. Thus, all she really said was a brief farewell as she hung up on the man.


    "Okay, see you soon!"


    The gorgeous young German woman then looked out the window towards the port as she gazed upon the ongoing construction project of the Reich''s most ambitious naval vessel yet.


    She then shook her head, before getting up and heading towards the restaurant where she would wait for her husband until he arrived for their meal.

 Chapter 1228 Ongoing Conflicts Across The World

    The thunder of guns echoed in the Ming capital of Beijing, as multiple factions of warlords, despots, loyalists, and any number of ideological factions arose in the civil war. As the bullets whipped past the fact of a young loyalist, he quickly mmed the bolt forward on his rifle and pulled the trigger. In doing so, he returned fire with his 8mm projectile which pierced through his target''s chest, and thus iming the man''s life.


    Fighting had broken out all across the Ming Dynasty, and many of its citizens were now fleeing into the surrounding empires to escape the chaos and carnage that came with civil war.


    It was a disaster that sought to tear the mighty Chinese Empire to pieces.


    And yet, the loyalists held on and waved their dynastic banners as they continued to fight against the rebelling factions with everything they had. Eventually, the loud chugging of the heavy water-cooled machine gun dispersed the rebels. Those who survived the bursts of lead dropped their weapons and fled into the crowd of cowering civilians, attempting to conceal their rebellious activity as they did so.


    Yet, these rebels, warlords, and brigands were entirely unaware that up in the orbit of the, a satellite had locked onto their position, and recorded their appearance. This information was then given by German Imperial Intelligence to their operatives embedded within the isted Ming Dynasty, who would pass it onto the proper authorities.


    Within an hour, these rebels would be dragged out of their homes and shot in the streets as a public statement. A warning, if you will, to those who dared rebel against the proper Emperor. Speaking of with Zhu Zhi having been assassinated, the throne now fell to one of his younger brothers. A man who was particrly dull, and easily swayable by his court of advisors.


    Zhu Bai sat within the safety of the forbidden pce,pletely unaware of the chaos that was going on across his Empire. ording to his advisors, there was no civil war, and his reign was perfectly secured. Since Zhu Bai had no reason to be skeptical about this im, he continued to live avish lifestyle, while his country burned around him in the mes of rebellion.


    Regardless of the fact that the fighting had now entered Beijing, the loyalist faction was not on the edge of defeat. In fact, aside from a few insurgents which were located in their territory, the majority of the rebellious factions were being pushed further and further out of the Ming maind.


    After all, the enemies which the Loyalists faced were being closely monitored by German satellites, reconnaissance aircraft, and field agents. Though the istionists did not know it, the intelligence they received about their enemies actually came from the German Empire, which had proven to be the key aspect in their repeated victories against the rebel armies.


    Thus, with the way things were currently headed, it was only a matter of time before the Ming loyalists emerged victorious in their ongoing civil war.


    In another corner of the world, another civil war was being waged. In all the Rus states, the Orthodox church had begun inciting the people against their rulers. Propaganda about aing German invasionpelled many rational men to take up arms and attack their masters.


    The Rus hadrgely maintained a stance of istionism regarding world affairs. They were still a very medieval society, one which was quite ipetent. After all, the German Empire spent an absurd amount of money on flooding the Rus states with cheap vodka every year.


    But the Berengar administration wasing to an end, and in its ce, Hans was rising to be the next kaiser of the German Reich. And Hans had a grudge to bear against the Rus that had not yet been paid in full.


    Thus, the current Chancellor of Germany, who was also its Crown Prince, was doing everything in his power to spill as much blood as possible within the Rus states. Currently, a young Russian boy, no older than thirteen, was carrying a semiautomatic rifle in his arms, through the mud and snow of the frozen Russian wastes.


    His body was adorned in fur hides as he knelt down and aligned the sights of his weapon. He pulled the trigger three times in rapid session, sending three 8mm projectiles down range, and into the bodies of Russian boyar who sat on horseback with his sword in hand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The gunfire crackled in the air as the bullets tore through the man''s chest, killing him on the spot. His armed guards did not even have time to react to his death, as the enraged mob of Russian peasants rose up against their masters and began to beat them to death with farm equipment andrge stones. Completely unafraid of their own deaths at the hands of the medieval men at arms, who tried their best to repel their attackers.


    All around the Rus states, sights like this weremon, abined force of modern weapons, and medieval arms were used to fight against the Boyars and their feudal soldiers. All the while, the German Empire watched and stirred the pot, waiting for the violence to reach its boiling point before justifying their invasion.


    One other conflict was being waged in the world at this point in time, it was not a civil war like the other two, but the soldiers of the Aztec Empire descended upon thest stronghold of their Inca rivals with the ferocity of the jaguar whose hides they wore into battle.


    The steel short spears of the Aztec warriors were far too lethal for the wicker shields, and padded armor that Inca bore. Ripping through their primitive defenses and iming the lives of those who dared to defy this foreign invasion.


    Cualcoatl stood as a living god among his army, leading the charge, as his steel scaled armor prevented any and all attacks from harming his vitals. With a spear and shield in hand, he cut through the Inca resistance like a war god in the flesh. With each torso, his spear plunged into his victim''s blood would ssh across his tan skin and golden hair, further giving him the visage of a blood-crazed deity.


    One by one, the Inca defenders fell to the Aztec conquest, like wheat to the scythe, as their souls were ripped from their bodies. Until finally, Cualcoatl and his army stood victorious.


    This was thest stronghold that the Inca had left in their civilization, and now it, along with all of its inhabitants who yet drew breath, had been conquered.


    With a fierce and mighty roar, Cualcoatl screamed to the heavens as they blessed his victory with the rain. After ascending atop a mountain of corpses, Cualcoatl dered his victory so that the gods and men may witness his glory.


    "The Aztec Empire is victorious once more! Though thisnd we have conquered is rich and fertile, it has yet to see the greatness of the feathered serpent! Thus, as of today, we will be iming thesends for our people, and will begin their resettlement. Glory to the gods! And glory to the Aztec people!"


    Cualcoatl''s warriors lifted their spears towards the sky, amid the thunder and lightning which apanied their victory, and shouted their war chants in response.


    "Glory to the Gods!"


    With this, one of the three major armed conflicts which were urring around the globe had suddenlye to an end, and the Aztec Empire had doubled the size of thend which they now owned.


    Though how long they could keep it for, before the Germans began to make their demands. This was something that only the Gods knew. However, just because the Aztecs had ended their war with the Inca, that did not mean that those wars fought in Russia and the Ming Dynasty were anywhere close to beingpleted.


    In fact, the war for Russia had not even truly begun, as the Germans still sat by and waited for the violence to escte beforemencing the ughter which the Crown Prince had nned. This genocide would be waged as an act of vengeance on behalf of Hans'' wife Veronika, as well as the German people who suffered unspeakable crimes at the hands of the Russians in another world, and on another timeline.


    After all, though time had forgotten this reality, Berengar had not, and he had passed on the tales of his past life, and the grievances his people had suffered to his son and heir, who would soon be in a position of power to do as he pleased with this world.

 Chapter 1229 The Young Prince Of The German Reich

    Prince Ansgar braced his rifle against the barrier, and aimed down the iron sights towards the steel target, whichy approximately one hundred meters out. With the squeeze of the trigger, the bullet propelled forward, and smacked against the steel te which was the size of a man''s torso, disintegrating as it did so.


    After firing another two shots, one to the torso, and one to the head, Ansgar quickly retrieved his rifle from the barrier, and swiftly sprinted towards the next located. Where he repeated the process on another few targets.


    Although he might be the son of the German Crown Prince Hans von Kufstein, and the Princess Anne von Wittelsbach, Ansgar was not afforded any special treatment throughout the education system, and was expected like his peers to undergobat and survival training at an extremely young age.


    Thus, the man wielded the older model of the AK-74, which in the Reich was known as the Stg-942, as he continued toy down a spread of precise fire on the targets within the training grounds of the local elementary school.


    Boys aged seven and up were expected to be expert marksmen within the borders of the Reich, and Prince Ansgar was no exception. He had been training with firearms since the age of five, and could now out-shoot most soldiers outside of the Wehrmacht.


    After shooting all thirty rounds in his magazine, the young prince quickly swapped it out in a style that had be popr among german soldiers. Which meant that he used the fresh magazine to eject the spent one, before rocking and locking it in to ce, where he then racked the charging handle beforeying down more semi-automatic fire at the targets.


    Despite only using iron sights, Ansgar''s shooting was almost as precise as aser, as heid down the 5.45x39mm projectiles with speed and uracy that only the most veteran of shooters were capable of performing. In the end, hepleted the scenario in under two minutes, which was a record for the school.


    As a result, the officer in charge of conducting the JROTC training programs pinned a marksmanship badge to the Prince''s chest, but only after he had cleared his rifle, and ced it on safe.


    With a short salute, the Officer dismissed Ansgar from the rest of his training for the day.


    "Cadet Sergeant Ansgar von Kufstein, you havepleted your training in the alotted timeframe, and are now dismissed from service for the remainder of the day!"


    Ansgar saluted the officer, and returned to the locker rooms, where he changed out of hisbat gear and into his school uniform. After brushing his hair into the fashion which he desired, his face was revealed in the reflection of the mirror.


    The young prince was a blend of his father and mother in terms of appearance. His hair was a very light strawberry blonde, almost like a golden blonde with a slight reddish tint to it, while his eyes were as blue as the sky, much like his grandmother Linde. Despite not even entering puberty yet, the boy had exceptionally handsome figures for his age, and would no doubt grow up to be ady killer, much like his father and grandfather.


    When Ansgar had finished getting dressed, he exited the locker room and entered the cafeteria. His next ss was not for another hour. Thus, he grabbed some lunch, and sat down at an empty table, before whipping out a handheld game console, where he began to y a popr video game.


    Unfortunately for him, his gaming time was interrupted when one of his rtives sat down next to him. The cute young girl was none other than his cousin Elsa, who was the oldest daughter of Emperor Lukas von Kufstein, and his wife. The young girl had been sent to Kufstein for an education, just like her siblings.


    And though the Reich''s schools were segregated based upon sex, that did not begin until middle school. Thus, Elsa was able to interact with her male cousins while at lunch or recess.


    Elsa had an adorable expression on her doll-like face as she posed a question to Ansgar, one which he found to be utterly infuriating.


    "What''s that? I see a lot of boys with the device you are using, but I have no idea what it is! We don''t have those in Ennd!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ansgar sighed heavily, as he handed the device over to the girl who was several years younger than him, and exined in detail what it was as she gazed in awe at the LED screen.


    "It''s called a Gamechild. It''s a portable console which allows me to y video games while on the go. Naturally you wouldn''t have these in Ennd, because your people have yet to discover electricity, let alone theplex nature ofputers that are required to build such a thing."


    Elsa ignored her cousin''sments regarding her homnd. If there was one thing she noticed since first travelling abroad to study in Kufstein, it was that Germany was a nation that was far more developed than her homnd. And though Lukas had done his best to modernize Britannia, it was a lengthy process to turn a feudal state into an early modern one.


    Unlike his father, who had focused on developing Kufstein first, and then spreading those innovations to the rest of the Reich, Lukas had a bnced approach to developing Britannia, one that was nationwide, rather than locally. Thus, it had taken him several years to get to a point where his Empire was now agriculturally self sufficient, with a thriving, albeit primitive industry based upon the use of water and horse mills.


    Elsa seemed to enjoy ying the game that Ansgar had spent many hours on, that is until the boy took back the console, where he then chastised the girl for messing up his game.


    "Damn it all! I knew I shouldn''t have allowed you to y my game!"


    Elsa pouted when she heard these wordse from her older cousin. Not knowing what she had done wrong in the first ce. However, she did not say a word in her defense. As the Princess of a foreign Empire, she knew better than to insult the potential heirs to the German throne, even if they were rted by blood.


    After seeing the depressed look on the girl''s face, Ansgar sighed and apologized for getting stern with her, where he then offered one of his cookies as payment for his misdeed.


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have snapped at you. Here is some extra Pfefferniisse as a token of my apology."


    Elsa happily epted the offer of an extra cookie, after all her home country did not have the culinary arts that the Reich had, and if there was one thing she enjoyed most about living in Germany with her rtives, it was that she was able to eat a variety of delicious foods.


    Ansgar simply watched the young girl snack on the cookie in delight, with an exasperated expression on his face. He did not know what he had done to have this little tyke follow him around like a trained dog, but at every given opportunity Elsa would speak with him.


    It was fine at first, but now there were rumors spreading across the school that he and Elsa were engaged. And the very thought of marrying his cousin filled Ansgar''s little heart with embarassment.


    Although he knew such a thing was amon practice among the nobility in the olden days, there had been great lengths taken by the Kaiser to prevent inbreeding among the German noble families.


    Ansgar did not know exactly why this was the case, but over the past few years, first cousin''s marriage had be a taboo, especially among the nobility. Thus, the usations that he and Elsa were getting married filled the little prince with a sense of dread. As if his reputation was being ruined each and every time Elsa approached him.


    Yet, he could not turn the young girl away. After all, she was so cute and innocent, and she also appeared to desperately be in need of friends. After all, the noble scions of the German Reich were particrly snooty towards foreign exchange students, even if they carried the blood of the Great Kaiser in their veins.


    Thus, Ansgar could only sigh, and put up with the rumors that were surrounding him and his cousin, something which the young girl was apparently entirely unaware of. Instead, he offered more sweets to Elsa as an apology for snapping at her earlier.

 Chapter 1230 Zaras Wedding

    ?Another year passed, and before Berengar knew it the day for Zara''s wedding had arrived. He had awoken bright and early on this day, as he dressed in his finest royal attire, along with all the medals he had earned as his time inmand of Germany''s military forces. While Yasmin dressed herself in the most gorgeous purple dress, she could find.


    Zara did not have too many friends, and because of this her bridesmaids consisted of her mother, and her sisters. All of which were exotic beauties in their own right. Speaking of, after having himself a particrly anxious morning, Berengar knocked on his most beloved daughter''s door, just before the wedding was supposed to begin.


    Naturally Zara opened it to reveal her stunning white wedding dress. It was a modern strapless design, which revealed her substantial curves in a way that, while sexy, was also conservative. The girl did a quick spin for her father, showing off her expensive dress before asking for the man''s opinion.


    "Daddy, what do you think of Zara''s wedding dress?"


    There was an incredibly beautiful smile on Zara''s wless face as she waited for her father''s opinion, which he responded with almost immediately after she asked.


    "Zara looks like an angel!"


    This response caused Zara to blush, as she hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. She then looked a bit nervous, for perhaps the first time in her life, as she asked the immediate question on her mind.


    "So today is the big day, huh? It is hard to believe it has finally arrived after all these years..."


    Berengar understood his daughter''s apprehension. She was about to get married to a man she had been infatuated with since they were both teenagers. To believe that her big day had finally arrived, it was truly shocking. Even Berengar could not believe that a man had met the list of requirements that he had set out for his most beloved daughter''s hand in marriage.


    But Brandt was determined. Not only had he attended the Military Academy and received a degree in chemistry. But he had proven himself to be a valuable military asset for the Reich.


    Bing a member of the legendary Sturmkommados, where he proved himself in battle on numerous asions against the Reich''s tribal enemies.


    In doing so, Brandt had earned himself a title of nobility, and the respect of all veterans. While simultaneously, he had started up a business brewing beer. Which had, over thest ten years, turned into thergest brewingpany in the Reich, even more so than Berengar''s personal brand, which he owned.


    In just ten years, the man had be a military, academic, and industrial sess. One who had the means to protect and look after Berengar''s most treasured princess. Thus, with a deep sigh of regret, the Great Kaiser of the German Nation nodded his head, and grasped hold of his daughter''s hand, before leading her out to the car, which was waiting to transport them and their family to the Cathedral.


    "Indeed, today is the day. Now, we must not keep your fiancee waiting. I am sure he is eager to say his vows in front of God and men..."


    There was a bit of a bitter tone in Berengar''s voice as he said this. He had given away many daughters to men he thought were suitable partners, but he had never truly thought the day woulde where a man worthy of Zara would arise to the challenge.


    But he supposed it was better this way, Zara seemed to be happy with her choice in partner, and the two of them made a good couple.


    Berengar, Yasmin, and Zara arrived at the Cathedral, where Ghazi was waiting for the rest of his family. There was an incrediblyrge smile on the Sultan''s face as he hugged his sister, and kissed her on the cheeks. Before telling her how beautiful she looked.


    "My goodness, you are like an angel in the flesh!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Zara merely giggled when she heard this before responding to her brother''s ims with a proud tone in her voice.


    "That''s funny, daddy said the same thing about Zara."


    Ghazi then walked up to his father and shook the man''s hand before greeting both him and his mother.


    "Father, mother, it is good to see you both. It has been too long since Ist stepped foot in the city, to think that things have changed so much since Ist visited. I can''t help but notice the trains seemed to be improved. Just what kind of technology have your scientists invented this time?"


    Berengar simply chuckled as he heard this, before patting his son on the back, where he then responded to his words with a bit of pride in his voice.


    "It''s called a Maglev, to put it simply, it allows the reich to run trains that are capable of speeds over 500 kilometers per hour. But enough about such petty things. Today is your sister''s big day, and I believe the groom is waiting for us as we speak."


    Ghazi smiled and nodded to his father''s words before taking his ce in the Cathedral''s seating, which was packed with important guests who had travelled across the world to witness the wedding of a girl who had caused the destruction of an entire country.


    Zara ced a veil over her head, as she grabbed hold of her father''s hand, and smiled as the two of them walked down the aisle together, while the traditional music yed in the background. The look on Brandt''s face as he gazed upon the beautiful appearance of his lovely bride was priceless.


    Eventually, Berengar handed Zara off to Brandt, where the two of them stood at the altar, waiting for the priest to say his words. Brandt and Zara both spoke their vows, before saying the words "I do." and in doing so, sealing their bond of matrimony with a wholesome kiss.


    The crowd erupted into cheers, while Berengar slowly pped, thinking about just how old he had be. Almost all of his children were now married, with families of their own. And Zara was thest among them to do so, despite being nearly thirty now.


    He had many grandchildren, which he loved more than anything, and believed that soon enough, his time as the Great Kaiser of the German Reich would being to an end. Perhaps now that thest of his children were properly married, he would step down and allow Hans to take his rightful ce as the new Kaiser of the German Empire.


    But that was a discussion for another time. Instead, there was a celebration to be had, and thus, Berengar led the entire list of guests back to his pce, where he threw the grandest of wedding reception''s for his favorite daughter. Much to the chagrin of his other daughters, who gazed upon Zara with a slight bit of envy. After all, she had always monopolized so much of their father''s free time when they were all growing up.


    Nobody appeared happier for this day than Zara, except for perhaps Brandt. After all, he had just gotten one of the most beautiful women in the Empire as his wife, one who was the princess of two mighty empires.


    And though it was entirely unlikely that his bloodline would inherit either throne, it was a testament to the meritocracy of the Reich, that poor farm boy from the colonies like himself could rise to such prominence in society that he could marry a princess.


    Thus, at the wedding, the man made a particrly wholesome toast to the man who made all of this possible. Something that Berengar seemed to enjoy, as he simply smiled and drank his wine. As for Zara, she maintained the dignity of a princess throughout the entire affair, entertaining all of her guests like the social butterfly that she was. While, also showing submission to her new husband, by allowing him to cut the cake, and lead the conversations.


    In the end, the guests all returned to their homes, or at least their lodgings for their stay in Kufstein, while Zara and Brandt retired to the man''s luxurious vi out in the countryside beyond the city of Kufstein. Where the two of them would consummate their marriage in a passionate disy of love. Something which Brandt would never forget until the day he finally passed away from this world.

 Chapter 1231 The Passing Of The Torch

    It was only a few years after Zara''s wedding that Berengar had decided that the time had finallye. And thus, on this day, he stood at the center of the Reichstag, and spoke not only to the German parliament, but to the German people who had by now spread across the world.


    Berengar looked across the sea of faces, of those men who had risen to prominence, and be politicians representing themoner ss. Each of these men was wide eyed and filled with hope. Not knowing what their Great Kaiser was about to say to them. But whatever it was, it must be important.


    The Great Kaiser reflected on the life he had lived up until this point, and the one had had prior to being transmigrated into this world. There was nothing but a blissful smile on his aging face as he spoke the words that literally nobody wanted to hear.


    "I stand before you all today, not only the politicians of who I am eternally grateful for their service to the Reich and Fathend, but before the people of Germany, who have stood by my side for so many years to make a solemn announcement. One which I know will be met with condemnation from you all.


    But as my 60th birthday is only a few months away, I have decided the time hase for me to step down as your ruler and allow the next generation to shine. Because of that, I am hereby announcing my retirement, which will begin on my uing birthday. In the meantime, I will begin the peaceful transition from my administration to that of my eldest son, Chancellor Hans von Kufstein.


    There is no man in this world who is more suited to the tasks required of the Kaiser, and I can assure you all that I have spent a lifetime raising my sons to take the reins. Thus, I am now passing the torch onto Hans, so that he may lead the Reich to a new era of peace and prosperity!"


    The entire crowd of politicians broke out into roars of discontent, and they were not alone. All across the Reich the people who watched this broadcast could not believe their ears. The Great Kaiser was stepping down? What madness was this? He was still more than capable of fulfilling the role of the Kaiser, so why now would he do such a thing?


    Berengar noticed how frustrated the politicians were with this sudden news. After all, he had not alerted anyone other than Hans of his decision, and thus he raised his hand,manding silence as he did so, which the people willingly obeyed. He then began to speak once more with a voice filled with pride.


    "I know this news is sudden for everyone, and that you may all be a bit dishearten knowing that I am stepping down from my position. However, I assure you that my son will be every bit as a capable leader as myself, if not superior. After all, over the past few years, most of the work that has been done from the Executive branch has been conducted by Hans, not myself.


    This day has been a long timeing, but I will assure you all that if there is ever a need for my assistance, the doors to my estate will always be open to my son and sessor. Prince Hans von Kufstein.


    I can not thank you all enough for your understanding, but it is my belief that the elderly should step down from their positions of power, so that the next generation has some time to shine. And I am indeed entering myter years. Thus, I n to retire to the countryside, along with my wives, so that I can live thest of my days in peace."


    The German politicians and the people they represented immediately shifted from outrage that their Great Kaiser was so suddenly stepping down to mourning. As if the man himself had suddenly passed from the world. More than a few women and girls broke out into tears over the idea that they had somehow lost the man who had built their great nation.


    But Berengar was not content to see such grief, and thus, he stepped back and allowed his son Hans to take over. For this asion, the man dressed in his own Imperial Regalia, which had all the medals and honors he had earned from his days in the military, proudly disyed upon it.


    The young man was the spitting image of his father, aside from his strawberry blonde hair, which, for this asion, he had even slicked back into Berengar''s signature hairstyle. He then spoke to the politicians and the German people with a voice filled with determination.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I understand yourment. I truly do. Nobody in this world admired my father, the Great Kaiser, the Father of the German Nation, and the Blessed Saint of the German Church more than I myself do. But as he has expressed, our Great Kaiser is getting on in years, and has decided that the tasks which he is required to fulfil as the leader of our people are a burden he no longer has the ability to bear.


    And thus, he has asked me, the Crown Prince of the German Reich, to takeover. The torch has been passed to the next generation, and I promise you all, that the future of the German people is not only contained here on Earth, but in the stars above. I will work tirelessly to expand the Reich''snd and resources so that no entity may ever oppose our might again!


    Glory to the Kaiser, Glory to the Fathend, and Glory to the German people. Hail Victory!"


    Immediately after saying these words, Hans raised his hand in salute to the German people, who stood up from their seats, wherever they may be watching this speech, and wiped the tears from their eyes before doing the same. The vast scream of the German people as they shouted back the battle-cry which had been used to win them so much in this world could practically be heard around the world.


    "Hail Victory!"


    With this, Berengar took a step back from the podium of the Reichstag and wore a bitter smile as he entered the hallways. While listening to his son''s speech continue to inspire the German people to follow their new Kaiser. He had no regrets in life, but after spending his entire life in pursuit of power and authority, it was almost bewildering to suddenly be just another elderly citizen of the Empire.


    At the very least, he now had more time to spend with his parents, who were quickly approaching the end of their lifespan, and his grandchildren who were truly the future of the German Reich. Thus, Berengar exited the Reichstag with a far more joyful smile, as he thought about the glorious future he had built for his people.


    Once outside, he was greeted by ten out of eleven of his women, the only one not being present being Brynhildr, as theyforted their man, as he sought a new venture in life, and had thoroughlyid down his crown.


    Linde, Ad, Honoria, Yasmin, Riyo, Henrietta, Priya, Tlexictli, Anggraini, Khorijin all gathered together and hugged Berengar as he looked back upon the Reichstag, and the civilization he had built nearly from scratch with a proud smile on his aging, but handsome face. He then embraced his ten women and stood together silently for some time before finally speaking the thoughts in his mind.


    "Let''s go home...."


    There was nothing but agreement voiced by the man''s ten lovers, as they nodded their heads and followed him into the armored limousine, which would transport them back to the pce. Where they all enjoyed a nice meal, a warm bath, and each other''spany for the remainder of the evening.


    But what were the consequences of Germany''s Great Kaiser stepping down? What events would follow such a monumental event? Well, the story of Hans the ck-hearted was about to begin, as the new Kaiser led the German war machine against the vic peoples in a brutal conquest whose sole purpose was the Germanization of their neighbors.


    As promised, Germany would expand itsnd and resources, and in doing so defeat a potential enemy that would never achieve the greatness it had in Berengar''s past life, because they themselves would be German.

 Chapter 1232 Annexing Poland

    Almost immediately after Hans seeded his father as the Kaiser, he dered that he would be annexing the Kingdom of Pnd, which lied on the eastern border of the German Reich.


    The reasoning for this was simple, by now there were enough german citizens living in Pnd, who had migrated there after the crusade to help rebuild, that it could be considered a semi-german state.


    Thus, Hans nned to annex the territory in its entirety, and Germanize its vic poption throughout his reign as Kaiser. After all, one of his brides was a Polish Princess, and she had already been thoroughly Germanized.


    The annexation of Pnd came as a weed gesture by many of the people who lived in the backwards feudal state. Though they had been a vassal of the German Reich for decades, Germany had never bothered bringing their nation up to speed with the fathend and its colonies. Because of this, they were operatingrgely with medieval technology, albeit with an improved agricultural system.


    But to be annexed by the Reich meant that they would enter a new era of peace and prosperity. One where they too could live the luxurious lives of the German people. The cost of which was their national identity, culture, andnguage, but that woulde at ater date. For now, the polish people were simply happy that they could bask in the wealth and power of the German Reich as its newest residents.


    Currently, Hans was meeting with the current Polish King, who was a rtive of Natalia, who was obviously by her husband''s side during these negotiations. The Polish throne had undergone several sessions since Berengar first annihted their army during the Crusades, and because of this it was now a distant cousin who was roughly Natalia''s age, who was their current king.


    This man was not what Hans expected from a king. He was particrly slothful, as if even attending to this meeting was the most tiresome chore he had ever had to deal with. He had mid length amber hair, and a clean-shaven face. Along with pale blue eyes. In many ways, he was simr looking to Natalia.


    Despite his decent appearance, the man rested his head on the palm of his hand as he sat in a chair in his office. His words wereced withziness as he spoke to Hans with a disinterested look on his face.


    "So, you wish to annex Pnd and incorporate it into the Reich? Although I believe I already know the answer, I still feel obligated to ask why? And don''t peddle me that propaganda of Pnd basically being Germany 2.0. You and I both know better than that."


    A stern expression appeared on Hans'' face. He flexed his fingers in contemtion for a few moments, before finally voicing his intentions with a grim tone in his voice.


    "The answer is simple. I intend to annihte the Rus, and resettle theirnds with Germans. Pnd is in the way, and thus, I intend to annex your Kingdom, and incorporate it into the Reich. As I am not a fan of disconnected borders for a myriad of reasons.


    You can remain the King of Pnd for all I care, but Pnd will be brought into the new age. We will invest in infrastructure, education, military outposts, airfields, you name it, and by this time next decade, Pnd will be just another state of the Reich. Or we can invade your country, topple your dynasty, and incorporate Pnd as a part of Greater Prussia. The choice is yours..."


    There was not a hint of fear in the Polish King''s face. In fact, all that really existed was an expression ofplete and total exhaustion, as the man sighed heavily, and groaned before agreeing to Hans'' demands. After all, there was no point in fighting against the Reich. Everyone knew how powerful their military was, and if they wanted Pnd, there was not a thing that the Polish could do to stop them.


    "Very well, Pnd is yours do to with as you please. Just make sure I retain my status of nobility, and my family''s fortune. I would hate to have to move out of this pce. Seems like a lot of work..."


    Hans could not believe the man''s reason for wanting his title and fortune. It was simply because he felt like moving was too much work. He had never before in his life met such azy King. But if there was one upside, this meant that the annexation of Pnd would be a simple matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thus, Hans pulled out a contract, signing over the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Pnd to the Kaiser of the German Reich, and the von Kufstein Dynasty. The man did not even bother reading the contract as he signed the dotted line, as if to do so was a hassle that was not worth the effort.


    Once more, this surprised Hans, who looked over at Natalia for an answer to why this man was the way he was. But the Polish beauty simply sighed and shook her head, as if her cousin had always been this way. How this man had ever ended up as the King of Pnd, Hans did not know, but he expected that either his father or mother was responsible for it. As if they were preparing for his ascension to the throne.


    With this said, Hans got up from the meeting and exited the Polish Pce, where he immediately gave the green light for the German upation of Pnd. The Reich''s soldiers and engineers would ensure defense of their new eastern borders while also aiding in construction efforts so that Pnd could be rapidly modernized into a proper Nation-State.


    Within the hour, German troops had arrived in the tens of thousands. Much to the surprise of the Polish people who were naturally unaware of the Reich''s ns to annex them, even if Hans had announced it shortly after iming his rightful ce as the next German Kaiser.


    As for Hans, he walked hand in hand with Natalia, who he had known since he was a young boy. The two of them smiled as they saw the German tanks and IFVs roll by. Walking in this Polish city reminded Hans of the way the world was before his father had begun to change everything.


    After all, Hans had a good enough memory to remember the early days of his life when his father had marched off to war with muskets and cannons. Pnd was almost exactly the same as Austria was back then, in its current technological state. Something which Hans could not help butment about.


    "It is amazing what the Reich has be in a matter of decades. To think that I used to live in a world just like this. Many memories are now flooding my mind about the way life used to be, back when it was simpler."


    Natalia nodded her head inplete and understanding. It had been decades since Eckhard had taken her from her father''s side and dragged her off to Kufstein as a prize for the von Kufstein dynasty. Never would she have imagined that one day she would be the wife of the Kaiser, or that she would be happy to see her homnd have the banners of the German Reich wave so proudly above its castles.


    However, she had to admit, after a lifetime of being raised in Germany, she was no longer a Polish Woman, even if she was technically a former princess of their Kingdom. She had been thoroughly Germanized, in culture and blood.


    After all, she had married a German man, and gave birth to German children. And though Natalia''s children were technically considered half-breeds by the Reich, her grandchildren would be considered German citizens, and that was good enough for her.


    She looked over at Hans with a happy smile on her pretty face before saying the words she had long meant to convey to her husband.


    "I''m d that I was raised as your family''s ward. I can''t imagine what my life would have been like if I were to have been raised by my biological parents in Pnd. And hopefully, you can do for my people what your father did for yours!"


    Hans hugged his wife tightly and kissed her on the forehead before expressing his intent for Pnd and its people.


    "In two generations, the Polish will be considered another German state. And by then, our Children will be their rulers. But more importantly, Pnd shall be the staging ground, from which I shall strike at the Rus. After all, I have a debt that has yet to be paid in full, and I will not wait until the entire male bloodline of the Rus poption is annihted from this world..."


    Natalia nuzzled her head against her husband''s chest. Like his father before him, he was a vengeful man, however unlike Berengar, Hans had inherited his mother''s cruelty, and because of this, he did not consider his vengeanceplete, even after maiming the former Grand Duke of Moscow. No, retribution would not be paid in full, until the entirety of the Rus poption felt his wrath.

 Chapter 1233 Preparing For A Military Invasion

    Field Marshal Adelbrand stood in the headquarters of the German Department of Defense. On his screen was a visual of the ongoing situation in the Rus sates. It had been well over a year since the Reich first annexed Pnd, and during this time, they had begun shipping weapons to the various factions who were engaged in the ongoing Rus Civil War.


    In previous conflicts, the German highmand had always met up within the Kaiser''s pce. This was done simply because Berengar did not want to leave theforts of his own home whilemanding the war effort. However, after inheriting his father''s throne and pce, Hans did away with this tradition, and instead built a dedicated headquarters within the city of Kufstein.


    By now both the rebels and the Boyars both had ess to rtively modern firearms, which they made use of to ughter each other en masse. Hans had done this to ensure that the most blood was spilt during the conflict, before he sent in his own forces to clean up what remained.


    Currently, the only German troops who were in the region were special operations soldiers who were performing reconnaissance roles, and nothing else. While German jets were able to fly over the region and capture images of the conflict, sometimes it was best to have troops on the ground to properly observe what was happening.


    These soldiers were dressed in Flecktarn camouge, with modern te carriers, high cut ballistic helmets, night vision goggles with thermal clip-ons, and ghillie hoods. They blended quite well into the eastern European environment, as their body camera footage was disyed on the screen within the German version of the Pentagon.


    The leader of the squadron spoke softly into hisms, as he aimed down the 4-14x magnified optic of his designated marksman rifle. One which resembled the SVCh sniper rifle. A weapon that was only a prototype during Berengar''s past life.


    The weapon had an optic, a suppressor, a bipod, a white light, and an IR illuminatorser. It was painted with a woond rattle can pattern, and had ghillieting over it, making it almost impossible to see from the distance which the sniper and his fireteam were currently sitting at.


    While observing the ongoing chaos that was taking ce in a nearby vige, he was requesting permission to take out the local boyar, who was hiding behind the wall of his castle, while his loyal soldiers fired onto the crowd of armed civilians whoid siege to it.


    "Target is in sight, approximately 800 meters out. Permission to terminate the objective?"


    Adelbrand''s voice could be heard on the other line, as it denied the sniper permission to take the shot.


    "Negative, you are there to observe and perform reconnaissance, not perform assassinations!"


    This remark annoyed the sniper. He was watching a town lit on fire, as the boyar''s men massacred his uprising civilians by the hundreds. It was not something that most men could simply sit by and watch. And yet, he was ordered to stand down and observe the chaos. He could not understand what High Command was thinking, and was quick to voice this confusion as gunshots echoed in the distance.


    "Sir, hundreds of women and children lie dead, and more are being killed every second. Give me the order to fire, and I can end this massacre once and for all!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Despite his protest, Adelbrand''s words were cold and emotionless as he once more declined the order to eliminate the Boyar.


    "I''m sorry, Sergeant, but the Kaiser does not wish for that to happen... You will observe and report until the battle is concluded. That is all!"


    After hearing this, the sniper let go of the pistol grip and pounded his hand in the dirt. He could not believe that the new Kaiser was willing to sit by and watch as these people were massacred. Wasn''t the whole goal of this operation to annihte the Rus males and take the women and girls back home for marriage and betrothal? If that was the case, then by the time the full scale invasion began, there would be no women and girls left to marry!


    In the air above Novgorod, a reconnaissance drone flew proudly in the air. It was being operated by a member of the Luftwaffe who was sitting back, and pounding an energy drink in thefort of the fathend.


    The drone continued to survey the city below, and the fires that were waging across its territory. Riots had broken out in Novgorod for the 11th time this month. The people were armed, and firing upon the Boyar''s men, while the Boyar''s men returned fire. Looting wasmon, and rape was around every corner.


    This was not exclusive to Novgorod. In fact, all the major Rus cities were suffering simr riots. As people behaved like animals in an attempt to overthrow the nobles who ruled over them with an iron fist.


    The information from this drone was reported directly back to the Headquarters of the Department of defense, which Adelbrand observed alongside the footage which was being streamed by boots on the ground.


    It was bing increasingly clear that this civil war was reaching a climax, and when that happened, the Reich would initiate an invasion of the Rus States. This invasion would require at most a hundred thousand men to end things within a year''s time.


    This allowed for absolute mobility, whether it was with Light Tactical Vehicles, Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Utility helicopters or jet powered transport aircraft. The Reich was already preparing its forces in the nearest borders and airbases.


    When the signal was given, one hundred thousand men would deploy in full force, while the five thousand special operators, who were already behind enemy lines, would be given the order to act as the spearhead of the operation.


    They would invade the Rus towns and cities,ying waste to the male poption. While the rank and file of the German Army would capture the women and girls and bring them back to the Reich for processing.


    Once the war was over, German men would repopte the region with their wives. While the Rus women and girls were spread across the Fathend and its colonies for germanization. Naturally, they would only be married off once they were of legal age to do so.


    It would be a swift and brutal war, one that would end the Russian bloodline once and for all. Instead, a new breed of Germans, simr to the Prussians, would appear in the east. And the German Empire would not halt its conquest until all of Siberia was under its control.

 Chapter 1234 A Well Deserved Retirement

    Berengar sat in the countryside of Austria, far away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis which he created. Living in the vige of Hallstatt was a unique kind of peace, one which he was happy to experience in his old age.


    The small mountain vige surrounded a beautiful crystalke, one where Berengar would often sit at the beach with his wives, drink beer, and enjoy the outdoors. Something which he had not been able to properly do for years.


    The stress of running the world''s mightiest empire evaporated overnight, as Berengar retreated to the countryside with his wives and concubines. Every day was bliss. He ate the finest home cooked food; he made love to his many beautiful women, and on asion, his children would visit with their own families, where he would y the part of a doting grandfather.


    And despite all of this, his son and sessor were currently preparing for thergest military operation which the Reich had engaged in for thest thirty years. But that was none of Berengar''s concern. His son had not called asking for support, and since he had not done so, the retired Kaiser of the German Reich assumed that his son, Hans, had everything under control.


    At the moment, Berengar wasying face down on a towel, while his wife Itamipeted with his Khorijin and Anggraini, all which were giving their man a proper message. Years of stress had umted in Berengar''s body, which had even managed to seep into his bones.


    Because of this, his wives took turns each day, giving the man an oil message, which almost always ended up in an orgy. Though Berengar was already sixty years old, he did not appear that way. His body was in phenemonal shape, and his six-pack was well maintained.


    The lines on his face were not as excessive as they would normally be, and his hair had only recently begun to grey, with many streaks of golden blonde throughout it. However, the moment he handed over the reins of the German government to his son, he had carved out his eye of Horus, and gave it to his son.


    Though Hans had yet to perform the ceremony to enable himself with the powers of the ancient deity. Berengar was left with only one eye. Or so one might think, but to heal his wounds, he was once more given permission to dip in the mystical waters at the secluded Norse vige within d. Healing all the wounds and scars he had suffered over the year, and increasing his vitality.


    That was partially why he appeared so much younger than a man his age should be. Of course, this only caused his women to be jealous, and thus, they too bathed in the mystical waters. Giving them the appearance of forty-year-olds, despite already being in their fifties and sixties.


    So long as Berengar and his women took a trip to d once a month, and bathed in these waters, they could forestall the aging process of their body, at least in terms of appearance.


    The wear and tear on their bodies could never fully be replenish, at least not here in the mortal world.


    Thus, even though Yasmin was nearly sixty-three years old, she appeared like a 40 years old mature beauty. This allowed Berengar to be sexually aroused by his women''s appearance, even if they were getting up there in years.


    While enjoying the message from his women, as he lied naked on the private section of beach that was afforded to his vi, Berengar gazed up at the bright blue sky, which waspletely devoid of clouds, and could not help but think about his old job.


    "Hmmmm... I wonder how close Zara is to reaching mars...."


    Itami instantly leaned down and kissed Berengar on the lips. Which was her way of taking the man off of work, now that he was enjoying his life of retirement. This only caused Berengar to chuckle, as he grabbed hold of the mature albino beauty. Before rolling into the dirt with her.


    The oil on his flesh naturally attracted the sand, which glued itself to his skin, as he kissed Itami with a fierce disy of passion. The woman could not help but allow her husband to do as he pleased, much as she had always done ever since she first learned that he was the same man she had loved in her past life.


    Berengar simply smiled, as he peeled the woman''s bikini bottom aside, and thrust his length into her tight, moist cave. Despite giving him five children, Berengar did not ever seem to get sick of his wives and concubines. All of which he loved with a fierce degree of passion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The moment Berengar began to pound Itami''s snatch while on the beach, his other wives realized it was that time again, and began to strip out of their attire, before joining their husband and rival in the sand.


    Their little orgy ended after two hours of nonstop sex, where they then retired to their vi''s washroom for a second round. Once they were fully clean, and their lust had been exhausted, the ten women and their man sat down at the dining room table. As the three greatest cooks in the harem prepared arge and delicious meal for them all to eat.


    Berengar sat with a liter of beer in hand as he gazed upon the many beautiful women he had collected over the years before making a toast. One which all the women were quick to agree to.


    "To a well-deserved retirement!"


    The women nked their sses together and drank whatever fluid they were feasting on for the night. Most of them drank alcohol like their husband, but as a devout Muslim, Yasmin had not done so. Instead, she drank grape juice to simte the vor of wine.


    At the head of the table sat Berengar as he enjoyed his meal, while to his left was Itami, and to his right was Linde. The reasoning for this was clear to every woman in the dining hall.


    They were Berengar''s two favorite wives, and they had all be well ustomed to this rule.


    As Berengar dined on the home cooking of his wives, he could not help but smile. He had never imagined what the retired life would be like, but thanks to the powers of the ancient gods of his ancestors, he was able to enjoy it in a way he had never thought was possible.


    And although they were all retired now, many of the women could not help but think about their old jobs, just like Berengar. Henrietta was among them, as she voiced her concerns about the ongoing state of the economy.


    "With the transfer of power between Berengar and Hans, I wonder how the stock market is looking right now. I haven''t been on aputer for days. Big brother has kept me and Ad incredibly busytely.... Do you think the people have faith in their new Kaiser? Or do you think that the markets took a hit, knowing that the man who had built this great nation has suddenly decided to step down?"


    All the other women red at Henrietta. They were all trying their damndest not to remind their husband that he was retired and had nothing meaningful left to do. That was why they all spent so much time making love to the man these past few days. It was their best way of keeping his mind off the past.


    After all, Berengar had lived a lifetime of politics and war. To suddenly step aside, and devote his entire time to hedonistic pleasure, it was not an easy thing to do. And thus, Henrietta immediately realized her mistake, and blushed. But it was toote. Berengar''s mind had shifted to matters of state, and he had already reassured the role of Kaiser as he spoke about his opinions on the matter.


    "It took a slight hit, but Hans has showed that he is as capable as I was. In fact, he might be even more capable. I was never born for the role of a monarch, nor was I explicitly trained in government management. I made a lot of shit up on the path to victory, and luckily had many talented people to take care of matters that I did not understand.


    Hans, like all of my sons, was born and raised to lead the German nation. Even my sons, who had no chance of iming the throne for themselves, were all raised that way. And I suspect they will raise their sons that way as well. So, although his ascension to the throne is recent, and it will take some time for people to gain faith in his rule, I suspect that he will lead the Reich to a bright future."


    Berengar then immediately returned to his schnitzel, much to the surprise of all of his wives and concubines. Normally when they got him started on the subject of politics or economics, he would go off on an hour long rant, as if he was reliving the days of his youth. But after nearly a year of this retired life, it was starting to seem like he had finally begun to ept it.


    Thus, while Hans was busy preparing for a war with the Rus States, Berengar was enjoying a peaceful and hedonistic life at hiskeside vi.

 Chapter 1235 How Can I Possibly Compare To You?

    Hans sat at the dining table within the Royal Pce of Austria, along with his entire family. The man had inherited a vast domain, both physically in terms of the Reich''s sheer volume ofnd, and also the family fortune, which was practically a second treasury in its own right.


    Along with this came the Grand ce of Kufstein, which Berengar had established in his hometown after growing it from a small agricultural town, to a thriving metropolis, and the center of the modern world.


    Along with his five wives, Hans'' many children sat around the table. Although Hans had married five different women, only two of his wives who were capable of producing offspring which met the requirements topete for the German throne. The rest would have to follow a simr path as their uncles.


    Ansgar was the son of Anne von Wittelsbach and Hans, and the moment he was fiercelypeting with one of his half brothers. Little Berengar was the child between Hans and Veronika. The young boy was not to be confused with his grandfather and uncle, both of which shared his name.


    Though he was the same age as Ansgar, little Berengar was in fiercepetition with his half brother. Both of these youth had inherited their father''s intelligence, and spent their every waking hour improving their skills in every field they trained in.


    Whether it was martial arts, firearms, history, mathematics, science, politics, economics, et cetera. These two boyspeted in every way they could think of, and currently, even now, while at the dinner table, their blue eyes did not falter from each other''s childish figure. That is until Hans asked his son Ansgar a particr question, which stumped the boy.


    "So, Ansgar, I hear that you and Elsa have be quite fond of one another. That is good. Family is important, but you should remember not to get too attached to her. After shepletes her education here in the Reich, she will be returned to her family, who will undoubtedly marry her off to the most appropriate suitor."


    Ansgar flushed red in embarassment when his father said this, and was quick to protest, which only further revealed the thoughts he had towards his younger cousin.


    "It''s not like that, dad! Elsa and I are friends, that is all!"


    Little Berengar witnessed his rival''s flustered expression and went in for the kill, all while cutting up his schnitzel with the civility of a Prince.


    "Oh, how cute! Ansgar likes Elsa!"


    Ansgar shed his half brother a vicious look, which only cemented the smug smile on the boy''s face. Hans simply shook his head. He had no idea how his father had managed to raise all of his siblings to be so harmonious with one another. He was overwhelmed with his preparations for the invasion of the Rus, so much so that this was his first time which he could eat dinner with his family in over a week.


    And yet, every time he saw these two boys, they were always at each other''s throat. In all honesty, Hans did not ever rememberpeting with any of his siblings for the throne in any meaningful capacity. They all seemed to just be aware that he was the oldest, and most intelligent of them all.


    But perhaps that was because his father and mother had him years ahead of his half brothers. As for Ansgar and little Berengar, they were born on the exact same day, and were equal in intellect and wit. Thus, they were natural born rivals.


    Before Ansgar could respond to his half brother''s taunt, which, judging by the expression on his face he clearly wanted to, Hans put a stop to his son''s petty disputer.


    "That''s enough! Berengar, quit instigating things with your brother. So what if he likes Elsa? You''re both still children, and for many reasons which I do not wish to get into right now, I won''t be betrothing any of you to your cousins!"


    There was a visible look of disappointment on Ansgar''s face as he heard that he would not be betrothed to Elsa, which little Berengar took satisfaction in. The obvious instance of schadenfreude only further convinced Hans that his wives were doing something wrong when it came to raising their children, and that despite his burdens, he would be forced to take a more active role in their parenting. Thus, he sighed heavily before taking a swig from his chalice. Once he was finished, Hansmanded his son to apologize.


    "Berengar, apologize to your brother. You were clearly in the wrong by teasing him, and I will not stand for your little rivalry. I know you both wish to inherit my throne, but this is supposed to be a friendlypetition, not one of personal animosity, and if neither of you can understand that, then I will consider you both unfit to rule this nation, and will instead confer the title of my heir to one of your younger siblings!"


    The young boy who shared the same name as his illustrious grandfather immediately panicked when he heard that his chances of inheriting the throne would be forfeit if he failed to bury the hatchet between himself and his brother, and thus he bowed his head before apologizing, despite feeling aggrieved by his father''s words.


    "Very well, I''m sorry Ansgar, I should have treated you with more respect...."


    Ansgar looked at his father, the Kaiser, and understood that he was also being implicated in this, thus as much as he wanted to dismiss little Berengar''s so-called apology, he did not do so, instead he epted it with the grace befitting a prince such as himself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Apology epted...."


    Anne and Veronika gazed at each other in disbelief as they saw their sons be amicable to one another for the first time in years. They had tried nonstop to discipline the cheeky little bastards for years, and yet nothing worked. Yet with one quip from their father, they suddenly fell in line. How was this fair?


    Despite their feelings on the matter, the two beautiful women kept their thoughts within their heads. Allowing Hans to properly take care of their children''s discipline from now on.


    After all, he was the only one who could threaten these little kids with something that they actually feared.


    The dinner remained respectful after this, with Hans speaking to each and every one of his kids in a desperate attempt to catch up with their lives. And after the meal was finished, he sent them back to their rooms to prepare for the rest of the evening, while he himself entered his bedroom with a ss of wine in his hand.


    The five women who were Hans'' brides gathered together, to help the man remove his tie, and dress into something more rxed. As they did so, he could not help butment on the current state of their family.


    "I don''t know how he did it...."


    This remark caught the women off guard, and it was finally Noemi asked the question after several moments of awkward silence.


    "Are you referring to your father?"


    Hans nodded his head as he down the rest of his wine before cing the chalice on a nearby end table. He then began his rant about his father and his true thoughts about the man.


    "When I was young, the old man was absent from my life quite often. I mean, it was a different era, where a King could ride on horseback at the front of formation if he was so daring.


    And my father was the best at it.


    The man was in the fucking trenches at Vienna along with his men, eating the same food as them, living in the same brutal conditions, and even staying up on watch at night so they could sleep soundly.


    Yet, whenever he returned from war, he never let whatever horrors he had witnessed affect any of us. And he tried his best to make up for lost time. But the work of a Kaiser is never finished, and he spent most of the days secluded in his office overseeing the development of the Reich.


    And, yet, none of us ever had any of the problems that our sons and daughters do. I just don''t understand how he was able to provide such a stable direction for us all, while still running the nation so effectively.


    Meanwhile, here I am drowning in paperwork and barely managing to keep those boys from tearing each other''s throats out."


    Hans then gazed upon the portrait of his father, which hung proudly in his room, and could not help but question himself as a ruler, especially whenpared to a man who was now revered by the German people.


    "How can I possiblypare to you?"


    The fives wives of the Kaiser gathered together and hugged the man as theyforted him. None more so than Veronika, who told him exactly what he needed to hear.


    "If you''re struggling, then perhaps you should speak with the man. I''ve been a part of your family long enough to know the truth about what happened between your father and his brother. As much as we don''t like to speak about it, I can''t help but worry Ansgar and Berengar might follow the path of Lambert.Your father may be retired, but he is just a phone call away. I am sure he would be more than happy to speak with you."


    Upon hearing this, Hans wore a bitter smile and looked up at his father''s portrait onest time. He had tried his best up until now to distance himself from the old man in an attempt to build his own legacy, but it was clear that he was in need of some proper fatherly advice. Thus, he decided that the time hase to visit his father and interrupt the man''s peaceful retirement.

 Chapter 1236 Lessons From Ones Father

    Hans stood outside the gates of his father''s mountain vi. The vige of Hallstatt was established around ake which was surrounded by mountains. Because of this, there was very littlend to actually be developed. Yet Berengar had purchased most of what he could get his hands on to construct his retirement home.


    In fact, it was the perfect secluded paradise, one which Berengar seemed to enjoy himself in. However, Hans not actually announced to his parents that he would be visiting, and thus, he knocked on the door when Berengar and his wives were being intimate with one another.


    At first, the man''s knock was not acknowledged by the residents of the vi. But after pressing the doorbell a number of times, his mother answered the door, with only a nightgown covering her voluptuous body.


    Hans could hardly believe his eyes when he witnessed his mother''s appearance. Linde was supposed to be fifty-six years old at the moment, but she looked sixteen years younger. This was truly shocking, but not as much as it was, when his father''s voice rang out from the halls, before revealing his own figure.


    "Linde, dear, who''s at the door?"


    A pretty smile formed on Linde''s beautiful face as she called out to her husband, who was dressed in nothing but a pair ofpression shorts.


    "It''s Hans! I think we should probably get dressed!"


    Berengar stared at his own son, who was looking at the man as if he were seeing things. Berengar''s appearance was not that of a sixty-year-old man, but someone who was twenty years younger, and the missing eyeball that was supposed to exist had been reced with a clear sapphire iris.


    Hans felt as if he was having a stroke and was quick to ask just what the hell had happened to his parents.


    "Why the hell do the two of you look so young? Thest time I saw you, you were ancient! Why do you look roughly my age!?!"


    Berengar chuckled as he approached the door and pped Linde''s ass before letting his son inside. An action which caused Linde to blush, and hug her man with a pretty smile on her face. But Hans looked at it with horror. Must his father always be this way?"


    Realizing that his son was speechless, Berengar spoke to his wife, andmanded her to prepare some tea and cookies.


    "Linde dear, be a doll and fetch Hans and I some tea, and cookies. There are some things we need to discuss."


    Linde bowed her head in deference to her husband as she obeyed hismand. After which, Berengar pulled on a nearby robe which was sitting on the coat rack, and covered his shame. He then led his son to the dining room, where he offered him the seat across from himself.


    Once seated, Hans felt he could no longer contain his curiosity, and asked the question that was most important to him.


    "How? How the hell? What the fuck happened to you two?"


    Berengar chuckled as he heard this before exining his situation to the boy.


    "There''s a pool in d which has miraculous effects. I told you about the gods already, well this is their blessing to me. Although my body is still aging, the process has been slowed down, and your mothers and have regained thest twenty years of our life.


    Who knows, we might live to be a hundred, and still appear to be half our age when we finally pass away from this world. It''s not important. The only thing it has really done is allow me to be more sexually attracted to your mothers. I''m still going to die in forty years.


    Oh speaking of, I made a deal with Odin a while back that makes it so our family, and yes, all of our descendents will end up in our own personal afterlife. I may have forgotten to mention that to you earlier.... anyway, none of this is really important. What brings you here, Hans? It has been months since Ist saw you, and now you show up unannounced. Is everything alright?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hans gazed upon his father, who appeared roughly the same age as himself, withplete and total shock on his face. If he had been skeptical about the existence of ancient deities before, he was now a full-fledged believer.


    However, he quickly recollected his thoughts, and spoke about the troubles he was having.


    "It''s about my sons, they are a bit toopetitive with one another, and I fear that it is only a matter of time before they end up like your and Lambert...."


    Linde walked in on this exact moment, where she handed her husband and son their tea, while cing a te of cookies on the table. She then chose to sit in Berengar''sp, while the man eyed his son with a concerned expression on his face. It took Berengar several moments to think through his thoughts, which he then began to express aloud.


    "Hans, what happened between your uncle and I was the failure of my parents. My only regret in life was that I could not share everything that I have built with my little brother. He died hating me more than anyone, and I have no doubt he continues to have that resentment in the afterlife.


    If your sons have developed a fierce sense of rivalry already, one which is starting to be worrisome, you need to spend time with them, and teach them what I taught you and your siblings when you were young. Our family matters more than anything. My grandsons are of my bloodline, and they need to be reminded of this.


    It doesn''t matter which of them sits on the throne, what matters is that we all work together. It is the von Kufstein family against the world, it always has been, and so long as my descendents continue to understand this, it always will be. Let me ask you this Hans, how many hours a day to you work?"


    Berengar began to take a sip from his tea when Hans answered the question with a nonchnt expression on his face.


    "About sixteen hours a day, on average. Why?"


    Berengar nearly choked on his tea as he heard this answer, and even Linde had an ufortable expression on her face. Something which confused Hans, who was only following his father''s example. It took Berengar some effort to swallow his tea, where he then chastised his son for being an idiot.


    "Why the fuck are you working sixteen hours a day? You''re the fucking Kaiser. You can work four hours a day and nobody would give a shit!"


    This response startled Hans, who looked at his father and mother, who both had disapproving expressions on their faces. He could not understand this and was quick to voice his disagreement.


    "What the hell do you mean? You always worked sixteen hours a day?"


    Berengar suddenly realized where the problem lied, and immediately sighed and shook his head before exining his reasoning to his son, who appeared to be confused.


    "Hans, I worked sixteen hours a day because I was building an Empire from scratch. The Reich is already built. There are no enemies for you to fight that worth such effort. The world belongs to Germany. You don''t need to follow my example. You can work four to eight hours a day, and it will be sufficient to get your work done.


    No wonder your children are at odds with one another. You are never around to parent them! I could get away with that, because you all had a strong maternal figure like your mother to rein you all in. And as much as I love my daughters-inw, you don''t have a strong supportive figure like Linde to glue the family together. That is your responsibility as the head of the house.


    Hans, you need to cut your hours in half, and spend some proper time with your family, especially your sons. You need to guide them on the path to manhood. You may be teaching them the qualities that a ruler must have to be capable, but without your guidance they will end up as treacherous, and backstabbing fiends. A father is essential for his children to grow up with proper character. And the only thing more important for a ruler to have than his ability is his character."


    Hans suddenly felt as if he had been an idiot. His father''s words made sense. There was no reason for him to perfectly emte his father. He needed to do things his own way. And ensure that the Empire his father built was not only maintained, but expanded at a healthy rate.


    The major wars which the German Empire would ever fight had already been won. Now what was needed was to maintain its hegemony, and that was easy, at leastpared to the goal of conquest.


    Thus, he had only just started his conversation with his father, but had already learned so much. It was true what they say, one''s journey was neverplete in life. And despite already being an adult, and the new Kaiser, there was still much his retired father could teach him. Not only about how to be a monarch, but on how to be a man as well.

 Chapter 1237 A Hatred That Transcends Time And Space

    Hans sat in the chair, which his father had granted him permission to use. In one hand was a ss of tea, and in the other was a cookie. He appeared to rather enjoy the conversation which he was having with the old man at this moment. Though he still had a hard time believing his eyes.


    After all, both his father and mother appeared twenty years younger than they should be, something which was definitely abnormal in this world. But despite his astonishment, Hans maintained his professionalism as he spoke about the ongoing situation with the Rus States.


    "Currently, the Rus Kingdoms are engaged in a series of bloody civil wars. We have provided weapons and munitions to both factions. Basically, anyone who wants to get their hands on a submachine gun can do so. And this had increased the casualty rate among Rus men. Who seems more than happy to kill each other?"


    Berengar nodded his head in understanding. The Rus were never really a problem for him, simply because he had kept a constant supply of dirt cheap alcohol into thosends. But Siberia was a vast wastnd filled with natural resources. Why would Germany be content to hand over those resources to the Rus?


    Once they finally managed to industrialize in a few centuries, it could be a serious problem for the bnce of power on the global scale. Thus, he approved of his son''s deciding to take some pre-emptive actions to prevent this from happening. But it was abundantly clear to the man that his son harbored a special kind of hatred for the Rus, one that would not be extinguished until he had genocide their people from the world.


    Thus, Berengar could not help but inquire about the origins of this hate. Something which he was all too experienced with. After all, in his past life, his family was particrly disdainful of the Russians for the atrocities theymitted during the Second World War and the Bolshevik Revolution.


    But neither of those two incidents urred in this world''s history, thus he could only presume this had to deal with that little incident with Veronika all those years ago.


    "I take it you n to wipe out the male bloodline of the Russian poption, and integrate their women into our Empire as the secondary wives of German men? Am I correct in this line of thinking?"


    Hans was not surprised that his father had seen through all his ns. After all, he had never met someone with an intellect which was on par with his own. Besides his own family, and undoubtedly those genes came from his father. As they were also present in his half siblings like Zara. Thus, he smiled and nodded his head before confirming this was the case.


    "I can never hide things from you father... Yes, that is the n."


    Berengar nodded his head as he took a sip from his teacup, before replying to his son''s statement with a question that was deeply personal.


    "And I presume this hatred you have towards the Russian people stems from what that little cunt tried to do to Veronika? Far be it from me to condemn your actions. The gods know that I am guilty of my own purges. I''m just trying to understand where your anger towards the Russians stems from? After all, unlike me, you are not aware of what they did to our people during my past life."


    Hans narrowed his eyes when he heard this question before responding with one of his own. There was a flicker of rage in his eyes as he spoke with a vicious tone in his voice.


    "What did they do?"


    Berengar scoffed as he informed Hans about some particrly brutal affairs that he would never be able to forget, despite not experiencing them himself.


    "In the year 1918, the Russian Empire copsed on itself, after being defeated by Germany in what was at the time known as the Great War. A civil war urred. And during this civil war, the bolsheviks who were a group of Russian and Jewishmunists, targeted a group of people known as Volga Germans. These were Germans who migrated to Russia to help them with their agriculture, and had lived there for several decades.


    Many Volga Germans were persecuted and killed, which only increased in intensity after the Second World War broke out. Where the Russians massacred about one and a half million Volga Germans. Of course, we lost that war, and as a result, the Russians raped anywhere between two to four million German women and girls, some as young as eight years old, and as much as sixty times per woman.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Naturally, we are not entirely innocent in this matter. I mean, we killed plenty of Russians during the war, so much so that I can''t help but believe the massacre of the Volga Germans was a poor attempt at retaliation for this. Still, the deaths of civilians during military operations, is not the same as an organized rape and massacre of millions of our people.


    I am telling you all of this, specifically because the animosity between our people and the Russians transcends timelines. And I would not be surprised at all if this existed in every conceivable timeline.


    So, if you can end this animosity, once and for all. Then you have my full support. Especially if it means you can finally put an end to the hatred that you have in your heart. Although, I doubt Veronika cares as much about that past incident as you seem to."


    Hans was surprised to hear that all of this had happened in his father''s life, and was quick to ask the immediate question on his mind because of it.


    "Father, did you witness all of this? If what you say is true, I can''t imagine why you did not get rid of the Russians yourself?"


    Contrary to what Hans was expecting, Berengar simply scoffed and took another sip of his tea before shaking his head. He then exined his opinions on the matter.


    "No, I was several generations removed from these matters. In fact, by the time I was born, most people seemed to have either forgotten about these grievances, or simply did not care.


    Only the most nationalistic and stubborn of German families, most of which existed outside the fathend, would still harbor such hatred over matters that happened before they were born.


    I was raised in one of these households, but I must admit the hatred towards the Russians that my parents had seemed so foreign to me. Partially because I was born and raised in another country, and partially because my political ideology was more inline with the Russians of the modern world, than the country I fought for.


    It is specifically because of this that I did nothing more than keep the Russians down by drowning their society with cheap liquor. If I shared my parents'' disdain for the Russians, perhaps I would have taken your approach. So although I can understand your justifications for the actions you are about to take, and I support them. I personally do not share your hatred.


    Now, Hans, if there is nothing else that you wish to speak about. I believe it is time for you to return to Kufstein. It is gettingte, and your mothers and I have ns for the evening.


    So, I wish you the best of luck in your uing campaign. Though I know you do not need it."


    Hans immediately rose from his chair and shook his father''s hand. He then expressed his thanks for the chat, which cleared up many of his misunderstandings before heading out the door.


    "Thank you, father, for the discussion. It was enlightening. After hearing what you have to say about the Russians from your past life, I believe I will be doing the world a favor by getting rid of their barbaric bloodline once and for all. Goodbye father, I will be sure to visit you and mother more frequently from now on."


    Berengar smiled and sent his son on the way with a wave of his hand. After Hans was gone, he looked over at a nearby globe and shook his head before expressing his thoughts out loud.


    "It is a pity that the Russian civilization wille to an end before it has time to flourish within this timeline. But I suppose it is necessary for the continued survival and stability of the Reich."


    After saying this, Berengar ced his teacup on the table and walked away from the living room. Where he enjoyed the rest of his evening in thepany of his many wives and concubines.

 Chapter 1238 The Twelve Hour War

    Nearly six months passed from the time that Hans first inherited the throne from his retired father. And during this time, he had been closely monitoring the civil war within the Rus states. What became abundantly clear to the man was that the longer this war waged on, the more women and children that would be killed.


    Thus, after six months of constant bloodshed, Kaiser Hans von Kufstein took the podium in the Reichstag, where he made his first deration of war since ascending to the throne. The man was nearly forty years old, but like his father had inherited good genes, that made him look as if he were five to ten years younger.


    Thus, he was still quite handsome, and unfettered by age, as he made his speech that would send the German Army into thends that would one day be Russia.


    "My fellow Germans, there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis within the various Rus states that lie on our eastern borders. The Orthodox Church has inspired a rebellion from the masses, and the boyars continue to buy weapons from our allies to support their own cause.


    But who is to me for this crisis? The Church whichpels men to go out and kill their masters, or the nobility, who selfishly horde the profits of their people''sbor? That is something that only the Lord God Almighty can judge.


    As the son of a living saint, and the leader of the world''s most supreme military power, I see it as my responsibility to interfere in this conflict so that the women, and children may be spared the wrath that their men now inflict upon them.


    Thus today, I hereby dere war on the various Rus States, and will be sending a force of one hundred thousand men into theirnds to maintain the peace, and to eliminate those elements which seek to harm the innocent.


    It has been some time since our peoplest went to war, and though our enemies may be primitive, they currently wield weapons purchased from our allies. I trust that each and every soldier will protect themselves to the best of their abilities, while putting an end to the suffering which our eastern brothers and sisters now find themselves in.


    Glory to the Reich! And may God be with us in this dark hour of human history!"


    After saying this, Hans descended from the podium and left the Reichstag. War was officially dered, and now a hundred thousand German soldiers would be marching tobat.


    This was something that he personally did not worry too much about.


    The German Military was vast and powerful. Moreso than any other nation on the. Every other nation on the could go to war with the Reich, and every other nation in the world would be defeated. So sending their forces into Russia, against a bunch of knights, and boyars, who fired semi-automatic rifles with zero training and precision. It was not too much of a threat.


    What did matter to Hans was his genocide, and how he would get rid of the entire Russian male bloodline, and he would do it in a way that made him look like the good guy. Thus, he returned to the Pce and waited for his troops to do their thing.


    As soon as the order to invade was given, a hundred thousand German soldiers deployed viand, sea, and air to the Rus states. Whether it was the Baltic Fleetunching a bunch of Marines via itsnding craft, or it was the German Army traversing from Pnd''s eastern borders in Light Tactical Vehicles, Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and Tanks, or perhaps it was those paratroopers and air assault employed by the luftwaffe, descending from the skies via nes and helicopters.


    There were a multitude of ways in which the Germans were able to deploy their forces, and thus within three hours, one hundred thousand German soldiers were within Russia''s borders. The attack was swift. The previous methods by which Germans waged war, in other words achieving peace through superior firepower, were not employed in this conflict.


    The war was supposed to be "humanitarian" and because of this, the German soldiers did not simply bombard viges, cities, and castles with artillery and bombs. Besides, such methods were obsolete now that the Reich had precision-guided munitions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Instead, they send int armored columns to enter each inhabited area, where they would then eliminate or arrest any man they found. The men who were not initially killed in the ensuing conflict would be taken by the German Armed Forces tobor camps, where they would help develop Russian and Siberia for a German annexation.


    Meanwhile, the women and children were secured and protected. Ensuring that no harm came to them. Combat was entirely one sided, with the advanced body armor,munications, firearms, and other equipment which the Germans had. They could easily surround and eliminate hostile targets, and with much greater precision than their enemies.


    If the Russian rebels and soldiers made the mistake of hunkering down in fortifications, a smart bomb could be dropped on their heads with either the use of a dedicated bomber, a multi-role fighter, a self propelled artillery vehicle, or even aerial drones.


    The level of technology that the German Military now had at its disposal was on par with the society that Berengar had left behind after dying in Afghanistan in his previous life. And because of this, it was all too easy to annihte the male bloodline of the Russian poption.


    And though the German Army stormed its way through Russian towns, cities, and castles, it managed to prevent the outside world from finding out about their ulterior motives. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, this was truly a humanitarian operation.


    One which Germany had taken responsible for, despite the weapons used by the Russian Rebels and Boyars supposedlying from Germany''s allies, all of which purchased their weapons from the Reich.


    Thus, the German propaganda machine was working in overdrive, as they sent images across the inte, and television broadcasts of heavy fighting, and the supposed massacres that were the result of the ongoing civil war.


    Of course, what could a water-cooled machine gun do against the hull of a Lynx IFV? Not much, and because of this, the German soldiers were able to safely deploy to battlefields without fear of being blown up. While receiving the support from a 35 mm auto-cannon.


    This was more than enough to shred the meager medieval defenses which the Russian rebels and loyalists hid behind. Resulting in what was clearly a one sided conflict. The German War Machine was so brutally efficient that within twelve hours, the German g was raised over Moscow, and Novgorod, announcing an end to the previous regimes which had failed their people.


    And though some fighting urred after this, the remnants of the Russian Rebels and Loyalists were quickly cleared up. Thus, Russia had now entered a transition into a state of Germanization. Where over the next generation, the Russian male poption would slowly dwindle, and be reced with German citizens who would take the Russian women to be their brides.


    By the time the world woke up the next day, they were all surprised to see that the war had ended so quickly. Although many of the world leaders suspected such a scenario might ur. It was an incredibly easy task for the German military to wipe out the hostile governments and upy their territory with only one hundred thousand men.


    Thus, men like Ghazi, Alexandros, Lukas, and Kristoffer were all too aware of how little of a chance the Russians had in defending theirnds. The German war machine was absolute and was centuries beyond the rest of the world.


    With this in mind, Hans, many half brothers who now ruled over the world''s most powerful nations, all congratted the man on the speed at which he was able to finish the war.


    Meanwhile, the Germans were able to celebrate the fact that for the first time in their history; they had fought a war, without suffering a single death.


    Sure, some men were wounded, but not a single German soldier had died during the twelve hour war which saw the Rus states be annexed by the Reich. And this overwhelming victory had secured Hans'' prestige in the eyes of his people. After all, no matter how great his father was, he had not aplished that which Hans had just done.

 Chapter 1239 How Will I Be Remembered?

    The war between the German Empire, and the Rus states was over before it even really began. Within twelve hours the German banners were raised above the smoldering cities. And though the world did not know it at this time, the new Kaiser had already begun enacting ns which would eliminate the Rus Bloodline from this world''s history.


    As for Hans himself, after his first war as the Kaiser of the German Reich was well and over, he felt as if all the anxiety which he had been enduring over this past year had suddenly disappeared. He did not even know why he was so worried to begin with.


    With this swift victory, without even a single death among his forces who were deployed. Hans''s poprity immediately shot through the roof with the German people. Even his naysayers were chanting his name in their toasts within the Reich''s many beer halls. He had proven himself capable of presiding over the German Reich during a time of conflict, and that was good enough for most of the German people.


    Currently, the man''s father sat on a beach with a beer in one hand, and a newspaper in the other. Though the tried and tested form of media wasing to an end, he still preferred to have a physical copy of his news.


    Of course, as the man who had ruled over a massive propaganda machine for several decades, Berengar could immediately spot what was bullshit, and what was reality. The German media was in overdrive, exacerbating crimes against humanity which the Russian poption allegedlymitted against one another.


    Although, from what Berengar could see, these incidents were likely the result of the German Armed Forces, and they were merely shifting the me on their adversaries. After all, he was already aware of his son''s n to wipe out the Russian male bloodline, and to integrate the female bloodline within the German Reich.


    After taking a sip from his beer, Berengar felt the warm hands of one of his many lovers wrap around his back and grab onto his broad and muscr chest. Which he quickly grabbed onto and kissed. Judging by the skin tone, there was only one woman who these hands belonged to, and thus he was quick to call out the woman''s name as she interrupted his reading session.


    "Linde, my love, is there something in particr you want, or are you just feeling horny?"


    The redheaded beauty simply scoffed as she heard her husband''s shameless words before speaking about the matters which bothered her.


    "How long do you think Hans will be able to keep his actions concealed from the rest of the world?"


    Berengar simply sighed before taking off his sunsses, where he then looked deep within his wife''s sky-blue eyes.


    "That depends. theoretically, he could hide the extinction of the Russian male bloodline from the world for at least a century. But if he slips up, and allows people without a proper security clearance to record what is happening, then it could be exposed at any moment. How he handles this matter will determine his reputation for the rest of history.


    Eventually, we are all judged for our actions in life. And though I have fought hard to create a society that puts its own needs above those of the rest of the world. It is not impossible that such weak and naive ideals, such as human rights, eventually infiltrate our society. If that were to ur, then Hans would be despised by future generations even more so than myself."


    Linde''s brow raised as she heard the phrase "human rights". It was a concept entirely alien to her, and she was quick to ask for further information about it.


    "Human rights, what are those?"


    Berengar simply scoffed when he heard this question, before answering Linde''s question with a particr hint of disdain in his voice.


    "A concept from my past life. One which evolved from enlightenment thinking, and by extension liberal values. Essentially, the argument was that all human life is of equal importance, and that human beings have certain inalienable rights which their governments can''t strip from them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Obviously, this notion wasplete and utter bullshit, but nearly everyone in my country believed it. The truth of the matter was that by the time I died, the overwhelming majority of humans were utterly worthless. A significant minority of them contributed nothing to society, and instead relied on the aid of others to survive. Fucking parasites!


    Hell, I guarantee you that when I died, nothing changed in that world. Society moved on without me, and only a few people mourned my death. The sad reality of this world is that only the lives of a handful of extremely capable men actually fucking matter.


    These men are the only ones capable of making any real change in the world, and if they die prematurely, then the fate of the world would be forever changed. But those men are one in a hundred million at least. In my past life, I was not one of these men. But in this world, I was the most important of them all."


    Linde listened to Berengar''s every world and dwelled on it carefully. She knew very little about his past life, as he did not like to often speak about it. But every time she learned about what the world was like, she felt as if it were inferior to the one that Berengar had created in this life.


    After listening to this rant, about how much Berengar hated the world he had initiallye from, Linde asked the immediate question on her mind, one which she felt needed an answer to.


    "Assuming this concept of human rights eventually develops in our society, how do you think you will be remembered?"


    Berengar simply scoffed once more than he said this. He took another sip of his beer before actually bothering to respond to the question. But Linde could tell by the tone in his voice, and the look on his face, that he really did not want this to be the future of the world he created.


    "If society eventually progresses in the direction that was the norm in my previous life. Then future generations of Germans will refer to me as by terms like that of murderer, warmonger, war profiteer, colonizer, racist, et cetera. None of which really has any meaning to me.


    But if the foundations of German society which I have built stand strong, then I will be known as the father of the German Nation, and the man who built the world''s greatest Empire.


    Which, if you ask me, is worth all the effort I have gone through in this life to build a thriving society."


    Linde nodded her head in understanding of Berengar''s words. What would decide how he was remembered by his people was whether the beliefs that Berengar had instilled with them all stood the test of time. Or if somehow the ideals which he despised emerged in a world where the enlightenment never developed.


    Needless to say, Berengar was fairly confident that imperialism and monarchy wouldst much longer in this world, then it had in his previous life. But the future was not set in stone, and could be changed at any given moment.


    Still, he did not worry about such petty matters. As far as he was concerned, he did what he felt needed to be done, and would not care if, in the distant future, when Germany was on the verge of copse, themon people thought poorly of him and his actions in life.


    After all, he was fairly certain now that the Germanic pantheon were regaining poprity in followers, and because of that, they were growing in strength. That they would be able to prevent the world from following a simr path which it had in his past life.


    Thus, Berengar continued to spend each day in absolute hedonism. Until his dying breath, he would enjoy the retirement which he had worked hard to deserve. As for the future of this world, that was not his problem.


    He had done everything he could to set it on the right path, and that was all he could do as a mortal man. After all, he was not an immortal god emperor who could sit on the throne for eternity, and guide humanity as its eternal leader.

 Chapter 1240 Released From Service

    While Berengar was enjoying his retirement, one of his women was currently on a journey of her own. The busty and mature valkyrie was kneeling before the leader of the Germanic pantheon, while reporting on the growth of their followers over the past few decades.


    "d''s conversion is nearlypleted, and the faithful have spread our religion to the rest of Scandinavia, and even parts of the German Reich. Give it a few centuries, and we may even see the numbers of our followers reach the millions, or perhaps even the tens of millions.


    But our pantheon is not the only one which has been growing. In Egypt, the Ennead appears to be growing in poprity. With many of the local people converting from Im to the religion of their ancestors. Undoubtedly this in thanks to your champions efforts. Who had made a pact with the God Anubis earlier in his life? I fear if they continue to grow at their current rate, they might be a powerful threat for us to deal with in the distant future..."


    Odin did not seem too concerned by this revtion. Instead, he sat upon his throne looking happier and healthier than he had been in nearly half a millennium. The man who was once on the brink of death was now in a vibrant state, as he boasted of Berengar''s aplishments.


    "That man has done more than I ever could have imagined. Never would I have thought that after your tragedy, you would bepelled to bear so many children for a mortal man.


    How many is it now? Twenty, twenty-five? Your eldest son, he is the King of d now, is he not?"


    Brynhildr had a proud smile on her face as she nodded her head before confirming how many kids she had with Berengar.


    "Excluding Sir, I have twenty-six kids. For which Berengar is the father of them all. And yes, my eldest son is indeed the current King of d. My Lord, Odin, I must confess that I have been allowing Berengar and his other women to bathe in the sacred pool. Though it has not increased their lifespan, it allows them to remain youthful in appearance. I hope this is not a problem?"


    Contrary to what Brynhildr was expecting, Odin simple chuckled and dismissed the issue entirely. He quickly took a drink from a horn of mead, before saying the words that the beautiful valkyrie had never expected to hear.


    "That''s fine. We have more than enough power to restore its properties a hundred times over. In fact, with all the sess that Berengar has achieved, Freyja has been in a rather foul mood. The man rejected her all those years ago and took one of her Valkyries as his bride instead. I would be careful around her. She is quite envious of you."


    Brynhildr simply blushed when she heard this and averted her gaze. The very idea that the queen of valkyries was jealous of one of her humble servants was simply unbelievable. But when she thought about all the times she had spent with Berengar, Brynhildr was able to understand the sentiment.


    In fact, with each passing day, Berengar came closer to death''s door, and though he likely had a few decades left to live. Brynhildr wanted to be the one to carry the man''s soul to his own personal afterlife. Until now this had been assumed, but she could not help but request permission from the Allfather himself.


    "Lord Odin, I was wondering if you might permit me a selfish request?"


    Odin wiped his beard, which was dripping with mead, before granting permission to the woman so that she may speak her mind.


    "Go ahead? What is it that you desire from me?"


    Brynhildr lowered her head and fell to her knees as she made a request, which she had been brooding over for some time.


    "When Berengar finally passes away from the mortal world, I wish to be the one to lead him to the afterlife. I know you and the gods have spent quite a bit of time and effort to ensure that a proper paradise is in ce for your champion and his loved ones. But as his wife, I feel the need to personally lead the man through his journey. And if you permit it, to retire there with him for eternity...."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Odin''s eyes narrowed as he heard this request. Brynhildr had been in his service for as long as he could remember, ferrying the valiant dead across the rainbow bridge and to Valha''s gates. Yet she was suddenly asking to put her responsibilities aside, so that she may live a peaceful life with her lover for eternity?


    It was indeed a selfish request, but he could tell by the determined expression on her face that the only thing she now had on her mind was her family. Thus, the mighty deity sighed in defeat as he allowed Brynhildr this selfish request.


    "Although I would be lost without you in my service, I can tell that you are serious about this, and will have to find a proper recement for you. Very well, go my child, and be with the man you love. I free you from your responsbilities...."


    Brynhildr''s ice-blue eyes lit up in excitement and disbelief. At first she thought she had heard incorrectly. But was she now free to be by Berengar''s side, in this life, and the next?


    Words could not express the joy that she currently felt, and thus she fell to her knees and bowed her head to the floor as she thanked the powerful deity for his benevolence.


    "Thank you! I do not know how I can ever repay you for this kindness!"


    Odin simply grunted and dismissed the woman''s ims before sending her on her way.


    "You have already done enough. Go, child, and be free!"


    With this said, Brynhildr flew out from Valha''s gates and descended upon the mortal world, where she quickly found herself outside the door to her home. Most of her children with Berengar were adults, and had gone on to support their elder brother in his pursuits as the King of d. All she really needed was to take the youngest of their brood and sail off to the Reich, where she hoped to be with Berengar until the day he finally passed from this mortal world.


    After packing up her things, and gathering her youngest children, Brynhildr took onest look upon the vige which had been her home for decades and wore a bitter smile, before setting off on her journey to the Austrian vige of Hallstatt where her husband now rested in his retirement.


    Berengar sat on theke''s sandy beach, as he drank from a bottle of beer. He was in a particrly good mood, as he enjoyed the sight of his many wives and lovers ying a game of volleyball while dressed in nothing but micro bikinis. The way their curves moved as they yed the game was an enticing sight indeed.


    However, as he was taking in a scene which could only be described as heavenly, Berengar heard the voice of a woman who he was not expecting to see for another few weeks. He quickly looked towards the origin of the alluring voice and dropped his beer in the sand the moment he gazed upon Brynhildr''s divine figure.


    What this woman was doing here in the Reich, he did not know. But he also did not really care, instead Berengar ran towards his wife and lifted her in the air, while kissing her passionately as he did so. He was just about to question what had happened when she wore a lovely smile while informing her husband of the good news.


    "I have been released from service to the Gods... From this day until the end of time I will henceforth be by your side, my love!"


    Berengar was inplete disbelief at what he had just heard, but was happy nheless. He once more kissed the women in front of their youngest children before noticing something terrifying. All ten of his other women were gazing upon him with a fury that only a woman scorned could muster. As they realized that their man had over a dozen children with another woman.


    It was at that moment that Berengar realized he was well and truly fucked. After all, he had utterly failed to mention to his wives just how many children he and Brynhildr had together, something which would undoubtedly be a source of envy to them all. Especially Linde.

 Chapter 1241 A Womans Fury

    ?


    Berengar''s ted smile immediately fell by the wayside as he heard one of his wife''s shrill voice call out to him. Without a doubt, the redheaded beauty was pissed at the sight of over a dozen little kids following their mother, who was an exquisite beauty in her own right.


    "Berengar!"


    Of course, Linde knew who this woman was, the Valkyrie Brynhildr, who was the mother of Siv. But she was unaware that her husband had been breeding with the woman nonstop for over twenty years. This was something that pissed off the woman like nothing else, because she always prided herself on the bnce that existed within her husband''s harem.


    She herself had five kids, as did all of her rivals, but now, all of a sudden, a woman came into the picture who hadpletely thrown this bnce of power out the window. This caused not only Linde to be outraged at this sudden betrayal, but at all of his other wives and concubines. Who gazed upon the tinum blonde and blue-eyed children with fury.


    Berengar led Brynhildr over to his other wives, and introduced the woman properly, expecting that they would be distracted by the beauty of the valkyrie.


    "Ladies, this is my wife, Brynhildr. Though our marriage isn''t recognized in the eyes of men, the gods have seen fit that we are indeed married. And these little tykes are some of our children."


    Linde''s mouth fell agape when she heard the word "some" and she was quick to interrogate the man about the actual number of offspring which he had with the valkyrie. All the while, Brynhildr wore an awkward smile and said nothing.


    "Berengar, just how many children do you have with this woman?"


    Berengar honestly did not know the answer to this question, and because of that, he looked over at Brynhildr, who seemed mildly disappointed over this, but nheless answered for him.


    "Berengar and I have twenty-six kids together so far...."


    This news shocked all the women, who gazed upon the medal which Brynhildr had received for siring so many offspring with awe and envy. After all, they all had five children, which meant they only qualified for the bronze tier of the mother''s cross of honour. Yet Brynhildr''s was not only made out of solid gold, but was also encrusted in diamonds and enamel.


    It was truly the most envious Linde had ever felt in her life, and she was not the only one. Itami was also aggrieved by this news. She quickly stepped forward and voiced her disbelief over this shocking news.


    "Twenty-six! You have twenty-six children with this woman!?!? How is that even possible? Did you start fucking her the moment she became fertile?"


    Itami seemed to be unaware of Brynhildr''s supernatural identity, and because of this, Berengar was quick to exin her unique situation.


    "No no no, Ai, you misunderstand. Brynhildr is a valkyrie. She is immortal, and because of this, she is eternally fertile. When we met, she was already thousands of years old, and looks the same now as she did then!"


    Naturally, Ai was aware that the gods existed in this world, as she had personally had a run in with them herself. She was also indeed aware that Berengar had a mistress in d, but she had never actually been informed that the woman was practically a goddess in her own right. This naturally made Itami extremely angry at Berengar for keeping such a thing from him. Which she was quick to voice.


    "You slept with what is essentially an angel, and didn''t tell me? What else do I not know?"


    Berengar felt extremely awkward at the angry stares he was given, and the shouts that multiple of his women who immediately began to bicker amongst themselves about who was truly his favorite.


    "Big brother, I thought you loved me most of all!"


    Thisment by Henrietta immediately caused Linde to sh her sky-blue eyes at the woman. She quickly scoffed before expressing her dissatisfaction with Henrietta''s words.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh please, everybody knows that I am Berengar''s number one, and always have been! Ipromised with five children to keep the rest of you happy, but this bastard went out of his way to have twenty-six children without even letting me know! Words can not be expressed how pissed I am!"


    Yasmin immediately butted into the conversation and staked her im.


    "You''re his number one? Funny, I remember you being threatened by my position, and learning how to cook for yourself only because our husband treasured my abilities as a wife beyond yours!"


    Berengar immediately realized that this sudden realization threatened to bring down his harmonious harem he had painstakingly built over thest thirty-plus years, and thus he quickly shouted at the top of his lungs to get them all to cease their bickering.


    "0i! Be quiet! All of you! I have something to say!"


    The women immediately ceased their bickering and did as they were told. Decades of conditioning had led them to behave themselves around their husband when he raised his voice, and Linde was no exception to this.


    Berengar then looked at all of his wives and lovers with a bit of pity in his eyes before exining his reasoning.


    "You are all mortal women, and as each of you should be aware by now, the chances of a fatality urring when giving birth drastically increase after the fourth child. And I could not bear the thought of losing any of you, so I limited the amount of children we may have together as five per woman.


    But Brynhildr is immortal, it''s impossible for her to die, she is practically a spirit in corporeal form. We decided not to use protection, and to roll the dice. And, thus, we have therge family that you are gazing upon.


    I never brought this up, because I knew it would have this effect on you all. Now you''re all trying topete for first ce? Hasn''t this already been settled? You are all my favorites! I value you all equally, and though this hasn''t always been the case, it certainly is now! So quit your bickering and ept reality for what it is.


    Maybe if you were all immortal avenging angels like Brynhildr, we''d all have one hundred kids together, but that is not the reality we live in. So I don''t want to hear another thing about it. Now, ept your new sister properly, before I get angry!"


    Berengar then grabbed hold of Brynhildr''s hand and kissed her in front of his other wives and lovers. His speech had arge impact on their minds. After all, Berengar had never admitted that he had learned to love all of his women equally over the past few decades. Luckily, he had chosen to store that card for a time when it was needed, because these words seemed to cause all the women to blush in embarassment.


    Although Linde was still bitter about not having as many children as Brynhildr, she understood Berengar''s reasoning after some time with her thoughts, and thus she sighed, before approaching the man and hugging him.


    Where all ten of his other women began to do the same. One by one they approached Berengar, and hugged the man, epting this new reality that was suddenly forced upon them.


    And once they were all together, Berengar finally smiled before saying the words which forced all the women to forgive him.


    "You know what this means, though? You all now have another dozen plus kids to raise. After all, my kids are all of our kids. Isn''t that the way it has always been?"


    The sudden realization that they could all be doting mothers to a bunch of little kids again, even in their old age, was an idea that kicked the maternal instincts of Berengar''s harem into overdrive. They were quick to forgive their husband and fawn over all of his kids with Brynhildr. An act which surprised the beautiful valkyrie who thought she might need to keep her kids away from Berengar''s other women.


    With this said, Berengar brought the kids into his beachside vi, and began raising an entirely new generation of his offspring as their father. He and Brynhildr would continue to reproduce until the man was on his death''s bed.


    By then, there would be several dozen demi-god-like beings running around Germany. Many of which would go on to make a name for themselves as some of the Reich''s most promising talents. Even more so than Berengar''s first generation of children, which he had with his five wives.

 Chapter 1242 Unification Of Frankia And The German Reich

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    It had been decades since the de Valois dynasty was executed, and the Kingdom of France was partially annexed as the Dominion of Frankia. And during this time, the German Reich had spent an enormous amount of effort and resources converting the local poption into Germans.


    By now, plenty of German men had moved to Frankia, and married French wives, where they imported their culture and customs to the French people. And after nearly thirty years of this process of Germanization, the Kingdom of France and the French culture were nearly dead.


    What remained was a strictly German popce, speaking the Germannguage, and partaking in German customs. And because of this, Hans now stood in the city of Paris, where he raised the g of the German Empire over the old castle where the previous ruling dynasty lived.


    It had been decades since Aubry and his siblings were executed, and by now, the name King Aubry de Valois was a name spoken only with disgust by the Frankish people. A dark page in Frankia''s history, when they were ruled by degenerates of a foreign culture. Or so the German Propaganda machine had led the youngest generation to believe.


    Hans was standing among a crowd that was no different from those within the fathend. He stood on a podium with a wide smile on his face, as he announced the deconstruction of the border defenses between the German Reich and the Dominion of Frankia. And when this wall fell, it would symbolize that the Franks were truly German once more.


    "Decades ago, my father came to thisnd, not as a foreign conqueror, but as a friend of the good people of Frankia. He supplied the rebellion of the masses against a corrupt regime ruled over by a house of degenerates. I need not say what went on within the hallowed halls of this castle, but many of you know the truth.


    In the time since, Germany had done everything it could to help rebuild this mighty Kingdom, and restore the legacy of your ancestors, who share the same blood as my people. And after thirty years of this process. I can sessfully say that the day has finallye, for the wall that stands between us to finally be dismantled.


    Over theing weeks, I will have my corps of engineers dismantle the wall, remove the barbed wire, and get rid of thendmines, which have gued our borders for years. And though it may have been a necessary measure several decades ago, when the possibility of war between our two people was very real. Today, such extensive measures are no longer necessary, and only act a way to keep a united people apart.


    Along with announcing here today that I will be opening the borders, I will also be dering that the full annexation of the Dominion of Frankia is nowplete. From now on, the Frankish territory will be split into a series of small duchies, counties, and principalities, much like the fathend is.


    Furthermore, we will be investing in the reconstruction of Frankish infrastructure, so that it is at a levelparable to that of the fathend, and the rest of the German Reich. I believe you will all enjoy the many benefits thate with such a transformation. One which will take another five to ten years toplete.


    Thank you all foring here today, and to show my appreciation to you all for your years of effort, I will be throwing a massive feast for the entire city of Paris to enjoy. You have all earned at least this much!"


    The crowd that had gathered went wild with apuse for the German Kaiser, and the promises he had made on this day. No doubt turning France from a society that was at the pinnacle of pre-industrial technology, to a modern state with technology on par with the early 21st century, was no doubt going to be a massive undertaking. But it was a necessary measure that the German Crown had long since prepared to make, even prior to Hans'' ascension to the throne.


    The German Kaiser enjoyed a feast with his new people before departing back to Kufstein, which had be the center of the world. Once within the thriving mountain metropolis, Hans returned to his family''s home, where he was greeted by his five wives and many children.


    Since taking his father''s advice several years ago, about working less, and spending more time with his family. The rift that had formed between his children had since begun to mend.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And currently, Hans'' eldest sons were no longer on the verge of potentially killing one another, and had instead begun topete in a more friendly manner.


    With France''s Germanizationpleted, Hans had concluded that which his father had set out to achieve decades prior. This, along with the former Kingdom of Bohemia, were the two regions that had been fully Germanized as a result of Berengar''s interference within the timeline.


    But this was not the only ces which Hans had set his eyes upon, Pnd would be the next to lose its distinctive culture,nguage, and ethnicity. And after that, the Rus and Baltic would follow shortly thereafter. Creating what was essentially a Germany which spanned across most of Europe.


    After stepping foot into his pce, Hans immediately got out of his ceremonial attire and dressed in something morefortable before visiting the dinner table, where his family was waiting for him with a rather substantial meal.


    The house cooks had gone out of their way to prepare a feast to celebrate the big asion, not being aware that Hans had already filled up while in Frankia. However, for the sake of entertaining his family, and making sure their hard work did not go to waste, he decided to sit down and have a small bite, along with a gon ofger.


    There was a particrly warm smile on Veronika''s face as she asked her husband how his day was.


    "So, how did it go? Did the people of Frankia rejoice for this day of unification?"


    If there was anyone akin to Linde among Hans'' harem, it would be Veronika, who had practically been raised by the redheaded temptress since a young age, to be her sessor. Even still, Veronika did not actually seed Linde as the Director of Intelligence, and instead spent her entire day looking after her exceptionallyrge family. Thus, she was naturally unaware of the celebration that was happening across the border.


    Hans gazed upon his loving wife, and matched her smile with one of his own, as he nodded his head before confirming that indeed the people of Frankia were content with the new order.


    "Of course, they were practically weeping with joy as I announced that the border would soon be opened, and that we would be investing into the modernization of theirnds. It is honestly hard to believe that most of the world still live such a primitively lifestyle. It was like stepping in a time machine, and going back to my early childhood, when the onlynds my father had under his control was the county of Tyrol.


    Sometimes it is hard to believe all that has been aplished in such a short time. The fact that we are now repeating this venture in Frankia is interesting, to say the least. But I suppose we have gained enough experience in construction to finish modernizing the region within a decade rather than the four it took to build Germany into what it is today. But enough about me. How was your day?"


    Veronika smiled, and began to exin how her day was, which was followed by Anne, and the Noemi, and Natalia, and finally udia. They all shared the details of their day, along with those of their children, and Hans, who was the most powerful man in the world, took the time to speak with each member of hisrge family about their lives.


    In that regard, he had most certainly surpassed his father, who spent most of the years that his kids were children, either at war or in his office. It was onlyter in life, when they were all teenagers, that Berengar had made any real effort to get to know most of his children. Because of this, there were several who were his favorites.


    But Hans did not have this mentality. He loved all of his wives and children equally, and because of this, he ensured to be a part of each and every one of their lives. All while working six to eight hours a day to run the world''srgest and most powerful Empire.

 Chapter 1243 Conflict Over Tibet

    ?


    As the Reich continued to develop, and the reign of Hans continued, years went by, and for a while things across the world were mostly peaceful. Having been united under the prodigal scions of Berengar, most of the world''s leaders were slow to anger towards their brothers, and because of this were more tolerant over offenses.


    However, as time passed, one region in particr became disputed between two major yers. The Crimean Khanate had extended to the borders of Mongolia, and shared its borders with several major powers, and though they had spent thest decade or so trying to establish a proper and modern nation state. They were in many ways behind those who got an earlier start.


    For example, the Indian Empire had entered the age of steam power. It was not exactly difficult for them to achieve after reaching a peak pre-industrial society, and with his father''s blessing, Arun, as well as many of his peers, entered the age of industry.


    Because of this, many weapons were now being domestically manufactured, to supnt those German firearms which were purchased in bulk for thest few decades. These designers were less advanced. For example, they made use of ck powder and much simpler repeating designs. But they were advanced enough to get the job done, and could be locally produced, meaning the reliance on Germany for military matters was starting toe to an end.


    As a result of India''s growing industry, they had naturally be at odds with the Crimean Khanate, who wanted to expand into Tibet, a region that had previously been a tributary to the Ming Dynasty.


    But it had been many years since the Ming Civil War had begun, and there were no signs of it ending anytime soon. Millions had perished already, and undoubtedly millions more would die in the future. As a result of this chaos, however, two emperors began to eye Tibet as the next piece of their realms.


    Emperor Arun of the Indian Empire had long since desired to expand into the region, but had been met with hostility from his little brother, Altan. Who also desired the region for himself. After all, it would allow him to get his hands on many precious minerals that could be used to fuel his own industry, when the day finally arrived that his people were producing machines.


    Currently, two armies sat at the borders of Tibet. The Great Horde of the Crimean Khanate sat on one side, while the Indian Army sat on the other. Both were armed with an equal degree of firepower, and both were prepared to engage in a war to im thisnd for themselves.


    Altan knew that Arun would be a superior foe to those he had previously faced. After all, the Indian Army was organized and based upon previous standards that Germany had maintained prior to the invention of mechanized and aerial warfare. While the Great Horde was stillrgely based on cavalry, tachankas, and mobility.


    Clearly, if war were to break out between the two powers, then Altan would not be able to lead his troops like he had done in years past. After all, the Indians actually knew how to effectively wield their artillery, and if he were so foolish as to lead the charge, then he would be a dead man.


    Nheless, he had still shown up tomand his army in this dispute, as had Arun. Thus, the two half brothers gazed through their binocrs and spotted one another. Whoever raised the white g first would be the one to initiate negotiations. But neither of these two men wanted to do so.


    Thus, they stood in the snowy mountains, dressed in their warmest clothes, while the cold icy winds of Tibet kissed their cheeks. Eventually, three days passed as this starting contest continued. And then, on the fourth day, something peculiar happened. Both men received a phone call within minutes of one another.


    After all, Hans had left satellite phones in the hands of his brothers so that if he ever needed to contact them, he could. Clearly, German intelligence had been alerted to the standoff between the Indian Army and the Crimean Horde. Which forced Hans to intervene.


    The call was one simple message from Hans before he hung up and dialed the other line.


    "Lay down your arms, ande to Kufstein so we can negotiate this peacefully, or I swear to the gods I will annihte both of your armies."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Knowing that Hans would damn well follow through on this threat, the orders to withdraw from the region were given to both armies, and they left Tibet without ever having fired a shot.


    Arun and Altan both arrived in Kufstein and were treated as prized guests of the German Reich. It had been a long time since either of the two half brothers had been here. Arun had the luxury of growing up in Kufstein during his formative years andter moved to India to rece his uncle as its emperor. Whereas Altan was born and raised in Crimea. Because of this, the two men had very different feelings about their father, or the von Kufstein family in general.


    This was clearly shown by the way Arun greeted Hans with a hug, as if the two men were truly brothers, whereas Altan just simply shook the Kaiser''s hand with a rather stoic expression on his face. Hans was smiling as he asked the two emperors to enter his home. He was clearly excited to see Arun as he did so.


    "Pleasee in brothers, it has been too long since the three of us have gotten together. And I fear the reason for your visits is not exactly the most kind of circumstances. Nheless, I know we can put our differences aside ande to an understanding which each of us will ept."


    Altan simply scoffed at this remark, which caused Arun to frown and shake his head. Clearly Arun was thinking that his half brother should have more respect for his brothers. But this did not seem to bother Hans, who led the men into his office. Where a servant was quick to serve some tea and snacks.


    Once the servant had fled the room, Hans finally brought up the dispute that had brought his two half brothers to his house.


    "I understand that you both want Tibet for simr reasons. And although the Ming Dynasty may be in a civil war, we must also take them into ount while we have this discussion.


    Our father has always shown the Ming a certain degree of respect, and he would not want any of his sons to vite the treaties that he had established with them. So, what I am about to propose is something that I believe will satisfy all three of the parties involved in this petty dispute."


    Altan stared at Hans in disbelief. It was unreasonable to give the Ming anything when they were in a state of civil war. To hell with what Berengar had promised. This was a matter of securingnd and resources while the iron was hot, and he was quick to discuss this sentiment.


    "You want me to abandon my ims in favor of the Ming Dynasty? What nonsense is this? I have the right of conquest to take that which is avable. To hell with the promises our father has made! Since when did Crimea agree to such nonsense?"


    Both Arun and Hans frowned when they heard these words of hostilitye from their brother''s mouth. And just when the Indian Emperor was about to speak up in Hans''s defense, the man raised his hand and voiced his offer.


    "Whether you agree or not, a promise was made by the Reich that the Ming Dynasty will remain independent and in control of their own sphere of influence. This is a promise I will not go back on. So, the way I see it is, until this civil war is over, the both of you can operate your mining corporations in Tibet. There are more than enough resources for the both of you.


    However, once this civil wares to an end, then Tibet will re-enter the Ming sphere of influence. That is, assuming the Ming Dynasty emerges victorious, and not one of the pretenders who seeks to im the throne for themselves.


    If that were to happen, then by all means we would have to re-negotiate this deal, as I would not recognize the legitimacy of the warlords and rebels who each im to be the next emperor. So, do we have a deal?"


    Upon seeing the stern resolve in his brother''s eyes, Altan knew he would not be able to actually get his way. After all, might be right, and while the rest of the world had only just begun to enter the age of industry, the Germans were already sending men into space. Soon enough, they would operate on other worlds than Earth. And when faced with this overwhelming power, Altan had no choice but to humble himself before the Kaiser. Thus, he sighed heavily before agreeing to Hans''s proposal. Naturally, Arun did the same and thus Hans had ended the war for Tibet before it had truly begun.

 Chapter 1244 A Manned Mission To Mars Part I

    ?


    Berengar sat in the living room of hiskeside vi with a beer in his hand. So far, retirement had been a nice change of pace, even if he was now the father to a dozen or more little ones, from Brynhildr''s litter. However, today was a day that he could just sit back and rx, and that was exactly what he was doing, as he flipped through the channels of his 80 inch LED 8k TV.


    By now, the Reich had progressed to a level of technology that was roughly the same as the world he left behind. But in many ways, especially in terms of space technology, it was even more advanced. For example, at this very moment, Berengar stopped on a news channel which was disying something incredible.


    The headline was bold, big, and so shocking that Berengar nearly dropped his beer. The man was quick to shout across the house in the loudest voice he could muster.


    "Everyone get in here, now!"


    At first his family thought that perhaps the head of their household was angry, and thus they all immediately dropped what they were doing, and ran into the room with anxious expressions. Only to see the man smiling and repeating a single phrase over and over again, as if it were a mantra of faith.


    "She did it... I can''t believe she actually did it...."


    On the screen of the television was an exceptionallyrge rocket, one which was currently being boarded by several astronauts. These men would boldly be taking a journey in space farther than anything humanity had ever achieved before, whether in this life or hisst one.


    The words written on the screen were enough to exin Berengar''s sudden shout to his entire family, and they were as follows:


    "Manned Mission to Mars waiting underway"


    Yasmin was as shocked as Berengar. For years, she had watched her eldest daughter go out of her way to study space and rockets. In fact, the German space industry was as advanced as it was today, particrly because of her efforts in the field.


    Thest time Berengar had seen one of Zara''s rockets, it was a prototype for a nuclear fission propulsion rocket. Something which detonated in the atmosphere just below space. To Berengar, this was a disaster, one which he was immediately forced to mitigate.


    But it now seemed like in the years since then Zara had finally perfected her project. Because as of right now, the Reich was making its first attempt to send men to Mars, in a daring bid of space exploration that had not even urred by the time Berengar had died in Afghanistan during his past life.


    To Berengar, this was truly unthinkable, and yet it was clearly being disyed in front of him. He honestly did not know how to feel, as his family found their own seats on the sofa, chairs, and loveseats. Some of them evenid down on the carpet with eager looks in their eyes.


    As the mother of the woman responsible for this project, Yasmin sat directly by Berengar''s side and held his hand. Berengar immediately felt the woman tremble. She was clearly anxious about her daughter''s potential sess and the odds of failure. To helpfort the woman, Berengar wrapped his armed around her, and kissed her on the neck. Something which caused her to snort in exhaustion, and push the man away.


    "Not now! Look, they are about to begin the countdown."


    The Entirety of the Reich, which now spanned across the globe, sat in front of their TVs,puter, smart phones, tablets, et cetera, as they eagerly waited for the ten second countdown to begin. Everyone was at the edge of their seats as it finally began.


    "Ten...


    Nine....


    Eight...


    Seven...


    Six...


    Five...


    Four...


    Three...


    Two...


    One..."


    Immediately after this word was said out loud, the rocket ignited and began to slowly make its ascent. Berengar could feel his heart stop beating for a brief second, as he gazed upon the massive rocket fly further and further into the sky. Counting the distance it made, as it slowly escaped the bonds of earth, and entered space.


    The words of his most beloved daughter, who was now the head of the German Space Program resounded across the entirety of the Reich, and Berengar could hear the tears of joy that she was undoubtedly crying at this moment, as her alluring voice spoke.


    "We have a liftoff!"


    Berengar and all of his wives immediately jumped out of their seats and began to apud and scream towards the television. The youngest members of their family gazed upon them with confusion and a bit of fear, not understanding the significance of this moment.


    But Berengar understood it better than anyone. The dawn of the space age had finally arrived. And soon enough, the German Reich would expand to the rest of the sr system, which was filled with near unlimited resources.


    Yasmin was not exactly the most educated woman. She had grown up in a medieval society, and had not really kept up with her studies over the years, preferring to perform the role of doting mother and loving housewife. Thus, she was quick to ask her husband, who she knew was much more knowledgeable on the subject, about the question which currently wracked her mind.


    "Husband, how long will it take for the rocket to reach mars? I mean, it took three days to get to the moon, so clearly this will be longer, right?"


    However, the bronze skinned beauty was stunned when Berengar shook his head, and exined inymen''s terms the reality of the current situation.


    "Not at all. That was much older technology than what we are witnessing now. With the current engines that this rocket makes use of, it will be only about two days before our brave astronautsnd on mars. I can''t believe it. It''s finally happened, and all it took was two lifetimes!"


    Berengar struggled to keep himself from crying at this moment. He had never seen something so nerve wrecking. Something so unknown to himself. Throughout his entire life in this world, he had fought tooth and nail to create a thriving society. One which he never expected to catch up technologically speaking to the one he had left behind.


    But today, that limit had finally been passed. This was the first step beyond the technology he knew and understand. From this day forward, Berengar''s knowledge was now officially obsolete. For a man who had turned a fractured medieval state into a modern global empire, this was truly a monumental asion. One with Berengar thought perhaps he was merely dreaming about.


    But Linde''s voice shook him from reality, as she came to a sudden realization, one which she was quick to voice aloud.


    "Are you telling me that during your past life, your people never reached mars?"


    Berengar immediately shook his head, as he cleared up the misunderstanding, with a particrly proud tone in his trembling voice.


    "No... That''s not entirely correct. You see, we had sent unmanned drones to mars for decades by the time I died, well before I was born, actually. But we had never sent a man to Mars. in fact, it was projected to happen decades after I passed away.


    The world hadrgely given up on space after we got to the moon, and we actually regressed in this field in many ways. It was only about the time I died that there was any significant interest in revitalizing our space program, and by then it had basically been handed over to the private sector.


    It''s honestly astonishing to see this happen. Almost as if the goal of humanity in two of my lifetimes has finally been achieved. But it''s honestly still too early to celebrate, any number of things could go wrong now that they are in space. We will simply have to cross our fingers and pray to the gods that the astronauts make it safely to Mars and back."


    Linde had felt that she had learned something interesting about her man''s past. After all, he rarely opened up about his life in that world. But she finally understood something. In half a century, Berengar had created a society that was capable of surpassing the one he hade from, and that was perhaps the most monumental achievement that any man had ever made in history. One that might never be surpassed.


    ---


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at https://.webnovel/book/interster-age_26235247006730205 which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1245 A Manned Mission To Mars Part II

    ?


    Berengar and his family had celebrated the Reich''s first official attempt tond on Mars with a manned mission. But they still held off from enjoying themselves too much until two dayster, when the sess or failure of the mission would be determined.


    Once more, Berengar and his women were gathered near the television, while watching the footage of the rocket and its crew getting ever closer to Mars. Each passing moment was one of intense anxiety, especially for the man who the Reich still referred to as the Great Kaiser.


    Though it had been many years, Berengar personally oversaw the creation of the German Space Program, and had continued to fund its development throughout his reign. Evidently, his sessor agreed with his actions, because Hans also ensured that the Space Program received everything it needed to be sessful.


    In Berengar''sp was a giant bowl of buttered popcorn, while in his free hand there was a beer. He could not take his eyes off the broadcast which depicted mankind''s first attempt to put a man on mars. Slowly but surely, the rocket approached its destination, where thending pod detached and began to float down towards the surface of the red.


    Berengar could not help but feel like he was about to have a heart attack, because the time it took for thending module to touch down seemed like it would go on for an eternity. And then finally the marsnding waspleted, when an Astronaut, who bore the surname von Kufstein, stepped out of thending pod and ced his foot on the surface of the red world.


    Berengarpletely forgot that there was a bowl of popcorn in hisp, and jumped up and shouted in an overly excited voice as heplimented his people on achieving a dream that had transcended two lifetimes.


    "Glory to the Reich! Glory to Germany!"


    The popcorn which spilled all over the floornded on the backs of several of Berengar''s children, but even then they did not seem to care, instead they to were quick to jump to their feet and dance around in joy at the sight of this monumental asion. Mankind had now taken its first step on mars, and that was something to celebrate.


    The recording contained the voice of one of Berengar''s youngest sons, who was the man who had stepped foot on mars before all others.


    "For Kaiser and Fathend!"


    After saying this, the man ced the banner of the German Empire on the red world''s surface while looking around at the barren wastnd with pride on his face. This world contained innumerous resources which the Reich could now take advantage of.


    Mars officially now belonged to the Reich. A new world to settle, a new world to conquer, a new world to call home. For the first time in Berengar''s two lifetimes, humanity now had two worlds to call home. And though it would take a few more decades to establish a permanent presence in the red world, like humanity had begun to do on the moon. Berengar knew that by the time he drew hisst breath, this dream would be realized.


    Words could not express the excitement Berengar felt in his heart at this moment. And he was not the only one. Those of his more educated wives and concubines knew exactly what this meant for the German race. They had conquered Earth, and Mars, and next would be the rest of the sr system. Perhaps in a few hundred years, humanity would have a second star to call their own.


    It was truly impossible to know how long it would take to aplish such a thing. But regardless, humanity, or more specifically Germany, was now an inteary state. Something which Berengar and Linde both found to be truly unbelievable.


    However, before the redheaded beauty could properly react, Berengar reached for his cell phone, and dialed a number which few men in this world had ess to. Immediately, the sound of his eldest son''s voice appeared on the other end, one which seemed to be filled with joy. Before Hans could speak, Berengar congratted his son with a voiced filled with pride.


    "Congrattions, Hans, you have aplished something extraordinary on this day, something which humanity will remember until the death of our race."


    Hans smiled when he heard this, even if his father could not see it. He then spoke in a tone filled with admiration towards the man who made this all possible.


    "Me? Seriously? You are giving me credit for this? Even I am not that shameless. I merely continued the policies which you have put in ce. This achievement is the result of one man''s efforts. Yours, father. Sure, Zara may have built the rocket which sent our men onto Mars, but she would have never have been able to do such a thing if you did not educate her about science and physics.


    Something which you and I both know did not exist until you came into this world. I should be the one congratting you. In fact, I have a question I wish to ask, if you don''t mind answering that is?"


    Berengar simply smiled and nodded his head as he gave his permission to ask whatever question was currently burning in the man''s mind.


    "Go ahead, Hans, ask me anything. I am in a good enough mood that I will answer any question you ask of me!"


    These were the exact words that Hans wanted to hear, and thus his voice became rather meek, as if he were suddenly not confident in himself as he asked a question he had been meaning to speak in quite some time.


    "So tell me, father, have we finally done it? Have we surpassed the world which you came from?"


    A proud smile emerged on Berengar''s face as he nodded his head once more and answered his son''s question with an even prouder tone of voice.


    "Indeed, we have... When I first came into this world, I never thought it would be possible for such a thing to happen. But today we have taken the first step beyond the world I came from. I believe the Reich has a bright future ahead of it, and so long as the von Kufstein Dynasty remains in power, then I believe our Empire willst. Thank you, Hans, for showing me something which I never thought I would ever be able to witness with my own eyes."


    However, Hans'' words shocked Berengar, as he did not expect them toe from his proud and stubborn son.


    "No, father, it is I who should be thanking you for creating a world where this is even possible. Enjoy your retirement, you have more than earned it. You can rest easy knowing that the Reich is in good hands. Unfortunately, I''m getting a call from Zara, so I need to go. But we will speak again soon enough. Goodbye for now, and have a good evening. Oh, and do be sure to give mother my love!"


    After saying this, Hans hung up, where Berengar saw the anxious expression on Linde''s face, who was dying to know what her son had said. Something she was quick to express out loud.


    "Well? What did he say?"


    Berengar chuckled as he recalled the conversation he had just had with his son, before informing his wife of what their boy had said.


    "He said credit for this triumph of humanity goes to me, and that he wanted to thank me for creating a world where it was possible. Oh, and he also wishes to express his love for his mother."


    Linde smiled and hugged her husband while nuzzling her head into his broad chest. She was quick to speak her thoughts regarding their eldest son.


    "Our baby boy is all grown up now, isn''t he?"


    Berengar simply chuckled when he heard this ludicrous statement, while stroking his wife''s silky red hair.


    "You''re just noticing this now?"


    This caused Linde to pout while remaining silent. To her, Hans would always be her precious baby boy, her firstborn child, the boy she had raised to be an emperor. How could she possibly view him as a man?


    As for the rest of the evening, Berengar spent it with his wives and concubines, as well as the many children he had with Brynhildr. After throwing a massive celebration for this triumph of humanity. Berengar would retire to his bedchambers with his eleven women by his side. Where they would have a grand orgy before falling to sleep in each other''s arms.


    ---


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at https://.webnovel/book/interster-age_26235247006730205 which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1246 A Loving Romance

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    Standing in the garden outside of thekeside Vi that was Berengar''s new home were two of his wives. It had been many years since Honoria first came to the Reich in search of a life away from her father''s control. When she left at just sixteen years old, she had no idea that she woulde across not one but two lovers.


    One was her husband Berengar, and the other was the man''s second wife, Linde. Over the years Linde and Honoria''s rtionship had grown from one of casual experimentation while their man was away at war to deep and intimate love. One which in many ways resembled the one the two women shared with their husband.


    While Berengar was spending some alone time with his first wife Ad, Linde and Honoria were standing together in the garden while hugging each other and kissing quite passionately. Only in their own home could they show their true feelings for one another, for homosexuality, even among women, was deeply frowned upon by German society.


    There was a rather anxious look in Honoria''s eyes, as if being intruded upon in this very moment by one of the vi''s staff could thoroughly ruin their reputation, and yet there was a deep sense of longing as she posed a single question to her other lover.


    "Honey, do you really think it''s a good idea for the two of us to be out here in the garden?"


    Linde did not immediately respond to Honoria''s question, at least not with words. Instead, she moved her hands deep into Honoria''s panties, and grabbed hold of the woman''s soft and voluptuous bottom, before lifting her into the air and kissing her on the lips once more.


    She then moved her lips towards Honoria''s neck, where she marked the woman as her own with hickey, before moving further down to Honoria''srge bosom. It was only then that the two were interrupted by an old friend.


    Heraclius, the pet eagle of Honoria,nded on Linde''s shoulder and squawked. The intelligent glint in his eyes showed that he knew who was in charge, and thus, Linde simply scoffed beforementing on the bird''s unnatural intelligence.


    "Ria, dear, have you ever wondered why Heraclius and his brood are so intelligent and long lived?"


    By now, Heraclius was reaching his fifties, with even for an eastern imperial eagle, was up there in terms of lifespan. In truth, Honoria had never really thought about this question, and thus, she simply giggled as she made a slight jest, which might very well be reality.


    "Perhaps he''s descended from a god''s familiar?"


    This would not be the first hyperintelligent animal that the lesbian couple hade across. In fact, there was a pack of leopards which lived in the massive gardens of the Kufstein Royal Pce. All of which were descended from an African goddess''s familiar.


    And because of this, the idea that Heraclius was of a simr origin made a lot of sense. Evidently, the bird did not seem to acknowledge the statement. Perhaps he did not know of his origin, or perhaps he was being a little shit and would not reveal this secret even if asked. Either one was possible.


    After Heraclius took flight once more, Lind led Honoria over to a park bench, where she sat down, before lowering the Byzantine Princess into herp. The golden lockets which the two women wore, both of which were shaped in the form of a heart, and contained a picture of each other, and their husband, swayed past their necks as they did so.


    "Silence prevailed between the two women as they affectionately rubbed noses while gazing lovingly into each other''s eyes, then began kissing on the bench. Before Linde stroked her hand through Honoria''s chocte hair, there was a slight pause, before Linde made a request, one which she knew her husband would approve of.


    "Ria, why don''t you dye your hair purple again? It has been many years since Ist saw you with such a striking color, and I know that Berengar would also be interested in witnessing its splendor once more!"


    Honoria blushed when she thought about such a thing. It had been many years since she had dyed her hair a deep Tyrian purple, and during those days, she was the most fearsome pirate queen this world had ever seen. It was an expression of her youth, and her desire to be free.


    But she was no longer that young girl who wanted to sail the seven seas. In fact, it had been many years since she thought about the girls she had sailed with, or where they were now. To her, that was a page in her past, one that, although she remembered fondly, she did not want to relive.


    "I''m sorry dear, but those days are behind me, besides if an old woman like myself were to dye her hair purple, it would be nothing short ofical."


    Despite both women being in their mid tote fifties, neither of them looked their own age. In fact, they looked at least a decade younger, and thus, Linde did not take the term "old woman" kindly. Instead, she ced one finger on her lover''s luscious lips before demanding she dye her hair back to purple.


    ""Never call yourself old, my love. No matter what your age is, you will always be the by far the most beautiful woman to me. Won''t you please dye your hair this onest time?"


    Seeing that Linde was practically begging at this point, Honoria finally relented, and agreed to dye her hair purple once more. Albeit in a rather meek and timid manner.


    "Alright, dear... If that is what you desire..."


    After saying this, the two women began to softly kiss once more, while the autumn leaves of the nearby tree fell upon them.


    ---


    In another part of the town of Hallstatt, Berengar was having lunch at a particrly quaint restaurant with his wife, Ad. Although the two of them have had their differences over the years. Whatever resentments they had towards one another in the past were now dead and buried. Instead, Berengar treated Ad with the love and dignity she deserved. And because of this, he would often take her out on dates by herself like today.


    The restaurant they were sitting in was actually Italian themed, and was owned by an Italian chef who had travelled to Austria to spread the cuisine of his homnd. Naturally, Berengar had a hand in the creation of this said cuisine, which would not normally exist in this world for several hundred years. But nobody but himself knew about that.


    Instead, he ate from a bowl of baked ziti. While Ad enjoyed a te of chicken Alfredo, the smile on her pretty face was truly endearing to the man, as he reminisced about their first date together in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Something which he was quick to discuss.


    "You remember all those years ago, when you first visited my home, and I took you out for sandwiches? Gods, it feels so long ago."


    Ad simply smiled as she swallowed the noodles in her mouth, which she drowned out with a ss of white wine before responding to her husband''s words.


    "It was so long ago, practically a lifetime ago. Do you know I was extremely angry that we were betrothed back then? I had always heard from my brothers that you were this sickly man, who might die at any moment. One with a particrly bad attitude and a love of wine.


    But the moment Iid eyes on you, I knew that everything I had been told about you was nothing but lies, because you were my prince charming. My fiancee, the day I would one day marry and have a family with."


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before responding to Ad''s im with the truth, something she was already long since been aware of, but he felt the need to say, nheless.


    "Well, I dare say they weren''t exactly lies. Who I was before I gained the memories of my other self was an utter wastrel. One who was entirely undeserving of your lovely little hand. No man can live his life without any regrets, and though I have many, none more so than the way I treated you for the first part of our betrothal and marriage. I know I have apologized before, and so I won''t do so again, but I am d that you are my wife, Ad."


    Ad simply blushed when she heard these words, but even more so when Berengar leaned across the table and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. Despite everything the two of them had been through over the years, she still loved the man more than anything.


    Thus, another day of retirement went by, as Berengar pleased his wives, and took care of the many children he had with Ad. Today, however, was Ad''s day, and he would make sure to spend the entirety of it with her alone.

 Chapter 1247 One Last Act Of Fury

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    Today was a day like any other. As the years passed by, and Berengar became older, his own children''s families started to age as well. By now, Helga had arge family of her own, and decided to spend the weekend with her parents at theirkeside estate.


    Hallstatt was a secluded town, one with little living space. But it was a beautiful town, nheless. It was almost like a dream retirement spot for many people. While Helga and her husband were speaking with her parents, two of her children had secretly wondered off through the town to see what life in such a quiet and quaint ce was really like.


    Helga''s eldest son was a boy in his early teenage years, who looked very much like her uncle Hans did when he was the boy''s age. In fact, he had actually been named after Hans, and because of this, he walked around with pride.


    Since Berengar''s retirement, Kaiser Hans von Kufstein had worked effortlessly for the Reich to maintain its position as the global powerhouse while expanding their borders and wealth. He was almost as popr among the German people as Berengar was.


    And little Hans took pride in this. He was currently walking around the town of Hallstatt with one of his little sisters by his side. The girl was roughly twelve years old and was as adorable as Helga was when she was her age. Her name was Gertrude, and she was among the favorite of Linde''s grand children.


    However, while little Hans was haggling with a street merchant for a souvenir, the young girl got distracted by a beautiful bird and wandered off from the safety of her brother''s protection. Eventually, she found herself alone in the streets where a three old men were sitting on the sidewalk while getting drunk.


    They had no idea that the little redheaded girl was a member of the esteemed von Kufstein Dynasty, but these were men who had grown up in the medieval age, where a twelve-year-old girl was considered an adult. And thus, they approached Gertrude while intoxicated, seeing if they could take advantage of the gorgeous young girl, who was all alone.


    The moment Gertrude saw the lecherous looks on the old drunk''s faces, she began to panic, and quickly ran away, but unfortunately for her, her long dress made this very difficult. Of course, the men chased after the girl, where she began to scream for her brother. But he was nowhere to be found.


    "Hans! Hans! Help me! Somebody Help me!"


    Unfortunately, nobody was nearby to save Gertrude, or so it appeared, and because of this, the men quickly tackled her to the ground while pulling at her dress. All the while shooshing her screams.


    "Shhhh girl, don''t be so loud, or we won''t be gentle. You really have wondered into the wrong part of town. It''s almost as if you were asking for this!"


    Just when the men were about to finally tear off Gertrude''s dress, a loud gunshot rang in the air. Which spooked the men to their feet. Little Hans stood no more than five meters away with his hand raised in the air while holding a handgun.


    He then pointed his weapon at the three old men, who nearly shit their pants when they saw this. However, rather than immediately killing the men, little Hans''s hands were shaking. He was a fourteen-year-old boy who had been raised in an era of peace, and because of this, he had never killed anyone before.


    Despite the fear he had on his face, Hans did not hesitate to fire a second shot, which hit one of the men in the shoulder. The moment this happened, the other two men grabbed hold of their wounded friend and ran off. Leaving Hans and Gertrude in a state of bewilderment.


    It took Hans several seconds to realize he should be looking after his little sister, and when he did, he immediately helped her back to the estate. Unbeknownst to the three would be rapists, they had just incurred the wrath of a sleeping giant.


    ---


    After returning to the Vi where their family was currently staying, Berengar and Linde were horrified to hear that their granddaughter had experienced something so traumatic, and while the girl''s mother and father began tofort her, Erich took his wife aside, and said something to her with a murderous glint in his eyes.


    "I want these men to disappear, along with their families. Do you understand me?"


    A sadistic smirk appeared on Linde''s lips, as she responded to her husband as if his request was the most obvious thing on the.


    "Don''t worry, dear, I will make sure their entire bloodline is punished for this offense."


    After saying this, Linde walked away and made one phone call. The phone call was natural to the new director of Imperial Intelligence, who was immediately shocked to hear Linde''s voice on the phone. But after hearing about what had happened to Gertrude, she narrowed her eyes with a chilling gaze before responding with one simple sentence.


    "It will be done...."


    The web of German Imperial Intelligence spread across the entire world, there was nothing that happened in this world that they did not know about, and because of this, they were real quick to find out the identities of the men who had attacked the young princess.


    Immediately, the agents of Imperial Intelligence were dispatched across the fathend, not only to arrest the perpetrators but also to drag their families off for an immediate execution. Berengar and Linde did not mess around when it came to avenging their family, an attack on one of them, was an attack on all of them. And only the families of those who were responsible could possibly sate this desire for blood.


    Even if the public were to find out about what had happened, they would agree with the Reich''s decision to punish the entire blood line. The von Kufsteins had the blood of a living saint residing inside of them, which meant they were damn near the equivalent of gods in the flesh.


    To tarnish the such divine beings with such sinful action meant that blood needed to be spilled. And the lives of the three men responsible were not nearly enough to appease the gods or their wrath. Of course Imperial Intelligence was very discreet, and rounded up the members of the perpetrators'' families one by one, over time, and during the dead of night, to avoid making national headlines about a matter which the von Kufstein family wanted to remain private.


    In the end, a total of 76 lives were lost, as a result of the three old lechers'' actions. The youngest being a boy roughly the age of little Hans. And while this one final act of fury on behalf of Berengar and his Spider Queen went entirely unnoticed by the public, it served as a reminder to those people who did know about it, that the von Kufstein family reigned supreme within the Reich, and if you daredy your hands on one of them, it would not only be your head which rolled.


    A lesson which many had seemed to have forgotten during this age of rtive peace. After all, it had been many years since Berengar burned Algeria to ash in retaliation for a man daring to strike his favorite daughter. Had these old lechers been foreign monarchs, you could bet that their realms would also have suffered a simr fate.

 Chapter 1248 The Ming Civil War Comes To An End/Birthday Celebration

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    For well over a decade, perhaps even two, the Ming Dynasty had been waging a civil war. And through it all, the Reich had been funding and supplying the loyalist faction with the tools they needed to win.


    Of course, this was easier said than done, and due to both infighting and corruption. Not only had the Ming Dynasty suffered repeated setbacks, but several of the seeding emperors had met their untimely demise. By now, only a distant rtive of the once mighty Emperor Zhu Wudi sat upon the throne, and he was a young boy no older than eight.


    Perhaps out of the wisdom of his advisors, or simply intelligence beyond his years, Zhu Feng designed that he would ept international aid in this dispute, and turned to his long-time allies of the Joseon Dynasty for their military prowess.


    The Joseon Troops flooded into the war-torn country of Ming China and put an end to the rebellious faction with their superior arms, most of which had been purchased from the Reich. The various warlords and challengers to the throne had been apprehended, and were now kneeling in the city of Beijing, waiting for their emperor''s judgement.


    Feng gazed upon the men who had caused his Empire to bleed with a look of sheer scorn in his youthful, and beady eyes. As he narrowed his brows before issuing the decree which would end this civil war once and for all.


    "Today, I, Emperor Zhu Feng, who has been chosen by the heavens to lead the Ming Dynasty, shall pass my sentence. All of you, who have spilled the blood of our people for years on end, are guilty of the most heinous of crimes, and shall hereby be sentenced to death!"


    The executioners stepped forwards with swords in hand, as they began to behead the warlords, and the other challengers to the throne one by one. By the time thest severed head filled the basket, the people who watched the scene unfold broke out into a cheer.


    A new era of peace had been established with this act, and though the Emperor was young, he clearly had several advisors who were at the very leastpetent enough to end a war which had ravaged theirnds for decades.


    Unbeknownst to the Ming public, the entire scene was being recorded by reconnaissance drones, which had been operated by the German Military, who were disying the end to the war throughout the entirety of the Reich.


    It was a particrly gruesome scene, but the end of the civil war in China marked the end of hostilities around the globe. For the first time in a very long time, the world was in a state of peace. One which was brought on by the rise of the German Reich, and its global hegemony.


    ---


    Kaiser Hans von Kufstein was immediately osted in public by journalists as he exited from the Reichstag, where he had just given a speech to the parliament. He had only just seconds ago been informed about the developments in the Ming Dynasty, and yet he had already mentally prepared a statement in his mind knowing that this exact situation would unfold.


    "I am aware of the ongoing developments in the Ming Dynasty, and I would like to congratte the Young Emperor on both his victory, and his wisdom. If he should wish to reopen his borders and establish trade with the Reich once more, we would be more than willing to do so. After such a devastating conflict, we believe that it would be entirely possible to help rebuild what has been destroyed. That is all I have to say on the matter. Now please, I am runningte for my next appointment."


    Hans was not dressed in his ceremonial regalia. Such trappings seemed almost primitive to the man. And as much as his father liked to dress up like a 19th century nobleman, Hans himself cared little for the intricate attire. He preferred a much more simple, andfortable three piece suit. Which he wore without honors or distinctions, despite having earned many through his years of service to the Reich.


    By now, Hans was nearly forty years old, his children were in their teens and twenties, and yet he still looked like a young man no older than thirty. Today was his daughter''s sixteenth birthday, and he had already missed the early celebrations by performing his duties to the Reich.


    He had promised the girl that he would be there for her big day, and yet he was absent thus far. Thus, he did not hesitate to have his Leibgarde clear a path through the swarm of journalists so he could get into his car. Which took him back to the Royal Pce, where his family lie in wait for him.


    Hans had not followed his father''s example, instead he had as many children with his wives as possible. After all, with modern medical technology, it was damn near impossible for them to die in childbirth. A luxury Berengar didn''t have. By now, he had ten children with each of his wives. The youngest of which were still in their single digits, while the oldest were in their twenties.


    Also, unlike his father, Hans had spent the majority of his time with his family, allowing the many institutions which his father had built to run the nation in his stead. Very rarely would Hans have to personally interfere in matters of rulership, and when he did, he was treated with the utmost respect.


    The fortune which his father had built for their family wasrger than ever, and each child who became an adult received their own estate somewhere throughout the fathend. But the Royal Pce, which was now one of many which the von Kufstein family owned, was reserved for the Kaiser, and his immediate family who were still underage.


    Thus, when Hans entered the home which he had grown up in, he could only smile as he was greeted by several of his children, as well as his five wives. All of which were enormously happy to see the man.


    The daughter in question, who was having her sixteenth birthday today, was a beautiful young woman by the name of Hildegard, and in many ways resembled her mother, Anne, and her aunt Henrietta.


    She had previously been pouting throughout her birthday celebrations, believing her father had broken his promise, until she heard the door open and saw the man''s figure enter the doorway. Naturally she glomped the man, and kissed him on the cheek as she weed him home.


    "Daddy''s home!"


    Hans simply chuckled as he swung around the room with his daughter, who was now a grown woman, before cing her down on the floor gently. She was wearing a gorgeous dress for the birthday ceremony, as well as a stylish tiara. After all, she was a princess, on today she wanted everyone to remember that.


    As a doting father, Hans petted the girl''s silky blonde hair before asking a question in a haughty tone. One which made the girl incredibly embarrassed.


    "You don''t think that I would forget my baby girl''s big day, would you?"


    Hildegard flushed in embarassment, and looked down at her toes with a look of guilty on her face, which only further endeared her to her father. He then grabbed hold of her hand, and let her into the pce grounds, knowing that was where the real celebration was.


    When he arrived, Hans witnessed the spectacr disy he had arranged for his daughter''s sixteenth birthday, which included everything from snacks, a private carnival, and entertainment in the form of two men engaging in armoredbat.


    For whatever reason, the young generation was currently fascinated with the way the world was before Berengar had arrived to change it. And thus one of the most popr sports in the Reich right now was Armored Combat, where two men would dress in 15th century armor and battle with blunt weapons for the entertainment of the crowd.


    Because it had been less than a hundred years since the days Knights reigned supreme on the battlefield. Historical European Martial Arts had survived the transition fully intact. With many of the old knights and man at arms teaching the new generation their ways, so that they could fight for sport.


    Hans gazed down at his daughter''s lovely smile and asked her a single question while her glistening azure eyes gazed upon the contest of prowess between the two "knights".


    "Are you enjoying yourself?"


    Hildegard blushed, and looked away from her father, while muttering something so low that Hans thought perhaps he had misheard it.


    "I am now that you are here, daddy...."


    Hans simply smiled and petted the girl''s head once more before shifting his gaze back to the fight between the two armored opponents. He was only a boy when the age of Knights and Swords hade to an end. Brought to ruin by his father''s own hand.


    And while the younger generation may fascinate about the nobility of a bygone era, Hans knew that the world was much better of now than it had been in those hard and bloody days. He was just d that his children would never have to experience what it was like when he was born.

 Chapter 1249 A Royal Funeral

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    The sound of bells ringing could be heard throughout the entire city of Kufstein, but these were not the bells of mass calling the followers of christ to hear the word of god. Nor even ones that signified an enemy attack like an olden time. These were the solemn bells that preceded a funeral of the gravest importance.


    A long line of cars preceded and followed the funeral truck, which carried the bodies of Berengar''s parents. Both of which had just recently passed away from old age. It was not surprising that they had passed away. Berengar was now in his sixties, the oldest of his children were in their forties, and the oldest of his grandchildren were in their twenties. There were even a few great grandchildren that had already been born.


    Sieghard had died at the ripe old age of ny-eight, while his wife had passed away a few dayster from grief. To Berengar, this was not the most sudden news, but it was indeed heartbreaking. It had been nearly fifty years since hest lost a member of his family, one who he had in with his own hand.


    He grieved Lambert''s death, the way a rival would grieve the loss of their greatestpetitor. But to lose his parents simultaneously, it was enough to bring a man to his knees. And yet, despite no longer being the Great Kaiser of the German Empire, Berengar remained absolutely stoic as he sat in his armored limousine, which carried his wives and his dearest beloved Henrietta.


    All of which were bawling like a bunch of little girls, especially Henrietta, who clung to her beloved elder brother and lover, tightly forfort. Berengar did not make the slightest facial expression as he petted the woman''s golden hair, which refused to grey with age. Largely because of the magical properties of the mystical pool, which they all bathed in once a month to maintain as youthful of an appearance as possible.


    Berengar, of course, had aged worse than his wives. No matter how powerful the mystical pool at the dic vige was, it could not hide decades of stress that came with building the world''s most powerful Empire. Though he did not appear his own age, his hair and beard had greyed,and there was only the slightest trace of wrinkles beneath his weary eyes.


    But, if one were to what made him look the oldest, it was the harrowed stare he made, as he gazed out the window, and towards the legions of mourning citizens who gathered on the sides of the streets to say their farewells to the couple which gave birth to their mighty Emperor.


    Eventually, the car arrived at the Grand Cathedral of Kufstein, where Berengar stepped out of the lead vehicle. Followed by Henrietta, Ad, and his other wives. In the second vehicle, was Hans, and his wives. Along with the numerous grandchildren that Sieghard and Gis had in life. Including the Bastards.


    By the time the von Kufstein Family entered the Grand Cathedral, they numbered well over a hundred. The moment Berengar entered the Cathedral, he gazed upon the closed casket which contained both his father''s corpse, and that of his mother. He had utterly refused to have an open casket ceremony, because he did not wish to remember his parents as corpses.


    Something which Henrietta, the only other living child of Sieghard and Gis, also agreed to. Berengar sat down at the head of the pews, alongside his sister-lover, who was still crying even as the Priest Ludolf made his sermon about her parents.


    "Dearly beloved... We gather here today to mourn the passing of Sieghard von Kufstein and his loving wife Gis. Sieghard was a nobleman, and a pious man. But most of all, he was a wise man. When the time hade to give up his seat as the Viscount of Kufstein, he did so without hesitation, so that his eldest son, and heir, our Great Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, could lead the German people into an era of greatness.


    He and his wife Gis retired to the countryside shortly thereafter, and lived humble lives. Though they have passed from this mortal world, Sieghard and Gis leave behind arge, and loving family who have all gathered here today for this asion. Among them, Berengar, their eldest son, would like to say a few words.


    Berengar immediately stood up from his seat, and stepped forward, where he hugged Ludolf like a brother, one he had not been on the best of terms with throughout thest few decades, but at this moment felt closer to than ever before. He then stood before the two caskets and ced his hand on the one which belonged to his father.


    The casket was made of solid gold, and was carved in the shape of Sieghard''s figure, that when he was a young man, and a warrior, who wielded his sword in battle for the Habsburg line. He gazed upon this image of his father, and struggled to hold back the tears in his eyes, as he whispered something beneath his breath that only he could hear.


    "I will never forget what you have done for me in this life, especially in regards to Henrietta. I hope one day soon, we can reunite in the afterlife. So I can be the son you both deserved..."


    After saying this, Berengar approached the podium, where he forced himself to remain emotionless as he spoke the words which resounded throughout his mind. Though his face was stoic, his eyes were filled with grief, and everyone who had gathered for this funeral knew exactly how wounded the man was over the loss of his parents.


    "What can I say.... My father and mother are the reason I am the man that I am today... I wish that I had spent more time with them both, especially earlier in life when we were all so young. But there were wars to fight, and cities to develop, and because of that, I never had the rtionship that I truly desired with my parents. A mistake, I hope my children don''t repeat.


    My father was a good man, maybe too good of a man, and because of this, he did not see what my little brother had be. Something which I know damn well haunted him until his final breath. But he was a strong man as well. He did not let Lambert''s death drive him to despair. At least not for long. He fought, and he survived, so long that he lived to the ripe old age of Ny-eight.


    I honestly find it hard to believe that this day has finallye. It was just a week ago that I was on the phone with him. Discussing the past, as if it were only days behind us. Rather than decades. And my mother, she was a pious woman, a loving mother, and grandmother. One who helped raise me to be the Great Kaiser that you all know.


    I loved my parents, but I just wish I could have shown them how much I cherished them in this life.... Thank you all foring today, it means a lot to me. And I have nothing further to say..."


    Berengar then sat down in his seat beside Henrietta, and did not say a word for the rest of the service. Nor after when his parents were interred within the von Kufstein crypts. He honestly did not remember what had happened during this time. But apparently he spoke with his father''s surviving widow, Mibu Saya, who was handling this whole situation almost as bad as he was. Although she had her daughters tofort her in this grim hour.


    After the wake was over, and Berengar had met with every member of his family, he returned to hiskeside vi, and sat in silence, as he stared at the stars while drinking. He did not return to his bed the entire night. Instead, he had many questions, questions that only the gods could answer.


    And it was at this moment that he suddenly remembered a promise he had made to a certain sister of fate many decades ago. One that he had yet to fulfill... Perhaps it was time to return to that sacred grove and speak to Wyrd about matters which he did not understand. For his heart would never be able to rest until he confirmed that he would be reunited with his parents in the afterlife. Something he had utterly forgotten about when he had made his request of the Allfather decades ago.


    ---


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at https://.webnovel/book/interster-age_26235247006730205 which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1250 Brimirs Hall

    ?


    After the death of his parents, Berengar felt increasingly depressed. To the point where he now had an impending sense of doom. He was getting old, and though his appearance was far younger than his actual age, it was not known when death woulde for him.


    Besides this, he became increasingly obsessed with the Gods, and the promises they had made to him. When he asked for an afterlife of his own, he did not deliberately state whether his parents would join him there. And now that they were gone, this was all he could think about.


    Thus, Berengar decided it was finally time to fulfill a promise he had made decades ago, one which he had entirely forgotten about until now. With this in mind, he took the first flight he could to Schleswig Holstein, apanied by only a small amount of his leibgarde.


    With supersonic travel now being the norm, it did not take long at all for Berengar to arrive in the region. He then acquired a small number of military transport trucks from the border and drove into thends which were now ruled by his son Kristofer.


    It had been many years since hest entered thesends, and they had vastly changed since then. No longer was this a feudal area, where lords ruled over their surfs. Instead, Kristofer''s reforms had turned Denmark, and the rest of the region, into a civilization that was at its peak, prior to industrialization that is.


    The towns were quiterge, and the food was plentiful. The fields were harvested by horse-drawn machines and stored inrge silos. In many ways, this country resembled the way Germany had prior to the invention of the steam engine. And Berengar could only smile at the sight of how far it hade in the years since his son was crowned emperor.


    Eventually, he arrived at the same misty forest where he had once met with the Norn sister Wyrd. Just as before, it was shrouded in a miasma of supernatural origin, one whence crossed would separate any invaders from theirrades.


    Because of this, Berengarmanded his Leibgarde to wait for his return as he entered the familiar forest. Or should he say the unfamiliar forest? because thendscape had changedpletely around him.


    However, a familiar voice spoke up to him once he had delved sufficiently deep into the misty woods. It was a young and feminine voice, one which was filled with contempt.


    "You sure kept me waiting long enough.... I thought you had forgotten your promise... Berengar Sieghardson. Why now have you chosen to visit me?"


    Simply hearing the name of his father caused Berengar''s heard to bleed. But, nevertheless he mustered his strength and spoke the words he wished to say.


    "I need some guidance... And you are the only one who can help me..."


    After saying this, the mists parted to reveal the figure of a young girl, no older than thirteen. She looked almost identical to Ad when Berengar had first met her. She even had the same golden blonde twintails. However, the young girl wore a blindfold, and had blood red tattoos across her body that took the form of the roots of Yggdrasil.


    Despite the fact that she appeared blind, Wyrd could clearly see everything in front of her, because she made ament about Berengar''s appearance, one which he found both insulting and endearing at the same time.


    "Hmph... You got old! Has it really been so many years? You tend to lose track of time in a ce like this."


    Berengar smiled genuinely for the first time since his parent''s death, as he nodded his head. Assuring Wyrd that it had indeed been that long.


    "Apologies, I know I promised to visit you thest time we met, but unfortunately I have been quite busy..."


    Wyrd did not seem to ept this apology, as she looked at Berengar as if he were a filthy liar. She then walked up to him, and stared deep into his eyes, despite the fact that her own were covered by a blindfold. Once she had gotten a good measure of the man, she sighed heavily before revealing she already knew his reason for visiting.


    "I see... So your parents have finally passed away from the mortal world, and you are now wondering about their spirits? Well, I suppose I could inform you about where they currently are. Or should I say, show you... Come, drink from my well, and see the afterlife with your own eyes."


    Berengar followed Wyrd to the base of Yggdrasil, where she took out a wooden spoon and dipped it into her starry well. She then handed it over to Berengar and had him take a drink, but warned him about what had happened to him thest time he so cautiously drank the well''s water.


    "Remember, just a sip. Any more could be potentially fatal. And we don''t want a repeat of what happenedst time!"


    Berengar simply smiled at the young girl, and did as she instructed, taking a sip from the spoon, where he then fell onto the ground and passed out.


    ---


    When Berengar awoke, he was no longer in the forest, but was instead in arge hall, made entirely of gold. Everywhere he looked around him, the people were feasting and drinking to their heart''s content. There were no worries to speak of, and everyone appeared eternally young.


    So much so that Berengar had a hard time making out their identities. That is until he spotted a gorgeous young woman, no older than twenty, who he recognized to be his mother. He could not help but jump out of his seat and run over to the woman, who was conversing with a man roughly the same age who Berengar did not recognize.


    "Mother!"


    Gis and this stranger took one look at Berengar and stared at him in horror. Their worst fears had been realized, and their son had finally passed away. Gis grabbed a hold of Berengar''s head and stuffed it into her mighty bosom, while weeping for him.


    "Oh, my baby boy, he has finallye to join us in the afterlife!"


    Berengar was confused by this, and looked over at the stranger, after prying himself out of his mother''s breasts, and gazed upon the man in confusion. Who was looking at him with a hint of pride on his face? It was only now that Berengar realized this young man was his father, who, in life, was significantly older than Gis.


    "Son, what are you doing here in heaven? Has it really been so many years that you have finally passed away?"


    These words absolutely astounded Berengar, who looked at his mother and father, who were practically youths themselves, with a hint of grief in his eyes.


    "No, you are mistaken. I am not dead, at least not yet. In fact, only a month or so has passed since you both have left me.... I am simply visiting. And father, this isn''t heaven, at least not the christian heaven. If I''m not mistaken, then this is Brimir''s Hall! Only those with good souls have the privilege of residing here in the afterlife...."


    Sieghard looked around at his surroundings and chuckled, before making a joke about his whole situation.


    "Well... That would certainly exin the Pagan aesthetic. But if you are not dead, then how have youe to find us?"


    Berengar simply chuckled and shook his head, before admitting he had a little help.


    "I had some help from an old friend. Father, Mother, I just need to know. Are you happy here?"


    Sieghard and Gis looked at one another for a few moments, before smiling and nodding their heads at the same time.


    "Very much so. I can''t imagine a better afterlife for your mother and I to share together."


    For the first time in as long as Berengar could remember, he broke out into tears after hearing this, though it was a solitary tear which fell down his left eye. He then wore a genuine smile, as he hugged his two parents onest time, before giving them a proper farewell.


    "Then I am happy for you... I wish I had been a better son to you in life, but I just want the both of you to know that I love you, and when I finally join you in the afterlife, I hope to prove just how much this is true!"


    Gis looked at her son with a pitiful expression and hugged him once more, while petting his golden hair. She then said the words of encouragement that he needed to keep on living.


    "I love you too, my son. I always have. One day soon we will be reunited, but for now you need to be strong, for yourself, and for our family. Your work is not yet done, even if you are retired. And when you do finally leave your flesh behind and join us in the afterlife, we will be waiting here for you!"


    Gis then kissed her son on the forehead, which was thest thing Berengar remembered before waking up on the forest grounds. Wyrd was leaning over him with a worried expression on her face, as if the man might have once more drank too much of the well water.


    But when he popped his head up, she quickly moved out of the way. She could tell that he had a burning question in his mind and was quick to ask about it.


    "Well?"


    Berengar wiped the single tear from his eye, before wearing a stern expression as he asked that was most important to him at this very moment.


    "When I finally pass away from this mortal world, will they be stuck in that ce, or can they join me in the afterlife that Odin has granted to me?"


    Wyrd looked at Berengar as if he were an idiot, before exining to him the truth of the matter.


    "All these years, and you still have the mentality of a christian. There are various afterlives. What you have just witnessed was Brimir''s hall. Which is the closest thing there is to your concept of heaven. Your own personal heaven is a gift which you do not understand the significance of. It is your own hall, or world, as you may put it. That is an honor that only the Gods have been granted. Before now, that is. If you so desire, and do your parents, they may be able to travel between the two realms. But that will be up to the three of you."


    This answer caused Berengar to smile, as he picked the little girl up and kissed her on the forehead. An act which caused her to blush profusely. He then thanked the sister of fate before departing from the forest with a jolly gait.


    "Thank you, Wyrd, and if you ever get bored with your little domain here, you can always pop by my afterlife and visit after I have passed away from the mortal world. I hope we may meet again, whether in this life or the next!"


    Once Berengar was gone, Wyrd pouted before saying one word while alone in the forest.


    "dummy...."

 Chapter 1251 The Annexation Of Hungary

    ?


    Ever since the end of the Last Crusade, a war which broke the Catholic Church and reorganized Europe beneath the then newly established German Empire''s rule, Hungary had been slowly but surely developed by the man who had been named King. Who just so happened to be Noemi''s older brother.


    However, in recent years, Kaiser Hans von Kufstein had begun applying pressure to the Hungarian Nation, specifically in the form of ongoing Germanization. After all, the Germannguage was now spoken across all of Europe as a secondarynguage, and was in many ways recing the native tongue of the inhabitants.


    This was also the case for German culture, which was being emted across the board. With Hungary going so far as to replicate the German architectural style with the Reich was so well known for. Despite ack of ess to modern technology, such as electricity.


    Thus, after several years, of this ongoing process. Hans decided now was the time to bring the Hungarian Nation into the German fold and annex it as a colony. One which would thoroughly begin the process of Germanization.


    Thus, today he sat in the Hungarian Royal Pce, with Noemi by his side. Noemi''s brother gazed upon her beautiful face with a hint of pride on his own. It had been many years since he had sent his sister away to the German Reich to have a better life, and he had never thought at the time that she would one day be a wife of the next Kaiser.


    In fact, he just wanted her to survive, unlike their sibling, who had passed away due to sanctions that were ced in the Kingdom of Hungary following its alliance with the Catholic Church. Noemi seemed rather indifferent to her brother. It had been so many years since they hadst seen one another that they were practically now strangers, even if the man himself did not feel that way.


    Yet this indifference did not deter the King of Hungary from speaking to his sister as if they were still as close as ever.


    "Noemi, you have grown so beautiful, you truly are the spitting image of our mother. It has been far too long since west spoke to one another, but I am wondering why now have you finallye to visit your old home? Is everything alright?"


    Noemi did not immediately speak, and instead sipped from her tea. She allowed her husband to do the talking, since this was his idea. And Hans was d to do it.


    "Viktor, I suppose by marriage we are considered brothers. So, I decided to give you the courtesy of telling you in person. I n to annex the Kingdom of Hungary and incorporate it into the German Reich as another state. It won''t be a quick process, but in two generations, when the people of Hungary are considered German enough, they will be officially be given status as a German state.


    By all means, you can continue to call yourself King for the time being, and as of this moment, the Kingdom of Hungary will remain an independent state in name only. But, from now on, my soldiers will be stationed in your borders, my people will immigrate to Hungary, and we will develop your Kingdom into a proper modern society."


    Victor looked at Hans in disbelief, before shifting his gaze to Noemi to see her reaction. Contrary to what he was expecting, the woman appeared entirely unphased by this deration, as if she knew about it beforehand. And he was quick to interrogate her for her opinion.


    "Noemi, you can''t be serious? You would hand Hungary over to the Germans? Why?"


    Noemi red at her elder brother with a cold gaze. It was almost as if she were speaking to an inferior as she said the reason why she had decided to go along with her husband''s ns.


    "Because I wish to be a Kaiserin, and not a mere Princess of Hungary. If Hungary is incorporated into the Reich as a German state, then I have the right to call myself Kaiserin, as do Anne and Veronika, which means my children will be able to fight for the crown.


    This isn''t about you and your petty kingdom, brother. This is about establishing a new line of session. My children deserve to be called Germans just like those of my sisters, and I refuse to let you, and your primitive thinking, stand in the way of that.


    The Germanization of Hungary will go as nned, and your people will love you for it. After all, we will bring with us the technology that we are so renowned across the world for. You can''t say that is a bad thing, now can you?"


    Viktor could hardly believe his ears, and he was quick to shift his sights to Hans, who was drinking from his teacup with a smug smile on his face. He suddenly began to plead, like a child before his parents, as he begged for Hans not to go through with his ns.


    "My Kaiser, I have done everything you and your father have ever asked of me. Surely that is worth something? You''re talking about annihting centuries of culture and heritage from the face of the Earth. You can''t allow this to happen!"


    However, Hans remained entirely indifferent to his brother-inw, and instead spoke some rather harsh words in retaliation.


    "A thousand years ago, this was Germannd, ruled over by the Gepids, the Lombards, the Goths, and the Vandals. That is before your ancestors came from the east, and invaded. We are simply taking back what is rightfully ours.


    You can either agree to annexation, or we can fight to see whose im is rightful, but I trust you know how that would end for you and your people. In fact, I doubt your men would even fight for you, knowing that you denied them the prosperity thates with joining the Reich. My father established a new era for this world, through sweat, blood, and tears. It is the German era now, and those who do not wish to obey ourmands are free to fight to thest man.


    You have a choice in the matter, of course, but for the love that I bear your sister, I suggest you choose wisely. Because it would pain me to break her heart..."


    Noemi''s expression showed that she was almostughing at her husband''sst words. As far as she was concerned, she was as German as Veronika was. Both came fromnds that had previously belonged to the German people, and both were thoroughly Germanized. She should have every right, as Veronika, to call herself Kaiserin, and she was willing to let her people be converted in order to make this happen.


    When Viktor realized that his choice was to either willfully ept the death of his people''s culture and heritage, or take up arms in its defense. He realized he had no choice at all, for waging war against the Reich and winning was nothing more than the fever dream of a madman.


    Thus, the Hungarian King sighed heavily, before submitting to the German Kaiser, and his demands.


    "Very well... I understand my position quite clearly. I agree to all of your demands. Hungary is yours to do with as you wish..."


    Hans''s lips curled into a cruel smile as he heard this, before nodding his head in agreement with his brother-inw''s words.


    "Excellent...."

 Chapter 1252 A Much Needed Vacation

    ?


    After his parents passed away, and he visited the Norn Wyrd to properly console his grief. Berengar found that he needed to get away from his home, at least for a period of time. And because of this, he charted the massive cruise ship which acted as the von Kufstein''s personal yacht, to take him and his family across the Antic, and towards that one Germany colony that was so well known for its vice.


    The journey on the ship went well enough, but the real fun was when Berengar and his women arrived in thend that was formerly known as Cuba in Berengar''s past life. Neuhafen was a colony owned by the Backer entertainmentpany, which was thergest casino and resortpany in the world.


    And though there were other casinos that were located within Neuhafen, the lion''s share belonged to Hendrick Backer, who was the eldest son of Gunther Backer, who himself was an old friend of Berengar''s.


    However, despite being offered to stay at Hendrick''s mostvish hotel, and with his most luxurious suite. Berengar decided to visit another Casino/resort, one which was owned by Honoria''s old friend Malissa.


    The moment, Berengar and his women stepped foot in the Casino, they were given the royal treatement, with Malissa herself greeting Honoria. It had been decades since these two women alst saw each other. And though Honoria looked nearly twenty years younger than her current age, Malissa did not.


    The former Byzantine prostitute, turned pirate, was a graceful woman, who was easily in her sixties. But when she took one look at Honoria,she nearly had a heart attack. She could hardly believe that the old Pirate Queen had aged so well, and was quick to see if Honoria was in reality her daughter Helena.


    "Honoria, is that you? How can this be?"


    Despite the rtively youthful appearance that Honoria still had, she was indeed herself. And thus she flicked her purple hair aside and smiled as she hugged her old friend and first mate.


    "Malissa, it has been far too long. I am honestly amazed at what you have made of yourself over the past few decades. It truly seems like you are in your element here in the New World!"


    Malissa merely scoffed when she heard this, beforementing on the other members of Honoria''s crew, who had survived this long.


    "It''s not just me. Elfrun has worked for me for a very long time, and some of the other girls from our original crew have moved here to Neuhafen. We always wondered what had be of you. I mean, sure, we saw you in the papers, but we were unsure if you had ever really been happy. Judging by your appearance, you have been living an absolutely stress free life for some time now."


    Honoria wore a friendly smile, as she assured her old friend that she had indeed been living quite well.


    "Of course, I would not have left that life behind at such a young age if I were not ready to settle down and be with my family. My children have all grown up, and have achieved extraordinary things in their own rights, and I love my husband very much."


    Upon hearing this, Berengar stepped forward and shook Malissa''s hand.


    "Malissa, it has been too long. I am d to see your exploits have brought you such fame and fortune. Surely you must have a family to share it with?"


    Contrary to what Berengar was expecting, Malissa did not seem the least bit bitter when she heard the word family. And just when Berengar was about to ask who was foolish enough to marry a former prostitute, a familiar face stepped forward and introduced himself.


    "My Kaiser, I understand now why you have decided to refuse my offer. You wished to reacquaint your wife with my own?"


    It had been many years since Berengar had seen Hendrick. In fact, thest time he saw the man, he was nothing more than a boy, living in Kufstein prior to Berengar''s ascension. At the time, he was just a poor and emaciated serf. Yet now he was a robust man, d in the most luxurious of trappings.


    It was only now that Berengar realized that Hendrick had been the fool who had married Malissa. Because he wrapped his arm around the woman''s neck and kissed her passionately on the lips. Berengar was forced to conceal his thoughts as he greeted the man with a polite facade.


    "Hendrick, I must say, I never thought all those years ago, when you were a boy plowing my fields, that you would one day be one of the most sessful businessmen in the Reich, and marry such a.... wonderful woman. Tell me how has your father been. Is he enjoying his retirement?"


    This question obviously rubbed Hendrick the wrong way, and not for the reason Berengar suspected. He suddenly turned stiff, as he responded to Berengar''s question with a rather bitter tone in his voice.


    "I wouldn''t know. My father and I aren''t exactly on speaking terms, at least not since I married Malissa. You probably know more about his situation than I do. I will be sure to attend the funeral whenever that happens, but until then, we will remain without contact."


    The word funeral made Berengar slightly upset, but he did not reveal it on his face. After all, he had attended two funerals since he had retired. His parents, and that of his old friend Ludwig. To think that both Eckhart and Gunther were likely to be the next to enter the reaper''s embrace, it truly gave Berengar a foreboding mindset.


    Upon seeing that he had made the former Kaiser upset, Hendrick bowed his head in apology.


    "I''m sorry, your majesty. It was foolish of me to mention such a thing so soon after your own parents have passed. Please forgive me!"


    Despite being old and retired, Berengar stillmanded respect and intimidation from his people and his enemies. But he was not the wrathful man he had once been. The only thing that could awake the fury that lie within his ancient heart was an act of malice against his family.


    Thus, Berengar did not pay any mind to Hendrick''s remarks, even if the man himself was practically sweating bullets at the thought of identally offending his Kaiser.


    "There is nothing to apologize for Hendrick, I will be sure to give your father my love when I return to the fathend. In the meantime, I intend to y some cards while I am here. As for Honoria, I will leave her in the capable of hands of your wife. I am sure they have much to catch up on."


    With this said, Berengar kissed all of his women on the lips before going off to enjoy the Casino. Ad and Henrietta followed him, while the others went their separate ways, in their own little cliques to enjoy the various means of gambling that a casino as grand as this provided.


    Naturally, they were all protected by members of the Leibgarde to ensure some dumb drunk didn''t try anything with them. Thus, while Berengar tried his hand at a game of ckjack, Honoria went off with her old friend and first mate. Where the two women spoke for hours about how their lives had been since they first parted ways, and about the past they shared together.


    This vacation wouldst for two whole weeks, before Berengar and his women returned back to the fathend, well refreshed from their little getaway.

 Chapter 1253 Saying Good-Bye To An Old Friend

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    It was roughly three years after the death of Berengar''s parents that he received a call from an old friend. The mighty Austrian General who was paramount to Berengar''s early sess in the field of battle, and a current King of Prussia, Eckhard von Marienburg, was on his death''s bed.


    Age had finally caught up with the man, and while the reaper was near, his family gathered by his side. But it was neither his sons, nor wives, who he wanted to speak to in his final hour. But a man who he had helped build the world''s Greatest Empire.


    After receiving the call from Eckhard, Berengar took his private jet and flew all the way to Marienburg, where he entered the medieval fortress, and found his old friend lying in bed. The years had finally caught up to Eckhard, and he was even older, and frailer than that time when he and Berengar were ying a game of chess in the royal gardens.


    Eckhard was practically skin and bones, and Berengar barely recognized the man. Yet the moment Berengar entered the room, the man chuckled, as weak as a man possibly could, before voicing his thoughts to Berengar, whose hair was now as silver as a fox.


    "You got old...."


    Berengar took one look at Eckhard and gazed at the man with an expression that said "Look Who''s Talking?" causing them both to break out intoughter. That is until Eckhard began to cough hysterically, which his nurse immediately helped by giving him a sip of water.


    With this brief exchange, Eckhard finally felt the need to continue the conversation, which he was quick to do so.


    "It''s good that you came. I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten about me..."


    Berengar wore a bitter smile as he shook his head, before assuring Eckhard that such a thing simply wasn''t possible.


    "Forget about my oldest friend? What have you been smoking?"


    This remark caused Eckhard to weakly chuckle once more before returning to his wheezing state. It was difficult even for the man to speak, but he used every ounce of his strength to speak the words that needed to be said.


    "I have a lot of regrets in this life, and there are things I have wanted to say to you for some time now... But never had the courage to do so. Now that I''m a dead man, I feel it is time to confess my thoughts."


    Berengar sort of suspected this would be the case when he got the call, and thus, he had nned to listen to Eckhard''s dying words the moment he decided to make the journey to Prussia. He gently grabbed hold of the man''s bony hand while reassuring him that no matter what he said, he would understand.


    "I figured as much, go ahead Eckhard, I give you to permission to speak freely...."


    It took Eckhard several moments to gather his thoughts before he began to speak of those words he had wanted to say for years.


    "When I look around at how the world has changed, all because of your actions. I am truly astonished. I grew up in an age of knights and feudalism, and within fifty years, it has all changed into something I can''t even recognize.


    Truly, you have single-handedly ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity for the German people. And I know I myself have yed my small role in it. But I can''t help but think back upon what was needed to remake the world into what it is today....


    How many cities did you bury, along with all of their inhabitants? How many women and children have you in in pursuit of this goal? I wonder if God will judge me as favorably as our people look upon me. Because all I can think of is the overwhelming amount of death and suffering we have caused to those who are not our own.


    Entire civilizations have been wiped out because they incurred your wrath for one reason or another. And though their lives were snuffed out by your actions, I know that you would not have been able to do so if I did not help you gain your power over Germany in the first ce.


    Berengar, I must ask you, and I want you to answer me this honestly. Are we the viins in this story of our lives?"


    Berengar''s expression waspletely stoic. Not a single ounce of emotion could be seen on it. And Eckhard had known Berengar long enough to understand what that meant. He was currently in an internal debate with himself. Finally, after a long and awkward silence, Berengar sighed, before wearing a bitter smile before giving voice to his thoughts on the matter.


    "You only did what your Lordmanded of you. You are not a viin, my friend... But I am. History will either remember me as the greatest man to ever walk the Earth, or the most wicked. This is something I have thought about for some time, and it is a cross that I must bear alone. You are not responsible for anything that I havemanded you to do, or any that I have done long after I freed you from my service. I alone am to me for the deaths that have urred during my conquests. So go forth, and face your creator, with a heart free of guilt."


    Tears fell from Eckhard''s eyes as he heard these words spoken by his Kaiser. His wheezing intensified as they crashed around him. There was a look of pain, and confliction deep within Eckhard''s haggard eyes, as he voice his next thoughts aloud.


    "And... What if God judges me differently?"


    To this, Berengar simply scoffed, and shook his head with a conceited smile on his face, before saying words that were so arrogant that only the man who had conquered the world could possibly say with a straight face.


    "Then I will march my armies into hell itself to liberate you from such an unjust sentence. Rest easy Eckhard, for eternal paradise awaits you!"


    Berengar didn''t have the heart to tell a man on his deathbed that his religion was a lie, and that he would be spirited off to a pagan afterlife based upon the virtues he followed in life. Instead, he could onlyfort the man with such an absurd statement.


    And it worked, because the tears dried from Eckhard''s eyes, and a wide smile was formed. He then began to cough once more, whichsted only a few seconds, before the old man said his final words.


    "Goodbye my old friend... If you should find yourself forgiven in the eyes of the Lord, I would enjoy meeting you again in paradise."


    After saying this, the light faded from Eckhard''s eyes. And along with it, the old man breathed hisst breath. Berengar then stared at the fresh corpse of one of his oldest friends in silence for several seconds before speaking his final thoughts about the matter.


    "Goodbye Eckhard..."


    After saying this, Berengar stood up from his seat and approached the family of a man who had been among the closest of his friends. Where he made a generous offer, one that they were not expecting.


    "You do not need to worry about his burial. The State shall pay for it. Eckhard shall be honored as one of our people''s greatest heroes, and I will have a grand monument built in his memory. You have my word."


    Berengar did not wait for a response after saying this, instead he left the castle of Marienburg behind, and flew back to his home. Where he would remain entirely silent for the next three days, not even speaking a word to his many lovers.

 Chapter 1254 A Grand Funeral

    ?


    Immediately after Eckhard''s death, Berengar began preparations for the man''s funeral. He would not spare a single expense in ensuring that the entirety of the German Empire mourned the loss of his greatest friend.


    Before long, the leaders of the Reich, had gathered once more in Kufstein, specifically within its Grand Cathedral to mourn the passing of one of its greatest heroes. The sad truth of the matter was that most people paid their respects to Berengar''s parents, simply because of the fact that they were his parents.


    Their greatest act in life was raising Berengar to be the world''s greatest leader. But Eckhard was different. His actions had changed world history and had deliberately led to the creation of the German Empire.


    There was a line as long as the eye could see, waiting to pay their respects to the General who had been by Berengar''s side from the very beginning. A man who was in the eyes of many a military genius, second only to the Great Kaiser.


    Naturally, Berengar himself was at the funeral front and center like he had been for his parents. Once more Ludolf, now an elderly man himself, had gathered the masses in his cathedral so that he may properly send off a man of great importance to the afterlife.


    The sermon was brief, but was sufficient to honor the dead, where Ludolf then asked those who were particrly close to Eckhard to step forward and speak a few words about them. Unlike his parents, Berengar did not go first this time. Instead, he silently waited, as his wives held his hands in a desperate attempt tofort a man whose friends and rtives were dropping like flies.


    Eventually after Eckhard''s wives, and children each said their words, Adelbrand stepped forward, and spoke of the battles he had fought by the man''s side. As did the other Generals who had served during Eckhard''s time.


    Then the men who had attended his lectures at the Academy stepped forward to speak of how great of an instructor he was, and how his lessons had saved their lives during the wars that followed his retirement.


    And finally, after everyone of the note had told their stories, Berengar stepped forward. Like with his parents, there was apletely stoic look on his face as he took the podium to say his final farewell to a man who he had started this long journey with.


    "Eckhard von Marienburg, or Eckhard von Hallstatt as I had known him, was a man who was very influential in my life''s story. When I met Eckhard, he was nothing more than a beggar knight, who had travelled across Austria, and ended up in my father''snds in search of little more than wine.


    In those days, I had just begun to form a militia, of peasants who would form what would eventually be the backbone of what is today the German Army. In those days, firearms were frowned upon for being crude and ineffective. But my designs were superior, and Eckhard immediately realized their potential.


    He stepped forward, and swore his service not to my father, who was at the time the Baron of Kufstein, but to myself, as my sworn knight, and protector. But I had no need of a knight, because I already knew that my weapons would shortly bring about the end of their age.


    What I needed was a General, someone who could not only understand the new tactics I was introducing, but train those with a mind for strategy in their use. And Eckhard was just this man. By now, most of you have seen the film the Mines of Wildsch?nau, which has be a ssic film in our culture. And indeed, that story is based upon a true story.


    When I was buried beneath the mines, after my brother had betrayed me. It was Eckhard who gathered the militia in the dead of night, and marched them to save me. When I was too wounded to effectively lead the defense of the shantytown that had been established within the mine''s immediate vicinity, it was Eckhard whomanded the militia to defeat the forces of the rebel lord.


    From that day forward, Eckhard had gained my trust and my loyalty. He quickly became among my closest confidants and followed my every order to perfection. Together, we overthrew the Habsburgs and united the Kingdom of Austria. And over the years, Eckhard led my forces to victory against all our foes, until finally Germany was reunited.


    Yet Eckhard''s story did not end there. After uniting Germany into a single Empire, Eckhard asked me to allow him to retire. Which I allowed, because he had more than earned his peace. Under the condition, however, that he teaches at the War College in Vienna, which he did so marvelously.


    As you have already witnessed today, it was Eckhard''s understanding of what became a new generation of warfare that allowed our officers to be the best in the world. Eckhard may no longer be with us, but his legacy lives on. Not only in the blood of his family, but in the minds of those officers who continue to teach at the Vienna War College, and all the students who carried his lessons into battle.


    Without Eckhard, there would be no Germany. Hell, without Eckhard, I would not have lived long enough to aplish all of my deeds. So, today we mourn the loss of one of Germany''s greatest heroes. And pray that his soul may finally find rest in the afterlife. Whatever that maybe..."


    After saying this, Berengar stepped down from the podium and rejoined the crowd. Where Ludolf began to perform thest rites of the deceased. Then, Berengar witnessed Eckhard''s coffin be interred on the Earth. Just as had been done to his parents not too terribly long before.


    Unlike with his parents'' funeral, Berengar did not forget that which followed. Instead, he held a grand feast in Eckhard''s honor and announced the construction of the grand monument in the man''s memory. For which the Reichstag immediately approved the funds for on the spot.


    Ultimately, it was decided that this monument not be built in Marienburg, where Eckhard had ruled as King of Prussia, but instead in Hallstatt, the smallke town in Austria where Berengar currently resided. After all, it was the ce of Eckhard''s birth, and where his old family had once ruled asnded knights long ago.


    Berengar himself would drink himself to sleep that night, as it was the only way he could ovee the grief that gued his heart, knowing that yet another one of his friends and rtives was now buried beneath the dirt.

 Chapter 1255 A Speech To The Reichstag

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    Having said goodbye to his parents, and one of his best friends within just a few short years of one another. Berengar entered a depressed streak. Where he sat on the sofa, drank beer, and watched TV. By now, the Reich was advanced beyond the limits of the one he had left behind so many years ago.


    Things that were only in science fiction before were starting to be a reality. So much so that Berengar was having a hard time adjusting to many of the new things in life. His children with Brynhildr were growing like weeds, while the rest of his children and grandchildren routinely visited Berengar and his wives.


    If Berengar was being honest, he now longed for his youth, in a way he never thought he would. When he was a young man, he was leading armies to triumph over kingdoms and empires. Now he was just an old man sitting on his ass and watching tv. It was almost as if there was no purpose left for him in his life. And he was just living each day, one day at a time, until he finally stepped foot into the grave.


    Meanwhile, his son sat in the seat of power for the world''srgest and most powerful Empire, where he continued to oversee the Reich''s daily developments. There were many things that needed to be done, but most of them were not Hans''s problems.


    Thus, today, the current Kaiser decided to take a day off to visit his old man. Hans stepped foot in the living room and found his father in a depressed state. It was no wonder why, his loved ones were beginning to pass away from this world. And while Berengar may know what awaits him in the next life, the idea of living for several more decades without seeing them again was something he did not wish to do.


    When Hans saw the state his father was in, he knew something had to be done, and thus, he approached the old man and dragged him out of his seat, giving him something to do other than just watching tv.


    "Get up, old man, and get fucking dressed. We''re going to Kufstein..."


    Berengar did not know why his son wanted to drag him to the metropolis that he had built, and was quick to inquire further about the man''s reasoning, albeit in a cantankerous manner.


    "For what purpose?"


    Hans simply sighed before revealing his thoughts on the matter.


    "I need you to give a speech to the Reichstag about the recent conversion of our people to the pagan religion which is practiced in d. You''re the one who started this, so you need to make people aware that it is okay to practice the faith of our ancestors. Even the church will have to back down from their outrage if youe forward and speak up on behalf of the pagans!"


    Berengar could only sigh as he picked up his beer bottle and finished its contents with one giant swig. He then threw the bottle in the trash before climbing the steps of his vi, where he prepared himself for a speech.


    After nearly thirty minutes, Berengar descended the staircase and followed Hans into the nearby car, which would take them to Kufstein. By mid afternoon Berengar had arrived back in Kufstein for the first time since Eckhard''s funeral. He did not have the ability to process just how much it had changed over the years while grieving the loss of his best friend. But now that he took a look around, he realized that Kufstein was a proper modern city.


    New and sleek skyscrapers had popped up throughout the city, which blended with the more traditional architecture that had been built during his reign quite well. The city streets were well maintained, and electric vehicles were shockinglymon. Something which was only starting to be a thing when he passed away during his previous life.


    There was even a maglev in the center of the city, which sent high-speed trains across the reich at speeds Berengar previously thought were impossible. These maglev rails were spread across the entirety of the Reich, from as far west as Frankia, to as far east as Rund.


    As for the police force, they drove throughout the city in armored vehicles, while wearing the most advanced body armor avable on the market. They even had powered exoskeleton suits beneath their body armor to enhance their physical abilities. Something which was also being tested in the military at the moment.


    The citizens continued to dress modestly, and the German Youth Corps was ever present throughout the city, doing works of charity and public service while dressed in their signature uniforms, which had been slightly modernized as the years passed.


    While Kufstein had be a very modern city, it did not have any of the problems that were generally associated with such things. Homelessness was virtually nonexistent, as was crime, thanks to an ever present police force, and a society which raised its youth correctly.


    However, if there was one thing that Berengar noticed, which was incredibly different from before, it was that polygamy was not asmon as it used to be. Back in the day, one man would be surrounded by multiple women, and have plenty of children with each of them as they walked through the streets. Now, there only appeared to be one polygamous couple for every one hundred monogamous couple. And they were usually extremely wealthy, and good-looking men.


    After driving through the city, and noticing all the changes that existed, Berengar exited his vehicle, and was led inside the Reichstag, where he stood at the podium for the first time in many years. Most of the politicians who had been in office during his reign were gone and were reced with men from the younger generation.


    Yet, there was still a look of admiration and respect in all of their eyes when they witnessed the Great Kaiser of the German Reich enter the Reichstag for the first time in years. Standing by his side was the current Kaiser, who waited for his father to give the speech which he had personally written for the man.


    Berengar had memorized the speech, but had made some mental changes, and thus he spoke with the oration skills he was so renowned for. Hoping to captivate the attention of the public, as this speech was broadcasted across the world.


    "For those of you who don''t remember me, my name is Berengar von Kufstein. It has been many years since I stepped down as Kaiser, in favor of my eldest son, Hans. And until now, I have never had a need to step forward and speak publically about matters of State.


    However, as an educated man, I have been keeping up with the times, which is easier than ever now thanks to the inte. And I have discovered a disturbing trend among the German people that is happening as we speak."


    Many of the more conservative elements of the German parliament nodded their heads in agreement with Berengar''s words, expecting him to speak about how the pagan menace needed to be eradicated. However, they were shocked to hear Berengar''s next words. As much as anyone was.


    "I''m talking, of course, about the increasingly hostile behavior towards those Germans who follow the religion of our ancestors. I know there are many of you who may be shocked to hear me voice my support for these pagans. But, in many ways, I look back to the founding of our Empire, and how the Catholic Church tried so hard to stamp out the German Reformation.


    The result, of course, was disastrous for the Catholics. Whose faith is now a footnote in the history of Europe. I believe that if the Reich continues to oppress these Germans, who choose to follow a religion that is native to our culture and ournds? Then it will inevitably lead to not only a schism within the church, but to civil unrest.


    Which is why I have decided toe here today and try to convince you all that it does not matter which God a man may worship, only that he has German blood running through his veins! We are one person, bound by blood and soil. And because of that, we should not let something as petty as religious beliefs stand between us.


    So you would do all to remember to respect your fellow Germans. Especially in these times, where the teachings of the bible are bing less and less certain. That is all that I wanted to say. Thank you all for listening to the ramblings of an old man."


    After saying this, Berengar stepped down from the stage and returned to his secluded life in the mountains. But his words had single-handedly stopped the hostilities between the German Church and the Pagan revival.


    Partially because Berengar was respected as the founder of the German nation, but also because he was considered by the German Church to be a living saint, and thus his words held enormous meaning to its followers. Especially after he hadpared their current actions to those of the Catholics who were now thoroughly vilified in the history books.

 Chapter 1256 Space Elevators And Paganism

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    Hans sat in his office while observing the reports from the German Space Program. It had been decades since humanity first entered space under Berengar''s reign, and since then, the German Empire had made great strides towards colonizing the sr system.


    With functioning colonies on the moon, and on mars. Humanity had taken its first step towards expanding into the universe that existed beyond the confines of Earth. Luckily, there had been no major disasters in any of the German colonies outside of Earth. Or else the odds of the public being so in support of the aerospace industry would be incredibly low.


    However, Hans was currently working on another project entirely. One that would allow much easier ess to space. With recent advancements in material science, such as the prevalent use of graphene, and grapheneposite within both the construction industry and the technology industry. It was now possible to make structures that were only a dream in the past.


    For example, the project that Hans had approved was actually three parts. He intended to build space elevators on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Which would not only vastly decrease the time it took to travel between the three celestial bodies, but also would allow for much easier transport of materials from Mars and the Moon to Earth.


    It was estimated to take a minimum of twenty-five years to build just one space elevator, which would be on Earth. Somewhere around New Swabia. But Hans was confident that with enough resources and manpower dedicated to the project, it could bepleted much quicker. Of course, the vast wealth of the German Reich, and the von Kufstein dynasty were more than enough to cover the costs.


    After all, the German Reich held most of the Americas, and Africa under their control, with control over much of Asia through contractual agreements. Not to mention all the resources they had been extracting in space.


    The amount of resources that the German Reich had at its disposal was virtually limitless, and because of this, they did not need to import raw materials from other countries, which would cut down on the costs of building these space elevators.


    While Hans was looking over the expenditure report of their current construction efforts, he received a phone call, which upon ncing at the caller ID, he realized it was from one of his brothers. Hans instantly put the report down and epted the call, which appeared to being from the Nordic Empire, which his younger brother Kristoffer ruled over.


    There was a perfectly stoic tone in Hans''s voice as he asked the question that immediately appeared in his mind.


    "What''s up Kris? It must be something important if you''re calling me, of all people."


    While Hans and Kristoffer were grown men in their forties, they still had a lot of unresolved issues stemming from their childhood. Specifically regarding the favoritism that their father had always disyed towards Hans. Because of this, they were not particrly close. Perhaps that was for the best, because whenever they did speak with one another, they had a habit of getting into petty disputes.


    It was so bad that despite both being world leaders of allied nations, Hans and Kris would usually speak to representatives of their counterpart, rather than their actual brothers. For Kris to call Hans so randomly, without even giving him a heads up, something serious must have happened. Which Hans was quick to give voice to.


    "I''d like to ask you for a personal favor, not that you are inclined to give me such respect. But I need you to stop your people from illegally crossing my border. I don''t know what is going on, but a bunch of Germans are entering Jund, in a search of something rted to the ancient pagan deities that they worship. And they''re causing a lot of fucking problems with the local Christians.


    Denmark is in a state of unrest because of it, and I might have to march my forces down there to deal with it if you don''t!"


    Hans sighed heavily as he heard this. Despite the friendly state between the two nations, there was a strong military presence that the border between the German state of Schleswig-holstein, and the Kingdom of Denmark, which was a part of the Nordic Empire.


    If people were getting past that border wall, then it meant that someone in the military was allowing them to do so. Every now and then, some corrupt asshole would get into a position of power and cause problems. It was simply human nature to abuse authority.


    Because of this, the German Reich was on a constant crusade to remove corrupt officials from positions in both the Government, and Civilian sectors. Knowing that corruption was rearing its ugly head yet again, Hans could not help but pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm himself before responding to his brother''s im.


    "I''ll look into it... Thank you for alerting me to this development. I promise that within a fortnight, whoever is responsible for this will be court martialled and executed. Now, was there anything else you needed, or can I get back to my work?"


    Kristoffer sighed heavily, knowing that he and his older half-brother were likely never to get along in this life. And as much as he wanted to end the call with this asshole, there were some family matters he wanted to discuss.


    "I saw the old man on the tv the other day. How is he doing?"


    Hans appeared to be rather annoyed by this question and responded with a particrly jaded tone in his voice.


    "He''s fucking old. How do you think he is doing? Knowing what the old man gets up to in his free time, I wouldn''t be surprised if he had a heart attack any day now while banging Brynhildr. Do you know that bitch is still popping out with kids? What are they on now? Their thirtieth child? Or was it their thirty-fifth? I can''t even fucking remember..."


    Kristoffer simply scoffed at the notion before speaking his thoughts on the matter.


    "Well, she is immortal, and you know how our father is. Imagine what d will be like 500 years from now, when they all have the blood of literal battle angels running through their veins."


    There was a clear tone of exhaustion in Hans'' voice as he spoke the words that he felt were most rtable at this very moment.


    "I don''t even want to fucking think about that... Jesus, I mean, I''m currently dealing with the aftermath of the man''s deration of tolerance towards Pagan. The Church appears to be backing down, but its more militant elements still want to curb paganism before it takes a permanent hold over the country. I''m meeting with Ludolf tomorrow to ensure that the church ceases its hostilities.


    But God damn, you and I both know that the pagan gods are real. It takes all of my resolve not to yell at the Christians and tell them that their religion is a lie. Even if it is the basis of our civilization. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if Paganism justpletely reced the Christian faith in the Reich..."


    Kristoffer had a hint of worry in his tone as he spoke about these thoughts regarding this subject.


    "Well, I certainly hope that isn''t the case. Because if that does happen, then the warrior spirit that ended with our father''s reign would be reignited in your people. And they would look to wage war against every country, so that the entire world is German. And there is nothing that any of us could do to stop it."


    Hans sighed once more before responding to his brother''s fears with an exhausted tone in his voice.


    "Perhaps the pacifism of Christianity is necessary, or perhaps it will be the death of us all. I really don''t care what religion is the most popr, as long as my people behave like logical and rational human beings. But the people are still very religious, and because of that, it appears I now must meet with the heads of the church.


    Well, it has been nice talking to you, little brother. But I need to get back to my work. This damn space elevator isn''t going to build itself."


    Kristoffer had no idea what a space elevator was, nor did he want to interrupt Hans for much longer. He simply said farewell before hanging up on the man.


    "Goodbye Hans, I''m sure we will speak again soon."


    With that said, Hans sat back and contemted on theplex issue regarding the revival of paganism among the German poption. In the end, he put away that thought for another time, and got back to reading the Space Elevator''s expenditure report.

 Chapter 1257 Saying Good-Bye To An Old Ally

    ?


    Berengar stood in thends of the Aztec Empire. It had been a lifetime since he hadst been to thesends. And currently his son, Cualcoatl, was by his side. By now Berengar was in his seventies, and despite looking a decare or two younger, he felt his life quicklying to an end. He would likely only live to be eighty.


    Perhaps it was the wear and tear he had gone through during his youth on the battlefields. And the damage his body had sustained during his trials to prove his worth to Odin. Or perhaps it was simply the weave of fate. But Berengar knew that he only had a few years left.


    And while his body had begun to age rapidly, the blessings of the Gods having begun to wear off. He wanted to say goodbye to an old Ally when he still had the ability to do so. Thus, Berengar had journeyed across the world, to the jungles of Mesoamerica, where he found himself once more standing before the great pyramid of Teotihuacan


    Berengar cried out in the loudest voice he could manage, to a being that had been forgotten by time itself. His son, gazing upon him as if he were suffering from dementia as he did so.


    "Oh, great goddess of Teotihuacan. I have returned atst. Please reveal yourself to me and my progeny. We wish to pay our respects."


    Cualcoatl was educated in Germany, and because of this, he had a very secr outlook on religion. Though he personally did not believe the gods of his people really existed, religion was still a driving factor in the Aztec Empire.


    Thus, he simply scoffed at his father, as if the man was finally losing his marbles. That is until a voice appeared, along with a sudden mist.


    "So you havee to say goodbye to this goddess atst? Very well, I will hear your words, Berengar von Kufstein."


    Once the mist had taken over the decrepit ruins of an ancient civilization. They quickly dispersed to reveal a city that was entirely intact, as if it had never copsed in the first ce. The most notable thing, however, was the absence of all life besides from Berengar and his son.


    Cualcoatl was astonished by what had just happened, and could hardly believe his eyes. He was just about to make a remark about this when his father urged him to keep up.


    "Come on, boy, I''m an old man. Certainly you should be able to keep up with my pace!''


    Having snapped back to reality, after hearing his father''s words, the Aztec Emperor scurried after his father, who had a hard time climbing the many stony steps which led into the Great Pyramid of Teotihuacan.


    Once inside, Cualcoatl was astonished to see a beautiful Mesoamerican woman sitting on a throne, with her borate headdress by her side. But perhaps most surprising of all was the fact that Berengar kneeled in front of this woman, as if she were his master. Once it became clear that he was supposed to kneel, Cualcoatl did the same while listening to his father speak to the supernatural entity sitting in front of him.


    "Oh, great Goddess of Teotihuacan. My son and I havee to pay our respects, and I havee to personally say goodbye."


    There was a mncholic expression on the beautiful goddesses'' face, as she saw what had be of Berengar. The years had rapidly begun to take their effect, as the blessing that the mystical pool had once given him wore off. He may look like he was in his sixties, but the goddess knew that within a year, possibly two, he would look his own age, if not worse.


    Thus, rather than look at his miserable state, she waved her hand, and temporarily reversed his age, back to the way it was when they had initially met. She then wore a sultry smile, as she expressed what she had done.


    "I can only do this much for you, and it will immediately expire the moment you step foot out of my domain. But I definitely prefer the way you were thest time you visited."


    Berengar looked at his own reflection in a pool of crystal clear water and smiled. He was young again, truly young, not just in appearance. But he felt his body temporarily rejuvenated, as it had been when he was still in his twenties all those years ago.


    Cualcoatl was shocked to see his father''s youthful appearance, and was about to say something, when the man effortlessly rose from his kneeling position and thanked the Goddess for her temporary boon.


    "To be young again, even if only for a day, is a great gift. I will treasure what few moments I have in this state. I apologize goddess, I should have made the journey earlier, but I knew that when I did it would be ourst time meeting, and I could not bear the thought of leaving you all alone here, without having hope of seeing me again."


    The goddess wore a bitter smile, as she gazed upon Berengar''s weary expression, and shook her head, while assuring the man that she was just thankful that he had actually returned to say goodbye.


    "I honestly did not think you would pay someone as insignificant as myself any attention. But I am happy that you havee to say farewell. I can tell by your current state that you have a few years to live at the most.


    But, you have served your purpose in this world, and will be granted a reward in the next life that is greater than anything I have ever witnessed a champion receive in the history of this world. Soon enough, you can rest in your own paradise, with all your loved ones. Perhaps, if you are willing, I can cross over to that ne and see you again."


    Berengar did not realize that this was possible until now, and when he heard these wordse from the Goddesses mouth, he was quick to ept them.


    "I would like that. I would not be alive today if not for you. And I havee to give you my thanks and to say my farewell. When I finally enter the next life, I would not mind spending some time with you. You are, after all, one of my many benefactors.


    And just so you know, this is my son, Cualcoatl. You remember the woman I was here with thest time I visited? She is his mother. And he is the new Aztec Emperor. I have brought him here today, so that he may understand the reality of this world, and perhaps even pay back the favor which I owe you."


    Cualcoatl gazed up at his father in disbelief before asking the question that immediately came to his mind.


    "Father, what are you saying?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before grasping the man''s shoulder. Where he then asked his son to repay a debt which he owed the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan.


    "I am asking you to do everything in your power, to ensure that your people begin to worship this goddess once more. The gods gain power by the number of worshippers they have, and because of this, she is not long for this world, just as I am. If you can embrace her as a part of your people''s religion, she would be able to survive much longer, perhaps indefinitely. What do you say? Are you willing to do this for me?"


    Cualcoatl looked at his father, and then at the goddess, before nodding his head in agreement. Now that he knew the gods really existed, he would do everything he could to earn their favor. And since he hade face to face with this beautiful goddess, he could not help but fall to his knees and worship her on the spot.


    "I Cualcoatl, swear that I will do everything I can to spread the word of you, my Goddess, from this day, until the end of my days."


    The great goddess of Teotihuacan wore a sultry smile as she licked her lips before expressing her thoughts aloud.


    "Your son is cute. Do you mind if I y with him a bit?"


    Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before responding to the goddess with his answer.


    "Only if he consents...."


    Cualcoatl looked up at his father, and the great goddess of Teotihuacan, and before realizing that he himself had been de aged to the point where he was now in his early twenties. Then the goddess stepped forward and grabbed his hand, before whispering something seductive in the Aztec Emperor''s ears.


    "Show your devotion to me...."


    With this said, Cualcoatl, would follow the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan to a more private chamber where he would be the second member in Berengar''s family to fuck a goddess.


    ---


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at https://.webnovel/book/interster-age_26235247006730205 which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1258 A Dynastic Sacrifice

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    Hans sat at his dusk while fumbling with a round, and golden colored crystal. It had been years since his father had given him this divine artifact, and during this time, he had never truly paid the price which was required to gain its power.


    After all, he had never felt the need to carve out his own eye and rece it with the eye of Horus. But recently he had begun to feel quite paranoid, not only about his own personal safety, but that of his family.


    The peace which his father had established hadsted for decades, and though one might think this would bring a wince of calm to the new Kaiser, Hans had grown increasingly anxious as time passed. He had begun to question who was friend, and who was foe. To the point where it ate at his mind throughout the night.


    Knowing that he had the power to confirm someone''s true feelings towards him. Hans struggled toe to terms with the price he must pay to be able to wield such power. Currently, there was a scalpel sitting on his desk, along with some rubbing alcohol. If he was going to do this, then he would not have it done as a surgical procedure, which he could very well do. No, that defeated the purpose of the sacrifice that must be paid.


    Instead, Hans intended to follow the same path as his father, who had earned this great power, by shedding his own flesh. Thus, after careful consideration, and a bit of liquid courage. Hand grabbed hold of the scalpel, and dipped it in the rubbing alcohol, ensuring that it was sterilized before slowly but surely beginning to cut out his right eye.


    The pain was unbearable, and at several times, Hans thought that he was going to die, but in the end, a severed eyeball fell to the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. Once he had done this, it was only a mtter of shoving the glowing gem into his empty eye socket, which he was quick to do.


    In a matter of seconds, the damage that had been done to Hans'' eye was repaired, and along with it was a shimmering golden eye. One which paired well with his other sapphire iris. Once he had fully regained his sight, Hans looked into the mirror to inspect his appearance.


    The man was practically fifty, and his signature strawberry blonde hair, which he had inherited from his mother, had begun to grey. Yet, he was still an incredibly handsome man, much like his father. Thus, he smiled at his appearance. Until, however, he heard a voice in his head.


    "Oh, has Berengar passed on already? Odd, why was I not invited to the celebration?"


    Hans quickly looked around to see where the voice wasing from and confirmed he was all alone. He simply sighed and looked at the mess he had created beforementing on his own delusion.


    "I must have scrambled my brains..."


    However, the same voice repeated itself with a rather conceited tone.


    "On the contrary, you are a perfectly sane mortal. I was once the guardian of this artifact, and I have left behind a little remnant of my soul to ensure that it passed on to a worthy sessor. Tell me, what is your rtion to Berengar?"


    Although Hans still believed he was suffering from a delusion, he decided to entertain the voice in his head, for whatever reason, and quickly spoke about his lineage.


    "I am Berengar''s eldest son, Hans von Kufstein. How do you know my father?"


    The voice responded back to Hans with a bit of a petty tone in his voice. Almost as if he was angry with Berengar about something.


    "You are Berengar''s eldest son? Not was? Am I to believe that he is still alive? And yet he has already removed the Eye of Horus to pass on to you? Figures he would do something like that. Well, I suppose it is a good thing he still draws breath, because I would have had to have words with that bastard Odin about not inviting me to the celebration!"


    Berengar had seldom mentioned the gods to Hans, or how he had obtained what he called the eye of Horus. Thus, Hans had no idea who he was speaking to, or if this was even reality. But he was quick to inquire about the identity of this supernatural being.


    "Who are you? You haven''t answered my question!"


    The voice seemed to snap back to reality, as if it were thinking about something, before responding to Hans'' question.


    "I am Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Underworld. And I met your father many years ago, when he entered my domain, to im the eye of Horus as his own. Your father seeded where many had perished. And by right, this artifact belongs to him. But if he has chosen to pass it onto you, his heir, I see no reason to withhold its powers from you.


    You have paid the price to obtain its power. Though I must warn you, due to your father''s influence over Egypt and Sudan, my powers, and those of my peers are quickly being restored, and because of that the Eye of Horus will now be more powerful than it was in your father''s possession. It might even drive you to madness.


    Knowing the risks, do you still wish to obtain its power?"


    Hans did not even hesitate to answer this question. Immediately after Anubis had asked, he responded with confirmation of his will.


    "Yes... I need to know who is loyalty to me, and who is plotting against me!"


    There was almost a sound of satisfaction in Anubis''s voice as he responded to Hans'' words.


    "A wise choice... I look forward to what you do with this power. Or if it truly will drive you to madness. You have my blessing, for what that is worth. And good luck in your future endeavors."


    After saying this, Hans''s vision shed into a bright golden light, and he was knocked unconscious by the supernatural power. He did not awake for nearly two weeks, but when he did, he could not only see past people''s facades, and sense their Auras. But he could even get a measure of their thoughts. Granting him the ability to know with absolute certainty who nned to harm him, and how they nned to do it.


    And thus, the heirs to the German Throne would forever have the power to prevent any plots and schemes which sought to undermine their rule, or bring harm to the von Kufstein Dynasty. As for how Hans spoke about his golden eye, which had seeminglye out of nowhere. He did not. In fact, he immediately concealed it with colored contacts. As far as the world was aware, he was the same as he had always been.


    ---


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at https://.webnovel/book/interster-age_26235247006730205 which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1259 One Last Chance To Shine

    ?


    Today was not your average day. At least not for Berengar and his wife, Ad. Since his retirement, which by now had nearly been fifteen years ago, Berengar spent most of his days with his wives secluded away in a small mountain town. But today, he and Ad were visiting Kufstein, more specifically the Reichstag.


    Why was this the case? Well, not because Berengar was giving another speech. But rather, because Kaiser Hans von Kufstein was handing out an award. Not to his father, but to his wife, Ad. All the nations'' greatest figure heads had gathered in Kufstein for this asion.


    Currently, Berengar and Ad were sitting in the front row, while they watched Hans give a speech to the entire audience. Naturally, the event was televised, and because of this, Hans made sure he looked his best for the cameras.


    Hans spoke with an authoritative tone in his voice, as he wore a proud smile on his face, while dering the award he was giving to a woman who had been like a second mother to him.


    "Today is a great day for the German Reich, as we honor a woman who has spent a lifetime advancing the arts and culture within our great nation. Kaiserin Ad von Kufstein has long since been a patron of the arts, and many skilled artists have risen to prominence specifically due to her efforts to guide them.


    And today, I, Kaiser Hans von Kufstein, would like to give her the Imperial Order of Arts and Science, so that her efforts may be properly rewarded. Ad, would you pleasee up here?"


    Ad was now an old woman in her early seventies. And yet, due to the power of the mystical pool, as well as modern anti-aging technology, she did not look a day over sixty as she stepped forward and wore a gracious smile. After waving to the crowd, which cheered for her as if she were a rock star, Hans ced the medal around her neck and shook her hand. While whispering something to her that only the two of them could hear.


    "It is very much deserved.... Without you, the Reich would only be a nation of war, while our culture would still be left in the feudal age. Thank you for everything you have done.... Mother...."


    Throughout his entire life, Hans has stubbornly refused to call any of Berengar''s other women by the term mother. But today, he had done so specifically to show the respect which he had for Ad. This caused Ad to blush slightly, as she wrapped her arms around Hans and gave him a proper hug. Once she had done so, she smiled and waved to the cameras. Knowing fully well that this was perhaps herst chance to shine in the public.


    Ad then took the podium and gave a speech which she had prepared for this moment, after first being made aware that she would receive such a prestigious medal.


    "I don''t know what to say. When I first approached my husband and pleaded with him to sponsor artists across his territory. The world was a very different ce back then. Noble families such as ours owned all thend, while themon man plowed the fields, just so he would receive a small portion of his hard work.


    Today, themon man is able to pursue any career which their heart''s desire. Especially those Artists, who would have struggled to survive back in those days, are now able to study at acimed universities, to learn the skills and techniques they need to be sessful. Not only that, but they can also use the inte to learn these same techniques for free.


    It is a wonderful time that we live in, and I am d to see that all my efforts over these many years have not gone to waste. I want to thank my husband, Berengar von Kufstein, for helping me pursue my dreams, and for being thergest sponsor of artists across the German Reich. I would also like to thank every artist, no matter what field they specialize in, for all their hard work and creativity that has allowed the German Reich to be the center of the world''s culture.


    Andstly, I would like to thank Kaiser Hans von Kufstein for recognizing my efforts and rewarding me for them in such a prestigious manner. Thank you all, and God bless!"


    After saying this, Ad descended from the stage, and sat next to Berengar once more, who wore a proud smile on his face, as he held onto the woman''s hand before expressing his thoughts aloud, in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear.


    "I am so proud of you Ad, you truly deserve this award, perhaps more so than anyone. I love you...."


    Ad smiled when she heard these words before hugging her husband. She then whispered the words back to him that he had just spoken to her.


    "I love you too...."


    The awards ceremony would go on for a bit longer, as a bunch of artists who Ad had aided in their efforts came forward to thank the woman for all which she had done. Nearly every major artist in the Reich who was still alive, whether they were a painter, a sculptor, an animator, a musician, et cetera. Had attended this event, and they all had nothing but praise for the woman who had made their dreamse true.


    After everyone had said their thanks and expressed their appreciation towards Ad, she and Berengar returned to their home. Where the two of them would enjoy some time alone together. Before they eventually fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    As much as Ad enjoyed the recognition and praise she received today, for a lifetime of effort. She also felt a little sad, because she knew that today would most certainly be herst chance to shine in the spotlight. Still, as long as she could be with Berengar, here in thiskeside vi. Then she did not really care too much about fame or fortune. All she had ever cared about was Berengar and the family they created together. And thus, today was ultimately a fitting end to her story.


    ---


    I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interster Age, at https://.webnovel/book/interster-age_26235247006730205 which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years toe!

 Chapter 1260 And So Our Story Begins [The End]

    ?


    As the years went by, Berengar''s health began to fade. Until finally, at the age of eighty, the reaper had kept a constant watch. At the moment Berengar wasying in a bed, within the Royal Pce of Kufstein which he had been transported to, so that the von Kufstein Dynasty''s personal doctors and nurses could look after him in his twilight hour.


    Berengar was surrounded by his wives, lovers, children, grandchildren, and even a few great grand children. All of which had forlorn faces, as they said goodbye to the man who had built their house from the ground up.


    Despite the fact that he knew his time wasing to an end, there was no pain on Berengar''s face. Rather, there was nothing but bliss. To be surrounded by his loved ones in the hour of his death. After a lifetime of aplishments, that no man had ever matched before, nor any man would everpare to in the future. It was truly a fitting end for the Great Kaiser of the German Reich.


    Currently, Berengar''s hands were grasped by each of his women. All of which were nearly as old as himself, yet were much livelier. Linde was in tears, as she witnessed the man she had loved more than anything for almost her entire life slowly slip away into the afterlife. This caused Berengar to grip her hand firmly, as he used all his strength to shake his head.


    "Do not cry, my love. I am going to a better ce, a realm where I will be eternally young. And soon enough, you all will join me. I have loved you since the night we were first together. And I always will..."


    This did not stop the tears that Linde had, or any of his other women, for that matter. The next to hug him desperately was Ad. Who begged her husband to stay with her in this life until the day the reaper finally took her away.


    "Please... Don''t leave me here all alone... Berengar, I love you!"


    Berengar mustered all the strength in his body, to stroke the woman''s silky hair onest time, before assuring her everything would be alright.


    "I will await for you in the afterlife. Ad, if there is one regret I have in this life, it is how poorly I treated you. You deserved better. But I promise to make it up to you when we reunite."


    This only caused Ad to cry even more, as she hugged Berengar tightly, fearing that if she were to let go, then he would leave her forever. After Ad had said her farewell, Honoria was next. The Byzantine Princess was just as heartbroken as two of her oldest rivals. She kissed Berengar''s wrinkly forehead and assured him that she would be joining him soon enough.


    "Berengar, my love, do not fret. I am sure that Linde and I will join you soon enough. Besides, you will have Brynhildr to keep youpany until we meet again."


    Berengar simply smiled in response to this and nodded his head in understanding of Honoria''s words. Where Yasmin then grasped hold of his head and clung to it to her bosom onest time. All the while saying her personal farewell.


    "Husband... You have always been my one and only love. I promise we will meet again soon enough. Until then, be strong, and know that I love you more than anything."


    Henrietta was next, and her goodbye was perhaps the most heartbreaking of them all.


    "Big brother, please don''t leave me here without you! I have always been by your side, and I don''t know what I will do once you are gone! Please don''t go!"


    Berengar weakly reached out his hand and grasped his little sisters where hemented about theirplex rtionship, one that never should have happened.


    "Henrietta, my dear, you have always been, and will always be, my beloved little sister. But I am afraid I won''t be able to protect you any longer. At least not until we meet again. Do be a good girl, until that day, won''t you?"


    Henrietta was crying profusely as she nodded her head, while promising her elder brother and lover that she would remain as he said a "good girl."


    "I promise, big brother, I promise you I will behave!"


    One by one, Berengar''s lovers and children stepped forward to say their farewells. Until finally, only his sons, specifically those who were monarchs, remained. Berengar gazed upon the boys he had raised to rule the world and his stead, and spoke of his pride towards them.


    "My sons, the Kings of this world. I gaze upon you, and all that you have aplished, and can only voice my pride in what you have be. However, soon I will no longer be in this world to guide you the way I have always strived. So allow me to give you this one final piece of advice. No matter what petty disputes you may have in this life, remember your bond as brothers. Nothing is more important than our family, and you should raise your children to believe this as well.


    So long as a von Kufstein sits on the world''s major thrones, and you remember that you are of my dynasty, then I truly believe some semnce of peace can be obtained throughout the world. Hans, I am entrusting the Empire which I have built into your capable hands. Remember my final words, always...."


    With this said, Berengar closed his eyes and breathed hisst breath. Exiting the world of the living once and for all. Though all the women in the room cried their eyes out, the men remainedpletely stoic, as their father would have wanted them to.


    ---


    Berengar awoke in a grassy meadow, with the sun shining upon his face. It was so bright that he found it to be troublesome. And as he opened his eyes, he gazed upon the massive mammaries which belonged to his wife, Brynhildr. There was a warm and gentle smile on the woman''s face as she stroked her lover''s golden hair.


    "Good morning sleepy head, how did you sleep?"


    Berengar was immediately confused about where he was, or what had happened, and he instantly rose to his feet. So quickly, I might add, that he felt as if he were fifty years younger than when he had gone asleep. Confused about everything that had happened, he looked around to see arge and peaceful in, where animals frolicked and trees grew to monumental heights. Not knowing where he was, or how he had gotten here, Berengar was quick to ask the gorgeous valkyrie what had happened.


    "Where am I? Where are the others? What has happened?"


    There was a warm and gentle tone in Brynhildr''s voice as she stood up and held her lover''s hand. While exining to him what this world was, and where he had gone to.


    "This is your own personal afterlife. The one that the all fathers promised to you so many years ago. Do not worry about your family. Though they grieve for your loss, your wives and lovers will be joining you shortly. Until then, I suggest we get started. After all, it would be pretty embarrassing if they were to arrive and witness the sorry state of this world.


    Berengar took another nce around him, before asking the question that immediately came to his mind.


    "Get started? On what? There''s nothing here!"


    It was only now that Berengar caught his reflection in Brynhildr''s ice-blue eyes, and realized that he was a young man again. The way he was when he first was transmigrated into his second life. Bewildered by this state, he was about to ask another question, when his lover answered his previous one.


    "Exactly! There is nothing here! This is exactly what you wanted, isn''t it? A ce you and your family can call your own, one which you can build to fit your greatest desires? It is a new life, an eternal life. And everything that your eyes gaze upon is yours by right. You are free to do with this world as you wish."


    Upon realizing that this afterlife waspletely devoid of any civilization, or structures, and was essentially a sandbox which Berengar could shape to his liking. The man chuckled as he shook his head. He took one look upon the vast and fertile world that was now his own, before expressing his thoughts aloud in a tone that was filled with both bitterness and excitement.


    "And so our story begins...."


    ----


    PLEASE READ


    I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for reading my first real attempt at a novel. It was a long process, and I learned so much from the experience. Currently, I am writing another novel, which is what one might call a spiritual sessor to Tyranny of Steel. And if you have not already, I suggest you check out Interster Age.


    While this chapter is the official end of Tyranny of Steel, I wanted to let you all know that I will be releasing a monthly side chapter about Berengar''s exploits in the afterlife for the foreseeable future. So if you want to see Berengar, reunite with his loved ones, and build a new kingdom from scratch that is popted entirely by his family, then there is still some content for you to look forward you. Thank you all so much for your support over the years. And I hope to write many more stories for you all in the future!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!